Charlotte is 13
Weren’t we just teenagers? It blows my mind to grasp the fact that Melissa and I now have a teenager. Melissa and I started dating at the age of 15, and so consequently, that is a point of reference for me. How can Charlotte be 13 already? Possibly two years away from meeting her husband…whoa…haha!!!
Charlotte was a handful as a baby. Sure, some of that was because it was our first time being parents and all, but some of that was because of the strong will and zest for life that Charlotte has. It has been so much fun over these past years to see those how those challenging traits as a toddler have turned into real strengths as a young lady. We are so proud of the things that Charlotte does. She does well in school. She plays the trumpet and piano well. She makes really cool art and has tons of creativity. She loves animals, is a great friend and she even likes her brother. But more than that, we are even more proud about who she is, and who she is becoming.
Happy Birthday Charlotte Gray. Every day with you is an adventure and your smile and kind heart are some of our favorite things about you.
Oliver is 11
Sporting events are often broken up into quarters, halves or even in hockey as three periods. As Oliver turns 11 this year, I can’t help but think that his first half of living in this house, with his parents is half way through. I think the average child doesn’t actually move out to until much later these days, but 11 is half way to 22 and that’s when I moved out, got married and moved 500 miles away from home.
Even though 11 isn’t a round number, this year feels different. Maybe is is because 11 is half way to 22, but I think that actually, it’s the fact that day by day, Oliver is transitioning from a boy in to a young man. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of a wiser and more mature Ollie. Every week that goes by the little boy diminishes and the grown up version increases. I was so excited when Oliver was born because I liked the idea of having one girl and one boy. One of each. What a fun journey so far!
It has been a joy to see all of the ways Ollie has grown already and while I know that I’ll miss the little boy, I think I’m more excited to see how the second half of the game goes. As parents we have two jobs. Give them roots and then give them wings. I can’t wait to see him learn to fly in the next 11 years.
Happy Birthday Oliver James!
Fall Break 2023
For our fall break adventures this year, we headed out west to Nevada and California. We hopped between four different locations and enjoyed each stop!
Our first stop was Lake Tahoe. This reminded us of Lake Louise. The hiking and views were excellent!
Next stop was Yosemite National Park. We drove from one end to the other to visit the grove of sequoia trees. We stopped several times along the way to take in the sights!
In Carson City we visited a train museum. Jay and Charlotte got to help move one of the trains on the turn table and we learned a lot from the people at the museum. It was like Thomas the Train in real life!
Our last stop was Reno. They had a great river walk and the best rooftop pool and hot tub combo we have ever seen. The kids really spent some time up there!
Beach 2023
In June we took a trip to visit Grandpa and Tiki’s house in North Carolina. We got to spend time kayaking on the lake and playing at the beach. Everyone had a great time!
Charlotte is 12
dozen | ˈdəz(ə)n |
Twelve years ago we were heading to the doctor’s office for a weekly visit. Charlotte’s due date was March 5th and our Bradley Method birthing coach made sure to remind all of the first time moms in our class that they should add 10 days to their due date. As it turns out, the science of divining due dates 1) isn’t an exact science and 2) first borns average being born about 10 days late. Of course all of the first time moms in the class had this idyllic picture in their minds and were certain their baby would arrive on their due date, but when March 5th came and went, those wise words from our birthing coach began to echo in our minds.
We were doing all of the typical hacks to coax Charlotte into her arrival. Some I’ll mention and some I won’t…haha. Taking walks, bouncing on yoga balls, even ordering the Eggplant Parm from a local restaurant in Richmond, VA which claimed their delicious dish would induce labor. They got our $18.95, but we didn’t get a baby…at least not yet. They closed in June of 2022, probably due to false advertising lawsuits :)
Back to the regularly scheduled doctor appointment. At the time, doctors didn’t like to get more than 2 weeks past a due date before inducing labor. While it was a mutual decision, Melissa, the one who would endure the actual labor, decided to deliver naturally and so I’ll spare the details, but after our appointment, they said, “you are ready to deliver this baby.” You can read Charlotte’s entire birth story here. There are 4 parts.
All of that to say, that Charlotte’s entrance was exciting and full of emotions. Charlotte has a gentle spirit, an artist’s eye, a kind heart and an appetite for chicken wings. Every parent knows that their child is going to do great things and sometimes I wish I could hop into a time machine and much like Marty McFly, fast forward 10, 20 or 30 years to see how it all turns out. Each day is a window into who Charlotte was, who she is and all that she will become and I’m honored to be her daddy.
