Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Kaylynn *hearts* Romper (aka, Aggie Monkey)

Being the awesome mother that I am, I asked Brian if I could risk waking her up to take a picture of her sleeping. Being the awesome father that he is, he said "Sure!"


Totally worth it!

ps, Romper is the name that is on his tag. We affectionately call him "Aggie Monkey" because he wears an Aggie tshirt.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Huh?

Ok, it's official (or reemphasized; I may have already proven the point). Law school is pointless. The passage below sums up my first year (plus) in law school. It comes from a judge's opinion I'm supposed to be "learning" from.

"Ordinarily, the parties' intent must be ascertained from the deed or other instrument creating the restriction. However, when the language used in the instrument is ambiguous, the court must look to the language of the instrument..."

Read that second sentence again and tell me what the hell it is supposed to mean. Seriously, I'd like your thoughts because I have none. My real question is this: just what the hell was the judge looking at in the first place? I mean, if the judge was actually looking at the language of the instrument, they wouldn't be inclined to look at it again. Honestly, pointless.

I can't wait to ask this question tomorrow in class and hear the prof say "I don't know what that means" or "don't worry about that". That will make me feel that I am using my time very well. I'd prefer to watch the Cowboys and their messed up $1B stadium. And you know how much I like watching the Cowboys.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Laughter

Sometimes they say it is the best medicine. And sometimes they are right (whoever “they” are). There are times when people could use a good laugh but simply don’t know where to turn. Now, the internet is an obvious source of nonsensical information that can provide the requisite dosage. But just what should you be looking for? I have listed below several things that generally make me laugh when I need to.

1. Watching people parallel park. I mean, seriously. This is real entertainment. There were times when Hayley and I were travelling in Europe and would sit down somewhere and watch people try to parallel park. No lie. It’s hilarious because most people can’t do it well. They make several attempts and then give up. Shortly thereafter, someone else comes along to give it a go. They too are unsuccessful. Below are links to some clips of people trying to parallel park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYXbddoVjTY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmKEQ5QEbYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppcdttEu3tU&feature=PlayList&p=ECC3D0217A36B5B7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29

2. Hearing people laugh in slow motion. I have no idea why, but this makes me laugh so hard. I know it’s kind of freaky, but it’s funny nonetheless.

http://www.todaysbigfail.com/view/20090914

http://www.todaysbigfail.com/view/20090829

3. Pranks. Of course, they have to be harmless pranks. But I was thinking this morning about a prank I tried to pull on a co-worker in London. We were nearing the tax filing deadline and had completed all of the returns. Everything was in order and all we needed was the signature of the senior manager. The senior manager was a nervous type which meant it would be even more fun to prank her. So here was the plan:

I was going to have the “final returns” lined up on a table in the conference room. In reality, the returns – with the exception of the top page - were the draft version (with our light blue pencil marks on them); the final returns (without any pencil markings) were in my desk drawer. I would have a cup of hot chocolate with me (it was October and chilly. Plus, the hot chocolate was delicious). After she had signed the returns, I’d put the cup down on the table, reach over to pick up the returns, and “accidentally” spill the cup all over the returns.

It went off without a hitch. Or so I thought. It turns out that another co-worker that was in on the prank had reprinted the returns so there were no pencil markings on them. When the senior manager started to “freak out”, I said “don’t worry, they are just draft”. I then proceeded to flip through to show her the pencil markings. There were none. And I started to freak.

In the end, the prank didn’t work out because my co-worker had told the senior manager and they decided to prank me. I learned it is more fun being on the pranking side than the pranked side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYsq4fqbMG8&feature=PlayList&p=61319F7BF7801323&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaPsMjyPMtU&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=61319F7BF7801323&index=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8QzDhKv4lk&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=61319F7BF7801323&index=8

4. The crossbar challenge!!! Most of you won’t find this amusing. I do. There is a weekend soccer show in the UK called Soccer AM. Every week they go to a different team and conduct the “Crossbar Challenge”. The basic idea is that the members of the team try hitting the goal’s crossbar from midfield with a soccer ball. I miss Soccer AM. Fortunately I found the clips below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxwRs7iXk88&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCFUhoftrGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d80XLE3lJ4A&feature=related
(Note that this one also qualifies for the slow-motion laughter referenced above)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbYIsRaZtmk&feature=related

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Child Prodigy

Holy moley, our daughter is a genius! I know we're partial, but just watch her below. She can't crawl, but she sure knows about noses (not hers, just farm animals apparently.)


Now, I realize she didn't hit some of those spot on, but cut her some slack folks, she's only 9.5 months old!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2031!

Kaylynn attended her first Fightin' Texas Aggie football game on Saturday. I'm annoyed that the pictures I took of her and Brian with Kyle Field in the background came out all blurry (except for Kyle Field - that was as clear as day - it was backwards bokeh!) Anywho, Kaylynn is enjoying the best part of the games - halftime!


She's pointing at the band. Excited to see her very first "Block T".
Watching intently.
There it is!

"You mean it's over???"
Blue eyes was excited to watch the "Pulse of Aggieland" and cannot wait to go back!





Thursday, September 17, 2009

Better Late Than Never...

...photos of a pig-tailed girly, Labor Day weekend. I always have good intentions by taking the camera, however, I usually fail to get good photos. This is the one time I took the camera out all weekend. I am glad I got Mom and Dad's awesome backyard view in the background.


Clapping is so fun! She could clap all night...if she didn't need food. :)

Staring off at the other dogs.
What's Gus doing back there?
Standing is the best fun!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

9 Month Well Baby

And a well baby she is! Going into today, I knew sweet girl was well over 20 lbs. She feels so heavy when you carry her, though it might be because she is always moving. No sitting still for our child. Well, lo and behold, Kaylynn only weighed 18 lbs 10.4 oz, keeping her still in the 50th % for little girls. She was 28.5 inches long, only growing 1 & 3/4 of an inch since June (it's the 75th %). The nurse said she's been riding the growth curve since she was born, never deviating above or below it.

Dr. P. said she looked great. Kaylynn ran the gauntlet of tricks for her and Dr. P was impressed by how she was recognizing the words and going the actions (like asking her if she can clap, etc.) She said she's head of the game socially! My sweet girl is probably going to be a social butterfly, unlike her Mommy & Daddy. She also told me to stop worry about her lack of crawling, as the rolling is getting her from place to place faster, so it works. She said that its funny how it works, because when babies start moving, they do what works, so she rolls now and when she gets frustrated with rolling, then she'll move to something else.

No scheduled shots at this appointment, except we elected to get a flu shot (NOT the H1N1!!) I did get the thimerasol-free shot, so I'm happy about that. They also drew some blood to test her iron levels (they were fine) and she handled this like a pro. They pricked her big toe and she did nothing. No crying, to pulling away, just sat there. THEN, when they started to draw the blood, my aspiring doctor/nurse LEANED OVER to watch! Like "what are you doing there??" She didn't cry with the flu shot until the needle was out of her.

Kaylynn is all tuckered out now, having a nap with her Aggie monkey! I enjoyed my half-day off work! :)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Fingerfood It Is!

So, when we went up to Frankston for Labor Day, I (or Brian, but let's face it, probably me) didn't shut the freezer door all the way. We lost everything - most importantly, all of Kaylynn's purees! I went out, spent a lot of money buying new fruits and veggies, to find out that my food processor doesn't work anymore. I'm still confused about this one. It didn't break on me while using it I guess it just stopped working while I was not using it? Weird.

Anywho, because of this, I've been cutting up foods, steaming them, and letting Kaylynn eat them. She's doing great, so I'm thinking that I'll puree some of it, but for the most part, I'll give her foods she can feed herself. She loves doing it. I think she likes playing with the foods on her tray more, but that's ok. She's also good at letting me know when it is too much (she just starts playing and not eating.) She's enjoyed squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, and mango cubes.

On different news, the girl can't crawl, but she can get herself from a belly position to a sitting position. I still can't figure that one out, but Brian and I both saw it with our own eyes. That and she's a speed roller. She can flip in circles faster than anything I've seen.

That's about all that's new around here. We're boring!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Pee Your Pants Funny

Click these links now and thank me later.






A preview:


Thursday, September 10, 2009

9 months!

Dear Kaylynn,

9 months today! Your mommy had intentions of taking you to the park to play this afternoon when she picked you up, but cloudy skies and a sleepy girl made me change my mind. You are a busy bee these days. You haven't started crawling yet, but you don't let that deter you from getting around. You can log roll with the best of them, strategically turning yourself on your tummy to head in the correct direction. So smart! When you read this one day, don't worry - your mommy wasn't in any hurry to crawl or walk either (10 months and 13 1/2 months.) You get it honestly.

More than anything, you want to stand up. If you are sitting by me, you lean over, until you can grab my fingers and just start pulling. You don't have the hang of it on your own, but I bet its not too far away. Once standing, you will hold on to your Baby Einstein toy or your bouncer and play. Once you get too tired of standing, you just sit. I always heard learning to get down from standing was the hard part, but you have no problem with that (you can thank your fluffy bum for that!)

You officially have both of your teeth, not just the one! The 2nd one is in all the way and I bet your top teeth aren't too far behind. You enjoy brushing your teeth at night, because I secretly think you love the spearmint flavor!

Another new thing is your eating habits. You haven't wanted your bottles as much, mostly because of a runny nose. You may also be too busy to worry about your milk, but its a necessity! You eat more finger foods now, your favorite being green peas. Mommy likes to sneak these as you are eating them, as well. So yummy! You also feed yourself parsnips, peaches, puffs, yogurt bites, and waffle bits. Once I buy new bread, you are going to try toast (YEAH TOAST!)

You have also become quite the straw cup champ! You really enjoy drinking your water out of it and are able to just grab it and get a sip whenever you need it. It's so cute to watch you feed yourself peas, then stop to get a drink - just like a big girl! When you turn 1, I'm going to get you the big version of this cup, because on Dec. 10th, the bottle is going bye-bye!

Lastly, I think you really can associate "mama" and "dada" to us. You definitely know words, because you can clap, wave, raise your arms, do a hi-5, and give kisses on demand. We mix up the order and you still get it right. You've started pointing at things this month, and I think you understand the word point ("can you point at dada?")

Since your first birthday is only 3 months away (WHAT?!?!), I have started making my mental preparations. It's not far away at all! Your infectious laugh can always brighten us up when we've had a rough day. Your such a big, sweet girl and your daddy and I could not love you more!!

Love,
Mommy

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Champ

Everyone knows that I’m a competitive person. But when you leave the house at 6 AM and get home at around 9 PM, there’s very little time in between to engage in any competitive activity. How thankful I am for the Rod Ryan show on 94.5 (The Buzz).

Each morning at around 6:30 he plays the “Fresh out of Bed, Head to Head”. It’s essentially a meaningless quiz game where two people try to answer trivia questions the fastest. If you get two questions correct, you live to see another day. If you make it five days in a row, you enter the Hall of Fame tournament at the end of the year.

Now, there’s more to it than just winning the game. You also win prizes. Some of them are pretty cool (DVDs, concert tickets, etc.). Some of them are not (t-shirts, etc.).

I tried calling in last Tubesday and actually got through. Don’t ask me how because I don’t know. All I know is that I took Spencer to the cleaners and won a series of some TV show on DVD. On Wednesday, I squeaked by Jimmy and won a t-shirt. Thursday was an embarrassment for Dan as I smoked him for another DVD series (Heroes). I then proceeded to smoke Dan the Second on Friday for another, uh, DVD series...that I forgot the name to...or can’t say...

Last Friday’s victory made it four in a row. I had to wait through the long weekend until today to try to get into the hall of fame. Now, one might not think that it’s a big deal playing this game. I on the other hand got sick to my stomach at the thought of playing. I’d get so nervous that I would start trembling. It was so bad that I’d forget the questions that were asked immediately after I’d get done playing. Seriously. Hayley would ask me what the questions were and all I could say was “I don’t remember”...because I really didn’t.

In any case, today rolled around and I got to face Ben. It’s always unnerving playing against someone with a short name because it can be said faster. Ben is a single syllable; Brian is two syllables. Plus, it hurts your chances when you say your name and they don’t hear it. (Yes, it happened today.)

Anyway, I managed to squeak by again today to become the seventh member of the 2009 Fresh out of Bed, Head to Head Hall of Fame. I’m glad it’s over because I’m tired of being nervous. Plus, I’m tired of all the haters out there (Dufer, Jennifer, my wife) making fun of me for the ones I missed. They’re just jealous of all the loot I won, especially the DVDs I won on Friday.

Tournament of Champions, here I come b*tches!

(Ok, I have to stop ending every sentence with b*tches. You see, I’ve been programmed. When you win, you make a victory speech and it always ends in “b*tches”. Don't worry. The victory speeches are read to you by the DJ and you just have to repeat them. It's all their idea. So yes, I got to say b*tches on the radio 5 times...and it was awesome. But it is time to stop now. I promise that I’ll stop...starting tomorrow b*tches.)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Wandering Minds

So, I (Hayley) am doing this thing through our church - "Bible in 90 Days". It's what it says, reading the entire Bible in 90 days - just 12 pages a day. Simple right?

First of all, it's hard. Like hard reading. Big words, impossible to pronounce names. But fun, it's like reading a story if you go in order (which no one ever does).

Secondly - My mind wanders. I start making a baby name list as I read. Brian just threw up in his mouth as he read that. NO, I don't NEED to make a list of names, I'm just female and enjoy that kind of thing.

Not going anywhere with this, I just wanted to give Brian and mini-heart attack and to tell you that I'm 1 1/2 books down and 84 days to go! Go me!