Snow!

Last Saturday, we let Charlotte have her first feel (and taste) of snow! I got the idea after reading about my friend Jessyca's twins' experience with the white stuff. Staying true to her Illinoisan heritage, she loved it! She actually cried when we took it away! We're looking forward to snowsuits, sledding, and snowmen during future winters!

Shake, Rattle, & Roll

One of Charlotte's new favorite games is "Thrash Around Like a Wild Thing." She does it in the bath, on her changing table, and while playing. She kicks and punches and shakes her head just as fast as she can. She gets great delight from toys that rattle, jingle, or crinkle. Ben and I got her this Crinkle Dog for Christmas and she can't get enough of the thing! There's a surprise at the end of the clip!

A Girl on a Mission

Charlotte's been able to roll over from her back to her tummy for a few weeks now, and boy is she getting good at it! I've been trying to capture her new-found mobility since she first did it and haven't been successful. I misplaced my Flip camera and didn't feel like taking another crummy video on my phone. The good news is: I found my Flip camera! The bad news is: It was completely dead. :o(

She's learning how to move her body to accomplish tasks! Every day we're amazed at how fast she's growing and how smart she is!

Click!!

While rolling around with Charlotte on the floor last night, I decided to snap a photo of her. The phone went "click" and she burst out laughing. So I snapped another picture... click! Another laugh. So we played this game for several minutes.

I love her!

5 Months!?!?

Charlotte is 5 months old today!

Our baby girl is growing so quickly!! I can't believe how fast the time is flying. The last month has been a busy one for Charlotte - - a long trip to IL for Christmas, starting solid foods, enjoying her first week at home with Daddy, and today, to celebrate turning 5 months old, Charlotte rolled over form her back to her tummy!!! She's been rolling from her tummy to back for a couple of months, and has been able to get onto her side from her back for ages, but today she made it all the way over to her belly!! I am one proud mama! She's been working on it for weeks, so I'm glad I was watching when she finally did it.

The most noticeable difference in her this month is how active she is. She's always been super alert & has always wanted to know everything about what's going on around her, but it's at a whole new level now. She even has trouble eating since she's so distracted by EVERYTHING. I pretty much have to nurse in a dark room with the lights off.  TV, cats, open window blinds, talking... all way more interesting than food for her.

We had a great time shooting her 5-month picture today - she wanted that paper sooo bad!

"Let me hold that."

Ben tried distracting her with links.

We tried switching sides...

We tried to let her hold the sign...

"I want to taste it!"

She was determined to get it!

We finally ended up putting the sign up over her head (see top photo)!

Her outfit came in the mail yesterday from my sister in India. The dress is size 6 months, but as you can see, it fits Charlotte better as a shirt. We ended up putting her in jeans after we got the photo. She also sent a couple of books in Hindi and English, a bib, several adorable pairs of tights, and a Christmas tree ornament for Charlotte. I got a lovely purple scarf and Ben got a tie with elephants - perfect for a professor! We got to Skype with Aunt Bob this morning - thank goodness for modern technology!

What's For Dinner?

It has always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine when people ask if we've started feeding Charlotte "real food." As though my milk is not enough, as though I'm depriving her of something. I may not be a woman with an over-supply issue, but Charlotte is continuing to grow and thrive.

"Solid food" is a better term to use. And the answer is yes, we have. I had hoped to exclusively breast feed Charlotte for 6 months and then introduce solids. I'm not able to keep up with her 100% since returning to work - stress, time constraints, sleep deprivation, blah blah blah. I figured if I had to start supplementing, homemade additive-free solids seemed to be a better choice than formula. At her 4-month check-up, her pediatrician gave us the okay to either start solids or wait a while - - he did not pressure us one way or the other. He let us know which foods would probably be easiest on her system and let us know to introduce new foods slowly so we could keep an eye out for allergies or sensitivities.

The week before Christmas, we gave her a bit of rice cereal. She loved it!!

"Hmm, what is this?"

"OMG it's delicious!"

"Let me help you with that, Mommy!"

"What do you mean 'all done!'?"

She took to it like it's something she's been doing forever! She squealed in between bites, stretching her arms out for more. It made for a very happy memory!

After she had rice cereal for a couple of weeks (about every other day) and had no problems, we decided to start adding some fruit and veggies. My brother Chris got us a Baby Bullet, and it looks like making our own baby food will be as easy as it will be budget-friendly (have you seen the price of a tiny jar of baby food?)!

On January 1, Charlotte got her first taste of bananas. They were a HUGE success!

"This doesn't taste like rice..."

"Bananas are yummy!"

Practicing her karate chops while she eats...

 For those of you wondering, no, the introduction of solid foods has not helped her nighttime sleep at all. It's been worse these last 6 weeks or so than ever before - last Saturday she was up every 20 - 40 minutes for about 6 hours. After that she slept 2 hours.

Now that Ben's back in Kentucky (YAY) and staying with Charlotte during the day, we're working to get her into a good routine - especially at bedtime. Since Saturday, it's gotten a little bit better each night, so we're hoping that progress continues.

It was great to spend time with our family and friends, but I think all 3 of us were ready to get home and spend some time as a family. After 400 miles of distance between us for 6 weeks, it's sooooo nice to have Ben home! While the situation is not what either of us feels is best, we're glad that Ben can stay home with Charlotte while I work.

2011 was full of blessings, joys, challenges, opportunity, and good health... here's hoping the trend continues in 2012!! :o)