San Diego! Part 1

At the end of March Kevin had to go to a work conference in San Diego. Rather than me staying back with Anna in a house with no furniture and in boxes we decided to tag along! We left a day early to give us a little family time.

Our little traveler

We arrived at our hotel early afternoon and after getting settled and rested up we decided to do some exploring. Anna enjoyed looking at the fish in the koi pond.

The next day was ours to fully enjoy together. After grabbing breakfast down in the lobby we had to fit in some swimming to try out one of Anna's new swimsuits. She was a little hesitant about the big pool at first so we let her sit on the step of the jacuzzi pool (it was open to the outdoors so it wasn't hot). After some time she started seeing other kids playing and eventually wanted to play in the big pool 

Of course this made Kevin very happy because he could throw Anna up in the air and put her head under water a few times. Anna and I swam a few more times later in the week while Kevin was at the conference and each time she took to the big pool a little quicker. We have her signed up for swim lessons at the beginning of June and we're pretty excited about it. The lessons end two days before my due date so hopefully we can get through lessons before this little girl decides she wants to come!

Playing with Daddy!

After a nice nap and a Stanford victory over KU in basketball we were ready to go and check out San Diego. Our hotel was right by the pier and downtown so we didn't have to go far to find stuff to do. There were all kinds of things going on since it was the weekend and we had so much fun. 

The weather was absolutely perfect as well. Such a nice break from all the cold and snow in Kansas. We felt so relaxed and it was nice having some quality family time. There had been so much stress between moving, unpacking, work, and traveling that it was nice to have no plans for once and nowhere in particular to be. 

I think Anna enjoyed it too!

Back at the hotel a new skill Anna mastered was getting off of the bed on her own. It was so cute to watch. She'd be an inch or less from touching the ground with her feet and then get scared. We'd encourage her and then when her feet hit the ground she was so happy and proud of herself. 

We don't trust her to sit near the edge of the bed yet or anything but it's nice that she knows how to get down on her own. 

Our little cutie. 

Sunday ended too quickly for us and then it was just me and Anna. You had to be careful about saying the word "go". If she heard it then she was immediately at the door. Here she is wondering why we haven't left yet. She loved exploring so much that coming back to our room turned into a bit of an ordeal. Let's just say she didn't really care for it. 

Hurry up Mom!

It's hard to get pictures of Anna looking at the camera because she sees it and wants it...especially if it's the phone but I managed to get one that I thought turned out pretty well. 

After our nap we headed back outside to enjoy the weather. It was a little windy but still a pretty big improvement over Kansas. We had to come back in so that Mommy could use the bathroom but she still managed to enjoy things indoors....like stairs. 

We missed Daddy that day (it was a long first day at the conference for him) but luckily we got to have breakfast with him the next morning before heading back outside. Anna's favorite thing was chasing these ducks around. 

When she got tired of that she just watched other kid's playing. It was so awesome seeing her enjoy herself so much. 

Well this is just the first part of our trip. The second post will feature a visit with a very good friend! Stay tuned!

Kevin and Anna in Phoenix

Now it's time to share some pictures of Anna and blog about their trip to Phoenix! As I mentioned previously my Mom had Anna for a couple days before Kevin picked her up and made the flight down to Arizona. I was nervous for Kevin with having to travel alone with Anna. Not because I didn't think he could handle it but because it is not something I would want to do at this stage! Flying solo with a newborn that you can nurse to sleep is a little easier than a mobile toddler in my opinion.  I packed most of Anna's things and brought them with me beforehand to try and make things easier but Kevin still had her diaper bag, his luggage, a stroller, and a car seat to worry about. 

 Anna did well on the flight but I guess she was so interested in everything going on that she only slept for about 10 minutes at the very end and then had to wake up to get bags. Then she fell asleep again in the car on the way to the rehearsal dinner for another 10 minutes or so. Poor little girl was so incredibly tired!

After heading back to the house we got her ready for bed and I was giving her a bottle. She started getting upset and then she threw up all over herself and me. I had never really been puked on like this before. I knew that it would happen at some point but I didn't imagine it being on Amy's guest bed. A bath and some laundry immediately followed. The next morning she was fine so we think it was from having such a big day.

The next morning I was able to spend some time with my loves so we decided to head over to the zoo. Anna hadn't been since last fall so we were excited to see her reactions to different animals. 

Anna pointing at a giraffe. 

 Kevin and I were most impressed by the rhinoceros but Anna preferred watching the gazelle running around. Basically if it moved, especially quickly, that is what she wanted to look at. Following ducks around was a big hit. 

What Anna actually enjoyed the most was just being able to walk around. At that point she'd only been walking for about 6 weeks or so and there had been approximately one nice enough day where she'd actually had the chance to walk around outside in Kansas.  

Walking with Daddy

 We found an open area and just let her wander around. She was pretty stoked!

Later that evening. Just enjoying the nice weather some more. 

Saturday was the wedding so I don't have any pictures from their daytime shenanigans. They were able to meet up with Kevin's cousin, Vince, who lives in the area before coming to the wedding. I was glad they had a chance to catch up some while we were there. 

The next day we decided to get Anna outside a little more since our flight didn't leave until the afternoon. Lucky for us Amy and Brent live across from a field/park area so we just headed over there and let Anna go nuts. 

 

Run, Anna, Run!

Taking a little water break. 

Eventually we had to head back inside to eat and to start getting packed up. I went to take a shower and when I came out this is what I got to see. So sweet (minus the jayhawk blanket). :)

That afternoon we caught our flight back to Kansas City. It was a nice little getaway from all the house craziness and I think Kevin really enjoyed his quality time with Anna. Between commuting and then working on the house most of February he hadn't gotten a lot of time with her in. 

As I said before it was a beautiful wedding and I am so glad I was able to share the weekend with my family. 

Amy's Wedding!

Waaaaayyyy back at the beginning of March I made a little trip to Arizona to get my best friend hitched! Since I was Maid of Honor I wanted to be there for as much time as possible so I could help with last minute things and have a chance to be more hands on with wedding stuff since I obviously don't live in the area. 

My Mom was able to watch Anna for a couple days (thanks Mommy!) and I got in early on the Tuesday before the wedding. Just in time for a final dress fitting for Amy (plus some last minute hemming for my dress). We took care of some errands and then headed over to one of the groom's sister's house for dinner. It was great getting a chance to meet more of Brent's family and his good friend Olly who flew in from Hong Kong for the big day. 

Olly, Amy, and me!

We kept ourselves busy the next day too with numerous last minute things. It was also our spa night and several of us in the bridal party treated ourselves to massages and facials. The facial especially was AMAZING and it was fun to get pampered. The next day consisted of more wedding details and then manicures and pedicures. I hadn't had either of these since October (Moria's wedding) and I was in definite need. I was missing my baby by then but luckily Kevin and Anna would get in that night after the rehearsal so I was going to get my fix soon.

It was great finally getting to see the location of the wedding/reception at the rehearsal. Brent and Amy chose the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix and it was absolutely gorgeous. The plants all around made for an incredible location. Perfect for a wedding!

At the Gardens

The next morning I got to spend with Kevin and Anna but I decided to blog about my time with those two separate from wedding stuff since I have a lot of pictures to share.  It worked out well though that I had the morning with them. Since we were staying at Amy and Brent's place I think the Bride needed some alone time. It would be  basically the last alone moments for her for the entire weekend so I'm glad it worked out. 

That afternoon was the Bridal Shower that all of the bridesmaids and groomladies threw for Amy. We had it at this wine bar called "The Living Room". It was absolutely perfect for our event. Our area was semi open to the outside so we could enjoy March in Arizona. I think it was nice that we were able to have something so that out of town guests could attend as well as local ladies as well. 

Party Decor

One of the games we played was "Pin the tie on Brent". It was hilarious seeing a flat Brent at our gathering. 

Hi Flat Brent!

One of the other games that Brent's sister Samara came up with was the creation of a paper dress for Amy. We may or may not have made her wear the dress while opening gifts :)

Another sister, Shannon, came up with this clever idea for our dessert. Shannon and sister Suzie then made "panty cookies" since our shower had a more intimate theme to it. I thought they did a great job!

Dessert...yummy!

While I did my best to delegate and keep communication lines open between all of the wedding party (about half of us living out of state) it was really Vicky who did a lot of organizing for the shower. She found us the location and took care of decorations along with several other little things. I truly enjoyed working with her and getting to know her better the week of the wedding (we'd met previously). Amy is lucky to have such a wonderful friend in Phoenix!

me, Amy, and Vicky

Finally the wedding day was there! We headed over to Sarena's house (another of Brent's sisters) for hair and makeup before heading over to the gardens to get dressed. Amy had gotten all of us ladies robes to wear which I thought was such a cute idea. We all wore them for pictures later on.

Looking glam before hopping in a limo!

Just a few of us on the way to the Gardens. The lovely lady between me and the bride is one of the flower girls...Amy's Grandma Dammann. Her other Grandma Billings was the other flower girl. Such a wonderful idea and it was so sweet how she included them as part of her special day. 

We finished up getting ready at the Botanical Garden's and took care of most of the group pictures before the ceremony began. Amy looked absolutely stunning in her dress! 

I also loved the dress that Amy picked out for me to wear although I did have a small problem. I had contacted the company (each dress is custom made) and they informed me I could get the dress turned into a maternity dress and told me which additional measurements I would need. I sent those in and received the dress and it was HUGE! A few of the measurements were pretty far off and the thing was swimming on me! It was actually quite funny how ridiculous I looked. I took it in and mostly it just needed taken in on the sides and I ended up getting it hemmed some more last minute because I was worried about tripping since there was so much fabric. Very glad I did that!

Kevin was a little busy with Anna during the ceremony (she started saying Mama Mama during...so he had his hands pretty full). Therefore he was unable to really take many pictures during. The ceremony was beautiful though!

Got to see Dustin at last! (Went to high school with me and Amy and lives in Phoenix). It was awesome having time to catch up with him.  

We even took our turn in the photo booth :)

The reception was also wonderful. It got a little windy as the night went on (but nothing in comparison to Kansas wind). I was fairly nervous about giving a speech but I think it went well. At least that is what people told me. Perhaps they were just being nice to the pregnant lady :) I felt good about it though. 

Even after the sunset the place looked beautiful with all the trees wrapped in lights. 

A little cake cutting for Mr & Mrs!

I still had little things to take care of during the first part of the reception but I finally had a little time to spend with my sweet little lady. We enjoyed a couple dances together.

Kevin also got to get his groove on with Anna. I don't know if it is clear in the picture but Anna was singing out to whatever song they were dancing to.

I needed to stay longer than Anna was going to be able to last so Kevin took her back to the house and I got a ride home afterward. Before they left though we headed over to the photo booth. Anna was a little confused by everything...with the fast prop changes and all but I still think they are cute. I think Amy got a kick out of Kevin keeping the same pose of strangling the Jayhawk in every picture.

It was a fantastic day and I recently got to see the professional pictures and they are amazing. I'm so lucky to have Amy HUMBERT (It's still strange getting used to her new last name) in my life. I had an amazing week with her and I was truly honored to stand up for her on this big day. 

One last photo booth picture!

A 15 month update....a little late

Now that Anna is nearly 17 months old I figure I'd better get her 15 month update posted. These pictures are all from March and in our new house. Even though Anna was 15 months at the end of February we didn't actually meet with the doctor for her appointment until closer to the end of March.

Anna's appointment went great and luckily there were no shots so that made for a more pleasant experience. Anna weighed in at 23lbs 10oz (75%), was 31.7 inches tall (76%), and her head was 19.5 inches (100%). I knew she had grown but I was a little surprised at seeing her height since she's been consistently well under the 50th percentile her entire little life so far. Someone did a lot of growing this winter!

 Anna has had these sunglasses since around 3 months old and never took to them. They are the kind with Velcro designed to stay on the baby's head. Well...now that they no longer fit she thinks they are the greatest thing ever. Too bad she looks a little silly in them!

Cool Shades!

Back to Anna's appointment though. Besides growing she's doing great everywhere else. It was our last appointment with our doctor in Topeka but he was able to give us some references for people in the Kansas City area. Hopefully we like our new pediatrician as much as we liked Dr Schumacher!

Since March was still pretty cold we tried to keep busy inside. I decided to let Anna get a little messy with some flour and water. She seemed to enjoy smashing it and squeezing the glob and afterward we had fun in the bath.

Flour anyone?

 Anna has really taken off with her words. I was trying to write down the dates and what words she started saying but when I began getting multiple words in a day it got tough so I sort of stopped. We particularly enjoy hearing her version of "moon" (which comes across as "moona") and hearing her say her name. We've been working a lot on animal sounds and she is getting those down pretty well. Her favorite to say is definitely "meow" which will get repeated over and over and over again. 

Finally a nice day!

Sidewalk chalk fun!

 Kevin was invited back to Washburn to talk about one of his papers from Stanford at the Chemistry Journal Club. Anna and I had fun visiting with some of the Biology Department faculty during and then catching up with Chemistry Faculty afterward. We hadn't been back in forever and it was fun seeing familiar faces and showing Anna off. My only pictures unfortunately were of Anna roaming the halls and none of our old professors...major fail there. 

 We've definitely been experiencing some of the toddler independence and the crying that often accompanies it. It's such a tough age I think. They can communicate some but it's limited and they want to explore everything but aren't allowed. Usually the fits are pretty mild but there was one day last week I wasn't sure if it was going to end. I'm told stories of when I did this as a youngster and so I guess she gets it from me.... :)

Sporting her backpack

 On another cold day we had some fun with edible finger paints. I had the foresight to put a trash bag over the seat and I'm so glad about this. It was fairly easy to clean up but just stripping the bag was much faster!

Anna loved it though. At first she was unsure about having stuff on her hands but then she didn't want to stop. I had to pretty much decide we were done and take the fun to the bathtub so that we could get a nap in.

We're still working on throwing things. She can do it but there isn't much forward motion. What Anna does enjoy though is kicking things (soccer player maybe?) and more recently Kevin has been teaching her how to kick in the air complete with the "hi-ya". I managed to get a picture of it which I was pretty proud of. It's cute when she'll just do it out of the blue now on her own.

High kicks with a head full of bows!!!!

In March we did manage to get Anna down to just an evening bottle of milk. We wanted her done by now but she is very stubborn about drinking milk out of a sippy cup. I'm worried a little bit about her getting enough calcium which is why we've been dragging our feet on ditching the nighttime bottle. Her day's are numbered though...we plan to ditch it at the beginning of May.  The doctor assured us that eventually she will drink the milk. He wasn't concerned that she was still getting a bottle (she isn't allowed to take it to bed which is the main concern with dentists) but he did say that the closer to 2 the tougher it will be. Fun times ahead!

 We did get to escape the cold weather in Kansas a couple times in March. Once in Phoenix for Amy's wedding and then in San Diego for a work conference that Kevin had. These are the next two posts I have planned but here is Anna in her swimsuit getting ready for San Diego. She didn't want to take it off!

February Flashback

I still need to get a 15 month update up (even though we have a 16 month old now!) but I wanted to post a few pictures from February first.

Anna enjoying her chair with one of her favorite books. This girl loves her books!

After the big snowstorm we had I wanted to get Anna out to play in the snow. She wasn't a big fan of being put in the snow...may have been too deep...but she loved walking around next to it. 

We didn't stay out very long but she looked so cute in her winter getup that I had to get as many pictures as possible. 

Baby it's cold outside!

 I left one of the pantry doors open and somebody saw this as an opportunity.

Busted!

 Crackers please!

 After the snow there were a couple of nice days so we took advantage and went for a walk by the lake. It was Anna's first time actually getting to walk around outside in decent weather. She got a taste for it and has wanted more ever since....too bad the weather didn't care and got crummy again!

Anna enjoyed the packing up process for our big move. Mostly so she could explore the boxes and climb on top of them. She has become quite the climber.

 Anna's cousin Adell came over one day and the girls had fun dressing up Grandma's play clothes. I wish we had a video of her running around in this cape. She was so excited and it was absolutely adorable.

She played pretty hard that evening and I think she slept pretty hard that night. We need to play dress up more often :)