The McCraven's

Some January Pictures

2010-01-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

A boat turned into a hat :)

Bath Time!!!

Carter "brushing" his teeth.

Our Dancer...Austin is always asking, when music comes on tv, "Can I dance?!?" It is hilarious and now Carter likes to dance with him!

Stickers always keep Austin occupied!

Fun with Cans!

More Christmas Pictures!

2010-01-06T12:52:00.001-08:00

Adorable Little boy!

Handsome Boy!

Two adorable boys :)

Family picture!

Ready for Santa to come!

Mommy and Carter

I guess Santa thought Austin was a very good boy ;)

Favorite present at Christmas!

Carter with his new dinosaur!

Austin could not wait to try on his new underwear and under shirt :)

Carter and Daddy take a break in the hottub during out blizzard!

Austin LOVES to open presents!

Carter checking out the new laptop Richie bought for the boys.

Austin "playing" doctor.

The boys in their new outfits from Great Grandmother Faye. Carter was not happy to be held back by Austin!

Visit with Santa & The Paulsrud Family Christmas

2009-12-19T19:35:00.001-08:00

Carter is warming up to Santa...after his third Santa visit. Still wouldn't sit on his lap but was willing to touch his hand. We will take what we get :)

Austin helping to make ice-cream, a tradition at the Paulsrud Family Christmas

Carter, his cousin Reiker & his Uncle Stephen

Austin's Final Product

Carter having his first taste of a candy cane.

Mommy & Carter

Austin working on a Christmas Craft at Santa Day in Hendrum.

Bath Time!

2009-12-01T20:27:00.001-08:00

I love this picture! Hilarious :) Carter had NO clue this toy was on his head...Austin put it there because he thought it would be funny :)

The boys really like bath time...mommy does not love it so much due to the "flood" in our bathroom afterward ;)

Awesome Fall Weather

2009-12-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Daddy helping Carter down the big slide for the first time.

Austin LOVES to play baseball...he likes to pitch the ball, field the ball and wants no help. :)

Loves the slides!

Carter really wanted to eat a leaf...actually he might have. Still not sure ;)

Cutest little boy (bossy but cute ;) )

The weather we had in November was awesome! The boys love playing at the park so we took advantage of the warm weather and went to play.

Our Baby Carter's One Year Pics!

2009-12-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Gotta Love This Big Smile!

Handsome Little Man

This picture reminds me of my dad :)

Carter was much more fun this time & we got a lot of great pics!

Overdue Fall Pictures

2009-10-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

My siter so kindly pointed out it has been quite a while since our last post. So...here you are Laura! ;) Some pics of your adorable nephews.

ura

One Busy Weekend!

2009-08-31T10:29:00.001-07:00

Carter is a very good but messy eater. He usually ends up with quite a bit in his hair or on his face. These two pictures were cute because Austin kept trying to get this piece out of his hair to feed to Carter.

Without the help of Elle & Paige (our awesome babysitters) and Lorie and Stephen we would have had a very stressful time at some points. Thanks guys!

Austin playing some football with my cousin Jordan.

Austin feeding Carter some yummy dip. It was supposed to be for fruit but for the boys it was better on its own. :)

Unfortunately something happened to our camera and ALL our pictures from the past few months were erased :( Needless to say I was very upset. So we have no pictures from the wedding. If anyone wants to email a couple of the boys in their tuxes I will put them on the blog for others to see. Other than that our weekend was very fun. We spent a couple nights at the hotel and got to spend a lot of time with family and friends.

Some Cute Pics

2009-08-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Carter loves mashed potatoes. We decided to let him feed himself tonight. Right after he got a bath. :)

Daddys turn...

Carter LOVES to swing.

On the move.

Good thing we have more than one of these kind of toys...

We got Austin this little keyboard at an auction. We can never have to much noise in our house. ;)

Our little monkey. This boy never stops moving. He can walk along things hanging on and crawls like crazy. Never a dull moment.

Our sick little boy...Austi was not feeling good the other day so daddy took very good care of him.

Daddy's Favorite Picture

2009-08-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Carter's 9 month pics

2009-07-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Our baby is 9 months old already!

Toys were the only thing that would make this boy stop crying! Poor Carter was teething and they rescheduled us right during the middle of nap time. It was very frustrating. They turned out very well considering how the session went.

My personal favorite of Carter.

The two cutest boys I have ever seen. :)

I wasn't going to get any of Austin by himself since this was Carter's 9 month picture. However, the girl said she wanted to take one of him by himself. (I think that was a trick to get me to buy them of him as well!)

I love this close up. These square pictures were adorable of both boys....now I just need to find 8x8 frames for them. (If anybody sees cute ones let me know where.) I also got a disc and have the website code for those who want to see the rest of these pictures. (Aunts? Uncles? Grandmas? :) )

2009-07-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the lake with Lorie and Randy. We had a lot of fun playing, riding the 4 wheeler and playing games. The boys were really good and did well at the lake. They are both such good boys and love to smile! Hopefully we can go back again soon. :)

Weekend with Cousins

2009-07-13T13:31:00.001-07:00

This task is very difficult, a picture with great grandkids for my grandma and grandpa, they were missing 4 so it would have been even tougher. We never seem to get a good one on our camera!

Austin and my cousins daughter Olivia. They got along very well. She is 14 months. (I think ;))

Austin liked to read to his new cousin and give him kisses when Reiker was in the bouncer.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

A nap before our big 4th of July Weekend.

Beginning of our weekend. Some cuddle time!

Austi waving hi!

Carter loved this turtle. He did awesome in the pool.

Heidi, Todd and Laura enjoying some sun and food on the 3rd (Heidi's birthday!)

Austin loves to jump off the diving board at my Aunt Judy's pool.

Carter reaching for some water.

Todd and Nate both loved the slip n slide.

Austin at the fireworks show...he was going to sit in his own chair until the noise started.

Uncle Todd held Austin during the fireworks. The loud noises scared him at first but he loved them after a while.

The pontoon ride was a lot of fun. The boys both did really well.

Carter on the pontoon.

Daddy taking Austin for a ride. He did really well and had a lot of fun.

A little tubing...pulled by Craig's brother not a boat.

On our way home from our fun 4th of July weekend. Austin had worn himself out!

A New Addition to the McCraven Family

2009-06-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

NO I AM NOT PREGNANT AGAIN!!!! Nate and I have decided to have a foreign exchange student live with us this next year. His name is Richard and he is from The Czech Republic. He has a lot of the same interests as our family and we are very excited to have him live with us. We finally have his room almost done (his coming has motivated us to FINALLY finish the basement). We plan to have some family over to meet him and of course he will join us where ever we end up on holidays. We will fill everyone in when the time gets closer for him to come to Halstad.

Summer Fun!

2009-06-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Filling up his pool

Austin is a big fan of water. He is trying out the new slip n slide of daddy's.

Almost always smiling and laughing

Carter LOVES to be outside in his walker

Carter is definetly a "scooter" and SO close to crawling. He is 8 months now and getting so big!

Father's Day

2009-06-26T09:17:00.001-07:00

For Father's Day we took Nate out to lunch at Space Alien's so Austin (and Nate) could play games while we wait. It was rainy so all the plans we did make got postponed so we went shopping instead. I am lucky that Nate likes to shop just as much as I do! :)

Quality Cuddle Time

2009-06-12T10:40:00.001-07:00

I love this picture!

Austin loves to get into the crib with Carter. They are so cute when they play together and laugh with each other.

Trip to Montana

2009-06-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

On our way through the pass Austin got a little carsick. When we stopped to clean things up Nate took Austin over to check out the view. When they look about ten feet directly below them this is what they saw.

Mountain Goats! There was about 5 of them including little babies.

Josiah pitching to Austin

Austin playing baseball with Jordan. He had lots of people to play with over the weekend. The weather was so nice there!

Carter was a very good boy with everything that was going on.

Jordan

My cousins, Josiah, Jordan & Jonathon with their mom Cheri

Todd and his Girlfriend Heidi

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Austin is quite the little mini-golfer. He did really well. He played for mommy and daddy as well. We would get to hit once then Austin would put the three balls in the hole.

Along for the ride ;) Luckily they allow strollers on the golf course.

Waiting in line for his turn.

Daddy took Austin on his first go cart ride. I almost missed him on this last picture. He looks a little scared.

On our way back from Grand Rapids we stopped for ice cream. Carter stole a bite from daddy's cone. It was hilarious. He kept grabbing for the cone. He didn't get much but what he did get he LOVED!

Austin putting some dandilions he found on Grandpa Phil's stone. It was adorable. He kept picking these dandilions and putting them on there for Grandpa.

This is my dad's stone. We went to Grand Rapids for the day. It is very nice. It was an emotional day for us all as we have not been there in a year. Luckily Austin was there to keep a light mood. This was his finished project with all the dandilions. We were glad we went even though it was a long drive for the boys.

A Nice Day at Last!

2009-05-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a very nice day to spend outside. We decided to go to a Redhawks game as it was perfect baseball weather, then we came home and played outside for a while and took a short bike ride. Austin LOVES to be outside and it is almost impossible to get him inside without a fit.

Story Time with Austin

2009-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Austin loves to read to his brother. There are lots of pages ripped out and drooled on during story time. Cardboard books work best in our house. :)

My Dad

2009-05-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today one year ago my dad passed away, this has definetly been the toughest year of my life. I wanted to post a picture of him and the grandson that made him the most proud grandparent in the world. We miss him more than words can even express. I hope that when Austin and Carter are old enough they will hear plenty of fun Grandpa stories from our family. Thank you for everyone who has been so supportive this past year.

Day at the Zoo!

2009-05-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Carter was excited to go to the zoo.

Pre-zoo nap in the car.

I was really surprised Austin wanted to feed some of the animals.

Carter loved being pushed around...he didnt notice the animals :)

This picture is so cute.

Uncle Todd carried Austin all over the zoo.

Blowing mom some kisses!

So relaxed!

Austin got to ride with help from Todd. Carter rode also with Grandma Sandy.

Checking out some animals with uncle Todd

Brotherly Love

2009-04-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Could spring finally be here?!?!

2009-04-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Austin was excited to play on his slide for the first time this spring.

Of course Austin and Daddy had to play some catch.

Carter enjoyed watching Daddy and Austin play baseball. We played outside all evening and grilled. Luckily our boys LOVE playing outside.

Baseball Time!

This boy is all smiles! And drool! :) We are pretty sure a tooth should be coming in really soon!

Austin is so good about playing with Carter and making sure his little brother always has a toy to play with. It usually ends up being one of Austins favorites, a ball or cars!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Carter is willing to have his picture taken anytime.

Austin was not agreeing to have his picture taken this morning as he was sick right before this. Poor guy...but still really cute!

Two cute boys in their Easter outfits from Grandama Lorie

It was warm enough for Austin to play outside in his jeep with daddy and Uncle Stephen.

Austin finished off the day with an Easter egg hunt in our basement.

Ready for Spring!

2009-04-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Austin was ready to go play outside with his new water boots. Clothing not necessary for Austin.

Austin got a hold of the stickers from his Easter egg kit and decided to decorate his brother rather than the eggs! We will be dying eggs later today but there aren't very many stickers left for the eggs. Carter did not mind at all but thought his brother was hilarious. You never know what to expect with Austin.

Carter The Messy Eater

2009-03-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Nate the Barber

2009-03-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Austins new hair cut from his daddy!

Nate really wanted to give Austin a hair cut (either really bored or a new hobby of cutting hair) Austin sat pretty still. Nate started out with scissors and a comb and quickly switched over to his hair clipper thing (dont know the correct name :) )

Bored crazy during our Flood Fight of 2009

2009-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sight from our front window. The National Guard has been staying across the street at the school. We get a good look at the trucks they drive daily. Austin likes to watch them. Nate and I have been sandbagging for about a week straight and are feeling the pain from it! I think we are getting old ;) The boys have been going to day care during the day and a friend has been watching them in the evenings. Hopefully now our lives can get back to normal (or close too)

Our little show off.

The power has been going off and on for a couple days now. We have been reading a lot of books.

It was difficult to get a picture of the three of them. However, Nate is always ready for a picture. Carter gets pushed around and Austin can't sit still very long. I will keep trying.

Recent pics of the growing boys

2009-03-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time!

Austin LOVES to read and has recently learned to ask two questions...Who's that? and What's that? He does this on every page even when there is over twenty objects on the page :)

Carter loves to suck his whole hand rather than the thumb. He is getting a tooth that keeps popping up and going back down. Poor guy :(

Our smily little baby. Carter is very happy and smiles all the time. Needless to say the medicine he is on now has done wonders for all of us!

Mommy's big helper

2009-03-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Austin LOVES to help with anything that has to do with Carter. If Carter loses his paci Austin will be more than happy to get it for him. He also brings whatever he thinks Carter would like...toys, bottles (usually empty off the counter but it is the thought that counts), blankets, etc. Austin is a very good big brother and I am glad they are so close in age that he likes to help and isn't really jealous of Carter. Last night was bath night and Austin wanted to help Mommy wash Carter. He was very stubborn about giving the wash cloth back so it was good it was the end of bath for Carter.

Carter updates

2009-03-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have held Carter lately have experienced his extreme spit up. I took him in today and he has acid reflux. He will be starting medicine on Wednesday. I was tempted to brave the snow storm/blizzard to get it today but then regained my sanity. Poor Carter spits up like crazy (but worse then spitting up) he also has a lot of pain so the doctor thinks this should solve the problem. We have been to the doctor plenty of times in the past few weeks but hopefully our little boy starts to feel better. He is growing like crazy!

Hello!!! Who is it?!?!

2009-03-09T14:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Austin happened to answer the phone when Aunt Laura called. We were all downstairs and didnt go up to get the phone but Austin felt it was necessary. I came up to call Laura back and found Austin was on the phone with her already! :) He is hilarious. He does this quite often. We are either moving the phone up or we will just let him talk until we can get to the phone!

Weekend at the Dog Sled Races

2009-03-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Not a fair snow fight! Jacob was very patient with Austin and he had a blast.

Carters experience of dog sledding. :)

Two of my three favorite boys!

This weekend there was dog sled racing in Halstad. We got to watch the dogs take off then the next day watch them come back. It was a lot of fun for Austin to watch them as he loves the "puppies". Daddy did some playing with Austin in the snow. Austin also had a little snow fight with a friends son. This was a very fun weekend for Austin. Carter spent the first day all bundled up and napping. The second day we "ditched" Carter and forgot to tell Grandma Lorie. I guess we got too excited when we were in search of the dog sleds. Good thing someone was being responsible! Thanks Lorie :)

Cookies for family members only :)

2009-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Austin loves to help mommy bake cookies. His new discovery was that the stuff we were baking actually tastes good before it was done. He didnt get very much off the spoon but what he did get he really enjoyed. As for the baking in a diaper that's due to the dog hair on his pants and he was pretty comfy in just a t-shirt, diaper and socks! :)

Austins' new toys!

2009-03-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Austin seems to think he fits better in the swing then Carter. While in there the swing wouldnt budge!

Our little twins fan.

I love this pic of him peeking over Nates knees :)

Our little man.

Austin loves to sit in Carter's bumbo chair. His little butt fits perfect. Although tough to get out!

Play Time For The Boys

2009-02-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

Carter is finally interested in toys and his big brother is more than happy to show him ALL the toys at once. He dumps out Carters basket of toys on Carters lap and plays with him for quite a while. They are so cute together. Austin is the best big brother and Carter loves to watch him and laughs which only encourages Austin's goofy behavior. :)

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

2009-02-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

We have had a very interesting Valentines Day so far. We went shopping for a bit then had lunch with Grandma Sandy and Uncle Toddy. When we were on our way home a car hit us and totaled the van. We are all alright but were very shook up. Luckily one of Nate's students and her sister were there when it happened and let Austin, Carter and I sit in their car while Nate talked to the police and others that saw the accident. We were all VERY lucky and thank everybody who helped out while we were getting things taken care of and getting checked out.

Some "1st" for Carter!

2009-02-12T20:41:00.001-08:00

Carter had his first taste of rice cereal tonight. He actually did really well. He did spit out quite a bit but we expected that. Hopefully it will help him sleep a little longer tonight ;) Mommy and Daddy could use more than a couple hours of sleep at a time.

Carter got his turn in his bouncer a couple days ago. He can only stay in there for a little bit right now but he really liked it. He is VERY strong! We werent sure about letting him use it so young but he has held his head up for quite a while now and can almost reach the floor to bounce a bit.

Hilarious!

2009-02-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Austin was assisted by Daddy into Carter's jumper. He thought this was a cool new toy. Carter did try it out as well and did great in it. It was pretty funny though when Austin was in there. I was a little nervous he was going to snap the straps!

What a good big brother!

2009-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Austin loves to lay by Carter on the floor. Carter joined Austin in his toddler bed which Austin started to sleep in today. They look so cute by each other.

Austin the builder

2009-02-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Not the safest place to play legos but Daddy was there to supervise. Austin loves legos and putting things together.

Daddy helped Austin build legos from the table to the ceiling. Pretty impressive.

And there it goes!

Austin was all ready for bed and watching a movie when Carter joined him. What cute boys!

Bath Time for the Boys

2009-01-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Both the boys are crazy about bath time and this is the first time they have taken one together. Carter was only in for a few minutes as Austin gets a little rowdy during bath time and I was afraid Carter might be dunked!

Austin @ 2 years old & Carter @ 3 months old

2009-01-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

Cute pics of the boys

2009-01-08T18:38:00.001-08:00

Carter @ 11 weeks old.

He is starting to smile all the time and "coo" to us

I put Carter in his pack n play while I put away laundry and then Austin decided to crawl in and join his little brother.

Austin has this weird obsession with putting EVERYTHING in order.

I went in his bedroom to find all his and Carter's shoes in a line.

All the pairs were together!

My sleeping baby!

He finally found a quiet place his brother couldn't climb into.

Austins 2nd Birthday Party!

2009-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Austins Birthday Party today. He turns two tomorrow.

January 5th!!!

Lorie and I made this cake for Austin. Nate did put a few finishing touches on as well ;)

Austin and his cousin Laura going down the slide at Shipwreck Bay.

Mommy and Carter.

This was Carter's first experience in the water other than a bathtub. He did really well but got a little chilly after a bit.

Mommy, Daddy, Austin & Carter enjoying the pool.

Carter with his Daddy's cousin Alivia.

The three Amigos.

Austin, his cousin Jack and his Daddy's cousin Issac.

Austin and his yummy cake.

We did catch him sneaking some frosting while we were trying to get some pictures.

Austin blowing out his candles. He actually blew them all out himself.

Finally he got to enjoy some cake without having to sneak it ;)

Austin's first sledding adventure!

2009-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

In the car on the way to the sledding hill.

Austin and his Uncle Stevie!

Before heading down.

Uncle Stephen and Austin at the top of the sledding hill.

Austin taking Carter for a ride on his toy at Grandma Lorie's.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Carter & Austin before all the gifts and dinner. They looked so cute in the matching Christmas outfits!

Carter's cousin Laura loves to hold him. She does a very good job.

Laura read to the family before opening gifts. She did a very good job.

Austin was very careful opening gifts. He made sure to hand me all the paper pieces to put in the garbage.

We had such a fun time Christmas Eve at Grandma Lorie's and Grandpa Randy's. We went to Christmas Eve service, had a wonderful dinner with family, opened presents and played games.

Christmas Day we started out at Grandma Lorie's house for brunch and gifts with the Dittmers. Then we headed back to our place for a late lunch with my side of the family. We had Great Grandma Dorothy and Great Grandpa Vernon down for dinner as well. Austin had a very fun Christmas!

2 months old!!!!!

2008-12-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Carter was 2 months old on December 19th and had his check up and shots today. The shots were horrible and I almost cried with him! However we did get really good comments on his growth and strength. Carter weighed 8 lbs 3 oz when he was born, at one month he weighed 10 bls 11 oz, and today he weighed 14 lbs 4 oz. When he was born he was 20 inches long, at one month it was 21 inches and today it was 24 inches. Our little baby is getting huge! The doctor also did some tummy time with Carter and was amazed at how well he did with his neck strength. Carter was all smiles at the nice nurses until the shots came then came the tears. We take him back in 2 months and I am estimating another couple inches and at least 2 to 3 pounds. At his rate its possible!

The Paulsrud Family Christmas-December 21, 2008

2008-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

Austin was being so shy he was not even interested in opening his present. It turned out to be a guitar that made a LOT of noise. His uncle Nick was not a fan of our little rockstar.

Austin was asked to help make ice cream. Grandma Lorie was trying to help him out.

Austin was not real interested. He wanted to play then eat the ice cream after the other kids made it.

Austin's shyness definetly came out when he was around so many strangers.

Finally he just figured pouting would get him out of the hot seat. I dont know where he gets that... ;)

Uncle Stephen decided we needed one more cute baby in the picture. Austin wasn't sure how to act. Like a big boy or a baby!

Can you believe Kate is only 11 days younger than Carter. Carter was closer to the camera but still...

Austin & Kate. Kate is Randy's neices baby.

My Little Santa

2008-12-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

I Love This Picture!!

Visits with Santa Claus

2008-12-14T08:01:00.001-08:00

I love this picture of the boys. The Santa looked so real too.

Austin liked the idea of a treat bag!

Austin and Santa

Austin and the Santa hat! He wasn't as excited about the cute picture as I was.

Austin and Carter with their cousins Laura and Jack.

Austin & Carter with Santa #2. Carter was fast asleep and Austin was still not sure about this Santa.

Austin wasn't as comfortable with this Santa as the first. I also think he may be getting a molar so he was not in as good of mood as the night before.

After a night with Grandma Lorie the boys were very worn out the next morning! They both took a power nap on the floor before going to a second visit with Santa Claus.

King of time out

2008-12-08T13:07:00.001-08:00

Austin has officially hit "terrible 2's". His time out chair is in the kitchen and he does really well. Austin is a very good boy but has his moments that require a quiet time out! Daddy thought he should take a picture or two of our little almost two year old.

Carter's Baptism

2008-12-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

Carter had his baptism on Sunday, December 7th. There was a lot of family and friends that attended. His godparents are Mike, Tara & Todd. We had a wonderful lunch after at Grandma Lorie's house. We are very thankful for all that she did to make that day so special. Carter has a lot of family and friends that love him very much!

Carter & his Great Great Aunt Rose

Carter and his yummy cake! Too bad he didn't get to eat any. Austin was a big fan though ;)

Carter Michael McCraven

Carter & Paulsruds/McCravens

Carter & Russums/Harthans

Carter& his godparents: Todd, Tara & Mike

Carter, Mommy & Daddy

Cute & Silly Boys

2008-12-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Carter at 6 weeks!

Where else would you were underwear? Austin isnt old enough to be potty trained yet so he wears them on his head!

Carter and Austin: Matching P.J's

2008-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Matching Pajamas! Lorie picked these out for the boys and they looked adorable. I think I will be one of those moms who matches there kids. Poor guys! :)

Austin loves these blankets. You rarely see him without them.

Carter is getting so big!!! He changes with every picture. He was 8 lbs 3 oz when he was born and at his one month check up he was 10 bls 11 oz. He has also grown 2 inches in the month. The doctor and nurse were amazed how big he has gotten in a month.

Austin & Carter: Baby pics

2008-11-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Some days I think these two look so much alike when they were babies and other days they look so different to me. I thought I would post some of each of there baby pics so others can compare!

Carter @ 2 days in the hospital

Austin: Day 1 in the hospital

Carter in the hospital (2 days)

Austin @ 1 week

Aren't they Adorable!?!

2008-11-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

All smiles for Austin and Carter!

Austin loves to hold his brother and apparently thought something Carter did was hilarious!

Austin literally asked to have his picture taken. He handed dad the camera and wanted a quick picture before we started our day.

Carter loves to sleep. It is sometimes hard to get a picture of him awake!

Daddy got Austin dressed in his snow gear to go play in the little bit of snow we got last weekend. He was pretty excited but was not sure of the cold.

Carter likes to relax while having his bottle! He looks very comfy while enjoying his meal.

HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

Austin and Carter wore these t-shirts during the day so we had to get a picture before they got changed for the evening.

This is Carter's first halloween and he was mommy and daddys little pumpkin! :)

Austin wore this handy manny outfit to daycare but mommy made him put it on for some pictures at home by his pumpkin!

Austin dressed up as a pirate to go trick or treating with daddy. It had a cute hat but it was a little small for his head.

Our First Days Home with 2 perfect boys

2008-10-30T06:34:00.001-07:00

Austin was surprised when Carter and Mommy got to go home with him and Daddy. I think he thought we lived at the hospital and they just came to visit during the day! The next few days should be busy and interesting.
This one was taken at the hospital but I love this picture of him!

Carter LOVES his swing and it gives mommy some time to play with Austin in the morning

one-on-one. Austin loves to give Carter his bottle, pacifier and blaket (even if Carter doesn't want them ;) ). He also loves to hold his little brother and is very sad when Carter cries.

Daddy is very glad to have a napping partner again! :)

Carter tried out his play mat and Austin thought it was something fun they could do together. Austin crawled under and layed next to his baby brother. We then really realized how BIG Austin has gotten in the last 22 months!

And More....

2008-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Carter taking one of his many naps....he got his sleeping ability from his daddy!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!!!!

Auntie Laura

Carter and Daddy's first picture together

Austin and his Grandma's get their first looks at Carter.

More Pictures

2008-10-24T15:00:00.001-07:00

The McCraven's...lookin sharp!

Mommy & Carter first picture together!

Uncle Todd is pretty excited to be Carter's Godfather.

Carter is Here

2008-10-24T09:57:00.001-07:00

Carter Michael McCraven

Born on October 24th, 2008

@ 7:43 am

Weight: 8 pounds, 3 ounces

Length: 20 inches

Austin made sure that the nurses took very good care of his newborn brother.

Austins Favorite Kitten

2008-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Austin had this picture taken by his Aunt Dawn. I had to put it on here because he looks so cute. The cat doesn't look too happy but he didn't put up a fight.

Fun at Jacks Birthday Party

2008-10-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Austin was able to catch one more kitten before it was time to head home.

Austin was joined by his cousin Laura and some of her cousins. It started to get a little more dangerous and Austin had to hop off!

Daddy found the trampoline for Austin to jump on. They had fun while mommy was very nervous watching to make sure he didnt get hurt.

After the pinata was broke open Austin came back to pick up his candy ;)

This kitten was either to slow or liked to be carried by the neck by a little boy! Austin loves kittens and there were plenty there for him to play with.

For one of the games they hit a pinata. Austin took one swing then ran after a kitten.

Austin went to his cousin Jacks birthday party on saturday and they were asked to dress up. Austin has a favorite cartoon "Handy Manny" and we luckily found a costume for him to wear.

Carter's official arrival day

2008-10-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well we have decided to schedule our C-section for October 27th. We still have hopes that he will come earlier but that is the day as of now. We will be having him at merit care in Fargo. We do have one more appointment on Monday the 20th. Last week we were dialated to 2 cm so I hope it is more when we go in on Monday. We are very eager to welcome him to our family and hope we will see some of you there. I will be giving Nate a crash course in putting pictures on here so everybody can see him soon!

Austins First Video

2008-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

The other day I was looking through our videos of Austin and thought I would put the first one of him on here. We are anxiously awaiting Carter. Nate will have to put his first pics and video on here for everybody to see!

Austins new discovery

2008-09-18T12:58:00.003-07:00

While we were cleaning out the garage we were setting stuff out to clean for Carter to use soon. Austin discovered this new "toy" he didn't remember using. He thought he would take it for a cruise around the drive way. He looked funny in it with his knees almost touching his chest.

Grandma and Grandpa's New Hot Tub

2008-09-18T12:58:00.002-07:00

Austin loves the hot tub that his Grandma and Grandpa just got. He had to test out the water with daddy. After a while in the hot tub Austin had to take a nap in his new toddler race car bed. When he woke up he was a little surprised he could get out on his own without slamming the crib against the wall for Mom and Dad's attention.

Like Father Like Son

2008-09-18T12:58:00.001-07:00

Austin and Nate share a passion for Karaoke. Austin has learned that he can be quite loud when given a microphone. Between the two of them Mommy gets lots of headaches!

End of the Summer fun!

2008-09-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Austin got to enjoy his pool one last time before we put it away for the summer. He loves to be outside and would stay out there all day if we let him.

For Labor day we went and stayed at the Holiday Inn and let Austin play on the ship. This is one of his favorite places. Todd came over for a swim as well. Austin loves any place with water!

Nice Fall Night

2008-08-29T13:04:00.001-07:00

Austin has really started to like "walking" Jack. It ends up lasting only a couple minutes before Jack gets away but he enjoys it until then.

Austin loves his little "bike". He loves to ride this around the block. He hasnt quite got the leg length to use the peddles yet but he gets by.

Austin In the Toy Box

2008-08-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

What to play with next???
Two phones keep Austin busy. He still would rather play with mom or dad's anyday.

Austin can keep himself entertained for hours with all these toys!

2008-08-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

In this case two IS better than one for Austin!
Austin with his Great Grandma and Great Grandma and all the other great grandchildren on this side.

Austin got to sit on Grandpa Randy's motorcycle. He didn't actually go for a ride but thought it was cool to sit on it.

Austin's First Hair Cut

2008-07-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

The final look. Austin got his first hair cut today. It turned out very handsome. We are hoping it all grows back again. ;)
Austin had to take a second to check himself out and make sure everything was going ok.

During his hair cut was the longest I have ever seen him sit still. He was a very good client for Amber. He loved the special seat and cool cover he wore.

Baseball with Daddy

2008-07-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

Austin and I go watch Nate play softball every Tuesday night. His favorite part is when Daddy's game is over and he can get a chance to play. Nate lets him try to hit and field the ball. Luckily our friend had a camera there to take these awesome pictures.

Austin's Parade Experience

2008-07-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Austin is patiently waiting for some more candy. He can't really eat any of it but loves to put it in his big bucket. He was very daring. We had to keep bringing him back to the curb. He thought the middle of the street was fair game.

Austin's first bus ride

2008-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Austin finally decided a Cubs hat was good enough for him too! ;)

Austin thought it was pretty fun to put Uncle Stephens hat on and then take it off. This game last a few innings.

Austins first bus ride! He was not a big fan of the seat. He thought he was quite the big boy.

Swimming party!

2008-07-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Austin loves swimming and loves slides so our visit out to the Christiansons was his idea of a great time. He went up and down the slide over and over. He went down with daddy and had a lot of help from Nate's friend Gaylord. It was a really fun time for all of us.

Pictures from Spring

2008-07-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Austin made a visit to the Fargo zoo. He thought all the animals were awesome. It was a very fun experience for both of us even though the zoo was not huge.

Mommy and Daddy like to give Austin a mohawk once in a while.

It stands up pretty well all on its own. He seems to like this as well.

Grandpa Randy helped us with some yard work and Austin was lucky

enough to get to ride in the Bobcat. He thought it was pretty cool.

Austin loves his slide Grandma Lorie gave to him.

He is learning to use it better and better each day.

Hot evening at home

2008-07-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

After the sprinkler fun Daddy and Austin decided it was time to clean off in Austin's pool. He loves to be outside.

Austin discovered how refreshing a sprinkler can be. He loves water in any form.

4th of July

2008-07-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the FM Redhawks game after our afternoon at the Carnival. Austin was very hot and worn out by this time. We met up with uncles Todd and Stephen. We finished off our 4th of July with fireworks at our house. It was a fun 4th of July for us.

Austin got a flag tattoo as well. He was very proud of this and showed it off to his uncles later that day.

At the Carnival Austin got to pick a duck and win a prize. He was more interested in keeping the duck then getting the prize.

Austin got a balloon at the Carnival. After we got one of these he was pretty content the rest of the afternoon.

Swimming on the pirate ship

2008-07-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

We spent the night at the Holiday Inn so that Austin could swim on the pirate ship. Laura, Todd and Jon met us there to swim. Austin went up and down the slides over and over for more than three hours at a time. He loved the hot tub as well. We all were very worn out by the end of the stay.

Daddy playing dress up with Austin

2008-07-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Mommy dressed Austin in some overalls for the day and daddy thought he would add some finishing touches. Austin loves to get a laugh from everyone so this outfit was perfect.

Baby #2

2008-07-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

We recently found out we are having another boy!!! Austin will have someone to play with and they will be close in age (22 months apart). We are so excited to have another baby and look foward to seeing our family grow.

Bath Time

2008-07-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Bath time with Austin is always very interesting. We all seem to end up soaking wet. He has learned to crawl in and out by himself so now you see a naked baby run by when one of us is watching tv.