New view

Recently we have let Kendall try two new sitting views, one in a grocery cart and the other in a high chair at a restaurant.  Kendall has been sitting up without support since she was 18 weeks.  I give credit to her daily ab exercises, for giving her core body the strength to be able to sit up so early.  I figured this would be a treat for her since she absolutely loves to be sitting up.  She had a blast and soaked up everything she could now see at eye level instead of looking around the edges of her car seat.   Mommy and Daddy didn’t realize until our grocery shopping was almost done that the flap in front of her was supposed to go over and around the buggy handle.  We’ll get it right next time!It was so fun to watch Kendall’s eyes explore the people in the restaurant as well as the colors and scents in the aisles of the grocery store.  Seeing her in front of me, in the buggy, makes grocery shopping so much more fun!  I can’t wait for the next outing!

Boat Ride

We celebrated Father’s Day one weekend late with my dad so it would work for Michelle and Adam to make it into town.  Dad wanted to go on a boat ride with everyone, although mom had to work.  We did miss her being there.  We headed out to the river for some fun in the sun!  Kendall loved being on the boat and was tucked away safe in everyone’s arms.  There was a life jacket on board for lil’ miss however she was so uncomfortable when she had it on, we just kept it close by.  Maybe next time, she will fit into it a little better.Jack is an experienced boat rider and loves to check out all of the buttons and especially the steering wheel.  Uncle Adam even showed Jack how to honk the horn.  In between exploring the boat and eating lunch, Jack posed for a few pictures.  Such a happy boy!I know these two dads sure enjoyed this belated celebration! It was such a nice day and we couldn’t have asked for better company.  Dad, you are so special and important to all of your kids and you mean so much to us!  Look at us all now!Kendall enjoyed her first boat ride without a doubt.  The wind blew against her little cheeks and she laughed and played until she was tuckered out.  Amazing what a little bit of fun in the sun can do for our little ones. Jack even fell asleep a few minutes before we docked. 

Fun in the shade

Kendall has become quite the water baby so far this summer.  Grandma bought her a small pool that she absolutely loves.  Her pink pool is set up on the patio table so her sweet baby skin can stay out of the sun.  Thank goodness for the awning that keeps her in the shade and only has a tiny skylight.  She has learned to splash the water with her hands and feet, which she thinks is the funniest thing.  There are a few beach toys that have made their way into the pool and they keep her very entertained.  Like her hat?  I love this close up picture!  I think she’s saying, “C'mon in! The water’s fine!”                                                                                 Excuse the quality of some of the above pictures, they are from a cell phone. Kendall has also been able to take her first dip in the BIG pool at Lindy and Granddaddy’s.  She wasn’t too sure about the float, initially, but with some reassurance from mommy she was just fine.  The shallow end of the pool was full of shade so we hung out there while Kendall watched her cousins show off their water tricks.  I know one day she’ll show us everything her little mind is taking in.  She was in such awe of the handstands and big splashes they were making.Soon enough, my little fish, you will be swimming along with the best of them.  But for now, mommy is content with you in her arms or in the float when we are in the big pool! 

Happy Father’s Day

It was extra special to be celebrating Father’s day this year! It was Ryan’s first one!  Thank you to Ryan, for all you do for Kendall and me! We appreciate you today and everyday!  You mean so much to both of us and we love you ‘the most’! Thank you to my dad for always being there for me!  You always know just what to say no matter what the situation.  You are one of the most intelligent men I know!  I love you! Happy Father’s day to my grandfather.  You mean so much to me and I am so thankful we were able to come to see you!  You are a strong. loving man and for that I appreciate you! I love you! Happy Father’s day to Granddaddy and Uncle Randy.  We sure had fun playing in the pool and cooking out with both of you!  It is so nice to have family close in town! Happy Father’s day to Uncle Mark too.  Next year, you’ll have double the fun on your special day!  We can’t wait to meet baby Thomas #2! 

Thank you!

To my wonderful grandparents for allowing all of us to come stay in your home.  The time we share together is so important and special!  We have created yet another fun filled trip of many memories and look forward to the trip again next year.  It makes me so happy to know we have added one more companion to the annual trip. Kendall will be walking all over your house next time! Watch out great Grandma and Grandpa!

Picture perfect!

I took so many pictures of Kendall starting from the day we left, to the road trip back home.  I couldn’t leave any of these sweet pictures left unseen so here is my photogenic baby girl!  This was Kendall’s first time in the bath tub without using her Bumbo or baby tub.  She really enjoyed it however it was quite a sport for mommy.  I call it, Slippery Baby!  As you can see she was all smiles in great grandma’s tub!  When she saw her reflection in the mirror, she just couldn’t get enough.  Who can blame her? I could stare at her sweet face all day long!It was so important to me to be able to take Kendall to Michigan.  I was taking pictures left and right with my iPhone and camera.  Each and every expression she shows is priceless.  What would we ever do without cameras and technology these  days? These pictures make me smile big!

Great Grandma and Grandpa

It was so much fun to spend time with all of my family in Michigan!  The trip seems to fly by so quickly but thankfully we are able to go every year.  It’s been a tradition now for quite sometime.  This year, Kendall was added to the tradition and it meant so much to me to be able to introduce her to my out of town family.  Everyone was so excited to meet her and she just smiled from ear to ear at each new person she met.  I’m not sure how come Michelle and I forgot to take pictures when we were with aunts, uncles and cousins but I did manage to get tons of pictures of Kendall and her great grandparents, which I could not be more happy about.I love this first picture of my grandpa and Kendall.  They both caught each other’s eye at the same time.  It was quite interesting trying to get three to four people to look at the camera at the same time but we made it work.I love you so much Grandma and Grandpa!  I am so happy Kendall could meet both of you and I can’t wait to one day tell her about her great grandparents and what they mean to our family.  

Too cute!

I couldn’t resist posting these! It is the only picture we took with Kendall and Jack in their matching outfits that Michelle made.  And Jack was just too sweet to his cousin!

Jack and the squeegee

One afternoon, while in Michigan, Jack and I went to play down at Expressions.  It is a big open space, on the lower level, where my grandparents live.  It has tables and chairs, a tv and plenty of games.  I gave Jack a few bean bags and a ping pong ball to play with.  He wanted nothing to do with either.  Low and behold there was a squeegee stick leaning against the wall and THAT is what he wanted.  He pushed that stick so fast across the floor and used it like a golf club, the ping pong ball came into play at that point.  He was so creative with that stick and turned and flipped it any which way it would turn.  He even figured out if he held it up tall and dropped it, it would make a funny noise.  Who knew a squeegee could be so fun? I had so much fun with Jack!  He made me smile and laugh so many times.  I wish I knew what he was thinking as he was pondering  ways to use the squeegee.  At one point, he managed to throw the ping pong ball and it settled under a chair.  He looked at me like, “what am I supposed to do now?” and then decided to use the squeegee to get the ball within his reach and pick it up.  Such a smart boy!  I can’t wait for Jack to teach Kendall some of the things he knows.  It’s amazing to see a tiny mind at work! Love it! On a side note, here is a sweet picture of Jack after a bath and one of him with Lisi and Sylvie, his first cousins once removed (as Kenzie would say).  This is the ONLY picture we managed to get of any of our family in Michigan other than Grandma and Grandpa.  Michelle and I weren’t very good with our camera this trip. 

On the road

Off we go!!  Our bags were packed and the car was too.  It is that time of year for our annual trip to Michigan.  This will be my first time driving up there, as I usually fly. We said our good byes to daddy and headed off to Grand Rapids at 7:30am.  Kendall fell asleep before we left the neighborhood and slept the first two hours of the trip.  I was a little nervous of what to expect of the two day drive but Kendall did great!  Grandma even bought her a new toy for the drive.We stopped a few times for lunch, bathroom breaks, diaper changes, and for Kendall to stretch out her legs (and mommy and grandma too).  Kendall was able to sit and play on the blanket and enjoy many different sights and sounds of the outdoors.  She was such a happy baby during the drive.  Tennessee was our half way point, where we stayed with family.  Aunt Betsy, Uncle Jerry and Lauren had a wedding to go to the night. we got there.  We were able to visit for a few minutes before they left and once they got home that evening, we chatted for a little bit before bed.  Kendall adjusted well to her sleeping arrangements and so did mommy and grandma, thanks Aunt Betsy!Both days of our car trip were uneventful.  I enjoyed seeing the sights of the different cities we drove through., especially the mountains.  I’m used to flying over the cities but it was neat to see things at eye level.  I love big cities!  Grandma drove most of the way and loved every minute of it.  I sat in the back seat most of the time to keep Kendall entertained.  I’m so proud of my little traveler.  She’s a pro already!  Check out this town!  We were going to stop for a visit but decided we’d rather get to Michigan!

Five months old

Here we are, five months already.  Hard to believe that in another month, Kendall will be half way to a year.  One of these days I am going to invent something to slow down time.  Kendall continues to grow and develop so quickly.  This month she has perfected sitting on her own.  She would rather sit up to play and look around then to be laying down anymore.  When she is laying down, she pulls her head and legs off of the floor as if she is doing crunches.  It’s almost like she lifts her head up because she doesn’t want to miss anything.  At night,  I put her in her crib on her back but in a matter of minutes she has flipped over to her belly.  She sleeps on her belly for the whole night and loves it. 

We had Kendall’s ears pierced this month and she has done so well with letting me clean and turn them.  She hasn’t realized that the earrings are there yet, which I am thankful for.   Rice cereal, fruits and veggies are also new firsts for this month.  Kendall likes applesauce and bananas mixed in with her rice cereal for breakfast.  We are working on green beans at dinner and soon we will try butternut squash and pears. 

Kendall-

You continue to amaze mommy and daddy, as well as anyone that meets you.  Your development seems to be off the charts in our eyes.  You have figured out how to use many of your toys in the way they should be used.  You are sitting up easily for long periods of time, when we put you on your blanket (in the sitting position) and your motor skills are unbelievable.  You love to look around at anything new and have such a curious look in your eyes when we are in new places. 

We love you so much and thank God over and over for giving us such a precious baby girl!  You are now eating fruit and rice cereal for breakfast and we have added in vegetables for dinner.  You are nursing every 3 1/2 to 4 hours and have started taking two naps a day at 9am and 2pm, both for about an hour and a half to two hours.  Sometimes you take a  cat nap around 5 or 5:30 depending on how long your second nap is. 

You continue to be such a happy baby and we look forward to what each new day will bring.  Mommy and daddy love you more than words can explain sweet girl, and we are honored to be your parents! 

Love,

Mommy and Daddy