19 Months Old

Kendall is 19 months old! I can hardly wrap my head around my fingers typing those numbers. Holy. Moly. And let's just say the monthly photo shoots are getting more and more challenging...

and sometimes more and more emotional... with this little one wanting to do what she wants to do not what mom wants to do!

Kendall is little by little wearing more 2T and 24 month clothes and fewer 18 month clothes. She's still in size 4 diapers and wears 5 or 6 in shoes. She's up to 8 teeth now, people!! Four on top and four on bottom with a few more about to poke through. Slowly but surely they'll come in.

Since last month, Kendall has been saying several more words. She really does her best to repeat words when we ask her - it's fun to hear her progress over time. Some of her more recent vocabulary additions include:

- "no way" (yep, she picked this one up fast from Michael. He tends to say it with excitement as we tell him about our adventures from the day :)

- "babas" for bubbles since we've been blessed with some nice outdoor time in recent weeks

- "Mimi" "Emma" and "Ab-bay" are all little friends from her various classes and activities

- "E! E! E!" every time she marks with a pen, marker, or crayon on paper she says this. I'm fairly sure she's heard Katelyn say, "Look, mom, I wrote an 'e'" and decided to participate too :)

- "Dutch" this is the most recent attempt at saying (Uncle) Mitch

- "way" is in reference to throwing something away. If she has a tissue in her hand or a piece of paper, she'll say "way" and wave goodbye as if saying, "see ya, I'm throwing this away."

- "hoop" for basketball hoop, which we have in our basement.

- "Essa" and "Aaanna" are Elsa and Anna from Frozen. While she's never seen the movie, we have a few books and (still) listen to the soundtrack on repeat!

- "Open" for assistance opening something.

- "oh maaah" is for "oh man" which we sometimes say when we're disappointed in something.

- "doo doo" for tutu, her newest fashion obsession.

In addition to saying more words, she's blowing us away with her understanding of what we say. We can give her simple one or two step tasks and she knows exactly what to do (for example, "Kendall, please get your shoes and bring them to mommy." or "Where is your toothbrush? Can you find it?") It's a lot of fun to watch her eyes light up with understanding and then respond appropriately.

Kendall and Katelyn are having a lot of fun playing together. We all play grocery store quite often where Katelyn sets up the food around the play room and Kendall and I are the shoppers. I'll say, "Kendall, we need peas, can you find the peas and put them in the cart?" The girls also play doctor (Kendall the patient and Katelyn the doc), basketball, and "tag" together. But Kendall is also just as likely to play independently. Many times throughout the day, I'll see her interested in something in the play room and exploring it quietly on her own.

Kendall has officially dropped her morning nap. I think last month she was still taking it a few days a week, but we're officially down to one afternoon nap now. And she's sleeping in regularly until 7 am - woo hoo! We have definitely made some great strides in the sleep department over the last couple months and I'm grateful for that (and so is Kendall, she's just so well-rested and ready to take on what the day has in store.) 

As for her favorite foods, she still loves scrambled eggs with cheese, oatmeal (but oh so messy!), fruit of any kind, mac and cheese, crackers with hummus, and cooked carrots. She's still particular about getting food on her hands or arms (but could care less about her face, probably because she can't see it!) If she gets yogurt or ketchup on her hand, she'll say "uh-oh" repeatedly until she's clean again. This girl!!

Kendall Jean, what a difference you make. Your sweet, perceptive personality, larger-than-life hugs, and tender snuggles are almost too much for this heart to handle! :) We all love you so very much and look forward to watching the story of your life unfold - and lucky us, we've got a front row seat!

What Renews a Mama's Heart

You guys. These girls...

They just make my heart swell with joy. Oh, how we treasure them so!

Let's be real. It's not unicorns and rainbows all day long (though we do like both :) Not by any means is every moment like this... 

But that's what makes us stop. And notice. And appreciate. And savor these moments so very much when they spontaneously take shape.

These moments. Sometimes as quickly as they manifest, they dissolve due to a wiggly 18-month old or a distracted preschooler. But oh, how these brief moments renew my heart! How they remind us in one glance what love looks like; what everyday, ordinary, organic, in-our-real-lives love looks like. And how thankful we are for it. ♥

And by the way, this duo is grOWING! We had their 4-year and 18-month wellness visits a couple weeks ago and here are their stats...

Katelyn

41.5 inches tall (85%)

40 pounds (84%)

BMI is 16.33 (17%)

Kendall

33.5 inches tall (91%)

24 pounds (43%)

Head circumference is 18.75 inches (78%)

Both near the 90th percentile for height?! Clearly that's from dad, not 5'4" me :) They are healthy, growing, learning new things, and developing their own personalities. What a gift to be a part of it all!  

BirthDAY!

February 17, 2010: For our family, it was a day that changed our lives forevermore! We were finally face-to-face with our firstborn child, Katelyn Clare. Michael and I launched full-speed into the journey of parenthood. And our firsthand experience with the miracle of life left us awed and wonderstruck. It's hard to even comprehend the magnitude of how she has changed; and how we have changed. This child has changed us. In the best ways possible.

Tiny Katelyn Clare at one day old and our big girl at four (!) years old!

This year, February 17 fell on a Monday, so Michael took the day off work and we spent time celebrating Katelyn and letting her call (almost all) the shots. Breakfast was mini-pancakes on the "special red plate" as well as a birthday serenade as Katelyn came downstairs. 

She opened a few presents from us and a few birthday cards that arrived in the mail. She was super pumped about her new Anna doll from the movie Frozen, as you can imagine :)

Then it was off to Mall of America for the day - one of Katelyn's favorite destinations! We rode several rides including the carousel, the big balloon ride (below), and many more. Kate was loving it! Kendall was a little more cautious!

We even got to meet a couple characters from the show "Bubble Guppies" - this time Katelyn was a little cautious and Kendall was all about saying hello. Role reversal :)

For lunch we checked out Rainforest Cafe but Katelyn kept saying, "I want lots of options" (aka the food court!) She ended up choosing Chipotle for lunch - a favorite spot for all of us. Then we went back to Nickelodeon Universe for a special birthday face painting experience! 

Why on earth did we think she'd be cool with a small heart or rainbow on her cheek? One look at the book of options and this girl went for the gold! Full-face (neon) butterfly, of course :)

Oh, my heart... 

Katelyn had a blast checking out her butterfly face at home and throughout the rest of the day. We even did some shopping at Costco and got quite a few smiles and compliments on the colorful display!

In keeping with tradition, here is a brief birthday interview with our 4 year old (the items with a * indicate the same response as last year)...

Favorite color: Pink* and Purple

Favorite toy: Dollies

Favorite fruit: Blueberries

Favorite meal: Pasta (mac and cheese)*

Favorite outfit: Polka-dot dress

Favorite game: Tic-Tac-Toe and Connect4

Favorite snack: Fruit snacks*

Favorite animal: "Umm, I don't like any am-in-als. Oh wait, I like cats... and dogs."

Favorite song: "Let it Go" from Frozen

Best friend: Abby

Favorite thing to do outside: Play on our swing set

Favorite holiday: "February 17" ;)

Least favorite food: Carrots

When I grow up I want to be: A businesswoman

Sweet Kate, we hope you always know how absolutely wonderful you are! You have blessed us in countless ways. You have shaped us. You have taught us. You have loved us. You have amazed us. And we know you'll continue to do all of those things every day, which is such a gift. Thank you for 4 incredible years. We praise God for you every day. We love you!

Party Time!

Whoa, has it really been over two weeks since my last post?! I guess that's what happens when, for the first time since Kendall was born, illness hit our house. The week before her birthday, Katelyn came down with a nasty upper respiratory infection which then led to an ear infection and pink eye. No fun. Thankfully, the rest of us were spared and remained healthy. I'm certain it was by the grace of God - in addition to lots of Clorox wipes and excessive hand washing - that Kendall did not catch the ultra-contagious pink eye. Whew!

This past week, I caught a cold which meant 8 pm bedtimes most of the week for me, so that's why the blog has been quiet. It's certainly not for lack of exciting celebrations around here... we now have a 4 year old in the houuu-se!

More on Katelyn's actual birthday and how we celebrated her in a future post, but this one's all about her party. Once again this year, we gave her the choice between a friend party in Minnesota or a family party in Iowa. In keeping with tradition, the reigning champion won out again: time with family in Iowa (can't go wrong with that choice!) Her party was held on Saturday, February 15, which is Uncle Mitch's birthday (he joined the fun later that day). It started at 10 am, so along with the birthday cake, we served brunch fare including yogurt parfaits and ham and cheese quinoa cups. 

Even though it was a snowy morning which unfortunately kept Gramma Debbie, Gigi, and Aunt Ronda from making the trip, we still had several guests that were able to make it including Uncle Ryan, Great Grandma and Grandpa Rehm, Great Aunt Cindy and Uncle RJ, and cousins Chris, Kristin, Campbell, Reid, and baby Colin.

I pulled out a picture from each of Katelyn's previous parties to feature on the mantle. She's changed and grown so much in four years!

While the guests undoubtedly made the party a memorable and joyful experience, the gifts probably took second place. Katelyn was showered with generosity and she was thrilled about everything: a jumbo stuffed princess bear, a flying fairy, a bright and "bling-y" necklace, Connect 4, the Frozen soundtrack, a huge Sofia the First coloring book, and more!

In the week since receiving the soundtrack from Frozen, we now have every song memorized and the tunes haven't left our heads since. All fabulous music! (Even Michael has been caught singing along :)

How about these two? Second cousins Campbell and Katelyn are 8 months apart and only see each other once or twice a year, but they've been fast friends since the start. They pick right up where they left off - aren't those the best kind of friends? Little darlings!

The night before the party, Katelyn said as I was tucking her into bed, "I'm so excited for the people to sing happy birthday to me and blow out four candles. Four of them, Mommy!" Such anticipation and sweetness in her tone, too. The serenade was certainly a highlight...

And a picture of the fabulous singers...

Birthday parties have always been our opportunity to ensure we get at least a couple family pictures a year. Here's our family of four this time around...

We had fun meeting baby Colin and given Kendall's love of "bee-bees," she liked checking him out.

Kendall also befriended Great Grandma and Grandpa Rehm. You know, they all caught up on the weather and sports and Elmo - your average chit chat :)

Meanwhile, the big girls (and big boy Reid) were dancing the day away to Frozen. They loved it!

The girls with their matching, super cute, super stylish necklaces!

Reid had a thing for Kendall - he was so sweet and gentle with her :)

The Flutterbye flying fairy from Uncle Ry was quite a hit! Once she was charged up, she took several flights around the room, as the kids (and adults) watched in awe.

Reviewing the lyrics from Frozen (if you haven't seen it yet, it's a great movie!)

Uncle Mitchell arrived in the afternoon and it was so fun to celebrate him too, the birthday boy! We all went out for dinner and drinks. It was a blast to all be together!

Kendall and Uncle Ry played together a lot, as usual :)

And she snuggled with Uncle Mitch too...

This is how the girls feel about being at Gramma and Papa's house - big smiles all around!

We were also fortunate enough to get to see my longtime friend and neighbor, Tiffany. She happened to be in town visiting her family with her month-old son and almost 2-year-old daughter, so it worked out beautifully to catch up for a bit. Friends for two decades and I'm so thankful for her!

It truly was a weekend to remember! We're grateful for everyone who helped celebrate Katelyn's 4th birthday. We are blessed beyond belief by our sweet Katelyn Clare, our brand new 4-year-old!

18 Months Old!

Family and friends, these precious baby blues have been taking in the world for 18 months now. That's a year and a half. Oh my WOW - it's gone fast.

Oh, Kendall. I know. This is precisely how I feel about you turning 18 months old too...

I can't decide what's more surprising: a) that our little Kendie is already a year-and-a-half old (!!!!!) or b) that I'm actually posting her monthly update within a day of the 7th :) At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we are having so much fun at this stage. The girls (mostly) play well together, we all laugh together... a lot, Kendall is learning new words everyday, and we're really just in a great pattern of life right now. (Including watching Curious George during the photo shoot... ya do what works, peeps!)

Here are some quick stats on Kendall at 18 months...

Number of teeth: 6 total, 3 top, 3 bottom (until a couple weeks ago, it was just 4!)

Shoe size: just upgraded to 6

Diaper size: 4

Clothing size: Mostly 18 month, but some 24 mo/2T things

A big update since our last post is that Kendall is now "sleeping in" - and by sleeping in, I mean she's no longer waking up in the 5 o'clock hour ready for the day and instead snoozes until at least 6:30. Woohoo! This is a major breakthrough after months of early wake-ups. How'd we do it? Started putting her to bed earlier - at 7 pm instead of 7:30. We are also in the process of dropping her morning nap, so the earlier bedtime is helping with that too. A few times a week, she still takes a morning snooze, but for the most part she catches at least an hour of zzz's in the afternoon (which is also an improvement over her 35 minute naps!) We can tell that she's now getting the sleep she needs!

Kendall still gives the best leg hugs and she knows they usually result in lift-up and a real hug. She also says "hi" to people in public, but other times if she's feeling bashful and someone smiles at her, she'll simply look the other way and pretend not to see them. 

Everyone seems to comment on Kendall's big blue eyes. And also her prominent eyebrows - it's an Ellis/Ridnour thing, just ask my Grandma. A couple people have even compared Kendall's to Brooke Shields' eyebrows - something I heard frequently growing up as well.

Kendie is saying new words every day. If we ask her to say a word, she always gives her best effort and it's usually pretty close! She's started to put two words together lately too - most recently "Daddy home?",  "baby eat" (when she's feeding her dolly) and "baby poop" (when dolly needs her diaper changed and Kendall proceeds to grab one of her diapers, unfold it, and set the baby on it :). New words are "help," "yuck," "bowl," "purple," "blue," "bear," "deer," and "George." (One of her favorite books right now is a Curious George book where a bowling ball rolls into the mud - "yuck!" Which is where she learned that word, too!)

Kendall enjoys coloring with markers (and leaving the lids off). And I can always tell which drawings are hers as she loves to move her hand around and around in a circular motion creating lots of little round creations across the bottom of the paper. She also loves play dough, but if any gets stuck under her fingernails or on her clothes - watch out. She is not a fan of that and will squeal "uh-oh" for "hep!"

We have been busy with play dates, ECFE class, Bible Study play group, church class, and playing in the kid's area at the gym. Whenever I ask her what she will do at any of the above activities, she always without-fail replies, "babies! babies!" Which means she'll play with the dollies (but the teachers at the gym have also told me that she helps with the real babies as well!) This little one loves the babies - no doubt about that!

Kendall loves to request "hop" for snack which is code for Annie's brand bunny crackers. She especially likes the cheddar cheese or white cheddar cheese varieties. The one food that I can always get her to eat is scrambled eggs with cheese. That, bunny crackers, and her milk are the only guarantees these days. Some days she'll devour something and the next day won't touch it (pizza, mac and cheese, or turkey, for example). Always keeping us on our toes and forcing creativity with mealtimes :)

Kendall Jean, 18 month old girl. Wow! No matter how much we plead with you to slow down, you just keep on growing ;) You are one of a kind and we're so lucky to be your mom and dad. Your sweet, sometimes skeptical, personality has created more love in our hearts than we thought possible. Thank you for expanding our capacity for love beyond what we ever dreamed of! May we do the same for you, sweet girl.