Two Faces

 Charlotte has two faces.  Alert and GRIN.  And by grin I'm talking, it looks like her cheeks are going to pop she's squeezing them so hard.  It's hilarious and it cracks me up every. single. time.  It's much cuter in person, though.  Luckily she's adorably photogenic when she has the alert look.

Alert

GRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN.

Alert

and GRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN

How can you do anything but crack up at this face?

Sitting Pretty

Two teeth and sitting like a big girl... I know it's a cliche but she is getting so big so fast!

Who needs Google images?

I use Google images a LOT for the materials we create at school.  And I hate it.  Because I can never find something that is exactly what I need unless I search for pages and pages.   And then there is the whole p0rn thing.   Seriously,  type in Anything and either  a nude person or male or female parts will show up.  Even with  filters.  Seriously,  just search for something innocent, like "9" or "apples".  I'm not kidding when I say I have to make sure Sam is not looking over my shoulder when I am looking for pictures to use.  Anyway,  I digress.  I needed  picture of someone refusing to get dressed to illustrate a funny sentence that I wanted to use.  You can imagine my hesitation (and inability) to find what I needed.  Then I had an idea. 

She totally nailed it.

Stats

Her 4-month check-up ended up being a sick appointment as well.  Currently Sam, Charlotte and I all have the same thing.  So whenever I blow my nose I clear them out as well.  Jeremy has to leave the room and we go through a huge pile of tissues in a matter of seconds.

 Last night we had the humidifier on, vicks on the feet, gave the babe tylenol and a steroid (so she could breathe without gasping) and had her sleep upright--all in hopes of a good night's sleep. 

And is was!

Well, at least for her.  She moves a lot in her sleep.  And still wants to be thisclose to someone while she sleeps.  We've discovered that she will wake up ONCE from 8pm-6am to eat if I'm not in the room.  But she still wants to sleep with someone.  So Jeremy and I have been taking turns sleeping with her and the other sleeps on the couch.  We're hoping that after the second tooth breaks through and the cold passes we'll all be getting more sleep.  I'm not sure why, but I can hope, right???

Anyway, she's 14 lbs, 11 oz (75%), 95th% for height and 98th % for head circ. 

She still needs her reflux medicine but looooooooves it.  She seriously grabs the suringe, tries to jab it into her throat and then screams when it's all gone. I guess minty breastmilk is the candy for babies??

She's also discovered these...I love watching babies with their toes!

Evidence

My excuse for forgetting our anniversary.  In my defense, I knew it was this week, just not today.

Can you see it?

Let me zoom in on it for ya.

The second one is thisclose to coming in right next to it.  She still has yet to figure out how to "bite".  She just licks and screams at everything that we/she puts in her mouth

Eating Woes

I should totally be working right now but I need to complain vent.  I know I'm sooooo blessed that adding wheat back into my diet was a success.  It brought our food "budget" back down to the normal range. I was really hoping to be able to add back in one more food.  I've currently been off dairy, beef, soy, corn, egg and nuts since November.  I really wish I didn't like eating so much.  And it doesn't help that I have to do it all. the. time.  And it's what Americans to do celebrate everything.  I chose to be anti-social during Catholic schools week simply because it was too hard to be around all that food that I can't have.  I'm fine if I'm not around it.  But the stress of it gets to me when  there are amazing desserts and delicious meals being passed around.  I wish I was stronger or a better person but I'm not.  And I get resentful when I see others enjoying the food and then I have to explain myself.  Because if I don't they think I'm on a diet for weigh-losing purposes.  Or they've never met someone whose baby is MSPI and has tons of questions.  Which I'm happy to answer, just not while you're stuffing your mouth with stuff I really would like to gorge on. 

And then there's the whole sharing end of things.  Healthy junk food is delicious, people.  And everyone else wants it too.  The problem is 1)I'm the only one who makes it and the time I have to do so it rare and 2) coconut oil, flax meal and other essential ingredients are EXPENSIVE.  So I break down and cry when the teenager in the house eats my dessert for breakfast (because they are fast and "have sugar, so it's a good breakfast"- seriously, where does he get these ideas from?!-) or eats my hummus and pepperoni pizza for breakfast (because it was something "new" that Jeremy had made..."new" as in he'd not noticed the 50 other times Jeremy had made it for me).  Or the four-year-old who wants to eat MY chocolate covered pretzles because the ice cream and candy she has aren't good enough.  And that just comes off as being selfish.  But is it?  I'm really limited on what I can eat, does that mean I have to give what I'm eating away because it's a novelty to those who can eat everything else in the house?  I'm so conflicted.  There's sacrificing, and then there's survival.  That's a really hard ballance.

Anyway, I tried soy this weekend and it was a bust.  Face/butt rash, fussiness, poops- the whole shibang.  Of course it could be partially due to the second tooth, but if that's the case, I just need to lay off trying new foods while she's already miserable.

We're thinking of trying beef next.  But I'm not sure when.

Charlotte at 4 months

Ok so I have to post before I forget and she's 5 months!

Today at four months and two days old she's cut her first tooth.  This should be illegal, since she still can't hold a teething ring for longer than a few seconds before dropping it and then screaming for someone to give it back to her.

She also put herself to sleep for the night tonight!  Although, I give that credit to Jen, who watches her during the day.  From day one she's gotten Charlotte to go to sleep sans being held. 

Additionally, we will be buying size 3 diapers the next time we go to the store, as she is peeing through her size two diaper at night.  And by peeing through I mean I'm doing 2 extra loads the next day because she soaked the bed (hence the disposable at night.  Ain't no way I'm doin' cloth for night time).

At four months Charlotte has finally realized the purpose of her voice and makes her opinion known, which is important when you are living with four first borns in the house. 

She has a love/hate relationship with the carseat.  Sometimes it's the only thing that will get her to sleep but she will ALWAYS protest while being buckled in.  Something about the 30 seconds from being set in it to the buckles being snapped into place is just torture. 

I have a love/hate relationship with her binky.  I'm SO glad she will take it but she's very picky about when she wants it and can't for the life of her keep it in.  She wants it when she's tired and falling asleep.  And sometimes while in the car, but only when the car is moving.  Apparently if we stoop, she has spit it out.  There must be some rule that I don't know about.  Then there's the "magnet for hair" part.  Between me shedding a wig every day and Jen's two cats, that thing is perpetually covered in some sort of hair.  My quickest solution has been to just put it in my mouth first and then spit out the hair that I pull off, but that got old the first 20 times I had to do it. 

Anyway, this girl is a giggle monster when she's tired and loves talking to the fan.  Seriously, they have some hilarious conversations.  Hyunseok will hear her all the way in his room and come down just to listen.  As Jeremy says, she's a fan fan. Nuk Nuk Nuk.

Developmentally, she's probably going to roll back to front before she figures out front to back.  I have no idea what is so hard about learning to push up while on the tummy for my girls, but Sam had the same problem (which is why she had to go to therapy at 15 months).  She can also aaaaaaaalmost sit up by herself.  If she didn't get so excited seeing everyone around her and straighten out like a board, she's probably be able to master it a lot faster. 

Silly sister is still always by her side.

How do I get this to stay in my mouth...



Forget it, I'll just stick to my fingers.

Charlotte is just such a joy.  She may only sleep 1.5-2 hours TOTAL in a 12 hour day, but she's happy while she's awake, so that's huge. 

Her 4 month appt is next week so I'll have to post her stats then.  Any guesses on her weight?  She is in 6-9 month clothes and ready for size three diapers.  Size two cap out at 18 lbs.  Keep in mind Sam was 17 lbs at a year old. 

From Colic to Theething

We just can't get a break! I jound the first one juuuuuuuust below the surface while we were frantically trying to find the tylenol and she was screaming while gnawing on my finger.
This makes me so sad.  Gummy grins are my favorite!

Crazy girl beat her sister by a month!