Monthly Charlotte: Months one and two

As previously promised, like I did with Preston, I'll be taking monthly photos of Charlotte throughout her first year. I love being able to look back at Preston's and see how he grew, changed, and what he had learned to do that month, especially since I did a horrible job of maintaining his baby book (I started filling it out when I was eight months pregnant with Charlotte). It amazing how much can happen in a year. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next 10 months take Charlotte!

Month 1

Weight: 9 lbs, 9 oz

Height: 22 inches
Likes: Her pacifier, car seat and vibrating rocking chair, lights of any kind, and her big progther
Dislikes: Having her picture taken with a giant sticker stuck to her shirt, being cold, and being hungry
Accomplishments: She was deemed the "best baby in the nursery" by the lactation nurse the day after she was born, so that'll be included on her college application one day.

Charlotte turned one month on Thanksgiving day. At her two week old appointment, she weighed 9 pounds 9 ounces. She does not, however, have the Harris head, putting her only in the 50th percentile for head circumference. She's always grunting, switching between sounding like a piglet to a 1920s mobster ("Meh, see! Meh!"). If she were a 1920s mobster, she'd be called Hiccups Hannigan because she's had the hiccups almost every day of her life.

Just arrived//Little sister, big brother//Going home//Preston sharing his pacis//Post-bath cutie//Fun with Preston//So stylish//Four generations

Month 2

Weight: ~11 lbs
Height: ~23 inches
Likes: Baths, firmly grasping people's hair, staring at the ceiling fan, being sung to by her brother
Dislikes: Being taken out of the bath, being hungry, Scott's sneezes
Accomplishments: Charlotte is holding her head up a little better every day. She also goos and coos at us when we talk to her, and we've started getting real smiles (not gassy, dream smiles) out of her this month.

It's crazy how much babies change from the first month to the second. While she still has her monster chubby cheeks (which get kissed at every possible chance), she is a lot more alert and interactive. When she looks at me, it feels like she actually knows who I am rather than seeing me as a food source. She's the easiest baby and the happiest baby. There wasn't much need for adjustment when she came along. She was always supposed to be here and fits right into her little place in our family.

Daddy snuggles//Unimpressed//Christmas morning//Matchy, matchy//Family of four//The baby whisperer//Her first Christmas//Meeting Santa//Ready for church

Hello again

Whoopsy daisy. Looks like I took a bit of a break from blogging. It wasn't because I didn't have much going on. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I had too much happening and not enough time, energy or motivation, really, to blog it. But I plan on resolving that posthaste.

So, allow me to catch you up with what's been happening.

When last we spoke, I was pretty pregnant. There is no photographic evidence of this, which is no accident. I felt so cow-like this time around, I didn't want any photos taken. I kind of regret that now, especially for Charlotte's sake. If ever she wants to know what I looked like pregnant with her, she'll just have to picture my face on a blimp. That's pretty accurate.

However, it's too late for pregnancy pictures now because in October, the little lady arrived.

Our family went from three to four with the birth of sweet Charlotte. And life is grand.

We're slowly figuring out this "two kids" business and loving watching them get to know each other.

We've also celebrated seven years of marriage ...

... and Christmas.

Poor Preston got sick in the midst of all that.

And suddenly two months had passed. (More on that later. I can't drop the ball on doing monthly updates on Charlotte like I did with Preston. Then she'd really have a second child complex.)

Things are wonderful, busy and a little more spit-up covered, but we're so happy and slightly sleepy. It's a good little life we're living.