We already have a duck with pasted-on feathers on the fridge (stay tuned to pictures of the day!), we already washed said paste out of her hair, we witnessed macaroni explosions on the floor, we hear about the songs and the kids - and all from just one day! This morning when I pulled into the parking lot, she recognized the building and said in a very excited voice, "Preschool! Happy!!!" Some kids we see crying as their parents work to get them in there... Karis runs right past them to get started on the day's activities. It's a new era!

To get us started, here's Karis at the beach from earlier this summer. Nothing to fancy, but just a glimpse of what we'll get to enjoy with our family later this summer!

Now for some fun stuff. Here's Karis singing along (with hand motions!) to Itsy Bitsy Spider. Can you believe this little girl?

And finally... one with a little explanation. Karis can count to ten quite consistently and clearly, but she likes to actually be counting SOMETHING. So, daddy is off camera, raising fingers. Of course.... with one hand holding the camera, he runs out at five. Always resourceful, Karis decides to find something that can take her count past five.

To set the scene: Karis is doing as she often does, and removing everything she can find from her drawers to the floor, where it is much more acceptable. After trying (unsuccessfully, unfortunately) to put her socks on the dog's feet (which, I might add parenthetically, is what brought daddy and the camera to the scene), she begins chasing the dog which is now trying to escape her grasp.

Begin scene.

Good morning, little one!
What fun this day will bring!
Butterflies and flowers
And a place for you to swing.

As *soon* as I read the word "butterflies", our little scholar looked up, pointed straight at her butterfly mobile, and said "buh!"

There was something so awe inspiring about the connection - a word in a book connected to something that has been in her room since before she was born. She's always listening and learning, and it is a thrill to not only be a part of it, but to see the world through her eyes.

Now, it is so wonderful to see her personality, more and more every day. To hear her laugh makes the day complete. Nothing melts our hearts more than the moments at the end of the day, tuckered out from the day's excitement, when she clasps her arms on mommy or daddy's shoulders for a long hug. She is a bundle of energy, and amazingly brave to a largely unknown world. Quick to laugh, and quick to make friends with anyone she meets.

Saturday was her birthday party, and today at church we dedicated her to the Lord. Karis, there is no deeper love we can show you than the promises we made there before friends and family.

We cannot wait for another year of love, smiles, laughters, and all of the new "firsts" that we see you reaching for! We love you! Happy birthday!

Sorry we've been away for a while - much is going on. Wimbledon was great, but coming home to my girls was incredible. I love traveling, but I missed my girls even more than I thought I would - and I knew I would an incredible amount. Thank God for video calls. Nana was wonderful and came up to spend some time with them, and one of the fun things in the wake of that visit was Karis's use of "uh-oh". At first, she was still trying it out.... it went something like this: "uh-uh-uh-uh-ohhhhhh, uh-eh-eeh-ohhhh, uh-uh-oh-oh, oh-oh-uh-uh". When she finally solidified the sound, she still lacked meaning (thanks Kristy for taking the video while I was gone!):

She seems to be pretty solid on it now - something falls, "uh-oh". It's hilarious sometimes her "uh-oh" view on life interjects itself into Leah's and my conversations.

And THEN, after I'm back from there and we go to the beach, Rowan decides to come early! Welcome to the world, Rowan! I can't wait to see you and Karis grow as friends.

From reading the backlog of comments, seems I should let everyone know: yes, we are moving... provided our house sells. :-) Anyone interested? It's just amazing how much room a small little girl can take up. It seems to be a prime time to move to a nearby city (sorry to be so vague - I'm just maintaining a bit of internet privacy) - a pretty even trade of our house value for one with LOTS of more room. I'm working from home now, so location is just about irrelevant except in terms of our church, and the new house is just about equidistant from there.

As always - more to come! Ain't it fun?

(drum roll)
Weighing in at 21 lbs., 11 oz., and towering over the competition at 29 3/4 inches, Karis Bell Pavel is officially "healthy" and - dare I say it - "bouncing". She still has a bit of the "long and lean" look, but she is much more proportional than in days of yore.

She makes a mom and dad so proud.

• Karis sleeps about 12 hours a night - has been for a few months now. Amazing how quickly we can get used to it...
  
• The little bean sprout shot her way up to 12 month clothes a bit before the 8th month mark. They still fit, but I couldn't tell you for how long.
  
• A second tooth snuck in, seemingly overnight again. Though we haven't been able to capture it on film, standby - our Snaggletooth now has a cute two teeth'ed smile!
  
• She's always been quick to smile, but she is exceptionally happy when you clap your hands and cheer, "Yay!" She's been clapping and smiling for about a week now.
  
• While we've heard both "Mama" and "Dada" used for each of us, clearly and specifically, she seems to save those for moments of extreme desperation. I must say, as a trump card, it never fails - if she wants us to scoop her up and cover her with kisses.
  
• My favorite development - she has taken to mimicking daddy's dancing (which consists primarily of a head bop, unfortunately similar to the slick moves in "Night At The Roxbury"). It's morphed into a "gimme an eskimo kiss" as well, but she has been regularly bringing this move out to share her good moods.