Just a quick update

This week has been surprisingly smooth. That is probably due to the fact that my mom has been here almost every morning doing laundry and picking up our messes for us. We've spent most of our time at home, but did venture out to the mall with Grandma one morning and to the grocery store all by ourselves yesterday. (I consider this quite an accomplishment!) Charlie also made his first trip to Grammy and Bop's house for dinner last night.

Several people have asked if it's really possible to love a second child as much as the first, and I have to say it absolutely is. Charlie is such a sweet, even-tempered little guy. We are head over heals in love with him! And watching Gracie grow into her role as a big sister makes us adore her even more! Here are a few pictures to show what we've been up to this week and so you can see how much Charlie is already changing.

Grandma gave Gracie her first french braid!

Grace loves to "play" with Charlie. He's not so sure about it.

Daddy and Grace built a snowman this morning. (Isn't it almost April!?!?)

What I Learned Today

When the box of Easter egg dye says it's recommended for ages 3 and up, it's a good idea to pay attention. If you decide to go ahead anyway, use just the light colors like yellow and green. Stay away from the blue and red. Laying down newspaper sounds like a good idea, but you might want to consider something plastic coated instead. And don't just cover the table, cover the floor as well.

If you don't know all of this already, and you go about your Easter egg dying care free, don't be surprised when your two year old spills an entire container of red dye on the table and floor. Even then there is good news. If you work really fast, you can get most of the dye up. Getting the stains off of your toddler is another story, so if it happens to be the day before Easter, make sure she has cute tights to wear with her Easter dress to cover her red streaked legs.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub Charlie in the Tub

Charlie had his first bath today. He was not a big fan.

Once he was all wrapped up, he was super cuddly.

(He's actually peeing on my hand in this picture!)

The bath really woke him up, which doesn't happen too often, so we had to get some pictures.

And as usual, Grace was there with a big kiss for her baby brother!

Introducing Charlie

We've been quite busy around here lately due mostly in part to this little bundle of cuteness.

Introducing Charles Jeffrey Walters

Charlie was finally born Monday afternoon. We got the call at 1:30 in the morning that a bed had opened up for us. I had to be on antibiotics before they would start labor, but it started quickly after the doctor broke my water around 10. I had an awesome epidural that kept me incredibly comfortable up until it was time to push him out. Three pushes later I had this amazing little baby in my arms. What a miracle this whole birth thing is!!! He weighed in at whopping 9 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21.5 inches long (although the doctor measured him today and said he was 22.25 inches long!)

Here are few pictures from the hospital.

Gracie coming to meet Charlie for the first time. She immediately wanted to hold him.

Three generations of Walters men. Look at that proud Grandpa!

Big Sister holding Charlie.

We've been home a couple days now and we are all adjusting to life with a newborn. He is such a sweetheart and loves to cuddle. So far he is doing great at eating and sleeping, although he much prefers to sleep than eat at this point. (But who doesn't, really!?!) Grace is the best big sister. She is constantly giving him hugs and kisses along with pokes and prods. She loves to "help" and often wants to do things such as change his diaper all by herself. I think she thinks we've given her the best baby doll ever!

He does kind of look like a doll, don't you think! =)

Still waiting...

My favorite comment from a nurse so far:
"If you came in now we'd have to stick you in a closet. We don't even have an extra monitor."
I guess it's a good think labor hasn't started on it's own yet! Seriously, where are all these pregnant women coming from and why are the ALL having babies this weekend!?!?

No Room at the Inn

I wanted to post an update for those of you looking forward to the "big news". Although we were originally scheduled for an induction Friday, we are still at home waiting for the hospital to have room for us. (It is now Saturday evening.) It must be a very popular time to have babies because every time we talk to them they are totally booked! We are very anxious to meet this little guy but know that there are other women who obviously need to be there more than us right now. So for now we keep on waiting and praying that my body will go into labor naturally so that they have to make room for us! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers and we'll try to keep this updated. =)

Birthday and Birth Day

Yesterday was Grace's actual birthday. We chose to celebrate it earlier in the month because we didn't know what exactly life would look like by the time we got to the 12th. As it turned out, life looked pretty much the same on the 12th as it did on the 2nd, so we did some extra celebrating! We spent the morning at Kids Quest Museum. It was Gracie's first visit, and she had a great time! Her favorite part by far was the area devoted to water, but she also loved exploring the cab of a semi-truck. She has a whole new excitement for trucks now as we drive on the freeway.

Once we were done playing at the museum, we ate lunch at one of Gracie's two favorite restaurants, Red Robin. (In case you're wondering the other one is Subway where she eats a sandwich with cheese, olives, and pickles...yum!) The server brought her a special birthday sundae which you can see she thoroughly enjoyed!

In other news, I had a doctor's appointment this morning and am being induced TOMORROW!! That's right, there is an end in sight! Jeff and I are both so excited to finally meet this little guy. I think even Gracie is looking forward to it. This morning, the first words out of her mouth were "Baby Brother Out!"

Baby News

Okay, that title may be a little misleading because the truth is there is no baby news. I've had a bunch of people tell me they've been checking here for an update, so I though I'd provide one. Despite my doctor telling me on Thursday that she thought we'd have our little guy this weekend, and despite the fact that I've walked more in the last 4 days than the last 4 months combined, and despite the fact that I was somehow certain this baby would come early, here we are 2 days before his due date still waiting. Oh well. I know he will come in perfect timing and in the meantime I'm enjoying my last days as a mommy to one. I know one-on-one time with Grace will be harder to find once baby is here, so I'm trying to make the most of this waiting period. Jeff and I have also enjoyed some nice time out together before we turn back into walking zombies for awhile. Honestly, now that Gracie's birthday is just two days away, I'm hoping this little guy decides to stay in for awhile longer. I'll keep you posted! =)

Birthday Girl

Gracie's 2nd birthday isn't actually until the 12th, but since that is also "baby brother's" due date, we decided to celebrate on the 2nd this year. (She is two after all, it's not like she knows the difference!) We had a fun day playing together and celebrating with family.

I can't believe my little baby is already 2 years old! At every stage, starting from her first days home, I have always said, "I wish she could stay just like this forever", but it turns out that every stage is as good or better than the stage before! She is so fun right now...FULL to the brim with personality...precocious as can be...and so tender and sweet. Anyway, here's a look at how this itty bitty baby grew into such a spunky two year old.

Minutes Old

Six Months Old
First Birthday
Eighteen Months Old
Big Two Year Old!!
Alright, now I'm getting a little teary, but come on, I'm 10 months pregnant and allowed to be a little emotional, right!?!?