Charlie Kisses

Now you too can experience the fun, slobbery goodness of a Charlie kiss!

Beware the bed monster...

bed monsters live in caves made of sheets and blankets

they are always watching

waiting for the perfect moment to attack

The last thing you see before you get nommed

ahhhhh!!! (poor fellow never stood a chance!)

after especially fierce attacks, bed monsters get sleepy

beware! bed monsters can look deceptively innocent

but they are always deep in thought

planning their next attack

Dear Charlotte,

You turned seven months old this past weekend!

You've said your first word (mama!) and you are soooo close to crawling forward. (You've been shimmying backwards for a few weeks now!) You have two teeth and you like to chew on people's fingers. You love your big white kitty. You have started taking 3 hour naps. You currently have a cold. You laugh when mommy sneezes. You love when mommy feeds you solid food and when your tummy gets full, you pull off your bib. You only suck on a pacifier when you are sleepy. You love baths. You like to ride on daddy's shoulders. You give open mouth kisses on our cheeks. Last night, you slept 8.5 hours straight! You love music, especially blue grass. You nod your head for no apparent reason. You smile when you hear mommy's voice on the phone. You fall asleep when I rub your eyebrows. You still have to be swaddled to sleep. You love to play 'Where's Charlotte?' and 'Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.'


And lastly, you are growing up way too fast!

Love you,

Mommy

PS- It's cute that you fit in a duffel bag!

Only Daddy

I have a sneaking suspicion that Charlotte is going to be an adrenaline junkie! She loves movement.

She especially enjoys her daddy time. Only daddy can throw her in the air just right... Only daddy can zoom her around corners... And only daddy can place her on his shoulders and take her dashing around the house. She holds onto his hair and laughs up a storm.

I tried to capture this on video for you. Of course, she knows the camera is there, so her reaction to daddy's antics are tempered by the fact that she knows I'm recording her. But, you should still be able to get the gist of how a typical evening is spent in our house!

Cameras

Charlotte loves cameras...

I blame myself, really. Shortly after Charlotte was born, we started snapping pictures and haven't stopped since. This is one well documented baby! And it didn't take long for Charlotte to begin to notice. She's had a few sessions with a photographer that I work with, and she just sits entranced by the camera and all the flashes. It makes for some great photos, her eyes open wide in wonder!

But her love of cameras has a down side...

See, Charlotte does a lot of cute things... (at least we think so!) So, when I have a camera handy, I take the opportunity to catch the moment... At least I try... But Charlotte won't perform for a camera. Nope. She just wants to stare at it. So, she may be doing a most adorable thing, say- playing with the kitty, or rolling around on the floor, or snuggling up to mommy, but the moment she sees the camera, its all over. She's done.

With that said, I have a lot of video footage of her sitting around like a log, looking bored or uninterested or just distracted by the camera.

So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you a before and after 'VC sighting.' (video-camera-sighting)

In this first clip, Charlotte doesn't know there is a camera. For all she knows, it's just me and her and aunt Julie hanging out on the kitchen floor.

And this is her after 'VC-sighting.' In this clip, Charlotte has become very aware that there is a camera in the room. Notice her change in attitude and interaction. 

Yup, it's like a completely different baby. Silly Charlie! I guess we are going to have a transition to stealth mode if we want to be able to document anything more than a blank stare!

The great outdoors

The problem with having a baby at the end of summer is that by the time you are feeling confident enough to take your baby outside, the weather has changed and its too cold. So, Charlotte has spent the majority of her little life tucked away inside. Thankfully today was beautiful and we took the opportunity to take Charlie to the park and into the woods for the first time!

with daddy at the park

Charlie's first slide

Daddy got stuck!

Ready for the big slide!

She loved it!

mommy's turn!

Yay!!!

A girl and her daddy!!

Her first time in the woods!

Love my girl!

chewing on mommy!

fun on daddy's shoulders! (my favourite picture of the day!)

time to go :(

exhausted after a long day

A Girl and Her Kitty

In our house, we have three cats running around...

Eli, B'Oscar (with a silent 'B') and Cyclo. 

Charlotte decided early on that Eli was her favorite. Maybe it's his size (he's huge!). Or maybe it's his white fluffiness... Or maybe it is because he is the only one that doesn't run, tail tucked between his legs, from her every movement!

Whatever the reason, Charlotte loves him! She starts jabbering at him the moment she sees him. She carries on long conversations with him and she reaches out to pet him every chance she gets. For the most part, he is a good sport about it. He never gets aggressive and I never have to worry that he will hurt her. Sometimes, he even leans into her strokes... That is until she grabs a handful of fur and skin and pulls! Then, he'll let out a protest and scurry away. 

Hey Kitty! How ya doin'?

I will pet you!

...

Have you seen my feet?

I will kick them at your face... Watch out!

oh boy...

KITTY!!! You're so soft!
Hmph!

Oooh! Look at that!!

Ha! You never saw it coming!
Ahhhh!!

Oh how I love you, kitty!!

Kitty... Kitty??? Where did you go?

There's that contagious laugh again...