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Monday, September 27, 2010

Happy Half Birthday, Lady Bug!

(This was written last week. I just totally lagged on uploading her Pooh pic!)

This was a busy busy month for McKenna it seemed! I feel like she turned from infant to baby overnight!



New this month...

We have a sitter! She's pretty darn good at it too! I wouldn't say she's got it down completely. She has a knack for only flinging herself backwards when I don't have a pillow behind her, or falling smack on her face when I do put the pillow behind her and incorrectly assume that's good enough! But mostly she's doing really good. It amazes me how dramatic the learning curve is for milestones like that. That Sunday she couldn't sit more than 2 seconds by herself and Monday she could sit 15 minutes as long as she didn't try to look at the ceiling! It's like it just clicked!

McKenna is gradually getting more mobile. She can scoot a good ways backward. It doesn't seem to be quite on purpose yet, but she can make pretty good ground quickly. She usually backs herself into the leg of a coffee table and then gets stuck. Just needs to work on her trajectory, I guess!

She LOVES her toys. I don't remember Austin being as attached to his toys. But her happy feet get a-kickin' as soon as you bust out any toy for her. She already has a long attention span. As long as she doesn't accidentally scoot herself away from all her toys, she will play for as long as I leave her down there usually. If I want her to sleep in the car, I have to take away all her toys. If she has anything in arms' reach or in eyesight, she will rarely fall asleep now.

Other than heatwave induced insomnia, McKenna is a great sleeper! She doesn't really like being rocked to sleep. Occasionally she's snuggle in for a good rocking, but I discovered that when she starts struggling against the swaddle and arching away from me, that the best course of action is to just lay her down and let her fall asleep on her own. As long as the binkie stays in and her Sea Horse is still playing lullabies, she quickly drifts off to sleep! And when she wakes up prematurely (usually due to a not-so-quiet almost 2 year old), that combo works to put her right back to sleep usually. If she's really ready to get up, she wakes up happy and bright eyed.

We tried solids a few times a few weeks ago. Not an overwhelmingly positive response, but she did okay. Since she literally stole a piece of peach out of my hand, I thought she was very ready for solids. She didn't dislike what we fed her but also didn't act like it was the best thing since, well, breastmilk. So I decided to hold off a few more weeks.

Still doesn't take a bottle! So frustrating. Granted, we really haven't tried a ton still. Just a few times here and there. She did take a whopping 1.5 oz the other night with minimal fussing. That's was a rare but big success!

She is becoming loud! Just like her brother! In fact, she has adopted the exact same pitch when she shrieks. They're mostly happy shrieks, but they're also usually overly tired shrieks. She has a myriad of other odd sounds she makes but I don't know how to describe them. They're all horribly entertaining though and come with the silliest expressions. I'm trying to capture them all on video.

We have a roller! Okay, not technically by 6 months old, but 6 months and 2 days is dang close enough. And since I haven't pushed "publish" on this post yet, I'm counting it. She literally just rolled back to front as soon as I finished a paragraph about how she doesn't roll still! She likes to make me out to be a liar, I guess! Still doesn't go front to back much. She did it once this month and either scared herself or rolled into a toy. Either way, she cried and hasn't done it since.

She is developing such a cute sense of humor. It's funny that it can start so young! She loves to hold onto my arm while I'm trying to change her diaper and then when I get my arm free, she either grabs it again, giggling, or kicks her legs like crazy, giggling. She knows already how to be purposefully silly. I am adoring getting to know this fun personality!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Dancing in a Fountain

Normally I'm trying to keep Austin from splashing in fountains. He likes to try to pick up all the lucky change people have thrown in. But at the PV Mall the fountain is specifically for splashing in. In fact, it's more of a splash pad type style than a fountain. Despite it being fairly cold for most of the time, I don't think I've seen Austin have more fun! He and all the other kids were running around like they had a new lease on life! It was hilarious to just sit back and let them go.



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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Choo Choo Chums

The last week of July it FINALLY warmed up enough to go over to Jack's for a water play date. Of course, once we got there, all the boys wanted to do was play with trains!



It cracks me up to see them standing next to each other. There is only an 18 month difference between them, but just looking at their heights, you would think it was significantly more! Despite being different ages and sizes, they've always gotten along so well.


Austin loves hanging out with Jack. He always gets so excited when I tell him we're going to see Jack today!


And it looks like the feeling is mutual!


They did finally get in the water and had a ball there too!


And McKenna and Sammy got in on the water action too.


Although Sammy did not share McKenna's enthusiasm!


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

His Two Loves

A quick trip to the LA Zoo gave Austin some time with his two greatest loves in life!

Choo Choos!


And Daddy!


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Happy 40 Years!!

July 18th my Godparents, Greg & Helen Miller, celebrated 40 years of married bliss! They have always been such a blessing in my life, so it was a pleasure to get to commemorate such an accomplishment with them! The day before their anniversary, they held a party with family and friends. And since the friends consisted of old (as in long ago, not old as in old people old, although I guess that applied to some too!) Ascension friends and new Life Covenant friends, I figured after Greg & Helen, I probably knew more people there than anyone else! It was really fun to see some of their family I hadn't seen in a while too!


The happy couple


Their sons, daughters-in-law & 3 of 5 of the grandkids


Their newest grandbaby


McKenna & her Papa


McKenna & Daddy, showing off her party dress


The Miller boys and the Wiley boys with their kindergarten teacher, Ms. Weichmann


Thank you Greg & Helen for being a wonderful model of a godly husband and wife! I hope in another 32 years, Brian and I will be surrounded by just as many people who love us and have had their lives touched by us, as you did that evening!

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On a completely separate note based on a personal experience from that night - Just a word of advice to those (men in particular, but women may also benefit from this) who may wondering when it is and when it is not okay to comment to a woman about expecting a baby. Unless she is currently pushing said baby out, it's better to play it safe and not comment! When you make such a comment and you are mistaken, you are likely to make a woman feel not so great about herself and you end up feeling like a doofus. However, when said woman is currently holding her 4 month old baby and you make such a mistake....you just look retarded!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Sprinkle Sprinkle

I was so excited to buy Austin all sorts of water toys this year. I had visions of him playing in a pool with a slide and sprinklers in our front yard. But then I remembered that my front yard is pretty dang small, not to mention I'd have to haul the darn thing around the house each time. So then I was going to buy a sprinkler toy and I had visions of Austin gallivanting through the water like a little gazelle hocked up on sugar. I even got all the way to the store and I remembered we had built-in sprinklers and I felt guilty spending money on something we already had, no matter how cute the one with little smiley worms that spin around was.

Thankfully Grandmas share no such guilt about buying cute little sprinklers! Grandma Judy went out and bought a very cute lady bug one and we immediately tried it out the very next day. I was hoping to wait for a warmer day, but there was no telling when that would be. Despite it being pretty chilly, Austin had a blast. Much more than I thought he would even. He likes water, but really doesn't like it on his face. That didn't seem to bother him this day. He immediately went up and started batting at the water. There was running through the sprinkler, but he still got plenty wet and had a blast. My favorite part was that he would get cold and silly and come running over to me and hide behind me. Then I'd shout "Go Go GO!" and he'd run back and bat at the water some more, giggling. He's such a funny little thing! And I'm so glad I didn't spend a fortune on big water toys! He obviously didn't need big to be entertained.



Thanks Grandma!!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What's Mitch Up To Now?

Nothing like curling up with a good book at the end of a long day. Just not sure Vince Flynn and his tales of Mitch Rapp are exactly 2 year old reading material.



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Floor Smiles









Monday, September 13, 2010

The Only Difference Between Boys and Men...

Are the size of their toys.

Alternately titled - Tough Guy

Alternately titled - Yeah, I drive a truck. That's right! What's it to you?

Alternately titled - Where's this pile of diapers that needs a-haulin'?



The expression on his face cracked me up too much not to share. But I couldn't decide on just one title. So you get them all. Got any more?

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Under the Sea

(Note - most of the pics are Rebecca's. I failed Photography 101 and didn't bother to charge my battery. So I only got to take pictures for the first 15 minutes or so. Woops!)

Under the Sea is an indoor playground very near our house. It's similar to Kid Concepts in theory, but they are geared towards littler kids and have pretty different equipment. We really liked the facility and I thought we would have gone again since, but with the weather being as mild as it has been, we haven't really had the need for indoor playdates. If we have another "Heat Wave 2010", maybe we'll go back.

We had a small playdate that week - just Austin, Jack & "C". And of course Sammy & McKenna tagged along but they just mostly sat/slept there looking cute and adorable!

Sammy did good in a little swing they had, but McKenna was still a little small for it and was particularly not excited to try it out, so I didn't get any pictures of her in it. But Rebecca got a good one of Sam.


Sammy practiced some standing...



And McKenna practiced some sleeping...



Austin really liked this place. Actually he just liked all their cars. He spent the majority of the time getting in and out of the little Flintstone style cars. Not riding them around, not pushing them. Just getting in, sitting for a moment, then getting back out. They had about 20 cars, so it easily kept his attention. He would let me push him around every once in a while, but mostly he just liked to get in and out!





Jack liked the cars too. Although he made sounds and puttered around much more than Austin did.


Mostly, I just think Austin was in awe that someone would entrust him with a vehicle!


There were a ton of fun things that he was just not interested in because all he wanted was the cars. I'd stick him in the bounce house...he got mad...



...and went back to the cars. I got him to go down a slide (read carried him to the top and gently pushed)...he got all freaked out (granted it was a steep fast slide! Woops!)


and went back to the cars.

He did play with the trains and legos for about 5 minutes and went back to the cars. Once Jack found the trains, he abandoned his love for the little cars and stayed put for the rest of the time. That kid does like trains!



The only other thing he thoroughly enjoyed was the little roller coaster they had. He figured out how to get up onto it all by himself, although usually sat down backwards, and push off. He had so much fun! My camera battery of course died while he was having said fun, so I didn't get to document much of it!





Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Happy Birthday Monkey

"I'm four years old!" We heard that phrase about 15 times at my nephew Monkey's birthday party. I think he was excited to be turning four! He is such a sweet, fun little spirit and it was a joy to get to celebrate his birthday with him!


The birthday boy and his cake


Momma Robin did an awesome job on his cake. Anyone who has ever starred a birthday cake knows how tired her forearm must have been after she was done!


Austin thoroughly enjoyed himself! He was quite the ladies' man for the day. Wiggles and her friends toured him about the house and chased him around. It was very cute to see.




McKenna & her Papa


McKenna & her cousin Wiggles


Austin & his Nani


Austin also thoroughly enjoyed himself in the jumper. He couldn't quite figure out the jumping part, so he crawled all over it. He just liked being in with the big kids!