A White Christmas

We spent Christmas Eve with a nice dinner at your Auntie Anne and Uncle Kevin's house. You played and giggled with Caroline and Patrick, while we watched and ate a yummy dinner. On the drive home you said the word "Santie" over and over. Your daddy and I just smiled thinking about how nice it is to hear your sweet voice chatter in the back seat. Our healthy, happy, child. What more could we ever ask for?

When we got home, I gave you a quick bath as you were covered in doggie kisses, sticky sweet Christmas ham, and chocolate. Daddy and I lathered you up with lotion, slid you into your Christmas nightgown, and read you to sleep. And you slept hard.

When I awoke the next morning, you were still snoozing a bit. So, as I often do when I think it is supposed to snow, I checked the rooftops of the houses, peered out the window to check the sky. It has to be the right shade of purple to know if it is going to snow--remember that. It hadn't snowed, but I could tell it was simply waiting for the world to wake up, so we did not miss a second of it's beauty.

Then I went to get you out of your crib and let the most spirited day of the year begin!!

Santa came!!

Still trying to wake up, but getting a first glimpse of Santa's goodies!

(Also, I want you to look at your hair in this picture. It is a great snap of the full fledged mullet your hair has grown into...hilarious!!)

"

Mommy, Is all of that for me?...Can I have my milk?

Looking at the doll house Santa brought for you.

Xylophone stick...straight to the mouth.

Mommy, Mommy, Look what I got!!!!!

Snuggling your new Bunny that has your name on it and a new picture frame that says Charlotte.

My little stinker stealing a Hershey Kiss from the candy dish.

Pulling out the tissue was your favorite part of opening presents.

Daddy! My first Purse...you know what that means!! Shopping!!!!!

This is so great y'all!

Making music.

And as you began to open a few presents from Mommy and Daddy. Daddy came out with a surprise box, just for you. I am so glad he caught this image of your face when you opened it. Not that you have any idea what it is...it is priceless. And seriously fits the gift and face I had when I saw what it was.

OH MY GOODNESS DADDY!!!

Is this really for me??

Wow, my own GOLD baby bracelet.

I wanted to get you a gold baby bracelet so badly this year. I had one and wore it all the time. I still have it and thought/think it is the most beautiful thing. All of the scratches on it make me think of playing with it on and being 100% carefree. I even remember when I outgrew it and was upset, so my grandparents gave me a new and bigger one when I was 10, and I still wear it today. When I went to order you one, they did not have your size (you have some chunky little wrists!), and the special order was like buying a diamond...

So your good ole daddy, went looking and found the most perfect one. It is so beautiful and made me heart smile to see him surprise us both with such a sentimental gift.

As daddy cooked his special, we went and greeted Grammy and Grandaddy at the door. After we all ate breakfast we opened more presents (they spoiled you!!) and I forgot to take pictures, but I know Grandaddy took a ton. I will get them soon!

In between all of the fun chaos, it started to snow...and snow....and snow. It could not have been more perfect!

Afterwards, we went to Grandma Charlotte and Grandpa Howard's.

Watching the snow!!

You pretty much pitched a fit at the door, and made us take you outside. How can I deny you of my favorite thing in the world...SNOW!!! Here you are eating your first snow ball. It was made of clean snow from the yard.

This is you in the gorgeous sweater and hat your Grandma Charley made you. It is amazing and she is so talented, we are lucky!!

We spent lunchtime with all of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) It was so fun and as always full of laughter. We headed home to get dinner started and see all of your cousins and aunts and uncles at our house for Christmas night!!

Opening presents! Your cousins got you a bunch of princess stuff and so far the princess figurines have gone everywhere with you since you set your eyes on them.

Analyzing each doll. Do I say we have a girly, girl on our hands?

Playing with your Absolutely beautiful and sweet cousin Caroline!

Watching TV with Auntie Dee and Caroline.

Attempt at a family shot.

Before Christmas we had a family lunch at Old Town. With a horse and carriage ride to complete it!!

Christmas night after everyone went home I put you in some snowman PJ's and thought about the day.

While you loved on your Rudolph, I watched the snow continue to fall. And like each night, I got that pit in my heart of such love, but since it was Christmas, and I am a Christmas fanatic it was a different spark inside me. It almost brought tears to my eyes, to know that You are mine, and we are a family.  I have a good husband and a healthy daughter. One of those faith filled moments. 

It was the most beautiful Christmas I can remember. 

Merry Christmas Sweet thing.

Chatter Box

Some days I just look at you and think...My goodness you are cute.

It seems like you have grown up a lot faster in the past month.  You are running around like a mad woman. Twirling and twirling and twirling until you fall down (all with your arms in the air like a ballerina). Trying to jump, sliding down the slide over and over.

The most amazing change is your new found language. You are really starting to talk and understand what you are saying and what it means. You look at a birds nest and say tweet tweet. We see a Christmas tree and you say "this is tree". Listening to you form these words and phrases has been so wonderful. Sometimes you say something and look at me with a "Come on mom, don't you know what I am trying to say!!" I am trying to decode it all.

Each day you say something new and it is always hilarious watching your little pouty lips form the sounds. Most of the time you call anything and everything Elmo. I am Elmo, daddy is Elmo, the light in the bathroom is Elmo. And when you acutally see Elmo it is all over. Squeals, stomping of feet followed by lots of kisses for Elmo. It is a hoot. You talk from the second you wake up to the second we put you down. You have even been talking in your crib through nap time. It is like you are so excited to finally explain all the things you have been thinking.

If you are anything like your daddy...we are in for a chatty household!! ;) Listen to this: When your daddy was a little boy, he talked so much and asked so many questions, his parents made a house rule. "Eddy was only allowed to ask Why? on Tuesdays." True story!!

Love you my sweetest thing.

He knows if you've been bad or good...

We went to the yearly Santa's Breakfast at the Club on Sunday. We got you all ready and pumped about seeing Santa and listening to his Ho Ho Ho and maybe showing him how you can say it too! I have been reading you all the books about him, teaching you to Ho Ho Ho. We sing christmas songs...you get the picture. Your daddy and I prayed and hoped that we could get a quick picture with the bearded man, but we will just have to wait until next year!! At least you got to see some of your friends at the brunch!

Hanging out waiting to go see Santa.

The hesitancy begins...

Then the tears...look closely...do you see?

Mommy, can we do Santa from a distance?

You can't tell in this picture, but there is snow...everywhere and it was about 25 degrees. So we quickly took a shot and it is obvious that we are all ready to go inside!!

I'm so sorry we don't have a Santa picture this year. I took you to visit Mr. Claus twice and you just were not quit sure what to think...actually you were very sure--you wanted off his lap and onto mine!

The many faces of Charlotte

You are teaching me so many things. How to laugh at hot pink yogurt all over the couch, how to be patient as you refuse to eat at your food, how to smile and just breathe when you have a melt down in public. 

Just the other day, as you were playing by yourself in the playroom and I was straightening the living room; I looked up to see you slide across the room, feet first with a surprised look on your face. You had climbed up your slide and gone down it (very quickly). Before I could myself up off the floor from laughing, I realized that you were laughing even harder.

Recently you have been taking your milk or water and feeding it to your baby dolls. I can not tell you how much I love watching you hug and kiss your babies and feed them in their bouncy seats, etc.

All the while, if I take the tiniest of things from you, it turns into an all out melt down. Screaming, tossing of arms--MAD. And that is ok. Not so fun, but you will learn as will I. This too shall pass.

You are teaching me so many things. That you can turn my tired eyes into smiling ones. That you have the ability wash away all frustrations with your big Hershey kiss eyes. That your deep hearted laugh full fills the hardest of days. That you are my everything.

And here are just a few of the many faces of my hilarious Charley Girl.

(Look at those chunky legs!)

The light of my life.

Two and a Half months late...

As you can tell, blogging has taken a backseat since the addition we are building on our house began. I am trying to keep up!! These are two shots from your one year photo session. I had to scrounge for an outfit as you have grown out of almost everything in your closet. We had a great time with the photographer, and you were all smiles!! 

cutie.

Always flirting with the camera ;).

Turkey Day

Today is Thanksgiving. And it started with a very early morning of cartoons and a yummy breakfast cooked by your sweet daddy. You and I cleaned your room, played, watched the parade. It was a really nice and peaceful morning.  I made you take a nap way earlier than normal so you could enjoy the family during our afternoon festivities. You were ready to party as soon as you woke up. I am recapping all of these lovely events by word because I do not have pictures. I do not have pictures because you took the lens on my camera and dropped it from a very high height...yes my very NICE Nikon special camera lens...I think it is going to repair, at least that is what I am hoping. For now we will just use lens number two.

After a day at Grandma Charly's, then to Aunt Anne and Uncle Kevin's, then to Great Grand mommy Ada's. We came home and here you are wired and hyper in the kitchen.

Drinking your 100th cup of water for the day.

You have no idea how much we adore you.

Sweet face girl.

You Swiffered, you chugged your drink, you spit your water all over the floor and then tried to mop it up Pippy-long-stocking-style (think with your feet). This is a picture of you after you were done. Notice the empty wine rack. You kept pulling the bottles out and dropping them on the floor. They are now in a beautiful cardboard box taped shut under the table.

The laughter you bring me makes my belly hurt.