After a stressful couple days, we have finally told our parents and the news is officially out. I am pregnant and due July 23. We sent out the above picture with our Christmas cards, and little did we know, they arrived at people's houses before we had a chance to tell our parents! But my parents made it up here yesterday and we had them and the Keiths and Amanda over for dinner last night and had Kaitlin wear her shirt after dinner. I saw Amanda look at the shirt and kind of do a double take, but I didn't make eye contact so she just kind of moved on. But then a minute later, she and my mom stopped Kaitlin and said "wait, what does your shirt say?!?" And then they announced to the rest of the family. Cindi was washing dishes and said "Yeah, it says "Big Sister," she's Bud's sister!" and then she finally got it and ran over and gave me a hug. Everyone was very excited, especially Kaitlin who just knew everyone kept looking at her shirt and smiling and laughing, and that was good enough for her! It was a great night and one that rivals when we told everyone about Kaitlin 2 years ago.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The news is out!
After a stressful couple days, we have finally told our parents and the news is officially out. I am pregnant and due July 23. We sent out the above picture with our Christmas cards, and little did we know, they arrived at people's houses before we had a chance to tell our parents! But my parents made it up here yesterday and we had them and the Keiths and Amanda over for dinner last night and had Kaitlin wear her shirt after dinner. I saw Amanda look at the shirt and kind of do a double take, but I didn't make eye contact so she just kind of moved on. But then a minute later, she and my mom stopped Kaitlin and said "wait, what does your shirt say?!?" And then they announced to the rest of the family. Cindi was washing dishes and said "Yeah, it says "Big Sister," she's Bud's sister!" and then she finally got it and ran over and gave me a hug. Everyone was very excited, especially Kaitlin who just knew everyone kept looking at her shirt and smiling and laughing, and that was good enough for her! It was a great night and one that rivals when we told everyone about Kaitlin 2 years ago.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Visit with Santa
We took Kaitlin to see Santa last weekend. For nostalgia's sake, here is a picture of her this time last year:
Sweet baby has no idea who is holding her. It could be the grinch and she would be cheesin' like this.
My what a difference a year makes!!
We started off with screaming, then..
pretty much the saddest face I've ever seen in my life...
then the helpful elf brought out the good toys and we got somewhat of a smile...
and we ended up with a great picture, but I haven't scanned it in yet. Cindi got some with her camera that are pretty close to what the final take was from the mall photographer, click here to see a sample.
Sweet baby has no idea who is holding her. It could be the grinch and she would be cheesin' like this.
My what a difference a year makes!!
We started off with screaming, then..
pretty much the saddest face I've ever seen in my life...
then the helpful elf brought out the good toys and we got somewhat of a smile...
and we ended up with a great picture, but I haven't scanned it in yet. Cindi got some with her camera that are pretty close to what the final take was from the mall photographer, click here to see a sample.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Adolphus Christmas Parade
I'm still catching up from when our computer was out of commission. Two weeks ago we went to the Adolphus Christmas Parade in downtown Dallas with our friends Darren, Catherine and Thomas. It was COLD, but fun. Kaitlin really enjoyed watching all the floats and balloons go by, and it actually held her attention for about 45 minutes. The hard part was getting there early enough to get a good spot and keeping her entertained for the hour before the parade started. Here are some pics.
Mom and K pre-bundling up.
Checking out the balloons - at this point, you gotta get excited so she gets excited.
Santa, one of the many balloons.
Thomas and K hanging out before the parade started. I love this pic b/c it looks like they are holding hands (they're not, she won't even hold her mommy's hand!) And I'm not a terrible mother, she refused to wear her hat and gloves, and there's only so many times I can put them on to have her tear them off again.
Mom and K pre-bundling up.
Checking out the balloons - at this point, you gotta get excited so she gets excited.
Santa, one of the many balloons.
Thomas and K hanging out before the parade started. I love this pic b/c it looks like they are holding hands (they're not, she won't even hold her mommy's hand!) And I'm not a terrible mother, she refused to wear her hat and gloves, and there's only so many times I can put them on to have her tear them off again.
Daddy's Girl
This morning I opened the fridge and was getting some things out for breakfast. Kaitlin usually takes this opportunity to climb up in there and point out the milk, the fruit, etc. This morning, she reached into the half eaten veggie tray we have in there, pulled out a carrot and was reaching around in search of the Ranch tub that was in the middle of the tray. I tried to get her out of there, only to have her yell "dip, dip DIP!!!!!" at me. Little girl wanted ranch dressing for breakfast - she is her daddy's daughter!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Rites of passage
It was bound to happen. Every kid does this at one time or another, and last week was Kaitlin's time. While I'm making dinner, K sometimes occupies herself in the pantry rearranging my soup cans. She likes to stack them in various orders, by color, shape or size. Sometimes she lines them all up on the floor. So while making dinner last Wednesday, I assumed that's what she was doing in there. However, when I peeked around the door to make sure, this is what I saw:
Well, not exactly that, but something similar. That thing she is tugging on is Bud's dog food container. She already had the container out and had 3 pellets in her mouth. I did the ol' swoop technique and retrieved 2 pellets, which I at first thought was all of it. I was certain she would have found them disgusting, but apparently not, because when I turned back to her after throwing those 2 away, I noticed she was trying to inconspicuously suck on the one I had missed. So I guess dog food isn't that bad after all, or maybe my kid will just eat anything. Either way, the pantry stays closed now during meal preparation and she is provided as many goldfish as she pleases so she doesn't have to resort to Bud's rations.
And my original post was going to be just a "Rite" of passage, until this morning, when Kaitlin fell in the drink. That's right, she did some laps in the pool before church. Pretty scary thing for me. We've played out there pretty much everyday since she could crawl, so I guess I had gotten lax in my watching of her. She's normally very cautious and knows to stay off the brick border that surrounds the pool, but she has started climbing and there is a brick ledge around the spa that she just can't resist. So I was on the other side of the pool, scooping out leaves, when I heard a "splash." I ran over and jumped in the spa myself as she was thrashing around. She actually looked to be trying to swim, but never turned over onto her back like I would've hoped. So she got a new outfit and another bath before church this morning, and I hope we both learned a valuable lesson.
Well, not exactly that, but something similar. That thing she is tugging on is Bud's dog food container. She already had the container out and had 3 pellets in her mouth. I did the ol' swoop technique and retrieved 2 pellets, which I at first thought was all of it. I was certain she would have found them disgusting, but apparently not, because when I turned back to her after throwing those 2 away, I noticed she was trying to inconspicuously suck on the one I had missed. So I guess dog food isn't that bad after all, or maybe my kid will just eat anything. Either way, the pantry stays closed now during meal preparation and she is provided as many goldfish as she pleases so she doesn't have to resort to Bud's rations.
And my original post was going to be just a "Rite" of passage, until this morning, when Kaitlin fell in the drink. That's right, she did some laps in the pool before church. Pretty scary thing for me. We've played out there pretty much everyday since she could crawl, so I guess I had gotten lax in my watching of her. She's normally very cautious and knows to stay off the brick border that surrounds the pool, but she has started climbing and there is a brick ledge around the spa that she just can't resist. So I was on the other side of the pool, scooping out leaves, when I heard a "splash." I ran over and jumped in the spa myself as she was thrashing around. She actually looked to be trying to swim, but never turned over onto her back like I would've hoped. So she got a new outfit and another bath before church this morning, and I hope we both learned a valuable lesson.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thanksgiving
So I'm a little late, but our computer that we download all our pictures to was out of commission for a while. We went to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with the Hey side of the family. My brother and his wife got to meet Kaitlin for the first time. He was very patient with her and had a good time running around saying "bubbles" and "cheese," since he knew that would jog her memory and she would demand both. Typical older brother, once a pest, always a pest. Here are a few pics from the long weekend, more are up here.
Mom & Kids
Chris teaching K how to blow bubbles
The whole crew after a delicious meal.
Swinging at the park
Mom & Kids
Chris teaching K how to blow bubbles
The whole crew after a delicious meal.
Swinging at the park
Friday, December 5, 2008
7 Things You Never Knew - Kaitlin Edition
I figured it would be fitting to follow up the 7 things you never knew about me with 7 about Kaitlin. This is HER blog after all.
1. She loves buses. Yes, the girl who got kicked out of school is infatuated with school buses. It started with the song "The Wheels on the Bus," which I now sing about 25 times each day. She often calls out "bus, bus!" to let me know that's the song she wants to hear, and when we're singing it, she lets me know which verse she wants to hear. "Open shut!" "Up down!" Or she does the movement of the wipers or the baby crying. When we're out running around and see one on the road, she is downright ECSTATIC, kicking, screaming and pointing "BUS!" in the back seat.
2. She enjoys hanging out with me in the bathroom in the morning. One of her favorite activities is asking for "buzz" (bubbles) when I am in the shower. This is when I'm supposed to generate some and put them on the short little tiled wall that is right outside the shower. She likes to play with them as they slide down the wall. Another favorite is playing with my makeup bag. She likes to empty it out and then pick up each item and pretend to apply it, whether it be to her face, her ear, her hair, she's really not particular as to where her makeup goes.
3. She is a lovebug these days and Scott and I are both eating it up. When he goes to leave in the morning, she says "bye bye," all callous and unfeeling until he is actually on his way out the door, at which point she freaks out and runs after him to give him one last hug and kiss. And at night, when we put her down, she loves to sit on your lap and get close to your face and give you thousands of kisses and eskimos. Then she says "night night" which lets us know she's ready to get in her crib and get down to business.
4. I should point out that while she will allow some downtime at night, the other 99% of the time she is awake she is G-O-I-N-G. I try and get her to come cuddle with me in the morning when Scott brings her in, but she will have none of it. If she is up, she is on the move. She doesn't like to sit on laps or be held for too long. As a a matter of fact, I'm kicking myself for spending so much on a stroller for her because she really can't stand it. I'm kind of hoping this is just a phase and she will slow down at some point, but based on Cindi's stories of Scott, I think this is what I'm stuck with.
5. She's very vocal and has a great vocabulary. She's already in the parrot stage so we've been having to watch what we say. Yesterday I asked her "What happened?" and she has been saying "happened? happnd? happens?" ever since. She's also been stringing short phrases, saying "Momma sleepin"when Scott goes to get her in the morning (assuming correctly that I am still sleeping) or "Dadda work" when Scott is not around.
6. Back to the aforementioned shower bubbles - bubbles in general are a big hit. We have a container that she is constantly requesting. I'm talking up to 50 times a day she's asking for these things. Her uncle Chris taught her how to blow them herself over Thanksgiving and now she thinks she is an expert and can do it herself, even while holding the container. Not true! If we blow them with Bud around, even better, since he likes to bite them as they come down and she thinks this is hysterical. We have some video of this and I will post it once we get our home computer back.
7. The kid can EAT. I mean, really, really eat. How else would she keep up that 28lb physique you ask? I've always heard toddlers are finicky eaters, and she does have her days, but the majority of time she will chow down on pretty much anything. And lots of it. For example, tonight we went to Johnny Carino's and she polished off 1/3 of the loaf of bread they brought, approximately 3 Italian Nachos, all 6 of her kiddie cheese ravioli, and then about 8-10 bites of Scott's spaghetti and chicken parmesan. Honestly, if you were to measure the volume of food she eats, you would be hard-pressed to figure out how it fits in her little stomach. And grapes are another story altogether. She must get it from her Pop, but she can seriously eat like 30 at a sitting. I asked her pediatrician if I should be limiting her portions and she said that 1) she rarely if ever gets that question for a 15 mo old and 2) no, with her height her weight is proportional, and 3) more power to her if she can pack it away! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised when people ask "What, is she about 3 years old?" when we're out, since she is about that size!
1. She loves buses. Yes, the girl who got kicked out of school is infatuated with school buses. It started with the song "The Wheels on the Bus," which I now sing about 25 times each day. She often calls out "bus, bus!" to let me know that's the song she wants to hear, and when we're singing it, she lets me know which verse she wants to hear. "Open shut!" "Up down!" Or she does the movement of the wipers or the baby crying. When we're out running around and see one on the road, she is downright ECSTATIC, kicking, screaming and pointing "BUS!" in the back seat.
2. She enjoys hanging out with me in the bathroom in the morning. One of her favorite activities is asking for "buzz" (bubbles) when I am in the shower. This is when I'm supposed to generate some and put them on the short little tiled wall that is right outside the shower. She likes to play with them as they slide down the wall. Another favorite is playing with my makeup bag. She likes to empty it out and then pick up each item and pretend to apply it, whether it be to her face, her ear, her hair, she's really not particular as to where her makeup goes.
3. She is a lovebug these days and Scott and I are both eating it up. When he goes to leave in the morning, she says "bye bye," all callous and unfeeling until he is actually on his way out the door, at which point she freaks out and runs after him to give him one last hug and kiss. And at night, when we put her down, she loves to sit on your lap and get close to your face and give you thousands of kisses and eskimos. Then she says "night night" which lets us know she's ready to get in her crib and get down to business.
4. I should point out that while she will allow some downtime at night, the other 99% of the time she is awake she is G-O-I-N-G. I try and get her to come cuddle with me in the morning when Scott brings her in, but she will have none of it. If she is up, she is on the move. She doesn't like to sit on laps or be held for too long. As a a matter of fact, I'm kicking myself for spending so much on a stroller for her because she really can't stand it. I'm kind of hoping this is just a phase and she will slow down at some point, but based on Cindi's stories of Scott, I think this is what I'm stuck with.
5. She's very vocal and has a great vocabulary. She's already in the parrot stage so we've been having to watch what we say. Yesterday I asked her "What happened?" and she has been saying "happened? happnd? happens?" ever since. She's also been stringing short phrases, saying "Momma sleepin"when Scott goes to get her in the morning (assuming correctly that I am still sleeping) or "Dadda work" when Scott is not around.
6. Back to the aforementioned shower bubbles - bubbles in general are a big hit. We have a container that she is constantly requesting. I'm talking up to 50 times a day she's asking for these things. Her uncle Chris taught her how to blow them herself over Thanksgiving and now she thinks she is an expert and can do it herself, even while holding the container. Not true! If we blow them with Bud around, even better, since he likes to bite them as they come down and she thinks this is hysterical. We have some video of this and I will post it once we get our home computer back.
7. The kid can EAT. I mean, really, really eat. How else would she keep up that 28lb physique you ask? I've always heard toddlers are finicky eaters, and she does have her days, but the majority of time she will chow down on pretty much anything. And lots of it. For example, tonight we went to Johnny Carino's and she polished off 1/3 of the loaf of bread they brought, approximately 3 Italian Nachos, all 6 of her kiddie cheese ravioli, and then about 8-10 bites of Scott's spaghetti and chicken parmesan. Honestly, if you were to measure the volume of food she eats, you would be hard-pressed to figure out how it fits in her little stomach. And grapes are another story altogether. She must get it from her Pop, but she can seriously eat like 30 at a sitting. I asked her pediatrician if I should be limiting her portions and she said that 1) she rarely if ever gets that question for a 15 mo old and 2) no, with her height her weight is proportional, and 3) more power to her if she can pack it away! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised when people ask "What, is she about 3 years old?" when we're out, since she is about that size!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
15 Month Appointment
Well, happy birthday little girl! To celebrate your birthday, you got 3 pokes in the leg with a sharp stick and people messing with your ears, chest and mouth! Best birthday ever!
Here are the stats of our future volleyball/basketball/track and field star:
Weight: 27lbs 15 oz (97%)
Height: 32.5in (95%)
Head: 19in (96%)
Everything looked good and she got some new bubbles out of the deal. She even said "thank you" as we were leaving - what a polite little baby!
Here are the stats of our future volleyball/basketball/track and field star:
Weight: 27lbs 15 oz (97%)
Height: 32.5in (95%)
Head: 19in (96%)
Everything looked good and she got some new bubbles out of the deal. She even said "thank you" as we were leaving - what a polite little baby!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
7 Things You Never Knew
Meredith tagged me for a meme, "7 Things You Never Knew About Me," so here goes:
1. My biggest guilty pleasure is celebrity gossip. I love US Weekly, People, and anything on E! I used to have a subscription to US Weekly, but quickly found out that there's not really time for that with a little one running around so I let it run out. But when I go get a pedicure, or if we go on a trip, I make sure to pick up a copy of all the latest magazines to get my fix.
2. I've never had a cavity.
3. I was born in Duluth, MN and spent much of my childhood up north, but I cannot STAND cold weather. As far as I'm concerned, the temperature never needs to go below 70 degrees. I would be perfectly content to live in the desert. Too bad I married someone who thinks the temp never needs to go ABOVE 70. I guess Dallas is a good compromise for us.
4. I was not a dog person until I met Scott, and by association, Chunk. He was the first dog that I really fell in love with, and now I'm so happy to have our big, lovable Bud around for Kaitlin to grow up with.
5. I HATE scary movies. Scott loves them, so the times that he actually convinces me to get one, I spend 90% of the movie plugging my ears. It's not nearly as scary if you can't hear the creepy music.
6. When I scratch my nose, I smell peanut butter. Weird.
7. I love to cook, but I almost never measure my ingredients. I don't know why, I don't like cleaning measuring cups and spoons, so I just eyeball it. It makes it pretty difficult when I try to pass on recipes to friends though, since I never really know how much of each ingredient I'm using.
Ok, that was harder than I thought it would be! Jamie, Amy, Julie, Taryn and Sarah, you are tagged!
1. My biggest guilty pleasure is celebrity gossip. I love US Weekly, People, and anything on E! I used to have a subscription to US Weekly, but quickly found out that there's not really time for that with a little one running around so I let it run out. But when I go get a pedicure, or if we go on a trip, I make sure to pick up a copy of all the latest magazines to get my fix.
2. I've never had a cavity.
3. I was born in Duluth, MN and spent much of my childhood up north, but I cannot STAND cold weather. As far as I'm concerned, the temperature never needs to go below 70 degrees. I would be perfectly content to live in the desert. Too bad I married someone who thinks the temp never needs to go ABOVE 70. I guess Dallas is a good compromise for us.
4. I was not a dog person until I met Scott, and by association, Chunk. He was the first dog that I really fell in love with, and now I'm so happy to have our big, lovable Bud around for Kaitlin to grow up with.
5. I HATE scary movies. Scott loves them, so the times that he actually convinces me to get one, I spend 90% of the movie plugging my ears. It's not nearly as scary if you can't hear the creepy music.
6. When I scratch my nose, I smell peanut butter. Weird.
7. I love to cook, but I almost never measure my ingredients. I don't know why, I don't like cleaning measuring cups and spoons, so I just eyeball it. It makes it pretty difficult when I try to pass on recipes to friends though, since I never really know how much of each ingredient I'm using.
Ok, that was harder than I thought it would be! Jamie, Amy, Julie, Taryn and Sarah, you are tagged!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Momma's Girl
I don't think it's any secret that Kaitlin is a Momma's girl. It seems it's been this way for a while. I remember at 8 months blaming it on stranger anxiety, and now at 15 months we're still going strong. I know that 15-18 months is the peak for separation anxiety, so I'm really hoping that she outgrows it in the next couple of months.
For those that don't know, it came to a head in the past few weeks, after being "kicked out" of MDO, and then my repeated early departures from MOPS to go rescue her from the childcare room. I honestly don't know why she has such a hard time when I'm not around. When we're at a group function, like Kindermusik or playgroup, she is off on her own, sitting on other people's lap, chasing around the other kids, and doesn't look back once to see where I am. But if I'm not around, watch out! For MDO, I blame it on the infrequent nature - she only went 1 day a week so she didn't have a chance to really adjust. According to the teacher, after dropping her off in the morning, she would start crying and calling for me and never really stop for the entire 6 hour day. And this was after 8 weeks of school. She didn't really get kicked out, the director just suggested that it might be better if we gave her a break and tried again in January, when she's a bit older and when there aren't breaks for holidays, which would probably put us back at square one if we did make any progress. At MOPS, I've tried going in and playing with her in the room and letting her get comfortable, and that seemed to work a couple weeks ago, but this last week was a disaster. They said she was hysterical the whole time and had to be walked around until she fell asleep. It's just really hard for me to deal with, both because I feel terrible for her being so sad about it, but also because it seems like it's getting worse and not better and I don't know how to fix it. I'm not going to lie, I do LOVE how she is so attached to me, mostly because that means lots of hugs and kisses for me throughout the day. She is such a sweet girl and often seeks me out in the house just to give me a kiss. But I wish she could be as comfortable and loving with others when I have to be away. I'm sure part of this is just guilt on my part for ever leaving her, but Mom has to get stuff done!
I think we are going to try a Montessori school in January, as it's time for her to get a little more interaction and Elizabeth (our nanny) is looking to start taking some classes and won't have time to watch K anymore. I met with the director on Thursday and she seemed very confident that K will get comfortable with and enjoy coming to school. They are very flexible and said that we can start out taking her everyday, for as little as an hour a day, just to get her acclimated, and is willing to do that for up to 3 weeks. I'm hoping by that point she will have matured a little bit as well, and will understand that even though Momma leaves, she will always come back. Anyone with any experience with this, please leave a comment and let me know what worked for you. Or maybe it's just another phase that we have to go through, and I will look back and miss the times that she couldn't live without me.
For those that don't know, it came to a head in the past few weeks, after being "kicked out" of MDO, and then my repeated early departures from MOPS to go rescue her from the childcare room. I honestly don't know why she has such a hard time when I'm not around. When we're at a group function, like Kindermusik or playgroup, she is off on her own, sitting on other people's lap, chasing around the other kids, and doesn't look back once to see where I am. But if I'm not around, watch out! For MDO, I blame it on the infrequent nature - she only went 1 day a week so she didn't have a chance to really adjust. According to the teacher, after dropping her off in the morning, she would start crying and calling for me and never really stop for the entire 6 hour day. And this was after 8 weeks of school. She didn't really get kicked out, the director just suggested that it might be better if we gave her a break and tried again in January, when she's a bit older and when there aren't breaks for holidays, which would probably put us back at square one if we did make any progress. At MOPS, I've tried going in and playing with her in the room and letting her get comfortable, and that seemed to work a couple weeks ago, but this last week was a disaster. They said she was hysterical the whole time and had to be walked around until she fell asleep. It's just really hard for me to deal with, both because I feel terrible for her being so sad about it, but also because it seems like it's getting worse and not better and I don't know how to fix it. I'm not going to lie, I do LOVE how she is so attached to me, mostly because that means lots of hugs and kisses for me throughout the day. She is such a sweet girl and often seeks me out in the house just to give me a kiss. But I wish she could be as comfortable and loving with others when I have to be away. I'm sure part of this is just guilt on my part for ever leaving her, but Mom has to get stuff done!
I think we are going to try a Montessori school in January, as it's time for her to get a little more interaction and Elizabeth (our nanny) is looking to start taking some classes and won't have time to watch K anymore. I met with the director on Thursday and she seemed very confident that K will get comfortable with and enjoy coming to school. They are very flexible and said that we can start out taking her everyday, for as little as an hour a day, just to get her acclimated, and is willing to do that for up to 3 weeks. I'm hoping by that point she will have matured a little bit as well, and will understand that even though Momma leaves, she will always come back. Anyone with any experience with this, please leave a comment and let me know what worked for you. Or maybe it's just another phase that we have to go through, and I will look back and miss the times that she couldn't live without me.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Birthday Weekend
This weekend was Scott's big THREE OH! I wanted to do something special, so I surprised him with a weekend getaway in:
Gruene!
I told him to come home early on Friday because I had a "doctor's appointment" and needed him to watch Kaitlin. Instead, we packed up our stuff and got on the road. We left Kaitlin with Nannie and Aunt Amanda. She was a bit apprehensive, but agreed to be on her best behavior.
We stayed at a B&B right on the Guadalupe. Here is a view from our porch:
It was absolutely perfect weather and just an all around great time. We ate a TON of good food (best chicken fried steak EVER at the Gristmill), got a beer at Gruene Hall, did some shopping, and went and visited the Natural Bridge Caverns:
I also had made arrangements to go play golf on Saturday, but since it was so windy and cold and I was feeling a little under the weather, we decided to just putz around town. They had Gruene Market Days going on so it was fun to shop around and pick up a few Christmas presents. We also had plans to see Stoney Larue at Gruene Hall on Saturday night, but after the aforementioned chicken fried steak we decided to go back and be lazy. We both had really good books that we wanted to finish, and since we had hours of uninteruppted time we wanted to take advantage of it. How old are we?!? I had a wonderful time and think Scott did too! It was a great way to ring in a new decade for the old man!
Gruene!
I told him to come home early on Friday because I had a "doctor's appointment" and needed him to watch Kaitlin. Instead, we packed up our stuff and got on the road. We left Kaitlin with Nannie and Aunt Amanda. She was a bit apprehensive, but agreed to be on her best behavior.
We stayed at a B&B right on the Guadalupe. Here is a view from our porch:
It was absolutely perfect weather and just an all around great time. We ate a TON of good food (best chicken fried steak EVER at the Gristmill), got a beer at Gruene Hall, did some shopping, and went and visited the Natural Bridge Caverns:
I also had made arrangements to go play golf on Saturday, but since it was so windy and cold and I was feeling a little under the weather, we decided to just putz around town. They had Gruene Market Days going on so it was fun to shop around and pick up a few Christmas presents. We also had plans to see Stoney Larue at Gruene Hall on Saturday night, but after the aforementioned chicken fried steak we decided to go back and be lazy. We both had really good books that we wanted to finish, and since we had hours of uninteruppted time we wanted to take advantage of it. How old are we?!? I had a wonderful time and think Scott did too! It was a great way to ring in a new decade for the old man!
Polo Game
Two weeks ago we took Kaitlin to the last polo game of the season. They play right down the street in Las Colinas and I've always wanted to go, so I roped Scott into it. Kaitlin absolutely LOVED it. After we saw the first horse on the way in, she spent the next 10 minutes frantically going "neigh, neigh NEIGH!" over and over and laughing like a woman possessed. I told Scott I didn't know who was more excited, her or me, since I was basically doing the same thing but on the inside.
She loved watching the action.
During the half time champagne divot stomp.
Of course our little spotter spied an airplane. This is one of her favorite pastimes. She yells "air-PLANE" (accent on the "plane") and points at the sky.
These horses were seriously some of the most beautiful I've seen. Kaitlin was a bit timid when it came to actually touching him, but she was excited to be so close.
She loved watching the action.
During the half time champagne divot stomp.
Of course our little spotter spied an airplane. This is one of her favorite pastimes. She yells "air-PLANE" (accent on the "plane") and points at the sky.
These horses were seriously some of the most beautiful I've seen. Kaitlin was a bit timid when it came to actually touching him, but she was excited to be so close.
Visit to the Zoo
My parents came up the weekend of Halloween to visit since it had been a while since we had seen them, and weren't planning a trip to Houston until Thanksgiving. We went to the zoo and K had a great time seeing all the animals and running around. Here are some pics:
I posted this pic because I cannot get over how light Kaitlin's hair has gotten! It was black when she was born and now look at it! And that's my natural haircolor, and we all know Scott's is dark too. Guess she's leaning toward Aunt Ama's side.
Riding the carousel, which she loved, as evidenced by the next pic....
Her reaction upon being removed from carousel. Needless to say, we rode again.
This pic has nothing to do with the zoo, it was taken the following morning. It just cracks me up. She's wearing her 6mo bathrobe, in the middle of a game of peekaboo around the door after snatching a Cheerio from me. The look on her face, her stance, it is all just hilarious. If you click on it, you can even see the Cheerio in her mouth.
I posted this pic because I cannot get over how light Kaitlin's hair has gotten! It was black when she was born and now look at it! And that's my natural haircolor, and we all know Scott's is dark too. Guess she's leaning toward Aunt Ama's side.
Riding the carousel, which she loved, as evidenced by the next pic....
Her reaction upon being removed from carousel. Needless to say, we rode again.
This pic has nothing to do with the zoo, it was taken the following morning. It just cracks me up. She's wearing her 6mo bathrobe, in the middle of a game of peekaboo around the door after snatching a Cheerio from me. The look on her face, her stance, it is all just hilarious. If you click on it, you can even see the Cheerio in her mouth.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Annual Aggie Tailgate
The Reasonovers/Baldwins graciously hosted us again this year for our annual tailgate down in College Station. The game could have been a bit better, but the company could not. We had a great time seeing everyone and meeting Kate, the newest addition. Pics are posted here. Kaitlin had a great time running around and getting in everyone's business, as usual. She got to play with a football for the first time (shame, shame dad!) and had fun seeing all the dogs, airplanes and kites (which she learned how to say).
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween
We had a great time trick or treating with our little bear. She didn't really know what the heck was going on, but she liked being able to walk up to people's doors, which is something she usually tries to do but is frowned upon. I'm wondering if now she will think it's ok - hope not. Here are some pics:
"Come on, what is going on? Do I really have to wear this ridiculous outfit?"
There are 2 dogs, a moose and a bear in this pic. 10 points if you can find them all.
What she spent about the first 10 min trying to do - remove her costume. We just had to keep it moving and she was fine.
She wouldn't wear the hat at first so I donned it as my costume.
There we go, that's a good little bear!
Checking out her loot.
Alright, I think I have enough candy, let's go to bed!
"Come on, what is going on? Do I really have to wear this ridiculous outfit?"
There are 2 dogs, a moose and a bear in this pic. 10 points if you can find them all.
What she spent about the first 10 min trying to do - remove her costume. We just had to keep it moving and she was fine.
She wouldn't wear the hat at first so I donned it as my costume.
There we go, that's a good little bear!
Checking out her loot.
Alright, I think I have enough candy, let's go to bed!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
4th Folder, 4th Picture
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Arboretum
We went to the Dallas Arboretum on Sunday since we had such beautiful weather to enjoy. K had a great time running around and basically getting in everyone's business - animals and people alike.
She thought this guy was really funny. She would pet him and then laugh and back up like he was going to lick her face. She must be gun-shy due to one brown fellow who shall remain nameless...
Playing peekaboo with mom. This is obviously a favorite since we seem to have a picture of it everytime we download them.
Sweet girl
Smelling the pretty flowers
Another favorite - "poo" according to Kaitlin, the "l" doesn't seem to come out yet. She wanted to crawl in, and accosted several young ones here who came to take a look. She charged a kiss to get near the water.
She thought this guy was really funny. She would pet him and then laugh and back up like he was going to lick her face. She must be gun-shy due to one brown fellow who shall remain nameless...
Playing peekaboo with mom. This is obviously a favorite since we seem to have a picture of it everytime we download them.
Sweet girl
Smelling the pretty flowers
Another favorite - "poo" according to Kaitlin, the "l" doesn't seem to come out yet. She wanted to crawl in, and accosted several young ones here who came to take a look. She charged a kiss to get near the water.Gearing up for Halloween
We had a busy weekend trying to make sure we had everything ready to go for Halloween. After much deliberation, Summer pulled the trigger on Kaitlin's costume. We had been waiting on a penguin costume to become available online, but got tired of waiting on it. We thought the penguin would be fitting since we listen to this (scroll about halfway down, in the yellow section)no less than 50 times a day. We also read the book about that many times a day too. But when K and Summer were in The Children's Place perusing the costumes, K basically attacked this costume and pulled it into her stroller:
It's a bear in case you couldn't tell, and it's kind of fitting since we call her "smidge bear" sometimes. She seems to really like it -- every time we take it out, she carries around the body portion and says "soooft". We didn't want a repeat of last year, so proper ventilation was a key component of our decision process. For those who do not recall, here is how putting on her costume went last year (worst decision ever).
Friday, we went to the pumpkin patch at Rejoice Lutheran Church, near our house. Summer and Kaitlin had already been during the week last week with the Mom's club, but this time the family got to come (Nanny, Papa and Aunt Amanda). This year was much different than last year as Kaitlin was free to run around and check things out herself vs. last year when she was stuck sitting on a burp cloth next to the pumpkin for photo-ops. Here are a few pics:
Now all that's left is to carve the pumpkins this week! We will post pics of that when it's done.
UPDATE: Here are Cindi's pics from the pumpkin patch (Link).
It's a bear in case you couldn't tell, and it's kind of fitting since we call her "smidge bear" sometimes. She seems to really like it -- every time we take it out, she carries around the body portion and says "soooft". We didn't want a repeat of last year, so proper ventilation was a key component of our decision process. For those who do not recall, here is how putting on her costume went last year (worst decision ever).Friday, we went to the pumpkin patch at Rejoice Lutheran Church, near our house. Summer and Kaitlin had already been during the week last week with the Mom's club, but this time the family got to come (Nanny, Papa and Aunt Amanda). This year was much different than last year as Kaitlin was free to run around and check things out herself vs. last year when she was stuck sitting on a burp cloth next to the pumpkin for photo-ops. Here are a few pics:
Now all that's left is to carve the pumpkins this week! We will post pics of that when it's done.UPDATE: Here are Cindi's pics from the pumpkin patch (Link).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Pumpkin Patch
We went to the Pumpkin Patch with the Mom's club today. K had a great time running amok. Here are some pics. All of them are posted here.
You can never be too close during storytime.
Ah, but the attention span is only so long. See you guys later!
She loves watching big kids play.
"Soft touches" to the pumpkin. This is the phrase we use when teaching her not to hit, and how to pet Bud, etc. It has come in handy all over the place. Note the flat hand - she really is very gently stroking the pumpkin and saying "saahhhft."
Working the window. She was actually playing peekaboo here for a long time. That's her friend Thomas in the corner.
Pumpkins don't get enough hugs.
"Ok Mom, you happy now? Enough with the staged pics!"
You can never be too close during storytime.
Ah, but the attention span is only so long. See you guys later!
She loves watching big kids play.
"Soft touches" to the pumpkin. This is the phrase we use when teaching her not to hit, and how to pet Bud, etc. It has come in handy all over the place. Note the flat hand - she really is very gently stroking the pumpkin and saying "saahhhft."
Working the window. She was actually playing peekaboo here for a long time. That's her friend Thomas in the corner.
Pumpkins don't get enough hugs.
"Ok Mom, you happy now? Enough with the staged pics!"
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