Kinley, You're 14 Months Old

I am posting this picture for October 23rd, but I must confess that I took this picture a full week later!  At least!   It's not that I didn't try to take a picture on October 23rd, the day you officially turned 14 months.   I dressed you in a cute outfit, free of crumbs and residual lunch.   I took you outside where my potted mums were still blooming.  I sat you and the chalkboard down beside the flowers and picked up the camera.   And you were gone.   Out in the yard somewhere, picking blades of grass and running toward the swing set.  I gave up.   And I didn't get around to another picture for over a week!

I recount all of that to say, simply, you are one busy girl.   I keep thinking back to this time last year.  We were well into the swing of school and the holidays were looming.   You were only a few months old.   And yet somehow I found more time to bake and cook and make you cute little clothes than I can ever seem to find now.   The majority of my days are spent playing with you...and chasing you.  At 14 months old you are into everything.   Cupboards, food, the pantry if someone lets the door open.   And if you can't reach it yourself you yell until someone gets it for you.   You run for the back door if it's open a crack and run even faster when we try to bring you in from outside.   Your most famous trick, as of late, is to steal the remote which you promptly point toward the TV.   Most times you are successful in changing the channel.  Last week you even managed to DVR and episode of Divorce Court before I managed to wrestle the remote from your grasp.    Luckily you don't like that show but you do have a new found love of the Little Einsteins.   You "pat, pat, pat" constantly!  The funniest thing is to watch you raise your arms when someone says "blast off".  You are one funny girl.

You are still weighing in at just around 20 pounds.   You continue to amaze us with your vocabulary (just like your sister used to) and you sometimes put two words together at a time like "go, bye".  You love to play with anything that can be considered a baby doll from American Girls to doll house figures.  Last week you played with a baby from the doll house and spent nearly an hour wrapping it in sock that you found.  This week you got a new picnic basket and made us laugh when you put the pretend food to your mouth and said "num, num, num".   It wasn't as funny when later that evening you "shared" your drink yogurt with your doll. 

I am a bit apprehensive to say that you are sleeping better at night for fear of jinxing the whole thing.  But considering the fact that McKenna asked her Sunday School class to pray for you and your sleep, I would like to think it's more an answer to prayer than luck!   You have been doing much better now that you are not sick and not currently working on any new teeth.   We have found that you do better when you wear your sleep sack and we don't have to worry about your blanket coming off.   You're napping just one time a day - usually from 12-2, though sometimes longer.  Suffice to say, you're a lot happier lately and so are the rest of us! 

So, I will end on that happy note and try to get some sleep myself.   We love you, Kinley.  Happy 14 month birthday!

She Was...An American Girl

As most everyone (and I do mean, everyone) knows, this was a big weekend for McKenna.   Instead of celebrating her birthday with a big party in December,  she decided she would rather spend a day in New York City going to the American Girl Doll store.  So, we loaded onto the bus early Saturday morning on our adventure into the city. 

 

 

 As soon as we arrived McKenna wanted to head to the store.   She was kind enough to pause for a few pictures outside.    We had to laugh because all this time she had been picturing a small store like the type at the mall.  Not the 3 stories of pure little girl bliss that we were about to experience.

 

 Lucky for us, the doll that McKenna had picked out was literally right inside the door.   And, it's her namesake, McKenna.    I  love this picture and this smile.  What a happy girl!

 The actual store was amazing.   Of course, there were dolls and books and accessories everywhere.  The was even a doll hair salon, a place to pick a pet for your doll, a studio to make a t-shirt for your doll and a bakery.   But the nice part was that there were also window displays with each doll.   McKenna especially enjoyed the historical displays.

 Poor Daddy.   He was such a trooper!   He gets a gold star for spending hours in a doll store browsing tiny dresses and holding our bags, all while silently calculating how much he would have to work to pay for it all!  Ha!

 But in all seriousness, Daddy did an awesome job leading us around the city.  We went to Time Square where we were able to see where Good Morning American is filmed each day.   We visited the giant Toys R Us store and rode the ferris wheel there.  

 We had a pretzel while we studied the building where the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

 And we managed one picture of the three of us together.

 One of McKenna's favorite things about American Girls is the books.   She has read SO many of them so it was a very special treat when she was able to meet two of the authors and get them to sign her books.

 With a little time to spare before lunch, we headed over to Rockefeller Center and watched some brave people ice skate.

 Lunch was quite an experience.   They take quite good care of the girls and the dolls at the American Girl Cafe.  McKenna (the doll) had her own special seat at the table.

 And we nearly fell off of our chairs laughing when the waitress brought a plate and drink for the doll.   I'm telling you, they think of everything!    We enjoyed lunch and dessert and a little more shopping afterward.   Really, this store is a bad, bad place to be if you find it hard to say "no" to your child. 

We had some time left before we had to be back on the bus to head home so we stopped by the Lego store.   It was AMAZING.   McKenna (and McKenna) loved looking at all the scenes that were built out of Legos.  This one is a replica of Rockefeller Center and the ice skating rink.    We picked a fun surprise for Cooper and McKenna built some mini figures to bring for him, too.

I don't have any pictures, but we also went through St. Patrick's Cathedral.  It was beautiful.   We weren't able to stay long because Mass was beginning.  McKenna really seemed to appreciate it and had lots of questions about cathedrals and catholics.  I hope I did a good job in answering both!

By the time we got back on the bus we were all completely exhausted.  We had such an amazing time together.    This was the first time we have done a little trip just as a threesome.  And while we missed Cooper and Kinley and talked about them often, we really, really enjoyed our time alone with McKenna.  I'm sorry to say that we have not made special trips alone with each kiddo more of a priority.   After Saturday, we will definitely make a better effort.    

We love you, McKenna, and Daddy and I had the best time ever!  I hope you will always remember the day we spent in NYC for your 9th birthday!

Fire Prevention Week and a Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

 

We have once again managed to cram many fun things into a few short days!

Earlier this week, Cooper announced that he was going to wear his fire truck sweatshirt to the fire prevention assembly at his school...on Friday.   What a great idea...if he was actually supposed to be in school on Friday.   He was so excited that he took it upon himself to ask the daycare director if I could bring him to the program on Friday morning.  Of course, she said yes.

So, we bundled up in our winter coats (gasp) and headed out.   We talked with the firemen about how to stay safe in your house and watched as they demonstrated how they dress in their gear.   They even gave each of the kids a fire helmet!  Kinley was thrilled that they even included her.  She still has no idea that she's only 1 year old and the other kids are 4 and 5.

I absolutely love this picture of Cooper.  I have this exact same picture in a frame in his room except he is only one year old and it's from his birthday party.  I can't believe how grown up he looks here.

And this little one...too cute for words. 

On Saturday afternoon we once again put on our warm  clothes but this time headed to the pumpkin patch at Ards.   We look forward to our annual fall trip to pick our favorite pumpkin and experience the hayride and other fun fall activities.

 Our attempt at a family picture on the hayride.  Kinley couldn't be bothered to smile for the camera or sit still for that matter.  She was much more interested in playing in the hay.

 Cooper finally braved the big slide.  So did Daddy!

 The hay barn was a huge hit with everyone.  Who knew that a building filled with hay bales could be so much fun to run and play in.

 Kinley's favorite part was the bin of corn.  I think we could have left her there all afternoon.   Suffice to say that I will be finding corn in the laundry for months to come.

And what do you do after a chilly afternoon at the pumpkin patch...you take a nap.  And on that note, I'm going to bed!

Disclaimer : There are not many pictures of McKenna lately because McKenna does not want to be in pictures lately.  I just want to cover my bases so in the future when she asks why there aren't pictures of her I can remind her!   Love you Kenna!

Rock A Bye Baby

When McKenna was born my mom said that the only unsolicited advice she would give me was the same advice her dad had given her : Don't rock your baby to sleep.    My mom and dad the proceeded to buy me a brand new rocking chair for the nursery.    Despite the shiny new chair, the advice seemed simple enough.   The baby books and magazines and even pediatricians were full of sleep training tips and tricks that included putting your baby in their crib while they were drowsy but not "asleep".    I was a first time mom with tons of determination and my own ear marked copy of The Baby Whisperer.  I still remember nights of letting McKenna "cry it out" in an effort to get them to learn to fall asleep on their own.

Once Cooper came into the picture I had relaxed my standards somewhat.  But working full time, building a house and parenting two small kids left me tired and spending more time in the rocking chair than I  had in years past.    There was one night when I decided he could cry it out but that ended badly and required a changing of sheets and pajamas.   Lucky for me, Cooper was my best sleeper and we could actually put him to bed completely awake and not hear from him until the next morning.

So you would think that with the experience of two kids under my belt I would have the sleep thing down to a science.  Wrong!   My first mistake was probably replacing the  aforementioned rocking chair with a ...wait for it...recliner.  I mean, really.   Kinley has probably been our worst sleeper.  She wakes frequently at night and sometimes stays awake for prolonged periods of time.  BUT, she is so easy to get to sleep because who wouldn't want to be rocked to sleep in a big comfy recliner.   Yes, that's right.  My mother only gave me one piece of advice.  Advice that was passed down from her father.   And did I listen?  That's a big fat no.   I have rocked Kinley to sleep every night for the past 13.5 months.  And then some.   Together we have logged countless hours sleeping together on the recliner.   And I have logged countless hours on Pinterest!   My family can thank Kinley's love of rocking for many a new recipe that I've found on my favorite new site.

A few nights ago Kinley started to fight our evening routine.  She likes to sleep on her belly and the recliner is not really so conducive to sleeping on your belly.   For the past couple of nights we have started in the rocking chair but I have had to quickly put her in her bed.   I should think of it as progress and a step in the right direction.   I should be jumping up and down with joy.   I should be encouraging her to fall asleep on her own.   But I have yet to embrace it..    I'm not quite ready to give up our precious snuggle time, both of us cuddled under the off white fleece blanket.   I already miss feeling her hair tickle my arm while she sucks on her binky and stares at me in the glow of my iphone.  It's our quiet time together.   The only quiet time we seem to get and I love it.

I really do listen to all the advice that my mom gives to me.     But, this is one piece of advice that I'm glad I wasn't very good at following through on.   I have to admit that I don't regret my hours in the recliner.  I don't think I ever will.  I'm going to continue to relish my hours in the chair - even the ones in the middle of the night. 

On This Day....

Once in awhile when I don't have a specific topic to blog about or cute new pictures to share, I like to take a look back on this day in past years.

 

Our life very much revolved around a certain little baby.  I remember thinking she looked so big spread out there on McKenna's lap.   Oh my, how times goes by so quickly. 

( October 7, 2011)

 

It is astonishing how different each of the kids are looking these days. 

 

This would have been such a sweet picture had Cooper not ruined it with his stink face.  I can't for the life of me remember anymore what exactly the problem was or why he wouldn't smile.  But, here you go, Cooper, a picture of your pouty face! 

Here is a better picture, at least one with a smile.  These two have such a love hate relationship.   They giggle and play together one minute and are fighting and wrestling one another.  Just the other day I saw Kinley grab Cooper around the neck and drag him to the floor.  Lovely.  Perhaps that is normal sibling behavior.  I don't know.  Cooper and McKenna never played that way. 

 

Now that the weather is getting cooler we have been spending more and more time inside.  It's been nice to get some craft projects done that we have had on our to do list for awhile.   The kids still dash outside to play with their friends every chance they get.   I have absolutely no idea what we will fill our 6-7pm time slot with all winter long.

We have a busy couple of weeks ahead of us.  But then again, that seems to be the norm around here.   Yesterday, Earl and I spent the day at the Penn State game with Megan and Jason.   In two weeks we will be traveling to NYC with McKenna for an early birthday trip to American Girl.  She is beyond excited.  Next week I start another 6 week session teaching nursing students for Bloomsburg.   It's a fun time for me but very, very busy for all of us.  I've tried to prepare as best I can by stocking our freezer with lots of meals and even purchasing a few Christmas presents (gasp) hoping to lessen the load over the next month and a half.  Busy times but lots of promising blog material to come!

A Little Behind On the Birthday Blog

This post has been a long time in the making.  I think that I needed to take a little step back from the birthday party planning and get used to the idea of having a toddler now.  Plus, I had over 400 pictures to sift through so it's taken quite a while!

On Sunday, September 2,  our friends and family gathered together to celebrate our sweet baby girl.   It was a rainy morning that blossomed into a beautiful and sunny afternoon where we enjoyed food, fun and of course smiles from this little one.

 

Knowing this would be the last first birthday party I'd be hosting made planning it a lot of fun and a little sad.   Thank goodness for Pinterest, Etsy and all things pink!

We probably would have had the party on a different weekend closer to Kinley's actual birthday but Nicole was all booked up for cakes and we could NOT have a first birthday without a cake from our most favorite baker!  Nicole made the cake exactly how I wanted it - and yes, this was Kinley's cake to smash and play in.   I almost couldn't let her touch it because it was so beautiful.

 

I wasn't quite sure how Kinley would react when we sang "Happy Birthday" but she did just fine.  No tears or anything.  She does seem a little perplexed by all the attention.

 

She was a little slow digging into her cake but once she got a good taste of that sweet icing she was hooked.

 

 

 

Kinley's friends were treated to boxed lunches of sandwiches, fish crackers, fruit and juice followed by cupcakes and ice cream. 

 

And of course, after cake and ice cream there were lots of presents.  Mommy did most of the opening, though Kinley was very interested in the cards and ribbons attached to the presents.  She was very blessed by gifts of clothes, pajamas, toys, and a special gold bracelet and silver barrett.

We are so proud to have Kinley in our family.   She continues to bring us such joy and we were excited to share that with our family and friends. 

Kinley, thank you for blessing us with one of the sweetest years ever.  We can't imagine life without you!  Happy 1st Birthday!