The Latest Happenings in Our Crazy Lives

Well, I could backtrack a whole year, tell everyone how much our two babies have grown, paint a picture of the sometimes elaborate hilarities they do almost daily (did I invent a new word?!), but who has time to read a post that long?! And, quite frankly, I don't have time to write one that long either. I've been pretty good at Facebook lately anyway, so most of you that would be interested in our semi-chaotic world probably can guess at what we Klines have been up to these days.

I will, however, post a short synopsis of our latest comings and goings . . .

Cannon is a handful! He is all over the place at any given time. I take my eyes off of him for a split second, and that nearly-eighteen-month-old baby is getting into something else he knows he's not supposed to. The other day, he was climbing up on a table in the living room. I told him to get down very sternly, but he didn't accept my offer. So, I proceeded to ask my son if he needed a spanking. He looked right at me, slapped his hand on his rear end twice, smiled, and continued climbing onto the table. My initial thought was, "Don't let him see me laugh!" He is the messiest, all-over-the-place, I-already-think-I'm-two-even-though-I'm-one year old. I am pretty sure I could set a world record for the number of decibels he hits when he screams. Some friends of ours and their then 17-month-old son met us at the park for our first play date. Their son was sort of shy and didn't come up to my kids right at first. So, what does Cannon do? He walks up and pushes him! I was so embarrassed. Yet, despite his semi-bullying nature and his messiness, he is the sweetest kid I've ever encountered. He loves me as much as I love him. When he says my name or falls asleep in my arms, I melt. He gives me kisses and hugs even when I don't ask for them, signs "I love you" and fist bumps (what we call "giving love") at just the right times, and smiles like he doesn't have a care in the world. Yes, my son may set a world record for loudness, but I think he could set one for sweetness as well. I love that boy so, so, so much. Every time I look at him, I thank God for giving us such a wonderful surprise nearly 18 months ago.

Keely is still my pride and joy in pretty much every way. I know both of my kids will be successful in the future, but I have to brag that K is already successful in EVERYTHING she does. She tumbles at Ready-Set-Go, takes swimming lessons at Melanie Park South, and is already asking her daddy for a guitar. She lights up my world in so many ways. I just have to smile because of her self-motivation. I'm told she's just like me, and I take that to mean I was a pretty neat kid. We pray nightly at our house, and K is getting to the point of memorizing our prayer and adding to it on her own. When we read our Bible stories from her Veggie Tales Bible, she repeats the Bible verse after every story. She asked me the other day if we all have devils in our heads. I told her yes. So, she asked, "Well, do we all have God in our hearts then?" Such innocence, and I love her for it. We talk about God a lot, especially since the passing of my paternal grandparents in January and March of this year. She is very interested in learning about God. A couple of days ago, Carl saw her smack herself in the head. He said, "Keely, why are you hitting yourself? You shouldn't do that!" Her response: "I'm telling the devil to leave me alone. He's telling me to be rude, and I want to listen to God." Way to go, Keely-kins. Shoo that devil away. God is taking care of you, my little one.

As for Carl and I, we're up to the same stuff we usually are, although we're both taking on something new in the next couple of months. I enrolled at UNT as an online Library and Information Sciences with School Library Certification student this summer. I am currently taking my first 6 hours and LOVING it. I am learning some really cool stuff. Carl is registered at Texas Tech for the fall semester as a mechanical engineering major. We are both really nervous about taking on so much when our children are so young, but we also realize that by going back to school, we'll be able to make a better future for them. We want our kids to see how hard work really does pay off. And, even though we're busy, we will always make our kids our priority. Always.

I've posted several pics on my Facebook page. Check out our beautiful, happy family. Life is good, and we're in a happy place these days. I hope you all are, too. God bless!

My Grandfather

My grandfather was a stubborn man
with a temper, who didn't know the right
way to say, "I love you."
His smile was crooked and his hair thin,
glasses perched on his semi-pointed nose,
freckled head from his years of
growing old. He was married to his soul
mate until the day he died.
77 years wears a person shabby,
skinny, and pale. He lived longer
than any of his male predecessors.
77 years is quite a long time.
Although the man was stubborn, had
little more than a few teeth,
couldn't say three little words that
often change the world,
I know he thought of me often,
sitting in his room or on his sofa,
watching pointless news or
reruns of Maguyver,
his mutt dog curled up beside him.
Grandpa, Jesus welcomed you into
his kingdom sometime this week.
You were ready to go, I know.
I want to tell you that I loved you,
despite your faults and shortcomings.
I'll miss you.

And the Masterpiece . . .

Told you I would be back to show off my masterpiece cake. It's a basic sour cream yellow cake again from Anne Byrn. Those of you that are interested in baking must have this book! Check out pages 404-5 for this great recipe. Take my word for it . . . you won't regret obtaining your own copy of The Cake Mix Doctor.

I am going to post the Wilton recipe for chocolate buttercream icing, though, since that's what I used. Here it is:

Class Chocolate Buttercream Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon meringue powder

1 teaspoon vanilla (or other flavoring)

5-6 teaspoons water or milk (depending on consistency)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

Add an additional 2 teaspoons of water or milk

Mine turned out pretty perfect, which sometimes is unusual. Icing can be pretty finicky. But, all of you out there that aspire to be cake decorators or even to make something fun just for you, give this icing a try.

I finish with pics of my final product. I am quite proud of it really. As if you couldn't tell. I signed up for the next set of courses, learning to work with gum paste and fondant, so keep checking for more recipes and baking adventures . . . oh, and pics of my beautiful little ones. I'll post one more just for giggles.

Cupcakes and the Kids

I just had to take pics of the cupcakes I made. Here they are.

May I just say they were also delicious! The recipe . . . again from The Cake Mix Doctor Anne Byrn we have Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake:

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans

Flour for dusting the pans

1 pkg plain devil's food cake mix

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

The recipe called for white chocolate frosting, which likely would have rocked, but I didn't have all of the ingredients. We used her recipe for marshmallow frosting instead.

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 large egg whites

1 jar marshmallow creme

To get the exact directions, check out Anne Byrn's book. I think I need to buy all of her books! She even has books for dinners and stuff. Anyway, tomorrow marks the end of my second set of cake decorating classes. We will make our masterpiece cake, and I will be taking pics. I'm making two recipes of chocolate buttercream icing, a yellow cake, and about 90 daffodils. I only have 36 done. Yikes. So I am going to stop blogging for now. Check back for pics of my hopefully beautiful cake tomorrow!

Okay. I know, you guys want to see the kids, too. Here's a few shots of fire truck day with Moms on the Move.

Sorry, turn your head sideways for that last one. I don't know how to fix it.

And here's one final one of my two favorite people in the entire world. Thank you, God, for our beautiful children.

Baking and Avery and the Calico Hearts

So I bought this new cookbook to add to my collection of cookbooks that sit on my shelf until I get inspired to make something from them, which sometimes takes a long time. But when time is lacking, so is cooking, so I don't blame anything but a busy schedule. This cookbook in particular is so fascinating to me because it contains recipes that all use a cake mix. I happen to love cake, so I happen to love this cookbook. I'm going to make something from it as soon as I get off the computer. Lol. With full credit to Anne Byrn, author of The Cake Mix Doctor, I am posting the recipe I am about to try.

Fiddler on the Roof Cake

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan

Flour for dusting the pan

1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teason pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Oven to 350, beat cake mix, sour cream, oil, sugar, almond extract, salt, and eggs on low speed for 1 minute, scrape, beat on medium for 2 more minutes. Pour half of the batter into pan, and add cocoa powder to the remainder. Beat the last half on low for 1 minute. Pour it evenly over the top of the batter in the pan. Marbelize with a knife. Bake until light brown, about 60-65 minutes.

I'm going to make cupcakes, but I think it is actually for a cake. I'm not going to use the recommended frosting, simply because I have a lot of other frosting made already and don't want to make more. If you make this recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Onto other things . . . my friend's daughter is on America's Got Talent this season!!! Aaahh! If you follow this show at all, look for Avery and the Calico Hearts, a three member girl group from Lubbock, TX. They are so sweet and cute!!! I mentioned that I have been following this show for a good reason, and they are it. They are so great that they made it to Hollywood!!! They will be on August 1, as I understand it, for America to vote for them. Please, if you read this blog, watch the show and cast your very valuable vote for Avery and the Calico Hearts. They need your vote, America!!! This now 4th grade girl is so amazing. I see her almost everyday at school when she comes to meet her mom, who works just down the hall from me. Avery's a great kid! You will love their performance. And someday when they are famous, I will tell everyone that I know the lead singer and her mama! Seriously, guys, just vote.

What is patience?

Patience is waiting for my Kindle to charge so I can download a new book to read.

Patience is cleaning up the chair and floor of Taco Villa after my two year old daughter has her third accident of the day.

Patience is rocking my 5 month old son to sleep and praying he'll make it to 3 AM before he wakes up to eat.

Patience is sitting for an hour at the salon waiting for my newly highlighted hair to dry.

Patience is playing a game that I can't seem to win no matter how many trips I make to United.

Patience is decorating a giant cookie while my hands are starting to hurt like crazy, and I have to stop every so often to give them a break.

Patience is uploading about a billion pictures from my camera and sorting through them.

Patience is not yelling when my kid throws a major fit in front of all my workout buddies and their children.

Patience is recording a TV show so I can catch a glimpse of a sweet fourth grade girl and her friends performing.

Patience is waiting until my kids wake up so I can go get my third coke of the day because I seem to go through them way too fast these days.

Yes, those are all things I've done recently. I haven't really been feeling patient lately, so I made a list of times when I actually have been patient this week. Sometimes it is so incredibly hard to be patient, especially when kids are involved. We've been potty training K since December, and most days she gets it and does well. But today has not been one of those days. I'm trying to keep my cool, despite my frustration, but it is not easy. I think almost every 10th word out of my mouth has been "Grr," because she either had an accident, got into something she should not have, woke up her sleepy brother, or refused to go potty when I tried to take her, which of course is shortly followed by another accident. Don't say she's not ready. She really is. She is an incredibly bright girl and does use the potty most of the time. Really. I see some people that interact with their children so well. They appear to never raise their voices, never spank their kids, and have these great ideas about parenting. Gag. Some days I have to remember that I can get really loud if I yell. Some days I yell anyway. I absolutely love my kids beyond a doubt. They are my sunshine, light of my life, my soul. I just have to remind myself of that sometimes. So this post is my promise not to get angry with my daughter for having an accident every so often. (I am going to set an alarm and take her every 15 minutes, though.) My promise that I will not be disappointed if my son wakes up all too early in the middle of the night. (Although I am still going to pray for 3 AM.) My promise that I will remember that kids are kids, and I have to understand that. Being a parent is the toughest role I have ever played, but I believe it is the most rewarding and beautiful one, too. So, parents, hug your kids today and tell them how much you really love them, despite the times when they try your patience and make you think you just might go crazy. I know I am going to hug mine.

Milestones

Cannon rolled over the day before yesterday! He also scooted on his belly from one side of my bed to the other, almost fell off, and was screaming when I walked in the room yesterday after nap time. I was so glad I got there before he actually did fall! At any rate, I am anticipating this could mean he'll crawl early. If he's already scooting like that, he might. I don't know that I am ready for that! I tried to give him his first tastes of cereal last week, and he literally screamed as I fed him. I tried again yesterday, and he did better. No screaming, but he didn't want more than like 5 bites. After that, he was really done. I'm going to start making his baby food this week. I keep saying I'm going to do it, but I haven't gotten around to it. I did finally buy him some applesauce, though. K kept asking if it was for her. LOL.

It is hard to believe so much time has flown by since February. Here we are at July 1, half of summer gone, and nearly 5 months since my beautiful boy entered the world. I thank God for him every time I look at him.

I end this post with a few pics of our little man. I'm including a couple of Keely, too. She's hit some milestones herself. At two years old, our girl can imitate the sounds of many animals, since all of her ABCs, count to 20, and use the potty (most of the time). She lights up our world in so many ways. I am incredibly proud of her.

A Random Thought about Sharon Osbourne

I was watching "America's Got Talent" last night, a show that I never watched until this season and probaly wouldn't if I didn't have a good reason to watch this season. The particular brand of show doesn't exactly appeal to me. In my opinion, the judges are often too harsh and quick to tear down contestants, and some of the contestants are what I would call questionable. But, for my own personal reason, I've gotten into it this season, recording and watching every episode thus far. I'm enjoying it for the most part.

Last night two boys, who looked like they were in maybe 8th or 9th grade but really are 17, came on with funky hair, claiming they were going to sing and dance. Usually when they interview contestants before they perform onstage, they make the cut. My first thought was, "Wow, looks must be deceiving." They didn't look like people that would make the cut. They looked like goofy kids.

The act starts. They are singing "Waterfalls" by TLC. The dance moves are cheesy and simple. The boys are really into it, though. It looked and sounded like something you would see in a junior high school talent show. No offense. Some people in the audience are making Xs with their hands, as if telling the judges to buzz. Piers Morgan does. His buzz is quickly followed by Sharon's. Howie is basically laughing at them. The act ends.

Piers speaks first and says that they were horrible. The white kids says into the microphone, "I don't think we're horrible." He's not angry, though, just a little defensive. Sharon's next and her words are the reason I am writing this post.

"You're not horrible. I think that you are adorable. You're great characters, but it's not . . ." She's interrupted by Howie, who makes the demeaning comment, "You're like Millie Vanilla." The black kid takes offense. Back to Sharon. "Um . . . well, I think you're adorable. It's just a bit juvenile, that's all." The white kid tells her he loves her. He really does. She repeats the adorable part and tells them they can come home with her.

For some reason or another, this stuck with me even after I woke up this morning and even now as I type. I stand by my comment that the judges on these types of shows are often too harsh. The contestants put themselves out there, just for the chance of being told they are even a little talented. I think that takes guts! It's not something I would ever do. Saying they are horrible may be true but it's not necessary, really. I applaud Sharon for making those kids' day. And I think we could all follow Sharon's lead and make someone else's day. If we all did ou best to make someone's day, the world would be that much better.

Incident with an Ant and Other Stories

So, it's been over a year since I last blogged. I find myself in need of a creative outlet these days. Writing has always been a sincere passion of mine, since I was in 4th grade and journaling in Eddie Fitzgerald's class, moments and a teacher I will never forget. I still have that blue spiral journal somewhere. My relationship with writing evolved into a much more complex one when I started teaching. Carl once told me that he didn't want to teach guitar lessons because having to teach other people the mechanics of something he loves puts a slight damper on its appeal. I understand what he means now. But, I owe it to my relationship with writing to at least write once in a while, so I am picking up with this blog once again.

I begin with a story. My daughter turned two a week ago Saturday. We were driving home from Taco Villa when she burst into these very real tears, screaming, "It bit me! The ant bit me!" I sort of freaked out, because she was obviously upset. I drove to my mom's house about 2 minutes away, parked, and got out. I gave her car seat a quick glance before getting her out of it. She was still screaming and crying about the ant. I tried to get her to tell me what hurt, but she just kept repeating the line about the ant. Finally, I got her to actually speak. "It's gonna get Cannon! On his seat!" she said through tears. I looked at Cannon, who was happy as a lark, and noticed a small fly on his seat. I sort of wanted to laugh at this point, but I held it as I tried to explain to K that there was no ant, just a fly that can't hurt her. She screamed as I put her back in her seat. K is just like me, according to almost everyone who knows her. I was afraid of flies until I was like 7.

A lot has happened in a year. We have a new addition to our family, a son named Cannon Van. He made me realize that moms and dads have this wonderful ability to love their children the same amount. When I got pregnant with Cannon, I remember being afraid that I couldn't love anyone as much as I love K. She lights up my whole world. But when Cannon came along, I knew there wasn't anything to worry about. He lights up my whole world, too.

I conclude today's segment with a few pics and the promise of more to come. I said I need a creative outlet, and this blog is a start.

Happy 1st Birthday, Keely Star!

It's official, although we all already knew it . . . I am a slacker! This blog comes up as one of four homepages every time I click on the Internet, which lately is no less than 10 times a day. Yet for some reason, I haven't even considered posting. We're now four months past my last post, which makes this Keely's first birthday post. Yes, I promise to complete this with pictures.

I'm not going to write a long post to tell you everything K has been up to lately. It's most of the same, talking, signing, laughing, singing, crawling, and just generally being a baby. She's gotten so big lately. I weighed myself, picked K up and weighed again holding her, and found that the difference was roughly 19 pounds 5 ounces. Depending upon the accuracy of this, we will be changing car seats from our cute polka-dotted carrier to a big girl seat. I for one am really excited about this transition, as it means I can lower my rearview mirror and see Miss Sunshine in the backseat. Not that she needs to be watched back there, but I just love looking at her adorable face. I want to look at her as much as possible. K is also ready for this transition, because she now cries pretty much every time we put her in her car seat. She gets hot in the car, despite us having the AC all the way up. I guess the air just takes longer to get to her. Makes sense.

It is amazing to me that one year has come and gone with so much as a blink of my eyes. I look at myself and realize I am the mother of a one year old beauty, who lights up my whole existence in ways I never dreamed. She's my shining Star and always will be. Being her mother is my absolute greatest joy. Knowing that God picked her out for Carl and me is the ultimate gift, one that I will always acknowledge and appreciate. I pray God continues to bless our little girl as she continues to grow and develop into the amazing person she's already becoming. I pray this next year is filled with many memories, laughs, and even a few tears. Most of all, I pray Keely remains the happy little peanut she is, love of my life, my little princess, my sweet Keely-kins. May the good Lord always bless you, and may you always know the goodness of His love.






This is from our short trip to Conroe for Nathan and Erin Cooley's wedding on April 3. We had so much fun just being with each other. It was awesome that we got to share Nathan and Erin's special day, too.

This is Keely and Evan and Eleni's baby, Jackson. He's about to turn two on July 30. We set up K's baby pool in the yard last Thursday, and the two of them just had a blast! It was adorable!

And here's the birthday girl destroying her strawberry shortcake cupcake. Happy birthday, sweet peanut! We love you!

Slacking

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance to blog about the past month. Our little girl is 8 months old! Yes, eight. Isn't that crazy?! They say time flies when you're having fun, and whoever "they" are have made a believer out of me. I've been enjoying every second I have with Keely. I wish I had so many more seconds with her. So, what has she been up to?

Lots, actually. Lots and lots and lots. She grows so much each and every day. She laughs constantly and plays with her toys. When she is frustrated or not getting what she wants, she screams or does something to get my attention until I give in. Take this morning, for instance . . . I wanted to sleep just a little later, not even late, but Keely made up her mind that she was not going to let me. She was in the bed with me, because she woke up crying at 6:30 and I went ahead and fed her. So, when she decided she wanted me to get up, she started lifting her head up and smacking it on mine. Then, she would wiggle and wiggle until her feet were by my head and start kicking me. As if she didn't kick me enough when I was pregnant! It was kind of funny. I got onto her for it, though. She does know the meanings of the words "No" and "Quit." This went on for a little while, until I finally caved and got out of bed. Her favorite things right now are her toys, stuffed animals, mirrors, homemade oatmeal, and people food. She loves it when I make something for dinner that she can have, too. When we are eating, she throws a fit if she is not, even if it's not quite time for her to eat. She started feeding herself last month; not with a spoon or anything, just picking up little bits of food and putting them in her mouth. I was extremely proud when this started. She is very smart, has 5 teeth (fifth broke through on Thursday of this past week), and is defintely the sweetest little baby I have ever met. Of course, I am likely biased. Just a little while ago, I walked out of the bathroom after my shower to see Carl holding her, with her head laying on his shoulder and her eyes shut, completely asleep. I grabbed my camera right then. She's been sleeping through the night for several months, since she was four months old, but she has difficulty when she's teething. I am certain her fifth tooth broke through at around 1:00 AM on Thursday, because that is when she woke up crying and kept crying for a little while. I noticed the tooth when I was getting her ready that morning. I'd been keeping my eyes on it for a few days prior, knowing it would break through soon. At her thyroid appointment on January 25, she had her regular lab work. We found out she had not gained much weight, only an ounce actually, which sort of freaked me out. So, we started feeding her more and giving her food basically whenever she wanted it. She still has a schedule, but we just didn't really refuse her if she appeared to want a snack or something off our plates. Apparently it worked at least some, because when we had to take her to Dr. Stripling on February 9, she had already put on 9 oz, making her weigh 16 lbs. 3 oz. Still on the small side, but I'll take it. Also, we received notification that her dosage of thyroid medication needed to be increased. She now takes 1.5 tablets every night. I was pretty sad about it, but at least they know what's best for her. I am hoping and hoping that they won't have to up the dosage again for a while. Her next appointment with Dr. Varma will be April 20. I've already called in a sub for that day. I mentioned she had to see Dr. Stripling on the 9th. That was because she was sick. She was coughing this horrible, deep cough for a couple of days. Sounded like an adult coughing. I felt so sorry for her! Then, she was running a fever, so Carl picked her up from Carrie's and spent that Monday afternoon with her at home. I called in a sub for Tuesday and Wednesday, took her in on Tuesday, to find out she had bronchitis. No wonder she was miserable! Carl's mom stayed with her that Thursday, so I could get back to work. After 10 days of amoxicilin, she got over it. Her last dose was this past Friday, and she's doing great. It's always sad, though, when little ones get sick. We finally cleaned out my car at Quick Quack and took it to get a much needed oil change yesterday. Keely loved the Quick Quack. She was laughing and squealing in the back seat the whole time. It was adorable! Then, she got really tired of being in her seat, so I took her for a quick walk while Carl got the oil changed. She loved being outside on such a beautiful day. It was nice, and the breeze was catching her hair, which she really liked. Her hair is pretty blond, no curls yet, but getting long, considering she's only 8 months old. Carrie and I have put it in a little ponytail on top of her head, which is absolutely so cute. The other day when Tonya was keeping her, she was looking in the mirror and kissed her reflection. Carl and I were on a mini-date, seeing "Dear John," and Tonya called to tell me about it. Speaking of, if you haven't seen "Dear John," it is wonderful. I loved it, but of course, I was a huge fan of the book prior to seeing it on film. That's one of the best books I have ever read, and I was not at all disappointed by the movie, despite the few changes made. Just a side note. Back to Keely. She still takes a pretty long nap in the afternoons, ranging anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours. That's what she's doing right now, actually. If we go anywhere in the evening, she typically falls asleep in the car. I've been reading to her a lot, and she seems to really like it. As you can imagine, she wants to grab the book out of my hands, but she does listen to it. We have sing time everyday in the car on the way home from Aunt Pete's. We sing all sorts of songs, and I swear, Friday she was singing with me. Not real words, but that doesn't really matter--they were real to her. Our repertoire of music includes: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Keely Star," "ABCs," "Jesus Loves Me," "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Blue Skies and Rainbows," "Fuzzy Caterpillar," "Little Birdie in the Apple Tree," "Keely Star," "Hey, Little Keely Girl," "Beautiful, Beautiful Keely," "Hello, Little Keely," "I Love You," "Tiny Little Keely," "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians," "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and probably some more that I can't think of at the moment. Somehow I convinced myself that I can teach Keely the ABCs by the time she is two. We'll see, but I do attempt to sing the ABCs every single day at least once. Then, I expanded my goal to include counting to ten by the time she is capable of saying the numbers. I set crazy goals for myself and our daughter. They don't mean anything, but they are things to work on.

We absolutely love our little peanut. It is amazing that we are capable of such deep love. Being her mom is by far the greatest feeling I have ever experienced. I thank God for the opportunity every night when I lay Keely in her crib for bedtime. We're not quite ready for number 2 yet, but we will be someday, because I know I want to do this at least one more time. So, here's to you, my Keely Star, my light. May you grow healthy and strong and lead a life in Christ's glory. Thank you for being everything I ever hoped for.

Pics to come later. In the mean time, check out my recently published article on Bright Hub at http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/63847.aspx. Expect to see another link in the next couple of days, as I have submitted my second article and expect publication around that time. To my readers, thank you and please keep reading. I am now writing for five different channels on Bright Hub, including Parenting Infants and Toddlers, K12 Education, Preschool Education, Special Education, and Homework/Study Guides. I've only submitted in K12, but I plan to work on the other channels as time allows. Remember I claim to be no expert on anything. I am merely conveying my findings and experiences to people who are interested. Thanks again for being my audience. And, check back in a couple of days for the pics. I promise I will get them there. I just need to find my USB.

Updates and Pics as Promised

I know, I know. I am such a slacker these days! I should've done this over a week ago when K turned 7 months old. Plus, I promised pics that I didn't post. To my defense, I've been kinda busy. I've written curriculum projects for my 6th graders, played my latest obsession, a computer game called "Coconut Queen," and been a wife, mother, and chef all in one. Busy. Okay, so I probably could've given up some of the time spend on my computer game. You don't understand . . . it's so fun to play and you just have to keep playing to see what task you'll have to complete next. I love strategy games!

As promised, I am posting a new Smilebox with pics from K's 6th month in our world. It was a wonderful month. Christmastime is always my favorite time of year, and I must say that having a daughter of my own made it even more special.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The above Smilebox is of our family pictures. We got them done at Portrait Innovations on December 08. K took some fabulous pics, and we ended up spending a lot more than planned. We didn't regret it, though. My sister, Carrie, took some more individual shots for Keely's 6 month pics on December 11. They will be in the upcoming Smilebox. As for Keely, there's not much new to report. She's still nursing 4 times a day, not really crawling, although she does scoot on her back and can get pretty far that way. She's super smart and a TV-addict. We're trying to work on that last one. LOL. Her best friends are her cousins, who are so sweet to her. I love it when Ella Jean walks up to her and starts jabbering jibberish. K loves it, too. And Branson and Ally will start jumping up and down just to make Keely laugh and smile. It works every time. But, perhaps my favorite is when Bran will get really squeaky and right up in her face. Keely just lights up. Adorable. Jilli, Xander, and Hadley are also really good with her. Since they don't get to see her really often, each visit with them is special.

I'll conclude by asking for prayers for some girls I know who have lost their babies due to infections that caused early deliveries. I don't exactly know what happened, and I don't know these girls on an extremely personal level. I just know they are hurting and in need of kind thoughts and prayers. I cannot imagine laying eyes on something so precious, someone you thought you'd get to watch as they learned to laugh and crawl and talk, only to have it gone in a matter of seconds. It is a constant reminder that we need to appreciate every moment we have here on earth and look forward to a time when we'll be reunited with those who have gone before us and bask in the glory of our creator. Also, pray for a friend who is only 24 weeks pregnant and already having contractions. She lost her firstborn due to early delivery, and her second son was in NICU for something like 80 days for the same reason. Now, it's anticipated that she'll deliver her third child within the week. The survival rate for a 24 weeker is right at 50%. But, I know God works miracles everyday.

Have a good week, all.

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Whew!

I finally have some time to write. I mean, I've actually had time, but I've been playing the new computer game Carl got me for Christmas instead of blogging. Flo on the Go. Sequel to Diner Dash, only it takes place on a variety of sea vessels . . . cruise line, submarine, and everything in between. So close to beating it. Since K's down for a nap, I decided to write today and not play my new obsession. I will beat it by the end of the week, though. I'm very likely going to get on right after I wrap this blog up. Those that know me best know that I cannot stop playing a new game until I beat it completely. And, with Carl being a big computer nerd himself and my new computer crashing and having to be sent back one week after I got it, I don't get to play games very often. Even when K's sleeping.

So, onto more exciting news. The part people actually want to read. Of course I mean the kid. She's growing and growing more everyday. Literally. I think she's in the midst of a growth spurt because she's been eating more and trying to get into our adult food more. So far, she eats Cream of Rice cereal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, bananas, and has recently been introduced to peaches, blueberries, and carrots. I haven't found anything she refuses to eat, although she is not much of a fan of sweet potatoes. I am going to introduce her to peas sometime pretty soon. She still nurses four times a day and is doing great with that. Her six month appointment was on December 18, and she weighed 15 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 27 in. in length. She's tall! She's in the 87th percentile for length, but only in the 45th for weight. That's okay. She's gaining, so they weren't worried about it. Her next appointment is with the endocrinologist on January 20. We're already praying it will be a good appointment. I'm sure it will be. After watching K refuse to take her medicine and us having to force it down literally, we decided to adjust the time she takes it. Instead of taking it at 6:15, she now takes it right at 8:00. I am toying with the idea of nursing her right after and putting her to bed right after that. It would make her bedtime 8:30 instead of 9. Last night we tried it and were successful. However, I didn't exactly plan to attempt. K missed her nap because we took our niece, Ally, to see The Princess and the Frog yesterday. She was grumpy and fussy all afternoon, leading me to believe she can never miss another nap. It ended up being Carl and Ally watching the movie, while I walked around the theater trying to calm her down. The people in the theater probably hated me. Oh well. So anyway, Ally loved the movie and Carl told me it was seriously a cute one. I was glad we left K with her grandma Christmas Day when we went to see Sherlock Holmes, which TOTALLY ROCKED by the way. I just love Robert Downey, Jr! That was one that I didn't want to miss. I did feel guilty, though, that we left our only child elsewhere, while we took in a movie. I remember making the comment to Carl that families are supposed to spend the holidays together, yet we were leaving a third of our family. It was only for a little bit, though. K got tons and tons of presents. The kid really raked it in! Amongst them were an Exersaucer, giant pink teddy bear, many clothes, and many other toys. We actually had to get her toybox out of the closet in order to have a place to put all of her toys. (She didn't have very many before.) It was so much fun watching her open presents and play with the wrapping paper. She actually assisted with the openings of a few presents. I opened most of them and looked at her with a giant smile, saying "Look what you got, Keely!" I have to say that Christmas is so much more fun when you have a little one to share it with. I've been sharing Christmas with the nieces and nephews for a long time now, but sharing it with my own daughter was even more fun. I promise to post pics of the event soon. My camera went kaput, and I cannot get any of the pics off of it. Sucks, but fortunately I uploaded them to Walmart.com and ordered a CD with all 600 pics that were on the camera. We then got a new, much cooler camera. It's an Olympus. Big thanks for the cash we used to buy it goes out to my Momo. So, we'll be using that camera from here on out. I said I would post pics, and I will when I get the CD from Walmart in 7-10 days from the day before yesterday. It only cost me $2.50!

On a much sadder note, although people will likely think me silly for saying so, our dog Cyrano ran away a week ago last Friday. I miss him. He was my best friend for a long time. I don't think I would have gotten through Carl's 80s Combat tour days without him. I just hope he's out there making some other family happy. He's good at that. We checked the pound, posted multiple MISSING DOG ads, checked the papers, made flyers. No go. We also gave up Apostrophe, our beloved cat, who was having bladder issues. We'd taken him to the vet to get the problem fixed, but it was temporary. We knew that the vet would tell us he can do the same thing as before, which he made sure to say was temporary, or we could put him through surgery. We couldn't afford either (or decided the temporary fix was not smart considering it only lasted one month). He seemed to get a lot better for a while, but then he started leaking urine all over the place, which included on K's blanket. We took him to the pound. I told Carl that he owes me two new animals now, and he agreed to get me one. Then, I told him I didn't want any new animals. I just wanted my old ones back. We'll see what happens. I am not totally giving up on Cyrie yet.

Well, all, check back for pics sometime this week. I have them, promise! I will post them, promise! I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and enjoyed all of the crazy snow!

Today

Keely got her second tooth sometime this afternoon. When I picked her up from Aunt Pete's, she had been crying. She looked pretty cute with a tear-stained face. Is that horrible for me to say? Keely looks cute all the time. Really, she does. Ask anyone. So, I decided it's okay for me to think she looked cute with a tear-stained face. And, I am not changing my mind. Anyway, we had our family pictures scheduled for tonight, and I was pretty worried that K wouldn't do so well. She cried in the car on the way home and fell immediately asleep after I nursed her. Then, I had to wake her up after like 5 minutes because we needed to get ready for the pics. She didn't do what I thought she'd do. She didn't utter a sound on the way to our appointment. She stayed awake, too. She didn't utter a sound when we changed her clothes and put her in a very frilly, too-big dress. Or when we put on tights for the first time. She smiled and laughed during our photo session. She didn't cry even once, despite my ESP plea for her to stop doing so well so we wouldn't have such a hard time choosing and end up spending a ton of money. We spent a ton of money. But, we got good pics. I was planning on getting one good shot of our family and that's it. I wanted the $9.95 package. K didn't let that happen. Instead, we walked away with a bigger package, having spend 8 times that amount. Whatever, though, it was worth it. We are getting K's 6 month pics made by CT Photography on Friday, when she'll actually be 6 months old. For those of you out there that don't know, CT Photography stands for Carrie Tungate Photography, and she's affordable and great. If anyone is interested in getting some freelance photos made of their little ones, you should consider her. Plus, she's got a brand new camera! So, I walk away from my experience in the studio thinking that it's okay we spent more than intended. We're getting great Christmas photos, and we'll get great 6 month pics on Friday. Congrats on the new tooth, Keely Star. You're getting so big, and we couldn't be more proud of you. Way to go, kid!

To My Husband

Tomorrow we will celebrate our 7 year anniversary. It has been one heck of a ride. Not smooth, although not overly rough. Mostly enjoyable, although not always. It's been exactly as it should be. Marriage is not easy. These days nothing really is. But, people tend to believe marriage is easy because you love each other. They see it in black and white, and seldom see the grey. These seven years have brought many lessons. We are not the same people we were when we got married. We're better. We're wiser. And, we continually learn from each other so that we continue to get better. Continue to get wiser. I love you, Carl! Thanks for being the greatest husband. Thanks for helping create the greatest daughter. We will have many adventures in our lifetime. But being married to you and raising our daughter is my greatest.

Our Girl's 5!

Months that is. As of yesterday. Crazy how much time has gone by since Carl and I set out on this venture of transforming into Mama and Daddy. Yet in many ways, it seems like Keely should be this old. 5 months feels fast but right. She's grown so much over the past month. I would be willing to bet that she weighs 15 pounds. And, she's gotten tall. Her 3-6 month pajamas are close to not fitting, not because they are too tight but because they are almost too short. She's got chubby cheeks and thighs, but that is about all that's chubby. She gets prettier and prettier everyday. I could just stare at her all the time, if I had nothing else to do that is. I tell my little girl all the time that mamas need to get paid for loving their babies so that I wouldn't have to work anymore. Not that I dislike my job. I love what I do. I just miss her all the time. Being away from her is hard. But, I rest assured knowing that she is in great hands at Carrie's.

I am posting a new Smile Box, which has a ton of pics. You may notice that not all of them are of our sweet girl. I threw in some of Evan and Eleni's son, Jackson, who was a pirate for Halloween, and of course, I had to throw in some of the nieces and nephews, because they continue to make me smile every time I see them. Keely loves her cousins, and they are so cute with her! We finally decided to buy a Bumbo for Keely, and she loves it. We feed her and let her play with her toys in it. She's close to figuring out how to sit up on her own, which is funny because I don't think she rolls over completely yet. Would've thought that would come first. She can hold her own bottle for a few seconds, and she loves to hold things. She still loves to cuddle with her frog, like she has since she was less than a month old. She laughs and smiles constantly. She inherited my loudness, which can be good and bad at the same time. I think it's funny, but Carl gets frustrated when he's trying to talk on the phone or watch TV and she's just talking away. Carl and I feel so blessed to have such a sweet daughter. We thank God for her everyday and pray that he continually blesses her as she grows. She'll always be our shining Star.

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I have such a great baby!

It's true, and I am not just saying that. All mothers think their babies rock, and I am no different. I really, really think Keely is just the greatest! I couldn't ask for a better or easier baby. Last night, we made yet another adjustment to our little girl's schedule. The reasons leading up to this decision? Well, for starters, I have to feed her every morning at 7 AM because that is the last time I can feed her before I leave for work. The past few days when I would get her up to feed her, she would only eat for about 8 minutes. For some babies, that's as long as they need. Take Ella, for instance. She nursed for a solid 6 minutes and was completely done. I can't remember how old she was when she started doing that, but I am pretty sure she was only a couple of months older or less than Keely is now. Keely typically nurses for about 20 minutes. I also noticed that when I would feed her cereal at 7 PM, she would not nurse for more than a few minutes afterwards. I really didn't know what to do. As it was, I only nursed her or she got a bottle 5 times a day, and she ate cereal 2 times. When she wouldn't nurse, I was so confused. So, after thinking about it for pretty much the entire week, we decided to change her schedule for about the 5th time. I compromised her post-cereal 7 PM feeding and her 10:40 PM feeding into one 9:00 PM feeding. Then, I put her in her crib and hoped she wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night wanting to eat. She didn't! As a matter of fact, she was out within 5 minutes. She didn't even stir until 6:30 this morning! She did want to eat then, but I held her off until 7. She didn't even really cry! What a great baby! I just love her so much! She is so easy, too, because she goes right along with any changes we make. She rarely fusses about them. I am pretty sure our next child won't be so easy, but maybe he or she will. At any rate, we're going to wait a little while before we find out.

Another Month Gone

Consider this my follow-up to the previous post from October 1. I promised pics and more updates, and I am following through . . . just a little later than planned. Well, those that know me best know I am late for almost everything.

Our little girl is taking a nap right now . . . going on 2 1/4 hours. Yay! She never sleeps this well for me in the afternoons. Of course, Carl and I tend to run around like crazy on the weekends, which doesn't account for much of a long nap time for Keely. After talking to Carrie, I found that Keely takes a 3 hour nap for her everyday. I was like, "What?!" So, Carl and I decided to experiment. And, we're calling it a success, because as I said, she's already been down for over two hours and isn't stirring yet. I guess nap time is something we're going to implement into our routine as well.

Updates: 1) She's sleeping through the night!!! Yay! This is perhaps the update that excites us the most. She doesn't have it completely down every time, but for the most part, she does sleep through the night. 2) She's in her own room. We moved her into her own room a week ago yesterday. She is so easy. She just goes with whatever change we make. This change was easy for her. When we put her in her crib that first night, she LOVED it. She was so cute, kicking her feet up in the air and smiling at her mobile. We left her alone, and she drifted off to sleep without making a sound. And, she's done the same thing pretty much every night since. 3) That little tooth has really come in! She lets us see it now. She hasn't bitten me yet, which I am very happy about. I was so nervous that teeth would make nursing so hard, but it hasn't. Here's hoping it stays that way!

I don't really have any more updates yet. Keely goes to Dr. Stripling for shots on October 15 (Thursday) and then back to Dr. Varma to have her thyroid levels checked again on October 22. I'm a little anxious for the second appointment because reassurance that everything's the way it should be is a definite plus. I anticipate that nothing's changed, but you never know for sure until that lab work comes back.

Tomorrow marks the fourth month of Keely's entrance into our lives. In a lot of ways it seems crazy that four months has come and gone, but in other ways, it seems hard to remember life before her grand entrance. At this moment in time, I can honestly say that I feel fulfilled. I feel this incredible appreciation for life, this divine closeness to the God who creates mountains and waterfalls. I attribute a lot of those feelings to Keely. She makes me see things in ways I'd never seen them before, to the extent that many things that used to be important now appear so petty and meaningless. Because when all is said and done, I still have a husband who loves me and a little girl who lights up my world, all provided by a God who loves unconditionally, whom I strive to mirror, realizing that I may be so far off, but at least I'm making progress. It is my sincerest hope that Keely will grow up realizing who this God is and what He has done for this world.

Enjoy the pics and God bless!

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Quick Updates

So, I have next to no time since I have a pile of papers to grade tonight before I have to submit report card grades tomorrow afternoon. I did want to drop in for a quick update on my sweet little pumpkin princess, though. Yes, I said pumpkin princess. Sometimes she's my pumpkin and sometimes she's my princess, and tonight I felt like combining the two.

We have a first tooth, ladies and gentlemen! Mama and Daddy can't believe their baby is so big already when she's still only 3 and a half months old. Yes, it's a tooth. You can feel it and see it sometimes when her little tongue isn't wagging around covering it up. It goes on record that our little girl got her first tooth on September 30. I'll have to write in her baby book. I think I need to start a journal of daily happenings in the world of Keely Star. I think I just might.

Due to Keely's apparent lack of appetite when Carrie tried to give her the 10:30 and 1:30 bottles, we adjusted her feeding schedule this week. It's working out well. Along with the change, I decided to stop feeding her in the early AM hours. She's still waking up, but she usually goes back to sleep once I give her plug to her. This was a big change to make, but I am amazed at how well she's done with it. I'm beginning to think I have the easiest, most laid back daughter in the world. I love her more and more each day. I am so proud to be her mama! I just can't get over it!

This post comes with two promises: 1) I will post more pics very soon, but I don't have time at the moment. 2) I will offer more insight into our busy, busy lives when I post pics. Until then, wish me happy grading, and I wish you all a happy evening.

3 Months Old

My little girl is already 3 months old, and I can't believe it! These past 3 months have been some of the best I've ever experienced. It is an honor being Keely's mom. I am so glad God chose me for the job. I know Carl feels the same way about being her dad. In some ways, I can hardly believe it has been nearly a year since I found out I was pregnant. It will be a year on October 10, which is really not that far away. That is a day I will never, ever forget. I was thinking that at this time last year, I found out my first IUI did not work. As a matter of fact, as we were walking through the Cowboy Symposium this afternoon, it occurred to me that when we were there last year, Carrie was almost certain she was getting a new niece or nephew. It's funny how things work out. We wake up each day older than we were the previous day, sometimes wiser, sometimes not. I was hanging out with friends last night, and Carl and I were the oldest ones in the room by at least 2 years. My friend, Sam, told me she bought a house, and we embarked on a discussion about how old we've gotten. She has a house, and I have a wonderful kiddo. I love that I'm all grown up. I love that I'm married to the love of my life and that we are parents to our shining Keely Star. Getting older is so much fun. I've decided that Carl and I are going to take Keely to Paris for her 18th birthday. I love that she's so little and adorable right now. I don't want her to grow up too fast, but I absolutely love the thought of how great she'll end up. I just have this feeling that she's going to turn out to be this amazing person who does amazing things. And, I'll get to watch her and help her accomplish her goals and live her dreams. I suppose God must feel that way as He watches us grow and develop. I think He's very honored to be our Father. And, that's the coolest thing ever . . . knowing that our heavenly Father has so much love for us, so much pride in His handiwork that He can forgive the greatest of sinners and love us despite our shortcomings. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful God who has blessed me with an incredible family. He has made Keely in His image, just as He made us all. I pray God will continue to bless Keely and our family. And, thanks and glory to Him who loves unconditionally. May we learn to be like Him more and more each day.

Enjoy the pics!

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