erwin park

in ,
Sunday afternoon we went over to nearby Erwin Park for a little while. While it doesn't have a playground, it does have lots of space, and we enjoyed letting Kate "off leash." ;)

I really should bring the tripod so I can get in the shots, too. My three loves...



 Kate, show us your flower.



Kate got SO excited when she found a "forest." There was really no way through, but she found ways to get in the trees.



It won't be long, and this one'll be running around out there too.





 Gross. But it kept her a little occupied. Second child.



Where's Caroline?  Peekaboo...there she is!



 I loved this branch. If only she'd pose for me, I'd be set. Tongue sticking out wasn't exactly what I had in mind!



Watching a family shoot off rockets.



I was there! See??



No wildflower fields, but there were flowers, so I practiced a little w/ my macro lens.







And Kate actually "took" this one. (She pressed the shutter.) The camera was on the ground. I thought it was interesting!



Thanks for checking in on our blog!

painting

in ,
I bought these watercolors several months ago, and I finally worked up the nerve to let Kate use them last week. :) It went pretty well, excepting the fit that ensued when I said it was time to clean up! She called the paintbrushes "brooms," then "paint brooms." They do look a lot like miniature brooms, I guess!





Kirby's favorite place. I guess she didn't realize it wasn't food up on the tray!


And here's the little sister who was kept busy with some puffs! 


taken 3/8/12

friday phone dump 3.16.12

in , ,
mosaic-3.16.12

reading | sprawled | cousins' table
hugging adelaide | swing | kirby, always near | window friends (name that movie)
teething big time | "reading" her bible | kisses | smooch!
camel chasing warthog | coca-cola mural | weed flower | miss america swim suit competition
bubbles | bubbles | bubbles | running errands

iPhone 4 | instagram (sarcar04)

lens baby: little girls and laundry

in ,

The weather is warming up, so our calendar is filling up with Lens Baby meetups again!

We met last week for a "little girls and laundry" styled shoot. It took some coaxing to get her over there, but once she realized the toy iron made sounds when she pushed the buttons, she was pretty excited about it. :)



Kate enjoyed picking up sticks and wandering in the thicket.




And I was thrilled to see this treasure on import. (I took very few of her since she was only interested in looking at the ground and eating leaves.) I couldn't believe I got one with eye contact! I put her in her dedication dress hoping to get a decent portrait of her wearing that. This counts for me!



taken 3/7/12

Caroline is 9 months old

in


Dear Caroline, 


9 months in, 9 months out! You're getting to be such a big girl, and I don't know if I'm okay with that. Part of me is excited so that you can start playing with Kate, but I'm losing my little baby. We saw your pediatrician today, and she said that we needed to come back when you're one. I nearly lost it right then! My voice faltered as I told her we'd see her then.

Here's what you've been up to over the past month...

* You're pulling up on everything. You quickly crawl to things with height (the couch, LeapFrog table, toy box, play kitchen) and pop right up to them. You think you're a big girl like Kate.

* You just started cruising along the couch, and Gram reported that you stood unassisted the other day for a couple of seconds! You're going to be an early walker like your sister.

* Bottles are still a battle, but we got the blessing from the doctor today to go down to just 3 bottles a day now. Whew! One less wrestling match for the day.

* The burp cloths have not been retired yet; you still spit up.

* You are loving your solid foods! We still give you lots of purees, but we're starting to give you more food pieces too. You are doing great with all foods (no allergies!!), and you don't mind textures. You grabbed a cookie right out of my hand the other day and put it in your mouth.

* Your hair is sure growing! You already have way more hair than Kate did at a year (or even later)! It's so wispy, and there's this one little spot that always sticks straight out. While it's not as dark as it was when you were born, it's definitely not blonde. I'm eager to see what it decides to be!

* You want whatever Kate has. It's driving her crazy, and she has started yelling "NO!" at you when you even start coming towards her. We're working on sharing and taking turns.

* You're not clapping yet, but you love it when we clap your hands, and I can tell you're trying to put your hands together, too. You also love to pat your legs.

* You still suck your thumb or first finger when you're tired. I'm so glad you don't use a paci. (Remind me I said this when your teeth are crooked from the finger sucking.)

* You're babbling a little bit, but not a ton. You definitely don't have any words yet. Really, you like to squeal more than anything. It gets a great reaction from Kate who giggles every time you do it!

* We wake you up at 7 every morning for your first bottle. We don't get Kate out of her crib until 7:30, so that means a whole 30 minutes of time with just you! I love this time, and even when you're pushing away the bottle and climbing up me like a rock wall, it's still sweet cuddle time focused on you alone!

You're so special to us!

Love you,
Mama and Daddy


Official Stats:
weight: 21 pounds, 9 ounces (90th%)
length: 27.5 inches (60-75th%)
head: 17 inches (50th%)
clothes: 12 months, buying 12-18 months
diaper size: size 4
sleep: 7pm-7am
naps: 8:30am-10, 12pm-2
teeth: still just the two bottom ones
feedings: 7am, 11, 3pm, 6:30 (very inconsistent on how much you'll take per bottle)- switching today to THREE feedings per day; 3 solid food feedings