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

Funny Faces

Okay, so I have to admit, I think my child is just about the funniest, cutest, and most advanced baby on the planet. Over the last few days Charlie has started making a very funny face. He sort of smacks his lips together while moaning. He has realized that every time he does this it makes mommy and daddy smile and laugh. What a quick learner! I have tried to capture this silly expression on video, but I am not fast enough. Have I mentioned that Nick and I LOVE this kid?!?!

Fab Five

Am I a cool cat, or what?

Little Bunny Foo Foo

What's up, Pup?

I love my jumperoo!!!

Peanut is five months old. Everyone told us that the first year would fly by, but we never imagined it would go this fast. He is almost halfway to his first birthday, and it feels like he was just born. Charlie is more of a little person every day. One of the biggest changes this past month has been in his coordination. He has gone from batting at toys to picking them up and being able to truly manipulate them. He is getting so close to being able to put his pacifier back into his mouth (a huge relief for mommy). He will work on it for quite a while before getting frustrated. A few times he has successfully popped it back in.

He loves to watch Samson and will lean forward to touch him. Samson doesn't really seem to notice Charlie, but I am sure that will all change once the little man is scooting around the house. Charlie wants everything that we have. He has started grabbing at the phone, remote, pen, keyboard, or anything else that he sees us touching. He is so curious and wants to explore everything. If he hears something, he will twist and bend to see where the sound is coming from. He loves to play, but his favorite thing is being held. He is a people person, and loves to be close to his daddy and me. His face lights up when he sees either one of us walk into the room. Let me tell you, that is the BEST feeling in the world!

A few months ago, I started worrying about Charlie's fussiness and lack of sleep. I brought it up to his doctor a number of times, but nothing really came of it. We tried medicine for reflux, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Once he cut his first two teeth, I thought that his mood and sleep might get better. When they didn't, I decided to go back to the doctor and plead our case. The doctor gave us a new prescription to help with his stomach last week. I am happy to report that since starting the meds he has been sleeping 10+ hours at night. We went from waking on an hourly basis to sleeping the entire night in one day! Not only that, but he is in much better spirits during the day. Needless to say, we are thrilled!

We have realized that Charlie is ticklish on his sides. Here is a video of the little guy having a good laugh.

Small World

Recently I was reading my new friend's blog. As I glanced at a picture that Stacey had posted of the the girls from her bible study, I saw two familiar faces from my past. Meet Abby and her mom, Rose.
I taught Abby during my second year at Big Creek. She is now getting ready to start 8th grade and has grown into a beautiful young lady. I love all of the students that I have taught, but Abby was one of the special ones. She left Big Creek after 3rd grade but always made an effort to stop by to see me and keep in touch. As a teacher, it is the most rewarding feeling to have a former student come back to see you.

Thanks to Stacey, we all got together for dinner to catch up. It was wonderful introducing Abby and Charlie. The little man wasn't in the best mood, but he did allow us a few pictures before he completely melted down.

The last time I saw Rose, I was being fitted for my wedding dress. She was there as a bridesmaid. We realized tonight that she was at the dress shop with Stacey for her wedding. How crazy is that?

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear

I lay there sleeping

I dreamed I held you in my arms

But when I woke dear

My arms were empty

So I hung my head down and cried

These are the lyrics that I just sang to Charlie a dozen plus times in order to calm him down before going to bed tonight. I sang this song to him a lot when we first brought him home. Now, I sing it whenever he gets upset, and it usually calms him down quickly. I have tried singing other songs to him, but this one seems to be his favorite.

There's a Peanut in the Pool!

I have been holding off on taking Charlie to the pool for a number of paranoid, first-time mom reasons, but I finally broke down and went last night. He loves his bath, so I was curious to see if he would enjoy the pool just as much. He was a little pouty at first but settled into the water quite well. Actually, he was happy watching the bigger kids as they splashed and played in front of him. Our trip was quick, but it was another fun first for our family!

Let me test the water with my toes first

Hold on tight, Mommy!

Look at that POUT!!!

No Sleep 'til Brooklyn

Yes, the Beastie Boys may have written the song, but my son lives it. A few posts ago I mentioned that Charlie was on a sleep strike. Well, things have only gotten worse. Often, Nick will ask me how many times he got up during the night. Because the wakings have become so frequent, I rarely even bother to look at the clock any more. Add that to total sleep deprivation, and it is hard to keep track of the number of times that Charlie and I get up together over the course of any given night. Last night I decided to keep track. I went to bed with a pen and paper next to me. Throughout the night I would reach over and scribble the time down blindly on the piece of paper. Here is what our night looked like:

Asleep at 7:45

Up at 8:35

Up at 10:25

Up at 11:50

Up at 2:40

Up at 4:00 until 5:00

Up at 7:30

Awake for the day at 9:00

As I looked over these times this morning, I realized something; a mother's love is truly unconditional. I am a person who loves/needs/looks forward to sleep. Charlie is the ONLY person who could do this to me night after night and still have my heart totally and

completely :-)

Charlie's on a Roll

Literally, our little man rolled over for the first time this morning. He did it three times in a row, but as soon as the camera came out the show was over for mommy. Rolling over isn't all Charlie has been up to. The last three days have been big ones. Charlie had his first taste of solid food on Sunday over at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was a big hit at first. After a while Charlie got frustrated with the fact that the spoon kept being taken in and out of his mouth. Day two of rice cereal was a huge success! The boy polished off an entire bowl in no time. I am going to try my hand at making Charlie's baby food. The mommies from one of our play groups just got together on Sunday night to make organic sweet potatoes and squash. I can't wait to see how Charlie likes his homemade food. Charlie let us know that he is really ready for solid food yesterday because he cut his first tooth. Grandma noticed something sharp in Charlie's mouth when his was gnawing on her hand. Further investigation by mommy revealed that a bottom tooth had indeed made its way to the surface. The one right next to it is visible just below the gum and should be popping though any day now. This was a great relief because it explains the sudden change in sleep that we have been experiencing.

FEED ME!!!

I can roll over

Food makes my toes curl!
I want to help, Mommy!

Summer Fun

I can't believe how long it has been since we last posted. This has been a busy month for our little family, so get ready to hear all about our adventures! There are tons of new pictures in the June Album. Make sure to check them out!

Nick celebrated his first Father's Day on the 15th. We had a relaxing day spending time with both sides of the family. Charlie decided to spit up all over his dad to show him just how much he loves the big guy. He knows how lucky he is to have such a great daddy, and I couldn't have chosen a better father for my baby boy. I am so proud of what a loving parent Nick is, and I can't wait to watch the father-and-son bond grow with the years to come.

Auntie Pooh and Alex came to town to visit before they move to LA. Alex is exactly a year older than Charlie, so it is really neat seeing what he will be doing in a year. It is so hard for me to believe how fast Al has grown. She is walking, talking, and FULL of energy. It was so sweet to see our two kiddos interacting. Alex would point to Charlie, give kisses, and sing to him. Hard to believe she was a little mush ball like Charlie just a year ago! We were sad to say goodbye to Auntie Pooh and Alex, but they will be back for Thanksgiving for more play time.

We took our 2nd annual Shaw Family beach trip to Panama City, FL at the end of June. It was an interesting experience taking a road trip with a baby who hates the car. Actually, Charlie was very good. I sat in the back seat with him and entertained him the best that I could. Charlie is still too little to really enjoy playing in the sand, but he did like dipping his feet in the ocean. He was too cute in his bathing suits and hats. Nick and I enjoyed watching the family spend time with Charlie. We feel fortunate to have so much love surrounding our son. Next year's trip will be even more exciting because we will be going to the beach for Auntie Vicki and Uncle Justin's wedding. Charlie really hopes that he can walk so that he can be the ring bearer!

Our little man turned 4 months old on Monday. I can't tell you how fast the time is flying by and how much he has changed since he was born. Charlie has had a lot of firsts this month. He discovered his feet, which he LOVES to play with. We heard his laugh for the first time as well....what a great sound! He is also supporting his own weight and loves to stand all the time. If an object is held in front of him, Charlie will grab it and pull it towards his mouth. Lately, he is stuffing anything and everything in there. He is also drooling up a storm. It looks like teething has already begun. At his 4 month check up Charlie weighed 14lbs, 2oz...twice as big as he was at birth!!! Another great first is the fact that he seems to remember a lot more and recognize certain things. He has toys and songs that he prefers over others, and recognizes mommy and daddy. One change that I am not so pleased to report is the fact that Charlie is now on a sleep strike. My great sleeper has done a 180. We now fight sleep, refuse naps, and wake multiple times a night. We are both struggling through this rough time, and I can only hope that it is "just a phase".

As you can see, we have had another busy month. We are so blessed to have Charlie in our lives, and every day is a new and wonderful adventure watching him grow and change. Please take a moment to look at the June Album so that you can see just how much our Peanut has grown.

Gabriella Comes to Town

Saturday was a great day because we finally got to meet our new friend Gabriella. Gabriella's mommy, Sonia, used to work with me at Big Creek. She and her husband moved to Minnisota two years ago. They came back to Georgia to have Gabriella baptized. Charlie and I had a really nice time at the ceremony and the luncheon. Gabriella has a wonderful family and is a very loved little girl.

Splish...Splash...Holy water sure is fun to play in!