It's the little things

-- the way she tried to blow on the dandelion in the front lawn
-- her concentrated effort to put the dandelion stem back into the ground after she picked it
-- her arms tight around my neck
-- her mischievous smiles when she feeds the dog Cheerios
-- her fingers pinched together around an object when she hands me things that she finds on the ground
-- her smile when she sees me at the door to her classroom at the end of the day
-- her hands playing with my hair while she falls asleep
-- the way she tries to mimic whatever she sees people doing
-- the way she knows just what to do on every page of "Pat the Bunny"
-- her grin when her Daddy gets home at the end of the day

that I hope can remember forever.

Whirlwind

That is how this weekend felt.

I picked Charlotte up a little early on Friday from daycare. The rain stopped for a little while and she was cranky, so I put her in the BOB and headed out for a walk. I was about 5 min from home, when a man pulled up next to me and said, "You know that there are cops on the next street over searching for 2 perps that shot a man on Lavista, don't you?" I said, "No, I wasn't aware.", then turned the stroller around and ran back to the house. When, I got home I turned on the news to see a story about a man that was shot in his driveway about a mile from my house and the two gunman ran down the street and into my neighborhood - awesome. This is a great start to the weekend when your husband is out of town!

Erin invited Charlotte and I over to have dinner with her and Ella and Emma. So, we packed up and went over as the K-9 unit was searching the woods next to my house. Dave and Judd went to Brave's spring training with Chad for the weekend, so it was nice to have some company with Erin and the girls on Friday night. The girls get along well and it is fun to watch them play.

After listening to the helicopters fly over the neighborhood all night still searching, I woke up early on Saturday morning. I got ready and packed, then woke Charlotte up about 10 til 7 to leave for the airport by 7:05am. We caught a flight to Baltimore just before 9am. Charlotte was so good on the plane, she actually curled up in the seat next to me and slept. I was SHOCKED. She has never done something like that - she will fall asleep in my lap- but never in an empty seat.

My parents picked us up and we went over to my sister, Sally, and brother-in-law's new house for lunch. My other sister, Rachel, and my soon-to-be brother-in-law were there too. Their house is gorgeous, and my sister is a wonderful hostess so it was a nice lunch. After lunch, we headed to my parent's house in Pennsylvania, about an hour away. Charlotte went to bed early that night - it had been a busy day.

Sunday we got my grandmother and went to breakfast. Charlotte charmed everyone there with her smiles. She will stare someone down until they look at her, and then once they do, she'll flash them a huge smile and wave. She is certain that everyone is supposed to give her attention - I think we're creating a monster :) (a really, really cute monster!) We headed to the airport about 1 o'clock and headed home on a 2:30 flight. I think we were only up North for 24 hours!

It was a whirlwind - but a fun one!

Shoes

Last Fall I bought Charlotte a pair of little black Mary Jane's that she could wear through the holidays with her various dresses. Over the past few months she has grown to love these little shoes. Each night after her bath, before I can wrestle a diaper onto her, she walks over to where I store her shoes and finds that pair. She brings them to me, sits in my lap, and points her foot in the air to indicate where the shoes go.

It is sad, though, because these shoes are too small for her to continue to wear. I can barely get her little feet into them now, and when I do, her feet buldge through the openings.

Luckily, her grandparents sent her a new pair of white Mary Jane's to wear for the Spring. While she's at school tomorrow I'll swap out the old for the new. Just another little reminder of how fast she is growing.

Sick of Sick

I had an unplanned girl's day with Blue Eyes today. I picked her up from daycare yesterday and her teachers said they had just taken her temperature and it was a little over 101. They said that she had eaten a good lunch and had taken a good nap, so I decided to just take her home and not try to go to the doctor's office.

She didn't eat much dinner, and was very clingy. I took her temperature again around 6:00 and it was 103. I panicked slightly, but then remembered that if I take her temperature rectally that I should subtract a degree. I put her in a cool bath (which she hated) then got her ready for bed. She took a dose of Tylenol and then hit the hay.

I decided to keep her home today to let her rest. She took two really good naps and was in pretty good spirits throughout the day. I got her Chick-fil-A nuggets for lunch. I know she loves them, and I wanted her to eat. She saw me dipping my nuggets in bar-b-que sauce. She pointed at the sauce and grunted, so I held the sauce out for her. She took a little piece of her nugget and dipped it very carefully. She popped it in her mouth and her little eyes got really big. She immediately grabbed another little piece of nugget and dipped it. That is how she finished all 5 nuggets that came in her kid's meal. She was covered in bar-b-que sauce by the end. I didn't care, she was happy and full - and when she's happy, I'm happy.

Judd had the full blown flu last week. The poor guy laid in bed for 3 full days. He said it was the sickest he's ever been. I'm hoping Charlotte didn't get his flu. She had her flu shots, so I'm hoping this is just a nasty cold.

Hopefully, she'll be closer to her normal self tomorrow. I didn't take her to the doctor today, because every time we've done that when she had a runny nose & fever - they've said it was a virus, given her motrin, and sent us home. As long as she is acting somewhat normal, eating, and drinking, I don't feel like I should take her. For me, it's always a tough decision - because I know just the act of taking her to the doctor is exhausting for both of us.

Ella & Emma turn 1!

Saturday we went to Ella and Emma's first birthday party. Charlotte was a little overwhelmed at first, but warmed up eventually and started playing with Ella & Emma's cousins. Erin & Dave's family was there as well as Drena, Oliver, and Drena's mom. Erin and Dave had a slideshow of the girls' first year playing on the TV. It is amazing to watch the progression. I remember very clearly the morning Dave called to tell us the girls had been born. My sister, Sally, and her husband were in town visiting. I was making breakfast and my phone rang. It was Dave, and the first thing he said was, "I'm a Daddy." I remember feeling stunned. Erin had just gone home from the hospital after weeks of bedrest a day or two before! They were so tiny - and now they are as big or bigger than Charlotte! After the party, we all headed over to the zoo. It was a gorgeous day, and the zoo was packed. For some reason, I remembered Zoo Atlanta not being very nice, and was surprised walking around. It is really nice. We saw the gorillas, pandas, and african animals.

The gorillas are amazing. There is one, Ivan, that was born around 1962 - 17 years older than Judd and me.

Charlotte hadn't had much of a nap that day and was starting to lose patience about the time of the petting zoo. She isn't one to just lay back in her stroller and doze off. So, Judd, Charlotte, and I headed home.

I was so happy that we were able to be a part of Ella & Emma's big day. Over the past year, I have had a few of my dear friends have babies. It has been such a fun year, and I truly love watching their children grow. I also love learning how to be a mother from them. Each of us has a different personality, and it is fun to see how that is reflected in the new role of Mother. I love their children, and hope that our kids will continue to grow up knowing each other.

X, Y, and Z!

Whooo hoooo! I made it - I think it's been about 7 months, but we finished. Now I just have to send it in to make the book!

W is for Wagon

Flyin' High

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This afternoon Charlotte and I went looking for leprechauns. Hope you took some time this beautiful afternoon to search!

Look how much she's changed in a year!

Because you asked

Here's one for my mom, because she asked.

A dirty morning

Warning: If you do not like the discussion of bodily fluids, or if you do but you are eating right now, do not read on.

I didn't think that this would happen to me. I have read about it in books and online, I have seen this sort of thing happen on TV, I just didn't think I'd have to deal with it. But, this morning I did.

I was so happy when I woke up. I looked over at the clock, 8:15! WHOA! Except for a brief crying episode at 6:00 AM, Charlotte had slept until 8:15. I heard her moving around in her crib, but she wasn't crying, so I cuddled back up next to Judd for a couple more minutes. Finally, she let out a little cry, so I went into her room.

I knew as soon as I opened the door that there was a very dirty diaper in my near future. I saw some brown liquid on the crib bumper pad, and thought it was strange that she had thrown up. I picked her up and asked her if she felt bad, then laid her on the floor to change her diaper. I opened up the diaper, and quickly realized that there was poop all up her back and into her shirt. That stuff on her bumper was NOT throw up. I cleaned her up and put a new diaper on her.

I turned around and inspected the crib. At closer inspection, I found there was poop EVERYWHERE. All over her stuffed Piglet, her bankets, sheet, socks, and bumper. It was disgusting. I then looked at her, and saw that there was poop on her hands. We ran to the bathroom and had a mini bath in the sink. Then went back and stripped everything out of her crib.

The things you have to deal with when you have a kid. I have to say though, the good FAR out weighs the bad.

Smile

I haven't been able to wipe the smile off of my face since yesterday at 2:45. That is when my manager told me that my request for part time status was approved! Starting in April, I will be working 32 hour weeks with every Friday off. Sure, I'll get paid 20% less, and the cost for my benefits will probably increase, but I can't even describe in words how happy this makes me.

I have been trying to find the perfect balance between work & family. I'm not sure you ever find one, but you can strive to get closer. Poor Judd has been so patient with me during the last year while I've figured things out. The guy has had to deal with a few complete breakdowns. I have gone from almost quitting my job, to taking on more than I can handle in my job requiring me to work evenings. I think this part time situation will be a good comprimise.

My mind has been racing with all of the things I'll do in my extra day with Charlotte. Who wouldn't want to have extra time to look at this face?

V is for Vegetable

Probably my favorite so far. I just loved this series. So much, that I had a really hard time deciding...so, here are a couple more:

Daylight

I love having more of it. I love daylight savings. I always have liked having less of the day in the Winter, and then I love having it back in the Spring.

I have begun stalking photography blogs - any photography blog that I find, I add it to my Google Reader and follow it religiously. I like to see all of the creative ways people can use their camera. They have all been a buzz over the last week about daylight savings time. As a photographer that likes to spend her energy on natural light, I am understanding what the buzz is about. There is going to be so much more time throughout the day to take pictures!

We had a nice weekend this past weekend. Judd went out of town on Friday night with some co-workers, so Charlotte and I had a girl's night planned. Judd's cousin, Jennifer, went out to dinner with us, and then ended up staying with us that night. We had a good time catching up and watching a movie after Charlotte went to bed. It was nice to have some company.

We had beautiful weather all weekend and took advantage. Sunday, Judd gave me the afternoon off and I went shopping. I came home to find an empty house. I called him to see where they went, and he said they were walking on some trails at a Decatur park and that I should come meet them. I met them at the old Dekalb Waterworks site. It was the site that supplied all of Dekalb county's water at one time. Once the county outgrew it, they just left it and the woods have taken it over. The PATH has been built near it now. We had a great afternoon walking the PATH and then let Charlotte swing in one of the parks it connected to. We found the old water works buildings. They are covered with graffiti - it would be an AWESOME place to have a photo shoot - just seems a little too mature for a toddler shoot - any seniors out there want senior pictures?

We stopped and had dinner on the way home. Charlotte is into testing us now. At least 4 different times, she took a french fry off of her plate, looked me straight in the eye, and then threw it on the floor - knowing that I would say "No". After the last fry, I grabbed her out of her seat and we left - leaving Judd to pay and collect our belonging. I feel like this is all happening so fast - can't we have a little more time before we have to actually start disciplining?

U is for Umbrella

I know this one has the focus on the umbrella & not on Charlotte, but there's something about it that I just love.

T is for Teeth

Shoulder

Charlotte must have had a hard day today. I could hear her crying down the hall when I walked into daycare. Something I rarely hear. I got to the door to see her in a mismatched outfit including a boy's shirt provided by daycare. She has red splotches on her face - we are assuming that is some sort of reaction from the tomato sauce in her lunch? I picked her up and she immediately put her head on my shoulder.

We got home and did the normal routine. She whined most of the evening, didn't eat any dinner, and didn't want to play in her bath. I got her dressed in clean pajamas, put some lotion on her face, and gave her a pacifier. I shut the door to her room, sat in the rocker, and pulled her onto my lap. Before I could get her in her sleep sack, she put her arms around me and her dropped her head to my shoulder. I breathed her sweet smell and felt her breathing turn to rhythmic sleepy breaths.

I have had a few hard days lately - ones filled with the deadlines and stress of work. Judd's shoulder is a wonderful one to come home to - one I would never trade. But, don't you have those days that you would love to have your mom pick you up, put you in her lap, and rock you to sleep - with your head on her shoulder?

Hat & Mittens

I spent the day with Charlotte on Monday. Her daycare was closed. I think they closed because Dekalb county schools were closed. After Judd left that morning, Charlotte brought her hat and mittens to me. I think she wanted to go somewhere - probably to daycare - because she was also pointing at her coat. I explained that we weren't going to daycare today, but I did put her hat and mittens on. I thought she'd want them off after a couple of seconds, once she realized I wasn't going anywhere - but she fought me when I tried to take them of 20 minutes later.

A Wonderful Weekend

We have had a wonderful weekend. It started off with dinner with friends on Friday night. Judd's cousin, Jennifer, came over to watch Charlotte. Judd and I met friends in Midtown to eat burgers and tater tots at the Vortex.

Saturday we spent the day hanging out. Charlotte has really taken to walking and walked all over the house. She was in a great mood! She smiled, laughed, and talked all day. The rain broke for a little while and we got to go for a nice walk. After her three hour nap in the afternoon, we got ready and headed over to Dave and Erin's. They generously offered to watch Charlotte for us while Judd and I headed to the Trasher's game. Judd's boss gave everyone on his team tickets for Saturday's game. I felt awful dropping Charlotte off at their house when they already have twins to take care of, but they insisted.

Judd and I headed to Phillip's Arena to watch the Thrasher's. I had a great time. It was fun meeting all of the people that Judd talks about each night when he gets home from work. It is always interesting to see if people look like the image you have created of them in your head. He works with a great group of people - they are all about our age.

Charlotte was good for Dave & Erin (at least that's what they tell us). They said she played with Ella and Emma, but at one point, got her coat and pointed to the door. She had figured out how to get her point across.

We were so lucky to have 2 nights out!!

This morning I made french toast and bacon for breakfast. Then we headed to church. In the middle of the service a little boy sitting in the pew in front of us said, "LOOK, IT IS SNOWING!" We all turned and looked to see huge snow flakes coming down. The inner child in me was so happy to see the snow!

We had a nice day of relaxing indoors, but headed out for a few minutes to feel the snowflakes.

Whoa it's SNOW!!!

We were met with quarter sized snow flakes when we left church today. It is really coming down and accumulating on everything!! This is the real deal, not the usual wimpy southern snow. Of course, you'd think we were 5 years old the way we are talking about Judd staying home tomorrow because work with be closed. (keep your fingers crossed)