Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Good weekend away
This weekend we drove down to stay at auntie Danika's house and attend Taylor's 2nd birthday party. Leading up to the weekend, I was struggling to get the time off - but in the end, it worked out. For Friday and Saturday at least.
Our trip started out with a bang, as Duluth got hit by some unexpected crazy weather that afternoon. Trying to get out of Duluth was nuts, as there were car accidents and people sliding all over the place. I have never seen so many car accidents, including plenty of multi-car accidents, in such a short period of time. The roads, particularly downtown on the hills, were absolutely treacherous. Everywhere you looked, people were sliding, fishtailing, braking but not stopping, etc. Including us. It was like a vehicular skating rink.
Anyways we did make it out of Duluth and the roads were just fine once we got out a little ways. We got to Danika's house and went to bed fairly soon after. The morning brought beautiful weather in Maple Grove. It got so warm out that day, you could be out with no jacket on.
We took the now-required trip to Babies R' Us and did a little damage, but not too bad. Andy had a limit in mind and I only went over by $13. Good for me!
When we first pulled up to Babies R' Us, I spied a kids haircut place nearby. I pointed it out to Andy and we went back and forth about it. "Should we?" "Do we have the camera?" and it turned out, we did happen to have the camera with us. And so, Kaitlyn got her very first haircut. She needed it badly, to get rid of her toddler mullet. I had been putting it off for a couple of reasons - first, I knew she would throw a fit and it would not be easy. Second, I wanted the front to grow long enough that we could even it out without being too short. Well, it had finally gotten long enough for me to be comfortable. And the kid's haircut place caters specifically to kids so they are used to, and equipped for handling toddlers throwing tantrums. I tell you what, I am SO glad we went. We were in and out so fast! The woman who cut her hair was wonderful. They have child sized chairs, toys and suckers and all sorts of distractions. Kaitlyn did cry at first but calmed down and we had a successful haircut. She even had pigtails put in, something that I can usually never manage myself. I guess I need to give her a sucker when I want to put her hair up. I wish Duluth had a children's hair place. I can't say enough good things about it!
That afternoon was Taylor's party, and it was fun. Kaitlyn was a little overwhelmed at times, I think (plus the fact she had less than usual sleep the night before, and skipped her nap that day), but overall she did okay. She spent a lot of time playing outside - it was so beautiful. At one point we took both girls on little walk to the park. Brianna conked right out in the stroller and got a good little nap in.
One last highlight of the weekend is that Kaitlyn started going pee-pee on the potty. She has went about 7 times the last couple of days, starting at Danika's house during a "potty party" with Taylor.
We are so proud of you, Kaitlyn!
Pictures of Kaitlyn's hair (and more) to come soon, when I have more time.
Our trip started out with a bang, as Duluth got hit by some unexpected crazy weather that afternoon. Trying to get out of Duluth was nuts, as there were car accidents and people sliding all over the place. I have never seen so many car accidents, including plenty of multi-car accidents, in such a short period of time. The roads, particularly downtown on the hills, were absolutely treacherous. Everywhere you looked, people were sliding, fishtailing, braking but not stopping, etc. Including us. It was like a vehicular skating rink.
Anyways we did make it out of Duluth and the roads were just fine once we got out a little ways. We got to Danika's house and went to bed fairly soon after. The morning brought beautiful weather in Maple Grove. It got so warm out that day, you could be out with no jacket on.
We took the now-required trip to Babies R' Us and did a little damage, but not too bad. Andy had a limit in mind and I only went over by $13. Good for me!
When we first pulled up to Babies R' Us, I spied a kids haircut place nearby. I pointed it out to Andy and we went back and forth about it. "Should we?" "Do we have the camera?" and it turned out, we did happen to have the camera with us. And so, Kaitlyn got her very first haircut. She needed it badly, to get rid of her toddler mullet. I had been putting it off for a couple of reasons - first, I knew she would throw a fit and it would not be easy. Second, I wanted the front to grow long enough that we could even it out without being too short. Well, it had finally gotten long enough for me to be comfortable. And the kid's haircut place caters specifically to kids so they are used to, and equipped for handling toddlers throwing tantrums. I tell you what, I am SO glad we went. We were in and out so fast! The woman who cut her hair was wonderful. They have child sized chairs, toys and suckers and all sorts of distractions. Kaitlyn did cry at first but calmed down and we had a successful haircut. She even had pigtails put in, something that I can usually never manage myself. I guess I need to give her a sucker when I want to put her hair up. I wish Duluth had a children's hair place. I can't say enough good things about it!
That afternoon was Taylor's party, and it was fun. Kaitlyn was a little overwhelmed at times, I think (plus the fact she had less than usual sleep the night before, and skipped her nap that day), but overall she did okay. She spent a lot of time playing outside - it was so beautiful. At one point we took both girls on little walk to the park. Brianna conked right out in the stroller and got a good little nap in.
One last highlight of the weekend is that Kaitlyn started going pee-pee on the potty. She has went about 7 times the last couple of days, starting at Danika's house during a "potty party" with Taylor.
We are so proud of you, Kaitlyn!
Pictures of Kaitlyn's hair (and more) to come soon, when I have more time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Daddy and girls to the zoo!
This past weekend, Andy took the girls to the zoo while I stayed home to sleep for night shift. Here are some pics from their trip!
Hidden Duluth gem - "Ice Volcano"
This is where a water line ends, and the water has nowhere to go. So all winter, it sprays up and the ice builds. And builds. And builds. The result is something pretty spectacular.
In the first pic, you can use our van as a comparison to see how big this "ice volcano" actually is.
In the first pic, you can use our van as a comparison to see how big this "ice volcano" actually is.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
To Taylor!
Sorry Taylor, I hope you are already sleeping, but hopefully you can see this in the morning! We are excited to see you this weekend. Kaitlyn wanted to tell you a couple things.....
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Graco Duoglider
Our new stroller will come in handy:
Andy already used it to take the girls to the zoo this past weekend while I was sleeping for a night shift. It will also be handy for walks this summer or if one of us needs to take both girls to the doctor. Might I add, if we didn't have the van, we could not have gotten this stroller. There is no way it would have fit in the trunk of our car. But, it was a decent price. I like the design. It is convenient. All in all, an excellent purchase. I would recommend it to anyone with 2 little people pitter pattering around their home. Or, in our case, 1 pitter patter-er, and one 6 month old baby. Or two babies. Whatever. It works.
Andy already used it to take the girls to the zoo this past weekend while I was sleeping for a night shift. It will also be handy for walks this summer or if one of us needs to take both girls to the doctor. Might I add, if we didn't have the van, we could not have gotten this stroller. There is no way it would have fit in the trunk of our car. But, it was a decent price. I like the design. It is convenient. All in all, an excellent purchase. I would recommend it to anyone with 2 little people pitter pattering around their home. Or, in our case, 1 pitter patter-er, and one 6 month old baby. Or two babies. Whatever. It works.
With age does not come common sense.
It can, and it should - but apparently that is not how it works for everyone.
We recently took a family trip to the land of whatdidIevenbuytocostmethatmuch, AKA Target. We weren't there long - our main reason for going was to get a double stroller. We had a few short detours, but all in all we were in and out in decent time.
We were checking out. Andy in front, with Kaitlyn and the stroller in his cart. Me behind, with Brianna and various random items in my cart. I'm playing and talking with Brianna, minding my own business, when a woman, maybe in her 50's, comes up to my side and says "Ooh, that baby must be dying of heat". I look at Brianna and feel her forehead. Feels just fine to me. I smiled politely and probably let out some sort of short, dismissive laugh. Yes, Brianna had her snowsuit thing on, but it isn't a super thick one. A thick fluffy one won't fit well under the infant car seat straps (hence the reason we also put blankets over her through the cold winter). Her hood was down and out of the way. The blankets were not on her. Underneath her suit was a thin Gerber brand footy pajama. She feels just fine and is as happy as can be.
And then, the lady gives me a sideways glance before walking away back to her cart behind me, and says "Unzip that baby". Ummm, excuse me?! I was so taken aback that I did not say anything and instead just maneuvered my cart around Andy and waited in front of him. I wish I would have said something. It wasn't just what she said (though that was bad enough) but the way she said it...in a snotty, accusing sort of tone. This is a complete stranger, somebody I've never seen in my life. It amazes me that there are people who feel it is okay to make comments like that. I've heard many stories similar to this, but it is the first time it happened to me. I guess until now I was lucky enough not to come across somebody so clueless and rude.
Oh, and of course, all but 2 minutes later, we were bundling the girls back up to go outside.
So, has anybody else had an inappropriate or random rude comment from a stranger?
We recently took a family trip to the land of whatdidIevenbuytocostmethatmuch, AKA Target. We weren't there long - our main reason for going was to get a double stroller. We had a few short detours, but all in all we were in and out in decent time.
We were checking out. Andy in front, with Kaitlyn and the stroller in his cart. Me behind, with Brianna and various random items in my cart. I'm playing and talking with Brianna, minding my own business, when a woman, maybe in her 50's, comes up to my side and says "Ooh, that baby must be dying of heat". I look at Brianna and feel her forehead. Feels just fine to me. I smiled politely and probably let out some sort of short, dismissive laugh. Yes, Brianna had her snowsuit thing on, but it isn't a super thick one. A thick fluffy one won't fit well under the infant car seat straps (hence the reason we also put blankets over her through the cold winter). Her hood was down and out of the way. The blankets were not on her. Underneath her suit was a thin Gerber brand footy pajama. She feels just fine and is as happy as can be.
And then, the lady gives me a sideways glance before walking away back to her cart behind me, and says "Unzip that baby". Ummm, excuse me?! I was so taken aback that I did not say anything and instead just maneuvered my cart around Andy and waited in front of him. I wish I would have said something. It wasn't just what she said (though that was bad enough) but the way she said it...in a snotty, accusing sort of tone. This is a complete stranger, somebody I've never seen in my life. It amazes me that there are people who feel it is okay to make comments like that. I've heard many stories similar to this, but it is the first time it happened to me. I guess until now I was lucky enough not to come across somebody so clueless and rude.
Oh, and of course, all but 2 minutes later, we were bundling the girls back up to go outside.
So, has anybody else had an inappropriate or random rude comment from a stranger?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Brianna Marie Ganoe - Birth announcement
From the Duluth News Tribune on Sunday, March 15th:
I WAS BORN: Sept. 2, 2008, in St. Mary's Medical Center.
MY PARENTS ARE: Kandi and Andy Ganoe of Duluth.
MY SISTER IS: Kaitlyn, 2.
MY GRANDPARENTS ARE: Dale and Kathy Fiskari of Cook and Doug and Maribeth Ganoe of Virginia.
MY PARENTS CHOSE THIS NAME BECAUSE: After almost the whole pregnancy went by, it was the only one they could agree on!
PARENTS’ WISH OR ADVICE: Have a life full of happiness and success and always know how much your family loves you!
SOMETHING SPECIAL: At 7 lbs 5 oz, you brought us a huge amount of love in a small little package. We couldn't be more thrilled to add you to our family.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Updates
Kaitlyn is doing well. One of her new things is to say "Okay" to everything. Sometimes she talks to herself and says it. Sometimes she says it in response to us. The way she says it is just hilarious. She says "Oh-kay", with the end part going up in pitch. It's so darn cute and it is totally her go-to response of the moment. She continues to make leaps and bounds when it comes to talking - she is a shy little girl (at first) in new situations/around new people, but at home she just doesn't shut up. And we can actually understand her now! Which we love, of course!
When I tell Kaitlyn to "smile" for the camera, this is what she does:
Here she is modeling her pretty dress:
Brianna has had some rough times the last couple of months. Currently she is battling yet another cold as well as some mystery rash, as well as very stubborn cradle cap. The good news is that lately we haven't heard any wheezing. As soon as we could tell she was getting congested again, we started the preventative nebulizer treatments the pediatrician recommended, and so far so good.
She loves barley cereal, and we are hoping to move to veggies in the next week or so. Her intro to solid foods was delayed a little by the whole pneumonia thing, but it is going well now. She is really starting to do well sitting up (doing the "tripod") and is a happy little girl, despite all of the crap she has been through lately.
Two pics of my happy baby:
Here are the girls together:
A bonus pic of our furry feline friends.
When I tell Kaitlyn to "smile" for the camera, this is what she does:
Here she is modeling her pretty dress:
Brianna has had some rough times the last couple of months. Currently she is battling yet another cold as well as some mystery rash, as well as very stubborn cradle cap. The good news is that lately we haven't heard any wheezing. As soon as we could tell she was getting congested again, we started the preventative nebulizer treatments the pediatrician recommended, and so far so good.
She loves barley cereal, and we are hoping to move to veggies in the next week or so. Her intro to solid foods was delayed a little by the whole pneumonia thing, but it is going well now. She is really starting to do well sitting up (doing the "tripod") and is a happy little girl, despite all of the crap she has been through lately.
Two pics of my happy baby:
Here are the girls together:
A bonus pic of our furry feline friends.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Say what?
Today the phone rang. I jumped up and cleared my throat, thinking maybe this phone call would be a certain one that I have been waiting/hoping for. I checked the caller ID - not a name I recognized. Still, this could be my important call. I answer the phone with the nicest voice I can muster. "Hello?"
"Hi mom!!" is the reply.
Am I missing something? I know it's impossible to tell for sure, but this man had the voice of at least a middle aged person, maybe older (and it depends how you define middle age). As far as I know, I am 26. Definitely not old enough to have mothered a child back in the 1960's. Or even 70's. Or 80's. Even if I was...I certainly don't remember birthing a male child at any point in my life.
After a confused pause, I finally say "I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number".
The man on the other end lets out an embarrassed sounding laugh and apologizes, then promptly hangs up.
So what I learned today: Apparently when I try my hardest to sound "nice", I instead sound like a grandmother. Awesome.
"Hi mom!!" is the reply.
Am I missing something? I know it's impossible to tell for sure, but this man had the voice of at least a middle aged person, maybe older (and it depends how you define middle age). As far as I know, I am 26. Definitely not old enough to have mothered a child back in the 1960's. Or even 70's. Or 80's. Even if I was...I certainly don't remember birthing a male child at any point in my life.
After a confused pause, I finally say "I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number".
The man on the other end lets out an embarrassed sounding laugh and apologizes, then promptly hangs up.
So what I learned today: Apparently when I try my hardest to sound "nice", I instead sound like a grandmother. Awesome.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The dolly, the dad and the daughter
Kaitlyn and Andy were in the bathroom after Kaitlyn's nightly bath. She has a new doll that she can take into the tub with her, and it has holes in it to drain the water out. Andy was holding the doll up and showing Kaitlyn the water drain - from it's "nether region".
"Can you go pee pee like the baby doll?" Andy asked, not expecting a serious response verbal or otherwise. In his mind it was more a question to get her thinking about going on the potty. Next thing he knew, he turned around to see Kaitlyn, looking down, semi-squatting - and peeing. On the floor.
The moral of the story is: Be careful what you ask a 2 year old.
"Can you go pee pee like the baby doll?" Andy asked, not expecting a serious response verbal or otherwise. In his mind it was more a question to get her thinking about going on the potty. Next thing he knew, he turned around to see Kaitlyn, looking down, semi-squatting - and peeing. On the floor.
The moral of the story is: Be careful what you ask a 2 year old.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
