Babies in the Oven

As Sam and I knelt down to say our morning prayer together one morning in the living room, Ked quickly seized the opportunity to get into the kitchen, open the oven door, climb up on it, and play with the racks and the stove above. (Thankfully he can't turn it on.) As you can imagine, this made a fair amount of racket. As Sam was praying, he asked for a blessing on "the baby in the oven." I thought it was a little odd he used this phrase in a prayer, but then when I heard Ked clanking away in the oven, I couldn't help but release a muffled laugh, and (being a Z) I couldn't stop the whole way through the prayer. On hearing me start to laugh, Sam realized why I was laughing and added, "bless both babies in the oven." Well, it wasn't the most reverent prayer, but we were sincere!

I was pleasantly surprised with an ultrasound at my first appointment, and I was amazed at how fully formed and squirmy and kickin' and punchin' our little sprite was! Pretty amazing, and while I've already been really excited, seeing such a confirmation made me ecstatic! We are due in August.

Oh, what do you do in the winter time...?

Do you turn your table upside down like this. . .

after finding your kid multiple times like this?

(Ked, Jan. 2011; 16 1/2 months)

Christmas, etc.

Ked was ecstatic to be greeted by a new dog when we arrived at Sam's parents for Christmas. (One of Ked's first "words" was "Issadog!") Ked and the dog both loved each other and drove each other crazy.

Ked has enjoyed this homemade Christmas present. . . but it wasn't quite as cool as his cousin's new bike.

Ked also liked his harmonica, but he wanted me to blow it.

Ked and Sam outside the Nauvoo temple, waiting for the bride and groom. It was cold! One of these days I'll get some pictures up of the happy couple--Shannon and Kyle. We were so happy to be there with them.

Shoveling Snow

What do you do with a boy with bounteous energy?

You put him to work!

Christmas Eve Day, at Sam's parents'. Ked loved the snow shovel.

Nativity Temptation

Figuring out where to put my Nativities this year was tricky--they had to be out of Ked's reach. Of course, he still found ways to get to them. . . He especially loved the nesting dolls a friend gave me and the little sheep of the porcelain set that my youngest sister made me.

I love how he is cradling the baby Jesus here.

I eventually moved most of the Nativities to a shelf in the bookcase. But then Ked figured out that he could climb onto his toy box to reach it. So I took the lid off of his toy box. . . and he put it back on. So I hid the lid, and finally, all was safe.

Studious

I love viewing Ked in his quiet moments. Except this one made me nervous. . .

(Ked 12/15/2010; 15 1/2 months)

He does like to look through books on the couch (usually upside down, as both of these pictures show).

(Ked 1/13/2011; 16 1/2 months)

Keeping Mom Busy

(Ked) One day I figured out how to move the chairs all around the house and get into anything I couldn't normally reach--top drawers, shelves, the sink, the stove--and I could get onto the kitchen table even when Mom and Dad remembered to push their chairs in.

(Ked, 12/1/2011; 15 months)

It was great until Mom hid all the chairs in the back room (and subsequently got holes in the knees of her jeans from kneeling down at the kitchen table all the time).

Then I figured out I could still use my push car to get a few places. That worked until Dad added child-proof latches to the upper drawers too.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Then I figured out I could open the oven door, climb on top of it, and play both in the oven and on the stove! Mom does NOT like this, but so far she hasn't been able to figure out a way to keep me out of it, except to guard it very carefully when anything is hot. She's glad I can't reach to turn anything on.

(Ked 12/8/ 2010; 15 months)

Mom turns the desk chair on it's side so I don't get into everything on the top of the desk, and so I can't hit the button on the computer that makes it crash every time. (She doesn't even know what button I push, but I hit it all the time!) I don't get upset when she turns the chair over (like I do when she takes the other chairs away), because at least it gives me my own personal jungle gym.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Ked's Flip

Ked got himself into his pack-n-play twice this morning (with the aid of a chair and with the purpose of retrieving his pacifier). I didn't see him either time (though I did hear a thud the first time), and I decided to see if he'd do it again with me watching (and recording).

If I'd known how he was going to do it, I don't think I would have encouraged it. This is definitely not what I was expecting! (I guess it is the same thing he does on the couch all the time, but the couch is a lot more padded!) Notice how he glances at the pacifier, gives a little excited laugh, preps and bends his knees, then just goes for it!

Ked 16 months