The elusive tooth

Little Charlie Jo had just finished lunch (prune juice and apples mixed with oatmeal) and was playing in her highchair as happy as a clam. I figured out that I could see her tooth when she did her big grin, so I got the camera out. After many many many failures, I finally captured the tooth on film! Can you see it on the bottom right (her bottom left)? It's not even halfway in yet, but it's as sharp as a razor. If you click on the photograph, it will blow up to a larger size.


She's wearing her Arizona State dress today, and she received many compliments on it at the baby playgroup we just attended. This was Charlie's first playgroup since she learned to sit up on her own, and she seemed to really enjoy it. She kept trying to grab all of the other babies, and she managed to steal at least one toy from each baby there at one time or another. Share, Charlie, share!

Six months old and doing "awesome"!

Charlotte's six-month appointment with the pediatrician was today, and the doctor raved that Charlotte is doing "awesome". She is a whopping 26.5 inches long and weighs in at 17 pounds, 4 ounces. Both of these stats place her squarely in the 75th percentile. She got some shots and cried a little, but as usual she calmed right down when we cuddled her afterward.

The pretty baby in the mirror is a never-ending source of amusement.



Daddy put his coat on Charlie because it was so cold in there!



Dance, pretty baby, dance!



She kept bending forward carefully to gently "bonk" the pretty baby with her forehead. Then, she would straighten up and grin.



I love that cute little "skort" I got on sale at Target.

Prune mishap

It wasn't my fault that a spoonful of Charlie Jo's prune breakfast almost ended up in her eye. Not entirely my fault, anyway. Where, oh where is Auntie Ernie, the world's neatest baby-feeder, when you need her?

Ride 'em cowgirl!

Charlie Jo is practicing for her first rodeo. Or something like that.

Pretty new romper

NanaB sent a new romper for little Charlie Jo, so we had a fashion shoot. As soon as I whipped out the camera, she got all smiley and goofy. She knows how to pose!

Dinner with Kathryn & Sean

Saturday night, we headed out to Bellevue for a night of college football at the home of our buddies Sean & Kathryn (a Vandy Auntie). Sean grilled us some terrific shrimp and steak, but poor Charlotte only got strained peas. Sean was impressed that Kathryn had such great feeding technique and got Charlotte to eat all of her veggies. Sean also impressed us by not minding a bit when Charlie slobbered all over him. We think both Kathryn & Sean are going to be great parents someday!

Charlotte also met Nina the dog for the first time. Actually, she kind of scared the pee out of Nina. We think if they had more time together, Nina would have settled down and enjoyed little Charlie Jo, but last night she seemed awfully nervous about the baby. Nina did get some good licks in though, much to Charlotte's delight. Charlotte is definitely a dog lover!

Here's Kathryn feeding Charlotte her peas.



And here's me and Kathryn with our "babies". I have no idea what Charlotte was doing in that picture. Probably trying to get my pants cuff in her mouth.

Toothy baby

Both of Charlie's grandmothers have requested photos of the new tooth, so we just attempted a photo session with the little pearl. It was unsuccessful, to say the least. Corey abjectly refused to participate at first, and then only reluctantly tried to help. Charlie turned into a squirmy wormy and suddenly her tongue was everywhere. Trying to hold her still, pin down her arms, pull down her lower lip, keep the mouth open, and move that tongue was absolutely impossible. So, there are still no photos of the tooth. I have caught brief glimpses of it, but mostly I know it's there by feeling it with my finger.

Oh, and to all those hilarious jokesters who told me I would most certainly be the first to know when Charlie got her first tooth (because of the breast feeding), you were wrong! Technically, Vandy Auntie Angela made the discovery. So there!

Teething, teething, teething

Either we are the most unobservant parents in the world, or Miss Charlie Jo is one of those lucky babies who can cut teeth without drama or chaos. Yesterday at lunch with the Vandy Aunties, Angela told me she thought she saw a tooth ready to poke out of Charlie's lower gums. People have been telling me for over three months that Charlie must be teething because she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, so I didn't think much about it. Later that afternoon, I looked for myself and thought I did see something. I felt her little gums and did feel a little sharpness! Corey confirmed it when he got home. So, it looks like Charlie's bottom right front tooth is making its debut, even though we have seen none of the swelling, redness, fussiness, fever, or anything else associated with teething. Just lots and lots of chewing on things and what seemed to be a fairly normal amount of drool. Go Charlie Jo!

Weekend with NanaB & Granddad

NanaB and Granddad flew down for Charlotte's first Labor Day weekend.  Granddad and Charlie, upon reuniting, promptly settled down for a little nap.



After recharging, Charlie showed NanaB and Granddad how she can sit 'n' play in her pack 'n' play.  Later that weekend, she almost showed us how she can dive out of the pack 'n' play after a toy she dropped, so we took out the upper level and now Charlie sits on the bottom.



We packed up and headed over to Arrington Vineyards to do some "tablegating."  Tablegating is a competition held at the Vineyards where folks decorate tables and a winner is picked each weekend.  Even though NanaB and I came up with a great theme of "Baby Blues", we did not win. 



After taking in a bottle of wine and the wonderful views of the green hills of Middle Tennessee, we came back to the house and got ready to watch the first MSU game of the year.  Charlie geared up. That's the hat from Corey's old Sparty doll that met an early demise when Connie the dog got a hold of it a few years ago.



On Sunday morning, we went for a walk at Crockett Park in Brentwood. Charlie would like her Uncle Jordan to know that there is a nice disc golf course there, and she hopes he will teach her how to play.



We worked up a good appetite and headed to the Loveless Cafe for lunch.  



Sunday evening, we joined the Marshall clan for a picnic dinner on the grounds of Carnton Plantation and a concert by FAB, a terrific Beatles cover band.



NanaB and Granddad enjoyed the concert.



Amazingly enough, Charlie was able to take a little snooze among the noise and chaos.



But then she woke up and practiced her crawling attempts.



The morning of Labor Day, we walked in the Franklin Classic 4k and won! Just kidding, but we did have a good time. (NanaB and I didn't actually run in the "Kids Kilometer", but we liked the shape of the kids' shirt better than the adult one.)



Charlie Jo had a great time with NanaB and Granddad!

Triple feature

Auntie Ernie took these videos when she and Uncle Andrew visited last weekend. Enjoy the triple feature!

First movie -- Charlotte tries squash for the very first time.


Second movie -- Charlotte goes wild.


Third movie -- Charlotte starting to learn how to crawl.

So Piggle, what do you think of your carseat?

Rockin' & rollin' in the play pen

Piggle is getting better and better at entertaining herself for longer and longer periods of time. My buddy Alan was just asking me about whether Charlotte could entertain herself and I replied that she couldn't do it for long. Lo and behold, she made me a liar this afternoon when she spent a good 15 minutes sitting alone in the play pen without fussing. I put so many toys in with her that it looked like I was making toy soup, but that's beside the point. Here's the little goofball getting her groove on in the play pen.