Dear Charlie: 8 Months

Dear Charlie,

I knew this month was going to be a fun one. You love to play and are starting to be able to bounce with a beat. It is hilarious watching you bob around. Any toy that can be knocked over or chewed on is still your favorite. You are so quick getting around in your walker too! Everyone needs to watch out for their toes when we place you in it. You absolutely love it. You are happy in the activity saucer when there is activity to watch. Lately, I have been putting the saucer outside while I chase your brother around or water the plants. You love being outside and the weather has gifted us with a few cooler days this month. 

Drool, drool and more drool. There aren't enough drool bibs and outfit changes to keep you dry. Those darn teeth give you such a hard time. You officially have four but there are maybe another four that I can see. I am unable to get a good look because as soon as I go snooping around you chomp down. You have become quite the biter. Pretty much every single time I pick you up, you try to take a bite out of my neck. I've tried a few different "natural" teething remedies and brands but I don't feel like they do anything. It also appears that your amber teething necklace only makes people think you are a "pretty little girl, with so much hair". Sorry kiddo. 

We aren't sure if it is teething, sleep regression or your overall hatred of sleep but nights haven't gotten any better. Most nights you end up in our bed for a few hours when I become too tired to rock or dance you around. Napping isn't horrible. You typically take two crib naps and another nap on the go totally around 2.5 hours a day. Sometimes more and sometimes a lot less. 

I know you can crawl, I've seen it happen a few times, you just have chosen not to. I am completely ok with that. I know that when I set you down you will be within a few feet of where I left you. You will be mobile for the rest of your life so for now keep sitting an smiling. I have also seen you pull yourself up a few times. All of this happens when you think I am not watching. I am always watching, little one. 

You are such a joy. 

Dear Charlie: 7 Months

Dear Charlie,

You have become such a happy baby. You love interacting with the world around you. New sights and sounds make you smile and of course anything you can touch goes directly into your mouth. You are now a confident sitter and are content playing with your stacking cups, noise makers or any of your brother's toys. You still hate being on your belly and will scream whenever you wind up there.

Your second bottom tooth cut through this month. Teething drives you wild. You drool through multiple bibs a day, you have to be chewing on something constantly and you are so cranky. Once the tooth is through its no big deal and life is back to normal. Except when you bite me...

Lunch and dinner is a messy, fun time for everyone involved. We are still offering a variety of purees mixed with baby oatmeal  but are now also offering you slices of avocado and roasted sweet potato. You love chewing on carrot sticks, celery and apple slices but that is more of a teething need. You do love grabbing handfuls of your brother's food when his plate gets within your range. 

Your sleep hasn't improved much this month. Part of the blame can go towards teething and your hatred of being on your belly but you also caught your first cold.  Your brother brings home snotty nose germs daily from school, the park and play groups but this was the first to stick. You had a constant runny noise, a brief fever and a cough that stuck around for a few weeks. Laying on your back made breathing difficult and you wanted to be held all night long. 

You are quickly out growing all of your 6 to 12 month outfits. I am hoping when you decide to be mobile you will thin down just enough to get a few more months out of them. You are suck a chunk and I love  it. At this months check up you weighed in at 21 lbs 5 oz and 28 3/4" tall. Your brother better watch out or you will be bigger than him! 

I can already tell that this next month is going to be an exciting one!

I love you sweet Charlie Ash. My little duck. 

Dear Charlie: 6 Months

Dear Charlie,

Happy half birthday! I really can't believe we have reached the sixth month milestone. I still picture you as your squishy new born self but you have become a strong, chunky boy. 

This past month has had so many important memories. You cut your first tooth! This is the tooth that we have all sworn was going to "come through any day now" for the past two months. It finally cut through and it cut through with vengeance. I keep forgetting how sharp the little tooth is and when you need to be soothed, I instinctively give you my finger to suck on. This loving gesture is quickly taken back when you clamp down as hard as you are able. 

We also started you on organic baby cereal and pureed veggies this month. So far you have approved of sweet potatoes, carrots and peas mixed in with your baby oatmeal. You are finally starting to accept avocado which is a good thing because one tree is currently ripe and our big tree is just weeks away. We have been feeding you in the Bumboo seat and only at dinner but plan on transitioning you into the highchair this month and adding lunch. 

You were baptized this month. It was a beautiful service and so many of your family members were present at the church and celebrated with us at our home after the service. The entire congrigation smiled when the water was placed on your head and you gave the biggest (at the time) toothless grin. You did so well and my heart was so full of love. Unfortunately, I came down with Mastitis in the middle of the night and was not feeling well but I was so happy to have so much help and love all around. 

Your nighttime sleeping is still varied. Most nights you wake up two or three times, nurse for less than ten minutes and go back to sleep without issues. A few nights you only woke up once. There have still been many nights this month that you are sleeping three or four hours the first stretch and then waking up almost every hour after that. I place you in your crib awake enough where you let out a scream but quickly fall asleep and you typically sleep on your back for the first few hours. After that you tend to roll onto your belly, which is fine, until you wake up and start screaming because you are on your belly and normally crammed into a corner of your crib. You are 100% able to roll back onto you back but you don't. I try to just roll you over and not get you out to nurse but somehow you get even angrier. 

You want to crawl so bad and I think that may be part of the sleep issue. You are able to squirm enough to get a toy placed a few inches out of your reach and you can roll multiple times when needed but you aren't crawling. You are able to get your legs tucked in under you but then all forward progress is halted by you face planting. Then screaming... 

You are starting to sit like a champ and as long as you don't get distracted can sit for a few minutes without timbering over. You dad is looking forward to your sitting improving so that we can move past the infant tub and take a bath with your brother. Harper is so excited for that. 

You got to go swimming for the first time this month too. You loved it. We sat you in a baby pool float and you just hung out while brother practiced his swimming. It was so much fun. 

You are such a happy baby. You love to bounce in your Jolly Jumper, be worn facing out, play in your activity saucer, chew on teething necklaces  carried around and kissed on. You do not like to sit still, sit in your carseat or your stroller, nap in your crib or to be set down. You love attention from your brother but hate when he cried. You always fall asleep shortly after brother has left, like you know it is now safe to relax. 

You are a sweetheart and I feel so blessed to be your mom. I look forward to the next six months! 

Dear Charlie: Month 5

Dear Charlie,

We are halfway through your sixth month but I am now finally rested enough to write about your fifth month. If I had to choose one word to describe our last six weeks it would be exhausting. You hit the four month sleep regression like clockwork. IF we got you to sleep in less than an hour;  we were lucky if you stayed asleep for longer than an hour. Every time you woke up, you woke up screaming. I would nurse you, you would fall asleep and then there was the tricky part of transitioning you to the crib. I know I shouldn't nurse you to sleep but it felt like my only option. Sometimes we would fall asleep in the glider and I would wake, startled by you flinching and realize we had been sleeping for an hour or sometimes two. Every morning around 4:30 I would bring you to our bed and lay with you and pray for a little more sleep knowing that your brother would be up before the son. Your dad had a long six weeks with work and had to be up and gone before Harper was awake making for very challenging mornings and long days. As I knock on wood, you have been back to only waking twice at night... Zero complaints from me.

I think the sleeping troubles added to your daytime hours of upsets. Luckily, those have also seemed to pass but it was back to the newborn witching hours that seemed to last for most of the day. You seemed to scream and scream and scream until I nursed you or tricked you into a nap. It would break my heart but then you would just start smiling again. 

When you are a happy baby you are such a joy. You have the best, goofy laugh. You love to be kissed on and peekaboo is your favorite. The activity saucer has been a big hit this month and so has the Jolly Jumper. Both can buy me 15 minutes to prep dinner, start a load of laundry or attempt a quick workout but most of the time I find myself chugging a smoothy, power eating a salad or eating half a bar of chocolate. 

You are no longer safe set down on raised surfaces because you will roll and roll and roll. Every day you seem to enjoy being on your belly more. You still hate your carseat. Luckily, your morning and late afternoon nap both fall on Harper's preschool schedule so you typically fall asleep on the way to his school.  Harper loves showing off his brother at school to all of his friends. He is always so concerned when you aren't with me.

No teeth yet but necklace teethers are your best friend. You weighed 16lbs 13oz and were 27" tall at our last doctors appointment. He gave us the go ahead to start solids. He is hoping that it might help with some of your tummy troubles and maybe even give me a break. 

I know I will remember the sleepless nights but I hope I also remember your sweet coos and that wild comb over hairstyle you are currently sporting.

I love you Charlie Ash. I always will. 

Charlie: Month 4

Dear Charlie,

Month four was kicked off with a growth spurt accompanied by a sleep regression. Nothing I wasn't mentally prepared for. Most nights you were waking up once or twice and quickly going back to sleep after nursing but for a week you were waking up three times and fought going back to sleep. What I wasn't mentally prepared for was the intensity of your teething. You have checked off every single symptom that is listed in every single book this week. Drooling, slight fever, swollen gums, diaper rash, irritable, not sleeping, chewing on everything... Basically every single "natural" remedy was ordered off of Amazon. Breaks my heart to see you so upset and awake almost all night. There is currently no visual of an actual tooth... 

You are officially rolling over again. You aren't very motivated too roll over but are capable. All you are interested in is finding something to chew on. Currently my fingers, chew bead necklaces, your little blue teether and your fists are your favorite. 

We have set up your brother's Jolly Jumper for you a few days ago. You love standing up and looking around but haven't started jumping around in it yet. I know that will come. 

You still fight naps but we have gotten into more of a routine during the day. Still not napping in your crib but I know that will come. The days your brother isn't at school most of your naps have to happen while I am wearing you  or else Harper will wake you up. "Baby Up!" 

Your giggle warms my heart. You smile often and love to laugh when we kiss you especially behind your ears. 

You love, love, love having your diaper changed. I find it so odd but it must be because you like laying down that close to our faces and love all of the attention. You could lay there for thirty minutes without a complaint. You also enjoy laying in your crib after you wake up in the morning as long as you are unwrapped. If your brother is still asleep, I will pour myself a cup of coffee while you lay there cooing and chewing on your toes. 

You are starting to look more and more like my baby pictures and my mom's baby pictures... just not as chunky. I am looking forward to taking you to the doctor in a few weeks to see how much you have actually grown. 

I am sure I am leaving out important memories but I will admit that I am exhausted. Lack of sleep and two little ones would wear anyone out. It is worth it. 

You are such a sweet baby.

I will always love you. 

Charlie: Month 3

Dear Charlie,

You are a smiling, cooing three month old. You still like to scream but you have become more of a content baby. You are now able to sooth yourself by sucking on your hand or fingers but boy does that make you drool. You may have more outfit changes than your brother. The laundry is never ending! 

This was the first month that I had you and your brother all day, every day. We made it work but it was exhausting and tears were shed by all three of us. Your brother would be upset because we couldn't go outside and play and then you would be upset when your meal was cut short by your brother needing attention.  Luckily for you and me, your brother took a two to three hour nap every afternoon. This gave us time for cuddling and napping on the couch. I know your brother is going to be so excited once you are strong enough to play with him. 

You still hate the carseat when it is in the car. When the carseat is clipped into the stroller for quick errands you don't seem to mind it as much. Maybe it is because you like seeing the world around you? I tend to wear you in one of the baby carriers when we go for our morning walk while I push your brother in the jogging stroller. I am looking forward to you being able to sit in the double stroller with him. I also tend to wear you when we are out running errands or when I am attempting to clean up around the house.

There are times when you are completely content sitting in the Rock and Play (which you are about to grow out of) or laying on the floor or bed but more often then not you want to be held. 

You are starting to bat at the toys on your play mat and on your carseat and quickly caught on to their sound making abilities. You are able to grab and shake a rattle as well as hold on to small stuffed animals. You like gripping a blanket or my shirt and sucking on it until it is drenched with your drool. 

We know you are so close to being able to laugh. We can see it in your face when you find something funny but the laugh hasn't surfaced. There is nothing better than a baby belly laughing. I think your dad and I have an unspoken competition on who can make you laugh first. He won with Harper. He can be pretty darn goofy. 

Bath time is your second favorite activity after nursing. I am looking forward to in another month or so getting you into a warm swimming pool. I know you will love it. Soon enough it will be time for swim lessons. We just finished your brother's lessons and after screaming at every lesson last year he actually enjoyed it this year. I have a feeling you are going to scream as much as he did... That being said we may wait until next spring to start your lessons. 

I can already tell this next month is going to be a fun one full of milestones and smiles.

I love you Charlie Ash. I always will.

Dear Harper: 2nd Year

Dear Harper,

My sweet boy, you turned two this month. I keep finding myself standing in our hallway looking at your newborn, six month, one year, eighteen month and now two year pictures. In my eyes you are still that adorable, chunky baby boy. It warms my heart knowing that you still want to be held and cuddle with your momma. 

You have the kindest heart but boy are you a busy one. From the moment you wake up, before six on most days, you just go, go, go until you eventually crash for a few hours in the afternoon then it is go, go, go until bedtime. 

You love your routines and remind us if we alter them in anyway. Your quick to point out a cabinet left open, a full dishwasher or a dryer that needs to be emptied. Vacuuming has become one of your favorite hobbies and it didn't take long for you to mimic the sound. You also like to "wash" the windows with baby wipes, someday I will tell you that smearing toddler grime doesn't count as cleaning. 

As much as you like cleaning, you love to get dirty. Almost every night when dad gets home from work the two of you spend time outside tending to the garden, working in the garage or finding other ways to get dirty.  You love to dig holes in the yard but being in the garden is your favorite. You will eat green onions right out of the soil and tomatoes straight off the vine. I love that you love being out there and I know  your dad feels the same way. 

Since the fall you have been going to Moms Morning Out at our church. There were tears in the beginning but you grew to love it. You had the best teachers and loved seeing your friends Gerry, Hudson and Max there. It was hard for me to leave you those first few times but I knew it was good for you mentally and emotionally. I knew you were in good hands. 

You took your first round of swim lessons last summer and boy were there tears! You hate to float but got so good at it. By the end of the summer, you could kick your way across a pool. I was so proud of you but hated hearing you scream. We have already started lessons this summer and you remembered so much of it and cry so much less. You are always so proud of yourself. 

You are such a good eater! I am always impressed when I see you eating what your dad and I eat for dinner. You love anything that comes with a side of guacamole and we haven't had a fruit that you will turn down. You even like seaweed snacks! You love anything dipped in hummus as well as any dish that includes noodles. I even catch you sneaking frozen corn and peas straight out of the freezer for a snack. Most mornings we will split a smoothie and at least once a week I have trouble finishing mine but you keep asking for more. 

You became a big brother this year. My heart melts seeing you show your brother love. You aren't always the most gentle and those first few weeks were rough but I know you love him. You just want him to be able to run around and play with you. Soon enough.

New words come out of your mouth daily. Many catch me off guard. You are starting to string them together and be able to ask for what you want. Your dad and I have to be very cautious about what we say around you because you are quick to repeat it. Argos is "go-go" and Charlie is still "bebe". Apparently all animals go "moo" except dinosaurs because they "Raaaaawwwrrrr". 

You are quick to shake off most trips and falls but "boo boos" require kisses. Sometimes you purposely cause a "boo boo" to get a kiss. You are a ham. 

Harper, your second year of life has been such a joy. You are a  busy boy but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I love you yesterday, today and tomorrow too. I will always love you.