Life in Lynchburg!

Have you ordered your Christmas cards????

2011-11-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is receiving all of the cards and displaying them. I start looking at Christmas cards months ahead of time trying to narrow down what I may want to send out to all of my family and friends. I LOVE Tiny Prints. They have the most adorable cards (& gifts) for any occasion and the Christmas & Holiday cards will not disappoint! :)

Some of my favorite are:

This is Be Merry! (in Fern)

Colorful Collar (in Bright Red)

Joyful Script (in Basil)

You should really go over to Tiny Prints now & start creating your own Christmas cards! There are so many beautiful designs to choose from so, it may take you awhile! :) I will say that every time that I have ordered from Tiny Prints, I have had nothing but positive experiences! Great Costumer service & the turn around time has been awesome!! So.....what are you waiting for??!!

P.S.

Don't forget to send me one!

WPeoples Choice - I Heart Faces

2011-09-29T08:46:00.001-04:00

Wallflowers Photography: Peoples Choice - I Heart Faces: This week I entered the I Heart Faces challenge- a face from the summer! This little guy during the summer equals.....One Happy Boy! ...

My photo was picked to be in the first round! PLEASE go VOTE!!! Photo #137! Thanks so much!

Somewhat of a New Adventure!!

2011-07-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

Well, I have ventured out & giving a shot at something that I've always loved & enjoyed....Photography!! I'm not trading in my nursing license or anything, just having a little fun & see where it goes! So, anyways... I started a website to somewhat showcase my work & thought I would share!!

So, hop on over here & let me know what you think! :)

Smiles!

2011-06-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

Pool Time!

2011-06-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

Charlie is loving the pool this year! I think he likes the 'kiddie' pool because he can walk around in it & do what he wants! & he is pretty cute in his swim gear! :)

Thomas the Train!

2011-06-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged & I will try and get back into it.... Charlie is just a 'little' more active these days & extra time is a little harder to come by! :) A few weekends ago we took Charlie to Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC to see Thomas the Train! He loved it & was extremely fascinated with Thomas!! He loved to sit/stand and just look at Thomas & we did get to go on a ride around the mountain. Charlie also loved riding the chair lift up and back down the mountain although I didn't get any pictures of that.....my hands were a little tied up hanging on to the wild man! :)

Getting ready to ride Thomas!

Checking Thomas out!

Riding Thomas!

Brunch with Santa

2010-12-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we took Charlie to have brunch with Santa. Needless to say, this is the second time Charlie has encountered Santa this year and he was not impressed anymore this time than he was the first. He would hardly look at him, he just sat motionless looking straight ahead occasionally cutting his eyes to see if Santa had left yet.

.....he's FINALLY gone!!

But, since I'm such a good Mama, I decided to torture Charlie just a little bit more and we went to see Santa again after brunch! :)

Hopefully, he won't be scarred for life! :) He still gets excited when he see a Santa figurine or ornament and says "Ho! Ho! Ho!"..... so, maybe we won't have to send him to therapy! :)

My Messy Gymnast/Acrobat!

2010-12-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

Charlie is learning to feed himself using utensils. While this is a good thing, it is definitely a messy thing!! It's hard not to lend a hand and help the food make it from the plate to his mouth without it spilling all over him or the floor but, I'm slowly getting better at it and so is he! :)

Enjoying some waffles

Another new trick that Charlie has learned (self taught) is standing on the saddle of his rocking horse and balancing himself. This is usually done while watching TV. At first, I was a little concerned about him falling but, I've learned that it's nearly impossible to stop him so now we just sit back and observe. I'm thinking we might enroll in gymnastics or maybe we'll send him to join the circus.......

I don't know if you can tell but, he had just finished feeding himself!

Holiday Spirit!

2010-12-03T21:58:00.000-05:00

I just thought I would share a few photos of my cutie pie getting in the holiday spirit! :) This was before (& a few after) we went to see Santa! ....more to come on that adventure! :) Doesn't he just look so handsome?! I am a little biased but, I could (& do) just eat him up! :)

Big Boy Bed!

2010-11-17T16:43:00.000-05:00

Well, the time has come and there is no longer a crib in our house! (sniff, sniff) Charlie is now in a BIG boy bed!! He had been climbing out of his crib more and more frequently so we had to break down and convert him. But, he is adjusting really well. The first time he slept in it, he seemed to mourn his crib by sitting up and crying for almost a half hour but since then- he's been fine. Although he doesn't sleep on the pillows and mainly sleeps with his head toward the foot of the bed but, I'm sure all of that will change in time! :) Here are a few pictures of his first night in his 'big boy bed'!

Trying to figure out how to escape!

Below are a few pictures of him loving on Kode! :)

Pictures of the new 'big boy' room to come soon!

TrIcK oR TrEaT!!!

2010-11-04T14:39:00.000-04:00

This year for Halloween Charlie was a monkey. In all reality, it was the perfect costume for him because he climbs on everything- no matter what it is. Last week, I found him sitting in the middle of my dining room table on several occasions. Earlier this week, he started crawling out of his crib over and over again. So, 'big boy bed' here we come! We took Charlie 'trick or treating' for a little while. I don't know that he really understood what was going on but, I think he enjoyed being out walking and seeing all of the other children.

Pumpkin Patch Time!

2010-10-19T10:14:00.001-04:00

On Sunday we took Charlie to the Layman's Family Farm & Corn Maze. We went with intentions of going to get some pumpkins but, there weren't too many to choose from and the ones that were left weren't too pretty. Needless to say Charlie had a lot of fun despite leaving without a pumpkin! He ran all over the field and he loved playing in the 'corn crib'!

Charlie going through the mini corn maze!

I'm sorry to those of you who would like to have seen some 'sit down, smile pretty with pumpkins pictures'- with Charlie there is NO such thing, you take what you can get! :)

Another Saturday in Lynchburg!

2010-10-16T17:05:00.000-04:00

I just thought I would share a few pictures from our day. We have not done anything extravagant, it's been nice for Troy to not have to have any type of work related task. We went around to a few shops today and to eat at The Cavalier! (yummy!) We have watched football and hope to go to the pumpkin patch tomorrow!! :)

My first born, Kode! Just as handsome as ever!

Second born... mischievous as ever!

Charlie is obsessed with a cell phone... he wants to talk on it constantly, even if it's backwards! :)

Go Dawgs!!

2010-09-27T23:47:00.000-04:00

It's football season which means..... we wear our red and black on Saturday and cheer on the Georgia Bulldogs! ....and as much as we've been cheering, it doesn't seem to be helping! but, we cheer anyway (no fair weather fans around here!) and we have one cute lil' Dawg that is getting into it!! :) We have been teaching Charlie to say, "Goooo Dawgs! Sic 'em! Woof! Woof! Woof!" He's getting it... he'll say "Gooooooooo!" and then pumps his fist!! :)

Pure Genius!

2010-09-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

The other day, we took Charlie to The Cavalier to eat. While we were there, Troy was reading the Burg (local paper about the local 'happenings') and Charlie decided he wanted to check it out also.

Who says he's not a 'pure genius'?!!!

Please disregard that the paper is upside down! He's just that brilliant! :)

Natural Bridge Zoo!

2010-09-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, we took Charlie to the Natural Bridge Zoo. Now, it's not the Atlanta Zoo or the National Zoo by any stretch of the imagination, it's just a local (45 minutes away) petting zoo. It will be sufficient until he can appreciate a 'real' zoo! :) He did have fun and got to see camels, monkeys, tigers, zebras, bears, elephants, giraffes, and different types of birds.
I don't think Troy will want to go back anytime soon! He had to push Charlie's stroller through TONS of gravel, which is a work out in itself! Then, as we were looking at one of the white tiger's, it sprayed urine on him and Charlie (luckily I was on the other side of the cage). At least it was a trip he won't forget, right?!

This camel LOVED Charlie!

Our 17 month old!

2010-09-15T14:12:00.000-04:00

Charlie Cash (16 months)

2010-08-27T09:38:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe Charlie is 16 months old! Where does the time go?! I thought I would share some interesting things that Charlie is doing these days.

He can point to his nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and toes.
He claps when you ask him to or where his hands are. He claps if you sing 'If you're happy and you know it' (and likes when you clap for him).
When he hears any type of ring he says "Hello"
He waves hi and bye-bye
He can say hello, dada, mama (once in a while)
He loves to go eat at the Mexican restaurant (probably because all of the workers come and talk to him)
He really likes guacamole and olives (and of course, goldfish)
He LOVES music and tries to sing along
He also likes to dance (He bounces but, he's also started to bob his head)
He climbs on EVERYTHING!
He recently started to 'shimmy' when he walks sometimes.
He also loves to read books and I find him looking and 'reading' them to himself. :)

I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot but, this gives you an idea of what the lil' guy is doing these days. He is quite a handful but, he's so much fun!

To me he looks older in these pictures that were taken yesterday but, I think it is because his hair is wet and brushed. He's definitely not so 'baby' looking anymore!

Beach Part 2

2010-08-20T17:58:00.001-04:00

As promised, here are some more pictures from the beach. The evening that we went to take some pictures of Charlie on the beach, I didn't prepare by letting my camera adjust to the humidity and the pictures came out foggy but, I managed to create some nice images out of what I had! :)

Charlie checking everything out before heading to the beach!

Charlie trying out his chopsticks!!

His first ride on the golf cart!

One day during lunch, I think he got a little aggravated by my picture taking...

First Beach Trip!

2010-08-19T23:08:00.000-04:00

Last week we went on our first beach trip as a family of 3. We took Charlie to Myrtle Beach to see the Atlantic Ocean. His first time down to the sand, he didn't have much of a reaction. We sat him down in the sand and he just sat there, motionless, too stunned to move. He would look at the sand then at us and then he would grunt. :) The second time down to the ocean, he acted like he had been going all of his life. He didn't care too much for the water, he was content digging and running.....lots of running!

(Please excuse the quality of the pictures, I had to use my cell phone camera because I didn't want to take my 'good' camera down to the beach!)

Below are our attempts of pictures with Charlie! :) Needless to say we were never able to get pictures of the 3 of us together!

Eating ice and sand! YUM!!

There are more pictures and details to come! But, thought I would go ahead and share some of Charlie!

Just a reminder.....

2010-08-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

......of how cute this lil' guy is! :)

I see a future...... a golfer & his caddy! :)

Down to the diaper!

2010-07-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

Last night, I stripped Charlie down to his diaper and he ran all over the yard!! He was happy!! Here are a few pictures that I was able to snap!

Check out those curls!! :) LOVE them!!

It's a plane!!!

Visit to Georgia!

2010-07-10T12:06:00.000-04:00

Charlie and I made a visit to Georgia for about a week and a half. We had a fun visit but, it was busy. It sounded like I would have A LOT of time visiting but, it rushed by. We did take Charlie to Bryant's Park to play in the creek, which he had never been in a creek before. I used to go there as a child and it has been almost 20 years since I've been!! I didn't take any pictures while we were there (I know: 'Bad') but, Charlie did enjoy sitting on the rocks in the middle of the creek and letting the water rush pass him.
He also enjoyed playing with Cate. They played in the pool at Gran and Gramps house. He thought she was really funny!

Gramps taught Charlie how to swat flies, which he thinks is just hilarious! He was also introduced to Gramps' lemonade and got to drink it out of a 'big boy glass'. (Charlie drank enough sugary drinks to keep him energized for the next few months.....so, we're back to water and milk!)

Later in the week, we went to Lake Oconee with Granddad and Nana J. Charlie enjoyed going for rides on the boat. He liked getting into the water but, after a little while he was ready to get into the boat and play. He probably knows that boat as well if not better than Granddad. :) He was never really interested in playing on the beach area, when we put him down there he just wanted to run around and have someone chase him. Imagine that!

He definitely loved to have snacks on the boat! But, I really don't know anytime that he's not ready for a snack! :)

and of course, he wanted to drink straight out of the bottle!

Troy and Kode came on Friday, Keri came Saturday night, and Gabe, Amanda, and Cate came on Sunday! We had a house full but it was fun! On the 4th of July, we went out to watch the fireworks by boat. I didn't know how Charlie would react but, he seemed to enjoy them. The noise didn't bother him and he sat and watched in amazement! (of course, he didn't watch without moving about some)

In his 4th of July outfit!

This is my favorite picture.... of course, he wouldn't sit still and I just happened to capture it at the right moment!! :)

....a few more!

2010-06-22T14:50:00.000-04:00

New Pictures!

2010-06-16T11:50:00.001-04:00

We FINALLY had Charlie's 1 year portraits taken. He was 13 1/2 months old but, close enough...right?!

We actually had them taken on Memorial Day because the previous week when they were scheduled the weather would never cooperate. Keep in mind we were in a park, not much of a breeze & I think it was 93 degrees..... can you say "I'M MELTING!".....oh & 'someone' wasn't really interested in having pictures made! :) Here are a few to share....there are way too many to even post a 1/3 of them!!

Water Baby!

2010-06-08T10:34:00.000-04:00

Charlie has become a water baby!! Over Memorial Day weekend, Grandad and Nana J came to visit so we took Charlie over to Troy's parents house to get in the pool. This was his first time he had been in the pool. It didn't take him long to adjust although I think he will be much happier when he doesn't have to depend on a float or an adult. :) (which that will be a while)

Charlie in his frog float!

Charlie with Grandad and Nana J

Happy Boy!

2010-05-24T15:34:00.002-04:00

I thought I would post a few pictures since it has been a while. I've tried to get on here to update but, I keep getting side tracked! Charlie is growing like a weed! He's non-stop, on the go ALL the time!! :) But, he is a happy boy (99.5% of the time) so, I can't complain!

Below is where I find Charlie when he sits down by himself to play:

He goes and sits in Kode's bed beside the couch and plays with the toys he takes over to it or drinks his drink and jabbers away. He and Kode pretty much share everything from food to toys to beds! :)

BTW: Thanks to all who voted for our picture in the contest but, we didn't win! Bummer! but, I do think our picture was the most comical & it was fun to do it! :)

I need YOUR help!!!

2010-05-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

Last week I entered a contest that Sara Ernst was doing called 'Celebrating Motherhood'. Sara is an awesome local photographer in Lynchburg. (She's the one who took Charlie's newborn photos) For the contest, you had to submit a photo of you (the mother) and your child/children doing something fun and that you love and you had to include the words 'Sara Ernst Photography' in the picture.
Well, Charlie and I were outside playing and I decided to attempt the picture on my own. I set up the self timer and gave it a shot. The picture actually turned out comical! Well, our photo was chosen as one of 4 nominees!! So, I need your vote PLEASE!! If I win, I get a style session and a photo shoot with Sara!! (how fun, right?!?!)
Just go on over here and we are picture #1! You can tell your friends to vote also. Sara is asking only one vote per person. You can vote now through May 10th at noon!!
I'll keep you posted on the results! Thanks so much for your help!

Circus Fun!

2010-04-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

The Cole Bros. Circus came to Lynchburg yesterday! (woo hoo!) So, Troy and I decided to take Charlie and let him have a little fun! Charlie and I got to share this 'first circus experience' together because I had never been to a circus either!! I know, GASP!! (I am probably one of the only adults you'll meet who had never been to a circus as a child....poor me!)
Well, this wasn't the ideal circus you dream of as an adult child but, this is Lynchburg! and we had fun! We took Charlie to look at the elephants and he was AMAZED by them. We decided not ride the elephants this time because as rambunctious as Charlie is, I (mostly Troy) was afraid that he would get to excited up there, fall off and get trampled!

Trying to take a look at the elephants & entertainment!

Charlie riding on Troy's shoulders!

Waiting on the circus to start!

We had a good time and made the most of it despite it turned cold by the time we got there & parked, when we went to take pictures my battery in my camera was dead (that's why the pictures are not great) so I had to use my cell phone, and the circus was 30 minutes late starting! Charlie seemed to enjoy seeing all of the other kids, the animals and the lights! Maybe one day we can got to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus!!

More BiRtHdAy FuN!!!

2010-04-21T10:57:00.000-04:00

Charlie's actual birthday (4/15) was last Thursday. So, for some big excitement I took him to the grand opening of our new Kroger here in Lynchburg! (isn't that what any kid would want to do on their birthday?) This is how the morning started off, Charlie wasn't very thrilled about going to Kroger on his 1st birthday!

He cheered up when I assured him of how fun it would be and that I would take him to Chick-fil-A for his birthday lunch!

While at Kroger, I saw something special for Charlie for his birthday..... he got so excited when I showed it to him in the store!! His very own Elmo cupcake!!

Well, we didn't get to go to Chick-fil-A for his birthday lunch because he was so tired from all of the excitement at Kroger (sampling 10 kinds of cheese, guacamole, & fruit takes a lot out of 1 year old). He actually fell asleep on the way to Chick-fil-A so, I went through the drive through. (don't worry, I had a celebratory lunch in his honor) Troy and I did take Charlie out to eat for his birthday dinner! We went to eat mexican, which Charlie LOVES!!

Well, we finally got brave enough to let Charlie indulge in his cupcake! I'll let you determine if you think he enjoyed it or not!

Needless to say, I don't think we'll be doing this again for another year!! :)

Easter (belated)

2010-04-20T10:43:00.001-04:00

I know it's a little late but, here are a few pictures from Charlie's first Easter. For some reason, I couldn't upload the pictures until now. He was (& still is) having a terrible time with his allergies so you can tell that he's not feeling 100%! but, enjoy!

Charlie with his Great Grandparents, Nanny & Papa Martin

Charlie's 1st Birthday Party!

2010-04-15T14:36:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday we celebrated Charlie's 1st birthday! We had a 'little' party, it was pretty much just family but it was fun! I don't think Charlie knew what to think but, I do think he enjoyed getting so much attention and having so many people around him at one time!! :) We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and had cupcakes and icecream.....did I mention we had Cecilia Villaveces cupcakes?!!?!! yummy!!

On the mantle, I put up pictures of Charlie from birth through 12 months!

The birthday boy on a mission! :) (In his birthday outfit)

Charlie and Cayden riding in the wagon

Laid Back! :)

Charlie's personal cake made by Great Grandma Tyner!

In his birthday crown, getting ready for his cake!

After testing the cake & not really eating it, he tried a cupcake....not crazy about that so much either!

Charlie having fun opening his gifts!

His post cake birthday outfit.....off to his new swing set!

Cate and Charlie playing on his new swing set from Grandad & Nana J

Charlie had a great 1st birthday celebration! He got lots of very nice gifts!! We were glad that Grandpa and Grandma Kershaw, Gran & Gramps, and Grandad & Nana J, Gabe, Amanda, and Cate all got to come along with our friends Chuck, Alana, Emma, and Cayden. However, we did miss Aunt Keri!

HaPpY 1st BiRtHdAy!!!

Happy 1st Birthday to sweet Charlie Cash!!!!

2010-04-15T09:15:00.000-04:00

1 day old

4 weeks old

4 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old

11 1/2 months old

At 12:48 am, Charlie Cash was 1 year old!! I can't believe that one year has passed since we welcomed him into this world but, it is hard for me to remember life without him in it!! Either way, we have been blessed with such a healthy, sweet, happy, and inquisitive little boy and we look forward to celebrating many, many more birthdays!!

Viva Las Vegas.....(finally)

2010-04-12T10:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I am FINALLY posting pictures from our vacation to Las Vegas back in February/March. I know, I have been really bad about blogging lately but, I have had good reason. Charlie has been sick on and off with allergies (not fun), I have been struggling with allergies (again, not fun), we've had company from out of town, we also took a long weekend trip and I was busy trying to plan a party for 'someone special'!

We went to visit Troy's Grandma and Aunt Debbie in Las Vegas. The trip to Vegas was a 'little' different than our previous trips....you can't exactly take a baby to the casinos! :) So, we spent a lot of time hanging out with Troy's Grandma which was nice and I think she and Charlie enjoyed each other's company! :) Troy and I did manage to get one night out alone for a nice sushi dinner and to see "O". We came back a different family than when we left!! ....Needless to say, Charlie learned to walk while we were out in Vegas and he hasn't slowed down since! :)

His stroller became his highchair while in Vegas!

He enjoyed playing on the artificial grass....he wasn't quite sure about it at first.

This was taken right after he took his 'first' steps...he was SO excited!

Charlie with Great Grandma Ruff!

Cheesing for the camera! (he kept closing his eyes and laughing)

Poor Sick Baby

2010-03-18T14:05:00.000-04:00

Doesn't he look pitiful?!?!! This is why I haven't been able to catch you up on our Las Vegas trip yet. Poor Charlie has been SICK!! He has an ear infection and a cold! and he has felt terrible!! He and I pulled all nighters on Monday and Tuesday nights! (Not the kind of all nighters I used to pull in my college days) Thankfully, he is feeling more like himself today, the congestion is slowly going away. We both got some much needed sleep last night although he was up a few times and up at 5 am, it was better than the 2 previous nights!! Wish us him WELL!!! :)

Back in Action (kinda)

2010-03-11T17:06:00.002-05:00

Did you miss this little adorable face??!!?!

Well, I know it has been a while since I last blogged but, I have good reasons!! :) We were in Las Vegas for about 10 days visiting Troy's grandmother. (I will have pictures up and tell you about our trip later) But, I thought I would share a few pictures of Charlie....in case you're going through withdrawls! We FINALLY have had some nice days here in Lynchburg so, I've tried to take Charlie outside and enjoy the sunshine. I got some shots of him while I was pulling him around in his lil' red wagon....although he never smiled at the camera, he was happy....he was busy looking around and finally seeing grass!! :) WOO HOO!!! BTW: The very last bit of snow melted in my yard today!! (Praise Jesus!) Come on Spring!!

By the way, I didn't photoshop or alter any of these pictures....can you believe how blue the sky is?!!

It may not be really blue to you...maybe just me because I'm so used to seeing dark, gray clouds. :)

Let me introduce you to....SWAGBUCKS!!!!!!!

2010-02-17T15:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I've become a coupon, deal catching....maniac, junkie, geek, etc.... It's true!!! I started cutting coupons and looking for sales in the paper. Then, I discovered some cool blogs, websites that tell you how to get some 'really good' coupons, lots of free stuff, etc. I first saw this thing called swagbucks on Kristina's blog one day and thought "I don't really know about that". The more blogs and websites I visited about saving money, getting coupons, etc...I kept seeing it over and over. Finally, I decided I would try to figure out what this 'swagbucks hype' is all about.
Swagbucks is a website/ search engine that you earn points for doing something we do on a daily basis at our house......search the internet. You can accumulate points seriously by using their site (or just download their toolbar & use it to search) and you randomly earn points! You can also earn points by going through swagbucks to make online purchases (which we also do A LOT of in my house). The points can be used to buy things in the swagbucks store such as electronics, gift cards, etc. I've only been doing it for a little less than a week and I already have enough points to get stuff. Unfortunately, I can not download the toolbar on our computer because we don't have ANY more space left but, as soon as I get my new computer...swagbucks will become our main search engine. (On a blog that I keep up with, there were several ladies who paid for most of their Christmas gifts last year with swagbucks!) So, I'm willing to try!!
Maybe you should give it a whirl!! If you do, please sign up under me and we both can benefit from it!! :) I'm going to put a button on the side of my blog or you can just click here! You can earn 3 points just for signing up!!! Happy Swaging!! :)

VaLeNtInEs DaY!!!

2010-02-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

We had a nice Valentine's weekend! Troy and I decided that we wouldn't get each other gifts since we're going to Sin City next week and I'm sure we'll find some things out there that we like that they probably don't have here in Lynchburg. (that is an understatement!) Friday night we went to one of our favorite local restaurants, Mangia, and had a nice dinner. Of course, Charlie went with us and he enjoyed himself as well. I was a little skeptical taking him to a nice restaurant on Valentine's weekend while people are trying to have a 'romantic' dinner but, he behaved quite nicely. :) (and I enjoyed having both of my Valentines with me)
Saturday, Troy had to work then he came home and watched Charlie while I was going to run errands but that only lasted about 30 minutes because he got called out again so, Charlie and I ran a couple of errands and then I decided that to get an infant in and out of a car seat to run into a store for one thing at 3 or 4 different locations is just not worth it so, we came home and played! :)
On Sunday, we went to eat brunch with Nat and Sandy (Troy's parents) and friends, Mike and Libby. Charlie was a trooper. He saw a little girl (probably about 6-7 months old) and he couldn't stop looking and smiling at her. (poor little guy is only around adults) After brunch we came home and watched the Daytona 500 that lasted ALL day!! It was a nice and relaxing day and great way to end the weekend!

Charlie's Valentine gifts!

Checking out his monkey, Dynamite!

Looking at his card before he tried to eat it!

Troy and Charlie before going to brunch!

Charlie and I after brunch (it wore him out!) :)

Being so cute & lovable takes A LOT out of you!!!

BTW: Can you believe Charlie was 10 months old Monday?

On the Prowl!

2010-02-13T18:13:00.001-05:00

This has been an eventful week at our house. Charlie is still into everything...now more than ever! Charlie has been pulling up on everything, standing and looking. Then of course, he started 'cruising' around. Then, this week he started pushing his little 'push car' around like a champ. Seriously, on Tuesday he pushed it a few times with little interest. On Wednesday morning, I decided to raise it up into the 'push' mode. At that point, he got up behind it and off he went! I was so excited! He of course was ever so happy! It's so cute to watch him just walk around (of course, it is now a very fast pace.....seriously, does this child do anything at a slow speed?) and he is all smiles pushing and looking around. Smiles and excitement until he comes to a screeching halt and he can't turn it around then, it's crocodile tears & verges of hyperventilation. That's when Troy or I have to turn the car back into a clear path and the smiles come flooding back! :) Below are some photos of Charlie on the prowl!

I think he's getting in touch with his hippy side in this pic! (notice the peace sign) :)

A man on a mission! (check out that face)

He takes time out to pet & play with Kode! :)

Don't look at the background..... our living room is the 'play room'

He's standing alone for longer periods now.....those first solo steps are soon to follow!

Same Story, Different Day

2010-02-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Yep, you've got it!! We had snow once again!! :) It started Friday and ended Saturday. This snow was not the fluffy, soft snow we had last weekend. This was the yucky, wet, icy snow! We had snow, sleet, freezing rain and everything in between! So, our weekend involved being indoors until Sunday....we finally broke free for a little while!
On a positive note, we only got 6 inches of snow!! To some of you....that seems like a lot (and it is to me since I'm from GA) but, considering in December we got 16" and last weekend we got 12"....this wasn't too bad! Oh! but, don't worry, our fun is not over....we're getting more tomorrow!! I think I'm going to jump off a cliff So, how much longer until I will be in the desert?!!?! (14 days, but who's counting?!)
Since we were inside...I just let Charlie eat away at 2 teething biscuits and didn't worry about him being messy....then he went straight from the highchair to the bathtub! :)

His crusty face! :)

Check out those teeth! :) He literally had biscuit everywhere...face, hands, ears, nose, etc...

Today I let him have a sippy cup with some water.....

Sometimes he got it in his mouth without help.....

....other times, not so much! :)

***Winter*Wonderland***

2010-02-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, it happened again! This weekend we had another snow storm! (This global warming thing is killing me! (insert sarcastic laugh)!) We woke Saturday morning to a blizzard! :) Yes, blizzard!! Seriously, when we woke up it looked like fog and you could barley see the street because it was snowing so hard...and it snowed ALL day!! A total of 12" at our house!! I was NOT looking forward to the snow again since it finally just melted after being on the ground for a month but, this snow is nice and powdery! We stayed inside on Saturday because it was snowing....I started getting a little cabin fever! (Why is that you can't leave your house, you start to get stir crazy but, when you can leave- it's no big deal?)

Troy did venture to work on our driveway and sidewalks!

On Sunday, we decided to take Charlie out in the snow for the first time. We bundled him up and we made our way through the foot of snow out to the front yard!

Checking it out!

I think he liked it!! :)

Kode tagged along.....it's almost as deep as he is tall! (He found a shallow spot here)

Snow Baby!!

This is part of the creek in front of our house!

While it was fun...it would be nice for it to hurry and melt (I don't think that will happen anytime soon) because they are calling for freezing rain Tuesday and another snow storm this weekend!!! :) Anyone want to come visit?!!?

As Promised.....

2010-01-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

I said I would work on getting some pictures where you can see Charlie's top teeth and I think I managed to get one!! :) Here he is below in 'Kiddie Jail'!! It's where I put him when I don't like the way he is behaving! Just Kidding!!!! I was sitting on the steps and he was looking at me through the railings! :)

You can see one top teeth peeking out!

Ah-ha!! There they are!! (The other one is up there, you just can't see it shining)

Here is a few pics of what Charlie has been up to!! He has discovered the stairs in the foyer and let's just say, he has started making them part of his exercise!! :)

A bRiGhT week (with giveaways)!!!

2010-01-26T10:53:00.001-05:00

I've told you before about Natalie's blog. She has some interesting posts about cooking, new and unique finds, being a mommy, everyday life, and she has really awesome giveaways! During her last series of giveaways, I actually won something!! :) It was the first time that I ever won something from a blog giveaway (well, I did win a giveaway on another blog but, the gift was never sent to me...bummer)!! Natalie is celebrating her favorite color....that's right, you guessed it... YELLOW!!! and she's having some giveaways and just some neat ideas. So go check out Natalie's Sentiments! I hope all of you have a bRiGhT day!! Enjoy!

CRASH & (carpet) BURN

2010-01-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

Well, it has happened! Charlie got his first real 'boo-boo' on Friday! He is pulling up on everything and testing ALL of the boundaries!! :) On Friday, he had pulled up on one of the chairs in the family room and grabbed the remote to play with. Then, he dropped it on the floor.... I watched him do this and saw him gazing at the floor at it. About the time I went to go pick it up for him, he decided to try and get it himself. He had one hand on the seat of the chair, the other was desperately reaching out for the fallen remote. His little hand was inching closer and closer when...BAM!...he toppled over, hitting his forehead and nose on the rug...a jute rug at that! So, he cried and cried but then got back up and went about his day! :) We got a picture of his face and it doesn't look as bad here as it did this weekend. By Saturday morning, it was bright red and scabbed over. (poor thing!)

Cuteness Continued.....

2010-01-20T11:56:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that Charlie also had another change to add to his list last week. We finally moved his baths to the bathroom upstairs across the hall from his room and moved out of the 'baby' bathtub! :) He now has duck tub! :) and he has a quacking good time!! ha! (He really does like it!)

He really does enjoy taking his baths! (Thank Goodness!) and he definitely relaxes! Check out the below pictures and I swear this was not posed....he started doing it on his own almost every time he bathes. :)

He just turns to the side, leans back and props his feet on the side of the tub and plays with all of his toys!

Yesterday, I went to get Charlie out of his bed when he woke up from his nap.....bless his heart he looked a little frazzled but yet adorable! :)

9 Months Old!!

2010-01-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it?!?! Charlie is already 9 months old!! Seriously, time is flying by but, we are definitely having fun!! :) Yesterday I took Charlie for his 9 month check-up! AND he's a growing boy!! He weighed 19lbs 6oz and he's 27 1/2 inches tall!! He was in the 25th percentile for weight AND height!! WOO HOO!!!! That's great improvement for the height since before he had been in the 3rd then the 10th and now the 25th!! :)
Over the past week we've definitely had some major developments! One day I went to check on Charlie in his room and to my surprise, this is what I found:

So, needless to say...we had to lower Charlie's bed!! :) But, he is pulling up on everything and standing and cruising around some too!! I have a feeling we're on our last days of having a non-walker around here!! (..sniff, sniff...)

Charlie also had his first teething cookie. It took him a little bit to figure out exactly what it was and what to do with it but, once he did...he enjoyed it!!

Oh, Charlie also cut his 2 front teeth on the top and his 2 top teeth beside the front ones are peeking on through! One actually is cutting through now and the other will be maybe a day behind!! but, he's a trooper! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get any pictures of the top teeth....it's hard enough for me to try and look at them! We'll work on some pictures this weekend!! Hope you all enjoy these until then!

Christmas Catch Up!

2010-01-14T16:50:00.002-05:00

WARNING: LONG POST!!!!

I know I am WAY behind on blogging but, it has been one busy month (and a half)!! Well, I'll try not to drag this out too much so, I'll give you the short version (you won't think it's so short)! The weekend before Christmas we went to Georgia for Christmas at my Grandma Tyner's house. We had a wonderful time but it is never long enough....we are ALWAYS on the go and always have people to see! :)

On Saturday, we went to Grandma's for lots of good food and fellowship! Oh, AND presents!!! :) This was the first time Charlie had unwrapped a gift before. He seemed a little more interested in the wrapping paper and bows than the toys at the time! (Although he's happy with his toys now!)

Charlie was allowed to touch, kiss, & drool all over the miror!! (This would have been a 'no, no' for us growing up!!)

We came back to Virginia on Monday and we came home to 12 inches of snow! It was everywhere!! Some of our friends who live 20 minutes from us got 16-17" inches!! It was gorgeous!!! BUT, it is STILL in my yard!!!!! and it will be a month ago this coming weekend! When I say in my yard, I mean I haven't seen the grass in my backyard since December 18th!!! But, on the bright side: We had a white Christmas!! :) Here's what we came home to:

On Christmas Eve, Grandma Tyner, Gran, and Gramps came to stay for a few days with us! We had a nice and relaxing time. I enjoyed having a helping hand Charlie seemed to really enjoy having some extra attention! Grandma let him play in the kitchen on Christmas Eve while Gran cooked and Troy and I were busy having last minute talks with Santa Claus.

On Christmas morning, Gabe came into town and Grandpa and Grandma Kershaw came over to spend Christmas with us! Charlie definitely was the center of attention although, he still seemed to REALLY like the wrapping paper and bows! Oh, and Kode REALLY likes the wrapping paper also!!

Troy and Gabe trying to get the snow and ice off of the driveway from the previous week!! There was so much that there are still a few patches of ice on my driveway from a month ago!!!

After Chrismas we had more family come to visit! Grandad, Nana J, and Aunt Keri came and stayed through the New Year! Charlie had more presents to open...more paper and more bows to play with! :) and of course, more toys and clothes! We had a great time, Keri hooked up our Wii and needless to say...... we now have some bowlers around our house! :)

Needless to say, we had a WONDERFUL Christmas!! Charlie's first Christmas was a success!! The grandparents definitely 'out did' Santa this year!! (He told me to tell everyone, 'Thank You & keep it up!') :-) We are so thankful that we were able to spend Christmas with our families! I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas! ......I'm ashamed to say but I FINALLY just got all of my decor downstairs this past weekend!! Hope you all enjoyed this LONG post.....of course, I have more pics but, too many to put all of them up!!

Here Comes SaNtA ClAuSe.............

2009-12-17T23:01:00.002-05:00

We finally took lil' Charlie Cash to see Santa tonight! I don't mean to brag BUT, he did SO good!!! At first, he just sat there looking at us and would smile but then he NOTICED Santa!! He would smile, tug on his beard (thank goodness- the beard was real) and then he discovered his belt and he began to pull on it a little! Unfortunately, they don't allow you to take pictures with your own camera so I wasn't able to capture all of the discoveries. Charlie smiled like always for his picture but, there were a few that Santa didn't cooperate too well with..... so the above is a compromise on both Santa and Charlie's parts.......although I do think Santa looks a wee bit tired!! He's probably been really busy getting his reindeer together & checking his lists!!!! (I couldn't even get a 'HO HO HO' out of him) :)

In the Christmas Spirit!

2009-12-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

We have a WiNNeR...........

2009-12-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

.........And it is Troy!!!!! Charlie said his first word Wednesday night and it was Da-Da!!! It was the first time he's even made the 'd' sound! He was eating his dinner and as Troy was feeding him and repeating da-da to him, Charlie just screamed "DA-DA"!

You better Watch Out........

2009-12-06T23:24:00.001-05:00

Santa must be somewhere close by because we found one of his reindeer wandering around our house!!! We even got some pictures to show you!

He had that 'deer in the head lights look' when we found him! :)

He sure is a happy reindeer! & check out those teeth he has!

Birthday Boy!

2009-12-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today is a big day in our household! Exactly four years ago today in Las Vegas, our first baby, Kode, was born. To make the day even more special...Troy got to deliver him! Kode has definitely been a blessing in our house although, he does want to go outside a lot (but deep down, he IS a dog)! Kode is so loving and we couldn't ask for him to be any more gentle with Charlie. Charlie will pull on Kode's tail, his ears, do whatever to him and Kode just sits and looks at him. Wherever Charlie crawls off to....Kode will be right behind him. The only thing Kode's not thrilled about is learning to share his toys with Charlie if Charlie wants them......Kode doesn't mind as long as it was HIS idea! :) So, Kode has barked at Charlie but, Charlie has learned to bark yell right back. It's really quite entertaining! :)

Kode- about 10 weeks old in his hoodie!

Look how small and cute! (about 10 weeks)

He has grown up to be such a handsome young man! :)

Our 2 boys (best of friends)

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

2009-11-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

Charlie's first 'Turkey Day' was a success! He played a lot and ate a lot!! He even had Apple Turkey Cranberry and Pumpkin Apple for dinner (baby food, of course)!!! I tried to get a few pictures of him but, trying to keep him still is a job in it self! :)

Even with the delicious food he got to eat....he seemed to 'REALLY' enjoy his toes most of all!! :) (He gets this from his Daddy!)

After a day full of excitement- he was asleep by 7:30 and didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning!

Fall Family Photo Session

2009-11-20T10:38:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we had our family portraits made. It was going to be a surprise for everyone but, that never seems to work out! :) We have SOO many to choose from but, I thought I would share a few with you! Charlie actually turned 7 months old on Sunday so, it worked out great! He did really well considering he had just woken up from his nap and hadn't eaten but, he did start getting cranky toward the end!

New Toys!

2009-11-18T10:45:00.000-05:00

Well, Charlie has discovered some new toys!!.....Kode's toys! :) He heads over to Kode's big basket and starts finding the ones that he would like to play with. It sounds good and all (cheaper for us) but, when Kode is around.....he goes crazy!! Of course, the toys that Charlie has been drawn to are the ones that Kode hasn't played with in months or years but, he acts like it's his favorite toy if Charlie gets his hands on it!! :) (Maybe a little jealousy?) So, when Kode goes to work during the day (yes, our dog has a 'job')- Charlie has free reign!
Here he is playing with some of the toys! Oh! Check out his new PJ's- had to go ahead and break down & by the 9 months as he was coming out of the 6 month ones! :)

Another Kode toy!

A cheesy grin! (I think he's giving me one of those 'get this camera out of my face' grins)

Trying to escape the madness!

7 Months Old

2009-11-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Charlie was 7 months old!! It's so hard to believe that 7 months have gone by since this little boy came into our lives! He's getting so big and SO quick!! He's literally ALL over the place. This morning I let him 'scurry' around and just watched him to see where all he went. He was all over the living room, went into the foyer, the bathroom, and to the door of the office but, turned around. Oh! and he has discovered the fireplace (we don't use it so, no worries)! This morning he started trying to master sitting up from his 'creepy crawling' position. He was pushing up on his knees & going to the side, trying his best to sit up but, he hasn't quite mastered it yet! I'm sure it will be soon!
Here are a few pictures that we took on Sunday!

We make each other laugh! :)

Just chillin' & maybe getting tired of paparazzi! :)

Cute Little Giveaway!

2009-11-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

I told you about Natalie having her giveaways! Today she has a cute little giveaway from belldesigns ! They are the cutest little pocket mirrors or magnets! You should check them out, they would make cute little gifts for Christmas or to just buy for yourself! :) (I do get an extra chance at winning by telling you about this giveaway.....so I am being a little selfish by spreading the word!)

Play dates, Scooting, & Sleeping....

2009-11-12T11:20:00.002-05:00

On Monday, we were still having warm temps with slightly overcast skies so, I decided that Charlie and I would have a play date outside. I grabbed a big comforter took it outside in the grass along with some toys and we played. Charlie absolutely LOVES being outside!! I'm glad we took advantage of being outside on Monday because we've been stuck in thanks to Ida moving through.

My date, Mr. Charlie Cash.

Here he is, in the middle of 'talking' to me!

Around our house, it seems that we've been playing a lot of 'Where is Charlie?'......because he's scooting ALL over the place. I mean ALL over the place: he will start off on a pallet in the living room then, off he goes. I have found him behind the couch, in the foyer, in the kitchen.....I think I need a leash! :) Just Kidding! (kinda) Well, Tuesday he was on his pallet and I left the room for probably 3 minutes, came back in and I could hear him but, not see him! So, I said, "Charlie, Where are you?" (Not that he could really say, "Over here!") but, this is where I found him:

playing UNDER his jumperoo!! :) He was just scooting around in circles, playing!!

Here's a mid-action shot of him scooting! As soon as he figures out how to get on his knees, he'll really be going to town!!! (Is there a way that I can slow him down? Maybe weights around his ankles?)

Oh! Remember a couple of post ago, I shared with you some Charlie's odd sleeping habits! Well, this is what I found yesterday!!!

He was playing away in his jumperoo and then I heard silence!! So, I looked over at him......and the poor baby was snoozing! He had wore himself out jumping!!! and Yes, I did take him upstairs and put him in his bed! :)

GiVeAwAy TiMe!!!!!

2009-11-12T10:03:00.000-05:00

As some of you may remember from a previous post that I subscribe to a blog, Natalie's Sentiment's. Well, Natalie has some really cool GiVeAwAyS and now it's time for the Christmas giveaways! She's going to be having about 15 different giveaways over the next few weeks! You can get some great ideas for Christmas gifts because if you're like me.....it's hard buying for people who already have everything or either they just buy it for themselves!! If you decide not to participate in trying to win the prizes (I would have a better chance at winning) then, you might enjoy just reading her blog. Good Luck!!! (If you do win, don't forget who told you about it!) :)

Odd Sleeping Habits!

2009-11-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I've snapped a few pictures of Charlie and his 'odd' sleeping positions. One night, I was feeding him his dinner and he literally fell asleep as I was feeding him his food. One second he was eating, the next......out like a light! :)

The other day Charlie was in his swing playing so, I went upstairs to get some laundry and when I came back down this is how I found him:

Poor Thing! but, he was snoring away!

Don't worry, each time he fell asleep, I did get him up and put him to sleep in his bed! I didn't leave him to sleep in those positions but, I can't honestly say that it didn't cross my mind!

Feeling Fallish.....

2009-11-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

I love Fall!! Here in Virginia, it is especially gorgeous with the beautiful trees and the mountains of vibrant colors this time of year! I just enjoy everything about fall....football, blue jeans, sweaters and sweatshirts, pumpkin spice latte's (although I've only had one so far). On Saturday, I woke up about 5:30 AM because Charlie a certain someone has been a little off since the time change and I decided since I was up, I might as well did something with my time. So, I made some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins....and I must say, they are delicious!!!

I think Troy was happy that he got to sleep in that these were baking in the oven when he awoke! :) If you would like the recipe just let me know!!

I really enjoy our kitchen/living room area this time of year. We have 4 sets of tall, glass, double doors going across the back...it's what I consider our 'Room With a View'! Below are some of the sites, I got to enjoy when the leaves were turning and still on the trees.

Notice Kode at the bottom of the pic...checking things out! :)

Kode enjoying the scenery!

Happy 3rd Anniversary!!

2009-11-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of Troy and I getting married!! It's hard to believe it's been 3 years but, it seems like we've been together forever (probably because we were together 6 years before we got married)! I will have to say this past year has been extra special because of sweet Charlie Cash. I'm a very lucky girl to have such a loving and caring husband and a darling baby. :)

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Troy!! I love you!

Scarysaurus!!!

2009-10-28T13:21:00.000-04:00

We've had a little dinosaur, Scarysaurus, around our house but, don't worry he doesn't bite (hard) but, he does drool ALOT!!! Since Troy and I won't be here to spend Halloween with Charlie we have played dress up a few times with him!! He sure does look cute in his costume!

I don't think I'll have to worry about Charlie trying to eat up anyone but, I think I MIGHT have to worry that someone will want to eat him up!!!!!! How could you not eat that face up?!!??!! :)

Company & (early) Christmas in October

2009-10-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

Last week, an early Christmas present arrived for me Charlie......a MUCH needed present. He got his highchair from his Gran & Gramps! When we put him in it, I think he was a little shocked as it was much different than eating in his bouncy seat but, he seemed to like it and so did I!!!!

Thanks Gran & Gramps!!

This weekend my parents and Grandma came for a visit. We had a good time together and I know Charlie liked the extra attention! I put Charlie in his dinosaur costume so they could see him in it..... I think he may be the cutest little dinosaur that I have ever seen! :) (More dino pics to come!)

Gramps and Charlie

Gran and Charlie

Charlie and Grandma!

TEETH......We've got TEETH!!!!!

2009-10-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

It's official......Charlie has TEETH!!!! Yes, you heard right- TEETH, plural! :) He cut both of his bottom teeth last Thursday! He's been a pretty good sport through it.... a little cranky at times (but, who wouldn't be?- 2 at once!) So, we've been doing a little extra gum rubbing around here and changing bibs even more frequently!........I'm sure the next one's will be right around the corner!

To EaT or not to EaT????

2009-10-23T14:33:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Charlie and I went outside for a little while to get some fresh air and I took my camera along. Charlie has discovered the beautiful leaves that are 'raining' around our house....he, of course loved playing with them and as always....tried to eat them! :)

Finding the leaf.....

Checking the leaf out......

Finally, trying to eat the leaf!!!!!

"Seriously, do you HAVE to keep taking my picture?!"

8 Nights & Counting..........

2009-10-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I told you last week that we started putting Charlie in his very own bed to sleep. Well, it has been 8 nights and we're still going strong!! That's awesome, right?!?! Well, maybe for Charlie but, Troy and I really miss him being in the bed with us. But, we know it's for the best as it will be easier to do it now than when he's 6 years old! :) Charlie has been doing rather well with it. There are some nights that he may fuss because he's lost his pie-pie and there have been a few nights that he's slept right through the night- one morning he didn't wake up until 9:00 AM!!!!!!!!!! and I do have to admit, it is nice to get some 'restful' sleep.
Here are a few pictures before going to bed one night.....

Charlie in his bed!

I think he may have been wanting me to stop taking pictures! :)

Also, Charlie seems to be taking after his Daddy exercising.... there is a move on P90X called the 'Superman' and Charlie has started doing it himself. You pull your arms & legs up while lying on your stomach so, I snapped a few pics to share!

I guess he's starting out early............ :)

My Poor Baby

2009-10-20T10:10:00.002-04:00

My poor baby.....and by baby I mean my first child, Kode. Well, yesterday Kode went for his monthly haircut. It's always an exciting day because Kode comes back really white, trimmed and looking good! (BTW, we do bathe him throughout the month) Well, when he came home yesterday- he was excited to see me like normal and I petted him as I couldn't really take a good look at him because I was feeding Charlie.

When I did look at him, I noticed his ears were gone. I don't mean they cut his ears off but, we've always had the hair on Kode's ears long and they cut it OFF!!! And now, he looks like a girl! :( Of course, I didn't tell him that...I didn't want hurt his feelings! but, they did at least give him a 'skull' bandana, probably to boost his ego (or maybe mine)! I just DON'T like his ears short.....it's SOO much cuter to have them long but, I know they'll grow back and he's still my sweet, loving, wants to go outside all time baby.

The above picture is the way Kode normally looks and below are the way he looks now (sporting his new bandana)! You can't really see the dramatic difference in the pictures but, I PROMISE you- there is! :)

6 Months Old!!

2009-10-15T11:26:00.001-04:00

Today Charlie is 6 months old!! Boy, does time fly!?!!?! It's hard to believe that he's been in this world 6 months but, then on the other hand- I really can't remember life without him. Yesterday Charlie went for his 6 month check-up and Praise the Lord, he's perfectly healthy! He weighs 16 lbs 5 oz and is 25 inches tall! Dr. Stephanie said that she wasn't concerned with his height since now he is now in the 10th percentile (which made Mama & Daddy feel better)! I can definitely tell he's growing, especially after carrying him around for a little while!
Guess what other milestone we crossed?! Charlie Cash slept in his very own bed last night! He actually did really well! I had to get up once about 4am to give him his pacifier and again about 6am. When I got up at 6, I went ahead and put him in the bed with us! (Selfish reasons....I wanted some more sleep!) When I told Troy that I had everything set up for Charlie to sleep in his own bed, he said, "Maybe we should wait until Friday night to start it....I really like him being in there with us." But, I didn't give in although I did miss my snuggle buddy, it was nice to have some solid sleep without having to move something over every 10-20 minutes. (I didn't get any pictures of this monumental event, I was afraid it would wake Charlie up too much for him to fall asleep!......maybe when he gets this down a little better.

2 days old!

4 weeks old!

6 months old!

He has really changed (& grown) since he was born! He's gained exactly 11 pounds since he was born! As you can see in the recent pictures, Charlie is really enjoying the fall here in Virginia! He loves the leaves, although I don't think he likes the way they taste but, he sure tries them out! :)

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Sweet Charlie Cash!

Mama's Lil' Punkin!

2009-10-13T17:27:00.000-04:00

This year Charlie has two costumes, one is a pumpkin & the other will be revealed at a later date! :)...(gotta give you something to look forward to) So, last night we put Charlie's pumpkin costume on & went outside and took some photos! We were able to get some of him & Kode together with our 23.9lb pumpkin! Charlie didn't mind being dressed up & I just wanted to eat him up!

My sweet lil' punkin!

Charlie and Kode

I thought this was cute how Kode was looking over at Charlie!

Now, isn't he the cutest little pumpkin that you ever did see??!!!??! :) Maybe I'm just a little bias!

PuMpKiN PaTcH KiD

2009-10-12T09:53:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Troy and I took Charlie to the his first Pumpkin Patch and oh boy, did he seem to love it! He just kept looking around at ALL the pumpkins and smiling! It was very cute!! He is in total amazement! We picked out our first pumpkin as a family of 3, weighing in at 23.9 lbs!! (pictures of the prized pumpkin to come soon!) I thought I would share some of the new 'Pumpkin Patch Kid'!

Update on DeVontae

2009-09-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

I spoke with Danetta this morning and she gave me an update on DeVontae. He had his last round of chemo for this session yesterday. They are hoping to go home on Thursday (Praise the Lord!)! DeVontae seems to be handling the chemo rather well. It does cause him to have diarrhea and makes him tired. He was sleeping as I talked to Danetta. They will have to return in 3 weeks back to UVA for the 2nd session of chemo (there will be a total of 4 session's, 3 weeks apart) and they will extract stem cells from him, also. After DeVontae finishes his chemo, he will then undergo surgery to remove the tumor. He will then have to go through radiation or possibly more chemo at that time. He will also be going to Richmond (MCV) for his stem cell transplant. Once they go to Richmond, they will be there anywhere from 1-2 months. They have got a LONG road ahead of them.
They have taken DeVontae off of the morphine and he now has pain patches in anticipation of him going home on Thursday. Danetta said his pain seems to be improving. Danetta is in strong spirits, asking about Charlie & feeling bad for him because he's been sick while her own son is fighting for his life!! Please continue to keep them in your thoughts & prayers.

Sick Days....

2009-09-29T14:24:00.000-04:00

  Remember when you were in school and you got a certain amount of 'sick days' a year? Wasn't that awesome?! You could stay out of school with no consequences- lay around on the couch and veg, catch up on the 'day time' TV shows, have your Mama or Grandma (whoever it may be) wait on you hand and foot. Yep, those were the BEST 'sick days'!
  We've had the "junk" going around our house over the past week and a half. First Troy, then me, then Charlie, & still me. I was thinking this morning, wouldn't it be or have been nice during this past week if I had a 'Sick Day'?!!? To do nothing but lay on the couch, sleep, watch TV, someone make me snacks & meals- whatever I wanted. But, that is a thing of the past because no matter how bad I may feel, there's someone who HAS to be taken care of 24/7. But, I will say- seeing Charlie smiling again after him being sick a couple of days is definitely WORTH it! He was quite pitiful when for no apparent reason he would just start to cry, his eyes red & watering, & try to breath through a stopped up nose. But, he is on the mend....still just a little congested.
  Last night, Charlie was tired and fell asleep in my arms so, I decided to lay him down on the pallet that I had made earlier. (Since I can't take him and put him to bed being as he's STILL sleeping with us.....I KNOW- shame, shame!) I was busy doing other things when Troy called me into the living room to look at Charlie sleeping...... Here is what I saw.....

Kode had curled about right against Charlie and they were both sound asleep! It was quite precious!! They really do love each other!

....And Around We Grow

2009-09-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was looking at Charlie and I swear it seemed he had gained 2 or 3 inches around over the past couple of days. I can tell he has grown vertically as well (praying that he takes after Troy) but he really seems to be growing horizontally. :) He just started wearing 6 month clothes and to tell you the truth, I don't know how long he'll stay in them! This is going by way too fast but, we're enjoying every minute of it!!

Checking out his tootsies!

Mr. Blue Eyes!! (Don't they just melt your heart?!)

Yesterday I put Charlie on the floor and sat him up and he actually stayed this way for a several minutes while I was able to snap some pictures. I'm sure he'll be doing it on his own before long!

Carrots & Naners

2009-09-23T18:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight Charlie had carrots for the first time and he LOVED them. I had been warned by other mothers that they can be messy (as most food) and they stain. So, I tried to be proactive and stripped Charlie down to his diaper for dinner. Here are a few pictures of Charlie's meal of carrots & bananas.

The Beginning

Carrots & Bananas ALL GONE!

= Messy Boy!!!

MAJOR Prayer Request!!

2009-09-20T00:54:00.000-04:00

DeVontae

I have a HUGE favor to ask of everyone....that you please pray for this little guy in this picture!! When I moved back to Lynchburg 4 years ago, I started working at the Orthopeadic Center. I still work as needed to help out but, I have worked with and become friends this little guy's mom, Danetta, since I have been there. This is DeVontae, he is 22 months old. To make a long story short, this past week, DeVontae was diagnosed with neuroblastoma (aka: cancer). The tumor is around his kidney, pressing on his liver. The bone scan was negative that the cancer has not spread to his bones. (Thank the Lord!)

They were going to take him to surgery this past week to remove the tumor and his kidney but, now have decided to wait since it is in fact cancer. DeVontae will begin chemo this week to try and shrink the tumor so, hopefully they can prevent from having to remove his kidney.

Danetta is a single mother and I know they have a LONG road ahead of them. They are still at the UVA hospital and are not sure how long they will be there. (They went on 9/11 to have a CT Scan & were told they had to stay due to the scan results and have been there since.) Danetta is still in strong spirits but I know that this has got to be traumatic for her. She also has an older son who she has to be away from while staying at the hospital!!

Please keep DeVontae and Danetta in your thoughts and prayers!! He's such a cute and sweet little boy!! The picture above was taken at my baby shower in March! (It's the most recent pic I have!)

Thank You!!!

Exciting Times!!

2009-09-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we had some exciting guests!! My dear friend and roommate from college, Christy and her sweet, adorable little boy Jesse came to visit. Of course Christy had a full schedule while in town because her parents were in town for their college reunion (so we had to share her & Jesse with others). :)

It was the first time Christy and I had seen each other since her wedding in December of 2006! So, first Troy, Charlie, and I went and met Christy and Jesse for dinner at Neighbor's Place. This was Jesse meeting his Aunt Chapel for the first time!! I think he was a little in shock (don't 'cha think?) :)

After dinner, we went and met our friend from college, Brian with his two adorable kids for ice cream. We missed, Kim, Brian's wife, but she was at home sick. We had such a great time!! Catching up with each other, laughing, and talking about old times and how hard it is to believe that we all have kids now! :) Even though it's been years (I guess that means we're getting old(er)!) since we've all been together, we didn't seem to skip a beat....it was like we just picked right back up where we left off! It's soo nice to have friends like that!! Troy didn't know half of what we were talking about but he was a good sport!

Christy and I with our boys (who had just woke up, it was pretty late)

Jesse wondering why Charlie doesn't come & play. Charlie was wondering why he can't crawl around like Jesse!! :)

Christy and I had such a nice time together although the time flew by but we did decide that we think we may have "arranged roommates". We think these boys just might follow in their mom's footsteps. But, I did make one stipulation! They will NOT attend UT!! :) Charlie did enjoy watching Jesse crawl and sit up like a BIG boy!! He tries SOO hard to get out of his bumbo seat!!

Charlie wasn't the only one who made a new friend.....Kode REALLY like Jesse!! See how sweet Jesse is rubbing Kode's belly!! :) I think this boy needs a dog!! (Hint, Hint Christy)

We hope Christy and Jesse come back and visit us VERY soon!!! and that they bring Joshua along, also!

The rest of the weekend we just worked around the house and watched football!! (How 'bout them Dawgs?!! It was a close one! whew!!)

Charlie getting ready for the big game!!!

A little brotherly love!

Football, Family, & Fun!!!

2009-09-10T11:53:00.005-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we went to Georgia for a visit. We had a FULL weekend of visiting with lots of family, going to the lake, GEORGIA FOOTBALL, and a family reunion. We had a great time but, boy did my allergies seem to come back to haunt me by Sunday afternoon! :) I didn't seem to get too many pictures while we were there but here are a few!

Our 'DaWg' Family portrait!

Charlie is 'in shock' watching his first UGA game!!

Charlie and his Aunt Keri watching the game!

Charlie after the game, "Oh NO! What happened?!?!"

Troy and Charlie in their matching shirts!

Tuesday, Charlie finally mastered something he had been trying to accomplish for a while now!... He rolled over from his back to his stomach! He's been doing it non-stop ever since!! Here is an action shot!

YIPEE!!! I DID IT!!!!!

New Kicks & New Tricks!!

2009-09-02T09:46:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I ordered Charlie some new shoes. Well, actually this is his first pair of shoes because he's always gone barefooted since it's been summertime! But, these are the cute little handmade loafers! I found them on etsy.com. (I love that website because it's full of handmade items that are unique and they have some of everything!) But, the shoes arrived on Monday and Charlie looks adorable in them! Although, he probably won't get much use of them because he seems to have a rather large foot! (We did measure his foot before ordering them) We figured out he would need the 3/6 month size but, now it seems his feet have grown!! So, we'll be on the lookout for some 'new kicks' before long!

Isn't he stylin'?

Yesterday morning, I was feeding Charlie breakfast and when I was giving him some of his bottle and he kept putting his hands on it, trying to hold it. Since he was almost finished with it, I let go and he held on to it and finished drinking it. (Note: I do not leave baby unattended while feeding himself & it was not a full bottle so the weight of the object was minimal.) Below you can see the munchkin & his 'new trick'!

GiVeAwaYs!!!!!

2009-09-02T08:07:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my new friend, Lannae, I have found another blog to follow. It is natalie's sentiments. Well, this week is Natalie's birthday week and she is celebrating by giving away REALLY cool prizes EVERYDAY!!!!!!! Today she is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Lannae Johnson Designs! Lannae is who made my necklace with Charlie's name on it that I blogged about a few times ago!! and I absolutely LOVE my necklace and get SOOO many compliments on it! It has now become a staple to to my attire!! :) So, fingers crossed I will win the gift certificate!! :) (I do get an extra vote for telling all of you about the giveaway!)

Be sure and check out both blogs....I know you will be happy that you did!!

Exciting Weekend!

2009-08-31T12:03:00.004-04:00

Well, we had some exciting things going on around the Kershaw house. First, Troy's parents went out of town so we kept their dog, Mitzi. So, we had 2 adults, 2 dogs, & a baby this weekend. But, as if that wasn't exciting enough.... I decided to FINALLY put Charlie in his bathtub without the sling and place it in a REAL bathtub. I know, I know....I've been selfish by having him in the sling this long but, it was so easy to bathe him on the countertop in the kitchen....saving my back from bending over the bathtub to bathe him. :) But, needless to say...he LOVES sitting down in the water! He would just keep splashing his feet around over and over! (& he enjoyed his rubber ducky)

So, we were eager for a little more excitment........Troy put together Charlie's jumperoo on his 4 month birthday but, bless his heart he was too short to touch the ground :( so, we tried it again this weekend and he really got into it. He was pushing the music buttons himself and playing with all the fun gadgets.

Here he is, still checking this thing out.....

Both feet may not ALWAYS touch at the same time but, it does happen! :) (his legs are chunking up!)

Guess what Charlie did................

2009-08-28T09:27:00.004-04:00

That's right....he "rolled over"!!!! On Wednesday, Charlie was on his playmat and kept trying to roll over so, I showed him how to go from his stomach to his back and then I let him have a "go" at it and away he went!! He did it 2 times!! He's really working on going from his back to his stomach!! and he is really scooting around his playmat!! So, I'm afraid mobilization is not far away!!! (sniff, sniff!!)

Mama's Balding Boy!

2009-08-25T09:43:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, I gave Charlie a bath and then asked him what he would like to wear!... He picked out his own onesie so, of course...I had to take a picture!! :) (How Sweet!)

Guess who is going bald??!! After 4 months of having a head full of hair, Charlie is looking more like a little bald man every day! (See the below picture!)

A gift for Mama!!

2009-08-22T13:05:00.003-04:00

Ever since Charlie was born, I have been wanting a necklace of some sort to represent him. While on facebook on friends' pages, I came across a link to Lannae Johnson Designs- Lasting Impressions. She makes jewelry and I fell in love with her necklaces. I found one that I thought would be perfect! So, I contacted her and needless to say....Lannae and I made quite a few connections...she's cousins with some friends of mine, she lives right down the street from my grandma, and her husband and June grew up together, oh! and her mother-in-law is my grandfather's first cousin......Small World!!!

But, anyways.....yesterday my necklace arrived! and here is the picture!! I absolutely love it!! It couldn't be more perfect!! I love the fact that Charlie's whole name is on it as well!!! But, I just wanted to share it with everyone and tell you be sure to check out Lannae's blog, she's got some really cool jewelry and it's always nice dealing a super nice person as well! The link is: www.lannaejohnsondesigns.blogspot.com.

4 Months Old!!!

2009-08-19T18:13:00.003-04:00

Where does the time go?!!? Charlie was 4 months old this past Saturday. On Friday, we went for his 4 month check-up. He had to get 3 shots, which he was very unhappy about. He didn't do as well with these as he did for his 2 month shots. He weighed 13lbs 9.9oz & 23 inches long! He's a little short (wonder why?) but he's chunking on up! :) He's also teething right now....drool is everywhere, hands in the mouth....but no teeth yet! I'm sure they're around the corner!!

Kode giving Charlie some b-day love! :)

On Sunday, we tried rice cereal for the first time. Charlie did pretty good with it. He was trying to swallow it but of course, some would come out! :) He was getting quite hungry so, we cut the cereal feeding short and went on to the bottle!! :) Check out the pictures below!!

Stud-Muffin

2009-08-13T16:25:00.003-04:00

Personalized Gifts!

2009-08-11T12:23:00.004-04:00

Shortly after Charlie was born, he received a few 'personalized' gifts from my sweet cousin, Amy. She personally made all of them!! He received the smocked duck romper he has on in the above photo (notice his initials were monogrammed on the collar). She also made him a bib with his initials and a burp cloth. Everything is absolutely ADORABLE!! I must say he looks mighty handsome while sporting these things around! :) I keep telling Amy she needs to start a business (atleast on the internet)!! We get the most compliments on his "personalized" attire! :) So, thanks Amy for the beautiful gifts!! (If you have seen his other monogrammed burp cloths and blankets- Amy is the one to credit!)

A close-up: notice the collar!!

His burp cloth!

His bib!!

Our very own CELEBRITY!!!!!

2009-08-10T12:28:00.003-04:00

Okay, so he's not really a celebrity.....well, maybe to Troy and I he is! But, when Charlie was 4 weeks old, Sara Ernst took a bunch of awesome photos of him and she decided to hang one at Virginia Baptist Hospital on the mother/baby floor. Ironically, the picture is hanging right across the hall from the room I stayed in when Charlie was born!! On Saturday, Troy and I decided to go take a look at our very own 'celebrity'! The above picture is the canvas that she hung on the wall and below are our pictures with it! Charlie is 16 weeks old in these pictures! My, how he has grown!!!

Mama & her lil' man!!

Milestones & Visitors

2009-08-10T10:58:00.004-04:00

We've had some exciting things going on at the Kershaw residence. A couple of weeks ago, Charlie started double fisting it. :) All of the sudden one day he was pulling his pie-pie (pacifier) out of his mouth with one hand & holding on to it with a toy in the other. Ever since then, he's been keeping both hands full of whatever he can put in them!!

We've known for awhile that Kode likes Charlie but, he does have his jealous moments. After all, he was the "first" baby around here. But, last week I was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine and I looked on the floor where Charlie was playing & guess who had gone and gotten one of his own toys to play beside Charlie???!!!.....That's right, Kode!! :) So, of course...I grabbed the camera and took pictures of this monumental moment! :) To make this even better: Charlie has laughed out loud but, ONLY in his sleep, never while awake! While they were playing on the mat, Kode got up and started scratching Charlie's stomach, and the cutest little giggles started coming out of Charlie's mouth!!! So, now he has been giggling away!! (Don't worry, I didn't let Kode scratch Charlie's stomach very long & he was being gentle.)

Charlie is quite the little ham & flirt!! He is such a happy baby which we are very thankful for!! Here he is 'hamming it up'!!!

Last Sunday, may parents (Charlie's Gran & Gramps) came into town for a few days to visit. It was nice to have them here.... Charlie liked having some different faces to look at & of course, he got LOTS of attention!!! We were sad to see them go but, hopefully they'll be back again soon!!

Charlie and Gramps

Charlie and Gran

Charlie with Gran & Gramps!

Life over the past couple of months!

2009-07-23T17:03:00.006-04:00

Today I've been trying to catch up! So, I've posted a few things that have happened over the past few months! Charlie is now 14 weeks old and weighs about 12 1/2 pounds!! I can't believe how fast time has flown and how BIG he is!! I know it may not seem that big but considering he has gained over 7 pounds in 3 months- he has changed drastically!! Troy and I are enjoying him more and more each day! He now smiles a lot and is "talking" quite a bit! He's really a happy baby unless he's hungry or tired! (I think he gets that from his Daddy!) But, below are some things to get you up to date with our little man!

Lake Baby!!!

2009-07-23T14:15:00.008-04:00

We recently went to Georgia for another visit....Charlie didn't travel as well as he did the first time we went, probably because we left in the early afternoon when he was ready to play instead of sleep! :) Charlie and I actually stayed a week and a half- unfortunately Troy and Kode had to go back so they could return to work! :( While we were there we got to go to Lake Oconee and hang out with some of the family for a while! Charlie went on his first boat ride and he seemed to like it! I think he's going to be a Lake Baby!! :) Maybe next year, he'll learn to walk and ski in the same year! :)....I said, MAYBE!!!....I know, it's a little far fetched! :) But, here are a few pictures from our trip!!

Here's Charlie in his lake gear!!

Troy and Charlie

Charlie: "Mom, can you PLEASE stop taking my picture?"

Charlie laughing at his Daddy!

Charlie in his lifejacket! He tolerated it well!!

Charlie wanting to be held while riding, so he could fall asleep! :)

Life is tough!!....snoozing!

Uncle Gabe letting Charlie guide the boot with his feet! (Don't worry, the boat was really not moving or we would have had Charlie's life jacket on him!- Please don't report me!) :)

Kode enjoying his boat ride!!

Mama and Charlie

Charlie with Granddad and Nana J

Charlie in his bumbo seat, looking a little annoyed with the paparazzi!!

One morning while at my Mama's, Troy started screaming, "Chapel, Come here! Hurry!" Of course, I go running thinking something is wrong and he says, "Look! Charlie just rolled over!" So, I look in the pack and play and this is what I saw! Charlie was all smiles! :)

Charlie got to visit with his great grandparents, Nanny and Papa Martin on the way home from the lake! He enjoyed his visit and I think they did too!

July 4th!!

2009-07-23T13:55:00.003-04:00

On the 4th of July, Troy's parents were out of town so, we spent the day at their pool and then went to our friend's, Chuck and Alana's house and grilled out! Charlie had a fun filled day, although he didn't get in the water because it was a little too cold for him. He and his buddy, Cayden (who is 2 weeks younger than Charlie) had fun in their swings and bouncy seats! :) and Charlie even enjoyed the fireworks that Chuck set off for us!....He didn't even wimper at the sound!! :)

Charlie in his 4th of July attire!! (It even had race cars on it in anticipation for the race that night!!)

Charlie hanging out at the pool!

Charlie and his mommy cooling off!

Charlie and his buddy, Cayden just hanging out!

Random Pictures!

2009-07-23T13:23:00.003-04:00

One night I was in the office and when I came around the corner this is what I found: Everyone sleeping! Troy and Kode woke up when I brought out the camera but, I thought it was very cute! (Troy doesn't look thrilled to be having his picture made!) :)

Can you say, "WELL FED"? :)

We went to GA to visit in June & we didn't take a bathtub- so, we made do! and Charlie enjoyed his bath in a bowl! :)

We have Visitors!!!

2009-07-23T13:04:00.004-04:00

At the end of May- we had several visitors! My Grandma and Mama came in from Georgia for a long weekend to visit Charlie- it was the first time my Grandma met Charlie and I think she liked him! :) and Troy's Grandma and Aunt Debbie came to visit from Las Vegas! and I think Charlie won their hearts over as well!! (he tends to do that!) Here are a few pics from their visit with us!

Aunt Debbie with Charlie! (He was 6 weeks in this picture!)

Of Course, we can't leave Kode out!! He was the first baby & if it weren't for Aunt Debbie- we wouldn't have Kode!!

Charlie's great Grandma Ruff! (Troy's grandmother) Charlie liked listening to her talk!!

Charlie with his great Grandma Tyner! (my grandma) He was 5 weeks old in this picture! She would sit and talk to him & he loved to listen!! :)

Charlie with my Mama! (I think she might like him a little bit)

Playing Catch Up!!

2009-07-23T12:38:00.006-04:00

I'm trying to play catch up.....our computer is full so, I have to go get disk made with my pictures so I can post them... but, here are a few monumental pictures to share......

Charlie's first "real" bath! He was 2 1/2 weeks old! He sure feels the net out these days!

This was taken before Charlie and I went on our first car ride alone!! He did great!! He was 4 weeks old!!

Here he is smiling with his little mohawk!!

Newborn Photos

2009-06-15T15:08:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note: we had newborn photos taken of Charlie when he was 4 weeks old by Sara Ernst here in Lynchburg. I have one word: AMAZING!!!!!!! She did such an incredible job!! Absolutely beautiful!! She has posted some pictures of Charlie on her website, if you care to take a peek! Go to www.saraernst.com then, click on posh kids and go to galleries: there are some pictures under babies and bellies and also the family gallery!! Hope you enjoy and if you are in need of a photographer, I know a REALLY good one! :)