The BaBa Goes Bye Bye. Almost.

To say that KK loves having a bottle would be an understatment. Some time ago I stated that she would be weaned by 18 months, and Daddy wasn't going to let me forget that! A few weeks ago she had gone for one whole day without one, and Daddy proclaimed them gone forever. But I was a little more compassionate, and still gave her one now and then. For the past week, though, the beloved "BaBa" has been history and I thought we made it! Until tonight. I went to a photography class, and when I got home at around 9:00, Daddy was sitting on the couch looking a little....defeated. He said, "It was a rough night." And then a little more quietly said, "I had to give her a BaBa." And I had to laugh, since he was the one adamant that the BaBa go away. It's always easy to know what to do and when to do it, especially when you're not always around to enjoy the consequences (especially of withholding The BaBa - not pretty). I guess some things just have to be learned the hard way. : ) We still have one day to go before the "deadline" passes. We'll see how it goes.

On the up-side of the food issues, KK is now eating grapes!! Sometimes she totally catches me off guard. I offer her fruits and veggies every day and most of them end up "talking to the hand." I couldn't believe it when she put half of a grape in her mouth and then started eating them like they were chocolate chips. And they were even a little sour! I'm thrilled! She also ate carrots and green beans at lunch today. It helps that she is learning to use a fork and spoon - these are great motivators for her. As are my silly shouts of "Woo Hoo!!!" and goofy dances after each bite she takes. Whatever works, right?!?! Right!

What has KK been up to?

Trouble! (At least it wasn't a jar of sauce, right?)

Visiting the past

Our computer was gone this week for some updating, so I took the opportunity to get started on organizing KK's scrapbook. First, I spent some time reading through both my and Daddy's baby books. KK is certainly Daddy's girl! Here is what Grandma wrote about his likes and dislikes:
"These I like: bananas and chocolate cookies. These I don't: Eating vegetables. I don't like to eat meals and I hate haircuts." Well, there you have it. At least we don't have to worry about the haircuts yet. And take a look at this:
The only thing missing on Daddy's picture is the big pink headbow! Of course you could say that all babies look alike when they are first born...but you haven't seen my baby picture yet. Whoa. Thank goodness I got control of those eyes and grew some lips. Then I ran across a couple of other pictures of Daddy and they looked a little familiar, too. I grabbed the pictures of our nephew C off of the fridge, put them together, and voila! Twins (almost)!
I think it would be safe to say that the genes on Daddy's side of the family are slightly dominant! But then I think that our niece H looks a teeny-tiny bit like me (green eyes, brown hair, fair skin) and we don't share any genes at all! Anyway, It was fun to go through the books and compare our development with KK's.

I also stumbled across my old photo albums. Oh boy. Would one of my friends please remind me why we thought it was cool to dress and dance like the girls in Oakt*wn's 357 - and take pictures while we were doing it??? (Friends, you know who you are!) KK, sweetheart, if you ever happen to find Mommy's old photo albums please know that I was really a good girl. We were only posing for the camera and didn't really act that crazy. I promise. And I never dressed like that in public, either. (Gulp.)

Weekend

We had a very busy and very fun weekend! On Saturday morning we went to see KK's little friend J. The two of them played in J's kitchen and made us lots of yummy plastic treats.
KK and I also picked up our new matching Bagolitas from J's mommy! Aren't they adorable?!?! (If you're interested in having matching bags - or just your very own beautiful Bagolita - let me know! J's mommy would be happy to help you with that!) On Saturday night we had "Family Night" with KK's playgroup. We all brought food for fajitas and let the kids play until past 9pm. K had a meltdown on the way home and hasn't slept well since. Sigh. But she and her friends (and all of us parents) had a super-fun time! We got more snow today, so we took KK sledding at the park and she loved that. And here's the best news of the weekend...she finally has enough hair for a sprout!!!

Happy Friday

This month we celebrate one year of going to music class. I don't know if these classes will make any difference in KK's future musical abilities, but I do know that we both love them! Of course there really isn't any formal instruction, it's just singing, dancing, playing with instruments and props, and hanging around other kids and parents. This next age group level has been especially enjoyable and KK has really blossomed in class. She loves doing group activities like holding hands and marching in a circle. She can also follow the teacher's instructions pretty well, like rocking from foot to foot. I look so forward to Friday mornings - there is nothing better than watching your child dance and laugh!

After music, we surprised Daddy at his office to give him a hug and kiss. KK was more interested in running around the office and pulling things off of people's desks, but we were still able to snap a picture of the two of them. It was a fun visit, and we had a great day!

Let's get back to KK!

After that little excursion to an embarrassing moment in my past, let's get back to the good stuff, shall we?!!

Today KK ate several spoonfuls of corn, with an actual spoon, all by herself! I was so proud of her, I did a little dance each time she ate a spoonful - which she thought was hilarious and it kept her going for several bites. She used her left hand most of the time, but otherwise she's still pretty ambidextrous.
It's been so cold outside that we haven't really done much this week outside of the house except go to to work at the club. We've read every book on the shelves, oh, about six times each (which I actually enjoy), and KK is getting to be a very good Mommy to her baby doll, Emma. She loves to give her hugs and kisses and lots of rides in the stroller. The cutest thing is when she hugs her, she'll pat the dolly's back gently as if trying to comfort her. It's the sweetest thing!
Of course, there is plenty of mischief occurring during all of her sweetness. KK loves to climb the stairs and play with some candles on the landing (which entails hurling them through the railing to the ground below). Today I asked her to "smile pretty!" and this was what I got:
Pretty indeed!

From Oakland to Margaritaville

I sat through a group job interview once, a very long time ago, to be a flight attendant for Sun C*untry Airlines. During the interview the question was asked, "If you could spend one day with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?" Now most people, especially those planning to be interviewed for a job, have likely thought about this question and had an answer in mind. Probably not a unique answer - but a politically correct, canned, appropriate answer for a job interview: Mother Theresa. A past president. The Pope. Someone who changed the world in some way. So, what was my answer? MC Hammer. MC HAMMER!!! You think I'm kidding? God, I wish I were. I said it, I really did. And even worse, at the time I was really quite impressed with myself. It was a unique answer! He had just started a program to save kids in the projects from a life in drugs and gangs! He was a cool guy! And he could dance! I wish now that I could have seen the looks on my co-interviewees' faces ("Woo hoo, she just upped MY chances BIG TIME!!") I don't think it was the answer they were looking for, because I didn't get the job. Obviously. In my own defense, I was a couple of years away from even being able to legally drink.

So today I was driving through the frozen tundra that is our home these days. To make it feel a little warmer, I was listening to J*mmy Buffett's new album T@ke the We@ther With You (thank you Auntie Sunshine!) It reminded me of the ol' embarrassing MC Hammer story because if I had been asked that same question today, I would have had to answer "Jimmy Buffett." I was driving through town, longing be sitting on a beach, in Key West, drinking a margarita, eating a cheeseburger, and humming along as Jimmy strummed "Margaritaville" on his guitar.

Thank God I'm not in the job market and won't be interviewing any time soon.

Embarassing Moment #1

Today was my first experience being embarrassed by something KK said in public. Thankfully it wasn't x-rated or embarrassing in a personal way, but it was still embarrassing. We were in the line at the post office and a gentleman was in line behind us. He looked 50-ish and had glasses and a beard and mustache. KK pointed at him and shouted an enthusiastic HO!HO!HO!!!! He grabbed his belly and said "I didn't think it was getting THAT big, but I guess the beard IS turning a bit white." The lady behind him was cracking up, but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Instead I stood there turning bright red doing my best to not laugh as hard as I really wanted to. I was thankful that "Santa Clause" was very gracious and even chuckled a little himself.

Ah, out of the mouths of babes.

No nap. Yawn.

Today was the very first day ever that KK didn't take a nap. Not even a short one. Oh, please, please, please don't say that she is outgrowing her nap. That would not be good for Mommy. The positive side is that she went down early tonight without a peep. She was a very tired girl, so I think that this was a fluke and she'll go back to her nap tomorrow. My fingers are crossed.

KK has always LOVED to be read to. Yesterday I found her sitting in a pile of books at the club, paging through them on her own. I have never seen her really look at a book by herself before...she would always come running and shove a book at whoever seemed most willing to read it to her. She did it a lot at home today too - she'd pick up a book and look at it quietly, page by page. It was neat to see her actually "reading" a book rather than trying to eat it. She's getting to be such a big girl!

Good News, Bad News

We'll start with the good: KK ate several spoonfuls of whole, round, squishy peas for dinner tonight! Hooray! She also ate more raisins today, so I think they are keepers. And maybe they will counteract the negative effects of her addiction to bananas. Let's hope.

The bad news. We learned today that KK's Grandpa (my Daddy) has skin cancer. It is basal cell carcinoma, which is fortunately easily treatable. We also think it is in the very early stages, so treatment should be very successful. We are praying for that for sure. Grandpa/Daddy has been a little sensitive lately, so we will give him lots of love and support so that he remains healthy both physically and emotionally. If you are so inclined to keep him in your prayers as well, we would appreciate it.

We love you 'Pa, and we're here to hold your hand all the way!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Sledding & Playgroup

Yesterday we bought a nifty new sled, so we had to test it out today. Heaven knows we have plenty of snow! Who knows how long it will be around though, so we took advantage of it. The sled is made out of nerf-y material, so I thought it might be more comfortable for KK than a typical plastic sled. I think I was right - she had a lot of fun!

Later this afternoon we had playgroup at our house and KK had a great time playing with her friends. They are getting old enough that they actually play together rather than just side by side. It is really fun to watch! KK and one of the boys were having a deep conversation...

KK: "Hi!"
boy: "Hi!"
KK: "Hi!"
boy: "Hi!"
(repeat about six more times...)

We all had a good laugh over that one. : )

Happy New Year...a week late.

New Year's Eve was so low-key at our house it seemed like any other day and snuck right by me. Since then, though, we've been a little busy. Last Wednesday I started taking classes for my new camera. The class was a disaster in structure and organization, but I did learn a few things. Next time I'll just bring a bag of coffee beans to snack on so I can stay awake. At least the classes are free...I guess you get what you pay for. The next night I went to see "The H*liday" with a friend - cute, cute, cute movie! On Friday we went to a play with some of Daddy's clients, and last night we had a pizza party at our house with some friends. Tonight was the first night in a while that I actually got to put KK to bed! I missed that routine, and I'm glad we had a quiet night tonight.

I have never been a person to do resolutions for the new year. This year is no different, but I do have a goal - which I guess is sort of the same thing. I really, really, really want to get KK's scrapbook(s) started and make some good progress on it (them). I had initially wanted to have her first year documented by her first birthday...but I didn't even start it. Part of the problem is that I have over 3,000 photographs of her and haven't printed many of them. It will take forever to sort through the ones that I want to print, and it would cost a fortune to print them all. But I'll get started on it somehow - I have to! (Thanks to my sweet MIL for the Walgreens gift card for photofinishing!!! And to Auntie Sunshine for all of the beautiful albums, paper, supplies, and pages!!!) Now that I have this new fabulous camera, the problem is just going to get worse and worse if I don't get started on it now. I could also add that I want to assemble our wedding album. At least the photos are printed and Auntie Sunshine helped me organize it...two years ago. It just didn't get put together. (I never put an album together for my FIRST wedding either, but I think it's safe to say that I'm too late on that one. ha.)

Let's talk about KK! Her hair is growing! I can put a clip in it and it stays in as long as she doesn't notice it. Yay! She can also recognize herself and says her own name, "Daaay Daaaaay!" She ate some raisins tonight, and said MORE! She loves to run, and runs around the house with no destination in mind (usually while yelling and screaming, a trick she learned at the club). She entertained our friends last night and had everyone laughing and having a great time. She is the light of my life, and her Daddy's too. Here is a photo...(notice the clip in her hair?) : )
  
Happy New Year! I hope you have a wonderful 2007!

KK is 17 months old!

Funny, funny, funny! Oh, how this beautiful little girl makes us laugh! Tonight she was turning in circles for no apparent reason other than she figured out that she could. She made herself dizzy and fell down - then tried to get up only to stumble and fall over sideways, only to get up and stumble and fall over sideways the other direction. It looked like she had taken a few sips of Daddy's gin and tonic! Daddy and I were laughing so hard! She still likes to make funny faces and has recently started to "act sneaky." She'll look at me with a mischeivious smile and slowly walk behind me to "hide." When I turn my head around to look at her, she'll give me a toothy grin or do something else goofy and we both just crack up.

KK's repertoire of words is huge now. She even says one sentence consitently when we're cleaning up toys, "Put'it waaay!" She always makes an effort to repeat any word we say. She likes to name colors ("yeyyohh" for yellow is the cutest!) and counts "two! three!" after we start her off with "one." She often surprises me by blurting out a new word seemingly on her own. Tonight she was drinking apple juice out of the little Gerber bottle and she pointed to the label of the bottle and said "apple" plain as day. It caught me a little off guard. I know that in a few months she'll be talking our ears off, and she learns new things from different people every day, so a new unprompted word shouldn't surprise me - but it does! Every new thing she does seems like a miracle to me!

KK is also really good at learning names and remembering who people are. After being introduced to a small group, she can point to each person when you ask her 'who is who' an hour later. On Christmas, Uncle Ray walked into the room and she happily said "Hi Ray!" and I had never heard her use his name unprompted before. Again, normal stuff in general. To me, a little miracle.

We've still been casually working on the potty chair thing. Sometimes she likes sitting on the potty, other times she screams and cries and won't even try. Either way, she's never produced anything so we still have a long way to go. No hurry though.

Food. I'd like to skip this topic, but I won't ignore our struggles. KK likes cheese. Lots of cheese. Sometimes she'll allow a banana to be thrown in with her cheese. Maybe a cheese covered banana would add a little variety to the menu. Seriously, she does love cheese and bananas but she will eat other things when the mood strikes her. She still won't eat chunks or pieces of most fruits and veggies. Except corn. One. Kernel. At. A. Time. (And bananas, of course.) She will eat pureed fruits and veggies, though, so we still offer those for nutritional value. We also introduced peanut butter and everything went well. (Uncle T is allergic, so we were a bit cautious.)

Utensils haven't gone over well either. When left to her own devices she'll feed most of her food to BuddyBuddy, so we tend to feed her ourselves more than we should. Some good news is that she is down to only one bottle a day (at bedtime) and along with practicing using utensils, we'll be working on transitioning exclusively to a sippy cup over the next month. Wish us luck.

KK is a delightful little person to be around. She is becoming quite the Daddy's girl and they have been spending lots of time together lately. We are both completely and totally smitten with her, and she has us wrapped around her fingers.

Happy 17 month birthday KK! We love you!