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...

Q & A: Pups

Q: How are the dogs doing with Kara?

A: Several people have asked us this question, and we are happy to say that the dogs think Kara is pretty ok. They aren't crazy about her, but they don't seem to mind her either.

Sam, the alpha dog, typically ignores her. She is not a dog and she can't chase him, so there's no point in giving her any special attention. On occasion he is curious about the sounds and smells that come from her bottom, but that's about it.

Kermit, the playful one, is more interested in Kara. He checks on her when she cries, and sometimes he will get up with me in the night when I feed her. He also wants to play with her toys. He loves anything that rattles, squeaks, lights up, is stuffed, or is a squishy plastic. Oh, did I just cover every baby toy ever made? Sometimes he will try to sneak off with her things, and today he got the nasal aspirator (aka boogie ball) and her pacifier. Who knew a pacifier was good for soothing both baby and beast?

This is a picture of the dogs in Kara's crib. If anyone is looking for advise on how to prepare dogs for the arrival of a new family member, you probably shouldn't ask us.

Q & A

We have been asked some great, thought-provoking questions about our transition into parenthood and the experiences we have had. I thought it would be good to share those through little Q&A sessions. Here is the first installment...

Q: What is the most amazing thing you have experienced being a mom that you didn't expect?

A: The way I feel about Kara. I don't consider myself a nurturing person, so I withheld expectations for how I would respond to having a baby. I didn't want to be disappointed or feel guilty if I didn't instinctively love her with everything in me from the moment I saw her.

However, I've noticed just that. I can't describe the exact way I feel, but there is a new softness in my heart, a fearless desire to protect, and a boundless love and awe for this little life. I love watching her and listening to her. I get excited when she responds to my voice and when she tracks me with her eyes. I feel joy and incredible peace when I hold her while she sleeps.

The love is unconditional and it is quite encompassing. It makes me think of the depth of the Lord's love for us. I know the amount of love I have for her doesn't even begin compare to how great His love is for us, and that comparison makes me overwhelmed. It is an amazing opportunity to be a parent and experience the Lord in this new way.

Here are some sappy mommy/baby moments to go with the post.