5 months old

I can't believe our Charlie is 5 months old! I am trying to enjoy every stage. He continues to be a great baby. He is also a baby who knows what he wants. I pray that this trait will be used for good in his future! He lets us know when he is sleepy or hungry. It really does make my job as a mother easier though!

He loves to play on his floor mat on his stomach. He moves his legs, kicks, and scoots backward. I am hoping he won't be an early crawler and that all of this is just fun to him.

Our son is also quite the sleeper at night. Try as I may, I can not get him to stay up much later than 5:30pm! I guess it requires a lot to be so beautiful. We wake him up once for a 10pm feeding and then he goes right back to sleep until 6:30 or 7. We are so thankful. His naps during the day aren't that long, but I guess with all the night sleep it's ok for right now.

I am loving being a mom. Jason loves being a dad. I think we will keep him.

My reflections on 27 and Goals for 28!

So as I laid in bed last night, I began to think about all that has changed in my life over the last year. It was funny to think that the next big birthday milestone I will hit is supposedly 40, but more realistically 65. I had a great year and do not really see how this coming year will be anything less that amazing as well.

Because I was excited by all the good things that happened to me and thought of my top 5 things from the past year.
5) I played the best golf of my life earlier in the year which was fun!
4) I have begun to reshape my closet, my fashion savvy has a long ways to go, but I did get three new suits!
3) I was able to be in Detroit to watch my Tar Heels win the National Championship which was unforgettable, several Heels baseball games, and even took Charlie to the UNC v Miami football game.
2) Speaking of Charlie, well actually his mother who happens to be my best friend and wife, I am so glad that I was able to spend more time with her over the past year. I am beginning to like her!
1) I will never forget having Charlie placed in my arms on August 28, having not slept in nearly 3 days, everything about him was the perfect culmination of anything good that has ever happened to me.

Well with all those things it would also be a mistake if I did not mention the things I hope I do better over the next year, year 28.

5) I really hope to find a contentment in each day that I am given, God willing I will find a way to always be joyous no matter what the situation or circumstance...sometimes I am just too much of a sarcastic pessimist.
4) I really hope that I will be able to begin to teach Charlie the important things of life--God, family, community, and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels!
3) I hope that over the next year I can become more sound when it comes to our financial planning...we are in no way struggling as so many are, but we should be making smarter decisions for the future of our family.
2) I want to love my wife/best friend and our son more each day showing them that they are my most important priority, not my career or anything else for that matter.
1) I want to lead my family to grow in Christ, then they will be able to say that I do love them more than anything else.

27 was pretty good and I know 28 will be great!

2nd Christmas

We celebrated Christmas again in Shelby with Jason's family. Charlie did a great job, although he didn't nap quite as long as he usually would at home. His three older cousins were very interested in him. They just didn't understand why he drooled a lot! I know next year Charlie will be in love with his older cousins! Charlie also got loved on by his great-grandparents and grandparents.

Christmas Pics Part 1

Jason and I had a great first Christmas with Charlie. Here are some of the pictures with my family.
Charlie is now four months old! Here are his newest stats: 11.13lbs (5th%), 23.25inches (10th%). The Doctor did comment on his advanced motor skills, despite his small size. In order to plump him up I am now waking him up to feed him more at night! So much for me getting 8 hours. I know he is doing well and hopefully with two more nightly meals he will fatten up. When he is on his stomach he moves his legs and even pushes his backside up into the air! He loves to talk and smile at us too! His favorite person to talk to is Jason. They carry on some great conversations....about sports I am sure.
I will post more pictures of our trip to visit Jason's family soon!

not the bloopers

Here are some of my favorite from Charlie's 3 month photo shoot!

FYI...the blue blanket was made for Charlie 10 years ago by his great grandmother Helena who passed away in 2000. He would have loved knowing her.

bloopers

Charlie had his second professional photo shoot this week.
Here are some of the bloopers to hold you all over until the I post the cute ones! (I know...he's cute even in the bloopers)
We are hoping to surprise family and friends with Charlie pics for Christmas.

p.s. Charlie is such a wonderful baby! He slept through the night for the first time this week. It was great.

3 months old

Charlie is growing so fast. I can't believe it. He has finally outgrown his newborn clothes. He is such a sweet and fun baby. Here are some of his interests: his hands, standing up (with our help), jumping (again..with our help), smiling, and talking (coo-ing).

This past month Charlie helped the Tarheels score a win against Miami. Too bad he wasn't at the State game. He was great at the game....so much so that he distracted all the people sitting around us. He also watched the Yankees win the World Series! Go YANKEES.

We had a great Thanksgiving. Charlie finally got to meet his Uncle Roy and (soon-to-be) Aunt Misty. They fell in love with him immediately. They brought him some NYC loot.....books and two Yankees onesies. He did great meeting all my family.