Special Visitors and a Family Hike

We had some special visitors last week. Charlie's Great-uncle Keith came from Virginia to meet him for the first time. Nick's mom's side of the family came over for lunch on Saturday, and we all had a chance to catch up. The next day we met at Great-uncle Chris' house for a barbecue. It was great sharing Charlie with all of his family.

Last year, Nick started hiking with friends. He really enjoyed this new hobby, and was excited to share it with Charlie on Memorial Day weekend. The whole family took a trip Vickery Creek Nature Preserve to take a two mile hike. It was perfect for Charlie because most of the hike was shaded. He really enjoyed riding in his carrier with Daddy. It was a beautiful day and a fun family outing.

Uncle Chris and Peanut sitting in the shade.

I LOVE Auntie Vicki!!!

Look at those baby blues.

The Boys

Samson decided to cool off by the waterfall.

Busy, Busy Boy

Charlie has been one busy kiddo this past week. We have been movin' and shakin' all over town. Here are some pictures of Charlie's latest adventures. Check out the May photo album to see even more pics!

Charlie had a play date with his buddy, Collin, last Thursday. The boys are too cute together, and it is a great time for the mommies to chat about our growing boys! Charlie and Collin are going to meet some other babies at a new playgroup today. Hopefully they will make some new friends.

I celebrated my very first Mother's Day on Sunday. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. Nick and Charlie treated me to a manicure and pedicure, and we had a delicious brunch at my parents' house. To say that I feel blessed is an understatement. My life feels so complete now that I am Charlie's mommy.

On Tuesday we went to Zoo Atlanta with our friends, the McCormicks. Charlie and Cooper slept through a lot of the excitement, but Marlee really enjoyed seeing all of the animals. Here is a picture of the little diva rocking a pair of shades!

We had some very special visitors after our zoo trip. The Norris girls stopped by to meet Charlie for the first time. Sue is a good friend from Big Creek, and Kelly is one of the sweetest students I have ever taught. Charlie loved staring at Kelly...I think he has found a new girlfriend!

The Cullinan Crew stopped by to visit with us on Wednesday. Staci, Owen, Gavin, and Kara loved on Charlie for a long time. Gavin and Owen were such big boys as they each held Charlie, and Kara gave him dozens of hugs...ADORABLE! It is so crazy to think that I held the boys and Kara when they were Charlie's size, and now look at how big they are! It makes you realize how fast time goes by and that you need to enjoy every moment.

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As you can see, we are keeping very busy! I am in love with being a mom, and I feel so fortunate that I am able to stay at home with our little man and enjoy these special moments with friends and family. The past two months have just flown by, and Charlie is getting so big so fast. In fact, he had his 2 month check up last week as well. He is 11 lbs, 3 oz and 23 inches long. He is healthy, happy, and very loved!!!!!

Two WHOLE Months

Today is Charlie's 2 month birthday! The time has flown by since we brought him home, and he has grown and changed so much. His personality is really starting to come through, and he has become very playful and attentive. He loves to smile and talk. His babbling has picked up, and it is so funny watching him talk to his toys or his reflection in the mirror. He has discovered his hands recently and is starting to bat at his toys and our faces when we talk to him. He loves to suck on his right fist and has learned to self-sooth quite well. Charlie's neck has gotten so strong. He will be holding his head up on his own any day now. His hair is falling out more and more each day. Bald spots cover his head, and he now shares a receding hairline with his daddy. Nick and I are so fortunate that Charlie is such a good sleeper. He is awake a lot during the day, taking a few cat naps here and there. But at night, he sleeps like a champ. He averages 6-7 hours during the night, which is wonderful for everyone!

Charlie and I are slowly getting into a routine during the day. He eats every three hours on the dot, which makes it a lot easier to go out and get things done. Charlie isn't a big fan of his car seat, so we are still keeping our outings brief. We have joined a Mom and Me group that meets on Fridays as well as another playgroup for mommies and kiddos in our area. We have been taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather and are heading to the park for walks as much as we can. It is interesting walking Samson and the baby at the same time. As you can see, we keep pretty busy during the week. In a few weeks, I hope to start a music class with Charlie as well.

Here are some recent pictures of the little guy. Check out our April 2008 Album to see what Charlie did last month.

I am 2 months old!

Suck, suck, suck...

This bug is a riot!

Look at me holding my head up like a big boy.

Just hanging out in my bouncy seat

A Picnic in the Park

Charlie had his first picnic today with his friend, Asher. We went to Wills Park and found a nice spot in the shade where the boys could lounge together. We met Asher and his mom, Lisa, at our Mom-and-Me Connection group on Fridays. Asher is a week and a half older than Charlie. He is already holding his head up and just got done rolling over in this picture. Charlie was taking lessons from his new buddy!

Asher, you are sooo funny!

Chillin' in the shade

A New Addition to the Family

Charlie's Auntie Vicki just got engaged! Her fiance, Justin, proposed on their trip to Florida last week. This means that we will be welcoming a new member to the family in about a year. Charlie loves his Uncle Justin and Auntie Vicki, and he can't wait for them to give him some cousins to play with! Nick and I are thrilled for the happy couple. We wish them all the best for a wonderful future together!!!

Auntie Dani organized a surprise brunch to welcome Vicki and Justin home on Sunday. Here are some pictures from the brunch.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield

Look at that rock!!!

Grandpa and Charlie are so excited!!!

Happy Family

Play Pals

Charlie had his first play date on Friday. Actually, it was more of a play date for the moms. His friends, Cooper and Collin, came over with their mommies. Kelly and Brooke are former co-workers from Big Creek. Collin, Brooke's son, was born on March 3rd and Cooper, Kelly's son, on March 21st. How crazy is it that all of these boys were born in the same month?!?

There was a lot of napping, eating, and pooping that took place at this first play date. Things should liven up a bit in a few months when everyone becomes more playful. It was nice for the us moms to get some time to talk about the adventures of our little men. Hopefully there will be many more of these play dates in the future.

I wish I had pictures to share, but we all had our hands pretty full. Maybe next time I will be more on top of things.

Happy One Month Birthday!!!

It is hard to believe that one month has already passed! It has been so wonderful getting to know our little man this month. His personality is really starting to come out. We have already discovered that his has a quick temper. There really isn't any whimpering with Charlie. He usually goes into full screaming if he isn't happy. Nick and I have found some creative ways to calm him over the past few weeks. White noise is our new trick. You name it, and we have tried it...the fan, the vacuum, the dryer, the hair dryer! This kid also likes to be on the move. We bounce, sway, rock, and dance him into happiness. Last but not least, we have discovered that he prefers our finger over a pacifier any day! Fussy spells aside, Charlie really is a great baby! He is a fantastic sleeper at night. We average about 4-5 hour stretches. He is also a good eater. I am such a proud momma!

The best part of the last month has been watching him become more and more alert and aware of his surroundings. He will just look into my eyes forever if I am holding him. He tracks his toys if i move them in front of him, and he loves to listen to music. Last week he started discovering his voice. There is a lot of cooing, oohing, and ahhing these days. We also had our first smile last Tuesday. My next mission is to capture it on camera.

Here are some of the most recent pictures of Charlie. It is crazy how big he is getting. His little face, belly, and legs are starting to get pudgy. I love it! His newborn clothes are all too small now, and he is wearing outfits that I thought he would never grow into. I can't wait to see how much he has grown at our two month doctor's visit in May.

I love bath time!

Have you ever seen a cuter duck?

Hey! I am one month old today!!!

I love my puppy, Samson.

Glamour Shots

Charlie had his first professional photo shoot a couple of weeks ago. The pictures are on-line for everyone to view until April 15th. There are over 400 pictures to look at, which is overwhelming even for us. The photographer picked about a dozen of her favorites for you to look at. Take a moment to check out our handsome boy!

www.amyjacksonphoto.com/order

Here is my account information. If you want to order pictures, you will need to create your own account.

e-mail address: lindsayuga2@aol.com
password: lindsay
access code: 930f3d8a

A Marvelous March!

Well, we have been home for three weeks now. Charlie has been one busy little boy! He has had visitors almost every day since he has been home. Family and friends have been stopping by to love on Charlie on a regular basis. Auntie Pooh (Lisa) and Uncle Andy even made special trips from out of town to come meet him. We are so happy to share him with everyone!

In addition to all the visits, Charlie also helped us celebrate our 3rd anniversary on March 19th. Nick and I went out to dinner, and my parents watched Charlie. He was very well behaved for his first babysitting adventure.



St. Patrick's Day and Easter were pretty fun for mommy. I enjoyed dressing Charlie in green to honor his Irish roots and loved making his first Easter basket. Charlie slept through most of the festivities, but I am sure that will change as the years go by.

The little guy had his first bath recently. He hates being naked, so it wasn't as relaxing as I had anticipated. He screamed at the top of his lungs until we wrapped him in the towel. Hopefully this will get better with time.

We had a two week check up at the pediatrician's office. We were excited to learn that Charlie had gained 12 ounces since leaving the hospital and has grown half an inch in length. He continues to eat well, and I can see his cheeks filling out more and more every day. We won't go back to the doctor until he is eight weeks old.

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Check out the March 2008 Album in the Photo Gallery to see what else Charlie has been up to recently!

Welcome Home, Charlie!!!

It's cold out here!

Proud Papa

Look at those ears! We know he's a Shaw.

Does it get any cuter???
A pup and his boy!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our son, Charles Harrison Shaw! He arrived on Friday, March 7th at 2:13 pm. Charlie weighs 7 lbs 4oz and is 20 inches long...perfect, of course!

Charlie decided to start making his appearance on his due date, March 6th. I began having contractions in the afternoon, but I wasn't quite sure until around midnight that I was truly in labor. Nick and I began timing the contractions and realized that they were regular and about 6 minutes apart. We called the doctor, who told us to come to the hospital as soon as we felt ready. Nick and I got to Northside at 2:00 am and checked in.

After a quick check up, it was determined that I had not made any progress since my doctor's appointment earlier in the day. My doctor was not convinced that I was in true labor. It was so discouraging to hear that we might be sent home after a night of contractions. I was admitted for observation over night, and they decided to reassess the situation in the morning. Turns out I was in true labor! A check up at 8:00 am revealed that we were in fact going to have a baby that day.

From that point on, things happened so fast. My water was broken, and I was given a drug to help produce strong contractions. That's when I met my new best friend, the anesthesiologist. He kindly gave me an epidural, and from there I did not feel another thing. After 2 hours of pushing and some scary moments with Charlie's heart rate, he was born! Charlie was having trouble breathing right away, and it was what seemed like an eternity before he gave a nice strong cry. Because of this and the fact that I developed a fever during labor, he was taken to a special nursery for observation. I knew that this was the best place for our little boy, but it didn't make it any easier to let him go so soon after meeting him. Luckily, Nick was able to go with him while I remained in the recovery room. About 3 hours later our family was reunited!

Nick and I still can't quite put into words what it was like to see our son for the first time. We both agree that it still hasn't sunk in that he is really ours to keep and love forever. Thank you to everyone for the phone calls, texts, and e-mails. It is so heartwarming to know that we have been in your thoughts. Nick and I promise to get back to everyone as soon as we have the time...which might be in about 3 months according to what I hear! Until then, we hope that this post answers all of your questions about Charlie's arrival. He cannot wait to meet everyone, and his proud parents cannot wait to show him off!!! In the meantime, here are some pictures of the little guy.