We've Moved

Its silly for us to maintain two webspaces, so we've moved the weekly updates to our webpage.

Please visit www.kuhnhobbies.com then click on "weekly updates."

We

Pennsylvania, Part II

Our visit in Pennsylvania has been great. Elizabeth has met many of her Waller Family members.
Yesterday Donny (Chris' husband) celebrated his 50th birthday with a family picnic. The rain came and went early then arrived again just as the event was winding down. A perfect day... maybe even a little cold. I enjoyed the chill since I'd been sweating from the humidity since our arrival.

On Tuesday we'll head to Cleveland and spend the night at an airport motel since our flight leaves very early on Wednesday morning.

Pennsylvania, Part I

We arrived in Cleveland on schedule and got our rental car quickly. Less than an hour after landing we are loaded and on the road to Erie. We arrived around 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Elizabeth was once again a great traveler on the plane. She even slept through the Cleveland landing. She napped most of the drive from Cleveland to Erie, however had a hard time relaxing and getting to sleep once we arrived at Aunt Joanne's. Last night and today she seems to be back on schedule.

Chris hosted a picnic dinner for the family on Wednesday afternoon. Elizabeth spent quality time with her Waller cousins and met many aunts and uncles. She loves the attention and the fun that all the different people provide. Stranger anxiety is definitely not happening right now.

Swimming

It seems like we've been swimming each day this week. The weather is heating up so what better way to spend a bit of the afternoon than in the pool. We've definately gotten our monies worth out of our season pass at the community pool across the street.

On Friday Elizabeth and I went to Breakers Water Park in Marana with some friends, Laurie and Justin. Elizabeth swam in a wave pool along with the two kiddie pools; she even went down a slide. The day started out very hot and sunny, but the monsoons were building so the day ended overcast; overall an awesome day.



This past week Elizabeth seems to have become very vocal. Many times she will jabber on for what seems like hours about a variety of things. Many dadada, mamama, bababa, cacaca, just to name a few, are being said over and over again. She sometimes identifies dada and mama with Jim and I, but not consistently.

My cantelope, peppers, and watermelons are growing like crazy in my garden. The tomatos and zuchinni are taking a heat of the summer break and will return once it cools off. The first cantelope was picked earlier this week and it was wonderful!

On Tuesday we leave for Pennsylvania so next week we'll update with our adventures.

Independence Day

Happy Birthday America. We had a quiet weekend at home for the most part. Saturday Jim, Elizabeth and I went to the pool where Elizabeth decided she'd put her face in the water and push off to swim. Its very cute and we continue to believe she has no fear of water.

This week I introduced bubbles to her bath time; she loves them. Its funny how she loses her legs and then finds them after splashing in the bubbles. She usually ends up with bubbles on her face and head before getting out.Our cats are now very comfortable with each other as you can tell by the picture. Angel goes tomorrow for her declawing. We are all looking forward to that.

I took Elizabeth in to her pediatrician on Thursday for a 9-month weight and measurement check. She weighs 19 lbs 4 oz and is 28.5" long. Her weight is in the 50th percentile and her height is about 55th. She is evening out a bit. Our next appointment wont be until she is one year old where we start on shots again along with blood work.

This week I'll start getting ready for our trip to Pennsylvania (we leave on July 14th).

9 months... almost!

Elizabeth and I returned to our regular summer schedule during the last part of the week. Thursday and Friday I Had a lot of errands to run which included shopping at Cost Co and the grocery store therefore Elizabeth went to Sonia's for the two days where she played with her friends.

The weekend brought a first birthday party for a friend's daughter. Elizabeth was tired after swimming so she napped during the rest of the festivities which included opening presents and cake.

In just a few weeks we'll head to Pennsylvania to visit Jim's family. Speaking Jim he is now the ripe old age of 37 - His birthday is today. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Next week Elizabeth goes in for her 9 month Well-baby check and we'll find out officially how much she's grown in the past three months. Also, next weekend is, hopefully, a long holiday weekend for Jim unless he has to work to help the deploying unit. So far no plans have been made.

Indiana in Summary

Yesterday Lisa, James, Elizabeth and I arrived in Phoenix as schedule with out issues. It was an easy flight with James watching a movie and Elizabeth sleeping quite a bit of the way. The other travelers around us complimented us on how well behaved our children were. Lisa and I are proud. Steve, Lisa's dad, met us at the gate to help with the kids and luggage. After allowing Littel Bits to wiggle around at Jeff and Lisa's house we decided to hit the road for home.

It was a whirlwind of a trip but a great one. When I talked to my mom this morning she mentioned how quiet it was on teh farm. She was thinking of recording children noises to play when its really quiet.

Jeff, Lisa, and James head to Portland for a family event tomorrow, however Elizabeth and I will wait a few weeks before we head off on our next adventure. We are going to Pennsylvania in July, this time Jim will be coming with us.

Indiana, Part III - Father's Day / Merkert Family Gathering

Today we traveled north to Indianapolis to Steve and Melinda's house for a Merkert Family gathering. I have not stopped long enough to count the number of adults present however can tell you that we spanned four generations with Aunt Helen who is the eldest to Elizabeth, the youngest. Six children in our crowd ranged from James, age 3 years and 3 months, to Elizabeth at 8.5 months of age. In the middle are Natalie and Nolan (nearly 3 year old twins), Dylan (13 months), and Nicholas (9 months). It was great to see everyone.

Our trip is winding down and looking back it been a wonderful visit. Although the weather has been horrible - HOT and HUMID!

Indiana, Part II - Southern

The fun continues. On Friday Lisa, Mom, James, Elizabeth and I went shopping at the Outlet Mall north of Columbus. Lisa and I had a lot of fun in the childrens clothing stores buying for James, Elizabeth, and baby K (due in Oct).

Saturday brought lot of visitors to the farm in E-town. First my college friends / Zeta Sorority Sisters arrived for lunch and then Aunt Jane and Uncle Sandy from Tennessee stopped by on their way home via Ohio.

James and dad continue to be best buddies as they play and do various activities. Dad created a pool for James, however he and Jeff have interesting names for the object that our neighbors to the south might take offense to.

Sunday we head to the north side of Indianapolis for a family reunion of sorts with the Merkert crowd.

Indiana, Part I - Lake Maxinkuckee

Its been a whirlwind of a trip so far and does not appear to be slowing down before we leave. Tuesday was spent traveling from Arizona to Northern Indiana with a final destination of Lake Maxinkuckee near Culver. The Craig Lake Cottage (former Kimbrough lake cottage) was again full with three generations.

Wednesday started out rainy and overcast, but ended up sunny with many activities perfect for a little boy. James enjoyed fishing, swimming, boat rides, tubing, a 1st birthday party, and much more. Elizabeth and Dylan explored and swam taking in all the activity of the bigger people around them.

Its a tradition at the lake to measure the children each summer and see how they've grown from year to year. The tradition continued with James, Dylan, and Elizabeth. James was compared to Jeff at the same age; James is taller.

On Thursday morning we loaded up the truck, trailer, and car to head south where it started to get very steamy... HUMIDITY!

8 1/2 months old

Elizabeth will be 8 1/2 months old on Monday... really where has the time gone? Some days it seems like only last week we came home from the hospital.

Today Jim found Angel camped out in Elizabeth's crib during the morning nap; something we decided would not happen again.

I spent the weekend doing laundry, cooking, and packing for our trip to Indiana. I'm excited to see friends and family.

First Tooth

Elizabeth has her first tooth! I discovered it yesterday and after making her really mad I was able to pry her little mouth open to see just the top of it sticking out. Her grumpiness has declined now that its popped out! I'm sure the second is on its way, since I can feel a bump on the right side.

Elizabeth continues to love the water. We went swimming three times this past week; once with Auntie Pat. Each times she kicks her legs constantly and will go underwater without fear or hesitation. She will also sit on the edge of the pool and fall forward into the water laughing the entire time. Another trick of hers is to fall forward when sitting on the steps then swim away. She is an excellent swimmer for only being eight months old. She will kick her legs like crazy with her face in the water paddling her hands when passed between two adults... a natural! While at the pool she is good for about 20 min. in the water then ready for a snack and juice and some people watching. Hopefully this week we'll hang around to see if she wants to do round two in the pool.

Angel and Emily add to the excitement as usual. Angel has decided that she loves Elizabeth's food and likes to help her eat it if not carefully watched. Also, after Elizabeth is finished Angel likes to pre-wash her high chair tray. Dont worry we clean it before its used again! In addition, Angel likes to help Jim do the dishes. She inspects the dishwasher often and does not mind when small amounts of water are splashed. Sometimes Emily is so tired from the activities of the kitten and baby she has to find interesting places to nap.

We are anxiously looking forward to our trip to Indiana with Lisa and James next week. Then our trip to Pennsylvania will follow in July. This summers travels are much shorter and calmer compared to previous years, but I'm not complaining since I'm somewhat enjoying the time at home.

Swimming

Yesterday Elizabeth and I drove to Gilbert to visit Jeff, Lisa, and James and swim at Lisa's parents. Upon our arrival James was wound up and excited. He had a box of toys that he wanted to give to Little Bits and he did a great job showing her how to use all of them. We soon ate lunch and then loaded up to go swimming.

We quickly discovered that Elizabeth is a FISH! She wanted nothing to do with me holding her in the water and thought she could swim. After a few attempts to get away from me I let her go just to see what she'd do. She kicked her legs while paddling her legs and brought herself to the surface... smiling the entire time! She is not afraid of the water and smiled the entire time she was "swimming."

That settles it .... we'll be spending a lot of time at the pool in our neighborhood! On the days Elizabeth does not go to Sonia's we'll be there at least once a day. Hopefully Jim will be able to join us on Fridays.

James is going to be such a great big brother when his little sister arrive in October. Whenever Elizabeth needed something he wanted to help. He's a great diaper changing helper! Lisa and Jeff went to a movie to celebrate their 10th anniversary which left James, Elizabeth, and I on our own for dinner and bedtime. Two kids is a handful, but I managed! Fortunately both kids are great! Jeff invited me back anytime I want this summer; I think its more of a winning arrangement for them than I. I love visiting and traveling so I am sure Elizabeth and I will return several times this summer!

Our summer is off to a relaxing start. Next week Elizabeth starts her part time schedule at Sonia's of Mondays and Thursdays. In just two short weeks we'll be in Indiana and visiting the lake house where I grew up.

Memorial Day Weekend

The school year ended with over two days of constant rain, which is very unusual for Arizona in May. Alas, the year did finally end and now two months of vacation!

On Saturday Jim and I had a party to celebrate his promotion and the end of the school year. Several friends came over to join us for the afternoon. A good time was had by all, including Elizabeth who played with other kids as well as amazed everyone with her crawling and cruising talents. We also discovered she is starting to have some stranger anxiety, so we'll be socializing her more in the near future.

Elizabeth is just starting to eat three meals a day and I've started giving her some raw fruits that are soft. Today's treat was peaches and bananas.

This coming week I'll go to school for two days to do curriculum work then E and I will go to Gilbert to visit Jeff, Lisa, and James. Elizabeth will get to go swimming for the first time!

Our new addition is a white kitty with smoky blue eyes whom we adopted this weekend from the Humane Society. She is nine weeks old and needs a name! If you have suggestions we'll be happy to consider them! The name we originally picked out is being considered by Jeff and Lisa for baby girl K, so we are back to square one. As you can see by the picture the kitty enjoys Elizabeth's toys. She had a great time this morning playing with the mirror.

Summer is Near!

Elizabeth is starting to cruise. She can easily pull herself up onto the couch and walk along while holding on at our house and Sonia's. She also pulls herself up on Jim and I to do the same.

My garden is starting to produce veggies. The bounty is small right now, but will incrase as the plants mature. I have lots of buds on the peppers, melons, and tomatoes so its only a matter of time!
Emily likes to be comfortable and enjoys the amount of sleeping that takes place in our house on a daily basis. She camps out with Jim during the day and I at night. Today I found her enjoying a play mat in Elizabeth's room while she napped.
This is the last official week of school for the year. Elizabeth will go to Sonia's full time this week and next then we'll switch to our part time schedule until the end of July. The pool opens next week and I'm excited to take her swimming. She loves the bathtub so I think the pool will be a welcome treat!

Mid Week Special: Water Baby

Elizabeth is mesmerized by water... just like her mommy. I have a feeling this is good news... bad news. I'm a fish and I totally expected my daughter to be one as well. In the tub she is already putting her face in the water trying to get or find the silver colored plug. She does not mind having water dumped or splashed into her face.

When I water the garden in the evenings I've been taking her with me... all she does is stare at the water coming out of the hose. Tonight I allowed her to put her hand in it... lots of opening and closing of the fingers. Very cute!

I really cannot wait until the neighborhood pool opens in a few weeks... we'll be there quite a bit!

As you can see by the picture below... her hair is getting quite long. I have mixed feeling about having it cut. Although, I may be quickly out numbered. Daddy and Grammy are both plotting the first haircut!

Mothers Day

Pictures: Top: after I installed the gate Elizabeth sat in front of it for about 10 min. pouting and whining. Middle: Elizabeth can now pull herself up on the couch, coffee table or me to stand. As you can tell from her face she is still unsure of herself and her balance. Bottom: our happy girl smiling.

It was a busy week, like all weeks. However, Jim has been sick with the flu and has been banished to the bedroom for the past three days. I'm taking up residence on an Aero Bed in the computer room until he is symptom free.

Elizabeth continues to crawl all over the house therefore I purchased a baby gate and installed it yesterday. Its permanently attached to the kitchen entrance for the next couple years. Elizabeth continued to enjoy cat food so we had to keep her away from that. Yes, I do feed her, but she seems to go for Emily's food as often as possible. Its IAMS so the main ingredient is chicken, now I'm just sure she'll love poultry when I feed it to her.



We've had several crash and burn episodes where Elizabeth thinks shes bigger, stronger, or faster than she really is and she'll crash by rolling over things or by crawling over them and doing a face plant into the floor or onto a toy. She appears to be klutzy like myself, so I'm sure we are only at the beginning of the many cuts and bruises to come.

Only 10 days of school left in the year for teachers. Pat gives me the daily count update each day. Tomorrow she'll tell me only 1 more Monday. I finished up with 5th grade art this past week and have two more classes with my 1st graders. The little ones are so much fun to work with! Six days left with the 8th graders and the full 8.5 of the rest of the lot.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and cousins who touch the lives of children every day!