Really long, really informative update!

Hello! Long time, no talk! But that's not so bad, it means I've been busy!

What I’ve Been Up To: Besides running after Kaylee since she’s so mobile now, my free time is only when she’s napping or Grammy/Grampa are watching her. I’ve taken her on frequent little roadtrips when I’m taking prairie landscape and grain elevator pictures. She’s so good in her carseat! She only really complains about it when she’s cold (hello A/C!), tired and doesn’t have her susie and blankie, needs a change, or is hungry.

First of all, here are some fantastically epic pictures of Kaylee and Ilia, thanks to Amber Ross! I already have big prints of them to hang in our room. May the force be with you, ladies! Although I suspect it already is...

 

In early July, Kaylee and Ilia had a nice playdate in Crescent Park. Kaylee learns so much when she sees other babies! Ilia was standing up along stuff at this time, and not long after this Kaylee was doing the same thing! She also learned to crawl quite shortly after watching Ilia doing it!

 

"Hulking Up": On this particular day, Kaylee made a goofy, intense face and stiffened up her little arms and fists for a moment and we thought it was hilarious. Since it got a good reaction, she's been doing it every now and then for a laugh! She looks like she's ready to throw fists, doesn't it!?

 

Roadtrips/Activities: We’ve been to quite a few places in Saskatchewan – Claybank Brick Plant National Historic site, lots of little small towns, Motif (Moose Jaw’s smaller-scale version of Edmonton's Heritage Fest), a roller-derby game, and a few playdates in Crescent Park! She’s also started going in a pool every now and then at my parents’ place, and in a baby swing outside too! We also did a longer roadtrip, which she was also a really good girl for! Grampa lets us use his portable DVD player and I put kids movies or Cat in the Hat on in the back seat. She doesn’t usually actually watch it though, she just falls asleep to it!

       Claybank Brick Plant: they made the bricks that lined the launch pads for the Cape Canaveral moon missions right here in Saskland!

Foodie: I’m not doing allergy trials anymore, just avoiding the things that Sask Health tells me to avoid. She’s getting really good at feeding herself! Not with a spoon though… that usually ends up with food flung all over herself and everything else! I’ve noticed that she’s better at feeding herself with her left hand, and when she waves to people (getting to be more frequent!) it’s usually with her left hand too! I think she’s a lefty, but time will tell! Her favourites lately are breads, broccoli, watermelon or cantaloupe, butternut squash, and of course ICE CREAM! I’m starting to get her to drink from a cup. She doesn’t seem to like the sippycup thing… she knows how its supposed to work but she doesn’t try very hard to get anything out of it (she was the same with breastfeeding!). She’s fairly good at taking sips when I’m holding the cup, but sometimes she swallows too much and sputters after.

 

 

Drumming and Dancing: I gave her a pot and wooden spoon one day just to see what she'd do with it, and she's pretty good with it! Besides her pretty music, she likes to chew on the wooden spoon and she's strong enough to hit herself in the face with the pot (that didn't end well). Uncle Rayden has a really good video of it that I'll upload when I get it from him. Also, Kaylee likes to dance when she hears music! Her absolute favourite is Choo Choo Soul - her face completely lights up and she starts bopping in place! I plan to get this on video...

On the Move! – In July, she started really crawling, not just scooting around on her belly with her arms and legs. Sometimes she’s so funny – she starts going towards something she knows we’ll stop her from, looks back at someone to see if they’re watching what she’s doing, and as soon as you get up to stop her, she starts moving double-time for it! I’m still faster than her (but I wonder for how much longer!?) so I can still get her before she gets to the sharp brick fireplace, little bits on the floor, or the little space between the couch and the keyboard that we can’t get into to get her out. There is still some babyproofing to be done – I don’t have any gates for her yet (I’m thinking to go by the fireplace). Surprisingly she hasn’t been interested in the stairs yet!

Coke Bowling: Once she started crawling, she got to exploring the kitchen! Grampa drinks a fair amount of Cola and there are usually several bottles lined up on the floor along a desk. When she found those, she knocked them over and started rolling them around on the floor! Every time she encounters those, the coke bowling game begins! Also, she's a label peeler.

 

 

Words – The things she can consistently say are “mum”, “up”, and “hi”. Sometimes I think she’s just saying “Mum-mum-mum-mum” so she can hear herself, but sometimes she says it because she needs something.…. However, Uncle Rayden has been trying to get her to say “Ray-den” and once she said something that sounded pretty close! I said to him right after than Grammy and Grampa will be so jealous that she didn’t say “Grammy” or “Grampa”, and right after I said ‘Grampa’, she said it too! Then I asked her to say “Grammy” and she did! It was a totally amazing few minutes there! But she hasn’t said it as clearly since, and that was about 2 weeks ago. I think I’ve heard ‘Grampa’ again but it was only me there to hear it, and Grammy heard her say “Amma” once. I’m sure that one day she’s just going to blow me away and start saying everything! Another thing she’s said is “bump”. Whenever she’s riding in the shopping cart and we go over a bump, I say “Bump!” and a couple of times she’s repeated it after I said it. It’s so exciting to listen for what’s going to happen next! In fact, just today I was saying "I love you!" while changing her after she had just woken up, and she first said "I love" and then I kept going and she later said "Ove you". She's almost got the phrase together!

Standing up along everything – In July, not long after crawling, she started pulling herself up along everything! Legs, tables, highchair, stroller, toys (which sometimes fall over), the couch, her toybox, people sitting on the floor…. It’s amazing. Her legs are still a little wobbly so I don’t think walking will be next week or anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s walking by her birthday!

She improved at crawling after visiting with Claire, but surprisingly she didn't start climbing stairs. Claire is a pro at that and she did it while Kaylee was there, but Kaylee must not have been looking!

 

When Kaylee visited Michael, I found out that he knows how to click with his tongue and he gives his parents big sloppy kisses on their cheeks! I didn't notice Michael do these things while we were there, but much to my surprise, the next day she did both! I got my first Kaylee-kiss <3<3  And she's been clicking non-stop ever since!

 

                                           All the cool kids were doing it... it was peer pressure!

Good sleeper – She goes to bed between 9 and 11 every night and she sleeps though the night! When I see signs of her being tired, like yawning, rubbing her eyes, or a general glazed over look, then I make up her last bottle for her and she goes right to sleep :)  When I put her in her crib, she immediately rolls over to find a blanket to have by her face, she requires her susie, and I put another blanket over top of her and leave the room quickly. And she’s out like a light! Naps during the day usually go the same way.

Kaylee while I was taking some photos for family. She got to visit with her cousin (second cousin?) Josie!

Teeth: Kaylee got her two front bottom teeth in June, and now she has two of her top teeth and another two coming in. Before she had any teeth, I figured I'd never get used to her having teeth! It's really cute though, and just another sign that she's growing so fast! She's already making good use of them, as I can see that she pushes food to the front of her mouth to use her teeth in chewing it! Like my tooth chart? Here’s a link to a blank one!

Kaylee Photography: A few days ago, I took a bunch of pics of Kaylee in some of the outfits she hadn't gotten to wear very often. She has so many cute things, but she's a pretty messy eater and these things are not easy to wash! They are being worn sparingly...

 

                                                                     Being a total goof.....

 

 

Here's a wonderful link for when I need a pick-me-up... I highly recommend this if you need a laugh! The first time I read through this blog, I had just put Kaylee to bed for the night and I was trying my darndest not to wake her up with my laughing!

Things upcoming:
Kaylee's 1st birthday! I'm pretty excited! Debating between an owl theme (who's surprised?! :P ) and a general fall theme. Today it occurred to me that I could combine them, so that's probably what will happen! Owl themed decor with fall/harvest themed food. Except I don't have anything figured out beyond that. I know I don't want to spend a lot on a party that Kaylee won't remember except through pictures!
Halloween! I adore halloween. It's even better than Christmas. Last year I didn't end up making Kaylee a costume, because we weren't planning on going out anywhere and I just didn't have the time/energy then. This year we have to go somewhere because I'm definitely making her a costume!!!! I'm about 90% sure she's going to be a ladybug... my little Kaylee bug :D