Happy October!

Thanks Aunt LeLe for my "Ghouls just want to have fun" shirt!

Fetch

I was never successful at teaching Trip how to fetch. I'm bound and determined to teach Kate! She loves to walk anywhere and everywhere so getting her down the driveway is no problem. It's the everywhere part of the statement that is! We started out in the right direction...

But then spotted a leaf and had to go check it out.

Once we got over there we HAD to keep on going, Mr. & Mrs. Lewis' yard looks so much more interesting than ours!

After all that territory had been explored we went to the other side of the driveway. We definitely wouldn't want to leave anything out.

Don't worry, she still has hold of the newspaper!

She finally makes it to the garage.

And then she finds something much more interesting than the newspaper!

Well, that's a lot farther than Trip ever took it!

The Triple Dip

Just see for yourself what the title means...

Kate has discovered a love for ketchup needless to say! So much so that she rather just lick the ketchup off her fries and dip them back in than actually eat the frenchfry itself! I know, it's gross, but it is so funny to watch. If you look closely you can see that she is actually dipping her whole hand in ketchup. I guess she wants to make sure that every inch is covered!

I guess we know what her next lesson in table manners will be on! In the meantime make sure to get your own condiments, cheese dip, salsa, etc. when you eat with Kate!

Look At What I Can Do

Nana and Papa bought Kate a playhouse and slide for her birthday. She immediately loved the playhouse (especially the doorbell and telephone). But, she was a little hesitant about the slide. After a couple of weeks of practicing how to scoot to the edge, lift her feet, and catch herself at the bottom of the slide she is becoming a little daredevil. Check out her skills...

Sorry about the narrating job. I guess I am just a little bit like my mom :) Ok maybe a lot. You should hear the videos from when I was a kid! This sounds exactly like them. Country accent, silly saying and all! I LOVE YOU MOM!

A Fun Filled Day

This past Saturday Erica, Ella, Kate and I made the trip out to Madison, Ga to celebrate our friend Makinley's 1st birthday. Makinley's mom, better known as Stacey, taught with me at Ola. The year we taught together Stacey was pregnant with Tripp (the adorable big brother keeping a close eye on everything in the picture below). Each morning that school year Erica, Jana, Stacey, and I would have a hallway discussion as our students came in. At the beginning of the year they were on how it was to be pregnant and then later on it was on how it was to give birth and finally on how it was to be a parent. Jana, the experienced mom and super-teacher of the group, always smiled and listened. Little did we all know that the next school year we would be going through the same experience again, but this time Erica, Stacey AND I would be sharing the stories. We e-mailed updates and ultrasounds back and forth, compared aches and pains, and prayed for each other on a regular basis through out our pregnancies. All together, our girls ended up only being 7 weeks apart in age.

So, now we have the joy of watching and experiencing each other's children grow up. One major milestone: the 1st birthday! Here Makinley test out her cake.


Kate tested out some too! Too bad she wasn't this interested in her own birthday cake the week before!

Then, Makinley and Mom opened her gifts. Kate and Ella gave Mak a wagon with her name on it. All the kids at the party loved the wagon. I think each one crawled in and out of it a couple of times each!

The party was so much fun and we had a great time visiting and catching up with the Lancaster's. As soon as we hit the road on the way back home both Ella and Kate were down for the count. They slept pretty much from driveway to driveway!

When we got home Kate was recharged and rearing to go. J was down stairs watching the UGA game so Kate stayed up stairs and helped me cook dinner. We made spaghetti but when I say Kate wanted to put a few extra things in the sauce I mean just about everything in the pantry! See for yourself...

I think it will be a little while before she helps me cook again! It was fun anyways! Happy Birthday Mak Mak!

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

Lollipops were the official theme of Kate's first birthday party but this song could have come in a close second. Kate started feeling bad last Tuesday and by Party day was lacking nutrition, sleep, and patience. Excluding all that (ha, ha), I think she had a really great time playing and celebrating her first birthday with all her friends and family, and I mean virtually ALL. About 50 people came in total. We had Great Great Grandmas, Great Great Aunts, Great Grandparents, Great Aunts and Uncles, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and tons of friends in attendance. Thanks to everyone who came and made this day so special for Kate. Here are a few pics of the day's events, I tried to pick ones where Kate was smiling! :)

Thanks Ms. Elaine for making such a beautiful cake!

Kate's smash cake.

Kate opening her presents.

Ella helping Kate open her presents. What are friends for?

Kate really didn't smash her smash cake but she did manage to spit what little she ate all over the place!

Happy Birthday Kate!

This Time Last Year...

Ok, maybe not this exact time last year (I'm a little behind in my postings) but close enough, I was at the hospital anticipating the arrival of our precious little girl.



The being sent home twice, having crazy contractions for three days, J telling every janitor and stranger he saw in the hospital hallway that "I" wanted an epidural, and Dr. Nader laughing at J as he dropped my very numb leg after every push was all well worth the wonderful and amazing gift we received in Kate that day.

I remember looking at her in total amazement. Who in their right mind could go through this experience and not believe there is a God? One moment it's J, Dr. Nader, the nurse and I and in the next moment it's J, Dr. Nader, the nurse, myself and this new, perfect, living, breathing, awesome being. I remember thinking that she looked just like J and not believing how heavy she felt the first time I held her!

8 lbs 6 oz, ten fingers, ten toes, and a head full of black curly hair! She had a timid little cry, a fierce appetite, and a whole waiting room (literally) full of friends and family that couldn't wait to take pictures, hold, and love on her.

24 hours and 30 minutes later we were on our way home to begin the journey of parenthood.

Man, where did the year go? Time flies when you're having fun!