July 20, 2009

We survived a rough week last week with me being sick, Lance not feeling great, and Karly not feeling good.  We were all finally back to normal on Friday which was good timing so that I could go on my girls weekend trip.  Karly and Lance had a daddy-daughter weekend while I went to Galveston with my girlfriends.  It was nice to get away and enjoy the beach and lots of girl time.  Lance and Karly did fine without me, in fact Lance even ventured out on a lunch outing!  He took Karly to BJ's for lunch with Adam.  He said she did fine, slept well, ate well, and played a lot with daddy.  I missed both of them and was glad to be home Sunday.

We are getting back to normal this week and running errands, going to strollerfit etc.  I am planning to get back to Karly's scrapbook and I'm doing a scrapbook night Friday with some friends at a local scrapbook store.  I am excited to try and catch up on her album, so that I can then get back to working on our travel album.  I recently finished our wedding and honeymoon books and the last trips I worked on in the travel album were back in 2004!  We also have some busy weeks and weekends coming up in August, so I want to get working while I have the time. 

I have a few pictures to post that Lance took this weekend and plan to take some of our adventures this week!

July 15, 2009

I know it's been awhile since I posted an update but we've had a lot going on!  Last week we had our normal activities and then daddy took off work Friday and Monday to have a long weekend and much needed break.  It turned out to be a good thing because when we got home Sunday night I wasn't feeling so great.  I came down with a little sinus infection, so Lance took care of Karly.  Now I am doing my best to keep Lance and Karly healthy.  We had a great time on our annual tube trip.  The Parker's are always great hosts and going to the concert on Friday instead of Saturday was a much better plan.  Stoney LaRue was great and the venue was a lot better than some of the ones we'd been to before.  There was plenty of room to enjoy the concert, sit, or dance.  We then tubed on the Comal and had so much fun we ended up going twice, but we were all so tired Saturday night and ended up going to bed early.  We missed our Karly Kate, but she had a good time with Nonnie, Poppy, and Gigi. 

Karly is growing so much and we both noticed after being away from her for a couple days.  She's still doing the one leg crawl and standing a lot.  She can stand on her own, but doesn't do it often or for very long (without holding onto something).  She definitely knows ma-ma and da-da and has even said them while looking at the right person!  I was excited the other night when she said ma-ma but also looked right at me.  She's been saying them for awhile, but I didn't know if she had made the connection.  She's also eating a lot more on her own (I took some pictures) of her eating her big girl food.  Karly is a really good eater, so far she's willing to try anything and eat everything we give her.  I hope it lasts!

I took a few pictures last week and will be posting those today.

July 6, 2009

We had a great 4th of July weekend with Karly.  We started it off with lunch at Lopez with Kma, Gpa, and Aunt Kelsee.  Karly was a little off that day and slept a little too long in the morning, so she didn't want to sleep in the afternoon.  We planned to take her to Micala's parents house for the 4th of July party, but without a nap she only lasted a little while there.  So Lance took her back to Kma & Gpa's while we stayed at the bbq.  We had a lot of fun seeing our friends that night.

The next morning we got up super early and got Karly ready for the neighborhood parade.  We decorated Karly's wagon and took her down to watch.  She loved it and just starred at all the people.  She looked really cute in her 4th of July dress and decorated wagon.  We didn't stay out too long, because it was super hot and Karly was ready for a nap when we got back.  We stayed home most of the day and then met some friends for dinner that evening.  We put Karly down to bed, but still went out with the neighbors to watch the kids shoot off fireworks.  We took turns watching her, but she managed to sleep through all the noise!

We took a bunch of pictures this weekend, so check them out.  I'm busy working on Karly's album and hoping to get caught up on it this summer. 

July 1, 2009

Karly is 8 months old today!  Can it be true?  As I've been working on her scrapbook again recently I have noticed a huge change in her looks.  I see her everyday and spend every minute she's awake with her, so I guess I don't notice it like others do.  Her eye color is definitely defined as a true blue, similar to mine but a little lighter.  She lost a bunch of hair and as it's coming back in really light and fine (like mine).  You can see it in the pictures I'm posting today.  I've actually had people stop me recently and tell me she looks just like me (which has never happened).  She still favors Lance in many ways, but her looks seem to be changing more and more. 

She is so much fun and just a happy baby.  She is standing and pulling up everywhere like she has been, no attempts to walk yet (thank goodness).  She seems to be sleeping now more than she ever has.  She is very good about getting herself to sleep these days, I hardly ever have to go in and help soothe her or help her get to sleep.  We can lay her down and she immediately puts her head down and gets in her tummy sleeping position while we put her blanket on her.  It's very cute and I'm so proud that she has become such an independent napper and sleeper.  She likes her bedtime to be at 8 pm and really doesn't do well after that time, she has been napping an hour in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  Karly hasn't always been a consistent napper, but I was OK without long naps as long as she was sleeping through the night.  Now she needs both and she is not happy without them.  We try and keep her schedule regular but not too rigid so that we can take her places and change it up without her minding. 

I've been working on her scrapbook again recently and I'm currently on February.  I'm hoping to get caught up soon.  I took a little break on Karly's album and finished our honeymoon album.  Jenn and I have been working on our wedding scrapbook off and on for the last year and just finished yesterday!  It's exciting to finally have all the wedding events documented and it turned out awesome.  Being at home allows me to focus on some of these projects that I never had time to do before. 

This weekend will be Karly's first 4th of July.  We're going to our annual neighborhood parade, dinner with some friends, and hopefully finding some fireworks to watch that night.  Check out the new pics!!

June 22, 2009

We had a great Father's Day.  We took Lance to Flemings for lunch and Karly did great.  We ordered her some chipotle macaroni & cheese which is also one of my favorites.  She actually ate several pieces and played with a few toys while we enjoyed our meal.  It was very yummy and Lance finally had some real meat after our long cleanse!  We also took Karly to her FIRST movie!  We went to Up and she actually did really well.  She watched the first 30 minutes pretty well and then needed a little break so I walked around with her.  Then she settled back down and sat in daddy's lap for the rest of the movie.  We kept her pacifier in most of the time so she never got really loud.  And I was surprised that there were several babies in the theater.  I was very proud of her for doing so well.

Today we went to strollerfit in the park and then headed to the library for story time!  Karly loved it and had a great time listening to the songs and books that they read.  They have baby story time every Monday at the Cy Fair College library, so we will definitely be doing this more now.  Karly is the perfect age for it and it's another activity we can enjoy during the week! 

Lots of new pictures added from last week and Father's Day weekend, enjoy!

June 16 2009

More updates!  Karly is now clapping...it's very cute because she randomly does it and it's so soft because she cups her hands while doing it.  I am trying to get some pictures of it but it seems like whenever I do get the camera out she decides not to do it.  She also has another tooth, this makes number 5 and we think there will be a number 6 showing soon too.  I am hoping she gets the two top teeth in soon to even it all out.  She's also getting better at pulling up and standing.  Karly is not scared at all, in fact she is a little too brave and thinks she can do more than she can!

Last weekend Karly went with us to celebrate Kim Wende's birthday and she did great being out a little later than usual and allowed us to go even though we didn't have a sitter for her.  Saturday she got to spend some time with Kma, Gpa, and Aunt Kelsee while we went to a shower for some of my old co-workers.  It was great to see everyone!  

Last night we celebrated Kyle & Allie's engagement and Karly did great.  We had her take an extra nap in the evening so she could be up and she made until 10:30!  I thought she would sleep in this morning, but no such luck.  

I will try and post some new pictures later today.  

June 7, 2009

We have so many great updates and pictures if you haven't seen them yet I just posted 3 new albums (a day at the pool, standing up, and backyard pool)!  If you haven't already guessed from the name of one of the albums, Karly is standing up now!  She has to use a prop but she can pull herself up and stay standing for awhile.  Our determined and strong willed child is so happy to have made this next accomplishment.  I fear walking is around the corner, yikes!  She is getting into so much more and can get around so quickly that we literally cannot take our eyes off her.  Oh the days of her playing on the ground and me doing chores are definitely over. 

Not only did Karly start really standing a few days ago, but she has 2 new teeth!  Daddy says she is getting her fangs like mommy's...haha.  Apparently my two outer teeth are a little longer, so he was teasing me that our daughter now has her "fangs."  The two teeth have broken the skin and probably explains the middle of the night waking and fussiness the last two nights.  We're a little tired since we aren't used to getting up at 3 and 5 am anymore! 

You can also see from the pictures Karly had a fun weekend.  Friday after SF class we headed to the pool in Lucas's neighborhood.  They have an awesome pool that has big waterslides, several pool areas, and a splash pad.  Karly LOVED the splash pad, she was just in awe of the whole thing.  I can't wait to go back b/c she had such a blast.  The boys were actually a little scared of the splash pad b/c in the middle of it there were these big buckets that dumped water and it was loud.  Karly was not in the least big phased by any of it and just stared at the water coming out of the ground.  She also loved being in the water in the big pool.  Our little girl is going to be a "pool rat" as we used to call them (the kids that are at the pool everyday all day).  I'm so happy she likes being outside and the water since we are definitely more beach vacationers than anything else. 

Since she had so much fun at the pool we decided to bring out our little blow up pool and set it up in the backyard.  We got her on videofilm in the pool for the first time.  She loved it and had a lot of fun playing in it.  We got a new umbrella and cushions for our patio table so we enjoyed that while Karly splashed around. 

We also got a few pictures from the party we went to Saturday of Karly and Colin.  Colin is a 10 month old baby of some of our friends that were there.  Karly had fun playing with him and getting into all the toys there.  We had a pretty busy weekend, but also relaxing and productive too.  Daddy hung the shelves in Karly's room that we've had for months.  They look great and it is the perfect space for all of her christening stuff.  We're almost halfway through our cleanse and doing well.  Lance has dropped a ton of weight and we both feel great!  Enjoy all the pictures! 

June 3, 2009

We have such a busy 7 month old!  She is just all over the place, into everything, and goes non-stop!  Despite the hot weather we've managed to stay active this week with strollerfit and walks in the evenings.  Karly just loves to be outside and as long as the stroller is moving she's happy!  She's learned to spread her toys all over the living room in no time.  We got her a new toy that you'll see in some of the new pictures.  It is supposed to be a learning table but until they can stand really well it can be on the floor.  She is getting better and better at the "monkey crawl" which is her way of being up on her feet and hands.  She can almost pull up to a standing position with a prop, so she'll be doing that pretty soon I suspect.  She is a very determined child, you can just see it in her face when she wants to do something.  It's quite funny and a little scary for the future! 

I got some great photos the last few days, just around the house of her doing what she does everyday.  The best "trick" she has which everyone thinks is hilarious is her "dog impression."  She takes a toy and puts it in her mouth and contines to crawl or play with something else while the toy is still in her mouth.  She's been doing this for months, but I finally got some good pictures for those that have not witnessed it.  I have no idea if she actually picked this up from the dogs or just figured out that she could hold a toy in her mouth while doing something else.

We are looking forward to a quiet weekend, we haven't had one in a long time!  It's been back to back activities and our summer calendar is getting full again.  I'm planning to get our little blow up pool out for Karly this wknd and will get some photos of her outside.   

May 31, 2009

A weekend of birthdays it's been!  Friday was Aunt Jenn-Jenn's birthday and we celebrated with an adult night out.  Then Saturday morning cousin Janie had her birthday party at the pool.  Karly stayed home with daddy while mommy went to help supervise.  Then we ended the day at Haylee Watral's first birthday party!  Karly had a great time crawling all over the living room and playing with the other babies and kids.  We kept her busy eating when Haylee opened gifts and we got some really cute pictures of Haylee. 

Lance and I started a 21 day cleanse this weekend also and it's definitely been hard the first two days adjusting to the diet.  Lance had some immediate effect and dropped a bunch of water weight just in the first day!  Hopefully we can make it through the 21 days successfully.  We'll keep you updated on progress and of course our results!  The goal is to get rid of all the toxins, gain more energy, and lose some weight in the process. 

I can't believe Karly is 7 months old tomorrow....my, how time flies!

May 22, 2009

It is getting harder to make posts because Karly is getting into everything!  Right now I am sitting on the floor with her writing this so I can watch her.  She is so fast, if I turn my head she is on the other side of the room.  Amazing how things change so quickly.  When we get back from our trip this weekend we have some work to do on the kitchen cabinets, but right now she has the entire living room to crawl around in and that's been satisifying to her so far.  We took out our coffee table last weekend when we cleaned out the garage and it gives her a lot more space and we don't have to worry about her hitting her head on it.  We have a massive coffee table made out of concrete maybe, Lance & Kyle could barely carry it out to the garage if that tells you how heavy it is.  SO needless to say she is enjoying her new space. 

We've been busy this week, we've did stroller fit Mon, Tues, and Wed and ran our normal errands afterward.  Karly loves going to the stores now that she can sit up in the cart in her floppy seat.  I realized I needed to take a picture of her doing that, so I have to remember to take my camera next time.  We ran quite a few errands this week because we were getting ready for our weekend trip to the lake.  I also feel like I've been either thinking about things to pack or actually packing all week.  It's only 3 days and we have to have so much stuff.  I think Karly has about 4 bags herself!  We are taking Karly to Rockdale to stay with Nonnie & Poppy on our way out to the lake.  Then we're meeting up with some friends at Lake LBJ outside of Austin.  We're excited just to get away and have some adult time. 

We also went to view Karly's 6 month pictures yesterday and they were ADORABLE!  It was so hard to pick this time and I feel like I say that every time, but there were so many cute ones.  Her expressions were great and we FINALLY got some good smiley ones.  The pink and green dress turned out awesome and then we got some really, really fun ones in the flowers.  They should be online next Tuesday so I'll put up the link to get to them, but it's the same spot as the last ones.  http://www.quancedesign.com/Pages/clients.html and enter schielack for the password.

We hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend! 

May 16, 2009

Karly has been a busy bee this week.  She is getting around the house really well and very fast.  She is quite a little monkey and likes to stand on her feet (like a push up position) all the time.  She wants to stand up alone, but can't quite figure out how to do it yet.  We got out her walker and she loves it and zooms all over the place in it.  We spent the weekend cleaning out our garage and putting away all the baby stuff that Karly has grown out of.  It's a little sad to put it all away and amazing how much she's already done with.  Karly's been busy playing with her cousins all weekend and loves having all the attention on her.  I'm sure she will wonder why it's so quiet tonight when Jennifer and Anton get back and the kids go back home.

We had a playgroup date on Thursday and Karly LOVED having different toys to play with and always has a good time with the other babies.  She is quite social and prefers to be in a big group and really doesn't care if she's off schedule or not at home.  She is getting around at the same pace as the older babies, so they are probably a good influence on her.  I also LOVE how she plays like the boys.  She is not afraid to get dirty or play a little rough.  She's hilarious to watch and I think already enjoys being the center of attention

Speaking of getting dirty we had a day trip to Galveston with 5 other moms and babies from strollerfit and Karly was covered in sand but loved every minute of it.  She was so dirty and had sand everywhere but she was amazingly happy playing in a huge pile of toys that we had spread out over 5 big blankets.  She also loved the water, we went out briefly and she was laughing and smiling the whole time.  I am so thankful to have such a happy baby and willing to play anywhere and everywhere. 

Probably the biggest change this week is that Karly is now on formula and solids only.  We have completely weaned her and she has done great.  She now gets excited when she sees her bottle and it's very soothing to her.  She's drinking about 5 bottles per day and getting from 25-30 oz. per day in.  We also gave her organic puffs for the first time and she has fun with them and trying to figure out how to get them in her mouth.  They are great because they dissolve in her mouth but get her started on feeding herself.  She also had chicken for the first time this week and seemed to like it OK.  Her absolute favorite food is bananas and she will eat anything mixed with them.  She still loves most her vegetables and will eat any fruit you give her. 

Check out the new pictures from the last week!

May 13, 2009

Karly looked so cute in her 6 month pictures yesterday and we get to view them next Thursday which means they will be online in about two weeks.  I can't wait to see them!  She had such a good time and wanted to crawl around and eat everything in the studio.  Speaking of crawling, Karly is getting very curious and getting around the house really well.  She is even starting to pull up on things and wanting to stand up.  She's mastered going from a crawl to a sit and vice versa.  She is so strong and determined to do everything she can.  Mommy and daddy went out to dinner and to a play with one of daddy's clients and Karly had a blast with her cousins.  They completely wore her out and she slept almost 12 hours!  We definitely have our hands full now!

May 11, 2009

Yesterday was my first mother's day and it was a great day!  Lance planned a brunch at Rainbow Lodge.  I was a little worried how Karly would do at a nice restaurant, but she was wonderful!  She had a meltdown on the way there, but once we got there she was fine.  Lance fed her and kept her occupied so that I could relax and enjoy my food!  We had an awesome meal and sat on the backside of the restaurant with a great view.  After our brunch we all went out and did some shopping.  It was nice to actually be able to get some stuff for myself and not worry about Karly the entire time.  She did great and enjoyed all the people watching from her stroller and even took a nap or two.  It was a great day and I didn't change a single diaper!  What a nice break for me.

Karly is getting around really well these days and is doing a full out crawl!  No more leaving the room anymore and we have to have more baby/dog seperation.  We're using the baby gate now to keep them seperated.  She's also not using her swing anymore and we just lowered her crib this weekend.  I can't believe how big she is getting and how fast she's growing!  We're starting to have a bunch of things piled up in the garage now that she isn't using, so next weekend is our big project to reorganize the garage and put things in the attic etc.  I can't wait to have it all put away and to have our garage back to normal!   

Tomorrow are Karly's 6 month pictures with Teri!  I can't wait because it will be the first professional pictures where she is sitting, crawling etc.  And I've got the cutest outfits for this photo shoot, so I can only imagine how cute they will turn out.  I will be posting the link to the site to view as soon as we get them!

May 8, 2009

What a week!  It has totally flown by, so I guess we've been pretty busy.  We started the week with Karly's 6 month check up.  She was a little out of it after that appointment, but it was also the most shots she's had in one visit too.  She never ran a fever, but I think she was just tired and sore.  Tuesday we went to Lupe Tortilla for Cinco de Mayo with the other mommies and babies after strollerfit.  It was a lot of fun and Karly had a blast because she went home and took a 3 hour nap!  Yesterday we met Kma for lunch near her office for Mother's Day.  Karly had her favorite meal of cereal and bananas of course! 

I can't believe it's already Friday and time for another weekend.  Tonight we are heading to Sugar Land to see Kma, Gpa, and Aunt Kelsee to celebrate Lance's birthday (again), but mostly to have a good meal and hang out.  Tomorrow we are heading out to see Adam's new house in Spring.  And then we get to have some family time!  It's been awhile since we've gotten to hang out just the three of us.  I am pretty excited about my first mother's day!  I'm not sure what all Lance has planned, but I do know we are going to my favorite fancy brunch place, Rainbow Lodge!  I hope Karly does OK, it will be her first experience at a nice restaurant. 

I've been snapping a few pictures this week and will post those, but I feel like all my pictures look the same.  She is either sitting or crawling.  She is getting better and better everyday and can get across the entire living room now!  Scary!!  Next weekend we will have our first free weekend to ourselves and we plan to reorganize the garage and baby proof! 

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!!

May 5, 2009

I wanted to do a quick update after Karly's 6 month check up with Dr. Knapick.  She weighs 16 lbs. and 15 oz!  She dropped down to the 50 percentile for weight and about 62 percentile for height (in between 50 and 75).  I'm guessing that she dropped a little because her last check up was a little late at 4 1/2 months instead of 4.  She is also very active so possibly why she's dropped a little in the weight category.  All in all she is very average!  Her progress is good and she seems to be a little ahead of all the things she is supposed to be doing.  We're going to be switching to formula and the bottle a little more this month to slowly wean her from me.  So far she is doing well with 1 bottle per day (usually at night) and she seems to be sleeping a little better with the bottle at night. 

May 1, 2009

Karly is 6 months old today!!!  I can hardly believe that 6 months ago today our sweet baby girl was born.  Lance and I talk about that day often and try to keep it fresh in our minds.  It's been great to work on her scrapbook and look through all the pictures we have from November & December.  I just finished her album through Christmas and then I started some of the back track from being pregnant and baby showers.  I almost forgot what I looked like back then! 

Karly is a very busy baby (surprise, surprise) because she doesn't get that from Lance and me  .  She can now scoot across the floor and get up on all fours and rock.  I know she'll be crawling soon because every day she gets better and better about getting where she wants to be.  She still has only two teeth, but she is constantly chewing on anything she can get her hands on.  She smiles and laughs all the time and really enjoys when we sit on the floor and play with her.  Most of the time she is on the floor playing with her toys or in her exersaucer and jumper.  She still uses the swing but only to watch her movies, her absolute favorite is Praise Baby.  Karly sleeps about 10-11 hours at night these days and usually takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons.  She is not much of a morning napper, she will usually get about 30 minutes in but I try and keep her up until after lunch so she'll take a longer afternoon nap.  It allows me to get things done around the house and work on her scrapbook from time to time.  She is also discovering the world of fruits now and LOVES bananas, apples, and prunes.  Overall she's a pretty good eater and even if she doesn't like something she'll eat it if you disguise it a little with another food. 

I took a few pictures yesterday so everyone can see her at 6 months.  We have her doctor's appointment on Monday afternoon and then her professional 6 month photos with Teri on May 12th.  I am excited for these pictures because she can sit up so well on her own now that there is more she can do with her.  Check out the new pics and sign the guestbook to say hello to Karly!

April 27, 2009

We had such a fun weekend with Kristin & Kevin visiting us from North Carolina.  They played with Karly, Chloe, and Zoe the whole weekend, so everyone got lots of attention.  Kristin and I took Karly on a run both Friday and Saturday morning and of course she loved being outside and moving the whole time.  We met some friends in town for lunch on Friday, where Karly threw bananas and butternut squash all over herself!  Friday evening we drove to Sugar Land to give Kevin the grand tour and to see Kristin's childhood homes.  We visited Kma, Gpa, and Aunt Kelsee.  Aunt Kelsee watched Karly while we had dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant, Lopez. 

Saturday morning, the guys headed out for a day of golf.  Kristin and I did a little shopping and played with Karly at home.  We had a night out Saturday for Lance & Kevin's birthdays.  Kristin & I have discovered our hubby's have a lot in common including birthdays very close together!  Karly enjoyed a night with Aunt Jenn-Jenn and cousins Alex and Elijah helped out too.  Sunday was a nice day of rest and relaxtion for all of us.  We grilled outside and ate lunch on the patio b/c the weather was amazing!  Then we had to take Kristin & Kevin to the airport.  We were all sad to say good-bye.  Karly sure enjoyed all the extra attention!

Karly has also been quite busy trying to crawl.  She is so close and you can see how determined she is b/c she just tries and tries.  She can now scoot across the floor to get where she wants and I am guessing the real crawl will happen any day.  So that means we really have to get on that proofing.  We did rearrange the living room a little bit to give her more room to crawl. 

Karly will be 6 months old on Friday, I can't believe how fast it's gone by!  We take her to the doctor on Monday afternoon for her 6 month check up.  We are excited to see how much she's grown! 

April 23, 2009

I just uploaded a few pictures of Karly playing at home.  I got some pretty good expressions.  She has so much fun playing with all her toys and she's figured out how to make the jumper jump!  She loves the jumper now and especially since I attached all the toys that used to be on her baby einstein playmat. 

Karly is doing really well with eating these days.  So far she's had peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, green beans, and butternut squash!  Her least favorite is definitely the green beans, she is not so fond of my homemade green beans but she will eat the gerber green beans okay.  I bought some fruit too, so now that we've gone through most of the first vegetables we can try some of the fruits.  I have no doubt she will LOVE all of them! 

I've also finished all of November in her scapbook which is the biggest month so far!  We're excited for the weekend with Lance's birthday and Kristin & Kevin coming in tonight from North Carolina!

April 20, 2009

I realized this morning I hadn't posted anything in over a week!  I was hoping to have a bunch of pictures and a post about our weekend but it ended up rainy and cloudy until Sunday afternoon!  So we didn't get to have the day we were hoping for on Friday, but we made the most of our time together.  We ended up going to the Woodlands to go shopping and have lunch.  I FINALLY got to go to the scrapbook store and I bought a bunch of stuff for Karly's book!  I actually came home that day and did her first bath page b/c I was so excited about having some new stuff to work with.  If I keep working at this rate then I'll be caught up very soon!  And I even have her baby book completely up to date. 

The rain started coming in early Friday afternoon which was just about the time we were heading home to get Karly down for a nap.  So we enjoyed the afternoon at home while Karly slept.  Then Friday night Lance and I got to go out by ourselves.  It had been awhile since it was just us, so that was nice!  We had dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant and then had some wine at the wine bar near our house.  Saturday it rained and rained all day.  I had planned to get the massage the girls bought me for my birthday last October and Lance stayed home with Karly.  It was so nice and well needed.  Saturday night I stayed home with Karly and Lance went to a guy's baby shower where they had diapers and dominoes.  He enjoyed seeing some of his old highschool friends. 

Today is our last swim lesson for the session and we've decided to do another session in May.  By the time the second session is over summer will be here and we can go to the neighborhood pool to practive all we've learned!  Lance came to our lesson last week and videofilmed.  He got a few pictures, but some turned out blurry because he was trying to videofilm and take pictures (which didn't work too well).  I will post the ones that turned out. 

We are looking forward to the weekend because our good friends from North Carolina, Kristin & Kevin, are coming to visit!  It's also Lance's birthday so we have a weekend of fun planned for him!

April 13, 2009

We had a great Easter weekend.  It started on Friday where Karly and I went to strollerfit and then she played with Sam and Chase as they tried to go after the easter eggs.  We discovered they were more interested in eating them, but it was a beautiful day and they enjoyed being outside and playing.  We left for College Station Friday afternoon so that we could celebrate Poppy's birthday at Fish Daddy's.  Karly was not very happy when we got to the restaurant so we had to feed her and try and soothe her.  I think she was tired and teething.  She finally went to sleep on our way to Rockdale and then wanted to play when we got there.  Needless to say she was not on schedule this weekend.  She slept pretty good the first night we were there, but not so great the second.  I'm sure she knew she was not in her bed and I think she also knew that Lance and I were in the same room with her. 

We stayed up on Friday and played games, one of our new favorites is Apples to Apples and Erin brought her Wii so we all took turns with playing Rock Band.  Karly slept through all of it!  Saturday the weather was not as good as we'd hoped so we stayed inside until later in the afternoon.  We cooked, played games, and washers outside.  Everyone took turns with Karly and then Saturday night we had a big barbeque dinner. 

Karly woke up early on Sunday and opened all her gifts from the Easter bunny and Nonnie and Poppy.  She liked all the bags and tags more than the gifts   We all went to church with Granny and Karly sat on Poppy's lap.  She was really good and quiet the whole time until she let out some gas (during a prayer) and we all knew what she was up to.  Apparently it started to smell pretty bad towards the end of the service, but she didn't make a peep.  I think she knew she had a big pretty, fancy dress on and it was the perfect time for her to take care of business.  We got some great pictures after church of her playing outside with her eggs. 

Karly had a great first Easter and loved playing with all the family!

April 7, 2009

Karly is ALMOST crawling!!!  Tonight Lance layed on the floor with her and she got herself in a rocking motion and moved but not quite a full out crawl yet.  I can't believe she is about to do this, both exciting and scary at the same time.  We have definitely not baby proofed the house yet at all AND I have been enjoying the fact that I can leave Karly in one place and know she can't really move that far.  I have a feeling we are just days away from her figuring this all out because she seems to be quite intelligent.  I snapped a few pictures of her attempting to crawl tonight. 

Karly had her third swim lesson on Monday and she had a ton of fun again.  She loves being in the water and of course playing in the water.  She wasn't quite as wiggily and splashing the whole time, but she did great.  They are learning to kick to the wall and then grab onto the wall and push up on the side to get out.  We also work on floating, blowing bubbles, going underwater, "walking" with their hands along the wall.  It's actually quite a lot for a 5 month old.  You can see that they really pick up on what to do after repeating the same activity several times in a row.  She went under water at the end of class again and didn't swallow any water or get upset afterward.  She is my little fish already....after all the summers I spent teaching little ones, it's fun to see her enjoy it so much!

Karly is now eating solids twice a day and we've moved from peas to carrots.  She seems to really like the carrots and in a couple days I will introduce sweet potatoes.  I've also worked in oatmeal instead of rice cereal with dinner and she likes that too!  So far she's been a good eater.  It took her a couple times to take to the peas, but she seems fine with them now.  I think the solids are helping her sleep longer too as we've totally dropped the late night feeding and she's been sleeping from 8 pm to 6 am consistently!  This is a BIG accomplishment and so nice for all of us.

I've been busy working on Karly's scrapbook and I'm so proud of myself for making progress on it so quickly.  I am determined to keep up with all of her books.  I work on her baby book and scrapbook now almost everyday! 

Karly has her first Easter coming up and she's already gotten several gifts and cards.  The Easter Bunny has a few things for her too!  We'll be taking lots of pictures and have great updates next week.

April 5, 2009

What a beautiful weekend it's been outside!  We have tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having.  Friday evening we sat on our back patio and had some drinks and snacks with Jenn & Anton.  Karly enjoyed some peas in her highchair outside.  She is actually eating them pretty well now!  I think she really likes to be eating with everyone else.  We've gone out to eat twice this weekend and put her in the highchair at the restaurant (with her floppy seat in it) and fed her cereal so that she could eat with us.  She has enjoyed herself both times and liked being up and able to see everything.  I forgot that we had one of those fisher price booster/highchair seats that we can take with us also.  I feel like she is really starting to use a lot of her baby things and even outgrow some too!

Saturday we had K-ma, G-pa, and Aunt Kelsee over to see Karly and they had a good time with her.  I tried to take some pictures, but Karly wasn't paying any attention to me with all the people around.  She really is a little party girl!  She didn't take a very long nap yesterday which turned out to be a blessing because she slept for 10 hours!  I really needed some catch up time because the night before wasn't so great.  Saturday evening we sat outside and Karly enjoyed a bottle while we talked to some of the neighbors.  It was just too nice not to be out there.  Karly also discovered Rex across the street which is the neighbors schnauzer.  It was so cute because Karly was laughing everytime the dog "talked."  It was hilarious to actually see her crack up at the dog.  I've only seen her laugh like that a handful of times.  She seems to love dogs because she has fun with Chloe all the time, but she's never laughed like she did with Rex. 

Today we got up and took Karly out to the bluebonnets where we thought we would get some good pictures.  She looked so cute in her ladybug dress and we found some great bluebonnets BUT Karly had no interest in taking pictures.  She kept her head down the whole time because she was so fascinated by the flowers.  She wanted to pick them and eat them and do everything but look up at us.  We sang, screamed, jumped up and down but nothing worked.  The sun was also a little bright for her and I think that kept her head down too.  So needless to say we didn't get too many pictures of her looking up, but Lance managed to snap a few.  Maybe we'll have better luck next year? 

This week we are hosting play group at our house and then Friday we have an Easter egg hunt after strollerfit! 

April 3, 2009

I am writing this as we should be getting ready to leave for strollerfit so I am going to be short and sweet.  Karly has her second tooth coming in this morning!  I saw it for the first time today and I think she is feeling a little pain today because she's been a little fussy when she is normally very happy at this time of day.  She is doing really well with eating solids.  She has had two nights of peas with her cereal now.  Last night she ate them for daddy and he started to mix them in with the cereal, but she is eating them!  We will continue with peas for a few more days and then introduce carrots or sweet potatoes.  She was so cute the first night we gave them to her with her expressions, we took pictures and video of her first experience with the peas. 

She is getting better and better at rolling and even scooting across the floor.  I am afraid we are only a few weeks away from a crawl which means baby proofing needs to start already!  I didn't think we would already be at this point, but she seems to be a little ahead of the curve.  She also sits up really well and LOVES to sit up and play in the bath tub.  She splashes everywhere and plays with her toys.  It's definitely her favorite part of the night.  She is also doing really well at night these days.  I dropped her late night feeding by accident one night because I fell asleep at 9:30 and realized that maybe she didn't need it when she slept all the way until about 5:30 am without it.  She is also very adjusted to her 8 pm bedtime and by about 7:30 she is rubbing her eyes and very sleepy.  I give her one last feeding at 7:45 and then put her in bed at 8.  Sometimes she fights for about 20 minutes but she is usually asleep by 8:30 and sleeping until 5-6 am!  She has come along way and I think doing really well for only being on breastmilk with a small feeding of solid food in the evening. 

We're off to strollerfit and then to meet daddy for lunch today!  Tomorrow we have a visit with K-ma, G-pa, and Kelsee and then Sunday we are going to take pictures in the bluebonnets. 

April 1, 2009

Karly is 5 months old today!  She is turning into quite a little person these days.  She is very lively and full of energy all the time!  She seems to be quite the social butterfly and loves to play with other babies.  She is very interested in everything I am doing and wants to eat/drink everything I have.  It's getting harder and harder for Lance and I to go out to lunch or dinner because she does not want to be in the carseat anymore and she wants to be up with us and eating or doing whatever we are doing.  When she gets excited or wants something she lunges her body forward over and over.  She is now sitting up pretty well and she eats in her highchair every night now!  By the way it is a great highchair, easy to clean and she stays very secure with the straps in it.  It's part of the chicco line that we have that matches our pack n play, stroller, and carseat. 

To celebrate Karly's 5 month status we are going to introduce peas tonight for dinner!  I have been busy making her first baby food today.  It's actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and now that I know how to do it I don't think it will be too bad.  I have been using naptime to get this done and I decided while I was making it to make a couple batches.  I can see the value in making our own baby food as I bought a few packages of organic baby food to keep on hand so that we can have it if we go out to dinner or out of town and I paid $1.28 for 2 small packs.  I got an entire bag of organic peas for $1.75 at Heb.  The bag made 1 ice cube tray plus some to keep fresh in the fridge.  I have some pictures so you can see her first homemade baby food experience and I am hoping to wait until Lance gets home so he can take some pictures of her first reaction to peas.

Back to the kitchen before Karly wakes up, I'll post some pictures tonight of her first pea experience!

March 30, 2009

Karly had her second swim lesson this morning and she had so much fun!  It was so cute how excited she was to be in the water.  Today she went under water for the first time!  She did so good, she didn't cry or swallow water at all.  The teacher knows exactly how to put them underwater to prevent getting water in their mouth and it's so quick that they really don't have time to panic.  She came up smiling and happy!  She splashed and kicked the entire time.  She was almost jumping out of my hands the entire time.  She is the youngest in the class, but definitely the most active.  Even the teacher commented that I had my hands full and she loved her excitement.  I'll take excited and smiling over crying!  I wasn't sure how she would do today because she didn't get much of a nap in.  I stay home from strollerfit on Mondays now because of swim lessons so that she can have a leisurely morning and be in a good mood for class.  However today I decided to go to Walmart which I don't enjoy going to because it's hard to get around with her.  The carseat is too big for their carts so I use the baby bjorn (front carrier) but my back can only take it for about an hour.  I had a ton of things to get today because I put off going to Walmart so my list gets ridiculous.  Well I ended up being there for an hour and a half and Karly fell asleep in the bjorn.  I didn't even notice because I was so preoccupied with getting everything on my list and making sure I got everything as I passed each aisle.  Her head was leaning to the side and I noticed she seemed to get heavier and then I realized she was asleep.  It was quite a task getting out of the store with her sleeping and my cart piled up with stuff!

We had a great weekend at home.  It was so nice not having a bunch of stuff planned.  We stayed in Friday night, Lance was really tired after a long week at work.  It's quarter end, so he's been working late everyday and just running from meeting to meeting.  Saturday morning Lance went to his training session and then we took Karly out shopping.  She did great out with us and then Lance and I took turns getting haircuts and staying with Karly that afternoon.  Saturday night we went out for some mexican food and we found a new place that we love.  They had a little band playing and Karly actually fell asleep during dinner so we got to enjoy ourselves!  Sunday morning we took Karly to mass and she did OK, although she really needed a nap so she was a little fussy.  Sunday was pretty relaxing around the house and I finished my big closet/drawer cleanout project.  I've got a ton of stuff to take to goodwill which excites me b/c I love getting stuff out of the house. 

Karly will be 5 months old on Wednesday!!  I have some pictures we took yesterday to upload and I'll take some more this week since it's another milestone.  We're hoping to find some bluebonnets this weekend and take some pictures of her!  She is sitting up better by herself so it's great timing.  Stay tuned!