Rollin' in my Homie

Today Adalyn had her 4 month check up. The results were: Height: 24 1/2 in. (50th percentile), Weight: 13.6 lbs. (40th percentile), and Head: 16 1/2 in. (75th percentile). The doctor said she is looking great and is probably ready to try out some new foods. I was ready to start handin out the Snickers and Coke but I guess we have to go with Rice Cereal or something. She handled the shots very well this time and only cried for a minute afterwards.
Just prior to our visit to the doctor, I laid Addie on the ground for some playtime. As we were about to leave I ran upstairs to grab my shoes. When I came back down, much to my surprise, Addie was almost on her stomach. She then fell back to her back but immediately pushed herself over to her stomach again. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. Well, after the doctor's appointment, we again laid her down for some playtime. Here is the footage that we got...

4 Months Old Today

Today Adalyn turned 4 months old... Hard to believe but it's true. We have had 4 months of baby bliss as she is literally the perfect baby ( gee... where have you heard that before?) Lately, she has become much more inquisitive and we can tell that she is trying to figure the world out (I think I am still trying to do that!) She is loads of fun and I appreciate every day that I have with her. Here are some pictures of things we've done lately...

4months old and SO SOPHISTICATED

Adalyn has found her thumb and would rather suck that and just hold her binkie

Adalyn loves to grab things and feel them with her hands...she has even tried to grab my spaghetti mid bite! She is a very curious girl and loves to see and touch new things.

Finding new ways to sleep...

Addie loves to stand and get a better view of what is going on. She has also begun grabbing her legs and holding them up... she is very helpful when we change her diapers as she holds her legs up for us while we wipe.

Her first taste of El Salvador... though I doubt it will be her last!

We also went to our cousin Ryan's farewell... he will be serving in West Africa. Good Luck!!

Although we haven't been lucky enough to get any footage, Adalyn has begun to roll over. She surprised us on Sunday during her tummy time session as she decided that she had had enough and pushed herself over to her back! Crawling here we come!

Recently, I discovered what a horrible cook I am. I always knew that I wasn't the best, but now that I have been forced to cook more it isn't a pretty sight. Below are pictures of my attempt to make Polka Dot Kiss Cookies... shameful I know! ( for those of you who don't know what those are, know they aren't supposed to look like that!)

Finding Her Voice

We were able to get some video last night of Adalyn's new way to talk. She has discovered her voice at full capacity and she loves letting it out. In this first video, if you listen really closely, you can hear her say mama at the end. She says mom and mama all the time and I don't think I could be any prouder!(Although Daddy is a bit jealous!)

And here is a picture especially for Grandma Payne... her 1/4 African granddaughter sitting in an African chair, wearing her African outfit!

When in Rome, Do As the Romans

When in Clinton...

We decided that since we are now officially residents of Clinton, we needed to join the crowd out here. This is our first Friday night with our neighbors... a typical Friday night here is not complete without a toilet seat toss and feline fling. Here are some pics of our neighbors and the events...

We are even considering trading in one of our cars for a tractor! Okay... this was really Devin's work party themed "The Hillbilly Olympics." It was lots of fun, and it was great meeting all of the fun people that Devin works with. No wonder why he enjoys his job so much!

Celebrating 3's and Saying Goodbye

Last week Adalyn turned 3 months old! We can't believe how fast the time has gone by. She has been such a joy to have in our lives and we love watching her grow and discover new things. She makes us appreciate the little things so much more and when we think we couldn't possibly love her more she does something that makes our hearts swell even more. Here are pictures of her at birth and at 3 months... can you believe how much she's grown?

Yesterday, Devin and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. We finally went on our first date since Adalyn has been born! It has been an amazing 3 years... I am so lucky to have landed such an incredible man for a husband. I couldn't ask for a better spouse or father. It has been such a great ride and I really look forward to what lies ahead.

We also said goodbye to the Iowa Paynes last night. We had such a great time while they were here and we realized how much we miss them. Thanks for coming out here...we can't wait for the next visit.

More pics of the good times...

Adalyn and Madelyn loved sitting in the hammock swings with Aunt Shannon and cousin Natalee. They could have stayed there all night!

Playing horseshoes. Doesn't Matt look like a professional?

Carson and Isaac playing on the tramp. Addie and Maddie loved just looking at each other... I think they enjoyed having someone their own size around.

A Payneful Weekend!

As Devin's whole family (minus Gavin who we missed) was in town, we spent the weekend in Salt Lake and had tons of fun. On Thursday we had a Girl's Night and went to dinner and then to the play The Curious Savage. It was so much fun, and so great to finally have all the girls together at one time! Then on Friday everyone went to Cherry Hills for some fun in the sun. We took Adalyn and she really enjoyed it for the first little while but when it started cooling down she wanted no more of it!

Then, on Saturday we went to The Children's Parade that the kids got to be a part of. That night we had dinner and had some good quality hang out time.

On Sunday, Madelyn Ruth Payne was blessed. It was a wonderful day and the Roundy's held one heck of an after party with tractor rides, horseshoes, and ping-pong!

Here are a few extra pics of the weekend...

The night that Adalyn and Madelyn met...

I swear we did not plan the outfits!

Eleanor playing with Adalyn after

swimming. Too cute!

Isaac pointing out the big

trucks in the parade

This was such a fun weekend. It was so great having everyone in town and having the chance to spend so much time together. Thanks for the fun and great memories! We love you all!

One Smart Cookie

Everyday Adalyn surprises us with something new that she has learned. One day she started hitting her rattle with her hand. By the next day she began grabbing it, and then by the next day was able to hold it in front of her face and shake it. She learns very quickly and it amazes us each time she does something new.

Tummy-time has also become less traumatic for her although it still is not her favorite. We also discovered last night that she loves fireworks. We could see them from our porch so we decided to see how she would react to them. She opened her eyes so wide when she saw them and didn't blink the whole time they were going on. When there was a break, she would start to cry (it was bedtime) but when they started again she would immediately stop and stare. It was really cute!

We also took Addie to another Bees game. She seemed to like this one much better due to the fact that Devin's company gave us tickets to their box suite... we think she enjoys being pampered! Two baseball games before she is even 3 months... Devin is pushing sports on her a little early, don't you think?

I know I say this a ton, but isn't she the cutest thing ever!