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!

Halloween - Lion Style

For Charlotte's second halloween, we dressed her as a lion. She had a rough day and I was a bit worried she would reject her costume, but thankfully she was a good sport about it and didn't complain at all the whole evening! Our church had a fall festival and when we first arrived, she seemed a bit timid. There was so much going on, she was overwhelmed. But as she warmed up to the environment, and got more steady on her lion paws, she had so much fun! She ran around a lot, played in the ball pit, jumped in a moon bounce, watched a puppet show, took a hayride and went down a giant slide with daddy. She was so preoccupied with all her adventures, I couldn't even get her to slow down and eat. 

She passed out the second we put her in the car and didn't want to wake up when we got home. I tried to make her eat some dinner, but all she did was whine and squirm until I got her in her pajamas and took her to her crib. I handed her a little pink bear, which she promptly hugged and kissed. She was smiling as I laid her in her crib and she immediately fell asleep. 

What an adventure filled evening for my little lion. I'm so glad that she had so much fun!

               

               

           

ball pit fun

In the ball pit with cousin Gabe and cousin Daniel

down the little slide (she kept going back to this slide)

More Photoshop fun!

Dancing Charlie

Evil Charlie

           Open Wide

running                                                                lion face

14 Month Charlie

Well, we finally got Charlotte's one year photos taken... 2 months late!! Here are just a handful from her photo shoot!

      

Jabber... Jabber... Jabber..

Comparison

Thought it would be fun to see a side by side comparison of Charlotte and Chapter 2! 

Charlotte                                                  Chapter 2

Now to unveil Chapter 2...

Well, today was the big ultrasound day. We had to be in Annapolis at 8:15 am. We dropped Charlie off at her grandparents and headed up.

When I had Charlotte's 2nd Trimester ultrasound, they had a hard time getting a picture of the four chambers of her heart. An hour and twenty jumping jacks later, they gave up and sent me on my way. When I next saw the doctor, she said she wanted me to go back for another ultrasound to see if they could get that one picture. They weren't too concerned, they just wanted to make sure. So I asked if I could go to a place that did 3D ultrasounds. So, by the time I got Charlotte's 3D pictures, I was about 21 weeks along. Plenty of time for her to pack on some chub.

Right now, I'm 18 weeks along. That means, no chub. So, you have been fairly warned that Chapter 2 currently looks slightly alien like!!

Anyways, other than the absolutely normal lack of chub, the doctor said the baby looks 'perfect!' Praise God!!

adorable profile

kinda looking at the front of the face

alien baby!

no chub means you can see the entire jaw line

face

I said, "Tim, our baby looks like a mime!"
Tim said, "No, it looks like Stephen King's 'IT'."

As before, we asked the ultrasound technician not to tell us what we were having. Once she was done, I asked her if she knew and she said, "Yes." And when the doctor took a look, he made us cover our eyes so that we wouldn't accidentally see something. Tim teases me that he thinks he knows what we are having... Hmmm... As for me... I'm guessing boy. Any thoughts?

It's amazing how quickly and completely you can fall in love with someone that you have never met. Chapter 2 is already such a huge part of our lives and I can't wait to meet him or her on (or around) March 14th. (Probably around, not on!)