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...