tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47794355505670080492024-03-04T01:45:46.579-07:00L to the thirdL.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.comBlogger690125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-78905343299871937762013-06-25T07:00:00.000-06:002013-06-25T07:00:05.313-06:00Guess what? I'm not dead!I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last posted. It's not as though there hasn't been anything interesting going--on the contrary, there's almost <i>too</i> much interesting things happening that it's hard to process it all. So I'll just break it down crazy bullet-point style and elaborate in more posts later this week and next.<br />
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<li>Charlie turned nine-months old in May and marked the occasion by learning how to crawl like a peg-legged pirate.</li>
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<li>You know how I said we were moving to Colorado this summer? Well, we decided to be wild and crazy and bought a house. I still can't really get over the fact that we will soon be calling this lovely place home in less than a month!</li>
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<li>Charlie turned ten-months old this month and marked the occasion by <i>finally</i> figuring out how to roll over from his back to his belly and vice versa.</li>
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<li>Sammy turned three this past Sunday. THREE. Where in the world did the time go? Sammy's about 90% potty trained and a non-stop chatter box; some of his favorite things are pierogies, riding his bicycle, and dancing; he's even started his own version of break dancing. Video to come soon--hopefully.</li>
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<li>And last but not least, I've taken the first steps towards opening a vintage shop online. I won't have everything fully up and running until after we've settled into our new house in Colorado, but I've started a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheCatsClosetVintageShoppe">Facebook</a> page for it so stop by and say hi! </li>
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-62902173664305116912013-05-03T07:00:00.000-06:002013-05-03T07:00:00.853-06:00Moving on up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZxFpwBZCc8DGS07mMk8_IF9Kk9-ZdcRyxzFxzONnba7KSZ5KIDHlDf6iagjNCUvZGCzORc1DI2ASpSzIhdTHEKS_TMUIZQjD2OHiVrvgdvUHRIyRLOa1ApZgzOah1fQah59E-pccvwP8/s1600/Rainbow+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZxFpwBZCc8DGS07mMk8_IF9Kk9-ZdcRyxzFxzONnba7KSZ5KIDHlDf6iagjNCUvZGCzORc1DI2ASpSzIhdTHEKS_TMUIZQjD2OHiVrvgdvUHRIyRLOa1ApZgzOah1fQah59E-pccvwP8/s1600/Rainbow+550.jpg" /></a><br />
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It's official--the cast of L to the Third is going to be trading our view of the Franklin Mountains of El Paso for the Front Range and Pike's Peak of Colorado! It's all come as a bit of a surprise, especially as Captain Husband thought we were going to be in El Paso for at least three years, but it turns out that we won't even make it to a full two.<br />
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We're still working out all of the details, like where we're going to live and just when exactly we're moving, but I think it's safe to say that the entire family is pretty excited for this next adventure, especially as it's only a day's drive away. So who wants to come visit once we're settled in at our new location?L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-59619829026932736442013-04-29T07:00:00.000-06:002013-04-29T07:00:07.111-06:00Stopping to smell the flowers in San Antonio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, Sammy and Charlie's Auntie G emailed me to let me know that she and her husband were going to be journeying to San Antonio, Texas, to visit with some family. I couldn't resist the opportunity to see the two of them, so we made arrangements to meet at the <a href="http://www.sabot.org/" target="_blank">San Antonio Botanical Garden</a> the weekend they were in Texas.<br />
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The boys and I tackled the eight-hour drive to San Antonio on our own (Captain Husband wasn't able to take the time off) last Saturday and checked into a hotel on the northwest side of town where we explored for a little bit before settling in for the night--it had been a long day in the car and we wanted to be well rested for our visit with Auntie G and Mr. P!<br />
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Sunday was a beautiful day to spend wandering through the gardens (although a little too humid for me--two years in El Paso has definitely ruined me in regards to humidity); all of the greenery and flowers were a welcome sight after the long drive the day before through the Texas desert. Both of the boys really seemed to enjoy themselves and the extra attention that Auntie G and Mr. P lavished on them.<br />
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Before we knew it, it was time for the boys to take a nap, so we said our goodbyes and headed off on our separate ways. I'm so glad we were able to meet up and visit, even if it was only for a little bit; hopefully we'll be able to get together again soon!<br />
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-54744869736033556202013-04-17T07:00:00.000-06:002013-04-17T07:00:03.249-06:00Wordless{ish} Wednesday: A few fun finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{You might be wondering just what's been keeping me busy these days, or at least busy enough to be dropping the ball left and right in regards to keep up this blog. Well, I'll tell you--I've been busy finding fabulous vintage things all over the place thanks to local thrift shops and estate sales. If I keep this up I really am going to have to consider opening up my own little vintage store. Captain Husband thinks I'm nuts for buying quilts when we live in the desert, but we won't always live in El Paso, right?} <br />
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{I found this lovely Arts and Crafts drop-front desk at an estate sale a few weeks ago; the estate was of a couple who had owned their own antique store, so going through their house and giant garage had me feeling like a kid in a candy store.} <br />
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{This stunning step-back cupboard came from the same estate; it had been hidden at the very back of the garage and no one seemed to notice it. Of course, they probably had more sense than me and realized that moving an 8' tall and 4' wide ONE-PIECE cupboard just wasn't worth the trouble. Thank goodness the ceiling in my garage is high; this thing just barely fit inside with only a few inches to spare. The movers are going to hate me the next time we have to PCS.}<br />
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{And last, but not least, is one of my favorite thrifted treasures: a full set of vintage Lustro Ware yellow kitchen canister set, bread box, and salt and pepper shakers. I honestly don't think they've ever been used--the bread box still has the Good Housekeeping seal of approval sticker on it. I found them at a thrift store in New Mexico and nearly did a little dance when I realized that the bread box was filled with the other things and that they were all included in the already ridiculously low price. I think these might be my best thrift store find to date!}<br />
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</center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-66696029633523592662013-04-15T07:00:00.000-06:002013-04-16T22:45:41.632-06:00Charlie's eight-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm having a little bit of trouble coming to terms that my baby boy is now eight-months old; it seems like just yesterday he was this tiny little creature that I had brought home from the hospital. But there's no doubt about it--Charlie is fast on track to becoming an independent *gasp* toddler.<br />
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Charlie is <i>this</i> close to crawling...in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he figured it out by the end of this week. He's very adept at going from a seated position onto his hands and knees and Charlie has also mastered the art of scooting along the floor on his bum. It's slow going, but he doesn't seem to mind--Charlie's just so happy to be able to get to some of his favorite toys on his own.<br />
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Charlie has figured out how to use his two bottom teeth over the past month and loves to chew on steamed veggies like cucumber, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and sugar-snap peas. He has nothing but disdain for being spoon fed, so I've started letting him finger feed himself and Charlie seems to really enjoy this new independence. <br />
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Stats: Charlie is currently wearing 18-24 month clothing and probably weighs around twenty-four pounds. He's settled into a regular nap and bedtime routine and is generally sleeping through the night most of the time (when Sammy leaves him alone, that is). Charlie is babbling a ton now and is beginning to copy the sounds and movements of others--he loves to blow raspberries whenever Sammy or Captain Husband do and shake his head back and forth in imitation and he's even started to wave. And in other news, Charlie has mastered the fine art of clapping!</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/%20category/wittle-people-wednesday" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-4767" height="150" src="http://www.ashleysisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Wittle-People-Frame-150x150.png" title="Wittle People Wednesday with Ashley Sisk" width="150" /></a></center>
L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-15730738426175582362013-03-29T07:00:00.000-06:002013-03-29T07:00:07.067-06:00Wishing you a totally egg-cellent Easter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-54539307622323170392013-03-20T07:00:00.000-06:002013-03-20T07:00:16.854-06:00Charlie's seven-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a little behind on giving you the monthly update on Charlie, but better late than never, right? Charlie is now the proud owner of two bottom teeth and he enjoys using them to chew on a wide variety of things, such as baby carrots, his fingers, and just about anything else he can stick in his mouth. I'm still working on introducing him to solid foods--he appears to really enjoy sweet potatoes, peas, and applesauce, but was rather indifferent when it came to avocados; Charlie also appears to have a sensitivity to bananas of all things, so I'm going to wait a few more months before reintroducing those.<br />
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I decided to movie Charlie into Sammy's room when he turned seven-months old; I think the transition was made easier on both boys by having them take their afternoon naps together for a week and a half before making the big move to sharing a room overnight. It appears that the only thing keeping Charlie from sleeping through the night was being in our bedroom--he's only woken up once in the night to nurse since we made the change, which means I've been getting a full night's sleep again. Speaking of sleep, Charlie has turned into a napping champ over the past month. He typically wakes up at 8 am and plays for about two hours and then naps from 10 am to 12:30 and then again in the afternoon from about 3 pm to 4:30; thanks to the time change, he's going to bed at 7:30, which means Charlie actually gets to see Captain Husband most evenings now.<br />
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Other stats: Currently wearing eighteen-month clothing. Has started getting into the crawling position and rocking back and forth, but he still hasn't rolled over yet. Loves being tossed into the air and having raspberries blown on his tummy. Likes to get into yelling contests with his big brother. Enjoys playing peekaboo and hearing me sing silly songs that feature his name and dancing to Beatles songs. Absolutely adores bath time and has figured out how to scoot around on his bottom in the tub. Thinks Sammy is hilarious and that Sandy Cat is his nap-time partner in crime.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://inthemomentwith.com/category/wordless-wednesday/" target="_blank" title=""><img alt="" height="150" src="http://www.inthemomentwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/clicksubmit200.png" style="border: none;" /></a> </td><td><a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/%20category/wittle-people-wednesday" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-4767" height="150" src="http://www.ashleysisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Wittle-People-Frame-150x150.png" title="Wittle People Wednesday with Ashley Sisk" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-59753186463934282682013-02-25T07:00:00.000-07:002013-02-25T07:00:09.292-07:00Charlie's six-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jwEhxVM9S2XP9n2BNMFqaORH0daO0sMlLBwWdtFa8oqrRQy3uWzGBciPQbPPC_z-Ur6axdvEQyb1EatKpOeTa3w7Cqgwyt864Qgw0pos-TT5rmx4Rwc6yYYTrzd7mymAffSwtzsaVP2M/s1600/Charlie+at+6+months+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jwEhxVM9S2XP9n2BNMFqaORH0daO0sMlLBwWdtFa8oqrRQy3uWzGBciPQbPPC_z-Ur6axdvEQyb1EatKpOeTa3w7Cqgwyt864Qgw0pos-TT5rmx4Rwc6yYYTrzd7mymAffSwtzsaVP2M/s1600/Charlie+at+6+months+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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I had every intention of posting this last week, but my laptop has gone and lost it's mind and has decided to take my external drive along with it. I'm still trying to figure out just what is going on and will probably resort to taking it in to the geeks at Best Buy but after the debacle that was the last time I took my laptop there, it's probably going to be some time before I'm back and running at 100%. Anyway, Mr. Charlie now measures 27 1/2" long and weighs just over twenty pounds and is wearing 12-18 month clothing. He has yet to roll over on his own but Charlie's so close--plus he's got a lot of weight to hoist around. Still no teeth, but he's showing all of the classic signs of teething--copious drooling, chewing on his fingers, and sucking on his bottom lip. I peeked inside his mouth and it looks like his bottom canines are the ones giving him trouble (and keeping us up at night); I might have a vampire baby on my hands. Aside from the occasional teething woes, Charlie continues to be a ridiculously easy-going baby--as long as his belly is full and his bottom is dry, he's a happy camper.<br />
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As you can see, Charlie's totally sitting on his own now and loves to watch the antics of his older brother and Sandy Cat from this new vertical vantage point. Tummy time continues to go well and Charlie's started to push and scoot himself around a little bit on his belly in order to get to toys just out of his reach. He's also started babbling a bit more and making different syllable sounds, but nothing delights Charlie quite so much as blowing raspberries at anyone and everyone. Charlie's agenda over the next few weeks is to tackle some more solid foods (he's sampled pears and bananas so far) and to make the transition to sleeping in his crib full time, which means sharing a room with Sammy; I've actually managed to get both boys to nap simultaneously in the same room so I'm hoping the transition won't be too painful.<br />
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And just for fun, here's a video I took of Charlie tickling the ivories for the first time:<br />
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-65505870790320637562013-02-14T07:00:00.000-07:002013-02-14T07:00:03.353-07:00Guard your hearts this Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Valentine's Day everyone!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/%20category/wittle-people-wednesday" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-4767" height="150" src="http://www.ashleysisk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Wittle-People-Frame-150x150.png" title="Wittle People Wednesday with Ashley Sisk" width="150" /></a> </div>
L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-10149201891343810832013-02-11T07:00:00.000-07:002013-02-11T07:00:06.454-07:00I'm down with PPD (yeah you know me)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've written this post a thousand times in my head, but when it comes time to put actual pen to (digital) paper, I'm at a loss for words. To put it bluntly, I've been miserable for a while now...and when I haven't been feeling so overwhelmingly sad I've been either angry or numb from crippling apathy. There have been a few instances here and there when I've felt close to being happy, mostly when I was enjoying some one-on-one time with Sammy or Charlie, but for the most part, my emotions have been limited to sadness, anger or numbness. I've felt like a bundle of raw, exposed nerves--the slightest thing could set me off into a raging, yelling mess one second and a sobbing, heaving wreck the next. The guilt that I felt was overwhelming; I felt guilty because I wasn't able to care for Charlie to the best of my abilities because I was constantly having to police Sammy's toddler antics; then I would feel guilty for not being able to give Sammy my undivided attention any more because I was busy with the baby--no matter how I looked at it, it seemed that the entire set up was a lose-lose situation. I joked to my friends that my only hope was that I was neglecting the boys equally--everyone laughed, but they didn't realize that behind my laughter I was quite convinced that I was causing my children some sort of emotional trauma due to my shortcomings as a mother. I dreamt about running away from home on nearly a daily basis as I believed that everyone would be better off if I weren't there to ruin their happiness with my complete and utter lack thereof.<br />
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Two weeks ago I worked up the courage to mention these feelings to my OB/GYN; I cried as I told him about my daily struggles to feel anything other than melancholy and how difficult it was just to get out of bed each morning and face whatever the day might have to bring. He listened to all I had to say and then told me what I had suspected all along--I was in the throes of postpartum depression. He then gave me a hug and we discussed my treatment options and decided that a low dose of Zoloft (which is safe for breast feeding) was the way to go. At this point I've been on the medication long enough that I'm beginning to see its effects on my day-to-day interactions with my family; my patience has been restored and I'm actually starting to enjoy things again. I still have quite a way to go before I'm back to my old self but at least I now know that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train.L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-73297042170952216982013-01-28T07:00:00.000-07:002013-01-28T07:00:01.879-07:00The softness of a horse's eye...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... is enough to warm even the coldest of hearts. <br />
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I suppose this is going to be kind of a wordless Monday; I had an idea for a post but a certain baby whose name rhymes with barley decided to get up every other hour all evening, so I never really got a chance to sit and think long enough to really accomplish anything. Oh well, there's always next time!
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<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-52270981061874208242013-01-21T07:00:00.000-07:002013-01-21T07:00:01.700-07:00A status update from Sammy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2HIh7WS4RI-NMAvToUyEp2q-4I_ByvPRs6ojiptepEOWL4dP2K0zh4Ztz4s4k5YfH5qHbuLjiGL3kTa9CbCCIhf_RVDjUPBOSqRw47XQgQeN-W192VzOxwqMlDgbG9wO5GzlZ-tjhcLV/s1600/Sammy+strikes+a+pose+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2HIh7WS4RI-NMAvToUyEp2q-4I_ByvPRs6ojiptepEOWL4dP2K0zh4Ztz4s4k5YfH5qHbuLjiGL3kTa9CbCCIhf_RVDjUPBOSqRw47XQgQeN-W192VzOxwqMlDgbG9wO5GzlZ-tjhcLV/s1600/Sammy+strikes+a+pose+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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I just realized that I am horribly overdue on telling you guys what's new lately with my favorite resident toddler. Sammy is now a whopping two-and-a-half-years old and fully entrenched in the oh-so-aptly-named terrible twos. There's no other way to describe it other than it's like living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--one minute, he's my sweet, polite and well-spoken little gentleman and the next he's screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing whatever he can get his hands on and bawling his eyes out. Fortunately (ha!) Sammy saves most of his rotten behavior for the confines of our home, so at least I haven't really had to deal with a thrashing, yelling mess of a kid while out in public. That sound you just heard was me frantically knocking on every wooden surface in my house.<br />
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Sammy's had another growth spurt recently and is at least 38" tall--all of his 4t pants fit him in length perfectly now and things that used to be out of his reach far back on the kitchen counter are now fair game. He is also wearing size 10 1/2 shoes--there's no doubt that Sammy takes after me in that department. Sammy is now the proud owner of a full set of teeth--all molars are present and accounted for. Now if I could only get him to brush them on a regular basis.<br />
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This kid. Never. Stops. Moving. Seriously, it's like watching a whirling dervish. He's also something of a chatter box--Sammy's now talking in full sentences and slowly dropping the whole third-person thing. I still have to translate for him every now and then, but he's pretty easy to understand for the most part, but then again I get to spend every day with the kid so I might be a bit biased. While there are days when he makes me want to rip my hair out in frustration, his positive attributes far outweigh the negative ones, especially when he's being sweet with Charlie--Sammy's definitely on the fast track to becoming the world's best big brother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_WqZaZNYm12nP_ga4IzZnTv7UyaYqXZIib8uejmc5p8INpHjMXCbofAworzNhZJ1nQmprJAjvnVsam8CmpQESMx5xeWsqW_bqa7cmKOgmz9GHGeSaDrpNkKSFmd6_mDWGikItRKkdgSJ/s1600/Charlie+&+Sammy+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_WqZaZNYm12nP_ga4IzZnTv7UyaYqXZIib8uejmc5p8INpHjMXCbofAworzNhZJ1nQmprJAjvnVsam8CmpQESMx5xeWsqW_bqa7cmKOgmz9GHGeSaDrpNkKSFmd6_mDWGikItRKkdgSJ/s1600/Charlie+&+Sammy+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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<center>
<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-11904756228584390212013-01-14T07:00:00.000-07:002013-01-14T07:00:09.393-07:00Charlie's five-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNmCLxle61IRKxgpnXNZ-o5rxV3xZApRQO7cM5R_ndToXf5ybrHIFiWUYM37H9c9NsfzGvMpEY3aQaH35zXKBj__5rlZm6UmA8uNe4vpLSVAZm3HLrkIKbIgbv8ErgxrWpqPupbW9uLKC/s1600/Charlie+at+five+months+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNmCLxle61IRKxgpnXNZ-o5rxV3xZApRQO7cM5R_ndToXf5ybrHIFiWUYM37H9c9NsfzGvMpEY3aQaH35zXKBj__5rlZm6UmA8uNe4vpLSVAZm3HLrkIKbIgbv8ErgxrWpqPupbW9uLKC/s1600/Charlie+at+five+months+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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I am now the mother of a five-month old and a two-and-a-half-year old, people. This realization pretty much blows my mind every day. Anyway, on to Charlie's stats--he's basically a giant. This kid is at least eighteen pounds, although I'd say he's probably closer to twenty about now; some of his twelve-month clothing is beginning to get a little tight. Strangers typically do a double take when I tell them how old he is, expecting to hear that he's at least nine months old. What can I say--I make big babies.<br />
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Charlie's settled into a pretty stable nap routine and takes a morning and afternoon nap every day; some days, I can even get him and Sammy to nap at the same time, and those days are pretty much awesome. Charlie still hasn't fully rolled over but he's able to roll onto his side pretty easily and he's *this* close to sitting on his own. He also loves to spend time in his Johnny Jump-Up and has begun to scoot around a bit in his walker. As I was going through some of my recent photos of him, I noticed that Charlie has started to suck on his bottom lip a lot, which tells me he might have some teeth making an appearance soon (the fact that he's also turned into a drool factory bolsters my theory).<br />
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Charlie's still exclusively breastfed and doing pretty well in that department aside from being so easily distracted by anything and everything. He's also <i>very</i> interested in what people are eating these days, although I think I'm going to hold off until the six-month mark to start introducing solid foods. Now that he's kicked his double-ear infection, Charlie's back to his sweet, cheerful self and I'm back to some semblance of a full night's sleep. And last but not least, Charlie just adores his big brother, and so far it appears to be a mutually shared affection; it makes me so happy to see the two of them loving on each other.<br />
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<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>
L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-52578739555148046562013-01-07T07:00:00.000-07:002013-01-07T07:00:07.812-07:00So I'm a little late...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy belated New Year! And if you're thinking to yourself that, boy, the baby in this picture looks a lot like Sammy, it's because it is Sammy--from 2011. I had been hoping to do something similar with Charlie for this year, but he was too busy being sick.<br />
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We spent a good chunk of time in the emergency room last Sunday thanks to Charlie having a fever just shy of 104, which is when I learned that the nasty head cold he had been fighting since right before Christmas had provided the perfect breeding ground for a nasty double ear infection. Fortunately, the ER staff were able to bring his fever down and prescribe him some antibiotics to clear up things.
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Charlie's fever returned with a vengeance the next day, but some infant Tylenol, a lukewarm bath, and one of those Be Koool gel sheets had him feeling better in no time. He's got a few more days left of antibiotics to take (I'm beginning to think it's easier to pill a cat than it is to give an infant nasty-tasting medicine twice a day), but he's just about back to normal. Unfortunately, this also means Charlie's back to waking up two to three times a night to nurse...oh well. Can't win 'em all.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-28242387405116591422012-12-24T07:00:00.000-07:002012-12-24T07:00:00.406-07:00Feliz Navidad!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ldbUnuwtMe6bzJKFuBbgNm11s3b17m107z-kvV7GJ_zzy-Apkj11m-9e3w7qll6osm-3j-JSbK7NfazgwkHtSW8hBx9e69Q05Kucq-wQt5a8DVEr523erJ_iosWQ_SPMc0KV3sBt0IS5/s1600/Round+1+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ldbUnuwtMe6bzJKFuBbgNm11s3b17m107z-kvV7GJ_zzy-Apkj11m-9e3w7qll6osm-3j-JSbK7NfazgwkHtSW8hBx9e69Q05Kucq-wQt5a8DVEr523erJ_iosWQ_SPMc0KV3sBt0IS5/s1600/Round+1+550.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! </div>
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<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>
L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-77154450737379593562012-12-17T16:00:00.000-07:002012-12-17T16:02:48.100-07:00The Paper Mama 2012 Holiday Photo Challenge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbKtzRJ6q9686FW5nOxBBxxp_4wxgI5roqlvPzSMeVhtbhpBoPbyrk70k2sYaOCdZfwq1RxqhpufvOBi28iPUG2goI4cRftq0UHIUoKpmBQ2SX_1CFkGBP5DgRXC1I97Qhv2LWXxGh8gc/s1600/Santa+baby+5+x+7+card+550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbKtzRJ6q9686FW5nOxBBxxp_4wxgI5roqlvPzSMeVhtbhpBoPbyrk70k2sYaOCdZfwq1RxqhpufvOBi28iPUG2goI4cRftq0UHIUoKpmBQ2SX_1CFkGBP5DgRXC1I97Qhv2LWXxGh8gc/s1600/Santa+baby+5+x+7+card+550.png" /></a></div>
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Here's my entry for this year's Holiday photo challenge hosted by the lovely <a href="http://thepapermama.com/" target="_blank">Paper Mama</a>: I had great plans of getting an adorable picture of the two boys in their matching Christmas jammies, but it's easier to herd cats than it is to get a two-and-a-half-year old and an infant to do much cooperation in the photo department. And because I'm an inveterate procrastinator, this is probably the closest I'm going to get to actually sending out any Christmas cards this year. Be sure to check out all of the other entries by clicking below!<br />
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-72987242376085773792012-12-17T07:00:00.000-07:002012-12-17T07:00:05.326-07:00Charlie's four-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's official--my little boy is not so little anymore. Charlie turned four-months old last Wednesday and had his four-month well-baby appointment the next day, which is when I learned that he was now topping the charts at seventeen pounds and twenty-six inches long placing him in the 95th and 90th percentiles, respectively. I looked up Sammy's four-month stats to see how the two boys compared since I recalled Sammy was pretty big for his age. Well, Sammy was two pounds lighter and an inch shorter. Yowza. Charlie seems to have skipped the 6-9 month sizes of clothing and jumped right up to twelve-month stuff. <br />
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During the day, Charlie is a super laid-back and easy-going baby. But nighttime is a completely different story ever since last week. My formerly good sleeper is now getting up almost every 1-2 hours after I put him down for the night and I am completely frazzled/exhausted as a result. I really, really, <i>really</i> hope that this is a short phase/developmental stage. Speaking of development, Charlie has become a champion raspberry blower and also recently discovered that his thumbs fit perfectly inside his mouth.<br />
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Charlie's getting pretty close to being able to sit on his own, although I'm hesitant to let him try thanks to our complete and utter lack of carpeting to cushion his fall should he decide to face plant on the floor. He's also been supporting his weight on his legs for about a month now and can stand while holding onto my fingers. Charlie absolutely adores his big brother and watches everything that he does--fortunately, Sammy seems to be just as enamored with Charlie and goes out of his way to make him laugh by making silly noises (a new favorite of the two is fake sneezing).
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<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-46382021315393568702012-12-10T07:00:00.000-07:002012-12-10T07:00:04.624-07:00My get up and go has got up and went<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, it's been awhile, huh? It's not that I've been incredibly busy since my last blog post, although the boys and I did manage to travel a total of 6,000 miles over the course of sixteen days last month. (Sammy and Charlie are excellent travelers by the way.) We visited with family and spent some time with friends that I haven't seen in a year and the sad thing is that I didn't even come close to seeing everyone that I wanted to...I guess there's always next year, though. As per usual, I took approximately a gazillion photos during our trip that I'm woefully behind on editing and uploading...the last time I added to my Flickr stream was in October. Yeesh.<br />
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I remember when I couldn't wait to write about our adventures here on the blog but now it seems that there's just not enough hours in the day. I can't even recall the last time I was able to visit everyone's blog and, I know this is going to sound nuts, but I miss you guys; I miss reading about all of the fun and exciting things you've been up to and looking at your lovely photographs and your creative crafts. Who knew that taking care of the two boys' wants and needs, maintaining the house (or, rather, keeping it from descending to a Hoarders level of disarray) and finding a few minutes here or there to hang out with Captain Husband after the kids are down for the night would be so incredibly time consuming? The things that I used to find so enjoyable, like photography, just seem like another chore that needs to be done. Hopefully I'll break out of this rut soon--any advice?
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<a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-6298677979334305632012-11-19T07:00:00.000-07:002012-11-19T07:00:02.888-07:00Charlie's three-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoj18KCn3IZArGI406HRSm0CacdPdxU9b-CVeZJqcvYK7q1vSoqn7L990d6NOlMGlT3U99mFOlKvYAqOCfsAkuJ8rqmyME6nv8DnhB5f1yeuheJEc4NUMZrToVJLwIfb2zAPP4XCzytT8/s1600/Charlie+at+three+months+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoj18KCn3IZArGI406HRSm0CacdPdxU9b-CVeZJqcvYK7q1vSoqn7L990d6NOlMGlT3U99mFOlKvYAqOCfsAkuJ8rqmyME6nv8DnhB5f1yeuheJEc4NUMZrToVJLwIfb2zAPP4XCzytT8/s1600/Charlie+at+three+months+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Charlie turned three months old last week and I just can't get over how fast he's growing. Thanks to our trip to the emergency room for his recent bout with croup, I have a general idea as to his stats, which has him weighing a little over fifteen pounds and measuring approximately twenty-six inches long. Charlie's currently wearing mostly six-month sized clothing, although I have to put him in nine-month sleepers at night in order to accommodate all of the junk in his trunk thanks to his giant night-time cloth diaper. Speaking of night time, Charlie's back to waking up once or twice a night for a feeding--I accredit his recent sickness and all of the traveling we've been doing lately with this change in his sleep schedule and I <i>really</i> hope he gets back to sleeping through the night soon as I miss REM sleep. In other news, Charlie's starting to support his weight on his legs and can sit up with only the smallest bit of assistance. He's also mastered grabbing and can pass his toys from hand to hand when he's not putting them in his mouth; he's also discovered his fingers and will snack on them from time to time. If I had to describe his personality with only one word, I'd have to go with sunny--he's almost always smiling and happy and can usually be found charming the pants off of the nearest person around. Charlie's very ticklish and will laugh out loud whenever his neck or underarms are tickled. He loves to watch his big brother play and will stop whatever he's doing in order to focus all of his attention on Sammy whenever Sammy's around.</div>
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then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>
L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-65457513871013229942012-11-13T07:00:00.000-07:002012-11-13T07:00:07.459-07:00Boo to you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbqD4o-hQuuzbdUawVS1gQqO2v7VfENH9BWvhHAMOYocQigRV6itLQBp6-WfIaglhnMaY_Vf9_wmmoKPC3hWxVYgDZI65p0mGAb0pOUFek-FUOH-wK4XhcgKsgdynBHu2aLHtL8OpzDnI/s1600/Did+someone+say+boo+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbqD4o-hQuuzbdUawVS1gQqO2v7VfENH9BWvhHAMOYocQigRV6itLQBp6-WfIaglhnMaY_Vf9_wmmoKPC3hWxVYgDZI65p0mGAb0pOUFek-FUOH-wK4XhcgKsgdynBHu2aLHtL8OpzDnI/s1600/Did+someone+say+boo+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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So I'm about two weeks late with my Halloween post, but better late than never, right? It's been kind of crazy around here lately--Sammy was sick with a low-grade fever off and on for about a week and then Charlie came down with croup so I've been busy playing nursemaid and haven't had much time to just sit down and go through any of the pictures I've taken until now. Fortunately both boys have recovered and were happy and healthy for Halloween; Captain Husband handed out candy while I took both boys out to do some trick or treating in our neighborhood. <br />
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You may notice that Sammy was a cowboy again this year; I had purchased him a different costume but he refused to wear it and threw a holy fit, so we went with the repeat. Oh well, he can always wear the other costume next year! Other than the costume debacle, the evening went really well--it's amazing the difference a year can make. Sammy went up to most of the houses on his own and even remembered to say trick or treat half of the time; it was pretty adorable and I had a lot of fun taking him around--his little pumpkin bucket was filled in record time!<br />
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-33982394087876357482012-10-29T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-29T07:00:04.331-06:00Always juggling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some days I feel like Super Mom, like when I've successfully managed to get both boys dressed, fed and out of the house without anyone having a major meltdown (myself included) and I'm able to take care of errands, put the laundry away and get dinner on the table before Captain Husband comes home from work. And then there are the days when everyone is still in their pajamas at three o' clock in the afternoon and Nick Jr. has been playing non-stop because that's the only way I can get Sammy to take the whining down to a level that doesn't make me want to scream while I'm stuck on the couch with Charlie latched on to me every half hour...this sort of day happens more than I'd care to admit. Of course, it doesn't help that there's a huge part of me that's convinced that I'm neglecting the boys in some way, so I just hope that at the very least I'm neglecting them equally. Gotta keep things fair, right?<br />
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I've got so many balls in the air and I know that unless things change in some way I'm in
serious danger of dropping them all; I spend so much time taking care of
the boys' wants and needs that there's really no time for myself. And
don't get me started on my relationship with CH: to say that it's
strained would be pretty accurate and the demands of his job haven't exactly made things any easier. There just aren't enough hours in
the day for me to satisfy everyone and since Sammy and Charlie still
can't really fend for themselves, that means CH drops to the bottom of
my priority list...well, actually I'm at the bottom of my
priority list, which really isn't much better to admit. If anyone has any advice for me, I'd really appreciate it. I'm trying to find a sitter (the sitter that we loved moved back to Michigan this summer) and am looking into daycare options that would at least give me a morning or two when I'm down to only one kid to look after, but so far that's all I've got.
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<table><tbody>
<tr><td><td><a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></td> <td><div align="center">
<a href="http://thepapermama.com/" target="_blank" title="The Paper Mama Photo Challenge"><img alt="The Paper Mama Photo Challenge" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6827634910_d6d9a898f5_o.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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</center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-30646819827993331622012-10-22T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-22T07:00:14.847-06:00Charlie's two-month update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HfnHEwB2xwOcfaVg55-azqRLCTS5G-J3vUf7dBt03gImSBa0_zkReSnOOknAmg4_F0zpTwbgT80GRaBMT-YXxCtYpkt-G28K8KYxdPYaflq9G4M9bluPrThmjFbCTxwGfoPEMMGguine/s1600/Orange+you+glad+to+be+two+months+old+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HfnHEwB2xwOcfaVg55-azqRLCTS5G-J3vUf7dBt03gImSBa0_zkReSnOOknAmg4_F0zpTwbgT80GRaBMT-YXxCtYpkt-G28K8KYxdPYaflq9G4M9bluPrThmjFbCTxwGfoPEMMGguine/s1600/Orange+you+glad+to+be+two+months+old+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Charlie turned two-months old on the twelfth but thanks to a combination of procrastination and forgetfulness I wasn't able to take him in for his well-baby appointment until last week. I knew he had been growing but even I was rather surprised by his stats: 14 pounds, 7 ounces and 24" long (I think I can now say with some certainty that breastfeeding is going well). Now I know why he's barely squeezing into his 3-6 month clothing!<br />
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Charlie is such a happy and easy-going baby; he always greets me with a big gummy smile and coos of happiness. He's recently started laughing out loud and seems to enjoy being tickled and surprised. One of Charlie's favorite things in the whole wide world is watching the ceiling fan followed closely by some good ol' fashioned nekkid time whenever he gets his diaper changed. Charlie has also recently discovered how to splash in the bath and has started to grasp for toys and such just within his reach. In other news, Charlie has been sleeping through the night since he was about five and a half weeks old and has recently given up night feedings entirely, which is awesome albeit kind of uncomfortable for me as I usually wake up feeling like a soggy Dolly Parton impersonator.<br />
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L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-85846133456464761482012-10-15T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-15T07:00:18.728-06:00Grandpa to the rescue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Due to a tragic accident involving one of Captain Husband's soldiers two weeks ago, CH had to attend a funeral out of town for four days last week, which meant I was going to be on my own with the two boys. I've got the day-to-day routine of juggling the two of them at once down pretty well, but I admit that I am far from confident in my abilities to handle both boys on my own once the evening rolls around--that's when CH and I deploy the divide and conquer tactic; he tackles the toddler while I handle the baby. Thankfully CH's dad had some vacation time burning a hole in his pocket, so he offered to fly down and help out around the house while CH was gone--plus it gave him the perfect excuse to come and meet his new grandson.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGMkVd_xqAkl_ZrJhAuf2J-v2w3NLNKrRu7I2cAtn96ibehyFjaJe5TNR88B-HJjNuZRfO880i1RT3Puu3_PRiRIUsclERZ5otzNO2tuqoVxFm6yOatRY1QLw03R6VSqvuREa9BmjgjId/s1600/Chilling+with+Grandpa+Cosmo+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGMkVd_xqAkl_ZrJhAuf2J-v2w3NLNKrRu7I2cAtn96ibehyFjaJe5TNR88B-HJjNuZRfO880i1RT3Puu3_PRiRIUsclERZ5otzNO2tuqoVxFm6yOatRY1QLw03R6VSqvuREa9BmjgjId/s1600/Chilling+with+Grandpa+Cosmo+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sammy immediately warmed right up to his Pop-Pop and was very happy to have someone to play with while I was dealing with Charlie; and Charlie definitely seemed to enjoy all of the attention that his grandfather lavished upon him, especially whenever Grandpa would sing or speak to him in Italian.<br />
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The four days were up before I knew it and soon it was time for my father-in-law to return to New Jersey; CH returned home Saturday afternoon and his dad was leaving Sunday morning, so they didn't have a lot of overlap time to spend together, but I was at least able to grab a few photos of the three generations before my father-in-law had to leave for the airport. With any luck, we'll be able to visit with CH's grandparents over Thanksgiving and then I'll be able to take a photo that captures four generations all at once.
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<table><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://paperheartcamera.blogspot.com/" title="Paper Heart Camera"><img height="150" src="http://sarahhalstead.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/paperheartcamerabutton1.jpg" /></a></td> <td><a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></td> <td><div align="center">
<a href="http://thepapermama.com/" target="_blank" title="The Paper Mama Photo Challenge"><img alt="The Paper Mama Photo Challenge" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6827634910_d6d9a898f5_o.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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</center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-38374852841213764252012-10-08T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-08T07:00:17.710-06:00The first glimpses of Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQZo0cdkozzbbMH4uCqm4uhQuU7Ez9P7-LYwl4Tpg3o1L3IpdEg6Wm8w5LSJGdcmGWblcAkYrkNoa3NatVQsjNrPXs3YGUMpyJ051bAamTe8PVdFJBBwDqTI-QD2TneVr2tCnme7jkoBg/s1600/First+glimpse+of+fall+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQZo0cdkozzbbMH4uCqm4uhQuU7Ez9P7-LYwl4Tpg3o1L3IpdEg6Wm8w5LSJGdcmGWblcAkYrkNoa3NatVQsjNrPXs3YGUMpyJ051bAamTe8PVdFJBBwDqTI-QD2TneVr2tCnme7jkoBg/s1600/First+glimpse+of+fall+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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The temperatures are finally making their long-awaited dip downwards around these parts and the days are getting shorter, which means that fall is almost here. I don't know about you guys, but fall is my favorite season of all; there's just something about that crisp feel to the air that I can't help but love. We don't get a lot of fall love here in El Paso--it's a very short season and it won't be long before things have transitioned completely from summer to winter, so I'm trying to make the very best of the short window of gorgeous fall days that we have (though to be perfectly honest, the winters are pretty nice, too).<br />
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The cooler temperatures means breaking out the warm footie pajamas for the boys and spending most of the morning lounging about in them while the house slowly warms up from the previous night's chill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnui3Gh4KX4wVRSkeC0ahNVWV2PEVspIDPEmjQOAJcj8Vl4Spe0lit54gmvnqsYlCTJBZIsYB49b0fv77-4vBpfyvqon2m_QjCflRDiYRlhdxP0PX0QYbPZ4swNivNNzF6ewdWrThRaEk/s1600/Fall+roses+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnui3Gh4KX4wVRSkeC0ahNVWV2PEVspIDPEmjQOAJcj8Vl4Spe0lit54gmvnqsYlCTJBZIsYB49b0fv77-4vBpfyvqon2m_QjCflRDiYRlhdxP0PX0QYbPZ4swNivNNzF6ewdWrThRaEk/s1600/Fall+roses+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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The rose bush in the backyard is making one last colorful hurrah before it hibernates for the winter.<br />
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And of course there's an abundance of fall produce, like these Granny Smith apples that a sweet friend was kind enough to share with us. I tried my hand at making <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-crisp-ii/" target="_blank">apple crisp</a> from scratch last night and while it was a bit labor intensive (I definitely need to invest in an apple peeler and corer if I ever want to make it again), it was definitely worth every minute spent slaving in the kitchen. Has fall arrived in your neck of the woods?
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<center><a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4779435550567008049.post-47977586745123248782012-10-01T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-08T05:30:17.709-06:00Our first rodeo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYb3rW6Ru6eI9rFfWIT3XfpMB3Q3ASZc71mnn9hPMQjlu70QNx0iXQWmnr4YEcllUicUSECkfgFZfYKcWaG65dmhHtD-FJNQOiNdtlPZX5cCAGp4UdnS722Bzt732iFOEQi9Rt1O0bMFi/s1600/Ready+to+ride+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYb3rW6Ru6eI9rFfWIT3XfpMB3Q3ASZc71mnn9hPMQjlu70QNx0iXQWmnr4YEcllUicUSECkfgFZfYKcWaG65dmhHtD-FJNQOiNdtlPZX5cCAGp4UdnS722Bzt732iFOEQi9Rt1O0bMFi/s1600/Ready+to+ride+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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The rodeo came to town last week so Captain Husband and I decided to round up the boys and check it out; I had never been to a rodeo before, so I was pretty excited to see what it was all about.<br />
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The horses managed to hold Sammy's attention for a bit, but he was soon distracted by all of the other kids in attendance and spent the rest of the evening trying to play with them; as for Charlie...well, he slept through the entire thing, which made it easier for me to wander around and take some photos of the action.<br />
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<br />We wound up leaving after only an hour (it was past both boys' bedtimes at that point), but it was a nice introduction to the world of rodeo nonetheless. Now all I need to do is find the boys some cowboy boots so they'll be appropriately attired the next time the rodeo comes to town.<br />
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<center><a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="and
then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09355017319970816074noreply@blogger.com4