I'm writing this as my children "play together." This roughly translates to Charlotte happily busying herself with a toy (usually one of Alex's), and Alex yelling about how she is always taking his stuff. Lately, they've added to their repertoire...Charlotte will imitate a sound Alex makes, and then he admonishes her for copying him. The next five years are bound to be fun around here.
We traveled to Boston this year to celebrate Easter, and then headed out to the Cape for a few days spent with dear friends. I had some time today while the children were simul-napping (rather, I did this instead of cleaning, catching up on laundry and starting dinner, which would no doubt have been a better way to spend my time, I suppose) to put a quick video together showcasing some of my favorite moments from the Boston leg of the trip...Cape Cod will come later.
And now, off to remind Alex for the fiftieth time today to be a good big brother and to ensure Charlotte doesn't swallow any small legos.
Easter in Beantown from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
"Easter Parade" by Steve Goodman
Showing posts with label Charlotte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlotte. Show all posts
May 2, 2011
Mar 7, 2011
One Year
Charlotte is a year old! I can't believe it. I had a longer post planned and half-written for this week, and then this week happened, and it was a doosy. So I put together this short video instead.
The last twelve months were amazing and make me just so excited for the next many years.
Feb 21, 2011
Bye Bye Brown
Last week I took Charlotte and Alexander for a visit to Baltimore and we spent some time with my grandparents and aunt and uncle. Charlotte got her first haircut. She was not a fan of the process, which thankfully took all of five minutes (the squirmer was quite squirmy)! Thankfully, my aunt has careful cutting skills and works fast.
I am a fan of the final result in that I can see my beautiful girl's eyes again!
Jan 17, 2011
Dreaming of the Warm
It's mid-January, anything lingering from Christmas 2010 has been long put away, we've had two good snows, and so now I'm dreaming of summer. I've had enough cold for this year, thanks. I'm wishing the days were longer. I'm craving the feeling of bare feet in flip flops, sun on my face, and just the slightest tan. I miss my freckles and the smell of sunscreen.
Since it will be months before any of these warm-weather luxuries return, I spent some time today editing a quick video from summer 2010. I hope it brings you some warm memories of your own!
Summer 2010 from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
Summer 2010 from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
Jan 7, 2011
Moving Moving Moving
First, it has to be said, I am writing this from the comfort of my family room sofa while wearing Bose Noise Canceling headphones, a recent husband purchase. And, while they are technically his, I do get to borrow them from time to time. Like when I've spent two hours in the car with Alex, who lately has achieved the stream-of-consciousness-talking-never-stops phase. Seriously, he talked for the entire drive today about jellyfish and octopi and DID NOT STOP. I had no idea there was so much to say about mushy sea creatures.
So, whenever my shoulders start to look like they're attached to my earlobes (or I'm editing video and Skip is tired of listening to whatever background track I've selected), out come the headphones. Every parent should have a pair of these. They should give them to you in the hospital along with the take home bag of chucks, extra diapers, the sitz bath and those green jelly pacifiers. Ten minutes wearing these things is completely restorative. Maybe not as relaxing as a full body massage and facial, but really really nice.
I'm watching my children play right now. And it is nearly silent. Collective cleansing breath, everyone.
Charlotte turned ten months old this week. And she is a ball of energy. The child is not into sitting still for any longer than it takes to put another one of Alex's toys in her mouth. And that would be okay, if his toys weren't all choking hazards. She has figured out how to pull herself up to standing, and is starting to take tiny assisted steps. It's hilarious to watch her goofy little body try to figure out how to be bipedal.
The other day we were hanging out together in her room and I happened to have my good camera upstairs so captured some stills of her moving about. Some are out of focus but I kept them in anyway. This was fun to put together. My little wobbly-kneed 10-month old.
So, whenever my shoulders start to look like they're attached to my earlobes (or I'm editing video and Skip is tired of listening to whatever background track I've selected), out come the headphones. Every parent should have a pair of these. They should give them to you in the hospital along with the take home bag of chucks, extra diapers, the sitz bath and those green jelly pacifiers. Ten minutes wearing these things is completely restorative. Maybe not as relaxing as a full body massage and facial, but really really nice.
I'm watching my children play right now. And it is nearly silent. Collective cleansing breath, everyone.
Charlotte turned ten months old this week. And she is a ball of energy. The child is not into sitting still for any longer than it takes to put another one of Alex's toys in her mouth. And that would be okay, if his toys weren't all choking hazards. She has figured out how to pull herself up to standing, and is starting to take tiny assisted steps. It's hilarious to watch her goofy little body try to figure out how to be bipedal.
The other day we were hanging out together in her room and I happened to have my good camera upstairs so captured some stills of her moving about. Some are out of focus but I kept them in anyway. This was fun to put together. My little wobbly-kneed 10-month old.
Moving Baby from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
Sep 25, 2010
Playing Catch Up
In May, we traveled to Boston for a few days. It was Charlotte's first plane trip. I posted photos a while ago, and just got around to completing the editing of the video we captured.
Boston was amazing. We will definitely return.
Boston was amazing. We will definitely return.
Hill Family Does Boston from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
Sep 4, 2010
We Do Have Two! I Swear!
My Dearest Charlotte Olivia Buggie Sha-Sha Girl,
Please do not hate me when you discover that in six months I have managed to write this one letter to you, while I wrote your brother letters pretty much every month for his first two years of life. I promise to make it up to you someday, but know that this does not mean that you will get a car on your 16th birthday. For that, you'll have to do a whole lot more laundry, dusting and vacuuming then your little self is able to handle right now. We have 15 and 1/2 years to discuss this further, and I digress. On to your letter.
So....so....six months ago, on this very evening, I was probably nursing you in my small, yet comfortable room at Lankenau Hospital, reveling in the fact that you made it into the world with nary a scratch. And quickly too! Six and a half hour labors are infinitely better than 22 hour labors. Those of you reading who have not yet had a child, take note!
At this time, six months ago, I was probably also completely caught up in your hair. Because that hair. OH MY GOD. That hair was the stuff of baby legend, and my darling, I wish I had taken more photographs of it because it was so cool. As it stands, there are about 500 photos of you in your first few days of life, we haven't managed to become the parents who take rolls of film (ha - remember film) of their first child and manage three snaps of their second. So you will get to see this hair when you're interested in looking at your own baby photos. But really. There wasn't a person who saw you in the 72 hours after your birth who didn't mention your hair. And then when you were about eight weeks old, all but 1/16th of it fell out over the course of five consecutive nights. The stuff that is remaining never ceases to bring a smile to my face, no matter how vexed I feel at that moment. Your new hair is coming in light blonde, and yet you're hanging on to these long strands of deep brown-black from the newborn days. Basically, it's my hair in reverse when I'm overdue for blond highlights.
I could talk for weeks about your hair, or your cute birthmark on your left cheek, or your thumbnails (THUMBNAILS!) or your crooked finger. Yes. I noticed that on our second night together in the hospital. Your index finger on your right hand is bent to the left at a precarious angle. Experts call that clinodactyly. Daddy and I call it crazy. Old Crazy Finger. I do hope that if you someday go to college and choose to join a sorority, that becomes your rush name.
We brought you home healthy and lovely, sleeping lots during the day and little at night. Alexander took to your presence with a love that I don't think I've ever known. Watching him with you in those early days of your life made me so envious of my friends and family who have siblings. There is a very special bond growing between you and he. Lately, when Alex enters the room, it is as if no one else exists on the planet, you are just so focused on him. And it doesn't matter what he is doing. He could be laughing, screaming, crying, tormenting or cuddling you; you give him your undivided attention. Lately, you've developed a special type of language that you save for him. He's the one who gets the best shrieks, yells and giggles out of you. It is altogether amazing to watch and I hope beyond hope that this early time establishes the foundation for a friendship that the two of you will share into your old years.
All this talk of you watching your brother may lead some to think that you are an observer in spirit, and that couldn't be further from the truth. You, my dear, want to participate in the world around you, and you make your desires known through your action that continues to amaze Daddy and I. At five days old, you rolled over. I am not kidding. I put you on your belly for tummy time, and turned to help Alex with a puzzle. I turned back to check on you and you were on your back. Sleep deprived, I asked your Dad if I had put you on your belly. I had. We marveled. Since, you have craved tummy time, and when you managed to build the strength to push yourself up, back time was history. I theorize that this way, you have much more control over where you're looking and what you're seeing.
You are also a marathon night-sleeper, although for the first few weeks at home you had us wondering if you would ever get your day and night figured out. Those weeks were worth it. Lately you've been putting yourself to sleep between 6:30-7:00 and we generally do not hear from you until 7:00-7:30 the next morning. Daddy loves this. I love it too, so much so that I am ready to buy you that car and just put it into storage until you turn sixteen. Mommy loves her some sleep.
Charlotte, you are happy, healthy, squishy and smiley. You blow raspberries at your brother and when we come get you in the morning after your marathon sleep, you never fail to greet us with a giant toothless smile. You are drooling a ton and you love to suck your thumb. Lately, you've been preferring the left, but I do catch you from time to time favoring the right. You enjoy time in your Exersaucer, tummy time, sitting on our laps as long as you can look out at the world and just about anything your brother does.
You have brightened our world in the way only a new baby can and have taught me that love is, indeed, limitless. Thank you for joining us in this crazy adventure.
Love,
Mommy
Please do not hate me when you discover that in six months I have managed to write this one letter to you, while I wrote your brother letters pretty much every month for his first two years of life. I promise to make it up to you someday, but know that this does not mean that you will get a car on your 16th birthday. For that, you'll have to do a whole lot more laundry, dusting and vacuuming then your little self is able to handle right now. We have 15 and 1/2 years to discuss this further, and I digress. On to your letter.
So....so....six months ago, on this very evening, I was probably nursing you in my small, yet comfortable room at Lankenau Hospital, reveling in the fact that you made it into the world with nary a scratch. And quickly too! Six and a half hour labors are infinitely better than 22 hour labors. Those of you reading who have not yet had a child, take note!
At this time, six months ago, I was probably also completely caught up in your hair. Because that hair. OH MY GOD. That hair was the stuff of baby legend, and my darling, I wish I had taken more photographs of it because it was so cool. As it stands, there are about 500 photos of you in your first few days of life, we haven't managed to become the parents who take rolls of film (ha - remember film) of their first child and manage three snaps of their second. So you will get to see this hair when you're interested in looking at your own baby photos. But really. There wasn't a person who saw you in the 72 hours after your birth who didn't mention your hair. And then when you were about eight weeks old, all but 1/16th of it fell out over the course of five consecutive nights. The stuff that is remaining never ceases to bring a smile to my face, no matter how vexed I feel at that moment. Your new hair is coming in light blonde, and yet you're hanging on to these long strands of deep brown-black from the newborn days. Basically, it's my hair in reverse when I'm overdue for blond highlights.
I could talk for weeks about your hair, or your cute birthmark on your left cheek, or your thumbnails (THUMBNAILS!) or your crooked finger. Yes. I noticed that on our second night together in the hospital. Your index finger on your right hand is bent to the left at a precarious angle. Experts call that clinodactyly. Daddy and I call it crazy. Old Crazy Finger. I do hope that if you someday go to college and choose to join a sorority, that becomes your rush name.
We brought you home healthy and lovely, sleeping lots during the day and little at night. Alexander took to your presence with a love that I don't think I've ever known. Watching him with you in those early days of your life made me so envious of my friends and family who have siblings. There is a very special bond growing between you and he. Lately, when Alex enters the room, it is as if no one else exists on the planet, you are just so focused on him. And it doesn't matter what he is doing. He could be laughing, screaming, crying, tormenting or cuddling you; you give him your undivided attention. Lately, you've developed a special type of language that you save for him. He's the one who gets the best shrieks, yells and giggles out of you. It is altogether amazing to watch and I hope beyond hope that this early time establishes the foundation for a friendship that the two of you will share into your old years.
All this talk of you watching your brother may lead some to think that you are an observer in spirit, and that couldn't be further from the truth. You, my dear, want to participate in the world around you, and you make your desires known through your action that continues to amaze Daddy and I. At five days old, you rolled over. I am not kidding. I put you on your belly for tummy time, and turned to help Alex with a puzzle. I turned back to check on you and you were on your back. Sleep deprived, I asked your Dad if I had put you on your belly. I had. We marveled. Since, you have craved tummy time, and when you managed to build the strength to push yourself up, back time was history. I theorize that this way, you have much more control over where you're looking and what you're seeing.
You are also a marathon night-sleeper, although for the first few weeks at home you had us wondering if you would ever get your day and night figured out. Those weeks were worth it. Lately you've been putting yourself to sleep between 6:30-7:00 and we generally do not hear from you until 7:00-7:30 the next morning. Daddy loves this. I love it too, so much so that I am ready to buy you that car and just put it into storage until you turn sixteen. Mommy loves her some sleep.
Charlotte, you are happy, healthy, squishy and smiley. You blow raspberries at your brother and when we come get you in the morning after your marathon sleep, you never fail to greet us with a giant toothless smile. You are drooling a ton and you love to suck your thumb. Lately, you've been preferring the left, but I do catch you from time to time favoring the right. You enjoy time in your Exersaucer, tummy time, sitting on our laps as long as you can look out at the world and just about anything your brother does.
You have brightened our world in the way only a new baby can and have taught me that love is, indeed, limitless. Thank you for joining us in this crazy adventure.
Love,
Mommy
Jun 4, 2010
A Return to the Blog...
So, this blogging with two children thing...not happening. Not that I don't have anything to write about because these two give me plenty of content. It seems though that every time I sit down to write something, someone wakes up from a nap, or needs a new diaper, or is hungry, or wants to discuss the tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico and its far-reaching, long-term ecological and economic ramifications...
We went to Boston recently and introduced Charlotte to air travel. We're fortunate in that she seems as easy of a traveler as her older brother. The amount of stuff we packed and hauled with us was comical. I should have documented it with photos of the bags. It was an excellent adventure, nonetheless, and I have fallen in love with a new city. I think I want to move there.
We went to Boston recently and introduced Charlotte to air travel. We're fortunate in that she seems as easy of a traveler as her older brother. The amount of stuff we packed and hauled with us was comical. I should have documented it with photos of the bags. It was an excellent adventure, nonetheless, and I have fallen in love with a new city. I think I want to move there.
Mar 19, 2010
Adjusting to Life as a Foursome...
So, I was toying with the idea of renaming the blog, at least temporarily, to Alex's World Gets Rocked. That was until we brought Charlotte home from the hospital and I got to see how well my big boy adjusted to his new baby sister. In short, Alexander is doing amazingly well, and we're happily adjusting to life as a foursome.
Charlotte is a healthy, happy baby. Easy to soothe, likes to sleep (just not much at night), and enjoys eating. We're blessed.
Thanks so all of you who have been in touch...we've been terrible at returning calls, but slowly catching up! I promise that we'll be in touch soon if we haven't been already.
Here are some photos from Charlotte's first two weeks with us.
Charlotte is a healthy, happy baby. Easy to soothe, likes to sleep (just not much at night), and enjoys eating. We're blessed.
Thanks so all of you who have been in touch...we've been terrible at returning calls, but slowly catching up! I promise that we'll be in touch soon if we haven't been already.
Here are some photos from Charlotte's first two weeks with us.
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