Introducing Elijah John

We are pleased to announce the birth of our son, Elijah John, on March 19th at 6:52 pm. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and was 20 inches long.

Welcome to our world, little man!!

Eighteen Months!

My little bug turned 18 months this past weekend! In celebration, I would like to share with you the many faces of Charlie!

"I do not approve of your shenanigans.. or this hat..."

"stink eye"

"Paranoid"

"Watch me dance"

"I'm just minding my own business..."

"Please don't interrupt me, I'm in the middle of my two favorite activities-
talking on the phone and watching Pride and Prejudice"

"borderline smile"

"concentrating"

"Contented Charlie"

 

HAPPY 18 MONTHS, CHARLOTTE!!

An assembly such as this???

At 17 months, Charlotte's absolutely favorite thing to watch on television is the 5 hour british version of Pride and Prejudice. The one commonly known as "The one with Colin Firth."

As my belly has gotten larger, my energy level has greatly diminished. After a long day at work and a long commute, I am pretty much spent by the time I get home. Usually I am able to muster just enough energy to make dinner, but then I really just want to veg. This is no easy task with a very active toddler running around, wanting to be carried and doted on. Believe me, I would much rather be playing with her on the floor or chasing her around. I started letting her watch a little more television than normal. We would sit on the couch and just chill. At first it was Baby Einstein, but that got old really quick (for me, not her!) So, one evening I popped in Pride and Prejudice and a monster was born!

Charlotte LOVES it. She will sit and watch with me as long as I want. She points to all the horses and 'talks' about the dogs. She waves to Lizzie. She knows exactly when the dance scenes are coming up and starts to wiggle. I won't be too surprised if she starts speaking with a British accent pretty soon!

To my horror and delight, the other week, she brought me the Pride and Prejudice case and made the sign for more. Last week I asked about each of the characters on the cover and she could point out each one of them... And last night she tried saying "Darcy" and "Lizzie!"

So here are some videos of Charlotte enjoying her favorite movie of all time. What's not to love?

*Here is Charlotte pointing out the characters on the case*

*Note the dramatic fall at the end and the enthusiastic clapping*

*Pride and Prejudice has also taught her that all good dancing involves bowing*

I comfort myself in the fact that there are worse vices she could have!

Early domesticity is highly encouraged...

Charlotte's love of vacuums is starting to get out of control. She knows the word, knows where one is kept and can hear one a mile away.

Sometimes she tries to intervene and take over vacuuming, but gets angry when I try to explain to her that you can't always go forward with a vacuum. Sometimes you have to go backwards. She will have nothing to do with that silliness.

I was giving her a bath in the sink last night when she heard Tim vacuuming in the other room. This elicited such excitement that bubbles and water flew everywhere accompanied by squeals of delight.

Later, Tim laid the vacuum down on the ground so that he could clean out the bristle area and she wandered over, got on the floor and nestled her head against it. My precious. 

In Charlotte's world, her love of the vacuum is rivaled only by her love of the kitty. Therefore, I truly pity B'Oscar if she ever learns to combine these two passions!

She took a brief moment out of her vacuum reverie to talk to me in her "old man" voice.

Now back to playing... I like how at the end of this video, she crawls across the room and starts chewing on the protective guard we installed on the fireplace... Mmm... tasty... 

One year later...

Have I mentioned lately...

.. how much I love this girl???

This picture was taken back at Thanksgiving. I love her hair!

A girl on vacation...

A little girl in a great big world

2012

2011 will always have a fondness in my memory. It's the year my baby started to crawl and then walk. It's the year she learned how to give kisses and wave hello. It's also the year of "mama" and "dada" and learning how to roar like a lion.

Watching Charlotte grow up right before my eyes has been amazing, humbling, frustrating, inspiring, terrifying, rewarding and so many other things! Seeing her discover the world around her and observing her personality really beginning to blossom has been such an extraordinary experience. People said it would happen fast, and they were right. One year ago she couldn't do much of anything. Now she tries to put on her own socks, dances to every song she hears and gives some pretty good cuddles (when she's in the mood!)

2011 is the year we found out about and started preparing for Chapter 2 and soon, Chapter 2 will be here. Feeling the baby kick and watching my belly move makes me smile, even at three in the morning.

2011 had its rough patches as well... Moments I wish never happened, or moments that seemed to change everything. But there is no undoing those moments, so we move on, trusting that God's plan is bigger than our vision.

2012 has a lot of potential. We are all eager to meet Chapter 2 and watch our little family grow and change. We are curious how Charlotte will react to being a big sister and interested to see how she embraces her new role.

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions and this year is no different. I only pray that God will use this year to reveal himself more to us each day and draw us closer to Him and help us to follow closer in His will.

A girl and her daddy...

There's nothing more fun than a laser pointer...

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Breakfast

Not the most enthusiastic kitchen helper...

Half-asleep

Nope, not much help at all!

Start them young...

Charlotte has a new favorite toy...

Tim and I highly approve of her choice of entertainment...

She diligently swiffered the entire kitchen...

Hmm... How will this work in the living room?

Humph... Not so well

Merry Christmas!

From Tim, Joanna, Charlotte and "Chapter 2"

Sleepy times...

Despite our best intentions, Charlotte is not much of a sleeper. She was never content to take naps. She's not one of those kids that passes out in her high chair, or curls up on the floor with a blanket. She doesn't even like to crawl into bed with us and cuddle.

Basically, she is only happy to sleep in her crib- holding her stuffed bunny, wearing her footy pajamas, and wrapped in a blanket. And if you wake her up, she's up.

So imagine our surprise when she fell asleep on the chair with daddy the other night watching television. She even stayed asleep as daddy carried her upstairs and tucked her into bed!

That's some heavy sleeping!

Charlie in a box...

This is the box that B'Oscar likes...

This is Charlie looking into the box that B'Oscar likes...

This is Charlie all the way in the box that B'Oscar likes...

This is Charlie excited to be in the box that B'Oscar likes...

Silly Charlie...

Charlotte loves her kitty...

Charlotte loves her kitty, B'Oscar. (Yes, B'Oscar came home a couple of months ago and Charlotte quickly attached herself to him.) She likes to follow him around and give him kisses. She bends down and tries to pick him up. She pulls his tail... And through it all, he stays calm and patient with her. It's a surprising turn of events, because he used to slink away from her as quickly as possible and hide under the couch.

Charlotte was playing with a box recently that had a plastic front with a hole in it. One day, B'Oscar crawled into the box, much to Charlotte's delight. She reached in and petted him and started screeching because she was so happy.

Now, every time B'Oscar gets near the box, she gets very excited. Sometimes she carries the box around the house following him. Sometimes he is a good sport and goes in, but usually she gets too excited before he gets the chance, and he opts to pass on the poking and prodding and squealing.

The other morning, he was sitting near the box when she walked in the room. She got so happy she ran towards him. When he turned and walked the other direction, she followed him, pointing at the box and jabbering at him. As he got further from the box, she got more insistent in her jabbers. When he walked out of the room she shouted after him, then turned to me and burst out crying!

Poor girl just wanted to play!

I wish I had gotten the exchange on video... it was funny and sad at the same time.

As a consolation prize, I shoved B'Oscar in the box this morning and Tim shot this quick video. He isn't in there long, but you can see how happy she is play with him. It's especially cute to watch her wave good bye to him as he leaves the room! Then she goes on to jabber for a little while... Enjoy!

Girl vs. Vacuum

Some mornings you just feel like bouncing!

December Evening

Charlotte's in bed...

The house is quiet...

The fireplace is blazing...

What a wonderful evening...

Comfy cozy by the tree!

I took this picture on my front porch around 8:30 this evening.
Left the shutter open for 30 seconds and this is what I got!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Things Charlotte has taught me...

If someone had told me two years ago where I would be today, I don't think I would have believed them.

There was no way I would be okay with someone throwing up on me, or wiping their snotty nose on my shoulder, or peeing on my bathroom floor.

And I certainly would not have agreed to 'read' the same picture book twelve times in a row.

But that was two years ago.

These days, I choose my outfit based on whether or not that snot spot can rub out.  I use phrases like, "Is that cat poop in your mouth?" and "Are you blowing bubbles with your nose?" and "I think someone is going to the bathroom!"

I make late night emergency runs to Walmart for diapers... I have a stockpile of rice milk... I know that original formula Desitin works the best... I am keenly aware of silence and the mischief that can be found there... I'm constantly locked out of my own kitchen cabinets... I know diapers are one of the few things in life you cannot buy generic... I know where all the squeaky boards are in my house and avoid them after dark...

I know that showers are a luxury and there is no such thing as a quiet dinner... I've learned that my food is not my own... and that scalloped potatoes take longer to cool than any other side item... Also, eating lots of vegetables can turn you orange...

I've learned that more words rhyme than you think they do... And I know that the word "dat" can mean any number of things from kitty to ceiling fan to butterfly...

I have also learned that I am not too mature to hide behind furniture and pop out just to hear squealing... that baby massages always tickle... that kisses sometimes involve teeth... and that when all else fails, chasing the cat always elicits a smile... That footy pajamas have just enough traction to get you where you need to go... and where you need to go is usually up the stairs...

And finally, Charlotte has taught me that going to sleep is much easier with a soft blankie and a stuffed bunny...

I'd like to take this moment to thank Charlotte for all my new found knowledge! I truly believe I am a better (if not well rested) person because of her!