sundays

ben works five 12+ hour days and a sixth day he's on call

leaves the house at 4:30 am

comes home and takes over and feeds/bathes Charlotte

goes to sleep around 8:30

on the sundays he has off he

takes care of Charlotte all day so i can have a nap and some me time without the little cherub glued to my hip like every other day

i love sundays

and

i love ben

a lazy sunday on the love sack

watching a 'sunday movie'... wizard of oz is totally an appropriate 'sunday movie', right...? =)

thank you ben

Disneyworld 2010

We went to the other 'Happiest Place On Earth' that resides in Florida back in September. We went with our really good friends Eli and Krista. It was magical... of course =)

If we ever live in California (which we would love), then we would be utilizing an annual pass to Disney like nobody's business...

I love her tiny hand holding onto her daddy's arm while on a ride.

two Mickey-eared buddies

on the Dumbo ride

she loved Pirates of the Caribbean... can't ya tell?!

Ben and I went on our honeymoon to Disneyworld so it was so fun to go back almost five years later with our baby.

We were able to be there during their Halloween celebration which I had never done before, it was completely decked out in the cutest decorations.

She always acts unsure when she first hops on a merry-go-round and then loves it once it gets going (video below).

Charlotte was in charge of 'steering' our car on the Buzz Lightyear ride where you shoot at targets. Every time we'd get a good shot I felt like she'd yank you in the opposite way... punk...

our little incredible

"Yep, Dad, that ride was sweet..."

We have almost this exact shot from when we came on our honeymoon. Now it's the three of us!

in Japan at Epcot

Eli and Krista... aren't they the cutest couple? gosh, they're gonna have great looking kids... hint hint... =)

And below are a TON of videos for your viewing pleasure. One is of her enjoying the wind on the ferry from Disneyworld, another from the ride in Mexico at Epcot, enjoying dinner, riding a merry-go-round, and playing with our camera case. Hopefully they'll all work!

eleven months young

Three days ago this little bug turned 11 months old.

She is starting to pick up on some words like "ducky" (while holding her rubber ducky in the bath), "baby" (while man-handling someone smaller than her), and Ben taught her to say her first animal sound. Ssssssss for snake.

She's becoming hard to entertain for a lengthy three hour church session.

I'm starting to understand why I hear mothers say they can't wait for nursery (although I don't want her to grow up).

She's still social... almost too social.

Her favorite toys are books (she'll turn them right side up to 'read' them properly) and dvds.

When she pulls out dvds with a large picture of a person she says "hi" over and over. Just waiting for them to respond. =)

If she puts something in her mouth that isn't supposed to go there she'll wait and push it out onto her tongue for you to grab.

She's the most gigglish (is that a word..?) when you nibble on her chin and poke her chest and armpits.

She's my most bestest girlfriend. ever.

The below video is from a little over a week ago. Charlotte loves to give loves and when someone doesn't respond the way she likes... she gets a little frustrated. James is her little friend who is 7 months old. He wasn't in the mood for hugs and Charlotte got a little ticked. I'm filming and James' mom is holding onto him. We could not stop laughing... even when she got a little violent. =)

Happy Halloween!

Of course Charlotte was a LotteBug. What else could she have been for her first Halloween?

Thank you, Carrie, for making her tutu... I promise it didn't look like a bundled up mess like it does here. We had just been holding her and walking around so it got squished. It went perfect - thanks!

(and we'll be using it with her birthday shirt for her party =)

"The candy is all mine!!! MuAhaHaha!"

(I'll post more pictures and video of her first Halloween when I'm not so dang tired...)

sharing time

We've been working on sharing lately. She's at the stage where if someone has something she wants, by golly she's going to take it. She's starting to "share" by handing things to you that she may or may not let go once you've grabbed it... but it's a start.

Then just a minute ago she was eating some cut up pieces of toast and put one right in my mouth, then in hers, mine, hers, and so on.

And here she is sharing her beloved sock that she ripped off her foot. What a pal.

little miss walker

Almost two weeks ago Charlotte took her first few steps. Then a week later she would take a dozen or so (video below) steps. Now she walks across the room, squats down to regain her balance, and stands right back up again and gets going. I'm very proud (and she looks pretty adorable toddling around), but I'm sad... she's growing up too fast.

the Evergreen State

Back in September I went to Seattle to be there for my sister's delivery of her fourth baby. I've never been around for her others because for the past 7 1/2 years I've always lived far away and have been working or in college. Now that I don't work, I got to fly back. Well, I visited and we waited and waited and waited... my return flight was at 10 am and she had her baby that night... awesome... at least I got to spend time with the fam, but once again I missed the birth of a niece... dang it...

We tried on many Halloween hats at Target... and then licked some carts.

We went to the Puyallup Fair which I used to LOVE going to and haven't been in years.

Above Hallie and below Emma having fun at the fair.

Grandma and Claire

They were selling kid's helmets and I had to try one on Charlotte. She looks thrilled doesn't she?

"Mom, get this off of me, people are starting to stare."

Trying her first cotton candy. She wasn't so sure at first.

I remember when I was little trying my first cotton candy ( I was five and not 9 months old like her ) I thought it felt like hair in my mouth and hated it.

Playing in a hot tub.

Pulling on the poor sheep's fleece. Always pulling...

Bundling up for the crisp Washington fall weather.

My other sister, Laura, is a high school counselor and volleyball coach. So my mom, Charlotte, and I watched a game. Her team did awesome and Charlotte loved dancing to a little Kanye West warm up music... no joke... her little bum was bouncing.

This was how I found Charlotte after a nap one day.

Teasing Sophie, my parent's dog.