Emily & John Borland

L is for the Way You Look at Me...

2012-02-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Deutschland Trip (May 2006)

2012-02-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

As I was getting excited, I started to reminisce over the last time I was in Germany, and I had to share the pics!

Maggy, Niko and I! Niko is just 4 months old and gives Charlie a run for his money in the chubby cheeks department. He is SIX now!

K, who's excited to see castles?! THIS girl!

Mmmm, German food. I have a whole new culinary landscape to try my hand at!

Bier! We need some steins I think! I can't remember if I finished that beer? Maybe the fact that I can't recall, indicates that I did?!

My FAVORITE picture! Just look at that little sweetheart surrounded by all the "blumen"!

I have been told about lots of fresh outdoor markets. A whole new way to shop for food. I can't WAIT!!!

Munich

Castles!

Who wants to run up the mountains singing "The HILLS are aliiiiiiiive....with the sound of Muuuuusic!" Totally doing that.

Beautiful!

Where in the World is the Borland Family Go-ing?

2012-02-10T08:00:00.005-07:00

I hope you read the title of this post in your best inner "Carmen San Diego" voice!

This summer we will be headed over the OTHER pond to GERMANY!

And as you can see, Charlie is pretty excited about this :)

And now for the details, as I know them:

We were actually hoping to hear "where" today, even though John kept cautioning me to not get my hopes up, it is the Army afterall. So I was surprised when John came home from school yesterday and said "K, I have good news and bad news, which do you want first?"

Bad news, obviously.

"We will have to wait a couple months to buy you a car, but the good news is we got Germany."

Just keepin' it real, my first reaction was to suck in my breath, feel a wave of nervousness, and say "Are you SERIOUS?"

BACKSTORY: When we lived in Hawaii and choosing a post was a distant possibility, it was John who really wanted to be closer to home for the next post, and it was ME who wanted to take advantage of the possibility of adventure and travel and thus convinced him that we had to try for Germany. Apparently I am super convincing :) Fast forward several months and one baby later, and I was feeling a little more ambivalent about the possibility of being so far from home, from family, especially considering Charlie. I mean, I want him to know his family and his family to know him...But as I have said before we felt like this was an opportunity that we simply could not pass up. Plus there's always skype!

Because of everything we have been told about coming from Hawaii, I really did NOT think we would get Germany, our FIRST pick. Honestly I was prepping to write a blog post about all the positives that I could find about being stuck in the middle of no where, because I was convinced that we wouldn't get anything in our top five.

So it is safe to say that when John brought home this news, I was SHOCKED, and it took a little bit to let it soak in. And in the spirit of honesty? I am still trying to wrap my head around it.

We started calling family and friends to tell them about our newest adventure and talking about it started making it feel more real, and I started to get excited. And as we made a list of everywhere we hope to travel while we are there, I started to get even more excited. (I even started a new board on Pinterest called European Adventures, as a visual list of places I can't wait to see.)

John graduates CCC on June 8th. Because of how long in takes for our car and household goods to cross the pond, we will likely be packing up and shipping out right around this time. Charlie and I will probably be visiting family here and there, while John goes to some other schools (Sapper and something else). I will tentatively say that we will be in Germany in August. We also don't know where exactly we will be. The Brigade John will be working for is in three seperate locations: Bamburg, Heidelburg and Schweinfurt. Until we know which unit John is assigned to, we won't know exactly where we will be living, and it might be a while till we do. But they are all in the same general area. Also this should be a typical ~3 year post, so we expect to be there until summer of 2015.

Plenty of time for YOU to come visit us :) I hope for lots and LOTS of visitors. We will always have guest bedroom and a stein of German beer waiting for you!!

Interestingly, my parents passed up an opportunity to move to Stuttgart, Germany when I was three year old. I vaguely remember my parents talking about it and my Dad bringing me home a soccer ball and some German chocolate (Oh my gosh, John is already talking about the chocolate :) When we move I will be the same age that my mom was (28) when they would have moved. Weird, huh? Full circle.

Another thing I am really excited about it seeing our au pair, Maggy (HI MAGGY!) and her family (and her two cute boys)! She lived with us for a year when I was in 6th-7th grade. I remember her first coming to the U.S. and dealing with the culture differences...Now the shoe will be on the other foot, now I am on her "turf"! I haven't seen her since I visited her for a week back in 2006. Hopefully she will help me to assimilate smoothly! I checked and she only lives about a 2 hour drive away! Maybe less considering the autobahn!

I am so excited to learn some German! I am excited about the metric system! I can't wait for Charlie to be learning and explorning in Germany! The food! The travel! The visitors! The new holidays and traditions! My head is exploding with all the possibilities. The more I think about it the more excited I get!

A Day in the Life of Charlie-Doodle & His Parents, A Reprise

2012-02-10T06:39:00.001-07:00

4:30am: John's first alarm goes off...I roll over.

4:45am: Second alarm goes off. John gets up to shave, brush teeth and get dressed.

5:00am: John is out the door for PT, he needs to be there by 5:30. Also around this time is when I start to hear Charlie fussing in his crib. So either John brings him to me or I go get him and snuggle him till we both go back to sleep.

6:45am: John's home to shower and have breakfast. Most of the time this wakes Charlie up and he starts touching my face and trying to stick his fingers in my mouth as if to say "Come on Mom, time to play!" So I wake up too, and look over at his silly little grin, so happy to have accomplished his goal.

7:00am: We finally get out of bed once John is done showering. Diaper change for Charlie. John takes Charlie, or Charlie spends some time in his "office" (i.e. his excersaucer). Let Kaia out, feed Kaia some kibble. John fires up the Keurig, our current guilty pleasure and makes the coffee while I make him breakfast, usually 2 eggwhites with some chopped vegetables (onions, bell peppers, tomatos, avocado, spinach etc.) and feta.

7:30am: John is out the door. I flip on the news and nurse Charlie. After a good burp, he has some tummy time on the floor. While we play, I drink my coffee, have some breakfast and then take in some of the news. We are both still in our jammies. This slow start is my most favorite part of the day. Charlie is so fun, and Kaia usually joins us.

8:00am: Diaper change and get dressed for Charlie. I vow to pound my water (32oz) before I allow myself anything else caffeinated to drink. My goal as a WW (Water Warrior) is to down 2-3 of these daily. Charlie plays some more while I, do breakfast dishes, empty dishwasher, make the bed, get dressed (no yoga pants...most days) and get ready for the day!

8:45am: Starting to see yawns and rubbing of the eyes from my Little Man. So we snuggle in the rocker and read a few stories, turn on Pandora Lullabye, sway to a song or so and then in the crib he goes. After a little whining, he's out.

9-10:30am: Naptime...chore time for me! I usually pick 3 tasks that I want to get done each day. I also pump a little bit at this time.

10:30am: Charlie is up, diaper change, and time to eat! He has some cereal with a little veg or fruit to keep it interesting. This is sort of a long and messy process, so we don't rush it!
11:00am: Play time on the floor. We play peek a boo, I hide his toys under things, or just out of reach to see if he wants to go for it.

11:30am: Starts to whine because he doens't really eat enough solid foods to satisfy him yet, so he nurses. John comes home around now for lunch. Nothing special for lunch, usually last night's dinner leftovers! Charlie is excited to see his Dad.

12:00pm: We have ALL three (plus Kaia sometimes) been heading back on post after lunch. Charlie falls asleep for a second nap once we hit the car. We drop John back off at school, then Charlie and I either run errands or we meet up with friends for a long walk around post, to the park, and/or the dog park.

2:30:Done with our walk, nurse Charlie in the car...have food, will travel.

3:00pm: Pick John up from school and head back home. John plays with Charlie while I start dinner. We have been eating a really early dinner.

4:00pm: Naptime for Charlie, hang out time for John and I.

5:00pm: Usually Charlie wakes up, I nurse him and then John and I have dinner...I'm thinking we are going to switch to solids soon for this mealtime. Do the dinner dishes, clean up the kitchen, the table.

6:00pm: A short walk around the neighborhood with Kaia...but it's getting dark and cold so this isn't a very long one.

6:30pm: John does bathtime with Charlie. He lets Charlie play for as long as he likes till the water gets cold or Charlie gets pruny. Then I take over. Lotion, new diaper, jammies, comb hair, zip up sleep sack and head to Charlie's room to wind down.

7:30-8pm:Nurse, read stories, dance to music, bedtime for Charlie.

8 - 9pm: John and I play computers or watch a show.

9pm: Bedtime...we are reading "The Hunger Games" together, so we'll read a chapter or two...and then it really is bedtime. Our early bedtime is either a symptom of us getting old, or the fact that since Charlie's been teething he is getting up 2-3 times a night leaving me wishing for a more solid REM cycle!

That's our life's routine, more or less, these days. Nothing crazy or fast-paced about it, but we are loving it.

What We've Been Doing

2012-02-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Tearing up tissue paper while waiting on the doctor...What?!?! He shouldn't have made us wait so long :)

Enjoying the sunshine!

Tummy time with our puppy.

Stirring, Measuring, and Making Noise!

And more cooking! Look at how independent he looks, sigh!

Enjoying Tubby Time.

Sticking tongues out!

Exploring gardens and investigating radishes.

Cuddling with Aunt Lu.

Exploring the wonders of baby food, and finding lots of places to "hide" it!

7 Months Old

2012-02-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Charlie

You are still figuring out the whole crawling thing. You get yourself up on your knees and rock back and forth. I can tell you want to be moving forward so badly, because you let me know! I can definitely hear the frustration in your grunts. You are also holding yourself up so well. You like to stand and hold onto the couch and my hands and move around that way too. It is funny to see you sitting up so steadily and playing with your toys...it makes both your Dad and I feel like you look more and more like an actual kid rather than a baby.

This month you have been able to sit up in the bathtub, so we got rid of your infant seat, and added a bunch of toys. You love to grab for them, and stick them right in your mouth. Your Dad squirts you with water, sometimes on your face, and it doesn't bother you at all. Also new with your bathtime routine, you have so much hair now that we bought a little brush and comb your hair every night :)

Sitting up also means that we can switch out your stroller seat, so you can see the world rather than be stuck in the carseat. I can also use the jogging stroller with you now! We have gone on so many walks around post with friends, it has been fun enjoying the nice weather.

You are babbling lots. The other day we were riding in the car and you kept saying "Dadadadada", and obviously your Dad loved it and thought you were talking to him. You also just make a lot of noise that changes in pitch, almost like humming. It kind of sounds like when Dori speaks "Whale" in finding Nemo :) You love to blow raspberries and are frequently sticking your tongue out. You are real silly.

We play peek a boo, and you search for your toys when they are missing. You love Mama's cell phone. You also like books. You have a bunch on your bookshelf, but we get new board books all the time at the library, and you really are interested in whatever's on the pages...especially if there is a mirror. You LOVE to see yourself in the mirror.

All your drooling has FINALLY paid off, because just today I felt not one but TWO little tooth buds. We werent' surprised because in the last week or so you have been a little whiny especially in the evenings.

Sleeping...oh geez. You still take your naps pretty easily and go to sleep at night easily too, but you still can wake up several times at night. I think it is just as much a habit for you as it is for me. BUT you had two nights in a row where you slept a solid 12 hours, so I need to figure out what went right on those nights and do it again!

Eating is pretty much the same. You still just like to nurse and really don't love to eat solid foods. Usually you just have a little cereal with some vegetable or fruit after your morning nap. I don't push it, when you get tired of it or start turnign your head, we quit. I know it will take time and eventually we will build up...even still the guy at the grocery store commented that you looked like you hadn't skipped any meals. You just know what you like :) I have been giving you a sippy cup with water just to see what you would do with it, and you put it right to you mouth and began sucking at it.

2 weeks ago you weighed in at 18 pounds, 9 ounces, and are around 50% in length. Your head is definitely Borland, and you are up there in the 99%! You are in 9 month clothes, including the pants! You kick your socks off, and now pull them off constantly.

You are a very social baby, quick to smile at anyone who will smile at you or even look in your direction. I wear you in the Baby Bjorn to run errands and all the time you are "making friends" with people around us, smiling at them and laughing. Though you LOVE your Dad, and no one makes you smile or laugh more quickly than him, you are starting to be more "firm" in your preference for me when you are upset. Last night you were mad about something and crying while your Dad held you, and were sort of reaching for me, so I held you and as SOON as I grabbed you, you stopped crying, looked at your Dad and smiled and him and then laughed...you are such a little goober!! We laughed with you.

You are definitely becoming more independent and showing us your sense of self more often. It is thrilling and scary all at once. Thrilling because I love learning the aspects of your personality that are uniquely YOU, and it is awesome to know more about who you are becoming. It is scary because, as I say every month, it is happening so fast!

We feel so lucky to have such a happy & healthy baby boy, and I cannot believe that my time with you as a BABY is already more than half over. We don't take for granted all the snuggles, head nuzzles, the way you wake me in the morning with your hands all over my face and a smile once I open my eyes. There is nothing better than starting my day with you!

I love you, Charlie-Boy!

Love,
Your Mama
XO

Super Bowl

2012-02-07T20:04:00.002-07:00

We had a pretty successful Super Bowl Party at our house on Sunday. We invited several people from John's CCC along with their significant others, and had a full house. We even had to bring in extra seating. Luckily the couches from my Grandma are in good shape...though their pink floral pattern doesn't really go with the rest of our decor ;) Who cares, they are comfy. (I wonder how hard it would be to have new slip covers made?)

For me it is always about the food. I made PW's chili, with all the toppings and made Judy Boyd's Green Chili and Cheddar Cornbread. I made Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, and Jalapeno Popper Dip. And then everyone brought something to share too. There were TWO Buffalo CHicken dips (my fave), cupcakes, Buckeyes, Cookies...I need to get to the gym after all the eating we did!

Charlie was up for almost the entire game and was so good. I think he just loves all the people around him, it is entertaining to him. There was another little baby girl there too (2 months) and she was decked out in her Packers gear.

No one really cared who won...so it was nice that it was a good game. I loved the commercials because of all the animals. My favorite was the St. Bernard getting in shape so he could chase the car :)

Mealplan Monday

2012-02-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Tacos ~ The chicken looks so verdant and pretty! Topped with sauteed bell peppers, onions & avocado
Beef Stew with Molasses & Raisens ~ A Crockpot recipe with parsnips! It is kind of tangy with molasses and vinegar. My neighbor made this for us before so I already know it's so good! Might make some couscous with this!
Pecan Chicken Fingers with Spicy Sweet Potato Fries ~
Eggplant Parmesan w/ Whole Wheat Penne ~ "Meatless Mondays", a new recipe to add to our vegetarian repetoire!
Enchilada Pasta ~ I like pasta, I like enchiladas...I think this will be a happy marriage!
Paleo Goulash w/ Brown Rice ~ Making John happy, and trying some Paleo recipes...maybe one per week :) Though the rice kinds defeats the Paleo part!

2012-02-02T11:00:00.004-07:00

Today all post choices needed to be finalized on Greenpages. It is kind of like facebook in that you make your picks, and then the commanders review John's profile/resume and can pick you back. But even if you have both picked each other does NOT necessarily mean that's where you will end up, but it doesn't hurt.

So far John has been "picked" by a post in Germany, Ft. Campbell, and Ft. Riley, and asked for a phone interview for a spot at Ft. Carson. 8 more days...

John made me oatmeal cookies today, and even better than that? He put chocolate chips in them :)

2012-02-01T15:37:00.003-07:00

We have really been enjoying all of the great weather here lately. Charlie and I have been going on super long walks on post with some of our new friends. TOday when we picked up John from school I layed out a blanket for Charlie to play on because it was so beautiful!

I am real excited for Valentine's Day this year. It never was that exciting to me before. I think I hated the idea of all the romantic pressure associated with the holiday. Nowadays, I think of it more as an opportunity to do and make things for people I love, which DOES include John, but ALSO includes Charlie, friends and family. Plus I am going to make a bunch of heart shaped food.

I bought John's favorite Reese's Peanut Butter cups (shaped like hearts), and was hiding them in random places. When John figured out there was only one left he kept asking me where it was. I told him it was by soemthing that he doesn't care too much about and he said "It's not by the vacuum, is it?" Nooooooooo :) Actually it was underneath one of my books.

Apple Pie

2012-02-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago in January we did a Skype dinner party with my parents & Lindsay (in Arizona), Ron and Amy (in Michigan) and us (in Hawaii). We all made Julia CHild's Beouf Borguignon...and it was sooooo good. It was also really fun to cook it "together" and together discuss how amazing it tasted!

So for my Dad's birthday I suggested we do a recipe via skype again, and he could choose what we make, since it was HIS birthday.

In the end, he settled on Apple Pie, something I always make for my Dad on his birthday. EVen though he really isn't a big dessert eater, he DOES like apple pie.

So around 5pm our time, we peeled and sliced apples, and my Mom read the recipe on her end, and John held Charlie, who was helping by gnawing on measuring cups. We assembled the whole thing "together" right up until the point of sticking it in the oven :)

It was one good pie...even better for breakfast the next morning :)

Date Night

2012-01-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

One good thing about needing to drive to St. Louis for Charlie's appointment on Friday is that we could take full advantage of a city with restaurants beyond the typical chain.

Forrest Park, where the hospital is located, is smack dab in the middle of tons of yummy and unique places to eat! We've had crepes, great Mexican food, and Indian eats on previous visits, but wanted to try somewhere new, so we asked our doctor for some recommendations and ended up at Pi...as in the mathematical number 3.1415...(I know it continues, but that's all I remember). It also is Pi, as in delicious pizza pie!

I love to cook at home, and I love to find new recipes to try, but I also really love great restaurants, so this was really fun for us.

From the outside, Pi looks like a normal pizza place with brown sugar colored facade and red trim, but on the inside it is like a fancy-loft, probably a little nicer than a place I would normally bring my 6 month old to, but it was only 5pm, and luckily he was tuckered out from the appointment, so he slept through most of dinner.

We had a table by the big window that looks out on the cute street, and ordered a bunch of things to share: Roasted Vegetable Bruschetta, Bada Bing Salad (with cherries, almods, and gorgonzola), and a deep dish pizza with meatballs, red bell peppers, and basil.

We left with half a pizza to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning, and full stomachs. We walked around in Forrest Park, enjoying the old architecture of the area and walking in some antique shops. Charlie was bundled close to John, and was just chill. We grabbed a coffee, and then found a great spot for dessert: The Cup, a cupcake store!

We ordered 2 giant cupcakes to share: Red Velvet and Peanut Butter Cup. Both were good, but the chocolate peanut butter one was pretty rich, so I tried to trade part of mine for more of John's Red Velvet, to no avail.

We continued our walk outside by the restaurants and into the really nice hotel in the area. If it wasn't so dark already we would have walked through the giant park that is just adjacent from the area too.

Charlie went right to sleep when we hit the car to drive home, and we continued our little date night, chatting all the way home. Hehe, even though Charlie was with us the whole time, he slept and was so quiet that it really did feel like and actual "date".

We had a really fun time celebrating after our good news from the doctor :)

Mealplan Monday

2012-01-30T10:31:00.002-07:00

Cranberry Chicken, Wild Rice, and Broccoli ~ Somehow I got stuck with canned cranberries after THanksgiving, and have no idea what to do with them, but this recipe looks like a great use!
Tuscan Soup ~ With Kale, sausage, and potatos. I make mine without the cream...just vegetable stock and milk.
Roasted Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin w/ Stir Fry Vegetables
Tomato Sausage Risotto ~ It sounds like everything I like on my pizza in risotto form.
Southwest Chicken Chili (Crock Pot) ~ With Bell Peppers, black beans, corn, tomatos and maybe some barley. Topped with Avocado and Greek Yogurt (because I have discovered it is SUCH a great substitute for sour cream!). I will probably make this on Tuesday because we have a surprisingly busy day and I am going to a Spouse's Coffee that night at Panera. I love my crock pot.
Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas ~ I have been loving roasted vegetables of late and wanted to make something like the bruschetta I had at Pi and the sandwich I had at Italian imports and use goat cheese.
Pesto Chicken Skillet w/ Couscous~ Grilled chicken tossed in Pesto, with carmelized onions, roasted red bell peppers, over some couscous!

What's Been Going On...

2012-01-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

So it all started back at our 4 month appointment with Charlie, the one where they started noticing that Charlie's head is a little on the large side (94%). That's also the one where they measured my head and John's head to see if perhaps the apple didn't fall far from the tree. They called us later to say that indeed John's own head was over 2 standard deviations above the mean (so like 97-99%). But even with this info they asked us to come back in for a check at 5 months.

Okay, so we did. Charlie and I went in, expecting them not to make a big deal of anything given his Daddy's head size. Instead, they told me Charlie's head was now in the 99% and that they were concerned about hydrocephalous (fluid building up in his brain which requires surgery), and they ordered an ultrasound on his head as well as a consult with a pediatric neurologist in Saint Louis (because Lord knows there are none of those in these parts), to determine whether he would then also need an MRI...which he would have to be sedated for.

This was the first appointment that I had ever taken Charlie to by myself, because John had always been able to come with, but this day he had a paper to write for school (just before final exam time). So I was doing my best to keep it together because I honestly wasn't worried about Charlie, but when doctors start talking about your kid's brain and saying words like "Hydrocephalus", "Sedation", "Surgery", and so forth, you start to get a bit anxious. Actually when I parked the car in the garage coming home that day I accidently pulled in too far and dented the drywall...oops.

So we scheduled the ultrasound in Rolla (30 minutes away) and comforted ourselves with the fact that it is a really non-invasive procedure on infants because they use the fontanel on the top of babies heads to get a good picture. We also were comforted by the fact that Charlie is truly a content baby who doesn't appear to be bothered by any extra pressure in his head, and additionally he was/is developing normally. Still we called around to the various medical professionals in the family to talk it through, and were further reassured that they are probably just being on the cautious side given that he falls outside of the average in terms of head circumference.

It's just funny, because back when Zebbie took baby John to the doctor and asked him about HIS large head, the doc wasn't worried at all and said he looked just like the Gerber baby.
As much as I DIDN'T want to needlessly be worrying, I couldn't help it at times. The doctor gave me a couple things to watch out for as indicators of a problem: throwing up, fussiness and lapses in development. Well, I'm pretty sure EVERY baby is fussy from time to time, and throws up from time to time. Even though I didn't want to see zebras every time there were hoof beats, I couldn't help but wonder. Aggravating and stressful.

The ultrasound was the week before Christmas, and I was really nervous about it. Charlie slept all the way to Rolla, all the way through the ultrasound and all the way home, so in essence didn't even realize anything was happening. The tech put gel on his head and used the probe on top of his head, looking for spots of darkness that could be water. I couldn't look, but John did the whole time, and asked questions the whole time which made me more nervous. At the end he asked the tech if he saw anything, and he said that they really are supposed to let the doctors tell us, but he didn't see anything to worry about. So we left feeling pretty relieved. The following day, our pediatrician confirmed that the radiologist said the ultrasound was clean too.

We felt pretty good through the CHristmas holidays, and honestly, I don't think John was too worried at all, he was more proud that his son shared his genetic make-up. The only hiccup was when we got to Tucson and Charlie started throwing up, and then again in the morning right after I got him out of bed. I was told morning was the biggest worry because there could be build up of pressure from laying down all night and then it is relieved when a baby is lifted.
Most people would assume it is cold and flu season and the kid probably has a little bug, babies throw up from time to time...no big deal.

Me? I called the on-call peds neurologist at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

And he pretty much pacified my fears, after listening to me run down the symptoms and history, and we went on to enjoy the rest of our week in Tucson without incident.

On Friday, January 27th, we had our appointment at St. Louis Children's Hospital, which is right near where my cousin Lisa lived in Forrest Park. It is a really, really, nice hospital with super welcoming colors everywhere and friendly kid touches everywhere (trains, wheel chairs shaped like animals, fish tanks, games)...it is just a bit of a hike for us. John was able to leave a bit early so we could go together to the 4pm appointment, which I was grateful for.

I truly didn't feel nervous about this one though...nothing like how I felt about the ultrasound. THe only thing I was worried about was if they would recommend an MRI. John and I had already decided that unless they told us something pretty dramatic, we would be turning down that option. It just didn't make sense to us that we would put our baby under anesthetic to "look around", when his demeanor is so content, and his development is so on-track.

The neurologist gathered a history from us, and then asked a bunch of questions about Charlie's development, and even ran him through a few tasks. It was funny because I had given Charlie some toys to keep him busy and as the doctor was asking about skills, Charlie would all of a sudden start doing it, like he knew what the doc was looking for. He was a social butterfly as ever, smiling, babbling and generally trying to get the doctor & his student's attention. He then measured both mine and John's heads again....

John is off the charts... 99%. You just had to be there to see the grin on John's face. He was so pleased to be "above average" on the head circumference.

The doctor told us that he tended to agree with us, that it is just a case of familial traits and the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

At which point John says "Well Charlie, I guess we know you didn't come from the milkman!"
[Awkward Pause. Me, Palm to forehead.]

"OKAY!! I'm just gonna sidestep that one," says the doc.

Moving along...He told us he wasn't concerned about Charlie based on what he saw of him today, that he seems like a healthy, happy baby and that he wouldn't recommend and MRI (Phew) OR another ultrasound. That he felt pretty confident in this just being a family trait.

So to sum it up, our kid is normal & healthy....he's just not average, and that, we knew already :) We feel really, really grateful for good health. Situations like this, though stressful, are good reminders about what is really important every day, and helped us to keep things in perspective. We are also really grateful from the support (in the form of advice, a listening ear, or a reassuring word) from our family and friends.

Tucson Trip ~ Friday, January 13th, 2012

2012-01-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

This morning Lindsay and I played with Charlie, and then when he didn't seem to feel like going down for a nap, we decided to take him for a walk through the neighborhood. We loaded him into the stroller and weren't out of the driveway when BAM! He was asleep :) So we enjoyed the nice weather as we walked and talked up and down the hills.

Later we were on our way to pick John up at the airport. When we got there John was making friends with an elderly couple from Hawaii, so like John to find strangers to chat with. Charlie had been asleep, but as soon as he heard his Dad's voice, he was awake again. John smiled at him for a good 5 minutes like he hadn't seen the little guy in a lifetime.

We picked up lunch at Roma Imports again, since it is so yummy and so close to the airport, and John said he was so hungry he might eat off one of Charlie's arms :)

Once we got home, John and I took Charlie for a little hike behind the house. This time we took Lily with us so that we wouldn't take the wrong turn like I did with Matt and LZ last time. It was a realy nice afternoon and the sun was already setting. We tried to keep up with Lily as we pointed out cactus to Charlie and reminisced about the first time I took John on this hike when he came to visit me for the first time.

Back at home we hung out on the front porch until dinner at Guadalajara Grill, a request of Lindsay's. We met up with Lotus, Matt and Amanda too. Charlie slept through most of dinner, even the super loud mariachi band playing right behind us. I decided after getting my enchiladas that I really need to learn how to make a good mole sauce. So good. It was a good night, good food, good friends, good family.

Gung Hei Fat Choi

2012-01-24T19:26:00.002-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone...one day late! Our sickness has set us back a day, oh well! To celebrate the holiday I wanted to make a Chinese Chicken and Vegetable recipe that I recall making with my Dad back in Cass City.
I remember staying up kinda late in our house on hospital drive, me sitting on the counter, and him reading from the stained pages of our Chinese cookbook, and both of us measuring all the seasonings out and prepping the garlic, ginger and other vegetables. This way when we got home the next day from school, work and daycare, dinner wouldn't be quite such a long process. I really love this memory of just me and my Dad cooking in the kitchen as a young kid.
It's funny because what I remembered to be SUCH a complex recipe, turned out to be a pretty simple stirfry! Even though we eat stirfry almost once a week, it was special because of the memories associated with it.
Just before dinner we invited over a couple that just arrived here in Missouri for the CCC. I knew Eron from Hawaii, and John roomed with him during the deployment. His girlfriend, Ashley, is very nice, and I think feeling a little overwhelmed about living in Fort Lost in the Woods...it's no Hawaii. I can relate :)
Anyways it was a nice dinner. We ate Chinese Chicken and Vegetables and also Beef with Broccoli and then opened fortune cookies at the end courtesy of Eron and Ashley.

Sicky ~ Just a mundane post about the details of my sick kid

2012-01-23T08:55:00.004-07:00

Poor Charlie is not feeling too hot. Since Thursday he has had a bad cold, and in the past two days the mucus is just so much that he had a hard time getting back to sleep Saturday night. John and I took turns trying to comfort, but I wasn't feeling well either, so John stayed up to hold Charlie through the wee hours of Sunday morning so all that mucus would drain and the little guy could finally get some sleep, which equals very little sleep for John.

Contrast that with last night: Charlie slept from 7:30pm to 7:30am straight through the night. This has never happened before. The most he has slept is 8 hours at a time before he wakes up hungry. But I am not getting overly excited yet, because I think it may have more to do with the fact that the little guy is kind of exhausted.

Then this morning he threw up all over me. So I tried to feed him an hour later...ya know, to hydrate him plus I figured since he threw up before he may be hungry. I think my logic was faulty, and I OVERfed him, and this time EVERYTHING came back up, this time all over both of us, my hair, and the couch.

So it was bathtime for both of us, and I am going to just feed him a little at a time. I just think there is too much mucous hanging around for him to keep much down, and when he starts coughing it just brings it all back up :( I feel bad for him, because he's obviously under the weather, but at the same time he is still in such a good mood, smiling, cuddling, and bouncing.

Meeting with Branch Rep

2012-01-22T10:06:00.003-07:00

On Friday, Charlie and I kept the car again so we could go meet John at school during lunchtime for a meeting with his branch rep to discuss our next post options.

Since John did grad school before the CCC it kinda changes the process. He is posting with the last class instead of this one. We didn't get "the list" until this week, so didn't have a ton of extra time to mull it over. But as John said, actually we HAVE been mulling it over since we moved last time.

So Thursday night we made lists, and more lists. Lists of what we want, lists of what we don't want, lists of places we would be okay with, but aren't ideal, lists of pros, lists of cons. Our key factors are:

Location(Middle-of-Nowhere or not), Construction/Or Not, Travel Opportunities, Proximity to Family, Opportunity for Company Command

Basically our list isn't much different than the one I gave the other day, except now we are adding a post in Vicenza, Italy.

About 2/3 of the list we would be totally fine with, and then there is the other 1/3 that we really do not care for.

We would be fine with Hood, Drum, Richardson, Bragg, Stewart, Riley. Coming from Hawaii we know we might have to accept the fact that the Army might want us to have a "different experience" :)

I really think that wherever we land, it is what we make of it.

I want so much to start looking at houses in particular areas, but can't let myself till I know for sure!

Two more weeks...

Rosebowl Trip~ Monday, January 2nd, 2012

2012-01-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Another early morning! Today we were up at 4am and out the door by 4:30. We were headed to the Rose Bowl parade, and since we didn't have tickets, we needed to get there early to nab some seats. When we arrived there were already 2-3 rows of seats set up along the parade route on either side of the street. We set up our folding chairs and kept bundled in blankets, it got chilly!! Charlie was snoozing, snuggled close to John.

Aunt Cathy told us about some Golden Arches just down the way, so my Dad and I took off to go get breakfast for everyone. It was still dark out. We began to run there to keep warm and make it go quick. It was fun running down the parade route with the hoards of people already lined up to watch. There were air mattresses with people who had slept there overnight for the good seats, and full on camping set ups with bonfires and all!

McDonalds had it down to a science on getting all their customers served and out of there. It was pretty impressive. 5 people stood outside taking orders on pads, then you took your order and got into a cash or a card line. All condiments and other paraphenilea was kept outside to minimize traffic jams and they had closed their indoor bathroom but set up 4 porta potties outside. I thought it was pretty smart, and we had our breakfast sandwiches and 5 coffees in no time!

And then we jogged back to the rest of them! It was about a 2 mile jog in total, and my Dad joked that he hasn't missed a day working out yet this year! Hehe, me neither!

By the time the parade began, there were so many more people behind us, most of them standing. Some mini-fights (of words) broke out, it was pretty immature. I think big crowds can bring out really negative behaviors in people. People get anxious and possessive of resources and stop worrying about anyone else except for themselves. Ay yi yi. We just stayed out of it.

The parade began with a giant black bat-shaped jet flying overhead, everyone cheered! The floats were beautiful, full of flowers. My favorites were the more tropical looking floats, one from Indonesia and another from Thailand, with lots of Orchids.

With the sun out it was getting sort of hot, and I wanted to keep Charlie out of the sun as much as possible, so I sat on the ground and played with him in the shade of the chairs. He liked playing with my Dad's watch and sucked down some water from the water bottle too!

We ended up leaving the parade about 3/4 of the way through in order to make it to the Badger Tailgate on time. The walk took about an hour, so we guesstimated it was about 3-4 miles away. When we finally made it to the stadium and saw all of the red and white of the tailgate, it was a welcome sight.

We found Sarah and Zebbie who had set up shop near the bandstand under a big shade tree (perfect), and John made a beeline to his brothers who were just beginning a rousing game of Flip Cup. John was so excited to be there. There were tents set up with brats, chicken sandwiches, chips, cookies and another tent just full of CHEESE, and a third tent with beer, pop, and water. All you could eat, all you could drink.

While my Dad, John, and all the rest of the Borland Boys got rowdy playing drinking games (Zebbie told Luke he was "in charge"), we hung in the shade and enjoyed the people watching and music.

The game began at 2:30, so we made our way to the stadium about 45 minutes early. The excitement was high all around the stadium and within our group. Once inside we split to get to our seats. We were with the rest of the Borland's in the parents' section. We arrived in time for the national anthem. John and Joe patted each other on the arm at the end of it, that was cute. The team came onto the field and we tried to spot our favorite Wisconsin Badger, Chris!

Pretty quickly it became evident that the crowd was going to be a little too rowdy for Charlie. It didn't help that we were next to the student section. As soon as the kick-off happened and the crowd around us roared he got this scared look, and his eyes got huge and then that lower lip began to tremble and he started to cry. That was all it took for me to decide that we wouldn't be hanging out in the stadium for this game. I took him down to the tunnel and then outside where all the vendors were.

There was another mom of a 4 1/2 month old boy and as we talked we discovered that both little baby boys had an Uncle on the team. Butrym, a senior defensive lineman and one of the captains. Anywho, we discussed the noise, shared baby ear plugs (hot pink ones), and the nasty looks some people had given (her, not me...that I had noticed) for bringing a baby in to the game.
I pretty much stayed outside of the stadium for a majority of the game, so I didn't see much, and unfortunately things did not go our way, which is a bummer. But honestly I was just happy about being out there and being together and supporting Chris, it was fun.
After the game the Wisconsin Band played for the 5th quarter, which I think is SO COOL. I mean the team just LOST and still their tradition and good sportsmanship is so strong that they play on anyways. You don't see a lot of other college bands doing the same thing. We met Chris after he had showered and changed and hugged and talked a bit, as he reflected on the game and cracked some jokes.
Then it was time to figure out how the heck we were getting to our car 3-4 miles away. At first we were going to line up for the shuttle, but the line was SOOO long we decided to hoof it (a common theme on this trip). Zebbie, Mark, and Luke came along too since they needed to wlak to the train station to get to their hotel. Midway through the walk, John and my Dad began running to get the car and bring it back our way.
We were pretty exhausted from the incredibly long day and went to bed fairly soon after getting home.

Tucson Trip ~ Thursday, January 12th, 2012

2012-01-19T09:12:00.002-07:00

Today we woke up to a new playmate: Aunt Lindsay! Lucky for me, while Charlie played with her, I got to take a looong shower, such an amazing, yet simple luxury to a mom with a baby.

Anywho, today was about running errands, so we hit up Beyond Bread (for Lindsay) and got some lunch, then we stopped by my Dad's new office to say hello. And then we headed to Costco to pick up some supplies for the party on Saturday. Then she dropped us off at Lotus' casa so we could later head to Dan's house for a "Midget Dinner Party". In attendance were:

Dan and her son Wilde (20 months)

Lotus & Alexis

Kelsey with Max (3 years) & Mia (3 months)

Lindsay, Me & Charlie (6 months)

It was pretty fun! As usual, Dan was hilarious. At one point we were talking about kids being good eaters, and I told Kelsey I needed her "notes" on that subject, because Max will literally eat EVERYTHING (even brussel sprouts and kale!). And Kelsey said that they really just try not to make food that big of a deal. At this moment Wilde was under the table screaming like a banshee (not hurt or anything, just for fun), and Dan said, "Yeah another thing we try not to make a big deal out of? Sitting at the table at dinner time." Hehe. Dinner was a joint effort. Dan made beef stew, Lotus made a great salad and Kelsey brought avocado bruschetta (really good), and I brought Valentine's cookies (not my best effort, but we were running around all day!)

THe boys played with the chickens in the backyard, and took turns rocking on Wilde's rocking moose, playing with cinders in the fireplace (haha) and Max wanted to hold Charlie. Unfortunately Charlie needed his nails clipped, and is really into touching faces, so by the time Max was done he had red marks all over his cheeks. I felt bad! We sat around with all the little kids and drank tea and talked about everything from nursing to sleeping through the night.

Tucson Trip ~ Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

2012-01-19T08:33:00.005-07:00

This morning Charlie and I were sort of on our own in the morning. We went about our usual routine of having breakfast together and playing on the ground with toys.

After Charlie's nap, we walked over to our neighbor Michelle's house to have a "playdate" with her two kids, Constantine (2) and Alexandra (2months). Really, it was more of a Mom-Date, as the kids were not at ages where they could really play together much. Though Charlie still really loves and is interested in other babies and kids. When he heard Constantine talking he tuned right in. Kid voices is still one of the only things that will wake Charlie up from a nap.

Michelle is really into homeopathic ways of nurturing kids. As such, some of the things she does is nurse till the kids are 2, do a home birth with Alexandra, and delay immunizations for both kids. It was really interesting to talk to her and learn about some of her perspectives. She is super nice and open, and I had a really good time getting to know her better.

Over some "Mother's Milk" tea that she made me (NO, it did NOT have breastmilk in it, haha, it is just a tea that is supposed to increase your lactation.) we colored with Constantine, played puppets with Charlie, and I got to snuggle "little" baby, Alexandra. We talked a lot too, and I think at times Constantine was getting frustrated that the attention wasn't wholly on him. He is a very good speaker and would tell us pretty clearly "I want you to stop talking", haha. So then we would talk to him for a bit. We left with Michelle promising to bring me some Mother's Milk cookies later in the week too! (Sidenote: She dropped them at our doorstep several days later and John found them before me and of course had two before knowing that they were "Mother's Milk" cookies. We joked that he would start lactating too. Honestly, I'm not sure what was in them that makes them different from another oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but they were really good, and I might try the recipe.)

In the afternoon, Charlie and I were feeling a little housebound: no car, no stroller, no Baby Bjorn. So my Mom came home to bring us the stroller at her lunchhour, but then we decided to just drop her back off at work so we could have the car too, and go take Charlie to see where GiGi works.

We headed upstairs to Walbro Engine Management and met pretty much everybody in the office. Sally was even in the office from Nogales this day so she got to meet him too, which was lucky! Charlie drooled on a couple suits and halted all productive work for a good 20 minutes before "Take your Grandchild to Work Day" had concluded :)

While Mom went back to work, Charlie and I headed over to Aunt Lotus' to see her and Funcle Matt's new casa. She showed us around their cute house, and we let Charlie play in the garden a little, and gnaw on a cold radish, which I think his gums appreciated. He liked watching the kitties run around. We had a snack of apples, cheese and crackers before heading out to pick up my mom from work.

I loved whenever my mom or dad would come home from work this week. They would almost always come greet Charlie, hold him, talk to him about his day, even before setting their stuff down. He would always have a smile for my mom, and would start cracking up from seeing my dad even from across the room.

For dinner we headed over to Saffron for Indian food...which I have been craving since Christmas. Matt and Elz joined us too. Matt held Charlie for awhile, but then Lotus claimed he was "hogging him" and scooped him up. Charlie sat in a high chair for a bit while we at our Garlic Naan, Tikka Masala, and Vindaloo. Lotus and I shared stories from our high school ceramics class experience and Matt told us all about his new job as a clerk for a judge. Really interesting! By the end of dinner, Charlie was getting tired so everyone took turns (willingly) to walk him around and show him shiny things as he wound down.

Around midnight Lindsay arrived in from Chicago. I was already asleep, but got up to give her a quick hug and "see you in the morning" before going back to bed.

Mealplan Monday

2012-01-18T16:17:00.003-07:00

...Except it's Wednesday. Oh well!

Despite the 60 degree temps that greeted us (and swiftly went away), it is COLD out there. So much of my cooking this week is inspired by the idea of staying WARM! So here's what I'm making:

Chicken Stew w/ Biscuits ~ A mix between Ina Garten's recipe in her Family Style cookbook, and the recipe in this month's Real Simple. I did lots of veggies (Carrots, Onions, Mushrooms, Peas, and Green Beans), and swapped Heavy Cream for Half & Half, and reduced the amount by 2/3 in an attempt to make it a touch healthier. It was still very, very good...the extra fat was not missed.

Tacos ~ Pretty basic, except I make my own seasoning (less sodium). I am going to give Charlie some avocado to see if he likes it :) John will probably make a salad out of it, while I stick to tortillas.

Beef Barley Stew ~ This one is hearty and easy in the slowcooker and the balsamic vinegar in it makes it kinda interesting!

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas w/ Homemade Salsa ~ I LOVE this dish, and I like having at least 1 vegetarian dish each week.

Chicken Satay Stir Fry with Orange Jasmine Rice ~ The sauce on this is so good!

Pot Roast with Vegetables ~ P-Dub, can't go wrong!

Southwest Salad w/ Chicken ~ For lunches this week. I make a black bean, corn, and red bell pepper salsa, toss in some romaine lettuce and add a little roasted chicken.

Borland Bears and Too Much T.V

2012-01-18T16:04:00.003-07:00

...except it was "Berenstein Bears and Too Much T.V.", and it was the first book I ever read by myself, and I LOOOVED it, even though my Dad didn't really because they always made the Father Bear look like an idiot. I didn't get it at the time, but now when I read them, I totally do. He was right...the authors were kind of sexist.

BUT...I digress.

My point is, while we were having our "Midget Dinner Party" at Dan's house, I realized there was no T.V. in the living room, but instead a really sweet old radio. And I kinda loved it.

I just feel like lately turning on the T.V. has become such a habit. Wake up, turn it on. Walk in the door, turn it on. Even eating meals, it is on. And I am getting sick of it.

So John and I decided together that this week would be a "No T.V. Week" as a way to jumpstart our brains on all the other things we could be doing, either on our own OR together.

Do a puzzle, Play Scrabble, Talk to a friend, Take a Bath, Go for a Walk, Get Extra Chores Done, Read a book. Get to bed on time.

And "No T.V. Week" or not, we will be TALKING at dinner.

I'm not saying I am giving it up for good, but it worked to jumpstart the Berenstein Bears, so I'm thinking it will work for us!

Tornados & Army Stuff

2012-01-18T14:47:00.004-07:00

On our flight from Denver we could see major lightning storms out of the left side of the plane. It was kind of freaky. When we landed in Springfield it was 60 degrees out! Also kind of freaky for 11pm on a January night! John said "Not to freak you out, but this is the kind of weather that you see tornados in."

We arrived home (after being gone from Missouri for almost an entire month, minus 4 days) early Tuesday morning at 1 am. John had been seeing the lightining all the way home, and hearing tornado warnings for counties north of us too.

We all three got in bed, and not more than 5 minutes after our heads hit the pillows, were we hearing the sirens. So we brought pillows and blankets into our laundry room and cuddled up in there for the next half hour while the sirens went on and off. When the warning was downgraded to a watch, we finally got to go to sleep. No snow yet, but we get tornados...crazy weather!

Unfortunatenly we had to get up again four hours later because John had to be at Captain's Career Course (CCC), and Charlie and I drove him so we could have the car (we needed to pick up our puppy from our friends', go to the libary, and do some grocery shopping etc.)

When we picked John up from CCC, he had some welcome news! It sounds like we will be hearing where we are going (Dare I say an actual date???) by February 10th. He has a meeting on Friday to discuss his career aspirations with a counselor, and then we get a list to go over, research etc., then we pick our top 5-6, and our bottom 2 posts, hand them over and wait to hear back.

It is so exciting to be starting this process, this is the first time I have actually been a part of it, and really John has only done this once while at West Point. He picked Ft. Campbell, and got it, but then by some stroke of luck he (and in turn I) ended up getting Hawaii. And Ft. Leonard Wood isn't really a choice, it is just where ya gotta go to do the training!

It is so funny, because I have been reflecting back on this time last year, when I was already so focused on our move, thinking about purging closets and storage and envisioning what would be our home for the following year. Not until yesterday (when John told me that the ball is sort of in motion) did I really start thinking about our impending move this summer (June/July 2012).

Though we are really pretty open to going most anywhere, and don't want to close ourselves off to any options before we have researched them, right now our top picks would be (in alphabetical order):

Ft. Campbell, KY ~John's original pick out of WP because it was close to his fam (4-5 hours), and also we can't hear enough about what a great "family" post it is. And it's close to Nashville. And we have friends we know will be there as well as John's brother, sister-in-law and niece! Always nice to be near family.
Ft. Carson, CO ~ Probably my favorite. Great community, lots of outdoor activity potential, hiking, biking, skiing.
Germany~ It makes me a little nervous to be so far from home, this time with a kiddo, but we have to throw our hat in the ring for this opportunity. Just think of all the places we could visit on those 4-day weekends!
Ft. Lewis, WA ~ Another great location with lots of outdoor activity potential, and travel potential for someone who has spent very little time in the Pacific Northwest!

And we don't really have a pick for 5 or 6, but have tossed around, Ft. Riley, KS, Ft. Drum, NY and Ft. Benning, GA.

Our bottom two?

Fort Irwin, CA ~ Where John went for desert training before the Iraq deployment. Hot, sandy, and pretty desolate and far from everything. In an unrelated note, John's Dad was born right near here!

Fort Polk, LA ~ Hot, muggy, and buggy. We've been told by those who have been there that the nearest WALMART is an hour away. I mean come on people! And I thought FLW was bad in terms of "conveniences". No, thank you.

What is interesting is how you play the picking "game". There is a strategy to how you pick, but the problem is it really depends on how others pick, which you cannot really predict. If we put Polk in our bottom 2, and someone else chose it as their number 1, then basically it was a waste of a "bottom 2" pick on our part. If we pick Ft. Carson, 5 times (which apparently you can do), and there just aren't enough spots, then they will place you wherever because they don't know your #2 preference. John's group leader also said that EVERYONE puts Hawaii, Carson, and Lewis...so there ya go. And also they really try hard NOT to send you back to wherever you have just been/already have been.

But truth be told, I wouldn't mind Hawaii again...maybe one day.

If anyone has and specifics about posts that they loved, I would love to hear them!

Rosebowl Trip~ Sunday, January 1st, 2012

2012-01-11T11:24:00.002-07:00

Uhhh the New Year began a little too early for me today, as I was up at 6am (after going to bed at 3am). I wasn't feeling well and needed to go to urgent care. So I fed Charlie and left with my Aunt Cathy as soon as I could. Having to go to the doctor while out of town on vacay is such a pain, but unfortunately it was necessary. I was just lucky that Aunt Cathy was game to taking me, I was really grateful to have someone to go with, while John stayed with Charlie.

After we figured out the process with our insurance (you have to get a referral and only certain places will accept it), we were in business....A long hour and a half later I had my prescription in hand. We tried to fill it before heading home but Walgreen's no longer accepts Tricare insurance as of JANUARY 1, 2012. You gotta be kidding me! Then we got a call that Charlie was getting hungry so we boot scooted home.

We were supposed to go to a Badger Brunch reception that morning, but we ended up having to miss it due in part to my trip to urgent care, and a miscommunication on the correct time. C'est la vie, we were bummed, but what can you do?

The rest of the Borland clan was set to arrive today (Sarah, Joe & Matt) so Luke (he spent the night again last night), John, Charlie and I headed into downtown L.A. to meet up with Mark and Zebbie and wait for the rest to roll in. My parents and Aunt Cathy went to Laguna Beach to watch some beach volleyball! We hung out by the pool for awhile. John swam with Charlie a bit, but it was a hot one, so Charlie and I headed inside after a little while.

Soon everyone decided they were starving so we found a diner nearby. The sandwiches we ordered were giant, and by the time lunch was over I was ready for a really good nap.

Charlie and I napped in the room, while Zebbie and the boys went to a "pep rally" of sorts. The Badger band was playing all their songs and there were even some local and pretty popular musical artists to perform as well. They had a lot of fun, I wish I had been there!

John came upstairs to get me, once everyone had arrived to the hotel. After hugs all around, it was time for MORE food, the recent arrivals were starving. We went to a pub-like place and split into two booths. Charlie played with Aunt Sarah, and then went to see Uncle Joe and Grandma Zebbie. He was having a bunch of fun, laughing at his monkey rattle with them.

Because of the long night before and the early morning/long day we would be having tomorrow, we decided to head back to Stanford and try to get to bed early. I think everyone else did the same.

At Aunt Cathy's, we showered, ate a little chili, and watched a few home videos and then crashed!

Tucson Trip ~ Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

2012-01-11T11:06:00.002-07:00

We were up up early today, 6am, and got to say bye to Grandpa before he headed to work. Gigi got up and played with Charlie while I got myself ready, and then we waited for Lotus to come pick us up.

We went to Flowing Wells High School to visit our friend Dan(ielle). She was teaching a ceramics class and invited us to make some keepsakes with Charlie's hand and feet prints. So fun! I was smooching Charlie in the middle of the class and Lotus said "Geez! You're already embarrassing him in high school!" So it begins...

It was funny to be around high schoolers, at one point Dad instructed them to clean up their tables and not a single one of them moved. So she said "I promise that I am talking to ALL of you!" Hehe. My preschoolers would have done a better job...heck they would have been EXCITED to get to help out.

Afterwards Lote and I were going to meet my Mom and some of her co-workers at lunch at Sauce, but we were early. So we sat in the car while Charlie took a good long nap and caught up. One of those really good long conversations.

Lunch of course was yummy, we shared salad, soup and pizza because who wants to choose?Charlie played on the table and smiled a bunch at Maritza, he really liked her (she has a 1 year old named Charlie too!) Then Lotus and I took my Charlie home.

We gave him a bath and let him splash with his hands, which is a new thing (he is also banging his hands on table tops)! And then while Lotus got some work done one the computer Charlie and I played on the floor. Luckily, our neighbor, Michelle dropped of some extra toys for Charlie to play with that her son has outgrown, and her daughter is not quite big enough for yet, so that was really nice.

When Lotus finished her stuff we bundled Charlie and sat on the "front porch" and rocked until both my parents came home. Charlie went to go hang out with my Dad and we stayed outside till it got too chilly.

My Dad wanted to watch the State game tonight, so he stayed home, but Mom, Lotus and I (and Charlie) all headed to Oregano's (another on my Tucson-to-do List). We shared the Pablo Picasso Salad, a Pesto Pizza and wings...oh and a pizza cookie for dessert!

Charlie went right to sleep the second he was laying in his crib, he had had a big day. I stayed up for a bit and watched a basketball game with my Dad, and then hit the hay too!

Rose Bowl Trip

2012-01-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

The last day of the year promised to be a long one with an early start and an obviously late ending. We woke up before 6 and began getting ready (and feeding Charlie) before heading out to Disney, the first trip for both John and Luke (and Charlie). Just the three of us were going to go at opening, and then my parents would meet us with Charlie later in the morning.

I appointed myself as the Disney tour guide and impressed upon Luke and John how important it was to arrive early, and be there at opening so we could run to the BIG rides and get as much done as early as possible before the crowds became crazy. And they DID get crazy...it was the biggest day of the year and Disney even had to close the gates. It was elbow to elbow, but that only added to our excitement.

Running shoes on, we stood in Downtown USA underneath all the cute Mickey Mouse Christmas decorations waiting for them to let us in. First stop Space Mountain: Closed, so we adjusted course to the Matterhorn, and had only a short wait till we got to zoom down the snowy mountain in our Alpine sleds. Then we went back to Space Mountain, and though it said a one hour wait, it was less than 30 mintues, so we were stoked. This was the favorite ride of Luke's. We rode through space on Star Trek and then while John and Luke checked of Big Thunder Mountain Train, I met my parents and Charlie at the front gates. After feeding Charlie we headed into the park to Fronteirland to meet up with Luke and John.

It was almost 11am and we were hungry so we went to a nearby Mexican restaurant to eat. This ended up being a smart move because the crowds were getting heavy and since the restaurants weren't quite open yet, once they were, we didn't wait at all for food or tables.

Re-fueled, we wanted to ride Indiana Jones. My plan was to wait in line with them with Charlie and then get out of line right before the ride, but they wouldn't let us. Instead they offered us a Fast Pass for two people to use at any time during the day!

So while they waited for the ride, John and I took Charlie through Tarzan's Treehouse (I remember when it was Swiss Family Robinson's Tree House). Then we walked through New Orlean's Square and boarded the train that goes around the park. It was really great! Nice to put our feet up and a good way to see the entire park, and Charlie could do it! We got off the train on Main Street U.S.A. and headed over to Town Hall to pick up First Time Visitor Buttons for Charlie and John (Charlie wore his proudly on the Baby Bjorn).Then we went to another shop to buy Charlie's first pair of Mickey Ears. Vanessa, a friend of mine, recommended that we get his name embroidered, so we did! They were so cute, and we got them in a Youth size so he can wear them again hopefully next time!

By this time, Mom, Dad, and Luke were done with their ride, and so we got a spot to watch the parade. It was really cute, with all of the Christmas music. Between the decorations, and the holiday music, and the random snowfall during the fireworks, it felt more like Christmas than New Year's Eve. I was impressed with how well Disney puts on the "show", no detail is overlooked and the park is SO CLEAN!

Towards the end of the parade, Charlie was getting hungry so I headed over to the Baby Care Center (which is a great tip for any family traveling there with small children) and took advantage of the CLEAN changing tables, and a quiet and private spot to nurse. Again, very impressed with Disney.

It was getting warmer in the afternoon, so Luke treated us all to Mickey Mouse Ice Creams. You know the ones...dipped in chocolate? They hit the spot!

Next up, we needed to ride Splash Mountain (my fave), and since we had Fast Passes the boys went first while my Mom and I hung with Charlie and then we traded off. Luke got soaked, but we stayed dry!

The park was getting dark so we left to go to Downtown Disney for dinner before my Mom and Dad took Charlie home to go to bed. Then John, Luke and I headed back to the park for more rides and New Year's fun! We didn't realize it, but the park was open on this day from 8am -2am, and there were a bunch of festivities celebrating the New Year, including 2 sets of fireworks.So aside from the hoards of people, we reasoned that we got our money's worth!

We came back in just as they were doing the first firework show, and they were beautiful! And as I said before snow started falling from the sky, pretty cool! We did Indiana Jones again, Pirates of the Carribean, Finding Nemo (which used to be 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), and Autopia. We took a break for hot chocolate in Fantasy Land and enjoyed people watching and resting our tired feet for a moment. (It would have been a good day for a pedometer.) Then we went to go see the Countdown festivities going on by the castle.

We had a decent spot, but I had to go to the bathroom so I suggested we head that way and get a spot over by the "facilities". Unfortunately, there were SOOOO MANY people over that way, that not only was I unable to get to the bathroom, but we also couldn't really see the fireworks or the countdown. We were a little grumpy about it, but when midnight struck we smooched and wished a Happy New Year to everyone.

Even though the park was open for a couple more hours, we wanted to vamos so we tried to get out of the park, and it was a madhouse. Seriously a zoo. It took us an hour to finally make it out and the whole time there were people directing traffic AWAY from the exit?? Anyhow, we joined the queue for the taxi cabs and were probably 15th in line, and after waiting for 40 minutes we had only seen ONE cab pull up. By this time it was almost 2am. Aunt Cathy's is only an hour away, if we had jogged home we would have been there by now. We made the executive decision to hoof it home. Did I mention that all three of our cell phones were dead? Yep.

We made it about a mile before I got antsy about all the potential dangerous drivers at that hour, and the heavy fog, and being unfamiliar with the area. So I juiced up one of our phones for a last ditch call to my Dad. I felt bad about waking him up, but turns out he was up anyways with Charlie who decided to greet the New Year as well :)

There was very little battery left so I literally sprinted to the nearest intersection so I could blurt out our crossroads into the phone before it died. Ahhh what an adventure.

I was so glad to see my Dad pull up, and we made it home by 3am. So, so tired.

6 Months Old

2012-01-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Charlie,

This past month has been a very busy one in our lives! We have been to Chicago for your first Christmas, California for a Rose Bowl (a first for us all), and now Tucson. You have added 3 more states (California, Colorado & Texas) to your growing list (8 states total). You are becoming a pro at flying in airplanes, and yesterday when it was just the two of us braving the airports, you were so good!

You continue to be a very easy going baby, only fussing a bit when hungry or tired, but hardly ever crying...I want to knock on wood now because seriously we have been so lucky in that way! You are a happy kid who will go to anyone and smile at anyone (you were making all kinds of friends on the plane ride yesterday) and you seem to make anyone who is around you happy too. We think your contentedness around people is due in part to how many people you have been around on a continual basis in your short little life. I hope this is a good thing, and that you continue to be a "people" person. You love other babies too. I don't think I have ever seen another baby get so happy to see another "little" person before. you squeal and reach for the other baby and touch their hand or hair, it is pretty cute.

You have been drooly for the past 3 months, and now you are gumming on everything in sight. Everything within reach goes into your mouth, but we have yet to spy any "toofins".

You LOVE the color red, good thing we go to a lot of Badger games ;) You also love music and perk right up when someone is singing, and you boogy when you hear mucis playing. It is very soothing to you, and puts you to sleep at naptime. You also love your Johnny Jumper and have taken to jumping pretty much anytime you are upright. You have also been sitting up pretty well since Christmas and this opens your world a little further, allowing you to see what's going on and grab and play with toys better! Your talking has turned more into babbla and you say "mamamama" "baba", "nana" and even "ma-ba". You love peoples' attention and have been doing more to earn it if we don't happen to be looking at you: blowing raspberries, making noises, and then you laugh when we look your way, it's cute.

So far nursing is still your favorite form of nutrition, but we have been venturing out with rice cereal, veggies (squash, carrots, sweet potatos) and fruits (applesauce, pears, bananas). You make great faces when we feed you these "foreign" foods!

Stats:

Weight: 18 pounds, 4 ounces (75%)

Length: 26inches (48%)

We love you Charlie-Boy, you are a joy in our life!

Love,

Your Mama

Rose Bowl Trip

2012-01-09T21:17:00.002-07:00

It was a low key morning spent in jammies, gathered in the living room with mugs of coffee in our hands, and Charlie in the middle entertaining us with his "tricks". After Aunt Cathy returned from Mass we headed to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. she told us a little more about what she does as a risk-manager at a children's hospital, really interesting. After we caravanned out to LAX to pick up Zebbie, Luke and Mark and take them to their hotel.

After they had checked in, we met them up in the hotel room, and as we rode the elevator up, Bret Bielema (Wisconsin's Head Coach) stepped on and said Hello to us all. And my Dad being the shy guy he is said "Hey Coach, I've got your next Lineman here!" (indicating Charlie). And he said, "Well we usually like them a little bigger than that!" And my Dad told him that Charlie is Chris Borland's nephew and he laughed and said "Oh well then maybe he can be a linebacker." Then he told us that he made a bunch of guys really happy by canceling their practice today! This was good news, because we all wanted to see Chris too.

They were all hungry and headed to Yardhouse for a quick lunch! Aunt Cathy suggested that we scope out Pasadena ahead of time to get us in the spirit for the big game. We swung back by the hotel and found Chris, so he was able to come with us.

In Pasadena we saw the infamous Rose Bowl stadium, and we also took a tour (courtesy of Aunt Katrinket) of the Float building process, which was fun to see. We saw about a dozen floats being built and decorated by hundreds of workers (the actual floats that were in the parade!). It was interesting because everything is flowers. They even cut the petals into small pieces and apply the pieces with adhesive.

Chris suggested a fish restaurant for dinner in Santa Monica that a teammate of his had suggested. So we loaded into the two vehicles and headed for the coast. It was kind of a painful ride due to L.A. traffic, and L.A. driving, and a baby who did NOT want to be in his car seat any more. Poor guy. But I tried every trick I could think of, and sang about a dozen songs, and games and it would work for about 5 seconds and then unhappiness again until I could think of a new song to sing or game to play. I was tired by the time we got to dinner, and my very ready to be out of the vehicle (as was Charlie).

Dinner was excellent. I loved the decor, and it was still decorated for Christmas. Uncle Mark took Charlie over to see the Christmas tree and he told us how Charlie was eyeing an ornament, but when he went to reach for it, his arm was abotu four inches too short. Mark laughed at the infamous short "Borland" wingspan and told him he "felt his pain". The food was good too. I started with a lobster bisque (which is awesome in itself, but it was topped with a puff pastry crust (!!!) and then fish tacos with guacamole...SO satisfied. John got a parmesan crusted dover fish with a lemon beurre blanc sauce and capers, also really good. Several people took turns carrying Charlie around, showing him the Christmas lights and the fish in the fish tank, all of which were very interesting.

Charlie and I went back to Aunt Cathy's with my parents (& Aunt Cathy), while John drove his Mom and 3 brothers back to the hotel, and he enjoyed hanging out with them for a little while before bringing Luke and himself back to Aunt Cathy's too! We planned to get up really early the next morning for Disneyland (EEeeekkk!!)

Rose Bowl Trip

2012-01-09T21:05:00.002-07:00

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

We came home from Chicago on a Tuesday, were home on Wednesday to unpack, do laundry, and re-pack, and off we went to the West coast on Thursday...phew!

We flew through Denver to L.A. and Charlie did pretty well...a little fussy, but we were towards the back of the plane so we weren't bothering anyone really. We had McDonald's sausage biscuits at the airport for breakfast (naughty) and arrived into the Ontario airport around lunchtime. My parents were waiting for us in baggage to pick us up when we arrived (they drove to L.A. from Tucson just that morning).

We decided to head to Huntington Beach, just 7 miles from my Aunt Cathy's condo, since she was still at work. We stopped first at The Longboard, a bar right on the main drag that is owned in part by one of my Dad's high school buddies. We had a light lunch and some had beers and then we went for a walk down to the beach, out across the pier, watched the surfers, and saw the sun set.

We had talked about going to a fish restaurant that Aunt Cathy liked, but it was getting late (after 9pm Missouri time), and we were tired including Charlie, so we skipped going out and opted to order some salad and pizza and eat at Aunt Cathy's in our jammies and freshly showered...ahhhhh, much better!

Monday, January 9th, 2012

2012-01-09T20:47:00.002-07:00

After a better night's sleep Charlie and I got up at 7am, just after my Dad left for work, unfortunately, as I was hoping to catch him before he went. We did what we usually do, turned on the Today Show, poured my coffee and layed out a blanket for Charlie and I to play on in the living room.

We had plans to head to the zoo today, so when my Mom got up shortly after, we took turns hanging with Charlie and getting ourselves ready! Charlie wore a onesie with bears on it, a jacket with a monkey, and socks with cow print, and I wore my turtle earring...I'd say we were dressed for the zoo!

We met Aunt Lotus, Kelsey adn her two kids Max (3) and Mia (3 months) at Reid Park Zoo. Mia is such a sweet, sweet baby, so content, and so quick to smile, and CUTE. And Max was adorable and kept asking to hug and kiss and hold Baby Charlie, and Charlie LOVED him. It was fun to have all the little guys together. The zoo itself is really nice. Not huge, just about an hour to get around the whole thing, but a decent amount of interesting and BIG animals and it is very well maintained with fun exhibits for little kids. All in all I was impressed!

After the zoo we tried to visit Alexis at her store, but she wasn't in today, so instead we got lunch at Beyond Bread (one of the places on my "Tucson-Must-Do" list...CHECK!). I got a Maddy's Madness with soup and then Lotus looked at me and said "We're getting dessert." It wasn't even a question, but I agreed immediately. We split some carrot cake, the flavor of BOTH of our wedding cakes incidentally.

Next up we strolled Charlie around La Encantada and hit up the usuals: Crate & Barrel (where we saw many familiar faces working there today), Pottery Barn, William Sonoma, A.J.'s for iced teas, and where we ran into Ms. Mount, our history teacher from St. Gregory. I don't think she remembered me at all, but remembered Lote, who was in her homeroom. One time, way back when, Ms. Mount told Lotus she had big cheeks...Lotus never forgot,and after she left she said "She didn't say Charlie's cheeks were big!" haha. He DOES have some ginormous cheekies.

We also went to Victoria's Secret to mark something off of my New Year's Goal list: to get re-sized for bras. I used to be a 34A, but after pregnancy and nursing, I knew things were going to be different...Still I was sort of shocked to know that I am now a 34C. Are you kidding me? Wow.

We said farewell to Lotus and headed home to just hang. We skyped with John, who I think is missing his little Doodle, (and me too of course ;) . My Dad came home from work and brought with him some P.F.Chang's take out (yum) and we ate dinner together. We also skyped with the Shewchucks and they hung with us while I gave Charlie his bath (technology is so cool how it can bring people together), and got him into jammies.

He was a very sleepy boy and went to bed very soon after and I don't think I am far behind him. We have another fun day tomorrow!

Tucson Trip

2012-01-09T18:19:00.003-07:00

Sunday, January 8th, 2012

Well, it was kind of a rough night last night. Charlie was up at 10:30, again at 1, 3, and finally 6am. And then he vomited all over me again. So of course I had a mini panic, called John and then called the doctor who basically told me to chill out that it was probably just a bug and to take him to an ER if he continued throwing up (he didn't).

After I calmed down from that and realized Charlie really seemed fine in terms of disposition, I bundled him up in a blanket and sat outside on the "front porch" and greeted the morning. We were up before everyone, even Lily and my Dad! The sun was coming up and it was kind of a nice moment just sitting out there together on Charlie's Half-Birthday :) My Dad eventually came outside saying he had wondered where we were. He made some coffee and we chatted about things and played with Charlie (I had more Chocolate Cake for breakfast...is it wrong?).

Matt & Lotus came over around 10am to go for a hike. This was the first time Charlie has met his Funcle Matt, and he loved him of course! We took Charlie for a really short jaunt up Pontatoc and back to my parents, fed him, put him down for a nap and then the three of us got serious and REALLY hiked Pontatoc.

We somehow took a wrong turn and ended up blazing a trail through the desert! Between the spiny Ocotillo, Prickly Pear, Palo Verde, Jumping Cholla and other things, we deemed the desert a treacherous place and have a healthy respect for all of the vegetation/animals that have been able to survive it!

Later in the afternoon, my Mom and I went to the grocery store, I needed more diapers/wipes and we picked up extra ingredients for dinner. When we walked in the door, Charlie was up from his nap sitting on Grandpa's lap and listening to him read "Oh the places you'll go". I loved it, especially since I have such fond memories of Grandma Guernsey reading stories to me. Charlie actually seemed into it and was grabbing for the pages as he read.

I made Creamy White Chicken Chili on the stove, making minimal mess I'll have you know, and let it simmer till dinner time. Matt and LZ came back over in the afternoon, this time bringing Uncle Tom, Michelle and Bari with them. Charlie was in a great mood, playful and giggling, and we had a fun time getting him to laugh. I was glad they were able to come over and meet him, especially since Uncle Tom heads back to Michigan soon!

Everything was great until, accidently, someone slipped, while supporting Charlie, and he smacked his forehead REALLY hard on the surface of the coffee table. The sound was SO loud and his screams were immediate. I have never heard him cry like that before, and let me tell you, it was AWFUL. I immediately scooped him up and whisked him into the kitching trying to soothe him and get some ice for the bump and angry red mark that was already there. I ended up nursing him a little and that seemed to help, but he was still so upset that he was taking breaks and screaming a little more. I think on top of it not feeling good, I think it really scared him too. Uhhhhhhhh.....my stomach was in knots. I have learned that everything Charlie feels, I think I feel times 10. Everything good...everything not so good. I just feel things more deeply now when it comes to him. The person who slipped, felt bad and I knew it was an accident obviously and didn't want them to feel bad about it.

We came back out once Charlie had calmed down some, though at this point he looked exhausted and minutes from a nap. We said goodbye because they had dinner reservations, but thanked them so much for stopping by and seeing Charlie, and there were a lot of good hugs and kind words and all in all it felt really great.

While Charlie slept off his first real injury (I know I'm gonna just have to get used to this as he gets older...he is a Borland afterall, and he DOES have John's head), I tried to get over the knot in my stomach and we had dinner together. The chili was steamy and my Dad made a big salad to go with.

Charlie woke up from his nap, and besides only really wanting to be held by me, he seemed fine, and after a little while we had him cracking smiles and laughing, which made me feel good too.

After a bowl of Cookie Dough Ice Cream both Charlie and I hit the hay and were both asleep before 9.

Tucson Trip

2012-01-09T17:47:00.003-07:00

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

On the road again...Before we knew were headed to Pasadena for the Rose bowl, we made plans to "escape the cold" (it really isn't even cold yet in Missouri) and head to the desert.

So we got up around 5am and John drove Charlie and I to the Springfield airport. My first flying experience with Charlie solo (yikes) and the first time Charlie would spend the night (or several nights) away from John (but we have to remind ourselves it could be way worse, and not by choice). John parked the car and came in with us to help me manage all the STUFF that goes along with a baby. Though we tried to keep it light I still had 1 small carry-on luggage, 1 breast pump, 1 carseat, 1 diaper bag, and 1 baby in a Baby Bjorn. By the time I was checked in however I just had the baby and the diaper bag and free arms, so it was pretty good!

We said toodaloo at security and kissed John goodbye. He spent the morning in Springfield and went to a matinee before heading back to Fort Lost in the Woods. Our flights couldn't have gone more smoothly. Charlie did the best yet on the plane. Snoozed during take-offs, slept an hour, and then played and smiled at all the people sitting around us, so cute. And since I kept him in the Baby Bjorn the whole time he slept, I could sleep a little too without worrying that I would accidently drop him or something. So all in all, it was a successful travel day! The only thing that gets kinda hairy is when you have to go to the bathroom yourself...

My Mom picked us up and was so cute: she brought me a giant iced tea in the car :) And then we headed to Roma Imports for lunch which is nearby the airport. She had been there once before and thought I would like it, she was right! It was full of really great Italian grocery products, pasta, sauce, fresh mozz, sausages, soups, lasagnas, homemade raviolis...foodie heaven. I even got something for Valentine's Day, but can't say right now what that is :)

We had lunch there and it was delicious. After mulling over the menu for some time I finally settled on a roasted vegetable sandwich (red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini) with a fresh pesto (oh my goodness) and goat cheese spread all over it on a fresh italian bread. And then i asked for some marinara to dip in on the side and they gave me a whole soup bowl full! My Mom got a very tasty tomato basil soup with fresh bread too!

Unfortunately mid-lunch Charlie was having a little tummy-table time and made a gagging noise, so I picked him up and he vomited ALL OVER ME. Besides being pretty soaked in baby vom (which doesn't smell that bad to me really, is that weird), I was kinda nervous about it. We have done so much traveling via plane (hello, re-circulated air) and Charlie just had his 6 month shots yesterday and had been running a fever in the morning, so we just resolved to lay low with Charlie-Doodle till he seemed to be feeling better.

Once home my Mom took him for a tour of the house, pointing out different things, rooms, the crib he will sleep in (my old crib actually). And then it was my Dad's turn...and he took him outside to show him around, pointing out the mountains, the garden, Lily-girl. It was funny to me to think of my parents' house as a "grandparents' house" and also how both my parents have their own "domains" and were each eager to introduce Charlie to all of it :)

That night my Mom & Dad's neighborhood was throwing their anual block party and this year it would be a progressive dinner: appetizers at one house, dinner at another, and dessert was at my parents'. So I loaded Charlie into the Baby Bjorn because I didn't want a bunch of people handling him when I was unsure of how well he was feeling. It was a good choice and he slept all the way through the appetizer portion of the evening, while I chatted with the neighbors (many of them know me from the year I lived here when John was deployed...a lot's changed since then!) and enjoyed watching the Catalina mountains turn a beautiful shade of pink...my favorite! I miss Tucson! Also, there were some mini Spanokopita apps that were SO AMAZING and I must make them!

At the "Dinner House" my Dad held Charlie, and someone said they thought Charlie looks like my Dad! I started feeling kind of anxious about having him out around all the peops and decided to take him home and get him ready for bed, plus it was past bedtime in Missouri. So I bathed him and by the time he was asleep the Block Party had moved to our house!

I re-joined and ate an amazing slice of chocolate cake and drank some coffee as I talked with neighborhood ladies. Lotus came by after work, and we hugged, haven't seen her since August!! We sat around the kitchen counter and solved world problems with my Mom until Charlie Doodle woke up and needed some TLC from his Mama.

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T16:13:00.003-07:00

We slept in a little after a later night last night. But by 8:30 Kaia needed to be let out, so while John did that, Charlie and I woke up, and I wished my little doodle a Very Merry First Christmas. And I think he wished me the same...sometimes he's hard to decipher ;)

Once everyone made it over to the house, we spent a good 2 hours opening the mounds of presents under the tree...spoiled! Cam played Santa, and passed them out and said "I'm trying to find one that DOESN'T say 'John, Emily, or Charlie' "

John and I went light on presents for Charlie and got him a special Christmas book, a teether, and a block toy. He also received a farm animal set, an engineer plate and utensil set (so fun!), ABC blocks, a farm puzzle, a teether necklace, and a wooden sled from my parents, among other things!

Charlie got us a new Cuisinart Coffee maker, with a pod system similar to the Keurig, ya know, for all the sleep he has "cost" us :) And John got me an All-Clad non-stick skillet. I have been wanting one, and it is a very very nice one! And my favorite gift of the day was something from Charlie that John helped him to make: A Christmas Tree with my little one's prints! I love it, and it will be coming out every year from now on. My love is so thoughtful.

There were a lot of funny gifts, the deer wine holder, John's long johns, the Harry Potter mugs, and I was excited to give my mom a necklace we had made that has Charlie's little "C" imprinted on one of the charms.

While John and I finished opening Charlie's gifts, he was I think napping at this point, everyone else made their way to the kitchen for brunch. Uncle Mike and Aunt Pat made Cinnamon French Toast (a la P-Dub), Bacon and Onion Quiche, Turkey Sausage, and Fruit Salad, along with a fully stocked Breakfast BAR complete with Mimosas, Bloody Mary's and everything in between. It was yummy.

We spent the afternoon playing with presents, hot-tubbing it, watching movies, and for me: trying to nap (unsuccessfully). We took a picture of Charlie in a little outfit Grandma Zebbie sent that all of the baby boys in the family have worn (we will return it to her!) to continue the tradition.

Tonight we will be having another yummy meal of Beef Tenderloin, Broccoli, and Rice. Plus all of the cookies that Santa left behind.

We also still have our gift bags to exchange. The theme this year was Something Shiny (A Michigan Ornament), Something Soothing (A Head Scratcher), and Something that Makes A Sound (Chinese Food Cookbook, Sauce, and Chopstick Set = "YUM").

I am so grateful to be together on the wonderful first Christmas as a family!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T16:36:00.001-07:00

This morning I left my two boys sleeping in bed as I headed out the door at 7:30am with my Aunts Pat, Cathy & Ann, Mom, and Liz, Lauren and Erin to a Christmas Eve yoga session. Nothing like a little downward dog and child's pose to get you feeling all Merry & Bright.

I think our family took up more than half of the yoga studio. And there were some comical moments, between the blackberry usage in the back of the room and certain someones not wanting to go sock-less. I won't name any names :) After an hour of stretching and tugging and centering, we piled out to Starbucks for some Christmas Coffee!

Back at home the boys had been getting Charlie to laugh up a storm. John instructed me to go downstairs and take a long shower because he had something to do in Santa's workshop with Charlie (more on this later). Don't have to tell me twice. Charlie got a shower too and then we all dressed in our Christmas finest.

The whole family caravaned downtown Chicago, and stopped for an aperitif and drink before Mass at the Peninsula Hotel. The cafe we stopped in was warm, with exposed beams, yellow walls, big windows, and Christmas greenery and shiny ornaments decorating the walls, and yummy smells wafting throughout.

I had a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and it was delicious. I also ordered a Smoked Turkey Panini with Bacon and Avocado, but the really memorable bite was a whipped Ricotta spread with mushrooms and truffle oil to be spread on baguette slices. Oh my goodness. Truffle Oil...nuff said.

Mass was a short walk to Holy Name Cathedral, a very beautiful church, and because we had arrived so early, we had front row seats. Charlie was sleeping when we arrived, and didn't wake until the choir began hitting the really high notes, and then he started looking around from his carseat with really big eyes. He lasted a little while, but then began whining and needed a diaper change so he and I made our way to the back of the very crowded church. We had to wade through all the people in the back (standing room only) to get downstairs, I felt so conspicuous walking back during Mass, like I was interrupting a play or something. I fed Charlie too and we finally made it back to our seats just as the Priest was instructing wishing "Peace Be With You" and instructing all to share a sign of Peace with their neighbor, good timing! We had communion and Charlie was shrieking through all of it. Not screaming, not crying, just trying to get his voice heard. My sister heard a little boy behind her, about 6, say "I think he just wants to scream. They should just let him." Ha! And then Mass was ended with my all time favorite Christmas Carol, 'Hark the Herald Angel Sing', and Charlie sang right along!

We bundled the doodle up and headed to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Coco Pazzo. Dinner was amazing and bonus, Charlie slept through most of it. Antipasto was my favorite part with Frito Misto, Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Tomatos, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil. Next was a Gnocchi with Arrabiata Sauce and lots of shredded parmigiano on top like fresh snow. And then a very rich and tender Osso Buco, at my Uncle Mike's recommendation! Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake with peppermint gelato. Uhhhhhhh. So stuffed.

Once we got home, I am not sure what everyone else did, because I was exhausted and put myself and Charlie to bed pronto! I watched as he drifted into a sleep of heavenly peace, such a sweet angelic baby face he has especially when he is sleeping. John came to bed too and we layed there for a bit with Charlie between us, our little family, marveling at what a wonderful Christmas this is and how blessed we are to be together and to have each other.

December 23rd, 2011

2011-12-23T17:05:00.001-07:00

We did our usual get up routine while with family and let Charlie wake my mom up while I got dressed and ready. He's so fun in the mornings, so it is good bonding time for them I feel. We all had Christmas errands still to run, so John, Charlie, my Mom, Aunt Cathy, Liz and I all headed to the mall.

We wandered around Crate & Barrel, and Land of Nod, and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. I gave Charlie a taste of my lemon from my iced tea and he made such a funny sour face :) He also put on a show as he had tummy time on the table while we ate.

Aunt Ann arrive in with Erin and Lauren in the afternoon and we discovered that Lauren is a CHAMP when it comes to taking care of babies. She held him throughout the weekend about as much as she could, was not worried at all when he woudl fuss, and successfully got him to nap a couple times too!

In the evening we all changed into workout clothes and headed to the Paddle Ball courts at Valley Lo. It was super chilly out, so the only way to stay warm was to jump around a lot...which I did. Tommy and I played the first game versus John and my Dad and were schooled 6-0. Afterwards I headed inside for some chili and to warm up. John loved playing paddle and stayed out for several more games.

There was another baby there who is a month younger than Charlie and Charlie immediately wanted to say "hello". I have noticed about him that he really does love other babies. He looked so interested and was reaching out to touch the baby and making his "talking" noises and the other baby immediately began to cry. And then later when someone else tried to introduce the babies, the exact same thing happened: Charlie wanted to say hello, and the othe baby cried! I felt bad for the other baby because I didn't want him to be scared, but I am glad my kid is already so friendly anyways!

December 22nd, 2011

2011-12-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

John woke up early with Charlie-Doodle and let me sleep for a couple of un-interrupted hours...last night was a rough one. I was up ALL NIGHT with our little guy. We think that since he slept so much in the car the day before that he might have been thrown off. The only thing that would keep him sleeping was bringing him in bed with us, so for the rest of vacay that's exactly what we did.

Still bleary-eyed, I got dressed and ready and then we headed to Starbucks for some much needed caffeine, and then to Shewchuck Agency to say 'hi' to Aunt Lindsay and everyone else.

John and I need to buy a car so we planned to spend the day test-driving and comparing. We have ruled out the CR-V, because we think for the long-term it will be too small for the family we want to have, and though I don't deny it makes sense, I just am not interested right now in a mini-van. So it is currently between the Ford Explorer, and Honda Pilot. We might be looking at a recent "previously owned" model, but would like to hold out till we know our next duty station, because if we get Germany, we will only be able to ship one vehicle, similar to Hawaii.

After grabbing some iced teas, we dropped Lovebug off with his Favorite Aunt Liz and headed to O'Hare to pick up Aunt Cathy and my parentals. Uncle Jim and Ryan arrived later that night from Traverse City.

Dinner that night was funny because there was about 12 different things happening at once and only 4 out of about 14 of us were actually sitting down at the table participating in dinner eating. Some were setting up sound systems, others were trying to figure out some business on the phone, and I am not even sure what else, but it was like a show watching everyone going in and out of the kitchen. My mom said "Wow, this is an interesting dinner." and Aunt Cathy replied "Oh yeah, this is happening." Uhhhh, ya had to be there. It was funny!

But dinner WAS delicious, Navy Bean Soup, Salad, Fresh Bread and Christmas cookies for dessert!

After dinner antics included giving Charlie his bath and sitting around the table solving the worlds problems!

December 21, 2011~ Christmas

2011-12-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

John found out that he was able to sign out on pass a little earlier, and didn't need to go to PT this morning, so after I got back from the gym (did my 12 Days of Christmas workout...so sore), we finished loading up the car with presents, food, and all the rest and hit the road by noon with Kaia in tow.

Charlie slept the first two hours to Saint Louis where we pit-stopped in Belleville, IL to visit with our friends Jerad, Stephanie and Chase (8 months) Hoffman who were home for the holidays. It was the perfect opportunity to simultaneously catch up with friends and let Charlie stretch his legs. Chase is quite the mover and kept trying to give Charlie kisses, uh it was so cute!

Two hours later we were back on the road, and made it to Springfield with a sleeping babe (Chase must have tired him out) where we stopped for dinner at a surprisingly delicious Mexican restaurant!

Back in the car again, Charlie was kinda fussy but we pulled out all the stops (=Pandora Lullabye station and a Pacifier) and he fell fast asleep till we pulled into the Shewchuck's home in Glenview.

As soon as we got out of the car it felt like Christmas, their house was so festive looking with a big wreath and lots of twinkle lights adorning the front, and the Christmas tree visible through the front window.

We visited for a little while with everyone and then hit the hay!

November 23, 2011 ~ Thanksgiving

2011-12-20T21:39:00.002-07:00

John, my Mom, Charlie and I hit the road around 9am, and midway through we made a coffee pitstop and switched up drivers (John was hurtin')! We picked up Sarah at the Madison airport, she had flown in from Austin and then drove to meet up with Chris for lunch at Mickey's diner (we have had breakfast there before), since Chris had a little time before going to practice. John ordered a milkshake, but couldn't even finish it, he had to hand it over to me. It was at this point that I started feeling bad for him...I mean since WHEN does John not finish a milkshake?!?! Really!

A short 15 minute drive later, we arrived at the house we were renting, and it was HUGE, and very nice! We took a tour around looking at all of the rooms and the big wide open kitchen with the walk in pantry and long island that was perfect for prepping food and also of seating many people so we could cook and hang out at the same time. THe kitchen rolled right into an informal dining space and then a morning room (my favorite room in the house). There was also a great room with formal dining and a large fire place, a basement with a workout room, 5 bedrooms suites, a library, and a bunkroom. John and I got one of the upstairs bedrooms that had an adjoining bath with a second bedroom that Mark, Beth and the girls stayed in. In the floor plans, it looked like that room was one of the "smaller" rooms, but they were really all GIANT. We had so much space.

Sarah played with Charlie, he was talking SO MUCH to her. We all went on a walk through the woods and the field, and then we got to cooking back at the house. I had made a HUGE pot of chili before arriving so that went on the stove while I prepped the toppings, began mulling cider, making my Pumpkin Cheesecake, and starting the cinnamon roll dough! Zebbie and Jill began making sweet potato casserole, making the dough for sour cream rolls and other food for tomorrow!

Chris was able to come by the house after his practice and stay the night too. Luke made a big bon fire outside, and a few Scrabble and Boggle games began.

The Shewchucks arrived with my Dad and sister too, and we all ate chili, and even more cooking preparations took place, brining turkeys etc.

Just before I was about to hit the hay, (Charlie had gone to bed a while before) Mark and Beth arrived. Adeline had been asleep the entire ride from Dayton, woke up a little on the grumpy side ;) We all hung out in the basement, and around 12:30am, my mom came down carrying Charlie, who now looked wide awake.

My first thought was "Oh no! I hope he wasn't crying long!", but then my mom said that she had gone to check on him and he had been sucking his thumb and making a little noise, so she got him up. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uhhhhhh! I couldn't believe that she got him up, but at least he got to meet his cousins and that was pretty cute. Abby was trying to hold him and kept commenting on all of his smaller features :) We did finally get him back to sleep, but after getting up the one time, he was all thrown off and woke up several more times that night.

This trip was tons of fun, but there was NOT tons of sleep to be had!

November 22, 2011

2011-12-20T21:19:00.001-07:00

Today we (John, Charlie, my Mom and I) left the house to head down to the city to Aunt Mary and Uncle Paul's condo. It was a really rainy day and traffic into the city was heavy. Once we made it to their place, they offered us some coffee (from their Keurig, which John is currently obsessed with) and we happily accepted the warm beverages.

We made place to go to the Field Museum, I don't think I had ever been before. And since their condo is right across the street from the museum, we opted to walk, betting that the rain wasn't too heavy. WRONG. It poured on us, and we arrived wet and a little cold in the museum, but ready to see the sights.

I made the mistake of not feeding C-Monkey prior to leaving the condo, and had to find a spot to feed him right was we arrived at the museum. Best spot I could find was a bench in the ladies room. Nobody even came in, but just as I was "closing up shop" about two dozen pre-teen girlies came in...I was we were all done :)

We went to the Whale exhibit first, which I was really excited about! I love whales. Ever since I did my 5th grade project on the Blue Whale, I have been interested in whales, and I absolutley LOVED seeing the whales in Maui last February. We learned about the whaling industry, their anatomy, different types of whales, and even how they birth and nurse their baby calves. We stopped for lunch at the Bakery out front and loaded up on panini, cookies and tea and then picked a second exhibit (there is so much to see there, you could spend a week!). We decided the Chocolate exhibit sounded like a lot of fun.

We had to leave after that because I had a hair cut at 3pm, which I ended up being late for (more traffic), but she squeezed me in anyhow, and even let me use her buzzer to shave John's head myself, free of charge (we tipped her nicely :).

Dinner was with everyone at Valley Lo. Even though it was pretty late, Charlie was doing great and showing Aunt Pat his rolling tricks. He would get 90% of the way and then turn back over. He also loved looking at the fireplace.

Everyone was in a festive mood since it was the last day of work for many before vacay, heading up to Wisconsin, and Thanksgiving, so there was a lot of "spirits" being had in the kitchen when we got home. Charlie and I hit the hay, but heard the rabble up in the kitchen late into the night. John had a little too much fun himself and payed for it later that night and the next day. I was annoyed because it kept me up and right when he finally passed out, Charlie woke up too, so I was pretty tired the next day!

5 Months

2011-12-08T14:24:00.003-07:00

Dear Charlie Boy,

You are my busy, busy boy. You are busy, and jumping, and squirming, and laughing, and smiling and I know it is only the beginning of your business, can't hold still-ness, but I love it.

In the last month your personality is beginning to shine through your gummy toothless grins, and your bright and happy eyes, and you incredibly round and chubby cheeks. Charlie, your cheeks get chubbier by the day, I think. And in the last month you have begun to be my little sidekick, my buddy.

You know your name now when I call it, turning expectant eyes towards me. And when I say "I'm gonna getchyou" you immediately start your giggling. We play whole games now. I say or do something and it makes you happy and laugh, so we do it over and over again, and it never gets old. Favorite Games include: Running to "get you" from across the room, pretending to eat your cheekies, Feeling people's faces with your hands, From the Barn to the House (you are so good at anticipating), Swinging in the air, Airplane on my feet, and sitting on top of the refrigerator. You also like to play on your own from time to time, which is new territory. You love to bounce in your jumper and you play in your excersaucer every morning. You also don't hate the carseat that much anymore, and will actually sit and talk to your guys for periods of time. It helps when I am back there with you to play! Your first real roadtrip was a success!

You have begun eating people food! You have tried cereal, applesauce and so far the fave: sweet potatoes. You still do the thing where you try and suck on my face when you are hungry, it is kinda funny, and every once in awhile you try to sneak a thumb in your mouth while nursing. Your Dad keeps trying to explain the science of suction to you and why that won't work so well.

You talk SO much. When we were with everyone at Thanksgiving you babbled nonstop, you had lots to tell everyone I think. It sometimes sounds like yelling, but it's real cute and you have a million facial expressions to go with what you have to say. Hmmm...wonder where you got that from?

Sleeping this month has gone from routine to semi-routine on vacay, to totally haphazard once we got home, to normal and good! You are in your crib now, which is working out well. You always took a nap there anyhow so it was no big shock. You take 2 to 3 naps a day depending on what's going on, and bedtime is around 8, and you have been sleeping all the way to 5 or 6! It is great!

And you are growing! 17 pounds 10 ounces, and 25 1/4 inches, and of course you take after your Dad with that noggin. We are into size three diapers, and 6-9 month clothing...but the 6 month pants really fit you better.

People keep telling me, reminding me to savor this, to enjoy it, to not take it for granted because it is fleeting, it goes by so fast. And I don't think I could try any harder to follow this advice. I love it all, I even love the diaper changes, because you love them and you laugh. But even though I am following the countless peoples' advice, both familiar people and stranger people, it is still going too fast. You are five months old.

But the thing that makes that okay is that it just keeps getting better and better. Because though I loved every second of snuggling you and holding you when you were a soft quiet (immobile) newborn, now you are my buddy who plays with me and is silly and interacts with me and has places to go!

I Love You Little Boy,
Your Mama

Today

2011-12-06T17:24:00.002-07:00

Today we woke up to our first snowfall, CHARLIE'S first snow fall. I really wanted to take some pictures, but I was late to take Kaia to her vet appointment, and once I got home it was already kinda melted.

I am going to a Cookie Exchange tomorrow with some other military spouses, so today was a good day to do some baking. My neighbor came over with her baby and all of her supplies and we got to work. It's just a lot easier to tag team the baking/childcare than it is to try and do both things on my own, not to mention a lot more fun to bake WITH someone.

She made some Chocolate Chip Peppermint Stick cookies, and I made my Great Grandma Rose Hanson's Ginger Cremes (which still need to be frosted), and Striped Icebox Cookies, which took a little more effort than I had anticipated. I hope they are both well-received tomorrow.

John is in his last week before finals week, so it is definitely crunch time. He spends most of his time parked at our kitchen table in front of half a dozen books, a cup of coffee, and a laptop. I making him some comfort food tonight. Kicked Up Turkey Meatloaf, Green Beans and Mashed Potatos. I am not much of a meatloaf person, but he likes it so...

We have been having issues with Charlie sleeping at night. I should have never wrote the "Day in the Life", jinxed myself. My predictable kid is now unpredictable! He spends two nights waking up every single hour, then the next ngiht sleeping from 10 -7??? And just when I want to get back to a routine, he accidently fell asleep at 6 tonight. I have no idea if that means he's asleep for good tonight, or not? I wondered if I should wake him up, give him a bath, and see if I could keep him up a bit longer, but then I just couldn't bring myself to wake my sleeping baby.

Sigh, we'll figure it out!

November 21st, 2011 ~ Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T17:20:00.004-07:00

This morning Charlie was whisked away to my Mom and Dad's room and by the time I got upstairs to retrieve him, he was freshly diapered, changed, and regaling my mom with his stories :)

My Dad and I decided to go for a run. I was hoping to do 5-6, but my Dad wanted to do a shorter one, so we just ran around the neighborhoods, which I liked because I like to look at all of the houses. It was fun to run with my Dad, it has been awhile!

Back at the Shewchucks, my Aunt Mary and Uncle Paul stopped by. Between chatting and taking care of Charlie, we prepped food for dinner. It was Aunt Doris' birthday, and she would be coming over later for a birthday 'party' of sorts. We chopped vegetables, marinated chicken, shrimp and salmon, and skewered it all for kabobs. We also made a salad. Uncle Mike would grill it all and make a Broccoli Rice dish to go along with it. The Salmon kabobs turned out really well, I thought they might fall apart, but they were so good!

We took a break for lunch and headed walked over to Hackney's (featured on Diner's Drive-In's and Dives) and met my Dad, Aunt Pat, and Lindsay. John and I both got Hackney burgers on rye bread, and the "famous" Onion strings. Everyone took turns walking around with Charlie, showing him the lights, the Christmas tree, the mirrors.

We went to the grocery store to pick up last minute items for Thanksgiving, and had a little playtime with Charlie before dinner.

Aunt Doris (who turned seventy-something) was/is a hoot, telling a bunch of stories and sharing her secrets to looking and feeling so good!

November 20th, 2011~ Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T11:36:00.002-07:00

One of the nice things about being around family with a baby, is that I get kinda spoiled in the morning because people wanna get their hands on the baby! I love for Charlie to be loved on by many different people, it makes me feel very grateful. So he got up around his usual 7am time, and after a short snuggle John scooted upstairs with him and soon came back to our room empty handed. When I asked where our kid took off to, he told me Uncle Mike had already whisked him away to their room to wake up Aunt Pat. So then I had plenty of time to shower, drink my coffee, and get dressed. You kind forget the simple leisures of getting dressed on your own without having to keep a baby appeased...it was nice ;)

Charlie and I had a playdate planned for the morning with my old co-worker, Dawn and he baby boy Nathan, who was born just 8 days prior to Charlie. I was Dawn's Assistant Teacher at Loyola University Preschool when I lived in Chicago, and we have kept up our relationship and correspondence especially since our boys were born. The two of them always seem to be going through the same phases at once, so it is always reassuring to chat with one another. Also, Dawn is a fantastic preschool teacher and I look up to her a lot. She's just really great in many ways so I was excited to see her again.

I made the mistake of not bringing John along though, because apparently they were expecting him to come, my fault. Dawn's husband Brian and I talked about everything baby boy, drank coffee, ate coffee cake, caught up on the preschool and life in general and got Charlie and Nathan on the ground to play together. Charlie is so funny, he kept reaching out to Nathan to touch him on his face, and the two of them were smiling and giggling at each other. So cute! I really hope we can work it out and see them again at Christmas time when we are back in Chicago...this time I will be sure to bring John along!

Back in Glenview, John, Lindsay, and Aunt Pat had been busy pretend-renovating her house, walking around and shooting out what-if ideas for a re-model, and taking the three goldens for a walk around the neighborhood.

We decided to do a little shopping at the Glen and have some lunch at Yardhouse too. In the evening, we loaded Charlie up to go pick up my parents at O'Hare. When we pulled up to the curb my Dad was wearing a bright tangerine orange hunting jacket and a brown leather cowboy hat. I told him that I almost didn't see him there. Charlie unfortunately woke up in the car once we all got in, and cried much of the way home. He is very hit or miss in that carseat of his.

Back at the Shewchucks, it was discovered that my parents had grabbed the wrong luggage! So back to O'Hare my dad and John went to correct the situation. While they were gone we gave Charlie a bath and got him ready for bed. He was a tired little guy at this point because he didn't have any good naps all day.

Uncle Mike made pot roast for dinner and Aunt Pat made biscuits with honey too. It was such a perfect homey meal to have with everyone gathered around the banquette table together.

November 19th, 2011 ~ Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T12:20:00.004-07:00

We woke up at 3:30 am, John drove on post to sign out on leave while I made coffee, ran the last of the laundry in the dryer, gathered last minute items waiting to be packed in the morning and fed Charlie (who slept in his crib all night for the first time last night, and didn't wake up!). He was sucking his thumb when I got him and he was so, so snuggly. Once John got home we loaded Charlie into his carseat, still in jammies, and Kaia on her mat next to him and hit the road.

We always have good alks over our travel mugs of coffee as we drive through early morning darkness--I like it. Charlie slept almost the entire way to Champaigne, 5 hours! We were pleasantly surprised.

We had to make a pit stop one hour away to feed and change Charlie and let Kaia out. The rest of the way Charlie sat contently awake in his carseat...a first!

Once we arrived at the football game, we got Charlie bundled into his snowsuit and took Kaia for a walk to a coffee shop. We met Jeff and Zebbie at the stadium of the University of Wisconsin/U of Illinois game. Charlie did great. He loved looking at all the bright orange and red colors on the fans and of course the huge screen television (my kid appears to be a v-idiot :). Both Grandma and Grandpa Borland held him throughout the game, and then at half time he took a little snooze. Third quarter hit and he got a bit grumpy, so I took him outside the stadium for a walk and to lay down in the grass a bit.

The Badgers won the game and we hung out to say hi to Chris, he had a GREAT game. We chatted for a little bit and then told him we would see him soon up in Wisconsin! Then Jeff, Zebbie and the three of us got sandwiches at Jimmy John's before we went out seperate ways.

We had 2 and a half hours to drive up to Chicago and should have gotten into town at 7pm, but we hit a bunch of traffic just as we were passing through the city because of the Festival of Lights. Uhhhh. Charlie has reached his "wall", and had had enough of his carseat and cried (loudly) for the last half hour of the trip, and there was nothing we could do about it because of the traffic, so I sang about a million and one songs and tried every trick in the book to no avail. i felt so bad for him and couldn't wait to get him out of his carseat as we pulled into the Shewchuck's driveway.

Aunt Pat greeted us outside and whisked a tear-stained Charlie away to Uncle Mike who immediately made him laugh with his goofy faces and voices and sitting him on top of the fridgerator. Lindsay, Liz and Cam were all there too! We gave Charlie a bath, ate some take-out Chinese food around the new banquette and talked until it was bedtime.

Home Sweet Home

2011-11-29T11:10:00.002-07:00

We got home last night around 7, and although I really miss the hustle and bustle and busy-ness of being around so much family, it was nice to be home.

Today Charlie and I are getting back into our routine as we dig ourselves out of a pile of dirty laundry and listen to Christmas caroles. Slowly but surely we are getting our Christmas decorations up, but probably won't do the tree till this weekend!

Gerber Baby

2011-11-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Charlie started eating solid foods last week. And I know this sounds weird, but I am really sad that his sweet smelling baby breath won't smell as sweet anymore, and also am dreading his diapers beginning to really stink also. Boo!

But it really is fun watching his face process what is going on in his mouth.

"What is she shoving in my mouth? What is this foreign object? And by gosh, what a strange texture! And oh, the taste! Doesn't taste like my normal meals...what the heck is going on here?!?!"

The first 3 days we got about 4 "spoonfulls" in max. And then we called it quits, but then yesterday, day 5 of his "Organic Brown Rice Baby Cereal" he ate the whole bowlful! Granted it was really only a teaspoon of food...mixed with so much breastmilk that it hardly resembled anything besides breastmilk.

So we are going to slowly branch out and try new foods as well. My philosophy on giving him solid foods now is that it is all about trying new things, learning about eating, and the process of eating, not so much about actually getting much nutrition or filling his belly on any of these foods...He will get that from nursing still.

Today I broke out my Beaba Babycook, a gift from my Aunt and cousin, and made Charlie some applesauce. It was super easy, and I can't wait to make more things! Charlie's reaction was not altogether positive though. He made a "sour" face, but still ate a few bites. We will try more tomorrow!

Channeling My Inner Martha

2011-11-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Two things...I am making a quilt! Yep. My neighbor talked me into joining a quilting club with her. We went to Rolla together almost a month ago to pick out fabrics and I really had a tough time. Couldn't decide on a color scheme and then when I did I couldn't decide what went well together, and what order, dark to light? light to dark? Uhhhh I don't know!! So I am winging it. It will be a gift, that much I know for sure...for whom, I don't know :)

And today I actually started my quilt, and what I have learned is that quilting is more about measuring and cutting and piecing together than it is about actually sewing together. Also, due to all the measuring and patterning, I think it would be a really great extra credit math project. Another thing I have discovered? Quilting is a process of exact measurements and cuts, and for perfectionism. Exact and Perfectionist are two words I am NOT. But that doesn't mean I can't make a super sweet quilt...I just have to work a little harder in the areas that do not come naturally to me :)

A Day in the Life of Charlie-Doodle

2011-11-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Our days are less of a "schedule" as they are a routine that we have sort of naturally fallen into. As a preschool teacher I definitely recognized the benefits of having a set schedule that could be depended on by both the kiddies and myself, but with just one kid, and being a stay at home mom and breastfeeding, I mostly take my cues from Charlie and we do what he wants, when he wants. I think if I were working, or had a second kid, I would want things to be more structured, but since I have the flexibility right now, I just follow his lead, which makes us both happy.

Since we left Hawaii, we are down to 1 car, so 2 days out of the week, Charlie and I are more or less "house-bound", but 2 out of 7 really isn't that big a deal. On the days when John is home and we have the car, we get out much more for walks on post, runs, trips to the gym, the commissary, and other errands.

2-5am: Wake-up somewhere during this time to eat, and then he goes right back to sleep in his bed.

7am: Wake-up and come into bed with Mama and Dad. Sometimes he goes back to sleep, but mostly he likes to take this time to chat up our ceiling fan, and soon he has coaxed either John or I into a conversation too :) It is really too cute to resist, no matter how sleepy you are! This is his most talkative time of day, and it seems like he makes a new sound each day!

7:30am: Get outta bed! Charlie has some playtime in his excersaucer in the kitchen, while I start the coffee, empty the dishwasher, make John's lunch if he has school and get breakfast going. Most days breakfast is simple (toast & peanut butter), but some days I make migas, or pumpkin bread.

John is usually shaving, letting Kaia out and feeding her and getting some reading or homework done at this time.

8:00am: Breakfast for Charlie and for all of us. He usually sits with us at the table whenever we are eating. I kind of like him being a part of all of our mealtimes. We almost always have the Today Show on.

8:30-9:30 am: More playtime for Charlie either with John, or belly time with his toys while I clean up breakfast dishes, and get myself ready for the day, make the bed, pick up all the doodads around the house. Diaper and change Charlie into day clothes, sometimes wipe his face and hands down.

9- 9:30am: He goes down for a nap. Usually I can tell when he's getting tired and just put him down, he fusses a little and then finds his thumb and puts himself to sleep. He sleeps anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. I will pump at this time, so we have extra milk for his vitamins, and now his cereal...the extra gets frozen for "just in case". If we have the car, this is when we will go on post to run in the jogger, or hit up the commissary, but if not I just do whatever needs getting done at home. Today that included laundry, and cleaning the bathroom. I also use this time to think about dinner and prep whatever I can (throw a bunch of stuff in the crockpot, chop veggies).

10:00am: John takes off for school for the day!

Around 10:30 - 11:30: Wake up from nap! Change that diaper! I nurse him "halfway" (on just one side) and then we have been doing his cereal around this time. It is a less hectic time than the earlier morning, less going on, so we can take our time. After we will clean up, and get some toys out in his room or living room. We almost always have music on...I can't stand the silence, and don't want the tv to be on constantly. I have been getting some books out to read to him, but his interest varies :)

1:00pm: Nurse Charlie again if he seems hungry. And usually he goes down for another nap. This one is just a short one. So I eat lunch, and watch a DVR-ed Grey's Anatomy re-run...guilty pleasure.

2:00pm: We try to get outside...take Kaia for a walk around the neighborhood, or hang out with our neighbor and her kid and they babies play "together". Charlie plays in his Jumper, or with me. Usually we have some more tummy time also!

5pm-6ish: Possibly one last nap for the day, but if not take one we have a cranky kid on our hands and he ends up going to sleep for the night at 7. If he DOES take a nap though, he will go to bed around 8.

6:40 pm ish: We get a phone call from John that he is on his way home, so I finish making dinner, while Charlie sits in his bouncer, and we entertain each other. Most nights this only lasts for the first 5 or 10 minutes before Charlie hates it and he ends up on my hip while I finish cooking.

7:10pm: John gets home, and we all three eat dinner together. Charlie sits with me while John inhales his food, and then he takes Charlie while I eat. Either John does dishes while I do bathtime or vice versa. Or if John has a lot of homework, the dishes wait for me till after Charlie is asleep.

7:30pm: Bathtime, which is still one of Charlie's favorite parts of the day, lotion up the baby, fresh diaper, jammies, zip him up in his fleece sleeper blanket, read a story (unless he's super exhausted and then there's no shot), turn on Pandora's Lullabye radio and listen to a few songs and dance around our room or unwind on our bed and then put him in his bed at the first sign of a yawn :)

8pm: Down for the night!

8:05pm: Spoke to soon, he's fussing.

8:15pm: Okay now he's really asleep. Hang out with John for the rest of the night...bedtime for me is usually 10:30, and John is shortly after me OR he is up till super late...just depends on the night.

Orange Spice Tea

2011-11-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I am drinking Orange Spice Tea tonight which warms me up because it is perfect for evenings this time of year, and also because it reminds me of my best friend and why I am so grateful to have someone like her in my life.

She is definitely the kind of person you want around when you are down in the dumps. In high school, when melodramatic moments occurred far too often, if I called her crying, she would say something like, "Okay. Here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna get in the car, you're gonna come over to my house. Got it?" And then when I got there, she would have a pint of ice cream tied up in a pink bow (seriously, she would decorate the ice cream), and The Little Blue Day book, that she had just gone out to the store to get for me, and then we would sit in her room with 2 spoons, no bowls necessary, eating our ice cream and watching Julia Roberts and "Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About", and then we would have her boyfriend bring us breakfast burritos from Nico's. Ahhhhh, it was so fun, it almost made you WANT to have melodramtic moments to cry about :)

And then when John deployed, she was there for me again. After seeing John off in Hawaii, my plan was to fly right home to Arizona, but of course the timeline that we had planned around had changed, so I was stuck at the Schofield Inn for two days by my weepy self before I was able to fly home to Tucson. My parents came to pick my up at the airport, and Lotus was sitting in the backseat too. She was there with a hug and a mug of Orange Spice tea with lemon and sweetened with honey and said,"I know you're real sad right now, but I got you this book with Christmas cookie recipes and I thought we could plan a day this week to bake Christmas cookies all day together."

A good friend knows how to cheer you up, and she's a real good one.

I wish we could get together soon and bake Christmas cookies and eat ice cream and drink tea together.

The Family That Works Out Together...

2011-11-15T06:38:00.001-07:00

...Stays together.

At least that's what I hope :)

After much discussion, analysis, debate, and even some disagreement followed by compromise, John finally ordered the equipment he would need to have an at-home Cross Fit Gym.

Charlie got an at-home Gym too. He's a work out animal I tell you.

And since he pretty much has conquered his own workout equipment, he's moving on to the big guns and will be challenging his Dad soon in squats, box jumps, wall balls, and all the rest!

Trip to the Mitten ~ October 23rd, 2011

2011-11-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Bob Evans for coffee and some biscuits (well that's what I had). Afterwards, Lindsay had to drive back to Chicago and we had big plans to go to Frankenmuth.

We arrived at Bronner's, the biggest Christmas store in all the land! I really had my heart set on going here because I remember going way back when I was a kid still living in Michigan. It wasn't exactly how I remembered it, but it was fun to walk around with Charlie. He was enthralled with all of the lights, and we got a few fun ornaments for our tree this year and an advent calender that you can use every year...I've always wanted one. We only spent about an hour, but I think that was good enough ;)

Afterwards it was off to Zehnders with the Branoffs and my mom's college roommates, for Family Style Chicken Dinner. And that was EXACTLY how I remembered it. So good, so heavy, so MUCH food! I put aways a good amount of chicken, potatos, noodles, stuffing, and all the rest! After we took a much neede walk around the cute town with the horse drawn carriages and covered wooden bridge.

That evening before heading to the airport we went over to my Aunt Lauren's house. They just finished a whole house renovation and it was beautiful! Also Elizabeth (or Liz as she goes by now...but she's always ELizabeth to me), just found out she was accepted into MSU, so she was excited to tell my Dad. It was good to see them, usually we get to see them at the Ocean, but it's been awhile, so I miss the loooong talks we always have at the beach.

And finally we headed to the airport to drop off the car. We had plans to stay at the Westin which is attached to the Northwest terminal. It sure beat Dad's Inn, and also? Super convenient, easy way to travel! Rental car was already returned, don't have to get up early, don't have to commute to the airport, just roll out of the room and hour before the flight and literally don't even go outside, just right from the hotel to the terminal...wish I could travel like that for always :)

We put Charlie in the middle of our bed again to sleep, (Never say never on having your kid sleep in your bed ;), and before we hit the hay, my parents came over to our room for a nightcap and to say goodbye.

Our whole weekend went by WAY too fast. I think because there were SO MANY people to see. The consolation is that we get to see most everyone again in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving in less than two weeks! These are the perks of not living in Hawaii now...I have to remind myself now that our weather is starting to get crummy :)

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Chili Recipe

2011-11-13T17:59:00.005-07:00

Obesessed with my Crock Pot these days, it makes life so easy. AND after I put this recipe in the crock pot, not more than 10 minutes later my neighbor stopped by so we could go for a walk and said "Wow, smething smells good!" Ringing endorsement! You don't even need to think about defrosting anything, how's that for simple?

This is yummy, try it!

What You Need:
1 14 oz can of corn
1 14 oz can Black Beans (or whatever beans you like)
1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1/2 cup Barley
1 Cup Chicken Broth (or stock, or water even...just add a little more salt to taste)
4 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Oregano
Cayenne Pepper (as spicy or mild as you like it)
1 Teaspoon Salt
3-4 Breasts of Chicken whole, frozen or not, it doesn't really matter

What You Do:

Dump all the ingredients (except the chicken) into the crock pot and stir together till combined. Then put your chicken in and make sure it is covered by the liquid. Put slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 4-5 hours).

Before serving, shred the chicken right in the pot with two forks. If it seems a little thick for you, add in another cup of stock/water. I like chili thick though!

Serve with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, tortilla chips, jalapenos, cilantro...whatever you like.

Enjoy!

P.S. Might be a good use for shredded turkey leftovers =)

Today

2011-11-12T17:48:00.004-07:00

Good day today! After an early morning wake-up call made up of Charlie's laughing, and baby talk, John got up and played with him so I could snooze a bit longer. Then it was out for some coffee and pumpkin bread and a little walk around.

Then I headed off to the gym and ran 4 miles in under 9 minute pace, yay! Feeling good after a decent workout I headed home to clean up, do some laundry, and make spinach artichoke dip to take to our neighbor's.

We hung out all afternoon watching football, munching on pico de gallo, grilling brats, playing with babies (Charlie even did his first Guernsey "hand stand" with me standing close by to spot!), and finishing the night off with chocolate cake and a glass of milk.

Now, my baby is squeaky clean and is tucked in, my dog is all curled up by me, and the hubs is in his new "gym"!

Trip to the Mitten ~ October 22nd, 2011

2011-11-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

We woke up and got ready for the football game. Charlie and I had a challenging time getting dressed, but we decided to support both teams. I wore red AND green, and Charlie began the day in his Spartan onesie and then switched to Badger-wear later on. We really wanted a picture of Charlie in Spartan gear with my Dad at the garden, so we had to wait till he arrived...and they arrived late, so pretty much he wore his green a majority of the day. I wonder if that was planned??

Uncle Paul made us his famous pancakes for breakfast. I dropped some subliminals "I LIKE pancakes Uncle Paul", "I sure miss your pancake breakfasts", "Charlie likes pancakes too!"...hehe! He took the hint. We also had sausage and homemade strawberry jam that Ashley made this summer, SOOO good on fluffy, buttery pancakes.

We loaded up our tailgate food (Jalapeno Poppers...Green for MSU, and Cheese for Wisconsin :) and headed North to East Lansing.

We found the Guernsey Garden and all of the Scott Guernsey's were already there, along with many of their friends, and there was a ton of food set up too! It was great to see everyone, I hadn't seen them since Ashley's wedding over a year ago. Aunt Kyle had made Walking Tacos, and though I have seen a recipe before, I have never had them, and they are SO FUN and such a great party/tailgate food. Must try. Charlie was asleep when we arrived and proceeded to continue his nap for another 2 hours! Finally I just woke him him and then he was passed around all day long.

Soon Mara and Lindsay arrived, and Brooke began passing out pudding shots...they looked yummy but I didn't have one. Then the rest of the Branoffs and Tommy, Liz, and Audrey showed up. They had gone to the College Game Day, and although their sign didn't make it on TV they DID get to meet Izzo!

Jeff, Zebbie, Mark, Beth, Matt and his girlfriend Caroline arrived soon after, in their Wisconsin red! Even though everyone was cheering for different teams, there was still a lot of co-mingling and friendly banter :)

The Garden itself is a tribute to my Grandma and Grandpa Guernsey who loved MSU. At one point I snuck away to give Charlie a private snack, I told him all about his Grandma Guernsey, and the things I have been told about Grandpa Vic. Then I sung him the MSU fight song and he fell asleep, haha. It was cute.

My parents, the Shewchucks, Jawors and McDonnells arrived a little bit before we all were headed out to the game. Since it was a night game, my mom took Charlie to a hotel nearby to watch him so we could both go to the game.

The game itself was extremely stressful. I literally could not relax the entire time. My shoulders, neck and back were so so tense I kept having to remind myself to calm down about it. Even though I was born and bred on Spartan football, I couldn't bring myself to root against my brother in law. I sat in the Badger section with JOhn and the Borlands, and my entire family(like 20-30 of them) were sitting in the same row one section away, so we could see each other and wave to each other all game. It was so back and forth, and such a nailbiter the entire time. I even made a little "Anniversary Wish" (our Anniversary was 3 days away, and I still hadn't come up with a "real" gift yet), that the Badgers would win as a "leather gift" to my husband. Footballs = Pigskin =Leather, right? But my wish did not workout, and we lost, and it was real, real, sad.

As we were leaving my family was obviously geeked (seriously it was kind of a tough spot for me to be in, I felt like it was lose-lose no matter who I rooted for), and I don't know if I've seen my Dad more excited, which is saying something. So I was really happy for him and Aunt Pat said that Vic and Alice would have been happy too. I agreed.

But the worst part was seeing Chris aftre the game. We all gave him hugs, but not a single one of us could look him in the eye, we all felt so bad, and he looked so, so sad. It was heartbreaking. Only Zebbie had it in her to make small talk, and try and cheer him up, such is the job of a Mom I think. But it was a tough loss, and I think Chris felt it really hard.

It was really late by the time we got back to the hotel, but as we pulled up to "Dad's Inn" John and I joked that we were surprised my mom hadn't pulled the plug on this place. Suffice it to say, it did not look like her usual travel accomodations. And the second "D" in "Dads" was a different color of yellow than the rest of the letters, and the sign over the lobby the D had been duck taped over. I guess it used to be a "DAYS Inn" and the new ownership was SUPER cheap about changing the name and signage, haha! My mom said of all the many hotels she has stayed in she has never before had to put down a deposit in case we damaged the room!! There was mold in the shower, and a big booger looking thing on the ceiling over the bed, iiiiccccckkkk! Bright and early my mom knocked on the door and said "Let's get outta here!!!" So she took Charlie and we hurried and packed up. But before we could leave, they had to look at the rooms to make sure again that we hadn't done any damage to the rooms. Classy joint, I tell ya! Gave us a good story though.

When we picked Charlie up from my mom's room that night, it was super late, and he was out like a light. John was going to put Charlie in a dresser drawer, and I said NO WAY, so he ended up sleeping between us in the King size bed. Between fear that we might squish him, and the booger over my head, we didn't get a great sleep :)

Pumpkin Dobber

2011-11-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Though it's not my favorite holiday, I think Charlie's first Halloween was a success. We did all things PUMPKIN! We observed their bright orange color, and felt their somewhat rough exterior...

...And of course their squooshy, slimy interior.

And since we hadn't gotten close enough to the pumpkin, we decided Charlie needed to hop inside it too. It seemed like a really fun opportunity for a photo, and turned into hilarity when we realized our kid was too chubby to fit inside. God, I love his rolls, so, so, much!!

And of course we carved the pumpkins and displayed them proudly too! John drilled little holes in the shape of a "C" for Charlie's, I think it turned out pretty cute, but it was so little that we couldn't put the lid on all the way or it would extinguish the candle. I was going for "silly" with mine, and John wanted his to be winking. They looked great in the dark!

And lastly, Charlie dressed like a pumpkin too! My mom sent us his costume this year. Halloween couldn't come soon enough, because Charlie had almost outgrown it! It was so cute, but he wasn't too sure about it because he couldn't really move very well when he wore it.

We did talk about doing a "family" themed costume. John's idea, since we live on a training base, was to dress Charlie as a Drill Sargeant and the two of us as his Basic Trainees :) Hmmm Charlie calling the shots and the two of us jumping to meet his needs? Sounds about right. In the end, we just didn't get our act together on time.

But he was a darn cute pumpkin, I tell you what!

Charlie loved looking at our big bowl of candy. He loved the colors, and his eyes got HUGE when I dumped it out on the ground in front of him. All that rustling of candy wrappers.

I was curious which candy he would "pick" of given his choice, and as you can see he is hiding a Reese's cup under his "cape". Just like his Dad. Oh well, more Snickers for me!!

Charlie took a snooze right in the middle of candy passing out, but woke up for the last half of the festivities. All the kiddies kept asking about the baby in the pumpkin costume.

John set up our passing out candy chairs on the front porch along with our candy, and played our spooky Halloween music through the windows. I contributed by making Orange Spice tea in travel mugs (I was nursing a sore throat). My favorite trick or treater was an 18 month old chubby Tinker Belle who was still doing the "Frankenstein" walk, arms outstretched towards the candy, grabbing her piece without a word, and staring at us with big eyes the whole time :)

Charlie was intrigued by the flickering candles inside the pumpkins, so we took a moment to look at those before hitting the hay. John however, stayed out and wouldn't come back in a minute before 9pm for fear of missing a trick or treater. It was a big deal to him that we not run out of candy, and just that day he had insisted we get 2 more bags despite the 4 we had already purchased. Good thing though, because when the night was through, we had just one measly Snickers left. I put it in his lunch the next day because I'm such a good, sharing, generous wife ;)

I am already looking forward to next year when Charlie will be toddling and can help pass candy out himself and maybe be a little in awe of the costumed kids coming to our door. So maybe Halloween is growing on me a little...Maybe next year we will even do coordinating family costumes? Or maybe I am getting ahead of myself!

4 Month Doctor Appointment

2011-11-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Charlie is definitely a BIG boy!

Stats:
Weight: 16 pounds 4 ounces, 95%
Length: 25 1/4 inches, 72%
Head: I forget but I know he is above the 95%

We had to wait on shots, because the last appointment was on the 12th and they have to be at least 2 months a part, so we will be heading back next week. Charlie charmed the doctorwith his smiles and coos (John and I couldn't stop laughing, it was like he only had eyes for her and really wanted to be distracting her.) And he tried to distract herby continually grabbing her stethoscope. We got the go ahead to start cereal, and the validation every parent wants to hear, that he is doing great and looks great too :)

Based on Charlie's head measurement, the doc wanted to measure both mine and John's noggins to see if there might be a genetic reason that his head is measuring so big (even though it has since he was born!), otherwise they get concerned about hydrocephalus and other words that sound scary. I swear every time we bring him in they have something new that they want to scare me with, and every single time it turns out the same way...he is a happy, chubby, thriving baby who is meeting all of his milestones and is doing excellent!

Anywho they pulled out the tape measure and measured my cabeza first...it was pretty much a normal, middle of the curve measurement. Then the doc goes to measure my hubby and the tape measure wasn't long enough...they had to go find another longer one. That would be your first clue that Charlie comes by his head size naturally, right?

But she wanted to check the numbers and call us back later. Turns out John's head is two standard deviations about the norm, thats above the 97% folks. So the doc was satisfied that John has passed on some of his genetic traits to his son.

John was pleased as punch to have this in common with his son, almost as happy he was after he told us about Charlie's circumcision, but thats a story for another day :)

4 Months Old

2011-11-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

Charlie,

You rolled over for the very first time...Your Dad just set you on the ground on your belly and just like that, quick as a wink you rolled over, like you had made up your mind and weren't going to waste any time. You slowly and deliberately grabbed your first toy, and put it right in your mouth and then tentatively put it in your other hand. And then the other day? You grabbed some food right off my plate at lunch! Not on accident, on purpose, and I was so proud! Maybe you love food just like me!

You had your very first plane ride, and despite hating that the air conditioner was turned off before take-off, you did just great, I love being able to take you everywhere! You added a 4th state (Michigan) to your growing travel list, and had a special visit to the Guernsey Garden at Michigan State University. I was excited to "introduce" you to Grandma Alice and Grandpa Vic, and tell you the things I love about them. I never met Grandpa Vic, but know enough about him to want to name you after him. This past month you have met even MORE Aunts, Uncles, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, cousins. You have a BIG family, and they love on you just the way I dreamed about it for you. And I love that you are so happy to be in just about anybody's arms, though you can be particular about how you are held. You want to be up, so you can use your legs and be at the same level as everyone else, you like to be on peoples' shoulders because you need to be able to look around, see the sights, take it in.

You swung on a swing at the park on your Mama's lap for the very first time, and celebrated your first Halloween by sporting a Pumpkin costume, "helping" to carve pumpkins, ogling candy, and sitting on the front porch with us to pass out the candy to trick or treaters, who thought you were a cutie-pie. And my least favorite first this month? Your first cold. You woke up snotty, coughy, phlegmy and sad and at 3 in the morning your Daddy rushed out to the 24-hour Walmart to get you a humidifier to help you feel better. He loves you so much.

Likes? You love pony boy, being swung in your Dad's arms, "From the Barn to the House", diaper changes (man do your legs start kicking), and sucking your thumbs...sometimes both of them at the same time, and sometimes even sneaking a thumb in while you are eating (which doesn't work out so great). You are talking up a storm, and sometimes your talking sounds more like yelling...but you are just being really expressive ;) You talk to yourself in your crib, you talk to your carseat buddies, you talk to us. You just talk, talk, talk. You are noticing Kaia now and laugh at her sometimes when she walks by...I think it is the start of a beautiful friendship! You LOVE to hear your Dad's voice. You look for him whenever you hear it, or see him walk in the room. I am obsessed with finding new ways to make you giggle. You are tackling your Johnny Jumper and I think you like the freedom of being able to move and go places all on your own...even if it is just up and down and in circles :)

Dislikes? Your carseat. Oh, and you are really good at the "stiff as a board" defense when we try to put you in it. You are too busy and like to move to much to be okay with being strapped in. Unless you are ready to take a snooze, and then though you protest, the second the car starts moving, you are out like a light.

Though mealtime is still a very important part of your day, it is different now that you have become this wiggly, squiggly, twisty, turny, kicking off of things baby who hears the dog and his Daddy's voice, and all the other noises in your world. Curiosity is the new name of the game, and though it sometimes drags things out, it is pretty fun and dang cute too!

Charlie, your world is getting bigger and better with every new skill that you learn. My hope for you is that you take the very same curiosity, energy and joy and continue to look around your world, and take it all in as best you can. I hope that when there is something worth reaching for, that you go for it with the same concentration, deliberation, and though you've maybe never done it before, you stick your hand out there and take hold of exactly what it is you want.

I love you with my whole heart.

Love,
Your Mama

Trip to the Mitten ~ October 21st, 2011

2011-11-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

We all three woke up at 5am and were out the door on our way to St. Louis by 6:15. I may have been a bit cranky because we weren't right on schedule, but I soon got over it, and luckily for me John overlooked it as well ;)

Charlie fell back asleep as soon as he hit the carseat and slept all the way to the airport. John dropped the two of us off with all of the luggage and we did our best to check in, and check the luggage by ourselves while he parked the car. People are so kind when you have a baby on your shoulder and several people helped me move my luggage around. And soon John got back and we headed to security with just our baby and our diaper bag (attempting to travel light).

We found our gate and while John got us caffeinated beverages I headed to the bathroom to change Charlie's blow out! When I got back John had secured two leather chairs right by the windows. We ate breakfast and watched the planes outside. Charlie was a happy kid and we entertained each other, him talking to me, me trying to get him to laugh.

We realized that when they call "We are now pre-boarding families traveling with small children..." that they are talking to us! Crazy! So we were the first ones on the plane, and immediately when we found our seats, Charlie began to get fussy. It was time for a nap, and it was HOT on that flight before they put the air conditioning on. I am sure people looked at us and hoped they weren't sitting by us. We did get a few sideways glances, but one lady reached forward and tapped me on the shoulder and said "It's going to be okay. Just relax. Your baby is going to be okay too." I must have looked tense, because she looked very worred about me!!

But as soon as the air came back on Charlie settled down, had a private snack as we taxied and a pacifer after we took off, and then slept the rest of the way to Detroit! So all in all, he did pretty good, and didn't seem bothered by the air pressure.

We got our rental car (along with free popcorn, bottled water, Halloween candy, and hot dogs fresh off the grill, way to go Alamo!) and hit the road towards Rochester Hills, stopping to grab food and drink for the tailgate and some diapers.

Mara, Ashley and Andy all came over to the Branoff's house, where we were staying for the night. Uncle Paul and Aunt Cindy got home from work and we all hung around a gorged ourselves on Chinese take-out. Ashley was feeling a little under the weather (cuz she's havin' a BABY!!). We gave her a little Hungry Caterpillar baby cap for the pending arrival.

Aunt Cindy has a crib all set up for her grandson, Noah, so Charlie slept comfortably and so did we! And we got to pack light!

Potty Trained

2011-10-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

So the other night after John stripped Charlie down for his bath, but before getting him in the tub John had to go to the bathroom, but didn't want to put Charlie down on the ground all naked and such. So instead he attempted to hold him as well...you know...

In the process though, Charlie began peeing all over the place as John held him!

On John, on himself, on the bathroom!

Either my son is very advanced and its time to think about potty training, OR it's a good thing we were just about to give him a bath :) Either way, we laughed hysterically!

Three Years

2011-10-26T15:21:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated three years of marriage! We didn't really plan anything big, especially since we just got back from our trip to Michigan and we had a friend visiting us.

I made John Cinnamon French Toast with Pecans (John likes pecans) for breakfast and we hung out and had our coffee together before he had to go to school.

When he got home, he had flowers, we exchanged cards and smooches. And then he told me he had to get something else from the car for me. I told him Nooooo because he already got me something really awesome and I don't need anything else! And he said "Okay, but it's probably the best thing I ever gave ya..." And he returned with.....

2 giant iced teas! I was seriously so happy :)

And then he said that he had been thinking about what he would want to do to celebrate our anniversary and had eventually figured out that what he really wanted to do was all the things we usually do. I couldn't have said it better...that's exactly how I felt too.

So we had a romantical dinner. I made John food: Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese and a Spinach Salad with Toasted Pecans (I told ya...he likes pecans). I also had poured some wine, but we drank our iced teas instead. Charlie happily bounced on our laps while we ate.

While I did the dishes I could hear John blowing raspberries on Charlie's belly as he got him ready for a bath, and I smiled and felt lucky.

Day 4 ~ July 11th, 2011

2011-10-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

So far the hardest day since Charlie has been here came fairly soon after he was born. We brought Charlie home on a Sunday, and had a nice relaxed day getting acclimated at home.

We went for a walk in the neighborhood, ate cake, popped some Champagne, put Charlie in his little Ducky Jammies and hunkered down for the night, not knowing exactly WHAT to expect, but knowing it probably wouldn't be a ton of sleep.

Not that that bothered us, it was kind of part of the "fun"...We were, afterall, very new to all of this!

On Monday morning, we were up early, congratulating ourselves on a successful first night home. We showered got all three of us dressed and ready, gladly gulped down some coffee and yet again congratulated ourselves on being able to get out of the house by 8:30am...and on our first try!

We had to have a 4 day appointment at the doctor just to see how things were going, and to see how his jaundice levels were. For some reason I was excited to go back to the doctor's and so I was taking pictures...I will be leaving my camera at home in the future.

First we found out Charlie had lost weight, and the doc was worried because my milk was still not in. Also it was a concern because he seemed to be a little jaundiced. The pediatrician sent us to the lab to get Charlie's little footie poked to see his bilirubin levels.

As we sat in the lab, John held Charlie and I sat facing them hoping no one would come up and touch Charlie or sneeze in his direction...Paranoia, paranoia, will destroy ya! I was like a Mama Bear! Once John took him in, the lab tech told John he had never done this before, and was that okay?

As I rounded the corner into the room just behind John I was thinking "NO, no, no! THat is NOT okay, find me someone who has done this a million times because you aren't practicing on my new, tiny, little child." But I heard John reply cheerfully, "Sure, you gotta learn somehow!"

In my head I am now screaming "Not. on. my. kid!!!!" But kept my mouth shut and told myself I was overreacting.

But....I wasn't.

The dude was so awful at this little foot prick where they collect a vial of blood from him, that he had to repeat the prick not once more but twice. As I watched him continually stick a needle in his foot and watch the blood pour out of it I began to get really twitchy, and when Charlie began to cry, it was all I could do to hold back tears.

Then it was back up to the pediatrician's to find out the result of the test. And there we found out that Charlie's jaundice levels were such that it was super important for my milk to come in and that he would need a bili-blanket at home to help out the jaundice. And also we found out he hadn't passed his first hearing test too. (He passed his second one, they have high false negative rates, and my baby has little eardrums, so says the ENT doc.)

But at the time, this was all very overwhelming to my post-partum, hormonal self let me tell ya. I began to cry right in front of the doctor, who was very very kind...and also a breastfeeding consultant herself. She told me a couple of things that really helped me...1)It was OKAY if I didn't want to supplement at this point, my milk would come in soon (it did...later that day), and 2) It is OKAY if I end up being half-naked for pretty much the first month of Charlie's life because of nursing, hahaha! (This is literally how it went, and after this convo I stopped feeling weird about it.)

So we called home to my Mom, Ashley and Lindsay to let them know we would be on our way home after picking up the bili-blanket. And I came home with a renewed sense of purpose in terms of nursing Charlie. We WOULD figure this out!

But I was also really drained, and frustrated, and emotionally raw from worrying about my baby. In hindsight, I realize our problems could have been much worse, and we are really very blessed, but at the time, I had trouble finding that perspective.

If Charlie wasn't nursing, then he was wrapped up in the biliblanket and being held by someone. And if I wasn't nursing Charlie then I was encouraged to just go nap. But I couldn't stop crying all day and even when I tried to nap, all I really wanted to do was have a good cleansing cry. And when someone was nice to me, it just made me want to cry more...Like John would hug me and say what a great job I was doing...Tears! Ashley, my Mom and Lindsay set up my new "Nursing Chair" for me, vaccuumed my house, got me my water when I was nursing, made me dinner...tears of gratitude and even guilt for not being able to help! I told Lotus I couldn't call her back that day, because it had just been a hectic day, and she told me not to worry about it at all and just take care of me and Charlie....more tears at the understanding. And then my sister left to go back to Chicago...you guessed it...more tears.

I was a mess. And my head hurt from crying. And my boobs hurt from nursing. And my heart hurt from seeing Charlie cry all day from discomfort from that darn bili-blanket and apparent hunger.

I was this close to getting formula and supplementing when...my milk came in. Finally. Very good news.

It was such a long, emotional day that I was very grateful to crawl in bed, with my little glo-worm sleeping on one side and John with his reassuring hugs on the other, and to just close the door on that day!

Off to the Mitten!

2011-10-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Michigan this weekend for the Wisconsin/MSU football game in East Lansing. I am super excited for several reasons!

1) I haven't been back to Michigan in forever!
2) I can't wait to see so much family, Guernseys! Borlands! McDonnells! Branoffs! Shewchucks! Howalds!
3)Hanging out with the Branoffs on Friday night!
4) We are going to have a big tailgate in the Guernsey Michigan Garden on campus...I feel like in a small way I get to introduce Charlie to Grandma Alice and Grandpa Vic, his namesake :)
5) The football game itself! Though I'm not looking forward to either team losing. I know it is inevitable, but still...Can't Charlie and I just root for both? Please?
6)Christmas shopping at Bronner's the biggest Christmas store ever!
7)Stuffing myself on Chicken Dinner at Zehnder's!

It's gonna be a fun one!

Move Over Martha!

2011-10-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently I am taking up a new hobby...quilting!

When I was a junior in college I learned how to knit. I wanted to make something for my friend's birthday rather than buy it, so I went to a knitting store, got some needles and sat around with a bunch of ladies ahemslightlyolderthanmyselfahem, and learned to knit. I loved it. I made a couple scarves and 2 ponchos for my mom, and while I knit I heard a bunch of stories for some really great people.

I should really pick up those knitting needles again! I could make something warm to wear here! Brrrrr!

Anywho, at last month's Spouse's Luncheon I signed up for a couple clubs, including quiliting. So today I went to Rolla with my friend, Heather, and the babies, to the fabric store to pick out fabric to make our first blanket. I had a tough time picking what I wanted.

First I didn't know what color scheme, then I couldn't figure out what went together, then I needed to decide how much of each fabric. But once I finally pieced it together, I was shocked at how inexpensive it was.

The first meeting is next week and we will all be working on the same project so I can ask questions as I go. We are going to take a pack 'n' play for the babies so they don't swallow any thimbles or needles or anything!

I am excited to see how it goes, and if I can pick up this new skill, and meet some more people in the process!

If You Take Your Kid Grocery Shopping...

2011-10-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

If you take your kid to the Commissary by yourself...it is almost surely going to be Payday...which you forgot.

If your kid was sleeping soundly when you began shopping....he will more than likely wake up mid-trip and refuse to hang in his carseat any longer.

And since you had him in the carseat, you probably forgot to bring in the Baby Bjorn, so instead you will carry him on your hip, push the cart in one hand, and pick things off the shelf in the other till the second half of your shopping trip is done.

Once the shopping is done, you will get in the big long, line that wraps its way back to the dairy case. As you stand there your mind will wander, and you will realize you left your diaper bag in the car.

Remembering this will cause you to check your kid's diaper for signs of wetness.

Instead of a wet diaper, what you will find is yellow-orange cottage cheese-ish mixture right up the backside of your kid's onesie reaching clear up to his shoulders. Oh, and he will be grinning at you for added effect.

When you say "Uhhhh!" outloud, the mom standing behind you will immediately guess "Blowout?" without even having seen the evidence (Amazing...apparently every single mom has been "there".)

You are now midway through the huge shopping line, not wanting to stand there with "Poopy Pants" in your arms, but even more so not wanting to leave your spot in line that you have waited so long in.

So instead? You do the only logical thing...

...and wrap Poopy McSmiling Pants up in a blanket,

And hang on for dear life as you navigate your way through the rest of the line, load your groceries on the belt, pay and hope no one could smell anything...I mean he's breastfed, afterall :)

And then when you get to you vehicle, SALVATION at last!!, you remove his socks for damage control, whip out your diaper, your wipes, open up and...

TWO wipes left.

This is a 5 wipe MINIMUM of poopy diaper...so...

You just DO. YOUR. BEST.

...and embrace the realities of motherhood. Realities that, it seems, every single mother has experienced at one point or another.

Oh, and good luck not swiping poop through your kid's hair as you try to remove that soiled onesie.

No Free Lipgloss for Me!

2011-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

My friend is a Mary Kay consultant and invited me to one of their parties. It was really more of a recruiting party, trying to get people to sign on to sell their product. One of the activities that evening was a short question/answer thingie for the 5 of us new ladies who were invited.

The "Lead Lady", in all of her Mary Kay finery, instructed us to answer just yes or no to 5 questions, and began by stating "All of you have careers, right?"

Me (hand raised): "No, I currently stay at home with my kid."

Lead Lady: "Oh okay, well then you will have a seperate set of questions."

And then with each question she would say "This one is for the career women....This one is for you (me)...This one is for the career women...and this one is for you."

The method of questioning, was kind of funny, kind of demeaning, and kind of weird all at once. But that's not really my point.

The questions (for me) were:
1. Do you have enough spending money to buy the things you want to?
2. Do you get enough appreciation for what you do?
3. Do you have enough flexibility to do the things you want to?
4. If something were to happen to your spouse could you support yourself and your family? (Insert awkward joke about my husband's life insurance policy here, haha...At least John thought it was funny when I told him later that night.)
5. Do you enjoy what you do?

Obviously the purpose of the excercise is that you will answer "No" to a couple of the questions. In fact, I think you win a free lipgloss only if you have a "No" or two, or more.

But I guess that purpose was lost on me, because as the questions continued, I just kept answering "Yes."

Yes, I like what I am doing! Yes, we have back-up plans if the WORST thing happens. Yes, I have flexibility and enough spending money to buy the things I NEED and occasionally things I want (usually in the form of a caffeinated beverage).

And YES, I recieve enough appreciation for the things I do...In the form of kisses, slobber, and licks. (John, Charlie & Kaia...in that order.)

So I didn't leave the party that night with a new occupation OR a new lipgloss, but I did leave feeling pretty darn great about my life as it is right now.

Always good to have a that reminder.

A Little Sicky

2011-10-17T15:29:00.002-07:00

Well it was going to happen eventually, but after just over three months, my baby boy got sick. Uhhhhh. He woke up in the middle of the night last night super mucousy, congested with a raspy cough, and my heart broke. He could barely eat and breathe at once, and there was so much mucous, he almost immediately spit up again.

It is funny how before having Charlie, I imagined these scenarios and how I might react or feel about it: No big deal, right? Wrong.

I just hate it.

John went out to the 24 hour Walmart in the middle of the night to get a humidifier and we gave him a bath so the steam would help "loosen" things up. We are just taking it easy trying to get him feeling healthy again soon!

Good news is, he is in pretty good spirits...just a little fussier than normal, but still playing, snuggling, cooing in a deep throaty congested kind of way.

Send Chicken Soup thoughts for our little man!

Sugar & Spice

2011-10-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last week my neighbor and I decided to have a baking day, right in the middle of my half-hearted attempt to give up sugar, haha.

We decided on a couple recipes, pooled our butter, eggs, sugar and flour among other things, put the dogs away, the babies on the floor to play "together", and got to work!

Heather warned me ahead of time that she is sort of a messy cook...Fine by me!! I am SUCH a messy cook, and probably a messier baker (all the flour gets everywhere)! So basically we got along great in the kitchen.

We took turns reading the recipes, measuring and mixing ingredients in between keeping both babies content. It was great because if we were trying to bake on our own, it probably would have been a nearly impossible task, but together we ended up with lots and lots of treats in just three hours and just one messy kitchen. AND somehow I got lucky and got to play with babies while Heather did dishes (Double SCORE!!) Also Baby Cheyenne (6mos.) mastered rolling over tummy to back AND back to tummy just that morning in MY living room. I was so excited for her! Now she is really going places :)

We made Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting (more like a cake than a bar, always delicious), Petite Cinnamon Sugar Scones (First PW recipe I have been disappointed by), and my personal fave Cranberry Orange Scones (SO delicious, can't wait to make more for CHristmas time, though next time I would add a bit more orange zest).

We split up the goods between us, and then I gave some more of my stash to a new family who just moved in next door. Success!

Family Photos ~ One Month

2011-10-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Life sure is different these days.

There are burp cloths and stuffed animals stuffed between couch cushions, boppys doubling as pillows...

Our bed is scattered with toys, diapers from last night's changing, and measuring cups that now do double duty as something wonderful for Charlie to gnaw on...

Baby baths, red baby crab shaped towels, and baby bubble bath decorate our bathroom...

Errands take just a little bit longer and the tinkling sound of Charlie's Carseat Buddies provide the background music to our trips...

Laundry baskets are always full, and so is the diaper pail...

So are our hearts. We wouldn't change a thing. XO.

Photos by Elizabeth Meigs, Tucson, AZ

It Won't Be Like This For Long

2011-10-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

So true Mr. Rucker, so true.

Sometime overnight (I think) my kid turned into a real live baby, and not just a real live newborn. John and I marveled at the fact that he no longer wants to just snuggle and cuddle all the time...

Oh no, he's already this BIG boy who wants to move, stand, talk, play.

He takes his bottle beautifully...even from me which is a triumph.

And I figured out how to get him to hang on his tummy...in just his diaper, on his changing table.

He makes a million facial expressions, and new sounds too:"Nananana", and something that sounds like "Mom-a", but he uses that sound for when he is irritated (uh-oh, is there a message in that?)

So many changes, so glad I get to watch.

But when we were dancing in the living room to Lady Antebellum songs, and he fell asleep slumped on my shoulder, laying all 15 pounds on me and breathing his sweet smelling baby breath, it really doesn't feel so different :)

P.S. I can't wait for him to get up from his nap <3

Punkin Kid

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Uhhhhh! How can you resist that face? Well, I cannot. Pretty much Charlie has us wrapped around his chubby little fingers :)

This weekend we drove 2o minutes down the road to Crocker to the Happy Hollows Pumpkin Patch. Probably since well before becoming parents, John and I have been excited to share the tradition of picking out your pumpkin each year, and getting a bunch of obligatory AND cute pumpkin photos with out kid. Check and CHECK. Mission accomplished :)

John was really into introducing Charlie to all of the baby animals. He met a baby calf, baby llamas, turkeys and even a baby yak, which he is riding in the below picture. Doesn't he look like a pro? John did his mom proud by getting Charlie up close and personal with the baby goats. My mother-in-law has a "thing" for goats. Charlie seemed to like them licking his little piggies and hands. I was not far behind with my wet-wipes.One of my favorite things they had was this "sand"box filled with corn and lots of tools for dumping and pouring. It was so cute, and I think Charlie liked the different textures. I am learning that Charlie is a pretty relaxed kid. We pretty much take him wherever, put him in whatever situation, and he is calm, taking it in and generally happy. (This does not apply when it is his bewitching hour, just before bedtime.)

My big boy, almost sitting up by himself!

Starfish pose! See? He is so easy going :)

Charlie picks this one!

Next we took a hayride to a field filled with pumpkins. I would have preferred to pick them ourselves off the vine, but my guess is that Missouri is a little south to grow too many pumpkins, these were probably shipped in! One of my favorite pics of the day...Charlie in a field of pumpkins, crying because we are so mean. Poor buddy, he had finally had enough of our antics.

Tummy time on the pumpkin!

We had so much fun this year at the patch!

Mama Called the Doctor...

2011-10-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Charlie's 3rd Month Birthday (John says it should be "3rd Month Day", but I don't care), with a trip to the ER.

We were worried because Charlie had projectile vomited EVERYTHING in his stomach (I mean, it just kept coming and coming...and it was worrisome) this morning, and then developed a case of the hiccups which caused us to notice that his chest under his ribcage looked very sunken in every time he hiccuped.

I mean he seemed fine, smiling, good spirits, but we had never seen anything like it. I wanted to just call the pediatrics helpline, but of course it wasn't operating on the weekend (because parents only have medical questions Monday through Friday, I guess). So without a better option, we were those parents, who drug their kid into the ER to get undressed, poked, and prodded over nothing...

Thankfully the doctor didn't make us feel stupid for bringing him in, and assured us that everything looked pretty normal :) Sigh...better safe than sorry, I guess!

One Month Checkup in Pictures

2011-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Charlie One Month Old ~ Hanging with Mom
Charlie, One Month OldWaiting for the doctor...
Getting sooooo big.

Naptime for my sweet baby.

Photos by Elizabeth Meigs, Tucson, AZ.

Mommy Fail

2011-10-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

In the interest of packing lightly we did not bring our pack'n'play on our trip with us this last weekend. Nor did we on our trip before that, or the one before. (I would wonder what the virtue of having a portable traveling crib was except for the fact that we DO use it nightly for Charlie to sleep in, in our room since the hospital.)

Our first trip to Chicago we instead "fashioned" a bed using an extra large, soft yet firm couch cushion at my sisters place. We lay a swaddling blanket across it, and tucked Charlie in with one of his favorite blankies. Done! A comfy, cozy bed for my baby, and it worked so well!

Just two weeks later, we were back in Chicago and planning on using the very same "baby bed". So at 3:30 in the morning we got Charlie all set up and finally drug our weary bodies into bed ourselves. As I closed my eyes I heard a little whimpering and got up to check on Charlie figuring he was just fussy from being woken up.

Nope.

My baby, who was a stationary sleeper just two weeks ago, and somehow rolled off the large cushion and was now on his stomach, lifting his head up off of the floor. (At least all that tummy time paid off.)

My stomach lurched as I snatched my baby up off the floor, kissing his cheekies and holding him close. He was totally fine...the cushion was not more than 4 inches from the floor, but still...

After I realized he was okay, and got over my guilt, I realized how amazing it is that he can change SO much in just two weeks time. Just 14 days ago, it was the perfect bed, and now, gasp! he is rolling off of it?!?! And of course he would have to hit this milestone in the middle of the night right?

There is no manual for this stuff.

Three Months Old

2011-10-08T19:57:00.002-07:00

Dear Charlie,

You are a quarter of a year old, and that makes your Mama want to slow things down just a little more. While your Dad and I are beginning to grasp the concept that you are truly ours, (be patient with us), we still are in disbelief at how you are a whole and entire little person, and such a fun one too.

You are a happy and smiley boy, but mostly reserve your gummy grins for Mom and Dad...and the ceiling fan...and your carseat buddies. Even in the midst of a crying spell because we strapped you to your carseat yet again, you will take a pause to smile at those buddies as if to say "I know I am mad, but not at you guys. I love you, carseat buddies." You giggle randomly, leaving me so curious as to what caused it because it is the greatest sound in the world to these ears. You dislike tummy time greatly nowadays, and though I tried to get around this by having you lay on my belly the other day, you showed me by spitting up...in.my.mouth. That's right, paybacks for Mama. You love to be "free as a bird" sort of like your Dad, and think tummy time isn't quite so bad when you don't have to wear a diaper.

Eating time is now less interesting than Kaia barking over there, or just the opportunity to stop and smile at me. The world is opening up to you and you are interacting with it more and more. And nothing thrills you more than to have someone hold you so you can stand up. Such proud coos you give as you push yourself up!

Toys are for grabbing, hair is for pulling, baths are for kicking off and splashing in, fingers are for sucking, and your cheeks? Those are for smooching. All day long!

You make our world so wonderful, Charlie.

Love,
Your Mama

Running Down A Dream

2011-10-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

In middle school and high school I ran cross country and track. The day before our meets was always Long Run day. We were just supposed to take it easy, stretch our legs out, get into a zen place and envision our race in the manana....

...But instead my cousins and I would run to my house, toss some tator tots into the oven, pour them into a bowl and squirt ketchup all over the tots and eat them on my trampoline before running back to school for our team meditation session in the library.

(Maybe thats why my ribbons are every color of the rainbow but blue???)

Anyhow, I actually do enjoy running, but I like it better when I can do it with others. I have always wanted a running partner.

Someone to chat with along the way.

Someone to push me when I feel like walking.

And best of all, someone who is counting on me to be there so I get my butt out the door.

Isn't it sad that I will let myself down, but not someone else? Where's my intrinsic motivation when I need it?

But the past few weeks my neighbor and I have been meeting to run on the Troop Trail on post with our babies, our jogging strollers, and non-stop conversation in tow!

We have just about how to coordinate a time when both babies have been fed, and are most likely to sleep, and trust me that can be more complicated than it sounds. We have been pushing each other too, taking turns pushing the pace, and slowly but surely increasing the distance.

What began as a friendship based mostly on having babies of similar ages is turning out to be a friendship where we talk about everything from military life and breastfeeding to recipes and family. And with all that the run usually flies by, which is the way I like it.

Now if only we could get the babies to make us some tots at the end...with ketchup.

Libertyville ~ Sunday, October 2nd

2011-10-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Asleep by 4am, and back up at 7am (if I haven't said it before, this trip was FUN, but I got NO sleep) with Mr. Charlie. He stayed awake for another hour, and I felt like I was literally peeling my eyeballs open to stay awake with him. When he finally crashed, I did too...for another 3 hours.

Finally we all woke up, and showered (Lindsay's shower is amazing, I feel so invigorated afterwards) and headed out to get some coffee at Starbucks and some pumpkin bread too! No one was there, because it was, afterall, noon!! But it was a great day outside so we were glad we had taken a walk there.

We also went to an apple fest in a cute, older looking town. It was PACKED with families, dogs, strollers. So although there were lots of vendors, live music, AMAZING smelling doughnuts and cider, we didn't stay for super long, because it was just so busy. But we will be back for all the culinary treats and the Irish store at Thanksgiving to do some Christmas shopping I think!

We joined up with my Aunt Pat and Uncle Mike and Cameron at a sports bar because they really wanted to watch the Tigers and Lions play. We ordered a few appetizers to curb our appetite, and hung out. Aunt Pat and Uncle Mike were happy to get their hands on Charlie, and we were happy to let them. It is so much fun to share your kid with everyone!! Even Cameron held him for a bit. THe last trip he was a little unsure about holding a baby.

We went back to the Shewchuck's and Uncle Mike began to make us dinner. While Lindsay, Liz and Aunt Pat played with Charlie, John asked if I wanted to go for a little walk? Duh!! It was just the two of us, which was kind of a sweet change (we will take our "dates" where we can get them, and they pretty much come in ANY form)! It was brisk and the sun was setting, and like Wisconsin, the leaves have already started to change (not quite as much change in Missouri yet). We got a hot chocolate for John and one to bring home for Cam too. We held hands and got excited for the cooler weather to reach us too!

Uncle Mike grilled some steaks, simply seasoned, made some aspargus and onions sauteed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a green salad with a yummy cheesy dressing. It was delicious! His food always is. While we ate Tiddle Mouse came in too...he had locked himself out of their apartment, and so he had to stop by to get a key. Lucky for him there was a steak with his name on it. Lucky for us he was hungry and we all got to hang out.

Charlie had a little bubble bath in the sink, his 3rd in that sink already!! Uncle Mike said he needed a roasty toasty, so I went to put the towel in the dryer, and as I headed downstairs I heard him say to John "You have no idea how many towels I have burnt doing this!" Wait, what?! I didn't realize that a "roasty toasty" actually IS roasted! He puts the towels IN the oven!! At like 225 degrees or something (but don't take my word for it!!). It was a pretty funny realization, since I have had roasty toastys my whole life, but didn't realize how they were originally made.

We thought after bathtime Charlie would be down for the count, but alas he was not. So instead we watched some funny baby YouTube videos, and when Charlie got crabby we packed him up and headed back to Libertyville with Tommy and Lindsay!

We watched Dumb and Dumber, before saying goodnight and hitting the hay before the train ride home tomorrow!

It was a great time, and makes me want to be around family MORE, MORE, MORE. But I am pacified by the fact that we will be seeing family again when we head to Michigan for the MSU game in less than 3 weeks!!

Thankful on Thursday

2011-10-06T12:58:00.004-07:00

Cleaning Checklist on Simple Mom ~ I HEART checklists. Can't get enough. I make checklists for just about everything: groceries, chores, stuff to pack, stuff I want to do, stuff I want to make, and since I became a mom, checklists are all the more essential. I can store stuff on my checklist that I used to store in my brain!! In school I loved writing down all of my assignments in my planner and then highlighting them off once they were done. Ahhhhh the sense of accomplishment!! I also have been known to get things done and THEN write them down and highlight them after the fact. Oddly, it still makes me feel great! So this checklist keeps me on track, because if I have to stop in the middle because naptime wasn't quite as long as usual (or whatever) then I know right where to pick up again! And I love, love, love, marking each chore off as I go...cleaning is almost fun! I said almost.

My Favorite Deployment Dessert ~ Having been used to John baking cookies at least once a week pre-deployment, there was more than one thing to be sad about when John left :) I had to figure out what to do in the dessert department, stat. Not being particularly skilled in the area of baking (I'm not much of a recipe follower, and I don't like being precise), I came up with a foolproof recipe: Ingredients: 1) Jar of Peanut Butter (crunchy or creamy), 2) Chocolate chips, 3) Spoon. Directions: 1) Open Jar, 2) Dump Chocolate Chips into Jar, 3) Grab a spoon and Enjoy! (Repeat steps 2 & 3 as needed!) I have recently rediscovered my favorite "dessert", and I have to say...I kinda missed it!

Thoughtful friends ~ Today I got a package in the mail from my friend Vanessa in Hawaii filled with....Jars of canned Pumpkin!! I am so touched that she listened to my little mini-rant that the commissary here STILL wasn't selling canned pumpkin and mailed me a package all the way from the islands just because. So, so nice! I can't wait to make Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Bread, and Pumpkin Pasta!! Sometimes the little things are really big things.

Time with my family ~ Our neighbor was told he might deploy in a week's time. One week to get everything in order, kiss his wife goodbye, and say goodbye to his 6 month old daughter and head to Afghanistan. The reason? He was going to be sent to replace a 2LT who was killed...just four days after his wife gave birth to their first child. Never forget the price of freedom.

MadTown, Wisconsin ~ Saturday October 1st

2011-10-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Charlie woke me up around 6am, and since we were all sleeping in the same area, it wasn't long before John, Mark, Beth, Adeline, Lindsay, and Zebbie were all up too. Jeff, lucky dog, was still asleep :)

John took off for a run around campus. I always debate about bringing my running shoes becasue they take up so much room and I hardly use them when on vacay, but when I don't pack them I either feel guilty or regret it. This was one of those times where I regretted it...it would have been fun to run around campus with John and see all the tailgaters setting up.

Once he was back, we all got dressed and walked just a block and a half over to Mickie's Dairy Bar for breakfast. We got lucky and got a big long table for all of us to sit at together. It was a fun place, there was so much Wisconsin red in there, and it is just across from the stadium, so we began to get into game day spirit.

The food was generous. I got blueberry pancakes, and as we were leaving someone asked me if I hadn't liked them because I had barely put a dent in them! But they were good...just SO much!

After breakfast, Zebbie offered to watch Charlie and Adeline if we wanted to go for a walk around campus. We took her up on it, and enjoyed all the fall colors, the marching band playing loudly already, the rowdiness of the fans, both Badger AND Cornhusker. There was a large group of people gathered around the stage for ESPN College GameDay broadcast. I remember when they came to ASU while I was there my freshman year. It was so exciting. We also went over to the student union, which is really German looking on the inside (and they sell beer?!). We got some coffees and headed outside to a table right on the lake. It is a GORGEOUS view, and it was a PERFECT day...not a cloud in the very blue sky!

As we were walking home, I told Lindsay that Charlie was probably hungry. It is insane the internal alarm clock that goes off when you are nursing. As we walked in the door, Jeff told me he had JUST pulled out a bottle for him. They had had a nice time going outside and for a walk together :)

I was still so tired despite the 2 coffees I had already had, and was encouraged to go take a nap. My niece was already asleep upstairs on Chris' bed, so I joined her. Except I couldn't sleep. I never can when everyone is together. I feel like I am missing out on something. That's how I felt in the hospital after Charlie's birth...I was SURE if I slept I would surely miss something monumental! But then I was running on adrenaling...this time not so much.

An hour later, and still no sleep I headed back downstairs. Lindsay, John, Beth and Mark were hanging outside enjoying the sunshine, eating Zebbie's pulled pork, and drinking beers. By this time, many of the other football palyers families had joined the festivities too, and the house was crowded and fun. One of Chris' teammates' moms took a liking to Charlie and held him for quite awhile. He was pretty content with her and then ended up falling asleep. She held him for his whole nap too!

John went with his mom to the Parent's Tailgate, helping her to take the food over etc. They also went to see the players unload from the bus and head into the stadium. Lindsay and I took Charlie for a walk in the neighborhood. THere were people EVERYWHERE tailgating on the lawns. One guy yelled at us "HEEEY! A Husker Baby!!" We replied "Nooooo a Badger Baby!!" Though as Zebbie pointed out, he is a "husky Badger baby!"

Lindsay was going to be watching Charlie while John and I went to the game (again lucky us), and I had left her with a bottle, but wanted to feed Charlie just before we left. Jeff had been holding him all afternoon (I seriously barely see my son on these weekends! I simultaneously LOVE that he gets so much loving from others and is getting to spend time with his family, and MISS him so so much.) and since he was content with Grandpa, I didn't rush it. But when my kid gets hungry, you just KNOW!

We left him with Lindsay for the longest I have ever left him yet (like 5 hours!!), and while I knew he was in good hands, I still checked my phone frequently throughout the game for text messages in case trouble was brewing and I needed to dash back to the house (it didn't happen).

The game was AWESOME. THere was so much buildup because it was the first conference game for Wisconsin, and also the first Big 10 game for Nebraska, AND the teams were both ranked in the top 10. The stadium was PACKED!! Not an empty seat in the house. I have heard others complain about the minimal seating in this stadium, and there definitely was minimal wiggle room, but I didn't mind.

We had great seats in the Parent section just 19 rows up on the 25 yard line next to the student section. I have been to my share of big football games, but Madison's student section was definitely the most fun!! They would do fast and slow-mo and reverse waves. Of course the "jumped around", and then all of the songs they sing a capella after the band stops. And the 5th quarter with all of the traditions...just a really fun experieince!

And then the game itself was super fun of course because it went our way BIG time, and my brother-in-law had a great game himself. It was so cute after the game after he came out of the locker room, he was so happy! Zebbie says he is always one of the last ones out of the locker room, and she is not sure why?!

We headed back to the house with Chris and hung out for a little while, ate pizza, celebrated the win!! And then we decided to drive home to Lindsay's house in Libertyville around midnight...and that ended up being the wrong decision.

The road was ill-lit and pretty back-country, there was TONS of fog, I was worried about deer...I was driving and feeling more tired as we went, AND super engorged (TMI), so pretty uncomfortable to boot. Originally we thought doing it this way would give us a better night sleep because everyone was partying at the house, and there would be more of us staying there etc...but when we didn't get home till 3:30 in the morning, and the drive ended up being pretty stressful...well let's just say we thought wrong :) Oh well...live and learn, right?!

THe good news was Charlie, yet again slept the whole way. I pumped as soon as we walked in the door and Lindsay was right there with my water (I get SO thirsty), and then we all hit the hay as fast as possible vowing to sleep in a little bit!

Roasted Vegetables Are My Life

2011-10-05T15:37:00.002-07:00

I tried this Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Stack recipe tonight, and HOLY MOLY are they good! I like going meatless a couple meals a week...helps out on the budget, the cholesterol, but tonight it just helped out my appetite.

First of all I just loved all the beautiful colors. I had two glorious trays filled with red, orange, yellow, and green vegetables with a sprinkling of salt, pepper and cumin, and shining with a bit of olive oil. I wanted to eat them all right then and there...but, patience!

Then they all went into the oven to roast and came out smelling and tasting delicious. It was all I could do to leave some of the sweet potatos on the tray for the actual dish!

And roasted corn? SO GOOD. Why have I never thought to roast my corn in the oven before? It was seriously just corn from a can, but when I roasted it the flavor was so much better. I am going to do this to my corn before I make corn chowder later this week too!

And the end result? All warm with melty cheese, lots of fresh salsa, and okay some sour cream too?

I could have eaten the whole dish myself, but John wanted to help :)

Try them, you'll like them.

Party in Charlie's Crib!

2011-10-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Charlie has slept in our room since coming home from the hospital, in a pack'n'play "bassinette". At first I had him right next to our bed, and then at the 2 month mark I decided to take the plunge....

And move him just across the room.

I know, big step.

But when your baby is waking up in the middle of the night it is just too convenient to have him within arms reach.

THe thing is that baby is no longer waking up in the middle of the night, and hasn't been for the last month. Nope, we put him down around 8 and he sleeps anywhere till 7 or 8 in the morning. It's nice, real, real nice. Not only do I get a solid chunk of sleep, but I feel rested enough to actually stay up past his bedtime and get "me" stuff done (like uploading pictures, blogging, browse recipes, etc.)

But now I don't have a real good excuse to keep him in our room except for the news story I heard this morning about a 10 month old abducted from her crib in Springfield, MO (just an hour and a half away). The cops say that someone came in through the window and just took her.

So yeah, maybe we will wait another month or two....or 10.

Oh let's just face it, this kid is never leaving me!!

Madison, Wisconsin ~ Friday, September 30th

2011-10-04T18:23:00.003-07:00

This past weekend we headed up to Wisconsin for the Badger vs. Nebraska Huskers game, and we had a great time.

Building up to the weekend, John was extremely excited. So much so that he ordered himself a couple new Wisconsin t-shirts, and some new onesies for Charlie. Oh, and a new hat. And he wanted to begin packing about a week ahead of time (which I totally get, anticipation is 90% of the fun for me too), and the night before, we tried going to bed early because we were going to wake up at 3:45am, but John just couldn't, he was so excited. I teased him and asked if it was Christmas morning tomorrow? I like that he gets so darn excited over things.

So 3:45 rolled around pretty quickly, and we pulled on some comfy travel clothes, poured coffee into travel mugs and loaded Charlie into the car still in his jammies to drive to St. Louis. John drove, and I was planning on sleeping, but I didn't have a pillow and I DID have coffee so instead we just talked the whole way. It was nice, the kind of conversation that reminds you why you are such good friends in the first place...and Charlie slept the whole way :)

Finding the train station, getting good parking, getting our tickets and boarding went all the more smoothly this time having done it before. It made me love traveling by train even MORE! We even had time to grab some breakfast before loading. And John recognized the conductor from last time (because he wore a Packers shirt and they had talked about Wisconsin sports) so we said 'hi' and he let us board a different car by ourselves so we would have more room. (And later he even told us we could go to the sleeping car if we wanted, but we were already comfy.)

The trip went smoothly. There were a few grandmas on board who would say hi to Charlie every time they went past. John and I traded off playing with our buddy or walking him around, and taking naps (though they were just short little catnaps).

We arrived into Union Station earlier than we had the last time, and so we grabbed lunch before getting on our Metra train into the suburbs. And I was feeling a pretty good hankering for McDonalds so we gave into it. Charlie had fallen asleep right before we got off the Amtrak train and slept for our entire "layover" and for the ride North to Glenview, so that was pretty perfect.

Lindsay came to pick us up, and Charlie was just waking up to say hello to her. We stopped off at Onomoli to pick up my wedding rings (long story short, my original band kept losing stones so we had to return it, and we just replaced it)! John put it on my finger once we got to the office, and it looks great! I love it.

Aunt Pat was waiting for us and Liz was there too. Immediately they began Ahhh-gggoooo-ing to Charlie, and he was happy to ahgoo right back! He was very chatty, and happy. We changed Charlie's diaper on one of the desks, fed him in one of the cozy couches, and he was good to go for the next part of the trip. Uncle Mike was in a little meeting so we didn't get to see him till right before we left.

Lindsay, lucky for us, agreed to drive with us up to Wisconsin. We got on the road around 4pm and hit some traffic pretty immediately, but we were all three deep in conversation solving world problems, and Charlie was sound asleep, so it didn't matter too much. We had to stop for gas once we crossed the border into Wisconsin, and Charlie finally woke up. After that he didn't much care to be in his carseat, and I couldn't blame him, but we only had 20 more minutes to go! The Wisconsin countryside was beautiful to look at as we drove along at sunset time.

We arrived in Madison and found great parking just across the street from Chris' house. We were all going to be staying at Chris' for the night, because he and his teammates would be at the hotel before the game. His house is in a perfect location near the stadium, campus, and State Street! We called Zebbie and asked her to come outside so we would know which house it was. When she did, I was holding Charlie, and so she gladly took him off my hands so I could help John and Lindsay bring our stuff inside.

Jeff and Zebbie had arrived just a few hours earlier and had brough our neice, Adeline (16 months) with them, her mom and dad would be arriving later that night. Jeff already had both Charlie and Adeline on his lap once we had gotten inside. Charlie was just sort of chilling and Adeline seemed interested in this new baby, I think she wasn't sure what to make of him at first. She wanted to pat him and was pretty gentle. It was very cute. Adeline didn't warm up right away to John (and I guess she cried when she saw Chris earlier), but she came to me right away, which I loved, haha.

Both of the babies began to get fussy and it was clear it was bedtime for bonzos. We tried to havea race to see who could fall asleep first. Adeline won, and Charlie was literally seconds behind her...That was easy!

We hung out and snacked on chips. Zebbie wanted to begin making a German chocolate cake for tomorrow's tailgate, so I started to help her prep the ingredients. One step involved seperating the egg yolks from the whites, and then whipping the whites up (JOhn's job). We got everything done, but we forgor to put the whites back into the batter before putting them into the oven. Needless to say our cake didn't rise. It tasted great, but looked terrible. We joked that everyone would probably assume it was my fault since Zebbie is such a pro, and I admittedly am not a baker, but it was just a result of trying to bake and enjoy conversation at once. Apparently we can't multi-task :)

After we put the dry rub on the pulled pork and put that into the oven, Lindsay and I were wiped out and hit the hay. THere were several pull-out futons right in the main room in the house, and they were super comfy, so we all ended up being in the same place. John and Zebbie stayed up for Mark and Beth, and I must have been tired because I didn't even hear them come in!

Food Diary and a Meal Plan

2011-10-04T15:21:00.003-07:00

Here's what I ate this weekend (prepare to not be impressed):

Friday: Coffee on the way to the train,

Coffee & Bagel with Cream Cheese for breakfast on the train

Snickers, Diet Pepsi for a snack on the train (I didn't pack food this time, WHY?)

McDonalds Chicken Fingers and French Fries, Large Iced Tea for lunch at Union Station before catching the next train

Doritos and Chocolate Cake scraps for a snack in Madison

Bottom Line: Too much caffeine, too much sugar, too much crap, no vegetables, no fruit.

Saturday:

Blueberry Pancakes with Syrup, Sausage, and Coffee

Latte

Coke Zero, (P.S. I have had about 10 hours of sleep total in the past two nights...no bueno)

Pulled Pork Sandwich, some fruit and veggies, German Potato Salad

Pizza

Bottom Line: Hardly any veggies or fruit, Way too much Caffeine, Not enough sleep,

Sunday

Coffee, Pumpkin Bread

Various appetizers (quesadillas, chicken tenders)

Curried Shrimp!! Yum!

Steak, Asparagus and Onions, Green Salad, Glass of Vino (after Charlie went to bed)

Bottom Line: Not tooooooo bad....

Monday:

Latte Pumpkin Bread,

Caesar Salad

Sandwich Wrap, French Fries

Leftover Butternut Squash Risotto

Apple and Peanut Butter

Bottom Line: Wish I hadn't had those french fries, but better than previous days.

Anyhow, after a weekend of eating like that with the holidays coming up, and these last pesky 5 pounds hanging round post pregnancy, I have a renewed sense of purpose in being healthy. Here's my 5 point plan:

Drink more WATER...John and I are going to be Water Warriors!

Reduce my caffeine intake, and simultaneously get more sleep! Bedtime needs to be observed at 10:30pm sharp! Now that Charlie is sleeping through the night, I can't really blame him!

Excercise...I have been getting out on days that John is home, but I need to get out early in the morning on his school days too! (After I fed Charlie at 7am this morning I DID get my butt to the gym)

No Sugar...not till Halloween :) And that doesn't mean "imposter sugars" like bread...or rice...or whatever. No I mean the hard stuff like cake, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies.

Plan healthy meals with lots of produce!

And so I have planned a bunch of new meals that have lots of veggies, lean protein, and should keep things interesting because they also have lots of flavor and spices!

Tuesday: Chicken Club Salad ~ Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, Bacon, Vinagrette, just no bread!
Wednesday: Couscous Paella ~ Love this! So easy to do it with couscous instead of rice!
Thursday: Indian Lentils & Potatos ~ Lots of spices, lentils are great protein!
Friday: Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas ~ Starts with a bunch of roasted vegetables, Black beans, spinach, all layered in with whole wheat tortillas, homemade salsa, and some cheese!
Saturday: Korean Rice Bowls ~ This is a new recipe with lots of colorful veg in it too: red bell peppers, orange carrots, green scallions and zuchini, plus ginger. I love ginger!
Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken Vindaloo ~ My favorite dish to order when we get Indian food. I hope it is good, the last recipe I tried for Vindaloo was NOT!

Little Charlie Choo Choo

2011-09-24T20:19:00.003-07:00

Here's my baby, still in his jammies (because we had to leave at o'dark thirty in the morning), on his very first train ride experience...

Looking out the window, taking it all in. Seriously mesmerized by the world passing by...

And I...well, I am just mesmerized by him!

2011-09-24T20:04:00.003-07:00

A few things I just want to remember about my little guy...

Charlie is so fun in the morning time. He talks the most, laughs and smiles.

His best friends are (besides me!) our ceiling fan, the butterflies on his playmat and the bugs that hang on his carseat. He laughs all the time at them and smiles and talks to them like they are talking to him too. It makes me laugh! But also? I get a little jealous and want to get in on what is making my kid so darn amused and happy!

Charlie is super good at standing. He can pull himself up, and hold his head (sometimes) when I pull him up by his hands. And when he does it...he gets a really proud look on his face.

When Charlie is eating, he pats his little hand and fingers on my back and I think it is really sweet.

I made Charlie (and John) his first "roasty toasty" after bathtime the other night. Roasty Toasties are something my Uncle Mike came up with. It's when your mom or dad (or wife in John's case) put your bath towel and jammies in the dryer while you bathe so that they are all roasty when you get out. Especially great in the colder months! Love passing on these little traditions!

Lake of the Ozarks ~ Day 3

2011-09-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Another lazy morning...John had to get up and go get the boat rental and then drive it (on the lake) back to the condo. So while we waited, the ladies hung on the porch with Charlie, enjoying the cooler temps, coffee, and cereal :) One of the perks of traveling with family is that often they want to do certain baby things like dressing him and changing diapers (Granny even does the dirty ones!). This morning my sister dressed Charlie. I had packed a bunch of beach theme-y summer-like outfits, but Aunt Lulu chose this: We decided he should be the captain of the ship in this outfit, so handsome! Our neighbors Heather and David drove up from St. Robert with their 5 month old Cheyenne to join us on the boat too! It was a cooler morning, and cloudy too, so we decided to just motor around the lake and explore a bit. After an hour or so, the clouds burned off, it began to warm up, and we anchored our boat in a little cove to feed babies and eat lunch.

We also took dips in the water. John was anxious to get Charlie in the water too. Last time he really liked it, and this time he liked it for a bit, but the water wasn't as warm this time, and also he got splashed, and after that it was all over. So we quickly got him out of the water, and Granny snuggled him close. I am not sure my mom was a big fan of putting her grandson in the lake :)

Everyone seemed to want a little nap! By this time the lake had gotten busier, but we were in a little cove and hadn't really noticed. We decided to do some tubing. First up was David. We had a flag to wave to signal to other boaters that we had someone in the water, but the boats didn't seem to pay attention and were getting so close to us. They were really like big lake bullies. The big boats especially would get super close, go by super fast, and make huge wakes that would then come onto the deck of our boat and soak everything from carseats to towels and diapers. Freaked me out! We pulled David out of the water and headed to a quieter part of the lake.

We had a discussion about auras too, and what color everyone's would be. We decided my mom was bright orange, as she was "wide banning", haha. Lindsay said I was a pale yellow, I think. I am good with that. Lisa, John and I all took turns tubing and then it was time to return the boat so we headed home.

We headed to Wobbly Boots, an award winning BBQ joint in the area for dinner. Most people ordered their pulled pork sandwich, which was yummy. Their baked potato was also suprisingly delicious for something so seemingly basic. I also liked their baked beans which were a bit spicy and the mac and cheese too!

Charlie got a little crabby around this time, and Granny jumped to hold him, even though our food had just arrived...and I don't think she minded at all. Charlie sure is loved a lot!

And to cap off our evening, we headed to Coldstone for some good ice cream, and then it was time to get my baby to bed. Below Granny is holding CHarlie in what we have found to be Charlie's cureall. He quiets right down when you hold him like this.

The next morning, we packed up, said goodbye to Lisa, and grabbed some pizza for lunch before saying bye to Lulu also, and then we headed home ourselves!

Travel Plans

2011-09-15T06:55:00.003-07:00

We are so excited to take another weekend trip, this time to Chicago. The Badgers are playing at Soldier Field, and we are going with Jeff, Zebbie & Luke, and possibly even Mark, Beth and Abby & Adeline. It will be Charlie's first time out of state, and he will have lots of new people to meet, including the Shewchucks and my college roommates, Aleks and Jackie!

We are all packed up, because we are leaving tonight. Charlie and I will be picking John up from school tonight and heading to St. Louis. We will stay the night at my cousin Lisa's and then...AND THEN... early tomorrow we will be boarding a TRAIN to take to Chicago!!

I am so excited!!

After thinking about it a little bit, we decided taking the train was a far superior option to driving for several reasons:

1. It costs LESS! 2 adult roundtrip train tickets < Gas for roundtrip STL to CHICAGO
2. John can study while we travel, and I am free to take care of Charlie without having to make stops. And the train ride is almost exactly the same time as a carride would be IF we didn't make stops (which you KNOW with a 2 month old is an impossibility).
3. Charlie doesn't need to be strapped into a carseat the ENTIRE time, thank goodness. I was starting to feel really guilty about all of our roadtrips coming up when I thought about how much he would have to be strapped in.

So we did our best to pack LIGHT, since we are on the train. But with diapers and breast pumps, and clothes for all three of us, and a stroller, and a car seat, and a diaper bag and so on...light is more of a relative term.

I am going to bring along breakfast and lunch and some snacks, so we can save a bit that way...plus I feel like a picnic on the train is so fun :) I told John I am going to pretend I am Harry Potter on the Hogwarts Express :) I hope I am able to sleep tonight!

I am twenty seven...why do you ask?

Fall is Here!

2011-09-15T06:43:00.002-07:00

We had turned our A/C off after Labor Day, expecting maybe one more heat wave before fall temps settled in for good this year. And we did end up having to utilize our A/C for a couple of days this week...but yesterday, we were cooled off with a little rainstorm, and it was just lovely.

We had a few errands to run on post, and because it was chilly and sort of dreary, all three of us relished in putting on longsleeve shirts, sweaters, corduroys, a snug hat for Charlie, closed toed shoes (haven't worn those in QUITE some time).

John had to do his weekly check in at his company. Since he is in school officially, he just has to sign in once a week. Then we picked up some coffee drinks and pumpkin bread, because we accidently on purposed forgot to make coffee at home :) And finally we stopped by the DEERS office to update my Military ID...only about three years late since John's rank has changed twice since I got my first one right after our wedding!!

When we got home, I pulled out a bunch of blankets for our couch. John snuggled Charlie while I made baked potato soup in the crock pot. We lit our fall-flavored candles and snuggled on the couch together...putting off homework till just a little later.

I LOVE Fall! I LOVE all of this downtime John has! We have been warned that it will not last forever, and when it goes away, we will have lots of wonderful memories of just enjoying time together :)

Thankful on Thursday

2011-09-14T20:09:00.004-07:00

Playtime with my little man. He is getting so much fun these days, and I know it is just going to get better. He is grabbing at toes in the air. He can kick his little mat hard enough that it starts the music up. He likes doing mini-baby push-ups when he is laying on my tummy. And he just seems to be be really studying all the colors and patterns (John says I am giving him too much credit...I think not :)

Crockpots. Though I love cooking, it is trickier with Charlie around. Gone are the days, where I pull whatever out, whenever I start feeling hungry, and take my sweet time chopping all the vegetables just so. Now I usually make a plan the night before, and when Charlie goes down for his first nap I do all prep work that involves a knife (stuff I can't do with Charlie strapped to me). Then later while he sits in his bouncy seat, I try to entertain him and put it all together. But using the crockpot makes things even easier! I have been trying different recipes and using it once a week, and loving it! Tonight I made Slow Cooker Potato Soup, it was so good!

Pandora ~ I have the app on my phone and play the children's music channel when Charlie and I are playing in his room, and the lullaby channel at night time when we are rocking together. So convenient!

Family in Lab ~ While visiting the doctor for my 6-week post partum visit I had to go down to the lab for a diabetes test (which I don't have, just a pregnancy thing so far), I saw this brand new family and was immediately transported 6 weeks earlier to when it was us. It was so strange because it seemed like so long ago, and it seemed like just yesterday all at once. The baby was just a couple days old, and was there for a jaundice test, which we had to do 4 times! I
remembered how worried I was about my baby's foot getting stuck, how annoyed I was that the lab tech had never done the test before and had to repeat the "stick" 2 more times. How we sat in the waiting room JUST LIKE THEM: With the dad holding the little one, and just staring at him, just like how John did, not taking his eyes from his baby once. How the Mom sat with her post-partum stomach pouch, stretched from that baby that was just in there, just like me, in her comfy elastic clothing, just like me, sitting with her body angled protectively towards her husband and her baby ready to pounce if anyone got too close, just like me, and looking content but a little sleep deprived, and tinged with new-mom nervousness...Just like me! The memories of those moments in our first week as a family are so vivid that they feel like just yesterday. But there is so much that has transpired since we became a family that I almost felt like a veteran looking at this brand new family. It is just such an amazing experience, all of it, pregnancy, giving birth, having your baby to love and hold. I feel so lucky to have had these experiences, and all that is still to come...and I hope I get a chance to do it again...down the road. And I am thankful for seeing families like this to remind me of how special this time is.

Lake of the Ozarks ~ Day 2

2011-09-14T16:14:00.001-07:00

Though we had gone to bed kind of late (1am), Charlie apparently doesn't own a watch yet and wanted to get up to see the sunrise. He and John hung out on the porch, having their morning chat, while I made coffee, poured cereal, and sliced bananas. Morning is the BEST time with Charlie, and we fight over him because he is so cute. It is when he talks the most, is the smiliest and most playful AND snuggly.

But eventually Charlie decided it was a bit too early to be getting up, so he and I took a great nap together! When we woke up, everyone else was up too!

When Charlie was 4 weeks old, I started giving him bottles with his vitamins in it, then John's school started and we got kind of bad about being consistent with it. By the time we started back in on the bottles, Charlie was already kind of 'over it'. Uh-oh, at this rate I am never going to be able to leave him, even for a short while, again! So we are back on the wagon with the bottles, and he still doesn't really like it, so feeding him one is kind of 'an art'. (Future breastfeeding mothers, don't be like me and make this same mistake!)

Anyways, all of that was just background to say that Aunt Lulu had a knack for it, and became the bottling guru. And God bless my husband, but with college football having just started, he was a bit too "distracted" for a fussy bottle feeder. And Granny, oh Granny, she doesn't want to see her grandson even the teensiest bit perturbed (he's gonna be so spoiled by her), so as soon as Charlie would protest the bottle even a little bit, she would put it down and say 'Okay Charlie, you don't want the bottle'. And I am running out of the room, and miming my words this entire time because if Charlie even gets a whiff of me, or hears my voice, it's all over. It's as if he is thinking "What the heck is this thing, this is not how I take my meals, and I heard my mom, I KNOW she's there!"SO....Thank God for Lindsay!

After a pretty leisurely morning, we again headed to the outlets, this time for moi! In the last decade I have been living in Arizona or Hawaii, (minus a short stint in Chicago, but I just sort of "made do" there), so my winter wardrobe is lacking to say the least. We though we would take advantage of some of the sales get me some stuff to keep warm in this year! Lucky for me everyone was pretty content to come along for the ride and offer opinions where needed. We had a late lunch on the way home.

Back at the condo, we headed out for some more afternoon pool time. We put Charlie in a onesie, thinking it would be a good wya to keep the sun off, but the wet clothing seemed to bother him. John and I hung in the pool a bit longer while Lindsay and Granny used Charlie as their photography muse :)

Charlie, being entertained by Granny, I think his face says it all.

At the condo we showered up, Mom and I made some potato salad, guacamole, and salsa. We got the burgers and brats ready for John to grill, and had a great dinner al fresco! I put Charlie to bed, and for the next hour we could hear him sucking on his little fingers/hands before he eventually konked out (at least he's not crying!) Lindsay brought some movies, so after dinner, while we waited for my cousin Lisa to arrive, we watched "Juno", so funny.

2 Month Appointment

2011-09-12T14:07:00.004-07:00

John and I took Charlie to his 2 month appointment today, with the much anticipated immunization shots.

We met with a different pediatrician today because ours was out sick, but I liked him a lot. He has 5 kids, the youngest being 13 months old. It's nice to have a doctor with lots of practical parenting expereince too I think. He was also quite the advocate of breastfeeding. Though he said he wasn't their to push his beliefs on us, his belief is that "God is good, and that breastmilk is "the goodstuff" for babies."

Charlie's Stats:

Weight 14 pounds, 1 ounce (83%)

Length 23.5 inches (65%)

Head 16.2 inches (65%)

So all in all he is still tipping the scales, he is not quite the shrimp he used to be, and his head isn't even as large (comparatively) as it used to be. Maybe some of my Guernsey genes are sneaking in there =)

Pre-shots, poor guy doesn't know what's coming.

Afterwards we headed down to immunizations. I of course had visions of holding him close, during the shots to help soothe him, but the tech told us to lay him on the table. When I asked if I could hold him, she said not to because she needed to get at his thigh :(

It was so, so, sad because he was in such a happy mood, smiling and "talking" to John when BAM! Shot right in the thigh. His whole little face contorted and got red and he began to wail that "I'm in pain, how could you?!" cries.

I really thought I could be all "mind over matter" and be fine knowing that the minor pinch from a vaccine was comparatively much less painful than say, Polio. But when he was crying like that immediately I began to tear up, and as soon as she was done I swooped in to scoop Charlie up and hug him, kiss him, and tell him it was "okay". I even felt a little resentful of the technician, for about a second, haha. As my Aunt Judy said, I will always feel Charlie's pain.

Post-shots, pretty worn out and about to take a big snooze.

While we waited the 20 minute allergic reaction wait period, I nursed the little guy, and then all was well in his world once again.

Now that we are home we are declaring it a "Sick Day". I changed him into loose fitting jammies (I figure thats the most comfortable and it's what I would want to wear if I wasn't feeling 100%), gave him a little infant tylenol to ward off fevers and keep his legs from hurting too much. Our plan is to have lots of cuddles on the couch, a nap (for him) and maybe watch a Disney movie later ("Homeward Bound" just came in our Netflix)!

Lake of the Ozarks ~ Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-09T14:59:00.005-07:00

On the Thursday before Labor Day weekend my Mom flew into Springfield so after Charlie and I dropped John off at school in Rolla, we turned around and made the 2 hour trek to pick up Granny at the airport. I always worry that Charlie will get fussy in his carseat, but he is always GOOD AS GOLD and sleeps the entire time.

Granny opted to sit in the backseat with Charlie on the ride home (haha) so I acted as their chauffer. Again, Charlie just slept ;) Once home we changed Charlie into his Badger overalls, dished up the chili that had been cooking in the crockpot all day and watched the football season opener with friends. I haven't seen John THIS happy since Charlie was born!

The next morning when we all got up, Granny was already waiting for us with coffee made (jetlag from her Euro trip). Once we were dressed, we took Kaia to our neighbor's house, and packed up the car. We pitstopped at the commissary to pick up breakfast food, sandwich makings and snacks for the boat, and stuff for potato salad and grilling out, and some adult beverages (Fall flavored brews, YUM!)...and iced teas for ze road!

Charlie approves! See his little crabby on his bibs?

We arrived at the condo (WorldMark Timeshare), which is a really nice place right on the water, with 3 bedrooms, and clean enough to meet Ann Guernsey standards :) It was lunch time by now and I, for one, was starving. We got a recommendation from the desk for Dog Days on the water.

So nice to see my Mom!

It was a hot one, but we wanted to have a good view of the lake and all the boats passing by, so we got a spot on the deck. It got a little too warm though so before our food came we had already stripped down Charlie. And eventually we had to move inside (plus there were people smoking nearby, and I can't stand that, especially with a baby).

Doing his favorite thing: standing on tables.

Charlie "talking" to his carseat buddies while we shop. He loves anything that hangs over his head. Our ceiling fan is truly his best pal!

Next up, we hit up the outlets. There were awesome Labor Day deals, but since it was only Friday afternoon, there was hardly anyone there. Today we went to all the kiddie stores (Carters, Gap, Osh Kosh, Gymboree) to stock up on winter clothes for Charlie. He is growing SO fast, and even if he weren't, most of his clothing is not really suitable for the winters here! We got some cute stuff for him, and even a few Halloween "treats".

It was late afternoon by the time we made it back to the condo. The sun had gone down some, and the pool was slightly shaded, but it was still toasty, perfect for a dip in the pool. We got into our gear, grabbed some beers, Dr. Pepper for me, and gave Charlie his first dip in the pool!

And of course he LOVED it. He gets all happy when he touches water, starts to squirm around, smile, coo to me...it's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

John told me "With that bathing suit you are going to make Charlie hungry", haha. I don't have many suits that fit me on top these days, so I switched to a one piece for the rest of the trip.

John had Charlie "zooming" all over the pool while he held him under his arms. Charlie really seemed to like that too! I can't wait to get him into informal swim "lessons" when he is 6 months. It will be January, but we have an indoor pool on post!

Though he loved it, the water was cooler than our bathtup and he did get a little chilly. But that's what Grannies are for, to warm up their little baby boys! John and I played in the pool a little longer, finishing the last sips of his Pumpkin Ale, and watching the sun glitter on the lake.

To me the thing that makes me feel all "vacation-y" is when you spend the day outside doing something, anything (swimming, beaching, skiing, boating) and then you come back to the house/condo to get all showered and cleaned up for dinner. Even in college, my roommates and I would recreate that vacation feel. During exam time, since none of us had classes we would hang at the Rec center pool all day and then head back to the dorms to clean up and go to Oregano's for pizouki. We had so much fun together!

Anyways, back to this trip, like any good vacation, we had a little cocktail hour while we cleaned up. We played with Charlie till he konked out, and then we decided on Mexican food for dinner.

After dinner we got some ice cream and ate it outside. It was a really beautiful night. Back at the condo, we all waited up for Lindsay who said she was 30 minutes away...an hour and a half later she showed up, and I promptly hit the hay with John not far behind me. My mom and Lu stayed up chatting till late!

"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream. And that's sort of the same thing!" ~ Author Unknown

2 Months

2011-09-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Charlie is two whole months old today, and I can not hardly stand it!

In the last month he has totally chunked up, and is so roly poly. I love his chins and his dimples, and his big ol' fat cheeks (my mom and sister say he is storing nuts in there for the winter). One funny thing though is that his little bottom is not very pudgy yet. It still resembles an old man bottom :) But he is definitely getting bigger. He is in size 2 diapers, today we had to extend the carseat straps and he is into 6 month clothing. His last official measurements were 12 pounds 3 ounces, and 22 inches on August 23rd. Any guesses on what he will be at his 2 month appointment? My guess is that he will have at least doubled his birth weight of 7lbs. 3 ounces, and probably have another inch...maybe more?

He is such a sweet baby, he coos, smiles, chortles, especially in the morning time, our favorite time of day with him. He loves to stand up, and gets so tickled by it ever time he kicks himself upward, like he is pretty pleased with himself. Momma is proud too! He has found his little hands and likes to suck his fingers and thumb, he has a really funny way of trying to get it in there. At night sometimes he will just suck his hand for up to an hour in his bassinette before falling asleep.

I no longer have to have a protective hand behind his baby neck, because he is getting so steady and holding his head up so well.

We are still trying to figure out a good routine with sleep. It seems by bedtime which used to be 9pm (at least that's what I was shooting for because he was actually going down somewhere closer to 11) he is way too exhausted, and my poor baby just cries. So I think now we will be trying to get him down earlier in the evening to avoid exhausted-baby-syndrome.

Charlie has proven to be a lover of water of all kinds, bath, lake, and pool. It is so much fun! And when he is really cranky, we just put him in a bathtub, calms him right down. Tonight he actually had his bottle in the bathtub (with John). Otherwise his cureall is being held in the football carry position on his belly (see below picture).

He also loves motion, of all kinds. Doesn't care for the carseat so much, but as soon as the car starts moving BAM, fast asleep. And he loves to be outside, either jogging with me (now that the temps are cooler, I can finally take him with me, so fun!), or looking around in his carrier. As soon as we get outside he becomes alert and quiet.

Today at the grocery store he was happy as a clam in his Baby Bjorn just checking everything out, all the colors, the people, the sounds, for over an hour.

It has been an eventful month. We started the month with a visit from Aunt Lotus, then had a trip to St. Louis where he went to his first zoo and baseball game. We went to the lake for a day of boating with our neighbors, and at the end of the month we visited again with GrAnny, Aunt Lindsay and Cousin Lisa for the weekend, and had so much fun.

Charlie fills my heart with so much love every day, I feel so lucky to be his Mama!

Thankful on Thursday

2011-09-07T19:51:00.005-07:00

What if you woke up with only the things you thanked God for yesterday? I recently saw someone post this, and it definitely made me think hard about what I might be taking for granted, big or small.

Tiger Blanket. Granted this is on the small end of the scale, but I sure am thankful for it. Especially this morning in the wee hours when I got the chills from mastitis-round-two (No fair, right? Once was enough I think.) But this blanket has been a comfort to me since I stopped sucking my thumb, right through high school, with me to college, and is a staple on my bed currently, and a favorite of Charlie's for tummy time.

Pioneer Woman's new show. I heart her and her food. Last week I made her Migas (such yummy breakfast food), her BBQ Meatballs and her Creamy Mashed Potatos, which she said was a dish she loved while she was a new, ravenous breastfeeding mom.To which I thought: Hey! I'm a new mom! I breastfeed! I'm always ravenous This is perfect! The meatballs were yummy comfort food and good gracious those mashed potatoes should be outlawed they are so sinful. AND as a sidenote, while watching her show I noticed 3 things: 1)She and I have the same engagement ring, simple, unadorned and beautiful. 2) We also have the same flatware, we should be best buds. And 3) I love the use of bandanas for napkins! Must get some.

Friendly neighbors across the street who lend us baby gear, have doggie AND baby playdates, and are always around to have dinner with!

My baby's chubby, chubby cheeks. He gets smooched so much that now whenever I lean in to kiss him, he tries to "kiss" me back. He loves it, and so do I!

Being able to stay home with my baby. I cannot imagine going back to work right now, but even more I can't imagine leaving my baby with anyone else. I have a lot of respect for working mothers and I feel very lucky to be with Charlie right now.

Having the windows open because the weather is just so nice!

A healthy, happy two month old and his Daddy!

Coffee. Yes coffee. Hazlenut coffee with a little skim milk, Lattes at Starbucks, Iced Mochas for rare treats. Mmmm I love coffee.

Stew simmering for dinner tonight, and the fact that Charlie took a super long nap so I had time to prepare it!

Caramel apples, Cinnamon doughnuts, Butternut Squash Risotto, Pumpkin Bread and other foods that scream FALL IS HERE!!

A toothless, gummy grin at 3 in the morning, that my son bestows upon me, in my tired haze, for no apparent reason at all, which lights up my world!

AND lastly,

Soldiers who are deployed overseas right now and their families (especially thier kiddos) who love them. My heart is with them.

Thankful on Thursday

2011-09-01T11:56:00.002-07:00

I have been looking forward to writing this post all week. It's such a nice way to take a minute to think about all of the little, silly things in life that make me happy, as well as take stock in the more serious, important reasons. Either way, I am very thankful!

For crockpots! And the chili cooking in it for tonight's Wisconsin opening game!

For football season! No offense baseball, but you just don't really cut it for me! For friends coming over tonight to cheer on my brother-in-law kick booty on Wisconsin Badger's defense, and for Charlie to wear his little Osh Kosh B'Gosh red and white striped overalls (the very first baby purchase we made when I found out I was pregnant). Go Uncle Chris!

For GrAnnie, who is able to come visit again. I am glad Charlie gets to see her again so soon. It's tough living far from family, especially with a little one who I really want to KNOW his family. But the visits sure do help!

For a mini-vacation to the lake this weekend, and everything that goes with it: dips in the lake, baby's first swim in a pool, grilling brats and potato salad, waking up and sharing breakfast with family, sunrises and sunsets on the lake, showers after a long day in the sun and sunscreen...Family time.

For good health. Over the past couple of weeks several health issues have cropped up in our small family and extended, and with friends too. And so far each and every one of these "issues" have been resolved if not with the best possible outcome, then certainly close to it. I have been continually reminded that Health IS Wealth, and I am so grateful!

Just like Dad already!

2011-08-25T17:45:00.004-07:00

Due to extreme amounts of baby spit up and yellowish baby poop, I have been through three wardrobe changes today. But Charlie is in the lead with 5 different outfits.

He would probably still be adding to the number if it weren't for the fact that I finally caved and stripped him down to his diaper and didn't look back.

Ah well, the better for me to snuggle his baby pudge and sniff his baby smell...but not the ones that caused the clothing changes =)

Theory of Relativity

2011-08-25T15:56:00.003-07:00

Being a military wife, I have experienced the time spent away from my husband, both long (year-long deployment to war-zone) and short.

I remember a couple months before John's deployment, he had to leave for a month long training at NTC in California and I wondered what I would do to fill the month in his absence and right before he left I cried "But who's going to bring me my water at nighttime?!".

Just a few short months later, staring down the barrel of a more substantial 12 month separation, where so many variables were unknown (How safe will you be? How often can we talk? Will it be different when you get back?), I kind of scoffed at how upset I had gotten over one measly month.

Now almost 2 years after John re-deployed, (I pinch myself to think it has really been THAT long!), we personally have had a handful of seperations, a week here, two weeks there, and I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to seperations from loved ones? It's all relative.

I remember before the deployment, I would say that I would be FINE with the seperation, if only I knew he were safe. And while I am sure that really would have taken an edge off of the stress I would experience everytime I missed a phone call, I really don't think it would have fixed the whole missing John and wanting to spend life with him part.

After a whole summer of togetherness, first just the two of us and my big belly, and then more importantly, the three of us, John heads to school this week, and Charlie and I are spending more time on our own.

And we miss him!

And he's just in the next room studying!! My post-deployment self looks at my current self with a some incredulity, and more than a twinge of self-loathing. Seriously? You can talk to him, look at him, hug him, bother him, if you want to! You have been through 9 straight MONTHS before! He's still in your house! Pathetic. Get a grip, Emily!!

Okay, okay! I say to my inner-voices =)

So with John off to school today, it's just Me, Kaia and Chunkin' left to our own devices. And though we get to see each other at the end of every day, does that mean we are any less excited to see him?

Nope. Because it's all relative :)

P.S. Good luck to me when we really have to be apart again down the road!

Charlie's Birth Day

2011-08-24T15:16:00.002-07:00

I forgot to mention that right during my last few pushes, Ashley said or did something that made John start laughing. I didn't know that she was laughing also, but only had eyes for John. I growled at him to cut it out, because from where I was sitting (with my legs spread and a baby well on its way out) this was NO laughing matter. But apparently my displeasure only made things more hysterical to both my cousin and husband, and try though they may, they could barely (and unsuccessfully) keep their laughter in. "STOP LAUGHING" I growled again. Helplessly John whispered "I'm trying!" as he avoided eye contact with Ashley who was only making it worse, and the Doctor/nurses chuckled and said "Uh oh, she may kill him!"

I had tried really hard to be a kind laboring woman, but was mindful that it was taking me some effort. I did try hard not to be demanding and kept adding afterthough "please's" to my "requests".

"More ice! ...please!"

"Stop touching me!! ...please!"

"No more trying to tell jokes. They aren't funny...please."

Hehe, I tried, and actually John and Ashley told me I wasn't TOO too bad, and when I was, they understood!

Friday, July 8th, 2011
While I was busy adoring my brand new baby, I barely noticed anything else going on "down there". Turns out I didn't tear at all, hooray! The nurses said it was likely because Charlie's delivery was so slow and steady. I also credit nurse Lisa for stretching me out between contractions. The doctor joked that he would like to be the one to take the credit for it. Either way, I am so glad there were no tears. I did how ever have "skids" (basically like I skinned myself) inside me from Charlie's head. Of course I felt soar, but it certainly wasn't unbearable, and besides I was so elated over everything else that I didn't even notice.

About 10 minutes after Charlie was born, and was layed on my chest to snuggle, the nurses had to take him to clean him up and get all his measurements. I remember that this process took much longer than I would have liked. I kept asking if I could have him back yet? Finally about 20 minutes later, they gave him back and we tried nursing right away. The nurse tried to help us get a latch, but he wasn't much intersted. I didn't care, and figured he had been through A LOT, and didn't blame him for being a bit tuckered. Instead he just kind of nuzzled me. So we snuggled instead.

While John got busy calling his Mom and mine, Ashley went out to get us all breakfast. My naughty and guilty breakfast request, now that I was no longer considered diabetic and no longer had a baby in me dependent on my nutrition was a sausage biscuit and hash browns from Burger King.

Soon after breakfast was delivered, Ashley decided to head home, catch a few winks, as she and John were both exhausted, and do a little cleaning. We had left in the middle of dinner, so our place was left a bit of a whirlwind. I still feel so lucky that my cousin was around and willing to clean our house for us, before more people arrived and before we got home.

John was really tired too, but I was wired! I had so much energy and couldn't think of sleeping with my baby there. I think a lot of it was adrenaline and hormones.

Charlie had his first bath in the hospital. One of our nurses, Barb, let us come with and watch. At first Charlie seemed to like it, the water running down his head, but then she stripped him down and began to scrub him with a sponge. And THAT part he did not care for at all. I felt bad for him and kept talking to him to calm him down. He held a finger of John's and mine in his little baby hands, and he turned the brightest shade of red, poor little guy.

Soon after, my sister arrived. She was so excited to meet her first nephew. She told me I looked like I was in "Narnia" when I held my baby and looked at him :) Ashley came back to the hospital for a little while too and we all hung out, passing the baby around, recalling the night's and morning's events, I didn't want to forget anything, and finally if I wasn't exactly sleepy yet, I at least felt like I SHOULD rest. So while John held Charlie I tried to close my eyes.

We got out "special" new parents meal. The hospital food overall was pretty good, and I thought the 4 course new parent meal was a nice little gesture to make ya feel special!

My mom, who had been traveling all day long and had a flight delay in Atlanta, finally got to the hospital around 9pm. GrAnny, couldn't have been more excited if she tried. My sister said that my mom's voice even sounded different that day when she was talking about her grandbaby. She held him, and snuggled him and told him that the night before she had eaten "Charlie Barley" soup :) She left that night with promises to return in the morning!

The night went just fine, Charlie stayed in our room and slept well. I had to wake him up to try and eat every two or three hours, he was just a sleepy newborn who would rather snooze. But with every chirp, I happily hopped (or as quickly as I could with a sore bottom) to check on him and have an excuse to hold him close.

Between checking on my baby, and the nurses taking my vitals throughout the night, I got very fractured sleep, and when the sun rose, I was already wide awake!

Meet Me in St. Louis ~ Day 3

2011-08-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

After another glorious night of sleep we decided to get some brunch in the neighborhood with my cousin and her dog. We began walking to Crepes etc. when I decided I needed my camera. I dashed back to the car to get it and I guess we miscommunicated because I thought I would just meet them at the restaurant and they thought I would be coming right back. So I got to the restaurant and no one was there. Then I began to walk back and no one was there either (they had gone to check the car after waiting forever for me). Then I got nervous that Charlie would get hungry without me around and decided to ask someone if I could borrow their phone to call John (oh yeah, I didn't have my cell phone either)!

So I asked this dude in a purple checked shirt, and I must have looked like riffraff because after sizing me up he reluctantly agreed but only if I told him the number to type in and then he held the phone and put it on speaker just to be on the safe side. Good Lord! Anywho we finally got it sorted out and we found each other at the restaurant!

I have never before had crepes so I was excited to try. I picked the chicken and sundried tomato crepe with a goat cheese sauce (the sauce was SO good, I want to make it at home), John got a chicken curry crepe, and Lisa got the best one I think, a strawberry nutella crepe with freshly whipped creme. Luckly she is a light eater, and luckily I am like a human garbage disposal with an even hefty-er appetite thanks to breast feeding, and I took care of the leftovers for her. SO GOOD!

It was a gorgeous day, but a little chilly in the shade, so Charlie snuggled. After brunch we decided to tour one of the homes in the area. John loves to check out the architecture, and I like to browse around for ideas too!

On our way out of town, we hopped on over for a tour of the Budweiser Brewery (another *free* tour!). First the bar then a brewery...have we won the Parents of the Year award yet?!?!

Charlie slept through it all, again. We saw the famous Clydesdales and dalmations in their beautiful barn, learned all about the process of how the beer is brewed, saw the canning/bottleing room.

Charlie slept through most of it except for the part where we entered a room of about 50 degrees. Yeah, that woke him RIGHT up! We made the right choice and waited for the rest of the tour outside so the little guy didn't freeze his toosh off.At the end of the tour we enjoyed our complimentary pretzels and 2 free tastes of beer (I had a couple sips of John's, I am not really ready to "pump and dump" right now). While we snacked, I held Charlie, and soon felt something very warm on my stomach. Sure enough my little guy had PEED out of his diaper and right on me!

Quick recap: In two days my son has vomited AND peed on me. Charlie:2, Momma: 0

After the a quick dress change we went to Sports Authority (John's fave) and grabbed some dinner at Charley's and then hit the road for the drive home. Charlie did pretty well, until a half hour out when he decided enough was enough so we had a small pitstop to give him a break from his carseat AND for a milkshake :)

Kaia was a happy girl when her family got home!

Charlie the Baker

2011-08-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

Charlie is doing awesome. In the last two weeks alone, he has grown an inch (22inches, still kind of a shrimp by growth chart standards, but when's the last time you grew an inch in 2 weeks?) and two more pounds. He is now working on a baker's dozen at 12 pounds 3 ounces, and has more rolls than the average baker I would bet too!

This kid has rolls on his wrists! And so many rolls around his neck that one time while I was kissing his chubby neck and resisting eating my child for how cute he is, I noticed that he smelled curiously of cheese. I soon realized that Charlie had been dribbling milk at mealtime and it was getting "trapped" in his many neck creases, and apparently NOT getting cleaned out by his dutiful Mama. He takes after both of us in his eating habits and INHALES his food (yes, mealtime is serious business to our sweet boy).

Just this past weekend, after long anticipation on my part, we were rewarded an all over, light up your world, grin ~~that was not followed by Charlie filling his diaper.~~ And I thought this kid was cute BEFORE he grinned at me, oh my lord, his giant cheeks bulge out, and his toothless gums are bared just so his tongue is almost sticking out and his eyes scrunch and look so happy. I die. And then I grab my camera.

And then the second Charlie sees the big black camera coming for him, he immediately switches gears and pulls on one of his infamous frowns...he's got that one down (gets it from Dad of course)!

He is working super hard at pulling his big head up, and can flip it from side to side when he is on his tummy. It sure is tough work though, and occasionally it kind of ticks him off that he is working so hard so then I rescue him =) He is kicking those legs like crazy, and can support his weight on them when we hold him up or if he is leaning on one of us, which is pretty crazy!

He is a noisy boy too, making lots of noises. Lots of cooing and lots of grunting. We were at the doctors recently and he commented how much talking Charlie does, I told him it's because he is tired of all the talking his parents do and is just trying to get a word in edgewise =)

Charlie loves going for walks outside, and now is starting to look around his world, while harnessed in the Baby Bjorn, rather than promptly falling asleep =)