Finally Friday!

...and we are ready for the weekend! Since the majority of last weekend was spent at the hospital, we're thrilled to be at home and spending our time being lazy. I spent most of the day in the car yesterday traveling across New Mexico, so I'm DEFINITELY ready to park it and relax!

Carter seems to have forgotten all about having the "bug" and is back to his smiley self. Today he actually grabbed onto a toy and smiled the biggest grin after he took it from me. I tried to capture a shot of it, but he wasn't havin' any posin' for the camera today... So here's what I managed to get on camera:

Otherwise, another week of beautiful Albuquerque weather has gone by and we're almost into summer! I'll sign off here with a quick photo with a nice representation from Carter as to how we'll be spending the weekend:

Have a great night!
~kerrie

Memorable Memorial Day

Typically on Memorial Day, the Greenies are out of doors, hiking, BBQing, and drinking the cold brews. THIS year, we hung out indoors, did some work on some of the lingering honey-do projects, and let the lil' dude rest. However, we did manage to light up the grill for some tasty blue cheese burgers for dinner (my fave!) ...sans the beer...

Carter is and sounds a million times better and isn't the same puking exorcist-child he was on Thursday afternoon, but we're not completely out of the woods yet. Still had a few meals come back up so hopefully Dr. R will make him all better tomorrow and then he can rejoin his pals at "school."

He's currently sound asleep in my arm after a hard day of kicking, cooing, toy wrangling, and smiling like his usual self. BUT Carter was back to his I-don't-take-naps-longer-than-20-minutes ways, so he's pretty tuckered out. Earlier today, I did manage to snap a couple of fun photos of him in his bumbo seat sporting his Michigan gear (thanks Nancy and Jim!) to support daddy's roots. Check out that neck strength and that smile...just as goofy as daddy's!


Anyway, it's time to wrap it up for the day and hit the sack myself. Hope everyone had a nice long weekend and got their BBQ on (and had a beer for us!)!
~kerrie

There's No Place Like Home!

Quick update...Carter was discharged from UNMH this evening with the grand diagnosis of "gastroenteritis." Or in non-medical terms: a stomach bug. Due to his age, we were required to spend 48 hours in the hospital. But now that it's over, I'll say there really is no place like home!

Anywho, he's re-hydrated, eating well again, and most importantly, keeping his food down. He's a little stuffy sounding, but that's about it as far as his "symptoms" go.

Gotta say, we're pretty proud of the lil' guy. He was good around all of the staff (and if you've ever had an overnight hospital stay, you'll know that you'll see a zillion different nurses and doctors while you're there), never was he fussy (except when they took out his IV), and STILL has his happy disposition (currently laying on his activity mat, kicking like a goon).

Our cell phones are nearly dead and we're zombies ourselves, so we're going to hit the sack early and sleep in until 6AM (if Carter lets us!). Thanks to all of you that sent kind words. I like to think they helped with his speedy recovery.

~kerrie

Sleepless Nights...Starting with the E.R.

An interesting beginning to the long Memorial Day weekend... Thursday evening began with some serious puking coming from our little boy. We're talking the nasty, painful to get up, yellow acidy, yukky stuff. Carter didn't seem to mind the dry heaves, but mommy was quite concerned...

After some repeat performances and an inability to keep any food down, we ended up at the pediatric E.R. at UNMH around 9PM. Got Carter puffed back up with some IV fluids and we headed up to the pediatric ward for diagnosis around 1AM.

Well, two days later (including some worrisome sleepless nights), we're a little closer to an answer: it's an "infection." Hrmm... No fever, no other symptoms, sure, we'll settle for that diagnosis.

And, as of Saturday lunchtime, Carter is keeping down his food, not showing off his puking abilities, but IS showing off his flirting abilities (he REALLY smiles for the ladies...all of them...yes, we've grounded him). He's still chipper and hasn't lost much energy after all he's gone through (blood tests, zillions of vitals checks, ultrasounds, urine tests, etc.). The doctors (a team of 4 today) are assessing his progress and will hopefully discharge him tonight. We're waiting on the determination of the bacteria type that caused the infection...

In the meantime, Matt and I are going to jot down a big "two" in the sleepless nights log...think there's enough paper in this world to actually log the number of nights we'll be up worrying throughout his life? Yeah, I don't think so either...

I'll end with a photo of Carter from early May with his "you've got to be kidding me" look:


Here's to good health and speedy recoveries to all (and to an end to these annual late-May hospital stays by our family members!!)!

~kerrie

PS Still can't figure out WHERE he picked up his infection, as none of the other kids at his daycare are/were/might be getting sick! Oh well, the mysteries we experience in our lives help keep us on our toes, no?

Dogs and Cats (and Rain?)

We've officially been sending Carter to "school" for a full week now. And although he won't tell us in words, he likes it! The teachers are great and they are taking great care of him. While it's unfortunate that we can't stay home with him full time, it's nice to know that he's in good hands. And when he IS at home, it's the quality of our time spent together, not the quantity. So we've been having a lot of fun at home....lots of music, singing, reading, and some exciting toy rattling!

Today we did a little posing in his "Hot Diggity Dog" one-sie and his stuffed kitty (our REAL kitty still won't hang out with Carter...maybe once he's completely past the arm-flailing phase?). I call it the "Dogs and Cats" pose:

You might be wondering why many of the photos feature Carter laying on a burp cloth...well, he's the spit up king :) I've worn more spit up from this kid than I ever dreamed of. Oh well, at least we know he's eating well!

As for the rain....we're getting a lot of noise, but very few drops. Sure would like to have the sky water my garden for a change.

Have a great night!
~kerrie

Back to Work and Going Green

Today was my first day back at work and it went well! I have the nicest co-workers and many were happy to have me back (although some reminded me how quiet it was without me there...is that a compliment?).

I got some pretty flowers today (thanks Heidi!) and a sweet banner with photos of Carter (thanks Marie!)! And Carter did great at "school" today, too - no fussiness, napped well, ate well, he was a champ!

And...he was showing off his love for protecting the environment (ok, so I'M the tree-hugger, but he will be too someday!) in another of his "granola" one-sies:


Hey, gotta start 'em off young, right? Well it's off to bed to listen to the sound of the rainstorm as I fall asleep. Monsoon season coming early this year to Albuquerque?

Good night,
~kerrie

The Dragon Slayer

It's only 10AM and Carter already has been out slaying dragons (or well, stuffed crocodiles, but work with me here!)...

First up, a "pre-battle" shot, contemplating the days rigorous activities and doing a little stretching (slaying dragons if tough work!):

Followed by the heroic "lunch feast" of tasty dragon meat:

And finally, some "congratulatory support" from mommy (who barely made it in time after her shower):

We're just being silly on this Saturday morning and wanted to capture him on camera in his "Dungeons & Dragons" one-sie (thanks Robin & Doug!)...note his superb level of charisma (18! The highest you can "roll"!)!

Hope you're having a nice weekend!
~kerrie

Daycare....Round II (FINAL Round!)

Today Carter started at the new daycare (also a brand-new facility, but they have 3 other locations in town). And one word to describe today's experience: SUCCESS!

I'm so relieved that it is going to work out! His teachers were REALLY nice, the Director was REALLY nice, and Carter was perfect. I'm also relieved that now I can return to work (...on Monday...) with a [mostly] clear conscience and know that my baby is in good hands! They told me that he didn't cry even ONCE today! He ate well, slept well, and when I picked him up, he was enjoying a little "tummy time." Night and day difference from yesterday's experience!

And speaking of "tummy time," here are a couple of short little videos of Carter on his activity mat just before I flipped him over. Yes, he is typically this happy and talkative... (and that spinning sound in "Part 2" video is me making the toy play the song)

Activity Mat Fun - Part 1:


Activity Mat Fun - Part 2:


Alrighty then, off to whip up some dinner! Have a great evening!
~kerrie

Daycare...Round I

Well, I did it. I took Carter to his first day of daycare (or "school" as they say). I won't lie, I was a complete and total wreck leaving him with a stranger. Carter, well, he smiled as I left and smiled when I picked him back up this afternoon...so not nearly as wimpy as mommy!

I won't name any names here, but let's just say that my wishful thinking that this brand-new daycare would work out was, well...disastrous. Maybe it's just because I'm an engineer and therefore like order, but these folks were so disorganized, it was pitiful! They didn't have his file, they didn't have any forms for me to fill out (with his eating, sleeping, etc. habits), they didn't even have all of the teachers there yet, and the kicker...they didn't even make me pay!

So, what would any good mother do? I called my own mother for advice (followed by several friends)! I then followed said mom's advice and drove straight to my "back up" daycare (about 1 mile from this one) and registered Carter. He starts tomorrow! Phew! I didn't even have the nerve to tell today's place why I'm not coming back...ugh!

While waiting it out (and pretending to be strong) while Carter tried out his first day, I went to the salon and got a rockin' new 'do. Maybe I'll get a photo to post up tomorrow when I write about Round II...which will hopefully be better than today! Finally, here's a cute pic of the lil' man with his ducky to make me (and hopefully you) smile:


Happy Hump Day!
kerrie

Thing 3?

Well, tomorrow is Carter's first day at the daycare (well, technically it's a "Learning Center"). *sniff* He'll be fine, I know...it's just going to be hard on mommy :( And well, just wait until they realize that he doesn't really take naps any longer than 20 minutes during the day! Hehehe!

To perk myself up, I thought I'd put up some funny photos of Carter in his Dr. Seuss PJ's (from our pal, Amelia...thanks!). Coincidence, he was born on Dr. Seuss's birthday (March 2), so for these pics, I call him: "Thing 3"... Here's the "Busted!" look:


Followed by the "Look at my back-side" look:

And finally, the "Leave me alone!" look (for the record, he is very rarely fussy, so good time to capture it!):

Anyway, we're still working on his core strength and he's nearly to the point of rolling over (oh no!). While doing some "tummy time," Matt captured this shot...pretty cute! Also, doc says his eyes will most likely stay blue, so check out his gaze! Those baby blues look even brighter when he's outside!

Hope you're enjoying the new blog!
-kerrie

Carter is 2 months old!

[transferring a few blogs over to this page]

Well, I can't believe our little boy is already 2 months old!


Time is just flying by...before I know it, he'll be all grown up and dating (but not until age 30, if I have my way...)!

This month, Carter has really perfected his smile! He wakes up smiling, he smiles in his sleep, and smiles when he eats (often INSTEAD of eating)! It just melts my heart that he's such a happy boy! Below is a recent photo of him smiling away in his "hungry dog" outfit.


He's still not fussy and still isn't a fan of daytime naps longer than 20 minutes (oh won't the ladies at daycare love that!). BUT...he's sleeping around 6 to 7 hours each night, so I don't mind that he doesn't nap too much. Below is a cute photo of Carter in his "Flying Ace" PJ's, just as we were getting him ready for bed.

At his 2 month check-up, he weighed in at 13 pounds (75th percentile for weight) and 24.5 inches long (95th percentile for height). Doc agrees that he's healthy, getting some great neck strength, and did well getting his immunization shots (though mom cried more than Carter did...). While I'm still off work (I'm back to work on the 18th), Carter and I practice some "tummy time." His core strength is getting better by the day and he's really trying to roll over to "catch" his toys. Below is a fun photo of Carter from his changing table and since the changing pad is contoured, he really had to lift his head up to "peek" at me.


Over the weekend, Carter got to meet his grandparents for the first time (photo with Grandma - my mom - below). I think Grandma was ready to take him back to Kansas, especially since he smiled at her all weekend long! Hopefully he'll get to see them more and more frequently!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the beginning of Spring!
-Kerrie (& Matt & Carter)

Carter is 1 month old!

[transferring a few blogs over to this page]

...boy does time fly?!?! Our little boy is already ONE MONTH OLD (photo below - thanks to my sister-in-law, Katrina, for the handmade afghan)!!! Seems like just yesterday we brought him home and began the never-sleeping-marathon! :)


During his first month of life, he learned to smile in response to my smile (low res photo below - only had my cell phone nearby and HAD to capture it!). In addition to his smile, he's started babbling a lot (mostly coos and funny clucking noises) - just like mom, always talking! :)


He started sleeping in his "big boy crib" and tends to sleep in his "champion" pose if he's not swaddled (photo below - handmade blanket given to us by Matt's co-worker Janice)! At night he's sleeping in about 5-hour stretches, so we're loving that! He took a bottle from Matt (yay for me - I can leave the house!) and while he tried the pacifier (which is entirely cute!), he's not a big fan.


And he's already outgrown all of his newborn clothing and diapers. He's easily up to 11 pounds and is getting quite tall - already his 3 month one-sies are getting snug! He's lost almost all of his hair and has advanced to the teenage years with a little bit of baby acne... They just grow up so fast, don't they!? Next, he'll be asking for the car keys!!

Carter has had a few visitors (ALL of which have said how much he looks like Matt...in my defense, he's got my big brain!) and is looking forward to meeting more of our friends and family. If you'd like to stop by and meet him (and aren't sick), just let me know!

Matt and I are both doing well and adjusting to our new family life. I've turned into a photo-aholic and haven't minded the fact that Carter is in his "hold-me" phase. But while he's taking his afternoon nap, I'm going to do some more laundry. Hope everyone is doing well!

-Kerrie (& Matt & Carter)

The Greenies

Since all of our buddies use "real" blogs, I figured it was time to set one up for the Greenfelders (or the "Greenies" as Matt is so fondly nick-named).

Check back often for fun, interesting, picture-loaded, boring, etc. posts to see what's happening with the Greenies!

And we're off! Weeeeee!
~Kerrie (& Matt & Carter)