New Do

Charlotte got a new do yesterday. It had become clear in the last few days that Charlotte needed bangs. Why? Well, Charlotte is sick again, but this time it’s the flu, which makes her very miserable, and her nose very runny. Her hair inevitably would get in her face, especially at night, and then get glued to her upper lip by all the mucous. (Yuck, I know) It was awful trying to pull her hair free every morning, so Eric and I decided to cut bangs on her. We strategized about the best way to do it, and then gave it a try. They’re not perfect, but they got the job done. Now she can always see in front of her, and doesn’t have to worry about her hair getting in the way.

Challenge

Could you live without your cell phone, e-mail, and blackberry for a week? That’s exactly what one man attempted to do after accepting a challenge by the Today Show. I can’t remember his name, but he is the managing editor for Forbes magazine, which implies that his job is pretty stressful and demanding. He also has a 6 year old daughter that he is obviously very close to. After nearly making it 2 days without any connection to the world except by his landline phone, he broke down and begged to get his cell phone back. He was crying. What caused this breakdown? I’m happy to say that it wasn’t over a business matter that needed urgent care, it was the thought that his daughter couldn’t get a hold of him if she needed to. That was really sweet to me.

I have been forgetting to take my cell phone with me quite often lately, and my only concern is that I won’t be able to contact Eric or my parents if I needed to, and that they wouldn’t be able to reach me if something urgent happened. I think I could live without email, and I don’t have a blackberry, so that’s easy. But a cell phone? No, I think I need that. How did we ever manage before?

A Great Idea

This picture was taken around Christmas time. Charlotte has been in a pre-crawl state for nearly 2 months, but still, she hasn't begun crawling. She gets on all fours, rocks back and forth, and sometimes gets up on her hands and feet, but can't seem to figure out how to move herself forward - unless you count her lunges (it's a good thing we have carpet).

Recently, however, she has figured out how to move herself forward. No, it's not a crawl, but a scoot. We're calling her scooter now. She puts crossed arms out in front of her, digs down, and scoots forward. She's gotten very good at scooting, and has managed to find herself in every corner of our house. This gave Eric a great idea.

Why not attach a swiffer like material to her belly and let her loose in the kitchen and dining room? She would do an excellent job cleaning, and have fun all the while. Better yet, we should make an outfit out of swiffer material and then let her loose.

Napping with Charlotte

Charlotte and I have gotten into a wonderful routine together. Every morning she wakes up at about 6:00 - not the greatest, but still, things could be worse. I slowly get out of bed and make my way to her room. When I peer over her crib, she smiles her cutest smile and extends her arms out towards me to be picked up. This completely melts my heart and any thoughts of sleeping in quickly subside.

The next part of our predictable day happens at around 8:30 a.m., when Charlotte is ready for her first nap. Rather than put her in her crib, we nap together in our big bed. What's really funny is that she manages to take up 3/4 of the bed and I'm left with the rest. But, sleep comes and it couldn't be better. I periodically wake up and take a few minutes to stare at my angel pie. I love it - our morning naps last almost two hours, which is more than enough time to make up for what was lost with her early rising.

Ah yes, napping with Charlotte is good. If I'm really tired, I join her for her afternoon nap as well.

Sick Again

Charlotte and I have colds again. Very annoying, but she is handling it better than I am. She's very much into talking now, and continues to say "da da da da da" through a dripping nose. I especially enjoy the mucus bubbles she creates. The only time she complains is when I try to wipe her nose clean, or suction out the mucus - she hates that!

I didn't get sick the entire time I was pregnant with Charlotte, but now I seem to be getting sick every time something goes around. Why? It's probably because I'm no longer on those gigantic vitamins they prescribe to pregnant women. I wonder if I passed this cold along to Charlotte or if she passed it along to me. It doesn't matter. I guess we're destined to be sick at the same time since we spend all of our waking hours together. Which leads me to wonder, when is she going to say "ma ma"?