K1 & K2

Ten days short of Korbin's 1st Birthday, on December 27, 2009,  Little Miss Kinslee Marie was born. Little did we know that Koko Bean and Kinslee were going to get to spend a lot more time together and even live in the same city!!

Kinslee's daddy, Shannon's nephew, got a job with our company. Soon after, he packed up the family and headed North from Oklahoma. 

It's great to have them up here and see the girls finally interested in each other. So far, Korbin and Kinslee haven't gotten into too much trouble together and haven't had any knock-down-dragouts yet.... time will tell. 

Korbin loves it when her cousin "Kinsees" comes over to play. 

Last night they shared a snack trap full of Cheerio's and watched Barney in Korbin's bed. 

Korbin saved Kinslee the trouble of having to dig for the cereal herself. 

 Kinslee usually eats whatever Korbin doesn't and Korbin will try to sneak Kinslee's binky when we aren't looking.

I can't wait to see this story of cousins develop. Hopefully they'll be best friends like Uncle Josh and Daddy were. These two, K1 and K2 are probably going to get into fights, mischief and cause many a gray hair, but one thing is for sure, they will always have each other.

WiDe AwAkE

Here I am wide awake at 1:08 am on a Sunday morning when I know I have to work soon. Koko Bean finally just went to sleep for the night (fingers crossed) after eating not one, but two bowls of Rice Krispies.
I just keep thinking to myself what is a mommy supposed to do?

Everyday, we wake up around 8am, shower, get ready, eat breakfast/take a protein shake, take our vitamins, rush rush rush, forget stuff, pack a lunch, forget something else, start the car, oh crap, I forgot to put Korbin's shoes on and my workout bag, and in a blur, we're out the door and off to daycare.

After dropping the Korbster off at her most wonderful and nurturing daycare, I take the long way to work, and think about how the day will go. I don't know if it's a bad thing or not that I don't even worry about how Korbin is going to be at daycare. Most moms worry if their kid will get hurt, fed enough, changed enough, and all I can think about it is getting to work on time (30 minutes before I need to be there.)

As the day goes by, every time I pick up my phone, I see that sweet face. As I help my customers, each and every one, they ask me how my "baby" is and I tell them she's no longer a baby. They ask about her new adventures and her new words she's saying. We laugh and I can only hope my customers know what I'm giving up to help them meet their goals. By around 3pm, I'm desperately missing my munchkin.

Finally 6pm rolls around, I take my preworkout, change into gym clothes, and head out to get my sweet Koko Bean. She runs to me, and sometimes away from me when I get there. I swear she is the only kid not sitting down EVER at daycare. That girl is always on the move, so full of energy. We thank our daycare lady, blow her kisses, push the button (the garage,) and find the moon. Sometimes, the moon is "nigh nigh" and sometimes he's shining ever so brightly on us.

We drive out to the gym where Korbin immediately exclaims, "PLAY!" and "STICKER!" She loves to play at the gym daycare, but I can't help but think that I may be being selfish. I haven't seen her all day long, and here I am taking her to the gym with me. I could wait until 8pm when Daddy gets off work, but I wouldn't get to the gym until around 9pm and by that time, I'm starving so my workout is a waste. This way I tell myself, I can get her home BY 8pm and have a routine where we bathe, play, eat, read and go to bed.

My workout lasts for about an hour and fifteen minutes, then I sign her back out and head home. Then it's eat or not eat depending on her mood, growth spurt, and if the dewpoint is just so. (Seriously, this kid is a picky picky eater!!)  Daddy usually arrives when we do, so we usually play for a bit and have a nice soothing bath. Then we read a book, pop in a movie and she goes to sleep...wait, no she's not asleep? It's 11pm. Seriously? Did you hear that? "DADDY! MOMMY!" And the battle is on....

We try to rock her, quench her thirst, change her diaper, give her gas drops, then melatonin. Finally she relaxes enough where we can put her in bedroom again. Usually the above happens at least three times, minus the gas drops and melatonin of course. Then she finally dozes off around 12am to 1am. Most nights, she'll sleep until 9am.

The struggle for me is that I'm hoping I am doing the right thing. Working out is for me, and for my job. No one wants to buy supplements or take advice from someone who doesn't appear to live the lifestyle they are trying to sell. It's also a great stress reliever. That brings me to work....I LOVE MY JOB! Seriously, I've never done anything for a paycheck before that I actually looked forward to everyday, even on my days off! But there are those days when I see posts from my SAHM (Stay at home Mommy) friends and I want to be them. How lovely would it be to spend all day with my baby girl. I think about the day that hopefully her daddy and I have our own business and maybe just maybe I'm able to stay at home more often with her. Until then, I will go to work, enjoy my work, and bring home a paycheck in order to give her at least the life I had. Growing up, I never wanted for anything. Not that my parents made a lot of money, but I learned from them that you work for what you want, and you are thankful for what you have. This drive they instilled in me will hopefully pass on to my Korbster. She's already got Grammy's OCD. :)

To all my friends, SAHM friends and working mommy friends, I guess we do what we have to do even if we are making sacrifices either way. I just hope I am doing the right thing.

Korbin Year 2

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TaNgLeD

We took Koko Bean to her first big screen movie today in honor of her birthday. But first, she insisted on putting on her scarf, her Tapout shirt, and her Nike sandals.  After donning her pink gear, she got into Mommy's fingernail polish tub and brought Daddy a nice pink color to paint on her nails.

I guess getting gussied up takes a toll on a toddler. While I was getting ready to go, I came into the living room to find my sleepyhead fast asleep on the floor. Notice, she was still in her sandals and scarf.

After letting her sleep for about 45 minutes, we got all bundled up, and headed to Quicktrip for some movie theater snacks we could sneak in with Koko Bean's red M & M bag. Mommy and Daddy's favorite movie snacks are RUNTS, so we had to bring them for Koko Bean's first movie.

Koko Bean was in awe as we walked into the theater. We showed up just in time to watch one preview, then drum roll please...

TANGLED... IN 3D!! 

After Mommy realized there were two sizes of 3D glasses and we finally got the right size for K, we were set. Tangled was a perfect movie for her. She was very still through the first half. Towards the second half, after a few Runts, we had to take a break to check the diaper and walk around a minute. She was beaming from ear to ear as we walked back into the theater to finish the movie. She ended up watching the ending in a standing position by the railing. (We like to sit behind the railing to put our feet up.)

After the movie, we went to Izumi for sushi and a some Japanese steakhouse yumminess. Koko Bean was all smiles when the chef came over to cook our food until he lit the grill on fire... :(

She soon got over the initial shock of the fire and turned back around to watch the end of the show, but with caution. 

When we got home, we finally broke out the birthday cake. I bought her a little one for her the day of her birthday, but next weekend, she will get the real thing. I can't wait to see what my friend Amy cooks up for her. She blew out the candle and got to eat a sliver of it. Of course, like Mommy, she only likes frosting so it didn't take long before the cake was on the floor. 

All in all we had a pretty fabulous day. 

OuR EpIpHaNy

Koko Bean's 2nd birthday was a day to remember. Poor Daddy had been sick for the last three days, so we let him sleep in and headed to the gym first thing in the morning. Koko Bean loves playing at the gym, and when get close to it, she exclaims, "PLAY!! STICKER!!" (She gets a sticker on her back with a number or letter on it every time she goes.) Before we left though, we presented her with her first gift of the day. I didn't even wrap it. It was a doll that talks.... A LOT. When Aunt Tina and I went to buy it the night before, the thing was in demo mode and talked to us the entire shopping trip at Wal-Mart. I couldn't wait to find the "off" switch.  However, when Koko Bean received it this morning, the look on her face was priceless.

After Buff Blonde Mama killed her legs (and broken? toes,) we headed home to get ready for a fun-filled day. We played and rested a bit. Mama was "tarred" as Koko Bean likes to say after someone yawns.

I know it sounds like child abuse to make your kid go to the doctor on her birthday, but honestly we have no other free time, so we headed up to the doctor for her two-year checkup. Koko Bean was in the middle of a nap and was not excited about getting weighed, so she sat on the scale instead of standing and it took Mama hugging her to get her to stand in front of the height measurement device. Of course, Mama didn't mind. :) She weighed in at a solid 25.6 lbs which is in the 33rd percentile, and measured at 33.5 inches tall which is the 40th percentile. Doc said she is a very healthy kid and was impressed at the way we were concerned about her nutrition and development. We were concerned about her eating habits because these days, all she wants to eat are snack foods and when she does eat, it's very little. She is however, a steady drinker... like her buff blonde mama. :) We love our water, especially now since we have our BOBBLES!! He was also very impressed that we give her a multivitamin, fish oil and a probiotic daily. We joke because we know she's going to show up at preschool someday and ask the kids what fish oil they take and start pitching it. Doc said he'd see us in a year, which made us very happy. Now, if only she could learn to not fight bedtime!!

After the checkup, we headed to the Cheesecake Factory. Of course Koko Bean didn't touch anything but the bread, her sucker she received at the doctor's office, and a tiny bit of the ice cream the waiter gave her for her birthday. We had a blast though. She was in full Koko Bean form, entertaining us, the waiter and anyone who passed.

The Cheesecake Factory stuffed us silly, and Daddy and Mama got their cheesecakes and part of their food to go. We headed to Dick's Sporting Goods next. Mama needed to look at some new lifting gloves although she didn't find any. We did find the speed bags and the escalator though. Oh yes, and the Dick's staff. I swear this girl is born to entertain/perform. She turns it on and there is no going back when she has a crowd. I wonder where she gets that....

The evening quickly approached, so we headed back home. Shortly after, Uncle Josh, Aunt Tina and cousin Kinslee came over to give her a birthday present and to chit chat a bit. Josh, Tina and Kinslee just moved here last month from Oklahoma, because Josh got a job with our company, Healthy Life of Kansas, dba GNC. We are ecstatic they are here and have spent many nights since watching the girls play and get to know each other. Kinslee is 10 days short of being exactly a year younger than Koko Bean. We call them K1 and K2.

Koko Bean's second birthday made me reminiscent of the afternoon she was born. As I held her at night, watching Toy Story 3 with her, I thought about what I was doing two years ago that very same time. I remember I was given the option to have her stay in the nursery at the hospital the first night or to stay with me. Of course, I could not let them take her from me and in fact I got in trouble by the staff because I fell asleep with her in my arms. I remember how nervous I was, but how amazed I was that she was MINE for all time. January 6 is considered the Epiphany in most Christian religions. January 6, 2009 was my Epiphany. It was the day that if I had any questions about my Faith, they were all answered, and the day life had changed FOREVER....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KORBIN MAKENNA...MOMMY AND DADDY LOVE YOU WITH ALL OUR HEARTS. :)