Miami Trip

This trip actually happened a week or so ago, I'm just finally getting around to adding a post. So, Joel and his business partner Jelani planned a company vacation for us. When I first heard mention of it, I'll have to admit, I was skeptical. Then Joel started asking me about dates, and I started to think that maybe they were serious. Turns out, they were, and we had a really fun long weekend in Miami. I wish that we had been able to stay longer. Miami is such a fun and beautiful place. The guys did a really good job at choosing a location and planning all of the logistics. They bought the plane tickets, rented the house and the vans, and all we had to do was show up. Thanks Joel and Jelani for all of the work that you put into planning and executing the trip. We had a pretty big group, there were the six employees, Joel, Jelani, Kacelia, Joe, Paul, and Scott; and Joe brought Jamie and Allison, Paul brought Elizabeth, and Scott brought his best friend Jared. The people that you travel with can really make a difference in how fun a trip is, and I don't think that the trip could've gone better.

We spent some time on the beach, toured a fruit and spice park (sounds a little boring, but it was fun and we got to eat some interesting exotic fruit), visited "Monkey Jungle," and drove to Key Largo for a glass bottom boat tour of the coral reef. Allison and Kailey did really well on the plane rides, and during the whole trip. They both loved swimming in the ocean. The water was a really beautiful clear blue. I love going to the beach, and it is my dream to one day have a beach house (highly unlikely, but everyone should dream, right?), but I will admit, as I have gotten older, and had a few encounters with some sea creatures, jelly fish to be exact, I've gotten a little more cautious in the ocean. The water hear was so nice, clear, and inviting that I forgot about my fears of jellyfish.

Kailey had fun feeding the monkeys at Monkey Jungle

Kailey ate nearly all of this star fruit by herself, guess she was hungry.


This is us driving under the african sausage tree at the fruit and spice park. These fruit weren't edible, but very interesting looking.

The Hamiltons had a good time with the "dead man fingers" this is actually edible fruit. None of us were brave enough to eat it, but Jamie did admit to trying some of the juice, and said that it was sweet.

Kailey cut loose a little bit at the beach, check-out her cover-up.

Some how we managed to escape without any serious sunburn, jellyfish stings, or shark attacks :) I caught some of shark week before the trip, and learned that tiger sharks hang around the Florida coast sometimes. I didn't help that we saw a small shark just off the coast while we were on our way out on the boat tour.

There ofcourse, were no toys at the house, but the girls worked it out.

These giraffes provided endless entertainment. They were originally in our bedroom, but made their way around the house with the girls. Kailey drug that big one around with her every where, and when I made her leave it in the room one morning as we were leaving, she had to wave and say goodbye to it. They became such good friends.

Baby's First Pictures!

We had a sonogram of the new baby on the 24th. Today, I finally got around to unhooking the scanner from the desktop and installing everything on the laptop. For some reason the scanner refused to work on the desktop. I thought the scanner was dead, but decided to give it one last try on the laptop.

These are both side views. The baby is laying left to right. On the top picture the head and leg is labeled.



It was so exciting to see the baby moving around. It was moving its little hand around up by its face. It is just so exciting to see the baby and to finally know that all is well. We were also able to hear the heartbeat for the first time during the sonogram. The heartbeat was really fast, it stayed around 180. I don't think that Kailey's was ever that fast. I just wish that we could have been able to tell if it was a boy or a girl. I don't really like to call the baby "it." I can't wait until the next sonogram in September!

New Car!

Kailey got a new car yesterday, and I can't tell you how excited this girl was. When we got it home from the store, she couldn't even wait for us to put it together. She started playing with the parts as we pulled them out of the box.

We had a heck of a time putting this thing together, and not because the toy was difficult to assemble, but because there was an anxious girl that wanted to play with it. We learned a valuable lesson: toys that require assembly, should be assembled after 8:30 p.m. (Kailey's bedtime).

Kailey's Imagination

Yesterday I was cleaning the kitchen, and opened the door to the garage to put something out there. Kailey ran out the door into the garage, because she loves to go into the garage. There are so many things to get into that she knows that she is not allowed to touch, like gas cans, the weed eater, tools, etc. Once I got back inside, I asked Kailey to come back in, too. I knew that this was in vain, but I tried coaxing her back in, not wanting to have to chase her through the hot garage (doubtless, if I had stepped into the garage she would have taken off running, and it would've turned into chase). I noticed that this time instead of running off when I called her, she just stood there about three or four feet from the door, and looked a little torn. So I tried some of my usual tricks, like "why don't you come get Ricky (she loves Ricky our chihuahua)," but none of the usual tricks worked, and she still just stood there. Then I realized that she was staring at her baby that was laying on the kitchen floor. So I said "Come get your baby." When I did, she smiled and started motioning for her baby to come to her. When she wants a person to come to her she puts both of her hands palms up and opens and closes her hands. So she started doing this to her baby, as if the baby doll was going to get up and walk out there to her. I was trying so hard not to laugh, b/c I was still trying to convince her to come in with out having a game of chase ensue. I kept talking to her about the baby, and even pushed it back a little further into the kitchen with my foot, and she kept smiling and motioning for the baby to come to her. Eventually, still motioning for the baby, she lowered herself, so that she was doing this kind of duck walk toward the door, like she could sneak in, get the baby, and run back out without me noticing. The need for the baby got the best of her, and when she got with in reach I grabbed her and pulled her in. She was not happy, but once she got her baby she calmed down.

Milk is a four-letter word

As you may or may not know, Kailey HATES milk. At first, I couldn't understand how she went from bottle and breastfeeding to no milk at all. She never had any trouble with taking formula in a bottle or anything. However, when she turned a year, and we took the bottle and breastfeeding away, she wouldn't have anything to do with milk. We tried everything that we could imagine to get her to drink it. Finally we decided that we would just have to make sure and get some yogurt and cheese into her each day, and she was fine with that. She went through a phase from 1 year to 18 months where she would get so excited about cheese that she would dance when she saw you getting it out of the refrigerator. About a month ago, she even did the cheese dance at the Gomez's house (a family in our ward) despite shyness in an unfamiliar place, this is how serious she was about cheese.

A couple of weeks ago, her love for cheese started to diminish. Before, she would eat at least one piece of cheese a day, and if you would give it to her, she would eat 2 or 3. Now, at best, she will eat half a piece. This was starting to worry me a little, so the other night I bought some Kleinpeter chocolate milk (the best chocolate milk known to man) to try with her. Along with Kailey, I hate milk, but Kleinpeter chocolate milk is heavenly. So Joel let her drink a little out of his cup, and...drum roll please...she loved it! She even said yum yum. I make sure to call it chocolate, and not chocolate milk, because she knows the word milk and has a deep rooted prejudice and hatred against anything associated with the word milk. Yesterday I put some in her sippy cup (this was risky, because usually the only thing that she will drink from the sippy cup is juice, she will only take water in a regular cup). Miraculously she drank a whole sippy cup full of chocolate milk. I was so excited, I took a couple of pictures, which would be posted below, but I cant find the cable to hook to the camera!!! We also have a card reader that is MIA, probably hanging out with the cable somewhere.

A trip to North Park

A couple of weekends ago we went to North Park with Kailey. She had a good time. Here are some pictures.

This one is an action shot. We were both concentrating; those spiral slides are tricky.

Another action shot on the slides.

peek-

a-boo

Kailey loves babies, so right away she found this gorgeous naked barbie. As soon as she saw it she started saying "eeeewwww" not "eeww gross", but "eeewww, I want that".


Devastation when barbie was taken.

Kailey is a pretty fearless baby, but when it comes to the swing, she won't give it a chance. Seen here kicking her legs in disapproval.

Getting Caught Up, some good news and fun stuff!

I am so ashamed, I was a little unsure about my password, because it has been so long since I have logged in. I did remember it though. So I guess I have some catching up to do.

First, Lets go back to the beginning of last month. Joel and I found out that we are expecting baby number two! We are really excited. Unlike last time, we already have names picked out, boy and girl, amazingly. For those who don't know, we didn't decide on Kailey's name until the birth certificate folks called the day after she was born. At that point Joel told me that I could chose, and that's how we came to Kailey.

I am due the 4th of February, so I am just past 11 weeks. So far so good, I was really blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy with Kailey, and this one is following suit. The only difference is that I have been soooo tired with this one. Good thing Kailey takes good naps. Last week, I caught myself, mid day, falling asleep sitting straight up on the couch. I have a sonogram scheduled for a week from today. This one is an early one to check for proper neural tube development (we didn't do this one with Kailey). I am excited to see the baby even though we won't be able to tell the gender this early. We do plan on finding out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I think that it would be fun to have it be a suprise, but until I have had both a boy and a girl, I just don't think that I can do it.

Bonnette Family Reunion

Last month we also had the first ever Bonnette Family Reunion in Charleston, SC. Wendy did a great job on the location and planning. Kailey absolutely loved the beach. We also had a fun time at Ft. Sumter and the aquarium. With most of the family living in different parts of the country it was great to get to visit with everyone.

It seems that Joel and I always forget something when we pack, well ok, its usually me that forgets something. This time it was bad, we forgot the camera! There was a miscommunication about the carry-ons. I forgot our coats, of all things, when we visited Jonathan and Brandy in April, in UT; no miscommunication, just me! Anyway, Jared and Keri were kind enough to share their camera. Thanks for sending the pictures Keri! We shared a room with Jared and Keri, and they were great roommates! They left a day before we did, and Keri was so thoughtful, she left me some shampoo and conditioner. I had to throw mine away at the airport, another miscommunication with the carry-ons :(

All 28 of us. Jeff and Kamra's family are in turqoise(Jeff with Maison, Kamra with Jayden and Avery left and Zoe right); Wendy and Byron's family are in navy(Wendy, Bryon with Dathan, Dahlin, Davin, Madelyn. and Daniel); mom, dad and the girls in green (Mavanie left and Amilyn right); Jonathan and Brandy's family in brown (Jonathan with Avalyn, Brandy with Zachary, Kaylyn, and Eric); and Jared in Keri in white. Sorry for misspelling any names.

I thought this one was funny, b/c Kailey has her tongue out and Jayden is about to get her.

You probably can't tell, but this is us "trotting." Kailey does this funny little trotting thing when she gets excited about something. It is also one of her dance moves. She did a lot of trotting at the beach.