Ride That Zebra!

This cute Riding Zebra was a birthday gift from Grandma Sue & Papa. Kellen loves this thing! Here he is in action:

Boots!

Kellen loves putting adult shoes on. He found my winter boots & tried them on. He's trying to walk in them as he states.

Fun before bed time

Jeremy got creative and turned the giant Huggies diapers box into a vehicle. Watch the video to see how much fun we had with it!

Kellen Counting

Kellen loves counting. He counts to himself in the car, we hear him counting to himself as he wakes in the morning or from naps, he simply counts all the time! Of course as soon as he knows the camera is rolling, he takes some encouraging to count, but I think we captured it pretty well. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Back to Lemos Family Farm we went. Joined again by Kellen's little buds (Makayla, Gianna, and Ethan). This year, Kellen was interested in much more, and we experienced the pumpkin patch on new levels. We had a great time. Everyone dressed in their costumes & they were absolutely adorable. It was great to hang with the parents too. Until next year.
Click the picture to be directed to the album:

Lemos Farm 2011

Newport Vacation

The middle of August took us to Newport Beach for a Lane Family vacation. Jeremy's parents, siblings, in-laws, and Kellen's cousin Kathleen were all there. We even had a big get together with all the Gorman cousins!!

We had a great time, and stayed at an amazing location. It is slated we get to return September 2012! Can't wait!

Here are some pictures of our trip.

Click on the picture to be re-directed to view the album or as a slide show:

Newport Coast - Lane Family Vacation 2011

Update & Random pics

I can't believe it's been two months since my last post!

Everything with us is great. Since the Fourth of July, we've been on a week long vacation to Newport Beach, we had our house landscaped, Jeremy got a great promotion at work, and Kellen has sure kept our hands full.

Kellen is doing new things each and everyday. I often will be surprised with a new word or task he can do. The other day while changing him, he tapped me on the elbow while saying the word. It's amazing how quickly he picks up things, then not only be able to speak the word, but understand what it means. Watching this little guy grow in that regard is absolutely mind-blowing. While his vocabulary is excellent for his age, he definitely understands more than he can speak. Commands like "go sit on your mat," he simply goes & does. A recent funny story involves Jeremy warning Kellen to not stand on the couch, and if he does it again he's going to get time out. Kellen of course stood again. Jeremy asked him if he wanted timeout. Kellen said, yes. Then Jeremy said ok - go get in your corner. And sure enough, Kellen calmly walks to his timeout corner and sits down. This kid is too much!

Often people ask me how our sitter situation is going, and so far it's been over a year since I've been back to work, and I feel it's working out beautifully. Both grandmothers are loving their quality time with Kellen, and I'm happy that 5 days a week he's within minutes of my work & am able to go see him each day on my lunch hour. This includes Fridays where he goes to a friend's house and is able to play with her kids, and I love that he's making friends and learning how to socialize with other children.

Here are some random pics from the last couple months...

Bath time fun!
In his Ducky Bath...it really quacks...
Now feeding the real thing...
Fun time with Grandma Sue
Reading a book in his big boy chair
Getting a little taste of Daddy's fudgecicle.
Getting to sample corn.

Fourth of July 2011

This year we got together for a relaxing BBQ at our close friends Sara & Jeff's house. Other friends Melodi, Jeff & their son Riley brought a really cool water sprinkler. Here are some pics of the two boys running through the water. They loved it!! Kellen was so cute! He was hysterically laughing while getting all wet! He especially thought it was funny when the water would squirt him directly in the face. Both boys had us cracking up!

Gilroy Gardens

On Friday (6/24/11), I had to take advantage of a great promo at a local theme park. Gilroy Gardens had adult admission for $10!! Woo hoo! It is regularly $45, so I just had to take Kellen. Plus, who can resist a wonderful day with their son?

So, off we went. I rode along with Mandi and her two boys (Mandi watches Kellen on Fridays). We arrived right when it opened, hit the bathrooms, then quickly jumped on the carousel. We then went on a bunch of other rides. There were so many great rides for Kellen. The fishy ride, Kellen wasn't so sure about at first. In fact, I thought he was going to cry. He quickly caught onto the idea that this was fun, and he was all smiles. There was also a really cool dinosaur exhibit. Kellen was pretty much clueless about the dinosaurs, but Jackson & Taylor got a kick out of it. They even had fossiled dino-poop!!! We thought that was pretty funny.

Here are some pics of our day. Can't wait to go back (with Daddy this time).

All three boys are in this shot.

Kellen getting a little more comfortable (Taylor & Jackson are behind him).
He is finally smiling!

On the fire truck! (Taylor & Jackson are right in front of him in yellow).
Got the one arm steering going on!
In the #3 car.

He loved driving the car.

Mandi and her two boys riding on the Hot-Air balloon ride.

Our Little Talker

Kellen has quite the vocabulary. A few people have mentioned that I should write down all of the words he knew at one year of age. We're one month past that, but close enough.
Here's a list:
His first word was "Mama"
Followed closely by "Ball"

Then here are the rest in no particular order:
Dada
Hi (and waves)
Bye Bye
Car
Bubble
Flower
Blankey
Baba (Bottle)
More (and signs more)
Elmo
Cookie (Cookie Monster)
Mote (remote)
Football
Head (and touches head)
Baby
Truck
Bus
Apple
Bana (Banana)
Gogurt (Yogurt)
Yay (and claps)
Book
Star
Balloon
Moon
Box
Spoon
Wawa (Water)
Sock
Uh-Oh! (One of his favorites)

Then, here are sounds he uses in lieu of words:
Elephant (trumpeting sound)
Tiger (rrrrrrr)
Tractor (rrrr rrrr rrrr)
Duck (Quack Quack Quack)
I'm hungry (mmmmmmm)
Cat (meow)
Train (tooooooot)
Dog (woof woof)
Monkey (hoo hoo)
Cow (Mooo)

Actions he does when asked:
How old are you? (Points out index finger)
All done! (He signs this)
Where's your belly?
Where's your head?
Where's your ear?
Where's Mama's nose?
Where's your mouth, tongue, teeth?
Where are your toes/foot?
Dance!
Arms up!
Arms Down!
Clap!
Fish (opens and closes mouth)

Lastly, Kellen can actually read a few words. Without pictures or sounds, we can hold up cards & he'll either say the word or make the sound for that corresponding word:
Elephant (makes sound)
Arms up (action)
Baby (says)
Bubble (says)
Monkey (makes sound)
Hi (says and waves)
Tiger (makes sound)

There are a few other words that are "maybes." Like, we think he's got it, but it could have been just a fluke or he still needs more practice. I'd say he's off to a GREAT start!

Danny the Dragon

Kellen loved his first train, err roller coaster, err whatever it technically is...ride! I think he especially loved the no car seat action. We ended up going on it two times, in fact. Happy Hollow was so much fun. We completely missed the petting zoo portion, so there will be new things to discover next time we go. Thank you Grandmo & Old Grand Dad for treating us! Cousin Kathleen was there too. Lots of fun! Woo hoo!

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One Year Slideshows!

Yes, that's right. Slideshows!! There are more than one. I'm so lucky to have one of my best friends be a photographer!
There are three slideshows:
1. Of Kellen at One Year http://www.kaciejean.com/kellen1
2. Of the Jacobson/Lane Family http://www.kaciejean.com/jacobson
3. Of Kellen's birthday Party http://www.kaciejean.com/kellenparty
There's music. So, make sure your speakers are turned on.

The first two were taken at McLellan Ranch Park in Cupertino. I love the backdrop this place created. The bright greens especially really pop! Kellen's birthday party was at Ortega Park in Sunnyvale. It was great getting back to this park as most of my softball glory days were played here.

Enjoy the slideshows!!

First Steps!!

That's right, you heard it hear first folks, Kellen took his first few steps tonight. He did it over & over again, and Jeremy caught one of the best times on video. It was funny, he did best when distracted with something in his hands. Without further a-do:

Happy Birthday Bubba!

My Bubba has turned one. Where has the year gone? I've been telling people that this has been the fastest year of my life. I can't believe I have a one year old. It is definitely bittersweet. We're leaving the "infant" days behind and embracing the "toddler" days.

Going back through my blog, you're able to not only read about and see Kellen grow, but you're able to read about how we've grown as parents. Being a parent is not only a challenge, but it is so rewarding. Each day I'm greeted with the best smile in the world. The smile of my little boy. I see that smile first thing in the morning and each time I get home during the day. He is filled with so much joy, and watching him view the world is like reliving as if everything is new again. He has developed into his own person. His curiosity, his discovery, and his learning process is absolutely fascinating. He is so quick to pick up on new things.

I can't wait to see how Kellen will continue to grow. Will he love football & hockey like his dad, or will he love reading and being outdoors like his mom? Will his mild demeanor continue, or will he get swallowed up by the terrible twos? I am looking forward to what lies ahead of us as I know some of the best years are to come. Yet, I know I'll be missing my precious, tiny newborn little boy at times.

Happy birthday Sweet Boy. You have taught me so many things. I am thankful for every moment with you. Life is an amazing, crazy, and at times, unpredictable thing. You think of all the possibilities in life, and how everything had to all align for you to be my son. For that, I am so thankful. I love you.

One of my Favorite Things

Everyday when I come home from work, this is how I'm greeted. It's one of my absolute favorite things. I had to capture it on video:

Easter 2011

We had fun watching Kellen discover his first Easter basket. The Easter Bunny put fruit puffs in his Easter Eggs. He loved shaking them and trying to figure out how to put the eggs back together. The Easter Bunny also brought him a tooth brush with tooth paste, a book, a teether, and a toy elephant.

Kellen playing with Cousin Dyllanie (cousin Rochelle's daughter) in her Easter best:

Happy Birthday Gia Bug!

One of Kellen's dearest friends is just two days older than him. In fact, her mom gave birth to her in the same hospital as I did, and we were in the hospital for a day together!! Happy birthday precious Gia!! Kellen has had lots of fun being your buddy.

Gia's beautiful cake:

Close friends Makayla with her daddy, Lafo:

The Zoo

"I love to go to the zoo. To see the animals and the things that they do." This is the first line out of a poem that Kellen learns on his Baby Can Read DVDs. As such, the Oakland Zoo was SOOO much fun!! Kellen especially loves elephants, and we stayed at the elephant exhibit a very long time & watched them eat. He was pointing and making elephant trumpeting noises. He loved the meerkats, the gibbon, the sun bear, and the chimps too. Here are some great pictures of our day. The weather could not have been more perfect, and it was a great get-a-way with just the three of us.
click photo to view album

Oakland Zoo

Loving the Laughs!

Oh my goodness, listen to this laugh! Grandmo (Lane) had been working with Kellen on how to say "Grandmo." Eventually, Grandmo shortened her efforts to just "Mo," and Kellen thought it was the funniest thing he ever heard!! Apparently, Grandma Sue (Jacobson) had gotten him to laugh when she would say "Moo" to him when teaching him what a cow says. We don't know what it is, but for some reason, "Mo" really got him going. It's so funny to watch and listen to him try to say "Mo" then squeal with laughter! We have watched this video over & over! Can't get enough of it. Enjoy!!

Here's another video that Jeremy caught a few minutes later as Kellen just started busting up on his own...still laughing to "Mo!" Too funny!

Playing Chase

Kellen loves to bat objects with his hands then go chase it. He does this with balls, water bottles, blocks, wooden spoons, you name it! Do we see a future in sports? He does this for a very long time. It's quite funny, and he gets great exercise in the process!

Happy First Birthday Sweet Makayla!

Saturday was our dear friends Cortney & Lafo's daughter Makayla's FIRST birthday party. Since she was born on St. Patrick's Day, her party was green, green, green! Cortney put out all the stops for this party! There was amazing food (a whole pig!), the decorations were bar none, there were little games for children of all ages to play, a coloring station, a face painter, a balloon twister, and lots of family and friends. It was really something! You never would have known that this location was actually plan B. Plan A was to have it at a park, but Mother Nature sure wasn't cooperating as it was dumping rain all day Saturday. Makayla's birthday is also just another reminder that my baby is next to turn one...(tear).

Makayla & Kellen "playing"
Kellen loving the lego wagon:

Makayla with her Grandma Sandi:

Kellen playing on the fun mat full-0-toys:

Had to Share the Cuteness & 10 1/2 Month update

Kellen was weighed March 2nd and tipped the scales at 24 pounds! We know a couple two year olds who don't weight that much, ha! You should feel my biceps these days! We are actively searching for a new car seat as well. Not only is he heavy, but he is tall too (82 percentile at his 9 month check up), so a new car seat is in order soon. We are hoping to be able to hold out until his first birthday. Giving up the easily transportable car seat with base is a huge bummer as he often falls asleep in the car. Oh well...safety first!

Kellen continues to be as curious as ever. Getting into everything he can. He has figured out that drawers require a tug to open, and cabinets require a swing open from the side. He is no longer allowed in the kitchen as he can push buttons on the dishwasher & pulls open the oven door. The same goes for the laundry room...no babies allowed...buttons + swinging doors = no bueno!

His vocabulary continues to expand. He LOVES his flash cards and can play with those the longest out of any toy. Twice I have seen him pick up the flash card that reads "clap" and begins clapping! Without any words or coaching from a "reader." He tries to mimic every word you say to him. Words like "gorilla" come out "gababa" or "gamama," but we think it's great he's trying & gets the syllables right.

He is on the verge of walking...so close! I believe he is able to, but we just have to convince him that walking is much more efficient than crawling.

He is loving his swim class, and last week he "got dunked." He was super cute. It sort of shocked him & then he began to smile. No tears or pouty lip. I believe I dunked him two more times.

Here are a few random pics over the past month or so:

Kellen with Old Grand Dad (Lane)

Our Little Guppie

"Kick Kick Kick Kick." Kick, was the new word I repeated over & over Saturday afternoon. Kellen and I had our first Parent-Tot swim class, and he absolutely loved it. Jeremy was there with the camera snapping away capturing every emotion. We first started out with the noodle and Kellen faced me and practiced kicking. He was a kicking machine!! Then, we got rid of the noodle, and we flipped him over on his back. Kellen loved being belly up. In this position he really got to look around and splash his arms!! He was so funny! Then, we went up to the wall & he practiced holding on while kicking. Finally, we picked him up out of the water, put him on the edge of the pool, and let Kellen "jump" down to Mommy. He got this down quickly & he loved it. Especially since there was a slight wind chill factor & it was much warmer in the pool. We had our class with his girlfriends Makayla (mom Cortney) & Gianna (mom Trisha), and he met a new buddy Ethan (mom Jenny) who is one month younger than Kellen. We had a great time. Can't wait for next week. Here are a ton of pictures Jeremy took:
Click to view album:

Kellen Swim

It Takes a Village

We have been lucky that Kellen is watched during the work week by both grandmothers and a friend who lives near by. The situation could not have worked out more perfectly. Kellen gets to spend quality time with his grandmothers, and on Fridays is able to socialize with other children that he just adores.

Monday and Tuesday are the days that Grandma Sue (Jacobson) typically watches Kellen. She spends her days playing, reading him books, and watching Sesame Street. Grandma Sue stated she loves everything about watching Kellen. But, most of all she loves playing "Where's Kellen?" She also loves to hold him while he's drinking his bottle.

Wednesdays and Thursdays are the days that Grandmo (Lane) typically watches Kellen. She spends her days playing, reading him books, and going on walks. When asked what her favorite things are about babysitting she stated, "I love every moment. His smiles are constant and melt my heart. I feel so lucky to spend so much time with him."



Friday is the day that Kellen typically goes over to The Duran home. Mandi has her two boys Jackson (4) and Taylor (1 1/2) there as well. Kellen loves socializing with them, and they play well together all day long. Mandi states, "I love watching them with each other. They think the littlest things are sooo funny about one another."