Hanging Around the House

OUR LITTLE MAN, WHO WE ARE GUESSING IS OVER 12 POUNDS (AT LEAST).

"I'M GOING TO COOK YOU SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL, MAMA."

WHAT A FACE!

SIBLING LOVE. CHARLOTTE NEVER MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CUDDLE WITH HER BROTHER.

CHARLOTTE ALREADY MAKES JOEY SMILE! WE HAVE NOTICED HOW MUCH HE ENJOYS HIS SISTER'S PRESENCE IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THEIR LITTLE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOP.

"I'M HAVING ONE OF THOSE HAIR DAYS AGAIN!"

WE OFTEN FIND JOEY ASLEEP LIKE THIS, HIS LITTLE HAND IN THE AIR.

CUTIE PIE.

JOEY'S FAVORITE PLACE TO BE...MOM'S ARMS.

Merry Christmas

YOU WILL HAVE TO FORGIVE MY INABILITY TO WRITE MORE WITH EACH BLOG ENTRY; TIME IS PRECIOUS THESE DAYS! I DO WANT TO SHARE HOW SPECIAL THE HOLIDAYS WERE WITH OUR TWO, SWEET CHILDREN! WATCHING CHARLOTTE'S EXCITEMENT THIS YEAR WAS PRICELESS AND WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW HER INTEREST IN THE SEASON WILL GROW NEXT YEAR...WE CAN'T WAIT. I CANNOT SAY IT ENOUGH, WE ARE TRULY BLESSED.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

DIVING INTO THE PRESENTS...LITERALLY.

OBVIOUSLY ENJOYING MAMA'S CHRISTMAS LOVE.

LISTENING TO PAPA'S CHRISTMAS DEVOTION, A FAMILY TRADITION. SHE SEEMS IMPRESSED.

OPENING HER FIRST PRESENT FROM HER SECRET SANTA, COUSIN KAY KAY. COUSIN TREY DOES NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SNEAK IN A SILLY FACE.

LATER IN THE EVENING, CHAR AND KENNY BUST OUT THEIR TUTUS AND ENJOY A CHRISTMAS DANCE.

CHRISTMAS MORNING.

DAD CAPTURES HER SWEET MORNING FACE!

LOVING HER PRESENT FROM AUNTIE DAWNIE!

OUR SWEET SLUMBERER.

REFUELING.

ENJOYING A MORNING SNACK ON HER NEW DORA PLATE SET. WE COULD NOT FORGET TO INCLUDE HER FAVORITE CHARACTER ON THIS BLESSED HOLIDAY.

LOVIN' ON JOE. THANKS FOR THE MATCHING CHRISTMAS PJ'S MIMI!

RECHARGING HER BATTERIES ONCE AGAIN WITH A COLD GLASS OF MILK.

"I'M REALLY GLAD AUNTIE DAWNIE GOT JOEY A BIG BOY CHAIR LIKE MINE!"

CASHED OUT FROM THE MORNING'S ACTIVITIES.

DADDY AND JOEY.

"ARE YOU SURE I DON'T LOOK LIKE A LITTLE CHRISTMAS LEPRECHAUN, MAMA?!"

CHRISTMAS 2009

One Month Old

IT IS HARD TO REMEMBER LIFE BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF OUR SWEET BOY. IN FACT, I'M NOT SURE CHARLOTTE WILL EVER REMEMBER LIFE WITHOUT HIM! HER TENDER KISSES ON MY ENORMOUS BELLY HAVE TURNED INTO THE SWEETEST KISSES ON TOP OF JOEY'S HEAD. BEDTIME CUDDLES ON THE COUCH ARE NO LONGER JUST THE THREE OF US, BUT A PARTY OF FOUR. WE NO LONGER HEAR THE CRIES OF ONE, BUT TWO PRECIOUS CHILDREN WHO ARE OURS TO CHERISH AND LOVE. WE CONTINUE TO BE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE ARRIVAL OF LITTLE JOE.

HAPPY ONE MONTH, JOEY!

Quick Comparisson

AS WE LOOK BACK AT PICTURES OF CHARLOTTE, WE ARE NOTICING HOW SIMILAR SHE AND JOEY LOOK.

CHARLOTTE - 2 MONTHS

PETITE AND FEMININE

JOEY - 1 MONTH

STRONG AND HANDSOME

Big Sister

CHARLOTTE CONTINUES TO ENTERTAIN US DAILY WITH HER DANCING, CHATTER, AND SPIRITED WAYS. SHE ADORES JOEY AND IS THRILLED WHEN HE IS AWAKE. SHE NEVER MISSES A CHANCE TO KISS THE TOP OF HIS HEAD, CALL OUT TO HIM, WATCH OVER HIM WHILE HE IS IN HIS SWING, AND MIMIC HIS SILLY FACES. SHE ESPECIALLY LOVES WHEN HE YAWNS. IT IS SUCH A BLESSING EACH DAY TO CARE FOR OUR SWEET CHILDREN. AND, WHILE THINGS CAN GET A LITTLE HECTIC NOW AND THEN, WE
ARE LOVING LIFE AS A FAMILY OF FOUR.

DANCING HER LITTLE HEART OUT.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH THE FAMILY.


SWEET BIG SISTER

CHAR'S NEW FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

-HIDING IN VARIOUS SPOTS AROUND THE HOUSE, OFTEN HOLDING A "FORBIDDEN" OBJECT. (WE FIND HER STANDING VERY STILL, NOT MAKING A SOUND. HOW DO CHILDREN NATURALLY LEARN THE ART OF HIDING?)

-PLAYING TUNES ON HER KEYBOARD AND DANCING IN CIRCLES ON THE LIVING ROOM AREA RUG.

-VISITING BARNES AND NOBLE WITH JEFF (OFTEN TO GIVE MOMMY A LITTLE BREAK.)

-CUDDLING WITH JOEY, JEFF AND I ON THE COUCH BEFORE BED.

Growing Boy

OUR SWEET JOE IS GROWING BEFORE OUR EYES. WITH A HEARTY BIRTH WEIGHT OF 9 POUNDS HE HAS ALREADY SURPASSED 11 POUNDS ON THE SCALE. WE EAGERLY AWAIT HIS NEXT DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT TO SEE HOW MUCH OUR LITTLE MAN WEIGHS. HE NOW SURPRISES US WITH SWEET SMILES AND HAS STARTED TO FIND HIS LITTLE VOICE. HIS GENTLE COOS ARE THE PERFECT WAY TO START MY DAY.

A BIG FAN OF THE PACIFIER.

LITTLE SMIRKS.

KICKING BACK IN HIS NEW CHAIR. HIS SISTER CANNOT RESIST SNEAKING INTO SAID CHAIR EACH DAY.

CHILLING WITH DAD.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DAD'S COMFY ARMS.

Thankful

WE TRULY HAD SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR THIS THANKSGIVING SEASON. THE LORD HAS BLESSED US WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY CHILDREN, A WONDERFUL AND SUPPORTIVE FAMILY, A PEACEFUL HOME, AND THE GIFT OF MARRIAGE. WE WERE SO VERY HAPPY TO HEAD HOME TO MILWAUKEE TO SHARE OUR NEWEST JOY, JOEY, WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.

GREAT GRAMMY FEASTS HER EYES ON OUR LITTLE TURKEY.

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING!"

THANKSGIVING LOVE FROM AUNTIE DAWNIE

OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT A FAMILY PICTURE. IT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT TURN OUT WELL. WE KNEW WE WERE IN TROUBLE WHEN CHARLOTTE DECIDEDLY YELLED OUT "NO" WHEN ASKED IF WE COULD TAKE THE PICTURE - OUR LITTLE THANKSGIVING ANGEL.



NEXT DAY. SECOND ATTEMPT AT A FAMILY PICTURE...A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

BLACK FRIDAY WAS ALL FUN AND GAMES.

COUSIN TREY AND LITTLE JOE

COUSIN ZACH GETS HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF JOEY. WE THINK HE LIKED HIM.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR.

RESTING PEACEFULLY AFTER A FULL AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING.

First Week

WE HAVE HAD SUCH A SPECIAL FIRST WEEK TOGETHER AS A FAMILY OF FOUR. JOEY CONTINUES TO BE A VERY SWEET AND RELAXED BABY, AND CHARLOTTE REALLY ENJOYS HER BROTHER. SHE LOVES TO FIND HIM ALERT AND WILL BOUND OVER TO HIM WITH A HEARTY, "HEY BABY!" SHE ENJOYS KISSING HIS HEAD, CUDDLING WITH HIM AND I ON THE COUCH, AND EXAMINING HIS FACIAL FEATURES. WE HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF HAVING JEFF HOME. HE AND CHARLOTTE HAVE ENJOYED MANY ADVENTURES OUTSIDE OF THE HOME THIS WEEK, INCLUDING TRIPS TO THE MALL, BANK, BARNES AND NOBLE, DONUT SHOP, AND A TRIP TO THE LIBRARY FOR DONUTS WITH DADDY HOUR. (NOT SURE IF HE WILL BE MAKING THAT TRIP AGAIN.) IT IS SUCH A BLESSING TO LOOK AROUND OUR HOME AND TAKE IN THE MANY WAYS THE LORD HAS BLESSED US. HAVING TWO BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY CHILDREN IS TRULY A GIFT FROM ABOVE. WE ANTICIPATE MANY SPECIAL AND ADVENTUROUS MOMENTS IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS. THANK YOU FOR SHARING IN OUR JOY!

JEFF AND CHARLOTTE MEET BUCKY BADGER AT A BOOK SIGNING. "BUCKY" IS CHARLOTTE'S NEW FAVORITE WORD.

A VISIT WITH AUNTIE ASHLEY AND UNCLE ROB

CHARLOTTE LOVED HER NEW BIG SISTER PRESENT - THE HAIR BOW!

AUNTIE DAWN LOVIN' ON JOEY

UNCLE ELLDON

WE NOTICED HE AND JOEY VISIT THE SAME BARBER.

COUSIN "KAY KAY" AS CHAR AFFECTIONATELY CALLS HER.

COUSIN COLEE

AUNTIE DAWN

SWEET JOE

RESTING WITH POPS - SOMETHING THAT CHARLOTTE NEVER DID AS A BABY. SHE WAS TOO BUSY EVEN THEN. :)

SWEET SLUMBER

OUR LITTLE RASCALS

A MOMENT OF WAKEFULNESS

FIRST BATH AT HOME...WHAT A TROOPER!

FUTURE STARTING PITCHER FOR THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS

JOEY'S "PROTECTOR"

TUNING OUT THE WORLD

ALWAYS READY FOR A CLOSE-UP

DEMONSTRATING THEIR DIFFERING PERSONALITIES ALREADY.