We Said We'd Never Do This

It's February

2012-02-16T21:59:00.002-05:00

Washing windows! Originally intended as a deterrent to keep Charles

from complaining of boredom, this has become a favorite activity.

Dr. Paul, mad scientist.

It's stunts like these that make us amazed we've never dealt

with stitches before today...(see last photo!)

Little Bruiser.

Christmas photo shoot

2011-12-19T10:54:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-25T21:56:00.002-04:00

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.

But let them pretend when they're little!

Us Recently

2011-10-21T20:49:00.003-04:00

Precious Raith Brothers!

A long overdue family photo.

Laundry day is fun because of the empty hamper...

Charles in the "zoo":

And Paul, who climbs into anything he can find.

What a ham!

Two firsts: a sno-cone just before a visit to the Alamo.

Charles before his first day at preschool (outake).

And I leave you with poor Paul, who is always sporting new bruises.

This fall was a face-plant on the back drive.

the Birthday Boy

2011-08-29T16:12:00.004-04:00

Paul at 12 mos...in his birthday suit!

The cupcake.

Presents.

The boy(s) love the tea set, Gran and Pop!

July

2011-08-02T18:07:00.002-04:00

For his birthday, Charles went "real" bowling.

He "beated" his cousins, though he was the only one who seemed to care.

Happy 4th Birthday, Charles!

Paul and his cousin ignored the present-opening and kept busy with the trash...

In other news, Paul knows how to use the phone, now.

(My, they grow up fast!)

more GA adventures

2011-07-01T10:13:00.003-04:00

Paul at 10 months.

Charles drivin' the Gator with his willing passenger, Paul.

Flashback! Which is which?

Charles doesn't need swimmies, so this isn't an accurate picture of

his pool time this summer. But the goggles are always a must!

June update

2011-06-15T14:53:00.003-04:00

First, this precious 9-month old!

Visiting at Gran & Pop's house: the fields are dotted with hay bales.

I couldn't resist a photo of my big boy atop one, though he was less than pleased to pose.

Paul peering at Pop from inside.

And more Paul and his antics...but check out the last photo -

it's Charles when he was Paul's age!

(The items in the mouth are a ping-pong ball and a

big bell, respectively, if you were wondering.)

Here Comes Trouble

2011-05-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

Paul is pulling up at every chance...

And is finding lots of new toys...

Recently, in Ft. Worth

2011-05-10T21:04:00.002-04:00

On a recent family trip to Ft. Worth, I noticed what a boy Charles is becoming.

Here, posing with Buffalo Bill's Star.

Here, after eating his first Pixie Stick.

And here, with a really cool tree root system at the Water Gardens.

He's 8 months old!

2011-04-28T21:06:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T10:15:00.002-04:00

Family Easter photos. (Where's that tripod when you need it?)

Springtime boys

2011-04-14T16:12:00.001-04:00

An Easter craft.

And Paul's first ride in a swing.

Paul, 7 months

2011-03-29T09:46:00.002-04:00

One video for each boy

2011-03-14T13:43:00.002-04:00

Charles, singer/songwriter.

Jumping P.

The New Mobile Paul

2011-03-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

Paul—6 months old!

2011-02-26T22:06:00.003-05:00

Check out my two bottom teeth!

I use them to melt hearts...

and bite Mommy.

Ducky Towel Baby

2011-02-16T14:39:00.002-05:00

This weekend Paul had his first baths from Daddy, two

days in a row. Babies don't generally need to be bathed

so often, but this baby was having a little fun at Daddy's

expense. His two worst diaper-blowouts ever were on Chad's

watch. Bath time was VERY necessary. (So was Oxi Clean!)

Snow Day

2011-02-05T00:21:00.003-05:00

5 months old

2011-01-29T13:38:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, Dr. Raith!

2011-01-15T12:58:00.003-05:00

On January 5th, Chad defended his dissertation.

Here he is with his proud (and relieved) wife at

a post-defense celebration with friends in Ave.

more Christmas shots

2011-01-15T12:48:00.002-05:00

Tree hunting with Pop.

Brothers...and Paul at 4 months:

Santa brought a wagon! And a bear as big as Charles.

Shiny paper really IS the best part of presents, right?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T19:06:00.004-05:00

The first Christmas snow in GA in more than 100 years,

as far as we can tell. We scooped Charles out of bed

so he could experience his first snow!

More Paul

2010-12-14T08:19:00.002-05:00

Paul has found his fingers!

And it's the same fingers his brother (still) sucks.

We see him like this a lot, mouth open, ready to chomp

anything that comes near. It's usually his clasped hands, as here:

What a joy you are, baby!

Mommy and P

2010-12-10T17:14:00.001-05:00

Matching jackets!

Paul, 3 months

2010-12-04T17:17:00.002-05:00

Hanging out

2010-11-23T15:39:00.003-05:00

Paul will happily watch Mommy in the kitchen from this

new spot in his jumper...until she has really messy hands.

Then he starts complaining to be held.

Daddy's boys.

And, finally, we're catching some smiles on camera!

This is one smiley kid, though you wouldn't

know it from most of the pictures.

Chef Charles

2010-10-27T09:44:00.003-04:00

Complete with flour-adorned face, Charles was chef-for-a-night

and acquired a mixing bowl full of candy

(and lots of compliments on the costume).

Two Months Old

2010-10-27T09:41:00.003-04:00

"Is it just me, or is there a HUGE duck beside me?"

Growing boy

2010-10-21T21:42:00.002-04:00

Chubby Chin!

Sweet feet.

Fuzzy little head.

A Visit from Gran and Pop

2010-10-13T12:53:00.002-04:00

Charles and Pop show off their rock house (by Charles' feet).

Gran and Paul.

Paul with Pop!

Big Boys

2010-09-28T10:24:00.002-04:00

Paul at one month.

I squeezed him into his going-home outfit one last time

because it's so cute (hence the high-waters).

Charles loves to dance and sing with his guitar. And recently he insists on

putting his knee up while he plays—like Daddy!

Our first day of beautiful weather called for a picnic in the park.

Charles and Daddy played ball...

...while Paul napped and showed off his double chin.

A few of Paul's favorite things

2010-09-20T14:27:00.003-04:00

His cousin Ellee who came to visit last week.

His new Boppy pillow.

Watching Daddy...

...and giving those sweet newborn smiles.

Paul William Raith is here!

2010-08-31T16:19:00.004-04:00

First, doting grandparents arrive, hoping to meet Baby Brother.

Charles eats up the attention.

At long last, Paul William makes his appearance!

August 25 at 1:30 a.m. after less than 2 hours of labor...

8 lbs, 1 oz., 20.5 in.

Proud Big Brother Charles visits that morning.

And after settling in at home for a few days,

Paul meets his first stuffed animal:

Here he is at 4 days old.

Already in the first week his tiny squeals have changed to grunts,

he's gained almost a pound, and he's learning to appreciate (ignore?)

the many kisses of his adoring brother. Welcome to the family, sweet baby!

Charles is 3!

2010-07-30T21:19:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Charles!

Singing and blowing out a candle were a

little too much attention, I think.

But he warmed up to the presents-part right away!

Here's mommy's favorite gift he received...

And here's the coolest one of them all!

New Home

2010-07-01T21:52:00.006-04:00

A few shots since we arrived in our new home:

I can't remember what he was eating, but he was pretty serious about it.

Charles loves to help in the yard. (The back yard is mostly paved...)

Here's a view of the side yard, dubbed "Paris Garden" by some former tenant (there's a stepping stone with the name). Let's not get carried away! It's a bit scraggly, but very peaceful. The crepe myrtle is now in full, fuschia glory. This was an afternoon romp in the sprinkler.

Charles' first night in his big-boy bed. Thanks for the bed, Uncle Will!

Easter

2010-04-20T13:10:00.002-04:00

A beautiful Easter morning!

And a drive through the Everglades that evening.

Big week

2010-02-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

This week Charles tried his decorating skills on our fresh King Cake. Beautiful!

Charles leaving for his first morning at Montessori school!

Favorite Christmas Shots

2010-01-15T21:53:00.008-05:00

Making cookies at Mimi & Grandpa's.

Just three of his many favorite Christmas presents:

This face doesn't exactly say "favorite!" but soon

after this was taken Charles threw up

(for the first time ever). Merry Christmas!

Christmases Past and Present

2009-12-08T10:31:00.002-05:00

At our town's annual Festival of Lights we take a similar photo: from itty bitty to little boy!

cousin Emma

2009-12-05T14:24:00.003-05:00

(Isn't she a doll?)

Sweaty boy

2009-11-13T22:23:00.004-05:00

'Oh, Charles has just had a shower' you say? No, my friends, this is typical sweaty-head after 20 minutes of play (inside!). SW Florida's still pretty hot even in November!

Fall Trip

2009-11-05T15:36:00.004-05:00

Recently we had a week in north Georgia with family.

Highlight: a "scenic" train ride.

We also visited Babyland General Hospital, where Cabbage Patch Kids are born. Unlike his girl cousins, Charles didn't give a hoot about the babies. But he had fun on the steps.

And another must in north GA in the fall—a visit to an apple orchard!

Our fun days

2009-10-06T21:45:00.003-04:00

Charles loves "helping" Mommy in the kitchen. He insists on wearing an apron (unfortunately we don't have any masculine ones).

Home again, home again

2009-08-19T08:16:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely time in Vancouver this summer. Unfortunately we forgot our camera, and this is our lone family shot to share!

That same night, dinner with friends:

Back in Florida:

Charles tries out the new stool

Grandpa made for him.

A birthday present, an Ikea table

and stools for the kitchen!

Charles on the XBox—he wasn't

actually plugged in to the machine,

but he didn't seem to mind.

Leaving for the Summer

2009-05-15T22:59:00.004-04:00

Mommy's boys.

Charles has been a big help getting the house clean as we prepare to leave for the summer.

Sports Day

2009-04-22T11:58:00.004-04:00

We have a park across the street from our neighborhood. After just one afternoon of this you see below, we can't walk past without Charles pleading, "Ball! Dada. Ball!" It was that fun.

Easter

2009-04-17T14:58:00.003-04:00

It was a joyful celebration for the Raiths!

Charles caught on to the egg hunt right away.

Pit Stop Petting Zoo

2009-04-11T14:25:00.002-04:00

Our favorite exit on the way from Mimi & Grandpa's to SW Florida has what equates to a petting zoo. We bought food from the gas station store—Charles was not afraid!

But the cow couldn't get at the food in Charles' closed hand.

Daddy helped.

Two Recent Beach Trips

2009-04-11T14:05:00.003-04:00

Florida's winter has been too beautiful...

2009-04-06T14:18:00.008-04:00

...to be inside posting pictures.

The humidity and heat have returned. And so have the updates.

A quick catch-you-up on favorite photos so far of 2009:

Charles has recently become very interested in trains. Train toys and pictures of trains. We thought he'd like riding on this train at a Family Fun Festival in town. You can see we were wrong. Even with Mommy he was only just putting up with it.

Typical Charles: hot and sweaty from playing ball!

If you look closely you can see the balled up socks by the wall under the crib. Charles let on to his stash after a nap one day, just after Mommy couldn't figure out why there were no clean socks in his drawer.

The innocent Charles pose. When he's into something he knows he shouldn't be, this is the sweet face he wears. (Daddy adds: But how mad can ya get when this is his reading material...my little theologian)

Here's a current favorite. He's getting to be a much neater eater these days (this was taken in January). Rarely do we catch on camera a genuine, happy countenance.

A short (but typical) naptime clip...

2008-11-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

Listen carefully for the banging - it usually goes on for a good 10 min (he stops here, because I get caught filming).

"Washington is broken," "Change," "Blah blah blah"

2008-11-02T20:46:00.005-05:00

Charles is practicing his presidential acceptance speech...oddly, it sounds similiar to the real thing.

Trying to get Charles to talk

2008-10-25T12:34:00.004-04:00

Keep in mind that this video session started by trying to get him to say the word "cheese" (since its pretty dang cute when he does), but it didn't really happen until the very end (when Ansley actually gives him some cheese).

Saturday Night Fever

2008-10-07T18:42:00.004-04:00

Charles loves a beat.

It could be because Ansley played the jimbee and I the guitar while he was cooking in the womb...

The first clip demonstrates how quickly he can go from anger to instant joy at the sound of a groove (thanks to a little Radiohead)

The second, doing a little dance w/ Abba...American Idol, here he comes

Welcome to a new phase in Charles-ine entertainment

2008-10-05T12:22:00.006-04:00

Here's our first attempt at video. One problem w/ the iSight camera - you see on the computer screen what's being filmed...and Charles adores looking at himself being filmed...

Coming soon...video

2008-09-28T20:47:00.003-04:00

So, it seems that after Charles hit one, nothing terribly exciting is going on from a picture-only perspective. Sure, he's growing up and it's fun to see, but it's hard to show the good stuff with still shot (and it's hard to keep the ol' Charles blog interesting unless we mix it up a bit). Although we don't own a proper video recorder, Mac computers come w/ the ability to capture video through their i-Sight. I haven't the foggiest idea how good the quality will be, but we've got some footage that should be heading your way soon. For those who have never seen Charles in action, you won't be disappointed.

Executive Editor of "We Said We'd Never Do This" (a title, by the way, that refers to making a blog, not making a baby)

Whew - it's been a while...

2008-08-21T17:51:00.003-04:00

After the big "1" post, we lost some blogging steam for a bit...but the little man is back, sporting one of his b'day gifts straight from Scotland (thanks Derek and Katie :).

Hm...so even after the age of 1, they still cry. Just thought it all just fell into place after that. To give the boy some credit, he can now communicate "more" using sign language, he's almost walking full-time, he changes his own diaper, parallel parks our car, drinks Miller High Life on Saturdays...

Amazon box, book shelf, Charles on a climbing adventure.

CHARLES' FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

2008-07-21T15:21:00.013-04:00

The party was a barrel of monkeys for Charles...monkey invitations, monkey cake, monkey outfit. It suited our little monkey well.

(this is before Charles wore his monkey shirt, being totally stoked about his helium balloon)

(this is Charles with his monkey shirt - and with cousin Ashlynn)

toys, toys, toys. And mommy's and daddy's nightmare - Charles got one of those tickle-me Elmo demon-possessed toys.

this was supposed to be his new pool, but as you can see, mommy and daddy misjudged the size. does anyone have a newborn that wants a pool out there?

and here we go...what everyone waits to see.

it starts a bit slow...

but let's watch what unfolds. keep your eye on the state of the cake...poor cake.

(and here we go)....

(at this point, Charles discovers you can actually eat this stuff...)

Happy Birthday, Little Man!!!!

Answer to the pic...

2008-07-12T14:49:00.003-04:00

Not many guesses out there, but the answer is...

It's the "I'm trying to make a dirty diaper" push face. Hilarious to see it live.

Can you guess what this face means? (seriously, take a guess)

2008-06-26T13:31:00.003-04:00

.....answer to be announced soon

cute pics of the three grandchildren (on Chad's side)

2008-06-26T13:22:00.002-04:00

Uncle Lee - making sure Addie didn't drop Charles on his head....and Ellee thrilled about taking pics...

nice kiss on nose - I think she managed to get the whole nose in her mouth.

Charles' first pool experience

2008-06-14T10:25:00.003-04:00

although we've managed to warm charles up to the ocean (a bit), the pool was a hit! he's got to be part fish - and he's also got to be the best tanned 10 mnth old around...it's a farmer's tan, but a tan nonetheless...

even outside the floaty thing, charles managed well...although managing charles didn't always go well - charles received a good mouth-full of pool water on more than one occasion ...

the grandparents put in a small waterfall, which was much fun for the kids (and pretty, too).

but he could never figure out why he couldn't grab on to it...

more pool shots

2008-06-14T10:01:00.001-04:00

It deserved a post of its own....

2008-05-27T20:50:00.004-04:00

(check out the teeth)

Charles' iPod, walking, and peek-a-boo

2008-05-27T20:33:00.005-04:00

how fast they grow up...but no worries - we only let him listen to Gansta Rap during dinner.

New toy from Gran - and one more step toward walking.

only problem is he hasn't quite figured out the whole "go around objects" concept...it's a trip - he'll fly across the room with this thing, hit the wall, and keep pushing until he tips the whole thing over and crashes to the ground, ticked off that the wall didn't give way.

and he's discovered the curtains and peek-a-boo around the curtains with mamma....

"peek-a-boo"

about 10 months old shots...

2008-05-25T18:30:00.001-04:00

G. Q. shot

Mamma's Boy

2008-05-25T18:22:00.002-04:00

Just a few fun pics of Charles with who has to be his absolute favorite person in the whole wide world...

(they're laughing at daddy - I just know they're laughing at daddy)

King Kong Charles

2008-05-16T09:23:00.007-04:00

(grrrrr) "girl pretty...me like girl" (grrrr)

(grrrr) "pretty feet...very pretty feet" (grrrr)

(grrrr) "But I must eat girl!!! (chomp, chomp, chomp, slobber, slobber, slobber)

Next up - Mt. Everest

2008-04-26T19:37:00.004-04:00

so many months have gone into this...and finally he's ready. After much preparation, workout, and eating rice poo, Charles has decided he's ready to tackle THE STAIRS. "Mom - I love you. You've been there for me all these months. You're the best. But I have to do this. I have to climb. It, well, it just feels right. I was born to climb," he says in this picture.

(sing "Chariots of Fire" in your head). It was hard to watch him go, off into the fog and cold of the mountain side. Dad stands by for back-up just in case there's a malfunction in equipment, but Charles seems in control. He's been dreaming of this for months, plotting the course, waging the odds. But now is the moment, the moment where time stands still and Charles ascends with the determination of a fighter. And there he goes - the first step, accomplished.

After scaling the heights of step one, Charles takes a moment for a breather. Although his position looks good - stable, confident, determined - Charles' climbing crew (i.e., mommy and daddy) decided he had struggled enough for one day and quickly escorted him back to ground zero. It was a good day of climbing for Charles. HOWEVER, we are sad to report that Charles decided to climb again, but this time without his crew. Mommy realized Charles was very quiet and, like a good crewman, rushed to the site of the climb, only to witness Charles in the last stages of his tumble down the stairs. Thankfully, he had managed to ascend only two steps, and it seems he fell gracefully. After assessing the damage, his crew found only a rug burn on his forehead; otherwise he is in good condition. The mountain has now been closed until further notice...

Get it straight people - I'm already an American

2008-04-19T19:24:00.002-04:00

As many know, Charles was born in Canada. That makes him a Canadian citizen according to Canadian law. Way to go Charles...you're Canadian by law.

BUT CHARLES IS AMERICAN BY BLOOD! According to American law, a child born "abroad" to American citizens is an American citizen. Charles is therefore also an American citizen by virtue of being born to American parents. Unfortunately, however, we were not able to seal the documentation deal with the U.S. embassy in Canada before we left. So, since returning to the States in September, we have been in the process (the $450 process) of acquiring documentation for Charles' ALREADY OBTAINED citizenship. Part of this process consisted of a family adventure to the great immigration city of Miami, Fl., to pick up official documentation with people who were for the majority GETTING citizenship.

After daddy signed the last bit of paperwork at the gov't center in Miami (oh what a fun place to be), the official handed Charles a flag and said, "Congratulations on getting your citizenship." "No," daddy Charles quickly responded. "He's been a citizen. We're only picking up the paperwork because bureaucracy can't do it any easier." Baby Charles smiled. Probably because of gas, but daddy understood the smile to be because he was proud of daddy.

Easter fun!

2008-03-30T22:06:00.003-04:00

Over Easter, we headed to Barnesville for some country fun. We took with us a family who is also here at AMU. Their first trip to the South, and one, I'm sure, they'll never forget! Here, Charles is hanging with their son, Peter.

and here, Charles is chattin up a storm with Theresia and Peter. If I remember correctly, he was telling them a joke Pop (Ansley's dad) told him. "Theresia," he said. "You know how to prove a dog is man's best friend? Put a dog and your wife in the trunk of a car for an hour. When you open the trunk, guess who's happy to see you?" I don't remember Theresia laughing, but Peter fell out of the cart...

(music) "just a good ol' boy, never meaning no harm..."

Charles' first easter egg hunt!!!! Although it looks as if someone is assisting Charles in his hunt, what is really happening is that the egg is being taken AWAY from Charles because he found way too many eggs too quickly...they had to re-hide the eggs for all the other children. Way to go boy!!!

good ol' easter fun...

Packing Charles for Easter

2008-03-30T21:56:00.002-04:00

Well, we decided that since Charles hates the car so much, for our trip home we would pack him in the suitcase, instead. He seemed to do fine, considering we had the suitcase strapped to the roof of the car.

Look how proud Charles is, showing off his new box of baby wipes! A baby's pride and joy - especially after they start eating solid food...

Charles attempting to escape, just after he realizes what's going on.

just a swangin....

2008-03-11T20:15:00.006-04:00

A day in the park for Charles! It's a wonderful thing for the local little kids (and their mommies) that there is a park right down the road. Now, the park is surrounded by a few small ponds, and those ponds do have a few alligators, but hey...it's all part of living on the edge of the everglades. If David could take on a lion and a bear, I'm confident Charles can take an alligator...AND GIVE HIM THE SLOBBER CHOMP! (if you're confused, see previous posts with Charles and the inch worm)

And yes...we'd show you more park action shots if we could, but right now, outside of this straight-jacket style swing there's not much he can do...although it's still a lot of fun for everyone!!

oh no...Charles is almost mobile (pray for us)

2008-02-22T22:41:00.002-05:00

yes, the time has come...Charles is almost on the move. Here, he's getting himself on all fours... although he only does the baby rock at this point (all parents know what I'm talking about...it's the crawl primer that never actually manifests in a crawl)

(an angle shot for all you artistic folk)

"oh mommy...aren't I so cute? So harmless? So innocent?"

"but soon...yes, soon. First, it will be daddy's book shelf...then mommy's makeup...then the world! It won't be long now before I fill all my destructive curiosities...wahahahaha!!!"

any little junior needs a bit of instruction from pop! Charles caught on fast, although dad couldn't figure out what he was doing by helping Charles to crawl...oh the divided desires of a parent.

THIS IS A WARNING!!!

2008-02-22T22:30:00.003-05:00

for all of you out there that love your books, your magazines, your newspapers, your letters, your documents, your essays, your pictures, your books (I know I said that already, but that one pains me the most to think about)...

do NOT...I repeat...DO NOT let Charles get near any of those items. (*note: the parents of Charles Raith will not be held liable in a paper-related accident. This post serves as due notice).

The eating Charles...

2008-02-09T21:12:00.001-05:00

we showed you a couple of eating pics a few weeks ago...Charles is now eating rice cereal (rice poo in my opinion - yuck) once a day...

the thing to be amazed by this pic is the open mouth...he's learned to eat, and now he anticipates the cereal (for reasons I can't imagine)

and yes, Charles enjoys his eating time! It's a highlight of his day...

although he's a bit sick (rightly so) of the rice cereal poo...I don't blame you Charles - but food with taste is coming soon...

Charles is so vain...

2008-02-09T21:00:00.001-05:00

yes, Charles loves looking at himself in the mirror...

of course, we not really sure if he knows it's HIM in the mirror yet...maybe he thinks he's got a new best friend? it's especially funny when he tries to touch his new best friend...who seems to always be trying to touch him in return.

here is a pic of Charles in his new (to him) car seat. He's upgraded to a bigger one!! Way to grow, Charles!

"Thanks, mom. I love not having my insides squished because the straps are too tight!"

the standing Charles

2008-01-29T21:56:00.001-05:00

just weeks ago, if you tried to get Charles to stand, he'd buckle.

but now, with a little help from dad....

he's all about standing! yeah for Charles! he's now standing for lengthy periods of time. ok - admittedly, this is not the most exciting thing in the world, but we're hurting for new pics for the site...seems age 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 months is a lull in new stuff. he's just getting better at everything he's been doing - better hand-eye coordination, better response to his name, and better shouting when he's not getting his way. however, we promise to do our best to keep the pics coming!!! and you'll be the first to know if anything "new" happens...

some random pics for your enjoyment...

2008-01-16T20:52:00.001-05:00

Charles and daddy studying together...i wish we had a pic showing the absolute decimation Charles' magazine faced...

Charles is passionate about his "grape juice" (wink, wink) glasses

"why is there strange noises coming out of your fingers, daddy?"

Charles has TEETH!!!!!

2008-01-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

let's give it up for Charles! way to grow those first two teeth!!!! today two teeth, tomorrow t-bone steak....(and mommy screaming in pain)

(part 2) - behind the scenes of the photo shoot

2008-01-16T20:25:00.001-05:00

yes, you all enjoyed that amazing shot of Charles' new teeth...but here's an inside look at what it took to get it

uhhh - I see no teeth

ummm - yeah, the hands thing ain't working

mom trying to accomplish the impossible....

3 Part Post...part 1, Christmas morning

2008-01-03T19:50:00.001-05:00

it's Charles' first Christmas morning!! and it looks like somebody got something under the tree. what could it be?

"say it ain't so, mommy...say it ain't so!!!" Unlike some kids in this world, Charles was nothing but thrilled and thankful for what he got (at least that's how we interpreted things)...

"wow...a new plastic baby photo album that i can chew and slobber on. geez, that's swell!"

but here's the highlight of it all...Charles' first box of real (well, as real as it gets for him) food. Rice cereal!!! is your mouth watering, yet? mommy had to wrestle it from daddy trying to eat it (uh, no). And so, over the next two posts, we document what happened when Charles ate for the very first time....

part 2...the prep

2008-01-03T19:42:00.000-05:00

brand new booster seat...right out the box! and check out the bib...the ducks quack when you mash them

"so dad...what's going on here? why am I in this weird seat? why are you taking pictures? why are you laughing?"

to the left...the food (in the midst of all the Christmas decorations we were about to put back for the season)

and here we go.............

part 3....the chow

2008-01-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

"i have absolutely no idea what this stuff is. i have absolutely no idea why she's trying to put in into my mouth. and i have absolutely no idea why daddy is taking pictures of it all. this cannot be good"

"mmmm...my favorite. breast-milk covered processed powdered rice. thanks mom!"

(mom) "now swallow it all at one time, Charles." (Charles) "No thanks mom. I think I'll just swish it around in my mouth a few times to get all the yummy flavor."

here's a front-line camera shot...notice how much is NOT making it into the mouth

oh, our brilliant child...just a few bites and he's feeding himself!

and more Christmas pics...

2008-01-01T23:35:00.001-05:00

Mimi with her three precious grandchildren...

and here's Grandpa...

Mimi got all the grandchildren matching Christmas outfits...Charles' has a big Santa on his belly.

it's christmas time!

2007-12-22T11:17:00.001-05:00

Charles, his cousin Ellee and great-grandpa....

and a big smile for the camera (not)....

for all you parents out there, you can appreciate how big a deal it was to see Charles keeping himself up on his own....

he has a new play pen...the old Moses basket he slept in while we were in Vancouver...

the swamp creature returns....from the dead

2007-12-11T13:35:00.000-05:00

(flashback to October 28, 2007)

October, 2007 - Naples, Fl

Charles, in an impressive showing of wisdom and strength, outmaneuvered the swamp creature and administered his now-famous (and deadly) slobber-chomp, sealing the fate of the mutant creature....

***present day****

but alas! out of the blue, without warning, the creature returned....and here, we were able to capture the intense moments as the swamp creature mocks Charles with the wretched "stick out my tongue" maneuver....in the world of a child, this is the ultimate of taunts...

BUT CHARLES WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!!! Grabbing the swamp creature by the throat, Charles returns the taunt with his own "stick out my tongue" maneuver....if you look carefully, you can see the sheer terror on the creature's face...he knows what's about to come....

it's the slobber-chomp!!!!! but what the swamp mutant doesn't know is that since their last meeting, Charles has perfected the chop and increased the potency of the slobber....this should be the last of the creature (we would show you Charles' victory dance, but things got too messy after this)

Charles, the home-boy

2007-12-11T13:28:00.000-05:00

we had ONE day so far where it was reasonable to dress him in this outfit...it was before out Christmas outing to the town festival...

and Charles had so much fun he passed out. Too much eggnog.

the bouncy seat....

2007-12-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

ahhh, yes...new toys, new fun (and new distractions for mom and dad to get things done)...Charles is lovin the bouncy seat and does 180's as fast as he can (which isn't very fast)...and if you look closely, you'll see the tongue (see below post for more on that)...

(the bouncy-seat glamour shot)

it's not poking out far, but the tongue is still out....

his fat little thighs bulge out the seat!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

2007-12-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

Charles says, "Feliz Navidad!" (mom is teaching Charles spanish). Blessings in this Advent season!!

the tongue....

2007-12-01T18:08:00.001-05:00

there's always something new (and odd) with Charles. Charles has (we can only assume) discovered his tongue, and man, does he like to show it off! He sticks it out all the time...ALL the time. And, of course, this has only added to the drool factor....it's more like a drool faucet at this point.

(hehehe)

mad dog Charles! mad dog Charles!!!

Random pics of Charles

2007-11-26T22:02:00.001-05:00

Charles in his baseball outfit...we're trying to remind him of America's REAL sport (i.e. Charles has NO hockey outfits...although we just received in the mail a pair of Vancouver Canucks socks from friends in Vancouver - nice try guys :)

but alas! even here, he's probably thinking, "where are my hockey socks? I want my Canucks socks!"

who knows what was funny...the boy loves to laugh at nothing.

one of Charles' less than intelligent looking pictures. This pic goes well with the farm-boy pic.

everyone loves to see a naked baby being washed in the sink at grandma's house...or at least we think everyone loves to see a naked baby being washed in the sink at grandma's house.

Thanksgiving pics

2007-11-26T21:48:00.001-05:00

Charles with "Mimi"

Charles with "Gran"

you guessed it - Charles ain't in Florida in this picture. If we dressed him like this here, he'd have a heat stroke. Over Thanksgiving, the temp in Barnesville, Ga dropped to around 35F (I add the 'F' for Charles' sake - being from Canada, he only knows 'C' at this point). This was his first experience of temps below 50F, and he seemed to enjoy it (mom and dad sure did).

Charles with his great-grandmother

and Charles with his cousin Ashlynn. No, Charles did not eat too much turkey and gain 35 lbs in one day. His sweat-shirt-suit thing is just a bit too big for him, although he sure did look cute.

Editor's Note....

2007-11-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

To All Who Love Charles,

We apologize to all of our faithful viewers for failing to update the website in a timely fashion. As some may know, Charles has recently moved to a new location, and mom and dad have been unpacking (and unpacking and unpacking) to have the place in tip-top condition for Sir Charles. Thanksgiving and traveling have also factored into the delay, but the holiday time provided an opportunity for some great Charles shots (to come, we promise).

To give everyone a written update: Charles is doing great. It is obvious that he is beginning to cut teeth (with all the drool and gnawing that he does), and now that Charles has found his hands and feet, its a blast watching him play with toys or grab dad's eyeball or pinch mommy's skin right underneath the arm where it really hurts and other fun stuff.

Again, thank you for your patience with us. Charles says hello, and he thanks all his fans for their continued support.

Sincerely,

Editing Team of Charles' website

Charles a fallin....

2007-11-13T20:32:00.002-05:00

As we reported earlier, Charles has discovered his hands and feet. Here, Charles goes for the little toy whatever-it-is on the end of his foot...watch and see what happens....

"wait...too far!! too far!!! back it up, back it up!"

and here it is from another angle....

2007-11-13T20:27:00.001-05:00

for our Canadian friends (a.k.a. Charles' peeps, or Charles' motherland)

2007-11-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

don't worry Canadian brothers and sisters...we try to give him a good dose of hockey, lots of bacon and maple syrup, as much Tim Hortons as we can find, and sing to him his national anthem, "O Canada, our home and native land. True something something, lalalalala" (Charles knows it, I promise, I promise)

Charles has a new home!!!

2007-11-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

this has been Charles' room for the past two months. Yes, it's a closet (although, I might add, it was one of the more upper-scale closets around, complete with a fan and sliding door - and we managed to even fit the rocking chair in there). Charles was such a good boy and never complained (at least that's what we tell ourselves)

and here Charles is looking out the sliding glass door of his new townhome!! Yeah for space!!!! (his new room is under renovations by mommy...pictures to come)

he's about to be on the move...

2007-11-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

we just know it won't be long before Charles is mobile....and then mommy and daddy will really start having some fun! (yikes)

and although we have no picture proof, Charles officially flipped over for the first time this weekend!! Now, he didn't mean to, but that's beside the point. (how, you ask, did he not mean to flip over but still flipped? oh, the mysteries)