Meet the Browns

WALKING

2010-06-13T17:04:00.001-07:00

Our lives will never be the same... our little baby is now walking. She has been able to walk along the couch, and while pushing her little shopping cart, but today she took her first independent steps. She is doing so good! I am such a proud mama!!!

Couch surfing with Dad

2010-05-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

More Kaylen Lately...

2010-05-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Reading a book.

Searching for just the right toy

More searching

Going through her books

Closeup!

5/2/10

Highchair singing this morning.

The Browns Lately...

2010-05-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry that I haven't update the blog in forever! We have had A LOT going on. As many of you know, we bought a house, and moved in at the end of April. We are finally getting settled, and I've finally emptied all the boxes. It is feeling like a home! So, between finding a house, buying a house, and moving, I haven't had much time to get on the computer for anything.

As you can imagine, Kaylen is growing so fast. She isn't walking yet, but she can stand on her own, and will walk along the couches. It is mind blowing that my little baby girl will be one in just a couple of weeks! People weren't kidding when they said time flies! Here are a couple of videos of Kaylen that I took today.

2010-03-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Kaylen has been crawling for a while now, and I haven't really posted any videos, so I thought I better do that. Also, she is pulling herself up!

9 months old!

2010-03-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Kaylen went to the doctor on Monday for her 9 month check up. Here are her latest stats:

Weight 15 lbs 13 oz (7th percentile)

Length 27 inches (30th percentile)

Head 17 1/4 (45th percentile)

She has made some big improvements since my last post. She is crawling, drinking out the sippy cup with no help, started eating table foods, got her FIRST tooth (finally), she is starting to pull herself up, and is still "talking" up a storm. Her favorite words are still dada, mama, and bye bye, but she has started adding other syllables as well. What a big girl! She is still a very happy girl, although she had a cold last week, so that coupled with teething made last week a little rough, but now she is back to her old self!

Here are some of her latest videos!

3/5/10

3/4/10

2/15/10

Kaylen style crawling

2010-01-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

Kaylen is becoming such a big girl! She has been saying "bye bye" and waving, and says Dada and Mama. She has also been trying to crawl. She hasn't quite found her groove yet, and has her own style of getting where she wants to go. We think it's pretty funny. Enjoy these videos!

Kaylen really likes my house shoes... she was determined to get them some way, some how.

Patrick waking Kaylen up in the morning... she is always so cheerful in the mornings. I don't think she gets that from me.

Kaylen's First Christmas!

2010-01-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Kaylen's first Christmas was wonderful! She got to see both sides of the family, and got TONS of fun stuff! On the 18th, Lina and Richard came to Dallas. We celebrated Patrick's 30th birthday by eating sushi and hanging out with all of Pat's family. On the 19th we all drove out to Lake Whitney to have the Reedy family Christmas. It was a lot of fun to see everyone, and we got a super cute "leg lamp" ornament in the ornament exchange! One the 23rd we drove to Houston to see Gramma and Grandpa Hardwicke. We were there until Sunday the 27th. Although, Aunt Kelly couldn't make it to Houston this year, we still had a lot of fun. We ate some of the best BBQ and had family game night. Pat and I even got to have a date on Saturday, and went to see Sherlock Holmes. Gramma & Grandpa were happy to babysit. Overall, Christmas went wonderful and Kaylen loved all her new toys and clothes!

On a side note... since I haven't updated the blog in a while I thought I would fill everyone in on Kaylen's recent developments. She is sitting by herself, eating a lot of different fruits and veggies, she's been clapping, jumping, she can stand while holding on to the couch for a few minutes, she's been crawling/scooting backwards. So, now we're just waiting for her to crawl forwards! She is still making a lot of new sounds and is showing her emotions really well. EVERYTHING is still going in to her mouth. We think she might be teething, but no sign of any buds yet!

Birthday boy! 30 years old!!

Kaylen opening her first Christmas present from Grammy & Grampy Holmes

She liked the tag a lot!

Kaylen wearing her new Christmas outfit from Grammy & Grampy! So cute!!

What a pretty girl!

Christmas Eve at Gramma & Grandpa Hardwicke's. Look at her sitting so good!

YAY for Christmas!

She loves these little links.

Playing with her Mickey Mouse book and monkey toy.

Another musical toy... she loves music!

Opening presents was fun!

Look what Santa brought!

Grandpa showing Kaylen how to jump in her jumperoo!

She LOVES the jumperoo! Thanks Santa!

She started scooting herself backwards!

HOORAY for Christmas!

Hangin' out with Grandpa

Back in Dallas... time for more Christmas presents!

Getting help opening her presents. She really loves putting the wrapping paper in her mouth.

She loves the piano we got her!

Bouncin'!

Our little scooter.

Outgrowing the swing? NOOOOO

2009-12-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

This is how you know that your baby may be outgrowing the swing...

Patrick and I were eating dinner this evening, and Kaylen was hanging out in her swing. We heard a horrible noise, and looked over to find Kaylen had a HUGE smile on her face and was grabbing the little lambs on the mobile so it couldn't move anymore. She thought it was hilarious. I probably should have made her stop since she could break it, but I thought it was too funny so I let her keep doing it.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

So, this update is a little late, but Kaylen made it through her FIRST Thanksgiving with flying colors! The Wednesday before Thanksgiving we drove through Norman to drop Abby off with my sister, Becky. Abby went to "Camp Mee-Maw's" in OKC for the week. After the brief stop in Norman, we headed to Tulsa! We spent Thanksgiving Day with Pat's side of the family and it was really great to see everybody! We got to play games, eat, watch football, and have great family time! Then on Saturday morning we headed to OKC to see my family. My sister, Kelly, flew in from NYC, my parents drove in from Houston, and my grandpa came from Cordell, and of course Becky came "all the way" from Norman. We all met at Mee-Maw's and had "Thanksgiving Part 2" on Saturday. My mom made some of my favorites (meatloaf and cheesy potatoes!). YUM! My Dad and Pat got to watch football all day (GO SOONERS!), and the girls got some good card games in. Overall, we were thrilled that we got to spend some great time with both of our families. By Sunday, we were a little exhausted (especially Kaylen!) but it was well worth it. Kaylen was spoiled all week, and I'm pretty sure her little feet never touched the ground. It was a great Thanksgiving.

OUR TULSA VISIT:

Kaylen's Cousin, Addy

Nap time!

Kaylen holding hands with her 2nd cousin, Tye and being held by Pat's cousin Jordan

Kaylen and Grandma Brown

Grandma Brown, Kaylen talking to Pat's cousin, Carter and Tye

Worn out!

The boys playing a little football. It was a gorgeous day in Tulsa.

Kaylen and Grammy

The Browns-- Grandma, Grandpa, Kaylen & Uncle Mickey

Kaylen and Grandpa Brown

OUR OKC VISIT:

Kaylen and Grandpa Rutherford

She was jumping up and down!

More Grandpa R. time!

Kaylen and Mee-Maw

More Kaylen and Mee-Maw

Kaylen and Aunt Kelly

Bouncing up and down!

Holding her own bottle! What a big girl!

Passed out...

6 Month Checkup

2009-11-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

Kaylen went to the doctor today for her 6 month checkup. Here were her stats:

Weight: 13 lbs. 12 oz. (10th percentile)

Length: 26 inches (60th percentile)

Head: 16 3/4 (50th percentile)

So, our little girl is tall and skinny... I know she doesn't take after me in that aspect! No wonder she still wears 3 month old clothes!

The doctor said she was doing great and was developmentally "right on track". He couldn't believe how energetic she was. He even found out the hard way how wiggly she is when he tried to look in her ears. I'm pretty sure she kicked him a few times.

Kaylen had to get 5 shots today!! She had to get her normal shots, and then a flu shot and an H1N1 shot (which mom and dad got too!) She was a real trooper and only cried for a minute. Then once we gave her a bottle she seemed ok. It hurt me so bad to see the bandaids lining her little legs! :(

The doctor said to keep giving her cereal, and to up her baby foods as she will tolerate them. So, we started giving her green beans. She did pretty good at first and was opening her mouth for us, and then after a few minutes I think she was having regrets, and started acting really grossed out after every bite. It was pretty funny.

Lately...

2009-11-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

Kaylen is growing like a weed. I'm pretty sure she had a growth spurt in the last week or so (probably due to eating cereal). She is finally fitting into all of her 3 month old clothes. We moved all of her newborn clothes out of her closet and drawers, so now we just have "big girl clothes". However, her 3-6 months old clothes still fall off of her. At least we are getting good use of the smaller sizes.

Kaylen's new favorite thing to do this week is bang on everything... especially laptops! Her other favorite thing to do is "backbends"... she basically tries to throw herself backwards... all the time. She is still rolling to get where she wants to go, and has been sitting up a lot better (although not unassisted yet). Also, when we put her on a blanket for tummy time she has been "swimming". It's so cute and funny! I'm just waiting for the moment where I look over and she is on all fours and trying to take off! She is "talking" more and more, and makes a lot of "mmm" sounds, "ahhh" sounds, and "bbb" sounds. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that her first word is mama! :) She will seriously just babble on and on, and it sounds like she is telling a story or having a conversation with us. I just love it! Sometimes she makes this noise that Pat thinks sounds like a velociraptor... it's kind of a loud screeching/yelling/laughing sound. It's her signature noise. She also LOVES playing peek-a-boo. She will even put the blanket over her own face, and then put it down really fast. She thinks that is hilarious!

We are getting ready for Kaylen's first Holiday season, and really looking forward to seeing all of our family in the next few weeks!!

Here are some recent pictures of our girl:

Kaylen's 5 months old!

2009-10-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from the Browns!

It is so hard for me to believe that Kaylen just turned 5 months old! I probably say it every time she turns a month older, but the time has just flown. Kaylen is still as active as ever! She still rolls all over the place, and can even get to something she wants by rolling (so smart!) She will even figure out how to get around something... it just amazes me. We are still working on sitting up, but she still needs a lot of assistance. Lately she has becoming very vocal, and makes funny grunting noises, and even lets out random screeching sounds. She also sticks everything in her mouth, including her whole fist. She is drooling a lot too, but no signs of any teeth cutting yet or even any bumps! She still laughs and smiles at everything and is a super happy baby!

We haven't done too much in the past couple of weeks. Last weekend we took Kaylen over to some friends' house to watch the OU game. Kaylen did really great, and even took a nap on the couch, which is pretty impressive considering all the loud boys! Today her daycare had a little fall festival, so Kaylen wore her "My First Halloween" onesie, bat socks, and the orange bow Uncle Rich and Lou Ann bought her. She looked so cute!! We also had another big event today... she got cereal for the first time! It's safe to say she was not a fan. After a few tries she figured out the spoon, but would then just let it all run out of her mouth. Oh well! We will get it eventually, and she did great for her first time!

Hanging out with dad on the pallet on the floor!

First Time eating cereal!!

Pictures from this week:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

(The picture above is my favorite... I will be showing this to every boy that walks through the door in 17 years.)

Obviously, she wasn't too excited about taking pictures this morning, but she still looks cute :)

Sitting in her Bumbo like such a big girl!

2009-10-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Kaylen has been sitting so much better in her Bumbo seat. She still leans a little bit, but she can sit there a lot longer without getting tired. She really likes to push the toys off of the tray for fun... and then reaches for them on the ground. Pretty entertaining stuff (at least for her mama).

More random pictures from the past week...

GO SOONERS!

2009-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the OU/texas game. Although the Sooners didn't win, Kaylen sure looked cute for the game. She wore her little OU Polo shirt onesie and OU booties. Then this afternoon we had brunch with our friend Megan who was here all the way from California! We were so glad to see her, and Kaylen loved meeting her. Not to mention the food at the restaurant was delicious.

The game wore her out!

Meeting Megan!

Kaylen's new thing...

2009-10-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Spitting!

Kaylen's 4 months old!

2009-10-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Kaylen had her 4 month check up. She weighed in at a whooping 12 lbs 4 oz (23rd percentile), and was 24.5 inches long (55th percentile). The doctor said she had "excellent growth", and was progressing "nicely". They did an "ASQ" test on Kaylen to check her development in certain areas such as motor skills, social skills, etc. She was normal or above normal in all categories. I talked to the doctor about starting Kaylen on rice cereal, and he said he would like us to wait until closer to 5 or 6 months. Apparently, bigger babies need to be started on solid foods sooner because they can't make it through the day on just milk, but smaller babies can last on just milk longer. So, the doctor said that because of her size it is better if we keep her on milk for awhile... and I'm fine with that. The check up ended with the dreaded 4 month shots. She got the same shots as she got at 2 months, and was a real trooper. She did cry for a little bit after the shots, but once Patrick picked her up she stopped crying and was fine. So, all and all it was a really great checkup!

Little Kaylen continues to be very very active. She is still rolling all over the place, and is pushing herself up on her front arms (like a pushup). I definitely fear that crawling is imminent! She is also sitting in the Bumbo seat really well and reaching for everything. She loves to grab the mobile while she is in her swing! Her other favorite thing to do is "talk to us", and make funny noises. It's so cute! We (and by "we" I mean me) put together the high chair so she can sit with us at the dinner table. She still looks so small in it, so we don't put the tray on it, but she loves being where we are!

Our little Rolly Polly!

2009-09-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

Since Kaylen learned to roll over several weeks ago, we can't keep her from rolling! She wants to roll during diaper changes, while eating, during tummy time, when she's in her swing, in the middle of the night... she is all over the place. I will put her on her back in the center of the crib, and will come in an hour later and she will be in a totally different place and on her stomach fast asleep! I'm convinced she wiggles so much in her sleep that she moves herself without even knowing it! I was a little freaked out the first time I came into her room in the morning and she was on her stomach sleeping! We also moved the coffee table out of the living room so Kaylen will have more room to roll. We put her in the middle of the blanket and she rolls all over the room. It's like it's her goal to try and get OFF the blanket! Too funny. We are just glad she is so active. Her teacher at daycare tells us she is active and busy all day, and is always happy! I love hearing that!

Kaylen's 3 Month Pictures

2009-09-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our Little Talker

2009-09-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Lately, Kaylen has become increasingly more vocal. We will talk to her and she will "talk" back. It's so cute, and she makes little facial expressions too while she is "talking".

Kaylen Rolled Over!

2009-09-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

Well, our lives are changed forever... Kaylen rolled over! She's been working on it for a few weeks, and finally got it! The look on her face as she did it was priceless. It was the look of accomplishment. Here's a video:

The past weekend we went to Tulsa for a wedding. While I was there I got to have lunch with my friend Emily, who is visiting from China. We are so excited for her and her husband, Jason, who are having another little boy in February! On Sunday, we got to have lunch with all the Browns. It was the first time most of them had met Kaylen, so we were really excited to meet with everyone! All and all it was a really fun weekend full of friends and family, and a moment in Kaylen's life we will never forget! Those are the best kinds of weekends!

2009-08-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on blog posts. So, I need to catch everyone up on what's been going on with us! Last weekend, Grammy & Grampy (Lina and Richard) came to visit us. They watched Kaylen for us while we went to a wedding. It was nice to have some grown up time, and see all our friends! Then on Sunday, we went and had lunch with Courtney, Josh, Mason, Brandes, Anna, and Timm Decker (all the way from Louisville!) It was the first time everyone got to meet Kaylen, and we loved getting her and Mason together!

As many of you know, I had to go back to work on Monday. Dropping Kaylen off at daycare was extremely hard, but I managed to get through it. Pat and I went over there on our lunch break and visited her, which made the day a little easier. The week went by really slow, and it was a little bit of challenge trying to work out a schedule, BUT we made it through the week. I know each week will get better, and it gives me a little piece of mind because every time we pick her up she seems very content. Also, they are keeping me SO busy at work that I don't have time to sit around and feel sorry for myself for missing Kaylen.

On Saturday, Nana (my mom) came to stay with us. She had been in Oklahoma dropping my sister, Becky, off at OU (I know it's sooo hard to believe!) and visiting my Mee-Maw and Grandpa. Our house is right in the middle, so she stopped at our house to break her trip up on her way back... and to see Kaylen of course! We were so glad to see her!

Today has just been a lazy Sunday. We are just enjoying having Kaylen all day! I'm trying not to think about having to start all over tomorrow!

Our happy little girl!

She loves to look at herself in the mirror of the swing!

Playing with Grammy & Grampy!

Having fun with Grammy!

Me and Courtney and our babies!

Courtney, Josh & Mason meeting Kaylen!

Mason checking Kaylen out! The picture is blurry because Kaylen never stops moving!

Having Nana time!

Rattle Shoes!

2009-08-13T08:41:00.001-07:00

Since Kaylen loves to kick so much, I bought her some little booties that have rattles on them. One bootie has an elephant, and the other one is a monkey. I think she really likes them! When she kicks she gets so surprised at the sound of the rattle like "where is that coming from?!?" and then she laughs! :) I thought she looked SO cute with them on, I wanted to share!

Grandma and Grandpa Brown come to visit!

2009-08-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Grandma and Grandpa Brown came all the way to Dallas just to meet Miss. Kaylen! We went over to their hotel yesterday morning and met them for breakfast. I was pretty excited about my Texas shaped Belgian waffle! :) After breakfast we came back to our house to visit for a few hours. We then went out to lunch (BBQ!), and then, after lunch, G'ma and G'pa left to go back to Tulsa. Although it was a short visit we are so glad they came all this way to see us. I know Kaylen really enjoyed both of them, and Pat and I loved seeing them too!

This week we decided to brave the Bumbo seat. Kaylen has been lifting her head up so much better that I thought she might do good in the Bumbo. When I put her in it, she held her head up for about a minute, and then started getting a little wobbly. So, I decided we better not push our luck, and took her out of it. I would hate to hurt her neck... and we can always try again in a week or so. I did manage to get a few pictures of her being such a big girl in the Bumbo.

Just loungin'

10 weeks already?!?!

2009-08-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Oh where has the time gone? My little newborn baby is already 10 weeks old! It is really neat though because each week a little more personality comes out! Overall, Kaylen is still such a happy little girl (especially in the mornings!). She loves to laugh and smile (until around 9 pm and then sassy Kaylen comes out). Right now she is laying in her Boppy laughing at nothing, and she is kicking my arm as I type, which is really cracking her up. She is also very easily amused. Lucky for me, her favorite toy is connected to her body... her hands! Lately she also loves to hold on to the burp rag or her blanket and stick them in her mouth. Playing with the burp rag could keep her entertained for a long time! We also bought her an activity mat, which she really likes. She can kick the little hanging characters and make them play music. She absolutely loves kicking her legs, and she can kick HARD too. I'm going to have to get her in an activity where we can put those strong legs to use as soon as we can!

Kaylen's sleeping habits are getting better. At least once a week for the past several weeks she has "slept through the night", which doctors say is sleeping midnight to 5 am. A couple of days ago she slept 5.5 hours in a row! The other days she is sleeping about 3 hours at a time, and just wakes up to eat. Most of the time she eats for a couple of minutes and falls right back to sleep. She is still getting fussy around 9 pm, but I think it's because she is getting tired. We usually get her to sleep by 10:30. All and all, I can't complain about her sleeping habits because they have improved so much.

We had a pretty laid back week. I'm just trying to enjoy my short time left at home with my little girl.

This is called multitasking.

"These fingers are yummy!"

Sleepy girl! This is her favorite sleeping position.

So proper!

I was trying to get a picture of her with the blanket in her mouth, but she looked at me and smiled at the last second!

Found herself in the mirror!

That baby in the mirror is pretty cute!

Kicking mom while she updates this blog!

Playing on her mat... kicking is so fun!

Trying to roll off the mat! She will be rolling over before we know it!!

Trip to South Carolina!

2009-07-30T07:32:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we went to South Carolina for Ashlee & Gabe's wedding. It was Kaylen's first plane ride, and she did so good! Everyone kept coming up to us telling us what a good baby she was. On the way to South Carolina, she nursed at take off, slept for a few minutes, and then was a wake the rest of the time. On the way back, she just slept on Patrick's legs the whole time. We didn't have any problems at all, so we were really thankful for that!

The wedding went really well. We were glad to see everyone, and had a lot of fun. Ashlee looked beautiful! We were especially thankful that my mom was able to go with us to keep an eye on Kaylen so we could go to the Rehearsal and out afterwards, and be able to stay at the Reception the whole time. I'm sure Kaylen enjoyed her Nana time!

Lately, Kaylen has become increasingly more vocal. She is making a lot of cooing and "ahhing" noises. It is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard. She will also burst out with a random laugh and this morning made an interesting screeching noise that I hadn't heard before. She is such a happy baby, and seeing her laugh and smile just melts my heart!

We went to Target yesterday and I bought Kaylen some new toys (since we were getting bored with the few ones we have). She got a Baby Einstein turtle that plays different musical instruments, and a rattle that when you shake it it plays music and lights up. She is a big fan of both. I took some pictures of her playing with them. When we shake the rattle and it lights up, she is totally mesmerized by the lights. She will even hold it for a few seconds on her own! But the turtle was the biggest hit! She really likes the drums and the tuba sounds, and when they start playing she kicks her legs and starts moving her arms. It's as if she's dancing! So cute! I managed to get a few pictures of her "dancing"!

It's hard to believe she is 9 weeks as of yesterday. She is growing like a weed, and has so much personality! It's so exciting to sit back and watch her new developments and her change each day.

Patrick and Kaylen in front of the "Shoeless" Joe Jackson statue at Smoke on the Water. (please notice that Patrick took his shoe off!)

Kaylen before the wedding.

Nana got her all dressed up!

Wedding pictures!

Cutting the cake!

Kaylen putting her new rattle in her mouth.

Wondering why mom has to take so many pictures!

This is an action shot... she is throwing the rattle.

Dancing to her musical turtle! She was having SO much fun!

More dancing! It kind of looks like she's snapping! :)

8 week checkup

2009-07-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today Kaylen is 8 weeks old! Unfortunately, that means shots :( We went to the doctor today for her 8 week checkup. The doctor said she looked great, and developmentally she is right where she needs to be. She weighed 9 lbs. 12 oz. (25th percentile) and was 22 1/4 inches long (50th percentile). After she was given the clean bill of health, we had to get the dreaded 2 month shots! I felt so bad because right before the shots she was in such a happy mood, smiling and laughing. It just killed me because I knew what was about to happen. They started off with an oral vaccine, which she promptly spit out. We did manage to get some of it down though. Then the shots... they did one in the right leg, and two in the left leg. The nurse did it really fast, so that was good, but Kaylen's face broke my heart! As soon as they put the shot in she gave me this look of shock, and then her face turned bright red, and she started crying (sticking out her bottom lip and all). Then after a few minutes and the dust had settled she fell asleep. Since then she has been in pretty good spirits, so I hope that means she isn't in any pain. She is such a trooper! After the doctor's office, we went and met Patrick and my Dad and Becky for lunch. Becky and Dad were passing through Dallas on their way to Norman, OK so Becky can attend Camp Crimson. It was great to see them even if it was for a short while.

Earlier in the week we went over to Patrick's cousin, Jenni and Greg Jackson's house for a family birthday party for Ali Jackson, Kevin Lynam & Tommy Reedy. It was nice to see everyone and visit. Everyone took turns holding Kaylen, and she was very cooperative. I think she loves the attention! Other then the party, we didn't do much this past week. We've just been taking it easy since we have a big weekend ahead of us. We leave on Friday for South Carolina, and Kaylen's first plane ride. We will let you know how that goes when we get back.

On a side note, Miss Kaylen is becoming a thumb sucker. She's been sticking her fingers in her mouth for the past couple of weeks, but this week she started focusing on her thumb. She doesn't suck on it for a long period of time, but I bet she will before we know it. I figure, whatever is a comfort to her makes me happy. :)

Daddy trying out the Baby Bjorn

Working on getting that thumb in her mouth!

More thumb sucking!

Greg and Ali Jackson holding Kaylen

Kaylen with Aunt JoAnn

Happy girl!

Too cute with her little head band.

SHOTS ARE NO FUN! Showing off her battle wounds.

How can you not love this happy baby?

This is a face I cannot resist!

Raise your hand!

2009-07-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

We were playing the "raise your hand" game, and Daddy caught some of it on film! Isn't she cute and smart! :)

7 weeks old!

2009-07-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Boy did we have a fun week! We got to meet a lot of new people, and had lots of visitors!

On Friday, I took Kaylen up to the office to meet everyone. Of course everyone said she was so cute. The top three comments made about Kaylen were: (1) She's so alert (2) She's so wiggly (3) Look how long her toes are! haha :) It was really great to see everyone, but it's still nice to know I get another month at home with my baby! I won't be going back to work until August 17th.

On Saturday, we went to Carrollton to see Tanner's indoor soccer game. However, when we got there Tanner's game had been cancelled. So, Kevin, Erinn, Tanner, Patrick, Kaylen and I met Grand and Granddaddy at Abuelo's, and had a nice family dinner. Right when the food arrived, Kaylen started getting a little fussy. So, Grand ate (for the second time this week) with Kaylen on her lap. Grand said she has eaten with lots of babies on her lap over the years... she's a pro! She definitely has the magic touch!

On Sunday afternoon, our friends David and Kelli Dowdney came over to meet Kaylen. They even came with a present! We were so excited to see that they had gotten Kaylen a Bumbo seat and play tray. Although she can't use it yet, before we know it she will have complete control of her neck muscles, and will be able to sit in it. They only stayed a little while, but it was great to see them and we had a nice visit. Kaylen really liked being in Dave's arms! After Dave and Kelli left, the Lynam's came over for lunch. Shortly thereafter, Grammy got here from Tulsa to stay with us for a few days. We just love having family in the area, and we had a really great little cookout!

On Monday, Grammy kept Kaylen while I went and looked at a few more child care centers. I liked both of the ones I looked at, and I'm going to need help making a final decision! Later that evening, Grand and Granddaddy brought dinner over. We had a nice lasagna dinner with them, and it was great that we've gotten to see them 3 times this week! After dinner, Patrick and I left Kaylen with Grammy (and Grand and Granddaddy for a little while), and we went on a date to see The Hangover! It was pretty funny, and nice to have a little bit of alone time together.

On Tuesday, Erinn, Addy, and Tanner came over for a little while to just hang out with Kaylen and Grammy. This gave me an opportunity to go run some errands, and get out of the house for a little bit. They were bringing Tanner over to stay the night because he is going back to Oklahoma with Grammy. That evening Grammy took Tanner, Pat, Kaylen and I out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! YUMMY! :) We even got cheesecake to go, which Tanner and I pretty much devoured! Kaylen was really good while we were out, and slept through dinner.

Today, Grammy and Tanner left to go back. It was really great having her here to help out. She did laundry and the dishes, and of course played and watched Kaylen! Thanks Lina for all your help! We really appreciate it.

Earlier in the week my friend Courtney told me that she used the "Eat-Play-Sleep" method to get her son into a routine. So, we decided to give it a try since we were having problems at night with Kaylen being fussy. I'm so happy to say that since Friday Kaylen has slept in her crib every night, and only wakes up to feed and then goes right back to sleep! The new method must be working. So, I really only have to get up a couple of times during the night to feed her. And then a miracle happened last night. She woke up once around 2:00 am, and then was back asleep before 3:00 am. Then she didn't wake up again until 9:00 am!! Around 7:00 am I was going in there to make sure she was still breathing... I couldn't believe she could still be asleep. Then a little before 9:00 am, Lina heard her moving around, and she was awake, quietly laying in her bed. What a good baby! I just hope it keeps up! Also, Kaylen's baby acne went away. It basically dired itself out. The bad news is that now she has "craddle cap", which is really bad dry skin on her head and scalp. I hear it's pretty common for babies, so I'm not going to worry about it.

So, that's the last week. We had a really good week, but a busy week. Luckily, we have nothing planned the rest of the week until Sunday. We're going to take it easy the rest of the week!

Dad makes funny faces!

Taking a break from tummy time!

So cute! Look at her proud daddy!

Meeting Dave Dowdney

I love it when she sleeps like this! She has such a rough life :)

This is her senior picture pose!

Looking in the baby mirror with Grammy while listening to Baby Einstein!

More mirror fun.

Her new favorite position is with her arm or arms over her head. She has been sleeping this way too!

Kaylen is 6 weeks old!

2009-07-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe Kaylen is already 6 weeks old today! Time is just flying by... and I guess everyone warned me that it goes by too fast! It amazes me all the cool stuff she learns every day, and it is so fun to be there to watch. She is still a little bit of a bobble head, but is holding her head up better every day. And she is strong too! We put her on the floor for tummy time and she kicks her legs so hard that she can move herself in a circle. It is so funny! Nighttime is getting better, although we still have our bouts of fussy nights too. Last night was actually pretty good. She only woke up to eat, and then would go right back to sleep! We have discovered that she sleeps so much better in her crib than in the Pack-n-Play. We tried to go back to the Pack-n-Play earlier this week, but the most we could get her to sleep was one hour, and she would wake up really fussy. Needless to say, last night she went back into the crib, and did great. Also, one of Lina's friends told me to try putting a heating pad in the bed, and then remove it right before we lay her down so the bed is warm, and it has worked like a charm! Thanks to Suzanne Bloyed for sharing that wonderful trick! So, everyone knows that one of the best tricks to getting your baby to sleep is to swaddle them. Well, Kaylen likes to be swaddled, but doesn't like the fact she can't move her arms and legs... which is the whole point of swaddling! We have a Miracle Blanket, which is supposed to be the best swaddler out there and is basically a baby straight jacket. It has a bunch of different pieces of fabric that you use to make sure the baby's arms are secure and a little pocket that her legs go into. Then you wrap this other piece of fabric several times around the baby to make sure they securely swaddled. Let's just say, Pat and I had to watch a video to learn how to use the thing! Anyway, so we swaddle Kaylen in the Miracle Blanket good and tight, and put her to bed. When she wakes up a couple of hours later, the kid has managed to get both legs and both arms out of the swaddle! It is hilarious... I have a baby Houdini! So, if you can imagine, she will just have the blanket wrapped around her middle like a tutu. Next time she does it, I will make sure to take a picture. It is the funniest thing.

This past weekend Kaylen celebrated her first Fourth of July! We decided to take her to the Frisco Freedom Fest, which is an outdoor party in the Plaza in Frisco with games, music, and food. We went around 8 or so, but it was still really hot! We only lasted about 30 minutes. So, we went to Sonic to get Ice Cream, and then parked in a parking lot to wait for the Frisco fireworks. Once the fireworks started, Kaylen slept through the whole thing. She didn't mind the noise at all. So, mommy and daddy got to enjoy the fireworks, which were really great! Also, this past weekend my friend Kimberly Moon came over to meet Kaylen. It was great to see her, and have some girl time... grown up girl time that is!

On Tuesday, Erinn and Addy came over and babysat Kaylen for the first time! I asked them to watch her so I could go see some child care centers for when I have to go back to work. Touring the centers was so hard... just the thought of having to leave her in someone else's care makes me so nervous and sad! When that day comes... I am probably going to be a wreck. I only went to two centers, and quickly ruled one out. I really liked the other one, and it will probably be the one we go with. However, I still want to see a few more before I make my mind up. I feel like this is one of the most important decisions I could ever make, and it's hard because Patrick can't take off work to come see these places with me, so I'm flying solo on this one. I will keep you updated on which one I decide to go with. Later that night, Kevin put together a surprise party for Patrick's sister, Erinn. Her 40th birthday was June 23rd, but he wanted to wait a while to have the party so she would be really surprised! I think it worked because the look on her face was priceless when all of us yelled "surprise"! Before the party we got Kaylen all dolled up in a little outfit that Erinn got us. It is still a little big (as are most of her newborn outfits), but we wore it anyway. As you can see from the pictures she looked adorable!

So, that has been our week. We don't really have anything planned for the rest of the week, which is nice. We are just going to take it easy and enjoy each other!

Trying on hats for the Frisco Freedom Fest! Although she isn't screaming in this picture, she was not very happy to have that hat on!

Sleepy baby!

Meeting Kim!

More hats! She looked so darn cute!

She's grown so much!

At Erinn's party--Grand got our fussy baby to sleep! Thanks Grand!

Saying hi to Grand and Granddaddy!

Getting ready for Erinn's Surprise Party!

Absolutely adorable!

Baby Acne

2009-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

So, Kaylen's baby acne has gotten progressively worse. Since I wasn't sure what it really was, or what I can do to get rid of it, I poked around on the internet to learn more. This is what I found for those that are curious. It looks like we have to just leave it alone and hope it goes away on it's own.

Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Sure, you expect your teenager to struggle with acne. You might even experience a few pimples yourself. But what about baby acne for your newborn?
Many newborns develop baby acne, usually on the cheeks, chin and forehead. Baby acne isn't pretty, but it's common — and temporary. There's little you can do to prevent baby acne. The best treatment for baby acne is usually none at all.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Baby acne

Baby acne is usually characterized by small red bumps on a baby's cheeks, chin and forehead. Baby acne often develops within the first three to four weeks after birth. Baby acne may look worse when your baby is fussy or crying.

Many babies also develop tiny white bumps on the nose, chin or cheeks. These are known as milia.

Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Baby acne is usually caused by hormonal changes that occurred during pregnancy. Baby acne is more common in boys. Rarely, baby acne is a sign of a hormonal problem.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Baby acne typically disappears on its own within several weeks. In some cases, however, baby acne lingers for months or even longer.

In the meantime:

Keep your baby's face clean. Wash your baby's face with warm water two or three times a day.
Dry your baby's face gently. Simply pat your baby's skin dry.
Don't pinch or scrub the acne. You may cause more irritation or an infection.

If your baby's acne is particularly stubborn, your baby's doctor may recommend a medicated cream or other treatment. Rarely, any underlying conditions may need to be treated as well.

Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

There's little you can do to prevent baby acne. Simply wash your baby's face with warm water and look forward to the clearer days ahead.

Kaylen's First Roadtrip!

2009-06-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Kaylen had her first roadtrip this past weekend. We left on Thursday night after Patrick got off work and headed for Oklahoma City. We got to Mee-Maw's house pretty late, but we still had enough time to visit with Mee-Maw and let her love on her new great granddaughter! We were so glad we got to see Mee-Maw, but had to leave Friday morning and head to Tulsa! We spent the rest of the weekend in Tulsa at Grammy's house. On Saturday, Kaylen stayed with Grammy while mommy and daddy went to a wedding reception. Lina sent us text messages while we were away letting us know Kaylen was doing great. That made it a lot easier to enjoy ourselves. We had a really good time at the reception! It was so good to see old friends, and have some "grownup time"! Then on Sunday we headed for home. We made another stop in Oklahoma City to pick up the dog and have lunch with Mee-Maw, and then it was back to Dallas! All and all it was a great trip. Kaylen was pretty good in the car, and mostly slept. We had a lot of fun, but we're glad to be back home.

Mesmerized by the mobile!

2009-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

More Pictures from the past week!

2009-06-24T14:57:00.001-07:00

She loves the "football hold"

Fell asleep during "tummy time".

Kaylen is 4 weeks old!

2009-06-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Kaylen and I both went to the Doctor today. I went for my 4 week post-partum checkup, and Dr. Evans gave me a clean bill of health! He said I am completely healed and looked great! Kaylen went to the Pediatrician for her 4 week checkup. She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz, and was 21 inches long. She has grown a lot in the past two weeks! Two weeks ago she weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 inches long! She is still a little small compared to other babies her age (30th percentile for weight), but the Doctor said not to worry about it. Also, the Doctor said that Kaylen has "baby acne". He thinks that the Johnson and Johnson baby lotion is clogging up her pores, which apparently is common with infants. So, no more lotions. He told us to bathe her with plain ole' Dove bar soap. So much for all the baby products we have!

The past week has been a little rough. She has been increasingly more fussy at night time. Last night, mommy got about an hour of sleep. It seems like the pattern has been one good night, and then two bad nights, then repeat. Hopefully, tonight is a good night. I'm really hoping we get a routine down soon. We figured out that she sleeps a lot better in her crib then in the Pack-n-Play. I don't know what it is about the Pack-n-Play, but we can't get her to sleep in there for very long. Hopefully, we don't have these same problems when we go on a trip. I guess we will find out this weekend. Kaylen still is not a huge fan of the pacifier, and prefers her hands instead. However, I have been successful in getting her to take a pacifier a couple of times (but not at night!).

Kaylen is still doing really well with trying to hold her head up. The Doctor even commented on how strong she is. It must have been all the milk I drank when I was pregnant! :) She is still a little bit of a bobble head, but has gotten so much better the past couple of days. She still hates tummy time, but is trying to lift her head up more, as opposed to just falling asleep. Nothing else too exciting has happened. We are headed to Oklahoma City and then Tulsa for Kaylen's first road trip! She gets to meet her Mee-Maw, and see all our Tulsa friends. We are really looking forward to it!

Happy Girl!

Tummy Time!

Abby protecting Kaylen!

Bath time... she is not a fan!

UPDATE: Kaylen and her rattle

2009-06-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

After I made the previous post, Kaylen and I had a little fun with one of her rattles! I would shake it and her eyes would get huge! She loved it! Then I would put it in her hand, and after a few tries, she grabbed it herself (with her right hand each time!) and held onto it. It was so fun to see her experiencing something new. Then when Daddy got home, he would stick his tongue at her, and she would mimic. What a smart little girl! I even managed to get a picture!

3 weeks and counting!

2009-06-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

After much persuasion from our friends, we have officially started a blog! It's taking me a little bit of time to figure all this out, but hopefully I will get the hang of being a "blogger". This will be a great way for us to keep everyone updated on Miss. Kaylen's progress and new developments!

So, this is our third week with Kaylen. A lot has happened in the last 3 weeks, and it amazes me how fast time is already flying by! We are still working on our nighttime routine. She has started her "fussy crying" around 10 p.m. every night, which can be really frustrating for Patrick and I. Really the only thing that calms her down is feeding her. (She won't take a pacifier!) So, I just feed her... I think it's more of a comfort to her than anything. At night she wakes up every 2 to 3 hours to eat, although sometimes we get lucky and she can go longer. Hopefully, we will get her into a better routine in the coming weeks. Lately, she has been smiling and giggling, which is so cute!! She has also discovered spit bubbles, and has been sticking her tongue out a lot! She is really strong, and is bound and determined to hold her head up on her own! When we put her on our shoulder she tries to climb. The Doctor tells me this is a sign that she is "gifted and talented"... although we already knew this much!
Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit. ~Bill Cosby