Sleeping Baby
The other day Charlotte fell asleep in my lap. The moment was so precious that I didn't want to forget it, so in good blogger fashion, I am memorializing it right here, right now. I know some day Charlotte won't want to climb up on my lap and take a nap. Some day she will beg me to have the car keys so she can go visit a friend. But for now, I am savoring the moments like this that we share together. Labels: cute, mothering, picture
Where did she go?
Bruce called me into my parent's bedroom the other day because he had lost Charlotte? Confused as could be, I ran in. This is what I saw: He thought it was hilarious that Charlotte matched their bedspread.
Free Food, Yeah!
Today is a great day for free food. Labels: food, fun, giveaway, picture
First, we stopped in this morning and I got a free 7.11 oz slurpee from 7-11.
(I didn't take this picture while driving!)
Then, we headed over to the local Chick-fil-a for a free entree. I had a silly cow hat and some cow stickers we had picked up there a few days ago. I put the hat on my head and some stickers on my shirt. Then, since Charlotte was just in a plain, white onesie, I stuck a few stickers on her.
When we got inside we did get some funny looks. There were no signs in the place and no one else was dressed like a cow, or in cow accessories like us. Oh well... I'm used to being the different one. The manager said that Charlotte could get a free kid's meal, which I wasn't expecting. She has never had Chick-fil-a and had already eaten breakfast, so I am saving her's for lunch. I was also surprised that the manager said I could have a free meal too. I really only expected to get an entree. I think he was so nice because they had not had much free traffic, just 6 teenagers earlier in the morning.
It was really hard to take a self-portrait and get Chick-fil-a in the background.
Of the several photos I took inside, this is the only one that came out decent. Probably because I was in the rest of them! :)
You can see how other people dressed up by visiting Crystal's Money Saving Mom post for today.
Crayons Do Not Go In the Mouth
Thanks to my friend's Tess suggestion, I decided to let Charlotte have a try at the good ol' crayons and coloring book. $2 at the dollar store should provide us lots of entertainment in the weeks to come. Labels: fun, picture, unschooling, video
1st time with crayons from Jennifer S on Vimeo.
Our Daily Walk
Now that I am home with Charlotte all day, I am striving to find the best routine possible for both of us. So far, that has included a walk each morning after she has had a dirty diaper. (TMI? That's okay, you don't have to change the diapers!) Charlotte has been very verbose this week and wanted you to come along with us... so, here is our walk, in pictures. "Mommy has me all strapped into my stroller with a supply of Cheerios, set to go. Want one?" "Here is the obligatory self-portrait. Isn't my mommy cute?" "Once we turn the corner, this is the first long sidewalk. I really like looking at the different kinds of trees." "My mommy is obsessed with keeping my fair skin fair. So she always blocks my view when we turn the corner." "Yesterday we met Della, and her dogs - Choo-Choo and Peekabo. She is a sweet grandmother from the Philippines."
My Day, by Charlotte Moon
(For an almost 11-month old, Charlotte is very verbose. Below, she describes her day. I'll share some pictures too. Charlotte wrote this last night, but since I already had 2 posts yesterday I waited until today to share this.) This morning, I woke up a little late. Normally I am by by 7 am, but I slept all the way until 7:11! Mommy was happy for the extra 11 minutes of sleep. Once Mommy and I went downstairs, she served me a yummy breakfast of yogurt mixed with oatmeal and banana chunks. I really like that breakfast but hope she gives me some blueberries again soon. Mommy and I played on the floor for a little while. She said something about waiting for me to get a dirty diaper before we left. I looked all over, but couldn't find one to get for her. Eventually though, we went for a walk. Well, Mommy walked and I sat in the stroller. It is too hot for her to wear me right now. We visited our friend Nancy at CVS (she's the cashier) and got some good deals on stuff Mommy said she "needed." Oh, and then we visited the consignment shop next door. I forgot to mention that we met some other people that live in our complex. First, we met Momo and her dog Coco. Momo is a mechanical engineering student at USF and she lives with her boyfriend Michael. Then, we met Hector and his wife Lydia. They are both from Puerto Rico and are now retired. Hector invited us in for a minute because we were comparing the layout of our units. I hope we get to see them again. They were nice people. I was so worn out by all the visiting and shopping, I fell asleep in my stroller on the way back. When I woke up, Mommy gave me a yummy lunch of shells and cheese with carrots. No fruit this time. The carrots were only okay, but I pretty much ignored them once the cheesy shells came along. Then, we played some more. Mommy sings songs to me and we roll the ball around too. I did have some free play time in which I climbed into her cabinets. Of course, I had to empty them first. :) Finally, I got kind of grumpy and tired, so Mommy gave me some of her special milk and then I fell asleep again. Mommy was so nice and let me stay in her arms the entire time, even though I am sure her leg fell asleep. Afterwards, we watched The Big Comfy Couch. I think that is my new favorite show! Dinner was the same as lunch. Then we did some more playing in the living room. I wanted to take another walk, but the weather didn't look so good for being outside. Now though, it is time to go to bed. I love bath time and hope Mommy gives me a bath first. Good night! **Mommy here... Charlotte was mesmerized by the Big Comfy Couch show. I've rarely seen her sit THIS still! She stayed there without moving for about 2-3 minutes, at least a couple of times!
The Little Dipper
I've observed over the last several weeks that Charlotte really prefers to feed herself. She will tolerate you giving her the first 4-6 bites and then an occasional one every now and again, but if she can put the food in her mouth herself everyone is happier at the dinner table. I bought her some dipping tools to use for self-feeding a while ago and have never really given them to her to use. Tonight though, I needed some help in giving her the applesauce since she wouldn't let me give it to her and I wouldn't let her use her fingers. So out came the little dipper. It turns out, Charlotte was a pro at using it. I showed her a couple of times and she got the hang of it super fast. It does appear she is going to be a lefty. G-ma should like that! "Watch me put the dipper in the cup." "Now I'm going to put it in my mouth." "Ahhhhh... yummy!" 
Book of Life
Of course, being accepted into THE book of life is more important!
Chair Lift
Bruce and I had fun leaving Charlotte with Grumpy and G-ma this afternoon while we took a chair lift ride up to the top of the mountain we have been staying on. Labels: picture, vacation, video
If you aren't scared of heights and want to pretend like you rode along with us, take a look at my video below.
Charlotte's First Hike
Well, it wasn't really a hike, just a stroll through a natural arboretum. But she liked it.
Reach for It
"There is something under the couch and I want it." "I will have it!" "Almost there..." "Got it!" Labels: picture
Picture Pages...
"Picture pages, time to get your crayons and your pencils." Does anyone else remember that song from Bill Cosby's* show in the 80's? I used to LOVE it. And for some reason when I was trying to think of a title of this page full of pictures I have for you, it came to mind. You can keep your crayons and pencils in the drawer though. I don't recommend trying to color these pictures (you might ruin your monitor). Our poor Charlotte has her first crawling injury. Apparently, she crawled so much at daycare that she gave herself a blister on her big toe. On the bright side, she no longer crawls knee-toe. Instead it is knee-foot. Tonight it looked kind of yucky so we put some neosporin-type stuff on it and covered it with a Ban d-Aid before bed. I am sure it will heal up just fine. She loves bath time! Normally bath time is done with Momma, but Daddy came in the other night and had a little fun with her hair... so of course, we had to take a picture for you! To celebrate Mother's Day, we met my family for breakfast at Golden Corral. Might not sound too fancy to some, but we all enjoy it. Charlotte had fun playing with her puffs and smearing banana all over the table. We had fun too hanging out with my family. They really are super-cool! *Okay, I just looked up more about the show, and learned it originally aired as part of Captain Kangaroo until Nickelodeon picked it up, which is where I watched it.
Bumbo Comparison
As promised, here are some new Bumbo pictures. I took these Friday morning before we left for school. Charlotte was fussing at me, so I knew if I brought out the camera she would get happy and smiley! Labels: picture
You can compare them to this post to see how much she has grown!
9-month Checkup
Charlotte is now 9-months old! I can't believe how fast time has flown past us. Just today I was looking at a 3-month old at daycare and trying to remember Charlotte at that age. Here's a photo to remind you: Labels: milestone, picture, weight
Her head looks so funny in this one doesn't it? And I just went looking for a recent picture of her in the Bumbo, but can't find any. I'll take one tomorrow if I think about it.
We also had her 9-month well baby visit today. There are no shots for her to get now which is good because I have decided to put her on a modified vaccination schedule and still need to figure out my plan for that. My biggest fear for these appointments is that the doctor will complain about how small Charlotte is.
But he never does. Today Charlotte weighed in at 15 lb 6 oz. Her length is 25 inches and her head circumference is 43 cm. (Don't ask why they use 2 different units of measure, I don't know!)
Since the doctor didn't even mention her height or weight I was curious to see where she was according to the charts and this is what I found (click on it to see a larger image):
The red dots represent where Charlotte is. Now, I don't think this chart accounts for the fact that Charlotte is still primarily breastfed so I am sort of dismissing it. You will note she doesn't even fall anywhere on the length chart. My family is short... that's genetic and no amount of breast milk can change that!
So, I went to my trusty Kellymom.com site and found this chart, which IS designed for breastfed babies:
Look at the right chart (for girls) and you will see she is 5th percentile for weight.
Charlotte has accomplished all of the milestones on the info sheet our pediatrician gave us.
She can
Overall, Charlotte is a wonderfully happy baby. We have some sleep issues to work out, but I know they will come in time. We love her more than words can express and can't wait until we get more time to spend with you over the summer!
Disney Superstar
Haha! My daughter made it onto the Disney homepage! Below is a screen shot showing off a picture of her with her Grandpa Sabin taken in March during her first trip to Disney! He works for Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (DAK) and is the one who submitted the photo.
You can relive her trip by visiting Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3!
The Thrill of Motherhood
Even though my photo wasn't selected as a finalist, I don't feel bad at all. After viewing those who were chosen, I know it had to be a miserable task to narrow down the field from 408 submissions to only 20 finalists.
Once I started to look through the list, there was one photo that made me stop, bringing tears to my eyes. It perfectly captures the thrill of motherhood. I remember that first moment and wish I could relive it just to experience the euphoria of meeting my baby girl for the first time. In that moment it is not possible to articulate how wonderful, thrilled, and yes, exhausted you are. But this picture comes pretty darn close.
Please, go look at this picture, then click over to 5 Minutes for Mom to vote for Bill, Miss and Brood.
She has a chance to win $1000!
"It's My Purse Momma"
Excuse me dear Charlotte. I did not realize that. "But here, I'll let you borrow it if you put stuff for me in it."
Tea Time for Mothers and Others
Charlotte and I attended our first tea together today. It was hosted by the Women's Ministry at First Baptist Church This tea is almost a yearly tradition at our church. It was a lovely affair and very well done. Each table was decorated by a different woman using china and flat ware that she brought from home. Our table was decorated by Cheryl in beautiful blue transfer ware with a touch of yellow. My friend Carolyn was able to join us, along with her grandmother Anita. Anita was one of the 4 lucky ladies who won one of the door prizes. It was a sweet teapot with matching cup and saucer. I didn't get a picture of it, but it had tiny pink rosebuds all over it and was trimmed with gold on the edges. I am glad one of my guests as able to take something extra special home. Lori Beckler was the guest speaker. She, along with her husband, founded Heritage Keepers. Their goal is to encourage women to live a life of legacy, passing on the joy of the Lord to the next generation. Before and after Lori's talk, I had a chance to spend time with both younger and older women. As I mentioned Carolyn was there and had a good time hanging out with Charlotte and giving her puffs and keys to play with. And I would have been in super-big trouble had I not allowed Charlotte to get some lap time with Cheryl. We enjoyed a yummy lunch of chicken salad on croissants, fruit salad, and a macaroni salad, generously donated by a woman who left our church to join our mission church. After our lunch, Charlotte decided it was time for her lunch and since folding chairs aren't the most convenient for nursing... Labels: breastfeeding, church, elegance, picture
of Frostproof (our church). It was a good chance for her to wear her beautiful blue Easter dress again and for the nice ladies to get a chance to coo over and hold her.
Mother's Day Photo Contest
Submitted to 5 Minutes for Mom's Photo Contest. This is the day we brought Charlotte home from the hospital. Even though it was less than 9 months ago, I can't believe how much she has changed in that amount of time. I never knew how much motherhood would change me. Labels: picture
Flowers Too
Bok isn't just a great place to take pictures of people... they also have gorgeous flowers. Bruce took these last weekend. These are his straight out of the camera shots. I may try and play around with them some in Picnik if I find the time this week. Labels: picture
Bok isn't just a great place to take pictures of people... they also have gorgeous flowers. Bruce took these last weekend. These are his straight out of the camera shots. I may try and play around with them some in Picnik if I find the time this week.
