572 days old

This age is so much fun, I just want to bottle it up and keep it forever. Charlie is so much fun and I really do want to remember it forever. I thought I'd share it and document it here.

Age: Almost 19 months

Clothes: Still in 9-12 months but I think we'll make the switch to 12-18 in the next week or so. She is such a little peanut!

Favorite Foods: Cookies! I really created a monster over Christmas with all of our baking. It's like she's always listening for the cookie jar to open and whenever she hear it (even if I think I'm being SUPER quiet) she not just drops whatever she is playing with but throws it down and comes running with her hand up in the air. Also, several times a week she walks to the corner of the kitchen where the cookie jar is with her arm up and her hand curved ready to dip into the jar. She also enjoys beans and rice with salsa, white chili, grapes, blackberries, croutons and anything I'm eating. But only if she can feed herself. I am not allowed to help her AT ALL anymore.

Favorite Words: She doesn't talk a whole lot yet, especially around other people, but she says "hey!" "Mom" "da" "do" -dog, "do"-don't she says this when she's doing something she's not supposed to do, and oh, how could I forget, her favorite word of all time is "no" and "no mom"- Especially when I tell her its time for bed

Favorite Activities: Taking all the books of her shelf and reading them to herself. She insists on helping me cook in the kitchen and loves to sit on the counter. We spend hours on bath time and I practically have to drag her out of an icy cold tub every night.She LOVES to put her doll in her stroller and push them around. She loves walking around outside and collecting rocks, but she's also the biggest girly girl- she brushes her hair (and mine and dads) and carries a purse around- in fact today she grabbed my phone put it in my purse, waved goodbye to me and walked to the door. SO independent! She puts on her own necklaces and headbands and sits on the bathroom rug every morning to watch me get ready.

Favorite Things: Her play kitchen, rocking chair, chalkboard table, doll stroller. She also loves my wallet. And she goes crazy for The Wiggles.

Signature Moves: Dancing. All. The. Time. She loves to move and groove. We went to a friends going away party last weekend and there was a dancing game going on where everyone stood in a circle and Charlie made her way to the center of the circle and shook her booty with the grown ups. I'm shocked and inspired and oh so proud of her confidence. She also loves to give hugs, they are the best hugs ever. And she loves to give kisses to a few of her favorite dolls and she frequently brings them to me to give kisses.

Least Favorites: Sleeping and going to sleep. The last few weeks have been filled with late nights that are followed by much restlessness. She fights going down like the plague and hates sleeping without me next to her. When I say "okay Charlie, time for night, night" she immediately begins her struggle to get out if my arms screaming "no mom! No mom!"

Other Milestones: Like I mentioned before she is really into feeding herself. Mom and Dad are not allowed to help at all or a major meltdown ensues. Usually only about half to food makes it into her month but she is determined!

She let me paint her toenails this month and sat ever so patiently while they dried. It was the cutest thing ever.

Other than this sleeping struggle, she truly is the best, funniest, most bright and caring baby ever. I love everything about her personality and am so excited for all the new things to come.

Here's to 2014

I know this is such a late post but it's been sitting half written for about a month now and I decided I needed to finish it.. 

I suppose it is that time of year that I should reflect on the happenings of 2013.

So much has happened this year. So much change, some of it has been so good and some of it has brought tears. It's been a happy year and a hard year and I have grown so much from it all. As a mother, as a wife and as a person. But perhaps that's just the story as we grow older.

This year we traveled, we loved, we fought, we grew. I am so excited for 2014 and all the joy and even sadness it might bring. (Wait a second, did she just say she's excited for sadness?!) I know, you must think I am crazy. But I really do feel like the sad times we have make our happy times so much happier and makes us appreciate them so much more. So, here's to a New Year. Here's to finishing things I start. Here's to remembering Charlie is a baby, and its okay for her to make messes. Here's to going on more dates with my husband. Here's to being patient with him. Here's to staying positive. Here's to embracing even the moments that I want to fast forward- because I am learning that every moment should be celebrated since life just goes by too quickly. Here's to trying something new. Here's to letting Charlie stir the flour even though I know half of it will end up on the counter. Here's to dancing like nobody's watching. Here's to new projects. Here's to being grateful for what we have. Here's to skipping the dishes and snuggling with my girl- who is getting big wayyy to fast! 

 (She was so excited to have her toenails painted and sat ever so patiently while they dried-- see what I mean about her growing up too quickly?!)

Happy 2014! 

Merry and Thankful

I am feeling especially grateful this holiday season for my family. I have the best husband ever who works so hard everyday and comes home to a house that's usually messy and lately, due to a nap strike, a grumpy baby (which, lets be honest.. equals grumpy wife) and he still puts up with it all and usually has a smile on his face. 

And Charlotte.. Even through her teething tantrums and somehow sneaking her way right into the middle of our bed most nights and even though she has the need to smoosh pears into the carpet and crunch cheesy crackers over any freshly vacuumed area I can't get enough of her. I still miss her when she goes to sleep. She is the most kind baby ever and already has the need to nurture everyone. She loves to help, and she is so good at sharing. I love watching the little girl she is becoming, there is no other way I would want to spend my days! I am so proud to be her mama.

On Christmas Eve we went to see Santa.

Safe to say she's not too excited about him. 

Christmas morning was the best ever. Charlie was super excited about her Santa gifts and not really into opening anything from us.

I think these holidays will just get better and better!