New foods, New Swing, New Milestone

My Mom came up and helped make Charlotte some new baby foods. It is so easy to buy the jar from the store but our options are kind of limited. Plus, whenever we make our own food we can just chop some of it into finger food so Charlotte can practice feeding herself with new textures too. My Mom made apples, carrots, green beans, and peas like last time, but we added apricot, mango, zucchini, and spinach to the mix as well. I also bought Charlotte some YoBaby Yogurt and she is LOVING it mixed in with her oatmeal. I must have stood in Kroger for at least five minutes reading all of the labels on the yogurt containers before an employee came up and suggested the YoBaby in the natural foods section. I have never stopped to look at all the aspartame, artificial flavors, and "low fat" versions in yogurt before!

While my Mom and I were cooking Bryce and my Dad hung Charlotte's new swing. After Charlotte got to try one at a friend's house we had to have one of our own! Charlotte didn't really like it on the first try, but we went back out there and gave it another go the next day and she never wanted to get out. It is a great way for us to spend some time outside in the shade.



Last but not least, Charlotte Lee learned a new milestone yesterday! Bryce and I bought her the coolest toy and sat Charlotte down to play with it. She literally grabbed the top of it and pulled herself up to standing. She got a little scared at first but now she is a daredevil and keeps trying to pull on whatever seems available. Needless to say, we have had child-proofing on our minds...we covered the fireplace and plugged up all the outlets. Hopefully I have a little while longer before I have to take things off the shelves!

Wordless Wednesday?

The lazy days of summer

What do two teachers with a new baby do all summer you ask?



We wake up early (between 7 and 8) and have breakfast.



Then we help Mommy with laundry and play



After our morning nap we help Mommy and Daddy open mail


Next we have lunch


Then we read a book to wind down for our afternoon nap


After our afternoon nap we play some more


We might also bird watch or wait for visitors



Then we have dinner. Charlotte gets to feed herself some of it.


If the weather is nice we'll head outside to play with the Dogs for a little bit.


Last it's bath time and in bed by 8 so we can do it all again tomorrow!

My days of laying out at the pool all summer are definitely gone...but this is so much better!

School's out for summer!!!!!!!

YIPEE!!

It is always bittersweet when a school year ends. You get really close to some of the kids in your classroom, and you try so hard to reach them that it can be hard to let go. Plus, you have to start all over again the next year! But...I am so looking forward to this summer with Charlotte and Bryce! I have been daydreaming about spending all day with them, going wherever the road takes us, and working on a new schedule with Charlotte. I've been reading books and taking notes for a new feed/nap schedule and I think we will still have time in the day to be out and about without compromising her needs. The pool has been calling my name and I literally have a stack of books by the bed to read so let's get this summer started!

Portrait of an eight month old

We have an active eight month old. The last month didn't bring as many changes as from the sixth month to the seventh, but Charlotte is definitely becoming her own person. All of her growth this month seems to be intellectual. She is learning how to mimic something that we do, like wave or pat her leg. She will listen so intently when we read her a book and she looks at the page when I point to it rather than just try to grab it and put it in her mouth. She is recognizing different words now too and turns toward that person when she hears her name in conversation. If I ask her "Where's Daddy" she will usually look towards the door he left the room from. Her meals have drastically grown in the last month too. She is eating oatmeal twice a day (we completely gave up on the rice cereal), fruit for breakfast, fruit and vegetable for lunch, and a different fruit and vegetable for dinner. She also eats a finger food of some type with dinner too, either a yogurt melt, chicken, potato, or banana. She is doing awesome with eating, she is like a little bird with her mouth open for more! I am still nursing Charlotte but only her first and last feeding ( NO MORE PUMPING, YAY!!). I finally put all of her clothes that are too small in a big tub up in our attic and it was very bittersweet. Every month has gotten better and better but she will never be that little baby wrapped up in my arms again. And some of those clothes she only got to wear once! Charlotte is so full of smiles, giggles, hugs, and kisses....the next month will be just as wonderful.

Wordless Wednesday

This one hurts a little

We had to lower her crib today....Charlotte has figured out how to pull herself up and hang on to the edge. This one hurts my heart a little, she is getting so big too fast!

First Mother's Day

I feel like my Mom and I have had this amazing journey in the past year. She was always supportive of me, and proud of me but now there is an understanding between us that makes us so much closer than before. She always said I would understand when I have kids of my own, and it's true, now I do. I also understand how important it is for a daughter to have a good role model in her mother and I pray every day that I can be that for Charlotte. I was absolutely terrified to have a girl. The day we saw the ultrasound saying it was a girl I think I literally had a mini panic attack because I knew what tough times lay ahead of me trying to raise a lady. A woman with self-worth, appreciation for all the blessings in her life, and that fine line between being able to do for yourself but sometimes letting a man do for you. I hope I can teach Charlotte to love with an open heart, but know when it is a futile effort. I hope I can teach Charlotte to always see the good in people but don't let the bad in them bring you down either. To love learning, and reading, and spending quality time with family and friends. I hope that Charlotte will always trust me and confide in me, but also know that I am her mother and not her friend (until she has kids of her own!). I hope that I can teach Charlotte to love Jesus, and what it means to be a Christian of virtue. In essence, I hope I can teach her all those things my Mom taught me!!

We had a wonderful day today. I know it was my first mother's day, but it had to be the best one ever. Bryce made me yummy banana pancakes this morning and gave me the sweetest present I could ever ask for. He had a portrait painted of me reading a book to Charlotte. I know I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Being a mother has changed my whole being. I am myself and I am a different person all at once. Charlotte has made me a better version of the person I was and seeing that picture will remind me of these sweet, simple times.


We had lunch with my family at Brio, an amazing Italian restaurant in Dunwoody. Conversation flowed freely, Charlotte was on her best behavior, everyone was laughing....I couldn't have asked for a better day.

May Mother's day always be a celebration of the love we give every day of the year!

Mother's Day Part I

We also went out to dinner with Bryce's family tonight...our new favorite Bonefish. Everything was delicious as usual and Charlotte managed to hold on even though she had already had a long day. If nothing else, I'd like to say thank you for raising a man who is honest, loves God, and knows how to cook! It is a true testament to a mother to say that she raised a Gentleman-and Monica did just that.

Birthday Bash!

I cannot believe how fast these little ones grow up! Today was Nathan's first birthday party and he was the best behaved birthday boy I have ever seen! He was gracious and good humored and kept us all laughing. He loved all of his gifts, and even seemed to give each person a personal smile of thanks after opening their gift.

Happy Birthday Nathan! We love you!

The Count Down has begun!

There are only three more weeks of school left. Considering I missed such a huge chunk of last semester I shouldn't be this ready for a break, but I have got SPRING FEVER! All I want to do is be outside and read a good book! I really need some time in my classroom to finally clean up after having a sub in my room and really go through my files. It is amazing what a mess was made while I was gone and I never had time to recover. I am looking so forward to all the fun we are going to have with Charlotte this summer too. I already have a list of things I want to do with her....take her to the waterfalls up in North Georgia, walk around Dahlonega (where Bryce and I went to college), visit some of the cute stores in Athens, maybe go to the zoo, definitely hit the pool....I can't wait!