More Snow Pictures

Babies in the Snow

We got about 8 inches of snow last week. Actually we still have snow on the ground. Jeremy worked at the fire department Saturday and Virginia took the girls up to the station to play in the snow with Daddy. These are some really cute pics.

Behind the times again!

Here are a few pics from the last couple of months. I really am falling down on the job these days. I skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving. Now we have started on Christmas. Charity is all about body parts and animal sounds. She knows where her nose is along with eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, hair and her belly. Her new favorite animal sound is a cow. She can't just say mooo, she has to bend over and act like a cow too. I have been trying to teach her that Santa says "Ho Ho Ho" but I asked her yesterday what Santa says and she bent over and said "Mooooooo". We got lots of pretty snow today but it is way too cold for her to go outside. Maybe tomorrow it will warm up enough to take her out for a few pictures in the snow. We got about 2 inches of sleet and freezing rain last night and this morning, and it has been snowing all afternoon. I figure we have at least 5 or 6 inches already. She got to spend a free day at home with Mommy since she couldn't make it to Shawnee to work today. Uncle Galen has pictures of their trip to the Aquarium in Jenks. Aunt Jane would appreciate Charity's sentiments about the fish. She said lots of "OH My's". Like mother like daughter. Its and inside joke.

First Football Game

I took Charity with me to the homecoming game last week. I didn't figure she would last long but she really enjoyed it. She clapped and said "Yeah, Yeah" with everyone. She was engrossed by all the people and things going on on the field. She was especially interested in the cheerleaders with their pom poms. She had a specially made shirt for the occasion.
SHS class of '23. She got lots of complements on her outfit. We sat with our friend Dianne and her grandson Ty. He just turned 2 and has beautiful blue eyes just like Charity. Dianne and I used to go all over the state taking Charity's mommy and Ty's daddy to football games. Charity's mommy was a cheerleader of course and we watched Ty's daddy play. I have a feeling we will again be cruising the country side when Charity and Ty get a little older.

New words

Charity has always had a lot to say, but she usually doesn't say much when we are out in public. She likes to be bashful. She suprised us the other day at Walmart. We were in the checkout line and she looked over and started saying something to someone. But it turns out she saw a walmart gift card with a rubber ducky on it. As soon as I saw what she was looking at I knew what she was saying! "Wack Wack, Wack Wack". She had to quack for the ducky. It was probably one of those things where you had to be there to really appreciate it. But we thought it was pretty funny.

Pictures!

Uncle Galen gives kisses.

Look at all that blond hair. It seems to be growing much faster than the rest of her! Yeah! It's hard to tell by these pictures but it is also starting to get curly in the back where it is the longest.

Two sisters in a toy bucket. Having a great time.

Charity on the run.

I have lots of new pictures to post but at the moment I can't find my camera. So you'll have to make do with a verbal update until I find the pictures.

Charity is definitely a toddler these days. Talking, walking, climbing, throwing fits.....
She is a chatter box, always talking. You don't always understand what she says but she definitely has a lot to say. Climbing is her new thing. She likes to get on things and stand up. She climbs up on the little foot stool of the rocking chair and stands up on it and gets in trouble. She is so smart sometimes she scares me. Mom won't let her go in the kitchen but there is no way to use a gate or anything to block her. She does however have to go right past mom's recliner to get there so they have this constant battle over the passage to the kitchen. It has become a matter of principle for both of them. Charity has started to try to think of ways to distract her Granny so she can get past her. She tries sneaking past from the other direction by going around behind the rocking chair and crawling up the hallway. The other day mom had her toy box sitting in the way to block her off. She just kept going for more toys. Then she climbed in the toy box ( oh how cute) except the purpose was to distract Granny. I was in the kitchen cooking and next thing I know she is standing next to me with a triumphant smile on her face.

She loves books. I keep buying her the sturdy books. She will pull them out and bring them to you. The amazing thing is she will sit and let you read to her. When you finish the book she will get down and go find another or sometimes if I read to her she will take the book to Granny so she can read it to her again. I don't think I have ever seen a 14 month old who loved to sit and be read to.

We had a milestone today but it was kind of sad. She cried when Virginia dropped her off this morning. She was not happy to see Mommy leaving. She cried at the door. I picked her up and we watched as Mommy got in the car to go to work. I'm sure Virginia had a little cry on her way to work. It looked like it was killing her to walk away. She has never done that before. She usually doesn't seem mind that Mommy is leaving, sometimes she even tells her bye bye. Of course one day last week when Virg came to get her Charity saw her walking up to the door and started saying "yeah yeah yeah Mommy Mommy Mommy!" It was too cute.

Happy Birthday Charity!

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks, including the big birthday bash. Everyone had a good time. Charity enjoyed playing with the cards on the packages and the tissue paper. She had her 12 month check up the day before her birthday. She weighed in at all of 19lbs 14 oz. and is 27 3/4 inches tall. That puts her firmly on the 10th percentile for height and the 25th for her weight. I just say she is a little condensed. Lots of baby in a small package. She is walking everywhere now. She had been walking some for a few weeks before her birthday, a few steps here and there, but the day after her party she decided she could walk anywhere she wanted and just took off. She is slowly giving up her bottle. She is happy with the sippy cup most of the time now, but she is not ready to give up that pacifier. In the words of Emma Rose ( one of Granny O's Church ladies and wise grandmother) " Baby stoppers are wonderful things!"

Hula Girls

These two beauties spent the afternoon playing in the pool with Dad. You see there is that little kitty Mango (or Baby as Charity insists) in the background. He was stalking the grass skirts.

Big Smile

The whole gang

Here is a nice snapshot of the Tipton side of Charity's family. It is sad that it takes a funeral to get most of us together in the same state. I think we figured it was 1992 the last time both of my brothers and I were together in the same place. Mom was happy to have all of her kids together for once so we took pictures to document the occasion. And yes I know the date is wrong on the camera it really was 2006.

New Pictures

OK, quick update. Charity is all about food. Especially whatever someone else is eating. She thinks she should have some too. The only problem is we seem to have a blooming food allergy problem so we are a little weary of what she gets. She has had two episodes of hives and welts on her face after eating something in the last two weeks. Last time it was followed by projectile vomiting in the backseat of my car. That was nice.

Then their is all her words she uses so judiciously. She has quite a vocabulary for a not quite 11 month old. She says bye bye, kitty, puppy, baby, Hi! and Momma and Daddy too. The other day I was eating yogurt ( which she loves) and I was sharing with her but obviously not enough because I was talking to Granny and watching TV at the same time and wasn't feeding her fast enough. She got our attention quickly by very clearly protesting "Bite!" Don't get me wrong she still speaks a lot of Chinese or Charityese. But when she takes the notion she very clearly says what she wants. She has also decided that Mango ( her cat who is not orange) is no longer a "kitty". He is now a baby. She pounds him not so gently on his head and says"baby". He used to be a kitty but not anymore. For a kitty who was once the meanest cat I think I have ever seen he is so gentle with her. He has been since the beginning. I think he knows if he ever lays a claw on her he's dead.

She is growing fast but still a little on the short side for her age. She is standing alone and has been walking holding onto your finger for weeks now. We are still waiting for her to take out across the room. It will be very soon. I guess it's harder to walk on tiny feet she is still wearing size 2 or 3 shoes which she hates and she likes to walk on her tiptoes.

Life is starting to return to normal so hopefully I will be able to post more often and get some new pictures for everyone.

In loving memory of Clara Luvicie Works Owen, born February 18, 1907 and passed from this earth April 30, 2006. We will always miss you.

I have to apologize to Charity's many fans for not posting anything for so long. We lost our Granny O today. She has been really sick for the last six weeks and she got better today! She went to heaven to be with God and lots of other loving family. Of course we are all distraught. She was such a strong and ever present person in our lives I think we all just thought that some how she would always be there for us. She will always be in my heart even if I can't give her a hug and kiss on the head. I can't think of much of anyone who has had such a profound impact on my life. My little Charity is such an unbelievably special gift to me and I hope that I can come close to being the kind of grandmother to her that Granny O was to me. I hope as she gets older she can learn what a true privilege it was for her to spend the first ten months of her life with her great-great Granny O and how much she loved that baby. No matter how bad she felt or tired and defeated she was she always had a beautiful smile and a kiss for Charity. I can not imagine how awful these last few weeks would have been without Charity Ann to brighten our days. She is always smiling and happy. I tell people she is like a drug. You just can't get enough of her and I have to have a Charity fix everyday, even if for just a minute. She has been there to remind us all that life goes on and even in death there is life and happiness. The picture posted above is from our last birthday together. This past February 18, 2006 when she was a very young 99 years. How awesome is that.

Sister Sister

Charity spent a snowy day inside at Granny Hair's house with her big sister Brianna. Brianna was excited that Charity can crawl, but she wants her to be able to play with her.

I'm a big girl now!

Charity is gaining ground fast, literally. She is crawling everywhere. I had to invest in a couple of baby gates to keep her contained at my house. She is also pulling up. She has been pulling up on her knees for a couple of weeks but now she is standing....Walking won't be too long now!

Charity's First Car!

Yeah! Charity got to play outside today. It was 83 degrees today and we had spring fever. Charity really likes to ride in her new car. She holds the steering wheel like she know's what she's doing.

Deja vu

Granny O and I are having a birthday Saturday. She will be 99 years young. In preparation for the party Granny was looking for pictures of Granny O and I together when I was a little girl. When I saw the pictures she found I was amazed. It was almost like looking at Charity 40 years ago!

Bath time!

This picture is from before Christmas but it was too cute not to post.This girl loves her baths. The ducky tub was a great find. She thinks it's great fun.

Out to lunch,

Charity went out to lunch with Mom and Nanny to the new mexican restaurant. Our waiter spoke spanish and wanted to say her name but he couldn't quite get it. She always attracts the attention of the men in the room.

Catching a little nap with Mom

OK, I'm a little behind.
This little girl keeps us busy.

6 month Check up

Charity went for her 6 month check up yesterday. She is doing really well. She weighed in a 16lbs 4oz and 25.5 inches long. I think we have safely moved off the 25th percentile where she started off. She is now on the 50th precentile on weight but is still under on height. I knew she had been having a big growth spurt lately. We'll see how long it lasts. She is wearing 6-9mos clothes but I told Virg we should start looking at 12 and 18 mos for spring and summer outfits.

Boomer Sooner!

This little girl knows who to cheer for! Santa brought her Sooner PJ's. Too bad she has outgrown those ichy orange ones her Uncle Galen keeps buying her.... oh and she is a pro at sitting up.