The Cold

The cold weather hit here this week and I got a cold. I think I got sick right after the flu shot. I haven't complained and I seem to feel fine, but I have a cough and a runny nose. Mom and Dad got me to slow down a little Friday night and we had a pajama party with hot cocoa, but other than that I have been going to school and keeping my usual pace. Mom is missing her favorite side effect of my illnesses: slowed-down Katie!

We had to break out the car seat cover for Caroline this week and we discovered why I was so portable-- it was because of this little gizmo. She went out to lunch with Mom and some friends and was terrific for over three hours, with two good snoozes in the "cocoon."
On Saturday afternoon Mom and I had another shopping trip-- this time I got my reward for earning a whole page of stickers for following my sleep rules (stay in bed, be quiet, etc.). I got flowers for my Crocs (pictured below). Aren't they cool?

Today we went to a little pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. We didn't stay very long. Caroline fell asleep about five minutes after we arrived-- and probably would have fallen asleep earlier if we hadn't made her endure a few photos first. Next week we will go to the big fall festival when Jamma is here for her visit and I might be big enough for a pony ride this year!

We have discovered that Halloween is very big in our neighborhood and have felt very unfestive since there is nary a mum or a pumpkin in sightat our house-- let alone an anamotronic grave yard with skeltons popping out and witches stirring cauldrons. Now we at least have some pumpkins on our doorstep.

As always, I continue to crack up Mom and Dad. Yesterday we were talking about how I will start learning Spanish when I transition to preschool in a few weeks and we had been reading Spanish numbers in a Dora book. Later Dad asked me to say one in Spanish and I replied "One in Spanish." After seeing that this was hilarious to Mom and Dad I continued speaking Spanish: "Brown in Spanish" "Two in Spanish" "Poppy in Spanish" (see I am already fluent!!!). One of my other favorite things to do is ask questions (or fwestions, as I pronounce it). Every night at bedtime: "Mom, I have a fwestion for you." Usually these questions are some sort of stall tactic (important queries like "where is the sun?" or "did I go to the park yesterday?").

Caroline is a very smiley baby and is doing well. She will start school on Oct. 30 for two shorter days and then Mom goes back to work full time on Nov. 1. I am excited to have Caroline join me at school!

We'll report in next week when Jamma is here to visit!

Medical Reports

We thought we would provide a mid-week update on our doctor/dentist visits. On Monday Caroline had her 2-month check-up. You won't believe it, but she gained a pound since last Monday-- she is an even 12 lbs! She is now 75th percentile in length and weight (and 55th in head circumference, unlike me!). Her belly button still has a lot of scar tissue--officially called an umbilical granuloma--so the pediatrician referred us to a plastic surgeon to take care of it. She is not sure what the procedure will entail but she said he might have more options with the silver nitrate cautherization. Her appointment is Nov. 6. Then after all this was taken care of, it was shot time. Mom & Dad told me that I would get one and Caroline would receive four and I said "No, I want four!" Obviously I did not remember what a shot entailed (and it was a shot, not mist). I cried and did not like it, but I did like my Bugs Bunny bandaid. This must be why we had Jamma take me for the shot when she was visiting last year! Caroline did okay during her shots too, but had that awful look on her face that babies get when they have been happily kicking away and then all of a sudden OUCH and her little face just crumbled and the pouty lip came out. She got two bandaids, but she didn't care about them too much. She was pretty fussy Monday night, but was fine by Tuesday morning.

Today was my first trip to the dentist. It was pretty fun. I rode in the chair and the hygenist showed me her tools. We played with the water squirter and the spit sucker. I got to pick a flavor of toothpaste, had my teeth counted and polished and then I got a new Dora toothbrush. I also got two toys from the toy wagon (bracelets and a jump rope were my selections). Then I also got a chapstick (which I will get back to in a minute). Overall it was pretty fun and the people were very nice, but I was a little scared of the dentist. I sat on Mom's lap for that part. He said all looked good, but the enamal on one of my molars wasn't fully formed. I don't know how they could tell because I only opened my mouth for a few seconds at a time.

On the way home I was very good and played with all of my goodies. Several times I said-- I'll put on more lipstick. . . and then a bit later when Mom looked in the rearview mirror she saw my glistening face. And when we got home she saw that I had glistening hands-- I used up the entire full-sized chapstick.

Important Milestone

In our family it's right up there with getting your first tooth, rolling over, or first steps. Caroline attended her first hockey game on Friday. Friends of Dad's invited us to their suite for the opening of Miami University's new hockey arena. We were both well behaved and Caroline was happy as could be, despite the LOUD music and the chilly air. She quite enjoyed the support beams on the ceiling.

Earlier in the week Dad asked me if I knew what sport was starting and I correctly guessed hockey and was quite excited to see hockey pictures in the paper each morning. Then when we received the invitation, I was very very excited to go see the "hockeys" and I heard Dad say it would be in a suite and they would have food and drinks there. I said "Dad will have a pop?" and Mom said yes. Then I said "I will have water?" And Mom said yes. "Caroline will have milk?" And Mom said yes. "And Mom will have . . . water?" She said yes (unfortunatley!)
On Saturday we paid the price for keeping me up until 11 on Friday. I was cranky from the moment I woke up and then my moods came and went throughout the day. In the morning we went to the Y. Mom and Dad exercised and Caroline and I went to the nursery where I was very good. Then Mom and Dad took me to the play room (pictured here).

Later I had an alleged nap, but emerged wearing an interesting outfit. While at first glance it looks like I am just wearing one pair of shorts over my leggings, you should know that I actually managed to put on four pairs, one on top of the other. And please note that I have on two different pink socks.

After I woke up and Mom helped me make some fashion adjustments to my ensemble, we went off for our planned shoe shopping trip (with hopes that Dad could catch a little nap). I grabbed my purse and packed up the essentials (pink marker, 50 hair rubberbands and a Hello Kitty eraser) and was ready to go. All was well for about 5 minutes at the store and then my evil twin arrived. Let's just say I was not well behaved. And since I am the author of this site I will leave it at that. Anyway, we bought a very cute pair of shoes and came home rather abruptly. I fell asleep two minutes before we pulled into the driveway and was pretty grumpy from then on.

Today was a much better day. I went to the grocery store with Dad and we all went for a walk this morning. This afternoon I goofed around during my nap again (emptied all the dresser drawers, took off my clothes, moved all of my stuffed animals to the closet, etc.). Finally I slept and then we went to a nearby park. The picture below shows me beating Daddy in a race. I won the coveted jelly bean prize.

Caroline will be two months old tomorrow! She has a check-up with the doctor and I am going too to get my flu "medicine." At least that's what Mommy and Daddy keep calling it because they think I am getting the nasal mist, but it might be a shot, so they are being very vague! We'll report in, as always.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

"I like onions . . ."

Well, we did not drive to South Bend this weekend, so that was nice, although I am always happy to see Grandma and Poppy!

Caroline is sleeping and napping a little more consistently, so Mom is able to get a little more sleep and accomplish more in her day. Caroline is lifting her head and smiling more and more, which we all love. She went with Dad to the Notre Dame lunch on Thursday (see her dressed in her pleated skirt and saddle shoes?) and got to wear a "Class of 2028" nametag. I get very excited when I come home from school and find her wearing cute new outfits and say "Mom, what sister wearing?!?!" I really loved this one! Caroline will go to the pediatrician tomorrow because she might have a hernia in her belly button. We'll report in . . .
On Friday we had a photographer come out to the house to take pictures of Caroline (and the rest of us too). She was here for two hours (one hour with all of us and then I went back to school and Dad went back to work and she stayed with Mom and Caroline). There should be lots of photos and we will share the proofs once they are online. I was cooperative for about 5 minutes and then I was all over the place, so there might be a white blur in some of the shots!

We joined the YMCA this week and Caroline and Mom had a few outings there. I went with them on Saturday morning while Daddy worked. They have an indoor playroom with tunnels and slides and I had a great time there. I think we will visit there a lot in the winter to play or swim. Yesteday afternoon we watched the ND game and had a visit from Mom's friend Arundi. She brought us some yummy food and Dad and I were eating the artichoke dip before she even left!
I also had a tea party on the patio. I carried out a lot of my toys, as I like to do and played happily by myself for a while. Mom thought it was funny though because I gave each of my dolls some sporting equipment to play with (see photos below).

Caroline had a great night's sleep last night, waking only once at 3:30 and then we both woke up at 7:15. After Mom fed Caroline we all went out to breakfast-- Caroline and I wore our new big sister/little sister tee shirts featured in the first photo. I ate everything on my plate- two sausages, scrambled eggs and most of a big pancake. (Mom and Dad ate everything on their plates, too). Caroline did a pretty good job there, but she is not quite as portable as I was at that age where I would fall sound asleep at any restaurant.

Our favorite laugh of the week came on Friday at dinner. There were some cut up onions on a plate on the table for hamburgers and I pointed at them and said "I want cucumbers." Mom told me they were onions. I said "I like onions." Mom and Dad looked at each other and shrugged and then I grabbed one, chewed it up very pleased with myself until I really tasted it. Then I got a bad look on my face and started scraping it off my tongue. "Too spicy!" I said. Mom and Dad almost died laughing (and they felt a little bit mean, but it was REALLY funny!)

Groundhog's Day

Well we were all feeling a bit like the movie Groundhog's Day as we packed up the minivan and headed back to South Bend this weekend-- but this time it was for Aunt Jen's baby shower.

Mom, Dad and Caroline picked me up from school early and off we went. I found some random items and came up with this lovely ensemble for the drive and then we proceeded to battle the dueling forces of stop and go: I wanted to stop and go potty a lot (oh, the power I have!) and Caroline cried every time we stopped so we had to get going as quickly as possible. We had a record four potty breaks between here and South Bend. We have located some preferable places to stop, so at least we have that advantage. There is one particularly nice McDonald's in Van Wert, that I have come to like-- or as I call it "Old MacDonald's." Very clean restrooms and I get a milkshake while Mommy feeds Caroline in the van.

The shower was nice on Saturday. I visited a little and then Caroline and I headed out with the boys (Dad, Poppy and Uncle Buddy) for lunch. They joked that they were taking us to Hooters and Mom said Caroline would probably enjoy that as much as anyone! When we came back I spent a lot of time playing with Great Aunt Sharon and had a terrific time with all the goodies Grandma pulled out from her teaching days.

Caroline got to stay up late and watch some of the ND game. Unfortunately, I did not. Mom and Dad were glad that the Irish pulled out the victory, since they stayed up late and gave up precious hours of sleep (and this will keep our family/friends who are fans of MSU quiet this year after last year's outcome!)

On the way home, I entertained myself by putting my underwear on my head. Mom passed down Uncle Glenn's wise words from many, many years ago: "Don't put underwear on your head . . . unless it is clean."

"Go Irish"

Well, that's what we cheered, but that is not what happened. We didn't really get going at all, but we had a fun weekend in South Bend for the Notre Dame-Michigan game anyway.

Of course I donned my cheerleading uniform and tried to get Caroline hyped up for the game. It is quite an undertaking to get us all ready to go anywhere! We went to a tailgate with Mom's friends from high school. Caroline slept and I colored with chalk, ate lots of snacks and danced. Mom and Dad also had ND friends there, so they joined us for a bit, too.

I also experienced a big milestone in every girl's life: my first trip to the Porta-Potty. Mom thought I might freak out since I like a clean bathroom, but I followed some wise advice from one of Mom's friends ("don't look down"). I kept asking about flushing it. I am pictured below proudly smiling after the adventure.

After that Mom had to go feed Caroline in the minivan (an interesting experience for her) and then when they were done, Mom and Caroline tailgated together (see photo below) while they waited for Grandma and Poppy to meet up to take us little girls home.
We spent the afternoon with Grandma and Poppy while Mom and Dad went to the game and endured the torture of a bad loss. At least they had fun company with Meg and Sarah.

On Sunday we went to campus and selected some items from the bookstore and walked around. We took our annual photo in front of the dome. It's getting harder and harder to get everyone looking! We also went to the Grotto and Mommy and I lit a candle together.

I recognize the ND logo and say "Go Irish" and know what the Golden Dome is. I am also smart enough not to repeat things people suggest that I say such as "Go Michigan" or other silly things like that. Mom and Dad think all the subtle brainwashing might be working!

Things are Looking Up

We are happy to report that we are logging more sleep hours in our house. Caroline continues to have a regular five-hour stretch each night and I am sleeping until 7 a.m. again. The delayed sunrise has helped this! (Finally a bright side to the dark mornings- pun intended).

Caroline is getting bigger all the time. She was officially one month old yesterday. She is holding her head up some and even smiled for the first time this week. And guess who she smiled at? Me! We even have a picture of it!

Caroline had some outings this week. She went to a Rotary meeting with Mom and was quite the star of the show. She was introduced as an official (but tiny) guest and many of Mom's fellow Rotarians who are grandparents were lining up to hold her. Then on Saturday we all went to a Notre Dame game watch and managed to keep all parties happy through the first half of the game. And we were all happy with the final outcome!

Now to news from me. I continue to be a great big sister and am always saying funny things. We have had some rough bedtimes where I was very loud and have woken up Caroline. And I say, "I wake up Caroline, but just a little bit . . ." I also have been telling Daddy that he is "larious" (hilarious). And one day when Mommy called me "her little bug" I said "Bugs are yucky! I a yucky bug?" And now, every night when she says "good night, Bug" I say "I a yucky bug" with a big grin on my face (I think I am larious, too).

The Good and the Bad

Where did August go? It passed in a blur as far as we're concerned. We spent the first third of the month waiting for Caroline to arrive, the second third of the month waiting for Caroline to wake up and the third third of the month waiting for her to go to sleep.

The highlights of our weekend involved the potty and the hope of any one of us taking a nap. These are exciting times!

My news is that I made the trip to pick out big girl underwear. If you're wondering, I got Hello Kitty, Dora and princesses. I have been doing very well with potty training, but we have been waiting for things to settle down before making the official conversion. I have been talking about buying "panties" since last weekend and Mom and Dad have leveraged my excitement at every opportunity. On Saturday we had a few puddles on the floor, but Sunday and Monday were very successful. While Mom was busy with Caroline Sunday morning, Dad instituted the new "candy shop" reward system and Mom came downstairs to find me happy as a clam enjoying some treats sitting on a bar stool.

Now let me fill you in on the good and the bad of our week.
Lowlight: Mom: "Do you have to go potty" Me: "No" One minute later "Uh-oh, Mom!" (as a pool forms at her feet). Highlight: I was wearing Crocs (very washable!)

Lowlight: Sunday early morning, Caroline wakes at 1:30, 4, 5:30. I wake at 6, Caroline back up at 6:45.
Highlight: Monday early morning. 5 hour stretch of sleep from 11 to 4 a.m. Both of us sleep until 7:15.

Mom and Dad invent the timer game to get me to sleep until 7 a.m. and tell me that I have to stay in bed until my lamp comes on in the morning.
Lowlight: Saturday night. I reprogram the timer and get up at 6 anyway.
Highlight: With the bribe of donuts on the way to the parade, I play the timer game and sleep until 7:15.

Aside from all these fun things, we have been able to get on a little more of a schedule and have some more fun time. Today we all went to a big parade and I had a great time and Caroline had a great nap-- even when the marching band was going right by us!

A Little Late . . .

Please forgive our tardiness with the latest blog posting! We just don't get to the computer like we used to. We're all busy taking care of Caroline.

I have been a good helper-- I help with bottles and baths and whenever Caroline cries I yell "Baby's crying!!!" to make sure everyone is aware (how helpful!).

Caroline went in for her last weight check today and weighed a healthy 8 lbs. 15 oz. (up from 8 lbs 6 oz. last Wednesday) so the doctor is pleased with her progress. We discovered that she has a small birthmark by her left eye. We asked about it last week, but Caroline was screaming her head off so her whole face was red and the pediatrician couldn't see what we were talking about! She said it will probably grow in size and then fade by the time she is 2 or 3.

We were busy this past weekend. We went to Indianapolis for Aunt Jen's baby shower on Saturday. Caroline and I were terrific in the car. She slept the whole way and I happily played with my surprises from the treat bag. Us girls stayed with Dad, Poppy and Uncle Buddy while Mom, Jen and Grandma went to the shower. We headed back home late that afternoon and Caroline had another wonderful nap. Mom thinks she might drive to Indy every day so that she can sleep that well!

On Sunday we went to Columbus to have lunch with Lorie who was in town from PEI. This car ride didn't go so well. Caroline napped, but I did not and I was quite vocal about not wanting to. Once there I was so excited to see Lorie, but got a little ornery during lunch. Lorie kept saying "Suzie, you stop it" because I reminded her of my Aunt Suzie when she used to babysit for Jamie, David and Suzie.

The second photo is of me modeling some of my Big Sister presents. Mom's friends Ricia and Joy got me special gifts- a big girl necklace and fancy princess slippers.

Mom had a great break today. After the doctor's appointment, Dad came and got Caroline for a few hours and Mom got a long nap and then Daddy brought dinner home. At least someone in this house is a good napper! We're looking forward to the long weekend and hope our new double stroller that we ordered arrives in time to break it in at the parade on Monday.