I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

Here is Caroline getting ready to board on our return flight to St. Louis.
Caroline experienced her first plane ride when we went down to visit my parents in Warner Robins, Georgia over Christmas break (12/28-12/31). I was a little nervous traveling with her, especially because I was on my own. Poor Joe had to work!

Caroline did awesome on the plane. She really enjoyed looking out the plane window! The changes in altitude didn't seem to bother her, and she slept for the last half of the flight. To make our flight even better, we ended up sitting right next to the doctor who delivered Caroline and her husband. They were headed to Rome for their 10 year anniversary. Both of them were extremely helpful!!

Our flight back was a little more interesting. Let's just say that you don't ever want to lose your driver's license when trying to fly. A long ordeal, made more difficult from traveling with a baby, but we made it back to St. Louis.

All I Want for Christmas is...

Caroline's one wish for Christmas was her two front teeth. Okay, so maybe this was mommy and daddy's wish, but we are certain by her demeanor the past week or so that teething isn't the most pleasant experience.

Christmas came and went, but still no teeth. Fortunately, Caroline didn't have to wait long. Her first tooth (bottom right) broke through on 12/27, and the second one (bottom left) followed shortly after on 12/28. They are still pretty low, so I have yet to get a good picture, but they are through enough to be felt. It counts.

8 Months

Caroline shared her 8 month birthday with mommy's real birthday. A lot has changed over the past month. Caroline weighed in at just over 17 pounds. We will find out next month about her height. She is keeping mommy and daddy very busy these days, but we are loving it!!
Caroline:

• In the past month, you have learned to scoot (12/7) and crawl (weekend of 12/17). You are now into everything, especially the presents sitting under the Christmas tree.
• You enjoy pulling up on objects like the fireplace, tables, people, Cooper, and anything you can get your hands on. This has resulted in your first bruise, which of course is on your cheek!
• Some of your favorite objects to play with are cords, shoelaces, and paper. People might find this odd, but they keep you occupied for quite some time.
• Bottle wise, you are the same as you've been. However, you are now eating rice or oatmeal and a fruit for breakfast. For lunch you enjoy some type of veggie and at least half of another fruit. We have also been giving you some Gerber Puffs to help practice with table foods and tried you with a sippy cup, though you have yet to be very successful with the cup.
• We are caking your poor red, winter cheeks with Aquaphor. They don't seem to bother you, but they don't look very pleasant.
• You have become very vocal now! Your first word, which you began saying the first week of December, was 'da.' You enjoy repeating it over and over again. Daddy seems to think you understand what it means, but right now you use it indiscriminately.

The Scoot

Last Tuesday, Caroline started scooting (forward) for the first time. Since then, she has been a woman on a mission. This weekend, she was all over the place. She would usually end up by the presents under the tree. Look for a post on that to come. Here is a cute video of Caroline going after one of Cooper's toys:)

A Visit with Santa

We took Caroline for her first visit with Santa on Sunday, December 12th. We weren't quite sure how Caroline would do because she has begun to show signs of separation anxiety. Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind at all. The true test will come next year when she actually realizes what is going on.
Here is Caroline waiting patiently in line to see Santa. Clearly, she was very excited!
The first thing that Caroline did when she sat on Santa's lap was reach for his beard. Once she was done playing with that, she could have cared less about him (as can be seen by this photo).
We got a free picture of her and Santa, and she was actually looking at the camera. I'm not technology savvy enough to be able to figure out how to change it from a PDF to put it on here though. Oh well!

Caroline's First Christmas Tree

On our way back from Chicago, we stopped by Eckert's to cut down our Christmas tree. Don't ask whose genius idea this was. It was freezing cold, and we were all tired of being in the car. Caroline fell asleep before we were even able to find a tree. Oh well! We got it done and over with. The trees weren't as good as the ones from the place we went to last year, but we still found a decent one.

Caroline hanging the first ornament on the tree...a pair of booties from one of my mom's friends that says "Baby's First Christmas."

Chicago

We took our first mini-vacation up to Chicago for the weekend of December 3-5. It took us a little longer to get up there than planned due to snow, but we all made it safe and sound. On Saturday, we went shopping on Michigan Avenue and had lunch at Giordano's (Joe's favorite). We didn't do too much else just because it was cold and snowy, not ideal for a baby. Overall, we had a great time and can't wait to go back next year!!
The 1 1/2 hour wait was totally worth it. Joe had originally planned on having dinner here as well, but he forgot how filling the pizza was.

Clearly Joe was super excited to visit the American Girl store. He did, however, manage to make it through both floors:)

Getting ready to swim at the hotel pool. Too bad the water was freezing cold!

Caroline loves being able to stand up while holding onto things all by herself. It's a totally new view for her.

7 Months

Caroline is quickly approaching the mobile stage. Within the past week she has started pushing up onto her hands and knees. Caroline also is beginning to show early signs of pulling up on things. She often does not want to sit down on the ground. Rather, she will tighten her legs so that you have no choice except to leave her standing. Good thing we recently installed the baby gate!!

No doctor's appointment this month, but our scale at home has Caroline weighing in 16.2 pounds (about 16 lbs and 3 oz). We have not a clue as to length, so we will just have to wait until the end of January.

Caroline:

• Shortly after turning 6 months old, she decided that maybe baby food wasn't so bad after all. You LOVE eating food now, but still not as much as your bottle. Your favorite food by far is bananas. Though you also seem to enjoy peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, and apples. You eat anywhere from 1-2 Stage 2 foods/day (usually a fruit and veggie...and sometimes more).
• Still taking four bottles/day...anywhere from 5-7 oz.
• You are reaching and into everything, especially computers and phones!
• Sometimes you object when we take things away from you or if you don't get what you want...oh no!!
• When you get excited you nuzzle your head into our shoulders or on the ground.
• Cooper is you BFF! You find a tremendous amount of joy in watching/attempting to play with him.
• Daddy has seen you pass an object from one hand to the other, though mommy has yet to see it.

We love you so much and can't wait to see what the next month will bring!!

Caroline's First Halloween

On Sunday, we finally got around to pumpkin carving. Joe and I obviously did the carving, while Caroline had fun playing in the "guts." Needless to say, she was a huge mess to clean up:)
Later that night we celebrated Caroline's first Halloween over at a family member's house. Caroline was a ladybug...the cutest ladybug ever!!

Caroline was pretty much a zombie the entire time. Poor thing was so tired all she could do was stare into space as people tried talking to her. Better than crying I suppose.

Caroline was so worn out that she couldn't even make it back to the house! Oh well. She still had a lot of fun and got plenty of candy, which daddy and mommy will definately be enjoying;)

Current Stats

Caroline went for her 6 month check-up today. She got 4 immunizations; three shots and one orally. She has to go back in a month (specifically for shots) to get her second flu shot and third Hep B. The doctor said she looked healthy, but did recommend we start giving her a daily multi vitamin. Dr. Mueller also gave Joe a big safety speech, so I guess that means it's time to start baby-proofing the house. We don't go back for an actual check-up until 9 months, so the end of January. I'm sure a lot will change between now and then!!

Weight: 15 lbs. 14 oz. (42%)
Length: 26.75 in. (79 %)
Head Circumference: 43.5 cm (76%)

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Caroline!

It's so hard to believe that Caroline is a 1/2 year old! She is definately starting to develop more of a personality, and we love seeing her grow and learn new things everyday.

Caroline doesn't go back to the doctor until November 1st, so we still aren't sure of her exact measurements. Check back soon for updates! According to our scale, she weighed right at 16 pounds. Several friends and family have also commented on how long she seems to be getting. Must be going through a growth spurt!
To our big girl:

• You are not a fan of cereal/food. We try feeding you, but you really don't want much to do with it. In fact, you have thrown-up several times at night, which we are thinking is because we are trying to feed you too much. Time for a new plan of action.
• You are still taking 7-8 oz. four times per day.
• Your sleep schedule is also pretty much the same. Sleeping through the night...two naps during the day (one longer, one shorter)...cat nap before bed. We may try cutting the cat nap out and putting you to bed a little earlier for the evening.
• Yor biggest accomplishment this month was learning how to sit up!! You started practicing by holding onto toys (10/2), and within a few days you were doing it on your own:)
• Your tear duct finally opened the weekend of 10/16! No more gunky, left eye for you!!
• No crawling quite yet, but we aren't in any rush for that!!

Pumpkins Galore

On Sunday, we made a trip over to Thies Farm in search of the perfect pumpkins. We couldn't have asked for a better day weather wise. Caroline, on the other hand, was a different story. Joe was kind enough to pass his cold on to Caroline, which resulted in a runny-nosed, tired, and cranky baby. These pictures were taken before her meltdown and falling asleep mid-trip.

She wasn't too crazy about sitting on the straw. Really she wasn't too thrilled about being put down in general. On a normal day I think she would have been all over it. Oh well!

A Week of Firsts

Caroline has had an exciting past couple of days. After celebrating Joe's birthday, we went out in search of a new pair of running shoes for him. Unfortunately, we didn't find any, but we did end up buying Caroline her very first pair of Nikes:)
On Friday, October 1st Caroline enjoyed her first Cardinals baseball game against the Colorado Rockies. She must be good luck because the Cardinals actually won;) She was very excited and well-behaved, but ended up passing out by the end of the game.

To round-up all of the excitement, Caroline sat up (with the assistance of a toy) on her own today. She was able to sit without help, but only for a few seconds. Maybe she will be sitting up by 6 months after all! What a big girl she is becoming!!

Happy Birthday, Joe

Joe turned 28 this past Thursday! We celebrated by going to dinner at El Maguey. Joe's present was actually a physical gift. He spent last weekend in Milwaukee hanging out with some college buddies. While he had a lot of fun, I'm sure he missed us;) How could he not, right? Caroline did make him a coffee mug with her handprints, and was even thoughtful enough to buy him some Dunkin Donuts coffee.

Due to a lack of time and motivation, I was only able to make Joe cupcakes. Though a cake probably would have been easier. Either way, they tasted delicious (chocolate with white confetti icing).

Joe is getting closer to 30 with every passing day! Hard to believe it's only 2 years away!!

What a Big Girl!!

Caroline is officially 5 months old! She seems to have gotten HUGE over the past month. According to our scale, she weighs just a tad over 15 pounds, and I can definately tell she is longer than a month ago. Caroline will be going to the doctor for her 6 month check-up next month, so we will have more accurate stats then.

Joe, who is in charge of getting her dressed in the morning, decided that this special day called for a special outfit. Notice the tutu, which is connected to the pink, princess onsie. For someone who wasn't a big fan of having girly things, he sure did pick out a very feminine outfit:) On another note, Joe was also the one who decided we needed a pink/gray big girl carseat as opposed to a plain black one. Sucker;)

To our ever-changing baby girl:

• You eat 8 ounces every four hours (4X/day). We tried you on cereal for the first time on 8/23. You seemed OK with it at first, but don't really seem to be crazy about it lately. Who can blame you? You are growing just fine, so we aren't too concerned.
• You go to bed between 8-8:30, and we have to wake you up at 6:50 to go to the sitter...boo!
• You are reaching for anything and everything in sight!
• On September 14, you rolled over for the first time, back-to-front. You are rolling over all the time now!!
• The next night we also put you in your big girl jammies for the very first time. No more swaddling or sleep sacs...WOOHOO!
• One of your new favorite activities is playing in your exercauser. You love pushing the buttons and making noises with the toys.
• We are now working on trying to sit up. Maybe by next month?!?

New Tricks

Caroline rolled over for the first time back-to-front yesterday. We were lucky enough to get it on video tonight. She's getting so big...less than a week until she turns 5 months old!!

4 Months

Caroline went to the doctor for her 4 month check-up on 8/23, one day after her actual 4 month birthday. Doctor says she looks great and to make sure we stay away until her next visit at 6 months...we certainly will try our best:) Caroline weighed in at 13 lbs. 10 oz (50%), was 24.5 in. long (60%), and her big ol' head was in the 76%. She has now officially doubled her birth weight and then some!!
Caroline:

• You continue to be such a sweet, easy going baby. How did we get so lucky?!?
• You are drinking a consistant 7 oz. every 4-4 1/2 hours.
• The doctor told us we could try you with cereal (WOOHOO), so we will see how you do!
• You are still an awesome sleeper...going to bed between 8 and 9 p.m. and sleeping almost 12 hours.
• Over the past couple days, you have discovered your feet, which you now enjoy grabbing with your hands. Fortunately, you haven't tried eating those yet!
• Also, very recently, you seem to love reading books with daddy and mommy even more. You now find pleasure in grabbing at the pages and feeling them.
• You are drooling EVERYWHERE!! You must get this from mommy, who was a ridiculous drooler by the time she was 6 months.

Where the Peaches Grow...

No, we are not in Georgia...the one and only peach state. We found our peaches a little closer to home, though I'm sure my parents wouldn't have minded if we had gone peach picking down there:)
On Saturday, we made the trek over to Belleville, Illinois to find some delicious peaches at Eckert's. We left the stroller behind, which ended up being a very smart decision. The ground was covered in peaches, so we avoided getting peach mush everywhere! Joe tried out the baby carrier for the first time. Caroline seemed to enjoy it, especially since she was able to look around at her surroundings.
We enjoyed eating peaches along the way, and we couldn't very well let Caroline feel left out:) She wasn't quite sure what to think about them. I suppose that's to be expected when all you drink is milk!

Another Project?!?

What have we gotten ourselves into?!? Seems like just when we finish one project, another one gets started. It's amazing how quickly "talking" about redoing/fixing something turns into actually "doing" it. Our current project involves giving the downstairs 1/2 bath a makeover. The bathroom now has ugly mint/pea green walls with coordinating tile. The walls are textured, HATE!! You can't see in the picture, but there are two ugly glass, mirror lights abover the mirror and vanity. Also, the lights, mirror, and vanity were not centered above one another.

Our plans for the bathroom include: replacing the lights, mirror, vanity, and toilet, ripping up/replacing the tile, plastering/smoothing out the walls, repainting walls a different color, and getting new switchplates and fixtures. So far the project has taken two weekends with the first being dedicated to demolition and this past weekend putting down a new floor.

Before...

Getting ready to rip up the tile...Scary!!
The floor is all ripped up.
Found the starting point for laying the tile.

Tile layed and grouted. Still have a bit of haze to get off the tile, but overall it turned out well. The goal for this coming weeked is to get the walls primed/painted and to put up a baseboard. We should be close to finishing! I will be so happy if this project can be finished within a month because there are already plans for another one...AHH!

Quality Time with Mim

First of all, for those of you who may not have heard, apparently my mom is too young to be called grandma. Consequently, she is now referred to as Mim. So...Grandma Tschannen=Mim...

Mim was nice enough to come in town to watch Caroline this past weekend. Joe and I were originally going to Chicago as a late anniversary trip, but then we calculated how much we were going to be paying in childcare starting next month:( We ended up staying in St. Louis, but we did enjoy our time without the baby, relaxing and getting things done around the house.

Caroline and Mim had a lot of fun together. Mim showed Caroline off to all of her friends and old coworkers. I'm told that overall Caroline behaved herself, despite the fact that her entire sleep schedule was thrown off...thanks Mom:)

Caroline is already missing her Mim! We can't wait to see you again soon!! Thanks again for taking care of our baby.

Our Big 3 Month Old!!

Here is our big, blue-eyed 3 month! What a sweet baby girl!! We don't have a doctor's appointment this month, but based on our scale Caroline weighs about 12 1/2 pounds. I'm not sure how long she is. Guess we will have to wait until next month to find out.
Sweet Caroline:

• You are still sleeping through the night! You go to bed between 8 and 10 pm, and sleep until 6:30-8:30 am.
• You are laughing and squealing out loud a lot more:)
• At the end of June you discovered your hands. Needless to say, your entire fist is constantly in your mouth!
• You rolled over for the first time (stomach to back) on July 14th, but we have yet to get it on camera.
• During the day, you are eating anywhere from 6-8 ounces every 4 hours!! Hopefully you can start on cereal next month.
• Over the last couple of days, you have started to scream when you don't get your way. Examples included changing your diaper before feeding you or letting you sit too long on your own. Hopefully we can learn to communicate in other ways!!
• You aren't a huge fan of tummy time anymore. You would rather be up and checking out the world around you.

1 Year Ago...

Hard to believe it's already been a year since we were married. It seems like just yesterday, and the day's events are still vivid in our minds. I guess when you are busy preparing for a baby, working, coaching, playing sports, etc. things tend to go quite fast!!

Joe and I didn't see much of each other this weekend. He played baseball in Columbia on Saturday and had to work on Sunday, but the time we DID spend together was enjoyable. On Sunday night, we went out to dinner at Lewis and Clark's in downtown St. Charles. The baby came with us (looking back we should have gotten a sitter) and of course, had a blowout in her diaper before our food even arrived!

Fortunately, my mom is coming in town this weekend for some quality baby bonding time. Joe and I will definately be taking advantage of the fact that we will be baby free for three days:)

Here's to many more great years!! Although we can do without all the excitement and changes that came with the first year;)

We're FINALLY Finished!!

It only took almost 5 months, but we are FINALLY done giving our kitchen cabinets a facelift!! We started this project at the very end of Febuary, but due to a very special baby in our lives the whole thing took a little longer than originally anticipated. Joe did a great job of sanding and giving the cabinets a good scrub down, and I had a good time priming and painting (haha). We bought all nickel colored hardware to replace the brass. We are quite happy with the results:)

A new trash can to match!

We also replaced the lighting fixtures in the kitchen and eating area. Not only do they coordinate, but also provide us with more light to an area that was once too dim for our liking.

Our Little Firecracker

Here is a photo of Joe and Caroline at Riverfest in Downtown St. Charles.

Happy 4th of July!! We have had a nice, relaxing weekend thus far filled with BBQs, festivals, and time with friends. I have been waiting to dress Caroline in her patriotic outfit, and the time finally came:) We had to get more that a one-time use out of it so she wore it Saturday night and Sunday. Thank goodness for no leaks;)

Caroline's First Road Trip

We took Caroline on her first road trip this past weekend to visit Great-Grandma Campbell in Knob Noster, Missouri. It was a pretty easy drive both ways. Caroline slept most of the car ride, except of course when we were stopped for an accident and then construction in Columbia!! I guess she sensed we weren't moving and decided to needed to liven up the ride:)

As can be seen, Caroline had a wonderful time bonding with Great-Grandma. She's only two months old, but already looks huge compared to her Great-Grandma!!

Great-Grandma Campbell must have the magic touch. By the end of our trip she had worn out both Caroline and her new dog, George.