Having Fun with Bum Bum

Kate's grandpa, who is affectionately called Bum Bum, was having fun with his youngest grandkid this weekend. Why is he called "Bum Bum" you ask? Because Gage, the oldest grandchild started calling him that one day when he was beginning to talk and it stuck. I think it is cute. Plus, it does make it easier for Kate, when she starts talking and calling people by name, to have different names for all of her grandparents. Mike and Linda will be known as Grandpa and Grandma. Gary and Delia will be Papa and Nana. Andy is Bum Bum and I am trying to convince my dad to be Tata or maybe he might like Big T?

Anyhoo.....On occasion, we like to host a Sunday breakfast with all of the grandparents because we clearly do not spend enough time together (insert sarcastic tone). Kate had all of her grandparents, minus Tata/Big T, making a big fuss over her as they always do. I have noticed that I don't have any pictures or stories with Kate and Bum Bum so here is one. Bum Bum always tells us (well, he tells us MANY stories over and over and over and over...) that when Chris, Melissa and Yancey were very young tikes, babies really, he always rocked them in his arms bending over swinging them in between his legs (man, that is tough on the back). He said they enjoyed that much more than the crank-em-up swings they had back in the day. I guess all of them were pretty colicky, just like Kate! So wait a minute here...she looks just like a Howard and inherited the Colic Curse too?! I hope she gets my flair for fashion or something that is a part of me, beside the diva attitude (please hold the laughs and comments). Anyhoo...rambling again, Bum Bum and Kate had a fun bonding time together while he did his famous swing with her. It was really cute because she laughed and screeched in delight the entire time. When he put her down she reached up for him for more. By the end, Bum Bum was pretty tired but at least I caught some photos of them in action!


(Not a great photo but you can kind of see the huge smile on Kate's face)


(More Bum Bum! Do it again!)


(Whew! Bum Bum is tired!)

16 months old today...and teething

Here I am at 11:30 pm checking out the Blog because I cannot sleep and I just realized that Kate is 16 months old today. Today was a pretty tough day. Kate is teething and the poor child has been in agonizing pain today. She had a fever on and off all day long and the tylenol appeared to kick-in around 7pm this evening. She was finally able to eat a little bit at that time and began playing and laughing like her usual self. The only thing that made her laugh today was her dad tossing Kix in the air while Blake caught them. It was really cute when she tried to toss them to Blake.

As I sit here writing this I can hear her every once in a while crying and then it goes away and she falls back to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day for Kate. The left molar is already out, it is the right one that made its appearance and broke today. We tried teething rings, cold drinks, and otter-pops, but for Kate the thing that really worked was laying on my chest. That has to be the best feeling in world. Even though she is in so much pain it gives me some relief that I can a least soothe her in that way. I will take advantage of this time, even though I get no sleep, because when she is feeling better she will be on the move again ~ which means no more cuddling but chasing (and keeping up with) Miss Kate!

John & Kate

I was organizing our hallway closet today when I encountered these old photographs that Andy, Chris' dad, had given me a while ago. I always tell Chris that I think Kate looks EXACTLY like him and now these photos confirm that the Howard gene is very strong! These pictures are of Andy and his uncle John. The back of the photos had been written on indicating Christmas 1949 when Andy was 3 1/2 and John was 14 months old. I thought it would be neat to put pictures of John and Kate next to each other because I think (and Chris agrees) that she looks exactly like him! That is where the curly hair comes from! I tried to find photos where Kate had a similar expression on her face and definitely pics with her "fro" out of control!


Kate on Easter Sunday 2010


Andy and John


Kate and Monkey (she LOVES this monkey) ~ out of control hair!


Andy and John


Kate ~ caught smiling!

BFF

Kate has really started to notice Blake a lot more and engage with him lately. He usually runs away from her because he knows his hair or tail is going to be pulled. We have been teaching her to "pet nice" and "no pull tail" with Blake. He is getting old you know, he will be 8 in September. Since we returned from our trip she chases him more, pets him (but still pulls the tail and grabs chunks of fur from him) and she gives him kisses. While in Carlsbad we dog-sat a lab named Auggie. He has two "siblings" who we hear lets them do just about anything with him. Kate became really comfortable around Auggie and they played really well together. I think she is trying to do the same with Blake, if he will let her. Don't get me wrong, Blake LOVES attention, but in HIS own way. He is not much for the pulling and grabbing. He loves to snuggle and "pets" (or is it pats?) all day long. Since Kate is starting to interact a little bit more the way he likes it he is letting her get a bit closer and not freaking out at the sight of her. Blake is really enjoying the attention and licking her back when she smooches him. He is even letting her snuggle into him which is so freaking adorable!


Kate and Blake watching Blues Clues

Introducing the Spoon and Fork

As I had mentioned in the previous post, Kate is beginning to eat with utensils. Here you can take a glimpse of her fancy china and flatware. We are not consistent with the use of utensils but we do try to expose her to it and the use of it when we remember. It is less messy and faster to just feed Kate myself but if we want her to become better with feeding herself, we must give the opportunity, right?!





Kate has also begun to take an interest in television. We don't know if this is a good or bad thing, yet. Kate never had an interest in cartoons, kid videos or Nick Jr. as many of her "friends". Not until very recently, such as this week, has she really sat down or stood still to actually watch what is on TV. Yesterday she was engaging in Blues Clues by pointing, laughing and looking at Chris and I for our reactions. She also has become very interested in her Baby Einstein First Signs video. Yesterday she sat in her chair with tray watching the video while eating her lunch. Kate sat still for 18 minutes! I. Was. Shocked! I don't want to become that mother who sticks her kid in front of the tv, but if it gives me a chance to wash dishes, cook dinner, or do some other task without her tugging on me I will do it!



Kate watching Baby Einstein First Signs


Eh, dumping my food is more fun that eating it

California Love

Chris spent many summers in California as a kid, and now, hopefully, Kate will experience the same. We have good friends, Brian and Jen, who have a fabulous home in a great location in Carlsbad, CA. They were so kind to offer their home to us while they were away on vacation. Vacation somewhere else besides this great place? I know, I think the same thing!

In the past we have stayed at their home for one week. This time we had two wonderful weeks of cool weather. When I say cool, I mean COOL. It had been in the lower to mid 60's and cloudy. Even Chris who laughs at people who wear sweatshirts when the temps dip below 70 was cold. Below are some pictures of what our 4th of July looked like.


View from the Frost home

Kate did not get to wear her fabulous 4th of July outfits - yes 2, of course! - because it was cold. She had a really cute red, white and blue dress with red sandals for the evening. Her day outfit was denim cutoffs with red, white and blue embroidered stars and a white tank. We all ended up wearing sweatshirts that evening while we relaxed by the fire. Can you believe it? Sweatshirts and a fire on 4th of July? Only in California, never in Yuma!


Kate with Nana and Papa


Kate with Mommy and Daddy (she wasn't in the mood for picture taking, surprise surprise)

While in Carlsbad we took Kate to the park and to the strawberry farm. She went down a slide for the first time and LOVED it. Kate quickly figured out how to climb the steps to the top of the slide and go down. She flipped and slid down on her belly a couple of times, but that just made it more fun for her. Kate did not really dig the strawberry farm as much as we wanted her to. We may have picked a bad time that was too close to her nap time, who knows? But we all still had a good time and it was a good experience.


Kate getting ready to go down the slide


Eh, wrong way but always a good time - she got the hang of it though!


Look at my teeth mom! (Kate has 8 teeth with one molar poking out right now)


Daddy showing Kate which berries to pick


Kate sampling a not so sweet berry


"Augh mom, not another picture!"

During our time away from home Kate learned some new things. We picked up a toddler bowl/spoon/fork set and Kate started using it like a pro. Since we started feeding her "real" food I have always given her a spoon which she always chewed on, banged or threw to the ground. It was really just to expose her to it and get used to holding it. Within the past month I started showing her how to scoop food and put in her mouth. One time I could not scoop the food and started putting the food on the spoon with my fingers and she copied me...really cute but not the way to do it. Anyhow, I think she has a pretty good hang of it now and is even "stabbing" food with her fork.

Kate even picked up a new word, "don't". For the past week she has been saying, "don't go" in a sing-song kind of voice. Her favorite expression is still "uh-oh" and still loves to tell mommy, "no" or shake her head no at me. Kate has also grasped the concept of giving people kisses. It is so cute! I can say "give me kiss" or "dame un besito" and she will do it. We had some friends visit us while in Carlsbad and my friend brought her two-year old and Kate gave him a kiss - it was too cute!


Kate giving Cristian un besito