Almost 18 months!

WoW! I know I always start out with how time flies, but it seriously does! Lots has happened lately in the Wilmes house, with the latest being Easter! We had a great Easter with both families coming out to our house for lunch, and an Easter Egg Hunt. We had lots of great food and enjoyed having everyone together. We took K for her first Easter Egg hunt at the Ozark Community Center the weekend before Easter. It was a little crazy, with all the parents getting the eggs instead of the kids-K only got 5 eggs! On the Saturday before Easter we went to our church Easter egg hunt, and saw the Easter Bunny. Kinley HATED the Easter Bunny! She was totally terrified. It was hilarious, poor thing. So that about wraps up our fun Easter holiday.

As far as Kinley goes, she is loving her daycare! She likes to go and have fun with her little friends and play outside on the playground. This kid LOVES to play outside! However, she does NOT like walking in the grass barefoot! She won't even go in the grass without shoes on-I have no idea where she gets that from! She absolutely loves playing with bubbles-it's the first thing she runs to in the garage every time we come home. She also loooves shoes! She likes to go into her closet and get out shoes, and then comes up and says "SHOES!" and wants to put them on. K also likes to wear Mommy's heels already! She can actually walk in them-pretty impressive. Kinley is just growing so much and is really such an intelligent and fun child. I love her so much and can't wait to see how much she grows in the upcoming months!

Have a great week!

Lauren

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi everyone-I know it's been 2 months, but it has been crazy busy around here! I just seem to lose track of time! Today is Valentine's Day, but we didn't get to celebrate it traditionally. Seth's great-grandma died so he had to go out of town for the funeral and visitation. I had to stay here because of school. (Oh, by the way, I am in nursing school now, getting a BSN! Yay for some direction in life finally!) The good thing about today was that I got to stay home with Baby Girl all day (since there was no one to watch her today.) We played a lot, and she entertained me all day! Sunday we took the girls shopping and let them pick out their Valentine's gifts (also not traditional, but what the heck?) They LOVED it! We went up and down the aisles and they both got little animals-kitty for Kinley and a dog for Maddie. They also got to pick out some candy-they each only wanted 1 thing-a marshmallow sucker for K and a Barbie box of chocolates for Maddie. I also got them some Kit-Kats since they are obsessed with them, and we got some Valentine's cookies. K loved her marshmallow sucker-not to eat, but to play with! She was hitting everything in the house with it, just walking around smacking things! Which was adorable, but now there is sugar on everything. She also has to carry around the kitty now, so we are up to 3 stuffed animals at all times-kitty, and 2 bears. It's a little ridiculous.

K is at daycare now, which breaks my heart, but at least she's only there 3 days a week. It's a great daycare and she seems to really like it. I think it has been good for her to play with other little kids-she is kind of learning how to share. And she learned to play "Ashes" aka ring-around-the-rosy, and she plays it all the time with anyone who will take her hands. She really just wants to rock back and forth and say "ashes." It's pretty hilarious. She amazes me everyday with how much personality she has for such a little baby! She is constantly babbling and talking and laughing and making faces. She is so dramatic about everything! I just love her to pieces and am so glad to be her mom! She brightens each day, and reminds me that with  everything else going on, being her mom is the most important job I have! Seth and I are so lucky to have a healthy and HAPPY baby-we are thankful everyday for our little one and can't wait to see what she will be up to in the next few months!

Lauren

(Sorry for no new pics-I have only been taking them on my phone, and they get uploaded to Facebook anyway!)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, it's my favorite time of the year-Christmas time! We have the house all decorated and have already started doing fun Christmas activities with the girls. I LOVE doing things as a family-it is so nice to be with the girls and Seth and go do stuff. I was always doing something with my family when I was growing up, and I loved it, so I'm hoping I can keep that tradition alive! Lately, we have gone and looked at Christmas lights in Nixa, went to the Springfield Christmas Parade, and went to Silver Dollar City. The girls have seen Santa 3 times now! The first time, K cried and wouldn't stop. The second time K cried for a minute, and then Maddie held her hand and she stopped crying-it was soooo precious! The third time, no crying at all! The girls are so sweet together. It makes me so happy that they love each other so much already and are just so good together!

making cookies

our fireplace

in KC MO the weekend after Thanksgiving

my whole fam

at the parade-it was reallly sunny!

Santa at Bass Pro

Silver Dollar City 2011

loves the presents!

K is almost 14 months now, I cannot believe it. She is still running around like crazy, and talking more than ever. She loves to stand on anything and everything. She thinks the Christmas presents under the  tree are awesome because she can stand on all the boxes! I also had to put away all of her little ride-on toys because she stands on the all the time. She is such a little rascal! K is really starting to get an attitude and is a little bossy pants-she gets Maddie upset sometimes, and we have to remind M that she is bigger and doesn't have to let Kinley take everything from her. Kinley loves salad, chips and salsa, and anything with beef in it-she is definitely Daddy's girl in that aspect! She still loves to read all her books, and gets all of them out any chance she gets.

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

A Thankful November

Well, Kinley is 13 months old as of yesterday, and I just can't believe it! We got asked the other day how old she was and I said a year, and Seth quickly corrected me that she is actually 13 months. I can barely keep up with how fast time is going by! She had her 12 month check up today, and is 21lbs, 14oz, and 30 inches long-60% and 70% respectively. She pushed all the chairs around in the exam room, and chatted a lot with the doctor. Dr. Shauer said she is just perfect!

K is still such a little daredevil- not afraid of anything! She spent some time with her Nana yesterday, who helped her up and down on a little stool-when Nana left, Kinley was still trying to do it! She could get up just fine, but got stuck every time because she couldn't get down. She is so hilarious! She is saying lots of words and phrases, and is just a little Chatty Cathy. She is getting better about playing with other little kids-she doesn't steal their toys as much anymore! Haha. She is just so independent and has a very strong personality, and I love it all-good and bad!

Kinley and her friend Blair

She loves to read her books!

Gangster in her pink sweat suit, with graham cracker.

She's up there and she can't get down!

For Halloween Kinley was a little lady bug-she was so stinking cute! We went to a local church event where she got to play some games, and then we went trick-or-treating on our street. We should have just gone up and down our whole street earlier-she LOVED trick-or-treating! She was practically running from house to house, and then she knew to reach into the candy bucket and put them in her little pumpkin-it was so adorable! Then at each house she tried to go inside! She is definitely not shy.

playing games at the church

her candy stash from 4 houses!

My little ladybug and me!

 Things I am thankful for this season: my little baby girl, my wonderful husband Seth and step-daughter Maddie, my amazing parents and siblings, my incredible in-laws, my great group of friends, my co-workers who keep me laughing at work, our house and cars, and our health and happiness. I am also thankful for being able to go back to school in two months so I will be able to start my career! Sometimes it is hard to be thankful all the time because sometimes it seems that life isn't fair, or things should be going a little better, but after all the great things I have written about, how could life get any better? I am truly blessed in my life, and am so thankful. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to spend it with your families!

Kinley is ONE!

Wow. I CANNOT believe my baby girl is already one year old. The time has gone by so quickly! It is such a bittersweet time for me. My little baby is growing up into a toddler-she is walking, talking, climbing, and has a huge personality. It is an exciting time of growth for her, but I miss my little baby too. I want her to stay tiny, but I also love to watch her grow! I wish time would go by a little bit slower. The older she gets, the more I am trying to just enjoy my time with her and really try to create fun memories; I don't want to miss a moment with her!

Updates on Kinley- there are a lot! She is walking, and practically running everywhere! She loves to climb on top of things, and she can already do stairs like crazy and she climbs up on Maddie's little stool, and on the fireplace, and on anything else she can hike her foot up on. She has even climbed on to a few chairs at this point! She makes me so nervous because she is so fearless! She is talking and yelling like crazy too-she definitely already has an attitude!  She does not like to share anything, and thinks everything belongs to her. It is interesting to see Maddie and Kinley interact because Kinley doesn't understand sharing, and Maddie doesn't understand why Kinley doesn't share. Life is always very interesting around here. Kinley loves to play outside and LOVES to read books. She gets her books out all the time, brings them to me, and then crawls up in my lap so I can read to her-she gets to turn the pages. She is so much fun and brings so much joy to our lives!

I LOVE being a mom and am truly having the time of my life. K is the biggest joy and I am so thankful every day for having such a blessing in my life. Here are a few recent pictures for you to enjoy!

Little Ladybug at Pets and Pumpkins 2011

She crawled into the shower fully dressed with the water on!

Hey-look what I can get into!

Climbing on her shopping cart that she should be pushing around.

What a ham! Posing for birthday cake pictures.

On her new chair her Mimi got her for her birthday.

Seth, me, and Kinley on her first birthday-10.20.2011

My Awesome Choice- Being a Parent

     So I have been reading (sort of by accident ) several blogs by "child-free" people (aka CF and that is what I will call them from here on out, and this is who "you" is throughout this post) I am pretty much shocked and amazed and extremely sad and disappointed. All I have read so far is how horrible children are, how much we (parents) suck, and how much better CF people are than us.
      I never knew such hatred existed for little people. Do these CF people realize that they were once children? That they screamed and cried and threw fits once upon a time? The world will always have children, just like it will always have old people and middle aged people and bad people and good people. Deal with it. If you weren't a baby or a child, then guess what-you wouldn't be here! I respect people who don't want to have kids, until you disrespect me for being a parent. I honestly don't give a damn if you want kids or not, but don't diss my decision to have kids. If someone asks a newly married couple when they are going to have kids, it's just a question or conversation piece. Don't be offended-most people genuinely do not care what your answer is, no matter what their response is. It's just something to talk about. (Only your mother, grandmother, sister, or mother in law probably actually REALLLY cares.)
     Kids cry. Kids throw tantrums. It's part of them growing up and communicating. I cannot make my 4 month old stop crying because guess what-I more than likely have no idea why they are crying. I can't force them to instantly go to sleep. Just like I can't force an adult to stop talking or being obnoxious. I have been to the mall or Walmart and seen lots of babies and children who were acting perfectly fine, just enjoying being out. I have seen many adults who were talking loudly and being obnoxious or running around. If I want to go out in public, I have to expect to deal with the public and all the behaviors a person can display. I understand that yes, there are some places you shouldn't bring your children, like a bar or a nice restaurant. I get it. But if I want to bring my kids to a "family restaurant" or a grocery store, don't I have a right to? They don't ban elderly people or rude people or loud people, so why should they ban children? I might have to walk behind a reallllllllly slow person at the mall, or get behind someone who uses a million coupons and takes forever at checkout. Should those people be banned because they made my experience less than enjoyable? I don't think so. I am not a "shitty parent" because my baby cried in the shopping cart. Are you a "shitty person" because you were talking loudly in the aisle or taking too long to pick out your wine?  
     Yes, there are some bad parents out there. But the majority are great parents. You don't know why their child is upset-there could be a million things wrong. Who are you to judge me or my child? I'm sorry you have nothing better to do than sit there and judge all the parents and their children. I'm too busy living my life and raising my children to care what you are doing.
     I chose to become a parent; most people do. Yes, anyone can have a baby. But if no one had children, then where would we be?! No where. We would cease to exist. Is that what needs to happen? Because I must have missed that memo. I chose to be a parent because I wanted to bring life into this world, and help create a little person to bring something great to the world. I wanted to experience all the emotions that come with being a parent, including joy, frustration, sympathy, and excitement. I wanted to give someone the opportunity to succeed in life and become everything I couldn't.
    I am overjoyed with my awesome choice to become a parent and can't wait to have another child. Is this selfish? No. Is you not wanting children selfish? No. It's a choice, and I've made mine. Respect mine and I will respect yours.

10 Months Old!

Well, it's been awhile (to say the least!) Kinley Grace is already 10 months old! Wow, how time flies! She already developed into her own person so much. She has so much personality for a 10 month old, and is very social. My little social butterfly! She loves going shopping just so she can look at all the people and talk to them and wave and smile and laugh. She is such a little ham and loves attention! She is crawling like crazy, and standing up to anything and everything. Kinley also loves to use her Activity Walker to walk up and down the hallway! Check out the video from today!

Miss K is quite the adventurous baby. There is nothing she can't crawl through or on top of! And when she does find something that tries to defeat her, watch out! She is already throwing tantrums! I didn't know babies even knew how to do that! She is super super stubborn (don't know where she gets that!) Kinley is also super smart (which I know every parent thinks this!) and loves to read (Mommy is soooo proud of this one!) She has a little bookshelf and every day she goes to her books, pulls a few down, and then sits there and flips through the pages and points to things! And I swear she is already saying "Who's that?" and "What's that?" but there is no telling at this point I guess. She is quite the talker though! She is also a little girly-girl! She loves to crawl around with my wristlet! She seriously puts it around her wrist and just crawls all over the house with it!

I know there is much more probably to say, but as you know, I could go on forever about this little girl. She truly is a joy in our lives! Here are some pics for you to enjoy!

Kinley playing in her playhouse.

Kinley and Momma at the zoo!

Kinley playing with Daddy!

Kinley is accessorizing with Mom's Coach wristlet :)