Gingerbread House...

Thanks to Aunt Angie, Katelyn was able to help make her first Gingerbread house this year. Actually, mom and Aunt Angie decorated it, but Katelyn was more than willing to help eat the left over candy! Angie put the house together for us. Katelyn is quite fond of her Aunt and it isn't hard to see why!!

Stevens Park

Every year at Christmas Stevens Park is lit up with strands lights on every tree. This year we (Lee, Grandma and Grandpa Ackerman and I) took Katelyn down to take some pictures. For the most part they didn't turn out that great because of the lack of light, but here are a few shots.

Lee's Office..

I know this blog is for Katelyn, but I wanted to add a video of some pictures of Lee's office coming together. He will officially open on the 2nd of January. We have all spent a lot of time down at the office the last week getting things ready! A big THANK YOU to Craig, Ashley, Scott and especially Randy and Linda! They have all given up some of their vacation time to help Lee and I out!

Katelyn's Surgery

Below is a video of pictures from before, during, and after Katelyn's surgery. Some of the pictures right after surgery are a little hard to look at (just wanted to warn you). We are now a little over a month after surgery and she is doing wonderful! This video was a project for one of my classes and I thought it would be an easy way to share with all of you about Katelyn. Thank God for his blessings he gave us!!

Helping Mom and Dad...

Katelyn has picked up a new hobby around the house. Mom is going to have the cleanest kitchen floor in all of Garden City. She continued to mop for at least ten minutes. She even moved the cat to clean underneath poor Tobi!!

Katelyn at Children's Mercy Hospital

As most of you know Katelyn, Lee and I made a trip to Kansas City on Tuesday where Katelyn has some procedures done at Children's Mercy Hospital. Katelyn did well through the catheter and tranesophageal echo, but had some trouble coming out of the anesthetic. Her breathing dropped pretty low, so she had some breathing treatments and was on oxygen for awhile. She also was pretty sick afterwards. She couldn't keep anything down, including juice and water. So our stay was prolonged a little bit. The pictures below are from when she was still not feeling well and it is pretty obvious from the way she looks. Once she finally came out of it, she was back to her normal self: smiling, signing and talking to mom and dad. We were also very thankful that Andrea and Ryan came and visited Katelyn in the hospital. Mom and dad sure enjoyed having someone else there to talk to!! From the procdures Dr. Kaine and the other surgeons at Children's Mercy believe Katelyn needs open heart surgery to try to repair her mitral valve. We are hoping this will be possible to avoid her having to get a valve replacement. We are waiting to find out early next week when her surgery will be scheduled! Thanks for all the prayers from everyone and we love you all!!

Wildcat Family...

Here is a movie maker clip of family pictures at the zoo, all are dressed in K-State of course! Go Cats!! Note-at the end of the clip Lee, Katelyn and I were able to get some pictures on a real caboose that was broken down. Grandpa spotted the caboose on the way home and Uncle Craig took the pictures!

First Time at the Big Pool

On Sunday, Katelyn made her first trip to the Big Pool along with mama, Grandma and Grandpa Ackerman, Scott, Angie, Ethan, Craig and Ashley. It was a fun time by all. Here are a few pics as we left the pool. Katelyn didn't want to leave her blow-up jet ski.

Playing With The Dogs

Here are a few pics of Katelyn playing with the Dogs (Saddie, Brenner and Daisy) assisted by Ashley and Craig. Katelyn loves playing in the back with the dogs.

First Hair Cut

On Saturday Katelyn had her first hair cut. She arrived for her appointment in the middle of mom's, which was our first mistake. Katelyn got scared as soon as she came over by where I was, granted my hair was covering my face and was full of foil. Another lady who you can see a picture of in the video had her hair in curlers who also looked pretty scary. Katelyn didn't want to have anything to do with being back by the "weird" looking people. Mom had to be under the dryer while Grandma was the lucky one who had to try to hold Katelyn. She calmed down for a little at the beginning, but then got scared again and cried pretty hard, which is sooo unlike her. Sarah did a great job and the mullet has been maintained for now.

Picking Grandpa Up

After a week of just the girls, and Craig, Katelyn made her first trip out to the Garden City Airport to pick up Grandpa. We couldn't get a great look at the plane landing, but we could see Grandpa step off the plane through the doors. Katelyn recognized Grandpa as soon as he came through the sunlight and they shared a dance and kiss. The following pictures at home are of Katelyn's gift Grandpa brought back....thanks Grandpa for teaching her how to use it. My head still hurts!! :)

Wind In My Hair...

Katelyn loves her new car seat. She finally weighs enough to have a front facing car seat. She loves being able to see where we are driving and feeling the "wind" in her hair!!! (in the Durango the back AC vents blow right on her) Notice the mowhawk!!

All By Mysellf with a Spoon...

Katelyn is a very good eater, she likes just about anything. This video is of one of the first times Katelyn used a spoon by herself. To be honest she is a pretty clean eater too, she hasn't started throwing her food......yet!!

Talking So Far.....

Here is a video of a few of the words we've caught Katelyn starting to say, she also has "words" for CAT, BOTTLE, PUPPY, BALL, BANANA, OUT and a few others. She has down a few hand gestures too including more, food, and she is good at pointing to what she wants (just like every girl is)!! You might want to turn up the volume to hear K talk.

First Time with a Real Toothbrush

Katelyn wasn't sure what to think of her very own toothbrush. I think she was more interested in biting it instead of letting dad brush her teeth. Up to this point we had used a little brush that slipped on the end of your finger.

Poor Ethan Being Tickled By Katelyn

I think Katelyn is trying to get in all she can while her younger cousin Ethan can't defend himself. Hence, tickling poor Ethan while he is strapped in his car seat. Notice towards the end of the video Ethan and Katelyn are "talking" to each other.

Katelyn, Tobi and the Fly...

I know you can't see it, but there is a fly on the window that is just driving Tobi and Katelyn crazy! Tobi usually spends her days chasing flies and for some reason Katelyn took an interest in this one. The fly starts off right in front of Tobi and slowly moved its way up the window, I have no idea why it never flew away, but Katelyn came pretty close to grabbing it a few times. Katelyn loves Tobi and will often times walk around the house going "ca, ca" which is her word for CAT!!

Banana Nose

Eating is often an adventure with Katelyn as we are discovering how to get our food all over the place. This shot was taken during breakfast at home with mom.

Mommy's Purse

Here is a video of Katelyn playing with mommy's purse. She loves carrying it around when we go out. She is so funny with it, that we went out and bought her a purse of her own.

Katelyn's Chair

Here is a video of Katelyn enjoying her own chair.

Another Trip To The Zoo

Katelyn loves going to the zoo. There is a little flower path in the middle of the zoo, that was so pretty. Katelyn wasn't too sure about sitting in the grass as you can see below.

Splish Splash I Was Taking A Bath

Katelyn has really started to enjoy her baths as you can see from the video below. She loves getting mom and dad just as wet as she is. This was taken closer to her birthday. I'm a little behind on the blog.

Katelyn's First Birthday Party

The following is a short video of Katelyn's First Birthday party. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to those of you who came, especially those who had to travel so far!! Great-grandpa Ralph, grandma Joan, and grandma Jean, as well as Great-Aunt Sherri from Louisiana!!! Love you all!!

Do You LIke My Purse??

Katelyn is modeling a lovely purse (card) for one of mommies friends up in Canada!

Happy Birthday Annie!!! We love you and miss you!!

Katelyn's First Easter....

Katelyn really enjoyed her first Easter and playing with her easter eggs. Here are just a few pictures from her day.

Katelyn's New Walker

Katelyn got a new walker from mom and dad for Easter. She has picked it up really well. She is cruising around easily now.

A Few Old Pics...

Katelyn is such a big help around the house. Here she is giving mom a hand with the dishes.










Shhh, don't tell Uncle Scott, but I like his hat!!!

That's what I think about that dad!!!

A New Cousin To Play With

Katelyn and Ethan have enjoyed getting acquainted. We are so excited that Katelyn is going to have a cousin close by to grow up with. Katelyn loves to watch Ethan, but I think she is waiting with anticipation for him to big enough to play with.

Slumber Party.....

During parent teacher conferences our kids get to stay home, while we go to work. Here is a picture of the Biermann kids with Katelyn all snuggled together. From left to right: Haley, Faith, Katelyn, Mikayla, and Gabe. They are so good to Katelyn; she just loves going to play at their house!! The Biermann's also attend St. Dominic's Church so Katelyn will often find them in the middle of the congregation.

Katelyn exploring her musical talents!

Big Blues....

When Katelyn was born with her big blue eyes we weren't sure where they came from, except maybe from Grandpa. But we were hoping they would stay since dad has brown and mom has hazel. According to Uncle Scott, the "eye specialist", Katelyn is old enough that her eyes should stay the way they are. I only wish we could've gotten a shot with all her teeth too.....she currently has 8 that are in. You can click on the picture to get a closer look!

A Special Day For Katelyn (and us)

Jump and Hoops for Heart is a community service project which supports research funded by the American Heart Association. Every two years the elementary students from Holcomb raise as much money as they can for this organization by jumping rope and shooting hoops. The event is always dedicated to someone in our community whose life has been affected by heart disease. This dedication helps our students understand how their participation can have an impact. This year they chose Katelyn. It was very moving to see how sincere these little people were as they listened to Katelyn's story. It was even more uplifting to see what an effort they gave. These little people ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, jumped or shot hoops for over an hour and a half!! Katelyn was honored with her name being placed on a plaque that hangs just outside the gym. As you can see from one of the pictures she was also given a very soft teddy bear from the kids. Lee was also given a t-shirt and I was given a Boyd's Bear Figure of a mom and baby bear hugging. In the middle of everything going on back here it was nice for Katelyn to have a special moment. The pictures were taken by Grandma, if she ever gives up teaching I think she could took up photography!!

Below are two special people to Katelyn. The little girl with the basketball is Faith and the boy below jumping rope is Gabe Biermann. Laura (their mother) watches Katelyn during the days. They are all so good to Katelyn. Lee and I are truely blessed that Katelyn has such a loving home to go to during the week.

A New Cousin Has Arrived!!!

Katelyn is soo excited that she now has a cousin (and so is EVERYONE else back here). Ethan Ry Ackerman was born Wednesday night at 8:20. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 1/4 inches long. He has quite a bit of blonde hair we are told too. Mom and baby are doing just great. Everyone back here is just bursting with excitement to see him and hold him for the first time. Scott, Angie and Ethan......Katelyn says to hurry up and get back here, she wants to play!!
Love you guys and we'll see you soon!!

Below is a picture of Ethan Ry sporting his mohawk!! Scott and Ang have several other pictures of their pride and joy on Ethan's blog. Click on his link to the right to see them all. We have talked to Scott and Ang several times and everyone is doing great, but as expected mom and dad are a little tired. The three will be moving back to GC in early March and we can't wait to have them here so close to all of us!!

WNBA Here We Come...........

While home with mom on a snow day, Katelyn discovered a new toy. It took just once for mom to show her how to put the ball into the top of the head of the giraffe. Katelyn couldn't wait for dad to get home to show him her new trick. You can see from the video, having a ball in each hand is a must.

Those Pearly Whites

One of Katelyn's daily routines is getting her teeth brushed twice a day. Although it doesn't look like it in this video she absolutely loves it.

Visit from the Great White North

In November, Katelyn had visitors from Canada. Grandma and Grandpa Barrett came down for the second time and Uncle Jay had his first visit with Katelyn. While down we were able to make a trip to the zoo.

Up She Goes.......

While home sick with Grandpa, Katelyn decided to tackle the stairs! Katelyn reassured mom and dad that it was all Grandma's idea to play on the stairs, not hers.

Mom's Stubbornness

Katelyn doesn't like her fridge farm pieces in the barn. She races to pull them out, just as soon as dad can put them in. We can already tell this is just the beginnning of many battles to come I'm sure. :)

Back to the Farm

Katelyn has figured out where one of her favorite toys is located....the fridge.
Thanks Aunt Angie and Uncle Scott. Once she reaches the fridge, her next goal is to pull each piece off one at a time.

Let the Training Begin....

Katelyn has begun her training to follow in mom's footsteps. We practice at least two minutes a day on our swing!! This was a wonderful Christmas gift from Bill and Laura Biermann (Katelyn stays with Laura during the days).

Auntie Erin we're starting her early.....if you have any drills send them my way!! :)

Katelyn is clapping

Katelyn has learned to clap. and nothing makes her happier than showing it off.

A Dancing Dinosaur???

Katelyn loves her new KSU dancing dinosaur. She even has some moves of her own, they appear towards the end of the video.

All By Myself......

Katelyn has started to figure out her balance, although it still needs some work. Every week she gets a little more brave than the week before. We have avoided any big spills so far, but we've had a few bumps along the way.

Mastering the Tongue.....

Katelyn has mastered the tongue roll. We have found out this is a trait she gets from her dad!!

A Trip to Manhattan To See Family...

We made a trip back to Manhattan around Christmas time to see family, and of course take in a Wildcat basketball game. Katelyn got to watch Micheal Beasley have a season high (at least so far) 40 point game. Below are some pictures of Katelyn with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Ackerman. As well as a shot of Katelyn all dressed in her K-State Purple ready to go to the game.
LOVE YOU 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Christmas Pictures A Little Late

Here are a few more pictures from Christmas time off of our camera. These were from Christmas Eve before 10 o'clock mass.

First Word....

We have been wondering what her first word would be and the answer is............................................... MAMA!!! YEAH!!! Although she had to say it a few times before dad and grandpa would concede that was what she was saying. I'm sure there will be more to come, as we think she is starting to figure out bottle also (baba maybe). She sure has been a lot of fun over the break it has been hard for Lee and I to go back to work.

New Years Eve

Although she was a blast, Katelyn didn't make it to ring in the new year with the rest of us. Before she turned in, we did get this clip of her playing. She got a new giraffe that has four balls that you put in its mouth and they shoot out. Although Katelyn liked the giraffe she preffered playing with the balls as you can see in the video. The video is about 2 minutes.....

Katelyn Has Gone Vertical..

Over the Christmas break Katelyn really began pulling herself up all the time. We knew walking along the couch wasn't going to be far behind and sure enough a couple of days later there she was.....