Getting Stronger!

I love this picture not only because I think she looks so cute, but because her eyes are so wide open. I think it's the startle from the flash of the camera. (I'm not sure why this is underlining, but I couldn't get it to go off. )

MK showing off her new neck strength. It's so much work and she can't do it for long, but it gets longer every day.

I'm posting this one for Roger's family of MK in her International shirt. All day she kept grabbing the bottom of it and pulling it up. I'm thinking she might have wanted to take it off. Maybe she's more of a John Deere girl.

2 Months...

Today I took Mary Katherine in for her two month appointment today. The doctor said that she looked great and quoted the very familiar... "she's growing like a weed" --Is there not another expression people use for babies growing?--- She is now 24 1/4 in. long and 13 1/2 lbs. According to the growth chart her height is in the 97% and her weight for her age is in the 90s% as well. Needless to say, she's filling out well.


Mary Katherine is full of smiles and slobber. She has constant bubbles coming out of her mouth and the top of her shirt stays wet. The past week she has gotten so much better with her daytime naps and last night she slept from 9pm to 6am for the first time! (I am very excited about this even though I know she may not do it regularly for a while.)

I am posting a picture I took on Sunday of MK. She is wearing some pants that Kizzy made for her--very cute! They are knit and have a ruffle on the end of each leg.

Serious or Happy?

Making faces has been probably the biggest change that I've seen in the last week or so. Mary Katherine can go from very serious as the picture below shows... to happy in a matter of moments. We love her smiles. This is the best picture I have so far of a smile because my camera has such a delay you just have to get lucky to catch it. She loves to stare at mommy and daddy and does a great job of following you as you move and looking at you if you are talking to her. It's been fun to see her response to our voices when we talk to her.

Way too long...

It's been way too long since I have posted on the blog. I've thought about it many times but never got around to it. This past week and a half I have experienced what working mothers go through when they return to work. I have two weeks of work before I am officially a "stay at home" mom and it has been hectic. We wake up at 6ish and from there I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Once I get to work around 8:00 I find that I'm not so productive. My mom is taking care of Mary Katherine so I usually call her a few times to check in, see how she's doing, and for any updates. Another common distraction is the pumping three times a day--which takes about 20 minutes each time. I go into this small uninsulated bathroom that is right off the front entrance. For some reason the temperature in there remains about 20 degrees below the temperature in the other part of the office. So I plug in the pump and sit on the toilet waiting and freezing until I have my 4 or 5 ounces. It's not something I really look forward to. Mary Katherine is doing well. We still have a difficult time in the evenings and sleeping during the day. We went to the doctor on Friday and she weighed 12 lbs. and 13 oz. She is gaining quite well. I'm posting a variety of pictures. The first pictures are of the swing. I had a few people tell me that the swing was a lifesaver when their child was having difficult moments. Well I immediately thought we needed one and perhaps all would be better. Well...it wasn't what I had hoped for but she does enjoy it when she is content.



These pictures are from last weekend when Roger's family visited from Tennessee. They drove 16+ hours with a 2 and a 5 year old so that they could meet Mary Katherine. We know that they made big sacrifices and are thankful they got to come. It was a quick trip but we hope to go visit them in December.



This last week I sent this mat with Mom so that MK would have something to play with. She seems to enjoy it. She mainly just stares at all the different objects. Actually I think it may be a bit overwhelming at times. Her eyes stay wide open and her body makes LOTS of movements when she's looking at it.

1 Month

Mary Katherine went to the doctor on Friday for her 1 month appointment. She had a healthy report and weighed in at 10 lbs. 12 oz. and 22 inches. I had to get MK in this cute little onesie before she grew out of it. So what if it is fall--it was almost 90 degrees outside.

Sleeping Smiles

This top picture isn't the best quality but it captured a bit of her smile she makes as she is beginning to drift of to dreamland. It just goes to show you just how great sleep is. I love this smile even though I know she doesn't even realize she's doing it.

Early Mornings

We took this picture one morning before we went to Woodward for some doctor visits. Early mornings are my favorite time with Mary Katherine. She's the most content and alert at this time. You can talk to her and sing to her and she will follow your movements and sometimes your voice. I've come to conclude that there is nothing sweeter than a happy baby. As most of you know MK has been somewhat of a mystery to try to figure out. Every night starting around 6 or 7 she begins to get uncomfortable. She flails her arms and legs and is very uptight. The uncomfortableness then turns to a very loud uncontrollable scream by around 8:00. At this point there is nothing we can do to pacify her. This becomes very frustrating for us (as well as for her I'm sure). By 9:00 or 10:00 it's time to nurse her again and this will usually allow her to sleep. During the day she will sometimes have these moments but not as extreme. We've come to conclude she has colic and are praying for her healing. Most say they grow out of this by 3 to 4 months. If anyone has any suggestions, we welcome them.