It's tough to stay crunchy.

Carter is now 5 months old! Whoa! You mean, I've been doing this daddy thing for 5 months already? That can't be right. Does having a kid turn up the time-speed dial to somewhere between "blur" and "warp"?

The title of the post is an inside joke that I should explain. Some friends of ours who also attended our birthing class liked to refer to people who care about the environment and act accordingly as "crunchy". Not sure if they just made that up, or heard it somewhere, but somehow it seems to me that the term fits really well. Now that we're growing and selling local produce at the farmer's market, I would proudly suggest that we are "crunchy" people...

We're also using the cloth diapers, so that we keep Mother Earth happy and reduce waste going to our local landfill. And I'm more than happy to be doing that, 99.9% of the time. The other .1% of the time is when I am changing a diaper that is a giant mass of poop. Other folks just have to worry about removing poop from the baby. When I'm done with that, I must also remove poop from the diaper. Though at least the diaper doesn't fight with me and try to stick it's hand in the poop while I'm cleaning it off.

Still, sometimes I wish I could throw an occasional diaper in the trash. Faced with smelly feces in the future, I fear I may go stale and lose my crunchy-ness completely.

Enough complaining! Let's look at the world from a new perspective!

No matter how bad a day Carter is having, turning him upside down will almost always result in a smile. Other things he loves.... well he likes us alright, but he really LOVES Pogo.

But when Carter's done playing with the dog, he has to go to work like all the rest of us. Here he is at the office, at a little outfit I like to call "Starship Command." Listen to him issuing orders to his subordinate officers. :)

Poopsplosion!

Remember the scene at the end of the Lion King where they hold the little baby up under the arms to show him off? That scene was re-inacted in our home this morning except Hunter was showing off (and keeping his distance from) the "poopsplosion" that had just occurred in Carter's pants. I'm glad both of us were home to tackle that mess! Hunter held him over the tub, while I sprayed him off - what a scene. Happily, there are no pictures of that event, but here's what else happened this week...

We all went to the farmer's market as a family - Carter didn't know what to do with the watermelons except bang on them like bongos (fortunately, I don't think that alters the taste at all!). The end of the market got rained out - Carter had just fallen asleep when the drops started to fall. I was sure that they would wake him up on the 1-2 minute jog to the car, but he didn't seem to notice!

Our babysitting co-op is officially up and running. Hunter and I took the opportunity to get out for a lunch and a movie date day while Carter played with Riley. Doesn't it look like he is trying to sneak is arm around her?!

Riley was kind enough to let him try out her swing, too - I think he liked it!

We are still trying to do everything we can to get him to giggle, but without even trying, Pogo always wins the prize. Carter loves it when we through her 'egg'. We'll try to capture the scene for a video post next week.

Carter and I continue to try and make it to the library to shelve once a week - they also have a fun 30 minute baby program with singing, toys, books, and bubbles that is great for him. He loves looking at the other babies and shaking his groove thing!

Where is the time going?

I've been distracted from today's post, going back through all of the photos from newborn to now. It is absolutely incredible how much the little man has changed right before our eyes. At one time, it seemed like ages waiting for him to smile, waiting for him to laugh, and waiting for him to develop a consistent sleep pattern. Yet, looking back - how quickly it all went!

He really seems like such a little man now. You can feel him watching your every move (don't watch daddy dance Carter - those aren't moves you want to follow!)

The laughing is absolutely the best - I seem to have the most success getting giggles when I nuzzle in his neck. Hunter plays the tickly spider game to get the gaffaws. Pogo can do just about anything and he'll giggle which is especially helpful when he's getting a little fussy.

In general, he is more in control of his little world - he knows how to control his hands and grab directly for something he's interested in. He's found his feet, but they haven't found their way into his mouth yet. Carter has been eyeing the watermelons that Hunter has been selling at the market - wondering if he could get something as big as that in his mouth. We haven't let him try yet, so he'll have to stick with gnawing on the Bjorn as dad chats with customers.

I am excited to continue trying new ways of carrying him in the wrap - he still loves being in front and flailing his arms and legs as we walk, but 15lbs of active can be a little hard on the back after a while and his hands are too good now to allow me to cook and eat with him attached, so we have been practicing a 'rucksack carry' with Hunter spotting me as I wrap the little guy up on my back. Once he's up there, he's very content and thankfully hasn't pulled out too many tufts of my hair yet!

Below are a few videos of the sounds we hear around the house....talking and snoring.....

We've been on Vacation....(to Indiana)

Howdy, dear readers! We've been away for awhile, visiting family in Indiana. There were a few people up there who hadn't made it down to see Carter yet, and of course we couldn't let their lives be incomplete any longer... we just had to take him up to see them. It was Carter's first plane ride, and he was great. I think he impressed everyone around with his good behavior and charming antics.
Here we are in Cierra's parents' backyard. It's on Grandview Lake... and the first picture is actually Carter with his feet being dipped into the water.


This is Carter's first time in a dentist chair - fortunately for him, it is mom getting worked on this time.

Carter and I play a new game down by the lake. Suprisingly, this doesn't result in any spillage.

Here we are in a more relaxed moment. Is it just me, or does he already know that he's cute?

And here we are back home... or before we left. Again, not sure when, but Carter's hanging with Daddy and Daddy's on the computer. Standard operating procedure.

One of the reasons we took our vacation up to Indiana this week was the annual Bardonner trip to the Dunes. Here we are on the beach and with Cierra's Dad, Gary. (That's Umpa to Carter.)

While we were at the beautiful estate on the lake, we decided to do our own creative baby photo shoot. We couldn't match the quality of the early photos we had taken... (by the way, we've scheduled the same photographer to come out in September...yay!), but here are the results. I like the ones we got in the evening light. We took the pontoon boat out to the middle of the lake to get the good light.

Finally, we'll leave you with some photos of our extended family with Carter. Cierra worked extra hard getting all these photos up this week. Can't believe we were only there for a week, it seems like we got to do so much!!!

FAMILY PHOTOS FROM OUR INDIANA VISIT.....

Aunt Alexis Great Gma Bardonner Grandpa (Umpa) Bardonner

Kara&Eric Hemmerlein (2nd cousins) Great Grandpa Hemmerlein

Uncle Krin Aunt Kaelie Grandma (Mimi) Baer Grandpa Baer


Great Uncle Jeff Great Grandma Baer Great Grandpa Baer

Thanks to all of you that made special efforts to spend time with Carter while we visited - it was great to see you and we look forward to the next visit!

FOUR months today!

Another big week for the Carter-man as we took our second trip to the farmer's market as sellers! This week we had a tomato that was over 3 pounds to show off. Lots of folks bought tomatoes and cucumbers, now if we could just get them more excited about peppers we'd be doing great. We're about 1/4 th of the way to making back what we spent on starting our garden... not bad considering we had to build our fence and reside the greenhouse this year! Carter is a great helper at the market. He loves to smile at the customers and is more than happy to just keep quiet and take it all in for the most part.

BIG smiles. He is just the most precious thing in the world when he gets like this. I can't look at him without smiling back... and he can't look at me without doing the same. It's like a baby-love feedback loop. We've been getting him to laugh more regularly, by playing hover-baby, where he flies over us like a helicopter... and when I play tickle finger with him which is pretty much what it sounds like. He also loves to watch Pogo. Anything she does gets a big smile/ giggle.

In other developments, he's quite the talker now. Seems like his most talkative moments come in the middle of the night, when one or both of us will awaken to baby babble coming in loud and clear over the monitor. When we creep in to check on him, he'll be wide awake, holding forth with the stuffed animals on his mobile. Sounds really adorable until it's 3 in the morning and you're asking a baby to please be quiet.


"I haven't got these toes yet, but I'm working on it!" Pretty much anything he can get there does go straight into the mouth. If the world is his oyster, then he must love the taste of seafood. The pacifier has a lot more trouble staying in now, because it's in competition with the fingers. He'll often have a go at three to four fingers at once... but I haven't really seen him go for the thumb yet.

"Tada! Look at how many blackberries I picked! Oh, yeah, Mom helped too. "

Approaching 4 months...

The new and improved (thanks, Carter!) Tabony family has had another great week...

I scouted out a small farmers market near uptown Charlotte where I thought Hunter and Carter would have fun taking the excess supplies from our garden to sell on Tuesday afternoons. I was so proud of them for giving it a try and having huge success (of course, having an adorable baby on your table draws in the crowds!) They were working so hard during the 3 hour market, that we didn't get any pictures but hopefully next week....

Baby routines are constantly changing and evolving, but this week, I've been bringing Carter into bed with me after his 6-7am feeding and we'll sleep next to each other until around 9am - I cherish those mornings! His other morning routine is spending time in the Jumperoo as soon as we are dressed and bathed. It really seems like he starts getting his legs going in anticipation as we walk down the stairs!

His hand control continues to improve and impress and he is spending a lot of time gnawing on his fist and fingers. He hasn't found his thumb yet, but I don't think that is too far away.

Physically he continues to change, too. He is beginning to get some hair back - it is looking like fine peach fuzz all over his head - maybe that is why this is the first week that someone mistook him for a girl?!

We are still waiting for the laughing to come on strong - right now, it is only about 1-2 times a day. The biggest laughs tend to come when he is naked (he is already such a boy!), but also when we are dancing, and when Pogo is jumping or active. We're still working on the laughing video....

Carter's grip is STRONG! He'll hold on tight whether it is to your arm, finger (or hair!) I like this picture because it looks like Carter is controlling Hunter's arm with his grip.

He is getting good at swinging his body from side to side, and seems to prefer sleeping on his side like mom...

3.5 months already!

Carter had his first picnic this week! Cierra took him on Wednesday to Freedom Park and he enjoyed the outdoors for a couple of hours with his friend Riley. We swear he enjoyed it, even if his prominent eyebrows always make him look like he's frowning.

He also took a lunch trip to Ruby Tuesday's with Hunter on Thursday, so Hunter could catch up with some of his industry friends and gossip about what's going on in the local TV business. Carter has a busy schedule, and it's no wonder, he's a popular guy!

So popular, the paparazzi just won't leave him alone.

Hey Carter, over here! Give us a big smile for the folks at home! Great! Okay, now one where you just pooped your pants. Wonderful!

Hey Dad, while we're reading this book, can you tell me what the opposite of interested is?

Also in the news this week, Carter has a couple of new nicknames from Hunter, who may have been spending too much time in the garden... Pumpkin Head, which probably doesn't need too much explanation, and Love Grub, which sounds a bit weirder. :) Hunter has a grub infestation in his squash plants, so he's been seeing a lot of the chubby white parasites... and Cierra came home from a walk with a sleeping Carter strapped to her and looking so peaceful, chubby, and happy that Hunter was prompted to point out that "I think you have a little parasite attached there..." and the nickname Love Grub was born.

Here Carter is carrying some okra for Daddy. These pockets don't hold much!

Finally, this week was the first that Carter had a registered giggle fit. He'd let out a couple of chuckles before, but now we're sure he knows how to laugh. That's a necessary skill around here!