New Skill!

Charlotte's learned a new skill: clapping her hands. The photo above captures her in process of applauding. Now that she knows to clap her hands, she does it whenever she's excited about something. The facial expression in this photo seems to indicate that she's excited about the poop she's working on!

Jeff's not one to toot his own horn, so please allow me to do it for him:

Why Athens County? essay contest

Congratulations, Jeff!

Eight Months

Today is Charlotte's eight-month birthday. I have to say that this past month has been the best so far. Miss C gets more and more interactive, social, and entertaining with each passing week. Her big smiles of joy when Jeff or I walk through the door, her fun babbling "conversations", the way she entertains herself for minutes crawling around on the floor, playing with toys and blowing raspberries. She's so fun! It's just a joy to be privy to her life.

Happy birthday, baby girl!

The picture above captures Charlotte's big, beaming smile perfectly. Sometimes people don't get to see her smile; when Charlotte meets people, she tends to gaze at them solemnly, unblinking. I think it freaks some people out. They get nervous. They want her to smile.

I kind of like the fact that Charlotte waits to dole out her big happy grins. It shows an element of gravity that' s rather becoming in a baby, don't you think? Once she's checked you out, looked at your face long and hard, listened to your voice a bit, then she'll share a smile with you. And let me tell you, it's totally worth it.

We just spent a weekend with Jeff's parents. Coincidentally, Charlotte also had a couple bad nights of sleep, the likes of which we haven't experienced in weeks. I think the fact that she's getting over a nasty cold might have something to do with it. Also, we may have kept her up a little too late to pack in more fun with grandpa and grandma. But last night she slept well, and was up cooing and smiling again this morning.

After Jeff's parents left last night, Jeff said, "I can't imagine how hard it is for them to leave! I don't EVER want to leave her."

I know what he means. But I think I can imagine, a little, how hard it is for all the grandparents to leave after a visit. That's one of the big reasons we're hoping to end up a little closer to both families after our next move. I really want Charlotte's grandparents to be a part of her life.

Where I've Been

Sorry to neglect the blog for so long! It's been quite a week. I've been busy grading my first round of student papers, always a taxing experience. Then I came down with what I thought was the flu, but turned out to be mastitis. That pushed back my work for a couple days, as I was quite busy being feverish and delirious. I had a book review and presentation due today, on which I was working up until the eleventh hour. But I did feel fairly good about what I handed in, and my presentation seemed to go smoothly.

Now I'm taking a break from my 100+ pages of reading to update. I know you're all here for Charlotte, so don't miss the new video in the post below. These days the girl is nothin' but love and fun and smiles...just in time for Valentine's day, I guess.

Monday Night Live

At last, a new Charlotte video!

Hey, while you're on YouTube, check out this video: Free Hugs.

Gets me every time...

Charlotte's Talent Show

Most of you have seen this skill of Charlotte's before, but for those of you who haven't...well, I really can't explain what you're about to see.

Enjoy!

Wow.

Jeff just came back downstairs from getting Charlotte back to sleep. (Only the second visit; tonight was a good night). He said, and I quote: "I can't believe I wasn't more eager to have a kid before this."

This is from the man I thought would postpone becoming a parent until we were both moving into the Warm Friend rest home in downtown Holland. (Seriously. The Warm Friend. I kinda want to retire there.) It just goes to show you that often the anticipation of the event is more frightening than its realization.

Friday Night Live

The latest installment in the Charlotte video series:

Charlotte's First Music Video

Enjoy!

Seven Months

Charlotte's not too sure how she feels about attaining the ripe old age of seven months. Here she's contemplating her age while playing with her favorite toy, the lid to mommy's water bottle. Not available in stores!

This month has brought a lot of fantastic new developments, not the least of which is Charlotte's new habit of sleeping through the night. I know! I can't believe it either. What was that you asked about naps? I didn't hear you. Let's move on.

Charlotte goes to sleep around 8 p.m. and wakes up around 8 a.m. every day. She'll sometimes decide she needs a late-night snack, but other than that she's sleeping through. And when she wakes up she's cheerful, smiling and ready for a new day.

Charlotte's not crawling, but she is scooting around backward more quickly and effectively. I wonder if she'll be one of those babies that doesn't ever really crawl. She's also rolling over to get places now, sometimes rolling front to back to front to back all the way across the room. Funny.

Her repertoire of sounds is broadening. In addition to her reduplicated babbling (ma ma ma ma, da da da da, etc.) Charlotte is mixin' it up with some variegated babbling (a ba da la, ma ma da ba, etc.) She's also discovered the joy of blowing raspberries, especially when she has a mouthful of baby food. (By the way, did you know that the term "raspberry" for a Bronx cheer originates in Cockney rhyming slang [raspberry tart:fart]? Now you do!)

Speaking of food, Miss C. Tig can't get enough of that stuff, as long as it is fruit or orange veggies. We're sneaking some greens in there by mixing her green beans with sweet potatoes or butternut squash or carrots. But she's always a little suspicious about that green-colored food. Sweet tooth? She must be my kid.

And the three-times-a-day baby food habit has ushered in an entirely new world of diapers. I won't get into details, but let's just say we're talking about solids in, solids out.

I think the best development this month is the way Charlotte seems to be interacting with her environment. She notices things: my digital clock on the bedside table, pencils and pens on the desk, things mama and daddy are eating, the sounds her wooden blocks make when she pounds them together, the way she can splash water out of her little tub when she kicks her legs... One other thing she notices is when I leave in the mornings for school. This has made the already-rough part of my day even more difficult. It's fine when I'm at school, studying or in class or teaching and busy, but getting out that door is tough.

But the reaction I get when I arrive home--wide open eyes and wide excited smiling mouth, squealing and arm-flapping--makes my day. Why can't Jeff react like that when I get home? Maybe if I brought Jim Leyland with me he would.

Anyway, happy seven-month birthday, little girl! Thanks for such a fun month.

I edited the post below to contain a link to the video of Charlotte instead of the video itself, just to save space on the page. Let me know if you have any problems with the link!

Okay, I've never tried this before, but I was looking for a simple way to share video more readily. It's not a terribly exciting video, but if it works I can promise more thrilling Charlotte footage in the future!

Daddy Comes Home: A Short Film

Enjoy! And let me know if it works!

Messy

Charlotte's latest stats: 19 lb. 6 oz., 26 5/8 in.

As you can see from the above picture, girlfriend LOVES to eat. And to wear her food as well.

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte*

Yes, yes...another sleep post. Fortunately, I have good news this time. Since Saturday night, Charlotte has been going to sleep around 8:30 p.m. and sleeping until 8 a.m., waking up only once during the night. This is a vast improvement (I can't emphasize how vast) over how Charlotte was sleeping just a month ago. She'd fuss and fight sleep until late in the night, sometimes not going to bed until close to midnight. Then she'd wake again at around 2. And again around 4:30 or 5. And again at 7.

It was fortunate that this happened when I was on break from school because I would likely have run mad otherwise. Now, with this new, wonderful schedule, I occasionally wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested!

This is all relative, however. Every once in a while I realize that I haven't had an uninterrupted eight-hour stretch of sleep since last June. Once I've stopped crying, and I really think about it, I realize that sleep, while wonderful and recharging and oh-so-glorious, is less of a necessity than I had previously realized. One really can survive on only four or five pieced-together hours a night.

Survival is different than thriving, however. And that's why I'm so glad Charlotte's sleeping better.

*see here

Brothers

It's a strange coincidence that Jeff and I both have brothers with a birthday on January 7. Today my brother Scott turns 26; Jeff's youngest brother Mark turns 23.

I can't speak for Jeff, but I know that my brother is the reason I someday want to have another child. Growing up with a little brother meant I had many things: a constant intruder, a confidante, someone who could sympathize about how weird our parents are, a conveniently close enemy if I needed to fight and blow off some steam, someone to fake sumo wrestle with, someone to watch MST3K with, someone that maybe even sometimes looked up to me and made me feel like I should try to be a good example.

One of my greatest hopes is that someday Charlotte will get to experience the indescribable relationship (at times unbearable, at times so much fun) that occurs between siblings.

Happy birthday, brothers!

Week One: Done and Done

Well, my first "week" of school is under my belt. All in all, I think it went well. My grad classes seem interesting, although I'm sure the reading load will present some challenges. (This from a speed-reader; that's what having a busy, curious six-month-old will do to you). I think I'll really enjoy the class I'm teaching. It's a pleasant change to be teaching juniors rather than timid, tremulous freshmen.

And it was much easier to leave Charlotte again than I thought it would be. I'm sure that's because I know she's safe and well-loved at home with her dad. But boy, is coming home ever fun now. She's so excited when I walk through the door. It's a big confidence-booster. No one has ever shrieked with joy to see me after a few hours apart.

I'm not too thrilled to be resuming my relationship with the breast pump. I actually glared at it when I got it out on Wednesday morning. Stupid breast pump. (Apologies to my father, father-in-law, brother, and brothers-in-law).

Highlight of today: I had my students answer some questions about their reading and writing abilities and concerns for the course in their journals. One of my students wrote that his only concern was "having too much fun!!" Awesome. I'll see to it that doesn't happen, heh heh.

Charlotte and her grandparents

Two weeks with the grandparents (one week with each set) spoiled not only Charlotte, but Jeff and I as well. What will we do without our parents, eager to hold and play with Charlotte while we work or read or shower?

We miss you guys...and Charlotte does too!

Morning Routine

Since we've been visiting family over Christmas, we've established a bit of a morning routine. Around 8 or 8:30 in the morning, Charlotte wakes up. I can tell she's up for good this time because she's happy and well-rested. She'll often lay in her bed and coo, scoot around, and laugh, until I come to pick her up. Then she comes into bed with Jeff and I and we hang out for a while.

The picture above is from Jeff's parents' house. The head of the bed is right up against a window, and Charlotte loved to look outside in the morning.

These few minutes together as a family are by far my favorite of the day. It makes morning time that much easier, and all the late-night wakings and feedings are forgotten.

End of the year wrap-up
1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? Had a baby! That's a big one.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Hmm. I don't usually do resolutions. I think my resolution was probably to not have morning sickness anymore (check) and to have my baby (check). So, success!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Uh, I did! So, yes! Also all our new friends in our prenatal classes, some friends from church, my good friend Carrie...loads of babies around here.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My friend Leslie O'Bannon, who grew up next door to me, died in a tragic plane crash in November. My college advisor, Dr. Michael Vander Weele, lost his wife Albertena after a decade-long struggle with cancer.
5. What places did you visit? Iowa and Michigan, mostly. Jeff and I made a road-trip to Pittsburgh in February which was surprisingly fun. Lots of visiting of the Hocking Hills, which are remarkable.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? A graduate degree, please!
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Well, the obvious one is June 23, when Charlotte was born. Also January 18, the first time I felt her move. November 23, Jeff's 30th birthday. September 16, our 6th anniversary.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? Having a kid. Keeping it together through my fall quarter. Learning eine bisschen Deutsch.
9. What was your biggest failure? Hmm. Not getting Charlotte to sleep well?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Ha, only birth.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My digital camera, a Nikon D70s. I love you, D70s.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband's. What a spectacular father.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? No one! Hooray!
14. Where did most of your money go? Housing. And diapers.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Being a mom. Going to school.
16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Father and Daughter by Paul Simon. Gracie by Ben Folds. King of Carrot Flowers by Neutral Milk Hotel.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? Definitely happier, particularly since I'm not constantly nauseated.
b) thinner or fatter? Argh. Fatter. Much fatter.
c) richer or poorer? About the same, surprisingly.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Read and slept before Charlotte arrived.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worrying. Watching television.
20. How did you spend Christmas last year? On the road between Iowa and Michigan.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Oh, did I ever!
22. What was your favorite TV program? Scrubs.
23. What did you do for your birthday in 2006? I had class, but they celebrated with cake in my class!
24. What was the best book you read? I read a lot of books for school, none of which particularly won me over. Probably Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Also Giving Birth by OU's own Catherine Taylor.
25. Who was the best new person you met? Charlotte!
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Neutral Milk Hotel.
27. What did you want and get? A healthy baby.
28. What did you want and not get? Nothing. Awesome!
29. What was your favorite film of this year? I didn't see a lot of movies. I probably would have liked Prairie Home Companion had I seen it.
30. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Massages. More massages.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Maternity and post-maternity.
33. What kept you sane? Reading and writing. Looking at my daughter's face.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Urgh. No one.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? The war.
36. Who did you miss? My family.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. Trust your gut.