From Sea to Shining Sea

During our trip to Oregon over Thanksgiving we took Kathleen to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Calvin's home town is only 20 minutes from the coast and our hotel was in Newport Bay. The coast there is rocky, cold and windy. So it was just a quick trip to see and touch the water then run back to the car to get warm. There is a beautiful Yaquina lighthouse on a rock ledge just up the road from where we're at. 

Wisdom Teeth

This past Friday I had my wisdom teeth extracted. Both uppers and the left lower. Apparently I was feeling so good with the drugs in the "recovery" area of the dentist office that I thought it was a good idea for Calvin to snap a picture for the blog. Seriously I said, "I look pretty good considering huh? You should take a picture for the blog!" And he did. So here is the lovely picture to prove I was drugged and happy.

My mom and dad so generously came down for Friday and Saturday to help take care of Kathleen. They brought me milkshakes and helped me keep the ice packs on. Sunday was another day of rest with just Kathleen and I hanging out at the apartment. I was back at work on Monday good as new! As my good friend (who also recently had her wisdom teeth extracted) said, "Why didn't we do this when we were 18?".... I don't know, but all is well and I don't have to worry about them any longer.

Happy 6 Months!

Kathleen is 6 months old today. We are having so much fun with her. She is very observent and you can see her thinking very hard about how objects work around her. She loves splashing in the bath tub, playing fetch with Rascal, hanging out with her friends at daycare, and bouncing. Broccoli is her favorite food, and today she had her two bottom teeth break through! Kathleen's laughter fills our home and hearts with joy, and each day we look forward to spending more time with our precious little girl. 

Here are a few of of our recent favorite pictures below: 

She pulled the remote into her own lap here and was waving at Daddy to celebrate her success

Baby Led Weaning has made solid foods so much fun at our house

On our way to church

Such a great snuggler

My Little Strawberry

This year I was so excited to dress Kathleen up and participate in Halloween that we found three different events to take Kathleen to in her Strawberry outfit. Fuquay Varina United Methodist Church Trunk or Treat & Fair Trade store, Highland United Methodist Church's Trunk or Treat and Halloween night we headed to Mebane to celebrate with the Miller and Doi families. The Trunk or Treat events were so much fun and I could not believe the crowds. It made me very excited for the elementary school age where getting to run around in a parking lot, getting candy and playing games is literally the jackpot of fall nights. And my dear friend Katie Miller taught me how to throw a proper Halloween party for neighborhood kids with ease. She had apples on a stick ready for dipping into camel and sprinkles for the kids. Roasted pumpkin seeds and okra chips to snack on. Chili, salad, cornbread for dinner. And hot apple cider. Can you think of anything else you need before going trick or treating? Oh yeah, one last perfect touch. Glow sticks to keep track of the clan in the dark. I hope to mimic this  party for years to come.

 

Mommy is dressed as "someone you can count on"!

Kathleen's First State Fair

Calvin and I celebrated our first date in October 2003 with a trip to the NC State Fair. It was a great night of getting to know each other a little better although we do not consider our official relationship to have started until December 2003. The fair did however provide a relaxed group setting with my two college roommates and their dates, plenty of distractions and things to talk about, and no pressure to dress up. (Calvin was already used to seeing me in a sweatshirt and tennis shoes anyways.) So since 2003 it has been an annual tradition for us to attend the fair and we were thrilled to include Kathleen on our date this year. 

The hat and blanket Grandma Luann made could not be any more cute.
These were perfect for keeping Kathleen snug while the weather was still cool in the morning. 

One of our favorite things to do at the fair is eat! We enjoyed a hand dipped corn dog, Al's Fries, deep fried green beans, a deep fried brownie, and a candy apple. Kathleen most loved seeing the goats and watching the other kids on the pony ride. Next year I think she will be up for riding the ponies herself!

As a side note, I would like to mention that my favorite State Fair memory ever was a couple years ago with Calvin on the "Zipper". As the fireworks started on Saturday night we were stopped at the top of the ride facing them for a good part of the show while others loaded and unloaded below. It was perfect.