Backyard play with Daddy

Today we headed to Orange to celebrate Papa Circle's 83rd birthday. Katelyn had so much fun playing in their big backyard. She played Crocket, Bubbles, and of course enjoyed being tossed in the air. Being at Kyle's grandparents made Kyle and I wish even more that we had a home with a backyard for Katelyn to play in. One day! After all we've been looking at some great homes in Mission Viejo with nice backyards.

Happy Birthday Papa, we love you!! And we look forward to spending many more birthday celebrations with you.

Happy 4th of July

To celebrate the 4th of July we headed to the beach to enjoy some good ol' American BBQ. Kyle's parents neighbor's always have a big BBQ on the 4th every year. They have the best spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, deserts. So yummy! Last year Katelyn was only 3 weeks old and Kyle took her down for a little while so I could take a nap. This year Katelyn had fun playing with all the other kids and even met two teenage girls who watched her most of the time we were down there. She loved them, and I loved being able to enjoy adult conversations with everyone without worrying about Katelyn. All in all it was a beautiful day!

In other news I'm starting to feel the baby move in my tummy. I forgot what an amazing feeling that is and find myself trying to relax more so I can enjoy the babies movements. We find out on the 16th what we're having and I'm not going to lie I can't wait!

Thanks Bubsies

My friend Jeanne, who owns Bubsies Boutique, is so creative and artistic! She made Katelyn's "Big Sister" shirt she wore on Easter and then her "1" tank she wore on her birthday. As a gift, Jeanne gave Katelyn 2 new creations she'd made. They were both so adorable!! Here's a picture of Katelyn in one of the dresses she received. If you're looking for a gift for a friend, check out her website. Thanks Jeanne!!

HUGS!!!

Katelyn is learning how to give hugs. It has to be the most precious thing I've ever seen in my life. She not only cuddles up next to you, but then she pats you on the back. So cute! I'm trying to get more of Katelyn's "firsts" on video and was able to get her hugging her daddy on camera. I'm not going to lie, it brought tears to my eyes. She is such a joyful baby, she is filled with the joy of the Lord!

1 Year Check Up

Today I took Katelyn to her One year old check up. It's hard to believe she's already 1, even though we had a wonderful party to celebrate and then went to the zoo on her birthday day. Katelyn weighed in at a little under 21lbs and was 28 inches long. She grew 2 inches in the last 2 months, which is awesome, but, poor thing did not inherit "tall genes" from Kyle and I. She is still average height on the scale of things so that's good.

Katelyn has been walking since she was 11 months old so she is quite proficient now and is beginning to figure out how to climb on things. She is becoming a little ornery at times, but is learning the meaning of "no, no" and what happens when Mommy gets to 3. She is saying Mama, Dada, Daddy, Hi, Hey, bye bye and shoes. She is working on juice, dog, cat and other simple words. When we had Katelyn dedicated we gave her a life verse that said "be joyful always" and she truly is. She is filled with smiles and laughter all day long.

The doctor said that she looks great, is very smart and noticeably coordinated for her age. Katelyn is eating solid foods, and is starting to drink whole milk. Now to wean her off the bottles and pacifiers. The doctor encouraged me to do it cold turkey, but I think it will be my goal to wean her by 13 months. I still have yet to find a sippy cup she likes.

Thank you for all your continued love, support and prayers for Katelyn and our family. We love you all!

Yes, 15%!

My cousin Jamie did this and her daughter Audra looks 8% more like her. Lately we've been saying how much our girls look alike. Guess this proves that the girls lean toward their Chinese heritage. Oh yeah!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Family history

Birthday trip to the San Diego Zoo

On Monday, Katelyn's actually birthday day, we took her to the San Diego so she could experience some of the animals we talk about and look at in her books at home. Katelyn loved watching all the animals moving around and making noises. I was actually surprised by how much she understood about what was going on around her. Our cousins Jamie, Andrew and baby Audra met us there and we saw more of the zoo in 4 hours than I think most people do on their first visit. Katelyn just kept running from one exhibit to the other pointing at all the animals and trying to talk to them. We had such a fun day together!

Katelyn mimicking the monkeys!

Experiencing her first ice cream. Of course, Mama only gave her a couple of bites.

This is the view of Katelyn we saw most of the day.

This was Katelyn's favorite exhibit. She loved watching the giraffes.

The zoos brand new elephant exhibit, Elephant Odyssey