Boy do I have a lot to catch up on!!!

It is official, I am terrible at keeping this thing up now that pictures are harder to capture:) Excuses, Excuses. Here is a snap shot at some special moments from the past two months!

It seemed like you were sick the entire month of April. You were pitiful and had everything from fever, chest infection, ear infection, to symptoms of asthma. After steroids and antibiotics you finally got all cleared up and do not have asthma! Thank the Lord for healthy times!!! This picture is from Easter lunch which did not last long as you cried the entire time. Pitiful.

Daddy taking you to school one morning! You do much better if he takes you. Less tears.

On our way to pick strawberry's.

You found your sunglasses. Always being silly!

I did not think you would actually pick strawberries, but once you tasted one, you proceeded to try and eat the entire row. It was hilarious to watch your face light up each time you got one off the plant and into your mouth.

"Here daddy, eat this!"

Mommy's uncle Jimmy got married to our new Aunt Tammy in May. You were one of the flower girls!

Fun with the petals.

Front porch picture from the last day of Preschool!! Notice you somehow got one of mommy's real bracelet on your wrist.  That did not make it to preschool with you ;) You are obsessed with my jewelry box.

On the way to the car you found the neighbors cat Gilly, this made you extremely happy and you wouldn't leave it alone. Gilly loves you.

This is what happens when you don't get what you want. It was time to say bye to the cat and go to school.

Each morning while I am cleaning up from breakfast or getting ready, you are off to explore on your own around the house. Almost 99% of the time, this is how I find you.

Sitting in your playroom, buried (literally) in books. One day you pulled every single book off the shelf onto your lap. Fun times cleaning up ;) I will never complain about any mess from a love like this.

Daddy and I took you to the NC Zoo. Here you are watching the sea lions swim past!

Riding to "Africa" on the train! Sitting with your favorite guy :)

Fun with the Ostrich eggs.

The awesome Elephant. We were so close we could feel the water they sprayed from the pond. Now when we talk about the elephants at the zoo you respond: "And they got water, and sprayed and washed and got wet."

Your first hair cut. Mommy was not excited as I am a fan of long hair and letting it grow naturally. But enough people convinced me that your mullet was a bit aggressive.

You did well, but we had to resort to the "sassy" so that you would sit still.

Happy Miss Jenny was all done!!

Charlotte's first blow out :)

I must also update about you and how you are growing into a wild woman. Each morning around 6 I awake to you reading or singing in your crib. I wait until you say Mommmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy before coming to get you because I am trying to get you to sleep later. It is never going to happen. As soon as I open your door you say, "good morning mommy, I slept good, took a long nap."

About 15 minutes later you tell me you are "hungy mommy, want cheesy bread, and pancakes, and bacon, and yogurt..." the list can go on and on and on.

Once you eat breakfast the day either begins smoothly with various activities, cartoons, books, etc. Or you are grumpy and we battle tantrums for an hour. It is hit or miss. I have learned that having you active 24/7 makes you happiest. So we go to the pool almost every day. 

The pool has become your haven. You think you are Michael Phelps with your water wings. You try to go under and kick your legs, but once you get to the three feet side you get worried and want me to come help you to the wall. I am teaching you not to panic and that you can float and we are making progress. I love watching your love for water.

The amount of vocabulary and structured sentences you have amazes me. It also tells me how much I must talk around you and how careful I need to be. Just the other day I was trying to get you dressed and you were refusing. You looked up at me and said "No mommy, just don't worry about it, okay!" I tried not to laugh, but I did. You also say, "Oh my goodness" about everything. AND the fact that you can sing songs on the radio...like "Blow" by Ke$ha (not the greatest song). Not only can you sing, but your put your hands in the air and bob your head. Let's just say Raffi went into the CD player this week.

Life is so fun, and such a challenge. We are so happy that, that challenge is you. 

18 Months or 1 1/2?

I haven't done monthly posts since you turned one, but this is a big month! Your half birthday, a whole 18 months, year and a half old. I don't know when it is time to stop responding to the "how old is she" question with months and start using years. We were at the playground the other day and a lady told me her child was 28 months and I had to stop and think....so that makes him 2...um just 2. Anyways, to each their own.

I am having SUCH a blast with you and motherhood is everything and more. It is more joyful and more challenging than I could ever imagine, but it is so extremely fulfilling.

Because I forgot to schedule you 18 month appointment, you will have to go at 19 months so your stats will be later. I do know the following:

Weight: 30 pounds...my back hurts often.

Favorite things to do
Color and Paint
Play with baby dolls, feed them a bottle, put them to bed, rock and hold them
Play in my make-up drawer,
Puzzles
Read Books by yourself in the playroom for FOREVER, you sit there and read out loud to your self and it is hilarious and adorable at the same time
Run, Jump and Dance
Playing outside, at the park, with friends
Slides-think the biggest, curviest ones at the playground.
Put on my shoes and walk around the house, or try on all of your shoes over and over again. (It is def. a girl thing!)
Be with Grandaddy Bland.

Dislikes
The swings
Lions

Struggles
Tantrums-they last sooooooo long, sometimes up to 45 minutes.
You are a picky eater
You don't like for mommy to leave.

Strengths
Your language and speech is awesome for your age.
You can count to 10 (usually missing a couple numbers)
I can point to most anything and you can tell me what it is
You know most of your colors-you say your favorite color is purple.

I love that your that I can already hear your southern accent in your little voice. It makes me smile.

So to my sweet little year and a halfer...18 months...big girl...what an adventure you bring to life. As I always say, You are the most wonderful form of happiness, exhaustion, reward and joy life has to offer.

I should add "playing in the sand" to your favorites. You sit in this sand pile that is really for the cement guy, and dig and play for as long as I will let you. As soon as our house is done, there will be a clean sand box in the back yard just for you!

Spontaneous Potty Time

Tonight after dinner, you were running around naked while you were supposed to be getting in the bath. However, you love streaking through the house and it is pretty funny, so I let you be naked when you want, and you love screaming "naked mommy".

In the midst of that you said something about potty. And I immediately said, "Do you need to go potty?" You nodded and said "yes" and I thought hmm maybe I should give this a shot.

Knowing that we had a little Elmo potty out. It has been sitting there for a while, and honestly, I have been meaning to put it away until we are ready for the whole potty training time. You have been using it as a seat, stool, or just another way to hear Elmo talk to you (It talks when you touch it). But tonight I thought what the heck, I will try. 

I said, "here come sit with Elmo, and go potty." You went straight to that potty, sat down, tinkled, and got so scared you jumped off midstream and squealed. Daddy and I started hootin' and holerin' telling you how awesome you did and that you were such a big girl, and that you should high five Elmo. After giving Elmo some skin, you said "Again, mommy" sat down and went again, and again, and again, until you were just pretending. I had to pull you off and tell you that potty could come take a bath with you for you to take a bath. Don't worry you eventually forgot about that part.

So I guess if I want to be a consistent parent...let the potty training begin? We will see how tomorrow goes ;) 

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.