Kate is 3 months old!

Here we go again- a monthly post laminating the fact that time is just flying by! Kate is a quarter of a year old, and just in time for me to back to school!  I remember many parents telling me that your favorite time during your child's life tends to be the current time that they are in.  I can't agree more.  I have loved watching Kate grow this month.  You can see her personality starting to show.  She loves to be around people- Jake like's to say that she suffers from FMS syndrome (fear of missing something), just like her momma.  Kate is also very passionate- she is either very happy and smiling all the time, or on rarer occasions, very unhappy, showing off her new, ear-piercing scream!  Here's a list of Kate's 3 month accomplishments-

• Kate, you sleep through the night almost every night.  You go to sleep around 8:30, and wake up between 6:30 and 7:30.  Mommy and Daddy love this accomplishment!
• You put yourself to sleep almost every night.  We hardly ever have to fight you to go to bed...when 8 hits, your eyes are very very heavy!
• You outgrew your size one diapers and are now in size 2.  Mommy told you to suck in for a few days so we could finish out the size ones!
• You smile all the time.  All we have to do is look at you, and you melt our hearts with a truly joyful look!
• You started laughing!  Daddy was changing your diaper and you gave him a good, belly style laugh!  If we tickle you under the arms, you treat us to this amazing sound. 
• You went swimming for the first time!  You weren't quite sure what to think, but you didn't hate it.  We figure that's good enough for now. 
• Kate, you went to day care to get ready for Mommy going back to school.  Ms. Vickie said you did a great job, and will do even better once you get used to her. 
• You are very possessive of your Daddy when he gets home from work.  You cuddle with him for more then an hour while Mommy finishes getting dinner ready. 
• You started grabbing at toys.  You love your duckie, and put his beak in your mouth all the time.  
• You still play on your playmat often, and entertain yourself with all your hanging toys. 
• You started sitting in your bumbo.  You are only happy for about 5 minutes, but it's nice to see you sitting up like a big girl. 
• You are very close to rolling over from back to tummy.  You get to your side, and stop.

Mommy and Daddy can't wait to see what this next month brings.  You are growing up so fast, and we can already tell what a smart, sweet, beautiful little girl you are!  We love you so much!

Cuddling with your daddy-  I love your "He's mine...back off  Mommy" look!

Sitting like a big girl!

Late Night Musings

I know all moms give the advice of "make sure to sleep when the baby is sleeping,"  but tonight, I just wasn't tired.  I'm up right now in a quiet living room, with an asleep baby girl, asleep husband, a book I just finished, and a full heart.  I have had a lovely, quiet evening by myself, interrupted by a few moments of my laughter listening to Kate put her self asleep on the monitor (the girl loves to have conversations by herself).  In thinking of how nice this night was, my mind wandered to how extraordinarily blessed our little family is.  In high school, I had a xanga, and though I will save myself from embarrassment by allowing all you readers of my far more mature blog access to my high school thoughts by giving you the address, there was one thing I did on a fairly regular basis that I was thinking tonight about bringing it back.  The fad at the time was to list your one hundred favorite things.  When rereading that list, I had to laugh at how much that list has changed, but in alot of ways, how it has stayed the same.  So, due to my present insomnia, as well as my overwhelming blessings, I have decided to update that list, starting with 50 things.

My favorite things (Anyone else singing the song right now??) Disclaimer: these are in no particular order.
1.  smelling a newborn baby 2. falling asleep next to my husband 3. babies in sleepers 4. Road trips 5. playing guitar with Chelsea 6.  Talking baby strategies with Cassie 7. Sitting and having a beer with my mom 8.  Sitting in the man cave with my dad 9. Kate's smile 10. Old and beautiful hymns at mass 11. reading a good book 12. going to the library 13. going for a good run 14. cooking something new 15. playing mario kart with jake 16. giving Kate a bath 17.  throwing Abby up in the air 18.  girl's nights 19.  late night talks with Jake 20.  visiting with family and my wonderful in-laws. 21. Aggie football 22.  any football on tv 23.  playing settlers of Catan 24. playing volleyball at camp 25. writing in my journal 26. getting the laundry finished 27. changing Kate's diaper and seeing how small I can get the dirty one before I put it in the diaper genie...don't laugh moms, I know you do the same thing! 28. watching reruns of the office 29.  cooking with Jake 30. while I hate shopping, finding clothes I am really excited about 31.  teaching a fun lesson 32.  old country music on the radio 33. going in to Kate's room in the morning and seeing her smile when she sees me 34. a good conversation with old friends 35.  the friendship feature on facebook that allows you to see old pictures 36. drinking a cold beer on a hot night 37.  making it to daily mass with Kate in tow 38. 5:45, when Jake gets home from work 39.  the first day of school 40. the last day of school 41. skyping with Chelsea, and Jake's family 42. updated blog entries from friends 43. unexpected emails/facebook messages 44.  Extreme home makeover: Weight Loss addition 45.  maybe tmi here, but being able to store pumped milk.  It's such an accomplishing task. 46. Watching Kate smile/fall asleep in her daddy's arms. 47. visiting Castroville, TX 48. visits to Dallas from family, and friends 49. hand sanitizer 50. going to weddings.

Kate is 2 months old!

Kate- you were such a joy this second month.  Mommy and Daddy were talking about how we just can't believe how fast the time has gone since we were blessed with you!  It seems like I was pregnant forever, but now that we get to see you, play with you, cuddle with you, etc, everyday, the time sure has flown.  The following is a list of your many accomplishments this month.  I can't wait to see how much you grow in the next 4 weeks!

• You are a great sleeper- You started sleeping through the night about 2 weeks ago!  On average, you sleep 6-7 hours the first time we put you down, then usually another 2-3 after a feeding. 
• You are huge :).  You weight 13 lbs and 3 oz, and are in the the 95 percentile for both height and weight! You sure have come along way since your birth weight of 6 15!
• You eat almost every 3 hours, and are a great eater (clearly, just look at your weight :) ).  You did start, though, getting fussy at your late night feeding, but Mommy and Daddy figured out you just need to walk around a bit and be calm in a dark room, and then you will eat!
• You love your toys- especially your play mat and your crib aquarium.  
• You learned to wake Mommy and Daddy up at night when you were ready to eat by hitting your aquarium with your feet, instead of crying.  It really scared us the first time you did it...we had no idea how you got to the bottom of your crib!
• Along with the last accomplishment, you have learned to scooch in your crib.  It's so fun to see where you end up when you wake up!
• You smile all the time!!  It's so fun to play with you and see you react.  Your beautiful smile can melt our heart.  
• You were baptized on June 19, Daddy's first Father's day.  You looked beautiful in your gown, and Mommy's baptism cross.  
• You still roll over from tummy to back, and have gotten really close to rolling over from back to tummy
• You love watching your Daddy.  When he walks around the house, you love to watch him. 
• You got your first big round of shots.  You did great at the doctors office, but definitely didn't like it when you felt the needles.  Mommy was just upset as you were seeing you in pain :(.

Kate, you are such a beautiful, healthy girl, and we are so excited to watch you continue to grow!

Your joyful 2 month picture!

"All that America is!"

Anyone who knows me knows what a huge history buff I am, and how important I think today is :)  Some of my favorite July 4th memories include watching fireworks form our boat on the lake as a child, hilarious skits at camp including Betsy Ross on the dock, reciting the Gettysburg Address, setting off fireworks for campers, and the year fireworks were banned and we had to have a show only with sparklers in the meadow at The Pines.  We made it work.

This year, we loved our three day weekend celebration.  We watched a great fireworks show about a mile from our house (Frisco Freedom Fest) on Saturday, and had a blast introducing Kate to fireworks.  She didn't really get the concept, but Mommy and Daddy had a lot of fun relaxing and watching the show from the back of our explorer.  On Sunday, we continued an annual tradition since moving to Dallas and went to Kaboom town in Addison with a great group of friends.  Although our going was not a newsworthy event like in years past (see youtube video for proof), we still had a blast.  Jake and I were really worried Kate would get too hot, and although she was only in her diaper by the end of the night, she made it through with flying colors and even slept soundly through the 30 minute show.  I can't wait for future celebrations, when she can really enjoy a fun day with family and friends.

Brahm's Lullaby and our Nighttime routine!

One of the greatest blessings of so many babies in one year for our family (4!!), has been getting advice and watching family members raise babies, and seeing what works for us and our little Kate.  One thing I have really taken from Cassie is to establish a nighttime routine for a refreshing night sleep for both baby and mom and dad.  It's really cool to watch Abby go to bed if you ever get the chance- she needs her "Lovey" (only used to go to sleep), and sometimes her daddy to sing the Aggie war hymn.  In a combination that seems to be as potent as Nitequill and warm milk, the girl is out usually within a few minutes.  And, if she isn't, she plays by herself until she goes to sleep.  Now I'm sure there are a few rough nights, but for the most part, Abby is a wonderful sleeper!  I was telling Cass, though, that I hope she grows out of at least one of her night time routines, or else she will be a college freshman wondering why she always falls asleep when she hears the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band (and Uncle Jake really wouldn't like that)!

I write all this to say that we have worked hard to try to start a similar routine now that Kate is almost 2 months.  Lately, I have been putting her to sleep for her naps drowsy, but still awake to see if she can put herself to sleep.  And, she usually does!  Luckily, we haven't had any meltdowns from her yet, and I know it will be hard when she does cry, but it seems to work for us to let her fall asleep on her own.  The last few nights, we have done the same:  Jake will walk with her for about 5 minutes to get her sleepy (he's really good at the 5 S's), we pray with her, and I make sure to put her aquarium on playing Brahm's before I leave her room.  The last two nights, she has slept for more then 7 hours!

As we listen to the lullaby in our room through the baby monitor, I have started to say a silent prayer that goes along with it.  I know now, everytime I hear the lullaby, I will be brought back to these times: a beautiful era of watching our newborn daughter grow, learn, and be joyful in her own little way.  God has blessed us so much with such and abundant life.

My prayer for Kate to the tune of her favorite lullaby:
So Goodnight, and God Bless
May you sleep with the Angels
So Goodnight, and God Bless
I love you, My dear.

Kate, asleep before we could put her down!

The smell of Chrism....

will always be a reminder of a wonderful day- June 19, 2011:  Kate's baptism and Jake's first father's day!  This morning when Kate woke up to eat, I immediately smelled the sweet and poignant smell again, and it instinctively brought a smile to my face.  I don't even want to bathe her!  I made sure Kate wore her bonnet for awhile so that it would soak up the smell of such a beautiful sacrament. The baptism was so beautiful.  We were blessed to have the same priest that married us, Father David, baptize Kate.  He was great, and gave a wonderful homily about how our faith has been passed down from generations to generations, and is the best thing we can leave our children.

When we asked Father David to baptize Kate, he suggested that we have the ceremony on Father's day.  I'm so glad he did.  Mom hosted an amazing bbq for all the fathers on Saturday, and being the party host that she is, did the same for Kate on Sunday.  We had all kinds of family join us, and were blessed to have a guest all the way from Tennessee- Jamie!  Many thanks to everyone who made the trip to make Kate's baptism special- All three of my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, my cousins, the Congers, Chelsea, Hilary, and Jamie. 

What an a rich faith we have.  God Bless Kathryn Kay!

Jumping on the bandwagon- Our engagement story

I have loved reading the engagement stories of dear friends this past week.  I decided to play follow the leader and share Jake an I's story!

First, a little background info: 
In the summer of 2008, I had graduated and was working at the Pines, and Jake was taking his last few classes at A&M.  We had been dating for almost three years at that point (with one brief hiatus; which if you ask Jake about, he will happily explain to you the "big mistake" I made in dumping him  ;) ).  I knew an engagement was coming, but I didn't know Jake had already asked my dad and was working hard to afford a ring! 
Fast forward to October.  We both had just moved to Dallas.  I was still looking for a job, and Jake was working at Macaroni Grill.  I finally got an interview, and on Wednesday of that week, I was offered a job teaching Social Studies at West Junior High in Richardson.  I thought it was the best day since I graduated...but little did I know, the coming weekend was about to wrap up the best week of my life- now overshadowed by our wedding and honeymoon, and the birth of Kate. 

Now, the actual engagement story taken from my knot page.  Which, by the way, was so fun to go back and visit!  I haven't looked at that for almost 2 years :)  Excuse the third person usage.

Jake and Courtney had planned on joining Courtney's parents to watch the Aggies battle Kansas State on Kyle Field. As the game ended (badly), Jake told Courtney that he would meet her outside the stadium since he "had to go to the bathroom." Though Courtney thought it was slightly ridiculous that he couldn't have done this during the game so they could get home and out of the heat, she reluctantly agreed. When she and her parents were leaving Kyle Field, she saw her Aunt Rita and Uncle Lindy all the way in from San Antonio standing with a rose. They gave the rose to Courtney, along with a card that had instructions on it for Courtney to trust during the next journey, signed by Jake. It led her to another spot on campus where Chelsea, Courtney's twin sister was standing with another rose, and another card. Courtney was led to spots on campus that meant alot to the couple throughout their dating years, where her sister Cassie and some of the couple's closest friends and suprise guests (like Jake's mom all the way form TN!) were waiting with roses and more clues with sweet messages. The trail ended at St. Mary's chapel where Courtney and Jake had spent many hours in prayer. Jake met her outside, led her in the doors, where he asked her to be his wife. She, of course, said yes!
Jake surprised Courtney again by having almost a hundred of her friends and family waiting at her parent's house to congratulate and celebrate with the couple!


What a great day- and what a great decision on my part to say yes to a man who strives to lead me, and now our daughter, closer to Christ everyday.  And, he does a great job of calming down his "fireball" of a wife on a pretty consistent basis.

Proof of Kate rolling over!

Here's a video from Aunt Jamie showing Kate rolling over!  I promise she sounds much more upset then she actually was- but I do think she learned to roll over because she hates being on her tummy.

So proud of our little girl!

Summer in the Poulsen House

This week has been the first where I really feel like it's summer break, and not just me on maternity leave!  We are so glad to have Jamie, Jake's twin sister, staying with us for the week.  It's been so fun introducing her to Kate, and I love having someone to talk to during the day!  I mean, Kate's great...but not much of a conversationalist.  We are working on it.

This week also brought a special date- Jake and I's second anniversary!  I can't believe how fast the time has flown by.  Jake has always told me that the most memorable best man 's speech he ever heard was the advice of the best man to the couple that this day (their wedding day) shoudl be the day that they love each other the least- that their love should grow everyday.  While 2 years ago I didn't think I could love Jake more because of how enamored I was, now, I realize how small that love was compared to what I feel now.  Because of God's love, we have been able to love as he does- a love that grows and never stops.  So, watching Jake be an amazing husband, and now, an incredible father, my love for him overshadows mightily what I felt on June 13, 2009!! 

Enough of the mushy stuff.  Here is a trip down memory lane.  First, a picture from our very first date.  Well, maybe our second date.  It's up for debate whether our first date was at midnight yell, or the Hall (a dance hall in College Station).  Either way, this is from the hall.



In college, we spend alot of time supporting each other at our various events: for Jake, it was Corp events- mainly marching in the band.  For me, Jake would come to as many lacrosse games as he could. 

And, in honor of our anniversary, a few favorite wedding pictures!

Kate's a month old!

Kate-  This month was the most amazing month of Mommy and Daddy's life!  You have grown up more then I ever thought a baby could in 4 weeks.  You have made some amazing accomplishments and we can't wait to watch you grow even more in month 2.  First of all, you are an amazing eater.  You were up more then a pound from you birth weight by your second week!  You make feeding very easy, and Mommy very much enjoys our time together.  You also sleep better then I thought a newborn could!  At night, you sleep at least 3 hour chunks, but usually its 4-5 hours.  You have even slept up to 6 hours at once a few times.  Kate, you are a very vocal girl!  From occasional screams out of nowhere, to the latest- grunts all the time- you want to be heard!  I have a feeling you will be very outgoing like both your parents.  You love bath time, but only if we work very hard to keep you warm!  Either Mommy or Daddy has to keep dumping water on you while the other one scrubs!  Lastly, and I just couldn't believe this-  you rolled over at the end of your first month!  The Mercers, and Aunt Cassie were there to see it, and I think we all thought it was a fluke!  But when I called in Gigi and Peepaw to see if you could do it again- you did!!!  And, you fit in a third roll by the time you went to bed that night.  Daddy is still waiting to see it, and you are trying very hard to show him your new trick. 

We love you so much Kate, and everyday we thank God for our beautiful little girl. 

Your one month picture in an outfit Gigi made you!!

We've almost made it a month!

These past few weeks have flown by, just like the first two of Kate's life.  Kate experienced a few firsts since I last wrote: 

She took her first road trip!  Along with Cassie, Chris, and Abby, we drove out to Big Sandy to meet the newly ordained Fr. Hank Lanik!  We were blessed to get to join him in celebrating his very first mass as a priest.  Hank was the camp director at The Pines for many years, and had a huge impact on all of the Mechler's lives....and I will venture to add our husbands in that group as well.  Cass and I were talking after the mass and we were discussing how the weirdest part of seeing Hank as a priest was that it really wasn't weird at all.  He's played the role of a spiritual father for so many years, that him as a priest just makes sense!

My view from the backseat of our road trip!

She smiled for the first time (we think)!  She was sitting with Uncle Chris and gave him 2! big smiles.  Mommy and Daddy are still waiting for the second smile directed towards us :)!

After her first smile!

She slept for 6 straight hours!  Jake and I were hanging out with friends from camp playing Settlers, so we didn't get to experience the greatness of 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep, but it was pretty neat knowing she is growing up.  Before we know it, she will be sleeping through the night.

I have been reading Baby Wise to get some ideas of how to establish in Kate good sleeping patterns from the very beginning.  Since she is still so little, right now we are working on good patterns:  starting with a full feeding, then awake time, and ending with a nap.  I can already see a difference when I make a conscious effort to follow this pattern:  she sleeps better at night and seems to be less fussy during the day.  We are now learning what kind of toys she likes too to keep her entertained during her awake time.  It started with a frog bouncer seat when she was born, but Kate knows the trick now- that we are trying to get some work done when we put her in it....so the frog is no longer working.  I just figured out that she likes the fisher price aquarium that is on her crib...so I put that near a receiving blanket and let her watch to her hearts content.  Yes, that's what she is doing right now as I write this :).  Kate also loves bath time.  As long as Mommy and Daddy keep her warm, she is a happy camper.

After bath time!

Loving her aquarium!

All in all, the first month of Kate's life has been amazing.  We have been blessed with such a sweet, loving, and mainly content daughter.  Who could ask for anything more?

Kate= 2 weeks old!

Now I understand what my parents always said about time just flying by when you have a child.  I feel like we were just blessed with our little Kate!  I guess in the grand scheme of things, 2 weeks is pretty young :), but what's next??  1 month, 1 year, 10 years, then college and marriage!  I'm getting ahead of myself...

Kate is just doing great.  She really is a great baby.  She is still eating very very well.  In fact, she is up to 8 pounds, from her her birth weight of 6 15.  She sleeps great, too.  During the night and morning feedings, she has a hard time going back to sleep...but she doesn't fuss- just has very wide eyes trying to experience the world!  We are working on getting back to sleep quicker...more for my sake then hers :).

I never realized how much I would love her little movements.  Some of my favorite things that she does is her stretch face.  She throws her arms back above her head, and lifts her head up with her lips clamped together.  Its very cute.  I love the ways she sneezes, too.  She usually gets one good sneeze in, then yells as she tries another one.  When I try to give her a binkie, she literally attacks it.  It cracks me up every time. 

I can't write a blog entry about Kate's 2 weeks of life without mentioning her amazing Daddy.  I was a little nervous about this week since it would be our first week alone as a family.  My mom was so sweet and helpful and spend Kate's first week and a few days helping us getting adjusted.   Adjusted included putting Kate back to sleep after all the night feedings, cooking dinners, and cleaning the house more then it ever has been :).  But, I worried for no reason.  Jake has been just wonderful.  He lights up when he gets home from work and we are waiting at the garage door for him.  He has taken to getting to work an hour early so he can leave at 5.  Both Kate and Mommy love it :).  With him waking up early, he as graciously volunteered to put Kate back to sleep after her early morning feeding so I can get a little more sleep.   He's just great.

Kate has really enjoyed meeting all of her new friends.  Yesterday, Aunt Cass-Cass watched her while I went to a baby shower at work.  It was hard to leave her for the first time, but it was so nice knowing I got to leave her with my sister.  When I got back, we decided to have a quick photoshoot with the two cousins.  No joke, right before we took the picture, Abby *on her own* grabbed Kate's hand.  Cass and I about melted.  I can't wait to watch those two grow up together!

Life is abundant in the Poulsen house. 

Jake and his girl after a late feeding

Abby and Kate- the cutest cousins ever!

After a binkie attack.

Welcome Kathryn Kay!

On May 5, Jake and I were blessed beyond our imagination with our amazing daughter, Kathryn Kay Poulsen.  This last week and half with her has been the best, albeit busiest, of our lives.  She took awhile to get here, but once she did, our lives were changed for the better!

I started having contractions on Monday morning, May 2, which happened to be my first day off of work.  Jake and I were naive, looking back, and thought we would have our little one by that night!  After a day of waiting, we realized it might be a little longer, and thought she would for sure show up on her (or his at that point) due date, which was Tuesday, May 3.  Well, May 4 rolled around, and after a trip to the hospital where I was sent home, we were starting to get a little antsy!  Wednesday night my contractions continued and were getting more and more intense, and closer together.  Finally, at about 3 am, we headed to the hospital, and were admitted!  It hit then that by that evening, we would be holding Baby Poulsen and know finally if he was a he, or a she.

After laboring for so long, I was pretty exhausted and opted to get an epidural so I could rest before the delivery part of labor and delivery.  It was a great decision for Jake and I, and we were able to rest for the first time in a few days.  By the time 6:30 pm rolled around, Kate was ready to arrive, and I started pushing.  At 8:51, she made her appearance.  Apparently, right at that time in the waiting room, my mom turned to my dad and said "something has happened...the baby is here!"  I will never forget Jake telling me that she was a girl!  Our doctor told us after seeing her head that he thought she was a boy.  When she came out completely and he realized he was wrong, he said "just ignore I said that!"  We all had a good laugh at that.  After an hour of "skin to skin" contact and a quick first feeding, Kate was ready to meet her admirers.  Jake and I were so blessed to have so many people supporting us throughout the whole labor.  Some were able to be there to meet Kate, and sadly, some couldn't.  My parents, Cassie and Chris, and Erin were there to meet Kate when she was ready for visitors.  Jake's family was there in spirit, and we got to skype with them later that night so they could officially meet Ms. Kate. 

We spend Friday and Saturday in the hospital, and were blessed with the best nurses and staff!  We were discharged on Saturday, and came home to a huge stork in the yard, and an immaculate house, thanks to "Peepaw and Gigi."

Kate has just been a joy since moment one.  She is very alert, sleeps great, eats even better, and cries very little.  In fact, we all laughed because she doesn't cry really at all...just screams for a few seconds, and then calms down.  We call it her "0 to 60" reaction. 

Our blessings abound!

New to the blogging world!

I feel like having a baby is a rite of passage into the not only motherhood, but also the world of blogging!  Jake and I wanted to be able to share stories of our life together with beautiful little Kate, along with pictures, so thus, the blog was born.

Not only did we have a hard time picking out a name for our beautiful little girl, the same was true when trying to name the blog...although I admit, it's much less important!  I kept coming back to my favorite Bible verse, John 10:10, when Christ is described as the good shepherd who knows his sheep by name.  At the end of the passage, John describes how Christ came to earth that we, his people, might not only have life, but have life to the fullest.   Guess what the Gospel reading was on Sunday??  Thus, the blog name was born.  I was thinking about how this verse has been my favorite since high school, and how abundantly God has blessed me throughout my entire life.  In fact, when I thought life couldn't get any better, I met an amazing man in 2005 who would become my husband!  Then, after Jake and I got married on June 13, 2009, I felt more blessed then ever.  That changed in September, when we found out we were expecting a little one (insert name: Baby Poulsen, Elvis, Nugget, Peanut, etc).  Then, on May 5, 2011, our cup overflowed, when we were blessed with little Kathryn Kay.  More on that to come. 

To close, I thought I would share some of our failed blog names:
Jake's choice:  "Stuff my wife says"
"Put down the beer and hold your baby"
"Changed for Gooder"