Kona Rules, Kenzie Drools

Okay, I've caught a little flack for leaving Kona out of the picture when naming our blog. I assure all you dog lovers out there that Kona hasn't gone anywhere. He is just as much a part of our family as he was before Kenzie arrived. You will hear about our wonderful pup as you watch our baby grow.


Kona keeps us on our toes and, while he's significantly easier to care for than McKenzie (can't gate her in the kitchen while I go run errands), he still occupies much of our time and we wouldn't have it any other way. He's learned many tricks and we plan to share them with you here. Kenzie can only roll one way...watch Kona go all the way over! Hana, Mindy's dog and Kona's sister, is also adept at rolling over but I guess she just didn't feel like it on this particular day. Dog lovers, enjoy!

Go, Kona, go!

Go, Hana, go?

Here's a quick video for your Kenzie fix. She is "talking" a lot these days but when she sees the camera she freezes up. This is the best I could capture for now.

Pictures!

We've probably taken a hundred photos in the last two months. I picked a few for you to check out here.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kristen.ricci/KenzieMonths3And4?feat=directlink

Enjoy!

Kenzie Flips

Over, that is. She's been rolling from tummy to back for a couple weeks now but up until yesterday she refused to do it on camera. She always has a look of surprise when she finally makes the turn and then gives a little victory smile.

This is just one of the many new things she is able to do. She has really good head control and likes to be propped up to sit. She holds onto toys and focuses intently on her singing caterpillar ("Red, red, you heard what I said..."). McKenzie is a pro at getting her hands into her mouth. When she's tired she gently sucks on her thumb and index finger, and during her wakeful hours she can be caught with buckets of drool falling off her chin while she tries determinedly to put her entire fist into her mouth. Is she teething? I don't know, I'm new at this.

FAQ

In an effort to bring you up to speed on the last four months of our lives I'll answer the most commonly asked questions of the past four months.

Q:Is McKenzie a "good" baby?
A: Yes. This question, which is by far the most common one we are asked, always makes me smile. I must admit, I've asked this question before, but now that I have a baby of my own I've had to rethink it. Is there such a thing as a "bad" baby? When people ask us this I assume they want to know if she is happy, what her sleeping habits are, etc. Read on.

Q: Is she a happy baby?
A: With the exception of her week at Newfound Lake (by far the worst week of her life) Kenzie rarely cries. She gets fussy when she's hungry or tired but can be soothed quickly if I know what she needs. Everyday she smiles more often and is starting to make lots of cooing noises. Dustin beat boxes for her and that is one of her favorite things.

Q:What are her sleep habits?
A: Habits? There aren't any. It seems that each week brings a new surprise and I've learned not to count on anything being like it was the night before. One thing is for sure, Kenzie does not like to sleep on her back. She startles frequetly, wakes up, and can't fall back to sleep. She's had nights where she sleeps for five hours, nurses and sleeps for three more and nights when she wakes up and wants to play at 3 am. Many people have told me that six months is the magical age when she'll start sleeping better. I hope they aren't lying.

Q: Kristen, is it weird not to be going back to work?
A: Yes and no. I never thought I'd be one to put my career on hold so readily, but I can't imagine it any other way. I love being at home with McKenzie and I know that I'll be a teacher again soon. I've applied and interviewed for a couple jobs teaching adult education at night and that might be just what I need to stay in the game without being away from Kenzie too much. We're learning how to pinch pennies so I can stay home for as long as possible

Q: Does Dustin like his new job?
A: Yes, although there are definitely tough moments. He teaches five different courses and that requires a lot of planning. He is teaching a class called "Housing and Interior Design" which is interesting because he doesn't know anything about interior design. That one requires some extra prep time. The students are a little tough but once Dustin gets his classroom routine in order I'm sure they will fall into place.

We're New at This

We're new to a lot of things these days. There's this blog...who knows how this all really works. Then there's Dustin's new teaching job...more on that to come. And, oh, we have a new baby! We hope you enjoy hearing about our parenting adventure and we look forward to sharing our lives with you.