Team Meyers

A Bummy Bee and a Strawberry

2010-11-02T21:15:00.004-04:00

One day a bummy bee and a strawberry decided it would be fun to go around the neighborhood and ask for candy from the neighbors... Everyone thought they were very cute, and didn't mind that the bummy bee forgot how to say trick or treat most of the time. At one house there were a bunch of older kids dressed as scary things (like Jason or monsters), which is when Kensie decided that she was "scared" and didn't like the idea of going to unknown doors and ringing doorbells. We got to do about 10 houses before heading home, which was a good try for our first year of really trick or treating. Clara held up well, not fussing or even spitting up on her berry nice costume!

Devil's night

2010-11-02T21:05:00.001-04:00

The day before Halloween we carved our punkins! Daddy did the hard part... scooping the seeds and dumping the guts into a bucket. We didn't save the seeds this year, but I imagine in future years Kensie and Clara will learn about those tasty treats and the process will get a bit more complicated. Anyway, here is our family of witches getting into the Halloween spirit...

Pre-Halloween fun!

2010-10-24T15:21:00.004-04:00

We decorated cookies and painted pumpkins for Halloween. Kensie was really into painting one pumpkin completely purple. The blue paint was not her favorite -- she did a few dots and was done. That one looks like a Smurf pooped on it!

Crawling Clara

2010-10-24T14:49:00.003-04:00

Clara has been on the move for weeks now, and we are having a hard time deciding if she is "crawling" or not. Last night I decided to make it official. She gets from here to there with will and determination! It's more of a army crawl, I suppose, but who knows if she will ever do the traditional hands and knees thing before she starts to walk! In any case, we are very proud of her progress in mobility... even if Kensie isn't too thrilled that her toys are no longer safe from drooling lips and sticky fingers.

Smiling Clara - Go Blue!

2010-10-24T14:29:00.003-04:00

Clara is such a happy baby... so easy to please!

Sisters playing...

2010-09-17T22:14:00.002-04:00

In this video Kensie is running toward Clara with her train, stopping just short of running her over. Clara loved it!

Clara the musician

2010-09-17T22:02:00.003-04:00

Clara is a very curious baby. And very strong... she grasps things with gusto! I remember Kensie having such a hard time getting this piano to work and make noise. Clara must have a really heavy hand, because she has been playing with it easily for a few months now. I love how her face lights up when she hits the magic button that makes it play the full song!

Our little bambino is also almost crawling, in addition to sitting up on her own. She gets up on her knees and rocks that booty back and forth. I guess its time to start mopping the floors more frequently...

First food for Clara!

2010-09-17T21:57:00.002-04:00

Clara is officially eating baby food now. She has been doing so since a few days after she turned 6 months old. Starting with rice cereal and milk. In this video she has baby food for the first time. She is a pretty good eater! But, she is very wiggly and she waves her hands around a lot, so I dare not put the jar on her tray... or it is bound to get knocked around.

Monkey Monkey Monkey!!!

2010-08-08T17:34:00.002-04:00

Navy Pier with Snoozer

2010-07-11T16:32:00.003-04:00

We went to Navy Pier on Saturday with Aunt Suzanne! Got there before it opened and walked around. Got some popcorn at Garrett's (a Chicago staple) -- MMMM! Kensie road on a little train ride with another kid, which was so cute. We thought she would want to ride again, so we paid for a second turn... but turns out she didn't like it at all without her new friend. And the conductor said, "no mommies on the ride!" So, we tried the carousel ride, which she loved a the zoo a few months ago. But she didn't like being on the moving horse, so she rode it out on the bench with daddy. After that, Suzanne and I went on the BIG swings, while Daddy, Clara and Kensie waited below. Again, Kensie was not happy with the arrangement. She is definitely at an age where she wants to be with mommy all the time...

Awesome sisters...

2010-06-13T08:25:00.002-04:00

Active kids

2010-06-13T08:19:00.002-04:00

Clara has decided that the "bear chair" isn't so bad after all. We put the chair on Craig's list, in hopes of making some quick cash, but got no serious responses. The daycare we now use also has bear chairs, so maybe seeing how cool the other kids looked in this chair got Clara to change her mind. Anyway, she likes the activity center on the chair and grabs it and looks in the mirror. Clara is also rolling over now... only once all the way that I have seen. But at night, she often rolls on her side to sleep. She is now completely happy sitting up straight when you hold her. Not too long now, and we will be putting her in the high chair and starting some solid foods!

We took the girls to a new park in the area. Kensie really liked the climbing wall... big surprise there! Our little monkey will climb on anything... over and over and over again!

Brookfield Zoo

2010-06-13T08:12:00.002-04:00

We finally went to the Brookfield Zoo, which is very close to our house. It was a short trip, because we had to squeeze our trip between opening (10am) and Kensie's nap time (noon), but we did do a few fun things. As part of the admission we picked three special attractions. One was the "Family zoo" that had hands on exhibits about animals in the home. Below is a picture of Kensie trying to spray water on the house plants... not sure how this fit into the theme, since no animals were involved, but Kensie liked it!

Above is Kensie on the carousel... she LOVED it! Both Chris and I got an admission (Kensie was free), so I used both tickets to take her on it twice. I think she would have been happiest if we just got 6 tickets to the carousel! As we went around we waved "Hi" to daddy, who was waiting on the sidelines with sleeping Clara.

Wedding day!!

2010-06-11T21:09:00.005-04:00

May 22nd, my brother got married! Of course we dressed up for the occasion... in pink, since that was one of the wedding colors. Kensie was the flower girl, and she did a bang up job running down the aisle and throwing petals at the end. It was really funny because after she threw them, she started to pick them up to put back in her basket... I guess she really was paying attention when we practiced the night before!

Below is Kensie wearing her Grandpa Harry's hat... what a weirdo!

Pretty Clara... not many people saw her fancy little dress, because she was sleeping most of the day. But when my Aunt Shirley was holding her, I was able to get a few pictures!!

Update on the Girls...

2010-06-11T20:58:00.002-04:00

Clara is doing great... growing like a weed and such a happy baby! She is sleeping through the night most nights. In fact, we are having to wake her up most mornings to feed her (6-7 ounces at a time!) and get out the door to daycare! She loves spending time in her various bouncy chairs, as well as in our laps where she can look around. I haven't weighed her lately, but she is filling out her 6 month onesies nicely. I'm also ready to crack into the size 2 diapers, since the 1's are pretty snug. Her eyes are still a nice shade of blue, which makes her look a bit like Kensie. But, she is losing what little hair she has, and I am worried she will go bald before long!!

Kensie is developing her language skills at a rapid pace now. While many words may not be understandable to others, I can tell what she is saying so much more now. She is putting on her own shoes now and can put her pants on all the way, except for pulling up over her bum in the back -- darn those poofy diapers! She is drinking from a regular cup (with supervision) and can eat food with a spoon without much mess if she really tries. She often tries to practice her jumping, but still hasn't quite gotten the hang of it! I am pretty sure she still weighs the same as she did 6 months ago, right around 24 pounds, but I still keep buying 24 month and 2 T clothes for her... I just know she is going to have a growth spurt eventually!

Sesame Street Live!

2010-06-11T20:51:00.004-04:00

We went to see Sesame Street Live with the Martins in May. Kensie had a really great time after a mini melt down when the lights went down and the "monsters" started singing on stage. She doesn't watch TV, so she wasn't familiar with any of the characters, except Cookie Monster and Elmo. After we pointed them out and she calmed down, Kensie was dancing and enjoying the show right along with Charlie! After the intermission we had to split, because Kensie couldn't keep still anymore. But 45 minutes of cooperative Kensie was more than we expected, so we definitely count this outing as a "win!"

During the show, Chris had Clara in the Baby Bjorn. She was pretty good most of the show, too. I love how "super-dad" Chris looks in this picture, toting around our baby and keeping the Elmo balloon from flying up into the rafters!!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-06-11T20:47:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day was very fun this year in the Meyers household! I didn't get breakfast in bed or anything, but I did make pancakes for the family and we had lots of fun playing together all day. I dressed the girls up in matching outfits for a short photo shoot on the couch. Clara put up with a lot of pushing and posing without much trouble. Kensie was her usual rambunctious self!

Kensie's Barbie House

2010-06-11T20:42:00.002-04:00

Kensie's summer started out right with a Barbie playhouse that we found on Craig's list. I have been craving this house for Kensie since last summer when I found the same one on Craig's list, but the seller never responded! So, it was so exciting when this time the seller responded promptly and we picked it up a few days later. Every day after I get Kensie from daycare she plays in her house... pretending to wash her hands in the little sink, sitting on the chairs, opening the door, and climbing on the roof (with help of course!).

Clara at 2 months

2010-05-03T08:23:00.003-04:00

Clara had her 2 month appointment today. She weighed in at almost 12 pounds (11 lbs 15.5 oz) and 23.25 inches. This puts her in the 80th %. The doctor again commented on how advanced she is for her age, being able to focus and hold her head up and push herself up when on her stomach.

Update on the kiddos

2010-05-01T21:50:00.008-04:00

Last weekend Kensie got to meet Kenza! Kenza used to live in Paris, but now lives in Brazil. When Kensie was little, we got many Parisian hand-me-down clothes from Kenza's family. It was such a treat to have some outfits that nobody in our area was wearing! We got so many compliments on Kenza's things... thanks again, Abdel and Karima!

Below are the girls at Cheesecake factory, enjoying brunch together. Kensie actually only lasted about 20 minutes at the table before demanding to walk around the restaurant. Kenza was a doll, and played or ate for most of the meal. Maybe Kensie will learn some patience when she gets a bit older??

Kensie still melts my heart with her smiles, even though she runs me ragged and is quite the drama queen! For example, she is really into "buckles." She wants to do any buckle she sees (car seat, booster chair, etc.), but she can't undo the buckle so she whines until you do it for her... then she promptly does the buckle again!

Kensie is still climbing all over the place -- now she can easily get up on her pony to ride, as well as up and down the bar stool chairs. She is climbing out of her big girl bed once in a while, too. This morning she was knocking on her bedroom door to be let out. I just knocked back... then she knocked... so I knocked "shave and a haircut..." Unfortunately she hadn't heard of that game and just cried to be let out!

At night we read to Kensie. Ever since she has been in her new room, we have been reading a few books in her bed, with her. Her favorite book is Wacky Wednesday. She loves the pictures, and finding the shoes and identifying all sorts of household objects that she can say.

Clara is almost 2 months old now. She has her next doctor appointment on Monday. I haven't actually weighed her since her first month, so have no idea what to expect. She is definitely pushing the limits of her 3 month clothes though -- length and around the middle. There isn't much of a schedule with Clara yet, but some patterns have emerged. She does 3 feedings in a row before it gets dark outside, which we think helps her sleep the 6-7 hours she sometimes does at night. But, it's still a gamble if it happens or not! She is smiling a lot now, especially if you tickle her cheek. She also makes happy baby sounds, and will "talk back" to me if she is in one of her good moods. Tummy time is fun to watch now, because she really does push herself right up. And she will practice for about 5-10 minutes most days. She has rolled herself over, but only when I have been sitting on the couch next to her... so there is a bit of a decline to help her make it happen.

Clara's Sprinkle

2010-04-20T11:42:00.004-04:00

Clara's Sprinkle was wonderful! A great way to celebrate her birth and get together with family and friends. Auntie Heather bought Clara this darling cherry outfit for her to wear for the occasion...

As with any trip to Michigan, I always look forward to getting together with my closest friends. After the sprinkle, Heather, Keri, and Sabrina and I got to go out on the town! Having dinner on Main St. in Ann Arbor, drinking Oberon's and catching up on each others' busy lives was a welcome change from my mommy world.

Kensie wore a special dress for the occasion, a Polly Flinders that I found at a consignment shop (with the tags still on!). I know I am biased, but I thought she looked heavenly!

They grow so fast!

2010-04-20T11:14:00.007-04:00

Kensie and Clara are growing up...

Kensie still loves to go to the park any chance she gets. She can tell us what she wants to do and not do. She says "wing!!" to go on the swings. We ask if she wants to stop, and she says "Nooo!" She is pretty agile for a toddler, and can run pretty fast and climb just about anything. She can even climb up our bar stool height chairs in the kitchen. This sounds great, I know, but it is also pretty scary, because she can also push the chairs where she wants to go... and that means she can get to just about anything she wants on the counters and shelves. She is also perfectly at ease walking up and down stairs, holding on to the rail or pushing against the wall.

Kensie is also progressing well with feeding herself. She does ok with a fork and spoon, getting most of the food to her mouth and keeping the food on top of the implement from plate to face. She is still a very picky eater and we often have to offer her 5 different things until she agrees to eat a decent amount of dinner. I never thought I would be so accommodating as a mom, but she is so skinny... I truly worry about her calorie intake! She still easily fits into many of her 18 month old clothes, because the waists still fit. Though some of her jeans look like high waters, I don't want to buy her more jeans since summer is just around the corner! For now, she is rocking the "ankle" jean look.

Kensie is getting more interested in learning new things. She asks what things are, over and over again. She doesn't usually say things back, just asks. She will point to my necklace and poke at each stone, one at a time, asking what they are. Stickers are definitely a new favorite thing, which I think is great, since it helps her with fine motor skills. The new stamp set was a big hit... as a puzzle! She didn't quite get the whole concept of stamp the ink, then stamp the paper. She just wanted to stamp the ink a million times. But after I put the ink away, she spent 20 minutes putting the blocks in and out of the case. She also showed me that she could stack them... getting up to 6 on top of each other without crashing!

Clara is growing in less noticeable ways, but surely growing. She sleeps for a 6 hour stretch at night now. I wish I could pick which 6 hours, but it is still kind of random. Sometimes 7pm until 1am. Sometimes midnight to 6am. She is still putting away 5-6oz of milk at each feeding. Her stability and focus still amazes me. She never really felt like a fragile newborn!

Clara's face is looking more and more like a little girl. Her wisps of hair slowly grow and she looks less like a little old man with a receding hair line! She is fitting well into all her 3 month old clothes... which she has a lot of, thanks to the generosity of all our friends and family!

Clara is 1 month old!

2010-04-06T10:34:00.002-04:00

Clara had her 1 month appointment yesterday. She weighed 10 lbs 8 oz and was 20.75 inches. That puts her weight in the 90th %, her height at 50%, and her head was in the 75th % (but I can't recall the measurement). The doctor also said that she was extremely alert and observant, really looking at things and focusing like a 2 month old! So yes, she is a genius!

We have also learned the Clara is much happier sprawled out on her play gym than swaddled in her bear chair to sleep. Now that we have given up on the cozy chair swing and just let her hang out on the flat (yet cushioned) floor, she falls alsleep much faster. Perhaps she doesn't want to believe she is a newborn and wants to skip right to baby? Last night she was perfectly happy in her sleep sack... and she let me sleep from 10pm to 4am!

Easter

2010-04-06T10:25:00.005-04:00

We had a very happy Easter on Sunday. Clara slept through most of the activity, but she did so in a very cute fuzzy outfit!

Below, Kensie is checking out the presents the Easter bunny brought her. She got MegaBlocks, A play-doh extruder, a book, bubbles, a bendy stuffed flower, some chocolates, and a Little Mermaid snack holder.

After opening presents we went outside for Kensie to search for eggs. It didn't take long for her to realize that each egg had a gummy bunny inside! And yes, we let her eat every single one (12 in all!). Needless to say, she wasn't really hungry for lunch later. Good thing she had a bowl of Cheerios before the egg hunt...

Clara update

2010-04-01T09:23:00.005-04:00

Clara is turning out to be quite the night owl. She has good days and bad, but lately they have all been "bad." Meaning, I have to get up 3 or so times a night and she doesn't go back to sleep after she eats. She wants to be held or she cries like the shrieking siren voices trapped in that golden egg from the Harry Potter movie. She is definitely gaining a lot of weight, though I won't know her new stats until her appointment on Monday. During the day, Clara doesn't mind a good amount of tummy time, which is a good thing developmentally. She will bob her head and kick her legs --- and even almost roll herself over if you let her!

The weather is getting quite warm here, so I don't think I will have many more pictures of her in cute winter clothes and onsies. Who knows why I bought so many things for her! I totally forgot how fast they grow at this age... and sometimes only wear something once before it gets packed away. I will miss this little elephant pj outfit. It is so soft and fuzzy...

I am not a barber

2010-04-01T09:17:00.004-04:00

Before... After...I took a stab at cutting Kensie's bangs again, since they were falling in her eyes. I tried this trick I read about online where you take a piece of tape and put it accross the hair where you want to cut it. Then, when she moves, the hair doesn't and you can start back up where you left off. After my initial cuts, Chris decided to give her some "texture," pulling chunks of hair between his fingers and cutting on an angle like they do at the salon. The result is not bad... but we still haven't gotten the knack of doing this right at all... sorry, Kensie! Maybe when you get a little older and learn to sit still we will take you to a professional again!

Charlie's Birthday party

2010-03-24T12:21:00.004-04:00

Sunday we went to a party at a local art studio for kids for Charlie's birthday party. It was an activity filled event, with arts and crafts, pizza, cupcakes to decorate, and LOTS of kids to play with! Kensie wasn't totally in to the art projects, but did make a picture and decorated a tiny plant pot with mommy's help.

She really enjoyed carrying around a balloon, which she tried to say... calling it a "boon."

Kensie got to sit right next to Charlie when he blew out the candles! I bet she can't wait for her 2nd birthday party... I wonder where we will have it? Considering her personality, I'm thinking the park or some kind of indoor play gym!? Every kid has to take a dip in the pool of balls, right? Please... don't tell her about the germs!

Thanks Gigi and Popsie!

2010-03-24T12:06:00.006-04:00

We had Gigi and Popsie come visit last week --- many thanks for all your help! Kensie got lots of attention and had so much fun playing with you and going out to the store and the park. As usual, Kensie enjoyed working on her many puzzles (thanks Patti for the new ones!).

Kensie really is a very active girl, always running around and wanting to do things. Below she is dancing with mommy, after changing into a new dress that finally fits! Kensie got a lot of new dresses last week... one for Easter, and three potential dresses for Sean and Sienna's wedding. After trying on the fancy dresses, the only way we could get her to take them off was to let her wear another fun dress. Kensie definitely has opinions about her clothes lately... choosing what shoes she wants to wear, wanting certain hoodie sweatshirts, and even refusing to take off her pajama top in the morning so she can continue to wear it all day!

Now that the weather has really warmed up, Kensie is back to going to the park almost daily. She loves to climb up the slide and swing on the swings. She also likes to say hi to other kids, too. We are so glad that she is outgoing and adventurous, but it also means we have to keep a watchful eye on her every second!

Clara is still doing very well, now 3 weeks old. She eats, and sleeps, and poos... just like she should. She isn't sleeping for very long yet, and eats way more than Kensie ever did at this age. She loves to be held upright so she can look around. Her neck is very strong... as are her legs and arms, which is quite a pain when you try to change her diaper or try to swaddle her.

Thanks Mimi and Papa Crow!

2010-03-16T17:29:00.003-04:00

Wanted to say a special thanks to my parents for all the help during the week we brought home Clara. It was nice to have the dishes done and dinner on the table every night, without having to ask. And Kensie was kept quite busy and happy with her new toys! Thanks for taking the time to start working learning letters with Kensie and writing down all the words she can say. I can't believe how many she really is saying now, even if they aren't totally complete words... I guess it takes having guests who don't see her every day to point out what great strides she is actually making.

Clara's first few weeks...

2010-03-16T17:06:00.005-04:00

Clara has been growing like a weed... today she weighed in at 9 pounds, after going down to 8lbs and 3oz within a few days of being born. Her belly button is almost healed. And she is eating a lot... almost 4oz at every meal! She loves to be held, which we do often. She isn't really in to the pacifier, though I wish she would be, so she could work on her "self soothing." Her lungs are powerful for such a tiny thing, but she doesn't cry unless she is hungry or wants to be held. Lucky for us, she doesn't seem to be cursed with "colic." She's just a totally normal baby and every day I am just so happy to gaze into her big dark blue eyes. We are dreaming big things for this little girl... and like to tease that she is going to be the "bookish" one, while Kensie will be the "fun" one. But, only time will tell... I'll be happy if they both just turn out to be good people who enjoy life and have common sense and a good attitude.

Our girls

2010-03-09T15:11:00.002-05:00

March Birthdays...

2010-03-09T15:04:00.005-05:00

March is a big birthday month for our family. Clara shares her birthday with her Popsie. Mimi's birthday is 3/4. And Aunt Suzanne's birthday is the 10th. So happy birthday to everyone... we got you a baby!

Clara's birthday!

2010-03-09T14:50:00.005-05:00

Meet Clara Vivienne, born on March 3, 2010 at 1:48pm. 9lbs 5oz and supposedly 19.5 inches long (she was measured at 20.5 at the doctor's 2 days later).

Clara was delivered at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, which is nice and close to home. My mom and dad and Kensie visited us in the hospital. Unlike when Kensie was born, the delivery was swift and much less painful, so having visitors was a welcome change from sitting around watching tv or Clara sleep. We actually checked out the next day, instead of taking the 2 days we were allowed.

Kensie was definitely interested in meeting her new little sister, but also found the tv remote equally exciting!

We feel very blessed to have another perfectly healthy daughter with all her fingers and toes and a respectable amount of hair. Now our family is complete... we have enough people for euchre!

Happy Kensie Update

2010-02-24T21:35:00.004-05:00

Tonight Kensie was in a really good mood! Daddy was gone to have dinner downtown, so we took a bath early and played for a good long time before bed. Our time together really reinforced the fact that she is growing up so fast...
Kensie understands a lot of things now, which I guess shouldn't be a surprise to me... but it is. I will say, do you want to play with your kitchen, and she goes to her little kitchen. She shows me a baby bottle and I say "feed the baby" and she finds her baby doll and pretends to feed it. She is also getting really good at all her puzzles... the other day we had three going at one time. I would pull a random puzzle piece from the box and she would identify which puzzle it went to and put the piece in. Her vocabulary is slowly expanding, too. Every night when I put her to bed, I wave her blanket over her body three times, so she can feel the wind on her face. Then I always "tuck her in" and say.... "tuck, tuck, tuck." Yesterday... I was a little late on my tucking and she said "tuck, tuck!!"

With regard to just plain growing, Kensie is still a tiny bean. She's still only 22 pounds and wearing 12-18 month clothes very comfortably. She can still even wear some 12 month clothes. She is getting a few molars on the bottom now, which puts her in a whiny mood some nights. But, we are glad she is getting more teeth so she can eat more kinds of things. Foodwise, Kensie has been really loving blueberry muffins and raisins (yogurt or chocolate covered!).

One final thing I will say about Kensie lately is that she loves her little sister-to-be... she hugs my belly whenever I say "hug your sister!" Ever since she put her head on my belly and felt a big kick back, I think she understands that there really is a baby in there!

Kensie Loves...

2010-01-26T20:24:00.002-05:00

Kensie loves Owls! She sees one and goes "hooo hooo!" She also apparently loves her friend Leah at daycare. She used to push Leah when she saw her in the morning, but today I found out that the ritual has changed to exchanging hugs each day! And I guess she can even sort of say her name... calling her "Lee." I'm just glad to hear she is saying words that people can recognize. Thursday is her 18 mo. check up and I am not excited about telling the doctor that she can't really say much. She says "ookie ookie" for her Cookie monster doll. She sees a duck and goes "uck." For dinner she says "yummy." The good news is she seems to understand a decent amount... like if you say something about her hair, she will touch her hair. She will take her coat off if you tell her to. And if you ask if she needs a clean diaper she will go over to the door to her room where the changing table is. She is also getting better at holding a fork and spoon to eat her dinner; though crayons seem to baffle her. This may all seem pretty boring, but so you know... as I write this, I am totally freaking out! I just hope I haven't totally screwed up my kid and she will be behind her peers forever!!

Bath fun!

2010-01-10T16:15:00.002-05:00

Kensie went outside in the snow this morning, so when she came in all shivering, I figured it was a good time for a warm bath. We used the jets to make bubbles and she loved it! Here's a pic of her playinig peek a boo with the curtain... a favorite bathtime activity! She also enjoys playing with her foam letters, which she sticks to the wall. She calls all letters "A!!" But, can identify some other tub toys if you tell her to get them.... like boat, duck, and fish.

January 2nd

2010-01-03T21:50:00.002-05:00

After the new year, we had dinner with our friends, Brian, Molly, Jessi, Pete, and Landon at the Meyers' house. Mutter cooked a lovely veal dish and Chris made some yummy brownies for dessert. Kensie and Landon started off on the right foot... with Kensie running right up to Landon to give him a hug. But, after he grabbed a fistful of her hair, she was a little more cautious! Babies are so weird!!

December 30th...

2010-01-03T21:28:00.004-05:00

On the 30th, we went to see our friends at the Terenzi's house. Kensie played with Dominic, Eliana, Drew, and Vaughn. We didn't even try to get them all sitting on the couch for a picture, but I did manage to get 4 of them in one picture!

December 27th...

2010-01-03T21:26:00.005-05:00

On December 27th we had Christmas with Mimi's side of the family... a fair number of people gathered at Aunt Patty's house and we played the Greed game. Kensie wasn't too into that, but sure had a great time with her cousins. Even though they get a little rough, she tried to keep up the best she could!! She also took her turn at the piano... which she just LOVED!

December 25th and 26th...

2010-01-03T21:23:00.006-05:00

On December 25th, we went to Gigi and Pops house for a Christmas dinner with Aunt Shelley and Bob. Kensie opened a few more gifts, including a puzzle and a circus train!!

On the 26th, Aunt Suzanne and Sean got home and we had yet another Christmas event. Below Suzanne is looking through a scrapbook Mutter put together for her... she sure is getting "crafty" in her retirement!

First Christmas Present Dec 25th

2010-01-03T21:21:00.003-05:00

On Christmas morning Kensie opened her one big gift from Santa.... it was a pink kitchen!! It took mommy and daddy a good hour to put it together, but it was totally worth it. Thanks to Aunt Cory, we had plastic food and dishes, too! Could only get one picture of Kensie's face after we revealed the kitchen to her... she was just delighted to get cookin'!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-03T21:19:00.003-05:00

Christmas Eve was at our friends' Neil and Nina's house. This is an annual tradition, and Kensie thoroughly enjoyed the attention from everyone. Once Chris and I stationed ourselves at the top of the stairs, Kensie was free to run back and forth from us to the porch and back again. She tried some of the dishes, but was more interested in exploring than anything!

First time out in snowpants...

2009-12-19T13:54:00.006-05:00

When Kensie went out in the snow for the first time all bundled up, she just stood there. She was happy, but didn't seem to understand that she was supposed to frolic about and play in the white stuff that was all over our yard....

So, Daddy picked her up and put her in the middle of the yard... still not a frolic or a hint of playfulness...

Here I am watching from inside my toasty warm kitchen...

Kensie and Daddy pose before coming inside...

When she came inside she screamed when we tried to take off her hat. So, we left it on!

Lazy Saturday...

2009-12-12T14:18:00.005-05:00

On Saturday we like to get chores done, but also spend some fun time with Kensie. Here are some things she likes to do now a days...

Kensie is big into bringing you a book and sitting in your lap to hear it. (This makes Daddy feel very special!!)
Kensie also likes to listen to her Elmo talk to her. She can't quite figure out how to squeeze his nose or push his buttons to make him talk, but she tries. She also likes those pull apart toys she is holding... again, she tries to make them go together and apart, but only gets it once in a while. The rest of the time we spend doing it for her... over... and over... and over again.

And finally, the thing she seems to love doing the most lately (other than play chase with Daddy) is peek-a-boo! All you have to do is say "where's Kensie??" to get a game going. The Christmas tree is an ideal hiding spot, as you can imagine. PS: Yes she is wearing mittens in the house. No, I am not that cheap that we don't have the heat on... she just likes wearing them!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2009-12-12T14:12:00.004-05:00

Last night we decorated the Christmas Tree. Which was about time, since the tree has actually been in the house for weeks now! The good news is we had enough non-breakable ornaments to hang at Kensie-level, that the tree doesn't look too weird or bare on the lower branches. She hasn't tried to take any ornaments off, but sure does like to touch and look at what she can get her hands on! Her favorites seem to be the Hallmark Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer characters.

Professional Holiday Pictures

2009-12-12T13:32:00.009-05:00

The whole process of getting Kensie to "sit" for professional pictures has gotten exponentially harder now that she can walk. For Easter, she basically just sat there and let us do what we wanted. Now, you have to make her want to be in the picture! And her attention span is so short, that you have to get the shot almost immediately after introducing something new... like a piano, a chair, or tree. At the end, they had to bring in a professional tickler (another associate at the store), because Chris and I just couldn't get her attention or make her smile, even with all our funny voices and jumping around.

What better present is there than Kensie?
These last three were possible thanks to the professional tickler!!

They can do such cool things with pictures now... like turning them black and white, but then bringing back the color on just one portion. I love this last one!!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-12T13:21:00.006-05:00

Kensie had 2 Thanksgiving dinners in Michigan this year. The first was at Gigi's house (pictures below), where beef tenderloin was the main main course, followed by banana cream pie and pecan pie for dessert. Yum!! The second was at Mimi's (pictures above), with traditional Thanksgiving fare... turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie for dessert. Kensie was pretty picky on Thursday night at Gigi's, mostly throwing her dinner. But, Saturday she ate a little bit of everything.... and really enjoyed sharing pumpkin pie with Mommy!

Kensie at the park today

2009-11-22T20:56:00.006-05:00

Today we went to the park that is a few blocks from our house. Sadly, it is the first time we have made it here since we moved to Elmwood Park! But, there are definitely a few more weekends of park weather, I'm sure. Kensie enjoyed watching the other kids, going on the swings and pointing at someone's pet dog.

New Rugs!

2009-11-22T20:55:00.002-05:00

Profile of a toddler

2009-11-15T16:48:00.004-05:00

Yesterday before we went out to run errands I thought I would take a picture of Kensie. She just looked so cute with her pig tails, you know? Anyway, I couldn't for the life of me get her to look at the camera. She is definitely getting more stubborn as time goes on. Anne, her daycare person, actually called me the other day to ask if Kensie was throwing food off her tray at home, too. The answer is yes. And what do I do when she does that, aside from looking exasperated and telling her "no?" I offer her something else. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find something she will consume. Fruit is usually a winner. Eggs have been off her list for a while now. Pasta, it can go either way!

Thank goodness she does cute things, too, so we don't feel totally compelled to lock her in a closet until she grows up. The most recent thing is she says "uh oh!" It just popped out of her mouth a few days ago when her cup fell off the table. So that is her third word... 1. Daddy 2. Mama 3. Uh Oh. The other things she does to entertain us is dance and play peek a boo. Dancing can happen anywhere there is music. And it doesn't matter what kind of music... rap, country, rock... she starts shaking back and forth! Sometimes she will even walk in circles when a song motivates her! The peek a boo also happens whenever the mood strikes -- and if you play along, she will crouch down and hide and pop up endlessly! And her laugh is just priceless! Loud and happy!

Halloween!

2009-11-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

As expected, as soon as I put the hat on Kensie, she started to cry. Something about hats just makes her so sad!! So... we had to bribe her with candy!!

She didn't actually eat the candy, I just threw it in the air... which she thought was hilarious!

After candy-photo time, went to Wicker Park and met up with Jon, Carrie, Charlie, and some of their friends. Lots of babies... all little boys. Kensie was without her coat in the beginning, because we wanted people to see her cute costume, but after about 20 minutes she was so cold. Bad parents! Even after she had her coat on, she was still cold and shaking and refused to walk around... live and learn. Next year she will be something that involves a warm fuzzy body suit.

A week with Mimi and PapaCrow

2009-10-30T20:02:00.005-04:00

This week Mimi and Papa Crow came to watch Kensie. I had to go to CT for work and Chris had things to do after work, so they came to town. Though I was not here for much of the visit, here are some pictures from Mimi...

Here is Kensie asking to be picked up. She does this A LOT now. And she whines like the dickens if she grabs your knees and looks up and you don't pick her up. I can't wait until she can talk like a real human being...

Here she is playing with the air purifier. Love that strong wind! Maybe she is thinking about a modeling career...

The bear hat is still a favorite around the house. Something about it just makes her so happy!

PapaCrow took Kensie for numerous walks.... not in her stroller, but really walking. She made it past our block and about halfway through the next block before turning around. She loves to shuffle her feet in the leaves. What a great fall picture!

Kensie Dancing

2009-10-26T19:34:00.002-04:00

Everybody loves Kensie!

2009-10-23T12:59:00.004-04:00

This week Kensie's grandparents are here to visit! And how lucky we are to have them here, because Kensie came down with a nasty case of croup on Tuesday, and wouldn't have been able to go to daycare. She has been tired and clingy, but once in a while she feels good enough to play with her toys and enjoy walking around outside.

Below she is wearing her new bear hat! With the cold weather coming up, she is just going to have to get used to wearing a hat, even though I have NEVER been able to get her to keep one on for more than a minute before. Fortunately there are matching gloves that look like little bear faces, too, so she sort of forgets about the hat and plays with her hands when we get her bundled up.

Kensie is continuing to walk all over the place. She definitely walks more than she crawls now. With Pumpkin back at the house, she has even more of a reason to be mobile... chasing kitty is so much fun! She still squeals at the sight of Pumpkin, which usually prompts Pumpkin to exit the room...

Kensie also has many new Parisian clothes to choose from this fall. Gigi picked up many things for her during their last trip to France... thank you, Gigi!

Last pic is of me and the bean... even though she is sick, she still seems to perk up when I come home from work and hold her. Nothing like mama's love, right?

Discovering the Muppets!

2009-10-17T11:20:00.002-04:00

This weekend our friend Randy came to visit. He showed Kensie how to look up fun kids videos on uTube. She LOVED the musical numbers from the Muppet movies, Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer. It's the first time she has really watched "tv" before and enjoyed it for more than one minute. I went on Amazon and bought a muppet DVD set, so she will have more to watch on the big screen. Because honestly, watching tv on the laptop is just too tempting for her... she wants to push all those buttons!

Thanks to Randy for the Elmo book and toy, too! Kensie does love her Elmo!

Whistling Dixie

2009-10-14T21:08:00.004-04:00

Kensie was puckering up a lot yesterday. I was waiting for her to break out in a whistle... though she never did. I think she just liked the way her new face felt and how much attention I gave her because of it!

For all the Zoolander fans out there, I like to call this one "pink steel."

The latest on our Kensie

2009-10-11T10:09:00.006-04:00

So what has been new with Kensie? Well, she got to meet a bunch of potential babysitters yesterday. For the most part, she was shy and quiet, but at least she didn't embarrass me by whining or crying while I tell the person "she is such a great baby... very easy to take care of!" The good news is we have a list of people to call when we want a date night, which is very important to our sanity!

Kensie has been sporting her fall fashions lately. I've put away her summer shorts and t-shirts for good. Usually it's jeans and a cute top. The Michigan sweatshirt didn't seem to help us against Iowa last night, but we can't hold that against her. If she looks a little teary, it's partly because of the loss, but also because she has a cold. Her first snotty, ooky, annoying cold. The hardest part is when we try to put her to bed, because I think she has trouble breathing through her nose...

This morning Daddy decided to wear Kensie like a hat! She loved it!

Other recent "milestones" are small, but still cool in my book. She has these flashcards of animals. We look through them at least 4-5 times a week. She can now find the one of the dog and she makes a barking sound. She does it on her own... brings me the card and barks! She is also walking a lot more on her own without prompting... which is a bit scary, because I think she wants to "walk" down stairs, too! When I tell her "no" she generally stops what she is doing, which is very useful. Forever the climber, she continues to use the elliptical as her own personal gym, and climbs through the bars and such like a mini gymnast.

This weekend with the Moenssen's

2009-10-04T22:42:00.009-04:00

This weekend our friends Keri, Dave, Vaughn, and Drew came to visit. We watched the Michigan vs. MSU game on Saturday... boo hoo! It was very hard to get Kensie to sit still for a picture in her new cheerleader outfit, so I'm posting the best shot I got!

Here is Dave trying to get Drew to do the "open mouth" smile!! Kensie used to do this... I think it is just so cute!!

After the game we decided to venture out to the city and see Millenium Park. Here is Vaughn looking like he is big enough to stomp on those skyscrapers in the background!

We had to see "the bean" while we were there, which is this giant metal sculpture in the shape of a bean. Our bean loved the bean!

Our trip ended at Buckingham fountain... which is the fountain you see at the start of "Married with Children." The trip ended because it started to pour down raining!! We had umbrellas but it was still a long wet walk back to the care... which was an adventure in itself. Seems though we parked in the only structure you can only access from one place --- on the complete other side of the park from which we were. But the night ended well with warm stuffed pizza at Giordano's. MMMM mmmm good....

Bye-bye!!!

Valerie visits!

2009-09-30T20:37:00.003-04:00

This last weekend Valerie came to visit us and she and Kensie had some good times playing with Kensie's laptop! Kensie would just laugh and laugh as she opened and closed the laptop. She's not so into playing the games or pushing buttons... but she loves the opening and closing.

Thanks Valerie for the housewarming gift! We will certainly make the time to go out to eat soon... as long as you are up for babysitting!!

Kensie walking... finally!

2009-09-22T19:57:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

2009-09-20T21:14:00.001-04:00

Life in the new house

2009-09-14T08:57:00.006-04:00

Moving in is hard work! But, fortunately we had a lot of help from Mimi and Grandcrow this weekend. The kitchen items all have proper homes in the various cabinets and drawers. The office is organized. The guest room is usable. Kensie's room is kid safe. The TV room is comfy. And our bedroom is all done except for the 4 huge boxes of shoes I have yet to go through and organize in some way....

It was really nice to have my parents here to help watch Kensie or clean. My dad was really great about pitching in to feed her or take her for long walks in the neighborhood.

Some things that Kensie is doing lately of note.... She loves to look at pictures of babies. Babies in books, on tv, in picture frames, in magazines, and especially in real life! And we think she may even have said "baby" at one point, because we kept saying the word to her as she pointed to various babies in frames on the fridge. She is also teething, with her top teeth about 1/3 of the way poked through. This makes for a pretty crabby Kensie a lot of the time... but she sleeps more, too. Kensie has learned how to climb down stairs now. Which is a lot less frustrating for her, because she doesn't have to wait for someone to get her when she gets to the top now!

Pajama girl

2009-09-05T06:43:00.006-04:00

Well, Kensie has graduated to wearing pajamas to bed. No longer will she be wearing the kind with feet that zip up the front! Real top and bottom sets, with cute pictures on them! I got a few with Disney characters on them, but mostly it was these very inexpensive sets from Walmart! I couldn't believe how cute and what a deal these Walmart jammies were!

In other news, Kensie finally had her one year check up. A month late, but it was the soonest we could get her in at the new practice we found in Chicago. Anyway, she is right on target with all her milestones. She is pulling herself up, cruising around, has taken a few tentative steps, can stand for long periods of time, points to things, and claps her hands. Her stats were a bit of a surprise, with her dropping to the 30% range for weight (she is 20lbs 12 oz), 50% for height, and 75% for head. My baby is shrinking! But, the doctor said not to worry, she is "just fine!"

Today we move into our new house in Elmwood Park. We closed on the house yesterday. Chris bought paint for the bedrooms, and we are going to clean and paint while we wait for various service people to show up today (electrician, fridge and mattress delivery, etc.). Hopefully Kensie will love her new big house and all the room to explore! We will get our actual furniture next Tuesday... so that gives us all weekend to get the house ready for our things.

PS: In the picture above you can see the oven in our apartment. Kensie LOVES to take the pots and pans out of the drawer below the oven. At first I was just like, whatever... it's noisy, but she seems to be having fun. But the other day I realized she is making real developmental progress. She doesn't just bang them, she moves the items from the drawer into the cupboard next to the oven. Back and forth she takes these items. Sometimes she tries to get in the cupboard, too... what a weirdo!

Kensie's 1st Birthday Party

2009-08-28T19:31:00.007-04:00

Blowing bubbles was a lot of fun for the kids...

Kensie got so many presents... thank you everyone!!

Pretty girl on her big day...

We blew up balloons to fill a whole room... Kensie loved to play in them!

Happy Birthday Kensie... a little late, but surely done right!!!

Tour of Chicago

2009-08-28T19:28:00.003-04:00

Kensie with Gigi on the boat... learning all about the varied architecture of Chicago!

What a view!

Sunday at Lincoln Park Zoo

2009-08-02T18:47:00.006-04:00

Today we went to the zoo with our friends the Martins. Above is a picture of Kensie and Charlie looking inside the giant eggs in the "learn about the farm" exhibit in the children's petting zoo portion. The whole place was a mad house of kids... running everywhere, climbing in and out, etc. Even though Kensie couldn't run around exactly, she enjoyed watching kids and making happy squealing noises!

Kensie was not too impressed with the large tractor she and daddy are posing with. In fact, "posing for pictures" is something Kensie doesn't seem to like to do at all anymore. She used to just grin for the camera when you made a loud funny noise... but now, it's like she can't be bothered. Oh, they grow up so fast...

One nice thing about this zoo (other than it is FREE), is that it is very large and green and clean. And it is right in the middle of the city! So you can be downtown one second... then step into this whole other world! The only way you know you are still in the city is the looming skyscrapers in the background.

How to eat cake.... by Kensie

2009-07-27T20:41:00.008-04:00

Step 1: Dive in, face first... before mom can get a "before picture" of you smiling with your first birthday cake!

Step 2: Examine cake for chocolately goodness...

Step 3: Glare at the paparazzi...

Step 4: Dive in again, to avoid the paparazzi!

Repeat until cake is all gone!!!

Happy Birthday, Kensie!!!

Pony time at Mimi's

2009-07-26T18:41:00.002-04:00

Party at Gigi's

2009-07-26T18:33:00.004-04:00

Buckland Hills Mall

2009-07-26T18:31:00.002-04:00

A day in West Hartford

2009-07-05T19:05:00.004-04:00

Today we tried to really "live it up" in West Hartford. Because, in less than a week, we are moving away! Our afternoon went something like this... Parked across from the Starbucks (somehow managed NOT to go in). Went to Elbow Room for brunch. Kensie shared in our breakfasts of corn beef hash, eggs, and toast. We sat outside, and Kensie stared at the passers-by with no shame.... craning her head around at the most odd people! Walked down to BlueBack Square, shopped for bargains in our usual haunts (B&N, Janie & Jack). Window shopped in Crate & Barrel (how cute would that bedroom set be for Kensie!!). Stopped by this new gourmet Burger joint called "The Counter" and grabbed a to-go menu so we can get take out tomorrow. Got a smoothie at Robek Juice (WHY did we wait so long to try this place??). What a delicious end to our afternoon downtown! PS: Sorry no pictures of my own to go with this post. My camera was totally out of batteries... =(

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-05T10:46:00.003-04:00

Pet the cat

2009-07-03T14:02:00.002-04:00

Busy Day

2009-06-27T16:29:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-06-26T16:49:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-25T19:45:00.003-04:00

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?

2009-06-22T14:45:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-06-21T12:00:00.002-04:00

Mystic Aquarium

2009-06-21T08:37:00.008-04:00

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

2009-06-14T14:40:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-08T09:55:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-08T09:35:00.003-04:00

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

Some recent good pics...

2009-06-07T12:36:00.002-04:00

Walking in the grass

2009-06-07T11:05:00.002-04:00

Kensie in the grass

2009-06-07T10:14:00.003-04:00

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!

Hard to believe...

2009-05-31T15:09:00.003-04:00

Kensie 2 days after birth..... and at a little over 10 months old.

Trip to Charleston

2009-05-24T11:44:00.015-04:00

Last week we went to Charleston to celebrate Chris's graduation from NYU and my birthday (the big 31). We stayed in a beach condo on the Isle of Palms, which is about a 20 minute drive to downtown Charleston. The weather was less than desirable most days, with cold weather and lots of rain. But, we made the best of our days indoors by playing games and going to indoor activities, like the aquarium.

Chris and I managed to get to lunch one sunny day at Wild Wings Cafe, which we have missed dearly, since moving away from Athens, GA. The wings were as great as we remembered; and we got a 25 wing platter with 5 different flavors... because we just couldn't choose any less! My new favorite is now "Slayer," which is a super garlicy, and pretty hot flavor. I have come a long way since only eating lemon pepper, many moons ago.

One great area of Charleston is this long stretch along the coast. There are huge homes, with columns and beautiful gardens. We liked to start our walks at this neat park with the cannon ball statues all around it. And what would be a trip with team Meyers without LOTS of great food! We had two very memorable meals... one at Magnolia's and the other at 82 Queen. The seafood was generally good everywhere we ate, especially when it was paired with creamy grits! Kensie was very good throughout the whole trip, letting us go out just about anytime. She would usually fall asleep during dinner, so we could linger and enjoy great wine, company, and sometimes even dessert!

Middleton Place

2009-05-24T11:37:00.004-04:00

In S.C., we went to a plantation called Middleton Place. It is a beautiful homestead with miles of paths through gardens and such. Here is the gang at the entrance!

Not long after lunch Kensie decided to take a nap...

But, she woke up when we got to the stables. Gigi gave her an up close and personal introduction to the giant horses! This one horse was especially friendly... he came right up to all of us and let us pet him without a problem.

Baby fashionista!!

2009-05-24T11:32:00.003-04:00

Kensie was quite the fashionable baby in Charleston! She got a new pair of shoes... which we quickly learned would only stay on if she wore socks with them!

She got a new outfit (actually 3) at Gymboree, with matching hair tie.

And here is the ony good picture of Kensie in a hat. She hates hats apparently, and refused to wear one for more than a brief moment. Sorry, Mimi!

Kensie goes to the aquarium

2009-05-24T11:18:00.004-04:00

While we were in S.C. we went to the Charleston Aquarium. It was a pretty decent size and had lots of fish to look at. I was surprised at how much Kensie was actually interested in. She really looked at things and seemed to enjoy herself.

Here is Kensie touching the DO NOT TOUCH display. Doesn't she know better??

Kensie goes to the beach!

2009-05-24T11:06:00.005-04:00

Kensie went to the beach for the first time in Charleston, SC. She definitely liked the sunshine and the strong wind on her face. Sand was not her friend though, since after she touched it she touched her mouth, and spent the rest of the afternoon licking her lips trying to get it out!

Gigi got Kensie a set of buckets for the beach, which was well recieved. Kensie liked seeing us put sand in the bucket and dumping it out. Maybe next year we will be able to make a sandcastle!

Daddy took Kensie to the edge of the ocean, so she could get her little feet wet! While she never seemed really excited to be in the water (it was cold!) she did let us hold her there for a while for some cute photos in her cherry swimsuit from Mimi!

Kensie video... crawling and pulling herself up!

2009-05-10T16:09:00.003-04:00

Peek a boo!

2009-05-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

Kensie standing!

2009-05-08T19:50:00.005-04:00

When we come to get Kensie in the morning now, she is often standing up! What a big girl! The bad news is she often stands up when we put her to bed... and she can't get down. We have to lay her down so she can fall asleep... silly baby!

House hunting

2009-05-07T21:28:00.005-04:00

We went to Chicago to look for a house and stayed with our friends Carrie and Jon and Charlie. Kensie had a lot of fun with Charlie's toys. She has been pulling herself up a lot lately. I think she wants to walk before she crawls!

Jon knew just how to make Kensie laugh!

Kensie had a great time being around the great big dog of the Martin household, Maisy. When Maisy barked, Kensie cried at first. But after a few days, she got used to it and it didn't phase her. She especially liked it when Maisy gave her kisses...

Here is a pic of cute Charlie. He was kind of shy when Kensie first arrived... probably thinking "who is this person playing with all my toys??"

This pic is at brunch. Kensie loves her veggies!! Mama's little girl...

Recent pics of Kensie

2009-05-07T21:22:00.006-04:00

We had some great 90 degree days in Connecticut recently. So, Kensie got to wear her first summer clothes! She is still working on learning to crawl and pretty much has it down. It is tough on the hard wood, but on carpet or in her crib she is very mobile!

This picture is when she was home sick with a terrible fever and ear infection. She cried a lot and needed to be held until she fell asleep. I was able to maneuver her to the blanket next to me after a few tries and rubbing her back. This is what we call her "turtle position." She gets like this in her crib, too, when it gets cold!

Here Kensie is out for a stroll at Blueback Square in our town of West Hartford. I was worried about sun in her eyes, so she wore her cute hat from Cape Cod!

Visit with Mimi and Grandcrow!

2009-04-25T15:00:00.006-04:00

This post is a little bit late, since my parents came a few weeks ago. But, life has been quite busy as we have prepared for selling the house. It is now officially on the market and our open house is tomorrow! The good news is it is 75 degrees today and supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Good weather should make for a great showing, according to our realtor. Many thanks to my parents for the new dining set and for cleaning the basement and all the windows! We couldn't have done it without you!

Kensie has been working a lot on her crawling skills. She can move around in circles and can go side to side, but still no straight forward crawling. She loves to pull herself up on things now. In fact, when I got her from her nap today, I found her kneeling in her crib, with her hands over the top of the rails! I guess it is time to put the net over the top, to make sure she doesn't climb out. She is progressing so quickly, I am sort of worried that I'll find her on the floor one day!

Well, back to cleaning the house. Love, Jess

Good day

2009-04-12T20:19:00.003-04:00

Today was a good day. Even though Kensie was pretty sick, many things happened that reminded me of just how much she is growing up! She ate a real banana today... not the jar kind. Real banana cut up! She is also babbling a very clear "da da da da." Not ma ma... but what are you going to do? She also had a bath sitting up tonight. Not sure why I never tried it before, but tonight I just put her in and she loved being upright! She is also showing us how strong she is by standing up and pushing away from us, holding herself up all on her own.

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T13:57:00.004-04:00

Kensie started out her Easter with a trip to the Doctor's office. Last night she woke up multiple times with a terrible cough and wheezing. We decided to take her in, just in case it was something more than a cold... which it sort of was. She has the "croup."

After we got home, Kensie and Daddy hunted for easter eggs in the livingroom. Kensie didn't seem all that interested. But, she certainly liked turning her basket over and pulling everything out of it! We put little Gerber puffs and dried yogurts in her eggs, so even though she didn't get candy, she got a treat to eat inside each egg.

Pictures in the Easter Dress

2009-04-06T15:18:00.004-04:00

So, today we went to the mall for pictures with the bunnies. The picture above is from after our session. For some reason Kensie was in a great mood when she got home! Got some cute shots in her dress. But nothing quite as fancy as the ones from the studio.

We didn't get that many bunny pictures to choose from because Kensie got startled by the bunny after she reached out to it and it hopped a bit. You'd think with having three cats, a bunny would be cake... but, no.

Love this picture of her. Didn't get any really smiley pictures, because she was teething. Most of the pictures have her tongue out, licking her lips or gums. And no, I didn't by any tongue pictures!