Frank and Charlie

BROTHERS! Frank and Charlie aka the Gruesome Twosome! Frank is really a great big brother! He is very interested in everything Charlie does and tries to be very sweet with him. He always asks to hold him, or help with him. Charlie is very lucky to have such a great big brother!

Talking to Charlie

Frank and Charlie!

Bicycle Rides

Frank loves to ride his bike with Daddy {though this bike is a bit small... so we may be getting him a new one soon} Here they are riding bikes and getting some fresh air Monday night

Frank also has a -cute- habit while out riding bikes

Find a pine cone

pick it up

all day long you'll have good luck!

Car Show!

Sunday afternoon daddy decided to take Frank to the Dayton Car Show to get him out of the house... Frank had been feeling kinda out of sorts over the weekend... we were not sure if he was sick... or if it was all the new adjustments... turns out he was sick... with Strep Throat... so no wonder he did not enjoy the car show as much as we would have expected! But daddy did take some pictures

and of course Baby Charlie snoozing at home

Katie and Nathan Visit

Katie and Nathan came up to visit Frank and Charlie. Katie is going to be Charlie's godmother {Uncle Joe will be the godfather}.

Katie and Nathan also brought Frank a present... Thomas the train bath squirters... I think it is safe to say he loved them

OK... probably that he is obsessed with them

Frank playing with his friend Nathan

Frank, Nathan and Charlie

Frank really enjoyed playing Trains with Katie

Katie is such a good playmate!

Wyatt and Elliott

Our Neighbors Wyatt and Elliott came over for a visit. Wyatt would like to make the baby "recycler".

Wyatt and Elliott holding Charlie

Friday Visitors

Grandma Hartge and Aunt Molly came up on Friday to visit Frank and Charlie.

Frank was so excited to have visitors! He played with Molly the whole time they were there and even had a little ice cream party with her.

Aunt Molly is so much fun!

2-Day Check-Up

Our Pediatrician likes to do a 2-day post Hospital check-up. Charlie was born 8lbs and 20 1/4 inches. When we left the hospital he weighed 7lbs 5oz and at his check-up he was back up to 7lbs 11oz and still 20 1/4 inches. Everything looks great! He is nursing very well and putting on weight. Next check-up is at 2 weeks.

Snuggling with daddy at the Doctors office

Going Home!

On Thursday we were able to take Charlie home! The Frank's were very excited to be able to take the newest boy Hartge home

What a sweet baby Charlie all dressed up and ready to come home

Frank is very interested in Charlie

Here he was talking to him :)

Frank is going to be such a good big brother!

Charlie all bundled up... because "spring" is cold in Ohio

Looking sweet {like his brother} upon his departure

Charlie Day 2

Charlie on the second day of life!

Daddy showing Frank his new baby brother

When Frank arrived to the hospital... he hat on the couch and wondered where his chips were {see yesterday's post} so daddy got him some baked doritos... and he would not put them down... Here he is with pop-pop and charlie

Love this picture of pop-pop, Frank and Charlie

Frank was very excited about his Charlie Train... for the first few days when we would ask where is Charlie, he would hold up the train and say... he's right here!

Charlie also passed his hearing test! Just like his big brother

The Day Your Brother Was Born...

On the day your brother was born... Frank woke up to find mimi... not mommy to take him to school... he then spent much of the day at school asking where is mommy/daddy were.... he fell and got a HUGE bump on his melon... had a potty accident... refused to nap and spent all of nap time rocking with his favorite teacher Miss Kris... all of this left him exhausted when daddy came to pick him up... so when they went to get balloons for baby Charlie... Frank looked like this...

Becoming a big brother is -exhausting-

First Day Visitors

Everyone was s excited to come and Meet Charlie! Frank5 spent most of the day at school... then Daddy picked him up and brought him to meet his baby brother Cha-Lee {as pronounced by Frank}. He sat down and had a little dinner-time snack

Mimi spent a few days with us watching Frank and helping us out while we were getting adjusted to being a family of -four- she was so helpful and amazing while I was in the hospital! Thank you Mimi :)

Grandma Hartge and Baby Charlie

Frank3 and Charlie

Frank5 was more interested in his chips and guac at first... then he quickly became interested in Charlie

Such a LONG day! Mommy was very tired!

But it was all worth it for this sweet little face!

Hello Charlie!

A very early (5:00 am) Monday morning Frank4 and I headed to the hospital to meet our newest baby. We were very excited to find out what this baby looked like and more importantly if it was a boy or a girl! Daddy Frank caught a last picture of me pregnant with baby #2.

While hooked up to the monitors... we notices I was having strong contractions 8-10 minutes apart... I thought it was just the baby moving constantly... but apparently that was contractions... {much different that pitocin contractions}... looks like the super moon got something started!

At 7:30 I was wheeled into the OR. They prepped me for surgery and Dr. Kennebeck/Dr. McCluskey came into the room with Frank. I thought it was funny that Dr. McCluskey was Frank's senior resident while he was doing his OB rotation and now she was helping to deliver our baby. Similar to Frank... Charlie did not want to come out... Frank said it was the only time he has ever seen anyone need to use a vac on a csection... but eventually they pulled his head out... I thought he was completely out and i shouted... Boy or Girl!? The Dr replied," I can't really tell by the ears... but it has a lot of dark hair!"... Then suddenly they shouted it's a BOY!

Baby Charlie came into the world looking a lot like his brother... and a lot like mommy :)

One of the main reasons I wanted a VBAC was because when Frank was born I had to wait two hours to hold him while I was in recovery. I had talked to Dr. Kennebeck about this and she promised, barring any complications, I would be able to hold him in the OR.

I was overjoyed to not only be able to hold him... but to carry him to recovery and keep him with me the entire time. He was able to nurse immediately and stayed by my side practically the entire day!

Welcome to the world Mr. Charles Casey Hartge! Charles is my grandfather's name {Charles Isaiah Hayes} and Casey is Grandma Hartge's maiden name.