Doing Dishes is REALLY Boring...

The other day I tired putting Colby in her swing again. So far, she hasn't been a fan. I needed to do dishes; so, I moved the swing into the kitchen (Thank you, Angie, for recommending the "take-along swing"!!). Colby is a litle infatuated with the fish that hang from the sides. She was going back and forth staring at the fish and then at me as I talked to her. Pretty soon I looked over and she was passed out. She, of course, woke up when I moved her to her crib (doing dishes isn't a quiet task, and I thought I would wake her up putting dishes away), but for a few minutes I got really excited that maybe she's staring to be soothed by the swing!!

Please note the frown...she's such a serious baby. There's evidently SO much on this little girl's mind!! Or, she was irritated that I was disturbing her sleep with the noise of the dishes.

Where the Fish and Roosters Play...

Today was Colby's one-month doctor's appointment. Technically, tomorrow she will be five weeks old already! It seems like both yesterday and a lifetime rolled up all into one since we've had her. I'm still not sure where my days go. Each and every evening I tell myself that tomorrow is the day I take my life back and get things back in order, but it never seems to happen! Oh well, I guess this is my new life.

As for stats, Colby is now 22 1/4" long and weighs 10 lbs and 11 oz! Grandma Cooper asked if she was eating cream for meals! In any case, she's doing well in the growth department!

Last week I ordered Colby several new playthings for her crib...her two favorites are her little fish aquarium and her rooster mobile. I've included a few pictures of her 'playing' with them below.

Thanks for checking in! Kelly

Hello, Nemos! You are so fun...and I love the pretty lights.

Well, hello, up there! You are so fun to watch too! You go round and round and round just like that ceiling fan in the living room I really like.

What's a girl to do? I'm not sure which of you I like better!!

Ah, heck! I love you both!!!

Colby's First Out-of-State Trip!

This past week Miss Colby and I went to Indiana to visit her Aunt Kori, Uncle Ben, and cousin Amelia. It literally took me two days to prepare for the trip. Between putting the stroller together, packing bags, and working up the nerve for the four-hour trip with an infant, I finally got out the door. We had a great time and did a little shopping...not as much as I would have liked, since Miss Colby erupted into fussiness at the Borders bookstore. When I couldn't get her calmed down, we decided it was time to take off for home! Kori rocked Colby when we got home until she went to sleep, and she slept for a six-hour stretch! Yeah!

Anyway, I forgot my camera bag; so, to see the pictures from the visit, please visit Kori's blog by clicking here.

Because I was accused of "cheating"...

In yesterday's post, Kim accused me of cheating because I didn't include new pictures of Colby. It's hard being an aunt and live 12 hours away! So, to make up for my lack of new pictures over the last several days, here's a whole slew of new ones for you, Kim!

Colby is very alert now. She really enjoys looking at lights and out the window when I'm changing her diaper. After she eats, I generally put her on a blanket on the floor so that she can spend 15 minutes or so staring at the ceiling fan. It's her version of post-dinner entertainment.

Colby had her first real bath last week. I'm only posting the calm pictures. Most of the pictures show her in an extremely irritated state. While she still doesn't enjoy the bath, she is more calm as I've learned to constantly pour water on her stomach to keep her warm.

Very similar picture, but with her eyes open...probably wondering when the torture is going to end.

Picture of Colby right after eating...sometimes she looks a little 'milk-drunk'.

Last week brough a lot of new visitors. Norann is the wife of one of Nick's best friends. She is going to watch Colby once I return to work in March.

Great Grandma Budke, Great Aunt Dana and Grandma Cooper came to visit last Friday. Grandma Budke thought Nick and I had "did good" with Colby.

Aunt Dana with Colby.

Imitating Colby's face.

Aunt Dana and Grandma Cooper trying to get pictures of Colby with her eyes open.

That same day, our neighbors came to visit Colby! They have four daughters between the ages of 18 and 10! Yeah for babysitters living close by! This is the youngest of the four girls holding Colby.

On Saturday, my good friend Lisa came to visit and catch up. She is due with their first baby in another six weeks. Colby slept on Lisa's lap the entire two hours she was here!

On Sunday, Colby stayed with Nick and Grandpa McCormick while I went shopping...by myself. It was nice. That night, our friends Link (short for Lincoln) and Kathy came to visit with their kids. Link tried talking Kathy into having one more while holding Colby.

Their son loved holding Colby.

Last, my favorite picture. This morning I tried putting her in the bouncy seat. We haven't tried it in a couple of weeks, as she was not a fan at all of the vibrations in the past. But, this morning, this is the goofy smile I got once I turned the bouncy seat on!!! How about that dimple?!!

Colby is Famous!

Most of you know that I spent a lot of my weekends this last summer heading to Kentucky to help my childhood friend Cydil shoot weddings. It's amazing what I learned from her, and I'm hoping to possibly head down there again once or twice this coming summer to do it again!

Cydil was one of the first people that learned Nick and I were expecting. I will never forget the weekend I told her. I had driven down to KY early that Saturday morning. So, I got up at 4:30 in order to get ready and begin the six-hour drive to Cydil's house. We drove to the wedding and did our work. The wedding was at the bride's parents' house, which was beautiful. I couldn't believe all of the white tents and flowers. There was even a separate tent for serving lemonade and water to the guests prior to the wedding beginning since it was a REALLY hot July day. At the reception, the bride asked if we could stay later then Cydil had contracted for. We ended up leaving the wedding around 1 am to being the 1 1/2 hour drive back to Cydil's house. So, in effect, I had been awake for just a little short of 24 hours. I was so thankful to Cydil when she saw me as a melted puddle in the middle of the reception and told me to go rest for a bit in the car. I was so thankful for those 20 minutes of rest in my first trimester!!

The other day Cydil posted this announcement featuring Colby on her photography blog for all of her brides to read about. Click here to read it!

Right now, Colby is in her crib fighting a nap (seriously, when you're three weeks old, what are you wanting to stay up for??? You can't even see much beyond two feet!!). I have a TON of pictures to post of her from over the last week, but because I haven't transferred them from my camera yet, and because blogs are WAY more fun when there's pictures, here are a few pictures from the above referenced wedding.

More Visitors!

This weekend Colby had many more visitors who made the trip to Shelby County to see her! On Saturday, Grandpa and Grandma Rankin stopped by on their way to St. Louis for a farm toy show. Grandpa Rankin has turned his hobby of making custom toy hay wagons into a business, and they were heading to the toy show to support a vendor who sells them.

Colby showed her enthusiasm for the company by indulging in her favorite 'frog' pose with Grandpa...

...and with Grandma.

On Sunday, Karen, Chris, and the girls came to visit! Anna took her turn holding Colby. All of the girls were so surprised about how small Colby was. To me, she's grown a ton in her 2 1/2 weeks!

Emma, I didn't forget your picture like that Aunt Kori did!!! :)

Ella enjoyed holding "Amelia"...after she got it straight that this was Colby, not Amelia, she was pretty cute with her pronunciation: 'Coby'.



I don't know, Karen...Chris looks pretty cozy holding a baby...maybe there's hope for a 4th yet!!!

Nick and Ella playing with one of my photography props.

And again....

The Old FS Hats

Miss Colby is doing well! So well, in fact, that Aunt Kori was right: she's growing out of her newborn sleepers in the length. For the last time, she wore the sleeper we brought her home from the hospital in. It's the cute little spotted sleeper in the pictures below. It was also Nick's favorite sleeper for Colby because it zipped instead of snapped shut (so much easier for diaper-changing!). Today I noticed another of her sleepers is getting too short for her to fully stretch out. This makes me sad, but I also knew that she's over 8 lbs now and most of the newborn outifts are only 'up to 8 lbs.' I have a ton of new pictures to post, but I don't have a ton of time right now; so, I thought I would just include these two pictures of Colby in her fun hat that Aunt Autumn got her! She was heading to Grammy McCormick's while Nick and I had an appointment last Friday. Doesn't it remind you of the red/white winter hats that FS used to give customers for free?!! I love it!!