What are you going to do next?

Kennedy has changed so much!  She is growing so long, losing all her hair, and learning new tricks everyday.  At week 4 she started cooing and it is so sweet to hear her talking.  The funny thing is that when you are talking to her she opens her mouth a lot as if she is talking and nothing comes out.  I think this girl might be a talker like her momma.

Week 5 she really found her hands.  She has always had her hands by her face or in her mouth (even in the womb) but this week she really started to notice those hands and started to notice that she could grab things.  She also found her thumb.  When she finds it she sucks like there has never been a better thing in her mouth and then when she pulls her thumb out she gets so mad when she can’t find it again.  This week she also started kicking like crazy!  And she also started sticking her tongue out.

I love my hands!

I was getting after that ball

Week 6 was the best week because she started smiling volitionally!  At first we had to work so hard for those beautiful smiles but by week 8 we get them all the time and I don’t think I have ever seen anything better.  This week she also started grabbing objects and reaching for them.  Before, she would grab if the object was there but this week she started reaching and grabbing for objects and holding on for dear life.  Gran and Grandad were able to get one of your very first smiles!

Week 7- the week momma had to go back to work.  This was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do.  It just did not feel natural to leave my angel when I hadn’t been away from her for more than an hour or so since she was born.  But, knowing that Grammy was with her was the greatest blessing.  I did not worry once about her safety or well-being, just ached because I missed her so much.  I knew that Grammy and Pa were making a huge sacrifice by my mom quitting early to take care of Kennedy.  I knew that I couldn’t imagine Kennedy having to go to day care and was so relieved when my mom came up with the idea to keep her.  But nothing could have prepared me for the day when I actually did have to leave my child and got to leave her with my mom.  I have never appreciated my parents more, never appreciated a sacrifice more.  now that I understand the unconditional love a parent has for a child, I was absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude that words seriously do not express my emotion adequately.  I don’t think I could have handled leaving her at a daycare.  It was hard enough without having to worry about her.  Day 1 was so busy and so hard, I cried all the way to work and would get choked up just thinking about the appreciation for my mom.  Day 2- worse because Kennedy was waking up while I was leaving for work and I made the mistake to go say good morning and the moment I saw her I just started crying.

My mom and I were talking about what it would be like with Kennedy in a daycare.  Kennedy still has tummy issues and still has some hard days where she just cries and can’t really be consoled.  I can’t even think about leaving her at a daycare where they are understaffed for my daughter to just sit in a swing or crib and cry all day.  You can’t ever pay back your parents for their sacrifices and I have never felt more loved in my life.  Thank you Lord for the gift of amazing servant-hearted parents.  Create in me a heart like yours to love my children the way you love all of us and the way my parents have shown me.

Wow, didn’t really expect to go off on that tangent.

Week 8- 2 months old!  How can that be?  Your daddy weighed you and you were 10 lbs. 7 oz. and 24 inches long!  Your weight put you in the 46-50th percentile but your length put you in the 96th percentile.  You are a “long tall sally” as Gran calls you. 

Currently, you love to smile and you still love singing.  In church last week during the singing you were just cooing and singing too!  You hate tummy time now, you use to love it.  Now you just cry and throw a tantrum if we leave you on your tummy too long.  You love being on your back and playing.  Your favorite place is up on your changing table where you can look outside and have a close-up of faces to smile at.  You don’t like your glider anymore when it is turned on either.  you love running water and the sound of the vacuum still.  Your favorite things are to go on a walk and to listen to someone singing to you.

You have started clicking your tongue and get so impressed with yourself when you can do it more than one time in a row.  You are starting to imitate some facial expressions.

Gran and Grandad came to town

At 6 weeks, Gran and Grandad came in from Arlington to meet their first great granddaughter.  It was my last week home before I had to go to work.  Unfortunately, Kennedy was not having one of her best days and was fussy.  She was starting to go through the  week growth spurt and was wanting to eat every 2 hours and sometimes sooner and my body wasn’t keeping up at first, which left a cranky baby.  But, I think they loved her despite the crying! ha ha

Gran kept making cool sounds with her mouth and Kennedy was just mesmerized.

 

Even Buddy got some attention

Kennedy got lots of attention and love and lots of holding.

Kennedy being rocked by Gran in the rocker given by Gran and the blanket Gran made.

We got to catch up, love on Kennedy, I got to dust while they held her, and Grandad even cooked lunch for us and we ate Schlotzskys.

Trick or Treat

On Halloween we went to our good friend’s Tammy and Craig’s house to see the girls all dressed up in their costume.  We started this tradition last year when we went trick or treating with Brylee and Brooklyn.  Of course Kennedy was ready to eat in no time and it was close to her bedtime, but she hung in there for a few houses.

Here are our little blessings

Bad sun, but the gang

Kennedy with our neighbor, Easton the dinosaur

And I forgot on the last post (which what happens when you start a draft and don’t finish it until 3 weeks later), Kennedy got to meet her great Uncle Tommy!  He was in town for a conference and got to love on the little missy.

First Road Trip

At 5 weeks, we ventured the unimaginable and made our first road trip.  Since little missy is what some may call “fussy”, I was anxious about the trip.  Every parent knows the amount of preparation and packing that goes into traveling with a child but we managed to make it to San Antonio without forgetting a thing.  Barrett, the magician packer, loaded up all our gear and somehow managed to fit guns, a stroller, 3 suitcases, diaper bad, pillows, presents, gear for 2 dogs, 2 dog beds, 2 dogs, a baby and us all into my Honda Civic.  When we got to my parent’s house it reminded me of the Mary Poppin's scene where she keeps pulling out lamps etc. from her suitcase.  Gear just kept coming and coming out of the trunk which normally 1 large suitcase takes up 80% of the space.  We were hoping to buy a new car while in San Antonio that would be more safe for the little one and more roomie for our growing family.  I was praying we didn’t have to load everything back into the Civic.  I wish we had pictures of us packed into the car.  At one point I needed in her diaper bag and it was on the floor on the opposite side of the car seat and I could not reach it for the life of me because there was no space around her car seat!

Annie was supervising the feeding.

Miss Kennedy was perfect, sleeping the entire trip.  We rushed into town to surprise Pa at work and tried to make it their before people started leaving for lunch.  Pa was pretty excited to show her off to all his co-workers.  Then we rushed to my parent’s house to meet a guy that Barrett was selling a gun to, then lunch, then to the Honda dealership to look at cars.  We ended up buying a Honda Pilot and I LOVE it!  No more squatting to put the car seat in, it is the exact height to load a car seat.  Buying the car always takes longer than I expect, I had pumped for 1 meal for Kennedy but we ended up being gone for 2 so my parents had to bring Kennedy up to the dealership so I could feed her.  Of course it was right when we were signing papers.  I was so distracted thinking of my screaming child and just wanted to scream “hurry up I have a baby to feed”.  Then Kennedy, who had had bottles most of the day so we could be out and about, did not want to feed because she was lazy and had gotten use to the easy and fast flowing bottles.  (sigh)  But we made it through and got our car and were beyond tired when we finally got home to relax at 9:00. 

Here is the new family ride

Barrett’s dad came to visit early that morning and Kennedy got to see Papa D again and meet Granny C for the first time.  Kennedy cooperated for about 30 minutes and then it was nap time.

Later that morning we went out to the Marathon to support families in the process of adopting.  Gicki did the 1/2 marathon and Pa did the kid marathon with Hadley and Linden and Kennedy made her appearance right when it was time to leave.  We got to see the Leupold’s from Seattle and have lunch before they headed back home.  It was so great to see them and Karen was so excited to meet Ms. Kennedy.

This is Hadley holding Kennedy at Freddy’s after the marathon.

Then there was Gibson, who was so in love with the “baby”.  He could not keep his hands off of her and got so excited to hold her!  Precious boy.

That night we had a Sip and See to attend, hosted by my mom’s friends and co-workers.  They showered Grammy with all kinds of grandmother gifts and enjoyed holding Kennedy.  Unfortunately, they did not get to see the best of Kennedy because the shower started at 7 pm and that is when Kennedy eats and then goes to bed.  Needless to say she was exhausted when she finally got to bed.

Bad picture, but wanted to document the cute outfit.

Grammy opening her grandma gifts.

Sunday, Barrett and I felt like we had been run over by a truck we were so tired.  We went to church at Oakhills with my parents for the first time and got to see Ms. Barbara and Nanny who are very special people to Kennedy’s momma.  Kennedy did not do so hot during church, Pa fed her and then it was fussy/tired cry.  I proceeded to the cry room which was packed!  It is funny to me that I even felt stress in the cry room where kids are suppose to be able to cry without disturbing people, right?  Well apparently all this babies in the cry room had already had their cry and was sleeping.  So, yet again I found myself apologizing for my crying baby in the cry room.

Nanny with “my baby” as she told someone

It was a great weekend that was so much fun.  I am kind of worn out just writing about it.

Pumpkin Patch

Barrett’s mom, Nana, came in town the weekend of October 22nd and Kennedy had so much fun dressing up in her cute costume and taking pictures at the pumpkin patch.  She did so good taking all the pictures and allowed for some costume changes.  Afterwards, we had our first outing with Kennedy other than Dr. appointments.  We actually braved and went out to eat lunch.  Of course, I was only packed and prepared for the pumpkin patch and not lunch.  Paci? nope, nursing cover? nope….anxious momma? yep  She ended up doing pretty good but got fussy shortly after we got our food because it was almost time for her to eat again.  Oh rookie mistakes, now I am always prepared for at least a 2 day stay any time I go out. HA!

Kennedy the bat

Nana got her the bat costume

I love being outside!

Going for our walk