One Little Pony.

Check her out. One little pony right on top of her head.

Little girls are too much fun. And so much sweetness.

My girl.

This is how we do it, me and Al. I hold her lots. She hugs real tight. And then Dad snaps this picture from the back, a view I never see, where I realize you just wanted Mommy's hair. Mommy's hair clip more like it. Ah, well. I'll take it where I can get it. Look at those eyes. You were sleepy, so I think you did need to hug your mama.

Nine months.

There's something significant about nine months. Something about the fact that exactly nine months ago tonight I was in the hospital with her, and she was one hour old.

How on earth did we let her get this old?

How can it be that in three more months, she'll be One. One.

Oh, babe, anytime you wanna slow down, mama's fine with that. Really.

Got milk?

Well it's not milk, technically it's the organic whole milk plain yogurt that Alla gobbles up for breakfast. But Ron is convinced that this is what they use for those ads. Wouldn't Alla make an adorable Got Milk? poster?

Playing with friends.

Alla had a playdate today. It's so amazing to see the babies growing. Standing, moving, eating, becoming their own little people. Interacting. Playing nice. It's harder on the mommies now. We can't just sit down and eat the lovely lunches we prepare and have the babes all in swings or just lying there, immobile. But it's way more fun.


Click here for more fun photos from today.

New Babies.

Yum. New babies are just yummy. So teensy, dependent, flopsy (yep it's a word), scrunched up, those little legs still in fetal position.

Welcome to the world, two January babies.

Kendyl Rylee, born 2 Jan, shown here with mommy Heather at 18 days old.

And Kelsea Rae, born 16 Jan, shown here with mommy Katie on her Birth Day.

So much fun awaits.

Birthday Goodness.

My 29th birthday was sweet goodness. Allow me to share.

Ron brought Alla to me in the morning with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday," and you must remember that this is my first birthday as a mama, so I truly felt all day that my sweet daughter was gift enough.

He also made me open a gift. Let me explain. I am the Queen of waiting to open gifts til 11:59. Drag 'em out as long as possible. Make it last. But I agreed to open One, and it was a box of the coolest shoes to wear everyday, slip-on, no fuss. I think they are very mommy-ish.

Got this surprise when I opened Alla's door after her nap:

Standing up. Can you believe it?

It was a good mail day. Scrapbook Trends magazine sent my goodie package for my October publications. 2 boxes of Chatterbox ribbon, a Scrapworks album, an SEI album, Paper Loft patterned paper and letter stickers, NRN Designs matchbook albums, and of course 2 copies of the issue I'm in. Thanks!

Hero Arts sent my Honorable Mention prize stamps. Thanks!

Ron and Katie thoroughly surprised me with a little party at Katie and Wally's for dinner! Here I thought we were going over for Pizza Friday, a standard in the Killins Household, and yet I was greeted by balloons, Wally makin' tacos, and news that Sara & Paul, Cathy & Rick (Happy Birthday, Rick!) were all coming as well! So fun! Alla slept all through our dinner and woke just as we were getting ready to leave.

When we arrived home, I found these on our doorstep from Mom and Dad Killins:Thank you, they are beautiful!

And once again, let me remind you that I open my presents as late as possible, so the rest were opened at 11 pm. Let's see...Kona coffee from Hawaii, a beautiful pink sweater, some money honey, and a sentimental card from good ol' Mom, that I truly understood this year being a mama myself.

So thank you all for the birthday goodness. I'm so glad you are all a part of My 30th Year.

I leave you with this bit of goodness - Alla getting a kick out of my balloon. Don't remind me, soon enough it is she who will have a bit of birthday goodness.

They Say It's Your Birthday.

Well, they would be right.

Happy 29th to me:)

I don't know that I feel older, but definitely special, lucky. I was putting Alla down for her nap, trying not to squeeze her too tight, but gosh I just love her so, and I felt with all my heart, This is all I ever need.

So I will be back later with an update. Today is the start of my 30th year.

Fours.

I've been tagged by Tara, so here goes:


Four jobs I have had:

1. Dance instructor at a summer camp
2. Alumni calling center supervisor (CSUF)
3. Teacher for truancy prevention program
4. Special education teacher for K-1st grade

Four movies I watch again:
1. Brown Sugar
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. The Princess Bride
4. Something's Gotta Give

Four t.v. shows I watch:
1. Martha
2. Ellen
3. Oprah
4. LOST

Four vacation places I have been:
1. Maui
2. Puerto Vallarta
3. Hilton Head
4. St. Maarten

Four sites I visit daily:
1. Scraps Ahoy
2. Slickdeals
3. Two Peas in a Bucket
4. CNN

Four favorite foods:
1. any kind of fruit
2. homemade granola and Trader Joe's Vanana yogurt
3. My special birthday cake from Terry
4. Fish tacos

Four places I would rather be:

Nothing comes to mind. I'm pretty happy here at home.

Four bloggers I tag right now to do this:

Well by now eveyrone has been tagged, so if you're still reading this, then I tag the following people to START a blog:

1. Amy Shertzer {we all want to know about your athletic endeavors}
2. Catie Derenzo {come on, a free blog is the easiest way to share your pregnancy with us}
3. Ronna Killins {you know you want to}
4. Terry Fagan {what better way to keep us all in the loop}

Happy Day Everyone! I leave you with this, in honor of Miss Mazie's Fourth Birthday:

Baby Jeans.

Inspired by Susie's Good Things list, I am posting just one Good Thing here. Cause there are simply too many, and I would probably not remember them all as I made the list. So here's my One Good Thing:

baby jeans

Alla's Latest Photos Updated.

Check out the link to the right---------->.

Remember you'll have to create an account at Adorama if you haven't already.

This one might possibly be the cutest photo, Alla in her hat from Patty Cakes Design. One of the designers of this awesome baby products company lives down the street from my mom so I got to go meet her and her gorgeous son. Alla now owns two of these lovely super-soft hats. I am certain there will be more photos of her in them very soon.

Have you ever.

My happy girl with her two new teeth actually fell asleep in her highchair in between bites this evening. I had heard of this happening to other people's babies. As in fables and storybooks and such, but had no expectations for this happening in my own real life. After all, this girl is the Eternal Nurser, Ye of Only Falling Asleep With Boob in Mouth. But Alla proves her magnificence once again.

Clicking on photos will make them bigger and more wonderful;)

New Videos.

This video linkage is pretty cool so we'll be sharing much more, especially since Alla is making giant leaps now.

Here she plays a game with Daddy and laughs hysterically. And then we have more footage of her mobility and pearly whites!

First playdate of 2006.

The first playdate of 2006 went well. Alla hit Wyatt and pulled Jack's hair, but other than that the morning was uneventful. Lacey, Kelly, and I actually got to eat breakfast. At the table. Ever the gracious hostess, Lace made us thick cinnamon french toast and decaf coffee, plus we had vanana yogurt, a must-have from Trader Joe's. Mostly we got to catch up after the crazy holidays and let the kids play with Jack's new toys. Lacey, Kel, and Stacy have made mommyhood that much more wonderful (we missed you today, Stace and Mattie Sue!), and I am very grateful to have them to share all of this with. Love you girls!

Photo by Lacey Brown.

Crawling

Goodness gracious, it's been quite a week in Alla's world. TWO teeth, and now she's got this crawling action down. All of a sudden. Ron came in and woke me up this morning, said, Your daughter's totally crawling. So I lept out of bed and sure enough she showed her mama her new skill. For all of you that cannot be here to see it, click on the image below!

Second Tooth!

It's there this morning.

Ah, my little girl is getting bigger by the minute.

Sigh.

J.J. Needs

Well my dear friend Susie was bored enough to find this game so I wouldn't have to. Simply Google your name and the word needs and see what you come up with. Here's what it looks like when you Google it: "J.J. needs" - and that's for those of you who are LAME like me and couldn't figure out the right combination of what goes in or out of quotation marks.

So without further ado, what J.J. needs:

1. J.J. needs to hit his shots when he gets them and take the ball to the basket.

First thing's first. This J.J. ain't a HE.

2. J.J. needs a new Avy.

Sounds good. Whatever an Avy is. I'll take one.

3. J.J. needs to find a real job.

I have a very real job, thank you very much.

4. J.J. needs to do the right thing ASAP.

Oh my word, keep your shirt on, I'll get right on it. After I change a diaper, and feed Alla, and and and...

5. J.J. needs meds badly.

I didn't know you felt this strongly. Don't prenatal vitamins count?

6. J.J. needs to decide if she wants to go for high returns or settle for a secure but smaller return.

Oh but I have figured out how to have it all.

7. J.J. needs a favor.

Yes, this is true. I have a load of laundry that needs to be folded. And some dishes to wash. And if you could pick up some groceries. That'd be great.

8. J.J. needs to play new songs and sing them well.

Yup. Now that we're out of "Silent Night" season and Alla is probably tired of "Kookaburra," I could definitely use a few new jingles to add to my repertoire.

9. J.J. needs moving advice.

Eventually.

10. J.J. needs to go back to school.

We all know that Ron has gone to school enough times for the both of us.

And that concludes our happy game for today. I leave you with this:

Zesta

Here she is, Miss Catie in all her pregnant glory - see the belly? I can! Zesta is in there, growing big and strong for her Mommy and Daddy. Congrats, my friend...I can't wait to meet the little one in June.

All I Want For Christmas

Wouldn't you know, Alla's first tooth has popped out in time for Christmas! It's the bottom left central incisor and you can kinda see it in these pictures! Merry Christmas from the Tooth Fairy!

Oh Julius Oh Julius, Wherefore art thou, Julius?

Some big meanie has gone and stolen the Julius Cruiser. Yes, you read that correctly. My beloved bike: gone. I have no idea how long it's been gone, you see, cause I'd been waiting to ride it til Alla's first birthday when we can get her a bike trailer (shhhhh) and take her with us. So it's likely been gone for awhile. But it's gone.

It feels a little silly to be so upset about a bike. It's just a possession. But it was sentimental. Two years ago Ron and I were done opening our Christmas gifts to each other and then in he walks with this gorgeous red bike for his wife, that he'd kept hidden at the Stahr's for this big surprise. It was the best Christmas gift.

He said to me today, "You were so happy every time you rode that bike." How could I not be? Look how cool it was.

So to the bastard that stole it, you probably didn't think it would take me this long to realize it was gone, or that I'd come to that realization on Christmas Eve-Eve, but I did. And that just sucks, you big fat Meanie.