Small and mighty!

She's mobile - and boy is she fast! She really likes sitting up on her knees and pulling herself up onto things. It's highly entertaining. Don't worry - we're actively baby proofing everything! How do you baby proof travertine tile?

Oh hey Mommy, I just wanted to push your photo albums onto the floor. 

"Action" shot of her crawling under the table there...

This next set of 4 pictures is meant to demonstrate how fast she is, as well as her interest in phones. She sees a phone and takes off as fast as she can to get it!

A&M vs LSU Softball game. She's wondering why she's the only one not wearing a hat. Clearly she's not happy about it. 

She is a jumping MACHINE! We got her a different jumper, but it really does not work as well as this Jolly Jumper. If you know how to get one in Houston - please call me. She LOVED it and I can't find it! :(

Pictures!

Since my computer is having issues and won't let me add any pictures, here's a few from my phone!

iPhone pictures!

Letters to Charlotte: 7 months!

Dear Charlotte,

Sweet baby girl, you are SO FUN! You continue to be a happy, happy baby. Giving smiles to anyone who smiles at you, big laughs. It's the best. You go everywhere we go, out to dinner, to church, shopping - and so far you're on track for baby of the year with how good you act. Most of the time you just chill and look around. You love seeing new things and are so determined to figure everything out. We often will take a sleeping baby into church, and the minute we sit down you're up and wanting to look around. You just love staring at all the people and listening to the music. You're big enough now to really get some use out of our fabulous Aggie shopping cart/high chair cover. No more staying in the car seat for you! We put you in the cart or high chair and you love it. You try reaching for everything so you can put it in your mouth.

That brings us to teething. My oh my are you teething. Your 4th tooth broke through - and you're constantly chewing on something. Your recent favorites have been fingers, make up brushes (the hard end, not the bristles), Mommy's necklaces or bracelets, yes pretty much everything BUT your teething toys. We give you frozen strawberries or mangos at the moment and you enjoy those. You're also a big fan of baby dill pickles and will gnaw on those for a while. You drool constantly - between that and your constant runny nose you're usually quite the cute little mess. I ordered a few amber necklaces because I've heard/read that they really help with the pain caused by teething, and one review I read said it even helped curb the drooling! We'll see - but I figured anything is worth a shot!

You LOVE to eat. I don't know how you don't weigh more than you do, because you are a bottomless pit when it comes to your solids. You've moved onto the Stage 2 blends and you inhale them. It takes you about 5-10 minutes to finish a 4 oz package, and you lately aren't satisfied with just that. You either want a second package or 5-6oz of formula as well. And whomever is feeding you better be fast. If we don't have a spoon to your open, waiting mouth fast enough you start screaming! You try to eat your bib pretty often while we're eating, but only when you start getting full. We've also been giving you juice and you seem to like it. You're not quite sure about the sippy cup but I think you're starting to get used to it. Within the past couple of weeks you're also facinated with our food. You sit and watch us eat and reach for our plates and silverware. We give you a taste every once in a while, but you're not quite ready for finger foods. Anything that's not a sauce or something pureed you usually spit right back out. You like when I give you a little ice, I think it makes your gums feel better. You get a funny look on your face when you first take a little piece, but then you're begging for more.

And now for the really fun news - YOU ARE MOBILE! Oh boy are you ever. If you see something you want, one way or another you will get there. First you were really just scooting backwards. But once you realized how to get yourself forward, things really started to take off. You rock back and forth a lot, and you'll get up on all fours and lunge yourself forward. Lately you really don't like crawling on your knees. Your preference is to bear crawl and stretch those legs out so you can use your feet to move forward. If I give you my hands for support, you will pull yourself right up to standing! It's pretty easy for you now to sit yourself up when you've been laying down. You're still a little unsteady with it, but for the most part you sit up really well now. If you have something around to hold on to, you can pull yourself up to your knees. Which means the next step is pulling yourself all the way up. There's no stopping you now, as soon as you realize it can be done, you'll be trying to do it. You want to know how to do everything right away! You don't want to sit still in one place anywhere, you want to be mobile. It's so entertaining!

You are so smart and determined, you will really concentrate and try to figure things out. You love bright prints, whether that's with clothes, toys, blankets - whatever! As long as it's bright you gravitate towards it. You also LOVE your exersaucer. You can sit and jump in that for such a long time and just laugh and laugh. It's amazing how many things you've accomplished in the last month. I can't wait to see how this next one goes! Maybe you really will be walking by Aunt Lindsay's graduation! ;)

PS - I haven't had any time to upload pictures from my computer at home. I swear we're taking them, I'll get them added soon! ;)

Letters to Charlotte: 6 months old

Dear Charlotte,

Baby girl! You are half a year old, oh my goodness how fast it's gone by. I blinked and it's March - where did February go? You change so much every day it's hard to remember it all, but I'll give it my best shot!

You had your first ear infection this month. The only way we knew was because you had a fever! The fever spiked, so you of course didn't go to day care. We took you into the see Dr. Moore and sure enough, you had an ear infection. You hadn't had ANY of the normal symptoms, so I was slightly surprised. She was prepared to run all sorts of tests because of your lack of symptoms, so we were both really relieved to find out it was an ear infection. Prescribed some antibiotics and you were good to go! You take medicine really well, I think you might think it's a treat! You take it straight from the syringe, no fuss whatsoever.

You also got your first two teeth! My goodness how fast that happened. The first came in on February 9th, and the second the very next day on the 10th! They're your front 2 bottom teeth. It made you a tiny bit irritable, but really not much. We gave you some tylenol for the pain and you were happy again.



You can sit up pretty well now, still supported but not much longer! We prop you up in your boppy every morning and you watch Mommy and Daddy get ready, with Crew laying right by your side. It's pretty cute. Sometimes you nod off to sleep, but most of the time you're captivated with watching us get ready for work. Lately I've started sitting you in my lap at my vanity while I put on my makeup. You love it, you stare in the mirror and bang your hands on the surface. You seem fascinated by my process, it's really cute.

The scooting has started! Well, more rolling/twisting, but you're getting there. When you don't want to try to scoot, you just roll back and forth until you've gotten where you want to be. The past week you've started picking yourself up like you're about to crawl. You still seem surprised every time you actually get into the crawl position, but we know it's only a matter of time. I keep telling you to slow down a little, you're only 6 months old! You are determined to figure everything out though.

On that note, you do not want to miss a THING! You can be fast asleep, and the second you realize there are people around, you pop up and start taking everything in. You're pretty quiet when you do it. The best example was when we were in church. You'd fallen asleep in your car seat on the drive over, and I was able to get you out of the car seat and wrapped up in a blanket in my arms and still keep you asleep. As soon as we got to our pew in church, boom, wide awake. You looked around and smiled at people and entertained yourself the entire time. Never fussed at all!

We've really expanded your food choices. You now eat mangos, pears, peaches, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and bananas! You definitely do not like the Gerber brand, but are a huge fan of Plum Organics. I am planning to try a few others, but first we need to get through all the Plum ones we have! They were having a sale, so Mommy bought quite a few of them. :)

We went on a Mommy and baby outing to Buy Buy Baby a few weeks ago. Probably the only time that will happen, because Mommy went a little overboard. But oh my goodness we had fun! :)

You are SUCH a happy baby. We tell you all the time, but you just smile and laugh and smile and laugh all the time. You are truly the best part of my every day, I love you so much little miss!

Letters to Charlotte: 5 months old!

Dear Charlotte -

Oh how fun you are! This month was a big one for you - you started solids! You had your first x-ray, first ear infection.. never a dull moment!

Your 4 month check up went very well. You're still on the bottom growth curve, but you're following the curve and that's all that matters! You were 10 lbs, 14 oz and 24 inches long! Tall skinny little thing! :) You got a few more shots, which was no fun at all. All smiles until the second that needle went into your leg and then you were screaming your head off. We asked about your right leg, because you never seem to want to put much weight on it. She examined you and it seemed like everything was okay, but she requested an x-ray just to be sure! So, off we went that following Saturday to Texas Children's Hospital - West Houston. It was a really nice hospital, we were very impressed. And they were so fast! We were in and out in about 15 minutes, total!! You did great, didn't fuss or anything.


The following weekend we started you on rice cereal. You weren't too crazy about it at first, but you humored us. After a few days, we decided we'd try "real" food for you and get rid of the rice cereal. You started with sweet potatoes, and oh my - you love them!! It was a big success - you gobbled down the entire package, and then looked at me wondering if there was more. :) To date you've had sweet potatoes, squash, peas, carrots, and peaches. The first two are your favorites so far. Each time you get better, but you're a pretty messy eater. Can't seem to keep your hands or the bib out of your mouth. It's pretty entertaining.

You've become so vocal! You just sit and make noises all the time. The first time you realized you could do it, that's all you did for 2 or 3 days, it was pretty entertaining. Now you talk to us all the time and seem to really enjoy figuring out what new noises you can make! Pictures to come soon!

Letters to Charlotte: 4 months old!

Dear Charlotte -

Happy 4 months! You change so much every day, it's crazy. I find myself asking you to slow down all the time! We had quite the eventful month. You were baptized, had your first Christmas, first time being sick... lots of highs and lows!

You were baptized on December 16th at SJV. We were pleasantly surprised that Father Troy did the service, and they asked your Uncle Eddie to be the Lector! You did so good, you slept pretty much through the entire ceremony. You stirred when the water hit your head, but I think you enjoyed it. You smelled so good afterward too! The oil they put on your head smelled lovely. Afterward everyone went over to your Granny and Paw Paw's house to visit and play with you. I'm so glad that you love people. You don't mind being passed around to everyone, I think you enjoy it! You're so curious, you want to see everything that's going on.

Then, you got sick for the first time, that was zero fun. You'd had a cough and a lot of mucus in your eyes, but we figured you just had a cold. You never ran a fever and weren't wheezing. Your Granny took you into the Dr. to see if you could get any medicine - and they took a swab and determined you had RSV. We were very lucky that you seemed to have a mild case of it, but that confirmation was all it took to get quarantined for the next couple of weeks. No more day care for you! We had to put a pillow under your mattress to keep you elevated while you slept. It seemed to make you feel better.

The next weekend you got a surprise visit from Santa!! He paid you a visit to the house and even brought you some toys in his Santa sack. We were so surprised that Uncle Sid did that, you are such a lucky girl! It was great getting to see him and Aunt Holly again too - so glad they live close enough to see you grow up. We'll have to go visit and go fishing with them soon.

You had a pretty great first Christmas. Lots of love and loot given to you! It took us a few days to put everything away, you are a very loved little girl. You also got a fever on Christmas Eve and kept us up all night long. It went away the next morning, so we aren't sure what happened, but you definitely started feeling better! We attended Christmas Mass and you did great the whole time - and it was a long time! Over 2 hours and you didn't cry once! I say it all the time, but we are so blessed and just love you so much. You are such a happy baby!

The next week you got a lot of Daddy time. He was off of work and I wasn't, so you got to stay home with him. I think you both had a lot of fun. :) Your Aunt Lindsay was home from LSU for a month, so you got to spend a lot of time with her. She came over to help Daddy quite a bit, and you even got to meet Curtis! So many new friends.

Development wise, you just grow so fast! We took you for your 4 month appt, and you're at 11 lbs, 3 oz, and you're 24.8 inches tall! Your weight and height are in the 3rd percentile, but your height is in the 60th percentile - looks like someone's going to be lanky! You also had your first x-ray to make sure your hips were okay, and they are perfectly normal! You love putting things in your mouth now. First thing you do when we give you something is put it in your mouth. You roll over pretty effortlessly now, which is sometimes bad at night because you do it automatically and wake yourself up. You've started attempting to crawl, but haven't quite figured out how to get those arms moving at the same time as the legs. You sit up really well now, but still need to be supported. You don't really care for it much, you want to stand! You love standing up, and when you get fussy all we have to do is walk around with you and you calm down. You don't really care to be laid down flat much anymore, you want to be sitting or standing up and seeing what's going on. You've also been reaching for things and giving lots and lots of smiles. You get that big, gummy grin and everyone can't help but give one back to you. It's so contagious - and you smile all the time! You've also started trying to hold your own bottle. You tend to tire out quickly, but you're getting better every day. The doctor also gave us the okay to start you out on solids, so you've started on rice cereal! You also started taking assisted steps. And by that, I mean, when we are holding onto your hands and help you pull up to stand, you started taking steps toward another person! You really don't seem interested in crawling at all, we might need to baby proof sooner than we thought!

And oh my goodness, you discovered your voice! The first day you realized you could make noises, you did it alllll day long! And then for the next few days. Now you coo at us throughout the day, but it's so fun.

So many fun, new things all the time. I'm sure I'm missing something, but if so I can always add it later. We love you!!

Happy New Year!

It's Santa!!

Charlotte got a very special visitor today - Santa Claus! He even brought her presents! What a wonderful, fun surprise. Thank you so much Uncle Sid!!!

Letters to Charlotte: 3 months!

Dear Charlotte,

Three months old? Say it isn't so!! This month has been so fun and filled with so many new things! You are so smiley and laugh a lot. It's so contagious, your smile get so BIG! You are truly such a happy little girl, it just warms my heart and makes my day when you give me that big toothless grin.

The very day of your two month check up you rolled over from your stomach to your back for the doctor! You only did that for me once prior to that, and you did it so quickly. I tried to get you to do it again so your Daddy could see, but you would just get frustrated and cry anytime we tried to show him. It took a few weeks but then you rolled over for him too! Last week you rolled from your back to your stomach for the first time with your Granny! She captured it on video and sent it to me at work - I can't believe you're getting so big! Now that you have that first time out of the way, you roll allllll the time. Just yesterday you were on your activity mat playing while I wrapped presents next to you, and you rolled in a circle. It's no wonder you're always facing a different direction when we go to get you out of your crib! You pull those legs into the air and throw them to the side almost every time we lay you down on your back. It makes changing your diaper interesting, that's for sure!

You took your first road trip this month to your Grandaddy and Mamaw's house. With just your Daddy and I, it would normally take us 5 hours and 15 minutes or so, because we don't like to stop much. With you and the puppy, it only added 15 minutes! You were SO good, you woke up once halfway there and we fed you, burped you, changed you, and then you were good to go again. Back to sleep in the car seat.

Mommy went back to work this month, which was really hard. A lot harder than expected. Luckily we love your day care. You are definitely one of the favorites there (of course!) - all the teachers and staff know who you are. One of the directors told me that they all like to go in and just hold you. Ms. Roxy is your main teacher, and she just loves you. She sends home little comments on your baby gram, and she loves your smile almost as much as Mommy does! The first few days we had a few hiccups. Day 1 they sent you home in someone else's diapers! They were the same brand, but a different type. I told them as long as they didn't send you home in Huggies I wouldn't be upset. We tried Huggies and they gave you a little rash almost immediately! Day 2 you didn't have enough changes of clothes, and they sent you home in someone else's socks. After that it's been smooth sailing! They swaddle you there, which I think you like as long as your arms are free. You tend to sleep with your arms above your head. Being away from you all day long has been really hard for me, but we're finally settling into a good routine. I definitely prefer the days you don't have to go into day care!

You've been growing so much this month, I can't keep up. We bought you some socks a few weeks back, and they're already too small! You're wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes now, and we officially retired ALL of your newborn clothes! You wore newborn clothes and diapers until around the week you turned 2 months old. There were still a few newborn outfits you wore into the month of November, but everything is officially retired now. You're up to drinking close to 5 ounces now too - still both formula and breastmilk.

You also sleep in your crib now. We moved you over right around 7 or 8 weeks. You transitioned really well, it was no big deal to you. In fact, the first night we put you in there you slept almost 8 hours straight! I think that was reinforcement that you were ready to sleep in your own room. It helps us sleep better too, and it's kind of nice to be able to actually use your room now. We started out keeping you covered with a couple of blankets that we tucked into the edge of the crib. No more though, you move too much! We can put you down on one end, and by the time you wake up you're on the other end turned the opposite direction. Your little hands get so cold too, so you wear socks on your hands at night to keep them warm. We picked up a few sleep sacks on Babysteals.com these past couple of weeks - and it's a great solution for you. They zip up over your pj's and take the place of blankets in the crib. Now you can roll all over the place and you'll stay warm. I think you like them, so far every night you've worn them you sleep at least 6 hours straight. I never thought I'd be so happy to get 6 straight hours of sleep!

You love to play now too! We bought you a little activity mat and you just love it. You stare up at the monkeys and laugh, and you'll bat at the toys that hang down too. It's so entertaining to watch you play and figure things out. Once you lock in your gaze on something, you stare for a while! Recently you play with your octopus and bumblebee by Mama's and Papa's all the time. They have lots of little things for you to pull and chew and stare at. You are the happiest little baby, you just love to play. Even the teachers at school commented on how chill you are, you are perfectly content and often entertain yourself!

You like to try to stand up a lot. Your head control has really improved, and this week you've been trying to sit up. Pretty soon you're going to be going all over the place! We're definitely going to have our hands full because you are one very curious little girl!

More pictures to come soon!
Love,
Mommy

She's rolling!!

Letters to Charlotte: 2 months!

Dear Charlotte,

Oh how I enjoyed your second month. I tried to soak up every minute, knowing I'd have to go back to work soon. It was definitely a month of ups and downs though! Everything I read said that around 6 weeks or so breastfeeding gets easier. Like clockwork (literally the DAY you were 6 weeks) it's like everything clicked. Nursing has been a breeze ever since. You try to pick your head up a lot, and love tummy time. You are actually pretty strong for how little you are! You were still in newborn clothes and diapers though. Still a tiny little thing!

You went to your first A&M tailgate - for the LSU football game in College Station. You did so great, you're such a chill baby. You don't mind having several different people hold you - loud noises still don't even phase you. You're definitely more aware of what's going on around you though. We took a few family walks - you really enjoy moving. Whether it's while you're being held, in the car seat, stroller, car, whatever. As long as you're moving around you're a happy camper. I guess we should have been prepared for that, given you've been squirmy as long as I've known you.

You're still very gassy. Nothing I do seems to really help, so we're just hoping it gets better.. You love to eat, whether it's nursing or taking a bottle you are so enthusiastic! It's really the only time you fuss is when you're hungry. You went through your 6 week growth spurt, those were a fun 2 days. You didn't sleep much at all and you were hungry about every 1.5 - 2 hours! Then things went back to business as usual. You naturally fell into a pretty good routine - so I just follow your cues and go with the flow.

We finally found you a day care too! It's pretty close to our house, which is nice for dropping you off. Everyone seems really nice, and they have 2 different infant rooms. Overall the school is smaller, so hopefully you'll still get lots of love and attention. I have a lot of anxiety over having to leave you, I want to be able to stay with you all day every day! But, I also want to work too - so hopefully I'll adjust after a few weeks. I know you'll be just fine. You just love everyone you meet - and everyone comments on what a great baby you are - so I think they'll love you! Let's just hope you wait until you're a few months older to get sick....

I was a little behind on taking your "official" 2 month pictures - and I haven't uploaded them yet. I'll get that done soon!

Love,
Mommy

Quick few photos

I promise more soon - I've been trying to just enjoy my last few weeks at home with her. Back to work on Monday and I'll get back into a normal routine!

Enjoy ;)