1 Year Tribute

Baby Girl Turns 1

I have to admit that the first 4 months were not as pleasant as I thought they would be. I had visions of cuddling my new child, putting her down for a nap, getting a cup of coffee, and doing some reading. Hah ... more like sleep deprivation and diaper blow outs. There was even a stretch of 3 days I didn't brush my teeth, not out of laziness ... I just plain forgot.

Then came the following 6 months ... I must quote the wise words of Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber ... and totally redeemed themselves! What an absolute joy Kalyn Kay has been to us ... and to everyone who knows and plays with her.

We had her birthday party a few days early. It was such a blessing to celebrate with our family (doting grandparents and uncle) and best friends. I can't believe Kalyn's 1. Happy Birthday Sweet Pumpkin Head!

First taste of sugar ... she liked it, of course!

G-ma and Grand pa ... our neighbors and KK's friends.

She is all smiles.

She loved the balloons as much as presents.

Our wonderful family and friends.

Christmas

I don't think I've ever cried during a Christmas Eve service ... that is until this year. These past few weeks leading up to Christmas have been filled with a different emotion for me ... sadness. I've become involved in a few students lives who are struggling through some really hard things. It pains my heart to see our young girls struggling in this fallen and sinful world. Their struggle is very real as their world seems to be slowly devouring them. I hate that they hurt, and I hate that they have to suffer. I hate that our world is full of sin ... which leads me back to the Christmas Eve service. As we sang my favorite Christmas song, Oh Holy Night, I couldn't stop the water works ...

Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices ... The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; In all our trials born to be our friends. He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger ... Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

I cried as we celebrated our savior entering this world to save us from all the junk that surrounds us. The only thing I can do to express my gratefulness to my Jesus is to "Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!"

What a great Christmas celebration we had this year!

Tee-peeing?

How young is too young to let your child go tee-peeing? I've recently conducted a study at the Bosse house to find the answer to this ever elusive question. The answer ... although an almost 1yr old is stinkin' adorable, tee-peeing at this age is not conducive to the parental environment. I guess she'll have to wait 12 more years (and then I'll probably take her myself).

One sick puppy

I've never had to parent a really sick kid before. Kalyn's had small colds, diaper rash, and diarrhea, but nothing major ... that is until yesterday. She was up every 10-15 minutes Friday night and the only way she would sleep, for at most an hour, was laying upright on our chests. Luckily Jason could pinch hit some of the time, but now I understand why God made women squishy ... strike that ... soft. Laying on Jason's chest is like laying on a board, I am however, quite to opposite. She literally slept on me all day. And for anyone who knows Kalyn, if she's awake, she's up and walking, so to sit in my lap, let alone sleep on me, means she was one sick puppy. (picture is at the doctor's office Saturday morning-the prognosis, an ear infection). Luckily our sick little puppy was back to her normal self when she woke up today.

Soccer anyone?

If she ever chooses to play soccer ... I will remind her of her talent early on ... and of her 1st Halloween costume. Maybe it was just meant to be.

Bosse Halloween 2008

A family that plays together ... stays together.

A little bit of mischief

If you watch Kalyn it won't be long before you realize what a nut she is. As soon as she hears the beep of the camera focusing on her, she turns and poses, it's hallarious. One thing's for sure, she doesn't like to be alone. She wants to be where the people are ... all the time.

Watching Daddy put up a picture and sporting Ohio State.

Learning to stand up inside her changing table and "helping" me with laundry.

Squeezing behind the couches and getting into the fridge.

Chowing down and making my heart melt.

This video shows a little taste of what she is like ... notice her stopping to dance to the music (I love that part). Not too bad for 9 1/2 months.

33

I turned 33 on the 15th. Wow, 33! I don't feel it at all ... well, except for the morning when I roll out of bed and walk like a 80 yr old man for the first 30 steps. Oh yeah, and when I see my face wrinkle when I smile. Oh, and when I go clothes shopping and actually wonder, "is this too young for me, do I need to dress older?" I don't even know where to shop to get "older looking clothes." Maybe I am feeling older, I just haven't been aware of all the signs ... well up until now, that is. Ahhhhh, I should have left it alone, "ignorance is bliss."

None the less, as I get older and older, I look forward to my birthday less and less. I remember as a kid making those chains where you tear off one link everyday until B-Day. It's funny though, every year as I think about it less and less , my birthdays get progressively better and better. Maybe it's because I'm not expecting anything ... then bamb ... it's a really good day.

My highlights: the ladies at work made t-shirts (contribution of Rachael) and cupcakes the day before the big day; I dressed Kalyn and I alike (I better do it now when she is still unaware); Joanne took me out to Starbucks in the morning, which in itself would have made my day; to Rubios for lunch with Rachael; talked to all my family; got lots of texts and calls from friends; took a short siesta; watched a movie; and Paradise Bakery for dinner.

Now that's a good day!

One big spoonful of SUCKY

Jason and I went to Santa Barbara for my 10 year college reunion last weekend and it's taken me this entire week to even write about it... that's how wonderful it was. Here's why:

It all started with an eight hour car rides with an 9 month old ... which in itself isn't horrible, but in light of the rest of the events, just adds to the weekend. Within 2 hours of reaching Santa Barbara I started not feeling well, only to start throwing up at 3 am. It was so bad, I moved a chair into the bathroom so I didn't have to sit on the floor anymore, or even move for that matter. I pretty much just sat and puked. Anyway, just as I finished releasing anything solid or liquid from my body, Jason got sick. Luckily I was no longer puking when Jason started in, so I became the nominee to watch Kalyn.

Side note ... to any of you mothers who still have to mother when you're sick ... we deserve awards or medals or something.

Back to the story ... so, I was looking forward to nap time, getting some rest and taking a break from my still queasy stomach and pounding headache ... but wishful thinking seeing as Kalyn needed to go down in a pack-n-play, in a room with linen drapes (so it was extremely bright), and next to the bed where her puking father lay ... lets just say the nap didn't happen. Ahhhhh! This is where I felt like falling to my knees and asking, "Why me, God. Why me?" in a very whiny voice.

So, I stayed at home, feeling like crap and taking care of my now sick husband and nap-refusing daughter ... and all the while missing EVERY reunion event the entire weekend. I was really looking forward to catching up with classmates I haven't seen in 10 years. I was bummed, bummed, bummed. .I'm still bummed when I think about it. And being sick away from home is sucky on top of sucky. And just to top it off, we had one more 8 hour car ride home with the same pounding headache I'd nursed all weekend.

So, if you're wondering why I titled this "one big spoonful of sucky" ... now you know.

Makin' Grandad Happy

For those of you who know my Dad, you'll know he's kind of a soccer nut. He's coached "the girlas," as he calls his girls teams, for umpteen years now. I think he's already asked three or four times, "When does Kalyn get her first pair of cleats?" Well Dad, I don't know, but this should make you happy in the meantime. Are you up for coaching one more girls team?

Vacation Pics

Hooray for vacations

We just got back from vacation in Pagosa Springs, Colorado which is 50 minutes east of Durango. It was really nice to get away, to be able to look out our window and see greenery (unlike the rock-scape I normally look at), and hang out in a blissful 80 degrees. Here are a few of my thoughts about vacation...


Vacations without children:
1. You get to sleep in and relax
2. You get to do activities any time of the day
3. You get to go to dinner and talk to your spouse
4. You get to take naps whenever you want
5. You pack your trunk to only half it's capacity

Vacations with children:
1. What does sleeping-in mean again? I forgot.
2. We do activities that last 3 hours or less
3. I feel like Mary Poppins with all the toys I can fit into my purse
4. Keeping Kalyn off the floor where who knows what's been before
5. We actually packed our trunk with the the swing, pack-n-play, kid backpack, 2 suitcases, toys, food, bumbo ... you get the picture

And still, with all the changes, I really enjoyed vacation. I will say though, it's just not the same as it used to be. Thus is my new reality.

Momma and Me

When I'm at work, I love being at work. But, when I'm at home, I LOVE being home. I get to see all the little funny things Kalyn does. I think being an "older" mom and having so many friends and family walk this path before me has really been to my advantage, I've gleaned a lot from them. I don't worry so much about little things, but what I do concern myself with is raising this little girl of ours. It finally set in the other day that THIS is my job. The dishes, and laundry, and meal making, and all the other things moms have to multi-task come with the territory, but the real job is this little life God's given to me to raise. If dinner is late because I spent a little more time playing with Kalyn ... then we eat late ... but Kalyn goes to bed knowing she is loved and has two parents who spend time with her. I never hear kids complain that their mom didn't do the dishes, but I hear plenty say they don't feel loved. There is so much freedom in gaining a bigger perspective and then living under it. So in the meantime ...

we get to read books, and play on the floor ...


and take baths ...


and go swimming with Grammy, and play with cousins Kyle and Jeremy ...


... and know that this little life is loved!

Klayn loves the Itsy Bitsy Spider

Moving is fun ... NOT

It's been a little while since I last blogged ... two words ... we moved. For those of you who know what it's like to move and unpack a house with a 6 month old, you can empathize with me how seriously slow it is. I don't typically move in "seriously slow" so this has been a test of patience and endurance. Here's my top 5 moments of the last two weeks ...
#5 - Moving in Phoenix, in July, what were we thinking. That day it was 102°F and 85% humidity. Yuck!
#4 - I'm too cheap to buy "transitional clothing" so I've still been wearing my maternity clothes ... this week I fit back into some of my old shorts. I can't remember the last time I zipped anything up, it's been all elastic waists for over a year, baby!
#3 - Jason and I got to sleep on our Tempurpedic mattress again ... it was heavenly.
#2 - Kalyn has resumed sleeping through the night ... in her own room ... also heavenly.
#1 - Not so heavenly ... Kalyn scratched my cornea with her fingernail. It was only slightly less painful than labor. I was pretty much blinded. Jason had to lead me into the eye doc office (blind), I had to sign papers (blind), play with Kalyn (blind). Luckily they patched my eye ball and it healed in one day. I purchased new nail clippers (other pair lost in the move) the next day.

I'm an aunt ... again!!!

My sister, Sarah, had her baby ... Jadyn ... on July 5th. I was able to fly out there in time for her delivery. It was a great moment between sisters. Jadyn was born 6 weeks early, 4 lbs 15 oz, is in NICU, but doing very well. She is a tiny little thing and gorgeous.