Kaitlyn: Month Four

Katie Bug,

Today, you are four months old. You are growing so fast, and it seems like every time we blink, you are bigger than before. This week I have noticed how different you look. You are definitely an infant and not a newborn. You look so much bigger than last week, even. You are stretching out and putting on more baby weight. You are absolutely precious, and we couldn't be more in love with you.

This month was a busy and exciting one. Mama went back to work and you have been adjusting to your new care providers well and just started staying with Mini this week. Uncle Jon and Grandpa had so much fun babysitting you. So much fun, in fact, that Uncle Jon still wants mommy to drop you off each week so that he can watch you. You guys have a lot of fun together. I have noticed that you both have a very special bond. You have a smile for your Uncle Jon that I have not seen you give to anyone else. Something about him amazes you, and you light up so much whenever he is around. Even if you are in the middle of eating, you stop everything to stare at Uncle Jon with your beautiful brown eyes wide open. He loves to sing and dance to you and snuggle with you for naps. I know that you two are going to have so much fun together as you grow older.

We have been on the go quite a bit this month, and you seem to like being outside and staying busy with mommy and daddy. We took you to the Strawberry Festival, SeaWorld, The Battle of the Flowers Parade and the King William Fair this month. You were such a good baby, too, and happily played in your carrier and looked around, trying to take it all in.

Battle of the Flowers Parade

King William Fair

Even with all the changes around you, you are still on a pretty good schedule. You usually fall asleep between 9:30 and 11:00pm and will sleep until 6:00 or 8:30am. We have been putting you down for 8 hour stretches of sleep for quite some time now, and you love to snuggle and fall asleep on anyone (preferably Grandma) whenever you get the chance. You love sleep just like mommy!!! :o)

You are eating six bottles, roughly 24 ounces, a day now. You have grown so much, we have officially put you in your 3-6 months clothes. I got a little teary-eyed packing up all of your newborn and 0-3 month clothes. I really can't believe how fast time has passed, but it was time to move forward, and I know we will be putting you in 6-9 month clothes before we know it.

You have been exceeding your development milestones, as well. Grandpa is so proud of how smart you are. (As we all are!) At four months, you are now able to:

-smile
-bear weight on your legs
-coo and "talk" to mommy, daddy and anyone else listening
-grasp a toy, and usually your dresses and clothing
-play with your hands and feet (this is a 5 mo skill)



You are still working on cutting that first tooth. We don't know when it is ever going to just break through so that you can be done with it. It bothers you a lot, and you are drooling up a storm lately. :o)

I think the most exciting thing for Mommy and Daddy this month is that you ROLLED OVER! Monday night, while mommy was folding your clothes and daddy was showering, you decided to just roll on over from your back to your belly. You did it without any trouble, too, like it was the most natural thing and you had been doing it all along. Daddy clapped and cheered for you and we both told you how proud we were of you. Since then, you have been rolling over like crazy, although you keep getting your right hand caught underneath you and that really upsets you. It won't be long before you will be crawling all over the house.


We love you so much Booberooni, and we are so grateful that God has blessed us with such an amazing daughter. I hope that you will always know how very special you are to us and to our family.


Love,
Mommy

Kaitlyn Learns to Roll!

Kaitlyn rolled from her back to her tummy tonight! We were so surprised that she has already reached this milestone. Fortunately, we were both at home and were able to watch her reach this special milestone first hand!

Kaitlyn's Baptismal

St. Anthony de Padua

Kaitlyn’s Baptismal was a very special day. We baptized Katie at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church on April 25th after the noon mass. We took a baptismal preparation class with TJ and Lindsay a few weeks before the baptismal with Deacon Joe. It was a bright sunny day, and we were excited that so many of our friends and family could join us. Those in attendance were: Mamaw and Papaw, Uncle Jonathan, Aunt Tara, Terence and Lindsay Potter, Uncle Jason and Aunt Melissa, Grandpa Paul, Eric, Denisse, Tamara, Carmen and Tye, Mark and Erin, Grandma and Grandpa Gauna, Mini, Gammy and Grandpa Judge, Nana, and Aunt Belinda.

Kaitlyn and her godparents, Terence and Tara

The father talking to Katie

Blessing of Kaitlyn

"I baptize you in the name of the Father.."

Blessing of Katie's blanket, rosary, bible and handkerchief

Katie did very well during the baptismal. She did not like having her clothes removed for the oil to be placed on her sternum. She also didn’t want to get her hair wet with the holy water. But otherwise she was good and she slept through the ceremony. Marcus came and took some great pictures of the baptismal for us. There was only one other baptismal that day, so it was a very intimate sacrament.



Our Extended Ross Family



Godparents, Tara and TJ

Our Family with Katie's Godparents

Our Family

Extended Medina, Gauna and Chavez Family

Afterwards, TJ and Lindsay, Tara, Paul and myself, Jon, and Mom and Papa went to eat at Paloma Blanca.  It was an unforgettable day!

Strawberry Festival

I am behind in posting about the Strawberry Festival, so I thought I would do a blog in pictures. Katie had a lot of fun at the Festival as did Uncle Jon, Grandma, Grandpa and Mommy!

Katie is all ready to go!

Mommy and Kaitlyn

Uncle Jon, Mommy, Kaitlyn and Grandpa

Grandma, Grandpa and Kaitlyn

Grandpa Days

Since I have returned back to work, Kaitlyn has been staying with my dad and my brother. It has been quite the adventure for Miss Kaitlyn. I understand that she is getting in lots of nap time:

It has been a lot of fun to see Papa and Jon taking care of Kaitlyn. Jon tells me that they have developed a bit of a routine where one will feed and play with her while the other one naps, does a project, showers, gets in the spa, etc. and then they will trade off for the next feeding.

I used to enjoy my "Papa days" when I was a little girl, so I know that "Grandpa" or "Pawpaw" days will be something that Kaitlyn will enjoy more as she gets older. I love that he has more time to spend with her, as I know he really missed seeing Jon and I grow up because he was working so hard to provide for us. He has been very innovative so that he can get his stuff done while she is there: he plops her in her baby carrier and wears her all around the house and the yard. They like to swing in the backyard together, too, and look at the birds and the trees.

Apparently, Katie had a bit of a blow out the other day, and Papa even made her a "Redneck Clothesline" in the tree. Poor Kaitlyn. That is going to embarrass the crap out of her when she is older. Haha! On my days off, us girls have been going over to mom and papa's house, too. We went out to eat the other day, and as soon as we sat down, Papa swiped Kaitlyn from me! :O He is becoming quite the baby hog. Mom even shooed him away when he tried to take Katie from her after mom had been working all day (and he had been with Katie all day).

Yesterday, he had to return to San An.gelo to go to work. It's gonna be two more weeks until he gets to play with her again, and I don't know what she is going to do since no one will be here to spoil her. (yeah, right...) She is definitely gonna miss Grandpa, that's for sure!

Happy Easter!

**This entry is backdated**

On Easter, our little snuggle bunny awoke to find herself several surprises from the Easter Bunny! Paul and I got her an Easter basket from PBK that she will able to reuse every year along with some books and an Easter bib. Her Aunt Tara surprised her a couple of days earlier with a beautiful Easter basket, and her Grandpa Paul and Grandma and Grandpa had each brought over baskets with books, toys and even candy for Paul and I (thanks Grandpa Paul for the candy!!)

Easter Sunday was Kaitlyn's first trip to Church. We have been so nervous about taking her because we didn't know if she was going to cry or fuss or have a complete meltdown. Turns out, we were worried for nothing. Our family went to the 8am service at St. Luke's and Kaitlyn slept the entire time. I took her with me to receive the Eucharist, and the priest blessed her. She looked so cute in her Easter outfit and everyone commented on what a good baby she was and how cute she is.

We went to the Mag.nolia Pancake House for brunch afterwards and Kaitlyn grabbed her toy for the first time ever!! I thought I was going to jump out of my chair I was so surprised.

We took a family nap after brunch and took Katie to my mom's house so that Paul and I could run some errands.

That evening, Papa hid the Easter Eggs that Mom and I made for Kaitlyn, and Paul and I helped her "find" them. She had absolutely no idea what all the fuss was about. lol!

I can't wait for next year when Katie is running all around the yard and excited to find the brightly colored eggs. It will be here soon, I am sure. Time seems to be flying by.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Big Bird's Beach Party

Our Little Angel! (April 3, 2010 @ 3 months)

Today was Katie's first trip to SeaWorld! The first of very, very many, I am sure. :o) We were a little bit unsure how she would do since there isn't a whole lot of shade, lots of people and it was rather warm out (in the 80's), but she did SUPER! She didn't want to stay in her stroller very long, and ended up in the Jeep Carrier with Grandpa after being at the park for maybe 5 minutes. Papa loves to carry her in the carrier and I think it is pretty darn cool that her Grandpa enjoys baby wearing.

We tried to see the new Azul show, but we got there about 10 minutes before it was going to start, and there were so many people standing up in the back that the staff was at the entrances announcing the show was full. We headed over to Shamu instead, where Kaitlyn woke up and gave Shamu a big wave "HELLO!"

The show was pretty similar to last year's show, except the trainers are still not in the water due to the recent tragedy of one of the killer whales attacking and killing its trainer at one of the other parks. I liked the show better when the trainers were able to get in the water and do neat tricks where Shamu throws them across the pool. They seemed to do more jumps then too. And it is neat to see a mammal so large interacting with such a small human (comparatively, speaking).

After Shamu, it was off to see Big Bird. Kaitlyn wasn't too sure if she liked the show at first and fussed a bit. She was tired, hot, and needed a change. Once we got her all settled in, she started to enjoy the music and bright colors.

She sat on the end of the row with Grandma and stared and stared at the cast and crew. She waved "bye bye" to Big Bird, even. (With a little help from Grandma). After the show, we decided to call it a day and picked up our very first picture of Kaitlyn's trip to SeaWorld. (in which she is screaming....). Hopefully we will be able to get some more pictures next time we visit.

Easter Pictures

Happy Easter Everyone!!

See, I told everyone that we had a little angel!! Isn't she precious?!?!

For Kaitlyn's Easter pictures, we wanted to do something a little bit different from the norm. We got a flyer from Nursery Couture that they were having a photographer come and take pictures with REAL bunnies on March 27, 2010. Unfortunately, Paul and I both had to work, but Katie went with Grandma and Grandpa and took some adorable pictures. We had never used this photographer before, but she did an awesome job: Jenn Brookover.

Not too sure what to think....

Me and the Bunny are Good Friends!!

Kaitlyn: Month Three

My dearest Kaitlyn (our cute lil' boo bear),

Today you are three months old. It seems like so long ago that we brought you home; you have changed so much. Time is just flying by, as well. A lot has happened in the last month, I have a much to update.

First of all, you finally met your Grandpa!! :)

He came home from Afghanistan on March 10th and Grandma, Uncle Jon and I went with you to San Angelo to greet him at the airport and experience your first overnight stay away from home. You were such a wonderful girl on the car ride up there. You travel very well, and hardly ever get upset in your carseat unless we are stopped. Grandma was trying to feed you when Grandpa's plane landed, and when he held you for the first time, you had a big fit because you wanted to eat. lol! But now, Grandpa refers to you as "Grandpa's buddy." Today, in fact, you are staying with him while mommy works for a "Grandpa Day!"

You should tell your buddy that you want your slumber parties with Grandma back, by the way. The weekend he came home was the first time Grandma missed staying at our house with you for several weeks. She has still seen you every single day, and Grandpa has seen you every day since he has returned home. I think they love you more than the puppies! (That's a whole lot for your Grandpa, as you will learn.)

You also got to see Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa again. They came to visit us last week and you LOVED staying with "Gam Gam," as Uncle Jon calls her, while mommy went to work. Gam Gam held you alot and snuggled with you when she could. Your Grandma was home, too, at the end of the week, and they took turns seeing who could spoil you the most. You are soo loved Katie Bug. Everyone loves to hold and kiss you.

This past month, you have been smiling up a storm. I was taking your picture one day and you gave me such a cute grin as soon as I put the camera up to snap a picture. Seeing you smile is one of my favorite things. You smile so big for your Daddy, too. He loves to joke around with you and make silly faces and you just grin and coo at him for a long time. You are such a happy baby.

Yesterday, we put you in your Bumbo seat, but this time you liked it! You were sitting up so straight and tall, and you even swatted at your toy a few times. We noticed that you have been tracking objects, especially ceiling fans, more than you used to lately. Grandma and I both picked out mobiles for your crib and pack-n-play and you LOVE them. You like to kick your feet up and down while you watch the animals twirl around. You love to wiggle. We jokingly refer to you as a "wiggle butt." You are in good company, though; both your mommy and your daddy wiggle a bunch.

Did I mention that you love to snuggle??? Seriously, this has to be your favorite activity. And if Grandma is the one you are snuggling....EVEN BETTER. :) You even scoot yourself around in your bassinet so that your head is cradled in the corner and your right side is snuggled up against the bassinet when you sleep.

You are developing and reaching milestones so quickly, I am just amazed. You are now able to recognize faces and voices; you even remembered Gam Gam from when she stayed with us, and you would give her great big smiles. You love to coo and squeal and talk to yourself. Your voice is the sweetest sound we have ever heard. (I am sure somewhere in the future, I will be retracting that when you are screaming. HAHA) Two weeks ago, you started blowing bubbles, and you are drooling a lot more. It looks like you have a tooth breaking through on your lower right. You are also really starting to take in textures. Last week, you helped Uncle Jon and Grandpa build onto Grandpa's patio and Uncle Jon helped you walk in the sand. You really liked the sand between your toes. Your eyes also lit up last night when you were rubbing your feet on Daddy's whiskers. However, you are not always a fan of what you feel. Grandpa put your feet in cement last week for his new stepping stones, and that made you very angry.

You are sleeping so well. When you are not having a growth spurt that is. You were sleeping from 10pm to 5 or 6am very well before mommy returned to work. Then you started your 12 week growth spurt, which is continuing into week 13, and now you sleep from 11:30 to 5ish. You usually go back down after you eat until 9 or 10am. I love that you sleep in like I do! :)

You have also been eating more because you are growing so big. Normally you have 7 bottles a day for around 20 oz. This past week though, you are a milk monster; yesterday you had almost 27 oz!! You are up to 10lbs 6oz as of a week ago. You still fit into some of your 0-3 month clothes, but I doubt you will for much longer than this week. You have already moved up to your 3-6month sleepers, so your clothing is not too far behind. Some brands run smaller, and you already wear 3-6months in those.

I am not sure if you caught on yet, but Mommy had to go back to work on the 22nd. It has been so hard leaving you to go to work, but it is something that I have to do. I miss you so much when I am gone, and I love that Grandma and Uncle Jon send me pictures and updates on how you are doing. We are still able to have lots of fun when mommy is off though. Just yesterday, we celebrated your daddy turning the big 3-0! You were such a doll in your party dress and were probably Daddy's favorite attendant to his party.

We are all really looking forward to all the changes you will make in the fourth month. You are our little angel, Kaitlyn, and you bring so much joy to our lives. Always know that your family loves you very, very much.

Love,

Mommy