Work Life Balance

This is a post I started back in July. Again, how far we've come! I'm still busy and ironically never got around to posting this. Maybe work-life balance is as hard as I thought it would be. Just as my mother warned me, I get used to a certain phase or behavior or ability or inability of hers and just when I'm feeling good about it, she changes. At 13 months we don't have dirty diapers in the morning anymore. Kathy at the daycare gets to deal with those. Muahah!! Oh and potty training before age 1? HAHA...yeah right. I have not made time for that and won't until months from now.

Robbie, the baby, and I went to Mobile for 10 days over a month ago and I still haven't posted about it. I feel behind on most things in my life these days so it's no surprise this has taken so long. Motherhood keeps me busy. My job keeps me busy. Family keeps me busy. Though in ways the work-life balance isn't as hard as I thought it would be.
I work Tuesday through Friday now with Mondays off so I know what my week looks like. Katie Rose and I have a good routine in the morning. She wakes up earlier than I wish she would (around 6:15 which is an excellent alarm clock if I accidently forget to set mine). Do blackout curtains really help them sleep later? By then I have hopefully had a shower and done my makeup. KR then has a bottle while she watching Baby Einstein's Baby Mozart. Then she usually has a dirty diaper so after I dry my hair, I change her clothes, get myself dressed, and head out the door by 7:25. I might get in a cup of coffee which has been reheated 3 times and cereal. And I try to make my lunch every day, so really, I'm pretty proud of all that I do in 2 hours. I wish she didn't watch tv every morning but I have alot to do and something has to give.
Now, let's address this dirty diaper (or 3, as this morning would have it) every morning. A lady I work with started potty training her little girl at around 7 or 8 months old. She was a "regular" baby each morning so they started sitting her on a potty seat with a toy and eventually she did her regular business on a potty instead of in her diaper. By the time she was a year old she rarely had a stinky diaper. I think this could work especially now before she's really mobile. Any thoughts?
I can't believe she's almost 8 months old and she just gets cuter and cuter every single day. I love where she is right now. She still can't crawl but she gets on all fours and rocks, so it will be soon. She's not great a pulling up on furniture or her crib but she doesn't get many opportunities to practice that particular skill. I'm not in a big hurry for these things to happen anyway. She loves playing peekaboo and she really loves when her daddy or I act like a monkey. Parents do such ridiculous things to make their children laugh.

Baby Sleep Project

I used to think I understood the phrase "sleeps like a baby."

Haha! These are posts I started and never published and it's really funny going back and looking at these. I like how this is titled Baby Sleep Project and was started last spring. Oh how far we've come. KR started sleeping through the night at about 7 months old and has never turned back. Thank goodness!

So Behind!!

Ok so I have not been updating as often. My job keeps me busier since I got a promotion in August. My homelife keeps me busier with a now 13 month old running around and relentlessly trying to eat dog food. And along came hunting season...Halloween....Birthday....Thanksgiving....and now Christmas. Whew!!

So back to KR's birthday. It was a great little birthday party. The "rule" is that you invite the age of the child plus 1. The girls at work make fun of me because I have all these "rules." Rules about timeliness of thank you notes. Rules about what shoes can and can't be worn before and after certain holidays. Etc. We invited more children but hunting season is busy for families in Montana so only Alison Sutherlin came. And it was just perfect. Katie Rose loved all of her toys and she loved loved LOVED her cake. KR loves attention - an audience - commotion, noise, and entertainment, for sure. She gave the best performance a parent could ask for and we delighted in celebrating her first year.

Grandma Posie and Grandpa Bob came over with V-V and Grumpa. Bonnie and Pop were there and Meredith. We sipped on boxed wine and ate yummy food. The funniest part was what Bonnie was exclaiming while KR ate her cake. Bonnie thought maybe the top of the cupcake cake reminded her of her breastfeeding days. I've never heard Grandpa Bob laugh so hard.

Then and Now

This picture was taken exactly 1 year ago

What happens in a year!

I have so much to post about my baby turning 1. We had a fun little birthday party for her. V-V and Grumpa and Great Grandma Posie and Great Grandpa Bob came over from Stevensville. Bonnie and Pop were there too and our friends Meredith and Alison. She had so much fun opening her gifts and hugging her new baby dolls. She loved her giant cupcake and dove into it face first. I will post pictures and a video when I'm at home. It's just hard to find time these days but I want to cherish these memories for sure. We love you baby girl!!

As the Grownups Do

She talks on the phone like we do.

KR loves to hear someone talk to her on the phone so whether it's a phone, a remote control, or anything else smallish and rectangular, she holds it up to her ear and says, "Oh? Ahhoh?"

She loves chocolate the way we do.

She loves credit cards the way we do.

And she cries when they're taken away...like we do.

Terrible Blogger

I have been a terrible blogger lately. Robbie was working out of town in September meaning I was a single mom for a little while. Hunting season arrived which took us to the Centennial Valley last weekend. I killed our computer in September by accidentally downloading a virus after uninstalling Norton...brainy, huh? Fortunately I was able to get our pictures onto an external hard drive. We got our new computer this week so I hope to do some catch up work.

Updates on Katie Rose:
Still not walking but growing increasingly frustrated (motivated) to figure it out.
Her bottom teeth came through a while back and now her top teeth are descending. They're the cutest little teeth ever!
She's also learning to bite and is leaving teeth marks allover her crib.
She says several words if you can call them words. She was saying Mo for more and learned sign language for "more." She's forgotten somewhat now that she feeds herself. She says Dadadadada and Mamamamama and No No No No No. She says Daw-dah for dog. She can't say kitty but she makes a hard "K" sound when she sees the cats.
She's getting a little temper and shakes her legs really fast and screams when she's not getting what she wants or when she's restrained from flipping around during a diaper change. She's learned to pick at the diaper stickies and pull them apart.
Her favorite foods are apples, blueberries, bagels, any kind of bread, seasoned rice, cheerios, eggs, shrimp - yes, I've given her shrimp, gerber pasta pickups, bananas, and most anything else besides green beans and a gerber stew we tried out. She spit that all down her front.

I can't believe she's almost 1...and that I already want another one...but we will wait.... More later!

For the Love of Adorable Dresses Part II

I posted an entry a while back about little girls, namely little southern girls, in adorable dresses. There is no disputing the fact that girls are more fun to dress and their clothes are much, much cuter than boy clothes which are expected to be more durable, less frequently ironed and starched, and appropriate for playing in the dirt. Here's a story about the foofy outfit that *almost* could.

Our friends Keith and Kelly got married August 20th and her colors were lavender/purpley and white. Meredith, my best justification-to-spend-more-than-I-should-simply-because-it's-adorable-and-perfect-for-the-occasion friend, and I had been gushing over different dresses and outfits we found online that would be oh so perfect for Keith and Kelly's wedding. I went to Strasburg Children's website a few months ago and found this ensemble:

This ensemble at the time was priced at 76 dollars which I nor Meredith could justify so we lamented and moved on looking for something else. Katie Rose has plenty of beautiful vintage dresses so it wasn't like we had nothing; It's just fun to shop. Ok so downtown Bozeman has a kid's consignment shop near where I work. I casually walked in one day during my lunch and low and behold, this very outfit was on the rack in her size for, get ready, THREE DOLLARS!!!! I couldn't believe it. What luck! What a prize!

I took it home and showed it to Mom who was also amazed at my fantastic find. She was at my house showing some other outfits she bought for Katie Rose. She said, "Let me take that home and I'll iron and starch it for you so it'll be all ready for the wedding. I'll take home some other dresses too because you know she'll spit up on the one outfit, and you should have another one or two to change her into throughout the party." Oh, perfect I thought. Things were falling right into place.

Then things took a turn for the worse. Mom had Katie Rose on the couch with her playing dress-up to make sure the new items fit. While Mom was holding her, Katie Rose spit up green goo allover the new purple outfit. She wasn't even wearing it and spit up allover it! But Mom was confident she could get it out with a little goo-gone and took it home. A few days later Mom came back over to our house with the ironed dresses. She had a solemn look on her face. She said, "Lee, please don't be too mad at me....pause....I got the spit up stain out of the outfit, and I transformed it from a wrinkled mess into a sweet, sweet outfit.....longer pause.....But, I accidentally got bleach allover the front of it. I am SO SO sorry." My unbelievable buy was ruined and had to become a play outfit...an outfit that could get - SIGH - dirty.

But - The relief is that we did only pay 3 dollars for it. And it happened to a store bought outfit and not one of the dresses Mimi made for me. Mom and I would have cried if that had happened. I suppose one shouldn't place too much value on material things because afterall, spit happens.

*Katie Rose ended up not going to the wedding at all, not because she didn't have an outfit, but because Robbie and I realized that at her age, we might have more fun without her. She was perfectly content with zero regard for her clothing at home with Grumpa and Mama V where she played outside, got food allover her play clothes and hair, and mouthed every filthy, soggy tennis ball she could find. Baby bliss. The outfit has been worn once while riding in the car to Stevensville the day of the wedding. It has since been washed and has returned to the wrinkled mess it started as.

A Different Kind of Summer

In my last post I said something about this summer being a "different kind of summer." My friend Erin in Mobile commented that every summer will be a different kind of summer until our kids are out of college. So basically that could be another 25 years or more. I suppose we'll have to redefine different or rather, normal. Then my friend Todd said last night that as we get older we can take on more. Can we really? Or do we take on more because we have to?

This summer has been different from last summer and different from any summer I have ever had. I mentioned that Robbie's employer has not consistently had work so he has been working out of town off and on for at least a week at a time. The last time I wrote he had been gone for 3 weeks in July. He's been gone 2 weeks in August. We are coming to realize that living in Montana means beautiful skies, outdoor opportunities, a slower paced life, a safe community, and many other joys (like low humidity = good hair days)...but it also means that depending on your job, you might have to go where the work is. We have not been camping one time. Maybe Labor Day??

As for Katie Rose and me, we've been doing just fine despite being alone. I miss Robbie's help and the house is a total mess, but K Ro doesn't mind. She makes me so happy. I delight in the sight of her and the joy she expresses each and every morning when I get her out of her crib. The first few months of her life were tough - I was a new mom and she was a fussy baby, but at almost 10 months old, I cannot imagine anything more wonderful. I'm in love.

She has gone from a wobbly puller upper to a jack-in-the-box who pops up on every piece of furniture she can reach. At her 9 month well baby visit, Dr. Idzerda said she was perfectly healthy. She is in the 25th % for height and the 40th% for weight. She also watched her bear-crawl around and told me to not be surprised at all if she's an early walker.

We have also switched daycares. Meredith, aka Auntie M, will be closing this fall so we decided to go ahead and change so I had ample time if things didn't work out. Katie Rose loves her new daycare. She doesn't say so, but I know she does. Yesterday when I picked her up I took her in my arms and held her for a few minutes while I talked to Miss Kathy. K Ro actually started leaning toward her and crying wanting Miss Kathy to hold her! I wasn't expecting that! And while it broke a tiny little piece of my heart (very tiny), I was relieved and happy to know how comfortable she feels there. Miss Kathy says Katie Rose is a social little girl who loves to play and loves to eat. Mama's girl, for sure.

My How Time Flies

I've been a terrible blogger. We said all last year that the summer of 2009 was just a different kind of summer with me being pregnant and Robbie working and all the preparation that goes into having a baby. Well, I find myself saying the same thing for the summer of 2010. It's just a different kind of summer. Everything is different with an infant in tow, but this summer has had some different kinds of challenges.

Just before 4th of July Robbie's employer laid everyone off for a period of time. Fortunately a friend of Robbie's in Stevensville was able to set him up with a contractor doing HVAC...but that meant Robbie was in Stevi until Midwest could hire him back. He was gone for 3 weeks and for 3 weeks I was a single parent. I'll admit the break was nice at first. I got to pick up my girl and come home for our nightly routine. After a while though it got to be stressful when I had to drop her off, pick her up, feed her, change her clothes, bathe her, refill the humidifier, and put her to bed. Thank goodness she sleeps through the night!! That would have been awful had she not. Robbie is back now - yay! - but it threw a kink in all the fabulous weekend plans we wanted to make. We have not been camping once! Mom and Dad were also around to give assistance.

So back to Katie Rose. She is 2 days short of 9 months old. Our little baby is graving up. That's what I used to say insteading of growing up. In the 3 weeks Robbie was gone she and I bonded. She's quite attached to me which I love but she will still go to strangers without fuss. I know she's attached because she'll be good all evening while Robbie has her and as soon as I walk in the door she starts fussing, crawling to me, and pulling on my pant leg. As annoying as that can be, it delights my heart.

Katie Rose's tricks:

Crawling! She started crawling at about 8 months old and loves her new mobility and freedom. I believe this is what she's been wanting her whole life thus far.

Doing headstands, sort of. She'll go from crawling to a "bear stance" with her feet on the floor balancing on her head. It's so funny.

Pulling everything down everything she can reach. As Dad said, everything in our house that she can pull down and break has moved about 4 feet off the ground.

Making sounds - DA DA DA DA DA DA DA TA TA TA TA TA TA TA TA then she'll whisper ta ta ta tat a yayayayaya. Music to our ears!

Cutting her first tooth - I just discovered it last night. It's the most beautiful tooth I've ever felt. She seems to be handling this just fine for now. She sticks her tongue out alot but doesn't seem any crabbier than usual.

Happy 4th of July

Over the 4th of July weekend Robbie went to Stevensville to work for the week so I was with Taylor and Gynn Gynn Friday and Saturday. More about their visit later...but on Sunday I had the baby all day at home before we went to a 4th of July party at the Ross' house. I spent all morning leisurely playing with Katie Rose until I realized I needed to get ready and make a rice salad which included going to the grocery store and go to the liquor store. Yes, that's right. I took the baby into a liquor store by myself on the 4th of July. I felt like mother of the year. There were 2 bottles I was contemplating and when K Ro put the entire bottle neck of one in her mouth, the choice was made. At least she looked cute. And she's a big girl now that gets to ride in the cart. She loved it and yes, I disinfected it.

Baby Buzzkill

Let me preface this by saying I adore my baby and love her so so so so much. But in certain circles she is affectionately known as "Baby Buzzkill." We use this title when we talk about planning something that would be alot more fun or at least alot more convenient without an infant in tow. You know, things like canoeing, camping, staying out late partying, going to a play, going out to dinner, etc. It's not that we can't get a babysitter now and then or that we hate taking her along but it's a different kind of outing when she goes and it always ends early.

So as some of you may know we just returned from a 10 day trip to Mobile. Robbie, Katie Rose, and I all went and she was truly an amazing, well behaved baby for nearly the entire time except for the first night we wanted to go out. We arrived on Friday and Saturday night we went downtown (without the baby) to Taylor and Tyndal's dance recital while Mom kept the baby. After the recital Robbie, Shelly, and I went to Hopjack's on Dauphin Street to have some food and beers. I had just finished my 3rd microbrew which contains a higher alcohol content than regular beer and was feeling pretty good when Mom called. Mom said, "Oh Lee, I'm sure the baby is alright but she's been crying for nearly 45 minutes and I can't seem to calm her down!" Baby Buzzkill strikes!! I assured Mom that she was fine and probably just needed to cry and let go of the stress of travelling and being in a new place. Mom didn't sound so sure and said she would call me back in 20 minutes if she was still crying.

Now I knew that BB was ok but being her mommy, my radar was up and I lost all prior concentration on the delicious beers and food. I kept waiting for the phone to ring and it never did. I waited and waited and waited and then started sending text messages and trying to call Mom to make sure she was ok. All the fun and energy I had put into the evening was totally gone and I couldn't think of anything else besides how she was doing and whether or not I needed to go home immediately. We went to Grand Central - an hold haunt where apparently my membership card from 2003 is no longer valid and I had to pay cover and get a new card! - had one drink but at that point I knew I had to leave. The buzz was over and dead. We walked to the car where I could still hear music coming from the bar. I contemplated staying but after a few minutes of sitting in the car with sad faces, we went home.

The next day Mom and I were talking about the evening and why she was crying like she was. Mom said, "You and Ross never did that! I never got a call from the babysitter." I replied, "That's because she had the sense not to."

More from the vacation later....

Katie Rose Gets Excited for Dinner

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

30th Birthday Photos

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The Big 3-0!!

On April 23rd I turned 30. Shelly said she believes her 30s will be her most fabulous decade and I think I'm going to adopt that idea as well. Why not? Mom says her 30s were really great too so I feel like I have alot to look forward to. I also feel like I am on the young end of things again. It's kind of like when I was in 8th grade and I felt very cool in middle-school only to be demoted back to lower class status as a freshman. I'm a freshman to the 3rd decade of my life. I'm the youngest of all the 30 year olds out there and no longer the oldest of the 20 somethings.


In the last 10 years I:

Moved across the country (from Montana to Alabama)
Went back to college
Met the man I would marry
Graduated from college
Moved back across the country (from Alabama to Montana)
Got my first job out of college
Married the man I met
Bought a house
Had a baby


It's amazing how such monumental events can be so simply stated. I feel like I could spend days discussing each event and what it meant and what all happened before, during, and after each phase. And what do I do with all of this now? Tough question. The last 10 years have been incredible. Incredibly hard. Incredibly fun. Incredibly challenging with all the changes that occurred. I feel like I spent the last 10 years choosing cards and being dealt cards and now it's time to play my hand...until the next card swap. Remember that game called Life where you spin the wheel, go along the course, and hope to end the game with lots of money, a house, and a station wagon full of pink or blue pegs? We played that game with some friends not too long ago and now there's no clear path on the game board. There are so many different routes to choose and you can keep spinning in the same route over and over again if you want to. And all of your income and expenses are tracked on a debit card that you swipe through a machine. I digress... But all of this is to say that I am about 1/3 through the game of life and feel like I'm just starting and that feels good!

In honor of my 30th birthday I planned and threw myself a big party. The plans changed several times before a final location was chosen. 25 of my closest friends and I went to Rio Sabina's and then to the Belgrade Lounge on Saturday the 24th. Rio Sabina's was NOT ready at the reserved time and it was over an hour before we were seated. I expressed my frustration, got free drinks, and didn't let it bother me at all. I don't know how many cosmopolitans I drank but it was plenty - too much, actually but not so much that I got sick. At the Lounge we danced, the band sang happy birthday, and we ate the most delicious birthday cake I had made for myself. Thank you to all of my friends who celebrated with us. It was a memorable birthday. Thank you to Arnold and Vickie for coming over to keep K-Ro. That was a wonderful gift.

For the Love of Adorable Dresses...

Here is my truth - My real girl and the reality of where I live. For all the love of adorable smocked dresses, pictured below is how things really are. Katie Rose got her first Carharts from Pop. We picked them up at Muroch's on Monday. He got her one pair to wear this fall and another to grow into. He is very proud and can't wait to have her on the tractor with him mowing the flax. These pictures were taken with my phone so that's why they're not as clear.

Mom, a friend of hers, and I had a conversation about what kind of dog we might be. Mom's friend referred to herself as a poodle. Mom referred to me as a poodle wannabe, but I disagreed. I thought of myself as a labrador - much less high maintenance, fun, adventurous, dingy but trainable. But I didn't want to commit to being all Labrador because most labs I know smell bad at times and are too easily amused. I decided I was a labradoodle embracing the best of both worlds. I like getting my hair and nails done so I can look good on the hunting trip. Miss Katie Rose will most likely be a labradoodle as well. Below is her still in her Carharts with a lace trimmed bonnet.

This sweet email was a response on this post from my sweet friend Elizabeth (Dorlon) Floyd:

"i think you're right. you are a labradoodle... although, you kind of remind me of bear [her cockapoo]. she's such a love. loves to snuggle... loves to get dirty...she jumps in any puddle she sees loves getting her hair blown dry... loves boys... and she's not afraid to wear a bow in her hair. love you, leelee lizard"

I Heart Ebay

So my latest passion besides HATING the snow in April is looking at all the adorable kids' clothes for sale on EBay. Ohh my gosh. Clothes! Tons of them! Some of them inexpensive! Some not so much! The clothes I'm talking about are the adorable smocked outfits, bubble outfits, bishop dresses, day gowns, bonnets, etc that are unheard of here in the high north cold country. One I've been eyeing in particular is a bubble suit with little crabs smocked around the collar. It's so cute I could die and how fitting for our little crab! Meredith had to rescue me from the abyss that is E-Bay the other day and wouldn't get off the phone with me until I promised her I had signed out. It had to be bad for Meredith to insist I stop. She loves shopping for her girls. Readers please do not take this as a plea for more baby clothes...unless you just want to. When I see Katie Rose in a little dress of mine or a bubble outfit or the dress pictured below, happiness bubbles inside of me and I can't stop smiling with absolute delight at my precious girl. I was looking at her closet the other day thinking to myself, "I want a boy one day. I do. But gosh I hate to not have another girl and have to put such darling clothes into storage! It would seem a waste!" So you might be wondering how many kids I want and the answer might be 3. For all the trials, hits and misses, lost sleep, agony at times, and the millions of outfits she'll never wear, I can't fathom the thought of not doing this again.

And speaking of crabs, I actually think KRo is getting less and less crabby. Perhaps she's just excited about finding her toes. She's good at grabbing those little piggies quickly too. She's also making some new sounds lately which include a high pitched ongoing screechy squall. I've experimented with telling her "NO!" but that's not as much fun. I usually find it so adorable and funny that I just laugh instead. Ben and Meredith's baby Emma would make a high pitched screech/squawk when she wanted attention. Ben and Meredith didn't find it nearly as funny as I did. I laughed every time she did it. I'm laughing now just thinking about it. They said I would get my turn and it wouldn't be as funny but they are wrong. But we're only on day 4 of this new hilarious expression.

Spring-ish Pictures Despite the Snow

Springtime in Montana is NOT the wonderful spring of the South. Nothing is blooming yet except an early tulip or 2. It's been really windy and we've had snow on the ground the last few mornings. It typically melts throughout the day but overall it's pretty damp and muddy. There are still no birds around except for the arrival of the bald and golden eagles which are often spotted this time of year and the ducks and geese that return from their migration south. So we celebrate spring...indoors.

In this picture notice she's missing a sock. Baby socks never stay on their tiny feet. Why is that? Is it because they don't have ankles? She had one set of booties that would stay on because it had an elastic band around the ankles but she has outgrown them now. I can't believe she's still so tiny and yet so much bigger than she was.

We're at the stage now when EVERYTHING goes in the mouth...hands, fingers, pacis, toys, bunnies, and more as you'll see further down.

Our baby bunny

And Another Trip to the Doctor's Office:

The poor baby has impetigo on her face. Apparently this is a common bacterial infection babies can get and it has to be treated with antibiotics. I kept thinking she had baby acne and when we were at her 3 month check up the doctor told me to look out for impetigo because it could get worse. It cleared up for a while and then got worse again so it was time to take her back. We also found out she has thrush and diaper yeast. I asked the doctor why she got these things and it has nothing to do with her living environment but Ph imbalance in her body for whatever unknown reason. 3 prescriptions later and we're doing fine. It's actually amazing how resilient these babies are and how quickly their fresh skin heals.

In the next pictures she is wearing one of my dresses from when I was a baby. You can't find Feltman Brothers dresses in Montana. She looks like such a doll I can hardly stand it.

This weekend for Easter we are going to Stevensville. MamaV can't wait to show off her new grand baby. She remembers last Easter when another grandma got to show off her new grand baby and since then she's been looking forward to this occasion. Katie Rose will be the cutest little bunny ever! I'm also debating whether or not I should have her picture taken with the Easter Bunny at the mall. I'm thinking yes.

Updates

I am so sorry I haven't been a good blogger for the last month. I can't really say we haven't been up to much. say that not much has been going on. Nor can I say that too much has been going on, although my little girl keeps me very busy. The biggest change is that as of March 1, I am only working 4 days a week. I have every Monday off to spend with Katie Rose and to get things done that are better done during the week: clean the house, take baby and animals to appointments, pay bills, etc. I love having this day for ourselves. Robbie has Fridays off so this means she only goes to daycare 3 days a week - Tuesday through Thursday. I'm so thankful for this opportunity.

Last week I took her in for her 4 month check up. She is healthy and well weighing in at 12 lbs 9 oz putting her in the 24th percentile for height and weight. She's a bit of a small fry, but her head circumference is in the 80th percentile which means 1. She has big brains and 2. She could be a star. Mimi told me she read that celebrities usually have big heads which look better on camera or on stage. The doctor also politely acknowledged that Katie Rose is indeed an expressive child.

We talked about her sleeping or rather lack of sleeping. She naps well during the day but she wakes up 2 times a night to eat. She wakes up usually between 12 and 1 and again between 4 and 5. The doctor said, "You know, many 4 month olds sleep through the night." Uhm, wow, really? I've heard of these children and really and truly thought mine would be one of them, but she's not. But I love her anyway. Last night she slept 5 hours before eating and then slept 5 more. I hope it's a growing trend. At 4 months old she can roll over stomach to back and back to stomach. She's getting better at grabbing things intentionally. Last night she fell asleep on her play mat and had rolled on her side with the bug leg still in her tight little grip. She got a bumbo seat so she can sit up and play with her toys on her play mat. She kicks her legs alot more especially in the bathtub splashing water everywhere. And she's eating rice cereal every night and loves it. I am hoping it will help her sleep better. She loves being carried around in her snugli pouch. The other day I put her in her pouch while we threw the ball for Shuge. Last weekend we went for a short hike at the Lewis and Clark Caverns trailhead.

A side story on the hike last weekend:

People make fun of me because my car is usually full of junk and really, it is full of junk. However, if you ever need anything, you can almost always find it in my car. When we went for our hike it was a little cooler and breezier than I anticipated, but it wasn't cool enough for the jacket I brought. In my car were 3 bags of "junk." One bag contained maternity clothes I never wore where I found a light weight sweater perfect for the hike. Another bag contained a bag of baby clothes I meant to take to Sak's (local thrift store) 3 weeks ago. Inside the bag was a zip up fleece for baby to wear. My car may contain alot of stuff, but I like to think I'm just prepared. Catherine Kelly said it well when she called my car a treasure trough.

Robbie's parents have been over twice in the last month. This past weekend was especially nice because they brought Grandma Rose and Grandpa Bob. We stayed at the house most of the weekend visiting, making fry bread, eating, playing cards, and oohing and ahhing over Katie Rose. I wondered what the world must look like through her eyes. Everything is so new. I thought how bizarre it must seem for everyone around you to be in your face making funny noises and acting like a fool just to make you smile.

3 Month Old Katie Rose

Here's a cute bath time photo. There are also 2 new posts below. Wow, our girl is 3 months old now. We've ALL come a long way, baby! I think back on when we first brought her home. I thouht the day had gone well and while breastfeeding was painful and awkward, I felt like I knew what I was doing. My first uncertain moment was when it came time to put her to bed. I had no idea what blanket to use or how to make her feel secure. I feared I would smother her, or that one blanket wasn't warm enough while another was too hot. I had no idea what to do! 3 months later I can swaddle her in the dark half awake with one hand behind my back. I also remember her screaming fits and how anxious it made me that I couldn't calm her down. I remember begging her to stop crying through my own frantic tears. Nowadays I don't know if it's her development or mine, or maybe I'm just getting better at tuning out her screams, but I can calm her down in a matter of minutes. I think we're going to be good at this parent thing after all.

At 3 months here are some things Katie Rose loves:

#1 above all else, bouncing on the exercise ball

Being propped up on our shoulders so she can see out

Being swaddled

Nuby pacifiers that are only available at Super One in Stevensville and Roseaur's in Bozeman

Playtex drop in bottles. No other bottle is acceptable to her.

Red wine. I dipped her paci in it the other night. She had no objections nor funny faces.

Bath time until we have to wash her neck and hair.

The 5 bulb light fixture over our dining table. She's totally mesmirized.

Dancing - again with the bouncing.

Pushing up on her legs.

She still hasn't rolled over and she's still not intentionally grabbing things though the fist to mouth operation works perfectly and once in a while she'll hold her bottle. She's getting better though. Her fists are starting to relax a little. She hasn't found her feet either although this morning she was staring intently at the pandas on her pajama feet. It won't be long.

Below is a slide show of Katie Rose over the last 3 months. Most of those photos were taken with my phone. We stayed in bed late nearly every morning for the first 2 months and the phone was easier than our camera.

3 Months of Katie Rose

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WHO DAT!

Thanks to a certain little baby who helped us get a more than certain tax refund, we bought ourselves a big screen tv. We earned this tv with sleepless nights, ringing eardrums, aching backs, and hell, pregnancy alone. We also figured we would be spending alot more time at home these days so we might as well stay home with quality.

Here are Rob and Katie Rose sitting on the exercise ball watching the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

Having a big tv also earned us the opportunity to host a Super Bowl party. Maybe it's the southern hospitality gene; I love having parties. It's also carnival season in Mobile so we turned the party into a Mardi Gras/Super Bowl party and who better to be playing than the New Orlean's Saints? I made chicken and andouille sausage gumbo and oysters rockafeller. I also littered the house with all the tacky Mardi Gras decor. I even had a hand painted Mardi Gras linen towel in the bathroom. And yes, it was ironed. Mom would be proud. We had tons and tons of food and good friends to celebrate. The tv was beautiful, the company fantastic, the food plentiful, and the laughs abundant. Keith even named me the queen of the ball. He is invited back next year.