Spring!

Hi Cuties,
Spring is here and Charlie and I couldn't be happier (if happy means fussy and crying a lot, that is).  We've been going on lots of long walks and fully taking advantage of the weather.  I feel so lucky that the weather has been so nice during my maternity leave.  Any other time, I'd be lucky to get out for a quick walk at lunch so it feels truly luxurious to really be able to enjoy the day outside.  
Tonight, I am (hopefully) escaping a bit to go see Hunger Games!  I am excited to see the movie and spend time with my sisters, yet a little worried that I will fall asleep.  I'm so tired.
This weekend, we'll be taking it easy and enjoying having a little bit more of daddy around.  The mister and I need to sit down and get our lives in order now that Charlie has taken over.  Wish us luck!
xo,
C

Fun Onesies

Check out these adorable onesies our friends sent us!  Charlie will be so stylin'.  When Charlie first came home, he was so tiny, none of his clothes fit and he was constantly scratching his face so he pretty much lived in white long sleeve tshirts with built-in mittens.  Now that he is getting a little bigger, we are having so much fun getting him dressed in the morning (and in the afternoon when he inevitably pees or spits up on himself.)  
xo,
C

Weekend Warriors

when daddy is home, mommy gets to be in the pictures!

Hi Cuties,
Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.  Never did I imagine that I would look forward to weekends this much when I am not even working.  I figured all the days would blend together and I'd be like "what, it's Saturday?, I thought it was Tuesday."  But no, 'tis not the case because I have never so eagerly anticipated a Friday night as I do now.  I love Charlie and I am so glad to have this alone time to spend with him but I have come to cherish every moment of family time (aka when daddy is home.)  When daddy is home it is really starting to feel like we are getting in the swing of being our own little family.  We take walks to the park and run errands, visit with friends and family, coo over the cuteness of Charlie and his little outfits, and even are able to laugh through some of the more challenging moments (pee everywhere, Charlie's varying degrees of indignant crying, how his eyes pop open in wide awakefulness the second we put him in his bassinet.  HA, laugh I tell you!)  Charlie always cries through these challenging moments and to be honest, during the week, sometimes so does mommy.  
The heartbreaking part is to think about how much more I'll cherish the weekends in just a few weeks when I return to work.  We'll need to make every moment count because I know how quickly the time will pass.  While it's sad to think about less time with Charlie, it's nice to realize just how full our lives have become and just how special every minute together is.  
This week, Charlie and I will be spending a lot of time outside enjoying the nice weather.  Should be a good one.
xo,
C

Family Night Out

Hi Cuties,
Tonight the mister and I went out to dinner with Charlie and we even had drinks.  Yes, it was a monumental occasion. The mister got out of work a little early and it was so nice out so we took Charlie for a walk and found a place where we could park the stroller and eat outside.  Babies seem to be the norm in this neighborhood so it was actually pretty painless.  I can't tell you how happy this night made us.  And yes, we did make it to Old Navy today and Charlie has about ten new onesies to prove it.
xo,
C

Charlie wore his new hat for the occasion. 

Drinks! 

Table for three?

My date.  One of my dates :)

Walk to the Doctor's

Hi Cuties,
This morning was one of those mornings that you can only imagine before you have a kid.  Charlie was up all night again last night and I was feeling a little, uh, fatigued this morning.  The mister sat with Charlie for an hour before leaving for work and delivered him to me around 9AM with a shrug.  "Very fussy this morning."  Having used my hour for sleep, I was stupidly optimistic that I would find the time to shower sometime before our 12:45PM doctor appointment. Wrong!  Charlie usually naps for a bit in the morning, but not today.  Today was reserved for inconsolable crying and spitting up and both mommy and baby were feeling like a MESS.  There is nothing more frustrating and heartbreaking than a miserable baby. I wish he could tell me what was wrong!  Something, clearly something was wrong, but what?  The minutes ticked by and I started to realize that neither of us were in any kind of shape to face the world.  Around noon I abandoned the idea of showering and just focused on getting Charlie's pants on him.  A view into Charlie's nursery would have shown the tragic scene of mommy getting Charlie ready for the walk to the doctor.  Sad mommy standing over the changing table gulping out a shaky rendition of "Sunshine Day" while trying to pull baby's little sweatpants on, tears all around, of course.  Yikes.  Once we actually went for our "walk outside" Charlie settled down.  I certainly looked like crap but I suppose that only gives credence to the "new mommy" title. I guess it is important to rock the unshowered look as a badge of honor but I kept flash forwarding to my inevitable intervention from Stacy and Clinton.  "I've just been so focused on being a mommy, I guess I've put my own style on the back burner" I'll wail, as I take in the secret footage of my walk to the doctor in day-old leggings and a Britney Spears-type ponytail mess on my head.  
Tomorrow is another day though.  Tomorrow, mommy and Charlie have no obligations, just the hope of a walk to Old Navy to shop for onesies.  And if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.
xo,
C

A Day in the Life of Charlie

Hi Cuties,
Charlie's life is simple so far, yet the days usually go by pretty quickly and are broken up into caring for Charlie and trying to cram in other things when Charlie deigns to sit in his bouncy chair for a 15 minute stretch.  I worry that these days are going by too quickly and he has so much living and growing to do before I'll be ready to leave him for the day.  Also, there's that minor detail of figuring out where we are going to leave him while we are at work.  Details, details, I'm sure it will all work itself out.  
Enjoy the window into Charlie's typical day below, in his own words, of course.  (or you can follow him on twitter @littlemrcharlie for consta-updates.)


xo,
C

12:01 AM - 5 AM
A blur of feedings and waking up every hour.  I hate to sleep in my bassinet!  I only like to stay awake all night with mommy and daddy.

5AM - 8AM
Mommy relents and lets me sleep on her chest for a few hours where I can get nice and comfy.

8AM - 9AM
I sit with daddy while he drinks his coffee and he feeds me a supplemental bottle.  Breast is best but I sure do love my formula bottles.  Gulp, gulp, gulp!

9AM
Mommy gives me a bath and picks out something cute for me to wear.

10AM
I take a little nap in my bouncy seat.  

1PM
I peed all over myself so mommy puts on a new outfit.

2PM
Tummy time on my giraffe!

2:30 PM
We go for a walk to the park.  I like to sleep in my stroller.

4:00 PM
Witching hour!  I cry and cry and root around like crazy.

7:00 PM
Yay! Daddy's home!  He changes my diaper and gives me bottles and plays with me to give mommy a rest after a long day.

10:00 PM
"Bed time"  Sometimes mommy and daddy bring me into the bed with them and try to coax me to sleep but I am wide awake!

Early Days

Charlie out for a walk with Daddy

Hi Cuties,
Sorry things have been so quiet lately.  While the blog has been quiet, it certainly has not been quiet around here.  Lots of crying going on over here.  Charlie is very cute and he sure is a handful!  Today the mister had to go back to work.  Between the two of us, we've been navigating taking care of little Charlie and we don't make it look easy so I am a little nervous to go it alone this week!  Still trying to breastfeed but man, has it been hard, probably one of the hardest things I've ever done and we definitely haven't made it through the woods yet.  Once I have a few minutes, I'll be sharing my thoughts on breastfeeding and putting it all out on the table for your reading pleasure.  Get excited. 
xo,
C