What a difference a week can make!

A week ago, Charlotte would take a bottle, but just barely. She would fuss and it would take her about an hour to get 3-4 oz. down. Then, she spent the week at the babysitter's where she had no choice but to take a bottle. So, today after church I filled a bottle up and sat down to feed her. As soon as I held the bottle to her lips, she started eating! She sat in my lap and ate, with no fussing, and finished the bottle in about 20 minutes! Wow! What a difference a week can make! I am so happy she will easily take a bottle now. It makes me much more relaxed to know that she is okay at the babysitter's. It also gives Mark and me a little more freedom because we can leave her with other people to go on dates and know that she will eat, be happy, and be okay.
Then, last night we started rice cereal for the first time. Charlotte has always been a pretty easy-going gal and this experience proved that to be true once again. She sat in her chair and let us try to feed her with a lot of patience! Not much of it actually went down. We ended up wiping most of it all of her chin! However, she was quit tolerant and we know she will become better at it with practice.

Eating makes Mommy and baby happy girls!

Charlotte eating her rice cereal for the first time.

Our first week

My absence from the blogging world is because this week was my first week back to work. I was very sad to have to go back to work. I was getting very used to staying at home with my baby girl all day! However, life must go on and we actually had a really good week!

On Monday morning, Mark took Charlotte to her babysitter for the first time. The babysitter is the wife of a coworker of mine who keeps her in their home. She will be there with the babysitter's 3 year old and another little girl who is 10 months old.

Thankfully, about a week before we had to make this transition, I found a bottle that Charlotte likes! She really likes the Playtex bottles and will now easily take them. So, my only concern was her napping, but she has been taking good naps. Actually, she has been taking great naps! She naps better for the sitter than she ever has for me.

Letting Daddy know she is tired!

I am the one who gets to pick her up at the end of the day! It is always so wonderful to see her smiling face at the end of my work day. Because she was in a new place with all new people and a whole lot of activity going on, Charlotte was exhausted at the end of every day. On Monday night she was squealing at us in exhaustion! Poor baby! The upside is she has been sleeping better :) We are SO thankful to God for leading us to the right childcare provider. She is in a place where I know she is safe and happy. I couldn't ask for more!

Here is Charlotte hanging out in her bed one morning this week before getting up.

This morning Charlotte got to hang out on Mommy and Daddy's bed for a while. We like lazy Saturday mornings! Check out that drool!

Charlotte and Oreo having a stare down. Several times today when she has been in the same room as him she has watched him and smiled at him. So cute!

Our Saturday

On Monday I have to go back to work. There really aren't any words to express how I feel about this. I am so sad to be leaving my little girl and not being able to spend the majority of each day blessed by her precious smiles. I am also filled with anxiety over being a working Mommy. I'm not really sure how I am going to be able to juggle being a mom, wife, housekeeper, chef, and teacher. Most of the time I simply choose to not think about it, because thinking about it nearly sends me into a frenzy. So, this weekend is our last weekend before Mark and I return to work. Here is how we spent our Saturday:

We started the morning by attending Jake and Mallory's birthday party. I can't believe they are already two!

While there, Charlotte had a great time hanging out with the Williams.

She really liked chewing on Karson's hand!

Then we came home and played! Here is Charlotte on her mat . . .

and in the exersaucer.

Please keep us in your prayers as we make this huge transition in our lives.

4 months old!

Weight: 14 lbs. 10 oz. (73%)

Length: 24 1/4 inches (50%)

Head: 16 1/2 inches (76%)
Here are some things about Charlotte at 4 months:

- has let out a few belly laughs and giggles all the time

- loves to stand in your lap

- smiles very freely at all who smile at her

- likes her car seat better than before, even though it is still not her favorite place to be

- still loves to sleep in her swing

- rolls from her back to her stomach constantly, then gets upset when she finds herself on her stomach

- still doesn't like being on her stomach

- still gets swaddled to sleep

- usually naps 45 min. to an hour, 3-4 times a day; every once in a while she will throw in a 2 hour nap

- still wakes up about 2 times to feed in the middle of the night

- starts her last feeding around 8:00 and is usually in bed by 8:45

- has fingernails that grow like crazy! She is always scratching herself :(

- loves to stand in her exersaucer

- has started reaching for toys, but can't hold them for very long

- "talks" all the time; there are times when we can't hear each other talking over her very loud noises!

- has such a wonderful disposition and will usually go with the flow

- sits very well in her Bumbo seat

- has found her feet and grabs them all the time - in the car, on her blanket, while changing her diaper, etc.

- loves Sunday school in the church nursery

- has had her first sleepover with her Grammy and Poppy

9 years

Happy 9th Anniversary to my amazing husband! Thank you for the best 9 years of my life. I look forward to many, many more. I love you, Mark!