Just MONKEYin' around.......Keif's first Halloween!

Hi! Nana and mommy call me monkey butt, monkey girl, and pumpkin butt. Since mommy's friend had a monkey outfit, I told her that I should be a monkey, since I've been working on my screeching (like a monkey) skills lately. I'm starting to really like banana's, and am also learning how to really move around like a wild monkey. ~~ Keifer Lynn, October 31, 2007, her first Halloween

It's our Princess Girl's first Halloween, and she has NO idea it is even happening around her. It was quite the sweat fest *aka struggle* to get this outfit on her last night for pictures, so I doubt we'll be putting it on again tonight. We do have an adorable one piece outerwear that has puppy ears, so that might be our "visit the neighbors" outfit tonight.

THANK YOU to Jodes from my mommy board for the adorable monkey outfit!

No photo session can officially start without kisses from Sass

Welcoming my 1/3 baby brother to my "crib"

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Baptism weekend

Hey there, baby brudder, welcome to my crib

Aubrie chose this pumpkin for Keifer, that her and my dad ("Uncle Dale") had carved the night before
First time seeing a pumpkin- "what is this thing and can it go in my mouth?" Sharing her infant/toddler rocker with her 1/3 brudder, while Sassy makes sure all is well and tasty
"this is how we roll"

The MN mommy board mini-Get Together at the Mall of America (yes, this is small compared to our other gatherings....)

"Hey, brudder, I like your bib! Can I chew on it?"

"Oh never mind, I just love you SO MUCH!"

Mommy's girl

Hanging out with the Nanas
Puppy shoes: they must be related! LOL

Sisters? Egg sissy!
Abby and Aubrie: they swam together all night. Aubrie started to refer to Abby as her "sister".

CJ and his girls: Aubrie, Abby & Keif
Keifer taking her turn being baptised (aka entertaining the crowd)

Kisses from Pastor David

Family Picture

The kiddie crew
CJ & his clone

Mommy & baby: newly baptised each
Godmother Mooshie

Keifer's Godparents: Corey (Uncle) and Mooshie
Mason has started telling us Treble is "HIS" dog

Yes, the puppers were busy catching scraps
The Cake - OMGoodness, it was delicious

Can Alex GET any cuter? Oye.

Big boy likes to chill standing up!
Mason explaining the merits of the doggy bone to Aubrie

Nana Marge when she was 3 months old in the family Christening gown: and the rose from church. Gee, do you think Keif looks like her Nana at all?

Whew. And there you have it. So much joy to behold. What a fantastic weekend, full of memories and love.

Prayer request for my mom

Could you spare a prayer for my mom?
Life is crazy right now- but I promise you, updates on life with the Soupy clan will be coming eventually - we have lots of pictures and stories to share...........just time is precious, and I feel like everything has been a rush.....this weekend, I should have time to just sit and update...........

My mom had major surgery a year ago April- she had a fissure on her intestine rupture, and caused major issues inside her- she had part of her intestines removed, and had to use a colostomy bag last Spring for about 3 months or so. She had everything reattached last summer and has had stomach issues ever since due to scar tissue.

She is having outpatient laser surgery today to try and remove that scar tissue. CJ and I would go up there to be with her, but I have had not had a consistent sub for my assistant here at work for almost a month due to HER illness, so I really can't have a sub cover me today or tomorrow, as I have 2 diff para subs coming in. Plus, I have 2 new students starting today and a calender that's booked solid with assessments.

Anyhoo, if you could spare a prayer, could you please? Just to make sure that she comes through this surgery OK and more healthy than she was.

*yawn* a preview of the whirlwind weekend

It's Monday AM, I'm at work, ready to go do a home visit, and I'm so tired. Tired, but full of joy. This past weekend was a whirlwind of a weekend, but what a memorable and meaningful weekend it was! Mooshie and Alex flew in Friday evening from Oregon, and we spent a fantastic 3 nights together. The baptism was yesterday and Keifer and I were baptised in our church, where we felt so much love and joy. Here are a few pictures of our big day, with our sponsors (Godparents) Corey and Mooshie. I currently uploaded 170 pictures, but there are more on the camera.
And our little angel girl was her usual "ham" self. She had the congregation chuckling, and as Pastor David was baptising her, she was grabbing his beard and pulled his microphone off. LOL.

Me & my future prom date by Keifer

Meet K's future prom date: Christian. We got the babes together last weekend, and I haven't updated the pics from their hilarious reunion yet, but this is a good taste of how they got along. It is AMAZING to watch the 6 month olds communicating! Check out how they give and take! This should tide you over until we get all our pics of K and Alex and Auntie Mooshie up...........

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Musing on my favorite M's: Music & Movies

Some of my favorite music to listen to has been sparked thanks to some excellent movie soundtracks. Ever since I was little, I've frequently gotten the movie soundtracks to many of the movies I've enjoyed: Annie, E.T., Footloose (the first album I ever bought MYSELF!), Dream a Little Dream, La Bamba (which sparked my interest for one full summer in 1950's music and Buddy Holly), Blow, Dazed and Confused, Dumb and Dumber, Wayne's World (who didn't love the Ballroom Blitz?), The Lost Boys (the two Corey's were my crushes), Dream a Little Dream, and so on (you get the idea). In the past few years, I've found that a few of the movie soundtracks are the ones I reach for first when I'm picking out music to drive to: Garden State and Almost Famous. From those two soundtracks, I've developed a huge appreciation for The Shins, whom I probably never would have listened to or heard before (since my favorite alternative station has been changed), and as well as Simon and Garfunkel. I vaguely remember enjoying "Cecilia" when I was younger, but man oh man, do I LOVE this music! Garden State has "the Only Living Boy in New York" on it, and Almost Famous has "America". I had my Dad get me their greatest hits, and Keifer and I often listened to it this summer, and we listen to it in the car.
Driving into work this AM, I was smiling at my precious angel girl in the back seat. Some may see it differently, but I honestly believe that she is attempting to SING back there! I can see her beautiful face in the mirror we have up on our back seat, so we can monitor her, and she is always half-lying sideways, head cocked towards the window, looking out. Her little mouth is always open and she's attempting to make these continuous vocalizations, which are different than her normal squeals and monster/dinosaur sounds. She really seemed to like the boys this AM, and it made me laugh.
On another note, holy cats - were Art and Paul on some major drugs when they wrote those songs? LOL. Who else can write, sing and market great songs that revolve around food spices, being At the Zoo, or muse that a bow tie is really a camera? I'm not one for drugs, but listening to these lyrics makes me imagine how great of a trip they obviously had! LOL.

Mooshie and Alex are on their way!

AHHH! Mooshie and Alex are on their way to visit today! AHHHH! CJ is picking them up tonight at our airport at 5:30ish our time. Pray for a safe flight and a peaceful weekend - we have it jam packed with fun and friends and family, and our baptism on Sunday. Will keep you posted!

Our goofy girl

Thump *pause* Thump *pause *THUMP*

This is the noise that CJ and I hear on a nightly basis. Sometimes its consistent, sometimes it happens now and then, usually it happens around 1AM or so, for almost an hour at a time. Who is it? Well,it's our angel girl, thumping her legs in her crib.

She is LOUD.

Thump thump thump. Its very rhythmic, very soothing almost if you like rhythmic sounds. I went in last night when I heard her thumping, around 1AM ish. There she was, head shaking back and forth, arms up and down, legs going straight up and then WHACK: down to the crib with a thump. Over and over again. While she was asleep. Sound asleep.
That's our goofy girl. Apparently she has some sensory issues that require her to thump and get that sensory input to help soothe herself so she can sleep better. It must calm her. Some kids bang their heads or rock their bodies. Our girl thumps her legs. I like to think that it all started when she was still being swaddled in her Miracle Blanket, and she would thump her legs to help squiggle her way out of the blanket (and our little Houdini often did!). My friend Julie's little Holland apparently does this,and I love what she call it: "kicky legs".

I'm going to try some night to get a video clip of it, because its really quite comical. Now, if only mama could SLEEP through the thumping, once I've been waken by it. *sigh*.

*reaching for my chai tea latte, soy milk please, because it has some good caffeine in it to kick start my morning*

Poor girl

Our poor girl had a fever off and on all day long. *sad face* It's a side effect from shots, and she has been mostly *I think* good spirits, off and on. I hope this isn't the start of anything major, and continues to just be a side effect. On another note, she's started eating breakfast as of today, and her naps today were a bit longer than usual, so let's hope THAT is a good thing! We call her our little cat napper, because she never really takes long naps during the day. However, I'll take her sleeping all night any day!

Our girl is OFF THE CHARTS, and more....

Yep, our big girl is OFF THE CHARTS!
We had her 6 month check up today, where she proceeded to coo and giggle, and chatter, and gaga and dada and nana to the nurses and doctors' delight. She certainly charmed the pants on the doctor, who commented that she was one of the happiest babies she had come across in awhile! *smile*. Of course, the shots that she got in each leg did NOT keep that smile on her face; oh no, she screamed and cried and mommy even cried along with her this time - oye, my heart.

Anyhoo, our girl is off the charts for height and weight: coming in at 20 pounds, 7 ounces, and 28 1/2 inches long. Her head circumference is 45 cm., which is in the 97%ile. Whew. I knew she was big when the buttons/snaps were popping open on the 12-18 month overalls cousin Aubrie JUST gave us. But man, off the charts. No wonder she doesn't like to roll around - would you wanna move if your weight was off the charts? LOL.

This past weekend, she and I (and the puppers) got to enjoy our visit to Duluth with Papa and Nana. We got to spend lots of time with Auntie Auntie Barb (that's what Aubrie calls her great-auntie, my mom "Auntie Auntie", so we've decided FOR Keifer that she'll call Barb that), and Aubrie and my cousin (Aubrie's mom) Becky. Aubrie had fun reading to Keifer, and playing with her Auntie Auntie and Auntie Carrie (me), and asking her Uncle Dale for more ice cream (apparently this is what he is good for: fixing things and ice cream LOL). It's going to be so much fun when the girls get older, and they can chatter away and play with each other.

Listen up, Keifer, while I read you "Skip to my Lou"

Keifer decides to taste test the table and place mat before diving into her rice cereal and peas.

Big girl in the strap-on high chair

Grabbing Papa's hair is fun!

Aubrie smiled for us AFTER the picture session,of course!

Reading my Belly Button Book to my Nana (I take this very seriously)

Keifer's 1/3 brother

Can Alex GET any cuter? I think not! LOL Here is Keif's 1/3 brother, who is going to be 4 months already this coming Sunday (Keifer and I's baptism day!). And he'll be here! He and Mooshie arrive on Friday night! Can you say: EXCITED????????
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEE HAW!!!!!!!

ECSE Girls GTG

YAY for good friends! My ECSE pals from college and I (and Keifer!) got together yesterday for a lunch full of chatting and good times. I love you, ladies!!!!

Daddy and Tboy love

Treble was so happy to be home Saturday night, after we had been away 3 days visiting my parents. He is a daddy's boy at night, when the boys of the house cuddle on the couch and watch TV. What a love bug.

Please pray for my friend: Wildfires

My friend Jen is California was evacuating her home with her husband, infant daughter, 3 dogs and animals (they have an organic farm). Please keep her in your prayers today, as well as everybody else currently being evacuated or affected by the wild fires out there.
We're praying for you, Jen!
Hugs!

Watch me drinking water like a big girl!

I read somewhere that instead of immediately introducing the sippy cup, you should try introducing an open cup and see what happens. Also, when feeding solids, you should use some water in between bites to help digestion of the solids and to get the child used to drinking. So, I dove in and started with the open cup and water, and oh my goodness! Our girl just LOVES to try and drink water like a big girl! She immediately grabs (as you will see) the cup when we take it out and its so amazing to watch the wheels in her head working, as she bites/gums the edge of the cup, trying to figure out how to get that water in her mouth. And her favorite food so far? PEAS! *ewww, says mama, holding her nose*. She isn't really digging anything too sweet, which is a surprise but a pleasant one! LOL. Enjoy our big girl.

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