Happy Half Birthday!

Charlotte,
Happy half birthday! You love to explore and really embrace every day. Going to an adult football party this past weekend, I wondered out loud if you'd be bored. Dada said "She's never, ever been bored." He's so right. Here's a few updates on your busy life.

-You have made new friends in our new town! When you woke up this morning, you said "Dada?" and I told you he was at work. Immediately you then asked "Joseph?" who is your new little buddy. Unfortunately, he wasn't available to play at 7:30 AM.

-You impressed the doctor at your 18 month appointment with your verbal skills. She says you're on par with a 2 year old. Yesterday, you said "Swing Charlotte" to tell me that you were on the swing. You also frequently say "____ go?" to ask where something went.

-You are in love with transportation. Airplanes, helicopters, and fire trucks are your favorites. We live less than 2 miles from an airport and less than 2 blocks from a fire station. This may have contributed to the new obsession.

-You continue to eat everything. Your favorite food is still noodles and you even know how to prepare them now. Last night, you took out a pot and lid and declared it time to make dinner. You often pull out the colander and say "noodles!" when asked what we should have to eat.

-You now wear underwear all day when you're awake. You are doing a fantastic job with potty training! You even used a public potty this morning. As soon as you're finished, you cheer for yourself, then yell "Candy!" to demand your reward. Thankfully a few colored sprinkles satisfies you.

-You have a funny habit now of saying "More" for things that are completely out of Mommy and Daddy's control. Examples include airplanes, trains, fire trucks, babies (though we're working on that one), and dogs going for walks around the neighborhood.

-You are a very snuggly girl and you often run over and say "Mama!" and nuzzle your head up against me. It's the best.

What a big girl you've become. I can't wait to see how you grow and change in the upcoming months.

Lots and lots of love,
Mama

Smelling the flowers

"Playground? Playground? Please?"

32 Weeks down, 8 (or maybe 6?) to go...

There's no way to pretend it's not happening soon. There will be two children in this house in less than two months. On some days, I am elated with joy. On others, I'm overcome with fear. How crazy will it get? Will both children get the love and attention they need and deserve? How will this affect my relationship with Matt? When will normalcy return? What will normal look like with a toddler and a newborn?

I have 8 weeks until my due date. If Baby comes early, like Charlotte did, that's 6 more weeks of pregnancy. If my blood pressure starts to rise like in the last pregnancy, that's 4 more weeks until bedrest. It's time to start preparing.

Apple Picking

We were supposed to spend last weekend in VA Beach but canceled since Charlotte had a cold. We (read: I) decided Saturday would be a great day to go apple picking since the forecast was 72 and partly cloudy. I got everything ready Friday night, including directions to a Cracker Barrel on the way. We hopped in the car as soon as Charlotte woke up and were on our way. About 15 minutes into the drive, it started to sprinkle. I continued to check the forecast on my phone which said it'd be dry at the orchard. We enjoyed a fall themed breakfast, then drove through light rain towards the orchard. The weather only got worse as we got farther from home. Having spent an hour in the car already, we weren't going to just turn around. Ultimately, we took our sick toddler out to pick apples (that weren't even ripe yet) in rainy 57 degree weather. Whoops! You'll see from the pictures that Charlotte didn't mind.

First day of school!

Carrying her lunch and backpack

Charlotte grabbed her back pack and lunch box this morning and said "Byebye!" We have been to her school a few times this month to check out the playground and to meet her classmates. Last night, I said "You're going to school tomorrow!" and she replied "School! Kids! Toys! Playground!" She knew exactly what to expect.

We took many pictures on our front porch and I thought it'd be great to get a picture of her going into her classroom for the first time. It took longer for the camera to flash than for Charlotte to disappear into the sea of toys. The teachers reported that she had a fantastic day and loved playing with the baby dolls, the kitchen, bubbles and the slide outside. They also said Charlotte put a baby doll in a push toy and took her around the room. This is Charlotte's favorite thing to do at home, so it's great to hear she was "at home" at school.

On the ride home from school, I reviewed the kids' names in her class. Charlotte helped me out by saying "Ms Anna" and "Ms Elizabeth" (in her way) even before I could say them. One day...the kid's already a pro! Just a few minutes later, Charlotte was saying "Night night." :) Having fun is exhausting! What a great first day!!

Before we even got to the car, she took
her name tag off of her lunchbox

In the school parking lot. There are a lot of
distractions between the car and the classroom

In the entry way. She even wore her backpack
on her back (not as a purse) for the walk inside

This was supposed to the be the picture of her walking
into the classroom. It took 2 seconds for her to find the babies

Pick up time! Could she BE any happier?? I am so proud!
Honestly, I was closer to crying at pick up than drop off. Is that bad?