Birthday Photo Shoot

Some photos I took of the boys around their 5th birthday. Ben is in purple, Sam is i blue.

4 Months

- Charlotte likes to scream. She's not angry, she's just screaming.
- She likes to hold onto my hair.
- She weighs 16 lbs 14 oz and is 25 inches long (two weeks ago at the last Dr's appointment)
- She's in the 90 percentile for length and head
- She in the the 99% for weight! That's the size of the average 8-month-old.
- She likes to babble
- She can grab things around her quite well
- She can almost sit up by herself
- She can roll over from her tummy to her back when she wants to, but mostly she just screams.
- She doesn't like to be left alone. At all.
- She likes to give kisses, aka suck on our cheeks and chins
- She likes to suck on her hands
- She loves to suck on her feet
- She is super happy and smiley when she wakes up. Unless she has been woken up. Then much less so.
- Her eyelashes are starting to get darker
- Her hair is growing in and it's looking pretty blonde up top, but brown in the back
- She is most wonderful and lovely little, baby girl ever. Ever.

The Blessing of Charlotte

On June 5th we blessed our darling little Charlotte. It was wonderful. Lots of family. Lots of love. Here are some pics.


The Fam


Katie's Family


Zach's Family

Thanks for coming, Family! We loved having you! Charlotte was especially grateful for all the extra love.

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!