Happy birthday, Charlie!

I can't believe it, but Charlie is one year old! It has gone by way too fast, even faster than it did with Jacob. It seems like yesterday I was in the hospital, watching Alex tape him and looking at those perfect little lips, toes and belly while he got his first bath. And yesterday, I was taking video of Charlie, sitting in his bath by himself, splashing and laughing and talking up a storm.

It's been a year of change for our family. Alex started his career as a full-time writer and caregiver, I changed jobs, Jake left toddlerhood behind and seems to want to skip being a preschooler altogether. Charlie changed most of all, of course. It's amazing how much babies change from the helpless little bundles they are born as, to the mobile, thinking, interactive creatures they become in just 12 months.

We are so blessed with Charlie. You could not ask for a sweeter, more easy going little boy. He entertains himself for long stretches, content to bring treasures over to share with you then toddle off to explore more. He's very curious and smart; I can't believe some of the things he figures out. He's very into sorting shapes and likes to play with balls and cups and blocks. He can even work the remote control car (something his brother didn't figure out until he was almost two).

That's one thing that has really surprised me, how different Charlie is from Jake. They say each child is different, and it's so true! They each have such different strengths and talents. Charlie is physically very confident--he started cruising at seven months and walking at nine months. He loves to climb and dance. His dancing is so funny! He likes to bend over a bit, then sway back and forth, or sort of shift his weight from foot to foot while shaking his head.

Charlie likes routine, like Jacob did. He's just now starting to think about shifting to one nap from two. He sleeps 11 or 12 hours a night, waking only once, if at all. After refusing to eat anything with texture for 11 months, he suddenly decide that he wants to eat "real" food and feed himself. Now, we're lucky if he lets us feed him at all! The shift was so sudden, I have jars and jars of baby food in the cupboard he'll probably never eat.

For a while, Charlie was very into talking. He has several words: "Hi!", "Ba" (ball), "Li" (light), "Tee" (tree), "MaMa", "Da" (that/there, give me! , or what? depending on the inflection). He doesn't use many now, preferring multisyllabic babbeling and his signs. He clearly understands what we say and can follow simple directions. He is the master of communicating through facial expressions. His face is so mobile and expressive, it's amazing how you can follow his entire thought process just watching his face change.

I can't tell you how lucky and blessed we feel to have such a sweet, adorable little boy. Happy birthday my lovey boy.


We have a flexible gate we use to create "Baby Land." Charlie decided he had had enough of being in Baby Land and made his big escape, so he could see what was going on over in the dining room that involved cake!



The birthday boy in his chair. Jake helped decorate, atlhough he was very disappointed that the blowers didn't have noisemakers in them.



Charlie with his "I'm One" hat and button. The hat lasted about 30 seconds before he pulled it off.


Cake! Charlie has eaten nothing but organic, healthy food since he was born. At least the cake was carrot, so it was somewhat healthy (and his Poppy's and brother's favorite). I picked out all of the raisins, but Charie just went to town!



Mmmm...I like this thing you call "cake."


Much as Charlie liked his cake, he still shared with his Poppy.


My boys celebrating. Jake and Charlie were both dancing and being silly.


Charlie laughing at his brother.


Charlie got a Pottery Barn Anywhere chair, just like his brother has. He loves Jake's so we thought he'd like his own. To date, he still likes Jake's best...


Matching chairs, matching smiles...

Charlie's First Christmas

Charlie just loved Christmas. Although really, he liked everything associated with the season, rather than the day--the tree, the lights, the music. He was completely fascinated by the tree and in fact, added that as a new word: "Tee!" He rarely tried to touch the ornaments, but he would stand just out of reach, sort of swaying and watching the lights. Every so often he'd reach out and say "Tee!"

We have a lot of ornaments that make sound or light up, and every morning he'd want Poppy to take him on an "ornament tour" of the tree. Alex would point out each ornament and make it do whatever it does. His favorite seemed to be the "Christmas Story" ornament that is the leg lamp in a crate, that quotes lines from the movie. Not sure why.

Charlie really, really loved the colored, sparkling lights. "Li" (light) is one of his favorite words and he'd often let me know he wanted the lights on by putting his hand out, turning it palm up, and declaring "Li!" The little hand twist is his way of letting me know that he understand you have to turn the knob to turn on the lights.

I bought the boys matching red long johns with their names for their Christmas pjs and they both looked so adorable! We have a Christmas Eve tradition of opening one present. Charlie really had no clue what was going on, but he was very excited by the paper and ribbons and how excited his brother was.





Christmas Day was so fun. As soon as we heard the boys, we went in to wish them Merry Christmas. Jake was slow to wake up as always, and Charlie was in his usual sunny mood. We got Charlie changed and Jake was very good about waiting until we could all go downstairs together.

Of course, Charlie had no idea why his brother was so excited, but the excitement was contagious. Santa had come and eaten cookies, the reindeer ate their carrots, and presents were left. Charlie got a really cool playhouse sort of thing from Santa. It was a good choice and he's gotten hours of fun from it.

Charlie even got a stocking, although it didn't have any candy. But for him, a new container of Puffs is just as good!


Charlie enjoying his new Puffs, with his "My First Christmas" bib.


After a certain point, Charlie had just about enough Christmas fun...we kept to his regular schedule of naps and eating, and that helped. But it was still a pretty busy day, even if we never got out of our pjs!


Charlie didn't quite understand opening presents, but Jake was good about helping. Mommy and Poppy bought him a Vtech tree house, with talking animals. He likes it mostly because it plays music (so he can dance) and for the shape sorter. He LOVES to sort shapes.


My two adorable boys, having fun and celebrating together.

Charlie Pics

Here are a few pictures from late 2008:


Here's Charlie at Christmas time with Mommy and Jake. We had just finished decorating the tree, but neither boy felt much like smiling for some reason. Maybe it was because I made them wear matching sweaters?



We took Charlie to visit his Gram in Tennessee before Thanksgiving. She hadn't really seen him since he was born (as our last trip was cut so short) so it was great for her to see him, especially when he was so mobile and talkative. That was the weekend he started saying "Mama"--although of course, he stopped soon after and rarely brings it out now! Gram and Charlie had a good time together.


Charlie won't ever know his Uncle (Charles) Stuart, one of the people he's named for. Gram told us stories of how sweet and wonderful Stuart was with Alex (who was 15 or so years younger than his big brother).


Charlie's grandfather died when Alex was in college, so he won't know him except through stories and pictures. We visited a memorial cross dedicated to Charlie's grandpa at the church Alex's family attends.


Bathtime for the boys! They don't usually take baths together, as Charlie goes to bed so much earlier than Jake, but when they do, they have lots of fun splashing and pouring water out of the bath toy cups.



Charlie loves to play with Jake's old LeapFrog Refrigerator Magnet Alphabet. It's so fun to pull the magnetic letters on and off the fridge, then put them on the player and hear the letter sound! He likes to push the button and make the alphabet song play, although he nevers lets it get past "H" before he starts it over.



Charlie and Jake love to play together. Of course, Jake doesn't know his own strength and Charlie has no fear, so it's a little nervewracking, but they do crack each other up.

Pics and More Pics

Here's Charlie when he first really learned to stand steadily on his feet. He started taking a couple of steps here and there, but mostly liked to cruise.

Charlie has lots of toys, as you can see! He has a basket in the living room and he likes to root around in there, pulling out toys. He has a whole box of nothing but balls...his favorite!

This is Charlie at Jake's 4th birthday party, waiting patiently for cake (which he didn't get). Charlie loves to eat, but anything with texture makes him gag.

Another one of Charlie standing up. He loves to play with his Leap Frog music table, just like his big brother did.

Here is Charlie in his first playground swing! We took the boys to a beautiful park nearby. Charlie liked being out and seeing other kids, and trying the swings.

Update

Oh my. I am a bad, bad mommy. It's been nearly two months since I've updated Charlie's blog. A lot has happened!

The biggest news is that Charlie is walking! He took his first step a few weeks ago -- October 17, I believe, at exactly 9 months. He was pretty unsure about this new walking thing, although he loves to cruise. He got progressively bolder...moving all around the coffee table, then all around the BabyLand wall (the expandable gate we put up to block off part of the living room for his play area), then pushing his little push car. Then he would grab onto one of my hands (never two) and walk around holding on for balance. He also likes pushing around in a circle in his activity center (it has a seat on the outside, that rotates around the table).

Then he started taking little sideways steps this past weekend, a couple at a time -- almost like he was in a chorus line (grapevine left, cha cha cha...and jazz hands!) But last night, he let go and walked all the way across the living room from the sofa over to where Alex was sitting on the floor by the tv, waving one of his beloved plastic balls the whole way. Yay, Charlie! He gets so excited when we clap for him, he starts clapping, too. Too cute.

He's also finally gotten some teeth. He has four coming in and his bottom left poked through. Teething hasn't been too bad for him (nothing like the agony it was for/with Jake!). He gets a little cranky and drooly, but a dose of Tylenol usually does the trick and our sunny baby is back.

And he is a happy little guy. He just loves people, and his family, and his toys...just about everything. Including his part-time caregiver, Miss C. He adores her and they have a wonderful time playing together twice a week, so Poppy can get some writing done!

Charlie is eating three solid meals a day, but he still doesn't like textures much. In fact, if he eats anything with chunks or pieces, he gags and sometimes throws it right back up. Lovely. But he can put away 2-3 jars in a sitting of the pureed stuff. Of course, he eats nothing but organic baby food and formula. They have some fairly fancy pureed meals: chicken mango risotto, sweet peas with turkey and wild rice, sweet potato with chicken (his face), pear apple oatmeal cobbler...surprisingly yummy. We also buy him organic frozen baby food that gets even more exotic, with black beans, and quinoa and who knows what else. There's nothing Charlie doesn't like, so far. (Of course, that could all change. I fed Jake completely organic, healthy food and for two years he ate everything and anything. Now, I'm lucky to get him to eat anything but cereal.)

Charlie's favorite toys so far are balls. He has a collection of plastic balls that we keep in a clear plastic shoe box. He loves to take them out of the box, put them back in, shake the box, mouth the balls, bang the balls together, roll them around and chase them...the possibilities are endless. Some balls are colored plastic, but others are clear with different fascinating items inside. Those are the best.

He also loves blocks, his stacking rings, and his stacking cups (which go together to make a set of balls!) Anything that makes music is also intriguing to Charlie...as is his big brother. Charlie loves it when Jake pays attention to him.

Charlie is a pretty self-sufficient baby. He's very happy to play in Baby Land for quite a while, checking in with you to see what's going on, bringing over balls to share with you, but mostly amusing himself for long periods.

But he also loves people. Miss C takes him for walks, weather permitting, and Poppy takes him out and about. Wherever he goes, he makes friends. He's very smiling and happy. One of his first words was, "hey!" for "hi" and he likes to wave at people.

Speaking of words, he says, "Hey!" for "hi", "Bah!" for "ball" (his first word), "Rrrr!" for "ring," and "Dah!" for the T-rex model we pass on the stairs several times a day (he does love that t-rex). No "mommy" and "poppy" yet...He gives kisses, though. If you ask for a kiss, he'll come at your face with his mouth wide open to give you a sloppy wet kiss, usually on your nose.

He's still not sleeping through the night, but that's okay. He gets up usually once, and takes a full bottle. He's still pretty little--only in the 10th percentile for height, 5th for weight, and 25th for head circumference -- so we don't mind feeding him if he feels he needs it. At his 9 month check up, he was 27 inches long and just under 17 pounds. He's completely healthy though, and obviously thriving.

He's a smart little cookie. Do something once and he will remember it. And he likes to initiate games. Tonight, I was sitting on the floor and he was standing behind me, holding onto my shirt. I would say "Where's Charlie?" and try to look over my shoulder, and he would move to the other side, laughing. Then I'd say it again and look at the other side, and he'd move. When he wanted me to "find" him, he'd tug on my shirt, then laugh hysterically when I said, "There he is!" He likes to play "peek a boo" and "hide and seek" around the coffee table (it's solid so you can see through it). I get down on all fours and we crawl around, peeking around corners and chasing each other. Too funny.

He is such a sweetie pie. I love when I come home and his whole face lights up, and he gets so excited his whole body wiggles up and down. I can't help but grab him and give him kisses. I can't believe he's already nearly 10 months old!

Charlie Likes & Dislikes

Here are a few things Charlie likes, not in any particular order:

* Moving as fast as he can, as much as he can
* Going for walks in his stroller
* Chewing on the air conditioning vents
* Banging his head while he drinks his bottle
* Taking the alphabet magnets off the refrigerator door, taking a taste, then tossing them on the ground (good thing there are 26 letters)
* Making funny noises like a tree frog and doing weird clicking, twisty things with his tongue
* Listening to the sound the letter "Z" makes. If you make a noise like a bee (buzz) or say the word zebra, he just cracks up
* Playing with balls; eating them, banging them together, chasing them
* Knocking down block towers
* Playing with his big brother
* Food!

And things he doesn't like:

* Cuddling or being still
* Getting his diaper changed
* Food with a chunky texture
* Not getting to play with his own spoon while being fed
* Having the remotes taken away from him
* Being told "No!" when chewing on the air conditioning vents

But basically, he's a pretty mellow, happy baby...

Last Hurrah

It's a sad time for Mommy -- Charlie is weaning himself.

He used to come into the office every day at lunch to nurse, but lately he's been more interested in looking around than eating. When my milk would let down, he'd pull off and stare, puzzled. I used to nurse him first thing in the morning, but he'd much rather get down on the floor and start playing or pulling up than cuddle or eat. And at night, our favorite time to nurse, he's too hungry and wants a bottle.

Sniff. I would have nursed him at least until he was 12 months old, but I guess he has other plans.

Latest Charlie News

At seven months (31 weeks), Charlie is growing like a weed! He is way ahead on his large-motor milestones and doing well on everything else. He continues to be an incredibly good-natured, happy baby.



Right now, one if his favorite things is his big brother. He is endlessly fascinated by Jake. Jake can make him laugh harder than anyone else, and he always wants to be where Jake is. He also loves to hear his big brother play guitar or drums! Jake is very sweet with him. (Ignore the fake smile Jake is putting on; he's suddenly started making this pained fake smile whenever he sees the camera.)




He likes his solids a lot. So far, the only thing he can't eat is squash...just like his big brother. He loves carrots and sweet potatoes, as you can see from the big "thumbs up" in this picture (well, that's what it looks like, anyway).

I can't believe how fast Charlie has gone from rolling over to crawling to pulling up to standing and cruising. The other day, he actually stood unassisted for a few seconds! I shudder to think how soon he'll be walking...I want him to slow down! Sniff, my baby is growing up too fast.


He's been able to push up to 90 degrees since he was just a few weeks old.


Sitting is not his favorite thing, he'd rather be in motion.


Although banging on things that make noise make sitting acceptable.


He started pulling up early on, and we could pull him to standing by 4 months.


Now, he stands all the time...when he's not crawling. He can even cruise around the coffee table. Yikes!

His favorite things all involve crawling, standing and cruising. He has an activity center that lets him "stand" in a seat, and go around the table in a circle, rather than a stationery one. He loves to move around, playing with the activities, or just racing around in a circle, practicing walking. He still likes toys he can put in his mouth.


When he heads for his toy box/area in the morning, he likes to dump out his plastic blocks. He thinks it's great fun when Mommy builds a tower and he gets to knock it down. He also likes his toys that make music. A lot of his brother Jake's toys were passed on to Kyle, and they are now coming back for Charlie. It's really cute and sweet to see Charlie playing with the exact same toy Jake had, and enjoying it just as much.

They are different kids, though. Charlie is much more laid back and more interested in moving around, whereas Jake was always more interested in making things "go" -- sort of large motor versus fine motor. Charlie is not as good a sleeper, but he is becoming a good eater. He still has a pretty small tummy and doesn't like more than 4-6 ounces of formula at a time, or much solid food at once. He also doesn't like chunkier textures or things like Puffs, which Jake loved at this age. He's not a very cuddly baby, mostly because he wants to be on the move, but he is very happy and smiling and interactive.

It is almost impossible not to compare them, although I don't really do it in a negative way. It's just so interesting to see where they are the same and how they are different. They are both completely adorable though (not that I'm prejudiced).

Charlie Pics

Too cool for school.


We went to vacation at MeMe & PapPap's house in NC. Had a great time! See Jake's blog for more details.



Jake and Charlie had a great Independence Day, even though it was really hot. Charlie missed the fireworks...he was fast asleep well before dark!


Charlie loves his MeMe. She even took the baby monitor one night and got up with him all night long. It was the first time I've slept 9 hours in a row in months (feels like years....)


Charlie loves PapPap, too. He liked hanging out in the big recliner as much as his brother Jake always did, although I don't think any tool or parts catalogs were perused during our visit.


Here's Charlie, loving his food!


Charlie's first plane ride! He handled like a seasoned traveller, and pretty much slept most of the trip. The passengers around us all commented on what a cute, good baby he is. Of course!


He's playin' those Baby Blues...


Charlie has excellent musical taste. Here he is listening to our friend Jen Cass's latest...

Six Months + Update

Charlie has proven to be a poor correspondent (too busy learning new things!) so he's turned the reins, (so to speak, and to mix a metaphor or two) over to Mommy.

Charlie is growing by leaps and bounds! He is crawling like a madman. He no sooner mastered that skill when he decided to start working on pulling up. He can already pull himself up on his shorter musical toys, etc. and tries to pull up on the coffee table -- and our legs. He can sit up pretty well and is learning to push to sitting by himself. He's not crazy about sitting though, as he'd much rather be on the move!

He loves making noises with his mouth, experimenting with different sounds. Completely bored with making spit bubbles, he's moved on to smacking and clacking noises, fake coughing, grunting, and lots of "gah!" with a "bah" and "meh" thrown in to mix things up.

He is an incredibly smiling, happy and good natured baby. If he's awake, he's usually smiling. He's very content to play with his toys, crawl around, and generally explore his world. He loves attention, but he's not a baby that requires constant interaction and attention. He has quite the attention span and capacity for self-amusement, for a six month old.

His favorite toys are anything that plays music (including his older brother), anything that lets him "stand" up (like his Jumperoo and activity center), his blocks, and his box of little toys he can stick in his mouth and practice his hand-holding skills on. He loves his set of crazy plastic balls, and will chase them all over the floor. He and I play "ball" and he does a pretty good job of rolling the ball back to me (even if usually it's by accident).

He's eating solids now and so far has liked everything -- except the infamous avocado, of course. Sweet potatoes and green beans are big favorites, and like his brother, he likes prunes.

He weighs just over 16 pounds, so he's still pretty small -- but wow, is he strong! If he's holding on to something, you're going to have to use some real muscle to pry it out of his grip.

Charlie is quite the charmer. He loves to flirt, and is the master of the slow smile and shy glance under the eyelashes. With his beautiful smile and big, dark eyes, he just melts the hearts of everyone he meets, especially women. They just goo and gush over him. Alex isn't complaining, of course, although he realizes that he is simply Charlie's transportation.

Hard to believe he's almost 7 months old!

THpppbt!

My latest accomplishment is blowing raspberries. It's so much fun! I particularly like it when I blow one, then Mommy does, then me, then Mommy...that's a game I can play for a long time. It's even more fun that twisting my tongue around, which used to be my favorite thing.

Picture Update

Just a few pics of Charlie Darlin'...