happy halloween!

with greetings

from the

milk monster!

we're back!

We've had too much grandparent fun to blog over the past two weeks... but we're back!

So stay tuned for lots of birthday and baptism stories.

Oh, and in this photo, Troy and Penny wanted to join the picture too... but as you can see:

Coordinating a self-timed shot with the whole family is nearly impossible ;-)

sleepy head

We have been wondering about the expression "sleeping like a baby" since we've had one - because it does not mean just one thing... Sometimes, Charlotte sleeps so deeply that no barking Penny or concert in the park can wake her. But other times, she is restless and easily woken once, twice, three times in a row. Yesterday was such a night... so we're hopeful that we will all sleep like a (good ;-) baby tonight! 

love at first sight

Another anniversary: Today a year ago we saw Charlotte for the first time. 

On October 6, 2010, we had our first ultrasound and there she was with a healthy baby heartbeat of 174! 

When trying to picture Charlotte's size, the ultrasound technician said we should think of a Teddy Graham cracker. Quite the cute thought! Although, Daddy told Mama that she could not possibly call her lovingly our "little cracker" ... Well, what do foreigners know! We agreed on Keks [= German for cookie] for the rest of the pregnancy ;-)

And Charlotte sure was a sweet thing already: that day she waved her hand at us - saying hello to her new parents. But the coolest, according to Daddy, was the sight of her tiny brain!

our favorite

Today, we have another "birthday" - hard to believe that our little girl is already 5 months now...

And she has been the best gift.  
Charlotte, we love you!

happy birthday, dad!

Here we were hanging out for your first Father's Day... 

Waking up next to you this morning and giving you a big birthday smile (ok, together with a full diaper... ;-) was great fun.

I hope I've been
a good present so far. 

I LOVE YOU!

bottle shock, revisited

Charlotte has changed her mind on the bottle... again.

After her 3 months old strike, she had happily returned to the bottle once a day for all of August - and enjoyed many fun meals with Daddy and at Oma & Opa's house. But in September, the bottle was met again with protest.

Charlotte seems to be a connoisseur already. [Mama says that's a person with very good taste. Daddy says it's the French euphemism for being judgmental!]

In any case, we'll see how Charlotte's taste buds develop over the next month. Her bottle shock might dissipate again within a few weeks. If not, Mama will just take it as a big compliment - and good excuse to spend even more quality time with her little one.

And introducing solids will be a whole new culinary adventure...
so stay tuned!

footsies

einer zu wenig

Daddy war dieses Wochenende auf einer Konferenz in Washington. Wir Mädels waren also allein... und können es kaum noch abwarten, dass wir heute abend wieder zu viert* sind!


*  Penny schläft zwar nicht mit uns im Bett liegt aber immer wachsam am Fussende :-)

hundemüde

rosenkavalier

[Troy hat unsere weiblichen Hochzeitsgäste aber letztendlich
den Brautstrauss fangen lassen...]

everything is illuminated

Charlotte loves the glow of the illuminated flowers on her play mat.




It captures her attention (and imagination?!)
for quite a long time.





She is usually so fascinated by the alternating lights that even a passing Penny rarely gets noticed ;-)