Date Night!

As much as I would like to say I am having a date tonight.... I am not. Though there are several men in my life I wouldn't mind if they asked me on a date... There is Tucker, we were caught holding hands yesterday. There is Meyer, but I haven't seen him in a few weeks. There is Seth and Ethan....can't beat twins! There is Elijah, but do I want to follow in my parents footsteps and date another red head?

But the date night is my parents. I'm happy for them, they haven't seen a movie since before I was born and they both wanted to see the new Pirates movie. (Mom didn't want to tell Dad she thinks Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are hot and that's why she wants to see it, and Dad didn't want to tell Mom he thinks Keira Knightly is hot and that's why he wants to see it) Needless, they are going out on a date tonight.

Earlier in the week, they had no clue who to ask to babysit me. But I found the answer for them.... Denise! She's one of my daddy's coworkers and I really like her. She loves holding me and telling me how good I smell! Who wouldn't like her? So here in a bit I am off to Denise's house!

Hope you have fun Mom and Dad!! Don't miss me too much. (I won't tell them I am planning to sit up on my own tonight in front of Denise....)

Hi

Have you ever had a moment when you are trying to convey a message to someone but no one is listening? Welcome to my daily life! Since I can't talk yet, I have to "talk" via non-verbal queues or my mumbled jumbled oooohs and aaaaaahs. But recently, I have been trying to mimic other sounds and one of the sounds I have been making sounds like "HI". I'm not talking yet, but whenever I say this "HI" sound, I always get a huge reaction! I made it first over Father's Day weekend towards Meyer's mom. She reacted with a huge smile and said "HI" back to me. Then I've done it towards my parents....

Maybe one day I'll be able to communicate...

Friends around the Globe

I have several friends around the globe and I just wanted to take a few moments to plug them for you. This way you can remember them in your thoughts and prayers.

Inge - Netherlands - Inge has been friends with my mom for almost 2-3 years. They actually have never met in person, but talk almost daily via the internet! Inge and her mom mailed me a wonderful gift! And a handwritten note, too! She was nervous her English wasn't good, but she had no mistakes!! She is still a student in the Netherlands and hopes to study English in the States one day! Maybe if she does, Mom and I can road trip to see her!!

Katie - Tanzania, Africa - She just happened to be home on furlow while I was born, so she got to see me in the hospital!! Katie went to college with my mom and dad, but they just barely knew each other then. After college, they reconnected at Jacob's Well Church and started attending the same bible study! Mom and Katie became really close friends, and Mom was sad when Katie was finally able to move to Africa, where her heart was calling her. Katie joined African Inland Mission and works with the Digo tribe. She's been over there for almost three years now, but she gets to come home occassionally.

Shawn and Misty - India - My mom grew up with Misty in church and school ever since they were in diapers! Shawn was the grade above them in school and since he just lived down the street from Mom, they even rode the school bus together. After college when Dad moved down to KC, he became friends with them too! Since then, Shawn and Misty have had two wonderful children, Elijah and Eden - who both have red hair and Shawn jokes they are my half-siblings! Several years ago, their family felt called to missionary work and they moved to India. They have come home for the birth of their two children, and the birth of Eden just happened several weeks ago, so I have gotten to know them all as well! Elijah gets very concerned when I cry. You can check out their website at http://www.freewebs.com/shawnbenson/index.htm

Justin - Mozambique, Africa - Justin has known both my parents for almost ten years now from college. He lived across the hall from my dad in the dorms, even! Mom hung out with these boys a lot, so she became good friends with Justin, too! He is a teacher here in Kansas City, but this summer felt the calling to go to Mozambique to help in an orphanage! He has a fun blog he writes in freqently, so check it out at http://quest4ahippo.blogspot.com/

Surgery with GGpa

Great Grandpa Vencil was having surgery yesterday at the hospital; so while my normal babysitter Dianne is out galavanting the country, my Grammy and Gramps watched me. So I got to spend the day at North Kansas City Hospital (sorry all of mom's coworkers, I was resonate for GGpa to have his surgery at Saint Luke's, but no one listened to the baby). Gramps, Grammy and I commandeered a vacant waiting room, but because I am just so dang adorable, soon the room was full with everyone wanting to spend time with me! Nurses came out of the woodwork to hold the baby! GGpa's surgery was a success (changing his arm port for his dialysis), then I went over with Grammy to get her bloodwork done. For one day, I was the star of North Kansas City Hospital!

Rice Cereal!

At my four month doctor check up, I was giving the A-OK to start eating some rice cereal; and let me tell you, I'm as pumped up as a 13 year old that just shot their first deer on opening day of hunting season! Or as pumped as Ophelia when we say "Want to go for a car ride?" Either way, I was pumped up! Think about it a moment, for 5-6 meals a day for the last four months I have had the SAME thing. That adds up to 744 meals of formula since I was born. Uncle Eric gave me a bite of a few things and Grammy sneaks a few bites in occasionally, but all in all, I'm ready for a change. Rice cereal is pretty much glorified formula, but I don't care. I'm ready. Bring it on! As you can see, I'm a natural when it comes to eating with a spoon! Everyone was shocked at how efficient my tongue worked with that spoon! I saw that food coming my way, so of course I opened my mouth. Who wouldn't? Did they think I was stupid or something? Mom makes these strange airplane noises, and the whole time I am just thinking, JUST GIVE ME THE FOOD! There is a whole box for me to go through, and then Dad told me he will buy me Oatmeal Cereal. Another change? So soon? I don't have to wait another 744 meals? This growing up thing is SWEET!

Okay, okay. I understand the spoon, but keeping the food in my mouth is a whole other thing. I'll get better with time. Just keep that spoon coming my way!

Bumbo Growth Chart - 4 months

Here is a progress of my growth...

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

By the way, that pink shirt I have on in the Four Months photo....came to me as a gift all the way from the NETHERLANDS!!!!!!!!!!!! My mom's friend Inge sent it to me! Inge is such a sweetie!!! Maybe one day mom will take me to the Netherlands to meet Inge and Dennis in person! Inge is actually in Boston right now on a vacation, but Mom said I couldn't fly up there by myself to visit her.

Aunt Leah

Last week, Aunt Leah came down to visit!!! I love it when she comes down! Plus that makes another red head in the house, which is always a bonus! Did I mention I love when Aunt Leah comes down? She loves to nap with me and cuddle with me. Well, actually everyone loves to do that with me. But I love when Aunt Leah comes down.

We hung out at home most evenings, but several different days we went out shopping! He hit up Zona Rosa one day and I got an adorable dress from Forever 21, who knew they sold baby clothes! And then Aunt Leah bought me an incredible shirt from Old Navy. Then on Friday night, Dad left for a male bonding experience floating down a Southern Missouri river. So us three girls had a female bonding experience out at Legends Shopping Center. We ate out at Jimmy Buffet's (spelling?) restuarant "Cheeseburger in Paradise". My mom normally doesn't drink much, but she got a drink there that is her new favorite she kept saying. It was a Key Lime Pie Martini! Yeah, I know a girly foo foo drink. But the glass even looked pretty! Mom said I have to wait 21 years before I can try it. That seems like a looooooooong time away. 21 years, wow, that will be 2028. (My mom just fainted - hold on, I gotta help her).

Back to Leah.... She brought down a bunch of chick flick movies, so her, mom and I watched all of them. I love it when Aunt Leah comes down. Then on Saturday, she sadly left to go back home. I cried a little after she left wishing she was still here. But then Mom cheered me up telling me that I was going to go hang out with Meyer that night! Alright!!!

Dog Week

Last week was Dog Week on Live with Regis and Kelly! Now, you must be thinking to yourself, what is so special about this to make it on my blog? Well, that's because my dog Turk LOVES to watch other dogs on TV! He gets nose to nose to the TV screen and watches every move they make! On Super Bowl Sunday, Animal Planet runs the Puppy Bowl for several hours and he will watch every moment of it! Well, as I was saying, last week was Dog Week on Live, so they had all sorts of dogs on each day. And using my mom's camera, I captured Turk watching TV!

Show me the green

If anyone knows my Gramps, they know there is only one thing in this world he loves more than me...and that is John Deere tractors! He is a farm boy at heart, born and raised on farms in Southern Missouri. He has plenty of stories of smashing the eggs in the pail so he could get pile more in! And no matter what he tells you, he is a bit of a horse whisperer! He has broke more horses than I have hair (wait...that's not that many). But most importantly, he loves his old John Deere tractors! Green and yellow is his life! He has two of them right now in our barn and I think his will gives one each to Mom and Uncle Eric. What they will do with them, who knows? Probably keep them in Gramps memory. This isn't one of Gramps, but it's one he thought about buying. It's the only photo of a Deere I have.... And his look just like this.

But Gramps must be trying to keep me in the John Deere spirit, because I already have my first John Deere toy! Gramps better be careful or I will take these keys up the barn and start up the "putt putt" noise machines!

Gone Hollywood!

Even if I am young, I like to be stylish! Call me materialistic, but I enjoy looking cute. I adore it when people say to me, "You are so cute!" And let me tell you, when I wear these glasses, I get that comment a lot! I don't think Dad likes it when I wear these glasses, but Mom and I love it! Don't worry, I won't be like all the other teen stars and joining rehab anytime soon.

Rachel's Baby Shower!

The weekend after we got back from our big driving trip, my mom's best friend Rachel had a baby shower! I had a blast trying to help plan it, even though I got more in the way than anything. Everyone loves a baby around though, right? At least that's what I think. Mom likes it when I help. But this week she had so much to plan, since she was organizing a whole "Price is Right" game for the shower, so I got to hang out with dad a lot during this week! And since I am teething, I am crying a wee bit more than usual, so I hope I never got on Dad's nerves or anything.

Mom helped host the shower in addition with Rachel's two sisters, Abby (green tank) and Tina (holding diaper cake). All three of these lovely ladies also happen to be cousin's to my buddy Meyer! Oh! Mom made that diaper cake as her gift to Rachel! Isn't it amazing? She just found directions on the internet and made one herself. She saw the idea at Marshmallow Kisses, but they sell theirs for way too much money. Mom thought she was crafty enough to make one and here is a more close up of it! It consists of: 60 diapers, a Baby's First year calender, a fleece blanket, Baby Lotion, three bibs, one onsie, two pacifiers, two pacifier keepers, Tide-to-go stick, and a frog rattle. I have the exact same frog rattle on my carseat and I love it! So mom got the exact same one for Rachel's baby! My cousin Cooper in Des Moines has the same one too! It's just a popular frog rattle! Back to the shower... The shower was full of pregnant ladies and babies! I think there were three pregnant women there and three babies there too! Here is a photo of Misty and Rachel, cute thing is that Misty had her baby the day after the shower!!! Rachel is only 35 weeks along, but she is measuring at 38 weeks, so I bet the little boy (who's name is a secret) will be born early!

See the three babies? That would be Ethan in the light blue and Meyer in the dark blue. These are both two of my boyfriends, so it was really creepy for them to meet! I think I was trying to decide who I wanted to hang out with, so I looked up to the adults for help...

Two of mom's best friends are Rachel and Aimee...and they have a tradition of taking photos like this whenever they get together. I crashed the party and got in on the photo, too! Well, almost...

TEETH!

Guess what?! I HAVE TEETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have two teeth, the front ones in the bottom! Mom has tried multiple times to get photos of them, but it's impossible. Trust me. I just had to tell you that I have teeth now!!!!!!!!!

Mom forgot me!

Soon after our trip, I returned to normal life of waking up and going to Dianne's house for daycare while the folks go to work. While there, I get to play with Chloe, Tucker, Jake (or is it Jack - one is the dad and one is the son and I always forget which is which!) and one other girl. For the life of me, I can't think of her name now either. Three of us are just a few months apart, then there are two that just had their first birthday's. Miss Dianne is really busy with us, but we all love her! She has lots of toys at her house, way more than mommy and daddy! Plus, there is a Toy Yorkie (He is literally the size of Turk's FOOT)!!

Anyway, in the afternoon's I am always the first baby to get picked up from work. Dianne normally gets me all buckled into my seat and I watch anxiously out the window for mom to pull into the driveway. One afternoon, I sat there and waited and waited. It seemed like hours was passing and no Mom in the driveway. Sweat started to bead on my forehead and panic levels were rising. Houston, we have a problem. My throat started to swell and color started to leave my face. Crocodile tears formed in the corner of my eyes, but before they could gently roll down my cheek, I saw the familiar sight of the Honda pulling in the driveway!

What happened you wonder? Well, that strange redhead called my mother was so engrossed in listening to Lazlo on the radio, that she went straight past the babysitter's house. In fact, she went all the way home, opened the garage door, got out of the car and came around the side to get me out. Then she literally hit her palm to her forehead when she realized she forgot to pick me up! So she turned back around to get me.

Don't worry, the babysitter is our neighbor...So mom was only about 2.3 minutes late.

Road Trip 3.1

On our second day in Goshen, after going to church, we decided to take a walk along the Goshen Canals! It's a cute little picturesque canal system with trails all along it. And it was the perfect day for all of us to be outside playing! Look Olivia! It's a duck! (She really likes ducks!)
And here is the Thieszen family! Lily didn't want another photo taken, she was too excited about watching the dam... Soon there will be another little child in this photo! During our trip, I started to TEETH!!!! How wonderful is that!? I tried not to let anyone know how much pain I was in, but it really hurt! Instead, I try to suck on my lip or my fingers a lot...

The next morning, we woke up and left Goshen. I was sad to leave all my new friends, but really I just dreaded another long day in the car. We drove across Northern Indiana and Illinois, through Chicago and across Iowa. When we took the 2nd Ave Exit in Des Moines, I couldn't have been more excited! I knew this meant time spent with Grandma! Plus, I was really missing Turk and Ophelia and ready to see them again! They had been with Grandma for our trip!

Road Trip 3.0

Soon we were back on the road leaving Michigan... I dreaded another trip, but the folks promised me this one was only about 2-3 hours. Needless, I fell asleep pretty quick and somehow my head/neck ended up in a strange position. My mom tried to hold up the camera to take a photo, but this is what she got! Hahaha!

We crossed through some interesting towns like Coldwater and Sturgis! No bikers in this Sturgis though.

Finally we arrived in Goshen, Indiana to the home of Micah and Angie Thieszen! They have one daughter named Lily who I was very much looking forward to playing with! And they also own Zoe, a dog who was literally almost eaten once by Turk! And Angie revealed a special surprise to my family, she's pregnant again! Must be something about Memorial Day and being pregnant! Two years ago, when Micah and Angie came down to visit my parents on Memorial Day, they decided to get pregnant. Then last year over Memorial Day, MY mom found out she was pregnant and a few days later Lily was born! And now this Memorial Day, Angie is pregnant again! What will next Memorial Day bring?

Anyway, like I said, Lily was born just after Memorial Day, so she was getting ready for her first birthday while we were visiting! So we got her a gift from mom's favorite baby store, Marshmallow Kisses!

We got Lily some bath letters so she can learn her alphabet in the tub play time! When wet, they will stick to the walls! Above, Micah and Shelley wrote out the girls names... They ran out of A's and E's, so my middle name has an upside down V and a backwords 3! But it works!
Since Lily is so much more mature and grown up than me, she gets to play with the phone while I just get the letter M. Lily was explaining to me how to call China when mom isn't looking!

Road Trip 2.2

After playing in the gardens, we decided to hit up some local ice cream joint! Everyone knows how much we all love ice cream! While there, we had this great family photo taken! Three little redheads! Awwww..... How cute. Crazy enough to have ONE red head in a family, what the odds of two red heads falling in love?

The next morning we woke up to nice big ol' breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage! Well, I say WE, but really I mean the old people. I got the good ol' Enfamil YET AGAIN. Maybe one of these days I will get real food.

Abby and Ashley bought their house a few years ago and they will be the first to admit, it was a dump back then. But they've worked very hard and fixed it up real nice! It's the cream house in the photo below. I wish I had a before photo to post, you wouldn't beleive it! But the real object of this photo is Ashley showing off his Evo... Abby and Ashley are both part of street racing clubs and hold titles in their divisions (I think). And here is the car they race! Ashley took my parents for a ride in it, and both of them were quite impressed! Ab and Ashley don't live alone in their big ol' house, they have three companions! Casey and Panda are both dogs and then they have a cat, too! I've forgotten the cats name now, sorry.... But while we were there, I think the dogs didn't quite know what to do with themselves. They had to stay in the basement, I kept trying to tell Abby I was quite used to dogs living with Turk and Ophelia, but I think they kept the dogs put away more for the newly finished hardwood floors than because of me. But in the door to the basement is a little cat door, which Casey likes to stick her head through to keep in the action....
And here is my first ever encounter with a cat! I wasn't quite sure what to think at first, cats look softer than dogs, so naturally I tried to pet her. She was quite nice back to me, too!

And that concludes our time in Lansing, Michigan! Time to start part the next journey, down to Goshen, Indiana!!

Road Trip 2.1

While we were still on the Michigan State University campus, Abby walked us over towards the Children's Garden! How here is where I had some fun! Other than seeing black squirrels (something Missouri doesn't have!), they had playgrounds, a music/show stage, a mammoth sun dial where YOUR body becomes the dial using your shadow, and my favorite the child sized hedge maze! We probably spent about 30 minutes running around this part of the garden and had a blast every moment. It helped that the weather was absolutely perfect for it!

This first photo is a staircase my mom thought was the most brillant thing she had ever seen! She took several artsy fartsy photos of it too.

While Mom was busying playing photographer, Dad took me over the arched bridge. He tried to start ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) in me already, becuase he pointed down to a large tube in the water (you can see it in the photo) and told me to look at the Anaconda!
On the other side of the bridge were these adorable little frog statues in the water. We also noticed this railing-looking object. Mom leaned against it and was surprised to find that it moved! Then she noticed an around on the ground below it... So she spun it and nothing happened. Then Dad said, "It would be cool if you spun that hard enough to make that frog spit out water!' And next thing we knew, that's exactly what happened! So dad displayed his mad frog spitting skills for a few minutes...
In the center of the garden was a child-sized hedge maze! Of course I wanted to walk through it! Mom came through with me, but she's so tall, she had to almost crawl through it with me!
Inside the maze, I wanted to try to stand by myself. Of course, I can't do this yet. Heck, I can't even sit by myself, but I wanted to try anyway. My first step could be in such a beautiful place like this! So at first I tried to stand on the brick post, look how cute I am!

And then I tried to stand on the ground. Mom is so good to hold my hands so I don't fall over. I do such a great job of holding her fingers!

Then as we were leaving the garden, mom walked across these metal tiles and almost screamed when they made noise! She wasn't expecting that! They are musical tiles! Abby tried to play a song, can you guess what song she is trying to play?

After Abby played on the tiles a bit, I decided I wanted to try, too! But we all got a good laugh when I wasn't heavy enough!

Road Trip 2.0

Day two of the big road trip! We woke up in Vandalia, Illinois, and headed NE towards Indianapolis, home of the Colts (BOO!!). All three of us wanted to avoid that Payton-loving city (even if he is funny with a fake mustache in those cell phone commercials - he still knocked the Chiefs out of the playoffs AGAIN....) So we headed North towards Michigan instead. After several potty stops and bottles we finally reached the state border. My mom was excited because Michigan is one of the few states she had never visited. See, Gramps job required mammoths amounts of traveling, so often the family would join him. So my mom has been blessed with traveling to almost every state! But never Michigan.

Around suppertime we pulled up to the lovely home of Abby and Ashley Dupree (pretend I have a little accent over that second E in Dupree). Abby is one of my mom's best friends, and those two girls can sure talk up a storm! They met on Palm Sunday in 1992 and clicked instantly as friends. They grew up in the same small town, but went to different high schools. Needless, they stayed friends even when they went to different colleges. Strangest part yet, they both married boys with the middle name of Ashley! Except Abby's husband goes by his middle name where my dad goes by his first name.

Lansing, Michigan... What a beautiful place to wake up in on our third day of road tripping! Because the Ford Freestyle isn't that big and we had lots of stuff with us, the pack-n-play unfortunately wouldn't fit. But I didn't care because that meant I got to sleep in the big bed! That's something that I haven't done in months! The guest room was all white and with the fresh morning rain, the room felt great with the window open. I woke up long before Mom and Dad did, but I decided to let them sleep in. When Mom finally woke up, she was pleasantly surprised to see me contently playing with my feet. And of course, she couldn't resist the moment as a photo op...

After everyone finally crawled out of bed, (Ashley had already been at work for several hours!) we all got dressed and drove across town to Michigan State University. Abby had never been through the art museaum there and since they were having a special about the circus (http://www.artmuseum.msu.edu/circus/) "The Art of the Strange and Curious", so we headed that way first. Banners were larger than my room! It was pretty interesting to check out!

Then we crossed campus to the famous MSU flower garden. I'm sure the garden covered miles, though I am sure it's only a few acres. I enjoyed the fun fountain at the entry, water gently cascaded over a large rolling ball.... Check me out, I can walk on it! (with dad's help)

But of course, what do you know... As soon as we got to the garden I got hungry. Must have been looking at all that circus paintings that did me in. I doubt I have ever been fed any place so picturesque before!!

Flowers were everywhere and we walked all around to check them out! Mom couldn't help but take a million and a half photos... And I even got in on the action smelling some of the wonderful aroma's of the hanging baskets!

Road Trip 1.0

Wednesday, May 23rd noted the day of my first major road trip. The day started with both of my parents going to work. I packed my bags, but Dad said I packed WAY too many burp clothes and bibs so I had to re-pack. I finally got my bags down to two... One with diapers, toys, books, bottles, formula and wipes and the other bag with all my clothes. Not bad considering we were leaving for six whole days!

Then Grant Kathy came up to help mom and I pick up the rental car. We circled Naussau Drive at Kansas City International Airport about six times trying to figure out where to pick up rental cars. All the signs just said where to drop off cars, but nothing for pick up. Finally mom just asked the guy at the drop off point and he said, "Oh you pick up here too." Well put that on the signage buddy! He would have saved us about 23 minutes of hassle. *smile* The airport just centralized all the rental car system and all the kinks haven't been worked out yet.

After finally getting the car, (a Ford Freestyle) we got it all loaded up with all our travel mess and hit the road about 6pm. Dad's goal was to make it past St. Louis on the Illinois side. My mom is a map pro, she's a nerd who loves maps and stuff. She says her and dad would be great on "Amazing Race" because of her mad mapping skills. Anyway, she thought we could make it to a town called Vadalia, Illinois.

After stopping once because SOMEONE needed a bottle and diaper change (hmmm, wonder who?) we finally made it to Vadalia just before midnight. Mom got us all checked into the roadside motel (even though the clerk at the counter really freaked her out....) while I stared at the fake Gateway Arch in the motel's parking lot.

First day of road trip...just driving. Can't wait for the next day!

Update! ...sorta

Fellow Blog Enthusiasts,

I promise I have not forsaken you; you mean the world to me. I thrive for blog updates. My heart aches because of the recent scarcity of posting. And the blunder of it all, I have mammoths amount of news to lay on you! I've received a beautiful afghan blanket I haven't posted a photo of yet, I received an outfit all the way from HOLLAND and not photo yet. I went on my first major road trip to Michigan and Indiana to visit people my parents care much about. I even have a funny story about mom forgetting about me. But biggest of all... I HAVE A TOOTH! Yes, you read correctly. I have a tooth now; or at least a white stump of one breaking through.

Now you ask yourself, "With all these major events in Daphne's life, why no posting?" Let me tell you why, dear friends. I have been busy helping my parents with some things... You see, our trip to the Great Lakes region was six days long, so that explains that absence. But after we got back, I've been frantically helping mom make Kate and Charlie's wedding invites, as well as helping her plan the "Price is Right" extravaganza for Rachel's baby shower. So hopefully early next week you will soon see some updates telling the full story of the aforementioned events.

With Due Respect,
Daphne