Thursday, December 30, 2010

Week 37 - Charlotte crawls!

Things are a bit crazy at Casa Drake as we are staying in a hotel in Madison and I cannot find my camera cord (bleh).  More later as I can get things situated - but had a great Christmas!

Ok - am back.  Besides her 2 front teeth - all Charlotte got for Christmas was her front crawling!  Yeah!  (ok she got a slew of other things too).  We are happy she learned how to lift her little booty.  PTL.  She also is pulling herself up on her own (as of last Thursday) which makes her tres dangerous for our subsequent return to non-child-proofed Casa Drake Singapore. 

There are some videos I have uploaded that I haven't put online because I don't have a consistent internet connection.  More to come on that (including some crawling videos!)

Here are some photos to tide you over....

Here is a cute pic of Aunt Perl's awesome sweater she knitted for Charlotte a year ago Thanksgiving.  It fits like a glove:

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Father and daughter nap:
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Aunt Becky and Charlotte at Grandma Burk's:


Great Aunt Dixie helping Charlotte unwrap her first gifts:
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Grandma Burk with a bow in her hair:


Charlotte and Brooks in Brooks' new car (hers is the pink one behind):
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"Hey Mom - look at me!  Devil on the highway..."


One more - for cute measure:


Santa pays us a visit:
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Charlotte with Santa and her 2nd cousins:
 

Charlotte opening gifts with Daddy at Grandma Kathy's:


Charlotte's first snow!
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Charlotte and her aunties at TGI Fridays in Madison:


Charlotte with Aunt Laurie at 2510 in Wausau:


Charlotte bundled up for a day out in Wisconsin:

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Week 36 - Sleepyheads

There has been little sleep in the Drake house as Charlotte has rebelled against this whole time zone change/cold weather business.  Nary a night that she is asleep before one in the morning.  Plus we are co-sleeping as we think she is cold on her own in her pack and play.  And she is the nosiest sleeper in the family which of course contributes to less sleep overall and a general sense of delirium.

Not to mention that I have woken up at 4 or 5 in the morning for the last 4 days.

We were rerouted on our plane ride and ended up in Madison instead of Wausau (and Charlotte completed her 16th flight run).  Matt's dad graciously picked us up for a 4 hour return trip.  Yikes!  That airport in Madison is really nice - very Frank Lloyd Wright inspired.  We are lucky that Charlotte complied.

In happier news, Charlotte has pulled herself up by herself!  Once on an ottoman and a few times on the fireplace.

Sorry - still way to tired to write something longer.


Here is Charlotte with Reva at the delish Cafe Sunflower in Atlanta:
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Charlotte asleep on Flight leg 15 en route to Chicago:


Charlotte in a cool new hat from Grandma Kathy:


Charlotte with Grandpa:

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Week 35 - 8 months old

Hello - posting will be brief.  Freezing my tail off in ATL visiting family here.  Charlotte is windburned and is not so into going outside here.  It is 15 degrees or so F. 

We are in day 3 of baby jet lag hell.  We slept till 1PM yesterday - whoops.  This could be funner.

Matt said that Charlotte crawled forward in O'Hare - and I missed it as I was cleaning bottles in the bathroom. 

Pictures please!
Charlotte in a cute Donald Duck hat:
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In a cute onesie from Jeong-A:


Eight month Gwen impresses:


Charlotte's take:


Charlotte's shirt says "Made in Singapore" from Uncle Rob:


At the Hyatt pool with Joe F:


Charlotte acts out her shirt that says "Tantrums are so last year":


Tongue toggle:


Bundled up in Atlanta:


Reunited with Grandma:


Pensive in Ava's high chair:


Snug as a bug on Auntie:

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Week 34 - Sleeplessness and then some sleep and maybe some crawling too

My world is all about sleep.  The weekend was horrendous sleep - Charlotte was up 3 times each night (and I was sick over the weekend - so Matt was taking care of all of the women in the family).  Wow - that sucketh much.  My friend Ling suggested we feed her more - so we have a couple of days mostly for dinner- and it seems to have worked!  We were serving about a third of a cup and now we are feeding about a full cup in one sitting.  Charlotte is also down a bottle (or so) of Alimentum per day which is also tres bien as that stuff is expensive.  We are crossing our fingers that two days make a trend.

Charlotte is also on the verge of crawling.  I mean, at any given moment, I am sure when we are not looking.  It will happen.  In the meantime she goes from the sitting to crawling position and vice versa.  Then she scoots backwards some.  There is a lot of belly flopping on the floor.  Like I said - on the precipice.

I am finally better - thanks for asking.  I hate being sick.  Too much time inside of my own head is greater detriment than any physical ailment.  It is great to be back among the living.

Here is Charlotte dancing to Nobody - her favorite song besides the ABC's:


Here is Charlotte in the borrowed Jumperoo - she jumps like a Russian ballerina!


DJ Charlotte Moon with her Dad:
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Eating a Dreamworks elephant:


Kind of crawling (or monkey arms like her dad):




Saying Goodbye to Auntie Annie:


"Watcha talkin' 'bout Willis?' returns!


Smiley:


Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Week 33 - Spoke too bloody soon

Ok - all that last week about being able to sleep.  It was a false alarm.  Charlotte got a viral infection shortly after that post.  One that resulted in a grumpy Charlotte and roseola, which was basically a fever for a couple of days (and restlessness for a couple of nights) and then a rash.  All during Thanksgiving!  Charlotte was grumpy, and there is this fear in the back of my mind that she will not recover to her previous smiley ways, and I will be heartbroken.  Luckily she is back to her old unabashedly smiley self - though I wish I could say the same for me.  I caught what she has - some superawful viral infection, complete with throat growths and cold sores.  I have not been this miserable in recent memory.  Eating is such a hassle that I am eating the bare minimum for sustenance - nothing cold and nothing acidic. Yeah, it blows.

Regarding the sleep - she is back to getting up once or twice a night.  I would like to tell you that this is the part I love - but I would be lying.  This is the part I endure.  One painful arthritic step at a time.

Aside from this - Julia, Thomas, and Em were here for Thanksgiving.  We all had a hand in making the sides but we outsourced the turkey which was great!  Definitely recommended for future gatherings (particularly in the tropics).  We even ate outside!  It was idyllic.  I need to get the pix from Julia (I was a bit wiped out on Thanksgiving (er, Saturday) night...

Here are the pix I do have:

Extreme close up:
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Ok ok another Bucky shot.  But so cool (focused tongue):


"Say what?"


Uncle Em Returns.  Much to poor Bucky's delight:


Charlotte tries to muster a smile with Uncle Em (while sick):


Cranberry sauce in the making:
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Charlotte's first (slightly melancholy) Thanksgiving.  At least she liked the turkey puree!


Cheeky little bugger:


Contemplative little bugger:


A rare happy tummy time (I think crawling is on the horizon!):


Sit up success (she arrived at this position while starting out at tummy time today.  Not during this photo but sometime today!):


Obligatory Toby hair-touch shot:



Way cool Korean mats to sit on.  With her flower power pals Lilith and Gwen:




Charlotte showing off the mat: