Stats

Kendal and Casey joined me for my doctor's appointment today. Things are looking fine (as usual). We will find out in a couple of weeks whether or not i'll have to have another c-section or if i will try for a vbac this time around. Kendal was asking question upon question at the doctors office; she's so cute and inquisitive about what's going on with mommy and her brother. I've got just under a month and a half till the little guy is due!
While waiting at the doctors we decided to get some stats for Kendal. At 2 1/2 Kendal weighs in at 26 pounds and is just above 35 inches tall. : )

Goldilocks

- Warning long post

Kendal is 2 ½ years old today! To commemorate the occasion we decided to cut Kendal’s golden locks. I’ve always loved Kendal’s hair; she wasn’t born with much of it, but it has definitely grown into a beautiful mess of golden locks. I wasn’t really set on cutting her hair, however it has become quite unruly lately, and with my brother’s wedding coming up it was a good reason to finally trim her sweet locks. Kendal has very fine hair; it’s super hard to keep any style in for long, because it just comes apart the minute she plays, or gets into her car seat. It was a bitter sweet moment cutting her hair (no I didn’t cry). Ever since she watched me give Casey a hair cut she has been talking about it; so she was very excited that it was her turn to get a hair cut.
 Before:

After:

A few more facts about Kendal at 2 ½ years old –

            Kendal is growing into quite the independent little girl. A few things she insists on doing herself are wriggling onto the big potty (and tries to wipe herself then hurry and get off before mom and dad can catch her : / ), she has to do up her own buckle in the car seat, and she’s always saying “me do”.

 Kendal’s imagination is growing everyday. Casey and I laugh some of the things she comes up with (which I need to write them down more often). This past weekend when we were going to “Hiho” (Idaho) we were driving towards the highway, and Kendal kept saying how cute the little cars were; we realized that from a distance she thought the cars on the highway were toys, and thought they were cute. Kendal is always commenting on how things are so cute, so nice, so happy, or she loves them so much. She also asks us multiple times a day, “Mommy you happy?”  Kendal always wants to do things beyond her age, such as cut with scissors; so for things like that I tell her she has to be three or older. The other day she was in the truck with Casey and she asked him if she could drive. Casey said she had to be older and she said that she could drive when she was three.

Kendal’s favorite activities when we play inside are play dough, puzzles, and reading. Since the weather has warmed up Kendal loves being outside. She will swing at my parent’s house forever, she loves to play with chalk, bubbles, and she’s learning to ride a bike.

Kendal will eat most foods; potatoes and tough meat are still not her favorites. She is at the age though were she can get finicky about how much she will eat, and the textures of things. Some nights she’ll stuff herself silly and others we are persuading her to eat throughout the whole meal. (It’s hardest when she’s not in her own booster seat to eat, because she thinks she can get up / down throughout the meal)

Kendal is still in love with her ducky. Recently he had to go into “time-out” because she got him too dirty and I put him in the laundry. When she got him back a couple of days later, she was beyond thrilled and smothered him to pieces. She loves all of her animals; each one has a different place and meaning in her heart. She even has two bears that are her ducks parents. : D

Kendal is very good at picking up words and remembering things. Casey and I have to watch how we say things because Kendal will pick it right up and repeat things (such as my bad driving habits where I talk at other cars that aren’t driving nicely). Kendal knows her letters and were teaching her numbers and counting. She is one very smart cookie.

Kendal is in love with babies. Any baby she sees she gets her little high pitched voice and either talk to the baby, or to us about how cute the baby is. This past weekend we were up in Idaho for mother’s day, she just loved hovering over and talking to her baby cousins.  She’s very fascinated with them when they are crying, or getting changed. She was also trying to be helpful by giving loves when they were sad, or putting in their binkies to stop the noise. We are excited to introduce her to her brother soon, and know she will just love him to pieces.
pictures from this past weekend in Idaho: Kendal and David golfing, while the boy's built a sandbox, Jaxson and Hunter

What “Mother” Means
“Mother” is such a simple word,
But to me there’s meaning seldom heard.
For everything I am today,
My mother’s love showed me the way.
I’ll love my mother all my days,
For enriching my life in so many ways.
She set me straight and then set me free,
And that’s what the word “mother” means to me.
Thanks for being a wonderful mother, Mom!
(Quote from K Fuchs)

Nobody’s Like You, Mom
Nobody’s quite like you, Mom. You’re special in every way.
You cheer me up, you fill my cup With tenderness, come what may.
Nobody loves me like you, Mom. No matter what I do,
Good or bad, happy or sad, You support me; You always come through.
Nobody’s equal to you, Mom. With you in my life, I’m blessed.
I love you so, and I want you to know I think you’re the very best!
(Quote from J Fuchs)

I can never find words that are adequate enough to express my appreciation and love for the Mom’s in my life. So I found a couple of quotes that portray some of my thoughts about my Mom, and my Mom-in-law. Casey and I are extremely lucky and blessed to have these two women in our lives and are so very thankful for their love, care, and support that they give us!!
Thank you Casey for making me a mom; Kendal is a tremendous Joy in my life, and I’m so excited to welcome our son in just over a month and a half!

Optimism

Optimism - a topic that has been on my mind since my visiting teachers came. It is very easy to hold a pessimistic attitude towards many things in life. Looking ahead at a path full of question marks, confronting an obstacle, or even meeting life’s daily dealings can bring about a pessimistic attitude. Thinking about the negative view of things can be very easy to do. Shinning an optimistic light on things can be tough; for some impossible. In my own life i want to put a more optimistic approach to how I meet life’s happenings and challenges. It is how I approach things and the attitude I carry in life that makes a huge difference not only to myself, but to those around me. Knowing that things will work out, having power to hope, harboring faith in all things, and keeping positive - How can I do all this? . . . . Optimism

Easter

This past week Casey and i were on spring break from school. We got to celebrate my Mom's birthday on Wednesday (Love you to pieces Mom!). On Thursday we headed up to Idaho or Hi-ho as Kendal calls it for the rest of the weekend. Thursday Afternoon and Friday were spent with Casey's parents. The rest of the family came Friday night and Saturday. We always enjoy spending time with the family, and it seems like we don't get to see each other as often anymore; so when we're all together it makes it more special. Putting six kids under 2 1/2 years old together in one house with a cluster of adults makes for one crazy / fun family time. Kendal, David, and Bryker are all on the go making messes, and being little toddlers. Hunter, Jaxson, and Rebecca though not as mobile can make noise just as much noise and fun as the older three. There were a few comments on how soon all of the kids will be mobile and going around, but we can't forget that we are an ever expanding family adding our little guy to the family this summer.
On Saturday we joined the extended Webb family for an Easter lunch and candy hunt for the kids. If we think the Kenny /Cheryl family has changed we just have to look at the family as a whole to know we're not the only ones. People kept saying how we are full on into the next generation, a large portion of the grandkids are married and have started families of their own. It's always nice to see everyone and catch up on the lives of the family. While at the party Kendal got bumped into then hit with a ball so she was upset. I took her in for some quiet time and she fell asleep within minutes (good thing because it was well past her nap time; bad thing because the Easter hunt was in ten min.) Casey and i had to shake and wiggle her for a few minutes to get our sleeping beauty to come out of her sleepy coma, thankfully she perked up as soon as she realized our rude awakening was so she could go get candy. We spent the rest of Saturday enjoying more family time.
Kendal enjoyed Sunday, she finally got her basket of goodies, and was sneaking candy from it and everywhere else for the rest of the day. We went to church with the family (minus Brett, Vanessa, and their two kids). Casey's dad gave a wonderful talk in sacrament. We enjoyed a Easter feast and more time with the kids.

Easter2012 - Free Slideshow Maker

What's up

Guess i haven't updated in a couple of weeks. Here's what we've been up to lately.

- Kendal as always is still a fun loving little girl. She is becoming quite independent, if she can do something or thinks she can do things herself, she insists on doing it. She has gained a love of music latley. Kendal loves to have Casey and i sing to her, and now she's starting to sing the songs on her own. Her favorites are the ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle, Bushel and a Peck (song i love - it's on the blog music), and any nursery rhyme song that's on her little music player. It's cute to hear her adaptations of songs, for example the itsy bitsy spider always gets washed away in the end, and "wonder what you is", instead "how i wonder what you are" for Twinkle little star. We tried capturing a video to post, unfortunately my daughters bad habit of picking her nose is going on the whole time. So we'll try another day. Kendal is still in love with the thought of having a baby brother coming soon. She is starting to ask "him coming out yet?" I tell her he still has to grow for a while, she says "Oh, he's glowing." She will be a very hands on sister she likes to hold my belly and tell me she's holding the baby; and she's always hugging him, talking to him, and listening to him "snore". I have no doubt she'll be good with him, i'm thinking our biggest problem will be her not getting to hold and have him whenever she wants. Kendal's uncle David is getting married soon to a wonderful girl Anica. Kendal loves Anica (probably more than David most days). She loves to talk about how David and Anica are going to get married in the temple. She loves temples lately she's always asking Casey and i in the car where the temple is, or telling us we were married in the temple. We were mean and taught her to tease David with the phrase "Anica needs a ring" before they were engaged, she got quite good at it and i know David just had to roll his eyes at Kendal's obnoxious parents. Kendal now says "Anica has a ring" and we're trying to teach her to hum the wedding song dom dom da dom. I'm excited that the weather is warming up because i'm more willing to take Kendal outside to play. Hopefully we'll teach her how to ride a trike this spring and get a lot of swimming in during the warmer months.

- Casey is once again on the job hunt. Not much has come up yet for social studies teachers. Casey went to a USU teachers fair last week and came back a bit discouraged because he got a lot of feedback on how many districts aren't hiring for social studies or how he should have picked a different emphasis. Casey has a couple of leads on jobs and hopefully more will come his way. As always Casey is doing all he can, and we are putting our lives in the lords hands. Casey is busy busy lately subbing or working for my Dad. Thankfully my Dad has some consistent work this spring and when Casey doesn't have a sub job he's helping my Dad. My wonderful mom has had to watch Kendal a lot lately (I'm super grateful for her willingness and ability to do so!)

- I'm still making my way through the school year for After School Club. I have six weeks left of this school year, then i will take my first summer off in five years. After School Club has been a great job for me, i enjoy working with the kids, and feel blessed to be able to help provide for my family. I get to spend my mornings with Dizzy bonkers Kendal. We do a lot together, her favorite is play dough, painting, or having me read to her. I love being her mom, she makes Casey and i laugh everyday and is so loving. I'm just over six and a half months pregnant now. My due date is approaching and i'm getting excited for this little guy to come. This pregnancy has had quite a few differences than my first (of course every pregnancy does). I was sick in the first trimester (never was with Kendal), i'm gaining a lot less weight 8 pounds so far (i packed on nearly forty pounds with Kendal), this little guy kicks and moves more than Kendal (she was a lazy relaxed little thing, i don't feel he'll be that way), and i have had way more food cravings (i liked sweets with Kendal, this pregnancy has thrown a lot of different cravings around).

It should be a whirlwind the next few months - searching and hopefully obtaining a job, moving if the job isn't near, getting to see my brother get married, adding a little boy to the family, and enjoying family time and upcoming holidays.

Dizzy Bonkers

Recently Kendal has been given the nickname Dizzy Bonkers by Casey. Kendal loves to spin around in circles, dance around, and do ring around the rosies until she is dizzy. She loves to spin and spin until she falls laughing. One day she decided to do her spinning routine with a blanket on her head, making it so she would go around until she bonked into something, then she would laugh and laugh. Now she has been given the nickname Dizzy Bonkers. Dubbing her Dizzy Bonkers is nothing new, Kendal has had many nicknames given to her such as; Sweet Pea, and Little Lady, etc. She has never really let those names stick, she knows that she is Kendal and likes just to be called Kendal. Somehow the nickname Dizzy Bonkers has stuck with Kendal. I can call out Dizzy Bonkers and she'll respond when i know she won't when i call out Sweet Pea. Sometimes we ask her her name and she tells us it's Dizzy Bonkers or Kendal Dizzy Bonkers. She always keeps us smiling with the funny things she says and does.

Recent pics:

-Fun in the snow, Casey taught her to make snow angels

Kendal got into Casey's Valentines treats

She loves to be creative; a lot of her artwork ends up on the table or her

Love you Dizzy Bonkers!