Here, There, and Back Again

Here, there and back again: This post of pictures spans from a few days before we left for our trip, Houston, Plano, plane ride home, and some pictures since we have been home.


Here:

Enjoying some ice cream at Van's. Kegan recognized the ice cream cart and kept asking and asking...so his nice daddy got them some to share.

Ready to dig in!


A face of pure glee!!!


After a nap...seriously I walked into his room and he was standing at the corner of his bed "reading" a book. It was too cute...I ran and got my camera and had him smile!






There:

The chunk of the post is from our trip. Grams came and picked Kegan and I up and we all headed to Pasadena/Houston for a visit with Meme and to celebrate Karsyn's second birthday. Friday evening we were up late getting things ready for the party...but Saturday was party day! All the kids seemed to enjoy the water and sun...and didn't mind the little bit of rain that came -it was lunch time anyway and the rain was over by the time we finished eating! Kegan had a blast...and was tired and zonked out for a while after it.

A little pre-party play for Karsyn, Kegan, and Emma (the party was at Wendy's friend's the Sailor's house and Emma is their oldest daughter)...

Weee..slide on down...



Cute face!


Water time smiles


"Splash!"...a water time favorite for Kegan...


Listen to the bell on this bike!

Party in full swing and Kegna is trying to conquer the slide on his own.

Got it!


No picture...but this was followed with a head first slide into the water...and a big grin!

Uncle Nolan tyring to get Kegan to try a new type of swing...Kegan was not too sure about it...


Cake time!
love the tongue...the ice-cream look alike cup cake fooled him...


but not for long...yummy!

Party pic...I think everyone is in it...(all the girls got tutus at party favors...don't they look cute in them; the boys got great crayon roll-up holders and coloring books)



Sunday morning...being contained while we all were tying to get ready for church.

How mischievous does he look here!?!


Riding the bunny and deer yard decorations...silly cousins!

Cousins on the move...working as a team


Story behind this picture - I had just told Kegan and Karsyn they needed to come back over to where Meme and I were. Kegan started walking back...Karsyn had other ideas and started heading further down the drive, so Kegan gave her the "mom" stance. He turned around put his hands on his hips and stared her down. It was so funny...especially because Karsyn has a look on her face like, "I don't care what you say, Kegan. I am still going forward...hehe!"

Kegan and Meme


We got back to Plano late Sunday night and when Kegan woke up on Monday morning it was raining (which it did till Thursday). That was ok, Kegan and I still found plenty to do!

A brief brake in the heavy rain and just a little sprinkle so I took my fancy dressed son outside to go play a little in the sprinkling.

Shhh...don't tell...Kegan liked picking Grandpa's pretty flowers..


Yeah! for me!


Take some time in life to stop and smell the roses...


Find a tree branch to investigate...


...and just smile and be happy!


Another day of rain...we found the garage to be a good, dry, place to run around and play. Kegan was a HUGE fan of Grandpa's singing fish and once he found it...we heard the fish ALL WEEK long...him and Karsyn both loved dancing to the fish!


I have to admit...I got a lot of good laughs watching him dance to the music.

(a short clip to show off some dance moves)


Helping Grandpa in the boat. He is willing to drive Grandpa, when every you are ready to let him!


Tuesday night Mom made a birthday meal to celebrate Wendy's birthday. Kegan is still not a fan of candles...check out the face!


laying with some beads and Gram's crazy glasses. You will be so proud of the picture when you are older, Kegan...hehe...

Wendy left to go out of town on Wednesday, so we got to watch Karsyn in the evenings while Nolan went for his evening runs (he is training for the NY marathon...go Nolan!) Kegan was so excited when Karsyn would come over...he would run to the door saying "Karka...Karka" and then they would either hug...point at eachother...and/or start laughing.

Hmm...I think this was meant as a sweet hug!



Karsyn....sitting nicely...drawing on her paper...


Kegan...squatting down just long enough to make a mark and he was off again.

Please....do no try to tell me there is not a difference between boys and girls! haha...


Kegan found these gloves of Gram's and he loved running around the house with them, waving his arms around, trying to get them to fly off...then wanting them back on again...what a nut! So full of life!


Can one really have too many necklaces on?

Sunday, after church, lunch at a GREAT pizza place in Plano, and a much needed nap, Kegan and I went over to Nolan, Wendy, and Karsyn's house to swim. When we got to the house Kegan went up and knocked on the door, then I heard a little hand knocking back from the other side...it was so cute. They kept knocking back and forth till Uncle Nolan was able to get the door. Once again...happy greetings all around by the cousins.

Kegan realized he LOVED the diving board! He would go, then say "again...again"...I puttered out before he did...phew....

Ready...




get set....



...GO!



SPLASH!


After a little swim Kegan and Karsyn get out the tractor and bike and drive around.

This makes me laugh...they both look like they are checking out something important...

Grrr...don't get too close....




Hmmm...have you seen a trend as to what Kegan liked to ride on? Surprise....haha


Looking good Karsyn!


Monday...after getting to our flight about 10 min. before we pulled away from the gate...we were off. Kegan did pretty good...just very active. Thank goodness neither the flight between Dallas and Houston or Houston and Corpus were full...room to move around.

After charming the stewards on the plane at our Houston stop...Kegan checked out the planes around us.


Me...be still...are you kidding mom!?!

Back Again:

Monday night we headed to the last baseball game of the season for the Hooks. (When we drove up to the stadium, Kegan started saying "boom...boom" - I think the fireworks mae an impression on his memory of that place.) After meeting up with the Setliff's we settled in to watch the game and see some more fireworks. The fireworks went ok...still not super happy durring them, but as soon as they were over...clapping and cheering resumed from Kegan...so I guess all in all he likes them.

I am guessing the baseball game made an impressoin on Kegan...particularly the pitcher. Check out this stance....which he picked up and did all on his own. Throwing the ball...with the leg raised and everything. (To go with the throw and stance, Kegan kept saying "catch" to me, then "hit"...and "throw". I think baseball is sinking in.)




Thursday we had a "meet the teacher day" for the Mother's Day Out, Kegan will start going to next week! Dressed up and ready to go So handsome!

Well, meet the teacher did not go great - his teachers seemed very nice, his classroom was great, and there seemed to be some other cute and fun kids in his room, BUT Kegan must have sensed that he would be left there next week because he cried and cried...oh man...I do know he will be left in good hands, though and will soon be running in the room to see his teachers and friends.


Thursday afternoon we went to birthday part for Kegan's friend Luke.

Kegan really liked the cupcake...well at least the icing part! Yuummm....

Hmm...I did not fullly read the invitation and did not see the part about "water play"...so we just played in our regular clothes...it did not seem to deture him at all!
I don't think that was supposed to be the sitting pool...

Always a fan of the water hose!



It has been a buse past two weeks, but really good ones....we had a wonderful time see friends and family on our trip and Kegan was excited because he got to celbrate birthday's with three differnt people...that ment three times he got to have cake!


Updates:

1. Kegan's bed has been convereted into his todler bed. The first time he fell right out of it...so we got some pillos...not enough because he fell again...so we stacked them up a little more. (I am trying to find a bed rail...Corpus is not offering much, so I think I will just have to order one.) Well, he has not "fallen" out any more, but he does roll all around and has ended up in some funny positions between the pillows and the bed...and he does not seem to sleep as well...or as late in his new found freedom bed. Hopefully he can go back to being the great sleeper that he was, after he gets a little more used to the bed...I really hope so!

2. Kegan is sort-of counting: "1...2...3...4...3...4...3..." - he usually gets stuck there if I say 5 he will sometimes go back and forth on numbers with me till we hit 10...it is a work in progress...haha

3. As you could see in the picture he is becoming quite the lover of throwing balls...and getting pretty good at it. Differnt friends and family members have made comments on how well he is doing...

Baby#2:

We don't go back to the doctor till mid-September, so till then I can just report that I am feeling better more cinsitently (I just have to keep food in my stomach) and my belly is growing a little more round these days!

Kegan's Prediction

Much news to talk about and pictures to post from the past weekend and few days that we have been traveling...but I don't have a chance tonight, but I do want to share what Kegan told us this past weekend about his thoughts on the new baby.

While at my Meme's house, Meme asked Kegan, "Kegan, do you want a baby brother or baby sister?" Then...with NO prompting...Kegan said "sister (more like seesta)".

We shall see...but that is what Kegan thinks!

*****
A new post hopefully will soon follow with some really cute pictures of my baby boy!

I have an Annoucement

Kegan would like to make an annoucement...



That's right! Kegan is becoming a big brother! According to the doctor, Kegan's baby sibling is 11 weeks and 2 days along and will be due around March 3, 2009!

Matthew and I are so excited!!!

Below are 5 sonogram pictures from the doctor's visit we went to yesterday!
(Showing the heartbeat - 172 beats/minute)

Amazing...you see the spinal cord, and one of the arms and one of the legs from this side view. The babies skin is like tissue paper right now...so he/she is still very skelatal looking...adorable to me, though!

A view from the top...the head and a hand waving "hello".

A 4-d image of the baby...not super co-operative, so no views from the front. I still find this picture amazing...measureing at only 11 weeks...about 2 inches long...and every part of the baby is there...just VERY small! How amazing we must remeber God is, when we see somethig like this...creation in process!

She didgitally moved the camera around to get a side view of baby...see the the an ear, head, nose profile, body shape, and two hands!

30 second video of some movement! (Keep watching till the end...that is where the baby moves!)

How we told our families:

The Setliff Family (Kyle and Lindsay were in town, too...so it was a perfect time to tell!)

Heading up the stairs to the Setliff's house, with the shirt that would tell the news...(yes, Kegan requested to wear the boots...)

Aunt Stephani just read the shirt...Aunt Lindsay is reading the front...

Grandma just saw it...trying to re-read it to make sure and get Grandpa'a attention...Grandpa not sure what to think of everyone getting excited...he hadn't seen the shirt, yet!

Well, after everyone had read the shirt...I was too happy and shakey to get anymore pictures...and we were all too busy hugging and being happy!

Slaven family:

No pictures...but we let Grams, Grandpa and Uncle Nolan, Aunt Wendy, and Karsyn know by sending each household a card with the pictures of Kegan in his shirt, that were at the top of this blog. They called Saturday, when they got the cards in the mail, extreamly happy for us and wanting to know more...and upset I did not say anything about it when I was up there a few weeks ago...hehe!

Matthew and I are so excited and I will keep you posted on what is going on with the baby on this site...for now. I have not decided if I am going to be a good mom and create a whole new special blog for the second child or if I am going to do what would be a little easier...but typical poor second child stuff...and just turn this into a general family blog about both kids...not sure yet. Till then...check this one for both Kegan and baby #2 updates!

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Other events in Kegan's life over the past week and a half.

Kegan is starting in modern art (seriously, I don't know why, but to me it looked like some weird piece of "art" you would walk into a real modern art studio and see...obviously I find most modern art...odd!)...or some sort of engineering.

(Helping me while I hang up his laundry)

Working on it

Proud of himself

With Kyle and Lindsay being in town that first weekend in August, we got to spend a lot of time with the Setliff family.

Giving Uncle Kyle a "look" while he was snapping his picture.

Riding around on a 4-wheeler with Uncle Josh. Kegan was not too sure about this at first, but Uncle Josh and Aunt Stephani got him on it...and he LOVED IT!!!

Weeee....!

Wishing he could drive himself

Playing a little putt-putt Saturday eveing.

Forget using the golf club...let's just use our hands...that is a lot easier!

Sunday no pictures were taken becuase I was not around....I was at home all day feeling very sick...from what Matthew told me about church and lunch with everyone at the Setliff's Kegan had a very good time...enjoying all the attention he gets!

After the rains of dolly Corpus became overtaken by mesquitos...and they seemed to love to eat up the sweetest the most...(Kegan now refers to mesquitos as "bites)

Kegan showing off his pride of pink...aka chaladryl helping to stop the itch...

Grinning while wondering why I have to take pictures of the pink face...

Sorry I don't have many pictures from the rest of the week. We just stayed busy with things around the house and finishing up with swim lessons...sadly...it was definatly Kegan's favorite part of the day. When I would say "Let's get ready to go swimming." He would run to his room saying "swimsuit" (sort-of) and "crocs" (he would wear these to the pool). Then when we drove up to the pool he would start saying "pool....pool!"

This past Saturday Kegan got to go to the farm with Matthew while I helped out with celebrate mama here in Corpus...isn't he so cute...all dressed up and ready to go!

Sitting on a tractor (Matthew has a picture of himself when he was Kegan's age sitting on this SAME tractor!) With the clouds, blue sky, tractor, and cute kid...just picture perfect!

Everyone had the afternoon and eveing off on Saturday so we grilled some steaks outside...which Kegan loved...and for anyone who doesn't know, this is a big deal, because Kegan does not eat a lot/like a lot of meat...I guess he just wants to good stuff...haha! Anyways, back to outdoor grilling. I was in charge of the getting the sides ready inside and Matthew and Kegan were in charge of the outside grill work...well Matthew cooking, Kegan making sure the dogs and back yard stayed entertained...haha

Getting a little drink

Making a water/mud hole

Playing in the water/mud hole...haha...he was soaking wet and so dirty after this...but he loved it!

After the doctors appointment on Monday (Kegan stayed with my friend Sara and her little girl Reese) we picked up Kegan and headed out to the first cotton field Matthew was having picked!

Kegan running down the rows that had been picked...with the picker in the background (we are still wroking on calling it a cotton picker and not a combine).

Going up on the picker for his first ride, this season, on a cotton picker. Do you see the excitement...he couldn't wait to get on!

Checking out the view from inside the cab.

Running through the fields to Grandma,who was taking some pictures.