Kylie May and Another Photo Day 236

Kylie didn't make it in to her carved pumpkin yet, but tomorrow its on our list of things to do (we have made the legs holes just a little bigger to be safe :o)). Today Kylie did a lot of scooting around and eating, she even took two little naps. She got to hang out with her grandma while I actually enjoyed taking a nice long shower, ahhh it was so great, who knew I would look forward to an uninterrupted shower so much. This afternoon Kylie played with her Daddy while I got to practice my photography skills on our neighbors and their two little girls. I had a great time and I am hoping to take some Christmas photos for them soon :o) Of course I couldn't have my camera out without taking a few photos of Miss May.

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie May and Her First Pumpkin Carving Day 235

Kylie spent a good chunk of today with Grandam, Grandpa and Auntie Melissa while Mommy and Daddy slept (Mommy was at work and Daddy was with Kylie, probably wishing he was at work ;o)). This afternoon Kylie and I went out to try and find some overalls and straw hats for mine and Craig's farmer costumes, we didn't have great luck, but we did find one straw hat. When we got home we decided it would be fun to try and carve our pumpkin. Now unlike my cousin and her husband, who carved this amazing pumpkin with a very detailed face that Liam can sit in with his feet coming out the mouth, we decided we would just try to make two holes for her legs and hope for the best. We hope to do a little photo shoot with her tomorrow in the pumpkin. But Kylie really enjoyed the carving part, here are way to many photos...

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie loved watching Melissa play volleyball in the front yard, is it to soon to start her lessons? ;o)

Kylie May and a Halloween Carnival Day 234

It's my night with the whipper snapper (is that two words? who knows?) so I don't have time for much.  I just got to put her down in bed after rocking her for the past couple hours. 

Kylie got her first taste of Halloween this morning (well, besides the pumpkin patch).  She dawned the cow and headed to church for a little kid's carnival.  She didn't actually participate in the bobbing for apples, wring toss, bean bag throw, or candy corn bowling, but it was only because she didn't want to show off in front of the bigger kids (it really had nothing to do with the fact that she can't walk, talk, or throw yet....really).

Back to baby duty, here are some pictures.

more to come soon,

Craig

A cow playing the xylophone.  There's a new one

One lonely cow in the pasture

How do you know that both her parents are nurses? She's 7months old and practicing CPR.

Kylie May's quick recap of the day 233

Kylie's day...

-Wake up and play with Daddy for a few minutes before he goes to sleep
-Eat Breakfast
-Walk with Auntie Melissa and Mommy to the coffee shop
-Take a nap
-Wake up and Skype with Uncle Tim
-Eat lunch
-Play some more
-Take another nap
-Wake up and read with Daddy
-Go to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner
-Bath time at Grandma and Grandpa's while Mommy goes to a meeting
-Nap with Grandma and Grandpa (even though it should have been sleep)
-Wake up and walk home
-Asleep in my own bed

Even though it doesn't sound like much it was a day full of fun, Craig is asleep in his chair, Kylie is asleep in bed and I am making every effort to not fall asleep while writing this blog :o)

More to come soon,

Natalie

P.S. GO GIANTS!!!

Skyping with Tim and his family, when they all said "goodbye" she waved at the screen, so smart :o)

She is getting around pretty well these days

Silly girl you are still to little to be pushing your toys around in a stroller.

Kylie loves reading books with her daddy.

Kylie May has Another Active Day 232

The pterodactyl is back. After about a month of Kylie "talking" in somewhat reasonable tones this morning she decided we needed a little visit from the past. Bright and early this morning she rolled over to her tummy, patted her hands on the bed and let out a big, happy, pterodactyl screech. All day the screech has been mixed in with her sweet babbles, coos and very wet tongue-out spitting. We are pretty sure she is working on a few more teeth, she is constantly chewing on something (her own tongue if she can't find a toy) and today she seemed a little uncomfortable. Not sure if it's because of the shot she got two days ago, teething, growing spurt or just becoming more mobile. Speaking of becoming more mobile, her scooting is getting more coordinated and faster, I think she is starting to realize the benefit to being able to travel. This evening (I was trying to put her to bed, but she was way to wound up) I put her on the middle of our bed, she imminently rolled to her tummy and started scooting to the edge (our mattress is on the floor and next to it is her little mattress), when she reached the side with her mattress she pulled herself off our bed on to her own (about a 6 inch drop), the momentum she had going caused her legs to come faster then she expected and it forced her to roll on to her back, she looked at me, smiled, rolled back to her tummy and scooted off her bed toward the little night light we keep on the floor about 2 feet from her bed. This all happened in under a minute, it was wild.

Besides experimenting with her physical capabilities on the floor, Kylie has also started to do what a friend of mine calls "gym-nurse-tics." That's right, we no longer get to have calm, relaxing nursing sessions (unless she is about asleep), instead Kylie plays the game "how many different positions can I get in to while I still have a nipple in my mouth." It's pretty funny to watch her trying to crawl all over me while she still gets a little snack. I'm sure this will only get worse before it gets better, but at this point I'm just glad she is still interested in nursing so I will take the crazy acrobats.

Kylie had lunch with her Auntie Melissa, Grandpa and Mommy today, then she had a nice walk with Auntie and Grandpa while I went to the studio. She came and watched a little more rehearsal in the afternoon and we made a trip to the grocery store. All in all it was a good day, Craig is working his third night for the week, it will be so great to have him home for the next couple days.

More to come soon,
Natalie
(sorry no new photos today)

Kylie May hangs out with Grandpa on his birthday 231

You would never guess that Kylie's grandpa turned 60 today. At 10:00am this morning he did what most people would be to scared to do, he took a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old to the library, by himself! Not only did he take them to the library, he walked them there, Kylie in the front pack, Andre on his little bike. And once at the library he attended story time! Amazing! This was Kylie's first time to story time at the library, they do it every week so we will have to make it part of our routine.

After the library adventure (both Kylie and Andre did very well and didn't give Papa any problems), I joined the group and we walked to Olive Market for a little snack. We walked back to my parents house and Andre and Kylie played in the backyard for a bit. Then it was time to take Andre back to his parents while Kylie and I ran to the KidSwap. I got Kylie a few cold-weather items for our trip to Oregon next weekend, I can't believe I am already buying 12 month clothes, she is just so tall!

Next stop was the dance studio, Miguel (one of my co-workers) and I are working on a piece for our Christmas Showcase. I set up a little spot for Kylie on the floor in the studio where she could keep and eye I me while we danced and also be in close proximity to her furry friend Cloey. She did so well, she watched the dog, watched us, made a little noise and played with her toys. After our quick dance session I took Kylie back to my dad so he could watch her while I ran to a meeting at work (hospital work). Kylie had a little avocado snack then snuggled in and had a great nap on her grandpa's chest.

I made it back just in time to make a quick run to the store and make it to my grandparents house for a birthday dinner for my dad. It was a great dinner, Auntie Jo, Uncle Kevin, cousins Ryan and Adam, Melissa, Craig, Kylie, me and of course my grandparents and the Birthday Boy were all there to celebrate. Kylie had a wonderful time sitting at the table, eating her sweet potatoes and peas. Then she spent the rest of the evening scooting around the living room, pulling herself up on things and starting to cruise around the coffee table, she is growing too fast!!

Kylie had a wonderful time with her grandpa today and was very happy to spend his birthday with him.

More to come soon,
Natalie

At Olive Market

Helping Papa water the plants

Kylie May and a somewhat typical Wednesday 230

Kylie had a somewhat typical Wednesday with two major additions; immunizations and Andre. Kylie woke up around 9am, had a little breakfast, played a little, took a walk with Mommy and Daddy, and was down for a nap around 11:30. This afternoon we went for a nurse visit to get one immunization. We fully expected Kylie to protest and cry when she got her shot, but to our surprise she didn't. She didn't make a peep during the shot and even gave the nurse a few smiles and played peek-a-boo with her afterward. Craig and I kept looking at each other in disbelief. At one point we actually wondered if the nurse actually gave her the immunization, I was holding her hands and looking at her face, so I didn't see her actually give it. I'm sure she did, but we were so impressed by our little ones reaction, we hope other visits go as smooth as this one did.

We got home and she took another nap, when she woke this time she was not the only little one in the house, Andre was here to play! My dad and mom used to watch Andre (two years ago) when he was just a little baby, they have kept in contact and still have him over every once in a while. So tonight I got to have a glimpse into the not so distant future, managing a 7 month old and 2.5 year old. It was not as bad as I had anticipated, I was only on my own for about 40 min until Melissa came home and not much later Craig woke up. But as I sat there on the floor of the living room I could totally imagine Kylie being 2.5 and having another little one rolling around, it was actually very fun. During this time we also got to have a little FaceTime with uncle Kyle, auntie Jill and uncle Mike (Kyle is visiting them in NY). We also watched the first part of the Giants game, GO GIANTS!!! Kylie came with me to line dance class (she didn't do as well tonight as she usually does) then it was home to have a clothes folding party in the living room (calling it a party makes it feel more exciting then just folding clothes) while I helped Melissa go over flash cards for school. Overall it was a busy day and Miss May was worn out by the end.
More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie loved playing with Andre, he was not so sure about her, but i think she grew on him :o)

Kylie May's Hungry and Sleepy Day 229

Inspired by a true story (or at least I heard once that it's a true story), The Very Hungry Kylie decided to eat the day away.  I mean can you really blame her though? After all, it's just a typical Tuesday in October. Why not?  So, what was on the menu? About a gallon of mom's milk, carrots, yellow squash, banana, and peas.  I think the only thing that slowed this little lady down today was all the naps she took.

She must be hitting a growth spurt (I know I can't believe it's time for another one), or more teeth are coming in because she slept more today than we have seen her sleep in a long time.  To me that sounds like a perfect day off.  Eat and sleep.  For Kylie, three long naps in one day is like seeing a unicorn or the Loch Ness Monster.

In the midst of the napping and sleeping, we did get to take a fun walk downtown this afternoon.  The weather was just right and Kylie enjoyed some good stroller time.  It has been fun for me (and maybe Nat sometimes to) to find the little headed horseman (or stroller-man) a "treasure" that she can take with her while we do walks.  Typically, if we can find her something interesting enough (usually something good to chew on like rubber or plastic), she will sit and play with it, talk to it, and chew on it for the whole walk down.  Once we get to our destination, however, there has to be a new "treasure" for the walk home.  Today on the walk home our little distraction (a laminated business card from Fox Dance Studio) wasn't quite interesting enough and Kylie's curiosity got the best of her.  She decided that the leaves on the bushes we walked past were more fun than her "treasure" so she started to pick them.  She is usually very good about just looking and feeling the leaves, but on this trip she decided to bite a piece off before I could stop her. Of course, she started gagging and coughing until I reached in and pulled the piece of leaf out.  She was none the worse for wear, but it ended the stroller ride abruptly.  The rest of the ride was daddy carrying time, while she rested her head on my shoulder.  I'll take the cuddles any way I can get em, but I guess a lesson was learned (one of these years I'll get better at this parenting thing).

In other news Nat and I got to have a date night tonight while Melissa watched Kylie.  They had fun (almost the whole time), we had fun (the whole time), it was pretty much a win-win across the board.

more to come soon,

Craig

here's just a few other pics from the patch the other day.

Kylie May and a 2 for 1 Day 228

Guilty as charged....that's me. Or perhaps a better plea would be "No contest".  Yes I did it (or actually didn't do it), but there was a 16 pound (or close to it) 29 inch reason why the blog didn't get posted last night.  I have discovered that our best plan of attack on those nights that Nat is gone to work, is to bounce her to sleep on our exercise ball (the name should get changed to "the bounce Kylie to sleep ball, because that's all it gets used for), and then sit in the La-Z-Boy and rock her until I'm ready for bed.  If I try the "put her down and see how long it lasts" game I always end up back on the ball 30 minutes later.  Therein lies the rub (I know it sounds better when Hamlet says it, but I'm a work in progress), it is difficult to post a blog while rocking a baby in the recliner.  I'll keep working on the logistics though for next week.

Sunday: A day at the busiest pumpkin patch I have ever seen.  Granted it has been a long time since I visited a pumpkin patch, but in my most vivid patch memories there are a few scattered people (maybe a little busy right before the Halloween) walking around find themselves a Jack-O-Lantern in the making.  All I have to say is, "My how those pumpkin patches have changed!".  I'm pretty sure Kylie is gonna think Disneyland (if we ever take her. We might just keep going back to the field with all the orange vegetables) is lame compared to our pumpkin adventure.  There are rides, games, prizes, petting zoo, face painting, acrobat shows, souvenir shop, corn maze, ATV racing, hay rides, and about anything else you can think of that you wouldn't expect at the field-o-pumpkins.

Nat and I were amazed to say the least.  Kylie and Liam (yep. Emily and Jessie met us there with their little one for a photo op)? Well there of a different generation and have just come to expect such extravagant spectacles...even in the mundane vegetable fields of life.  They did seem to have fun taking pictures (at least we pretend they have fun to rationalize all the shutter action), and playing in the petting zoo.  Kylie unveiled this years Halloween outfit, and she was cute.

After finding the biggest pumpkin she could (and of course one that I couldn't possible manage to carry) we shimmied our way through crowd and thought "now was it lot F or G that we parked in" hmmm....when you have to remember which lot you were in at the pumpkin patch something is just a little out of wack.  All in good fun though. We had a blast, Kylie seemed to enjoy herself, the Odonells had some fun, and lots of good pictures were taken.  What a nice Sunday.

Monday:  Now that we are up-to-date (and I'm sure you are thinking...they need to stay on top of this daily blog thing so that I don't have to read a novel every other day) we can talk about all that didn't happen today. As exciting as yesterday's adventure was, a mellow Monday was in the cards for all of us the morning, afternoon, and night.  Kylie got to play with her Papa Gene for about 4 hours today (while I recovered from my night with the wee one and Nat recovered from a night at the hospital).  Papa Gene's sentiments when I went to pick up Kylie this afternoon, "She is a lot easier during the day."  Yep, it's not that she isn't fun at night, it's just that less sleep is involved".

A little cheer leading at my flag football game tonight (we still have yet to lose when Kylie and Nat are at the games) we just about all the little spark plug could take before her engine shutdown. She is now fast asleep, happy to have her momma and daddy home with her tonight.

more to come soon,

Craig

"Are you my mother?"

A pumpkin for our pumpkin