The Best Gifts Aren't Wrapped

Christmas Eve
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We received a Christmas card from our friends that said, "The best Gifts aren't wrapped." We've found that to be especially true this year. We've been blessed with good friends, a home in beautiful Hawaii and a darling little girl. And even though we were far from many of the people we love and who love us, we were grateful that our little family could be together to celebrate the God who lay in a manger so that we could know His love. Our first tropical Christmas was very merry, indeed.

We attended services on Christmas Eve at our church, which is just up the hill from our apartment. Our friends the Autrys came with us and they and some other friends from church stopped by after service for some cider and cookies and a piece of Buche de Noel. (That's French for yule log, for those of you that aren't Marie Childress!) We have lots of cookies left over, so if you've got a sweet tooth and you happen to be on Oahu, you should definitely stop by!

Presents
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Christmas morning came slightly later than normal, since Kathleen had been tuckered out by all the evening's festivities. But when she did wake she was very excited to see the gifts under the tree. Kathleen has been blessed by some very generous relatives, and they blessed her with lots of gifts. We opened presents, ate breakfast, played with presents, played with wrapping paper and boxes, opened more presents, and then had to take a break for a nap! And when she woke up, we did it all over again. Well, except for the breakfast. That time we had lunch.

Mind if I take this call?
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

A few toys emerged as clear favorites, though. A cell phone from her cousins was an enormous hit. (Should it trouble me that my toddler knows how to flip open a toy cell phone when it rings?) She loves the Noah's Ark she got from Mommy and Daddy, and how she can put the animals in and out of the ark's door. And a bench from her Uncle Kevin and Aunt Marie was the first thing she went for Christmas morning. The bench has her name on the top as a puzzle, and she loves to pull the letters out to play with them. The other thing she really likes about the bench is climbing up on it. We have lots of this going on here lately:

So Tall!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

On Christmas afternoon we headed to the Autrys, where we enjoyed an absolutely delicious Christmas dinner, and entertainment courtesy of Kathleen and Adeline. Adeline had received a wagon for Christmas, so after dinner the girls got to ride around the block in style! And after that, we all went home, full and happy and tired.

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Cheer
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Okay, so we know these photographs are a little blurry, but they were just too funny not to post.

Kathleen wasn't sure about wearing the hat at first; she preferred putting it on either Mommy or Daddy. But eventually she figured out that she could wear it, and then she was a little ham, dancing around the living room. She'd still try to put the hat on one of us occasionally, and we didn't take any pictures of that. You'll have to take our word for it -- she's a lot cuter than we are!

Anyway, if this little girl doesn't bring you holiday cheer, we don't know what will!

Dancing
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Happy Birthday, Kathleen!

Look at the candle!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Yesterday was Kathleen's first birthday! It's hard to believe that it has been a whole year since she was born. At the same time, though, it's hard to believe that the teeny-tiny baby girl we brought home from the hospital in Kentucky is the same girl who now toddles around our apartment in Hawaii. Time really does fly!

We started the day off on a less-than-celebratory note, but an important one, nonetheless -- we took Kathleen for her one-year check-up. She weighed in at 24 pounds, 15 ounces (I think all the running around is slimming her down) and measured 31 inches tall. She's still practically off the charts. She was a trooper and only cried a little when she got her shots.

In the evening we celebrated! Our friends Zach and Laura, and their brand-new baby Colt, and George and Kerry, and their daughter Adeline joined us for a little birthday party. We shared a meal of Kathleen's favorite foods -- chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, steamed veggies, and grapes. Kathleen and Adeline are always very entertaining together, so watching them play was possibly the best part of the evening. We did open a few presents, but found that the gift bags, wrapping paper, and ribbon were almost as fun as the gifts themselves. Kathleen's still carrying one of her gift bags around this morning!

Kathleen didn't blow out the candle on her birthday cake, but she did enjoy everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her. (It was also a hit when her cousins the Gustafsons sang it to her on the phone.) She dug into her piece of cake, but didn't overindulge. When she'd had her fill, she just signed that she was done -- she didn't even throw the cake off her tray!

All I Want For Christmas... Is Not To See Santa

No Santa!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We attended the battalion Christmas party this weekend, which Kathleen genuinely seemed to enjoy. The party had a lot to offer to Kathleen -- a score of children running around a community center, cookies (a newly-discovered love of Kathleen's), juice, and Christmas cartoons.

What Kathleen did not enjoy -- not at all! -- was visiting Santa. She sat on his lap for less than a second before erupting into true screams of terror. Mommy snatched her back up as quickly as possible, but not before Daddy snapped this photo, capturing the less-than-idyllic holiday moment.

Kathleen calmed down again fairly quickly, at least once she'd been plied with an oatmeal cookie. She did, however, remain firmly attached to a parent's hip or leg until Santa Claus left the building.

We realized after the fact that we don't think that Kathleen has ever seen a man with a beard -- much less a man with a beard, glasses and a fuzzy hat. As Jim pointed out, "Santa Claus could only be scarier if he came with a vacuum!"

Happier Before Santa
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

The Best Toys Aren't Toys at All!

Stirring Things Up
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We've discovered lately that Kathleen's favorite toys aren't really toys at all. Oh, she plays with the shape-sorter and with her stacking rings, and she vigorously hugs her stuffed pig and monkey, and she happily totes around her books for reading (and chewing). But the things that really capture her interest and imagination are everyday items, not toys. She's fascinated by the television remote and her daddy's cell phone (particularly the way it snaps open and shut) and the pots and pans in the one kitchen cabinet that we haven't quite managed to put a safety latch on yet.

Yesterday afternoon Kathleen and I made cookies to take to a friend with a new baby, and Kathleen inherited the empty oatmeal canister. She's been playing with it since then, carrying it and its top around the apartment, sticking a wooden spoon in it, and rolling it on the kitchen floor. She loves it!

An Apple A Day

An Apple A Day
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Last night Kathleen kept pestering Daddy for a bite of his apple, and so Daddy gave her one of her own. He thought she'd just carry it aroundwith her, but she made pretty amazing progress eating it! She put her teeth to good use, and helped herself to a serving of fruit. And, when she was done, she used the apple like a ball, tossing it across the living room floor and running after it. She thought it was great! We thought it was hysterical, but stifled our laughter long enough to explain that we don't throw food. (For the record, we're having a tough time making that concept stick. Even though Kathleen will make the sign for "all done" when she's finished with her dinner, she generally throws any remaining food from her tray before she signs to us!)

Does This Girl Want to Run, or What?

Run!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Off and Running

Ready to Run
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

After months of deliberating, this weekend we finally purchased a jogging stroller. We researched the subject to death, only to find that our choices were pretty much limited to the strollers we could find on the island, since shipping a jogging stroller to Hawaii comes with a fairly hefty price tag. (No free shipping deals for us!)

We finally settled on a middle-of-the-road jogger, the Baby Jogger Q-Series, with 16 inch wheels. And while we were worried about finally taking the plunge, the only regret we now have is that we didn't do it sooner. Kathleen, as you can see, is quite pleased with the stroller. She fits in it comfortably (with lots of room to grow) and chatters and kicks her legs as we jog along. She likes to look up through the sunshade's window to check on the person pushing her, which is pretty cute. The jogger performed beautifully on its maiden voyage, a four-miler around the air field on post. And it did equally as well for a shorter run this morning, which we were able to squeeze in right before breakfast. And speaking of squeezing in, the folded jogger fits in the trunk of our Nissan Versa and in Kathleen's closet. Hooray for portability and storage! Anyway, enough about the jogger.

Mommy and Daddy aren't the only ones doing some running lately. Kathleen's been working up some speed herself. She's moving around more and more quickly, though she still trips herself up frequently. She runs around our condo with her own little agenda, purposefully striding from one room to the next, carrying things back and forth, laughing and babbling. We're not sure what she's doing, exactly, but we know she's hard at work!

The Untimely Demise of a Camera

We're sad to report that our digital camera recently had an unfortunate encounter with a leaky bottle and now refuses to function. We're particularly sad about this because there's so much we wanted to show you. For example, we wanted to show you how much Kathleen loved having her Aunt Angela visit from Illinois. We could have shown you Kathleen and Angela with the giant sea turtles on the North Shore, or in the gorgeous sunset on the beach. Or we could've wowed you with pictures of the thanksgiving feast we devoured in shorts. We really wanted to show you how Kathleen was literally the life of the party at the luau, putting on her own little show for Mommy, Daddy, and Aunt Angela. Oh, well. I suppose you'll just have to imagine it.

We've gotten another camera, though, and we'll be putting it to good use soon, we promise!

Not-So-Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Smile for the Camera
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Late Sunday afternoon we packed up some things and headed to the lagoons at Ko 'Olina for a run. The view is gorgeous there and there's a nice, relatively flat trail to run along. Because we've never actually gotten around to buying a good jogger, we have to take turns running and watching Kathleen. Ko 'Olina is a great place to do that, because there's a lot of distraction for Kathleen. In addition to all the normal beach attractions, there are lots of children to watch, and Kathleen gets to wave at her parents when they run by! Mommy and Kathleen played on the grass and at the edge of the sand while Daddy ran, and then Kathleen and Daddy went for a swim while Mommy ran.

The sun had set by the time we were all finished up, and we'd gotten to enjoy a good run and a beautiful sunset.


Prettier than the Sunset
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

A Snapshot of Kathleen

Big Grin
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's nearly eleven months old, which is a little hard to believe. She's growing and changing and learning so much, so quickly. I thought that we'd try to give you a bit of a snapshot of not-so-little girl.

She's walking like a champ! Kathleen toddles all over our condo, exploring everything. She still topples over some -- all twenty-six pounds of her thudding into the floor. But she can bend over to pick things up and right herself and manages to catch her balance when she's momentarily thrown off. She particularly likes to carry things around with her while she walks. She carries her toys, Mommy's purse, cups, and yesterday she attempted to move Daddy's boot.

She's not talking much, really. She says "Mama" and "Dada," but not consistently. Mostly she babbles, practicing her consonants. She can understand us, though. If she's feeling cooperative, she'll follow through on small commands like, "Will you please bring your book to me?" She can do the same for her dog Aloha, the ball, and some other toys. She knows the word "no" and just about jumps out of her skin if you come up on her playing somewhere she knows she's not supposed to be, like near the toilet.

She loves the water, whether it's at the beach or the pool. The jury's still out on the sand, though. We think she'll like it more as she gets a little bigger. She loves to watch other children play, and waves to them and tries to get their attention. She still loves her stuffed puppy Aloha, and sucks on his tail to soothe herself to sleep. She also loves her stuffed pig and another stuffed dog, which she walks around the house hugging. She loves eskimo kisses. She loves being tickled, watching Mommy be tickled, and playing peek-a-boo. She hates having her face wiped after meals and will yell if you try. If, however, you wipe her face while saying, "Let me see you, Kathleen. Oh, you're so pretty!" she has no complaints at all.

Kathleen's very much her own person of late; she has distinct ideas about what she'd like to do, and she's not afraid to express her displeasure, should we elect to do something else. For example, Kathleen has recently decided that she has not interest in eating anything from a spoon. (That effectively ended my love affair with making baby food, which we won't mention to any other children we might one day have, as I suspect it was a first-child undertaking!) She loves to feed herself, so it's all finger-food, all the time. The only possible exception is if one of her parents happens to be eating something on the sofa. Then Kathleen's a little beggar! She almost doesn't care what she gets that way, because just getting it from Mommy and Daddy is the fun part.

We like to say that Kathleen has a "big" personality (which is in keeping with the rest of her, I suppose). She's funny and stubborn and clever and rather impatient. Pray for us, please, because even though she's the most fun we've ever had, I think that parenting Kathleen is going to be the biggest challenge, too!

It's a Zoo Around Here

Checking Out Elephants
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

The Golbys packed up and headed for the zoo yesterday, making the most of Daddy's last few days of convalescent leave. (He returns to work on post tomorrow.) We're still not quite used to the weather here -- we must have commented on the sunny, 85-degree weather four or five times during our excursion!

But it was perfect for a walk around the zoo, and Kathleen really seemed to like it. She was most impressed by the monkeys, chimps, and gibbons. She'd giggle and kick her legs when she watched them swing through the trees. She liked the zebras and giraffes, too. Although, to be perfectly honest, I think that what Kathleen liked best about the zoo was other children! She'd be happy to watch them run around all day long.

No Tricks, Only Treats!

On Our Way Home
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's first Halloween was a rousing success. She was a darling little Dorothy, and her favorite puppy dog Aloha made a perfect Toto. Kathleen was fascinated by the glitter on her Ruby Red Slippers, even though their little heels made her walking a little more wobbly than normal. Mommy and Daddy even joined in the fun, resurrecting their Oktoberfest garb for the evening. (You were right, Jarvii -- Halloween costumes for life! Thanks again!)

We spent the evening at the home of our friends, the Autrys. Adeline, who's just a month older than Kathleen and smidge smaller, made her debut as Supergirl. She was absolutely super. We took the girls for a quick outing around post, to visit some friends and show off their cuteness. And then we enjoyed a tasty supper courtesy of the Autrys, and were entertained by our little girls' antics. They were sweeter than any candy we could have gotten!

Getting Ready for Halloween

What's In There?
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's getting very excited for Halloween. Her costume is finished. Mommy sewed the last little bit a few days ago, so she's all set to be Dorothy. We even found Ruby Red Slippers while we were in Illinois. (How we miss Target!)

This afternoon we carved our pumpkin. At first, Kathleen wasn't sure what to make of it, but she caught on quickly. She always seems to like things that involve getting messy! Jim drew the jack 'o lantern's face... It's supposed to look like Kathleen, if you couldn't tell. There's a gap between the two front teeth, just like our little girl!

All Over Illinois!

Kathleen was literally all over Illinois last week. She flew into Peoria and then visited Kewanee, Bloomington, Dwight, Joliet (okay, that was just lunch), and Morton. She's a well-travelled little girl, that's for sure. But Kathleen didn't just see lots of Illinois, she saw lots of people!

For one, Kathleen got to see her Grandma and Grandpa Golby in Kewanee.

Plus, Grandma and Grandpa Golby organized a lovely open-house event, so Kathleen got to see a lot of extended family, too. While we were in Kewanee, we stayed with the Gustafsons, so Kathleen got to see her cousins, Matt, Ali, and Lizzie. Kathleen had lots of fun playing with the vanity at their house. I can only imagine how much time she'll spend getting ready when she's sixteen, since she has spent a considerable amount of time playing at it already!

Kathleen thinks her cousins are the best entertainment ever. When we went to pick her cousins up from school, Kathleen was getting a little fussy. But when they piled into the van, she lit up like a Christmas tree.

After staying in Kewanee for a few days, we headed to Bloomington, so that Mommy and Daddy could go to Tom and Lannie Boswell's wedding. On our way there, we stopped at Tanner's Orchard, so we could have a full autumn experience. Kathleen checked out the pumpkins, discovered that she adores apple cider, and fed some goats.

The fun continued for Kathleen. While Mommy and Daddy went to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, Kathleen stayed first with Aunt Angela, and then with the Stewarts. Aunt Katherine, Uncle Eric, Sarah, Ethan, and Melissa Stewart came to Bloomington from Dwight and spent the whole day with Kathleen. She even took her first trip to the zoo!

(Special thanks to cousin Sarah, who spent the night at the hotel with us, so that Mommy and Daddy could stay and dance at the reception.)

From Bloomington, we headed up to Dwight, so Kathleen could continue playing with the Stewarts. Upon arriving at the Stewarts', Kathleen was excited to discover not one, but two dogs! It really was Kathleen's own version of heaven. Our time in Dwight was too short, but long enough for Tim, Shannan, and Megan McFadden to stop by for a visit.

We met friends Paul and Alison Krattiger for lunch in Joliet, then stopped back in Dwight before heading to stay with Aunt Angela in Morton. We flew out the next morning, narrowly missing the storm that closed down Denver airport (which was one of our layovers). Wow! We're tired just typing about all that!

Headed for the Hog Capital

Piggy Back
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Mommy, Daddy, and Kathleen are headed for the Hog Capital! We'll be visiting Grandma and Grandpa Golby and Kathleen's aunts and uncles and cousins. Kathleen is very excited to be able to play with her cousins, because all she could do the last time was lie on her back and watch them! Watch out, everybody, here comes Kathleen!

Stepping Out

Kathleen has been taking some tentative steps, but today she really got the hang of it. Good job, little girl!

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Candlelit Dining
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen experienced her first major earthquake yesterday morning, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook the Hawaiian islands. The last earthquake Kathleen was in didn't even wake her from her nap -- it happened this summer when we were visiting her grandparents in San Francisco. There was no missing this one, though. It shook long and hard. Kathleen was already awake, but it definitely woke up her daddy! (It was his first earthquake, too.)

We're thankful that the damage on Oahu seems minimal. We lost a couple picture frames, but nothing else. Well, the only other thing we lost was the power! The power was out until late last night, so Kathleen enjoyed a late supper by candlelight. By the time she awoke this morning, everything was back to normal.

Play Ball!

Kathleen shows off her nascent athletic abilities. She knows she's supposed to throw and she gives it a good try, but she doesn't have much of an arm (or aim) yet. Still, she's far more excited about playing ball than her mother ever has been.

Dreams of Flying

Matt and Kathleen
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

This weekend Kathleen had a vist from Jim's friend Matt Driskill. Matt's a Naval Flight Officer, and his squadron was stopping through Hawaii on their way home from a deployment in Japan. He stayed with us overnight and got to watch Kathleen watch football on Saturday morning. (I'm sure that's what most people want to do when they visit Hawaii!) We've been trying to teach her to say "touchdown," but all she does is squeal. Still, we think that's pretty cute.

Kathleen did some flying of her own recently. She doesn't need a plane, though -- she's Supergirl! We'd found the costume through the wonders of ebay and had hoped that Kathleen would be able to wear it for Halloween. (Not that she needs an excuse to wear a superhero costume. We knew that Kathleen would be a superhero before she was even born!) Sadly, our giant little girl has outgrown the costume already, so we're on the lookout for yet another Halloween costume!

It's a bird...
Originally uploaded by the golbys.