Charlotte - Weeks 26 & 27

I can't believe sweet Charlie is 6 months old! Time really, really is flying and I just want it to slow down. I'm LOVING this stage with Charlotte, she is so happy and smiley and just plain sweet. At her 6 month appointment she was 14 lbs, 4 oz and 26 1/4 " long. She's in the 25th percentile for weight and 50th for height. She was so sweet with the doctor, giving him lots of smiles and being really cute. She didn't get her shots because she has a minor ear infection so we'll have to go back and get those when she's done the amoxicillin. Even through an ear infection and a cold she's as happy as can be.

Charlie's getting pretty good at sitting up but she's still kind of wobbly. She rolls all over and when she's on her belly she's starting to scoot herself backwards a bit. She's so strong and changing her is quite a challenge now. Her nights are pretty good, we put her down between 8 and 8:30pm and she's up around 6:30am. We're slowing getting our life back. :)

Auntie Em was here with us last week and we had a BLAST!!! We miss her terribly already. Em surprised Ruby by picking her up from school - Ruby thought she was only coming in later that day and she was SO happy to see her Auntie Em. She ran into her arms and clung to Em all the way out to the car. It was very sweet. Ruby was attached to Em the whole time and Em, like usual, played tirelessly. And when Ruby was sleeping or at school, Em snuggled, played with and walked around Charlie. What a great Auntie. Come baaaaaack! :)

Check out the video at the end of Charlie in her new jolly jumper. I think she likes it!

Sister snuggles.

Snack time!

I love bananas!

Ruby insisted on putting ALL her dress up clothes on at the same time.

Re-discovering the beach tent. Perfect book-reading spot!

Reading to little sister.

Auntie Em!!!

Ruby helping Charlie use her sippy cup for the first time.

You got it Charlie!

Amusing Charlie with shadow butterflies.

So happy with Auntie Em.

I love my sistew!

Hanging out at the Rum Bar.

Our dare-devil - a flying leap...

...finished off with a somersault!

Great form, Rubes!

Charlie and lion enjoying the boat ride.

Ready for a grown-up night out!

So happy to be out!!

Charlotte - Week 25

Miss Charlotte is growing, growing, growing!! She's also developing a little attitude. I noticed it especially today when she was playing with little stackable cups and Ruby came along and took them away to stack them and she threw a fit! I would tell Ruby to give her one to play with and she'd be happy again but as soon as Ruby took it away, she started squawking! I like that she's starting to stand up for herself. We just got a big area rug today in our living room that is really soft and she loves it. She rolls herself from one end to the other in no time.

Both the girls are a little under the weather, they both have that chesty cough that all the kids have right now. Fortunately, it hasn't seemed to affect their sleep and their energy level. :)

Ruby is doing great and loves helping feed Charlie. We've added peas and apples this week. Charlie loves the apples - peas, not so much. I just love watching Charlotte's face when Ruby comes into the room. It just lights up - literally. It's just so sweet. Nobody can make Charlie smile and laugh like Ruby can. Charlie especially loves it when Ruby jumps up and down. Charlie laughs and kicks her chubby legs - soon enough you'll be jumping too, little chickadee!

We're sooooooo excited for Auntie Em to come visit on Tuesday!!!

Blowing raspberries.

Rubes and I usually do a picnic every day while Charlie is napping.

These are some of my favorite shots from our last picnic. Love this girl!

Ruby insisted that Doug put her in the box that our curtain rod came in.

She was very mad that Doug wouldn't let go of the box while she was like this.

Airing out the cheeks.

Ruby loves making sure Charlie has ALL her toys to play with.

Hey Charlie, you under there?

Charlie's first taste of peas.

Charlotte - Weeks 23 & 24

What a difference 2 weeks makes in baby life! Charlie's a professional eater now and her repertoire includes, rice cereal, oatmeal, pears, squash and sweet potato. I really wanted to make her food like I did for Ruby but so far, that hasn't happened. :( Oh well, if I find the time I will, if not, I won't. Sorry Charlie, I'm sure you won't have to see a therapist about this in your teen years though. :)

Charlotte is sitting up a lot better now. We still can't leave her unassisted but she's almost there. She's also found her new favorite toy - her feet! She loves them! She's so much fun and she LOVES smiling and laughing at big sister Ruby. Her giggles are contagious and usually we're all laughing when she is. She's such a strong baby and wants to be standing up all the time. She also can get a really good grip on your hair and pull like nobody's business. She takes Ruby's hair out in chunks.

Charlie continues to be a joy and is being a little more consistent with her sleeping through the night and isn't usually getting up before 6am anymore which is nice! In the past couple of weeks she's also starting waking up from naps and in the morning happy instead of crying which is much more pleasant for me.

Ruby is doing great and still thriving at school. She's very excited for the "sneaky leppers" to come to her school on St. Patty's Day. I guess the teachers told them they all have to wear green that day to make sure the leprechauns don't come mess up their classroom. It was all I could do not to die laughing when she told me about the "leppers". She is so hilarious.

Ruby's very interested in death right now and why people die. We try not to dwell on it too much and not make a big deal about it when we're answering her death questions but it's hard to know what to say when she says, "Mommy, I don't want to die." A cheerful, "Oh honey, everyone dies at some point but you won't die for a very, very long time." usually does the trick. Damn. The answer to this one wasn't in the parenting manual. :)

We're excited to see PopPop this weekend and enjoy the beautiful Florida Spring weather!

Silly Sisters

At the Children's Museum. She wasn't really excited about milking the cow. She was kind of confused/grossed out.

Baby Hospital! Now we're talking!!

Dr. Ruby, busy at work saving the world, one baby at a time.

I came into the room and found this with Ruby giggling in the corner.

Mamma and her girl.

She looks like such a little girl here - Charlie don't grow up too fast!!

Good shot by Rubes!

Hi sweet girl!

Love these two!

I wish I had that upper body strength!

Umm, can you say "Douglette"?

I just want to eat her!!!

Quiet time.

Zonked.

Always a party at the Vogt house!

Who needs toys when you have toes?

Charlotte - Week 22

I can't believe Charlie's 5 months old already! Time sure is flying. We started her on rice cereal this weekend and she LOVES eating. She was more than ready and she took to it right away and is a pro already. Ruby loves to help feed Charlie and does the airplane really well. :) Rubes is so sweet with Charlotte and just loves her so much, it's really awesome to watch. Charlotte is on the move! She can roll a good distance and I can't take my eye off her for a second. Gone are the days where I can just lay her on the bed while I putter around the room. I have a feeling she'll be an early crawler. She's really starting to sit up more and more on her own and she loves to do it. She's so smiley and cuddly and curious and happy. An overall joy of a baby!

Rubes is the best big sister and seems to have rounded the corner from the really challenging behaviour we were having in the past few months. Several times I've come up to get her out of quiet time and she's cleaned her whole room and pulled the covers up on her bed and she says, "Mommy, I cleaned my room for you to make you happy." Oh things like that just make me want to cry it's so sweet. She'll also clean the living room for me now and she does a great job! Her newest discovery is that she can zip her jackets/sweaters up all by herself now. She was over the moon the first time she did it. It was so fun sitting down with her after school on Valentine's Day and having her show me all of the Valentines she got. She read who each one was from one and got them all right! She amazes me sometimes. Love that girl!

Rubes can always get a giggle from Charlie.

Stinker and stinkette.

Sleepover fort with Ben & Lucy!!

Bedtime story. Yup, I just laid there and let Doug do the work. :)

2 of my favorite people.

Aww, Charlie, I love you!

She sure does love her Mommy, too!

Heading out the door for their Valentine's Day breakfast date and Dunkin' Donuts!

Big girl with a spoon!

A baby in jeans always makes me giggle.

Especially when they're this cute.

So I put her on her play mat, turned around and chopped up a carrot and turned around and she was all the way over there!!