5 months

5 months

Kate's highlights:

• rolling over both ways and sleeping on her tummy
• eating rice cereal (sometimes)
• smiling and laughing a lot
• first plane flight - to asheville, nc for wake girls reunion
• dropped another feeding - now eats 4 times a day and tries cereal 3 times
• sleeping about 7:30 to 7:30 unless she wakes up on her tummy and freaks out!
• usually takes 2 solid naps during the day and sometimes a cat nap late in the day
• started playing in the exersaucer and snuggling with a lovie in her crib

we didn't get an official weight this month but kate continues to be quite the chubster with rolls upon rolls.  she is quickly outgrowing 6 month clothes and moving into 9 months sizes.  her hair is coming in redder and redder and is so cute.  we just can't get enough of her!  what we want to always remember about kate right now is how she already seems to have the personality to light up a room and is such a happy girl. 

kate and her handsome brother getting ready to go on vacation to the mountains

we love you baby kate!  you are quite the cute nugget.

cereal days

kate is starting the rice cereal this week!  while she is still uncertain if she likes it or not, it is doing the trick for the sleeping.  after being a great sleeper for many weeks, kate was starting to wake early out of her naps and very early in the morning.  after 5 days with this stuff things are back to normal and she is sleeping well again!  yeah!

does starting cereal mean these cheeks could get even bigger?!?

summertime

just a glimpse at the last week or so with nice warm days here in denver.

kate is living in the bumbo these days and seems to really like it

brooks going on a "golf trip" turning his little car into a golf cart in the backyard

b-man excited for a run through the sprinkler

kate happy to watch the sprinkler fun from the porch

brooks and xander having a fun morning at the zoo - checking out the polar bears

kate relaxing after a long summer day

action shot in the sprinkler

10 years and counting

i can hardly believe it has been 10 years since i graduated from college, but what a great ten years it has been.  one of my favorite traditions of these years is getting together with my college girlfriends for our annual memorial day weekend trip.  this year we met up in asheville, north carolina for the long weekend and had 7 of the 11 girls and even two new babies.  it was one of our more beautiful settings (although all have been pretty awesome!) and we spent the weekend going for walks around the lake, playing mexican train and catching up.  i am already looking forward to next year's reunion whether it be east or west, beach or mountain - as long as i am with these girls it will be perfect!

the train!

baby kate playing with charlie rietz

out for mexican food and margaritas

bounce bounce

like father like son

brooks has taken a new interest in playing tennis with daddy and this weekend we got him his first racket.  after seeing it a week ago, brooks talked all week about his "little tennis racket" and kept asking if we could "bring home?"  we told him if he was a "nice boy" all week we would go and get it on saturday.  he held too it and "bring home" we did! 

a star is born!

4 months

this is getting so unreal - i really can't believe kate is four months old already.  sounds so cliche, doesn't it?  as richard says, kate is the sweetest of all sweetnesses these days.

at her 4 month doctor appointment today, kate measured in at 15.5 lbs (84%), 25 inches long (81%) and her head is 87%.  we thought she would be even bigger based on all her rolls!

as you can see in this one, kate has started laughing now and continues to be a very happy baby.  she likes to put everything in her mouth - her hands, rings and toys.  at night she gets our of her swaddling blanket, and by morning we find her turned in her crib and sucking on her fingers.  she has also started rolling over from her tummy to her back during tummy time and can get about half way from her back to her tummy.  we are now eating 5 times a day and taking 3-4 naps.  kate is following in her brother's footsteps and sleeping well overnight (about 8pm to 7am).  so thankful for that!

brooks is still doing great in his big brother role.  we are taking a parenting class (Love & Logic) and practicing all of our new techniques on him.  he is very sweet to kate and always says he wants to be a "nice boy."  this week we have a reward for being a nice boy - on saturday, brooks is going with daddy to buy a "little tennis racket" to play "bounce bounce" more with dada.  brooks is so excited and is talking about it everyday. 

weekend getaway

so fun that we were able to spend mother's day weekend (and also richard's birthday weekend) in vail.  it was a great getaway - wonderful weather, beautiful scenery and lots of time to just relax.  no laundry, no chores, no yardwork, no shopping - just watching basketball (go mavs!) and baseball (come on rockies, pull it together!) and spending time together. 

playing with daddy in vail

kate on her first "hike" - we really only made it about 300 yards before it got too snowy on the trail and we had to turn back!  not our best effort.

kate happy to be in beaver creek for the afternoon

brooks all tired out from our "relaxing" weekend