Stressing out!

I'm so stressing out right now. My final papers are due for all 3 classes I've been taking this weekend. I'm having a really hard time finding the information I need to even write the one paper. I don't get anything done during the day since Carter barely naps. I have a hard time getting anything done without interruptions when Tim gets home.
We're not ready for Christmas. We still don't have the house clean enough to even put the tree up. We have 5 more presents to buy, and really no money to do so. I'm not having any luck finding any jobs to apply for and I can't seem to even get a decent paying part-time job these days.

Sick baby or new sleep plans?

Carter slept through last night and didn't wake up until 8:30 this morning. He took a short nap at my grandma's house and now he's asleep in my lap. I really hope he's not coming down with something.
We helped my grandparents put up their Christmas tree and put up some lights outside today. We also went in search of a bath seat. Being 26 inches long, Carter is now getting too long for his baby bath tub. Target didn't have anything. Everything at BRU was super expensive. Walmart had the perfect solution. It's a mesh bath lounger that was only $8. Carter loves being able to kick and splash in the tub. (Note to pregnant friends, definitely put one of these on your registries. Possible even instead of a baby bath.)

Weekend update

It's been awhile since I updated last. Overall things are good with us. We're mostly done with our Christmas shopping (except for a few difficult people like both our dads and my brother), my semester will be done in another week and a half (in which I still have to write two papers and mess with my website a bunch).

Carter and I haven't been leaving the house a whole lot with the teething. It makes him so incredibly crabby. So far two teeth on the bottom have cut through his gums and we can feel several on the top that haven't yet. I guess if I'm going to have a miserable, crabby baby I'd rather do it all at once than spreading it out over time.

On Saturday, I learned how to make truffles. I think I might add them to my holiday repertoire. Carter entertained my friends and their moms while we were baking. He also loved Frank the puppy. (Although calling him a puppy seems so strange since he's around 50 pounds already). Frank also loved Carter. He would lick Carters hands and wanted to play with him. I can already tell that Carter is going to be an animal lover.

In other news, my uncle isn't doing so well. He was in the hospital for a couple days because he cracked a couple vertebrae. We're not sure if he fell and doesn't remember it, or if it's the cancer starting to go to his bones. Either way he is in pain and extremely cranky. Please keep us in your prayers- his caregivers need the gift of patience and I hope for my uncle not be in pain much longer.

On a more upbeat note I've been playing with picnik and have redone some of the Christmas pictures of Carter. I think i may try to take some more today or tomorrow now that I have a better idea of what I'm doing.

A few of my DIY Christmas pictures

Health Care Vent

Our health care coverage has never been the greatest, but it was better than some. Now, starting December 1st, it's officially gotten a whole lot worse. Our office visits are now $25 instead of $15, prescriptions have also gotten more expensive, all hospital stays at 80/20, and our max per person is now $2500 instead of $1500. I guess Carter is going to be a only child for a while because there's no way we would be able to come up with that much money any time soon.
My other vent is that I can't even seem to get hired for a part time job these days. The job search continues without a whole lot of jobs even to apply for. It's getting frustrating!
Vent over. Now I just have to remind myself that we are lucky that Tim has a job and that we have health care at all. So many people are less fortunate than us! And as much as it is a financial strain on us, it's been really nice getting to be home with Carter these first 5 months of his life.

Teething Hell

What happened to my sweet little boy!?!?! The past several days have definitely been some of the more challenging ones of motherhood so far. Carter is a teething maniac right now. He will scream and cry for several hours at a time. No amount of drugs, rocking, swinging, car rides, teething toys. seems to help even slightly. I seriously can't wait for Tim to come home at night so that I can have a little break. The only good thing is that I can usually get him to take 2 30 minute naps a day now. Just long enough for me to go to the bathroom and possible eat something. We are rarely leaving the house anymore because I don't want to subject anyone else to his screaming sessions.
To make things even more stressful, it's finals time. I have 3 papers to write and a portfolio to try to complete in the next week and a half. I will be so glad when these are complete!

Baptism and Monday

Miss Lauren


The cousins

Carter Church wear

We survived the rest of the weekend. Lauren's baptism went well. Carter was pretty good during the church service. He liked the music, but hated the sermon part.

Our exciting news is that during church Carter was chewing on my finger when I felt the tip of a tooth coming out.

This morning Carter and I went to Century to go meet with one of my professors. He loved watching all the people and flirted with anyone who would talk to him.

This afternoon Carter was miserable. He cried from 1pm-4pm. We decided after the first two hours of screaming that it might be a good idea to get into the pediatrician. Of course by then he was back into a good mood. And then he resumed screaming from 6:30 to 7:30 when he fell asleep (hopefully for the night!). The doctor is thinking that it's just teething. I just heard a scream. It's going to be a long night.