Spring Break

Oh, Keira I have had so much fun with you this week. I am so thankful that I got a week off and that Daddy did too. We have had a blast with you and our new puppy Cooper. We have had him for about a week and he is certainly starting to make our home his. I love seeing you play with him, even though I know he likes to annoy you at times. Daddy and I were talking the other night about how funny it is that we can tell Cooper already loves us so much and he has only known us for a short time. Kinda like you, we fell in love the first time we met. We are such a perfect little family and it will only get better from here. Being off this week has made me so ready for the summer. Only a few more months to go until I will get to be home with you for a while. I know that next week will be hard for us both to get back into our weekly schdule. Now that it is warm, we can do lots of fun things together after I get home from work.

Some things I want to remember....

You are talking so much! And even though there are lots of mumbles and made up words in the conversations we have, I understand everything that comes out. Last night, we took you to Daddy's soccer game and it was the first one in about a year. You were so funny sitting in your little camping chair and yelling, "Go! Go! Gooooo Daddy!!" And I loved doing somersaults with you all the way down the soccer field. Even though my back hurts today and I almost broke my wrist doing a cartwheel. I have got to remember to get you your own soccer ball so we can play outside because I know you love to "kick it". I think its so funny how you yell at Cooper when he runs off with one of your blankies or toys. "NO Ma'am" you tell him! (you hear that a lot from me!) I love that you love the train at Trinity Park. We will have to go do that more often because we all had a blast. "toot toot, tooooooooooot" I also love that you love to help me cook. We cooked lots this week! Well here are some pics of our spring break together. I have treasured every moment with you this week, and always.

Stop and Jot...

Just a few things I thought about recently and wanted to stop and jot down...

1. You snore like daddy. It's a very soft snore and oh so cute. I love napping next to you

2. Will your belly button ever pop out? Daddy and I both have actual holes that go in (usually called innies) Yours is like a nub that doesn't really stick out or in. We don't really know if it is a trait that you inherit or not. Also, back in your NICU days, your bellybutton (the black cord part that normally falls off itself a few weeks after babies are born)had to be taken off so they could insert the tube. Maybe that is the reason? Who knows! I think your bellybutton is so cute the way it is and we don't care what happens!

3. Your new favorite thing to do is put anyone and everything in time out. Time out in our house is next to the front door and you have to stand facing the wall. You go there often. Sometimes you cry when your there and sometimes you just suck it up and stand there. You are never there long but we are trying to break some of those bad habits of yours.....like playing in the cat food bowls, playing in the potty, and screaming when you don't get your way. I actually think it is working because I am seeing less of these things. But now, you will put your baby dolls in time out, your stuffed animals in time out, and even try to put Aspen and Daisy in time out. I was giving you a bath the other night and you put one of your rubber ducky's up on the ledge facing the wall and you said, "Time Ou". You are so adorable and are keeping us on our toes at this wonderful age of toddler hood!

Our new family member!

You better be ready because we are about to have a new member join our family. We are getting a puppy! It is for daddy's birthday and we can't wait. I know how much you love dogs and I know you will love our little boy. I keep showing you the pics of him and you just point and keep saying..."puppy!" It is so cute. I know he will be one of your new best friends...just like Aspen and Daisy. We get to get him on the 14th of March. He is from Oklahoma so we will be taking a road trip to pick him up. I know you will love him. I remember my childhood dog so well. We had little Muffin who I grew up with. Daddy and I have been debating on when would be a good time in our lives for this. We thought about last summer, this past Christmas, and decided we should wait just a little bit longer. Now we have found the perfect one and it is the perfect time. So many new memories to make with him....park days, long walks, Daddy's soccer games and much much more! Here are some pics of the future Dwyer.

Icy Day

Yesterday I got to stay home from work and have a fun play day with you. We had a tea party with all your friends, watched some TV, looked at old pictures, did some gymnastics on the bed and off the bed, played with the kittys, colored, and much more. I had so much fun with you. It really made me excited to think about the fun summer we are going to have together. I think there is only about 17 more weeks until I'm out for summer. I can't wait!

O yea....
I signed you up for a gymnastics class. You start next Thursday and I can't wait to see how much you are going to love it. Tumbling, jumping, and running around! We have to go leotard shopping this weekend.

XOXO
Mom

Great Nana

Great Nana passed away a week ago from today. She lived a long and wonderful life and I only wish you got to know her longer than you did. She was such an important part of my life and I treasured the days I had with her. I loved bringing you up to see her. You always brightened her day and made her feel so much better. She loved you so much and was so proud of all of us. I have many many stories to tell you about her when you get older.
When I was little and stayed the night with her, I would always dress up in her high heels, scarfs, pearls, and purses. Every time I see you walking in my heels (yes! You pull out my matching high heels, put them on, and walk pretty good in them!) I think of her. I know you got your taste in style and love of jewelery from her! So this blogs for you Great Nana...you will be always be loved and missed dearly.

XOXO Kelsey

Long, Busy Weekend...

Listen little miss...I know you are in that independent stage and all but we need to have a chat. Lets start with a recap of the weekend starting with Friday night. Yes, I know that your nap time was a little shorter than normal, but still about an hour. I've seen you on less sleep and acting a much better. Yes, I do realize that we chose to a restaurant with a bit of a wait, but you were having so much fun waiting! Walking all around and talking to all the others who were waiting as well. You made friends with the cute baby beside us and you were making everyone laugh with your cute personality and dance moves. But then, they called Dwyer, two and a highchair. You were fine up until we got our drinks. Then it started...the screaming at the top of your lungs. We tried the "whisper Keira", which has been working pretty good, we tried the crayons...the drink, and rolls, but you did not want anything to do with Cotton Patch. You only wanted to ride the mechanical pony outside of Cotton Patch, in the 40 degree cold. That or to climb up the highchair, which is a big "No!". So, after getting our food to go, we left in a hurry and headed home. I know we don't eat out that often, and when we do you are normally really good. So lets make a deal that you will try and be your adorable self more often, and I will allow you to ride the pony in the cold. Shake on it!

I got you the cutest book at target on one of our many trips..."No More Pacifiers". So cute and you love it so much. It has babies with pacifiers that disappear throughout the book. There is a cute repetition of "Who needs a paci, No not me" which we have been singing all weekend. It is so funny because when we sing it, you find a paci and throw it across the room. while saying, "No, not me!" So Daddy and I asked you if you wanted to throw your pacies away and you said yea! So you took all three of them that you could find and threw them in the kitchen trash can under the sink. First...

And then......And finally....It was very funny, and yes we gave them back after washing them. Believe it or not, you still throw them when we read that book to you.

Sunday was so fun. We took you to the Dallas World Aquarium. You loved it, even more than the last time we went. We saw the baby penguins...

Baby birds, A very sleepy sloth,

A not-so itsy bitsy spider,Lots of fish and turtles and a whole lot more. You were in heaven and wanted to run wild with all the animals. We really had fun and can't wait to go back.

Last night we decided that we may try and make your bed into the day bed crib, which means take the front rails off. We talked about this because you can basically climb out and we would rather you fall the short distance rather than the longer. And also, since you are wanting to do everything on your own by saying "I do, I do", (eat, brush teeth, read books, wash hair, brush hair, put on socks/shoes/clothes/jacket, buckle your own seat belt,feed the cats, set the table, empty the dishwasher and the dryer, and everything else) we would give the bed thing a try. Lets just say, we put it back up at around 10:30. You kept popping out in the living room with the little smirk on your face which said... "I'm back!" You were very mad at us for putting it back up.

What can I say, we live, we learn. Anyways...I had such a wonderful weekend with you and I love you so much...my little monkey!

XOXO Mom

I spoke to soon.

Hi sweet girl. The night that I started this blog was a long, sleepless night by you, daddy and I. I knew I spoke to soon! For some reason, you decided to wake us up at 2:30. I layed on the couch with you, rocked you, layed you in our bed, and many other tricks that sometimes work. But all you wanted to do was anything but sleep. No cuddle time, no resting. I even turned on the TV for you but that didn't seem to help much. I think you just wanted to play. We were up from about 2:30 until my alarm went off at 5:30. You silly girl. Then it was daddy's turn to take over since I had to get ready. You did not like me getting ready. I think it is because you know I am getting ready to leave you for the day. Your so smart, too smart for us.

You have picked up a new trick. Whenever you need help with something, you will now stop what you are doing, come up to Daddy or I and grab our hands and pull us to where you want us to be. Then ask us to help you. It is very cute. I love when you try and do the sign for "help". I also love how you make up your own signs for things. Like share. We have no idea where you got that sign from. Mrs. Shannon said that they did not teach you that at school so you must have come up with that yourself.

We finally got your red shoes in the mail yesterday. Good thing since your pink ones are getting kinda snug. I think it is so funny how excited you get about getting new packages in the mail. That is just like me! Especially if they are new shoes. You are my little shoe girl! You put those little red loafers on and refused to take them off all night.

Today at work, we had a work day which means no kids. It was such a pleasant surprise that Nana could bring you up to see me. I had a little more work to do so I gave you some colored rubber animals and cars and trucks and you were having so much fun with them. You were kinda trying to sort them into color piles. Ill have to snag some to bring home so you can work on that.

I am excited about this long weekend (MLK Day is Monday) that I get to spend with you. We will do some fun stuff, I promise!

Love Mom