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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Her Name Shall Be Called ...

Verity Evangeline

Baby Number 2 was a lot harder to name than Charissa, but we have settled on a name that we both agree on and that we both love. To be honest, I wanted "Verity" since I was about 5 weeks pregnant, but it took a little longer for Britt to see the perfection of it. "Verity" is Latin for "truth" and "Evangeline" comes from the English-ized Greek word for "the gospel." These are the reasons that Britt really likes them. I'm not going to lie - I picked them because I thought they were pretty. I read a book about a girl named Verity and she was sweet and gentle and I just loved her character. Also, it makes me think of a dainty flower. We will be calling her Verity - or as Charissa says "Baby V."

And yes, I know these are unusual names. But no, that does not deter me from naming my daughter Verity. This is her name. I don't think I could ever think of her with another name. Strangely enough, even though both these names are uncommon, they are listed in the book of "Hottest Baby Names in 2008." I was actually kind of disappointed about that. Here I was thinking I had picked a name no one else will have, and it's on the list of names for this year. Oh well.

We have a Charissa and a Verity. And we are very happy with our girls. Everyday it is becoming more of a reality that we are having another baby and we'll be responsible for another precious life. Only 3.5 months to go!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Care Package Fun!

Charissa received a care package this week from my brother and sister-in-law who live near in Seattle. It was the cutest little skirt and a shirt with different pictures of fruits on it. Since the outfit fit and it was in season, Charissa wore it the very next day. I thought the outfit was great, but I think Charissa loved the box more. I was trying to get a picture of her in the new clothes to send to her aunt and uncle, but mostly what I got was Charissa standing in a shoe box.



And yes, she did stand there for several minutes eating her snack. She loves boxes and baskets of all kinds. If her feet can get in them, she'll stand in them. If she can manage to sit in it/on it, she will. So if you ever want to send Charissa a care package, don't worry about filling the box. She'll gladly accept the empty box. She's easy to please.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Beach Trip

This past weekend we took a day trip to Carolina Beach outside of Wilmington with some friends. Charissa hasn't been to the beach since she was five months old, so it was quite an adventure for her. She never stopped running the entire time we were there. Running up and down the beach, running through the water, running away from the water ... there was a whole lot of energy expended at the beach. Good thing her daddy was there to keep up with her. For me, it was exhausting just to watch.

CJ and Daddy roaming the beach

Playing in the surf

Giving our friend Alex some sand that I'm sure he needed

Running away from the water ... such a little dare-devil

Making new friends ...

Two tiny footprints - one going in each direction ... does that illustrative the crazy running around for you?

Our friend Shawn fixed Charissa's kite and then flew it for us

Yup ... definitely a pink, My Little Pony Kite

As soon as she got in the car she fell asleep

Of course she didn't stay asleep. We had to stop for dinner and that got her all wound up again, so for the rest of the car ride home she sang and talked and played with her toys. Until we got 15 minutes from home and then she fell asleep again. Such a silly baby.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Little Girl in a Big Bed

Last Thursday Britt and I decided to let Charissa sleep in a "big girl bed." She has a twin bed in her room that she'll have to switch to when Baby Treece comes, but we weren't really sure when we were going to transition to it. Charissa has really started to understand when nap/bed time is and will say "nigh nigh" and go to her room by herself, so we thought she might be mature enough for the big girl bed. And she's done really well! All six nights and naps she's stayed in the bed (except for twice when she fell out) and never needed a reminder. Of course, we feel that she's just in the "I don't know I can get out" phase and will soon enter the "Oh - freedom is so close I can just hop out of bed" phase. That should be fun. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

I took this at about 2:00 AM on the first night she slept in the bed. Insomniac/pregnant mamas get to check on their toddlers often during the night.

The first morning after - she's very excited about something. I also love the growing halo of hair. I need to get some pictures of me at this age and that show how Charissa has the exact same hair that I had when I was little.

Doesn't that little grin make you smile?

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Baby in a Basket

When Charissa was 3 weeks old I took this picture:


This morning, at almost 19months, I took these pictures:



Some people never change. Although now she has taken to bringing toys and food in to the basket with her. It's hard to see in the pictures, but she has 2 stuffed animals, a sippy cup, and a fork.

Weighty Watermelon

I went to the Farmer's Market the other day and bought a watermelon. I always bring a big sturdy bag with me and I had the farmer put it in the bag for me before I had ever picked it up. When I reached for the handles and felt the full weight of the watermelon I had just purchased I realized that I had gotten more than I bargained for. Hoisting Charissa on one side, the watermelon on the other, and Baby Treece in the middle, I made it home regretting my desire to get "the biggest watermelon possible." I put the watermelon on the scale and discovered this:



That is a big watermelon. I bought the thing for just $5, so that comes out to be about $.06 a pound. Not too shabby. Of course then you have to figure out what you're going to do with 32 pounds of watermelon ...

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Music Appreciation 101

Britt came home from work yesterday and said that we should start playing different types of music for Charissa so that she is exposed to a wide variety. I was more than willing to try this because CJ and I have recently been listening to some of her "children's music" CDs and I wasn't sure how much more of that I was going to be able to stand.

So last night we went out to "School Kids" which is a music store on Hillsborough Street near campus. We went to their used CD rack and started perusing all the gems that were there. Here's what treasures we ended up getting:
  • Can't Keep a Good Man Down by the Clarendonians (Jamaiccan ska & jazz)
  • The Guide (Wommat) by Youssou N'dour (Senegalese percussionist and singer)
  • Love Songs by Willie Nelson (American folk singer)
  • Meet the CareBears by the CareBears (American greeting card characters that have somehow found their voice and sing about sharing, friendship, caring, happiness and fun!)
This morning in the car Charissa and I listened to Willie Nelson and she waved her hands like she was conducting an orchestra. It was so cute!

Hopefully we'll continue broadening her musical horizons and allowing her to listen to lots of different genres and styles. So if you have any CDs that you're going to get rid of - pass them on to us!

18 Month Check-Up

Charissa had her 18 month check-up yesterday and I always love knowing how she's progressing. Charissa does not like check-ups. I think it's because some stranger makes her sit around in her diaper while he shines a light in her ears and puts a wooden stick down her mouth. I can see her point.

Here are Charissa's stats:
  • Head circumference: 18 inches - 40%
  • Height: 31.5 inches - 50%
  • Weight: 20lbs 8oz - 5%
Even though she's teeny, tiny for her age the doctor said that she's healthy and normal and there is no reason for concern. YAY! Personally, I don't mind her being tiny because she's really easy to carry around.

The only thing I'm concerned about is if Charissa never grows out of her clothes and then I won't have hand-me-downs for Little Sister. Right now she's wearing mostly 12 month clothing with some 18 month items thrown in. Maybe they'll just be sharing clothes by the time Little Sister is 18 months old. Good thing Charissa has more clothes than she knows what to do with.

Monday, August 04, 2008

"Uhh ... thanks ...I think"

On Friday night we all went out to dinner at The Bosphorus, which is a Turkish restaurant out in Cary. There is only one waiter for the whole restaurant, and he's there every time we go so we have gotten to know each other a little bit. This last time as we were finishing dinner, he came over to us and said, "You're daughter has eyes like a donkey." Uhh ... thanks?

He then proceeded to tell us how one of his teachers told him when he was young that he had eyes like a donkey and he never understood what she meant. He has come to understand that it was a compliment saying you have big, very dark brown eyes.

So yes ... my daughter has donkey eyes. Check them out.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Recommended Reading

Today I finished Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp (my 3rd of 5 summer reading books). I highly recommend reading it. I was so encouraged about how to look at loving, raising, encouraging, and disciplining my daughter. He addresses the heart issues instead of symptoms, and I realized how hard that would be for the first few years, but how fruitful it would be for the rest of her life. Tripp gave such a weighty challenge to parents that they have been entrusted with a few years with their children to guide them to know and honor God and how their encounters with us shape their view of God and the world. When I finished the book I spent a lot of time thinking about how I need to put more thought into my words and actions with Charissa. But before you start to think that this book makes you feel like you have an impossible job ahead of you, I want you to know that I was so encouraged about what I could achieve - even in my failures. Several times Tripp talked about being honest with your children when you fail and how that can grow your relationship and show them humility. Parents will not be perfect, but God's grace is sufficient to cover our blunders.

If you haven't read this book yet, you may borrow my copy. Even if you don't have kids yet I think it's helpful to read and better understand God's purposes in child-rearing.