Easter 2010

We had a great Easter this past year. The Easter Bunny came to two houses for Kaiya this year again! However this year we didn't go sit on his lap this year as Kaiya has a big fear of mascots at the moment.

Basket #1



Basket #2

We went on an Easter Egg Hunt this year - it wasn't really a 'hunt' though. All the eggs were in plain sight. Kaiya had a BLAST! Although the weather didn't cooperate, cold and rainy - she absolutely LOVED it.

Doctor Visits, a girly girl and fun world

Well, it was bound to come sooner or later - tonight we had to fill our first prescription for Kaiya. But I have to say at 19 months, I think we have done well!!

She has pink eye in her right eye. It came on VERY quickly and I'm worried it is spreading to her left eye as before she went to bed it had some discharge too. We think she got it at the YMCA where she goes to play with kids when mommy/daddy workout. On Friday there was a sign up stating a case was reported on Tuesday... We are hoping Mommy and Daddy don't get it, but I won't be surprised if we do!!



And NO, Mommy or Daddy didn't beat her up!!



This is our new look, little pig tails! We think she looks adorable!! What do you think!? Now she actually is starting to look like a girl!

Fun world! Mommy and Kaiya took a trip to Fun World in Germantown recently. They have games for kids/adults to play - kinda like a chuck e. cheese. They also have a mini bounce area for toddlers and a large and small indoor play area. Kaiya had a good time, not as fun as Big Backyard though. She wasn't too comfortable in the bounce house, falling down a lot.

She wanted to play on the big kids play house - so mommy went up with her - we had fun going down the slides together!

Independent is my name...

Independent is Kaiya's new name - she has turned 18 months and all of a sudden she can do everything on her own! She doesn't like to be carried much anymore, likes to walk in the parking lot and into stores. She doesn't need help putting shoes on, gets mad if you try. She doesn't need help feeding herself, even is getting upset if her food is cut up while we eat full pieces of things.

She picks up on things SO quickly and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES helping. If you say, "Kai, can you help me do this..." she gets the BIGGEST smile on her face. Loves putting clothes in the hamper, loves putting shoes in the closet, loves emptying the dishwasher, loves putting clothes in and taking them out of the washer/dryer. She just wants to be doing what we are doing. Its very fun to watch her pick up on things so quickly - we don't even show her how, she just watches us and picks up on it (this is good and bad!!!).

Climbing is the latest thing, I mean, she has been climing on things for awhile but now its getting a little bit out of control! Moreso, I'm scared she is gonna fall and hurt herself. Tonight I was watching dishes and came into the living room and there she was in her high chair...but Josh, nor I put her in it. So of course I had to see what she did so I took her out and let her climb back in and I was amazed! So then of course I had to get it on tape so I took her out and let her do it again!! And now I don't want her to do it anymore!! I think it might be time for her to move to a booster seat or something at our table....or a different kind of chair...

Thankfully, knocking very hard on wood, she hasn't climbed out of her crib yet...and I'm HOPING this doesn't happen for a VERY long time, I like that I can put her in it and not have to worry about her getting out!!

So wait for the next adventure, what our little dare devil will be doing tomorrow....

18 month visit

Kaiya had her 18 month doctor appointment today. All is well - growing as she should. She jumped up a bit in height percentage which is good, she won't be short and fat! lol Her current 'stats' are 32 1/2" tall (75%), 22lb 12 1/2 oz (25%) and head is 47 3/4 (80%). The doctor said she looks great and is progressing as she should, absolutely NO concerns! That makes a mom VERY happy. I have cried some tears today knowing she is 18 months, makes me sad to know she is growing up so quickly!!!

The doctor gave us some info on potty training, but also said she is probably still too little so don't push anything. We have bought a potty chair for her, she does sit on it but she also enjoys putting stuff in it including her foot. So right now it just sits in the bathroom and she is getting used to it. No pressure right now, she isn't ready.

Kai is exhibiting all the typical characteristics of an 18 month old troublemaker. She is big into hitting if she doesn't get her way - she packs a hard punch too!! If you tell her no, or take her away from something she wants she will throw herself on the ground and throw a mini tantrum. The doc today told me just wait until she is 3 and you want her back to 18 month and throwing a little tantrum vs. a big one!! So we try to ignore or distract her when she gets into her fits.

We are also attempting to wean her of her pacifier except at naps and bed time. She would get it sometimes while around the house (but rarely) and in the car. I was told it has to be gone by 24 months but I don't like kids WALKING with pacifiers in their mouths - so it needs to go away except she can still have it for sleeping. We are doing OK with it, at times there are fits cause she sees it and wants it - but we try our best to distract and not give in!!

She got her first fat lip Wednesday evening - the first of many big owies I can only imagine. She was trying to walk up the basement stairs and Rocco couldn't wait and sprinted up the steps and hit her - causing her bottom teeth to jab into her top lip :( Pictures below - so with the short bang cut I gave her and the fat lip - my daughter now looks like a boy! Wonderful!!

Kaiya Jo Update

Alright, so I know I have slacked BIG time on our blog recently. Holidays are fun but very stressful!! I'll try to get back on track.

Kaiya is doing great, she is almost 18 months old and just a bundle of joy!! She is so observant, it just amazes me. Josh and I can do things, just everyday things that we aren't specifically showing to Kaiya and the next thing we know, she is mimmicing them. Just tonight the things I can point out. Josh and I were trying to move her HUGE dresser, so Josh was pushing it - next thing we know Kaiya is next to the dresser pushing and grunting like daddy did. TOO FUNNY. Or - she LOVES to unload the dishwasher with us (I told Josh tonight we need to get it on video so when she is older and says how much she hates doing it we can show her that at 18 months she LOVED helping mommy and daddy! His response was if we get it on tape she will demand back pay for all the help she did without an allowance!!) So tonight, after she got all the tupperware out of the dishwasher, she pushed the drawer back in, closed the dishwasher and then started to push the buttons on it as if to start it - and even went to the start button to push. Josh and I just stared in amazement, NEVER have we showed her how to do it, just saw us and figured out that was the next step!! One more example, I was dusting earlier - tonight Kai grabbed my rag I didn't put away and started dusting things as well.

She is such a little helper. She LOVES helping us whenver she can, unloading groceries is one of her favorites. She is a great gopher too - if we need to pass stuff to each other in different rooms Kai is up for the challenge! Can give her something and say, go give this to daddy or mommy and she is off! We can tell her to do things like to go put shoes away, or clothes in the hamper, or get my a book from under the chair, or go get her giraffe, or shoes, or milk, etc (pretty much ANYTHING) and she will do as we ask. I just am amazed at how much she understands.

I was just telling Tiffany how I was worried about Kaiya because other friends tell me how many words their 18 or so month olds know and I was saying that Kaiya didn't know many. However, I then sat down and wrote down all her words she knows AND signs and I felt MUCH better, as she is doing better than I thought!

Words she says: Bob, Doggie, Hungry, mommy, daddy, kitty, meow, woof, up, stop, tickle tickle

Signs she knows: bath, more, thank you, please, water, milk, elephant, eat, juice, bird

Body parts she points to: hair, tummy, toes, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, head

Actions she knows: kick in the water, splash hands in the water, blow bubbles in the water, clap hands, high five, touch down!, hugs and kisses when asked - and I'm sure I'm forgetting some - Josh is currently working on pound with her :)

She feeds herself now with spoons and forks, infact if you try to help her she pitches a fit! She is trying to put her own shoes on, usually can't get them but she tries. She does get her own slippers on and loves putting her hat on herself. She likes drinking water from a normal cup, we usually just put a little in as a lot does end up on her but she does get a good amount in her mouth too.

We bought her a potty - and really all we are doing right now is letting her sit on it while we go potty (more so mommy than daddy) and just get used to it and see it. There is no formal training going on.

She is constantly into everything - she LOVES to climb, climbs on our bay window all the time - even moves her chair over to the window to climb up on it. Will climb on our dinning room chairs or pull herself up onto our corner table/bench in the kitchen. She has NO fear. Here is her standing on her tippie toes on top of a heater exchange pulling herself up on the window to see mommy coming home.

She is a VERY independent little girl and is starting to test mommy and daddy's patience. If you tell her no or take something away from her, she lets you know she isn't happy. Will fall on the floor and start crying. I try not to laugh or smile because its cute - right now - until she does it in a store!! 18 months and throwing mini tantrums already - YIKES!!! We are gonna be in for a long 'terrible twos' considering they have started already!

But all in all she is a great child, we can go anywhere with her and she is very relaxed and just goes with the flow.

Brewers On Deck

The Kraner Family headed to Brewers on Deck again this year. It is an event the brewers hold to get the fans excited for the upcoming season. They offer activities for kids and adults alike. They have autograph sessions (the main reason Josh likes going), photos with the brewers, grab bags full of bobbleheads, tickets, etc. Josh got down there at 6:30am even though the doors didn't open til 10!! It paid off, he got his Rickie Weeks autograph. Kaiya and mommy met him down there right around 10 and got right in thanks to the great position Josh had in line!!

Last year we got a picture with Jeff Suppan, this year the lines were WAY too long for pictures with any brewers so we skipped that. However, we did get our face painted! This was our first face painting - a simple heart. I wasn't sure how she was gonna do with it so we went easy, turns out she did GREAT, didn't move at all! So more complicated next time!

She also signed elephant for the first time today! The Kalahari had their mascot there, which is an elephant, so I said elephant and signed it and right after she did! And then when we saw him later she offered the sign without me having to show her first! I was shocked, and happy!

The Big Backyard

Kaiya and Mommy went to play at an indoor play area called The Big Backyard. Basically its a rainbow play system and a smaller, plastic, toddler play area - inside. They have bikes and houses and balls for them to play with as well. It was the BEST $7 we have spent in a long time. I also love this place because parents don't have to pay to get in - which is a plus - I hate places for kids that also charge parents admission - but I'm not interacting with the exhibits!? This place was awesome and Kaiya had the time of her life! She was smiles the whole time.

GOAL!!

Playing House

15 month checkup

We had our 15 month checkup today - still going strong! 21lb 14oz (50%), 30 1/2in (50%) - so we are a very average child!

She isn't talking much, just a couple words like BOB (Tiffany's cat), Mom, OP (stop at the dogs). I am a bit concerned however the doctor said not to worry. To continue reading, and showing her pictures and telling her animal sounds and singing alphabets in the car, etc.

I do have to say although she isn't talking, she understands A TON - you can ask her to do just about anything and she does - she just doesn't talk, but she DOES sign! She knows bird, bath, more, juice, milk, hi/bye. She seems to pick up on signs rather quickly - for instance, I have been trying to do juice with her for awhile and literally, just today I showed her milk and a juice box and asked her which she wanted - she pointed to the juice and I said can you say Juice - and she signed juice!! I was shocked and proud :) So we don't have verbal but we have sign! (now when I say we don't have verbal I just mean what we can understand, she talks a lot in her own language!)

Fall 2009

We went to Basses Pumpkin Farm to pick out some pumpkins - we had to get pictures in the same cutouts as we did last year to compare!!

2009 Picture

2008 Picture

2009 Picture2008 Picture

We got to see some goats and llamas, she loved them!

She really wasn't sure what to do with the pumpkins...

Tiffany took some adorable pictures of her on a rare warm day in October...so cute!!

The pumpkins we carved!!

Our first birthday party

So I'm a LOT late on this post - have so much going on here, no time to sit on the computer!! Kaiya's first birthday party was a HIT!! She had a blast and it was so great getting together with family, we don't do it often enough, though we still missed our out of town family.

Kaiya looked like a little princess in her VERY CUTE pink dress....

Her friend Lilah and her had a very cute hug!!

And then again later in the day...

Our decorations...

The cakes!!

Not sure what to think about it....

YUMMY!

Great Grandma Ryback and Kai

Great-Grandma being silly - that is one of kaiya's favorite toy though - her Roundy's bucket! Auntie Mary Jo holding her.

Present time!! Got lots of great gifts!

Playing in her ball pit with cousin, Peyton.

Kaiya got this purple chair for her birthday and she absolutely LOVES it - its perfect for her...just her size and did I mention she LOVES it!?