Busy, busy

Aren't January and February supposed to be those boring, slow months in the dead of winter where you go stir crazy and look forward to having something to do come spring?  Not so much around here.  Between work, church, friends and Charlie just being Charlie, life is a whirlwind -- and as I look at the next few months is just going to get crazier, but even more fun! 

Charlie seems to love this pace, because he seems to be doing something new almost every day.  He can stand on his own briefly (as long as he doesn't realize he's doing it), and he chatters in his own little language almost non-stop -- throwing in some deafening squeals every now and then.  He's also learned to sign "more" this week. It takes some prompting, and he actually looks more like one of the Temptations than someone doing sign language, but he's learning. It's amazing to think that he is on the road to communication

Right now the pinnacle of humor at our house is to put an upside down cup on Charlie's head or our own head.  It tickles him like nothing else.  And to Otis' profound dismay, Charlie adores petting him.  Who knew that a dog could perfect a look of righteous indignation?

Just in the past week Charlie has had two play dates with little Miss Kate.  He struggled a bit at her house until his bath -- naked equals happy in his book -- but did great when she came to our house.  Charlie had a ball "teaching" Kate to play his piano, though sharing is apparently going to be a bit of a struggle for him.

This week he also went to the nursery at church for the first time.  Jason and I both spent the service straining to hear any howling or screeching from down the hall, but Charlie did great.  And if being able to sit back, listen, learn and not worry about Charlie waking up weren't enough, his speed crawl to Jason when we picked him up would have made the whole thing worthwhile.  We definitely plan to keep it up -- it's almost like an hour long date!

Out of everything, I think the biggest kick of the past week has been Charlie's new obsession with Jason.  Daddy is the coolest thing EVER!  Charlie actually crawled over to the door, turned around and sat there indian style the other day when he knew Jason was leaving for work.  And when Jason comes in the door at night Charlie can be playing, eating, squeeling, anything and he'll shout out "Dada" as soon as the door opens.  It's fabulous -- a bit frustrating if Jason tries to do something like tie his shoes or go to the bathroom, but absolutely adorable to watch!

When you throw in Jason's birthday (and cake!), lunch in North Charleston on Wednesday to meet Jason's new boss, Bible Study Wednesday night, with the standard naps, diaper changes and playtime, it's no wonder Jason and I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning!  It's really just crazy fun and getting better every day.

Our little comedian

"Sharing"

Piano Lessons

Mmmmm... Cake!

Let's Play!

Each day I am amazed by how much Charlie "does".  It's as if he went from being a baby to being a little boy over night. 

Like all "good" parents, we have purchased a ridiculous amount of toys to educate, entertain and challenge Charlie.  But, like all "good" babies, he would much prefer to play with the shutters, an empty cup or a remote control (as long as it does something -- he is not fooled by the old battery-less remote we gave him.)

Of course, lately Charlie's very favorite activity is to chase Otis around the house and "pet" him or feed him random things found on the floor.  Talk about a role reversal -- 9 months ago Otis couldn't get enough of Charlie, now he can't get away fast enough, unless of course Charlie is offering something particularly tasty.  This puppy love resulted in Charlie's first black eye following a head on collision with Otis' bone.  Naturally, I felt the need to offer a detailed explanation in line at Publix the next day, likely convincing the check out girl and bag boy that I had indeed beat my son...otherwise why would I be so defensive?!

A few weeks ago, Jason and I cleaned up the bonus room to create a real play room to contain Charlie's Christmas haul -- and boy was it worth it.  Any time we head up the steps to the the third floor Charlie starts running in our arms out of excitement (he hides his emotions about as well as his mom). 

Now after nap, after lunch, before dinner, after walk, before bed, etc. we form a family convoy up the stairs, close the door and Charlie is in hog heaven (definitely a play on one of his favorite toys -- his Fisher Price farm!). Out of necessity (of course) we got rid of the 13" TV that had been up there (well -- we at least got it to the back of the Yukon awaiting a trip to Goodwill) and moved the living room TV upstairs, replacing it with a new TV -- all for Charlie, of course -- so we can turn on the news, music videos or Say Yes to the Dress and play right along with him.

I had no idea how much Jason and I would love the new play room until the stomach flu struck last week.  First Donna got sick, so Charlie was home with me.  Next I got sick, but since it was Jason's first week of his new job I couldn't let him stay home (though the fact that he was able to go in a couple hours late and come home a couple hours early may have saved my life), so I had to figure out how to keep Charlie safe and entertained without expending any energy or making any sudden movements. 

Who knew that he would be so happy playing on and around me while I laid moaning on the floor?!  I apparently make a terrific jungle gym -- thank goodness!  The best part is that since we can close the door, and the room is virtually empty, Charlie is safe from the standard household dangers of stairs, cabinets, outlets, breakables, etc -- it's like safety heaven for moms.

Logically I know that all of the changes and developments in Charlie's personality and abilities have been gradual, but in truth, I can't believe that my 8 pound 1 oz baby is now a 22 lb little boy able to crawl, stand, cruise and laugh when the Fisher Price chicken lays her eggs...

My Goofy Face

Come on Ride the Train

Story Time

First Black Eye

Checking the Mail

Open, Closed, Open, Closed, Open, Closed...

10-4 Good Buddy

Hey, Dog-dog!

Brrrr....

Nothing could have prepared us for 12 degree temperatures on Screamer Mountain and a heatpump that couldn't quite keep up, but we had a wonderful trip to the North Georgia Mountains this weekend.

The weather was actually such a big deal that the local news out of Atlant pre-empted EVERYTHING to talk about the icy roads and water main breaks....over and over and over again.  Normally we may not have noticed, but when you are restricted to local channels, can't get out from under the blanket by the fire and have a dog nuzzled in between you, it gets old!

Thankfully, the little room that Charlie slept in stayed toasty warm all weekend, and by noon each day we were all able to venture out into the living room where it had warmed up to about 63, which was actually quite comfortable.

Despite the frigid temps, each day we set out on adventures post morning nap.  Friday we drove over to Helen, GA, and it was like stepping directly into a Heidi movie.  There wasn't much open (apparently January is an incredibly slow month), but the town is adorable and we can't wait to visit in the summer to try out the water park and see the shops. 

On the way back we checked out Tallulah Gorge, the deepest gorge East of the Mississippi.  It was quite impressive, especially when you learn that some crazy person actually walked across it on a high wire once!  We capped off the day with the highlight of Charlie's weekend, a ride in the cart at Walmart and a new balloon!

Saturday we took Charlie to the Dillard House in Dillard, NC.  It's a family-style restaurant where they serve you everything on the menu -- seriously!  The food and service were great, and  I think Charlie may have found his favorite restaurant!

After lunch we drove on up to Highlands, NC, which is an absolutely adorable little town that reminds us of Eureka Springs, AR -- lots of shops and galleries.  While Charlie was still napping we checked out the Bridal Falls, a waterfall over the road.  It was frozen so we didn't drive under it, but we did walk through.  It was gorgeous.  Once Charlie woke up we had fun poking around in the toy store and a couple other shops before heading back to the cabin for pizza, a fire and football.

Jason and I spent Sunday morning watching crazy infomercials curled up on the couch with Otis while Charlie napped -- I really don't know how I survived so long without cable before I got married.  Then we all loaded up and headed home.  We tried to stop at a store where there are real-live goats walking around on the roof, appropriately called Goats on the Roof, but it was closed.  You gotta love the mountains!

Overall we had an amazingly relaxed and fun family vacation despite the record low temperatures, and to top it off, all of the time curled up under the blankets may have convinced Otis to finally forgive us for having a baby! 

The Dew-Drop-In

Playing cups in the cabin

Helping Daddy with the fire

Breakfast in Bed

Not pleased...

Where do I start?

Yummy!

Mom & Dad at Bridal Falls

Parental Hubris

I am quickly realizing the dangers of parental smugness -- you know, the feeling that you have everything under control and this parenting thing is a piece of cake.

Exhibit A:  Last Thursday morning Miss Sophia spent the morning with Charlie and me because her daycare was closed for the holiday.   Not only was I able to keep up with two crawlers and two sets of diapers, but the kids got along great and actually played together (if you call Charlie stealing Sophia's bow and chewing on it and following her around the house "playing"). 

The arrogance set in when I was able to get both Charlie and Sophia down for naps, and Charlie napped for 2 1/2 hours -- allowing me to come downstairs and revel in my amazing parenting abilities. 

Flash forward to Friday through Sunday when my beloved napping expert refused to nap for more than 40 minutes at a stretch, then on to Monday and Tuesday when our happy little boy has actually been grumpy in the evenings!

Exhibit B: As I've mentioned before, mornings are my favorite part of the day.  Charlie and I get up, nurse, then come downstairs to play and eat breakfast until time to go to Donna's. 

Yesterday morning Charlie was playing with his new piano from his cousin Camden (a fabulous toy that I highly recommend) while I sat on the couch enjoying my cereal.  As I scarfed down my Fiber One and caught up on my GMA, I was thinking of how far we've come in the past 10 months -- how wonderful it is to sit and enjoy a few minutes of "me time" while my son innocently and contentedly plays at my feet...

Then I looked over to discover that Charlie apparently has go-go-gadget arms.  He was contentedly swinging my empty coffee cup while the last remnants spilled out onto the rug!  To add insult to injury, I hadn't even had a sip yet (luckily it had cooled off while I fed the dog, made Charlie's lunch and packed his bag for Donna's). 

The fun didn't stop there, though.  Charlie enjoyed the clean-up nearly as much as the destruction, unspooling the entire roll of paper towels while I tried to soak up 12 ounces of coffee from the rug.

I suppose I've learned three key lessons from my cockiness:
1 - Never feel like you have things under control -- God has a sense of humor
2 - Dark brown carpet is a blessing
3 - Even annoyances and accidents are fun with Charlie!

Mmmm...bow

Chasing Sophia

"Sharing"

My little Piano Man

Clean up time

Snow Day!

Who is lucky enough to get a "blizzard" on their first Christmas?  Charlie!  It was wonderful.  The snow started on Christmas Eve after our breakfast with Uncle Jim, and by the time we left for church the roads were icy and many other churches had cancelled services.  Charlie was fairly good for the service -- he was able to stay in the sanctuary for a good 20 minutes, then he and I hung out in the lobby.  Later we had a fabulous time at Great Grandpa B's.

Christmas morning was very relaxed, and while Charlie didn't really get into opening his presents, he absolutely loved them.  The two favorites so far are the car hauler (especially the walkie-talkie he used to talk to cousin Landon) and the mailbox (in which he receives letters from Baba (blue), Grandma (red) and cousin Elizabeth (orange), plus the all-important package from Bass Pro!).  But I have to admit that Charlie's favorite part of Christmas day was the Christmas meatballs -- I think baby food is quickly becoming a thing of the past in our house.

On Boxing Day (unexplained Canadian holiday that falls on 12/26), Charlie got to play in the snow for the first time and even made his first snow angel!  He wasn't too sure about the snow itself, but enjoyed seeing the "icebergs" floating in his bath later on -- possibly the only kid to play with his first snowball in the bathtub! 

The rest of Saturday was spent as a true snowday -- playing games, taking naps and eating homemade potato soup (of which Charlie is a big fan).  It was incredibly relaxing and wintery.  And to top off a perfect day, Charlie's new friend Chanley Elizabeth Allen was born that afternoon to our good friends Tim & Jana -- it just doesn't get any better.

Overall, we had a fabulous Christmas in Kansas City despite the fact that Charlie's and my colds stuck around the whole time.  Last night Charlie slept soundly through his first New Year's Eve (woohoo!) even with all of the crazy fireworks in the neighborhood, and today finished up the holidays by seeing what Santa left for Charlie here at home and opening his presents from Baba & Papa and Grandma and Grandpa -- we're very fortunate that Santa Claus is flexible and agrees to visit our house on New Year's Eve rather than Christmas Eve...it is much better than opening presents at midnight the night we get home!

Breakfast with Uncle Jim

Ho-Ho-Ho, Santa's on his way!

Christmas Eve with Baba, Papa and my cousins

Papa showing me the snow

Making Snow Angels with Daddy

Brrr....

Aunts, Uncles & Cousins

Time to Relax!