Today

Keely got her second tooth sometime this afternoon. When I picked her up from Aunt Pete's, she had been crying. She looked pretty cute with a tear-stained face. Is that horrible for me to say? Keely looks cute all the time. Really, she does. Ask anyone. So, I decided it's okay for me to think she looked cute with a tear-stained face. And, I am not changing my mind. Anyway, we had our family pictures scheduled for tonight, and I was pretty worried that K wouldn't do so well. She cried in the car on the way home and fell immediately asleep after I nursed her. Then, I had to wake her up after like 5 minutes because we needed to get ready for the pics. She didn't do what I thought she'd do. She didn't utter a sound on the way to our appointment. She stayed awake, too. She didn't utter a sound when we changed her clothes and put her in a very frilly, too-big dress. Or when we put on tights for the first time. She smiled and laughed during our photo session. She didn't cry even once, despite my ESP plea for her to stop doing so well so we wouldn't have such a hard time choosing and end up spending a ton of money. We spent a ton of money. But, we got good pics. I was planning on getting one good shot of our family and that's it. I wanted the $9.95 package. K didn't let that happen. Instead, we walked away with a bigger package, having spend 8 times that amount. Whatever, though, it was worth it. We are getting K's 6 month pics made by CT Photography on Friday, when she'll actually be 6 months old. For those of you out there that don't know, CT Photography stands for Carrie Tungate Photography, and she's affordable and great. If anyone is interested in getting some freelance photos made of their little ones, you should consider her. Plus, she's got a brand new camera! So, I walk away from my experience in the studio thinking that it's okay we spent more than intended. We're getting great Christmas photos, and we'll get great 6 month pics on Friday. Congrats on the new tooth, Keely Star. You're getting so big, and we couldn't be more proud of you. Way to go, kid!

To My Husband

Tomorrow we will celebrate our 7 year anniversary. It has been one heck of a ride. Not smooth, although not overly rough. Mostly enjoyable, although not always. It's been exactly as it should be. Marriage is not easy. These days nothing really is. But, people tend to believe marriage is easy because you love each other. They see it in black and white, and seldom see the grey. These seven years have brought many lessons. We are not the same people we were when we got married. We're better. We're wiser. And, we continually learn from each other so that we continue to get better. Continue to get wiser. I love you, Carl! Thanks for being the greatest husband. Thanks for helping create the greatest daughter. We will have many adventures in our lifetime. But being married to you and raising our daughter is my greatest.

Our Girl's 5!

Months that is. As of yesterday. Crazy how much time has gone by since Carl and I set out on this venture of transforming into Mama and Daddy. Yet in many ways, it seems like Keely should be this old. 5 months feels fast but right. She's grown so much over the past month. I would be willing to bet that she weighs 15 pounds. And, she's gotten tall. Her 3-6 month pajamas are close to not fitting, not because they are too tight but because they are almost too short. She's got chubby cheeks and thighs, but that is about all that's chubby. She gets prettier and prettier everyday. I could just stare at her all the time, if I had nothing else to do that is. I tell my little girl all the time that mamas need to get paid for loving their babies so that I wouldn't have to work anymore. Not that I dislike my job. I love what I do. I just miss her all the time. Being away from her is hard. But, I rest assured knowing that she is in great hands at Carrie's.

I am posting a new Smile Box, which has a ton of pics. You may notice that not all of them are of our sweet girl. I threw in some of Evan and Eleni's son, Jackson, who was a pirate for Halloween, and of course, I had to throw in some of the nieces and nephews, because they continue to make me smile every time I see them. Keely loves her cousins, and they are so cute with her! We finally decided to buy a Bumbo for Keely, and she loves it. We feed her and let her play with her toys in it. She's close to figuring out how to sit up on her own, which is funny because I don't think she rolls over completely yet. Would've thought that would come first. She can hold her own bottle for a few seconds, and she loves to hold things. She still loves to cuddle with her frog, like she has since she was less than a month old. She laughs and smiles constantly. She inherited my loudness, which can be good and bad at the same time. I think it's funny, but Carl gets frustrated when he's trying to talk on the phone or watch TV and she's just talking away. Carl and I feel so blessed to have such a sweet daughter. We thank God for her everyday and pray that he continually blesses her as she grows. She'll always be our shining Star.

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I have such a great baby!

It's true, and I am not just saying that. All mothers think their babies rock, and I am no different. I really, really think Keely is just the greatest! I couldn't ask for a better or easier baby. Last night, we made yet another adjustment to our little girl's schedule. The reasons leading up to this decision? Well, for starters, I have to feed her every morning at 7 AM because that is the last time I can feed her before I leave for work. The past few days when I would get her up to feed her, she would only eat for about 8 minutes. For some babies, that's as long as they need. Take Ella, for instance. She nursed for a solid 6 minutes and was completely done. I can't remember how old she was when she started doing that, but I am pretty sure she was only a couple of months older or less than Keely is now. Keely typically nurses for about 20 minutes. I also noticed that when I would feed her cereal at 7 PM, she would not nurse for more than a few minutes afterwards. I really didn't know what to do. As it was, I only nursed her or she got a bottle 5 times a day, and she ate cereal 2 times. When she wouldn't nurse, I was so confused. So, after thinking about it for pretty much the entire week, we decided to change her schedule for about the 5th time. I compromised her post-cereal 7 PM feeding and her 10:40 PM feeding into one 9:00 PM feeding. Then, I put her in her crib and hoped she wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night wanting to eat. She didn't! As a matter of fact, she was out within 5 minutes. She didn't even stir until 6:30 this morning! She did want to eat then, but I held her off until 7. She didn't even really cry! What a great baby! I just love her so much! She is so easy, too, because she goes right along with any changes we make. She rarely fusses about them. I am pretty sure our next child won't be so easy, but maybe he or she will. At any rate, we're going to wait a little while before we find out.

Another Month Gone

Consider this my follow-up to the previous post from October 1. I promised pics and more updates, and I am following through . . . just a little later than planned. Well, those that know me best know I am late for almost everything.

Our little girl is taking a nap right now . . . going on 2 1/4 hours. Yay! She never sleeps this well for me in the afternoons. Of course, Carl and I tend to run around like crazy on the weekends, which doesn't account for much of a long nap time for Keely. After talking to Carrie, I found that Keely takes a 3 hour nap for her everyday. I was like, "What?!" So, Carl and I decided to experiment. And, we're calling it a success, because as I said, she's already been down for over two hours and isn't stirring yet. I guess nap time is something we're going to implement into our routine as well.

Updates: 1) She's sleeping through the night!!! Yay! This is perhaps the update that excites us the most. She doesn't have it completely down every time, but for the most part, she does sleep through the night. 2) She's in her own room. We moved her into her own room a week ago yesterday. She is so easy. She just goes with whatever change we make. This change was easy for her. When we put her in her crib that first night, she LOVED it. She was so cute, kicking her feet up in the air and smiling at her mobile. We left her alone, and she drifted off to sleep without making a sound. And, she's done the same thing pretty much every night since. 3) That little tooth has really come in! She lets us see it now. She hasn't bitten me yet, which I am very happy about. I was so nervous that teeth would make nursing so hard, but it hasn't. Here's hoping it stays that way!

I don't really have any more updates yet. Keely goes to Dr. Stripling for shots on October 15 (Thursday) and then back to Dr. Varma to have her thyroid levels checked again on October 22. I'm a little anxious for the second appointment because reassurance that everything's the way it should be is a definite plus. I anticipate that nothing's changed, but you never know for sure until that lab work comes back.

Tomorrow marks the fourth month of Keely's entrance into our lives. In a lot of ways it seems crazy that four months has come and gone, but in other ways, it seems hard to remember life before her grand entrance. At this moment in time, I can honestly say that I feel fulfilled. I feel this incredible appreciation for life, this divine closeness to the God who creates mountains and waterfalls. I attribute a lot of those feelings to Keely. She makes me see things in ways I'd never seen them before, to the extent that many things that used to be important now appear so petty and meaningless. Because when all is said and done, I still have a husband who loves me and a little girl who lights up my world, all provided by a God who loves unconditionally, whom I strive to mirror, realizing that I may be so far off, but at least I'm making progress. It is my sincerest hope that Keely will grow up realizing who this God is and what He has done for this world.

Enjoy the pics and God bless!

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Quick Updates

So, I have next to no time since I have a pile of papers to grade tonight before I have to submit report card grades tomorrow afternoon. I did want to drop in for a quick update on my sweet little pumpkin princess, though. Yes, I said pumpkin princess. Sometimes she's my pumpkin and sometimes she's my princess, and tonight I felt like combining the two.

We have a first tooth, ladies and gentlemen! Mama and Daddy can't believe their baby is so big already when she's still only 3 and a half months old. Yes, it's a tooth. You can feel it and see it sometimes when her little tongue isn't wagging around covering it up. It goes on record that our little girl got her first tooth on September 30. I'll have to write in her baby book. I think I need to start a journal of daily happenings in the world of Keely Star. I think I just might.

Due to Keely's apparent lack of appetite when Carrie tried to give her the 10:30 and 1:30 bottles, we adjusted her feeding schedule this week. It's working out well. Along with the change, I decided to stop feeding her in the early AM hours. She's still waking up, but she usually goes back to sleep once I give her plug to her. This was a big change to make, but I am amazed at how well she's done with it. I'm beginning to think I have the easiest, most laid back daughter in the world. I love her more and more each day. I am so proud to be her mama! I just can't get over it!

This post comes with two promises: 1) I will post more pics very soon, but I don't have time at the moment. 2) I will offer more insight into our busy, busy lives when I post pics. Until then, wish me happy grading, and I wish you all a happy evening.

3 Months Old

My little girl is already 3 months old, and I can't believe it! These past 3 months have been some of the best I've ever experienced. It is an honor being Keely's mom. I am so glad God chose me for the job. I know Carl feels the same way about being her dad. In some ways, I can hardly believe it has been nearly a year since I found out I was pregnant. It will be a year on October 10, which is really not that far away. That is a day I will never, ever forget. I was thinking that at this time last year, I found out my first IUI did not work. As a matter of fact, as we were walking through the Cowboy Symposium this afternoon, it occurred to me that when we were there last year, Carrie was almost certain she was getting a new niece or nephew. It's funny how things work out. We wake up each day older than we were the previous day, sometimes wiser, sometimes not. I was hanging out with friends last night, and Carl and I were the oldest ones in the room by at least 2 years. My friend, Sam, told me she bought a house, and we embarked on a discussion about how old we've gotten. She has a house, and I have a wonderful kiddo. I love that I'm all grown up. I love that I'm married to the love of my life and that we are parents to our shining Keely Star. Getting older is so much fun. I've decided that Carl and I are going to take Keely to Paris for her 18th birthday. I love that she's so little and adorable right now. I don't want her to grow up too fast, but I absolutely love the thought of how great she'll end up. I just have this feeling that she's going to turn out to be this amazing person who does amazing things. And, I'll get to watch her and help her accomplish her goals and live her dreams. I suppose God must feel that way as He watches us grow and develop. I think He's very honored to be our Father. And, that's the coolest thing ever . . . knowing that our heavenly Father has so much love for us, so much pride in His handiwork that He can forgive the greatest of sinners and love us despite our shortcomings. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful God who has blessed me with an incredible family. He has made Keely in His image, just as He made us all. I pray God will continue to bless Keely and our family. And, thanks and glory to Him who loves unconditionally. May we learn to be like Him more and more each day.

Enjoy the pics!

Make a Smilebox slideshow