Kahlich[Collage]

Day with my Loves

2012-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! Hope it was enjoyed by all! We had a very eventful day full of Valentine fun!

The cute little homemade Valentines Kinsleigh helped make for her friends at school.

Here is a close up

Our delicious cookies we baked last night for the neighbors, our teachers, church staff, and ahem ourselves of course!

Have to start the day with heart pancakes!

Opening gifts...

Always a hit.

Dressed up and ready for school with a special appearance by sissy getting to go with her to drop her off today!

Yep, they are adorable

Played in our Valentine sensory table a bit

Had this incredibly unhealthy looking heart pizza for dinner. Yeah, I feel disgusting right now.

And ended my evening with some good ole snuggles from this snotty nose.

(not pictured: My first greatest love, Sean)

Burdened

2012-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I've had something on my heart lately that I'm completely burdened by. I feel God is trying to lead me in some sort of direction but I'm not exactly sure yet where that is. Lately I've been saddened too many times by the pain and suffering I've been seeing other families go through with their children. Whether it be them being diagnosed with a disease, getting extremely I'll and suffering significant permant damage as a result, finding out their child has cancer, or even worse, losing their child to cancer. Nothing gets to me more than this. I can't begin to even imagine the hurt and pain they are experiencing. And I want to gag at myself for complaining about my problems. We all have our struggles and yes ours have been somewhat more difficult with Kinsleigh lately, but manageable.

Two nights ago, Kinsleigh woke at 11:45 pm screaming in her room. I ran in to see her sitting bolt upright in her bed, looking completely terrified. I knew instantly she had had a horrible dream as we have dealt with this before with her. But this time when I went to her and placed my arms around her to reassure her she was safe, she was shaking uncontrollably and her heart was beating so hard I literally thought it was going to burst out of her chest! Once I got her to lay down, I sat on the floor next to her bed with her for a good 15 min with one hand tickling her forehead and the other just resting on her chest. That heart was not slowing down and it made me sad to see that she had dreamed something that could make her so frightned. But that wasn't the reason tears came to my eyes at that moment. Here I am, worn out tired, needing my rest more than you can ever know, and suddenly I dont care about that. Im teary eyed because I realize feeling that heart beat at what seems like 1000 beats per minute, represents life in her. She is breathing and full of life. How unbelievably grateful I am to have that! Shes healthy, praise the Lord! Not everyone is experiencing that with their child every day like I am.

But what can I do? I'm just a woman, with a reasonably small income, who wants to help in some way. But I know that nothing I would ever do could bring a child back to the state that they once were so my prayer is that it will be revealed to me how I can help certain families throughout my time in whatever way possible. And I'm going to start with this family. The mom is a woman I knew and was close friends with her family growing up nearly 20 years ago. Because of Facebook, I still stay connected to her family. Her two year old boy is struggling. Actually that's more than an understatement. I can't describe all he has been going through and the pain his parents are clearly feeling. You can join his Facebook page, "Westin's Walk" here to get the news on his condition and updates. Be in prayer for him on a daily basis. You can also request prayer bracelets for him for $5 a piece.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/305376696166650/

Wordless...

2012-02-02T14:04:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I simply have nothing else on my mind to blog about and the blog goes untouched for some time. I'm in one of those phases now so I thought, "Why not just share some of my favorite pics of the past month?"

play doh creatures

such cuties enjoying snack and cartoons together

Picnic in the park. Weather this month has been AMAZING

Just being her cute self

Pausing for a sweet pic during a fun game of "sock basketball"

Enjoying mommy's new cake batter balls

Building an awesome castle at Lowe's

Sportin sisters New Life Ranch shades

Playing in such an "oh so safe" place =)

10 months old!

That's one stylish princess right there

"loving" on Bella

Doesn't get any better than this...

Laundry basket rides are the best!

The "S" word

2012-01-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

We've entered a difficult stage my friends. Dealing with that "S" word! Yup, I said it. SHARING. Now that Kyla is officially mobile, she wants to get into everything Kinsleigh is doing. And I don't know how to help alleviate some of the stress of this situation. I feel like I am constantly nagging to share. But sharing is such a very hard concept to learn and it doesn't really get fully understood until much later in life. So I'm in a pickle. You don't get training in this kind of stuff in "Multiple Children 101." There is part of me that is so frustrated because Kinsleigh tells Kyla"no" constantly and rips everything out of her hands but then another part of me that says, "Word girl! You do need some of your own space!" Kyla is a little magnet. And that can be annoying to me even, so I totally can see where the three year old frustration is coming from. But at the same time, sweet Kyla just wants to be a part of her sisters world. And Kinsleigh absolutley adores her but just like all siblings, not ALL the time. So I ask you others of multiple children...what methods work best for your family? I want to teach the idea of sharing but don't want to feel like I'm constantly shoving it down her throat. Trying to distract Kyla with something else, say another toy, doesn't work either because she only wants to be doing what Kinsleigh is doing and will switch activities the moment she does. I need advice because the "mommy voice" is hurtin!

Where we stand- part two

2012-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

The current method we use to measure daily behavior. (I know the second "I" is a 1 but I couldn't find another one of my I's!) She earns a letter of her name for every time she makes good choices. Loses one for when she makes a bad one. At the end of the day, if she earns all her letters, she gets something special. Been doing this for a couple months now and it still actually works.
Well, we finally had the long awaitedappointment with the pediatric pschologist yesterday. Loved the place. Had a very "kid friendly" environment in the waiting area but for some reason Kinsleigh just wasn't a fan of the woman's actual office. Something in there bothered her a bit and she was completely quiet and played with a little dollhouse without a peep for an entire hour! Which actually ended up being ok! Through all the issues we discussed with her, she said there are definitely several red flags that could possibly fall under a " pervasive disorder." Not a fun thing to hear, but obviously I was somewhat expecting to hear it considering it was the reason I was taking her there in the first place. Since she is only 3 and her different behaviors, such as her irrational fears, are so spontaneous she said there really wasn't much she could do for her counseling wise YET. Things would just have to be watched over time until she gets slightly older before a diagnosis couldprobably be made. (we don't want her getting stuck with the wrong "label" ever). BUT the good news from the meeting is this...she is going to counsel ME/Sean! Yeah, didn't know they would even do that! And honestly, more so right now, I think that is what we need. Her improvement at this current time can only come from what we do to help her and we need ideas to know how to do that properly. Also meeting with someone monthly will help us together try to see if she follows some type of pattern in her behavior. Starting at the new year, I began keeping a diary on her. Her mood, amount of discipline we have to use, new fears, amount of sleep, eating habits, quirky behaviors, change of habits, EVERYTHING we can think of, each and every day. I'm already starting to see some possible common ties. I stated on I believe Monday or Tuesday that we had been having the best week to week and a half that we had had in months! Only to discover a new tiny fear on Tuesday afternoon ( which she actually got over pretty quickly) but her behavior hasn't been the same as it had been for those consecutive dayssince. Coincidence maybe, but that will be for us to figure out. I believe that the enemy is lurking at our door and he knows when we are experiencing extreme happiness, and he will do everything is his power to destroy that. Yeah well, wait until he finds out he can't win. Our girls are our everything and I don't care what they go through or may possibly get " diagnosed" with. We are going to make sure they live a life of happiness. That is within what's in our control. And that happens by daily not only telling, but showing thm that they are deeply loved.Not only by us, but by their Daddy, Jesus Christ.

A Dream Week

2012-01-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

I just have to share that this past week has been a true blessing sent from above! Our battles with Kinsleigh have been out of this world but out of nowhere this week, we have had the best multiple days in a row than we have had in a LONG time. Our disciplining with her has been at a minimal (the typical for any 3 year old), her imagination has been running wild in her play time, and she has been the most loving, playful, big sister she could possibly be. I believe in the power of prayer and know that is what is making the difference. People in diligent prayer. So thank you, yet again. We are continuing to seek what troubles her and will keep updates coming as we know, but I also know that God can heal her out of nowhere if he wants to and she can be like any other 3 year old her age. If not, he's got another purpose and she's gonna rock it! I'm doing everything in my power to get her the help she needs but I still have hope for the other...

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

2012 has finally arrived! I know we're all so excited we could barely stand it with all the hype of it being the last year of us here on earth and all! Let me give you some information that you can rest assured in. The world will not be ending December 21, 2012. Why do I know this? Because the Bible told me so! =)

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:35-36

So there ya go! The Bible does not lie! Therefore there is NO POSSIBLE WAY it can be that day! Otherwise, we would be making God out to be a liar! But just discussing this whole theory got me thinking, "what if we all could really know the last day of our existence? What would that be like?" Sean and I discussed this question on our way home from church this morning (this is where our best conversations always take place) and not only did I find our difference of responses quite humorous but I also realized just how naive I really am.

He explained how the world would be complete chaos and out of control. Theft and crime would sky rocket because there would be no consequences for your actions. Basically we would be living like "Grand Theft Auto" is how he put it.

My response was that all the airports would be too busy because we would all want to squeeze in all our last minute vacations to all the places we always wanted to go. Oh how I wish this world could be pure enough that that would be all that happened. Unfortunately, it's not and I believe Sean's prediction is much more accurate.

But anyway, all that being said, truth is we have no idea when the end will be so we should be living our life "right" and in the path of righteousness at all times. So instead of worrying about the end or making unrealistic goals or resolutions for yourself this year, make it a goal to live solely for Christ. That's it. Sure, lose weight if you want to, make it a point to call your grandmother more, all those sorts of things are good too! But the only thing that is GREATER and will last for all eternity is your relationship with Christ! So in 2012, OWN IT!

(And just as a little side note, a teeny tiny goal I have for myself is to finally get Kyla in my blog photo! I think procrastination could be my middle name)

Where we stand...

2011-12-14T12:38:00.001-08:00

I know many of you are wanting to know, now that we have gone to Kinsleigh's Developmental Ped. appointment, where exactly we stand with things and what is going on. But before I go into any of that, I/we want to thank all of you for your prayers, encouraging words, generosity of ways to help out, etc. without even fully knowing what is going on. You all just lifted us up anyway and we cannot thank you enough for that. We are truly blessed. Sean and I were talking the other night about how 2011 has not been a good year for us (minus the part of Kyla being born). We have had so many ups and downs, we've lost count. I feel like much of the year has been full of worry, pain, sadness, confusion, tiredness, complaining, trial/error situations, blah blah blah. We're hoping that 2012 brings us a year of healing and getting back to "normal."

So here goes...now you can know what the heck we've been dealing with and talking about all this time with Kinsleigh...you ready...deep breath...ok

Ever since Kinsleigh was very young, like 18 mos. or so, we've thought she was a HIGHLY intelligent little one. It was/has been so cool to see her develop and impress us with all her insights and knowledge. She could sing the whole ABC's by 18 mo. ish. She knew the majority of her letters by age 2. Knew most of the letter sounds and could identify all numbers before she was 2 1/2. Awesome huh?!

Also starting shortly after 18 mos. we started noticing she had a lot of repetitive behaviors and craved routine (to an extreme amount) like crazy. But we thought, ok whatever, she's just really particular and picky.

As time went on, the obsessiveness and repetitive behaviors got more and more extreme. Still to this day, for a whole entire year, she has said the same exact sentence when we drive onto the circle on ramp from the BA to I44. And we drive this path often as it is our way to church, which is also daddy's work and Kins school. That's just one example.

Then as she got closer to three, I started noticing more and more that she still wasn't wanting to play much with her peers. Like, she was aware they were there, but she preferred to be alone. Still does. And she doesn't necessarily know how to relate to them. Can talk an adults ear off, but looks at kids like they are crazy sometimes.

Here recently, closer to age 3, her behavior has gotten out of control. To the point where Sean and I don't know how to handle it anymore. She's highly disobediant, highly sensitive, can throw a tantrum like no other, that kind of thing. Not just a typical 3 year old thing, but more. Now this is a complete 180 from where we used to be at age 2. Sweet, charming, always listens to what Mommy and Daddy say. Discipline tactics worked, manners were used so kindly...

I now know, ok, SOMETHING is not right here, but I have NO idea what. My first fear was possibly Aspergers, because she is clearly not autistic. Anybody can see that. Then as it went on more and more, I thought possibly anxiety/OCD, I don't really know (I'm sure no Dr. here). I shared all my concerns with our ped at Kinsleigh's 3year appt. and she saw concern enough to get her into a psychologist for an evaluation. We didnt rush into getting the referral at the time as it wasn't necessarily an emergency.

Then the extreme irrational fears started happening. About a week before Thanksgiving we had some friends come to town to visit. They have a baby boy so he borrowed our pack n play and slept in kinsleigh's room while she went and stayed with grandma overnight. We folded it back up when he was done, placed it in the bag, and left it setting on the floor of her room. When she got home, she said she was scared of her room and wouldn't go in it. Sometime later I was able to come to the conclusion that it was the pack n play. Something she has seen numerous times as we've had it since the day she was born and we travel with it all the time with Kyla now. Thanksgiving, she was terrified of certain decorations in my parents dining room and refused to eat in there with the rest of family. Fixed it and she was over it in a day.

Then Saturday, December 3rd happened. She woke up that morning, totally normal, just really early so she was kind of cranky. We went to the mall, picked out our angel from the angel tree, played in the play place, had lunch, then came home for nap. When she woke from her nap that afternoon she would not open her eyes and her behavior was very strange, but we had no clue as to why. After much observing, questioning, and all that, I discovered she was terrified of the air vents. She wanted nothing more than to get out of the house. Thought it was just our house, which it was at first, but now she does it lots of other places too if she happens to notice them. Grandmas house, library, doctors office. Her eyes close and there is nothing you can say or do to get her to open them. I finally decided to paint the one in her room the color of her walls to see if that made a difference. (I had noticed at night time she had been opening her eyes in the dark in her bed so I figured she would look up and check it out the and be able to notice) Sure enough, she did, and two days later, she was comfortable with opening her eyes in her room only. That is still where we stand, 12 days later. She still won't open them anywhere else, however she is beginning to open them a little when she takes a bath at night. (We brought Barbies into the tub and that was something new and exciting that she finally had to check out). Because of this fear being so extreme that it is controlling both her and our entire lifestyle, we needed help, quick! I have never felt so badly for my child. It's a feeling I cannot even describe because it is definitely not something you ever think you will be dealing with.

After a lot of work and phone calls, our pediatrician got us into a developmental ped. which is who we went and saw this morning. First off, I want to say that man was amazing and so helpful and understanding. We spent nearly 2 hours talking with him about Kinsleigh's various behaviors and he was able to observe her "in action" for some of them. By the end, he came to the conclusion that it most likely was all related to anxiety. Other things could be possible in there that we may discover over time, but for now she needs serious counseling. She will be receiving that through a psychologist, whom we are already set up to see on Jan. 11th. From there, she will be able to see what needs to be done further and where we go from here. Basically, it's probably just going to take a long time to get her behavior back on track and make her feel comfortable. Who knew, when I brought this sweet baby girl into the world a little over 3 years ago, that this would be what I would be dealing with for her. We are going a non medication route for now, we'll see what the future holds, but we don't feel (neither does the Dr.) that we should put a child this young on medication. Not knowing the exact diagnosis, the side effects, or whether of not it would even work. Time, conversations, and prayer is what is going to heal this little girl. WE HOPE. But we also BELIEVE. That also being said, he DOES NOT believe she has anything on the autism spectrum. He did say that in some cases as children get older, Aspergers (high functioning autism), becomes more apparent when it didn't seem noticeable in the beginning, but he still highly doubted it. Oh and he gave us some tactics to try to get her to feel better about the vents. We will give them a try and see if anything works and keep you updated there.

So for now, this is what I'm going to ask of each and every one of you. First and foremost, keep the prayers coming. Because we need them more than you could ever know. But also, love our girlie no matter the circumstances. Know that we are trying our hardest as parents and doing whatever we can in our power to help her and make her better. Know that many times the behavior she displays, she may or may not be able to control. In public I am so tired of the stares and what not because she's totally ignoring me or the fact that her eyes are closed everywhere she goes. I know I shouldn't care what other people think, but lets face it, as humans and parents, when it comes to our kids, we just do. (I know I'll never again be passing judgement that it's all the parents fault when their child is misbehaving because I now know, it's NOT). To know we have a big team on our side and understands helps. She is still sweet Kinsleigh. She still loves to play, give hugs and kisses, be silly, and say her sweet prayers. She's just struggling right now in ways that we can't understand. Please don't treat her any differently than any other child. Those are my only requests. Thank you again for everything and in advance for all I know you are all going to continue to do. We have a great group of friends on our side but more importantly CHRIST who will heal all. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

9 Months

2011-12-08T19:30:00.001-08:00

Kyla, you are officially three quarters of your way to a one year old! Hard to believe. At 9 months you are still attached to Mommy like nobody's business. As in, you still spew all over everybody if Mommy leaves you for an extended amount of time. Extended sometimes only meaning 5-10 minutes. You come and go with your daysof just blabbering away. You're still not pulling yourself up or crawling but you are walking around EVERYWHERE with the help of others. Definitely not a fan of sitting still on your bo-bo anymore. I can tell you are going to be my one that gets into everything. You already stop at the sight of any and everything on the floor and try to pick it up so you can put it straight in your mouth. Still no toothers. LOVE Mickey Mouse just like your sissy. Love to cuddle and play with Mommy's hair. And you really enjoy talking to Mr. Snowman that sits next to our front door.

Just look at you go on this thing...

And you are already my fashion diva...=)

Love you bunches sweetie pie!

My occupation is Mommy

2011-11-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

Many days, like yesterday, I feel being a stay at home mom is not exactly my cup of tea if you know what I mean. But then there are days, like today, that I find joy in the little things of being a stay at home mommy and wouldn't trade it for the world. Today I am thankful to be with my girls and glad my day went as follows...

1) My three year old giving me big hugs and telling me she loves me "bunches and bunches" over and over again.

2) As I prepare my littlest for morning nap, she lays her head on my shoulder and starts playing with my hair (love this about her!) while she cuddles her blankie.

3) I played pixiehollow.com for a half hour with Kins playing fairy games just to try and earn her enough points so we could buy stuff.

4) Sat on the couch and read some good books together

5) After lunch we headed to the library where they had all sorts of fun

6) After we got home and watched a sort DVD that kinsleigh had picked out, she went down so peacefully for a nap while Kyla entertained herself in the living room (this rarely happens).

7) I played with beads hanging from a lamp with Kyla (who knew?) and thoroughly enjoyed it!

8) Sang some songs and rocked her while I tickled her little head. She just stared at me with those big blue eyes until she trailed right off to sleep.

9) Now they are both sleeping soundly as I am able to sit and type this blog.

When I'm having a bad day, these sweet, precious days are what keep me going. Only 8 1/2 more months and this will no longer be my full time occupation. So I may complain at times, but I'm going to soak it all in while I can.

Nigh Night Prayers

2011-11-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

I never get tired of hearing my dear little Kinsleigh say "Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me" at bedtime every night. This is her #1 prayer of thanks! How cool is that? Granted, she has no clue what she's saying or can even begin to fathom what that means right now. But I pray that one day she will. I pray that Sean and I will be good examples as parents and guide her in the way she should go in helping her know this. I honestly cannot wait for the day that she comes to me and says "Mommy, I want to ask Jesus into my heart." Maybe not those words exactly, especially if she's (sigh) not choosing to call me Mommy anymore. But I'm so thankful that she's already been introduced to the fact that someone else loves her deeply far better than Mommy and Daddy ever could. I have a feeling this strong willed, "little miss attitude" girl we have right now is going to make her Mommy and Daddy very proud someday. I mean...hello!, she already does! But I mean I can see her being a beaming light for HIS kingdom.

28 Years

2011-11-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Who knew at 28 years of age I would still be getting asked if my parents are home by salesmen at my door. But on a more serious note...

Who knew?

I'd have been married for almost 5 years, let alone been married at all, to a man that I dated for a short 4 months before getting engaged to him?

I'd already have two beautiful daughters?

I'd be creating a home for my family in Tulsa, Oklahoma surrounded by the most loving people I've ever known?

I'd have 5 years behind me of battling an auto immune disease that has drastically changed my life?

I'd lose dear friendships?

I'd make so many amazing new ones?

I'd still be obsessed with Facebook after 8 years? (ok, that's maybe not so serious),

It just goes to show that I am not the writer of my life. Someone of much greater importance is and has something far better planned for me. Can't wait to see what he's got cooked up for the years to come. I just pray everything I do can be a testimony to HIM.

The BIG 3!

2011-10-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

I will always remember every detail of the day you were born, even down to the sound of your cry when you entered this world...

How you you would always make this face when you turned 1...

The way you always had a smile on your face and hardly ever got in trouble when you turned 2...

How you were crazy silly and extremely sweet but yet very stubborn, ahem, strong willed when you turned 3...

You make my days brighter Kinsleigh Grace and I love you to pieces!

Our Goal

2011-10-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Kirk is doing something for our 50th Anniversary that I would love to ask your help in. We are trying, no wait...we will, fill a semi by Nov. 13th with items for those in need. Each week we have different items listed to bring so that we can get a variety of things and not just a bunch of canned beans and corn. This week, it was on my heart to really ask specifically because it is something that my own family struggles in getting for ourselves. FORMULA. Ugh! So not an easy thing to buy. The formula we feed Kyla (hypoallergenic aka super expensive liquid gold) , we would be spending approx $230 a month on if we were buying it for full retail all the time at a store like Wal Mart. Thankfully, I have been able to find many great deals on craigslist to get it much cheaper in bulk. But even then, my family still wouldn't have been able to afford it if we hadn't sold some of our own things on craigslist. We have sold an ipod, Garmin, Nook, all of Sean's disc's for disc golf, baby cradle as soon as we were done with it, nerf stuff (you know Sean is obsessed), queen bedroom set with the mattress and box springs, PS2 with all the games, Oakley backpack...let's just say we made many sacrifices. It just doesn't fit in our budget. And to think, we aren't even that bad off! What in the world are the people who don't even have jobs going to do? Got any formula laying around because you are done with it and just not sure what to do with it? Maybe you were given samples and don't need it? Or maybe you know someone in the medical field that would be willing to get you some? PLEASE DO! Here is a list of what can be brought each week until then. And obviously, if you have other things that you would like to donate, they are welcome as well.

10/30 baby food/formula and baby wipes

11/6 cake/brownie/muffin mixes and diapers

11/13 Canned fruit/veggies and toilet paper

We've already brought cereal, canned soup, peanut butter, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry soap, just to name a few but I am sure we could use more! We already have the semi 1/2 full so PLEASE help The Kirk reach it's goal! We've got 3 more weeks!!!

My #1 Prayer

2011-10-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Health for my children. It's of the upmost importance of what I NEED right now. I can't beg for it enough. My brain is emotionally drained from the stress and worry of things constantly wrong. Just so you can know where I am coming from, here is what we are battling.

Kyla- we all know she started off her little life in this world with a UTI and a milk allergy that was making her extremely sick. Fixed that problem only to take a little more time to fix her severe reflux problem with just the right medication. Happier baby then, but still has always just been a fussy baby which in itself is annoying enough. Around 4 mos. old, her eye started getting icky, icky. I assumed it was a clogged tear duct so did nothing about it, hoping it was just going to go away like it is supposed to. NOPE, still there. Had to get her into an eye dr. and it is in fact a clogged tear duct and she has been put on medication for it now. BUT if it has not cleared up in 6-8 weeks, which he says it most likely won't since it hasn't so far, we will have to consider putting her asleep so they can go in and flush it out themselves. In 5% of cases, they don't clear on their own. Of course, we are the 5%.

At 6 months, she started having SEVERE constipation. Just like Kinsleigh did/has. It literally started at the same time hers did, as soon as she started having baby food. Tried everything in the book. Nothing worked. Now have her on Miralax, which is not preferred for a baby this age, but it the ONLY way we can get her to go every once in a while. Now waiting on her referral to GI specialist. As of this past week, she has turned into the whine and cry all day long self again for what seems to be no reason. Went to the dr. today, because she had to get a flu shot anyway, and we are checking again for UTI just to be safe since AGAIN nothing else seems to be wrong. REALLY?!

Kinsleigh- Still working on figuring out her constipation problems. Went to GI specialist recently. Tried her suggestions. Still nothing. STILL on Miralax after 2 years. This will all eventually come to a close I hope, as a GI specialist gets to see that they have both displayed the same symptoms now. May have some kind of genetic thing going on. And I just can't wait to go to her 3 year appointment next week to discuss all the behavior problems we have been having with her and her somewhat peculiar quirks.

I need a break. And I need prayer. Because my heart hurts and I don't want to lose hope. I'm tired of crying every day because the burden is too large. I feel like I'm doing this all on my own. And I know I don't have to nor am I supposed to, but so many days it just feels that way.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings and know that I am going beyond my comfort zone to release all these feelings. I don't like to feel like a person in need. Knowing I have good friends that love and care and are in deep prayer for me gets me by. So thank you!

Boredom Busters

2011-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'm always coming up with things for Kinsleigh to do that are a little out of the ordinary just to keep her busy. And they are always fun to share. So here you go, just to get your imagination going...

Buy a bag of Beans (I chose Cajun because they have more colors) and just let them play in them with spoons, cups, whatever.

Build with pipe cleaners in a strainer. Stole this idea from Pintrest. Sounds strange, but you will be amazed how long this can keep them entertained.

Bring a bucket of water outside and some sponges and let them "paint" the concrete with the sponges. We ended up doing this several days in a row. However, this one may be hard to do now that the weather is getting a bit chilly so take advantage of it when we do have a few of the nice days left!

Go fishing for letters in a bucket of water. I used the net from the Elefun game and we had these foam floating letters from the tub. Fun and they learn their letters at the same time!

Krafty Kid

2011-10-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Me being a preschool teacher and all, you know I love to whip out the crafts and art projects often. So as simple as they may be, I'd like to share some with you each month that we do. Kinsleigh is ALWAYS thrilled to try new activities and projects no matter what they are! So spend a little extra time and get creative. Your child will thank you for it and be a very happy camper! Promise!

For October so far, we have made these projects...

Go on a scavenger hunt for leaves in the yard then do leaf rubbings with them!

spooky spider made out of an old egg carton

handprint pumpkin (we were going to add seeds to glue on, but we haven't carved a pumpkin yet so we don't have any!)

you have to paint a pumpkin of course!

Stay tuned tomorrow for some of our "boredom busters" we have tried this month!

Mini Milestones

2011-10-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's just a typical day at the Kahlich household. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just enjoying playing and watching Kinsleigh's imagination soar as Kyla stares at her in complete amazement. But today, I'm taking the time to enjoy every minute of it. Just soaking it all in knowing they will not stay this way forever. This all came about when I was reading an article out of this month's "Parents" magazine about milestones. It was talking about how we acknowledge the "BIG" milestones in life but never really think twice about the "tiny" things. Like their last night in their crib, or the last time they nurse, or when they take their last bite of baby food. For me a biggie was the last night I got to put Kinsleigh to bed as our only daughter. After I told her goodnight, I went into the living room and balled my eyes out. Literally. Because I knew that from then on, bedtime would be a little more rushed as I wouldn'tbe only worrying about her little eyes shutting but another set of little eyes closing for the night. Another biggie was when Kinsleigh told all her binkies bye bye for good. As much as I wanted her to break the habit, I hated to see them go because it meant she was growing up and I would never see her walk out in the morning with that little grin forming behind it ever again. I never want to miss documentation of a special moment. (Which explains why I am such a crazy picture takin mama)! At the exact moment in time, we don't always realize that it is such a special moment until much later when we are looking back at the pictures. So today, cherish every moment with your little ones. And take lots of pictures! Even if it is just of them showing you their new favorite stuffed animal they discovered in sister's room t

hat day, or Kinsleigh showing off her masterpiece of coloring all over her hand.

What I've Learned

2011-09-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

There are many things I have learned since becoming a Mommy of 2 but these are just a few that would be at the top of my list...

The 2nd is NOT always easier than the first.

I thought having one child was difficult. What was I even t

hinking?!

The 2nd is just as cute as the first =)

It is VERY hard to split my time evenly between them

Naps are no longer existent for me

My house stays a lot messier

The oldest only likes the new baby for a little while, then she's not so "cool" anymore

I spend 15-20 min each week getting stains out of clothes

I straighten my hair a lot less often

Preschool for the older one is a life saver

I cherish every moment of silence =) (coordinating sleep times is a must. However, succeeding at it every day doesn't always happen).

I get double the slobbery kisses and two kids to cuddle

Creating activities to do with the older one while the little one takes her morning "nap" is a great bonding time.

Movies get pulled out a lot more than they used to for the older one (Kinsleigh had never even seen a whole movie before Kyla was born. They are now a weekly ritual).

The toy clutter becomes ENORMOUS.

Playing outside is definitely the best activity to kee

p them both entertained

No two children are alike, and most likely your own children are going to be completely different

And at the end of each day, I feel like I just ran a marathon.

Despite the fact that the tough stuff outweighs the easy right now, I love my girls and they are my world.

Reason # 1,214

2011-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

You know those moments and conversations you don't particularly look forward to having with your children? I got to have one of those the other day...

Of the gazillion reasons you should not smoke, here is now reason # 1,214. Because of someone's bad habit of doing this, I had to give my 2 year old a lesson about what smoking is while sitting in the car in a QT parking lot. Not that she shouldn't get the lesson, I just didn't expect that it would be this early. But we did get two lessons in one. As the lady kept placing the cigarette in her mouth and then blowing smoke out, we got to talk about how it was bad for her and burning her insides. Then when she finished it all off and dropped the butt on the ground, we got to have a lesson on littering. Kinsleigh HATES when things get thrown on the ground and so she started yelling at the woman that she needed to pick it up. Good thing the windows were up...I guess. Maybe if she would of heard her, it would have placed a feeling of doubt inside her and we could be one more person closer to stopping the nasty habit. Oh well, what can you do? At least my kids will ALWAYS know how yucky it is.

Pintrest Project #1

2011-09-23T18:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, that's right. I did the unbelievable. I made my first thing that I saw on Pintrest. Ok, so not totally unbelievable but I was proud of myself that I actually beat the odds and took the time to make one of my inspirations I saw. I started with what seemed to be the easiest one I found and turns out, it was! AND the best part is, SUPER CHEAP to make. Got everything half off at Hobby Lobby of coure. Think it added up to a total of approximately $4.50 to make. I love my little OSU wreath. (Wreaths are my new obsession by the way). Oh and might I add, I also painted the front door this week simply because I wanted to. It was time to get rid of that icky light blue and go for the dark! Still has a few touch ups needed as you can probably see but I'm sure I'll get there...eventually.

Autumn, I love you

2011-09-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of year is approaching. No more extreme temperatures of heat. No more sweating on the way to my mailbox. No more having to show off my pasty legs. No more high electric bills. No more being stuck inside daily. Ahhhhh

Just the sweet, sweet smell of the crisp autumn air approaching. Bring on the colored leaves, the hoodies, the socks, the hot cocoa, football weekends, and three months straight of holidays (I know Halloweens not that special but it's super fun so it counts).

I go crazy with excitement in the fall. I'm literally counting down the days until I can put out fall decorations. Wouldn't you say October 1st is a good day? I have to resist and not jump to it too early. I'm just dying to go buy myself a pumpkin and put out the pumpkin spice candles. Mmmm...happiness is in my heart today as I see a high of 63 degrees in the forecast in two days!!! Just gotta get past the 100 today...

You're how old?!

2011-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Munchkin has reached her half year birthday today. Half a year!!! Please tell me how this is possible. With the first, it seemed to take quite some time to reach this milestone. With the second, it got here before I could even count to six. It's been a rough past 6 mos. but Kyla has been such a blessing in our lives. She is the biggest Mommies girl I know, but second to me, she highly prefers Daddy!

Currently, she still wakes once at night for a feeding. I know, I know, I should stop, but it's not until 4:30 or 5am and her little tummy is growling! We will make it farther one day! She also still can't nap on her own more than 30 min without Mommy having to go in and pat her tummy to keep her asleep. I'm not a big fan of that one.

She loves peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, pears, peaches, avocados and sometimes applesauce. Only thing she truly hates is baby cereal. I'm glad she's 6 mos. now so we can give a shot at mixing it with juice to make it slightly more tasty. We're also going to bring on the apricots and prunes starting today. We all know what those foods do and let's just say this girl needs it!

We're working on sitting up, but haven't gotten it down quite yet. She prefers to stiffen her legs and stand of course. She hates being away from Mommy and Daddy so much that she literal

ly pukes everywhere from screaming anytime someone else has her. Lovely right? Needless to say, she rides around on my hip EVERYWHERE! We will outgrow this too so I'm not too worried. I can't carry her on my hip when she's 12. She's growing like a weed and we'll do the weigh in next week! Can't wait to see how much she's grown on those big girl foods!

Love this precious gift in our lives...

Summer's Over...

2011-08-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Kinsleigh's first day of school was today. Back to the old routine of things. She's an older two year old so she got to move over with the "big" kids in the west wing of the preschool. The girl LOVES school and was so excited to go and see her new class and new friends. And she really wanted to see the "giraffe, elephant, horse, horse, and horse" the most. (She saw these animals on her meet the teacher day and has been talking about them ever since. And that's just her creative way of describing them instead of saying there are 3 horses!) I think I'm going to enjoy my "quiet" days with one child but it sure will be different.

Isn't it funny how when you are with your toddler all day for too long they can sometimes drive you crazy, but once they are not here you miss them like crazy? That girl means the world to me and she's growing up so fast!

Now get home already Kinsaroo so I can hear all about your day!

Isaiah 41:10

2011-08-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This verse got me yesterday. As many of youknow, I've been struggling a lot lately with sleep deprivation. If it's not because of Kyla, it's because of Kinsleigh. She's gotten terrible and Sean and I literally feel helpless and at a loss for what to do. I think we've tried almost everything in the book. Or at least that I can think of. So at the end of the day, scratch that, at the beginning of the day I feel weak and completely drained of my energy. Sometimes I don't even know if I can make it to lunchtime.

But then I read this verse. Our God, the creater of thiswhole entire universe is going to give ME strength and help ME. ME!!! Why? I don't know besides that's just who He is. "MY" plan is to make a reward chart for if she stays in her bed at night and doesn't through fits, she works herself to a prize...a Tangled dream castle tower. Don't worry, it's going to take her some effort to get there. I'm not giving it to her too easy. But I'm pretty sure God comes up with a lot better plans than me wouldn't you say? So from now on I'm going to try and remind myself when I'm down that he's got me in his "righteous right hand" helping me all along the way.

How awesome is that?!

Clever Cookie!

2011-08-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

True Delights...what our child believes to be the best dessert in the world.

I've always tried to do fairly well with keeping the kiddo away from sweets from day one. So much so that many times when someone is eating some kind of candy she asks, "what is that Mommy?"

It pays off because when those times come that she does get a special "treat," it's really REALLY special. Kid never misses it when Daddy or I are eating a cookie. We try to sneak them and think we are doing a good job, but it never fails, she figures it out. I realized how obsessed she is with a cookie just the other day when this happened...

I made some yummy homemade chocolate chip cookies and she saw me eating one but of course it was almost time for lunch so I told her she had to wait. She kept begging so I told her, "If you ask me one more time, you don't get one." She's a 2 year old, so of course she asked again.

After we got over our tantrum of not getting a cookie we went back to playing and everything she did had to do with a cookie. It was quite clever I must say.

She'd stand upside down and say "Look, I'm standing on my head, just like a cookie does." or while playing with her Little People dollhouse say "look, they're eating cookies at the table," or "look, I'm dancing like a cookie." It was hilarious and I couldn't help but laugh. How in the world does a 2 year old learn to be so clever? Not to mention turn my frustration into a smile. Gosh I love that kid.

And yes, she did get the cookie. After dinner.

Binkies Back! Alright!

2011-07-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Look what kiddo decided to start using today! I know some parents prefer their child not to get attached to the binky ("pacifier") but I like them to be my saving grace at times. Kinsleigh LOVED her binky from day one. She slept with it, played with it, chewed on it when teething, blah blah blah. Kyla has HATED it from day one. Never could get her to take it. She would thrust it back out at you and scream even more. And if she didn't do that, then she would gag on it. I continued to try and give it to her every once in a while, but would get the same result so finally just gave up.

Well today, she literally WOULD NOT stop whining. And she's gnawing away at her fist like you would not believe. I thought, "What the heck?! I'm going to give this one more shot and just see what she does." Went and dug it out of the drawer, plopped it in her mouth and TADA! She loved it and went to town. The fussing stopped and she even went down for nap with it. Honestly I don't care if it's a sleep prop. I'll use it anyway. I did with Kinsleigh too and she turned out fine. She's not going to go to kindergarten sucking her binky (at least I hope not).

Promises

2011-07-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

Holding true to a promise is a big deal. Especially when it's for your little one! Here's our adorable Kinsleigh Grace sporting her oversized (youth XS) Miller Swim School T-Shirt. Cute right?

But here's the story of why she is wearing it. The other week at swim lessons, I promised Kinsleigh if she did really well and was brave, she would get a cookie after lessons. (They sell them at the front desk). We've been bribing a lot lately as she has recently become terrified of going to lessons because they make her go under water. So during her lesson, she still cried and was scared the whole time, but she went ahead and tried everything nonetheless. So we get all ready to go, ready to go get our sugar cookie, and then I realize "oh wait I left my wallet in the car." We walk all the way out to the car to get it and come back in. Then I see the sign that says "We don't accept credit card purchases under $10. Sorry for the inconvenience." Ugh, yes this is a HUGE inconvenience. Those who know me know that I rarely carry any cash. I put any and EVERYTHING on the credit card! Alright, 2 cookies (one for her and one for me of course) is only $1. How in the world am I going to accomplish this? I promised this girl she's getting a cookie so dog gone it, she's getting a cookie. I'm a Mommy who keeps her word no matter the circumstances. So I'm looking around in their little store thinking what we would get use out of the most and wasn't going to cost me a fortune. Definitely don't need anymore swimsuits or swim toys so I see the shelf of t-shirts. Cute and $12! What the heck. Needless to say, our cookies cost me $13. But it was all worth it to not break a promise to my child...

Just a short little reminder that when you make a promise to someone, don't ever break it. If there's a possibility you might not be able to keep it, don't make it in the first place. Following through with what you say speaks a lot of who you are.

Craftiness

2011-07-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was feeling somewhat crafty these past couple weeks, being stuck inside for the summer to beat the heat. Here's the latest project I decided to take on. I made me a fun and fancy calendar for my wall in the kitchen. I'm very visual and we are very busy so I needed everything to be "BAM!" Right in my face! That way, I wouldn't miss a thing of what was going on each day.

First we painted with magnetic paint, covered by chalkboard paint...

Then after waiting 5 days before I could even write on it, we painted a little design in the corners to jazz it up (by we I mean Sean. I am crafty but not an artist). And in the meantime I was making all the magnetic letters and numbers. Letters were just printed off the computer then put on magnetic backing and cut out. Numbers I also printed off computer but then covered them with rocks and placed heavier magnetic backing on. Finished it off with chalk lines and tada! Here it is...

Likeness

2011-07-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

Could they be any more alike?

Finger sucking is a favorite in our house. With Kyla, it's an obsession that can be quite cute. With Kinsleigh, it's a new habit that I'm dying to break. Either way, they are both still adorable and no doubt sisters even in the strangest of ways.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July from the Kahlich's! Hope you're having fun and staying safe. But honestly, who needs a fireworks show with these two cuties around?!

Grace=Obedience

2011-06-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Our small group study on The Prodigal God inspired me to write this post. One of the questions we were asked was,

"If God's grace is absolutely free and we cannot earn it or merit it in any way, what motivation is there to live an obedient life?"

I didn't have an immediate response for this one, definitely was a thinker. But on the way home, Sean and I always discuss our conversations further and this is the one we stuck with last night.

Basically what it all boils down to is this. No, we cannot earn it. There is not one thing we can do that would be good enough to even deserve his grace. But yet, he does give it to us, and we choose to receive it. And once we receive something that remarkable, how could you not be overflowing with gratefulness and want to obey his every bit of guidance? It's all in our response. He is the one who watches over us. He is the one who takes care of us. Who else are you going to want to obey? Just think of something in your life that God has shown grace towards you. How does that make you feel?

When I found out I was pregnant with Kinsleigh and the pregnancy continued to go perfectly, I knew it was by God's grace that he had given her to us. We hadn't even planned for her at all. But what a gift of grace she was! Not once did I think, "oh it's because I did all the right things and my health issues must not have been a factor in getting and STAYING pregnant after all." No, I became overwhelmingly more aware of his love and grace he shows towards his children. And I praise him even more for that and in return want to do more to advance his kingdom. How dare I take that for granted and think he should show it towards me again.

He is my Father and therefore I will be obedient as his child.

Happy Daddy Day!

2011-06-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

This Daddy is one special guy. One that would fight for his family. One who puts 100% into everything he does. One who loves without fail. One who tries to understand. One who gets down on the floor and plays with his kids.One who I'm proud of in more ways than I can name.

Happy Fathers Day Sean! We love you! Love, April,Kinsleigh and Kyla!

Tough Love

2011-06-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today we had to take discipline a step further. Kinsleigh has had a hard time lately being "nice"to others and has especially loved to take charge and tell others what to do. She has also become afraid of pretty much anything and everything. Not cool. But the "mean-ness" is the main problem. This is partially due to her age I'm sure but most likely due to having a little sister and not being around many other kids lately. Let's just say she's gotten a little out of control.

Me as a mother is wondering, "Is this because of something I've done wrong in my parenting approach? This is a totally different kid! What is going on?"

Today, she flipped out in her bed while refusing to take a nap and starting throwing herself all over the place and screaming. That was it. I knew we had to take a bigger consequence approach that would really affect her and literally make her sad.

Once we let her out of her room, she had to come sit on the couch with no T.V., no toys, no books for 5 min until she calmed down. Then she had to go in her room with Mommy and Daddy and pick out ALL her most favorite toys and place them in a box to be taken away. She placed all of them in herself one by one. The box is quite full, yes, so I may seem evil but I was at a loss of what else to do. She can start earning them back when she decides to be nice to others. For now they rest in the garage under a huge blanket.

It broke my heart to see that little pout lip come out and tell the toys bye bye but I think it may have a good result when she starts seeing how exciting it is to get them back. I never knew that I would HATE disciplining my children so much. It's called tough love for a reason.

It's a big deal!

2011-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep this short and simple. Because I'm going to cherish every moment for what it is worth. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me, it's a life changing event. Today, June 6, 2011, I placed both of my girlies in their bed and put them down for nap at the exact same time. And this is what I'm looking at...

I hope to see this again soon. Like tomorrow, and every other day after that. As a Mommy, we love our children to pieces and spending time with them. But we need our quiet time every now and then. So long, while I go enjoy my last half hour or so of peace.

Summers's here. Now what?

2011-06-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Looking for some free/cheap ideas for entertainment this summer for your little one? Here are a few of the things we do to keep busy and get out of the house.

Animal shelter to look at animals or even PetsMart is good enough most of the time!

Lowes Build and Grow projects (Every other Saturday morning at 10a.m)

Library (check summer schedule of events at your local library)

Splash pads all over town (sometimes there are events going on at the parks too!)

Riverwalk movie theatre and BA moviestar have free movies during the day for kids. Here's a schedule of what's showing. (http://www.selectcinemas.com/index.php)

Consider going in half/half for aquarium and zoo passes with a friend. Makes it very affordable. Names aren't on the passes anywhere so you can share them however and get your whole family in on them.

Buy a pass to the community pools which then makes it equal to $3 instead of $5 each time you go. (Children 3 and under are free!)

At home, make sure to get creative with crafts to do or snacks your child can help participate in making. Play in the sprinkler, A LOT. Being stuck at home more often with a newborn now has shown me that I can make staying at home very enjoyable and entertaining for my 2 year old. It sure doesn't take much to make her happy! So get creative and have a HAPPY SUMMER!

Imagination is Priceless

2011-05-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Stories as told by a 2 year old...

"Goodnight Moon"

"This is a shadow book. I can jump to the moon shadow book.

A house is a home. It can make Thomas a home.

I roll on my shoes. I bounce on my shoes.

The bubbles are jumping at their house.

A brush!

I can blow bubbles for breakfast.

The stars said "it's so dark in here.""

The End

(from an Usborne paper doll book she has)

"Shopping is a very good thing.

They're skating outside.

They're dancing at the stars.

It's a crown says look at their dresses.

Night night came to life.

Sleeping at Walmart.

Diddle diddle diddle for her tennis dress.

And she lost all her hope"

The End

Last day of Toddler II

2011-05-20T07:26:00.001-07:00

Today is Kinsleigh's last day of school as a Toddler II gal! She loved her teachers, Miss Aubrey, Dana and Tracey so much and is going to miss them dearly. I got to hear about them and all her friends every day. School is the highlight of her week. She comes home telling me about her art and many times teaching me new songs that I've never heard before. She's a little smartie and school has helped her learn so much more than she already did know! So until next year when she joins the older two's class, here's to 12 long weeks of summer!!! This could be a good thing and a bad thing. Ha!

Here she is with her gifts she helped make for her teachers and enjoying a little brownie herself afterwards. She's the sweetest!

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Being a Mommy involves a lot of hard work, tears, dress up, singing songs for everything, sleepless nights, hugs and kisses, dancing around like no one is watching, baking cookies, sending your kids to time out, packing lunches, playing at the park, tea parties, getting really messy, back scratches, breaking the bank, playdates, endless dishes, lots of laughs, noisy car rides, piggy back rides, silly faces, going on adventures, arts and crafts, repairing boo boos, riding bikes, flying kites, watching Mickey Mouse 3 times a day, reading board books, shot day at the Dr.'s office, playing in our tutus...

You can feel happiness, sadness, pain, fear, energetic, exhausted, frustrated, helpless, silly, and clueless. Sometimes all at the same time.

For all these things, I am grateful! Thank you Kinsleigh and Kyla for giving me the privelege to be your Mommy. I love you more than words can say!

And to all the other Mommies out there! Great job! You are deeply loved! Happy Mothers Day!

Looking Up and Thankful

2011-05-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

I am beyond gracious for all the empathy, help and support everyone has offered us during this extremely tough time in our lives. We literally have people lined up to come over and help! Whether it be to let us rest, bring us meals, clean our house, or just come spend time with us, it is all greatly appreciated. We've been able to truly see the love of God through all our friends.

Just to recap what is going on in our lives these days, Kyla has been VERY fussy beyond words since she was 2 weeks old. It kept getting worse and worse and people just kept telling us it was a phase and would pass. Myself as a mommy knew better and eventually could see this wasn't normal and there was definitely something else going on. I took her to the Dr., insisted they test her for ANYTHING else that they were not being able to see externally. (because of course, she appeared normal at all her visits) Through that they discovered infection "somewhere."

We admitted her into the hospital, found out she had a UTI, began treating that, then switched her to special formula to also treat a possible milk protein allergy. Not to mention, she has some reflux going on on top of everything. Oh did I forget to mention that prior to the hospital visit, I was told that she may have something neurological going on and would possibly need an MRI because of the amount of time she was still wanting to sleep. Great, I'm feeling really confident now.

Now that we have gotten some of her problems taken care of, and the others are happening gradually, we are now battling how bills of having a new baby and then admitting a sick baby into the hospital are going to be paid, how long it is going to take us to build back up our rest, basically when we can get back to the "normalness" of life. Things got really tough when Kinsleigh decided to get very sick for 4 days when she hasn't been sick in an entire year. (this kid literally NEVER gets sick). This was putting me at getting up approx. 8 times a night with both kids. I'm exhausted! ...Things are tough but HE is going to pull us through.

Her alertness still isn't quite to where it should be but technically we are starting over with a newborn. She was always in so much pain before that she didn't have the opportunity to interact and develop like a healthy baby should. Each day it seems we are starting to see more and more smiling and alertness. But of course all the concern is not gone yet. I truly feel we are getting there though and it's due to all of your prayers! The Dr.'s are not the miracle workers. Only Christ alone.

So if it seems like problems is all I ever talk about anymore lately, it's because that's all I've experienced. My life has been consumed within the walls of our home and a hospital with a screaming baby for 2 months. I can count the number of times I have gone out into the world on one hand. Those times were to church and the Dr.'s office with two trips to the grocery store. Hopefully now things can at least start looking up and we can put all of this behind us! We love all our friends dearly and the old "me" will be back soon!!! Thank you!

First Haircut

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Kinsleigh got her first hair cut today! And let me just say this place, "Kuts 4 Kids" is AMAZING!!! Just look at all the fun toys!

She started out great...looking like such a big girl...

Going quite well. Enjoyed getting her hair wet. (we talked all about this before we came).

Not so much enjoying anymore. Now she's screaming she wants her hair all dry...

The finished product. She got her hair done like Belle. Success!

My encouragement

2011-04-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I have really been struggling these first few weeks of little Kyla's life with worry, frustration, feeling completely helpless. The list goes on and on. But there is SOMETHING and really only one thing that keeps me going. And that is Christ alone. Here are a couple of verses I have been trying to live out each and every day over the course of this time. Hopefully they can be of some encouragement to you as well with whatever you may be struggling with.

"Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil 4:6

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27 (read all verses 25-34)

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Psalm 62:5

Ky's going to be okay. I know it! And she won't be cranky forever. But you may have to accept my crankiness I may display sometimes as well. I'm trying my best but I am TIRED!!!!

Look who's 1 month!...And 29 Years!

2011-04-08T07:01:00.001-07:00

Here's to our cutie who is already 1 month old today! We can't believe it! Time is flying so fast!

Still giving Mommy as little sleep as ever but still loving her to pieces...

And here's to wishing my hot hubby a Happy 29th Birthday today. Only 1 more year until you hit the big one babe! Here's to feeling young again...

Who's Who

2011-04-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Who is who? Can you tell?

And you can't go cheat by looking in my facebook photo albums! Obviously there are some clues that give it away of who is who. Especially if you are a member of my family it's not too hard to figure out. But don't they look ridiculously the same. We're noticing it more and more each day! That just means we've got another cutie on our hands that we'll have to shoo the boys away from!

A Whole New Meaning

2011-03-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Kyla's middle name "Hope" has in a sense taken on a whole new meaning. We originally picked the middle name because despite all I have gone through with my health we had hope that God would bless us with yet another beautiful, healthy baby girl. And he did and the meaning holds true more than ever. But over the course of Kyla's first 3 weeks of life, she's been a handful. This girl hardly ever stops screaming and her sleeping at night is definitely not pleasing to Mommy. We literally get approx 45 min in the morning and 45 min in the evening that she is awake and actually not crying. Not fun for anyone. There is a pretty significant chance that we just got another colicky baby. Lucky us.

But...

We have HOPE. Hope that it will all get better. Hope that we will move on. Hope that I will sleep through the night again someday. Hope that her sweet tummy will feel no more pain.

And then before we know it, she'll be growing into a big girl and we will be "hoping" that she would just stay little forever. These first few months of her little life have not and are not going to be easy. But I know that there is going to be an end result of a magnificently beautiful girl created by Jesus who is going to fill our lives with joy each and every day. I can't wait to see that day. So to even be given the opportunity like we have to hear all those cries throughout the day, I wouldn't trade that for the world. Lucky us.

The New Fam of 4!

2011-03-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here I finally am, 15 days after the new little one has arrived to finally do a blog post. I've come to the reality that blog posts are not going to happen quite as often these days.

Here is the new little face in our family. Isn't she beautiful?

Yup, my family feels perfectly complete. It's been a slight challenge and significant change but complete. God has given us two GORGEOUS little girls. I mean seriously their beauty is beyond words. And Kinsleigh is the best big sister. She likes to challenge her Mommy and Daddy a lot more these days but she takes care of Kyla like a little mommy herself. She especially likes to throw binkies at her in her bouncy seat instead of placing them in her mouth. Oh well, she's got the idea. And once again, Sean is proving himself to be an awesome Daddy. Taking on the role like a pro.

Let's just say, I'm one lucky girl!

How do we Cope?

2011-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

We are to our final days before baby Kyla arrives and it is beginning to hit Sean and I pretty hard. We're both wondering how we are going to adjust to this huge change that is about to happen and our emotions are rising. We know that families add new members every day but for some reason we feel alone in the matter. We have made Kinsleigh our everything in so many ways and find ourselves struggling with the question "How are we ever going to love someone else as much as we do her?" I know the honest answer is that it's going to be way easier than we think. When Kyla is born we are going to get to witness another true beauty and miracle that God has knit together inside of me. But that is so hard to see right now. Not to mention the fact that Kinsleigh has no idea how much her world is about to change. And she's not old enough to understand the true deep rooted love she holds in our hearts. I wish we could fast forward several years, give her all the reassurance she needs that she can easily understand, then we can flash back to present time and all that reassurance is held in her and she wouldn't have a worry in the world. We cherish everything about that sweet little girl. I think you would agree when all it took to bring a tear to Sean's eye this morning was to see her twirling around in her sunglasses in the mirror saying how beautiful she was. And she knows how beautiful she is because we have made it a point to reinforce that in her every day. Especially her Daddy. Anytime I put her in an outfit, the first thing she wants to do is "Go show Daddy!" Because she KNOWS without a doubt he's going to gasp and say, "Wow! You look so beautiful!" It's crazy how girls crave that desire to be noticed in a beautiful way at such a young age. So here we go again...another little girl to cherish and tell her each and every day that she is more loved and more beautiful than words could ever express.

Do we both have the energy, strength and love to do all this? I sure hope so, but when in doubt, I know our God is going to pull us through and make it happen.

The "Big Sister" gift

2011-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm in a predicament friends and I need some help or I guess I should say, ideas. As most of you already know, the arrival of baby sister Kyla is getting very near and we still have some things to do to become prepared. Finish up the bedroom, pull down some essentials from the attic, blah blah blah but also equally important is Kinsleigh's special big sister gift. Most people do something special for the older sibling so that they get a "gift" of some sort from the new baby to make them feel extra special and loved by the new bundle of joy. Most suggestions are to do a baby doll so that Kinsleigh can have her own baby to take care of just like mommy. My only problem with that is that Kinsleigh is not that into baby dolls so I highly doubt that would be extremely special to her or that she would care. She does already have a couple baby dolls that she plays with every once in a while so if the new baby does prompt her to like them, awesome. Then she can practice with the ones she's already got I guess. I just don't want to go out and spend the money on something she is going to toss in the corner. Others have said just to get her something that she really loves no matter what it is. Even others have said to do a "Build a Bear" but then I don't really feel it is coming from the baby sister if she goes and makes it herself. I just want to have something fun to give her in the hospital when she comes to meet her little sister for the first time and I don't know what!!! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I need all the creative minds working together that I can get.

This is a new kind of doll that is out called a "Lalaloopsy." that I've thought could possibly work because Kinsleigh likes fun things like that and she isn't necessarily a baby doll. (And she just has the cutest little button eyes). You also can buy different outfits for her so she could practice changing clothes which is something that Kinsleigh is just starting to get into . Cute? Not Cute? Please share!!!

A Giving Heart

2011-02-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

This week, our church provided hundreds of items to a North Tulsa ministry that we support (CARA) in order that they can provide food to the hungry during this horrible snow storm we've been having. Anyone in the community can come pick up whatever they need. Many of the children in this rough area rely on school lunches to provide their main source of nutrition. With not being in school for so long, many have gone a whole week now with barely anything substantial to eat. One of our pastors' wives had a heart to reach out to these kids/families and got this idea going. Our church family was able to bring in all this food on Sunday morning on a last minute notice. How cool is that?! I love to see people of God's kingdom who want to serve others at any expense. This is a situation that I wouldn't have even thought about through the storm. Is there any way else you can help out? There are many folks out there that need us. Shelter, clothes, food. And we're just sitting in our cozy warm homes with our pantries stocked full with food enjoying time with our family. Reach out!

Snow Days are for Fun Days

2011-02-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

I have officially not left my house in 3 1/2 days. And it looks like it's going to go on even longer! But on the flip side, I have enjoyed taking advantage of these days to spend some quality time with the fam. With baby numero dos on the way, I especially needed all this extra time with my girl! Here is a peek into our last few days together...

Day 1...painting, watching the snow fall down, and dance party with Daddy. Not to mention we did play doh for an hour and a half!!!

Day 2..Making crafts, (not sure of this face but she is displaying them for you).

.

And then...yummy snow ice cream after dinner!!! It was a big hit. [Note to self: there are 250 grams of sugar in 1 can of sweetened condensed milk!!!] Woah!

We're still working on Day 3 so who knows what else is in store!

Mommies weren't meant to be sick...

2011-01-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

It is true...Mommies were NOT meant to be sick...especially pregnant ones. That should be a rule somehow. I now have been battling a cold that really knocks everything out of me for 6 days now! And during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, it's just not working. It takes everything I have to get up and going each day. And not just in the morning when I wake up, but after every time I sit down during the day too! I eat, sleep, etc with my mouth hanging open. (flattering I know) My eyes burn, my throat hurts, every joint in my body aches AND the real icing on the cake is being 40 lbs overweight. Yup, that's how much weight I've gained so far in this pregnancy go round. I'm only 6 lbs away from what I weighed the day I went in to have Kinsleigh. Looks like I'm going to surpass that this time...bummer. So the real reason being sick for a mommy stinks is because I have so many things I have to get done each and every day, on top of work, that my energy is drained to spend time with my little girl and I DO NOT like that! Am I complaining a little bit? Yeah, I think so! But I need a energy boost! Come on immune system that I don't really have. Do your job! I hate feeling like a slacker mommy!

This woman is totally me, minus the meds, because I can't take any!!! GRRRR

Bye Bye Binky

2011-01-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm not going to try and sugar coat it and say I was not highly emotional. Tonight was a HARD night for me. We had to tell the binkies bye bye since Kins is a big girl now and we didn't want her still attached to them once baby sister came along. Everything was no big deal while we prepared for it. We decorated our bye bye binky box, gave them all individual kisses goodbye, told her a whole story of how they had to go take care of somebody else's baby boy since she wasn't a baby anymore, then even had her carry them out to the mailbox with us to "send them away." We made it a huge event and documented every moment. Then the tough part came when it was time to put her in bed and that sweet little face looked up at us and said "want my binky" like she has every night for the last who knows how long. We then had to break the news and remind her of what we had done with them earlier in the evening. That little bottom lip started to quiver and all was lost. She surprisingly calmed down pretty quick but it took several times of going back in her room and giving her reassurance that all was well.

This is the part where you might say, "Are you kidding me?"

I walked out of her room with tears pouring down my face. (I'm such a softie). For the first time, it hit me that my little girl was growing up and this was only the beginning of all the little baby/toddler habits we would begin to break. Not to mention that after a while of trying to calm her in her room, she finally just looked at me and said "Bye Mommy" like she was just ready for me to get out of there. I don't want my baby girl to not need me. Something happens when you become a Mom to where you develop a huge desire to be wanted/needed. Even though I get worn out so often, at the end of the day there's a part of me that wants to always know she can't do it all on her own. I want her to ask for my help. I want to be near her and spend time with her. I want to cuddle...I want her to love me the same tomorrow as she did today even when I do have to do things that hurt her fragile heart. Ugh, this Mommy stuff just got harder...

Swim School has begun!

2011-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

We took Kinsleigh to her first swimming lesson tonight and to say she loved it would be an understatement. I can already tell it's going to be a wonderful learning experience for her. That girl could live in the water if given the opportunity. Mommy's just being the watcher/picture taker/cheerleader for this time around as I didn't think I would look too flattering getting out there in the water 7-9 months preggo. However, we already plan on continuing to go back so hopefully next time, I can dive right in with her. She sure has a grand ole time with Daddy though. I'm so excited for these next 7 weeks for her!!! I'll be sure to keep you updated on her new acquired skills!

Look what happened in 2010

2011-01-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

We made a lot of fun memories in the year 2010 and it's always fun to look back and see just how much our little girl grew up and changed too. We now have a fun spunky girl filled with all kinds of personality! Here's a look back at some of the memories our family shared...

January- Kinsleigh started preschool!

February- We enjoyed some snowed in days! (and she had her horrible infection on her eye as you can see which we choose not to remember. =( )

March- visited Safaris wildlife sanctuary

April- Happy Easter!!!

May- Splashing in my new pool that I ended up spending LOTS of time in over the summer!

June- First sweet taste of snow cones! Immediate love!

July- Happy 4th of July!!!
AND our BIG news... Kins is going to be a big sister

August-Vacation to South Carolina!
September- Nothing exciting to report, Just looking cute as always...

October- Kinsleigh turned 2! Among many other exciting events, I felt this was the most important!

November- Thanksgiving in Texas at Oma and Opa's. That's my crazy little Turkey!

December- We had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!

Here's to having an even better 2011!!!!

A Little bit of our Christmas to share...

2010-12-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Look at what Santa brought just for Kinsleigh...she loves to draw!

and her most favorite gift of all... awesome girly tricycle!

Learning her books on her new tag junior reading system...

Our attempt at our annual family Christmas photo. Some day we'll get one where she smiles at the camera at the same time as us!

Merry Christmas to all from the Kahlich family! All these gifts and many more were wonderful and fun but we hope you remember the true meaning of Christmas this and every year. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Made with Love

2010-12-21T11:02:00.001-08:00

Kinsleigh and I baked some yummy sugar cookies for some friends today and she was a perfect little helper. I must note, it was very difficult to get all these pictures with dough covered hands!

Got all our ingredients and about to begin...

Cutting them into fun Christmas tree shapes...

Decorating with sprinkles, which she did all by herself. (we had to use blue and pink sprinkles since we didn't have any red and green, so not very festive. oh well!)

Enjoying her finished project for an after lunch treat!

Mmmm! Mommy's ready for some more Christmas treats! What about you?!

What's new with baby Two

2010-12-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the up to date news of little miss Kyla Hope. She's taking right after her big sister in being a big ol girl! The doctors words exactly were "this baby just keeps getting...Bigger!" Obviously she IS getting bigger but that wasn't quite what she meant. This little one is currently in the 99th percentile in size. Not only does she have a big belly but nice long legs too! Approximately 2lbs 10oz. Her now estimated delivery date is March 8! I just can't wait to meet this sweet little bundle of joy. Kinsleigh?...I'm not so sure how excited she will be to meet her right now but at least in this photo, she sure looks like she loves her!

Changes

2010-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided to make some new renovations to my blog. I'm sure there will be more to come. I just only have so much time in a day to tinker with it and let's face it, I am NOT computer savvy at all! Hope you like the new look and now you will be able to see more of the things I LOVE!!!

My Techy Kid

2010-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Tonight I realized something really pathetic. I realized what a different world my child is being raised in compared to what I had. I know, I know, I sound like an old lady but think about it. I had what seemed like so much when I was a child. Now things have changed so drastically that when I say cassette tape or VHS, elementary school and sometimes middle school kids have no clue what I'm talking about. I wouldn't say that's sad...just amazing! And do you remember when you used to get the however many free hours of AOL on a disk in the mail? Just now as I was talking about this blog with the hubby he said, "what about overhead projectors?" I didn't even realize they don't use those anymore. That's all I ever knew! What in the world?! I must throw in here too how often they think it's necessary to change the look of Facebook every few months to where I have to relearn everything and it drives me crazy! It CAN stay the same for awhile and we'll all be okay. So I guess I should get to the reason of why all this hit me this evening. I would have to say it was when I was cooking dinner and I heard my 2 year old child cry from the living room, "I want to play on the iPad!" She is part of a new generation (in which I have no clue of what it is called).

I'm Drooling

2010-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I WANT one of these! A scrapbooking armoire!
For those of you who know me REALLY well, you know I am totally into my scrapbooking and crafts and let's just say, having this would put me in scrapbook HEAVEN! I could be so organized and everything would be discreetly hidden. IN LOVE...too bad it's $1300 on Overstock. So if you've happened to see anything similar, but cheaper, let me know! That way I can continue on my way of scrapbooking my little cuteness...

Cutest Reindeer I Know

2010-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

We like to make Daddy special things for his office...(LOVE the face!)

And you better believe this is my favorite time of year because I am stacked full of fun goodies and activities to do for the holidays! Just went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and went CRAZY! So be looking for more to come!

My Belated Thanks

2010-11-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

I was without access to my account on actual Thanksgiving Day so now I can take the time to share just a few of the reasons I was thankful this year...

My hubby who is a wonderful example of a Godly man to my family,
all my family and friends who make such an important impact in my life,
a church family who has shown us the true definition of worship,
an amazing job where I get to play with preschoolers,
my Cowboys having a rockin football season,

my little fireball of energy...

my next bundle of joy that is growing inside my tummy...

And all the many ways God has blessed us beyond words with what we have been given!

Undeserving

2010-11-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today I was thinking about how fortunate I have been to have one healthy, full term baby and another on the way that has thus far been going great. It was blowing my mind and I could not begin to understand how I had beaten the 50/50 odds of miscarrying with my disease TWICE! I was thanking God, thanking God, thanking God over and over. And then all the sudden, my mind wandered away and started thinking, “well I probably really deserved all that after what I had to go through with all my health.” Wait! What?! How dare I ever think that I “DESERVE” anything! None of us do. Ugh! I was disgusted at myself for even having such a selfish thought. Everything we have or have ever been given is a GIFT from God just because he is that benevolent. Truthfully everything we have is actually His and He just decides to share it with us. Hmm…never really thought of it that way, had you? It was by His grace that He gave us our Kinsleigh Grace and my hope was/is rest assured in Him that He would and could do it again with our Kyla Hope.

Pathways

2010-11-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

Most of you have probably never heard of the special needs ministry at Kirk of the Hills Pres. Especially if you are not a member of the church. Well, whether or not you are a member at The Kirk, you need to come check these guys out. What Pathways is is a ministry that serves all children, youth and adults with special needs and their families throughout not just the church but also the community. You can check out more about Pathways here http://www.thekirk.com/specialNeeds/specialNeeds_Home.html. One of the big things they do as part of their ministry is make and sell(as a donation) all kinds of neat items including jewelry, keychains, crosses, plates, ornaments and even furniture!!!! Their work and what they do is awesome. They are having a Christmas Showcase event Tuesday-Thursday November 30-Dec 2 at The Kirk from 10am-330pm or 6-8pm. If you are looking for some cute holiday gifts for friends and family, this would be the perfect gift and go towards a good cause. While you're there you can also enjoy some cookies and hot chocolate! So I invite you to come check them out and help make a donation to support what they are doing and further God's kingdom!

Just a couple of the cute necklaces I have purchased!

22 weeks and counting

2010-11-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

I've been HORRIBLE about taking pictures throughout this pregnancy and I'm frustrated with myself because I really meant to do better. But everyone has been asking so here it is...an up to date pic of the baby bump. 22 weeks! Yup it's definitely showing there now!!!

Nursery Decisions...HELP!

2010-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

It's about that time to decorate little Kyla's nursery already! However, I'm in somewhat of a predicament as to what I should go with. So I need some help deciding. Here are a few of my favorites I have picked. They are all totally different which is why I'm having such a hard time! I'm not going to say which I think is my favorite because instead, I would like your votes! All your opinions might help sway my decision...
Please, Please, Please, tell me what you think! And don't you dare Google looking for costs to help me decide!

Special moments

2010-11-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

I must admit, my heart melts when in the car Kinsleigh starts crying a little bit and when I ask her what's wrong she tells me, "I want to give Mommy a hug." Or when I lean over to say prayers with her in her new big girl bed and when done she says "I love you Mommy," and gives me a little kiss. Both of which happened tonight. Ugh! Can I just hold onto my little girl forever?! I mean, how can my heart not melt when I look at this sweet face...
I hope she wants to give me sweet hugs and kisses for all time!

Happy Birthday Kinsleigh

2010-10-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today was our sweet little girls 2nd Birthday! Here's a look back at how she has changed these past 2 years...

Her actual "Birth" day

1 Year Old

2 Years Old

Kinsleigh, thank you for blessing our lives in more ways than you could ever imagine. You are deeply loved to the moon and back! Happy Birthday Kins a roo! We love you!

Beaver Lake

2010-10-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite traditions I had growing up was going to Beaver Lake, AR during the fall. The leaves are all beautifully changing, the air is crisp, and it's perfect campfire weather. As I've gotten older, married, etc. I've had to miss out on a few years but this Fall Break we got to bring the tradition back and the WHOLE family was included. Cousins Parker and Peyton even came all the way from South Carolina. While we were there we...

Celebrated Parker and Kinsleigh's Birthday's

Kins went kayaking for the first time

And we decorated pumpkins!

The whole trip was a blessing and I am so thankful for the time spent with family. Unfortunately it's back to reality now. Bummer!

New Life Ranch

2010-10-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the Kirk youth went on their annual fall retreat to New Life Ranch. First of all, this is just an awesome place in general where you can relax and soak up the fresh outdoor life! But better than any of that is all those who participated/volunteered for the weekend. I just want to say thank you to ALL the leaders that help out with the youth at The Kirk for being so willing to serve and dedicating your time when you don't have to. And thanks to all the youth for being mature, incredible examples of what a person who is in Christ should look like! You guys put the norm of this world to shame! Love you all!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at Kinsleigh's first visit to the Pumpkin Patch! We went to Livesay Orchards way out in good ole Porter, OK. This was actually the first time we'd ever even heard of this town! But there were lots of young child friendly games, a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch, and apple and peach picking if desired! Kinsleigh spent the majority of the time in the corn bucket! Sensory is so her thing...

Sponge Brain

2010-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty sure Kinsleigh's brain is pure sponge. She soaks up everything around her to the point I cannot believe!!! Many times she comes home singing whole entire songs word for word that I've never taught her but she heard on a CD ONCE that day at school. But here is the craziest part of it all. This is a picture of Kinsleigh's little magnet board...

Every letter you see there, Kinsleigh can identify EACH time without fail. That's 17 out of 26! And she's not even 2! Holy cow! So I had to take a picture of it just to prove it. I decided to put this to test because she was consistently going around telling us what certain letters were that she saw around our house. So I sat down, held up every one of her magnets one by one and she told me what these were. I can't give credit to myself for any of this, but rather "Super Why" from PBS. We've always been very strict about TV watching but she does get to see "Super Why" a couple times a week for about 15 min. while Daddy hops in the shower. Guess she's really learning something in that time! WOW! But the most fun thing we've heard that her brain has absorbed lately is "Baby" by Justin Beiber...I don't know that I can say I'm proud of that one though!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2010-10-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Alright so it's taken me awhile to get this blog up but thought it was important as this seems to be an all too often asked question these days. And I loved the way our Pastor, Wayne, brought it all to light. The common question everyone is asking is "If God is so great and good, then where is he in a world filled with so much agony?"

Basically, WE suffer on this Earth for these reasons...

1) Because of the wicked, stupid, choices WE make each day (and this is due to our free choice that God has given us).
2) Because of the brokeness of the world.

In Romans 8:28 it says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Notice the ALL THINGS. This means that even we who are Christians are not cleared from the hurt of the world. ALL THINGS can still happen to us too. We also have to remember that God does discipline us for our sin. "because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:6

My favorite quote of his whole sermon was..."Jesus Christ did not suffer so you won't but so that when you do, you will become more like Him." And I want to close by leaving a reference to one of my favorite verses for you to go look up on your own and I encourage you to do so! 2Corinthians 4: 16-18

On a lighter note (because we all know how goofy I have to be) I must have you know that as I was searching for photos for this blog, this is one of the photos that popped up. Oh my...!

Who would have guessed?

2010-10-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

I acquired a new skill today! I actually learned how to use a sewing machine and make something. This was a huge accomplishment for me as I do not enjoy doing extremely time consuming projects. My mom had to do all the measuring and cutting for me because I still do not get all that part but much of the other I did on my own! woo hoo! I think this may be an inspiration to try new crafty things. Thanks to my wondeful Mommy who drove up for the day just to help me out. Fun times...but now my back hurts. Check out one of the finished projects...

Drumroll Please...

2010-09-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Or at least I should say, the doctor is 90% sure it is! I'm only 15 1/2 weeks along so technically the doctor can't say without a doubt but 90% is good enough for me so we're going with it! I was completely shocked because I just knew in my gut it was a boy! (Secretly I was hoping for a girl) But we're so thrilled beyond words that we are going to have ANOTHER precious little princess. Daddy's heart has already been melted once. Now he's just going to fall apart.

Soon and Very Soon

2010-09-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Heard this song today at church and was totally moved by the lyrics. Apparently it's not even a new song so I can't believe I've never heard it. I encourage you to listen to it and as you do, really focus on the lyrics. It truly is exciting to think that one day soon we will be seeing our Savior face to face. And we will get to be with our best friend who loves us more than all time for eternity. That gives me chills all over my body because what could ever be better than that?!

Flutters in my tummy

2010-09-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time already?! I couldn't believe it the other day when I already felt the tiniest hint of little one moving around in my tummy. I actually had a little bit of a scare when I sat down to rest and all the sudden I had this huge jump on my left side like a kick you would feel more around 7 months along. I have to admit, I still do find that kind of strange and not quite sure what was going on there. But, I have put my worries aside and am enjoying the occasional flutters I feel giving me the reassurance that baby is growing and doing great. I've almost forgot of all the little phases your body goes through and when certain things happen. Especially since I'm not reading about pregnancy all the time like I was with Kinsleigh! We are so thrilled about this little guy or girl inside of me and marvel at God's intricate ways He is knitting them together. This time around, our lives are already so busy with another little one that we often forget to sit down, and take time out to thank God for this next little blessing. (Now I know why they say 2nd children never get quite as much of the attention). It's happening already and they aren't even born yet! But gosh, when I really do sit down and take the time to thank Him for the miracle inside of me, I can't help but think of how lucky I am of something so great. What do doctors know anyway?! I was in fact meant to be a Mommy!!! (12 weeks pic)

I'm a Big Kid Now

2010-09-05T14:05:00.001-07:00

Look what got to come out at our house this past week! Our hope is to get this kiddo potty trained before number 2 gets here. So far, things aren't looking too hopeful but we did JUST begin. Basically she is obsessed with it throughout the day. She talks about it all the time and loves to go sit on it with her clothes on. She even wants us to leave the light on in the bathroom so she can go in there whenever she wants. When I saw how excited she was, I thought, "Hey, this is going to be a piece of cake." Until we went ahead and tried to get her to sit on it to really go pee pee. Let's just say she does NOT like sitting on it bare bum. Great! We may have a little ways to go. But you know what, I'm okay with that. She is still so little and I am definitely not in any rush to grow her up and get her into big girl pants. She can take her little time to get comfortable (as long as it's not for a whole year)!

First Day of School

2010-08-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today was Kinsleigh's first day back to school! This year she is in the Toddler II class and I've got a feeling she is going to LOVE it!!! She is so great about walking right in and being a big girl. Her favorite things to do are go down the slide in her classroom, play outside, sing and do art projects. I give huge kudos to the teachers of her class because teaching multiple children of this age is NOT easy. Thank you to The Kirk teachers who are teaching our sweet girl and helping mold her into
who she is becoming. Here's to a great 2010-2011 school year!

Update of Life

2010-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have noticed that I have been slacking in my blogging. I must apologize but baby this go round is not making it quite as easy on me as Kinsleigh did. I've had yucky morning sickness which typically hits me in the evenings the worst and it makes me want to do nothing! So I really am going to try and start doing much better and get back with it but for right now, I'm just going to be taking it slow. Hopefully soon, I can start giving more updates about baby #2 and let you know how everything is going. So far, so good and getting closer to being done with the first trimester! woo hoo!

Our Tiny Little Secret

2010-08-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to announce...

okay, are you ready for it...

Kinsleigh is going to be a...

We are soooo thrilled and it as been the toughest thing EVER keeping this a secret. The goal was to try and make it through the whole entire first trimester before telling anybody but we're giving in a little early. I am already 9 weeks so I did do pretty good! We're very excited for this new chapter in our lives. Baby Kahlich #2 will be here Mid-March!!!!!

Oh Happy Day

2010-08-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

There's not really a point to today's blog except to say that today was just an incredibly happy day. It wasn't for one particular reason, just in general. I took a moment and just sat back and realized how truly blessed I am. So many things that I've been given, I know that I do not deserve. But yet, here I am in a lovely home with a gorgeous daughter, a husband who spent the afternoon cleaning for me, a family that gets along and actually loves us, very close dear friends, and we are a part of a church home that is everything we ever could have dreamed of it being. I like to take days like today and just remember all of these things because it is so easy to have a bad day and forget.

Tulsa Drillers!

2010-07-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Our family evening out the other night was going to a Tulsa Drillers game. This was the first for Kinsleigh and I. I didn't even consider watching the weather before we went because let's face it, how often are the meteorologists really right? So it hasn't rained in DAYS and what happens 5 minutes after we get out of the car to go stand in line to get in??? Starts pouring! For a good 20 min. at least. We're all getting soaked since we don't have an umbrella and Kinsleigh is screaming the WHOLE time. We got to learn something new. Apparently, she doesn't like being in the rain. I myself thought it was a nice cool down. The game ended up being lots of fun and not starting too late. Out of the whole 1 1/2 hours we were there, we watched I think 10-15 min of the game! Kinsleigh loves watching sports though which makes her Daddy very proud. And I must have you know she can distinguish between golf, football, baseball, basketball and hockey. What a cool chick!

She got quite sweaty!

My Little Artist

2010-07-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Today, we made a special trip to Target for some washable kids finger paint. I decided since we were stuck inside to beat this heat, we might as well get messy! She had a blast getting messy, as she always does, and ended up creating quite a masterpiece. I decided to document her in action. She ended up making a very colorful collage and I'm going to finish off the final project by attaching her smiley picture in the corner then adding a small poem that says...

Children have a certain way of growing bigger every day, But these little hands and this special smile will stay in our hearts a long, long while.

I'm a Christian

2010-07-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a Christian.

Is this what you say about yourself? I do. But what does this really mean and how do you live it out?

Too often we become "conformed to the pattern of being religious and we start pretending we're living for Jesus." -Wayne Hardy.
"You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead." Rev. 3:1b

Does this sound like you, because I know it does me sometimes. It's like everyone knows I'm a Christian and they know my beliefs and then I think it's okay to just leave it at that. Ha! I think not! You and I need to be digging deeply into the Word on a daily basis and we need to be praying daily as well. Not just to be asking for things either. Christ is there to be your friend and have conversations with. Think about it. Would you sit down with your best friend to talk and just ask them for things over and over? Most likely no.

If we're(including myself) going to be claiming we are Christians then we need to start living it out. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Be in a committed relationship with Him. Love others. God has a plan for us and he has specific areas in which he wants us to serve and we need to fulfill his requests.

Bouncy Barn

2010-07-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

This week, on Sean's day off, for once I didn't have ANYTHING I had to do either so we decided we should take advantage of this time. We hardly ever have a full day free with all 3 of us so we wanted to do something different and fun for Kinsleigh. We decided to visit the Bouncy Barn. Unfortunately it moved to a new location just about 2 weeks ago because it used to be right around the corner from our house. It always looked like a pretty cool place to visit, just never had the chance to check it out. Well, my first time with the experience, I give it a 6 out of 10. The location it is now in still needs quite a bit of work, the employee was not at all child friendly, and there is not as wide of a variety of things to do as the website makes it seem. However, the little they did have, Kinsleigh really did enjoy (just check out her face in the pictures). She played in the ball pit FOREVER! I still can't believe she's already able to do all this stuff! Our little girl is growing up way too fast! All in all, I would go back if we had a group of friends with us. That would probably make it a bit more exciting because it was pretty dead. So if you haven't visited this place yet, I would keep that in mind.

Rainy Day Activities

2010-07-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

On days like today, when it's nothing but cloudy skies and rain, I'm always trying to come up with different things that Kinsleigh and I can do indoors. Our child gets bored VERY easily, unfortunately. I tried to put some creative ideas into action today and then thought I would share some of the different things you could do with a very little one when going outside is not an option.

1) Make props for some of his/her favorite books
This can be with felt pieces, laminated magnets, puppets, etc. Kinsleigh loves when I read her stories and then she can play with the pieces too as it goes along with it.

2) Make home made play doh
This activity never fails. I make mine with kool aid so it smells really yummy. (recipes are all over online) Then you can just give them cookie cutters that you already have for them to use.

3) Finger paint in cool whip or shaving cream
Obviously for Kinsleigh's age I have to still do the cool whip since she might try to eat it.

4) Make an obstacle course using different items inside the house

5) Tape big poster boards on the tile floor and let them color away with washable markers

6) Bring a tub of water inside with sponges. Add a little dish soap to make it even more exciting. Our sponges are animal shaped so she likes to hide them under the bubbles and ask "where'd horsey go?!" You'll want to lay several towels down all around the tub for this activity.

Let me know the ideas you've discovered that your toddler really seems to enjoy doing indoors. And if you ever need any other ideas, I have PLENTY more where these came from. Enjoy! And let the rainy days become the most exciting days!

What's for Dinner?

2010-07-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to compile a list of my favorite recipes and create my own recipe book but am needing some new additions to our diet. You know how you get stuck in the routine of just making the same things all the time? I get soooo tired of that! So I try to come up with different ideas every once in a while but it can get very exhausting flipping through recipe books all the time. So now, every time I find something that we REALLY like, I mark it down so that I can gather all my favorites and make my OWN recipe book. That way, I'll have plenty of variety to choose from and know that I'll like everything there is to pick. My question to you all is, does anyone have any favorite recipes of their own that they would like to share? I really am looking for main dishes, but I would love to know appetizers, deserts, whatever. Once I eventually get all mine put together, I'll be more than willing to share mine as well! I'm not the best cook in the world, but I do try!

Life is short

2010-06-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Why is it now that I'm older, summer seems like it goes by so fast? And all other times of the year for that matter. I just remember as a kid feeling like summer lasted FOREVER! And of course all "older" people telling me all the time "just wait until you get older, the time goes by much more quickly" I never really thought much of it and figured that feeling wouldn't happen until I was at least 40 but here I am and it's already happening. I'd say it started about 20. Has anybody really thought about why this is so? Is it just because of children's carefree feelings? They don't have all the appointments and meetings in their calendar books, therefore the fun never ends! They are living for today...we're living for tomorrow. Always looking forward to something that is going to happen later. But why do we do this, because our lives are already SO short? So let's live for today and try to enjoy them a little more and then maybe our life will seem even longer! hmm...worth a shot.

Baking Cookies

2010-06-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I had a huge craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies the other night, which is nothing new. If you know much about me, you know that I love to eat cookies ALL the time. Sean is amazed at how many I can down in one sitting. I decided to make an attempt at Kinsleigh helping me just so she can see how truly amazing the experience is. I didn't let her eat the raw dough of course so she had to miss the best part. But some day I will let her participate in that as well and eat it by the spoonfuls like I do. Mom, if you're reading this, I know you're saying "I always taught you not to do that!" But really, who doesn't and I'm still alive right? Kins had tons of fun just sticking her hands in everything and getting all messy! The butter flavor Crisco was the most fun to clean up off her hands since it was never ending slimy. As I placed each dob of dough on the baking sheet she said, "That's gonna be a cookie!" Then I turned on the oven light so she could watch them rise and turn into delicious cookies. I'm kinda health crazy with this kiddo as most of you know but this time I did let her have one of her very own cookies that she helped make and she loved it. She kept running around like crazy and going back to the oven asking for more. But sadly, I kept her to a single cookie...while I enjoyed 4-5

.

Happy Fathers Day

2010-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

My hubby is quite possibly the best daddy there is out there. I know, many of you reading this would like to choose to disagree but it's true. He deserves this big special day in honor of him. A lot of times Dads get forgotten a little bit and we always make such a big deal about Mothers Day. Granted, we did carry them around in our bellies for 9 months, nurse them, and take care of the majority of their other needs but being the cool daddy is just as, if not more, important. Who else is going to roll around on the floor doing funky somersaults, carry the kids on their shoulders, build forts in the living room, etc. all for the pleasure of putting a smile on their kids face? Definitely not me. I don't even come close to having all that energy. But yet, Sean does all those things and more...way, WAY more! So I will not down play this day at all and think that my day is more important EVER. Because Sean is one heck of a daddy and I am so grateful Kinsleigh has him to look up to. She is going to grow up seeing such a perfect example of what it means to love Jesus with your whole heart and I could never ask for anything more than that. So thank you Sean, for being such a wonderful role model for our sweet baby girl. Today and every other day...HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!

!

Family Fun Night #2

2010-06-11T18:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight we ended Bible Adventure Week with a blast of a family fun night! We were a little unsure of how this evening was going to go givin it was a night filled with inflatables which Kinsleigh has never done before. But holy cow she loved it! She was begging to get back in them and jump around. We would just open up the little mesh door and she would hop right in. She even went down a super steep blow up slide with daddy that was probably 25 feet high! We've got a brave little one. The whole week was crazy and exhausting but more than well worth it! It was so cool to see teenagers and adults helping out and getting the kids pumped up for Christ! Now our little "Mighty Monkey" <---(as she was called this week) is in bed dreaming of getting thrown around in a huge blow up toy.

Heart for Friendship

2010-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

This week at The Kirk, Wayne's message was "Heart for Friendship." As I listened I evaluated whether or not I was being the best lifelong friend I can be to my close friends and also thinking about how thankful I am for my few very close friends who meet all these proofs of friendship. I also asked myself "How is my friendship with Jesus?" Here are the 4 proof's of friendship...

1) What they do for you...
Meaning you don't ever have to beg for a favor but rather they are always there to assist when you are in need. John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." We should all be willing to do this. Not wine or come up with excuses as to why we can't help someone else out.

2) Defense before others...
A good friend is going to stick by you no matter what. Even when stakes are high and they know if they do stick up for you, there may be serious consequences (like losing respect from many others or even your job). It doesn't matter. A true friend is more important than the consequences you may be given

3) Ability to confide in someone else...
With a true friend, you know that when you tell them something, they are not going to go off and tell anyone else. Gossiping can get so out of hand sometimes but a true friend is going to hold everything in confidence. Oh how I wish this could be true for everyone!

4) Freedom to be Themselves...
Your true friend knows you are the way you are just BECAUSE. They don't expect anything differently out of you. They also make it a point to encourage you often. Hopefully you have a friend that may even do this on a daily basis. If not, make it your goal to do this for someone else (say your spouse if you are married).

Good friends are people who actually enjoy spending time with you. It's not a chore or a task. They are there to listen and sometimes it's nice for them to just be in your prescence in the complete silence. You don't even have to say anything if that's what the person needs. I love when Wayne said you "don't have to try and throw in a Bible verse to make things better." Amen! Because we all know when we are struggling or hurting, just simply reciting a Bible verse to us does not make all the difference in the world. It's being there for that person and showing you love and care.

Reflections

2010-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was encouraged this week after the message on Sunday to really examine my attitude and judgement towards others. I don't really have anything deep or highly inspirational to say so I'll just say... I STINK at this. I know I don't always love everyone equally like I should. We all have certain thoughts about people just lingering in the back of our minds although we may never even consider saying them. We judge on wealth, appearance, personality, social status...But Christ doesn't do this. He ONLY looks at what is on the inside and all his judgements are based on truth. Lord, give me discernment and the right kind of loving heart to view others like you.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

Lake Palestine

2010-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

The past several days, my family and I took a "vacation" to Lake Palestine in Tyler, TX for a brief get away. It's so nice to have those times every once in a while just for a change of pace but gosh who knew vacation could be so exhausting. Having a child has now shown Sean and I that we no longer really take vacation for ourselves. It's merely for the pure entertainment of our child and ultimately creates more work and stress for ourselves. I've always known this would be true from what everyone has told me but I thought that I would figure out a way to not make it true for my family. Ha! Wrong! Packing/unpacking and cleaning up the house once you get home is so NOT fun! But we really did enjoy ourselves despite our couple incidents. Bella (our dog) did jump out of the boat while we were pulling it behind my car to the boat ramp. She did a few rolls and gave herself a concussion and ripped her claw out of her paw so we of course had to take her to the animal hospital. Pretty much took up one whole morning from being on the lake. And then later that morning right before lunch, Kinsleigh decided to run inside onto the hard wood floors in the house before I had her feet dried off. She took a plunge and bit right through her bottom lip. Oh the chaos. Yet, we're still so glad we took the trip. But even more glad to be home!

Parenting Tips

2010-05-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sean and I are getting closer and closer to the day when we are going to have to start deciding what type of discipline we are going to use in our home. I've always had several ideas of what I do or do not want to do with my own child but am very open to some more suggestions of things that have worked great for others. However, one thing I will never do is discipline through counting. Here are 3 reasons why...

1. It takes a lot of work
1 1/2 It makes you more frustrated
2. They will continue to do it even after you get to 3
2 1/4. You are giving them way too many chances. They only need one warning
2 1/2 You are not consistent with the amount of time between numbers
2 3/4 It's a threat and the child will only act out more
3...I think you get the idea =)

To all the parents who do use this method of discipline, I'm not bashing you at all. Sometimes you have to do whatever you can to get by. Just saying from everything I've ever been taught, seen, and experienced it doesn't seem to work the best to me! And I really tend to laugh when I see parents using the extra numbers or extra warnings like "Don't make me get to 3!" I just know with Kinsleigh it is going to be "This is your warning. If you don't stop ____ then you are going to ____." Then follow through with what I say! The END!

Anyone else have any good ideas they have discovered for good consequences or motivation for good behavior? I love Parents magazine because they give TONS of what seem to be great ideas but I like to hear from people I personally know too!

Probably not the best idea! haha

Tornado Season

2010-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Somebody please remind me again why I love living in Oklahoma so much? The storms and tornado warnings this season have been crazy! There is a part of me that gets a thrill out of the storms but as they approach and get ever so closely to my house, I do tend to get a little bit more uneasy. Especially now that I have a little one and have to make sure that I am protecting her and making her as safe as possible. What I find really funny is...only in Oklahoma do people (including myself) continue on with their business while the tornado sirens are sounding outside. Last night ours went off twice and each time I first went and checked the t.v. really quick, then headed outside to make sure I didn't hear/see anything. When all looked clear to me, I continued cooking, etc. Our bag was of course all packed and ready in the bathroom but never once did we go spend some time in there to protect ourselves from the storm. These storms just happen way too often. But yet, I do LOVE Oklahoma more than anyplace on Earth! Must be because of all the pretty open land (outside of the city), the incredibly nice people you meet EVERYWHERE you go, and the fact that it is somewhat central in the U.S. so it's not too far of a drive to many places. I would never want to live anywhere else (besides having a second home at a beach), but that's it!!!!

Pics from last nights storms from our front and backyard...

Why I love being a Mommy...

2010-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

I get sweet hugs every day.
I get to cuddle.
I get to see my beautiful girl smile and hear her giggle.
I get to be her comfort when boo boo's happen.
I get to go shopping in the toy section a lot.
I spend a lot more time playing outside.
I have motivation to eat more healthy.
I get to be "tickle monster"
I get slobbery kisses.
I get to watch Veggie Tales for a reason.
I get to hold and sing to her every day.
I get to say prayers with her every night.
I get to teach her about Jesus.
I get to see her be molded into who she is becoming and grow to be the most gorgeous little girl I've ever seen. To know that she is a part of both me and her daddy... that right there in itself is the greatest miracle of all!

I am the luckiest mommy in the world!!!!!!!!!

Scary turned Special Day

2010-05-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

Today potentially could have been one of the most traumatic days in our life with Kinsleigh thus far. Thankfully it was the complete opposite. One of the most exhausting though? I could go with that. I slept probably a total of 4 hours last night in worried anticipation for what was coming in the morning. I know that I shouldn't have been since worrying is not of the Lord but I could not get control of it. Finally got out of bed at 5:30am to grab a few last things together before going to pick Kins up out of her bed a few minutes before 6. She of course totally wakes up when we get into the car and decides to be bright and cheery instead of going back to sleep (this however worked to our advantage later). When we arrived, it was a waiting room filled with little children waiting to have procedures done. That made me feel a little better in and of itself because I visually could see "Ok, she's not the only one. MANY children do this each and every day." By the time we got her back to her room, her tiredness was catching up to her so she just kind of chilled in our lap and wasn't her normal running around the room crazy self, which was nice for a change. We put her into her sweet little tiger hospital gown and I must say she is the cutest thing I've ever seen in a hospital gown. I rocked her in my arms until the nurse came in with the "crazy juice" in a syringe. Once Kinsleigh took it, it was only within minutes that she started to get more relaxed and less cranky around the doctors. They then picked her up to take her away and that's when my tears came once I realized she wasn't even scared to go with a stranger. That juice stuff really works well! We went into the waiting room for no longer than 15 min then we were back with her in her little recovery room. She looked so peaceful sleeping with her blankie, an eye patch on her now healed eye, and a bed that was way too oversized for her. She continued to sleep for another 35 minutes and the entire time I'm fearing what her reaction is going to be when she wakes up. I can just envision all the kicking and screaming that will happen since that is what is going on with all the other children waking around us. But what does our sweet little girl do? She slowly opens her one eye, stretches, and after a couple minutes just points up at the ceiling and says "light!" Then started jabbering away and saying her numbers! That's my girl! I'm so proud of her!

I survived!

2010-05-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

For the first time this past week, I stayed at home by MYSELF with Kinsleigh while Sean went out of town on a conference. Yes I know, you're probably thinking...this was the first time? He has gone on many trips before, even only a week after Kinsleigh was born but all other times I have had somebody come stay with me. This time I toughed it out on my own and I survived! However, I learned that I would probably never make it as a single parent. I realized just how much I do need him each and every day. I still was able to cook, do the laundry and all the other daily routines, but then I didn't have anyone to clean up the dishes or put the clothes away when I was done. Made a big difference. I also couldn't even come close to finding time to take care of the yard, and the grocery shopping just did not happen. Huge props to you Sean! You are a tremendous help in my daily life and I am so thankful for that. I don't get to tell you enough! Even though you do drive me crazy sometimes, it's all well worth it. You protect me and make me feel safe which in turn makes me feel like I don't need to turn on alarms and prop chairs under door handles when you are home. Only when you're gone. Which I hope doesn't happen again for a very long time cause Kins and I want to come on a trip too! We still need a VACAY!!!!