Happy St. Patrick's Day

from the wee leprechaun...

100% Boy

This is Charlie moments after sampling his first taste of dirt. The weather was beautiful last weekend, and while playing outside he discovered the planter you see in the background. Dee-licious!

The burst of spring reminded me that Charlie needed shoes. Now that he's walking and crawling on concrete, we must protect the tootsies. This is no simple task since his feet are wide, long, and fat. We trekked over to REI this week and picked out a pair of Keen sneakers. They were the shoes that made him cry less than the others. He still doesn't like to wear them. He barely will walk in them. Ah, the joys...

On a separate note, I have opened my etsy shop now. You can see what kind of wares I'm knitting at http://champsmom.etsy.com.

Gotham City's Next Hero

Very realistic. His abs are rock hard.

Movin' and a-Shakin'

I came home tonight to find Charlie cruising through the kitchen pushing his lawnmower toy! That's right- he's walking. And Ted got to be the first to see it.

Video to come.

Hangin' with the Big Kids

These were all taken recently by Auntie. Again she captured the beauty, fun, and occasional silliness that is a day in the life of our family.

Charlie has become a bit of a socialite recently. We've had friends over a few times this week, all with slightly older kids. Not much older- we're talking toddlers and preschoolers here, but still older.
Well, Charlie loves it. Even though he's not walking yet, he thinks he's a big kid, too. He chases them around the house, shows them his favorite toys, he even refuses to nurse when they are here. It's a great new stage that I am really enjoying. It definitely makes this teething thing easier to deal with.

And, though I've said it many times before, I'll say it again. Charlie really does have the best laugh ever. I wish I could bottle it. If you're ever feeling a little blue, give us a ring. That kind of pure, unadulterated joy should be shared.

Who loves ya, baby?

While we were stuck overnight in Memphis, Charlie discovered the joy of a mirrored door.

He also reached out and touched Elvis.

And had his first taste of Corky's barbecue.

And played crawl-under-the-bridge with Caitlin before we left Texas.

Time for Steak and an Amusing Story

Not only does Charlie have 4 teeth now, he's working on at least 2 more that are very visible in the gums already. Those top teeth really just show up out of nowhere!

Amusing but really gross story:
Charlie and I are in the hotel while Ted and Caitlin are bowling. I have removed his diaper to give his tush some air time and he's crawling around having a good time. Then I hear a squishy sound. I grab a diaper and catch the deuce before it hits the floor. I wrap the dipe and call Charlie to the changing area so I can get him covered up. He looks at me, smiles, and pees on the carpet. Ah, little boys.

Right now he and Caitlin are crawling around playing with his cement mixer. Charlie absolutely loves Caitlin. She makes him laugh, and he'll just stare at her. We are some lucky parents.