Davis, Party of 3

Making the switch

2010-10-25T14:15:00.004-04:00

Now that Max is here and we are officially a party of 4 - please update your bookmarks/readers to this blog:

http://davispartyof4.blogspot.com

It is currently a work in progress - so bear with me as I get myself and the blog together. I have to admit, I love being a party of 4, but I'm so attached to this little blog - it is making me a little sad to be closing this chapter. I know we are starting a new, wonderful, and exciting chapter over at Party of 4.

I hope you will all continue to follow us over there and leave comments and encouragement as I'm sure I'll need it over the next few months.

If you need a little incentive to click over there - I posted 3 new pictures of Max today. :)

Maxwell Judson Davis

2010-10-23T21:01:00.002-04:00

Maxwell Judson Davis (Max) was born last night, October 22nd at 7:03pm.

He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 21 inches long.

He is perfect and we are all in love with the 4th member of our party.

More details to come when we get home and settled.

Mani and Pedi

2010-10-20T14:54:00.002-04:00

I got a pedicure a couple of weeks ago - it still looked good, so I didn't think I'd need another one before I went into labor. Yesterday, however, I stubbed one of my toes and all of the polish came off. Ugh. The one thing that can look good during labor - your toes. So, since baby brother is still "nice and floaty" I took the opportunity to get a pedicure today. I took my little buddy along with me.

I had heard of a nail salon in Toco Hills that had little kid's chairs for pedicures. So, I asked Charlotte if she wanted to go get her nails painted with me. She was pretty excited about it.

We walked in and picked out our colors. Despite my best attempts to get her to choose something non-neon, she picked neon orange.

They put her in the little chair that looked like a teddy bear and turned on a movie for her to watch. Then, I sat in the chair next to her.

She was SO GOOD! She sat there super still the entire time her toes and nails were painted. She loved soaking her feet in the water and having lotion rubbed on her legs. They only had to repaint one of her thumb nails - I thought that was pretty good for a 2.5 year old.

I love this little girl more than words can say. I am so happy we had this special time together today and I look forward to many more manicures and pedicures with her.

39 Weeks

2010-10-19T15:42:00.001-04:00

Sunday Morning Picnic

2010-10-17T08:40:00.000-04:00

Conversations with Charlotte

2010-10-15T08:17:00.002-04:00

Lately we have been listening to Veggie Tales in the car. Charlotte LOVES it and I welcome the change up from our usual CD rotation. There is one song on the CD and the refrain is "OH, how I love Jesus because he first loved me". Charlotte can't sing all of the words to all of the songs - some of them are a little complicated, but she knows this song and can sing that phrase. I'm not sure I've ever heard anything sweeter in my life than her little voice singing "OH, how I love Jesus because he first loved me".

On Wednesday we were in the car on our way to story time. That song came on and she sang it. When it was over she asked:

"Mom, when will I meet Jesus?" (She calls me "mom" now a lot - not sure how I feel about it yet)

Me : "Well, honey, none of us know for sure when we will meet Jesus."

Char : "But, I will meet Him one day?"

Me : "Yes, I hope that you will"

Char : "How will I know how to get there?"

Me : "You don't have to worry about that, He'll show you the way"

Are 2.5 year olds supposed to ask questions like this? It totally hit me off guard and threw my very emotional pregnant self into a total meltdown.

The innocence just knocks you off of your feet.

38 Weeks

2010-10-13T16:16:00.001-04:00

Now that was cool

2010-10-12T09:43:00.004-04:00

See all of those groceries in the back of my car? I didn't have to step one foot out of my car to get them. The Publix at Toco Hills has a curbside program! I tried it for the first today - and it is awesome.

I have been wanting to try this service for a little while. Publix only has two stores nationwide that are doing this pilot program and the Publix a few miles from us happens to be one of them. Since my back has decided to act up every time I walk more than 10 minutes, I decided I would try out the new service.

Last night I made my list and sat down to order everything through publix.com. It took a while, but now that I have my initial list set up, I think the next time will take about 10 minutes to do. I picked the time I wanted to come pick up my order. (You have to give them at least 4 hours, and you have to order by 4:30pm if you want same day pick up.) I set my time for 9 AM, right after I drop Char off at school.

This morning I got a call from my "personal shopper" saying that a couple of the items I wanted were out of stock and asked what substitutes I wanted. Then, at 9AM, I pulled up to the store and he came out to greet me. He asked if I had any coupons - which I did! - and went in to run them through. Then, he came out with my total and I handed him my credit card. He pushed a cart out of the store and loaded up the back of my car. I didn't have to get out once!

I was a little nervous to unload the groceries - I knew that this would be too good to be true, and that there would probably be a mistake or two. (just call me a pessimist) My carton of eggs had a couple that were cracked. The chicken I ordered was wrong - I guess they were out of Greenwise Split Chicken Breasts - but he threw in two extra packs of chicken - so I ended up with $7.00 of free chicken. It is thighs and breasts with ribs - which I never use, but I'll look up a recipe. I ordered a couple of things incorrectly because I couldn't see the product on the shelf - but they will still work.

All in all it was a great experience - and the first time you do it, it is free. After this, I'll have to cough up $8 for the convenience - which is more than I'll want to spend to do it weekly. But, I'm sure when the baby comes and it is freezing outside, I'll do this at least a couple of times a month.

Now, if only my personal shopper would come home with me, carry all of the bags into the house and put it all away. Asking too much?

Our Weekend

2010-10-11T13:58:00.002-04:00

We had another relaxing weekend this past weekend. Saturday morning we hung around the house for a long time, then headed over to the Oakhurst Arts Festival. They had a great area set up for kids with lots of free activities - the highlight for Charlotte was making a peanut butter and Ritz cracker spider.

Saturday evening we headed to the park and met up with the Himes family. After a picnic dinner, the girls played ball with their daddies and then played at the playground.

Sunday morning, Judd was nice enough to take care of Charlotte so I could rest a little while. He took her over to our favorite bagel place to pick up some bagels. I had a few minutes to lay on the couch and watch the news - quite the luxury. We then headed to church and taught Sunday School.

After Sunday School, we picked up some chicken from Publix and met Judd's parents back at our house to celebrate his Dad's birthday. To say Charlotte was excited to see her grandparents would be a huge understatement. As usual, there was a present or two for her - one of which was a pumpkin flashlight. I don't think she has put it down since she opened it.

We went over to PDK to play on the playground on Sunday afternoon - but since it is 86 degrees in October (the most FRUSTRATING month in Atlanta - you want it to be Fall and it just refuses to be!) we didn't last too long.

Not too much going on this week. I had a doctor's appointment this morning and haven't budged a centimenter - still 1cm dialated. So, I guess this little guy is in it for the long run. I was pretty discouraged. I know I still have 2 weeks technically - I'm just SO ready to not carry this weight around.

Here's a picture of Charlotte's new big girl bed. This is a pretty cool bed that used to be in our office, but we moved it to Charlotte's room to make room for baby brother. It pulls out to be a king sized bed if we have guests. After 2 or 3 nights of hearing a loud thud followed by crying, we bought a rail to put up so she wouldn't fall out anymore. She seems to like the bed and it fits perfectly in her room.

Baby Brother's Room

2010-10-08T08:37:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure it really matters what his name will be, I think we are so used to calling him "baby brother", that he will always be "baby brother".

This room has been a long time in the making. We converted our home office to the nursery. Do you remember the post I did that showed the office closet? All of that - even though relatively organized - had to find a new home. Either in our house or someone else's. We started with a garage sale, that got rid of some of it. After that, I had to rearrange all of the other closets in our house to try to find some room. It seemed to take forever.

We moved our office downstairs to a "sunroom" area off of our kitchen. I say "sunroom" in quotes because it is probably only 3 ft by 4 ft, but it fits a desk and a bookshelf perfectly. Not much privacy, but it will work for now.

As soon as the the doctor said, "It's a boy", we knew we would do an airplane theme. Judd loves airplanes, airlines, anything aviation related. He knows the ins and outs of the industry - not just because it is his job, but because he is truly interested in it. You can ask him anything about it.

Pottery Barn just so happened to have their airplane bedding go on sale the week we found out the sex for sure - so we jumped at the chance to buy it. Then, my mom made a curtain for us to match, Judd's mom bought us the airplane mobile, and my Grammie bought us the airplane lamp. My sister and her family bought the vinyl decal for above the crib. It was all coming together.

We ended up moving Charlotte's furniture into the nursery. Then, she got the big trundle bed we had in the office and a new dresser to match it. (I have pictures of her room to post later)

We had much different plans for this wall just earlier this week. We had pictures hung and everything - but it really looked like a wall made for a Delta executive's office, not a baby boy's room. So, I did a little research and found this idea. Does it work?

Now all we need is a little boy!!

37 Weeks

2010-10-06T20:51:00.001-04:00

Just the 3 of us

2010-10-03T20:13:00.004-04:00

We are wrapping up a wonderful weekend - a weekend that we tried to concentrate on fun and being a little family of three.

I had an early morning photography session, then I met Judd and Charlotte at a "rescronk" to eat pancakes. After breakfast, we headed down to Delta headquarters to attend an airline memorabilia show. We were looking for a few last things to decorate the nursery with. Charlotte had a good time pretending to fly to Grammie's house on the Spirit of Delta.

Saturday evening we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather. We picked up some sandwiches and headed to the park for dinner. We had a really nice picnic, then played ball, explored, and Charlotte played on the playground. It was a beautiful evening - the weather was perfect. Ice cream on the way home was a great way to end the day.

Today Judd and I taught Sunday School. After Sunday School, the three of us headed up to Jaemor Farms to pick out a pumpkin. We have gone to Burt's the past couple of years, but wanted to try something new and a little less hectic. Jaemor was perfect! You actually get to walk into the pumpkin patch where the pumpkins grow and cut your own pumpkin. If you don't want to actually pick your pumpkin from the patch, you can pay $3 to just take pictures. We found a great pumpkin and Judd cut it for us. After the pumpkin patch, we took a hayride - and we didn't even have to wait in line! Charlotte spotted the ponies next, so we bought her a ride on a pony named Oreo. She didn't last very long on it, though - she wasn't too sure about it.

We stopped at the store on the way out and picked up some apples, apple cider donuts, and two baby pumpkins - one for Charlotte and one for baby brother.

I couldn't help but get teary eyed a couple of times during this weekened thinking about the changes ahead of us. Of course I can't wait to meet the fourth member of our family - our little man - and I know he'll fit right in. But, I can't help but feel myself holding onto these last days of us as a family of three - a special time that I'll never forget. Just as I'll never forget the wonderful years that it was just 2 of us.

Hair

2010-09-30T07:32:00.002-04:00

Judd: "She really needs a hair cut"
Me: "No she doesnt', it's perfect"

I just can't bear to do it. I love her crazy yellow curls - especially when she wakes up in the morning and they are at their craziest and everywhere. I just can't picture her without her hair bouncing around when she moves. It is just about the only baby thing left - so I'm hanging onto it for dear life.

36 Weeks

2010-09-28T14:11:00.000-04:00

2010-09-27T19:42:00.002-04:00

We made it through our busy weekend. I ended up working at the Oak Grove Young Children's School Consignment Sale most of the night Thursday night, Friday morning, and Saturday morning into Saturday afternoon. This sale was VERY successful for the school - a huge amount of clothing, toys, etc were sold. I was able to shop a little bit and was able to get most of Charlotte's fall wardrobe plus an Ergo baby carrier for the new baby. I was pretty pumped with my finds.

Working the sale was a lot of fun. I got to talk to a lot of other moms from the school and visit with moms from the community that I have met over the past couple of years. For a girl that is used to always being the "new" one in town, it is nice to finally feel settled in a community.

Today, Judd's co-workers through a shower for us. It was so nice to see everyone that Judd talks about on a daily basis. It was very thoughtful of them. I always feel just a little guilty when people want to have showers for us with the 2nd baby. After the shower, we headed over to the Delta Museum to pick up some pictures for that baby's room. It is an airplane theme, and we were able to pick up some vintage airplane pictures and postcards for the walls. Charlotte liked getting a closer look at the big airplane.

This afternoon, Charlotte decided to make her bed on the fireplace. It looked really uncomfortable to me, but she insisted. She ended up watching most of the Wonder Pets in this position.

Tonight at dinner, she decided to say the blessing. This is how it went:

"Nice and slooooooow"
"Nice and slooooooow"
"Nice and fast"
"Nice and smelly"
"AMEN"

No idea where she got that - but it cracked us up.

Busy

2010-09-23T09:39:00.002-04:00

The slow days of summer have definitely ended - we have become very busy all of the sudden.

It started a month or so ago when the photography business really picked up. I was contacted by two different etsy sellers to do product photography for their products. I shot the Halloween line and Christmas line for Inkspot Workshop. Please click over and look at the Halloween line - it is SUPER cute and will make you want to throw a Halloween party. I also had 5 family sessions since labor day, 3 of them this past weekend. It is a lot of fun to be busy with photography, but it has meant pictures of Charlotte have been scarce. And, I won't get a 35 week maternity picture up this week. I have loved every minute of the sessions, though - it just makes me realize that I love photography - and especially capturing the personalities of children. To capture that one magical moment is an awesome feeling.

We went to the playground yesterday afternoon and there were 2 little boys playing with their daddy. Charlotte asked where their mommy was. I replied that I didn't know. She said, "She's probably taking pictures of people".

Here's Charlotte taking a picture of me (looks like a natural, huh?)

This week things aren't slowing down. Charlotte's school, Oak Grove Young Children's School, is having their consignment sale this weekend. It is HUGE. It brings in tons of money for the school. I was asked to be on the consignment sale committee - which means I will be there a lot this weekend. I am excited to see how the operation runs.

Judd has been great through all of this. He has been super supportive of the photography, and hasn't complained once about watching Charlotte a little more than usual on the weekends.

After Sunday, life should slow back down. For that I am grateful. I will need a couple of weeks to relax before our lives are hectic again with a newborn in the house, then the holidays. I can't believe we are 4.5 weeks away from the due date. I can't believe our house will have a 4th person in it.

Naps (or lack thereof) - Part 2

2010-09-21T13:58:00.002-04:00

She is napping again, most of the time, but on her own terms.

I don't call it nap anymore, I call it "quiet time" exclusively. She gets to pick out a few toys from downstairs, a little snack, and a drink and go up to her room. I read a couple of books to her, then set the alarm clock for 1 hour and 20 minutes. She plays for a little while, but then it gets very quiet.

The first day, I looked in to find her sound asleep in her bed. The second day, I cracked open the door and almost hit her in the head - she had pulled a pillow off of her bed and covered herself up on the floor. This is how she has been sleeping during quiet time ever since.

I'm not sure if this change has something to do with her new big girl bed (pictures of her transformed room later this week) or what - but I'm not going to mess with it. I don't care where she sleeps as long as I don't have a "grouchy ladybug" all afternoon!

Twirly Girl

2010-09-16T07:58:00.003-04:00

There was a conversation between Judd and I while I was pregnant with Charlotte. I remember it distinctly - we were riding in the car going down Lawrenceville Hwy and Judd was doing something goofy. He was making up words to a song, and I was cracking up. It was something that he would only do in front of me, never his friends for fear of being uncool - just something goofy you do with people that know you better than anyone else.

Then, he turned to me and said, "What if she isn't funny? What if she doesn't understand our humor? or us?" I hadn't really thought about that. What if she just wasn't funny. There are those people - no sense of humor - they just don't get it. I always have thought of that in the back of my mind. Just a little worried about it.

But, that little baby that we worried about IS funny. VERY funny. She does get it - she gets us. She understands her Daddy's goofy songs - and even lately sings goofy songs back to him. She knows what it is to make people laugh - and loves to be funny. She has funny dances and knows they make me laugh. Last weekend she had me laughing so hard I was crying - twice.

I know one day Judd and I will be completely uncool and embarrass her to death. But, I hope that when she isn't in public, in the house with us or the car, she will always be able to let loose and be goofy with us. It is so important to me that she knows she can just be herself around us. We are so in love with our little goofball.

34 Weeks

2010-09-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

Naps (or lack thereof)

2010-09-14T10:58:00.002-04:00

I'm afraid Charlotte is in the process of dropping her nap. We have been struggling with it for a couple of months. I think I have been in denial. Of course this happens just before a newborn comes into the house. Just when I will depend on her nap time the most.

She is napping (always with a fight) about every other day. The days she doesn't nap, she has "quiet time", which is never quiet. I think I need to get a timer for her room, so that she is quiet until it dings. There are multiple calls to "MOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYY" for a snack, drink, to help her with a toy, etc. Any suggestions for a quiet "quiet time" are appreciated.

On the days she does nap, I usually have to lay down with her - sometimes in our bed. It is to the point that it is such a struggle and fight that I'm about to just drop them all together and put her to bed a half hour earlier or so - especially now that it is getting darker earlier.

If she doesn't nap, she is usually OK until about 5:30 - then she's pretty cranky. Or, she falls asleep in the car in the afternoon if we run errands. On Saturday she didn't nap, but fell asleep on the couch watching Dora while I helped Judd put together her new dresser. She's never fallen asleep while watching TV. Which makes me wonder if she really does still need the nap?

It's always the same - just when you are in the groove, they change and you have to guess all over again.

The Granola Bar Incident

2010-09-10T08:14:00.005-04:00

For me, there is that time in a pregnancy when it really hits me that I am HUGE. That I am big and getting bigger and there is nothing I can do about it. That your body really has been taken over, and it is not your own anymore. It is a moment, something that happens when it really sinks in.

When I was pregnant with Charlotte it was a moment when Judd made me laugh so hard while we were putting up the Christmas tree and my poor muscles were stretched so hard that they just couldn't hold and I peed my pants. It was embarrassing and awful. It was then that I started to cry and wanted it all to be over.

Last night was my moment with this baby. No, I didn't pee my pants. Our beautiful, wonderful friend, Erin, volunteered to come over after Charlotte went to bed so Judd and I could go out to dinner. Since we had a Scoutmob, we decided to go to ONE. Midtown Kitchen. It is a pretty trendy restaurant. I usually feel like a total dork going there - I just don't feel like I'm trendy enough. It didn't help that we pull up to valet the car with the SIRIUS bluegrass channel blasting.

So, we go in and have a very nice dinner - really good food. We talked about the baby, what his name will be or not be, what has been happening with Judd's job, and Charlotte's imaginary friends. A lovely evening. I tell Judd that I'm going to the bathroom before dessert comes, and get up from the table.

Then I hear, "Carrie." I turn around and Judd waves me back to the table. "You have a granola bar wrapper stuck to your butt". Nice. The big fat pregnant chick, in a nice, trendy restaraunt, has a granola bar wrapper stuck to her ever expanding rear end. It's not just any granola bar wrapper, it is a bright, shiny purple one - one that reflects light from all directions. I know where it became a part of my hiney, too - the front seat of Judd's car - meaning that I had it had been stuck there the whole walk through the restaurant to be seated. So, as any wife would do, I immediately blamed him for this humiliation. Why couldn't he just throw his granola bar wrappers away? and not just put them in his front seat?

It was then that I had my moment of pregnancy self pity. I immediately felt huge - and I know the end is near, but not near enough. My clothes barely fit, my feet get swollen, and my daughter can't even fit on my lap.

This morning, I am recovered. I actually got a decent night's sleep and feel much better about myself. Sure, I'm huge, but I know what will be the result of this - and it will all be worth it.

33 Weeks

2010-09-08T20:23:00.001-04:00

A little late this week, but here it is:

Goodbye Summer

2010-09-07T09:31:00.002-04:00

We spent part of our Labor Day at the pool for the Labor Day BBQ. It was fitting to spend the last day of the summer at the pool - we have spent A LOT of time there this summer. We watched Charlotte become a little fishy through the summer, I have found much needed relief from the heat there, and we have met some new friends.

I am sad to see the summer come to a close. It will always be a special summer to me - the summer that I was lucky enough to soak up sun and Charlotte. The last summer that it would be just us. Next summer we will have baby brother in tow wherever we go - undoubtedly making things just a little bit trickier. But, this summer we were pretty carefree - story times at the library, playdates, pool time, popsicles, and picnic lunches at the playground. I will forever be grateful for this time with my girl.

While I am sad to see the summer come to a close, I am very much looking forward to the Fall. This Fall will be a very special one as well - one I will never forget - the Fall that we made this party of 3 a party of 4.

What Charlotte did at the Bluff

2010-09-05T22:00:00.002-04:00

I picked up my family at the airport this afternoon. I couldn't wait to get my arms around Char. (Oh, and Judd too :)) I had a really nice weekend by myself, visiting with friends, shopping, and relaxing (I watched a movie at 3 in the afternoon - what luxury!). I did miss my girl, and her daddy, though. The house just isn't the same without them.

My father-in-law texted me pictures of Charlotte's activities throughout the weekend. I hear that she had the time of her life. She helped catch shrimp and then "gave them a bath", she swam, she played on the playground, and she loved on her cousins.

A Few Things

2010-09-04T09:09:00.004-04:00

I'm having a hard time posting here lately - I just can't get my thoughts together. Plus, other than Char starting school, there really isn't that much going on. So here is just a random list of some things I've been wanting to share.

1. I'm alone this weekend. Judd took Charlotte to his family's house near St. Simmons on Thursday night. It was his first flight with her by himself. She was BEYOND excited when I told her she was going. I decided to sit this trip out. It is just too far away from home this far along in a pregnancy for my comfort. Charlotte's cousins got there last night and I just got off of the phone with Judd - all I could hear in the background was her screaming and running through the house. To say she was excited would be a gross understatement.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself this weekend. I was pretty sad on Thursday night. But, after sleeping in both Friday morning and this morning, I'm learning how to be by myself again. I think it has been about 3 years since I have been by myself for this long. It is a strange feeling - but VERY relaxing.

2. C. Davis Photography is almost completely booked for September. I have some new clients booked and some return clients booked. I'm beyond excited to photograph these families and children. I decided not to take on any clients after Oct 1st - just because I'm just not sure how that last few weeks will go. So, if you are looking to book a Fall session and want one in September, just contact me!

3. Have you seen Mila's Daydreams? It is amazingly creative.

4. With my extra time this weekend I'm hoping to finish up our 2009 blog book and get started on the 2010 book. It is my goal to get these done before our little man arrives.

5. Speaking of our little man, his nursery is really coming together. I can't wait to get the last few items for it, then I will post pictures of the transformation of our office to nursery. Charlotte's room has also changed quite a bit in the process.

6. Speaking of our little man, again, I have had an opportunity to really think about him this weekend with all of the quiet moments I've had. I can't believe I'm going to be a mother of 2. People often talk about how they are scared they will never be able to love 2 babies as much as they love their first. I can honestly say I don't have that fear - I know I'll be able to. I think the thing I'm most scared of is how Charlotte will feel. I just hope Judd and I can continue to provide her the feelings of security and love that she is so used to.

7. I have a couple new projects I've been working on that I will share this week :)

8. Because I hate to post without a picture, here is one from a couple of weeks ago after Judd got home from Copenhagen. Charlotte couldn't get enough of her Daddy that night.

My Little Grasshopper

2010-08-31T14:49:00.003-04:00

It was Charlotte's first day of the 2 day 2 year old program at Oak Grove YCS. She is in the Grasshopper room. She walked right into her room and never looked back. When I picked her up her teachers said she was just as sweet as could be. She saw me at the door, but was too busy singing the song to come to the door - so she ignored me until they were done with their song.

I haven't been able to get too much out of her as far as what they did. What she has told me so far is that she had animal crackers for snack and she had to go potty before she went to play on the playground.

We had a special first day of school lunch at Chick-fil-A then headed home. She cried and cried saying she didn't want a nap, but mid scream she fell asleep at the end of her bed.

All in all a very successful first day of school.

32 Weeks

2010-08-30T22:06:00.001-04:00

Meet the Teachers

2010-08-26T08:11:00.003-04:00

Dear Charlotte,

The day had finally come, the day to meet your teachers. I had been building this day up all summer - just wanting you to love your new school. We picked out your outfit, I gave you choices - you picked your ladybug outfit. You said you wanted a bow in your hair, so I put a little ponytail in and clipped in a bow. You wanted to look in the mirror - I love how you are proud of the way you look.

You talked my ear off on the ride over to school. Asking me lots of questions about what was going to happen - I did my best to answer, but there were some answers I just didn't know.

You held my hand as we walked inside. We found your room - you are in the Grasshopper class. Your teachers immediately said "Hello" to you and said that you looked SO cute. You got shy and hugged my legs. I moved into the room farther and sat on the floor with you. It didn't take long for you to jump off of my lap and find the baby dolls. You found a baby doll to put to sleep and started to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" to her. I stopped worrying, I know you will be just fine when school starts.

I talked to your teachers - they are VERY nice. I asked the questions I had and got all of the right answers. I think school is going to be a great thing for both of us.

I emailed this picture to your daddy before we left to meet your teachers. He emailed me back and said, "She is SO big". When did this happen? How has our summer flown by and school is starting? How is it that you will be a big sister soon? Part of me can't wait for your school to start and to get on with the year, but there is a part that just wants things to stay the same. I wish I could describe to you how proud I am of the little girl you are becoming. How very proud I am that you are mine.

You'll start school two days a week this coming week. I know you will have a great year, learning and playing. I can't wait to see how you grow - just don't grow too fast, OK?

Love,
Mommy

Cindy

2010-08-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

Cindy, Charlotte's doll, has become a big part of our lives lately. She is starting to go almost everywhere with us. Some days I feel like I already have another baby to take care of.

We take her to the park with us, to the store, sometimes to the nursery at church. Usually whenever we take her somewhere, Charlotte has to pack her purse with all of the things Cindy will need: a bowl and spoon for Cindy's yogurt snack, a bottle, an extra diaper, and a toy. (Charlotte does all of the packing and gathering of items for the purse)

Yesterday, Charlotte wanted to ride her bike with Cindy. Charlotte really wanted me to unpack the infant car seats and use those for Cindy, but I refused. Instead I said we could make Cindy a sling and Charlotte could carry her on her tummy. Charlotte replied, "That's a great idea!". So, I went and got a scarf and fashioned a sling for Cindy. Worked like a charm, Charlotte carried her around like that almost the entire time we played outside. If only American Girl made a Baby Bjorn for Bitty Babies.

31 Weeks

2010-08-23T19:50:00.001-04:00

Moses in a Basket

2010-08-23T08:09:00.004-04:00

I got a call a month or so ago from our church asking Judd and I to be Sunday school teachers for the 2 year old class. We would be teaching with another couple, and could alternate Sundays so it wouldn't be an every Sunday commitment. After talking it over with Judd we decided to commit.

When babies are baptized in the Methodist church, like Charlotte was, the congregation makes a commitment to that baby to be active in their church life. I had always recited these words of commitment during a baptism, but never really thought about it until after having a child of my own. So, I feel strongly that Judd and I need to be more active in the lives of children at our church.

This past Sunday was my first Sunday to do the "lesson" for the class. I use the word "lesson" very loosely. With 9 two year olds, you get about 2 minutes of an attention span. But, I prepared with some songs, the story of Baby Moses in a Basket, an activity, and a coloring sheet.

As I prepared the lesson I realized that doing this teaching is going to be so much more for me than just giving back to the church. It is really going to help grow my faith. The lesson books that we are given really break down these Bible stories into one meaningful sentence that a 2 year old can understand. This week's sentence was, "God will keep me safe." But, sometimes, even a 31 year old needs the stories broken down into one meaningful sentence to really get it.

I brought a laundry basket with me to class and each child took turns getting in it and "floating" down the river like Moses. When they got in it, they were supposed to say, "God will keep me safe" just like he kept baby Moses safe. As I watched these kids jump in and yell, "God will keep me safe!", I thought to myself - "If only it were that simple!"

But it IS!

So, this week while Judd is out of town and I have my usual moments of panic as the house creaks and groans at night that someone is coming to get me and Charlotte, I am trying to remember that God will keep me safe too. But, it is harder for an adult. There is nothing quite like the faith of a child. There is a lot to learn from 2 year olds.

I won! I won!

2010-08-19T22:23:00.004-04:00

I never win anything. Wait, I take that back - when I was in elementary school I entered a gas station giveaway and won a 3 foot tall Gund stuffed gorilla. So, besides that, I never win anything.

I enter all kinds of blog giveaways, but my comment is never the one that is randomly chosen.

That all changed a couple of weeks ago.

I entered a contest over at Fresh Art Photography for a set of Photoshop overlays from Vol25. I happened to check back at the post a couple of days later and I saw MY NAME! I won - whooo hoooo!

The overlays are super cool and really easy to play with. I put this together in about 5 min this evening:

Then, my friend Stacy over at Inkspot Workshop hosted a giveaway for a necklace from Christina Kober the same week. I entered thinking I would NEVER win because my comments were the first ones. No one ever wins when their comment is first, right? WRONG - I WON!!

I have my very pretty "C" initial necklace that I haven't taken off since it arrived in the mail last week.

I'm sure my streak is over. I'll probably never win again - but it sure was fun while it lasted!

30 Weeks

2010-08-17T14:53:00.003-04:00

Here we are at 30 weeks into this pregnancy and I feel like I haven't mentioned it at all. It has been pretty much identical to my pregnancy with Charlotte, other then I have more pelvic pain - my doctor assures me this is normal since it my 2nd pregnancy and my muscles are all stretched out. (Nothing like hearing that to make you feel good about yourself.)

Baby Brother is active. Loves his sweets. I don't mind giving them to him. However, I have gained more weight to this point than I had with Charlotte. Not much more, but a few pounds.

I saw this series when it was going on and fell in love with it. Here is my attempt to duplicate it for the next 10 weeks.

I'm not big on maternity pictures. I won't have them done professionally. But, this pregnancy will most likely be my last - so I want to remember these last weeks of it.

What Charlotte Did This Weekend

2010-08-15T22:24:00.002-04:00

Judd's parents sent me an email a couple of weeks ago asking if they could keep Charlotte for the weekend this weekend. My reply, "Uh, of course you can!" So, while Judd and I spent all weekend painting and rearranging the house to get ready for baby brother, Charlotte was living it up at the lake.

Whenever Charlotte spends time at their house without me, Judd's Dad is awesome about taking pictures of Charlotte throughout the day and sending them to me. He snaps them on his blackberry and sends them just after he takes them. I love that I know what she is up to throughout the day. The thing is, he takes the pictures at the moments I think I would take the pictures - he really understands the parts of her day that I want to capture. It is a small thing, but so thoughtful. I'm not sure he realizes how much I love the images. Here are the pictures I got this past weekend.

Cookies with Grammie

2010-08-12T20:17:00.004-04:00

Tuesday morning Charlotte had the opportunity to help her Grammie make cookies. She woke up at 6:45 AM talking about it, wanting to start right away. Grammie held her off until 8:30 AM or so, then put her to work. They were making peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses on top. Charlotte's job was to unwrap every Hershey Kiss.

I thought, "Sure, that's gonna last all of 2 Hershey Kisses".

She unwrapped all but 5 Hershey Kisses needed! She stood there so long doing it that at one point she sighed and said, "I have to kneel, I can't stand anymore". Mom and I just laughed, she's so dramatic.

Then, she even helped to put them on the cookies.

She was so patient and waited until we went to pick up Great Grammie to eat her cookies. As SOON as we walked into the door, she ran and climbed into her high chair and ate a cookie. (Well, she really just ate the Hershey Kiss out of the middle)

PS. You may be wondering why my child continually appears shirtless, shortless, or both on this blog. It's how she roles. I just go with it. I figure as long as we are in a house, it really doesn't matter - and she's happy. If she's happy, I'm happy.

2010-08-12T08:49:00.002-04:00

Judd, Charlotte, and I flew up to Baltimore early Saturday morning to visit with my sister, Sally, her husband, Andrew, and our nephew, Jacob. Because of work, traveling, etc, Judd had not been able to get up to Baltimore to see Jacob yet - so he was really looking forward to this trip.

We had good luck getting the first flight of the day up to Baltimore. Andrew was there to pick us up and we spent the day hanging out with them. My sister Rachel and her husband came over for dinner. I love how we all get along, how our husbands all get along. It is really fun when we all get together.

Charlotte thought her cousin was pretty cool. She had her baby, Cindy, with her. I think Cindy was placed in every one of Jacob's seats and swing about 100 times on Saturday. She had a great time pretending to be a mommy. She also pretended to be a baby and was found swaddled under a toy sucking on a pacifier at one point.

Sunday was the big day. Jacob was surrounded by family and friends on the day of his baptism. He behaved beautifully during his big moment. Sally and Andrew just stood up at the front of the church beaming at their son. We all went back to their house and had lunch. Charlotte had a great time at Jacob's "party". She tried to boss around Jacob's cousin on Andrew's side, Garrett, but Garrett didn't really want to be bossed around by a 2.5 year old.

Judd headed back to Atlanta that afternoon. Charlotte and I rode back to Mechanicsburg with my parents to spend a couple more days with them. Judd couldn't get on a plane in Baltimore and ended up having to take a cab to D.C. and got on a plane there.

Charlotte and I had a great couple of days at my parent's house. We got to visit with both of my grandmothers and made a trip to Chocolate World.

It is always an adventure traveling with Charlotte and Tuesday afternoon was no exception. She had little sleep on Monday and Tuesday, so she was a little on edge. While we were waiting to get on the flight, we had a snack at McDonald's. I guess the combo of her McDonald's and the bag of salty airplane peanuts she ate on the plane didn't sit well with her and she threw up in flight. I didn't have any wipes with me so had to clean it up with 50 cocktail napkins from the flight attendant. Then, just as we were about to land and all of the seat belt signs were on, she looks up at me and says, "I have to POOOPPPYYY". Great. So, I risked it and took her to the bathroom. We made it without getting into trouble. This whole trip I was thinking, "I can't imagine doing this with an infant too!" My life is about to get a lot more interesting.

Jacob's Baptism

2010-08-11T13:55:00.002-04:00

We're back from Baltimore/Mechanicsburg. We went up there this past weekend for Jacob's baptism. He's such an awesome little guy, with awesome parents. Here is just one picture for now.

More to come later in the week when I find the time. For now, I'm headed downstairs to veg on the couch and enjoy the quiet house during Charlotte's nap time on my birthday. :)

Excuses

2010-08-05T21:42:00.003-04:00

Charlotte's bedtime, whether it is nap time or bedtime, has completely gone to the birds. Judd and I just kind of scratch our heads and hope for the return of our obedient sleeper. We are VERY consistent with the routine and time. It's not like we are wishy washy about it. However, for the past couple of weeks, we have put Charlotte to bed at 8:15PM and listen to her excuses for not going to sleep through the monitor for 45 minutes.

"My shirt is TOOOOOOOOO tight!"

"My pants are TOOOOOOOOOOO hot!"

"I need anoder sip of milk!"

"I just want to give my Mommy a hug!"

"I need just one more song!"

I think the best one so far was tonight:

"There is a string sticking out of my pillow" (No lie, those were the exact words out of her mouth.)

She was exactly right. There was as string sticking out of her pillow. She felt this was a good enough excuse to not go to sleep. After a quick shove of the string back into the pillow case, she calmed down and went to sleep.

I guess I'm going to take a pair of scissors to her pillow tomorrow.

Officially 2 and a half

2010-08-03T08:54:00.003-04:00

On Sunday Charlotte was officially 2 and a half. I really can't even begin to list everything she is doing. She amazes us every day with the things she says and the things she observes. She is an incredibly observant child - doesn't miss a beat. I even spelled something to Judd the other day (about going to B-E-D) and she got the context clues enough to know what I was talking about.

She is starting to be very interested in letters and words. She can recognize a few letters by sight. She has begun to "read" to us. It is pretty cute. I'm very thankful for her love of books.

She is getting to be quite the manipulator. Especially when it comes time to go to bed. She can put together a solid argument and knows just what buttons to push.

She has threatened to drop her nap. We have been struggling for almost a month. Most days there is a battle. Some days there is no nap at all. Some days I have to lay down with her. Some days she goes down quietly and sleeps for 2 hours. I really never know what it is going to be, but I'm not ready to give up on a nap time. It seems if she does nap, she is up until 9 or 9:30 PM. I'd almost rather her skip the nap to go down earlier. I'm not sure what clicked in her, but her sleep pattern has changed. We'll just see how it goes. She starts school in a few weeks so hopefully that will change things back to the nap side of things.

She is my buddy. She is about as sweet as they come. When we were at the beach I tucked her into bed one night and she looked up and me with those eyes and said, "Mommy, I love you right up to the moon." It blew me away.

Jody

2010-08-01T21:49:00.004-04:00

Judd and I met in January of 2000. We knew within a few short months that we would be together for the long haul. In late July/August of 2000, I talked him into getting a dog. We looked through the classifieds and found black lab puppies for sale out towards Commerce. We loaded into his truck and went to pick out our puppy. A little female came up to us in the pen and we picked her. On the ride back to Judd's apartment she curled up on my lap and we named her Jody.

She was with us for 10 years. She was with us almost as long as there was an "us". Yesterday Judd and I said a very tearful goodbye to our friend.

Jody's arthritis began a couple of years ago and had progressed to the point that she wasn't able to control going to the bathroom. She was going in the house. With a 2.5 year old and another one on the way, I just can't deal with animal waste in the house. And poor Jody had this terrible look of shame every time it happened. She wasn't able to go for our walks around the neighborhood any more and thought twice about going up stairs. We just felt it was time for her. The vet felt the same way.

I think it has hit us both a lot harder than we thought it would. She was a big part of our lives. We miss her greeting us when we open the door. I miss seeing her laying in her "spot" in the hallway. I miss her company. I know I will miss her even more the first time Judd goes out of town.

We told Charlotte that she went to live on a farm. That Jody was happier running and playing with all of the pigs, cows, and chickens. She believed us and even commented during the thunderstorm last night that, "Jody probably isn't scared because she is in the barn." We are grateful that she believes us. In a way, I am trying to believe that it's true too. Maybe she is somewhere better now.

She was a wonderful, sweet, loving dog and will be missed for a long, long time.

(taken yesterday before Judd took her to the vet)

Our First "Mato"

2010-07-29T17:08:00.003-04:00

When my parents were here for Memorial Day, Mom, Charlotte and I went to Home Depot and picked out some flowers to spruce up the back patio and front porch. Mom thought that it would be a good idea to get Charlotte a little tomato plant as well. I was pretty sure that I would kill it before a tomato ever appeared.

However, for the first time in my adult life, I have actually kept plants alive. All of the flowers that we planted have done really well. I have enjoyed having them bloom and grow, it has been fun to watch.

Charlotte's "mato" plant (she leaves off the "to") has had green tomatoes on it for what seems like FOREVER. We keep watching to see if they turn red, but they just stay green. Well, we came back from the beach to discover a red "mato"!

Today she just had to eat it. And as any good photographer mom does, I captured the first bite. Maybe it was still too green inside? Not sure, but she ended up eating the whole thing.

We need to get some better stakes to keep it from falling over. (when I told Char this, she asked if they were hungry) We have about 20 little green grape tomatoes growing, so I'm hoping that they'll all turn red shortly!

A Week at the Beach

2010-07-25T09:24:00.002-04:00

We are back from our wonderful week at the beach. A few months ago, my parents asked us if we wanted to join them at the beach. They had rented a condo and had extra room. I didn't have to be asked twice! The beach is my favorite place in the world.

Judd drove Charlotte and I down to Tybee on Monday evening. Then, he flew back on Tuesday morning to Atlanta to work Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon he flew back to Savannah to spend the rest of the week with us.

Each day looked the same: beach in the morning, swim in the pool, lunch, nap, back to the beach in the afternoon, pool, showers/baths, and dinner. After dinner, ice cream was consumed 3 out of the 5 nights there. We ate in the condo for most meals, which is fabulous to be able to do when you have a toddler. Judd and I snuck out one night for a dinner by ourselves. We all went out to dinner at the Crab Shack the last night there. Charlotte went to bed LATE every night. She was able to sleep in her very own double bed every night and did really well in that big bed all by herself.

I won't say that Charlotte LOVED the beach, but she spent quite a bit of time down there digging in the sand and floating in the water. She just wasn't so sure of the ocean. She is definately a pool girl.

This trip got me very excited about future family trips to the beach. I wish my sisters and their families had been able to come on this trip. I can't wait until we are all there with all of our kids running around.

Tybee Island

2010-07-21T14:46:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Tybee! We are here with my parents soaking up the sun and wearing lots of sand!!

Evolution of an outfit

2010-07-19T08:07:00.003-04:00

July 15th, 2010

9:00 AM: Put shirt and shorts on for the day

6:00 PM: Decide to go out to dinner to celebrate Daddy's birthday, before we eat our yummy chocolate cake.

6:05 PM: Charlotte comes into my room while I change. She spies my silver sparkly belt that I bought for a Halloween costume one year. She demands that I put it around her waste.

6:07 PM: Judd inquires whether or not she is wearing that belt to dinner. I reply, "Probably". (she wears it to dinner)

6:10 PM: I tell Charlotte to pick out some shoes, she picks out her red flip flops that don't at all go with her light pink shirt and shorts.

7:15 PM: We return home and I ask Charlotte if she wants to play outside for a few minutes. She says that she would like to ride her bike, but she needs her "helmet". We don't actually have a helmet for her yet, so I get her new sunhat that she can pretend is a helmet.

7:18 PM: She sees her yellow rain boots, decides she needs to have just one on the wrong foot. Kicks off her flip flop and puts the left boot on her right foot.

7:19 PM: I can't stand it, I just have to go inside and get my camera to document this outfit.

7:25 PM: She decides to "drive her car to work"

7:26 PM: But first, she has to give Daddy a hug goodbye.

So now you know why my child looks the way she does if you happen to see us out in public and she looks like this.

Morning at the Park

2010-07-17T14:29:00.002-04:00

Judd hit the road again yesterday afternoon to go to North Georgia for a Guys Weekend with his friends. He needed to go to spend time with the guys, but the timing couldn't have been much worse since he just got home from a long trip late Wed night.

I took Charlotte over to Piedmont Park this morning for an outing. We have been going to the same parks lately, and I thought it would be a nice change. We walked around, we played, and we stopped at the Farmer's Market for a snack. (They have a "Green Market" every Saturday morning at the park)

She is getting so big!

Who wants some ice cream????

"Mommy, we are going to get a snack after I swing!"

Just being goofy.

Root Beer Cake

2010-07-16T08:33:00.010-04:00

Not quite a year ago, I was given the cook book "Baked" from a friend. I have made a few recipes from the book and they have all turned out fabulous. I asked Judd what he wanted for his birthday - chocolate cake, cupcakes, or cobbler. When he said he wanted chocolate cake, I knew just what I would make - the Root Beer Bundt Cake from the Baked Cook Book.

It is really easy and REALLY, REALLY yummy. Charlotte and I got to work on it yesterday. We mixed up the cake around lunch time and iced it after her nap.

In the process, she had her first taste of root beer, ate many, many chocolate chips, and could not keep her fingers out of he frosting. Baking with a 2.5 year old is pretty challenging. You have to just know that you are going to be cleaning up a much bigger mess than you would have normally made, and at one point I was so distracted by her that I almost put baking powder in rather than baking soda. But, she loves helping, so it is worth it in the end. (I think)

Here's the recipe - just click to enlarge, then print!

It takes a village

2010-07-15T13:27:00.002-04:00

Judd's back! whew. Charlotte and I are both happy to have the man back in our lives.

They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Whoever "they" are. I'm really starting to believe this. But, I'm sure whoever "they" are also meant that it takes a village to support the mother of that child.

Judd's trip, while long, went by fast for me. We were invited over to two different friend's houses for dinner, had two over night visitors, other great distractions like play dates, and the lovely Jen that took Charlotte for the afternoon last Sunday.

I didn't feel alone - I knew there were people I could call. I feel very lucky to have the friends & family that I do - they are wonderful, thoughtful people.

So, thank you everyone that helped us out. I hope you will let me return the favor when you need it!

Char's Guitar

2010-07-14T08:02:00.003-04:00

It is no secret that Charlotte loves all things music. She finds "drums" throughout the day on many different surfaces. She loves to sing. But, she loves to play the "gintar" most of all.

Up until 2 days ago, she had this tiny guitar that she would carry around and play. It belongs with a Little People campfire toy set, so you can imagine how small it is - it barely stretches across the palm of my hand. Charlotte doesn't care how little it is, or that the strings don't move, she holds it up to her chest and pretends to strum.

2 days ago she discovered our Guitar Hero guitar hidden in the ottoman. She couldn't wait to put it on. Yesterday, after one of 2 naps she's taken in the past week (another topic for another post) , she "played" along with an entire Wiggles video - for about 45 minutes! I think Judd and I are going to be on the lookout for a toddler sized guitar so she doesn't have to carry around the big Guitar Hero guitar with the cord dragging along behind.

Happy Birthday, Judd

2010-07-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

You are half a world away, but we are thinking of you today. Charlotte made you a card (show in the video), she writes suprisingly well for a 2 year old. We love you lots and can't wait to see you. Happy, Happy Birthday.

Visitors

2010-07-10T22:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Aunt Emily and Lilly arrived to spend the night with Charlotte and I. Charlotte screamed and ran around the house for the first 15 minutes or so - she was SO excited to see her big cousin Lilly. They played together while Emily and I chatted.

We got our bathing suits on and drove to the pool only to be greeted by some thunder. We went back to the house for an hour to let the thunder pass. Back to the pool we went and swam in the drizzle. We didn't mind - you are getting wet anyway, right? After swimming we had "cheeseboogers" at Five Guys followed by ice cream from Bruster's for dessert.

There was more playing and swimming this morning - it all began earlier than Lilly would have liked.

It was a great visit and we both had such a good time. Charlotte napped for almost two hours after they left - the first nap in 3 days! Lilly was a wonderful big cousin and I feel so lucky to have a sister-in-law that I enjoy spending time with. Thanks for making the trip guys!

New Fridge

2010-07-08T13:35:00.004-04:00

Monday we broke down and purchased a new refrigerator. We felt it was only a matter of time until the one we had gave out. It came with the house, which we bought 7 years ago, and we don't know how long it has been in this house. But it looks OLD. It was to the point where it looked dirty no matter how much you cleaned it. We also wanted to go ahead and get one before the old one died - I wanted to be able to pick the one I wanted and not be at the mercy of inventory, etc.

The new one isn't top of the line, but it sure is a big step up for us. The water and ice maker actually work!! Can you believe that this will be the first time in our married life that we have a working ice maker? How have we survived? :) (My sensitive teeth and I have been just fine sans ice - but I know my southern husband has been missing it)

A couple of things I learned in the process of buying this fridge:

1. Did you know you can cash in Delta SkyMiles for gift cards? One of the places you can get a gift card for your SkyMiles is Lands End. Did you know you can use Lands End gift cards at Sears? It's pretty cool. We ended up cashing in our SkyMiles for $600 - money we could use towards the purchase of the refrigerator.

2. If you have a working second fridge, Georgia Power will come pick it up for you and give you $35. Our pick up date isn't until 7/31 - so it takes a while, but not a big deal since we can just leave it in the garage until then.

Edited to Add:
I didn't know this was such a point of contention. Yes, I refrigerate my peanut butter. It tells me to.

A Card for Granddad

2010-07-07T20:43:00.002-04:00

Charlotte announced that she was going to make a "card for Granddad" today while I was packing our lunches for the pool. I wasn't paying much attention to her, I could just hear her coloring, cutting, and stickering away. About 10 minutes later I looked over to see Spongebob on her nose and ears. Then she came over and put a Spongebob on my nose too.

Grandad, your card looks like a big piece of trash - but I'm sure you'll think it's art. The best part was - she was thinking of you this morning. So was I when I realized Spongebob was still stuck to my nose as we pulled out of the driveway.

PS. Meghan - I hope you are enjoying Charlotte's wardrobe - she picked this outfit this morning all by herself.

A Little Prayer for Patience

2010-07-06T09:07:00.002-04:00

This is a little something I will be repeating over and over again while I stare 9 days in the face of solo parenting. It has already calmed me by just typing it.

A Great Day

2010-07-04T06:54:00.005-04:00

I'm sitting here at 6:54 AM on July 4th typing a blog post. Today would have been my 9th Peachtree. I love running the Peachtree. It is such an awesome energy. This year, though, I decided not to run it 6 months pregnant and out of shape.

Instead, I'm enjoying a few quiet moments by myself with my cup of coffee before the day gets going. Not sure what is in store for us today. We stretched Charlotte's limits yesterday, so I'm not sure if we'll make it to fireworks tonight or not. I hope all of you have a wonderful day.

Yesterday was a fantastic day for us. Judd and I woke up wanting to "do something". The forecast was awesome, and we knew it would be a great day to be outside. We ended up deciding to pack up and head to Anna Ruby Falls and Helen, GA - we would see where the day took us.

On the way up we stopped at Jaemor Farms to pick up some peaches and blackberries. Judd and I drooled over the peach ice cream, but it was only 10:30 AM and I didn't want Charlotte's system to have that much sugar yet. So, we got back in the car and kept going.

The traffic into Helen was pretty bad, but we ended up getting to Anna Ruby Falls around lunch time. We had a picnic by the stream, cleaned up, and went to the base of the trail. Charlotte rode on Judd's shoulders the half mile up to the falls. When we got to the top I said, "You OK?" (directed at Judd) and Charlotte replied, "I OK, I not tired." There was something about the fact that Judd carried one child while I carried the other that made me so happy at that moment. It's like the baby was already there with us somehow.

After hiking back down (Charlotte actually walked the whole way by herself), we drove over to the beach at Unicoi State Park. Charlotte and I changed into our bathing suits and we all played at the lake's beach for an hour or so. It was about 3 pm at this time and Charlotte hadn't even thought about a nap. It didn't seem to phase her, though, she was in a great mood.

15 minutes into the car ride home, she got really quiet in the back seat. We looked back there and she was completely out.

As Judd and I got closer and closer to Jaemor Farms, we talked about quickly stopping for a peach ice cream cone. The decision was made, we were going to go for it while she was asleep. I crept out of the car and ran in to get us each an ice cream cone. I just knew she was going to be awake by the time I got back to the car - but she wasn't! Judd and I ate our cones (they were awesome!) as we drove. We kept giggling about it - that we were eating these ice cream cones, and Char would be SO upset if she knew about it. I told him that if she woke up we had to quickly throw them out the window. He mentioned that she'll probably wake up and sniff the air and say, "wait a minute, it smells like ice cream in here!" It just made us wonder about how many times our parents did stuff like that - or maybe they wouldn't do something that mean?

We got back to the house, rested for a while, then went to a friend's house for a outdoor movie night. It was a good time, but the movie didn't start until it was dark enough - around 8:30 pm. For Charlotte, this was getting late when she didn't have a good nap earlier in the day. Needless to say, a complete meltdown ensued when we told her it was time to go home. She stayed close to that meltdown state until she finally passed out around 9:15 pm.

So, we probably pushed her limits a little far yesterday. But, the day was SO much fun. I loved taking a day trip with our little family. I love the memories that we made and how happy we were together. Charlotte is to a point where these days are possible - sure there was a meltdown at the end of the day, but I think even she would agree that it was worth it to have the freedom from a schedule for a day.

Fountains

2010-07-01T22:06:00.002-04:00

Charlotte and I headed up to Suwanee to play with Allison and Marshall in the fountains at Suwanee Town Center. The weather was cloudy and it drizzles most of the time we were there. That didn't stop Charlotte - she had a BLAST. She loved running through the fountains and ran for about 15 minutes straight.

Mr. Marshall wasn't so sure about it all when we got there - but waded in towards the end. He preferred showing Charlotte how he could play golf and mow the lawn. Allison set up a spot for us to have a picnic lunch and brought a couple of Marshall's toys with her - golf clubs and a lawn mower.

As always, it was great to see them and catch up with the Dawson's. Next time we'll try to pick a day when 4 bus loads of day campers aren't simultaneously unloaded into the fountains!

Toes

2010-06-29T20:43:00.003-04:00

A couple of months ago I asked Charlotte if she wanted her toenails painted. She said, "No, I wanna keep them white." She noticed immediately when I got home from the girls trip this past weekend that my toenails were now pink. (we got pedictures on the trip)

Yesterday I asked her again if she wanted me to paint her toenails. She said, "YES!" and ran upstairs. She picked out red. She sat so still as I clipped her little nails, filed them just a bit, then painted a very thin coat of paint on. She was so proud of her toenails.

She was very upset when most of the polish had worn off after being in the pool today. So, I touched them all up for her. I may have created a monster!

Girl's Weekend

2010-06-28T20:34:00.003-04:00

Oh how I love girls weekend! I was really ready for it. I needed a break. This whole stay at home mom thing is AWESOME - don't get me wrong, but I deserve a vacation every once in a while, right?

Erin, Drena, Melissa, and I drove to N. Myrtle Beach on Thursday evening arriving a little after 1AM. Molly and Meghan got there Friday afternoon.

We spent some time on the beach, ate some good meals, shopped, slept, talked, and talked, and talked. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone for an extended period of time.

I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends in my life - people that I feel myself around. We joked after seeing a group of very leathery, bleach blond ladies on the beach that "that would be us in 20 years". While, I hope I'm not leathery or bleach blond in 20 years, I do hope that we will be together for at least a weekend a year that far down the road.

Judd and Charlotte had a great weekend together. They went to the lake and stayed with Judd's parents late Friday afternoon coming back Sunday morning. Charlotte rode the jet ski, fed the fish and the duck (no longer plural, poor ducks), swam in the pool, and swam in the lake in her underwear (I have joked about the swimming hole at the lake being the redneck yacht club, I guess Char was just trying to fit in?)

Not that I didn't expect him to, but Judd thoroughly enjoyed the 1 on 1 time with his girl. He beamed about the weekend the entire evening on Sunday and couldn't stop talking about how wonderful she was.

It was back to life as usual today. Cleaning, organizing, cooking, wiping messy faces - and wiping the other end. Throughout the day I would remember one liners from this past weekend and just chuckle to myself. Thanks girls!!

A few things

2010-06-24T15:04:00.003-04:00

1.
Judd and I exchanged anniversary cards on Tuesday evening before heading out to dinner. I opened mine and kinda giggled. He opened his and just laughed. We got each other the SAME card. The weird thing was when I was picking mine card out, I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be funny if we got the same card?" I guess we are pretty in sync!

2.

On Monday night, Judd, Charlotte, and I ended up in urgent care. Judd helped Charlotte off of our bed by holding her hand as she slid off of the bed. He said he felt a little pop and Charlotte immediately started to cry. She whimpered about her arm for a little while, but I thought it would be better if we could just distract her. But a little while later it became obvious that something was wrong. Poor Judd felt horrible.

We took her up to CHOA off of Satellite Blvd. She was such a brave girl and didn't shed a single tear as the doctor popped her little elbow back into place. Judd and I were very proud of her. She happily took the popsicle that they gave her and we made our way home.

3. I'm headed out of town to Myrtle Beach to spend 3 days with some fabulous friends! I'm going to miss my little fam - but I'm ready for a little break from mommy duties. I know Char will be in great hands with her Daddy and grandparents.

8 Years

2010-06-22T14:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, time flies when you are having fun! I can't believe it has been 8 YEARS since that day. The day I married my best friend.

Look how innocent and naive those two look standing by the arch. Their whole lives laying out before them. Not knowing that in 8 years they would have had numerous jobs, no jobs at all, a crazy and beautiful 2 year old girl and a little boy on the way. That they would have been living in the same house for 7 years. (this still baffles me - this is the longest I have ever lived in one place!)

That they would love each other more than they ever thought possible.

Decatur Beach Party

2010-06-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

I have wanted to attend the Decatur Beach Party since we moved here. Decatur closes down a section of Ponce De Leon and covers it with sand. Everyone brings buckets, shovels, and other sand toys to play. There is a band, inflatables to jump in, fun food, etc.

This year Erin and I talked Dave and Judd into taking the girls. Despite the heat and sticky, sticky sand stuck all over us, we had a great time.

It was CROWDED on the sand. We had about a 1'x 1' area to squish into.

After playing in the sand for a while, we headed over to listen to the band. It was a group of guys singing kid's songs - and the girls loved it. They jumped and danced all around.

I think there was enough sand in our car afterwards to have our own beach festival next year.

A Great Father & Partner

2010-06-20T14:09:00.002-04:00

Yesterday morning was a little rough for me. All I really wanted to do was have a few minutes to myself in the morning. However, Charlotte woke up in a wretched mood so I ended up getting her out of bed and taking her downstairs at 6:45 AM. (I had been up since 5:30 AM anyway - this pregnancy insomnia thing is already kicking in)

As soon as I get downstairs I see that the dog has pooped all over the floor. (She's 10 and I think starting to lose it.) Awesome. I get that cleaned up and kick the dog outside. Charlotte refuses to go potty, so I try to get her to eat some breakfast. Judd comes downstairs.

As soon as I get Char settled at the table eating her breakfast, I go upstairs to try to have a few minutes to myself. I close myself into the bathroom. I just need to have a few deep breaths before I totally lose it. I hear little feet. She starts banging on the door wanting to know what I'm doing. This makes me actually lose it. All I want is to have some time. Then I hear something that sounds like liquid hitting the floor. I know immediately that she has just had an accident. Now she's crying, I'm crying. I get to clean up a potty mess for the 2nd time - and it's only 7:30 am.

After we are all calmed down and she plays quietly with her wonderful Daddy for an hour, I feel together enough to take her to the mall to pick out Judd's Father's Day present. We do that and then head to a birthday party.

After the party, I'm tired - she's tired. We are on each other's nerves. She's tired of being with me - and I can not wait for her nap. She wakes up really cranky from her nap and I look at Judd and tell him that I don't think I can make it through the afternoon. I can't handle more battles, negotiation, and tantrums. I start to tear up again.

He goes into her room and in between her sobs I hear her giggle. I go into her room and see him jumping around with her jean skirt on his head, a purse hanging from his ears, her sunglasses around his neck and he is singing some song about poopy and pee. I start to laugh a much needed laugh. He looks ridiculous. She starts to laugh. He convinces her to run to the potty and put on her bathing suit to go to the pool.

I gave him one of the biggest hugs I've given him in a while. When I don't have the patience or energy to see beyond the next 5 minutes, he is there to jump in. All he wants is for his girls to be happy. He is such a brilliant Daddy and wonderful partner.

Happy Father's Day!

Because I Don't Want to Forget (Volume 2)

2010-06-18T08:00:00.008-04:00

I feel like each new age Charlotte grows into is my favorite - but almost 2.5 is hysterical. Sure, it has it's challenges - she is trying to become more independent and thinks Doritos is an awesome breakfast - but overall she is this amazing, very funny, good little girl.

1. She tells me, "Don't worry 'bout it, Mommy". The funny thing is, she uses this phrase in the correct context each time. So, if she is eating chalk or paint or something and tell her no, she says, "It's Ok, don't worry 'bout it Mommy"

2. Each night before she goes to sleep or every afternoon before her nap she wants to know what we are going to do when she wakes up. The process of explaining takes about 5-10 minutes before she is satisfied with what we are going to do.

3. She has a funny new dance.

4. Yo Gabba Gabba is hands down her favorite show - Judd and I have seen each episode 100 times and are pretty ready for the writers to come up with some new ones. We have at least 4 episodes recorded at all times. When she wants to watch one she asks which ones we have. I read the titles to her and she picks which one she wants.

5. When it is breakfast or lunch, she always wants to "hear her choices" as to what she can have to eat.

(choices are a big thing in her life right now)

6. When asked what Daddy does at work she says, "make money". (right on, baby!)

7. She is very aware that her "baby brother" is in Mommy's tummy. She talks about him every once in a while. If only she really knew what all of this meant for her.

8. She has some pretend friends that come with us places, or just show up places. The most popular is "Pretend Marshall". However, it is not uncommon for "Pretend Ella", "Pretend Emma", or "Pretend Oliber" to be around.

She is growing before our eyes every day. Judd was gone for under a week this past week and when he saw her, he thought she was so much bigger than when he left.

A trip to PA

2010-06-16T20:43:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday morning, Judd went to Hawaii while Charlotte and I traveled to my parent's house in Mechanicsburg, PA. I briefly toyed with the idea of Charlotte and I tagging along to Honolulu, but the visions of 10 hour airplane rides with a very active 2.5 year old were keeping me awake at night. I'm a fairly brave traveler with a toddler, but not that brave.

We got to Baltimore on Saturday morning and the Cianfichi shuttle drove us to my parent's house. (Thanks again Rachel & Adam!) We had a wonderful afternoon visiting with both of my grandmothers, both of my sisters and their husbands, my parents, and last but certainly not least - my beautiful nephew. This was the first meeting between Charlotte and Jacob. She thought he was pretty cool.

After a relaxing Sunday morning reading the paper:

my parents, Charlotte, my grandmother, and I went to church. Charlotte refused to go to the nursery and I didn't make her. So, she and I sat in the chapel and listened to the service while my parents and grandmother sat in the sanctuary. Then, Charlotte decided to throw an absolute tantrum on the ride home. The child turned into an animal - she forced her body so hard against the straps in her car seat they left marks on her shoulders! After some "sprinkle pancakes" whipped up by Granddad, she took a nice long nap.

Monday morning Charlotte and I headed to Knoebels to meet one of my dearest friends, Adrienne and her daughter, Sophia. Adrienne and I spent about 3 years attached at the hip in middle school/high school. We haven't lost touch since. Sophia is adorable and so well behaved. Both girls were, really. I don't think a single tear was shed in the time that we were there. They were both very brave and rode lots of rides.

She loved this ride! I was terrified to put her on it. Doesn't she looks so big, yet so little at the same time?

Why so serious?

Charlotte and I attempted to come home on Tuesday evening. We went to the Harrisburg airport and expected to get on the plane - there were about 8 seats open and I felt pretty confident we would get 2 of them. The flight was supposed to leave at 5:35, we got to the gate about 5. Charlotte and I ended up waiting there until 9pm when my mom picked us up to head back to their house. The storms in ATL kept our plane grounded and they wouldn't give us an indication of when it would ever leave. So, I made the decision to take Charlotte back and let her have a somewhat decent night's sleep rather than wait it out.

We made it back to Atlanta this afternoon. I would like to take a minute and brag about my child. She was an awesome traveler. In all of the time we had to wait around the BORING Harrisburg airport last night, she only really lost it once. She was able to be entertained with walks down the hallways, looking at books, just whatever. Then after only 8 hours sleep last night, we got on a 1 o'clock flight today. She hadn't napped at all before the flight. She was awesome on the plane - she put some stickers in books, watched a few minutes of Yo Gabba Gabba and then went to sleep. Not a single tear. Maybe I she would have been OK on the 10 hour flight back from Honolulu? I pray that this little boy kicking inside of me will travel as well as his big sister.

We are all unpacked and Charlotte is sound asleep in her bed. As much as I love being with my family and had an awesome time, it is always so nice to be back home.

Fruit Loop Necklace

2010-06-10T20:18:00.002-04:00

The last few afternoons (well, about 15 minutes worth of the afternoon) have found Charlotte and I being a little crafty. I cut some yarn, put some tape around the ends, and help her string some fruit loops to make a necklace. She thinks it is pretty darn cool.

The best part, of course, is that you get to eat it when it is finished. Jody thinks that is pretty cool too.

The Ball Game

2010-06-08T15:37:00.003-04:00

We have gone outside and played "The Ball Game" (as Charlotte calls it) for a couple of nights this week. It basically consists of Judd and I acting like fools in the front lawn kicking a plastic ball around and letting Charlotte chase us.

There is some tackling.

There is somersault practice.

There is some time spent pretending to be a rag doll.

Then it is time to get serious. Judd and I have a kick off to see who can kick it the farthest and highest. Seriously - isn't his form to die for? :)

(I hope you blog readers appreciate that set as much as I do. I run the risk of having a very annoyed husband that these pictures were posted. He said, "You better not post those to the blog!" And then I hid the camera the rest of the night so he wouldn't remember and delete them. So, the next picture is to soften him up.)

I'll keep her

2010-06-07T20:54:00.004-04:00

Even if she makes me lose my patience 20 times a day- this is the reason God gave this child Disney Princess sized blue eyes and yellow curls - she melts my heart each day.

The Weekend

2010-06-07T13:55:00.005-04:00

Our weekend started off Friday evening with a torrential downpour and a pizza dinner at the Himes residence. It has been a little while since Judd and Dave played together, so I accepted Erin's invitation for a night off from cooking. The girls tore the house apart, fought over toys, ate dinner, had a bath together, read stories, and went to bed.

I put Charlotte in their guest bed with a pillow on either side of her. She looked so little laying there in that big double bed. About an hour later Erin said she heard talking from that room. I looked in and Charlotte was just sitting there in the bed talking and singing to herself. I kissed her good night again and she eventually fell asleep.

Saturday morning I had a Mommy & Me session at Piedmont Park. Charlotte was a bit of a pill on Saturday. Judd and I planned to take her to the PDK airshow, but she refused to get dressed and threw a huge tantrum. We ended up heading to the pool about an hour later.

Saturday night we attempted to have movie night. I think she's still a little young. I thought she'd get into the music and animation of a good Disney movie, but she just kept asking questions and didn't really get it. She did, however, love eating her bowl of popcorn.

After church on Sunday, Judd spent a lot of the day researching refrigerators. Ours seemed to be leaking water out of the bottom and didn't feel too cold. It came with the house and Lord only knows how old it is. It looks pretty old. After a suggestion from my father on Sunday evening, Judd cleaned out the evaporation pan and vacuumed underneath. Today, it seems to be running fine and no leaking. So, expense avoided? maybe for now.

This week it is business as usual. Pool, grocery shopping, sandbox, story time at the library, naps, and popsicles.

Pool Time

2010-06-04T16:08:00.003-04:00

3 little girls eating PB&J with wrinkly fingers by the pool.

One shy little boy (Oliver) in the baby pool with his mama.

Time spent with awesome friends on a Friday morning, priceless.

When Judd and I took Charlotte to the pool for the first time this summer, as we were pulling out of the parking lot he said, "Are you going to live out a dream this summer?" He knows me well.

Coming out of college, a standard interview question was, "Where do you want to be in 5-10 years?" I never really knew how to answer that - but usually gave a pretty standard response about being a manager, blah, blah. I think I actually always knew the answer - I want to be able to play at the pool with my children in the summer. I want them to have care free childlike summers - no schedules, no routines, pool time every day if the want. I feel so fortunate that I finally figured out what was in me all along - and I feel even more fortunate that I can just be a mom this summer.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T21:51:00.002-04:00

My parents came to visit for Memorial Day weekend. Charlotte and I picked them up from the airport on Saturday morning and it was play time until I dropped them off at the airport tonight. It had been over 2 months since they had seen Charlotte - the longest stretch yet.

It was a action packed weekend complete with a trip to the pool and attending both the Decatur Arts Festival and the Jazz Festival. Mom and I even snuck over to Lenox Mall and did a little shopping for baby brother. (It was so strange shopping in the little boy sections!)

Grammie and Granddad bought Charlotte her first sandbox this morning. She had a great time "making cupcakes" with Grammie once it was all set up. Here's hoping that the sandbox will keep her busy for many hours (well at least minutes) this summer.

After a yummy dinner at a "restrank" tonight, Char did a little puddle splashing.

It was such a nice, relaxing visit. I was sad to see them go. But, today kicks off summer - and I am so looking forward to what this summer will bring!

Grateful

2010-05-28T00:15:00.003-04:00

Your daddy and I saw you today.

We saw that you have all 4 chambers in your heart.

We saw that your brain looks to be developing the way it should.

We saw you move your hands and feet - you waved to us! The doctor counted your fingers and toes and told us you had 10 of each.

We saw your lips, nose, and eyes.

We saw your feet move from by your head to down by your little hiney.

We saw my blood flowing to you the way that it should be.

We saw that you are indeed our son.

We felt our hearts grow bigger.

We love you so much already.

Indoor Pool

2010-05-26T22:19:00.002-04:00

After changing into bathing suits and slathering on sun screen we made it to the pool today just in time for thunder to boom. Pool closed. We hung out and played on the playground for a few minutes to see if the storm would just blow through. But, the clouds got really dark, the wind started to pick up, and everyone else was leaving. So, I coaxed Charlotte back into the car by promising she could eat her pool snacks on her "pool" at home. (a big blue quilt we put on the floor)

(please excuse the fuzziness of these pictures - I tried something new and let's just say it didn't work - and I'm too lazy to go back and fix it)

Turns out we had a pretty good time pretending to jump off of the side and swim around. And - bonus - I didn't have to get all wet and cold!

Summer Evenings

2010-05-25T20:24:00.002-04:00

Judd gets home anywhere between 6:00 and 6:30. I plan to have dinner ready to go at 6:30 - sometimes it is more like 6:45. After dinner, we clean up and Charlotte announces that it is "POPSICLE TIME!" She grabs a popsicle and heads out the front door to the front steps to watch the cars go by and eats her popsicle.

The bath occurs immediately after popsicle time. But tonight was so nice out that Charlotte and I took a walk after popsicle time.

Either Judd or I give her a bath. Then we spend at least 15 minutes negotiating her into underwear and pajamas. (The child LOVES to run around naked.) A little Yo Gabba Gabba is watched.

We pour a cup of milk and she runs upstairs to pick out 2 books. Either Judd or I read her the books while she sits with us and drinks her milk. She then crawls into bed. We cover her up, sing her a couple of songs, then give her a hug, a kiss, and tickle. (She has added the tickle lately)

9 times out of 10 this is how we spend our evenings. It is a solid routine. There is so much comfort in a routine - especially one that involves popsicles, a warm bath, cuddly stories, and a hug, a kiss, and a tickle.

Hitched

2010-05-23T09:39:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Judd's cousin, Jen got married to Dennis. She asked me a few months ago if I would photograph the wedding. I nervously said "Of Course!"

Weddings are something that I don't want to do professionally - there is so much posing, once-in-a-lifetime shots for the couple, different lighting situations, etc. It is HARD. But, I knew it would challenge me and give me the opportunity to do something that I hadn't done before - with relatively little pressure. And, I ended up having a blast!

Everyone looked fabulous - especially Jen and Dennis. The weather held out and they were able to have the ceremony outside. The facility was beautiful.

And, no wedding would be complete without a few cute kiddos running around.

I could take pictures of Michael all day. The kid could be a Ralph Lauren model. Just look at how he naturally poses...he's gonna be a heart breaker. And if you could hear his little sweet voice and his southern accent - you would just want to squeeze him.

Then there are these 3 cousins.

Charlotte saw Lilly and Katie and just couldn't get enough of them. I was told she held Lilly's hand (or tried to) throughout the ceremony. When Char got wind that Lilly and Katie were going to go down to Grandmother & Grandaddy's house to spend the night, she ran to me and said, "I go to Grandmother's house too, OK Mommy?" I said, "No, you stay with me an Daddy." Well, while I was taking pictures, she worked into the heart strings of her daddy and grandparents and ended up going to spend 2 nights with her cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents - leaving Judd and I alone until Monday morning.

So, Judd and I had a relaxing night out last night. We are headed to brunch this morning, then maybe to lounge at the pool this afternoon. Then tonight - the finale of LOST!

The Music Class

2010-05-19T23:35:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday we wrapped up our last week of a 10 week session at The Music Class. To say Charlotte loved it would be the understatement of the year. I have been listening to the "Pony Collection" CD non stop in the car for the past 10 weeks. She knows every.single.song. She sings the class "welcome" song to all of her baby dolls on a daily basis.

I told her on the way to class this past Tuesday that she would need to tell the teacher what her favorite song was. There was a lot of "Ummmmms" and "Hmmmmms" from he back seat, but she managed to tell me her favorite(s) a few times. One of the songs usually changed, but the one that remained constant was the "scarf song". (For the scarf song, the song that plays is usually different from week to week, but the fact that she gets to run around the room "dancing" and waving scarves remains the same.)

I hadn't taken the ol' camera to music class until Tuesday - it is just too hard to manage the camera and a jumping, singing, dancing 2 year old. But I just knew I had to capture her expressions in the class - the ones that I have had all to myself the past 10 weeks. While I didn't get to capture each different face she makes throughout the course of the 45 minute class, I managed a few. Don't you wish you could hire a photographer to come to all of these little events in life?

I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for an activity. The teachers were really professional and Charlotte learned so much.

Bath Time

2010-05-17T19:57:00.002-04:00

The Perfect Day

2010-05-16T14:14:00.002-04:00

Do you ever have those days when everything just feels right?

Our Saturday started out with Judd taking Charlotte for a trip to the "donut store" where she got to pick out a donut with her Daddy. Later in the morning we packed up and went to the pool for a couple of hours. (We recently joined one of the community pools around our house so Charlotte and I would have a place to swim this summer.) Charlotte took a three hour nap that afternoon - swimming wears you out! Judd's parents stopped by for a visit. In the evening, we had dinner outside at a "rescronk" where Charlotte ate an entire bowl of spaghetti. We drove to the square in Decatur, got our ice cream, and listened to the band playing in the gazebo.

It doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary. In fact, to some of my peers it sounds downright boring. But, to me, it is living a small dream.

About 8 years ago, when Judd and I went to the square in Decatur on a Spring evening for the first time - we witnessed a band playing in the gazebo, and families eating picnic dinners on the lawn. Kids were running everywhere with dirty feet and dirty faces, but huge smiles. I'll never forget that night - I knew then I wanted to live here and bring my own kids down to the square on nights like that. You know those magical late spring/summer nights?

I felt so lucky to hold Charlotte's and Judd's hand last night as we walked around the square. 8 years ago I had a glimse of what my life could be, and now I am living it. I have a great house in the part of town I love and a family that I love more than anything. It all just feels right.

A quiet cup of coffee

2010-05-14T15:11:00.003-04:00

She said, "I wanna watch Yo Gabba Gabbba on your phone." Rather than deny the request like I have the last 20 mornings she's asked me, I said, "Sure, go get your headphones."

She looked at me amazed - I could just see her thinking, "Ha! my incessant asking finally paid off." She turned and ran upstairs to get her headphones before I changed my mind

I plugged them into my phone, settled them on her ears, checked the volume to make sure it wasn't too loud, and turned on Yo Gabba Gabba.

I sat back, turned on the Today show, and drank a cup of coffee in peace.

Yes, I feel guilty for doing this. No, I won't make a habit of it. But I sure did enjoy the 15 minutes it lasted.

Sweet Baby Jacob

2010-05-11T22:31:00.002-04:00

I spent the last day and a half getting to know my nephew. How did I forget just how sweet newborns are? How good they smell?

Jacob is about as sweet as they come. Loves to cuddle. Loves to sleep. Loves to poop on Aunt Carrie.

I stole him for a few minutes to take some pictures while Sally napped yesterday.

Sally and Andrew seem to be settling into parenthood quite nicely. Sally surprised me with just how calm she is. I remember being a nervous wreck my first week home with Charlotte - but Sally just seems to roll with the punches. I hope the next few weeks go smoothly for them as they all adjust to being a family of 3.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:07:00.004-04:00

I enjoyed a nice dinner out with the hubby last night, was given a gift certificate for a pedicure, and some special people made me cinnamin buns and coffee this morning. So far, a great Mother's Day. Judd is going to Rome this afternoon and I'm flying to Baltimore to visit my mom and of course, "Baby Birm Jacob" (as Charlotte says). Char is headed to her Grandmother's for a couple of days of spoiling.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there - hope you have a great day. A very special Happy Mother's Day to my mom, mother-in-law, and the newest mother in our family - Sally.

Can You Buy Fun?

2010-05-07T08:29:00.003-04:00

Yep, you can. It comes in the form of a blue inflatable pool and costs about $7.99 at Toys R Us.

This one just cracks me up - love how she's holding the hose.

Remember last October when we had our backyard completely sodded? Well, rather than trying to maintain the yard ourselves, we decided to just hire the guys that did it to do our regular lawn maintenance. The backyard is awesome. Yesterday while she was playing in the pool, I just sat in one of the patio chairs and stalked her with my camera. It is almost fully shaded in the afternoon whih is perfect! It is like having another room in the house. Last year, we had to have the pool in the sunny, hot front yard where everyone that drove by could see us.

The backyard cost quite a bit more than the pool, but it was definately worth all of the fun we will have out there.

Baby Birm

2010-05-06T08:24:00.002-04:00

Jacob Andrew Birmingham came into the world last night at 10:33pm after a whirlwind 7 hour labor from the time of Sally's water breaking until he was out.

He is big boy weighing 8lbs 6oz and a length of 22".

I spoke to Sally this morning and she sounded tired but very happy!

Congratulations Andrew and Sally!

Because I Don't Want to Forget

2010-05-04T08:25:00.001-04:00

1. The way you say "Polka Dot". You say, "Pok a lop". You pretend to take them off of your pants, or books, or wherever polka dots may be and ask us if we want to eat them. You expect us to "eat" them and then have disgusted looks on our faces and say they "Taste like poopies". It cracks you up every.single.time.

2. "Restaurant" is "Rescronk".

3. When I ask you to "scoot" over, you usually reply with, "You want me to scoop over". You get your "t's" and "p's" mixed up sometimes.

4. Today when I was wiping the crumbs off of the table after your lunch, you said with a sigh in the tone of your voice, "Here Mommy, I help you, it is a wittle hard".

5. You know what the "chinin nunuks" store is (Chick-fil-A) and when we drive by you get a light in your eye and say, "We going to chinin nunuks store?" Last night your Daddy corrected your pronunciation of "chicken nuggets". You began to say it correctly. I was surprised to feel a pang in my throat. Thankfully today you went back to saying "chinin nunuks". It is the little things that remind me you are still my baby.

6. You love to eat steak, but your pronounce it "snake".

7. I love it that when you get to the verse in "You are my sunshine" you say "You make me happy when skies are great" rather than "when skies are grey". I don't correct you - I think it sounds better that way.

8. You think potty humor is hilarious. I expected this knowing your father. You think it is so funny when someone "poots", especially when it is you.

Zoo and Other Things

2010-05-03T08:24:00.002-04:00

Friday morning we headed to the zoo with Allison and Marshall. Judd and I got a yearly pass to the zoo a few weeks ago which allows me to take one other adult and up to 3 other kids with us for free! So, if anyone wants to head to the zoo - just let me know! Other great things about the zoo - it opens at 9:30 am, parking is free, and you can bring food in - so no need to buy lunch there. Even if you aren't into seeing the animals, there is a petting zoo, a couple of playgrounds, a train ride, and a couple of other rides.

Friday morning we got there about 9:45 and were right behind about 20 school buses letting kid after kid after kid out. It was CRAZY for the first half hour or so. I was so busy trying to keep Charlotte from being knocked over by 5th graders that it was hard to enjoy it - but then we got into the groove and had a great time. Marshall and Charlotte loved seeing the animals and then enjoyed taking a break for lunch.

After lunch we headed to the petting zoo. Charlotte loves to grab a brush and brush all of the animals.

However, Al snapped this picture just as Charlotte thought it would be a good idea to brush her own hair. (YUCK! Luckily we haven't found any lice yet :) )

The rest of our weekend was a good. We headed to the lake on Saturday for Judd's cousin Jennifer's wedding shower. We had yummy homemade ice cream and cake - both of which Charlotte could NOT wait to eat - then headed out on the boat for a nice boat ride on Saturday afternon. I would have pictures of that - but I realized when I pulled out my camera on Saturday afternoon that I had forgotten my memory cards a home. Guess the pregnancy brain is starting to kick in!!

Taking Baby To Walk

2010-04-29T08:21:00.003-04:00

Cindy is Charlotte's baby. She got her for Christmas. Her name is Cindy because of Charlotte's resemblance to Cindy Lou Who.

Lately we have been taking Cindy on lots of walks. Yesterday, after we returned home from taking Jody for a walk, Charlotte said, "I take Cindy to walk." So, we went upstairs and packed up Cindy into her stroller.

Then she started running with her down the sidewalk. (maybe we need a baby jogging stroller?)

Cindy loves the walks. You would think she would be scared to death after the stroller has been tipped over or hurled down the sidewalk. But instead she just closes her eyes and goes to sleep.

Usually we have to find a stick to take back to Jody.

Then Charlotte declares it is Cindy's birthday when we hit one of the sewer caps and sits down in the middle of the sidewalk to sing "Happy Birthday" at the top of her lungs.

This walk of about 75 yards usually takes us 30 minutes or so to complete. In other words it takes FOREVER. I was telling Judd about our walks the other day and he said, "Sounds great - sure beats sitting in a cube, working." I had to agree with that.

Swimming

2010-04-26T13:23:00.005-04:00

I've been keeping a little secret from all of you lovely blog readers. Charlotte and I have been up to something. Every Monday and Wednesday morning for the past four weeks we have packed up our swimsuits and headed to the Y for swimming lessons.

Why didn't I write about this sooner? I haven't been able to get a single picture to prove that we have actually been doing it. And, I have a really, really hard time blogging about something like this without a picture. But, this past Saturday we did a make up class since Judd and I were in NYC last Monday. Judd was able to come along and video tape.

When asked whether he would like to jump in the pool and be Charlotte's buoy or video tape, didn't take him long to decide. go figure.

Charlotte started out 4 weeks ago very excited about swimming lessons, but still not so sure that she wanted to let go of me - AT ALL. So, I was patient and let her fingernails dig into my neck and shoulders for a half hour two days a week. Then in the 3rd week, she grabbed onto a noodle and let go of me. It was the miracle my neck had prayed for - she swam solo holding onto a noodle. I was one proud mama.

Then this past week, she took it a step further. I put her little "backpack" on and held onto her waist. All of the sudden I felt her little legs pumping as hard as they could. So, I let go to see what would happen. She took off! "Swimming" all around. She was so proud of herself you could feel it. I was pretty darn proud too.

We have a little over a month before the pool opens. I'm hoping that these lessons will be fresh enough in her little brain and little muscles that she'll feel right at home there this summer.

Here she is in action.

Why?

2010-04-23T14:15:00.003-04:00

Someone told me the other day that the "why?" questions weren't supposed to hit until the 3s. Lucky us, Charlotte has started early. I would say we are averaging about 250 why questions/day. Our brains are tired at the end of the day. In the morning, I actually try to think of why something might be the way that it is - but by the end of the day I go with the standard answer, "That's how God made it."

Here are a couple examples from today:
C: "Why we having pancakes for lunch?"
Me: "I thought it would be fun."
C: "Why you think it would be fun?"
Me: "Because it is something different and you like to help"
C: "Why me like to help?"
Me: "I don't know, why do you like to help?"
C: "I dunno"

C: "What's Daddy doing?"
Me: "Taking a shower"
C: "Why he taking shower?"
Me: "Because he has to go to work"
C: "Why he go to work"
Me: "You know why, why does he have to go to work?"
C: "To make money" pause....
C: "Why he need to make money?"
Me: "So we can feed you and do fun things"
C: "Why we do fun things?"
Me: "Because we do"

We have been asked "Why the sky is blue?" on a daily basis. That one I can safely say I don't know the answer other than - "God made it that way"

She came home from her grandparent's house saying, "I love asking questions" I'm pretty sure she was told that she "loves asking questions" a lot. But no matter how tiring the "whys" are, I am so very thankful for having a curious child.

(what the majority of pictures look like these days - this is her "smile")

NYC

2010-04-21T14:36:00.002-04:00

Judd and I made it back to Atlanta yesterday afternoon after a wonderful trip to New York.

We didn't have an agenda, we just wanted to take in the city and try to relax a little bit. We had fabulous luck with eating - thanks in part to the wonderful little app I had on my iPhone called Yelp. We ate fairly inexpensively even though we ate great Italian food in the cutest little restaurants.

We saw South Pacific at Lincoln Center on Saturday night (it was awesome!), went to the movies on Sunday night, and went to a comedy club on Monday night.

Sunday morning we spent walking around the Upper Westside checking out the flea and farmer's markets. Sunday afternoon we headed to B&H Photo. It is the coolest place for anyone remotely interested in photography, videography, recording, etc. Monday we went to the Top of the Rock and to the Museum of Modern Art. There is a performance artist on exhibit there right now and let's just say it was, well, interesting.

We had great travel luck - first class both ways. That beats sitting in coach trying to entertain a 2 year old any day.

We spent some great time together just the two of us. We always have a good time traveling together - something that I'm extremely happy about. We have very similar tastes and travel style. Sure, we missed Charlotte, but we knew she was in good hands and didn't worry about her at all. In fact, we even forgot to call her one night before she went to bed because we were too worried about getting from the restaurant to the movie on time!

From what I hear, Charlotte had a wonderful time with her grandparents. She played with baby ducks, ate ice cream cones at the dock, went to the park, ate cheetos and coke on the boat, fished with her Grandaddy, played with her Grandmother, went on the paddle boat with Aunt Pam, and had lunch with her Great Grandparents. They said she slept great, and I'm sure she did with all of that going on.

Col-De-Sac Fun

2010-04-16T07:15:00.000-04:00

What evenings in the Spring and Summer should be.

My new all time favorite is in one of the sets above - can you guess?

Reason #567 why I love him

2010-04-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

A month or so ago, Judd and I planned to go to Cabo, Mexico for 5 nights/6 days sans Charlotte. Judd planned the whole thing. We had two tickets to fly anywhere in the world, so Judd booked our seats with those. Then we had enough hotel points to cover our hotel stay - a semi-free vacation, what could be better.

At the time I voiced my doubts about being about to be away from Charlotte for that long. It would be the longest I have ever been away from her, and I just didn't know if I could do that. Don't get me wrong - I need a break, and I recognize that, but 5 nights is a long time. Judd told me that he had worked hard on booking and researching the trip and to be honest, his feelings were kind of hurt. He said that I would love the time away and would be able to relax when I got there.

So, I started to get used to the idea. I soon began to look forward to the time away and knew that I probably needed a full 5 nights to completely relax. I was starting to plan out my wardrobe - and this takes some work when you barely still fit into your old clothes (yes, you "pop" a lot faster with the 2nd) and you don't have too many cute summer maternity clothes to choose from. I had even started to get used to the fact that I would be putting on a bathing suit.

Then, Judd got home from Las Vegas last week. He was tired. He had been on the road for a few nights for the past 3 weeks. He missed his Charlotte. He looked at me and said, "you are gonna kill me, but I don't think I want to be gone from her for 5 nights. I've been gone so much lately, and will be leaving again the week after we get back - can we just go somewhere for 3 nights?" My mouth dropped open and I gave him a big hug. Seriously, how can you say no to that?

So, we are still headed out of town this weekend, but for 3 nights. It will be a really nice get away. We are headed to NYC and will be staying close to Central Park. We plan to see a show, eat lots of yummy food, and try to do a few things we haven't done there before. And, I won't have to put on a bathing suit :)

Big Girl Bed

2010-04-13T13:48:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday we converted Charlotte's crib to a toddler bed or "big girl bed". Charlotte and I made a special trip to Target to find some bedding and Charlotte picked out a cute owl/forest print which matches her room pretty well. (Thank the Lord for Target - seriously, what did people do before it existed?) She helped me wash the bedding and then Judd put the bed together.

Charlotte jumped right in and pulled the covers up to her chin. She loved it. While I was getting dinner together, Judd told her she couldn't have something or other and she stomped her little foot and said, "I go to my big girl bed" and marched upstairs and sat in her bed. It was pretty funny. Judd and I thought, "well, guess we'll have a nice quiet dinner". She eventually came down and joined us for dinner.

She has done really well with the bed. She doesn't get out of it without Judd or I coming into her room in the morning or after nap. We have toddler proofed her room just in case.

She wasn't climbing out of her crib, she would have stayed in her crib until she was 5 if we would have let her. It is starting to get to the point where I am having a hard time lifting her over the rail and laying her on the mattress. Also, we will eventually need the mattress for the baby. So, we decided to go ahead and give it a whirl - so far so good.

It was more emotional than I thought it would be when I peeked in on her the first night before I went to bed. She looked SO big asleep with her head on a pillow and tucked into her covers. She is turning into a little girl right before my eyes.

Baby Davis #2

2010-04-12T08:58:00.003-04:00

We found out we were pregnant mid February with this baby. While we were extremely excited, Judd and I were also scared to get too attached to the baby until we knew that everything was OK.

In early December I had a miscarriage at 7.5 weeks. It was something that I never thought would never happen to me. I was in PA for my sister's wedding and had some bleeding. I called my doctor and they said the only thing to do, since I was out of town, was go to an urgent care clinic or the ER. I went to urgent care, but they didn't have the equipment, so I headed to the ER. After a 5 or 6 hour ordeal, and an ultrasound that showed no baby and measuring at 5 weeks, they sent me home. I lost the "baby" that night.

It is hard to describe the feelings that you go through. Not only is it emotionally painful, it is physically painful. But, with the help of my wonderful husband and our family (especially my dad who was with me in the ER), we got through it and decided to give it another whirl - and it worked!

The doctor I see likes to confirm the pregnancy at about 7 weeks. So, mid March I headed to the doctor excited to see if this baby was progressing the way it should. I watched the ultrasound screen, so anxiously that I think I stopped breathing. It wasn't the best of news. Even though it had been 7 weeks according to my dates, the baby was only measuring at 5 weeks. I couldn't believe that this was happening again. She reassured me that everything looked perfect for 5 weeks and we would repeat the ultrasound in 2 weeks. She said to just wait and see what happened.

The next 2 weeks went by VERY slowly and I was a nervous wreck the entire time. I was obsessed with every cramp, every feeling.

Judd went with me for the ultrasound at the "new" 7.5 week mark. We watched the screen and immediately saw a little embryo with a heartbeat beating away. Oh the feeling of relief. Judd squeezed my hand and the tears were just running down my cheeks. My due date was adjusted to Oct 24th.

We went for an ultrasound at 11.5 weeks last week and saw the baby again, this time in 3D. The baby is perfect - growing just like it should. We couldn't be happier. The doctor asked if we wanted him to guess the sex. I had heard they could make a guess this early and Judd and I agreed to have him guess. He took a look and said he is 90% sure it is a BOY! While, we aren't buying any blue yet, and we honestly don't care at all what the sex is, it is exciting to think about a little guy running around this house tormenting his big sister.

Now that I am breathing a little easier about this pregnancy and really starting to believe that it is really happening, we have to start figuring out how we are going to fit another kiddo in this house!

Moving

2010-04-09T13:26:00.003-04:00

We will be moving this blog over to a new spot on the web sometime around October 24th.

Davis, Party of 4

Please update any of your bookmarks accordingly.

More details to come on Monday.

Tame the Mane

2010-04-06T21:19:00.002-04:00

The weather has been turning Charlotte's hair into an untamed mane the past few days. It is super curly. It isn't really long enough to do anything with. Every morning I try to put some water in it and comb it into place, but each afternoon it looks like this. It's pretty darn cute if you ask me, even if it isn't perfectly in place with a bow on top.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T13:55:00.002-04:00

We headed to the lake on Friday afternoon to spend Easter weekend with the Davis clan. As usual, we spent most of our time enjoying the sun (and pollen) on the dock, taking boat rides, eating, and talking. There was an egg hunt thrown into the mix on Saturday.

One of the highlights of the weekend were the 2 baby ducks that Judd's parents got for each of the cousins, Lilly, Katie, and Charlotte for a total of 6 ducks. With a little help from her Dad, Charlotte named her two ducks Cheese and Quakers. The little ducks have a few more weeks to spend growing up in a tub in their garage before they are released into the lake.

Charlotte had a wonderful time. The child was covered in dirt & sweat at the end of each day. (A sure sign you have played as hard as you can) She stuck to her cousin Lilly like glue. Lilly is 6 and could have ignored Charlotte, but instead she played and played with her. They jumped on the bed, chased each other, played with toys, and caught minnows out of Grandaddy's fishing bucket. It made me so excited about watching them grow up together.

The weekend would have been absolutely perfect except for one thing - Katie couldn't be there and we missed her!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T09:52:00.002-04:00

We are headed to the lake for the weekend to celebrate Easter with Judd's family. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Last year's:

First Easter:

Lucky

2010-04-01T20:27:00.003-04:00

One day you will not have flat, chubby baby feet - they will have arches and look grown up.

One day you will actually have ankles.

One day you will not have dimples where your fingers meet your hands.

One day you will not want to have a birthday party for your doll, Cindy. You will not want me to play with you. You will not give me a pretend cupcake and let me blow out the "candle" on your cupcake.

But, today you did let me join in the birthday party and it was one of those special times that everything in my brain left for a few minutes and I was able to concentrate 110% on you and every move you made. I loved the way you helped Cindy into her high chair, the way you cleaned up when she "spilled" her orange juice. They way you look at me with a spark in your eye when you know you did something funny, just waiting for me to laugh so you can laugh too.

I actually cried this morning when Daddy was leaving for work because I didn't think I could make it through the day alone with you. I was so tired from the past few nights when you have woken up 2 or 3 times. I was so tired because your Daddy had been out of town. I wasn't sure I could do it.

But then, I calmed down, made a cup of coffee and watched you play Weebles. I reminded myself of just how lucky I am to have these days with you and that I wouldn't trade it.

Cleaning Fairy

2010-03-29T20:58:00.004-04:00

I've always dreamt of this - a cleaning fariy. Today, one appeared. She was wearing her cousin's tutu and cleaning with a wipe.

Egg Hunts

2010-03-28T21:20:00.003-04:00

We have been training for the Easter egg hunts. Last weekend at my parent's house, both my sister and my mother set up egg hunts for Charlotte. She was a pro. She knew just what to do - find the eggs, pick them up, then put them in the basket.

All of her training and hard work was put to the test on Saturday morning. We had not one, but two egg hunts to attend. The first was at church. Luckily, there was a pancake breakfast prior to the hunt, so Char was able to carbo load. She took it seriously - not only did she eat her pancake and sausage, but then she started in on mine.

Our group was lined up and sent out to the playground to hunt for eggs. Charlotte waited eagerly for her chance to grab some eggs.

The gate was opened and everyone flooded into the playground. There were eggs everywhere. But, where was Charlotte? I was sure her basket was full already. However, she was over by the swings asking me to put her on so she could swing. I told her to go get some eggs - this was an EGG HUNT. But no, she wanted to swing. Finally I told her there was candy in the eggs. Well, that was all the motivation she needed and off she went.

The very first egg she picked up, she tried to open - she needed to make sure I wasn't pulling her leg.

Hey, Mom was right!! There is candy in these eggs.

Unfortunately, by the time she finished with that Hershey Kiss, there were about 2 eggs left to find. So, we ended up with very few eggs. There were a few older children with 4-5 dozen eggs in their basket that would run by and throw an egg or two in Charlotte's basket. Not that she really cared, she was too busy making a birthday cake out of wood chips in the playhouse tucked away in the corner of the playground.

After I was able to pry her away from the playground, we headed home to rest and mentally prepare for the second egg hunt of the day.

One of my friends from IBM co-hosts an egg hunt every year. My hopes were high that Charlotte would have the hang of it by now.

Their backyard is huge and was filled with eggs. This egg hunt is great because there were only about 3 other kids Charlotte's age that were allowed to hunt eggs a few minutes before the older kids. Also, the eggs aren't all filled with candy - some of them have small toys. Charlotte got the hang of it quickly and her basket was filled in no time. Especially when she found one gigantic egg.

I think we have one more hunt to attend next weekend, I'm sure she'll be a champ by then. (As long as there isn't a playground in sight.)

Phoney Friday

2010-03-26T20:47:00.003-04:00

Just some of my favorites from the week.

Children's Museum

2010-03-25T21:45:00.002-04:00

We were invited to go with a neighbor to the children's museum today. Charlotte and I packed a lunch and headed out for a morning filled with grocery shopping, painting, moon sand sculpting, water splashing, and ball throwing. This wasn't our first time to the museum, but it was the first time I've taken my camera.

For those of you photography people out there reading this - these were all shot at ISO 2500, f/1.8 and various shutter speeds. The lighting was horrible, color casts everywhere. However, as usual, the subject is perfect :)

(She'll kill me one day for showing the butt crack picture, but as soon as I saw it I just had to post it - I couldn't resist.)