Are the Laird's still around?

I think we are--it's been a little busy the past couple of months. Nana broke her leg and lived with us for a few weeks, we did some whirlwind travelling at Christmas (to our friends in the QC's--sorry we couldn't visit; we were able to come into town for a couple of days at New Years, but it was such a last minute trip that we didn't have time to get with anybody), and overall we're just trying to keep our heads above water.


Kaylee's doing great--she does have an ear infection in each ear, but she doesn't seem to mind too much. Doc has her on an antibiotic. She's as active as ever--her new favorite pastime (besides dancing--she still can't stop moving her feet) is to take her two rolling pull along toys (a dog and a frog), give one to me (I usually get the dog), and we race around the dining room table...


For 15-20 minutes at a stretch. I have fun--but if you're the type that thinks NASCAR is boring, you'd hate to watch this.


We'll get some Christmas pictures posted soon (maybe by next Christmas), but here's a couple for now:

Enjoying a roaring (electric, heatless) Christmas fire.

Kaylee with Cousin Ethan (how's that for a pose?)

Kaylee and Cousin Katie

Halloween

Both Mommy and Kaylee have been feeling really sick all week, so it falls to Dad to post some pictures from Halloween. We wound up buying a costume...for some reason, over the past year, "free" time to do things like sewing costumes has disappeared. I'm not sure why that is, although I blame the change to daylight saving time.

So, here's Kaylee the Good Witch:

It's Peanutbutter Jelly Time!

Birthday Parties...

Well, you only turn One years-old once... don't you?

Kaylee turned one, three times this year. We had one party with her Birthmother and brother; one party with Nana Lucy, the day before her actual birthday; and we had a party on Sunday, with all of Kaylee's family. Almost everyone came to see Kaylee. There was Aunt Beth and Ethan, Grandma and Grandpa Laird, Nana Lucy, Granddad and Miss Gina, and "Great-grandma and grandpa" Feeley and family. We had a whole house full of people. It was great fun. We were missing seven people from our happy little family though. Uncle Pat couldn't make it, because he had to work back in New York and Aunt Pam, Uncle Kevin, Katie and Caleb were back in Illinois with colds and such. We also were missing Great Grandmom and Granddad O'Brien who were in Maryland. We missed them all and we didn't save any cake!

Anyway, we are now over run by an army of dolls of every shape and size, a small library of books, a closet full of clothes (always good!), and some odds and ends like a doll stroller, a cup with Kaylee's name on it, and a birthday train... oh almost forgot the hopping frog and flying screamer monkey. Either way Kaylee made a great haul on her first birthday. Now it's on to thinking about Christmas (by the way Tim don't read this part... it will scare you!)

I am also starting to think about Halloween. Kaylee is probably old enough to go Trick or Treating and she also goes to daycare, so we need a costume. I have several options, so I put a poll at the top of this page, so you could vote on what she should be. It was thought earlier in the year that she would make a great Pebbles Flintstone, but as this means I would have to find the time to make her costume, I don't know if that'll happen.

Last year she was a bunny, but I don't think she's up to hopping anywhere this year, so we'll have to choose something different. Remember if you want to weigh in on the decision, vote!

On being sick and "Working" from home

Kaylee has been sick the past few days. Nothing serious, just a fever and cold like symptoms (that's a nice way of saying chunky snot flowing constantly from her nose). Since I have the option of working from home, I've been staying home with her this week.

Tuesday was great. I got quite a bit of work done during a couple of naps, and Kaylee played pretty well, considering she wasn't feeling well. Jen came home early afternoon and watched her for a little bit while I got some more critical work done.

Today (Thursday) has been great. She's sleeping now, in fact. When she's been playing this morning, she's been in good spirits, other than this 5 packs a day cough she seems to have picked up at the tail end of the cold.

Wednesday....oh, please, God, let me forget about Wednesday. Jen shifted her Wednesday (full day) and Thursday (half day) schedules for the week, since I had to be at the office yesterday afternoon. Kaylee woke up about 7:15, and basically cried straight through until Jen got home at 12:30. She wouldn't nap. She wouldn't eat. She didn't want to be held, but she didn't want to be set down. I rushed a shower as soon as Jen got home, and prayed that Kaylee would be a little better for her.

Jen was on a frantic call to Nana when I got home at 8pm. She got the same treatment I had earlier in the day. Kaylee slept for a grand total of 45 minutes yesterday. By 8pm, she was tired, cranky, and did I mention tired? Put her to bed, though, and she screams till she pukes. We finally got her to go to sleep around 9:30, and then we split up the overnight--I would get up with her until 3am, Jen would get up with her after that.

The night went pretty well, though. We both had to get up with her around midnight--she had completely soaked her pj's and her bed (that "butt straight up in the air" sleeping style of hers has caused more overnight accidents...). Thankfully, once she was changed (and the sheets were changed), she went back down pretty easily. She woke up again about 3:30am; Jen put her blanket back over her and she went back to sleep. I still had to get up, though, to check the basement for an prowler Jen thought she heard (I've never had the chance to wield a Mag-lite like a weapon before)--turns out it was just a door creaking open.

But that was yesterday (and very early this morning). Today is going really well. I think by tomorrow Kaylee will be completely over this thing, too--just in time for Nana to watch her for the day. :)

They say it's your birthday...

Woohoo, Low res pictures and Video!


Present? I thought the paper WAS the present!



Um, what am I supposed to do with this?


What do you mean the table isn't hungry?


Huh, that's not half bad!


Give me a utensil--what do you think I am, a cretin?



That's better--I feel much more civilized. Now let me cram some in my hair.

And finally, when Kaylee was done eating, she found that the cake was also an excellent moisturizer!

Kaylee, don't flush your towel down the toilet!

'nuff said.