Wordless Wednesday: Baby bug manicure

uh oh, distracted by toilet paper!

The car seat shuffle

Forgive me, oh blog land. The girls have both been sick since Saturday night/Sunday afternoon. Mama's spring break plans of uploading pics, blogging, and getting things DONE while they are in daycare for 4 days? Well, the plans went by the wayside, and all my blogging plans in the ditch.
I just got done entering a ton of clothing, toys, and books into the computer for my first ever consignment sale next weekend....and decided to hurry and try to start blogging before one of the 2 sickie girls wakes up (I should say KEIFER, because Kyla is pretty much fine now).

So in the beginning of February (yes, almost 2 months ago! Gasp), we did the car seat shuffle! Kyla was nearing 20 lbs and getting oh-so-long in her infant carrier car seat. We decided to plunge into big car seat territory, and daddy spent one full Sunday afternoon shuffling car seats. Of course, we had to go and buy Keifer her new car seat (a booster one for future), and Kyla was lucky enough to be gifted with HER new car seat at Christmas from Papa Jim and Nana Marge (and it was on sale for a REALLY great price then!)

So....we put Kyla's new seat where her infant seat was in my car, and moved Keifer's car seat into Daddy's car for Kyla. Then, we put Keifer's NEW booster/back car seat into my car and left the car seat SHE uses in Daddy's car in the same spot for her. Whew. Got that? LOL

She looks so little yet big!

The maiden voyage in their new seats!

Wordless Wednesday: Kyla is "SO BIG"

She did it, she did it! All by herself! "SO BIG"

Crazy

The weekend was crazy, as Daddy was gone with Uncle, whooping it up downtown St. Paul at the college hockey tournies. Mama stayed home with K1 and K2, and Papa and Nana came down to help out. It was a fun weekend, but very busy! Mama also got her hair colored and cut, and we spent the rest of Saturday at the MOA playing with our family friends, which you'll see soon in pictures.

Yesterday, when Daddy got home, mama escaped for some "down time" and saw Crazy Heart. Very well done movie, and although it's not a pick-me-up type of movie, I really enjoyed it. I also (surprisingly to myself) really loved the soundtrack.

Meanwhile, at home, Daddy was not lucky, as K1 refused to nap, but he was a trooper so mama could go enjoy a movie and do some errands.

If you haven't seen Crazy Heart, try it. Jeff Bridges did an amazing job, and his Oscar win was well-deserved.

Double the ears, double the INFECTION fun!

Elaine called me yesterday after nap time with the news that Keifer was crying after nap, and only slept for 1/2 hour total. She was complaining that her ear hurt, and had been pretty subdued all day (and of course, she behaved herself!). I called CJ, who was at home resting, as he is getting the sickies as well. I had a class I could not miss last night, but I called the doctor to see if anything was available so late in the day. Nope. Urgent Care was the only option...soooooo....CJ picked the girls up, I went to my class until 7,and it turns out BOTH girls have ear infections. Luckily I mentioned at the last minute to CJ to check Kyla's right ear, as she had been grabbing at it. Yep. Keifer has a double ear infection and Kyla has one side that is not "as bad" as her sister, but she still got meds to take care of the illness. You would have never known Kyla had anything wrong with her, she's still so damn happy! LOL.

So poor daddy, getting the sickies, and my poor baby girls, with ear infections. Our first:**can you hear the cherry popping on that category? POP POP **

I stopped at the pharmacy, got the meds for them last night, and made it home to cuddle with my girls (Sage and Keifer, Kyla was already in bed) and watched the first part of our DVR'ed American Idol. Keifer slept pretty well during the night and slept in this AM until 7:30. She woke up happy as a clam and so far, has been having a "great" day at Elaine's!

The sad part is, she just started swimming lessons last Wednesday night with Daddy. It's a continuous weekly lesson, and unfortunately, we won't be able to bring her tonight with her ears so irritated. Boo.

Great-Grandma: "She's my sweetie"

Last month, while up North visiting family, we also made a stop at my Grandma's house. We love to see Grandma (Great-Grandma to my girls!) and Keifer gets especially curious about her cat, Bootsie. This time, Bootsie was sleeping on top of the heating register, and didn't make much effort to pay attention to us.

Kyla made the rounds from Great-Auntie Jeanne, to Great-Uncle Danny (my dad's clone!). As you can see, Kyla was NOT sure what to think about Uncle Danny. I think the fact that he resembles my Dad (her Papa) so much really threw her for a loop.

This past weekend, as Keifer was painting her watercolor picture for Uncle Darren, I made mention that she should make a picture for her Great Grandma, and then we talked about the visits we've made to Grandma's house (and her cat). She thought what we had been talking about for a minute, and then said, "Yeah, Great-Grandma. She's my sweetie!".

3 Generations
Admiring Kyla

Great-Auntie Jeanne is smitten

Kyla with her penetrating stare: just who IS this guy? Yeah, she could NOT figure out poor Uncle Danny!
At my parents, later.....Kyla models her "rebel rocker yell"
Mama & her rocker girls!

I cannot go to school today....

Sick. Sick sick sick. My entire team here at work has been sick. Sick sick sick. It completely sucks to be sick, and to have 2 young kids and 2 puppers to take care of. Thank goodness CJ is a fantastic hubby and daddy and has had to step up the duties at home.

Over a week ago, I had a fever and aches and chills, and just had to lie down for awhile. (and sleep and sleep). I felt somewhat better last Monday and made it to work and Baby Ballroom, but Tuesday ~~ ahhh, Tuesday. Tuesday being at work was like ripping my eyeballs out. I was achy, my head was pounding, I had a sore throat, chills and started to get feverish. The coughing - oh, the coughing. I left school immediately when my classes were done and went to bed. I had a fever that night and the next day. I felt sick to my stomach and like passing out every time I tried to stand up.I tried to assist with Kyla in the middle of the night to change her, but ended up leaving her screaming and crying half-undressed! Poor child.

I still have zero appetite and zero energy. I haven't been to the gym in weeks. It kills me to not get to the gym, yet I could care less right now. The cough is persistent and deep (barky).

I finally hit the doctor's office up this AM. It was confirmed that she thinks I did indeed fit the symptoms of the seasonal flu. Blah. I can't remember feeling this cruddy in a long time. The cough is going to persist for another month or so (lovely) as it's labeled a "post viral cough". Nothing to really do for it, other than cough medicine and a prescription for some harder stuff if I can't sleep. Luckily the over-the-counter stuff is working so far *knock on wood*. As for the weak body (no energy) and lack of appetite, well, it'll eventually return. Blah.

I just feel whiny. Poor CJ- I've tried to help but honey, I really was and am sick! Sick sick sick. I am praying the girls coughs that they have had don't develop into anything worse than what I had. They were both so sick over Christmas, and I'm hoping that was THEIR bout with it.

More posts to come eventually........

"Uncle LOVES flowers"

Last week, Keifer decided that the pictures she was water color painting were going to be for her sister, Kyla, and for her Uncle Darren. This came completely out of the blue, so it was quite sweet that she wanted to do this for her Uncle up North.

As she was painting, I pointed out there were flowers on the picture. She smiled, and said "Uncle Darren! He LOVES flower! We should get him some at Sam's!"
She kept painting her picture, and said "he's gonna be SO happy if I bring it to him! It's gonna be for him!"

I said that since Nana D. and Papa Dale were coming down, they would be happy to pass the picture onto Uncle and we'd have to see about the flowers. I then pointed out that the apples in the tree on her picture were supposed to be painted red and green (via what the picture said across the top of the paper).

Keifer intently looked at the picture, and then said, "red and green apples on the tree: got it!"

What a ham (and she doesn't even know it!)

A new tub experience (quack quack)

Keifer was only 5 months when we were able to break out the ducky tub...alas, Kyla is smaller and we waited a full 9 months to break it out! YAY! She loved it! As you can see, she was very excited to explore this new tub! She tentatively splashed and giggled and beamed her way through the bath. She kept grabbing the duck's head and trying to bite it! LOL. It is a fun way to bathe your child, I promise!

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Reunited: Quack quack!

Big sister is reunited with DUCKY TUB! We finally got it out for Kyla Whitney to enjoy....and she did...........
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Blessed beyond belief: clothes!

We are blessed beyond belief to have clothes for the girls. It seems with 2 of them now, I'm constantly sifting through bins of clothes, making piles upon piles of clothes, and making room for more clothes. With Keifer growing as fast as she is, it's hard to keep up with her ever changing sizes, especially since so many clothing brands are different in their fit and sizing.

With Kyla, she was born only a month later than her sister, but she was a preemie, and so far, on the growth charts, she is 3 months or so behind what her sister was at the same age she is now. So.....this makes for interesting seasons as I figure out what she will need for the Spring and Summer weather ahead.

The other night, I emptied out 2 bins of baby clothes. I was sad, yet I know that we don't have the room to store them and our future as to another child is so uncertain. *more on that later*. So, I emptied out the bins while my parents visited, and kept the girls occupied, and made decisions about what should go where, and who should get what (as in friends that are having babies) and what to sell. I signed up for *my first time ever* consignment sale in April - a sale I like to visit each season. I know it's going to be a ton of work to get the clothes labeled, priced and ready to go, but hopefully in the long run, we'll make some money to put towards NEW clothes (at the sale?) for the girls, as well as maybe some in savings. If we're lucky.

After sorting and sifting, this is what I was left with for the cloths that will fit Kyla in the next few months. A varied array of clothes that are for warm weather AND cold weather. Can I tell you that I feel like tearing my hair out? We have no room -so what do I do with all these clothes? And I must tell you, it breaks my heart to see so many CUTE THINGS go unworn by K2 (if that is the case...). Ahh, tell me to cut the strings. they are just clothes! LOL

The three bags of clothes that didn't make the pile in the bedroom...

the clothes for Kyla piled on the floor, waiting for closet space on the bottom row (top row is K1's)..... (that is 2 piles mashed together)

K2's row of clothes........where to put all those clothes?

Plus, K2 gets the 2nd drawer and part of the top one. Oye. Help?

The face of her future

When I saw these 2 pictures of Kyla in her high chair (in her long legged glory), her face looked different to me. It didn't look as babyish, and for some reason, I could (or can?) see the future of what she may look like in her older years. It made me sad to think that she won't be a baby for very much longer; look how fast her sister is growing and changing! How I love this one dimpled girl!

Wordless Wednesday: Biter biscuits

Sweatshirt memories

I've been digging through many bins of clothes lately, in efforts to clothe my darling Kyla girl, and it's been a fun experience. I keep delighting in the many clothes that Keifer wore (or didn't have time to, as she sprouted so fast!), and am so excited to have the chance to see many of the clothes on Kyla girl.

When I pulled this sweatshirt out of the bin a few weeks ago, I was immediately hit with the memory of my Grandma Gina. She passed away in December of 2007, and had only met Keifer when she was a baby. When she was in her final days, CJ, Keifer and I rushed up North to say our goodbyes to her, and the last time we saw her, Keifer was wearing this sweatshirt. It's a memory that lives in my mind, and my heart, and will forever. It was one of the final times Grandma smiled, and it was because of the joy Keifer brought her.
Kyla's middle name is in honor of my Grandma. She was a Whitney girl, and I like to think that Kyla takes after her angel Grandma. I'm hoping that Grandma is partially to thank for the blessing of Kyla, and hope to do her memory justice with my girls.

Here's our angel girl #2 modeling the sweatshirt

The cutest thing about this - when I put it on Kyla in the AM, I told Keifer to come and see what she looked like, because it used to be HER sweatshirt! She came rushing upstairs, "let me see, Mama!" She saw her sister, and she sweetly cooed at her, "ahhh, she looks awesome!"

Water girl

Keifer has always been a fan of water- as in swimming AND playing with it. She loves to play in the water when she washes her hands,and would sit and play with cups in the water all day if she could.
When we visited Nana and Papa's Valentine's weekend, the first thing she did early (EARLY) Saturday AM was get up, go potty and get reacquainted with Nana Dian's Dixie cups and water spouts. She could sit and fill the cups up, take drinks, pour it out, later, and repeat for hours if we let her.
This time, she said the funniest thing to me, so funny that I had to immediately write it down, because I knew hours later (when coherent and awake) I wouldn't remember what she said (and I didn't! Thank goodness I wrote it down)

She looked at me after taking big gulps of water and breathing hard, water dripping down her chin, and said "I love this place, we come here,Mama!!!!".

She then took another Dixie cup, filled it up and said excitedly, "I got a big scoop!", and proceeded to drink it and then break into song. What song, you ask? Well, Kumbaya, of course! LOL! That's our girl!

Filling the cups

taking noisy gulps of water

yum, I love this place here, Mama!

Thank you

Thanks to you all who have been telling me you stop by to read about our family!

It's so amazing and cool to hear about how we're being read by people all over- now if whoever is across the globe will tell me who THEY are :) I am just curious- not threatening! LOL

take care and happy weekend.......it's a beautiful one here in MN and the first of MANY doggie baths were had tonight after a walk outside in the muddy environment.................and we're just hoping that Kyla doesn't catch what Papa Joel and Edward seem to have.....uh oh.........

Boppin' and rockin'

Last Saturday AM, Kyla started bopping up and down to her own groove, all on her own! It was an exciting morning for us, and here's a clip, showing our happy K2 grooving to her own beat, trying to shake the shaker!

And try not to look too hard in the background. *groan*. You'll have to be witness to the act of a child scratching at her own bum. And she's a girl. Oye. LOL

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