Sledding with Nana & Mommy

I have said it before, we love the snow.

And I am that crazy Mama.

That thinks running around the back yard, through the snow, is so much fun.

Who thinks spending the time to bundle up the baby in a snow suite, is worth every squirm.

 

 Because the faster we ran...

...the bigger he smiled.

He harder he laughed...

...the faster Mommy and Nana ran.

 I love that Karson will have memories of his Grandma Nana playing in the snow with him.

Maybe the reason I make such a point to play with my baby in the snow...

...is because my Mom made it a point to play with me in the snow.

 Do I spend more time getting Karson ready to go in the snow, than he actually spends in the snow?

The majority of the time, yes.

except this day when he just couldn't get enough of Mommy and Nana running him around the yard

Is it worth every second?

ABSOLUTELY

Because they are only little for a while.

 And just for a good laugh...

 Maggie is the ultimate fetch dog.

She would run after that orange toy all day if you let her.

She is a little confused by Karson.

She can't seem to understand why he can take a bone away from her, and run into the other room.

Or bring her a squeaky toy.

But he can't throw the orange toy.

She kept bringing it to him.

Tossing it into his lap.

Expecting him to throw it for her.

over and over and over

Molly Bear & Munchkin

I did not take my 10 month old out in the snow,

and pack snow around his legs so he could stand...

 ....right...

 And if you think....

 ...he was laughing at Mommy...

 ...or even at Daddy...

 Think again...remember....

 

He is always laughing at her behind the camera.

Because she can do crazy things like this...

And if you think there was a running start to that airborne jump...

think again.

She goes straight up.

Her bionic leg

as we so lovingly call it

helps a bit I'm sure.

Or she is just Molly...

Photo Shoot Success

I went to let Molly outside today and saw our lawn chair propped up against the house.

Karson thinks he is cool stuff when he sits in chairs.

It was beautiful outside.

He was in a good mood.

My camera battery had just recharged.

...can you see where my train of thought is going?

This time...

 ...my crazy idea...

 ...of taking the baby out in the snow...

 ...was a complete...

...SUCCESS!

He was in the chair for all of 2 seconds before he wanted down to explore.

And in all of these pictures he was not looking at me.

He was laughing at her...

..who was trying to pull her rope to us.

The rope is tied to a huge tree branch inside the fence.

We were outside the fence.

She is so funny!

Karson thought so too!

Photo Shoot Fail

In November, my husband said yes to my mention of a DSLR.

We scoured the ads on Black Friday and found an awesome deal.

He didn't even have to wait in line.

Thank you bestbuy.com.

I have been itching to play with it outside.

Today was is not super cold, and the ground is dry.

I wanted some good pictures for Karson's 10 month post.

Which is what I intended this post to be.

He was in a super good mood.

I bundled him up, and told Molly we were going to go outside to play.

I am learning..

...that babies...

 ...are not always on the same page as Mommies.

 Karson was not up for posing for the pictures.

 Every time I put him down, he screamed.

 And looked at me like I was crazy.

I suppose it wasn't a total photo fail...

...I did get this sweet picture in between screams.


I am well aware that some of these are really bad quality pictures.  But Munchkin's face just cracks me up! :-)

2010

Not going to lie...
2010 started off horrible.
Really, really, bad.
And your talking to someone who spins a 'glass half full' on just about everything.
I was sick, so sick, and pregnant.
I was one more caugh and throw up away from the ER.
DJ was sick.
Molly even spent part of New Years Eve at the vet, after the ear off her favorite stuffed bunny disappeared...
DJ and I woke up on New Years day to coughs, colds, and a vet bill for the stuffed ear that had gotten stuck.

None of this compares to what the first few weeks of the new year would bring us...
A routine spaying led to us almost losing our sweet Molly.  A mistake at the vet led to our Molly getting so, so sick.  We still are not 100% sure of what happened, but we have our suspicions.  We know, a misdiagnosis led to a sever infection.  A miss communication led to our puppy suffering for days before the infection was treated.  All of these 'misses'  led to telling a pregnant woman that her 1st baby....will hopefully, maybe, pull through this. Obviously, Molly is fine.  After two weeks of trips to the vet every.day, and penicillin shots every.day, she did pull through.  Her fever went away, her shaking went away, her incision stopped bleeding.  She is physically healed, but if you know our Molly, she has some severe separation anxiety.  We complain about her barking, about her need to always be by us, but we love our 1st baby so much!

Our 2010 didn't slow down as soon as our Molly got better, but it brought with it the most amazing change in our lives.

We spent the beginning of 2010 preparing for our sweet baby boy...
January and February were filled with showers and getting the nursery ready.

...of which I did not blog about because the only reason I got off the couch in the last few months was to throw up...

March

Karson Allen Craig arrived on March 1, 1010.  At 10:26 pm.  Three weeks before he was due. 

The end of March, our sweet Molly finally had her bad leg repaired, when she had an artificial ACL put in. 

This time at a new vet, and Mommy insisted on an antibiotic post-surgery.

 Karson took his first trip to Wisconsin, when he was only three weeks old. 

He met his very special Gigi, and the rest of our Wisconsin family.

It took me until April to write about them...but March was filled with all things baby.  Basking in the sun on our table, first baths, and bringing our baby home.

April 2010
Nothing I blogged about in April, actually happened in April.

If you have ever juggled a newborn (who doesn't nurse or sleep well) and a dog recovering from having a whole drilled through her knee..you understand.  I remember waking DJ up, the night after Molly's surgery, telling him to pick the screaming baby, or whimpering dog.  Because he obviously wasn't able to nurse the baby, the job of comforting Molly was his for the day.

  So there you have it...that was our April.

 

May 2010
 My dream of what being a SAHM would look like came true, on sunny spring afternoon outside with my sweet baby and Molly.

 We took our first family outing to Tulip Time, and Karson joined Aunt Katie and I on a coffee date.
 May was still a little crazy...so not much blogging.

June
 Karson went on his first airplane, and traveled to Colorado.

He met his cousins Jaelee and Jax, and his Aunt Mandi and Uncle Tommy

 He also went on his first camping trip, and saw the Mackinac Bridge, and went on his first boat ride to Mackinaw Island.

June was full of lots of firsts.

July 2010
We took Karson on his first of many beach days, to our favorite beach.

 He celebrated his first 4th of July at Aunt Katie's parent's house for the 4th of July parade.

 Went camping trip to Traverse City with Aunt Katie and Uncle Shawn.

Where Munchkin almost ruined any chase of Aunt Katie having kids.

{ear infection Uncle Shawn...ear infection}

August 
Tommy and Mandi came home with the kids for a week long visit.

Filled with family time, and playing with the kids.

 Karson joined us on our annual camping trip to Silver Lake with friends.

Who are more like family than they will ever know.

 September 
Held another trip to Wisconsin where I captured this precious moment between Munchkin and Gigi.

 Karson enjoyed my favorite place, and made me love it even more

We enjoyed our last camping trip of the year with Auntie Leesha and Uncle Brian.

{Jayda and Molly too}

 October 

Karson participated in his first Memory Walk in memory of his Great Grandpa Sullivan.

We put our house up for sale, and went Apple Picking.
...our house is still for sale...

November
We handed our sweet baby over for surgery.

We learned not to leave a drink by the computer, went to Wisconsin to celebrate Gigi's birthday, and went Trick-or-Treating at Aunt Pat's.  {all of which I never blogged about...oops} We went to the Santa Parade and celebrated Karson's first Thanksgiving.

December 2010
Karson got to play in the snow for the first time.

 He met Santa Clause.  And made it clear that he really didn't like Santa Clause

 And celebrated his first Christmas.

He went sledding, had his first & second colds, went swimming at the aquatic center (twice), and saw Christmas trees from around the world.

2010 brought with it so many changes, and so many firsts.  We have made more memories, that I will never forget.  From spending time outside in my parent's back yard, to realizing that you don't have to be related to be family.  2010 started out rough, and ended in my favorite New Years ever.  Karson woke up just in time to celebrate the new year at Auntie Leesh & Uncle Brian's.  I sat in their living room, surrounded by friends {aka...family}, with a sleepy baby snuggled in, with his blanket and bear on my lap, a champagne glass in my hand, and cheered as the clock hit 12:00.  I am sad to see 2010 go, because it brought with it so many firsts for our family, but I am so excited to see what 2011 will bring.