To the Carousel!

Brian and I went on a little one night get away last night for our five year anniversary, thanks to our parents for taking the little ones for us! When we got home today we got word that Grandma and Grandpa H were running the carousel downtown. We decided to take the kids down when they woke up from their naps. Kayda was in love as soon as she saw the horses. She rode the carousel for about half an hour straight, when Mommy and Daddy couldn't handle it anymore Grandpa Mike decided to take her for a ride for us! Dillon even got to ride a few times but after spitting up on Daddy we decided that was enough.

When we got home we decided to walk around our little neighborhood to look at the lights that are up. Kayda had a great time. She'd find them and say "wow" or "whoa" or even "ooo". We came across a house with some of the reindeer and a bear and she just wanted to sit there and watch them move. After coming across some lights on a fence she tried to blow it out and then later tried to sneak away from us to go into someones garden to try to blow those lights out. It was adorable. She ran almost all the way around our cul-de-sac and walked the rest of the way just looking for more lights! We're definitely going to take her to zoolights this year!

Kayda's Birthday Celebrations

Last week was pretty crazy with our little birthday parties for Kayda. We ended up having a whole bunch of mini parties. She really understood the whole idea this time. She blew out the candles like a pro. She even asked to blow them out over and over and over again. She LOVED it. She picked up on how to unwrap the presents and what was inside. Christmas is going to be a blast for her this year, but a challenge all the way up to it!

Here are a couple of things I had to share. This is Kayda's new "wow that's neat face". She even whispers "wow".

After opening gifts on Monday Kayda, Peyton, Mikey and Dillon were all playing with Kayda's new dollhouse. They were having a BLAST. It got really funny towards the end. Kayda and Peyton would put something in the house. Dillon kept standing using the house and would immediately reach in, grab the new object and throw it across the room. He's our own little godzilla. Thanks to everyone for Kayda's gifts, she is thoroughly enjoying them. Kayda and Dillon are so lucky to be surrounded by so many people that love them!

Our Sweet Kayda is TWO Today!

Since I didn't have this when she was born I wanted to share her birthday. We went to the doctor on Monday November 27th in the morning for our stress test and ultrasound (she was two weeks late so we had to do it twice a week to make sure she was okay). Our OB wasn't there, she was going to be back the next day but we had gone to the hospital ready to have our baby. We decided to go ahead and be induced that day with Dr. Duncan. They started the meds at 11:00 in the morning (turns out I was having contractions I couldn't feel every 12 minutes), they broke my water at 12:45 but things didn't really start getting going until 1:30 when I actually started to feel the contractions.  I got an epidural about an hour or so after that because I was only about 3 cm and didn't know how long it would take. 
It was the day of the big ice storm so Grandma Peggy couldn't make it down to see us, Gradma G was there, Grandpa G and Uncle Justin came down to visit and left before the roads got too bad. Grandpa Mike had to park at the bottom of the hill and hiked across the overpass to the hospital to come visit (he brought McDonald's for Daddy, it fell in the snow but Daddy still ate it!). Grandpa Mike should have stayed a little longer than he did and he would've gotten to meet you, it would've been better than the 3 hour drive home!!! Grandma G was with us the whole time. 

It was time for the nurses to change shifts right as I started pushing at 11:18pm.  Since the nurses were in the middle of a shift change and first time moms usually push for a long time Daddy held one of my legs while Grandma G held the other so I could keep pushing while they changed nurses.

By now the epidural was starting to wear off to be that pins and needles numb feeling so I could kind of feel the contractions. By the time our nurse had gotten the other up to speed they came over to check me and she was crowning, we were ready to call the doctor. I could feel enough that when the nurse was tapping me saying "push down here" I was able to comply.  Since people were stranded at the hospital and the nurse that had been there didn't think she could get home we had several sets of nurses in the room when she was born at 11:48pm.  The nurse that had been with me all day had specifically asked if she could stay to see the baby.

Kayda weighed 8lbs 10oz and was 19.5 inches long.  They set her on my stomach for Daddy to cut the umbilical cord.  Then Daddy went over to video tape her being measured and weighed.  By that time I was feeling really tired, I kind of felt like I was in a tunnel and all I wanted to do was go to sleep.  It turns out I had a lot of small tears that needed to be stitched up.  The tears made my blood pressure go down extremely low.  Dr. Duncan had to stop stitching so they could lay me back and prop up my legs to get the blood up where it's needed most.  It took a few minutes but I felt better.  Though I was still very tired.  This gave Daddy a scare for sure! We didn't name her right away, we waited until the next morning when I was a little more alert (Daddy was pretty tired by now too). Kayda spent her first night in her Grandma G's arms in the rocking chair, with the exception of when she needed to eat.

We left the next evening, she wasn't even 24 hours old. It was an adventure getting home with the ice still on the roads and with so many people not knowing how to drive in it. That night was when most people got to come see her! I came to find out later that her Grandpa Mike was also born in the middle of a winterstorm!

Kayda's Big Firsts:

Rolled tummy to back at 1 month 2 days
First Smile (on purpose) at 1 month 2 weeks

Laughed at 2 months 1.5 weeks

Rolled back to tummy at 5 months 1.5 weeks
Sat alone at 5 months and 2 weeks

Pulled to standing at 6 months 4 days

Craweld at 7 months

Learned to sign "milk" at 7 months 1 week

Climbed stairs at 7 months 3 weeks

First word at 8 months 1 week

First steps alone at 9 months 2 weeks
First Pool experiecne at 4 months 2 weeks

What Kayda can do now (I'll add more when I think of them):

Animals sounds: snake, horse, cow, owl, lion, bear, tiger, dog, chicken, bees

Words: Mom (mum), Dad (daddy), Grandma (ma mu), Grandpa (pa), bye, hi, hello, Elmo, bubble, apple, no, mine, baby, up, down, go, water (wa), whoa, more, pull, volleyball (ball-e-ball), word world, water, light, roll, fish

What she can do: Jump (both feet), walk up and down stairs, throw a ball hard and accurately, ride a trike (you have to help her start but she can keep it going a ways), she's a puzzle whiz, swim (with a noodle under her belly), blow bubbles, kick balls, climb fake rock walls among other things

Look at him go!

Dillon's taking several steps on his own now, not just one and falling! This isn't his best ever, but it's the best we captured on film!

They get big so fast!

Kayda has been a little bit interested in her potty over the last week or so. She'll have me take off her diaper and let her sit on the potty. The other day she had me do that and she kept sitting there so I shut the door and went to make Dillon a bottle. Well... apparently she actually needed to go potty because she got off the potty and peed all over the floor... I guess she kind of got the idea after that. Today at Grandma G's, Kayda told her "pa pa" for potty so Grandma brought her in and took off her diaper. Kadya sat on her potty and Grandma waited a while. She asked Kayda if she was done. Kayda said "no" so Grandma left to take care of Dillon. Grandma came back a few times to ask her if she was done and each time she said "no". Eventually Grandma came back and Kayda was standing up pulling her pants up. She had peed IN THE POTTY!!! She used toilet paper and everything. Hurray for the fact that she is such a quick learner. It didn't end up on the floor again!!! Hopefully she'll keep doing it!

Dillon's latest, though not as huge as Kayda's, is still exciting! He is starting to stand up without holding on to things more and more. He's even starting to try to take steps to get where he wants to go. He is definitely interested in walking! It's so exciting but at the same time I wish I had a pause button! Both babies are in such a fun phase that I'm not ready for them to move on. I guess that's something all moms and dads have to go through.

Anyways, on to the pictures! A few days ago Kayda decided that Dillon needed to go where she wanted him to. Well, he's pretty independent now, just like she is, and wanted to go play with the little kitchen. The entire way there Kayda was holding onto his onesie trying to drag him another direction saying "no". It was hilarious. I didn't get pictures until they were already at the kitchen but even then she was trying to get him to go somewhere else!

Last thing I promise! Yesterday morning Kayda was sitting on the couch watching her morning cartoons (this is the routine while Daddy gets ready for work). She wanted to hold Dillon so he was sitting in her lap for a little while. When Daddy HAD to go take a shower he moved Dillon next to Kayda and Kayda decided to share her blankie with Dillon. She spread it out over both of their legs and they sat like that, all cozied up together watching TV! They are such loving siblings!

Gotta love the fall!

It's finally cold enough to bundle up the babies! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the little sun dresses and letting them run around in diapers but sleepers are so cute!






Dillon is able to walk just holding on to one hand now! It's nothing graceful but he can do it! He's just starting to let go of things and try to take steps without holding on, he's getting pretty good at balancing (as long as he doesn't realize what he's doing). Last weekend we were over at Uncle Pat and Aunt Sarah's for Aileena and Nathan's birthday party. Dillon managed to climb up a few steps on their stairs! He's getting so active he'll be walking in no time. He absolutely HATES it when he has to go back on his hands and knees after he's been standing up for a while!
















































It's cold enough now that random baths are a FANTASTIC thing. I decided I was going to take a bath and Kayda wanted to join me. She kept saying "bubble" so we made it a bubble bath. She had a great time for all of 5 minutes before she started to want the bubbles FAR away from her. So I had to drain the tub for her and wash her off with the shower. I thought it was hilarious.

Finally, in our little catch up session...Yesterday I felt motivated and decided to rake up the leaves (90% are from our NEIGHBOR's trees). Kayda came out and helped me and I showed her how to jump in the wet, nasty leaf pile. She thought it was fun for a little while and then she decided she didn't like it. That's one of the disadvantages of living in western WA in the fall, nothing is EVER dry it seems. But I jumped in plenty of wet leaf piles growing up. Hopefully she'll be able to get over it!