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.

Free Teef

Over the past several days Charlie has had his first real illness. We all came down with a stomach bug while we were away. As Ted said, "at least we're all stuck here together in a small hotel room with only one bathroom." We survived and are all feeling better now. Just in time for Charlie to cut a new tooth. Top right.
It's not big enough to capture on camera yet, but when it is... well, this is going to be funny.

A Jolly Cholly Christmas...

First- congrats to Jessica and Sean! They heard their baby's heartbeat for the first time this week. We can't wait for the cousins to meet.

Here's Charlie's Christmas Schedule:

1. Open April Mommies Secret Santa gift from Simone and eat it.

2. Practice for the talent show.

3. Take lessons from Max on sneaking out of bed. (Christmas Eve)

4. Wake up with some wicked bed head. 5. Open stocking. Eat toys. 6. Go for a ride with Violet. Enjoy the beautiful weather.
7. Get dressed up. Hang out with Auntie.
8. Practice drinking from a big boy cup.

9. Open presents with Gatlin's help. Laugh. A lot.
10. Fall asleep on Mama.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

P.S. He did crawl this morning, too, but I didn't get it on camera. He's still honing that skill, so we'll get some video of it soon. By then Ted should be able to help me upload it.

new pictures

In case you didn't know that Lisa is an awesome photographer...