November:The Unabridged Version

What an exciting month this has been! Kaitlyn can roll over from left to right and from front to back! She prefers kicking off with her left foot though. She's gotten really strong with her legs. She likes to push off with them and throw herself backwards if she doesn't like the position you have her in.We thought she was getting her first tooth. I thought at the baby showers when I was getting so many bibs, that those would be reserved for when she started eating baby food. Little did I realize that it'd be needed much sooner for drool!! I found a hard, white spot on her gums on the 3rd, but soon after that, it went away. I figured it was a tooth coming up, but the Dr. had some other explanation for it.

Our friends Andrea and Jim had their baby boy, Colt. He was 9 pounds 9 ounces!! What a big boy! He is almost the size of Kaitlyn.

Tori, Tyson and Taylor helped me put up my Christmas decorations the 1st weekend in November. I had to get them up early because, as you'll read, our weekends following were pretty packed! We have 4 trees at the house (I have one more I may put up) Three of the bedrooms have 4ft trees in them. Kaitlyn's is pink. I need to put the "Texas" tree as Taylor calls it in our room. Then the living room has the big tree of course. I got most of the outside lights hung and plugged into the "set your lights to music" device. I still need to get a few lights out side done and the infamous inflatable snowman out too!

Deer season is in full force. Bruce has been burning up the highway between here and his lease. He's gotten one 10 point so far.

Taylor went with him once. He really enjoyed her going with him and spending quality time together. I think Taylor really enjoyed riding the 4-wheeler he got this season. He was proud of her pulling a deer she named Spike back to camp with the 4-wheeler too. Bruce said Taylor was saying "Come on Spike!" "Put your tongue back in your mouth Spike!"

Bruce, Jim and Jeff all went to Lake Whitney for a few days for Jeff's "Bachelor Party." They booked a guided fishing trip and were able to hunt on some public land.

Lindsey and Jeff's wedding is 16 days away! She had a shower on the 14th and we had her one on the 21st. Her wedding has come together so easy it seems. 3 months to plan a wedding isn't much time, but she has it all together!

After Lindsey's 1st shower on the 14th, Kaitlyn and I made a bee-line for Downtown Dallas so Kaitlyn could meet Lauren and David for the 1st time! They were in for her Aunt Pam's wedding, which I was hoping to go to, but I didn't realize it was the same time as Lindsey's shower. Seeing Lauren and David, and Lauren's family was great! They moved to Houston in August. I really miss her being close. Can't wait for David to move her back closer *wink wink*. We really should have taken some pictures while we were there. There just isn't enough time!

After the 2nd shower, we went to Lindsey's for lunch and to visit with Andrea and her kids and Lindsey's mom and aunt. On our way back home, Kaitlyn and I met up with my friend Jonathan, who I used to lifeguard with, from Oklahoma for dinner. Bruce and Jonathan used to go to school together as well. Jonathan and his wife Lindsay are expecting their 1st baby soon too. She is having a baby shower in Euless on Dec 5th that we will go to.

I was really looking forward to my week off at Thanksgiving. I don't know how it happens, but every day of that week we had something going on. Tuesday the 24th was Kaitlyn's 4 month check up. She weighed in at 11 pounds 8 ounces and was 23 inches long.

She's really holding her head up well and she can make the motions for crawling, she just doesn't get very far yet..it's only a matter of time! The dr. told us we could start solids now. I have in my mind that I'm going to make her baby food. I tried making rice cereal. I almost have it flakey enough, but we went ahead and bought a box which should last a while I think.

We delivered two cakes I'd made for a friend at work in Grand Prairie that evening. Wednesday we headed to Mineral Wells for my dentist appointment and so I could get my green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole made before mom needed in the kitchen. I also made a yummy banana pudding. I used a recipe from the Magnolia Bakery in New York City that I visited when I went for New Year's Eve one year.

I gave Kaitlyn her first bite of rice cereal that evening while everyone played poker at mom and dad's. She took it pretty well!

Thanksgiving day we ate at my parents. I smeared a little bit of mashed potato on my finger for Kaitlyn to taste. After lunch, we headed back to Fort Worth to Bruce's mom's to visit with his family for a while.

Bruce's dad and step-mom have been married 25 years and were renewing their wedding vows at the Church on Sunday. I had to bake cakes for the small reception following so I wanted to bake them in Mineral Wells so I didn't have to travel as far with them.
Their ceremony was very nice. Bruce Sr had arranged everything as a surprise to Lisa.

(pics to come)

Bruce's mom and step-dad also celebrated their 25th anniversary at the 1st part of the month by taking a trip to Tennessee.

So here we are to December already. Kaitlyn and I woke up to SNOW this morning!!! I, against my better judgement, had to take her out to see her very 1st snow! Just uncovered her long enough to snap the pictures.

I think I will start one of my New Year's Resolutions early. I'm going to try and NOT be so busy. I look forward to spending the evening watching Kaitlyn and spending every moment of quality time with her I can. I told Bruce that over Christmas break, I hoped that we didn't have as much running back and forth to do. Most important, it cuts into my time with Kaitlyn and it really messes up our schedules!

Kaitlyn said she had her Christmas wish list all made out so she needed to go visit Mr. Claus - so we did!

I'm not sure if you can tell in this picture, but she's giving a thumbs up! Couldn't have staged that if we wanted to!

PS .. I love when she giggles!