CHEESE!

Remember when Karson used to have a beautiful photogenic smile? Well hang on to those memories, because he's moved on to this...

I give up...

9 Months!

Karson is 9 months old (plus a day or two)!  We waited to post because he also had a checkup yesterday where he got his "official" measurements!

Every time I think being Karson's mom can't get better, he proves me wrong. I love this boy more than I knew would be possible.  Here's some good news and bad news:

Good news: Karson continues to be a big, healthy boy.  He's wearing size 3 diapers, and 9 month clothing.  He measured in at 22.2 pounds and 30 inches, and he is still "charting his own path" in head size.  
Bad news:  Hats are hard to come by!  And the onesie in these photo is fighting a loosing battle!

Good news: He LOVES brushing his teeth!
Bad news:  There are only two of them...so the fun doesn't last long.

Good news:  He is not a picky eater.  He loves it all!
Bad news: I should probably start saving up for his teenage eating habits now.

Good news:  Karson sleeps like a champ!
Bad news: Mama's excuse for not having time to fix my hair and makeup in the morning is gone...

Good news: He is learning lots of new tricks!  Including peek-a-boo, shake shake shake, how big, and most recently the word "juice".
Bad news:  Where did my little boy go?

Here are some picture of our little monkey:

Dear Karson - Happy Nine Months!

Dear Karson,

 

Nine months can seem like an eternity. Ask anyone who has ever been pregnant. When I carried you, I was pretty sure that nine months lasted 20 years. Not because you were a task to carry, in fact we had a very healthy and happy pregnancy. But rather because the anticipation of meeting you and holding you made it seem to drag on forever. 

 

Then you finally arrived, and my life changed forever. Over the last nine months I've watched you grow and change in so many ways. Currently you're learning new sounds, and trying to add a few words to your vocabulary. We're pretty sure "juice" is on the tip of your tongue. You think I'm the queen of the Earth, or at least of your world, and if I'm in sight, you prefer that we hang out together. I'm flattered by it, and agree with you that we should spend as much time playing together as possible. So we do.

 

Daddy is your comedian. When he makes certain faces or sounds, he can send you in to a laughing fit that ends with all of us rolling. You don't even have to be near him, and if you hear him laughing...you'll join right in!

 

Speaking of rolling, that's still you're preferred mode of transport. You're sooo close to crawling, but can't quite get yourself moving forward. Between the rolling and the scooting backward, you still get everywhere you want to go...including these places...

 

 

 

You clap, giggle at Pat-a-cake, and love peek-a-boo. You wave at times, but you haven't quite nailed when a wave makes sense. Most recently you waved bye bye to your toy when I told you it was time to put it down. Then again...maybe you DO understand waving; you are just selective in who deserves a wave?

 

Bath time and brushing your teeth are super fun for you, and you even celebrate diaper changes by kicking vigorously and patting the mirror. You've also discovered how to turn the light off when we're done.

 

You are such a big boy when it comes to playing with others, or letting other people take care of you. The day care loves you, and at church we can take you to the nursery without any tears. When I pick you up you are happily playing away. It is during these times when I see you differently. I see that you are not a baby any more. You are becoming a little boy. A wonderful, loving, sweet little boy. As we speak, I am starting to think about plans for your first birthday. THAT seems hard to believe. But we will quickly zoom through your first Thanksgiving and Christmas, and February will be here before we know it. I find myself wanting to cling to every second and every memory...but also excited about what each new day with you brings. 

 

So as I mentioned...nine months can seem like a second.

Allright, allright, we get it!

God is funny sometimes.  And by funny I mean patiently persistent, and a little obvious.

We've been on the search for a church in our new town.  There has been a couple of "no"'s, a few "maybe"s, but previously no clear "yes".  I think we've finally changed that.  I had been growing frustrated, and prayed that the search would end soon, and that it would be an obvious decision. 

Today we felt at home.  We started with good coffee, delicious pastries, a welcoming nursery where Karson willingly played and napped with his new friends, AND sign ups for the Christmas choir in the lobby.  We continued in to an inviting sanctuary with a few familiar faces, great music, and a very present God. 

I'm very excited about the atmosphere, the ministries they offer, and what seems like a great place for us to grow as Christians and help Karson learn about God.

The "funny" part, is that for the 6th time since we've been searching for a local church, we heard a sermon on giving and/or serving.  The pastor started by giving the preamble that this isn't the normal topic, and that if you were a first time guest he hopefully wouldn't scare you off...  A very similar intro to what the past 3 pastors have said.  Justin and I smiled about it, and opened to Malachi 3:10 again.

I've said "funny", because you've probably already observed what took Justin and I weeks to hear.  God clearly wants more from us.  We've spent weeks looking for a church that would give us what we want.  But we hadn't been thinking hard about where we could best give back to God. 

Well, we heard today.  And we have agreed we can do more to give of our selves.  The financial part is easier.  It will be the non financial part that will require some introspection, and more sacrifice.  Nonetheless, it feels good to have the search for a church behind us.  Now we can move on to the search for what is within us.

Wordless Wednesday!

Karson vs Hat

Karson's bald head + cooler winter weather = a need for a good warm hat.

I've had a hard time finding hats that fit his..."advanced"...head.  Nana provided us with adorable fleece puppy hat that that has helped do the trick for quite a while.  He never pulls it off and he looks adorable!  The problem is...his head is getting a bit too big for it.

Karson received another present from his Great Grandma.  This hat had potential.  It was big enough, warm enough, and looked like it would definitely stay on.

Enter Karson, who had other plans.  He LOVES the hat!  But he loves it as a chew toy, and a shaker, and as a way to play peek-a-boo.  So it serves many purposes...but at this rate, I'm not sure one of those purposes will be to warm his head...

I present to you, Karson vs Hat!

As always, click on any photo to view larger.  Pardon the drool...and pants up to his knees...

Blocks are ok...but I'd really like to play with this hat.

Stop for a quick dance.

Back to work!

A victory shake!

Great for peek-a-boo!

Hey...my head is cold...

Wordless Wednesday

Special thanks to Jared, Crystal and crew for the early Christmas present!