Month 9 - September

I decided that the September reminiscence post will be the last reminiscence post for two reasons: the first, seeing as how I started this blog in October, there are already lots of newer pictures posted; the second, his looks didn't change that much from September to December. I hope that you have all enjoyed looking back with me and watching Kalin grow up this year.

We kept trying to get a picture of Kalin standing on his own. I believe this was one of those attempts.

I've found it much easier to dress him in his crib now that he can stand. He's much too squirmy to dress on his changing table or on the floor. Once he sees me coming with a onesie or a shirt, he runs to the other side of his crib trying to get away from me.

We tied his blanket around him like a cape!! He was super Kalin!!

The bookcase was his favorite place to go. Unfortunately, they weren't his books that he was pulling off the shelf and trying to destroy. It was hard to discipline him from going there because I don't want to discourage his interest in books. Kasey and I both love to just sit and read and we hope he also becomes an avid reader.

His big, mean baby face.

You can finally see his two bottom teeth!!

When he sees the fridge open, he comes running!!

Kasey likes to put him in a deep hole in the bean bag chair so he can't get out.

Cruising around the room, clearing all of my tabletops of objects.

What can I say? He's just cute!!

Trying to get pictures of him standing on his own again.

Still trying to get a picture of him standing. He would fall or sit down right when the picture was taken.

Kalin and Kasey grabbing each other's ear. I think Kalin started this game.

Out on a wonderful walk!!

Eating cheese for the first time. He loved it!!

He likes to play with our groceries when we bring them home.

Wishing my Grandma (Kalin's great-grandma) a happy birthday!!

Christmas and Kalin's Birthday "North"

We have had some crazy, crazy days. On Wednesday, we prepared to leave our house for 11 days...the longest time we've been away from home with Kalin. We spent our first 3 nights in Aromas with my parents, sisters, brother-in-law and niece. We ate our somewhat-traditional Christmas Eve dinner (Missouri Soup and Corn Chowder) then went to the Christmas Eve service at my parent's church in Watsonville. It was fun to be together as a family again...especially during the holidays. My sister and her family were sleeping in the apartment above my parents garage (where Kasey and I lived for 3 months) and Kasey, Kalin, and I were in my parents wonderful trailer. It worked out really well for putting the babies to bed. Once they were down for the night we would turn our baby monitors on and go back into the main house where we could spend the next few hours playing Wii, laughing, and in general - just being LOUD.

We woke up Christmas morning and took some pictures of the babies in their matching pajamas while trying to get them to be interested in their stockings. Stockings, for me, have always been an important part of Christmas. They've always been filled with lots of fun stuff and are sometimes better than the actual presents. The next part of our Christmas Day was spent at my Grandma and Grandpa, and Aunt and Uncle's house in Watsonville for Christmas brunch. As expected, the food was delicious!! We opened some presents here then headed back to my parents house to get Christmas dinner ready and open all the other presents. I love this stage in Kalin's life because any present for him, is really a present for me. He gets clothes, that means I don't have to spend the money to buy them. He gets toys, it gives me more ways to play with him and watch him learn and grow (not to mention they entertain him). I can say without a doubt, that I was way more excited about his presents than he was (did we really expect anything less?). He did enjoy playing with the tissue paper (well, he enjoyed eating it).

Kasey was excited because Kalin got his first toy that required his dad to put together for him. Kasey saw it as a rite of passage for him as a dad to be able to do this for his son. I'm glad he saw it that way because I'm sure at some point his first thought will be, "Oh great, something else for me to put together."

After a fun afternoon of playing and a stressful afternoon/evening trying to get dinner on the table, we sat down to a most delicious Christmas dinner. Yummy!! Kalin was so tired by this point (he wasn't able to have a decent nap all day) that he almost fell asleep at the table. So he went to bed early leaving Kasey and I free to visit and play with my family.

Day after Christmas. We have a family reunion to attend for my dad's immediate family. It's not very often that we all get together so my Grandpa really wanted to do something. With my Grandma's health and mind not doing well (I don't think she knows who any of us are, she just kind of goes along for the ride) it was really important to everybody to have this time together. My grandma had a great time watching the babies and just couldn't believe (no matter how many times she was told) that all these people belonged to her!! It was truly a wonderful time. Funny story...Kalin again got really tired while we were eating, but this time he actually did fall asleep in his high chair.

Friday night, after our reunion, we decided to have an early and mini-birthday celebration for Kalin. It wasn't anything big but it was fun. He had his first cake and got his first birthday presents. He loved having everybody look at him and sing Happy Birthday to him. I almost started crying as we sang. His 1st birthday!! Can you believe we're already here?!?! It doesn't seem possible that this year has gone so fast and that he is so big already.

Saturday morning, we packed everything up again (leaving our presents at my parents for lack of room in the car) and headed down Hemet. We're tired but having so much fun. The festivities of Christmas and Birthday "South" will have to be another post.

Oh, my favorite present? A touchless trashcan. I'm hoping it will make it easier to keep Kalin from getting into it if he can't just open it and reach in. I'm so excited to get that home and try it out.

Month 8 - August

It was nice when he could crawl around and get his own toys. It made him better able to entertain himself.

Hanging out at Round Table Pizza wearing dad's hat.

He was a very messy eater.

He learned how to pull up!!

Spider Kalin.

Playing in the kitchen.

It was so cute when he first learned how to clap.

We love his big, mean baby face.

This picture cracks me up.

He would carry things around in his mouth so his hands would be free.

He flipped the laundry basket over onto himself. I took this picture through one of the holes in the basket.

Ready for bed at Grandma and Grandpa's house!!

Baby on the Go!! - Month 7 (July)

Kalin and his cousin Hailee meet for a 3rd time on the 4th of July!! Aren't they just the cutest?

Kalin's first time in a swimming pool!! He wasn't too impressed at first but later had fun bouncing with Aunt Kami.


He's on the go!! Kalin started crawling this month!!

Once he had learned how to roll over, this became his favorite sleeping position. We asked the doctor about it because you're still supposed to be putting them down on their backs at this age. He said what we had suspected: there's not much you can do if they keep rolling over. It's so cute.

Happy, happy boy!!

He's driving?!?!

He liked to play with the baby in the mirror. Sometimes he would turn the mirror over trying to figure out where the baby was. He wasn't too bright.

He made a mess...the first of many.

Sitting up and reading a book.

He was a very happy boy this month.

He reminds me of Schroeder from Peanuts.

This is what he would do when he was trying to stand up.

His first cute big-boy outfit. It was cute khaki shorts and a collared, button-up shirt.

Hanging out after a swim.

This is how we wished Kasey's mom a happy birthday since we couldn't be with her.

He had to move on to big, adult towels. He just got too big for the hooded baby towels.

He was starting to pull up on things and climb onto his bouncer.

I love how straight babies sit. They have such good posture!! And his little grin just cracked me up.

There are very few times in a person's life where it's funny to be covered in food. Being a baby who is learning to eat is one of them.

He loved playing with the new toy at Grammie's house. He was concerned for the bee and kept trying to get it out.