A Few Things

Last Wednesday I had my 16 week check-up with Dr. Mehta. The first nurse would find the heartbeat and go to time it, and the baby would move, causing the nurse to lose it. After about 15 minutes of this, she had to go get another nurse, who got it instantly. The heartrate was 150. I also had an AFP test done, since my sister Julie had a baby born without a brain Dr. Mehta highly recommended it, I got a call today that everything is fine! YAY!!!!

Valentine's Day we went out to eat with Kim and Bubba. Kaylin of course was a big hit and was talking to everybody.

Kaylin has recently discovered how to climb on our dining room chairs and get up on the table, and she thinks it is super fun to sit (or stand) in the middle. Her vocabulary is really picking up and she is starting to repeat some words. She is just the light of my life and even when I am having a bad day she always makes me laugh!


Kaylin sitting on the dining room table

CHEESE!!!!

17 weeks along

Went to Kim and Michael's last week for our weekly playdate and to eat supper. We had spaghetti and needless to say afterwards both kids needed a bath, so Kim and I thought we would give them a bath together. Drew was having a good time, but for some reason Kaylin freaked out. I took her out of the tub, Kim finished bathing Drew, and then I gave Kaylin her bath. Not quite sure what that was about. Friday night, Kim and Bubba came up to visit and for supper. Saturday was a quiet day. Sunday we headed to Julie and Craig's to watch the Super Bowl. Craig is a HUGE Steelers fan, so it was quite exciting. Julie and Craig have a 10 week old yorkie puppy named Jack. Kaylin loved him and kept trying to pick him up, which of course hurt him. So he would bark at her everytime she came near him, it was quite hysterical.

Before Kaylin freaked out, it seemed to be going well!

Kaylin playing with Jack

Kaylin in my new dryer chair, she thinks it is quite fun to sit under!

A Few Updates

January 17th, Darin had a surprise party for Jeannine's 40th birthday! Darin had turned 40 last July and never got a party, so we turned it into a party for him too. It was also Michael's 27th birthday. It was a GREAT turnout and Jeannine (and Darin) were both shocked. Chad's parents came up and babysat Kaylin for us.


CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update on the baby: I will be 14 weeks tomorrow. We heard the baby's heartbeat at the 12 week appointment and the heart rate was 162; Kaylin's first one was 163. Of course everyone has their own opinion what we are having, and surprisingly it is pretty split. I am getting bigger everyday, and am waiting patiently for those first flutters.

Kaylin continues to grow and discover new things everyday. She is very stubborn, and throws HUGE tantrums when she does not get her own way, which I am sure my dad loves since he says that is how I was. She is learning to say names, though "Emma" is her favorite. If you ask her where Emma is, she will even point at the right dog. However, I also think she thinks "Emma" is the word for dog because she calls every dog she sees Emma. Kaylin has also become quite the boss of the daycare kids. She is already turning into a great helper and loves to help with laundry. She will take clothes out of the dryer for me to fold; then I will hand her clothes from the washer and she puts them in the dryer. She is so smart!!!! Anyway, that is all that is new in our lives!

Happy New Year!

New Years Eve we went to my mom and dad's for a steak and shrimp dinner. All of my brothers and sisters and their spouses were there (besides Jeannine and Darin and their kids), and a handful of my nieces and nephews. We ate dinner, played games and had a great time. Everyone spent the night (except for Joe, Kelly, Jolene and Curtis) and brought in the new year together. Kaylin woke up at 11:30 p.m. and my sister thought she wanted to bring in the New Year, so went and got her out of bed. Well needless to say Kaylin was still bringing in the New Year at 2:30 a.m. and the stinker was up at 7:00. The next morning we all got up and got ready to watch the Hawkeyes at Joe and Kelly's. After that we headed home, Kaylin was EXHAUSTED and so was I. I took a little nap and then got up and headed to Kim and Michael's to see them and my cousins Kathleen and Colleen from Chicago. We ordered pizza and sat around and chatted. Poor Michael and Drew were the only boys in a house full of girls!!!! It was a GREAT couple of days, exhausting but great.

On the baby note, I am 11 weeks along tomorrow and seeing the light of my 2nd trimester coming up! I am starting to show and have had to move into maternity pants! Which is another story that I won't get into!!!! Anyway, I hope all of you had a great New Years as well, and I wish everyone the best in 2009!


Grandma and her two youngest granddaughters

Kaylin helping Uncle Joe play a game with the boys

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

For someone who hates hearing the dogs bark,

he will do anything to get them to

Danica and Little Brandon

Christmas Day

Christmas morning we got up and opened presents that Santa had left. Kaylin got a lot of stuff, and I think we need a new house to fit it all. After presents Kaylin laid down for a nap while Chad and I got ready for the day. When Kaylin got up, we got her ready and headed to Davenport to Chad's Aunt and Uncle's house. We ate lunch with them, and visited for a little bit. After that we headed off to mom and dad's. We enjoyed a nice dinner and then headed downstairs to open gifts. The kids were all so overwhelmed with excitement. Kaylin again got a ton of stuff, and soon lost interest in even opening the presents. After that, we played some cards, and then it started to rain, of course freezing rain. So a lot of us ended up staying the night. It ended up being a good Christmas.


Kaylin getting her presents out of her stocking.

Trying to ride her toy while it is still in the box

She thinks she is so cool in that chair

It always works better to sit on the present while opening

Uncle Darin with Kaylin and Drew

Doobie and I with our babies

Let me set this scenario for you: Kaylin walks in and gets down to talk to Drew, who was happy and content with his pacifier. Kaylin takes the pacifier out of his mouth and he starts crying. I go over and pick him up, I turn around and there is Kaylin sitting in the Bumbo seat, which she loves and plays with at Kim and Michael's all the time. I am pretty sure Kaylin knew someone would take him out of there if she could get him crying and then the chair would be all hers.

Our family.... you can't see it, but Kim says I am showing

The box was way more fun than the presents

Kaylin climbing on all the presents

This looks like a good place to sit

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve my mom and dad and Chad's mom and dad came to our house for dinner and presents. Kaylin was so excited to see everyone! Kaylin got a lot of nice things from them, she wasn't quite sure what toy to play with, but she really liked her rocking horse from Grandma and Grandpa Sparks. Towards the end, Kaylin was getting tired and was getting tired of opening presents.


Kaylin and Grandma



Opening her first present



Her rocking horse

Her Baby that giggles

Her vaccuum, now she can help me clean

Busy Weekend

Saturday morning we had my dad's Christmas party at the movie theater in Clinton. We saw the movie Bolt. Kaylin did pretty well considering her age. She was mesmerized by the screen at first. Alishia and Kim did take her and Drew out to the lobby area for a little bit, but other than that she did well. She was not scared of Santa at all. After the movie we all went to Pizza Hut to eat. That night, Courtney and Dawson came to babysit, and Chad and I went to Carlos O Kellys and the Transiberia Orcestra with Kim and Bubba. It was pretty neat to see!!!! Sunday we went to my mom and dad's for dinner. We ended up getting caught in the ice storm, so the 20 minutes that it usually takes for us to get home turned into an hour. Needless to say we did make it home safe and sound thankfully!!!!


Checking out Santa


All the grandkids (besides Ashley and Justin) with Santa