Kara Update

Oh my sweet Kara Mae.

I heard something on the Today show today about how each subsequent child gets less time and attention from the parents than the previous. Since she demands to be held, I'm not sure that is true for us, but I know she gets fewer of the pictures. :-) So here is a post devoted just to her.

I'm not sure if she's going to crawl anytime soon. I started to worry about it and in the back of my mind I still worry a bit, but since she's able to scoot backward to where she wants to go, I don't think it's truly a developmental delay. :-) I think she's just a master of manipulation and has always been able to get people to pick her up or bring things to her if she screams loud enough. (Guilty!) But here is our little girl standing. she'll stand like this forever if given the chance.

While she doesn't go anywhere, she can get herself into the crawling position, but she'll just sit there and then plop back down.


A little snuggling with Daddy!


I know I've talked about this face and am working on trying to get a video of it, but it is referred to as the smooshy face. She crinkles her nose and face up and then breathes in and out quickly, making this funny panting noise through her scrunched up nose. It's the best! Here she is making the face with Daddy.


I'm not sure what it is, but she has become such a binky girl. She loves to chew on it and it seems to be the only way to get her happy, except if I hold her. Here she is chewing on the binky while snuggling her blankie in the excersaucer.


She also loves to be outside. This has always been true. When nothing else made her happy as a newborn, I could put her in her swing and set it out on the porch and she's settle right down. That's still the same. Since our backyard gets blasted by the sun for the afternoon and evening, we put her on a blanket up by the fence (the only shade we have) and she's so happy hanging out there. Check out the toothy grin!


Although she loves being outside, she loves if better if she's cuddling with Mommy!


I do miss the gummy smiles, now that she has 6 teeth, but they sure make cute smiles, too!

We're trying not to be as pokey about introducing new foods to her as we were with Jana. She loves Cheerios, puffs, bananas and toast. She tolerates other chopped fruit, peas and carrots, and cheese. Here she is trying her first grilled cheese sandwich. She ate some pieces and sucked on others, but at least we tried.


I know I promised a post just about Kara, but I also have to comment on the dynamics between Jana and Kara these days. They are so funny. Jana loves her very much and no one can make Kara laugh like Jana can. It's adorable. But then there are the times when they want nothing to do with each other - especially when one has a toy the other wants or when one is being held by Mama and the other wants to be held. Kara's more amenable to sharing Mama than Jana is.

I think Jana will be so happy when Kara starts walking so that they can go off and play together. Here she is helping Kara stand. (This was after Dada worked at the track meet as the starter and Jana found his ear protectors and insisted on wearing them - goofy girl!)

And then of course there are the times when Jana wants to love on Kara and Kara wants nothing to do with it. While this picture looks like Jana is strangling Kara, she's really not. Apparently this was not the time for a hug!



This is the girls on our new climbing cube. Jana insisted that Kara sit on the slide and that Kara go down the slide. Kara didn't seem to mind too much, but then Jana decided it was her turn to go and Sissy needed to move NOW!

Kara's been in kind of a weird phase lately. She's only happy with Mama and even then it's hit or miss as to whether she's content. We're not quite sure what's the deal, but we're hoping between the teeth coming through and shaking this cold that our happy girl will come back to stay.