It's been a week of up's and downs. As you can see, we got my new school picture, re-takes back, and they rock. That's an UP! But...the week started with me feeling really really ickky and having a pretty rough cough. Mommy and Daddy decided I should go see Dr. P, and guess what?! Not only did I weigh in at a WHOPPING 26.5 lbs, they found out I had croup! As if that wasn't exciting enough, while we were in the dr. office, Mommy and Daddy both got calls on their phones from our home alarm company. It turns out, it looks like someone was breaking into our house while I was at the doctor's! Daddy left with Gracie, mid-appointment, to head home to meet the police. The police were gone by the time Daddy got there, but our back door had been ajar when they arrived, AND they were scared off by Kaia and Elliott. Mommy says they're the best dogs EVER. Daddy says he's so proud of them! In any case, nothing was taken, but it was a wee bit stressful...what with my sickly diagnosis and all!
Yeah...I'm a ham. This guy was FUNNY!
Then, later in the week I had to go BACK to the dr. because I wasn't at all better and was sporting a fever. We found out I have a double ear infection and sinusitis on top of the croup. :( BUT...antibiotics are my friends and by Thanksgiving, I was feeling MUCH better and my fevers were gone.
Mommy, Gracie and Me...Thanksgiving morning
Speaking of Thanksgiving, we had a WONDERFUL one and I hope you did too! Several great things happened that day. 1) My family came over, including my awesome Sissy and her boyfriend, Nico. I love them. 2) I learned how to use my rocking horse! I am a ROCKING HORSE RIDER! I rode my horse, practiced my walking, and generally ate some really good stuff. I love Thanksgiving!
Sissy and Me
Enjoying Thanksgiving...do you see my newest addition...a TOP tooth!!! :)
Speaking of walking...Mommy's calling it...I'm a Walker! After Thanksgiving, I started movin' and groovin...I am ALL over the place and I've decided that it's pretty fun. First, I walked across the living room. Next, I walked from the living room to the kitchen. Finally, I walked all around. I've learned how to use my walking toys and turn them to go where I want. AND I've learned I don't need them (except when I want to be a speed demon) to get where I want to go. Mommy and Daddy are so excited! Heck, I'M excited! :)
I hope you all had a really nice Thanksgiving. I know I sure did.
Gracie's Perspective
Me and Aunt Rachel O. at Thanksgiving
My big smile is melting hearts all over town...but the big news is I am talking up a STORM. I love to talk to Daddy and Mommy and throw in a few smiles while doing it!
Unfortunately, when I had my first school pictures, I didn't smile. Apparently, the photographer was upset because I wouldn't sit up. HELLO! I was 2 1/2 months old! I don't sit yet!!! That said, Mommy thinks I still look adorable. I do, don't I!? :)
My first school picture!
I had my first Thanksgiving this week. It was pretty cool. I didn't get to eat any of the yummy smelling food, but I got to help cook (with my Dad) and play with my cousins and my Sissy and, well, that's what it's all about!
Daddy and Gracie...getting ready to cook!
Sissy and Gracie
Also, this week, Mommy got me a Bumbo (via Aunt Rachel L....thanks Aunt Rachel!). I've started to play and sit in it and I'm really doing better with my head control.
I am concerned about this new Bumbo thing...
Look at this head control!
Even Big Sister Kaet likes to get in on the action...
Big Sister Kaet watchin' me grow :)
Kaety taking a break from walking with her stroller and baby to show Gracie how sittin' is done...
I love to play and this week was no different than any other except I spent a LOT more time this week climbing on just about anything I could. I also spent a lot of time trying to walk by myself. I went 10 whole steps across the room on Friday without any help! Mommy and Daddy are SO proud.
As it relates to climbing, I seem to be getting told, "No, Kaetlyn! Get down!" an awful lot. I've learned you can push walking toys over to the couch and climb on it, I demonstrated last week how you can use my play table to get on the coffee table, and I've learned how to push my stool over to Gracie's bassinet to get a better peek inside. (Mommy says fortunately I can't get in there...yet!) Daddy got some video of my climbing feats this week. Look at how proud I am!!!
You may remember from an earlier post how much I enjoy shoes. This week, I found something even more fun to play with... Daddy's boots! :)
As you can see, they offer loads of fun, though they're VERY hard to walk in! :)
Also, this week I had my very first dentist appointment! I ment my dentist, Dr. Donna and I really liked her. She showed me how to play with plastic gloves and she gave me not one, but TWO toothbrushes! She showed me how to brush (I love to brush my teeth...errr...chew on the toothbrush!) and she examined my mouth. She said that my top teeth seem to be going to come in well and she can feel my incisors and first molars underneath my gums, which is all good. Mommy and Daddy did have a bit of a surprise when she examined my bottom teeth. It turns out the two teeth coming in on the bottom are NOT my bottom front teeth, but my bottom incisors. When she looked, it appears that I will not get bottom front teeth, just the incisors... Apparently, in kids with special chromosomes like I have, it's not uncommon for some of the teeth to not show up! Dr. Donna says it's nature's orthodonture, given that I will likely have a small jaw. My teeth will probably grow together and it will look like I have two front teeth...they'll just be my incisors! We don't know if this means I won't have permanent teeth there either (which is likely) or not. Dr. Donna assured Mommy and Daddy that it shouldn't impact my speech or use of my mouth. Mommy told Dr. Donna that my lack of teeth is not stopping my ability to eat so far! So, though it was very surprising to learn the teeth I have are not quite what we thought they were, Dr. Donna really knew what she was talking about and I LOVED HER, so we will be going back in 6 months for another check-in. In the meantime, I'm going to brush, brush, brush!!! :)
Grace's Perspective It was a big week for me this week...I started school! I am in the room that Big Sister Kaet was in last year in school, and of course, I have Miss Audrey, Miss Kathy, and Miss Elsa taking care of me. The very first day, they welcomed me with a big ole' sign, and I welcomed them with a massive blowout that required a full-on change of clothes within the first 3 minutes I was in the room. I'm already breaking them in! I also charmed them with my beautific smile. Good thing I've got that, or after those first 3 minutes, they might've sent me packing!!!
My welcome sign!
Second outfit, big smile...aren't I a stinker (literally?!)
The same day I started, there was another kiddo starting in my classroom too. His name is Benji. He's not the same Benji as was in my Big Sister Kaet's class, but he's just as cute! Here we are, hanging out together on one of the mats...
Hangin' with my friend Benji
This school thing is EXHAUSTING...there are a LOT of kids making noise here!
After the first day, I've been doing a lot more sleeping earlier and going to bed earlier at home...it can be really exhausting to listen to all those kids cry in our rooms!
Fast asleep or deep in thought?
It's been a long week, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. It can only get easier from here on out (that's what Mommy says anyway!) I'll leave you with my impression of a papoose as we get ready to have Thanksgiving next week. It'll be my first...I can't wait! :)
Kaetlyn's Thoughts My Sissy visited this week! I looove playing with her. That really is the biggest news. She is the most fun ever!!
In other news, we had school pictures come in. I didn't flash my 100-watt Kaety smile, but I still look cute...what do you think?
My biggest thing of late is playing "phone" at all times and with any toy available. Mrs. Linda got a lot of pictures of me playing "phone" at school this week...
Making calls...
Hello??
Relaxin' while callin'
Then Mommy got some pictures of me playing "phone" at home (notice the absense of an actual phone here!)
Helloooooo???
I am becoming particularly agile - I like to climb on things. EVERYTHING. I really like to push my table toy over to the coffee table or a chair and climb up on it to get on the coffee table or chair. I think when Mommy or Daddy tells me "no", it is funny. They don't!
Finally, the week ended on a bittersweet note. Going into school on Friday, I fell out of the stroller Mommy uses to take me and Gracie into school. She uses the stroller because I can't walk into school holding her hand yet, and carrying both Gracie and me is difficult. Unfortunately, Friday morning, Mommy forgot to strap me into the stroller and I was jumping around and fell out the front of the stroller. I hurt my face a little bit. It bled a LOT. BUT, Ms. Teresa at school let me have a popsicle and Ms. Audrey let me come play in her room while Mommy "composed" herself (she was crying almost as much as me!). It looks kind of bad...
OUCH!!!
But later that day, I proved that maybe I am getting close to NOT needing the stroller. I WALKED ALL OVER at school, holding one hand (Mrs. Linda's) and then I walked WITHOUT holding hands between Mrs. Linda and Ms. Audrey (I love them!). When I got home, I showed my skills to Aunt Rachel too...I'm getting close!!!
All that exercise can be exhausting!
Gracie's Perspective
This was a big week for me...I had my TWO MONTH visit to Dr. P. All went well until the end...do you know they give you SHOTS at two months!? That is SO uncool! I did not like the shots, but I did like the doctor. I smiled a lot at her...she was funny! At the appointment, we found out that I'm a lot bigger than Kaety was at this age. I am a full pound and a quarter heavier and 1 1/2 inches longer than Kaety was...but our heads are the same size! :) I am now 11 pounds, 15 ounces and 22 3/4 inches long! My head is 15 1/4" in circumference.
Unfortunately, on top of the shots, I've had a cold most of the week, which means I've done a LOT of sleeping...everywhere...
Fortunately, I've also done a lot of cooing and smiling when I'm awake. Mommy says I'm a pretty spectacular baby! :)
Kaetlyn's Thoughts Ohhhh, Hawaii...how FUN you are! We had the BEST time on our trip to Hawaii this year. I got to swim, swim, swim and play in the sand on the beach.
The trip started with me flying on a plane...on both the trip there and on the way home, I got my VERY OWN seat on the plane! I was so good on the plane. There were lots of passengers who told Mommy and Daddy so. And lots of people thought my "ride" through the airport was super cool. Unfortunately, Mommy is NOT super cool, as she did not get a picture, but just imagine cute-little-ole' me in my carseat with WHEELS attached, ridin' in style through the airport. It was fantastic, I tell you!
While we were in Hawaii, we took walks every day and the early morning sun was fantastic!
Mommy, Baby Sister Grace and me on a walk...
I spent most every day at the pool, swimming, playing in the "beach" pool and, of course napping by the pool. I'm here to tell you, swimming is EXHAUSTING...
Kaetlyn and Grace napping on Mommy's lounge chair.
My favorite things about the pool and swimming are:
Playing the 1-2-3 game and flying through the air...
Going underwater! Who knew it was this much fun?!
Swimming with my parents...
Walking around the 1' deep ledge that runs around the pool!
Playing in the "kiddie" end ... they have fountains that are REALLY fun to sit on!
Hanging out with Mommy and Baby Sister Grace during snack time (I LOOOVE snack time!)
Relaxing in a lounge chair...
Wrapping up in a warm beach towel when I got out of the water!
I am also a big fan of sand, playing in sand, and the ocean in general. I didn't get to spend as much time on the beach as I wanted because Gracie isn't allowed on the beach yet...but next year, you betcha I'm gonna be a beach babe!
Playing at the sand pool...
Playing in the sand at the beach...
Playing in the water on the shore.
Wheee! Swimming in the ocean!
Baby Beach Buns...
Grace's Perspective
I rode on a plane! I rode on a plane...and I was SOOOOO good. Riding on planes is actually really easy. Here's what you do: Step 1: Sit on your Mommy's Lap Step 2: Sleep
That's all there is to it! :)
We went to this place called Hawaii and it was really nice. I got to sleep in lots of interesting places...
On my Gramma Ward at the pool...
On my Grampa Lynn at the pool...
And on my Uncles and Gramma in the room :)
We celebrated my first Halloween on this trip as well. Big Sister Kaet and I went as twins!
I got to go out to dinner with my family...
Daddy helping Gracie with "ears" at dinner...
And I did some tummy time...
I was also VERY smiley during this trip. Who wouldn't be in Hawaii?!
Sly smile from the lounge chair
Sitting on Daddy's legs
This place is SO FUN! I can't wait to come back next year!
Kaetlyn's Thoughts
