Videos

A usual, I am having difficulties uploading videos into blogger, so I have posted several short video clips into my facebook account if anyone is interested. Enjoy my standing little man!

It's Freezing!

Tired after a long day of playing hard with daddy.

His favorite snack: slobbery fingers.


Reaching for the camera, as usual.

Playing with the ads.

Showing daddy what he wants from Santa.

Even though they lost, rootin' on the Chiefs.

Lovin his new carseat!

These arm rests are so cool (and so are my socks)!

So I know Gus isn't really saying it yet, but he started saying 'mmmmmmaaa' yesterday and it melts my heart every time! He honestly doesn't realize it yet, but it sounds like he is saying mama! Oh I love my little man. He is getting so independent. He is very interested in standing this weekend, as well as putting a few consonants together with vowels "m-a" and "k-a" is what we have gotten from his rambling so far. He also has a nasty cough but seems to just be frustrated with it, not in pain.

He is getting very excited for Christmas, as is mommy and daddy. We can't wait to come back to Iowa in a few days and see you all! We are not, however, excited to deal with Iowa's snow and below zero weather; we have had a little bit of the cold and ice and snow here in KC the last few days, but nothing like Iowa has had.

And congrats to Will and Steph on baby Jack, born on Friday night. We are so excited to meet Owen's new little brother!

Gus and his desk

We can't remember where Gus got this little desk, probably from a niece or grandma, but Gussie loves it. Today he keeps trying to stand from sitting in it. He is getting so old! I can't believe everything he can do. In the next few months, he'll probably be walking. Oh, where did my baby go?!?!?!

YMCA Pictures

Arica, Pat, Bri, Wes, Jason, Jessica, Josh and Traci.

Here are some pics from the YMCA night last Friday. These are a few of the other sports directors and their wives.

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

Winterwonderland... AKA: Our Backyard.

The front. Notice the roads have not been cleared. One downfall of living in a place where it snows only a few times a year.


Josh actually had to shovel this morning before he left for work! This snow is crazy, maybe up to 5 inches, and for us, that's significant. If I were teaching this week, I would have not had class today anyway, as KCKCC is closing early.

Gus is tucked away in his crib (dreaming of dancing sugar plums) for a long winters nap, so I thought I'd blog a little. Love you all!

UPDATE: I am having trouble uploading videos here, UGHHH!, so I uploaded three new, longer ones into my facebook account if anyone is interested!

Thanks for Coming to KC to watch me!

"Thank you so very much Grandma and Grandpa Dillavou for traveling all the way to Kansas City to watch me on Friday night so that mommy and daddy could go out for the YMCA Christmas party! They had so much fun!," said Gus, as he spit carrots out his nose and wiped boogers on his sleeve...

This weekend Pat and Paulette came to KC and watched Gus on Friday night. Saturday they continued their Christmas shopping at Legends shopping center, and we picked out a carseat for Christmas (next year will be more fun for Gus, this year it is economical!). On Sunday they left early in the morning so as to miss the cold weather and possible storms. We went to church on Sunday and then just hung out and relaxed the rest of the day. On Sunday in KC it was in the 60s when we got up and the single digits when we went to bed- talk about a weather roller coaster.

This week I have no teaching, only a few grades to submit, and then Fall 2008 is officially over. I will be making Christmas cookies and pretzels this week, and spending lots of quality time with Gussie. We got our video recorder figured out, and I have uploaded the clips to our computer, but I am having trouble uploading them into blogger. It may be our internet connection, which I want to upgrade so I don't have to deal with this anymore! I will keep trying to upload videos though, and will take lots of pics this week.

Love and miss you all! Stay warm out there!

It's snowing in Kansas City!

It is snowing in KS! A few schools have let out (not mine of course!) and the roads are pretty slick. Those of you in northern Iowa would laugh at us for letting out school, as most areas have only gotten 1/2 an inch of snow so far, but some will have up to 3 inches by the time it is over at 5 pm. And here in Kansas City that is big news. Up until now, it really hasn't been that cold. Last night Josh was talking to his mom and she was telling him about the horrible weather in Clear Lake, and he checked the weather channel and at 9 pm last night, we were still at 57 degrees! Today is a different story, it may even get into the single digits tonight.

I didn't want to take the slick side roads to our daycare providers house this afternoon, so Gus got his first glimpse of college life. It is finals week so I only had a few students stop by the classroom to drop off their take-home final. Gus was a good boy and only got fussy when it was time to put him back in his carseat. As always, he was a hit. My students thought he was adorable (of course, grades haven't been turned in yet so what are they supposed to say, right?!?!).

Christmas shopping... check!

Gus was adorable in the tub tonight.

Trying to eat a ribbon from a present.

Our little man seems to be slimming down a little. He is going to be tall and slender like his daddy.

This is the cute little inquisitive head tilt that Gus started doing last week. I was glad to get a picture of it.

Almost makes me wish I had blue eyes.

Gus trying to eat the camera strap. He always looks at it and tries to reach for and/or put it in his mouth when I take his photograph.

Smiling by the tree.

Riding the Horsey (daddy).

We are done Christmas shopping. Josh, Gus and I shopped all day Saturday and some of Sunday and we are officially finished. I am all shopped out. Officially. And, there were tons of people out and about doing what we were doing; I can hardly imagine how busy it will get over the next two weeks.

This week is finals for my classes, and then I am off until January. Yippeee! I love the holidays. I hear we may even get some snow here in Kansas that will stick around for a few days... maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. Although it means potentially bad weather and crazy drivers, snow is also a reminiscent reminder of Iowa winters.... ahhhh...

I have a few videos from tonight that I will upload later on this week; I am exhausted and ready for bed. Hope you all have a good week!

Milestones

Gus has started doing three new things the last few days:
1. He tilts his head, kind of cocks it to the side, and smiles and looks at you. Almost like he is trying to make you laugh. He is becoming very quizzical.
2. Today when I picked him up from daycare he was oh so excited to see me. I was holding him in front of me and he kept grabbing my cheeks, one in each hand, and tried to pull my mouth to his (his of course was snot filled, slobbery with an almost aggressive- as agressive as a 7 month old can be I suppose- look like he was trying to eat my chin). I said, "Gus what are you doing?" and Sandie, his daycare provider, said, "He is trying to kiss you, like you do him when you see him. He is showing affection." I couldn't believe it. I continued to talk to her for a few seconds and he kept pulling my face toward him and trying to 'kiss ' me. My heart melted. I have never been so excited to have my face sucked on. He was really interacting, emotionally, with me. Wow.
3. He can just about sit up from a lying down position. Right now he needs a little blanket (or stack of laundry) behind him, but he is getting so strong.

Oh I love him so much! I found out something else we have in common. About an hour ago I tried to feed him beef and he hated it. I even tried to trick him by lathering it in sweet potatoes and cereal, but, like me, he does not like beef. Gosh he is amazing.

Gobble Gobble!

Gus' first Iowa snow.

Brrr!

Kennedy in Gma's little rocking chair.

Gus not very happy to be in the same chair.

Aunt Traci and Kennedy modeling their skirt/pant combos.

Ty and Gus.

Josi had Gus laughing so hard! She and Brea were such good helpers with Gussie.

Kacy and Gus.

Andi and Gus.

Walk like an Egyptian...

Super Smiley!

Reunited at last! Uncle Nick and Gus.