Sloppy Kisses and Slumber Parties

Hello! I wanted to start this post with this fun picture! Our friend Matt took this a few weeks ago and I just smile every time I see it - hope it brings a smile to you too :)

Anyway, a lot has happened around here in the last 10 days and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it all. Here's a top 10 list of the good, the bad, and the lovely from recent days.

1. Katelyn was sick for about 3 days last week (Sunday night through Wednesday). She was running a fever, but also had cold sweats as well as some "intestinal distress" (I think you can figure out what her diapers looked like!) Turns out she had a virus that had to run its course. Poor thing! There's nothing worse than a sick baby, but we enjoyed lots of cuddle time as a result.

2. Some good news was that Gramma and Grampa Ridnour made a day-trip up to Maple Grove to spend the day with Katelyn on Wednesday so Michael and I could both be at work. We're so thankful for such a gracious offer on their part! Katelyn had a great time that day and was actually starting to feel better by then which made it even more enjoyable for everyone!

"So you're tellin' me I'm 'under the weather'? What does that even mean?!"

3. Katelyn is getting the hang of waving hello and goodbye. She will open and close her fist or kind of flap her arm up and down when someone waves at her. We think she picked it up at school because whenever moms and dads drop off their kids, all the other kids wave hello or goodbye, so she sees this multiple times a day, multiple days a week. Here's Gramma Kathy and Katelyn waving...

4. Falling leaves and falling temps means it's time to bust out the hoodies, jackets, and hats - and not just for the adults! Aren't babies extra adorable with hoods and hats over their little heads?!

5. Katelyn has a crush on Malone. She always makes noises to get his attention and she loves to "pet" him (aka grab a fistful of fur and flesh)! Malone reciprocates the love and showers her with sloppy kisses on her hands and feet (and sometimes her face!) We call Malone the gentle giant because he's just that and he's so sweet to his little sister :)

6. Katelyn took part in a girls road trip last weekend. My good friend Katie, Katelyn, and I hit the road to central Iowa on Friday (yes, that's 3 out of the last 4 weekends spent in Iowa - our home away from home). "The Kates" sat in the back and kept each other company on the trip while I drove. Hopefully it's the first of many girls trips that Katelyn participates in :)

7. On Saturday, my parents got to spend more time with Katelyn since she stayed over night with them. This was Katelyn's first slumber party without me or Michael (he stayed in Minneapolis to study and work). A few girlfriends and I went to visit and support our dear friend Sara who lost her husband in June. While I was gone, Katelyn loved playing with Gramma and Grampa, talking to the kitty, and rolling/scooting/shimmying all over place!

Grampa Ron introduced Katelyn to one of his favorite things... a golf ball... by the look on her face, I think she likes it!

Golf balls are serious business!

Here's a photo of us girls before we went to a winery for dinner...

Lacey, Sara, me, Beth, and Katie

I was reminded yet again of how blessed I am to be surrounded by such incredible friends. While all of us hoped to provide Sara with some words of encouragement and hope, she was the one who inspired and moved us. Her steadfast strength, grace, and faith is nothing short of amazing and a genuine reflection of God's power in times of grief and difficulty. She's a shining example of perseverance - not to mention an awesome mom and friend. So lucky to have such wonderful women in my life!

8. She likes it, she likes it! Pureed apples, that is. This is really the first food besides rice cereal that Katelyn has enjoyed. Sweet potatoes would be a distant second place. So far, I have been making all of her food with this machine and it's great because it cooks, steams, heats, and purees foods all in one unit. Super simple!

9. When a pacifier isn't handy, Katelyn is totally comfortable improvising...

10. Here is a picture taken at school for a summertime themed wall display. They took photos of all the kiddos with sunglasses on (the older ones actually wore little pairs of shades) and posted them under a sign that read, "Our Futures Are so Bright We Need to Wear Sunglasses!" 

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Then and Now Photo Feature

Who doesn't like a little then and now photo comparison? I, for one, need to see these types of things to even wrap my head around how fast Katelyn is growing! 

This photo was taken on March 14, so Katelyn was almost a month old. Some friends of ours suggested we use everyday objects in a few photos of Katelyn to help show perspective on her size - a great idea! 

The photos below were taken on September 16 - exactly 6 months later. (And for the record, no, the remote did not fall victim to a "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" accident!)

Katelyn can now hold the remote like a guitar :)

She's especially interested in the rubbery buttons.

Amazing to see how much she's grown and learned in 6 months! The next time around, she'll probably be pushing the remote buttons and pointing it at the TV - ha!

Katelyn Meets the Kensingers

We hit the road last Friday afternoon en route to Marion, Iowa, to visit some great friends of ours, the Kensingers. Jesse and Michael have been buddies since their Sigma Alpha Epsilon days at Iowa. And Brooke and I always have a fun time together too! Jesse and Brooke welcomed their second child, Calvin Russell, at the end of June and we were thrilled to get to meet him and also spend some time with Peyton, their 2 1/2 year old daughter. 

Here's Brooke with sleepy little Cal:

Katelyn making one of her signature facial expressions!

Here's Katelyn pulling on Cal's ear... he's not impressed! But aren't they cute? They both had monkeys on their pajamas.

Katelyn + Calvin = LOVE. She's putting the moves on him already - trying to hold his hand!

Katelyn had fun meeting and playing with Peyton too! (Unfortunately for Peyton, her long pretty hair was irresistible to Katelyn, so she experienced a few tugs. Peyton didn't want to get too close after that and kept saying, "Katelyn pull my hair!")

We went out to lunch and Katelyn kept busy by reading her book :)

Baby swap! Katelyn hanging out with Jesse, while Michael and I took turns with Calvin - he's a wonderful baby!

Saturday night, we put the little ones to bed and the rest of us geared up for the Iowa football game which started at 9:30. The game wasn't pretty, but we still had fun. Here are the guys - Brian, Jesse, Michael, and Brooke's brother Bryan (former Iowa football player, obviously not pleased with the score!):

It was a bit of a late night for us, but as all parents know, the kids don't care how late you were up! They still rise and shine at their regular time - even if your head hurts :) 

Here is Peyton showing Katelyn how to smile pretty for the camera...

And Katelyn giving it a go under Peyton's watchful eye...

Jesse and Katelyn listening intently as Michael plays Monday morning quarterback (okay, it was actually Sunday, but still :)

Katelyn had a great time meeting Peyton and Calvin. We think they'll have a lot of fun in the years ahead! Michael and I loved hanging out and catching up with Jesse and Brooke. It's amazing how much life for all of us has changed since the SAE fraternity days, but in such rich and beautiful ways! It was a fun weekend full of stories, laughs, and memories! Thanks, Kensingers!

7 Months Old!

Katelyn turned 7 months old yesterday! No joke, I feel like I just wrote the 6 month birthday post last week. Guess that means that time is marching on faster than ever! Having said that, we’re making it a priority to enjoy each and every day and savor each new achievement – large or small – that Katelyn experiences.

At 7 months old, here’s what Katelyn is up to:

~ She’s been saying “dada” for a couple weeks now and it’s definitely her favorite and her very first word! But she’s been sprinkling a couple “mamama”s and “oohoohooh”s in there as well. The other night when Michael was giving her a bath, she looked at me over his shoulder and said “mam” and then “mama” – so we agreed that mama is her official second word :)

~ She has tried some solid foods including banana, avocado, and sweet potato. So far, the favorite is sweet potato, but rice cereal is actually the most preferred of all. Katelyn still eats 6 times a day and the solid foods fit in at dinnertime.

~ Katelyn has not cut any teeth yet, but we think they’re right around the corner. She’s been drooling a lot and also biting down on things quite frequently. Every toy goes into her mouth, too. She also loves to blow bubbles (sometimes with a mouthful of food - oh boy!)

~ She goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 p.m. and sleeps until 6 a.m. She usually wakes up on her own and just chatters to herself in her crib until we get her up. But there are some mornings (on my workdays) when she’s extra sleepy and we have to wake her up. Either way, she’s all smiles first thing in the morning!

~ She has lost most of her "original" newborn hair, but she's starting to get more growing in these days. It's a dark blonde/light brown. Sometimes it hangs over her ears like she's in need of a haircut, but we'll be holding off on that ;)

~ Katelyn LOVES sitting and standing up (on laps). She shines with pride when sitting on her own or standing. There’s a  “baby ballerina bar” (that’s the closest thing I can compare it to anyway) at Katelyn’s school with a mirror in front of it. Katelyn’s teachers say she loves standing up holding on to it and looking in the mirror. She’s also one of the oldest babies in the non-mobile infant class – it seems like just yesterday she was the baby. Up next, she’ll be showing the other babies how to use the ballerina bar :)

~ Over the last month, Katelyn has become very interested in Malone. She always reaches her hand down to pet him and also makes noises to get his attention. Malone thinks she’s especially great since he’s gotten to try samples of banana, avocado, and sweet potato. (His new favorite spot is right under her high chair.)

~ Katelyn really is a happy, joyful baby! She loves to giggle, smile, and laugh (especially when Daddy tickles her or flies her above his head). She also loves bath time and squeals with delight when she hears the water running. She can also sit up in her infant tub now.

(She loves to make this face lately! Pucker those lips!)

I can see firsthand why parents say “it only gets better!” Every month reveals new discoveries and experiences. Michael and I aren’t sure who’s having more fun on this journey: the two of us or Katelyn! Our hearts are full of gratitude for getting to be Katelyn’s parents – it’s more rewarding than we ever expected. Happy 7 months, Sweetie Girl!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

The delicious pumpkin spice latte is now on the menu at Starbucks, so in my book, that means fall has officially arrived! Another favorite part about fall is football, of course. Between the Vikings season opener on Thursday and the big Iowa vs. Iowa State game on Saturday, Katelyn has gotten more than a taste of what football season is all about. 

Even though the Vikes lost to the Saints, Katelyn had fun showing off her purple pride!

Here she is getting nervous about the score...

Big smiles for her favorite player, Brett Favre! (I know, I know, not everyone is a fan of ol' Brett.)

*Rah, rah, rah!* When she's in uniform, she even sits like a cheerleader - check it out...

The football fun continued on Saturday when we went to a game watch party at our friends house, the Caruths. Michael was the one and only Iowa fan in the bunch... and he was the only that left the party with his head held high. The game was embarrassingly painful to watch not as as exciting as we had hoped, but we still had fun with friends cheering on the Cyclones.

Katelyn's wardrobe lacks Iowa Hawkeye gear (besides the bib mentioned in this post), but that's okay by me :) So she donned cardinal and gold for the big game - the onesie was given to us by her Great Aunt Ronda and Great Uncle Joel. Thanks guys! Katelyn was in good company at the party with all the other ISU fans wearing red and gold. 

 

Here is Katelyn watching the game with Dad. She looks so disappointed with the Cyclones' performance...

Here's a picture of all the adorable kiddos. All future Cyclones, of course!

(l to r: Addison, Will, Owen, Gavin, Cooper, Bryson, and Katelyn)

Katelyn and her buddy, Cooper.

Lounging with Katie.

Red or black. Cy or Herky. Welch Avenue or the Ped Mall. Can't we all just get along like these two?!

Until next year's match-up, folks!

Labor Day Festivities

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day! We enjoyed our long weekend and spent it in Iowa visiting my parents and attending a huge (100+ people!) family reunion. Here's Katelyn giving Gramma Kathy a thumbs up for all her hard work in organizing the reunion!

Impressing Grampa Ron with her big girl standing skills.

The reunion was held on Sunday in Carroll, Iowa. It was a perfect day - not too hot or too chilly. We all had fun reconnecting with family members and meeting some for the very first time! It had been 20 years (and many hairstyles :) since our last reunion with this side of the family.

Here is Katelyn with her second cousins Campbell and Harvey. (We finally got to meet Harvey in person - he's 2 1/2 years old now!) Aren't they all so cute?!

Campbell was gracious in letting Katelyn ride in her adorable red wagon - it's the perfect size for a little peanut!

Katelyn got to see her Great Grandma and Grandpa Rehm again - two of our loyal blog readers :)

What better place for a family photo than a family reunion?!

And three generations of girls...

On the way home from the reunion, my parents picked up Katelyn's other Great Grandma and brought her back to our house for an overnight visit. Here's Katelyn hanging out with this special lady :)

Katelyn loves sitting up (and smiling with her mouth wide open :) - see for yourself...

We sure had a blast in Iowa for the long holiday weekend. It was wonderful to see everyone!