Cheeser!

Natalie and Leah have a conversation, probably about shopping.

4 months old!

We went to our first family social outing recently and had so much fun introducing Natalie to all our friends...and HER new friends. I think the head count was 9 or 10 kids under the age of 5 and only 2 were boys! That's going to be a lot of prom dresses! Our first family overnight trip is coming up soon. Cross your fingers for us! Ha!

Seeing as how it's never too early for football talk around our house, we got out Natalie's team colors and did a bit of off season cheer practice. So does she look better in orange or crimson!?

15 weeks- 16 weeks

whew! sorry it took so long to update! i am back to work which are 10 hour days this summer, natalie started daycare and mike is keeping everything running smoothly. however, most nights we are tuckered out and forget to take pictures and post. we promise to do better!





here is a pic of natalie on her first day of school. she is getting so big! there are only four other babies in her class but she is the youngest and the smallest for now. she really likes her two teachers who are very good about talking to her and including her in the activities the older babies are doing. even though she can't play with them on the floor yet, she gets to sit in someone's lap where they are playing. her favorite toy at school is a bold graphic mobile that she sits in a bouncy chair and examines closely...and occasionally talks and giggles at it! when we get there in the mornings her teacher says "natalie is here!" and her little buddies crawl over to see her. so fun!

natalie is a little ham! she loves "talking" with us. her favorite is when you repeat the sound she just made. also saying "hi" and "hello" particularly makes her smile. mike caught this cute pic.



suddenly at almost four months old she is totally over her once beloved pacifier. now it's all about her hand! when she is bored, hungry, sleepy, happy...you name it. she chews on her knuckles and sucks on her fingers.

mike found her an activity mat full of different toys to pull, kick and punch around. each makes a fun rattle noise, plays a song or gives off a little sound effect. each week it seems she figures out a new fun part of the mat. she's very good at kicking the rattles and knocking around the hanging toys with her fist. she still isn't grabbing things yet but you can see she is starting to reach out toward objects like she knows she can touch them. it's so fun to watch our little girl grow!

14 weeks

it's been a big week! mimi kathy came to stay with natalie while i went back to work. mike was also home working on a few house projects and hanging out with mimi and natalie. it made going back to work SO much easier with natalie having the best time with dad and mimi, a clean house and delicious food each night!



natalie is all action! she pumps and kicks her legs and punches her arms around. mike thought it might be time for a fun activity mat. she seems to dig it!



also, nana and papa (mike's grandparents) stopped by for a visit! nana now has THREE great-granddaughters to spoil!