A few more firsts...

Kairis just learned how to sign "please" and "thank you" last week. We've been teaching her these two particular signs for quite some time now, but she really hasn't expressed much interest in saying them. The past month, there's been much screaming when she wants something, instead of asking nicely and quietly. It's been a bit trying at times, but we've just continued to role model and teach during these times. Well, it's worked! Last week, she started signing and saying "thank you" and she signs "more" and "please" together and says "peez". So cute! So cute! Her screaming has nearly stopped, which is such a blessing too! She also loves to say "hi" to anyone she comes in contact with. We go to the park nearly every day and meet our friends there, and when we park the car, she starts yelling "hi!" "hi!" "hi!" over and over and over....another very sweet thing to observe. She enjoys saying
'bye bye" or "buh-bye" lots too. When Kairis and I are upstairs, and she hears the front door downstairs open, she immediately yells out cautiously, "hi!" and then smiles big time when she sees daddy. :) :) :)

A few other "firsts" include her taking toilet paper off the roll and "wiping" herself whenever she's done sitting on the potty, or when I'm done in the bathroom. She then starts to wipe up the floor with the TP...not sure why she does this...?

She's sleeping really well now too, which is a huge blessing to us. We are all in the same room, and will be for quite some time probably, but it's so refreshing to sleep all the way through the night. I think it's been MONTHS of not enjoying that luxury! Also, she waves "bye bye" and gives hugs and kisses to Tim and I whenever one of us is leaving. She then runs to the windows upstairs and down and waves bye bye as we drive away. :)

A first, and a hilarious one at that!

I am trying to capture all of these memories I'm making and experiencing with Kairis, but it's getting harder and harder, as the days continue to move too quickly around here...

However, I just HAD to document this memory--it's hilarious! The past week, Kairis has been WAY more extraverted in nature than "usual". Saying "hi" and "bye bye" to anyone and everyone who walks through our door, interacting more at storytime at the library, pointing to airplanes in the sky and squealing....

Tonight, we were at our friends, Paul and Julie's home for dinner, and we were all sitting at the dinner table eating a fab dinner, when I "shh-ed" Kairis a bit, as she was starting to get a little loud. Without second thought, she smiled at me, and took her finger, put it to her mouth and "shh-ed" me right back! Ohmygoodness! I nearly lost it, but not in a bad way--I knew laughing wouldn't be completely appropriate, but neither was what I did--"Tim, Tim! You're never gonna guess what K just did!..." Yeah, she definitely stole the show for that stunt. What can I say, she completely caught me off guard!

;) More memories to come....oh, and pictures too!

My Biggest Fan...

Kairis, you went to Mommy's first running race today!! I ran in the Shamrock Run, supporting Doernbecher Children's Hospital and ran the 8K (5 miles) with my friend, Kara. Her daughter is Solana, your sweet friend. You kept yelling "go! go! go!" before I ran, like you were cheering me on. It was the cutest thing! I loved having you and daddy at my special event. It meant a lot to me to see how excited you both were. Daddy made you a special t-shirt that says "run! mommy run!" So cute and thoughtful! I finished the race in 58 minutes, 46 seconds and ran the whole way. I'm excited for the next race, and maybe next year, you and Solana will run the 1K, the Leprachaun Run. :) I think you'd enjoy it kiddo!

Just Like Mommy...

I am amazed at how similar Kairis looks to my baby pictures when I was her age, most especially in these pictures below! Her hair is so similar to mine, the shape, color and length. The main difference is that Kairis had hair much earlier than I did! :)

January 20, 2010

Our adorable 17 month old...

January 16, 2010--pictures taken of our cutie-patuttie!





The picture of Kairis with the computer bag over her head is something she enjoys doing at night for some reason--it's her version of "peek-a-boo" :)





These last two pictures were taken by Tim at The Children's Museum--I couldn't believe she was doing this! :)

Milestones....18 months!

Kairis, you are changing more and more every day...I know I say that ALL THE TIME, but this stage you're in, it just seems like something new happens on a daily basis with you! The past two weeks (at least!) your vocabulary has just blossomed! Your frequently spoken words include "no" (in a cute kinda way!) and "hi" and "bye". Your new favorite activity is talking on the phone. You hold up blocks, toys, and our cell phones to your ear and sometimes mouth and just pretend to listen to a conversation you're probably thinking about in your head. It's really cute to watch your imagination grow. Other new words you are saying include: "goat", "car", "mommy", "me-me", "mine" and other "p" and "m" sounds. You also surprised daddy and I the other night. We were sitting in the living room together, talking, and our of nowhere, you started tentatively walking backwards! You looked so proud of yourself, like "I mastered a new skill" kind of proud....it was cute to watching you inch your way farther and farther down the hallway, all the while, taking backward steps without glancing too much over your little shoulder. Shortly after you discovered this new skill, we caught you spinning in circles in the kitchen to the music. :) What great skills to have! Your left eye tooth just came down and since then, you've been starting to wean yourself from the bottle at night, and you are sleeping MUCH better. I decided it was time to get into a more formal night time routine, as you are getting older, and also to see if that would help you sleep better at night. I think it's working! We read books before bed and nap times, rock in the rocker for a few minutes, pray, and then you crawl into your big girl bed with your blanket, pacifier and bottle of milk. I lay next to you and within a few minutes you are sound asleep. Sometime I am too! ;) It's sort of weird not rocking you to sleep anymore, but in a lot of ways, I am thankful you are becoming more independent in your sleep associations. I'm really proud of the big girl you are becoming, Kairis! I can't believe that in less than 6 months you will be two years old!

"No, no, no, no!"

Earlier this week, Kairis started saying "no" and shaking her head back and forth while looking down toward the ground and smiling upward at us with her little eyes. Totally adorable, and not at all annoying....yet. Our little girl is growing up and sharing with us some of her opinions, and we are really loving it. She says "no, no, no, no" four times in a row usually and with the cutest little voice. Just two weeks shy of her 18 month birthday.