The Kinley Family

The Real Supermom!!

2011-05-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day 2011---what a celebration! And so many kuddos to the real supermom...my mother. I never fully realized how blessed I was to have such an incredible mom until I became one myself. I used to point out her flaws, never truly appreciating the amazing qualities she personified. The list of amazing attributes is endless. I mean seriously, what mom would pick up the phone after I had already called 10 times just to relay another funny comment Kennedy had, or a stupid question about how long to boil an egg, or to listen to me cry for the third time in one day? She is always there for me, always the first to be on my side. Over the past year I have been an emotional wreck. My mom always was the person I called first. There is no one quite like her. She is funny, full of energy, giving, independent, thoughtful, and the best nanni out there!! I wouldn't be here today if not for my mom. I have put her through the wringer over the years--Lord knows--and she still loves me unconditionally...flaws and all. I have realized that what I used to think were flaws are now the reasons why I love my mom so much. I only hope that I can be as good of a mother as she has been to me. I have a lot of work cut out for me in the years ahead!! Love you MOM!!!

Really? Only a 17 month long hiatus!

2011-05-06T00:52:00.000-07:00

May 2011...only over a year since my last post. My excuse? I have many. Let me see...

#1--my life has been so jam packed with story time, ABC time, heavy duty cleaning, organizing and organizing, meal planning, trying to save the world, martial art training, scholar and intellectual growth, family bonding...you name it.

As if you didn't know already...I am super mom. Although, super mom takes on a whole new meaning in the Kinley house. The other day I asked a friend if I was a "planner"? In my mind, I thought "of course! I always plan to wake up earlier, plan to workout--tomorrow, plan to finally break Kenny's use of the pacifier at night, plan to finally post another eventful and productive day on my blog..." but to my surprise an immediate and shocking "NO!!!" quickly spurted out of my friends mouth.

Okay. So I know this is shocking to you all to hear this about me. I was shocked too! I mean really? I thought I was the mom who had everything planned! Well, I soon realized (3 seconds later) she was right. Is this a good or bad thing? I have always admired people that showed up early for things, kept a schedule, used a label maker (for heaven sakes!), had bins for everything, and whose house always smelled of lysol upon entering. Unfortunately, God did not bless me with this attribute. So, unfortunately, this thorn in my side filtered into my blogging ability and I am on a mission to PROVE that there is no thorn on this rose stem when it comes to being a planner. I have turned over a new leaf----or cut off all the thorns (you pick). First step to this transformation? DA DA DAAAAA.....No cable.

What was I thinking? No more Real Housewives? What about American Idol? I can stream it through the computer! Fantastic! Now, how am I going to watch my episodes through the internet after I have made all my other fantastic plans for the day? Solution! Get a laptop!!! Kaaaaacchhhiiiinnng! I can sneak into the closet and secretly get my fix for the day when Dusty isn't looking! He is not an enabler and is trying to be a good support in my quest to becoming the next Martha Stewart/Betty Crocker/June Cleaver.

So I thought I would pay homage to the loss of cable in my first post this past year. It is a tragic loss and one that needs recognition. I thought that I could possibly make the day I lost cable as a national holiday, but that takes a LOT of planning and persistence when trying to establish a new recognized holiday....and planning is just not my cup of tea...not yet anyways.

#2 reason for the lack of blogging contact with the rest of the world: I have 2 rugrats. I call them Miss Noodle and Mr. Meatball.

Miss Noodle is a rambunctous (spelling? another thorn...oh wait, there is spell check) rambunctious little 3 year old that cracks me up...most of the time. In between the whining and temper tantrums...no she is an angel. Never in trouble, always polite and well mannered, eats her veggies and never asks to go to McDonalds...NEVER! My kid? She does tell me I am beautiful everyday so I have trained her well thus far! She's a lover of the mcnuggets, park escapades and bedtime stories...especially in mom and dad's bed. And she has perfected the stealth move into the parent's bedroom at 3 am quite well. She is also a lover of her Hello Kitty big girl panties! Not the 15 other polka dot and kitty cat ones that look identical to her Hello Kitty ones...sheesh. Emphasizing big girl panties...yes, a 3 year old POTTY TRAINED girl! No more pink princess pullups (except at night, when I don't forget). Yes, I learned I must never forget a pullup at night...the hard way. I have to say that I never get tired of hearing "I luv you more than chocolate Mommy!!" That must be a lot! I find it funny to see Kennedy aka Miss Noodle, bossing Mr. Meatball around all day long. He just rolls with the flow...like a meatball would. They are never separated...like good spaghetti. I am getting hungry. Yes, motherhood has made my thoughts even more random, so hopefully you can follow this scattered brain of mine---or what is left of it anyways.

So onto Mr. Meatball....what a silly guy he is! So different from Miss Noodle! Unlike Kennedy who is very strongwilled and bossy, affectionate and determined...Meatball is a character! I can't wait to hear what is really going on in that head of his! He is constantly bumping into things, taunting his sister, acts like he doesn't hear you or is oblivious at times. He is laid back, but at the same time stubborn when it comes to being told to sit still for longer than 5 seconds. He is always on the go (constantly) and unlike his sister, who can sleep through a freight train collision, he wakes up at the sound of a whisper! I have to throw out a huge warning to all the fathers out there though about this Mr. Meatball. This is important, so pass on this information to anyone that has a daughter. He is a serial Kissing Bandit. Yes, it is scary, but I assure you, he is harmless. Today I told him to give his daycare lady a kiss goodbye. So off he trots/runs over to Miss Erika and after standing and waiting (patiently) for all of 5 seconds, he turns to the bear statue next to him and starts landing a wet kiss on his rubber nose. I did alert you all to the danger of this Mr. Meatball/Kissing bandit that is residing in tacoma washington. Don't say I didn't warn you!

As for me...I know you are dying to hear what else is going on in this head of mine. I have come to the conclusion that I must have ADD, and not just a mild case, but full blown. I mentioned to Dusty that I think I could possibly, just maybe, have 1 or 2 signs of ADD, perhaps. Awaiting complete shock and disbelief in my diagnosis he says, "I could have told you that a LONG time ago!" Oh really Mr. Know-It-All? If you were so smart, how come I had to tell you this? He then proceeded to inform me that when I clean, I always start in one corner or room and never seem to get it finished! Ha! YOU do the cleaning then!

So, the next day, I decided to prove him wrong. I cleaned the WHOLE house! Top to bottom...can't you just smell the Lysol aroma??? Yes, he was impressed. Especially when he found the crumpled up paper in the trash with a list of all the things I need to clean. Clean kitchen floor, wipe counters,bathroom break, unload dishes, make dinner, fold laundry, load dishes, wash hands, clean up dinner, feed kids (yes, feed the children), bathroom break, bathtime, brush teeth, floss (plan to floss tomorrow), bedtime story, kids---out...with check marks beside them all. I didn't want to forget anything right? It is only a MILD, yet SLIGHT form of ADD. The list was only to keep me on track. I had to figure out whether or not my diagnosis was correct. List making, just the important things that people need to be reminded of (not the everyday things that people just do because it is second nature) is essential to a good planner, and I have that down for sure so maybe this isn't ADD. Either way, maybe I should just invest in some post-its.

So, back to me...life couldn't be better. I plan to post more. PLAN is the key word here, but next time I will include some pics. A year's worth of them!

Great Wolf Lodge or BUST!

2010-03-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Kenny was obsessed with the water spouts! It was too funny!

Uncle Adam and cousin Ruger

Kennedy and her life jacket

Poppy and Grammy with the kiddos

Our little family of 4

Tyce and his dadda

For christmas this year, the Kinley grandparents decided to spend their money on a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge! It was so fun and amazing. I can't believe all the fun activities they have for kids. I am really excited for when the kids get a little older and can do more stuff. They had a cute bedtime story with animated characters and even a little spa for girls to get their pedis and manis. I can't wait to take Kennedy back for that. Overall, the trip was funfilled, but I wish the water would have been a little warmer. Kennedy was freezing!

Christmas Time

2010-03-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Yes she does!

Grandpa and his girl

Tyce at 6 months old

Snuggle bear

Siblings...so blessed they love each other

Gotta luv his little grin

Gosh, I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since I last posted something to our blog. Shows how crazy life has been. I am now working about 32 hours a week and it is exhausting! So hard when kids are sick and you have to leave work or not go in or find another sitter. I hate that part. So, I am trying to get some old posts done and figured I should back track to december!

Photoshoot!

2009-12-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a long long time since I updated our blog! I tried for quite awhile to upload these pics and it wasn't working, but I finally got them posted. We did this photoshoot for our christmas card this year and the photographer did an amazing job! There were so many photos to choose from! Tyce is now 6 months old and kennedy is 22 1/2 months. This year has flown by! Dusty is still doing great in his job and I decided to go back to being a banker at Wells Fargo in November. I am only part time and that gives us full benefits, so that is a plus. Medical is sooo expensive. I love having that break during the week and it makes me cherish the time I do spend with the kiddos so much more. We also took a MUCH needed vacation to Cabo a couple weeks ago and I will be posting those soon. I hope all of your holiday seasons were fun filled and not too stressful! Can't wait for 2010!

It's Halloween Time!

2009-11-02T22:45:00.001-08:00

Kenny loves putting on new hats all by herself!

Our boy is a drooler, spitter, pooper, farter...multi-talented!

We thought we might make him a girl for halloween, but DAd nixed that idea. Is this what he would have looked like if he had been a girl? He isn't liking the idea either...

This is the best picture I got of our lil pumpkin. She now likes to show people how old she is. Hopefully she can figure out the number 2 in a couple months!

Chirp chirp chirp...

So Halloween wasn't as funfilled and action packed as others. Dusty was away at the Duck vs. USC game and we stayed home. Too much work lugging down two little ones and trying to go to a crazy game on Halloween night! Plus, the kids got sick, mainly Kenny with a cold and I just didn't want to make it any worse. So I stayed in, afraid to answer the door for trick or treaters, since I was home alone and felt like I was the Scrooge of Halloween. Oh well...we can make it up next year when the kids will really appreciate it!

Couples Date away from the kiddos!

2009-11-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

My lil man

Tyce and Tay...he just makes me want to squeeze him!

Kennedy thought she found a clever hiding spot

This is as close as we are going to get to a family picture

DAd and Tyce...i think he resembles Dad, but we still aren't sure..

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Dusty, myself, Dusty's sis Taylor and bro in law Adam all went to a day matinee of Couples Retreat. It was pretty good. Just good to get out without the kids while the grandparents watched them ALL! What angels! Having kids is a tough job and that is putting it lightly. It is the funnest and most cherishable time of my life, being able to stay home with the kiddos, but it has definitely taken a toll on me. I hate the fact that I love my babies more than anything and yet feel like I am not being the best mom I could be because my days are from 6-8:30 without Dusty, and then its soon bedtime. My only break comes when I take them to workout. So, for my sanity and because I want to find more happiness in my job as a mother, I decided to go back to work part time. I start next week, back at the bank where I absolutely loved my job. The benefits are a key factor in me returning as well. Not only will it give me some time for myself, but we will get outstanding benefits, save on medical bills, and have a little extra money to pay off the medical bills we have already acquired. I just pray that this is the best decision for our family and myself. I don't know how its going to feel being away from them 20 hours a week, but I think it will be a good thing and I feel at peace with it. I will keep you all posted though of course!

Bodybuilding show

2009-10-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

Jenny got 5th place and is on the right

Leah got 5th as well in her division and is second from the right

Leah, Kristy and us...we look pale

Go Kristy...on the right

Katie and Jesse

Just us girls away from the kiddos!

The girls

We are ready to eat!

We went to a bodybuilding show where 3 of Dusty's clients competed in. Leah and Kristy are also trainers at the studio where Dusty works, but Dusty was training them for this competition. They looked amazing and did so well, being their first competition. Jenny looked amazing too, she should have placed higher, but there are a lot of politics in these shows. It really doesn't matter what place they got. They all looked amazing and I know that I couldn't do what they do. All the preparation, working out, dieting...it is crazy how much work goes into a figure competition. Dusty is an amazing trainer and I am so proud of what he has helped these girls achieve!

Melissa B's Shower!

2009-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

What a fun day!

Jenn and Tyce

I have already trained her to do her chores!

Lil Owen and Kennedy

The Mom of the day and me

Holding lil Eddie

Carla and Tyce...so great to see the O'Neills

Me, Jenn, and Ali...gosh I miss them...

My girls from High School

I was so excited to celebrate the arrival of little Eddie with everyone. Melissa's shower was so fun and it was so great to see people from high school that I hadn't seen in quite some time. I loved the part where we went around and gave advice for Melissa or said something encouraging for her. She really is meant to be a mom and there wasn't much advice needed to give to her. Melissa is so unselfish and I know, in agreement with everyone else, that she is going to be a great mom to little Eddie. I am so glad she is back in Washington, although eastern Washington seems still so far away! All in all, it was such a fun shower!

Recent pics!

2009-09-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

Tyce is already and instigator...look at that smug face!

Urrr...mom, I am not that advanced yet

10 weeks old

He likes his new mat! Thanks Kim!

My lil poser

I am ready to work out mom

The doc told me to stop feeding him so much, but I told her I will just cut the creatine out and that should help...

I still don't know what color his eyes are going to be

...hers are Definitely blue!

Tyce just had his hearing test and he has perfect hearing! Whoohoo! So he has made all of us worry for the first couple months after birth and is totally healthy! Geez...thank you lord! I finally got some new pics up for you all to see. Tyce is now 10 weeks and Kennedy is 19 months. She is talking so much! It is crazy the stuff she is repeating now. I love her "pleases" the most. Oh, of course momma is great too! Thanks for all of your prayers with the hearing test. We feel so thankful!

Tyce's 2 month checkup!

2009-09-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today Tyce had his scheduled 2 month checkup! Finally, a doctor appt that was already planned in advance! He is a little chubbo. I call him my lil Luigi because he has these short legs and long torso like his dad. He was in the 25th percentile for height, 75th for weight, and 15th for head. So he is a big short man with a little head! What was hilarious was that when the nurse had him on his back he kept lifting each leg and farting really loud. I told her that his dad taught him that. Quite impressive! Then she tried to calm him down before his shots, but I told her he is always making those grunting noises. He snores really loud too! I have to turn the monitor down just to fall asleep. He is sleeping really good now-from about 10-6 which is great for me! I had to let him cry the first couple nights in order to get him to sleep better. That is definitely a hard thing to do, but well worth it! Other than that, he is in perfect health and doing great!

Kennedy is still loving being a big sis! It is amazing what I can get her to say for a taste of my protein drink. As soon as she hears the blender she comes a runnin! She already has acquired a taste for ice cream and I know she is going to be an ice cream lover when she gets older. Over cookies and everything else, she loves the ice cream! Will post pics soon!

Gpa and Gma's 25th wedding anniversary!

2009-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dusty's entire family

The boy is konked out

Mommas and their boys

Aunt Sue Sue and Kenny

Little Ruger man

Future Duck??

Maddie and me with Tyce...she was such a big help!

Kenny loved the jumping gym!

She also loved the rocking horse

Momma and her girl

Grammy and Kennedy

Still needs to figure out how to wear Dad's sunglasses

GG and little man Tyce

Renewing their vows

Uncle George...we love him!

GG cried when she saw her favorite idol impersonator Elvis!

Us again with Uncle George

The whole fam

Relaxing on the swing

Dusty's grandparents with all of their kids

They could be twins!

This past weekend we traveled down to Fall Creek Oregon for Dusty's grandparents 25th wedding anniversary. They renewed their vows in front of all of their family and friends. It was quite the shindig! We took lots of pictures to capture the event. The highlights were definitely the sweet renewal vows, Elvis impersonator, karaoke, and lots of great food. It took a lot of work on all of the family's part, putting on the event, and everyone camped out on their property for the weekend. Thankfully we got to stay in Aunt Sue sue's bedroom with the kiddos. It was a lot of fun and really great seeing everyone again!

Dusty's reunion and ANOTHER long night in the ER!!

2009-08-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Dusty already has him reading at an early age...

Us at O'Blarneys

Kennedy and her stitches

She loves her brother Tyce

Grammy babysat for us

Old man

He is growing so fast!

Grammy and her munchkins

Crazy Kennedy...doing what she loves...jumping on the couch

Before the big fall...she is still up at 11 pm!

Kinleys and the Linichs

Kinleys and the Lenzions

Dusty's best girlfriend from high school

Elisa, Destiny and me...can't believe Destiny is a distant relative!

I luv my hubby!

YES! We are finally going to be kid free!

Dusty and Scott

Elisa...what a cutie patootie!

Destiny...gorgeous girl!

Sorry I posted a bunch of pictures but the night was full of old friends and then a hectic ending! Dusty had his 10 year reunion at O'blarneys and we were so excited to dress up and actually look attractive for each other for once! After all the fun and relaxation, of course it didn't end that way. We got back to gma's house and literally 10 minutes later, Kennedy was up on a swivel chair and pulled this glass fishtank off the end table and then fell off the chair on the broken glass. It was so scary because as soon as we picked her up, we knew she was cut from all the blood everywhere. We ended up rushing to the emergency room in Olympia where we had to wait with Tyce as well for nearly 2 hours! Kennedy received 2 staples and a stitch to the back of her head but was a trooper. She hardly cried. She is such a tough cookie! After finally getting home at 3, we were exhausted neadless to say. I swear...we should have a VIP pass to the emergency room by now seeing that this is the second time in 2 weeks! Uh! Kids are stressful and being a parent is so hard. The worries that come with having kids! We are so so thankful things didn't turn out worse. At least they didn't have to shave her hair. They must have known how long it took for it to grow out! Always looking at the upside of things you know!

KiDs Are sO FuNny!

2009-08-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

The obsession with the binkie has just doubled...obviously she doesn't like to share the binkie with her brother!
...and she doesn't like to share HER chair either...

...and she thinks she has found a much better use for momma's underwear...

...its her new fashion trend coming out this fall...

...and Tyce wants nothing to do with any of this...

So I normally wouldn't post pics of my underwear for anyone to see, but I found this too amusing. Thankfully this week has been less stressful and the fun has just begun! Tyce is totally in the clear now and we are so grateful! Kennedy has now taken advantage of his good health and started to help out by gladly taking his pacifier whenever she gets the chance. I tried to give her her own, but you can see from the pics that two is much better than one. How am I going to break this habit?? Tyce doesn't seem to mind at this point. I think he is adjusting to letting his things be her things as well. One of her new favorite things to do now is burp Tyce. I think it is because it is the one time where hitting is okay!

Gpa John's Bday party

2009-08-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Kennedy absolutely loves milkshakes! She always signs please and more whenever we have one, but this one was made especially by gma for her
Tyce was konked out for once and missed the family photo

She has only just begun and was so excited she got her own glass

Gma Logue and Tyce

We are so glad to have him home

My kiddos

Today we got to enjoy celebrating Gpa John's bday at the Logue house in Oly. We were so thankful to have Tyce with us. It has been a whirlwind of a week and it definitely has taken a toll on us. For the past week, I haven't broke down or cried over dealing with Tyce in the hospital until today. Since he was born it seems like it has been one stress after another. First he was in the NICU, then the doctors scared us by telling us he had signs of Downs (which he is totally fine and healthy now), failed his hearing test, then back to the hospital for a week because he had a virus. On top of that, I was recovering from a csection, functioning on little sleep and just started experiencing the baby blues. Not to mention...we do have a 17 month old that keeps me busy throughout the day. Dusty worked the entire week while Tyce was in the hospital so that we could afford the coming hospital bills so I had to try and comprehend all the doctor lingo that was thrown at me through the day. It has been really hard but I have had a lot of supportive friends and family checking in and praying for us. Dusty has been very supportive, as much as he can, but I am stubborn and sometimes neglect to ask for help when I need it. Half of the time I don't feel like I need it, but after this emotional breakdown today, I realize that I do need to ask for help more often.

We are so thankful Tyce is healthy and home again. He has a repeat ear checkup this month and hopefully that goes well. A lot of times csection babies fail their first test so we hope this is the case. Keep him in your prayers when it comes to this please! Poor guy. He is definitely a little more high maintenance than Kennedy so that is also difficult. I think it took me a couple hours to finally get him to sleep tonight, which was only about 10 minutes ago around 11:30. That stinker! In the hospital, the nurses woke him up every 2 hours to feed him so he is on that routine and hopefully breaks out of that soon. This week tyce has a couple of doc appts to checkup on everything, so I am just praying for strength to deal with another somewhat stressful week. I don't think it will compare to last week though. I will keep you posted. Thank you again for all your prayers and support in all of this. God is good and I know Tyce is in his hands. That is the one thing that gives me comfort and strength in all of this. Boy, kids are stressful and it has only just begun. I can't wait for the teenage years...my poor parents, now I know the stress I caused them!

Hospital pics

2009-08-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

Rockin my baby

Grammy came and kept Tyce company. His poor arm has a huge sling because of his IV

All hooked up with the monitors

Tyce is Home!

2009-08-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update to let you all know that Tyce is home and is doing well! Thank you for all of your prayers! Turns out he did just have a viral infection and they termed it "sepsis". I think that is just a broad term when they don't know exactly what viral infection he had. Things are good though and we are so blessed he is feeling better!

Update on Tyce

2009-07-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to start with this post. As of right now, Tyce is still in the hospital but is doing better and I hope he is able to come home tomorrow. It has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions the past few days. As I write this, I am at home and Tyce is alone in the hospital which tears at my heart. I hate that I cannot be with him, but I also have Kennedy at home now and have her to watch after. A lot has happened, even since my last post. I must say, I don't know how parents deal with things without the faith that God is in control of everything. From the get go, I prayed and felt God always told me that this was just a viral infection that Tyce had. Today I was told at different times, that perhaps he might need a bone marrow biopsy and that something else might be causing his symptoms. I had to wait numerous times for answers and still felt that nothing too serious was the cause of his illness. So, after the hematologist told me that he ended up not needing the bone marrow biopsy, all that was left to look after was his oxygen saturation and to make sure he was able to breathe on his own without additional oxygen. So far, as soon as they stopped the oxygen, he was breathing on his own and his status hasn't changed. What a miracle and blessing! I just hope his status continues to improve and we are able to bring our little guy home tomorrow. It is crazy how a little infant at 4 weeks could have a viral infection and get so sick so fast. I will never judge another mother in the future when they seem too cautious taking their newborn out and about too soon because it is true when they say that newborns are very susceptable to illness. Thank you lord for protecting Tyce and for allowing us to not worry too much about the worst case scenarios. Now it is time for some much needed rest for the night because Lord knows I need it! Thank you for all your prayers and support through all of this!

Back to the hospital

2009-07-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post, but life has been super busy with a newborn and toddler! Life has definitely been crazy lately. So for those of you that need an update, Tyce is still in the hospital and has been since this past Monday. I will try to give the best update although I must admit that I am exhausted and a little delirious at this point.

So we are back in the hospital...again! I am having de ja vu since we were just here 4 weeks ago to the date! Monday morning I noticed that Tyce felt hot, called the doc because he had a temp of 103 and they told us to go straight to the ER. What? I forgot that when it comes to a newborn, temps are taken very seriously and little ones can get really sick really fast. So, with my el camino aka double stroller, I towed Kennedy along and ended up in the ER for a couple hours with both kids on one of the most beautiful days all summer long! After getting Kennedy situated with family, Taylor and my mom have watched her (thankfully, and I don't know what we would do without them!), Tyce got checked in and has been up and down now for a couple days. They did a spinal tap and ran a bunch of lab tests to determine whether he had a viral infection or a bacterial infection. Obviously, a fever shows there is something wrong and they wanted to start treating him with antibiotics while they waited for the bacterial tests to come back which takes up to 48 hours. Well, as you can probably count, 48 hours is up and he is STILL here in the hospital! Every test came back negative so that is good. It looks like it is a viral infection but we are still waiting. The greatest bonus is that on the hottest day ever, we got to relax in an air conditioned room! At least he is able to lounge in what I call his baby king size crib. It is high tech, let me tell you. And then there is my luxury bed that has this plastic that feels so great when it sticks to my legs. I also am able to get a tan through the window at 5 in the morning when it blinds straight into Tyce's room! It is great! The sounds of the constant music (aka beeping from the monitors) and visitors every 10 minutes (aka doctors) make me feel like I am about to lose my mind. I swear it feels like I am in a Grey's anatomy episode with all these interns making the rounds and looking over Tyce. So, to make things short after this long blog, Tyce's red and white cell counts are low and they want to see them go up before releasing him. His temp is still up and down as well and his breathing is somewhat erratic at times. They call it his oxygen saturation. All these terms, all these things I am trying to remember. All I know is that this little man has caused me more stress in 4 weeks than I have had in years! He better have this out of his system soon because if this is a sign of stress that is to come in his later years, I will have to seriously invest in some heavy duty hair dye to bleach all my future gray hairs! Please keep Tyce in your prayers! Sorry if I haven't returned many calls. I am just exhausted and trying to keep it together through everything! Hopefully this helps let everyone know how Tyce is doing!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Dad and his kids--Tyce looks so small compared to Kennedy!

Kisses for little brother--not the most photogenic pic of tyce!

Happy 4th!

The 4th of July came and went by super fast this year! We didn't do anything special since I was still recuperating from surgery. It was such a nice day though and I was totally bummed that I wasn't feeling too hot. I have never been a 4th of July super fan and am especially not this year! It gives you a totally new perspective when you have 2 little ones and fireworks are going off until the early morning! I am sure I will be a little more festive come next year. Kennedy is smitten with her brother. It is really adorable. She loves to come up to Tyce and touch is face and hair. She hasn't shown any jealousy so far so that is a blessing. I thought she would be a great big sis, but am amazed at how well she is adjusting. It has helped a lot that visitors have stopped by and given her extra attention. I hope it continues to be like this!

Back at home with the kiddos!

2009-07-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Tyce

Kennedy as a new born! I think they look alike!

Kennedy

Back at home with Dad

She is just learning how to say "cheese"

Grammie and Tyce

His eyes stay open for just about 15 minutes a day...

Momma and Tyce

Kennedy and her big girl bed

What a peanut!

First bath

Does this count as his first smile?

Pictures of our little guy Tyce Donavon!

2009-07-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

grammie neece

I'm still #1!!!

mama's kisses

Kenny's first mtg with her brother

what is that??

katie and lil jesse

uncle justin and aunt kate

gpa gurnsey

gma logue

gpa and gma gurnsey

his favorite thing to do!

proud papa

our family of 4

Our newest addition--Tyce Donavon Kinley!

2009-06-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I am actually blogging while sitting up in my hospital bed! I will be posting pictures soon but thought I would give an update on our little one! Tyce Donavon Kinley arrived via planned csection on June 29th at 8:31 a.m. He weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs 13 ounces and measured 19 3/4 inches long. I would have to say this time around was completely different than my last csection. We showed up at 6 in the morning and had a baby about 2 hours later...no pushing involved! It was crazy! I will have to say that the biggest let down was that Tyce had to spend most of his first day in the NICU because he had fluid in his lungs and had a little trouble breathing. It was so weird to not even hold him once he was born. We saw him for only a couple of minutes and off he went. I kept saying that the first day it felt as though I didn't even have a kid because he was nowhere in sight. At around 5 that afternoon he was able to return to us though and is doing great. He is such a little guy even though Kennedy was a few ounces smaller than him! I see some resemblances to Kennedy for sure, but some people have commented that he looks a little more like me than Kennedy did at birth.

I have to say that this time, the csection has been a little more painful than last time. I hope people can read this and get an update because I haven't been up to calling people and chatting with them like I did with Kennedy. It is getting better though and I am so anxious to head home tomorrow and see Kennedy. We wonder what she is going to think of her new little brother! We are so excited to be a family of 4 and have our new little guy with us! Pictures will be coming soon!

Goodbye to our family of 3!

2009-06-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

She has got this pointing thing down, but can't figure out half the time what she is pointing at!

Last portrait of our family of 3

Rainbow Brite

38 weeks and ready to pop

She loved this motorized scooter or bike (whatever you call it). I think it is time to invest in something like this!

Well, this is the last night I will spend being the mother of 1 child! In less than 9 hours we will welcome our baby boy into this world! We are so excited and eager for Kennedy to meet her little brother. Today we went down to Taylor and Adam's house to celebrate Poppy Duwayne's birthday. It really made me wish we had a back yard because Kennedy was acting like a kid in a candy store outside today. She drove the motorized bike and loved the kid trampoline. She was laughing the whole time and didn't even seem to care when we left! That was amazing because lately she has cried every time I leave her. You can tell she was having fun and that she loves her aunt and uncle. I still had some tears though (I must admit) leaving her. It is only for a few days but I haven't been away from her that long before! Crazy, but we have a good reason to be gone and will get to bring her home a present in the end! I can just imagine what she is going to think with this new kid in town. If she could talk, I bet she would ask when this kid is going to go back home to his parent's house! Hopefully she will love her little brother to pieces! Can't wait to hold the little guy and announce his arrival---oh, and the name! I am dying to tell everyone I know!

Father's Day

2009-06-22T01:05:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe how big Hyde has gotten! I amazed at his baseball skills. I wonder if he will grow up to become a professional baseball player. I would tell him "Nice hit" and he would reply "Nice catch auntie!" He is such a polite little guy.

Kennedy was hilarious on this motor gator. She would lounge back and drive it herself. She hasn't quite realized the steering component though.

Kennedy must have had this cookie in her hand for well over 15 minutes. Ruger unfortunately missed out because Kennedy grabbed the last of the bunch!

Dusty hates pictures. I swear I have to force him to take any, but he willingly agreed to get in a picture with his little sis.

Happy Father's Day Dusty!

Today was Father's Day number 2 for Dusty! Gosh, time has flown by this past year. There are so many reasons why Kennedy is lucky to have such an amazing dad. He tucks her into bed, changes her stinky diapers, tickles her, chases her around, smothers her with kisses and is always there to pick her up when she holds up her hands to him. I am one lucky girl to be blessed with a great hubby and father to my kid!

Family Baby Shower

2009-06-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

Kennedy couldn't understand why this fake apple didn't taste quite right...
My mom and I

My sis-in-law Taylor

Kate and Me opening presents

Mama and Kennedy

Great-grandma Jean and Me

The hostess aunt Carrie

4 generations of the women in our family

Today my aunt and mom threw me a second baby shower! It was so fun spending time with everyone and baby boy Kinley got a whole bunch of new clothes and gifts! We are set for awhile now! My aunt Carrie did such a great job hosting the event. Her home is beautiful and I must say that she is quite the landscaper! I should have taken some pictures of her backyard! Kennedy did really well even though she didn't have a nap at all! Some of my favorite gifts were of course all the adorable clothes, a fireman's hat from Gma Kinley, fireman quilt from Gma Logue, diaper cake from Aunt Carrie, and I CANNOT forget the pacifiers from Kate and Justin! Those are a necessity! Oh, and the swaddle from gma Logue...hopefully the little man will love it as much as Kennedy. I can't believe I don't have one of Gma Kinley in here! Ruger and Kennedy looked so cute together too! They look like they could be twins..its hilarious.

36 weeks!

2009-06-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

It is great that I have this blog to keep track of this growing belly. Otherwise, I would have these pictures on my computer and not remember how far along I was in each of them! I feel funny posting pics of myself on the computer, but I have to remember it is 2 of us now! You just can't see the little guy yet. I think he might be camera shy! Only 2 more weeks to go and I am getting nervous. More so for Kennedy's adjustment to having another one fight for my attention. She has been extremely clingy lately and I think she senses a change coming. It is amazing how much she changes in just a few days. She has now started repeating more words and babbling to herself throughout the day. Today she showed me where her toes are and started repeating words such as car, shoe, and a few others. I get so excited when I can make out what she is saying. Tomorrow is my family shower and I am so excited to see all my family. Some of them I haven't seen in a year! Can't wait to celebrate with everyone! Also, I have to brag, but Dusty was just featured in a magazine for being a runnerup for best trainer in South Sound! He keeps telling me to stop boasting about it and that it isn't that big of deal, but I must disagree with him! I am so proud of him and the work he has done helping people get fit and healthy! I am so proud of you honey!

Life is good!

2009-06-10T00:40:00.001-07:00

So no pics this time, just an update. I cannot say enough how truly blessed I feel to have such an amazing husband and father. Dusty is working so hard to take care of us and I am so proud I get to be his wife. Kennedy absolutely adores her da da. I try to get her to repeat ma ma, but she insistently says da da each time. It is pretty funny. She has started babbling a lot more and repeating things I say. She has now mastered the "uh oh" and knows what a monkey, dog, and duck say. Her favorite is the duck. She is such a big helper to her mama. She puts away her toys, helps unload the dishwasher and brings things to us when asked. She plays really well with others too. I have never seen her hit another kid, so that is a bonus! She is a gentle soul and hopefully will be that way with her little brother.

On a side note...the scariest thing happened last night (pretty funny now that I think of it), but a prankster left a burning pile of dog poop on our doorstep, rang the doorbell and ran off. It is comical that someone would find this to be hilarious, but freaked me out that someone was pounding on both the front door, then the back door, and ringing the doorbell at almost midnight. I didn't know what was going on, thinking someone was trying to break in or something until I woke Dusty up and he proceeded to open the door and see the smoldering smelly pile of crap (literally)! Anyways, I couldn't fall asleep until about 3 because I wondered if these kids would return and retaliate because Dusty thought it would be wise to chase after their car with a bat! I think it might be wise if he stays inside next time! I know he saw the terror on my face when all this happened and was just trying to protect us. Thank God I have no wussy for a husband! I bet they won't mess with him in the future!

After a long and interesting night, life has settled back down. I am now 35 weeks prego and just tonight started to feel a little uncomfortable. For the most part, I am loving this pregnancy and feel great. I don't think I enjoyed being pregnant the first time around, but this time I know what to expect and have truly loved my growing belly. I still feel pretty small and literally look like I have a basketball tucked under my shirt. I keep wondering if maybe I can push back the date and keep him in my belly a little longer. I still have 3 weeks to go, so I shouldn't jinx myself. I just hope these last few weeks are as enjoyable as the ones before it! Life is good!

It's a football shower!

2009-06-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my dearest friend Lauren hosted a football theme shower for me! It was so great. There were a ton of little kids around having a blast, which was a little chaotic at times, but still fun. The games were hilarious (courtesy of Meghan) and all of them were football themed. Kennedy finally had an occasion to wear her cheerleading outfit that uncle George bought for her. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with me!

Britlese, Julie, and Cynthia coming up with their winning cheer! It was pretty funny watching them cheer for our baby boy!

So they didn't win, but they came close with their cheer. All I remember is that it entailed a phrase "push it" which was hilarious.

Kim and I reconnected after about 15 years in Tacoma. It was crazy, but we played softball together a few times for tournaments back then and lost touch. We ran into each other a few months ago and realized we lived near each other and both of us had kids around the same age. Since then, we have made a point to hang out each week. Love her to pieces and so glad we reconnected!

Megs and me...she was fabulous at hosting the games! So creative!

Okay, so Randi is my old boss and she is due a couple weeks behind me. This was actually not the most comfortable of poses. It felt pretty strange smashing out bellies together, but we got the shot!

Esther jokes she feels naked without a kid on her hip. So, we grabbed Raegan to pose with us!

She really was not meaning to give the loser sign...she just has to brush up on her cheerleading moves.

My old roommate and maid of honor Brandie came down from Seattle to celebrate with us!

Isn't the deco cute? Go Ducks!

My hostess Lauren and I during the shower. Love her to pieces!

Fire truck nursery!

2009-06-04T14:28:00.001-07:00

So lately I have been busy painting up a storm and just finished painting our fire truck nursery theme. It was actually really fun, but I haven't yet filled in the name to the left of the fire station sign. The shading was the only difficult thing to master! I hope he likes fire trucks for awhile!

Kennedy has been loving the sun! It has been really warm here...in the high 80s and I love it! I am glad I don't feel uncomfortable yet! I am now at 34 weeks and counting down the days. I don't think I am ready yet! Kennedy spent today with her little friend Callie and it was definitely harder trying to keep her from trampling over a 7 month old! What am I going to do when there is a little baby I have to keep her from hurting! I will definitely have my hands full. She wants to play with all the little baby stuff like the papasan chair and play mat. I think I might have to get her a big girl lounging chair! She also just had her first outing in the community pool! She didn't like the water too much the first time, but I tried again and she ended up having a blast. I wish so desperately that we had a fenced in yard where she can play. Oh well...I guess that is why there are parks and friends to hang out with for that!

Playdate with Kyah!

2009-05-25T00:17:00.001-07:00

Dusty went crazy with the camera and loved this picture showing her big blue eyes!

On our way to the park in the double stroller! We needed to try this thing out! Thanks Nelson fam for letting us borrow this!

This past weekend we got to watch Kyah for a few hours and had a blast! Kyah and Kennedy have been friends since birth and love to play with each other. They seem to entertain one another quite well! For the first hour it was amusing to watch them run after one another giggling up a storm! After all the playing around at the park they definitely needed a bath! It is funny how sometimes two kids are easier to watch because they keep each other occupied! Finally a beautiful day to play outside! I love the sun! I must say I was pooped after our walk! Thank goodness I had Dusty to help out!

32 weeks and counting!

2009-05-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

32 weeks and only 6 more to go! I am getting excited to meet this little boy! If only this restless leg thing going on at night would come to an end. Not to downplay the aching back and fatigue as well! I don't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with Kennedy. It may be because I have a 15 month old that I tote around all day! We are getting anxious for our little man to come. I am trying to cherish every free moment I have now because I know it will a lot different with 2 kids instead of just 1! Kennedy is changing every day. Her new thing now is blowing kisses and waving to everyone. She is definitely getting cuter by the minute! I just pray that everything goes smoothly with no complications with the csection. Thank God I have such an amazing family that will help once he arrives!

Dusty turns the big 2-8!!

2009-05-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Dusty is finally catching up to me! Now I don't feel as old...although I still have 2 years on him. What a gorgeous weekend! We were outside celebrating with Dusty's family and got burnt after only a couple hours! Good thing we lathered the sunscreen on Kennedy. We had so much fun with Kennedy's cousins Hyde and Ruger. Hyde drove Kennedy around in his "Gator" and she loved it. At first we were a little nervous she would fall out, but Hyde was super cute and put his arm around her to hold her in. Then Hyde took both Kennedy and Ruger out for a spin. It was pretty cute. I am so amazed at how well Hyde takes care of his little cousins. He is such a special little guy. Dusty's bday was pretty low key with the highlight being that he got the weed wacker he wanted. Funny how getting older entails less exciting gifts! Thanks to Dusty's family for hosting a fun BBQ! We had so much fun!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Being a mom is definitely the greatest joy God could have ever given me. It is crazy how much you can truly love your own kid! Kennedy has brought so much joy to our lives. We can't imagine what our life was like before. Soon enough we will be twice blessed with a baby boy added to our family. We are so blessed to have such wonderful moms to be our role models. You do not realize all the sacrifices they have made until you become a mom yourself. Thank you Mom! Dusty and Kennedy gave me the cutest card for mother's day. A card is the best gift I think! Well, I also got a vacuum which I really wanted too! It is funny that a vacuum could give me such happiness! Happy Mother's Day to all the other moms out there!

Happy Easter!

2009-05-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Easter time again! Our family spent Easter at Uncle Adam and Aunt Taylor's house. Lots of food to go around and the belly is expanding everyday! Kennedy now knows where her baby brother is! She will pull up mommy's shirt and then quickly pull it back down. It is like she knows where he is and lets you know that she knows, but then quickly shows that she isn't too interested! Now if only "he" had a name! That is the most difficult thing. It is hard to focus on another baby arriving when you have a 14 month old running around! Kennedy definitely hit a growth spurt. She is pretty tall and thin from running around so much. She is still a very social girl who can just walk into a room and make her presence known. The nice thing is that she isn't too aggressive, so hopefully she will be a gentle big sister when her brother arrives! 28 weeks and counting!

March Madness with Uncle Scott and Cameron!

2009-05-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

What a treat! Uncle Scott and cousin Cameron came to visit from Montana! Kennedy hadn't seen her uncle and cousin since she was 1 month old! Cameron has gotten so big! Everybody had so much fun even though their visit was short. If only they didn't live so far away. It is amazing to see 4 generations of women in our family. It is fun to have a little girl to add to all the boys in our family!

Kennedy is going to be a big sister!

2009-05-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Yep, it is true! Kennedy is going to have a little brother due July 14th! Because it will be a scheduled csection, and because Kennedy arrived 2 weeks early, we scheduled a csection for June 29th! Dusty was over the moon that he was going to have his little boy. We would have been happy with another Kennedy running around though too! Now, we just have to put away some of the pink that has accumulated around our house...or at least add some blue to the mix. Mom felt pretty sick the first couple of months, but now is feeling great. Kennedy is going to be a great big sister. She definitely likes helping mom with everything. Her favorite thing to do is help unload the dishwasher with mom. She can even put the tuperware away in the drawers. Now if only she could load and unload the washer, that would be pure bliss! The home is completely baby proofed now. Whoever thought of cabinet locks is a genious!

Kennedy is 1!

2009-05-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kennedy! What a fun birthday with family and friends! Kennedy had 2 birthday celebrations! One with family and the other with her friends. She is quite the popular girl! Grandma Logue made her first cake, which was actually a cupcake with little bears on top. She didn't even dive into it! She is a very dainty little girl and picked apart the cake. She wasn't too fond of her birthday hat. All of her family blessed her with presents and fun. She has so many clothes already! She took her first steps the week before she turned 1. It is so fun to see her explore and learn new things. She doesn't say much except for dada and mama and ball. I can't wait to hear more!

Merry Christmas!

2009-05-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Kennedy's first Christmas! It was the first time Kennedy experienced snow! We had a lot of it too. We were still able to have numerous Christmas gatherings though. Our mom's group had a cookie exchange at our house with all the babies in tow ranging from 6 weeks to 1 year. It was crazy but a lot of fun. Our family was still able to make the trip out to see her grandpa and grandma Gurnsey in Shelton even though the roads were pretty bad. Christmas Eve was spent with them and then overnight at grandma and grandpa Logue's house. We were all sick so we weren't able to see the great-grandparents and great uncle Kevin and great aunt Carrie which was a bummer. We were really looking forward to it, but we still got to see Uncle Justin and Aunt Kate! Kennedy got a lot of toys and clothes for xmas! She is definitely a spoiled little girl! The celebration continued the following weekend with the Kinley family and more presents for her! Sheesh!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-05-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Kennedy's first Thanksgiving was spent at her uncle Adam and aunt Taylor's house. She always has fun playing with her cousins. She is now about 10 months old and crawling like a mad woman. She loves books, stuffed animals, her jumperoo (although she is almost too big for that) and just being around other kids. She definitely has her signature look with her face all scrunched up and acting like she is pissed off! It is pretty funny so I tried to capture it on camera so I could show you. Holiday season is always so busy, driving around to see all the relatives. We only wish they all lived in the same city, but the same state is better than nothing!

Happy Halloween!

2009-05-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Kennedy's first Halloween! What a pissed off chick she is! Well, to her dismay, she didn't get any candy this year. Maybe next year...but she did have a fun Halloween with all of her New Song friends! How cute are all of these little babies in their costumes? It wasn't too nice out to take a little one out and about, but I can't wait until she is able to really enjoy dressing up in Halloween outfits. From this picture, I don't think she was too pleased!

Parties galore!

2009-05-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

By the end of the summer Kennedy had attended numerous celebrations! She was the little baby attendant in her aunt's wedding, a guest at numerous 1 year old bdays, center of attention while visiting her grandpa and grandma Gurnsey, tootie pie with Aunt Tami...the list goes on. Time sure flies by when you are having fun. What a beautiful summer too! She is about 9 months old now and growing up fast!

Charleston Vacation!

2009-05-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Kennedy's first vacation, first plane ride, first dip in the Atlantic! A lot of firsts for this little one! We took a trip to South Carolina for Lisa's wedding and had a blast. She did really well on the plane. She pretty much slept the whole way at 6 months old! Kennedy is a very social girl. She loves to be around people and will go to anyone. She had her first trip to the zoo too! She loved the fish especially. Kennedy could observe all day long...she is a very peaceful little girl. We loved the hot weather, even though it was pretty muggy. I only wish our friends lived closer!

Kennedy's First Photoshoot!

2009-05-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

How fun was this! We had a photographer come to our house and do a photoshoot! The pictures turned out amazing. We could already see that Kennedy has the most amazing blue eyes. Watch out boys!

Kennedy's first Easter!

2009-05-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

What a fun Easter she had! She got to meet her uncle Scott, girlfriend Tiffany, and cousin Cameron for the first time! We also spent time with her other cousin Ruger who is just 12 days younger than Kennedy. She was definitely tuckered out from all of the attention she got!

10 weeks already!

2009-05-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kennedy is now about 10 weeks old and sleeping through the night! She has now made it to her crib and everybody tells us we are lucky to have such a good sleeper. She joined a new group of friends at her mom's group and is the smallest tike in the bunch. She now has started smiling and cooing. What a little munchkin she is!

Kennedy is 4 weeks old!

2009-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Just trying to remember what Kennedy was like at 4 weeks old since I started this blog a little late! I do remember her first bath time! She wailed when she had to get out of the water. I thought something was wrong with her! Besides the sleepless nights and endless feedings, she was growing normally and sleeping a lot! I swear her Dad and I would fight over who got to hold her! We just couldn't get enough of her and she was already Daddy's little girl. It is so precious to see Daddy and his girl together. He loves her so much. I only wish someone would have told me how hard and exhausting breastfeeding would be! Breastfeeding makes labor seem like a piece of cake!

Introducing Kennedy Jean!

2009-05-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

It seems like yesterday when we were coming home from the hospital with Kennedy! She is now 15 months and time has flown by! Kennedy Jean arrived on February 12, 2008 at 4:23 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 10 ounces and 20 in long. She arrived via csection after 24 hours of labor! What a cutie and the love of our lives. Dad was pretty shocked by what he calls her "pop can head"! I don't think he was expecting to see such a mishaped head! She had lots of visitors and already seemed to be a content baby from birth. I wonder if her brother will look just like her?

Welcome to our blog!

2009-05-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

After all the time I have spent reading and enjoying other people's blogs, I decided this would be the best way to document all the daily joys of parenthood! Our little girl is growing up so fast and I wanted to share every moment with our loved ones, especially those who live out of town. I only hope that I can keep up this! Maybe I can get Dusty to get on this blog and post something every once in awhile! Kennedy is now 15 months old and with our boy due at the end of June, I better get a move on this! I only wish I would have started this before Kennedy was born! Oh well, I think she has gotten a lot of coverage with the thousands of pictures we have taken thus far! I hope you enjoy reading our blog as much as I have enjoyed reading others!