1st Day of Preschool!

Jack started preschool today! He'll be going every Mon, Wed, and Fri for 3 hours. He's been very excited to start school, and he scampered away today when I dropped him off with barely a look back. The little stinker :)

Here are some pictures I took after class when I picked him up. He said he had a fun time today painting and being read to at storytime. He was also extremely happy that the main room at school has 2 ceiling fans.

Our little boy, all grown up!

11 Months Old!

Hey there, it's me Charlotte. I turned 11 months old on Wednesday. Mom says she got a little behind in writing this blog post because her clinic in Rogers Park moved to a new building this week and things were all kinds of crazy.

You can see 2 of my bottom teeth here. I've got at least 8 now, or at least that's Mom's best guess. I really don't like to let her look in my mouth. My 2 bottom molars and maybe 1 top one are coming in very slowly, and that makes me crabby sometimes.

Here's me striking a thoughtful pose. This was about the last shot I let Mom take of me being still. I'm a very busy girl with lots of things to do.

I've discovered how to put things in and out of containers.

I'm crawling and cruising around everywhere. As you can see I move so much that a lot of the pictures are at least partly blurry. Mom says she's actually surprised I'm not walking yet. What can I say, I'm trying to help her out a little and make her life easier for just a bit longer.


There is no question that I'm a Momma's Girl (who wouldn't be, when you've got the coolest mom around?). Unless I'm busy bothering Jack, Louie, or otherwise getting into something I'm not supposed to, I always want to be with my Mommy. You can see I was getting irritated here that Mom was on the couch and had the nerve to leave me on the floor.

I LOVE to eat. So far I'm a carbs-and-meat kind of girl. I was pretty good about eating veggies until Mom starting adding meat, pasta, rice, and bread as meal choices. I'm also a big fan of cheese. Now Mom has to put the veggies on my tray first, or else I'll let them sit there while I gorge on everything else. And if everything gets mixed together, I'm very skilled at picking out the foods that I like and leaving the unwanted things behind.

Ummm, it does't get any better than this. Ravioli with meat inside! Mom has to cut everything in very small pieces because I will shovel whole handfuls of food in my mouth.

Thought I'd throw in some pictures from the other night--Dad's birthday was on Tuesday, and Grandma and Grandpa Nold came over for dinner. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Jack helped Grandma put some sprinkles on the cake. He was very serious in his work.

Just you wait! Any takers on if I'll be walking by the time I turn 1 next month?

Weekend with the Lamkins

We were joined by our friends Ben, Lori, and Carson Lamkin at the lake house this past weekend. The kids had a great time together! Here's Charlotte and Carson (22 mos) getting acquainted over some magnets in the kitchen.

Charlotte loves to be chased!


Funny face!

Carson enjoying the view. All kids seem to love standing at the porch door and looking out at the lake. We have pictures of Jack and Charlotte at various ages in the exact same pose.

Jack driving the boat. Andy actually let Jack fully control the steering wheel for a bit when we were out in the open! He did pretty well.

Carson snuggling with Lori.

Ben and Carson

Fun on the beach! See Lou in his life vest in the 2nd picture :)


Carson sneaked over to the neighbors' beach at one point to curl up on their float. He was worn out after a hard day of playing!

The Lamkins' dog, Bella, LOVED the water. She was in the lake pretty much the whole time we were there.

Lou was a pooped pooch.

Random pics

Here are some assorted photos I've taken recently but hadn't posted. Above, Jack and Charlotte are watching Louie run around outside.

My boys.

Cute as a button. I like how Jack's big toe is poking out of his sock.

My big girl, working hard.

More Fun with Grandmomma and Granddaddy

I'm finally getting around to posting the remainder of the pictures from our wonderful visit with Grandmomma and Granddaddy Fields.

On Saturday we spent some quality time on the beach--it doesn't show up well in the picture, but Charlotte was rocking a baby mohawk here with her sunscreen-hair.

She loves playing in the sand, but we have to really watch her because she also enjoys the taste of sand.

The ladies hanging out.

Jack in the water.


What a cutie!

Getting all the good-nights in. Charlotte was a little upset, though that was pretty much her usual mood throughout the weekend. She had 2 bottom molars coming in at the same time and was extra cranky. You can see how she has her fingers jammed in her mouth for a lot of the pictures.



Lou was a worn-out pup too. He loved snuggling next to Granddaddy.

Cheerio-beard!

Finally, just an assortment of some more pictures. We had such a great time with Grandmomma and Granddaddy and miss them lots!