Suzi Homemaker

Yep! That's me.. Suzi Homemaker... well not really, I won't respond to the name Suzi (ok. fine. I would, but begrudgingly...) and I wish I were a homemaker as in a SAHM... but I do think a play a role in making our house a home... especially with these new curtains! Yep, I made this beauty all by myself!  (Can you tell I'm very proud of this accomplishment?) 

Of course it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a ridic story attached... So allow me to set the stage... Dan was working nights and Charlie was spending the night at Grandma Russell's (I had a dentist appt and she was watching her the next day it was easier this way...) I had the night husband and baby free! Sounds like a vacation, right? So early in the morning I was envisioning myself sitting in front of the TV with a glass of wine (read: bottle) in hand catching up on my absurd list of shows that I never have time to watch. As the day progressed, this vision morphed into something dark... I decided I was going to paint the kitchen. Bonus: I would surprise Dan! This is the only room that hasn't been graced with a fresh coat of paint since we moved in... it was long overdue. There was a spackled area next to the stove that would taunt me as I walked up the stairs... u-g-l-y. I went to the store by my work and picked out a perfect greige (gray/beige) shade. (I am the most indecisive person, so this was a very difficult task for me!) I loaded up on all of the supplies and I was good. to. go. After my dentist appt. I putzed around at my mom's with my sister. I mean, I was baby AND husband free... I just went where the wind took me.. well not really, she had food and I was hungry. So! after that I went home and decided to start this project at 10:00 pm. I mean how long could it take?? There isn't a lot of surface area to paint... I just have to tape. Yea, taping took me almost 2 hours. Then I needed to do two coats... of both the edging and rolling... yikes! 3:00 am I finally finished :) I set it up all HGTV style.. minus the things on the wall. I could hardly sleep I was so excited for Dan to see it! I swear it felt like Christmas Eve!! I call Dan on my way to work... we talk as he is driving home. He tells me he is home and that he'll call me later! I was giddy with excitement!! After about 10 mins... still no call! Hmmm.. I called Dan this is how the convo went:

Me: Hey!

Dan: Hey! I was just going to call you... 

Me: Oh?

Dan: Yea, the kitchen looks great!

Me: Oh thanks! You like the color??

Dan: You painted?

Me: (sigh)

No, Dan didn't not notice that I changed the paint from an off white to a gray (or smell it for that matter), there was nothing on the walls, no light switch covers were on and the spackled area was now gone. He did, however, notice that I cleaned off the butcher block (which is usually covered with junk mail and random baby paraphernalia) Folks, this is the person that I am trusting to protect me from the bad guys... I'm scared, very scared. 

October Round Up!

Some how October got away from me... Here is a recap of what went down at Casa de Russell...We had pics with ACP (We're down with ACP, yea you know me.. sorry, I had to..) Charlie was in one her moods.. and that mood did not consist of sitting still.. I was actually SHOCKED how many cute pics Anne captured... never ceases to amaze :) Here are a few of my favs!

I could pick a bazillion more... but this post is already going to be too long!

Charlie has fallen deeply in love with Eska... she likes Finn, but LURVES her Eska-bear... I think the feeling is mutual. Eska seems to be in heaven as Charlie rips out her fur (which btw, she learned from her dad... that is how Dan 'pets' her. Oi vey!)

My friend Heather got Charlie this for her 1st bday. Her name is Rody. (which is an odd coincidence because Dan had a Grandpa Rody (sp?) I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but his legacy lives on ;) One prob with this though... Charlie thinks Eska can be like Rody sometimes (bouncy)... Eska is not fond of this confusion...



And last but not least... here is a video of Charlie walkin around with her tentacles!! haha This costume cracks me up!!



I hope you had a great October!

Got-2-Be Smarter Than The Baby

This is what runs through my head whenever Charlie comes close to outsmarting me. I have to share my latest conquer... I have all of these adorable beenie type winter hats for Charlie adorned with cutesy ribbons and bows that I couldn't wait to put on her as last year her head was too small (which is a shock considering we've already established she has a bobble head see here). Alas! It is freezing! I can now break out these little beauties!! I put one on her head and as I was about to swoon and ooh and ahh... she rips it off so violently that I can almost hear the methodical, evil laugh that would complement her actions so nicely. The nerve!!! Needless to say, she refuses to wear hats... between you and me I think she is doing it out of spite...what's that you say? A 14 month old doesn't have the ability to know... you must come take visit to the Russell home soon.. you will not believe your eyes! Anyway, back to me winning... although I am still hopeful she will wear the other hats, I worked up a cute substitute for the time being... here's a shot of her modeling my creation. It ties at the chin, so try as she might, this sucker isn't coming off!! Mommy -1 Charlie- 0

Funny side note... The pattern said it fit 'most toddlers'. Since Charlie has the same size head as a 2 year old, I had to tweak it a bit!! haha I also embellished it with a flower ;)

My Favorite Halloween Treat!

If you would have asked me 5 years ago what my favorite Halloween treat would be in 2010 I would have responded with absolute certainty and conviction... SNICKERS! Hands down best candy bar ever.  Despite that fact, there is no way you could have convinced the 2005-Susan that in five years my answer would be Octopus... but I must say my Chachi looks scrudiliumptious! Here are a few pics :)

Daddy brain?

I think most people have heard of the saying 'mommy brain', right? Urban dictionary defines it as Mommy brain: The phenomenon known to mothers where their brains become useless piles of goo after being around their children for too long. I will be the first to admit that I suffer from this condition... in a BAD way! I think it started as pregnancy brain that kindly evolved into the next phase. Well folks, it appears that it is contagious!!  Last night I made lasagna for dinner and since Dan is on a diet this week, he requested that I make it low fat. I substituted half of the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese (surprisingly delish!), used turkey instead of beef and was going to use whole wheat pasta. The itty bitty sorry excuse for a Shoprite by my work didn't have whole wheat noodles so I went with one that was lower on the glycemic index. After making dinner and waiting for Dan to get home at 8:30, both Char and I were starved... As I'm cutting it up for Charlie, Dan is inspecting the box of pasta.  The convo went something like this...

Dan: I thought you were going to get whole wheat!?!?!
Me: They didn't have it...
Dan: Well this doesn't look healthy
Me: IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT! DON'T EAT IT! (my hunger got the best of me...)
Dan: I'm not saying for me, I mean for Charlie.... Susan! the first ingredient is salmonella!!
Me: (thought to myself)  you have got to be kidding me
Dan: Seriously Susan it says it right here!!!
Me: Um, do you mean semolina?
Dan: Yea! That sounds bad!!!
Me: Really? It sounds delicious to me...Have you ever had italian bread?

Yikes! I used to say I hope Charlie gets my 'book smarts' and Dan's 'street smarts'... her future is looking grim these days!

Girly-Girl.MP4

Charlie discovered a basket that I had filled with necklaces... I'm sure she was thinking "JACKPOT"! Here is a video of my girly-girl looking beautious as always... ok so I know she looks like a ragamuffin again but I think the necklaces really jazz up her halloween jam's!

The Dirties on Diapering

Ok get ready for another crunchy granola post...
I often get asked why we cloth diaper Charlie. There are SO many reasons most of which I learned after we decided to move in the hippie direction! haha In the first few days of Charlie's life, she developed this TERRIBLE diaper rash. We are talking blisters and all. It was so sad. I lubed her up with every diaper cream sold on the shelves at Babies R Us. Nothing seemed to help. The only thing that seemed to help was not putting a diaper on her... obvi this was a messy non-realistic option! After changing her diaper one time, I noticed these little crystals on her cheeks. No, she wasn't peeing diamonds, which btw would have been AWESOME! After doing some research, I learned with these pseudo-diamond crystals thingys were SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer or Sodium Polyacrylate) I also learned that this chemical was banned from tampons because it was linked to TSS.. Wait! back up the train! So a chemical that is not safe for me to absorb into my body for a week once a month is ok for my 7 lb baby to wear for the next 3 years?? I also think this chemical was the root of Charlie's reaction... the poor babe got my sensitive skin (and my huge gap in her front teeth.. another time, another post!) So with just this fact, I began my quest into the cloth diapering world... I learned a TON of other things along the way and I think this video that I randomly stumbled upon sums it up best. One thing that I learned that they didn't cover is the link between males and infertility. My generation is the 1st in disposable diapers (sposies to cloth diapering peeps!) and new research has found a huge increase in infertility in males... some research shows that the plastic of diapers don't allow the testes to breath and they reach a high temp resulting in fertility issues down the road... yikes! Now, diapers when I was a babe have drastically changed. As I am told, my sposies were made of chunky cotton... today's pampers have black magic in them that absorb 3x a babies weight... ok I'm getting a little crazy but what I'm getting at is if those chunky virtually chemical free sposies caused issues, what will we learn 20 years from now when data is released on these relatively new to the market 'dry max' diapers? Scary stuff.


*disclaimer* we opted for the cadillac of cloth diapers so we spent roughly $1600. It can be done MUCH cheaper, but it is still cheaper than sposies and wipes.

Top reasons people don't cloth diaper (myself included before learning about them)
* GROSS! I have to touch poo! --seriously this was my biggest concern. You don't, I swear! I actually got way messier with sposies as Charlie ALWAYS had blowouts.. never had one with the cloth to date :)

* You have to carry around dirty diapers when you are out. This was a huge consideration. We thought maybe we would only cloth diaper at home and do sposies when we go out.... after all limiting her exposure to these chemicals was def a step in the right direction. It really isn't bad. U bring a wet bag which has a little patch to put some essential oil on it to cover up any potential odor. When I change her diaper people have complimented me on the smell :)


* Are the diapers ever really clean? Yes, shockingly! I remember thinking how will my standard washer really clean these diapers, but honestly they come out clean! We have a front loader and thanks to its water saving nature creates a process to wash the diapers, BUT they do come out sparkling!


* All that folding and pinning is too much work? This was my favorite thing I learned! Welcome to the 21st century ladies and gents! Cloth diapers are super easy with snaps and/or velcro. The come in super cute colors and patterns (we use thirsties). 


Ignorance is bliss, which is one of the main reasons why my response to the question 'why would you cloth diaper?' is usually 'Charlie has sensitive skin' which although this is true, it's not the WHOLE truth. As parents we all naturally want to do what's absolutely best for our kiddos, and sometimes that means venturing out of our comfort zone. Cloth diapering is certainly not for everyone, but I will say I have no doubt it would be the majority and not the minority if parents knew #1 the harmful chemicals they are laying their babes precious bums in and #2 how easy it is. Anyone who has watched Charlie (ahem, my dear friend Heather) can attest to the fact that #2 is accurate. Just tryin to get the word out on the Strizeet in a not so 'in yo face!' kinda way.

Sincerely your very crunchy, tree-hugging, granola livin, wannabe hippie friend,
Susan

A few small steps for Chachi

Here are two videos from the other day... she has already improved so much from this!! It's crazy! She has been able to walk for awhile now, but she hasn't had the confidence to take steps by herself. As soon as she would realize no one was holding onto her she would plop right down! She is so proud of herself!! I love the 2nd one where she is dragging around a bag... this is her fav thing to do because she thinks she is holding onto something that will help her walk!! Oh Charlie, you are so...pretty!! haha



She looks like a bit of a ragamuffin here but still such a cutie!

HEY!.MP4

Charlie is a mighty sensitive little lady! She simply cannot stomach the word "NO!" she just breaks down... so sad! She is obsessed with Eska and Finn's food and water but knows that she is not allowed to play with it. This is evil but I had to get a video of her 'sly' attempt to pull one over on me... watch as she creeps closer and closer looking up at me... sneaky I tell you! Then when I say 'HEY!" it evokes such hysterics! O she is such a drama queen!!!

The 'Landslide' Metamorphosis

As a 'lil one, I remember sitting in the back seat of my Dad's Jeep Cherokee listening to Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide' (my Mom was way more hip... we always jammed out to Linda Rondstadt!!) The lyrics "I've been afraid of changin' cause I built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, children get older, I'm getting older, too" always stuck with me. I remember feeling insta-anxious in that I didn't want ANYTHING to change... it was scary...You may think this is ridiculous for me to understand the magnitude of these lyrics... but I have youngster diary entries to prove it! (I may lose some cred if you were to flip through the pages, as I had a new 'love of my life' every week...) I swear I was wise beyond my years. There is a chance that I peaked at 7, but I digress.

As a teenager, this song brought on new meaning... I remember driving around in my '88 red Volkswagon Fox (4-speed baby!) listening to this song on the radio, sobbing! Ah, how the pangs of unrequited love were so fierce!! It seems funny, almost ridiculous now, that those lyrics helped alleviate some of the heartache I was going through. I was convinced this was the true meaning of the song...

Now that I am yet another phase of my life—married with child—it has taken on a different form. I'm sure I don't need to spell it out of you...

Kleenex in five, four, three...

If you can't view this click here

*scroll to the bottom of the blog and pause the player before viewing*

Charlie's B-day pics are in!

Charlie's 'Shrine' Table.. note the huge scrapbook made by yours truly... def a labor of love!

Her own personal smash cake!

Did you make Charlie's Bday wish come true??

Centerpieces... gotta love mason jars :)

Ok, so it was like a mini wedding...

Lemonade anyone?

nothing says shabby chic like a bunting banner

the birthday girl's scepter

Cake, cake, and more cake!

Dessert table pre-desserts...

Wraps :)

deeeeelish sliders

rice crispy treat = classic

Cake Pops

Cream Puffs!

Although a few things are missing, this is the most complete pic we have of the table... peeps just couldn't help themselves to all these goodies!

The lady of the day!

One of my faves :)

Not too sure about everyone looking at her!!

This is Charlie's "THIS CAKE IS SO GOOD BUT WHY IS EVERYONE STARING AT ME" face

The favor... awesome chocolate bark! Thanks for the recipe Donnie Pine!

Charlie's 1st birthday party was a crazy day! I was all over the place :) I did have a lot of fun planning and can't wait to plan more parties :) I couldn't have done it without my awesome friends and family. Special thanks to Charlie's Glama, Grandma, Great Aunt Jane, Aunt Head, Aunt Neen for their countless hours helping prep for this party! And I can't forget Ellie the centerpiece-maker and Jess who was my friend hand chica the day of! I'm sure I missed a few, but know that I am so thankful! As I mentioned in the last post photos were taken by Dana (dhmphotography.com) 

Sneak Peek

I'm still trying to recuperate from Charlie's bday party! It was a ton of work, but so much fun :) Thank God for such a beautiful day! We had a total of 90 peeps! I was too afraid to look at the weather forecast until the day before for obvious reasons!! I asked Dana to snap a few pics of all the details of the day as I knew I would be running around like a wild woman... She has a real eye for all things vintage and since Charlie's part-ay's theme was shabby chic with a touch of vintage, I knew she'd be perfect for the job :) I can't wait to see the pics! Here's one Dana sent to me a message asking if she can put it on her site :) (she recently launched her biz, check her out http://dhmphotography.com/ )

More to come...soon!

Charlie is One!

It is hard to believe that this time last year I was in the hospital awaiting the best gift I have ever received. I think back to the things that were running through my mind.. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl? What will he/she look like? What are we going to name him if its a boy!?!" I think it is safe to say, I truly underestimated the significance of it all. I mean, I knew I was going to have a baby and that's a pretty big deal, but the whirlwind of emotions and life-changes that would shortly ensue weren't even a drop in the bucket of my thoughts. The moment when the doctor placed her in my arms is forever etched in my heart. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. In that instant, Dan and I became a family.

A friend of mine called to congratulate me on her birth and said the truest, most heart wrenching words to me, "Congrats Sue, now part of your heart is on the outside".  That summed up exactly how I felt. I wanted the world to see, but at the same time I felt vulnerable and needed to protect her from the scary things in this world. I'm sure this feeling will carry through my entire life.

It is hard to imagine what life was like without my Chachi. Yes, it was only a year ago, but honestly what did I think about before?? I have no idea!! Thoughts about our family consume my mind. As most of you know, Charlie was not planned. Well, I should say she wasn't in mine or Dan's immediate plans.  Clearly, she was in God's plan. It's like she was put on this earth to remind me He really does know what He's doing up there! Dan and I dated for just a few months before we got engaged and then shortly married. Our friends thought we were nuts! All we could say is 'it just feels... right." I can say the same for Charlie. Even though she was colicky and didn't stop crying... ever, it always felt right to have her. It's like I never knew something was missing until I found it (applies to both Dan and Char!). *note* Dan will probably be mad at me that I didn't throw the dogs in there too and although I love them dearly... it just isn't the same! Looking back on the past year, it's hard to remember the many-a-sleepless-nights walking up and down the hallway trying to soothe an inconsolable baby.  What I do see is the first time she smiled at me, the first time she reached for me, I hear 'Ah-goo' and the first time she said 'Ma-Ma'. All the doubts that I have in myself for being a flawed human being, there is one thing I know for sure— I must've done something right to deserve such a blessing.

Now that I am a sobbing mess at work... here are a few pics from her 1st bday shoot :)

Rite of Passage??

Ok I swear Dan and I are good parents... (and I will keep repeating this until I believe it!!) if anyone were to only read this post and the one just before it, I'm pretty sure Dyfus would be a-knockin' on our door! Last week ON DAN'S WATCH (just wanted that to be clear) Charlie fell down the stairs. Now this sounds terrible in itself, but just so you know the severity of it, we do not have carpeting and we live in a bi-level so that is 6 steps of hard, solid, wood that my poor girl fell down.  This is how it went down (no pun intended):

I walked in the door from work looking forward to hugging and kissing my babe like I haven't seen her in years (11 hours is a LONG time) Usually Dan has her waiting at the top of the stairs holding her has her arms are stretched forward, reaching for her mama... not that day. As soon as I rounded the corner Dan picked her up and turned her around. This is how the convo went:
Dan: I don't want to fight, maybe you should sit down

Me: Huh? (I was confused why Dan wouldn't give her up!!)

Dan: She fell down the stairs BUT she cried right away and I checked to make sure nothing was broken and her eyes are responding to light and her teeth are fine and she drank her bottle and she only cried for a minute and she is walking around her like nothing happened and.. (he just went on and on and on, mind you I was still on the 'she fell down the stairs part' so I heard none of this)

Me: Back up... how did this happen????

Dan: Well you told me I had to clean (sneaky-deeky trying to make it MY fault!), so the dogs and I went downstairs to get something and the next thing I heard was 'thump, thump, thump...'

My heart broke! Ooohhh the pangs of motherhood... I'm pretty sure I could have gotten sick over the visual. The guilt ridden thoughts were pouring in "I knew we should have put up the gate this weekend". "This would have never happened if I were home". "I should have told him to bring her downstairs if he went down" (i know this last one sounds ridiculous, but seriously any mother will attest to the craziness that goes on within your mind)

Dan: seeing the whirlwind that was undoubtedly going on in my head... "SHE'S FINE, SUSAN. SHE'S FINE, SUSAN. SHE'S FINE, SUSAN. SEE LOOK! SHE'S FINE.

I'm not sure if Dan was nervous because of what happened or if he was nervous to tell me... but Thank God Charlie is totally fine :) I didn't sleep a wink that night for fear she would fall into a coma or who knows what else my imagination was conjuring up! Needless to say, the VERY next day Dan's dad came over and installed the gate :)

Since this happened, it has come up a few times and it is amazing how many other kids fell down the stairs... 'So and so fell down the stairs as a baby and he/she is fine'... it's like it is a rite of passage! Haha well, I can joke now because with the exception of a little cute on her lip she was/is a-ok.

Harry Potter

So Sunday morning Charlie and I were laying in bed... well really I was trying to get a few more winks in while she was mesmerized by the ceiling fan... and Eska decided she wanted to be pet. Well, usually Eska is aware of and is careful to avoid Charlie... not Sunday morning. She gave charlie 'paw', but charlie did not understand this was code for catch my paw and pet me.  Eska's paw landed right on poor Charlie's face, leaving a scratch on her forehead that resembles Harry Potter's scar.  Charlie really didn't cry.. I think she was more in shock! (as was I). We had to go to shoprite later that day... there was a new judge lurking around every corner, in every aisle! The usual 'AW SHE'S SO GORGEOUS!' (to which I usually follow up with just like her mommy, haha!) Turned into 'AW SHE'S SOO... yikes! what happened to her head???'. Gosh, I felt like the world's worst mom. I didn't know how to respond... should I tell the truth and get double judged, provoking the "why were you not supervising your baby and dog, you heathen!". Or should I go with the trusty 'she fell. She is trying to walk!'. While the latter portion is true... I just couldn't bring myself to lie. I mean after all, why do I care what these shoprite-sunday-shoppers think about me. So with my head held high I explained the WHOLE story, to which I'm sure they were immediately sorry they asked!! Yes, I did receive the 'wow, you are a terrible mother look', but after a few bottles of wine, I didn't seem to care anymore! haha I'm just kidding. Here is a pic of the my poor girl...

and for those of you who haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies...

Dancing Queen.MP4

When Charlie was little we used to joke that we hope she gets my rhythm and Dan's athleticism.  If by some terrible stroke of bad (read catastrophic) luck she gets the reverse (mom's athleticism and dad's rhythm) I fear she will be that awkward child everyone teases... The good news is Charlie loves to get her groove on.. She has dance fever! As soon as she hears some music she starts bopping away. I always joke that she must have Dan's dance moves, BUT there is hope!! Notice towards the end of the video when the song says 'stomp our feet' my genius child stomps her feet!! I'm sure it was just a coincidence, but still it's pretty cute :)

Yea, I'm THAT Mom!

FACTS: Charlie is and has been an extremely healthy baby.  Charlie has been to the doctor more times than most 'sickly' children because she has a neurotic mother.

Before ever having Charlie, I would watch other people's child-rearing methods and make mental notes saying "I will NEVER do that!" or "ugh! they are nuts"! I know it's mean, but c'mon you know you've done it too!! Picture a screaming child in a restaurant... you know the "If that were my kid, I would..." has run through your mind a time or two! Anyway, I find it both hilarious and humbling that most of the "I would NEVER's" have now become "I have done that!" Of particular note, I would see these mother's catering to their child's every whim... baby: *cough* *cough*  mom: Are you ok? Do you have a temperature? I need to make an appt with the dr, you feel warm. B.C. (before Charlie) my response to this would have been 'Geez! Give me a break! he/she is FINE!' I guess it's true what they say... until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes... So! prior to this post, Charlie has only had one fever... about 100º and turns out she had a TERRIBLE ear infection :-( (See post I'm out of the running for the mother of the year award). Dr. Chi said there is a strong likelihood little miss will have another one before she turns 1 year. Well, since telling me that, Charlie no sooner itches her ear or gives her earlobe a tug and she is sitting on the table at Dr. Chi's! Yes, I am that mom. On thurs, Dan calls me at work telling me Charlie feels 'warm' and is acting lethargic and clingy. Now, Dan is the antithesis of an alarmist... his warm = on fire. Trying to stay calm I asked if he could take her temp... she was 102.5º. It took every bit of restraint I had not to flee from my desk and drive home without stopping at a single stop sign or light! I called her Dr. and the receptionist said to give it 24 hrs and give her Tylenol in the meantime. NOW! J&J tylenol was recalled and all the 'good moms' out there ran out and grabbed all the generic acetaminophen off the shelves, leaving NOTHING for me and my fellow procrastinators. Knowing I had such trouble finding it for the last fever, I asked if I could substitute with anything else or worse, what to do if I couldn't find any (she was prob thinking... yea, Susan Russell, I knew that name rang a bell... while you are out getting Tylenol, pick up a chill pill!) I called several pharmacies and found it! Phew! After walking in the door and took one look at Charlie, I called the Dr... AGAIN! ha! I mean, just writing this makes me embarrassed! Charlie was completely flushed, BURNING hot (temp of 103.5º now) and was panting. Now going back to fact #1, I have little experience with any sickness... which further compounds fact #2! I insisted the Dr. see Charlie 1st thing in the morning... Charlie had a ROUGH night, but the fever finally broke around 3:00 AM and she fell asleep. Dan took her to the Dr's in the morning.. (it was my b-day and I was treating myself to a boot camp class... phenomenal btw http://www.backtofitness.org/) and I knew Dan could handle it! Dr. Chi said everything was clear and wanted to send her for blood work just in case... turns out it was viral and Charlie is back to be being a happy babe! And YOU were so worried... hehe

Charlie's BFF

Notice this post is not titled "Kayla's BFF". Charlie loves her friend Kayla Grace, but the jury is still out if these feelings are mutual! haha The pics suggest that KG doesn't share the same enthusiasm for CG, BUT it was late and past both of their bedtimes... Charlie is like her mommy and gets wound up before she crashes! Kayla and Charlie had a great time when Kayla's Grandma and Grandpa watched the two of them while Me, Dan, Tom and Nicole (Kayla's parents) went out for dinner! It as so sweet of them to watch our little miss... Kayla's grandma is basically the baby whisperer because somehow she managed both beauties seemingly effortlessly! We love you Mrs. McDonough!! Thank you again for letting us have a 'play date'!! It was long overdue... we miss our vacation buddies!