Friday, March 7, 2008

Last Weekend.......

We have had a busy week, with the car issues (someone backed into us)


and Kai’s face getting bashed up, as well as starting the process of getting the house ready for rent, so we are getting estimates on a whole lot of things!

I did not tell you about last weekend. I had an immigration appointment in Charlotte, and we thought we would go see two friends of ours from Germany (Mark and Trisha) in their beautiful new home!


We had such a great weekend with them, and Kai loved being there (she loved the Paris room! Those who know TW and MW will understand) and the dogs were great babysitters.


We played rummy in the evening – the fun of having guests with a baby means not much going out after 7pm. Anyway, I am sure they took my luck, cause ever since I was there I have not won or even come close to getting any respectable score (thanks guys!!!!!)



Mark reminded me of a funny situation which Rachel and Kelly were involved in ….. do you remember this picture of Kai eating Biltong? Rachel and Kelly were sure Kai was eating a turd!


Here is Marks version of the ‘turd eating’
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and with compliments of Rachel and Kelly they sent a picture of their (American) version too!!!!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

It's not easy being one!


This is what happens when you are learning to walk and you are obsessed with balls….
We were outside playing with the other kids in the neighborhood, when Kai saw a ball on the driveway. She went to get it, turned around, got her feet all tangled up and instead of letting the ball go – she fell on her face and continued to slide on her nose………

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Jo and Kai same age...


Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Kailey's Day Today

I thought I would give a quick break down of Kai's day....

We started out with milk and The Mickey Mouse Club House - she loves this show and can't belive she knows Micky Mouse. She freaks out whenever she sees Mickey. Today she noticed he was on her nappy (dipers) and walked around with it for hours.



We then had music class today. This is Kindermusik, it's quite sweet and she enjoys it. This is the church where it is held... very southern!




When we came home she found the bunny ears I got her for easter... she put them on and wore them for a while.




The rest of the day she played with her new drum (and shakers), slept, and waited for Daddy to come home. Since Deric is the breakfast master, he used his 'eggspertise' and taught her how to make scrambled eggs!





Last but not least Daddy took her off to bath (aka play time) to have some quality dad and daughter time (and to let me be babyless for 30 minutes).

Thursday, February 21, 2008

What Kai has been up to lately!



She is changing so much lately, before my eyes and there is nothing I can do about it!!! Seeing her become her own little person is just the best thing ever. I ask her if she wants milk, if she needs a nappy change, if she wants to go to sleep, where here toys are etc… she will answer ‘ye’ for yes and not at all for no!


But she is miss independant and has to walk EVERYWHERE! It's too cute!

She will start holding your hand and then pull away with her arms at her ears and usually squealing as she speeds up on a bit of a speed wobble!

She goes down stairs on her belly and slides all the way down, something like this...









We started her on swimming lessons this past weekend, since I did the ones from 6 months Deric has taken on these - of course I am right there taking a million pictures!


Other than that we have all been sick lately and have spent a bit more time at home than normal. She plays all day long and 'destroys' the house. Her bike is a top toy and she will get on and off it all day long (thanks Rachel and Kelly)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Just a few of my NEVERISMS

Things I said I would never do……and have done or totally went above and beyond

• I would never marry a policeman since they did not come home every night. (if only)
• I would never let my child eat sugar till they were two
• I would never go through a drive through – I would get out my car and get it myself. (Now with a child in the car they rock – ATM, Starbux, Drycleaners….)
• I would never use a dishwasher – ha!
• I would never eat sushi - stable diet now!
• I would never leave my trolley (shopping cart) in the middle of the parking lot – well now I am not leaving my child alone in the car to take it back …. And I am also not parking next to the trolley drop off incase someone hits my car (it’s a complex one)
• I would never live far from my family
• I would never get a speeding fine (it was a personal goal – now in SA I got 7 in 5 months…… coming home from school and wanting to get home to Kai)
• In 1994 I said I would never get a cell phone they are for showoffs!!!!
• In 1997 I said I would never invest in the internet – it would never take off (I guess you see why I do so badly with roulette and that’s just black and red)
• I would never drink beer – in London its sooooo much cheaper than anything else!
• When I had kids I would make sure all their toys stay in their bedrooms so the adult areas in the house would stay clear and neat – the funniest one of all!


Things I said I would never do...and still have not done – watch this space things could change

• Wear my husbands T-shirts even when pregnant
• Go to Wal-Mart at midnight … in my pajamas… with slippers on….. with curlers in my hair….. Oh the list could go on.
• I will never cut my hair short
• I will never eat fruit


That’s all I can think of now – I guess I have done most of what I said I wouldn’t! Just goes to show - never say never!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

She is WALKING!!!!!

On Tuesday night Kai started walking - she waited for Deric to get home from work and to add to the good timing Hannah came over and I could get some pictures of her.






She has been very busy. She started with a group in Kindermusik, we go to a reading session at the Library for 12 month old's and she is enrolled in swimming class, not to mention the playdates, which are more for me than her.

She is tring to speak much more lately, she says 'juice', 'shoes', 'deka' (thandeka), and 'where' usually refering to her dummy (pasifier)I am trying to get a picture of her saying 'where' as she lifts her shoulders and raises her hands - too cute!!! She has started to copy me too - if I put a hair band on she takes it off my head and puts it on her's, if I put chapstick (lipice) on she wants some too!

We are at a stage now where she is more fun than work, she is sleeping well, eating well and playing well.

As you see she is also helping around the house. Here she was very interested in how Daddy was fixing the door.


We are enjoying the house so much lately and the calm before the storm. We move to Kansas in June, and then again a year after that! So now not rushing around is exaclty what we all need.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Monday, January 28, 2008

Happy 1st Birthday Kailey

Here are just a few pic's of the birthday girl. Her party was on Saturday and we had such a fun time. I will post full details with photo's as soon as I get them all together.
Thank you to everyone who came and sent wishes to Kai..... we are so blessed to have you all.



Tuesday, January 22, 2008

364 days ago!

Well, its my birthday tomorrow and for the first time I have not even thought about it (till now that is) Now those of you who know me, know that daily reminders are sent to those around me, reminding them of the day that is about to come. I usually make a huge deal about my ‘big’ day and use it to my advantage to see all my beloved friends all at the same time.

So this year is the first year when I just don’t care. I have been focused on Kai’s birthday party and what she will be doing on Friday

I have come to the conclusion though, that I am going to be much better at 32 than I was at 31…… here’s why.

At my 31st birthday I:

 Did not have Kailey in my life yet
 Had not experienced 26 hours of labor
 Had not yet experienced been a 31 year old full time student
 Did not have my degree
 Was not half as bossy as I am now (motherhood does mad things to a woman)
 Had no idea how much I could do in a day let alone a year
 Had not yet reconnected with my SA friends
 Had not yet had a 24 hour travel experience with a 9 week old on my own
 Had not yet experienced the words Mama
 Had not learnt the word patience to its fullest (thanks to Kai and Deric away for 9 months)
 Had not yet learnt that home is where Deric, Kai and I are (or where Kai and I are, depending on deployments)
 I had not yet learnt that I can operate just fine on 4 hours of broken sleep for 6 months, at the same time as writing a thesis, completing 11 assignments, doing 2 practical exams and writing 5 theoretical exams
 Had not yet spent quality time with my family and parents in SA
 Had not yet experience what it is like to be a single parent - (thank goodness that’s over)


So, what this birthday brings me is that I am better than I was at 31 and much stronger than I was just 364 days ago.
What more could you ask for from a birthday!!!!

Friday, January 18, 2008

We have been in NC now for 3 weeks!!!!


We are settled now and starting to find our grove. Kailey is fine, she goes to sleep now at 7:00/7:30 and wakes at 8:00/8:30 and no more night bottle, I love this routine of hers – I hope she keeps it. We have had only two bad nights so far where she was cutting a molar and was up most of the night screaming. (Yip we are now on tooth number 16) But the late mornings make up for these nights for sure.

I have been seeing friends whom I have missed this past 9 months. Or, Dani and Rachel who is in town for 2 weeks from Texas!
These are photo’s Rachel took – She had her Lorelai 3 weeks before I had Kai. This is how fast babies grow up. Lorelai is 3 weeks in this picture and Kai was 4 days old. (It feels like 5 years ago at least)



But everything is going well – getting ready for Kaileys birthday next weekend. We are having some wonderful friends come and stay with us that we have not seen in ages….. I will update fully on the birthday weekend.

Sunday, January 13, 2008