for mom-mom...

(karys') mom-mom wants me to post photos everyday. yesterday she asked me about "new photos". the conversation went like this...

mom-mom: "how's my granddaughter? i miss her. do you have any new photos?"
me: "she's great. she misses you too (and so do i). and no i don't have any new photos. not since the ones i posted on friday."
mom-mom: "why not?"
me: "why not? ummm, because i don't take photo of her all day/every day."
mom-mom: "really? what else do yo have to do..."

i tried to explain to her i was busy taking care of karys (i.e., entertaining her, changing diapers, nursing, burping, wiping spit-up, etc.) as well as doing household chores and attempting to work on my dissertation. so sorry mom-mom i don't take photos every day. but i did take some today (just for you) since she was wearing the jeans you got her. so here are the photos (with commentary from karys). enjoy!

"there she goes with the camera again..."
"i'll just look away. maybe she'll stop taking pictures...""that didn't work. well i just won't smile...""still taking pictures? why mommy? why?..."
"okay, maybe if i give her a little smile she'll leave me alone..."
"happy? now can you put the camera away and feed me..."
hope you like the pictures and we'll try to visit you soon...

“Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.”

-Welsh Proverb

-ty

p.s. thanks again for the jeans!

photo friday (11/2)...

this week's photos were actually taken by christie adams. she's the photographer who will be taking k's photos throughout her first year. she came to our house (on tuesday) right after k's dr. appointment (and k was hungry and a little cranky) so we weren't sure how well the photos would turn out. but we were very happy with the results. here's a preview...





p.s. i was telling my mom that k is gettg a reputation with photographers as being a "difficult subject". and, my mom's response was "it's not just photographers...didn't the nurse call her a 'piece of work '?". so my baby has "personality". dill & i knew that before she was born. wonder where she gets it from...
-ty

smiling...

karys has been smiling for awhile now but i couldn't catch it on film. i love it when she smiles (it makes me smile too)! the halloween photo below is the first photo where she was sorta smiling. in her other photos she's been sleeping, crying, looking annoyed or startled. but as you can see in the halloween photo she is actually a happy baby (at least some of the time)...

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

-ty

happy halloween...

happy halloween from our little chili pepper...



(she sure adds spice to our lives!)
-ty

"a piece of work"...

karys had a pediatrician appointment today and the nurse practitioner described her as "a piece of work!" why you may ask. because miss k was her usual "diva" self. she had to be undressed to be weighed and as soon as we began taking her clothes off she started crying. she cried and cried for most of the appointment (and k can get loud). she also grunted (to let us know she's NOT happy) and gave us looks as to say "put my clothes back on and stop poking me!" as soon as she was able to sit (actually be held) upright she was okay. she just wanted to look around the room and see what was going on...

the nurse practitioner also said she was "perfect", "beautiful", and "strong" (i agree--but i'm her mother so i'm biased). in any case, here are her stats from her 1 month well visit:

• weight: 9 lb. 15 oz. which is the 75% for her age (up from 8 lb. 4 oz. at her 1 week appointment)
• length/height: 22 in. which is the 50% for her age (up from 19 1/4 in. at her 1 week appointment)
• head circumference: 37 cm (up from 36 cm. at her 1 week appointment)

i must add that i asked the nurse a few questions about what temperature we should keep our house, the flu shot, and k's vomit (all questions that i asked dill before). she was very good at answering my questions (and dill was very good as looking at me like "i told you so" when she gave the same answers he did). i'm glad i had an "expert" answer my questions (and maybe i'll start to listen to dr. daddy more--although he will admit he's a little rusty with pediatrics...)
-ty

karys goes to church...

karys went to church for the first time on sunday. i got up early to get her (and myself) ready and over an hour later (after two outfit changes--because she vomited and then pooped) we were ready to go. when we finally got to church k was very good. she slept through the first half of service then sat quietly through most of the second half. that is until they called us up to pray for her (they do this with all babies the first time they come to our church). dill carried (a very alert) karys to the front. just as the preacher started praying k kicked off her slipper, spit out her paci and started to cry. what a diva! after service we stayed to talk for awhile and miss k was looking all around and taking in the surroundings. almost everyone commented on how alert (personally i think it's nosy) she was and how much hair she has. they also said she's a good blend of dill and me (although a few people told me she looks a little more like me than dill). overall her first trip to church went well. yeah karys...

p.s. i didn't take photos (oops) but someone at church did. if i can get a copy of the photo(s) i will certainly post...

p.p.s. i know some of you may have noticed the reference to the paci. well, i know said i was trying to wean her but i use it in "emergencies" (i.e., bath time, bedtime and now church) to keep her quiet/"pacify" (as i said before she can get loud). but--to answer roy's question--i wasn't the one who gave it to her for the one month photos...
-ty

photo friday (okay photo saturday)...

i'm a little late for this week's installment of "photo friday" (oops!) but here are photos from this week...

making funny faces with daddy:
crying little hunny bunny (wearing her bunny slippers):
bath time:
hanging out with mommy:
-ty

one month old...

karys is one month old! i can't believe it. it seems like just yesterday i was stressing about being overdue and now our wonderful baby girl is one month old. this past month has been filled with countless diaper changes, constant nursing, yucky vomit, and long sleepless nights but i wouldn't change it for the world. i can't imagine life without k! here's her "one month" photos...



-ty

preview from newborn photo shoot...

i posted about karys' first photo shoot. well the photographer sent a preview photo. take a look...

To the world you may be one person,
but to one person you may be the world.
~Heather Cortez

-ty

busy, busy, busy...

i haven't updated the blog in a week because i've been busy, busy, busy (motherhood is a LOT of work). so here's an update on what's happening in the elmore household:

tuesday (10/16): i don't think karys likes to be swaddled. the pediatrician recommended we swaddle up to three months. but she keeps wiggling and trying to break out of the miracle blanket. the blanket is supposed to help babies feel like they're in the womb--but it looks kinda like a straight jacket (see photo).
so i think we're going to change to the swaddle me (which is a little less restricting) and see if she likes that better...

wednesday (10/17): karys and i went to a breastfeeding support group. it was our first time out/driving alone. we enjoyed meeting other moms and babies in our area. i asked about the vomit and the lactation consultant said it may just be an immature digestive system and offered advice (other than putting her on a "diet") on how to reduce the vomit. i'm going to try those and hope they help (although she's spitting up less). here's a photo of k right before we left...
thursday (10/18): mom-mom and auntie shona cam back to visit. yeah! they were only planning on staying until friday but karys convinced them to stay longer. we went shopping (of course) and karys, her auntie and mom-mom had a "sleepover" while dill and i got some much needed rest...

friday (10/19): karys, auntie shon, mom-mom and i had a lazy day around the house. and (with the help of my sister and mom) i started to wean k off the pacifier. she/i didn't use it that much to begin with and she doesn't seem to love it so i decided to avoid using it. when k started to get fussy we just sang to her or walked her around. the only time she seemed to "need" it was at bath time--because she still doesn't like baths and can get really loud. so maybe it's us that "needs" it at bath time not her!

since my mother and sister were in town dill and i decided to go to the hospital ball on sat. i knew k would need something to eat so i used my breast pump for the first time (thanks janice--it's a great gift). it took a while but i got a whole 4oz. bottle. hopefully that will be enough for her while we're gone...

saturday (10/20): saturday was the hospital ball and the first time in a long time i got "dressed up". i actually went to the hair salon and got my hair straightened. while i was gone dill gave karys her first bottle (photos below). lashona said she drank it in less than 5 mins. my girl can eat!



we had a good time at the ball (of course--being a first time mom--i called home, twice) and i had my first glass of wine in 10 months. it was delicious...

sunday (10/21): mom-mom and auntie shon went home. we enjoyed their visit and all their help (especially with diaper duty--my least favorite part of motherhood). here are photos from their visit:



we will certainly miss them. come back soon...
-ty