|
|
 APRIL-MAY
2008
My update this
month is a little longer than usual because it includes the
whole month of May since Mommy is changing things up a bit. This
year we celebrated my 2nd Birthday TWO times! The first time was
in Texas (a special thank you to Auntie Amanda for flying in
just to celebrate with me and to Uncle Alex, Uncle Byron and
Auntie Je for driving into town too!) The second time was at
home where Mommy made me special birthday whole wheat chocolate
chip waffles with bananas, strawberries and maple syrup (Daddy
calls it "liquid gold") for breakfast -- with a #2 candle on
top...YUM! They were so good I ate TWO of them :) Lately, I've
been hosting tea parties for Mommy, Bo and Puppers almost every
afternoon. I try to be a gracious host and offer scones, cake
and refills along with cream and sugar to my guests. I really
enjoy helping around the house more now that I am bigger and
stronger. I like to help Mommy by carrying in light shopping
bags from the car, "vacuuming" the floor, watering our herb and
tomato plants and loading the dryer with clothes from the
washer. Now I know the names of all our herbs: basil, rosemary,
thyme, mint and green onion. It's fun to pick off the leaves and
smell the different scents. Now that I'm mostly speaking in 3-5
word sentences, it's even easier to express what I want. Ever
since our trip to China, I've been wanting to use chopsticks to
eat Asian food like Mommy and Daddy and now I finally can! For
Mothers Day, we took Mommy out for a sushi dinner and I ate the
whole meal using only my chopsticks. Mommy thought I was just
playing at first, but then I started to spear my food with the
chopsticks and didn't pick up my fork again for the rest of the
meal. Speaking of food, I had my first taste of S'mores on our
camping trip with my friend Sean. Mommy said I would like them
and boy was she right :) Sleeping in a tent was exciting for me
too! Finally this month, I attended my first crawfish boil and
they were so tasty. At my 2 year old check-up I weighed 26 lbs.
and measured 34 inches tall. Oh and by the way, you can see my
second year
slideshow here. |
 MARCH-APRIL
2008
This was a big month for travel for me with trips to two VERY
big places...China and Texas. Since I've had practice riding
airplanes, the long flight to China was an easy one and just
more time to play with my Aunties, Mama and Dada. One thing I do
on every plane ride is read the safety booklet from the seat
pocket in front of me. I review the procedures and ask Mommy to
read it every time we fly. She says I'm a pro now at airplane
safety! I had such a good time traveling with my Gong Gong and
Po Po also and the food was definitely the highlight of the trip
for me -- I even learned a few of my favorites in Chinese: Cha
Siu Bao (steamed bbq pork bun), Po Tat (Portuguese egg tart) and
Mein (noodles). I really love trying new foods especially since
there isn't much that I don't like to eat. I even tried cows
tongue and liked it, it tastes well...like meat! We visited lots
and lots of cities in China, but our first hotel was my
favorite. It had two big white tigers and lots of pretty pink
flamingos living inside. I could have watched them all day so
from then on, I asked if our new hotel would have tigers...but
it never did :( Shortly after we returned from China, Daddy had
to attend a conference in Texas so Mommy and I went too! In
Houston, Mommy and Daddy threw me a Tea Party in the Park for my
2nd Birthday and I had a great time with lots of friends and
family. The day was beautiful and I was happy to celebrate Uncle
James' and Auntie Je's birthdays then too. We also spent time
with my Tai Ma (my Gong Gong's Mommy) and she taught us girls
(Po Po, Mommy and me) how to make a traditional Chinese steamed
egg dessert. Mommy said now she can make it at home for me and
Daddy any time. |
 FEBRUARY-MARCH
2008
I went to my
first golf course this month. Not to play (just yet), but to see
Tiger Woods at the Accenture Match Play Championship. It
was so much fun because we got to cheer and clap for
him a lot. This
month I also took my longest flight yet. We traveled to the
Northeast where I met my new friends
Jacob and
Cailyn and boy
was it cold! There was white snow everywhere -- it was so
pretty. We also visited
New York City where I had a really fun
time at the
Madeline Tea Party. On top of eating lots
of delicious treats and sweets, we sang fun songs and I danced
to the piano music with the other little girls. My other
favorite parts of the trip (besides riding the taxi cabs) were
eating comfort foods like cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and a burger from The
Burger Joint...yum! I was so happy to see my Grandpa and Lola
again. They came for Spring Break so we caught a spring training
baseball game and enjoyed the great
weather in Sedona together. My vocabulary is continuing to
expand everyday and I like to say things that make Mommy
laugh like "how about this one?", "oooh, it's so cute!", "oopsies,
uh oh" and "ba, bye, see ya!" All four of my canines arrived
this month and just in time for our big trip to China. In
preparation for the long flight, I've been introduced to videos.
WOW-EEE. Where have these been all this time? The only videos I've
watched so far are Veggie Tales and I am always up for more "LarryBob." |
 JANUARY-FEBRUARY
2008
I'm still a
bookworm and also like paint and draw with crayons a lot. I can do those
activities everyday and never get tired of them. Sometimes
I'll even read by myself naming pictures and "reading" my
favorite parts out loud. I also like to choose my own
accessories now. As we're getting ready to leave the house, I'll
tell Mommy "purple bow" or "these shoes". Before we go, I make
sure to have my purse ready with a bracelet and necklace packed
inside.
I
was so happy to see my Aunties
Amanda and Tiffany and Po Po this month, too. Mommy, Daddy and I
visited Auntie Amanda in L.A. where we visited a beautiful Villa
and Air Force One. I loved all the good food we ate like
Korean BBQ and panchan, Yummy cupcakes and Pinkberry yogurt. The
following weekend Aunt Tiffany came to see me! The weather was
perfect so we went hiking and played at the park. Finally, at the end of this month Po Po came to
visit us. Together we saw giant telescopes on a mountain and horses at the
Rodeo Parade. The marching bands were the most fun because I
like to clap to the music.
Buckles are
my most recent fascination. I like to make the clicking sound by
myself in my stroller, car seat and high chair or we can't go on
:) I even like to rebuckle them over and over for the extra
practice. |
 DECEMBER
2007-JANUARY 2008
This holiday
season, I flew to Texas to hang out with my cousins Kelsey,
Caleb, Tyler and Kara before going to Houston for Christmas. I
loved being part of their fun group - we decorated sugar
cookies, toured the neighborhood Christmas lights and I even
practiced drinking from a grown-up cup just like the rest of
them. I really enjoyed celebrating Christmas with family from
both Mommy and Daddy's sides in Texas --I only wish we could have
stayed longer. Before we
left for our trip,
I met Santa at the mall ... but I was so terrified when I saw
him I refused to sit on his lap for a picture. I do love
pointing him out and calling his name whenever I see his image
though. I even thought I saw him standing in line at the airport
with his long white beard and called out "Tanta, Tanta," but he
ignored me for some reason. Mommy and Daddy just laughed.
I get
so excited when Daddy comes home from work. As soon as I hear
the garage door open I say "Dada's home, YAY!" And when I
see him I do my "Daddy's Home" happy dance (I
learned all my moves from him) and bring him his slippers. I have the best Daddy! He tells me
how beautiful I am everyday, but one day he asked me if I knew
how beautiful I was -- so I said "yes" :) Then one morning I
named some things around my room when Mommy came in to get me
from my crib. She said me I was very smart -- so I said
"thanks." I'm starting to have more "conversations" and can even
tell you about things that happened in the past. Auntie Amanda
asked me what I ate for dinner the night before so I said "fish,
broccoli, pears" and guess what -- I was right! Then she asked
what I ate for breakfast and ... I knew that too! I'm also
putting more words together and describing things like two
trucks, yellow bus, red chair and more broccoli please :) As a
matter of fact, two is my favorite number to say...maybe it's because I know I
have a birthday coming soon! |
 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
2007
This year my
Po Po, my Aunties Amanda and Tiffany and Uncle Ming came to
visit us for Thanksgiving. We had a good time putting puzzles
together and building tall towers with blocks. Then, we took a train trip
to the Grand Canyon and back. It was a really fun ride and I was
so excited to be on the "choo, choo!" I continue to learn lots
of new words like eat, pray, chopsticks, rice, shoes, socks,
tights, sit, read, books, play and draw. I've also learned some
colors - red, blue, green, yellow, pink, brown, black, white. I love to say a long "Woooooow!"
or "Mmmmmm" when I read Mommy's cookbooks or see
pictures of food in magazines.....the three books I pick out most often are Barefoot
Contessa Parties!, Brunches and Ice Creams & Sorbets. Mommy
thinks it funny that I enjoy eating and looking at pictures of
food so much -- just like her and Daddy :) Speaking of food, the
snack I get most excited about these days is POPCORN! The
biggest surprise this month for me and Daddy was a visit from Uncle Byron (I
call him "Body") and Auntie "Je". They helped us celebrate Daddy's
BIG birthday with a yummy brunch of beef tenderloin, raspberries
and a whole little gingerbread family. |
 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER
2007
At my 18
month check-up I weighed 23 lbs 8 oz. and measured 31.25 inches
in height. Fall is finally here! The weather has been so nice
and cool lately we've been going to the park a lot. Now I can
climb the stairs to the top of the big jungle gym and slide down
all by myself! I
like to do other things by myself too like feeding myself at
mealtime, pouring water on myself at bathtime and I even put a
shoe on by myself once when Mommy wasn't looking. Grandpa turned 70 this month so Daddy,
Mommy and I gave him a big SURPRISE by flying in for his
birthday party. Happy birthday, Grandpa! Also in Texas, my Auntie
Amanda gave
me a Chickadee costume with a big round belly so that's what I
wore to a
costume
party with an adorable Rabbit and a huggable Tiger. Auntie
Tiffany gave me a UT Cheerleader outfit too, so that's what I'll
wear in my next month's birthday photo. Thank you Aunties! I
think they like dressing me up almost as much as Mommy and Daddy
do ;) We also went to the Arizona state fair with Jacob
where I tried lots of fair food like corn dogs and funnel cake,
but my favorite was definitely the turkey leg. It's no wonder my
new vocabulary includes "meat!" I also like to say things like
"more bites", "all done", "no more", up, down, star, heart,
pretty, tree and cactus. I also learned my first Chinese word
"deed, deed" which I say whenever I trip or fall on the floor :( |
 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER
2007
I got MORE visits from my Grandpa and Lola and Po Po
and Aunties Amanda and Tiffany this month! I had so much fun
singing with Lola and picking pumpkins with Po Po. One night I was singing at dinner
and Mommy thought she saw a new
tooth. She checked and there they were -- my first two molars
(upper and lower right side). Then my upper left molar showed up
later that same week!
I've really been into
balloons these days. I get one every time we go to Trader Joes
and like to look for them whenever we go out. I went with my
friend Jacob to see lots of really big ones at the Balloon
Fiesta in New Mexico. Most were round, but others were shaped
like a cow, a house, a tree and my favorite.... a pair of honey
bees :) I also like looking and listening for airplanes - day
and night- and usually spot them before anyone else. Mommy and
Daddy even took me to watch airplanes take off and land. It was
so much fun! I also think it's fun to
say "WHOA!" whenever our car goes over a speed bump or
"UH-OH!" when something falls on the floor.
Nowadays, my bedtime must-read is the Cinderella pop-up book given
to me by Grandpa and Lola. It's filled with lots of surprises
and after every page is turned I say "WOOOW" because the
pictures are so beautiful. I'm starting to say a lot more words now like edamame, up, bird, book, open, airplane, octopus, applesauce and
iPod. I wonder what new words I'll pick up next month! |
 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
2007
This month I
weigh 23 lbs. and am 31 inches tall. On my Sweet
16, Daddy and Mommy took me to the
zoo. I saw bears, elephants, giraffes and lions
just like in my books and even got to feed a giraffe named what
else...TEXAS! We traveled to the Pacific Northwest over a long
Labor Day holiday with my Po Po and Aunties Amanda and Tiffany.
My aunties helped me practice hugging a lot and I am great at
giving BIG hugs now (complete with resting my head on your
shoulder, pat on the back and a good squeeze :) It seems like that's all I did
on our vacation...well, I also took my first catamaran and ferry
rides. I had a good time meeting all the passengers - I think I
met just about every person on one boat. We also "played"
croquet and I tried really hard to hit the ball like Daddy - it was oodles of fun! The most colorful part of our trip was going to Butchart
Gardens. Mommy's favorite part was the hydrangeas and mine was smelling
all the pretty flowers, especially the giant dahlias. The very BEST part of the trip? Being
with my family - which includes meeting Daddy's cousin
Melissa and my cousins Ian and Alicia in Seattle. What a treat!
Back home Daddy's Aunt Marguerite and Mommy's cousin Peter came
to visit. Also, my Grandpa and Lola also just arrived! Thanks so
much for coming to see me... um, I mean us :)Daddy took me to my
first baseball game - it was the Diamondbacks versus the
Cardinals. I had more fun than my last sports event
when
we went to a Rockets game and the life-size Yao Ming picture
frightened me to tears :( My first
baseball park foods were hot dog, buffalo wings and
popcorn. Some other new foods I've been eating lately include
liver pate, beets, clams and tamales. YUM!
|
 JULY-AUGUST
2007
This month started off with a special
visit from
Grandpa and Lola. We played "hide-and-peek" a lot together.
I would hide or cover my
eyes until I hear "Where is Kendall?" Then I pop up with giant smiles! I love
surprising people and BEING surprised. If I'm
following Mommy to another room, she'll surprise me with a
"Boo!" just before I turn the corner. I laugh really hard, run away
and then go back again and again! Grandpa, Lola and I all ate at In-N-Out Burger for the first
time. The fries were my favorite, even more than the burger! Mommy couldn't
believe it because she knows how
much I like steak :) Lola taught me how to "eskimo kiss"
(nose-to-nose) just like she did with Daddy when he was a
little baby. I also like to blow kisses when it's time to
leave. Thanks for coming to play with me - I love you
Grandpa and Lola! Mommy and Daddy are so happy because I finally give
them big hugs. Sometimes they ask, but
other times I just feel like hugging. When you ask me, I can
point to my nose, eyes, ears, bellybutton, knees, legs,
feet, toes and hands. I can point to yours, too! Also this
month, Mommy and I took a plane ride to visit Auntie
Amanda. That was the first time it was just the two of us.
Mommy was a little nervous, but not me. I'm getting pretty
good at flying now. On our trip, we saw GINORMOUS
trees
and itty-bitty horses and
played at the beach. It was my first
time to play at the beach. The ocean was cold, but I had
tons of fun in the sand. Thanks Auntie Amanda for
a great
vacation
- it was so much fun being with you! Mommy and Daddy are so
proud that I understand so many of their words. That means
now I can help around the house and with my daily routines.
I like to brush my teeth, can comb my hair, go to my closet
to help pick out fresh clothes and put my old clothes in the
laundry basket. I will also go to my high chair when it's
time to eat and ask for a towel to wipe my hands and mouth
when I'm finished eating. I've been mimicking a lot
recently. Mommy thinks it's funny when I use napkins to wipe
the table, cabinets and floors just like her. If I see a
bottle of lotion I'll pretend to squeeze some out then rub
it on my arms and face. One night I saw Daddy dipping bread
in olive oil, so I dipped my bread in drops of milk
just like Daddy! Finally this month, when on my tippy-toes
I can open the pantry door all by myself :)
|
 JUNE-JULY
2007
The summer has brought us some hot weather (but it's a
dry heat :). So to stay cool Mommy's been making smoothies and
sorbets for us to enjoy. We've also been eating lots of ice-cold
cherries, blueberries and strawberries! I will even say "che-wee"
when I see them at the market. One night after dinner, I ate 48
halves all by myself! It's amazing what signing "please" and
"thank you" will get me :) I asked for more, but Mommy had to
cut me off because she was full from eating the other halves.
This month, we traveled back to Texas where I gave lots of hugs
to my friends Phillip and Becca in Austin and Alex, Rachel, and
Caden in Houston. I really wanted to hug my brand new cousin
Noah, but Mommy said I could when he is bigger. At my playgroup
the first thing I do is greet each baby there with a hug. I
don't hug big people yet -- just babies right now :) We also ate
lots of pancakes on our trip. I had my first buttermilk pancake
at Kerby Lane Cafe in
Austin. YUM! Then in
Houston, I ate some
Korean zucchini pancake while in Chinatown and then the fluffy
pancakes served with Peking duck at Aunt Cathy and Uncle
Jerome's wedding banquet. Back home, Mommy made blueberry
pancakes for breakfast and Daddy got me a Nutella crepe to try.
Mmmm... I just kept saying "more, please!" Now that I'm a
confident walker and don't toddle anymore, I decided climbing on
things around the house and running is more fun. I like to run
from one room to another especially when I'm really giggly and
excited! Because I love to read my books so much Mommy bought me
a reading chair. I like reading in it whenever Mommy is working
on the computer, but I also really like plopping into Daddy's
lap when he reads books with me. My current favorites are
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb,
Baby Cakes, The Wheels on the Bus and
In the Garden with Van Gogh. |
 MAY-JUNE
2007
It makes me so happy when I can communicate with other
people. I've been practicing and among the signs I use are
"milk", "sleep", "all done" and "thank you." My favorite is "more", but I
will also say "mor" and "nana" for bananas.
In preparation for football season, I've
learned "touchdown" and do it in my high chair
so Mommy can put on my tray safely. I am so proud of myself now that I am able to
eat with a spoon and fork.
If Mommy forgets to give me one I will usually remind
her :) A neat trick I taught
her is to name what ever object I point at. One day I pointed
at the shape on Mommy's t-shirt. She said it was Texas and that's
where I was born. So I said "Tes-as" three times! Over Memorial day weekend, my friend Jacob and I took our
first dip in the pool this summer just before my swimming
lessons began. I also experienced my first stomach virus this
month. It was not fun even though I was my normal cheerful and
silly self the whole day. I still love looking through my books
especially in the car or while Mommy is making dinner. Talking on my cell,
listening to my iPod, pushing remote control buttons and opening
and closing doors are my other favorite activities these days.
When it's time to go out, I bring out shoes from my room then
sit on the carpet so Mommy can help me put them on. I had lots
of practice wearing my new bigger size shoes while Gong Gong, Po
Po, Aunties Amanda and Tiffany and then Mommy's friend Auntie
Jean came to visit us this month. Thanks for coming to visit! |
 APRIL-MAY
2007
I'm so excited to be ONE! I have a big update for an especially eventful month. At
my last doctors visit in Texas, for my one year old
check-up, I weighed 19 lbs. 15 oz. and measured 30.25 inches.
I'm going to miss my doctor, but he said he would keep a spot
open for me when I come back ;) Although it has been a while
since I grew any new teeth, my mouth was really busy this month
when my fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth teeth showed
up! Now I have four center teeth on the top and bottom. Yipee! Grandpa
stayed with us for a whole week to hang out with just me. We ate
together, played together, read together and even went to the
duck pond together. Before moving, I had my first haircut with
Mr. Tony, who has been cutting Daddy's hair since his college
days. Po Po thinks I look older now. I officially became an air
traveler. Not only did I earn my first pair of wings, but I took
my first three plane rides and napped through each one. My
very first flight was on Shamu One (the Southwest Airlines plane
painted like a killer whale)
moving from Texas to Arizona. How did they
know I would be flying that day? Po Po was our first visitor and
spent the week with us at our new house. My next trip was to
Los
Angeles to see Auntie Amanda and my friends Alex and Rachel.
Auntie Amanda took Mommy, Daddy and me to explore fun places
like the Getty Center where I ran around the big grassy meadow
and a neat family
farm where I saw goats, chickens and
even a peacock. At the farm, we also picked red, ripe
strawberries right from the plants. They were so sweet, I kept
eating until my tummy
was full of them! We ate other food around town like Korean
BBQ in Koreatown, Japanese food from Little Tokyo, fish
tacos and ice cream from Manhattan Beach, and afternoon tea at
Huntington Gardens. Of course, I don't drink any tea, just whole
milk and water these days. Finally, I hung out with my friends Alex and
Rachel in
Temecula at the park and the weather was beautiful.
I love to snuggle with my Bo
and Puppers. When Mommy says "Kendall hug Bo" I will pick him
up, squeeze him tight and pat his back all with a
big grin. After playtime and before my nap, Mommy will say "time to
clean up" then I help her put my toys and books back into the
basket. I also like to wave a lot (with my whole arm) to
people I meet, at the computer on our webcam or when I hear the words "Hi" or
Bye". People always smile back at me when I wave at them.
Daddy thinks that is why I like to do it so much. Gong Gong says I'm a social girl
and Mommy thinks he may be
right. |
|
|
|
