7 months of adventure

It has been awhile since I've done a Kenly update. Last week I took her to the doctor because she was on a food strike, but it appears that she is still gaining despite her boycott of solid foods. She was a whopping 16 lbs and 8.5 ounces. The doctor thought she probably had a touch of a virus, so we just flopped around the house for the week. Adam went to visit Walt in Texas this past weekend, so I was a single mommy for a few days. Kenly was an angel all weekend, but I was still exhausted by the time it was all said and done. I'll never understand how single parents make it. I had a blast catching up with friends this past weekend. I went to 12 Bones with Jennifer and her husband Ben and their son Davis. It was nice to finally meet Ben. Out of the kindness of his heart, he volunteered to keep Kenly for the evening so that Jennifer and I could go to a movie. Do you know how long it has been since I went to the movies with a girlfriend? I can't even remember the last time that happened. On Sunday a miracle almost occurred. Kenly stayed in nursery until 11:52 which means I almost got to hear a whole sermon. Yeah...perhaps my persistence is paying off at last. Then I got to see my friend Shannon for lunch and after that I was able to meet Jessica in the park for a catch up session. I was reminded this weekend of how important female friendship is to my sanity. Adam is trying to finish up his National Boards, so I have single parent duty for most of this week. I'll gladly take it though. If he gets certified, and North Carolina agrees to honor the pay raise, it will make our budget a lot more comfortable next year. In short, it will help protect my stay-at-home mommy status.

I'm coming to grips with this "depression" stuff. I'm seeking a godly councilor who can just listen to me talk some things through. I'm learning to let go of my perfectionism. The Bible study that I'm in right now is so helpful. I need to learn that "perfectionists always fail." I can't be perfect, but I can be a good mom who does things with great love and devotion. Who needs that pressure? I'm just feeling more like myself. The fog is lifting a bit, and I'm feeling some joy again. I can laugh at myself again. I couldn't laugh for awhile. What is life without laughter?

On a lighter note, Kenly is getting so close to crawling that it makes my heart skip a beat every time she gets into position. This past Sunday she sat up in the crib for the first time. She cheated a bit though . The head of her bed is elevated, and she grabbed the bumper to pull herself up. But, I think that shows genius in and of itself. I have a little problem solver on my hands. She loves to play in the bath now. We've added a few bath toys, and she thinks that is oh so cool. Her favorite is a blue laundry scoop. At first I was grossed out when she would chew on her bath toys, but I just had to let go. If I tried to fight that battle, I'd be so defeated. Yesterday Kenly rode in the grocery cart at Food Lion. She looked so proud of herself the entire time. She loves to laugh and to play. Her personality shows more every day. She's laid back, but she gets bored easily. Woe to the person who makes her angry. She'll let you have an earful if you tick her off. Every day I am amazed at how she changes. I loves watching her discover her world.

Adam wanted to introduce Kenly to the joy of peaches. She loved them. She's like her daddy; she moans when she eats something good.
When we celebrated Adam's birthday, the princess got tired, so Adam tried to get her to take a nap in the woods. No such luck. There were too many cool things to see.

Hey good lookin'....What you got cookin'? This weekend I introduced Kenly to the joys of a pot and a spoon. We played for over an hour. This spoon is almost as big as she is.

A teaspoon was a little more her size, and it made a really cool noise.

The dentist gave us a tooth brush for Kenly. Here she is "brushing" her teeth for the first time. They told us to let her play with a tooth brush so that the texture of the brush wouldn't appear so strange the first time we try to brush her teeth for real.