4th of July

This year we had a very low key 4th of July.  Kyle had off 2 whole days from work (yippie!) so we just relaxed and did some things around the house.  On the 4th we were thinking about going to Patriots Point for the fireworks but they didn't start until 9pm and with Dylann we knew that was going to be a little late for bedtime.

So we decided to shoot of a few fireworks in the street early.  The first ones we did when it was still pretty light out and Dylann jumped a little from the noise, but I don't think she really saw them once they exploded.  We ended up giving her a bath and got her ready for bed and then took her back out once it got darker to try a few more.  I think at that point she was just overly tired because we set off 2 and she started crying and grabbing at my neck.  We went inside and to bed and Kyle set off the rest with our neighbors.  Oh well, maybe next year it will be more fun for her.  She did look pretty cute in her little outfit though...

Happy 4th of July! 

Someone has the rubby eyes

Not so sure about those fireworks

Grandpa & Grandma Starck visit!

We had a very exciting week at the end of the month.  Grandpa Starck came to visit with his new WIFE, Dawn!  That's right, we were honored to host the newlyweds for what ended up being their surprise honeymoon. :)

Having dinner at The Wreck

It was a great having them in town and I know Dylann had a wonderful time with them. We went to the beach, enjoyed some Southern cuisine, went to Fort Sumpter on a boat ferry and just relaxed.  Grandpa was nice enough to watch Dylann in the mornings when I had boot camp and Kyle went to work early.  I usually caught them in the 'play area' when I got home, Grandpa laying on the baby blanket, head propped up with the boppy, and Dylann crawling over him or on him to get to toys.  A great way to wake up, huh?

Grandpa and D at Shem Creek

Enjoying the sun at Sullivan's Island

"Oh yeah, that's going in the mouth."

One exciting adventure we had over the week was that we all had our 15 minutes of fame!  That's right, Dylann has been on TV at 9 months old! We decided to meet up with Kyle one morning to see the first 787 land at the Charleston airport.  Channel 2 News was there and they interviewed me and took some B-roll shots of the whole family watching the plane come in.  The reporter misspelled and mispronounced our last name as well as misquoting me, but Dylann sure looked cute.  ;-)

Daddy and Dylann in front of the Boeing 787

Dylann also worked hard on walking over the week and is getting really solid on her feet.  Grandpa gave her a thrill by going "fast" across the living room and then spinning her around to go back.  She broke out into giggles every time he did it.  I'm sure his back was giggling too from all that bending over. :-P  I made an interesting observation as she was taking me on a 5th or 6th rotation around the kitchen... she's figured out how to 'fly' using our hands.  For instance, she'll pull down on my right hand if she wants to turn to the right, and vice versa.  I told Mike it's like she's doing toggle turns... I think that made him proud. :)

I love this shot of the two of them :)

Last but not least, we went to Skydive Walterboro on Friday before they headed home and Dylann got to see Daddy skydive for the first time.  She loved walking around the drop zone and was enthralled with the bright canopies landing.  I did have to keep an eye on her in the hanger because all she wanted to do was go walk on lines and parachutes that were laid out for packing.  But, hey, maybe that means we can put her to work early on like Kyle? ;-)

Hanging at the DZ

Thanks for the great visit Grandpa and Grandma Starck... and CONGRATULATIONS!

The Lovebirds 

10 months old

Dear Dylann,

Wow, where did that month go?  I swear I was just writing your 9 month letter yesterday.  It's amazing how fast time is going by especially as we close in on the 1 year mark.  Well, you officially turned 10-months-old on the 4th of July! This has been a fun and exciting month, by-far, one of my favorites.  You are officially a toddler in personality, size, and actions, and although it's sad that I can't say, "I have a baby" anymore, I love the person that you are becoming.

So patriotic!

One of the most exciting things that happened this month is you that took your first baby steps!  Since then you have gotten more and more sturdy on your feet and love for Daddy and I to 'walk' you around the house holding on to just one of our fingers for support.  I love watching you cruise around the furniture and let go from time to time to stand for a bit on your own before plopping down, but it's also been a bit scary.  A couple of times you have just taken off from the coffee table and walked strait for the kitchen on your own.  This is very brave of you, but you always gain speed and if Daddy or I can't get there in time you take a face plant right into the tile floor.  You've only done it twice with two bloody lips to show for it, but I think it's been enough to scare you away from taking off on your own for awhile.  It will come though. For the meantime, you are still crawling away with your half drag/step method which I think is adorable.  You have started getting really fast and if you hear me coming up behind you you start shrieking with laughter and take off until I 'get you' and pull you off the ground.  I will miss that once you really start walking.

You are eating more and more finger foods now that you have SIX teeth!  They are super cute and getting big.  I think your back right molar is about to come in as well.  Your new favorites are cinnamon raisin toast, gold fish, grapes that I cut into thirds, and mommy's lasagna.  I am starting to ween you from the bottle very slowly, so now I have cut out one bottle a day.  You are still getting your morning, dinner, and bedtime bottle, but now at lunch you just get a meal and juice.  You eat a lot more at this meal now, so I'm glad you are getting more solid food.

Lasagna is guuuuuddd!

Sleep wise, you are still taking 2 naps a day although we can skip one from time-to-time and it's not too bad.  There's definitely a fine window to put you down for a nap and if it's missed, then that's that, we just keep you up and it's an early night to bed.  Our bed time routine has a new step in it now... teeth brushing!  You love it and Grandpa Starck actually got you a fancy electric tooth brush while he was in town.  We brush your teeth in the morning and after your bottle right before you go to bed.  You light up when we go into the bathroom and I turn it on. :)

Fun with bubbles

You have started babbling a lot more this month and I can tell you understand some of what I'm saying now.  If I ask you for a kiss or a hug I'm more likely to get one, although sometimes I still just get a smile or a giggle.  You have learned how to shake your head 'no' this month which is hilarious because you do it for everything.  I ask you how your nap was, I get a head shake 'no'.  I give you a piece of banana and you eat it while shaking your head 'no'.  I tell you it's time to go to the pool and you shake your head 'no'.  It's pretty much a reflex at this point.  haha.  I'm trying to teach you that your head can go up and down too, but it hasn't caught on yet.

Mmmm, daddy's ear is tasty!

I need to weigh and measure you because I know you have grown a ton this last month.  It's amazing picking you up now what a big girl you are.  A couple of days ago we were out running errands and I think I had 3 people ask me how old you were but they asked saying ages... "Is she just over a year?", "around 14 months?", etc.  I guess you really have turned into a little lady.

I can't believe in just two short months you will be a year old.  I am so excited to see you continue to learn and develop, but I already miss holding you in the crook of my arm like when you were a small infant.  I guess that's just the joy and hardship of being a parent.  All I know is everyday my love for you grows!

Love- Mommy

Dylann's first steps!

Today Dylann and I went for a little walk around the living room.  She was doing so well I decided to sit on the ground with her facing me and see if she would walk towards me if I carefully let go of her hands.

Well... she did it!  She took her first 3 solo steps!  I burst into praise and clapped for her and she giggled.  We did it a couple more times and she would take a couple of wobbly steps towards me and then fall in my arms and start laughing.  So much fun!  After that, I called Kyle to let him know and as I was talking to him, she pulled herself up on the window sill and then let go. She stood for a good 3 seconds before plopping down on her bottom.  What a brave girl!  I'm so proud!! :)

9 month photos

Here is a small collection of my favorite 9 month photos of Dylann.  Some I took in our guest room and the others I took at our friends mountain house this past weekend.  

I can't believe what a little 'girl' she is now...

9 month check up!

I just got back from Dylann's 9 month check up and she is doing great!  She weighs 18.07 lbs (38%) is 29.25 inches long (92%) and her HC is 18 inches (89%).

The doctor came in while Dylann and I were walking around the room with her holding on to one of my hands.  I mentioned to him that she had a little bit of rug burn on her left foot from dragging it under her when she crawls and he told me to just watch it, but from the looks of things she'll be walking in no time, so not to worry about it.  Oh boy.

Her unique crawl/walk/shuffle move :)

She's also gotten 2 more teeth in the last week!  Her top two lateral incisors came in and her two central incisors are growing out fast.  She is going to be all teeth before I know it.  Unfortunately, one downside to this is yesterday she discovered that she can grind her front teeth together.  Nails on a chalkboard does not even begin to describe the shivers I get when she does it.  I am keeping many teething rings at the ready so when she does start doing it I quickly give her something to chew on.  I hope she forgets about this new 'ability' soon.  Ugh.

"Haha- Mommy you make a funny face when I do this!"

Other then that, she is just a mover and a shaker now.  She crawls wherever she can get to pull herself up and cruise around...furniture... walls... the bed.  However, her favorite spot right now is the front storm door, where she stands up and pushes on the glass like she is trying to open it.  People walking by probably wonder if she is trying to escape, haha! 

"a little help please??" ;-)

Baby Bed Head

I went in to get Dylann up from her nap this morning and this is what I found...

The cutest bed head- EVER.  

I think she thought it was pretty funny too... :-) 

9 Months Old!!

Dear Dylann,

So Mommy has been a little slow lately on updating the blog.  I'm sorry!  I will try and find some more time to write about what is going on in your life, it's just hard now that you are moving and that your naps have gotten shorter!

This month has been EXCITING to say the least!  You have changed so much in the last few weeks, it is incredible.  I can't believe what a little person you have become.  You are still very laid back and easy going, but now you have learned how to 'ask' for things if you want something instead of just waiting for something to happen.  You have gotten so talkative and you love to babble to yourself, Murphy, or anyone that will listen. Sometimes when you are playing, Daddy and I will just sit there and listen to your little language until you look up and catch us spying on you.  Then all 3 of us will burst into laughter!  You and I have fun 'talking' to each other too.  You will say a vowel at a certain octave and pitch and I'll repeat it, then you will do the same vowel a little different and louder and I'll repeat it, so on and so on until we are pretty much yelling and giggling at each other.  Daddy thinks we're pretty hilarious when we do this, but I know you and I are just communicating in our own special way.

You have also learned how to communicate with your hands this month.  You are getting good at waving bye-bye, although not really on cue yet, and love to pat anything, like we pet Murphy.  I think you think it's a lot like a kiss or a hug, so I don't mind that I get 'patted', sometimes smacked, quite a lot. haha!  You are also giving hi-fives pretty well and you are great with finger foods.

It's just a love pat, promise. :) 

You are taking 4 bottles a day now and eating 3 meals.  You are pretty much over baby food, so now I have started giving you finger food meals that I help you with.  For breakfast you will usually have eggs, with some torn up toast, or yogurt with fruit.  For lunch you might have cheese cubes, green beans and banana, and then a typical dinner might be pieces of chicken, potatoes, and mandarin oranges.  You are still a good eater, but you have days where you are super hungry and then days where you hardly eat anything.  I guess it's just the ups and downs of being a growing girl!

Your first two top teeth came in this month right before your 9 month birthday.  They are coming in fast too!  It is amazing how much teeth can change the way you look.  They are adorable, but I can't help but miss your gummy smile.  I think you have a few more that are right on the edge of coming through as well.  You haven't been really bad in the teething department, although there are days that you are fussier and toss and turn at night.  You never wake up, but I can hear you on the monitor making little noises and turning over.  I'm sure it's because those teeth are making you uncomfortable.

My two front teef! 

On the fussy thought- you HATE your diaper changer now.  Sheesh- you would think we are putting you on a bed of nails, the way you whine when we have to change your diaper.  I have a little arsenal of toys next to the changer to distract you, but you are quite a handful when I'm trying to change a poopy diaper and you are crying and trying to turn over and sit up.  I think I'm going to have to start changing you on the floor to be safe, because you are all over the place!

And you're not just moving on your changer, but EVERYWHERE!  After I had officially decided that you would not crawl and just go strait to walking, you decided to prove me wrong. Right after Memorial Day, you crawled right across the living room floor to Daddy after he got home from work. Poof! You have this cute half crawl, half walk thing going on, where you slide your left leg under you and then you step on your right foot and move forward.    You have gotten so stealthy and I swear you just magically end up on the other side of the room.  I'll look down at my computer for a second and boom, you are at the front door pulling up, then I'll turn away for a sec and boom, you are at the couch grabbing my feet.  It's almost creepy. haha! I love that you are having fun and moving around now and getting to explore, but it has definitely kept me on my toes lately.  Your Daddy and I just spent the whole weekend baby proofing the house and moving furniture around so we could make you your own little 'play yard' in the living room.

On the move and pulling up! 

We had some fun adventures this month, we went to Hilton Head for a weekend and then your Godfather, Mr. Thomas, and his girlfriend Cassie, came down for Memorial Day.  You have had a lot of beach time and love to play in the water.  Speaking of, you also went to your first birthday party this month! One of your friends in Mommy and me class, Baylen, had a pool party for his 1st Birthday so you also got to swim in a big pool for the first time.  You loved your floaty and splashing in the water, but your favorite thing was playing in the water spout with Baylen.

Fun with Mr. Thomas and Cassie! 

We actually had to push your 9 month appointment back to next week because we went to Atlanta so Mommy could work, but I'll post what your height/weight and all that are after the appointment.  I know the numbers are going to shock me since I haven't really weighed or measured you since 6 months.  I'm just glad you don't have to get shots this time!

I can't believe that you are 9 months old already!  It seems like yesterday I was saying that when you turned 3 months.  You are such a sweet and good baby Dylann, I would never trade these 9 months in for anything and I know it's just going to get better and better!  I love you so much!!

-Mommy

The end of an era...

I have to admit, I've really enjoyed my time with an immobile baby. For awhile I wondered if I was doing something wrong, since Dylann is still not crawling, but now I've realized she is just a super laid back lady and she'll either crawl when she's ready, or more so, she'll just go strait to walking.  So instead of worrying about it I decided to enjoy the fact that I could put her on her play mat and clean the kitchen without worrying about what she was getting into.  Well, so much for that.

The other day I had her in her 'play pen' in the bathroom while I took a shower.  And by playpen, I mean a blanket and some toys set up in the garden tub next to the shower. ;-)  She will play in there forever while I take a shower after boot camp...yep, love her!  Well, as I washed my hair I turned around to check on her and there she was, standing up in the tub playing with the bottle of bubble bath that was on the edge of it. WHOA, what the...?!

Hahaha, you are in for it now Mommy! 

She loves to be on her feet and can stand for 10-15 minutes at a time if we put her next to the coffee table or using our hands as props.  She also is walking forward really well now if we help her.  So I knew this 'pulling up' phase was right around the corner.  Today she pulled herself up onto the coffee table and started scream-giggling she was so happy with herself. :)  I'm very excited to see her progress and see how much fun she is having with it, but I can't help but miss those long showers in the morning... especially when I come home stinky and sweaty from boot camp and I have to wait almost 3 hours until she takes a nap to take a shower! Yuck!

Check out my skillz!

It's been a great ride while it lasted baby girl, now comes the fun stuff... and more gray hair. :-P

One more cute one for good measure! :)

The Combover

The other day I was brushing Dylann's hair after her bath and I realized it was down to her nose in the front... but ONLY the front.  I think it is so funny she has this one patch that is growing at super human speed and the rest of her hair is just inching, or rather centimetering on slowly.  I'm not going to lie, this little "combover" patch, as we like to call it, is perfect for a small clip or bow (much to the dismay of Grandpa Starck ;-)), is a ton of fun in the bathtub, and is part of what makes Dylann so unique.

Still, I'm wondering if it's time to trim it since I'm constantly brushing it out of her eyes?  At the same time, HOW do I trim it?? I'm not going to give the girl 3 bangs after all!  Plus, we all know that when that first haircut happens, it's official- I have to admit that little D is growing up and not quite the baby she once was....




Yep, I think for the meantime we will continue the combover and if it gets longer in the next couple of months we'll revisit this idea when I'm a little more open to letting her silly hair go. :)

Papa's 60th Birthday!

For Papa's 60th birthday on May 5, 2011, the whole Johndrow side of the family went to New Orleans, LA for Jazz Fest... and it was a BLAST!! The crew included Mom and Dad, Me, Kyle, Dylann, Lindsey, Marc, Emma, Carter, and Ashley.  Tom was working in Seattle for the weekend so unfortunately he wasn't able to come.

We stayed in Slidell, where our family used to live when I was 9 and 10; we even took a drive through the old neighborhood and saw the old house.  On Friday, we went into town and went to the Jazz Fest to listen to some great music and of course eat lots of good creole food. :) We set up shop in front of a stage and had a fantastic time dancing with the kids and drinking margaritas.  Dylann did wonderful and Daddy even got her to take a nap in her stroller, which she's usually not a big fan of.

 

On Saturday, we went to Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter and had beignets and coffee.  This was very nostalgic because we used to stand in the window as kids and watch them cook the beignets and now here we are, with our own kids!

After that, we took the trolley through downtown and went to the Audubon Zoo.  It was exciting seeing all the animals and remembering the sites and exhibits from when I was little.  It's funny though, I remember the zoo being a LOT bigger when I was 9 years old!

I think Dylann was still a little young to 'get' it, but she still enjoyed herself.  Most of the time when I set her up on the edge to look over the moat at the tigers, monkeys, etc- she would just get entranced in the wood beam she was sitting on, or the bushes right in front of her.  Haha!  She did love the petting zoo though, and got to pet a goat for the first time.  And she LOVED the giraffes!  I think this was because they were really close to the fence and they are so big, their hard to miss.

After the zoo we went back to the French Quarter and took a stroll down Bourbon Street and then the French Market.  Dylann has officially 'Bar hopped on Bourbon'!  I hope she liked it, because she's not allowed back for at least 20 years!  It was great to experience as an adult now and we had a great time having cocktails and seeing all the activity go by.

We ended the evening with a nice dinner in honor of Dad/Papa.  We had a huge platter of "mud bugs" and Ash and I even sucked the heads.  Hey, when in NOLA.  It was a perfect way to celebrate Big Ed's 60th and a great family vacation with Dylann! :)