Eight Months

Happy Eight Months, Sweet Caroline!

 


In this month...

• you learned to sit up all by yourself
• you started crawling — everywhere
• you taught yourself to pull up
• you were sick again and your fever spiked to 103.4
• you had an xray which showed the start of bronchitis + received a shot of antibiotics
• you experienced ear infection number four (on to the ENT we go!)
• you have a new found love for the Sakura Bloom (you had a love/hate for it before)
• you enjoyed your absolute favorites — peas, corn and pears
• you are now in size three diapers (we LOVE The Honest Company!)
• you sported your first pair of blue jeans
• you LOVE standing up in your crib
• you still have not conquered the kitchen step 

Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03 | Month 04 | Month 05 | Month 06 | Month 07

Seven Months

Happy Seven Months, Sweet Caroline!

 


This was a crazy month chock full of "firsts"! In this month...

• you enjoyed your first fruit - pears
• you can't get enough of watching Daisy + Chopper play around
• you experienced not only your first ear infection, but three total
• you flew on an airplane for the first time
• you experienced all that is Pennsylvania for the first time
• you were christened
• you have learned to scream bloody murder when you are mad
• you learned to pull your socks off and "munch" on them
• you learned to sit all by yourself, no props
• you had your first major poo blowout in the airport parking lot
• you learned to get up on your hands and knees, rock back and forth and "rev" your engine
• you decided to dislike augmentin (I don't blame you) mid-way through treatment
• you have learned to cry when someone leaves the room
• you went trick or treating for the first time  

PS - Clearly, it took a little while, but Mama finally sent out your birth announcements!

Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03 | Month 04 | Month 05 | Month 06

Six Months

Happy Six Months, Sweet Caroline!

 


In this month...

• you have been working so hard on sitting by yourself (you're almost there!)
• you love your hand-me-down toys from Big Sis, especially the stackable cups
• you have completely outgrown the Puj tub
• you can't get enough of splashing water all over the place in your new tub
• you ate your first "real" food - oatmeal
• you love tummy time
• you enjoy hanging out in your exersaucer for longer periods of time
 

Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03 | Month 04 |  Month 05

A Few Of Our Favorite Things

 

Charlotte
• Calls her sister Carolin-a
• Immediately drops what she is doing when she hears Caroline cry
• Her skinny little legs poking out of her uniform skirts
• Soccer #10, just like Daddy
• Obsessed with pockets and rocks
• Pronunciation; th = f (fee-ATE-er), ch = sh (shock-O-late)

  

Caroline
• Makes the tiniest fist and rubs her eyes when tired
• She fits into my chest like a little puzzle piece
• Becoming a little shy
• Has a sudden interest in solo cups
• Quite a little blondie, hair is like chick fuzz
• Amazed at the flash of a camera (see above)

After Learning About "Culture" At School...

Five Months

Happy Five Months, Sweet Caroline!

 
 

In this month...

• you have definitely accomplished rolling both sides, tummy to back and back to tummy
• you are now in 6 month plus jammies
• you love to look at the blue light of your white noise machine in the wee hours of the morning
• you enjoy scream talking and are making more pronounced sounds
• you absolutely detest your Bumbo
• you have taken an active interest in watching Daisy + Chopper
• you love to turn and watch where we are walking when being held
• you see something of interest and move towards it
• you watch your big sister like a hawk and giggle at most anything she does

Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03 | Month 04 

Fernbank

A good time was had by all and we each learned a little something new too!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Lazy Sunday Morning

Pre-K

Happy first day of Pre-K, Charlie!

I've tried and tried to barter with Charlotte."Can't you stop growing now, Charlie," I always ask. To which I always hear, "Come on, Mama. You know I can't stop growing. I eat and I grow. That's how it works!" Regardless, little lady, we can't wait until your return home today so we can learn all about your new teacher, classroom and everything you'll be learning this next year!

 
 

It's so much easier having school uniforms - dragging of the feet, yes, but (mostly) no more morning arguments!  

Four Months

Happy Four Months, Sweet Caroline!

 


What another incredible month, little lady! I really planned for your monthly photos to have the same back drop, look and feel, but last month we were at the beach and then the picture up above happened and I just couldn't resist - this picture captures you like no other 'posed' photo possibly could!

In this month...

• you really like to hold my finger while nursing
• you have started to roll over (from back to tummy, left side only) - Vesa says you can roll from tummy to back and from back to tummy, but we have yet to see
• your eyes are still a piercing blue
• you went from the SwaddleMe to the SleepSack - you're now completely arms free
• you love to sit up on our laps and take everything in
• you like to hold on to shirt collars
• you intentionally reach for everything that interests you
• you are almost too big for the PUJ tub
• you are loving the Bumbo
• you really enjoy your Little Taggies blanket and light up when Sophie makes an appearance
• you are OBSESSED with your fingers and they're always in your mouth 
• you are in the 55th percentile for weight and the 35th percentile for height

Month 01 | Month 02 | Month 03

Instagram

A happy little swimmer.

 

Sister love.

 

New light in the kitchen.

 

Patiently waiting for Mommy and Daddy to get their sh*t together to go next door to swim.

 

Momma feet and baby feet.

 

My girls.

Still Smitten

I must confess — I am STILL utterly smitten with Mr. Young. I would shout it from the roof top if I could, but honestly that would make me a little too dizzy and woozy; I'll just settle for shouting from my chair, here in the home office. We just celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary and I truly cannot wait to see what fun the next ten years will bring. Happy anniversary, darlin!

Three Months

Happy Three Months, Sweet Caroline!

 
 
 


This past month, I went back to work (June 6th to be exact); quite a bittersweet time. I find myself missing our spur of the moment naps and the hours of just being able to hold you in my arms.

In this time...

• you have started to giggle
• your three month jammies are being stretched to their limits
• you love to be talked to - you squeal and gurgle in reply
• you have found both of your hands
• you have "coffee" with Vesa every morning
• you switched from the Pod to a SwaddleMe (it's like opening a Christmas present every morning)
• your eyes light up when we walk into your room
• you hold your head real steady
• you got your toes wet in the ocean for the first time

Month 01 | Month 02

A Few Of Our Favorite Things

 

Charlotte 
• When she walks in to a room and asks, "Whatcha doin?,"  like Isabella from Phinneas and Ferb
• Has a mean backstroke
• How she sings to Caroline
• Always asks us to play the "commercial song," "Crazy Train," in the car
• Always wants to go to the grocery store for a free cookie even if we don't need anything else
• She sits with her legs crossed, like a little lady
• Loves to fist pump when a good song comes on the radio; she'll say, "Pump it up, Mama!"
• Friends next door
• Taking walks with her "Americans" (American Girl dolls) in their new stroller
• Loves to play "I Spy"

 

Caroline 
• Her smell; it's intoxicating
• How mesmerized she is by "Mr. Sunshine"
• Pterodactyl screeches, grunts
• You can find her catching flies quite often while napping
• How strong her neck has become
• Finally figured out how to get one arm out of her pod while sleeping
• Loves to chew on her right hand
• The changing table is now her "happy place"
• Floating in the tub

Storytime

After running her bath water, I walked into Charlotte's room. This is what I found...

 

Happy Father's Day

There could never be a better Daddy for my girls. Biased? Of course. Spoiled much? Why yes, yes we are. Thankful? You have no idea. To show our love this year Charlotte drew Stevens a family portrait, I printed a banner on Post-It notes (tutorial here), we gifted him new grill gear and then, after a full round of golf, headed on to Sapporo.

Happy Father's Day, darlin!

 
 

What Happens When...

...your four-year-old gets ahold of the camera...

 
 
 

On My First Day Back To Work...