Brotherly Love

Sam and Charlotte (March)

Benjamin and Samuel love their little sister. Charlotte is like the new center of their universe and they are rapidly orbiting planets that often need to come in really, really close to kiss her toes. It is excessively sweet to see my big babies love this new baby so, so much. The first thing they ask in the morning is if "beautiful face" is awake yet. And whenever she wakes up from her naps it's like she's been sleeping for an hundred years! Once one has seen her eyes bat open for a moment they come running to her, often loudly proclaiming the goods news to the other. If I'm going out and taking Charlotte with me, there is almost always a little battle because they don't want her to leave. They sit and read her stories, get her pacifiers, explain the convoluted plots of their pretend games, and always, always give her kisses. Hundreds and hundreds of kisses. They have declared that they will love Charlotte and I "infinity." It is magnificent.

Yet, it can be difficult to deal with such unbridled love from two such passionate little creatures when you are trying to care for an even littler creature. They run around and play their little games, stop suddenly and need to give Charlotte kisses and love RIGHT NOW! No matter if she is sleeping, nursing, crying, or having a diaper changed. And if they want to give a kiss on, say her tummy, and she is wearing a onesie or a jumper they'll try and unbutton her to have access to the intended location. If I intervene they protest that it must be done. We had to implement a no kisses during nap time rule because Charlotte was hardly sleeping during the day because she kept being woken up by this brotherly love. Sam is pretty good about it, but Ben is just perfecting his "silent kisses."

It's a crazy, stupendous adventure this motherhood gig.


Benjamin and Charlotte (March)

Father Son Campout in Pictures

It's that time of year again! Zach and the boys had a great time, I know that because when they came home there were multiple holes burnt into a jacket, a camp chair and Ben's forehead. Now that's what you call a Father/Son camp out! Charlotte and I stayed home, had some delicious Mexican food, and watched some shows, and then booby trapped the doors.

Talkative

After Zach read a billboard for a Mexican restaurant that said "Come Fiesta with us!"
Ben: "Come Fiesta with us." Fiesta? Come party with us? No thanks!
Sam: I don't even know who these people are!
Ben: Me neither.

Ben: Can you get down the... um...ah...
Katie: (teasing) What's an umah?
Sam: It's a plane.
Katie: In what language?
Ben: In robot.
Sam: So can you get down the umah wumah?

Ben: I hope Charlotte speaks English
Katie: Of course. What other language would she speak?
Ben: Maybe Chinese. Or Spanish!

Ben: When we were babies we could only understand each other.
Katie: What did you say to each other?
(At the same time)
Sam: I want to sit on your head!
Ben: I'm gonna spit up in your eye!

Ben: I love you, Mom.
Katie: I love you, Ben.
Ben: Even when I was a baby I was telling you that I loved you.

3 Months

- Charlotte likes to sleep with both her arms raised above her head
- She is still a big spitter-upper
- She has found her cry and uses it when she deems it necessary. Which is pretty often
- She is really alert whenever she is awake
- She has started to babble a lot and blow raspberries
- She is starting to laugh
- She has lost her startle reflex, much to Zach's chagrin (he liked to scare her, but he says that he's just checking reflexes)
- She has started to arch her back when she gets upset
- Charlotte is a great sleeper. She'll sometimes sleep for 5+ hours at night! Not always, but it is awesome when she does
- She is not the best napper. She doesn't seem to sleep in long stretches unless we are in the car, stroller, or carrier. She's more of a cat napper
- Her eye are slowly starting to change. Zach thinks they are going to be green. We'll see
- She'll beginning to discover her hands and she'll often try and grab at things, with mixed success
- She is an absolute charmer. Everywhere she goes people love her. But, she is especially loved at home









P.S. For some reason, while Blogger was down yesterday this post got erased with the comments that were on it. So, sorry to whoever commented!

Easter Awesomeness

Easter always seems to sneak up on me. Even this year, when it was so late, it had that revelation a week or so before the big day that it was a comin' and fast. Luckily, our neighborhood has a yearly egg roll party that all I have to do is show up to with my brood in tow. It's delightfully easy.


Because there are a limited number of eggs, the kids are only supposed to have a dozen each. The boys ran straight out of the gate gathering as many as they could lay their little hands upon. Which ended up being closer to twenty. So, we threw some back. Sam figured out that he could switch out the eggs in his bag for the new eggs on the ground, which kept the magic alive for him.


I wanted to take a nice photo of the kids for Easter. I wanted them to wear these brown shirts. Ben would only do it if he could wear the striped shirt he picked out underneath. He kept trying to take it off before the picture was taken.


The boys are trying to help calm Charlotte down in this picture.


And have succeeded here.


Sam managed to keep Charlotte happy as a clam by giving her his (most likely grimy, dirty) finger to suck on. He is such a sweet, little guy.


This is how Charlotte travels most of the time, strapped to one of us, bobbing her head about, looking at everyone and being generally fawned over. She really is a charmer.


After we had hunted out our eggs (they're just laying on the grass, so it's not terribly difficult) and sat about for a while, Ben saw a friend of his with a face painting and wanted to get one. In the line he said he wanted a dragon across his face.


Then at the last minute he changed it to a skull. Ya, know, to stay with the spirit of the holiday. It rocked.


Sam saw it and decided he should get one too.



His is a skeleton comet. Awesomeness.


These are the baskets for the boys. There wasn't much rhyme or reason to them this year. Just some things. I did manage to make a puzzle ball for Charlotte, though. And it's very neat. I think she'll like it when she has more control over her hands.

Here are some Easter photos of Charlotte and me in our purpley best. And one of Ben's purpley best as well.







Yes, we are so cute. Happy Easter!

Charlotte on a Chilly Day

Here are some great photos my friends Nicole took a couple of weeks ago out in the courtyard. They are stellar.


Mama and Baby




She makes this face all the time while she is sleeping. Funny girl.

2 Months

- As of her last doctor's appointment, Charlotte is now 12lbs and 23 inches
- She is in the 90 percentile for weight, length, and head circumference
- She likes to smile a lot (but not in this photo shoot)
- Ben and Sam's favorite nickname for her is "Beautiful Face"
- Their second favorite nickname is "cutie"
- Their third favorite is "pizza face"
- She likes to be outside
- She usually sleeps about five straight hours at night!
- She is constantly making noise. Sleeping noises, eating noises, etc. Always noisy
- She loves being in her swing