6 weeks

My how time is flying by Khloe! Seriously, where is the time going? Somehow you are 6 weeks old already. That is significant in lots of ways, including the fact that, as of today, I'm exactly half way through my maternity leave. That is sad to me! We have exactly 6 weeks left of our summer together.

Today I took you into work for the first time to meet everyone, your sister went to the beach with her friends, and then you came with me to my 6-week checkup at the doctor's office. Thankfully you slept through all this activity.

You are getting bigger, I can see it in your chubby little cheeks and arms. You are my BIG peanut now! Your eyes are still greyish/blue. I don't remember Kayla ever having this color of eyes and if she did I don't remember when they changed, but I think it was before now. I wonder when your eye color will change? I'm guessing they will either have to be brown (like me) or hazel (like your dad's). Guess we will still have to wait and see!

I'm so happy that you are sleeping SO much longer now! This makes Mommy very happy! Somehow you jumped, in one night, from about a 5-hour stretch of sleep to 9 hours! Whoa! We haven't achieved the 9 hours again, but you are up to 7-8 hours a stretch. Your nighttime sleep schedule looks like this: You fall asleep around 10pm and don't wake up until 6am for a feeding and fall back asleep until 9am. I'm hoping this sleep schedule only gets better and better!  Like my doctor told me today, a big baby is a content baby. Thanks for being such a great sleeper!

The scowl

Khloe, you have this face you make - "the scowl" - that you've pretty much made since the wee hours you were born. It's such a serious look you have about you! Coincidentally, its the same exact face your Daddy makes. You two look identical when he's holding you and unknowingly making the face and you are too - it's a cute site to see and gives us a little chuckle! At least now you'll know where you inheirited it from.

Memorial Day

This hot, hot, hot sunny first-official-day-of-summer day was spent relaxing at our house with Grandpa and Grandma F and Grandpa A. You missed most of it by sleeping, but not before you got some lovin' from your sister.

Meeting Sadie

Today we traveled to the Johnson's to meet thier newest little one, Sadie Rae. Sadie was born just 3 days after you! We know you both can't wait to grow up together and play; however, in the meantime, Sadie slept the whole time, but still shared her activity mat with you.

Two little bundles of joy

5 weeks

The sweetest, purest thing in the whole wide world has to be the breath of a newborn. I love the way it feels, the way it smells, and the sound it makes. There are times that I am sooo tired and can't wait to put you down to sleep, but then you turn your head into my neck and I hear, feel and smell that sweet breath of yours and it makes me want to hold onto you forever. And usually you do win the battle, because instead of putting you down right away I find that 30 mintues will have passed before I finally am able to release you from my arms and go to sleep myself. Please never let me forget these moments!

I think I have the same mental disease with you that also afflicted me with Kayla - not knowing when to move you up to the next size clothing. I had this disease with Kayla for at least her first 3 years and already its started with you. I look at you, thinking you're fitting nicely into your current size clothing - not even considering the fact that you may be growing and able to wear the next size up - and then I bravely pick out a bigger outfit, and voila! It fits. Case in point with this outfit today - a 3 month size. Its from a cute matching outfit set picked out for Kayla and Cassidy by Great Aunt Marie and now you're wearing Cassidy's hand-me-down. A very stylish little baby! Guess I better go through your drawers and closet and move the next round of clothing in before you so quickly outgrow all of those items.

March 2008 - Kayla 20 months, Cassidy 4 months

Fun with collages

If nothing else, I was procrastinating doing work I should've been doing. The questions we always get asked, and I think parents of any newborn do, are: 1) Does she look like her sister? and 2) Do you think she looks like her mom or dad? Of course its too early to answer any of these questions I think, but here was a fun way for me to do side by side comparisons. Most people say Khloe looks like Aaron (including myself) whereas most people agree Kayla looks like me. And then there are those that think that Kayla and Khloe look alike as newborns (I disagree!).

One month old

Today we had your 1 month check-up, Little One. I can't believe that a month has come and gone already! Time sure is flying by this time around. Your stats, which I was excited to find out about, are that you weigh 10lbs, 11oz (90th percentile) and are 22.25" long (90th percentile): you're growing! You grew out of your newborn sizes around 3 weeks old and you fit very nicely in your 0-3 month clothes. You're doing all things a 1 month old should be - you're holding your head up, you are interested in voices around you, and you like to hang out and look around. Oh, and you're smiling now! It's so much fun to get you to smile! Last week we were getting a half-smile, but now its a full-fledged, whole-face grin! You've gotten on a great schedule which I'm thankful for: a 2 hour nap in the morning, a 3-4 hour nap in the afternoon, a 1-2 hour nap in the evening and going to bed around 10pm. You're first stretch of sleep in the night right now is about 4.5-5 hours with about 3 hour intervals after that. I'm hoping for a little more sleep very soon! As you can see, we're just enjoying life with you, Khloe.

Amy visits

It's been wonderful with Amy here for 5 days! You two bonded and clicked right away, which was important because she was your first babysitter! I hoped and prayed the babysitting would go well - me leaving your side for the first time! - and it did (for both of us). At 3.5 weeks old you took your first bottle, and I have to admit, it felt very liberating for me. You took it very well and so we gave you more bottles and more bottles all week long! It's good to know that you will drink from a bottle when we need you to, and sometimes we will.

Here are some highlights of your time with Amy. She walked you and rocked you and fed you like a champ, and you slept and ate and burped like a champ for her. She even figured out this special "hop, skip, walk, glute-tightener, calf-strengthener, calorie-burner thing" that you specially liked. It was the trick for getting you to calm down or burp or get to sleep or just be happy. We use the trick every day now! Thanks for cooking, cleaning and babysitting Aunt Amy! Glad you got to meet Khloe as just a little sweet peanut. We will definately need to adjust to you not being here.

Goodbye's are never easy!
Kayla (3.5) and Khloe (3 weeks)

First walk

With not-so-nice weather hanging over our heads for the last three weeks we have not been able to get out as much as I would've liked, and it's making us all go crazy! But finally, when Amy was here, we had our first few nice days so the three of us ventured out for a walk in the neighborhood. I know you are not a fan of your car seat - unless you are already asleep - so instead of a walk with the stroller I took you in the baby carrier. You slept the whole time and I felt great for getting out and exercisizing. Can't wait for more nice weather!

Khloe's Debut Party

Today was your first big party - and you were the star. I planned a ladies-only afternoon for all my friends to come meet you. It was easier for me if I had to coordinate only 1 day of friends visits instead of multiple days, so I invited 30 friends to come over for an open house afternoon of getting to know you.

It turned out to be a fun afternoon! Lots of friends stopped by and, with the help of Daddy, Amy and Grandma A, we had a nice spread of h'ors douevres and cocktails for everyone. I was a little nervous about how the day would go - if you would cooperate - and things went perfectly. You slept most of the time, but also had some awake time on the floor. Everyone thought you were so little and precious and beautiful!

It was also Daddy and I's 12th wedding anniversary today, which made it even more special to all be together as a family.

XO

Mother's Day

It's my first Mother's Day with you, Khloe Jean. Thank you for making me your mom. I love it.

We've been busy figuring each other out these last 3 weeks.... or I mean, mostly I have been busy figuring you out. And we're getting better at making things work smoothly, but thank you for being so forgiving along the way. I burb you, but really you just want to be down and stretch. I feed you but you want to go to sleep. I try to get you to sleep, but you need to burp. I think you want to play, but you want to sleep.

But, I'm getting the hang of things (again) and I feel like its getting easier. You have a whole new language I didn't know or speak but I'm getting better at it each day. And you're getting the hang of things now, too. You're more awake throughout the day (we love to look in your eyes), you eat very well, you take long solid naps (in your swing and pack-n-play), you take 3 hour naps and are sleeping up to 5 hours at night (!!!) and your content to just stretch out on the floor and look around (you love to watch Kayla).

Thank you for being here with me on this Mother's Day.

Your bedroom

I thought I would show you photos of your room, Khloe!

And here you are enjoying your room!

 19 days old

Cuddling

Oh Khloe. I just love to cuddle with you. Throughout my pregnancy I was secretly hoping that I would get another baby that loved to cuddle just as Kayla did, and I got that with you. Cuddling with a newborn is just the best! You love to cuddle with your neck pressed as tight as can be against our neck. Someimes you even like to sleep like your face on top of one of our faces, cheek to cheek. (Also just like your sister!) You sleep twice as long when you're held, which can be a blessing - and a curse sometimes.

This was one of our cuddle moments. I kept thinking that I had to get up and get to so many things - tedious housework and chores that don't really mean anything. But then, I'd look down at your peaceful face, smell your sweet breath, feel you breathing on my neck and then I'd squeeze you harder and tighter and decide there was no where else I wanted - or needed - to be than right here with you. I wasn't going to let this moment pass. I wanted to remember it forever, and I most definately will.

12 days old

My favorite place to be in the world