Pure Cuteness.

Your personality is busting at the seams.  Boy is your daddy in for it! The laugh that comes out of you is addictive and I can only imagine what your little voice will sound like.  When you smile you get really REALLY excited and breathe in and out super fast then bury your head in my shoulder--then repeat until you get tired.

The more you grow, the more active and alert you become.  This also means that the laundry is not getting done as fast, the house is not as "picked up" and I am twice as tired.  BUT I learned a rhyme to cure my "guilt about not getting everything done" that your grammy b taught me: 

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

Because babies grow up

Great to our sorrow.

I have been collecting pictures throughout the week to remember all of the fun things you have been up to.

There is a small mirror on your jumper and as you can see...you like it.  I keep finding you hunched over staring at yourself in the mirror drooling. If I call your name you look up at me with a big smile as if to say, "look at my new friend!"

As I said before, getting my chores done can be a challenge, so I have made games out of them for you and I to play.  Today we changed the sheets on the bed and you played in the pillows and rolled round on the bed. You really like to watch me pop the sheets and let them fall over you.

I put you on my bed with some of your toys, etc. I came back and you were babbling to them and staring at your book I put in front of you. It looked like a great conversation!

In mid sentence I caught you talking with your friends. I am not sure what you were trying to say, but it had me laughing for a good while.

Sitting with Miss Bunny

That flirty grin wins everytime. 

You are such a peaceful sleeper and I spend lots of time staring at you and listening to your deep sighs and little puppy dog cooes.  You have always been a great napper, but this week you are taking a break from all of that obedient stuff and taking a walk on the wild side. So today, finally, after several attempts to put you down for your afternoon nap at 2; you crashed in the living room chair at 5 (not your usual nap place, but who moves a sleeping baby)!

It is snowing outside and when you wake up everything will be covered! Snow day number two for you!  I CAN'T WAIT!

Thursdays Thanks

Thanks for having delicious little feet for me to kiss and tickle.

Buddah Baby

I promise you do have a neck ;). I am thinking we will see it more any day now.

xoxo,

momma

4 Months

Today was full of sunshine, crisp air and smiles. You are growing in so many ways, my fingers are anxious to reveal them as in themselves they unveil a little girl emerging from that baby face. You are a people watcher and expression studier. The outdoors brings a since of calm over your entirity. Those eyes become wider each day with curiosity. A little voice has found giggles and squeals. We are finally seeing that you have a neck under that milk induced double chin. The hair on your head is coming in, in shades of blonde and light brown. Life is blossoming.

Stretched out on your gorgeous afghan from Grandma Charly.

Your new Kelsey Hat.

Sitting up all by yourself!

My girl.

Serious.

An airplane catches your attention.

What a face, drool included.


Mesmerized.


Strong girl.

Studying.

You also had your 4 month doctors appointment today. The shots were quick and you literally squeezed my finger the whole time. I must say it was the first time you really looked at me like "I need you momma." Dr. Clifford assessed that for your age you have really great head control/neck strength and an extra long period of alertness. You are in 6-12 month clothes, but out of some 9 month clothing. This is all owed to your size which is 18.2 pounds and 26 1/4 inches. Dr. Clifford said you are actually off the charts in weight and height, but that we did not need to worry about you being an amazon woman ;) She estimated you will be between 5'5 and 5'9 so we will see how that works out!

Happy 4 months Sweet Thing!

Meet Rice Cereal.

You tried it, you swallowed it, you frowned in disgust, you smiled and spit it out, you tried it a few more times, and now its your new friend. The thicker the better and you love to wash it down with a full bottle. We added bananas as well and you thought that was just fine. You are a fantastic eater and you have the most wonderful belly to display your efforts.

Winter Expressions

My sweet thing,You are the smell of a cool winter breeze,

the skipping heart beat at the first falling snowflake,

the rosy cheeked exitment of seeing an untouched sledding hill,

you are the peace in a purpled winter sky.

Who do you look like?

These are not the best pictures, but the only ones I could find of your daddy as a baby and me as a baby when we were around the same age as you are right now.

We always wondered what our children would look like, considering we are polar opposites when it comes to our looks. Your daddy kept his dark brown hair, Hershey kiss eyes, and tan skin. I also think he kept that sweet smile. He is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome! I--on the other hand--was born with dark hair that fell out and came back white-blonde, dark blue eyes and fair skin.

From the pictures it looks like you are a pretty good mix!

Cousin Love

When it comes to cousins, you have two of the sweetest and cutest people in the world. Introducing Caroline and Patrick. They live in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and are 100% island babies. You got to meet them over Christmas and lets just say, you have two new life long friends. Caroline told me that she thinks, "Baby Charlotte is very cute." Patrick told me that he, "loves baby Charlotte." They each gave you lots of kisses and did a great job holding you. After these pictures you three took a bath together which was hilarious. We can not wait until summertime to see them again!!

Patrick, you and Caroline on the couch at Mayfield.

Sweet Kisses.

And again.

Silly faces!

In my Heart, in my Belly, in my Arms.

One year ago today I found out about you.

In kindergarten class, my friends would write that they wanted to be doctors, super heroes, actresses, race car drivers, teachers, football players. A few days ago, I found a note--written in my five-year-old handwriting and spelling--in a book exclaiming, "When I grow up I want to be a farmer and a jockey, but mostly a mother." I have sat on a horse twice so I am not sure where the jockey came from. This was all followed by a story I wrote about a little girl named Charley. Followed by another list of baby names split into girls, boys, and both. Needless to say, you have been on my mind for a while.


Then there you were growing in my belly. Existing. A little life, created with love, by the miracles of life, and the graces of God.


And now here you are. In our lives as if you had always been. Sometimes I think that little kindergarten dreaming girl understood exactly what it meant, to love this much.

Being your mother is the simplest form of love. Pure and innocent. All that I had hoped. Absolutely everything I wrote about when I was five.

Happy New Years!

Day one of your first full year!

Snuggling in the big chair.


Cheers my darling girl!

More Christmas Fun

As you can see there is little photo evidence of your Christmas as we were too busy playing, laughing and just enjoying the moments. But this is the gest of what it looked like. (see below) Trust me you had a great time ;)

We also had a fun party as your friend Vasia is a Christmas time baby. So, we went to her birthday party. Here you are afterwards and exhausted from watching all of the kids do Kinder Music.

Then your Aunt Dee and Uncle Chris and cousins Caroline and Patrick came in town from Grand Cayman. This is always a special treat to see them. Here you are on your way to play.

I can not begin to tell you how you make my heart feel.