Things that have happened since Charley has been born: November - January

November
I cant even believe Charley is 6 months! Wow this has flown!

• We started food! First with peas, then apples.  As of 11/6 she isn't that into it, which is shocking.  
• She started sitting up!  She can sit up on her own for a few seconds at a time.
• She rolled over from back to front on the play mat in her bedroom - it was so exciting!
• Charley is sick again.....boooooo.  
• She loves Mangos.  
• Sneak peek of our Christmas card!
• Charley went on the bus! Twice!  The armitage bus from day care.
• Charley experienced snow for the first time on 11/21/15
• Allergies: peas and possible green beans. This sucks because she loves them. Tonight Charley broke out in massive and scary hives after eating peas....ugh.
• Did I mention Im sick again?  Oy. Miserable.  Charley is doing better and Bill is fine of course! 
• She is waking up every 2-3 hours now...what gives? We need to move her crib to the other side of the room.  

December

• Charley weighs 16lbs, 12oz!  7 months old! 
• She is sleeping better, but I am an enabler, so she sleeps in bed with us a lot. 
• She cut her first tooth on 12/8/15 - which explains a lot of crabbiness of her behalf!
• We had dinner as Russell's with Mackie and her family the day after Thanksgiving!  She met Levi, and they had a great time.
• Cicily, Alec, Avery and Alistair came over while they were in town from Austin - Charley and Alistair had a great time! 
• Charley sat in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time! 
• Charley went to Goldyburgers for the first time too!
• We had Christmas and Charley got lots of toys! Her favorite are the blocks and the piano.  Everyone was so generous!
• We have had a lot of people to see this week: Molly and her girls, Amy and Joshie, Erica,  Denise and Colleen, Frankie and Emily, and Erin!
• Her first new years eve was spent sleeping as mom and dad had beef tenderloin and Angies stuffing. 
• Here is to a great 2016!!!!

January

I got a new job! That is big news for January - I am the new Academic Coordinator for the Harold Ramis Film School at The Second City.  I have been so freaked out, but while I leave a job with amazing health insurance and benefits, wonderful co-workers and friends, and stability, I have decided to take a major risk to take on a new job with a new for-profit school that hasn't even been announced yet.  If anything. I think that it shows Charley that you can't stay comfortable - you have to take risks and challenge yourself.  

This month Charley discovered broccoli, and feeding herself little pieces. She is amazing and almost crawling!  

She has two bottom teeth, and is rolling rolling rolling! So close to crawling but not yet!  

Game night at Mary-Frances's

Photo of the Family

Carrots!

Bundled up for the walk to daycare!

Fun dinner at Jeremy + Shirleys, visiting friends Ferris + Paloma!

Morning Hair!!!

Charley little cowlick. So cute.

House Stuff & Our first holiday as homeowners!

I love love love love love love love love love love love and am totally obsessed with my pantry.  I painted it while Bill was at work, it looks awesome!

And it was Thanksgiving, three for me, two for Bill.  Yes - I had three Thanksgivings.  I really am not a fan of Thanksgiving, I find Americans to be so hypocritical in the thinking and advertising and marketing of the whole thing it kinda makes me sick.  And on a personal level, I'm not a fan of any Thanksgiving food whatsoever.  Regardless, we had Thursday at Tom & ManDee's in Michigan City with Vasso, Geo and the girls, then Friday I went to my folks per my usual Xmas decorations and dinner with my family, then Sunday we had Thanksgiving at Georgeanna's.  She is an excellent cook and her turkey was by far the best!

 Here we are!  Next year though, Bill and I will be hosting, and I will ORDER a smoked turkey :)

Thanksgiving week

Where, oh where has my time gone?
How is it already Thanksgiving?  I look back to an early blog, in which I complain about having to decorate the front my my parents house the day after Thanksgiving as it is a tradition I do so every year.  What is different about this year is that my dad, really for once needs the help.  The treatments have been going well - 2 down, 6 to go - but he's so tired, and easily irritable.
This year we are going to get the tree early, so Bill on Thanksgiving can help us mount it in the front.  It's a crap ton of work, so it will be nice to have his help!

Anyway, Halloween happened - here are some pictures.  As per usual, wen to John & Kadima's and it was really fun.

And with Rachel back, I have been doing lots of baking, too!

And with Denise & Colleen, we have attempted planking.

Attempts at a Family Xmas Card Photo

Christmastime and Crafting!

Ah, I am a Christmas fan. It's my favorite holiday.  I love Christmas, the ability to decorate your house totally differently for a month and to have it smell like fresh greens.  I love sending cards, reaching out to people and being excited for my own mailbox to see the cards that will come.  I love crafting, making dog cookies as gifts and shopping, shopping, shopping.  I love Christmas! It means being grateful for who you are and who you have in life,  celebrating life and love, and everything that makes us friends and family.  Parties are fun, too!

Attempt #2 at a family photo, this time with Christmas sweaters.

Lenny's first snow - he loves it!

Crafting at Erica's, we made wrapping paper with potato stamps!

Erica being crafty making a cute magnet.

Christine felting wool!

Kristin about to paint her stamps!

Lenny and Bill, not helping me with the Christmas lights!

And tree!  Finished to its glory!

Pre-Thanksgiving Bitching

I know there is something wrong with me, but  I really don't care for Thanksgiving. In fact, I loathe it and dread it every year.  I don't know if its the food, or Bill and I always having to plan between families, or if it means that Bill is going to start working non-stop until the end of the year.

It means the weekend after Thanksgiving I trek it back to my folks, make 85 trips up and down the stairs bringing up Christmas decorations, fighting with people at Home Depot for the perfect tree for the front yard, freeze my fingers off hanging and tying each and every bow outside and making sure each light on the inside tree is perfect.  Obviously my parents can't do it on their own, and of course I love helping since I don't have a front yard to decorate, but man its a lot of work!

I'm sounding extremely selfish, I know, but for ONCE I would love to host a holiday at our house.  Sadly, I don't own a big enough table, but I am determined to get a cool one from CB2 like this one.
Anyway, enough bitching.  I will go into it will low expectations, but come out proud of my hard work I did on their house, full from left over pie and turkey, and buzzed from Bloody Mary's.  So perhaps I should really just stop bitching, and start decorating the Ford's place.
UPDATE.....12.4.10
The decorating went wonderfully, and I brought Lenny and he and Sheba (my folks dog) get along so well!  It was really fun, went off without a hitch, and the house looks fabulous as usual.  I've got mad skills!!!!

Halloween 2010

As Mary-Frances & Jeff's wedding is quickly approaching I decided its time to reflect back 14 days ago to Halloween.  Whoops!  Almost missed a holiday post!
We had a great Halloween - went to John & Kadima's annual party with the creepy haunted house in their basement (and John even took the last week off of work to complete it).  It is honestly really scary.  I can realize that I'm in my friends basement, but I'm still terrified!
Regardless, Bill and I went as Sookie Stackhouse & Vampire Bill from the books, not True Blood, and there were some amazing costumes.  As per usual, pictures follow after the jump.