Future Jets Fan?

This is Kieran's reaction to learning he will be a Jets fan

Here are Kieran's Laterst Artistic Works

Title: Volcano in Winter
Title: Sky and Smoke

Check out Baby X!

When I was pregnant with Kieran, my OB mentioned the possibility of having one of those 3-D (or are they 4-D?) ultrasounds where the computer actually generates a picture of your baby's face, hand, etc. since her office had just purchased a couple of 3-D machines. David and I were really excited about that, but unfortunately they still didn't have the machines ready by the time I had my last ultrasound with KRUF. We asked about it when I had my first ultrasound this time around, but it didn't look likely that we'd get one this time, either.
Imagine my surprise then when I went in for my 32 week check-up two weeks ago and saw a big poster in the waiting room advertising the fact that you could now get one done between your 28th and 32nd week of pregnancy! I called David immediately, and we decided to go ahead and get one the next day before we left to go home for Thanksgiving.
Boy was it worth it! It was so amazing to see our daughter's face while she is still nestled inside of me! As many of you know, this pregnancy has been difficult in that it was a TOTAL surprise and completely unplanned. I wasn't sure if I wanted any more kids after Kieran, and I certainly didn't want to have another before David was finished with his PhD and we had a better understanding of where we would be living/what we'd be doing. I've felt remarkably unattached to this baby in a way that I didn't feel when I was pregnant with Kieran (and a little bit resentful), but one look at this little one's face, and I felt this instant rush of emotion and an instant bond. I'm actually really excited now to meet Baby X (still don't have a name picked out, people!) and I'm looking forward to having her join our family.

I hope you all enjoy this video as much as we did. Whenever we play it, Kieran clamors "Baby X..Baby X" (or "Bee Ats" as he says) and dances around.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Happy Halloween!

Wow! It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed since last Halloween when we dressed Kieran up as a little Pea in the Pod and carried our not-even-crawling baby around the rainy neighborhood! This Halloween, Kieran has been so much more involved and interested in everything that's been going on, so it was a real treat for us to experience all of these new and exciting things with him! There's a common saying that a picture can convey a thousand words, so I'll just let the pictures (and my captions) do the talking.

This year Kieran was really into pumpkins, or "Puck-A" as he calls them. He was fascinated by the pumpkin carving ritual and loved looking and feeling inside the pumpkins as we hollowed them out.

Note to self: next year try not to do the whole pumpkin cleaning thing next to the air vent, as retrieving any wayward pumpkin seeds is not fun, especially when you're 7 months pregnant.

"Hey! Where'd all the cool stuff from the inside go?"

Oh, well! I can still give my Punk-A some lovin'!

Here's Kieran the Skunk displaying his literary prowess. He is, after all, my son.

Below are some more shots of the cutest little skunk we saw this year:
Kieran was in fascinated by this decoration since it combines two of his favorite things: Pumpkins and Cats.

Tonight we headed out to Trick or Treat with Kieran's good buddy, Maya (aka the Cute Brown Bear). They were so adorable!
You could just see the two of them trying to figure out why the heck we had them dressed up and parading up and down the street, holding onto candy containers.
"Okay, I have this weird, shiny stuff. Now what do I do with it?"

Kieran just wanted to leave it all on the sidewalk. He wanted none of that candy in his bag. It's a good thing that Mommy had pockets in her jacket to save the candy for a little snack later.

Of course, we need a picture of the skunk with his Daddy. Sorry, no Skunk and Mommy pictures. I'll just keep you guessing how big my belly is at this point in time!

"Okay, guys. I think the kids have had enough fun for one evening..."

Enjoying some down time playing at Maya's house after the big, exciting evening.

Hope you all had a great Halloween. We certainly did!

Kieran Talking, Take Two

Some more of Kieran talking. His vocabulary just keeps growing every day. We almost need to tape him every day since he acquires at least one new work every day.
Enjoy!

KRUF Talking, Take 1

This is the first in a sequence of several videos in which Kieran shows off his recently acquired vocabulary. Keep looking for more to come. Oh, and we are *so* proud of the "monarch butterfly" that he says. May we brag for a minute and call our son a genius. :)

KRUF The Big Brother

As many of you already know, Kieran is going to be a big brother sometime around the new year. It looks like he is probably going to have a little sister (unless the sonographer somehow missed some boy parts the THREE times I made her double check), and we are all excited about having her join our family, despite the fact that her addition was a huge surprise to all of us. David has given her the nickname 'Baby X,' and Baby X she shall remain until she is born, we believe, seeing as coming up with an acronym as catchy and fun as 'KRUF' is proving to be difficult. (Although, our friend, Kevin, did suggest her initials be 'ENUF', which I am all for. Too bad we aren't really digging any names that start with E for her first name...) Here are some pictures of little Miss X, taken at both 12 (1st picture) and 20 weeks (last two pictures). We find the last picture particularly funny, since it looks like Baby X is already attached to a breast, nursing away. We're pretty sure she's going to give big brother a run for his money on who can nurse more often and for the longest amount of time. Kieran is still very attached to the "numy-nums" and doesn't seem to be inclined in any way to share.

We talk to him all the time about Baby X, and he is convinced that she is a freckle on my belly, slightly off-center and above my belly button. He loves to give that freckle kisses and pats. We hope that that behavior continues once Baby X is out of the womb. David and I keep telling him that Baby X will come home to live with us sometime around Christmas, and he just looks at us like we're talking crazy talk. I've been trying to have him spend more time with younger babies and reiterate that we will have a new baby in our house when Baby X is born.

In other Kieran news, he is changing by leaps and bounds almost every day, it seems. He is really trying to talk, and his favorite word currently is "dooooooo" (two) because he is really into counting. We count everything it seems like, but especially bugs, rocks, sticks, pinecones...all of his favorite things. His dad is tickled pink about KRUF's interest in mathematics and his apparent propensity for the subject. David is already anxious to teach him how to add and subtract and perform his first algebraic function. Despite his sudden interest in math, reading still remains one of Kieran's favorite pastimes. We read countless books every day, with his favorite being "A Potty For Me!". We are slowly working on potty training, but I wonder if I missed the boat of my previous window of opportunity earlier in the summer when he was super interested in using the potty--I just couldn't deal with potty training AND morning sickness all at the same time. We are in no rush, although it would be nice to have him out of diapers by the time that Baby X arrives.

The weather has been cooling off around here, and we've been spending some more time outside playing in the yard and at the park. Kieran loves to "help" us as we work around the house and was in his element earlier this week when I did a bit of fall cleaning and used the vacuum considerably over the course of several days. He shrieks with delight when he sees the vacuum, and loves to help me push it or use the brush attachments. Whenever I turn it off, he asks for "more more more more." His love of cleaning also extends to the exterior of the house. He has commandeered our rake and uses it in the yard, on the sidewalk, in the flower gardens...and he gets very upset when we ask to use it ourselves. He also is in his element when he wheel out the lawnmower and loves to be carried on our backs when we're mowing. (Good thing we have an old-school manually powered reel mower--it's much easier to keep track of him with one of those as opposed to a gas or electric powered mower that makes a lot of noise!) We've been spending loads of time outside, playing and working. I'm not anxious at all for winter and all of its cold weather to make its appearance because our outside time will probably be limited at that point.

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print 'round these parts. David is doing well--he's teaching this semester (first time in two years) so he's staying busy. I'm staying home with Kieran and slooooooowwwwllllyyy working on my thesis. I'm determined that it will be done before this baby is born! I will also try to remember to take a picture of me with my burgeoning belly to post--maybe on Wednesday when I will officially be 24 weeks along!!

Below are some pictures of Kieran from the past couple of weeks.

KRUF in his Hokie outfit for Aunt Cathy and Uncle Darren's wedding

Kieran after a fun, but dirty, playdate at a local playground with his good buddy, Maya

Enjoy what's left of the summer and the wonderful weather that comes during autumn.

Pay Close Attention

I would like to note two things about "Kieran gives Molly a Kiss" video below. First Molly teaches Kieran where to find Daddy's car keys. Then, you'll notice the second thing: He grabs them and is so enthralled with them he carries them for the whole video. This is not a good sign for the future...

KRUF the Surfer Dude

Here's a video of the little guy enjoying himself at the pool, which is currently one of his favorite places to spend time.

Kieran gives Molly a Kiss

Kieran loving on Aunt Molly and the camera bag in early July. We'll be posting more videos in a little while.

Hummingbird and Rainbow Dragon

Baby + TabletPC = Baby Art

More pictures from First B-day (Thanks Themis)

new album

kruf2

Kieran's latest artistic effort moves into a more abstract phase...

The Cutest Little Baby Swimgear Shots

It's been hot here lately, so we've been spending a LOT of time at the local pool. Kieran LOVES it! He gets really excited when we tell him we're going to the pool and starts saying "Puh, Puh, Puh!!" (which means pool in KRUF-language). He loves splashing around in the water and playing with the water toys they have in the pool area. Just last summer, they redid the local pool so now it's more like a water park, complete with a lazy river, several water slides and fun water toys for little girls and boys. We went twice (before and after nap) yesterday, and with today topping out somewhere in the mid-90s, we'll surely be going again today. Yesterday afternoon we brought the camera along and took some glamour shots of KRUF in his full bathing glory. He is ADORABLE!! Just check him out for yourselves below: Hope you're all finding ways to stay cool now that summer's here in all its humid glory!

Reason #38 Why We Need A New Bed

I ask you, where is there room for mom in this bed???

So, we've been talking for a LONG time (since I was pregnant with Kieran, and even somewhat before then) about getting a new, bigger bed. Ours is comfortable, but it's old (we've had it 6 years, and it was a hand-me-down from someone I worked with before we got it) and is now becoming too small for its occupants. We love co-sleeping with Kieran. It's the best. It was so easy when he was a newborn, and it's pretty fantastic now that he's a toddler. One example: One morning last week, Kieran woke up and was playing around in bed while I slowly forced myself into some semblance of awakeness. He crawled over towards me, leaned down, and gave me a big kiss (a REAL kiss!!) on my lips. It was so sweet and sincere. And, it was the first time he had actually kissed anyone or anything. It was hard not to gobble him up when that happened. He's such a sweet boy!

Nonetheless, despite wonderful cosleeping attributes like this one, he is a real bed hog. So, after lots of research, deliberation, and numerous hours lying on showroom beds, we decided to buy a new, bigger mattress. We waited until the Memorial Day weekend sales (and all the great financing that accompanies them!), and we're now waiting for our new mattress to arrive. Finally, we'll be able to sleep without feeling like we're a pack of sardines. I can't wait!

Kieran Walking

As promised, here is Mr. KRUF walking like a big boy. Don't you want to just eat him up?

Catching Up With KRUF

What a bad mommy I've been! It has been a while since I updated Kieran's blog. I guess running after a one-year old limits the amount of time you have to waste on the internet. I think we'll do a journey in pictures of the past couple of months. Plus, who doesn't love some Kruffie pix?

It's amazing how much Kieran has changed over the last couple of months. He has truly transformed from a baby to a little toddler. It has been amazing to watch him (and his personality!) grow. Of course, growing requires a healthy diet, and we got lucky with this little guy. He loves to eat veggies, especially if they're green, and is coming around to fruits. He also loves to eat starches. While his name may be Irish, his profound love for pasta belies his Italian ancestry. Here he is, chowing down on some yummy spaghetti. As you can see, mealtime can be a full-body experience.


Of course, he doesn't find everything he eats to be delicious. Take, for example, some yummy, homemade birthday cake:

I slaved in the kitchen, making these carrot cakes from scratch(don't laugh at my decorating job--no one ever said it had to look pretty!), but he was totally not interested in cake at all, aside from poking it with his finger. You can see, he looks anything but impressed with mommy's hard work!

Don't let this sign for more fool you. I think he was referring to the empty beer bottle under Dad's foot.


Here he is, letting us know that he's ready to be picked up-- enough of this sitting on the floor stuff.

And this one? Well, it's just too cute to leave out of our photographic journey. My boy is just too adorable!


Moving ever onward, here are a couple of pictures from our whirlwind trip home to VA for my sister's graduation. Here are Kieran and Jay. They truly are some of the most handsomely adorable boys around. Look out ladies--they've got the looks AND a good sense of humor! Oh, and Frank Beamer, if you're reading this, keep your eye out for these two in about 16 years. We're grooming them to be the best QB/WR pair you've ever seen!

Here's Mr. KRUF with me and my peeps at Aunt Becky's graduation from JMU. It is really hard to get a picture of 12 people all looking at the camera and smiling at the same time!


In other news, Kieran LOVES to color. Daddy's computer is fun, as is the Magna Doodle, both of which are nice because they don't make a mess if the writing implement makes its way off the paper. Sometimes, however, he finds a wayward pencil or pen, which is an especially exciting treat for KRUF. Here is an example of his first masterpiece, which he created on the bathroom wall. Thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.

As you saw in the previous post, Kieran is now a walker, and he has really taken off in the past week. It's not uncommon to see him tottering around the corner, arms akimbo, looking like something out of an old-school horror movie. Never fear, I promise to provide video soon (in the next couple of weeks, hopefully!) documenting this feat before he becomes too adept at walking. He's also signing up a storm. His vocabulary has really taken off, and he has about 20 words in his repertoire. He knows how to say 'please' and 'thank you', too, which are absolutely adorable. He is also doing some verbalizing and is overall getting better and better every day at communicating with us. Don't get me wrong, he still whines and fusses at times, but for the most part, he's a pretty contented little guy.

Thus concludes our journey with Kieran today. Keep checking back. I promise I'll post again sometime soon-ish! Of course, no KRUFalufagous journey would be complete without one final look at this adorable little guy. Here he is, enjoying his first ice cream cone. We hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are so far!

KRUF Walks

Kieran took his first steps yesterday (5/11), and although these aren't his actual first steps, they are his second steps! Enjoy!

A Sad Day for Hokies Everywhere

This picture was taken on a happier day than this for, as many of you now know, today there was a massive tragedy at our alma mater, Virginia Tech. We (mom and dad--fortunately, Baby KRUF isn't aware of what's going on) sit here in the middle of the cornfields of Illinois, absolutely shocked at this event that took place in the place that I (Loretta) still consider to be my home.

Our thoughts are with the campus and community (and to be honest, our hearts never left the 'Burg) as they, and Hokies throughout the world, deal with this horrific event.

Happy Easter from the KRUF Bunny

Just a quick note hoping you all had a happy day!

We had a good one, especially Kieran, who is enjoying his new Easter books, particularly the one that quacks like a duck. And, believe it or not, he kept those ears on for quite a while today. I guess he likes to look like a cute little bunny!

Those bunny ears have a fun little story behind them: Last year when I was pregnant with KRUF, David and I bought those ears hoping that our little guy would arrive in time to wear them for Easter 2006. He didn't--and he made us wait quite a while after Easter for him!--so we had to pack them away with everything for this year. I'm just glad I remembered to get them out (and knew where they were!) in time for some ADORABLE pictures this year.

Much love to you all!

Title: Pen on Tablet

A KRUF Masterpiece?

KRUF Loves the snow

This one's for you, Papa. It's just a couple of months late... :)

KRUF's first sled ride

Here's little Kieran enjoying his first time going sledding in his whole entire life! He truly loved it. We'll take another video tomorrow when it's light out, but we of course had to capture the first time ever. Enjoy!

Our little walker

Not only is KRUF-ie crawling, but he is also walking. Trust me, you have to see it to believe it!

KRUF is a Mover and a Shaker

Look at our little guy go! There's no stopping him now!