Bubble Bath

I am the mom who buys organic food for my child, uses sunscreen without chemicals, and bathes him in paraben free, all natural soaps. Call me crazy, but I am trying my hardest to keep Charlie's little world a pure as possible for as long as I can. Tonight, however, I decided to give the chemical free, all natural soap the boot and replace it with some good old Mr. Bubble. As you can see, we had bubbles coming out the wazoo. He thought it was great and giggled each time I would grab a handful of bubbles and put them on him. He held the bubbles in his hands and was so curious about his bath's transformation.

Tomorrow, we will be back to our normal bath. I will definitely be pulling Mr. Bubble out again for a special occasion! Look at how much fun he had.

Do you like my hair?

Trying to recreate Mommy's bubble hair style

Sharing bubbles with Mommy

This is way FUN!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Andy Peterson

We were in Charlotte this weekend for Nick's best friend's wedding. Andy and Nick have been friends since they were a little older than Charlie is now. They grew up together in the same neighborhood and lived together before, during, and after college. Andy is truly a part of our family and a dear friend. He met his wife, Amy, a couple of years ago, and Nick and I could not be happier that he found such an amazing person to marry. We have been looking forward to their wedding ever since we learned that they were engaged last year. Nick was honored to be Andy's best man, and gave a fantastic speech at the reception. I was so proud of how much time and effort he put into making the speech just right for Andy and Amy.

The wedding was held in a beautiful Catholic church in Charlotte, and the reception was at the Mint Museum in downtown Charlotte. The venue was absolutely beautiful because it was held on the roof top of the museum. It was a lovely afternoon, but the city lights really made it special once the sun went down.

We had another wonderful weekend celebrating with many of our college friends, Andy's family, and Nick's family. I was so excited to have my new camera so that I could capture all of the great memories. I took almost 300 pictures throughout the weekend. Here are just a few.

Nick and Andy at the rehearsal dinner

The boys waiting for the bride

Amy making her way down the isle

The first kiss

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Andy Peterson

All of the boys

Nick toasting Andy and Amy

The gorgeous couple

The view from the reception

The hubby and me

16 Week Baby Update

The Baby Bump at 16 weeks

I am 16 weeks preggers today! It is crazy how much faster things seem to be happening this time around. I feel like I blink and another week goes by. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and all is well with Baby Shaw. I got to hear the heartbeat (always a great sound), and it was 156 bpm. I had to have all of my blood work done yesterday also. Well, as many of you know, I am a HUGE chicken when it comes to blood work. I avoid it like the plague and have been dreading the multiple samples of blood that I knew they would have to take. I told Nick that I would rather go through labor and delivery ten times than have my blood drawn. Dramatic? Yes, I told you I am a wimp. Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I survived the dreaded ordeal. Hopefully no more blood for at least a few months.

In other baby news, my baby bump has popped out. Actually, it happened right around 14 weeks. I had always heard that you start showing a lot sooner with baby #2, but I was a little sad when I had to break out the maternity pants a couple of weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my elastic waistbands, but I just felt chubby having to put them on so soon. The books, my friends, and my doctor all assure me that this is normal. Another thing that shocked me was that I have already put on five pounds. I don't' think I had put one pound on with Charlie at this point. It might have something to do with the fact that I am craving all unhealthily foods. I want to eat things that are salty, sour, and sweet. Recently, I have been munching on Sour Skittles and Sour Patch Kids and eating flavored pretzels and Ramen Noodles. I am still iffy with meat, and I could care less to ever eat another vegetable unless it is in a salad. I know I need to be better, but it is so hard sometimes when some foods make me want to vomit and others sound like the best thing I have ever had.

Our next prenatal appointment is scheduled for 9/9/09, and that is when we will have the ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby. Even though we are pretty sure it is a boy, there is always a chance that we will hear the words, "It's a girl!" I am really excited to know for sure so that I can start calling the baby by name and beginning the fun process of decorating a new nursery.

Welcome to the World, Declan!!!

Meet Declan Edward Wood, the son of another one of my best friends, Stefani. Declan was delivered yesterday at 4:25 pm via C-section because he was transverse and his mommy had very high blood pressure. He was two weeks early. Declan weighed 7 lbs, 4 oz and was 19 and 3/4 inches long (almost the exact same as his buddy, Charlie).

We can't wait to meet you Declan. Conratulations to Stefani and Jason! You have a handsome little boy!!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Charlie must think I lead a very exciting life, because he literally wants to do EVERYTHING that I do. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? And really, it is too stinking cute to see him try to do the things that he sees me doing.

He tries to do it all, but his favorite thing right now is cleaning. He always wants to have a paper towel so that he can wipe something off of the floor, cabinet, couch, dog, you name it. He is terrified of our large vacuum but has developed a deep love for our little Shark rechargeable vacuum. He knows how to turn it on and off and gets so happy when he sees it. The obsession has gotten pretty bad lately, and he starts to have a fit when the battery runs out. Waiting for that sucker to charge takes a few hours, and Charlie is miserable the entire time. So, we decided to hide The Shark for a while in hopes that he finds something else to love. Poor baby is so confused. He has gotten up the past couple of mornings and gone straight to the closet where we usually keep it. When I open the door, he puts his hands up in the air as if to say, "Where in the world did that thing go?" I just bought him a toy vacuum in the hopes that it will take the place of The Shark.


He has always loved the computer, which makes it nearly impossible for me to check e-mail or blog while he is awake. Today, I let him take a few spins in the chair and play with the mouse for a little while. Pure joy!



I normally wash my hair every day, but the other day I was in a hurry and decided to put a shower cap on and take a quick shower. When I got out, I noticed that Charlie was looking at me funny. I pointed to my head and asked if Mommy looked silly. He giggled and then started patting his head. I took the hint and put the cap on his head. It was a good play toy for the next hour or so.


He may not have The Shark these days, but he does have his very own pint-sized broom to sweep with thanks to Grandma. I think he was trying to sweep up the sun spot on the floor in this picture.

I was trying to make dinner the other night, and Charlie was pushing and pulling me in all directions to show his disgust with being ignored. I grabbed a small pot and spoon and handed it down to him. Voila! I had a happy boy.

It all started with him "helping" me dry my hair by holding onto the end of the hair dryer. Now, he is not happy unless he is holding it all by himself. He started to aim it at himself the other day, so I turn the setting to cool and let him style away. He looked like he had been in a wind tunnel after it was all said and done.

Say Hello to My Little Friend

This is the Nikon D90, and it is my new best friend. I have been without my own camera since April, and I really wanted to upgrade to a Digital SLR. They are much pricier than the regular point and shot cameras, so I decided to ask for it for my birthday in September. Well, my parents went ahead and gave it to me a little early (thanks, Mom and Dad!!!), and I could not be more excited. This puppy is FAST and takes the most amazing pictures. I have only had it for two days, so I have a lot of studying to do before I am using it anywhere near its full potential. Poor Charlie must feel like he is being stalked by the Paparazzi due to the massive quantity of pictures I have taken over the last 48 hours. It will probably take me a while to figure out how to get pictures on the computer, so it might be a few posts before you see how GREAT this camera really is.

Park Fun

Between our trip to Boston and helping out at school, I feel like I haven't had a lot of quality time with Charlie. I decided we were in need of some serous play time, so we headed to Will's Park this morning before it got too hot, and boy did it get hot! We were there for a little over an hour and a half, and I don't think the Little Guy stopped once. He is just at the age where he is able to climb up on the equipment and go down the slides. He really loved the sand box and the chimes the best. If you haven't taken your kiddos to this park yet, you should really check it out. They have some great play areas.

Charlie's outfit is compliments of Nick's co-worker, Chelsi. Doesn't our little Dawg look cute?

Mommy let go of her germ phobias long enough to let Charlie have fun in the sand box.

"This way, Mommy!!!"

Making beautiful music

Back to School

This year marks the second year that I won't be welcoming a group of students into my classroom. Even though I am SOOO grateful to be able to stay at home with Charlie, I do miss my former life as a teacher. This time of year always gets to me as I think about all of my friends setting up there rooms and preparing for a new year.

Well, this year, I was able to "play school" for a while. My dear friend and former co-worker, Jeanne, had surgery over the summer and had enlisted my help for pre-planning a few months ago. I have eagerly looked forward to being back at school all summer. This week, I spent four days helping Jeanne get her room ready for the kids. I had a blast! I got to do all of the fun stuff like put up bulletin boards and get things looking pretty for Open House. Oh, how I love to organize!!! I made copies, laminated, and wrote children's names on a few hundred things. The best part about the week was reconnecting with my former co-workers. Leaving them was one of the hardest things about deciding to stay at home. My Big Creek friends were truly a second family to me for six years, and I miss them dearly.

I know that a post without pictures is boring, but I wasn't sure if anyone would care to see my bulletin boards :o)

It's a GIRL!!!

Click on the pictures below to enlarge.

Charlie's cousin is going to be a girl! Dani and Walker are pretty sure her name will be Rileigh. Isn't that beautiful? We can't wait to meet her in December!

Mommy and Daddy in Bean Town

A GREAT group of girls!!!

The official Boston Terrier

Don't we clean up well?


Cheerleading moves at the bar. Don't ask.

Nick posing in front of one of the coolest trees we have ever seen.

The wedding party

Nick and I headed to Boston last Friday for our friend JP's wedding. It was the first time we have been away from Charlie and the first weekend we have spent together as a couple since before he was born. I was sad to say goodbye, but I was really looking forward to a grown up weekend with Nick and all of our college friends. Plus, I knew Charlie would be in great hands over at Grandma and Grandpa's.

The weather on Friday was horrible and we had heard that flights might be delayed. Nick and I were sure we would be unlucky and get delayed. We were so fortunate that our flight was right on time, and we made it to the hotel in time to relax for a bit before we headed to the rehearsal dinner. We ate great food and caught up with our good friends who had traveled for the wedding as well. After dinner, everyone headed to the local bar for some drinks and dancing. Not wanting to be the party pooper, I dragged my pregnant behind out with everyone else. It's safe to say that I can't hang like I used to. Sure, I shook my booty like the other girls while sipping my water, but at 1:00 am, I had to get out of there.

The next morning was the best. Nick and I LOVE to sleep, and a dark hotel room is the perfect place for that. We slept until 10:30, and it was blissful! After we got up, we decided to hit the town and look for a local restaurant for some good old Boston cooking. Our cab driver recommended a place called Grassfield's, so we decided to head that way. We walked in and quickly realized that we were the only people in the restaurant who did not collect social security checks. We never did figure out why we were the only young people, but after we got our food, we did not care. Lunch was delicious, and it was so nice to have a lazy meal with the hubby. We talked a lot about Charlie and the new baby, but it was just nice to have the chance to have an uninterrupted conversation.

After lunch, we had to start getting ready for JP and Lauren's wedding which was at 4:00. They had a perfect day for their wedding. The weather had been really hot and then rainy all week, but Saturday was gorgeous. The wedding was held in the same church that Lauren's parents had been married in thirty years ago. Once JP and Lauren said, "I do!", we made our way over to the reception at a beautiful antebellum house. The inside of the house was great, but the grounds outside were breathtaking. Again, it was another night filled with dancing and spending quality time with our friends. JP and Lauren had such a wonderful wedding, and Nick and I are so happy that we were able to be a part of their celebration.

Our weekend had been so nice, but by Sunday we were ready to get home and smooch on our baby. Our flight was not until 1:30 pm, so we were able to take our time getting ready to leave. Everything was looking so good until our flight took off. I do not fly a lot, so I still get nervous every time. Sunday, however, I was relaxed and in a good mood. That did not last long. We had turbulence the entire ride. I don't mind a little turbulence, but bumping up and down the whole way home was more than my preggo stomach could handle. Nick was not even phased by it, so I decided to do my deep breathing and attempt to stay calm. The flight would not last much longer, right? Wrong! As we started to descend upon Atlanta, I reassured myself that I was NOT going to throw up on an airplane - no way, no how!!! Suddenly, the plane hit a particularly bad patch of turbulence and jerked quickly upwards. Everyone in the cabin began looking around anxiously. Not a good sign. Then the click of the intercom and the pilot's voice. He said something about a wind advisory and that the airfield was closed. The last thing I heard was that we were low on fuel and would have to land in Augusta if the field did not open soon. Maybe it was nerves, maybe hormones, maybe my churning stomach, but when I heard that I burst into tears. Poor Nick did not know what to do with the sobbing mess next to him, and I am pretty sure the guy to my left was a little taken aback as well. I just lost it! Thank goodness nature was on our side, and and hour later we were safely on the ground in Atlanta. It is the first time I have ever been on a flight where everyone broke out in a round of applause as soon as the wheels hit the ground. I think I will need a good long while before I fly again.

Once we collected ourselves, we made our way to my parents' house to pick up Charlie. He looked a little shocked to see us, and it took him a while to come to me. On the ride home, he just kept grinning at me. It was great to get away but even better to see his smiling face again!