Happy birthday, Daddy!

Piggle would like to take this opportunity to wish her daddy a very happy 33rd birthday! She bought him a wooden United States puzzle (each state is a puzzle piece) and some wooden blocks. They always say to buy someone something you want yourself, right? This weekend, she's also going to take Daddy shopping for new work clothes. Fun stuff!

I am making my first two-layer birthday cake in honor of the occasion. Wish me luck...

Margie memorialized on a onesie

This

Plus this

Equals this!


Auntie Ernie put her favorite photo of her cat, Margie, on a onesie for Charlotte! We just hope Pacey doesn't get jealous.

Stringers in black and white

Corey just developed some photos he took with his old school camera (you actually have to manually focus it!). Some were from when Charlie was still in my tummy, and a couple were from when she was still teeny tiny. Amazingly enough, Duke the dog's fear of cameras somehow goes away when he's outside, so there are some great shots of him.

Dukie is so shiny!



Charlie was still in my belly.



Connie has a large tongue.



Charlie was just a little bubba in these photos.



Eyes not quite focusing yet.



And a family photo from Labor Day weekend.



When I went to the drug store to turn in the 35mm film for processing, I didn't realize you don't fill out a little envelope anymore. Some to think of it, the last time I probably took 35mm film in for processing was right after our honeymoon -- five years ago!

And we have tooth #2!

Charlie and I were goofing around while we were waiting for the bathtub to fill for her bath, so we played our favorite game, "What's the Pretty Baby in the Mirror Doing?" The pretty baby in the mirror was of course smiling with a big cheeseball smile. I took the opportunity to check out her new tooth, and I saw a little bit of white peeking through her gums to the right of her existing tooth. Looks like her second tooth is ready to erupt!

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!