Wordless Wednesday

I know that a TON of blogs do a "Wordless Wednesday" feature.  They'll post a deep and meaningful photo with lots of natural light and contrast.  (I do enjoy them, by the way.)  Obviously, I have words in this post.  But I thought it was an appropriate title for my Charlotte update. 

Charlotte is now...wow...over eighteen months.  (How did that happen?!?!)  She is all caught up with other eighteen month old babies in height, weight, motor skills.  However, she is still lagging in the language department.  She can communicate.  She is very clear in letting us know what she wants - pointing, babbling, screaming very loudly.  But her articulation is just where a fourteen or fifteen month old baby would be.  She doesn't say any words (aside from "mama") or make any other hard constant sounds.  But I'm not terribly worried.  I think she will catch up when she's ready.  In the meantime, we've got hearing tests lined up, speech therapy sessions to attend (all under doctor's orders; I swear I'm not overreacting and being crazy mom).  I guess I should just enjoy the babble while I can.  When I can actually understand her, it might not be so cute anymore.  :)

Here's a video clip of her babbling away while sitting at a computer in Justin's office. 

Scrub, Scrub, Scrub!

Step 1.  Apply soap to sponge.

Step 2.  Lather.

Step 3.  Rinse.

Step 4.  Repeat as needed.

The Golden Ticket

LABELS.  We use labels to describe ourselves.  We use them to describe others.  What labels are attached to me?  Who am I?  Mother, wife, sister, friend.  All pretty positive.  Attorney, blogger, photographer, baker.  Okay, for the most part, those are fine as well.  Scrapper.  Hmm...most of my friends chuckle when I use that label.  At first, I was a bit embarrassed.  Okay, I was really embarrassed.  But as I became more passionate about this hobby, I also become more proud of that label.  SCRAPPER.  Why should I be ashamed to be a scrapbooker?  Why?  Because I'm creating something beautiful and unique for my family?  Because I'm writing messages and letter for my daughter...which she hopefully will one day share with her children.  There is nothing to be ashamed of there.

A huge influence in my *growth* as a scrapbooker has been the daily sketches created by Kristy Lee at scrapbooksteals.com.  With each sketch, I embrace the challenge to make it my own and to create yet another page for Charlotte's first year scrapbook.  Below are my interpretations of sketches 41-50 (which officially makes me a member of the "Gold Club").  I am clearly hooked.

Sketch MWM #41 - Keeping Great Gran Busy.

Patterned Paper:  Echo Park (Country Drive);  Embellishments:  Martha Stewart Crafts (lady bug dimensional stickers), American Crafts (thickers, brads), Tattered Angels (glimmer mist).

Sketch MWM #42 - First Easter

Patterned Paper:  We Are Memory Keepers (Hippity Hop);  Embellishments:  We Are Memory Keepers (embroidery floss), American Crafts (thickers, brads), Prima (flowers), Martha Stewart Crafts (border punch, buttery punch), Making Memories (flower brad).

Sketch MWM #43 - ...after

Patterned Paper:  We Are Memory Keepers (Out and About);  Embellishments:  We Are Memory Keepers (brads, chipboard stickers), American Crafts (thickers), Studio Calico (wood heart), Lawn Fawn (stamps), Technique Tuesday (stamps).


Sketch MWM #44 - Hawaiian Adventure

Patterned Paper:  Me and My Big Ideas, Echo Park (Candy Shoppe);  Embellishments:  Me and My Big Ideas (chipboard stickers), Echo Park (label sticker), American Crafts (thickers).
 
Sketch MWM #45 - Three Months

Patterned Paper:  Echo Park (little girl)t;  Embellishments: Echo Park (stickers), My Minds Eye (journaling die cut), Marta Stewart Crafts (border punches), Unity Stamps (banner stamp)

Sketch MWM #46 - Go Navy, Beat Army

Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye (Lil' Robots), We Are Memory Keepers (Out and About);  Embellishments:  My Minds Eye (border strips, letter stickers), American Crafts (thickers), Unity Stamps (date and military stamps), Oriental Trading Company (brads), Fiskars (border punch), EK Success (border punch).

Sketch MWM #47 - Born in Flagstaff

Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye (Penny Lane);  Embellishments:  Sassafras (flower sticker), American Crafts (thickers, brads), Echo Park (letter stickers), My Minds Eye (stickers and die cuts).

Sketch MWM #48 - First Birthday

Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye (Hip Hip Hooray);  Embellishments:  Prima (flowers), American Crafts (thickers, brads), My Minds Eye (stickers), Oriental Trading Company (buttons, brads), Hampton Arts (owl stamp), Lawn Fawn (banner stamp), Unity Stamps (date stamp).

Sketch MWM #49 - Charlotte's Princess Party

Patterned Paper:  Imaginese (Enchanted);  Embellishments:  Imaginese (stickers, ribbon, die cuts), American Crafts (thickers), Oriental Trading Company (flowers, buttons), My Minds Eye (journaling die cut), Lawn Fawn (stamps).

Sketch MWM #50 - We Are Family

Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye (So Sophie);  Embellishments:  American Crafts (thickers), Making Memories (ribbon).

Fireworks on the Water

It's been such a long time since I've posted on the blog.  I'm so sorry.  I attempted to download bootleg scrappbooking software (yes, you read right...scrapbooking) and instead got a nasty virus that corrupted our entire computer.  That was a few months ago.  Justin thankfully and finally reformatted the hard drive, reinstalled windows, and we are now back up and running.  (And I actually bought the software instead of searching for it on bittorrent.)  Sigh...

I hope that everyone had a lovely fourth of July weekend.  Charlotte came down with a pretty high fever mid week that had Justin and I both pretty worried.  Thankfully, her fever broke on Saturday afternoon and remained fever free for the rest of the weekend.  Thank goodness too, because we had some pretty awesome weekend plans. 

On Sunday, I crashed my brother's house and hosted a family BBQ/ pool party.  Charlotte absolutely loves the pool and had a great time splashing around with Justin.

For the fourth of July, we went onto Pappy's boat, which was anchored out in Glorietta Bay.  This was Charlotte's second time hanging out on the boat and spending the night.  We played on the beach, wandered around the bay in the dinghy, barbequed some sausages, and watched an amazing fireworks show. 

 Charlotte fell asleep about halfway through the show

She didn't wake up until 7 am the next morning.  She always sleeps so soundly on the boat.  Her dad sleeps pretty well too.