How life has changed!

Wow! These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I can't believe that our little man will be two weeks old tomorrow. I feel like having a birthday party! He has already started to get his own little personality and is growing by leaps and bounds.

10 Things I have grown to love about Carl:

1) When I hold him on my chest, he almost always lifts his head up and stares up at me. It takes me by surprise sometimes because he is so quiet I think he is asleep. However, he'll stay like that for several minutes at a time.

2) He occasionally scratches my back when I feed him. So considerate!

3) When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he starts with just a soft cooing instead of a dire scream for food. Don't get me wrong, the kid has lungs, but at least he gently wakes me up!

4) He loves his playtime. We put him on a boppy to sit out and placed a heater by him. Next thing you know, he kept sticking his feet out so they were in front of the heater. Like mother, like son!

5) I love his long legs. We took him in for a free photo session and the photographer was amazed at his long long legs. She had to try different poses for him just to make his legs work in the picture. Just like his dad!

6) This kid has one of the strongest necks I ever seen in a newborn. I am amazed at how well he is able to keep his head up or move over to where he wants to. It's caught Preston off guard a few times when he realizes that Carl is very hungry and he's made his way down his chest for food!

7) His little sneezes make me laugh every time. Today, I sneezed twice and immediately after I was done I heard a little "achoo, achoo." It was the most adorable little sneeze I've ever heard.

8) Now I can't say that I love it when he cries, but it is kind of cute (for the first little bit). His face scrunches up and he looks like we just fed him a lemon. Now Preston can't wait to really give him a lemon!

9) I love that Carl loves to cuddle. If anyone tries to hold him away from their body, he starts to fuss or cry. However, if you hold him against your body, he cuddles right in, tucks in his legs and starts to fall asleep. Let's just hope he stays like that.

10) He knows his mom and dad's voice. It never ceases to amaze me how babies recognize their parents voices. He always responds when Preston or I am near. It makes me feel like a true mother!

Part of Carl's new room!

I woke up one morning and found Carl in this pose. Nope, wasn't posed. All natural! So inquisitive.

This is Carl with his cousin Hailey. Or according to her "Cawo" and his cousin Hailey.

Grandma Martha and Grandpa Carl Wankier. This is one of the people that we named our little Carl after! We think he has big hands like Grandpa Carl.

Grandma and Grandpa Tobler.

Cousin Julia and Aunt Crystal! Julia was so excited to hold him, but after about two seconds she said, "Mom, I'm don't want to hold him anymore."

This is my wonderful Aunt Shelley! She made him this beautiful quilt that Carl adores.

Grandma loving time! Carl gets a little bit of Grandma time almost every day. He sure does love her.

Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks and kiss him?

Daddy, son time. He sure loves his daddy!

We tried to do a little tummy time but between the nice warm heater next to him and the full tummy, he made it right back to the fetal position and fell asleep!

Sunday was Carl's first "real" bath. He absolutely loved it...until we got him out of course! You know that you are a NICU nurse when you have a heater on the table warming up the blankets for him when he gets out and have blankets in the tub so he doesn't move around too much. Oh well! it was fun and he loved it!

I am loving the time I get to spend to be a mommy. It's amazing how much you instantly love this little one. You know that no matter what, you would give the world for them. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mommy and the prized spirit Heavenly Father has given to us to take care of and raise.