Playing in snow with cousins

Cutie

Until I get around to transferring and organizing our Christmas photos, here are some cute ones from earlier in December. I think she looks a lot younger when she wears hats.

Merry Christmas!

Rubber Duckie

Carolyn has been working really hard on sitting up lately. She does mini-crunches everytime we lie her on her back (particularly during diaper changes) and even in the bath tub. So I helped her up and she played with rubber duckie a little. She can keep her balance for a good 15-20 seconds.

Holly Jolly Plaid Christmas

Last night was Auntie Courtie's Holly Jolly Plaid Christmas party. We went straight there from picking up Desi at the airport (he was in Cincinnati for work all week, hence the tie and button down). Thankfully, Carolyn's Christmas dress fit the theme and matched Auntie's dress perfectly.

Snow angel

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Desi's birthday was on Saturday and we celebrated all weekend long. Friday night we went to Uncle Julio's Hacienda, followed by a trip to Best Buy to purchase his birthday present: Playstation 3. On Saturday, Desi gave blood, we tried a new restaurant in LaGrange for lunch and relaxed. Dinner was our traditional celebratory meal of Papa John's pizza and breadsticks (the tradition started when we lived in LA, I think because one of us didn't feel like going out for an anniversary and it has been carried on ever since). Sadly Papa John's does not deliver to our house, but it was worth picking up for the special day. We capped off the evening by watching our wedding video which had been delayed because I never sent the videographer the growing up pictures for a montage. In the future we'll watch it on our anniversary, but this year Desi's bday worked just fine. We even enjoyed some of our wedding anniversary cake and a bottle of champagne from our wedding. The celebration continued today with a wonderful dinner with Grandma Dolly, Papa Chuck and Courtney.

So big!

On Thursday we went to the doctor for Carolyn's second round of vaccinations. She shed a few tears after the four shots, but quickly calmed down. Her new stats are 14 lbs 3.5 oz (75th percentile), 25.75" (90th perecentile) and head circumference (a much improved) 41 cm (50th percentile). Our pediatrician suggested that we start her on rice cereal so we'll be doing that as soon as I get around to buying some. Desi is excited about the opportunity to feed her since we still have not been successful at getting her to take a bottle. After the doctor's visit we went to the city to visit Auntie Courtie's house. I still had some stuff to move out (it's only been a little over a year since I've lived there:)).

Uncle Chuckie's new place

Uncle Charles moved to South Bend last week so we drove out to visit and deliver some furniture. We are so happy that he is only an hour and a half away!

Giggles

I know this is short, but we ran out of memory on the camera. We'll try to catch her silly giggles again soon.

Thanksgiving in Louisville

Carolyn spent her first Thanksgiving in Louisville at Uncle Wed and Auntie Anne's house.

Here she sat up without assistance for the first time,

played with blocks for the first time

and watched her daddy get tackled by her cousins Jet and Jake.

I always wait too long to take a cousins picture, this one was taken just before bed time (obviously). The one on the right was taken a month ago when we visited just before we left, when Carolyn refused to wake up from her nap.

Random photos

I finally transferred the photos from my iPhone to my computer, so here are some random shots from voting in her first presidential election to grocery shopping.

Update: I incorrectly stated that Carolyn had only been to Indiana and Illinois prior to our road trip. I forgot to include Kentucky (which we visited in October), thus her total state count is 6. We'll be adding Ohio this weekend.

Go Bucks!!

Carolyn's first OSU/UM game was a historic victory for the Buckeyes. Friends Elizabeth, John, Gayla and Gayla's mom joined us at our house to watch it. I forgot to take pictures, but Gayla took some which I will post as soon as I get them. For now, here are some shots from yesterday when Carolyn helped me make some Buckeyes (and sat in her high chair for the first time).

4 months old

Carolyn has had a few fussy days lately (probably because she misses her daddy who is working in Cincinnati this week), but I managed to get a few smiles out of her for a photo shoot today.

lots of smiles and a little belly button exhibition

she is getting closer to being able to sit on her own, but that is hard to photograph on one's own

the one on the right is my personal favorite of the day:) she was shrieking at Tinkle Crinkle