Swimming Class...

Kaila is doing really well in her swimming class, which is called the Itty Bitty Pool School...cute huh?! She is used to having water in her face, which is a big step for her because when we first started, she screamed when she got water in her face. So all in all, she is progressing quite nicely I would say. I was so happy Cisco was able to make it to see Kaila during class. Kaila was happy also: she smiled at him for most of the class and when her "Daddy Boy" stepped outside she cried for a bit. Anyway, here are some pictures Cisco took during her class:

Waiting in line to get sprinkled with water...

Getting sprinkled...

Perfectly fine after the sprinkling...

Practicing our back float...

Mommy blowing bubbles to Kaila & she's not even paying attention...

Practicing her kicks off the wall: first on her back, then on her tummy...

Some new pics.....

We BBQ'd yesterday, and here are some pictures:

Sadie, enjoying her time in the backyard

Kaila is learning to stand on EVERYTHING now (see her top two front teeth coming in?)
Kaila was wrestling with Sadie's kennel, and well......the kennel won
Watching Daddy BBQ


Out in the backyard with Mommy (notice how they have the same facial expression)

Another week goes by...

Sorry we haven't posted in awhile. This was an OK week. Kaila's other top tooth is starting to come in now. So she'll have her top two front teeth in first. It doesn't look like any other ones are coming in. She also now knows how to sit from a standing position. She often shows-off while standing up, as she lets go with one hand. She is crawling EVERYWHERE now.

Thursday, Kaila had her second day of her swimming class. She did MUCH better compared to last week. She never cried, but laughed and enjoyed her hour in the pool. She's getting much more comfortable having her head and face wet. We're working our way to get Kaila comfortable being submerged in the water.

We had our second hip-hop class on Thursday night as well. One of Cisco's colleagues, Amanda Salacinksi, offered to baby-sit that night. Kaila enjoyed having her. She cried at times during the hour we were gone, mostly because she was tired. As for our class, it was better for Cisco, than it was for Kaui. Our first class was more "fluid," which fits Kaui's style better (Cisco didn't enjoy the "fluidity" too much). This last class was more "hard-hitting," which is right up Cisco's alley (not so much for Kaui). The song was to Busta Rhymes' "Touch It." Our teacher mentioned to Cisco that on Wednesday and Sunday nights, they have breakdancing sessions in one of the buildings on campus. She said they always want new people to come and learn. That got Cisco excited!

Anyway, here are just a few pictures from the week:

Kaila eating a snack in her walker......while Sadie lies underneath, waiting for something to drop.

So we've found that she likes to eat her snacks while standing up in front of the walker, rather than standing in it.

Picture with Daddy, before he heads out to work (this picture is for Megan and Mr. Lokteff....notice the sweater-vest and kicks....yes....Chuck Taylors. Still representing the West Coast).

Enjoying her rice rusk in the car after her swimming class.

And here are some pictures that we found on the camera, from a few weeks ago.

We caught her standing on her walker.

She's starting to love nectarines.

Also, we have embedded some videos for you all to enjoy. The theme is "Kaila playing with Sadie." We'll be posting more videos, in addition to our pictures in the future.

Notice how Kaila tries to bite Sadie. Pretty funny stuff.

8 Months Old...

Today, Kaila made 8 months old and we are amazed at how fast time has gone by. It feels like just yesterday when I went through all that pain and alas, they placed her on me. Boy, how she has grown from being so tiny at 6 lbs. 4 1/2 oz. and so dependent on us, to now weighing about 18 lbs. with many tantrums, a ton of smiles, endless waves, and lots of laughter. It is pure joy to be around her, even when she does have her little moments of fury. Cisco and I always talk about how we are so blessed that God picked us to be her parents. On that note, here are a few pictures of her today, on her 8 month b-day...

Getting ready for her afternoon nap....

Pretending to be Sadie... She loves to play with Sadie's toys, but not her own...
She liked the avocados....
It's a toothie!! (upper, left)
Hoping & praying for some droppings, even though she can't eat them.....

Swim Class & Hip Hop Class...

Yesterday Kaila & I went to a playgroup in Sycamore. It was at an elementary school and it was really nice. They have a lot of toys for the kids to play with and Kaila was actually getting into playing with the toys and the other kids. It was a lot of fun.

Then, we were off to her first swim lesson at Energym, which is also in Sycamore. Let's just say that she didn't love it as much as she loved the playgroup. When we got into the water she was fine, but our first lesson was to get the babies used to having water in their face. So, we had to pour water at the nape of their neck & say "one", then the top of their head & say "two", and lastly on the top of their head in front of their face & say "three." Let's just say she did not like the water in her face, so she screamed! While she was screaming the other two babies, who were 5 & 7 months just stared at her. We did other drills, such as putting them under a pool sprinkler, letting them float on their backs while pulling them around the pool, and blowing bubbles in their face. She was NOT a fan of ANY of it and cried most of the time. The swim instructor said that was normal behavior, especially at her age, so that made me feel better. The only thing she liked to do was splash with her hands while having me hold her facing outward. She actually splashed herself in the face a few times and began to cry. I think she just wasn't in the mood to be there because she was tired. Next time we'll skip the playgroup, so she can take a nap beforehand.

Kaila has also reached another milestone: her first tooth (the top front left tooth) fully poked through today! We are trying our best to get a picture of it, but we can never keep her still enough to catch a good picture, especially with the delay of the camera. So we're working on it:)

Getting ready for Playgroup & Swim class... Playing the Xylophone/Piano at Playgroup...

"Smile for Mommy!"...

Playing with the colorful doll...
On with the swimmysuit for Swim Lessons...

Relieved to be out of the pool...

Kaila looking like she's reading...

Cisco & I wanted to do something together, since we rarely get to spend time with one another on a regular basis. So, we decided to join a Hip Hop class for adults with the DeKalb Parks & Rec, since we both enjoy dancing......and also since he secretly wishes he was a part of the Jabbawockeez, and wishes he knew how to breakdance :0 Anyway, so our first class was last night. I know, jam packed day with Kaila's Playgroup, Swim Class, and our Hip Hop Class. We.....well....mainly Cisco, was a little apprehensive about it because he wanted it to be straight-up Hip Hop. He was worried it was not going to be the real thing. But boy were we wrong. Our instructor is as Hip Hop as you can get. She is an African-American lady who has danced since she was 2 and she actually choreographs on the spot. So, we started learning a dance to the song "Leavin'" by Jesse McCartney because it has a slower beat to it. Cisco wanted something more "hood," but the song worked just fine. Not to be mean, but Cisco and I (more Cisco) were probably the more rhythm-oriented ones out of the other two ladies & one guy in our class. Our instructor even invited all of us to a real b-boy dance battle this weekend in order for us to experience real Hip Hop dancing & culture.

She also told Cisco she could hook him up with somebody to teach him more in-depth hip hop dances, like breakdancing, which made Cisco VERY happy. We think she sees the potential in Cisco. Needless to say, we are definitely looking forward to the next class :)

Kaila stayed with Lisa Pitney during that hour. Lisa is the wife of one of Cisco's colleagues (Bill Pitney). When we picked her up, Lisa said it took her about five minutes to realize we were gone, then she started crying. She settled down after a few minutes and started playing. She enjoyed having their oldest son, Liam, in the room. Everytime he left, Kaila would cry. She eventually fell asleep, and she woke up when we picked her up. Overall, Lisa said she was good.

Us after our Hip Hop class. Boy was it a workout...

Silly Girls...

Kaila is a very silly, funny, crazy girl. Some of her new antics include waving at anything and everything in the house. Last night as soon as we turned off the lights to go to sleep so that she would get to bed (because she was wide awake), she began to wave at my alarm clock. It was the funniest thing ever. We both couldn't help but laugh. She also waves when you say "hello" or "good-bye." Another funny thing she does is "blow the trumpet" with her lips. She is just so silly, but cute all at the same time. Oh and she now knows how to clap her hands, again, in response to anything and for any reason. She loves to crawl everywhere and she also stands up on everything. Sometimes she gets stuck while standing up somewhere because she does not know how to sit down from the standing position. If she does get stuck, she just wails for her Mama :) Anyway, that's about it that's new in the life of Kaila. Below are some pictures from this past week. We got some good pictures of her playing with Sadie, which is one of her favorite past times.

Happy Kaila after a nap and ready for a snack...

Snacking in her walker...

Rainy day in DeKalb (I think they wanted to go outside)...

We decided to let her try to feed herself (because she refused to let us feed her that day) and this is what it looked like. Cisco was on edge the whole time (he doesn't like messes)...

Showing off Kaila's new kicks thanks to Uncle Michael & Aunty Erin...

We went to a La Leche League meeting, which is a support group for breastfeeding women, and she was just so exhausted from socializing with the mommys and kids...

Kaila after a long day...