First Christmas

Christmas Day is always exciting! Last year, I was largely pregnant on Christmas and we stayed in the Twin Cities and enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends who also happened to be expecting and without family in town. This year, we woke up with Charlie at home to open a couple of presents. Yes, we had just rolled out of bed!





We had an uneventful drive and enjoyed several days with family. Charlie found this rocking chair (mine when I was his size) and took to it! He also decided that walking would be his main mode of transportation on Christmas Day. He'd had the ability but hadn't fully committed to the practice until we were at Grandma and Grandpa Beauchamp's house!














Charlie received a Radio Flyer wagon from his grandparents. Mark began to put it together as soon as we got home. As soon as it came out of the box, Charlie knew what to do. This wagon continues to bring him much entertainment!

Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to all! Love, the Nicholsons

Fall Fun

My brother "convinced" us to go halvsies on a pair of Vikings season tickets. It wasn't a hard sell but it went something like this, "this way we will see you guys at least once a month. We'll have to come up." And so it began. A sad season for our Vikes but a ton of fun for the Nicholson and Beauchamp families.

Cory and daughter, Emma

Look Alikes? Charlie, Dani, Maddie (Cory's daughter)

Aamodt's Apple Orchard

The Making of a Winner

It all started with a trip through Target's clearance rack and the Charlie Brown Onesie for $4.88! The idea was planted and so I started searching for how Mark and I would transform into Peanuts characters. Two dollar stores, two Goodwills, another trip to Target, a stop at Joann Fabric, and a few evenings of paper mache and viola! Peppermint Patty and Linus to go with Charlie Brown to Boofest XII (our friend, Dan Fine's super fun yearly Halloween party. Not only are there costumes, but also games, prizes, and wonderful treats)!

I have to admit that I don't consider myself very creative. I loved this idea and hounded Mark for his artistic expertise. We had a couple of setbacks including Mark's first attempt exploding after I went to bed (and thus covering the dining room with paste similar to what you'd use to hang wallpaper). His second attempt the balloon shrank some but he was able to salvage that by blowing up another balloon inside the paper mache! His artistic rendering and confidence made this a contender for best costume. But it was truly our adorable Charlie Brown that won over the crowd. We won by 1 vote over an amazing couple that came as "Shark Week" (she dressed as a shark and he dressed as a scuba diver including protective cage!). And third place went to the characters of Clue (Prof. Plum, Col. Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, and an almost 4 week old Miss Scarlet).

Happy Halloween!

Electricity and toilets

My latest endeavors with the house have involved our "never ending" problematic toilet - and some electrical wiring (luckily not together).

The toilet started months ago when we noticed the mounting screws were lose and the toilet was wobbly.  I pondered this problem for quite some time and finally decided (months later) to do something about it.  I knew nothing of toilets, so I solicited my good friend Josh to swing by and lend a hand.  We had no idea what we would find - but figured we'd need some time after taking the toilet off to diagnose and run to get parts.  After the removal we found a plastic ring that was mounted to the waste line - except whoever mounted it didn't line up the holes correctly for the toilet to mount to -- plus, the ring sat lower than the surface of the floor.  To compensate for both of these things, someone has installed another ring, adding the needed space, and offering two holes to put the mounting bolts through.  The piece was made out of cheap plastic and had thus cracked on both sides where the bolts were held.  I headed to the store, found a much better plastic ring, and we proceeded to attach and make it work.  As we positioned the toilet back over the ring we made sure the wax ring sat correctly.  After sealing the ring, I stood there and asked Josh if we removed the rag out of the waste line... and he stared at me wondering how he was responsible for this situation?  We removed the toilet and found the rag neatly in place.  We were hoping to reuse the wax ring, however, it completely fell apart upon removal of the toilet, and we didn't have more.  They run about $1.50 - so Josh was kind enough to run over to the hardware store and pick up two more.  I finished the job which ended with a sturdy toilet. 

A few weeks later our niece was visiting and not aware of her strength broke the flush handle arm.  No problem - I went to a little plumbing store (that carries it all) and they found me a simple brass arm handle that you bend to fit.  A few bucks and back I went to install.  The arm didn't fit right and I had to make some serious bends to get it working - I mean a 90 to start, then a good 75 to even it out.  It wasn't pretty, but seemed to do the trick.

A few days later, we noticed the flap wasn't sticking and there was a slow leak - it appeared the flush handle replacement wasn't working so well.  I never new finding a flush handle & arm was so complex.  I tried some adjustments to see if we could make it work.  It didn't always leak, and if you didn't press down too hard it worked OK.

Oh, have I mentioned the seat (this was all here when we moved in) is a thin plastic. Cheap and pathetic.

Several weeks later Dani noticed a few drops of water from our kitchen ceiling - just below where the toilet is located.  I was furious.  I figured that dumb wax seal didn't catch perfectly - and with all the non-standard things below the toilet, I couldn't blame it.  The following weekend, I gave myself a good 3/4 of the day to work on this problem.  After removal, I found the wax ring wasn't really even compressed - the mild movement of the waste line and the way it offset below the floor just didn't allow for a good fit.  I headed to the hardware store and located a WAXLESS ring.  Priceless - it seals to the toilet and then pops into the line.  This was my answer.  I also found a metal ring that I just liked better than the plastic one we had (plus, metal wouldn't ever break - just bend a little).  I purchased two bins of plumbers putty to seal up really good - and used some concrete crack filler to seal up a few grooves someone missed between the tile.  Popped the toilet back on, leveled it both directions, caulked the bottom (leaving a small opening in the back just in case any water leaked - so we'd see it), and we were back in business.  For good measure I found a new handle (it actually matched the bathroom better), and a slow close wooden seat, so I gave it a little upgrade.  All worked perfectly.

For about 3 weeks - then the seat broke off at the mounting screws.  Seemed rare to me - took it back to said store and they just gave me a new one.  We'll see how it goes.

Two days ago two electrical sockets went out in our living room.  I checked the breakers - nothing.  I tested each breaker - all good.  So, I started at one outlet and started working my way back.  I used an electrical sniffer to test lines as I worked my way back (thanks for the idea Dad!).  Found a box with power in, but no power out.  Shut down the breaker to that circuit and popped the top.  One ground wire wasn't in the wire nut - fixed that.  Removed another wire nut to the neutral wires, and one of the wires wasn't even stripped!  Fixed that.  I figured that would surely fix something.  As I was putting it back together I noticed one of the hot wires had some tape around it.  I pulled it back to inspect and noticed a nick in the insulation.  Nice.  I went to put the tape back and do some testing when I noticed the wire seemed rather limp after the nick.  Hmm.. it appeared the wire had completely broke off!  There was enough room to ditch the broken piece, re-strip the end, and wire it into the bunch.  All is now well on the electrical front.

I've surmised that if you want to continue using your brain - get an old house (pre 1930's? - ours is 1917).  When you have something to fix - nothing is ever straight forward and always requires some creativity.  I also Charlie-ized the kitchen cabinets (except for one - w/ the plastic ware), raked about 13 bags of leaves, added doorstops upstairs, hung a mirror inside the linen closet, and did some ceiling touch ups.  Until the next project...  Cheers, -Mark.

First Camping Trip

Our first camping trip with Charlie was amazing! We headed to Wisconsin, just across the river from Taylors Falls and camped at the Interstate State Park (in St. Croix Falls, WI). Beautiful weekend and fall colors! The only downside was that it also coincided with the first night below freezing. But, we were all bundled and enjoyed the cuddling.






Charlie, 9 months











Father and son



















We even took the opportunity to stop at an Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch on our way home! We picked some apples off the trees and let Charlie play with the gourds!

The Best Laugh in the World

We recently took a family trip to Seattle...maybe someday we'll actually write about it! But, for now, please enjoy Charlie and Sophia!

Our produce!

Cherry, Mortgage Lifter, Rutger's Select, Brandywine, Celebrity Tomatoes


Tasty ear of corn!


Thick, juicy, yummy Mortgage Lifter. Perfect for BLT's!


Charlie trying the Mortgage Lifter!

Photos taken 8/28/2010

Time Goes By Too Quickly

Everyone tells you to enjoy each day with your baby because he will grow up too fast. I feel this way today, and if I'm perfectly honest, every day when I walk in the door from work. Charlie is such a big, fun, smiling boy. He's napping right now and I miss him. Weekends are the time I get my tank filled with Charlie time! Then I trudge through another week and understand the Loverboy song, Working for the Weekend!

Charlie has fallen into a great routine of sleep: morning nap (1.5 - 2 hours), afternoon nap (1.5 - 2 hours), sometimes a late afternoon catnap in the swing or Pack n Play, and in bed between 6:45 & 7. He does get in one more meal around 10pm but goes right back into his crib. His routine is great and you can see that the good sleep adds to his playful and energetic personality. But, I typically leave for work at 8am and return at 5:30pm.

So the weekend rolls around and I feel torn between spending time with Charlie and accomplishing something around the house. Today, for instance, I sent Mark out on a solo bike ride so he could get some time to himself and recharge. I started to prepare waffles only not to be able to get two in a row off the griddle. So I gave up and Charlie woke up early from his nap...and the kitchen was still a mess...and I haven't clipped coupons, looked at photos from Charlie's baptism last weekend, planned anything for our vacation in 2 weeks, folded laundry that's been clean for more than a week, floors need to be swept, the bathroom needs cleaning, and on and on.

I don't know how people do it...maybe they can get by on less sleep and do more during the week. But, most evenings, Mark and I are lucky enough to have dinner together, clean up after, and have a little time together. And I'm lucky enough to have a house that gets dirty, dishes to be done, clothes to be folded, and a job that I enjoy (even if I miss my family terribly while I'm there). Life isn't too bad...just moving too fast!

(Not) Getting Ready for a Nap

This happened when we put Charlie down for his nap today:




Charlie has been full on crawling for almost 2 weeks...he'd been doing the belly/arm crawl/whale flop to travel around the living room previous to that. Now we have had to hurry up and baby proof as he is attracted to all things electrical. Oh, and he loves to climb!

6 Month Photo Shoot

Independence Day Weekend

How lucky to have 3 days off in a row! And what
an independence we've celebrated! Charlie had his first taste of solids (rice cereal) on Saturday. On Sunday he attended his first pool party. And today to celebrate being 6 months old, after downing the rice cereal he had a little avocado!
The water is so warm!



Yummy! I like avocado, Mama!



On a un-Charlie related note, we are also happy to report being able to walk outside to the garden to do a little harvesting for our meals! We've got tons of basil, cilantro, and lettuce! The tomatoes are here, just waiting for them to grow and ripen!

Enjoy!

It is so hard to catch Charlie on camera or video but here are a few attempts:

During the past month

Well, we've kept busy! The weather has warmed up and we've been away from our computers as much as possible. Things we've been up to:

Over Memorial Weekend we made a quick trip to Kansas City to celebrate the life of a dear friend and mentor-type. Once again, Charlie proved to be a rock star traveler! I'm seeing many countries in his future! :) We enjoyed visiting friends and their meeting Charlie for the first time. It was also great to get some Gates BBQ, Sheridan's Frozen Custard, and yummy Mexican food.

Mark was accepted into the St. Paul Citizens Police Academy. He's gone Wednesday evenings and is learning the basics of becoming an officer in a very condensed version. The purpose of the course is to create a stronger relationship between the community and the police department. Maybe he'll share more one day.

We planted our garden on June 1 (picture from 6/21)! We have 7 varieties of tomatoes (Roma, Grape, Cherry, Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Celebrity, and something else). We've got lettuce, green & jalapeno peppers, sweet corn, several basil varieties, cilantro, and mint. We've also planted raspberries and a Honeycrisp Apple Tree in the yard!

We've started a small group with others from our church. We have been attending Church of the Cross since a few months after we moved to the Twin Cities and have been helping start a sister church on the east side of the city (much closer to our house). As a part of this new community we are co-leading a small group. It's been great to connect with new people and share our faith and life.

Charlie started rolling over a few days after his 5 month birthday. Within days he was rolling with intent - spotting something he wanted and rolling to get there. We have to keep a pretty close eye on him! Just a week later he was up on his hands and knees, ready to move. I wouldn't necessarily say that he's crawling but he is definitely on his hands and knees and making forward progress. He doesn't quite have the arms down yet as he often does a big "whale flop" when he tries to lift a hand to move forward. But, he's happy and we so enjoy watching him grow and change every day!

We spent the past weekend making a quick trip to Iowa to celebrate our niece Whitney's high school graduation. It was another great opportunity to visit family and test Charlie's travel skills - he is a trooper! We do our best to break up the trip with stops at parks and on our way home hit the jackpot in Decorah, IA with Phelps Park. It has on a bluff (with hiking trail) overlooking a river and a big grassy/shady area to lay down on a blanket and play.

Keeping busy and enjoying every day we're blessed with!

Nature vs. Nurture

I'm seeing more and more of Charlie's personality take shape as we play, talk, and just enjoy time with him. A couple of nights ago I started blowing "raspberries" on Charlie's face. This is something I've done since his birth. Every now and again he'd accidentally blow a raspberry himself, typically drooling everywhere! But on this particular night, he got the hang of it. And this tickled him to no end. Boy did we get big smiles! I would blow one and he would do it in response. All the fun sure makes it difficult to put him down for sleep! He happened to wake up that night a little upset and while Mark was holding him and trying to work a burp out Charlie again began to blow raspberries and laugh! Mark did his best not to laugh as I've instilled a "no fun interactions during the night" policy. :)

This got me thinking about a conversation we had with some friends last week about the personalities of our babies. Charlie is definitely "into" people. He is quick to smile, coo, flirt...And, now that he's gaining more dexterity, he's kind of a show off! Grabbing toys, toes, fingers (yours or his)...we believe he is a big E on the Myers-Briggs (E for Extroversion). And, if you are doubting me, please see previous post and picture. It's crazy to see in just four short months how much of "Charlie" has taken shape! I know he will have years of interactions and experiences that continue to grow and shape him but it's really wild to already see that he is so comfortable in his own skin!

Everyone imagines what their child might grow up to be and I wonder all the time! Charlie's got a pretty great grasp with his left hand and amazing hand-eye coordination (anyone have an infant baseball glove?). But he also has the most expressive face, particularly his eyebrows and mouth (Broadway, Hollywood?). Everyone tells us, "he's such a cute baby" and boy does he have charisma (President?, CEO?). I know, I'm just a blathering mom! But he is pretty amazing and I continue to enjoy this journey on which we've embarked!

Caught on film

This is strangely one of the first of a few smiles caught on film of Charlie.  We used to take the camera out when he was smiling, but he'd immediately stare at the camera in wonder and amazement (and hence lose the smile).  Today I was able to snag a few pic's - and it seems that he's following in his more photogenic footsteps of his mother.   I wasn't sure if he intended to smile for this photo or think about what office he'd like to run for?

Growing...

So the big C is about 16 pounds and seems to be getting thighs almost too large to fit in the "bumbo" that he's sitting in, which we got as a loaner from a friend. We figured he likes to look, he can't really sit - so he checks it out from time to time. He's really not partial to any position and in fact is rather content on his back, stomach, side, in the swing (doesn't have to be moving), or just out in the middle of the floor. The only position I've really seem him irritated is when I'm holding him with one arm and he starts to slide down and then I realize his head is about at my hip level. This is actually rather irritating to both of us to be quite honest.

What's that black box of soil you ask? Why that's our starter garden... we hope. Dani planted some seed tomatoes (Big Boys?-- I forget), cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and some jalapenos. The cherry tomatoes are the first to sprout. I also started digging out a back flower bed near the garage that looks to get good sun. I went over 3 feet deep in an area about 4 x 3 feet. OK, I admit it, I was digging for some treasure! I kept hoping for a diamond, ruby, or some old box with gold coins, but no luck. All I found was the electrical line that runs from the house to the garage. I was careful to dig around that. However, that was more digging than I expected and the hole was well, it looked like we had a burial site beside our garage. We had two 45 gallon trashcans of compost we got free from the local city leaf drop-off place (no one knows what to call it really), and that didn't go far. I poured the first can in the hole and filled about 15% of it in. Dani didn't say anything other than asking how I intended to mix the dirt with it now that I had a 3 foot hole with compost on the bottom. I shrugged and did the best I could while layering the other barrel which worked much better. It looked pretty good until it rained the other day and lowered the level about 3 inches. Oh well - I need to pick up more compost for the rest of the area anyhow. Oh, the proposed garden area is about 12 x 3 feet... so I've got another few digs to go... which will likely be 1-2 feet deep unless I get eager again for treasure, but I'm not getting any high hopes. I did find some good use for the extra dirt though - I've placed it around the bottom of our backyard fence where rabbits are sneaking in. That's another issue we'll have to face down the road.

So, we'll wait to see how the garden goes and if Charlie's thighs balloon all the way up and he floats away.

Back at Work

I returned to work a few weeks ago (March 30)...I feel like I should have a lot to say about it but I don't really. While I was on maternity leave I accepted a new position within my company. I am now the Community Relations Coordinator. I still manage the activity department (employees, planning, paperwork) for 20 hours of the week and I am doing marketing the other 20 hours of the week. So far it's keeping me really busy which is great! I like getting to work, getting things done, and getting home.

The first couple of days I cried when I left, mostly because I fell like I will miss out on so much of Charlie's "fun" times of the day. But I am lucky that when I'm sad it's only because I don't get to be the one taking care of him not because I'm worried about the care he's receiving or if he'll be ok. Since Mark runs his own business from home, he's keeping Charlie during the day. It's been a tricky transition but they're both doing amazing and I am truly a blessed Mama! And with this beautiful weather I'm becoming more and more jealous!

A few more pic's of Charlie

It has been a fun time to watch Charlie grow and learn.  He already has a special response for getting up -- I can hold both his hands, and ask him "are you ready?", and he'll squeeze his neck (holding his head up), and ball up his legs, and I can roll him right up.  As soon as he's standing, he looks all around as if it's a new world.

The Nicholson Grandparent Visit

(From Mark)
My first entry in a while (sorry about that, and THANKS Dani for doing such a great job posting!). Since I'm headed to Las Vegas for a convention, I figured this might be a good time to do a little typing. My parents came to visit March 9-12. We had some warmer temperatures the week before, but rain came in and made the days more wet than us locals would prefer (actually, we'd prefer snow over the wet and cold, but that's another story). However, I think the temp's being in the 40's seemed more welcoming than that of the previous 20's and below we got in January and February. It was great to see them and to see them get to see Charlie, and visa-versa. Charlie was JUST at the point of interacting, and showed off with smiles, and even "talked" a little. It was a good visit on all accounts, and we're glad they were able to come visit. We look forward to the next time! Here's some pic's to enjoy.

He Just Keeps Getting Bigger

I know I'll probably be repeating those words for the rest of my life but I'm amazed at Charlie's growth! At his two month check up (March 5) he weighed in at 12 pounds, 15 ounces and was 24.5 inches tall. Yesterday, on our scale here at home, he weighed 14.5 pounds! He's a growing guy.

For a couple of days last week we took a little stay-cation. We went to Como Park on one particularly nice day we had a picnic lunch, walked around the lake, and took some photos. Unfortunately we waited just a smidge too long and have "getting tired Charlie" pictures instead of "Smiley Charlie" ones. Oh well!

**There are a few previous posts with video. It may look like a blank area but look just below for a small play button. We're trying to get some fun live action with Charlie. Enjoy!**

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We went to the St. Patrick's Day parade today in downtown St. Paul. It was a gorgeous day but the festivities wiped Charlie out! We're doing our best to enjoy the last couple of weeks before I return to work.

Talkin' It Up

We just can't get enough of him!

That's Tasty

Little Charlie is already growing up and showing a little independence (much to Mama's sadness). We decided to introduce a bottle once a day to get Charlie (and Mark) practice for when I return to work. :( With all that I have read I thought there might be some difficulty...see video below for Charlie's first bottle (and for those of you who are wondering, yes it's breastmilk). I am so glad for Mark and Charlie that the bottle does not seem to be a big deal - but it was a little sad for me!

Grandma and Grandpa B Visit

The weather has gotten (a little) better...and so the Beauchamp grandparents jumped in the car and drove north to see their new grandson!  We were excited to see Charlie meet the Beauchamp grandparents (Charlie is named after his Grandpa B)!  And we're all looking forward to more first meetings with family!

Finding (Today's) Rhythm

Charlie is four weeks old and I can hardly believe it!  He is sleeping like a champ (we've had several nights in a row of 4 or 5 hour stretches - I know it could all change in an instant!), nursing well, and having more engaged 'awake' times.  The  photo is of his first nap in his crib (today).  He sleeps in a bassinet but I thought we'd give the crib a try today as I've heard it can be difficult to transition.  Obviously, he couldn't care less
 

The days have flown by...and (after some words of encouragement from Mark) I'm working to find a rhythm for each day.  Last week, I took my first solo trip and got my hair cut.  Today, I ventured out grocery shopping.  Mark is an amazing dad and has so much fun with Charlie.  Many mornings Charlie goes to work with his dad.  Mark sits at the computer with Charlie in the Baby Bjorn.  It's a time when I can get ready for the day and get things done.  Wonderful!  I'm also getting the hang of doing things with Charlie (he's fast asleep right now in the sling pictured to the right).  It's nice to have two free hands.

All in all, we are having a blast!  We even went on a date the other afternoon - all three of us!  We went to see "Up in the Air" at a theater that has special showtimes for moms with kids.  It was awesome to get out and do something fun!

3 Weeks and Growing

We had a weight check appointment with our doctor yesterday...and Charlie is already up to 10 pounds 6 ounces and is 22 inches long.  He's gone from being in the 50th percentile for weight and height to above 75th in just a few short weeks!  The picture on the left shows just how tall he's getting (not quite the length of a pillow).  He's on his way out of the newborn clothing and diapers, too!  Hard to believe in just 3 short weeks he's grown and changed so much.  We are enjoying longer sleeps at night and longer awake periods during the day (well, at least the past couple have been like that).  This afternoon we bundled up and headed out for a walk in the sunshine.  Mark carried Charlie in the Baby Bjorn (front carrier) under his jacket and they kept each other warm in the 9*F weather!

Charlie is quite animated and is such a happy guy!  We are enjoying every day and are so glad for this special time we have together as a family.

SKOL Vikings!

A special thank you to the Bonness Family for the awesome apparel!