Richmond Metro Zoo

We had such a good time at the zoo.  We met Barrett's (Matt, Christie, Olivia, and Madeline) and Hamrick's (Mark, Ali, and Wyatt) there.  Charlie's favorites were the ducks, birds, and camels.  I forgot my camera as it was a little hectic getting out the door in the morning so I'm using pictures that the other's took.

Happy Father's Day

We've had a wonderful day trying to show Matt how special he is to us.  Charlie adores his Daddy.  His face lights up and there is nothing better than sitting with his Daddy or riding on his Daddy's shoulders. 

We went to Charlie's first Flying Squirrel's game, the minor league baseball team in Richmond.  It was a lot of fun and Charlie made it for most of the game.  We had 2 fly balls in our section but only one of them gave me a heart attack as it was caught 2 rows down from us.  Matt told me that he had it covered as I watched him holding Charlie and trying to catch the ball with the other hand!  Whew! 
Here are some pictures from our day:

Look at how cute/handsome my boys are!  Am I lucky or what?!!!! 

Matt, thanks for being you and being so good to all of us.  I love our little family!

To both of our father's, I hate that we didn't get to see you today but we'll celebrate soon.  I have so much enjoyed watching Charlie with his grandfathers.  It's brought back so many memories.  I loved my grandpa's but boy did they love me! 

Dick, I watch how good you are to Debbie and have no doubts in our many more years, Matt will continue to treat me like a princess. You both have raised Matt well. You have shown him how to be a very sweet and loving husband. You are wonderful with Charlie and he obviously adores you! 

At one point today, I was watching Matt with Charlie and remembering how Dad took Meredith and I to ride our bikes on Sunday afternoons and how much I loved that time with him.  And sometimes, we could go get an ice cream sundae at McDonald's.  Anyone who knows my Dad, knows how fun and happy he is all the time.  You make everyone, especially me, smile!  You are the softest hearted person I have ever known and I know I got my tender heart from you.  I love watching you hold Charlie and love on him.  Charlie and I can't wait to see you in just a couple of weeks.

Charlie Turns 13 Months--The Month in Review

And because even your done with pictures face is cute:

Things about you this month:
You are obsessed with balls.  See pics up above!  I think Frank Beamer needs to see your potential but your Daddy says that he doesn't want you playing football since there are too many head injuries.  You get really excited about the football because your Mommy is working on teaching you to say "Go Hokies" and "Touchdown".  No pressure but you need to say those words by football season!  :-)  You think I'm just silly when I start cheering so you like to grab the ball and turn around and wait for my reaction.  You know what you want and get frustrated with us.  It's frustrating that you can't communicate what you want us to do.  I think that would make you happier and I think we often get it wrong!   I find you to be "more difficult" and not the easy going baby when you throw a good fit (down in the floor, putting your head down, kicking and screaming) but then you turn around and do the most adorable thing that I've ever see such as blow kisses or come give me a hug.  You are very insistent when you want to be held and when you don't and you get very upset if we don't respond quickly. You are a great snuggler when you are tired, if you aren't too fussy. You love to get extra snuggles in the morning after you wake up! You are a great sleeper still other than you stopped napping well at daycare.  You come home sometimes with only a 20 minute nap which can make for a long night. You had one night where you slept from 6pm until 7am because you were so exhausted.  You are a big boy.  You have outgrown most of your 12 months clothes and are in 18 months.  It seems as if you are taller too.  You love to eat and have really had an appetite these days.  You eat what we eat most days and are not eating any more baby food other than your pureed squeeze pouches which are the best invention ever!  They are so easy to take and you love them!  You smile whenever I pull them out.  You love to snack and get very angry if you see your snack cup and if we don't hand it over.  We have to sneak it when we are packing it away in order to avoid a meltdown.  You like your sippy cup now. This month, we had to work at getting you off bottles and it was a real challenge. The first week, you cried a lot over it and was very angry when we gave you cup instead of bottle. We bought many different sippy cups but the ones you like at home are the ones with straws. At daycare, they say you won't drink out of them and that your prefer the kind without the straw. I'm hoping over the next month, now that you are more used to it, we can mix it up more.  You are eating well and trying to use the spoon. Typically your food falls off before the spoon makes it to your mouth. We have to have 2 spoons if I try to use one to feed you because you will just steal mine or become very angry if I don't give it to you.  You are a great milk drinker! You still take the nighttime bottle which we will try to work on phasing out this month.  You are pretty serious but when we get the giggle box turned on, you can't stop.  You love being outside and we have definitely kept you busy these days.  We have done all kinds of fun things like Maymont to see the animals and walk around, the pool(s) several times, play outside at home with water/sand table, use all of your riding toys. 

Next month, we are planning a trip to the local zoo.  You love your wagon and all your new toys from your birthday. We do rides pretty regularly around the house in your fire truck. You love to play with buckets and balls.

Those are by far your favorite things. You have started to notice the TV a little more. You are starting to love Elmo. You love the Elmo book that Wyatt gave you for your birthday and also your Elmo bath book. You are fascinated with animals. You are walking around everywhere. You like to walk and are doing less and less crawling these days.

You still like to walk holding our fingers but instead of using it more to keep you upright, it's more like you like to lead us around. You wear us out because you are go go go all the time. You love to bring us things though which keeps you going and gives us a break. For example, today, you brought your daddy every bucket you had. Then you took them all back and then brought them back again. You probably did this for 15 minutes, making 20+ trips.

More cute things from this month that I want to remember on top of everything else above :-)
- You give high 5's all the time.
- You say quack to everything now. At the petting zoo, over memorial day, you saw ducks and immediately starting quacking at them.
- You went to Maymont and got to see the animals. When the donkey came over close to you, you said "hi!"

Firsts during the month:
- You had your first sleepover (without Mommy and Daddy) on Saturday, May 19th.  You stayed with Grammie and Grandpa and Aunt Knee-Knee.
- You stayed in the church nursery for the first time.
-  You blew your first kiss on June 6th.
-  You ate your first blueberries and loved them!
-   You started eating breakfast before school because you have been a hungry boy.  You eat breakfast again at school too. 
-  You had your first bath with nothing to keep you upright and to keep you from standing.  We normally use your bath seat but are finding that you don't need it.  For now, we'll keep it as it makes things so much easier for the person giving you a bath.
- You played with Playdoh for the first time.
-  Today, you rode your toy around the yard all by yourself (with a little help)!  (See video below which isn't the best but Daddy got hot and had to go in and I couldn't steer you and take a video.  Also, I don't make a great videographer because it ended up sideways again.)  While I was proud, it did make me a little sad that you are growing up so fast!!!

Your vocabulary- Still consists regularly of hi, bye, dog, baba (bottle) but you have master a few new ones like:
- Night night (only said it one night right after you turned 12 months)
- Quack (all the time)
- Ball
- Up (or so I think that's what you are saying)
- Bubba (I haven't heard it but there is a baby who goes by Bubba in your class and apparently you say it.)
- Elmo (Your Daddy doesn't believe me but I heard it!)