2009 was a year of many changes in our family. I did a lot better this year with blogging and many of the events were actually recorded!
The birth of Katie came in March, making us a family of four. Michael adjusted well to this change, which was a welcome surprise to everyone who knows him. Our house a/c unit went out in April and a week later, the transmission went out in our car. We ended up getting a new to us Toyota Sienna.
I went back to work at the end of May and Michael went back to daycare while my mom watched Katie. The summer flew by and we took several trips, including our annual family vacation. We went to Virginia, Baltimore and New Jersey to visit family. Todd and Michael had their appointments at Johns Hopkins and everyone checked out well.
The business that I worked for was sold on August 31st and I was able to stay at home with the kids for a while. I have been very fortunate to have this opportunity and am very thankful that Todd has a state job.
Michael started preschool 3 morning a week in September. This has been a wonderful experience for him and he is thriving in the environment. He is growing up so quickly and says some of the most entertaining things.
The holidays came quickly and it was so much fun to experience them through the eyes of our children. Michael was Batman for Halloween and Katie was a turtle. Christmas brought lots of holiday activities as well as time with family.
Katie got her first tooth in December and she started to crawl right after Christmas. So we really didn't have to worry about her destroying the tree this year :)
All in all, it was a decent year. There were definitely some things that I wish wouldn't have happened but those were balanced out with things that I wouldn't trade the world for. Looking forward to seeing what 2010 brings!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
And she's off....
It's official now...Katie is on the move. She was army crawling across the floor on Sunday and she got up on all fours and crawled a little bit later in the day. She is also pulling herself up to her knees and playing with toys at that level. You can also stand her up at the couch or a chair and she will play there for quite a bit. She is fairly steady on her feet and a bit of a daredevil as well. Katie was standing at her Leapfrog table and turned to try to hold on to the couch. She didn't quite make it and got pretty upset. It was hard not to laugh because she was so determined!
As I sit here right now, she is trying to pull her new baby doll off the couch without standing up all the way. She is using Michael's lounge chair as a stepping stone to stand up. I forgot how much fun this age is. Watching Katie explore and learn as she sees things for the first time is so cute. And it's only a matter of time before she will be up and walking.
What's so funny is that I couldn't wait until Michael reached these milestones and anxiously awaited them. Katie crawled a bit later than Michael but I didn't worry about it. If it would have been Michael, I would have been wondering if he was on track with development. Now I know that each child does things at a different pace and has different strength and weaknesses.
And there is a video of Katie crawling on a separate post since I was having some technical difficulties.
As I sit here right now, she is trying to pull her new baby doll off the couch without standing up all the way. She is using Michael's lounge chair as a stepping stone to stand up. I forgot how much fun this age is. Watching Katie explore and learn as she sees things for the first time is so cute. And it's only a matter of time before she will be up and walking.
What's so funny is that I couldn't wait until Michael reached these milestones and anxiously awaited them. Katie crawled a bit later than Michael but I didn't worry about it. If it would have been Michael, I would have been wondering if he was on track with development. Now I know that each child does things at a different pace and has different strength and weaknesses.
And there is a video of Katie crawling on a separate post since I was having some technical difficulties.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas 2009
Just wanted to wish all of our family and friends a Merry Christmas! Hoping that everyone has a safe, healthy and happy holiday whether you are near or far.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Lights at the Zoo
Tonight we went with a couple of our friends and their daughters to the Lights at the Zoo. Even though we had a zoo membership, we just ran out of time to go last year. So we got Michael and Katie bundled up and headed out.
Katie wasn't too excited about the lights and didn't like it when her hat was on either. We had her bundled up in the stroller and as long as she was moving, it was fine. Michael loved the lights but kept asking about where the animals were. I can understand the confusion since we were at the zoo.
They had quite a few lights set up and there was one area that had dancing lights. You could stand in front of it and listen to the music while the lights "danced" around. I would have to say that was probably the highlight of the display.
After the zoo, we all headed back to the house for cookies and hot chocolate. It was nice to get out of the cold and relax for a bit. If we go again next year, I think we should try to go on a night that isn't so cold!
Katie wasn't too excited about the lights and didn't like it when her hat was on either. We had her bundled up in the stroller and as long as she was moving, it was fine. Michael loved the lights but kept asking about where the animals were. I can understand the confusion since we were at the zoo.
They had quite a few lights set up and there was one area that had dancing lights. You could stand in front of it and listen to the music while the lights "danced" around. I would have to say that was probably the highlight of the display.
After the zoo, we all headed back to the house for cookies and hot chocolate. It was nice to get out of the cold and relax for a bit. If we go again next year, I think we should try to go on a night that isn't so cold!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Katie's 9 months old
Katie turned 9 months old on Wednesday. Since the day was already so busy with Todd's birthday and Michael's Christmas present, we decided to schedule her well check for today.
She weighed in at exactly 18 pounds (50%) and is 29 inches tall (90%). She has already grown 10 inches since she was born. She is basically following the same growth curve that Michael did. She is now wearing 9-12 month clothes and 12 month pajamas.
Her appointment was uneventful otherwise. She got 2 shots, which made her less than thrilled. Her growth is good and she is hitting all developmental milestones. She isn't crawling yet but can get around by rolling and doing a little army crawl. I actually think she may pull herself up to standing before she crawls. You can stand her up with support and she can hold her position for about 10 seconds.
Katie is very vocal. She loves to squeal and will "talk" to things and people. I set her in front of the Christmas tree last week and she lifted up her hands and started babbling to the tree. It was quite adorable. Two of her favorite things to say are "dad dad dad dad" and "mom mom mom mom". And she will say them directly to address us.
She eats pretty much anything that you put on her tray. And tried to grab at everything that you don't! I think she is going to be a good eater. If you are eating and she sees something she wants, she starts to move her mouth like she is eating. We practice with the sippy cup but she can't quite figure out how to tip it up. She knows what it's for though. And thankfully, we won't have to wean her from the bottle as she doesn't get one very often.
I think this next month is going to bring many changes for Katie. I expect that she will have another tooth, be crawling and pulling up by 10 months. Or she could totally surprise me and continue to be as laid back as she is. The only thing that Katie really doesn't like are naps and we are working on that. I know it's exciting to be up with Michael and I all day but sometimes a girl needs her sleep. She is a great nighttime sleeper and I will take that over a good napper anyday.
She weighed in at exactly 18 pounds (50%) and is 29 inches tall (90%). She has already grown 10 inches since she was born. She is basically following the same growth curve that Michael did. She is now wearing 9-12 month clothes and 12 month pajamas.
Her appointment was uneventful otherwise. She got 2 shots, which made her less than thrilled. Her growth is good and she is hitting all developmental milestones. She isn't crawling yet but can get around by rolling and doing a little army crawl. I actually think she may pull herself up to standing before she crawls. You can stand her up with support and she can hold her position for about 10 seconds.
Katie is very vocal. She loves to squeal and will "talk" to things and people. I set her in front of the Christmas tree last week and she lifted up her hands and started babbling to the tree. It was quite adorable. Two of her favorite things to say are "dad dad dad dad" and "mom mom mom mom". And she will say them directly to address us.
She eats pretty much anything that you put on her tray. And tried to grab at everything that you don't! I think she is going to be a good eater. If you are eating and she sees something she wants, she starts to move her mouth like she is eating. We practice with the sippy cup but she can't quite figure out how to tip it up. She knows what it's for though. And thankfully, we won't have to wean her from the bottle as she doesn't get one very often.
I think this next month is going to bring many changes for Katie. I expect that she will have another tooth, be crawling and pulling up by 10 months. Or she could totally surprise me and continue to be as laid back as she is. The only thing that Katie really doesn't like are naps and we are working on that. I know it's exciting to be up with Michael and I all day but sometimes a girl needs her sleep. She is a great nighttime sleeper and I will take that over a good napper anyday.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Happy Birthday Todd
I know that today is almost over but I just wanted to wish my dear husband a Happy Birthday! He turns 36 today. I like to joke with him about how much older than me he is. It's really only a little more than 2 years but he is closer to 40 and I am closer to 30 now.
Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father! I am so lucky to have him in my life and can remember when he turned 25. So much has changed since then and he has grown into a man that I am proud to call my husband. I hope that his day was great and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays together. Can't wait to go out to dinner and a movie next month.
Love, Karen, Michael and Katie
Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father! I am so lucky to have him in my life and can remember when he turned 25. So much has changed since then and he has grown into a man that I am proud to call my husband. I hope that his day was great and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays together. Can't wait to go out to dinner and a movie next month.
Love, Karen, Michael and Katie
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