Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of my mom (and mommy-to-be) readers and friends! I'm super lucky to have a great mom and a great mother-in-law - as well as an awesome big sister whom I've always thought of as a 2nd mom.

I had an awesome first Mother's Day! Ben took Charlotte this morning & let me sleep in for an extra couple of hours. He surprised me with a gift certificate to Posh Spa - and now I get to decide what kind of amazing pampering treatments I'd like! Then we went to lunch at Three Suns Bistro - DELICIOUS. Charlotte was a ham, of course, delighting everyone with her smiles, waves, funny faces, and squeals.

Mother's Day isn't about sleeping in, or gifts, or flowers, or greeting cards, or possession of the remote control (I totally tried playing that card this evening). It's about reflecting on how much our mothers mean to us, how much they sacrificed to bring us into this world, how much care they put into raising us, and how much they love us. I think it's also a day for mothers to really think about how much our kids mean to us. All of the poop, vomit, sleepless nights, loads of laundry, tears, skinned knees... they've all been and will be worth it. Charlotte loves me just as deeply as I love her. I'm reminded of that every time she smiles & squeals with delight when our eyes meet, every time she snuggles into my neck, every time she chases after me while playing hide-and-seek.

Happy Mother's Day! 

Silly Girl didn't want to be photographed tonight! 

9 Months!

I can't believe my little baby is 9 months old already! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that we brought her home. But here we are again with another monthly update.

Taking a photo of Charlotte at 9 months old was tricky! We tried to take her photo on the recliner... here are 2 of about 20 shots.

Next, we tried to take her photo on the couch. Again, these are the cutest 2 pictures out of about 20. 

"reading" the sign with her little pointer finger! 

After another little while, I tried taking her picture up in the glider - where her other monthly photos are taken. 

I can't decide which one I'll use for her photo album, but I definitely have many to choose from! That little paper sign is just the most fascinating thing to her - she can't keep her eyes or hands off of it. Ben and I clap and sing and make fools of ourselves trying to hold her attention. 

Charlotte's sweet, funny, adventurous personality is starting to really shine. She's full of life and we love every minute with her. She never ceases to amaze us - especially with all the tricks she has up her sleeve!

* clapping

* waving

* raising arms up when Daddy says "Woo Hoo!"

* repeating sounds like "lalala" or "bbbbb" with fingers over lips

* blowing kisses (working on the form a little bit, still)

* crawling 

* pulling up to stand

* "cruising" along furniture

* climbing stairs

* dancing to music

* grabbing stuff off of the shelves near her crib - specifically pacifiers & books

Charlotte's been taking better naps and sleeping well at night, too! She still wakes up at least once to eat, but maybe she's getting ready to drop that - - on May 7, the day she turned 9 months old, she slept through the night for the first time. She slept from 7:50 PM to 6:05 AM. She let a couple little whimpers or babbles out throughout the night to let us know she was okay, but neither of us had to set foot in her room for over 10 hours! Way to go!! It's crazy - I've been hoping and praying for sleep for months and months - and then she finally does it and I missed her. I woke up at around 4:30 and just laid there listening to the monitor, waiting for her to wake up. I just couldn't wait to see her! 

At Charlotte's 9-month well baby checkup, she weighed 19 lbs, 2 oz (50-75%ile) and measured 29 inches long (95%ile). Her pediatrician was very happy with her growth and said she looks super healthy! Charlotte, of course, was a doll the whole time we were at the doctor's office. She was waving to all kinds of new friends in the waiting room, chatting with Dr. Gilliam, squealing and giggling at her naked self in the mirror, and playing with the instruments & paper on the exam table! 

We love you very much, Charlotte! We can't wait to see what new & exciting things you have in store for us this month! 

Toys That Aren't Toys: Coffee Can Drumming

Charlotte has two toy hand drums. They're battery-operated, light up, play accompanying music - they're great and she loves them! But sometimes, it's the low-tech toys that provide the most amusement!

Pillow Drumming

Charlotte loves to play percussion. She loves hand drums & shakers & maracas. She loves to pull Ben's sticks out of his bag & whack anything nearby. Our lazy Sunday morning turned into a jam session on a couch pillow with her Daddy.

38 In, 38 Out

    

38 weeks pregnant - late July 2011

When I look at this picture, I'm still stunned with disbelief at what was going on inside my very own body. What a miracle it is!! I always told Ben that I felt like I knew Charlotte way before she was born.  I could sense little details about her personality, recognize patterns in her behavior (the way she'd get all riled up at night & then I'd fall asleep to her hiccups), an overall feeling of connection. 

You can read all about what was going on with me at 38 weeks pregnant here.

38 weeks old - late April 2012

It's crazy how familiar she is - from the inside out! The first time she had hiccups after she was born I couldn't believe it - it felt exactly the same as when I was pregnant! The way she stretches on her changing table after a really good nap, the way she nuzzles her head into my side when we're cuddling or playing on the floor, the way she gets all excited & shakes all around... they all feel so familiar. I could tell early on that she had a sense of humor - and BOY WAS I RIGHT. The girl is funny! If you haven't met her yet, I hope you get to soon! She loves to play hide & seek. Ben & I take turns crawling around behind furniture & she comes crawling after us, squealing with delight when she finds us. "Oh, you found me!!" Ben shouts as she giggles & moves in closer for a kiss. LOVE THEM BOTH. 

She's been out for almost as long as she was in... does anyone know how to slow down time???? 

Toys That Aren't Toys

Anyone who has kids can tell you that they love to play with anything & everything that's not meant to be played with. Some of my favorite childhood Christmas memories are of the good times we had playing with the boxes our presents came in. Nothing beats filling a giant box with pillows, climbing in, and then having your brothers take turns pushing you down the stairs in said box.

I thought it'd be fun to show you all some of the "toys that aren't toys" that Charlotte loves to play with. Of course her favorites are remote controls and cell phones, but we try to keep them safe from destruction. Ben found an old remote, took the batteries out, and now it's hers. When I get a new phone next month, my old one will become hers.

This week, her favorite items from around the house have been this take-out bowl...

Using a baby spoon to mix up some cake batter, I presume...

And accessorizing! 

and Ben's iPod case. He took the iPod out of its case to charge & play music in our iPod radio & left the case sitting on the end table. She's been dragging it around ever since. 

Anything within her reach on the furniture is fair game these days. We had to put our nice ceramic coasters away & pull these cheap-o safari guys out so that she wouldn't hurt the tabletop (or her little fingers) banging them around. 

Can't wait to see what else will show up as a toy that's not a toy! 

Quick!!

Charlotte's in this amazing stage where she is interested in EVERYTHING and is able to satisfy her own curiosities due to an increase in gross and fine motor skills. It's amazing watching her learn these new skills, but a little scary, too! We have to keep such a close eye on her since she's all over the place. 

She's learning how to "throw" things. You'll see her in the first couple of seconds throw her bird toy on the kitchen floor. She also likes to "throw" balls and socks and other toys back and forth and then chase after them. The most impressive part of this first video is her crawling. The girl has come a long way in a week! 

Charlotte's also learned how to pull herself to kneel or stand along the sides of her crib. More impressive is her ability to snatch things off of her nightstand (okay, okay, it's a TV tray... ) and bring them into her crib. You'll see her swipe a pacifier off the table, but I'm not kidding when I say I watched her pull a book into her crib today. She grabbed it, couldn't get it through the slats, so she TURNED IT SIDEWAYS and got it through!! Is it just me, or is she a genius!?!? I know babies do this stuff, I'm just shocked she's doing it at 8 months old! Not to worry, nothing harmful is kept within reach. The books will be moved, too, after receiving a warning from my friend Jessyca about babies eating board books(?!).

One giant nuisance about her newfound mobility? Diaper changes. The girl will. not. sit still for a complete diaper change. And forget about wardrobe changes! Charlotte had a little mid-diaper-change accident on her changing table this afternoon, so I laid a blanket down on her floor, set her down there, and tried to re-diaper & clothe her there. Well she scurried away from me while I was cleaning up the changing table cover & putting her soiled clothes in the hamper. Clearly, Ben doing laundry was much more fun than getting dressed! 

You're funny, Charlotte. And that's just one of the many, many, many reasons we love you!!