Because nobody wants to eat finger steaks...and hurray, I found newborn pictures of Carter!

I joked with Andrew this morning that he should eat lunch at school today.  The menu read finger steaks.  Um...that has got to be the grossest thing I remember trying to choke down in school.  I made him his lunch despite my teasing.  It's the same boring lunch as he always takes, but at least it's not finger steaks and at least I know he's not going hungry- peanut butter sandwich, fruit leather, Ruffles and homemade cookies. 

 (We made the cookies last night for FHE.  Peanut butter with a Hershey kiss on top.  We also made a few sandwich style with peanut butter cups.  They were all gone this morning...they were the best.)   As the Steve pulled out of the driveway, I noticed Andrew's lunch still on the table.  He had forgotten it again.  I ran to the window to try and catch the boys before they drove away.  I was at the window just in time to see Steve doing cookies in the street. 

 Mature Steve, really mature.  

I ran outside, in my bare feet and wet hair.  It was maybe 10 degrees outside.  I must really love Andrew or really hate finger steaks, one of the two.

Andrew was grateful and Steve laughed sheepishly about the cookies.

Steve then pulled out, spun around again to show off and then almost got stuck in a small drift.

I thought I might wet my pants laughing.  Oh how I wish he would have gotten stuck...just for the humanity of it all. 

Two minutes later I received a phone call from my boys...all of them laughing.

Why is spinning cookies in cars so fun??  I will never understand.

I found on my computer where some of my pictures were hidden.   My computer is tricky and tried to hide these next few shots where I could never find them.

These are some of the only pictures I have of Carter as a newborn that are digital (for now...I need to get my rear in gear and go through negatives).

Carter Dean Dixon was born at 37 weeks on a Sunday night in October.

I had seen my doctor on Friday afternoon.  I was dilated to a three and she told me she didn't think I would make it through the weekend.  Of course...she was leaving town and if I was going to have this baby, one of her partners would be delivering me.

I went to church Sunday morning and as I sat on the pew I didn't feel right.  My entire body hurt and I ached to go home.  Steve drove my home after sacrament meeting and then went back to church with Andrew.   My contractions became regular in the two hours Steve was gone, but they were not painful.

My back became more achy than usual and I remember my stomach being upset.

I called my mom who was scheduled to fly to Virginia to stay with me in just a few days.

 She laughed and declared that I was in labor.

What?

My grandparents were visiting my parents in Idaho and they all joked about how I couldn't wait just three more days until my mom got there.

By late afternoon I was ready to go to the hospital.  My contractions were 5-7 minutes apart and I was NERVOUS.

Steve's brother Gary and his wife Claire lived in the apartment next to us and they graciously took Andrew while we went to the hospital.

I was a four when we got there.

I met the doctor who delivered Carter at 11pm and Carter was born around 11:40. (I would have to look up the exact time to be sure.)  I remember being on the phone with my sister JaNae telling he this baby wouldn't be born until after midnight...by body had other plans.

Carter weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and was TINY.  Our only frame of reference was our chubby Andrew baby of 7 lb 15 oz.  He had a little trouble breathing at first so they whisked him away to the NICU.  He was back in my arms in about an hour declared perfect.

We brought our tiny bundle home two days later.  I remember feeling amazing. I vacuumed the house the day after he came home.  He was a content, but tiny little thing.

My mom came to stay for a week a few days after I was home from the hospital.

We decided that Carter was my little monkey baby.  His dark hair covered his entire little body and he would place his long arms up over his head.  His nose also turned up ever so slightly...just like a monkey.

I remember thinking how silly his skinny bum looked when I changed his diaper.  He had no bum.

Carter continued to be an easy baby.   When Andrew was born, he stayed in the hospital for a week and my life was crazy turned upside down.  With Carter, I was able to stay home and enjoy this tiny sweet boy.  

(This is not the most flattering picture of Carter...he really was adorable.)

Cute little monkey boy.

Steve's favorite picture of his poof ball baby.

Luckily...my tiny Carter had NO problems filling out and quickly turned into a chub of a baby.

These pictures were taken at 6 weeks old.

No starvation here.

(The very young photographer, told me not to worry about his eyes...that they could fix them when he got older.  18 year olds apparently don't know that ALL babies cross their eyes and she also didn't know how to center a picture.)

 My cute boys.

 In this pictures I swear Carter resembles a Cabbage Patch Doll.

More evidence that Carter was well fed.

Really well fed.

This picture was taken as Steve and I teased our poor baby.  I would hide behind the couch and Carter would get this pouty sad face.  As soon as I popped up, he could grin and laugh.  I caught this shot just at the right pouty moment.

Watch out other kids!  This little man might eat you if you are not careful!

Honestly, Carter was my happiest baby- always smiling and content!

Oh how I enjoyed him.  

It was probably the fact that Carter was such a joy that we had Colby only 2 1/2 years later.