Growing and Changing

Well Caroline has certainly grown a bunch since the last post and our lives have changed- I had to go back to work= blah. It is amazing how your priorities change and how you want to spend your time changes. I could spend all day playing with Caroline! Going back to work has made me realize how precious and valuable my time is with my family and how I am okay saying "No" to things I used to say "yes" to. I also have become okay with clothes sitting in laundry baskets, our carpet not being vacuumed as much, and other household chores not getting done. I figure in the future I am never going to say I wish I vacuumed more but I will say I wish I snuggled more with my baby. Right now the whole family is snuggled in bed- this included Caroline and Callie! I value our family time so much. 

Since the last post Caroline has been growing and learning new things. It's amazing how babies develop. Here are some pictures to show her changing:

She eats oatmeal- She loves it! She also eats peas. She however does not like green beans. The first time we tried them she ate some and then pushed the spoon away. The second time we tried them she did the same thing and the third time she ate a little more and then clamped her mouth shut and wouldn't eat anymore. So after three days of trying green beans we will move onto a new veggie! 

 Caroline interacts and plays with Callie. Callie was walking by and Caroline grabbed her toy and they started playing tug of war. Neither was going to let go. Eventually Callie pulled Caroline on her belly and won!

 She has decided that headbands are not for her anymore!

 Caroline can roll over! She just learned this and now rolls all over the place! She loves it because we clap and praise her and she smiles and keeps on rolling. I will post a video later.

She went on her first hike with her cousin Bailey. It was just through Nannie and Poppies woods but she enjoyed it. On the way back she fell asleep in the carrier.

 Caroline can sit up on her own and loves when you make silly sounds. That is what I was doing to get her to smile because now when she sits up she is too busy to stop for a smile. She plays with her feet or anything within her reach.

After awhile she does decided- no more pictures mommy!

Caroline LOVES to play!! She plays, plays, plays. 

Caroline talks almost non-stop. She can be really loud too! I am not sure who she learned that from...

Caroline celebrated her first Grandparents day. That is not the outfit I sent her in- she was in a cute outfit with a bow but a poop explosion happened. 

Caroline "watched" her first Vikings game. 

Farm Fun

Caroline and I spent a few days at my parents this past week. I wanted to get in one more visit before school started. It's nice to visit them for longer periods of time and I know they LOVE spending all that time with Caroline. In the mornings mom would sit outside with Caroline and watch the birds so I could get a little more sleep- very nice. Caroline loves the outdoors! During the afternoon we would sit outside, play, take walks so Callie could run, and visit the creek. After dinner, we would take the RTV "up on top" to enjoy the view. Callie loves it " on top" (that's what we call the area of land) because there is a pond, tall grass, and lots of room to run. She flushed a turkey out and after she found it she just stared at it not knowing what to do. We spotted deer and even a fawn. We had a great visit!

Caroline is already a farm girl playing in the creek and the dirt!

In the evenings we would ride to " up on top" and enjoy the view

An old barn on my parents property that I thought made a neat picture

 Playing with Granny and Grandpa

Sitting ontop with mommy

We saw a momma deer with her babies

Callie loves the farm too!

Summer Time with Caroline

I have always had a summer; I had a summer as a student and now as a teacher. I love my summers! In the past they have been spent at the pool working on my tan, gym classes, or reading books. Well it's summer and I am pale, don't have a gym membership anymore, and have not opened the 2 books I checked out at the library.  Why the changes you may ask... a baby! My summer days aren't filled with what they used to but they are now filled with something better. Caroline and I have a month and a half ahead of us to fill with whatever we want! In the past 2 days we have run errands, played, read books, made early trips to the dog park, gone for evening walks, and cuddled. I am going to soak up every moment with her this summer! 

Things we like to do:

Reading Books

Taking Callie to the dog park 

Playing on play mat

I love taking pictures of her! 

Spending time as a family 

Grandpa makes me laugh! 

Hanging out with Uncle Derek  

           Hanging out with Uncle Alex

Going for walks 

Playing with Callie in my sun dome 

Taking naps while cuddling

These are a few of my favorite things

At almost 2 months old, Caroline has likes and dislikes. 

Likes:

Her play mat. She loves to watch the birds on the mobile go round and round and loves to kick her legs. The amount she kicks her legs has increased as she has gotten older. There is an owl with bells in it by her feet and she is able to kick it to make it make noise.  I could take hundreds of pictures of her on her play mat because she smiles so much when she is on it. She is "talking" more and likes to talk on her mat. I sit there and talk to her and watch her, while taking videos and pictures- I think I have an obsession! My phone literally has hundreds of pictures and videos of her playing- she is just so cute I can't help it (says every mother about her baby).

Caroline also likes to go for walks. She immediately stops fussing when she goes in her car seat so we go on walks when she gets fussy. Her favorite time to go for a walk is at night when we can keep the top down and she can look out. Caroline loves to look at whoever is pushing the stroller.

Caroline loves baths. She did not like her first bath but once her umbilical cord fell off and she could have water on her belly she loved them. We have bath time at night to calm her before bed. The smell of a baby after a bath is the best smell in the world! Caroline recently moved to the next stage in her bath tub! She is no longer in the newborn sling, but can now have the infant insert. She can sit in the water more. We moved her to this stage this week and she didn't like it at first but once she got used to it she loved it. She kicked and splashed! We were able to get out some of her bath toys too.

Caroline likes to cuddle. Some of my favorite moments are when she is asleep on me. She smiles when she sleeps and I could just watch her the entire time. I will read or catch up on my DVR while she is sleeping in my arms- such a peaceful time!

Caroline likes her Boppy Lounger. She can sit in it, look around, and kick her legs. In the morning she has "happy baby time" when we play, read, sing songs, etc. I take way too many pictures when she is laying in it because she smiles so much! 

This is the first time she was put on the lounger. 

Look how small she is!  

Hanging out in my sun dome with my toys!

Caroline loves Callie- Callie loves Caroline. 

Dislikes: 

Playing Dress Up

At the moment her biggest dislike is a bottle!