Category Archive

In addition to expressive vocalizations lately, Kivrin has been making a variety of  facial expressions as well. I resisted the urge to add thought bubbles and captions to some of these photos, because I just can’t imagine what she is thinking!

  Kivrin discovered those cute baby noises where you wiggle a finger across your lips while you talk…. I don’t know that it’s called, but it sure is hilarious.

Kivrin has mastered cause and effect, at least if it involves people entertaining her…..

Now that Kivrin’s 5 months old (on the 23rd!) we are starting to think about, read about and talk about introducing solid foods in a few weeks.

While she was sitting with us at the dinner table, she and Grandpa discovered that he could reuse the dinner packaging for a delightful game of peekaboo.

She recognizes the cup and reaches for it (mmmm. tasty water.)

With the high chair finally in our kitchen, we let Kivrin play with some thickened sweet potatoes before her bath — and boy, did she ever need a bath after she was finished making a big mess!

Grandpa visited to help us catch up around the house (and exchange a truckload of borrowed baby stuff between his grandkids!). Kivrin loved playing with him, especially when he blew on her neck!

 Kivrin got to ride up high on Dan’s shoulders, and she definintely enjoyed the view…

Here Kivrin is reading a bedtime story with Grandpa, and also picking out some new books in the giant bbook-filled boat at the library.

Kivrin poses for a picture in Lissa’s lap — I can’t remember why we were dressed up, but I’m sure we had somewhere to go!

It was favorite sports team day at Kivrin’s school, so she dressed up in her best Illini outfit! Since it was casual Friday at the library, I dressed up too!

NOTE: When I went to visit her at lunch, she was wearing her “My First Cardinals TShirt” which I packed as a backup…apparently her first outfit hadn’t worked out!

Ahh– the car trips with a baby are so much more exciting, especially with a cold and snowy start. We went to Collinsville for an extended weekend.

Friday night, Kivrin charmed everyone at the dominoes table at MHBC. She is full of social smiles for friends & relatives & anyone else who catches her eye!

No, she hasn’t started solid food yet, but we did let her play with a slimy mashed banana just for fun!

Saturday morning, Dan drove to the Apple store for a new computer fan, and Kivrin went through four outfit changes with mom and grandpa at home. We’re not sure why her milk wasn’t sitting well in her tummy, but luckily Grandpa doesn’t mind doing laundry!

Kivrin visited with Denise and Grandpa, and posed with Dan.

Almost 5 months old, Kivrin can sit up unassisted for a few minutes at a time before she falls backwards or sideways or sometimes even forwards onto her belly.

We are starting to offer water in a sippy cup for practice — she thinks it is great!

Kivrin pounded on the keys of Grandpa’s piano. She mostly plays the black keys, we think they are easier for her to see/reach/press down.

Putting Kivrin’s socks back on her feet is one of our favorite new activities, since she likes to kick them off and pull them off now.

We were pleased to spend MLK with Kate, Addison and Avery at Nana and Lee’s house. The little girls are too young to really play together, but the big girls had fun catching up!

Nana enjoyed snuggling the baby, even after a huge diaper blowout that necessitated that both Kivrin AND Nana get new outfits!

On Tuesday morning, we stopped at Uncle Gary’s house on our way out of town to visit his gaggle of granddaughters — Kiera, Riley and Kaitlin are all adorable and Kivrin was happy to meet them!

Our drive back to Topeka would have been uneventful except for an astonishing amount of throwing-up in the car seat right around Booneville, Missouri. After a lengthy cleanup in the parking-lot of this combination gas station and fireworks store, we finally got back on the road. (Since Lissa and Dad were both getting over a stomach virus, I guess we are lucky that Kivrin was the only one to get sick on the way home!)

Kivrin tried out the big girl bathtub (aka bean bag like supported bath gizmo) at Grandpa’s house and she LOVED it!!! Finally she can kick her feet, spash water, and reach for toys! She isn’t used to sitting up during bath time so she kept reclining back in it, but she still basically got clean. She only fussed a bit when we got her out and dried her off, because she clearly wanted to keep splashing!

Lissa loves going back to visit the Collinsville Memorial Public Library, partially because of fond memories from childhood but also because professionally they are an admirable small town library.

In the basement, we discovered a Programming Resource Center with diecut machines, plus checkoutable readalongs, models, storytime-sized picture books, Leappad games, CD ROM games,  teacher resources and tons of Delta Scientific stuff. Kivrin liked the puppets the best.

Apparently in the children’s area, the only thing I took a picture of was this inspirational poster….

For lunch, we went Alfonzo’s pizza in Maryville. Afterwards, we spent some time (and tokens) in the arcade next door.

Kivrin showed off her rolling skills for Grandpa, and all of her best giggles.

Kivrin won some tickets, but we gave them to some bigger kids to redeem, since none of the prizes were infant-friendly.

Dan and Lissa played skee ball –Kivrin just watched, although she liked the flashing lights.

Kivrin loved sitting like a big girl on the cars (Notice Mommy’s hand providing some safety/security).

15.5 more years and she’ll be ready for the real thing.

Did Lissa lose at Swamp Stomp because she is uncoordinated, or just because she was holding the baby? Hmmm. I think the answer is obvious 🙂

Here is how it’s done, Kivrin style. The head turns, the shoulder goes back, and over she goes!

Kivrin started in her new class at school this Monday, and had a pretty good first day. I admit that I was more anxious about her first day than she was. Kivrin is very curious, so she likes watching all of the action with her 7 new friends, most of whom can crawl already!

Today she is staying home sick with Daddy (I will spare you the photo of baby projectile vomiting on mom and dad’s bed this morning…) but once she’s feeling better,she’ll be back to having fun again!

Psychologically, dressing the baby in an “I love daddy” sleeper offers constant reassurance while you spend the day trying not to get puked on…and Dan did was successful – when I came home from work Kivrin was still that same sleeper!

In her new needy, crabby, teething mood, Kivrin likes to play independently, as long as at least one other person is devoting their attention to appreciating her cuteness. (Not talking to her, or playing with her, just not doing anything else either, and especially not leaving the room.) If I put her on the bed, I can update this blog from a few feet away, as long as she thinks I am mostly watching her….

Dan worked hard to set up this cool photo of Kivrin and Ella (the cat), which unfortunately turned out sort of creepy…

Kivrin discovered the car seat strap. And by discovered, I mean tasted. At least it’s winter, so the strap is tucked inside the BundleMe and not dragging on the ground as often…

A combination of favorites here — standing tall above mom’s head, and looking at herself in the mirror.

Dan is practicing putting Kivrin up on his shoulders, that classic “daddy” maneuver. This time, she mostly played with his hair, and then kept turning to look at the camera!

I know this is the most anti-climactic photo ever, but those childhood firsts make better stories than photographs anyway. This afternoon, Dan and I were both in the living room watching Kivrin play on her belly. All of the sudden, she looked over her shoulder and sort of reached with her arms for a toy, and she ended up on her back! As far as we know, this is her first solo front-to-back roll! We clapped and cheered for her and laid her on her belly to try again, but it was a one-time performance today (hence the photo of Kivrin laying face-down on the floor, not rolling over.)