Kaylee's and Kristen's New Obsessions

Kaylee's New Obsession is - DUCKS! That is her new favorite word. She walks around the house, rides in the car, lays down, repeating "duck, duck, duck!" It is very cute, but a bit repetitive. She has been walking around with her rubber duckie and her red block with a duck on it. She is very protective of these objects, not letting us hold them. She saids "aqua" and now she calls every person "da da". Never in a million years would I think our daughter's first words would be "aqua" and "duck". What ever happened to "ma ma", "da da" or "ball"?

Kristen's New Obsession is - WINE! No surprise there, but I found 2 wineries I'm very fond of and I thought I would share.

d'Arenberg - Australia: http://www.darenberg.com.au/home
Known for their Dead Arm Shiraz, which is their higher end stuff, but definitely worth it for a special occasion. I've had the following, which are in the $20 range. I haven't found anything I didn't like....perfect for the holidays!

2005 d'Arry's Original
2006 The Footbolt
2006 The Dead Arm
2007 The Hermit Crab




Luigi Bosca - Argentina: http://www.luigibosca.com.ar/2007/v8/en/index.html

Recommended from my personal wine assistant, Lucy. The girl knows wine and knows what Eric & I like. She never fails. Everything we've had from them is very good. Also in the $20 range. They also have their lower end La Linda, which is a good value. Try the Torrentes. One day when I'm a high roller, I hope to try their Icono 2005....$100+. I said ONE day. lol.

Go Around the Room and Tell What You Are Thankful For

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. This year we celebrated with the May side (My Dad's side) at my Aunt & Uncle's house outside of Bastrop. Surprisingly, we didn't take any pictures. Anyhow, every year my Dad makes go around the room and tell what we are thankful for....some are real and some are funny. So I decide to share mine...

The real ones.....

1. My Man - Eric is the poster child for Husband & Father of the Year. I can go on and on about him. But just know he does about everything for me and Kaylee and never asks for anything in return. I am very thankful.
2. Miss Kaylee - No matter how frustrated, stressed out, or just down, Miss Kaylee can bring a smile to my face. She makes me rush home everyday and makes me excited to wake up in the morning. I'm very fortunate to have a little smiling face everyday.
3. My Family - We have a quite a big family when you consider Eric & I are both from a families of 4 kids. I've always liked big families because of the dynamic of everyone's unique personality that they bring to the table. I'm very fortunate for my relationships with each one and so very lucky that I can always call on anyone in a pickle. I need to make a shout out to my mom, who every Thanksgiving/Holidays puts up with our shenanigans. We all make outlandish food requests and she manages to do it all for us. She is a pro super mom.
4. Health - I've been pretty health conscience over the years, but after being pregnant I've really focused on a healthy lifestyle. You may look good, but that doesn't mean a healthy heart. With that, I'm so very fortunate that all my loved ones are healthy. And little Kaylee's kidney is just doing fine. So, very thankful.
5. Jobs The economy is the worst it has been in my life. I don't know what is going to happen in the near future, but at this moment I'm very thankful that Eric and I have jobs. And I'm so proud of Eric for finishing his MBA when he did. :)

The not-so-real ones....

1. Pre-peeled Garlic - My must-have in the fridge for 2008. We use sooo much garlic in our cooking that I was getting annoyed with peeling garlic and I'm not a fan of anything in can, which left HEB's pre-peeled garlic. It is fast and flavorful....everything I love.
2. Upper Crust Bakery - This has been with me through the years....college, bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties. It is my happy place. If you haven't been there, go there.
3. iCal - I couldn't live without my iCal. I've synced my whole life to it. I used to go with the flow, but over the years I've been forced to plan more and more. It makes me happy that it is all there in one place.
4. Cheesy Girlie Movie - I just watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. It was cheesy, it was girlie, I love it. There is nothing better than a total chick flick. Can't wait to take Kaylee when she is older, so I can used that has an excuse to go see High School Musical 8.
5. My friends that make me spend money - Yes, I'm thankful that whenever I with Becky or Lucy they make me spend money. You ask, why is that good? I feel it is good to go splurge every once in awhile, life is too short, buy yourself something nice. I don't do it by myself anymore, but I can't say no when I with them. Retail Therapy is great and has been very effective over the years. I recommend it.

2 Peas in a Pod

Today Eric & I watched Kaylee's friend Blake, who will melt your heart with his dimples. Watching the 2 play together is absolutely adorable, they both love "agua", bananas, and playing peek-a-boo. At one point, Kaylee had fun stuffing all her toys in her wagon, then Blake would move it to the next room, so they could unload it....everywhere. What a team?!? Blake did awesome, however Miss Kaylee did not like sharing Mom & Dad or her favorite toys with him. She does well at school and at others' houses, but hasn't had to share much of her stuff at her home. Every time we would give any attention to Blake, Kaylee would come running. And who knew that a red block with a duck on it and a black pen were her prize possessions? We had never seen this side of Kaylee, but not surprised too much since like every kid goes through it. A little insight for what to expect if we have a 2nd kiddo. Anyways, I'm so happy that Blake and Kaylee are good friends...they are 2 Peas in a Pod.

Sunday Morning with the Ernst Family

Here are a couple of videos of Kaylee walking and lots of her personality! Just in the past week, she has gotten so good at walking. In the videos, she getting a bit hyper, so there are a couple funny falls. She also goes to Eric, becuase he has "agua". The girl that loves water...hates baths...go figure. The last video is really funny, becuase Kaylee freaks out everytime she sees the picture of her friend Blake on the Fridge.

It is beginning to look alot like Christmas...

After a having a blast at Blake's 1st Birthday Party, we headed down to Macy's Christmas Tree Lighting. We couldn't believe how crowded it was, but American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks and Dan Dyer were playing....so lots of teeny boppers! Luckily since my parents have an apartment at The Domain, we were able to park in the "Residents Only" Parking. Thank goodness. We stopped by Joe DiMaggio's for some drinks and apps and then watched the lighting of the tree and pretty exciting fireworks show. I wasn't expecting much of a show from a mall! Surprisingly, the fireworks didn't scared Miss K at all. She pointed to them and was saying "pow...pow...pow". It was very great. We couldn't get a cute picture in front of the tree....Kaylee was very exhausted after such a big day, but she was a total trooper! But still after going to bed late, she always seems to manage to wake up at 7am on the dot!

Kaylee's Website

I just finished Kaylee's Website and will take it down at the end of the month. Please make last comments, because I will ordering a keepsake CD for her baby book. I can't believe how much she has grown!!! Thank you all for visiting!

http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=266406

We got a walker....Kaylee!

This week.....Kaylee started walking! She walks with her hands in the air and it is hilarious! She can't contain herself with happiness....you can tell she is proud of herself. She will start to lose balance, stop, regroup, and then off again. She will be making laps around the house, before you know it. We still haven't gotten a video of her, but hope to get one soon!

Top Chef

Last night, Eric and I had a cook-off. We are funny....we've been planning to do this since Sunday. This all started when I looked at our freezer to find several proteins that we need to use up. I love making dinner using the food we have in the fridge. You get to be creative and work with what you got! So, this lead to our Stuffed Pepper Cook-off. I haven't had one of these in a LONG time and I guess it was one of Eric's favorite growing up. He made it the traditional way with beef, rice, tomato sauce, and spices in a green bell pepper topped with feta. I took the Southwestern approach (no surprise there) with beef (used spices kind of like taco meat), corn, black beans, rotel, and cheese in a green bell pepper topped with panko. And the winner is......Kristen! Yep, Eric folded and gave me the win. It came down to his needed a little more ump and mine was packed with flavor. Although I feel his has more potential to be better next time. I really wished someone could have seen us, because we were very competitive and secretive. It was very humorous. I think watching Top Chef (our fave) has contributed to this as well. We get so excited watching it!

And we just don't stop.....

I've been a bit behind on the blog, because we've been so busy!! It just doesn't stop...I should say WE don't stop. This past weekend, we had a top secret mission on Saturday morning and will reveal at a later date. Then, we were off to San Antonio. One of my close High School friends had a Graduation Party. He FINALLY (j/k) graduated from George Washington in DC! It was great to see some old friends and teachers. Some I don't think I've since HS Graduation! It was weird to say I was "Married with a 1 year old" over and over. Not so much the married part....but to say I have a "1 year old". When did Kaylee grow up so fast! She isn't a "baby" or a "newborn", but a "1 year old"! It is crazy. On Sunday, Eric slept all day while Kaylee was having way too much fun at the May Grandparents' House. She was squealing with delight non-stop and boy did she get smitten with Uncle T! On our way back to Austin, we stopped at our favorite Pottery Barn Outlet in San Marcos. It is huge with things you don't really NEED. So we bought sale fall decor, peppermint swirl dessert plates and tray, more mixing bowls, lamp shades, cake dome, and a Kids' Party book. Talk about some useless odds and ends! But we are very happy with our purchases! This week should be somewhat calmer than the past couple of weeks.....then the holidays are approaching!

Kaylee's 1st Birthday Extravaganza

It has taken me some time to recover from an exciting birthday weekend, sorry for the delay. Kaylee (& parents) had a wonderful 1st Birthday. On her actual birthday, she went to school for the morning where they had a traditional Montessori Birthday. I brought her favorite Apple Cinnamon Muffins and of course she gobbled those down. Then, we spent the rest of the day playing outside and waiting for Eric to come home. We stopped by at a Happy Hour to see Uncle Greg & Aunt Emily, what else would an one year old want to do on their birthday?!? Then the rest of Eric's family stopped by the house for a minute and then we were off to bed. Saturday was the big day. Several family members came in town for the party. We couldn't be more fortunate! The party was just a good 'ol backyard bash. The kiddos played with the new toys (that the Engineers put together), we drank Eric's new fabulous homebrew, ate mini cheeseburgers & salmon burgers, and then went to down on the cake. I was very proud of my Giant Cupcake Cake...I thought it was the perfect 1st Birthday Cake! Kaylee and all the kids were in a great mood the whole time and played hard.....she was out by 6pm. Overall, it was a wonderful day! Unfortunately, Kaylee wasn't feeling well the next day, but is doing much better. However, when kids are sick, parents are sick. So, Eric and I haven't been feeling the best. The "not too bad, but not too good" feeling.

A year ago.....

A year ago today was a pivotal day in Ernst family, it was the day we went to the hospital to prepare to deliver Kaylee. I remember getting out of the car, Eric had his hands full of our luggage and I was gripping on to my pillow. We still manage to hold hands very tight as we walked to the ER door. The night had this unusual calmness to it, just like the calm before the storm. And sure enough Kaylee has been the perfect storm. I can't believe Kaylee will be 1 tomorrow, nor can I believe Eric and I have been parents for a year. Parenthood has been much more than we could ever imagine plus some. Not only is it amazing to watch your child grow, but it has been amazing experience that has made Eric and I grow as a couple and individuals. Kaylee is a spitting image of use, the good and the bad, so she has made us better people because of that. While being new parents, this year has been a loaded with life changes, Eric graduating with his MBA, China Trip, Family Trip to the Midwest, My new job, and not to mention now a new President. It really is a year we won't forget. I can't wait to see what the future has for us, but can honestly say November 6, 2007 will always have a place in my heart as the day of the beginning of it all. (Plus it was the 6th...I could never forget that!)

Tough Loss

We had a Texas vs. Texas Tech Party last night...and what a game?!? It was a very tough loss for UT, but we had a great time with everyone. Eric made spicy and not-so-spicy chili and I made Longhorn and Texas shaped cookies. And of course...there was beer. Kaylee had fun seeing and sort of playing with the other kiddos. Eric hooked a 2nd TV on our outside patio for people to watch in the super nice weather. It was great. So, congratulations to Melissa, Kelly, and all the other Tortilla Throwing Raiders. This game is always my favorite game of the season...until next time.

TINKER BELL

Kaylee was Tinker Bell for her First Halloween! Although she didn't like me putting on a frilly green costume at first, it grew on her and she was absolutely ADORABLE. Her school threw a Fall Festival, which was fun to see all the kids dressed up. It was wonderful. Kaylee had her fortune read, won at the Cake Walk, and found a toy ghost in the haystack. She soon grew exhausted and past out on our 3 minute car ride home. We didn't make it out Trick-or-Treating, but it overall was a very special first Halloween.

Agua

Kaylee favorite word is......AGUA! A couple of months ago, the teachers at school believed she was saying agua and we would hear it every once in awhile. Now, all she saids is agua! Her other words are dada, mama, and dagdag (dog). She has also become a pro on sign language. She has been doing the "milk" sign for awhile and now she does the "more" sign. It is great. She doesn't do the actual sign for when she is tired, but by rubbing her eyes, going to her crib, and finding her bunny....we get the sign. lol.

French Fries

On Wednesday Night, we went to one of my favorite Pubs, the Flyer Saucer. It has a great outdoor patio and the weather has been amazing! Kaylee was doing great, but definitely at the age of wanting to constantly moving around. A bit exhausting on our end. Anyways, we had ordered Burgers (I got the Hippie Veggie...yum) and Fries. Kaylee now wants whatever we eat. Kaylee watched Eric devoured his fries and since I didn't eat much of mine, she persistently tried to get one. We finally gave in....every parent chooses their battles....not my proudest moment. So, when she was going to put the fry in her mouth, she stopped...... to dip it in the ketchup and then ate it! Ok, now that was funny. It just goes to show how MUCH your kids watch your every move. It just forces us to be better people, eat healthy foods, and lead by example. And yes, Kaylee liked the French Fries and....ketchup!

Pooh Strong

I have some sad news...Dave Andrew Madden, also know as "Pooh", lost his battle of Osteosarcoma this past weekend. He was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant when his health worsen last week. He was a close friend of one of my closest friends. And from what I hear, he was an amazing person with a great sense of humor. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. The family plans to start a non-profit and please visit his website: http://www.poohstrong.com/index.php.

Pumpkin Patch 2008

Aunt Melissa took pictures of us last weekend at a Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately, Kaylee was too busy looking at the other kids that we didn't get many smiling pics. But of course they are still cute!

BUSY Weekend

Friday Night, Kaylee and I left to San Antonio to hang out with Lindsey and Kelly, who was visiting home from Vermont. If you want to see gorgeous pictures, go to her Blog The Nelson's. It is definitely on our list to places to visit. Anyhow, we kicked it like the good old days at my folks' house. It was great having Girl Time!



Saturday, Eric went to the amazing UT vs. OSU game! He had a blast! Texas holds the #1 spot and we can't wait for the Texas Tech game this coming Saturday! Meanwhile, Kaylee and I dropped by Lucy's nephew's (Sebastian) birthday party. Kaylee loved seeing all the kids run around. Then, my parents watched Kaylee Saturday night while I drove back to get ready for the big race!



Sunday, Eric and I left to Dallas for the Muddy Buddy Race at 3AM! Yes, we know we are crazy. We needed to get there at 6AM to pick up our registration packet. We got to Cedar Hills State Park right on time and it was pitch black, but we got to watch an amazing sunrise. First, there was the costume contest which in itself was worth going....McObama (McCain & Obama), Clowns, Men in Black, Kilt Wearing Men, 80s, etc. Then, the race started at 8AM. We were very anxious considering we woke up a 2:30am. The race was just about 6.5 miles consisting of 5 legs with an obstacle in between each leg. You rotate the legs with your Buddy, so I ran/bike/ran/bike/ran and Eric bike/ran/bike/ran/bike. The obstacles were rock climbing, cargo nets, balance beams, and climbing through an A frame. These looked fun until you start doing them and realize how tired you are! Then at the end you go in the Mud Pit together, which you have to crawl under ropes...so you get DIRTY! It was so much FUN! We finished in 59 minutes, which we couldn't be happier. We ran the whole time, with the exceptions of a couple killer hills. And with starting my new job, we haven't been working out/training for the past 3 weeks. We really had a great time and plan to do the race again! The picture was taken AFTER we rinsed off. I will post more when we get them from the race organization.

Pottery Barn Mission

About a month ago, I broke a piece to one of my favorite platters we got for our wedding. I finally got around to calling Pottery Barn to see if I could order a replacement. After an HOUR on the phone, they informed me that the platter is discontinued but the Austin store may have one on clearance. I went down to the store and waited for about 30 minutes to find out they didn't have it. But I insisted them to help me...this is my favorite platter! They waited on the phone with the other location and SURE enough they had 6 in the stock room that they weren't even aware that they had!!! And the best part is they were $15.97!!! I placed an order for 2, so I could secure the purchase. Then, I went down to the mall last night with my dad to pick them up and my dad bought 2...for Christmas gifts! How cool is that! The other 2 went to the employees you got their discount on top of the clearance price and they very excited that I made them look for them! Everyone came out a winner!

Hasta La Vista, Kaylee

Today was a big day for Kaylee, well, more for me. She waved goodbye to me when I dropped her off at school! She made eye contact and wave goodbye. Our little girl is growing up and we've seen some major changes this last week. Her attitude and personality isn't so "needy". She is becoming much more independent and definitely expressing herself. She has started to think baths are the worst thing ever and becoming fussy when she is tired. Although these things are more frustrating as a parent, Kaylee is growing opinions of her likes and dislikes. On the more positive side, her little sense of humor is so cute. She points and laughs at everything all day. It brightens my day in a heartbeat.