Nutrition

Lately, I've been trying to drink more milk. On Friday, I made a bunch of chocolate cupcakes to help me accomplish this goal.

Charlotte, of course, thought this was a great idea, but wound up needing a bath at 4:00 in the afternoon.

More Domestic Experimentation

When my mom was here, we made two baby quilts for Little Grey. I am really proud of how they turned out, not only because this was my first time trying quilts but also because I actually made my sewing machine sew in a (mostly) straight line for more than six inches and I count that as a major life accomplishment.

The Empress's New Chariot

Last week, I found out that a woman in our neighborhood was selling some of her kids' old tricycles and bikes. Charlotte has been getting really excited every time she sees a bike so I thought we would go over and try out the tricycle this woman had for sale. But the trike idea went out the window as soon as Cha-Cha got a load of this little Disney princess number with training wheels. I could barely pry her off of it to load it into the back of the car. While her feet touch the pedals pretty easily, she hasn't figured out how to pedal it yet, but that will come with time.

For now, Daddy enjoys it when she leans back on the brakes while he is trying to push her around on it.

Lately ...

... we've been seeing a little too much of this. Welcome to the Terrible Twos!

Fourth of July

This year, we wanted to show Charlotte some fireworks for the first time. But our town wasn't setting any off and when we got to the display in the next city over, it was so crowded we couldn't find a parking place anywhere. We were thrilled when we discovered on our ride home that we could enjoy five different firework displays going on in our community from the elementary school parking lot. And best of all, we were the only ones there watching. Charlotte had a great time watching the "fun-you-works" and yelling "boom!" over and over as they went off.

(So enthralled that she wouldn't pose for any of the dozen family pictures I tried to take. Oh well!)

Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy ...

... if you are Charlotte ...

... or Charlotte's mommy ...

... or Charlotte's Grammy.

But if you are Charlotte's daddy, you are all worn out from moving around stuff and putting together the furniture for her new bedroom!

Charlotte's new "big girl" bed and nightstand. (There is also a very cute dresser on the opposite wall.)

Spoiling Baby Grey (Dr. Seuss Style)

Two Saturdays ago, my cousin Shelly, my close friend Brianne, and my sister Ashley hosted a baby shower for me at Shelly's house. About a dozen close Houston friends came together for brunch and conversation and to offer me loads of advice on becoming a mother of two. Thanks, everyone, for your love and support. I hope you all had as much fun at the shower as I did!

The lovely hostesses (Brianne Stewart, Shelly Burr, and Ashley Bybee) and I. And yes, three of us are wearing the same shirt in different colors. Go Costco!

Brianne picked a Dr. Seuss theme for the decorations and she went ALL-OUT. Seriously, it was amazing. Thanks too to her mom who loaned her a lot of the Dr. Seuss stuff and her sister-in-law who sewed the adorable onesies with the ties on them and the burp rags that the little stuffed characters are wearing as diapers. So cute.

Some of the gifts and the one-of-a-kind Dr. Seuss diaper "cake" by Bri.

One of the best parts of the shower: having my mom in town for the festivities.

Me and my sweet friend Christine. She is so lovely she makes everyone around her radiant too!