Carson Anthony: 24 Months!

I can't believe my BABY is TWO.  The one who made me Mom.  The boy who loves me unconditionally.  The one who brings so much joy to my heart every single day.  

We had Carson's 2 year well visit on May 21st.  He weighed in at 28lbs 6oz (56%) and was 33.5" tall (41%).  The doctor said she's almost positive Carson is taller than that but he kept scrunching up when they tried to measure him.  He thought he was hilarious.  :)  The doctor said that Carson's speech already meets the 3 year goals because he is speaking in 4-5 word sentences.  It's crazy to think just 6 months ago I was concerned about his speech and considering calling early intervention!  Carson won't go back to the doctor for another well visit until he's 3 so she gave us some goals for this coming year.  

Carson's Goals for the Year

-Jumping with both feet off the ground simultaneously (he's SO close but usually gets on tip-toes or only one foot leaves the ground)

-Broad jumps by 3 years (jumping over an object)
-Balance on one foot for about 3 seconds by 3 years
-Draw a circle
*The doctor said since his speech is exceeding expectations we could practice colors and shapes.  Carson knows those so she said to practice letters.  He knows those too so we are now working on letters and reinforcing everything else.  I love that his brain is such a little sponge!

What Carson Loves Right Now: 

-Carson still loves balls and balloons.  Nick popped a balloon over a month ago and Carson STILL talks about it.  "Yeh-yo boon-uh pop it, Daddy!"  I have a big baggie of balloons that are left over from parties and whenever I need Carson to be entertained for a while I can get one out and blow it up.  He has so much fun!  Everyone always jokes about how many balls he has.  We have a basket for balls upstairs and downstairs.  He even takes balls to bed sometimes.  He's totally obsessed!  His favorite is most definitely basketball.  Nick recently installed a hoop in our driveway and Carson is totally obsessed!  He also has been known to take balls on our walks and shoot hoops at random peoples' houses in our neighborhood, haha!

-Carson loves giving kisses.  He LOVES kissing his little brother and he's getting much better about gentle kisses.  :)  He also learned how to give butterfly kisses and eskimo kisses and he does that a lot, too.  It's super adorable.

-Carson loves reading.  Obviously as a former teacher I already have a TON of books but I love adding to Carson's collection!  He takes books to bed for nap and bedtime and we read books throughout the day.  We also keep a stash of books in the car and diaper bag.  I love that he'll request books over electronic games and TV.  (Not to say we never watch TV or play with electronic toys because we totally do!)

-Carson also loves being outside!  The weather has been great lately and we've been out taking walks, riding his trike, playing with the water table, and so many other fun things.  It's going to be such a fun summer!

-Carson loves vehicles!  He loves watching out of our windows to see the "mail man truck", trash truck, ice cream truck, etc.  We took him to a "Touch a Truck" event the Friday before his birthday and he was in HEAVEN!  We saw tractors, fire trucks, a helicopter, police cars, an RV, a school bus, and so much more.  He still talks about it weeks later!

-Carson is getting much more opinionated about his favorite foods.  One day he'll love chicken and the next day he won't touch it!  You can almost always get him to eat any type of fruit, peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt, and mac and cheese.  He's not a huge fan of veggies but seems to really like broccoli and corn.  He can now get up into his booster seat all on his own and buckle the straps.  Doe she even need me anymore?!  ;)

What I Love Right Now: I think my favorite thing about this age is that Carson can totally have a conversation with me.  It's so much fun!  I love hearing what's on his mind and it's also fun to hear him chattering away to himself in the backseat or in his room during nap.  He loves making us laugh and he is constantly narrating his life.  Here's an example of what you might here in our playroom.  "Uh oh, Carson fall down!  I'm ok.  Play basketball!  Kiss baby Mason!"  I love it, it cracks me up.  He also is great with his manners and almost always says please ("peeez") and thank you.  Although he has gotten a bit confused and combined thank you and your welcome so he'll say "Thank you, welcome!"  Silly boy!

Some of our Biggest Struggles: With Carson talking so much, he says no to a lot!  He also gets very upset anytime we have to come inside.  A lot of times I have to redirect and remind him that there are fun things inside too!  He throws tantrums about silly things like not being able to take a water cup to bed or having to put his toothbrush away.  It's SO hard for me not to laugh because it really is quite silly.  Usually the tantrums don't last long (thankfully) and redirection works most of the time.

Exciting Milestones & Physical Changes: Carson had his 2 year check up (stats at the beginning of the post).  He also got his 10th hair cut before turning 2!  Not only was it his 10th haircut, it was his first BIG BOY haircut!  I almost cried but at least hair grows back, right?  Plus, I was starting to feel bad that he was getting so hot and sweaty with his shaggy mop.  I think it's about time I learn how to cut little boys' hair!

-Carson also has started using the potty more!  We aren't actively potty training him yet, but he has started to ask for diaper changes and tell us before he has to go (or sometimes during).  He has gone #2 on the potty 3 times now and he asked to go each of those times!  We usually put him on before baths and we've started putting him on before nap/bed time too now.  A few times he has woken up from nap dry and we'll stick him right on the potty.  He's doing great but like I said, we aren't officially training yet, just letting him take the lead.  We were totally surprised with it so we weren't prepared and ended up giving him mini Oreos for his "prize".  I think I need to search around for a sticker chart or something a little healthier.  :)     

Here are some more of Carson's favorites at 2 years:

Books: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ("fish book"), Thomas and the School Trip, Goodnight Thomas, Baby Beluga, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I Love You More, Guess How Much I Love You, Owl Babies, Tractor Peekaboo, Colors Peekaboo, What Can Pinky Hear?

TV Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Super Why, The Goodnight Show ("Nina and Star")
Toys: puzzles, cars/trucks, train table, bubbles, blocks (mega bloks), Cozy Truck, basketball hoop, water table.

Things We're Looking Forward To: These past 2 years have FLOWN by.  I can't wait to see my baby boy explore, grow, develop, and learn in these coming years.  I hope time slows down a bit because I just want to soak it all up!  I also can't wait to see the bond he develops with his new little brother!   

Mason's Nursery Tour

I still don't feel like Mason's nursery is finished, but I don't know if I ever will!  This is what it looks like for now and it makes me happy to go in there!

Sweet and simple!

Here are some of the details (links will go directly to product)...
Door Sign & Name Art {DIY}
Orange Chevron Pillow Cover {jane.com}
Gray Polka Dot Sheets {Target}
Orange & Gray Chevron Crib Skirt {Buy Buy Baby}
Navy Curtains {Walmart}
Silver Lamp w/ Orange Shade {Target}
Personalized "anywhere" Chair {UglySofa.com}
Dresser {Ikea}
Nightstand {Ikea}
Navy Minky Changing Pad Cover {Etsy}
Nursery Wall Art {Etsy}
Frames {Hobby Lobby}
Orange Chevron Basket {Michaels}
Chrome Piggy Bank {Carter's}




In case you didn't see it, here was my inspiration that I created before we moved into this house!

Stroller Giveaway!

You all know I love a good deal, right?!  Well starting today (5/15) at 6am PT through Sunday (5/18) at 6 am PT, you can save up to $150 on a phil & teds stroller!

I am entering a contest to win a stroller for myself and one for a lucky reader. (It could be you!) If you are interested in winning a new stroller please leave a blog comment telling me which stroller you like best and why (links to the stroller styles are found below).

phil & teds is the brand of choice for parents who seek to stroll the streets in style. The brand focuses on creating agile, adaptable products that support busy parents' active lives.

Save up to $150 on 4 stroller styles in this zulily sale:
o Navigator
o Dot
o Smart Stroller
o Promenade

phil & teds Navigator Stroller Giveaway!I'm entering the zulily stroller giveaway contest and if I win one, so can one of you!
I love that 3 of the 4 strollers can be used as doubles!  They come in such fun colors, too!


A little about the Navigator:
• Buggy and Second Seat that can adapt to changing needs with 26 riding options spanning birth to toddler for one or two children.
• Infant Car seat compatible with one or two car seats
• Highly maneuverable frame with compact one-hand fast fold
• The world's first Auto Stop(TM) inline(TM) stroller




zulily phil & teds Stroller Sale and Giveaway 5/15-5/18!


**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Mason's Birth Story!

It only took me 3.5 weeks but I finally got around to writing out Mason's birth story!  It's a good thing I kept little notes on my phone because I've already forgotten some things!  I'm so glad I wrote birth stories for my boys, I love looking back at them!

Check out Mason's Birth Story by clicking the link or just click on the tab at the top of my blog!  While you're there, you can also find all of my Mason bump pics in my Pregnancy #2 tab!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day!

Easy Mother's Day Craft

I promise I'll get back to blogging soon.  I have a list of post ideas and I just need to take the time to sit down and work on them!  Does anyone know where I can get some extra time to do that?!

Anyway, I wanted to share a quick and easy Mother's Day craft idea.  My mom and mother-in-law love getting little "handmade" gifts from Carson so I knew I wanted to include Mason this time!  I had to do something easy since he's only 3 weeks so I decided on foot prints.  I based this off a picture I saw on Pinterest and made a few modifications.

For the foot prints I used 3 colors on Carson and then one on Mason.  Carson loves it and says "tickle!" the whole time.  Mason was not a fan of the cold paint....poor guy!

It's not perfect but it was made with love! :)

Carson Anthony: 23 Months

I've had this post semi-drafted for a while but finally got around to finishing it up to publish.  Funny how a newborn and toddler have been keeping me busy, huh?  :)

Carson is a month away from turning TWO!  I honestly have no clue how this is happening so quickly.  He is SO much fun right now, a chatterbox and a wild child.  He's totally full of energy and has the personality to match!  He hates anything out of place and he refers to a lot of those things as "fuzzies".  If he finds a little scrap of paper on the floor, it's a fuzzy.  If I leave a string on his banana, it's a fuzzy.  If there's a sticker on something that shouldn't be there, it's a fuzzy.  Silly boy!

What Carson Loves Right Now: 
-Carson still loves balloons ("boons!")  He loves pointing out the colors of balloons and if we go somewhere that has balloons and he can't have one, he is NOT a happy camper!  We keep adding air to this balloon from Valentine's Day and he's obsessed!

-Carson loves building with blocks.  He usually uses his Mega Bloks.  He likes to dump out the whole bag and roll around in the blocks before building sometimes.  Lately he's been into building a "garage" for all of his trucks and cars.  I have no idea where he got that idea but it's pretty adorable.  

-Carson also loves "hi-seek" (aka hide and seek).  He's getting better at finding hiding spots but sometimes he'll just cover his face and stand in front of you.  The other day he actually just got down on the floor on his belly and covered his head.  It's so adorable when he comes to me and says "hi-seek Momma!"  He usually wants me to hide because he's too impatient for people to come find him.  :)

-Carson also loves playing outside!  Now that the weather is nice (hello, spring!) and we have an awesome yard at our new house, we've been spending a lot of time outdoors!  

-Carson also still loves reading.  He is constantly bringing me books to read and he gets really excited about new books.  He loves the library, too.  I love walking into a room and finding him reading alone with a pile of books by his side!

-Carson also loves his piggy bank!  He calls it his "money piggy" and he loves getting coins to put in it!  We bought Mason the same one for his room.  Here's Carson adding some change to his money piggy that he found in an egg from his Easter egg hunt!

-Carson's favorite foods haven't changed much.  He still loves chicken nuggets (and veggie nuggets), peanut butter sandwiches, bananas ("beh-lah"), any fruit, and "temmy grams" (aka Teddy Grahams) or "bunneeees" (Annie's Bunny Grahams).  He's hit or miss with veggies.  This month we got him a booster seat for the table and he LOVES it!  We ordered this Turtle Booster from Amazon because it had great reviews and it was super affordable.  Carson thinks it's so cool!

What I Love Right Now: Carson is a chatterbox!  He can say pretty much anything and talks all day long.  I love that he can totally communicate with us now by asking for things and telling us about things.  I also can't help but smile when he's chatting away in his crib or in the backseat of the car.  I also love seeing him be such a great big brother.  He's done a GREAT job with the transition and I couldn't be more proud!  I was so nervous about everything but he's really impressed me.  We're still working on being gentle, but he really does love his little brother!  He's still a snuggle bug and loves to run and get blankets and "sungle bankee Momma" (snuggle blankie, Momma).  It melts my heart every time!  

Some of our Biggest Struggles: I was worried that the transition from only child to big brother would be a big struggle, but like I mentioned, Carson has been a super star brother!  One of our struggles has been that now that Carson is so verbal, he is also very stubborn.  He will tell us when he doesn't want to do something and if we try to get him to do it, he throws a little tantrum.  Here's a picture of Carson throwing a little fit when we told him we had to take those balls back upstairs.  I don't know if this makes me a bad mom, but sometimes I can't help but laugh when he throws his tantrums.  Toddlers are so dramatic!  :)

Exciting Milestones & Physical Changes: Carson added another tooth this month!  He got one of his bottom canines (cuspids).  Now we have one canine and the dreaded 2 year molars left.  I hope they aren't too rough for him.  

Carson got his 9th haircut this month!  He did GREAT and the hair dresser kept commenting on how well behaved he was.  She said "I hope all of my clients are like Carson today!"  

We celebrated Easter and Carson got to see the Easter bunny twice!  We went to the mall to visit him and then we saw him again at a brunch we went to with family.  Now every time Carson sees a really bunny outside he calls it the Easter bunny.  :)  Carson also participated in his very first Easter egg hunt!  We just did it in our backyard since I was about to pop with Mason, but he had so much fun!

Besides his first Easter egg hunt, Carson had a lot of other firsts too....

He got his first big boy pillow!  I had a small travel pillow in his crib but he never used it.  I think it was too fluffy.  We bought a cheap regular size pillow and he's still getting used to it.  Sometimes he'll end up on it, but most of the time he just plays with it before falling asleep!

Carson also got a new tricycle and went on his first bike ride (on his own bike)!  I found the trike for a great deal on a local buy sell trade board and we can already tell it was a great purchase!  The bike has a handle for parents to push/steer which is the way we use it now.  Carson isn't quite tall enough to pedal yet but he's SO close!

Carson took his first bubble bath this month!  I know that's silly but he LOVED it!  At first he was a little hesitant but then he got into it.  I think he honestly thought his foot disappeared because when he raised it up out of the water, he looked so surprised!

Carson also started telling us when he had to potty sometimes!  Disclaimer: We are not starting to potty train nor are we close!  We just have a potty seat for him to get him used to the idea and be comfortable with it.  For the most part, he loves his potty seat.  

Carson got a little foot stool for the bathroom this month and he loves getting up to "wash hands" or "brush teeth"!  He is becoming more and more independent.  Obviously he still needs our help for these things but he wants to do it all on his own!

Carson is a color pro!  He points out the colors of everything - even without prompting from us.  He'll point at cars and say "red car!" or point out colors of balloons, toys, etc.  He knows blue, yellow, orange, green, pink, black, and white.  He knows red and purple but sometimes mixes them up.  

Carson's speech is pretty awesome.  Everyone comments on how he's "such a talker" and how he "speaks so well!"  This makes me so happy since a few short months ago I was concerned enough to look up information on early intervention!  He uses 4-5 word sentences on a regular basis and has even started using PLURALS!  His words have become a lot clearer this month as well.  Last month he called Mason "Mah-deh" and now he says "Baby Mason" very clearly!  He has some pretty funny phrases like "Oh my gosh" which just cracks me up!  He's definitely a little parrot!

Things We're Looking Forward To: As sad as I am for my baby to be turning 2, I'm really excited to see what's to come.  Carson has such a huge personality and he's SO much fun right now!  I'm in the early stages of getting things ready for his second birthday so that's fun too!