Wordless Wednesday: How we love thee, oh Hungry Caterpillar

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

More Kyla giggles

*sigh* The sound of this angel girl giggling is just plain ol' happiness to my ears. The girl has one cute giggle and boy, she likes to giggle ALOT. She is so ticklish, and loves to play on her mat here. How I love these girls.



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Is she 2 or 16?

Keifer has a new Ipod, thanks to Daddy. Wow. He found it used on Ebay, but the battery wasn't charging the way it is supposed to, so he brought it to the Apple store and they gave him a BRAND NEW one! Whoa. How many 2 year olds have their own Ipod? Wow. I'm just amazed, what a lucky girl our K1 is. She loves to listen to her Laurie and watch her Movers, so now she can do both in the backseat and mommy doesn't have to listen to the same songs, over and over and over again. It's really a win-win situation for us all. Now we just have to teach our girl to keep her headphones on....and there is a lock on the Ipod that doesn't let our girl change the music, so hopefully she sticks to the songs she has on her line up.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

She really moves it!

Ah, yes, you all know that our K1 loves to shake her booty. She got a little excited with the fast pace of this song (I like to move it from the Madagascar soundtrack). She REALLY knows how to MOVE IT, MOVE IT! You see how fun our dance parties are at night? And notice Treble? Just happily chewing away, he's so used to the commotion his human girls create!



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Kyla rolls! Rolling, rolling, rolling.....

She did it, she did it! Last week, Kyla rolled over for the first time. She hung out in this position for quite some time, happily munching on her hands (as always). The girl loves to suck on her fingers/hands, but won't take a pacifier. Oh no. Diva spits it out and makes a face as if to say "WHAT is that gross thing?". LOL. She had her upper leg steadily thrown over the bottom leg.....

look how long and lean she looks!
Close up of our smiling cherub

And over she goes, with big sissy K1 taking pictures to record the momentous occasion. Keifer might be good at being a paparazzi, no?

And a video of the good times that roll in our home!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Yummy dinner idea!

While catching up on my blog reading in the middle of the night, after a feeding for Kyla, I stumbled across a link to a friend's sister's friend's blog with recipes. She had posted this recipe, and it looked and sounded SO delicious, I had to try it myself!
I LOVED IT!
I made it last night and it was so easy! I'm not a Top Chef, but I do love to eat, so I highly recommend this for you if you are looking for something new to try.
I ate the pepper/mix on top of a tortilla chip and then added a small wedge of avocado. You could also chop up and serve in a salad, if you are looking for really low carb ideas.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Black Beans and Cheddar

Source: Original Recipe to serve 2

2 bell peppers, any color

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 roma tomato, chopped

10 black olives, roughly chopped

1 generous bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 vidalia onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

1 avocado

1. Slice the peppers in half vertically, and remove the seeds and insides.

Set the peppers in a baking dish.

2. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan.

Saute the onions for two to three minutes, until softened.

Add the garlic, and saute for an additional minute.

3. Place the onions in a bowl.

Add the black beans, tomato, black olives, and cilantro.

Mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Fill each bell pepper to the top with the black bean filling.

5. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the baking dish from the oven, and discard the foil.

Sprinkle some of the cheddar cheese on each pepper, and return to the oven.

Cook for an additional five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

7. Serve with salted avocado slices for garnish.

Roll, roll, roll your.....body

Kyla Whitney rolled over last night! She has been stretching her long body to the side for the last week, but last night, she had her top leg (right leg) firmly planted on the ground over her bottom leg (left leg). A few tries and she had flipped her body from back to tummy! Whoot! I got some great pics of her hamming it up to me as she was in mid-roll, as well as a video clip, but our home computer was on the outs last night so they will be uploaded tonight!
Wow!
I was impressed. Kyla is doing this a wee bit earlier than her big sissy did. Keifer was about 4 1/2 months, and funny enough, she had the same position that Kyla did: the one leg over the top. Hee hee. So cute.

The down side: now we can't leave her on the changing pad on the Pack & Play alone when we run to make a bottle!

And in other GREAT news: Kyla slept 12 hours last night! *break into the Hallelujah song* It was wonderful! Ahhhhh, sleep!

Four months old and so worth the wait!

Our Kyla Whitney turned 4 months this past Saturday, the 19th, and really, WOW, how time does fly.
What a happy girl our baby K2 is. She is so smiley and happy and is beginning to really enjoy watcing her big sissy's antics. As K1 (and most babies) did, she loves to watch the fan go 'round and 'round, which sometimes can be distracting when we're feeding her. Lately, when I open books up close to her face so she can see, she lights up and breaks into a huge grin at the images before her. I so hope she loves to read as much as her big sissy does.

Kyla is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night: anywhere from 5-6 -10 hours on any given night. She is eating so much better since we started the feeding therapy and is still a very good burper for us! Keifer will even comment, "good burp!". Yes, big sissy continues to be a huge help with her baby Kyla and has learned the art of being gentle. She loves to shower Kyla's head and legs with kisses, as well as tickle her to make her do her belly laughs. Miss Kyla is a ticklish girl ~ when we change her clothes it never fails that she will break into her belly laugh! Ahh, what a love bug!

Stats:

Kyla is growing by leaps and bounds up the growth chart! She is slowly and steadily gaining on her sister!

Length: 24 3/4 inches -- 75%ile

Weight: 13 lbs, 5 ounces -- 50%ile

Head - I forgot the size but it's the 75%ile

Not bad for a preemie baby. I looked back and Keifer was about this size at 2 months of age, so Kyla is half the size of her sissy at this point, but I know she will grow and be a long legged girl, too!

She was also SO worth the wait!

Time for that silly flash in my face!
I love this look of hers- so coy!

Mama loved this outfit that Keifer had, and is so excited to dress Kyla in it, too

A happy and so beloved baby! Can that double chin and dimple be any sweeter? *swoon*

Wordless Wednesday: Shark Attack!

You know your girl is getting grown up...

...when she picks her nose, wipes the findings on your hand, and says, "here you go, mommy, it's my boogie".
Ewwwwwww.
Yes, my girl has turned into a gold digger. How DO kids learn these things? Are they innate?
However, I am pretty proud of her nose-blowing abilities at age 2! She has some skills in that department! LOL. If only she'd keep the blowing to a maximum and the picking to a minimum.

Senses

Some rambling thoughts about feelings and the senses.

I had a flashback thanks to my nose- the sense of smell today. I was washing my hands at Kyla's 4 month check up appointment, and the soap is the same soap they had in the Special Care nursery. Upon smelling the soap as I lathered up and it lingered on the bubbles on my hand, I was immediately imagining washing my hands in the sink at the nursery, gearing up to go sit with my baby and will her to eat. The small little peanut that is now growing and catching up on those "growth charts". It made me almost nostalgic for some reason; nostalgic that the time has gone way too fast, and it seems like just yesterday we were grieving leaving her in the nursery, and now she is home and thriving. What a blessing she is.

Yesterday, after a fun experience with friends at the MOA, I was driving home with the girls in the back seat. I had a slight headache when I left, but the closer I got to home, the more intense the headache became. It was slowly becoming so intense, I felt like I was going to throw up. I called CJ and warned him the minute I pulled in the driveway, I was going to be sick. It happened: I pulled in, told the girls Daddy was on his way, and raced upstairs, where I lost my lunch.
Keifer knew something was wrong, as I laid in bed with an ice pack for hours, and she knew mommy had "a tummy ache".
This morning, she crawled into bed with us when she woke up around 5:45. She cuddled up next to me (the sense of touch), and I was immediately warm all over, glowing with love. She put her little hand on my tummy, and said (with her stinky 2 year old breath) "mommy, I rub your tummy?" I told her it was OK. She rubbed her little hand back and forth rapidly across my tummy, and crooned, "it's OK, mama, it's OK; you feel better". Ahh, my lovie.

They say that energy between a parent and child is so very strong. There's almost a 'cording' that goes on. I can honestly say that I FEEL that cord between Keifer and myself. Some days, when she is becoming sleepy, it's like a hammer has hit me and I suddenly am so very tired, just like her. I will rock her at night, and some nights, just the sensation of her lying against my chest is so very powerful, it takes my breath away. I can literally feel her soul; her energy, her life. It is so very strong and powerful. It makes me feel energized and so very in love with the little soul that is Keifer.

I did it, I did it.... 50 book challenge!

I did it! The 50 book challenge has been completed! I hit the 50 book mark for the year last night, and hopefully the next few months will add some more interesting and readable books to the list!
I have to say, I was a bit sad that I didn't get to the 50 book mark as soon as I did last year: last year, it was in the summer, but I have to give myself some slack- I had my baby girl in the Spring and now have 2 kids to chase after! :)

Here is the list: ( I linked to it for the option of you linking to the book information, etc.)

1. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea -- Chelsea Handler
2. No One You Know – Michelle Richmond
3. The Brass Verdict -- Michael Connelly
4. Harvesting the Heart --Jodi Picoult *
5. Keeping Black Boys Out of Special Education –Jawanza Kunjufu
6. The Hour I First Believed – Wally Lamb
7. Heat Lightening –-John Sanford
8. The Wild Girl: A Novel—Jim Fergus
9. The Agency –Ally O’Brien
10. Mommy Tracked --Whitney Gaskell
11. The Devil in the White City –Erik Larson
12. Good Luck --Whitney Gaskell
13. Silent Racism – Barbara Trepagnier
14. Remember Me? – Sophia Kinsella
15. Can You Keep a Secret? – Sophia Kinsella
16. The Art of Keeping Secrets—Patti Callahan Henry
17. Pushing 30 –Whitney Gaskell
18. Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl –Virginia Lee Barnes & Janice Boddy
19. She, Myself & I -- Whitney Gaskell
20. What I Did For Love – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
21. Handle With Care -- Jodi Picoult
22. Mudbound --Hillary Jordan
23. In the Dark—Brian Freeman
24. The Girl She Used to Be –David Cristofano
25. Wicked Prey--John Sanford
26. Testing Kate—Whitney Gaskell
27. Natural Born Charmer –Susan Elizabeth Phillips
28. Crazy Love: A Memoir - -Leslie Morgan Steiner
29. American Wife—Curtis Sittenfeld
30. Sleeping Arrangements –Madeleine Wickham
31. Breathing Room -- Susan Elizabeth Phillips
32. Look Again—Lisa Scottoline
33. Love or Something Like It –Deirdre Shaw
34. Beverly Hills Adjacent--Jennifer Steinhauer & Jessica Hendra
35. Undone—Karin Slaughter
36. Twenties Girl—Sophie Kinsella
37. The Scarecrow—Michael Connelly
38. sTORI Telling—Tori Spelling
39. The No-Cry Sleep Solution: for Toddlers and preschoolers—Elizabeth Pantley*
40. The Surgeon—Tess Gerritsen
41. The Apprentice—Tess Gerritsen
42. The Sinner – Tess Gerritsen
43. Body Double—Tess Gerritsen
44. Vanish—Tess Gerritsen
45. The Help—Kathryn Stockett
46. Commencement—J. Courtney Sullivan
47. Shanghai Girls – Lisa See
48. Columbine – Dave Cullen
49. This is Where I Leave You -- Jonathan Tropper
50. The Mephiso Club -- Tess Gerritsen


* Have read this before*

TGIF!

If these pictures of my pumpkin girls don't get you smiling, I don't know what would! My beautiful girls- in all their PJ cozy glory! Enjoy!

She looks like an Elf here, doesn't she?
Two of Hearts (get it? hee hee)

Oh, we're going to the Fair.....

Two weeks ago this Saturday, this is what the Soup Family did:

"Hey, Kyla! Guess what? Mom and Dad are taking us to the State Fair today!"

Yep, Mama dressed us both in yellow-isn't she funny?

Yep. We all got up early, packed up 2 diaper bags and a small cooler of beverages. No food, though, because going to the State Fair is all about eating food. Lots of food. Mounds of food. It's about having a map and strategically planning your walking route according to where the food you want to try is located. *for me, it's hard to eat like this. Blech* For CJ and Keifer, it was a joyous day!

And we're off, with a sassy 2 year old who thinks that she should be allowed to be on her own no matter where we are located. Never mind, there was about 100,000 people there that day.

After we enjoyed some delicious crepes for breakfast (strawberries & cream, and a breakfast one), CJ had to get his cheese curds before we did anything else. Keifer had a few, but wasn't as into them as her daddy.

The minute we saw the Merry Go Round, Keifer would not budge. We HAD to go on the "Ring Around" right now.

So, we purchased tickets and picked out a horse.
The ride hadn't even started yet, when Keifer started to get hysterical.

Our girl, who was once so brave and enthusiastic on rides, has become something of a 'scaredy-cat'. I think she is now realizing that things can happen: the ride could go too fast and she could fall! *gasp* So...it was to the benches we went, where she insisted on being held as tightly as possible, first by mama and then daddy.

Ohh, this girl loved the "Ring Around"-and was very upset with us (aka: in temper tantrum mode) when we refused to pay $3 to ride it the 3rd time. There was too many other things to do!

For example, we went and watched the Skate Boarders and BMX Bikers do tricks, while Keifer danced and shook her booty to the rockin' music!

Then, we enticed her with a foot long Corn Dog-on-a-stick. The girl ate THE WHOLE THING. She is 2. She ate THE WHOLE THING. First, she ate the breading off, then the hot dog inside. Funny enough,she never complained of a tummy ache!

YUM!

Kyla chilled out in the stroller and took a breather and had a bottle while her sister was devouring the Corn Dog. Then, little Miss crashed out inside Mama's hot sling. She loves to be in the sling- she slept "like a baby" *(snicker)* for 2 more hours. Mama was hot and sweaty, but so in love with that little peanut of a girl.

CJ and I ended our time there (total time: 5 1/2 hours in the hot sun) with 2 sleeping girls, crashed out hard.

We can't wait to go again, when Kyla is older and Keifer can understand more of what is going on. For now, the State Fair experience is done ......until next time.....

Chatter box

A few weeks ago, Daddy taped Keifer talking on the phone to Nana Marge. Keifer really has lots to say. Enjoy.



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

The travels of summer

Last month, I took the girls back up to Papa Dale and Nana Dian's house. I haven't had a chance to upload the pictures I wanted to until last week, and I've kept them saved on here until I found a few minutes to share them with you.
Keifer loves going to visit them, and gets so excited when we pull into their driveway. This trip, she raced into the house and gave both Papa and Nana the biggest hugs ever, and then immediately went outside with Papa to check out the back yard.

Checking out the bird feeders

Cousin Aubrie came over that night and was thrilled to finally meet her baby peanut cousin, Kyla. Keifer, of course, had to share her.

The girls were calling people on the pretend phone

Papa/Uncle (to Aubrie) reading
The next day, the girls rushed over to our neighbor's "park" -the swing set they have in their back yard, that we are free to use with Keifer

Making a "choo choo" train

Mama/Auntie cuddling her favorite girls

It was an early AM with Keifer in the house. Papa & Nana with their favorite girls

Giving Kyla a bath was a family affair with all the girls.

Keifer was a great help with the dishwasher

Papa & his little ladies

Great-Auntie Jeanne loving on baby Kyla

My Grandma, finally meeting Kyla Whitney!!

The "girls" of the family

3 generations

Keifer giving her Great-Grandma a smooch goodbye
Smooch!

I have many more pictures from this trip, but too many to upload and well, I'm sure you're on picture overload! :) Hopefully, we'll be back up North as soon as we can find a free weekend- Keifer would love to go now, if she could!