The Woodall Tell All

Kylie's 4th Birthday!

2011-01-23T15:06:00.000-08:00

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Santa's 2010 Message to Kylie

2010-11-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

Kylie loves getting messages from Santa!!!

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October Smilebox!

2010-10-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

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Shared photo book from Amy

2010-10-02T19:12:00.001-07:00

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Shared photo book from Amy

2010-10-02T19:11:00.001-07:00

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Shared photo book from Amy

2010-10-02T19:10:00.001-07:00

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Shared photo book from Amy

2010-10-02T19:08:00.001-07:00

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Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

We've been told that our house has a great view for the Manteca fireworks. And it was true!! We sat right out front and had a great view. Our street was packed from one end to the other. It was a pretty good show and lasted for about a half hour.

4th of July fell on a Sunday this year, so most of the festivities were on Saturday. We overslept, so we missed the Manteca parade. We'll try to make it next year. But Kylie and I headed over to the Big League of Dreams to check it out. They had entertainment during the day and launch fireworks at night. It was a really hot day, but she and I had fun spending some quality time together.

Kylie driving around.

Enjoying a cold treat!

Noah Chet - 3 months old

2010-07-17T08:43:00.001-07:00

On July 3rd, Noah had his 3 month birthday!

He's enjoying bath time now!

Still looking a little small in there!

We love his crazy hair!

He loves to smile at you!

He likes to sit in his little chair. I'll have to work on my camera settings for the red-eyes!

This month, we have learned that Noah is a hungry boy!! His appetite has dramatically increased. We will see how much he has grown at his next doctor appt.

Shaver Lake 2010

2010-07-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2010

2010-07-17T08:18:00.001-07:00

We started the day with brunch at Lori and Dante's house. Then we headed over to the Sugar Barge. John and Kylie spent a little bit of time fishing from the dock before we went out for a ride. Dante and John got pulled around a bit on the tube. We swam in the pool at the Sugar Barge and played with water balloons. The guys barbecued HUGE ribeye steaks for dinner. All in all, it was a great day and I think all of the Dads enjoyed themselves!

Pretty Girl...Growing so fast

2010-07-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Nana and Papa

2010-07-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

People say that Noah looks A LOT like his Papa. Could it be the eyes, the undpredictable hair, or maybe how ticklish their necks are?!

It will be fun to see how similar their personalities are as Noah grows...

Nana spoils ALL of her grand kids. She went from having one to three in a matter of months. She's known to have the "right touch" when one of them is fussy or is ready to be put to sleep. Kylie loves going to Nana's house. :)

Kylie thinks of Papa when she's ready for a bit of an adventure....and luckily Papa is always ready for some fun with her!

Swimming Lessons 2010 - Age 3

2010-07-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Kylie took swimming lessons through the city of Manteca this year. There were 8 classes. She was enrolled in the first level of instruction that didn't require a parent to be in the pool!

They started out in the kiddie pool and they learned some of the basics...blowing bubbles, arm strokes, kicking, and just basic following directions. Kylie loved it.

But on the fourth day of classes, the teacher pulled a little surprise on the students (and the parents) by walking them over to the BIG pool. Kylie wasn't quite ready for the big pool. She cried the whole time! Luckily there were 5 more classes and towards the end she wasn't as scared.

One of the instructors took a liking to Kylie and helped her feel more comfortable - Teacher Justin. Kylie liked him too and would often "call" him from her phone at home to tell her about her day! It was really cute and overall swimming lessons were a great experience for her.

Celebrating 5 Years of Marriage!

2010-07-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

On May 29, 2010, John and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. We thought about going out of town for a night or two, but with Noah being so young, it wasn't very realistic. We decided to go for dinner at Simply Fondue in Livermore. The food was incredible! I think we ordered the Fondue Feast, which was a four course meal. I can't remember the last time I was that full....but it was great.

In the last five years, John and I have learned so much about each other and ourselves. Two kids, three dogs, and two houses - we've made so many memories. We're looking forward to many more together!

6/3/10 - 2 months old

2010-06-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, our little guy is two months old now! He was much happier for this photo shoot!

The printer was out of ink, so he doesn't have his little sign but cute pics. none the less!

Noah is 10 pounds 9 ounces and 23 inches long. He's in the 25th percentile for weight and 50th for length. Obviously he started smiling this month which is super cute and he's cooing now too. He is sleeping thru the night!!! Usually he goes down at about 9:00 and sleeps until about 6:00! I hope he keeps this up when I go back to work! He's opening up his hands more too.

What's Kylie been up to???

2010-05-06T12:56:00.001-07:00

Here's Kylie with her Dora backpack on, ready to go to school...well not really. She changed her mind when they arrived and ended up coming back home. But hey, a lot had happened in the days before. Her new brother was born and Mommy and Daddy had been away all weekend. We'll keep our fingers crossed that she'll be ready in August, but doesn't she look cute??!!!

She likes carnivals and festivals. We saw one in passing along the side of the freeway one night. A few weeks later a carnival showed up in our city. Kylie squealed with excitement! I'm not usually a big fan of traveling carnivals but I figured the rides she would go on would be pretty harmless. She loved it! She went on a few rides and played a few games. Carnivals are expensive these days. I think we spent at least $20 in 15-20 minutes!

She likes to dress up. She recently wore her Snow White dress to my school and to the mall. It was quite the conversation starter. She has a great imagination and quite a vocabulary. She talks about her costumes, the Royal Ball, all of the princesses, and of course Prince Charming. She loves playing with her tea set that Grandma Servos gave her. It is real porcelain. John didn't want her to play with it in fear of it breaking, but she has been very careful and hasn't broken a piece.

She is my little helper. She likes to help wash the dishes. She offers on her own, I don't even have to ask. She will put all of her cups and plates away too after they've been in the dishwasher. Kylie likes to help drop the clothes in the washer too. She knows how to fold towels. If only I had started at such a young age...I wish I enjoyed these activities half as much as she does!

Kylie LOVES dogs!!!! She's not scared of any dog...no matter how big it is. Below she is sitting with the Old Navy dog...But she loves our dog, Benji. Sometimes she's a little rough with him. But they are quite the playmates. He is sooo kind to her and puts up with so much. She loves to chase him around the house, both inside and out. She dresses him up. She takes (or locks) him into the closet and reads to him. Sometimes she turns out the light and uses her flashlight to show him around.

Our Kylie is quite the entertainer and we love her so much! We are so proud of her!

The Royal Ball...

2010-05-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

The other night my parents came over for a visit. We were just hanging out in the living room watching the Sharks game and later bouncing back and forth between American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Kylie ran up to her playroom and came down a few minutes later in her Snow White dress and her "fancy" hat. She was so cute as she danced and twirled around.

She told us she'd be right back...and she came down with different costume parts and accessories for each one of us. She got Papa ready for the "Royal Ball" and quickly transformed him into her Prince Charming. :)

As he sat back in the chair trying to watch the Sharks game, Kylie came over to him - pulled at his hand, and said, "Dance with me Charming!"

Of course, he obliged. The two of them danced and twirled. Kylie had fun doing "slides" through his legs. I think "Charming" was worn out after being her date at her Royal Ball!

Nana's chosen costume consisted of bunny ears, a feather boa, and a set of pom poms. She was hot stuff!!!

And Benji....poor Benji. Kylie had to get him ready too. For some reason, he wasn't as excited about the Royal Ball, but he was dressed to impress!

One Month Old...

2010-05-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

On May 3, our little Noah turned one month old! It's hard to believe it's been 4 weeks already. So, as you can see, he wasn't really in the mood to be posed and photographed but Kylie and I had fun trying.

Things about Noah: He is very alert. He loves to stare and focus on faces. He is a pretty good sleeper. His sleep pattern is not all that consistent yet, but he can sleep for 6-8 hour stretches at night. Mommy likes that!!! He sleeps longer when he's swaddled. He has a lot of black hair with lots of volume!

Noah at 2 weeks...

2010-04-22T16:01:00.001-07:00

My Little Man...

I took Noah to his 2 week appointment yesterday. He has gained a pound since we came home from the hospital. At that time (April 6th) his weight came down to 8 pounds even. Currently he weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces which put him at the 58th percentile for weight. His height is 21 1/4 inches which is the 64th percentile. So he's growing nicely!

He is nursing around every 3 hours during the day with longer stretches at night. He continues to be a very good baby. He doesn't cry much and is a good sleeper. He loves to cuddle!

He goes back to see Dr. Millar on June 4th for his 2 month well check!

Remembering Grandma Wold

2010-04-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Nina Alda Wold

August 13, 1918 - April 6, 2010

Grandma Wold was a very very special person. I know that she had a long full life, but I don't think I'd ever really be ready to let her go. I waited awhile to start working on this post...and now I've waited awhile to post it. You know, finding the words to do justice for such a special woman has been tricky to say the least...

I remember at a very early age that family members started telling me that I was so much like Grandma Wold. At that time, I got kind of annoyed because it was usually in reference to our less flattering habits...excessive worrying, nagging, or being stubborn. But as I got older, my attitude about our similarities changed because I learned that Grandma was all of those things because of her big heart and her caring for others.

Grandma was well-known for being a smoker. Through the years, many of us had urged her to quit but most of the time, she simply said, "I don't want to." However, one visit to the doctor in her later years she learned of the damage she had done to her lungs, and soon after she was able to quit "cold turkey." I was so proud of her. I know many people that have tried numerous times to quit. But when Grandma made up her mind about something, there was no turning back.

Grandma was legally blind. But she had a twinkle in her eyes. She loved to tell jokes and she loved to talk about sports, particularly baseball. She had a big screen tv that she was able to follow/listen to. For years, she would keep track of the Giants and the A's. She would have their schedules by her chair. They had been enlarged on a copy machine and she used a magnifying glass to read them. If she couldn't do that, she would call and ask you to find out the game time and the channel. I remember being curious about just "what" she really could see because of how she followed sports and also if you were visiting with her and dropped one of the peanut butter m&ms on the floor, she would quickly let you know!

Grandma loved her family. She was very proud of her sons and all of her grand-children. She would keep up on our lives and was always interested in what was going on. She had a great memory. She was a story teller. She loved sharing stories of the past.

I really got to know Grandma and Grandpa better when I started buying groceries for them. I hadn't had my driver's license very long. They offered me $10 or $15 to come up to their house and get a list and run over to Lucky's to pick up what they needed. In the beginning, I think I was probably more interested in getting out of the house and earning a little gas money. But I started to stay longer and longer after I put away the groceries. Sometimes I brought a friend or a boyfriend with me. I started to really get to know Grandma and I enjoyed listening to all of her stories. I would share things going on in my life and she would offer advice or encouragement.

Lori and I remember lots of fun times at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We stayed in their guest bedroom, each of us in a twin bed. We were there once for New Year's Eve. We were determined to stay up until midnight, but actually both of us fell asleep. Grandpa and Grandma woke us up though and we pounded on pots and pans which I'm sure all of the senior citizens appreciated!

We spent a lot of time with Grandpa and Grandma over Christmas vacation. It became a tradition that we would decorate sugar cookies together. Always fun and always messy. One year we even tried a gingerbread house. Mine didn't stay together, but I had fun trying.

I am so glad that Grandma got to know Kylie. When Kylie was born both Grandma and I were living in Stockton. Kylie and I would visit close to once a week. I'd prop up a pillow under Grandma's arm and Grandma would hold Kylie for as long as Kylie would sit still. Grandma would talk to me about when her kids were small. She remembered those times like it was yesterday.

Unfortunately, Grandma didn't get to meet our little Noah. I believe that she held on just long enough to hear that he was born and that he and I were both okay, as she passed 3 days later. I wish that I had been able to go and see her again and talk to her one more time, but I know that she knew how much I loved her and our times together. Grandma was and always will be so special to me. She taught me so much about life. About having good character, a good sense of humor, the importance of family, and the joy of love. I will always remember her, and I will always miss her. Sometimes I still can't believe that she is really gone.

I love you always Grandma!

Our Baby Boy

2010-04-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Noah Chet Woodall

Well, my babies like to stay in my belly as long as possible. I don't think I've met anybody that is pregnant for as long as I am. My due date was March 25th. My doctor finally scheduled an induction for Friday, April 2nd at 8:00 AM. I learned with Kylie that inductions are often pushed back. 8:00 was pushed back to 10:00, then 12:00, then 2:00, and finally we got the go ahead to come in at 4:00. Talk about anticipation!

My mom came to take care of Kylie for the night so John and I said our good-byes and headed to Modesto Kaiser. As we drove, I remember feeling excited to finally meet my little boy, but at the same time nervous. I was nervous before being induced with Kylie also.....having a healthy baby, the unknown, etc. But this was different. These nerves had to do with being a Mommy already. Leaving her for 3 days...the thought of anything happening to me and her being without her Mommy. I guess it was the first time that I felt the importance of my life in a different way.

Anyways, we checked into the hospital and after a short wait we were greeted by my first (of many) nurses, Cassandra. She was really nice. We went over questions, she inserted my IV. I was checked by a midwife and told that I was 1 1/2 centimeters. She decided to administer Cytotec to ripen my cervix and start contractions. A few hours later I was checked again and I was at a 3. She decided to break my water and then order my epidural. The epidural was placed and then my blood pressure dropped very low and I started feeling nautious. The epi-man quickly returned and put some medicine into my IV to stabilize the blood pressure.

I felt a lot of relief from the epidural at first...but it wasn't really working on my left side. We tried different positions and they also told me to push my button to get an extra shot of medicine. I thought it was weird that the button didn't make any noise when pressed, but the nurses didn't seem to think it was a problem. Hours later a nurse realized that it had a faulty cord and I wasn't getting any extra medicine.

As I labored, the nurse came in at different times because the baby's heartrate was dropping. Labor eventually stalled around 8 centimeters and the midwife ordered pitocin to pick up my contractions again. I was having a lot of pain and pressure. I asked repeatedly for more medicine, but everyone declined! Finally, (I don't know what time it was, but sometime Saturday afternoon) I started pushing.

Pushing really hurt. While I was pushing, we had nurses change shifts, the midwife was in and out. For a lot of my pushing, only my family was there - which felt a little strange. I pushed and pushed and pushed. I developed a fever and was treated with antibiotics to fight a possible infection. More and more pain with little progress. At some point I started crying because of the pain and frustration. I think it was determined that the baby was stuck. A doctor and a different team of nurses and an anesthesiologist were called in to help me. The medicine woman quickly gave me two doses of something stronger than the epidural medicine. They decided to have me try pushing one more time in a different position.

FINALLY, after almost 24 hours of labor, NOAH CHET WOODALL was born at 4:26 PM. The cord was wrapped around his head and chest. They immediately set him on my chest but I asked them to take him because he wasn't crying. They had to "work" on him for what seemed like forever, until finally he let out a little cry. His first Apgar score was only a 3, but his five minute score was up to an 8.

It took 2 professionals and about 45 minutes to get me "sewn" up. I tore pretty badly. It will be a slow recovery, but I am so happy that Noah is here and that he is healthy.

He is one week old today. He's a really good baby. He doesn't cry much and is a good sleeper. He LOVES to eat. Nursing is going well. I look forward to watching him grow and change every day.

Miss Kylie has been a great BIG sister. She is very patient, gentle, and a great little helper. This week John has been off of work and so the two of them have spent a lot of time together. The majority of my time is spent nursing Noah. I hope that as we set into a schedule that she and I can spend some quality time together too. She sat next to me when I was nursing Noah yesterday and said something really cute. "Mommy, when my boobies get bigger and bigger, I'm going to feed Baby Noah too!" It was sooo funny.

Waiting for Baby Noah

2010-03-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

I made a Smilebox that includes most of the photos. It was much faster than uploading each picture individually. Hopefully it works!!!!

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Maternity Pictures

2010-03-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

On March 7th, 2010, we took some pictures as a family to document this special time in our lives. I think I was about 37 weeks pregnant at the time! The mother of one of my students took the photos. I think she did a fantastic job!

There's more photos to add...but taking way too long. Will edit later!

Nursery Progress....

2010-03-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

We decided on a nautical theme for the nursery. The changing table/hutch below was purchased for $60 off of craigslist. We (or should I say my husband) repainted it white. It was a dark wood before. My sister bought the sailboat on top as a decoration for my shower...it lights up! The trunk and memory book were also gifts from her. As you can see, I still need to find a few more treasures for the shelf area.

This corner of the room had been bothering me. It sat empty between the daybed and the crib for sometime. I found this little rocker and red basket at Home Goods. I decided to turn the basket over to act as a little table for now...

We had a crib, but found out that it had been recalled due to the drop down side. We replaced it with this one yesterday.

I ordered a mural of his name to hang over the crib. I think that will finish off the room!

This is the wall you see as you enter the nursery. Everything is hung straight, I promise. I guess I may have been off balance when I took the picture. All items purchased again from Home Goods. I love that store!

So, I think we just need a baby now!!!!! :) He should make his arrival in about 2 weeks!

Baby Fun

2010-02-28T09:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday my sister had a wonderful baby shower for me. She chose a nautical theme which is the theme of the nursery too. She thought out all of the little details....from the invitations, thank yous, decorations, napkins, candles, flowers, you name it! It was a very special afternoon with family and friends.

Here I am at 36 weeks!

Here's the Hostess with Kylie

Kylie and Mommy

Kylie, Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Woodall

A special picture of long-time friends...Kim, Amy, Miki, and Jennifer

(With the boys....Dallas, Cash, Baby boy Woodall, Baby Boy Garcia)

A Day Off....

2010-02-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today I am enjoying an extra day off. Three day weekends are great! I spent the morning cleaning house and catching up on laundry. Then Kylie and I met John for the lunch buffet at Round Table. Kylie and I hit a few stores afterwards....Walmart, Target, and TJ Maxx before we were both ready for a break.

The pictures below were captured in TJ Maxx. I was actually pushing Kylie in a cart when she asked to get out to sit in the little chairs. She grabbed a few friends and said, "Why don't you take a picture of us, Mommy?!!" Kylie doesn't usually like to pose for pictures, so this kind of caught me off guard. I quickly agreed and took out my camera to capture a few pics. of her enjoying the moment.....

It's fun to have days off to just hang out and make memories like this!

All about being 3!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE!!!!

2010-01-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby is 3 years old!!! She has grown and changed so much. At her 3 year old well-check she weighed in at just under 35 pounds!!! She's in the 85th percentile for weight and the 83rd percentile for height. I couldn't believe it. She's always been such a little peanut. At one point, she was only in the 6th percentile for weight.

Some of her favorite things this year were Barney, horses, Dragon Tales, Belle, and she very recently became fond of Dora and Diego. She was really easy to potty train this year, and once she made the switch to "big girl" panties, she woudn't wear pull-ups at night anymore. I was very nervous about this...but she has never had an accident.

She has quite an extensive vocabulary and it continues to grow every day. John and I were talking about how in car rides he and I used to carry on a conversation up front between the two of us and Kylie kind of did her own thing in the back. But she has become an active participant in our conversations now. She's definately a little person now with a mind of her own.

She wants to start going to school so we've been checking out pre-school programs for her. Hopefully she will start soon.

She's also very cute about her future baby brother. She talks to him and gives my belly kisses. She sometimes asks how is he going to "pop" out of there! I think she's going to be a great big sister!!!

Kylie's Birthday - Part 3 - Disneyland Day 2

2010-01-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Disneyland was open from 10-8 on Kylie's birthday so we were able to sleep in a little bit. We had breakfast at our hotel and then headed over to the park. We went into California Adventure first and watched the Disney Playhouse show. Kylie really enjoyed that. But then she wanted to see the "horsies" and her princesses so went over to Disneyland.

The weather was clear again and we really enjoyed all of the short lines. However, at lunchtime, it started raining - REALLY hard. It probably rained for close to an hour and a half NON-stop. People tried to wait it out at restaurants, but many restaurants closed because they lost power. The restaurant inside of Pirates of the Caribbean was evacuated because of a fire alarm. Parts of the park were flooded. We decided it was just too much and left the park for lunch.

Amazingly, the skies cleared up and we returned. We hit California Adventure again for about 2 hours (they closed at 6) and then went back to Disneyland for the last 2 hours and stayed until it closed. She wanted to go to Chili's for her birthday dinner, but she passed out in the car and when we arrived at Chili's she didn't want to go inside and told us that she just wanted to back to the hotel. I was a little sad that she didn't blow out any candles on her birthday...but she didn't seem to care!

The weather was rough. Kylie's asthma flaired up and she needed to see her doctor the day after we got home. She's taking an oral steroid to help clear up her lungs. But with that said, I think she had a great birthday and she's ready to go back to Disneyland!!!

Bundled up and ready for her birthday at Disneyland

First stop...to the "horsies" of course!

And then the rain comes down...were we the only ones there?

Bet you've never seen Disneyland look like this before!

Back later for more fun....pink Dumbo again!

Kylie modeling the glasses for the Toy Story ride...which is very fun!

She really liked the huge ferris wheel in Calfornia Adventure

The three of us at the top of the ride....it was a little windy.

Konked out at the end of a great 3rd birthday!

Kylie's Birthday....Day 2 - Disneyland

2010-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

We knew that a big storm was supposed to be hitting all of California during our trip, but I had purchased tickets to Disneyland on ebay so postponing our trip was not an option. I was a little hesitant about purchasing tickets thru ebay, but it worked out perfectly and saved us lots of $ too.

Knowing that the storm was looming, we tried to be as prepared as possible. We brought umbrellas, waterproof jackets, rainboots, hats, gloves, and ponchos. It was Martin Luther King Day. The park was open from 8AM - 11PM. We got an early start, which was great because the rain didn't start coming down until closer to lunch time.

The first thing Kylie wanted to do in the park was to "ride the horsies." So we went straight to the carousel. Next on her list was to visit her favorite princess, Belle. Once those important items were done, we walked right on to all rides: Dumbo, It's a Small World, Finding Nemo, Snow White, etc.

We took a break at lunchtime mainly because of the rain but Kylie also seemed ready for a nap. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then all three of us took a nap at the hotel. We returned to the park and rode her favorites again, but we didn't stay too late. When we left the park, we had dinner at Mimi's Cafe before retiring for the night.

A very wet day at Disneyland

Kylie with her buddies Mickey and Goofy

Kylie with her favorite princess, Belle

Mommy and Kylie on Dumbo (that had to be pink)

Kylie's Birthday Weekend Part 1...Knott's Berry Farm

2010-01-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

Kylie had been talking about Disneyland and all of its characters for quite awhile so we decided to take her for her birthday. It would be our last vacation before the new baby arrives in late March.

We left the house at 4:30 AM and got into L.A. at about 10. We couldn't check into our hotel until after 2 so we decided to check out Knott's Berry Farm. They were having a promotion - 2 cans of food got you in for a discounted price of $23.99 (as opposed to $50 something). So, I made sure that I grabbed 4 cans of food from the pantry before we left.

Well, one of the four cans was expired! So, they were only going to give us one ticket at a discounted price. We were going to have to pile back into the car, find a grocery store to buy one can of food, and then return. Kylie started crying when we turned away from the park. Not wanting to do have to do that, but really not wanting to spend the $25 difference in price...I quickly befriended a stranger who happened to have extra cans. So, within 5 minutes we were back in action and headed into the park!

We had a great time. They had lots of rides for Kylie to enjoy. We stayed until sometime after 1:00 and then enjoyed a great lunch at Fuddruckers!!

Kylie and Daddy on the Mexican Hat Ride

Kylie riding in an airplane

Amy and John on a train ride

Kylie and Daddy on the hot-air balloons

Cousins!

2010-01-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kylie likes playing peek-a-boo with Baby Lorenzo and tries to comfort him when he cries. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she is just as fond of her new little brother! Doesn't she look like such a big girl next to him??!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

We had everyone on my mom's side over for Christmas Eve this year. It was a night full of great food and company. Kylie couldn't wait for Santa to visit this year. She told everybody that he was coming to her house. Although when she woke up Christmas morning, (at 4:30 AM)she was a little hesitant to go out and peek at the tree. Thankfully Santa had already (just barely) paid us a visit! She loved her rocking horse and told us, "I told you!!!" She quickly ripped through all of her presents and mentioned how exciting and awesome it was.

Even though this is technically Kylie's 3rd Christmas, this was the first one I think that she really had all of the excitement and energy that the holidays bring. John and I had so much fun taking her to see all of the neighborhood lights, watching her talk to our "Elf on the Shelf," visiting Santa, and preparing for Santa's arrival. There isn't much to compare the joy you feel watching the excitement and happiness on your child's face on Christmas morning! Merry Christmas!!!!

Devouring a chocolate cupcake...

Nana and Papa
Daddy

Gifts from Santa...

The Big Reveal...

The Polar Express Train

2009-12-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our train ride. It left from Oakdale. Kylie boarded without any hesitation! The train reached a cruising speed of just 5-10 miles per hour and the scenery varied from a junkyard, farms, and a cemetary - but the entertainment was great for the kids. We were greeted by Santa's elves who served us cookies and hot cocoa. Santa's "brother" dressed in a Hawaiian holiday shirt, had his guitar and led Christmas carols. One of the elves read the kids a book. The conductor visited us. And finally, at the end Santa made a special appearance and greeted each child on board. Kylie was so cute because she saved a cookie for Santa, just in case he came to visit. She guarded it the whole time and made sure that John and I did NOT touch it. Below are some of the cute photos captured on board... Kylie singing "Jingle Bells"

Santa's Message to Kylie!!!

2009-12-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

This year Santa sent a special message to Kylie....

Hopefully the link works!!!

CLICK here

So it's been awhile....

2009-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost a year. I guess going back to work kept me pretty busy. I tried a few times to get back into this blog, but of course I couldn't get my log in information right. After an attempt to start a new blog, I was able to get back to this one after resetting my password.

Looking back, some of the highlights that I failed to blog about have been buying a new house, becoming pregnant with baby #2 (a boy - expected in late March), losing our dog Dixie, rescuing a new dog named Benji, and the birth of my nephew - Lorenzo Gianni on December 13th!

I read other people's blogs daily - some that I don't even know. I have realized that I should invest some time into documenting our own lives so that we will have this to look back on....So this is my goal for 2010. Hopefully I can do better than last year!

Tonight we're taking Kylie on a train ride that's supposed to mimick the Polar Express. She's really looking forward to it. Hopefully I can post pictures and a little review tomorrow.

**I don't really know how to rearrange the pictures...so they're not in order...

Bye-Bye vacation!!!! :(

2009-01-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, my six week vacation has come to an end. Six weeks sounds like such a long time. For most people that's how long you get off of work to have a baby. How come it goes by sooo fast? In reflection, it was a great break though.

The holidays were busy, but great. It's always fun to get the family together and play games. New Year's was quiet, but good too. Already, 2009 seems like it will be a better year than 2008.

Spending all day every day with Kylie was fun...but I do have to say that I have a greater level of respect now for stay-at-home moms! Instead of cleaning once a day, as I usually do when I get home from work, I found that it was a constant, vicious cycle! That is hard work, but there were many moments when I wished that I could be home with her ALL of the time.

With that said, I realized that I am able to get a lot more done on a "tight" schedule than on a schedule that's wide open. It's amazing how time flies when you're reading blogs, playing with facebook, or surfing the internet.

So where did all my time go??? Well, sadly a fair amount of time did go to the internet. But we managed to get out and play too. We went to Disneyland for a few days in the beginning of January which was lots of fun. Kylie liked all of the rides but her favorites were the carousels. We celebrated Kylie's 2nd birthday. We got together with friends, we went to jumpy houses, the Jelly Belly Factory, and parks. I got a lot of housework done too.

I had a list of things that I wanted to get done in January, and I'm proud to say that all of them were accomplished. Now, I must get ready for work!!!

Another One!

2009-01-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

This Smilebox includes Kylie's "real" birthday which was on a Monday. She and I played at a park and had some birthday ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

There's also a few pics. of her in her "big girl bed." After she demonstrated how to climb out of the pack n' play, we decided that it was time for a new bed. She is now sleeping in a full-size bed. One of her birthday presents was new bedding. It is really cute!!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Birthday Smilebox!

2009-01-27T20:30:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Lovin' Old Navy Tonight!!!

2009-01-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

So, tonight I went over to Old Navy because I heard they were having a good sale. Boy were they! All of the clearance items were an additional 50% off the lowest marked price! I know they have sales like that every-so-often, but usually everything that I like is only available in Xtra small. But tonight there were lots of things in my size. SO, I bought 6 shirts, 4 sweaters, 4 pairs of pants, a pair of slippers, and 4 shirts for Kylie!!! Had I paid full price, my total would have been $437! Guess what my total was?!!! Drum roll please................$98.03!!!! I haven't spent money on clothes for myself in a long time. You can't feel too guilty when you find rock bottom prices like that!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Kylie!

2009-01-19T15:21:00.001-08:00

What a difference a year makes! Below is a picture of Kylie at her first birthday.

This picture is of her yesterday, at her 2nd birthday party. She's no longer a baby, she can run, jump, and twirl. But she'll always be our special little girl. :)Kylie you have brought so much happiness to my life. I have loved to watch you grow. At first day by day, month by month and now, year to year. It's scary how fast time flies.

It seems like just yesterday that we were anticipating your arrival. Your due date of January 6th, came and went and we were still waiting. The picture below was taken on January 18th, 2007 at Walnut Creek Kaiser. My induction was post-poned twice.

I didn't know how much my life would change when I became a Mom. I heard everyone talk about it, but you just don't get it until it actually happens. Holding you in my arms for the first time, MY precious baby girl - what a moment. From that moment, life has had a new meaning. Thank you for making our lives so joyful! Happy 2nd Birthday! We love you so much!

Smilebox Test

2009-01-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Start of a new year...and a new blog!

2009-01-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

So, I've become quite the blog "lurker" this past year. There are a number of blogs now that I check out almost daily. I decided that my time might be better spent writing about my own life sometimes and documenting experiences, thoughts, and ideas. We'll see how it goes!