Live from Houston It's ... Us!

Yes, we're alive. After my longest hiatus from the blogging world (partly due to the disruption of moving, partly due to no internet access) since I started, we have left Durham and are currently living somewhere between Houston and Salt Lake while we continue to wait for power at our new place. And since it has been several weeks since I last posted, enjoy this random sampling of what we (mostly Charlotte) have been up to this past month.
Hangin' with Daddy ... when he's not at work!

Visiting with good friends Brianne and Isaac in Houston. We were trying to get Isaac to give Charlotte a kiss here, but he wasn't quite as interested in the subject of "How does 'Charlotte Stewart' sound?" as their moms were. Adam's birthday at Pappasito's in Houston (amazing fajitas!) complete with his mom Miss Patty, our cousins Shelly, Kendall, Damon, Audrey, and a dish of Flaming Cheese.I am always amazed at how she enjoys sleeping with her neck at this angle!
Enjoying the close companionship of the Savior as she rocks out at Shelly's.
Our chubby little Cutie Patooty! She's up to 9 1/2 pounds now.

House Update

So there's our house. Isn't she a beauty? Carpet and wood floors are in, counters and cupboards installed , crown molding and even the front landscaping is done. Just one problem ... THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY. Although we were originally scheduled to close on October 3, it looks like we're not going to be able to get into it until at least the end of October due to the immense power outages across Houston from Hurricane Ike. They aren't going to put our electricity meter on until everyone has their power back, which is perfectly understandable, but it doesn't change the fact that we are going to be homeless vagabonds for the next month since Adam's job starts in Houston next Monday. Big thanks to our cousins Shelly and Kendall who have offered to take us in for a few weeks. We hope that you aren't going to live to regret your very big-hearted offer to take us in!

Our big, fat, as-of-yet unlandscaped backyard.
Carpet is in and ready to be walked on.


Even the hardwood floors are anxiously awaiting our feet ... Hope to walk all over you soon!

Burfday Girl

Today our precious Charlotte turned one month old, so to celebrate we took her down to the portrait studio and had some pictures taken. I intended to just buy one or two shots, but unfortunately for our pocketbook, she is just too darn cute to not leave with a whole bunch of them. Enjoy!

P.S. For everyone wondering about how our house in Houston weathered Hurricane Ike, we have been told that there was no damage in our neighborhood (due to the lack of trees since virtually nothing has been landscaped) but getting the power turned on may prove to be a problem ... We'll keep you posted.

Three and a Half Weeks in Babyville

Time for another weekly apology to those who I have neglected to call back, write back, message back, and those (i.e. my mom and sisters) who have not forgiven me for not posting pictures of little Charlotte daily. All I can say in my defense is that I'm lucky to sleep three uninterrupted hours at night anymore, which leaves me on the border of legal insanity most of the daytime, and that I have been the victim of high-pressure projectile pooping more than once this past week, culminating in Charlotte liberally splattering my face yesterday. (Fortunately, my mouth was closed!) The craziest part is that I think I love her even more every time she spits up on my clean shirt, every time she wakes up right after I put her in bed, every time I put a brand new diaper on her and she immediately fills it up again. There is something beautiful and innocent about her every act; she lives according to what she feels, what she wants, what she needs in the moment without worrying about what other people think she should do.

I'm also discovering a lot about myself here in Babyville. I don't respond to her like I would to other people; I find myself apologizing when she pees all over herself instead of getting mad that I have to change all of her clothes again. I have discovered there are few things better than when she is crying and I pick her up and she stops right away because it comforts her to be close to me. And I actually love those 3 a.m. moments when I have just fed her and she looks up at me with all of the wonder of the world in her eyes. I am sure then that she loves me, even if she forgets as her eyes drift shut and she has to relearn it as I change diaper after diaper, feed her and feed her, and rock her back to sleep all over again.

Well, enough waxing sentimental. Time for another bonanza of Charlotte pictures!
While my mom was in town, we drove out to the Raleigh LDS Temple to take some pictures of the baby. Charlotte, however, was not really into it and wouldn't wake up for a single shot.We made another attempt to catch Charlotte awake on Sunday morning outside of Duke Chapel and the Divinity School. (These worked out a little better even though the crazy wind totally ruined my hair.)Enjoying some bathtime with Grammy, who knows much better than Mom or Dad about how to get the job done at this point.Giving up on "tummy time".Trying on the wrist wrattles for the first time. This picture reminded me of another one ...

Charlotte's mama, August 1976. Now we know where she gets her chubby cheeks from!

Thanks and Apologies

Before I post another two hundred or so pictures of Charlotte, I want to take a minute to apologize. Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, I have received about fifty phone calls, emails, cards, and Facebook messages congratulating us on the baby. I have had time and energy to answer about three of them. But I hope many of you see this blog and know that we really appreciate all of the care and support that our friends and family have offered us over the past few weeks as we have struggled to adjust to our new life of dirty diapers, spit-up, and extreme sleep deprivation. I will see you or at least call each of you again one day, dear friends and family, and when I do, I will thank you in person for your kind care and concern. Until then, please be patient with me and forgive my unresponsiveness!

Meet the Grandparents

Okay, Aunt Ashley, stop harassing me; here are your pictures! We have had a flood of relatives coming to see little Charlotte Lily over the past two weeks. The most important have been grandparents! Her Mimi and Papi Laughton came up last weekend ...
And Grammy arrived on Sunday to take care of Mom while Daddy goes off to Atlanta for some training next week.
Trying out the Baby Bjorn for the first time.
Dear Grandma Bybee,

Thanks so much for the cute bow. I know my head is going to be big enough for it one of these days!

Love,
Charlotte
Our little Smurfette.
Precious Charlotte was up to 7 lbs. 3 oz. today at the doctor and is getting chubbier by the day. Hooray!
Little Jack across the way was so excited to see Charlotte yesterday. I thought this picture of him was so cute.

Charlotte Extravaganza

Hello, Friends. After five of the most painful, wonderful, sleep-deprived, miraculous days of my life, I'm ready to take the reigns to our blog back from my husband and get posting again. I begin by overexposing you all to more pictures of our precious Charlotte Lily, now four days old. She is the cutest, sweetest, most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me and I'm able to think about little else lately, so please excuse my inability to restrain myself here.On Tuesday night, they finally let us leave the hospital. Charlotte enjoyed her car seat and fell asleep on the way home.Watching Daddy as he struggles to put together her swing, which she doesn't seem to like much so far anyway. (They call this a swaddle blanket, but it looks kind of like a straight jacket, doesn't it? Well, whatever it is, it quiets her right down.)
First doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Of course, she screamed like crazy when she was stripped down and weighed.Charlotte's first bath on Wednesday night. Once again, she became indignant and screamed her head off when she was undressed.Our sweet baby girl fighting her Nana's efforts to wake her up.Enjoying a visit with Great-Granddaddy and Nana who drove up from Beaufort on Thursday to see her. After a nice afternoon with the baby, they both told me "You done real good, sweetheart." I thought they had done good too, since I left the baby with them and got to nap for almost 45 minutes.Charlotte in her post-nursing drunken stage.

Visiting with Aunties Brit, Taunja, and Ruthie.