Cheesy Santa Pictures

Every kid needs to have cheesy Santa pictures, right?!  Well, I stumbled across this set up at a mall downtown (check out the extremely fake looking background!) and I could not resist.  Charlie was indifferent to Santa - he just sat there content as can be.  I have to be honest, I was hoping he would scream for one picture or pull on his beard...

This is what I think he might have been thinking while sitting on Santa's lap:

"Those candy canes are way cooler than Santa - I want one!"

"This is the closest thing to a smile you are getting Mom"

"Alright, I am done with this guy - can I get down?"

Oh, Christmas Tree

On December 4th, we ventured out to the suburbs to cut down our Christmas tree.  We loaded up the family (dogs included, of course) on a mission to find the perfect tree for Charlie's first Christmas.  I am pretty particular, so of course I dragged us up and down every row at the tree farm to find the best one - I think we did it!

We have been in the Christmas spirit for a few weeks at the Hamilton House - it is so fun to have a little one to share the holiday with. One of our favorite things we have been doing this holiday season (besides cutting down and decorating our tree) is reading Charlie all of his Christmas books (he has quite the collection!) It has been fun to read the stories to Charlie that Steve and I enjoyed when we were little :)

I am sure we will have some more 2011 Christmas updates - stay tuned!


 

Found the tree!! (Kenadee approves)

Getting ready to cut it down

Dragging it to the car - Daddy forgot his gloves so Mommy had to drag my tree

Wow!  This thing is short!!

Is this present for me?

Jingle Bells!

I love my tree!

Class of 2033

Charlie went to his first (of what will be many) Badger game in November.  Steve is starting to brainwash him early in hopes that he will choose to go to school at UW-Madison - will he be a future Badger?!  Maybe!  He had a pretty good time in Madison as we showed him around...

Chillin' on the terrace

Enjoying the Badger Game

Go Badgers!

  We need to work on Charlie's 'Jump Around' moves ;)

The Three Musketeers!

The picture says it all....

A Very THANKFUL Thanksgiving

"This year on Thanksgiving we were very thankful that our car decided to die in the garage rather than on the highway during our drive back to Wisconsin..."

Yep, that's right, the car decided not to start after we had packed it up for our Thanksgiving holiday back in Wisconsin.  After loading it up with baby gear, Thanksgiving pies, 2 dogs and oh yes, the baby (who, by the way, hates the car seat so much that he twists his body in ways that amaze me just because he does not want to go in his seat!);  we felt pretty good - we were leaving on time (and during one of Charlie's nap times which is crucial during a 'road trip'), had everything packed and we were all accounted for in the car... and then NOTHING!  Wait a few minutes, try again-NOTHING!  Steve and I looked at each other and started laughing - this was not happening!  But yes, it was happening and it happened.  So, needless to say, Charlie's first Thanksgiving was spent in Chicago.  After the shock of the car not starting and calling our families to tell them the news, we made the best of the situation and went to the grocery store to get all of the stuff we needed for our last minute Thanksgiving dinner.  We had such a fun day - we think we might have started a new tradition for the 3 of us :)

And by the way, on our Christmas list this year, a new car - ha ha!

Charlie and his first turkey - a mini Butterball Turkey Breast (the only thing the grocery store had left besides 30lb turkeys!)

Happy Turkey Day 2011!

Can You Find Me?

Hint:  In picture # 1, I have on my best flirt face.  In picture #2  I am sportin' some argyle  (and you can't see my face)

Good Luck ;) 

xoxo,
Charlie

PS - These are my friends from one of my playgroups. Our Moms set up a photo shoot for all of us at one of our play dates :)

Picture # 1

Picture # 2

Boo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

Love,

The Lion, The Wicked Witch & Dorothy

I wore my Lion Costume all over the city!  Here I am at my friend Olivia's Halloween Party - she is the lady bug.  And the beautiful flower is my friend Talia. 

And He's Off!

3 weeks ago Charlie started officially crawling!  He had been army-crawling for a while so we were just waiting for the moment when he would figure out how to get up on his hands and knees and take off.  I like to think I was the one who made it happen after spending many days crawling around on the floor myself, showing him how its done :)   Now he is motoring all around our house and if I turn my head for a second, he is out of sight.  Needless to say, Charlie and I do not sit down much during the day - he just loves to move and explore and I am right behind him making sure he is staying out of mischief. 

Crawling has probably been the biggest thing Charlie learned in his 6 month, but a few other highlights of month 6 include:   pulling himself up on our legs and reaching for us  (by the way, the best feeling is when your baby reaches for you!), eating solids (twice he has fallen asleep mid-spoonful in the high chair), going on his second airplane ride, swinging in the big kid swings at the park  and getting his 2 front-bottom teeth - which is a story in itself :  We had no clue Charlie was even teething because he never acted out of the ordinary - so we were shocked when we saw those 2 little white things popping out of his mouth one day.  Steve and I thought we were terrible parents for not realizing he was teething, but we have been told to consider ourselves lucky we did not experience what some parents experience during the teething process.  After telling my mom about Charlie's teeth, I came to find out that she and my dad never knew that I  was teething when I got my baby teeth .   So, I have to assume Charlie has my pain tolerance for teething (way to make Mommy proud buddy!)

Looking back on the past 6 months, we are in awe of the way Charlie has grown and developed and we can't believe how fast the time has gone. (We wish we could freeze time!)    Each day is better than the last and as a parent, you don't think it can get any better but it truly does.   Everyday we are so excited to see what he will do or discover next :)

Can't wait for the next 6 months Charlie K ~ We love you more than you will ever know!

Mommy & Daddy

Here I am when I was 6 days old

Here I am when I was 6 months old  (9.26.11) I have gotten so big!

Meeting Mommy at the RFTC finish line

Me and the Story Time Lady

Not sure if I like this swing thing...

I am a messy eater (and this is me on a good day!)

Trying to find the doggies

Me in a tree

Hiking in Lake Tahoe - I went hiking 3 days in a row!

Maelin and I picked our very own pumpkins!

Charlie, Meet Charlie

Charlie has recently become obsessed with himself!  He has always noticed himself in mirrors but in the past few days, he just can't get enough of his own face :)  This video shows how excited Charlie gets when he "meets" himself in the mirror.  He is so excited in this video, he tried to take the mirror off the wall! 

My Little Picasso

Yesterday Charlie created his first art project with finger paint -  it was the messiest 2 minutes of his life! He loved painting but ultimately, he just wanted to eat the finished project, which was a birthday card for Daddy :)  Needless to say, after he was done,  he was immediately put in the bath tub to rinse off his "artistic talent"...

Yummy!?

Mommy!  Give me back my art so I can eat it!!!

Finished Product - Charlie does not look very excited... ;)

Flirt Alert!

Charlie is breaking hearts all over Chicago :)  He has taken a liking to smile at all the ladies, young and old; from the produce woman at the grocery store, to the little girls in his play groups.  We can't go anywhere without Charlie flirting - he flashes his million dollar smile and then plays hard to get by turning his head into his stroller or burying his face in our shoulder (if we are holding him.)  And if he really 'likes' someone, he will scream and "talk" until they look his way.   It is hilarious - he has quite the personality and it is only getting stronger each day. 

Here are some pictures of his 'flirty smile' and a few others from Month 4.  We can't quite believe we are coming up to the 1/2 way mark of Charlie's first year in our lives! 

Big Smile!

Charlie at the Bean in Millennium Park

Sleeping with his butt in the air

Eating his toes

Loves to lay on his dog Kenadee

Playing in his excer-saucer

Rolling Around



4 Months!

Hanging out with his big-boy friends



Baptism with God Parents  - Aunt Meggie and Uncle Matt

Baby Charlie is on the move...

A few weeks ago , Charlie started to roll from his back onto his tummy and it is quite funny.  When he rolled over the first few times, he was so scared, he just screamed!  He looked like a turtle that could not move - he was balanced on his tummy while his legs and arms flailed about.  Now he has become a pro at rolling over and these days when he is on his tummy, he just chills out and looks at the world from that angle.  While I am very happy he has started to roll over, I am slightly nervous when he does it in his sleep.  I have found him face planted in the sheets, nose stuck in the bar of the crib and numerous other positions.  It is such a mystery how he ends up in these positions!  So, I have become very paranoid and wake up through out the night to check on him and if I find him on his tummy (which I normally do), I switch him to "right side up" :)    I think this is my first lesson as a mom in "letting go"...  My baby boy just likes to sleep on his tummy!

Besides being on the move, Charlie is all smiles and gurgles.  He "talks" non-stop and he gets very loud and excited.  The other day he was talking away and Steve said "I am  in trouble, he is taking after you with your non-stop talking"  Ha ha!  Charlie and I can't help it, we have a lot to say :)  (check out our video below!)

Normal to sleep like this?!



Fathers Day 2011




In My Big Boy Stroller and Lovin' It!




Party Animal!




Hangin' with my friends Parker and Sophia




Come on Maelin, lets go swimming!




I like being on my tummy

3 Months Old