Santa is on his way

I cannot believe Christmas is around the corner. This Christmas is going to be so much fun. Kendall is into EVERYTHING. Gosh she is such a little monster. A silly, adorable monster. Gah. She LOVES to play with everything that is NOT a toy. For example, at her Mawmaw's house she goes straight for the kitchen cabinets and pulls out everything in them. Then tries to separate and pile things up because getting bored and moving onto the bookshelf to do the same thing. And SPOILDED... she is so dang spoiled. She won't speak, but she knows exactly what to do to get what she wants. All she has to do is point and grunt, and if we don't get it fast enough, she starts squinting her eyes to make herself cry. It's funny, but so sad at the same time. I am enabling her to not speak. And I'm a language arts teacher. Such a disgrace!!!

She loves everyone. She is doing great in daycare, minus the fact that she has had some sort of cold since the beginning. She always get great reports from her teacher, saying she did great at nap time and ate all her lunch and gets along with the other kids. Doesn't really play yet with other kids, mostly sticks with this mysterious hat that she found. Yes, she plays with a hat. She has some huge imagination, I tell ya!

we are going on a weekend excursion tomorrow to Lincolnton to see my best friend. Then in a few weeks we will travel North to meet my new niece. Should be a lot of fun!!

Day Care

Kendall started day care on Tuesday. I was so upset because I couldn't take her for her first day! Her daddy got to drop her off. He didn't tell me, but he purchased the extra video viewing so he gets to watch her all the time during work!! Not fair!! Anyways, the teachers told Matthew that Kendall was the best baby! She slept when she was supposed to, ate her food, didn't cry and got along with the other kids.

I am so thankful that we found a good place to put her. I am also thankful that she seems to be enjoying it.

Mark my words, though...I WILL be there on her first day of kindergarten. I dare someone to try to keep me away!!!

I am just as slow at this as Kendall is walking!!!

Yes, she's loose! Walking up a storm...well, maybe a dust storm. Wobbly but OH-SO-STINKING-CUTE!!!!!!!
Not only is she stinking cute (I mean like: pinch her cheeks and squeeze her tight cute) but she is also so stinking sweet!!! For example, when I'm feeding her, I can lean in and she'll offer me what she is eating (and if it's not too nasty, I'll take it and she keeps feeding me!)
Every morning she smiles up at me and reaches. As soon as she's in my arms she gives me the biggest hug every, just holding on!
Ahhhh, if I was a cannibal, I'd just eat her up (figuratively speaking, people!!!)

I miss her like crazy when I'm away from her. She's the best little girl ever. She already is great at playing all by herself. But loves to play with the animals (I.E. going after them like Godzilla and scaring the crap outta them!).

I worry sometimes about kid #2. That kid is going to be a spawn of Satan just by default. He/She could still be a wonderful kid, but Kendall has them all beat!!! Agh...I can't say how much I love her. Never ever loved someone so much!!!

Standing, walking, teeth...oh my

My precious baby is trying to walk. Most of our friends who have kids as young as Kendall are all bragging and telling stories of how their young ones are already walking, even if they are younger than Kendall. I think I may have a lazy baby on my hands. She is trying, but she loves to have someone hold her hand while she teeters around. I'm glad she's not growing up too fast. I know she will do it when she is ready. Usually as soon as she decides to actually do something, there is no going back for her! In one weekend, at Stephanie's, she learned to sit up on her own.
Everyday, it seems, we are finding new teeth coming through. She has four on top and three on bottom that are all the way through, but it looks like she has two more on top and some molars coming through soon. Let me tell you, she's a drool pot. She's usually soaked by the end of the day. Good thing she has a walk-in closet full of clothes.
WHEN I get a job this coming school year, fingers crossed, she will be starting day care at Shepherds Way. We went and checked it out a few months ago and it's exactly what I have been looking for. Everything is catered to the child's age, even the play yard. I really enjoyed talking to the people who were in charge and taking the tour around. I absolutely love the fact that they do intergenerational works with the retirement center next door. It will be like having a grandparent over every day! Plus, they will get to read together. Kendall loves to be read to. I really hope that with all the reading we do together, that she will have a high vocabulary content.
She gets to spend the day with her Mawmaw today. Thank goodness for my mother in law. She is truly a God spend, as is my mom. I don't know what I would do if they weren't around! About once or twice a week they will take her for the day, which is good for Kendall as well. She gets to go to a new environment, with new animals and she gets to learn how to cope without her Mommy.

Well, there is a lot of cleaning to do while she is at her grandmas, so I better get to it. I hope everyone is having a fabulous start to their summer!

May 21, 2011

In just two days, my angel will be a 1 year old. A toddler...WHAT?! Ugh, it seems like warp speed has just blown through my life, taking Kendall with it. I am SO thankful that I got to spend this year with her at home. She her crawl for the first time, pull herself up into standing position, watch her WALK (yesterday, for the first time!!), smile, giggle, snuggle, love me unconditionally (except when I wash her face :) ).

Two days...that's all I have left of this year with her! It's bittersweet for me. I want to help her grow into a great little girl, but I'm so afraid to let her grow up and away from me already.

She is the happiest little girl, 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent is when she's really tired or hungry, or when she bumps her head on something. I'm not sure what I did right, but I'm thankful.

I'm missing her so much right now, she's at the zoo with her Nana and Aunt Sara and Cousin Robert. I know they are having a great time. It's such a pretty day out!

This summer is going to be fantastic. I'm planning on taking her to the pool a few times so she can swim, and maybe even go to the beach with some friends like we used to do. Kendall hasn't been to the beach yet, but I would LOVE to be able to take her every year since we aren't too terribly far from it.

Saturday is going to be a wonderful and big celebration. I hope that a lot of people get to come and join us. I have everything planned out, and hopefully it will work out!

Alright, now that I have a few minutes of alone time, I guess I am going to go relax

i love you kendall paige cranford :) <3

May

Kendall will be one year old in two weeks. She is pulling herself up and standing and trying to talk. She is just the most beautiful little girl i have ever encountered. I know that it sounds bias, but I can't help it. She is the best nature girl. Every day she waves and laughs at everyone. I hardly hear her cry unless she is really tired or hungry. I love every waking moment with her. I'm not sure that I want another child because she is the best and I don't know if another one will live up to my expectations. Am I being silly? I don't know. God made the best daughter for me the first time around and I hope that I don't feel differently towards another child. I love her more than everything.

Her party is going to be amazing. Butterflies in pink and purple. Her cake is really a butterfly made up of cupcakes. Purple and pink decorations and lots of balloons. Should be awesome. I hope that she has a lot of people come to celebrate with us!

2 more months

It's absolutely mind-blowing to think that Kendall will be 1 year old in just two months. This year has just flown by! I can't believe it. She is crawling, trying to stand, trying to talk, rolling around, sitting up on her own...just growing by the minute. I am the most blessed person in the world for God to have chosen Kendall to be my daughter. She is the best gift I have ever received. We are going to hold her birthday party at our church. I'm hoping to order decorations for it soon, we're thinking of doing the "1" party with butterflies and flowers. Her cake will be cupcakes making the shape of a butterfly, but she'll have her very own cake to massacre! I am so excited, yet dreading all in the same breath. I wish time would slow down more so I could enjoy my moments with her longer!! Thank you God for the most precious gift in the world :)

My little low-ride

All within a few weeks of each other, Kendall has learned to sit on her own and to crawl. She is so funny to watch. Especially if we sit her down near the cats, she will roll to her tummy and take off after them, which they don't appreciate. And to boot, she is standing up, too. We can hold her hands and she will stand on her tip-toes. Ahhh...make it slow down!!
I've started planning for her birthday party. What...in...the...world!!!! I cannot believe she is 9 months old already. Anyone have a machine that'll slow down time. I'm freaking out!!! I've been out of work for almost a year, as well. But I wouldn't trade that for anything. I've been really steady working as a substitute but I spend at least 2-3 days each week at home with Kendall. And as a sub, I get to leave as soon as the day is over, no later than 3. I love it. If it weren't for missing out on the benefits and paying back Teaching Fellows, I think I would just sub until she's 5.
I'm also thinking about taking my Praxis for elementary school. Have I really gone mad??? I guess working with all the elementary schools around here has me liking them a little bit more than I did. I really like 1st and 4th grade (take about a huge difference between the two). We'll see how it goes though...not trying to hurry along anything!

update

It's been over a month. So far Kendall has 2 teeth, still rolling, sitting up on her own (but she can't pull herself up yet), we had Valentine's Day pictures done and we got to hang out with her cousin, Robert.

We do have one bad thing that has happened. When we were using Pampers stay dry diapers and they ended up giving Kendall a chemical burn. The poor baby!!! It's still there and we have to watch it. Some people say we aren't changing her enough, but that's not it. She doesn't have a rash, it was an actual burn where it blistered up and everything. But, she was a trooper through it all. Such an angel.
I've been able to substitute a lot lately which is good financially, but I miss her a lot during the day. We have started putting her in the tub to have her bath and she loves it! She splashes and tries to swim. I love her so much.

I hope that she can start crawling and sitting up on her own. She keeps trying to talk, but no definite words yet. I'll keep everyone updated, though.

Toofers

Kendall has her first tooth! It's a sharp little booger, too! I wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't drug my fingers in her mouth and started chomping. We took her to get her check up last week. She weights 16 lbs and 12 ozs which means she is in the 48% percentile for her age and stuff. She is 27 1/4 " tall which is 75% and her head was also 75%. So she is tall, skinny and has a big head!! But that's just because she has a big brain! I read to her every night when she goes to bed. Right now we are reading the Hobbit, purely for language development. When she is older I'll still read more kiddie books, but I'm just exposing her to bigger words. I don't know when or if she'll ever crawl anywhere. She rolls. I'll set up the quilt on the floor and place animals/toys strategically around it and she'll roll from one to another and play for awhile. She's a happy baby, everyone always says. She very rarely cries, only when she's super tired or super hungry. Otherwise she's all giggles and smiles!! I love her so much. I never knew you could love someone this much! I almost through the vacuum cleaner out the other day because it scared her. That was a horrible look and it made me so sad that I wanted to get rid of anything and everything that scared her. Guess I'm finally turning into a mom???