Runaways

While this post has nothing to do with Kathryn, it's signifigant to me.  The Killers are finally releasing a new album after four years and I couldn't be more excited. I like the new song a lot.  It's a bit of a new sound, but seems to be sticking a little with the sound of Brandon Flowers' solo album "Flamingo".  I'm anxious to hear the rest!  September 17th needs to get here ASAP!

http://www.vevo.com/watch/the-killers/runaways/USUV71201231#/watch/the-killers/runaways/USUV71201231

Brandon Flowers!!!

Sierra Vista Continued

My sister was supposed to take some pictures of Kathryn, but she had to leave unexpectedly.  So...my mom and I tried to get some ourselves.  They're not as good as what Tarin would've done, but we did our best and I think we got some cute shots.

Kathryn's been enjoying her time at Gangy and Pop-Pop's house.  I wish she could visit more often.  She's been crawling around all over the place and she's been standing with ease.  We think she'll be walking within the next month or two, which is hard to believe.  She changes everyday and has started being a lot more of a Stinkerton lately...fussy and whiny.  Who has stolen my baby???  I think it's because she's been traveling so much and overall, she's been a trooper.  We're just praying the flight home is good. 

Gangy will be coming to visit next week.  I asked if my mom would come out and watch Kathryn while I work on getting my room all set up.  She agreed, so we bought her a ticket and she'll be out on Tuesday night.  I sure wish we lived closer to family at times.  The whole time we've been here, Jared's been trying to convince me to move back. I  have to say it's tempting. 

On another note: There are some CRAZY bugs at the Nugen household.  My dad, Mike, Tarin and I are all bit up, although my dad got it the worst.  We have no clue where the heck these invaders came from!
Here's a picture of my dad's bites:

We also went to go visit some old family friends yesterday.  Debbie, Gail and Gary have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  It was good to see them and their GIANT dog.  Debbie's kids loved Kathryn too and she was all giggles with them.

Arizona: Sierra Vista Visit Continued

It's been nice to be home.  I forgot how amazing the weather is in Sierra Vista.  It's been fabulous.  Cool, no humidity and beautiful monsoon clouds everyday.  I wish I could transfer this weather to Connecticut. 

Unfortunately, Tarin's family left unexpectedly so we weren't able to get any family pictures and Tarin wasn't able to take many pictures of Kathryn.  Also, my friend who was supposed to visit ended up not coming.  Overall though, it's been just nice and pleasant to be home.  Makes part of me actually want to move back.  Here are just a few pictures from the visit:

Arizona Part III: Sierra Vista (So Far)

We got to Sierra Vista around 11:30 on Saturday.  Andrew, Makayla, and Gangy were all outside waiting for us!  We haven't done much, just hung out and ate.  The Payne's came over for dinner last night and Ryan and Misty stopped by as well. Kathryn woke up at 5:30am and rather than disturb everyone, Jared, Mom, Kathryn and I went to IHOP for breakfast.  Kathryn went into the kiddie pool with Andrew today.  She didn't care for it too much!  She also watched her first monsoon.  It was awesome!

Andrew and Kathryn playing in the pool.  Andrew was trying to make her feel better.

"Get me outta here!"

"Hmm...this might not be too bad after all."

Auntie Tunia helping out.

Kathryn hangin' with Pop Pop.

"Yum.  I like shoelaces."

"Yuck.  Maybe these aren't so good."

Kathryn and her mommy

Arizona Part II: Safford

After a somewhat restful night in Queen Creek, we left for Safford around 7am and got there about 9:30.  It was so good to see Colleen, Chris and Ben.  Colleen and I had already discussed the food I'd like to partake in, so we went to the bowling alley for lunch.  OH...MY...GOSH.  It was sinfully delicious.  The nachos were unbelievable and the bacon cheeseburger with green chile was delicious and the curly fries...to do for.  Good thing I had my maternity pants on so my stomach could stretch.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat again, but was I wrong.  After hanging out during the afternoon, we went to Casa Manana for dinner.  It was very good too, but I don't think it topped the bowling alley.  After dinner, I took Kathryn back to the hotel and Jared went back to Colleen's to hang out.  I hadn't been to Safford in forever and it was good to go.  It has changed so much and I forgot how much good food they have there! 

Kathryn had fun with her Uncle Chris at Casa Manana.

Jared and Kathryn asleep at the hotel.

Arizona Trip: Part 1

I have come to realize my days of leisurely travel are behind me.  No more listening to music and reading or doing Sudoku puzzles because now, we have a baby.  Let me just give an apology to all the parents out there who I silently cursed as their child was fussing on an airplane.  Please forgive me because now I am one of you.

We left for Boston around 10am on the 19th.  However, just as we're getting ready to head out the door, we notice Kathryn has spit up on the floor and is playing with it, spreading it around like a painting and getting it all over her pants.  She seemed quite proud of herself.  I hastily changed her, forgoing her cute travel outfit for old faithful: cherry onesie given to her by Auntie A and a pair of magenta pants.  Once she was changed, we were off.  The trip to Boston was uneventful, even if we did have to wait a little long at the parking lot for the shuttle and a terrible Massachusetts driver ran a stop sign and nearly smashed into us.  Point is, we made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. 

I was terrified to go through security.  However, it wasn't as bad as I thought (thanks for the helpful tips my TSA bro-in-law Derek), we just had a lot more bins!  Once through, we grabbed a bite to eat and waited for our flight.  Just as we were getting ready to board, Kathryn started throwing a fit.  For those of you who know my darling daughter, she does not throw fits.  It wasn't an ear-splitting fit, but one bad enough for me to want to crawl in a hole and hide.  Thankfully she stopped as we were boarding.  We got a seat in the very back of the plane (our plan all along) and tried getting Kate settled.  She was very excited about everything.  I felt badly for the poor man next to us, but he was a trooper.  There were a ton of kids on the flight, so there were lots of understanding parents.  As we were taking off, the engines got extremely loud and Kathryn fell asleep.  I thought, "Ahhh....she'll sleep and I can read."  I did read for about 25 minutes until she woke up and remained awake for the rest of the flight.  We did everything to keep her occupied and I have to say, overall, she did pretty well (I feel badly for the poor in-flight magazine though...she tore it apart, like an angry child ripping up a napkin...an IT Crowd reference for the fans out there).  Her vampire paci was a big hit with all the passengers who walked by to use the bathroom and she made a friend too.  7 year old, Katherine, who was going to Arizona to visit her grandma.  Katherine made Kathryn smile and laugh.  When it was time to land, my darling daughter decided now was a good time to take a nap.  She even slept through a very bumpy landing. 

It was the longest 5 hours of my life, but looking back, it actually went by fairly quickly and she did well considering she had to be confined for such a long time, especially since she's crawling and exploring everything lately.  She only cried once and it wasn't for very long.  We had two wonderful flight attendants.  One man in particular, Stefan, was awesome.  He got us warm water for our formula when we discovered Kathryn wouldn't take it cold. He was a lifesaver!!!   Everyone said she did a great job.  (Silly me forgot my memory card for the camera at home in Connecticut, so Jared got some shots of Kathryn on the plane with his iTouch.  Those will be posted once he sends them to me.)

Once we got our luggage, we went to get our rental car and headed to Bekki's.  Unfortunately, the Tolman's were stranded in Washington state awaiting the repair of their van.  We were bummed they wouldn't be there, but it might've been a mixed blessing.  We were able to relax and try and get Kathryn settled.  Bekki and Adam have a terrific house.  It's so big and has so much space for Kathryn to crawl.  She loved it! 

Jared was absolutely exhausted and the time difference was catching up to me too, but K was wide awake.  We went upstairs to lay down and Kathryn was laughing and having a grand ol' time.  Finally, around 9pm Arizona time, she curled up next to Jared and fell asleep.  I moved her to the pack & play and she slept there till 4:45am AZ time.  It sounds early, but it's actually not too bad considering.  We got up and got ready and were on the road to Safford to visit Colleen, Chris and Ben by 7:15am.  Our visit with them will be my next post. 

Kathryn playing when she should've been sleeping!

Kathryn under Bekki's table.  She loved all the carpeted crawling space!

Bedtime? What Bedtime?

Our latest issue with Kathryn is her idea that she no longer has a bedtime.  I used to brag at how great she was with going to bed.  For the longest time, she's been by 7:30pm.  Well, we're on day three of her caring less about her bedtime.  It just happened out of the blue and who knows how long it'll last or how we can remedy this.  Nothing's changed. Her routine is basically the same and yet, she thinks she needs to stay up till 9 or 10.  The extra sad part is although she's staying up late, she's still awake by 6am.  Then she wants to take a cat nap around 8am because she didn't get her full 10-11 hours of sleep she was getting when going to bed at 7pm.  Ugh...so frustrating and I just need to keep telling myself this too shall pass and to be grateful we have these moments with Stinkerton.

This is me playing when I should be sleeping!

Mystery...

Everyone told me, the moment you think you have a baby figured out, they change everything up.  I think that's where we're at with our darling daughter at the moment.  For the last few months, she went to bed like clockwork around 7pm.  Well, it seems as if she's changing things for us.  She hardly slept today.  45 minutes on our walk at 8am and an hour long nap from noon till 1pm.  At 5pm during dinner she was so tired she was practically falling asleep in the high chair.  She hung on till around 6:45pm though and we put her to bed around 7pm.  She went down easily and was sleeping peacefully till 7:45 when up popped her head on the monitor and she was awake.  The girl is so tired and yet she's just playing away in her exersaucer.  We thought we had her figured out.  Guess not, but I'm grateful for this moment with our Stinkerton. 

Perspective...Again

I wish I wasn't so selfish.  I wish I realized how lucky I have it.  Tonight, Kathryn tricked us into thinking she was ready for bed at 7pm like usual.  It was a farce though.  She dozed while drinking her bottle, but then POP! she was ready to play.  We tried just letting her fall asleep in her crib, but as I continued to watch her on the monitor, I realized she wasn't going to sleep.  Jared tried to rock her, but no dice. Around 7:45, I brought her out to play in her exersaucer and she was content, but I was frustrated.  Jared and I count on this "me" time and she was keeping me from it.  At 8pm, "Secret Millionaire" came on.  I absolutely love that show.  It always leaves me feeling so good after watching it.  On tonight's episode, the secret millionaire was visiting an organization that helps children with severe disabilities and it touched me.  These children will never lead a "normal" life.  Their parents will never see their children live the lives they envisioned for their children, but they get so much joy from the little things their children do accomplish.  One mother said, "I believe God doesn't give you more than you can handle.  My son is a gift. He was given to me for a reason."  She was so joyful and patient with her sweet son and I felt terrible as I sat here, frustrated with my perfect child for not going to bed when she should.  I am so blessed to have my amazing Kathryn.  She's happy, healthy and smart and I am so grateful for her.  I need to remember how fortunate I am.  After that segment of the show, I relaxed and looked at my little girl, playing happily in her exersaucer and I was happy to have that moment with her.  I love that girl and I need to remember to savor these moments because I know they will go too quickly.

Jared often does this when I'm in the kitchen getting bottles ready.  I turn around and see a floating head.  It always cracks me up. 

What a Difference a Day Makes

Last night Kathryn went to sleep no problem.  She was sleeping peacefully by 7:30pm.  Tonight was a very different story.  She was fussy all day (definitely not like her) and when it was time for bed, she was having no part of it.  She just wanted to play and laugh (thank goodness it wasn't crying like some babies).  Fortunately, it didn't last too long.  It's now 9:08 and she went down a few minutes ago.  I bet she's still up at 5am or 6am though!

On a different note, I finally used the gift card Jared got me for Christmas today.  I had an hour long Swedish massage at the posh Mohegan Sun spa.  It was heavenly.  I think I'll be going again in the near future!

Tonight I watched you sleep
Wondering where my baby's gone.
Thinking about when you'll move on.
Wondering how long you won't care when I stroke your hair.
Wondering when you'll stop thinking I'm the funniest person in the world
When you'll stop being my baby girl.
Thinking about when you won't need me as much as I need you.
Thinking about all that life will put you through
When I'm not there to make it right
To kiss and love and hold you tight.
Wondering if all your dreams will come true
And hoping that you're happy too. 
Knowing each new step brings us closer to the day
When your dreams will take you far away.
But for now sweet baby you are mine

And I will love you till the end of time.
Sleep well and tight
Knowing I will always do my best to make it right
And keep you safe and loved and free
My special gift, my world, my baby.

Look Who's Crawling!

Kathryn's been practicing her crawling a lot lately.  She was quite the good little army crawler and she'd take 2 or 3 regular crawl steps and would fall.  Well, tonight she did it.  I think we can say she's officially a crawler.  Not bad for a girl born 4 weeks early!  7 1/2 months and she's on the move!

Another First

This morning while I was getting Kathryn ready for daycare, she was playing in her crib and then I turned around just in time to watch her pull herself up using her crib.  It was the first time she stood by herself.  I don't think she quite knew what to do  once she'd pulled herself up, but she seemed happy with herself.  Needles to say, Jared had to lower the crib to its lowest setting so she couldn't fall out.  Kathryn spends time in there sometimes playing while I take a shower or do other things and the height the crib was at would definitely not be safe.  She has changed so much in the past two weeks, it truly is unbelievable. 

Kathryn's Boyfriend

Kathryn has become enamored with one of the vintage signs in our kitchen.  Lately, while I'm warming up her evening bottle, Jared stands in walk way to the kitchen and Kathryn stares and gazes at the creepy Popsicle man.  She laughs and pounds on the sign. I don't know why she loves him, but she does.

Kathryn and Mr. Popsicle.  And no...her hair's not red like his. It's that darn lighting.

On a different note, Kathryn has discovered that her raspberries are more powerful when there's food in her mouth.  She went to daycare and Miss Becky wrote on her daily report slip that Kathryn had great fun blowing raspberries and spraying food everywhere during lunch.  We were lucky enough to witness this at dinner too.  I have a feeling she's kicking it into high gear!

Perfect Day

Yes...this is my third post today, but I wanted to remember today.  Kathryn's been such a blessing in our lives, but as with all babies, they change your way of life tremendously.  Sometimes she doesn't always cooperate and I find myself getting frustrated, but today was a perfect day.  The type of day I need to remember on those days that aren't so great.  Today I just loved being with my daughter.  She woke up at reasonable time after a good night's sleep.  She was so happy and smiley.  She loved her breakfast and she had a great time (and a good nap) on our walk.  She played and was so curious all day.  She's so close to crawling, but she sure does get around.  She even crawled to me today with a big grin on her face. Sure she got distracted half way to me by her stuffed frog, but I don't think I'll soon forget the look of adoration in her eyes as she tried to get to my open arms.  She had a great lunch and a 2 1/2 hour nap, which allowed for some "me" time and when she woke up she was all smiles again.  We had a good afternoon filled with more playing and then she watched me make dinner.  She had a nice bath and played some more and is now sleeping peacefully.  It was just a really nice day.  I love being her mom.  Thank you, Kathryn, for such a simple, yet memorable day that reminds me how lucky I am that you chose me and what privilege it is to be your mother.  I love you baby girl.  

Oh...one more thing. Gangy thinks Kathryn looks great in polka dots.  How do you like all these dots Gangy???

Hangin' With Friends

The last time Kathryn had a party with her friends, she needed her Bumbo to sit up and play with them.

Not anymore! 

Raspberries!

Kathryn's been in a great mood all day (I hope I didn't just jinx that).  She slept well and we went for a 4 mile walk and then played.  We had lunch together and when I was doing the dishes, she wouldn't stop doing raspberries.  She was getting a kick out of herself.  It was so cute. 

Someone's Sitting Up!

Kathryn's been trying to sit up on her own for while.  Last night, Jared told me Kathryn was sitting up on her own and this morning she couldn't get enough of it.  She just kept doing it and doing it. I think she was very proud of herself.  She's growing up so fast!

On a different note, Miss K has been kind of off lately.  A few nights ago she wouldn't go to sleep till 10:15pm and she was crying and fussy.  It was the first time we didn't know what to do.  She'd never acted like that and we were beside ourselves.  We think it was her teething.  There are no teeth yet, but she's rubbing her gums on anything (our fingers especially!) and she's drooly and as I mentioned, fussy.  We gave her some more Tylenol and she finally went to sleep.  Of course, she still woke up at 6am, much to our dismay. :-(  She was good for a couple of days, but she had kind of a rough day today.  She went to bed as usual around 7pm, but woke up at 4:15am.  She does this occasionally and we just feed her and she goes back to sleep till 6-6:30am. Well...that was not the case today.  She was wide awake!  I tried getting her back to bed, but no dice.  She finally went down around 6:45am, but then stupid Buster started parking and woke her up.  He's lucky he's still alive.  I was so frustrated because I hadn't slept well.  I woke up about 6 times during the night due to the dogs and Kathryn losing her pacifier.  Needless to say, I was not happy.  I know it wasn't her fault, but it was frustrating.  She's just such a good baby, I'm just not used to it.  She finally went down again around 9am, but only stayed asleep for about 30 minutes.  I decided we'd go for a walk.  We walked about 4 1/2 miles and it was a lot of fun.  She napped a little bit, thankfully.  When we got home, I fed her and then we went to Moosup to get some stuff for Danielle to borrow for summer school.  She was so tired on the way home and I thought I'd have no problem getting her down for her afternoon nap.  I gave her her bottle and she fell asleep, but before I could get her in her crib, she woke up crying and wouldn't got back down. I left her in the crib for a while, but she was so unhappy.  By then it was 3pm and I didn't want her sleeping then because she wouldn't sleep tonight. So...we went to the grocery store.  She fell asleep on the way there, but I woke her up and she was fine.  She was great in the store and when we got home, she and I made a delicious veggie stir-fry, all the while she was fighting sleep.  She got quite the kick out of me yelling back at her when she'd yell at me.  She stayed awake though!  After dinner she got her bath and now she's playing on the floor.  We shall see what tonight brings!  Wish us luck!


On another note: Kathryn's moved up to Stage 2 baby food!

Laughter's the Best Medicine

We love to hear Kathryn laugh.  She's been doing it a lot lately.  She snorts when she gets really into it.  What a funny girl!

Toys From Pop-Pop

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but have been busy with our visitors.  Now, I'm going to try and do some catch up.

A couple of years ago, my dad started making wooden cars.  He gave a set to Andrew and it's spiraled from there.  He now makes dinosaurs and other animals too.  He made some adorable wooden dinos for Kathryn along with an awesome ladybug piggy bank.  I absolutely love them!  Thanks Pop-Pop!

Visitors from the Great White North!

I've been a bad blogger lately due to Derek and Teana's visit, all the way from Ketchikan, Alaska!  We've had a lot of fun, but unfortunately, they leave tomorrow.  I'll get back on track and post some pics from their visit tomorrow. 

A couple of days ago, Teana and I went to see "Magic Mike" while Derek babysat for a little bit until Jared got home.  He sent Teana this picture while we were on our way to the theater.  It made me laugh. I think it's a great picture.

You've Got Mail!

Kathryn's aunties love her.  Two days in a row, she got packages.  First, one from Tarin with some adorable outfits in it and then from Bekki with more cute clothes.  Thank you both!

Clothes from Auntie Tunia.

Clothes from Auntie B.

Bekki's note.