A fun week in March.

Whew! It is crazy around here! You have had a yucky cold going on which led to complete refusal of any food, little sleep, and lots of fussy tears. However, the crud has really cleared up within the past few days and my sweet, happy, and healthy Charlotte has returned.

Last weekend we took you to the Dash family day so you could see some friends and play on the field. After Lucy and Alice showed you how, you ran the bases several times and I had to pull you off the field kicking and screaming (literally) because it was sooo much fun. Then we ate hotdogs and fries and you fed Porter some fries which he loved. It was lots of fun!

Walking with Lucy.

Lucy, you, Alice and her class pet Flutter.

Walking with Alice, as Lucy awaits y'all.

You and Porter with Daddy. The sun was bright in your eyes.

Holding Porters hand and saying "awwww, baby".

Diggin in the dirt.

This is the look I get whenever I bring out the camera. It is always followed by you running away. I can not tell you how many pictures I have of your backside running away from me. It is pretty funny. This is your "Mom I am not doing this right now, geez."

~~~

This week was St. Patricks day and you had school, so I put you in a little green and you played at school and learned all about the color green. That afternoon we went to a basketball game at Grammy's school and you hung out with the cow from Chick Fil A. It was funny.

Your teachers put your hair up into pig tails during school. You love it!

Trying to convince you to "give me your sassy" as you can see it was not successful. I swear you will go to kindergarten with that thing!

Playing Catch Up

Between our house being under major construction, yucky cold weather, and life in general, I have been a bad mommy about taking pictures and updating your little life on this blog. Sorry kiddo!!

You are able to communicate so well and I am surprised daily at how ahead of the game you seem to be. You are stringing a couple words together at at time. You are able to tell me how you are feeling, or what you want, even what you want for breakfast.

You are very compassionate and caring. Your favorite game is for me to pretend I have a "ouchy" so that you can kiss it and make it "All Better". You like to hold your dolls and feed them, put them in a stroller and walk them around, etc.

Singing has become an interest and your are close to getting all of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sung clearly. It is the sweetest thing to hear your little voice throughout the house.

It has been interesting watch you develop "alone time" where you will sit in the playroom and place by yourself for a while. I catch you sitting and reading books, playing with your "pretend house", singing in the microphone, looking out the window at the birds, etc. I am proud of your independence.

Speaking of independence, it has been a challenge to get you to eat meals. A lot of this is becuase you want to do it all your "self". Everything is, "No, mommy, Self" So most of your food ends up on the floor, on you, on me...you catch my drift. But I am trying to let your figure it out. Patience :) and you really are doing a great job at learning to feed yourself.

I can tell the seasons are about to change as your pants are all above your ankles, shirts to tight to pull over your head, etc. I have had a hard time deciding what size to get your for the summer because you are in 2T now...such a big girl. I weighed you about a month ago and you were 30 pounds and you are so tall. Off the charts tall.

Your hair is still growing in, and it is still blonde! I bet it turns white this summer. :) I love all of the bows and hair stuff we can play with now! You ask for a bow if there is not one in your hair. even when you are in your PJs, you have to have a bow.


A few more tidbits...Your eyes are striking, your cheeks are squeezable and you will probably go to kindergarten with your Sassy (what we call your Pacifier, because you are sassy when you don;t have it)...I don't know how we will ever get rid of that thing.

Even though I have been a slack documenter (is that a word?),  I have managed to scrounge up a few photos that explain the 16/17th month of your life.

Your first pigtails!

You are such a little girl now! No more baby!!

...and your off to explore again! You will only sit still for Elmo.

We had some snow in February and after a long afternoon of playing in it, you got a little too cold. So we snuggled you up on the couch until you got warm. Look at those rosy cheeks and red nose!!

This is the face I get if I try to feed you with the spoon. Followed by a big "No mommy, self do it!"

Much better!

Carolina played Duke (and we won....easily might I say) the other night. So I thought it would be fun to put you in the outfit I wore for Carolina games when I was little. It was way to small for you, but great for a picture or two.

I don't know any girl that doesn't love shoes, and you are no exception. These are your favorite to walk around in. It is funny to see your try to balance as you walk around the house. You will literally come and take my shoes off my feet just to put them on yours. I sure hope we are the same size one day or our shoe bill is going to be insane.

Sitting beside baby Connor.

Your already trying to be a little momma. Feeding Connor his bottle had you totally intrigued.

Watching your aunts and uncles and cousin leave. You were sad!

And just so you can see what your house used to look like. This is what it looked like from the front door.

This is what it looks like now! Much bigger.

xoxo, mommy

Your Newest Cousin has Arrived!!!

Your Uncle Kevin and Aunt Anne--or Annie as you call her--had their first baby today. 

Connor Louis Forrest!! 

Sweet Connor snuggled up! He has some awesome hair!

Poppy and Connor.

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!