Happy 4 Months, Little Charlie!

Charlie turned four months today, Monday, September 15, 2008. My how time flies!

What are some things that he likes to do?
--he still loves his bouncy seat and his "friends"--the bunny, the bee, the cat, and the puppy dog. charlie can sit for long periods and talk to those friends
--he also loves his baby einstein play mat. when he was first born, he just sat on it and stared at the objects...now he can reach out for them and shake the whole contraption (i'll get a picture soon). he likes to figure out how things work.
--he still SMILES all the time and giggles out loud!
--lately the TV has become something that charlie enjoys.
--he has not rolled over yet.
--he is still in his miracle blanket/swaddle
--he has found his thumb/hands.

Some happy pics!

This was taken at the beach on the day the Tide rolled over Tulane....the Green Wave. Charlie was celebrating by wearing his Bama outfit.

Charlie and his Dad look so handsome on this Sunday morning. We have taken Charlie to the church nursery and he loves it. The ladies this week asked if he watched a lot of TV at home. When I replied, "No," they were surprised. They said that he loved Praise Baby and that he cried when it went off of the TV. (That might be a good deterrent for the next long trip...perhaps a portable DVD player is in the budget???)

A day of rest!

The Miracle Blanket

Here we have Charlie modeling his sky blue Miracle Blanket. What is a Miracle Blanket, you might ask? It is a great invention that was passed down to us from our cousin Lily Kate and Price. If your newborn is like mine, he will break out of any nicely swaddled blanket. This blanket is one that can contain the baby's arms and even has some room for those little ones trying to break out of this cocoon. Yes, by the end of a nap or the night, Charlie has broken out of his shell, but he no longer wakes himself up by flailing his arms. He is about to be too big for it, but it has been wonderful for these first few months. I would highly recommend this product to any new mom. Also, I would recommend having 2-3 of them...one is often dirty waiting to be washed. Just a fun product that we've enjoyed throughout this new journey!

More pics by the sea...

"It's only about 4 hours and 15 minutes...."

When Adam and I have driven to Gulf Breeze in the past, it has always taken us about four hours and fifteen minutes to get here. Well, that, my friends, was not the case Saturday morning. Little Charlie and I left Birmingham around 8:30 in the morning for a quick trip down to the beach. I was going to brave the trip alone since Adam is at the furniture market in Las Vegas. Well, Adam boarded a plane at 9:30 a.m. and called me around 1:00...already having arrived in Vegas. Charlie and I, however, had just made our third stop on our trip. He did not like traveling in the car for that long. We stopped at one exit, then at Exit #142 at Priester's Pecans, and then again at Evergreen. The little man didn't like being cooped up in his carseat. I now know that we will be purchasing a DVD player in the coming years for even "short" trips to see my parents. Pray for us as we travel back again on Tuesday to Birmingham.
"What is the one thing that is most relaxing to you?" I remember when a friend, Cheri, posed this question to me years ago. I quickly answered, "Being near any kind of water." That is still true today. This morning, Mom, Dad, and I took Charlie to Pensacola Beach. We took him in hopes of getting some good pics, but that didn't happen. (We'll try that tomorrow late afternoon.) Sweet mom took Charlie back home, but Dad and I stayed for a while to enjoy the beautiful morning. Being at the beach on a calm summer day is one of my favorite things. The water this morning was crystal clear. Schools of minnows swam by our feet as we walked through the Bahama blue-green water. (How's that for some descriptive writing?) Dad and I loved just walking through the water and observing nature all around us. God is so creative! Baby birds were bathing in a small pool of water, while proud pelicans hovered over the glassy sea. It truly was an amazing sight! Thanks, Dad, for spending this morning with me.

Happy Charlie!

Charlie had his own photo session with Grandmama Lenn/Poppy/???

I love to smile all the time!

Always looking...Charlie's such a curious, observant little fellow.

Charlie loves his new friend, Lily. Lily has been very gentle and loves to lick Charlie's feet..glad we aren't eating our toes yet!

My First Day at the Beach!

Charlie and his Grand Charlie at Pensacola Beach

Karen, Grand Charlie, and Little Charlie enjoying a Sunday morning stroll.

"Please get me out of this sun!" Charlie loves his grandparents, but it was too hot at the beach for him today. We'll try tomorrow during the sunset to get a few good pics.