Just An Update

Its hard to believe that Kinsey will be 2 years old in April. She acts so big now - but I still feel like it was just last month that we brought her home to be ours forever. Cali is almost 5 months old - and I feel like she should still be a "newborn".
Time goes so fast.

I am really enjoying having two little ones. I love the way that they interact and watch each other. Kinsey is a protector (as much as she can be) of Cali - always attentive to her. Cali just loves watching Kinsey. Cali will strain to turn and see Kinsey move from place to place. Its really a beautiful thing to watch. Kinsey can make Cali smile and even laugh. Its clear that Cali enjoys having Kinsey around. I really believe they will have a special bond. I just love it - my girls :)

I haven't really updated on them in a few. I am almost three weeks late - but Cali can sit up now! March 8th (the Sunday we were in California) she was laying back on a pillow and just sat up! So - at 4 months and 9 days she sat up! Now I am pretty sure that Kinsey was a little later - maybe 5 1/2 months? I'll have to check. I think Kinsey has been Cali's motivation. She sees her jump and play and wants in on the action :)
For the last couple months we have been casually introducing the "potty" to Kinsey. I just kinda wanted her to be familiar with it so it didn't come to be such a surprise when we wanted to get things going :) Well the last week before we left for California she became more consistent. And she actually did the #2! She even surprised me a little and went potty on the big toilet while on vacation! The last few days she has been telling me when she wants to go - so I know she is picking up on it. I still have a diaper on her - but she has been going 3-4 times each day in the last few days. I am excited about it - my little baby is getting so big! I don't want to rush her so we are just taking our time. Slowly but surely we will get it.
Its amazing to me how much she seems to be growing. She is adding more words to her vocabulary daily. iShe repeats alot of the words she hears - and she is just so active. It really came out on the trip. She knows what she wants and she really understands what's going. She is active - loves being outside when she can - I think that will be the place she feels closest to God. She is such a sweet spirit.

We have 3 Veggie Tales CD's. Silly Songs, Sunday School Songs & Worship Songs. They are a HIT! The Sunday School Songs & The Worship Songs CD's are great. She sings along as best as she can and its beautiful. When we don't have the CD playing Kinsey initiates the songs. She raises her little finger and says "Light" for This LIttle Light of Mine, for "I've Got the Joy" she says Joy! Joy! JOy! or for "I'm so Happy, So Very Happy" she says "Happy! Happy! Happy!". Yeah - she is awesome.Cali is growing - obviously :) A few people (who were bold enough to ask) were surprised that I am breastfeeding her. at her 18 week check up a few weeks back she was 16.4 lbs - but Kinsey was 16 lbs at 18 weeks too .... so.... She isn't much bigger than Kinsey was at this age. She is still sleeping through the night and pretty soon I will be adding baby cereal to her diet. No - I haven't started it yet. But I guess most pediatricians are now saying that moms can wait til 6 months to start it. I don't really know - that's just what I have heard. Kinsey is a mere 26 lbs. Her height is in the 90's percentage wise - and her weight is average. They tell me not to be worried (not that I was) - that she is doing great. They only tend to worry if toddlers are obese. No Doubt. Anyway - just a lil update :)

The Beach! (Take 1)

It was so special to see Kinsey with Kyle on the beach. She just loved it! 53 degrees out and she still couldn't get enough...we spent an hour just watching her find shells and rocks with daddy! I thought we would go take a picture on the beach and then head back to the guest house - nope. She wasn't even ready to go when we decided that it was time. She just loved it! Loved running with daddy through the water with her little pant legs rolled up.
They would wade a little bit in the water and turn and run when the wave came... you should have seen her smile and laugh. It was beautiful. She just had so much joy. But then again - little ones can find joy in everything.

Its just special seeing her - seeing her and daddy.

It made me sad because Kinsey's first mom doesn't have that with her dad...
but it also made me thankful that Kinsey does.

.



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While I was at the beach I kept thinking of different things -
like that line in the song
"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean"..
or...
when Kyle pointed out Kinsey's tiny little foot prints in the sand -
I thought of the poem where God carries the man during the most difficult time in his life. I also though about how everything has to work perfectly in this world like the moon and the tides. How there is a Creator who loves us and he created this all just for us.

No strings attached.

Sea World!

Our Day at Sea World!
(my "panoramic stitching")

We couldn't decide between going to the
San Diego Zoo or to Sea World -
well Sea World won out :)
It was in the 50's - so not too hot, not too cold - just perfect!
Both girls were free no matter which place we chose -
and since daddy had never experienced anything like Sea World before, we decided to take advantage of the time and place we were at :)

Cali just loved seeing everything - the colors, the animals and us of course :) She kept looking up at daddy through the little window of the stroller. She loves to be held and snuggled which was great since strollers are not allowed in alot of the attractions there. I just had to keep getting her out to see everything - she looked so happy - I couldn't resist.

Here is me and the girls with my new double stroller getting ready to head in! Both of the girls slept the whole way there so Kinsey was pretty sleepy at first :)

Now this was one of my favorite things - petting the mana rays (sting rays - whatever).
They are just swimming around and you can buy squid to feed them! Well, we didn't buy any squid, but we stayed up by the edge so we could pet them. They are just huge. Its so neat because they lift their head out of the water expecting you to give them squid - they look like huge aliens. They also swim by and splash you! Kinsey got freaked out when that happened but we went back for more. :) They feel so neat and it was so cool to pet them.

This is that alien face coming out of water at me :)

This is me petting it's head! It was so crazy!

I tried to get Kinsey to pet it - but she liked viewing from the edge :)

My happy baby got splashed - but she was all smile anyway :)

It's me and my handsome hubby :)

The end of the day we are still smiles :)

Kinsey & I after seeing the dolphins up close and personal :)

We were able to get pretty close to the dolphins too - Kinsey really enjoyed seeing them.

Kyle and I enjoyed the whales more than Kinsey. She thought they were neat -
but we were at the top of the bleachers
(behind everyone, so I could feed baby and WAY out of reach of the "splash zone").
Even though she enjoyed them, I think she wasn't as impressed as she may have been,
had we been in the first few rows.

She really liked the sharks - especially the tunnel you go through where the sharks are swimming all around you! She held on close to daddy for that part of the trip.

The seals were the first part that we saw. I didn't know that you could actually feed them,
so that was cool. They came right up to the glass and Kinsey got an eye full :)
She thought they were so neat!

Self portrait of us - Cali not looking so happy :)

The nice guy who takes pictures right when you walk into the park was kind enough to take one of us with my camera - he even offered :)
Its so nice considering they charge an arm and a leg for anything in that place.

I loved this part of it - but it was the end of the day and
Kinsey just would NOT wake up to see the whale.
I can hear her now saying "Woah! Woah! Woah!"
in her cute little voice pointing that cute little finger :)Kyle video taped it for her with his phone for later :)
Notice Cali watching the whale :)
Yep - my little princess was pooped and slept the last half hour we were there!
But she just look beautiful :)
Nice part of the park was that one day passes are the same as "all year long" passes.
Bad part of the park is that one day passes are the same as "all year long" passes.
We thought about going back again but since we had seen everything the first day we decided not to. They really get you on parking and anything else they can think of :)
But we had a great time the day we went and if by some remote chance we end up in San Diego later on this year then we will be heading back :)