The Life and Times of Charlie Shay

Charlie and Carson

2011-09-12T16:48:00.004-05:00

Big Sister, Little Brother

"This is super fun, Carson!"

Charlie Spills the Beans

2011-01-20T21:33:00.005-06:00

Charlie Juggles

2010-11-27T10:43:00.005-06:00

Check out Charlie's new talent - juggling!

Charlie's 2nd Birthday

2010-10-09T13:07:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating Charlie's 2nd Birthday this year. We had the family over for hamburgers and cake, and since Charlie LOVES Minnie Mouse, we had a Minnie Mouse themed party! She was very spoiled (of course!) and recieved so many loving gifts from her family.

Daddy and Mommy got her a Minnie Mouse kitchen, fully equiped with a oven, sink, blender and toaster. She had a blast! Here are some pictures!

Charlie Meets Mickey and Minnie

2010-09-13T19:45:00.005-05:00

Well, it took two grueling days to make it to Mickey and Minnie's house but we made it. We battled hunger, sleep deprivation, crankiness, and two severe lightning storms. But oh, was it ever wort it. Check out the video of Charlie's encounter with the two tiny toons...

Charlie and the Great Bouncy Ball

2010-08-29T12:45:00.009-05:00

So Nana and Poppy got Charlie an early Birthday present - a bouncy bouncy ball with a handle so she can hold on and bounce. At first glance, this had DISASTER written all over it. Charlie has a knack for being a bit of a daredevil already, so you can imaging what we, as the overly protective parents of a child who's already had one broken arm, were thinking.

Immediately, we all surrounded her with pillows and ourselves to see how this was going to go over on her first try. We would help her sit on it and tell her to hold on to the handle then bounce. It proved difficult for her to multitask, as she would focus on boucing and forget to hold on to the handle. Then she would concentrate on holding on to the handle, but forget to bounce. We all figured it would be a toy she could "grow into" and our plan was to put the bouncy ball up and only allow her to play with it under our supervision.

Well, the first thing she asked for when she got up the very next day after receiving said bouncy ball was...you guessed it - "I wanna bounce on the bouncy ball!" So I begrudgingly grabbed the bouncy ball from its "safe spot" high from little hands, and told her to take it to the carpet (so as to minimize many tumbles to the ground from this torturous toy. We basically repeated the same routine from the night before. She would be able to either bounce or hold on, but not achieve both tasks simultaneously. It was kind of funny because she would start off holding onto the handle with her hands, but as soon as she started bouncing with her legs, her hands would fly free and she would basically roll down the ball on her back slowly onto the floor. And all the while she would be grinning, which made for a funny visual.

So I thought it would be good video to capture so I ran to get the recorder. Well, something clicked (no, not a broken bone) but when I started recording, she started bouncing like a seasoned veteran - as if she's been boucing for years. And the jibber jabber was hilarious. This is honestly the first time we've ever been able to capture something cute, as normally by the time I clumsily collect the recording device, she's already moved past the act of cuteness, or she gets stagefright and refuses to perform.

So enjoy this little moment. (See Transcript below.)

TRANSCRIPT:
Charlie: And....bounce!
Daddy: Bounce with your legs.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: There you go! Good job! Do it again.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: Do it again.
Charlie: (Bounces once)
Daddy: Keep goin.
Charlie: (Bounces repeatedly)
Daddy: Alright Charlie!
Charlie: (Stops bouncing)
Daddy: See how long you can do it.
Charlie: I'm jumping really high! (4x) Minnie, I'm doin it. Come on, Minnie. Let's bounce together. Let's bounce together. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Let's bounce together, Minnie. Let's bounce together. It's minnie's turn. Hi, Minnie! Minnie's bouncing together. Minnie's bouncing together. Okay, Minnie, I'm gonna... Right there. I ??? bounce ???. Come here, Rascal. Come on, Daddy. Let's bounce together. Oh I think ???. Alright. Ready, get set, bounce! (Bounces repeatedly) Look Rascal! I'm bouncing!

2010-08-17T13:36:00.003-05:00

My little Tinker Bell! We went to visit some friends of ours a few weeks ago, and their little girls were playing with all sorts of fairy costumes and wings. Charlie had a blast putting on the wings and running around like a little princess, so I found these wings at Target, get them home, and she won't have anything to do with them! Go Figure! I had to bribe her to pose with them. At least she likes the headband Boo got her!!

2010-08-17T13:34:00.002-05:00

Went to Aunt Ninni's Birthday breakfast and Nana put our hair in pigtails! Too Cute!

Little Ballerina

2010-07-15T19:22:00.002-05:00

So, for Father's Day I dressed up little Charlie in her ballerina suit and took her picture to put inside Daddy's father's day card. This was the most "Ballerina" type pose I could get from her. :)

Charlie's Trip to the Zoo

2010-07-14T13:20:00.003-05:00

A few months ago we decided to go to the Dallas zoo and check out the new "Giants of The Savana" Exhibit. Charlie loved seeing the Elephants and Giraffes, but in the childrens section of the zoo we noticed they had pony rides! This was her first time on a horse and she talked about it for days afterwards! She just had a ball!
In this picture, I see a little girl, not my baby anymore! She is soo cute!

2010-06-23T14:16:00.004-05:00

Yep, the parent of the year award goes to........ Just kidding! Poor little Charlie Shay. She is a climber, so when she fell off the end of a church pew we thought she might have been a little banged up, but we were shocked to find out she broke her little arm.

She has been such a trooper! We have had the cast on for two weeks now, and the doc said she has two more to go! At least at the check up, we did decide to go with a water proof cast, so that bath time and swimming time are now a little easier!

She never complains about the cast, or tries to pick at it. She just goes about playing and running around just like she always has. Such a good little girl!

Summer Time

2010-05-28T14:10:00.002-05:00

Just Chillin!
Dreaming of the summer sun!

Stuff Charlie has been up to!

2010-05-12T20:44:00.007-05:00

Charlie working with Boo in the Garden! She loves going outside to pick the "Pretty Flowers". She leans down and tries to smell them, but she blows out instead of sucking in. It is sooo cute!

We went to the Arboretum and let her loose in the open field. She ran so hard! I could see how much fun she was having running around without having to hold on to Mommy's hand. Unfortunatly, at the mall, if she didn't hold on to Mommy's hand, she would take off and never look back! She has a very adventurous spirit, and she is very independant!

We have been very busy learning! Charlie can spell her name, if you ask her to. She can count to 13, but then says fourteen about 5 times until I finally have to say 20! Yay! She knows her colors, and the letters of the alphabet. We have a little puzzle of the USA and she can show you where, Texas, Utah, California, and Montana are. I know, random, but you have to start somewhere!! ;)

Pictures

2010-04-27T13:15:00.007-05:00

These two pictures were taken exactly 1 year apart! She has changed so much, it's incredible!

2010-04-04T14:26:00.011-05:00

Last weekend, our neighborhood put on an easter egg hunt. The flyer said the 0-3's would start at 9:30, so to be sure we weren't late Jeff, Charlie and I got there around 9:15 and decided we would walk around the park and look at the ducks while we waiting for the hunt to start. Well, as soon as we set foot out of the car, the glistening eggs immediately caught Charlie's eye and off she went running to gather them all up. Of course, the hunt didn't end up starting until 10:00. So for 45 minutes we had to wrangle an 18 month old to keep her from running out and getting any eggs.

As people started arriving and kids started getting restless, the organizer told everyone we had to stay on this winding sidewalk before she said go. 10 minutes later, after kids are screaming and running out into the field and parents getting restless and impatient, they decided we had been through enough torture."Get ready!" We told Charlie to get her basket. "Get set!" We lined her up on the sidewalk and told her to get ready to run and get her eggs (i could feel the excitement building). "Go!" As all the hundreds of kids ran passed us, and Jeff and I were running out to the eggs in the field, I look back and Charlie Shay is just standing there........ staring like she just saw a ghost. Won't move. We keep telling her "Come on, get your eggs!!!"" Won't move!

After about 5 minutes I looked up, and each and every egg was gone! Charlie is still standing there wondering what the heck all these crazy people were doing! Jeff and I both just looked at each other and laughed. After all the waiting and build up, our little pumpkin just had fun watching everyone else take off and grab their eggs! Between the two of us, Jeff and I had grabbed two eggs each. So, at least we made off with four eggs. Charlie has so much fun with those 4 eggs. We hide them around our house and she loves looking for them!

I think Easter day we will have our own little easter egg hunt and she can grab as many eggs as she wants!! ;)

2010-02-25T18:13:00.004-06:00

Today is a day to celebrate! I FINALLY got a bow in my child's hair!! She finally has some hair! Yay!!! She looked just precious, for the 5 minutes it lasted. She just couldn't help herself to reach up there and yank it out - but o'well. We tried, and believe me, I will keep trying!!!

I had to intice her by showing her Minnie Mouse's bow and how pretty it looked, and so she decided she wanted to look like Minnie too! I said to her "Do you want Mommy to put a pretty bow in your hair, like Minnie Mouse? to which she replied, "oh tay!" with a giggle and a laugh!

Snow Day!!

2010-02-12T12:40:00.012-06:00

Oh what fun! Overnight it snowed about 4 inches
of snow in our part of town, and it snowed the entire day today, which is really unheard of in Dallas. I think the totals were about 7- 10 inches of snow!

Charlie kept looking out the window, saying "snow" all day, so Daddy got off work early and when he got home we bundled Miss Charlie up tight and we all went outside for some fun.

You can barely see her shoes! They are buried!

She LOVED it! She ran around in it. Daddy showed her how to make snowballs, and how to throw them at Mommy! Our wonderful next door neighbors had made a huge snowman with their kids that day, so we took Charlie over to show her what a real snowman looked like.

She decided she wanted to hug the snowman! What a sweet girl!

When we decided it was getting too cold and wet, and that we wanted to come back inside, of course, she was not very happy about that at all.

Hopefully the snow won't melt right away and we can go back out and enjoy again tomorrow!

She won't forget this for a while!!

Christmas Day!

2009-12-29T19:45:00.013-06:00

I should have known this was going to be a special Christmas for me as well as for our family, but nothing prepared me for the overwhelming joy I felt on Christmas morning. Seeing Charlie's face when she saw all the goodies Santa had

left for her was so special. Seeing her running over to touch and hug the toys she had recieved was pure happiness. I can't wait until she can comprehend what the Christmas season is all about.

I can't wait to teach her about the special feeling that "giving" gives us. I can't wait to see her pick out a gift for her Daddy and see his expression when he opens it.

We are so blessed to have our wonderful family and wonderful friends to share the holiday season with. We hope that everyone, had a wonderful holiday, and here is to 2010!

Kyri

Happy Happy Holidays!

2009-12-14T12:07:00.005-06:00

Well, after two posts with my child crying I wanted to post a picture of her as joyful as old Saint Nick. She is such a happy girl, and I was so pleased when I tried to get her to pose by our Christmas tree for pictures this year. She was such a sweet little trooper! Jeff has taught her to smile, when he asks her "Can I see your teeth?" Everytime she sees a picture of Santa now, she says "Ho,Ho,Ho!" - So cute!

Thanksgiving Day Fun!

2009-12-03T11:57:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving Lunch + No nap + Sreaming baby at family portrait = MAD DADDY

Mean Ole Santa!

2009-11-29T13:54:00.004-06:00

SO, Charlie and I went to the mall and there was Santa and NO LINE to see him. I thought - perfect! I will get her all dressed up this weekend, and Jeff and I can get her picture with Santa done a little bit early, to avoid all the long lines. The weekend came, and we got her dressed up and headed out to the mall. As soon as Jeff sat her on Santa's lap, she had a fit, poor thing.

I learned my lesson though... I really should have prepared her for Santa and his huge mane, beard and devilish smile. We thought we had scarred her for life, because after that day, every time she caught a glimpse of a Santa, or if we even mentioned his name she would start crying. We have since bought a rudolph book, and there is a picture of Santa in the book, and she now will point to him without melting down. Next year, we will need to find a new strategy, although I am sure as soon as she gets to the age where she knows Santa brings toys, she will be more than happy to tell him what she wants, although I am hoping she will also abide by the "naughty or nice" rules as well! Ha!

HO! HO! HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-11-03T12:53:00.004-06:00

Since this was our first "official" halloween, we decided to go trick or treating as a bumble bee. I tried all week to get her to at least say "Treat" so when we got up to our neighbors doors, she could demonstrate some sort of Halloween mantra, but I never was successful.

We put Charlie in her costume and went outside to find tons of witches and space crusaders running around our front lawn (I guess the kids on our street congregate at our next door neighbors house) Charlie immediately joined in the fun and took off playing with the other kids. I was really impressed to see that her pumpkin I gave her to collect candy in, never hit the ground. She carried that thing everywhere, and wouldn't let go of it! What a good girl!

We ended up hitting a few houses on our street, and she got a few yummy treats to bring home. When we got back home, she had a blast taking each piece of candy out of her bag, then putting them all back in her bag. Back and forth, back and forth! I don't think she knew there were things to eat inside those wrappers. Hey, whatever makes you happy!!

We had so much fun together trick or treating! These new experiences are such a joy.

The Great Pumpkin!

2009-10-21T15:59:00.009-05:00

The weather is getting to be really nice outside (this is my favorite time of the year) and we have gone to a few pumpkin patches to celebrate fall. Here, Charlie is at the Arboretum sitting in their pumpkin patch. We met a few friends there one morning, and Charlie just had a blast walking around watching all of the other kids play. She just loves being around others her size.

Last weekend, we went out to Bill Bates Ranch to visit their pumpkin patch, with Nana and Poppy, Aunt Traci and cousins Kylie and Riley. We also went on our first hay ride! Charlie loved picking the hay out of the bales and throwing it on the floor of the wagon. Then we went around looking at pumpkins, and ate a few hotdogs. They had bounce houses out there for the bigger kids and a petting zoo. It was fun!

Here is Charlie and Daddy on the hayride.
Whee Daddy! Lets go to another pumpkin patch soon! Now we have to get ready for Halloween, and it is just a few weeks away! Charlie is going as a bumble bee, and I can not wait to get her into that costume! She is going to be too cute! I think we might walk around to a few houses over here, and then maybe hand out candy to the other kids. Can't wait!

Strawberry Shortcake Party!

2009-09-15T12:51:00.008-05:00

Charlie had her first birthday party on Saturday, September 5th. We had all the Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins over to cook out and swim and help us celebrate little Charlie's first milestone. For her big birthday mommy and daddy got her a big girl chair (seen here to the left), some clothes and a ladybug pillow to roll around with. We had a Strawberry Shortcake theme with a strawberry shortcake cup cake cake, some balloons and our very own strawberry outfit! Everytime she sees her shiny strawberry shortcake balloon now she points and says "cake!"
Here she is taking her first bite of her strawberry shortcake cupcake. She wasn't too happy about the frosting getting on her hands, and needless to say we had green poopie diapers the next couple of days, but I think the sugar made her VERY happy, and energetic - she never stopped going until after her bedtime that night!!
Here she and her cousin Kylie are playing with her toys. What a joy to be able to spend time with our cousins that day!

I somehow wish that this would be a moment she would remember forever, but as all kids - I don't remember much when I was that age! Hopefully I documented it well enough, and I know this will be a day I will always remember. Mommy can "refresh" her memory when she is older!!

Happy Birthday Charlie Shay!!

2009-09-10T17:54:00.012-05:00

To celebrate Charlie's first birthday, Jeff took off on Friday and we all went to the Dallas World Aquarium. We weren't sure if she would be interested, or even notice the animals but when we got there she was loving the birds and monkeys and even looked excited to be seeing the animals. I was loving it! She would point and laugh at things and stare with amazement. I was so happy to see her taking it all in!

We walked through the rain forest and she loved pointing at the plants, even trying to take a leaf with us here and there. Here is a picture of us at the entrance near the waterfall. I love that smile!

Here Charlie is with Daddy laughing and clapping at something she saw that tickled her. Some of the time I caught her staring at other kids there. Maybe she thought they were part of the displays?? Daddy and I took turns carrying her around so she could get a good look at the animals, but she isn't a 10 pounder anymore and we had to keep shifting her back and forth frequently! One year olds are heavy! At least I got a good workout!

Well Charlie Shay, I hope you had a great day at the World Aquarium! On our way out we stopped in the gift shop and she found a little stuffed penguin, which is now named Penny. By the look on her face I think she really had a good time, but I know she is totally excited about her Strawberry Shortcake party that we had the next day....... more to come!

Walk This Way

2009-08-31T21:26:00.003-05:00

You've seen her crawl. You've seen her pull up. Now you can see Charlie walk! The girl who loves to perform has given us yet another glimpse of her ever-growing repertoire. She's been working on this little number for a week or so and seems to be getting the hang of it quite nicely. Watch her as she walks to the chair all the way from the gate at the end of the room. That's over 10 steps to you and me! I'd say she deserves a round of applause, folks.

Say Cheese!

2009-08-16T22:38:00.006-05:00

For Charlie's first birthday coming up, we decided it would be a good time to go and get her picture taken by a real live professional photographer (at the mall). As luck would have it, she suspected something was up and deliberately refused a nap that afternoon. This led Mommy and Daddy to fear the worst and that our time in front of the camera would not be a happy moment. But things turned out better than expected and Charlie Shay was a perfect little ham for that camera. This was mostly due to the fact that the photographer lady knew exactly how to make Charlie giggle and smile at just the right times. Here is one of our favorites.

Me Like Bananas!

2009-08-06T18:17:00.003-05:00

Charlie Shay loves bananas. I decided it was probably time to start feeding her more of a solid fare, when everytime I put the pureed food to her mouth she just shoved it away - only choosing to eat her "puffs" that she can feed to herself. So reluctantly, I chopped up a banana, and put a few small pieces on her tray and held my breathe that she wouldn't choke and make me do the "whack on the back" manuever. I laughed when I realized how slippery bananas are, and everytime she would get one in her hand, I would shove her hand in her mouth hoping that little sucker would hit the mark. She ended up loving it, and we didn't have any choking episodes, Thank goodness! I thought the sticker that says "Place Sticker on Forehead and Smile" was the perfect way to commemorate the event!

Little Swimmer Girl

2009-07-15T14:35:00.005-05:00

Charlie Shay loves to go swimming. We have taken her out in the pool a few dozen times this summer. She loves sitting on the shallow step, splashing around and patting the water. It is so darn hot here in Texas, that is the only outdoor activity we can do without sweating like crazy. Here she was out in the water with her Daddy, and striking a pose for the camera! Can we strike a pose or what??

She is just the cutest thing! What a Ham!

Jumping makes me sleepy

2009-07-02T18:08:00.001-05:00

Some people might say I have too many toys but what can i say? I LOVE TOYS!!

2009-07-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

2009-06-25T18:24:00.005-05:00

We are getting to be such a big girl!!
Just in the last month, Charlie has learned to wave, sit up, crawl, pull up to standing, clap her hands, give you 5, AND to feed herself small bits of "puffs". I am so amazed at how fast they learn things!!! And, I must add - say "Momma"!!! I am SOOO happy to hear those words!
Of course, I do find puffs on the floor, in her shirt, in her diaper, etc. But hey, at least 50% of them are hitting the mark! We ended up taking the plunge and creating a "play room" out of our dining room. It works very well, and she LOVES it! I am happy that she loves it, but am reluctantly happy too that my house has finally become "kid friendly"! ;) That is the interior designer talking in me. Here is a clip of her crawling debut!

2009-06-08T10:42:00.010-05:00

We took our first vacation with Gammie and Gramps to Port Aransas in late April.

Port Aransas is on the Texas Coast. We had never been there before, and we really enjoyed the beach and the resort hotel we stayed at - Port Royal. The hotel had 4 pools that all interconnected and a huge slide at the end of one of the pools. It was still a little cold, and the water was pretty cool, but Jeff got in with Charlie for her swimming pool debut. We also went down to the beach and she got to see the ocean for the first time and feed the seagulls. This picture was taken from our balcony - just beautiful!

One day while we were there, Jeff and Dad went to play golf at the nearby golf course. Another day we did a tour of the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. The carrier tour was really fun and interesting! We had Charlie strapped in her baby carrier attached to Jeff and she loved looking out at everything.

Here is a picture of Jeff and Charlie in the hotel pool. Trust me, the ocean at the coast of Texas is a murky brown! Nothing that nice! Ha!

Then, another day we went to the Texas World Aquarium there in Port Aransas. We got to look at all kinds of fish, and animals and birds. Charlie loved the bird show! It is so funny seeing her reactions to things now. She had the funniest expressions.

We really did enjoy our time there and it was a much needed break for everyone. We all got to relax and eat yummy seafood! A few of the places we went to for dinner were - Moby Dick's, Virginia's, and the hotel restaurant.

If you ever have a short weekend to go and do something fun, and you live in the Dallas area - I would really try to get down to Corpus Christie and the Port Aransas area. It is a great place for a Family vacation.

So, now we can cross off the list - "seeing the
Ocean for the first time" for little Charlie. We have so much we want to do! She is so fun and she is such a sweet little girl. She has a great little spunky personality and I hope that never changes.

This summer is going to be so much fun - getting out and experiencing different things. We have really been stuck inside since she was born - over the winter, and so now we are going to take full advantage of the nice weather - that is, before it gets to hot - here in Texas. Right now the weather is perfect - mid 80's to low 90's. But I am sure it won't stay that way for long.

I would also like to apologize for not blogging on a regular basis. "I know, Charlie, you must be suprized at me!" Shame, Shame on Mommy! It is on the top of my priority list to blog every Sunday night. Charlie is doing so many fun things now, that we want everyone to be proud of how well we are learning, and at what a big girl we are getting to be!

We are 9 months old now and our first Birthday is right around the corner. Good grief how time flys! We have two teeth, we are sleeping in our own room, we know how to wave and say "da da", and we can crawl now (What a big Girl!)

We also give people the finger. "What?" you say, "Give people the finger?" Yes, give people the finger. I will leave this topic for another blog!

It is really pretty funny! Talk to ya'll next time.

2009-04-30T15:46:00.007-05:00

Easter weekend we took the grandparents to the Arboretum in our easter finest, to get some pictures of Charlie Shay with all of the blooming flowers. She also brought along her bunny ears, in true Easter fashion. Isn't she the cutest?? What fun it was! I decided to get us a season pass so we can go sometimes during the week to see what all they have going on out there. They have some great programs for older kids, and I just found out they are adding 7 acres for a huge Childrens Learning Garden. They will have 15 indoor/outdoor areas and over 150 interactive exhibits for kids. We can't wait until we get bigger. Now, we're just to little!

Charlie has also been enjoying some play dates with many of our little friends. We go to the park, or to the zoo, or just over to friends houses, or they come over to our house. Charlie is quite the social butterfly! She is getting to interact with alot of kids her age and older and she just has a blast being around the other children.

Now that the weather is getting warmer here in Texas, every afternoon I strap Charlie into her little red stroller and we take Rascal on a walk. She LOVES kicking her feet and laughing histerically at Rascal while he trots beside us. She loves her red stroller because she is big enough to sit facing out and she loves to look at the houses and flowers as we go by. I can't wait until it gets really hot and we can go swimming. She is going to love it!!

Kiss Me - I'm Irish!

2009-03-18T20:56:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patty's Day! We were still recovering from our colds and still a little congested and sniffling, but Charlie and I made it out to see Gammie and Gramps for lunch at Purdy's anyway. We made it back home to see Daddy, and to get a St. Paddy's Day kiss.

I am 1/2 Irish (Mc Manus and Baitinger were my Grandmothers) 1/4 German (Kessel) and 1/4 Italian (Mom's side of the family -Galderise). When I ask Jeff about his background he can only tell me that he is American - go figure! So, I guess that makes Charlie 2/5 Irish, 1/5 Italian 1/5 German, and 1/5 good ole American. GOOD GRIEF!!!

I guess we all must have a little Irish in us!!! ;)

Charlie Shay Takes A Bite

2009-02-26T21:57:00.005-06:00

Well, we've hit yet another milestone in the life of young Charlie Shay! Watch her go as she snarfs down her first spoonful of rice cereal. Next around the corner will be a big helping of peas and bananas, although that won't be for another couple of weeks.

We decided it was time to let Charlie ingest something other than milk, as she has developed a little habit of staring at us when we are eating our food. So without further ado... May we present... the one and only... Charlie Shay!

The Great Jumparoo

2009-02-08T22:03:00.009-06:00

Charlie looooves her Jumparoo. If you don't know what a Jumparoo is, it's basically a contraption with a seat suspended by elastic bands that you can sit your little one in and they can bounce up and down at will. Here is a look into Charlie's first few bounces as she was getting the hang of it. Now, she's a pro and just about jumps through the roof.

The Great Giggle Monster

2009-02-08T21:52:00.004-06:00

Well, we finally got our little princess to bust a giggle. Kyri was the lucky one to find a sure fire way to make Charlie belly laugh. Unfortunately the camera was in the other room so we didn't capture the really good one. We did, however, manage to snag a clip of her somewhat amused so I guess that will have to do for now. Actually, I think she was just humoring her daddy. Capturing the great Giggle Monster on film is extremely difficult, a lot like capturing the Loch Ness monster or Saskwatch in their natural habitat.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-15T18:59:00.005-06:00

Christmas this year, of course, was wonderful! Charlie, Jeff and I made the rounds to see family and friends. Being at home and having our first Christmas with our beautiful daughter was so much fun and I look forward to the years to come. We got her a jumperoo, and she is already loving it. Of course, we have to put a small box under her feet so she can push off of something - she is still too small for her feet to reach the floor.

We are finally getting settled again, now in the new year. I can't wait to see the months go by and to see how Charlie grows. I love seeing the new things she does every day. We finally got our so-serious baby to laugh, and it was the best feeling in the world to hear her squeal with delight. Although, I have never acted so silly in my life - but it was worth it. Please don't ask me to do this in front of you. Ask Jeff, to make her laugh - he is REALLY funny and makes me belly laugh too! We will try to get a video of it and post it next!!

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and a Wonderful New Year!

Charlie and the Great Bouncy Seat

2008-12-04T22:45:00.008-06:00

Charlie loves her bouncy seat. It plays music and even has a monkey and frog that move back and forth beside a waterfall that lights up! After all, who wouldn't love that??

Here's a short clip of her cooing and kicking to the beat of the music. We took this video the day after Thanksgiving, and she had lots of energy. Warning: this video may cause intense joy and has a high "cute" factor.

Spa Treatment

2008-11-22T14:41:00.013-06:00

Somebody looooves bath time. I won't say any names, but her initials are Charlie Hardin! We always have such a fun time giving Charlie a bath at night. In the beginning, when she was just a little thang, she would feel the water on her little skin and just cry the whole time. But now, she's such a big girl.

When the warm water hits her, she just looks up at us and grins. We bought this little tub with a unit attached that has a shower sprayer. It's called a "spa treatment" tub, because it also has this pump that when you press a button, it makes a whirlpool motion. Yeah, we know, she's spoiled rotten.

We had to stop using the whirlpool, because our future soccer player loves to kick her legs as hard as humanly possible and with the whirlpool on, water seems to splash all over Kyri and me. Come to think of it, maybe that's why she grins so much during bath time.

I Miss My Family

2008-11-18T23:14:00.014-06:00

Charlie is really missing her family who moved way up there to Arkansas. See how upset she was when they held her for the first time? She had found out they were moving and begged them not to go.

But she understands that it's for the best and can't wait to see them over Thanksgiving and Christmas! She especially loved it when her big cousin Kylie held her so sweetly in her arms. Someday they're gonna have a lot of fun playing together.

But for now Charlie is learning so much. She is being very good to her Mommy and Daddy and even gives them a smile and a coo every now and again. And she's waiting patiently to see her wonderful family the next time they come down.

Fan of the Fan

2008-10-14T19:56:00.004-05:00

Charlie is growing up fast and learning all kinds of tricks. Her latest - she apparently is a fan... of the fan! It seems that whenever Kyri or I hold her, inevitably she winds up staring up at the ceiling fan. Why? I dunno! I guess that's just what she's into these days. Whether it is in the living room, or our bedroom, the fan apparently is a big part in our sweet little daughter's life. You gotta admit, there is something pretty amazing about a big four armed creature that lights up and hangs down from the ceiling staring down at the world.

2008-09-30T23:33:00.004-05:00

This first month has gone by so fast. Charlie is one month old and I can still hardly believe she is actually here. The past month has been challenging as first time parents, but we are all learning about each other and our challenges are getting easier and easier. Everytime I feel overwhelmed, all I have to do is look at that small little sweet face, and those big grey eyes and my heart melts and I know it's all worth it.

The first week home, Jeff stayed home from work, and my Mom came over to help out for a few days. We were taking shifts to watch Charlie while the others slept, which took its toll pretty fast on us. I remember thinking "How in the world am I still awake?". I guess my adrenaline was in overdrive. The second week Jeff went back to work, and my Mom came over every day to help me out. I couldn't have done it without her. The third week, Dad came over during the afternoons to give me a sleep break. I never knew how much I valued a good nap. This week I have a few days alone at it, and I feel so much more comfortable. Charlie is such a good baby. She has made it really easy on me.

I would like to say Thank You to my Mom, and all the Mom's out there. It is a hard job, especially in the beginning. Thanks Mom, for being patient, changing my diapers, loving me, and helping me grow into what I am today. Going through this experience has given me a new respect for all the Mom's I know. God Bless You All.

Jeff is such a great dad. Everytime I get overwhelmed or discouraged he is right there supporting me and letting me know we will get it all worked out together. He comes home from work and jumps right in, giving me a break. He is so good with Charlie. She is a lucky little girl to have such a great Daddy.

I am signing off for today, but will write more soon. Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll have more to report about what Charlie is up to. Right now it's just S.E.P. (Sleep Eat and Poop) ;)

Hello World!

2008-09-12T10:36:00.006-05:00

Well, she made it! Charlie Shay is still adjusting to life outside the womb, but overall she is being such a trooper and helping out Mommy and Daddy by eating well and getting lots of sleep. I must say the birthing process was quite an ordeal but we all made it through okay.

We checked into Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas last Wednesday night and the anticipation of what was about to happen the next day was pretty daunting to us. Kyri was understandibly quite nervous about all of the things that were going to be happening to her body over the next day or so. I was just nervous about Kyri and Charlie making it through the process without any complications. Neither of us slept well that night as we knew that in just hours something magical and scary and exciting was going to take place.

That night, it seemed as if every member of the hospital staff came into our room one after another and was charged with the task of either poking, proding, or pricking Kyri's body. We understood it was necessary, but made it difficult to get some rest before our big day. Early Thursday morning, the nurse came in and administered the Pitocin drip that would start the whole process. It was then that it started to hit us both that Charlie was about to enter into this world!

Thursday morning would be a time of just waiting for the medicine to do its stuff and get the birthing process started. We waited and waited, then waited some more. A few hours went by and Kyri's body was responding, but ever so slowly. It was at this time that our parents made their way to the hospital so they could be there when all the excitement happened. Kyri was dialated to a 4, far from the 10 she needed to be for the baby to start moving toward the exits, so I did the most logical thing I could think to do - go grab some breakfast from the cafe. It had been a long sleepless night - okay, so I slept a few hours while Kyri was up most of the night. But regardless, I was hungry. Poor Kyri had not eaten since dinner Wednesday night and would not be allowed anything but a couple of ice chips until after the birth (yum, ice chips!).

As I chowed down on my egg croissant and visited with family, I tried to update them on the ETA for our little bundle. Nurses were estimating that Charlie would arrive sometime in the evening. The rule of thumb we were given was that Kyri would dilate about a centimeter per hour and since she is a first time Mommy, she might need to push for somewhere around 3 hours. So being a math genius, I estimated we would be holding little Charlie at around 8pm. It would be such a long day.

After finishing my breakfast and strolling back into the labor and delivery room, I tried to think of how we would get through such a long day. As I moseyed back into the room, I was greeted with the latest status - Kyri had gone from a 4 to a 7 in the span of one hour. She was almost there! Within only one more hour, she would begin the process of pushing the baby out.

Complete and utter joy is the only way to describe how we felt when we saw our little girl come into this world. Tears filled our eyes and we could not believe she was here. I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. Charlie was now out and lying in our arms and would be our responsibility for many years to come. It was joyful and overwhelming all at the same time.

We spent two more nights in the hospital under the watchful eyes of trained hospital staff. Yet we decided it was time for us to step up and keep Charlie in our room instead of opting to let her stay in the nursery. I don't think I've ever missed sleep so much than during those two days. I remember at one point pleading with Kyri to let the nurses take her so we could get some sleep as it had been 48 hours since either of us had really slept. But Kyri was a determined Mommy and insisted we needed to take the pain and figure out how to watch after Charlie ourselves. I knew deep down she was right, but my eyes were as heavy as Donald Trump's wallet.

Our first big scare came when Charlie spit up a little. I must admit my biggest fear has always been of a baby choking so I was already on Level Orange Alert. As we saw Charlie spit up a tiny bit, I being the over protective Daddy, sprang from my seat and jumped into action to save the day. I grabbed Charlie as I had learned to do in our Baby preparation class a month ago, and decided she would not choke on my watch! Little did I realize that Charlie was fine and not choking at all. But not realizing that at the time, I whisked her up with both hands and clumsily slammed her head into my shoulder in an attempt to pat her back in a burping type maneuver. Had Kyri's eyes been equipped with lasers, I would have been dead on the spot. So in an effort to redeem myself I did the only other thing I could think of - I pulled her toward my shoulder a second time in an effort to "burp" her, this time crashing her head once more into my chest. The good news is, Charlie was fine and did not choke, nor was she injured from my less than stellar moves. The bad news is, I received quite a disapproval from Kyri as I believe her message to me was something to the effect of "If I didn't calm down and hand her the baby I was going to be in a lot of trouble." It was then that I realized that Kyri was more calm in a crisis than I was.

Showers and Presents and Cake....Oh My!

2008-07-14T19:58:00.012-05:00

Well, tonight was our very first baby shower, given to us (and Charlie) by our extremely generous and loving family. I personally have always loathed showers, what with the fancy fingerfoods and watching someone else spend all evening open more gifts than they can cram into their vehicle. But when it comes to having one thrown in my general direction, it's quite amazing just how nice it can be! We were blown away by all of the gifts we (and Charlie) received ranging from onesies to bassinets! My, how many things such a tiny baby requires! I think little Charlie is going to LOVE all of her clothes, toys, and places in which to lie. Or is it lay? Either way, she's going to be spending a lot of time sleeping, bathing, and playing in them.

The most interesting part of the evening was the very first "party game" that was decided upon. We all love these party games, don't we? You know, the ones where it's fun to humiliate someone for whom the party is thrown? It usually includes a blindfold or an embarassing story from their childhood. Apparently Karma decided that if I was planning on one day feeding my innocent baby girl nasty - yet nutritional - baby food, I too must endure the foul stench and unbelievably bland and disgusting flavors that corporate America has decided is humane enough to feed our tiny tots. Although quite mortified by this "fun" and "entertaining" adventure, there was a silver lining to be found. Now I can truly empathize with young baby as I feed her a medley of mashed carrots, squishy peas, gooey bananas and she returns the favor with puckered lips, squinted eyes, and a look towards me that says, "Why, Father?? Why??

Kyri and I are so excited and can hardly wait to see and hold our little bundle of joy. Thanks to our incredible family who have made it known to us and all the world that Charlie will always have a family that loves her more than she could ever imagine. Thanks also to Traci who created this unbelievably professional looking blog for us to write in. Keep up the good work sis!

Check out pictures of the shower if you get a chance at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhardin73

2008-07-14T19:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new blog - All about Charlie