Skylar Grace and Brooklyn Joy

Welcome Brooklyn Joy McKendrick

2012-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sisters=Priceless!

1st Day home from the Hospital.

First family pic. of the four of us.

Daddy's little girls.

Grandpa Welborn.

Grandma Welborn.

Uncle David.

Grandma & Grandpa McKendrick.

Proud Papa.

Winter's Here!

2012-01-16T15:24:00.001-08:00

38 wks and counting. Skylar wanted to show off her baby in her belly as well.

Since both mommy and daddy work at home, Skylar says she has to work too. So funny!

First snow of the year. Skylar was dying to go out and play. Don't know what the lawn mower will do, but she was working right alongside daddy. We definitely need to get her a shovel.

Our mis-matched snow girl. Got to preserve the snowpants from last year. I couldn't believe they still fit!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas was fun this year as Skylar understood the concept much better and had a lot more fun opening up presents. Christmas Eve was a great day celebrating with Grandma & Grandpa Mac and Uncle David and going to the Christmas Eve service at Immanuel. Christmas morning was low-key with just the 3 of us, enjoying the last Christmas with just Skylar and then off to Grandma & Grandpa Welborn's for Christmas night!

As you can see, Cars and Toy Story were a theme this year. So long Dora, hopefully baby girl #2 will be as obsessed with Dora so we can put last year's gifts to good use again.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Skylar was our cute pink butterfly this year. She did a great job going up and saying Trick-or-Treat and Thank you, although very timid. Several times she even said Happy Halloween. I think she was done sooner than we thought, not b/c she was tired, but she wanted to go home to eat the candy. Her highlight... all the dogs she got to pet along the way. Enjoy the pics from Halloween and our pumpkin farm day.

Fall Outings

2011-10-06T13:56:00.001-07:00

Skylar w/ Daddy at Brookfield Zoo.

Skylar's first movie on the Big screen...Lion King 3D.

Summertime Fun

2011-08-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

We picked up a $3 lawn mower for Skylar at a garage sale and it was $3 well spent. She helped daddy mow the entire yard!

Besties with Cousin Addy.

Addy dressed Skylar up as a princess.

Skylar loves her cousin Addy.

A very HOT day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg with the Ritner clan.

Skylar's favorite ride, the ponies.

Very impressed with Skylar for trying some rides for the very first time.

Skylar loved having Uncle David on vacation with us.

Skylar loved spending time with her cousins!

Yes our proof, we did indeed Finally sell our house just in time with baby #2 on the way.

Skylar's big day announcing that she is going to be a big sister to Grandma and Grandpa.

4th of July Fireworks with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle David.

Spring Time Fun

2011-05-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Skylar still loves Dora.

Skylar testing out her new sweet car.

Happy Easter and Birthday to Grandpa Mac.

Easter morning leaving for Church clutching her chocolate candy.

Finally finished assembly of Skylar's new castle with slide and climbing wall. It turned out to be a huge success. She LOVES it.

She calls it "Sweetpea Beauty's castle"...if you don't know the reference, it's from Veggietales.

Catching Up With Skylar

2011-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

Downtown at the Shedd...Skylar saw all the buildings and shouted "Chicago!"

Skylar Loved the Fish!

Skylar's Birthday Party.

Playing with the trains, such a tomboy.

Doing a little grocery shopping.

Getting an early start at working at Potbellies so daddy can get some hook-ups!

Skylar eyeing the steering wheel, which she wanted to play with so bad. The boy finally left and she did get to.

On Skylar's birthday we went to the Children's Museum. She LOVED IT and as a result we had a little tantrum when we had to leave.

Getting ready to go to daddy's basketball game. Go Warriors!

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

So, as I'm sure all of you know, Chicagoland area got hit pretty hard this week with a massive blizzard. Depending on what news channel you watch, our Lake County area had anywhere b/w 20"-24" of snow. It was definitely the worst Dan and I remember ever experiencing and Dan got 2 snow days out of it, but Skylar didn't quite understand what the big deal was so we had to take some pics so when she's older she can appreciate it more. Here are some pics of the during and after at our house.

We are one of the few within our immediate neighbors with a snowblower, so after Dan cleaned off our driveway, he helped 3 of our neighbors that had been shoveling since before he started and were still going finish their driveways. He was offered some beers to take home and a $20 for his service, but he kindly declined. Maybe we've found a future side-job for Skylar to earn a little cash, not the beer part of course!

View out our Dining room window.

Snow piled up on our deck out back.

A Winter Wonderland.

Windchill below zero, so Skylar got to experience a little of the snow, but not for long.

Skylar's almost 2!

2011-02-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Had to take a couple of pics of our girl growing up so fast and of course enjoying her favorite snack, pretzels.

Hang'n with the Cousins

2011-02-03T07:03:00.001-08:00

Too funny. We tried to get a picture of all Grandma and Grandpa McKendrick's grandkids with them and as you can see, it didn't go so well. Maybe the kids were more affected by the Bears loss than we were!

Skylar with Aunt Kristyn.

Skylar lovin her cousins. She had so much fun with Addy that for the next couple of days she kept asking, "Where'd Addy go?" So cute!

Go Bears....or Not!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas was very busy, traveling to try and see everyone, but it was more fun this year as Skylar got into opening gifts a little more. Dora was a major theme this year and after opening 1-2 Dora gifts, all she wanted to do was play with them, she didn't care that she had more to open, so Dan and I got to open some Dora gifts ourselves. I apologize for the little Chinese girl in all of the photos. She likes to smile for the camera now, seeing as she got 3 cameras herself this year, but she tries to smile so big that her eyes disappear. Something we can laugh at later on, but I don't think we got one single good pic the entire holiday!

Skylar enjoying the rocking chair at Gi-Gi's.

Skylar testing out her new Dora pillow and sleeping bag GiGi got her along with a night light. She's a good actor, don't you think?

Skylar with Mommy and Daddy.

Skylar with Uncle David.

Skylar with Grandma & Grandpa McKendrick. We like Grandpa's impression of Skylar!

Three generations of McKendricks.

Skylar using her new vacuum that she loves. Dan and I both agree that we need to invent a child's vacuum, that actually picks up stuff. It's genious and let me tell you, our floor would be spotless!

Skylar with Grandma & Grandpa Welborn and her new Dora doll.

Christmas Eve with Mommy and Daddy.

Ah yes, another Dora book.

Candids

2010-12-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Skylar trying on daddy's new hat he got for his birthday.

Skylar eating an oreo, which she loves. We definitely have a chocolate lover!

Just being smiley and goofy.

For some reason this is how she wanted to sit to watch Dora before bed. As you can see, Dan's not that into Dora.

Early Christmas Gift

2010-12-12T14:48:00.001-08:00

So, today was a blizzard outside, so it became a lazy day at home. We decided to let Skylar open up an early Christmas gift that she received from Uncle Glen and Aunt Martha at Thanksgiving time, but we didn't get a chance to see them for her to open up her gift so we let her open it up today. Thankfully, one less thing to put together Christmas morning, but as you can see, she absolutley loved it. Thank you Uncle Glen and Aunt Martha!!!

First Snow of the Year!

2010-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Skylar getting her snowsuit on. Let me tell you, not an easy task! All of you mom's with multiple kids that have to do this every year....much, much more respect for ya!

So, last Winter Skylar was only 8-11 mo. old and not really mobile at all, so we never really took her out to play in the snow. So at 21 mo. this was her first real experience to play in it. She didn't know what to think at first, but once daddy showed her how to make snow balls, she started enjoying it much more.

Houston, WE HAVE LIFT-OFF!

2010-11-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

Proud to announce that Kristin and I are the proud parents of a WALKING child. After 20 long months and some hard work by Skylar with her physical therapist --> Skylar just decided to start walking tonight. The first video is her first decent length journey, and the second video is about 2 hours later when she decided to do laps around our downstairs. Enjoy.

First Trick or Treat!

2010-10-31T18:52:00.001-07:00

So Skylar loves puppies and she actually picked this puppy costume out herself. We gave her 3 choices, a pink bunny, a cow or a puppy and she was dead set on being a puppy. We think she makes about the cutest puppy ever, how can you not agree! She actually enjoyed it, but she wouldn't walk up to the houses, we had to carry her and she would say Trick or Treat as we walked up or were walking away, she got too nervous to say it at the nice people at the door. Oh well, pretty good for the first time, we can't complain and she thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate goodness that came afterwards.

Enjoying her first candy bars, a reeces peanut butter cup and snickers. Based on her hyperactivity afterwards, she was done after those two!

Uncle Dave joined us for the fun occasion...or just to get hooked up with some candy to take back to school. Either way, Skylar loves it when Uncle David comes to play with her.

You should have seen the tail move back and forth when she walked, sooo cute.

Fall Fun

2010-10-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Skylar's first haircut. Aunt Amy offered to give her her first trim, looks much better!

Enjoying some of the last beautiful days of Fall that we've had. We can't complain about not having a Fall this year.

Thought this was so cute, Skylar with cousins Bennett and Eve watching baby Lucy ride the pony.

Skylar with big cousin Bennett.

The coldest day so far this Fall, and of course the day we picked to go to the Apple Holler.

Skylar was a little confused at first having both sets of grandparents along, but she eventually

accepted it and had fun. This picture is classic

Skylar at 1 1/2 Years Old!

2010-10-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for such a long gap in updates. Between switching computers with work, trying to save all of our files onto a flashdrive and starting a facebook page, I just haven't had time to update the blog. So sorry for all of you facebook fans for the duplicate pics, hopefully soon we can download some new ones from our camera. Here's some recent pics of Skylar at 18 mo.

Skylar loves trying on our shoes. She takes after both mommy and daddy with the shoe fetish. This could become a problem in her teenage years!

After a long day at the Erbeck household aka mini petting-zoo.

Not such a fan of riding horses yet.

We tried giving Skylar her first horse ride with Cousin Mike, but it didn't go so well.

Daddy was teaching Skylar how to flex her muscles. I'm praying for a boy next so mommy can keep her sweet little girl and daddy can do "boy" things with his boy!

After celebrating Grandma Mac's and Uncle David's birthdays.

Skylar with the Birthday clan.

Skylar loves her fun Uncle David. So glad to have him close to home this year!

Skylar is reaching for the remotes and saying "no mote" at the same time as she knows she's not allowed to play with the remotes. Devious just like daddy!

Skylar coloring with her first Hello Kitty coloring book, something she enjoys immensely and asks to do daily.

Ahh yes, feel the power!

Representing the Welborns with her new Barn.

Skylar becoming a little girl

2010-07-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the most recent picture of Skylar, growing up before our eyes.

Skylar found a new fun toy, an empty box. Gotta love it.

Skylar loves to take our dishtowels down and carry them around like a blankie, which is weird b/c she doesn't even have a blankie, but she does like the dishtowels.

Skylar playing video games with daddy.

We are the Champions!

Skylar's first 4th of July fireworks. She did pretty well but started to get sleepy, hence the pacifier.

We're Back!

2010-06-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time between posts. We've been having some problems with our home computer so posting really wasn't an option. Just to catch you up, Skylar is talking like crazy, modified crawling all over the downstairs (still not walking), and finally starting to try some new foods (mostly fruits). She loves to play catch, which means roll balls back and forth, but she can catch a bouncing ball which is making me extremely proud. She loves to push herself backward on her walker (see video), swing at the park on walks (see picture), and makes some crazy faces (see video). She was just dedicated at church last Sunday (picture with uncle David). Skylar is showing a lot of personality lately, both good and not so good in the form of tantrums when she's frustrated. Definitely hoping she'll start walking soon. Enjoy the pictures and videos.

We've Got a Problem!!!

2010-04-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Video speaks for itself. Obviously she enjoys this which could definitely be a problem in the future.

Our Little Lady

2010-04-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Now that Skylar is 13 mo. old and still not crawling or walking we are desparate and trying everything possible. Every night we work with her on her crawling. She's close to doing the army crawl, which is huge for us. Here she is standing all by herself, which she can do, but doesn't like to do. She's very slowly starting to take some steps as we hold her hands as well, but of course never without some whining involved.

Unfortunately, Skylar is taking after both mom and dad with her love of TV. She loves some Super Why and Word World.

We've had a few days here in the Windy City of some gorgeous 80 degree weather. We had to get outside and enjoy it. Skylar likes hanging out on the front porch watching all the neighbor kids run around and play outside. We thought it might give her some motivation, but who were we kidding!

Just thought she looked too cute here. So innocent!

Of course, the warm summer weather couldn't last here in Chicago in April. Back to 30-40 degree chilly nights. Here's skylar ready to go for a brisk walk with mommy.

Out on the Town

2010-04-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

So, we did do a little Disney without actually going to the parks. We bought an umbrella stroller while we were down there and Skylar had fun just chill'n as we walked around.

Grandma & Grandpa Welborn with us at Universal.

Dan and Skylar outside the NBA City restaurant. Daddy relived his college basketball days as this was a hotspot during one of their Christmas tournaments. Ahh, the good ol' days.

I believe these were life-size tinker toys at Downtown Disney.

Did I mention Skylar has a problem with the sun in her eyes yet won't keep a hat or sunglasses on? Very frustrating. Who doesn't want a picture in front of Mr. Potato Head!

Our first two nights there were a little chilly so we had to bundle up a bit to stroll around the Boardwalk.

Florida Sun

2010-04-07T19:10:00.001-07:00

Skylar went on her first trip to Disney, but without any Disney. It was a nice trip for Dan and I with some much needed R&R and some pool fun. There isn't that much you can do with a 1 year old in the pool who took 2 days to really warm up to her new raft, but once she got use to it, she enjoyed laying out in the pool just as much as mommy.

Birthday Party!

2010-03-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Skylar with Grandma and Grandpa Welborn.

Skylar with Grandma and Grandpa McKendrick.

Of course we had to do something embarrassing so I found this cute flower headband in the $1 section at Target and thought, what a cute birthday crown. Apparently Skylar didn't think the same.

Skylar wasn't too fond of the cupcake much to my disappointment as it was Chocolate! She did eat a little frosting, but otherwise it was just a fun toy to push around.

Birthday Girl

2010-03-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Skylar had a low-key birthday as daddy had to work, but she did get to have her first chocolate pudding cup, which to our surprise she actually enjoyed.

A Daughter After Daddy's Own Heart.

2010-03-02T19:12:00.001-08:00

I believe the pictures speak for themselves!

Almost One!

2010-03-02T19:02:00.001-08:00

Skylar turns One already this week. So, here are some last pics of our little baby before she enters toddlerhood!

One of Skylar's rare smiles during dinner. She is not the best eater and we are having a VERY difficult time getting her to try new things. Our little sweet girl has learned a new tactic...a tantrum oh and lets not forget she can hit pretty good too!

Skylar loves her books. She looks at her books constantly and sometimes she points to the pictures and babbles like she's reading it. Mommy points to different objects and animals so she can learn words and Skylar has picked up on it. So, now she points to the pictures as well.

Skylar chill'n on a lazy Sunday afternoon with mommy and daddy in the recliner.

Ahh yes, Skylar figured out how to get her little scrunchie out of her hair. She was so good keeping things in when she was younger, but now forget even trying.

The pretty end result!

Peek-a-Boo!

2010-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the absence in pictures. It's been hectic around here lately and we just haven't been taking many pictures. Here are some pictures of Skylar playing peek-a-boo. She loves to be wrapped up in a blanket. If you dare to make eye contact while she has her blanket, you are going to be stuck playing this over and over with her. Please ignore the hairdo, she won't keep anything in her hair and it's constantly in her face, so I tried something new, but she eventually pulled it right out. Not the cutest, but effective for a little while at least!

Crinkle Nose

2010-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

This is Skylar's new smile. Everytime we ask her to smile she crinkles her nose up. It may be cute now, but hopefully it's not permanant as sometimes she just looks goofy.

Skylar's Baby

2010-02-02T13:43:00.001-08:00

I couldn't resist putting this on the blog b/c I thought it was so cute. Thanks to Uncle Brent and Aunt Amy and cousins Bennett, Eve, Johanna, Kent and Lucy, Skylar received her first baby doll for Christmas. After breakfast this morning I gave her the doll to play with while I got more of her toys out and out of nowhere she started giving her baby kisses. Luckily she kept doing it so I got a couple pics of it, and a nice close up of her giving an actual kiss, not eating her face.

A New Trick

2010-01-31T19:04:00.001-08:00

Hello all! Skylar is certainly changing all the time now. She has more teeth coming in now, and her talking is non-stop! Of course we have no idea what she's saying, but she certainly likes to tell us what's on her mind. She has really started to try and mimic what Kristin and I are saying and doing. She now will wave her hand and say bye-bye if we say it to her. She loves to raise both hands above her head when we ask her how big she is. Peek-a-boo has become a true passion in her life using any materials available to her at the time. Still no interest at all in crawling, which probably comes from watching her dad's favorite past-time of sitting in the recliner. Besides peek-a-boo, below is a video of her second favorite thing to do right now. One day she just started doing this on her own and Kristin caught it on tape.

Skylar also really likes to sit with Kristin and read books before bed. She gets very cuddly right around bed time when she's getting tired, and often sits in one of our laps and looks at a book. Although Goodnight Moon is quite a page-turner, we look forward to expanding her literary influences in the future.

All Smiles

2010-01-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Skylar has been a very happy girl lately. Lots of smiles and giggles and lots of fun. She's getting better at eating her 3rd foods now, less gag reflexes involved, but still no crawling! Some new things she's doing are growling, yes, growling like a lion (she sounds possessed), closing her eyes at you and making quite the strange face, which we think is for comic relief, giving hugs and kisses (with an open mouth) and peek-a-boo with a blanket. She definitely is starting to love attention and we think she's got her dad's need to try and be funny and make people laugh. Try is the key word!

New Moms

2010-01-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

During the holidays I was able to get together with two of my best friends from high school who have recently had kids . It was fun to be able to see each other as moms now. No more running around just us girls!

Above: Dan and I with Skylar, Sarah and Steve Erickson with Evelyn (4mo.) and Sarah and Brandon Batzler with Emmanuel (19 mo) and newborn Christian (3wks).

Skylar's not so sure about this playdate.

Candids

2010-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Skylar showing off her big pink bow that she's had for awhile, but would not stay in her hair. It was so cute when she saw herself in the mirror she looked up at me with a big smile on her face.

Poor Skylar was so worn out over Christmas that she couldn't even stay awake to be burped before bed. This is how she fell asleep in Dan's arms after her bottle.

Christmas at Gigi's aka Great-Grandma Welborn-Zent

2010-01-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

We actually were all able to get together with my family for one afternoon at my Grandma's house on the farm in IN. My brother and his family, Dan and I and my parents (who are never pictured) with my Grandma. It's impossible to get a picture with everyone looking, but it turned out not so bad.

Since Skylar is scared of men now, she would only go to the women. Here's Skylar with Aunt Amy and the only cousin younger than her, Lucy who is 6mo. As you can see, Skylar was not in the best mood that day. I think the holidays wore her out.

Great-Grandma reading to Skylar.

Christmas Morning

2010-01-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas at the Welborns

2009-12-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

We had some trouble trying to get Skylar to look at the camera. It had been a busy couple of days and she was getting a little tired. Oh well, that's a 9 month old for you, we'll take what we can get.

Grandma trying to get Skylar to put a puff in her mouth by herself.

The first time Skylar acted scared and wouldn't go to someone was with Grandpa Welborn on Christmas. This was one of the rare occasions she sat peacefully with him, otherwise she was scared and wouldn't go to him. That was a first for us.

Playdate with the Cousins

2009-12-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

Aunt Kristyn and Addy and Jax came to play with Skylar along with Uncle Dave and Grandma and Grandpa Mac. Jax wasn't in the mood for the hugs and kisses and posing for the camera, but Addy isn't quite so camera shy and loves her baby cousin. Hopefully we'll get Jax to pose with the girls in the future.

Christmas at the McKendricks

2009-12-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

Skylar's Christmas Pics

2009-12-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

Eating Solids at Last!

2009-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Skylar finally has started eating some people food aka banana puffs. She's also tried some turkey and ham and did fine. Now we're working on getting her to feed herself, but it's not going so well. Baby steps I guess.

Skylar's First Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Don't worry Skylar, we all look at Uncle Dave that way!

Skylar got her first glimpse of Christmas gifts as we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with the McKendrick clan.

Enjoying a Mild November

2009-12-02T18:50:00.001-08:00

Skylar enjoyed playing outside on our last mild day as Dan and I put up the Christmas lights. It has been such a nice November as in the past we've usually had a major snow storm around Thanksgiving. We didn't even have to wear coats as we hung the lights!

If you look closely, you can see her first two teeth coming in on the bottom.

Unhappy Girl

2009-12-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

So, I was trying to work on a scrap book I started when I found out I was pregnant and I've been keeping pics and ultrasound pics and cutting out big event items that have happened while I was pregnant and throughout the 1st year of Skylar's life. I thought it would be neat for her to look back on. As you can see, she was not too happy she wasn't getting any attention, so I gave her a magazine to play with and well... you can see the results.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-12-02T18:40:00.001-08:00

Daddy turned 29 on Nov. 12 and Skylar and I brought lunch to him at school with brownies and a balloon for his birthday.

Sitting Tall

2009-11-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Skylar is finally sitting pretty good. She can't get to the sitting up position on her own, but if we sit her down, she can stay sitting and playing for quite awhile before she topples over. Don't know what happend to her cute smile though. Lately her smile is just a weird look.

A Girl of Many Hats

2009-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

We thought we'd pull out some of the hats Skylar was given for gifts that were always too big for her. Her head has definitely grown b/c they fit like a glove now and some are even getting too small.

Bath Time

2009-11-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

So, when Skylar was a baby our baby bathtub didn't work as she would slide all over the place. We tried putting padding in there to help, but it never did. She's a kicker, so she would never sit still. So, as she got bigger and older we laid her in the tub and bathed her there. Well, now she is sitting up so well that we thought we would try it again and see if she would play with little bath toys. It started out good, but as you can see, she started to slide again and kept sticking her leg up in the air. We've retired the baby bathtub, considered it a bad investment and are sticking with laying her down on the sponge in the big tub so daddy can continue to get kick-splashed.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

Great Grandma Morris got a surprise visitor on Halloween.

Ah, such a nice fall-colored coordinated family. I think Skylar figured out that she was the only one dressed up!

Well, since Skylar can't have candy and Dan and I felt a little ridiculous going door to door asking for candy for ourselves, we opted to take advantage of the last free weekend before B-Ball season begins and went up North to Grandma and Grandpa Welborn's for the weekend. We couldn't resist though and still dressed up Skylar. You have to get those embarassing pictures in while they can't speak their mind! We thought she looked pretty cute though. No tantrums at all in the outfit, amazing!

Camera Shy, Not Skylar!

2009-11-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Skylar is such a smiley little girl. She loves to smile for the camera. Here are some of the recent smiles of Skylar Grace. Do we see the next Gerber Baby in the making?

Thanks to Aunt Amy, Skylar gets to show off her vintage Strawberry Shortcake shirt.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2009-11-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

We love to eat, but our daughter seems to really be enjoying meal time. Don't know why what mommy was doing was so funny, but it doesn't take much to entertain Skylar Grace.

Playing with Dad

2009-10-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

HUGE POSTING TODAY SO BE SURE TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE NUMEROUS POSTS BELOW!

This video shows one of Skylar's favorite things. Having dad drop stuff on her belly. Don't know why, but she loves it.

Family Pumpkin Picking

2009-10-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Didier Farm today to pick a few pumpkins for the front porch. Skylar liked the sheep and pigs, and loved watching all the people walking around through the pumpkin patches. She didn't love posing for the pictures as it took away from people watching. It was a nice first.

Skylar's New Friend Mia Vietmeier

2009-10-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Adam, Steph, and Mia Vietmeier spent Sunday afternoon at our house. It was Skylar's first playdate. They seemed to enjoy each other's company, but who really knows at this point. It was a fun afternoon for the parents for sure.

Winters On Its Way

2009-10-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you Great Grandma Welborn for this beautiful little coat. Skylar seems to really like it.

The jacket Kristin and I bought for Skylar. She literally cannot move, but she's warm! Anybody remember the little brother from a Christmas Story?
She smiled because her mouth is the only thing that can move.

Skylar's New Toy

2009-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

It took her 3 days to warm up to it, but now she can't get enough of her new toy. Yesterday she sat and played in it for an hour straight without Kristin or I having to do anything. Maybe Kristin and I love the toy more than Skylar does!

Skylar is 7 Months Old Today!

2009-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

We can't believe Skylar is already 7 months old. She is becoming more and more a little girl and less of a baby. We had to go shopping the other night to get her a winter coat, hat, mittens and boots as it's officially Fall here in Chicago. Today's high, 58 degrees! Here's Skylar ready for church wearing her new boots and the first time she's wearing a head band. Suprisingly, after the service, the head band was still in tact, however the shoes were not. And yes, she is wearing a dress, it just looks like she is going in tights. It's hard to be ladylike in a carrier!

Candids of Skylar

2009-10-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

Skylar with Mommy after a nice fall day walk.

Skylar getting ready for church in the morning.

Skylar loves bath time. She loves to kick her legs and splash all over daddy. Here's Skylar after her bath getting ready for bed.

DHS Football Game

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Skylar got to experience her first DHS football game and see daddy in action wearing his cool vest as he was supervising the student section. Skylar only made it till the end of the first quarter when the sprinklers came on during the game. Classic!

Go Bears!

2009-09-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Dan was very excited to share the season opener against the Packers with Skylar. This is definitely going to be scheduled daddy-daughter time every Sunday. Unfortunately, the Bears lost and Skylar already got a glimpse of Dad's obsession and grumpiness after a loss, especially to The Pack, my former home team!

TIU Wedding

2009-09-13T19:37:00.001-07:00

For you TIU Alumni, one of my friends from college, Crystal Diderrich, who stood up in my wedding, got married over Labor Day weekend. Here are some pics from the weekend. And yes, her reception was at a bowling alley in a reception hall, but we did get to bowl in our dresses. Sorry, forgot to take pics of Skylar at the wedding. Oh, and yes, she did get married in Packer County. Dan felt a little out of place.

Skylar is 6 months old!

2009-09-13T19:24:00.001-07:00

Skylar is now 6 months old and we can't believe it. She's looking like a little girl more and more and less of a baby. At her 6 month checkup, she was 15lbs (35%) and 26 in. long (65-70%). Tall and skinny, just like a McKendrick. Here are some recent photos of our little girl all grown up.

Skylar chilling Sunday morning before church.

Skylar's first time wearing shoes. We finally found a pair of shoes that fit her that we liked. She's got Daddy's narrow feet as well as tiny feet, so baby shoes are hard to come by. She is wearing 3 mo. size shoes at 6 mo. I guess better small petite feet than clown feet. We couldn't resist and got her little pink converse. Daddy wanted little Nike's, but he does admit these look pretty sweet!

Skylar's first time sitting up in her stroller with no carrier! I think a day at the zoo was a bit much for her at 6 months. Maybe we'll try again next year.

Babies Do the Strangest Things...

2009-08-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Skylar loves to play on the floor with her toys. She loves the freedom of turning 360's and smacking her feet on the ground. She has begun putting her feet flat on the ground and lifting her butt off the ground as if she is about to do the crab walk. She's got strong little legs. Well, she was playing the other day as usual and this is what we found. Our special little child.

Daddy's Baller

2009-08-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

I don't think Skylar will ever have a chance to be the next Miss America. She is quickly becoming daddy's little girl. As you can see below, she already reaches and loves to play with the remote. And she is going to be daddy's #1 fan at the b-ball games this year. Thanks to Grandpa Welborn, she got her first official basketball. It's a little to big to grip, but she is excellent at scratching it.

Ahh, the Good Stuff!

2009-08-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, Skylar has officially started actual foods, well sort of, if mashed baby food counts as actual food. She eats her rice cereal daily along with a variety of veggies. So far she has tasted sweet potatoes, carrots and squash. She loves her sweet potatoes, tolerates the carrots and refuses the squash, so we've given up on that for the time being. After her Dr. appointment next week, on to fruits!

Male Bonding

2009-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

My dad, my brother and I spent this last weekend in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was a great time of hanging out together and getting out into nature for a couple of days. No pictures of Skylar in this post as I am shamelessly promoting my own selfious endeavor. We spent most of our time traveling around to different hiking paths and waterfalls. Here are a few pics.

The 2 photos above are of Whitefish Falls, not the greatest waterfall in Michigan but the pot-holed dirt road to get to the hiking trail was quite an adventure in our rental car. The 2nd photo is of my father taking his time setting up the perfect shot, you can see Dave was pumped for the shot.
The 3 of us at Munising Falls.
The above 3 photos were of Miner's Falls. The path to get to the falls was really pretty as it wound along the top of the river valley. The photo of my dad and I is after we had jumped over the viewing platform railing and climbed down a steep slope to get closer to the falls.

Tahquahnemon (pronounced like phenomenon in case you were wondering) Falls, the larget in the UP.

Future Musician?

2009-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

I think she has talent, you be the judge.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-08-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute! Skylar likes to sleep on her left side in the crib, and always seems to sleep with her hands together like she's praying. My dad was excited to hear this because he tends to sleep with his hands like this as well. Just thought the internet viewers would enjoy the pic. More to come.

Growing Up

2009-08-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Look at how much older she looks. We can't believe how much she is acting like a little person now and not a helpless baby. She likes to sit by herself in the chair (of course with the Sox blanket) and everyday does something new we've never seen before.

My Little Sox Fan

2009-08-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

No pressure around here to be a sox fan! Thanks to Uncle David for the great outfit. Kristin and I noticed a more genuine smile once we got this outfit on Skylar.

The Wiggle

2009-08-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the new dance move Skylar has discovered. Kristin and I like to call it "The Wiggle." As always, forgive that guy in the background who makes too much noise in the video. We should find a way to put a stop to his noises!

Our Outgoing Child

2009-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

We've been dealing with some problems with our camera lately, hence the stoppage in posts lately. During that time off, Skylar has started doing some new things that we caught on our camcorder. In the first video you'll be able to view her recent habits of making a lot of noise, rolling onto her side, and playing with her hands a lot. In the second video you'll see her first experience with rice cereal. At the bottom is a picture of Skylar on her first 4th of July (check out the festive clothing). Enjoy!

Catching You Up (huge post)

2009-06-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Kristin and I have been extremely busy the last few weeks. The biggest thing was the trip we took to L.A. two weekends ago for my cousin Peter's wedding. It was a fun and extremely exhausting trip for all three of us. Skylar got to go on a plane for the first time and did awesome. She barely cried at all and pretty much slept through all of our flights. We got to experience the joy of traveling with a baby --> can I just say getting through security takes like an hour to get everything on the darn conveyor belt! The trip out was easy except for some minor complications waiting for my sister which had us at LAX a little longer than expected. The trip home WAS TERRIBLE! First, Skylar has a diaper episode in the check-in line at LAX. Then she is screaming because she's hungry so we take care of that off to the side. Then we get through security, on the plane, and begin taxying toward take-off when weather closes Denver airport (our layover destination). We end up sitting on the plane for like 3 hours before we finally get to take-off. When we land in Denver, Kristin, Skylar, and I rush to our gate to get to our connection and make it just in time. Right when they are to begin boarding, United announces a problem with our plane and they need some time to fix it. We were supposed to leave Denver at 9pm and ended up leaving Denver at 12:15am. It was a LONG DAY! Skylar slept the whole flight home, slept as we got off the plane, slept as we got into the car, and slept until the next morning without waking once --> AWESOME!

Some pics from the trip: Skylar and I dancing at the table.

Aren't we cute?

All of the cousins on my mom's side of the family.

You can figure this one out. Skylar was with my aunt.

We do still take pictures without Skylar occasionally.

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

In my endless quest to make Skylar smile or laugh, I have found that she really enjoys dancing. I like to call it daddy/daughter dance party. She likes when I stand her up and move her around, and she also likes to sit in my lap as I move her arms. The video gives you only a small sample of the amazing repertoire of dance moves that I have at my disposal at any given second. Enjoy.

All Grown Up!

2009-06-10T11:59:00.001-07:00

Skylar has been enjoying sitting up on our laps more and more so we decided to get her her very own chair. She has a tendancy to lean to her right, but I think she's enjoying her new found freedom.

Pretty in Pink

2009-06-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

It was daddy and daughter look-a-like day at church on Sunday. Have you ever seen a more handsome man wear pink?

Uncle Dave

2009-06-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Skylar finally got to meet her Uncle Dave. Another influence to persuade her to the dark side i.e. Bears/Sox/Hawks ultimate fan club.

AT LAST!

2009-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Kristin and I have agonizingly tried a variety of methods to get Skylar to laugh. She has been on the verge for a week or so, but wouldn't cross over and just let that giggle out (kind of shy like mom I guess). Finally, I came through in a big way on Sunday afternoon. I was playing with her in my lap and having her touch her own toes, when I finally had her rub the bottom of her foot with her fingers and the desired response was evoked. The rest is history. Thankfully Kristin was able to quickly film this experience so we now actually have her first laugh on video. Hope you enjoy hearing the long awaited laugh as much as I did (you'll notice weirdly giddy dad in the video).

The Many Faces of Skylar Grace

2009-05-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

Meet the Cousins

2009-05-29T12:18:00.001-07:00

We went on a short trip Memorial Day weekend to Ohio so Skylar could meet her cousins. Below is my brother Brent, his wife Amy and #5, a girl coming soon, with Eve(far left), Johanna, Bennett and baby Kent. Skylar was definitely not used to the volume of noise in the Welborn household.

Bennett being the oldest cousin on both sides of the family loved holding Skylar. She loved him too as she always smiled when he held her. You can tell he's had some practice.

Eve, the motherly one, was so sweet with Skylar. She was a pro as she immediately offered her finger for Skylar to grab when she held her the first time. Maybe Dan and I could take a few pointers from Eve!

Zombie Girl

2009-05-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

Skylar does not like to be burped. Usually she lets out one big cry and then wimpers the rest of the time, however on some rare occasions, she is so full and tired, she falls asleep while you are trying to burp her. It's hard to see in the photo, but she is konked out. A job well done Daddy!

Remembering the Cross

2009-05-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Since Easter, our pastor has been speaking on the Cross and the significance of the Cross. I think Skylar was paying attention. We took a peek at her while she was sleeping, what do you think she's dreaming about?

More Candids

2009-05-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

I believe those are Dan's lips!

Skylar right after a bath.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day with Skylar. Kind of surreal. She wasn't the perfect angel for me as it was the first time I had to take her out of church, but she spent a couple of hours with Grandma and Grandpa Mac and from what we were told she behaved quite well. To Dan's delight, we were able to go see a "chick" flick and to my delight, he finally caved and I got my diamond earrings!

The Famous Pout

2009-05-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

Skylar and I put on our robes for a lazy Saturday morning. She sported her Nike robe, which one of Dan's basketball players got for her, I made pancakes and we chilled. However, as you can see, the bottom lip came out and the tears flowed. Thought you should all see the not so pleasant side of Skylar, although I have to admit, she still looks awfully cute.

Good Morning!

2009-05-08T15:38:00.001-07:00

I think we are in trouble. This is Skylar right after waking up and being fed. She is the happiest first thing in the morning, which is not good for Dan and I as we are not the most perky morning people. I'm sure Dan would agree, one of my favorite times of the day is going in to get her in the morning and seeing the big smile on her face. Daddy took a personal day today to "golf" for a charity event and he was here to see her wake up. We both went in there (daddy with the video camera) just so we could see her gorgeous smile. I can't think of a better way for us to start our morning!

Insert Fist in Mouth

2009-05-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is her new favorite past-time. She loves shoving her fist in her mouth and sucking away. And as parents, we of course sit there staring, fascinated by it. I blame her father's bad influence of biting his nails. Add a few gray hairs on a bigger head and that's what her daddy looks like.

Road Trip

2009-05-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Skylar took her first road trip to Great Grandma Welborn-Zent's farm in Indiana. This is my(Kristin) Dad's mom's house. I was a little nervous, but she had a stellar performance. She slept the entire way there and back.

Candids

2009-05-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Play Time

2009-05-05T10:34:00.001-07:00

Skylar is growing up right before our very eyes. For the first time she made contact with the hanging objects on her little play mat. Whether she meant to or not is another story, but I like to think we have a genius on our hands. She is starting to squeeze our fingers even tighter and she has officially figured out how to shove her entire fist in her mouth. Surprisingly, this keeps her pretty occupied. Hopefully we can get some pictures of that soon!

Mommy's Working

2009-04-24T19:29:00.001-07:00

Just thought you'd like to see what Skylar thinks about Kristin working from home. All three of these pictures are actual footage of Skylar while Kristin was working in our home office. We have a pack-n-play in the office, but we seemed to have found another method to keep Skylar that she is really enjoying.

Do they have adult Boppy Pillows? I'd love to have one for work.

Been Awhile

2009-04-24T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Sorry we haven't updated lately, but some big developments in our house the last few weeks. Kristin has officially returned to work, albeit she has the luxury of working from home on her own schedule. THANK YOU TECHNOLOGY! We spent the last week getting her home office set-up and running; so far so good. Last weekend we were truly blessed (sarcasm) to have our hot water heater die late Friday night. We found it leaking water, and the leak was so bad that we had to have it replaced at 11pm that night. As a side bonus, water leaked under our pergo flooring and caused some of the boards to bow in our downstairs bathroom. I had the joy of pulling out some of the flooring last Saturday and we currently have a hole in our bathroom floor that I hope to get to soon. Here are some pictures that have lightened our mood around here lately.

You can see that Skylar is really starting to brighten up and show some personality. These pictures show the good personality developing. On the dark side, she is also showing signs of developing a bit of an attitude. She throws small, but fiersome tantrums when we interrupt feeding to burp. I'll try and get a video of that on the site soon.

Here you have Skylar enjoying her baby tub. She's really getting bigger and longer so we had to abandon the little sponge bathing apparatus and start using this. The picture is cropped because mommy's etiquette lessons haven't quite sunk in yet and she won't cross her legs like a lady. This is a disturbing trend that I'm hoping to put an end to shortly.

Finally, here's a picture of Skylar with "uncle Brett." He's a college teammate of mine and the first of my college buddies to visit. Skylar had a nice time watching the Blackhawks with the boys and falling asleep on Brett.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on lately. Skylar is getting more expressive and a lot more verbal. My cute little crier has been dialing up the decibel levels lately which is truly enjoyed. Here are a few photos from Skylar's first Easter. We spent the weekend in Milwaukee with Kristin's parents and had a nice relaxing weekend. On Friday night, Skylar slept from about 11pm to after 6am and totally freaked us out. In fact we both woke up and went into the other room to make sure everything was okay because we didn't know how to handle the extended sleep.Skylar's first visit with Great Grandma Morris (Kristin's maternal grandma).Hard to tell, but the picture is Skylar wearing her first hooded sweatshirt. If you've been around me enough, you know the hoodie is a staple of my wardrobe, so I was pumped to have Skylar experience this first.Grandma and Grandpa surprised us with an Easter basket for Skylar. You can't tell but Skylar is also wearing her first dress in this picture complete with tights. Not the most Eastery dress, but it was the only one that fit well (25% for weight remember). Also, notice the legs crossed. Our daughter is a natural lady.
A close-up of her new best friend from her Easter Basket. Finally, here's Grandma and Grandpa Welborn with Skylar. They loved their time with her, of course they both admitted that they never heard her wake up at night, so that helps a lot.

Skylar Up Close and Personal

2009-04-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

In case you wondered what it was like to stare directly into Sklar's face from about 2 feet, the wait is over! Isn't she expressive and well spoken. She does have the hiccups (frequent occurrence); just FYI.

Skylar's One Month Old!

2009-04-07T13:16:00.001-07:00

As you can see, Skylar is starting to show a little more personality. She is more animated each day and starting to be more vocal as well. Here's one of her many smiles. We've been told at this age it's just gas, but I believe it's because she loves spending time with mommy or daddy thinks it's because she thinks he's so funny. Only Skylar knows what's going on in that little pretty head of hers.

Skylar is starting to hold up her head all by herself! She just had a doctor appointment yesterday and we believe she is definitely taking on the McKendrick genetics. She's 25% for weight and 75% for height. Tall and skinny, daddy was pleased as she's keeping his NBA hopes alive. She got another Hepatitis B shot and "took it like a champ" as daddy would say. Overall, she's happy and healthy. The best part is she slept for two 5-hour segments last night. It was FANTASTIC!

Spa Treatment

2009-03-29T13:29:00.001-07:00

As with most babies, Skylar does not appreciate getting stripped down and scrubbed clean. She usually cries the entire time during her bath. However, the second you start getting her hair wet and shampooing her hair, all tears cease and she loves it. She stops all kicking and screaming and just lays there enjoying the warm aroma washing over her. Then once the hair is washed, reality sets in (or the cold) and the crying begins again as the dressing process begins. This is the standard bath time routine. Sometimes Dan and I aren't sure if she is really ours as we love to be clean and enjoy a nice hot shower. Hopefully she will learn by example and not become the "dirty child."

New Toys From DHS Basketball Team

2009-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

As Dan mentioned, Skylar made her first debut at the DHS Varsity Boys' Sports Banquet and to our surprise, she came away with some new toys. Of course, her life would not be complete without not her first, but second basketball. So now, she has collected two basketballs, one football, one soccerball and one volleyball. Do I see a tomboy in the making? I personally loved the big soft teddy bear that is twice her size. Thanks to the basketball team. As you can see, Skylar loves her new toys!

Daddy's Outfit

2009-03-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Skylar made her first public appearance on Wednesday when she came to my year-end basketball banquet. I made Kristin dress her in this outfit that I bought for Skylar. I think it looked fantastic and all of my players and their families agreed. I realize that this is yet another incident of forcing sporting gear on my child, but that's too bad because she looked awesome in the Jordan gear.
Did you notice that she is even wearing Jordan socks? Just making sure you're catching the details!The hat to keep her warm completed the ensemble. I probably would have had her in a pair of Nikes if my wife wasn't so sensible.Striking the traditional Jordan pose. Remember when I wondered what a baby was dreaming about? After witnessing her excitement in wearing the Jordan brand, I now believe that she is dreaming of being the next female dunker and breaking down the oppressive male-only rule for NBA players. Wait, was that me dreaming?