Spring is Here

Closing out March, it is exciting to look ahead to a new season! I'm looking forward to evening walks and dinners outside, longer days and warm temperatures. I think the cold days of winter are mostly behind us. I removed the insert from Emerson's car seat this week, and even just that small thing made me realize that time is moving on. I got a little sad as I was removing it. How silly, I know! We have used that insert almost since coming home from the hospital. It has kept Em warm and cozy throughout the holidays, in-and-out of the car, in stores and restaurants and to all of her first doctor's appointments. Her car seat looks empty now...and she looks so big!  In my last post, I wrote that Em was very close to rolling over from her back to her belly, and just this week, she officially did it! Earlier in the week, I told my mom how Em was getting stuck on her side and not quite making it over. My mom got this look on her face, and I just knew what it meant -- Em had rolled over already! I had to drag it out of her, but she told me that it had only happened once or twice (twice?!) I understood why she was hesitant to tell me: she didn't want me to feel like I had missed anything. I realize though that I am bound to miss things while I am at work. And if anyone should be there to witness something so momentous, I am glad that it is her. Luckily, I got to see it myself just this morning before I left for work. We celebrated and clapped and made a big fuss. It certainly is a big milestone, although I'm not sure what that means for the weeks ahead. It may be time to start baby-proofing the house. With as active as Em is, I don't think it will take her too long to figure out crawling. Here is a picture that my dad sent me just after Em rolled over at their house. She still has one arm that seems to be pinned under her, but otherwise, we officially have a mover.

On Thursday night, I finally got to see the remake of Beauty & the Beast. It came out two weeks ago, and my parents (specifically my dad!) wanted to see it together as a family. Trivia: The original animated Beauty & the Beast came out in 1991. That's 26 years ago! We watched it then as a family of 4, and so it was only fitting for us to see the remake together. With careful planning and coordinating of schedules, the Houstons, Bakewells, and Kennedys met for dinner beforehand at Sonic. Then the original Bakewells went to the movies, and Boomer and Zack covered bedtime duty. They are both such great dads, and it was a nice treat to have an evening out. We had so much fun!

While I was at the movie, I peeked at my phone, and I got this funny text from Boomer: "When you are trying to sing to your daughter but she just wants you to be quiet so she can go to sleep..." :)

Like Boomer's text said, Em can get a little bossy when she is ready for bedtime. She definitely will let you know that she is sleepy. She will start to wiggle out of your arms and look over at her crib. While sometimes I want to spend more time with her, I am glad that she is in such a good routine of sleeping in her crib. 

The week has also included a visit to Great Gma Nancy and Great Gpa Bobby's, bathtime smiles, walks and new toys at Grammy and Grandpa's, and filing taxes. Check out the cute bib we got for our precious little tax deduction! :)

And one last photo, we closed out the week with dinner at Chipotle and a massive blowout! Warning: Viewer discretion is advised! :)

March Madness

Since marrying Boomer, there is one thing that I have learned: the official holiday in March is the NCAA basketball tournament! Aside from perhaps Thanksgiving, his favorite time of the year is March Madness. He loves watching the selection show, listening to all the commentary, filling out his bracket[s], following along with each round, and talking trash to anyone who will listen. The tv in the Kennedy household stays on any channel broadcasting basketball, as he flips back and forth to watch as many of the games as possible. iPad, laptop, phone -- he has numerous ways to watch the games simultaneously. Between work and evening events, he probably doesn't get to watch as much as he would like, but he still manages to keep up with his brackets in various different pools (none that require any money, thank goodness!) In honor of March Madness, Grammy dressed Em in her college gear so she was ready to watch the games with her Daddy. Take a look at the newest member of Gator Nation! Em is also a big Wake Forest fan. Unfortunately, Wake lost in the opening round games, so we'll be cheering for Florida in the rest of the tournament. Go Gators!

Photo courtesy of: Daddy (when Mommy was out of town!)

While I wouldn't call it 'madness', March has brought with it a fair share of general busyness. Spring sports are underway at Boomer's school, and at my work, we are gearing up for our open house programs, which take place on two separate Saturdays in the next three weeks. Throw in a Bachelorette Weekend, a 8-5 job, a few high school evening programs, a doctor's appointment, and training for a half-marathon, the days are flying by. I am so thankful for the opportunities we have had to see family. My dad's cousin, Karen, stopped through Kernersville earlier this month, and then she and her daughter Kayce came back again to see my grandparents. Em was all smiles throughout our lunch. You can see how happy she is in these pictures with Great Gma Nancy. Then, while I was away in Boone for the Bachelorette Weekend, Boomer took Em to Star to spend some time with Granny and PawPaw. It was a win-win, because Em got some cuddles from her grandparents, while Boomer had extra help for the day! I had a lot of fun with my girlfriends celebrating Emily and Daniel's upcoming wedding. Of course I missed Em, but I think the first night away was a success. It certainly eased my mind knowing she was in such great hands with Boomer; he did an excellent job flying solo for the weekend. While I was away, he sent me a lot of pictures (like the one pictured above), and I loved seeing what they were up to during their daddy-daughter time. I got a laugh out of the many outfit changes she had throughout the weekend! It seemed she was wearing something different in every picture -- apparently there were several blowouts! It didn't keep her from smiling though, and she is such a ham for the camera. 

This past week has been very special as Em had the opportunity to meet her great-grandparents, my mom's parents Great Gma Harriet and Great Gpa Bill. They made the trip up from Florida and spent a few days at my parent's house. We had dinner together several nights, and it was so special to have four generations together. Em loved pulling on Great Gpa Bill's beard, and she loved being fed and falling asleep with Great Gma Harriet. Since I was at work during the day, Em got to spend more time with them than I did....but let's be honest, she was the real reason for their trip :)  

Em had her 4-month appointment this past Monday. Going into each appointment, I have been nervous to see the number on the scale. Since Em's 2-week appointment when her weight was down, I just haven't gotten over worrying about her weight. In the last few weeks, she has felt heavier and she is certainly growing out of her clothes, but I wanted the scale to confirm that. After Monday's appointment, I am happy to report that our girl is growing right on schedule! She is on a healthy growth curve, weighing in at 13 lbs 2.5 oz (21st percentile) and measuring 26 inches in length (94th percentile). The doctor was very pleased with her development. He commented on her alertness and on her hip movement, as she tried to roll over several times while being examined. She had to have a few vaccinations, so that part was no fun for Mommy or for baby, but we got through it. Our next appointment will be at six months, assuming we don't have to go in before that. We have been lucky to skate through the winter months with only one minor cold; I pray that sickness continues to stay away as we move into spring!

Here are a few other pictures from early March: Daddy playing ninja during bathtime, Em getting oh-so-close to rolling over, Em being held by her cousin Zander, and a photo of Em and her friend, Laurel, dressed alike at church. (Thank you, Katie, for the adorable monogrammed dresses!) Both girls are growing so much.

Oh, and one more big thing, Em laughed for the first time! A real, throw-the-head-back, fullblown giggle fit! We have been trying to coax a laugh out of her for quite some time, and perhaps I should say, specifically BOOMER has been trying. He has tried all means of tickling, singing, and dancing, but it wasn't until Wednesday night that she finally did. And it was MOMMY who got her to do it! I made this ridiculous sound, saying "hey, hey" like a seal, and she just threw her head back and laughed. Luckily we captured it on video. It was the best sound :)

While March has been busy, 'busy' just means 'making memories'!

Squirmy, Smiley, and 4 Months Old

Every day is something new with our squirmy, smiley 4-month old! Our little Em likes chewing on her hand, blowing bubbles, and finding the television, wherever it may be in the room. She also loves kicking around on her changing table and sleeping in the car. The rainforest is still one of her favorite activities, and she especially likes grabbing the toucan. She is pretty strong when she is sitting in her Bumbo or rolling over from her tummy to her back. She has not yet done the reverse, but she is so close! Our curious little girl almost rolls over when she is trying to see something over her shoulder. I don't think it will be much longer until she figures it out. Her hair is still sparse, with the most being on the very top of her head. We are a long ways away from pigtails! She likes spending the day with Grammy; walking around the neighborhood, reading books, or running errands around town. When Grammy comes over in the morning, she loves calling out to her and saying 'hello.' Em sure has a thing for the men in her life, because she loves to smile at Grandpa and laugh at Daddy. She also doesn't make a fuss around her cousins, whether it's letting Zander hold her or allowing Maddox to rock her in her car seat. She continues to be a great sleeper. Em's bedtime is around 7:30PM...and sometimes it is hard to keep her awake even that late! Usually around 6:45PM or 7:00PM, she will make her displeasure known if Mommy isn't moving fast enough with the bedtime routine. We will bounce around or sing songs to at least make it until 7:15PM, when we will do a last feeding. She is eating around 30 ounces a day, and sometimes as much as 9 ounces at the nighttime feeding. She is in between sizes right now: her 0-3 month clothes are too small, but some of the 3-6 month clothes are too big. Luckily we have a lot of clothes, because she tends to have one big blow-out a day. It is a rare surprise for me to see her in the same outfit in the evening as the one she had on that morning. 

Up ahead in the next few days, we have Em's 4-month appointment, which will include a few more vaccines and the usual measurements. By our own judgement, she is a happy, healthy little girl, but I am anxious to have the doctor confirm that. We also have a big 'first', as I spend my first night away from Em. Next weekend, we are celebrating Emily's Bachelorette Weekend in Boone, so I am turning things over to Daddy for Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully it will be a fun weekend for everyone! Speaking of weekend, happy Friday! Em is already asleep, and I hope to make it up until Boomer gets home. We met him earlier for dinner at the River Grill in Yadkinville, but he went back to school for baseball. Yep, it's baseball season! They are calling for some winter weather on Saturday night, so spring seems like it is taking its time. We will set the clocks forward this weekend and hope for longer days and warmer weather!  ...Or maybe one more snow day!

Happy 4 Months, Emerson! We've loved every single day with you! 

I couldn't help including this photo...it may be one of my favorites! <3

Date Nights

We had two special occasions this past week -- our 8th dating anniversary and the Forbush JROTC Military Ball. Initially, Boomer thought it was silly to celebrate our dating anniversary -- "we have a wedding anniversary, why do we need to celebrate our dating anniversary??" Pssh silly guy! Girls like to celebrate everything! He changed his tune when I suggested that we always return to the place of our very first date. So on Tuesday night (February 28th), we went back to where our story began! Eight years ago, we went out to dinner at Mellow Mushroom in Winston-Salem and then had our first kiss later that night. It was that evening that we mark as the start of our dating relationship. There were a few coffee dates before that and one late night dinner at McDonald's after an intramural game, but it was the night at Mellow Mushroom that seemed most significant. So here we are again, ordering the same pepperoni and bacon pizza, but this time as a party of 3. 

Completely candid <3

 Then, on Saturday, we had another date night, but this time as the original Kennedy Party of 2. Grammy come over to babysit (yes, after already watching Em all week!), and Boomer and I went to his school's JROTC Military Ball. It was a very formal event, with all of the cadets dressed in their uniforms and their dates in gowns. There was a plated meal, a guest speaker, and special recognitions for the graduating seniors. Being in the room with the cadets reminded me again of the freedoms we have in our country and the young men and women who fight to protect those freedoms. It was an honor to be invited and be among this next generation of heroes. After the program portion ended, the dancing began. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Boomer on the dance floor, but I will try again next month when we go to Forbush's Prom!

Em continues to surprise us with new tricks each week! This week, Grammy tried out the Bumbo, and Em was strong enough to sit up on her own. She slumps just a bit, but overall she seems to enjoy this new contraption. As she gets even stronger, it will be great to have an alternative to laying her down under the rainforest or putting her in the monkey chair.

Em is growing fast! I'm looking forward to next week's 4-month appointment to see what her new weight and length are. Just based off of her clothes, I know that she is getting bigger. Her 0-3 month onesies were starting to pull at the neck and the sleepers were making it hard for her to stretch out her legs! My project yesterday was once again packing up the smaller clothes and swapping them for the next size. Didn't I just do this?? Gosh, the time is flying by!

Here are a few other snapshots from the week: napping after church, breaking out in a smile, cousin-bonding with Adelynn while at Trivett and Kessley's birthday party, hanging out with Uncle Goosie, and just generally looking cute!