Call 911!

Charlie Kate turned 9 months old, had her 1^st Christmas, and celebrated her 1^st New Year!

Our baby is vastly becoming a toddler!  I know my title is a bit corny, but I feel as though we are in a state of emergency!  We have to find a way to keep her small and immobile!  Of course I’m kidding, but I will miss this “little” age.  I do look forward to the milestones ahead.  I’m especially excited to hear her speaking words to explain what she is thinking.  I just know that she has hilarious jokes and profound thoughts that can only be expressed through silly facial expressions, noises, and squeals. 

Look at my top teeth!

Charlie Kate Loves Patty-Cake

This last month and a half she has began to stand for long periods of time without props!  She is playing patty cake ALL of the time!  She challenges herself to stand without help and clap.  She will clap and clap until she loses balance.  She has two of the cutest little top teeth now, so that makes four teeth total.  She loves knocking down towers we build with blocks or cups… She laughs and scrunches up waiting to be tickledJ.  We are trying all kinds of food, and have experienced some enormously stinky diapers, yucky!  She is giving really slobbery kisses and patting my back when she hugs me…Sweetest thing ever!  We are just now transitioning to 12 month clothes.  She naps twice a day and plays so hard the rest of the day. 

Alex and Charlie Kate love the dresses Grandma made them!

Charlie Kate Loves Wrapping Paper

        Charlie Kate’s first Christmas was such fun!  We had several Christmas’s to attend with our extended family. It started in Birmingham with my dad’s side of the family.  Charlie Kate slept through Santa, but woke in time to play with Trip.  We travelled back home to have Christmas with Nana and Poppa’s crew.  On Christmas Eve we had family time at home that morning and went to Jon’s Maw Maw’s. Christmas morning Jon manned our new Christmas camera as Charlie Kate watched me open her gifts.  She finally got into it when she figured out that it was okay to rip the paper.  We were off to Katy’s for brunch for my immediate family Christmas.  Grandma helped Charlie Kate open gifts, and again she was all about the paper!  The rest of the day she carried wrapping paper and Christmas bows around :).     

"I LOVE SANTA!"

"Christmas makes me tired"

\

Silly

She wants to put everything in her mouth

:)

Christmas Challenge

Several of our friends have gotten together on the issue of competing with all of the HUGE Christmas’s that kids have.  We, for one, can’t afford it financially, but also can’t afford it consciously.  We are going to try very hard to stick to getting Charlie Kate reasonable gifts, and really include her in the giving of gifts.  We would like to hear from you if you have a neat way of doing Christmas with your kids to ensure that they don’t develop a high expectation or sense of entitlement. 

She loves her daddy

Trip just kissed her! Sweet!

Ava is her buddy

Nana loving on Charlie Kate at Maw Maw's

Big Mama and Charlie Kate

Love this face

Christmas morning

She likes the bows the best

Grandma helping Charlie Kate open presents

This is what happens when Nahoko watches Charlie Kate!  So funny!

Happy 2013!

        We had a blast with Lee, Magen, and baby Sam Medley; Adam, Ashley, and Gracie Rutledge; and Eric, Melissa, and baby Molly Morris.  Lee and Magen hosted a spend-the- night party!  “Who says adult can’t have sleep overs?” was Lee’s argument.  So we did, and it was great! The kids played and played until it was bed time.  Then we all put them to sleep in our pack-n-plays.  The adults stayed up, talked, snacked, and played games to bring in the New Year.  It was so much fun! 

We are starting our 2013 celebrating our gifts from God, and are striving to better ourselves as we live by His example.  We wish you a great 2013!