Return from Portland

At work with Dad

So the other week at work, I was interviewing Marshall for a Newsletter project we're doing.  He was holding the baby while answering questions.  One minute she was quietly watching and looking around, and the next minute she was asleep.  So cute.

AnnCarter Pictures

Some of our kind friends have offered to babysit so Marshall and I can go out on a date just the two of us from time to time.  The other week we dropped AnnCarter off at the house of our friends Katie and Tiffany while we went out for dinner. These incredible photos were an unexpected by-product of her time there.  Tiffany took them, and she has so, so kindly offered to take some more.  I'm excited.  I love these shots of her!

Can't decide

AnnCarter was having a bit of a rough day going from happy to sad rather suddenly.  This particular day we were working on her learning to fall asleep on her own for naps.  She's great about sleeping at bedtime but has a harder time during the day (that is falling asleep without a little help).  I think she was extra tired from avoiding falling asleep, but we were successful at achieving naptime later that day. 

I've had a difficult time deciding how I've wanted to approach this whole issue.  I've been able to avoid it for the most part up until now because she would typically fall asleep at appropriate times and get the rest she needed during the day, but last week that started to change and so I knew it was time to work on a more defined schedule.  I have a bit of a hard time with the cry-it-out approach...mainly because it makes me so sad, but after talking to another mom of three young kids at church I decided to try it out.  I think it's working, and I feel like AnnCarter is to the point where she can make the connection.  The next few days will really tell.  Any thoughts or advice I'd gladly accept :-)

12 weeks!

AnnCarter is growing...and has a steady stream of drool constantly pouring from her mouth and therefore has a wet shirt nearly all the time :-)  She is also getting better and better with her hands.  It's so fun to watch her make connections and begin to explore more by putting objects in her mouth.  She is definitely making the transition from the newborn stage into the next.  She will be 3 months old on Wednesday!

Hard at work 2

AnnCarter has been discovering that she has an arm and fist this week.  She consistently holds up her left arm (Len I think you might be right--she may be left handed like me) and makes a fist and just stares at it intently.  It is pretty fun to watch.  She's starting to connect that she can grasp things too if I hold up a rattle or object close to her hand, but I think it'll be a bit longer before she fully gets this. 

Hard at work 1

Marshall helped AnnCarter to learn how to use the remotes and watch TV while I was getting ready to go out the other day.  As you can tell from the bottom picture, it required a lot of concentration!