The Gant Family Activities

January 15 - 21, 2012

2012-01-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to have some visitors this week. Uncle (silly) Andy and his friend from Uruguay, Luciana, came to stay with us for a couple of days. Colton was in heaven! We love seeing Andy and having him stay with us and Colton loves Andy for playing with him nearly 24/7! Enjoy!

The kids with Luciana and Andy.

01-16-12

Brothers being silly. I'm not sure Kinley likes being held like a football :)!
01-16-12

Colton is encouraging Kinley to "go for it," meaning to start crawling.
01-17-12

Happy Kinley!
01-17-12

I find this so funny. This is Kinley's way of crawling. She first gets up on all fours and sticks her bum out. After that she moves forward and down. Love it!!
01-17-12

I went to a friend's shower and Kinley went with me and was the belle of the shower. She knows how to draw attention to herself. She laughed so much that I heard "what a happy baby" more than once :).
01-21-12

Love this smile!

01-21-12

January 8 - 14, 2012

2012-01-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Not too much going on this week. The kids are getting bigger and bigger and Kinley is taking her first steps towards crawling and sitting up in a shopping cart. It's amazing how quickly time flies and kids grow up. Enjoy!

Colton loves to stack his blocks and here he is showing Kinley what he did.
01-08-12

Colton loves his sister so much and loves to show it, especially when the camera is out.
01-09-12

Kinley fell asleep on my lap. She was really, really tired.
01-11-12

Kinley up on all fours. She can get around to wherever she wants to go.
01-13-12

We took the kids to Costco and because I am still in a wheelchair, we tried having both kids in the cart together for the first time. They did great and it was nice to get out of the house for a little while.
01-14-12

January 1 - 7, 2012

2012-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to have some more visitors this week. My sister and niece, Lisa and Mallory, came to help out for a couple of days. All of us were so excited to have them with us. Colton and Mallory loved all of the extra attention and it was sad to see them go. Good thing Lisa and our nephew, Blake, will be coming back at the end of the month for a few days. Enjoy!

Kinley loves her daddy!

01-01-12

Have I mentioned how much these two love each other?
01-01-12

Colton helping Kinley get some of her toys out.
01-04-12

Kinley turned 8 months old on 01-04-12.

Height: At least 30 inches. She'll be officially measured next month at her 9 month appointment.

Weight: At least 20 lbs. Again, she'll be officially weighted next month.

Feeding: Kinley is still eating an 8 oz bottle every 5+ hours, three in a day. She also eats 3.5 oz. of 2nd stage baby food twice a day. Kinley still loves whatever we put in front of her and has yet to not eat anything.

Sleeping: Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Still a wonderful sleeper and napper.

Size: Kinley wears size three diapers and is wearing 9 month or 12 month clothes. She is so long that I need to put her in the bigger size for the length.

Milestones: Kinley still loves to roll around but she is also very close to crawling. She has already taken a few crawling steps and it won't be long until she is doing it full time. Kinley has the cutest voice and her first word is "dada." She says it over and over and likes to mimic Eric and I when we say it. Kinley had two teeth pop up on the top. That makes five teeth all together. She is teething much quicker than Colton did. Colton only had two teeth at one year old! Kinley loves to stand and Eric likes to have her "walk" around with him. It scares me that she will walk before she barely crawls. She has a smile on her face the entire time and has even tried to take some steps with Daddy's help. Kinley is a very happy and content baby who loves to SMILE. She has been such a blessing on our lives.

5 months old

10-04-11

6 months old
11-04-11

7 months old
12-04-11

Happy, happy Kinley at 8 months old.
01-04-12

My sister and niece came to visit. Colton was heaven! Here he decided to lay down with Mallory, just to be near her.
01-05-12

Kinley rolling around next to Lisa.
01-06-12

Mallory playing with Kinley just before leaving to head back to Utah.

01-07-12

Kinley loves her cousin!
01-07-12

Kinley and Colton showing some love.
01-07-12

Video of Colton making Kinley laugh.

December 25 - 21, 2011

2012-01-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

This was a very different Christmas than normal, but with all the challenges, we still managed to have a very nice one. Eric and I are very lucky to have not only wonderful family and friends, who have helped out more than I can thank, but we have two, happy, healthy, beautiful children for which we are very thankful for as well. Enjoy!

Colton checking out his gifts from Santa on Christmas morning.
12-25-11

Kinley checking out her toys that Santa left.
12-25-11

Daddy helping Kinley open one of her gifts. Actually, Colton helped her out as well. He had a blast opening all of the presents.

12-25-11

The aftermath of opening all of their gifts. Colton received a lot of gifts from us and grandparents, but he has played with ALL of them. Kinley received some fun chew toys and new clothes.
12-25-11

Kinley hanging out on mommy's lap...her new favorite place.
12-27-11

Colton being his silly self.
12-28-11

Daddy showing Colton something on the iPad.
12-28-11

Kinley loves being on her belly because, although she can't crawl yet, she can get anywhere she wants by rolling around. She loves to get all of her brothers toys.
12-29-11

This is such a sweet picture. Colton has a child size chair that sits next to my recliner. One night he was looking at my leg, which he calls "Mommy's owie," and asked if he could kiss it better. Colton is very tenderhearted, especially towards me. This picture says it all.
12-31-11

Video of Colton seeing what Santa left him on Christmas morning, 2011.

December 18 - 24, 2011

2012-01-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

What a fun week this was. Eric only worked a couple of days this week and normally, without the leg injury, we would've done a lot more, but we still made our sugar cookies and went to see some awesome Christmas lights. Enjoy!

Kinley in her cute dress.
12-18-12

Colton showing Kinley how he uses the iPad, but he's not sure he wants her to try it herself.

12-20-11

A couple days later, Kinley had a chance to play with the iPad herself. She enjoyed sucking on the headphones a little more than playing on the iPad.

12-22-11

One of our Christmas traditions is to make sugar cookies; some for us to eat and some for Santa. This is the first year that Colton was able to participate all the way. He did such a good job of cutting out ALL of the cookies himself and enjoyed eating the cookie dough as well :).

12-22-11

Here are some of the final products.

12-24-11

Happy Kinley all decked out in her cute Santa suit on Christmas Eve.

12-24-11

Eric doing some arm lifts with Kinley, she is clearly loving it!
12-24-11

Due to my injury I wasn't able to get our main tree up this year before it happened. Luckily, my dad and Ruby put it up when they came to help out the first week. It is such a pretty tree and they did a great job. Christmas Eve.
12-24-11

Colton hanging out Christmas Eve in his Christmas pj's.

12-24-11

Kinley also hanging out with Mommy, Daddy, and Colton on Christmas Eve in her holiday pj's.

12-24-11

Another Christmas tradition is to have the kids open one gift on Christmas Eve. Colton was so excited and happy to open his gift. He got a Thomas the Train set.

12-24-11

Kinley had more fun trying to eat the wrapping paper then opening the gift. She had fun playing with her new pink laptop.
12-24-11

One more Christmas tradition is to watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve. Here Colton is watching it with Mommy and Daddy. Kinley is sound asleep in her bed.
12-24-11

Video of Colton enjoying the Christmas lights around the neighborhood on Christmas Eve 2011.

December 11 - 17, 2011

2011-12-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

This week we had Courtney, TJ and Paxten staying with us. Although it wasn't planned for me to be home from work when they were here, one good thing came from my injury, I was able to catch up with Courtney and spend some good time watching movies and just hanging out. I'm grateful for that. Enjoy!

Kinley sitting on my lap, enjoying some Mommy time.
12-12-11

Paxten and Kinley. Paxten enjoyed playing with both Colton and Kinley.
12-13-12

What a pretty girl! Kinley instantly knows to smile when she sees the camera. She is a very happy, content baby.

12-15-11

My good friend Autumn stopped by to visit and brought her two beautiful daughters who are the same ages as Colton and Kinley. Here, Emma and Kinley (they are 10 days apart) communicating in their own way.

12-15-11

Lillian, Emma and Kinley hanging out. Lillian and Colton play really well together and it's quite fun to watch them. I'm getting a glimpse of what it will be like to have a toddler girl....so much fun!

12-15-11

Sorry that most of Kinley's pictures are taken on my lap, but she loves sitting with me and I love having her hang out with me. By the way, why do all kids love playing with the remote?!

12-16-11

This girl loves to smile and always brings it when the camera comes out!

12-17-11

December 4 - 10, 2011

2011-12-23T09:58:00.001-08:00

Kinley turned 7 months old this week! Unfortunately, due to my condition, I ended up taking her picture sitting on my lap instead of her chair in her room. We also had some good friends visiting us from Missouri. TJ, Courtney and Paxten stayed with us for a few days. Enjoy!

Kinley turned 7 months old on December 4th. She is getting so big and I absolutely love this age, she is just so dang cute!

Height: Not sure but last month she was 28 inches (95%+), so I'm guessing that she is at least an inch longer if she follows her past few months.

Weight: Again, not sure but last month she was 18.14 oz. (90-95%), so I'd guess at least a pound or two heavier this month.

Sleeping: I can't stress enough what a great sleeper our little Kinley is. She still sleeps anywhere between 10-12 straight a night. Her naps are more consistent, taking a longer nap in the morning (1.5-2.5 hours), and a shorter nap in the afternoon (1-2 hours).

Size: Kinley wears size two diapers but as soon as they run out she will be moving into size 3 and is wearing 9 month or 6-12 month clothes. I have even put her in some 12 month outfits for the length and they fit her well.

Milestones: Kinley loves to be apart of whatever is going on so she will roll around the floor or sit up to see what is going on. I'm afraid that she is close to crawling, which I'm not quite ready for. I'd like to have my leg healed before that happens so I can get her if I need to. Kinley had another tooth pop through on the bottom,her third tooth. Kinley LOVES playing with her brother and he LOVES making her laugh and smile. It warms my heart to see these two together. You can tell how much they both enjoy being around each other, which I hope lasts the rest of their lives.

4 Months old

09-04-11

5 Months old

10-04-11

6 Months old
11-04-11

Our beautiful, adventurous, charming daughter, 7 months old!
12-04-11

Colton and his big beautiful blue eyes.
12-05-11

Colton showing some love to "sister" with Grandma watching.

12-05-11

Kinley perched on my lap. She ends up on my lap often and, surprisingly, enjoys sitting with me. I love it!

12-09-11

Colton loves playing with his "letters" and he is getting really good at recognizing them and putting them in their proper place.

12-09-11

One of my dearest friends, Courtney, returned to Vegas with her family for a vacation. We were lucky to be able to host them for a few days. Colton loved playing with Paxten. Eric and TJ catching up with Paxten checking things out.

12-10-11

Colton hanging out with Kinley before she goes down for the night.

12-10-11

I thought I would update you on how my progress is going with the injury. I had surgery on December 6 and was able to come home on December 8. The surgery went very well, yet I was in some pain but the physical therapist got me up and walking on crutches the following day as well as rehabbing my leg in a CPM machine which bends it back and forth. The first time we did this I could only get to 45 degrees but after being home for a couple of days I can now get it to 60+.

This is basically my life right now. I'm propped in a reclining chair with my leg in a brace and ice is on it almost 24/7. I get up with the help of my awesome hubby and crutches to go to the bathroom, but that is about it. We have rented a wheelchair is helps when we need to go to appointments, etc.

I have this table next to my chair and everything that I need is right there. My pain meds (very important), phone, lotion, monitor and the lovely shot on the right. I have to give myself a shot in the morning and at night in the stomach to help with blood clots that can be common after leg surgery.

Even though our life has completely changed, I cannot express how grateful I am for the all the thoughts and prayers that have come our way. We are blessed that we have family who dropped everything to come help us out. My dad and Ruby were the first to come and they came at the most difficult time, before I had surgery and I was in horrible pain. Yet, through their caring and support helped make it better by doing whatever was needed, from cleaning to laundry to putting up our big tree and helping me wrap gifts. Barb and Dave were the next to come and were a huge help because they were here when I went in for surgery and were able to be with the kids while Eric was with me in the hospital. It was a huge relief knowing that they were caring for them. They also helped out with cleaning, etc. My sister will be coming the first weekend in January and David and Deb will be with us the end of January. We are very lucky to have such great people in our lives!

November 27 - December 3, 2011

2011-12-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

This week we have been adjusting to our new life...one where I am laid up in a chair all day and Eric has become Mr. Mom. We've also been lucky enough to have family (my dad and Ruby) to help us and great friends willing to do whatever we need, including washing my hair and bringing us dinner (thanks Michelle and Alisa:). As you may notice, all of the pictures will be from one angle, the angle of my chair. There may also be several pictures with my foot in it, however, I'll try to crop it when possible. Enjoy!

Both of our kiddos have beautiful blue eyes. Here's Kinley's sparklers.
11-27-11

Kinley all bathed and ready for bed. Giving mommy a good night snuggle and kiss.

11-29-11

Even though I was laid up 24 hours a day, I still wanted to make sure that the kids were able to do some of the same stuff we do every year, including visiting with Santa.

12-01-11

Thankfully my dad and Ruby where here to help and we were able to rent me a wheelchair and decided to take it out for the first time for the excursion. Unfortunately, I overdid it and was in great pain for most of the night.Kinley was absolutely fascinated with Santa and continued to stare at him and his beard.

12-01-11

Kinley getting some love from Grandpa. I can't express how grateful we are for my Dad and Ruby who dropped what they were doing and came right away. Not only did they help with the kids, but they made sure we had a clean house once again. They also helped to put up the rest of our Christmas, including our main tree. I don't know what we would've done without their love, support and help.
12-02-11

Ruby brought Kinley down to see me after her bath to show me how cute and happy she was in her towel.

12-02-11

Colton and Grandma Ruby playing "Ring Around the Rosies." Colton kept saying, "again, again!!"

12-03-11

Here Colton is doing his best impression of "falling down."
12-03-11

Kinley playing with her toys while Grandpa watches her.
12-03-11

My friend Alisa dropped some yummy dinner by and brought her son Nolan. Colton had so much fun playing with Nolan, even if it was only for a few minutes. I see another play date sometime in their near future. Here they're hugging to say good-bye.

12-03-11

Kinley was playing in her exersaucer when Colton thought it would be fun to put all of her toys on there for her to play with. She didn't know what to do with all the fun toys.

12-03-11

November 20 - 26, 2011

2011-11-21T23:15:00.001-08:00

What a game-changer this week was. It started out as any other with happy, healthy kids and plans for our first Thanksgiving here in Vegas with Uncle Andy! Plans for Christmas shopping were also made as well as many fun Christmas activities. Then it all changed....

My "cutie pie" smiling for the camera.
11-21-11

Kinley sitting up so straight.
11-21-11

Kinley showing off her Thanksgiving wear.

11-23-11

Can't forget the turkey on the bum!

11-23-11

Uncle Andy came to Vegas for Thanksgiving. Kinley is in love :).
11-24-11

Colton loves "Uncle Andy" and likes to call him "silly Andy." Kinley is clearly impressed with "silly Andy" as well.
11-24-11

Colton is ready for Thanksgiving!

11-24-11

We had a wonderful, relaxed Thanksgiving with some very yummy food. We were also so excited to have Andrew join us.
11-24-11

THE GAME CHANGER

I had planned to do some Christmas shopping on Friday morning and then get all of our Christmas decorations put up. Eric and Andrew took Colton and went to the Valley of Fire state park, which is about an hour away, so I could accomplish this. I had put up a bunch of stuff and went to put some garland up around our kitchen window. I was standing up on the counter (which I've done countless times) to do this and as I went to jump down, I wobbled and my right leg hit the island, pushing it backwards. I heard it snap and knew instantly that I had broken my right leg. I sat on the floor, shocked, not knowing what to do. I had put Kinley down in her bed two hours earlier for a nap and prayed that she continued to sleep until Eric came home.

Luckily, our home phone was on the counter just above me, but unfortunately it was out of my reach. I was in incredible pain, but knew that somehow, some way, I needed to get to that phone. I started to throw objects at it to get it loose. Finally, after several tries, I finally got it loose and called Eric. They had just sat down to dinner, about 30 miles away. He instantly got in the car and rushed home. In the meantime, I sat on a hard, cold floor, praying that Kinley continued to sleep (she usually doesn't take longer than a 2 hour nap) and listened intently to her monitor, which was on the island and out of my reach. Eric continued to call me and check in on me and when he was only a few minutes away I called 911. I couldn't call before that due to all of the doors being locked and I didn't want any doors broken down :).

Andrew dropped off Eric and drove around with Colton. Colton is very tender-hearted towards me and would've freaked out had he seen me on the floor with the paramedics. Once at the hospital, x-rays were taken and we found out that I have two breaks in my right leg. One in the fibula and one in the tibula, up towards the knee cap. Due to the break and where it's located, surgery is needed and scheduled for Dec. 6. For right now and the near future, my life consists of sitting, sleeping, eating in a recliner 24 hours a day with a full leg brace. I am off work until at least January and will not be able to drive for at least two months. So when I said this week was a game changer for our family, you can now see why. I cannot express in words how much I love and appreciate Eric for all of his love and support during this trial. He is not only Daddy to our kids but has also become Mr. Mom. I am also so grateful to our families who are all making plans to come here and help, starting with my Dad and Ruby who are here with us now. More updates to come on this interesting, long journey....wish us luck!

And this is my life....full leg brace with ice constantly on my knee. Hey, at least I got a nice pedicure a few days before :). Also, notice the X on my foot? It's there just to make sure that they knew which leg was injured!!

Video Kinley talking

November 13 - 19, 2011

2011-11-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

This week was a quiet one in the Gant household. Not much going, just getting ready to spend our first Thanksgiving in Las Vegas. Enjoy!

Kinley is teething right now and chews on ANYTHING she can get her hands on, including mommy's fingers.
11-13-11

Kinley looks so big to me in this picture. She is growing up so quickly.
11-15-11

Have I mentioned how much these two love each other. Kinley looks up to her brother and Colton loves to make her laugh. You can see how much these two enjoy each other in this picture. I hope that lasts for many, many, many more years.
11-17-11

Kinley is getting very close to crawling. She can pull herself up and it won't be long until she's moving all over the place.

11-17-11

Colton was so proud of himself. He stacked several toys on top of his Thomas the Train railway. Right after this picture was taken he promptly pushed it all to the ground.

11-19-11

Video of Kinley saying "No, No"

November 6 - 12, 2011

2011-11-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

What a fun week we had. Veteran's Day fell this week so we got a three day weekend. My dad and Ruby decided to come visit and spend some time with the kiddos. We had a great time with them and Colton was very sad (along with us) to see them go. Good thing we will be seeing them again in a little over a month. Enjoy!

Kinley all dressed and ready for the cooler weather. Her feet are even covered in warm faux fur boots.

11-06-11

Kinley loves sitting up any chance she can.
11-08-11

Kinley is truly a happy baby. She loves rattles right now, as evident by the one in her hand.
11-10-11

Colton's favorite place right now is Chuck E Cheese. He couldn't wait to go there with Grandpa and Grandma.
11-12-11

Kinley loved looking at all the lights.

11-12-11

Kinley dancing video:

October 30 - November 5, 2011

2011-11-09T21:21:00.001-08:00

What a fun week; Halloween and Kinley turned six months old! Colton really got into trick or treating this year and had a blast getting all dressed up.

Saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma.
10-30-11

I love the Fall Holidays so much that this year I even decorated one of our bathrooms.
10-31-11

Pumpkin carving about to start.

10-31-11

Kinley loves sitting in her bumbo seat and watching Mommy carve pumpkins.

10-31-11

Colton inspecting the final products.

10-31-11

Kinley showing off her cute ladybug outfit.
10-31-11

Colton posing in his Buzz Lightyear costume.
10-31-11

(I swear this was not scripted) Colton kissing his sisters hand.
10-31-11

Ladybug pj's to match the Halloween costume.
10-31-11

I love this picture....Colton and Kinley have the same expression...they really are so alike.

11-02-11

Kinley turned six months old on November 4th. She is such a big girl!
11-04-11

Height: 28 inches (95%+). Her doctor said that she is literally off the charts in height.

Weight: 18.14 oz. (90-95%)

Head Circumference: 43 1/2 cm (50-75%)

Feeding: Kinley is eats an 8 oz bottle every 5+ hours, three in a day. She also eats 3.5 oz. of baby food twice a day. Currently, Kinley loves anything I put in front of her. She is not a picky eater at all!

Sleeping: Kinley is an awesome sleeper! She sleeps anywhere between 10-12 straight a night. Her naps are not as consistent, but she usually naps after her morning and afternoon bottle.

Size: Kinley wears size two diapers and is wearing 6 or 6-12 month clothes.

Milestones: Kinley can sit up all by herself and loves to play with toys while sitting up. She loves to roll over and will put her hands on the ground and lift her head to see around her. Kinley still has two teeth, both on the bottom and I can feel another one coming in on the top.

08-04-11

09-04-11

10-04-11

11-04-11

Kinley chewing on anything she can get her hands on.

11-05-11

October 23 - 29, 2011

2011-11-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

I don't have too many pictures of the week in general, but I have a bunch once we got to Utah for the weekend. I must say that although I love living in a warm climate, I do miss the Utah Falls. It's such a pretty time of the year. Colton enjoyed the changing leafs and had fun crunching them between his fingers. I realized that he had never experienced that before as this is the first time in his life that he has actually experienced a true fall, at least for a few days. Enjoy!

We had a full schedule while in Utah. Our first stop was Gardner's Village and their Witches.

Colton was fascinated by all of the witches and just wanted to look and touch them.

10-28-11

Grandpa holding Colton and Jake.

The hula-hoop witch.

Colton liked this witch, she's eating a hotdog and drinking a Coke.

Grandpa guiding Colton, who insisted on pushing his stroller.

Two of Colton's favorite things about Halloween is witches and pumpkins. This kid was in heaven.

Kinley all bundled up.

Family picture.

The witch and her frog.

There's a witch in a boat.

Hanging out with some pumpkins made from tree stumps.

Jake and Colton looking out the window at Apollo Burger. They enjoyed playing with each other and are only six weeks apart.

Colton all ready for the trunk or treat.

Marshall and Colton had fun playing with each other at the trunk or treat.

Colton enjoyed the trunk or treat. He was so cute by saying "trick or treat" to each person than thanking them for the candy.

On Saturday, Grandpa and Grandma had a Halloween party at their house for all of the grandkids, all 39 of them! They served lunch and had lots of games for the kids. Fun was had by all.

My dad and Ruby are announcing where they will be going on their mission. They were called to the Stillwater, Oklahoma CES misson for one year. They are expected to leave in May 2012. Eric and I were excited to hear that they were headed to Oklahoma. We will be able to visit them along with Barb and Dave next summer. Stillwater is only an hour and half from Norman.

10-29-11

Colton loved to throw a car into Grandpa's pond and got Mallory to get it out every time. You can see the joy on his face.

Blake and Kinley in her ladybug outfit.

Decorating a sugar cookie. He did a great job and certainly enjoyed eating it.

Colton loves slides!

October 16 - 22, 2011

2011-11-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

Sorry for not blogging in a while. We've had a very busy fall and now that the Holidays are almost upon us, it's only going to get crazier! This week there are some cute pictures of Kinley and a silly one of Colton. Enjoy!

Kinley wants her daddy's shake! She already has Eric wrapped around her finger :)

10-17-11

Happy girl early in the morning.

10-18-11

Already for Halloween.

10-19-11

Colton was being silly by wearing my headbands and then putting them on "sister."

10-21-11

Kinley getting ready in the morning. Her headband has a ghost that says "Bootiful."

10-22-11

October 9 - 15, 2011

2011-10-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to the pumpkin patch this week. It gets much more fun each year as the kids get older. Colton enjoyed it more this year than he did last year. He even went on a ride with Daddy. Enjoy!

Colton enjoys taking out the paper towels and stacking them on top of each other.
10-09-11

He stacked as tall as himself then promptly knocked them over and started again.
10-09-11

Kinley loves anything in her mouth at this point.
10-11-11

Colton is fascinated with anything to do with Halloween. He loves pumpkins, witches and ghosts right now. When we pass a house with scarier decorations, i.e., skeletons, etc, he always says, "Not scary Mommy!" Almost like he's saying it to convince himself.
10-13-11

Colton insists on going out to our front porch several times each day to say hi to the pumpkins and witch.
10-13-11

Our little piggy! We spent some time at the pumpkin patch.
10-15-11

Colton having fun in the petting zoo. It took him a minute to warm up to the animals.
10-15-11

I can't believe how big our little man is! We often get, "What he's only 2 1/2?!?!" when someone finds out how old Colton is. He is the size of a 3 or 4 year old.
10-15-11

Eric took Colton on a ride this year. He had a firm grip at all times.
10-15-11

Notice his right hand does not move from it's original position. He actually had a lot of fun.

10-15-11

The two loves of our lives!
10-15-11

Colton went up the slide all by himself this year and slid, belly down. No trepidation at all!

Secrets between brother and sister. Kinley loves her brother sooooooo much!

10-15-11

I can see many more nights of Colton and Kinley playing on Daddy!

10-15-11

October 2 - 9, 2011

2011-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Kinley turned 5 months this week! We also took the kiddos to Springs Preserve to run around (Colton) and enjoy our beautiful weather right now. Enjoy!

I love Halloween! Kinley is set with Halloween outfits. This one has a bat and says, "Teething Bites."
10-02-11

I can't believe that Kinley is 5 months old already. She is learning new things daily and is such a delight to have around. Kinley is also a great little sister. She doesn't mind her older brother teasing her already :).

10-04-11

Height: 26 1/2 inches (95%)

Weight: 16 lbs. 6 oz. (50%-75%)

Feeding: Kinley is eating 7 oz every 4-5 hours. She also has started stage 1 baby food. Currently, Kinley loves peas, sweet potatoes and squash.

Sleeping: Kinley continues to be a great sleeper. She is on a schedule where she naps anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 1/2 hours after each bottle. Kinley sleeps a solid 10-12 hours at night. At five months she has yet to wake once during the night since sleeping through the night at 8 weeks.

Size: Kinley wears size two diapers and is wearing 6 or 6-9 month clothes. Kinley is so long that many outfits are too short!

Milestones: Kinley is starting to sit up really well by herself with some back support. She laughs easily, especially at her brother. Kinley can roll over but gets her arm stuck so she won't go all the way over. She currently has two teeth, both on the bottom and it won't belong before some top teeth come in. Kinley loves to grasp on to anything in her way, a favorite is mommy's hair! She truly is a joy in our lives.

Kinley being her cute self.
10-05-11

I thought this picture was too cute. She actually propped herself up and posed for the camera.
10-06-11

All ready for Halloween! BOO!
10-07-11

Ready to hit the mall with Mommy.
10-08-11

We took the kiddos to Springs Preserve. Colton loved all of the fun things to play on. Here he is the conductor of the train.

Looking up at the giant butterfly.
10-09-11

Kinley just chillin in her stroller.
10-09-11

September 25 - October 1, 2011

2011-10-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

We are finally starting see temps here in Vegas that doesn't start with a 1. This week is actually suppose to get into the 70's! I love this season and we are planning a lot of fun little excursions to a pumpkin patch, Springs Preserve, and a trip to Utah. Enjoy this weeks pictures.

Have I mentioned how fun it is to dress a little girl. I'm amazed at how many cute clothes and accessories there are!
09-25-11

Here Kinley looks like she may be trying to get away. I wouldn't be surprised if she crawls earlier than Colton did.
09-27-11

This is our silly baby. Her onsie is on top of her head and she thought that it was funny.
09-29-11

Kinley is such a daddy's girl. She lights up whenever she sees her dad.
09-30-11

Colton was in a silly mood. As we were getting him ready to take a bath and taking off his clothes, he wanted to leave his shirt on top of his head and walk around like this.
09-30-11

Eric loves to play around and wrestle with Colton. You can see that Colton enjoys it too.
09-30-11

Such a happy baby!
10-01-11

Hmmm, where is Kinely? (Courtesy of her brother)
10-01-11

Kinley dancing!

September 18 - 24, 2011

2011-10-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

As I write this blog each week, I'm simply amazed how much our kiddos are growing right before our eyes. I can't imagine how our families who live in Utah, Florida and Oklahoma feel when they see the kids every couple of months. Enjoy!

I put Kinley in these pj's because she is just too long for her 3-6 month ones. This Halloween pj is 6-9 months and the length fits her perfectly. Colton wanted to get in the Halloween spirit as well and I put him in one of his Halloween pj's. By the way, Colton's pj's are 4T!
09-18-11

Kinley's shirt says "Bubbly." What a perfect way to describe our little princess.
09-19-11

Kinley looking spruced up and ready to hit the town.
09-21-11

Kinley tried squash for the first time. She liked it a lot better than oatmeal.
09-22-11

We went to Del Sol's homecoming game. It's much great to be sitting in the stands enjoying the game than having to watch the crowd instead of the game. It was nice to see and hang out with some awesome people that I use to work with. Colton enjoyed running up and down the stadium.
09-23-11

Kinley was of course passed around from person to person. She enjoyed her first football game as well as all the attention she got.
09-23-11

We bought Colton some new fall pj's. Two of which were Woody and Buzz pj's. He wore one on Friday and the other one on Saturday night.

09-23-11

Buzz pj's. Colton also had to wear a hat with his new pj's. He kept the hat on until it was time to go to bed. Colton looks so big to me. We often have people asking how old he is and when we say 2 1/2, they don't believe us....I can understand why.
09-24-11

September 11 - 18, 2011

2011-09-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for hardly any pictures this week. It has been a crazy busy week and the camera was just never around when I needed it. Enjoy!

Kinley LOVES her play saucer and enjoys her time in it. Watching her got me to thinking about how much Colton loved playing in his at the same age.
09-12-11

Colton at four months playing in his saucer.

Brother and sister hanging out together. Have I mentioned how much these two love each other already...too precious!
09-15-11

Colton loves to sit next to his sister, especially when I'm trying to take her picture. Colton had just woke up therefore the nice sleep mark on his forehead.
09-16-11

September 4 - 10, 2011

2011-09-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

This was quite a week for Kinley. Not only did she turn four months old but she got her ears pierced and two teeth!! Enjoy!


Kinley turned four months old. She is such a sweetheart and is growing up right before our eyes. Height: 26 inches (95% +). Weight: 15 lbs. 10 oz. (75%) Feeding: 7 ounces every 4-5 hours. Sleeping: Awesome. Kinley will normally sleep 10-12 hours a night and since sleeping through the night at 8 weeks, she has not woken up once in the middle of the night. She enjoys her sleep. Size: Kinley wears size two diapers and is wearing her 3-6 month clothes. Milestones: Kinley has two teeth! She has also started to grab her feet, loves to grab onto anything in front of her, including faces and can turn over to her side but hasn't quite figured how to go all the way over yet.

One month, June 2011

2 months, July 2011

Three months, August 2011

4 months, September 2011


Colton loves his sister! 09-05-11

Kinley pretty in pink.
09-05-11

Trying rice cereal for the first time. Not too sure about it.
09-05-11

Trying out her new play saucer.
09-06-11

Before and after shots of her ears....Kinley didn't cry too long, she is quite the little trooper.
09-07-11

Cotlon being patient while waiting for her ears to be pierced. Here he is watching Bubble Guppies.
09-07-11

Kinley constantly has her tongue sticking out and is a drooler. I found out the next day why!
09-08-11

Kinley has two teeth, bottom middle, that popped up at four months! Crazy! Colton was seven months old when he got his first teeth.
09-09-11

We took the kids to get their pictures taken. Here Colton is looking at books just before heading out. What a little man he is!
09-10-11

Here is our handsome man!
09-10-11

August 29 -September 3, 2011

2011-09-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not too many pictures this week. School started again and we all went to bed early this week. Next week is full of milestones for Kinley. Can't wait to share them with you. Enjoy!

August has been such a hot month! We found a fun park with a water feature in it for Colton to run through and cool off.
08-29-11

He wasn't so sure about it at first, but then warmed up and loved every minute of it!
08-29-11

Colton loved to run through the water that would turn off and on.

08-29-11

Look Mom! I can hold my own bottle!
08-29-11

Kinley posing for the camera!
08-31-11

Kinley loves to look at herself in the mirror. This night she was fascinated with Daddy.
08-31-11

Colton loves taking baths. He likes to play with his toys and the bubbles.
08-31-11

Kinley loves her Glo-worm. She actually grabbed it with her hand and got it as close as she could. This picture was taken with the lights off but the flash kept going off.
09-01-11

Pretty cool picture with the flash off.
09-01-11

Have I mentioned before how much Kinley loves her fingers!
09-03-11

August 21 - 28, 2011

2011-08-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my birthday as well as Eric's this week. I'm two years and two days older than him and he reminds me of it all the time :). We both had a great day and spent it with each other and our sweet kiddos. I say all the time how blessed we are to have such a wonderful little family. We seriously have the most adorable and loving children a person can ask for. I sure hope that this comes across in this blog to our family and friends who don't get to see us too often. Enjoy!

Kinley all ready for the day in her adorable Minnie Mouse outfit courtesy of my Aunt Lolene.

08-21-11

I took Colton to the dentist for the first time. He did very well, much better than I had thought. I think it helped to have Mickey Mouse and Minnie watching him :). They cleaned his teeth and then the dentist counted them. He has all of his teeth including his two year molars, which I wasn't sure about. What a big boy!
08-22-11

Kinley and daddy hanging out after my birthday dinner. I absolutely love this adorable outfit.
08-22-11

Another cute picture of Kinley with her daddy. Can you tell that she is becoming a daddy's girl? Eric's birthday dinner.
08-24-11

Kinley is all ready to head out to the park in her little shorts outfit with matching hat.
08-25-11

This is how Kinley is when she wakes up in the morning....all smiles....I LOVE IT!
08-27-11

Another adorable outfit that I just love from Gymboree. By the way, I love to shop at Gymboree for both kiddos. Eric always says that he doesn't like the store but then tends to comment how cute she looks when she's wearing Gymboree clothes!
08-28-11

Back in January we got a new master closet system and some shelves in our garage and laundry room that I've absolutely loved. I finally talked Eric into letting me get the kids closets done as well as out pantry closet in the kitchen. Can I tell you how much I hate wire shelves!!! Colton's closet before picture.
08-28-11

Colton has a shelf in the middle with adjustable rods on both sides. I've actually used the left side as more shelves instead of rods to hang clothes. The shelves are bigger than the ones in the middle.
08-22-11

Kinley's closet it 18 inches shorter than Colton's!!! That's not good for a girl, especially considering she has three times as many clothes as Colton! Before picture.
08-28-11

I now have adjustable shelves that fit three rows of clothes on one side.
08-28-11

And built in shelves on the other side. I can fit so much more and in a more organized way....I LOVE IT!
08-28-11

August 14 - 20, 2011

2011-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

This week was a tough one for me. I returned to work on Monday after having five months off. It was hard leaving my babies but know that they are in good hands with their babysitter. Enjoy!

Yes, that is Kinley watching UFC fights with her daddy.
08-14-11

I love this picture for some reason. Maybe because I wonder what Kinley is thinking at this moment.
08-15-11

Kinley sitting in her Bumbo seat. She loves to sit up whenever she can.
08-16-11

Seeing Kinley in the Bumbo made me think about when Colton could fit in it.

Colton thought it would be fun to try and sit in his old seat at well. He's a little big!
08-16-11

Kinley in her colorful outfit hanging out.
08-17-11

I find this hilarious. Lately when we have been taking Colton's clothes off for his bath, Colton likes to run around with his shirt up around his head. I love his silly side.
08-17-11

This is how Kinley looked when I went to wake her up. She often moves herself around in her bed, just like her brother.
08-18-11

We finally got Eric a new computer and had put it up when Colton decided that his new toy was the box it came in. He had a great time playing in it even though he was getting a little banged up. See the cute video below of his fun times with the computer box.
08-19-11

On Saturday one of my good friends, Autumn came over with her two cuties, Lillian and Emma. Lillian and Colton played while Kinley and Emma sat with mommy.
08-20-11

Here is cute Emma. She is ten days younger than Kinley. Look at all that hair!
08-20-11

Here Kinley is watching her brother put his Toy Story toys next to her on the chair.
08-20-11

Kinley is always so entertained by her older brother. I can't wait until she's old enough to really play with him.
08-20-11

Video of Colton having a great time playing in the box.

August 14 - 20, 2011

2011-08-22T19:33:00.001-07:00

August 7 - 13, 2011

2011-08-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

I don't have too many pictures of the kids this week. Eric surprised me and took me to Arizona for a few days for our anniversary. Luckily, Eric's mom and step-dad, Barb and Dave, were able to come and babysit for us. It was the first time I had been away from the kids but it sure was nice to spend some time with my hubby. Enjoy!

Kinley sticking out her tongue. This is a new favorite of hers.
08-08-11

We took Colton to Chuck E. Cheese one more time before we left. He loves to ride all of the cars.
08-09-11

He use to be afraid of Chuck E. Not anymore.
08-09-11

This was the first time going on the helicopter. He wasn't too sure about it.
08-09-11

While in Arizona, we hit up a Diamondbacks game.
08-11-11

Eric got us great seats! We had to watch out for fly balls.
08-11-11

There were old players represented by these huge head people. So fun!
08-11-11

We ate dinner at Friday's Front Row Sports Grill and had a front row to batting practice.
08-11-11

We had a front row seat to Justin Upton. Unfortunately, he dropped three balls right in front of us! The Diamondbacks came back and won the game in the 10th inning.
08-11-11

July 31 - August 6, 2011

2011-08-08T12:27:00.001-07:00

This week Kinley turned three months old and Colton also had a milestone, he peed in the toilet for the first time! Enjoy!

I bought this circus tent with balls toy when Colton was a year old. We finally got it out and ready for him to play in. He loved it!
07-31-11

It came with 100 plastic balls and there is a game inside that you can play with them.
07-31-11

Colton also realized that he could topple the tent over with his weight. He had fun doing this.
07-31-11

We have been asking Colton each night before and after getting in the bath if he needs to pee. Nearly every night he says yes but then nothing happens when we put him on the toilet. This night he actually did pee! I don't think he's entirely ready for the full potty training but hopefully this will help when we go full throttle in the fall/winter.
08-01-11

I took Kinley for her three month pictures and also took some cute pictures in this adorable little dress.
08-03-11

Kinley turned three months old on August 4th. Here are some updated stats. Enjoy!

Height: 24 1/2 inches (95%).

Weight: 13 lbs, 2 oz. (50%).

Feeding: At three months, Kinley is eating 6 oz every 4-5 hours (lately every 5+ hours). In the last week, Kinley has only eaten three bottles a day....one in the morning when she wakes up, usually between 8-9 am; one four to five hours later, between 12-1 pm; last bottle between 4-6 pm. When I try to feed her a final bottle between 9-10 pm, she spits it out and refuses to eat it, then promptly falls asleep.

Sleeping: Kinley continues to be a great sleeper. She still sleeps 10-12 hours each night and then will eat her morning bottle and go back down for a 3-4 hour nap. The afternoon is not as consistent with naps but she will sleep for an hour here and an hour there.

Size: Kinley wears size one diapers and is nearly done with her 0-3 month clothes and has even started to wear some 3-6 month sizes.

Milestones: Kinley talks a lot! It's is the cutest thing to listen to. She has also started to try and lift her head up to look around and has discovered her hands. She loves any attention that is given her and will give you BIG smiles for it.

One week old
May 2011

One month old
June 2011

Two months old
July 2011

Three months old
08-04-11

Posing with big brother Colton.
08-04-11

Colton is saying "Cheeeeeeese" in this picture.
08-05-11

Daddy and Kinley
08-05-11

Already for bed in her cute butterfly pj's.
08-06-11

Colton reading his books just before bedtime.
08-06-11

July 24 - 30, 2011

2011-08-02T12:50:00.001-07:00

This week we chilled at home and spent time playing indoors with the hot weather outdoors. Enjoy!

Kinley chilling in her cute little leggings.
07-24-11

These cute pj's are 3-6 months! Kinley is nearly all out of her 0-3 month clothes, especially pajamas....she's just too long.
07-26.11

Colton lined up some of his stuffed animals/dolls to watch Toy Story with him.
07-28-11

Bathed and ready for bed.
07-29-11

I included this picture because Kinley loves her hands! If there is not a binky in her mouth than her hands are there.
07-29-11

July 17 - 23, 2011

2011-07-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

This week could be called Kinley week. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of Colton to include. I'll make sure to have some for next week. Enjoy!

Post bath...Kinley likes her baths now. The first couple were rough but not anymore.
07-17-11

All ready for bed.
07-17-11

I know I'm a tad biased, but I think Kinley has some gorgeous blue eyes...the pictures don't do them justice.
07-19-11

All ready to go to Gymboree. I've started taking Kinley to their level one class. She has a great time and it's nice to be with other mommies who have kids around the same age and to talk about what's going on with them.
07-20-11

Kinley started sticking her tongue out a little more than usual this week. Too cute!
07-22-11

July 10 - 16, 2011

2011-07-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

This week we spent some time with a friend, Kinley started sleeping in her crib, and this week also marks one month left before I have to return to work :(. Enjoy!

This is how my week started....Colton getting into anything that he could and making a mess. This particular day he spilled the popcorn salt all over himself, took a pen and colored on his arms, found some baby wash in Kinley's room and poured it on her carpet and then while he was in time out in his room, he took baby powder and poured the entire thing all over his room! I think he just wanted to get in as much trouble as possible and all before it was even 10 am! Luckily we haven't had another day like this....yet!
07-10-11

Later that day, and after his nap, we went to my friend, Autumn's, for a play date. Her daughter Lillian is six days older than Colton and she just had another darling girl, Emma, that is ten days younger than Kinley. I foresee lots of fun play dates in our future :).

07-10-11

It didn't take these two too long to warm up to each other. Here Colton is leaning in, giving Lillian a love.
07-10-11

Reading books together.
07-10-11

Getting ready to go to sleep in her crib for the first time!
07-13-11

All bundled up and ready to go to sleep in her crib. She was ten weeks old and I thought it was time since she had been sleeping through the night since she was eight weeks old. Kinley usually has her last bottle between 8:30-9:30 pm, then sleeps for 10-12 hours. She's been in her crib for a couple of weeks now and there hasn't been one night that she's woken up in the middle of it....makes for a happy, not sleep deprived mommy!
07-13-11

Kinley smiles so easily and whenever you smile at her or really give her any attention at all. She is a very content little girl with a such a sweet disposition. We are very lucky to have had two great babies!
07-15-11

Kinley loves playing with her play gym. She loves to look in the mirror.
07-15-11

Pretty girl in purple.
07-16-11

As I was changing Kinley and taking her picture, Colton came in to show me his cowboy hat and say, "Yeeee Hawwww!" Too cute!
07-16-11

July 3 - 9, 2011

2011-07-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Kinely turned two months this week. It's amazing how quickly time flies. We took our annual trip to St. George with my family and Kinley got in the swimming pool for the first time. Enjoy!

It started to rain this night. Colton has never been in rain as it rarely rains here in the desert. It was still very warm outside so I let him go outside and get soaked and have fun in the rain.
07-03-11

Pushing his Tonka truck around in the rain.
07-03-11

We went for Kinley's two month check-up. It's amazing how much she has grown and changed. I've included some pictures from a month ago and this week. Enjoy!

Height: At two months, 23 1/2 inches (95%).

Weight: At two months, 11 lbs, 7 oz. (50%).

Feeding: At two months, Kinley is eating 5 oz every 4-5 hours. We started putting rice in her bottle every other feeding.

Sleeping: Kinley is a great sleeper. She slept through the night at 8 weeks and now sleeps between 10-12 hours each night. Kinley doesn't sleep as much throughout the day as she use to but she's a very content little girl.

Size: Kinley wears size one diapers and is wearing 0-3 month clothes.

Milestones: Kinley smiles very easily and laughs. She tracks movement with her eyes and likes to stand up with the help of my fingers. Kinley has very strong legs, she often pushes on them in the bath or in her bouncer. Kinley is also a big talker. She loves to coo, especially when you talk to her, it's one the cutest things that I've seen.

1 week

1 month

All smiles at 2 months.
07-04-11

Big brother and sister ready for the 4th of July.
07-04-11

I thought that this was such a sweet picture. Colton is already so protective of his little sister.
07-04-11

Dressed and ready for the 4th of July BBQ.
07-04-11

Just chillin'.
07-06-11

We went on our annual trip to St. George with my family. We look forward to this vacation every year. Here Colton is wrestling with with Eric just before going swimming.
07-07-11

I caught Colton running and I love the look on his face...such happiness.
07-07-11

Kinley for the first time in a pool and she promptly feel asleep.
07-08-11

Colton is such a little fish in the water. He loves the water and the condos that we stay at have several pools in one area to choose from. This is is a great toddler pool that is not deep at all.
07-08-11

Katlynd and Mallory being silly with their fake mustaches.
07-08-11

Kinley fell asleep on daddy at dinner.
07-08-11

Kinley's headband fell over her eyes which was just fine with her as she enjoyed the dark while she slept.
07-08-11

While in St. George, my dad blessed Kinley along with my brothers Jeff and Travis and brother-in-law Lance.
07-09-11

The Gant Family
07-09-11

My dad and Ruby bought Kinley her beautiful dress and shoes. Dainty little feet.
07-09-11

This was a beautiful blessing dress.
07-09-11

Every year we get ice cream at Nelson's Frozen Custard on the blvd. Here Jeff is entertaining Colton with something on his phone.
07-09-11

The whole Leatherwood clan.
07-09-11

Colton swimming:

Kinley talking

2011-07-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by! Kinley is getting so big and Colton is such a great big brother. Enjoy!

Pretty girl with a pretty smile!
06-26-11

Colton is such a big boy! Here he is all ready with his lunchbox to go play with the kids at Miss Kelly's.

Kinley is such a happy little girl who loves to smile and laugh. The next two pictures I caught her in a laugh...I love it.
06-27-11

06-27-11

Colton being silly with Kinley by wearing Mr. Potato Head accessories.

I found Colton on the chaise in our bedroom looking through one of his picture albums. Colton loves to look at his albums and point out all the people he knows.
06-28-11

Later that day, I spied on Colton in his playroom.
06-28-11

Here he is putting a puzzle back together. It's so interesting to me to watch him. He plays really well by himself.
06-28-11

Kinley in the bath. She likes the bath a lot more now. The first couple of times were rough and she cried a lot but she has gotten use to it and doesn't mind it at all.
06-29-11

All clean and ready for bed.
06-29-11

Peacefully sleeping.
06-29-11

Kinley loves to smile for the camera.
06-30-11

I love this picture! Although she can't talk, Kinley certainly gets her daddy.
06-30-11

Pretty in coral.
07-01-11

Kinley loves her swing and here she is looking at herself in the mirror above her.
07-02-11

I found Colton in his room with his baby powder in his hand. He had gone around and poured it out as you can see. It was on his bed, rocker, night stand, dresser, carpet, rug and in his closet. He started to "clean up" with his towel when he knew he was in trouble :).

07-02-11

Kinley Talking:

June 26 - July 2, 2011

2011-07-11T14:25:00.001-07:00

This summer is flying by! Kinley is getting so big and Colton is such a great big brother. Enjoy!

Pretty girl with a pretty smile!
06-26-11

Colton is such a big boy! Here he is all ready with his lunchbox to go play with the kids at Miss Kelly's.

Kinley is such a happy little girl who loves to smile and laugh. The next two pictures I caught her in a laugh...I love it.
06-27-11

06-27-11

Colton being silly with Kinley by wearing Mr. Potato Head accessories.

I found Colton on the chaise in our bedroom looking through one of his picture albums. Colton loves to look at his albums and point out all the people he knows.
06-28-11

Later that day, I spied on Colton in his playroom.
06-28-11

Here he is putting a puzzle back together. It's so interesting to me to watch him. He plays really well by himself.
06-28-11

Kinley in the bath. She likes the bath a lot more now. The first couple of times were rough and she cried a lot but she has gotten use to it and doesn't mind it at all.
06-29-11

All clean and ready for bed.
06-29-11

Peacefully sleeping.
06-29-11

Kinley loves to smile for the camera.
06-30-11

I love this picture! Although she can't talk, Kinley certainly gets her daddy.
06-30-11

Pretty in coral.
07-01-11

Kinley loves her swing and here she is looking at herself in the mirror above her.
07-02-11

07-02-11

June 19 - 25, 2011

2011-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

This week started out by still being in California and ended with being back in Nevada. We had a great time spending time with David, Deb and Andrew. Enjoy!

Eric showing some love for Rocky at the Kodak theater.
06-19-11

Colton and Eric with a storm troper.
06-19-11

Visiting all of the famous hand and food prints at the famous Gruman's Chinese theater.
06-19-11

Saying "hi" to Mickey outside of the the El Captain theater. By the way, that's Donald Duck's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

06-19-11

Daddy and Colton standing next to the tallest man in the world. He was only 8 ft. 11 inches tall!
06-19-11

Kinley showing off another cute outfit. Kinley stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Gant while we took Colton to Disneyland. She had a great time as did they.
06-21-11

Beach Baby....Kinley ready for the beach...to bad we had to leave California this day.
06-22-09

Just lounging in her swing.

06-24-11

Pretty in pink.
06-25-11

Disneyland!!

2011-06-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

When we decided to go to California with David and Deb to visit with Andrew, we thought it would be fun to take Colton to Disneyland. He went for the first time when he was seven months old with my family, but he couldn't go on too many rides nor enjoy it as much as he did this time. I was surprised by how many rides he could actually go on, good thing he's a big kid for his age. Enjoy!

We started out on the first day by having breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen.

Colton has a blast meeting all of the character's that dropped by our table. Here Dale of Chip and Dale, writing him a message on the table.

Baloo from Jungle Book stopped by as did Pluto, who was waiting for his turn with Colton as well.

Grandpa David and Kinley even got a little love from Baloo.

Colton with his love, Minnie. He was so cute and shy around her.

Chip decided to make his way to see us. He helped Colton to eat his breakfast. He was too busy looking all around to worry about food, but with Chip's help, he ate some grapes and watermelon.

Pluto finally made his way to say hi. He and Colton had a fun time together.

Mulan was the last character to visit. Again, Colton was a tad shy around her.

Playing with Mickey's phone in Mickey's house.

Meeting Mickey Mouse!

Daddy and Colton waiting to get on the tea cup ride.

Eric, Colton, Andy and Rachel spinning away on the tea cups. Andrew and his friend Rachel met us and went on many rides with us. This was Andrew's first time to Disneyland!

Colton pretending to drive the train.

Waiting with Daddy for his first real roller coaster ride.

Heading up the steep hill...not quite sure what to think of it. He loved it and wanted to go on it again.

Colton started to melt down by the afternoon. Once he got some food and drink in him he promptly feel asleep.

Day 2: California Adventure: We had just gone on the Toy Story Mania ride, which Colton loved. He loves to watch Toy Story 3 and knows all of the characters.

Happy boy waiting for a ride in Bug's Land. This was such a fun area because it caters to toddlers so he could go on all of the rides.

Getting ready to go on another ride. He stayed close to daddy the whole time.

We stopped by the Cars 2 exhibit before leaving. What cool cars these were and Colton loves Cars.

Kinley MARSHA

2011-06-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Kinley MARSHA Gant. Kinley's middle name is after my beloved mother, Marsha. My mom would have turned 65 on June 19th of this year. I have never blogged about her but feel it's appropriate with this milestone just passing and Kinley having her name. My mom passed nearly 12 years ago from a three year valiant and brave battle with ovarian cancer. She only lived to see three of her now fourteen grandchildren but I know that she has held and spoke with each one of them before they came to us. I always say that both of our kids came either right on time (Kinley) or late (Colton) because my mom wanted to hold on to them a little longer. I have two other neices who share their middle name with Kinley. Mallory Marsha Pearson and Katlynd Marsha Leatherwood were born a year apart on June 19th, my mother's birthday. I'd say that she had a hand in it :). Kinley will grow up knowing her grandmother through the stories and pictures that she'll hear and see. I hope that one day she'll understand the great legacy that her middle name bares and be proud to have the middle name of Marsha.

This is what my mom looked like when I was growing up. She loved to cook and was dang good at it.

My dad loving on my mom. His hair is a beautiful silver but for Halloween each year he dyes it dark to freak people out.

My mom was a perfectionist and always kept a clean and orderly home. I actually had to tell more than one teacher that my mom threw my homework away because if it was left on the counter for more than a day that's were it would end up.

My mother also loved jewelry. She always wore a necklace, earrings and usually a bracelet with her watch. I also love jewelry and when I was little I would play dress up with hers.

This was just a few weeks after we found out that my mom had 4th stage ovarian cancer and had had major surgery to take out what they could. My Grandma lived across the street from us and along with my Aunt Lolene (who moved from Massachusetts to be with her) helped care for her every day until her death.

A family picture just before my younger brother, Travis, was leaving on his two-year mission. We were lucky to have her with us at the airport. Her doctors said she could only go if she wore a mask as she had just started chemo and her immune system was weak.

When this picture was taken of her and I, she was doing the best yet. Her hair had started to grow back and she was able to travel a little with my dad. She definitely defied the odds of only living 6 weeks...she lived just over three years.

My beautiful mother shortly before her death. She was happiest when she was with her family, especially her grandchildren. I only wish that she could have met my amazing husband, Eric, who I know would've just loved her, especially her sense of humor. Love you Mom!

June 12-18, 2011

2011-06-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

What a fun week this was. We had David and Deb Gant visit us and then we all went to California to spend some time with Uncle Andy and take Colton to Disneyland. Enjoy!

Colton trying to cool down in this hot, hot weather.

06-12-11

Kinley staying cool.
06-13-11

What a cutie in polka dots.
06-14-11

Pretty in green.
06-15-11

Love the smile.
06-15-11

Thank you to my uncle Richard for sending us two cases of Enfamil....you're awesome!

All ready for the drive to L.A.
06-16-11

Colton trying to take over the camera at the Dodger's game.
06-17-11

David, Eric, Susie, Colton, Andrew, Rachel (holding Kinley) and Deb was taking the picture. We sat in the all you can eat Dodger dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanut and drink section. It was a tad chilly but we lasted to the mid seventh inning. Fun times!

06-17-11

Grandpa David holding Kinley and Eric at the famous Mel's Drive-In for a Father's Day dinner.
06-18-11

Uncle Andy coloring with Colton.
06-18-11

We went to Andy's new digs and Colton enjoyed the dj equipment.
06-18-11

Kinley was happy to visit with Uncle Andy as well.
06-18-11

I do believe she was nearly laughing in this picture.

06-18-11

June 5 - 11, 2011

2011-06-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Kinley started to smile a little more this week. I can usually get one after her first feeding in the morning when she is on the changing table. She likes to stretch, look around and smile :)! Enjoy!

Sleeping peacefully.
06-05-11

Kinley promptly fell asleep after I changed her into her pj's. I was putting some stuff away in her room so I placed her in her crib. She looks so small in it.
06-06-11

Kinley has a cute little onesie that says "little sister." Too cute.
06-07-11

A closer look.
06-07-11

Colton wanted to go outside and get wet in his pool. Kinley wanted to get her swimsuit on as well even though she didn't get in the water.
06-09-11

The swimsuit is nearly too small....good thing she has three more!
06-09-11

Getting all prettied up to hang out with Momma and her girlfriends to celebrate the end of the school year.
06-10-11

First good picture of a smile.
06-11-11

May 31 - June 4, 2011

2011-06-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

This week Kinley turned one month old and had her one month check-up. It's amazing how much she has changed to me in the last month. I got some cute pictures of Colton as well. He is a silly kid at times. Enjoy!

Kinley in a pretty outfit.
05-31-11

Colton loves this new blanket that we just got. It's really, really soft and he loves to wrap himself up in it. This day, Eric decided to put some of his favorite toys around him. He laid there for a long time and then fell asleep, taking his nap.
06-01-11

Colton received this train station tent for his birthday from his Grandpa and Grandma Gant. We finally had a day that wasn't too windy and got it set up. He had fun going in and out of the tunnel and the windows.
06-02-11

Just playing around.
06-02-11

I found Colton in our storage area under our stairs. He was calling for me because he couldn't get down from climbing up on Kinley's next car seats. I bought them this week because Target had such a great sale on them. They are the exact same ones that Colton has so they'll match, but they were also about half the price of his. I couldn't pass up the deal even though she won't be in them for many more months, especially because and we had to buy two, one for each car..
06-03-11

Hanging out in her pj's and fun beanie.
06-03-11

We went for Kinley's one month check-up. It's amazing how much she has grown and changed. I've included some pictures from a month ago and this week. Enjoy!

Height: At her first appointment, she was one week old, 20 3/4 inches (75-90%). At one month, 22 1/2 inches (95%). Her doctor commented that she is very long and that she has grown twice as much as the normal baby would within the month.

Weight: One week old, 7 lbs., 5 oz. (25-50%). At one month, 8 lbs, 13 oz. (25-50%). Again, her doctor commented on how long and skinny she is. Considering her parents, more than likely Kinley will be very tall. I was a bean pole growing up, tall and skinny. The boys didn't catch up with me until I hit high school :). I have a feeling that Kinley will be the same way.

Head Circumference: One week, 33 1/2 cm (10-25 %). One month, 36 1/2 cm (25-50%).

Feeding: At one month, Kinley is eating 3 1/2 oz every 3-4 hours.

Sleeping: Kinley has been a great sleeper from the very beginning. She gets up once in the night, usually between 3 and 4 am to eat and then goes right back down to sleep. Lately she has been going 5 to 6 hours between her last feeding before going down to bed and when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I'm hoping that it won't be long until she is sleeping through the night. Her brother slept through the night at 5 weeks. I don't think we'll be that lucky.

Size: She is just about out of her newborn clothes and into her 0-3 month size. She still wears newborn diapers but I will be moving her into size 1 diapers once they are all gone.

Milestones: Kinley will follow your head if you are looking at her and move it. She also startles at loud noises and I can get a smile out of her, usually by talking and telling her how pretty she is :). It won't be long until she is smiling full time. Kinley's head is very strong, has been from day one, and she often holds it up as we hold her against us, as if to look at us and say, look at what I'm doing. She doesn't like to be cold, yet at times, it seems like she doesn't care either. The only time that she really cries is when she has a burp that needs to get out, is naked and cold or is really hungry. Other than that, she is a great baby and we feel very lucky to have had such great babies.

One Week Old

One month old. What a difference....she has changed so much, especially in her face and how much bigger she looks.

She looks and is so little here...one week.

A little bigger and much more alert...one month.

May 22 - 30, 2011

2011-06-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm including a few more days this week due to Memorial Day and going to Salt Lake City to introduce Kinley to her Leatherwood family. We had a great time and Colton celebrated his birthday for the 3rd time this year!

Colton laying next to Kinley while she sleeps.
05-22-11

Colton woke up and wanted to hold "sisterrr."
05-23-11

Where is Kinley? Her headbands like to move down over her eyes often.
05-24-11

Colton loves to play with his Toy Story toys. This day he discovered how fun it was to play with them in the bottom oven...oh yeah! Good thing it was clean :).
05-25-11

One happy little boy!
05-25-11

Hanging out with Mommy.
05-26-11

We went to Salt Lake for my side of the family to meet Kinley. Both of the kiddos did great on the drive down. Kinley slept the entire time except for the last ten minutes and we only stopped once to feed both of them. Colton also took a nap and watched Toy Story 3. We are very lucky that we have such good little travelers.

Mallory Marsha holding Kinley Marsha. Mallory loved holding Kinley and Kinley loved being held by her.
05-27-11

Aunt Lisa holding Kinley. She looks so relaxed.
05-28-11

Colton playing with his cousins at the Pearson's.
05-28-11

Aunt Mubbs taking her turn to hold Kinley. She was the very popular over the weekend :).
05-29-11

We had a BBQ on Sunday so that all of my siblings and their kids could come and visit with us and meet Kinley. Colton was downstairs playing with the cousins and came upstairs to show us his initiation into the Leatherwood cousin clan....a nice red bump on his temple. He wasn't upset but we have no idea how it happened. That can happen when you get twelve very active kids together.
05-29-11

About to blow out a candle with help from Daddy and Grandpa on his third birthday cake of the year...this time a Woody and Buzz cake from Toy Story.
05-29-11

The Leatherwood clan minus Bryce, at Grandma Marsha's grave.
05-30-11

All of the cousin except for the oldest, Bryce, who was in California for a water polo tryout.
05-30-11

Colton's Birthday Party

2011-06-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Colton celebrated his birthday with some friends this year at Gymboree. We started taking Colton to Gymboree just after he turned one last year. He loves going and enjoys playing and climbing on everything. I wanted something that would be easy this year considering I would have just had a baby. Gymboree makes it so easy....they did everything, all I had to get was cake! Enjoy!

Colton checking out his balloons.

Playing with the blocks, bubbles and Kaycee.

Playing and having fun with Daddy.

This is one of Colton's new favorites....riding on Daddy's shoulders.

Colton's awesome cake with Gymbo the Clown.

Getting ready to blow out the candles....three candles, two for his age and one for good luck the next year.

Eating his cake very carefully....he loved it and wanted to make sure to get every bite in his mouth :).

Opening his gifts

Sizing up his new Gymbo friend.

May 15 - 21, 2011

2011-06-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

This week there are a lot of pictures of Kinley sleeping. She definitely likes her sleep and as newborn, she tends to sleep a lot! Enjoy!

All bundled up for a trip to the mall.
05-16-11

Colton with a perplex look on his face.
05-16-11

Pondering something while sleeping.
05-17-11

Relaxing with his Caillou doll while watching Caillou.
05-18-11

Patrick came to visit. Kinley loved it because he held her for a very long time and she just stared at him.
05-18-11

Kinley in her pretty orange dress with her awesome "Kinely Marsha" bib from cousin Carrie.
05-20-11

Sleeping at her brother's birthday party.

05-21-11

Colton's First Haicut

2011-06-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Colton has been a bald baby for so long that we just realized how long, especially the back, his hair was getting. So we decided to go and get his haircut for the first time. It was definitely long overdue and he looks so cute with his hair shorter. Enjoy.

The before picture, the front.

The before picture, back view.

Getting ready to get started.

Colton got to sit in a cool car, which helped to distract him.

Daddy only needed to hold his hand toward the end of the cut. The hairstylist was very quick he didn't have time to freak out.

The end product....notice the gel helping his hair in the front. He actually did awesome and we were very proud of him. Mommy got a cool "First Haircut" certificate with a lock of his hair attached.

Colton turns 2!

2011-06-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Colton turned 2 on May 13th. We had a birthday party planned for the next week at Gymboree so we spent his actual birthday doing exactly what he wanted. He played with all of his new toys and for lunch we went to Chuck E Cheese, his new favorite place. We enjoyed a yummy ice cream cake for dessert. Enjoy.

A look back at Colton and some fun stats about him now.

Colton just a few hours old....May 13, 2009

Colton's first birthday....May 13, 2010

Not a baby anymore...all toddler...Colton's 2nd birthday...May 13, 2011

Colton's 2 year stats:

Age: 2 years

Weight: 33.8 lbs (95th percentile)

Height: 37 1/4 inches (also 95th percentile)

Size: 3T clothes, size 6 or 7 shoe, size 6 diaper

Hair: Just had his first haircut a couple of weeks ago!

Teeth: All of his teeth are here except his 2 year molars.

Sleeping: Colton is a great sleeper, even with a newborn right next door. Colton still takes a nap daily, usually 2-3 hours.

Eating: He loves, loves fruit! Colton could eat fruit all day long, every meal. He also loves hot dogs, chicken nuggets, salad, cheese and pasta. He is usually a good eater, although sometimes he just doesn't feel like eating anything at all.

Movement: Colton is a very active little boy. He loves to climb, run, and now jump, as well as play catch with daddy.

Milestones: Putting sentences together. Everyday we can understand more and more of what he is saying because it is becoming clearer. Colton is a very good when he is asked if he wants to go "night night" or to take a nap. He usually says "yes" and up he goes to his bed, not complaining or whining.

Favorite toys/activities: He loves Toy Story, Caillou, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and UP. Colton loves to be outside and to play in the dirt :). He loves all of his stuffed animals/character's and he loves his favorite Colts blanket. Bath time is a favorite as well as taking showers with daddy.

Dislikes: Sitting still enough to get his diaper changed. Brushing his teeth, although lately it has become easier.

Words: Lots and lots! Colton is a little jabber and is getting easier to understand everyday.

Colton woke up to a table full of presents and cards.

Colton enjoyed opening all of his presents.

He loved all of his gifts.

Colton's favorite show right now is Caillou and we actually found a Caillou doll at Toys R Us.

Colton loves to watch Toy Story over and over. This gift pack with all of the characters is one of his favorites...he plays with them daily.

Surveying all of his gifts.

Walking around Chuck E Cheese's.

Blowing out his candle.

Eating his yummy cake.

Kinley's first week at home

2011-06-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

We got to bring Kinley home on Monday, May 9. It was so nice to finally get her home and we were finally a complete family. I got to start putting her in all of the cute clothes that I had. Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting such a small baby and I didn't have very many newborn clothes so I had to go out and buy her some. She is a good sport with all of the pictures that are taken of her. Enjoy!

Kinley's first dress.
05-10-11

All wrapped up and warm from her first bath at home.
05-10-11

Ready for bed in her cute duckie pj's.
05-11-11

I got these great monthly stickers to use each month and see her growth. I wish I had them with Colton. Here she is 0, really one week old.
05-12-11

Colton holding his little sister for the first time. He instantly fell in love with her.
05-13-11

What a difference two year makes....Colton's leg with his new sisters.
05-13-11

Another cute pj outfit.
05-13-11

Just chillin' in her zebra print onesie.
05-14-11

Kinley Marsha Gant

2011-05-31T12:06:00.001-07:00

Kinley Marsha Gant was born on May, 4, 2011, and what a story it was. My doctor had scheduled us to go in for induction on Tuesday night. Last time, with Colton, the induction didn't take the 12 hours that they said it would. I had Colton very quickly after getting started, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Kinley. Needless to say, it was a very different experience altogether.

After having the cervix softner in for 12 hours, I was contracting and only dilated to a 2. My doctor came in at 8:30 am and broke my water and started pitocin to get it going. An hour later I got an epidural and it felt great. Now it was just time to wait for Kinley to make her appearance.

A couple hours later, I started to feel really weak and like I was going to faint. At the same time, the nurse came in because she noticed Kinley's heart rate start to drop. All of a sudden, my blood pressure dropped to 70/30 and Kinley's heart rate to 70! Not good at all. I have high blood pressure and with medication it's normally in the high 130's over high 80's, so to have it drop to 70/30 was not good. First we needed to get Kinley's heart rate up or they were going to have to do a c-section. The nurse had me lay on my side which seemed to help and soon her heart rate was back up. Now, it was time to deal with my blood pressure. I literally felt like I was going to pass out so they stopped pitocin which essentially stopped my contractions and labor. That also helped Kinley's heart rate go back up. Apparently, her heart rate dropped because I had five contractions in a row with out a break and she didn't like all that pressure.

An hour later the nurse started the pitocin again and the waiting started again. By 2:00 pm the nurse checked me again and I had dilated to a 6. She talked to my doctor and he would be by in a couple of hours and I would start pushing. I asked the nurse if my son could come visit with my dad and step mom. She said that would be fine and I called my dad and asked him to come see us. Right after they came, my nurse came in and looked at the monitor. She said that she needed to check me and everyone left. She checked me and I had dilated to a 10 without even knowing it! I could feel a little bit a pressure but had no idea! She told me to push for about 8 seconds. I could feel Kinley come right down the birth canal and was right there ready to make her debut. The nurse said that I couldn't push anymore because we had to wait for my doctor to get there due to the complications from earlier in the day. Unfortunately I had to wait 20 minutes while on my side and with my legs crossed :). My doctor arrived, put on gloves and turned me on my back. I asked if I should push and he said no and out slid Kinley at 4:45 pm.

The Gant family of three about to become four.

Kinley Marsha Gant, 7 lbs, 6 oz, 20 inches long

Holding her for the first time.

Big yawn....

Daddy's little girl

Colton meeting his little sister for the first time.

Grandma Ruby holding Kinley.

Colton enjoyed sitting on Mommy's bed watching Mickey Mouse.

Sleeping on daddy.

All dressed up and in Grandma Marsha's blanket.

So peaceful...

The first night with Kinley she started choking and actually stopped breathing. By the time the nurse got there she was breathing but her lips were still blue. The nurse took her to get a deep suction done on her because there was still mucus in her system. They also did a blood culture on her to make sure that she didn't have an infection. Unfortunately, we wouldn't know for 12-24 hours on the results which meant that we were spending another night in the hospital. Within 12 hours her white blood count came back higher than normal so they re-ran it. The second night I told Eric to go home and spend some time with Colton, who was having a hard time without Mom or Dad. Kinley was having rough night, not sleeping very much and choking a little. The nurse came in a 2 am and asked if I had gotten any sleep. When I said no she said that she would take Kinley and watch her for a little while so I could get some sleep. Two hours later, she woke me up and said that I had a phone call from a doctor that I needed to take. She told me that they were taking Kinley to the NICU because of the choking, her white blood count was high and she was jaundice. I remember how scared I felt, especially because Eric wasn't there with me to take in all the news. I was exhausted and couldn't stop the emotions and crying was all I could do. I called Eric and he came right over and we went to the NICU with Kinley.

This is how she looked for three days that she was in the NICU. It's very scary as a parent to see your helpless child like this. It was also very hard to be released the next day and not be able to take her home with us.

This is the first time that I got to hold her after she went to the NICU. I think that was the hardest thing for me...seeing her and not being able to just pick her up and hold her.

After being monitored and poked and prodded for 3 1/2 days her jaundice was better, her blood count came back better and she wasn't choking anymore and we got to take her home! What a happy day for all of us!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say that this Easter was a lot of fun. With Colton being nearly two we were able to color eggs, do an Easter egg hunt and have him genuinely excited to get an Easter basket this year. Enjoy!

Getting ready to color our eggs.

Daddy helping out with the egg coloring.

Colton loved putting stickers on Daddy as well as....

himself....posing with our finished eggs.

The finished products.

Colton's basket with the eggs that he found in the egg hunt.

Have I ever mentioned how much Colton loves the phone. Here he is pretending to talk to "granpa."

Easter morning....getting ready to go outside to the Easter egg hunt.

Finding one the eggs....

Putting all of his eggs together.

Finding the rest of his Easter surprise.....Buzz Lightyear and doggie.

We bought a little wading pool for Colt to play in and decided to fill it up and let the sun warm the water before letting him get in it. He had a different idea and decided to get in with his clothes on.

So, we decided to put on his swimming suit and let him go for it....

We were out there for about 45 minutes and he just played in the water....we hope to put in an actual pool this fall/winter. Next year at this time we hope to actually be relaxing/playing in a bigger, nicer pool :).

Easter Egg Hunt Video

Spring 2011

2011-04-24T19:13:00.001-07:00

This has been a busy Spring for us. With the anticipation of Baby Kinley making her way to us and me being off work, we've been able to get a lot done and Colton has enjoyed having more time with Mommy before Baby K gets here. I've attached new pictures of both Colton's room and Kinley's as I've pretty much finished hers. Enjoy!

Colton fell asleep after eating lunch....he has only done this one other time that I can think of...he must've been really tired.

Colton received an early birthday gift from Grandma Barb and Grandpa Dave...Horsey!

Colton has adjusted really well to his new BIG boy bed. He sleeps through the night and comes into our room when he wakes in the morning. We are so glad that we thought to get him transitioned into a new bed a few months before Kinley comes.

Colton's nightstand and rocker. Colton loves to grab a book or two and sit in his rocker to read his books.

I found another changing table on clearance so I decided to get it so that both Kinley and Colton would have one in their rooms. I found one that matches the rest of Colton's furniture, which was nice. I'm still planning on potty training him this summer but until then I won't have to worry about where to change him.

These are all of the mini bats from each major league baseball game that we've been to since Colton was born. It's Eric and I's goal to eventually hit all of the baseball parks.

Colton's dresser.

Closet and door.

Kinley's room with her rocker and nightstand.

This view hasn't changed too much, just some stuff on the wall and floor.

The quilt on this wall is pretty special. Before my mom passed away, twelve years ago, I was not married nor had any kids, she thought ahead and made me a boy and girl set of quilts and baby blankets. Colton loved his baby blankets and it became one of his favorites due to how soft it was and because I think he knew it was special. Kinley will grow up knowing how special these items are to her.

This is her dresser with all the necessities: burb clothes, lotion, tiny diapers, wipes and of course her binkies and headbands :). I also changed out the knobs to be a little more girly.

Changing table with all necessities that Colton just loves to pull out whenever he can.

This cute shelf, clock and flower chandelier sit above her rocker.

Her door with K.

Chuck E Cheese and Daddy's baseball game

2011-04-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Chuck E Cheese
Eric, unfortunately, had gotten kidney stones once again. Ironically, the first time he had experienced them was when I was pregnant with Colton. He was in a lot of pain and pain medication was inconsistent as to when it would work or not. He had to take a couple days off of work due to the pain. One day he felt miserable in the morning but luckily the pain had subsided enough and we decided to take Colton to Chuck E Cheese for some fun. It was nice because the place was empty and we had the place to ourselves. Colton was not interested in lunch at all (pizza) and all he wanted to do was go around with Daddy to all of the different games.

Colton's favorite games were the ones where he was able to pretend to drive something.

or if they had Spongebob on it....here Daddy is helping Colton bowl.

Helping Colton steer the race car around the track.

Stopping to see what Spongebob game this was....too bad it was out of service.

Another fun car to drive...this time with Stuart Little.

Colton looks like he is hanging on for dear life with Daddy taking the wheel.

Later that night we went to see Daddy play softball.

All Colton wanted to do was play on the playground.

A couple of older girls were there playing as well and took a liking to Colton.

Take a close look, Colt has a mini helmet on his head....this kid loves hats!

Silly Colton

2011-04-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

We got a new camera, Cannon Rebel EOS and boy is it nice. I am still getting use to taking pictures with it and hope to get better each time I take pictures.

It's been a while since I've updated everyone on how big Colton is getting. Colton is now 23 months (boy how time flies) and his little personality is such a cute one. He is very sweet and even tempered (for the most part) and I must say polite little boy. He constantly says "Please," "thank you," and "sorry" when necessary. Colton's hair has started to come in and it is a dark red, almost auburn in color. With his piercing blue eyes and fair skin, he gets compliments wherever we go from strangers...."what a handsome little boy...love the red hair!" Daddy keeps thinking that it will get lighter in color, and maybe it will, but for now he wears it well and reminds me of my mom, Grandma Marsha, who passed away 12 years ago. She had beautiful red hair the color of Colton's. It's like Grandma Marsha wanted to put her stamp on our special little boy. He is now over 36 inches high and weighs nearly 33 pounds! He is wearing all 3T clothes and a size 6 diaper. I hope to get him potty trained this summer as he seems interested in it now, plus it will be nice not to have two kiddos in diapers at the same time! Colton has a huge vocabulary and speaks in sentences most of the time. He can also name most of his colors and count to five. Colton knows all of the words to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and loves to sing it with Mommy. His new favorite song is "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and says the last part, "And the Dr. said, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" in a deep voice (too funny)! Colton still loves to watch the Sprout channel and his favorite show is Calliou, which he will sit for the entire time and watch. His new favorite show is Bubble Guppies on Nickelodeon. Colton is a loving child who freely gives "loves" (hugs) to whoever wants one and laughs at the silliest things. Eric and I are very blessed to have such a wonderful, content little boy who will be a wonderful older brother to his new sister Kinley, who he refers to either "baby" or "KK".

Colton and his big blue eyes. He seems to chew and play more with his binkies than suck on them.

Colton got into my makeup one day and if you look closely he has eyeliner on his face. This is how I found him....with the look of guilt on his face.

This was in early March, the first really nice day that we had. Colton couldn't wait to get outside.

Trying to see the dog next door that was barking.

Again, a guilty look on his face. I had left him for a few seconds so that I could use the bathroom. When I came back, he had climbed on top of the island and poured the syrup on the newspaper, emptying nearly the whole bottle.

A closer look at the damage. This boy loves to take the lids, caps, tops off of things and pour out whatever is inside.

It's hard to be mad at this kid....just look at that face.

I can't express how much Colt loves his time at Gymboree. Now that I'm home we try to go twice a week, he would go daily if he could.

Happy, happy boy! Love the tongue hanging out!

One of his favorite things....the slide...weeee!

I love this picture. Why you might ask? Take a look and you will see that Colton has stopped what he was doing and is one of the only kids paying attention to the teacher, Miss Jessica. With all of the energy that Colton has, he can still stop and listen to the teacher.

This is Colton's "Oh Mom, not another picture!"

This is one of Colton's favorite things at Gymboree....getting stamps of Gymbo on his hands and feet.

I made the mistake of leaving the drivers side door open when I got Colton out of his car seat. Colton quickly climbed up and started to hit all of the gadgets and buttons.

You can see the joy on his face and he plays in Daddy's car.

Colton decided to get into his toy box and promptly take every single toy out of it.

Once that was done, he was out of there!

Another silly side to Colton. Hmmm, lets see if I can stick two binkies in my mouth at the same time! Yup, no problem!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Silly Colton just couldn't stop laughing as I was taking his picture.

After breakfast one morning, Colton promptly got a book and took a seat on the couch.

Once he noticed that I had noticed, he started to be silly and flipped around and put his head down.

He was having fun with me and started laughing.

Baby Showers!

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I am now 37 weeks pregnant and have been fortunate enough to have two baby showers. The first one was when I was 7 months pregnant and in my last month of work. The funny thing is, when I look at these pregnant pictures at 7 months, I haven't changed much now that I am nearly 9 months along. I have only gained 22 pounds with this pregnancy compared to 43 pounds that I gained with Colton. Coincidentally, I have had food poisoning twice, losing 7 pounds each time. The last time was a week ago and had to go to labor and delivery for three bags of IV fluid to try and regain some of the weight that I had lost. I was also experiencing some contractions but they stopped once my body was re-hydrated. It has been very nice to be off work since the middle of March and will not have to return until mid August. We are ready for Baby K to make her appearance at any time :).

Some great friends at work threw me a shower. It was fun to see some of the guy teachers show up as well.

Getting ready to open some gifts.

I work with some very talented people. I got lots of handmade blankets.

Daddy brought Colton and he had a friend to play with. Lillian is six days older than him and they have a great time together.

My wonderful friend Rebecca threw me a shower for friends. It was a lot of fun and good food too.

Colton loves the ladies :).

Colton had another friend to play with, Kaycee. The two of them followed each other around and then helped me open presents.

These two loved helping me open presents.

Playing Catch Up!

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I know, I know, it's been a while since I've updated our blog and all I can say is that it's been a very busy couple of months! I have lots to catch up on and pictures to post. First, we'll begin with February. We had two sets of grandparents visit us at the same time. Colton was definitely spoiled with attention and he loved it! Enjoy!

Whenever Colt sees Daddy's Ipod he wants to listen to the music like him. Eric followed Colton around in circles while he listened to a song.

He would barely stop for me to get a picture of him. This kid loves music and will literally stop what he is doing when he hears something that catches his ear....he's also a pretty good dancer, 1
just like daddy!

Even though Colt is in a big boy bed now, he refuses to let go of his favorite blanket. He sleeps every night with it and drags it around the house.

I usually make brown sugar muffins on Sunday morning. Here, Colton is enjoying his breakfast of bananas and a clementine along with the mixer from the muffin mix.

Grandpa Dan and Grandma Ruby came to visit and spend time with Colton. Colton loves, loves, loves books and here Grandpa is reading a Mickey Mouse book to him.

The morning Grandpa and Grandma left. Colton can't wait to see them again soon.

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Barb also came to visit and spend time with Colton. He is one lucky kid to have so many loving grandparents!