Kylie May Puts her Dad in Quarantine Day 265

You know what's not fun? Being sick.  You know what's less fun than that? Being sick while you're at work.  Last night I had to come home from work early because I was feeling under the weather.  Luckily for me I live with a nurse who did more than her part to make me feel comfortable.  Unfortunately, I also live with an 8-month old who is quite the stickler.  As soon as I got home, Kylie hosed me down, locked me in the back room, put up a quarantined sign, and said, "Dad! Do not get me sick!".  No argument from me on that one miss Kylie May.

While the sick dad was locked away in the tower, our little Mayday had herself a social agenda to keep.  She got to go to Thursday morning story time at the library (they sing songs and read stories). I have never gotten to go with her, but from what I hear she absolutely loves it.  We are trying to generate some early interest in reading, and it seems like she is starting to enjoy books a little more these day. Reading books that is (she has always liked eating books).

The afternoon involved Kylie playing at Mimi and Papa's, early evening dancing at Fox, and some play time.  She is REALLY getting interested in walking these days.  We keep telling her that she can't walk until she crawls, but typical 8-month old...in one ear...out the other.  Her newish thing is to army crawl over to Nat or I (and anyone who might help her walk), grab on to our fingers (tight enough to cut off all circulation) and then lightly encourage us to stand her up and help her walk all over the house.  You'd think she was a 10 year-old girl who just got a pony by the way she smiles and glows.  I'm pretty sure she could do that the entire day, but, eventually, we track down the jaws of life, pry her fingers off ours, sit her down, and encourage some good ole fashion crawling. (Whoops! just read Nat's post from yesterday. I guess we are double dipping on the same stories. :-)

Don't worry Kylie May. Your days of running are rapidly approaching, and we'll be there with you when the time comes.

More to come soon,

Craig

Kylie May had another play day 264

That's right Kylie had another play day with her cousin Liam! And thank goodness we played the two-baby situation with great teamwork. Melissa, Craig and I had it covered. There was a lot going on in our little house today, besides taking care of two adorable babies we had a poster project to do for Melissa's class and baby food to make for Kylie, laundry to do and a kitchen to clean. Teamwork. We mostly played a zone defense, Craig in the kitchen, Melissa in the living room and me in the dining room. Then sometimes we would have to switch to a man-to-baby defense which left us two-to-once if we had a diaper or eating issue. At one point Craig was being Iron Chef in the kitchen with the Baby Bullet, I was working on Melissa's poster while Liam slept in a carrier on my back. Melissa had Kylie who had just woken up and wanted some nursing time with her mama. What do you do? Teamwork. We found a way to keep Liam asleep on my back while I nursed Kylie and Melissa picked up working on the poster, so smooth. It was a fun day, the kiddos played, ate and napped (well Liam napped, Kylie took one short nap the whole day, she was so tired this evening and still had a hard time staying asleep) we all gained a new level of respect for people who run in-home day care, we outnumbered the kids and still thought it was hard, we couldn't imagine 4-to-1 kids to caregiver situation, those people are amazing.

Kylie is doing her army crawl around the house pretty well now, she surprises us sometimes, like this morning when she made it out of bed and all the way to the living room when she heard Liam arrive. But more then scooting, she LOVES to walk. She is getting better at pulling herself up on furniture and people, then she searches for your fingers, she holds on so tight that your fingers turn purple and she pulls you to walk with her. She just lights up, she is so proud of herself. I think she would walk around all day if we let her, but we are still convinced that crawling is an important skill she needs to learn, Kylie on the other hand is not so sure.

More to come soon,
Natalie

Play time in the kitchen, Kylie kept taking Liam's toys, she needs a few more lessons in sharing.

Breakfast time.

Poor girl needs something done about that hair.

Climbing Mt. Craig

Kylie May Plays with Her Cousin Day 263

Is the child of your cousin still your cousin?  If so, then that's who Kylie spent the day playing with.  If it isn't, then Kylie spent the day playing with some boy who isn't her cousin.  Nat's cousin Emily had to go back to work, so Nat volunteered to watch her 5 month old (Liam) for a couple days this week.  Luckily, we had a supporting cast, because taking care of two babies isn't as easy as it sounds. It sounds easy....right? 

Watching them play together was pretty funny.  They both thought the same toys and same space was the best place to be.  Can you imagine the scene? Two x month olds clambering on top of each other without actually seeming interested in the fact that they were invading each others personal space.  It made me wonder what would happen if adults operated without any concept of personal space.  If anyone tries it let me know how it goes.

Other funny moment for today.  I was at work (computer training) but Nat, Kylie, and Melissa were home.  Kylie was sitting on Melissa's lap while Nat stood right in front of her (Kylie not Melissa) feeding her banana.  Kyle got a wild hair and decided that Nat's belly button looked an awful lot like a nipple (I know. I know. It's not even an outie). With a mouthful of banana she started trying to suckle on the belly button....but....that's not all.  Our little monkey may be young but she catches on quickly.  In a matter of seconds she realized that no milk was coming from the belly button so she started trying everything in her power to shimmy like a monkey up Nat's body, to reach the real milk makers.  Unfortunately (for her not us), she isn't such a great climber yet so Melissa started pushing on her bottom to give her a lift.  With every muscle in her body Kylie worked to climb the tree (A.K.A her mom) as she laughed hysterically and spit banana all over Nat (this got Nat and Melissa laughing like crazy too).  It ended in a crazy fit of laughter and flying fruit, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

More to come soon,

Craig

p.s. We are finally getting pictures back! Some are a few days old now, but hey at least we have some photos.

Poor Jackson. He never saw her coming.

Uh oh! the picking on boys has begun. Does that mean she likes him?

Jackson and Kylie are proving that adult's really need children to keep them in shape

Even on Thanksgiving the teacher is never off duty.  She had to make sure Jordyn and Adam understood the proper way to do Patty Cake

A whole family picture? Almost as rare as a unicorn

Good work Kylie. When a boy gets too close, just slowly back away

If only the fire marshal could see us now

Kylie May Reads and Plays Day 262

I've heard the phrase many times. Actually, we all have. "It was simpler times back then."  Is it true? For everyone? Always? Does life really just continually and progressively get more difficult?   If only Socrates were here, he'd know the answer. One thing that I know (there might actually only be one thing), is that if Kylie could remember this part of her life, she would remember it as a time of simplicity.  The more I watch her the more I understand Fairyland Ranch (or whatever it's called) and I realize why Michael Jackson spent so much of his adulthood trying to engineer a childhood.  It is way more fun and uncomplicated!

An illustration for effect:

8 month old's daily schedule: Sleep---Play---Eat--- Repeat

367 month old's daily schedule: Work---Pay Bills---Clean The House---Wash The Cars---Buy Groceries---Do the Yard Work (or pay someone to do it)---Walk the Dog---Take a Political Stand---Cook---Do Laundry---Watch X Factor---Maintain Your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram Accounts---Decipher the News---Buy More Stuff---Balance Life's Awkward Personal Relationships---Eat/Sleep (yes you have to choose one)---Repeat...did I miss anything?

Never mind Socartes. We don't need you after all. We've got this one figured out. The saying must be true, and I guess Kylie is living in the midst of her "simpler times".   I'm just glad that Nat and I get to experience it with her.  It is so much fun to interact with that little ham.

We did our best "actor/actress in a supporting role" performance today as our leading lady stole the show.  She played (mostly a lot of chewing on every toy she owns), she read (current favorites are Babies,  Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?, and the chimpanzee page in Why I Love My Daddy), we sang ("open shut them" and "patty cake patty cake"), She ate (peas, yogurt, and avocado) and then after she could clap and play no more, she fell asleep.  It is actually quite impressive how long this little girl can resist the sleeping fairy.  Even when we are certain that she is completely exhausted she finds a way to hang on just a little longer.

After a bath and playtime tonight the heavy eyes prevailed and she knocked out.  Another day is hours away so off I go to get ready.

More to come soon,

Craig

Kylie May tries not to get sick today 261

First, let me apologize for not posting yesterday, as the evening progressed I gradually felt worse and worse so I decided to turn in a little earlier then usual. This morning was not much better, but right now I am actually feeling pretty good (hence the early blogging). Whatever it is I have (feels like it might be the flu, chills, achy and throwing up last night) I hope little May Bug doesn't get it. Feeling yucky today made me realize that I have not felt sick since I had morning sickness early in my pregnancy, and little Miss May has never been sick, at least not stomach sick. So as frustrated as I am, I am also very thankful that we made healthy so far.

So today my mom and sister helped me out quite a bit. Craig stopped by the store on his way home from work and picked up the essentials (chicken noodle soup, crackers, Gatorade, sprite). Craig has been riding his bike to work, so poor guy had to lug all the extras on his way home. Kylie decided she would get up bright and early today, so after spending a little time laying in bed, we were up and she was getting ready for her day. My mom came by and picked her up so I could go back to bed. After some play time and a nice nap with Grandma, I went to my parents to play with the pumpkin. In the afternoon Kylie got to make a trip to the grocery store with Auntie Melissa and then enjoyed a nice walk and nap. This evening Craig fed Kylie and gave her a bath, she was acting very sleepy so I tried to lay down with her, but that didn't last very long, now she is scooting around the living room pulling all her books out of her book shelf.

Kylie was a little fussy this evening, we don't know if she was a little constipated (she had not pooped in a couple days, but finally had one tonight) or if her teeth are bothering her, the top tooth on her left looks like it might pop through any day. With the weather being in the 80's during the day, it's hard to believe it is almost December, but none the less we are getting excited about Christmas and are trying to find a day to get a tree. Still working on the photo issue, sorry.

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie May's mommy is sick today :(

Natalie may be coming down with the flu so I'm here to assure you that a blog will be posted tomorrow, but tonight she is trying to get some sleep. Goodnight!

Auntie Melissa

Kylie May did some talking today 259

There is nothing better, after a long night at work, then coming home to a beautiful baby girl so happy to see her mommy and daddy. When we arrived at my parents this morning we were glad to find them all looking well rested and smiling. After spending a little time together it was time for mommy and daddy to go home and get some rest. Kylie stayed with Auntie Melissa, Grandma and Grandpa for the next few hours. After a little rest time for Kylie and I, I picked her up and we went to lunch with Grandpa at Chipotle. We found out that Kylie can almost get herself all the way turned around in the restaurant highchair and that she enjoys little drops of water from my straw. A few times now, I have offered Kylie a drink with a straw, I show her how to drink out of it and she smiles, puts the straw in her mouth and drools. Today, however, she put her lips around and took a little sip. She got a nice drink of water and looked so surprised and happy. Of course she wanted to try again, but then she went back to just holding it in her mouth and drooling. One other time she actually sipped and got some water, yeah. She has been less and less interested in her sippy sup lately, not sure why, so I was excited to have her drinking a little more water.

Kylie has always been a pretty vocal little baby, but lately it seems like she is getting consistent with different "words."  She seems to saw "wow" and "oh" often when we are showing her something. My parents said she was saying "ma ma ma ma" this morning and looking around for me. She still says "da da da da" every once in a while and in the past few days she has started pulling on my shirt and saying "nah nah nah." I also got report that when she sees a dog she says "doh doh." It is hard to tell how much is purposeful, but it is so fun to have her "talking" so much, I'm sure there will be days in the future when we will beg for moments of silence, but until then we love to have her chattering up a storm.

Craig is at work again tonight, we look forward to seeing him in the morning. I am still having problems with the photos, I have started deleting old blogs to try and create more space, but it does not seem to be working. If we can't get it figured out we might have to start a new blog or pay for more space. I can't believe we have been doing this for almost 9 months, it will be so great to have when Kylie gets older.

Ok off to bed, Kylie has been sleeping for 4.5 hours (with one minor wake up, I patted her back to sleep), it's amazing. But now that I have typed it she will probably wake up :o)

More to come soon,
Natalie 

Kylie May's First Gobble Gobble Day 258

What are we thankful for? hmmm? that's easy...pumpkin pie.  What!? Too trivial?  Man, these are tough judges. Well, there is always a loving wife, a perfect (at least for now, she hasn't said "no" yet) baby girl, and family who loves us.  I didn't know that counted though. It is supposed to be one of those unspoken things, that we are forever, under all circumstances, thankful for.

What is Kylie thankful for?  Mostly 80 degree Southern California days in the middle (but sorta the end) of November.  That, and long walks around the neighborhood.  It seemed fitting that she should have both such things on her very first Turkey Day. Beautiful day, nice stroll outdoors,...and then there was family dinner time and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Johanna's.

It was actually somewhat mellow...despite Kylie's best efforts.  There was more gabbing, squealing, drooling, than a Gerber convention, but that's just the way all the grandmas and grandpas like it.  Kylie thought it was weird, but fun to see her cousin's Liam, Jordyn, and Lyla. They are all really similar in age (except Jordyn. She's older) but already, each of their distinct personalities are shining through. 

I am picking up where Craig left off... play time was so fun with the cousins, and dinner was delicious, but it was cut short due to Craig and I running off to work. We both worked all night and at this moment neither one of us can stay awake and focused enough to write this blog. Here are a few photos, we will catch you up on the rest of the story later today once we have had a little rest.

More to come soon,
Natalie

We are having trouble up loading photos, the blog website is telling us we are out of space, we will try to fix the problem and have some photos up by this evening. Good night.

Kylie May and a Play Date Day 257

What's more fun than watching a baby play? Watching two babies play! Kylie had a little play time this morning with her buddy Jax.  He is about a month younger than Kylie, but boy can this little guy move.  He sits up, lays down, rolls over, stands up.  He is an agile one.  Kylie? She is good, but just doesn't have all those skills just yet.  It probably doesn't help though that her arms, legs, and torso are twice the length of Jax's.  It is just a lot longer fall from way up in the trees where our little monkey is hanging out.  She is discovering, more and more, however, that she loves to stand up.  She spent a good part of play time standing up and hanging on to the ottoman.  It makes her smile and squeal to be standing up so big.  Despite recent research findings, I really think there is more than just butterflies that floats around in babies heads.

I got to spend some good play time, walking time, and cuddle time with the growing corn stalk and I loved it.  She is getting so big that Nat and I both are just enjoying relaxing days like today (where we get to spend the whole day playing with her).

We are all off to hop in bed so Turkey Claus can plop into our oven.

more to come soon,


Craig

Kylie May's adventure back home 256

We did it!! That's right folks, Kylie and I made the trip from Craig's parents house all the way back home, just the two of us. Why is this a big deal? Because, until now, every time we take a long car ride (at some point) I find myself stretched out over her car seat trying desperately to get my little boob to make it to her mouth while I tell Craig "drive extra safe, my seat belt is on a little loose." She has been getting better about being in her car seat, but still has a hard time falling asleep without nursing. So this morning I had a very specific plan, wake up, eat, play and right when Kylie was getting ready for her morning nap we put her in the car and be on our way. My plan had us leaving at about 11 am, so I thought. Instead Kylie decided to wake up about an hour earlier then usual, she also woke up a little crankier then usual. She didn't eat much breakfast and only played a little until she was clearly ready for a nap, at about 9:30. I had not packed us up and was not ready to walk out the door so I did what many parents do, forget I ever tried to have a plan and went on Kylie time. So that meant we waited until she had finished her nap, ate a big lunch, and had lots of play time with her aunties and grandma, then it was time to hit the road, at 1:15pm.

Kylie was defiantly worn out when we got in the car, she just sat there relaxed in her car seat. She looked at a few little toys and soon just rested her head to the side and listened to the Raffi songs I had playing. Within about 20 minutes she was fast asleep, no crying, no fussing, nothing, she just blinked a few times and then shut her eyes. I couldn't believe it, I was so excited. I kept expecting her to wake up screaming any second, but she didn't. And when she did wake up, about an hour and a half later, she was happy as can be. She cooed and talked, played with her toys and enjoyed her sliced apple in a bag (it's the best invention, a little mesh bag with a handle, you put fruit or whatever you want in it for them to chew on, but they can't get pieces off). About 40 min later we stopped at a rest stop and stretched out legs, nursed, ate and changed her diaper. Then we were back on the road and still happy! Our next stop was in Victorville, I called up my friend Amanda and she met us for a quick visit while we repeated the pattern, stretch, nursed, ate, changed diaper. This time getting back in the car was not as fun, Kylie started to fuss. We only had 40 minutes left and dinner and family eagerly waiting for us, so we powered through. We played Raffi, I sang songs, and handed her anything I could think of for her to play with (at one point this even included our ipad, I put it on the photo album and watched as she scrolled through the pictures by haphazardly touching the screen). We made it to within about 7 minutes before the fussing turned to crying, and even then I could distract her if I sang and clapped energetically enough.

When we pulled up to my parents house, I took her out of her car seat, she laid her head on my shoulder and took a deep breath, she was so sleepy. But we made it only 5.5 hours from when we left. Then her little head popped right up and she started looking around, she saw the front of my parents house, she looked at me and smiled. This is the first time she has recognized their house. She started kicking her little feet, getting excited for what was waiting inside. When we opened the door we were greeted by my sister and parents, Kylie smiled and clapped her hands. Upset? Not any more. Tired? Nope, not when there are people to play with. We sat her down on the floor and she said what sounded like "Dada" and sure enough Craig walked through the door not a moment later. She was so happy to see him. We had a wonderful dinner and play time, although Kylie kept looking around as if she expected more people to show up (she got used to having a big audience), then headed home. It took Kylie a little while to wind down, she seemed excited to be back home.

We enjoyed our visit with the Johnson family, I am so glad we got to stay an extra couple days. It is hard not being able to see them more often, but we are excited to already have the next trip on the calendar, just about one month away.

 Now I am in bed typing, Craig asleep on one side, Kylie asleep on the other, it doesn't get much better then this.

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie May's Pigtails Kind of a Day 255

Guess what Kylie?! Auntie Quin is writing your blog tonight!! YAY!! After spending the day balancing school, work and the most adorable 8 month old that I know, I am absolutely AMAZED that Craig and Natalie find the strength to write this blog every day! They must love you a whole lot! But guess what? I do too!  I was moments away from sleep when I was persuaded to write about Kylie's fun day and since I know what it is like to be the one anxiously waiting for the new blog and clicking refresh like it's going out of style, I decided that I could sacrifice some sleep and contribute my accounts of this day in the life of Kylie May.

Now I know that 4 very intelligent scientists on Ghost Busters have proven that it is impossible to actually hit the ground running, but Kylie seems to have taken that as a challenge. This morning she woke up in Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's house once again and immediately went to Autie Lane's room to get the party started. Unfortunately, this did not involve another bite on the nose (I found that quite hilarious) but luckily we still have tomorrow to try again! I had to go to class this morning, but by the time I got back, Kylie (sporting a stylish head of "bed hair") had already worked up an appetite and was enjoying some breakfast peas. After that, it was mommy's turn to eat so Auntie Lane and I got to have a nice long play session. As Lane mentioned, this visit has been so fun because Kylie is much more mobile and playful than when we last saw her. However, she is very eager to do a trick that is still a bit too big for her.. WALKING. Her father is full of cliche's, but I guess he has never mentioned to Kylie that "you can't walk before you crawl." Almost every time Lane and I start to play with the little one, she eventually tires of sitting or scooting and goes to the edge of a chair/table/body part to try to pull herself up. She can't quite pull herself up on her own yet and we hate seeing her frustrated so usually we help her up. While she is just about the cutest thing that ever walked, we know that it's important for her to learn to crawl and that she shouldn't be on her feet too much at this stage so that's when we turn to our methods of distraction. For Lane, it was a stimulating game of "airplane" complete with sound effects and life-like scenery. For me, it was sitting Kylie on top of the couch and letting her suck on her toe. Let me tell you, if there is anything cuter that Kylie walking, it's Kylie sucking on her foot :)

We played so well that Kylie went down for a 1 hour nap! She woke up with a huge smile and the playing picked up where it left off (a lot of tickling, patty caking, and toy throwing was involved). Unfortunately, I had to miss out on Kylie's outing of the day (errands with Mommy and Grammy) because I had to go to work, but it sounds like it was a grand ole time and that Kylie did great in the car. When I got home she was splish splashin' in her make-shift tub and getting ready for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious family dinner and of course looked to Kylie for our entertainment. Her show included a lot of napkin ripping, table banging and too many cute sounds to count. The real entertainment came after dinner though. After one failed attempt to put Kylie down for the night, Natalie was sitting on the couch and Kylie was enjoying some standing time on her lap. She was doing a little clap and stomp thing that reminded me of a hoedown, so naturally I started to sing a "hillbilly" tune and clap/stomp along. She went CRAZY! She was laughing, screeching, stomping and clapping like mad and looked like she was having the time of her life. It's hard to convey in words how funny it was but about everyone in the room was in tears. I guess you just had to be there, and I'm sure glad that I was. That was enough to finish her off for the day and she has now been snoozing away for hours. I can't begin to explain the joy that she brings into my life, even if most of the time she is "the girl in the box" and I am so grateful for these times that I get to spend with her. She and Natalie head back to Redlands tomorrow and we hate to see them go, but that just means that we will start the count down to when we get to see them again. I love you soo much Kylie May! Sweet dreams.

 My form of distraction proved effective and adorable

 Should I tell her that she's too tall to be a gymnast? Naa Her foot makes a good cellphone anyway

 

 "What large teeth you have Kylie."
"All the better to bite your nose with Ouiser"

 These are the kinds of pictures that freak me out when I haven't seen her in 3 months. Don't worry! This picture makes her look way bigger/older than she really is.

 There were a lot of these smiles today! I guess she was testing her theories on melting her aunt's heart

 I pulled out my keyboard as another distraction

 I'm convinced that she's a prodigy.. Proud Aunt :)

Kylie May's Biting and Playful Day 254

     Guest Blogger Auntie Lane here. Or as Quin likes to call me, Aunt Ouiser (Steel Magnolias reference for any of you that didn't understand that). Well little Miss May and Natalie are spending a few days with us here in Porterville and we are all so excited to be spending some time with them. Kylie has developed so many fun skills since the last time many of us saw her that it is so fascinating to sit and just watch her. We love seeing her clap her hands when she likes something, throwing her hands straight up in the air when she wants us to clap for her, and scooting around the house chasing after something she wants. Today it was fun for me to scoot around with her, watching her explore the new environment. She would scoot to the carpet/tile border, pat the carpet, pat the tile, and then scoot her little self onto the tile where she would drool and clap away. She is so cute; I would scoot anywhere with that little Sweet Pea.
     Kylie's day started off like any Sunday morning. She woke up a happy girl and ready to conquer Porterville. Little did I know that Kylie May would take me down in her quest for dominance. You may be wondering why today was a biting day, and I will gladly share the story. I was lying on the ground playing with Kylie this morning, trying to keep her happy and entertained. Well all of a sudden she starts coming at me, eyes on mine, mouth wide open. I thought, "Wow! She's coming to give me a kiss and I didn't even ask for one." So I sit there perfectly still, waiting for my kiss that I presume is coming to my mouth when, CHOMP! She bit down on my nose so fast and so hard, I didn't even know what was happening until it was almost over. You can imagine my surprise and my disappointment when I didn't get a kiss but instead an aching nose. For the rest of the day I would get a bit nervous when she started coming at me like that because there was a certain glint in her eyes that made my nose nervous. So Kylie May, today I vowed I would get you back someday, probably when you're about eighteen years old and plenty aware of what's happening. Hopefully you will have read this by your eighteenth birthday so you will know why I am biting your nose. And Kylie, you may be happy to know that you did end up giving me a kiss later in the day, and you can't even imagine my excitement. :)
    The rest of the day was full of exciting relaxation. With as many aunts and uncles that were here today, we played Kylie hard and let her rest little. After waking up early and playing hard she got in about a forty-five minute nap at church, and then played hard and long with us until she got a nap in the early evening. So while she did get to play and play today, it was a relaxing day after a lot of driving in the car yesterday.
    One exciting first that must be noted occurred yesterday. Kylie May's top right front tooth came through (which may explain the extra biting today). She is getting to be such a big girl, and she will have a full set of teeth before we know it.
    Kylie May, I am honored to have been able to write in your blog again. I am sad that there will only be about 100 more days of blog posts every day because it gives me my daily fix of my favorite niece. I love you so much Kylie, even when you do try to rip off my nose. :)
   
One of your BIGGEST fans,
Auntie Lane

Kylie and Phebe enjoyed getting to see each other at the wedding yesterday.

Kylie May got her photo in with the Bride and Groom, but I think she wanted to be back on the dance floor. :)

Slide to the left....slide to the right...Kylie and Barrett danced the night away

"I love the grass! Can I lay here all day mom?"

Kylie sitting on Uncle Tim's lap playing with the Happy Apple

"Taylor, how did you find my tickle spot?" It is so funny to see little Miss May get tickled.

Kylie - "Is that what I think it is?!" Auntie Lane- "It is Kylie! It is! It's the piece of my nose that you ripped off earlier."

Kylie teaching class to the big girls. "Arms up so big!"

"Now clap for me!" And repeat such cycle fifty times.

"Whoa guys, one at a time. I will give you each my undivided attention if you will just wait your turn."

Lunch at El Tapatio

Kylie and Grammy spending some quality time in the grass

Happy girl during bath time

"I love bath time!"

Kylie May's First Wedding Day 253

We survived! It was one eventful day to say the least. Craig got off work and we packed up the car and started our drive to Fresno at 9 am. Kylie did well for the first part of the drive then we had to do a quick switch and do some high-speed, backseat nursing, she took a nap and we were able to make it the rest of the way with only one more stop.

Destination #1 quick visit with Thad (Craig's childhood friend) and his family in Fresno. Thad has had a chance to meet Kylie once before, but this was a first meeting for the rest of the Crews family. Kylie had a great (but way to short) visit, she always enjoys meeting new people and this house had an added bonus, a big beautiful doggy!

We were back on the road, about 30 minutes later we arrived destination #2, at Blair (Craig's cousin) and David's wedding. Kylie was one of about 6 babies that attended this wedding. It was beautiful, and besides making some noise during very quiet parts of the ceremony, Kylie did great! We enjoyed a wonderful meal and of course some good dancing. As you would all expect, our little pumpkin was in the middle of the dance floor and loving it. Sure she can't walk yet, but that didn't stop her from showing off her fancy dance moves with her buddy Barrett. Although it was her first wedding, I think it's safe to say she loved it and can't wait to attend more.

Last but not least destination #3, Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's house. Kylie slept during the 1.5 hour drive but was wide awake as soon as the car stopped. She spent the rest of the evening entertaining us with her talking, scooting and tossing toys. Grandma Diana put out lots of fun toys (some that Craig played with as a kid) and Kylie enjoyed inspecting everyone of them.

It's now time for bed, Craig is already fast asleep and Kylie is reading a story with her grandma.
More to come soon,

Natalie

Happy girl in the car

Dancing!!

The Johnson group at the wedding.

Playing at grandma and grandpa's house.

Kylie May was a little wild today 252

When I think of Kylie I think of many different things; her beautiful hair, cute little smile, sweet personality and ability to be in a good mood and friendly in just about every social situation, and the list goes on. However there are a few things waiting to get on the list, one of them being " able to relax and take a nap when tired." Over the past few days Kylie has been so busy it seems she has forgotten that she is little and needs to take naps. She goes from being regular happy Kylie, she starts to get a little tired (maybe a yawn, rubbing the eyes) and then within seconds she has snapped out of it and has moved on to wild, crazy, hyperactive monkey mode. Now don't get me wrong, she is still just as sweet and pleasant as can be, but good luck trying to get anything done (i.e. diaper change). Until now I have been able to catch her when she gets sleepy, nurse her and put her down for a nap (most of the time), but today she was to quick for me. Our morning nap was not to much of a battle, but this afternoon you should have seen the circus; very sleep baby turned wild monkey while her mommy and daddy tried to contain her :o) After about 30 minutes of good effort, I decided that Kylie won, it must be play time and not nap time, but as soon as I put her down she started to fuss. So that went of for another hour until she decided that, in fact, a nap did sound like a good idea, silly girl.

It seems like Kylie is at a stage right now where she is developing so many new skills. Her little body and brain are so busy learning that it is hard to take a break. It is truly amazing to watch her grow and change everyday, even if it means we don't get good naps in :o) 

Kylie got to spend some time with grandma, grandpa, Uncle Tim and Auntie Melissa this evening, she sat at the table and ate a nice big dinner then showed off how she can push the box around the kitchen, took a quick bath and was just about to melt down when I walked in the door, perfect.

I'm sure someone took a photo of her today, but it didn't make it to the blog, we will have some tomorrow for sure! Can't wait to see the Johnson family tomorrow, we leave when Craig gets off work, I hope Kylie enjoys the car ride and Craig can sleep, we will see :o)

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie May and an Apple Sauce Day 252

I filled out my absentee (father) ballot today. Not for the election, I heard that was over, but for some more time with Kylie.  It has been a bit of a wild work week and I haven't gotten to see Nat or Mayday much lately.  When it isn't very much time you have to make the most if it.  Today, between work and sleep, I saw the tiny tot for about 30 minutes.  If it is only going to be thirty minutes at least it was a good thirty minutes.  I walked into the middle of breakfast time this morning, which was a good time in progress.

I got to watch little miss muffett chomp away on her curds and whey (or cottage cheese). It takes her a long time, but she feels so big working to motor through her cottage cheese.  It seems crazy that she is already eating real life big people food (not the pureed kind).  We can literally sit down for breakfast with an avocado, banana, and cottage cheese and she'll eat right along with us.  I feel like I'm in a time warp and the last 8 months completely passed me by.  I know what anyone who has kids is saying next.  "You think that was fast? Wait till you see the next 20 years."  My only response is I'm barely 20 years old, I can't imagine another 20 years passing. :-) 

My other moment with our precious little girl was right when I woke up this afternoon (don't judge me for waking up past noon, I worked all night).  She got the biggest two tooth grin, came and sat on the bed next to me and just played and played.  At one point she grabbed her book, rolled over onto her back, and nestle right up against my shoulder to read.  It's things like that that turn a work filled Thursday into a fond memory.  Thanks for the cuddles Kylie May.

Those were my Polaroid moments of the day. Nat handled super mom duties the rest of the day.  Her and Kylie went to story time at the library (sounds like Kylie loves all the songs and reading), walked (well one of them walked) to the bank, went to play at Mimi and Papas, and took a nap.   The other fun thing Nat got to do was give our little munchkin apple sauce. She has tried apple, but never the sauce.  lets just say it looks like we have ourselves another check mark in the "she likes it" column.  We are glad we have such a little foodie on our hands, but Is it too early to start saying "She's eating us out of house and home."? Maybe just a little too early.  I guess we'll keep that one wadded up in our pocket for just the right occasion.

Another day in the books, can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.

more to come soon,

Craig

Kylie May hung out at home today 251

Today was a somewhat uneventful day. I rearranged the living room in an attempt to make it a little more "Kylie-friendly" and took a trip to the grocery store. Kylie hung out at home today, played with Auntie Melissa and Uncle Tim, grandma came by for a little visit and Kylie even managed to sneak in two naps! She still seems to be a big fan of the cottage cheese, this morning she refused to eat the other foods I had to offer, cottage cheese only for Miss May. This evening she had a nice well rounded dinner, sweet potatoes, peas and cottage cheese :o)

 Kylie seems to be talking more and more, in the evening, especially, she will make all sorts of different sounds, tonight she even started doing a little fish-like face, not the kind where you suck in your cheeks, more like the opening and closing relaxed mouth that makes it look like the fish is swallowing the water. Tonight she also started the very fun game of "dropping things off my highchair and watching daddy pick it up for me." It is so fun to watch her brain develop, she is learning so much so fast, it's amazing.


Kylie gets to be more fun everyday, we just love it!

More to come soon,
Natalie

PS: The sleeping seems to be getting a little better, tonight she went down around 8 and woke at about 10 nursed and went back to sleep. It's 11 now and she is as snug as a bug in a rug, we will see how long it lasts :o)

Kylie May had cottage chese today 250

Although we waited a little later then many other parents, we were very excited to start introducing Kylie to "real food", and over the past two months we have done just that. Although we have introduced her to a decent little variety of food, Craig feels like her diet could have a little more depth. The biggest issue with creating a colorful menu for our little one is that I simply can't remember what foods are on the "ok" list for this month, so I always end up getting the same old stuff. So today I solved our little problem, I wrote out a list of all the foods Kylie can have this month and everything we can add over the next two months. Wow! Even if we introduce a new food every 3 days we might not get them all in, the list is actually quire long! We were so excited to see that over the next few months we will be able to start fixing Kylie the same things that we are eating, pastas, meats, cheeses and more fruit. So today we decided diversify her diet a little and offer her cottage cheese, her first dairy product. Neither Craig nor I are big cottage cheese fans, but guess who is? Kylie!! After eating her carrots and zucchini mixture then some sweet potatoes we introduced the cottage cheese. She was not so sure at first, you could see her little mind working, trying to figure out the weird texture. About 10 seconds later she smiled a very big smile and opened her mouth for more. It took her a little while to work through each bite, but she seemed very proud of herself in the end. I am hoping her little tummy does well over the next few days, it will be so nice to have another food on the list that we can give her without any preparation. Plain yogurt is coming up on the list too, I hope she likes it as well, it's nice to be adding foods with good fats and protein.

Kylie had a good day, she hung out around the house for the most part, took a couple walks around the neighborhood and enjoyed the very warm weather. We finally invested in some more hair clips, her little bangs are actually long enough to get in her eyes. Craig is to scared to let me try and cut them, so until then Kylie is looking stylish with her little clips. Kylie also got to video chat with Grandma Diana this evening, we get to see the Johnson group this weekend, we can hardly wait!!!

More to come soon,
Natalie 

Kylie made if from our bed, to her bed, and out the bedroom door to the hallway this morning.

She was so proud of herself she kept waving and smiling, we better baby-prof fast!!

Kylie May Hangs out at the grandparents Day 249

They survived! And when it comes to watching Mayday that is all you can ask for.  Gene and Carol actually said that they got more sleep than they expected, and Kylie made it the whole evening without any tears.  No tears and some decent sleep sounds exactly like what a couple apprehensive parents want to hear.  I know it ended up being a big relief for me.  I had to be out the door at 6:30 this morning for work training, and having Kylie stay at Mimi and Papa's really helped me get a great night sleep.  I was excited to wake up at 6:00 and realize that it was morning time and I hadn't missed any calls all night.  I guess our Thanksgiving dilemma (Nat and I both work) wont be such a big dilemma after all.

Nat and our little one spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around her parents house while we all just had a relaxing afternoon. The day after Nat works always ends up being a pretty mellow recovery day for all parties involved.

After dinner tonight Kylie proved that she can't yet excel at everything.  I'd say, right now, she is operating at about a 98% success rate at anything she tries. What could possibly fall into the 2% category?... I know one thing...JENGA! We thought it would be a fun after dinner game, and so did Kylie...until she tried to put a block on top of the tower.  It's all fun and games till a tower of wood comes crashing down around you.  Here's the sequence of events: Kylie sees the tower, she picks up a block, she grabs the mini skyscraper, loud crash, Kylie gets scared, cries for a second, then decides she wants nothing more to do with that game.  You know how the saying goes...you can't win em all (tell that to Ken Jennings).  Kylie will just have to settle for all the other things she is really good at.

more to come soon,

Craig

What do you do when it's 5:00am, Nat's at work, and you're at grandma and grandpa's house? Eat! duh!

Her cautious approach to this unstable structure is well placed.

What do you think guys? If I try to climb on it will it hold me?  I think so too.

Kylie May's overnight with Grandma and Grandpa Day 248

The problem with being an nurse (or murse in my case) is that it is a job that operates 24/7 365 days a year.  That means that someone has to work the holidays...all the holidays.  This year it just so happens that Nat and I both got scheduled to work Thanksgiving night. :-( In reality though, it is actually not a bad holiday to work.  We still get to to stuff our turkeys with some turkey then go to work in a food coma.  The problem with both being scheduled for the same holiday?....doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure it out right?  Kylie May needs a place to stay.  Luckily, Grandpa Gene and Grandma Carol are ready, willing, and able (at least with enough pep talks they will be) to handle the little insomniac for the 14 stretch.  

In order to avoid going cold turkey on Thanksgiving (yes. pun intended.  I don't know why you have to say that though. Is it like calling your shot in basketball?), Gene and Carol decided to watch Kylie tonight while Nat is at work...yes...all night.  I have to be out the door at 6:00 tomorrow morning, so we needed help anyway, but they just decided to do a semi controlled environment (I have my phone next to me for the call....don't tell them it's off) all-nighter with The Ky.  Lane, Josh, and Kyle are all gone (they knew the showdown at the OK coral was happening, so they got out of Dodge), so we'll see how they do. 

It's 10:15 and so far no calls (it's amazing how that happens when it's turned off).  When I left there house at 8:30 Kylie had just fallen asleep (pretty quickly too) and was headed to lay down in bed with grandma.  She even zonked out without much fuss or tears (funny how that happens when she misses her afternoon nap).  Tomorrow will be the update, but for now I'm looking forward to trying to get a little shut eye before a big day tomorrow (or big phone call later tonight).

more to come soon,

Craig

Kylie May's Moving and Shaking Day 247

We've discovered a new use for the Wee Wonder...wait...that came out wrong.  What I meant, is that today, we witnessed another practical way that Kylie helps around the house.  She has been scooting (or you could call it army crawling) all over the house, with the sole purpose (at least I think so) of finding the tiniest and grossest things possible to put in her mouth. Don't worry. Baby Proofing 101 is on our list of classes to take within the next couple years*.  Back to the story though. No. putting tiny things in her mouth is not the new use.  This afternoon, Kylie was motoring around the kitchen, like she always does, eating things under the fridge and stove (that's where all the good stuff hides), when she ended up in a new corner of the room.  Turns out that this particular area of the kitchen has not been swept or mopped in a while (it didn't look that grungy), so after a few minutes of her best scooching, the floor was clean and her shirt was dirty.  Looks like we just saved ourselves a bunch of money on mops and Swifer replacement pads.  All that's left now is to coat our little dust bunny in some Pinesol and let her loose. ;-)

You know.  I really thought we'd have to wait till she was much older to start including her in the household chores, but, once again, I stand corrected. Hmmm...Now that CPS has been called it's as good a time as any to add a small disclaimer: *Kylie never actually puts anything that gross, or dangerous, into her mouth. Also, the floor wasn't really that dirty...it could have just used a little mop TLC. Ok. I feel a little better now.

This evening, Kylie's aunt (Lane) and someday could be Uncle Josh (at least that's how I translated what he said from his native tongue of Spanish) arrived to spend the night with us.  It took her about 4 nano seconds to warm up to them, but once she did, all the best moves and tricks came out. Uncle Kyle is spending the night again as well, so it's a regular ole party at 444 S. Eureka.  We are always glad when Kylie gets to spend time with any of her family, and tonight was no exception.  Lane and Josh hadn't seen the mini monkey since back at "beach week" in July (when she couldn't sit, scoot, talk, clap, wave, blow kisses, or really anything else for that matter) so it was fun that they got to see her be a little more interactive.

 It's 5:00am and Nat just got home from working a half night at the hospital.  That means it's time for all of us to crawl into bed (don't worry Kylie has been there for a while now) and get those sheep counted.

more to come soon,

Craig

"Don't you like my post bath hair do?"

"Oh. There's a camera.  Dad. You really have to stop sneaking up on me like that."

Kylie May's 8 Month Birthday 246

Happy 8 months Miss Kylie May. I can't believe it was only 8 months ago today, at 10:15 am, that we welcomed you in to our family, time has flown by. On the other hand, I have a hard time remembering what life was like before you were here in our arms. In these short 8 months you have grown so much! You are scooting all around the house, you make wonderful talking noises, you are eating lots of different foods and you are already wearing 12 month clothing. There are a few things that have not changed very much, you are not a big fan of having your diaper changed, you don't want to miss out on anything so taking naps is a chore and you still love to nurse all the time.

Today you got to spend time with your Mommy, Daddy, Auntie Melissa, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Kyle! Uncle Kyle arrived today and Auntie Lane and Uncle Josh will come tomorrow, they are all here to spend time with you, it has been a long time since they have seen you and you have grown so much! I think you must have been excited about your 8 month birthday, because tonight you did not want to go to sleep, you took a short nap and have now been up for the past two hours (it's 11:30pm). Maybe you are getting ready to do something new tomorrow, but whatever it is you are pretty sure it's the middle of the day and the fact that all the lights are off and everyone is in bed doesn't seem to convince you to fall asleep.

Your Daddy and I love you very much, you have brought us more joy in the past 8 months then we could have imagined, you are a wonderful baby girl (even when you won't go to sleep) :o)

More to come soon,
Natalie

Kylie's first bath when she was just 5 days old. 

in the tub tonight, such a big girl. pl;.