rhett turns four months old

Four months... it's weird how it feels like Rhett has been a part of our lives forever and yet time has gone by so fast that it doesn't seem possible that he's already four months old. This is such a fun age. His little personality is really starting to show. He is very mild tempered and loves to smile, laugh, and coo.

This is the age when he can embark on some new firsts. From a developmental perspective, he has discovered his hands and is beginning to explore what he can do with them. They usually end up in his mouth. His neck is strong enough that he can hold his head steady when he's in an upright position, so we've introduced him to the "Jump-a-roo". He doesn't quite know what to do in it, but he enjoys it nonetheless. From a nutritional perspective, he has started to eat his first solid food, rice cereal. I've never tried it (I should since I'll feed it to my child) but it looks nasty!

Stats:
Weight - 12 lbs. 8 oz. (20th percentile)
Height - 23 1/2 in. (15th percentile)
Head circumfrence - 41 1/2 cm

are you done?

At one time, when McKenna was done eating she would want to get up from the table to go play. "I want out!" (of her high chair) she would demand. Duke and I would insist that she needed to sit at the table with us until we were done eating too. "I want out," she would scream. It wasn't a pretty sight. But we felt strongly that this was something we should enforce so that dinner time would be a pleasant experience for all of us AND so that we wouldn't have this kind of a scene at a restaurant.

So here is how the lesson worked. When Duke and I were done eating we would ask each other "Mommy, are you done? - Yes - Daddy, are you done? - Yes - Okay, McKenna, Mommy and Daddy are both done... you can go play now." Well it worked! After several weeks of working with her, McKenna began to sit at the table with us and just enjoy our company. Until the other night...

McKenna was done eating and sat patiently for a few moments and then asked "Are you done?...Mommy, are you done?...Daddy, are you done?" This went on until...well...until we were done.

santa claus is coming to town

Poor McBre... she hasn't figured out that Santa Claus won't be back for a while.

holiday pictures

We just wanted to post some pictures from the holidays. It takes a while for all of them to load. We hope you'll be patient. Enjoy!

i'll help... really?

We had soup and sandwiches for dinner last night. McKenna tore through everything on her plate and within reach so fast that it made Duke and me wonder if she had been fed at daycare. So, she was done eating and was waiting patiently (sort of) for us to finish so that she could get out of her high chair. After a while, as I'm eating my soup, she said "I'll help!" and reached for my spoon. I told her that "Mommy doesn't need help eating her soup," but she insisted. I agreed; although, Duke and I wondered where this was going. Sure enough, she picked up my spoon and began feeding me soup. How sweet! After about three bites, she turned the spoon on herself and finished off my bowl. What a ploy!

holiday reflection

Ah... the holidays are over. I'm glad that the chaos has come to an end and that the house is back in order. But, with mixed emotions I'm sad for the fun times that are over and that our families have returned home. The holidays left us with wonderful memories, just a few of which I thought I would share with you:

We spent a day at Crown Center - Christmas time is so pretty there. There are so many fun stores for kids, not the least of which is the Crayola Store. McKenna quickly found a pod of easels for kids to color on and anxiously waited her turn. Once it was her turn, Duke and I didn't think we would be able to tear her away. Trying to be concious of the other kids who wanted to color, we tried to call McKenna's attention to all the other cool things in the store.. "Let's go look at the {insert cool thing of your choice here}, McKenna," we pleaded. "YOU go!" she replied. Hmmm... I wonder where she got that sass!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Eve found us at church for a candlelight service. Knowing that we might have to excuse ourselves from the sanctuary to keep McKenna entertained, we sat in the back row. Although she wasn't being noisy, McKenna was ALL OVER THE PLACE. Sitting in Duke's lap, sitting in my lap, walking in front of us, sitting in Grampy's lap, crawling over the back of the pew, walking behind us. "I walk, I walk," she would beg, so Duke would take her outside to walk. After some time, he decided to take the kids home. We could still hear her calling "I walk, I walk" as he came back into the sanctuary to collect her coat. The second she saw him with her coat, her tune quickly changed. "I sit, I sit," she exclaimed. It was too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One night, we all went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. I don't know what they put in those kids' meals, but McKenna and Hobbs ate enough to feed a horse!! When we got home, Hobbs made his way to our dog, Schatzie's food bowl and began snacking on her food. "Hobbs," Brandt exclaimed, "you should be full!" Yes, Brandt... because THAT is what's wrong with that picture.