A Few Firsts

ONE OF MY GREATEST JOYS AS A MOTHER IS WATCHING MY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE "FIRSTS." WHETHER IT IS A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM, I FEEL BLESSED TO BE A PART OF IT. THIS WEEK CHAR EXPERIENCED A FEW FIRSTS...

BOWLING FOR THE FIRST TIME AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

(NOT ONLY WAS IT HER FIRST TIME BOWLING, SHE GOT TO EXPERIENCE BOWLING WITH BLACK LIGHTS AND DISCO BALLS! SHE ALSO GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE FEELING OF FALLING ON THE SLICK LANE. FOR THE FIRST TWENTY MINUTES WE HAD TO CHASE HER, AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO RUN DOWN THEM. SHE ANNOUNCED TO US THAT THE LANES WERE "WET." POOR THING TOOK A COUPLE HARD FALLS BEFORE FINALLY STAYING OFF THE "WET" LANES.)

SHE WOULD LET OUT A "READY, SET, GO" BEFORE LETTING THE BALL GO.

DAZED AND CONFUSED BY ALL OF THE LIGHTS.
CHARLOTTE CAN NOW STACK HER OWN BLOCKS. HERE SHE IS YELLING AT THEM TO FALL.

COUNTING HER BLOCKS - "ONE, TWO, THREE...EIGHT!" 8 IS HER NEW FAVORITE NUMBER.

MISTAKING MASCARA FOR WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS "LIPPIES" (LIP GLOSS). SHE WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED AND WAS QUITE DISGUSTED BY THE FEEL OF THE MASCARA ON HER LIPS.

"ALL I WANTED WAS A LITTLE GLOSS TO MAKE MY LIPS PRETTY."

All in a Day

I LOVE THE SIMPLICITY OF OUR DAYS. THOUGH, I MUST ADMIT WHILE SIMPLE THEY ARE NEVER DULL. CHARLOTTE'S DESIRE TO LEARN NEW THINGS EACH DAY KEEPS ME BUSY, AND MOST DAYS I CANNOT INTRODUCE ENOUGH. HER HANDS ARE INTO EVERYTHING, AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL POP OUT OF HER EXPRESSIVE MOUTH. SOME OF HER NEW FAVORITE PHRASES ARE - "OH GEEZ" (WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG) "NO WAY" (WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE HER DIAPER, HER TONE EXPRESSING MORE SADNESS THAN ANGST.) "ICE WATER" (A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD BEVERAGE) "HEEEEEY BUD" (HER FAVORITE GREETING FOR JOE) "WHER'ED IT GO?" (AFTER HIDING AN OBJECT) "THERE IT IS!" (PROCLAIMED ONCE SAID OBJECT IS RETRIEVED) AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES WHEN ASKED WHERE HER DAD IS, SHE REPLIES "AT GYM?" FOLLOWED BY "NOT GYM, WORK." JOEY CONTINUES TO BE A MOST RELAXED YOUNG FELLA. HIS SWEET EXPRESSIONS MELT MY HEART EACH DAY, AND EVEN HE IS LEARNING HOW TO EXPRESS HIMSELF WITH LOUD SQUEALS, COOS, AND GIGGLES.

KICKIN' BACK AFTER A LONG DAY. RECENTLY, CHARLOTTE HAS DECIDED THAT BEING EITHER PARTIALLY OR FULLY NAKED IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY.

OUR LITTLE DUDE.
FIRST ATTEMPT AT FINGER PAINTING. IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MINUTES TO CAJOLE CHARLOTTE INTO FINGER PAINTING. SHE DID NOT WANT TO GET DIRTY. SHE STARTED BY GENTLY DABBING HER FINGER INTO THE PAINT. HOWEVER, NOW SHE QUITE ENJOYS SMEARING HER ENTIRE HAND ACROSS A BLANK CANVAS.


LITERALLY LICKING HER YOGURT CUP CLEAN!


"MMMM, MMM, MM...THAT WAS DELICIOUS."

WE HOPE YOUR DAYS ARE AS FUN AS OURS! :)

WE HEART VALENTINE'S DAY

I WAS EXCITED TO BEGIN SOME NEW TRADITIONS THIS VALENTINE'S DAY WITH MY LITTLE LADY AND MAN. I MISS PLANNING HOLIDAY PARTIES NOW THAT I NO LONGER TEACH, SO I DECIDED TO PLAN A SPECIAL WEEKEND AT HOME FOR OUR FAMILY OF FOUR. AFTER ALL, WITH THE ADDITION OF JOEY WE HAVE LOTS OF EXTRA LOVE TO GO AROUND!

WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL FOR DADDY, SINCE HE TAKES SUCH GOOD CARE OF US. SO, WE DECIDED TO MAKE HIM CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES!

SWEET JOE LOOKS ON AS CHARLOTTE AND I PREPARE THE STRAWBERRIES. (YOU CAN HELP NEXT YEAR LITTLE MAN!)

FULL OF ANTICIPATION...


THE WAIT IS KILLING HER.
"WHEN CAN I DIP THOSE STRAWBERRIES?!"

"I'M READY IF YOU ARE, MOMMY."

THE CREW POSES WITH THE FINAL PRODUCT.

THEY LOOKED GOOD TO ME!

...APPARENTLY, THEY LOOKED GOOD TO CHARLOTTE, TOO!

CHARLOTTE WORKS HARD ON HER SPECIAL VALENTINE FOR DADDY.

ANOTHER NEW TRADITION WE STARTED THIS YEAR WAS TAKING A FAMILY TRIP TO BARNES AND NOBLE, SO THAT EACH FAMILY MEMBER COULD PICK OUT A BOOK FOR VALENTINE'S DAY. (I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS IDEA...THANKS MEL!)

CHARLOTTE, UNABLE TO CRACK A SMILE WHILE MENTALLY FOCUSING ON WHICH BOOK SHE WILL CHOOSE.

JEFF AND I EXCITED FOR OUR NEW TRADITION TO BEGIN!

I HAD TO WAIT FOR JEFF TO REVEAL HIS SPECIAL PRESENT TO ME LATER THAT NIGHT - A SONG - TO BE PLAYED ON HIS GUITAR AND SUNG, A TRADITION HE STARTED OUR FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE! (I KNOW...I'M A LUCKY GIRL.)

AND HERE ARE OUR SELECTIONS...

(YOU MUST KNOW THAT CHARLOTTE BELIEVES BARNES AND NOBLE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST PLACES ON EARTH. SHE SQUEALS WITH DELIGHT AS WE APPROACH THE STAIRWAY LEADING UP THE CHILDREN' SECTION. SHE OFTEN ATTRACTS A LOT OF ATTENTION AS SHE MAKES HER WAY UP THE STAIRS, OOHING AND AHHING. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP HER SELECT JUST ONE BOOK WE PRESENTED HER WITH FOUR OPTIONS - TEN TINY TADPOLES WAS THE LUCKY WINNER! SHE IS VERY CLOSE TO COUNTING STRAIGHT TO TEN. IF ONLY SHE DID NOT JUMP TO 8 (HER FAVORITE NUMBER) AFTER THE NUMBER FOUR!)

MY TREAT TO JEFF WAS PREPARING ONE OF HIS FAVORITE MEALS, "BISCUITS OF LOVE" (A MEAL I MADE OUR FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE) ONCE CHARLOTTE WAS TUCKED IN BED. WE ENJOYED A LOVELY MEAL BY CANDLE LIGHT WHILE JOEY QUIETLY LOOKED ON (I BELIEVE THAT WAS JOEY'S GIFT TO US!). IT WAS SUCH A SPECIAL WEEKEND - THE BEST OF 2010 THUS FAR! WE ARE A VERY BLESSED FAMILY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CARRYING ON OUR NEW TRADITIONS NEXT YEAR.

BEST BUDS

CHARLOTTE CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF HER BROTHER, AND JOEY'S FONDNESS OF HIS SISTER CONTINUES TO GROW EACH WEEK. I LOVE TO WATCH JOEY'S FACE AS HE LOOKS UP AT CHARLOTTE. SHE IS ALWAYS EAGER TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY AS I CARE FOR HIM. SOME OF HER FAVORITE BIG SISTER RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE - HELPING BURP HIM AFTER FEEDINGS, LOCATING HIS PACIFIER, COLLECTING HIS TOYS AND PLACING THEM AROUND HIS BODY, AND "SHHHING" HIM DURING FUSSY MOMENTS. MY FAVORITE IS HOW SHE SAYS (QUITE LOUDLY) "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT...OK, OK!" WHEN HE IS EXTRA FUSSY. (I HAVE TO ADMIT, I FEEL THE SAME WAY.)

CHARLOTTE HAS ALSO TAKEN TO MOTHERING HER BABY DOLLS. SHE MIMICS MY ACTIONS WITH HER DOLLS, AND IT IS A PRECIOUS SIGHT TO SEE. THIS PAST WEEK, JOEY WAS HAVING AN ESPECIALLY FUSSY TIME AND I WAS WALKING HIM AROUND THE HOUSE SHHHING HIM GENTLY. I WAS SO FOCUSED ON HIM THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT CHARLOTTE HAD PICKED UP HER OWN BABY DOLL AND WAS ROCKING AND SHHHING THE DOLL IN THE SAME MANNER. SHE IS A REAL MOMMY IN THE MAKING!

WATCHING "DORA THE EXPLORER" TOGETHER. IN CHARLOTTE'S MIND, THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO START THE DAY.
TWO PEAS IN A POD.

HELPING MOMMY MAKE SOUP.

MY LITTLE HELPER.

Sweet Boy

OUR SWEET JOE IS CHANGING SO QUICKLY. HE NOW ENJOYS PLAYING ON HIS PLAY MAT FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, LOOKING AT BOOKS, HOLDING TOYS AND BRINGING THEM TO HIS MOUTH, CATCHING SIGHT OF THE TV, AND SUCKING HIS HAND ANY CHANCE HE CAN GET. FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF LIFE HE PREFERRED SLEEPING IN HIS SWING AT NIGHT, BUT NOW HAS TRANSITIONED TO SLEEPING ON HIS BACK IN A PACK AND PLAY. SOON HE WILL BE READY TO JOIN HIS SISTER IN THEIR ROOM AT NIGHT! A FEW NIGHTS THIS PAST WEEK HE SLEPT SEVEN HOURS STRAIGHT! WE HOPE HE IS LIKE HIS BIG SISTER WHO WAS SLEEPING 12 HOURS STRAIGHT AT THREE MONTHS. (YOU CAN DO IT, LITTLE BUDDY!) HE IS A DELIGHT, ALWAYS SMILING, AND LOOKING UP AT US MOST INNOCENTLY WITH THOSE BIG BLUES. IT IS SAFE TO SAY HE MELTS MY HEART ON A DAILY BASIS.

FRESH OUT OF THE TUB IN HIS NEW BATH TOWEL.

WHAT A FACE!

OUR GROWING BOY...CHECK OUT THOSE CHUBBY THIGHS.

ENJOYING ONE OF HIS FAVORITE ACTIVITIES...CATCHING HIS (HANDSOME) REFLECTION.

FUNNY HOW DROOL LOOKS ALMOST ARTISTIC IN SEPIA COLORING.

GAZING AT MOM. (I LOVE YOU, TOO, BUDDY.)

OUR LITTLE CHERUB.

A NEW FAVORITE PICTURE TO DATE.

WE LOVE YOU, SWEET BOY.