Love This!!!

Right now I'm sitting at the Monicals in Arcola, IL, eating lunch and finishing up some editing of a few family pictures so that I can give the images to family members this weekend when I see them, and I came across this photo. At the time, my sister Karen was chasing my nephew Jacob around the house to corral him into the picture for an all-cousins photo. Kori is standing off to the side waiting to place Amelia in the photo once Jacob sits down. Emma and Anna were holding Colby and were entertaining her when I snapped this picture really quickly. I love it, and I know Colby is going to love it when she grows up!

I love you, Emma and Anna, and I can't wait to see you (and Ella!) this weekend!

Love, Aunt Kelly

Jacob Have I Loved

While Jacob and Kim were down visiting last month, we had a bit of an all-cousins photo session. We also took the time to do Jacob's two-year pictures. We were pressed for time, and Jacob was missing his mom. Kim was up at the Prompt Care facility getting medicine for strep (sic?) throat. He was lonely and upset while she was gone, but true to form, the moment his momma came home, he was full of smiles for the camera. She knew what words and jokes would make him laugh and smile for the camera.

We love you, Jacob, and we miss you! Come see us again soon! Love, Aunt Kelly

Yeah! Mom's home!

And she's promising me candy!!!

The lighting's a little off, but this one's my favorite.



I think this might have been taken while Kim was gone. Notice his eyes are a little red, but I still love the somber look on his face.

Easter

Here are a few pictures from Easter weekend. It was Colby's first time wearing a dress to church! She was a cutie-pa-tootie, but Nick said she couldn't wear a dress again until she was 18...it kept riding up while he was holding her and it was a pain! Thank you Aunt Kim and Aunt Kendall for the adorable dress and matching sweater!!! It was a hit!

Last week was Colby's 3-month birthday! It seems like we just had her yesterday but that she's been with us for 30 years! I guess the old cliche' that you don't remember what life was like before you had kids is true! She's a good baby though. She's been sleeping through the night for the past month now, and she sleeps between 10-11 hours a night at a time. She's ready for bed around 7:30. I try and give her a bottle, but usually she just ate between 5:30-6:00 when we get home from work. So, if she'll eat, then I put her down for the night. Otherwise, if she won't eat, I get her up around 9:30 to feed her. She eats without waking up, and that ensures that she won't wake up around 3:00 am from hunger.

She is happiest if she's standing on your lap. Her newest thing is that she likes sitting up straight...not leaning against your stomach. Whether she's in her car seat or on your lap, she sits there working her ab muscles trying to sit up straight. It's looks like she's doing little baby crunches!

Thanks for checking in! Kelly

Amelia's True Colors

These have taken a while to get posted, but here are Amelia's six-month pictures...taken this past month while all of my sisters were home! Amelia is the happiest baby in the world, and despite teething right now and not feeling well, she still managed to give us a ton of smiles all weekend home this Easter.

I hope everyone likes them...especially Kori, Ben, and Amelia!



This picture was actually posted before to show the blue of Amelia's eyes, but I have to admit, for some reason the camera made the eyes a cobolt blue. It wasn't true to her real eye color, which is this paler shade of blue. So, this is the color-corrected version...her true colors.

I love the surprised look on her face in this picture!

Porcelain doll.

This is how we usually see Amelia...with the happiest smile on her face!

A serious moment....VeggieTales was probably on.

They're Coming! I Swear!

OK, although I was kidding when I said that I would probably not be able to post until I finished the TWILIGHT series, it ended up being true! I'm so sorry! It sucked me in like nothing else I've read in a long time! However, I got the last book finished over the weekend. I have to say, it was a very enjoyable series, and I was happy with the ending, but I don't necessarily agree with how the author got you there in the last book. Did I like how it ended? Yes. Did I enjoy the storylines of the last book? No...definitely not. But, that's just my opinion!

In any case, I have a post started that I hope to get published for tomorrow with more pictures of little Amelia! I'm sorry that I didn't get it done last week!

Kelly

WooHoo and Argh!

I had a post planned today with pictures, but our internet is SOOO slow for some reason today; so, you get this little narrative instead.

First, the WooHoo! I am totally and completely addicted to the "Twilight" book series. Oh my gosh! My friend Kathy gave me the first book in the series to read three weeks ago. She was all like, "They're so good. It's about a high school girl who falls in love with a vampire." And, I was like, "OK, like I'm ever really going to read this."...in my head of course. Well, I didn't have a book to read last week (and I can't get to sleep without reading for a few minutes...otherwise, I think of a bill that needs sent off, the gross stuff that grows on the bottom of the shower curtain, and why my husband makes lists and lists and lists of things to do at work that he never takes to work with him). So, I picked up the book the other night and thought I would just read enough to get to sleep. And, guess what! I'm addicted!!! It's SOOOO good! Who would have thunk it?

So, here's the ARGH!.... This book is monopolizing all of my free time!!! I got done with the first book yesterday before church, started the second one at 1:00 pm and read until 2:30 am this morning! The only break I took was to watch the movie of the first book! Seriously, I am dragging today, but due to the restorative features of caffeine, I have still managed to be accomplishing for a Monday. All I can think about is getting started on the third book! So, if I don't post all week, please know that it's because my nose is stuck in one of the Twlight novels. Just kidding. There's a little teaser picture below of my niece Amelia's last photos we did this past month with my new all-white background. There'll be more from that session later this week.

Until then, in the spirit of my friend Brigit (and fellow Twilight-addict), "Hi, my name is Kelly, and I'm a Twilight ADDICT!"

I think Amelia is saying, "Go buy the Twilight books and be a nutcase like my Aunt Kelly!!!"

Colby - Growing, but Frustrated

First of all, thank you SO much to everyone that posted a comment in my last posting! Seventeen is a record for me, and I'm thinking of holding some type of contest to encourage more comments...as I know there are others out there that stalk the blog and haven't left a comment yet!

Anyway, I'm still trying to post more often. I have a ton of posts planned with pictures of the Rankin girl cousins coming up, but I'm still finishing editing the pictures; so, until then, here's a post of Colby's latest pictures!

Playing on the floor is still Colby's favorite thing to do...way better then the swing or bouncy seat. However, since we've been making her spend more time on her tummy, she's not quite as thrilled about playtime. She likes to pull herself up on her hands vs her forearms. She thinks she's big stuff then. She'll smile and laugh at you for a bit, and then she gets whiney and mad that she's not on her back. She 'rolled over' once this weekend...if you can call losing her balance and ending up on her back as rolling over! I'm actually worried about her discovering she can roll over onto her back...she'd never ever spend any time on her stomach then! In any case, here are a few pictures...AND two videos of Colby. Please note: the videos aren't the greatest...they're taken with my cell phone. I have to get a video camera ordered soon!

She's starting to notice more of her toys. Until this week, the only thing she was interested in was that mirror that's behind her in this picture. She likes the black and white checks and seeing her reflection move as she moves.

Hello, Mr. Elephant! Where did you come from?!

I think she's studying herself in the mirror in this picture.

A few fun facial expressions! She's very social now and loves it when people talk to her or even just smile at her!


Her more serious look.

I think she somewhat looks like me in this picture!!

She's SO over and done with being on her stomach!



Playing nicely in this video.

Telling you how bad life is on your belly in this one.