13 Months Old

Guess who's 13 months old already? Yep, the one who just turned 12 months old a few seconds ago. Kendall is now a walking, talking (okay, babbling) toddler! Here's what she's up to these days...

She's wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers. Her shoe size is also 4. Kendall's third tooth just popped through today - her first top one (front left). She gets around by walking everywhere. I've noticed in the last couple weeks that crawling has become a thing of the past now that she's solidified her strut and gained some confidence along the way. 

So yeah, that independence thing? Uh-huh. She loves to do this... 

And she also loves to climb stairs, couches, chairs, and the other day was found sitting atop (as in ON TOP of) the toddler table in our playroom. My word! She's full of curiosity and once she has her mind set on something, nothing will get in her way (and if it does, she's been known to throw a big ol' fit for a few seconds until the next distraction comes along).

At 13 months old, Kendall has three obsessions.

1) Baby dolls. She LOVES babies. She is drawn to them like a magnet. She starts "talking" excitedly and pointing when she spots a baby doll and will immediately pick it up. She has a small doll (it's a "little sister" doll to a larger doll we have) and it goes everywhere with her (including bed!) Katelyn never had a "lovey"(a toy or blanket attachment - unless you count her paci, that was definitely an attachment), so it's cute to see how Kendall is so connected to her little dolly.

2) Light switches. She cannot get enough of flipping them up and down, on and off. Before we leave a room, she almost always reaches for them and "talks" as she gets to work!

3) Dancing. If she hears a beat, you better believe she'll be bouncing and clapping to it!

Kendall enjoys many of the same foods we do for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but her favorites are mac and cheese, spaghetti, corn on the cob, cheese, grapes, and strawberries. She's still nursing twice a day, too. She's gotten used to whole milk out of her sippy cup but I would say she still prefers water. She's now signing for "more" and has recently added the sign for "please" to that request as well.

She and Katelyn play really well together. They simply adore one another. There are some occasional squabbles but they really are few and far between (at this point anyway!) Kendall is undoubtedly engaging in the world around her and it's so fun to watch! 

We began ECFE class last week (while Katelyn is at preschool on Wednesdays) and it was a blast to see Kendall in a "classroom" environment with a handful of peers learning and exploring. We're in a class with 12-22 month olds and it's a gradual separation class which means by the end of the session, the parents will spend part of the class in a different room from the children. For now we're in the same room for the duration of the 1.5 hour class, but the parents converse in the boring part of the room (i.e. no toys around) and the kids have the freedom to check in with us anytime. She seems to enjoy it so far!

My friend, Nealy, took some one-year pictures of Kendall when we got together at their house for dinner last month and I just have to share them. Nealy is an incredible photographer and was so gracious to snap a few shots while we were there. Check them out! (And if you're in the Twin Cities area, I'd definitely encourage you to contact her for any of your photo needs!)

Kendall's hair is growing like crazy! Even when I look at these pictures from a month ago, her piggies are much fuller and longer now.

She still does "soooo big" when prompted and also loves to look at and pet animals in real life or in books (dogs, cats, birds, elephants, you name it.)

After dinner, Kendall knows it's bath time followed by bed time and whenever she's taken out of her high chair at that time of day, she waves goodbye to everyone around her since she knows she's retiring for the night :)

Kendall's temperament is still relaxed and content around people she knows. Around new faces, she still tends to cling a bit tighter to me or Michael and is rather cautious. And sometimes unfamiliar faces are too much for her - like at Costco when she's in the cart on the other side of the check out lane from me and the worker talks to her... oh golly, the tears!

Kendall's favorite words are dada, mama, and the most recent addition: "Papa!" She'll look at a picture of my dad, point to it, and say "Papa." She also says "bah" for ball and "dah" for yeah/yes. She does a lot of "gulla, gulla, gulla" talking while pointing when she's excited about something (light switches, for example - ha!)

Kendall, you are quite simply the sweetest little thing! Your big blue eyes draw people in (whether you like it or not!) and your smile is infectious. We're beyond blessed by you and watching you grow has been a thrilling ride - with more thrills ahead! Thank you for your sweet, gentle, curious, easy-going nature. We love you to the moon and back, baby girl!

Labor Day Weekend

 We hope you enjoyed the 3-day weekend a couple weeks ago. We traveled to Iowa for quick visits with Gramma Kathy and Papa, and then Gramma Debbie. From there we went on to Illinois to spend our Labor Day weekend with Jason, Cassie, and Emerson (and our nephew due in January - woo hoo!!) and our friends the Kensingers. Our families always have a blast together!

The kids spent time playing, dancing, pretending, dressing-up, singing, swimming, biking, flying kites, and the always-popular riding in the golf cart!

Katelyn and Peyton (5)

Brooke, Peyton, Katelyn, and Missy

Kendall busted out her bikini for the pool. Thanks to my friend Heidi for this adorable little number!

Katelyn went down the water slide countless times and it always plunged her down under water, which surprisingly was not a deterrent - she never got tired of it!

Meanwhile, little Kendall did get tired. I mean seriously, bikini-wearing is hard work. (And how about Michael's shades?! Circa 1983.)

Katelyn, Peyton, and Calvin

Love these sweet cousins - Emerson and Kate

Peyton's dresses were a hit with all the girls! And so it begins... trading clothes!

Katelyn caught a frog - here are the kids watching it hop around in the grass.

A rare moment with all the girls within inches of each other, sitting still, and with smiles on their faces :)

Golf cart rides are a big hit! Jason and Cassie live right on a course, so it's a common sight to see golf carts crusin' the streets. Golf carts filled to the brim with kids though? Probably not as common.

Brooke, Calvin, Peyton, Katelyn, Jason, and Emerson

Missy, Kendall, Katelyn, Peyton, and Brooke

Kendall enjoyed a sunset wagon ride one lovely evening...

The mamas...

Emerson was so gracious to share all of her toys all weekend. One of the more popular items was this dollhouse...

The kids (and kids at heart - ahem, Jesse and Michael), spent an hour or more flying kites one evening. With a little help from the dads, the kites were flying high in no time. But some of them crashed into trees or the ground as the wind fluctuated and had to be revived.

It was certainly a practical application of patience and perseverance!

It was a good thing Uncle Jason was grilling up some good eats after all the kite flying - these kids were hungry!

This one was hungry too! She's also got some Iowa in her blood, if you can't tell. After she showed the corn who's boss, she did the same to the beer. Kidding, kidding.

After the grill out, we had s'mores marshmallows. Lots of marshmallows. Right before bed. Both roasted and raw. The kids were on a sugar high during bath time, but crashed hard on their pillows. 

We loved all the laughs and memories we made. It's a blessing to have family that are friends and friends like family.

Summer Snapshots

It's September! Our fall activities began this week and preschool for Katelyn starts next week!! Already?!?! Before we kiss another summer goodbye, here's a look at some of what filled our last three months. It was such a fun summer full of sister time, new discoveries, enjoying company, and having countless picnics, park visits, and dance parties!!

I just love these precious silhouettes...

Kendall learned to walk over the summer. One of our family's most marked changes!

Dance party central with these two girly girls. Good thing Dad is a great sport!

We will miss the summer evenings. They're ripe for playing til the bugs get us and picnics at the park. Best buy of the summer: this rainbow picnic blanket for $20 at Target. It got used hundreds of times!

The girls love talking to each other through this wall vent. It's the simple things, isn't it?!

We were lucky enough to visit with Great Grandma Verla ("Gigi") as she, Aunt Ronda, and Uncle Joel stopped by en route to northern Minnesota. Always love their visits!

Papa and Gramma Kathy also visited for several days to help me out while Michael was in Pittsburgh. I'm so grateful for the extra helpers and fun!

We went to an outdoor concert for kids one morning...

Katelyn (blue shirt, pink shorts) is seated next to her friend Abby...

Parks, parks, and more parks! We've definitely made our rounds this summer and our favorites usually have shade, wood chips (Kendall loves to grab fistfuls), and climbing walls (Katelyn's fave).

Meet the Matchy-Matchy Sisters...

Kendall thinks she's going to preschool next week too, sitting all proper in a little kid chair...

We visited Michael at work today and had so much fun taking in the sights and sounds of downtown. Had to stop for a pic with the Mary Tyler Moore statue, took a nice cruise through the (bustling!) skyways, and visited the red wall. On our way home, I asked Katelyn what kind of work she thinks all those people do downtown and she replied without hesitation, "They paint polka dots. Lots and lots of polka dots for Target." Referring to all the bullseyes. :)

What a wonderful summer -- really though, it was full of wonder. Experiencing summer through the eyes (and ears, and hands, and feet!) of little ones is so special. Just like popsicles, corn on the cob, and a generous glass of white wine, we've savored summer down to the last drop!

Little Fish

All summer long, Katelyn has been attending swimming lessons once a week - her first structured introduction to swimming. She sure has come a long way from squinting her eyes and turning her head at the very prospect of a little water splashing on her face!

Each week they work on getting comfortable with splashing, "kicks and scoops" (leg and arm movements), face submersion, back floats, and other skills.

They sing songs and work on skills with kid-friendly terms like "monkey cheeks" and "giraffe neck." 

Katelyn's confidence level in the water has improved remarkably and she willingly submerges her face in the water now. It's been so fun to watch her become more and more comfortable each week.

Here's a video clip from our Labor Day weekend in Illinois, showing our little fish in action. She did this probably a hundred times over the weekend!

While the summer session is over (and sadly, the outdoor pool days are numbered), we look forward to continuing swimming lessons this fall and building on all she's learned so far. Way to go, Kate!