Introducing....Charlie Addison Skiles!

She's finally here!!!!   Our sweet little angel baby, Charlie Addison Skiles is here and we couldn't be more ecstatic!  Little Charlie was born March 1, 2010 at 3:49am.  She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 3/4" long.  Because she had a short umbilical cord, she didn't want to descend and wasn't able to be born "regular" so I ended up having a cesarean section.  Just a short time in surgery and I heard the greatest sound in the whole world, my little baby crying...it was absolutely magical.  I never thought that I would feel so much emotion, but it was truly the greatest sound I have ever heard.  We had to stay in the hospital a day longer than planned because little Charlie had lost too much weight.  She got down to 5 pounds 12 ounces.  When we left the hospital she was 6 pounds 2 ounces!  On her last doctors visit, last monday, she was at 6 pounds 14 ounces and 20 3/4".  She is growing like a little weed!   It has been 18 days since that very first cry and Adam and I are so happy watching our little girl grow.  Here are some pics from her birth and beyond!

Only we can make labor look fun!

Just waiting around for sweet baby Charlie!

Brand new baby girl!  I was in recovery and Adam got to be with Charlie in the nursery.

Tiny foot prints

naked blonde baby!

Grandpa Charlie and baby Charlie.  She was named after her grandpa and Adam's Grandma who is also named Charlie.  

Grandma Terry!

Daddy Adam looking very official in his scrubs

Right after she was born, I got to meet Charlie in the O.R., but here I finally get to hold her

Love at first sight

Brand new and already a ham

Aunt Rachel came to visit us in the hospital!

Nothing greater than this picture.  Holding my little baby skin to skin has got to be the best feeling in the world!

Perfect bundle

This is the amazingly awful and hilarious dog cake that Adam and my Mom got for me since I also spent my 30th birthday, March 3, in the hospital.  This belongs on Cake Wrecks for sure!  The perfect cake!

Finally Home:

We gave Fidel Charlie's hat she wore in the hospital.  He loves it.

sleepy head

She's karate chopping her way into our hearts!

Listening to every word her grandma says!  She is very alert already, she's going to be a genius, but not one of those creepy, obnoxious geniuses.

loving her daddy

The most precious little angel.  

I will be blogging more as the time goes on, but right now we are just so enjoying Charlie.  She is so amazing and a wonderful addition to our family.  I can't wait to see what she does next...

The Nursery is Complete

Hooray!  It's been a bit of a process but little Charlie's nursery is finally finished, all that is needed is a little baby to put in it.  Here are pics from the transformation:

 

The nursery before was really cute, our friends who lived here before had a son and it was cute for him, but we wanted to change it up a bit...here is the closet before...

 

The far wall before and of course a horse, because who doesn't want a horse?

 

next wall before...

 

and wall by door before...

 

The room was dry-walled except for the closet and ceiling, so Adam got on it...

 

adding mud to seams and where we took off the chair rail...

 

next we did a real thick and swirly texture on the entire room...

 

more texture...

 

and even more texture

 

close up on texture, Adam wrote Charlie's name in the mud...kinda hard to see in the pic

 

Finally some paint!  My mom came over and offered her artistic talent to the room...there is a sky background, trees, birds and flowers...so girlie

 

the new closet, Adam added a permanent shelf and painted her dresser to match the sky background

 

the tree by door.  This is where the crib will be

 

flowers and leaves blowing in the wind

  

the horse sitting beneath the tree...silly horse

  

inside the closet on the right, a tree branch with flowers

 

left side of closet, two sweet cuddle birds

 

Charlie's Room!

 

Furniture!  All done with the nursery!

  

my mother-in-law bought us this amazing crib, it goes so well in the room, I loves it!

 

close up on the crib and bedding, so cute

Well, now that the nursery is all done and everything is put away, all that is left to do is pace around until little Charlie gets here...can't wait!

Warm Hearts Project

Warm Hearts Project
 

Click on the link Warm Hearts Project above to participate in this wonderful project!  A talented jewelry designer, eNVe Designs has created a beautiful necklace that is currently traveling around the globe in hopes of raising awareness and funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital.  All you do is sign up to recieve this necklace, wear it, take a picture of the awesome way you wore it, submit it to her and mail it on to the next person.  So simple!  She will donate $1 for every person who participates.  Learn more on her blog and sign up!

Happy Birthday Mom!

 Me and my mom getting our tan on!

Today is the day the world was graced with my mom's presence.  She is the most amazing mom that anyone could possibly ask for and I am the lucky one who gets to have her for one.  As I am soon to become a mom myself, I have been thinking about all the things that my mom has done while I was growing up to make me feel completely loved and special.  There are way to many to list, but one of my most favorite memories growing up was waking up to the sound of music and laughter.  My mom and my Aunt Linda, who's birthday happens to be today also,  (Happy Birthday Aunt Linda, I love you!!!!) would call it their "Sunday Morning Laughs" and it is the most wonderful sound I have still ever heard.  Their is nothing better than waking up to a happy home and I hope my daughter will have the same wonderful memories.  I always feel utterly happy when I am with my mom and no matter where I may have lived, just hearing the sound of her voice overwhelms me with joy and love.   I am so grateful to be once again living within a mile of my mom and knowing that she is going to be such a huge part in my own child's life is the greatest gift that I could give my daughter.  So, thank you mom for being you and giving me life and loving me so much.  I love you sooooo much.

My Aunt Linda and Mom doing what they do best...laughing!

 

My mom and I at my Aunt Linda's last weekend

Valentine's Day at Chickmunk Funk!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I've been putting some sweet V-Day jewelry up in my shop.  Here are a few of them, but be sure to check back often as I will be putting more up within the next day.

Sweetheart Drop Earrings 

Sweetie Pie Drop Earrings 

 

 Red & White Hearts Wooden Necklace 

Wish Bracelet in LOVE 

Happy Birthday Fidel!

Today Fidel is officially 2 years old!  Woo Hoo!  Hooray!  Yip Yip Yip!  We celebrated yesterday with a small get together in honor of my favorite little man.  I realize that this may seem "ridiculous" as our friend BJ put it, but my friends humored me and attended Fidel's Birthday Party.  It was fast and furious and left everyone with a sense of how much I need to give birth to this child that is growing inside me so that I can stop channeling all this maternalness (is that a word?) to my dog.  Regardless, a fun time was had by all.

 

Fidel's Bow Wow Beef and Bacon Birthday Cake before it went into the oven.  Click on the link to get the recipe.  FYI - a total hit with dogs and our friend Mike Honcho!

Mmmm..... I was afraid that the dog's wouldn't like the cake but it was a huge success!

I couldn't even get a picture of them enjoying the cake because they ate it so freakin' fast.  I am assuming the cake was a total success but then again, Fidel still eats his own poop.  My mom's dog Molly isn't one to turn down a plate of anything either.

Gary was so excited he pushed his cake plate right under the fridge

 

After cake came presents.  Here Gary is trying to show Fidel that it is proper etiquette to open the card first.

With a new bowl and something awesome in Adam's hand, Fidel is picture perfect.

 

What could it be?  A new Pirate Chicken of course!!

Well, after too many goodies, cake and presents all the dogs were pooped and had to go.  We had such a good time and hope that Fidel has many more fantastic birthdays!

Ohhh....She's....Cute.....?

So, since I am less than 7 weeks away from becoming a parent; I have been wondering to myself if all mothers think their baby is the cutest baby they had ever seen.  OR if you are able to see flaws and be realistic if the baby is less than adorable.  I know, I know, "all babies are cute" but lets be serious...not all babies are beautiful.  I have seen babies who are less cherubic and more chupacabra and I wonder if the parents see it too.  I am curious if my own little baby will be the cutest thing I have ever seen or somewhere in the top 10.  Don't get me wrong, cute or not, I will love her more than anything, but maybe I will emphasize her personality rather than entering her in Toddlers & Tiara's.  Who knows.

I like this baby....

With all this said, I had a little dog when I was in high school who did happen to be the cutest dog I had ever seen.  I moved away to college and filled my dorm walls with pictures of Peanut and let friends admire her.  When I moved, my parents became Peanuts new mom and dad and they loved her with all their hearts.  When they took Peanut on walks, kids would stop them and ask "what is that?"  We thought they just couldn't tell a dog from a cat or something.  Some of my friends were reluctant to pet her or stare her directly in the eye and I would get so upset, because to me she was the cutest, cuddliest, most adorable little angel. 

Today, however, I was looking at old pictures with my mom and came across one of Peanut.....

So I have officially answered my question, and the answer is Yes, no matter what, you will think your little one is the cutest thing you have ever seen in your whole life....which is nice.