Christmas 2011

Christmas was a lot of fun this year with Kara.  We got about a foot of snow a couple of days before the big day, so we got to experience our first White Christmas with Kara.  She more or less understood what was going on and got very excited about her presents.

Kara's big gift this year was a play kitchen complete with all kinds of play food, plates, pans, and cups.  Kara was so excited about the kitchen that she barely gave the big Mickey that Mommy bought (and we were sure she would be really excited about) a second look.

It was quite a full house with Mimi (aka Grandma H), Grandpa H., Grandma S., Grandpa S., Uncle Trey, Aunt Amy, GG K, and Great Grandma S. all coming over for Christmas day. While we were opening presents, Kara, Uncle Trey, and Aunt Amy would pick out presents to open from under the tree and Kara would deliver the present.  Kara got a kick out of guessing what the present was before it was opened, but if she couldn't figure it out, she'd say, "I don't know what that is."  It was Mommy and Daddy's first time hosting Christmas.  All in all, we think it was a successful Christmas and a good time was had by all.

Other than Christmas, we had quite an eventful month.  The week before Christmas, Cousin Travis stopped by on his trek from Indiana to California.  He and GG K came over for lunch one day and had fun hanging out with Kara.

Mimi, Grandpa H., and Uncle Trey flew in from Alabama on the 22nd.  Unfortunately, that was also the day the snow decided to come.  We had about a foot of snow on the ground that morning (Daddy got stuck getting out of the driveway), and it continued to snow until early in the afternoon.  We were getting a little worried that the flights would all get delayed or cancelled, but everyone eventually got here.  Once they were here, the snow ended up being pretty fun.  Grandpa H. and Uncle Trey had fun playing with Kara in the snow.  We also headed to Downtown Louisville and enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride around town.

The day after Christmas, Uncle Trey headed back to Alabama.  Unfortunately, he missed a visit from Cousin Brad, Maggie, Cousin Cassie, and Scot.  They stopped by on their way to visiting some family up in northern Colorado.  They didn't get to stay long, but it was great to see them.

We could almost write an entire blog post just filled with Kara quotes.  It seems like she comes up with something new and funny every day.  Here are a few selected quotes:
• "Very hot, let it cool down." - Telling Mommy she needs to let her spicy Thai food cool down a bit.
• "Let's do this." - Asking Mommy to dance.
• "That's pretty loud" - Kara shouting as she shakes a bell
• "Ta-ta new kitchen.  Ta-ta love cook!" - Telling Grandma S. about her new kitchen on Christmas Day
• "Ta-ta eat booger" - Kara's first words to Mommy one day
• "I have Fifi ... he love Ta-ta."
• "Thank you, Mr. Fifi, he a good helper." After getting Fifi to help open the door (Mommy really opened it)
• "Fifi, he inside dog"
• "I love Fifi!"
• Holding Fifi over the railing, Kara said, "he looks downstairs... nothing there."

Link to pictures from Christmas Day


And here are some pictures from the rest of December

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

It is definitely starting to look a lot like Christmas around here.  Mommy, Daddy, and Kara got the Christmas tree set up (Kara insisted on putting the star on top) the weekend after Thanksgiving.  The week after Thanksgiving, we got about 8 inches of snow in a storm and then another 5 inches of snow a couple of days later.  It's also gotten quite chilly the last couple of days.  The high today was about 10 deg F.  Kara has enjoyed playing in the snow (when it was warm enough to play outside).

Some recent Kara quotes:

A couple of days after Thanksgiving, Mommy asked Kara if she wanted some pumpkin pie for dessert after dinner.  Kara immediately replied, "Pumpkin pie and ice cream," with a big smile on her face.

During a recent snow day, Kara got a little tired of hanging out in the house with Mommy. So, after lunch Kara got her library bag out, put it around her neck and over her shoulder and said, "Goodbye. Ta-ta go see people, put shoes on".

When Daddy says "Night night," Kara replies with the proper "Good night".

Link to pictures

Look Who's Two!

Our little family has had a very busy November. On November 10th, we headed down to Alabama to visit Mimi and Papa. Uncle Trey, GiGi B., and Great Grandpa H. were also there.  Great Grandpa had never met Kara and GiGi B. hadn't seen Kara for several months, so it was great to see them.  Unfortunately, Mommy and Daddy got really sick while we were there, so that wasn't too much fun. Kara, however, had a great time.  We went to the Montgomery Zoo one day, the Cracker Barrel, and had a great time running around Mimi and Papa's estate.  While we were there, we celebrated Kara's birthday.  Mimi baked and Uncle Trey decorated a great Elmo cake.  Kara enjoyed blowing out the candle ("I no touch" as Kara would say) and opening her presents.

When we got home, we had another birthday party with Grandma S., Grandpa S., GG K, and Aunt Amy.  Kara really enjoyed it when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.  She also enjoyed the cupcakes Mommy made and spent the rest of the day running around to burn off her sugar rush.  All in all, Kara had two great parties for her second birthday.  It's going to hard to top it for her third birthday!

Kara's latest sayings:
- Whenever we asked her how old she was, Kara would say, "Two years old.  Put birthday hat on top of head."

- Mommy took Kara to the doctor's office for her 2-year check-up.  While they were in the waiting room, Mommy told Kara that Dr. Miller was a good doctor and she'd be fine.  After the appointment (and much crying), Daddy asked her how the doctor's office was.  Kara replied, "Dr. Miller, he's good man.  Listened to Ta-ta heart."

- While we were at Mimi and Papa's, Daddy was drinking some orange juice during Kara's snack.  Once Kara figured that out, she said, "I want some."  To which Daddy replied, after you finish your snack.  Kara came back with "I really want some," and Daddy caved.

Pictures from our visit to Alabama:

Pictures from Kara's party in Colorado:

Halloween 2011

Halloween was A LOT more fun this year than last year.  We went to a Halloween party with a bunch of kids about the same age as Kara.  Kara wore her monster costume for about two minutes before she pulled it off.  But we all had a good time at the party.

For the last couple of days, Mommy and Kara have been practicing going trick-or-treating.  Kara would pretend to knock on the door and then say "Trick or treat!"  Tonight, however, Mommy had low expectations for going out.  Mommy got Kara all dressed up and planned to try and hit about 4-5 houses before Kara got tired.  After hitting about 6 houses, Mommy brought Kara back, but she kept saying "Trick-or-treat more!", so Mommy took Kara back out for another half hour.  Overall, it was a great night.  Kara's getting to be a lot of fun!

Kara also helped Mommy and Daddy "carve big pumpkin" into a happy pumpkin.  Here's a cute video of her helping out with that:

Link to pictures

Straight to Winter

This past Monday, the weather was a bit on the warm side, being sunny and almost 80 deg F. By Tuesday night, it had started to snow, and we ended up getting almost a foot by Wednesday afternoon. Kara and Daddy had fun testing out our sled in the backyard and made a snowman (Daddy called him Bob). Kara and Daddy also had fun shaking the snow out of the trees (luckily we didn't lose any branches).

Kara just finished up her second swim class. Kara's getting pretty good at blowing bubbles and her back float. We probably have one more class with Mommy and Daddy before she moves up to the next level!

Kara's newest favorite toys are her alphabet blocks. Kara's getting pretty good with the numbers and letter (P is her favorite, we don't know why). She can also stack six high pretty easily. Whenever she knocks over her stacks, she says "Knock over", and then knocks on the blocks like she's knocking on a door.

Link to pictures



Video of Kara helping Daddy shake the snow off a tree (click to watch video).

Pumpkin Patch 2011

This past Saturday, our neighbor from the townhouse, Lu, invited us to go to a pumpkin patch with her. We were all really excited about it. They had caramel popcorn, hayrides, pumpkins, gourds, and even a corn maze. Unfortunately for everyone, the weather didn't cooperate.  It was drizzling most of our time there, and it was pretty chilly (about 40°F).  By the time we left, it was pouring. It's a good thing we got there early!  While we were there, Kara had a great time playing in the mud and picking out pumpkins.  She especially liked the little pumpkins (which she called "tiny pumpkin" in a high voice).  We picked out about 5 good pumpkins.  Mommy got a little carried away with the gourds, and we now have enough to decorate everyone's house in the neighborhood.

Recent conversations with Kara:
Daddy: "I love you, Kara."
Kara: "I love Fifi!" Fifi is her nighttime stuffed dog.

Kara: "What's that?" - Her new favorite phrase

Kara walking to Mommy with her hand cupped (and empty): "Eat this!"
Mommy:  "What am I eating?"
Kara: pause...."Apples! mmm"

Link to pictures

Kara's First Visit to the Zoo

This past Friday, Daddy took off the morning, and our little family went to the Denver Zoo.  Kara especially enjoyed the lions, birds, orangutan, and zebras.  We're not sure if it was the time of day or the time of year, but it seemed like they were cleaning and fixing up the habitats of a lot of the animals.  We only stayed for about 3 hours, but that was probably perfect for Kara.  We got to see just about the whole zoo, and Kara was exhausted by the end (she passed out on the car ride home).

After her nap and the next morning, Kara wanted to "go, walk, Zoo!"  She also wanted to "go to Moon!", but that's a different story....

Link to pictures

Hiking Fun

Fall has started here in Colorado. The weather is distinctly cooler than it was in August and the leaves on some of the trees are starting to turn yellow. The temperatures at nights are falling down into the mid-40's, so it's quite cool in the mornings. Perfect weather for hiking! The last couple of weekends, Mommy and Daddy have packed Kara up in the hiking backpack and checked out the great outdoors. So far we haven't hiked too far (usually less than 2 miles), but hopefully we can start working up to some more exciting hikes!

Kara is starting to get into the imaginative play.  Mimi bought Kara a horse stable and toy horses when she was here in August.  That has quickly become one of Kara's favorite toys, and she enjoys galloping around the table with the horses and then putting them back in the stable.  At bedtime, Kara and Mommy put the horses to sleep, and Kara says, "Night, night horsies."

Mommy and Daddy have decided to back off a bit on the potty training.  Kara is just not quite ready, but we're still encouraging the use of the potty.  Maybe in a couple of months!  Mommy sure hopes so!

Link to pictures

Visit from Mimi and Uncle Trey

I don't know where the time went, but August seems to have flown by!  On August 10th, Mimi (aka Grandma H.) and Uncle Trey and  flew in for a visit from Alabama.  Uncle Trey regaled us all with stories of the adventures he had during his year in South Africa, and Mimi had some cool gifts for Kara from her recent trip to Africa.

Mimi and Uncle Trey were hoping to escape the heat of Alabama, but unfortunately they were treated to record August heat in Colorado.  We were able to have some exciting times, though.  One day, we went to the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster. Kara had a great time looking at all the bugs and butterflies.  We also got out to the Farmer's Market in Boulder a couple of times.  And Uncle Trey was a big fan of our local Thai restaurant (he went three times during his two week visit).

Unfortunately, Daddy had to go to Denmark on a business trip, so he missed most of their visit.  But Mimi and Uncle Trey kept Mommy company and helped look after Kara while he was gone, so it all worked out!

First half of the month


Second half of the month

Potty Training - The Beginning

We have just recently started with potty training. Kara is getting to the point where she doesn't really want to wear diapers and seems to be interested in using the potty. She also starting pointing at the toilet and saying "pee pee, potty." So, Mommy went out and bought Elmo's Potty Time (which Kara watches almost every day) and a training potty. So far, Kara has not gone pee pee in the potty, but she has whizzed all over the bathroom floor on several occasions. Yeah, isn't potty training fun?

We've been keeping ourselves pretty busy for the last month. On the weekend of the 4th of July, our friends Drew and Stacy and their son Dax came over to check out our new house. Kara and Dax had a lot of fun playing in the sprinklers. Later that weekend, Mommy's Uncle Randy, Aunt Tracey, Cousin Brad, and Brad's girlfriend came to visit. Kara had a lot of fun entertaining the crowd.

Temper tantrums are pretty much a daily occurrence these days, with her first "major meltdown" happening today and involving animal crackers and the library...

Kara (who refers to herself as "Tata") has a vocabulary that is expanding quite a bit and she can usually get her point across. "Tata shoes out park!" "Music dance!" "Watch Mickey" "Mama lap sit read" "Tata poot" :) Kara will specify the books she wants to read - as in "Nigh Nigh George" (Curious George), "Chi Chi Boom!" (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom), "Eggs, Ham" (Green Eggs and Ham), "Waan tooo fish" (One Fish Two Fish...). It's pretty cute... when she's not yelling at you. "Bubbles! Bubbles bubbles bubblessssss!!" Ah, toddlerdom.

Link to pictures

Breckenridge 2011

The second half of last week, we went on our first real vacation (where we weren't sleeping at the Grandparents' house) with Kara. Grandma and Grandpa S. go up to Breckenridge for a week every year, so we decided to spend some time with them (we needed the time away from the house after the move).  The weather was beautiful (highs in the mid to high 70's), which meant we could enjoy spending time outside.  Kara had a lot of fun hiking and playing at the pool.  Every morning, Kara climbed into the hiking backpack, and Mommy and Daddy hiked up the mountainside with her.  In the afternoons, she mostly played at the pool.  She particularly enjoyed running through the water fountains.  All in all, it was a great vacation!

Link to pictures

Let the Summer Activities Begin!

Kara has been having a lot of fun so far this summer. We started off the summer by heading to the "Taste of Louisville" in downtown Louisville. Kara had a great time walking though the crowds and getting to see all the people. On the same day, they had "Touch a Truck", which is rumored to include a helicopter that flies in.  We decided that Kara was still a little young for that, but that should be a lot of fun next year!

The weather this June has been quite warm. It's been in the high 80's to mid-90's almost everyday. Kara's room faces south, so Mommy and Daddy have been trying to keep her cool. One day, Mommy got out the sprinklers and let Kara play in the water for the afternoon. Kara had a great time!


We are finally moved into the house, or, at least, the boxes with our stuff are at the house. Last Saturday Kara spent her first night away (at Grandma and Grandpa S.'s) so we could move without a munchkin underfoot.  There were no tears, just a wave and a few "bye bye's."  She came back home Sunday morning happy and ready to help unpack.  Kara has been really excited playing with her "new" toys that have been in storage for the last 9 months.

As far as Kara is concerned, Mickey Mouse is where it's at. At least 5 times a day, she'll point at the TV and say, "Mickey, please." When Mommy and Daddy say that Kara can't watch TV right now and has to wait, she says, "Mickey, wait!"

Kara is becoming quite proficient at speaking these days. She'll pretty much mimic any word. Mommy said "bathing suit" and Kara immediately repeated it. She's also getting pretty good at combining words to create basic sentences. This afternoon, she said, "Momma sit, book read." She also likes to dance. She'll point at the radio and say, "music, dance." Mommy will put on some classic rock, and Kara will bop to the music. Rock on, little girl!

Link to pictures



Kara reading through her magazine while Daddy gets breakfast ready.


Practicing turning the lights on and off.

Moving...

So we made the first part of our final move to our new home on Memorial Day weekend. Now we're busy unpacking the house and getting ready for our stuff that's been in storage for eight months. We foresee a summer filled with boxes!

Kara seems to be doing pretty well with the transition, though she seems to be having a bit of trouble getting to sleep at night. We hope this will pass soon. She loves her new big backyard and the new found freedom of the larger house.

This week, Kara is really into playing with balls ("kick!", "catch!", "throw!"), pointing out certain letters and numbers, and opposites. Some of her favorites to say and demonstrate are: open and close, up and down, off and on, happy and sad, and dark and light. She also just started showing interest in puzzles and is figuring out simple ones. Yay Kara! Her favorite books are Go Dog, Go! and Anno's Counting Book, though they change frequently.

Kara is now crazy about Mickey Mouse. She was on a Grinch kick for awhile, but now Mickey is where it's at. She asks to watch Mickey on the TV (much too) often, but settles for Mickey books when it's not TV time. She can't seem to get enough of the mouse. It's pretty cute that she can clearly pronounce "Mickey!" now, as well as Pete, Goofy, and Duck (no Donald yet).

Kara has come a long way with communication in a short time. I guess that's part of what being a toddler is all about!

Oh, and after two gym classes, Kara learned how to "stick" her landings. So now when she feels like it, she'll step down/jump wherever, throw her hands up and exclaim "stick!". It's the cutest thing (says her Mama). :)

Link to pictures

May Activities

We've had an eventful few weeks but not many pictures to show for it. The major family news is we bought a house April 29th in Louisville! Grandpa S. and Tyler have been doing lots of work on the house, and we'll be moving in Memorial Day weekend.

Kara is a real chatterbox these days (at least with Mommy and Daddy)! She is constantly talking, gibberish and real words. Some "words of the day" include: cheese, apple, happy, up, go, eat, please, dance, shark, turtle, cracker, cupcake and yes, even lots of "mama's"- yeah! Kara refers to herself as "tata" these days, which is pretty funny.

Kara went to her first gym class this past week and had a ball. She started running around the gym floor, climbing and crawling all over the place, before class even started! She really enjoyed the balance beam (with Mommy's help) and the obstacle course. Kara even clapped for the other kids - what a sport!

This morning was filled with family visits. Kara got to meet her great-uncle Randy from Kansas for the first time today! She also got to see Mommy's cousin Cassie. Kara warmed up to her immediately and was even saying "Cassie" by the end of the visit! In addition to Randy and Cassie, GG K. came up for a visit. We showed them around our new house (which is kind of a mess at the moment since we're putting in new hardwood floors). It's a work in progress...

Link to pictures

Easter 2011

When we woke up on Easter morning, we found that the Easter Bunny had left several eggs for Kara in our front yard.  We still haven't figured out who left the eggs, but we have a prime suspect.  Kara had fun finding all the eggs and was really excited when she figured out there was stuff in the eggs.

We went to Aunt Amy's house for Easter dinner.  Grandma and Grandpa S. met us there as well as GG K and Great Grandma S.  Kara enjoyed playing in the backyard and all the attention.  Every holiday with Kara gets more and more fun.

Kara has figured out how to say no, and she is not afraid to use it! We think it might have become her favorite word. Here's how a typical request from Mommy or Daddy will go these days:
     - Kara, it's time to eat. - No.
     - Kara, it's time to go home. - No.
     - Kara, do you want more water? - No.
Mommy and Daddy are not looking forward to the terrible two's!

Kara is learning new words every day.  She recently learned "walk" and is always very excited to walk to the park (Mommy and Daddy have to be very careful with that word).  She's becoming very vocal and is pretty good at making her thoughts known.

Link to pictures




And here are some pictures that Heather and Justin took during our outing in Montgomery.

Flying down to Alabama

This past week we flew down to Alabama to visit Grandma and Grandpa H. and GiGi B.  Kara had a great time chasing the dogs around (they have 4!), going for rides in her wagon, checking out the cows and horses, and just generally running around!

The week before we went down to visit, Grandpa H. got into a collision with a bicycle. Fortunately, he didn't break anything, but he did have a nice black eye while we were there. It didn't seem to bother Kara, though.

On Saturday, we took Kara into Montgomery to meet up with Justin, Heather, and Sean at the Shakespeare Festival.  There were ducks (and little ducklings), geese, turtles, and fish.  Kara had a great time chasing around the ducks and running around with Sean.  However, the best part was the fountain.  Kara got herself soaking wet splashing around in there.  Good thing Mommy brought a change of clothes.

Overall, Kara had a fantastic time in Alabama with Grandma and Grandpa H. and GiGi!

Kara has become a regular chatterbox these days. She just talks and talks all the time and every once in a while actually says a real word :). She's even starting to say two words in a row, like "Dad hat" and "doggie ruff".



And here are some pictures of our trip to the Blount Cultural Park (aka Shakespeare Festival)

Hiking Around Colorado

The weather has been steadily getting warmer and warmer. This past weekend it got warm enough for us to try out the hiking backpack Grandma and Grandpa S. gave us for Christmas. We decided to try an easy hike first, so we just walked around Harper Lake. The hike was only about two miles, but Daddy's back was getting a little tired by the end. Guess we'll have to keep practicing before we trying anything too strenuous!

Eating has become a bit of an adventure these days. For a while, when Kara was done eating, she would raise her hands and say "Duh". Now, if Mommy and Daddy aren't watching her closely, she'll start taking handfuls of food and plopping them on the ground. Then she'll get an innocent look on her face like she's saying, "I don't know how that food got on the floor." We're hoping this is just a phase and not an indication of things to come. :-)

Kara's starting to talk a lot more these days. She babbles pretty much constantly and can say about 10 words, including please (which was very exciting for Mommy and Daddy).  She's also getting much more demanding. She'll point at the computer and whine until we play her Sesame Street CD. I fear we're getting close to our first temper tantrum...

Well, it looks like we have finally found our house here. It's walking distance to an elementary school, a park, and Daddy's work! We can send pictures to anyone that's interested.

Link to pictures

Spring Has Sprung

Our little girl has been feeling a bit under the weather the last couple of weeks. She came down with a yucky cold. She was running pretty high temperature (she topped out around 103 deg) and just felt awful. Kara wouldn't sleep unless it was with Mommy and Daddy in a recliner, so nobody really got much sleep. She also didn't eat or drink much and was starting to get pretty dehydrated until Mommy discovered the power of Popsicles (yes, we know they're pure sugar, but we were getting pretty desperate). We also started clapping for Kara every time she took a sip, so now she claps for herself whenever she drinks water. It's pretty funny. We were planning on going down to Alabama to visit Grandma and Grandpa H. and GiGi B, but we decided to reschedule. We figured it was better to suffer by ourselves than to involve a plane full of innocent people. She still has a nasty cough, but she's feeling much, much better.

The weather here has been warming up steadily for the last couple of weeks. It's supposed to be sunny and warm all next week. This was a fairly mild winter, but it's still good to see spring.

Kara has started to talk more in the last few weeks. She can kinda say 5-6 words (like ball and balloon sound the same) in addition to Mom and Dada. It's great to hear our little girl talk.

Link to pictures

The Miserable Patient

Kara does not like being sick. I mean, nobody likes being sick, but Kara particularly dislikes being sick. She has been absolutely miserable for the last week, though it didn't help that she's getting 3 molars at the same time!

Kara starting coughing and sounding pretty rough last Friday. She didn't nap too well that day and just cried when we tried to put her down to sleep that night. We hoped that she would eventually calm down and go to sleep, but after about 15 minutes, Mommy and Daddy went back into Kara's room to try and soothe her. Kara greeted each of us with a hug (and a couple more each for good measure), which was great; however, the unpleasantness was just about to begin. Mommy had talked to a nurse earlier in the day, and the nurse recommended that we put saline solution in Kara's nostrils to help with drainage. It seemed like a good idea, but Kara didn't agree. She started screaming and crying uncontrollably. The nurse had also mentioned that Kara might be able to sleep better in an inclined position (as in sleeping on someone sitting in a chair), so Mommy ended up "sleeping" with Kara in a recliner for half the night and Daddy took the other half.

Kara didn't sleep very well all weekend and just got crankier and crankier.  She refused to sleep without Mommy or Daddy holding her, which means they took shifts rocking her in a recliner for the whole night and naptimes. It was pretty miserable for everyone.

We took Kara to the doctor's office on Monday, thinking that she might have something more serious than just a cold (like croup or maybe an ear infection). There much be something going around because there were several kids at the doctor's office with the same cough as Kara. Fortunately, the doctor didn't see anything wrong with her ears or lungs and said it was just a nasty cold. Unfortunately, Kara didn't get any better in the next couple of days. In fact, she woke up on Tuesday and Wednesday with a temperature over 103! She also wasn't eating or drinking much and got pretty dehydrated.

We were supposed to go to Alabama to visit Grandma and Grandpa H. and Great Grandma B. (GiGi) on Wednesday, but we decided to reschedule for April. We figured it was much better to suffer at home than to share our misery with a plane full of innocent travelers. Hopefully Kara feels better by April!

Kara finally started to feel better on Wednesday.  She took two two-hour naps and slept by herself in her crib that night, but she was still pretty dehydrated. Mommy and Daddy started clapping and cheering (Yay Kara!) every time Kara took a sip of water to encourage her to drink more.  So now whenever Kara drinks, she claps for herself.  It's pretty funny.  Also, Mommy found that Kara likes popsicles. Yes, we know they're full of sugar, but we figured it was better than nothing.

Our little girl's fever was much lower this morning, so we think she's getting better. She's still super-cranky, but she's napping, sleeping through the night (more or less), and drinking lots of fluids. I think the worst is behind us.

No pictures this week. Hopefully we can get some good pictures of our healthy girl for the next post! Since we don't have any pictures of Kara, here's a link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scu9zzC5U3g&feature=feedf) to one of Mommy and Daddy's favorite clips from Sesame Street. This kid is hilarious!

Visit from Casey and Yuri!

Casey, one of Mommy's friends from college, and her litte boy, Yuri (who is 3 weeks and one day younger than Kara), came to visit us this past weekend from Portland.

On Saturday, we got up early and headed straight into Boulder to have breakfast at Lucile's. Casey and Lee Ann used to eat at the one in Fort Collins frequently during their college days. As always, the food was delicious! After a short nap back at the townhouse, we were back out on the town, this time visiting the Children's Museum in Lafayette. For the afternoon, we just played around the townhouse and the kids took turns riding around in Kara's sled (who needs snow?).

We took things much easier on Sunday. Yuri came down with a cold and didn't sleep very well Saturday night. We went into Boulder for lunch at Big City Burrito. While we were in Boulder, we stopped at a great toy store, which was a lot of fun for the kids. Other than that, we just stayed around the townhouse.

All in all, Kara had a great time playing with Yuri and Mommy was happy to spend some time with her friend. Sorry there are so many pictures. We just had so much fun!

Link to pictures

Playing in the Snow

We just got in from our second playtime in the snow this week. Kara seems to enjoy being dragged around in the sled, and she actually went down a hill for the first time this week. She also enjoys eating the fresh powder and is getting good at walking in her snow suit and boots!

On Monday, Mommy and Kara went to stock up on groceries before the second snowstorm. When we got back, it was already past Kara's lunch time. She watched a show while I brought in groceries. To move faster, I put the bags on the floor. I got a surprise when I came in with the last load. Kara had retrieved a box of crackers, opened them up, and was eating them while watching her show (hand in box and all). Guess I shouldn't underestimate Kara!

Kara has started to practice walking backwards. It's pretty funny.

During one of her bib "organizing" sessions, the Phil Collins song "That's All" came on the radio. She stopped what she was doing and started bopping up and down in time to the music. It was hilarious. She'd continue on, bee-bop, get another bib, bee-bop, etc. Then Mommy started clapping, and Kara clapped! Mommy jumped to the music. Kara thought that was great, but as she doesn't know how to jump yet, she decided to do a headstand instead. She put her head on the floor and shook her rump in the air to the music. This made Mommy's day.

Link to pictures

Colorado Weather

Colorado has some crazy weather.  On Friday and Saturday, the weather was beautiful.  It was close to 70 degrees and sunny.  By Monday, it was cold and snowy.  The high on Tuesday was somewhere around 2 below zero, and the high today was a balmy 7 degrees.  Let me tell you, it was cold. Kara and Mommy are starting to go a little stir crazy in our little townhouse.

Kara had her first "official" playdate yesterday. There are a couple of kids that live in the neighboring townhouses that are about the same age as Kara. Kara and Mommy had a great time, and it was good to get out of the townhouse for a little while since it was too cold to go anywhere else.

Kara enjoys reorganizing the townhouse (see the videos). She likes putting her puzzle pieces on the shelf (one by one) and then putting them all down on the floor (one by one). She also takes all of her bibs out of the drawer and puts them on the floor. If we're lucky, she'll sometimes put them back (*sometimes*).

Kara's latest things:
- Kara's newest favorite food is blueberries. Mommy swears that Kara could eat an entire pint of blueberries in one sitting, if we let her!
- Kara's getting more affectionate these days. Sometimes, if she feels like it, she'll give Mommy and Daddy hugs and kisses. She gave Daddy a really big hug when he was putting her down for bedtime tonight.
- Kara enjoys reading books. She'll grab a book and then plop down in Mommy or Daddy's lap while they read the books to her.
- Kara's talking a bit more these days. She says things that sound like "doggie", "ball", "balloon", and "all done". She's also getting really good at following simple requests (like bring Daddy the book); however, only when she feels like it. :)

Link to pictures

War Eagle!

We got our second good-sized winter storm of the season on Sunday.  We ended up getting about 6 inches of snow, which isn't bad except it was followed by an arctic front.  The high today was somewhere around 15 deg, and it's not supposed to get much warmer tomorrow.  No playing in the snow for the next couple of days!

Kara wore her Auburn outfit (a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa H.) all day today in support of the Auburn Tigers.  Lucky for Kara, this time worked out better than the last time she wore a team's jersey!  Congratulations to Auburn on winning the National Championship!  War Eagle!

Kara's latest things:
- Kara's starting to get pretty demanding these days.  She'll bring a book or toy over to Mommy or Daddy and then stomp her feet until we read the book to her or play with the toy.
- Kara's beginning to talk a little bit more.  She says something like "Ru ru ru du" when she hears Ernie sing Rubber Duckie (which Mommy and Daddy sing to her during bathtime).
- Mommy and Daddy think Kara will be a very neat little girl.  She enjoys putting things away.  She likes to put books in drawers, dirty clothes in the hamper (along with clean clothes and her toys), and hides her puzzle pieces under our rug.
- Kara seems to understand a lot of what we're saying these days.  She'll follow simple requests.  She also seems to be starting to understand what "No" means.  Whenever we tell her no, she shakes her head and usually stops what she's doing.  Check out the videos below.

Link to pictures

Snow Day!

This past Thursday, we got our first real snow of winter (too bad it was a week after Christmas). We got about 3 inches during the day and another 3 inches during Thursday night. Following the snow was an arctic front, so the high yesterday was about 10 deg F (it was cold!). We spent the day looking at the snow from the warmth of inside. It warmed up a bit today, so we took Kara out to check out the snow and try out her new sled. Kara enjoyed riding around in her sled, but she hasn't quite figured out how to move while in her snowsuit.

Bathtime is becoming much more fun these days. Kara really enjoys splashing around in the tub and playing with all her bath toys. We got some good pictures of Kara having a particularly fun bathtime this past week. Mommy and Daddy can't say they miss the days of the screaming newborn that HATED baths. Ah, memories...

Link to pictures