and baby makes three...

No rhyme or reason (random moments in late summer/early fall)

2010-09-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Emma and K enjoying their ride in the teacup on the carousel.

Mommy and K

Baby Samuel enjoying the outing to BridgeStreet.

The girls playing in the fountains for probably the last time this year.

Copying her daddy

"Dees!" (cheese)

Caeson

K pickin' cotton

Tenley

Raegan

Randael

All the grandchildren on my side of the family.

Pigtails

Balancing on the beam all by herself at the Little Gym

What little monkeys!

Helping Daddy start the play set

Taking over the project

Getting distracted by bugs in the grass. ;)

Determined to lift her side.

Beach Bums

2010-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Due to the lovely oil spill in the Gulf, we decided that we would pack up, drive 11 hours, and visit Myrtle Beach, SC this year instead. Sam's dad, John (otherwise known as Pa-Pa) went with us too. I was a little hesitant about going this year because I wasn't sure how K was going to react to the beach. However, no need to worry, this time was great! K REALLY loved the beach and the ocean too. We had to stay close and be ready to go in at any moment because she would go straight for the water (ocean or pool). The first day in the ocean the rip currents were really strong, so we weren't able to get to far out or let go of K even where the waves rolled onto the beach. By the end of the week, the hurricane that was due to hit the NC coast was getting closer and was causing high waves, it was awesome! K loved the pool even better because she wasn't held onto all the time and could play better with others. Our week consistented of the beach and pool (of course), a trip to Ripley's Aqarium, and shopping at all sorts of places. While we were in SC, we also drove down to Charleston and were able to visit with my father-in-law's family. We enjoyed our time in Charleston and seeing all the family (we wish we were able to see them more). It was neat to see another side of the US for a change, but I have to say, I really favor the gulf. The beach there had gray, shelly sand and gray murky water. I prefer to see the white sand with blue-green water that you can see through. Other than that, it was a great family vacation!

Sam I Am

2010-08-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know by now, I decided to stay home from teaching this year. While I am off this year, I decided to keep a friend of mine's baby boy named, Samuel. He is exactly one year younger than K and has the sweetest disposition. K loves having him around! She greets him every morning with "hi baby" and tries to get him out of his car seat~it's too cute. She enjoys entertaining him, annoying him, and even kissing him (which can be entertaining and annoying ;) LOL!) K has really "helped" him adjust to other children by squealing loudly right in his ear, taking toys away, showing him how toys work, sharing toys and other things, peeking in his crib right as he gets asleep, and many other helpful things. After a couple weeks, he learned to completely tune her out and not be as startled when she goes into LOUD mode (then again, I think we all have learned that to an extent). Having two around is not as hard as I thought it was going to be and definitely a wonderful learning experience for when we have our 2nd child (no...we are not quite ready for baby #2-we are just getting to the really fun stuff with K!)

Marley and Me :)

2010-07-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

My friend, Janene, and I decided to take our girls to the Botantical Gardens for the Treehouse Exhibit. They loved to climb, crawl, slide, run, and play on or around each unique treehouse. While we were there, we visited the Butterfly Exhibit, where Marley and K could see all the different types of butterflies, bees, turtles, and fish. Afterward, we went into the children's area and let the girls cool off by playing in the water misters and bubbling boulders. I think that was the icing on the cake! Both girls were drenched, but really seemed to enjoy their time together at the Gardens. I'm glad we were able to go and enjoy the day. K just loves her friends! :-D

Bouncing, Bubbles, and balls galore!

2010-07-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

We enrolled K in a toddler gymnastics class at The Little Gym and it couldn't be more perfect for her! She is constantly on the go, so she needed a place where she could release her energy and interact with some more kids her own age. In the last couple of weeks, she has learned to do a forwards roll, a backwards roll, walk on a balance beam, grasp and hold onto the bars, use the mats, and move on the tumble track (all with a little guidance, of course). We learn two new skills every time we go and she is so eager to learn each of them. I really like her teacher too! She knows the kids and understands their attention span, so she is always ready for the next step. So far, we have played some musical instruments, bounced balls, tossed scarfs, blown bubbles, tumbled, climbed, danced, and sang songs. What more could you ask for with toddlers?!?

Sunny days, sweepin' the clouds away...

2010-07-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can tell, we are definitely enjoying our summer and sunny days together! K and I are always finding great ways to beat the heat and still get outdoors. She is obsessed with water, whether it is from the sink, hose, or pool. I love watching her experience these moments in life and hope I can capture all of them! She is such a blessing and has greatly enriched my life -What did I ever do without her??? :D

Oodles of fun at Bridgestreet

2010-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

We took K to Bridge Street today to play in the pop up water fountains. I wasn't sure if she was going to participate so I didn't bother with a bathing suit and all that nonsense until she tested it out. BUT once she was in, there was no turning back or changing...She loved it!!! I figured next time, we will do it better and dress the part. ;) Also, I brought bubbles and then it was a party for all the little ones involved. My niece loves being a "little mommy," so she decided to blow the bubbles for me. What good family fun we had today. After we dried off and changed into decent clothing, we met daddy at Tommy's Pizza. Good place to go for pizza that is different. :)

Splash and Play

2010-06-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

I call it the Toddler Water Park...

The water was very cold when she sat down the first time. :)

Fun in the sun. She spotted a bird in the tree and was a little distracted for the photo. Too cute.

Mmmmm! That is good water ma-ma.

Okay, so our patio was finally poured and we couldn't wait to go out! So, I pulled out all the water toys, the new water play mat, and we played like there was no tomorrow! Even if the wall wasn't quite finished, we still went out and did our thing. I love that she loves water and playing outside! The only thing that worries me a little is how fearless she is. She will stick her face directly in the water, try to blow bubbles (or drink it-can't tell), and then do it again! Crazy girl!

(Yes, she takes after me...)

Party, Party, Party (well, just two really)

2010-05-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

First, was our youngest nephew's (on Sam side)

What a good daddy! She wanted in so badly! It was sprinkling out, so not many of the parents were getting in to get right back out if it really rained.

Second, was her BFF's 2nd birthday.

She looks sweet and innocent, but...

P showing K her new dolly and trying to share with K. How sweet!

K taking and running with P's new dolly. (Yes, we have the mean child...ha, ha)

Daddy interfering and giving P's new doll back to her. :)

Today was a busy day! We had two birthday parties to go to and one short nap in between. Whew! Poor K, she really thought that the doll was hers because we have the same one at home. She didn't understand why P kept it. It ended up okay though, she was fine when we left. We had to distract her with a cookie to get her out of the clubhouse. :)

She just couldn't wait!

2010-05-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, here is Little Miss in the pool in the beginning/middle of May...we walked out on the back deck to watch her daddy work on the patio wall and she spotted the pool she had from last year...Needless to say, she won this battle! Oh well, all parents win some lose some, right??? So, K played for a while in the cold water as she watched Opa and Dada work. I can't wait to get her in the big pool! SHE IS A WATER BABY! :)

The grass is greener on the other side

2010-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

K at Uncle Garth and Aunt Andrea's house for Haley's 16th birthday.

She wasn't happy about it at first, but K is finally getting used to feeling the grass between her toes, etc. Now that things are starting to green up and she has realized that it's not going to hurt her, she doesn't mind walking around the yard. She used to only walk on the sidewalk and would scream if she was close to the grass. :D I can't wait for the summer to come so we can play in the sprinkler and her whale spouting baby pool! She loves the water!

March of Dimes Walk 2010

2010-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

K and Mommy about to head to the

March of Dimes Walk 2010.

Hanging out in the stroller, getting ready to GO!

Begging for a snack afterwards.

K and one of her BFFs, Payton

April 17th was the March of Dimes walk. I walked with friends and co-teachers to honor the Keith family who lost their little girl, Kylie, to the devastating disease of Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Our team raised over $8000.00 for the March of Dimes Cause! The morning was great and K slept 3 out of the 4 miles. Then, she sang and said "hi" to everyone we passed. I can't wait to walk/jog again next year!

Going, going, gone!

2010-04-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

K has been teetering around a little bit here and there for the past few weeks. With each passing day, her confidence builds and she takes a few more steps. She is able to stand on her own and even bend down to get things without toppling over and without holding onto something now. Just thought I'd share how fast she's growing for those of you who haven't seen her in a while.

Now, are there any suggestions on how to make her stop growing or at least slow down the process??? ;)

Bunnies, eggs, and ice cream...

2010-04-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

Last Easter was well...okay, so I don't remember much (K was only 2 weeks or so old and at that point, I was running on fumes I'm sure).

However, this Easter was great! There was lots of good food, wonderful time with the family, and all sorts of fun things this year. Even though our egg hunt was rained out, K still loved all the eggs, bunnies, and treats that she found around our house, in the yard, and at Aunt Cort's. On top of all that, she was introduced to a few new things this year like chalk, chocolate, and G-da's famous homemade vanilla ice cream.

She didn't want to be picked up for a picture again.

She was fussing at us for interrupting her chalk time!

Ice Cream...

Mmmmmm!

Daddy and K

Caeson "teaching" K not to eat the chalk, but to draw with it. ;)

Kissing her piggy egg-She absolutely loved them! Thanks Mrs. Patti!

Looking for more eggs in her bean bag chair.

Showing Daddy her kitty cat eggs. :)

K's 1st Birthday Celebration!!!

2010-04-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Beat from the long day! Just relaxing on her new princess couch/sleeper.

One last slide before bath time and bed

All her toys

"Yuck! Not this stuff again!"

Besides those two fingers that grazed the top of the cake, she didn't touch it this time around. I think she remembered the cake from her 1 year picture session.

All my little helpers during gift time ;)

The drink table (and my dad...supervising)

The kid table

Yes, the birthday girl is taking off her shoes and socks!

Why do I even bother dressing her!?

The big cake

K's cake

The food table

She woke up that morning ready to go, so we showed her one of her presents-the Princess Coupe Car. She immediately went over it to and said "wow." She loved it! We pushed her around while she had her morning cup of milk. Talk about spoiled!

Her birthday plate

(done by her mommy)

Her birthday party was a BIG success! She had many friends and family members come to show their love and join the celebration of her first year. The food was great, the kids played well, and we made it through without any tears (neither one of us ;) he, he). She really didn't know what to think about all the people around her, but I have to say, she didn't seem to mind and enjoyed the extra attention! She wasn't sure about us singing to her and looked at us as if we had lost our minds, but all in all, I think she enjoyed the serenade. :)

1 year photos by Michelle

2010-03-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Her very first cake! Isn't it cute!?

The rest of February

2010-02-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken by me one lazy afternoon. The dress that KEA is wearing was mine and my sister's when we were little. Rae, my neice, had pictures in it when she was about 1 year and now it was K's turn. My sister is about to have another little girl in May and we will see if the tradition continues. :)

We were getting ready to go to a baby shower for a really good friend of mine from high school. KEA looked so cute in the dress, I couldn't pass up the chance to share!

KEA's first Valentine's Day! She loved playing with the heart shaped boxes that the candy came in from the kids at school. We had a family Valentine's lunch at Newk's and then ran some errands, nothing too big. We played at home and just enjoyed our time being together.

What can I say, I love my family... :)

(Outfit courtesy of her "Aunt" Jess)

Little Miss Mischievous

2010-02-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, she has a sock in her mouth...this is how she carries things when she crawls. It's too funny to see, expecially when things are too big!

Showing off her musical talents in the kitchen with pot lids and wooden spoons.

What a "ROCK STAR!"

My sweet and happy little princess.

K is definitely taking off! She is getting into everything now and picking up speed! The last few weeks, she has shown us a different side of her personality...the mischievous side! If we say "no ma'am," she goes directly for it (whatever it is) and says "uh, uh" or "nah, nah" (no, no) because she knows she isn't supposed to. If we say "yes" or put things in front of her that she can have, she doesn't want anything to do with it! Typical, huh!?

She has started saying a few more sounds and is beginning to communicate through sign, as well as her typical baby babble. She isn't walking yet, but becoming more and more daring each day. She is fearless lately. K will jump out of your arms or dive on to a bed/couch without warning. She is attempting to crawl up the steps (which means time to really baby proof the house). The cats have realized that they can no longer lay down in sight of her because she will head straight for them and find something to grab or rip out ;). She's a mess, but I LOVE her more and more with each passing day. Having a child has definitely changed my perspective on some things and made me appreciate life (and all that comes with it) even more.

We finally finished the playroom, with the exception of the TV and stand. We haven't found what we are looking for just yet, but hope to have it soon. We decided not to paint the walls and use the flower decals instead, just in case we have another child and need that room. I would hate to paint another room pink and have a little boy. ;) K loves playing in her new room! Plus, it makes her room and our living room a lot neater with all the toys out of there.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me a while to post these, we have been really busy!!!

Christmas in Gatlinburg, TN with the Colvin family. It was fun, but cold! Traveling with a baby in the cold weather is definitely an adventure!!!

All the gifts that she received (except from Mimi & G-da-she got those later in Gatlinburg). After X-mas, we had to start working on the playroom to have somewhere to put all of this stuff!!! :D

Christmas with the Adams family at Aunt Suzanne's house. She really liked the bows and the sock monkey!

Christmas morning-opening Santa's gift that he brought K...again, she was more interested in the paper, but it was still was fun to watch!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T18:27:00.001-08:00

We had a blast this year with K on Christmas Eve! As I have always done in my family, the kids get to open one gift that night before heading to bed. Well, seeing that this was the first one, K got to open two. She opened her very own special copy of The Night Before Christmas (mommy-voice recorded) and a cookie jar toy that helps her learn some of her colors, shapes, and numbers. In the pictures, you can tell that she isn't really interested in the gifts right away because she really loved the wrapping paper and bows! But after the mess was cleaned up, she seemed to like her gifts.

Christmas Pictures 2009

2009-12-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, they are here and if I do say so myself, Michelle did a FABULOUS job once again! I love her work and how she is able to capture the best moments with my family. K loves her and knows how to work that camera! ;) We decided to have her come to the house this year and get pictures of all of us there for K's 1st Christmas. I am so glad we did! Now, K can look back and remember the house we were in and how special this holiday was. I warn you, there are quite a few because I couldn't narrow it down to just share 2 or 3... enjoy! :D

'Tis the Season

2009-11-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Mom looks pretty busy, now's the time to get the beads!

Deck the halls...or baby

Our family tree

K's very own pink (yes, pink) Christmas tree

All tuckered out.

This weekend, we decided to put up our Christmas decorations, but unlike any other year, we of course had more help than we needed...K was eager to get in on the action and helped where she could. ;) As we untangled beads, she would retangle them. As we would put up ornaments, she would try to add her sweetness (otherwise known as slobber) to them beforehand. She seems to love the lights and presents under the tree. I can't wait to see what she does on Christmas day! 'Tis the season to be merry!

Happy Holidays!

The beginning of a beautiful friendship...

2009-11-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today, K met her new BFF, H. Weighing 6.11 lbs and 19 in long, Baby H was absolutely precious and tiny! It takes me back to how little K really was when she was born a little over 7 months ago. Boy, time flies! Even though K wasn't really sure about Baby H today and couldn't figure out why she cried when we took the blanket off (my hot natured little princess), I'm sure this is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I can't wait to see them grow and have fun being little girls! :)

Taking a bite out of things

2009-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Smiling with her two front bottom teeth, while eating her puff for snack

(sorry, it's a little fuzzy due to the lighting)

YEAH!!! K finally has two teeth-she doesn't need baby dentures (ha, ha)! The first tooth we noticed break through her gums Saturday morning and the second tooth was close behind. We felt it today! Wow, two teeth in a few days! Let's hope there is a break between the others, for her sake! She has been such a trooper though. She has not been really fussy or seemed to be bothered by them. Well, just thought I would share. My sweet little baby is growing up way too fast for me!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can tell, KEA survived her first Halloween. The week before, we had our photographer take some pictures of her in her costume and dress because we knew that we wouldn't get many (if any) good shots of her the night of due to all the things going on. Boy, we are glad we did! She was so sleepy and it was too cold to stay outside for long. She didn't know quite what to think about the other kids running up and yelling "trick or treat"-some she smiled at and some she would start to pout. Nevertheless, she was too cute in her flower costume (as short lived as it was Saturday night) as she practiced going trick or treating herself to three of our neighbor's houses. She was way more interested in all of their spooky pumpkins on their porches and her own candy bag (that lights up and makes a scary laugh when you press the side of it) than the people, but now we can say we experienced it. :)

Growing like a weed!

2009-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

At the end of October, we took KEA to get her 6 month shots, flu shot, and check up (even though she was about 7 months). This time at the doctor, she weighed 16.9 lbs and is 26 3/4 inches long! I can't believe how big she is getting! We are glad to see that she is finally catching up with her peers and her weight is starting to taper off a little. However, she is not in the 90% anymore, but that's okay. She is finally wearing 6 months clothing and beginning to do lots of things. She is sitting up now, can say things like ma, da, ba, blah, and is trying hard to skip the step of crawling. If she is on her belly, she automatically goes in the downward dog position (feet and hands on floor-like a bridge). Dr. J (her pediatrician) says that she may not crawl because she can easily go from sitting to standing with little support, plus the fact that we have hardwood. She loves to bounce in the doorway jumper and use her walker. We'll see though, she constantly surprises us with what she can do. She is continuing to create puddles of drool, but still has NO teeth! We are beginning to think that she will need baby dentures! (Ha, ha).

Our First Family Vacation

2009-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

In early October, KEA took her first family vacation to the beach. She was GREAT! My parents were able to go and help too. Going to the beach was fun, but it is definitely different with a baby. Due to the tropical storms and such down in the gulf, the ocean was closed much of the time because of the strong rip currents. However, when it was open, the purple flags ere up because of the mass amount of jellyfish floating around. No big deal though, KEA wasn't crazy about the waves anyway, but she loves the pool! So, we spent time there most of our days in the sun and enjoyed shopping too.

The first day we arrived, we went to supper and walked around a bit, then decided that we couldn't wait to have her see the beach and feel the sand for the first time, so this was it. Can't you see the excitement in her eyes?

The day was so cold from the strong winds! But we didn't drive all the way to the beach to stay indoors! :)

KEA loves to be outside! She enjoyed sitting on the beach and watching all the people, seagulls, and waves. She even attempted to eat the sand, but we were glad that she didn't like the first bite. Yuck! :)

She was even more interested in the umbrella that my parents brought.

As you can see, her first time in the ocean water wasn't a success. Her daddy kept trying to stick her in it, but she wasn't going to have anything to do with it that first day and refused to put her feet down.

We do have a water baby-she takes after her mommy on that one!

She really wanted to swim like the big kids... :)

She also just loved laying out in the sun and entertaining anyone nearby.

G-da and KEA taking a stroll down the Pier.

One wonderful family trip down and we hope many more to go... :D

1/2 way there!

2009-09-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it is hard to believe that just 6 months ago our beautiful baby girl first appeared in our world. We are so blessed to have her in our lives and thank God daily for her. She is an amazing little girl with so much spunk and personality. We love seeing her grow and change with each passing day. Here's to another fabulous 6 months and more! :D

Already trouble ;)

2009-09-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Attention:

Cute (absolutely precious) little girl seeking

adorable little boy

*Must have hair and love strained veggies.

NO momma's boys please!

I just couldn't help myself! This was too cute! You can't really tell, but she was telling me about about her "dream boy" and just kept going on and on...it was hilarious!

The onesie is courtesy of her Aunt Cort :D

Berry exciting...she's almost there

2009-09-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

The above picture is of her after she fell. She looked at me like, "what did you do that for?" Poor thing :(

Last night, KEA decided that she was going to try to sit all by herself and she did! Okay well, for about 10 seconds...but hey, she's got to start somewhere! :) As you can see (by the strawberry outfit), she tried again today, but every time she would try to reach for something or look at me, there she'd go.

Take 5

2009-09-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

KEA is five months now and is really taking off with things now! She weighs 15 lbs 10 oz and is 26 1/4 inches long. That puts her in the 60% for her weight and the 90% for her height! She is definitely taking after her daddy with her length! She is also beginnning to show even more personality now. KEA is talking (baby talk) all the time and doing so VERY loudly (also from her father's side ;) he, he). She has mastered rolling from her belly to back and is now trying hard to roll over from her back to belly. She can make it about 3/4 of the way but her arm gets stuck under her (she has done it twice on the bed, but we don't count that since she can't do it on the floor). She is still trying to sit up on her own, but can't quite balance well enough to keep her from leaning. Unfortunately, she is still teething, but no teeth yet. She is chewing on everything and slobbering all over the place, so hopefully it will be any day now. KEA started baby food yesterday (green beans to be more specific) and loved it! So far, so good. She is also beginning to reach for everything in sight (including the kitties). We find that she is a very happy, but strong-willed baby...hum, I wonder where she gets that from?

Livin' the good life

2009-09-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

Life is so good! Having KEA in March has added so much to our lives. I never knew motherhood was going to be this great, or I would have done it years ago! It's amazing to see a tiny little baby grow rapidly over just a matter of months. I love to see her reach all these new milestones day after day. I started back to work in August, which I wasn't thrilled about, and am leaving KEA with a dear friend and former room mother of mine that lives directly across the street from the school. K really seems to like visiting Mrs. Patti and playing with her friend Payton (other teacher's child who is a little over a year old). Hopefully, the school year will go well for me and the time will go by fast. I loved being home with my little princess!

Time is flying by!

2009-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

My little princess doesn't even look like the same baby at 4 months! She is gaining weight very well now and beginning to catch up with her peers. She has made it into double digit numbers- she weighs 12 lbs 13 oz and is 23 1/2 inches long. She is finally crawling up the growth chart and is at 50% for her weight and 40% for her height.

Bet your bottom dollar

2009-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

KEA is one day old in this picture. She was so tiny that the dollar bill was the only thing we had on hand and could think of to compare her to.

3 months later, she has grown quite a bit as you can tell. But hey, the hospital shirt actually fits her this time! ;)

Our little angel- 1 month old

2009-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well, finally after 4 weeks, she is beginning to grow some. She now weighs about 6 pounds and is around 19 1/2 inches long. So far, she is still in her newborn phase, she sleeps most of the days and is only waking up once during the night to feed. What a great baby!

Surprise, she's here!

2009-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Around 5:15 AM Saturday, March 28, I felt a strange feeling and knew that something was going on…Well, boy was it! My water broke shortly after I stood up and I was in labor! Kynsleigh was on her way 4 weeks early, whether we were ready or not! :) I called my sister and let her know right away. Then, we had to track down my parents who were visiting some friends in New York. Sam and I got ready and headed to Crestwood. Once we arrived, we checked in and the nurse took us to our delivery room where we stayed all day. Then by 5:00 PM, my parents arrived from New York.

At 9:49PM, Kynsleigh Enabelle was born! She weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces and was 16 ¾ inches long. She was the most beautiful and smallest baby that I had ever seen! She was absolutely perfect! I am so glad things happened the way they did!

Expecting a little girl

2009-03-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to find out that we were pregnant with a little girl.