Charlotte Jane

Charlotte is truly one of the sweetest babies in babyland, and I am not saying that just because I'm her aunt! Really, she has the most precious smile and cute disposition. We enjoyed every moment with her and Aunt Heather, who stayed with us for five days. We'll fondly remember the dueling raspberries, Charlotte pulling herself up and trying to join any activity the Bauer girls were doing, cuddling her buddy, humming after waking up from a nap, funny faces while eating her lunch, playing with the Little People nativity set and even her grunting/growling sound that we can't quite figure out! We are so blessed to have Char Char in our family. And Char is blessed to have such a top mom. Heather has the "Mom" gene, and she's a very calming influence for Char. No wonder Charlotte is so laid back -- well, that and the fact that Chuck is her dad! :) Thanks, Char, for bringing lots of smiles, hugs and kisses to Madison.

Heather ... Mom

This picture reminds me so much of pictures I've seen with our mom gazing lovingly at Heather and me when we were babes. Heather is a mother in the strong tradition of Grandma Sue.

Put-in-Bay

Ya know, I've been to various points of the globe, as has my sis, but we both agreed that our vacation together with dad and Linda to Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie was way up on the list of favorites. Why? First because we were all together and enjoyed each other's company from sun-up to sun-down. We stayed at a super sweet B&B with lovely hosts and mouth-watering breakfasts taken under a gazebo in the yard. The weather was picture perfect. Watching the cousins -- Anna, MJ and Charlotte -- made everyone smile. Swimming and boating in Lake Erie; finding smooth, shiny beach glass; riding bikes around the island; eating fried perch and fattening desserts every night; watching the sun set over the bay; learning about island history at the museum, Perry's monument and the underground caves; getting silly drinking at the winery and then biking home ... And we relished thoughts of Grandma Sue and all the good times we spent with her boating and island hopping years ago.

If you're hungry for more, see Heather's sweet blog about our vaca at http://www.themalcomsons.blogspot.com/.

Thanks, Dad and Linda for a memorable end to the summer.

In front of Anchor Inn, our B&B.

Me lookin' like a granny drinking coffee in the gazebo at Anchor Inn.

Cousin love.

In front of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.

On TOP of Perry's -- MJ was a brave girl to climb up with Daddy.

View of the Bay from the top of Perry's.

Boat ride home from Cedar Point holding the monkey I won for her. The winning of this monkey was the worst part of the trip. I played a game where one of those teeny boppers guessed my age. They had to come within 2 years to win, and the kid guessed that I was 39!!!! 39!!!! It was pretty devastating but I got over it ... sort of ...

On Middle Bass Island collecting sea glass.

Rowdy group at Heineman's Winery on South Bass Island.

Char's first swing ride!

Beech Buoy anchored off Middle Bass.

More Cousin Love

Heather is an amazing mom. (Of course, she was raised by the best.) Her instincts are spot-on. She is so calm, gentle and loving. That's one reason why Charlotte is such a good baby. And Heather is enjoying all her moments with Charlotte. I am SO proud of my sister (and Chuck, too!) for the fantastic parenting. And I'm so grateful she made the trip to Madison. We ended up doing quite a bit of fun stuff -- going to the Union Terrace on the lake, a picnic, soccer game, shopping and out to eat. Charlotte, we can't wait to see you and cuddle with you in August in your new purple dress. (I didn't get a picture of Uncle Scott and Charlotte. He had to travel for a good part of the time when Heather was here, but check out Heather's blog for a pic of Uncle S. and more good shots of the trip: http://www.themalcomsons.blogspot.com/.)

We celebrated Charlotte turning two months old at our house.

"Tickle, tickle!"
An example of the constant flowing cousin love. :)

Charlotte fit right in with the gang.

Our happy cousin/niece.

Cousin Love

The cousins met for the first time when Aunt Heather brought Charlotte to Madison for a visit. First of all, Charlotte traveled like a pro. And we were all cheered by her smiley disposition -- and amazed at the resemblance to her dad! She does look like Heather, too. But her cousins just loved her to pieces, even at times when she wasn't really wanting to be loved to pieces. Anna and MJ doted over her, talked to her (and she cooed back!), tried to pick her up as Heather and I advised against it, brought her toys and books and just generally admired her. They loved her so much that when she left, they were both in a funk. In fact, I found Mary Jane crying on the couch one afternoon when they were gone. I asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I miss Charlotte." Thank you so much for visiting us, Aunt Heather and Charlotte!

The cousins, united.


MJ: "Every time Charlotte cries, I know what she wants
because she's my cousin."


Anna: "Charlotte is the cutest baby that I've ever seen.
I couldn't find a cuter baby!"

Meeting Charlotte

Charlotte ... what can I say ... She's a cute-as-a-button girl who likes to cuddle and EAT. She sleeps like a champ and when I was in Maryland to meet her, the crying was minimal. Her longest sustained cry was maybe 4 minutes during a diaper change. (She did not like that, or her baths.) It was so cute to see her big eyes checking out the world. She's SO alert for her age. And it was most fun to see her mom and dad interact with her. They are loving parents who don't seem like first-timers. Heather is nursing like a pro. I am so proud of her. Heather and Chuck, thanks for letting me share in Charlotte's first few weeks!

More Annapolis

These are scenes from Heather and Chuck's neighborhood where they're renting a very cute house until they can find a place to buy. The neighborhood, Arundel-on-the-Bay, is a mix of mini-mansions and old cottages. Great for walking. There are several public piers and lots of water views.

America's Sailing Capital

Heather and Chuck picked a pretty place to settle down. I got a chance to tour downtown Annapolis with them. (Isn't it amazing -- Heather was out and about with Charlotte and looking awesome when Charlotte was less than three weeks old! I think I was still a fixture on the couch when my kids were that age ... ) Anyway, it's a beautiful, historic city on the Chesapeake Bay, complete with 18th century architecture, boats on a working harbor and quaint shops and restaurants -- and the State Capitol building! I bought my kids some t-shirts and -- the best part -- sampled delicious crab cakes. Yum!

On the brick streets and sidewalks with the Capitol behind us.


Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Tough to see, but the harbor is at the end of this sloping road.

Welcome, Charlotte!

After Heather endured 18 hours of labor, Charlotte Jane Malcomson joined the family. She was born March 14 at 11:04 p.m. It looks like she will have Heather's curly hair! We are so proud to be Aunt Lisa, Uncle Scott and cousins Anna and Mary Jane. As MJ said, "She's such a cutie pie!!" Chuck, Heather and Charlotte, WE LOVE YOU!!

6 lbs. 12 oz., 20.5 in. of pure joy