Pictures

Hangin' with Abby in the Bumbo Seats

3 Cousins
My futures so bright, I gotta wear shades
What a saucy little thing

Happy Holidays

We returned home to Maine from Pennsylvania last night. We had a great first Christmas with sweet Calia. She has perfected her laugh, which has many facets. Her favorite thing to laugh at is her reflection, with mommy's "boogity-boo" a close second. She has also started to make motions toward crawling (heaven forbid). On Christmas Day, while laying on the playmat, she started bringing her knees up under her and pushing forward. She moved 6 inches, then did it again. If only she knew to lift her head up at the same time, she'd have been off. Kevin and I just looked at each other and thought "we're screwed!" She did great in the car again, except on the way home we got stuck in traffic from the Newburgh Bridge to Danbury, and Calia kept crying and letting out whimpers. Too cute. The Tobin's got her a Bumbo seat for Christmas and man was that a hit! She loves the thing. When I get home and download pictures tonight, I'll put some on. If anyone has a baby, that wants to sit up and see everything, but can't do it alone yet, this seat is a Godsend! Calia was especially cute with her little cousins Abigail and Declan, who are almost caught up to Calia in weight, but not quite in length. She would smile at them, especially when they would sit next to each other in their Bumbo seats. Her big cousin Jeremy even carried Calia around the house a couple times! It was a great trip, but we are glad to be home in our own beds. We still have Christmas to do with my mom and Ben, Lea, Lance, Aisha and Angelea (this Saturday), then find room for all Miss Calia's bounty of gifts!

Christmas Photo Dump

Eating the puppet

(FYI in the year end People magazine, Julia Roberts has the same entertainer for her twins...must make your kids cool or something)

I love my Kelty Pack daddy!!
Avoiding Santa
Little Blue Eyes
Mommy was sooo sick here.

4 Month Well Exam

Yesterday, Calia went for her 4 month well check...

Here are her stats:

Weight: 13 lbs (50%)
Height: 25 1/4 inches (80%)
Head: 16 1/4 (50%)

She got 4 shots, ouch! And is doing great.

Recent favorites

Mid-Roll

Sittin' in the recliner
Napping with Daddy

First Meal

On Sunday, Calia embarked on a new adventure...rice cereal. Although the majority ended up on her face, bib, tray, highchair, etc...she was a good sport. She enjoyed gumming the spoon the most. Everything goes in her mouth nowadays. Tonight was trial 2, a slighly thicker version of the cereal, still on the face, but I think at least a few morsels made it to her belly. She is so "talkative" now that as soon as the food gets into her mouth, she talks and out it comes. I've tried to tell her that it is impolite to talk with food in her mouth, but she doesn't seem to care.

2 Sweet Girls

Calia was very excited to see Brynna. They had a nice conversation about Lord only knows what, but they were both very into whatever it was, maybe comparing Coda and Chance??

While visions of sugarplums danced un her head...

Old and New

Time to go

Kicking away
With mommy..1 day old
With daddy...minutes old

Our amazing little Calou

So, I was looking at recent pictures today and started looking back at some of the first pictures of Calia. Since I didn't have the blog up then, I thought I'd share some of my favorites. The picture of Kevin and Calia was taken at around 4:15am (she was born at 4:04am), it is one of my favorites, Kevin was so excited and full of pride and exhausted. The picture of the three of us was taken by my mom, we didn't even know she had taken it. It speaks of the moment we were in, basking in the beauty of our baby girl who was maybe 8 hours old at the time. Hard to believe 4 months ago at this time I was begging for my epidural, waiting to see if they would break my water!

Out like a light

Time is flying by...

Here are some of my recent favorites as well as one of my favorite pictures of Calia when she was just 5 days old...Amazing when you see her everyday and think she's changed, but when you look back at pictures, it blows you mind. She'll be 4 months next week, wow! Calia's new favorite thing is to smile and then as soon as I get the camera out and the orange light comes on before the flash, she becomes serious. Turkey Day was wonderful. Kevin and I went to the annual Broaddus Pie Night on Wednesday night while Jill babysat. My pumpkin pie won 4th place, beating my mom's pear pie (she got 5th). Thursday, we all headed over to Calia's 2 Yiayia's house. Everyone was there (Yiayia, Papou, Mom, Ben, Aunt Anne and Uncle Joe, Aunt Barbara, Uncle Ray, Maria, Ali, Susie, Jill, Sam, and Sudeep, Kate, Josh and Jeanne (?sp) (Josh's sister), and Sister Denis...quite the houseful. Needless to say, Calia was passed from person to person, and loved every minute of it. She took a nap on Ali and Ali fell asleep, too. Calia is such a snuggle bunny! Kevin and I hit the mall at 6am on Black Friday, with Calia in tow. She was so good, smiling at everyone, then slept from 7-930 am, while I did almost all of my shopping. The holiday season is in full swing...onward to company Christmas parties, gathering with friends and family, and watching Calia take everything in.

Photo Dump

Chillin' with Angel and Abby

Rosy Cheeks..No Pants
Looking for deals with Daddy
So Serious
My Blue Eyed Girl

Browne Family Pictures

Rollin' rollin' rollin

Who me?

Bored while mommy folds laundry
Sitting with Boppy help

Today Calia hit another milestone...rolling! She rolled from front to back, we made her do it 3 times to make sure it wasn't a fluke thing. Kevin and I were jumping around, well I was jumping but Kevin was excited too. Calia was staring at us like we were crazy. We are..crazy about her. She is also very into trying to sit up. When placed in the boppy, she pulls herself forward (those abs of steel!) Actually, she does it anytime she is sitting, even on my lap right now. She is trying to grab my typing fingers. When we were in PA, Calia started holding whatever she was being fed. Cute when it's a bottle, not so much when it's the source. Now she can hold her bottle alone, for a few minutes at a time. Kicking, rolling, grabbing, holding...we are in trouble!

Sweet thing

Catch-up

Whew, what a busy past couple weeks! Visitors and Visiting! Calia's nana (Kevin's mom) came up to stay with us Oct 30-Nov 5. What a great help! Then, we went to PA last weekend to meet everyone. Calia was amazing on the trip. She slept from the time we left home until we were well into NJ! Kevin and I were starving, but didn't dare to stop for fear of waking the sleeping giant. We had a great time. Finally got to meet Abigail and Declan. It was fun to hold them, so much lighter than Calia (who is about 12.5 lbs now). Calia slept on the way home from PA until we were past Worcester, MA. This time we didn't wait for her to wake, we just stopped to eat and she was in a great mood. Good to know for the next long trip (PA for Christmas).

Calia started daycare on Nov 15 at Toddle Inn in Cumberland. So far, so good. She likes looking at all of her classmates. The first day I put her in a bouncy seat and the little boy in the seat next to her was checking her out. When he smiled up at me I told him to not even think about it! He just kept smiling. Too cute. This morning she was in a bad mood when I dropped her off. The other babies were all staring at her as if to say "what's wrong with the new girl." Two of the little boys were cooing at her after she calmed down. Lord only knows what they were saying!

Not too much else is new. She seems close to rolling from back to front, interesting because usually babies roll from front to back first (I did at 12 weeks, thanks mom). Calia might do that if everytime she was on her belly whe wasn't more interested in sucking on her hands, slight oral fixation. She sucks her thumb and talks herself to sleep every night, while looking at herself in the mirror. She talks constantly, babbling and cooing. Too funny, the other day she and I were talking and Kevin walked in. All of the sudden Calia looked over at him and started barking out orders, then back to me talking sweetly. Kevin said "see what your teaching her." Not quite sure if I agree with that, but he did something to piss her off. Quite the character that one!

OH and Happy 4 year anniversary of our first date to my loving hubby...thank you for the beautiful roses that looked like my wedding bouquet, and for bringing home milk so I wouldn't have to run out and get it. You are the best and I don't tell you that enough. Ok, enough sappy stuff...onward to the weekend...The ladies of my family are getting together at Aunt Jo's, big date with my hubby, and Toys R Us night of special shopping/deals. Then it's almost time to eat Turkey!

Body Shot

More fun times with bunny

Eating the bunny

Laughing at Daddy
Smiling at Daddy
Thrashing the bunny
Poor Bunny!

Three cousins

Let's put our heads together!

Abigail, Declan, and Calia
Small, Medium or Large?

Don't touch my bunny