Dancing Machine

I'm Sailing, I'm a Sailor

The final installment of our Florida trip was our sailing adventure on the last day there. We actually left the next day, but it was just a trip to the airport, a stop in San Antonio and then a flight home with my cousin Ashley's family who got on the same flight we did out of Texas. Small world.

As for the day of sailing, we put Carter down for a nap early so he could get one in before heading out on the boat. The sailing trip lasted about 4 hours. Carter did well for a little while and then started getting tired again as it crept up on his afternoon nap time. He was a rockstar though and took almost a two hour nap while we were on the boat. It made a huge difference. He did great and loved watching all the birds and parasailers. Also, just as a side note, Scott and I didn't just wear dirty clothes all week. We did a little bit of laundry while we were there. :)


The evening ended with our last shrimp dinner (of many), Carter having a virgin cocktail and loving it, and a picture with a fake bird that Carter was a little confused by.

Sanibel and Captiva

Our 4th day in Florida took us to Sanibel and Captiva. We went over for lunch and to hit up the beach. We found this great little spot to have lunch that had live music and then we went down and played in the ocean. It was pretty hot so Scott had to have his parasol for the beach. :) Carter was a little unsure about the water and I am not a big fan of the ocean either, but Scott said I needed to make sure I showed Carter it was okay. So, the three of us went out in to the water a little ways and Carter did great. He splashed in the water and as usual, pointed at everything. He had death grip on Scott or I but enjoyed it, I think.

It was also determined on this day that Carter may or may not wear a toupee as evidenced by his windblown hair on the way over to the island.

Carter was exhausted and ready for a nap when we left the beach. He was not on his regular schedule and did pretty well adapting as needed. He took a short nap before in the car before we stopped by Ann's cousins, Mary and Richard's place for a quick visit. After stopping by there, we went and grabbed some dinner at Gator Bites, where Carter ate alligator for the first time.

I'm Goin' To Miami

Day 3 in Florida took us across the state to beautiful Miami South Beach. We drove over for the day to get some Cuban food, walk on the beach a little and check out the Everglades.

The water had spectacular color but was a little cooler so, we just stayed on the edge. Carter liked crawling around on the beach better anyway. He took time to point at the water and everything else on the beach. He also decided to try out how the sand tasted.

We only saw two alligators when we got out of the car at one of the viewing areas in the Everglades. Carter did spot one of them though so mission accomplished, even if he didn't really comprehend what he was looking at.

Spring Training

The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins call Ft. Myers home during spring training. We were lucky enough, while in Ft. Myers, to go to a Twins/Devil Rays game. It was a great day, but a little hot. We hung out in our seats for a while and then moved down to a nice grassy area that had some shade for Carter. It allowed him to be down and play, which he definitely like better. He did great and made it through the whole game.

We tried to throw some coins in the fountain after the game, but Carter knows how important it is to save money and decided he would rather hold on to his money.

Spring Break Begins

We headed down to Ft. Myers for Spring Break this year. We got in late the first night, after making a quick stop in Kansas City, so our beach time couldn't start until the next day.

We grabbed some lunch and then headed to Ft. Myers beach to check out where Grandma Ann and Grandpa Tom spend their winter months. Carter was very excited about the water until a wave came up, caught him off guard and knocked him over. After that, the water was still okay if it was warm enough, but he made sure Scott or I were close by. More pics of the week to come.

ONE Year Old

It is so crazy to write this post. Carter, we can't believe a year has gone by already. It has been so fun to watch you change and grow, but it is already going by WAY too fast. We are very excited to see what the next year brings...hopefully just a little bit slower.

Carter at ONE year old you:

-weigh 22lbs, .04ozs (70th percentile)
-are 29 inches tall (48th percentile)
-have a 47cm head circumfrence (76th percentile)
-got two more shots at the doctor this month and didn't like it very much.
-are in a size 4 diaper.
-are wearing 18mth tops and 12mth and 18mths bottoms, depending on the brand.
-had a great birthday party and got lots of books.
-like to read these books, but we either have to be really fast or just get through the first couple of pages before you are on to something else.
-still have bright blue eyes. Everyone comments about them.
-have lots of hair and it grew in pretty evenly. It is getting a little long in the front, but a haircut isn't needed just yet.
-pull up on everything.
-cruise around the things you pull up on.
-are not walking on your own yet. We are not pushing for that to happen anytime soon. You are already too fast.
-are not saying anything yet, but can recognize lots of objects when the words are said. You will probably just spit a whole sentence out at us soon.
-do not want to be strapped in to your high chair, car seat or anything that doesn't allow you to move freely.
-have eight teeth and about 4 others working their way in.
-still don't have any foods you don't like, but think it is funny to spit things back out.
-want to use utensils all the time. We are working on this skill.
-concentrate very hard on things to figure out how they work. You love to open and close things, take lids off and put them back on and put things in and out of containers.
-went to The Rock for your birthday dinner. We had to sit outside because you are SO loud lately.
-don't make it very easy to take your picture any more. :)
-are such a joy in our lives.

...And so ends the first year of your life. What is next?