45 weeks and sleepy...

Daddy K here.

We're all sleepy tonight. A long day at the end of a full week with the promise of many good travels and visits this weekend. We'll be headed to Atlanta tomorrow for the baptism of Godsister Abby on Sunday. So look out doggie bowl, Caroline is on her way!

Tonight was an evening of good visits, too. Caroline got to meet a first cousin once removed Suzy (Kevin's cousin) and a second cousin (Suzy's daughter Kate). (N.B. We're basing the "first cousin etc." and "second cousin" designations on info gleaned at Wikipedia.) Suzy and Kate, who can usually be located with the rest of their family (Erik and Emma) in Lexington, KY, were in Nashville for a soccer tournament Kate is taking part in. But they made time to stop by and visit (thank you!!!). A good time was had by all, and we will be posting pics of the event soon. Kate did a GREAT job with feeding Caroline at dinner, and also taught us a new-to-us and very fun card game: Wizard.

No major developmental news this week, but several smaller indicators of things to come:

• Caroline is steadily getting more and more into books. She's been finding much enjoyment in a pop-up book gifted to her from a family in New York, and she regularly enjoys sitting on Daddy's lap in the afternoon for the reading of a few books. And she can often be found leafing through one of several board books scattered through the house. She's even taken to flipping through Mommy and Daddy's books if she comes across them.
  
• Standing on her own continues to develop, and she's cruising like a champ. No steps being attempted without support yet, but over the past couple of days, she's started enthusiastically taking several steps when being held by her hands and following along when the hands-holder steps away.
  
• Caroline is definitely trying to climb things in order to be able to reach higher. Teddy bears, a push-car, and even Daddy's leg are all fair game for use as stepstools.
  
• Caroline is taking a lot more interest in going for walks. She perks up when preparations are being made, and she definitely focuses on notable aspects along the path: butterflies winging their way over flower patches, the boundary of sidewalk and grass, leaves and branches being blown by the wind. She particularly perks up when a dog barks, looking excitedly for the source of the canine greeting. (Look out, Lulu! Caroline is coming and she wants to be your friend!!!)
  
• Teething seems to be progressing steadily. More often than not, Caroline can be found with her tongue jammed into one corner of her mouth or another, applying pressure to the gums there. And discomforts both mandibular and maxillary are definitely present at times.
  

A good week, and if I'm forgetting anything (have I mentioned we're all tired?), we'll be sure to include it soon. May your weekend be a good one!