Happy 9 Months Baby Tate!

I really can’t believe it. My little baby is not that little anymore…9 months old!

I have been surprised lately that he was outgrowing so many of his clothes, and I figured out why at his check-up today. He’s already 29 ½ inches long. No wonder! His hair has also been growing fast. I’m actually at a loss of what I’m supposed to do with boy hair. It’s getting a little out of control and sticks straight up unless I wet brush it down. Quite a sight.

He is still quite the kicker. If you’ve seen it in person, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This guy kicks his legs non-stop. In the last week, I’ve had 3 complete strangers tell me they’ve never seen a baby kick like that. Of course, my Dad thinks that means he’ll be a swimmer, and Wade thinks that means he’ll be a cyclist. The nurse at the pediatrician today said maybe ballet…huh?

Although he’s growing like a weed, he’s still maintaining the pace of being a late bloomer with some of the big milestones. He still has no teeth and is nowhere near crawling. So, we’re just enjoying these days of a stationary, bite-free baby. I know that won’t last forever.

It’s so interesting to see his personality develop more and more. It seems as though he is a people person already. He’ll smile at just about anyone, and we haven’t seen too much of the separation anxiety yet (I’m sure I’ll eat those words one day). And he is a talker. Not sure what he’s saying, but he still wants you to hear it, along with anyone else in a 2-mile radius. We haven’t quite learned volume control yet.

We love finding the things that can really make him laugh. So far, those are: The Wheels on the Bus song, the Barnyard Dance book, the line “the old lady whispering hush” from Goodnight Moon, when Mommy does a fake cough, when Daddy does anything involving tickles or zerberts, the dog puppet from Baby Einstein videos, the game peek-a-boo, and when Macy runs around the house. So much fun!


I’ve had several moments lately of just being completely awestruck of how much I love this little person that has been in our lives for such a short period of time. So in love and so thankful!!!

8 Randoms

I feel like I’m already an open book on this blog and have probably revealed a little too many of my idiosyncrasies (that is the correct way to spell it by the way) already, but just for the fun of it, here are some more. I was tagged by Paige P. to list 8 random facts/habits. Please don’t hold any of these against me!

1. I pretty much have the exact same breakfast every single day: wheat bread, reduced fat crunchy peanut butter (used to be Peter Pan, but I chose the brand Skippy over getting E Coli), and a Diet Coke in a glass with ice and a straw. I love it and don’t ever get tired of it. Some of my really close friends and family know this about me and even have “Kelly’s breakfast” ready if I ever stay the night. How sweet is that!

2. Much to Wade’s eye rolls, I’ve always said that I have both 6th and 7th senses. The 6th sense is that when there’s a restaurant/fast food place under construction, I can usually figure out what it is before there’s any signage. We used to live in Valley Ranch when they were building new places just about every week. For me that was a fun game to see how quickly I could figure it out. My 7th sense is that I have very sensitive hearing and can instantly walk in a room and hear the buzz of a TV that’s on with no volume. Are you impressed or what??!!

3. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve turned into Ralphie from A Christmas Story, when he saved up for his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring. I’ve been a mad woman saving all of the Pampers Gifts to Grow codes off diapers and wipes. Why???? My ultimate (like Ralphie’s decoder ring) is the Kettler Kettrike. 78 points down, only 322 to go. Maybe Tate will get it by the time he’s out of diapers.

4. I’ve blogged before about how I love getting the mail. But, I didn’t fully elaborate on the fact that I get giddy, excited when Newsweek arrives. How dorky does that sound? I love that magazine. I read every night before I go to bed, so I have a whole process of how I get through Newsweek, which is typically a 3-night ordeal. The first night I start with the beginning articles and make it up to the editorial cartoons. The second night is the cover story. Then the last night is for the fun Tip Sheet section. I know…wild and crazy!

5. My famous ACU story is that I broke my collarbone my sophomore year. That’s not really what made it famous. I broke it while sleepwalking. Yes, sleepwalking. I lived in the University Park apartments and woke up at 2:30 a.m. on the floor on the other side of my little room with a collarbone completely snapped. I don’t remember a thing except waking up in horrible, extreme pain. Everyone said I should’ve made up a much better story. Unfortunately, that’s all there is to it.

6. I have milk issues. Wade likes to drink milk…as in a big ‘ol glass of it. It completely grosses me out to see just a little bit of milk left in a glass after he’s done. And, it grosses me out to have even one-day-past-the expiration-date-milk in the fridge. Yuck!

7. Sadly, I think I’m subconsciously trying to re-live my teenage years. I love Justin Timberlake, The Hills, and American Idol. And, I read US Weekly every time I wait in line at the grocery store.

8. This may not be a big surprise. But the intensity of it may be. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cute stationary, wrapping paper, and greeting cards/invitations. I love sending them, wrapping with them, and writing notes with them. But, I’m not a complete snob as far as certain brands go. Anything cute. No pressure if you’re giving me a gift anytime soon.

Wow, I can’t believe I’m really putting all of this out there. The word Loser is faintly echoing in my head right now.

So now, I need some others to join me in my loserness, I mean randomness. Go for it Wade, Shannon, Deana, Tara, and Mario. I know y’all will have some good ones!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

We survived all three! Although I’m a born-and-raised-Texan, I have a ton of family on the West Coast. So every couple of years, we make the trek out to the Bay Area in California to visit family, have them laugh at our use of the word y’all and “southern” accent (which isn’t really that southern), eat yummy sourdough bread and In-and-Out french fries, and catch a CAL football game.

The trip began with Tate’s first plane ride. Unfortunately, the first part included a 20 minute delay and then 30 more minutes of sitting in an airplane with a baby that wanted a bottle and a nap….and with NO air conditioning. All I can say is “Baby Einstein” may be the name of our next child. That DVD saved the day. I’m sure the people sitting by us were glad as well. Tate actually did great and by the end, he even charmed the flight crew and got to have his picture taken with the pilot’s cap while sitting in the cockpit seat. Pretty impressive!

We had a great time catching up with family that we don’t get to see that often and introduce them to Tate and my niece, Mallory. Here’s some of the group at dinner. Not sure what my Dad is doing in this picture?


The next day was the big CAL/Tennessee game. Wade covered most of the game on his blog. The game really was a lot of fun, and we won! Here are all of the guys including Tate, Wade, my Dad, and my grandfather sporting their CAL hats. Thanks to my Mom, we were able to go with everyone and enjoy the game child-free.


So the train part of the trip was when we decided to meet my cousin, Amy, in San Francisco. The Bay Bridge was shut down for repairs, so Wade, Tate, Shannon, Mallory, and I braved the city’s public transportation system. Braved is the key word here…at least when you have two babies in two strollers with you. The BART rail and the Muni street cars were packed. People were crammed in like sardines, and it was hot. Enough said. But we survived and made it without too many meltdowns.

We had a great day in the city. It was the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love” concert in Golden Gate Park. We stopped by to check out the music and 50,000 hippies. We quickly realized that we didn’t quite fit in, even with my attempt of putting Tate in a tie-died T-shirt. It definitely made for some interesting people watching, though.

The next day was the automobile portion as we drove to visit more family in Roseville. Along the way we stopped at the Nut Tree. As a kid, I grew up going to the Nut Tree with my grandmother when we would come to visit. It shut down for about 10 years and then recently re-opened. So we had to go back and revel in the nostalgia. Tate got to go on his first carousel, and Shannon and I got to take more pictures with the “animal heads.” I think we have the same picture of us from every other trip there. It was pretty neat being there with my own child this time.


Thanks to all of the CA Enrights for the visit. We had a great time and can’t wait until the next trip…and the next time y’all make it to Texas!

Look!

I hope Bono is proud. Not only am I supporting his cause, I'm finally sitting up all by myself.

All in a day's work.

32!!!!!

The mommy brain/lack of creativity strikes again. This is a very similar post as the one I wrote last year for Wade's birthday with a few edits and updates. It all still fits, so why not go green and recycle?

32 years ago today, Robert Wade Strzinek (a.k.a. Strz, Wader, Spaz, Wadely, George, etc.) was brought into this world. Many of you would probably agree that the world was never the same...for the better, of course! As a birthday tribute, here are 32 reasons to celebrate Wade (in no particular order):


1. He gives 110% to whatever he commits to.

2. His music taste is pretty eclectic and ranges from the Beatles to U2 to Wayne Newton (yep, Wayne Newton).

3. He is one of the most honest people I know. In fact, I've never caught him in a lie.

4. He is a great VBS emcee...the kids love him.

5. He can laugh at himself.

6. He is romantic.

7. He is well read. I really have no idea how he makes it through so many books so fast.

8. He knows no stranger and can make friends immediately.

9. He is a history buff and really knows what he's talking about.

10. He can communicate to all ages...from the 5-year-olds in a Sunday School class to grandparents.

11. He appreciates and desires family time.

12. He is a wonderful, fun uncle.

13. He knows how to play the drums.

14. He takes his job seriously and does a great job at it.

15. He doesn't act like he's 32.

16. He speaks French.

17. He teaches me that it’s OK to take risks.

18. He always dresses nice and is put together.

19. He rode his bike 150 miles in 2 days for charity 2 years in a row!

20. He’s funny.

21. He does dishes.

22. He will be so embarrassed by this, but, he is a good kisser!

23. He’s a creative and entertaining blogger.

24. He can laugh with me for hours after watching an episode of “The Office.”

25. He can laugh with me for hours after watching an episode of “The Colbert Report.”

26. He loves my family and fits in perfectly with our quirkiness.

27. He’s a great dog dad. Macy looks around the house for him when he’s gone.

28. He can always remember and quote lines from movies.

29. He does great yard work.

30. He is trustworthy.

31. His faith is genuine, real, and his own.

32. This last year has shown me an entire new side of Wade--a wonderful, loving, compassionate, and hands-on Daddy.


Sounds like a pretty good guy to me. Happy Birthday Wade…love you!

I Am Woman...

OK, so I'm not quite roaring, but I was pretty proud today. I've always considered myself to be one of those independent kinda women (Destiny's Child song now in my head). I like to be able to take care of myself to some degree.

That is with the exception of anything having to do with cars. I hate dealing with buying a car, fixing a car, or even putting gas in a car. It's for the birds...or for people into cars at least. Anyway, today marked a breakthrough in my complete car cluelessness.

I jump started a car all by myself!

I know that sounds pathetic, but it really is quite an accomplishment for me. Someone was at our house this morning and when trying to leave realized their car wouldn't start. Uh-oh...this is car-related, so I better call Wade. He wasn't available, so I decided I was a big girl and could figure it out.

Before you knew it...I managed to match the color-coded jumper cables to the battery, start the car, start the other car, and presto! To my own complete amazement, it really worked!

I'm sure I wasn't the most graceful car-jumper-starter, as I was sweating bullets in the 100 degree heat. But hey, that made it feel even more authentic. Before Wade gets too excited about my new found skill, I'm pretty sure this is where it stops. No side-of-the-road tire changes for me...that's what AAA is for!

Another New Chapter

The past week or so has been tough and the waterworks have flowed at times as Wade & I closed a chapter in our lives. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it really is how it feels. Today was our last Sunday at our church.

Lately most things for us seem to be moving more west, so we knew this day was coming. We were able to do the 30+ minute commute (with no traffic) to Lewisville a lot easier before Tate was here. As with many things in life, things changed after Tate, and it seemed to be time for this change.

As we shared the news with our friends at the lake last weekend and others this past week and today, so many have been very supportive and understanding, saying it’s the right decision to make for our family. Thank you for helping making it somewhat easier. :)

There are probably some people that might not understand why changing churches would be so difficult. After all, we’re not moving away. But, the people at this church have truly been an extended family for us the past 8 years.

We will cherish the memories and friendships. Although I know that the friendships will not go away (they better not!), I am sad to know they won’t be quite the same. I’m confident that we’ll find a new church that 8 years from now we’ll feel similar about. But right now, I think back to so many important memories.

This is the only church that Wade and I have known as a married couple. So as the church has grown, we’ve grown up along the way. We’ve had so much fun and have created lifelong friendships that I’m forever grateful for.

I think back to the early years of being married, the early years our careers, the days of wanting and losing a baby, and the recent months of learning to be parents. Our church family has helped us get through so many of those life events. They haven’t always been easy times, but we have so many memories of laughing, crying, singing, praying, working hard, and just being around great people.

But, we know it’s time and this is a new chapter for our new family of three. As sad as I’ve been, there is some eagerness to see where we will end up. This part scares me, because I seem to get shy (that may surprise some of you) in places where I don’t know a lot of people. But, it really is a good thing. It seems almost selfish to think that we could be so blessed yet again, but our hope and prayer is to find someplace closer to home, but one where we can create many more special memories.

Chick Magnet

Are you still a chick magnet if you scream after rubbing avocado up your nose?

Lake Weekend

What do you get when you combine a lake, 8 kids (6 of which are all under the age of 3) and 12 adults (there could've been 4 more adults and 4 more kiddos...we missed you guys!)? Complete chaos? Well yes, plus a lot of fun. We just got back from our 4th annual trip to Lake Brownwood with our great group of friends from church.

It was a bittersweet trip for reasons I'll blog about later (not enough energy tonight), but I was reminded of what a unique and special group of friends this is. We've all gone through together what's felt like just about every life experience...loss of a parent, desire for babies, birth of babies, loss of babies, a parent's cancer diagnosis, marriage, job changes, and all of the other ups and downs of life you can imagine. They are a special group, and one that I am so thankful for.

The dynamic has changed a lot with the addition of 10 kids in the last 3 years from the original 2 we started with. But, we still had a great time water skiing, swimming, tubing, eating (good every year), and catching up.

This is also the lake where I learned to water ski several years ago. For someone who is not very athletic or sporty, I've been surprised at how much I enjoy it. So since I was pregnant last summer and couldn't ski, I was determined to this year, even despite my recent weird back/hip pain. Yeah, not the smartest decision on my part. I did have one really good run and got up on the first try. The second try...not so much. Still hurting today.

Isn't it fun getting old?

Happy 8 Months Baby Tate!

Another month has flown by, and Tate is now 8 months old.

A big reason the month has gone so fast is that we’ve been out of town just about every weekend. So Tate has put on the miles in the car seat and has been all over Texas overnighting it in the Pack & Play. He’s done great, and I am so thankful that he is such a good sleeper.

Now that the true Texas summer has arrived (heat index over 100), Tate has had a blast swimming as much as possible. The second he hits the water, his legs go into high gear kicking. He loves it, but doesn’t quite enjoy when Grandpa puts him underwater. Maybe next summer.

He hasn’t had any major physical developments or milestones this month. I’m thinking he may be a late bloomer on some of those. He is still so close to sitting up on his own for an extended period of time. He can sit up for a little bit, but then once those legs get kicking, he falls over to his back. But, this has not stopped him from rolling all over the place. I think the days of the play mat are just about over.

It has been lots of fun watching him continue to discover new things. He seems to really enjoy being outside and watching people. And he continues to find his voice---often as loud as possible.

Each day I realize that I love this little boy more than I could've ever dreamed possible.