Kennedy 43 Weeks

Another week has flown by.  To think that we are getting close to Week 52!  When I started blogging about Avery and decided to make these books for their baby books, it didn't seem to hard; especially at the time I only had one child.   Over the past years, I have made three wonderful books capturing Avery in all her joys, laughter, and memories and to this day I go back to read them.  When the time came to start one for Kennedy, little did I realize that doing this a second time around would be a bit more difficult with time a bit more of a challenge but as I  near the final few weeks of the year, it is bittersweet.  Sure, I am ready to move to blogging once a month, but really, where did the last 43 weeks go.  I still remember vividly the feelings I had when they placed her on my belly, the MANY tears I cried the two days she was in the NICU and the many nights being awake in the middle of the night thinking that the next day would be miserable since I wasn't sleeping.   These are the moments that I try to remind myself that these days are so short lived in the big picture of things.  Sure, the first year can be rough and scary all at the same time but the joy and laughter that these two girls bring to our lives far outweigh the sleepless nights, the tantrums,  swallowing my food before chewing because I only have 2 minutes to get my food day, and everything else that goes along with raising kids.  I never knew what sacrifice was until I had a child of my own and I think that being a parent really makes you stop and realize how much our parents did for us.  Being a parent gives you a whole new appreciation of your own parents that's for sure!

As for this week, Kennedy is finally turning a milestone and sleeping much better.  Ben is the one that goes in if she wakes in the middle of the night and he is great and strong arming her and he can get her back down pretty fast.  The last few nights she has not woken up at all so I am hoping that this is the new norm; one can wish right?  She has those nice big 6 teeth and they sure are apparent especially since she always sucks the bottom of her lip so the top two teeth really stand out.  She still loves her blankee and will suck on that thing till its pretty wet.  

She is taking about 3-4 steps at time but boy is she lazy.  She really could be walking but she will take a step or two at a time and then sit down and crawl.  She is getting better at not putting things in her mouth and truly knows what the word no is.  She can not crawl down out of the house which is only one step but it took some courage for her to master that.  She loves the stairs in our house but has yet to learn that she needs to go down feet first so for now, we have to be very careful up there with her.  She loves to play with Avery's kitchen in her room and is actually watching Baby Einstein these days.  She grins from ear to ear when it comes on and has a nice little token laugh.  She is quite noisy and makes many of the same sounds over and over so you can tell that she is trying to communicate and one of these days, a word is going to come out, I just wonder what that word is going to be.  She loves to give kisses; and by that I mean open mouth kisses.  She loves to kiss Sophey and Missy and both of them are so tolerant with her; Sophey much more than Missy but it is quite surprising that Missy likes both the girls as much as she does.  She is still as feisty as ever and cries every time that I leave the room.  I love it but also feel so bad knowing that she is crying when I can't spend time with her.  I know it is short lived and thank God I don't have to take her to day care or else I would have a much harder time being away from the girls.

weeks

Kennedy 42 Weeks

What a week.  Let's see, I had to go out of town for 3 days (M-W), and then Ben left Thursday - Sunday.  Abagee came in town to help out where some of our gaps were which was very helpful.  Avery also started her second week of school at Horizon and she is still getting used to it but is really having a good time.  She is quite the little entertainer always singing and dancing and making up her own songs and dances.  Kennedy has really begun to interact with her and I am beginning to see how their relationship will be.  Avery always tickles Kennedy saying "coochie coochie coo"  Kennedy just giggles and laughs at her.

As for Kennedy AKA spitfire, turbo, determined, she has been keeping us on her toes.  She has regressed quite a bit with sleep this week but I do think that it's because of teething.  She now has 4 top teeth and her two bottom teeth.  Let me tell you that you can't miss those teeth!  It doesn't help that she always sucks on her lower lip so her teeth are quite apparent but adorable!  As for sleep, she has been waking up at least once and sometimes more.  Thursday night she was up 4 times!!  Needless to say I was exhausted.  She just will not take a pacifier and can't self soothe so it's hard for her to get back to sleep once she is up.  She is really beginning to love her little blankee and just chews on that like crazy.

She continues to be quite the determined little fighter.  You tell her no and she gets mad and doesn't like being told no!  If you try to give her something that she doesn't want, she will throw it back at you and swipe your hand away.  I know later in life this will really help her but boy is she feisty.  On the flip side, she is quite the happy smiley baby.  She loves to dance, clap, stick her hands in the air when you say so big... pretty much that is all that she has in her bag of tricks.  We are working on teaching her body parts but she isn't quite interested just yet.  She is standing longer and taking more steps at a time but to be honest I think she is just lazy and would rather crawl.  I am fine with that but I am ready for to stop picking up and eating just about everything that she finds on the ground.

She is still taking 2 naps a day and eating just about everything that she can get her hands on.  She is really not liking baby food these days but I have quite a bit left so I try to give her food in small pieces and then sneak in the baby food as best as I can.  She does love water and is great at drinking out of a straw cup.  She sure is growing up too fast.  Don't get me wrong, I am ready to sleep through the night but my baby is growing too fast and growing like a weed.

Kennedy 41 Weeks

Last week we did our first family vacation.  We had a great time so I will let the pictures to speak for the week.  We had a great time although to be honest, it wasn't too much of a vacation with a 9 month old and a 3 1/2 year old.  Between Kennedy being the busy body that she is and Avery getting really good at swimming so she can't be in a floatie, we didn't get too much r&r but it was a fun family time and I am sure that as we go back over the years, we will look back on these memories fondly and say "remember when"