February

This has been a productive month for Siena. She was 13 lbs and 23 inches earlier in the month, still growing at her own rate. She started cereal and has conquered rolling over both on the floor and in her crib. Her hand coordination has improved as she tries to help hold her bottle from time to time, and she loves to hold onto her pacifier. Siena enjoyed watching the Olympics with us this month and outside of a few days, we hibernated indoors to avoid the cold winter weather. Siena was dedicated by Pastor Allen Jackson in our church Sunday Feb. 28th along with 30 other babies. She has belonged to God from the minute she was born but now it's official. :)

First month of 2010

Our little girl turned 4 months old, and she continues to be a joy in our house. Siena's smiles are more frequent as is her laughter. She has discovered her fingers and especially her thumb. She doesn't cry when she wakes up but starts chatting away. She is such a happy baby!

We set up her jumper which is a special car and she truly enjoys her time in there. She rolled over from her stomach to her back Jan. 26th but hasn't repeated it since. We have introduced cereal into her diet, but she hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. Siena will sit still for her Dad whenever he puts her on his lap whether he is eating or reading. We are amazed at how that tiny newborn who could sleep anywhere and rarely opened her eyes is now learning something new every time she wakes up.

More on Siena

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After the rush of Christmas, things tend to slow down. Siena and I have been staying inside, where it's warm. She has filled out her cheeks and resembles a Gerber baby making her super adorable. Today she weighed 11 lbs. She wants to sit up and she is arching her back away from us. She watched a KU Basketball game with me in her apparel but her cheering wasn't loud enough. I don't see her being a fair-weathered fan though, despite the loss. And yes, she is sleeping through the night consistently. However, that doesn't mean we have caught up on our sleep yet. You don't want to read about her though - you want to see how she has grown and how adorable she is becoming. Enjoy!

Siena's 1st Christmas

Christmas held a special meaning this year to us, thinking that Jesus, our Savior, was once the size of Siena, small and fragile, new to this world. We traveled home to Kansas to be with both of our families on Christmas and once again, Siena made us proud and traveled well for us, despite the snow and blistery cold winds. She attended Christmas Eve service in her beautiful Santa dress and stayed in Grandma Gashaw's arms the whole service. Since she had 3 baby showers this year, she didn't need much but Santa did visit her and bring a KU piggy bank, a K-State jacket, two dresses and several books. We feel so very lucky to have such a beautiful, healthy girl to share our holidays with, and we look forward to many more with her as she grows.

Doctor's Appointment

Siena had her two month check up yesterday and her lovely vaccinations. She has definitely grown and is now weighing 9 lbs. 7 oz. and she has grown to 22". Though this is great, she is still on the small end of the growth charts for other two month olds. For any of you who had your doubts, I think it's safe to say that Siena has inherited her parents genes and she will be petite.

But she is healthy and developing. Her neck is strong and she can hold herself up. Her hair is coming and it is on the darker side. She is fascinated with lights and she has began to smile and babble. She is very happy and has really outgrown any colic or fussiness we were once concerned about.

Thanksgiving

Siena took her first road trip at 9 weeks old and traveled to the homeland of Osborne, Kansas for Thanksgiving. We traveled all night to get there on Wednesday and Siena slept nearly the whole way, waking only twice to eat. She got to see her grandparents again, meet her aunts & uncles and her great grandma Knoll as well as her 3 cousins. Siena was a hit and it seemed the whole town wanted to see her and I think we nearly hit everyone. She enjoyed the turkey and was a little fussy being off her regular schedule but nothing a trip home couldn't handle. It was great practice for Christmas next month!!!!

2009 has been an exciting year for the Knoll family. Kurt and I discovered in January that we would be adding to our family. We joyfully went forward with planning for our little one and got away on a "babymoon" before things got too hectic. We traveled the Caribbean Seas on a Carnival Cruise ship for a week. We spent the summer attending baby showers and preparing the nursery. One week before our due date, my water broke and we knew it was time. We stayed at home as long as possible and headed to the hospital during normal business hours. By 3 o'clock, our little girl had arrived. Siena Rose was born at 3:11pm weighing 5 lbs. 12 oz. and stretched 19 inches long. Labor & delivery went so smooth and we were swarmed by friends who were eager to meet her. We took our baby home to meet Milo, our lovable dog, on Saturday, September 26th.

Eight weeks have gone by and I think we finally have a grasp of what this is all about. Siena is learning about the daytime and sleeping better at night. Milo loves her and watches over her but never bothers her when she is sleeping. We have had lots of family in town to visit which has been a blessing and our extended family here in Tennessee has never left our side. They consider her one of their own. We consider ourselves truly blessed to have such a beautiful and healthy little girl to share with the world.