Squeaky Clean

Bathing Baby K in her baby bathtub has become quite the challenge, so we decided it was time to just fill the big tub up a little bit and let her kick around in there. Needless to say, she absolutely loved it! She loves to kick and splash - it makes her even happier when she splashes mommy and daddy! I need to get a non-skid liner for the tub, as well as a guard to put over the water spout for when she starts sitting in the tub...I don't want her to hit her head on it! Another item I know exists and may look for is a chair to put in the bathtub so she can sit and play and not worry about slipping and falling. I wonder if her Bumbo seat would work in the tub - is worth a shot for sure! It might float though, which would make it a bit more difficult. Anyway, Baby K loves bathtime! It will be so fun to go swimming with her next summer!

Friends & Fun: My Birthday

The weekend after my birthday we got together with some of our friends to celebrate...a night out baby-free!! While I love spending time with Baby K, I do also love some time as a couple socializing with friends! We had a great time for sure...thanks to everyone that came!

After eating dinner

Me & the hubster

Hooray for great friends!

Happy Birthday to Me!

In playing catch up, the next big day was my birthday! The big 2-6. I was able to start the day by sleeping in - Brad worked from home and got up with Baby K, so that was great. That evening, we went to dinner with family at the the same restaurant Brad and I went to for our celebration last year! Brad got me the yummiest cake (it is always a must for each of our birthdays). I got the cutest apron, a gift card for a massage, and money to reimburse my account for clothes I had bought. I am such a lucky girl to be surrounded by such loving family!

Birthday celebration 2009

Birthday celebration 2008 - with Baby K in my belly!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

...I think I can! Catch up, that is! I have a lot to post about, including Baby K's first Turkey Day, visit with Santa, and modeling in front of the tree. For now, here are some oh-so-cute pictures. And stay tuned to read my "catch up" posts and keep up with us during the holidays!

It's hard to believe these pictures were taken almost a month ago! Where in the world does the time go!

Mommy Instinct

Well over the past couple of weeks, Baby K has experienced a stuffy nose, pain in her bottom gums (I only know this because sometimes when I would try to touch them to check for teeth, she would scream), unusual whininess, pulling at her ears, and sometimes refusing to eat her normal amount. The very first day she also had a low-grade fever, but it was gone within a couple hours and never returned. The stuffiness and ear-pulling was on and off. Some days she would eat perfectly and others she would eat about half the normal amount. I kept thinking she was just teething, but there are still no teeth. She would also switch which ear she would pull on, so I didn't think it was an infection or anything.

Well over the last couple of days she gets whinier in the afternoons and was more consistently messing with her right ear. This morning she didn't want anything to do with eating. So I called the pediatrician and they suggested we come in...our first "sick baby appointment". We left with a prescription for Amoxicillin - that's right - that yummy, bubble gum tasting gooey stuff. I absolutely love it - and I really hope Baby K does too! She has an ear infection in her right ear. I am so glad I trusted my mommy instincts!

Also, an added bonus...I wanted to see how much Baby K weighs now - at 7 months - a whopping 18 pounds!!!! Growing way too quickly...

Unbelievably Fast

As I was sitting there feeding Baby K her last bottle of the day before she went to bed, I was thinking. Where in the world did the time go - she turned 7 months old today. She is now army crawling all over the place. She loves baby food. She has developed even more sass and spunk. She does not want to lay down anymore - she tried to sit up all the time. She has the cutest laugh. I am anticipating the first tooth any day now. She is growing way too fast. So my thought was this: how do you balance savoring every moment while looking forward to each milestone and new experience. I remember thinking how much fun Baby K would have on her first Christmas. Here we are less than a month away from just that. It seems just like yesterday I was heading to the hospital to have her. It seems like just yesterday that I was completely worn out from being up every 2 hours at night. It seems just like yesterday we had to be careful with her head when carrying her because she couldn't hold it up on her own. She has blossomed right before our very eyes. I can't wait to see her explore and learn and grow, but I also want her to stay this sweet, snuggly baby girl. I can't wait for her to say, "I love you, Mommy," and begin walking. While this is true, I love that she relies on me and needs me. I know she will continue needing me forever, but it is just different right now.

I have loved every single second of being Sweet Pea's mommy and am trying my best to soak up every toothless grin, giggle, and even cry. When I am frustrated, I tell myself, "You're gonna miss this." I can't wait to see wake up each day and see what new discovery Baby K will have. I love watching her and seeing the expressions that tell me she is really trying to figure things out. We are so blessed and love her so much. We are so lucky to be able to have such a sweet baby girl. :) These first 7 months have been amazing and I can't wait to see what the next days and weeks and months hold for our family.

Puffs & Sippy Cups

About a week I decided to let Baby K try Gerber Puffs. She is able to do the pincer grasp with her binky, so I thought she may like trying to feed these snacks to herself. She did pretty well figuring it out and after a few of them, she really enjoyed the taste. I do not give them to her everyday...that will begin once she can really feed them to herself. Here she is showing me her new treat :)


That same day, she also got to try something else new - a sippy cup! At her 6 month appointment, her pediatrician suggested we put a little water in it and just let her play with it a little before actually trying to use it at all. I have only let her play with it a few times since then, but she automatically knows what to do with it - straight to the mouth! Granted at this point, everything goes to the mouth to chew on it and slobber on it, so I don't know whether she knew it was a cup or that is just her way of checking it out. When she played with it, she loved banging it on the tray of the highchair and chewing on the spout. Whenever I set it on her tray, she gets so excited and tries to drink the water. I'm hoping that this sippy cup play will help her be more inclined to actually use a sippy cup down the road and ease the transition from the bottle. Luckily, we have a little time before that needs to happen!!

Baby K's Dedication

So, I am still playing catch up on my posts, but I will get there! On November 8, 2009, Baby K was dedicated at our church. Since we belong to a large church, they have a parent-child dedication service on a Sunday afternoon. This particular day there were seventeen babies being dedicated! I certainly wondered how peaceful the service would be, and to my surprise, it was great. Baby K only cried a little because she got too hot in her dress. Brad had to take her out of the sanctuary and fluff her dress to get her some fresh air. It was a great afternoon and Baby K was surrounded by so many who love her. I look forward to watching her grow in her faith. Now for some pictures from the day....

Family picture

Sweet Pea with her great-grandparents...she is truly blessed to have 4 great-grandparents!

Baby K with Papa and Nanny

Four generations - I think this is the best one yet (I have one from the day Sweet Pea was born and Mother's Day also)

Baby K with her grandmothers - CeeCee and Grandma

Sitting with Uncle Will

Such a sweetheart - and she is wearing the dress I wore when I was baptised as a baby. So special.

6 Month Pictures

We had Baby K's 6 month pics taken the first weekend of November. There are some really cute ones!! We are using the same photographer for her 3, 6, 9, and 12 month pictures so that we can get a panel of one at each age. If you go HERE, you will see the post on the photographer's blog of some of her favorites. Also, if you are wanting to see how much she has grown, go HERE for her 3 month pictures. Now for making the decision of which 6 month pics to order. Hopefully I will decide in a timely fashion....I ordered her 3 month pics just about 3 weeks before her 6 month ones. OOPS!! :) Better late than never, right??

Our Little Spook

Well this was Baby K's first Halloween. While she is clearly too young to go trick or treating, she did dress up and help me hand candy out to all the little kiddos. She is so cute in her little costume - it even had a stinger sewn into the butt area! So cute. And she was such a good sport - I had her in that costume 3 different times!!! And what a lucky baby - Cee Cee, Uncle Will, Papa, Grandma, Great-Grandmother, Meme, Ruth, and Owen all got to see her dressed up! How special :) Enjoy a few of the many pictures I took (who is surprised??) of her!! :)

Absolutely bee-autiful :)

Sitting cute with the perfect size bag!

Isn't she so festive (and the cutest baby ever??)

Happy Half Birthday!

Well - this time 6 months ago I was exhausted and on cloud 9. That's right - Baby K was born just 6 months ago....and it seems like it was just yesterday. I remember it all so vividly. Now she is a whopping 16 pounds, 6 ounces (thank you formula and cereal!) and 25.25 inches in length. I am quite thankful she was nowhere near this weight or length when she was born :) She loves playing with her toes, smiles and giggles all the time, rolls both ways, tripod sits and is very close to independently sitting, and wants to hold her bottle. She is about to embark on the adventure that is baby food. She loves Elmo and her little cow toy. She has such a unique, precious personality. And she is so unbelievably loved.

We also need to locate a flu shot for Baby K, as well as H1N1 shots for all 3 of us. That is definitely moving to the top of my to-do list come Monday morning: call the local health department and ask how we can get these shots stat!! Stay tuned for up to date pictures...including Baby K dressed as the cutest bumble bee there ever was on Halloween :)

Gangsta Girl, Cooking, and Extra Smiles

Before going on a walk

I was breaking the ritz crackers for Poppyseed Chicken and she wanted to help

My sweet baby girl with a giant bow on

Oh So Girly

Since Baby K has lost most of her hair on top over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying different sized bows. I was able to use little hair clippies for a while, but she doesn't even have enough hair for those anymore!! Here are some examples of a smaller bow...and then a bigger bow! All of my friends I grew up with give me a hard time because my mom used to put bows on me that were as big as my head. Well, looks like I am passing it down to the next generation :) It is rather cute though!! And doesn't she look like a big girl sitting in the corners of chairs?? Wow...she needs to slow it down! I can hardly believe she is already 5 1/2 months old - my, how time flies!! I snuggle with her and hug her and kiss her as much as I can now because I know the time will come where she doesn't want to be held and definitely won't want to be hugged or kissed - in public at least :) She is so very loved and we are so very blessed!!

Fall Is In the Air

Well it is officially fall. Time to stop wearing flip flops. Time to get out the long-sleeved shirts and fleeces (which, by the way, I am so excited to be able to fit into all of my clothes this winter - no maternity clothes for me!). Last weekend we went to Gentry's Farm, a local farm where you can pick your own pumpkin and they have tons of activities (hay rides, petting zoo, etc) for the kiddos. Obviously Baby K is a bit young for those things, but I cannot wait for her to be able to do them (so I can too!). It was a bit chilly, so we had to hurry - naturally, I forgot Baby K's jacket at home...oops! She loved looking at and touching the pumpkins on the ground. We ended up getting a pre-picked pumpkin because all the ones still in the "patch" were rotted because of all the rain we have had this season. It was so great to go as a little family and get our pumpkin. I want to go there as a family every year to get our pumpkin - very affordable, supports the local economy, and so fun! And once Baby K gets old enough to really want to play around, I know she will love it too.

Attempt at a family picture - Baby K was too excited about all those things on the ground...

I wanted her to explore those big orange blobs - she thought it was so neat!

Isn't she just adorable?? :)

Fall wreath is on the front door

Our family pumpkin, Baby K's little baby pumpking, and a mum...definitely fall!

House Divided

Last Saturday was the football game that is the biggest deal in our house - UT vs Auburn....Brad graduated from Tennessee and I graduated from Auburn. We went to the game in Auburn last year. This year, we had tickets and a hotel room, but since it was a night game, we decided it wasn't the best idea since Baby K is still kinda young. I was going to "wear her" to the game - she was going to go in the Baby Bjorn! Instead, we stayed home and ordered pizza for the game. We were unsure as to how the game would go considering both teams have new coaches. Needless to say I was a happy girl at the end - Auburn won!!! :) We were both dressed in our respective teams' colors and Baby K was split - she wore orange and white and had an Auburn bib with a UT burp cloth. I wonder who she will actually root for once she can make her own wardrobe choices??

Showing off her team spirit yet again

Sitting up to watch the game!

Love that sweet smile

Mommy teaching Baby K to say "War Eagle!!"

I guess she wasn't as interested in the game as we were :)

Light the Night Walk

Last Thursday night we did the Light the Night Walk benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Brad's company creates a team (though including the 3 of us, there were a whopping 4 people...) and we had participated last year. Last year it was nasty and rainy and cold - I was pregnant and tired and hungry. Needless to say it could only be better. This year it was perfect. The temperature was ideal. The sky was clear. There was a great crowd. It was great. This also hits a personal note because Brad's dad had Lymphoma prior to him passing away. Though the cancer was more or less gone, it was the drugs involved in his treatment that led to his condition worsening and organs failing. We like to raise money for this cause and participate in the walk each year as a small token of remembrance. It was a great night involving many lit up balloons and walking 1.75 miles. Here are some pictures of our night...enjoy!

Probably my favorite picture of me and Baby K since the first time I held her

Such a happy girl

Daddy and Sweet Pea

Family self-portrait...not too shabby!

Nashville's skyline

5 Months Old!

Really? Five months, already? Last Tuesday, Baby K turned 5 months old. I can hardly believe it. She is doing new things on an almost daily basis. She is growing like a weed. I weighed her on the scale last Tuesday (not very official, but gives a ballpark estimate) and she weighs roughly 13 lbs, 12 oz - she gained 2.5 lbs in a month! I guess eating cereal will do that...as well as having introduced formula. She is now doing about half breastmilk and half formula. I was worried that she was too small after her 4 month appointment so I made the decision to go on and introduce formula. She was exclusively breastfed for 4 months...primarily breastfed up until 4.5 months...and now I'd say she is 1/3 breastfed, 2/3 formula.

Baby K is trying to sit up - she will hold herself up for about 30 seconds when sitting in her Boppy pillow and will try to "tripod sit" on the floor. Also, when you hold her on her feet, she stands on your lap! She has not rolled over from her back to her belly yet, but that will happen soon enough I feel certain. She gets on her side and wiggles around - most of the time when we put her on her playmat, she spins in a circle from all of her side-rolling and squirming around! She loves playing in her Exersaucer - there are so many exciting toys to keep her entertained! Everytime I set her in it it seems like she stands up taller...I think it is about time to move it up a notch! She also loves to sit in her papasan chair and try to pull the little bunny down. She used to fall asleep immediately; instead, she now gets so excited to battle the bunny! She is talking up a storm and loves to play with her pacifier. Gosh - it seems like she was just a tiny little baby that would sleep all the time. She is now more alert and just trying to soak it all in. She is still sleeping great (usually about 10 hrs at night with a couple 2 hr naps during the day). She just recently has really started watching Sadie walk around and reach out to pet (aka pull her hair) her. I think Sadie will take any kind of attention she can get though! I also love that Baby K still loves to snuggle. She will fall asleep curled up on our chest still. She has started getting squirmy in our arms sometimes but still likes us to hold her. I am really soaking that in because I know soon she will want to be on the floor and going, going, going. When we hold her she wants to be sitting up - no laying down for her! She has such a great personality - very inquisitive, sweet, and funny. We love her bright blue eyes and cute little nose. I love going in in the morning to find her smiling at me. We love her so much and have enjoyed watching her learn and grow!!

Snuggle Bug & Others

Baby K sure is getting big! I was looking back at pictures of her during her first week home and good grief. I can certainly tell she is the same baby, but she is so much bigger! And she is doing so many new things every week. Every time I go to pick her up, I can also tell she is getting bigger - especially when she is in her carrier. I understand they have to be sturdy and safe, but you'd think they would find a way to make them a little lighter...and not so awkward to carry! Anyways, these are some pictures of Baby K over the past couple of weeks. She is such a happy baby and so fun! I look forward to every minute I spend with her...

Her shirt says High Maintenance...hm...

Snuggling/sleeping on Mommy's shoulder - I love that!

The ultimate "cheerio face"

First time in her Johnny Jumper - she loved it!

Riding Sadie like a horse...I am sure this is not the last time this will happen...and I think Sadie loved it!

Daddy Time