Letter to My One-Year-Old

Dear Charlie,

This past year has been the best of my life.  You are the most precious little boy and there are so many things I love about you.  You can make anyone smile.  You love to snuggle.  You say "bye" anytime I'm about to end a phone conversation.  You love your wagon and hate your stroller.  You are careful.  You notice every dog who walks down the street.  You know a horse says "neigh" but have never seen a real one.  You love to eat.  You're a great sleeper.  You make your dad's day every time your eyes light up when he walks in the door after work.  You observe before you act.  You could swing all day every day.  You once ate an entire Tupperware container of broccoli as a snack.  You love music.  Your favorite past time is opening and closing doors repeatedly.  Any time you knock something down or drop something you say, "BOOM."  When I open the blinds in your room after a nap you say, "Wow."  You love to be tickled.  In music class you watch intently.  At home you pound away on the drums.  You prefer to play with kids who are older than you.  You give us eskimo kisses but Elmo gets real kisses. No one is allowed to snuggle your doggie except you.  You can crawl up and down stairs with the best of them.  You can walk on your own, but prefer to still hold my hand.  You like to say "Hi" to everyone in Target.  "Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See?" is your favorite book to read.  I hung pictures up in the dining room and you noticed them immediately.  You studied them intently and realized one is a picture of your mom and dad.  Now you point to it at every meal and say, "mama, dada."  You know my coffee is hot and that you shouldn't touch it, but you like to do it any way.  You love puzzles and clap for yourself when you get a shape close to the right place.  You feel peoples' happiness as well as their sadness.  You are a thinker.
A year ago I had no idea what kind of little boy you were going to be.  I am so blessed to have such a sweet, intelligent, kind-hearted, happy kid.  I love spending every day with you and watching you learn and grow.  I am the luckiest mom to the best kid. Thank you for teaching me about the world through your eyes.  I love you.

Mom

Charlie's First Birthday...

was a month ago.  Oops.  I have neglected this blog yet again!  What a busy summer it has been.  We headed to Kansas City in May for my brother's wedding, Charlie turned ONE at the end of June, and we moved to a new house two weeks later!  The unpacking seems endless...So instead of unpacking while Charlie naps, I think I'll take a moment to document some of the special moments we've had this summer starting with Charlie's first birthday.
I settled on The Very Hungry Caterpillar theme months ago.  Etsy and Pinterest are full of ideas using the theme, so finding them was the easy part.  I spent about a month crafting and planning (my favorite part!) I had lots of help from family too.  The heat wave hit Colorado the weekend of Charlie's backyard party, but even with temperatures near 100 degrees, family and friends partied all afternoon!  It was so much fun to see Charlie's little friends and introduce them to his family.  We set up a photo booth using shades of green balloons as the backdrop and my cousin Sarah was nice enough to man it throughout most of the party.  We served the majority of the foods the hungry caterpillar ate throughout the book and purchased cupcakes from Big Fat Cupcake.  I thought they were delicious, but Charlie preferred the watermelon on a stick.  I'm OK with that!  All of the guests signed a copy of Eric Carle's, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." So even though Charlie won't have memories from the party, he'll have this keepsake to remind him who was there celebrating with him.  I had the best intentions of photographing every aspect of the party, but you know how that goes.  I.did.not.  Instead, I have a bunch of cute photo booth pics and a few others when I got around to picking up my camera.

 Of course I meant to write Charlie a note on this blog for his first birthday and still haven't gotten around to doing it...baby steps.  I also still need to shoot his one year pictures!  Until then, HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!! You are the most perfect, special little person.  I love and adore you!

Fun at Wash Park

Charlie and I had a great time at Wash Park this morning.  Pictures were taken, sticks were eaten, and geese were chased!  Is it just me, or does he look like a toddler?

Stats and Travels

We just got back from Charlie's 9 month wellness appointment.

Height: 29 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Weight: 19.5 lbs (28th percentile)
Words: "dada" and "baba"
Teeth: two on the bottom and four on top

March was a very busy month for us!  Charlie and I traveled to Kansas City for Laura's bridal shower.  It was Charlie's first time away from Rick.  I don't think Rick liked it very much!  We had fun visiting with family and celebrating with Laura, her family and friends.  The weekend was so busy and quick, that I dropped the ball on taking pictures.  I was able to snap a couple of my dad and Charlie playing in my grandma's front yard.   Charlie and Grandpa got a lot of quality time together.  They bonded over making funny noises with their mouths.  They were two peas in a pod:-)

My dad got a first hand reminder on how to prioritize daily routines with a 9 month old.  Without revealing too much, all I will say is ALWAYS get dressed after you take a shower no matter how loud the baby is crying.  ALWAYS.



The following weekend we headed down to Florida to spend time with Rick's family.  The timing was a bit rough.  Charlie was teething (a total of four teeth came that week) and he also figured out how to sleep on his stomach, but woke up confused and screaming every night.  That combined with the jet lag, lack of routine sleep, his unwillingness to go to someone else if I was in plain sight, and his first experiences with sand and open bodies of water did not equate to a very relaxing vacation for his parents!  By the end of the week Charlie warmed up to the idea of both sand and water, although I don't think he has big plans for deep sea diving in the near future.  We did have a great time hanging out with Rick's parents, his sister Maddy, and Maddy's boyfriend Kyle.  We enjoyed delicious food and beautiful days by the pool and ocean.  And now I'm ready for a nap.

                              

 

Jory's sweet 16 photos

My friend Kelly has a 16 year old daughter named Jory.  They were sweet enough to let me practice my photography skills on her.  We had a great time shooting around the "Taxi Community".  It's a mixed use community full of vibrant colored walls and industrial landscapes.  It's also close to the train tracks.  Jory was brave enough to climb on a train for some shots.  We were all shocked when the train she was posing on began to move.  WHOOPS.  Don't worry, Jory was unharmed in the taking of these photos.  She jumped off the train unscathed.  Thanks for spending the afternoon with me ladies!  Here are a few of the pics. Enjoy!

8 Months

Dear Charlie,

Today you turn 8 months old.  You have two teeth, bright blue eyes and a smile that melts hearts.  You love to laugh.  You follow me around the house in your walker, kicking your little feet to propel you down the hall.  The cats are not fans of your mobility.  You're curious about crawling and have recently discovered how to move backwards.  You are sweet and kind.  I love it when you press your face to mine.  You also have a temper.  (Must be from your dad.)  You attend music class, library, and Gymboree. You love everything about music and you and your dad bond over guitar sessions on the living room floor.  You enjoy books, especially the way they taste.  At Gymboree your eyes light up when Gymbo the clown (a puppet) arrives.  Your little legs kick, kick, kick and you follow him around the room with your eyes patiently waiting for him to kiss your cheek.  The parachute and bubbles are also favorites of yours.  You become more independent each day.  You're holding your own bottle now, but sometimes prefer mom or dad to hold it for you.  You love anything having to do with technology and can't be fooled by "kid technology."  You'll choose the TV remote over your Fisher Price phone every time. You dive out of my arms to get your hands on my iPhone.  In fact I bribe you with it to encourage you to crawl.  You still love your feet and enjoy grabbing the socks off your friends Morrison and Thomas.  Your favorite word is Dadadadadadada which you and I both know means Mom.  Your feet smell.  No matter how often you're bathed.  You love to splash in the bathtub and are outgrowing your infant seat.  You'll have your first "big boy bath" tomorrow.  Your hair is still red, but lightening each day.  It's curly on the top and on the sides, but still too short in the back to curl.  You recently went through your first bout of croup.  You were a champ and slept in the swing for two weeks.  You weigh 17 pounds 10 ounces. You're in size three diapers.  You eat quinoa.  You love pickles.  You are able to sip water through a straw.  You get better at grabbing finger foods at every meal.  When a puff makes it into your mouth we cheer and you laugh.  You can smile on cue and often do when I bring a camera up to my eye.  You're never allowed to drive, date, or join a fraternity.  You're the love of my life.  Happy 8 month birthday baby.

I love you,
Mom

Is that a drowning seal or my baby?

Charlie's been battling a virus all week.  It started out as just a fever, then progressed into the most pathetic, tragic sounding cough I've ever heard.  In Rick's words, "I feel like I'm suffocating listening to him cough."  Ugh.  Breaks your heart.  If you close your eyes you'd swear a seal was drowning in our bedroom.

The past few days have been rough, but last night was a whole new kind of terrible.  He was a wheezing, sniffling, coughing mess which doesn't result in good sleep or any sleep at all for that matter.  Laying flat on his back in his crib isn't an option, so we've been putting him in his swing.  He would fall asleep for 30 minutes or so and then his cough would wake him up, induce crying, which would induce more coughing.  This became a vicious cycle.  Up until this point in his life I was so proud of what an independent sleeper he's been.  He's great at falling asleep in his crib and doesn't need to be rocked.  This backfired last night when all I wanted him to do was fall asleep in my arms.  He kept looking at me with eyes (and those infamous expressive eyebrows) that said, "What are you doing?  I don't sleep here lady."  No matter how late it got, he refused to fall asleep in my arms.  At one point, around 4:00 am, during one of our multiple trips to the bathroom for a hot shower steam treatment, he fell asleep sitting cross-legged in my arms.  At first I panicked thinking he'd passed out from the heat only to realize he'd finally given in to his sheer exhaustion.  The sleep was short lived.  As soon as we left the bathroom he eyes shot open and we were back to square one.  I will say the kid's hair and humidity do not mix.  He entered the bathroom a distinguished businessman and left looking more like Carrot Top than Donald Trump.  I guess that was an indication of what he'll look like on our vacation with Rick's family in Florida!

Things are always more manageable in day light.  He's still coughing up a lung and has added sneezing snot rockets to the list (gross).  But he's also played a bit and has slept a bit better.  I'm praying tonight is better and not worse.  Rick picked up a prescription for a steroid the doctor prescribed Charlie yesterday with the warning that the side effects of the medicine could be worse than the symptoms he's experiencing now.  Sigh.  For now, we're playing it by ear.  The last thing I want to do is give him a steroid that causes him to be jittery and unable to rest.  Hopefully, tonight is better and we all get a bit of sleep.

Here are a few pictures I took of him yesterday before his cough got really bad.

Scared Straight

I'd been dreading the date for months.  February 16, 2012, my court date.  Back in December I was pulled over for speeding on my way to the DMV to renew my license plates.  I was unable to produce current proof of insurance (I had 6 or 7 expired insurance cards in the glove compartment) but the current one was in a pile of mail I had yet to open.  You'd think a new mother, who had recently moved, and was on her way to the DMV with a 5 month old would catch a break.  You would be wrong.  The cop assigned me a court date and sent me on my way.  I pondered going to get my valid insurance card and driving back to his patrol car, knocking on the window, and shouting, "Look here it is! I'm not a delinquent. Don't send me to court!"
Christmas and New Years came and went and my court date was quickly approaching.  Rick was kind enough to take a half day so he could stay home and watch Charlie while his criminal mother could plead her innocence in front of a judge.  All day I questioned Rick, "Will this be a real court room?  Will I have to stand at a podium and talk?  Will you bail me out of jail?"  Rick assured me this would be no big deal.  He said and I quote, "It's just traffic court.  It will be some guy at a desk talking to you.  Don't worry about it."  Right.
I left about an hour and a half early to be safe.  At least my parents would be proud of my timely arrival when they explain to their friends how I ended up in the slammer.  Plus, court was first come first served, so I figured the earlier the better.  When I entered the building there was one guy in a suit sitting on a bench outside of the courtroom and an older man in desperate need of a shower, making his way to an empty bench.  I took my seat (on a separate bench) and was mentally applauding myself for being third in line.  I would be able to see how the two guys in front of me handled the courtroom, but was early enough to make it home in time to watch "The Office. " More people began filing in and by the time the courtroom doors were opened, there were about 20 people waiting.  As we began walking in to give our names the man in the suit took a phone call and stepped out of line.  If you're keeping count, that left one person in front of me.  He gave his name and the clerk notified him that he was not on the docket for today and he would have to come back on his assigned court date.  And this is when I began to panic.  If this guy goes home that means I'm the first in line.  I don't watch a lot of court TV.  Dammit why didn't I watch Judge Judy today?  I took my seat in the front row and waited for the DA to call my name.  While I waited, I surveyed the scene.  You will be shocked to know that Rick was wrong. in. every.way.  This was a legit court room complete with pews, prosecution and defendant's tables, a podium with a microphone, and an elevated judge's bench.  This is when I sweat through my sweater.  The other "criminals" taking their seats ran the gambit from a teenage daughter and her parents, to a guy covered in tats who had to be told three times by the clerk to remove his hat.  I overhead one conversation between two men where they shook hands and chuckled over the fact that they, "just keep running into each other in court."  I was glad I wasn't sitting next to them.
Finally, the DA called my name.  I entered the closet he used as a makeshift office and took a seat while he went over my case.  "Looks like speeding for 4 points.  I can get it down to two or we can go to trial."  Uhhhhh two points please? "Alright, you'll be the first to see the judge.  Next."  WAIT.  What does that mean?  What do I do?  Why can't I be the teenage girl with her parents?  "That means you'll stand at the podium and plead guilty.  Next."
With my heart beating out of my chest, I returned to my seat in the front row and stared at the podium.  Thoughts began swirling.  What do I say?  Do I greet the judge with a, "Good evening your honor?"  Do I look him in the eye?  Do I have to say I'm guilty?  But what am I saying I'm guilty of?  What if he gets my ticket mixed up with someone else's and I accidentally plead guilty to something someone else did?  Why didn't the DA ask to see my insurance?  Do I hand my insurance to the judge?  For a moment I consider befriending the woman next to me.  The DA had a booming voice and I overhead that she was in the same situation as me.  She looked calm as a cucumber reading a study guide she'd brought.  But before I could tap her on the shoulder and ask her what the heck I was supposed to do next, the judge entered the chambers.  "All rise, the honorable Judge 'I don't remember his name because I was too busy thinking about how wrong Rick was about the seriousness of this whole thing' presiding."  The judge asked us to be seated and began with the preliminaries.  I don't remember much of what he said, although one key point did stick out in my mind.  If you are unable to pay your fee tonight you may be incarcerated until payment is made.  And with that little tidbit of info threatening to paralyze me, the judge called me name and I was asked to approach the podium.  All I remember is not being sure where to put my hands.  Do I rest them on the podium?  Bad idea because they were shaking.  Do I put them in my pockets?  What if they think I have a gun and they take me out?  I opted for clasping them in front of me, shielding the shakes from the judge.  Then I did my best not to breathe for fear of sounding like Darth Vader into the microphone. He reviewed my ticket and the revision the DA had made earlier.  He asked me if I agreed.  I whispered, "yes" and "yes" again when he asked if I understood.  He then told me the fine was $125 and asked if I could pay tonight.  "YES," I near shouted before bee lining it to the cashier, checkbook in hand.  Court started at 6:00 and I was peeling out of the parking lot by 6:07.
I called my parents to inform them they wouldn't have to fear the next dinner party and explaining my whereabouts to their friends.  "Oh yeah, I forgot that was today," my dad replied nonchalantly.  He hadn't even told my mom I was going to court that night.  Clearly, the experience had not impacted my father has much as it had impacted me.
You can be sure I won't be committing a crime any time soon.  Traffic court was enough to tell me I wasn't built to rob a bank or hijack a car.
Rick had dinner ready for me when I got home.  I made sure to tell him just how wrong he was about the "guy at the desk."  And I did make it home in time to watch The Office.

Man in the Mirror

Charlie needs a play date!

Recap

Wow, it's been awhile!  I blame my adorable Charlie who is so darn cute I spend every waking moment playing with him, cleaning up after him, feeding him, changing him, dancing with him, singing to him, reading to him, going on walks with him, and snuggling with him.  When we aren't in the middle of all that we're at Gymboree, music class, the library, or my mommy group.  This doesn't leave me much time for blogging!  When I find myself wishing I had time to blog, I write entries in my mind.  Trust me when I say, the past few months have been filled with HILARIOUS stories.  You'd be on the floor laughing if I'd had the time to write it all down.  Trust me.  Sorry you're not in my head.

Charlie is 7 months old!  Where did the time go?  Two of my good friends have had their babies.  One is now three months and the other 4 weeks.  They seem so little compared to Charlie.

I already miss him as an infant.  At the same time he's so much fun as a 7 month old.  He laughs. A. Lot.  Even if he doesn't think what you said was particularly hilarious, he'll give you a sympathetic "ha".  He knows I need the reassurance.

Last week I was getting my hair done and came across this:

I went straight to Charlie's birthday.  

All I can say is it looks to me like the terrible twos are going to be epic.

Today we're busy making Valentine's for the family.  Pics to come.  Hopefully before summer.