She is My Child!!!!

One of my FAVORITE childhood memories was catching lightning bugs. Kerrigan finally got to experience the joys of the activity yesterday evening....



...and was a HUGE fan!

I did black and white for 2 reasons: 1. It kind of hid the poor quality of the pictures (to a certain extent). 2. I left the glow of the fireflies' bums in color so you could see them.


This is my favorite picture...she is "hugging" the bug. It looks like she has a glow in the dark earring on. Brooke and I used to (please don't report us to PETA) make lightning bug jewelry with their bums. Gross, I know, but this picture reminds me of that : )

Now there should be some videos below (hopefully, blogger was giving me some grief earlier trying to post them). They are short but HILARIOUS!

However, if you choose to not watch them all, please...for your own good...watch the last one. It makes me giggle every time. We like to call it Kerrigan's Alternative Source of Protein : )

18 months...

I have yet to take K's 18 month pictures, but I figured I out to do at least an update before the girl turns 2! So here is Miss Kerrigan in all her 18 month glory...



Instead of typing out every little detail of what she does/says, we will do a "Kerrigan in a nutshell" sort of update. Here it goes:

- She has become a little chatterbox. It would be ridiculous to try to list everything she says. However, here are some favorites: Ohhh TOOOOOTLES (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), Hi Mama or Hi Dadda (said with a sweet voice, usually when she knows she is in trouble), fwim (aka swim), chiki (chicken), ya okay??? ya awite??? , dat is sooo cool!!!!, where he/she goe? and PEACE.

-She also sings some words to her favorite songs (Don't Stop and Defying Gravity) and says the f-word when she tries to say frog (which is surprisingly often?). The other night, I was singing Don't Stop to her, and I got to, "somewhere in the...." and she sticks 1 finger in the air and sings, "NIIIIIIGHT" in a falsetto voice.

- She loves ANY water. She is quite the little fish, despite the temperature, cleanliness, etc.

-She likes to lock Jared and I (or herself) in the closet, then says, "HEEEEEYYYYYY" and slam the door in our face if we try to come out.

- She has a unique palette...mainly anything others would think of as inedible. I am constantly digging crayons, sand, rocks, etc. out of her mouth. She generally doesn't swallow them, but it is a trait I could do without : )

- Her favorite number is 2 and her favorite letter is A. She points them out everywhere.

- She has remarkable hair, particularly after nap time. It never ceases to amaze me how out of control it is!

-She is really into making her own decisions. She has an opinion about what she wants. It is fun to see her discover on her own what she enjoys. She is into babies, Elmo (she names most of the characters on Sesame Street. For a while she was calling me Melmo, which I took as a compliment based on her obsession levels for Elmo), Mickey Mouse (or Hog gog as she calls him... from the Hot Dog dance they do on MM Clubhouse) and hair pretties (she picks out her hair thing now- doesn't always match, but oh well).

-Walking in her world doesn't exist, the only way to go anywhere is run!

- The girl LOVES to read. Her favorite books are Hippos Go Berserk, Potty Time and Goodnight Gorilla.

- She has started helping say prayers at night...such a proud parent moment! She also sleep talks. It may be genetics- sorry K!

- She is constantly increasing my faith in her big sister abilities. We have had lots of practice with watching Eve. She is going to ROCK at taking care of the little guy. Sure, his eyes might be occasionally poked, but he will never lack kisses and snuggles!

Whew, that was longer than I thought...aren't you glad I went for the condensed version : )

Big Girl!!!

We have got a nursery attender on our hands these days....HOORAY!!!! I plan on enjoying every minute of my lone church time (all 2.5 months of it : )!

K LOVED nursery. When I went to pick her up afterwards, she saw me, walked up casually and said, "Hi Mama, bubbles..." then went back to playing with the bubbles with the rest of the kids.

I have been looking forward to this day soooo much, so thought I would document the momentous occasion. I tried a few on the stairs going up to nursery, but the lighting was wonky!

So we tried a few outside...

...but it was too bright (does this sound like Goldie locks to anyone?)

Mommy and big girl...see how relaxed/edified I look after being able to focus on the lesson!

She must have REALLY enjoyed herself, because when we got home this is what transpired (which almost never happens anymore- snuggling, not sleep). Don't you love the nametag on the back of her shirt...smart thinking nursery leaders!

I am so proud of my little social butterfly for being so independent!!!

Sidenote: Someday, when the weather AND Jared's schedule comply, we will take her 18 month pictures and have an 18 month update...someday!

Another sidenote: Has anyone else who uses photobucket to enlarge pictures had a problem with them. I made them the normal size, but had to manually adjust them because they were HUGE!!! Hopefully I was able to avoid the funhouse mirror effect!

Recipes?

I always shy away from taking meals to people because I am not the best cook. However, the time has come where I need to man up and figure this out!

What is your favorite meal to take to someone? What is something I can make that is easy for them to heat up (if I need to take it earlier in the day) and POSSIBLY I can do in a dish they don't need to worry about returning (after I had Kerrigan, people didn't see their dishes for a few months, and it was stressful for me every time I saw the "borrowed" pans).

Tips, please...I know you gotta 'em!

Kerrigan's Big Announcement

Wait a minute, you already knew that one!

Here is the right picture:


Where, you might ask? K's outfit is a clue...

That is right, at some point this summer the Stokes clan is packing up and heading to Boise, ID!

Jared wasted no time in getting K the appropriate clothing...GO BRONCOS!!!!

Miss Independent...

Kerrigan has begun to realize the world is her oyster. Gone are the days were she wants to be carried. Trying to get her to hold my hand is a joke. Sitting in the stroller...not gonna happen!

She is constantly exploring the world around her, as well as the limits I attempt to set for her. She has become her own independent person.

Part of me is happy. Her discovery of her own autonomy is amazing to watch. She doesn't need me every second of every day. It is fun to watch her figure stuff out on her own.

Another part of me wants to cry. Where did my little baby go? Who is this little explorer who has replaced my timid and cautious infant?

And I know this is only the beginning- why didn't anyone warn me how hard it would be to watch her grow up?!?!?!?!

Boys and Girls Are Different...

...in case you didn't know : )

I, for one, did not realize how early these differences start until I experienced pregnancies for both genders.

This pregnancy has been so different from Kerrigan's, and for those who are curious, I thought I would make a list.

-I felt this little guy move much earlier. I know you feel them sooner after the first, but COME ON, I felt him a full month before I felt K!

-I am still sick. I was sick for a long time with K-bug, but if you recall it was mainly due to the fact that our neighbors smoked like chimneys. The day we moved out of that apartment was the last day I threw up (minus when my dad had me try Noni Juice, BLACH!). Our air here is smoke free, yet the vomiting continues.

-I am hairier...that is all we will say about that!

-Size. Whoa, I am already soooo much bigger than I was at this stage last time. I was all belly last time, but this time I am rockin' the love handles. And we won't even discuss the skyrocketing weight gain. Again, I know it being the second pregnancy contributes to these, but WHOA!!!!

-I am carrying a lot lower. Seriously, he kicks my cervix all the time. Last time, my lungs were the victims of flailing fetus limbs...this time, they are getting a break.

-Emotions are out of control. Last time they were bad, this time is a whole new ball game. I cry so so much, for no no reason. Jared scolds me if I attempt to watch anything even remotely sad. Meltdowns are a daily occurance, and usually there are multiple. I cried watching Hannah Montana today, the show about a girl who has the best of both worlds!

-Cravings are more intense. I want spicy Cheetos every minute of every day. Out here they are hard to come by for some reason. Jared and I happened to find some in a random gas station the other day and I bought all 36 (yes, 36) bags they had in stock.

*Funny side story* I did get chastised by the lady standing behind us in line. I believe the direct quote was "that poor baby is not getting any nutrients". Yes, kind stranger, I eat only spicy Cheetos...no other nutrient enriched foods enter my body during this time that I am the sole protector of a child- I am THAT SELFISH! (said with a touch of sarcasm) I think I replied something about him coming out orange, so think of all the money we would save not having to pay for tanning.

Bless your heart if you read all of this. Previous to experiencing it, I always wondered what the differences were in boy and girl pregnancies, so thought I would share for anyone pondering the same question.