Carson month 1: September 2-October 2

Carson's first month was full of introductions. He was introduced to the world, his new home, his sister, his puppies and all of our friends and family. That is a lot to take in. He is doing very well!


Blake (BB) holding his grandson.
A few things we noticed right off the bat-- he is SUCH a great eater! So much so that the nursery finally insisted that I give him a pacifier. I'll take that any day though.
He left the hospital weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces. At his 9 day check up, he was already at 7 pounds, 10 ounces (the goal is to have them back to their birth weight by two weeks). Then, at his three week check up, he weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces! Woah baby!! I am so glad he is a healthy baby and growing quickly. He's already outgrowing clothes though :(

We have had our share of tough moments too, unfortunately. We learned that Carson has a milk protein allergy. The bad news-- no more dairy for mommy. That may not seem like a big deal, but next time you are reading a label you will find that EVERYTHING has milk in it! Once I died to my pizza and ice cream addiction, I knew it would be okay. Honestly, it's been totally do-able, just an adjustment. I do miss my favorite foods, but it's forcing me to be a healthier mom and eat more like Nathan, which is a great thing! Since the dairy elimination, Carson has been feeling much better, can breathe easier and life in general has been better for the little guy.

We also learned that Carson has Torticollis, a condition that he developed due to the forcep delivery. In short, his neck muscles were stretched too much and unevenly, which has caused stiffness and a lot of pain. He hates the swing, bouncy seat, car seat...well, really anything except for being held (do you blame him)? Per the advice of a dear friend and his pediatrician, he is now seeing an infant chiropractor for weekly adjustments. His chiro said on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst) he's a 10 for muscle rigidity. No WONDER he's had a tough time. We are all hopeful and thankful for capable hands and we can already see a huge difference. Between the dietary changes and the adjustments we will have him 100% in no time. Good grief!!!

His first bath was hilarious!


Mommy and Daddy both got a bath from Carson. He peed everywhere! He loved the bath though! It just took us a while to keep washing him off :)

Nathan has been the most amazing daddy. He has been a lot more hands on this time. He is SO cute with his son. I've caught him giving Carson lessons on football and holding him up to the TV to fill him in on the latest Fantasy Football updates. He has even helped me learn how to use the sling. It doesn't get sexier than that!


Two peas in a pod!

Are they cute or what?

And then there is Alex...the most amazing, loving big sister you could ask for. I have been blown away by her patience, loving attitude and kindness toward her baby brother. She has never said one bad thing about him. She will wait if he needs something first, and seems to be really enjoying having a baby in the house!



Here she is singing to Carson.


Do you see all the babies she is taking care of?

So far, so good! Our new normal is better than any of us expected. Our family just seems more settled now with two kids. It's hard to explain. We are loving every minute, even the hard minutes. This embarassing photo really sums up what our life is like at the moment!



And lastly, a smile from our little man. We caught this pic his first week!