Center Hill Lake fun with Michiganders

Our buddies came down from Michigan for the weekend to meet Charlie Jo and to spend a day on the lake with us. We got together with other mutual friends from Michigan and headed out to Center Hill Lake. All eight adults, four kids and tons of stuff packed onto the pontoon and set sail on Center Hill Lake. Or puttered out with a motor. Whatever. We had a great time and spent most of the day marinating in the warm water.

For Charlie Jo, this was the outfit of choice. It was a steamy, steamy day.


It was Charlie's first time in Center Hill Lake. She liked to lick the inflatable baby seat.


I won't tell you how long it took me to squeeze that ring over my hips.


Charlie loved sleeping on the boat.


But she loved chewing on her toes even more.

Lunch at Monell's

Today, Alicia, Faith Carol, Charlotte and I headed to downtown Franklin for lunch at Monell's. They have great family-style-sit-at-a-long-table-with-strangers dining and very yummy southern food. The fried chicken was to die for. The best part is the restaurant is located in the old jail!


Pretty building, huh? The front part was the living quarters for the sheriff and his family.

The cashier took us for a tour of the upstairs. He is standing on the trap door that used to drop out beneath the criminals being hanged!



This is the dungeon. Looks like they forgot to let one of the prisoners out before they turned it into a restaurant.



There's still bars on the windows in the back.



After lunch, we walked across the street to a custom cookie cafe, where they will make cookies to order with your choice of mix-ins. You can even have a Bake Your Own Cookie birthday party. Fun! We didn't get any cookies, but Charlie had a good time being carried around by Faith Carol.



But then Faith Carol bored her to sleep.

Goofing around with a new program

I just made this using Smilebox.com software, which I read about in a magazine. It looks like a lot of fun!

Make a Smilebox free ecard

Another successful munch 'n' crunch

Our second meal went even better than the first, despite than my failure to remember to procure a bib before starting. Hey - I'm not an expert mom yet!

Charlotte and I joined family friend Rich last night for trivia. Despite being tied for first place coming into the final question, we lost because we failed to know that New Hampshire borders the Atlantic Ocean (for only a total of 13 miles!). Of course, Alicia knew the answer, but because she ditched us to have a birthday dinner with her husband (what kind of priorities are those?) she wasn't such a big help. Oh well. Happy birthday to both Alicia and my Grandma Jane yesterday!

Today we don't have any big plans, but I think I may try something new -- clothes shopping for myself with Charlotte in tow. Unfortunately, my slow & steady weight loss (yea breastfeeding!) has resulted in a serious lack of shorts that don't sag lower on my hips than a 13-year-old wannabe gangster's do. We are hosting some very special guests this weekend (our buddies Brad and Amanda, aka "Bramanda") and I gots to look good. We'll see how that goes.

Here's some shots of lil' sassy in her high chair for her second meal:

Videos of the messy first meal

Adventures in solid food

We tried rice cereal for the first time this evening. It was cut down very thin with water, so it looked a lot like runny grits. Corey said it tasted about as bland as it looked, but I didn't try any. Here's some shots of the big girl eating her solid food!








Oh my, what a mess!

Cruisin'

We took a walk yesterday morning with Charlie in the stroller. As it was a sunny day, we deemed it necessary to outfit Charlie with sunglasses. Doesn't she look fabulous?

Swimming at a birthday party

Charlotte attended a birthday party for her buddy, Annabelle (who was turning 2), yesterday. It was a luau pool party! Charlie "swam" around in a little baby pool and made some new friends. She met another 4-month-old, and we were struck by how much bigger, more alert, and more physically active Charlie was than that little guy. She's by no means a little genius, but she's doing pretty well for her age. We think she had a good time watching all of the other little kids run around. Happy birthday, Annabelle!

Growing up fast

Little Piggle is officially four months old as of yesterday! Today, we went to see the pediatrician (whom we love) for the four-month check-up. Charlie was measured at 25 3/4 inches, which puts her in the 90th - 95th percentile in height! She weighed in at 15 pounds, 3 ounces, which is in the 75th to 90th percentile for weight. Since she has been finishing eating quicker and quicker these days, I was worried she hadn't been eating enough. Apparently, I was wrong to worry. The doctor explained that Charlie is just getting more efficient at nursing and is clearly eating very well.

Charlie was deemed to have hit all of the developmental milestones considered to be precursors to starting solid food, so the doctor gave the green light for slowly introducing rice cereal once we're comfortable with starting it. How fun! I ran right out and bought some rice cereal, but I think we may wait to have the first solid food meal until later this weekend. Charlie had four more vaccines today (three shots and one orally given) and I want to make sure she's over their effects (last time she was very sleepy all the next day) before we start.

Other than peeing all over the exam table, Charlie was a perfect angel during the appointment. She did cry a little during the shots, but she calmed right down when I picked her up. She's been a little sleepy this afternoon, but she's lying on the floor on her play mat right now and wiggling around as per normal. The doctor and nurse were very impressed with her physical development. They were also glad to hear that Charlie started laughing last night! Corey and I were pretty excited as well, because laughing is one of our favorite things to do. Now that she has started to soothe herself with thumb-sucking, she's starting to seem like a little person rather than just an infant!

Cutest baby competition

Uh oh - looks like there's another new "baby" in the family to compete with Charlotte for the title of cutest Evans kid. Check out Jordan & Jessica's new Corgi, named "Lincoln":






What a sweetie!! He's the same age as Charlotte, but is just a little hairier. Probably better potty-trained, too.

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