September 8, 2009
Power of the Kiss
Charlie gets a lot of boo-boos these days. It always seems like he is running into or falling off of something. For the most part, he is a pretty tough cookie and does not even seem to notice the falls. Sometimes, he does take a bigger spill than normal, and I usually call him over to kiss his boo-boo if he is crying. It usually does the trick and makes everything right with the world again. Today, Charlie hit his elbow on something lightly, and I do not think that it really hurt all that much. But, before I knew it, he was heading my way pointing at his elbow and aiming it straight for the magic kissy lips that make all boo-boos instantly better. It may just be hormones, but it made me tear up a little. It was nice to know that he looks forward to my healing kisses when he is hurt or upset. And I do LOVE giving that boy kisses!
September 7, 2009
Charlie at 18 Months
Our little baby has turned into quite the big boy these days. I was looking at the baby pictures below the other day and just wondered where the time has gone? Charlie is 18 months old today and doesn't seem like a baby anymore. It makes me sad and happy all at once. He is able to do so much and is a blast to be around. There has been so much change in the last few months, and I really had to sit down and think about everything that he has accomplished. Here is our little man in a nutshell these days:
Temperament - Charlie is a thinker and a silent observer. He is not the little boy who runs into a situation without taking it all in first. This is a relief for me because many of his little friends are much more adventurous than he is. Away from home, Charlie sticks very close to us. He is slow to warm up to new people and places. Once he does, he is quiet and easygoing. He is so aware of other children and watches them intently. At home, he is much more comfortable and likely to explore and get into things. He has become a little ham and knows just what to do to get a laugh. His silly side has really come through recently, and we are loving it. He bounces from activity to activity during the day and can not sit still for a minute unless he is looking at his books. He would also prefer to play with my "toys" rather than his own. We are not at the point where Charlie will play independently. If I leave the room, he is sure to follow me wherever I go.
Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in Charlie's tantrums and random outbursts. Fortunately, the majority of these occur at home, and so far he is still really good out in public. He gets frustrated very easily, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he can't communicate what he wants or needs at that moment. Other times, he throws a fit because I don't give him what he wants. He has also began to show signs of aggression towards us. He will hit or push us away and throw himself against the floor when he gets upset. According to my friends, books, and parent mags it's all pretty typical toddler behavior. We have really had to start disciplining recently, which is tough with an 18-month-old. It is trying indeed, but as with everything else, this too shall pass in time.
Overall, Charlie just has a sweet and fun-loving little boy. He can be so serious one minute and then rolling on the floor laughing the next. He still loves to cuddle, and I know that is rare in a toddler. So, I am thankful for every nuzzle that I get throughout the day. Nick and I are really enjoying watching him turn into a little person, and we treasure every moment with him.
Development - Charlie is on track for all of his physical milestones. He is running everywhere, can throw and kick a ball, feed himself with a spoon and fork, stack objects, scribble with Color Wonder markers, and so much more. Some of his favorite gestures these days are waving goodbye, giving high-fives, clapping, shaking his head "no", and pointing. He has made great gains in his language development in just the last couple of weeks. Nick and I call it the word explosion. As I have mentioned before, Charlie just has not been talking much until now. He had three words (mama, dada, and ball) under his belt two weeks ago. Since then, we have heard bubble, puppy, baby, lovie (wubie), more, all gone, milk, uh-oh, and his all time new favorite word -NO. I can't tell you how good it feels to hear him talking more. He has been able to comprehend us and take directions for such a long time, and we have just been waiting for the other piece of the language puzzle to fall into place. Even if it means that my child now tells me "No" fifty times a day, I'll take it!
Likes - Charlie lets it be known when he loves something. He is borderline obsessive. These are a few of the things that he loves right now: books, music, playing outdoors, cleaning and helping with household chores, anything Elmo, watching TV, bath time and playing in any type of water, and his lovie.
Dislikes - He is equally as good about letting us know when he does NOT like something. Here are the things that drive the little guy crazy: being wiped off after meals, loud noises, getting dressed and undressed, dogs (big or small), and being told "No, sir."
Temperament - Charlie is a thinker and a silent observer. He is not the little boy who runs into a situation without taking it all in first. This is a relief for me because many of his little friends are much more adventurous than he is. Away from home, Charlie sticks very close to us. He is slow to warm up to new people and places. Once he does, he is quiet and easygoing. He is so aware of other children and watches them intently. At home, he is much more comfortable and likely to explore and get into things. He has become a little ham and knows just what to do to get a laugh. His silly side has really come through recently, and we are loving it. He bounces from activity to activity during the day and can not sit still for a minute unless he is looking at his books. He would also prefer to play with my "toys" rather than his own. We are not at the point where Charlie will play independently. If I leave the room, he is sure to follow me wherever I go.
Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in Charlie's tantrums and random outbursts. Fortunately, the majority of these occur at home, and so far he is still really good out in public. He gets frustrated very easily, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he can't communicate what he wants or needs at that moment. Other times, he throws a fit because I don't give him what he wants. He has also began to show signs of aggression towards us. He will hit or push us away and throw himself against the floor when he gets upset. According to my friends, books, and parent mags it's all pretty typical toddler behavior. We have really had to start disciplining recently, which is tough with an 18-month-old. It is trying indeed, but as with everything else, this too shall pass in time.
Overall, Charlie just has a sweet and fun-loving little boy. He can be so serious one minute and then rolling on the floor laughing the next. He still loves to cuddle, and I know that is rare in a toddler. So, I am thankful for every nuzzle that I get throughout the day. Nick and I are really enjoying watching him turn into a little person, and we treasure every moment with him.
Development - Charlie is on track for all of his physical milestones. He is running everywhere, can throw and kick a ball, feed himself with a spoon and fork, stack objects, scribble with Color Wonder markers, and so much more. Some of his favorite gestures these days are waving goodbye, giving high-fives, clapping, shaking his head "no", and pointing. He has made great gains in his language development in just the last couple of weeks. Nick and I call it the word explosion. As I have mentioned before, Charlie just has not been talking much until now. He had three words (mama, dada, and ball) under his belt two weeks ago. Since then, we have heard bubble, puppy, baby, lovie (wubie), more, all gone, milk, uh-oh, and his all time new favorite word -NO. I can't tell you how good it feels to hear him talking more. He has been able to comprehend us and take directions for such a long time, and we have just been waiting for the other piece of the language puzzle to fall into place. Even if it means that my child now tells me "No" fifty times a day, I'll take it!
Likes - Charlie lets it be known when he loves something. He is borderline obsessive. These are a few of the things that he loves right now: books, music, playing outdoors, cleaning and helping with household chores, anything Elmo, watching TV, bath time and playing in any type of water, and his lovie.
Dislikes - He is equally as good about letting us know when he does NOT like something. Here are the things that drive the little guy crazy: being wiped off after meals, loud noises, getting dressed and undressed, dogs (big or small), and being told "No, sir."
The BIG 3-0
Yes, that's me folks. I officially turned 30 years old at 3:56 pm on Friday. I really do love my birthday. It marks the beginning of gorgeous weather and it always falls near the long Labor Day weekend. This year the weekend was especially long because Nick took Friday off so that we could go to the GA Aquarium as a family.
We have been wanting to take Charlie to the aquarium for a while, and we just knew he would have a great time. Well, we were wrong. Charlie woke up in a terrible mood and pretty much stayed that way the rest of my birthday. He was not impressed with the beautiful exhibits, and was content to stay in his stroller with his snack. Nick and I had a great time, however. I brought my camera and had so much fun playing photographer.
The rest of the weekend was packed with activity. We had a yummy steak dinner with my parents on Friday. Charlie had a sleepover at Grandaddy and Oma's on Saturday so that Nick and I could have a date night. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Zola, and enjoyed being able to sleep in the next morning. Today, we had a yummy rib dinner at my in-law's which was cooked by Madeline's boyfriend, Stewart. I have missed Stewart's cooking skills ever since the beach! It was a wonderful four-day birthday weekend and a great way to enter my 30's!
Adventures in Parenting
One of the aspects that I loved most about teaching was that no two days were ever the same. Children have a way of keeping you on your toes at all times. The same has proven to be true with parenthood. Depending on which side of the crib Charlie wakes up on, our days can be totally relaxed and fun or hectic and frazzled. I like it that way. It keeps things interesting and fun, and now that Charlie is a full fledged toddler, I am really on my toes.
Last Wednesday, Charlie decided to give his mommy an early morning test. We had just finished breakfast, and I was cleaning Charlie up and waiting for Samson to come in from doing his morning business. As I opened the storm door to our deck to let dog in, I noticed that he had decided to roll around in the mud and was filthy. I quickly shooed him back out and proceeded to get a bowl of warm water and paper towels to wipe him off with. As I did this, I told Charlie what I was doing and how Samson was a silly puppy. Charlie stood at the storm door watching Samson and giggling at him through the glass. I stepped outside and began washing Samson when I heard the distinct sound of our back door closing on the other side of the storm door. "What a little stinker," I thought to myself. Charlie thought it would be funny to close the door on us. I continued to wash Samson. When his bath was complete, I attempted to open the door and quickly realized that I was locked out. Charlie stood on the other side of the door with his arms in the air and said, "Uh-oh" as I turned the knob in hopes that it would magically unlock.
Well, $#!%...
At one point in time, we kept a spare key in a fake rock at the front of the house. We had removed the key to make copies and had not yet put it back. So, I was literally locked out with no way in, while my 18-month-old was alone inside.
Well, $#!%...
I didn't cry or panic because I knew Charlie would completely freak out if I did. Instead, I had him follow me as I tried to open all of the windows I could reach. I then gave a few feeble attempts at throwing myself against the door (cue laughter). I knew that I had to go get help from a neighbor, but I was so worried about leaving Charlie alone. I wasn't worried about him getting into anything. I just knew he would be worried and upset. So, I told him that I would be right back and headed to our neighbor's house praying that she would be home.
Did I mention that we had just woken up? I don't know how you look when you wake up, but I wouldn't win any beauty contests. My pajamas did not match, my hair was all over the place, I had slept in my make-up from the day before, I had not brushed my teeth yet, and on top of everything else, I was not wearing a bra. I also said a little prayer that my neighbor's husband would NOT be home.
Luckily, my neighbor was getting in her car as I made the walk of shame up her driveway. She graciously let me use her phone so that I could call the one and only number that I know by heart (thanks cell phones). I called my parent's house and said another prayer that they would pick up. My lucky day again, because my dad picked up on the second ring. Thank goodness, because the next call was going to be to 911.
My parents live about 20 minutes away, so I was relieved to know that Charlie and I would soon be reunited on the same side of the door. I walked back to the house to find Charlie in the fetal position holding his lovie on the family room floor...so pathetic. He was thrilled to see me again. And I was happy to know that we were about to be rescued. Now, I just had to keep him entertained for the next 20 minutes from the window.
We played peek-a-boo, made silly faces, tapped on the window, and were having a good time. Charlie sticks pretty close to me when I am in the house, so I was not really worried about him taking off out of my sight. That is, until he started to get comfortable with the fact that I was on the other side of the window. I could see the wheels churning in his little head..."What can I get into?" In about a five minute span, Charlie found a bag of pretzels and began grabbing fist fulls and dumping them on the floor. He danced on them for a while and then ate them and smeared pieces on the window for me to see. He had a grand time with the pretzels, but his face really lit up when he noticed my water glass on the end table. He ran over to get in, took a few sips, and then dumped the rest on the floor. He then took the glass into the bathroom and began playing in the toilet - taking water in the cup and dumping it back into the toilet. Upon hearing my dad come through the door, he dropped the glass and its contents on the hall floor and said, "Uh-oh."
If I wasn't pregnant, I would have opened a bottle of wine the second I got back into the house. Unfortunately for me, I had to settle for a hot shower to calm my nerves instead.
Last Wednesday, Charlie decided to give his mommy an early morning test. We had just finished breakfast, and I was cleaning Charlie up and waiting for Samson to come in from doing his morning business. As I opened the storm door to our deck to let dog in, I noticed that he had decided to roll around in the mud and was filthy. I quickly shooed him back out and proceeded to get a bowl of warm water and paper towels to wipe him off with. As I did this, I told Charlie what I was doing and how Samson was a silly puppy. Charlie stood at the storm door watching Samson and giggling at him through the glass. I stepped outside and began washing Samson when I heard the distinct sound of our back door closing on the other side of the storm door. "What a little stinker," I thought to myself. Charlie thought it would be funny to close the door on us. I continued to wash Samson. When his bath was complete, I attempted to open the door and quickly realized that I was locked out. Charlie stood on the other side of the door with his arms in the air and said, "Uh-oh" as I turned the knob in hopes that it would magically unlock.
Well, $#!%...
At one point in time, we kept a spare key in a fake rock at the front of the house. We had removed the key to make copies and had not yet put it back. So, I was literally locked out with no way in, while my 18-month-old was alone inside.
Well, $#!%...
I didn't cry or panic because I knew Charlie would completely freak out if I did. Instead, I had him follow me as I tried to open all of the windows I could reach. I then gave a few feeble attempts at throwing myself against the door (cue laughter). I knew that I had to go get help from a neighbor, but I was so worried about leaving Charlie alone. I wasn't worried about him getting into anything. I just knew he would be worried and upset. So, I told him that I would be right back and headed to our neighbor's house praying that she would be home.
Did I mention that we had just woken up? I don't know how you look when you wake up, but I wouldn't win any beauty contests. My pajamas did not match, my hair was all over the place, I had slept in my make-up from the day before, I had not brushed my teeth yet, and on top of everything else, I was not wearing a bra. I also said a little prayer that my neighbor's husband would NOT be home.
Luckily, my neighbor was getting in her car as I made the walk of shame up her driveway. She graciously let me use her phone so that I could call the one and only number that I know by heart (thanks cell phones). I called my parent's house and said another prayer that they would pick up. My lucky day again, because my dad picked up on the second ring. Thank goodness, because the next call was going to be to 911.
My parents live about 20 minutes away, so I was relieved to know that Charlie and I would soon be reunited on the same side of the door. I walked back to the house to find Charlie in the fetal position holding his lovie on the family room floor...so pathetic. He was thrilled to see me again. And I was happy to know that we were about to be rescued. Now, I just had to keep him entertained for the next 20 minutes from the window.
We played peek-a-boo, made silly faces, tapped on the window, and were having a good time. Charlie sticks pretty close to me when I am in the house, so I was not really worried about him taking off out of my sight. That is, until he started to get comfortable with the fact that I was on the other side of the window. I could see the wheels churning in his little head..."What can I get into?" In about a five minute span, Charlie found a bag of pretzels and began grabbing fist fulls and dumping them on the floor. He danced on them for a while and then ate them and smeared pieces on the window for me to see. He had a grand time with the pretzels, but his face really lit up when he noticed my water glass on the end table. He ran over to get in, took a few sips, and then dumped the rest on the floor. He then took the glass into the bathroom and began playing in the toilet - taking water in the cup and dumping it back into the toilet. Upon hearing my dad come through the door, he dropped the glass and its contents on the hall floor and said, "Uh-oh."
If I wasn't pregnant, I would have opened a bottle of wine the second I got back into the house. Unfortunately for me, I had to settle for a hot shower to calm my nerves instead.
August 27, 2009
Do the 2
As many of you already know, I will be participating in the Atlanta 2-day Breast Cancer Walk on October 3rd and 4th this year. I am turning 30 in a week, and I had decided months ago that I wanted to give back to my community for my birthday. I knew that I would probably be pregnant when I committed for the walk, and I will not be able to complete the entire 30 miles. After I finish walking each day, I will be a part of the fantastic crew who will take care of and assist other walkers along the route. Most importantly, I wanted to raise awareness amongst my friends and family and support a wonderful cause. As a walker, I have promised to raise at least $1,000 that will go towards research, education, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer in the Atlanta area. Since the walk began six years ago, the founding organization, It's the Journey, has raised over 5.5 million dollars.
I am asking for your help. I have raised close to $650, but I still have a ways to go. I know that money is tight for everyone right now, but your donation does not have to be huge in order to make a difference. By making a small donation to this wonderful cause, you are helping us get one step closer to finding a cure. Please consider making a donation today. You can access my personal website here. Thank you in advance for your support!!!
Dance Party '09
As I mentioned in the previous post, he just LOVES music. Here is a video from the dance party that we had in our office last night. The little man had a cold, but he perked right up as soon as the music started playing.
Our Little Music Lover
This kid just loves music - any type of music. I like to listen to music in the car, but other than that, I rarely have it playing around the house. Nick, on the other hand, loves to listen to music and is constantly downloading new songs to his i-pod. It looks like our little man will be a music lover like his Daddy. One of his favorite things to do these days is grab Nick's i-pod and jam to a few tunes. The ear pieces are too big for him, so he just holds one up to listen.Nick and I are not surprised by Charlie's love for music. In fact, he showed signs that he was going to be musical before he was even born. At night, Nick often listens to music in bed while reading or in order to doze off. Many times, he would put his head phones up to my pregnant belly so that Charlie could hear one of his favorite songs. Charlie would jump and kick all while the music was playing. If we took the music away, he would stop. We loved watching and feeling my belly dance to the music. Nick is a big Beatles fan, and we quickly realized that Charlie liked their music, too. Now you know where we got the middle name Harrison (as in George Harrison). Every time I say his full name, it brings me back to those special moments with Nick.
Cayla Belle
One of our dear friends, Caitlin, and her husband, Clay, just welcomed their baby girl, Cayla Belle, into the world on August 15th. My girlfriend, Caroline, was nice enough to invite some of us over for dinner the other night so that we could meet Miss C. What a little doll baby. She weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz at birth, and it is amazing what a difference one extra pound can make on such a little body. Charlie was 7 lbs, 4 oz, and he seemed so much smaller and skinnier. Now, that doesn't mean that I hope baby number two is over 8 pounds. I barely got Charlie out, so I think I am good with another 7 pound baby! I'll just wait a few weeks for that extra pound.
Cayla was a perfect dinner guest. She did not cry once, was happy to be passed around to all of the girls, and slept through dinner in her car seat so that Mommy could eat. Of course, I was probably a bit of a baby hog, but I need my newborn practice!
August 22, 2009
Little Flutters
The last few nights I have been feeling a fluttering sensation in my abdomen. The other night I really focused on what I was feeling and decided that my newest little one is letting me know that he is really in there. With Charlie, I didn't feel anything until it was very obvious that he was kicking. It felt like someone was moving their hand under my skin. Pretty hard to miss that. This time it is a much fainter sensation, but I am sure that it is the baby.
I have been looking forward to feeling this baby move because part of me is still in disbelief that I will have another child in a matter of months. I have far less time to daydream about this baby than I did with Charlie. As I mentioned in a previous post, it seems like the weeks are just flying by this time. I feel very pregnant, but I have yet to feel connected with my new baby. This has made me very sad, and I have felt pretty badly about it. In my head, I know that I will love this new baby as much as Charlie, but my heart questions how that is possible. Charlie is the center of our world, and Nick and I love him so much. I guess it is just hard to imagine that your heart can love another person as much.
Charlie has made our lives so wonderful. I dreamed about being a mommy as a little girl, and I always knew that it was going to be the most important role I would ever have in my life. Even though Nick probably did not daydream about parenthood like I did, he too knew that he wanted to be a dad. In fact, that was one to the reasons I fell in love with him. He has always been great with kids of all ages and we talked about having children very early on in our relationship. Starting our family has been our greatest accomplishment as a couple. Our love for Charlie has made both of us better people, and we cannot wait to feel out hearts swell with even more love as we welcome another child. Children are such a blessing, and we are grateful for the fact that we are soon to be the parents of two.
Sensing the baby move has made me feel the connection that I have longed for since finding out I was pregnant. I look forward to it getting stronger as the weeks pass, and I am getting so excited about seeing Baby Shaw during our 20 week ultrasound. We are pretty sure we have a name picked out, and I am really looking forward to calling the baby by name in a few weeks.
Because the sensations that I am feeling remind me of a butterfly, I am ending this post with an excerpt from one of Charlie's books that I adore. As soon as I felt the baby, I thought of these words:
I have been looking forward to feeling this baby move because part of me is still in disbelief that I will have another child in a matter of months. I have far less time to daydream about this baby than I did with Charlie. As I mentioned in a previous post, it seems like the weeks are just flying by this time. I feel very pregnant, but I have yet to feel connected with my new baby. This has made me very sad, and I have felt pretty badly about it. In my head, I know that I will love this new baby as much as Charlie, but my heart questions how that is possible. Charlie is the center of our world, and Nick and I love him so much. I guess it is just hard to imagine that your heart can love another person as much.
Charlie has made our lives so wonderful. I dreamed about being a mommy as a little girl, and I always knew that it was going to be the most important role I would ever have in my life. Even though Nick probably did not daydream about parenthood like I did, he too knew that he wanted to be a dad. In fact, that was one to the reasons I fell in love with him. He has always been great with kids of all ages and we talked about having children very early on in our relationship. Starting our family has been our greatest accomplishment as a couple. Our love for Charlie has made both of us better people, and we cannot wait to feel out hearts swell with even more love as we welcome another child. Children are such a blessing, and we are grateful for the fact that we are soon to be the parents of two.
Sensing the baby move has made me feel the connection that I have longed for since finding out I was pregnant. I look forward to it getting stronger as the weeks pass, and I am getting so excited about seeing Baby Shaw during our 20 week ultrasound. We are pretty sure we have a name picked out, and I am really looking forward to calling the baby by name in a few weeks.
Because the sensations that I am feeling remind me of a butterfly, I am ending this post with an excerpt from one of Charlie's books that I adore. As soon as I felt the baby, I thought of these words:
Flit to Mama;
Fly sky-high.
Mama loves you,
Butterfly.
A Very Mickey Birthday
Charlie's buddy, Brock, celebrated his 3rd birthday today with a Mickey Mouse themed party. Brock's mommy, Jenny, is quite the party planner, and I love to see all of the creative things that she does for the kid's birthdays. The house was so colorful, and everywhere you turned there was something very Disney to look at. Jenny makes a lot of the decorations herself, and even made a gorgeous cake for Brock. She plans her parties months in advance and is my kind of girl.
We had fun playing with Brock and little sis, Avery, as well as many other little ones. We ate way too much good food, and had a great time today. We hope Brock had a very happy birthday, and we are so glad we got to be a part of all of the fun!
The centerpiece on the dinning room table
Handmade signs all over the house
A yummy cupcake stand
Charlie and Daddy partying hard
The birthday boy and his family
We had fun playing with Brock and little sis, Avery, as well as many other little ones. We ate way too much good food, and had a great time today. We hope Brock had a very happy birthday, and we are so glad we got to be a part of all of the fun!
The centerpiece on the dinning room table Handmade signs all over the house
A yummy cupcake stand Charlie and Daddy partying hard The birthday boy and his family
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