How has it been half a year already?

This sweet girl is 6 months old this week.  

How is that possible?!

We feel very blessed that she is healthy and well.

Her neck is stronger and nearly where it needs to be.

Her core gets stronger each week.

Her head shape is beautiful and we were 

able to avoid the dreaded helmet.  

Thank heavens - no worse time to wear that than in summer!

Her muscle tone is better and she's starting to lock her 

legs and "stand" when we hold her up by her underarms.  

She is 17 pounds & 27 1/2".

She is in the 97% for height and 84% for weight,

which translates to mean in a room of 100 other 6-month olds, 

she be as tall or taller than 97 of them and weigh as much or more than 84 of them.

Dr. Moskun says she's as big as most 8-9 month olds.

You go, Charli!  Show them who's boss!

She loves to blow raspberries and stick out her tongue.

She loves to eat baby food, especially sweet potatoes!

She does not care for applesauce.

She's started noticing the puppy and is very curious about pulling Ruby's tail.  

Ruby lets her do it about twice before she starts to get real annoyed.  

She loves to sit in her exersaucer or play on a blanket on the floor.

She finds her feet fascinating and thinks they taste yummy, too.

She loves books - especially gumming on the corners.

She has us wrapped around her fingers - at least the ones that aren't in her mouth!

Love this little girl and can't believe 

six months could go by so quickly.  

I'm looking forward to what the 

next six months will bring.  

Happy half-birthday, Charlotte!

4 months that felt more like only 4 weeks!

Charlotte is four months old.

In some ways it seems like we just brought her

 home last week and in other ways it's hard 

to remember life before her.  

We are all still so in love!

Her neck is getting stronger every day, which is very encouraging!  We do physical therapy exercises and as much tummy time as she'll tolerate.  She can now sit up in a Bumbo seat without being too floppy, even though anything longer than 5 minutes really seems to tucker her out.  She's 15 pounds - which doesn't feel like too much unless she's in her carseat carrier.  Add the 15 pounds from that and lugging it around with her in it is becoming a great workout for me!

One day she wanted to keep me in her sight so I lay her on 

a nearby rug while I emptied the dishwasher.  

This rug is usually Ruby's "spot".  When Ruby saw 

someone else was trying to stake claim, she trotted 

her four legs right over and claimed it back, 

baby or no baby in the way!

She's still a great sleeper.  And by great I mean GRRRRREEEEAAAT!  She's a rockstar.  She's been sleeping through the night since 6 weeks.  She goes to bed around 9 p.m. and wakes up around 5:00 or 6:00.  Of course she's starving by then and I could pretty much ring out her diaper, but she's still so happy and cheerful.  She's the most patient baby on the planet.  If she's screaming for her food, it's only because I've made her wait an extra long time.  She naps twice during the day for about 1-2 hours each, once in the morning and again around 4:00 p.m.  Other than that she's pretty much awake except for the occasional 10-minute catnap.

Ruby loves hanging out next to Charlotte whenever she's on her playmat.  I don't let the dog lay on it, but Ruby settles for laying on the floor next to her.  I think she likes it because a)Ruby knows "where Charlotte is, that's where mommy is" and b) Ruby seems to enjoy listening the noises Charli's toys make as she swipes at them.

 Happy birthday to me!  Thanks to two very generous mothers, I have the cutest purse/diaper bag EVER!  It's got room for everything I need + room to spare and yet it's not huge and obnoxious.  I also love the print.  It's feminine and doesn't scream "BABY BAG".  It's vinyl-coated so it's easy to clean and comes with three different types of straps I can attach.  Thanks, Moms!

 Naturally, Charli is a Yankee fan.  

She cheers extra loud for 

Granderson, Cano, Swisher, and Teixera!

 She still eats every three hours.  You could set your watch by this girl!  She's now up to 5 oz.  I'm not going to introduce solid foods to her until her neck and upper body strength are better.  Plus, I still need to get a high chair!

Love this girl

too much to express!

8 weeks - 2 Months!

a visit from "Verruca Plantaris" (a story of removal)

BEFORE:
Happy, Naive Halle...just excited to visit
the doctor and get a sucker.
Thinks it's cool she's getting so much attention.
Likes to show off the warties.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The biggest "verruca": Mr. Planter himself.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

AFTER:
A much wiser, unhappier Halle,
having lived through the wart-freeze.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Riding in a wheelchair makes everything better.
Also, having your little brother push the "panic" button
in the elevator proves to be quite entertaining as well.
(Heard by everyone within earshot of the elevator and lobby,
a computerized voice repeatedly stating:
"Attention! Emergency in Elevator 1, IHC Building South!")
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As a side-note, I just have to add a special bit to this story...
While the dr. was freezing the warts,
Halle was clinging to me as I held her.
I started whisper-singing in her ear her favorite primary song,
A Child's Prayer.
She was still crying, but I was amazed at
how much calmer she became.
She stopped yelling and squirming and began
to take deep breaths through her silent tears.
"The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me..."
I'm grateful He heard a mother's prayer for her child.

It is wrong to force a medical professional to participate in medical procedures they believe to be immoral

Imagine you are a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional and a patient comes to you requesting a medical procedure which you believe to be morally wrong. There are other medical professionals that willingly perform that medical procedure, but that doesn't matter. Your patient doesn't have to go to them, because now imagine that despite your personal beliefs, ethics, or morals, you are forced to go forward with that medical procedure by the federal government.

Does that sound right to you? It didn't sound right to me, so I let someone know how I feel. You should, too. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Click here if you want your voice to be heard.

tonsils, anyone?

Yesterday Wyatt had his tonsils and adenoids removed. This was all for a good purpose (better breathing, which hopefully will lead to better sleeping), but of course it's a rough time for our little man. His "tonsil experience" started out on a real positive note, however, as his sweet preschool teacher gave him a very generous gift. Ms. Amy, worried about Wyatt in the most thoughtful & loving way, thought he would enjoy making a little friend to take with him to the surgical center. So Monday afternoon we headed off to the store with his "Build-A-Bear Credit Card" (as he called it).
Here he is stuffing his grizzly bear.
Wishing on bear's heart...make a wish, make a wish...
Giving bear his wish-filled heart.
Scrubbing him clean, clean, clean!
Carson had to get in on the scrubbing action, too... His little dino sparkled by the time he was finished!
Wyatt sure had a hard time picking out which outfit he wanted. It was a tough selection...the missionary? Batman? Spiderman? Go Utes? Nope...in the end he knew exactly what his bear should be: a FIRE FIGHTER!
And here he is: FIREFIGHTER CHARLIE!

Thanks, Amy...you're loved as much as your gift was...and it definitely helped him be brave!
At the surgical center, Wyatt charmed the pants off the nurses. He was in a very silly mood . So funny 'n cute! I'd been letting him wear our dinosaur nebulizer mask to get him used to the one the anesthesiologist would use. I'm so glad we did that! It really helped him be prepared and the anesthesiologist said he didn't cry or act upset one bit. In fact, he grabbed the "gas" mask to help put it on. Here he is below reading his "Curious George Goes To The Hospital" book to his nurse.

Is there anything worse than seeing your child under anesthesia? I just hate it...I lay in bed with him and held his hand, and it was difficult not to get emotional. Of course, when he woke up he was very upset and distraught. Confused about his surroundings and feeling miserable, I could only hold him--if only mothers could absorb their children's pain!
Once we got home, cuddled up in a blanket with some apple juice, he seemed to relax and feel a little better. Last night was a rough night, and Wyatt's having a hard time adjusting to the idea that for a week or so he can't eat some of the yummy foods his siblings are eating, but other than that, I think he's doing okay. The surgery went well and we're expecting an uneventful and complete recovery. What a champ!