Catching up with some pics

I know, I have been doing a terrible job at keeping up with the blog recently...heck, I still have to post about her birthday party. In due time, right :)


Okay, so here is a good amount of pics of Kylie and I will do my best to recount the stories behind them...given, my memory doesn't fail me too much :)


We were in Kylie's playroom (more on the playroom later) for this first group of pics, and Kylie was just being so silly and smiling a ton. Definitely the makings for some great pics!

I got this pic as she was in the middle of dancing....what a pose :)

She was jumping and spinning at the same time here...she loves to do that!

So my mom got her these pom poms this past summer and she goes all out when she plays with them!

Kylie likes to play this game where she will say "Momma/dadda get the ball." She will then throw it and race you to get the ball. This was after she got the ball, and was very happy that she won...she always seems to win :)

Kylie loves a piggy back ride. Here are a couple pics of Matt giving her one.

She was talking to me when I took this pic, and it looks like she was trying to smile, so I love it.

Kylie was putting her doll shoes on her fingers...she thought it was so silly!

Just another cute pic!

Kylie riding on her giraffe bike from Grandma Nancy.

We had a playdate with one of Kylie's best friends...she has a few besties :) Here are a couple pics of them that day. It was tricky trying to get both of them to smile at the same time. You will see a couple pics of each one smiling, but not at the same time :)

Giving a goodbye hug!

Kylie was playing dress up, and keeping the clothes and things on for more than a minute, so perfect picture snapping time :)

It looks like she is trying to decide what wish she wants to grant here.

Looks like she made a decision and is waving her wand to grant a magical wish!

Love this one too!

One morning Kylie was watching some shows on Nick Jr, and she found a comfy spot to watching them....on Dadda :)

No more...

Diapers!







This is so very exciting! On Friday, I started the 3 Day Potty Training that Matt got from one of his co-workers. I read it over a couple days before, and was preparing myself for a long 3 days :) You see just a couple weeks prior, I had attempted my own version of potty training, and I only was able to last until lunch time...it was just more difficult than what I had imagined it to be. I was seriously convinced that Kylie would forever be in diapers after that day.







Anyhow, we did just as the 3 Day deal suggested, and Kylie helped me throw away all of the diapers. She then said Diapers all gone, no more diapers :)







We have 2 sticker charts...one for pee where Kylie picks small stickers to go on it. And then one for poop and Kylie gets to pick large Winnie the Pooh stickers to go on it. She does that in addition to getting an M&M, which she just loves!





Anyhow, she has stayed dry the last 5 nights, and dry at nap times too! No accidents since Saturday. Well, she kinda started to have one on Sunday, but we got there in time...so I don't want to count that one and blemish her record :)





We may need to take her clothes in a bit now...her pants kind of sag in the bottom area now that she doesn't have a diaper to fill it up...it's kind of cute!





I know some without kids may not appreciate the cuteness of this next little bit, but Kylie likes to wave bye bye to her potty when she flushes it and she says bye bye to it as well. Then she runs out and asks for her chocolate and sticker.






I started this post a couple days ago, and tried to update as much as I could. If anything is confusing then well, I guess I may have a missed some things.

Christmas Came Early!

Okay, so yesterday afternoon while Kylie was napping, I was catching up on email and so forth when the doorbell rang.


To my surprise it was my mom, and dad, and their dog Abbey! They drove here from Ohio to see us...ha ha, they came to see Kylie, and be here for Christmas.



I seriously just froze, and was like What are you doing here? I guess I was in shock or something. I still can't believe they are here, and it is really great to have them here to see where we live, and spend time with Kylie.



There's more...



Matt had left like minutes before they arrived (apparently it was all part of their master plan), and then he returns a few minutes after they got here with my brother, Joey and...well, just see below to see who else came with them. My sister, Jennifer, wasn't able to get off of work (she recently started a new job), but hopefully we will all get together another time.

Yep, Grandma Karen and Papa Joe, got Kylie a puppy for Christmas! Kylie is beginning to get used to having Annie follow her around and it is really funny, because they take turns chasing each other. We just love hearing Kylie giggle and belly laugh when she plays with the dog, and when the dog gives her kisses.

So what is the dog's name? Annie. I always loved the movie Annie growing up, and since this puppy looks so much like an orphaned dog, I thought it was a perfect fit. Funny thing is that Kylie keeps calling it Abbey on and off, because she is used to my parents dog, who is named Abbey.

I'm not sure she realizes that Annie is hers, but I'm guessing it will all sink in when they return to Ohio, and Annie stays here.

Annie is very loveable, and cuddly, and playful. I think that makes for a great first time dog for our little family. Kylie loves helping, and really enjoyed it when she helped me feed Annie yesterday.







I know, she is kind of funny looking, but that is what makes her so cute! She is a Yorkie Poo...Matt says that is the most manly type of dog a guy can get...haha. Anyway, she is awkward and just super sweet, and she loves to curl up with you just about anywhere.



Kylie already had a tea party with Annie yesterday :) I know, I should have taken pictures, but I was enjoying it too much! I'm sure it was just the first of many. Kylie was even holding the teacup for Annie to drink from.



Anyhow, here is another cute pic of Annie.

All things Kylie

Here are a few recent share-able Kylie moments that made me smile, and laugh!



Wash Hands

One day last week, Kylie came downstairs as I was getting things together so we could run a few errands. She was saying "wash hands" and I could see that her hands were dirty with something brown on them. I was thinking what in the world could she have gotten into. I run upstairs to get some wipes and to do a quick scan of the room where she was playing.


What I found was an empty Reeses Cup wrapper. And it was damp...she must have licked it clean! Once I realized this, I just laughed.


Coat On

Following the Reeses Cup incident, Kylie and I were getting our coats before heading out the door. She wanted to put her coat on herself. She did great getting one arm in, and then had a bit of trouble getting the other arm in. What I saw was Kylie literally going in circles trying to find the other arm hole to get her coat on all the way. It was cute, kinda funny, and then I just felt bad for her. She was just working so hard to do it by herself.


Before she did too many circles, I stopped her from getting dizzy and helped her find the other arm hole to get her coat on.



Taking a Drive

On Friday last week, it was sooooo nice outside...like a high of 60. Crazy, I know. We made the most of it and played outside for a bit. Kylie got in her car and told me that she was going to see Papa and Abbey, and she would be back soon. I loved this little conversation we had!


Then she said she was going to surprise dada, and that he would be happy, and that she got back.



2 More Minutes

Everyone tells you that your kids will use your words against you one day....I just didn't know it would be so soon. We always tell Kylie that she has 2 more minutes to play, or 2 more minutes of reading books before bedtime, and so on.


Well, we needed to get inside to eat some lunch on our sunny Winter day, and she held up her fingers and said 2 more minutes! Priceless, don't you think!



Cheek to Cheek

One day after one of Kylie's naps last week, I got her out of her room and brought her downstairs with me. She usually like some quiet time and sits with me or even lets me hold her after her nap....I love this! Well, she put her cheek on mine, and we just sat cheek to cheek for a whole minute! It seemed like forever, but it was so sweet having her so close and being okay with it! To think, this is the little girl that never liked a hug or to be touched, and she had her face pressed up against mine :)

Ohio trip

So towards the end of November we took a very last minute trip to Ohio. So last minute, that I booked the tickets on Friday night and we left Saturday morning.





Anyhow, we did not take our camera with us, but we were able to get a few pics on my mom's camera.





Kylie got ahold of this hat and had a good time wearing it, and then telling everyone else that they needed to wear it too!












I had made dinner for all of us one night, and here is a pic at Papa Joe and Grandma Karen watching Kylie eat. I just think it is so cute that they are both admiring how very awesome their granddaughter is!

Kylie was giving Papa Joe a hug before he went off to work one day.

Just another pic of Kylie being uber cute!

All 3 of us took turns with the flu just a couple days after we got to Ohio. Kylie had it first and was up vomiting off and on for 5 hours....it was just so sad and terrible to see her go through that. Matt got it a day or two later, and then I did the following day. The good thing was that we all didn't have it at the same time.

My Aunt Rose from Hawaii came in town a few days after we did, and we were able to meet up with her and a few other family members.

Below is a pic of Kylie meeting her 2nd cousin, Zoe, for the first time. Kylie's Great Aunt Rose, brought both girls gifts that they really enjoyed! I think it also helped distract Kylie from being uncomfortable around new people. (All pics are courtesy of my Aunt Rose...thanks again, especially since we didn't have our camera!)

This is a cute pic that was snapped of Matt and I.

The pic below is a pic of some of the cousins. Me, my sister, my brother, and my cousin.

Here is a cute pic of Kylie giving Zoe a hug goodbye.

Kylie really did a great job with being around some new people. We were really proud of her. Though it was enough that she didn't want to eat the yummy pizza that my sister had, and that my Aunt brought too. Kylie did let us know when she ready to go home. She kept saying home, and then walked to the door and opened it and walked out.

So yes, she makes her needs quite obvious :) But that is a good thing...no, a great thing! Kylie's therapists have always said that she has great coping skills and she certainly does. She knows when her box gets full, and just needs to get away before we reach the point of no return. So, way to go Kylie :)

I think it was the day before we left to come back home, when my Aunt Rose and Uncle Chuck stopped by my parents to visit them for a bit, and spend more time with Kylie. Once again, Kylie was awesome and did great....the donuts they brought didn't hurt either :) They were yummy too!

Here is a pic of the 3 of us with my Aunt and Uncle. Yes, Kylie has her paci and snuggie...we snapped the pic just before we put her down for her nap.

All and all, it was a pretty good trip. Kinda hard with each of us getting sick on different days, but it was nice to escape life at home...all the cooking, and cleaning, and just mundane things. I know my family really enjoyed the time they had with Kylie, and it was nice that we were able to take it easy and just be away for a bit.

All things Kylie

Okay, so I mentioned in the last post that my following post would be about the last minute trip we took to Ohio. Umm...I promise the next post will be about that :) Sorry, I don't have all the pics on my computer.


Back to all the random, and silly things that make Kylie, so very Kylie!

Ketchup

I remember when Kylie was starting on table foods that I read somewhere that kids love when they can dip foods in sauces, dip, or whatever. With all of Kylie's sensory issues, I figured that day would never happen...at least no time soon.



I thought I would offer her some ketchup one day, just to see what she would do. As you usually does with something new, she doesn't even get it to her mouth and makes that horrible face and puts it back.



Kylie has lots of anxieties when it comes to food and is less likely to eat if we keep encouraging her to eat, or if we are paying too much attention to whether or not she is eating. After several attempts and mommy and daddy not watching (well, not for her to notice), Kylie now enjoys ketchup! Kylie refers to it as sup.



The thing I have learned about having a toddler, or just a child in general, is that they do not really get that we typically put ketchup on certain foods. Kylie however likes to dip apples, cookies, crackers, just about everything she can into her ketchup.



The hardest thing to watch is when she sticks her fork in the ketchup and then just eats it off the fork....yuck! I love ketchup more than anything, but even I won't do that :)



Oh, another silly thing is whenever Kylie dips french fries in ketchup, she just sucks it off of the french frie and then dips it again. It look so gross and soggy...no sharing that with us :)




Cuddle bug

A couple days last week were some of my absolutely favorite days with Kylie. She has never, ever been a cuddler, so anytime she sits close I soak it up as much as I can. But twice last week, Kylie didn't just sit close, she laid back on me and we just cuddled for a short time! I was scared to move a muscle, because I worried that she would realize that she was so close or that she would move away. Matt was working each time it happened, but I do hope it happens again when he is home so we can capture a picture of these sweet moments.




Missing ornament

The other night Matt and I were downstairs after Kylie had went to bed, and I noticed an ornament that was a good distance from the Christmas tree. I asked him why it was so far away, and he said that he just took it out of his pocket. He said he found it upstairs. Apparently Kylie wanted to decorate her room or just save one for herself. Perhaps we need to get Kylie her own little tree to decorate.




New bed

Yep, we did it....we put Kylie in a toddler bed! We let her see it and had it out for a few days before we put it in her room. She tends to get excited with new things...then again, who doesn't :) Anyhow, she was really excited when we told her that she was getting a new bed. Well, the day finally came and we did it.



Matt did the honors of putting her down at bedtime, and she really started to cry. We were both worried about how things were going to turn out, but she was a star! She only cried for a few minutes, and then was out. I checked on her when I went to bed, and she was sound asleep in her new bed. It was the cutest thing ever! My little girl is just getting so big...makes me a little sad though.



Here are a couple pics I snapped the first morning she woke up in her new bed.

Oh, a note I wanted to share is that we put one of those childproof things on the doorknob on the inside of her room, so she can't just wonder out. Well, that only works when you close the door :) One day during naptime she decided she was awake after not sleeping too long, and came downstairs. Yep, I failed to pull the door closed all the way. I am definitely more diligent about closing it all the way now :)

Lullaby request

I made up a little song when Kylie was just a baby....the things we do to calm our little ones and try to get them to sleep. I started singing it to Kylie again, to calm her before putting her down for naps and bedtime. At first I would alternate what songs I would sing, but now Kylie requests the same song over and over again. It is really sweet! The beginning is Kylie Mae Stump is a princess, so she will say Kylie Stump as we are walking upstairs to make sure she gets her request in before I start singing something else to her.

She certainly makes me smile! She will even try to sing or say a word here or there as I am singing to her. Recently she likes to interrupt the singing, and I think maybe she thinks if I don't sing her the song, then I won't put her down to sleep.

I always tell her that I will sing for 2 minutes and then she goes to sleep. Just the other day she jumped up in the glider in her room, and said 2 min...ni-night, awake...play elmo. I laughed and said "yes, Kylie..we sing for 2 minutes and go ni-night, then we wake up and play with elmo."

Sneaky

Kylie is going to be quite the mischievous little thing. I went to get her ready for church the other day, and the hall bathroom door was closed and the light was on. I knew Matt was in the shower in the master bath, so I opened the door. Kylie was rummaging through one of the bathroom drawers, and she said close, and she tried closing the door on me.

We definitely need to keep close watch on this little lady, or we will be submitting clips to funniest videos.



No

So Kylie is expanding her way to say No. She likes to say no have to. She gets it from me when we try to see if she wants to try a new food, or just try to expose her to anything new. I always tell her that she doesn't have to do such and such if she doesn't want to do.


I think that sums up all the newest things that Kylie is doing that make her exactly who she is...Kylie :)

Playing catch-up

I know, it has been awhile since we posted all the happenings of little miss Kylie. So here is a shot at catching up on a few things.


Below are some super cute pics of Kylie playing with her Dora dress-up clothes that she got for her birthday. She was hesitant at first, but after a few attempts, she warmed up and let me help her get dressed up!

This is the face Kylie makes when we ask her to smile...she is such a silly little girl!

More of her silly smile :)

The night before Black Friday, we were going through all of the sale ads, to see if there were any good deals that couldn't be passed up. Well, Kylie decided to join in and was tossing through the ads as well. I guess she was trying to plan out her shopping too!

We can never get enough of that smile of hers!

A little more serious, but always so sweet!

So we had lots and lots of leaves to rake up a couple of weeks ago. Kylie loves to help rake...you know, it is more like un-raking all of our piles :) Here are lots and lots of pics of her helping me rake up the backyard, while Matt worked on the front.

A slight smile starting to peak through....it is so hard to get smiling pics of her. I almost got one here.

Yay! Look at all the fun Kylie is having getting a bunch of leaves! Oh, and a big smile too!!

The smile just gets bigger!

Kylie peaking through the gate of the fence.

I like how this one came out....I threw some leaves in the air and snapped a shot.

I'm not sure what we were talking about here, but I do like the expression on her face.

More of our silly girl :)

Studying all the leaves as she sits in them.

Let's see....what else has happened in the last couple of weeks. Oh, Kylie started wearing the footed jammies to bed! I know to some this is like an every day thing. But for us it is HUGE!

When it started getting colder, I tried to put them on Kylie and she would scream. She is also one that takes her socks and shoes off whenever she can....she just doesn't like how they feel.

So when we were in Ohio recently (more on that next post), my parents got her some slippers. I honestly think that trying to get her excited about the slippers....I would just call them her "new shoes" that it helped her be okay with the footed jammies.

So yes, it is exciting that in the past week, she has been wearing the jammies to bed and staying warmer at night. Prior to Kylie wearing the footed jammies, I would put socks on her and often they would be off by morning and she would have cold little piggies. She won't use a blanket at night, but she is getting more comfortable with letting us cover her up with one when she is on the couch with us. Baby steps :)