A few Wedding Photos...

From the 1st of 2 weddings I did in August...

designerGENES Christmas Special

...for anyone who may be interested or know someone who is....
can't believe Christmas is going to be here soon.

Bye Bye

Kamalee had been doing a small wave with her fingers but has recently learned the full-out-wing-flapping wave! It is so funny! Don't mind the hair and outfit....video was taken at 7AM this morning :)

In other news, we have been trying to get Kamalee a sippie cup the she can handle. Our ST recommended when we switch her to a sippie cup to use the ones with a flip straw to help with rounding of her mouth. So...we decided to try. Within the first day she learned how to use the straw! We are letting her use it a few times a day to get used to it and practice. We go back for a video swallow in November and are going to test her with her new cups and her bottle. If all goes well...we may be able to toss the bobba! YAY!!

Eden's Bouquet

is having a $300 giveaway in clothing!!!! If you haven't checked out her stuff...you are missing out. Her line is so adorable. Click here to see.

Forgot to mention...

some stats:

Kamalee went in for her 1 year appointment. She weighed 18 lbs. and was 28" tall. She is holding in at the 10-25th percentile on 'normal' charts and about the 50th on DS. Which means she is growing really well!!!! (to be honest, I am not sure how she doesn't weigh 25lbs by seeing how much she eats! :)

Also, after talking with her pediatrician and an exam she told us that she is doing everything that any 1yr old should be doing. Woot Woot, Kamalee!! The only thing big she is not doing yet is crawling. However, her doctor told us in development it is the 1 and only one developmental skill you do not need to learn to advance to the next stage. She and our pt have both said it is very likely she may skip crawling and go straight to walking. She loves to be up and on her feet and is getting so good about bending those little knees to take steps, with your fingers. We have 3 months to reach the goal I set for her...which is to be able to stand alone, steadily and take a few steps on her own by Christmas. We are working hard everyday and I am very positive about this. I think she can do it!!! She has already surprised us in so many ways that 'doctors' said she wouldn't do...

Where do I begin?

We have been keeping ourselves busy lately...hence, no blogging. Sorry about that! Kamalee is getting big so fast and learning so many new things lately, that alone could take up my every moment. I also have been working on photos from 2 weddings I did plus a maternity session. I am finally almost finished with wedding #1. Thank goodness bride of wedding #2 is related and not in any hurry to get the photos!

Over Labor Day weekend we decided to a check out Lifelight in Sioux Falls. There was a HUGE crowd there. We had a really good time and enjoyed the music. The picture below is Justin, Kamalee and my nieces Brooklyn and Katelyn with the duck (not sure what/who he is). Kamalee was very interested in him and wouldn't stop looking at him. =)
We went to the Children's Stage and they had a little group playing music and kids up front dancing. The very first song they sang the kids were supposed to do what the lady did...Kamalee did it!!! It was so cute. It was the first time she really imitated. She would clap when that lady did and wave her hands when she did. At one point she even gave them 2 thumbs up....so funny!!!! Couldn't catch it in a picture but it was hilarious.

This is Kamalee and her Dad being goofy. He put her in her basket to play. She didn't seem to mind too much...

Kamalee used to be okay about just going in her crib and going to sleep...but not so much anymore. We went camping for a week this summer and so I put her to sleep by laying with her and ever since she has to be rocked. The other day she was fighting it so much I decided to try again...this is what we discovered....


She was peeking over her crib and just watching us...spying actually :) and when I went in there...she was very thrilled with herself.

She is getting very active and rolls/moves all over the place. She loves being able to lay down and sit back up by herself and is up down and all around the floor anymore. So...tonight we had to lower her crib. She likes to stand up and now the only way she can peek at us is if she does. lol

STOP!

(The upcoming pictures are gruesome. Proceed with caution :)

notice the spot on the floor... well...there it is...Kamalee has been eating mostly table foods. She loves cheese...but it plugs her up! So due to some MOTHERly advice....I put some karo syrup in a few of her bottles. You know the outcome...let's just say, she can have all the cheese she wants! P U!

The bath pictures are after the above incident. She had bubbles and kept laying down to eat them! She thought it was so funny...she would come up spitting with bubbles all over her face and then yay and patty cake for herself...what a doll!!!!

One last note...Kamalee has been in between speech therapists right now as her normal one had to take medical leave for her son. Well, she met her new (and hopefully permanent one) today. Let's just say she only had TERRIFIC things to say about Kamalee. She said she is doing so well and couldn't believe everything that she does. She said it truly shows how much we work with her. She came in expecting to start with things much below her age level. Come to find out she is going to START with things above her age!!!! Hooray. She told Kamalee "I am so impressed with you. I think you are a miracle baby. We are going to work on advanced skills. It is OK to be AHEAD!" That made our day!

How she passes time....

A half hour of entertainment one day!

Rewind...

Kamalee Joy Ulschmid

turned 1 yesterday!

We made it through her first year. It was a little bumpy but none the less, we made it and our doing fabulous. A little catch up on what's been going on: We recently visited the GI. Just a check up no tests; however, we did get the OK to switch to whole milk. We are in the process of that right now. She is getting half milk, half formula. In a couple days she will be on all milk and so far we have had good results! She is also getting used to eating 3 big meals and snacks instead of eating every two hours.

This week OT did an eval and she is up to standards in everything except release skills. She is still in play mode and doesn't like to give toys back. But who can blame her :) Other than that she is at a 'normal' stage for oral and motor skills. GO GIRL!

She is really into standing anymore. Anytime she finds something low enough (the bathtub) she can grab she will pull herself up. Still no knee action but I think she may just skip that and go straight to walking. She has been doing so well with walking holding your hands. She used to be pretty stiff and walk kind of by swinging her legs around instead of forward. Now, she is bending the knees and actually stepping. I am hoping by Christmas she will be able to stand alone and maybe walk with a little assistance...We better get working!!!

Last but not least, she had another heart appointment and all is the same. Which means GOOD news. She still has a small leakage in the valve that was repaired but the cardiologist assures us it isn't changing and is fairly normal. We go again in Feb. (which will be a year from surgery) and he suggested that he should be able to know if further surgeries will be neccessary or not. Whew! I think we have covered it all for awhile.

Here are the puppy pictures for the last year showing her growth....wow how that time went by!

Our 1 year old!!!!

Kamalee's First Birthday Party!

Sunday, we celebrated Kamalee's first birthday party! I can't believe she is going to be 1 tomorrow. It doesn't seem that long ago, but we have had a really long year. I wish I would have kept all of her doctor visits, therapies etc to give to everybody, but I am sure you are mostly aware of the progress she has made. She is doing so well, even being set back a month after her heart surgery. If you didn't know it, you would never guess she had open heart surgery only 6 months ago. Way to go our little fighter. Happy Birthday baby girl. WE love you!!!!

Here are a few shots of the Princess Party.

the cake

My first attempt at a cake....what do you think?

Little Ms. Princess

oh my, look at all these gifts!

The Royal Family

she loved the tissue paper

opening gifts

Daddy's Princess

blowing out the candles

mmm...cake

getting full.

Too much partying.

1 Year Photos