My boogs turned 3 months old last Sunday! This past week has brought alot of changes! She can now lay on her back and bat at and eventually grab a toy hanging over her and then pull it to her mouth! For some reason I have been really looking forward to that milestone. I think because once she can play with toys she will be able to entertain herself more. It's really cute to watch her play:) She likes to sit in a Bumbo seat now (thanks Mary and Caleb Benton!) My favorite new thing though is how she vigorously pumps her arms and legs when she's getting changed (yes, naked time is still her favorite!) It's hilarious to watch! She gets so crazy and punches herself in the stomach and scoots backwards she's kicking her legs so hard. I had a video of it, but it won't format to the blog from my camera:( But David and I laugh at her all the time. 

She is also growing at an alarming rate:) 

The past couple of days have brought some challenges too. She used to lay down happily for her naps and sleep at least an hour, usually two. Now, she screams when I lay her down and then wakes up after 30 minutes and won't go back down unless I rock her. We are working on it! I am thinking more scheduled nap times are on the horizon. Every time you get something down with a baby they change on you! Part of the adventure.

She has such huge cheeks that you think she is a chubby baby, but she is actually pretty little in the body. Just very solid:) Poor kid

Ok, maybe she is chubby. 

Sleepy eyes after a nap

a couple times recently she has been so tired she has napped on the sofa. That is very unusual, but so cute.

Chillin in Dad's sink while Mom put her makeup on:)

She really does like the Bumbo! 

Kate's First Trip to Boone

We headed up to Boone this past weekend to stay with the Flanigans and enjoy a 3 day weekend in the mountains (thanks to MLK Jr. Day). It was a really special trip for me because we went up this same weekend last year and I really wanted to be pregnant and found out while we were there that I was not. So to go back this year with a healthy, happy 3 month old was really special! Kate did great on her first out of town experience! Well, except for the first night when she woke up every hour starting at 3:45:) 

It snowed for alot of the time we were there so we got lots of time just relaxing with Chris and Kath, and Steve, Lizzy, and Jason as well as the whole Flanigan fam. It was hard to come home we had such a nice time!

Waiting for Daddy to finish packing the car...

Beautiful snowfall! I love snow when I can drive away to Charlotte and leave it behind:)

I love this picture! It is one of only a few of all three of us together! We were sitting on the porch of the Mast General Store. I think Kate was trying to pose like one of those old fashioned family shots where no one smiles and stands like a ramrod.

"You are going to put Jason beside me!?!"

"I am NOT sure how I feel about this!"

"Ok, he's not so bad after all."

Evidently Kate didn't think sitting on the old Coke case was much fun...

Jason picking out some sauces. He was crawling around on the floor and got his pants SO dirty. Lizzy is such a fun mom!

Kate really was having fun with Miss Laura! She wasn't quite sure about the general store at first I guess.

I really like this picture of the two of us! I am so grateful for my sweet baby. Even though I didn't get to do everything I might have wanted while we were there in order to care for Kate, she is more then worth it!

These two are going to be mortified about this picture in about 10 years! 

Well, that's a little sample of our trip. Next week I will give Kate's 3 month update. She turns 3 months tomorrow! Amazing:)

Haircut

For out of town family and friends, here are pictures of my new haircut:)

This and That

The wonderfully fun and crazy holidays are over. We had a great visit with Meg, Will, and Laurel who stayed with Dave and I for 5 fun-filled and busy days! We ate, shopped, fed babies, opened presents, fed babies, bathed and changed babies, watched Jeeves and Wooster, fed babies etc. It was so much fun being moms together with Meg. It really felt like we were playing baby dolls together. Dave also had lots of days off which was so very fun just to live day in and day out life together all day for days one end:)

First Christmas morning as a little family! I loved having baby Kate with us this year. I think she enjoyed her first Christmas:)

Laurel liked to touch Kate and Kate of course completely ignored Laurel. And I'm not sure what Will was doing in the picture.

Laurel is starting to notice food and is fascinated with cups and mugs. Dad was letting her play with his water cup and she was enthusiastically licking it. Can you see her tongue? It was so funny watching her!

My sleepy baby taking a nap during our girls lunch out on Saturday. We were at Toast up in Davidson and Kate and Laurel were quite the to do in the restaurant.

Kate is starting to learn more "skills" which is making her more and more fun to interact with! She will sit in her bouncy seat or on the couch for long periods of time now and chew her hands or look at toys or objects I hold up for her. She can also follow them all over with her eyes. She is just noticing so many more things (like the spots on her pants today:) She hasn't figured out yet that she has hands so she doesn't touch or hold things yet but I can tell it's coming soon.   Today she was laying on my bed while I was folding laundry and she was just being so cute that I decided to take some pictures. 

Kate is wearing this lovely bib because she drools pretty much all the time and will soak her outfit.

Hammin it up together. She really goes to town on her hands! The doctor assured me she isn't teething though. 

"What is that thing mom is holding over my head?"

I love my baby girl's peepers! She is often very serious like this. I really wonder what her personality will turn out like. I never thought about having a really serious "take it all in quietly" kind of child....I am so not that way:)

Normally Kate will give the biggest smiles when you just talk to her and smile at her. She isn't too intrigued by silliness. But today I was sticking my tongue out at her and she LOVED it. Look how cute she was! It was making me laugh really hard. I just am having more and more fun being a mom. 

Growing

I took Kate to the doctor last Friday for her 2 month well check.

She weighed in at 12 lbs 1 oz (90%)

Measured 23 inches (75%)

and I forget her head measurement, but it was the 50th percentile.

The doctor said she is a very healthy girl!

A Day in the Life

I have come to realize that life with a baby is all about the immediate and routine. When she needs something she needs it quickly, and we do the same things over and over each day. I really love it. 

Every day Kate gets quite "drunk" after she eats:) She wears a bib because she is a messy eater!

She has some bouncy seat time every day. Today was the first day she actually watched the bubbles and little creatures! 

She laughs and plays with dad....

and mom!!!

Unfortunately, her favorite pastime is watching TV. She will sometimes stare at it for 10-15 minutes at a time (which in 2 month-old time is like an hour:) We will have to limit her TV time when she gets bigger I think!

Sometimes the shows get scary!

It's so hard to wake up from a deep sleep to eat!

Almost there!

Kate rides in her car seat almost everyday and isn't too fond of it....unless the car is moving:)

And after all that, who wouldn't need some sleep?

By the way, I highly recommend the Swaddle Me blanket she is sleeping in. She didn't seem to like it at first but I tried it again a few weeks later. Now it is one member of "The Indispensable Trifecta of Sleep" (aka, hat, paci, swaddle me blanket)