And I can honestly say I've never felt this way before. A little sad, a lot happy, a little bit of pride...MY BABY IS ONE!!! And she isn't a baby anymore...she's a toddler! EEEEEEK!!
this time last year:
"TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010
And then there were three...
On September 18th, 2010 at 6:25pm our lives changed forever. Our baby girl, Charlotte June Wagoner, was welcomed into the world via open arms (and legs of course)! At 6lbs 1oz and 18.5inches our OB said she was "petite". I say she was unexpected. I was always told she was going to be somewhere around 8lbs at birth but, just like pregnancy, things don't always turn out the way you thought they would. Needless to say, she is absolutely perfect. She has a cute button nose, the tiniest feet, and the littlest fingers you can imagine - she has her daddy wrapped around each and every one I might add!"
Charlotte June Wagoner turned one year old this past Sunday. We celebrated with tons of family and friends down in Lexington and we loved every minute! Charlotte had a great time meeting her family and new boyfriend Beckett! They got a little frisky...frisky for babies anyway!
I thought I would revisit the idea of writing a letter to my little girl for this post...so here we go:
Dear Charlotte,
Before you were born I actually wrote you a letter and in that letter we, daddy and I, made you a few promises. Let's see how we are doing shall we??
1.) We promised to get a "clearer plan" about our future. We got one!! Our future is in Wisconsin and I am so glad you will be able to grow up here. Daddy has a great job at UW Oshkosh and mommy works right down the street from your daycare - it is perfect!
2.) We promised to always love you unconditionally. ABSOLUTELY! You are the light in our lives, the wind in our sails, the ketchup to our french fries (and all other foods really). We love you!! We will always love you!!!
3.) We promised to only use daycare when we have to. This is the truth. We have done our best to find you the best place to be at the right time. We love getting your artwork and seeing all your friends.
4.) We promised to get you closer to family. CHECK! We are a day's drive away from your daddy's family, my best friends, and aunt cheryl and uncle george! Your first birthday was the first of many HUGE family gatherings!
I'm surprised in this other letter I didn't promise you more. I promise to try everyday to give you the world. I would lasso the moon and give you that if I could.
The first year of your life was challenging but your mommy and daddy agree it was the year our lives changed for the better!! September of 2010 you entered the world, October 2010 daddy started applying for jobs, January 2011 mommy and daddy gave up on the philosophy job market, March 2011 UW Oshkosh called, April 2011 we decided to move to Wisconsin, June 2011 we packed up and drove 2000 miles with papaw in tow to Neenah, WI, September 2011 daddy started his new job and we celebrated your life!!
What a year and we are so glad to have had you to be by our sides.
We can't promise to know what this next year will have in store for you and your family but we know for sure it will be filled with love, excitement, and lots of snow!!
Love you Charlotte. You make us want to be better people. You are our world.
Love,
mommy and daddy.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
6 + months!
I say 6+ because I am NOT one of those people that will be referring to their child's age in weeks until they are 16. I have no idea how many weeks she is! So, she is 6 months and some change and she is absolutely wonderful. She is the love of our lives, the light of our lives, and we could not imagine and do not even want to imagine our lives without her. She greets me in the morning with the sweetest smile and when her little head rests on my shoulder at night when she is sooooo sleepy I just absolutely melt. She is absolutely beautiful inside and out. Even though she is still a baby, she definitely has a personality and she is hilarious! She laughs a lot, smiles a lot, blows raspberries all the time, and loves cats! She is a true Wagoner and we are 100 million, bajillion, trajillion % in love with her!!
She is beginning to "move" a bit and that is scary. We are pretty sure she thinks rolling over is a waste of time. We think this because I am confident she will be crawling before she rolls over. She sits up really well and is beginning to lean forward to get onto her hands and knees!! She is growing too fast!! Speaking of growing...she is 16 lbs and 9 oz!! She is my little marshmallow!! Carrying her plus the car seat is turning into a pump aerobics class!! It's definitely a workout...which I need but that is an entirely different blog.
We have started solid foods and it is hilarious to watch her try new things. Her little nose wrinkles and she looks at us like we are crazy. You just know she is thinking, "are you sure guys people eat this stuff?" It's pretty funny! For the most part I have been making my own baby food which isn't really that hard. I did buy some organic prune baby food simply because I could not see how a prune would puree?!? I will need to try it some day but it didn't make sense to me for some reason. Our freezer is full of freezer bags with ice cubes of food and little freezer bowls with other food! It's pretty neat. The cubes have worked out to be pretty handy because I just pull a cube out and plop it into a bowl for daycare - they can heat it up at snack time. Very convenient!
She is loving daycare too. I am sooooo lucky I was referred to the JCC for her daycare. They are absolutely wonderful and they take such good care of my little luv bug! She finger paints, goes on group stroller rides, has music class, and even class pictures! Yes, she is only 6 months old and it is hilarious to see her doing all of this stuff. She interacts really well with other kids as a result and this is wonderful! She even has a little boyfriend...she stole his Cheerios the other day so I'm not sure if they are "taking a break" right now or not. :)
In other news, we are still in the middle of the philosophy job hunt. This has proven to be a challenge financially and emotionally. Fortunately, Robbie has had a few interviews and a couple of those have required him to fly off to some exciting venues at a not so cheap price! We are making it work though and it seems we may be at the end. We are hoping this last interview was THE ONE! Things went well and positive reinforcement was received so we are keeping our fingers crossed. They did indicate the fact that Robbie was married and had a child was a definite positive. I would like to take credit for this if he gets the job. Thank you! I won't mention the locale in the blog simply because I do not want to jinx it! We should know by the beginning of next week though!! Very exciting.
Well, that is all right now. Things are crazy between the job hunt, raising a baby, my work is hectic, and sleep deprivation (d/t stress or baby)! I think things are turning a corner so that is good - baby is sleeping which is the most important thing to me right now!!
She is beginning to "move" a bit and that is scary. We are pretty sure she thinks rolling over is a waste of time. We think this because I am confident she will be crawling before she rolls over. She sits up really well and is beginning to lean forward to get onto her hands and knees!! She is growing too fast!! Speaking of growing...she is 16 lbs and 9 oz!! She is my little marshmallow!! Carrying her plus the car seat is turning into a pump aerobics class!! It's definitely a workout...which I need but that is an entirely different blog.
We have started solid foods and it is hilarious to watch her try new things. Her little nose wrinkles and she looks at us like we are crazy. You just know she is thinking, "are you sure guys people eat this stuff?" It's pretty funny! For the most part I have been making my own baby food which isn't really that hard. I did buy some organic prune baby food simply because I could not see how a prune would puree?!? I will need to try it some day but it didn't make sense to me for some reason. Our freezer is full of freezer bags with ice cubes of food and little freezer bowls with other food! It's pretty neat. The cubes have worked out to be pretty handy because I just pull a cube out and plop it into a bowl for daycare - they can heat it up at snack time. Very convenient!
She is loving daycare too. I am sooooo lucky I was referred to the JCC for her daycare. They are absolutely wonderful and they take such good care of my little luv bug! She finger paints, goes on group stroller rides, has music class, and even class pictures! Yes, she is only 6 months old and it is hilarious to see her doing all of this stuff. She interacts really well with other kids as a result and this is wonderful! She even has a little boyfriend...she stole his Cheerios the other day so I'm not sure if they are "taking a break" right now or not. :)
In other news, we are still in the middle of the philosophy job hunt. This has proven to be a challenge financially and emotionally. Fortunately, Robbie has had a few interviews and a couple of those have required him to fly off to some exciting venues at a not so cheap price! We are making it work though and it seems we may be at the end. We are hoping this last interview was THE ONE! Things went well and positive reinforcement was received so we are keeping our fingers crossed. They did indicate the fact that Robbie was married and had a child was a definite positive. I would like to take credit for this if he gets the job. Thank you! I won't mention the locale in the blog simply because I do not want to jinx it! We should know by the beginning of next week though!! Very exciting.
Well, that is all right now. Things are crazy between the job hunt, raising a baby, my work is hectic, and sleep deprivation (d/t stress or baby)! I think things are turning a corner so that is good - baby is sleeping which is the most important thing to me right now!!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
4 months!!
Wow! It has been a long time since we last updated this blog!! So much has been going on with Charlotte and Team Wagoner in general! Charlotte is 4 months old now. We had her 4 month check-up on Friday and the pediatrician said she is perfect! She is 13lbs 10oz, 24 inches long, and has a perfectly round head. This is a good thing since at our 2 month check-up there was discussion about her possibly needing a helmet. She had a flat side on her head but we worked hard to even it out...she worked hard! She is doing really well. She is sleeping great - usually through the night. She is eating well and growing right on track. In 4 weeks we are going to start rice cereal and maybe begin to introduce a sippy cup! I cannot believe how fast things are going. The first 8 weeks of her life we wanted her to go on ahead and grow up - be self sufficient. Now, we want her to be like Benjamin Button! Where did my little nugget go!?! She is a little lady now :(!! I am going to post a picture of Charlotte at 1 week next to Robbie's lap top and a picture of her at 4 months next to the same lap top. The difference is insane!!
Charlotte is not only developing physically but she is also becoming much more aware of her environment and is interacting with us more and more each day. She laughs, squeals (new), smiles, babbles, and shoves whatever she can find into her mouth! She is wonderful. We bought her a bouncer and it has turned out to be the best purchase yet! She absolutely loves it!! She can be sooooo tired, I mean fussy and tired, and she will still want to jump! She is hilarious!! I never thought a bouncy would be that big of a hit. With that said, I have compiled a list of the things I think new parents should buy and the things they can pass on:
Bouncy chair - really not needed until 3-4 months
Swing - I would wait on this until you know your child. We have a swing and she doesn't really like it. I think she likes the side to side movement more than front to back.
Pack n' Play - definitely! Get one with a music player and you will be golden!
Diaper Genie Elite - PASS!!! This thing looks fancy and it works really well but after a couple of months it smells awful!! We have bleached it, pine sol'd it, lysol'd it, stopped using it for poopy diapers and it still smells!! We finally tossed it and bought one that uses regular garbage bags! So disappointing!
Sleep Sheep - LOVE this!!! Charlotte loves it too!
Gerber cloth diapers - we use these for burp cloths and would be LOST without them!! They are so great as burp cloths! Charlotte loves to chew on them too!!
Bouncy seat - how handy has this been! It's a portable seat. I can put her on the kitchen counter, not in danger of falling off of course, and do the dishes while she plays with her mobile or listens to music! I love this!!
Batteries - just go ahead and buy stock in duracell. We go through so many batteries it isn't funny!
Diapers - buy when on sale. I get so irritated when I have to pay full price for diapers. I stocked up while pregnant but now I wish I stocked up even more!
Expensive crib mobile - wait to see if this is something your child will like. I bought one that claims to prepare them for college from birth (jk) and we NEVER use it. It is laying next to her crib. Not even attached anymore!!
For some reason that is all that comes to mind right now. We have bought so much stuff and seem to accumulate more and more each day. I am finding that the basics keep her entertained just as much as the expensive stuff.
All in all she is doing great. We are really enjoying our time with her and we can't wait to watch her continue to grow and develop. She is so amazing!! We have her in a really great daycare at the Jewish Community Center and she is making some great friends there. It really is wonderful!
Regarding the Wagoners - we are in the middle of the philosophy job market. It isn't panning out so well but we are hopeful. We have a back-up plan, which makes me feel great! Robbie is a little (A LOT) frustrated with the way things are going but we are trying to stay positive. I'm not great at this (surprise!) but we are trying. We are still applying to jobs but we are preparing for the future. We have to. We have a little one to care for and she is our priority. Things will work out. Between you and me, I like our Plan B better than our Plan A. We are hoping to know what the future holds for us by April!
Well, that is where we are at right now. Hopefully I will keep this blog more updated...we will see!!
Charlotte is not only developing physically but she is also becoming much more aware of her environment and is interacting with us more and more each day. She laughs, squeals (new), smiles, babbles, and shoves whatever she can find into her mouth! She is wonderful. We bought her a bouncer and it has turned out to be the best purchase yet! She absolutely loves it!! She can be sooooo tired, I mean fussy and tired, and she will still want to jump! She is hilarious!! I never thought a bouncy would be that big of a hit. With that said, I have compiled a list of the things I think new parents should buy and the things they can pass on:
Bouncy chair - really not needed until 3-4 months
Swing - I would wait on this until you know your child. We have a swing and she doesn't really like it. I think she likes the side to side movement more than front to back.
Pack n' Play - definitely! Get one with a music player and you will be golden!
Diaper Genie Elite - PASS!!! This thing looks fancy and it works really well but after a couple of months it smells awful!! We have bleached it, pine sol'd it, lysol'd it, stopped using it for poopy diapers and it still smells!! We finally tossed it and bought one that uses regular garbage bags! So disappointing!
Sleep Sheep - LOVE this!!! Charlotte loves it too!
Gerber cloth diapers - we use these for burp cloths and would be LOST without them!! They are so great as burp cloths! Charlotte loves to chew on them too!!
Bouncy seat - how handy has this been! It's a portable seat. I can put her on the kitchen counter, not in danger of falling off of course, and do the dishes while she plays with her mobile or listens to music! I love this!!
Batteries - just go ahead and buy stock in duracell. We go through so many batteries it isn't funny!
Diapers - buy when on sale. I get so irritated when I have to pay full price for diapers. I stocked up while pregnant but now I wish I stocked up even more!
Expensive crib mobile - wait to see if this is something your child will like. I bought one that claims to prepare them for college from birth (jk) and we NEVER use it. It is laying next to her crib. Not even attached anymore!!
For some reason that is all that comes to mind right now. We have bought so much stuff and seem to accumulate more and more each day. I am finding that the basics keep her entertained just as much as the expensive stuff.
All in all she is doing great. We are really enjoying our time with her and we can't wait to watch her continue to grow and develop. She is so amazing!! We have her in a really great daycare at the Jewish Community Center and she is making some great friends there. It really is wonderful!
Regarding the Wagoners - we are in the middle of the philosophy job market. It isn't panning out so well but we are hopeful. We have a back-up plan, which makes me feel great! Robbie is a little (A LOT) frustrated with the way things are going but we are trying to stay positive. I'm not great at this (surprise!) but we are trying. We are still applying to jobs but we are preparing for the future. We have to. We have a little one to care for and she is our priority. Things will work out. Between you and me, I like our Plan B better than our Plan A. We are hoping to know what the future holds for us by April!
Well, that is where we are at right now. Hopefully I will keep this blog more updated...we will see!!
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