Shelby Lea

Shelby's 3rd Birthday

2009-07-16T22:37:00.006-05:00

Better late than never...

Zzzzzzzzz

2009-06-01T22:57:00.001-05:00

New Flower Sprinkler

2009-06-01T22:44:00.003-05:00

We got Shelby a new sprinkler May 25th. It was starting to cool off late that afternoon, but we let her play in the water anyway. She and the neighbor kids played, too. It was funny to see them shivering and when I asked if they were cold they'd say no. :) Must have been too much fun to quit!

Exploration Place

2009-06-01T22:23:00.004-05:00

Daddy, Momma, and Shelby went to Exploration Place (me and Shelby's 3rd time; Andy's first) on May 24th. This was the first time Shelby really got into it because she was about 2 when we went last time, I think. She liked being inside the big bubble, exploring the cool castle, riding the wooden horse down the hill, the wooden train sets, and really loved playing in the water in the 3 and under area. She tried flying a paper airplane and laughed when it crashed (especially when Andy's did.. he he). Most of the exhibits were a bit over her head, but the Kansas exhibit was very neat! She got to see live tarantulas, a snake, prairie dogs, some different specimen bugs to look at under a microscope, and got inside the tornado machine. We can't wait to go back with our new membership!

Family Fun

2009-06-01T16:57:00.004-05:00

We went to Sedgwick County Park and then the Zoo to see the new Tiger exhibit. It was a great day! Shelby loved picking up pretty leaves at the park and looking at ant hills and watching squirrels. The tigers were very neat!!

Papa Charlie's Shoes

2009-06-01T16:50:00.002-05:00

This is just priceless. She was scooting around in Papa Charlie's shoes one evening. She actually moved around quite well, considering...

Singletree Stables

2009-06-01T16:42:00.003-05:00

On May 15th, Daddy and Shelby went to Singletree Stables for a birthday party. Well, there was a misunderstanding and the birthday party was not scheduled. (it was actually at Chucky Cheese that same time, but we weren't told the change of place. oops!) They hung around and checked out all of the horses in the barn, met quite a few (Shelby loved it, but I hear Andy was a little nervous letting her near the horses); then they played on the playground equipment out there and played hide-and-seek around some big trees. Andy said he actually enjoyed this more than going to the kids party at Chucky Cheese. :) I think I'd agree with him!

RiverFest Cajun Food Fest

2009-06-01T16:30:00.003-05:00

We went to the Cajun Food Fest May 14th for the River Fest. Shelby was hesitant to try much, but ate plain rice (no red beans, although I snuck a few in) and bread. I don't think she was interested in trying the bread pudding. Oh well, maybe next year!

She rode her first amusement park ride with momma and daddy and loved it! She jumped in an inflatable thingy and also danced with Papa Craig. She also really enjoyed checking out the Police Horses who were on duty.

Auntie M in Town

2009-06-01T16:01:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures taken at GG and Papa's house May 13th when Aunt Melba visited. Auntie M is always worried Shelby won't remember her...I just don't think that's possible! Just today, Shelby and I were at Walmart and saw a woman who looked similar and she asked "Is that Aunt Melba?". Shelby used to say Aunt Elba, but now is able to say it right!

Cheese!

2009-06-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

Doggie Slippers

2009-06-01T10:10:00.004-05:00

Here she is posing in her cute slippers she got during the winter. She didn't really wear them much when we bought them because they were a little big.

Dance Recital

2009-06-01T10:03:00.003-05:00

Shelby had so much fun at her dance recital Mother's Day weekend. She wasn't nervous on stage at all. We'll have to work on not running off stage right after the performance... All the other girls stood and looked at the audience (I'm not sure they knew what to do), but Shelby ran off smiling. :) On Mother's Day after the last performance, momma, daddy, Shelby, Grammy, Papa, and GG & Pop went to Los Cocos for dinner.

I asked her if she wanted to do this again next year and she said "yes!" She wants to take the ballet and tap class.

Visit to Aunt Melba's

2009-06-01T09:31:00.003-05:00

Daddy and Shelby drove to Lincoln, KS, on April 26th to visit Aunt Melba and the family. (Momma was sick and stayed home...) Shelby sure had fun playing with Johnette, as well as visiting with Auntie M, GG and Pop, Grammy & Papa, DeAnnette and Tim, Roxy, Elysia and her boyfriend, LaDonna, and Brenda.

Horsie Class

2009-06-01T09:19:00.004-05:00

Shelby went to a horsie class at the Zoo in April. As this is one of her favorite animals (tied with doggies), she loved it! It was also a traumatic day for her since, on the way to class, she skinned her knee for the first time in the parking lot. Oh, we learned the names of the two female horses: the white one is Maggie and the cream one is Shasta.

Happy Easter

2009-05-15T23:15:00.006-05:00

We visited the Easter Bunny at the Zoo the day before Easter. As you can see from the pics, she didn't want anything to do with Mr. Bunny! Later, however, daddy talked her into sitting on his lap to get a picture with the bunny.

On Easter, we had dinner at Grammy and Papa's, along with GG and Papa.

Momma's Birthday

2009-05-15T23:06:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures taken April 2nd on Momma's bday. We all went to On The Border for dinner and then back to our house for ice cream cake.

Last Snow

2009-05-15T22:38:00.007-05:00

Yeah, I'm a little late getting this updated...

Here are some pictures of us playing in the snow on March 28th. It was so bright we could hardly keep our eyes open. Needless to say, we got our fill after an hour or so!

Trying out Dance Recital Outfit

2009-03-25T22:01:00.003-05:00

Shelby is doing really well in her ballet class at Encore Dance Studios. In fact, she has her first recital in May (Mother's Day weekend). Here are some pictures of Shelby and some of the little girls in class trying on their performance outfits.

Baby Shower

2009-03-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

We had a baby shower for our good friend, Amy, back in February. Here are a few pictures. Shelby was Momma's good little helper.

Playdate with Maddie

2009-02-23T17:33:00.004-06:00

We had another playdate a couple of weeks ago (actually same day as the dentist appt) with our friend Madalyn. The girls had a lot of fun and Shelby even shared her pony, Lucky.

First Dental Cleaning

2009-02-23T17:24:00.003-06:00

Shelby did really great at her first teeth cleaning! She was brave and even had xrays taken to see if she has a tooth in her bottom gums where there has been a space for months. The Dr. believed she saw a tooth down below and figured it would come up with the permanent teeth. The funny thing is: about a couple of weeks after the visit, the tooth started pushing through the gums!

Trip to the Zoo with Grammy

2009-02-23T17:20:00.003-06:00

Biker chick

2009-02-23T17:17:00.001-06:00

or Aunt Jemima as Andy says....

Cold Zoo Trip

2009-01-20T20:22:00.004-06:00

Momma and Shelby went to the Zoo Saturday. It was a little bit chilly, but we still had fun!

Miscellaneous Pics

2009-01-12T15:21:00.002-06:00

Here are some cute pics taken in the last week. One of Shelby at the Zoo; Shelby and Daddy at a Parents As Teachers Family Night decorating a cookie to look like a mouth (theme was toothbrushing); and Shelby practicing dance moves and posing in one of her dance outfits. She is not as shy about having her picture taken now. In fact, she even tells me to "take my picture with Bailey or Bella or dancing..."

Uncle Kyle's Birthday

2009-01-05T15:59:00.005-06:00

On January 3rd, we went to Grammy & Papa's for dinner and brownie fudge sundaes for Uncle Kyle's birthday. Shelby sang Happy Birthday all the way through and had fun being silly with Uncle Kyle.

Shelby also had lots of fun using a candy cane as a "unicorn horn"; trying on Papa Craig's coat; and laying on Winston's doggie bed.

New Years Eve

2009-01-05T15:45:00.006-06:00

For New Years Eve, we hung out at Jennifer and Justin's, along with Justin's parents, Aunt Janice and Uncle Jim, Grandpa, Jamie & Garrett, and Steven. Shelby loved all of the attention and, especially, loved giving hugs to Jake and Sophie (dogs). At first, though, Shelby was a little intimidated by the little dog, Sophie, so the dogs were let into the back yard. Shelby cried and said she wanted "her doggies" and so the dogs came back inside. She was a real trooper and stayed up until we left around 1:30 a.m. or so. She fell fast asleep in the car!

Daddy took a few pictures before we left for the party: one of him and Shelby (they had been practicing saying "happy new year!"), and a couple of Shelby practicing her "reach for the stars" move from dance class. Daddy went into his computer room sometime on Jan 1 and found that Shelby had fed her horse Lucky some peas. She is definitely a little nurturer!

Playing in the Snow

2009-01-04T16:47:00.004-06:00

We finally got to get out and play in the snow on December 27th. The 2 times it snowed before that daddy and I were both sick. :( We tried on Shelby's new snowsuit and bundled up. Daddy taught Shelby how to throw a snowball, make a snowman, and make snow angels (she didn't quite enjoy this one. We had to really convince her to lay down in the snow... :)

Christmas at Grammy & Papa's

2009-01-04T16:32:00.005-06:00

Around noon, we headed over to Grammy & Papa's house for our annual tradition. We opened presents and had a very yummy dinner with Grammy & Papa, Uncle Kyle and Jenny, Uncle Jeff, and GG & Papa Charlie. We all had a wonderful day! (oh, and Momma and Shelby took a little snooze on the guest bed! I had to get her to take a nap somehow...)

I think Shelby's favorite gift is her spring horse "Lucky" from Grammy & Papa. It was the last present she opened and she knew exactly what to do: She climbed right on and started moving forward and backward really fast! We got some very cute action shots. :)

Lucky's little song is constantly stuck in my head..."I'm a little pony, clippity clop, clippity clop..."

Christmas Morning

2009-01-04T16:19:00.005-06:00

On Christmas morning, Shelby came into our room and got into bed w/ us like she usually does. I asked her if Santa had come and she said "no". (she hadn't even looked...) I convinced her to go look and she went down the hall and a few seconds later came back and said "Santa's not here. He's at the mall". Andy and I laughed sooooo hard!! After about 30 minutes or so of trying to convince her to go check under the tree (I could tell she really wanted to because she kept talking about it), she finally agreed to go look a little closer. Next, we heard her excitedly saying that Santa had come....and she came in and very excitedly got us up. Now, that's more like it!!!

Santa 2008

2009-01-04T16:11:00.002-06:00

Shelby was really excited about going to the mall and sitting on Santa's lap this year. She watched lots of other kids her age do it and smile for the camera. She seemed interested. Well, once it was our turn...Shelby wanted nothing to do w/ him! We convinced her to sit on daddy's lap, though, and got a pic of all three of us w/ Santa.

P.S. As you can see, our "Santa" didn't look very Santa-like: he had dark glasses and black cowboy boots. Also, knowing how smart she is, Shelby probably took one look at his fake belly and knew it wasn't the real Santa! LOL!

Gracy Christmas

2009-01-04T16:00:00.002-06:00

We hosted the Gracy Christmas dinner and get-together at our house this year. Everyone had fun trying on Shelby's reindeer ears (especially Uncle Jason, as you'll see...) Shelby definitely has the hang of opening gifts now! Everyone present: Uncle Jason, Aunt Brandie and Kendell; Uncle John, Aunt Nina, Summer, and Angel; Grandma; Grandpa; Great Grandma & Granddad.

Tejeda Christmas Lunch Party

2009-01-04T15:53:00.002-06:00

On December 12th, Shelby went to Jose's company lunch and, of course, had a great time. After the initial warm up period, Shelby soon was walking among the tables and chatting with everyone. She definitely doesn't know a stranger!

Andy made the mistake of asking if Jose needed help making the food...doubt he asks next year!!

Thanksgiving in OK

2008-12-03T11:26:00.008-06:00

Last Wednesday evening, we left for Granny and Papa's in OK and got there around 11 pm. We had a lot of fun hanging out with Andy's cousins who we don't see too often: Jeremy & Cindy and their boys Logan and Zane; Jessica and Corey and their kids Ean and Lizzie; and Jennifer. Uncle Jeff showed up Thanksgiving afternoon and, of course, Grammy & Papa were also there and Auntie Bev. On Sat morning before we headed home, Shelby finally rode on the big tractor with daddy and Papa Louis after we had picked pecans and seen the cows. Bella loved running free without a leash!

Oh, we actually got to see three of the young deer that were taken care of by one of Granny & Papa's neighbors and then reintroduced into the wild. Please see the post back around July 4th, 2008. They weren't even scared of us (which is scary because somebody down there will eventually take advantage of that...) and let Andy get very close to take pictures.

Encore Dance Class

2008-11-23T17:05:00.003-06:00

Shelby and Momma started a dance class on Monday nights. Shelby immediately became friends with everyone. Shelby and Momma dance all the time at home while listening to different types of music. Lately, Shelby loves Jason Mraz's cd. She'll have a recital in the spring, so we should be pros by that time!

Grammy's Birthday

2008-11-23T16:57:00.004-06:00

On November 2nd, we went to Grammy and Papa's to celebrate Grammy's birthday. Uncle Kyle, Jenny, Uncle Jeff, and GG and Papa were all there. Shelby was a nice helper with opening presents and, as always, such cute entertainment for all!

Halloween Trick or Treating and Party

2008-11-23T16:26:00.006-06:00

Daddy, Momma, and Shelby all dressed up and went trick or treating Halloween night. Afterwards, we returned home to hand out candy and have a party with Grammy, Papa, Winston, Uncle Kyle, Jenny, and GG and Papa. We all dressed up and had a good time!

Parents As Teachers Halloween

2008-11-23T16:14:00.004-06:00

On Halloween morning, Shelby and Momma participated in a Parents as Teachers story/trick or treating event at a west side retirement complex. All of the kids dressed in their costumes, sat and "listened" to stories, and then walked around to different residents for trick or treating. It was a fun experience and it put smiles on everyone's faces!

(the PAT pictures look horrible as I was taking them with my Iphone. Shelby kept moving around and it is very difficult to take good pics w/ it! Should've taken the real camera....)

Owlets Spider Class

2008-11-23T16:08:00.004-06:00

Daddy, Momma, Grammy, and Shelby got to go to an Owlets Spiders class at the Zoo on October 22nd. Shelby had just recently watched the Dakota Fanning version of Charlotte's Web and was excited to learn about spiders!

At the end of class, the kids got to peek in at a live Tarantula!

Night of the Living Zoo

2008-11-23T15:27:00.005-06:00

On Sunday, October 26th, we took Shelby to Night of the Living Zoo. It was really cold and windy!!! She stayed warm in her cute black cat outfit and took in all of the kids and adults dressed up in costumes. She played games and at the end of the night she posed for a picture by a huge purple spider (she had just learned about spiders at the Zoo's Owlets class...). She said she wanted to hold the spider's hand and we got a pic of that, too!

Afterwards, we headed over to Grammy and Papa's for trick or treating.

Sophie Jo's First Birthday

2008-11-22T15:37:00.001-06:00

On October 25th, we drove to Stillwater, OK, for Sophia's first birthday party. Shelby had fun playing in the "ball pit", running around outside, and being pulled in the wagon.

Shelby especially loved playing catch with Granny with a pink balloon. She was so happy and proud that she learned to catch. Of course, Momma made the cake!

GG's Birthday

2008-11-22T15:27:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures from GG's birthday in October. We went to Abuelos for dinner and then back to GG and Papa's for cake and icecream.

The pics at the end are of Shelby right before bed.

Lost? What a complicated language Shelby is learning.

2008-10-19T21:11:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago, we were sitting at the dinner table and I told Joanna she "lost" a competition of some sort she and I were having. Shelby looked at us and immediately said, "Momma, not Lost! Momma at home!" We had a good laugh about how sharp she is.

She understands being lost as two weekends ago we went to a corn maize and were "lost in the corn maze".

Visit to Topeka

2008-10-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

We went to Topeka last weekend to for a going away party for Andy's second cousin, Roxy, who is moving to California. Shelby was the only kid there and sure enjoyed hanging out with Ladonna and Johnette. In fact, between the two ladies, Shelby was entertained for hours! Johnette showed Shelby how to shoot foam disks out of a Star Trek toy (I think Shelby spent 1-2 hours w/ that) and helped her "play" with the kitties. (i.e. "chase" them)

Ladonna and Shelby had lots of fun too. Shelby loves to be held upside down and Ladonna just made her day! I almost forgot, Shelby loved posing next to the witch just inside DeAnnette and Tim's home.

It was lots of fun and really nice seeing everyone. Shelby didn't get her afternoon nap that day, but as soon as she was put in her car seat, she was konked out the entire ride home!

Playdate with Maddie

2008-10-10T09:04:00.002-05:00

Shelby and daddy had a playdate last night with his old school buddy, Brian, and his daughter, Maddie. The girls had lots of fun playing in Shelby's room, eating cookies, and running around.

Miscellaneous Cute Pics

2008-10-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

Here are some misc pictures taken on Joanna's iphone this summer. The first few are from a Maize Parents as Teachers field trip to C-Arrow Stables a couple weeks ago. Shelby was in heaven. She rode two ponies, got to see LOTS of big horses, fed some animals in the "petting zoo", and all around had a good time.

The next are some pics from a playground across from the Maize Vermillion School, some pics from a zoo trip with Joanne and the girls and Janae and Ryelle earlier in the summer. Then a pic of Shelby on daddy's shoulders (pre getting hit by car on his bike) at the zoo.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-08T07:56:00.009-05:00

On Saturday, we went to Walter's Pumpkin Patch near Burns, KS. We spent 4 1/2 hours there and had so much fun! Shelby rode the little train shortly after we got there...one of the pics she looks kinda scared. I think she held on real tight the entire way. We kept asking her throughout the day, and even tried a few times, if she wanted to ride it again, but she was scared. She'd say "yes" and we'd put her into the compartment. Then she'd start trying to climb out.

One of her favorite things to do was ride a tire horse - I think we rode it 3 times?? She didn't mind the corn maize too much...once she was sitting on Momma's shoulders. She kept saying "we're lost".

Davis Wedding

2008-10-07T21:48:00.003-05:00

Andy was the best man at his SigEp brother, David Davis' wedding on September 27th. Shelby did really well during the ceremony, except for the fact that when she saw Andy getting ready to walk down the aisle, she began blurting very loudly "daddy getting married"!! It was pretty hilarious. Our friends, Ben and Mandy, were sitting next to us having a good time laughing. (just wait until their son, Jay, who is 1 1/2 does the same. :)

Shelby charmed everyone at the wedding reception after the initial 1 hour warm-up. She walked around table to table, sitting on ladies' laps, smiling and telling stories (her favorite was telling everyone daddy got married). She made everyone smile. A few were so impressed at how well she spoke and understood everything for only being 2 years old. (yep, we're proud!)

She started the dance all by herself and stayed with daddy until the end. Momma left earlier to get home to finish a cake. I believe daddy and Shelby got home at midnight. She is a dancing fool!

Janae's Baby Shower

2008-10-07T21:42:00.003-05:00

At Janae's shower, all the girls had a blast! Mayah, Jolie, Madalyn, Shelby, and Ryelle had so much fun with it just being the girls. We can't wait to have another get together!

Shelby and Friends

2008-10-07T21:40:00.003-05:00

A couple of the neighbor girls, Hailey and Jaelyn, love to come over and hang out with Shelby.

Cute Pic

2008-10-07T21:35:00.001-05:00

Big Girl Bed

2008-10-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

Shelby was so excited when we converted her crib into a toddler bed...until it was time for lights out. For several weeks she would say "I'm scared" when it was time to get into bed. The first week she would tell us she didn't like the bed. We've had many "fun" evenings of Shelby sneaking out of her room and "tiptoeing" (running loudly) around the house to see what we were doing. We ended up having to put up a baby gate over her door to keep her in her room. We haven't had to use it for the past week or two, but actually had to use it tonight.

Someday, she'll value her sleep! :)

State Fair

2008-10-07T20:55:00.006-05:00

On September 7th, we took Shelby to the fair. Her favorite parts were, of course, the horses and the pony rides. She also enjoyed the petting zoo and walking around w/ Momma and Daddy.

Later that afternoon, Shelby and Hailey had fun playing while we worked on painting the house.

Shelby's Barbie Jeep

2008-10-05T14:06:00.003-05:00

The next door neighbors, the Smiths, gave Shelby a motorized Jeep that their daughter, Hailey, has grown out of. Shelby loves cruising on the grass and driveway!

"Hanging out" with Papa, Uncle Kyle & Grammy

2008-10-05T13:55:00.005-05:00

Eskimo Kisses with Momma

2008-10-05T12:35:00.002-05:00

Eatin' Corn on the Cob

2008-10-05T12:32:00.003-05:00

Shelby finally got the hang of eating corn on the cob and she loves it!

Wearing Daddy's Hat

2008-10-05T12:25:00.002-05:00

"Sleeping" in the crib

2008-10-05T12:14:00.004-05:00

"Daddy is too big for the crib. Momma fits better". Shelby likes to remind us of this...

Daddy's 32nd Birthday

2008-10-05T12:09:00.003-05:00

We went to dinner with Grammy, Papa, GG, and Pop at Logan's Roadhouse and then over to our house to open presents.

More Swimming

2008-10-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

Great Grandma and Granddad's 60th Anniversary Party

2008-10-05T11:48:00.004-05:00

This summer Grandma, Great Grandma, and Momma put together a 60th Anniversary Party that was held at Great Grandma and Granddad's home. Lots of family and friends attended and Shelby got to meet quite a few of them for the first time. Of course Momma made the tiered cake!

Papa Charlie's Birthday

2008-10-05T11:11:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I know I am waaaaay behind in updating the blog, but better late than never!

We celebrated Papa Charlie's (Pop's) birthday at GG & Pop's house. We had a good dinner, momma made the cake, and had our usual wonderful time.

Swimming Class at the Y

2008-10-05T11:06:00.002-05:00

This summer, Shelby and daddy took at swim class at the Northwest YMCA. She absolutely loved it and still talks about going to class.

Our Little Monkey

2008-09-09T00:04:00.003-05:00

She's always talking about swinging on the monkey bars!

Last day at Granny & Papa's

2008-09-08T23:55:00.004-05:00

Baby Deer

2008-09-08T23:25:00.006-05:00

This was one of the coolest things we have done with Shelby! Granny & Papa's neighbors rescue baby deer, take care of them, and then release them back to the wild when they are old enough. At the time, they had 3 deer and one of them was very friendly, as you'll see from the pictures. We also got to pet some goats, which was kinda neat for Shelby, too!

4th of July at Granny & Papa's

2008-09-08T23:13:00.002-05:00

We started the day with Andy and Shelby test driving cousin Jennifer's sweet Harley. (not really, they only sat on it) Shelby thought it was really cool and also had her eyes on the key! Granny cleaned out a baby pool for Shelby to splash in. That night, we watched the fireworks in Sallisaw at Blue Ribbon Downs. Shelby had seen fireworks the night before in Vian and wasn't as impressed...Of course, she talked about seeing fireworks for weeks afterwards!

Summertime at cousins Joe & Angel's house in Stillwater

2008-09-08T23:01:00.003-05:00

For 4th of July, we went to Granny & Papa's house in OK. On the way, we stopped at Joe, Angel, & Baby Sophie Jo's house. Andy's other cousins, Jessica & Corey and their little guy, Ean, were visiting. The kids all had a blast playing in the backyard slip & slide/baby pool. Shelby spent most of the afternoon "tasting" the water!

Posing at dinner time!

2008-09-08T22:58:00.001-05:00

Papa Craig's Birthday Party

2008-07-09T18:11:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures from Papa Craig's birthday (June 21). I'm just a little slow on updating the blog....

Joanna

Father's Day Weekend at Roaring River

2008-06-18T15:58:00.010-05:00

We had a good time at Roaring River in Cassville, MO, this past weekend. Shelby loved being outside, but hated getting dirty. She's definitely a girly-girl. She kept telling me "dirt" or "mud" and showing me her barely dirty hands. I tried to explain that when you are camping it's okay to get a little dirty, but I'm not sure she understood. It was pretty cute! Every bug is a "spider" right now and it is usually "hiding" (even if it's in plain sight!) She doesn't completely freak out, but I can tell she really doesn't like bugs. Shelby and her 3rd cousin (?) Tommy got along pretty well, except when Tommy sat in Shelby's little blue folding chair (which was most of the time). We worked on the concept of "sharing" a lot. She was interested in Tommy's little fishing pole, but never got a chance to play w/ it, as he was very protective. She had fun in Grandpa's camper and especially enjoyed waking him up at 2:00 a.m. the first night there. LOL!! We attribute it to her 2-year vaccination shot she had Friday morning...although I wonder if it was also because she was sleeping w/ Momma & Daddy and everything was different.

Joanna

Happy 2nd Birthday, Shelby!

2008-06-04T19:40:00.008-05:00

Shelby had a great 2nd birthday party on Sunday, June 1st (her birthday is the 2nd). She had so much fun opening her presents and showing everyone what she got! She loved her cake that Momma made :) and blew out her candle on her own! She is becoming such a big girl.

The outside pictures show Shelby and Summer playing in the sandbox Grandma got her and the ladybug sprinkler GG & Pop got her.

Joanna

2008-05-30T12:27:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day

2008-05-14T17:48:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures taken the afternoon of Mother's Day at GG & Papa's house. In the morning, we also met Grandma, Great Grandma & Granddad, Uncle Jason, Aunt Brandie, Kendell, Uncle John, Aunt Nina, Summer & Angel at IHOP for breakfast (sorry, we didn't get any pics).

Joanna

23 month Pictures

2008-05-12T20:58:00.003-05:00

We had pictures taken with all the cousins for Mother's Day (Kendell, Shelby, Summer, and Angel), as well as individuals of Shelby for her 2 year pics.

Joanna

Baby Angel

2008-05-05T10:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we met John and Nina's new foster baby, Angel, who is the half-sister of Summer. She was born about 3 weeks early. She now weighs approximately 4 lbs 5 oz. Wow, this brought back a bunch of memories! Shelby and Summer immediately started playing together and get along great. I have a feeling they are going to be close cousins!

Shelby is FINALLY 20 pounds and is riding in a forward facing car seat!

Joanna

Cousin Kendell's Birthday Party

2008-04-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun at Kendell's 11th birthday party Friday evening. It was held at Funtastic in Derby. Shelby enjoyed bouncing on the trampolines and watching momma and daddy do the zipline into a foam pit. We met Uncle John & Aunt Nina's foster daughter, Summer, for the first time. Shelby and Summer started to bond, as you will see from the cake photos! Summer is 15 months, so I guess Shelby took on the roll of "big sister".

Joanna

Let's Pick a Dandylion

2008-04-23T12:45:00.005-05:00

Here are some cute pics from this morning. Shelby loves to play outside!

Visit with Grandpa

2008-04-22T14:55:00.003-05:00

Today, Grandpa came over and visited with Shelby and I. She had fun doing somersaults, jumping, laughing, and talking about the "bad wolf" in the Three Little Pigs. She especially liked Grandpa's elephant impersonation. :)

Yesterday, we had dinner over at GG & Papa's house (sorry no pics) to meet with their good friends, Jerry & Hazel Maharry. Today, Shelby talked on Momma's phone and when I asked her who she was talking to, she said "GG & Pop". :)

For the very first time today, Shelby experimented with putting a piece of grilled cheese sandwich in her ear. It was a small bit, but it was funny nonetheless!

Joanna

Spring Break Zoo Pics

2008-04-21T12:34:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Zoo during Spring Break with Grandma & Kendell. Shelby loved holding their hands and walking!

Recent Pictures

2008-04-18T12:55:00.007-05:00

I've been bad about keeping up w/ the blog this past month. As you can see, Shelby is growing (she weighs 19 lbs and is 30 inches). She liked trying out her bike helmet she got for X-mas, but it is still just a tiny bit big. It kept falling over her eyes during the ride. She is out of the highchair and sits at the table - she loves coloring w/ crayons and markers while at the table! She really loves the doggies (above she is kissing Winston while we were doggie sitting). Oh, and she absolutely loves watching movies now. She requests Bambi every day and talks about "Dumbo mafen" on a regular basis. I've been introducing new ones such as Cinderella, Finding Nemo (she calls him memo), Toy Story, etc. I think her favorite is still Bambi, though. She loves talking about the "rain" and "boom" (thunder) in Bambi. In fact, for a while, she told anyone who would listen when we were out shopping. :)

Shelby and I we went to the Zoo during Spring Break with Grandma and Kendell (I cannot locate the pictures, but will update the blog as soon as I find them...) Now anytime I mention going to the Zoo (or she sees a windmill, cow, or other farm animal), she says "kenda (Kendell), momma (grandma)?". :)

Joanna

First Salon Haircut

2008-03-18T12:17:00.004-05:00

Today, we went to SportClips and had Jennifer cut Shelby's hair, including the back! This was her first official cut at a salon. She sat on her 2 booster seats under the cape and didn't make a peep. It was so cute - she looked like a floating head! Now her hair is so bouncy and wavy.

Joanna

Feeling Better

2008-03-13T12:05:00.004-05:00

Shelby's been sick with a 102-103 temp since Sunday night. This morning, she woke up w/out the fever, but with little red spots all over her torso and neck area. I researched it and I believe she had the roseola infantum virus. (took her to the doc yesterday and she said Shelby did have a virus, but didn't tell me exactly what it was). Here are a couple of pics of her rash (I'm sure she'll appreciate this on her blog someday. HA!!

She now weighs 18 lbs 3 oz as of yesterday, which is surprising because she hasn't been eating very much.

We also got some pictures of her playing peek-a-boo behind our shower curtain!

Joanna

2008-03-05T12:29:00.007-06:00

Lots going on, as usual. Shelby really enjoyed Sesame Street Live last weekend. She tapped her legs to the music and clapped on beat (she gets it from me. he he). She recently learned how to imitate Ernie's laugh and Cookie Monster eating cookies. :) She keeps me pretty entertained!

Speaking of imitations, she still loves neighing like a horse and now loves to make an elephant sound. We taught her how to make her arm into a trunk...She is also getting pretty good at pointing to different animals in a book when I ask where it is. (even somewhat obscure ones like anteaters, toucans, and hyenas)

Let's see, what else is she doing that's pretty silly...oh, she can tell us she's " a nut"; when we try and sing the alphabet, every letter is "b"; she refers to all the papas and grandpas as "Pop"; she makes this expression where she stretches out her upper lip while lifting up her nose. We'll do this back and forth to each other and she'll just laugh and laugh! She thinks calling her head a "noodle" is hilarious. :) Anything that is catchy like "uh oh spaghetti o's" gets her laughing, as well. Needless to say, we all have a fun time!

We weighed Shelby yesterday and she is now at 17 lbs 13 oz. :( We've been meeting with a dietician and writing everything down that she eats. We'll get her gaining weight somehow. Makes me wonder if the 20 lbs she weighed a couple of weeks ago was accurate? Guess she'll have to wait a little longer for the forward facing car seat.

Here are some recent pics. Check out her Nike's that Grammy & Pop got her! They are too cute and Shelby loves to clomp around in them.

Joanna

Hooray!!

2008-02-22T10:29:00.004-06:00

Guess who is now 20 pounds 3 oz!!!!! Shelby gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks. We are sooooooo very happy!

One of her recent quirks is putting socks on her hands, as you can see from the above pictures. :) Shelby's vocabulary is growing everyday. Her favorite words right now: "melmo" for Elmo; "nannie" for Annie; eat; moon; "milb" for milk; "maplane" for airplane; "pop" for pappa (for all of them). This is just to name a few (the ones I can think of...) Oh, and she has tried singing the alphabet, too!

Shelby is such a happy little girl! She loves Sesame Street, especially Elmo. She will be so excited next weekend when we take her to Sesame Street Live, Elmo Grows Up! She also absolutely loves horses. She watches Spirit Stallion of the Cimmarron all the time. Whenever she wants to watch tv, she'll act like she's galloping on a horse!

Joanna

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T08:25:00.002-06:00

Last night, Shelby, Momma, and Daddy ate dinner at DeFazio's. She loved saying "hi" and "bye" to everyone walking by our table. Shelby ate some eggplant parmesean and thought it was yummy! DeFazio's must be a popular Valentine's Day place; we saw Jamie & Garrett, as well as our friends Jens and Jen.

Andy loves to "fix" Shelby's hair during bathtime. Looks like it's getting too long for the mohawk!

Joanna

Smiley Face

2008-02-03T20:31:00.001-06:00

2008-01-30T20:50:00.000-06:00

Here are some recent pictures. Shelby weighs 17 lbs 6 oz and is 29 1/2 inches, as of Monday. She's still small, but she sure is growing up!

2008-01-27T14:38:00.001-06:00

Here are some recent pictures of Shelby. She's finally getting over that cold she's had for the past few weeks. Friday night, she had her very first sleep over. She stayed the night with Grammy & Papa while Momma and Daddy went to Becca and Charlie's wedding reception. We didn't have to pick her up in the middle of the night!

Joanna

Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T21:27:00.001-06:00

New Year's Eve, Grammy & Papa and Grandma & Papa all came over to celebrate the new year. We had a blast - Shelby stayed up until 1:30 a.m. She didn't want to miss out on the fun.

On New Year's Day, we traveled to OK to see Granny & Papa. We returned on Friday. It was a nice trip and we enjoyed it a lot! (well, Shelby didn't like getting on Papa's tractor...)

Joanna

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

2007-12-29T20:13:00.000-06:00

We had a great day on Christmas. Shelby woke up around 7:45 a.m. and was nervous to walk down the hall to the Christmas Tree. I think she saw her big wagon and wasn't sure what it was. :) She loved her pots and pans, plastic food, books, baby stroller, bike helmet, and especially her Grover. (no, she wasn't trying to "off" Grover with a knife...) We went to Grammy and Papa's around 10:30 a.m. and spent the day there, along with Grandma GG and Papa, Uncle Kyle, and Uncle Jeff. She absolutely loooooved her play kitchen (she cooks all day every day...), her new tricycle, and her "karaoke" singing stage. (it has a microphone, but it doesn't really work). She enjoys playing her music and watching herself in the mirror.

Today, Andy and Shelby went outside for a walk/ride in the wagon! Shelby loved it so much that she didn't want to get out.

Here are some cute pics of Shelby getting her hair done in pigtails. Her hair is getting long enough that it actually stays up for most/part of the day! :)

Joanna

Gracy Christmas

2007-12-24T09:35:00.000-06:00

On Friday evening, we got together with Grandpa, Grandma, Great Grandma & Granddad, Uncle Jason, Aunt Brandie & Kendell, and Uncle John and Aunt Nina. We had a good time.

Shelby likes Grover

2007-12-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

Shelby has decided she likes Andy's Grover from when he was little. (a little birdie told me that Santa may bring her a Grover of her very own!)

Here's a couple of pics of us at the Zoo on Saturday for their special Holiday open house. (Yeah, it was freezing!) We got to see a bunch of the animals enjoy their Christmas trees and/or gifts. It was a lot of fun and we plan to do it again next year!

Gettin' Ready for Santa

2007-12-07T14:45:00.000-06:00

P.S. Shelby is now 17 pounds!

Fun-filled weekend

2007-12-03T01:26:00.000-06:00

Today, Shelby liked sitting in a plastic container and also hanging out in her favorite cupboard. Yesterday, we went to the Gracy Family Christmas get-together at Lake Afton. Shelby enjoyed watching cousin Nancy blow bubbles; getting her hair cut by cousin Jennifer; and receiving her first kiss from a boy!!! Uh, oh. Guess we'd better keep a close eye on her!

Joanna

Stick Horse

2007-11-27T11:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Shelby grabbed her horsie on her own, started the music, and walked around to show momma! She loves her horse!

Joanna

Cute pics

2007-11-19T14:14:00.000-06:00

Here are some cute pictures taken recently. Every time Shelby holds a phone to her ear, she says "hello dada". :)

Tattoo

2007-11-19T14:11:00.000-06:00

Shelby's thinking of joining the local motorcycle gang.

Happy Halloween!!

2007-11-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

We had lots of fun last night trick or treating. We visited Grandpa, Grandma, Grammy & Papa, and GG and Papa. Then we walked around to the neighbor's houses. Shelby liked her cowgirl outfit (after a while, anyway...)

Joanna