Half A Year

Really, how could it be?? How is Charlotte half a year?? Can 6 months really be down and I only have 6 more months until she's ONE?!?! Of course she is becoming more and more fun and alive everyday and I do truly enjoy that. I knew that time went in warp speed after having kids, but I didn't realize that warp speed DOUBLED for every kid you had. I can't imagine what time will be like if we decide to have another baby, it's unthinkable!! At her 6 month appointment today, Charlie weighed in at 17 lbs 9 oz (80%) and is 26-3/4" long(90%). Here are some things that Charlie is up to that I haven't listed in previous postings:

• Solid roller from front to back, back to front, all over the room...watch out!
• Sitting up
• Babbling "dada", which I'm in a fight with her about, especially since Hudson's first word was Dad. And I know it's just babbling, but come on, where's the love for the "mama"
• Tucking her legs under briefly in an attempt to crawl, but instead pushes herself backwards
• Sleeping partially unswaddled. Both my kids were BIG on swaddling. I didn't get Hudson out of his swaddle blanket until he was nearly 6 months as well. Hey, if they sleep better in it, I'm not messing with it!! Anyhoo, she has an arm free, I'm working on both ;)
• Is sleeping from 7:30pm until between 3:30-4:30am giving Mommy a nice stretch of almost 5-1/2 hours of straight sleep, ahhhhh!

Just to prepare you, some of the most adorable pictures you have ever seen are coming up. So adorable in fact that Ryan told Charlie we were going to have to "ugly her up". Poor Daddy, already freaking out about boys!





Are we in trouble or what!

Cereal and Happy Baby

Charlie is no fan of rice cereal! I tried a couple of times and then decided to bag it until she could try things that taste a little better. I'm not concerned with her not eating cereals as she's clearly a healthy girl (see thighs below!). Within the past week, Charlie has tried apples, pears, and sweet potatoes. She "likes" them all, she is just having trouble figuring out how to get them down. I normally have to leave the spoon in her mouth until she sucks the food off. If I don't, watch out, she's will raspberry it out everywhere!!

Not so sure...

It's staying in...

And it's out!

When babies start doing the yoga pose, Happy Baby, it is one of my favorite stages. I think babies look adorable grabbing their little toes and trying to shove them in their mouths. At this point I only have a picture of Charlie grabbing one foot, but she can get them both and she has no trouble getting those toes in her mouth!

Don't you just want to eat her?!?!

Bye Bye Diapers

While others made plans with loved ones for Valentine's Day, Ryan and I made a date with Potty Training. We picked Valentine's Day as our "start" date because we were using the 3daypottytraining.com method and Ryan had that following Monday off work. The 3 day method has you start by throwing away all diapers (don't worry, the garbage bag was a fresh one and the diapers are now magically in Charlie's closet). You are training for day AND day, no pull ups, no diapers, no crutch. Done and done.

Already looking so grown up!

Time to put on his Big Boy underwear!

Booty shake for Mommy :)

Ok, so here's the deal, it didn't "click" for Hudson until day 7, but we stuck with the "3" day method as both Ryan and I liked the theory behind it as well as the fact that you are training for day and night. It's been almost 4 weeks now and I would say that Hudson is 90% there. He doesn't always wake up dry in the morning, but he does make it through naps. With this method, you wake your kiddo up an hour after they go to sleep and an hour before they get up in the morning to go potty if they are not waking up dry through the night. After 3 weeks, Hudson finally went potty after waking him up an hour after bed, Ryan and I could have cried we were so happy the consistency paid off! We haven't been waking him up an hour before he normally wakes up though, I check him after Charlie's 3am feeding and try to take him then. Normally he just says "no, no, no" and I put him right back in bed. We still have the occasional accident during the day, but Hudson is doing awesome and I'm so proud of him. I can honestly say that potty training has been one of the hardest things I have done in my life, but I know it will be worth it in the end!

Randoms From February

These were taken throughout the month of February, I'm behind, still cute though and worth sharing! Ryan is an only child, so it's moments like these that I am so grateful that he gets to see a sibling relationship.

My Trip to San Diego

For Christmas, my wonderful hubby surprised me with a plane ticket to San Diego to visit one of my dearest friends, Mandy. Mandy and I have been friends for nearly 20 years which is just crazy to me! We have been through a lot together and this posting could go on for pages with all of our fun memories from high school and college. This wasn't just any trip to visit Mandy though, this was a trip to meet her beautiful new baby boy, Collin Jeffrey. Collin is Mandy's first baby and it was truly amazing for me to see Mandy in her new role as a Mommy. I went the first weekend in February, just as Collin was turning 2 months old and Charlie was turning 5 months old. Megan, our close friend from college who lives in Arizona, joined us as well making the weekend a nice and much needed reunion. Hudson stayed home with Daddy and Charlie took her first plane ride with Mommy. Charlie did great on the plane both there and back, yay! The trip was one day too short, but I will take what I can get when it comes to seeing my girls.

Charlie and Collin are only 2 months, 29 days apart!

Already showing the same interests

Teaching Collin about tummy time

Future life long friends

Bonding

I know I've said it before, but Hudson loves Charlie. It makes me melt to watch him with her. He brings her toys, tries to share his snacks, brings her her binky, helps change her diaper. As soon as he hears her wake up from a nap or in the morning, he wants me to get her right away. He always asks "Good nap Charlie?" as this is what we ask him when he wakes up. It's adorable. The feelings are mutual and Charlie thinks her big brother is hilarious.

Kisses for Charlie

My brother is so funny!

Watching a show in Hudson's chair

Hanging out is Charlie's crib

Fun at Northwest Aerials

The location where I host my Stroller Strides classes has an indoor park that they open up to the public on Fridays. They have been nice enough to charge the Stroller Stride moms half the price to play on Fridays and the kids LOVE it!! Hudson has more fun than I think he knows what to do with. They have one of those big blow up slides and he will go up and down that thing so many times in a row it's crazy! Since it is a gymnastics studio, they have trampolines that are built into the ground and lots of spongy mats for the kids to jump onto. This is just one more reason why I love our current location and am hesitant to look for something else!! Join us there on Feb. 27 as NW Aerials will be extending the play time until noon just for the LUNA Moms Club: www.meetup.com/Stroller-Strides-LUNA-Moms-Club-Kirkland-Kenmore

Jumping into the foam pit

No fear!

So happy

Back for more jumping!

Even Charlie gets in on the fun!