Birthday & Christmas Pictures & 1 Year Stats

Celebrating birthday at Great-Grandma Taylor's with all the Taylors!

All the Grandbabies (and Great-Grandbaby)

The immediate Mike Taylor family

Celebrating birthday at the Hardy's

Santa came to Grandma Cheryl's!

Such a happy boy!

Sportin' a Hawkeye cap!

After all the great weekend activities and being such a happy boy - we had to take Kayson to his 1 year Well-Check visit this morning. He was not happy during and afterwards. What a horrible, horrible experience! Shots are enough, but to top it off, he had to have his finger pricked (for an Iron test)... brutal!!!! No more crying for just 30 seconds. This one lasted nearly 20 minutes. Poor little guy... oh it breaks our hearts!!!

Here are his stats for 1 year:

Weight - 24 lbs 13 oz (78%)

Height - 31 1/4" (90%)

He's not as chubby as we thought he was!!! ha. But if you see those thighs, you would agree with us! :) He's perfect.

He's doing great - and now we just start experiencing what a 1 year old will do for us! I'm up for the challenge! ha. :) We are going to be busy!

My "BABY" is 1!

A year ago on Christmas Eve - this is how Kayson decided to join our family:

Christmas Eve -- Mike, JeanAnn, Ryan and I hung out at the townhome for a while - 'thinking' we would be celebrating Chrsitmas the next day at the townhome with Blair & Martina. We attended Christmas Eve service at our church in Waukee. Nice service, but I was extremely uncomfortable the entire time. I couldn't sit still - I was antsy!! We got home and Mike & JeanAnn took off for their hotel. I was exhausted, so I headed to bed (I think around 11 pm). Ryan came to bed around 1 am. I woke up at 1:05 am with some back pain. I went to the bathroom and walked a little... and the back pains kept coming on. I thought to myself - "Crap, this baby is coming on Christmas Day!!" I woke Ryan up at 1:14 am. (He was tired!) He didn't know what I meant by having 'back labor' - we looked in the book (just to make sure...) and sure enough, that's what I was experiencing. We started timing the contractions... me walking around, sitting (if I could) and slowly getting my things together. We timed the contractions til about 2:15 am. They were nearly 2 or 3 minutes apart, lasting about a minute each. Ryan did so well with me and writing everything down! We headed out to the hospital around 2:30 am. We got the hospital and all settled in my labor/deliver room. I recieved my epidural around 4:30 am and I was in heaven! Pain free. :) Now - we just wait. I have to say that was the hardest thing to do... but Ryan & I did well - we talked and laughed, and tried to close our eyes (which was impossible)... then around 10:30 am, I was told it was time to push. I pushed - nothing... and pushed - nothing... I was then told that I needed to 'labor down' - which simply meant to let the epidural do more work and let Kayson move more down into the canal some more. I was extremely disappointed and frustrated - thinking I wasn't going to be able to do this... but after about 35 minutes of that, it was time to push again. Kayson arrived at 1:16 pm on Christmas Day - weighing 7 lbs 11 oz.


So this Christmas Day was a blessing for us. We can't believe our 'baby' is 1 now. I have to admit, I was emotional - I cried a little (in private) and laughed and smiled at my baby.


Our Kayson does so much now - each day is something new.

This weekend when we were at my parents - they have two small steps that go from their living room to the dining room - Aunt Tricia showed him how to crawl up them... and right after she did, he did it. It was CRAZY! He lifted his little leg and just pulled himself up like it was no big deal! Of course, all Ryan & I could think was "UH OH!" We have our hands full!


He's now eating big people food - I'm still using up some of the baby food I have, but we are really trying to get him out of that and into the more calorie stuff. He's a growing boy and needs more food! We go for our 1 year appointment in the morning, so I'm assuming we'll start him on whole milk this week. BIG STEPS for Buster!


He's doing more and more signing... we just keep working with him.


He snuggles just a touch more. Not a lot, but there's times when he will rest his head on your shoulder for a little bit. Oh, what a sweet feeling.


He plays rough - typical boy! You would think that he plays rougher with Ryan, but he actually plays hard with me. He pounces on me quite a bit and just laughs. It's so funny.

All in all, looking back over these past 12 months has been a breath of relief - we did it. We raised a baby and survived! We lived past the late night and early morning feedings. We figured out that breast feeding just didn't work for me and Kayson. We love watching Kayson learn new things every day - and soak in so much! We can't wait to see what the next 12 months bring.

Christmas & Birthday - Here & GONE!

My little family made it to Clarion on Christmas Eve. The weather sure did throw us for a loop, but we did it - we made it just fine... and I'm so thankful. We spent two days with my family and we had a wonderful time. Saturday morning we headed to Creston. The roads were a little iffy in spots, but we made it just fine. Again - very thankful! And again - had a fantastic time with the Taylor's. We are blessed to have such wonderful families...

Kayson was such a good boy through all of this - being gone for 4 days from his own bed and 'normalcy'. I hear it all the time - "he's such a good boy"... and he is. He adjusts well, which is a nice feeling. We celebrated his birthday several times this long weekend! Of course! Cupcakes and birthday presents (and of course Christmas presents). Spoiled little boy. ;)

I have a ton of pictures to share, and I will... but will post them later.
I want to thank our families for the wonderful gifts, food and love - we love you all. And I personally can't believe that Christmas & Kayson's birthday is here and gone - in a flash, it seems.

Signing & a White Christmas

For the past several months, Ryan and I have been signing with Kayson. We are told that daycare does this as well... so the more, the better. Ryan gave me an early Christmas present last night (simply because he thought it would fit in my stocking, but it didn't) - it was a book "Signing to your Baby". I loved it!!! We started practicing more last night... and I learned a lot. It says that signing could take about 2 weeks up to 4 weeks for the baby to start signing back. And it says to just keep on doing it, consistantly and the baby will catch on. Kayson knows some signs - "More" (or "Again"), "Bath", "Milk". We are really working on "Momma", "Daddy", "Please", "Hungry" and some others... it's so cool to watch Kayson learn this and also a challenge for Ryan and I to learn and teach it as well.

It sounds like we will definitely have a white Christmas this year - along with some ice. We are suppose to travel up to Clarion Thursday sometime, but I'm guessing we will be staying home. I'm sad about that... but also a tiny part of me thinks that it will be nice to be home with just Ryan and Kayson for Christmas and Kayson's birthday. I'm praying that somehow it'll be just warm enough for us to travel, but also know not to get my hopes up too high.

If you do travel in Iowa - please be careful!!

Staying In

It's Saturday evening - Kayson's in bed, Ryan is asleep in his chair. So far, we've had a nice weekend. Last night we stayed in and got a Papa Murphy's pizza, really good... and we watched a movie (for the first time in months). We rented "The Proposal" off of Pay Per View. I'm glad we didn't go spend a ton of money to watch it in a theater. It was good, but not what we thought - since I guess it was so hiped up by everyone else, we assumed it would be just that awesome. It was ok.

Today I napped while Kayson took his morning nap. I've just been plain tired. We met Mike & JeanAnn for lunch and then did a WalMart run. The rest of the day was spent at home - Kayson napping, and just doing random stuff. Good day. Tomorrow will be groceries (should have went tonight!), and that'll be it. We need a relaxing weekend cuz next weekend will be crazy!

Here's a picture of what Kayson did while Daddy got the pizza Friday night. (Getting into the Christmas cards we've gotten!)

We play hard & laugh hard!

There are some evenings around the Taylor household that are just plain funny - mostly because of Buster. ;) I guess Ryan and I can be funny (haha), but honestly, if we get Kayson to laugh pretty hard, we can't stop smiling! Here are a few videos of the last couple evenings.

This is Kayson wanting to get to the presents. He was laughing hard when I would pull him back...

And this one is a ritual - Kayson and Daddy playing hard. His laugh is priceless!

Best Part of our Day

Being a parent is amazing, it's trying, it's rewarding (now!), it's a wonderful feeling. Right now, the best part of being a parent is when Ryan or I get Kayson up in the morning and he gives us a HUGE smile and kicks his legs and waves 'HI'! I could be dragging in the morning (which is typically every morning), and the second I go into his room and turn on the light - he squints his eyes (cuz the light it so bright!) and smiles, and I smile and snuggle on him. Ryan and Kayson are the best part of MY days! What is the best part of your day?

Great Weekend

We had another very busy weekend, but always a good one. We headed to Creston Friday evening. Had a good drive, despite being a little concerned about the roads, but they were actually ok. We saw plenty of cars and semis in the ditches from the Wednesday blizzard. (If you don't know me well - you'll soon know that I hate winter weather when it comes to the roads. I am a nervous wreck nearly every time there's snow/sleet/freezing rain, etc --- a couple years ago I spun out on I80 on black ice, and ever since then I panic. I'm not going to lie - I'm probably not the person you want to see on the road when it's crappy weather!! I just hate it!! ha!) Saturday we celebrated Christmas (and Kayson's birthday) with Aunt Maagie. Before she and the others arrives, we had Kayson's picture taken with Santa in Creston. He did so well - looked at Santa funny and then looked at us and clapped! It was awesome. I'm anxious to see the picture! Anyway, it was a great time with Aunt Maagie and Susan & Ashlei and Jimmy. Nice company and just relaxing. Here are a few pictures - Celebrating all the December birthdays on the Taylor/Cobb side.



We headed back to Des Moines Saturday evening - I personally don't like to be away from home for an entire weekend (I'm such a 'home-body'), plus we had already decided that we would come home and get some things done around the house. I did laundry til late Saturday night and many other things that just get lost in the 'things to do'. Sunday - more laundry, more putting stuff away, another photo shoot, and the Sunday routine of grocery shopping. On the grocery shopping note - I need to start shopping on Saturdays or Mondays. Sundays are CRAZY at HyVee. Plus 9 times out of 10 I can't get something we need b/c they are out! Our neighbors stopped by with some Christmas cookies too, so that was super nice - nice to visit with them and their two little boys. I have a feeling this spring/summer will be great - once we can get outside and play! We'll really get to know them and the others better.


Now it's Monday - time just flies by. I've got to get to Kohls and the mall this week - no if's, and's or butt's about it!!! This coming weekend we have nothing planned (no travelling anyway), so I'll be able to get the gifts wrapped up and start getting organized for the holidays and being gone for 4 days.

Neighbors & Crawling

We have a neighbor that is a life-saver, according to Ryan. He has a kick-a## snowblower, again - according to Ryan - he helped out all of the homes on the block - just 4 families, but that's a lot when it's 16 inches of snow and fairly long driveways. Ryan was very thankful (as I am too), and he also got to meet the guys on the block. So that's nice. I'm anxious to meet the girls on the block - I know their names, but that's it. We didn't get really 'dug' out until this morning around 6:30. The plow made one swipe around 4:00 (I think).

It was nice to be at home yesterday... and Buster has been slowly getting up on those knees to crawl, so that's been fun. I got it on video, but had a hell of a time uploading it last night... so I'll just tell you about it! He does really well going from his tummy to sitting up, and now that he can get up on those knees - he slowly scoots each leg/knee... it's so darn cute! He won't come see us if we tell him to 'Come here' - but if we show him something he shouldn't have - he goes right after it! Why is that??! ha.

He's also feeling better - finally! The only thing now is getting him to sleep soundly through the night again. Those two weeks, we were up a lot in the night... now I'm afraid he's getting 'use' to that. I'm not going to lie - I'm sore from lifting him in and out of his crib. We have the crib as low as it'll go and he's heavy and my back hurts!!!

Snowed In!

We are literally snowed in today!! and I'm actually lovin' it! With no snow blower, we are stuck, unless Ryan wants to scoop nearly 3 foot of snow in our driveway! I'm guessing we'll borrow a snow blower. (I hope!) Iowa has been hit with the Blizzard of '09 (according to the news), it's windy, cold and I believe we've gotten nearly 16 inches of snow already. Holy Crap! Ryan and I both stayed home today and it's been great - we've gotten things done... and have played and relaxed with Buster.

Here's a picture of Kayson listening to some ITunes (courtesy of Daddy). So funny.


And giggles from Kayson...

Sick Boy Update

Dr. Spinelli wanted to see Kayson again --- double ear infection. Well, it's a no wonder he's been a bear!! Ryan took him this morning - instead of changing antibiotics, they just gave him a shot. Hoping this will kick in faster and help him out. Poor guy. Ryan called to give me the news, and Kayson is just sobbing in the background. Breaks my heart.

We obviously couldn't take him to daycare with such a high temp... so Ryan took the morning shift, I'm taking the afternoon shift. I sure hope he's better by tomorrow.

Very busy weekend - and Sick Boy

In this order, this was our busy weekend... and not very many breaks in between.
Saturday:

1. Dogs to the vet Saturday morning
2. Not happy baby Kayson - high temp, fussy
3. Photo shoot in the basement
4. Blair, Martina & Martina's parents visit for a little bit
5. Still unhappy baby - temp is lower
6. Attempted to get some laundry done
7. Mike & JeanAnn come to stay with Kayson Saturday evening
8. Let our friends dog out
9. Attended Ryan's work holiday party - at the Funny Bone
10. Crashed - but didn't sleep well - up through the night...

Sunday:

1. Target run first thing in the morning
2. Kayson seems a little happy - temp is lower
3. Attempted to get shopping done - we were pretty successful
4. Two good friends of mine (and their kids) came over for a visit
5. Kayson wakes up from nap - crabby and high temp again
6. Let our friends dog out (a different friend/different dog)
7. Kayson throws up his dinner - bath time
8. Try to play and keep baby happy - not very successful
9. Kayson bedtime - still didn't sleep well

Monday:

1. Very high temp for Kayson - Ryan and I are taking shifts today (him - a.m., me - p.m.)
2. Dealing with the snow/ice covered roads - yuk

I'm exhausted and extremely worried about Kayson.

Kuhl Visit

The Kuhl's came to visit tonight... we had pizza and watched the little ones play. Cali is getting so big - and SO SMART! Here are a couple videos of the evening.

Pics

Here are some funny pictures of Buster.

Relaxin' in Dada's chair. Friday when we were at Uncle Blair & Aunt Martina's - Kayson was 'veggin' in Blair's chair and Martina rocked and rocked him... he acted as if he could fall asleep, but never did... I guess now he just needs a remote and a drink. ;)


This is the new funny face that he makes... kind of puts his chin out a little and squints his eyes...


Again - but really showin' those teeth! Too funny. (Ignore the snotty nose!)


BLLLAAAAHHH!!!

Infections and Shopping?

My sinus infection is back - or should I say - the doctor thinks it never went away from the last time. Wonderful! I'm on some medication - for 21 days! My goodness, you would think that would do it! Kayson has the start of an ear infection - he has some fluid back behind his ears that are making him so unhappy. Dr. Spinelli put a prescription in, but wanted us to wait to pick it up... (to see if Kayson spikes a temp). I love the fact that Spinelli is laid-back, however, I think I'll pick the meds up tonight, since Kayson didn't sleep well again and is just not himself. We will continue to do breathing treatments to help the cough. And Kayson got the H1N1 shot as well... so that's off the list.

Has everyone got their Christmas shopping done? or at least started? I have 3 things bought - two of my nieces are done, and one lonely little gift for Kayson. We have so much to do! I started a little list of who we need to buy for... and I struggle with what to get. We obviously need to watch our pennies, and not go overboard, so that limits us. We really need to plan ahead better and get some of this stuff done earlier next year. Happy shopping to you all... and wish us luck!

Loopy

Some would think that 'loopy' means I've started to have too much to drink... that's not the case at all. I am fighting another cold/sinus thing right now... and I have been taking some over the counter meds. Last night (around midnight), I took some sinus night-time stuff --- it does help to 'knock me out', however, this morning I just feel loopy. I feel like my body is just floating... and my head is not attached. I can barely keep my eyes open! I will definately be calling the doctor to get in this afternoon - I'm guessing it's another sinus infection. It doesn't suprise me that I feel this way - I've been non-stop for the past 2 or 3 weeks... it was bound to catch up with me.

Kayson, too, is not feeling well. We as a family have just not slept well at all the past 4 nights. His cough is back in full force, his nose is full of crap, and he's just not happy. I've said this before - it's a lot of work to make a baby happy and comfortable, when typically he's so good and not whiny. I will be getting him into the doctor today as well.

I pray for a full nights sleep tonight (or at least by tomorrow night!)

Nice holiday... and two more days!

We had a very nice time for Thanksgiving this year. We spent it in Clarion with my family... everyone was there and we just had fun... played games and ate WAY TOO MUCH. Isn't that just normal?? Kayson was a good boy - fussy at some times, but I think it's due to his cough that's back (yes, he seems to get this cough about every 6 weeks). YUK. Anyway, we had a nice day. Today we headed back to Des Moines, and stopped at Blair & Martina's to see them for a little bit. Martina's parents were there too, so I know they liked to see Kayson...

I'm so glad it's only Friday night, instead of Sunday! We have two more full days to get stuff done. We already have a list for Lowe's... and also get the Christmas tree up and decorated. I would also love to get a few things hung up on the walls! But really that's not all that important!

Kayson is doing well with the army crawlling... he's really getting it down, and starts to laugh a little when he goes after something... for example, when he goes after a drawer that he wants to open. We've been saying "No" a lot lately! I'm just so glad he's moving! ;)

1 month, 4 weeks, 30 days...

til Kayson's birthday & Christmas Day! So much to do - start to shop for Christmas gifts, shop for at least one birthday gift for Kayson, put the Christmas decorations up, get our family picture taken for Christmas cards... It makes me crazy to think this will all be over in a month... We've got to find a weekend or two to get some of this stuff checked off the list!

Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday!

Inside Pics

Kayson - Enjoying the front yard!


The kitchen - one room that DOES have some decorations!


3rd Bedroom - The 'catch-all' room for now!


Living room - LOVE the fireplace & flat screen. HD baby! (What a difference that makes!)

And Kayson's room...

We don't have much on the walls yet. Our blinds were cut wrong (the correct ones will be installed Wednesday), so we did put up the curtains. They look great, and make it already pretty 'homey'.

It already feels like home. We love it.

Moved & Settled... & ARMY CRAWLING!

This weekend was our big move... I first want to thank all our family for their help - we couldn't have done it without them! The men - Mike, my Dad, Blair and even Scott - great to have all the man-muscle! The women - my Mom, JeanAnn & Martina - they helped organized and put that damn kitchen together! I swear there were boxes and boxes and boxes of kitchen stuff! Thank goodness for those ladies!

Second, I want to thank Colleen. She watched Kayson for us - and she said everything went very well - he took great naps for her and played well with Cali. I was so pleased... it's nice to know that Kayson does well for others!

• Side note -- Kayson slept on his tummy for both naps - and even today (He's never done that!) AND KAYSON STARTED TO ARMY CRAWL!! Finally! Saturday morning, Ryan & I and Kayson were in his room getting his last minute stuff packed up... he went to his tummy and just army crawled over to a drawer and opened it. We were in shock and it was the BEST feeling ever! We were just laughing and clapping... looked like idiots, but proud idiots! And ever since then, Kayson's been doing the army crawl all over. He's not quick at it, but he is doing it! NOW I can say he'll be into everything before we know it!

Ok... on to the move - everything honestly went really well - once small glitch in our bedroom furniture/dresser - but it's okay, we hope to find some stain or something. (Couldn't even tell you where we'll start!) The men and women worked hard all day long... and it was a success. Ryan & I are slowly getting more stuff organized... He's actually working the garage right now. That'll be a couple day project. We love our new house and can't wait to make it our 'home'.

I promise to get pictures up tomorrow. I have Monday & Tuesday off. Tomorrow I plan to actually relax a little, I've got to. My feet and legs ache!

The time has come...

We start moving tomorrow! We close on the house at 11:00, then the boxes will start being packed up and unloaded... I can't wait. It seems like it's been a long time coming, but really it's only been 4 weeks, and now that we are parents - 4 weeks seems like 2 days. ha.

The house looks awesome - we had our walkthrough yesterday morning, everything looks great - besides those little cosmetic things - like paint chips, etc... but that'll all be fixed by tomorrow, and we'll be good to go!

I do have updated pictures - but I'm going to wait to post those until we are settled. I will be away from the computer til at least Sunday, so be patient! ;)

Have a great weekend!! Happy packing & unloading for the Taylor's!

Time

I need about 40 hours in one day - just once... (at least this week!)

We have so much going on right now, I'm literally being pulled in every direction possible. I will sit down to work on my photo shoots, and then I feel the need to pack something, or finish the load of laundry, or Kayson needs something... I'll sit down to have a snack, and then the dogs will need to be let out, or I need to go to the bathroom, and then get distracted by something else... and move on to that. It's a no wonder I have pimples on my face and bags under my eyes!!! ;)

We did get lots of packing done this weekend... still not everything, but we sure are getting there. Saturday we went to Clarion to take the 'grandkid' pictures - we all had so much fun. We were going to go to a park across the road from the farm, but we decided to stay at the farm - we utilized one of Dad's tractors and some of the great leaves... I think the kids had fun, and so did Mom & Dad watching. Here's a few pictures of the kids. It was cold, but we still had fun!

Yesterday we did more packing and bought a new TV for the house... did some errands and played hard with Kayson. He's at such a fun age - he knows how to make us laugh now. He squints his eyes and leans back and gives a big laugh - and KNOWS that we will laugh and snuggle on him. He talks all the time - I have a feeling once he can really talk - it will not be quiet at our house! He's going to have a lot to say to us.

We have a busy week ahead of us - prepping for the big move. We've already decided we will be eating out every night. It's just too much to try to plan meals when we pretty much have the kitchen packed up. I gotta prepare myself for fast food and carryout. Next week I WILL plan meals in the new house! :)

So for now, I'm hoping work goes fast every day, and our evenings last forever, so we can get more stuff done!

Thankful

November is the month to be extra thankful... and I'm feeling I need to say thanks.
I'm thankful for:

• My wonderful husband - he's a man of little words, but also has a strong opinion that I respect. All I need from him is a hug and a kiss every day, and I'm good. He's an awesome dad. He's a funny person and has a big heart. I'm thankful for meeting him 5 years ago and having him change my life forever.
• My amazing son - You never know the true meaning of love until you have your own child (in my opinion). Kayson can brighten my day in 2 seconds... I hate to say goodbye to him in the morning, but love to pick him up everyday. That smile & flapping of his arms will get ya every time. God truly did bless us with Buster.
• Mine & Ryan's family - Two families that would do anything for us... I'm thankful to have a close-knit family who is always there for us when we need them.
• Friends - I have so many dear friends that make me laugh. I have close friends that have been around for years (since junior high), and some that I've just gotten to really know over the past 3 or 4 years. No matter how long I've known them - we each have a connection that is different but very special.

Now to the silly things:

• My camera - Best purchase I've ever made... I capture so much with that camera.
• Funny people in general - some people just make me laugh!
• Chips & Salsa from El Rodeo - need I say more?!
• Music - I may not be a good singer, but I sure am in the car -- great music starts my day. I'm intrigued by so many amazing singers in this world!
• Second chances at Love - once again, need I say more!?
• Fresh air
• The smell of a Sugar Cookie candle

I hope each and everyone of you will take a moment to thank the people you love for everything they do... even if it's the small stuff - that's what's big to me.

Sneak Peek

Here are a few pictures of the house... the deck is almost done, and a sneak peek of the inside family room area and dining area. I love it, I love it! It's really coming along!! We are told the carpet should be put in Monday or Tuesday... then we assume the countertops... and so on.

Nose!

Kayson knows where his nose is! How a little thing can be SO BIG in our lives! We have been practicing for a good week or so... He doesn't show us every time we ask, but he's getting there! Where is Winnie's nose (Winnie the Pooh)? He shows us. Where is Momma's nose? Doesn't show us that - still working on that! Where is the puppy's (stuffed animal) nose? He shows us. Where is Kayson's nose? He shows us.

Here is a picture of what he does... I'd say that's pretty damn good for a 10 month old!

Warm November Day

Over 70 degrees today here in Iowa... Holy cow, I was warm!! Windows open, windows down in the car, and Kayson with no pants on! Ryan, his Dad and brother headed over to Iowa City for the game... a loss for the Hawks. Kayson, Martina, JeanAnn and I did some shopping. Kayson was such a good boy - we shopped, he talked, he napped in his stroller, he just was a really good boy. When we got done with shopping, us girls (and Kayson) came back to the house and hung out. We played outside for a little bit - check out the pictures. Notice no pants - it's November 7!! Crazy! The trike I bought from a co-worker for like $10! We'll be removing the basket and the streamers!! haha. But for today, it was okay!

It was a nice day... I hope this warm/mild weather sticks around. I'm totally loving it!

Sleep & House

Kayson has decided that waking up in the middle of the night (several times) is necessary! The last several nights we've been up with him at least 3 or 4 times. As you all know, we are just plain not use to that! Ryan's cough is back, so he's coughing all night long, so that doesn't help! We are all tired and crabby (or at least I am!) ha. :) Of course we try to analyze this stage of Kayson being up in the middle of the night -- is it teeth? Is it his ears? Is he just not comfortable? We aren't sure... and that's SO hard to figure out!

On to the new house - things are moving along, which makes us very happy. We were informed yesterday that our walkthrough will be the Monday before we close - that's soon! We believe the painting is done on the inside, and Ryan said they had started laying sod last night. It makes me crazy excited! This weekend I hope to get in it again and snoop around! Then of course, concentrate on packing some more.

Hope everyone is having a good week! I hope to get some good sleep this weekend!

Happy Halloween... and other stuff

It was Kayson's first Halloween today... whoohoo. ha. It actually was no big deal... he hated to be put in his costume - a scarecrow - cried, and just plain didn't like it, until I made a complete 'arse' out of myself to get him to smile! ha. Either way, he was pretty darn cute... and being in the costume for a total of 5 minutes was all he could handle. Poor thing.

Here are the steps:

Mad to be in the costume, then didn't really like the hat, then me dancing around to make him smile. It is a darn cute costume!

Today Ryan and his Dad headed over to Iowa City for the football game... another cold day - windy! Kayson and I stayed here. I had a photo shoot this morning, so Colleen watched Kayson for us. Miss Cali isn't so sure about sharing her toys with this little boy that came to hang out. All Colleen kept saying was 'that was interesting...' She said one would cry, then the other one would... I felt bad. After the freezing photo shoot, Colleen, Cali, Kayson & I went out for mexican. It was great food, great company... was just plain nice to hang out with the Kuhl girls.

Here's a picture of the cute bib that Great-Great Grandma Ann sent to us. He was happy to have that on! ha.

After lunch, Kayson took a great nap at home... I did some cleaning and laundry. Ryan & his Dad got home around 5:30... and we've just been doing this and that since. It was another win for the Hawks - ugly game, but a win. They seem to have ugly games from time to time!!! Still can't believe they are 9-0! Great to be a Hawk!

So... Happy Halloween to all you out there. I'm anxious to see all my friends' kids' costumes.

Better

I'm not going to lie, the past couple days have just been 'blah'. I've been down in the dumps, I've been crabby, I've been just not myself. I get this way from time to time, and I wonder why - is it something specific? Is it just the way things go? Do others go through this as well? I mean, I really should be on cloud 9 - I have everything I've ever wanted or needed. I'm a very blessed person, and am very lucky to have a wonderful husband, a remarkable son, a great family and amazing friends... what else do I need?! I suppose I just get worn out... or just need time to myself? I don't know... it's a tough one to figure out. Either way, I believe I'm out of the 'funk'... and feel better. Maybe cuz it's Friday!? Again, the more I analyze it, the more it confuses me as to why I would be 'down'. So... we'll move on!

Tomorrow is Halloween - Ryan will be at the Iowa FB game all day, so tonight we'll dress Kayson up in his costume. I'll take enough pictures for the block! I'll post tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend... and isn't down in the dumps!

Movie & PJs

Ryan is travelling this week (through Wednesday), so Kayson and I were on our own tonight... I sometimes like to have him watch one of those Baby Einstien movies. Typically I sit him on the floor while he watches (and barely blinks!), while I run around and do a few things... Well, tonight, I decided to do it differently. We snuggled up with a blanket and watched the movie together. Boy it's a silly movie (for a 31 year old!), but he sat and we talked and clapped at the movie... it was precious - a wonderful Momma and son experience.

Here is a picture of his thermal pj's - his fat legs look SO cute in them!

10 Months

Kayson is 10 months old today - at 1:16 pm. Once again, I can't believe it. I feel that I just posted his "9 Month" post yesterday. I say this all the time, and feel it all the time - time literally flies by.


To be honest, not much has changed in the last month - except he just does all those things he was doing then MORE now. He claps all the time, does "SO Big" a lot (on command!), and scoots around on his tummy and his butt. He still won't get up on his knees... He absolutely loves watching Quincy play fetch, he gets all worked up - laughing, clapping, slapping his legs! Kayson is now saying "Dada", "Mama" quite a bit - even the teachers at daycare says he talks about "Dada" alot during the day. That should make Ryan feel good!


On a side note, we were suppose to have a busy day today. We were suppose to go to Clarion to take 'grandkid' pictures for my parents. Eden has been sick (Trish was certain it was H1N1), and I've been sick with this cough (or bark as I call it). So we decided to postpone - now I'm not sure when we will get the pictures done. I really hope we can squeeze it in in November sometime, cuz I think it's really important to get the grandkid picture for my parents. Makes me sad that we missed it today, especially since the weather is pretty nice. So instead, Ryan, Kayson and I will hang out at home... packing, playing, napping, eating... yes, eating. ha.

Not much

Not much to tell over the past couple days... I'm fighting a horrible cough. Last week I had the sinus infection, which was better by Wednesday, then Thursday morning I woke up with a stuffy nose and cough. Hmm... I wasn't sure what to think! Well yesterday was just as bad, and today is just plain worse. Yuk. The doctor did call in a prescription for me, so hopefully that will kick in soon. It's no fun being 'down'.

Ryan and I picked out our refrigerator and washer/dryer this morning for the new house. Now if we could only get motivated to pack and throw stuff away. I suppose I'll have to get motivated soon! Maybe when I feel better!

Here is a cute picture of Buster. All bundled up! Gotta love it!

Blah Blah Blah

• I'm tired today...
• I'm getting over a sinus infection, it's better, but the pills that I'm taking make me feel icky. My tummy rumbles all the time!
• My mind is racing about the move coming up and all of the things we need to do... Truck rental, pick out the appliances (fridge & washer/dryer), start packing (get more boxes first!), look into dining room tables, get organized at home before packing - is that even possible?! There's more to the list, but I won't bore you! I'm sure I'm getting ahead of myself on some things, but I guess that's how I am! I'm a planner.
• Kayson is so much fun... but growing too quickly. He now gives kisses - wet ones, but it's a start! And this morning he patted me on the back when I hugged him. How sweet.
• I think I'll go to bed...

Busy, Decisions Decisions... and then Bought!

We had a busy weekend to say the least!

We started the weekend off by being at home and just relaxing... of course, I can't really say I relaxed much (cuz I can't sit still), but we played hard with Kayson and enjoyed some time at home Saturday morning. Plus Mr. Kayson slept til 7:30 (12 hours), so that was great for Ryan and me! Saturday afternoon we met with our realtor to start looking at homes... I think we had about 12 on our list, and we ended up looking at about 7. That's a lot. We were both completely wiped out and overwhelmed when we got home... so much to think about - the yards, the garage, kitchen space, bedroom dimensions, and of course price! :) Saturday evening we narrowed it down to 3 of the homes...

Sunday morning I took some family pictures for our close friends Clay & Holly and their adorable, petite daughter Gillian. It was breezy, so we hurried along, but I got some great shots of them and "Gilly". After that, we did a quick lunch at home and then off to look at the 3 homes we had narrowed in on. We started with one that was on a culdasac. Going into it, I personally thought we were going to choose this one... it had a great yard, huge! But it was already painted, and it was painted a icky yellow color... we just weren't sure about it (weren't sure if we could look past that). So we moved on to the next home - it is EXACTLY like the one on the culdasac, but has a 3 car garage. The more we looked at this one, the more we fell in love with it. The yard was great - a lot bigger than we thought, and everything else we would be able to choose - flooring, paint, etc... We thought we can't go wrong with this one, and that's the one we chose! It was an exciting feeling! We filled out the paper work (offer to the builder), and we waited only about an hour... and after one counter, it was accepted and we have a new home!

Tonight we met with the realtor and builder to make some decisions on what goes in the home. Over the next week, we'll go and pick out the countertops, paint color and flooring. Then we just wait til November 20. We have lots of packing to do... gotta get some more boxes!

Here's a picture of the outside of the home. We love it!! I will do my best to keep pictures coming on the house! Lots of work to do in the next 4 weeks!

Tricks

Here are Kayson's new 'tricks'.

"SO BIG" & Clapping. What an amazing feeling to see your child do these fun new things. Every day Kayson amazes us by doing something new, or making a new face. I knew being a parent would be awesome, but it truly is the best thing that's ever happened to me (and Ryan). We are so proud! Enjoy!

SOLD

We sold the townhome this morning! It was a long night last night - we counter-offered several times, as well as the buyer counter-offering. I don't know if I thought it would just be smooth sailin' or what!?!? I felt like there was a lot of 'nickle & diming' going on. But maybe that's because of the end selling amount - we wished it would have been a little more. Either way, this morning we gave our acceptance (after one more counter). We close on November 20. Ryan is in Minnesota this week for work - so there's been a lot of phone calling going on over the past 24 hours... and to top it off, he's still not feeling well, actually sounds horrible. So I know messing with this wasn't what he wanted to do right now. BUT - the house is sold and we are thrilled. Now my head is spinning about all the things we need to do and of course LOOK FOR A HOUSE!


Will post more when there's more progress...

Sick

It's official - I'm sick now. I've been fighting what I thought was allergies for a couple weeks now... it honestly feels like allergies - itchy nose, sneezing, pressure in my nose/eyes... I finally gave up and went to the doctor --- sinus infection. Give me medicine! I have some now, so I sure hope that kicks in because I'm exhausted! As I type, I'm not really seeing straight simply because my eyes are watering and nose is running... what a sight to see! :)

Kayson is also fighting his cough that he gets about every 2 months. Wonderful! We've pulled out the nebulizer and have been doing that for a couple days now... let's hope we get that under control soon.

I'm off to bed soon... I simply can't take it anymore!! ha.

Health to all and no more colds around the Taylor house!!

Cold!

How cute is this?! It was COLD this morning when we woke up! I thought... let's put on Daddy's stocking cap!! It's too big (obviously), but it was too darn cute. Breakfast, Elmo & Daddy's hat.

Gotta bring a smile to anyone's face!

Weekend over

Sundays are typically productive, and good... however, that just means the weekend is over. Damn! We had a nice weekend... busy. Ryan and his Dad made the trip to Iowa City yesterday for the big Iowa/Michigan game. Great game, cold day/night! Kayson and I made a trip up to Clarion for the day... to help out Tricia and just be home again. By the way, that snow was crazy!! Too early for snow!! Mom is doing great - feeling better and doing more stuff on her own. Trish was having a hard time... but each day will get better. We had a nice time at home.

I let Ryan sleep in today... he didn't get home til after 1 am this morning, so I let him sleep. Isn't that nice of me!? Kayson and I played, then when it was time for his nap, I napped too. Wow what a lazy Sunday morning! This afternoon we had an Open House, so we did lunch out and some errands.

Laundry is done, so that would be my productive part of the day!

I haven't attached pictures in a while... so here are a few. Here's a couple to compare how much Kayson has changed. First picture is from April (he was about 4 months old). The second is a picture just from the other night... Amazing how fast he changes. And it's really funny to Ryan and I - look at that hair! Practically no hair at 4 months, except the back... and now he's got hair, and that alfalfa sprout that's out of control. We wet it down every morning now!!



Here's another cute picture. Aunt Martina & Uncle Blair picked this shirt up for him awhile ago - I figured he needed to wear it to daycare. :) Yep that's right - Lock up your Daughters! Too cute!!



Kayson is doing a lot of talking - I mean, A LOT! I'm really trying to remember to get some of it on video... I'll post when I can!

Good news

Some good news across the board regarding my family...
First - My Mom seems to be doing much better. She's had a couple good days in a row now, which is a huge step. Each time I've called she's seemed in happy spirits, etc. I know she's nervous about falling/tripping again, and worried about panic attacks, but we are definitely on the right road to being back to normal. We are all pleased...

Second - I haven't posted anything about this, because I wanted to wait. My sister, Tricia, had a partial hysterectomy this morning. Everything went well and we visited her tonight. She was doing well, and hopes to be released tomorrow. Being a nurse, she knows the procedures of things, and just how things work... but it still makes her antsy to get home to her girls. This procedure was a little risky, it wasn't just a regular hysterectomy - she had a tumor in her uterus, which made it a little more complicated. But according to the doctors, it was a success. We'll know more tomorrow about the size of the tumor and if Trish will need to be on hormone pills, etc. Either way, it is all over, and now the healing begins.

Kayson & Ryan are doing great... Kayson is a little 'class clown' as I call him. He's just plain funny... and such a blessing! I promise to post some pictures in a couple days... everyone should know how time just passes by - TOO QUICKLY!

Stats

Kayson's 9 month appointment was this morning. Here are his official stats:

Weight: 23 lbs 9 oz (90th)
Height: 29 3/4" (90th)

Both Ryan and I for sure thought Kayson weighed more, but either way - he's healthy and happy! We didn't get the flu shot b/c the clinic was all out of them... We'll try next week or the next to get that taken care of.

Time has passed...

It's already Saturday night... nearly 9:30 and I can barely keep my eyes open!

Over the past week, we've kept busy... never a dull moment around here, and lots of worrying going on. My mom is still struggling with her fall from nearly 3 weeks ago. She's just not herself... having a hard time relaxing, having some panic attacks, etc. I really do think it's because she needs to take it easy, and she just doesn't know how to do that. She's never been someone that just sits. I'm exactly like her. So this whole 'relaxing' thing is just not working for her. Ryan and I made the decision that we needed to make a trip to Clarion to visit... try to keep her busy and happy. It seemed to work. We went up to Clarion Friday night... she had had a really rough morning on Friday, but by the afternoon she seemed better. We got there around dinner time; had dinner, and just had a nice time. Today was good too - everyone came out to the farm: Trish & family, Jill & family... we were all there. It may have been chaos, but it was worth it, and definitely kept my mom 'busy' and happy. She loved having all her grandbabies there! I'm sure she's worn out, which is ok, hopefully that just means she'll sleep well and tomorrow will be a good day for her too.

We've had some more buyers come through the house... everyone tells me that it's a great sign, it's all good - but when buyers come through and don't offer, it honestly starts to seem like a waste of time. But, I'm sure it'll pay off soon!! We hope!

It's been a good couple days - we are all tired... and tomorrow is another busy day for us. Another house showing in the afternoon, and I'm taking senior pictures for 3 boys. Yes - 3. I'm nervous, but should be fun... hope they are a good group of kids! I'll hopefully be proud enough to post some pictures next week!

Stayin', Scootin', Sleepy

First - the buyer that was making a decision on a townhome - did not decide on ours. We were pretty disappointed last night... and we really tried not to get our hopes up, but it was pretty hard not to! He had even asked to see the covenants of the association... all thinking that was a good sign! Oh well - we move on to the next buyer... hopefully soon!

Second - Kayson is officially scootin'. He may not like it, but he is! He pushes himself backwards (how do they learn to go forward!?), and he shifts himself to the side... so that's a start! We were pretty excited to see that last night!

Third - SLEEPY! I'm just plain sleepy today. I actually went to bed early last night, but was up several times in the middle of the night, tossin' and turnin'. I do think my mind raced about Kayson and the house... Then 5:30 comes around TOO quickly!! I struggle to get out of bed - especially now that it's cooler in the house... why not stay warm in bed!??!

Have a good day!

Today... and Do I dare?

Today has been a good day - beautiful weather, and pretty darn productive. First - just want to let you all know Mr. Kayson slept for 13 hours last night... down at 7:30 and didn't wake til 8:30 this morning. OMG!! He is fighting a little cold, so I think he's just worn out!

Anyway, Ryan worked this morning and I did some cleaning, as we had someone come look at the house. After that, we went to the mall to find me some jeans. What a stressful situation!!! I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but things are different - things shift, and it's just not the same! (I know first time mothers can agree with me!) Anyway, over the past 3 weeks, I've worn my old jeans, fitting into them just fine... but I've always spent little money on jeans - and I guess I get what I pay for. Most of them are too short (I like pants hitting the ground!), most of them sag in the butt (that drives me bonkers!), and they are too big in the waist (I know - shouldn't be something I complain about, but I get so tired of pulling pants up in the middle of the day and having them so stretched out!). So... we went to the mall. I tried on nearly 15 pairs - my thighs haven't changed - they are still large and most pants don't go over them!, but I found two pairs that will work. I'm pleased, and I hope they will be jeans that will last a couple years... Wish me luck! On a side note - I think those 'skinny' jeans are funny. You've got to be tall, and just plain SKINNY! Wouldn't look good on me!

And now the 'Do I dare' part -- we had someone come look at the house today... hopefully we'll get a good response. Thursday we had another buyer come through the house... and we found out on Friday that he really liked it and will probably want to look at it again. Both Ryan and I try to stay positive, but it's been frustrating when we've had so many people come through, but no offers. Well, the buyer that came on Friday has narrowed his search down to two - we are one of them. He is visiting the house again tomorrow. So - do I dare even talk about this, do I dare even get my hopes up?!?! It's funny cuz Ryan and I just said last week that we will be in the townhome through the winter, and we are okay with that... so we'll see! Again, wish us luck!

Now we are watching the Hawkeyes play... so far, good game. Hope it's a win!

9 Months

Our baby is 9 months old. I simply cannot believe it. I'm sad, I'm happy, I'm all over the place. Kayson is such a joy - such a good boy. We couldn't ask for anything else!

Just in the past week or two, things have really started to 'click' with him. Each day he's doing something new - even if it's really small. Some of the wonderful things are:

• Can feed himself the little Gerber Puffs
• Waves "HI" and "BYE"
• Claps
• Pulls his bibs off his neck when he's done eating... tugs and tugs, then gets it off!
• Loves to have us turn on lights, and turn off lights
• With that - he knows where the lamp is and what a light is (SO SMART!)
• Points at everything
• Tells us stories all the time!
• Uses his left hand a lot - could he be left-handed like Grandpa Paul & Cousin Lindsay!?

We go to the doctor October 6 for his 9 month well-check. I'm anxious to see how much 'tubbo' weighs. Technically the 9 month appointment is not suppose to include a shot, but he'll be getting the flu shot. (Momma & Daddy need to get that as well!) I'll update with his stats then.

Here are a few of his 9 month pictures. Enjoy.

So - since Kayson is 9 months old, that just means Christmas is 3 months away. Are you ready?!?! HECK NO - I'm NOT! :)

Road Trip

Kayson & I took a road trip today - to do two things: 1. Get my car fixed and 2. See my Mom, Dad & sisters. Kayson & I headed up to Clarion this morning during his morning nap... we hung out at Tricia's (her day off today)... we played (in & out), napped, had lunch, just had a very nice day. It was good to see Mom too - she's doing better... she said today was the best day so far, so that was very nice to hear. Her face looks better - not swollen, but going through the healing stage - lots of greens and purples on her face and neck... amazing what a fall can do. Each day seems to get better and better - lets just hope that keeps up.

Here are a few pictures from today.

Aunt Trish & Kayson

Kayson LOVED the wagon ride!

I also got my car fixed - been having some problems with that... so I had Lacey's Dad take care of it. Much cheaper, plus a reason to go home!

It was just a nice day overall... we are back home, playing some more... doing laundry... and will probably go for a little walk soon.

Gosh - if I only had a day off in the middle of the week all the time! This was great!

Where do the weekends go!??!

We had a nice weekend - sad to see it be over (which is nothing new!), but it was a good one. The weather has been perfect - oh my goodness... love the cool mornings, breeze and even the warm sun. We've had the windows open all day today, it's been awesome!

We headed over to the Iowa FB game Saturday - was a long day, just cuz we were gone from Kayson for nearly 12 hours. That's a long time!! I fought my allergies ALL DAY LONG, which was extremely annoying, and Ryan's cough is slowly getting better. It was a good win for the Hawkeyes.

Today has been a very productive, nonstop. Mr. Kayson slept a whopping 12 hours last night, which was great... after his breakfast, we went to HyVee so Ryan & I could have breakfast. Always a nice treat. We've decided we will do that once a month! While we were there, we got our groceries for the week... then back home and I took Kayson's 9 month pictures. Yes, he's not 9 months old yet (this coming Friday), but I figured today was a good day to get that task off the list. We did pictures outside, and inside... he was such a good boy. I won't be sharing these til this Friday of course! Kayson had a great long nap, and Ryan & I just did some things around the house - cleaning, smelling candle samples, watching football, etc. With only one nap today, Kayson went down a little earlier than normal tonight... so now it's more football on TV and getting stuff done on the computer. Great day.

Here's a new thing that Kayson does - we call it "Bad Cough". Check it out - too cute!

Tired & Emotional

What a mix (tired & emotional). Yesterday I sat at the 'Get Motivated' seminar that was in town... a great day of great speakers, I had a great time. Lots of sitting, which was probably one of the reasons I'm sleepy today... another couple reasons are: volleyball again last night (my legs just plain ache!) and Ryan's cough. It's back and more annoying then ever! He's going to the doctor today! Sleeping (or attempting to sleep) on the couch isn't really a 'good sleep' for me. Hopefully tonight will be better!

And the emotions... This is a question to you first time parents out there: Do you ever feel that your son/daughter is not at the stage where they 'should' be? (According to books, others opinions, etc.) I know, I know - every child is different, I remind myself of that every day. When I dropped Kayson off at daycare this morning, all 8 kids' birthdays are posted on the wall... Kayson is the oldest by about 5 weeks, and he's by far the least mobile child! Again, I KNOW that he's a very laid back child and moving/rolling/crawling just isn't something he's really in to right now, I KNOW this, but it's still hard to soak in somedays, and I guess today is one of those days! I'm hoping other first time parents go through these feelings and thoughts... I'm sure I'll eat my words soon, and he'll be all over the place, but for right now, this day, I 'think'. Could this be cuz I'm so tired too!??! ha.

Funny Story... I think!

So last night I attended the photography seminar... Lacey & Justin watched Kayson for me. Throughout the night, I got small updates from Lacey - Kayson was doing well, ate all his food, and went down like a rock star. The seminar was suppose to end at 10:30 (late!), but we were already behind by 9:00. I, along with my friend Aimee, decided to leave around 10:35. I was beat - a lot of great information, but one late night!

Anyway, so I get to Lacey's - Lacey, Justin and I sit and chit chat for a little bit - I peak in on Kipton (he's growing and cuter than ever - looks just like Corbin!). Then I went to get Kayson. I picked him up, he opened his eyes and looked at me, then buried his head a little... I thought "we are good to go - he'll pretty much stay asleep." Once I started to walk with him, he perked up, head straight up and started looking around... looking at Lacey & Justin and SMILING! Then we thought maybe he was going to cry (thought he wasn't sure what was going on), but no - he smiled, looked around, wide awake!! Oh it was really funny! Remember it's nearly 11:00 by now! I'm now thinking "OMG - he better go back to sleep!" :) Since he was awake and smiling, we then stood there for another few minutes or so and talked...

I finally got home around 11:15 - Kayson was STILL awake when we got home... so I changed his wet diaper and layed him down telling him it's still "night-night" time. He smiled at me and went to sleep. What a good boy!! I was thrilled! I did a few things (since I didn't have time after work), then I crashed by 11:45. It was a late night, but a good one... and so glad Kayson slept for me!!

So that's my funny story - 11:00 at night, I'm getting smiles from Mr. Kayson. :) He's such a joy!

Mom Update & Couple Other Things

Here's an update on my Mom -- she had a rough day today. She just wasn't feeling well - told Trish that she felt faint and just not right. The doctors did another catscan (apparently it is procedure to do about 24 hours after an incident) and some other tests, which was a good thing, just to check things out. Everything came back looking good (including her heart), however, she's having some blood build up in her sinuses. She had some work done on her sinuses about a year ago, and everything has been great - until she decided to land on her face!!! The blood build up was causing her to not feel right, so she was given some antibiotics, and already tonight she was feeling better... let's hope this does the trick and she can just concentrate on feeling more up beat and get those bruises off her face... Thanks to those who have been thinking about her.

Other random things:
Ryan is gone again this week, but hopefully just til Wednesday night.

Tomorrow evening I'm attending a photography class/tour/seminar thingie. Originally my parents were going to come watch Kayson, since they hadn't seen him in 3 weeks, but my Mom is just not up to it. So Lacey & Justin will be taking care of Kayson... lots of boys in the Reed household tomorrow night.

I really wish it would rain - my allergies have been in an uproar for about a week. According to Ed Wilson, no rain this week!!

Here is a cute video of Kayson - him doing those darn raspberries! You may have to really turn up the volume. Can you believe he's 8 1/2 months old??!

Mom & GO HAWKS!

Well, yesterday afternoon my Mom tripped and fell... right smack on her face. Apparently her arms and hands didn't work quick enough to break any of the fall. She was watching the Homecoming Parade back home, and needed to be closer, or something... tripping on a spot in the sidewalk. Luckily there were people around - an ambulance was rushed to her and she was taken to the ER. A catscan was done, just in case - nothing was broken, thank goodness... My sister says it's a miracle that nothing was broken, especially her nose or a cheek bone. Mom is all banged up and sore.

Today has been a good day - it was the Cy-Hawk challenge for football. An exciting day for all the football fans around Iowa! We headed over to Colleen & Travis' place to watch the game, play and eat some good food. It was a win for the Hawks, which was wonderful!! We had a nice time playing with Cali. Thanks for hosting Kuhl's!! Here are a few pictures from today:

Checking each other out - notice they are about the same height (and size)!

Cali giving hugs to Kayson... how sweet.

Bump, Set, Spike

Well, tonight was the start of the fall volleyball season. It was the first time I've played VB in just under 2 years. That's a LONG time... and I'm feeling it. I'm not going to lie - I was a nervous wreck!!! But once I got on the floor, and the first couple plays out of the way, I felt more comfortable... it's going to take awhile tho to feel REALLY comfortable! Only a couple times, my feet were 'glued to the floor'! The team said they didn't laugh at me once... well, maybe under their breath! :)

Anyway, it went fairly well - not a win, but a success. We'll see how I feel tomorrow - even more sore than I am today, I'm sure!

Our friend Heidi came and stayed with Kayson while I went to VB. She said she had a good time, and Kayson was a good boy for her - a big smile to her, so I know she loved that! Thanks so much Heidi!!

Ryan comes home tomorrow... will be nice to see him. Even tho it's been a 'short' work week, it seems like it's been just as long as a normal one. No big plans for the weekend, so that will be even better.

Random Thoughts

• Need to take a bath & shave these hairy legs... figured you really wanted to know that!
• My good friend, Brenda, dragged me to work out today - My hamstrings are sore!
• Speaking of working out - tomorrow is the official start of the fall VB season for me... I think I'm sore now - wait til tomorrow night!
• Ryan worked out this morning at his hotel - wonder if he's sore?!
• Hopin' the townhome sells soon - we've had some close calls over the last week or so.
• Wondering why daycare put Kayson and Kaison (pronounced: K I son) together in the same room - I am constantly getting Kaison's things!
• Just ordered a few tops for Kayson from Children's Place - some good deals! Just what he needs!
• Kayson now sleeps on his side... too cute.
• I have the munchies - but there's not much in the house to eat...
• Here are a few pictures of Kayson - enjoy!