Laughing with Daddy...

We've finally been able to capture Kensley's cute little giggle on camera. Listen closely as it happens at the beginning of this short clip.

16 weeks and updates...

Wow...16 weeks already! I know I say this often, but I can't believe how fast the past time is flying by. This 16 week milestone is definitely bittersweet and one that I was hoping wouldn't come for a while. 16 weeks (well more like 16 and a half weeks) marks the time when my maternity leave ends and I head back to work. I am so thankful for the time I've had to be home with Kensley these past 4 months. It's been so fun to spend quality time with her watching her grow and change so much everyday. I'm hoping it will be an easier transition for me with only going back to work part-time, but I have a feeling next week will be pretty rough all around.

Kensley's latest discovery is that she found her thumb! Jeremy and I have been hoping that she'd find her thumb for a while now (and even encouraged her to do so by placing it in her mouth) so that she could soothe herself when losing her pacifier during the night or naps. We think it's pretty cute when we come in to get her up from a nap or in the mornings and she's just laying in her crib sucking on her thumb waiting for us to get her. Here are a few pictures I caught of her sucking on her thumb.

This past weekend, Jeremy and I had a little belated Valentines weekend away. Nana and Grandpa Brauchler stayed with Kensley on Saturday and Sunday while Jeremy and I had a nice relaxing overnight away. We had a good time, but we were anxious to get home to our little girl. I'm not even sure she noticed we were gone...she seemed to have a lot of fun playing with Nana and Grandpa.

Family pic before Jeremy and I took off for the night.

Patiently waiting for mom to take her picture.

Hanging out in her chair while mom gets her clothes ready.

"You want me to wear that???"

Modeling her new swimsuit! Apparently she's not quite sure about it yet.

Should have turned off the flash, but it's still a cute picture.

Playing with her toy on the couch.

Hanging out in her Exersaucer. She's still getting the hang of it and doesn't realize yet that she can make all the toys move...she just likes to stare at them.

Taking a break to rest her head during tummy time.

"Hurry home, Daddy! I'm ready for my bath."

Apparently she thinks mommy is pretty funny.

15 weeks...

Kensley is continuing to grow and change daily. She is looking more like her daddy everyday! We still can't believe how fast time is flying by and that Kensley is already 3.5 months old!

Kensley is discovering her tongue these days. She licks everything...her burp cloths, bibs, our shirts when we are holding her, her toys, her hands, etc. She seems to be testing out different textures and often likes to just stick her fingers in her mouth to touch her tongue. She is also slobbering a lot so between that and her putting everything into her mouth...we find that everything is wet these days!

This past week we had to invest in some breathable bumper pads for Kensley's crib. She is a restless sleeper and moves all over her crib throughout the night. She tends to gravitate towards the sides of the crib and ends up smashed against the crib rails. Often times her arm is hanging out as well and tends to wake her up whenever she moves. We knew we needed to get something to keep her limbs confined to the crib for fear of her hurting herself, but with her tendency to snuggle up against the sides we weren't sure about using regular bumper pads. She doesn't seem to mind the breathable bumper pads, even though she isn't able to see into the hallway anymore due to the obstructed view.

We had a nice Valentine's Day this past weekend spending the day together as a family of three. We went to church in the morning and Kensley did surprisingly well. The service we go to is in the middle of Kensley's morning nap so we weren't sure how that would go. As we've posted before, Kensley is not a fan of her car seat so we held her throughout the entire service and she snoozed off and on. We had a nice little brunch at Panera after church (which was kind of a tradition for Jeremy and I pre-Kensley), ran a few errands and then spent the afternoon relaxing on the couch watching the Olympics and taking naps.

And finally some pictures of the past week.

Tummy time!

Time to read!

Picture time with daddy!

Our little love bug

Thanks for the Valentine's dress, Nana!

We also got Kensley a jumperoo this past weekend and thought we'd go ahead and try it out. She's still a little small for it and didn't really get the hang of it, but it was fun watching her test it out. She kept pushing off the floor with one big toe...which caused her to just spin around.

Look at those chubby legs!

Snuggling with daddy before bed.

Such a cutie pie! She looks a lot like her daddy here, doesn't she??

14 weeks old...

Well here we are already documenting another week of Kensley's life. Kens is 14 weeks old today! We've had a pretty uneventful week so far as we've tried to stay out of the snow and cold. Kensley has had a stuffy/runny nose for the past few days. She doesn't really seem sick...no fever and has been sticking to her usual schedule. We don't want to take any chances though so we're staying in where it's warm and hoping that her congestion goes away.

Here is what we've been up to this past week.

Talking to mommy

Supporting the Colts on Blue Friday!

Running errands this past weekend. You can tell that she's thrilled to be all bundled up.

Looking cute in her Kensley hat

Jeremy and I at a surprise 30th birthday party for our friends. The theme was 80's attire. Kensley had fun spending the evening with Nana and Papa Brauchler.

Kens all decked out in her Colts attire for the Superbowl.

Making a silly face

She doesn't seem at all affected by the Colt's loss.

Playing with daddy before bed

Kensley has mastered holding her toys and has been working on bringing them to her mouth to suck on them. It's been funny to watch as she's been getting frustrated when she can't direct the toy where she wants it to go. She manages to finally get it to her mouth after several bonks to the head first.

Such an innocent expression

Also the latest position for her...sucking on her left hand while touching the back of her head with her right hand.

Just hanging out and looking cute

3 months...

Happy 3 month Birthday, Kensley!

Wow, it just doesn't seem possible that it's been 3 months already! Time is flying by and I am hoping that this month slowly drags by. I go back to work March 1st and I'm already dreading leaving my little girl. Fortunately, I'll only be working 3 days a week so hopefully that will make the transition a little easier.

Kensley gets her professional 3 month pictures taken tomorrow and we are really looking forward to it. Mommy's been planning Kensley's outfits and can't wait for the pictures! Stay tuned for a cute, chubby little girl in a tutu! We're hoping that Kensley is pleasant and happy for the photographer.

Kens has been doing a lot more with her hands lately and loves to "help" hold her bottle when she is being fed. She also is grabbing for things more and swatting at hanging toys. Here are a few pictures of her showing off her skills holding her bottle and toys.

Look at my toy, mom!

Focusing hard on her toy.

Holding her bottle and watching TV.

Ok mom, enough.

Love this little face! She is already showing her support for the Colts!

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And of course it's time for her monthly photo shoot with mommy. I opted for a short sleeved onesie this month so you can see those chubby little arms and legs.

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Lastly, here are two pictures of two of the walls in Kensley's room. Since Kensley's name was a surprise, we waited to put her name on the wall in her nursery until after she was born. I forgot to take a picture and post it until now. We also had Kensley's visitors sign a matted frame when they came to see her.