Turkey Day

We spent our Thanksgiving in Canada this year with the stand-in Canadians and the Marylanders.  And we drove there.

We left on Tuesday afternoon to drive half way.  It also happened to be the start of a massive snow storm that pretty much followed us the entire drive.  What should've taken five driving hours took nine and we decided to stop at a hotel sooner than our original half way destination.  On Wednesday, we drove the rest of the seven hours and arrived in Ottawa around 3:30 pm.  Fortunately, the drive back was uneventful and we were able to leave midday on Friday and drive straight through arriving back in Columbus very early on Saturday morning.  It was a lot of driving for a short stay, but it was so nice to see everyone for the holiday. Including Leah, the cat!  I think Kate learned that a cat says "hissss" instead of "meow" though.  While Leah was on the steps, Kate walked over and Leah hissed.  Kate quickly hissed back without even batting an eye!  It was so funny!

We celebrated turkey day in style with delicious food, wonderful company, and snow!  We listened to music, played some games, drank some wine and other adult beverages, and just enjoyed being together.  This time next year will find everyone back in Maryland.  It is a much anticipated homecoming! 


Turkey Day festivities!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Special Visit with Santa

This past weekend we got to make a special visit to see Santa Clause.  He was in town at Cheryl's and we were fortunate enough to be invited by to say hello!

Luckily, the Columbus Zoo also had some guests stop by to see Santa: a fox, an otter, a penguin, and two baby cheetahs!

SO, not only did we get to see Santa Clause and partake in a few arts and crafts, we also got to see some really cool wild animals up close!

Santa!

Decorating a cookie!

Baby cheetahs!  We were allowed to look, but not touch!

Kate absolutely loved seeing the animals!  She was able to touch the fox and would've touched all the other animals (cheetahs included) if she was allowed!  When the zoo assistants had the penguin out, he was waddling in a little area on a leash.  Kate was determined to go over to that little guy, who was just smaller than her, and say hello and/or pick him up!  We resorted to saying hello through the glass, but she was fearless!  It was a fun, cold day!

That night, however, Kate came down with croup and this scared the living daylights out of Brian and me. When Kate got her bath, she wasn't very mobile.  She just sat there while I got her washed up.  I figured it was a long day and she didn't have her afternoon nap, so maybe she was just so exhausted. 45 minutes or so after we laid her down to sleep, she woke up with the characteristic "bark" cough that croup is known for and a very wheezy breathing.  The thing that scared us the most was how quickly these symptoms appeared, for when she went to bed there was no sign of them.  Literally 45 minutes later, and we were calling the pediatrician after hours, sitting in the bathroom running the hot shower for humidity, and then taking a short walk around the yard in the crisp, freezing cold air - all of which are at-home remedies to alleviate the discomfort of croup.

On Monday, we took Kate into the pediatrician's office where she received a steroid shot to decrease the swelling of her larynx and trachea.  This really is the only treatment option offered when you have a child with croup.  Well, that, and time because symptoms should start lessening in 7-10 days too.  Unfortunately, the steroid shot made Kate sick, so she was home for the rest of the day to rest and recoup.

Seeing our baby not feeling well still breaks our hearts, so we soothed and held and hugged and cuddled A LOT!  We know that she is already feeling better, so we are very thankful for that and hope that this crud doesn't stick around for too much longer.

Saturday Fun

Click here for our album of Saturday fun!

Mommy's Purse

When you have a wee one around, you learn that their idea of toys encompasses a ton of other household objects and items that you hadn't really consider "toys" in your adulthood.  This includes tupperware, pots and pans, plastic bags (under supervision), the dog, and anything in any drawers, bins, boxes, or bags, just to name a few.  Most recently, it has also included my purse!

Rummaging through the abyss.

Found some chapstick and apparently there is something
else that catches her eye!

For the record, chapstick also doubles as a marker or other
writing utensil for carpet...

...And a teether!

I would assume that it is safe to say that this is her new favorite toy!

The Strangest Thing

I went to my closet today to grab my black boots to wear with my outfit.  But they were not there.  This is the first time that I went looking for my black boots, my favorite black boots, since last season.  And I have NO FREAKIN' CLUE where they could be.  Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am very consistent with putting my boots back in my closet and my closet is extremely organized.  I nearly know where everything is...except for said boots.  It is the strangest thing.

I have tried to remember the last time I wore them.  Sometime at the end of winter, which would've been early this year.  I have looked for photographic evidence of wearing them.  I know I didn't lend them to anyone because there is no one here that I would lend them to.  I can't possibly figure out where I could've left them.  After all, it's kind of hard to leave LARGE BLACK BOOTS somewhere and not remember that you left them, right?  What's even harder is trying to remember where you may have left something months ago.  That, my friends, is nearly impossible.

Could they have been stolen?  Did I put them somewhere inconspicuous in the house?  Did I really leave them somewhere?  Is Brian hiding them from me?  I am so confused.

I have scoured my oh-so-tidy closet.  I have searched our coat closet downstairs, and those of you who know our house know that our coat closet is not a huge closet.  I have looked under the bed, in commonly used bags that I've packed, I've asked Brian if he knows where they are - all to know avail.

At this point, my favorite black boots are gone, and I have no explanation as to why.  I feel like I am losing it and am really beginning to question if I really am that consistent and organized...

...This is the last photo that I can find that shows me wearing them:

It is dated February 7th, 2013...

Boots, where are you???

First Year Photos

When Brian and I got married, our photographer took several images of us in the wildflower area at The Park of Roses.  It was a perfect day in early August 2010, and there were bright yellow wildflowers everywhere.  It was beautiful!

August 6, 2010

Fast forward just over two years and you will find us back in the same area.  October of 2012.  Brian and I decided to take some of our own maternity photos there to capture our 9-month bump before our baby debut.

September 30, 2012

Fast forward one more year and you will find us there again, only this time you will find us with the sweetest little one year old in tow!

Sweetest AND cutest!
October 30, 2013.

This happened to be by complete chance!  Since we had yet to have professional photos taken of Kate, we decided for her one year birthday that we would have some taken.  Our photographer friend suggested we meet at The Park of Roses, so that is what we did.  Little did we know, his intention was to shoot entirely in the wildflower area!  (I'm beginning to think we should just adopt this garden as our own since we've seemed to [so far] capture all of our milestone life events together here!)

We were completely up for the shoot and did not leave disappointed!  Prior to the shoot, Brian and Tom cut "ones" out of wood and Brian and I painted them in several bright colors.  We picked up balloons to match our painted "ones" and there we had our set up!  It was ingenious, and not our idea at all.  It was all our photographer's!

The shoot was very quick.  Kate was an angel, and the images that we captured that day are nothing short of AMAZING!

Kate is one!

Look at that face!

So adorable!

:)

You can't help but smile!

(Check out the whole lot here.)

Our baby is one.  Even though the year has flown by, it means the world to us that we were able to capture this tiny moment.  It will always hold a special place in our hearts.  Thank you, Monty!

Laundry Boat

Several weeks ago, I put Kate into our laundry basket when I was done folding clothes and took her on a little adventure around the living room.  We pretended it was her boat.  Ever since then, whenever we have a laundry basket out, Kate wants to get in it and go for another ride!  It is her new favorite thing!

The first thing she does when she gets in is pushes all the
clean laundry out.

It seriously takes up too much of her boat space.

Sometimes she lets out a little squeal if she's sitting on a
clothing article and can't pull it out.  Mommy's a good
helper for those.

Success!

Nowadays, she likes to play with her toys while seated in the
laundry basket.  It's really a great makeshift pack 'n play!

A second laundry boat comes in handy to put toys in!

Mommy doubles as the wind and the sail.

These are the types of things that our weekends are reserved for: simple fun and imagination!  And we wouldn't want it any other way!

A Change of Plans and Pumpkin Carving

The Hendricks family had planned to leave early yesterday morning to fly to Maryland to celebrate two very special family events.  The first was my sister's 21st birthday.  The second was my Grandma's surprise 75th birthday.  On Friday night, however, plans changed.

Our darling girl came down with some sort of stomach bug on.  And being that we had a very early flight, we were going to be staying in a hotel (read: a place without a laundry area), and we all know how terrible we feel when we're sick, we decided to X the trip and stay home to get our baby girl better.

This was an extremely hard decision for us.  With it being such a big birthday weekend, we didn't want to miss in all the festivities and celebrations.  But, at the same time, our baby was sick, and this was really the first time that she had come down with this kind of bug.  We probably made an overprotective decision, but in the end we made the decision that was best for us.  Plus, Kate is feeling 100 times better and that is all that matters.

Since our plans changed so dramatically, we had nothing planned for our weekend at home.  With the craziness of life, we did not have a chance to carve a pumpkin before Halloween, so we used our Saturday free time to do said activity!

Click for our pumpkin carving in photos!

We were sad to miss the weekend activities in Maryland, but are so glad that Kate is feeling better.

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY, AMY, and HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY, GRAM!  We love you both!

I am Toddler, Hear Me Roar!

I kid you not, one day after my baby turned one I got an email from Baby Center explaining the traits and qualities of my one year old.  Instead of it saying, "Your Baby," it said, "Your Toddler."

My toddler?  TODDLER?  Where did my baby go, and can't I ease into Toddler-hood and revel in the last few moments of Baby Kate-hood?  No and no.  Kate is now my toddler in all aspects of the word, according to Baby Center and all the other similar websites out there.

How can this be?  The time is flying by frighteningly fast and I'm beginning to worry that I'm missing it.  I try to stay focused on all the good things we have to look forward to, but it is hard not to miss all the baby things.

Our toddler.

Since we have just passed Kate's first birthday, I figured a thorough run down of what she is doing, how she is sleeping, her likes and dislikes, etc. was in order, so here we are!

(Sidebar: This is your warning.  The remainder of the lengthy post is all about Kate.  And I mean ALL ABOUT Kate.  If you are bored with hearing about a baby toddler, I would highly recommend that you pass on this post and go directly to the next one.  Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.)

Kate's Stats
Height: 29" (45th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs. 3.5 oz (72nd percentile)

Kate at her 12 month check-up! 
Our toddler.

Sleeping
Kate has been successfully sleeping through the night for quite some time now.  She is given a bath around 6-6:30 pm, read a few books (most of the time it's about three) while we share in some cuddles (us and her pink blanket that we don't dare leave the house without), and gets fed one last time which usually puts her to sleep.  If she is not sleeping after her last feeding, she is laid in her crib and falls asleep on her own.  Her favorite nighttime books are Goodnight, Owl by DwellStudio, Peek-A-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti, Who's a Bunny by Bunnies by the Bay, and Whose Eyes Are These by Peg Hall.

Picking out a nighttime book.

Eating
We have been fortunate enough to be able to strictly breastfeed Kate for a whole year.  That was always the main goal and between pumping at work and preparing sippy cups for her school we have been successful.  I am extremely grateful and thankful that my body has allowed us to breastfeed for such a long time.  We recently started transitioning Kate to whole milk which she has had no trouble with so far.

She drinks solely out of a sippy cup at home and at school and is readily munching on toddler friendly items that we find on our very own dinner plates.  She absolutely loves all fruits.  We have yet to find a fruit that she doesn't like!  She also really likes broccoli, avocado, turkey, and hot dogs.

She mainly eats with her hands but has become interested in using utensils, so we have started offering her a spoon or fork with her food.  It still amazes me how someone so little knows what to do with a spoon and fork!  She is one smart cookie!

She looks so BIG using utensils!

Likes
Kate loves music.  She points at our kitchen radio that streams our Pandora and makes an 'ugh' sound every time the music is not on.  She loves the Gummy Bear Song and I Like to Move it, Move it from Madagascar (both of which she heard in school), in addition to Lady Gaga.  She also loves to dance!  This girl has music in her bones!  As a matter of fact, one day when I went to pick her up from school, Kate's teacher said that she thought Kate knew the words 'music' and 'gummy bears'.  These, my friends, are the keys to my heart, but, besides that, I was so intrigued I asked the teacher to go on.  This is how I found out about the Gummy Bear Song.  Music and gummy bears!

I would argue that Kate's favorite color is currently green though it was orange and/or red, and her favorite animal (based on bath toy preference) are these three little frogs that we have.  She also loves dogs and squeals in delight when she sees them out at the park or walking with their owners.

Kate loves playing with her safari puzzle, which mainly involves pulling all of the pieces off, pulling everything out of cabinets, drawers, toy boxes, and bins and putting it all back in, placing objects inside of things and dumping them all out, and exploring.

She loves, LOVES her Mommy.  I sometimes joke that she is a stage five clinger because there are times that I cannot even leave the room without a protest, even when Daddy is in plain sight.  We know this is a phase and there will be a time that she will care less if I am in the room or not, so I cherish this stage five clinger phase and will secretly mourn the moments that she doesn't notice when I'm not around.

Dislikes/Discipline
Kate is such a sweetheart, but, like any 12 month old, she does have her moments.  When things don't go her way, she bangs her head on whatever hard surface is nearest.  This has involved folding in half to bang her head on the floor while seated on the floor and throwing her head back against cabinets, walls, and crib sides while seated in their vicinity.  Her Mommy and Daddy don't like this one bit a.) because we don't want her to hurt herself, and b.) because she is making us pay attention to her because we don't want her to hurt herself and we don't want her to think that a little head banging gets her her way.  If any such behavior arises, we try the good old distraction method by completely turning her attention elsewhere.  This typically solves the problem...for now.

Kate is very independent so she does not like being constricted, especially if she would like to go somewhere/get something.  She is very curious and we have tried to allow all safe exploration of the house and things about the house as much as we can.

Mobility and Motions
Kate's primary mode of transportation is walking.  She took her first steps a few weeks ago and has been perfecting the art ever since!

She can shake her head sideways for 'no' and she is very good at pointing, waving and clapping.  We are working on the 'yes' head nod.  We realize we are only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kate's physical feats.

Talking
Kate vocabulary includes the following words spoken in chronological order:

Dog (similar to 'dah' and usually accompanied with high-pitched squealing.)
Dada
Mama

She is becoming very vocal, saying 'ugh' and 'mmm' and pointing at whatever she wants.

Overall Demeanor
Kate is such a sweetheart.  She has such a pleasant demeanor and rarely cries.  We know something is really wrong when she is upset because for the most part she is such a happy baby!  She is also extremely intelligent and we are constantly getting complimented on how smart she is.  She loves to observe children and adults (and dogs) but really watches and pays attention and takes the world in.  She is our sweet angel girl and we have been, are and will continue to be over the moon with joy that she is part of our lives!

As I write this, I realize that even though time is flying by, my toddler Baby will always be my Baby - even when she is a little girl, even when she is a teenager, even when she is a grown woman - and I will revel in that thought always.  We love you, Kate.