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

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

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.

Katie Rose's First Brush with the Law

K-Ro has been found guilty. One week ago at daycare Katie Rose Vernon was found guilty of not being where she was supposed to be. The State came to visit her daycare as part of an annual inspection following the provider's license renewal. Katie Rose was found to be in violation of the law. We work hard to raise a child who is self-assured and respectful of the law, so imagine our disdain to hear of her mischief at such an early age. She was in the back room swaddled and fast asleep on a futon (which by the way rests on the floor, not above ground). By state law children who are sleeping must be in some sort of safety crib and nowhere else. As her mother I am not at all concerned about the dangers of the crime commited. I say let sleeping babies lie. What concerns me is Katie Rose's complete and utter indifference to the entire situation. When a child gets in trouble a parent must take an introspective look at the child's home life. I now realize she has slept swaddled on our bed, on our couch, in her swing, and in her bouncy seat with nary a thought to what she was doing. Clearly I have misguided her.

"We treat Katie Rose like our own. I would never let something happen to my girls, nor yours, and I try to do at daycare what parents do at home. That way it seems normal to them," our daycare provider stated. But just to be cautious, she held Katie Rose and rocked her for the remainder of the state's visit. Katie Rose enjoyed the extra attention very much, getting exactly what she wanted in the first place. Minor delinquent? Positive reinforcement of bad behavior? Or smart, smart cookie? You decide.

Playoff Weekend Before Last

Weekend before last we went up to my parent's house for a weekend getaway with our friends Keith, Kelly, and Peter. Keith and Peter were also in the play, The Foreigner, with me last February. I can't believe it's been almost a year since The Foreigner - the event that changed my life forever. I still believe it was all the excitement and adrenaline from being cast in the play that took my mind off trying to get pregnant which then resulted in me getting pregnant. Funny how that works.

We watched the playoffs and enjoyed football fare, cold beer and cocktails, and ended the evening with Catch Phrase, interpretive dancing to 90's music - thank you, Keith - and hot tubbing. Katie Rose was spectacular through the evening with only a few fussy moments. Good thing we brought her bouncy seat and the exercise ball on which she LOVES to bounce. We don't go anywhere without those 2 things. The next morning we got up early as babies often do and had breakfast. After breakfast we hiked to the saloon to have mimosas. We watched more football on Sunday and got home just in time to watch Big Love.

Thank you Mom and Dad for letting us use the house. Thank you Ross Barrett for unlocking and warming up the house and hot tub for us. We are so lucky to have you!