Kinsley is ONE

Our sweet baby girl is one year old. How is that possible?? I feel like I just.had.her! Chris and I were just talking the other day about how much her personality is really starting to blossom and how quickly she is growing. Yesterday when Chris walked in the door from work Kinsley crawled over to him, sat up and lifted her arms for him to pick her up. It was so precious and of course made Daddy's day!
I've said it before, but Kinsley is by far the happiest baby ever. She rarely cries and is always flashing us her grin that scrunches up her entire face. I love it!

12 month stats:
Weight: 19lbs 12.8 oz
Height: 29 in


Kinsley at 12 months:
- has 4 teeth
- is cruising and crawling all over the place
- gets into absolutely everything! she is so curious and loves to explore
- loves to eat. The only times we really hear her cry are when she is hungry or her food is all gone and she wants more to eat! ha!
- Loves her big sister Avery and interacts with her all of the time.

- still takes two naps during the day, though her morning nap is hit or miss depending on what our busy schedule is like. Typically I like for her to nap from 10-12 (but a lot of days this nap turns into cat naps in the carseat while we are out and about.) then she naps from 2-4. I'm lucky if they are 2 hour naps.... usually they are 1.5 hrs. But last week we had 3 days of 30 min naps in her crib then she would wake up screaming and I could not get her back down.... those were not great days!

don't forget the pacifiers!!!

- Still gets 3-4 bottles a day but it's all WHOLE MILK!
- wears size 4 diapers and 12 month clothes.... some are even 12-18 month and I will still squeeze her into 6-12 months which is kind of mean on my part!
- puts everything into her mouth. Avery was never as bad as Kinsley is. I am so ready for her to walk so that she is up off of the floor and not eye level with every little thing on the floor. I can only sweep/vaccuum/mop so many times! Its not just that- but when we go outside I can't put her down because she immediately starts to eat the grass and leaves!! I have to leave her in the wagon if I'm going to give Avery any attention or I have to carry Kinsley everywhere and she is just not that light!
- she is a climber!!! In the two weeks before she turned 1 she really mastered climbing. She will climb onto their little table in the playroom, climb on the couch, climb into Avery's toddler bed, climb on the stool in the bathroom....the challenging part is teaching her how to get down without landing flat on her face or head.  I cannot leave her out of my sight for a second!

- waves hi and bye and will even say "bye-bye" some times.

I just happened to be taking some pictures of her one afternoon when Chris walked in the door from work and this was her reaction to seeing him! How sweet! 

- occassionally signs "more" and "all done"
- says "Momma, Mommy and Bye-Bye"

At her one year apointment the dr. said they wanted to draw blood to check for lead and anemia.... they did this with Avery and I swore I would not do it again with Kinsley. I told the Dr. I didn't want to go through with the lab work, but she insisted that we go through with it because it's an important part of her visit. So, we attemped and yet again- I tortured my poor child all for nothing. They weren't able to get any blood out of her left arm and asked if they could try her other one. I said I preferred no. Again- they insisted that this lab work absolutely needed to be done. I let them try and yet again- they were not successful. I should have stuck to my gut feelings and stood my ground and not let them try on Kinsley. I felt terrible. Lesson learned, for sure! Trust those mommy instincts!

Kinsley keeps us busy and on our toes, but I am filled with joy every day when she smiles that sweet scrunched up smile and her laughter fills the room. I am sad her first year has come and gone so quickly, but am loving watching her personality come out and that I get to experience life with her. Our two girls mean the world to us and I am so emotional thinking about just how much I love them. Happy First Birthday, Kinsley Rae. You are our little sunshine!!

Kinsley:11 months

Kinsley is 11 months old! (well, almost 11.5 months at this point!!) I feel like she was just born and yet here I am planning her first birthday party. So strange! Kinsley is the happiest baby ever- seriously. She only cries if she is not feeling well or if her food is all gone. ha! I absolutely love watching her interact more with Avery and yet this is a challenging age, too. She gets into EVERYTHING and eats EVERYTHING! I find myself constantly following her around and making sure she is staying safe. She eats grass, leaves, and bugs (gross!) so I'm always on guard and carrying/holding her more than I probably should because I know that if we are outside and I put her down on a blanket to play, she will find the grass, etc to eat. So, it's just easier to hold her, but that also makes my daily tasks more of a challenge! All of that to say... it's a fun age, but it's also a disciplining stage, which is not fun for any of us.

Kinsley weighs 19 pounds at 11 months!!!

- Completed her first 8 week session of swim lessons and loves the water! she will turn and find the wall when asked!
- is starting to drink whole milk
- eats anything mommy and daddy eat.
- eats way more (in quantity) than big sister, Avery
- the only things I have found she doesn't really care for are peas, blueberries and sweet potatoes.... she likes them all in pureed baby foods, but when it comes to the real thing she spits it out.
- just cut her 4th tooth
- waves hi and bye
- has some awesome hair! and not a day goes by that I don't hear at least 3 comments about her crazy hair style.

- does not like to be confined to her bouncy
- is calmed when Avery sings to her -- melts my heart!
- is learning to walk while holding on to our hands
- crawls and pulls up
- plays peek a boo all of the time
- is very ticklish
- loves to be chased
- understands what "no" means but doesn't obey it! ha!
- wears size 4 diapers and 12 month clothes
- is loving on Bailey more and more these days!

Kinsley Rae: mommy and daddy love you so much more than you will ever be able to comprehend. Thank you for bringing such joy and happiness into our lives. You are such a blessing!!

K: 10 months

It hit me that my baby girl is almost a year old and I have no idea where the time has gone. The more that I think about her first birthday being less than 2 months away the more emotional I get. Why do our babies have to grow up so quickly?

Kinsley is without a doubt, the sunshine in my life. Her smile reaches her eyes every.single.time and the way she scrunches up her nose with each smile make her smile infectious. She is into absolutely every thing and she sure knows how to keep her mommy busy; but I wouldn't trade these busy, baby chasing stages for anything.

K at 10 months:

- has the most beautiful blue eyes
- is into everything
- is pulling up
- crawls on all fours
- loves to eat! Takes 4 (6-7 oz) bottles a day and baby food 3x/day. I'm also giving her whatever I am eating at the time. I didn't do that with Avery- I always made her something else, and that might be why she isn't the best of eaters. Kinsley, on the other hand will eat anything I put in front of her.
- takes swim lessons and is a water baby for sure! Even though she is only 10 months, she can understand "kick" and "find the wall".....
- her hair receives comments on a daily basis..... multiple times a day! It sticks up all over-- it doesn't matter if I wet it throughout the day and try to comb it down, within minutes its sticks right back up. Duck Fluff- as many people refer to it as. It's the SOFTEST hair I have ever felt. I only wish I could style it like that! haha!
- wears 9 month clothes, but they are quite snug on her.... 12 month clothing is in the not too distant future.
- wears size 3 diapers
- still loves bath time (water baby!!!)
- loves her big sister and is always watching her or chasing after her.
- gets away with a lot more than Avery ever did! (Second Child Syndrome!)
- Has some separation anxiety
- can sign "more", but she typically prefers to YELL if she is not getting fed fast enough. I don't really know how to break this habit and it drives her daddy crazy. Eating out is just not very respectful to others during this phase.....
- waves "hi" and "bye"and can say "bye-bye" and "ba-ba"(bottle)
- is encouraging mommy and daddy to baby proof our new house on a daily basis by getting into everything..... one of these days we might actually baby proof and mommy won't be such a nervous wreck anymore!

A good read

If you haven't heard of "The Busy Homeschool Mom", I suggest you check out her blog! I was just recently introduced to this blog and with the few free minutes in my day I have been reading her different posts. I find them to be extremely encouraging and thought that you moms.... (and dad's!) might enjoy them as well. 

http://heidistjohn.com/blog/

K: 9 months!

Kinsley is already 9.5 months old! Time is flying and I am reminded at just how fast time goes by on a daily basis when I watch my sweet little baby transform before me. She is more and more mobile every day and is fighting for the "happiest baby" title vs. her big sis at this age. Everyone always comments on how happy she is all of the time. It's true! She only fusses when she is hungry. Her smile is so adorable and lights up her beautiful blue eyes. Kinsley makes me so happy and has my heart overflowing with love for her.

9 month Stats:
Weight: 18lbs (25-50%)
Height: 27 1/4 in. (25-50%)
Head: 17 (25%)

- claps her hands
- gives the best hugs
- loves to play with Avery and Bailey and is interacting more with them each day
- "swims" across the floor on her tummy or rolls to the place she wants to be.
- can get into a sitting position on her own
- started her first swim lessons on April 1st. and LOVED it. She is a water baby for sure!
- Kicks and squeals whenever she hears the bath water turned on. She loves bath time and takes every bath with Avery. It's sometimes very difficult to bathe her because she is ALL OVER the tub!
- Has the best laugh when tickled
- Is officially weaned from breastfeeding. The day after she turned 9 months was the last nursing period for us.
- Drinks 4 (6-8 oz) bottles of formula daily and eats 3 containers of baby food each day.
- Typical schedule for Kinsley at 9 months: (boring for you, but neccessary for mommy to remember!)
                          6:30- wake up
                          7:15-7:30 - mommy gets her out of bed
                          7:30-8am - Bottle and fruit
                           10-12- nap (some days she doesn't go down 'til 10:45-11 depending on our day)            
                           12pm- bottle and veggie
                           1:45-3:30/4pm - Nap (same time as Avery)
                           4pm- Bottle
                           6pm- baby food dessert or veggie
                           7/7:15pm- bottle
                           7:15/7:30- bed
- Is really trying to pull up. She can get up on her knees but can't quite pull herself into a standing position yet
- We've had to lower her crib since she is trying to pull up
- Weighs more at 9 months than Avery did at 12 months!
- Can hold her bottle by herself as long as she is laying down
- Wears 9 month clothing or 6-12 clothing
- Wears size 3 diapers
- Had another double ear infection at her 9 month check up
- The Dr. heard a heart murmur at her 9 month appointment, also. The Dr. is not concerned and said this is VERY normal, but I was still pretty emotional that day. We go back in a couple of weeks to check on her heart and ears.
- says "baba" for bottle
- occassionally waves hi and bye and I'm pretty sure she is trying to say "bye-bye"

Kinsley Rae- you are truly a blessing in our lives and we love you so much. Thank you for always bringing a smile to our faces and lighting up our lives daily. We thank God for you every day!

fun things about Avery

I admit- I've been TERRIBLE about blogging lately. I am so amazed that my friends can keep up with their blogs so well because I'm finding it very difficult!

Avery amazes me every day. She is quite possibly the smartest toddler I know. She remembers everything and knows just what I need and when I need it. If only I could get her to listen and obey the very first time.....

Seriously, she is my biggest helper when it comes to her little sister. If Kinsley spits up, Avery is looking for a burp cloth before I can even process what happened. She is such a loving and caring big sister and I look forward to the day I can sit back and watch our girls interact together. Her nurturing personality is also reflected in the HOURS she spends feeding her baby dolls and changing their diapers.

She can sing her ABC's and is consistent with the letters she does know! I'm pretty sure it goes a little something like this: "abcfgjkopqrstvwxyz now abc's next time sing ME!" She also loves "the wheels on the bus go round and round" and every time we get in the car she begs me to turn it on.
We also sing "Jesus loves the little Children" each night before bed and I love that she makes me add "pink" in the song. so our version goes a little like "red and yellow, black and white and pink! they are precious in his sight....." It will be one of my favorite memories, I'm sure.

The girl is a climber! I find her in Kinsley's crib all of the time... thankfully only once have I found her in there while Kinsley was actually in there. The other day she was playing in her room and I thought she was a little too quiet ( never a good sign) so I went to check on her and found her sitting on her changing table with every bottle of butt paste and the hand sanitizer in her lap.

Oh yeah- and last week we found her naked in her bed covered in baby powder and hand sanitizer... this was almost an hour after we had put her down for the night. Apparently she is into trying to change her own diapers.

We were almost potty trained back in the fall and then found ourselves back in diapers after being sick. Well, this week she is showing a little more interest in the potty again. Still not as much as I would prefer, but at least it's something.

She loves to "work out" with daddy. She will do (her version) lunges, push ups, planks, and downward dog . She loves to run and be outside so I will be glad when this cold and rainy weather goes away.

Avery loves to get her hair cut and sits so nicely for whoever is cutting her hair.

Finally lets me put her hair up.... and actually has enough hair for pig tails!!!

She gives the best hugs and kisses and melts my heart when she says "I love you"

She is my pride and joy. I wish time would slow down (except for the times she is a defiant and testing two year old.... those times can fly right on by! hahaha)

K: 8 months

I'm finding it so hard to believe that our baby girl is 8 months old... we'll be planning her first birthday party before we know it! She is still my little baby and I'm clearly trying to keep her that way. I am not sure quite how to describe it, but it's a different feeling than I had with Avery. Not that either one is good or bad, it's just different. I guess since I have a two year old, my 8 month old just seems so much younger. I've had a tendency to always think Avery is ready for the next step or I have too high of expectations for her because I am learning and growing with her.... but I seem to do things slower with Kinsley and I don't have the same expectations for her as I did for Avery when she was 8  months old. It's a weird feeling and I'm sure I'm not conveying myself properly....


Anywho- Kinsley is 8 months old! She is the happiest baby and rarely cries. With the lack of crying comes the most adorable toothless grin. I could just eat her up! :)

- Speaking of toothless grins.... she got her first tooth on Feb 19th, just two days before her 8 month birthday and her second tooth came on the 23rd- two days after she turned 8 months. Needless to say, this has been a miserable week. She has been running a fever since Wednesday and therefore receives pain/fever reducer medication every 6-8 hours which she is not a fan of. Having 2 teeth come in at once  means she sleeps more, eats less and cries a lot and is full of drainage. I miss my happy little baby...... and feel so bad that I can't do much to help her.

- K loves to play with her big sister and my favorite thing to do is to watch Avery make Kinsley laugh. It truly warms my heart.

- Hasn't slept in a sleep sack in a few weeks!

- Always sleeps with two (or three) pacifiers in her crib and her pink giraffe from Aunt Amanda.

- Loves to sit in the bath tub like a big girl and gets so excited when we turn the water on to start bath time.... her little legs just kick kick kick in excitement

- reaches for EVERYTHING

- has tried cheerios, puffs and mum mums, but still hasn't quite mastered the task of feeding them to herself much.

- pulls on mine or Avery's hair constantly and gives the sweetest wet and slobbery kisses.

- wants to crawl so badly, but every time she tries to get on her hands and knees from a sitting position she face plants.

- spent her first night away from mommy when she was 7.5 months old and then her 2nd night away from mommy 2 nights after she turned 8 months old.... obviously it was much harder on me than her!

- was baptized on February 17th by Rev. Greg McKinnon... just a few days before her 8 month birthday.

- is squeezing into 6 month clothing. Most of her 9 month wardrobe consists of spring time apparell and I'm too cheap to by 9 month winter clothes that she will only be able to wear for another couple of weeks... even though she deperately needs to be in 9 month clothing.

- wears size 3 diapers


Mommy and Daddy love you so very much, Kinsley Rae. You are the happiest little girl and you bring so much joy into our lives. God has truly blessed us with two very special little girls and my heart is so full of love for them that words cannot express just how much they mean to me.


I will try to post pictures soon, but apparently I have run out of storage space on the blog and need to figure out how to fix that.....