First big boo-boo

Charlie got his first big boo-boo. He rolled off our couch onto the hardwood floor...I could have sworn I only looked away for a second!!! Anyways, he is going to be just fine. It might take me awhile to forgive myself for letting this happen. He will be in a sling-cast for one week for a small fracture near his elbow. He sure is a cute little gimpy!

Charlie's First Christmas

Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful, crazy,and fun first Christmas with our boy Charlie. He was so excited about each gift he opened, and has been enjoying them ever since. He must have been a very good boy this past year....errr...8months.

We had Christmas Eve mass, the traditional one gift on Christmas eve, and then Christmas day with both sets of Grandparents. It was a day full of joyful memories!

We also welcomed Michaela into the Wheeler family! Patrick and Michaela were married on December 27th, 2009. It was a beautiful wedding, if I do say so myself! There were even gingerbread bride and groom favors :) Wonder who made those???...hehehe.

Charlie's First BIG Snow!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Crochet Critter

Here he is, my newest crochet creation! I think he is SO cute.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Charlie had a great Thanksgiving! He tried sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes....loved them both. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Another afternoon in the park

Charlie and Daddy at the park! I just thought this picture was too cute, and had to post it.

My two handsome boys.

Cups, Cups, Cups!

Whenever Charlie sees a cup - He has to have it!!!

He wants to be a big boy so badly.

Some tea in the Jumparoo!

THE CAP IS ON...Don't worry!

Having a drink with Daddy!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween. Charlie carved his first pumpkin, had candy, and trick-or-treated a few houses. It was a lot of fun!

Sitting up!

Lately, I have been propping Charlie up with his Boppy pillow, and he loves it. He is getting so big, and can almost sit up by himself. What a CUTIE! My favorite is the yawning photo. I am so glad I had my camera near by.

Doug and Mini-Doug

Engineer in the making! Those are Doug's glasses on Charlie's little face. I guess I don't have to wonder what Charlie will look like when he grows up. He is his Daddy's boy!

A Fall Day at the Park

Charlie and I have been spending our afternoons in the park lately. The weather has been beautiful for fall in Flagstaff, and it gives me an excuse to make Charlie wear his pumpkin hat! He likes the swings, and laying on the grass to watch the clouds blow by. How lucky am I to play with this cutie all day!

Mommy's Little Helper

We did some painting this past weekend, and Charlie was a BIG help! I painted our new master bedroom a slate blue color and was brave enough to try some stripes on the wall. I just love it!

I will post a finished product picture soon.

Charlie's Baptism

Charlie was baptized on September 6th. He wore a gown that was made from his Greatgrandmother's wedding dress. We had a wonderful day! Charlie's Godparents are Uncle John Duff (Doug's Uncle), and Aunt Becky (my sister). He only cried a little when Fr. Jude baptized him with the water. But, anyone would cry if they were woken up from a nap with cold water on their head! The baptism was beautiful, and we were happy to share it with so many family members from across the country.

Yummy!

Charlie likes his rice cereal! More cereal probably made it onto his bib, but it was definitely a memorable event. He was all smiles and so were Doug and I.

We have moved! Our new house has room to grow and is in a great neighborhood. I will post more once I unpack a few more boxes. I don't recommend moving with an infant to look after. It makes the process so much more slow. We will get unpacked sooner or later. My goal is 2 weeks....I hope.

NEW ADDRESS:

Doug, Kelly, and Charlie Helsel

57 W. Gneiss Trail

Flagstaff, Az 86001

Toes!

I am sure he will hate me someday for posting these naked picture of him, but they are just too cute not to post!!! Lately, every time I change Charlie's diaper he insists on showing me how he can grab his toes. He has gotten very good at holding onto his toes and inspecting them. It has to be one of the most adorable things I have ever seen. I am one lucky Mommy.

Vacation to Pinetop

Here are a few pictures of our trip to Pinetop, Az.

Sleeping through the night at 10 weeks!

Charlie has slept through the night for the past week now! It feels like the clouds have lifted and the sun has come out. I cannot believe what a good nights rest does for Doug, Charlie, and I. Within a week I had him sleeping in his crib...in his room...and through the night

(8 hours with no midnight feeding).

HOW DID WE DO IT???

I can honestly credit our recent sleeping success to our new sleeping schedule. Charlie has just thrived off of it! It is the structure and routine that provides Charlie with a predictable eating, playing , and sleeping pattern that makes our days (and nights) much more manageable. I came to this scheduling after weeks of loosing my mind trying to figure out what my child wanted. Was he hungry? Is he tired? Should I breastfeed again? It was a guessing game.

Our secret to success has been a modified version of the "Baby Wise" method by Gary Ezzo and Dr. Robert Buckman. This method at it's core is a constant eat/wake/sleep pattern. Before the schedule, I was parenting by the seat of my pants and constantly offering Charlie breastfeeding as his only form of comfort. I was trapped in my house ,becasue I did not know how much time I had until I needed to feed him or he needed to sleep. He was also becoming dependant on me to fall asleep for naps during the day, and still feeding twice at night.

Now with the schedule, Charlie is able to self soothe, and I can provide what he really needs instead of constantly offering feeding. I can also get things done, because I know how much time I have before he wakes up or needs to go down again. The Baby Wise schedule has allowed me to get back to my normal life, and feel more confident as a mother. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is having a child or has one that is difficult to put to sleep. I wish I would have done this much sooner. We are able to enjoy our days together so much more, and plan family time with ease. I wanted to give Charlie (and Doug and I) the gift of a good nights sleep, so I put in the work. It has truly payed off!

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July weekend! We made homemade icecream, went to two BBQ's and saw cousin Jameson. Charie also had his 2 month check-up at the doctor this past week. He is in the 70th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. He sure is his Daddy's boy...long and lean!

Cousin Jameson

Charlie and Jameson were hanging out at G.Ma's house yesterday! Charlie slept the whole time, but we had some fun with Baby Jay! He is sooooo cute.

Charlie Goes to Gilbert

Charlie went to Gilbert this weekend. He met his Great Nana and Great Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. It was a great trip....a little too hot.....but we made it!

Sedona!

We went to Sedona for our second wedding anniversary, and we took the kiddo! Charlie went on his first hike at Red Rock Sate Park, and went swimming for the second time.

It was a great trip.

Charlie Goes to Tucson

View all

Get your own

We had lots of fun this weekend in Tucson. Charlie made his first road trip at 6 weeks to meet his Great-grandpa, Great Aunts/Uncle, and Great Cousins. We had a great time in the backyard pool too!

Charlie's First Bath

Charlie had his first full bath.

He likes the warm water...but it not quite sure about the soap!

Memorial Day Fun

Charlie and Aunt Becky

Aunt Kelly and Jameson

Uncle Patrick and Charlie

Cameron, Becky, Michaela, Patrick, Jameson, Mom, Dad,

Charlie, Doug, and Kelly

This Memorial Day meant a lot more to all of us this year. Patrick reported for duty in the Army the following day. We had a great BBQ with friends, family, and lots of Babies!

In Charlie news... He is 4 weeks old now and focuses on faces and objects. He is such a joy! He sleeps in 3-4 hour chunks (which Mommy and Daddy greatly appreciate!), and has given us a few smiles which we have yet to catch on camera.

Sooooooo Sleepy!

3 weeks old today!

Charlie is 3 weeks old today. He has brought true joy, laughter, and love to our lives. I cannot believe how challenging parenthood has been...but how wonderful it is all at the same time.

He's a Keeper!