First teeth, first words, and wall climbing... oh my!

Okay, so we've gotten our first word and it has recognized meaning. Dad said over and over when Kaylee wants something from her Daddy. She will also follow Dad around the house saying the same thing over and over. Also we have our first two syllable word too, which was donkey. Don't ask me how she managed it, but it was said on our way to Maryland/New York. Tim and I were talking about Shrek and I said something about Donkey and all of a sudden we hear from the back seat, "Donkey!" It was quite enthusiastic, too.

Our first molars are coming in now and boy are we starting to wish that we had invested in either Ora Gel stock or the teething ring business. I tell you the Motrin company will be making a mint from us in the next few weeks, also we'll be swimming in Ora Gel and balmex... don't ask! Either way we have quite a few harrowing tales from the last few days, including our first time-out. Let's just say that the Princess doesn't like time out or crib solitary confinement without her Leo-pard or blankie.

We also got to order off the menu for her this weekend for the first time at a restaurant! We were so excited. She ate chicken strips, fries, mushrooms (and she liked them!), drank from a big girl cup, and even had some milk. She didn't like the strait milk too much, but it's starting to grow on her. She also had some really yummy banana ice cream on Saturday afternoon. She loved that, especially since it helped her tooth ache!

Kaylee has also become quite the dare devil. She loves to climb stairs. Unfortunately she loves to climb the side of the stairs where there isn't so much to climb, just little bits of wood, so she ends up "rock/wood" climbing the wall to get to the top of the stairs in our house. I let her do this only because if I pulled her down mid-climb she would definitely fall. If I let her do it, she is libel to make it up and she's learned a valuable lesson, she can climb walls like spider man. Oh, what's a mother to do? She also has taken to climbing other things. She will overturn boxes and containers and climb on top of those. She climbs onto our swinging gate to our kitchen and wiggles and laughs. She thinks this is fun. I thinks she gets a kick out of me having heart palpitations and turning white as a ghost and telling her no a million times. Oh, she tries my patience, but I love her!

Well, all is well in the world, as long as I hear my Kaylee playing, it's when I can't hear her that is the problem... speaking of which... KAYLEE! Gotta go!

Our first posting

Well this will be my first posting on our blog. Yes, I do know how to blog! Yes, we do have pictures of Kaylee! and Yes, we do know how to use a computer. I am married to a computer geek you know! Anyway, I decided blogger is a much better way to blog than the other site we had, and way easier to upload pictures to.

Hopefully now that I have someplace to upload them to easily, I will be able to keep up. (Thanks for setting the example Beth! You showoff :) Anyway, I figured I'd bring everyone kind of up to date.

1. Kaylee's adoption was officially finalized on June 13th. We are soooooo happy. No more visits from social workers! WooHoo!

2. We went and visited Maryland and New York. Kaylee got to see her Great-Grandmom and Great-Granddad, as well as cousins, Great-Aunt, Aunt, Uncle, and adopted grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Hurford). We had so much fun while in Maryland and New York. I became a Godmother. I am so honored by this, so thank you Beth and Patrick and of course little Ethan. I can now talk like the "Godfather" and just say that I am truly the Godmother.

And New York, what a great town. It's big, but not overly intimidating, although since we went to eat at Friday's while there we are ... and I quote... "Losers!" Tim and I actually got yelled at when we got back from our little jaunt to the city because we didn't find anything authentic, but how can you find anything authentic that costs less then your arm and leg at Rockefeller center? Anyway, we saw lots of sights, got Kaylee a stuffed Curious George at the NYFD Store, since she stayed behind and tried out frozen yogurt and sorbet with Aunt Beth, Nana, and Grandma Hurford.

I loved Grand Central Station and the chapel by Ground Zero the best. The chapel was one of my favorites, just because you could sit and you knew that others had sat in the same spots and wept like you and felt the same sense of loss, even if you didn't know anyone personally. It was very moving, and there was one piece of art there that really got me. It was a chalice made of steel from the buildings. It was two towers rising from roots and then it formed a chalice held by God's hands. It was a very moving piece of art. I couldn't get myself to take any pictures there, though, because it was such a sacred place. Tim felt the same, so we just sort of silently walked around. Then the last thing I saw were the Fireman's boots, coat and hat on the remaining pew, and I started crying. It was such a very holy place.

Grand Central Station on the other hand is just cool! It was somewhat confusing, but once you figured it out it was very neat. The first thing I had Tim take a picture of was the clock, where in Madagascar, Melman puts his head through it. I am so Pop culture sometimes! Anyway, the ceiling was great and just the architecture was fabulous.

I can't wait to go back. I miss my sister very much and didn't want to leave on that Monday morning, but didn't have much choice. I guess I'll see her in August, so that's not too far away now.

Well that's about all that's new here. I am still at Aquinas, Tim is still at Home Acres and still busy. Kaylee is teething again and is close to walking. She stands for about 1-5 minutes at a time by herself and will wave around with out falling down. We're just waiting for the first step and then we know we'll be chasing a running girl down. She has about 8 teeth now, but her molars are coming in and oh what fun! I really wish we would have bought stock in Ora gel and teething rings!