Getting Bigger… 4 months old!!!

Carsten had his 4 month check up yesterday. He also had 5 immunizations, 1 oral and 4 shots; poor little guy it made me want to cry when he started screaming. He fell asleep before we got out to the car, he is such a trooper!

Carsten’s 4 Month Stats:

17 Pounds 4 Ounces, 92^nd Percentile
                  25 inches, 55^th Percentile

Carsten is beginning to like tummy time and especially seeing himself in his little mirror and talking! He is also grabbing everything that is within his reach and putting it in his mouth! He makes super funny faces when he is upset! He can also sleep anywhere and anytime!

Carsten is the cutest little boy ever! I love being his mommy, and Jake loves being his Daddy!!!

Adventures in California!

Carsten’s first trip to Disneyland was so much fun! He is such a happy and chill baby! We were able to take him on more rides than we thought. He loved watching the bubbles in the water on the Nemo submarine ride; he enjoyed soaring in the sky on the Dumbo ride, and absolutely loved all the colors on the It’s a Small World ride! We didn’t know that you could take your own food in and we bought lunch there. I thought I would get a kids meal because it was $3 cheaper thinking it would fill me up! Oh my goodness, that was the smallest hamburger I have ever seen.

Carsten and I went with some Moms and children from the ward to Huntington Beach! It was beautiful and we had a lot of fun! Carsten took a nap while I enjoyed the sun!

Jake’s family came for a visit in mid September and we went to Disneyland with them. We were able to go on a lot more rides and we even ventured over to California Adventure! Jake’s white coat ceremony was September 18^th, it was outside and everyone was super hot from sitting in the sun.

The next week Carsten and I took a trip up to Washington. He went on his first plane ride and he was so good. We visited my parents and we were able to spend time with my Brother Andrew, his wife Anna, and their baby girl Brooklyn. It was so fun to be in Washington again and see lots of friends. Carsten had so much fun playing with his Grandma and Grandpa and misses them so much already.

Monday night we went Trick-or-Treating at Disneyland with my Aunt Halceyn her husband Wayne and my cousin Dalton. We had a lot of fun! Carsten is a pumpkin for Halloween; it is the costume that my mom made for my first Halloween. We rode on a few rides, met some characters, and we walked around trick or treating and got 10.5 pounds of candy. The fireworks afterwards were amazing! We were so exhausted when we got home, but it was totally worth it!

Our last week in Rexburg and moving on to California!!!

On July 22^nd Jake graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Brigham Young University-Idaho. He spoke at his convocation exercises about integrity. He was very excited to graduate and continue with his schooling.

On July 24^th Carsten was blessed at our church. He looked so adorable in his white little romper! Then we had lunch with all of our family in Rigby. My Grandma Marie, Aunt Halceyn, and cousin Dalton along with my Uncle Terry and his family, and Jake’s cousin Andrew and his family came up from Utah. It was so nice to see them before we moved to California. It was a very enjoyable and spiritual day! (My camera died so I don't have pictures of everyone)

We spent the early part of the next week getting our Rexburg apartment all packed up. My Mom and Dad helped us out a bunch. We loaded up the moving truck Wednesday afternoon and then Mom and I cleaned the apartment.  We said goodbye to family that night and then we were off to California the next morning. Jake and Christian drove in the moving van and my mom, Carsten, and I drove in our car. The first day we drove to St. George, Utah and visited my Aunt Coleen and Uncle R.Kay as well as my mom’s cousin Brent they made us a delicious Spaghetti dinner. The next morning the boys left early and we went and visited Betty Arnold a family friend that used to live in Washington and now lives in St. George. She is one of the sweetest and most energetic people you could ever meet. It was so good to see her. Then we were really on our way to California.

We drove through Death Valley on our way it was 111 degrees, I was afraid Carsten was going to die in the back seat. We drove through Las Vegas it was quite the city. Then we finally arrived in Fullerton. The boys arrived about 3 hours earlier and had most of the moving van unloaded by the time we got there.

After we got most of the boxes unpacked we drove down to the San Diego Zoo for Christian's birthday. It was so much fun! It was quite hot outside but we enjoyed ourselves and got a little tan in the process. We spent the night there and then the next day we visited the old town San Diego and the Mormon Battalion.

The next week Carsten had his 2 month check-up. He weighed in at 14 pounds 11 ounces (94^th percentile) and was 23 inches long (53^rd percentile) he is definitely a healthy baby! He received 3 shots and one vaccine that they gave him orally. He did not enjoy it at all.   Carsten just wanted to be held that night and the next day. He had a fever but his baby Tylenol sure helped!

 Jake started school at Southern California College of Optometry on August 22^nd (one month after graduating BYU-Idaho, not much of a break!). He has now finished his first week and loves it! We love our apartment and the pool! We have met so many great families that live in our complex and attend both our ward and the optometry school. We couldn’t have picked a better place to spend the next few years!

Carsten's Exciting Entrance

Carsten’s Birth


Friday June 3^rd I went to my doctor appointment, I was a little stressed because we were running a little late. My blood pressure was high so they did an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay with our little guy. After Jake got out of class he walked from campus to the doctor to meet my mom and I. We went into a different room to wait for the doctor. Meanwhile a nurse came in and told me the doctor was on the phone to schedule a Cesarean Section, I was not expecting that at all. The ultrasound measured our little guy as being 9 pounds 11 ounces and he was too large to come out normally.  That night we went and got snow cones as my last craving!
 

June 3rd, the night before Carsten was born

Saturday June 4^th, we arrived at the hospital at 6 AM and I was prepped for surgery. After going into shock and throwing up a few times they gave me a spinal block. After listening to the doctor and his assistant talk about boy scouts, Carsten was born at 8:42 AM. He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 21 inches long and his head was 15 CM. Jake and my mom were able to help bathe Carsten while I was put back together! We then went back to our room and took pictures of our new baby.

Carsten and I were able to go home from the hospital after Jake got out of class on Monday June 6th. Having a baby in your home is definitely a sweet experience. Jake and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Carsten sleeps very well about 6 or more hours each night. He is such a calm baby and he loves to snuggle with mom.

June 4th, 6 AM right before we left for the hospital

First family picture, right after Carsten was born

First bath at the hospital

Hanging with Dad waiting for Mom to come back from surgery

Look at all that hair! Uncle Christian loves to give Carsten a Mohawk.

Spending time with Mom

With Grandma Lisa, she stayed to play with Carsten and help take care of me for a month!

Dad came back from class to take us home!

Heading to the car to go home!

Home at last!!!

Carsten's birth announcement that my cousin Stephenie made!

Doctor Appointments

2 Week Appointment:     8 pounds 14 ounces, 84^th percentile

                                                  21.25 inches long, 94^th percentile

                                                  Head was 14.75 cm, 83^rd percentile

1 Month Appointment:   11 pounds 3 ounces, 80^th percentile

     22.5 inches long, 67^th percentile

     Head is back up to 15 cm, 43^rd percentile

Even though his percentiles are slowly going down, he is growing so fast. We just can’t believe he used to weigh just over 8 pounds! He looks and feels like he has grown a ton since his last appointment, so we will see what his stats are in 2 weeks when he goes back to the doctor for his two month appointment.

4 days old

Hanging out with Dad, 2 weeks old

Fourth of July, 4 weeks old

Taking a nap with Uncle Christian, 5 weeks old

Carsten making noises, 6 weeks old