Lazy Summer Days

So... I've gotten better about posting pictures, but I haven't gotten around to posting an update in a while. Kaylin and I have been soaking up the lazy summer days together and loving every almost every minute of it. I haven't been home with her 24/7 since maternity leave and even though I love love love her, some days she can really push my buttons and it takes patience I didn't know I had to get through the day. I've learned that it's good for both of us if I have some kind of outing planned each day. We usually have lazy mornings (cartoons in bed - "TOONS!", coffee on the porch watching Copa and the birds, playtime in the living room, some cleaning up, etc) then go somewhere after nap time. Sometimes it's just to run errands (grocery store, library) but sometimes we head to the park to feed the ducks, geese, and fish or go splash at the pool. Kaylin is a social butterfly and talks to everyone we see while we're out. She'll yell, "HIIIII!" until whoever she is stalking acknowledges her and says hello back. She gave a lady a fist bump today at the Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was hilarious.

She blows my mind on a regular basis. I know all parents think their kid is smart, but... mine is SO SMART! ;) She is talking up a storm and trying so hard to pee pee on the potty! While we were at the library the other day, she wanted to sit at the little kid computers. I plopped her in a chair and she grabbed the mouse and started clicking away like she knew what she was doing. At home, she likes to scroll using the little wheel in the center of the mouse. I'm sure she'll be better than me on the computer in no time.

Kaylin's become quite the water baby and nature lover. She loves playing in her baby pool, the sprinkler, and our neighborhood pool. She will only sit in her float for a short time - she prefers to jump off the edge into my arms and kick around in the water. I dunked her for the first time this week - she loved it! After she came up and realized she was fine, she pointed her little finger down at the water like, "Do it again!" I'm careful to load her up with sunscreen,  but her little body is turning a little tan from being outside so much. She looooves animals. She often gets upset when she calls animals and they don't come to her. At the park the other day she was calling, "DUUUuuuuuuck!" but that darn duck would not get any closer than about 3 feet which was way too far away for Kaylin's liking. She does the same thing with stray cats and the neighbors dogs. She often says hi to spiders and other bugs, too. She recently held a roly poly that thought that was the funniest thing ever.

I recently got to take a mini-vacation all by myself! Kaylin and Daddy stayed at home while I enjoyed some R&R in New Orleans - one of my favorite places ever! I didn't do much of anything - enjoyed a fabulous hotel and spent loads of time at the rooftop pool. :) When I got back home, Kaylin's face lit up like it was Christmas and she wrapped her arms so tight around my neck that I thought I might burst into tears. I missed her like crazy, but some time away sure was nice. Billy had gotten his big Father's Day present earlier (a huge bookshelf) but that morning I told him where to find the book and cards Kaylin had picked out for him. I think he enjoyed his surprise.

We're getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July with Billy's parents and sisters. We're going to take Kaylin to see fireworks for the first time, too. I hope she doesn't get scared!