10 Months

Charlotte turned 10 months old today. I am in disbelief over the fact that she will be 1 in a matter of months. Things definitely go by faster the second time around. While I love watching her explore, learn and develop, I sometimes wish that time would go by just a little slower, so I could have a few more moments to enjoy her at this stage.

At 10 months old, Charlotte:

• is walking around furniture, behind toys and with the help of our hands. She just started standing up on her own within the last week and is getting more sturdy every day. I am guessing that she will be walking on her own within the next month.
• has pretty much moved onto table foods. She LOVES cheese, pancakes, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. She still isn't a huge fan of bananas or Cheerios.
• is still working on her top two teeth. Her gums are super swollen and we are more than ready for them to cut the surface. She hasn't been too crabby, but her sleeping has definitely been impacted as a result.
• is heading to the ENT for a visit in a couple of weeks. We had an ear re-check on Friday and while her ears were not infected, she still has fluid in them.
• loves to dance. We turn on music and she starts bouncing up and down.
• has finally started to show a little interest in books. She will actually sit through one or two books before moving on to something else.
• loves anything and everything that Claire is playing with. She literally follows her from one toy to the next. Claire can get frustrated, but tolerates her pretty well.
• has started expressing herself more. She knows just how to whine when she doesn't get her way.
• enjoys playing with water. She loves the bath and has no fear while in it. She crawls around, stands up, and giggles as water is dumped over her head. We set the water table up outside over the weekend and she loved splashing in the water.
• is still a sweet, good-natured little girl!

Hot and Humid

Another week come and gone. The weather wasn't quite as expected yesterday with rain showers in the morning. It made for a somewhat long morning, but at least we were able to get outside in the afternoon. The girls absolutely love being outside and it can seriously alter their mood for the better in a matter of seconds.
Claire has been going through somewhat of a 'stage' lately. She refuses to let me take her picture (as evidenced below) and common phrases out of her mouth these days include 'Mommy, don't talk to me right now' and 'Daddy, sit in the other room while I play'. Seriously, the girl is 2.5 years old and she already knows how to have an attitude. I'm fearful for what her teenage years will bring. Charlotte, on the other hand, is more than happy to pose for the camera. Despite the fact that her two top teeth have been trying their best to break the surface, she has been a happy little girl. She is getting more mobile and brave by the minute. She loves to walk around furniture or any sort of push toy. She giggles with delight and is so proud every time she does. It is too cute.

Go Twins!

Claire loves her Twins hat. We purchased it last year when we were in Florida for vacation and it finally fits her correctly. She especially enjoys wearing it when either Art or I are wearing a hat. These photos are from last weekend when Claire was helping Art with a project outside. She can be convinced to do anything if you refer to it as a project!! I'm not sure how much help she was staining the deck, but it meant a got a little break so I won't complain!

Catching Up...

I've been a little behind on the posting, mostly because I can't find the energy or time to do it. Charlotte has been waking up in the 5 o'clock hour this past week, which makes for a very tired me. I'm pretty sure she is working on her top two teeth, so hopefully this is short-lived.

We had a birthday celebration for Art's sister Kristine last weekend. His other sister Katie and her family recently moved back to Minneapolis from Chicago, so the whole family was together. It was great to have all the kids together and I am already looking forward to many play dates this summer.

In other news, I finally took a photography class last weekend. It was a basic introduction to using a DSLR camera and I actually learned a lot. As a result, I have been playing with the manual settings on our camera. I still have a long ways to go, but it is great to actually understand what all the settings do. With the colder and wetter weather this past week, we have been doing a lot of playing around the house. Here are a few photos from the past week.

Punk Rocker