these are from thankskgiving break. A while ago, but whatever. they're pictures aren't they? ahhhh quality time

award winning gingerbread house (additional credit to Kristen Christensen who is not pictured here)

So we are great at updating this thing...yeah.

Jane is six months old (happy unbirthday tomorrow). She is awesome. She cackles laughing all the time and always smiles and shakes her whole body when we pick her up from a nap. She rolled over for the first time last week (I think she's secretly been doing it for a while because sometimes I will leave th eroom and come back and she's mysteriously in a completely different spot) She has one tooth that is half way in. Teething is no picnic. It's rather a festival of suck to be honest. But we are having a great time with her. She likes to suck on everything...literally. One has to be careful with her tooth in noow (it's rather sharp) She's good at taking things by surprise too. There she'll sit, calm and seemingly paying attention to anything but her target and then BAM she goes after it growling. I think she would have swallowed my nose several times if she could have. She's so cute -- I know I'm her mom so of course I think that -- but whatever she's cute.

I'll post some pics asap.

So we are bragging parents and good for us about it!

Jane is 11 weeks old. She is so fun now. She makes tons of noise 'talking' a lot (especially to dan) We took her swimming twice this week and completely ridiculously forgot the camera. She liked it though --well she didn't scream or cry at all. So we call that 'liking it'.-- She did have a sort of 'what in the world' look on her face. She kicked her legs and we put her face under for a second a few times (properly like swim instructors do so don't worry)

She can support all her weight on her legs now. She'll stand up sometimes when we're just trying to pick her up. She still has trouble holding up her head (i'm sure all you christensen's can relate) in fact speaking of her head...

we went to the doctor last week for a checkup. The nurse did all her measurements first (15lbs 4 oz, 42cm head etc.) and the doctor came in. He was checking all the measurements on the chart. When he got to her head measurement he paused for a moment...looked at the chart and at the measurement again and at me and says "you know, i'm going to do this measurement again". nice.

all is going well otherwise. We'll be in washington next week and in Utah for christmas. Good thing too. Vacation is always nice.

Jane is 6 weeks old now. Things are going great. We're going to put some pictures up for your viewing pleasure (if you aren't pleased you are entitled to your opinion...but there's no need for us to know it :)

Jane smiles now (the real non-gassy kind of smile). It's awesome. Makes me feel like a million bucks and that, on at least some level, I must be doing something right - which is difficult to feel when one is covered either in sour curdled milk that spewed from said child's mouth or in fresh milk leaked through one's clothing in public. Not exactly confidence boosters. The smell is not great either.

She is great though. Tons of fun (well 12.5 lbs of it) and unbelievably lovable (to her parents at least)... just like a live teddy bear (totally puts teddy ruxpin to shame)

In other news:
Dan is enjoying baby/school/work/mom rescue. He is working on TARP, a water project in Chicago and is deciding on his thesis topic. He is really busy but doing very well.

Amber has started helping coach UofI lacrosse here in Champaign. Jane attended her first of probably many lacrosse practices in her future. She was only reprimanded once for interrupting the coach :) We now have a team full of babysitters.

here is a little video of "baby christensen" and Amber