Ok, so I am certainly not promoting the idea of Abby playing hockey, but she certainly has the right idea about it. I want to state for the record that Shaun, the one who isn’t thrilled about the idea of Abby playing, is the one who bought the stick for her! Take a look and enjoy!
Tag: Abby
Our last day with Grandma and Grandpa Taylor…
As with all vacations, they eventually must come to my end. My parents included. Yesterday was our last day together before they had to head back to Montana. Jillian was already back home because of work and school. We spent the day just enjoying each others company and running some errands. Nothing super special. As much as we tried not to be, I think we were all sad that such a wonderful trip had to come to an end. After picking up some items at Trader Joe’s and attempting to find some good shoelaces for my dad, we stopped by Barbara and Mike’s house to visit. Barbara is my mom’s closest friend. It was a lovely visit and we certainly had a great time. Abby had some fun as well and certainly surprised the heck out of us too! Makes me smile. As always Abby was a very happy and well behaved little girl and she certainly enjoyed Barbara’s teddy bear!
After visiting we met up with Shaun and had a nice simple dinner. The rest of the evening was spent just talking and avoiding the inevitable. Abby was being a little goofball. I thought I would share a video clip, mainly because I just love to hear her giggle and chatter.
As it grew late, we had to say our goodbyes so that my parents could get back to their place and rest up for the trip home. I cant say I didnt get emotional or cry when they finally did leave, because I did. I felt like a kid being dropped off at preschool or the sitters for the first time and didnt want mom and dad to leave. When I was younger I never thought being a part from my parents would be so hard. In fact once you hit about high school you almost want to be away from them. Oh how that changes, especially once you are married and have children. Now my heart aches every time I see them and then have to leave. I dont think that will ever change. I do feel very blessed that we do get to see one another and I enjoy every moment I have with them. Until next time mom and dad… AKA Grandma and Grandpa Taylor!
Going to the Zoo… Trip Number Two!
One of my parents favorite places to go when Jillian and I were kids was the Santa Barbara. That, or a drive up to Solvang. Since my parents were back in California for a week, the one thing thing that they really wanted to do was go to the zoo with Shaun, Abby and myself. Unfortunately Shaun had to work but Abby and I were able to go with them.
Abby has been to the Santa Barbara Zoo before, but this time she seemed a little bit more interested in the animals and everything going on around her. Its amazing the changes babies go through within three months time. I feel like she truly enjoyed this trip more then her first but then again she is only a year old.
We spent the day just wandering through the small zoo. Because it was the middle of the week, the zoo was very quiet and allowed us to see more then normal. If we wanted to just hang out and stare at the giraffes, we could and not have to worry about making sure that other people get the chance to see. And we did, since the giraffe just stood there staring at us. The Gibbons were very talkative and the otters were out and playing as usual. The penguins were out, but the newest addition to the penguin family could not be seen that day. He was taking a day off I think.
After a good long walk around the zoo, we stopped for a bite to eat and then headed back to the car. Before getting back onto the freeway, we made a quick detour over to the Foster’s Freeze for some ice cream. We used to stop there often when I was young, so it was fun to reminice.
All in all it was another wonderful day! Please take a look below at the slide show of some of the pictures we took throughout the day. Enjoy!
Disneyland or Bust!
Well what can I say… we went to Disneyland. I guess you can say it was an early birthday gift to Jillian and a belated one to Abby. I think it was more for Jillian and myself then anyone else. We had a great time and as always enjoyed the happiest place on earth. Abby wore her Winnie the Pooh shirt and skirt that she got way back at her baby shower, thanks Leslie! I felt it was perfect for the occasion.
The day was perfect! Cool weather but just warm enough, a tad crowded but oh well… thats life. Shaun, Jillian and myself had the chance to go on the big rides that Abby couldn’t go on and my parents just hung out and stayed with Abby. There were plenty of rides that Abby could go on. We went on Winnie the Pooh (which Abby has been on before) and for the first time we went on Peter Pan, Alice and Wonderland, and the Haunted Mansion. I had some reservations about the Haunted Mansion, especially during the elevator part but she did great! I think it helped that its set up like the Nightmare Before Christmas right now. Even though the line was long for Haunted Mansion, Abby seemed plenty entertained by all of the funny looking pumpkins outside.
The day went by in flash but we had a great time. Abby fell asleep before getting onto Peter Pan, but luckily woke up right as we were flying over London. She also fell asleep during the fireworks which were awesome! If I get the video from Jillian I will try and post it for everyone to see. After fireworks Shaun had to leave (darn that thing called work) and head home. We, well we being Abby, didn’t last too much longer after that. Before we knew it we were home and in bed. It was a lovely day had by all. Take a look below for a slide show of pictures from our day. Enjoy!
First Birthday Party Fun…
In honor of Abby’s First Birthday, we just had to throw a little birthday bash! I mean you only turn One once in your life right?! It was a lot to prepare for but in the end, it was a wonderful day.
So many people were able to come and share such a special day with us. My parents, Grandma and Grandpa Taylor to Abby, were able to come all the way from Montana along with Auntie Jillian. Grandpa Patrick as well as Grandma Zoe were able to be there as well. Nana Fiona and Uncles James had the chance to stop by that day after the party was over. Uncle James had some things with baseball and could not be there until later in the evening. So many of our friends and family were there, it was nice to see everyone! For those of you who could not make it, you were missed! But you can see how the day went…
Most of the party was spent talking and catching up with everyone. Abby seemed to have a good time. When it came time for the cake, Abby seemed a little uncertain as to what she should do with it. Actually I take that back, she kind of knew what to do she was just confused by all of the people standing there watching her eat. It took a while, but eventually she got into it and made a mess of herself.
After cake and the cleanup process, it was time for gifts. Abby helped me open a few gifts but then became more interested with playing with boxes, wrapping paper and a few toys that she had opened already. Its ok, mommy had fun opening them!
All in all it was a wonderful day! I cant believe Abby is ONE!! Time has flown by so quickly, its unbelievable! We have more pictures to share from Abby’s fantastic party. Enjoy the slide show below!
Happy First Birthday Abigail!
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Abby! Happy Birthday to you!
When I woke up this morning I could not believe that it was Abby’s first birthday. How is it even possible? A full year has actually gone by? Where did all of the time go? It has certainly gone too fast, but I loved each and every minute.
I cant believe that a year ago today, after what proved to be a fruitless attempt at labor I was brought into the operative delivery room and Abby was born only a few moments later. I remember waiting to hear her first cries and when I did, the flood of emotions that followed. I was happy, joyful, a little nervous and so excited to become a mom for the first time. The moments spent in our hospital room, just Shaun, myself and Abby were some of the most precious to me. Each time I held her in my arms, the pain of surgery and the fatigue seemed to disappear.
Watching her grow over the last year has been a joy and absolutely incredible. Her first smile, her first giggle, her first attempt at crawling and what will soon be her first steps to her first words. All so amazing to me.
While Abby was down for a nap I decided to go through all of my pictures of Abby to this point and I thought I would share some of them with you. Take a look at the slide show below marking Abby’s first year, well her first year plus a little more! Hope you enjoy!
Happy Birthday Little Girl! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!
Ray D. Prueter Library Anniversary
This evening Shaun, myself and Abby headed down to Port Hueneme and attended a dedication ceremony for the 20th Anniversary of the Ray D. Prueter Library. For those who did not know, my grandfather, Ray Prueter, was the mayor of Port Hueneme for twelve years during the 1960’s and 70’s. When the new Port Hueneme Library was built in 1989 they dedicated it and named it after my grandfather, who was very passtionate about education and loved to read. It seems like so long ago, but I remember being at the opening and dedication ceremony, therefore it only seemed right to be there for the deciation again, 20 years later and to represent the Prueter family.
Dama Hanks, one of my grandparents closest friends and my honorary grandmother had the opportunity to be there as well. She was joined by her daughter, Dama Lou whom I have known since birth. It was wonderful to see them both and share this special moment with them. Dama was able to get up and read a a letter from my grandmother, who could not attend and I am so very thankful she did that. The loss of my grandfather in 2007 seemed to hit me hard at that moment and I knew I would not be able to speak.
The current Mayor of Port Hueneme giving a certificate of acknowledgment to the current library staff. Most of these ladies have been at the library since it first opened its doors in 1989.Abby was a great little listener and stole the show at times! I mean, its not surprising right? She is the cutest thing out there, right? Well she is in our eyes, but I guess that is just parental bias. The night was very special and I had the opportunity to talk with many people who are friends of my grandparents or people whose lives they had touched. It was wonderful to meet so many people who knew my grandfather or knew of him and that his name and the hard work he did for the community still lives on and is remembered. It really touches my heart.
Just Another Ride in the Car
Every time we get into the car and go somewhere, I always hear Abby in the backseat talking, singing or making some kind of happy sounds. I was finally able to catch a little bit of it on video as Shaun drove to Staples for Abby’s first King’s game. I thought it was cute to see all that she does… enjoy!
Abby’s First Kings Game
Tonight was Abby’s very first Kings game! Shaun and I were super excited to take Abby and see how she would do at a game and of course we couldn’t wait to see her in her little jersey!
We headed to Staples for a laid back Pre-Season game against the Anaheim Ducks and after a bit of traffic, finally arrived ready to go. When we made it to our seats, Abby seemed to be taking it all in and enjoying everything that was going on. We watched the warm-up and Abby was completely engrossed in what the players were doing on the ice as well as the lights and noise around her.
Abby was doing fine and only seemed to get upset when people around us would do that high pitch whistle that I cant stand. That set her off a bit, but once her snacks and juice came out… she was ok. That was, until, the Kings scored their first goal of the night and the goal siren went off. This sent her into a full on upset and as a mom I felt terrible. I didnt want to traumatize my child, but I also didnt want to go home. Luckily Abby calmed down and we continued on with the evening.
With snacks in hand Abby seemed to adapt to the noise of the crowd and enjoy life. But then, in the 2nd period, the Kings scored two more goals and those darn sirens just didnt do it for her. By the third goal Abby had had enough and it was time for us to get a move on.
Once we were outside of the arena, Abby seemed to settle down and act like her usual self. Shaun and I watched the beginning of the 3rd period from the monitors out in the hallway and then listened to the end of the game in the car on the way home. Despite the upset from the goal sirens, we had a great night and I am so proud of Abby for making it through two whole periods. I think we will give it some time before we take her to a game again, as we dont want to traumatize her, but I know Shaun and I will be back to see a game very soon!
To make the night even better… the Kings WON! Beat those Ducks 4 to 1. What a great ending to somewhat imperfect but great night. Yes I know its Pre-Season so the games dont really count, but any win against the Ducks counts in my book!
The Great "Abbydini"
Here is a little story for your enjoyment….
This morning Shaun and I woke up to the sounds of our alarm. As with every Monday morning, we take our time waking up, laying in bed hoping for yet another 20 minutes of sleep. But of course its inevitable that we have to get up and start our day. As with most mornings, we can hear Abby chattering and singing to herself in a language only she can understand. We are both half awake but for some reason she seems louder than normal. Finally Shaun gets up to start making her bottle and to get Abby out of bed for the morning. As he walks out of our bedroom towards Abby’s room, he passes the kitchen and stops short and then calls for me.
As I get out of bed I think to myself, great whats the problem now. Is the sink backed up? Do we have ants? Did Jack chew up yet another plastic piece of something? When I reach the kitchen I see Shaun standing there, with a look of disbelief. There sitting on the floor, playing with the foam board pumpkins that we purchased the say before is Abby and her best friend Doggy. We are in complete shock and keep asking one another if we are absolutely sure that we did not get Abby out of bed this morning? While we were half awake and dreading getting up, we certainly were not in a deep enough sleep to do anything with Abby and not remember.
I think most parents are just as shocked and concerned when they discover that their 11 and half month child has somehow escaped from their crib. Luckily something tripped Shaun’s car alarm about 45 minutes before we discovered Abby playing and when we went out to shut it off, Abby was sound asleep in her crib. This gave us the reassurance that she had not been out there for long. Once we got past that though, we then begin to worry about how in the world she got out!!
We decided to check things out in Abby’s room and when we walked in, we started to see what could have happened. Abby had thrown out all of her friends from her crib. But there was purpose in this. All of her friends were in a pile in the exact same area, just under her diaper stacker that attaches to her crib. The only thing we could think of was that she used her diaper stacker to shimmy down and free herself. She piled all of her friends to bring them with her and possibly use them as a safe landing. As my friend Erika put it… “it was a full on jailbreak”! What a smart little cookie!
After a good inspection for bumps, bruises and scrapes, of which she had none, we felt a little bit better. Needless to say we lowered her mattress to its lowest point possible and it took a few nights before I could rest easy again. Ahhhhhh parenthood!
(I am sorry to report that we do not have any pictures from this morning. I think we were in too much shock to think of taking any!)
Betty Spaghetti
Tonight was yet another quiet and lovely night. It was an evening spent with family, just enjoying each others company and doing a little bit of celebrating. I wont say who, but Happy Birthday Grandpa Wharton! 🙂 For dinner we enjoyed some yummy spaghetti and Abby loved it! She also made a mess of it, but at this age having spaghetti all over you is cute not inappropriate. Watching her try to eat her spghetti was fun. Abby figured out how to slurp up her spaghetti and well, that made even more of a mess. But no worries, there was a bath waiting for her once dinner was over. Nana Fiona had a little fun and gave Abby a bath in the kitchen sink, which Abby got a kick out of. After a bath, Abby played with James and Sammy while mommy and daddy relaxed. What a great evening.
One Big Step for Abby, Two Tiny Steps for Abby Kind!
Ok…. so any day now! Abby took a few small steps, but I cant say that they are 100% official! They were in her crib, so her feet and balance had a bit of give but hey, it was two steps! Watch and enjoy….
The Wharton Adventures 