Pictures of My Cuties

Love this picture! I don't even know what they're looking at, but it must've been pretty exciting.
I took out my new camera today and tried to see how I could play with the shutter speed to take some nice pictures. I hate using the flash! So here's a little story in pictures:

Pictures got blurry if there was a lot of fast movement. I think I've got a long ways to go on this camera!

Baby Kaylee

I just found a list I made two years ago for Kaylee's babysitter. I'm amazed at how much she's changed. She would've been just the age that Hudson is now.

"Kaylee's Favorite Things (or things to distract her is she is cranky):
* Eating rice cereal. She will fight for control of the spoon! (Hudson is the same way!)
* Take a bath - both my kids could live in the bath!
* Favorite toys - a bear that will count and say the ABC song if you squeeze its hands, V-smile baby, a red sippy cup and her green blanket. Yeah, I think I'll start Hudson on a sippy cup this week.
* Watching Mom play Bejeweled - I let her pound on the keyboard while I play.
* Mirrors"

I also wrote:
"She hates changing clothes - but she loves sitting up on her changing table - so I dress her sitting up and it goes a lot easier"

On the back I listed all her favorite things:
- paper
- pounding on the window and keyboard
- wash cloths
- baths
- "Jesus Loves Me"
- "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
- watching Mom try to dance
- walks in the stroller
- apparantly this pen!
- sippy cups and pacifiers as toys
- tags on toys
- links
- "Snuggle Puppy" - book and song
- water bottles
- laser pointer light on the ceiling
- camera bag strap
- toys that sing or talk

"2/4/07 - Super Bowl Sunday - It seems like Kaylee is trying to pick her shadow off the floor. She grabs at the carpet and then looks at her hands."

I have little notes tucked away in a box of all her "firsts", thinking I'd get them into a scrapbook. I'm finding I'm not much of a scrapbooker. So maybe I should dig them out and record them on this blog.

Developments

Mr. Hudson Kok is now able to roll any which way he pleases. His official first solo turn over occured on Feb. 16th. I'm sure he's been able to do it for a while now, but since he learned to sit up first (since 5 months), he's usually sitting and not on the floor. He tends to get frustrated laying down. But I suppose it's good for him. He needs to feel stuck there so he can figure out his next step, so to speak. Anyway, it's official. He can roll to his back and to his front. Yeah, Hudson!
Kaylee was a late roller too. I've heard that's often the case for bigger babies. Hudson is certainly that! I love those chunky legs!! His 6 month appt was yesterday and he is 20 pounds, 9 ounces and 27 inches long. He's in the 95th percentile for height and weight.

Kaylee and Hudson have much different personalities. Even as a baby, Kaylee was very shy of strangers. Anyone who wasn't Mom or Dad was a stranger. Doctor visits were very traumatic. Hudson is all smiles and giggles with the doctor and the nurse - until he gets poked three times in the legs, then he looks at ME like "how could you?!"

What I Love About Hudson

I love the way he take a few moments to figure out who he's looking at and then finally bursts into a big smile.

I love the way he's so proud when he stands on his feet. He holds his head up, his back is arched, his stance is so wide. Such a strong, proud bearing!

I love how he looks all around in complete delight at the new perspective he has on everything.

I love to see the wonder in his eyes when he discovers the simplest things... the cold feel of glass when looking out the window, crinkly paper, fish in the fish tank.

I love how he seems to love the tank in his room the best. He lights up and laughs after looking at it for a few seconds.

I love the way his whole body convulses in a moment of joy and glee upon discovering these simple things or seeing someone he loves. His legs kick, his arms flare out, and his back arches all in a moment.

I love how he sits with his back arched and his arms held almost backwards. He's learned to use them to break his fall if he tips over.

I love how he gets when he's tired. He starts cooing and laughing at any silly thing I do.

I love how he takes a toy from me. It takes a moment to first notice it in front of him. Then his left arm comes swooping around from behind in a long slow arc and gently grabs hold while his other hand comes to meet it. I just love the left arm arc!

I love watching him interact with his sister. He's all smiles for her. Especially when she's just up from a nap and not too happy. Hudson can usually bring her around with just one of his big smiles and laughs that he gives her.

I love the quiet moments when he's done nursing and looks up at me. His eyes go wide, his smile does too, and then he talks to me in that soft, sweet voice of his. It's our special time to share secrets.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sugar cookies for my sweet Kaylee. I found out that strawberry cream cheese works and tastes just as good as frosting. mmmmmm... those cookies didn't last long!

Kaylee's been having fun with the plates I got for today. She's been setting the table and making me pancakes all morning.

more...

New Camera

I took the new camera to the park today, and boy do I ever like it! When I'm outside I can set it to automatic and it takes some very quick pictures. The biggest problem now is that I take SO MANY pictures! It just happens so fast! Here are a few of my favorites:

Someday I'd like to get better at adjusting photos manually. I took a class in high school, but that was so long ago.

I've found that when I take pictures indoors - set to automatic - I don't like the way it turns out so much. They're dark or have big shadows - the color just seems off. I'll work on that. In the meantime I'll try not to post the 150 cute pictures I took at the park today.

A Few Pictures

It's hard to take a clear picture when you have a squirmy baby in your arms, but this is the view down the coastline at the time when the double rainbow was out over the water. I won't include my pictures of that because they really didn't turn out good.

Here's the inside of our condo. Far down the hallway is the front entrance. There's a bedroom and bath on the left behind the kitchen, another bedroom to the right with it's own bathroom, and our room was on the left by the fireplace. Three bedrooms, three baths - that's pretty spoiled! I don't know why I didn't get a picture facing the other way. Guess I'll have to go back.

When we first arrived, this was the view that greeted us. What a lovely sunset. I love the way the colors turned out in the above picture, but I am happier with the composition of the one below. So of course, I must include both.

After a long 8 hour car ride we got back home last night safe and sound. Both kids were very anxious to get out of their car seats, but they did a fantastic job of traveling. I thought Kaylee would be excited to see her house again, but she cried out "NO - different house!" I asked if she meant the "Ocean house" and yes, that's what she was hoping for. Oh, it broke my heart! This morning when she got up - she ran back into her room, grabbed her coat and her backpack, and said "Ocean house!". All day I've had to explain that we aren't going back to the ocean house anytime soon. By far it was our favorite place of all the timeshare locations we've been to. We're definitely going back - just not today!

Depoe Bay

We are currently at our time share down in Depoe Bay, OR. It's spectacular! We have a spacious 3 bedroom unit that is very well laid out. All three bedrooms are separated from each other. It makes it nice for when you have crying babies! We are here with our friends Jason and Darlene and their three kids.

The master room has french doors, a king size bed, a closet the size of a small room, a jet tub, and sliding doors that walk out onto a patio. Outside the window is the most wonderful view of the ocean.

There is about twenty feet of lawn, then a fence, then a rocky cliff down about 30-40 feet to the crashing waves. I'll have some pictures to post when we get home.

I love sitting here listening to the surf, watching the waves rise, curl and crash. It's amazing to me how something so strong and fast could looks so slow and graceful from up here.

Right now it's snowing. Large fluffy flakes. Everyone left to go to the aquarium in town. Hudson and I are staying home because I became sick quite suddenly this morning. For now, the pain in my stomach is lessened and I can relax here watching the water and the snow while Hudson is contentedly playing on the floor.

Out this window I have watched the setting sun lighting up some billowy clouds out at sea, a nearly full moon lighting up the dark waters below, and this morning a double rainbow graced the misty air above the turbulent waters. Maybe that was God's way of assuring me after I lay awake thinking about tsunamis last night! (yeah, I'm a bit paranoid) I sat and watched with amazement how quickly the ocean changes. The subtle hues that change the mood of the whole scene. Green and dark blue in a quiet moment.... orange with the rising sun peeking out of a cloud... then in a blink, flat cold grey as the clouds envelope the sun. Just as quickly, that cold grey becomes lively blue when the afternoon sun comes out, enhancing the contrast of the white waves - bright, beautiful and inviting.

I also watched the sea gulls get all flustered and scatter off in every direction. I wondered what was going on. Then I was thrilled by two bald eagles soaring past the window.

Sometimes it's a blessing to be stuck in bed. Especially with a view like this!


**UPDATE**
Jeff and Kaylee just came back. The roads are already pretty snowy and slippery. He didn't think it was worth risking anything else happening - with all the car trouble we've had lately. I'm glad he decided to come back. We may just get snowed in down here!

**ANOTHER UPDATE**
Jason & Darlene came back too. I guess the roads were pretty slick. In a matter of hours however, the sun came out, the snow melted away and we had a beautiful afternoon. What crazy weather!

Prayer Off

A couple times now Kaylee has done something which I find quite amusing and I have to write it down so I don't forget.

When I put her down for a nap we always say prayers and then I sing her a song. After the prayer she checks to make sure that my hands are not still folded. If they are, she reaches over and moves my hands apart saying "prayer off". I guess folded hands are only for praying.

I try to finish out the song without laughing, but it's kind of hard to do.

It reminds me of being a little girl in church, listening to the pastor preaching. I thought, "Hey, this is good! God should hear this." So I folded my hands together thinking that now God could hear what was being said...as if it was some kind of microphone or something. How cute was I?

I love the way Kaylee will often answer a yes/no question with "Yep". It's more like: "yyyyep"

The last couple of days she's been saying "Sure do" to almost any question asked of her. "Do you want to take a bath" - "sure do!" "Would you like some juice?" "Sure do"

I don't know where she got that from, but it's fun.

Hudson really surprised me today. He was sitting on my lap as I was looking up something on the computer. Suddenly he turns around, looks up at my face and gives me a huge smile. Oh, it just melted my heart. I don't know why it was so surprising. I guess it's just such a "big kid" thing to do. You don't expect your little baby to turn around and smile at you like that.

Well I'm almost done with the pants I decided to knit for Hudson and I can already tell without trying them on that they are way too small. Jeff says they'd make some good shorts. I think the lady who made the pattern lives in Australia - they must have little hobbit children down there or something. :)