Charlotte's Birthday Party

Charlotte turned 1. I can't believe it. My how time flies. Well it has flown the last few months. The first seven months were s...l...o...w

We sure are lucky to have her though. She is the sweetest little thing. Some fun things that she has done this year are (mostly so I have written them down and don't forget when they happened):

• crawled at nine months soon followed by walking along objects

• She took her first step two days ago, it was very small but it was a step (August 22)

• She got her first tooth soon followed by the second one at 10 months

• Started waving this week and can now say ba ba (bye bye) Cutest thing ever.

• Started saying momma well more like mammammmmmamaaa about a month ago and then quickly stopped and only says dada.

• Can stand on her own for a few seconds at a time
  

• Is finally taking at least a one hour nap a day.....huge improvement.

Though Tea misses the days of her "sleeping beauty" bed, we are all so happy to have little Charlotte in our lives and joy every minute of it. She is still so dainty. She is constantly giving hugs and kisses and constantly wants to be held....which can get annoying but is mostly the sweetest thing ever. She is a petite thing though growing by leaps and bounds every day. She is still in 3-6 month and even some newborn clothing but has major rolls to prove to eats. And those cheeks, my goodness those cheeks can't get any more delicious. Charlotte is very friendly and loves to be held by anyone. She gets sick a lot so we keep her home a lot but she is always happy no matter what we're doing. Charlotte loves to swim, loves to take showers, loves to do mirror time with her big sissy (I stand them on the bathroom counter and they dance in front of the mirror). She loves her big sissy and always follows her around. I can't wait to see them grow up together and become the best of friends.

It's been too long.

What an almost year this has been. I feel like it's been a lifetime and seconds at the same time. This little girl that came into our lives has thrown us for a loop. We are so happy to have her and love the relationship that is building between her and her big sis, but man it's been a lot more than I ever expected. Charlotte is the sweetest thing but she is tough. She still is not sleeping through the night yet, nor does she nap. Contrast that to her sister who was amazing at both and still takes naps...that's right my almost 5 year old naps. Charlotte just recently started to roll and up until then she was a newborn. It was a 8 months of having a newborn. It still continues but she is starting to show her adorable, sweet, dainty (yep dainty), sensitive personality, she is her father - minus the dainty, Greg's not too dainty. She is much different from her sister, except in looks. She just had her 9 month check up and is 17 pounds, 27 inches, wears newborn and 3-6 month clothing which is opposite of Tea. She loves her big sis and her big sis is really starting to love her. Oh and she loves her real food. She has always hated drinking her food and is loving the big kid stuff. However, it's difficult for her to eat since she has yet to produce teeth, all in due time.

Her favorites right now:

Baths, swimming, always being at home (seriously, she is a major homebody), walks, Oreos.

Hates:

being scared, loud noises, sleeping :), grass, being alone

Fight for Preemies

Today is National Fight for Preemies day. I never thought I would be personally affected by something that has a "day". I've participated in other people's "days" but it's eyeopening to have my own "day". Though my preemie was very healthy and mostly struggled only with eating it is still scary and there are many more out there who aren't as healthy as she was/is. So today I celebrate Preemie Awareness.

I don't think I've mentioned this (I guess I could read my blog posts to find out) but one thing that I have to express thanks for that I haven't and apologize for at the same time is the wonderful people who donate items to the NICU. There are so many wonderful things about the NICU but I want to focus on this for now. When I was in Young Women's (teenager group for my church) I was the first to complain about making blankets and burp cloths for Primary Childrens or other places. I thought it was boring, pointless, and a waste of time. But I have to tell you, being on the other side of the coin was a major wake up call. I walked into Charlotte's room one day to find several gifts. She had received a gorgeous blanket that looked so professionally done and was more than a blanket it was more like a quilt for her bed. She also got a burp cloth and a little toy from a family who lost their little boy a year ago. What a shock. It meant so much to me to have a little gift from a complete stranger. I will never complain if asked to help make a blanket for a family who is going through the unthinkable. I know it's little but it really meant so much to me. She will always have that blanket and I can't wait to tell her about some sweet person who took their time to make it.

So basically, donations don't always have to be in the form of money, your time and talents mean just as much. I hope that if I'm ever in Young Womens again one day or in another group that often does those things that I can tell them my story and how important it is to do those little acts of kindness and have them really get it.

Birth announcement

Here is what I did for a birth announcement. I am going to frame it and hang it in Charlotte's room. What a sweet girl. It's on white background so it's little difficult to get a good feel of it on here since my background is white too but you get the idea :)

Dancing

One of the young women in our ward is on the Charlonian team at Jordan (the drill team). They do Jr. Chars (I think that's what it's called) at one of the football games where a bunch of kids between 3 and some other age learn a dance and dance at half time. Tea went. During practices you would think it would be a train wreck with her. She didn't practice, she was in her own world and she kept going and standing and dancing by the teachers. Oh well she was having fun....then the night came and she did fantastic. Once she saw that crowd she came alive. On the way off the field she got in front of everyone and was waving to the crowd and smiling from ear to ear. She loves an audience. She is so opposite of me. She is shy until she realizes her voice will be projected over a microphone or she will be in front of hundreds dancing. I can't do that. I'm much better close up. Here's some pictures of our little star!

Eating the popsicle after.

Here's her leaving the field soaking in all the attention.

What a star!!


Her cute little group.

My girls

Greg is obviously the photographer of the family but here is my attempt at it. I really need to take a class. I do love my girls though!!!






Greg is obviously the photographer of the family but here is my attempt at it. I really need to take a class. I do love my girls though!!!

The Due Date

Yesterday was Charlotte's due date. How is it that I have a seven week old on her due date?! I can't believe that A) she is that old and B) eight weeks ago I was given some of the worst news I've had in a long time. I know it's weird but the memories of the hospital will haunt me forever. The smell of the soap that I had to scrub with every time I went to see her, the sound of the monitors, not being able to hold her, wires coming out of her mouth nose and arms. It's crazy how that impacted me so much even though she was a healthy baby. I don't know how I'd handle it if she were sick. I still can't believe that a baby born that early (which in reality is not early compared to others, they've had 15oz babies there and they have survived) can be so healthy and do so well.

On a strange topic, it makes my heart break that abortion is allowed at all when you see those tiny little babies fighting to survive and some people in this world don't consider them gestationally human and can therefore kill them. I wish all pro-choicers had to do a mandatory walk through of the NICU to see a tiny baby fighting to live and surviving.

I have found out since having her that my mom, sisters and Greg were practically planning my funeral as I sat in the hospital. I'm glad they waited to tell me that. I didn't realize how sick I was until I started feeling better. Unfortunately, I'm still not 100%, I'm still pumping out the protein. Thankfully my blood pressure has come down so that is a good sign. Really I am thankful that everything went the way it did. I have a gorgeous healthy little girl, I'm pretty healthy and Greg and Tea are doing great.

I have never been so emotional in my life. This little girl has done it. She has made me a softy. I'm even liking people I rarely liked before and crying over dumb shows like Undercover Boss. Seriously, what is going on, I would maybe cry at funerals before her. I guess almost dying (maybe not that bad, but I felt awful) and having a tiny little baby lay alone in a hospital bed has thrown my hormones for a loop.



We joke that Charlotte came early because she wanted to be with her cousins. She had three come before her, two within just days before her. This is a picture of the three born on my side of the family. Jackson was born April Fool's Day, Jamie was born 10 days before Charlotte and then Charlotte. Greg's brother has a little girl that we have yet to meet but can't wait.


And I had to post a picture of Tea because she has been left out both on here, facebook and in real life. She has not done well with it either. For example, she called me scum yesterday. Yes, this adorable little girl said scum to mommy. Oh well, we will survive this somehow.