The Bells

Kennedy's First Haircut

2009-12-08T20:48:00.005-06:00

With great misgivings...we decided to cut Kennedy's hair. We were trying to let it get long enough to grow to one side...but instead it just hung straight down in her eyes all the time, unless we had a rubber band or a barrette in it, which she would invariably pull out.

So, over Thanksgiving Meredith's cousin Susan Delta Payne, the other Delta, cut it! OK, one snip - but it still counts.

Long Time No Post!

2009-11-22T16:31:00.005-06:00

Sorry to all the relatives for not posting in so long...we have been busy here in the Bell household.

So, before Thanksgiving gets here I thought I should post some Halloween pics. Kennedy was a Titans cheerleader, which was a truly scary outfit since at that point they hadn't yet won a game. However, Kennedy's costume turned the tide. On November 1 the Titans finally got their first win of the season and Jamie and I were lucky enough to witness it in person. Yay Kennedy!

We went to a Fall Festival at our church, and Kennedy got to go on a pony ride and slide down the big slide with Dad...fun, fun, fun. She also had some Halloween candy, although Smarties were all we would allow her to eat. Everything else was too risky (and/or looked too good to Mom and Dad.:-)

I'm also posting a video of Jamie's favorite game to play with Kennedy, "Tickle Machine." That's just a fancy word for a hair-dryer diffuser. Hey - whatever it takes!

Sundays...

2009-10-05T22:09:00.005-05:00

Getting ready to leave - so excited!

Kennedy LOVES going to church and visiting her little friends in the nursery. The only problem is that church is from 11:00 until about 12:20 or so, which is exactly when Kennedy's lunch and nap time is on every other day of the week. So, Sundays are a little rough. We try to eat a snack right before we go, eat lunch when we get home, then take a late nap, but it doesn't always work out that way. Here's what happened this past week...

Who Does Kennedy Look Like?

2009-10-04T08:34:00.002-05:00

Kennedy - 9 months

Haley - Meredith's niece. 18 mos.?

Meredith - one year

Jamie - 6-9 mos.?

Please vote in the poll to the left!!!!

Kennedy is One!!!!!!

2009-09-13T22:24:00.008-05:00

It's hard to believe, but our baby girl is one. Here's a look back at the past year...

Day 1...Hour 1!

In the hospital, the only time we could get her to wear a hat.

Home, sleeping in the Pack n Play.

Clyde checking things out.

And deciding things are OK!

Now she's figuring out how her eyes work...

Halloween - Kennedy's first holiday! Notice she's mad because even though Mom and Dad made her dress up in a ridiculous outfit, she didn't get any candy!

November, spending time on the play gym.

November, at Granny and Pop's for Thanksgiving.

Kennedy's first Christmas. Wow!

January. On her stomach ALL the time since she learned how to roll over...

Getting up close and personal with her saucer farm animals in February.

In March, Kennedy's hair is long enough to put in a barette.

And, she can sit up in the tub!

And, have her first "real" meal!

Getting ready for church in March.

Easter Sunday on April 12, posing in the creeping phlox.

Hanging out on the patio with Mom and Dad in May.

Catching some zzzzs in June.

Visiting with Aunt Julie in June.

Sweet baby Kennedy, on a trip to Virginia in July.

In August, Kennedy graduated to the big tub!

And now she is one. Kennedy's party at Granny and Pop's house on Sep. 12, with cousin Emma checking things out. :-)

Happy Birthday, Kennedy!

Visit to Virginia, Kennedy Moves to the Tub, Granny Visits Nashville

2009-08-23T21:43:00.008-05:00

Dad getting soaked by Kennedy as she takes her bath. Clyde looking on, thinking "What is SHE doing in there? That's my tub!" See a video on this below...

Busy playing with the Polar Coaster Aunt Lisa and Uncle Todd got Kennedy for Christmas. She still isn't tired of it!

But, her favorite toys are remote controls, cell phones, or iPods (as evidenced). Pretty much anything she can destroy by drooling on it, she wants.

Cheeeeese!!

With "Aunt" Phoebe on our trip to Virginia. Obviously thinking, "Mom, she is as crazy as you said!"

With Kim Blevins Janney, who is 9 months pregnant in this photo - and gorgeous. Just a few days later, Kim and her husband Sean welcomed little Lucas!

Kennedy with her surrogate mother Jaime McNabb. Too bad Jaime doesn't live in Nashville, she played with Kennedy the whole time we were there!

Laughing at Granny...

What a great picture of Kennedy and Granny. :-)

It's been awhile since we've posted - we've been busy chasing Kennedy around the house! She is really doing a lot of new things as she gets closer to her first birthday...eating pretty much any table food as long as it's cut into small pieces, taking baths in the big tub, and almost (but not quite) walking. She has also moved into the Toddler room at daycare and loves it. She is going outside for recess every day and learning Spanish! Bueno!

Since our last post, we visited Virginia to see friends and family, then had a nice visit with Granny here in Nashville...

What Color Are Kennedy's Eyes?

2009-08-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

This topic is in hot debate around the Bell household. I won't tell you what color we think Kennedy's eyes are, but Mom has a different opinion than Dad and Granny... what do YOU think? Please vote to the left. More pics to come soon! Lots of news to share!

Kennedy's Hair, Kennedy Visits Mommy at Work

2009-07-12T16:29:00.003-05:00

Kennedy's hair is as straight as a stick, much to Granny's chagrin. So when Kennedy visits Granny...look out. The mousse and pinky-size baby rollers always make an appearance, to sometimes questionable results. Kennedy looks rather perplexed here...

Dad, on the other hand, prefers the shampoo mohawk. Again, Kennedy is not amused.

Mom just lets it all hang loose. Ah, finally, Kennedy can relax without worrying about

having to explain these embarrassing pictures to her high school boyfriend. Yes Dad, she will have a boyfriend...

Kennedy visited Mommy at work one day last week and got to meet all the great people who constantly ask about Kennedy. Here is Kennedy with "Aunt" Doris, Meredith's good friend, and the person who is responsible for Kennedy's name!

Rain rain, go away, come again another day. This was such a sweet picture. I'm amazed she stayed still for the few seconds it took to snap!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-05T20:45:00.005-05:00

Meredith's cousin Chelsey helping Kennedy try a popsicle for the first time. YUM!!

Kennedy's cousin Carly, daugher of Meredith's 2nd cousin Christina

Carly's older sister Emma (short for Emmaline, named after Meredith's dear Granny)

Dad and Kennedy in the pool.Relaxing in a lawn chair after a fun day. We missed you, Granny!

Kennedy had a big time with her cousins Emma and Carly on the 4th of July. Carly just turned one and was showing Kennedy how it's done, walking around and even jumping off the diving board into the pool! Kennedy was not so sure... she was a little hesitant to be in her baby float so Jamie or I ended up holding her and walking around the shallow end. By this time next year she'll be doing Triple Lindys!

I Got Rhythm/Mimi, Julie and Clyde/9-month checkup

2009-06-20T13:38:00.004-05:00

Composing her first hit.

Waiting for Mommy's full attention.

Rocking and rolling.

Kennedy, Julie and Cisco

KD and Dad. Kennedy loves getting kisses from Daddy when he is clean-shaven! (hint hint Jamie)

Playing with Clyde, who is trying to nap.

As Kennedy gets older, her two favorite things to do are to aggravate Clyde and play her toy drum. She will crawl over to Clyde and try to lay on him, chew his tail, pinch his paws, or all of the above at the same time. Clyde very politely gets up and moves about 10 feet, and then Kennedy of course follows him in about five seconds. Clyde is really training her to be a fast crawler!

When she isn't messing with Clyde she is playing with her toy drum, which will either play letters of the alphabet as she bangs it, or it will play various drumbeats as she bangs it. Either way she has a blast!

We had a great visit this weekend from Cadell, aka Mimi (Kennedy's step grandmother) and Julie, Jamie's little sister.

Kennedy was a big hit with the relatives from Virginia and even let Mimi put her to bed one night.

On Thursday, we went in for Kennedy's 9-month check-up. She is amazingly big. She is 29 inches long, which is above the 95th percentile for height, and weighs 20.6 lbs., which is in the 75th percentile for weight. She's our little chunk of love.

Fun with KD

2009-05-24T23:09:00.007-05:00

The weather has been very rainy in Tennessee, but there have been a few evenings where we've gotten to sit outside on the patio. While Mom was trying to ward off mosquitoes, Dad and Kennedy were having fun.

I also wanted to post a video of Kennedy's newest trick - blowing bubbles with her food. Lately every time we feed her, she tries to get her food back out as quickly as we get it in. Luckily, she does manage to swallow most of her food before she gets a really good raspberry going. Mom was able to capture this on camera the other day while feeding her! It's a miracle the camera isn't coated with oatmeal and bananas.

Kennedy has also taken to playing the drums any time Dad will hold her in his lap and let her beat on the congas.

Kennedy's First School Picture Day!

2009-05-05T19:54:00.003-05:00

We are having a great time with Ama in town this week. Unfortunately, Kennedy remains as always fascinated by the camera and forgets to smile.

That is, until this miracle worker visited the day care! Attached are a few proof photos of Kennedy.

If any of you grandmothers out there would like to order prints, visit:

http://grannisphotography.com/frontpage/proofs.htm

The user name and password are both "ca09"

From there, click on "Infants" and then click on Kennedy's photo.

Doctor, Doctor!

2009-04-21T13:27:00.003-05:00

Monday marked a first in the Bell household - the whole family went to the doctor. Three separate doctors. Meredith had knee surgery and had a follow-up appointment.

Kennedy has been sick and Jamie caught her cold/cough. While Kennedy seemed to stay about the same, Dad progressively got worse. So while Meredith was at the doctor, Jamie went to the doctor (Kennedy was in day care) and discovered he had bronchitis! Naturally, panic ensued.

Meredith rushed Kennedy to the pediatrician to discover her lungs were thankfully clear, but the little one has her first ear infection.

Meredith spent the evening at Kroger getting prescriptions filled for her two patients. Luckily, Kennedy's bubble-gum flavored antibiotic is going down pretty painlessly and Kennedy already seems to be making an improvement. Jamie is harder to take care of but he seems to be on the mend as well.

Sorry there are no pictures to post. Jamie wallowing on the couch and Kennedy sneezing don't make for very good photo ops.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:03:00.004-05:00

Our Easter family portrait.
Clyde wanted to get it on the action.

We laid Kennedy down in the creeping phlox to get this photo. We wanted her to smile, but instead she was like, "Why am I on the ground???"

No smile, but still a sweet picture!

Worn out after rolling around in the flowerbeds.
----------------------------------------------------

Kennedy looked like a beautifully decorated little Easter egg today in her Easter dress from Granny. She also had new shoes and an Easter bonnet. The bonnet was a gift from the family that bought Mer's old convertible (which, incidentally, would have been glorious to drive around today!) Church was fantastic today. Kennedy was attentive and quiet during the entire service as if she knew how significant this day was, of all days. Happy Easter, everyone!

Sweet Baby

2009-04-11T11:50:00.004-05:00

Kennedy getting ready to go to church.

Kennedy and Dad on the patio. Dad had a glass of the house red and Kennedy just finished up a bottle of the house white!

Kennedy's tongue is always out. Combined with her inexplicable height of 27 inches, she may be the next Micahel Jordan!

Kennedy bird-watching.

Kennedy has another new place to hang out, in her Bumbo seat. It helps her to sit up and take in the world and she loves it! She is getting closer to sitting up every day and is also practicing standing. She hasn't really gotten the hang of either yet but she's getting much closer. She also loves going to church. One of these days we're going to put her in the nursery, but for now she stays in the sanctuary with us and helps the preacher preach, except she says "la la la!"

Kennedy is Six Months Old

2009-03-20T20:38:00.005-05:00

Kennedy today - six months old.
Kennedy a few weeks after she was born. I wanted to post this as a contrast so everyone could see how much she has grown. She is so big and cuter than ever!

As evidenced in this fun bathtime pic.

Kennedy's first meal of rice cereal. Contrary to what you see here, she did manage to eat more than she wore.

Kennedy's first time sitting up unassisted. Luckily we had the camera nearby. I also cropped myself out of the shot but don't worry Granny, I was right there in case she started to topple.
-------------

Kennedy turned six months old on March 14 and is getting so big! She had her six-month checkup today and she weighs 16 lbs., 8 oz., and is a whopping 27 inches long - in the 96th percentile. Jamie and I still don't know where she is getting this height from.

She also had a few "firsts" recently. She sat up by herself for the first time in the tub the other night and also just had her first meal of rice cereal. She loved it - she managed to get most of it in her mouth rather than down the front of her bib, and even reached for the bowl.

Kennedy has also started day care and predictably has charmed the day care workers. They brag on her every day about how good she is.

Jamie and I don't know what we did to get so lucky with such an awesome baby. She is happy and healthy! Praise the Lord!

Kennedy's Hang Out Spots

2009-03-05T23:18:00.003-06:00

Kennedy's new favorite place to hang out - the ExerSaucer! She is doing great grabbing at all the toys and spinning around.

If I could just put that horsey in my mouth...

Such concentration!

Granny found a great place for Kennedy to rest when we visit there - we don't take her saucer or her play gym so we have to get creative with play places. Kennedy sits in the sink in Granny's kitchen island. Apparently, she's on a very boring conference call.

Pre conference-call, Kennedy enjoyed playing with the measuring spoons.

Happy Valentine's Day/Happy Birthday to Kennedy

2009-02-15T15:33:00.005-06:00

Kennedy LOVES her bath time! Granny loves bathing her too.

Kennedy's first time in her high chair. She needs a towel or blanket around her for extra support since she is still so little. (Thanks Terry and Becky for the great present!)

I put this close-up on here so everyone could see Kennedy's punk rock 'do. She looks like a Green Day groupie. Or, as Granny said, like Rod Stewart (generation gap).

Granny is playing dress-up with Kennedy already!

Kennedy celebrated her five month birthday on Valentine's Day!

Mom and Dad had a big week. On Wednesday night we had our first "date" where we left Kennedy with a non-family babysitter (we went to see Darrell Scott at the Station Inn - GREAT show). Elizabeth did a wonderful job babysitting for us and we would have liked to post their pic together, but unfortunately Kennedy was already asleep when Lizzie got to the house. We peeked in on her so Lizzie could see how cute Kennedy is, but of course we didn't flash the camera!

Then this weekend, Granny came up for a visit and witnessed one of Kennedy's "firsts" - she got in her high chair for the first time, at Granny's suggestion. Kennedy is still not eating solid food, but she had a good time anyway sitting up high and banging her toys on her food tray. We are trying to wait until six months to start Kennedy on any type of food because our pediatrician recommends it. She says it helps babies to not develop food allergies. So as long as Kennedy is happy and satisfied with milk, we are sticking with it!

Jamie is going back to school next month so we are enjoying these last few weeks of Kennedy being home all the time before she starts day care. We are sad to put her in day care, but at least happy she is starting after the cold and flu season is over with. :-)

I am also posting a poem that Kennedy's Pop-pop (Meredith's Dad) wrote to her for Valentine's Day. He's a poet but he knows it!

K.D. Bell

She is swell

Kennedy Delta Bell

A darling she be, As one can readily see.

Her smile is "angel dust"to admit is a must

Her occassional pout is more than special,

'Tis actually superficial!

A better baby there cannot be

You just wait, you'll see.

- Paul Scarbrough

Kennedy is TALL!

2009-01-21T20:52:00.003-06:00

Kennedy had her four month check-up today and the little thing is not so little anymore... she is an incredible 26 inches long! Our doctor is amazed, as Jamie and I are barely over two feet tall ourselves. She is in the 90th percentile for height. Apparently one of us has a giraffe in our family tree somewhere. The rest of her check-up went well too. She weighs nearly 15 lbs. and is right on track with all of her 'developmental milestones.'

Kennedy also had a big day last Sunday as she attended her Baby Dedication Ceremony at Christ Church here in Nashville. As part of the ceremony, one of the church members anoints the baby with oil, which means he or she dabs a little sweet oil on each baby's forehead, hands and feet. Kennedy grabbed the guy's finger as he was dabbing her forehead and didn't let go! We think she didn't care for the slickness of the oil. She's more of a lotion girl.

I'm still trying to make pictures of her smile but she is so fascinated with the camera that every time I put it in front of her, she goes from happy and smiley to very interested in what is in my hand. Stay tuned... I hope to post pictures of her gummy grin one day soon.

Post Bath-time Fun

2009-01-13T17:03:00.004-06:00

I just had to post this video of Jamie and Kennedy. When she gets out of the bath every night she goes crazy - kicking, moving all around, talking, laughing. She loves her bath. I'm surprised she calms down enough to go to bed 30 minutes afterward but I guess this is her last spurt of energy for the day.

Jamie is growing a beard (much to my chagrin) and he was tickling Kennedy's belly the other night after her bath. Here's a brief snippet.

This video is so cute I'm sure MANY of you will comment! This is easy to do, by the way. Just click on the 'comment' link below this posting and follow directions. You don't have to have a Google account or Blogger name to comment. You can post using just your regular name. But you do have to decipher some crazy words before your comment posts to the blog, just to make sure you are a legitimate human. Please comment, folks. Jamie and I like to know you are reading our blog and staying up-to-date on Kennedy's amazing life!

Kennedy Meets Haley

2009-01-08T20:13:00.004-06:00

As most of my (Meredith's) relatives know, Haley was my "little girl" until very recently. She was my first and only niece until Jamie and I got married and I absolutely adore her - as she knows!

This past weekend Haley was visiting Granny and Pop so we headed back to East Tennessee so Haley could meet Kennedy. Even though Haley says she isn't that crazy about her two little brothers, I think she is great with babies. She got Kennedy to smile and laugh and generally be happy. Bravo, Haley!

Kennedy's First Christmas!

2008-12-30T20:13:00.008-06:00

Kennedy with her teddy bear from Pop.

Kennedy propped up on Dad's knees, taking it all in.

Kennedy on the couch enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas morning.

Reaching for another present to open...

Most of the time, Kennedy's reaction to the Christmas tree was awestruck wonder. She would even gasp when we would turn it on. This picture was made too close to bedtime.

Kennedy's favorite Christmas present, a fun and colorful crib mobile! Apparently it also plays a very soothing tune. Of course, this was after the presents were opened so Kennedy was a bit tuckered.

Thanks to Uncle Bill and Aunt Joy for hosting a Christmas lunch. Kennedy got to meet her cousin Krystal and Stephen (one of Carl and Krystal's three children.)

Kennedy with her lovely great Aunt Christine.

Kennedy with two of her favorite ladies from Piney Church, Shirley Langley and Maxine Cochran, whom Meredith has known since she was Kennedy's size!

Meredith and Kennedy with Rosie Dicken, also a lifelong friend.

Kennedy had a wonderful, excellent first Christmas. She absolutely loves all the Christmas lights and decorations both at home and at Granny and Pop's, where we spent the day. Kennedy also got a chance to meet many of her cousins, aunts and uncles at Uncle Bill and Aunt Joy's Christmas gathering the Saturday after Christmas - including Kim and Frank from Ohio; Carl, Krystal, Stephen and Aunt Christine from Chattanooga; Richard and Storm from Oakdale; Phillip and Vickie from Oakdale; and next-door neighbors Don, Hilda, Ann and Ron. Aunt Jackie, Steve and Sharon were there as well, but Kennedy had met them already at church.

Kennedy is really starting to get a cute little personality. She "talks" all the time, a video of which is attached. She really carries on and has a cute little high pitched monologue she does. Of course, once I got the camera out, and Granny came in the room, Kennedy decided to be fascinated with her surroundings and forgot she was mid-conversation. So she isn't talking that much in the video, but you can see how she pays attention to Granny and what a cute smile she has. She is still growing, eating and sleeping, and doing all three exceptionally well. Especially the sleeping part! She sleeps routinely through the night, with the exception of one or two times recently where she has woken up to eat at about 4:00 a.m. instead of the usual 7:30. I think it will be time to start her on cereal pretty soon. Let the solid food fun begin!

Kennedy is Three Months Old!

2008-12-14T21:13:00.004-06:00

Kennedy holding her own bottle. There is also a video posting of this at the end of this entry- hope you can see it!
Kennedy, Mom and Dad at the Opryland Hotel. There was a band performing on several small islands in the tropical waterworld inside the hotel. For you out-of-towners, it's a sight to see! We had the best seat in the house from "Wasabi," a sushi restaurant that is also in the middle of the lake.

Dad and Kennedy listening to the band sing Christmas songs at the Opryland Hotel.

Kennedy is getting very expressive. She smiles often but very fleetingly, so we haven't been able to get a good picture of her amazing grin. This is pretty close, though... my Mom (Granny) says it's like angel dust!

She is also getting very good at "The Pout" - we are in trouble when she gets older! She really sticks her bottom lip out. This is in reaction to Jamie singing. Apparently Kennedy is not a fan.

Kennedy with Jamie's little sister Julie.

Kennedy and Julie again.

This is how Kennedy reacted when we dressed her in Hokie regalia for the ACC Championship game. But at least Jamie's team made it to their championship game...

Kennedy is three months old today - the time is flying by. Before we know it she will be walking and talking! I've posted a video as well as a picture of her holding her own bottle - hopefully most of you will be able to view it.

We've been enjoying the Christmas season here in Nashville. We got our first snow the other night - it was after dark so it was too cold to take Kennedy out so she could see it. Clyde enjoyed it, though.

We visited the Opryland Hotel over the weekend so Kennedy could see the Christmas lights. She is perpetually fascinated with lights and ceiling fans, so needless to say, she had a great time seeing the beautiful display.

There are also some pictures on here from our visit to Virginia with Kennedy and her Aunt Julie - thanks for sending, Julie Bell!

Finally, Kennedy reacts to wearing her Hokies garb for the ACC Championship game. As you can tell from her expression, she's a Vol fan all the way!

We Are Thankful for the Best Baby Ever!!!

2008-12-01T22:44:00.006-06:00

Kennedy tries out tummy time on Granny's bed. She's not too sure about it.

Kennedy with her great great Uncle J.C. Scarbrough.

Kennedy with Penny's daughters Jaime on the left and Susannah on the right.

Penny's son Patrick meets little Kennedy. He was hoping we would have a boy!

Penny LOVES babies and Kennedy was no exception!

This is one of the five pictures I made of Jeff, who is also the Commissioner of our Fantasy Football League. His eyes are closed in every picture because he is ashamed to look directly at me since he is CHEATING! (Yeah, that's right!)

This is our good friend Kim who may be welcoming a baby of her own one day... she looked very natural holding Kennedy! Kim got married the day before Kennedy was born.

Kennedy with Meredith's friend from college, Gwynn.

At the "scene of the crime," the Village Grill on Memorial Ave. in Roanoke, Va. This is where we met in June of 2005. Engaged in '06, married in '07, and parents in '08!

Ama with all of her grandkids - Luke, Olivia, Kennedy and Josh.

Ama, Kennedy and Olivia.

Kennedy and her cousin Olivia, who is very excited to pass on her cute outfits to Kennedy!

Kennedy and her cousin Luke.

Kennedy with her Aunt Tiffany, Jamie's sister and Mom to Josh, Luke and Olivia.

Kennedy with great Uncle Henry at the Village Grill.

Kennedy went to Virginia for Thanksgiving to meet lots of friends and relatives! Kennedy got to see her Ama again (aka Bobbie, Jamie's Mom) and her cousin Josh, and got to meet Grandpa Perry (Jamie's stepdad), Mimi (aka Cadell, Jamie's stepmom), Aunt Tiffany, Aunt Julie, Aunt Holly, Uncle William and Aunt Emily briefly, cousins Luke and Oliva, great Uncle Henry, and lots of other friends and family.

Kennedy even got to go back to the restaurant where we met, and a lot of our friends made it out to meet the end result of that long-ago fateful meeting - to Dana, Steve, Jeff, Gwynn, Val, Kim, Jodi, Penny, Micah and Phoebe - thank you for coming out to meet Kennedy!

Even with all the meeting and greeting, Kennedy wins the award for the Best Baby Ever! She was passed from person to person and never made a peep. She was even baby-sat for the first time by Aunt Julie and Mimi on Wednesday night and she went right to sleep after she had her last bottle of the evening. Mimi also bragged on what a good baby she was.

We went back to Tennessee on Turkey Day and Kennedy got to spend some time with Granny and Pop. She also got to meet her great great Uncle J.C., who is 90 years young!

Kennedy had a great Thanksgiving and wanted us to tell everyone she is so thankful that her Mommy and Daddy have such excellent friends and such a wonderful family. She especially wanted us to thank Penny for letting us stay at her house. Kennedy did great sleeping in her Pack 'n Play in Penny's nice dark basement bedroom while Mommy relaxed in Penny's hot tub. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Kennedy's Two Month Check-Up

2008-11-19T21:19:00.004-06:00

On the way to her doctor's appointment...pre-shots!

Kennedy went for her two-month check-up today and she is a healthy little (or not so little) baby! She weighed 11 lbs., 7 oz. and was almost 24 inches long! She is in the 60th percentile for weight and head size and in the 85th percentile for length. The head size didn't surprise us because Jamie and I both have big noggins, but the weight did surprise us. She has been eating well but we thought she would still be in the 10-lb. range. And of course, Jamie and I are short, or vertically challenged as some say, so we don't expect her high showing in the length percentile to continue.

Of course, with the two-month check-up also comes the first round of shots. Kennedy squalled but luckily we had given her Tylenol before her appointment so her legs weren't too sore afterward. We gave her a bottle of milk in the car on the way home and she was pretty content.

Kennedy is Two Months Old!

2008-11-14T22:05:00.005-06:00

Our Labor of Love class had a reunion - it was nice to see our friend's babies in person! Courtney and Osei and their daughter Sophia are on the left, and Clay and Rebecca and daughter Piper are in the middle. And of course, Kennedy is asleep!

Kennedy meeting her Uncle Todd for the first time.
Kennedy LOVES to play on her Baby Einstein play mat, a gift from Uncle Todd and Aunt Lisa (and cousins Haley, Scout and Riley too!)

Kennedy hanging out in Pop's hospital room...

...taking a nap...

...which is still her favorite pasttime!

And her Dad's favorite way to spend time, as well.

Two peas in a pod!

Today is Kennedy's two-month birthday and she is getting so big. :-) Her two-month checkup is next week so we will post again as to how much weight she has gained and how she is doing. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of Kennedy doing her favorite things - sleeping and playing on her Baby Einstein play mat. Thank you for that gift, Uncle Todd and Aunt Lisa!

Kennedy also had a big day last week when she finally got to meet her Uncle Todd (Meredith's brother). Her Pop is unfortunately back in the hospital for what we hope is a brief stay, but Kennedy enjoyed stretching out on his hospital bed for a quick snooze. That's the picture with her arms up in her "Superwoman" pose.

Jamie's Other Baby

2008-11-02T17:34:00.002-06:00

Jamie has another baby that many of you already know about...a motorcycle! It's great to ride on these brisk fall days, and of course it saves a bunch on gas because Jamie drives it to and from work. (That was his justification for buying it. $13 to fill up vs. $60!)

Here are a few pics of Jamie getting ready to go for a ride. One of these days he says he's going to put the seat on the back for me and a sidecar for Kennedy...ha!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:10:00.005-05:00

Kennedy doesn't look very happy. She thinks it's a raw deal she only gets milk while all the neighborhood kids get candy!
Dad with Kennedy in her Halloween costume.

Clyde watching over Kennedy, as he almost always does if she is laying on the bed.

This is Kennedy first thing in the morning as she is waking up. I LOVE her cute chubby little face and wanted to get a good close-up of it!

Kennedy stretching as she is waking up. She stuck her gloved hand up by her head. She wears these 1) to keep her from scratching herself and 2) to keep her hands warm because she wiggles out of her blanket and her little hands get cold if she doesn't have her mittens on.

Kennedy and Dad napping in the big bed in the morning.

OK.... so only Dad is napping!

Not too long ago, Jamie and I would have been at a Halloween party, seeing as how the spooky holiday is on a Friday! In the past this would have been a big night out!

Tonight we got a kick out of handing out candy with Kennedy strapped to me in her baby carrier wearing her little pumpkin hat. The trick-or-treaters all thought she was very cute. :-)

Here are some pics of Kennedy on Halloween and a few I made the other morning while Kennedy and Dad were napping. Also, I finally got a great close-up picture. Granny has been requesting this one for awhile.

Kennedy is Sleeping!!

2008-10-23T10:46:00.009-05:00

In honor of this milestone, here are a few pictures of Kennedy sleeping. Here she is taking a nap with Clyde watching over her.
Kennedy and Dad taking a mid-morning nap.

Kennedy in her deep sleep position with her "hands in the air like she just don't care!"

Great news - Kennedy slept through the night for the first time last night. Hooray! We are very excited about how well she did last night and hope to have a repeat performance tonight!

A big thank you to my friend Rebecca, who lives here in Nashville and attended the Labor of Love classes with Jamie and me. She and her husband Clay also have a precious new daughter named Piper. She is so cute!

Anyway, thanks to the routine Rebecca shared with me, I am proud to report that Kennedy slept from 10:30 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., woke up briefly to eat, then slept from about 5:20 a.m. until 8:45 a.m. Kennedy, Mom and Dad feel very well-rested!

Kennedy and Her Dad

2008-10-19T21:35:00.005-05:00

Kennedy napping on the couch in the sunroom at Granny and Pop's. This is Jamie's spot when he comes to visit. Kennedy liked sleeping here just as much as her Dad does!
Kennedy stretching after her nap.
Kennedy propped up on the couch, pre-nap, taking it all in at Granny and Pop's.
One of the most notable similarities between Kennedy and Dad... their feet!

This is exactly where Jamie sleeps, and this is exactly how he looks when he's waking up. Of all the pictures of Kennedy, this is the one that looks the most like either one of us.

Kennedy is One Month Old!

2008-10-16T19:16:00.004-05:00

Kennedy with her "Pop," Meredith's Dad. Pop has been unable to make it to Nashville so we went to Oakdale!
Kennedy with Granny.
Kennedy with her sweet great Aunt Jackie.
Kennedy with tough former Marine, great Uncle Bill.

Kennedy out for lunch with Mom and Dad at the Cheesecake Factory.

Kennedy turned one month old on Tuesday, October 14th.

We went for a visit to Oakdale for Kennedy's first month birthday. She finally got to meet her Pop, along with a few other very special people.

When we got back to Nashville we celebrated with a lunch out at the Cheesecake Factory. Dad also got Kennedy a cute little onesie that says "Happy Camper" at the Lucky Kid store at Green Hills Mall. :-)

Kennedy is Growing!

2008-10-05T22:16:00.003-05:00

Kennedy looking "cross-eyed," which she does when she is trying to focus on something.

The cutest little profile ever...

Kennedy went to the pediatrician Friday for a re-check on her weight and she has plumped up to a very solid 7 lbs., 14 oz., well above her birth weight. She is doing great and so are Mom and Dad.

Jamie went a little crazy with the camera the other night and made about 100 close-up pictures of Kennedy...here are the best ones.

Kennedy is Two Weeks Old!

2008-09-28T19:21:00.005-05:00

Kennedy in her swing - her favorite thing to do during the day. She can easily combine it with her other favorite thing... sleeping.
Big brother Clyde watching over Kennedy while she naps on Granny's bed. (Sorry, Granny! We will get rid of the dog hair before your next visit.)
Kennedy's first shopping trip at (where else) Target.
Kennedy's first tub bath. She "peed in the pool."

Kennedy is two weeks old today and is getting cuter by the minute.

Her first pediatrician's appointment went very well. She has grown one inch and now weighs 7 lbs. 4 oz., so she is almost back at her birth weight. She still is a champion snoozer and we continue to have a hard time getting her to wake up to eat, but she's getting better. Her doctor liked her sleeping habits... she didn't even wake up during her appointment, even after her temperature was taken! (And it was taken in a place that would normally result in at least an eye opening.)

Kennedy had two milestones this past week - her first shopping trip and her first tub bath.

Little Tiny Kennedy

2008-09-24T19:12:00.006-05:00

Kennedy's little tiny cute feet in Meredith's hands.
Kennedy's feet are about the size of Jamie's fingers.
Kennedy striking her yoga pose.

Amazingly, Jamie volunteers to change most of the poopy diapers. Check out the "stinky diaper" face!

Kennedy is growing more every day. She and her Mom are getting much better at feeding time. The hardest part is waking Kennedy up to get her interested enough to eat something. She, like her Dad, could sleep all day if we'd let her. She isn't disturbed by Clyde's barking, the vacuum cleaner, Granny talking (and those of you who know Vera know that can be quite resonant), the TV, the doorbell, or any other sound so far. She is a champion snoozer!

We had a visit the other day with the lacation consultants at the hospital and Kennedy is almost back up to her birth weight of 7 lbs., 6 oz. She visits the pediatrician for the first time this Friday and we are expecting an excellent check-up!

Update on Kennedy

2008-09-19T15:13:00.007-05:00

Kennedy is home from the hospital!

We stayed until Thursday because Kennedy had lost some weight after being born. She would much rather sleep than eat, so the pediatrician wanted her to stay one more day. (Mommy and baby both are a little slow to catch on to the whole feeding routine, but we are getting better.)

Thursday morning she got an excellent report, so Kennedy arrived home Thursday afternoon. Granny (Meredith's Mom) was here to greet her. Ama (Jamie's Mom) and Josh, Jamie's nephew, arrived shortly thereafter.

Kennedy was a big hit with both grandmothers!

Here are a few pictures from the hospital and her first few hours at home. More pictures to come of Kennedy with other family members, including Clyde! Stay tuned!

Welcome Kennedy!

2008-09-15T20:41:00.005-05:00

Kennedy Delta Bell was born on September 14, 2008, at 8:27 p.m., CST. She weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz. and was 21 inches long.

She is GORGEOUS!!!

Here are a few pictures made right after delivery. More pictures to come when we get home from the hospital!

Kennedy's Due Date

2008-09-12T09:29:00.004-05:00

Well... Kennedy's due date has come and gone. No 9/11 baby for us!

I think Kennedy is waiting on her own special day. First my Dad's birthday was August 28, he was hoping she would arrive then. My birthday was Sept. 3. Still no baby. On September 10th, my good friend Penny wanted her to arrive because that's her birthday. Jamie wanted her to be born on September 11th. Phoebe and Kim, two of my best friends from Roanoke who are getting married this weekend, want her to be born on their wedding day, Sep. 13. (Congratulations, Phoebe and Dave and Kim and Sean! Wish I could be there!)

I have upcoming friend/family birthdays on Sept. 17th (Kortney) and also the 20th (Jen).

I think Kennedy wants her own special day. Everyone continue to stay tuned! Hopefully next time you check our blog you can see baby pictures.

P.S. - My Aunt Jackie sent me an e-mail I wanted to share with everyone. My family is full of September birthdays, which I knew, but when I was reminded of this fact, it's pretty amazing. Thanks for sending, Aunt J! Several of my cousins have September birthdays in addition to Jen:

"Sept. is full of dates. Kay's would have been Sept.6 (flowers and balloons on her grave); Sept.7 would have been my and your Uncle Clarence's 62nd anniversary; Sept. 5 was Mike and Shae's youngest (Virginia); Susie's was Sept. 8; the 17th will be Allie's and Jen's the 20th; Richard's was also on the 6th; Tabitha's the 21st; Debbie's daughter Britney and Mike and Shae's other daughter, Hunter Jacqueline both on the 23rd.

BUT NO MATTER WHICH DAY KENNEDY DELTA BELL ARRIVES IT WILL BE HER OWN SPECIAL DAY! I'm so excited."

Nursery is DONE!!!

2008-09-02T17:37:00.003-05:00

We finally finished the nursery this weekend. Apparently we are fans of the color pink! We re-painted the dressers that were in my nursery when I was little, and Jamie added his own personal touch by doing some unique artwork above the crib and the dressers. He nailed frames to the wall and actually painted within the frames, keeping with the motif of the crib bedding.

It looks beautiful and oh so sweet...

We are officially ready for Kennedy's arrival!

Nothing Like Waiting Until the Last Minute...

2008-08-21T12:38:00.002-05:00

Good news - Kennedy has turned head-down and is in blast-off position!

Much like her Dad, she waited until the last minute to get prepared. Jamie is doing the same thing with the finishing touches on the nursery. I think they both like to make me really, really nervous and anxious and just when I'm on the verge of having a meltdown, they come through with flying colors.

Now if Jamie will just finish painting the trees in the nursery...

Nothing to do now except wait to go into labor, wash baby clothes, spend time with the animals as they prepare to become actual cats and dogs instead of little people, and drink lots of water. Maybe eat some spicy food and/or ice cream here and there as well...

Stay tuned, everyone!

Baby Shower #3!

2008-08-18T16:12:00.004-05:00

We are so fortunate to have so many close friends and family. The ladies of our little hometown church - Meredith's since birth, Jamie's since last year - threw us our final baby shower this Sunday.

What a time Kennedy had! After attending the morning services and kicking the whole way through the song portion, she rested briefly before getting excited again when she arrived at the shower and saw all her presents. Kennedy really hit the jackpot - she got some extremely useful gifts like a baby monitor, a bouncy seat, a papa san swing (from Granny), an Exer Saucer from Aunt Christine and cousin Krystal from Chattanooga, an orange University of Tennessee onesie from Pop for her to wear every Saturday this fall, and a lot of other really sweet, really cute clothes. Among her favorites were the aforementioned UT onesie and a solid black onesie with silver script writing that said, "My Little Black Dress." Her great Aunt Jackie and her Aunt Lisa and Uncle Todd (along with first cousins Haley, Scout and Riley) also got her some really adorable outfits.

Jamie's Mom is threatening to send some Virginia Tech gear (whatever) but since Jamie said he couldn't (or wouldn't) fold baby clothes because they were too little, that means Meredith gets to decide on all the outfits.

Kennedy will no doubt be one of the most stylish babies in Nashville once she arrives!

We are so lucky to know so many great people. Thanks to everyone who came to each of Kennedy's showers, and for those of you who couldn't make it - thank you for sending such excellent gifts. We are all so thankful!

Mommy Car vs. Single Girl Car

2008-08-04T14:15:00.010-05:00

A sad pregnancy milestone...the zippy little BMW Z3 convertible had to be sold to make room for the new Mommy car.

As much as we would have liked to have kept the Z3, it just didn't make sense for us to have three cars. Plus selling the convertible helped us make a pretty hefty down payment on our new (to us) Acura MDX.

At first we were a little hesitant to get an SUV because of the ridiculous gas prices these days, but when the loot started rolling in from the baby showers, we saw it was a good decision. The stroller/car seat combo alone takes up a whole corner of Kennedy's nursery.

As much as we miss the little blue sports car, we do love the MDX. The thing has so many features it can practically drive itself - we're still reading the owner's manual. Also, there's a DVD player in the back for Kennedy (and sometimes Jamie!) that will come in handy on road trips.

Not to mention, Clyde needs his own section of the car. I don't want him slobbering all over Kennedy like he does Jamie.

Jamie's Garden

2008-08-01T19:13:00.003-05:00

Jamie decided to start a garden this year, mainly because the terraced beds full of weeds were pretty ugly.

One day when Meredith came home from work, the weeds were gone and the plants were in the ground as a surprise. Kennedy was craving fresh vegetables. :-)

Now he's really gotten into it. He's out every morning watering before he goes to work, usually in his bathrobe. The mosquitoes have really been enjoying that!

We are growing tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, red and green bell peppers, banana peppers, and basil, cilantro, sage, thyme and mint. We've already eaten some squash and cucumbers, and cooked with the herbs. The tomatoes should be ripe soon and we're looking forward to that.

Thanks to the MiracleGro Jamie has sprinkled on everything, all of our veggies (and weeds) are growing like crazy!

Baby Shower #2

2008-07-31T23:42:00.003-05:00

Doris is responsible for not only the idea behind Kennedy's name (see 'About Kennedy's Name' at the bottom of the page), but also Baby Shower #2!

We went to Longhorn Steakhouse right after work and had a great time. My co-workers really went above and beyond. Kennedy got all kinds of neat stuff!

Among Kennedy's new presents - a Pack and Play, a bathtub, cute bath towels and wash cloths, a Bumbo, a Hotslings carrier for Momma, a Snugli navy blue carrier for Daddy, some sweet little stuffed animals to keep her company in her crib, and a bunch of really, really, really cute clothes.
Thanks everyone!

P.S. - Does anyone know what a baby alligator is called? That was one of the 20 questions on Name the Baby Animal. Karen was the brain of the bunch, getting all 20 correct. (A baby alligator is a "hatchling.") She watches a lot of Animal Planet.

Baby Shower #1

2008-07-30T22:10:00.001-05:00

A great big THANK YOU to all of Meredith's excellent friends from college.

Vonda, Misty, Sonya and Shira all made the trip to Nashville the weekend of July 19th to celebrate Kennedy's pending arrival.

The shower itself was incidental. What was more important was that we got to have a "girls' weekend," although it was more low-key than our usual gatherings.

Sonya, Misty and Sonya's cool Mom Sandy got Kennedy a stroller and car seat. Shira got Kennedy her first pair of lounging pants, among other cute clothes, and Vonda generously donated about 50 lbs. of baby clothes from her two little ones.

Thank you!