Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

Cooper and Charlie sharing toys

Our friends, the McCormicks, are back in town, and Charlie and I went over to visit with them the other day. Charlie and Cooper had fun playing together, and the mommies had a nice time chatting.

Whirlwind Weekend

Our family had a very busy weekend. It started on Friday with a visit from Uncle Andy, Nick's best friend, and his fiance, Amy. They just got engaged a few weeks ago, so it was great to be able to see them and congratulate them in person. We all went out to dinner at Chops that night, which was so yummy. The best part was that it was free! Andy had a gift certificate, and it covered our entire meal. It doesn't get much better than a free meal and great company. CONGRATULATIONS AND WE LOVE YOU, ANDY AND AMY!

On Saturday, Andy and Amy watched Charlie so that Nick and I could help our friends' Chad and Kelly move into their house. Kelly and I used to work together at Big Creek, and she has been one of my best friends over the last few years. She and her family moved to Tennessee earlier this year, but they decided to come back to GA. Of course I am VERY happy to have her back. Charlie is excited too because he is getting a new buddy to play with. Kelly's son, Cooper, was born two weeks after Charlie. The boys had some play dates when they were itty bitty, and Kelly and I can't wait to get them back together. WELCOME BACK, McCORMICK FAMILY!

Saturday night was our annual holiday party with all of our friends from UGA. Nick and I love this party because it is the one time each year that all of our friends are together. Friends from out of town are there, and it is such a great night to catch up and relax with old friends. We eat a lot of good food, drink too much, and play White Elephant. My stomach ached from laughing so hard after this year's White Elephant game. Our gift was a case of Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's with Charlie's hand prints on it. It was a hot gift and got traded multiple times before becoming frozen. It's always hard to leave the party because we don't know how long it will be before we see some of these friends again. Nick and I spent a good portion of the trip home talking about how fortunate we are to be blessed with such an amazing group of friends. WE LOVE YOU, GUYS!

On Sunday we celebrated Charlie's aunties' birthdays (that's a mouth full). Dani, Vicki, and Kristen have birthdays right around each other, so we always celebrate them together. The Shaw Clan all gathered at a Japanese restaurant for some hibachi, cake, and gifts. Charlie gave all of his aunties lots of birthday love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND WE LOVE YOU, GIRLS!

This weekend was quite the whirlwind! It may take us a few days to recover from it all, but it was well worth it. I love this time of year because it is all about being with the ones you love and care about. It was such a nice way to start off the week before Christmas. I would post pictures, but blogger is being very slow. I'll try again later :o)

Too Cute

If you read this blog, then you probably received a holiday card from the Shaw Family this week or will be getting one very soon. Charlie's friend from playgroup, Matney, got her card yesterday, and she was very excited. Her mommy told me that as soon as she showed Matney the card, she started flapping her arms up and down and grabbed it. Miss Matney held onto Charlie's picture until it was time for bed. How stinking cute is that?

Santa

We took Charlie to see Santa this weekend. Nick and I were nervous that Charlie would not be too crazy about being handed off to Santa. We were pleasantly surprised by how well the little guy did. He snuggled right into Santa's arms. Here are some of the best pictures from our visit.

This is our favorite photo.

Charlie and Santa bonding

Have you been a good little boy?

Nine Month News

That's right, Charlie is nine months old, and I can't believe we are only three months away from his first birthday. And yes, I have already started planning for the big day :o) This month, like all the rest, flew by in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Charlie is into everything! He is still army crawling, and to be honest with you, I don't see him ever crawling on his hands and knees. Oh, don't worry though, it doesn't slow him down at all! I can't leave him alone for a minute. Today, while unloading groceries, I found Charlie splashing in Samson's water bowl. He had the biggest grin on his face, and I am convinced he knew he was up to no good! The scary part is how quickly he scooted across the kitchen without me seeing him. In addition to crawling, Charlie can also sit up on his own and is starting to pull up to stand. Crawling has thrown me for enough of a loop. I can only pray that walking is still a few months away.

One of the biggest milestones that I have to share this month is that Charlie has started to wave and clap. The waving is just about the cutest thing. He actually waves with his palm facing himself. I guess that is the view he sees when we wave to him. As for clapping, I don't know who gets more of a thrill, him or me!?! The reason this milestone is so exciting to me, is because we never intentionally taught Charlie these skills. He has just picked them up on his own from paying attention and mimicking us. His baby brain is taking so much in, and it just makes a mommy proud!

Charlie was also introduced to finger foods this month. He LOVES Gerber Puffs and Cheerios for a snack. We have also given him small pieces of meat, fruits, and veggies. It is very messy, but again, it is so rewarding to see his hand-eye coordination improve with each passing day. I am still nursing Charlie, but he is getting less and less interested. He is just so busy and easily distracted, that it is hard to get him to nurse during the day. It makes me sad to think about weaning him. It has been such a wonderful bonding experience, that I hate to let it go. My goal is to make it to his first birthday.

We have a nine month check up next week, so I am eager to see how much the little guy has grown. We went to the doctor right after he turned eight months, and Charlie weighed 18.5 pounds. I will update everyone on Charlie's visit next week. I also promise to update the photo gallery with pictures from November soon.

He was waving when I snapped this shot.

Nine WHOLE months today!!!!

Rock-a-Bye Baby

I used to rock Charlie to sleep every night, but he has become such a good sleeper the past month and a half and doesn't need me anymore. The last couple of nights he has been having trouble going down on his own, so I have had to go in and help him get settled. Normally, Charlie won't let me hold him like a baby in my arms. He prefers to be held over my shoulder now. But tonight, he allowed me to cradle him in my arms and rock him in his big, comfy chair. It was so sweet. He cooed and ahhed while he played with my hair and face. He even shared his pacifier with me, which he thought was a very fun game. We sat together in the dark for probably 20 minutes, and I was amazed at the little person he has become. Time is passing by so quickly, and I want so badly to freeze moments like these and live in them forever. It is times like this that allow me to step back and reflect on what it means to love someone else so deeply and what a precious gift I have been given.

Daddy is a Hoot

Daddy got home early tonight, and we had time to play in Charlie's room for a while after dinner. Nick read Charlie a farm book, and he thought it was hysterical each time his daddy made the animal sounds. After our books, we spent some quality time crawling around on the floor with the kiddo. Again, Charlie couldn't stop laughing at his silly daddy playing on the floor with him. I love my boys!

Army crawling with Daddy

Charlie's face cracks me up in this pic!

Charlie's New Buddy

There's a new friend in town. Zackery Maximus Jordan was born on December 3, 2008. Zackery is the son of one of Nick's best childhood friend's, Joe Don. Nick and Joe have been friends since they were toddlers. Nick is 9 months older than Joe, and Charlie is 9 months older than Zackery. How funny is that?

Grandma came over to watch Charlie yesterday so that Nick and I could go to visit baby Zackery and his parents in the hospital. Zackery's mommy, Diana, looked beautiful and very happy. Her labor and delivery was only 4 hours...lucky girl! Of course, I held Zackery for pretty much the entire time we were there. He was only 4 ounces smaller than Charlie was when he was born, but I swear I don't remember him being that small. Everything seemed so tiny and fragile. It is crazy how much a baby changes in just a few short months!

We are so happy for Joe Don, Diana, and Big Sister Kailey! Charlie can't wait until Zackery gets a little bit bigger so that he can play with his new friend.

Welcome to the world, Zackery!!!

What a MESS

I am trying to encourage Charlie to learn how to feed himself. All I have to say is independence is messy business!

Notice the food smeared all over the tray.

Mommy has learned that naked feeding makes for the easiest clean up.

What? Are you trying to tell me you've never spilled on your shirt before?

Happy Turkey Day!!!

We hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family. We sure did! Nick and I agree that Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday, so we couldn't wait to celebrate with Charlie for the first time. We made the rounds to both sides of the family as usual.

Our first stop was at Oma and Granddaddy's house (Nick's parents). They had invited 20 people over for Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, Charlie was the center of attention, and he loved every minute of it. His separation anxiety didn't rear its ugly head, and he actually enjoyed being passed around and visiting with everyone. He sat at the table in his booster seat next to Granddaddy, and even got to eat turkey and a little nibble of pumpkin pie.

After a quick cat nap in the car, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house (my parents). We had the pleasure of meeting Uncle Bud's girlfriend, Ali, for the first time as she joined us for dinner. In true Browning style, Grandpa prepared enough food to feed a small country and Grandma had a table setting that looked like it was out of a magazine. Charlie sampled a little more turkey and had some time to play with the toys that Grandma and Grandpa keep at the house for him.

Charlie collapsed into his crib when we got home from the long day of festivities. We couldn't have asked for a better first Thanksgiving for the little guy. It was the beginning of traditions that he will hopefully look forward to as the years go by and maybe someday pass along to his own children.

Playing with the Auntie M and Auntie Vicki

Getting piano lessons from Auntie M and Auntie K

Quick nap between Thanksgiving dinners

Uncle Bud and Ali making me smile

Run, Daddy! Run!

Charlie and I are proud to announce that Nick ran his first half marathon on Thanksgiving! He completed the race in just over 2 hours. We couldn't be there to cheer him on because it was too early and chilly for us, but we couldn't wait to give him big hugs and kisses when he got back home.

Nick has been training for this event for months now, and I have been so impressed with his dedication and drive considering he is not a runner. He has been eating healthy and working out like a mad man in order to get ready. I wish I could say that it has inspired me to get into the gym, but that's what New Year's resolutions are for, right? During his training, Nick lost 25 pounds! He weighs the same as the day we started dating nine years ago. Charlie and I love the new and improved Daddy!

Charlie giving Daddy a victory hug after the race

Ready to run!

Fun with Friends

Charlie and I had special visitors last week. My best friend, Lisa (aka - Auntie Pooh), and her daughter, Alex, came to see us last Thursday. They just moved from Miami to LA a few months ago, and it has been 5 months since we last saw them. This might not seem like a long time to most of you, but trust us, it is toooo long to go without seeing this duo.

We spent our first day together hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa Pomerantz's house. There was a lot of playing, talking, singing, and eating to be had by all! Charlie and I even got to take part in Shabbat dinner. Charlie got to wear a yamaka for the first time.

Day two was spent over at Casa de Shaw. Charlie's grandma and grandpa came over to see the girls. Alex showed off all of her big girl talents to everyone. She was born March 13, 2007 and is exactly one year older than Charlie. We were all amazed by how much she can do. Alex can count to 5, name her colors and shapes, knows her animals and sounds, and can tell you some of the letters and their sounds. I am such a proud auntie! Not only is she smart, she also has the greatest personality. It nearly brought me to tears each time she asked me to "pay" with her.

Our third and final day with our friends was spent at The Wiggles concert at Gwinnett Arena. Yes, I took my 8-month-old to a concert....AND IT WAS GREAT! I had never watched The Wiggles before this weekend, and now I am hooked. Grandma Ann, Lisa, Al, Pie(Lisa's niece), Charlie, and I had a blast dancing and singing along with The Wiggles. After the concert, we went over to Lisa's brother's house for dinner. Lisa's brother, Brian, came into town from Athens to cook for us. We enjoyed a gourmet meal with everyone before we had to say goodbye.

Lisa and Al headed back to California earlier today. I have been pretty pouty all day, and I miss them already. Lisa has been my best friend for ten years now, and we have spent the last five of those years separated by distance. Our friendship has really stood the test of time if you ask me. We have experienced a lot together in ten years, but sharing motherhood with her has been the most rewarding experience. I am so fortunate to have her to guide me as I raise Charlie. I know that she is a great mom to Alex, but seeing her in action made me realize just how wonderful she is in her role as mommy. Al has turned into a beautiful little person as a result. I hope that I can be as nurturing, patient, and loving a mom to Charlie as Lisa has been to Alex.

Alex feeding Charlie some of her home cookin'

The Wiggles ROCK!!!

Auntie Pooh and Al

This video is a little dark, but you can still make out Al dancing to her favorite Wiggles song...too stinking cute!

You can see even more pictures from our fun visit on Grandpa Michael's Kodak Gallery.

Meet the Newest Super Hero

You may have heard of Captain Underpants, but he is nothing compared to Captain Diaper Head! The following is a result of a long, rainy day, a fussy baby, and a desperate mommy. In the end, baby and mommy were amused for well over 30 minutes.

TROUBLE

Now that he is crawling, Charlie is managing to get into some interesting places. Here he is attempting to eat the cord to the baby monitor...lovely!

Splishin' and a Splashin'

This kid L-O-V-E-S bath time. The mere sound of the faucet being turned on makes him go nutty. He refuses to sit in the tub. Instead, he lays on his belly and "swims" from one end to the other chasing after his toys. The more splashing the better!

Mommy, what did you do to my hair?!?

Is there an Olympic event for bath tub swimming?

My Favorite Thing

Stocking up on the essentials with the help of Coupon Mom!

I may not be Oprah, but I do have a favorite thing that I would like to share with you. As I have mentioned before, I am on a mission to save money now that we are down to one income. With the help of friends and some amazing websites, I have learned a lot about the world of coupon cutting and shopping sales. I was getting so excited about all of the coupons that I was accumulating, but at the same time I was getting overwhelmed. Each week my pile of coupons would grow and grow. I found myself spending way too much time cutting coupons and looking at store circulars. Just in the nick of time, my mom turned me onto a great website called Coupon Mom. It does all of the circular searching and coupon comparing for you. The site does have a lot of information and can be a bit intimidating at first. Below are directions to access, what I believe to be, the greatest part of the site:

• Click on the link above.


• Click on "Grocery Deals by State" in the left-hand column. You will be asked to log in or create an account. It is quick and free!


• Once in "Grocery Deals by State", click on the drop down window to choose the store and state that you do most of your grocery shopping. Click "GO".


• You will be given a list in alphabetical order of all of the sales going on in that store for the week, the percentage saved, whether or not there is a coupon available, and the price with coupon. You can also arrange the sales by each of these categories as well. For example, I put all of the sale items in order from greatest percentage saved to least.


• Then you can go through the list and click on the items that you are interested in buying.


• Once you are done, click on "Display Selected Deals" and you will see a printer friendly list of all of the items that you want to buy with a grand total for how much you will spend and the percent that you will be saving.

This site has saved me so much time and $$$, and it makes it very easy to compare stores to get the BEST possible deals. Last week, I shopped at Publix, Kroger, and Wal-Mart and saved an average of 43% on my groceries!

The site also has free e-books that are fantastic guides for coupon cutting that I recommend reading too. It is also a good idea to read through the information presented on the "Grocery Deals by State" page before looking at the sales in each store.

I hope that you find this site as beneficial as I have and that it helps you spend a little less next time you are at the store.

Eight is GREAT!

Today Charlie is 8 months old! I don't have a picture to share because he has been in his pajamas all day (see previous post). Check out the album to see updated pictures from the month of October.


The biggest change this month has been the fact that Charlie is now a crawler. This has opened up a whole new world of wonder for him and worry for us. He isn't too terribly quick since he prefers to army crawl rather than get up on his hands and knees. He will rock in place on his hands and knees, but he hasn't figured out how to put everything into motion. Nick and I have quickly realized that NOTHING is safe on the floor. It doesn't matter how many toys we have out for him to play with, he is going to be more interested in our shoes, drinks, food, etc. He is particularly interested in cords and wires. As I tried to pay some bills yesterday, I had to pull him out from under the computer table half a dozen times because he was trying to gnaw on the wires. Last night, as I was making dinner, he made his way into the kitchen to see what I was up to. It is crazy to see him move around like that. Needless to say, the baby proofing has begun.


I am so happy to report that Charlie is still sleeping very well at night and is now taking longer naps. Ever since 10/15 he has been falling asleep without my help, and he sleeps through the night until around 5:00 a.m. He eats and goes back to sleep until around 8:00 a.m. This has been great for both of us. His naps have also gone from 30 minutes to close to an hour. He is much more rested these days, and I can actually get some things done around the house.


Charlie has two more teeth. He has a grand total of six chompers now...four on the top and two on the bottom. Between the teeth and the crawling, Charlie doesn't look like a little baby any more. I have no idea how much Charlie weighs right now. He is still small compared to some of his friends, but he is wearing 9 month clothing. I don't think we will ever have a chubby baby, but he is perfect in our eyes. Nick and I often go into his nursery at night to watch him sleep. Afterwards, we talk about how fortunate we are to be his parents and how beautiful he is. Our hearts swell with pride each time we look at him, and I can't tell you how much he has changed our lives for the better. The last 8 months have flown by, but they have been the happiest time in our lives. We are blessed to have Charlie and we can't wait to see what the future will bring.

TLC

Charlie has come down with his first cold. He woke up at 1:00 this morning screaming, and I found him covered in vomit. It was so bad, that I had to give him a bath and call Nick in to help me change his sheets. He was pretty stuffed up, and I think the drainage from his nose made him throw up. I spent the rest of the night sleeping on his floor so that I could keep and eye on him. He woke up every hour or so, and would look over to see me on the floor. I would tell him that it was okay, and he would go back to sleep. He has been sneezing and coughing all day and just hasn't been himself. Poor little fella! We managed to make it eight months without any illness, so I guess it was about time. Hopefully, with rest and a lot of TLC he will get over this cold quickly and be back to himself in no time.

Halloween

Charlie had a very eventful first Halloween. We invited our playgroup pals over for a costume party at our house. Charlie was a lion. It doesn't get much cuter than eight babies dressed up in costumes! I had a lot of fun planning the party and decorating the house. The mommies feasted on Terrifying Tacos, Spooky Spanish Rice, Creepy Chips and Salsa, and had Green Slime to drink. Of course, we took a ton of pictures of the little cuties. It was a great time with our friends!

After our party, we stopped by to see Grandma and Grandpa so that they could see Charlie all dressed up. Since he can't have candy just yet, they decided he needed a Halloween present instead. Can you say spoiled?!?

I can't wait until next year when I can take him out trick-or-treating!

Party Decorations

Cutest Lion EVER!!!

Wait until you hear my roar...

The Play Group (L to R): Chloe H., Tate, Mackenzie, Charlie, Chloe A., Collin, and Matney...our friend Michael was not there for the picture :o(

Mommy and Charlie

The Pumpkin Patch

We took a family trip to Burt's Pumpkin Patch last week. Charlie had fun looking at and tasting all of the pumpkins. He was especially fond of the bark chips that the pumpkins sat on. After our trip to the pumpkin patch, we headed over to Amicalola Falls. We ate lunch at the lodge there and walked over to the top of the falls. It was a great trip.

Our little pumpkin!!!

Riding in the wheelbarrow is soooo much fun!

That's a BIG pumpkin!

These things are yummy :o)

Football + Family + Food = FUN

Granddad, Auntie Dani, Auntie Vicki, Uncle Justin, Auntie M, and Neil came over on Saturday to help us cheer for the Dawgs as they played LSU. We grilled out at half-time and had a lot of fun watching the game together. Charlie enjoyed visiting with everyone, but he was especially fond of spending time with the boys. Look at how relaxed he is in the pictures below. Charlie is so lucky to have so many people who love him. We had a great time, and it was made even better when UGA won!!! GO DAWGS!!!

Granddaddy, you wore me out!

These toys are a little bit more interesting than the game.

Uncle Justin has me in a trance.

Aren't Neil and my Auntie M a cute couple?!?

On the Move

Charlie has been showing us that he is ready to crawl over the past few days. He saw his friend, Mackenzie, crawling at play group on Monday and decided that he was sick and tired or just rolling all over the place. He isn't quite up on his hands and knees just yet. Instead, he sort of pulls his body forward using his hands and elbows. Every now and then, he will propel forward with a big push from his legs. Samson is a great motivator for him. As soon as Charlie gets close enough to touch him, Samson scoots away. That poor dog doesn't know what he is in for in a couple more months! I will post a video of the wiggle worm as soon as I can.

As promised, here is a video of our little guy on the move. He decided to add something special at the end of the clip.

Adventures in Babysitting

Charlie's friend, Matney, stayed with us on Saturday while her mommy and daddy went to see Wicked. Grandma helped out with babysitting duties which was a huge help since Nick was in North Georgia camping. Matney and Charlie play together every week at play group, but they were much more aware of each other since it was just the two of them this time. We sang songs together and had a lot of fun playing with Charlie's musical puppy and bear. I have been around a lot of babies in my day, but it was really neat caring for Matney now that I have my own baby. She was so different from Charlie. She is quieter, more gentle, and seemed to analyze things much more than the Little Guy does. One thing that Charlie and Matney have in common is the fact that they like to give their mommies a run for their money when it comes to sleep. Here are some pics of our fun day together.

This puppy is GREAT!

Matney loved playing with Charlie's toes...TOO FUNNY!

Big blue eyes and a big brown bow. What a beautiful girl!

Rubber Ducky, You're the One...

You make bath time so much fun!!!

Sweet Dreams

I am thrilled to announce that our son fell asleep on his own tonight for the first time in 7 months, 1 week, and 1 day. Yes, you heard me correctly...he fell asleep ON HIS OWN! As many of you know, Charlie is not the easiest child when it comes to sleep. We have tried every trick and technique in the books and followed everyone's advice but to no avail. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been leaving Charlie awake in his bed for naps. Sometimes it would take him well over 30 minutes, but he would eventually fall asleep. He has become so accustomed to his crib, that he never even cried when I left him. Tonight, I decided to try it out for bedtime. We did our normal night time routine: bath, lotion, PJs, reading, and rocking. Instead of rocking him to sleep, I put him down in his bed and kissed him goodnight while still awake. After a few minutes of baby talk and some grumbling, he fell fast asleep.

Who knows if this will be the end of our sleep struggles. All I know is that I am so proud of my little man tonight. I am also happy that he knows that we are there and that he doesn't have to be upset when we leave him alone. I like to think that he knows we will be there for him if he really needs us and that was what allowed him to fall asleep peacefully tonight.

You might think I am totally crazy for tempting fate, but I had to take a picture of how sweet he looked in his crib tonight. Are we lucky parents, or what?

Date Night with Daddy

My boys were on their own this past Thursday. Nick was in charge of putting Charlie to bed while I was at Wicked with some of my close girlfriends. This was only the second time that Nick has put the little man to sleep, so I was a bit worried that I was going to come home at midnight to a very awake baby. It took three tries and almost two hours, but Charlie finally gave in and went to sleep for his daddy. He must have been very worn out, because he slept straight through until 5:00 a.m. This would have been great except for the fact that he was so excited to see me that he stayed up until 6:30 a.m. Let's just say I was a bit tired that day!

I am so happy that things went okay on my "Mommy's Night Out". Hopefully I will be able to do it more often. Nick has another chance to showcase his baby skills next Thursday when I am out again. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!

For all the moms out there, I will have you know that Nick called me the next day from work to tell me how worn out he was from spending 4 hours with Charlie. That's right...pat yourselves on the back for being able to spend a lot more than just 4 hours a day feeding, bathing, comforting, entertaining, and loving your little ones!

Seven Month Update

Seven Months Old

The Little Guy is seven months old today. Hard for his mommy and daddy to believe! He has grown and changed so much over the last seven months, and it has been such a joy to see it all. At the same time, it is sad because our little mushy baby is gone. He has become such a big boy!

Since we started solid foods last month, Charlie has been packing on the pounds. We haven't weighed him, but you can see him getting chunkier every day. He has rolls and dimples everywhere. His little face has really filled out a lot. And boy, does this kid love to eat! He is eating twice a day, and still loves everything that we give him. He recognizes his spoon and bowl when I take them out. He starts to wiggle in his high chair because he is so excited to eat. It is too cute. Charlie has four teeth to help him eat his solid food. He has the two bottom middle teeth and two fangs on the top. Normally a baby gets the two top middle teeth first, but Charlie decided he wants to look like a vampire for Halloween!

Charlie is sitting like a pro these days. He still has the occasional fall when he leans too far to one side, but all in all he is really stable. He now sits in the grocery cart when we go shopping and in a high chair at a restaurant. He loves it because he can look everywhere. He is still rolling and turning all over the place, and he gets frustrated when he can't get somewhere that he wants to go. He will flop on his belly and you can tell he just wants to take off. He is so ready to crawl, but Nick and I hope that we still have a few months before that happens.

Charlie's memory has really improved. I try to hide the remote, cell phone, and other grown-up toys from him, but he remembers where they are. He will bend and twist to try to get to them. We bought him his own toy remote control and he has a play cell phone and I-pod at grandma and grandpa's house. Another sign of improved cognitive development has been the arrival of separation anxiety. Charlie is very cautious of other people now. He had a full on hissy fit in the store the other day when a sales person touched his arm. I was shocked because he is normally all smiles when someone pays attention to him.

I am sad to say that we are still having big issues with sleep. Apparently Nick and I are paying for the sleepless nights that we gave our parents. Charlie has a horrible time staying asleep. It isn't nearly as bad as it was a few months ago, but he is still waking up at least twice during the night. Some nights he will wake multiple times before Nick and I have gone to bed. I now understand why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. It is just such a blessing that I am able to stay at home this year and that we have so much help from family.

Check out the photo gallery for more recent pictures as well as Charlie's Stats on the side of the blog.

Coupon Craze

I have always wondered why people spend time cutting coupons. How much money could they really be saving? Well, it was me who was wasting time and money by NOT cutting coupons all of these years! With the guidance of my friend, Elizabeth, I have become an avid coupon cutter. Sitting down with the Sunday circulars has become my newest hobby. Now that we are a one income family, it is imperative that we make every dollar count. Nick and I have tried to streamline our finances, but it is hard to transition to one pay check after having two for so long.

I did our grocery shopping this week at Publix and Walgreens. I bought enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days (we are trying to eat out a lot less). Here are my totals from each store:

Walgreens

Spent - $30.19

Saved - $18.95

Publix

Spent - $75.86

Saved - $29.83

Total Savings - $48.78

I know a lot of people who probably could have done better than this, but I am SO thrilled with my savings! If I can do this each month, that puts an extra $200 in our pockets.

Here are some of the links to the websites that I have used to get started on becoming a savvy shopper. I hope they will help you save big, too!

Life With the Lyngs

Fiddledeedee

Freebies 4 Mom

Walgreens

Printable Coupons

Happy shopping!!!

Happy Half-Birthday!

Six Months Old Today

Sitting all by myself

Solid food RULES!!!

Okay, so I am two weeks late with this post. Charlie turned 6 months on September 7th, and I apologize for being a bad blogger mommy.


It might just be my imagination, but I swear Charlie has become a different baby recently. He seems like such a big boy all of a sudden. He is now sitting up on his own for a few minutes at a time and can roll and turn in all directions. We have to be careful to keep a close eye on him when he is on the floor now. In a matter of seconds he can make his way across the room. All of this moving and shaking is causing some trouble at night. Charlie moves all over the place and sometimes gets caught with a leg or arm between the bars of the crib. On the plus side, he now wakes up from sleep and is content to play in his crib for up to ten minutes before letting us know he is ready to get up. He has a musical aquarium in his crib that he has figured out how to turn on. Often, I will hear the music click on and off over the baby monitor. What a smart kiddo!


The little guy still loves to talk, and his favorite sounds to make are ma-ma-ma and ba-ba-ba. I love to hear the ma-ma-ma because it means I am getting closer to hearing my son call me mama soon! If he is not making these sounds, he is usually screeching at the top of his lungs. Nick and I are now the couple that you pray not to sit next to in a restaurant. What can I say, the kid likes the sound of his own voice (I wonder who he got that from???).


We took Charlie for his 6 months check-up, and the doctor gave us the green light to start solid foods on a regular basis. Up until now, we have held off because of his tender tummy. Charlie is now eating solids twice a day, and he LOVES it! He has liked everything that he has tried so far, but his two favorites are squash and sweet potatoes. I cannot get the food on the spoon fast enough! It is amazing how quickly he has put on weight since starting the solids. You can already see the rolls forming on his arms, legs, and tummy. This is exciting because he is only in the 20th percentile for weight at 15lbs 13oz. His daddy was skinny until he was a teenager, so Charlie might just be taking after Nick in that regard.


I told Nick the other day that I wished I could bottle Charlie up right now at 6 months. It has been such a precious time, and I find myself constantly laughing at the things that he does. And I think he is starting to realize what makes us laugh. He really is a character. I am posting two videos that showcase some of the funny things that the little guy is doing these days. You will hear my laughing in the background :o)


The next 6 months are going to fly by as fast as the first did, and I am just so grateful that I have been at home with Charlie to soak up all of these special moments. Being his mommy is by far the greatest gift that I have ever received. His presence has made my life richer than I could have ever imagined.

These lips were made for talking!

Blowin' Raspberries

The Best Gift

Today, I celebrated my 29th birthday! I was prepared to mourn the end of my twenties today, but instead I had the most enjoyable and relaxing birthday imaginable. My mom brought me lunch from one of my favorite restaurants and watched Charlie so that I could get a massage. Nick came home early, and we enjoyed a nice family dinner. This past weekend, I spent time with two of my best friends, Stefani and Nicole, and Nick and I had a much needed date night. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better celebration. But, the best gift of all came about thirty minutes ago when Charlie woke up after being put to sleep for the night.

Normally, I try to get as much as I can accomplished after the little guy goes to sleep. Tonight, I was attempting to do laundry, straighten up around the house, pay some bills, and answer some e-mails. Upon hearing him cry, my heart sank a bit because it meant that I wouldn't get as much done as I had planned. As I went in to comfort him, I remembered a post that one of my friends wrote on her blog. She reflected on the idea that no matter how much we try, we are never truly "finished" with all the work that we have. The "To Do" lists that we write will never really be done, and we will continue to add to them. She wrote about this in relation to her family and how we prioritize as parents. Thank you Elizabeth for your thoughts, because tonight I too realized that I want my child to know that he comes first. The laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and bills will always be there, but Charlie will grow before I know it. He will not always need me to rock him back to sleep the way he did tonight. So, I sat in the dark tonight and held my son, rocked him gently, kissed his head, watched him dream, held his tiny hand, and was thankful for the best birthday gift ever!

On the Road Again

We had another fun family trip over the weekend. This time we took off to Charlotte to visit Charlie's Uncle Andy (Nick's best friend) and his family. We spent our time catching up, eating great food, and playing at the lake. Charlie was passed around by all of the Peterson women on Saturday and felt very loved. Andy and his girlfriend, Amy, were fabulous hosts! We can't wait to go back.

On our way home, we stopped in SC to get gas and feed Peanut. When we were ready to hit the road again, we realized that the car wasn't. That's right...the car wouldn't start. I have to say that I was very impressed with how well Nick handled the situation. He was on his best behavior in front of the little guy. Within 5 minutes of opening the hood, we had three different offers for help. It is amazing what a cute baby can get you! In all seriousness, it was very reassuring to know that when in need, you really can depend on the kindness of strangers.

Uncle Andy...and his cool hair do

Grandma Linda loved kissing Charlie

Tuckered out from a fun trip