January 25, 2009

Finally we have speakers - now if I can just get my camera back. Man do I feel lost without it!!!

Here are a few fun videos from our late Christmas weekend with the Link's. Anna & Alaina had a ball playing with Carmen! And of course Carmen loves it too!

We had a good weekend. Carmen is doing well. Little turkey got up this morning at 5:15, which is quite early for her. I got up & fed her, put her back in bed & turned out the lights. I think she was confused at first. She got to bed late (8 pm) last night, so I didn't want to deprive her (or me) of valuable rest. She slept until 8 am! She has had some congestion & a cough but is better today. She still acts fine - plays, smiles, talks, etc. - so we haven't been too concerned.

This past week she started working on rolling over. I think she probably would have had it mastered by now but she has been resting more since she's had a cold. First things first - so I'm glad she's sleeping more to help her heal.

January 19, 2009

Here are the pictures from Saturday from Laura!

Carmen & Mommy! This is something you don't see often - me with the kid in the same picture!!! :) This is her outfit from my friend Jennima - it's SO cute!

Sunny (4.5 mo old), Carmen (4 mo old), Brooklyn (3 mo old)

The girls. Kristen & Brooklyn, Amy & her baby (who was the most cooperative at photos), Laura & Sunny, me & C.

Sunny & Carmen are 2 weeks apart.

January 18, 2009

So in addition to our speakers dying, my camera is ill. The LCD screen is bad on it, so it's at the camera doctor getting fixed. I've missed it several times already. :\


Friday night "Aunt" Leslie got to keep Carmen for a little bit while Brian & I went on a date (a very kind gal from work gave us dinner theatre tickets!) I think they had fun - and even Caran (Leslie's youngest) had interest in her this time!

Saturday Carmen & I went to Laura's to visit with her & Sunny, Kristen & Brooklyn & Amy. I will have some pictures from Laura to post later. 3 high school friends with babies with ages ranging within 8 weeks of each other. They were so cute together!


Saturday night we went to the neighbor Ron's birthday party. It was bed time, so we just put Carmen to bed in Amy & Ron's room. The air purifier was perfect - it took her no time to go to sleep. Funny story. A few times people walked into Amy & Ron's room, flipped on the light, were standing in there talking or using the bathroom - not knowing Carmen was in there sleeping. Until Amy points out "you realize there's a baby on the bed right?" They didn't! And Carmen slept through it! Even the lights going on & off. We laughed.

I'm getting ready to take Carmen on a walk - it's a nice day. I think we'll walk to the gym & maybe squeeze in some weights. :)

January 15, 2009

Little Miss Link had quite an evening last night. We took her out Petsmart with us and to eat. In the midst of it she decided that the 4 oz she had at 3:50 wasn't enough to make it to 7. She made the windows of my car vibrate! I swear! Brian said - and I agreed- that we are glad we do not hear that voice often. Holy cow! Good thing the bottle was ready, just needed to be warmed. Her hunger cues are getting harder to read - since her hands are in her mouth now pretty much whenever she is awake!

We tried out the Bumpo. She doesn't know what to think of it yet. :)

I have to share what Carmen's report card says from daycare today.

"We read lots of books! I helped turn the pages and was reading so loud that no one could hear her/Alisa. I was funny. We also played with taggie the blanket with different fabric feels on it. We read a book, I got to feel it too. Lots of playing! It was just Jaren & Trista today so I want to play play play!" (which reflects in her naps that were not much more than 30 minutes at a time)

I cracked up!! Do you think she's going to be a social chatter bug?

January 13, 2009 Part II

We went to MaMa & PaPa's to have our family Christmas. We did the bedtime routine before we left on Friday night, then just put her to bed when we got there. She transitioned well when we arrived and slept until 5:30 am (which was pretty good considering she had not eaten since 6 pm Friday nigth). Carmen played with cousins Anna & Alaina on Saturday & Sunday. She had fun watching them & talking with them and listening to songs. She just LOVES to watch other children - so having two younger cousins is super!!!

Sunday we went to church. Carmen's first time in a dress & tights (and MaMa's first time with putting tights on a baby! Brian & Troy didn't wear many tights!) She looked so cute. She shoes didn't stay on too long after she woke from her nap, they are not kick resistant.

New things for Carmen/Mom's Brag List.

She is sitting in the Bumpo seat. Her legs are getting stronger every day - she will put weight on her legs now without them collapsing. She has more hair! She still chatters - she has quite a vocabulary range. She loves to hear you sing. She can hold the rattle and shake it. She's starting to pull blankets, etc. up to her mouth to chew on. She still sleeps through the night -- 10-11 hours/night. Sunday night was probably the first night in 2 months that we had to do a little comfort visit after she'd gone to bed. She is trying to pull herself up to sit up, just not quite there yet. She wants to turn the book pages all the time. The other night I could not get past the first page - she kept closing the cover on me. So I read about a sentence & then it was "The End" (which is ok because she was ready to go to bed anyway). Her little personality is changing - she has also started to vocalize when she wants something different than what she's getting.

These are from today before she left for daycare (she came home in a different outfit due to a blow out). ;) Miss Rosey Cheeks.

January 13, 2009

Days fly by & before I know it - it's been a week since an update! I'll just update this one with pictures, I'll need to do comments & video later. (Our speakers have now completely died :(.) Check back for comments & more photos!

Carmen's first baby doll from MaMa & Papa. Carmen liked looking at her and I have a feeling she will get chewed on quite a bit. :)

The 3 Link girls.

She loves to look behind her - she has for a long time.

This is her 4 month pictures. Her little shirt is a gift from Alisa & her family (for Christmas). It says "Perfect. Because my Mommy & Daddy are the best."

Some tummy time in front of the mirror.

Haley & Carmen took several walks the week they were here. She got Carmen all bundled up.

4 month check up

25 1/4" long
15 lbs 4 oz

Today was Carmen's 4 month check up! She looks great he said! He told us we could start reading her books anytime now. I told him we've been doing that since day one & that she could turn the book pages now. He sounded surprised! We are going to hold off for a bit giving Carmen cereal or baby food, since she's doing so well w/ eating & sleeping now (have you SEEN her cheeks?) It's funny - so many people tell us "she looks like a really healthy baby". Hmmm, what does that mean really? :)

Next appointment is in March.

January 4, 2009

Carmen & Mema over Christmas - playin.

I found the video of her turning the page. Ok, so our speakers just quit working so I will apologize in advance if something goofy is said on the video. I can't hear anything - only see!

January 4, 2009

Finally getting to add Christmas photos! Here are some pictures with family that Carmen was able to see over the trip to Mexico!

2nd cousin that lives in Tulsa. Now here's where I get into trouble! Was this Jessica or Nicole? We missed getting a picture of Rachel (my cousin) & Jessica or Nicole (whoever isn't above!) It was a little hectic & Carmen was flat woreout. She saw 20 people on Friday!

Great Aunt Joyce. Carmen was really tired about this point in the evening, so they didn't get to see her at her best. She was hanging on by a thread.

Anna & Alaina came to visit Carmen at Mema & Pepa's, along with Mama & Papa Link, Aunt Tara & Uncle Troy.

Carmen liked this little Santa. It was cousin Haley's when she was little.

She started chewing/sucking on the teething toy over Christmas.


Great Grandma Baldwin - they had fun together.

Isn't this the CUTEST picture?

Great Aunt Dorothy.

Cousin Michael

This was taken with all the other Paparazzi (as Heather says). There were probably 3-4 cameras taking photos of her at this time.

And here she is with Great Uncle Robert!

Cousin Heather who lives in Nashville.

2nd cousin Ashton ELIZABETH :)

Cousin Rhonda. Carmen, someday you can thank Rhonda for getting Mommy the Pregnancy Book. It was neat to have a place to journal & put photos during pregnancy!

2nd cousin Brittany.

Carmen is now turning the pages of books. Daddy sat her down to read some Ducks Unlimited. She practiced the page turning on the ducks. She did it with me and I thought it was coincidence. Then she did it with Haley & Brian. No coincidence, purely intentional. I will add a video later in the week.

The video is one of her first times in her new/borrowed (thanks Alicia & Robert!) bouncy seat. She likes it but only in small doses. She hasn't quite figured it out yet - it moves around as she moves around. So if she gets frustrated, she wiggles, and it moves more, and she wiggles more and it moves more - and well, she just can't handle much of that just yet!!! She likes it, but it is something she'll grow into for sure.