"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Yesterday, Caroline turned nine months old! I can hardly believe that she's already nine months. It took nine months of waiting for us to finally meet her and these last nine months seem like they have flown right on by. We still have no idea how blessed we are to have such a healthy precious baby girl!

9 Month Stats:
Wt: 17.13 (25%)
Ht: 27 3/4 (50%)
HC: 16 3/4 (10%)

At this appt they checked Caroline's iron level and it was a little low.  Dr. T said she needed to be eating more baby food to increase her iron level. This was one of the questions that I had concerns about. Ever since I've been home for Christmas break Caroline hasn't wanted to nurse as much. There was even one day where I couldn't get her to nurse hardly at all except for the early am feeding. I considered it because she was sick with a double ear infection and it could have very well been that last week but now we're thinking that she's trying to wean herself from five feedings to four. This transition for less feedings makes me a little nervous because I have thoughts that I've worked so hard at nursing for nine months that she just can't stop now!! But it's best for the both of us! My supply is decreasing a little and she's wanting more food! We began feeding her more table foods recently like green beans, mac n cheese, and mashed potatoes! She gets so excited when she's eating big people food!
Dr. T suggested a plan for us both and I'm excited about putting it into action!
Another one of my concerns that I asked about is her sleeping patterns. Caroline hasn't been easy to put to sleep at night. Usually, well before 8 months, we could lie her down wide awake and she'll go right to sleep. Now if we put her down awake she'll just cry and cry and cry until we go get her. She'll immediately put her head on our shoulder and go to sleep as if she had been the whole time. Then we'll put her back in her crib finally asleep. In the middle of the night she'll wake back up, we'll put her paci back in and before you know it she's sitting up crying ready for you to pick her up. So we do just that. We'll then if we go to put her back down she'll just cry and cry. Pick her up, put her on your shoulder and she's asleep. Put her down...cries and sits up, etc. We give in and put her in bed with us (which I never wanted to start). As soon as she's in bed with us she's right back off to sleep. Don't dare then try to move her...she'll wake right back up as soon as she's back in her crib. Dr. T said to let her cry it out because she's got to learn to soothe herself...I know this but its just so easy putting her in bed with us than to hear her cry for 15 minutes at 2 am! Any other suggestions!!

Each day comes with new surprises and this eigth month has been especially filled with them. The beginning of her eigth month brought two bottom teeth which kept us all up a few nights! We've also had two double ear infections. And last we can say that her personality has brightened. What do I mean by brightened you may ask! Besides being sick with a cold along with the ear infections and teething (poor baby) she has shown us a little bit of a wild/very active/determined side that we've yet to see until now. It's been fun but as you know I don't handle change well so this side of her has been fun and some what of a challenge for me too (all in a very good way...yes, she's still the sweetest baby).

Speaking of wild I do have a fun "after the fact" story to tell. She's never taken good naps for me. Well yesterday I tried holding her, rocking her, walking her, and even singing to her in hopes that she'll drift off to sleepy time. None of the above worked so I just put her in her crib with her lovey and walked into another room down the hall from hers. After a few minutes I no longer heard her talking or babbling so I assumed she was finally asleep. As soon as I thought this I heard a rustling noise and thought that maybe she just woke up and threw her lovey out of the crib. So I went to check it out. I looked in her crib and "THERE WAS NO CAROLINE TO BE SEEN". You all could have imagined..I started to panic..no I think my heart even stopped beating for an eensey sec... and took a double look in her crib as I was walking closer to it. Well, it was true she wasn't in her crib at all but instead she was in her clothes hamper. Somehow she managed to stand all the way up (hasn't done this since) and tumble out of her crib and land right side up in her clothes hamper (thank goodness this thing didn't come with a top because she would have for sure bounced off it and hit her head on the dresser). Anyways, I found her laughing while sitting in the hamper. After weeks of reminding Sam to lower her mattress, it didn't take him very long to do it last night! I am so glad that she didn't get hurt and it could have been a lot worse than finding my princess laughing sitting upright in her hamper! Praise the Lord she was just fine! Also, I'm realizing that when she was so quiet for so long it wasn't because she was asleep it was because she was gnawing on the crib and now we have little teeth marks on her cherry wood crib! Sam did this same thing as an infant so he thought it was cute, I however did not find it so amusing!

So after this fun event we headed on over to the Broadwells for a playdate with Sarah Ann, Charlie, Anna Claire, and Hendrix! We had so much fun and it was great catching up with the mommies too! We can't wait for another playdate!

To celebrate nine months I want to list nine things that I love about our Sweet Caroline!
I love:
1. To hear her laughing/playing in her crib in the mornings while calling
    da da! I keep telling her she needs to call for her ma ma!
2. How her nose crinkles when she gets really excited!
3. How she reaches for me to pick her up! Knowing she just wants to be held
    by you is the warmest feeling in the world!
4. How she claps her hands together!
5. How she looks when she laughs behind her paci!
6. How she squeezes my neck as if giving me a hug when I pick her up after
    being gone out of the room for a bit when daddy has her!
7. How happy she is all the time!
8. How she grabs my hands and pulls them to her face to lay on them when
    she's in her carseat (yes, I still sit in the back with her)!
9. Each and everyday with her!

Happy Nine Months Caroline!

Caroline (9 months), Hendrix (10 Weeks), Sarah Ann (14 months)
Anna Claire and Charlie (10 months)

Happy Girl!

I love to hear this bell ring!

I love stretching my hands over my head with my toys!

Silly!

Here's the nose crinkle I was telling you about!

Sweet baby! Love you!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Caroline's First Christmas

This Christmas was especially exciting for The Leviners as we celebrated as a family of three! Here's Christmas at our house!



Caroline is so cute in her Santa suit!


Our Santa Baby!




She learned that she can take off her bows, something
that I told her Santa was watching her for!


My mommy made me this cute reindeer shirt! And yes
she has her own hairbow too!


Love this picture!




Waiting in line to see Santa Claus!


You are so cute baby!


I'm having so much fun at daddy's work
Christmas party! You can also see my two new
bottom teeth!


Opening my presents at my Nanny's!


I had so much fun at Morgan Kate's! The beads
from our Aunt Rae was our most favorite!


Oh and the baton was a lot of fun too!


Aunt Rae with her favorite "little" gals!


So I love Christmas ornaments! Thought I'd share
the ornaments that we've gotten each Christmas
since we've been married!






This was such a special one..adding Caroline
to our family ornament for this year!


My new tradition will be that each year I will
add a picture ornament of Caroline to our tree!


This was one of the neatest ornaments! It's snow.
All you do is add water and the snow...


Grows!


Caroline's Santa plate!


Little girls first stocking!


I love Christmas cards...getting them and sending
them! They adorn our den in many places! Here's the mantle!


Aw!


I love this so much fun toy from my Nanny!


Santa's cookies and milk!


I was so excited to get this letter from Santa!
He also told me that the Santa Mouse would bring
me new pajamas on Christmas Eve next year!


Playing with my new toys!


Here's some of what Santa brought to me!
Merry Christmas little girl!


Here I am at my granny's!


I'm loving this new toy from my Aunt Missi
and cousins, Samantha and Christian!


It's the day after Christmas and I'm still playing
with all my new toys!




Thank you everyone for all of my fun toys, books, and
DVD's! I love you all!


   This is where our family festivities began, at mommy
and daddy's Sunday School's Christmas party!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Caroline Meets Santa Claus!


After two hours of waiting Caroline finally met Santa Claus! She loved looking up at him and especially pulling his beard! This was so much fun for us. I met and talked to lots of "friends" that were also excited about sitting on Santa's lap! The little four year old in front of us kept Caroline quite entertained! He wanted a baby for Christmas! He'll make a great big brother because he was so gentle and friendly with Caroline!
As I was standing in line I kept thinking back to when I was a child and how excited seeing Santa made me! I want Caroline to have that same magical feeling! This was a priceless moment for mommy and daddy...to take our sweet little girl to see Santa for the very first time (and yes I did get a little teary eyed seeing her so happy for those few seconds!)

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Here's little Caroline helping decorate her first Christmas tree! She had so much fun getting into the ornament boxes and the paper as we were putting up our Christmas decorations this past weekend! Her eyes lit up and her mouth fell open in excitment when we turned on our Christmas tree lights. I told her that those lights came on just for her!!
Also, this past Sunday we went to our Sunday School's Christmas party! It was a lot of fun with a lot of friends, people, and babies! The girls exchanged ornaments and the guys exchanged gifts.  We played a game while we exchanged the gifts and it was a lot of fun seeing who wanted what gift and who had to exchange the gift they really wanted when someone else wanted it. Caroline laughed and laughed the whole time. She enjoyed being held and looked at! It was so much fun! Thank you Jenny and Will for hosting such a great party!





Monday, December 07, 2009

I forgot to post Caroline's recent photo link from our photographer, Patty Hallman. Here's the website: http://www.collages.net/
Username- Caroline at 6 months
Password- 10292

Caroline attended her first Christmas party last night! Stay tuned for pictures of her fun night!

Love and Prayers,
The Leviners

Friday, December 04, 2009

I am so excited about finally putting up our Christmas tree and decorating the house tonight, I can hardly stand it! I can't wait to see Caroline's eyes light up when we turn the tree lights on! It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm sure I'll take lots of pictures to post! Enjoy your tree trimming with your family if you haven't already done so!

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Here's our Thanksgiving weekend pictures!! Caroline turned 8 months on last Sunday! She's a very busy little girl! She's crawling everywhere and getting into everything! We still do not have our Christmas tree up but by tomorrow our house will be Christmasfied (I know, I don't think its a word either)!
Caroline's cutting her first tooth and we are having some sleepless nights because of it, but hopefully it'll come on out and she'll start feeling herself again!

Last Friday, I went to Raven's and saw Elizabeth and little Neeley! Neeley is four months and oh so such a cute pie! We had so much fun catching up and letting our little ones play! We can't wait for Baby Yonemura to get here so she/he can play with Neeley, Morgan Kate, and Caroline!


Caroline!


Raven loving on Miss Neeley!



Crawling away at Raven's!




Neeley and Caroline!





Caroline thought Neeley was hers! She just wanted to grab her!















She also thought she was hers to kiss all over! How sweet!
















Neeley! She's so sweet!












Here's Caroline playing with all her toys!













This little girl loves to play with these nesting cups!













Happy First Thanksgiving little girl!













Sam and Jason entertaining the fam!














Michelle and JD!













Amanda and Michelle!















Caroline and her Aunt Angela going on a ride!















Uncle Jack and Aunt Sue! We have the Leviner Thanksgiving
at Sue's and Jack's! We have so much fun! Every year
there is always so much family, food, and fun, and even
a new "thing" on wheels to ride on, sit on, race with, or
just cruise on by with! Love the Leviner Thanksgiving!















Me and my sweet Hubby!