Pictures

Not last weekend, but the weekend before that Wendy and I were able to get the kids together for an outdoor photography session while we were in Wharton (more on that trip and much more, to come -it has been way too long since I last updated). Anyways, below you will find a link to where, the lady who took the photoes, posted a few pictures of the kids on her blog. The pictures are very cute! I should be gettinga CD with the pictures, soon, so I will post more at that time...till then...and until I update on all the MANY events in little man's life - enjoy these cute pics and the ones on the link!

So happy when he is outside!


What sweet cousins!!!


www.courteneymillerphotography.blogspot.com

Vidoes

Well...these videos are a bit old and out of date...relatively speaking because little man is chaning and learning new things, so quickly...but for those of you who have not seen him in a while, here is a small glimpse of him in motion...and more.

Showing Muscles (and joy)


Kegan saying some of his animal sounds...and trying to crawl in my lap to grab a tractor I was holding and then watch the video...


Here is another video from the same day - animal sounds, pointing to body parts, saying a few words, and giving a kiss to you!


From Easter - Finding an egg and opening it.


Saying his word for "bananna" (He still will not say "bye" for the camera)


Kegan walking around with 2 of his tractors talking to his mommy


Ok - I will start trying to get more updated videos of him, but I had to clear these off my camera before I could take more.

Air Show and More

Kegan is continuing to learn so quickly and through-out last week there were many times that I needed to write things down her update the post, just so I could keep up...but to keep up with him, I had no time to write...so here is what I remember.



* We can officially get through the entire song of "Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes..." - we had all our parts down but the eyes and as of last week, Kegan found his eyes. I think having a black-eye helped him locate it. All to say, we know all the songs body parts and others that I have previously mentioned.
* Kegan will point to himself if you say "Kegan" or ask where "Kegan" is.
* He consistently uses the same, funny little word, for banana - something to the effect of "bada bada"...he has the "b" down and the syllables...just missing a few sounds...haha...
* He tries to say water
* Finally, he is using the separate sign for "more"...instead of using his sign for "please" for both words, "more" and "please". I had not showed it to him in a while, and for some reason, I did the other day, and boom...he just picked it up. Kegan and I are also working on the sign and saying "all done" when he finishes eating - he is doing great and picking it up very well.
* He likes to turn in circles ,when he hears music, to dance.
* Makes a "neeee" sound for a horse and for an elephant, he will raise his hand like a trunk.
* Kegan pretty much has a mouth full of teeth. I stopped counting when I could not see them by just looking at his mouth. He will not keep it open long enough for me to count...just for me to see his gums are full of teeth all the way back. We switched from the finger tooth-brush to a regular toothbrush meant for 1 year old and he still is enjoying getting his teeth brushed.
* His feet are trying to run more and trying to JUMP...so cute to watch him try this - his legs bend, but his feet don't get off the ground, but don't tell him that, he thinks he is jumping!
* During this past week, I have caught the little stinker trying to climb up on the fire place, NUMEROUS times...luckily, he gets right down when I say his name and give him, "the look" - we will see how long that works!
* If you tell him to go to a room in the house, he knows where to go and and will head off. When you say it is time to eat, he goes to his chair and helps take off the tray. When you say it is time to go to the car, he walks to the back door, sometimes tries to open it, walks out and to his car door. He will then try to reach the handle to open it. He has to stand on his tip-toes and seems to almost hang a bit...but he tries!
* Kegan has learned how to get up on his slide on his own, from the back (and not just climbing up the slide part, the wrong way), then he will position himself and slide down...all on his own.
* He LOVES to give kisses. He will give me kisses when I put him in the car, while caring him, and then while we are grocery shopping he will lift up my hands and give them kisses - it is so sweet!


Ok - that is all I can remember - but wow - I can't believe how fast he is taking in information, processing it, and using it!!!


You can see - he has been busy, so here are some pictures capturing Kegan this past week.

He loves to ride around his tractor, but he can only push himself in a backwards motion. The other night, while I was cooking, I guess he pushed himself into his toy corner and couldn't move, so he proceeded to reach into his toy bucket, pull out all the toys he could reach, look at them, throw them on the ground, and the pick up a new one and do it all over again. I did not realize this for a while, he sounded happy and quiet...then I took a better look over in the corner and realized the situation. When he saw me looking, he started saying down and pointing down and off the tractor...I had to laugh. He tried to entertain himself in the midst of his predicament!


Tuesday:
Little man was obviously not too into this photo shoot...but I though the outfit was cute. Those are his first pair of flip-flops - he is not too sure about them. He will take a few steps in them, bend over, try to pick the thing out between his toes...and then walk on...bend over...etc.... They did not stay on very much that day.

Funny smile!


Wednesday:
Kegan got a hold of two of his tractors and carried both around the house as he followed me around. One in each hand. If he dropped one, he bent down, picked it up, arranged it in his hand so he could hold it with just one hand...then get going again. By the time I finally got my camera, he was back on the floor playing with them again. For the attention span of a 16 1/2 month old, he can actually play continually for a good amount of time, with his tractors.

"Vroom...vroom" - he says this while playing with any of his toys with wheels!


Thursday - meeting daddy in the fields for lunch. Kegan was asleep when we got there, so Matthew and I ate, then I woke up Kegan and fed him...then, after much patients on his part, I let him out of the car. Matthew felt a bit snubbed though - Kegan saw his daddy and was happy...but little man did not make it over to hug Matthew. The tractor just posed to much of a temptation...so he decided to go look at the tractor, instead!

Seeing daddy and headed that way...

Making the decision to go see the tractor, instead.

Just to put things in perspective - how big the tractor is compared to Kegan. Look how little Kegan looks!

Finally, daddy gets his hug from Kegan.

After a day in the dirt - bath time is essential. To explain this picture - Earlier in the week, Matthew showed Kegan how to put his head under the running water, to rinse off the shampoo. Kegan just pulled back from putting his head under the stream from my hand. (He now will go under the stream straight from the faucet.)

After the bath Kegan got to put on one of daddy's shirts...haha...I think it is a bit big. He still looks so cute, though!

Sunday:

After church we headed off to the Air Show at the navel base in Kingsville, we some friends of ours, and their two kids. I had never been to one of these, but I must say, so cool! I recommend going to one, if you ever have a chance. One caution...put on your sunblock, it is just wide open spaces on top of hot concrete...so Kegan got a little sun-block sprayed on him...his arms...his legs...and his head.

Apparently, you can use sun-block spray as a hair product if necessary...haha....

Family photo in front of one of the plains.

I love these next three pictures...daddy and son time...

See the orange thing in Kegan's ear...I need to mention one more warning...it is VERY loud, so bring your earplugs. He HATED having these put in his ear, but once in, it made the rest of the afternoon a lot more pleasant for everyone.

Gail and Matthew, at the front of a plain we got to tour (Kegan is down with our friends). This plain was flown in WWII and on the side we could see the signatures of some of the men who flew missions on this plain - it was pretty interesting.

The afternoon ended with a show put on by the "Blue Angels". They were AMAZING (and fast...so we did not get many pics, but here are some)!

Kegan and daddy sitting during part of the show. Our friends brought this chair and Kegan loved sitting in it - just his size.

After a great day, one needs a good nap. He crashed right after the show ended.

Our First Shiner

Before we show off our first black-eye...lets get caught up on what Kegan has been up to.

Exciting news for me...hopefully not to gross for you...and sure to embarrass Kegan when he is old enough to read this! Last Wednesday I had reported that Kegan told me about needing to change his dirty diaper...well...Thursday, my smart little man did it again! We were in the kitchen and he stated to make a fussy sound so I turned from the sink to make sure everything was ok, and Kegan pointed to his diaper and then to his bedroom. I asked him if he had a stinky diaper...he said yes...and we headed off to his room...Kegan in the lead. I guess I need to start thinking about investing in a little training potty for Mr. Kegan...well I really think we are still a little away from potty training...but at least he can get used to looking at it and seeing it in his bathroom. Any tips, anyone?

Ok...well, that out of the way, lets get on with the rest of Thursday. That evening Kegan got to express his creative side on a Chat and Play trip to a pottery place. It was very fun, you go in, buy a piece of potter and get whatever color glazes you want...and go for it. They then fire it and in about a week you have a personal creation. (I should get his creation this week, sometime, I hope!) Kegan had a good time using the paint brushes...and his hands...hehe! He even wrote the "K" with his finger...with a little help! :)
Mom and Kegan with the unfinished platter. (The colors will be more vibrant once the plate has been fired.) That grin was created by a "cheeeeze"!

After the chat and play some of the moms and their babies headed off to McDonald's. The level of eateries one goes to, when with ones children, seems to really go down in quality...haha! The four boys all REALLY enjoyed themselves! This is Kegan's first official trip to McDonald's...we stopped at one once on a trip...but no playing and enjoying...so this is the first "full" experience of all the joy McDonald's has to offer.
Mom's (Stacy, Suzanne, and Julie) and son's (Gus, Riley, Cason...and of course, Kegan)eating...what a crew! I think it looks like Kegan (front right) is talking to Gus, here.

Kegan and Gus enjoying their yummy McNuggets!


The boys LOVED pushing up against this mesh and making faces and LAUGHING hysterically at one another...it was so fun to watch!

Kegan loved climbing up on the play equipment...BUT...he would fuss and fuss and fuss when he wanted to get down. He knows how to turn over to roll and slide off the bed and furniture...but he did not carry that knowledge over to getting off the equipment...we are working on that. He was getting a little better after a few times of practicing.
Contemplating how to get down...this method was not working to well for him...but I do give him an "A" for effort. :)

The four boys playing together!

Who likes to play "peek a boo"?...Kegan does, Kegan does!

What a ride down the slide! A face of pure joy!


Friday evening Kegan spent some time with Daddy on the farm. Saturday, he also got to spend time on the farm...this time with his grandpa, while I was at a ladies tea at the church. From how dirty he was that evening when I went out there...I can say, with out doubt, that he had a great time, and he slept GREAT that night!

Sunday morning we got up and had some extra time to chill before getting ready for church...here is my little muscle man. Look how strong!

Here we are to the shiner.
Sunday afternoon, we got home from church and Matthew and Kegan were playing in the living room while I was getting lunch ready. Matthew's phone rang, so he put Kegan down to answer it...and I suppose Kegan didn't have his footing...well, he tripped on Matthew's shoe and fell into the coffee table - face first.
Kegan may have a black-eye, but he is still smiling away!





I took a few more pictures today that I will try to post...of both the eye and Kegan just being cute Kegan, but this is all I have for now!

All I have to say is that I think the days of bumps and bruises are just upon us and we have a lot more coming...poor baby boy!

Springing With New Tricks Every Day

What a week! Boy did Kegan ever enjoy his visits from the Easter bunny and hunting for eggs. This past week was also full of new words and tricks.

Words:

1. "bye-bye" - loves this word: He says it when we leave somewhere, when I get off the phone, to his pretend phone, when mommy and daddy leave him somewhere (church nursery or grandparents), etc...if he can say it, he does!

2. What goes better with "bye-bye" but "hello!" - he says this one, not on his own as much, but still knows when to use it. He loves to say it into a phone!

3. "baby" - He has said this word before, but not nearly as much! He calls EVERY baby, toddler, and kid, "baby". We will be walking through the grocery store and he will see a child, point, and say "baby". He also says baby when he sees pictures of Karsyn, or himself, or he will point to himself and say "baby". We will look at family pictures and he was say, "mama" and "dada", but when he gets to himself, he says "baby".

4. We have down the sheep sound - "bah"...but the sound is not complete unless he is sticking out his tongue to say it...too cute!!!

5. He will say "f..f" for french fries, when he sees one

6. "cheese" - explanation found below with the pictures

We are working on streaming words together, and although nothing is really audible, it is very cute to here him try to mimic what we say. For example, if I am talking to Matthew on the phone and Matthew says, "I love you Kegan" I will tell Kegan to say, "I love you dada" and Kegan will say 3 syllables of sounds, followed by "dada"...he is trying!

The picture below depicts something else he can do on his own now...sometimes...He can put a hat on his head...without being told how to, and where to put it!

He did this on the way home from church one night...so proud of himself...and soo cute, too!

One cute story from today, before we get to the many (I believe I might have taken just a few too many pictures at Easter...you will see...) pictures from Easter...and few from this past week thrown in there, too!

Kegan had woken up from his nap today and was crying. This usually indicates he is thirsty, so he will stop crying as we walk out of his room to go get water...well not today. I could not figure out why he would cry more when we left his room...so I stood there and asked him what he wanted. He pointed to his changing table, held his nose (Which, thanks to his Grandpa in Plano and his father, he can do and does do when we change a stinky diaper.). I asked if he had a stinky and needed to change his diaper and he said "yes"...so we did...and he did! Do I think we are ready for potty training, no, I think this was a one time incident for a while, but I was proud of him none-the-less. Who knew I would one day be proud of a stinky diaper change!?!

Ok...on to cute pictures!!!

Last Wednesday Kegan had his first egg hunt with his friends from Stroller Strides. He was a fast learner - learned how to grab those eggs in no time.

Searching for an egg!

Got one!

Sharing an egg with his friend Alex. (Alex would not take it from him...so Kegan just decided to throw it to Alex, instead, and that is where it landed. Obviously they were both shocked it landed there...they were both staring at it, like, "Cool...huh...it made it...)

One heavy basket!

Friday was my birthday. Matthew and Kegan took me out to eat at the Cafe in Mathis...where I think Kegan enjoyed more of my slice of cake than I got to! Well, that night Kegan's grandparents watched him while Matthew and I got to use 4 of the Setliff's Spurs tickets and go to a game. They said we could have the tickets if we traded them for Kegan...no baby, no tickets...haha! They were great seats, and we had a good time - just out enjoying no baby responsibilities (sorry, Kegan...).

A view of a shot being taken from the seats we were in for the first half of the game.

For the second half of the game we switched seats with the 2 friends that came with us. Check out the view...wow...you could see the sweat...thank goodness you couldn't smell it though!

Saturday morning...after I got to sleep in a little later than usual and got a few things done around the house, I met Kegan and Mrs. Setliff for lunch and then we hung out at the Setliff's, helping Grandma in the kitchen...well Kegan's contribution was licking the cake batter off the beaters Grandma handed him. Can you tell how much he enjoyed that? I as sure he was thinking, "Wow! Mom never gives me stuff this good!"

Taking a little lick to try it out!

Fully enjoying himself and all the sugary goodness!

Anyone else want a lick?

Sunday morning, before going to church to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, we got the first of 3 visits from the Easter bunny.

Checking out his basket...

Opening the egg and eating a little food out of it...

Another egg full of healthy goodies...

Yumm!!

Daddy and Kegan are all smiles and ready for church! Aren't my two men so handsome!!!! (whistle whistle)

Church was great and very full and afterwards we headed over to the Setliff's house.

Here is some trial and error pictures before we got one where everyone was smiling and looking at the camera. We are very thankful for digital cameras...this is a small view from the number of pictures we did take. I just find the progress of picture taking, with a child, humorous!

Ok...so no one is looking at the camera...Kegan kind-of is...but he is not really into the picture.

All looking...but Kegan was not showing his beautiful smile, yet...he looks a bit confused...doesn't he?

There we go...what a HAPPY family!!!

Grandpa, Kegan, and Daddy - Mr. Setliff got Kegan to saying cheese, so, they were all laughing in the picture because Kegan would say "cheese"...grin real big and laugh! Hey...it makes for a good picture!

While lunch was being finished Kegan enjoyed playing outside!

Swinging with grandpa!

More attempts at picture! (I don't think Kegan was really "enjoying" this part...but he endured...for about a minute!)

Grandma, Kegan, and Grandpa

I can't remember what he saw here and was going after, but I absolutely LOVE his face here - such excitement!

Hahah...he was tyring to turn the nozzle to get the water to come out...obviously it was a bit difficult...haha...what a face!

Grandma got Kegan is very own chair for outside...he enjoyed carrying it all around the porch!

Swinging with daddy and grandpa...again...we can't all get to looking at the camera at the same time...I took quite a few and none of them had them all looking...so I went with the one that made me laugh...I think we were "cheesing" again!

Kegan decided that his Uncle Josh needed all the Dr. Pepper bottles that were sitting out on the porch...so he took them to him, one by one. What a work-out little man!

After lunch they surprised me with cupcakes and singing of Happy Birthday! Thank goodness I did not have to blow out 26 candles.

Sooo...do you think Kegan enjoyed his cupcake?

After lunch the Easter bunny visited us again, this time at Kegan's grandparent's house.

Wow! Looking threw his loot. Notice the fruit...the bunny knows his momma is big into Kegan eating healthy...and apples are one of his favorites! He loves the wheel barrel and it is fun to watch him pick up the two handles and try to push it around...needless to say, the stuff did get dumped out on one trip around the living room.

Egg hunt time!

See this...he would stop with almost every egg...open it up...and eat the contents...the hunt took a while...but it was so much fun to see how excited he got every time he would go to a new egg!

Investigating the bounty of his hunt!

Uh-oh...Kegan is learning this tradition they have down here in Corpus with confetti eggs at Easter...even the young are not spared...

"Hey...Hey...what happened? What is this stuff"

Investigating an egg...after he got showered with more confetti

More eggs are braking...poor boy couldn't catch a brake...not even from his dad or aunt...

Doesn't he look like a little confettie egg himself...covered all over! For the most part he laughed about it...most of the time trying to figure out what was going on.

After a very needed nap and some more time visiting, we headed home...and guess what the bunny had visited his Plano grandparents, so they sent him down the gifts the bunny had left for him up there!

Loving on his bear...very soft and so cool - the bears ears and paws change color in the sunlight

Finding the candy...

OOOO...more candy!

Well...that concludes the Easter pics...so now we are somewhat up-to-date.

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter and had a change to truely appreciate the reason for the holiday - the death an resurection of our Savior so that we might be saved!