Kye Veronica Stapleton-Gray

Kye in her back yard (12/06)	Kye in a gymnastics show (12/06)
(5/06)	(5/06)

• September 2005. Starts second grade with teacher Diane. Taking beginning ballet.

August 7, 2005: Seventh birthday!

• Summer 2005: Goes to performing arts camp (does a magic show and play), science camps and gardening camp
• June 2005: Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• November 2004. Taking dance and carpentry classes. Loves to read.
• September 1, 2004: Starts first grade with teacher Pansy.

• June 2004: Completed kindergarten. Did very well in school, especially in reading and writing and art. Self-taught to play the piano. Took dance lessons, which she loved. Reads books very well. Loves to build things out of legos or any other materials she can find. Just created her first science project.
• December 2003: Reads her first book: Green Eggs and Ham!
• November 2003: Is enjoying kindergarten with teacher Maggie, and is on the verge of reading (knows the vowel and consonant sounds... can sometimes be persuaded to say what she sees).

• May 2003: Is looking forward to kindergarten in the fall, loves her art, in all sorts of flavors.
• February 2003: Still loves school, can sometimes do a good job playing with her baby sister, loves to do art (and read the Body Book at night), dance and climb on the monkey bars.
• February 2002: Started Nursery School February 5th! Doing well, when she isn't getting sick.
• November/December: Praises the printer, "Good job printer!" Loves to "do art," dance, listen to "Kye music" (which runs the gamut from Raffi to The Bobs). Adjusting well to her new home. Wears underwear now (since about October 31st). Still adjusting to her baby sister.
• July: Shows her command of language: knows what rhyming is, and said "Spoon looks like a balloon... balloon spoon... that rhymes!" And also said, "Actually, I mowed the lawn today."
• March: On the 4th, her baby sister Chloe is born.  Life may never be the same.  Still likes clocks, and when the hands are near each other, says, "They must like each other."  Says this about things (including people) who are close together.
• February: Now really into Raffi (CD and tape from Quentin and Pilar et al.), can sing most of "Baby Beluga," and likes to dance and clap along with the audience.  Can say the alphabet, and spell out newspaper headlines, all the capitals and many of the lowercase letters.  Is fascinated by clocks, and watches and says, "Look what time it is!" (imitating mom & dad); accepts that the big hand pointing down (for 8:30 p.m.) means bedtime.  Says that when the big hand and little hand are together, "they like each other." Is in a play group (with Kate, Cameron and Justin), and went to Kate's second birthday party.  Starting to learn to clean up, and especially likes taking out and putting away her "bath toy things."  Likes to comment on things generally, like pointing out security cameras (who knew?).  Likes to eat sushi at Fresh Fields.  Wants to do "frog work" when summer arrives (from "A Best Friend for Francis").  Has had us read "Little Baby Bobby" for a going to bed book for the last 60+ nights.  Her favorite daytime book is "Wild Christmas Reindeer."  Still eats just about anything, and carries on dialog with her food, "Sprussels sprout, do you want to be eaten by Kye? Yes."
• January: Trying to figure out how pregnancies work.  She said, "There's a baby in Mommy's tummy and Kye was in Mommy's tummy and Mommy was in Marmu's tummy and Digadad was in Popop's tummy."
• December: When you ask her questions, her answers are more sophisticated.  "Are you ready to get out of the bath?"  "Soon."  She also says "maybe," "probably," and "I think."
• November/Thanksgiving: Kye seems to have invented her first song, which goes "Swinging over the head, [refrain] Rolly Oakie! Rolly Oakie!"  Hasn't quite learned when to say "you" vs. "me" (which is a hard thing to explain, of course!).
• October/ Halloween: Kye loves "pumpelins" (pumpkins) - the family has four: one for Mommy, one for Digidad, one for Kye, and one for... Oakie.  Has decided that "Free to Be You and Me" is her favorite music now, especially the song "A Friend Like You."  Is more into puzzles and blocks.  Likes to go to Indian restaurants, where she knows she can get "mango lassi juice," and papadam, both of which she loves.  Uses analogies, "like in the --- book" is a phrase she uses to describe situations.  Loves to do things by herself.
• September: One of her favorite phrases is "together".  As in, Mommy, Digidad, Kye...Together!"  Gets more adventuresome on the slides.  Sentences more complex.  Uses "I" and "you" now sometimes.  Likes the "Elephant song" and "Rub-a-dub" from the Chenille Sisters.  Decides some music is "Mommy music."  Can read books very well by herself now--has many memorized.
• August 28th: Says "I like mommy; I like digidad."  Also, "I like water from [sports] bottle."  Frequently-used phrases: "oh-hold-it" (wants to hold something), "[Mom, Digidad, Kye] read self" (request to read a book).  Likes to listen to "The Elephant Song" (from Chenille Sisters album), read "Little Baby Bobby," "Bunny Cakes," "Max's Chocolate Chicken," any of the Baby Bug books.  Other pet phrases: "shovel, bucket," "ride bike," "flower dress," "eat eggie-cheese," "nice shirt," "more again!" (even for events that her parents can't readily reproduce, like large buses or airplanes going past, or thunder and lightning).   Enjoys restaurants, especially where she can get "chippies and salsa."  People fawn over her universally, and she behaves well in public, if a bit shy.  Has learned about jumping and dancing.  Likes airplanes, and can strap herself into seats.
• August 8th: Remains infatuated with Oakie Bear and (song) "Max the Cat."  Her parents bought her a potty which is pretty interesting for her or Oakie to sit on, but that's as far as it goes, so to speak.  "Self" is a major modifier: "Kye Max the Cat self!" (Kye will play the CD with Max the Cat [Chenille Sisters' "The Big Picture"] herself), "Digidad read self please?" (Will dad please read a book to me?).  Too many new words to count, but they include "coffee," "newspaper," "mango lassi," and other fine utterances.  Favorite books are the Frances series.  Got a xylophone for her birthday from Marmu and Popup.

• June 20th: Asks for apples a lot.Says "up" or "down" stairs.  Likes to go to the "back yard."
• June 13th: Kye crawls on the floor and says "lion."  Kye learns to count "one, two, three."
• June 5th: Kye says, "Dad kiss cat?" or rather "Digadad kiss meow?" Knows when things are upstairs and says "stairs" or "dice" to indicate that.
• May 20th: Says "please" more regularly now.  Says names of family and friends regularly. Around now, says, "Bird walkie."  Soon after, says "pick up."
• May 8th: Additional spoken vocabulary: bagel, bike, blue, box, bubbles, button, cereal, clown, cookie, diaper, down, hello, help, off, on, purple, red, scone, slide, swings, too, white, Fresh Fields.  Can name her grandparents.  Has names for her various bears ("Blue Bear," "Red Bear," "Hat Bear," "Oakie [Oakland] Bear").
• May 1st: Kye crawls out of her crib by herself.  Her parents are never going to be the same.
• April 25th.  Deb, George and Jacob come to visit.  Kye is fascinated by Jacob who climbs on top of everything.
• April 20th: If you say part of a book to her, Kye can name the book.
• April 13th: Says several words together: "more melon", "pick up"
• April 3: Fanatic about going to the park ("Pahk! Pahk!") morning, noon and night, and knows the route there.  Favorites are the see-saw ("shaw") and making piles of things (flowers, sticks, dirt).  Additional spoken vocabulary: back, brush, cat, corn, cream, globe, lotion ("lo"), melon, milk, park, sheep, stick, towel, tub, walk.  Knows her name, and mom and dad's names.  Can name her cousins Pilar and Quentin.  Favorite book: "Bedtime for Frances."  Likes Babybug... really tears into it.  Gets new tooth.
• March 3: Brushes her teeth by herself.
• February 29: Vocabulary (words she says, after a fashion): again, apple, avocado, baby, bagel, ball, banana, basket, bath, beads, beans, bear, bee, bird, block, bowl, broccoli, book, bread, burp, candle, car, chair, cheese, coat, dad, doll, door, duck, eyes, feet, flowers, floor, food, fork, fox, gloves, grape, grass, hat, keys, knee, knife, light, lion, mama, moon, more, mouse, mouth, no, nose, pajamas, pants, pasta, peas, phone, shampoo, shoes, snake, snow, socks, spoon, squirrel, star, stroller, table, teeth, toes, top, train, tree, water, yes, yogurt, yoyo...along with "meow-me" (cat), "foof" (dog), "moo" (cow), "neigh" (horse), "baa" (sheep), "oyoyoyoyoy" (pig), and her fish and vacuum cleaner impressions.
• January --Favorite book--First Meals.  Calls Dad digadad.  Can say: peas, eyes, yogurt, snow, bird, shirt, book, bowl, door, bagel, pajamas. Acquires table and chairs, and can get on chair herself.  Also really likes to look in the refridgerator. Gets the flu.
• January 5: Can now climb on and off couches, yet again complicating her child care with another developmental milestone.
• January 2: Uses slide; has a great time.
• December 27: Goes to Michigan.
• December: Gets obsessed with grapes.  Improves use of cup.  Likes to sit (can get in and out of) laundry basket.
• December 9: Now also says duck, chair, stairs, star, table, bear and more.  Initiates saying banana, star, stair, flower.  Very good at stacking things.  Likes to have books read to her.  Much better at going to bed.
• November 21: Trying to say more words.
• November 18: Says "flower."
• November 15: Sarah publishes article on sharing child care in the Washington Post.
• November 12: Can say what a dog "says."  Also knows the words clock, watch, umbrella, elephant, apple, flower, zebra, and more.  Says "yo-yo."
• November 11: Can say what a cat and horse "say."  Will go to her keyboard or book when asked "where is a yo-yo" and find the right page or key.
• November 3rd: Reponds to, "Can you put <something> in <something else>?"
• November 1st: Says "banana."  Almost says "Maisy."  Knows lots of words: fish, bear, cow (can make mooing sounds), pig (makes pig noise), horse, duck, mouse, book, spoon, wagon, bunny, hat, Mom, Dad, nose, hair, ears, "other ear," feet, belly, belly button, where, kiss, Kye, ceiling fan, tree, car, house, light, music, keys, outside, shoes, walk, padders, block, cup, water, and more.  Not sure if she understands the word "no."
• October 31st: First visit to the zoo.  Sees fish.
• late October: Sixth tooth is cut.  Brings books to her parents to be read.  Will give a kiss if you ask her for one.
• October 3rd: Learns to kiss.
• September 17th-September 30th.  Goes to England (the Cotswolds and London).  Flies on a plane.  Cuts another tooth.  Gets much better at using a spoon.  Recognizes Marmee, Popop, Deb, and Thea by name.  Can point to noses, and ears.  Nods a lot when hungry.
• Mid September: Knows the word "music" means our stereo.  Walks everywhere.  Knows what a fish "says."
• September 6: Starts using a spoon.
• September 4: Really starts walking more--up to 12 steps.  Is able to pick up an object from the floor while standing up.
• August 27: When given keys to play with, goes over to a locked filing cabinet and tries to unlock it.
• August 21: Takes three steps!  Improves use of "sippy cup."
• August 12: Loves to play peekaboo by hiding her face.
• August 10: Becomes a dancing fool.
  August 7 1999: First birthday!  One year old.  Has party.
• August 4: Kye steps in between holding on to two things.  Stands unaided for about ten seconds.
• July 24: "Dances" a bit in time to the music.  Able to make marks with crayons.
• July 23: Starts trying to stand for a few seconds at a time.
• July 20: Starts saying "baby" when she sees a picture of a baby or herself.
• July 8: Starts "cruising"--moving around while holding on to tables, etc.
  7/7/99 11 months old
• July 5: Learns to use her sorting tool; can get a star-shaped block into a star-shaped hole.  Can point to a light, and looks at her mom and dad when asked where they are.  Doing a lot of pulling up.
• July 3: Responds to "What does the cow say?" by answering "mmmm."
• June 26- July 2: Responds to "Can you clap" by clapping, and can point to the ceiling fan when asked "where is the ceiling fan?"  Spends a week with Stapletons in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
• June 23: Definitely crawling forward in the classic way.  Also pulling herself up.
• June 21-22 Goes to New York on a train for a photo shoot.
• June 14: Learns to clap. Has four teeth now.  Can stand on all fours like a bear.
• June 7 Really starts to "get" self-feeding.
  6/7/99 10 months old
• Memorial day weekend Top tooth visible, starts moving backwards.
• May 20 First tooth visible outside the gums (on the bottom).
  5/7/99 9 months old
• May 99: Definitely teething on the bottom and top.  Doing more "creeping"--moving on her stomach and rolling, but not outright crawling.  Very enamored of the telephone.  Moves her arms a lot.  Eating more solid foods, some finger foods but not a lot of liquids other than breastmilk yet.  Can stand while holding on to the couch.
  4/7/99 8 months old
• April 3: Gets more conversational with her chatting.
• April 2: Tries green beans and likes them well enough.
• March 99: Applies for passport, gets great at sitting, sits in high chair at restaurant, enjoys solid foods more.  Eats carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, rice cereal, avocados (a big hit) and lots of breast milk.  Solids only once a day.  Likes to look at her books.  Starts moving from a sitting position to a crawling position, but stops there.  Likes mechanical things: phones, computer mice, remote controls.  Acquires a few phones of her own.
  3/7/99 7 months old
• February 99: Acquires own domain name: kye.org and stars in her own web video
• 2/9 Pediatrician visit. 18 lbs, 4 oz and 28 inches.
• 2/7 Tries avocado
  2/7/99 6 months old
• 1/31 Tries banana.
• January 1999 Tries oatmeal.  Likes it a little better.  Gets better at sitting.  Adds consonants.  Dpesn't sleep any more in restaurants.  Improves coordination.  Smiles a lot and very earnestly learns about objects.  Acquires Exersaucer.
  1/7/99 5 months old
• Christmas - first long car trip (to Connecticut) and first time stays in another house.
• Meets Aunt Kristin
• 12/19/98 Tries rice cereal.  Not amazingly impressed.
• 12/18/98 Laughs even more. Definitely likes to roll over and over.
  12/7/98 4 months old
• 12/4/98 Slept in crib for the night for first time (instead of bassinet).  Laughs more heartily.
• 12/2/98 Rolls over completely by herself.
• 12/1/98 Laughs. Continues to try and roll over.  Can support weight on legs when held up.  Can pull objects to her and pick them up.
• 11/27/98 Works on rolling over.
• 11/25/98 Meets Aunt Deborah.
• 11/21/98 Parents spend first night out without Kye, with Aunt Laura babysitting.
• 11/12/98 Shrieks, watches hands, puts objects in mouth.
  11/7/98 3 months old
• 10/25/98 Learns to grab at things.
• 10/17/98 Weighs 13 lbs.
• 10/15/98 Acquires activity gym and has fun playing and batting at objects.
• 10/9/98 Sleeps for seven hours.
• October 98: "Talks" more and more articulately.  Smiles a lot!
  10/7/98 2 months old
• 10/6/98 Weighs 12 lbs 2 oz.
• 10/2/98 Goes out to restaurant (Il Radicchio) and doesn't sleep -- but doesn't cry.
• 10/1/98 Weighs 11 pounds 12 oz.  Given pacifier for the first time.
• 10/1/98 Kye starts grasping toys as well as hitting them.
• 9/27/98 Kye learns about cause and effect--she learns she can hit a toy and make it move.
• 9/26/98 Weighs 11 pounds 8 oz.  Goes to Building Museum and Jaleo.  Sleeps the whole time of course.
• 9/21/98 Mom starts back at work three days a week.  Dad and baby do fine.
• 9/20/98 Starts to amuse herself (rather than being amused) by staring at red flower (part of Zoobits toy).
• 9/19/98 Receives third-generation baby scale.  Weighs 10 pounds, 14 oz.  Meets grandparents on Stapleton side, aunt Julie, Uncle Keith, and cousins Pilar and Quentin.
• 9/12/98 First time her dad feeds her.  Mom still in charge of means of production. Measures 24 inches.  Meets Aunt Thea.
  9/7/98 One month old
• 9/5/98 First visit to a mall. Sleeps a lot.  Also now goes for rides in her stroller.
• 8/25/98 Fourth pediatrician visit.  Weighed 8 pounds, 7 oz.  Weight is fine.  Will be seen again at two months.
• 8/21/98 Third pediatrician visit.  Weighed 7 pounds, 10 oz.  Doctor wants to check weight again in a few days.
• 8/18/98 or thereabouts: Can lift neck by herself.  Smiles in sleep, sometimes seems to be smiling while awake.
• 8/12/98 Second pediatrician visit.  Weighed 7 pounds, 2 oz.
• 8/09/98 Goes home from hospital.
• 8/08/98  Meets grandparents on the Gray side and Aunt Laura.
• 8/07/98Born at 11:42pm after 10 hours natural labor.  Weighed 7 pounds, 10 oz.  9/9 on Apgar scores.  Pediatrician next day pronounces her "perfect."