Roll Over!

I hope this isn't premature, but I am so excited to share with everyone that Kara rolled over today! A perfect little flip from her tummy to her back!

This isn't the first time she has rolled over. When she was 5 weeks old she used to stiffen her little body so much when I would put her on her tummy, that a few squeals and kicks later she would be on her back. I tried desperately to get this on video, but it never happened. Obviously, those were flukes, but I think today was the real thing!

We were playing on the floor and without any coaxing, she just started pushing and wiggling until she was on her back. I was so excited when she rolled over that I swooped her up, gave her lots of kisses, and ran to the phone to call Daddy. He was very proud of her.

Of course, I tried to get it on video, but the battery was dead! What!? Hopefully she'll do it again soon.

Q & A: Cousins

Q: What do Kara's cousins think of her?

A: Kara has 2 boy cousins who are both about 1.5 years old. They have taken to the new family member pretty well. However, each boy has his own "unique" way of treating her.

Owen:

This is our nephew from Lee's side of the family. He is 20 months old. I like to think of him as a gentle giant. He is a bigger-than-average toddler who loves to play, is very tender-hearted, and is great about including everyone in his games. Owen immediately accepted Kara. He likes holding her, giving her kisses, and he will even offer to share his stuffed animals with her. This is great news since Owen will become a big brother this summer when our niece Riley James Mery arrives!

Carson:

This is our nephew from Ashley's side of the family. He is 18 months old. Carson is inquisitive, always looking for a playmate, full of smiles, and a little mischievous. The kind of kid where you know when he is about to happily do something he knows he shouldn't...it's the twinkle in his eye. Carson is getting used to Kara, but I wouldn't say he has fully embraced her yet. He seems confused and a little distressed that his Beeba (grandma Bobbie) would ever hold anyone but him. He does like certain things about Kara...he likes pointing to her facial features and honking her nose, he likes pushing her in the stroller, and he likes telling her "bye-bye".

Baby News (Week 12)

This has been a big month for Kara. At 12 weeks old, she is becoming more social and more aware. This is definitely a fun stage!

• She has found her hands...and thinks they are delicious.
• She loves to smile.
• She is getting better at holding up her head, but she prefers looking to the left.
• She likes to grip fingers, handles, and anything else that gets into her hand (mommy's hair).
• She is a talker. I don't know what she is saying, but I think a dolphin might understand her.

Being daddy

So, I definitely am changing a lot of diapers, reinserting lots of pacifiers and losing the hearing in my right ear, but there is yet still more to being a dad than these activities.

I also get to fix and build things!

Sometime during the freezes last year, a part of our sprinkler system broke - the pressure vacuum breaker. My good buddy Erik came over and helped me replace it. I called him up, since he used build homes, figuring he would know something about it. However, his new job is managing landscaping crews and he recently took a class on irrigation systems. Score! By helping me, he was essentially getting to do some extra homework for class. Here is a before shot of the broken piece.

you were so good to me

I didn't take an after shot, but rest assured it is installed properly. And it's shiny.

It was decided that we needed to build some fencing to surround the garden box that Ashley and I put together last month. This took a fair bit of planning, which totally paid off once we started executing. My dad and mom came up to help assemble and install the pieces. These tasks ended up taking two weekends. The first weekend we constructed the sides of the fence. The second weekend we installed it. Here are a couple of shots during the install.

site prep

fence support

construction completed!

prepping the bed for plants
And a shot of Kara, the best part of being dad.

Our 2nd-First Date

Lee and I went on our first date on March 22, 2005. It was a nice but awkward date. Lee wanted to hold my hand, and I thought he was moving way too fast. Nearly 5 years later (wow, have we been together that long?), we went on our second first date.

This weekend, thanks to Lee's parents, we finally got out of the house for a date night! We went out to eat and came home. Not much to brag about, but it was wonderful. My husband was looking all sorts of fine, and I wore pants without an elastic waistband for the first time since September. I felt...well...normal.

We were able to have a great conversation about how parenthood is affecting us, and we discussed the importance of being intentional about our marriage even when patience and energy are running low.

I love having those kind of conversations. And I love that my husband keeps seeking ways to strengthen our marriage.

As for Kara, she had a great time with the grandparents, and we were home in time to read her a bedtime story before she went to sleep.

"I'm not in the mood"

Sometimes we think it is cute to put stuff on Kara's head. She doesn't agree...

Q & A: Growing up

Q: Can you believe how big she's getting?

A: Although we fully expect Kara to be growing, developing, and changing, we are constantly caught off-guard by it. It is hard to admit that she is growing up (especially since she is only 7 weeks old), but she is busting out of her newborn-sized onesies, she has moved up to size 1 diapers, and she is getting too big for her bassinet. It is both hard and exciting to watch these changes.

Some other fun developments that make mommy and daddy very happy:

• She figured out how to breastfeed!
• She has moved into her own room!
• She sleeps about 7 hours each night!

Now if we could only get her to fold the clothes and sweep the floor...