Hi! Many of you don�t know me. My name is Charlie (after my grandpa Bruce Charles Bjorke). I also go by �Charry,� and �Buddy.� I was born on August 24. I missed most of the summer but mommy says it was hot, hot, hot! I guess my coming was a big deal. We got lots of presents and our neighbors and friends at church made meals so my mommy wouldn�t have to. She really liked that. I have two sets of grandmas and grandpas who came from a long way just to see me. And my Aunt Lora stayed with us when I first got home from the hospital. Avery said she had a lot of fun playing with her and gramma and papa. In October, all 3 of my mommy�s sisters came to visit with their families. It was the first time all the sisters and their husbands were together. And to think I made it happen!

I like my new home. I have a big sister who loves me a lot. She�s always getting in my face to say �hi� and give me hugs and kisses. She likes to tickle, too. But just between you and me, she�s not very good at it. She makes me smile other ways, though. She has some neat tricks. There�s one where she disappears and reappears in an instant right in front of me! Then she says, �Peek-a-boo!� and laughs. Avery can do a lot of stuff that I hope she will teach me someday. She knows lots of words! I also can�t wait until I can get my hands on her toys. That�s going to be fun! She especially likes the ones with lots of pieces to collect--and she wants them all. I have to admit, she does share a toy sometimes--for a couple minutes, then she wants it back.

I did miss Avery while I was in the hospital the week of Thanksgiving. I don�t remember much since I was sleeping through it but mom says it was emotionally stressful. I had craniosynostosis (mommy had to spell it out for me and I can�t pronounce it!). It basically means a seam in my skull fused too soon. It was a rather simple surgery to fix it, but I�ll have a kickin� scar on my head. Mommy thinks that�s gonna keep me from shaving my head some day. We�ll see.

I�ve got mommy on a pretty regular schedule. I usually get her up once a night. Then, we do the eat-play-nap repeat cycle until bedtime. Occasionally, I get bored during the day and might take a little nap but I try to keep those short so mommy doesn�t think I�m ignoring her. Daddy is a lot of fun, too. He disappears for most of the day though. Mom says he�s at work but I think she does a lot of that, too, so I am not sure why he has to go to �Knowles� to do it. Daddy has a good friend there so I suppose he wants to keep him company. But, we get to spend a lot of time with daddy when he is home. That�s when mommy seems to disappear! I think daddy�s going to be famous soon because his name got on a �patent.� He says his job is changing a little though because they transitioned some of his tasks to new employees in someplace called China.

Mommy and daddy also spend a lot of time in the first floor bathroom ... I don�t know what the big deal is, it didn�t even have a sink until about a month ago. Avery says last spring it didn�t even have walls! Imagine that. There also was some stuff Avery says she did before I was born but I�m sure it wasn�t any fun without me.

Most important: Merry Christmas! While we eagerly wait to celebrate Jesus� birthday this year, Avery hopes to be the one to blow out the candle on the cake, and I just hope there is lots of crinkly wrapping paper!

Love,

Charlie (and Matt, Sara & Avery, too)