Charlotte in her Halloween costume

Charlotte in her Halloween costume...

You really need only watch the first 15 seconds. This is Charlotte and I shopping for my Christmas present. I was taking video to take to Aaron and Charlotte was confused by the camera being pointed at a mere piece of furniture.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Hurray!

Charlotte is now officially sleeping in her big girl bed. The first night was rocky, which was so sad since I had spent hours  poring over websites trying to find the perfect bedding (no, I'm not embarrassed) and painting her furniture. The second night she slept through the night by herself.  Her bedding is a giant, soft, ruffled, tiered, pink monster of a comforter. Charlotte spent her first successful night with her face buried in it. She is currently napping in her new bed which is a huge accomplishment since she would previously only nap on the couch.

Good morning!

Naptime.

First appearance on the blog.

Another baby of ours with a prominent butt-chin. Clearly a dominant trait.

Pictures

Helping mom bag all the apples from the apple tree.

The mirror at exploration place... amazing!

First

Charlotte just talked in her sleep for the first time.  Very emphatically said, "Day day day!" That is all.

Title

So here's an update:

Charlotte is starting to speak more and more. She can say little things like hi, yes, no, mama, dada, and the like. She also is increasingly impressing us with her balancing skills. She can stand on one leg and balance and is frightening fast at running and climbing. Clearly, not skills from her mother. She has, however, inherited her mother's distrust in strangers until they have thoroughly proved themselves in her eyes. I feel sort of guilty and sad for people when they first meet her and try to win her over only to be greeted by an unmistakable scowl of disapproval, but also sort of comforted that she trusts no one new. Take that, kidnappers. Things Charlotte loves:

Grandpa Mark
Uncle Logan
Vada
Vegetable Lo Mein
Playing outside
Climbing in and out of her play shopping cart
Her blanky (still)
Showers
Talking on her cell phone
When we use voice commands on the Xbox Kinect

Work at the hospital has been very good, but very busy. I'm slowly becoming a jack of all trades, working some days in a lab at a clinic, some at the hospital, and some at another clinic as an x-ray tech/medical assistant. I love my job, even if I don't always love the hours. I feel very fortunate to enjoy my work and to have a job that has let us financially breathe a little easier after two years of living off one income.

Aaron has just finished wheat harvest, so Charlotte and I are getting used to actually having a man in the house again. I am very grateful to not be a single mother, as the two to three weeks of wheat harvest  with Aaron leaving before Charlotte woke up and coming home after bedtime was exactly how I imagine single working motherhood to be. Crappy. So, hats off to my mother for raising three pre-teen to teenage girls, maintaining multiple jobs, and neither becoming abusive, nor an alcoholic. Hurray, mom!


I will leave you all with a picture of Charlotte enjoying spaghetti and watching one of the multiple rabbits eating by our dining room window.

Bad Kelli.

I'm not even going to apologize anymore for my patchy blogging. I think this is just how it will be. Many things have happened in the Huser household over the past couple of months.
-I graduated from the Radiography program at LCC.
-I got a job at my first choice hospital. It's only PRN for now, which makes me the bottom of the bottom of the totem pole, but I'm just happy to be getting paid for my time AND having a job in my field.
-I turned 27.
-We finally got internet at our house! Which is directly related to stopping of the financial hemorrhage known as "Kelli goes back to school."
-Charlotte has finally started to say "Mama."

Charlotte is actually really sick right now and has been for the past two days. Super feverish with a hoarse little voice and refuses to eat. We're just keeping her in a diaper all day because she's so hot and uncomfortable. 

And now, pictures.

So, it has been over a month...

Here are some updates.

-Charlotte now knows some animal sounds. Cows say "moo," horses say "pbbbfft," and chickens say "ba ba ba." She also gives a lot of kisses, blows kisses and knows that when I say "Alright" at lunchtime that it's time for me to leave.

-Charlotte had her first visit to the Botanica in Wichita and her first visit to the Sedgwick County Zoo this past weekend. She absolutely loved the zoo. She loved the bears. Once she spotted them, she tried to wriggle her hand out of mine/Aaron's and run down to the window. She also enjoyed the petting zoo. She pet a goat and almost pet a duck (which was not part of the petting zoo, just a particularly friendly pair of ducks crossing our path).

-I went to a radiologic technologist convention in Dodge City this weekend with my class while Aaron and Charlotte whiled away the hours swimming at the hotel, then spent an entire day trying to kill time until my convention duties were over. Happily, the team of two of my classmates and I won first place in the Ray Bowl against 3 other universities and one other community college. 

-My graduation date is exactly a month away. Praise the Lord.

-Charlotte and I had our first tag team sickness this past weekend. Pray for Aaron.