I'm such a slacker.

So I've been a little busy and something had to give... it was my regular updates to the blog. A lot has happened since I last posted. Kingsley started to crawl in mid-July and has been non-stop since then. She has always loved to stand (with a little help) even before she started to crawl, but now more than ever she loves to stand. She pulls herself up on everything and we think it's only a matter of weeks before she'll be cruising.

This weekend Grandpa Dave and Grandma Carol came up for a visit. Here are a few pictures from their visit.

Mommy's Little Sparkler

Kingsley turned 7 months on the 4th of July. Wow! We can hardly believe that she's already 7 months old. She continues to spoil us with her sweet disposition and great sleeping habits. She takes two, two hour naps and gives us 12-14 hours at night. She's a little butterball and loves her solid foods, too. Just this past week she mastered sitting so we went to dinner and Kingsley sat in a highchair for the first time.

We spent the 4th of July at Grandpa Rod & Grandma Rhonda's house. Unfortunately, we had gloomy weather but still had a great time.

Movin' and Shakin'

Kingsley turned 6 months old on June 4th. We can hardly believe that she's half way to one year. She's growing so fast and every day brings new exploration. She's just begun sitting on her own and still topples over every so often. She's a good eater and has been enjoying the introduction of fruits and veggies. She also loves her exersaucer. Here's a clip of her bouncing to her favorite part in a Baby Einstein video.

Click here to see our video.

Summer, Summer, Summertime

It's early in the summer and we've already had temps over 100 degrees. Kingsley sports her shades on a recent outing.

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane

We recently traveled to Michigan to visit Grandma Mary Lou Baglia and help her celebrate her 65th birthday. Kingsley was a great traveler and slept most of the flights. We made an elaborate story about having to travel to Michigan for Tracy's job, but little did Grandma know, we were planning a surprise birthday party behind her back. Luckily, the party went off without a hitch.

We had a great time in Michigan and enjoyed the summer weather without melting like we do in the Florida sun. Ben played some golf with the Shelle's, Tracy kept Grandma out of Ellen's hair so she could plan the party and Grandma loved on Kingsley.

We were also able to spend some time with Kingsley's Great-Grandma Mary Shelle. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture. Sure would have been nice, huh? Four generations together. We love our visits with the Shelle family and look forward to making another trip up soon.

Mother's Day & More

Kingsley, Ben and I enjoyed a very nice Mother's Day. After church we enjoyed breakfast at Cracker Barrel (Tracy's choice). The rest of the day was spent in the pool. We've been spending a lot of our weekend time in the pool since it's been so hot.

We've introduced rice cereal to Kingsley. The first couple times we had more on the outside of her than on the inside. It's definitely a learning process for both Kingsley and mom.

Pool Time

We had beautiful weather this afternoon. It was very warm out and the pool was cool and refreshing. Kingsley was ready for her first dip. She had a great time and enjoyed splashing by kicking her legs.

See more pictures from pool time here.

... and every perfect gift is from above.

Kingsley was welcomed into the arms of the Lord last weekend when she was baptized. The ceremony was hosted at Queen of Peace in Gainesville. Brynn Wallace is her godmother and Robert Muth is her godfather. After mass we celebrated at our house with friends and family.

See more baptism pictures here.

Easter

We celebrated Easter at Grandpa Rod & Grandma Rhonda's house. We enjoyed the day together and spent the afternoon on the front lawn playing with the kids.

Here's a picture of Grandma Bev with all of her grandkids (from left to right) Jayden, Drew, Dylan and Christie.

Hop, Hop, Hop

Kingsley met the Easter Bunny. She didn't cry and she didn't smile. She just sat there.
Happy Easter!

Going Back to Tally, Tally

The last four weekends have been very busy for us. First we hosted a co-family garage sale with Cory, Megan and Owen Molyneux. Wow! Those garage sale shoppers are serious!

Then we made a trip to Tallahassee to visit our good friends the Wallaces and help Kyndal celebrate her first birthday. During our trip we enjoyed a great outdoor festival in downtown Tally - Springtime Tallahassee. The weather was beautiful.

Happy St. Patick's Day

Just Roll With It

This weekend Kingsley rolled over from her belly to her back for the first time. Normally, she isn't a very big fan of tummy time. She usually just grunts and groans until she gets frustrated/tired and then come the tears but we make her do a little every day. Sunday I put her on her tummy just after she woke from a nap knowing she'd be in her best mood and full of energy. I didn't even think she was close to flipping - boy did she surprise us! Later that night she nearly flipped from back to belly.

We recently purchased a video camera and happened to catch it on film.

Found My Hands

Kingsley has found her hands. She has become very active on her playmat and with her mobiles. She reaches out and grabs for the toys and holds on tight. She's very content laying on her playmat and looking at or reaching for the mobiles that hang above her. Kingsley will also talk to herself while playing. Her disposition is very mild and calm - mommy and daddy love it!

On March 4th Kingsley turned 3 months old and Ben and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. We appreciate Grandma Bev staying late with Kingsley so that mommy & daddy could enjoy a nice evening out to dinner to celebrate.

See other three month old photos on the link to the left.

Let The Pros Do It

I was never able to capture the photo I was looking for no matter how often I tried. That's why you let the pros do it. Ben, Kingsley and I now have some wonderful photos captured by professional photographer Laurel Housden.

Please click on this link to see the professional photos.

Back to Work

I will be returning to work next Monday after an awesome twelve weeks of maternity leave. I'm sad to leave Kingsley but also looking forward to returning to my job and coworkers. Luckily, I enjoy both my job and coworkers. Thank God for Grandma Bev! She will be taking on the daytime duties while I return to work.

A couple of weeks ago we made a trip to south Florida for a visit with the grandparents, Dave & Carol Baglia. We also spent some time with our very special friends, the McKennas, in Ft. Pierce. During our visit, we asked Robert Muth (Tracy's godson) to be the godfather to Kingsley.
Photo: Robert Muth & Kingsley

Discovering My Voice

Kingsley has begun to squeak and coo. She tells us all sorts of stories in the morning and just before bedtime. By far, it's mommy's favorite time with her.

Kingsley is nearly 3 months old and Mom will be going back to work soon. It's been so much fun and we can't believe how quickly the time has gone by.

Kingsley's Photo Shoot

Click on this link to see a photo from Kingsley's photo shoot. More pics to come soon.

The Tale of the Amazing Sleeper

Kingsley is a great sleeper and we are loving every minute of it. Yes, we recognize that it might not last forever. It sounds as if we are making this up - a tale we are telling. But we are not... it's the truth. Kingsley is consistently sleeping 9-10 hours at night and without interruption.

She's also getting stronger each day and holding her head up more and more during tummy time. Here she's on her changing table just after a bath.

The Start of a New Year

It's tough to believe that Kingsley will be two months old next week. Every day brings new experiences. She smiles and seems to recognize our voices.

2010 brought a big change for Ben. Ben is no longer working at the farm. He started working for Cory Molyneux at his business. It's a big change and Ben is really enjoying himself. Between his transition we were able to make a day trip to St. Augustine. Unfortunately, the weather was blistery cold, but we were still able to enjoy the day out of town.

My mother, Mary Lou Baglia, was in town for a nice visit. Grandma spoiled Kingsley and loved giving her a bath each day. Grandma also babysat one night so that Ben and I could enjoy a date night out. We loved having Grandma and look forward to her next visit. It won't be soon enough.

Kingsley and I are keeping busy. Each Tuesday afternoon we attend a postpartum luncheon at the hospital. It's nice to talk to other moms and hear what's working/not working in other homes. Other days we enjoy hour long walks around the neighborhood or errand running. I've enjoyed this time with her so much.

A Long Overdue Update

The last two posts were made just following the arrival of Kingsley. Now that we're in the swing of things, I thought it was time to get back to the blog. I plan to update weekly.

The holidays were a whirlwind. We enjoyed so many visitors. My Dad (Dave Baglia) & his wife Carol came up for a brief visit, then Buddy, Brynn & Kyndal Wallace. Shannon Drawbaugh made a day trip up and so did Bob, Fran and Jim Baglia. We had wonderful friends, like Megan Molyneux, Elsbeth Russell and Jill Andreu bring us dinner. We loved having everyone visit and the dinners were a nice break to our busy days.

We spent Christmas with the Tompkins at Rod & Rhonda's house. The house was full and we captured some nice photos of Kingsley with her cousins and her great-grandmother, Carriebell Tompkins.