The burrito

Just wanted to give a shout out to the gal (you know it was a woman!) who invented the baby burrito. The swaddle. The papoose. Call it what you want, it is the best way to get a baby all cozy and ready for sleep.

Arnold

For those who don't already know, Kensie has a pet piggy. He isn't a living, breathing, animal... he's a Gund. And he makes sleeping noises when you squeeze his front paw... I mean hoof. Anyway, we saw this cute piggy, named Arnold, when we were in Cape Cod this summer. And though we didn't buy him on the spot, Chris couldn't help but find him online and order him within a few days of returning. Arnold lives on the changing table and we used to use him as a distractor when Kensie was fussy about getting her business taken care of. But now, we just do it for the entertainment value. His snores and "wee wee wee" sounds make her smile most every time. I tried to capture smiling-Kensie with Arnold on film tonight, but because the room was so dark, and she had just woken up, the flash really freaked her out. So, instead of smiley Kensie, you get a few funny pictures with her beloved Arnold.














PS: We miss you Daddy!

Grimace

So, sometimes Chris calls Kensie Grimace. Frankly, I don't see the resemblance. Cast your vote in the comments!

Fun with Jodi and Jason

Last night Jodi and Jason came over to visit Kensie and stay for dinner. Thankfully Kensie was in a fabulous mood all night. She enjoyed being held by our dear friends, feeling totally comfortable with spitting up on both of them at one time or another. Jason donned the Bjorn for a while, which Kensie, of course, loved. After Kensie went to sleep after dinner, we all played dominos. Jodi totally kicked our collective arses. Beginners luck!

Bath Video

Kensie continues to love her bathtime, all happy and squirmy. And she continues to enjoy having the water sprayed on her head to rinse. What a spoiled baby, to just get to sit there and get clean. And I am so jealous that it only takes her about 3 minutes to get clean. Wait until she grows up into a big girl and takes 20 minute showers. Will daddy ever get a turn in the bathroom?

Good hair day

Kensie's friends

Kensie got all dressed up for her playdate with our neighbor's Cate, Andy, Keira, and Kendall. They all live right around the corner, so are a short walk away.

We got this outfit in Chatham, MA, when I was 9 months pregnant. I am so glad it still fit, since Kensie has been growing so fast lately. I've already had to start a box of clothes that are too small. Mostly it includes shirts and onsies, size NB. On Monday we will find out just how much she has grown when we go to her 2 month doctor appointment. Any guesses on her weight? Kendall is a little over 13 pounds. I am thinking Kensie will be 12.5.

Both Kensie and Kendall love to "stand" now. You hold them up and they push back with their legs, often bouncing up and down. It is so darn cute! Kensie likes to do this when we listen to Billy Joel or the Beatles, which we often do in the morning during her happy awake time.

Always a "stretchy McGee!"

Kiera is two years old and a lovely guest! She commented that she "loved our house" about 10 times. Which is great to hear when you have a new baby and cleaning the house for guests can be tough. We think part of the reason she liked our place so much is her house has the exact same floor plan! She probably just felt right at home. Kiera also thought the baby gym was lots of fun... but not quite as fun as taking apart the puzzle mat underneath the gym. It's amazing what a kid will find entertaining. She also thought petting Pumpkin was lots of fun; and thankfully so did Pumpkin.

Kendall was born about 2.5 weeks before Kensie, so she is much older and wiser in the ways of getting her picture taken. While Kendall was often calm and smiling in many of the pictures we took, Kensie was making weird faces, showing off her double chin, and kicking her legs and arms! Well, what do you expect... she is a Meyers! Always causing trouble!

Kensie in the Morning

It seems that having Daddy home has put Kensie in an especially happy mood this morning. This video pretty much captures all the highlights. Her messy "bed head", a sneeze, some smiling, and her version of dancing. She really seems to like the music that plays from her bear chair now, and shows it by wiggling around and looking happy. I call this dancing.

Some people might not find this to be the most exciting video, but at this stage, Kensie only does so many entertaining things. Perhaps my attempt at some creative video angles will make up for our little lumps lack of ability to talk and run around quite yet. Enjoy!

Smiling while dozing video

Kensie does the cutest things when she is sleeping, or almost sleeping. The best is when she smiles. I like to think she is dreaming about how happy she is to have mommy and daddy take care of her. Then again, maybe she is dreaming about being a super hero!

Juicy Girl!

Colder nights

The weather is finally changing around here. Getting down to 50 in the night. So, Kensie is now wearing outfits with feet!

She sleeps!

Kensie has been a champion sleeper lately. Last night she ate and went to bed around 7pm. Chris brought her to bed about midnight, but she never cried to eat again until 4am! That is crazy long for her, but we aren't complaining. She certainly isn't having trouble eating enough nor gaining weight. She has outgrown all her newborn clothes. And the cute white swaddle wrap I just bought her (pictured) is supposed to go up to 14 pounds. She barely fits in it. I wonder what she will weigh at her 2 month appointment? She also loves to sleep with her daddy. But, then again, who wouldn't? He is so warm and cozy!

The Smile!

Tummy Time

Every day Kensie gets a few minutes of tummy time. She is quite strong and seems to enjoy pushing herself up and looking around.

By the way, Chris thinks she looks like a hobbit in these pictures. "Kensie, which way to the shire???"

Trying to capture the elusive smile

Today Kensie was smiling up a storm. By the time I thought to grab the video recorder it seems she was out of steam. Here is a video of some "almost smiles." In any case, she looks real cute.

Daddy's Little Princess

Today Kensie wore her new purple outfit for a trip to CIGNA. She got to meet many of mommie's work friends, all of whom thought she was totally beautiful. People loved the little mary jane Trumpet socks she wore, too. For the visitation, she was pretty good. Especially with friends who knew how much she likes to be bounced when she's held and let her look around. She was quite the Miss Cranky pants during the tour of the lactation rooms. Good thing most people seem smitten with the idea of a 7 week old baby. Nobody seemed to mind her shrieking except me.

This picture is just for Daddy, who is away in NYC now. He loves to see Kensie STRETCH!

Love you Daddy!

Daddy loves Kensie in her outfits that include pants and shirts. Just like a real person wears! We miss you, Dadddy!

Growth Spurt and Smiles

I thought that babies were supposed to get easier as they grow up. Sleep longer. Do more interesting things. Grow into cuter clothes. You know what I mean? Anyway, Kensie apparently didn't get the memo, and has gotten progressively more challenging. It's probably just a temporary thing. The doctor said babies go through a growth spurt around 6 weeks. And boy is she fueling up for growth. Eating every 2-3 hours, instead of every 3-5. And she eats more. And when she is hungry, she screams like a girl in a bad horror movie. From drowsy quiet baby, to perpetual shrills and a purple face. It's like someone stuck her with a needle in her bum! Thank god she has hit another milestone at the same time... she has started to smile. It's impossible to get a picture of the best ones. Like trying to get a shot of Angelina and Brad's twins for god's sakes! The best I can do is show you pictures right before and after her smiles. Sorry! I'll try video tomorrow. Maybe if Michigan wins, it will put her in a good mood.

Another baby carrier

So, I bought a new baby carrier, because the Baby Bjorn isn't exactly comfortable. I know it is the Cadillac of carriers. Everyone has one. But the back support isn't that great. I have wanted a sling for a while now, so picked one up today while I was at Baby Mecca... aka Babys R Us. It's called the Peanut Shell. And our little peanut seems to like it well enough. It is a bear to get her in it at the right angle. Even after watching a video on YouTube on how to do it! I think with a little practice it will get better. If anything, it was worth buying for the cute pictures we got of her in it today.

One Piece at a Time

Sometimes we have to pull out all the stops to get Kensie to fall asleep. Johnny Cash was one of my favorite artists while she was in the womb. No wonder she found the music so soothing...

Clean Baby!

Well, I've gotten pretty good at giving Kensie her bath now. It probably helps that she loves the water and has gotten a bit bigger, so she doesn't flop all over the place anymore. She can sit in her little bucket seat and enjoy the experience. I love the smell of a clean baby!

We went to the grocery store today after bath time, which totally wiped us both out. It was so nice to curl up with Kensie on the couch and take a nap together. (No worries, I made sure she was positioned appropriately so she didn't suffocate!!!) She is definitely a Meyers... ready to take on the tradition of being a "bed person."

Like Father like Daughter

Chris often resorts to using the Baby Bjorn when Kensie is fussing and wants attention. It really is a great invention! After walking around for a while with daddy, and watching him check email, she usually falls asleep. Because she is so little, her head barely peeks out and tilts back on to his chest. It is fun to make fun of our little beaner! By the way, Kensie has accumulated a few more interesting nicknames over the past few weeks. She is called the following names, depending on her mood: Poops McGee, Farty McGee, Bobble Head, Betty Boop, and Cry Baby Meyers.

Auntie Heather

This weekend Heather came to visit and meet Kensie.

Heather brought a gift of the cutest fall outfit from Baby Gap, that should be the right size in a few months. From this day forward, she shall be known as Kensie's "fairy god mother," and have the very important responsibility of keeping Kensie in the latest fashions, help her amass a respectable shoe collection, and take her out for her 21st birthday.

Over the 3 days she was here, Heather really pitched in. She soothed Kensie when she was fussy, fed her a few bottles, and even changed a diaper. She remarked just how great it was to feed Kensie, because the little bean just looked up into her eyes, so lovingly. It just melted Heather's heart.

It was so neat to see Heather go from saying"whoa - how do I hold this baby???" to being perfectly at ease by the time she left. She even got a crash course from Chris on how to properly swaddle a baby. Which as any parent knows, is the key to maximum happiness for little ones.

Kensie's first trip to the mall

Kensie went to the mall for the first time this weekend, while Auntie Heather was in town. Silly us thought she would just sleep the whole time, allowing us to browse and shop. But, she was just too interested in all the new sights and sounds. Immediately upon entering the mall, her eyes opened wide and she was looking at the lights and waving her arms. We went to H&M, and I think she was disappointed in their choice of loud club music. She kept crying, so I took her out of the store and did laps around the kiosks in the hallway. She seemed to like the sound of rushing water that you can hear from Rain Forest Cafe. She was also not impressed with Sephora or Lord and Taylor, so we decided to cut the trip short and go home. Oh well!