catch up

Wow! It has been a busy month. Kaylie turned two and is starting to act even more like a two year old than ever before. It is actually really fun and I am learning a lot about being a parent. Thankfully I have gotten some good advice from others. We had her birthday party a few weeks ago. It was really fun. Last week we went to the zoo and Kaylie liked all the animals but her favorite were hands down the giraffes. Erick and I were able to escape for the weekend to a friends wedding in Vegas. He was the best man. We enjoyed a quick break from Kaylie and I know I came back feeling refreshed. Its amazing what a few extra naps will do for energy and stamina. I have been on Spring Break this week and really enjoying my time off. I am thankful that it came when it did because I was pretty worn out and don't think I could have taken much more work. We are working on toilet training Kaylie and it is going quite well. It will probably be a few weeks before she totally grasps it but I know she will. Every day she proves how smart she is getting. I am in constant amazement with the funny and cute things she comes up with. She is developing a mind of her own and has been on a kick where all she wants to wear are pants. Every morning if I try shorts or a dress she says pants and refuses to back down. I'm going to be having her wear capri's a lot. All in all things are going well in the Cortes household and the pregnancy is progressing as it should. I'm not the world's most patient pregnant woman but that's okay. I am learning a lot from it.

Kaylie's first haircut

Kaylie got her first haircut today! I know you are probably thinking isn't she about to be two? Yes she is. Unfortunately she got my very slow growing hair and so she hasn't had a need for one until now. We took her to the salon and she sat on the booster chair. As soon as this happened she got scared and started to cry. We tried to comfort her but she wasn't very happy. They did her hair which she actually didn't wiggle too much for. We discovered the trick was the singing flower they had. All in all it wasn't too bad of an experience for her and she certainly enjoyed getting a treat from candy machine afterward.

Getting ready for the cut

Daddy can I drive home? I just got my first haircut.

Haircuts are hard work. I'm tired.

Kaylie's latest escapades

Kaylie has been on the move lately and tending to get into situations that are funny but not exactly good. Lets see this past week she has:

Realized she loves to knock over block towers

Found out that the dog's cage is just the right size for a little girl

Realized that you get a funny mustache when you color on yourself with a permanent marker.

Yeah my eyes are having to be a lot more careful and I am having to watch her more closely. The worst day will be when she learns to open the doors.

Our house is sick!

Yeah so we have some sort of fever/cold going around our house. I'm not sure where it came from or how long it will last but poor Erick and Kaylie both have it. I've not got the fever or cold but I've got nausea from this pregnancy pretty bad. I am thankful though I get an ultrasound on Friday! I am super excited. I think its still too early to see if the baby is a boy or a girl but it will sure be nice to have a more tentative due date! Its a little lame having to tell people I think I'm due some time in July. I am glad to have the chance to have another baby.

Exciting news in the Cortes Family!!

Just an update to let you know I am expecting our second child to be due in July! We are super excited as you can probably assume. I have been feeling alright however, I have had more sickness with this baby than I did with Kaylie.

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas here at the Cortes House. Kaylie was at just the right age to not quite understand Christmas and Santa but love the presents and fun stuff the little spoiled miss got! She just loves her kitchen set which we spent all month finding and choosing. She also loves her drum, purse, and every other thing she got. Did I mention she was a bit spoiled by all this Christmas? Erick and I enjoyed watching the sheer joy on her face as she saw more and more of her toys and it brought back memories for me of being a child and having santa come. It truly is so much more fun to see things through the eyes of a child.
I think for me though the best part was Christmas Eve. We had our parents over and surprised them with a super yummy dinner of steak and shrimp which was enjoyed by all. We then sang tons of Christmas Carols and opened a few presents. The next day we went to my in laws house for a nice enjoyable dinner with family. Overall it was a wonderful Christmas with plenty of good memories.

Graduation and winter break

I did it. I finally got my Master's Degree. It felt so nice to be able to walk and have that moment where I could really say Wow! My goal is accomplished. I did it. I will admit now I don't quite know what to do but I haven't had too much trouble finding things to fill the time. I am really enjoying being primary chorister and coming up with ideas and games to teach the kids the songs. I also am finally on Winter Break which is good because I was really tired and not quite enjoying my job because of this. I have been scrapbooking this afternoon which is always one of my favorite activities. I am also enjoying spending time with Kaylie and look forward to when Erick gets Christmas Eve and Day off. I hope Christmas is good for all of you. Here are some pictures of my graduation and other things that have been going on with us.