Jumping, rolling, laughing...

So since the last time I blogged Charlie has learned/done a few new things.

We started putting him in his jumper(we rigged it so he sort of fits in it) which I'm not really sure he enjoys...but here are a few pics






Also he has learned to roll over from his tummy to his back...which makes tummy time pretty interesting :) He started out slowly rolling on his side then flipping on his back...now he pretty much immediatly sticks his arm back and flips over. Here is a video of the event...


And also, he has laughed a couple of times, and we've finally found something that will get him going...Trey pretends to eat him on his belly and neck...I think Trey's goatee tickles him. Here is a video of it (excuse Trey's loudness and Pongo squeaking in the background).


And just for fun...Here is a video of the first time Bella realizes Charlie is a person. I love how Charlie tries to bite her.

Helmet decoration - Part 1

Here are a couple of pics prior to decoration...preparing for the Disney trip in May :)





Here it is after phase 1 of decorations. I finished the name and the monkey stuff on the back...still need to add blue and brown polka dots all over, but haven't had the time. It turned out really good.

A nice big dose of perspective...

Ok so as most of you know, yesterday was Charlie's appointment to get his helmet to fix his flat spot. I woke up yesterday morning feeling sorry for myself (and Charlie) and thinking...this is the last morning for a while that I can hold my baby and kiss his soft fuzzy head. That's when God gave me a swift kick in the pants...

I checked facebook as I always do and there was a link to a blog that one of my friends had shared. It is a blog written by a couple that lives near Houston and is about their little girl named Layla Grace (www.laylagrace.org). Layla is a beautiful 10 month old precious girl...that is dying of cancer. Now I will spare you all from the details because it is truley heartbreaking (but please keep this family in your prayers) but let's just say that was a huge wake up call. HELLO Dana...your child is perfect, healthy, free of pain, learning, growing, happy, beautiful. Excuse my french here but, what the hell am I complaining about?? So my baby has to wear a helmet for a couple months...so it's annoying and ugly and provoke stares and comments...all true, but what would that family give just to have a few days in my life. I was overwhelmed with sadness, shame, and guilt. Never again God...never again will you hear me complain about this. So I would like to take a moment to thank God for my beautiful helmet wearing baby! Thank you God for the beautiful miracle you have put in my life (even as he is currently screaming as I write this :) and please help me to never take him for granted again!!

I know this is a tad "heavy" and a bit depressing, but I really felt like God wanted me to share these thoughts. So, thank you so much everyone for all the messages, calls and emails checking on how I was doing yesterday, but honestly, I was doing great...praising the Lord for my perfect (albeit flat headed) baby boy Charlie.

So, now what you all came here for...the pics!! Charlie did get his helmet yesterday and he started wearing it today. We have a break in schedule. Today he wears it and hour then takes it off an hour etc. Tomorrow it goes to 2 hours on 1 hour off...the next day 4 on 1 off then 8 on 1 off...then finally by the 5th day on 23 hours off 1 hour. That continues until he "graduates". So far he has worn it twice today. He gets pretty sweaty underneath (that is normal and will evenutally stop once his body adjusts), but other than that he doesn't really have any reaction to it. He doesn't cry when we put it on...he actually doesn't seem to notice.

Waiting at the appointment to get the helmet...





A few pics from yesterday and today...







We are in the process of purchasing a set of decals to decorate it with which I am really excited about. I got it off www.blingyourband.com Here is a sample...obviously it will say Charlie instead of Name and the Charlie will be brown instead of blue. I'm going to put the name across the front and the monkey and Chunky Monkey on the back and then the dots throughout. :)

A few pics of tummy time...just for fun.

Yeah it's been awhile...

It's been awhile since I updated...and a lot has happened since then. The main reason for the delay is Charlie and I both have been battleing the cold from you know where. It's bad enough when baby is sick, but when mommy is sick too...obiviously not a lot gets done.

So...where to begin. I guess I will start with his 4 month check up. Everything was great other than head and neck (more on those later) and he got his second round of shots...poor little guy. Here are a few picutres...
Waiting for Dad to load him in the car seat to go to the Dr. Looks really happy about it huh?

His stats

Waiting on the doctor

Sleeping off the shots


A few days later we attempted baby rice cereal. I've kind of been lazy and have only done it twice because...let's be honest...it's a lot more work than just nursing. But here are a few pics of the event...
Here is Trey feeding him

And me

He actually did really good except he kept wanting to grab the spoon...so I gave him his own to hold

He got pretty messy, but overall he really enjoyed it


Here he is after clean up. On a side note he really loves Trey. I know that may sound like an obvious statement, like of course your baby loves his daddy, but for a while there he would just stare at Trey and make no expressions or turn his head away when Trey tried to kiss him. But now Trey just has to look at him and he grins and stares at him. It is adorable.


Also, since I've updated last we got Charlie a new carseat. It is for when he gets bigger, but we got such a good deal on it we couldn't pass it up. Babies R Us was having a sale so it was already $50 off, then we had this old carseat a coworker had given me that we traded in for another 25% off. Plus it's orange which we love!


Ok so about the head...we finally got insurance approval (Thank the Lord!!) so we picked a company (Star Cranial) and took Charlie in for his final head scan to have the helment made for him. Next Tuesday we go to get the helmet put on and so the process begins. I want to take a few moments to talk about this whole helmet thing...whenever people ask me how I feel about it, I usually so...oh it's no big deal...in the long run it is for the best and only for a short period of time...yada yada. But if I can take a minute here to be honest, I'm really sad about it. I feel like Charlie is so beautiful and when he gets this helmet no one will look at him and his beautiful face...they will just look at the helmet. It makes me sad to think that he will be ignored or even stared at. I know that rationally everyone will argue that it doesn't matter what other people think and it will be over before you know it. But, these are months in his life that I can never get back, all the photo oppurtunities and cute outfits will be over shadowed by this huge white thing on his head. I know that is just me being superficial and silly, but it's my true feelings...and hey isn't that what a blog is for?? I do plan on decorating his helmet to make it less of an eyesore, but I guess I just have to buck up and get over it. Ok, enough of my pity party...here are some BEAUTIFUL pictures of Charlie waiting to get his head scanned...



Now his neck...it is actually get much better. The PT is really helping and as he gets stronger he spends more time looking around and really streching it on his own.
Here are a few tummy time shots from today...this was really the first time he has ever pushed up that far and held his head up...he is a little behind on this stuff so I was extrememly proud of him!

Here is a video of the event...


And then there was the sickness. Charlie and I both woke up Sunday morning with very stuffy noses. All week we have been battling the sickness. I fortunatly can take medicine...Charlie on the other hand was stuck with rounds and rounds of saline nose spray and snot sucking. He started out the week sleeping in his swing that sits him upright and then as he got better we started him sleeping propped up on the Boppy. I felt really bad for the little guy. You know when you are so congested and you blow your nose over and over...I'm sure that is how he felt, but couldn't blow his nose. He is FINALLY feeling better today, but here are a few pictures of him at various stages of the sickness...


And finally...some random pictures and videos just for fun


Talking to me...this never gets old to me :)


Falling asleep while playing with his giraffe