Christmas 2008

Well, we had a great first Christmas with Kaiya and the family. Unfortunately Josh's mom couldn't make it as she just recently had surgery but Josh's dad came over and we got together with my whole family, even my brother was here! Kaiya had a blast, she actually opened her gifts. Next year will be even better, she may actually understand what she is doing- lol. I'll try to post some videos later, took many of them.

At my Parents House

We went to the Harley Museum on Friday, Kaiya enjoyed all the lights and sounds of the motorcycles. She did really good, but by the end she had passed out in my arms.

Grandpa Kraner & Kayia

Here is Kaiya with her second Cousin, Peyon. Peyton really likes 'Baby Kaiya'. Kaiya slept for about 3 hours while we were at my Grandma's house (which was great cause she wasn't sleeping much the days before) but Peyton was upset cause he didn't get to play much with her.

4 - month Checkup

Ok, so I can't believe Kaiya is 4 months already! It seems like just yesterday we brought her home! And oh how she has grown. She is 14lbs 2oz, 25" long - She is in the 75% for height, 60% for weight and 70% for head size. So we are still pretty proportioned. Her first Christmas is coming up and we are looking forward to it to spend time with Family.

Our 1st picture with Santa!

She was great! Didn't get a smile cause she was tired but no crying!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Josh, Kaiya and I headed up to our house in Eagle River for the Thanksgiving weekend. Although no one else in our family could join us, we still went to just relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of our lives in Milwaukee. Kaiya and I literally sat around in pajamas most of the weekend while Josh sat outside all bundled up hunting deer. He saw about 5 doe but in our county up there, this year you had to shoot a buck, and he dind't see any of those. Maybe next year.

Kaiya is SSSOOO close to rolling over on her own (unless she has for Tiffany already and she is being very nice and not telling us!!). She was practicing a lot up north - her arm just keeps getting in the way!! Once she does I'll try to get it on video to post here.

She has found her voice and uses it a lot, I think its cute. Below is a video of her just talking away as well as one of her watching Baby Einstein - or 'Baby Crack' as Tiffany affectionally refers to it as. Kai loves the Baby Einstein videos.

Talking to Myself

Watching Baby Einstein

She also has figured out how to pull the cord on her bouncy seat to make the music play herself - a big accomplishment, only problem is now we hear the same song over, and over, and over, and over ;) So I tried to cut this video down a bit to spare you the same song over and over!

Playing the music on my bouncy seat

(yes, I sound like I"m praising a dog - lol)

Kai's first attempts at feeding herself...

Daddy - why are you paying more attention to the computer than me?



This picture was snapped at a bad time - she really isn't scared of the dogs!

Enjoy the Videos and Pictures!

The next Brett Ryback?

My family has always been into music, I played the flute and very little piano - my mom a talented singer and my brother just gifted in every aspect of music that there is ;) So I wanted there to be music in Kaiya's life right from the beginning. I have some very simplistic kids sheet music that I have played to her ever since she was born (and we sing the songs too but I wasn't gonna sing on camera!). Well now she has started playing along with me!! She really seems to enjoy it, it may sound silly but whenever I start singing to her she will usually give me a big smile!!

Another Dog Show

Well Kai has two dog shows under her belt now - my Mom, Kaiya and I were at an agility show this weekend. (Daddy was hunting so Kai had to tag along with Mom) Kaiya did pretty well!! She napped pretty good when we got her bouncy seat...And put a blanket and coat over it to help with the light and the dogs barking...Yes, she is under there somewhere and no, she was not suffocating!



Here I am!



Playing with my rattles...



My Mommy and Grandma with their winnings...



There is so much prepration that has to go into travelling with a little one - MAN!! Now our next adventure starts Wed as we head up to Eagle River for the weekend - We have a Dodge Ram Pickup extended cab and with all the stuff we have to take for her we are gonna be packed full!! LOL, its bad!

Play Center

Josh got a really nice play center from a teacher at work (Thank you!) - Kaiya is still a little small for it, her feet don't quite touch the ground but that hasn't stopped her from enojoying it!

Tummy Time

Kaiya is getting better about tummy time - don't get me wrong, the majority of it she is still screaming - but at some rare moments we get a good tummy time. Today was one of those times - here is a cute picture of her daddy doing tummy time with her.

Halloween

I didn't think we were gonna be able to get out to a pumpkin farm this year because its been cold and windy and I didn't want to take Kaiya out in that just to subject her to pictures at the pumpkin farm. Then Halloween day rolled around and the weather pulled through for us!! Josh had off work cause of conventions and I had off and it was 70 degrees out so we went to the pumpkin farm! Kaiya didn't do much but we had fun nonetheless - she saw a goat, a train and many kids playing.

Kaiya in her pumpkin shirt

Kaiya trying to eat her hand

Kaiya almost 2 feet tall

So we picked out our pumpkin, brought it home and carved it.

Back to work

I have to admit going back to work wasn't as hard as I thought it would be - Kaiya had fun at Tiffany's - I heard they read books and she likes bunnies! (picture in the book) But I was ok at work - I emailed Tiffany once and called once - I think that is pretty good - lol!! She goes back for a full week next week and I'm hoping it goes just as smooth as the one day this past week.

My last day...

Well, today is my last day on Maternity Leave - getting tears just now as I write this blog :( It will be ok, I'll go back to work to help out our family and Kaiya will enjoy her time with Tiffany and then I can see her when I get home from work - but its gonna be hard, I'm gonna miss my little girl during the day! So what are we doing today? We had our last mom's chat at the hospital - it was a costume party - a nice way to end our weeks with the new friends we made. Here is Kaiya in her not original costume - a pumpkin (I"m not big into halloween).

Then after the party we stopped by Tiffany's to drop off some last minute things for her and for Kaiya. Nothing else really planned for today, she's taking a good nap right now, then we'll probably read or sing together at the piano, just hang out together. (ok, I realize this is sounding like the last time I will ever see her - lol) So yeah, I'm a little sad but I know she will be in good hands.

More Random Pictures...

Random pictures of Kaiya - we took a walk today, nice day but cooler, so we put on her sweatshirt and purple hat - yeah, the hat doesn't match but it kept her warm!

Random Thoughts....

Things have been going really well with the family. Kaiya is sleeping through the night!!!! (knock on wood, someone, really quickly) Last night we went from 8:30pm - 7:30am when Josh went in to make sure she was still alive!! We have ranged anywhere from waking up around 4:30 - 7:30 in the AM after going to bed anywhere between 7:00 and 9:00pm. Our naps have been hit and miss lately though - some days she takes really good ones and other days 45 min at a time. And its hard to get her down for her naps but at night, I lay her down awake and she fall asleep on her own!! Its awesome - not yet there on naps but hopefully.

So, I go back to wok next week Wednesday, not looking forward to it at all. Why do we need money - why can't we just win the lottery so I can stay home with my little girl - why!? I don't know how I'm gonna be, I am going to miss her terribly :( The only thing keeping me going is knowing I am only working 4 days a week so I will be with her for a 3 day weekend!! Yesterday we were looking at the faces board I made and playing with a rattle, that is her new big thing - she does grasp it and shake it, doesn't hold it for very long but she is getting the hang of grasping things. (The video is a quick time video - hopefully you can see it - trying to work on converting to a windows media player file...)









Then, Josh came home and threw on the baby bjorn to hang out with her - some pics of him and Kaiya.





To end the night, I will sometimes give her a massage (lucky baby, I wish someone would give me a massage at night). So last night was a massage night :)

My brother

My Brother is currently on a web series on http://www.lg15.com/ called The Resitance (check it out, its a weird show if you ask me but I like it cause my brother is in it!) - they asked the cast of the resistance to paricipate in the get out and vote campaign - so check out his video below!

Kaiya's Big Day

Today Kaiya got baptized, she got welcomed into God's Family. It was a gorgeous day here, we couldn't have asked for a better day. She wore a gown that my Great Aunt made for me, so to her it was made by her Great Great Aunt, it was very special. She had the hat, and booties to match! She didn't like the hat much so she didn't wear it a lot but she was cute!! (Ignore the dates on the photos - for some reason it is not printing the right ones!)

My brother and my cousin Amy are her Godparents, my brother unfotunately couldn't make it home so my dad stood in for him.

She didn't cry much today during it, didn't cry when she got the water on her head, only cried when the priest took her from me :)

We then had a party at our house after to celebrate, had lots of family and some friends over. Here is a generation picture, my grandma, my mom, me and Kaiya.

Tummy time with the dogs

Today we were doing tummy time with Kaiya and the dogs decided they wanted to join in! (I just noticed that from the pictures it also appears Kallie was reading to Kaiya!)




Rocco checking her out more closely, but yet staying down on his tummy for his own tummy time!




We had our 2 month checkup yesterday - everything is looking good, she is growing good, in the 75th percentile for height and weight, we now weigh 11lbs. 14oz and are 22 7/8 inches long. She has good head control but has to work on her chest strength, so we need to do more tummy time, hence the tummy time today!! With the dogs helping, she'll be strong in no time ;)

Go Brewers Go!!

Well, 26 years later and we finally made the playoffs again!! Here is Kaiya all ready waiting for the game today!

My OTHER baby...

Kallie and I spent this weekend together at an agilitly trial - it was an ASCA trial (Australian Shepherd Club) - but any breed can enter. My friends were there doing herding so I thought, if we are gonna watch, might as well enter the agility part and have fun ourselves. So we did and we did GREAT. Kallie took 6 - 1st and 2 - 3rds!! She also was high in trial Novice dog on both days AND we got two new titles on her!! So, all in all it was a great weekend and we had fun spending time together, just the two of us (on Sunday as Kaiya was with us Saturday).

Brewers Game

Kaiya went to her first Brewers Game yesterday - and what a game to go to!! Ryan Braun, grand slam home run to win it!! YEHAW!!

Anyway, back to Kaiya, she had a good time, she was mesmerized by the lights and the people. We had ear plugs in her ears to hopefully help dampen the sound of the 40 plus thousand people there. But she was really good too - didn't cry at all, just snuggled with her mommy and daddy , slept some and watched people. We must have wore her out though - she slept great last night and has been sleeping lot today! It was great, we created some great memories last night.