Charlie at 17 and 18 Months

Time is getting away from me, but our baby just keeps growing and changing.

In the past two months, Charlie:

• Started to climb: to the top of his brother's bunkbed, swingsets, tables.
• Can run, mostly chasing after his brothers.
• Goes down the slide by himself.
• Has countless new words including up, down, milk, water, grandpa, candy and Elmo. His favorite conversation involves asking where people are: Charlie: "Daddy?" Me: "Daddy is at work." Charlie: "G?" Me: "G is at school." Charlie: "My?" Me: "Miles is at school." And then we start again.
• Has discovered a love of strawberries and candy. 
• Can climb up and down stairs holding hands.
• Now has quite a bit of hair, whispy, blond and curly.

Previous monthly photos
Miles' monthly photos

Charlie at 16 Months

The past month has been an explosion of words for our little Charlie. It's so fun to hear his voice and his always strong opinions, especially when it comes to food and books. And he astounds us with how much he seems to understand.

In the past month, Charlie:

• Has so many new words, including "water," "waffle," "apple," "book," "thank you," and "mine." He also says a bunch of animal sounds, including an owl, cow and dog. And when we all leave the house in the morning for work and school, he says what sounds like "Bye-bye everybody!"
• Has developed a cheesy grin that he likes to flash at strangers. He likes attention.
• Has been cutting a bunch of molars but still remains a happy baby.
• Loves to help around the house, sweeping with his toddler-size broom while we clean up the kitchen.
• Eats whole apples (we take off the skin), just like his brother Grant. 
• Likes to dress up -- whether it's a funny hat or necklace he finds in the playroom.
• Loves basketball. Grant has been playing on a team on Saturday mornings, and Charlie is enthralled. At home he loves to "shoot" balls at the basket in Grant's room, which involves us lifting him up to the net and yelling "score!"
• Is transitioning from two naps to just one long afternoon nap. It seemed like this happened too fast!
• Moves so fast that it's nearly impossible to get a picture of him these days. 

Previous monthly photos

Miles' monthly photos

Charlie at 15 Months

Charlie's little personality continues to come out more every month. He's independent and fiercely opinionated, loving and silly.

New this past month, Charlie:

• Has become a more confident walker, though he still teeters around like a drunk sailor.
• Naps less consistently. He often chatters in his room instead of sleeping. I think he's already getting closer to dropping his morning nap.
• Says "Miles" and "hi." Also "bye-bye" and "night-night."
• Fell out of his crib! I heard him screaming one morning and found him sitting on the floor next to his crib. Apparently he was trying to climb out.
• Speaking of climbing, he learned that he can climb into baskets and thinks this is hilarious.
• Loves to sit and watch Ted, sometimes bringing him his favorite stuffed animal. (Yes, our cat has a stuffed animal.)
• Eats with a spoon and fork out of a bowl. 
• Blows on his food when it's hot.
• Loves to throw balls to us and especially loves making baskets in the hoop in Grant's room.

Previous monthly photos
Miles' monthly photos

Charlie at 13 and 14 months

Since turning 1, Charlie has turned into a little firecracker, full of energy and sass. 

New in the last couple of months:

• He's walking! He officially became a toddler in early December. 
• He shakes his head no and nods his head yes.
• He says "bye-bye" and what sounds like "Grant."
• He makes animal sounds including "moo" and "grrr."
• He still loves reading and has strong opinions on books. He shakes his head fiercely and whines if he disagrees with the selection.
• He dances when he hears music.
• He loves green beans, apples...and cookies. He's developing a sweet tooth, no thanks to Christmas cookies in constant rotation.
• He sleeps solidly at night (12 hours straight) and pretty well during the day (1 and 2 hour naps are the norm).

Previous monthly photos

Miles' monthly baby photos

Charlie at 1 Year

Happy birthday to Baby Charlie! His first year has been full of fun, chaos and sweet moments. He showed a determined spirit from Day 1, overcoming a scary entrance into the world and thriving. He came home and fit right in with his goofy, high-energy, loving brothers.

So far Charlie is independent and determined, often silly but also quite serious. He loves books, baths, Ted the Hero, books about dogs, eating, music, swings, stroller rides and of course his big brothers. He's a little shy, especially around new people. He typically studies people with a furrowed brow before volunteering a smile. He doesn't sit still or tolerate snuggling, but catch him in the right moment and he'll happily give kisses and hugs, before pushing you away and beelining to climb the stairs.

New this month, Charlie:

• Says "ma-ma," "da-da" and "dog"
• Blows kisses.
• Seems to understand more words, like diaper, feet, cat and brothers.
• Stands up on his own.
• Pretty much decided he's done with nursing. He had seemed less and less interested ever since our Italy trip, but I was still holding on to a few feedings a day. This month he's gradually dropped all of them. 
• Also refuses to let us feed him, demanding only table food that he can feed himself.
• Has finally grown enough hair to develop little blond curls above his ears.

Previous monthly photos

Miles' monthly baby photos

Charlie at 11 Months

With the leaves starting to turn colors, I keep thinking back to a year ago when I was hugely pregnant, waiting for baby to arrive. It's crazy to think that Charlie is almost a year old. At 11 months, he's at a fun yet exhausting age, full of personality but getting into everything. 

New this month, Charlie:

• Waves "bye-bye."
• Says "dog" and "da-da," which sound the same. 
• Can go from squatting to standing unassisted. He's like a kid learning to ride a bike; as soon as he realizes that he's standing on his own, he panics and sits down.
• Pushes a baby walker around the house.
• Loves oranges and salmon, has decided that's he "over" Cheerios and bananas, and still loves cheese more than anything.
• Adores books but isn't crazy about sitting still to be read to. Instead he likes to hold them and turn the pages himself. Favorite books are "Doggies" by Sandra Boynton and "Dear Zoo."
• Throws mini-temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way, often holding his breath until he turns blue.
• Can climb up the stairs. 
• Every morning as I'm getting ready for work, methodically empties every drawer in my bathroom. First he shakes out every last hair tie, then he removes Kent's shaving supplies, and then he moves on to the bottles of hairspray and hairbrushes under the sink. He's a mini tornado, a path of destruction following him everywhere he goes. 
• Loves Kent more than anyone. If Kent is in the room, he whines until he picks him up. If I'm holding him, he'll often push me away and reach for Kent. It's a very sweet bond that they have, and I try not to be offended.

Charlie at 10 Months

Sigh. My baby is already 10 months. His current favorite things are re-organizing kitchen cupboards, taking apart his big brothers' Lego creations and drooling.

What's new:

• He pulls himself up to standing and scoots across furniture.
• He gives open-mouth kisses.
• He does "so big," stretching his arms over his head. 
• He likes to mimic his brothers.
• He's down to nursing two times a day. 
• He mostly feeds himself table foods. Favorites include peas, cantaloupe and green beans. He also loves cheese of any kind, from goat cheese to feta. 
• He's practicing his balancing skills, and even stood up once without holding onto anything. 
• He had his first week away from Mom and Dad and did remarkably well. 
• He loves bath time. 
• He whines. I can't begin to imagine where he learned this communication skill.
• He still has almost no hair but he seems to be sprouting new teeth every day.

Previous monthly photos.

Miles' monthly baby photos.

Charlie at 9 Months

At 9 months, Charlie is a happy, active baby who loves music, being outside and observing his brothers. His favorite things are doors, Teddy and swings.

New this past month, Charlie:

• Is fully crawling, at light speed.
• Can climb up the stairs, also at light speed.
• Is regularly sleeping 12-hour stretches through the night.
• Took his first airplane ride.
• Has tried some new foods, including mangoes, peaches and barley. He eats just about anything we put in front of him.
• Is able to sit up in shopping carts.
• Pulls himself up to standing whenever he can.
• Claps his hands.
• Plays peek-a-boo.
• Gives high-fives.
• Babbles what sounds like "ma-ma" and "da-da."
• Is obsessed with opening and closing doors. 
• Is fearful of anyone who is not me, Kent, his brothers or Jamie.
• Weighs 16 pounds, 11 ounces (7th percentile) and is 28.25 inches long (46 percentile).

Previous monthly photos.

Miles' monthly baby photos.

Charlie at 8 Months

The theme for this last month has been baby on the move. Charlie is everywhere these days, and he isn't even technically crawling. I'm slightly devastated that we never got the phase where he sits still and plays quietly with toys.

New this past month, Charlie:

• Became a very fast and determined army crawler.
• Is fully sitting up without support—though he has little interest in sitting still.
• Has started to pull himself up into a kneeling position. When I go in to get him up in the morning, I often find him on his knees looking over the top of the railing. Time to move the crib mattress down!
• Is feeding himself Cheerios and puffs. He continue to be a good eater, loving homemade zucchini, millet and green bean purees. The only thing he hasn't been so fond of is carrots. 
• Has two more teeth and still virtually no hair.
• Can maneuver from sitting position to his tummy and vice versa. 
• Is getting extremely difficult to change and get dressed because he squirms so much.
• Is showing more favoritism to me, which you know, is the worst. 

Previously monthly photos are here.

Miles' monthly photos are here.

Charlie at 7 Months

I typed the title of this post, and then paused for a minute. Wait, that's not right. 7 months? Not sure where the last month went. Charlie is so much fun right now—full of personality, active and sweet. We're enjoying these days even if they are fleeting.

New this past month, Charlie:

• Pretty much sits up without support.
• Cut his first tooth. I noticed he was drooling a lot, touched his gums, and voila, there it was. He hadn't been very fussy, so I almost didn't realize he was getting a tooth. Hoping for an easy teether.
• Is eating solids. So far we've tried applesauce, avocados, peas, pears and yogurt. He got off to a tentative start with food, but lately has fully embraced it.
• Cut down nursing to every 4 hours, or about 4-5 times a day. He still wakes up most nights for a feeding, and I'm OK with that.
• At his last appointment, weighed 15 pounds and was in the 10 percentile. 
• Had his first swing ride, pushed by Miles. Charlie had a giant grin on his face, and Miles seemed to love fulfilling his big-brother duty too. I remember when we first told the boys that we were expecting a baby, and the first thing Miles asked was "Will I get to push him on the swing?'
• Is facing forward in the stroller and seems to love long walks in the neighborhood. 
• And the biggest development: He's started army crawling. One second he was up on all fours and the next he was scooting across the room, reaching for his brothers' dinosaurs, Legos and just about everything in sight. Watch out world, this boy is on the move.

Charlie at 6 Months

It blows my mind that Charlie is already half a year old. Even though 6 months is my favorite baby age, part of me is sad that we'll never have a newborn again. On the other hand, I'm ready for a good night's sleep and looking forward to him growing out of the night-waking phase. Still bald and toothless, Charlie is smiley and full of energy during the day. He kicks his legs constantly, and I swear he's trying to figure out how to run.

This month, Charlie:

• Finally left the swaddle behind. We swaddled him for what seemed like forever because he slept so well in it, and why mess up a good thing?
• Often rolls over in the night to sleep on his tummy.
• Took his first road trip, a quick overnight trip to Minneapolis with Kent and me.
• Takes two solid naps and has pretty much dropped his early evening (5 p.m.) cat nap. He goes to bed at 7 and still gets up once or twice at night. 
• Seriously loves Kent. When he comes home from work, Charlie whines until Kent picks up him, then he snuggles against his chest. It's pretty darn cute, if not slightly heart-breaking for me.
• Grabs at anything within reach, including plates, hair and earrings. Everything goes straight to his mouth of course.
• Loves music and being sung to. His favorite song is the Alphabet Song. No matter how fussy he is, this song will bring an immediate smile to his face.

Charlie's past monthly photos.

Monthly photos of Miles.

Charlie at 5 Months

At 5 months, Charlie is a darling, sweet baby who is still adored by his big brothers. Even though he's been challenging us with frequent night wakings this last month, we're soaking up his happy, easy-going personality during the day. This month, Charlie:

• Rolls over from his front to back and back to front.
• Weighs about 12 pounds and is in just the 2 percentile for weight. He nurses about every three hours and seems satisfied, so our pediatrician isn't concerned.
• Plays independently, often squealing happily at his toys....
• ...but still loves to be held more than anything.
• Puts everything in his mouth and drools and drools. 
• Seems fascinated by Ted the Hero, following him with his gaze whenever he's in the room.
• Laughs uncontrollably at Miles' "funny guy" routine, which involves Miles falling on the floor over and over. 

Charlie's past monthly photos.
Monthly photos of Miles.

Charlie at 4 Months

At 4 months, Charlie is growing and changing in big and little ways. What's new:

• He's transitioned from sleeping in the bassinet to his crib. We still swaddle him, but he often works his hand out to suck on. 
• He holds onto and plays with toys. His favorites are ones that he can chew on.
• He likes to be held and rarely lets us put him down without crying. 
• He loves to blow spit bubbles. Between that and teething, we're constantly wiping up drool.
• He recognizes when Mommy or Daddy are leaving the room and often cries.
• He's ticklish and will roll with laughter when tickled around his ribs and knees. 
• His biggest smiles are reserved for Miles and Daddy. 
• He HATES baths. We've tried warmer and colder baths, bathing him in the sink and in the baby bathtub, but nothing keeps him from screaming. As the third child, he hardly ever gets a bath, so at least he doesn't have to suffer often.
• He tolerates "tummy time" for longer periods of time and holds his head up better than ever. 
• He makes little squeals and loud coos when everyone is talking and he needs attention.

Charlie's past monthly photos.
Monthly photos of Miles.

Charlie at 3 Months

It would be nice if time would slow down a little bit. Charlie is already 3 months, already out of the newborn stage. He's still an easy-going baby who loves being held, read to and snuggled.

What's new:

• Charlie is full of smiles and occasional laughter.
• He loves to be held.
• He's discovered his hands and loves to suck on them.
• He's starting to grasp toys and concentrates hard on getting them into his mouth.
• He's moved from sleeping in a bassinet in our room to sleeping in the bassinet in his own room.
• He goes to bed between 7:30 and 8, wakes once a night to nurse(or sometimes not at all), and goes back to sleep until 7 or 8.
• When I go in to pick him up from a nap, he stops crying and smiles at me.
• Of the three boys, he's the only one who has taken to a pacifier. 
• When we talk to him, he coos back at us. 
• He's still mostly bald, with little wispy blond hairs starting to come in.
• He looks a little like Grant and a little like Miles as a baby. But he really has his very own look.
• I went back to work last week, which was naturally an adjustment for both of us. But he's in good hands with Jamie, and that makes everything so much easier.

One Month!

Time flies.