New Family Tradition

The past few weeks, Kyndall has really been acting like a Mama's girl.  In 20 months of life, she's never once shown any signs of separation anxiety, whether it be me handing her over to Matthew, or us handing her over to complete strangers.  She's just never seemed to mind being away from me all that much.  Well, something has definitely changed.  Wherever I am, that's where she wants to be too.  Be it the kitchen, the laundry room or even the bathroom....she follows me everywhere!  It's gotten to the point that she will turn away from Matthew and say "NO!" when he tries to hold her and only wants Mama to feed her, change her, play with her, read to her, etc.  Matthew is more than willing to do all of these things, but in her eyes, I'm #1.  I'm highly honored Kyndall, really I am.  But I would much prefer not feeling like a single parent when it comes to caring for you!  (And I'm sure Daddy doesn't exactly love feeling rejected by his baby girl!)

So, to help with this and to ensure some good quality bonding between the two of them, Matthew has declared Saturday mornings as "Daddy / Kyndall time".  He gets her up, he dresses her--in the clothes I choose of course---and then takes her to breakfast.  They've frequented the Waffle House several times (or as I call it the Awful Waffle--yuck!), but this seems to be a popular Saturday morning hang out (why is beyond me) so this past Saturday they went to IHOP instead.  He even took her to Belk for some shopping after they were finished eating.  Not only does Kyndall seem to enjoy this very much, but it also shows her that Daddy is perfectly capable and more than willing to take care of her.  Not to mention the fact that it is a real treat to ME!  I get at least an hour or more of uninterrupted time to do whatever I want.  Usually it's spent putting away laundry, cleaning up the house or something of the like.  But this past Saturday I actually spent my time doing NOTHING.  I perched myself on the couch and caught up on my DVR'd shows while eating a bowl of cereal.  I almost didn't know what to do with myself.  I can't remember the last time I've had control of the TV....or eaten breakfast alone.....or eaten breakfast at all!  I think this new little tradition is going to be a GREAT one!  =)

Matthew doesn't exactly share my obsession love for photography, so I didn't bother sending him with the camera to capture these sweet little moments.  Instead, I settled for a few pictures of Kyndall playing in the backyard as soon as they returned.  The weather here has been lovely this weekend!  With a tropical storm just off our coast, the air was much cooler and there was a nice breeze. 

She's doing so well with her walking!  See her little pink braces?

Continuing with the Daddy / Daughter theme, check out what I caught on camera Saturday night!!

Cheers!

Pinkies up!

Eating her pretend cupcake.  You can't have tea without a cupcake!

I love this one!  Kyndall is taking a picture with her own camera!  Maybe having one in her face for the past 20 months has started rubbing off!

As I said, she is doing SO great with her walking!  Even without her braces on, she's taking 8 or 10 steps on her own and she's falling less and less.  It won't be much longer now!

She's also gotten really good at climbing on the furniture

So proud of herself........

Sunday mornings before church are even MORE chaotic with a mobile baby!

Kyndall is really into coloring lately, and really NOT into sitting still in the bathtub each night.  So when I found these little gems, I grabbed them up.  They kept her entertained for a while!  Mission accomplished.  Let's just hope they're as easy to clean off as the box says they are...........

Perfecting her masterpiece..............

I thought these next pictures were cute so I threw them in too.  We had to take Kyndall's carseat out of my car while it's in the shop this week.  Who knew that an empty carseat inside the house could be SO MUCH FUN?!  We can't keep her out of it!

That's it for now!  Hope you had a great weekend!  We're looking forward to having my parents come up on Thursday to spend the long holiday weekend with us.  Can't wait!

"What's Wrong Little Pookie?"

Recently, Kyndall has really taken an interest in reading books.  We've always had them around, but she never seemed to enjoy sitting still and letting us read to her.  About three weeks ago, she started VERY clearly saying the word "no".  She uses it all the time, and about 99% of the time it's in the correct context.  Example: "Kyndall, do you want a spanking?"  "NO!"  "Kyndall, can I brush your teeth?"  "NO!"  "Kyndall, quit hitting the dogs!"  "NO!"  You get the picture.  It's cute and her speech therapist is very impressed with the clarity of the word, but Mommy and Daddy are growing weary of hearing it all the time.  We couldn't really figure out why she all of the sudden picked up that word and seems to love it so much.  We try not to constantly tell her "no", so I wasn't sure where she'd heard it enough to use it, especially in the correct context.

I started thinking and then it hit me.  Duh!!  Her favorite book!  Of all the books in our house (and there are a LOT!), her favorite one is "What's Wrong Little Pookie?"  She goes and finds it several times a day and wants me to read it to her.  If you've never read the book, the plot is pretty simple.  "Pookie" is very sad and his mother is trying to figure out what's wrong with him.  She asks him several questions and to each one he replies with "no".  It became very obvious to me that this is where Kyndall picked up her new favorite word!  Thanks a lot, little Pookie.

I wanted to get some video of her saying the word---not because I think it's short lived---but so that everyone else could hear how well she says it.  Of course, the one time I WANT her to say it, I have to almost drag it out of her.  I promise I don't usually antagonize her this much!  It was all for the sake of getting some good video!  =)

Here she is going to find her book.  I think it's pretty neat that out of a whole basket of books, she can dig through it and find her Little Pookie book and bring it to me.

And lastly, here's one of her sitting and reading all on her own.  Like I said, this is all new--She's never had an interest in books at all, or the attention span to sit still for this long.  Hmmm....wonder where she gets that from?  I'm glad she's learning to enjoy reading.  It's more than I can say for myself!

My 2nd Mother's Day

Sunday marked my second Mother's Day as Mommy to my sweet Kyndall Anne.  This time last year Kyndall was only 8 months old and I hadn't even experienced my first full year as a Mother.  I feel like I'm a bit more "seasoned" this time around and therefore this Mother's Day was extra special.  I'm sure I'll feel the same way with each passing year, but it's funny to think how much I've grown as a parent just in 12 short months.

If you know me at all (or read my blog regularly), you know that I'm not one of those Moms who is concerned with "me time".  Honestly, my "me time" comes each night when dinner and baths are done, the kitchen is cleaned, Kyndall and Matthew are asleep and the house is quiet.  That's when I get my "me time" and I'm perfectly fine with that.  I love every single second that I have with my precious daughter, and I never want to make her feel like her Mommy needs a break from her.  I made the decision to become a Mother, fully knowing that it's a 24/7 365 job with no "breaks".  All that being said, the last thing I wanted to do for Mother's Day weekend was spend it alone, enjoying "me time".  I wanted to celebrate with my daughter and my husband----after all, without the two of them I wouldn't even BE a Mother!  So, we spent the entire weekend enjoying as much family time as possible.

On Saturday, we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A (because it's one of the few things Kyndall will actually eat) and then spent the afternoon at the outlet mall.  After several hours of shopping, we walked away with two new outfits and a pair of shoes----All for Kyndall!  =)  While we were out, she bought me this gift, but quickly decided she'd rather keep it for herself...........

Matthew grilled out for dinner that night and we enjoyed playing together in the front yard and taking Kyndall for a spin around the neighborhood on her new tricycle from Aunt Kelly.  It was a perfect day, in my eyes!

My sweet friend Leigh gave me this gorgeous dress and I've been saving it for a special occasion.  I thought Mother's Day would be the perfect time to let Kyndall wear it

Before church, Kyndall helped me open my cards and my gifts.......

Kyndall and Matthew gave me this beautiful bracelet

Nonie and Poppie sent me this sweet charm for my charm bracelet--I love the bow!  =)

Kyndall wasn't really in the mood for pictures that morning (you'll find out why later)

Giving Mommy the stank eye!

There's my happy girl!!



When we dropped Kyndall off in the nursery, she cried---really hard.  I felt bad because she NEVER does this and I always talk about how she has absolutely no issues with attachment.  I figured it was because we've been out of town the past few weeks so I didn't think much of it.  I kept my eye on the screen the entire service, totally expecting our nursery number to pop up but it never did.  When we picked her up, they said she did alright but was a little fussy and they actually moved her into the baby room where there were more workers. 

 

We went to lunch at Sticky Fingers and I treated her to a huge bowl of mac and cheese and a side order of mandarin oranges---two of her favorites!  To my surprise, she ate about 3 orange slices and then she was done.  Still, I didn't think much of it.  We came home and put her down for a nap and I made a quick run to the grocery store.  When I got back, she just wasn't acting like herself and she felt REALLY warm to me.  She's only had a fever once in her life, so I never even suspected that she could be sick.  I took her temp and to my surprise, it was 104!!!  I freaked a little bit and immediately had the Mommy guilt set in for not thinking of this sooner.  By this time it was about 7:00 so I knew we had exactly one hour until urgent care closed for the night.  We packed up quickly and headed out.  The doctors at urgent care confirmed the high fever and immediately gave her a dose of Motrin.  They checked all the usuals like ears and throat and everything looked normal.  They swabbed her mouth for strep and also did a urine test for a possible UTI.  Both came back negative.  Without any definite diagnosis, they chalked it up to a virus and told us to treat the fever with Motrin and Tylenol.  I almost felt like it was a waste of time (and a waste of $100 bucks), but I felt better at least knowing it wasn't anything serious.

 

I took a few pictures on my phone while we waited, so please excuse the poor quality.........

 

 

Whew!  What a way to end our Mother's Day weekend!  The good news is she seemed much better today and she isn't having any other symptoms.  Her fever is down, but she still doesn't have much of an appetite.  Not having much experience with a sick child, I don't know how you Mamas with constantly sick babies do it!  I'm so thankful that Kyndall DIDN'T take after me when it comes to her health!

 

I hope that all of my Mommy friends out there had a wonderful day and that you were celebrated, appreciated and loved on all weekend long.  Being a Mother is the most precious gift I've ever been given and I am thankful for each and every breath I take as Kyndall's Mommy!  I've said it before and I'll say it again----She is my greatest accomplishment and what I'm most proud of.  Without her, there isn't much else.

 

A look back at this time last year......If I only knew then what I know now!  =)

 

 

 

Oh the Places You'll Go!

"Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose." ~Dr. Seuss

Last Thursday Kyndall received her "special shoes" that we've been waiting for.  These special shoes are actually called AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthosis)  and are small braces that will help keep her ankles from folding in when she stands and therefore help her to walk.  At 19 months old, most kids have been walking (if not running) for many months now.  However, Kyndall was diagnosed with a form of hypotonia which basically means her muscles weren't very strong.  We've been working with our wonderful physical therapist, Ms. Ingrid, for several months now and I am AMAZED at the progress she's made!!

In fact, two weeks ago on April 26th (our 4th wedding anniversary), Matthew and I got the best anniversary gift we could ever ask for.  Kyndall stood up in the middle of the living room and took her very first steps!  Matthew and I were both here to see it, and we also managed to get both sets of Grandparents on Skype so they could witness it as well.  We went to bed that night feeling like we were on top of the world!  I was so proud of my baby girl!  She has continued to take steps and cruise on her own even without the braces.  However, her poor little ankles fold in so badly and in the long run, these braces will give her the strength and stability that she needs to walk normally.

I was excited but nervous about getting the AFO's.  I wasn't sure how Kyndall would react to them, as I knew it would probably affect her new found walking skills in at least a small way.  Ms. Ingrid and I made a big deal over the "special" shoes and told her how pretty they were and tried to really talk them up for her.  She seemed to do pretty well with them, but out of curiosity, kept trying to take them off and inspect them.  So, we were forced to make her wear her "moon shoes", as I have started calling them.  To me, they look absolutely ridiculous on her tiny little chicken legs, but they're specially made to fit the bulky AFO's which won't fit down in her regular shoes.  Bye bye cute little summer sandals!  =(

Here she is just moments after putting them on for the first time.......

This is what the AFO's look like without the shoes.  We got to pick the pattern and of course I chose pink! =)

This is why we have to wear shoes over the braces..........

For now, Ms. Ingrid only wants her to wear them a few hours a day, until she gets used to having them on.  Eventually, she'll wear them all the time.  Just to prove how much progress she's made in the past couple of months, I'm including the next few pictures.  Notice that she did all of this WITHOUT the braces!

Guess who climbed up on the glider all by herself?...........

Kyndall, we are so proud of you and all of your hard work!  We want you to know that you can do ANYTHING you want to do and nothing will hold you back.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made and you are perfect just the way you are.  I can't wait to see you in a few years, when this small obstacle is just a distant memory.  These feet will take you anywhere you want to go.  You can be anything you want to be, sweet girl!  Will you be a dancer like Mommy?  A softball player like Aunt Kelly?  A golfer like G-Daddy?  A marathon runner like your cousin Jennifer?  You can do it all, Kyndall Anne!!

"You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Oh, the places you'll go!"