It was a close call. I would have forgotten Charlotte’s 10 month day if I hadn’t found time to write in my journal. (I always write the date and that is how I realized today is August 4!) So it’s a good thing Charlotte’s been napping regularly in the late mornings…that’s when I do my journaling, Bible reading and prayer time.
This has been the month of “mastering” for Charlotte.
Charlotte has mastered the army crawl and become quite the little speedster. Some days I find a bruise or two on her forearms from her rapid and hard movements! She’s just so tough… I kept telling her to just get up on all fours and crawl…but she just didn’t seem interested. I think it’s because she can go so fast using the army style. However, when we were on our Branson trip (or shall I say our Branson one-nighter!?), she did indeed master the “up-on-all-fours crawl.” Made the trip worth it. She now only does the up-on-all-fours crawl when on carpet…and we have hardwood floors, so you do the math.
Pulling up and cruising is another of Charlotte’s areas of expertise. There’s no stopping our girl! And if she finds a staircase, she guns straight for it. Praise the Lord we only have a basement staircase guarded by a door and baby gates! She also loves to stand while in the bath. Sometimes this can be a little difficult and Mommy and Daddy have to do battle to get our wriggly little lady clean.
She loves to wave! It’s one of the cutest things I have ever seen. She will sometimes wave both of her arms and hands…kind of like she is conducting a band. Other times, she will do the hand fold wave towards her face while we say “hi” and “bye-bye.”
Charlotte is also the master of hamming it up. She LOVES to be the center of attention. Sometimes when we enter a room full of people she will yell “HEY!” and smile, jabber and wave her arms. (LOVE!) Although she has acquired some bashfulness (but really, I think she knows it just makes her appear even CUTER!). As soon as someone will look at her and say “HI!,” (which is often) Charlotte will smile, wave, then bury her head in my chest…then look back at the person and smile/jabber some more. Pretty cute.
Another skill of Charlotte’s is her ability to stay clinging to me in almost any situation. There are days I will try and set Charlotte down and she will just press her little legs tighter around me and pinch her little fingers deeper into my shirt/skin…whatever she has hold of. She knows if she loosens her grip, Mommy will set her down or pass her off…and she ain’t having it!
Charlotte is a pro eater these days. (Although she will sometimes be choosy about WHO feeds her…eh-em….MOMMY!!!). She puts down 1-2 jars/pouches of baby food for most every meal. That includes mashed bananas and oatmeal, yogurt, pureed meats, fruits and veggies as well as blueberry pancakes J and other soft breads. If only she would get more teeth in, then we might try out some other solids. However, she is very good at using those bottom two chompers..so we shall see! While I’m on the subject of food, I also should mention Charlotte’s digestive system has been having a little difficulty with the meat. Poor thing will sometimes scream in pain as she poos. All I can do is hold her and comfort her as she screams and clings to me until that poo passes through. Doctor said it is normal at first…but if it persists….I am going to be “that mom” and call again.
Sleeping! Yes! Charlotte has improved her ability to sleep through the night. She has finally adapted to a routine that suits us all, going to bed around 8pm and sleeping until 3/4am, then again until 6:30/7:30am. I know, I know. She is still waking up once. I just don’t know how to cut that 3/4am nursing. I think she has skipped it maybe twice…but that has been very rare. And, really…I am fine with it. I feel so much happier and lively now that I am sleeping for more than 1.5-2 hours at a time!
And not just sleeping…but a routine! I know! I am so proud of my girl! I can now, for the most part, predict how our days will look. 7am, Charlotte will eat breakfast …9am, Charlotte will nurse…10am, Charlotte and I read a story, she takes a nap…11am, Charlotte wakes up and we prepare lunch…12-2pmish, Charlotte and I run to the store/visit friends/play/etc…2pmish, I nurse Charlotte and read to her..then she takes a 1.5-2.5 hour nap! Sometimes after this nap, I nurse her again…but not always. 5:30pm, Charlotte eats dinner…7pm, Charlotte gets sleepy…so we bathe her, I nurse her read to her, pray over her and she goes to sleep by around 8/8:30pm. WONDERFUL!!
However, I must be honest. She has not mastered the skill of falling asleep without screaming. It is a rare (and welcome) event when Charlotte will actually fall asleep on her own without screaming for around 10 minutes…or more.
Which brings me to another area of Charlotte’s expertise…a few “not-so-good” habits. And I suppose Charlotte can’t be the only one to blame for these habits.
Charlotte has grown accustomed to holding Mommy or Daddy’s hand as she grunts (not because she has to poop, she’s simply a grunter!) herself to sleep. She will even demand our hand if we are both in the car. She’s a smart one. She does just fine with mommy alone during the week, but it hits the weekend and she screams like mad when we drive to and fro if she doesn’t have a hand to grip!
Yogurt with veggies and meat. Somehow Ben and I discovered Charlotte will eat more of her veggies and meat as long as we mix it with baby yogurt. Not the best habit to get into, I am guessing. I just hope this is something that will fade out as we introduce more solids!
Other exciting moments from Charlotte’s 10th month include…
Charlotte and Molly had their first spat. Here’s what happened: Charlotte and I played with Molly for awhile, which they both enjoyed. Then, we went into the kitchen. Charlotte decided she wanted to pull Molly’s fir, which Molly allowed until I separated them. Then, Charlotte decided she was going to LUNGE upon Molly and grab her fir as hard as she could. Molly thought Charlotte was playing and used her back paws (which have claws) to push Charlotte away. This, of course, scared Charlotte (and Mommy!). Fortunately, it was just a tiny scratch and nothing serious. Molly seemed concerned and it didn’t stop Charlotte from going for her kitty again later…she’s gotta learn soon…
Below is Uncle Nick's kitty...Georgie. Charlotte thought maybe Georgie wanted to play...not so much.
Charlotte’s Uncle Nick and Uncle Chris both headed off to their new homes. Charlotte enjoyed chilling with her Uncles and I know she is going to miss them. But, they gotta do what they gotta do. Nick is back in DC going to law school and Chris is all set up in Alabama with the National Guard, training to be a pilot. I know my bro-in-laws are awesome. And ladies? They are each single.
We got a swing in the backyard for Charlotte. She loves it. And so does Mommy. I think our sweet girl could swing all day if I let her…
Anyway, life is a beautiful whirlwind these days. I am learning much and enjoying the role God has given me as Charlotte’s mommy. It’s so much fun to see her laughing and learning…and I feel extremely blessed to be home with her every day as she discovers new things. I simply don’t know how much time God will give us together…so I savor each moment, treasuring each as a gift from God. I love you, Charly girl.
Here's some more carousel fun...she can't get enough!
Love this picture with her Daddy!
1 comment:
So all week I have been in awe of how big my baby is getting and a little sad about it, however, reading your blogs makes me excited for things to come. Charlotte is seriously about the cutest little girl ever! LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures.And I wouldn't worry too much about the yogurt veggie thing. Do what you have to!
Post a Comment