Munchkins & Minty Fresh Moments: Food 'n fun

It's like an entirely new life with a baby now that it's sunny and warm out! We're free to go out and do basically anything! It's just glorious.

I hate to jinx it, but Carson's routine lately has been awesome! It's so nice because it allows us to get out a little more, which I love. Anyway, Carson has been waking up - on average - about 9 am (sometimes as early as 6 or as late as 10). He'll nurse, and then typically will go right back to bed until lunchtime. Then he nurses for a bit, plays, and then eats some lunch in his high chair. Carson will go down for an afternoon nap somewhere around 2 pm (usually anyway) and sleep for 2-3 hours or so. When he wakes up from his afternoon nap, he's definitely the most energized and active. He'll nurse again and have some dinner in his high chair somewhere between 5:30 and 7:30 pm.

Lately, once he's had his afternoon nap, we'll go to the park or take a walk around the neighborhood. Carson loves it! He's so happy when he's outside, and it just makes me so happy to see him absorbing everything around him. In the afternoons or evenings is also when I run errands with Carson. He's gotten a lot better with going to the grocery store, etc. which is awesome.

Carson's been taking a bath pretty much every night lately - just because he gets lathered up with sunscreen and bug spray when we go for a walk or to the park. He really splashes now, and he loves sucking on either a wet washcloth or his toys (poor little teeth!).

By this point in the day, it's around 8 pm. And Carson definitely makes it clear that he's tired and ready for bed! He nurses (or takes a bottle sometimes if Alex is home) one more time and is asleep by 9 pm or so. And then he's out until the next morning!

...Maybe. Haha. A couple times this past week, Carson has woken up around 3 am. But I have the best husband in the world, and I've gotten to sleep right through that. And sometimes, he'll just take one reallllly long nap during the day. And other days - like today - he took an hour long nap.

I always thought that would drive me crazy - having my kid have a "schedule" that really wasn't a precise schedule. Everything about my personality says I would want Carson to go down for naps at exactly the same time and eat meals at certain times...etc, etc. But I've learned that because my personality is the way it is, a precise schedule like that wouldn't be healthy for me. Instead, a general routine - doing similar things at a relatively-ball-park-figure time - is the best thing.

Thank you Carson, for teaching Mommy that life doesn't have to happen in some sort of exact, freakishly-consistent way. :) Thank you for teaching me you aren't sick or dying or anything like that just because you sleep longer one night than another ... or that you eat more often one day than another. ... or that you spit up more often one time than another. You're the best first baby I could ever have asked for - because you're teaching me exactly the things I need to learn most.

Clearly, this is already a super long post, so I might as well keep going, right?! It's been SO fun experimenting with different baby foods and seeing Carson's reaction. Squash - the first thing we tried - was definitely his least favorite. But he really likes sweet potatoes, and he likes the corn & sweet potatoes mixture even more. He likes carrots. He still loves his plain rice cereal mixed with breast milk (not if I use water though!). He also really likes bananas. And surprisingly, he loves the chicken meat baby food (which might be the most foul-smelling thing I've ever smelled)! I gave him the chicken stuff for the first time last night, and he gobbled it up without any hesitation! Carson is kind of so-so with puffs. I think he enjoys trying to move them around on his tray and pick them up with his little chubby fingers more than anything else. He's definitely a fan of yogurt bites though! (so am I!) And Carson loves drinking water from his sippy cup.

Food is just so fun with Carson because he has so much character! He'll bang his hands on his high chair, "demanding" more food. He'll shudder and act like it's sour every time I give him a different taste of something (even when he's already liked it in the past). And he'll laugh when I mimic him. :) Lately he's decided he wants to help Mommy feed him, so he'll hold onto the spoon as I guide the food to his mouth. And then, because his teeth hurt, he'll try to eat the spoon. Carson has also really gotten in to scratching his head and tugging at his hair - usually when his hands are covered in baby food. It's the most adorable thing ever. And then, if he's done eating or just wants to be sassy, he'll blow bubbles and spit while he has food in his mouth...thus resulting in Mommy getting sprayed with baby food! ...Allthough lately, he's been doing that (which basically equates to fart noises with his mouth. Thanks for the bad influence, Uncle Vij!) whenever he doesn't like something - like when he's overly tired and getting his diaper changed.

And now ... I have to include a million billion pictures. :) A couple times, with Alex's work schedule, we've been able to go to the park altogether. We had dinner there the other night, and last night we just took Carson for a walk there.