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I wasn’t sure I could pull of my annual National Novel Writing Month tradition with a 2-3 month old baby at home, especially since I went back to work in the middle of the month, but with the awesome support of family, lots of typing on the iphone, the laptop and in random emails to myself, and a seriously productive last week, I did it! (50,881 words in 30 days, and a semi-coherent story about a teenage boy taking a semester off from high school, moving to Collinsville, and discovering that his neighborhood is affected by mine subsidence, and falling in love right at the end, of course.)
Luckily for me, Kivrin is a wonderful baby and I was able to write while she was napping, or eating, or amusing herself, or playing with her daddy. I’ve heard from my friend that even though this year seemed challenging, trying to do Nanowrimo with a one-year old will be even more difficult! Anyone want to do some babysitting next November?
Now that all of my computer time won’t be sucked up by frantic fiction writing, I’ll fill in with as many photos and videos as I can from the past month — we were still taking cute pictures, I just didn’t get many of them shared yet!
This is Kivrin’s first snow– she’s in her carseat and zipped up in the “bundle me” but hopefully she can enjoy snow more when she’s older!
Aunt Leigh Anne has lots of experience with snuggling cute babies, and Kivrin appreciated all of the snuggles they shared during Leigh Anne’s visit. The only question is — did Leigh Anne snuggle Kivrin to sleep? Or was it the other way around?
Up until this point, we were always concerned about our two cats taking an interest in the baby….
now we are starting to pay attention to the interest that Kivrin is taking in the two cats. She doesn’t notice them all of the time (they don’t have flashing lights, rattles, or play music) but when nothing else is going on, her eyes follow them across the room, and if they happen to get close, she does her best to pet them.
I’ve been reading her the book “Touch and Feel Kittens” to practice, although the real kitty fur is much softer, and easier to grab, than the little fake patch of fur in the book.
Who is that cute baby in the mirror? It’s Kivrin!
Simple though it seems, this is the best game ever. She loves it!
This mirror is above the changing table, which makes diaper changes take longer, but they always end happily in play.
Unlike money, babies do in fact grow on trees. (As made evident by this photo.) Alternately, we got camera-happy over Thanksgiving….
Kivrin playing “So Big” with her Grandpa and Grandma while we visited them for Thanksgiving.
Kivrin had lots of fun when her Gramma Mary visited– especially reading and laughing and snuggling together!
Since our friend Kate’s parents live close to Dan’s parents in Kansas City, we were all able to get together on Thanksgiving night. 
Kivrin and Avery get reaquainted.
Dan played with Avery and got a preview of the skills Kivrin will be learning in the next few months.
While Kate was holding Kivrin, Addison stopped coloring long enough to get in on the action, and into the picture!
Kivrin loves to sit in this chair in the kitchen and coo and shreik at us while we cook or eat or wash bottles!
All together for Thanksgiving makes for an excellent family portrait opportunity.
We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Dan’s parents house in Kansas City.
We took family photos in front of the fireplace.
Kivrin napped most of the meal in this beautiful wooden bassinet.
Kivrin played with her cousin Thomas, who is about 6 months older than her and already crawling and pulling up!
Kivrin is already blessed with many toys and clothes, but since several people have asked about it, we put together a Christmas list of things that she would appreciate and enjoy.
For my convenience, most things are on her Amazon wish list (it’s heavy on award-winning toys for toddlers) but by all means please shop locally for these items if you can!
Items not easily listed on Amazon are:
Sears Portrait Studio gift cards for her 6 month and 1 year photos.
If you want to buy her clothing, your guess is as good as ours about clothing sizes. Kivrin weighs 13.5 pounds at age 3 months (end of November). She does not need more clothes in size 6 month, she is wearing those now.
She could wear long-sleeved outfits and sleep-and-plays in size 9 months later this winter and maybe also in size 12 months for next spring. She could also use some size 12 month or larger socks, especially in bright or dark solid colors.
Also, she is a drooler, so cute bibs with animals, flowers, etc. can be worn over other outfits now to prevent multiple clothing changes — Since these are to wipe drool they should be soft and absorbent!
Or, if you don’t want to shop for “stuff”, you could donate to our new local children’s museum – Kansas Children’s Discovery Center – they are building beginning next Spring.
Mostly what Kivrin wants for Christmas is to visit each and everyone one of you, give you a big smile and some snuggles, and then leave a little drool on your shirt collar as a sign of her love!
Busy thursday! Since I didn’t work until noon, Kivrin and I were able to do some of our favorite things together, including Baby Bookworks and a snack break with Daddy at the library, and a trip to the Breastfeeding Clinic.
Her first three days of school, Kivrin went through at least one change of clothes every day, but wearing her fancy new outfit from Aunt Leigh Anne, (and a bib) she was beautiful all day in the same clothes she started in. We’re guessing it’s a fluke, or that the thicker sweater knit is just more absorbent of drool than her other clothes…
We wouldn’t hand the baby off to just anyone, but Marta and Susan are some of our very favorite librarians and Kivrin loves to goes visit them!
Kivrin Anne 
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