The Joys of Cold Season

It's been almost a year since I caught my last cold, but all this past week I've had one! The most annoying thing about colds is the way they linger and take so long to go away. So I've been dealing with the sore throat, cough, and stuffy nose and it's no fun. At least Kirsten hasn't caught it from me, and we're crossing our fingers that she won't!

Learning How to Sit Up

Kirsten is slowly learning how to sit up on her own, but she still needs support. Usually I hold her on my lap and have her sit. She leans forward or to the side all the time, so if the pillow wasn't there she would be falling over.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'!

It seems like all Kirsten wants to do lately is experiment with rolling over. A couple of days ago I put her down on her back in the play mat (over where the white cloth is), and a few minutes later this is where I found her! I guess it might be time to baby-proof the house!

Walks in the Stroller

Kirsten really enjoys going for short walks in her stroller, and she prefers cloudy, cool days to sunny days. She just doesn't seem to like the sun in her face one bit!
There's a nice looping path around our apartment complex that's fun to walk on, and it goes past a pond, wetland, and a lot of trees. It's pretty and Kirsten likes to look around at everything. I still can't figure out how to adjust the recline position of the stroller, so she reclines back pretty far, but she doesn't seem to mind!

Kirsten at 4 1/2 months old!

This month, Kirsten loves: Rolling over both ways on the floor, smiling, laughing, being in mommy or daddy's arms, being sung to, playing in the jungle play mat and the jumperoo, grabbing things with a tight little grip, watching Sesame Street (she really does!), baths, stroller rides, watching people eat, being rocked to sleep, playing with her feet, and pulling off her own socks.

This month, Kirsten dislikes: Sleeping (she always fights it!), being alone where she can't see anyone, baby slings or carriers, and getting cold after a bath.

Fun in the Jumperoo!

We just bought the Rainforest Jumperoo for Kirsten and she has such a great time in it. There are tons of different toys and animals on it for her to play with. She doesn't do much bouncing in it yet, but I'm sure she'll figure that out later on. She still prefers rolling over on the floor though, so after a little bit she doesn't want to be in the Jumperoo anymore.

Her little feet barely touch the ground in it. It's so funny!

Naps.... or not!

Other moms tell me about their babies who can fall asleep on their own. They just set them down in their crib, they say, and the baby just drifts peacefully off to sleep. If they ever do cry or fuss, it's only for five minutes or less. Not Kirsten! She always has to be rocked to sleep. She'll keep napping peacefully as long as she's in my arms, but when I try to put her down her eyes just pop right open. I find it so funny that I can talk on the phone while she's napping in my arms and she won't wake up, but putting her down wakes her up almost every time!

She looks so peaceful when she actually does sleep. But after I took these pictures, she slept for about five more minutes and then woke right up. She's a difficult napper.

Playtime in the Aquarium

I bought this Kick and Crawl Aquarium for Kirsten about a month ago, and she loves to play in it. She bats at the fish hanging down and loves to kick at it too. She likes it a little bit less now that she's learned to roll over and spends more time on her tummy, but it's still a fun toy for her to play in.

Our Two Kitties

Herbie and Tigger are our two cats, and they really think they own the place. They chase each other around and play together all the time. So far, they get into a lot more mischief than Kirsten does!

Here's Tigger in the kitty tent. They both love this!

Herbie thinks Kirsten's bouncy seat belongs to him.

Tigger and Kirsten

Summer's Almost Over!

It's been a really good summer and we had a ton of fun visiting family in San Diego. We've also been enjoying the beautiful, clear but not very hot days here in Seattle. But there's a definite taste of autumn in the air now, and I love it! Fall is my favorite time of year, so I'm ready for it!

My favorite smiles!

There are no smiles in the world I love as much as Kirsten's smiles. These pictures show some of her best ones we've captured on film, but she smiles all the time! Not too long ago she was a tiny newborn who didn't know how to smile. It's so much more fun and rewarding now, and her smiles make everything SO worth it!

Blue Eyes Blue!

Even though Stephen and I both have brown eyes, Kirsten's eyes are such a beautiful blue! People always comment on all her dark hair and the contrast with her blue eyes. Lucky girl! When I was little I wished I had blue eyes!

Adventures at the Space Needle!

We're true Seattleites now that we've been to the top of the famed Space Needle! My grandparents were visiting and we got to go with them to eat dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top. What a gorgeous view! It was a clear day and we could see all the mountains, lakes, ocean, and amazing scenery that we love so much about Seattle.