Christmas!

Kyla opens some presents. She got a cleaning kit so that she doesn't have to take Mama's broom all the time.

Christmas was fine for Kyla, and she began "getting" unwrapping presents. But overall, she didn't really see what the big deal was. It's just as much fun to play with Grandma Kruger's tupperware lids.

Daddy, Mama, and Monkey

Trying to take our family picture to send out for Christmas, we had a hard time getting Kyla to smile. Turns out our little monkey wanted just to "hang out".

California or Bust!

Breakfast with Grandma

We spent Thanksgiving and the rest of November in California, staying with Grandma and Grandpa Need and spending time with Dwayne's siblings. Kyla got lots of time with her 5 cousins (the oldest is 18!), and thinks cousins are an excellent idea. She thinks fevers and illness are not such a good idea, but it took her most of a week to recover from hers.

Posing at the San Diego Zoo

Learning bad habits from Daddy.

Cooling off at the Wild Animal Park.

Running toward Daddy at the Flight Museum.

The Need Family Portrait, 2007

New Stuff!

Mama got a haircut and a minivan and Kyla started cutting more teeth. She loves to climb and stomp in mudpuddles. She's not at all timid about trying new things and I have to hear quite the "thump" before she cries. She is so much fun!

Octoberfest

Kyla the Cow clings to Keith. (Love the alliteration, don't you?)

Naked Kyla

Sauna

Kyla caught a cold, and a steam bath with Daddy seemed to help the sniffles.

Gold Beach Vacation

In the middle of September, we did a group vacation down to Gold Beach, OR. (Hadn't heard of it? Well, it is just a "quant little drinking town with a big fishing problem".)

"Yes, I'm on vacation!"

Uncle Brian, Dwayne, Kyla and I got to pet a baby Bengel Tiger. Thrilled, Kyla was.

That was almost as thrilling as the breathtaking hike we did from Highway 101 down to the beach. Daddy is doing this on a bum knee.

David stands with us in front of a particularly large redwood tree on a little sidetrip we took down to northern California.

Across the street from the Trees of Mystery was a Forest Cafe. It had fake trees and fake bears and everything!

None of the pictures show Kyla being horribly sick most of the trip. Just take into account that her parents failed to get any pictures of that, and you have a general idea how tired it made us.

One Year Old!

We celebrated a week early on a camping trip with Denise's family. She turned one with a bit of fuss on our part, but surprisingly, little on hers.

Grandma and Grandpa Kruger are making her into a camper with her very own camp chair!

On her actual birthday, Dwayne and I took her to ToysRUs to get her a tricycle, which she will need to grow into. For now, she loves being pushed in it. After the purchase, we went to a local park where Daddy pushed her in the swing and we watched ducks swim in the pond. She slept all the way home! A perfect birthday for a one year old....and her parents.

Denise

First Steps!

Run Away, Kyla. Run Away!

Kyla took her first steps today! I was making dinner and glanced down at her and saw her toddle toward a chair so she could grab the towel (on the chair) and throw it to the floor. She has taken several steps since then, but never to Mama or Daddy. She is more interested in walking toward the open fridge or dishwasher or pantry shelves. Our darling Destructo.

Ah, the superpowers you didn't wish for your child.....

Surprise!

And here's the reason I haven't blogged for two months. If she's sleeping, I'm sleeping. If she's playing, I'm feeling sick. However, we are about 12 weeks, and it feels like everything's going well (for Kyla and the new baby--I've got a few more weeks to go until I feel great again)>

Family Reunion in Yakima

My mother's family met up in Yakima together for the first time in years. Kyla was the youngest, but it was fun to have so many kids around.

July 11

With Family

Against her will, she finally collapsed in Grandma's arms.

Hanging out with Uncle Keith

July 11

Why do I ALWAYS have to take baths?

Kyla loves blueberries. Yep. July 7, 2007

3rd of July

Dwayne's aunt and uncle have a place on a lake that celebrates July 4th one day early. Other than the late night fireworks, Kyla did great.

Playgroup

Kyla and her friends wonder why all the grown ups are making funny faces so far above the floor, where all the good toys are.

Kyla and Grandma Kruger

Kyla began crawling two days earlier, though she didn't prove it in front of any witnesses other than Mama. Kyla is thrilled with standing, with Grandma, with her life in general.

Afternoon at the Park

Friends from North Carolina came up and we got to spend a day with them. We took them, their 18 month old daughter, and our family to the park.

Father's Day Weekend

We spent Father's Day weekend camping on Lake Chelan (in Eastern Washington) with for other families from our new church.

We began the weekend with Dwayne's summer 'do.

Then we stopped at Ohme Gardens as a respite from the car and scrubbrush scenery.

Seven other kids were in the group, and Kyla enjoyed their company very much. (Danica is giving her rabbit ears.)

Kyla liked playing with sticks. She just wished she could get to the fire, too.

When we drove home, we let

Kyla take the wheel. (Okay, perhaps we stopped for a quick break.)

High Chair Fiend

It drives Dwayne crazy, but I get a kick out of Kyla's eating habits.

Just a note for grandmothers: Kyla had her 9 month last week, and is 26.75" long and 17"7oz. This puts her about the 25th percentile, still perfect in every way. The day after, I took her to an allergist because a persistant facial rash. They gave her a battery of tests, and they didn't find a single thing she was allergic to! This is a big surprise with the family history on both sides.

At the Zoo

Kyla noticed animals for the first time and LOVED watching the otters race past the viewing window. Here, she is just as interested in the otter statues.

First Picnic

Rochelle, Keith, Dwayne, Kyla, and I went on our first picnic of the season at Cottage Lake. Instead of playing on the blanket, she preferred to sit with Daddy. Was she just trying to get the fried chicken?

Family BBQ

Noah and Trent (cousins of some sort to Kyla) pose with Kyla and Teddy at Eric and Traci's house.

"Playing" with Sammy

Jen & Ben dropped off Sammy for a few hours. He's 2 1/2; she's just 8 months. There seems to be no spark of interest.

Mother's Day

Three generations gathered at Aunt Janet's for a Mother's Day celebration.

Grandma is actually looking at pictures of Kyla.

Bathing Beauty

It was the warmest day of the year thusfar, so Kyla treated herself to an afternoon at the park.

Yum.

All done, Mom!

Splish Splash!

I like food. I like milk. I like naps. I like toes. I like Teddy. But I LOVE my bath.

Mama should really take pictures of all the water on the kitchen floor. That is truly impressive, if I do say so myself.