Charlie's "firsts" in Michigan

First nap on the couch in the sitting room where her daddy spent many many hours while at home from college and law school.

First walk down bumpy Cobb Creek Road in NanaB's Jeep Wrangler stroller.

First time in a high chair while the adults ate.

First visit to the Rochester Farmer's Market (though she snoozed right through it).

First meal in the formal dining room with the family.

First "zerbert" on her tummy from Great Aunt Lisa.

First time watching Daddy make a fool of himself. Well, not really the first time ever, but the first time in Michigan.

First experience with airline cutbacks -- knuckle sandwiches were the only thing on the menu on the flight home.

Hanging out with Daddy's family

Charlie had a very special trip to Michigan, because she got to hang out with lots of fun relatives!

Great Aunt Martha and cousin Katie

Great Grandpa and Great Granny Taylor

Great Grandfather Stringer

Great Uncle Dave, cousin Ellie, and Great Aunt Lisa

NanaB and Granddad

Cousin Erin

Great Uncle Doug

The trip in fashion

For many reasons, it seemed like we spent the entire trip to Michigan changing Charlotte in and out of different outfits. Here is a sampling of her fashion choices in Michigan:













And that doesn't include jammies and maybe one or two other outfits that somehow escaped the camera!

Were we there three weeks? Nope - just 4 days!

And we're back!

Charlie Jo and I just dropped Corey off at work and made it back down to Franklin. We had a great flight home after a super fun trip! Now we need a little naptime to make up for getting up at 3:00 a.m. CST. Here's a preview of the fun 4th of July photos to come.

Charlie is in Michigan!

Just got the call from Niki - Charlie, for the first time, is in Michigan! Yaaaaay!

Niki's new cousin!

My Aunt Toni, Uncle Eric, and cousin Emma welcomed a new member to their family this week! Audrey Therese was born on June 30 at 12:41 pm, weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces and measuring 19 3/4 inches long. It seems so funny to be getting a new cousin when I'm 31 years old, but that's what happens when your dad has a sister 16 years his junior, and she has children a little later in life. It's not every day that a great aunt and great uncle have a baby. Hee hee.

As you may recall, little Emma held Charlotte a bunch when we were all in Oregon for Jordan and Jessica's wedding. Looks like that was good practice, because she's holding Audrey like a pro!

Getting in the mood

I was in the grocery store doing a little shopping in preparation for leaving Corey home alone for two days (Charlotte and I are flying to Michigan for the holiday weekend a couple of days before Corey flies up to meet us on Saturday), and I thought I would get him some ice cream as a treat. We love the store-brand ice cream, and so I headed to that section. Lo and behold, I found a flavor featuring Mackinac fudge! [Mackinac is an island in Lake Huron which Corey's family has visited a number of times.] To get Corey in the mood for our trip to Michigan, I bought him a carton to enjoy while he's moping at home alone.

Haute couture

Our little fashion model is shown here in the latest in haute couture, provided to her by her doting Auntie Ernie. Well, maybe they're not so much couture as super cute outfits from Old Navy Baby, but who's counting? Check out our very own supermodel in her new duds:





The teal outfit has matching bloomers underneath. So stinkin' cute!!

Little Piggle

Piggle (as we have been calling Charlie lately for some unknown reason) is becoming a champion thumb-sucker. She is also mastering the art of getting her toes in her mouth. As if that weren't enough, she also gave herself a hickey on her forearm. So much excitement around here!

We have had a nice beginning to the week. We have run lots of errands (including getting Corey's car emissions tested and registration renewed - blech!), but we have also enjoyed a bunch of playtime. Miss Piggle is really getting good at grabbing her toys and waving them all around (in between chomping and sucking on them). This makes playtime a whole lot more interesting for me as I watch to see what she does and what types of toys she prefers. She still seems to enjoy bathtime as well, and that should get even more fun once she realizes how much fun it is to play in the bathtub. Corey and I laughed all through Piggle's bath last night as she chomped on a washcloth and kicked her feet in the water.

Here's the little Piggle on her play mat, bopping around with her toys.

Me 'n' my blankie

Faith Carol knitted Charlie Jo a gorgeous and supersoft blankie, perfect for cuddling and practicing her thumb-sucking! Witness the resulting cuteness:

Little fish

Corey and a partner from work (John) needed to get together to work this afternoon. Since John and his family live just a few miles from us, Corey and John decided to work in John's dining room rather than make the long trek into Nashville. John's wife, Amy, and four-year-old daughter invited Charlotte and me over as well to take a swim in the neighborhood pool. We had a blast! Check out the little bathing beauty:

That's the suit given to her by Kenny & Sally Anderson (they're sort of cousins on my mom's side). We forgot to take a picture with the supercute matching sunglasses on though.

Charlie met some boys(!) at the pool. That's Amy holding her there.

Amy's daughter was a terrific swimmer. She's learning the crawl stroke and can jump into the pool all by herself. She was so sweet with Charlotte!

Linus

Charlie fell asleep sucking on her thumb, with the sheet from my bed positioned just like Linus and his blankie from the comic strip "Peanuts". Maybe we should start calling her "Charlie Brown".