Busy Day

Kensie had a busy day today, starting at 6:30 am! She had eggs and toast for the first time today. Then a bath and some time playing with her favorite block activity center.

Then we went for a walk to Walcott Park near our house.

Kensie got to swing for a little bit. She can't go that fast, since the swing is meant for a 2 year old, but she still had fun. Mostly because she watched the kid on the swing next to her... she loves looking at other kids!

After the swing time we went over to the fountain play area. It is this big padded area with fountains shooting out of the ground. Tons of kids were playing in the water, but Kensie only got to dip her toe in some puddles on the edge. Since all the big kids were running around, it wasn't safe to let her crawl around. Even so, I think she enjoyed splashing in her puddles!

After the park we walked to the mall. The strip mall with the Starbuck's was closed because we lost power after last night's hail storm. But the big mall was open and we had fun going in the Disney store... showing Kensie toys she could have if only she was a little bigger. On the way home she was out like a light. She first fell asleep hunched forward with her mouth on the front crossbeam. What a weirdo! Don't worry.... we didn't let her stay that way all the way home. We reclined her chariot and let her enjoy a relaxing stroll home.

Kensie's crawling!

I took this video after countless failed attempts and getting her to sit still for a regular picture. Today she went to the park with daddy and got to swing! There were other little people in the sandbox, but daddy didn't let her go in... he says it is like putting her in a cat litter box! Oh, germ-o-phobe daddy...

Lately Kensie has really started to show her STRONG personality. She often rips off her bib while we feed her (maybe because it doesn't match her outfit??). She is finicky about drinking her formula bottles, so I have to sneak it in with rice and fruit. She can be very persistent about crawling off the couch to the floor... even though if we didn't help her down, she would surely conk her head on the wooden floor! She is fearless! She also absolutely LOVES her cats. She squeals with glee everytime she sees one. Even we don't get that kind of welcome when coming into a room. Maybe she will grow up to be a vet or one of those crazy Peta people.

Kensie's Nicknames

Kensie has many nicknames. Here are a few!

1) The Bean
2) Goobs
3) Small Person
4) Tornado Kensie
5) Special K

Can you think of any others?

Top Ten Things Kensie Likes To Do...

10) Unroll toilet paper
9) Chase after the cat
8) Remove the pot lids from the pot lid drawer
7) Look into the open dishwasher
6) Play with her toys in the bath tub
5) Pull all of the Tupperware out of the cupboard
4) Practice going in and out of the three-season porch
3) Get tossed around like a rag doll
2) Hang upside down

And, the #1 thing Kensie likes to do....

1) Hang out with her mommy!

Happy Father's Day!

Mystic Aquarium

Yesterday we went to Mystic Aquarium with the Kapers. Here she is all dolled up and ready to go!


We kind of made a day of it, going to S&P Oyster house for lunch first. Kensie was super good while we waited for our table. She praticed cruising around in her new shoes. It is so funny to watch her walk in them... it's like she has cement blocks on her feet!

At the aquarium, Noah did a great job of entertaining Kensie... poking her in the belly and making funny noises that made her laugh!

Kensie isn't quite ready to sit on daddy's shoulders for a long time, but Noah loved it. Below is a picture of us watching the Kodiak sea lion do tricks in his habitat. We learned a lot about sea lions while we were there... on thing was how to tell the difference between a seal and a sea lion. The big difference is sea lions have long flippers that they actually use to crawl around on land and swim really fast!

Kensie was in her stroller for most of the trip, except a brief stop at the lobster tank. Mmm.... lobster. Kensie actually ate lobster for the first time at S&P. I had a lobster quiche, and I gave her a little nibble of the lobster. She ate it with no problem... she basically eats anything we give her, but it was still pretty cool to have her try it! She also had the egg part of my quiche and some bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yummy!!

New milestones

Kensie is growing so fast! Lately, she has been hitting a lot of milestones... she can make a fish face, she is clapping her hands when you clap yours, she can "give five," and she can sort of tell you what she wants. For example, I was washing dishes yesterday, and she crawled into the kitchen, pulled on my leg, looked up and said "ba!" I got an empty bottle, showed it to her, and she smiled big! So, I filled it up and went into the living room and called her. She crawled to me, I picked her up, and she ate! Maybe it was wishful thinking and good timing, but I am going to count it as a big milestone for communication. She is also trying all sorts of new foods. We went to a party a few days ago and had baked beans! She LOVED them. Personally, I can't stand them, but a friend had left some on her plate and I thought, what the heck? They are little and mushy... let's give them a go. She also had some Monkey bread, which is like a donut. And when we went out to lunch yesterday, she tried french fries (dipped in guacamole - her fave). Don't worry, I'm not going to start giving her all junk food just because she likes it. It is just fun to see what she will eat!

This weekend we went to the consignment shop, because let's be honest... kids outgrow toys too quickly to get new everything! Below is a shot of her with her new activity block. No bells or whistles, because not everything should have batteries or make noises, right? Don't get me wrong, we also got her a piano that plays all kinds of music. But this activity block was just so darn cute... and she crawled right to it when we put her down in the toy section at the store. Come to think of it, that is another great reason to buy used... you can try out the toys before buying!

Down the step

Kensie just recently figured out how to crawl down a step. For the longest time she would just get to the edge and sit there. Now she can make it down! What a big girl!

Dada

Kensie really likes to say "dada." What's up with that? Where's the love for the mama?

Some recent good pics...

Walking in the grass

Kensie in the grass

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day! We took Kensie outside to give her another go at crawling in the grass. The first time we did it, a week or so ago, she was like a cat in the snow... she did all she could to keep her legs and feet from touching the grass! But, this time, she got into the idea of embracing nature pretty quickly. She better soak it up while she can, since our new yard in Chicago won't be nearly as big and green!