Happy 18 Months, Cyanne!

We celebrated Cyanne's 18 month birthday today!
Amazing to think she's 18 months old!

Here are a few photos from the day:
(And my apologies, she was moving too quickly to get her to sit in the rocking chair for a comparison photo... we'll do it next month.)

Good Morning sunshine!!!



The daily ritual each morning: Throwing the vast majority of her stuffed animals out of her crib with gusto. Oh, it's a super fun game throwing them out, watching mommy pick them up and throw them back in, and doing it all over again!





Good Afternoon sleepyhead!!
A few photos after she woke up from her afternoon nap:





Her "birthday" present - a toy stroller. She LOVES it and has since been pushing it around constantly. (And no, we don't get her something each month... I'd just been meaning to get her one of these figured today would be a good day).





And, to top it off, we brought home a few cupcakes from "Crushcakes" to celebrate.
The frosting was a huge hit... and the cake, too.

Visit to the Zoo - March 14th

Cyanne, Tom & I visited the zoo recently one beautiful Saturday afternoon.



The gibbons were going nuts! This one guy was totally showing off, swinging from tree to tree. And he was way, way up towards the top of the eucalyptus tree. (Devon, I told Cyanne your story about when you knocked one of the gibbons unconscious when throwing a corn cob for them to eat when you were a zoo camp counselor... she's yet to fully appreciate the humor of the story. We'll tell her again later =))



Cyanne had a really good time looking at all of the animals - she especially enjoyed all of the birds. She's really into birds at the moment. She emphatically points and says "zzeessshhhh." What that means, I've no idea =). She points at the bird, opens her eyes wide, looks at you and nods as if to say, "you see the bird? the bird! right?!"





She also does the flapping arm/flying movement when she look at the birds.
She also had fun looking at the penguins and the turtles in the water area.

Meerkats and giraffes were also popular.



The lions were taking a 'cat' nap, snoozing in the sun ... so she couldn't really see them but I did manage to take a few photos:



It was amazing for us to see how much more interested she was this time than when we'd ventured there in mid-August. She was much more curious and interested in all of the animals.

As we now renewed our membership... we plan to spend lots of time at the zoo!

Happy 5th Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary!!

Today, Tom & I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Oh, how the time flies...
We've been friends since 1996, started dating in October of 1998 (almost 11 years!!), and were married 5 years ago today right here in Santa Barbara.



The last five years have been such a wonderful adventure. Getting married, honeymooning on Turtle Island, living and working in Boston, moving 3,000 miles across the country and putting down roots in Santa Barbara. Starting our life here, exploring and enjoying our "new" town, and
the biggest of all - starting a family.



Cyanne has been the best, biggest, and most amazing change to happen in the last 5 years and we can't imagine a single moment without her. We marvel at what our lives were like before she arrived. What we did and how we spent all of that free time is a total mystery to us now! And we wouldn't have it any other way. Each day brings a new surprise, adventure, word, gesture, smile or laugh. It's hysterical, entertaining, and amazing all at the same time. It makes us realize how much we love each other but even more so, how much we love (no, make that adore...) Cyanne.



We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful, incredible, too-cute-for-words, independent daughter.

I am truly blessed to have such an incredible, loving, caring and supportive husband. I could not ask for a better friend, partner, and soul mate. I love this journey we're on and look forward to every new day and experience.



So, on that note - a famous poem but a good one nonetheless:

To My Dear and Loving Husband (A. Bradstreet)

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more then whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

xoxoxo, k.

Diaper Rash

First, you'll be thankful I have no photos to post with this entry... =)

Second, this is not such a very interesting topic to discuss on a blog, I know. However, since it is usually a blog regaling Cyanne's adventures, it seems somewhat relevant. That, and there's a funny story and a helpful mommy tip at the end.

Cyanne has been sporting quite the case of diaper rash, poor girl. It makes for very, very unfun diaper changes. We even just take her back and get her near her changing table and the waterworks begin. And oh, can she turn those faucets on. Quite impressive, actually.

So, that sent us to continue searching for the best diaper rash cream.

We've tried Desitin (my #2 favorite), A&D cream & ointment (pretty good), B's 'Butt Paste' cream (I had to buy this for the name alone (and also on Lara's recommendation); works well for the most part), Burts Bee's Cream (okay; smells like lavender), Aveeno Cream (so-so)... am I forgetting any? There must be more. Believe me, if it's out there, we have tried it.

Tom's first action is to check the percentage of zinc oxide in each cream. Though as we've come to learn, while that is helpful, it's not always the most helpful factor when combatting the evil diaper rash.

So, we asked Dr. Brennan who recommended.... Triple Paste!
I liked it from the get-go - I'll take anything that calls itself "paste" over "cream." (Though this is coming from the girl who'd take body butter over lotion 9 out of 10 times so not overly surprising.) Right there you know you've got a different type of product on your hands. (literally... ah, ha ha). Sorry.

However, it is slightly more challenging to find.
Tom ventured to Walgreens (another Dr. B tip) and located the mystery paste. He checked the zinc oxide percentages. Compared it to others we'd tried. Then, he made his way to the check-out. That was the only item he purchased.
The cashier rings it up and say "ohhhhh my!!" And looks at the item then looks at Tom. He says, "oh, is this a lady product? It is so expensive!"
$33 for a jar of diaper cream!
Apparently, said cashier was new to this country... however, I could just hear his voice saying "oh!, is this a lady product?" This, if you know me, greatly amused me...

Anyway - Tom then proceeded to tell him it was for babies and he said "oh... yes. Children are so costly..!" Ah, funny, funny. This amuses me most because of my image of Tom standing there with this man explaining that no, I did not send him on a lady product search but on a baby product mission.

So, after the entertaining purchase story, we were excited to try this new stuff.
Post-bath, all dry, and ready for bed, I gave Cyanne a good slather of the stuff. And let me tell you - it's some thick stuff! Off to sleep she went, triple pasted and hugging her 'puppy' with dreams of a rash-free bottom in her head.

In the morning - voila! Fantastic! She was just marginally pink. And two days later... it's basically gone.
I'm sold.
When the nasty rash appears, it's going to get the triple cream treatment!

So, just wanted to share the entertaining story as well as pass on a tip - if you need some awesome, highly effective diaper cream - this is it!

(I promise - more photos soon...) =)

"Meme" - The Tagging Blogger Game...?

So, this 'game' is courtesy of Mia's mom, Mara.
I'm always up for things of this type so here ya go...

The Rules
-Link to the person who tagged you.
-Post the rules on your blog.
-Write 6 random things about yourself.
-Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
-Let each person know he/she has been tagged (or let them get tagged by reading your blog).
-Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

6 Random Things about Me:

1. There are three things I've always wanted to do as a job. So, if I was not an attorney, I would love to do one of the following: 1) Professional Photographer; 2) Florist; and 3) Meteorologist. Random mix, I know, but I love all three.

2. My heart stopped for approximately 7 or 8 minutes when I was 7 years old when I had my asthma attack. A big thanks to my Dad here... because if not for him and his actions during those several minutes, I'd likely not be here writing this.

3. I like to dip bread in liquids... Diet Coke, coffee, tea. Sounds not so good, right? Really, you should try it. Hard to beat a piece of San Luis Sourdough dipped in fizzy Diet Coke. =)

4. As most of you know, I love the wind. My perfect kind of day involves the wind. A slight breeze, a strong wind, gusts... warm or cold. An ideal weather day includes the following: clear air, sunny, blue skies, high, white clouds, anywhere between 50-60 degrees, and very windy. The kind of wind where the branches move on the trees and it lifts your hair when you walk outside.

5. I love to travel. I have had, I believe, 5 passports so far during my lifetime. Every time I go through customs, I request a stamp - even if the person behind the glass appears surly. The stamps are good records and mementos of each trip. I hope to make Cyanne as much of a world traveler as her father and I have been fortunate enough to be...

6. I have big feet and long fingers or as Tom likes to call them, my "spindleys." I often joke I should be considerably taller for my shoe size. But hey, there are often shoes on sale in my size. As for the fingers - long fingers always made it easier to play the piano. I took lessons for 16 years. Octaves were simple; I always tried to reach for 3-4 keys beyond the octave. That is fun.

And now I get to 'tag' others of you though as Mara said about her friend, Mara has taken some of my prospects as well!!

1. Devon (of the Powell Family Blog, aka, Henry's Blog)
2. Lara (of the Baby Days Blog, aka the Mislang Family)
3. Ann (of the Felton's Blog, aka Baby Feltone)
4. Jenny (of jenredstar blog fame, aka Baby Devo's Blog)
5. Allison (of All things Baby Gagnon blog, aka Grace's Blog)
6. Victoria (Of Gwendolyn's Blog, aka Gwendolyn's adventures)

Not that you all aren't already busy enough... or have enough to do! Perhaps this will provide some nice procrastination or distraction =)!

Have fun!

15 Month Pediatrician Visit

Last week, Cyanne, Tom & I took a trip to see Dr. Brennan for Cyanne's 15 month well-baby visit.
He said she looked good and was progressing just as she should.



Here are the stats:
Weight: 23 lbs. ("50-75%")
Height: 30 1/4" (50%)
Head: 47 1/2 cm (90%!!!) (Our girl's still got a big noggin'!)

We discussed weaning her off of bottles, words and talking, teeth and dental care (we really need to work on that) as he said she had "a lot" of teeth for her age, which she does..., the best diaper rash cream (triple paste, apparently) and a host of other fun topics...

Then, poor Cyanne had to get 3 more shots. 2 in one leg, 1 in the other and of course, as I feel like there always is, the 3rd one is quite a "stinger." So, I held Cyanne in my lap while Tom held her arms. She was a good sport really. She did cry but stopped within a minute or two after it was done as she became quite taken with the green sea turtle painting on the wall.

So - we shall see what changes until the next visit - her 18th month check-up.

Here are some photos taken two days before her doctor visit:

On the Menu Today: Cat Food

Well, it was bound to happen some time or another.
Tom and I were in the dining room trying to organize Christmas decorations to put away and we noticed... No Cyanne!
Where, oh where, was Cyanne, we asked...

With a quick glance around the dining room, living room and kitchen, Tom walked into the back bathroom or the "cat's room" as we call it, off of the kitchen and voila!

He brings Cyanne out with hands covered in wet cat food and dry cat food bits and a good smear all around her mouth.
Someone had been having a morning snack of 'Ocean Whitefish'!!!

Tom & I were thoroughly grossed out... but she seemed to have enjoyed it and was fine.
But ewww...
Now she knows what it's like!

Here's to hoping we 1) pay more attention to her current location, 2) remember to put up the barrier into the cat's room area, and 3) make sure she doesn't acquire a penchant for cat food.

Yay Friskies!!

A diverse dinner...

So, I just thought I'd share what Cyanne had for dinner last night because it amuses me in its randomness.

She had a nice selection of the following:
Clementine segments
Banana bits
Shredded Colby cheese
Little pieces of a "finger food" composed of broccoli, cheese, egg and bread crumbs (thanks mara!)
Black olives (sorry Blabeys... she's an olive eater! =) and black ones too, even!)
Bits of day-old garlic bread
A nice blend of oatmeal, sweet potato, and corn "mush"
and ...
topped off with a nice sippy cup full of cold water.

She seemed to enjoy the cheese, olives, and garlic bread the best. She'd emphatically point to the olives (which I then removed from our pizza and gave to her) and the bread (which tom then shared with her) until she got some to eat.

Even better yet - she kept doing the sign for "more" in relation to those foods.
And then, when deciding she was done, proceeded to do the sign for "all done".
Fantastic!
We're all communicating! =)

She seemed to quite enjoyed herself.
She ate while we prepared our own dinner (not nearly as diverse), enjoyed a glass of wine, and asked her all about her day.

She then helped us wrap some Christmas gifts.
That, however, was short-lived as her idea of helping was to either grab the paper we were trying to smooth out or to sit right on top of the box we were wrapping. (my apologies to some of you in advance for smooshed boxes. Cyanne sends her love =)).

So... all in all a fun evening at the Blabey house.
I gotta say it - my girl's quite a cutie! =)

Addie and Matt's Wedding, November 22, 2008

Addie and Matt were married the weekend before Thanksgiving in Albany. Luckily, we were able to attend as were planning a trip back east to celebrate Thanksgiving with Tom's parents in Cooperstown. Congrats Addie and Matt! We had a great time and Cyanne definitely enjoyed all the extra attention from family and friends.

Cyanne in her festive wedding finery.


Mart, Tom, and Kristen.


The Blabey family.


Uncle David and Aunt Susan accompany Addie down the aisle.


Wedding party and Chuppah.


Kristen with Cyanne.

Cyanne looks a little skeptical of her playmate.


Playing with her stuffed elephant party favor.


On the dance floor with Daddy.


Our little dancing machine!


Tom, Cyanne, and Mart cut a rug.


Our table.


Aaron and Anna.


Liz and Matt.


Jeannette and Brittney (?).


Cake.


Brian Taft, Betty, and David.


Time for bed. But, as I recall, sleep did not happen. After several gallant attempts by Kristen to put Cyanne down to sleep, Nanna and her friend Martha played with Cyanne in a lounge away from the main reception area of the club until the party was over and we could all return to the hotel. Cyanne was not a happy camper by that point, but I think Nanna enjoyed the babysitting duties...maybe? :)


Back at the party, cousins Jeff, Charlotte, Kim, and Heather.


Some family photos...


Bustin' out the Electric Slide. The party would not be complete without it...

The happy newlyweds.