Friends

Erika came to visit for a long weekend and we had a blast!  It was just what I needed, some good old fashion girl time and reassurance from my friend.  Kara had just as much fun, she loved cuddling with Erika and even better yet her perfect swaddle skills ;)

Thanks to the world's best hubby, we enjoyed Girls Night on Friday and dined at the delicious Uchiko.  Then on Saturday we enjoyed some Family Fun time and headed downtown for the Oktoberfest at Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden.  It was very fun & entertaining, especially the sausage eating contest.  This was Kara's first festival in Austin, one of thousands to come I'm sure.

The weekend was perfect, I couldn't have asked for anything more.  However, Erika had plenty more in store for us.   She babysat so we could have a much needed night out and also stocked our freezer with dinners for the week.  Now that is what I call a good friend!!!  We tried to convince her to stay to be our Nanny but no such luck ;)

5 Weeks

Kara is growning like a weed!  We had her 1 month checkup and she's gained almost a whole pound in two weeks.  And she seems to be growing into her head as well ;)

STATS:
Weight - 30%
Height - 60%
Head - 75%

You Have a Baby...

In a Bar.  That is my favorite quote from the movie Sweet Home Alabama and today that was us.  We headed down to Gruene, TX to enjoy their Market Days but couldn't pass up the opportunity to show Shaun's Mom Gruene Hall.  It's the oldest dance hall in Texas and they always have the best acts playing music day or night.  So yes, at 4 weeks old Kara was in her first bar ;) 

Strike a Pose

Forget Gisele, we have our own model in this house!  When Kara was only seven days old we scheduled a newborn photo shoot and she nailed it, which means she slept like an angel through the whole thing.  Of course we had to go a through a few accidents, Daddy got pooped on and Mommy got pucked on, but we survived and the pictures came out great!

4 Weeks

I really want to freeze time as it's going by too quickly!  Shaun had a month off for paternity leave which seemed amazing but it's already time for him to return to work next week.  And our KareBear is growing like a worm, she's almost gained a whole pound.  I just want her to stay our tiny little newborn forever where the three of us can live in a bubble and don't have to work.  High hopes I know ;)

True Texan

Today we learned the true meaning of a Texan and just how seriously that title is taken!  Luckily Kara qualifies but her parents are just wannabes ;)  But we're in good company because apparently the Bush family is as well.  On our tour of the State Capitol, we were repeatedly notified of which Representatives & Governors were True Texans and which were immigrants.  The guide was quick to point out that the Bush's are actually from New England.  Lesson learned, just cause you live in Texas doesn't mean you can consider or call yourself a Texan. 

Bat Boat

If it's Bat Season we love to take our visitors down to Town Lake to see the Bat's Fly out of the Congress Street Bridge.  It sounds odd but it's actually quite impressive.  So we headed downtown and rented a Duffy Boat to take in the view from the water.  Kara slept through most of it but really enjoyed her first boat ride.  We might have a future sailor on our hands, PopPop should be proud!

A Bottle for Both of Us

Daddy's First Mate

Round 2 - Meet the Grandparents

Shaun's Mom & John arrived today and Kara is so excited to have new snuggle buddies!

3 Weeks

We're so excited, Kara finally lost her umbilical cord today!  Mommy was super grossed out by it so Daddy has been on cleaning duty until it fell off ;) 

 

Browns Season Opener

We now have a house full of Browns Fans, Daddy's Dream Come True!

Lake Pflugervile

Kara had her first adventure around the Lake or halfway at least ;)  We aimed to go at 7am before it got too hot but it's hard to get out of the house with a newborn so it was 9:30 before we actually got there.  While everyone else is starting to get the cool fall temps, it's still hot summer days here in Texas in the upper 90s.  So needless to say we only made it halfway around the lake before we decided to call it a day and Daddy came to the rescue.

Smiles All Around

We have a lot to celebrate today, Kara slept for a 4 1/2 hour stretch last night and we only had to get up once in the middle of the night to feed & change her!  Our pediatrician said we can let her sleep through the night on her own schedule now that she has gained enough weight.  So instead of waking her every 2 - 3 hours to feed we can start waiting for her to wake us and eventually stretch from 4 1/2 hours to sleeping through the night!

2 Weeks

Kara had lost over 10% of her birth weight when we left the hospital so our pediatrician had given us the goal to get her back to her birth weight by her 2 week checkup.  Well today was the big day and we're glad to report she weighed in at 7 lbs., 7 oz., it was one ounce shy of her birth weight but close enough to satisfy everyone.  Her measurements all checked out well, she is in the 50th percentile for both height & weight. 

Cali & Kara

Cali is very interested in Kara, she's sniffing her constantly and following her all around the house.  We haven't reached the cuddling stage yet but I can tell they're going to buddies!  She's still a little scared by all the sounds Kara makes but apparently wants to share everything, she thinks Kara's Boppy is her new doggie bed ;)

Daddy/Daughter Time

Kara is definitely going to be Daddy's Little Girl, they love spending snuggle & playtime together!

Welcome to the Family

What better way to welcome Kara to the family than to introduce her to Mommy & Daddy's favorite, Rio! 

Date Night

I've been craving sushi & wine for the past nine months so of course that is exactly how we spent our first date night since becoming parents.  My parents were gracious enough to babysit so we could get out of the house and have a few hours to ourselves.  It was wonderful & delicious and a much needed break to unwind!  We are going to be lost when my parents leave as they've been so helpful; making dinners, cleaning the house, and ensuring not just Kara has naptime but so do we ;)