3 Months worth of growing, playing, and learning!

3 Months old already!!!

Believe it or not Carter is already 3 months old (well technically 6 weeks, but oh well!). He has been growing more than ever and recovering really well from his surgery. Over the past month Carter has been able to enjoy his very first trip to the west side of Michigan, have mom and dad open his first Christmas gifts for him while he slept, spent time with his aunts and uncles, and saw the New Year for 2015, it's been quite a month. :)

Carter has been doing so much more this past month then he has before. Last week he had an appointment with his physical therapist and we took a look at the things that he is starting to do more. For example, Carter is beginning to hold up his head (which is much smaller since surgery) and is looking around so much more than he was before. His legs are still kicking and moving and he is also starting to reach for things near him. There are times now where Carter smiles when he is awake and looking and either myself or Mike; which I think is the most fun thing I've seen, that smile is amazing to me considering everything he has been through.

Although Carter is officially at the 12 week mark, he isn't doing the things that a 12 week old baby would be doing. This isn't something that shocked me because I knew due to Carter being born 6 weeks early it would take him 6 weeks to catch up; meaning that Carter is doing most things that only  a 6 week old baby would be doing, although there are a couple of things that he has accomplished that a 12 week old baby can do.

Carter and I have a pretty normal daily routine. He gets up in the morning with dad around 6:00am to eat and get changed, and then falls back asleep. I wake up, try to take care of myself in every way possible before Carter wakes up again around 9:30ish to eat again, get changed and have his new outfit put on (he got SO MANY for Christmas!). Once this is all accomplished Carter is awake for a good portion of the day. While he is up he plays under his jungle gym to work on reaching for the little animals above him and kicking his legs, this usually happens for about an hour. Once he starts to get fussy it's onto our next activity; dancing.

Chillin' under his jungle gym :)

Carter LOVES music, any type of music. Luckily on my wonderful Kindle fire Christmas gift we listen to kids songs, 90's hits, 80's hits, the list goes on. Carter will be mostly on his back but slightly upward and I will move his arms to the beat of the music and he really enjoys this. It's also great for his movement and getting used to moving his limbs all over; his favorite song and dance? Head, shoulders, knees and toes... naturally :) I move his arms while I sing the song and he giggles away. After another hour or so of music it's time to sit up in the boppy pillow and grab for those fun little plastic rings that make lots of noise, for another hour. Then we eat, get changed, and try to rest and relax a little. Carter only really takes 20-30 minute naps throughout the day unless he is exhausted and then he will sleep for most of the day.

Playing with his rings... naturally Bo has to take part.

For the most part we repeat what we did in the morning in the afternoon until it's bed time. Around 10-11 Carter has his last feeding and changing for the night and then he passes out, literally I have changed this boys diaper and he doesn't move at all at times because he is so tired. Once it's time to sleep he stays that way, for the most part, until 6:00 when we rinse and repeat!

I want to continue to work with Carter because I want him to have the most normal life that he can and to be seen as another normal child as he grows up. Our family understands that there will be multiple doctor visits and possible surgeries in the future but that will be OUR normal and we will support Carter in what he has to endure and anything he wants to do, because although we are going to "Embrace the Bif" we are also going to let him know that he can do ANYTHING he wants to do as long as he works hard.

As Jim Abbott, a famous MLB player known for having a disability once said...

"It's not the disability that defines you; it's how you deal with the challenges the disability presents you with. We have an obligation to the abilities we DO have, not the disability."