almost caught up...

Okay... so this was supposed to be a complete catch up post from the last two months but something is wrong with blogger and won't let me upload anymore pictures. So this will have to do for now.

For Christmas (which isn't on this post because I couldn't get the pictures on) I helped Santa make a kitchen for Charlotte. She l.o.v.e.d (s) it. I was pretty picky about what kind of kitchen I wanted to get her. I didn't like plastic and the cute wooden ones I liked were sooooo expensive. I decided to make one and for the last few months have collected things to put together.

Before.

(Small hutch found on Craigslist for $15. Stovetop at a garage sale for $1. Bookshelf at Goodwill for $4)

Sanded it down. Painted a few coats on. Put it all together. Twisted some knobs on and voila! Done in 3 hours tops.

After.

The final product had a stove top and knobs, but blogger won't let me put anymore pictures on this post for some reason. I'll post the final product when I get the rest of Christmas on here.

Enjoying some tea with friends.

on the potty. first tattoo. snuggling with snoopy. howdy partna'

Splashing in puddles.

Hangin' with Mom.

Hangin' with Theron.

The birthday cake.

Now if you recall my post about her birthday a few months ago and how she threw up everywhere... here is the before and after. We were getting supplies for her cake while she rode around in this car (see below). Then I took her out of the tiny car (heaven forbid) and she went ballistic. Which in turn made her phlegm-y which in turn made her puke. Everywhere. In the car. All over herself. Soooo we still headed out to the zoo (minus pukey coat) wrapped in a blanket.

The decor. Ohhh yeah. We went all out with Toy Story this year. It was fun.

Next up: Christmas, Texas, New Years, the Caribbean, Grandma visit, and Charlotte Charlotte Charlotte.

six years ago today...

I made the best decision of my life.

gosh I hope they make it in time... but probably not

So we rushed to get these made, ordered, and picked up last week.

And they're still sitting on the kitchen counter... dang it!

Hopefully they'll be coming sometime before the New Year.

Luckily the cards say Merry Christmas AND Happy New Year.

Oh well.

my daughter... the actress

I just stumbled across this tonight. Last summer Charlotte and I were playing at the park behind our house. This wife and husband were filming this stroller review when one of the babies had a melt down and went home. They needed another baby and asked if Charlotte could sit in. I said, "Hmm.. why not?" and went with it. I didn't even think twice about whether or not it was a good idea until I was home later that evening. Thank heavens it didn't end up being something weird.

She calls herself Mama Natural and has several videos on YouTube and a blog twitter.com/MamaNaturalBlog. She's nice and... interesting... I believe you can watch her give natural birth on YouTube. =) Charlotte is in the beginning and then the last 10 seconds or so.

And I have no idea why she has a dude's voice but whatever.

Ben's phone

So my power cord died most inconveniently. Which means my computer is dead for the time being. So I've been using Ben's for important work like checking my email, people.com, and this here blog. I was perusing his photos and noticed he had a ton from his phone that I had never seen. So I share them this evening with you.

Random? Yes. Blurry? Mostly.

Delightful? I think so.

This was after church last Sunday (hence Charlotte wearing Ben's bow tie after he changed).

I'm not a big fan of Dr. Seuss. Never was. But these two loooove him. I think they read 6 in this one sitting.

Decorating a ginormous gingerbread house.

Being silly.

Washing down the neon green birthday cake.... blast-I still need to post bday pics...

Posin' again. Looking rather thuggish.

As thuggish as a white doctor from Salt Lake City can look.

But since Charlotte hails from Chi-town, she can totally be a thug.

My little darling at the zoo.

(post vomit episode... read last post if you need a reminder...)

Her first Coors Light.

Couldn't be more proud.

Over Thanksgiving weekend we watched the men's BYU basketball team play in a tournament.

She loved it.

And if she doesn't grow up to be a basketball player I'll probably disown her.

I mean come on! She's already wearing her first pair of pink Jordans (thanks Laura).

This is how I find her many times in the morning.

(you might have to search for her on the floor)

She's in a toddler bed, but we've put a child's doorknob thingy on her door so she can't get out at all hours of the night if she were to wake up.

So she either knocks and calls out to me, or grabs a book and reads to herself.

Lovin' her dahdeeee.

Doesn't she look like life just couldn't get any better?

Hanging out in pjs. Sunny weather. Tossing leaves everywhere.

This particular morning she woke up suuuuper early (hence the light being on because it was dark outside). I put on Super Why which she loves to watch in the morning and I left to make some tea. Came back and she was out cold like this for almost 2 hours.

Love her.

When we decide to go out to eat Ben likes to look up places we've never been before that he's seen a review for, read in a travel book, or heard through word of mouth.

This always takes us downtown.

Luckily it takes less than 15 min to get there from our place.

This is Lou Mitchells which serves amazing breakfast.

Like lines are out on the sidewalk to get in.

And it was dang fine.

She honestly asks to wear Ben's ties every day he gets home from work.

When he comes home wearing scrubs she's very disappointed.

Oh yeah, apple picking. From like two months ago...

And I stumbled across this picture from the summer.

With her Auntie Jenna and Cousin Hans.

Both of whom we get to see in a few weeks!

Charlotte, the two year old

My little tiny is now TWO.

That's right. Two.

How we spent our day:

This morning she woke up at 8:30 (bless her heart).

She ate scrambled eggs, a blueberry muffin, and chocolate milk.

Watched a little Mary Poppins.

Went to the grocery store to get ingredients for her bday cake.

Had a complete meltdown after being taken out of the shopping cart where she was in the little red car that is attached to some shopping carts.

Got so upset that she gagged on her saliva and puked e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. in the car and on herself. Remember what she ate for breakfast?... yeah...

Headed into Taco Bell to get sprayed down.

Still headed to the zoo for a few hours.

Came home and took a 2 hour nap (bless her again).

Waited very impatiently for dahdeeee to come home for cake and presents.

Colored and colored and colored while waiting.

Watched Toy Story 3 while waiting.

Talked to every family member on both sides plus skype-ing with Ben's side of the family.

Opened presents and ate a Toy Story alien cake made by yours truly.

Played with toys.

Danced with dahdeee while singing the Beauty and the Beast song.

Went to bed at 9:30!

Man, what a day!

She's still in love with Toy Story so that was the theme I went with. Balloons, wrapping paper, candles, plates, figurines, candy, sign, cake... all Toy Story. It was a lot of fun. Who knows how long this phase will last. Soon she'll be wanting princess and barbie birthdays so I had to take advantage of this stage while it lasts.

More about her and pictures of her party later this week.

For now, I'm pooped.

a conversation with Charlotte

Last week the three of us were able to go to the zoo together before Ben was on call that night. We have a family pass that we used a lot in the summer, but haven't been in a few months. After Charlotte's experience and reaction from this day's visit, I definitely think we'll be going once a week. She's always enjoyed it, but this time was different. She was really really into it and asked so many questions. We were at the polar bear exhibit right when it jumped in the water to eat it's lunch. That was almost a week ago and Charlotte is STILL talking about it:

"Poah bayah jump on the weewee for the fishies!"

Yes, she calls water wee wee. Which I think is hilarious.

On the way home from the zoo she kept saying it over and over so I pulled over to tape her tiny little voice... wanting to remember it for always.

The video is horribly grainy, but her voice is adorable.

*Please notice that she calls me Jamie in the beginning (she does that a lot when she's trying to get my attention). I have to often remind her that I'm mommy and not Jamie to her. She'll smile and call me MommyJamie... whatever.