Cat in the Hat, Clifford and Mother Goose

Tuesday Tara, Bailey and the new baby came over for a playdate. Kaitlynn and Bailey cracked us up at the end of the playdate. They were telling each other "thank you for sharing", "I love you" and other nice things like that. What made it funny was that during the playdate they were not so nice and didn't share so well, but at the end they sure seemed to think they did!

After lunch, Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's. We went shopping for all of Kaitlynn's friend's birthday presents (or at least most of them). Shopping early - no procrastination here (for once)!
We went to Great Grandma's to visit with Great Aunt Sue and Great Uncle Dale. I also had to deliver Sue's Avon.

We attended Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss at the ECC. The Cat in the Hat, Clifford and Mother Goose were there, too. Kaitlynn made a Cat in the Hat hat, several books, a bookmark and won a paper back book (from a name drawing). We participated in Songs, Stories and Sillies.

Pretty Eyes

Yesterday morning / early afternoon while Kaitlynn and I were getting dressed, we were in the bathroom and Kaitlynn said "Mommy your eyes are pretty." I said "My eyes are pretty? Thank you." She said "Your eyes are pretty with that shirt." Then she asked if they match. I said, "Well, Kaitlynn my shirt is red and my eyes are blue." She is such a sweet and funny girl.

She went to preschool to see her friends Tyler and Jordan. They played outside for a bit since it was so nice. She loves to boss Tyler around and Jordan loves to boss her and Tyler around. I should say try to boss her around. She really doesn't let him boss her around and Tyler doesn't let him boss Kaitlynn around, either. It's funny seeing them interact with each other. She was so cute running around with her St. Patrick's necklace and bracelet and a crown. The boys are totally fine with her being a princess. In fact, Jordan told her she looked like one!

She had a lot of fun playing with Sassy and running around with daddy in MawMaw's yard. She hit her nose and forehead on the picnic table and was still concerned about being able to play outside. She didn't even want to come in to eat dinner. She loves being outside. I can't wait for spring (and neither can she)!

We had to return a couple of recent birthday gifts that she received and she convinced us that with her gift cards, she should get a water table. The only problem: she thinks she can use it in the house. No way! It is going outside.

Sharing, PW and Beauty

Sunday we attended church. Kaitlynn attended her class. This week's lesson continued to be about sharing. After church, we went home to eat lunch and then went to pick up Kaitlynn's birthday gift - a Power Wheels Jeep. She had so much fun driving it.

That evening, Kaitlynn and I were in the bathroom. She was looking at herself in the mirror (a small freestanding one) and I was telling her how beautiful she was. She moved it towards me and said "how do you look?" I said "what do you think?" She said "you look beautiful mommy." Then later while I was downloading the pictures from the day, she said "I'm going to take a picture of you because you're so pretty." Isn't she sweet?

March Begins

One day this week, while out to dinner, Kaitlynn made bracelets for Hanna and Adam.
I attended Bible Study this week and that continues to be a good time for fellowship and networking. Kaitlynn visited with MawMaw Tommie and Linda. MawMaw Tommie gave Kaitlynn her birthday gift.
I love these Mary Jane Crocs that I just bought for Kaitlynn (and she does too)!
Kaitlynn, Aidan and Sassy enjoyed playing outside for about an hour the other day. Thankfully the weather was nice enough. We can't wait for warmer weather.
Kaitlynn, Aidan and I picked up Hanna so that Hanna could babysit Kaitlynn while I went to a SAHM&D Networking Session at the ECC. I was so glad I went. There were 6 other moms there and they all seemed really cool. We are supposed to get together soon. 2 live really close by, which is always exciting. Kaitlynn and Hanna had a good time together, too.

My Birthday Weekend

Friday the 12th, Dave and Kaitlynn went out shopping. Kaitlynn and I packed for the weekend. Packed for the weeked you ask? Kaitlynn spent Friday night at MawMaw's. They had a Valentine's / Mardi Gras party. Dave and I spent the evening at Cheshire Lodge. We took advantage of a Valentine's promotion they had going on. We had dinner and drinks at Fox & Hounds Tavern. Then relaxed in our room with more drinks, snacks and the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Saturday was my 32nd birthday! My sister was the first to wish me Happy Birthday (via a text message really early in the morning). Kaitlynn called to wish me Happy Birthday, too. Dave and I went to the Mardi Gras parade. Cheshire Lodge offered shuttle service to and from the celebration. We had a great time at the parade and the hurricanes were awesome. We got lots of beads! It was much tamer at the parade this year than I remember previous years being, but it was still lots of fun.

We went to MawMaw's, where I got a birthday gift from her. She gave me a couple pairs of jeans and some Victoria's Secret bras. I really needed that stuff. My jeans don't fit (too big) and my bras are too small.

My birthday dinner was at Casa Gallardo. I enjoyed sharing my birthday with the most important people (family and friends) in my life. The food was fantastic as well as the margaritas! Then we went back to MawMaw's and had cookie cake.

When we got home, Dave and Kaitlynn gave me a gift. They gave me tulips and a gift card for a massage. I had a fabulous birthday!

Valentine's Classes and Dave's Birthday

Thursday the 11th, Kaitlynn attended Be My Valentine at the ECC with MawMaw while I attended Bible Study. They made lots of crafts. After class, Kaitlynn and MawMaw played in the Commons while waiting for me to pick them up.

We went to lunch, ran some errands, ate dinner and attended Sweets for the Sweet at the library. Kaitlynn listened to a couple of Valentine's stories and made 2 crafts. Afterwards we checked out more books and DVDs.

That evening, we waited for Dave to come home to celebrate his birthday with him. He turned 31. Kaitlynn gave him a Cardinals' shirt and a box of vanilla wafers. I gave him a men's daily devotional and 2 pairs of his favorite socks. We celebrated with cheesecake!

Belated Birthday

We celebrated Kaitlynn's birthday with my Aunt Sam today. She didn't get to come to Kaitlynn's birthday party because she was in the hospital. We picked up my mom and then met Sam at Applebee's for lunch. She gave Kaitlynn an outfit and three magnetic dress up dolls. The outfit was really cute - a white tank with blue jean capris with butterflies decorated on them. We had a nice lunch and then went shopping.

We bought Kaitlynn some clothes and shoes. We have been looking for sandals or summer shoes and found a few pairs today. We went to my mom's, where Kaitlynn played with Sassy and Shadow outside.

Princess in a Nightgown

Friday Kaitlynn and I went to the library after her nap. Whitney came over and we went to my mom's. My mom took us to dinner and we just enjoyed spending time with each other. Kaitlynn and Whitney played with Sassy and with baby dolls at my mom's. Whitney was in such a happy mood. She was so happy to see Kaitlynn and me. The 5 hours she was with us seemed to fly by. She is getting to be such a big girl and was such a joy to watch.

This is a picture of Kaitlynn from Friday morning. She loves to wear the nightgown her friend Bailey got her for her birthday. Doesn't she look proud?

New Do

Saturday I got my hair cut at Studio 180 Hair Design. This is not normally where I get my hair cut. I received a certificate in the mail for my birthday for a complimentary hair cut and style, so I thought I would give it a try. The owner, Susan washed, cut and styled my hair. Dave and Kaitlynn went with me. I really liked the salon. I have to admit when we pulled up to the place, I was a little worried. It looked like a little whole in the wall. But I thought I'd give it a shot. Once we got inside, I felt a little better. Susan was very nice and knowledgeable. I also appreciated that she had a drawer full of toys for Kaitlynn to play with. My regular hair dresser has a few mega blocks for the kids to play with, but a drawer full was excellent.

It's hard to really get a feel for my cut in these pictures. It looks flat, but it's really not. I like the cut because I can wear it different ways.

We went to the library to look for some DVDs and CDs for Kaitlynn. We got an alphabet DVD, 2 number DVDs, a kid's CD and a Sesame Street bedtime DVD. We got a few movies for ourselves, too - The Stranger and Prairie Home Companion.

We finally gave Kaitlynn her birthday gifts from us. We got her a keyboard, a cash register, potty books, Dora slippers, a blanket for outside, and Sudsy School bath stuff (school bus to play with in the tub along with bath gels and bubble bath). Kaitlynn loved her new stuff. She also started wanting to potty on the potty.

Kaitlynn really likes the Sesame Street DVD. She will actually watch the first 10 minutes of it. We let her watch it before bed. After she went to sleep, Dave and I watched The Stranger. I just can't watch scary movies anymore. I want to, but I am such a scaredy cat. I blame it on the pregnancy hormones (even though I am not pregnant). I think it screwed me up when I was pregnant with Kaitlynn. The movie was based on true events.

Dave went to bed after the movie. I tried to watch Prairie Home Companion, but just couldn't get interested. I might try to watch it again before I have to take it back.

Happy Birthday Love Bug

Monday was Kaitlynn's 2nd birthday. Dave met Kaitlynn and me at Dr. Ayers' office for her 2 year check up. Kaitlynn was a little upset at the appointment. The nurse and Dr. Ayers said it was due to getting the staple in her head last Wednesday. She was just anxious or nervous about it. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. She is 2 1/2 feet tall (I think) and about 27 or 28lbs. I don't have the sheet from the doctor in front of me and my memory is not so great right now. Kaitlynn had a hearing test done. Dr. Ayers was impressed when she asked about Kaitlynn's vocabulary. I told her Kaitlynn's longest sentence is "I'll be right back." She got a kick out of that. We talked about weaning, vitamins, time outs, tummy aches and staple removal. She said that I may want to just wean Kaitlynn cold turkey. She said some kids don't understand why they can nurse some times, but not all the time and they will start testing to see when it's OK to nurse. Regarding vitamins, we can either keep giving Kaitlynn the Poly Vi Sol drops or give her gummi bear vitamins. Time outs are appropriate for Kaitlynn, but no longer than 2 minutes. The key to time outs is to catch her right when she calms down and then time out is over. Dr. Ayers said she didn't think Kaitlynn's tummy aches were due to dairy or other food. She said to continue giving her the Children's Mylanta unless it starts becoming a daily need. She looked at Kaitlynn's scalp and said the staple was ready to come out. The laceration was healed up enough to remove the staple. It didn't take long to remove it and wasn't too bad. Kaitlynn screamed her head off because I told her the doctor wouldn't touch her head. I just love lying to my child! I hate when I tell her something like that and then it ends up not being true. I guess I could have not let them take it out, but if the staple didn't need to be in, then it should come out. I also didn't want to risk Kaitlynn taking it completely out herself. So I opted to be a liar. I apologized to Kaitlynn for telling her they wouldn't touch her head. She also received 1 shot - Hep A. I went to nurse her after the appointment, like I usually do, but she wasn't interested. I think she is starting to take steps toward weaning.

We went to my mom's after the appointment. Kaitlynn opened the rest of her birthday gift from my mom. She got her a purse, books, clothes, shoes and a pair of sunglasses.

My mom took us out to dinner for Kaitlynn's birthday. We went to Pasta House, which is where Kaitlynn chose to go.

Kaitlynn got a little scared when the waitress and others came out singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She enjoyed smashing the piece of cake with the forks, but wouldn't eat any of it. My mom and I enjoyed eating the smashed up cake.

Kaitlynn enjoyed the soft mints at the door. She kept running over and getting them.

Almost 2

Sunday Dave worked most of the day. Kaitlynn and I just hung out at home and played with her new toys. She loves the Princess / Sleeping Beauty tea set (from Mindy and Corbin), tunnel (from Uncle Jeff), Little Einsteins laptop (from Maryam and Hasnain) and Little Mommy Princess Doll (from Randy, Angie, Andrew and Josh).
Kaitlynn likes to eat her meals at the table my mom got her.

After lunch, Kaitlynn decided to write on the refrigerator with a yellow crayon. It came off with the Mr. Clean sponge.

She had a blast playing in the tunnel.

She totally freaked me out when she decided to try to pull her staple out. She actually pulled a little bit of the staple out on the right side. Ewww!

Kaitlynn's 2nd Birthday Party

Saturday we had a house full. It was kind of crazy the amount of people at our house. We had about 40 people over to celebrate Kaitlynn turning 2. The party was for friends and family. 9 of Kaitlynn's friends came (Ella, Breydan, Hasnain, Gabe, Nick, Bailey, Addison, Auggie and Elliott). It was from 4PM to 6PM. People started arriving at 3:50 (which was fine, but totally freaked me out). I am the type of person that needs up to the last minute to get everything done. It's not that I am slow, but just constantly finding something else that needs to be done.

While people were arriving, we tried to introduce people, get everyone drinks and food. We had chili (2 pots - vegetarian and chili with beef), fritos, shredded cheese, sandwiches (dollar rolls with salami, chicken, turkey, ham, or roast beef), potato chips, bar-be-que potato chips and animal crackers. To drink, we offered soda, tea, juice boxes, coffee, wine and beer. I think we had a decent spread.

Most people went to the basement, where the play area is. We had a section set up for the older kids to play Wii. The rest of the basement was set up for the toddlers / babies to play with toys.

My sister just had to have Kaitlynn open up the present from them early.

After letting the kids play for over an hour, we sang "Happy Birthday" and cut the cake.

Thankfully I took a picture of the cake before the party, because as soon as we sat Kaitlynn in her chair, she stuck her fingers in the icing.

Blowing out the candles!

Kaitlynn didn't eat much (if any) cake and ice cream. She just played in it.

Once everyone had a chance to eat cake and ice cream, we opened gifts. Every year I am not sure how to do the gifts. I don't know if we should open gifts at the party or later. I want people to see Kaitlynn open their gift and know it is appreciated, but at the same time, I don't want to bore everyone with it. I also don't want people to think they have to bring a gift. It is completely optional. We really just want people over to celebrate with us. Birthday parties are just really important to me. I want to celebrate every birthday Kaitlynn has and every accomplishment she makes.

Kaitlynn got a lot of great gifts. She got clothes, play-doh, Dora rocking chair, puzzles, building blocks, tunnel, purse, laptop, beach towel, swimsuit, dress up animals, hair clippie, books, Little Mommy doll, tea set, table and chairs set, art easel, and a savings bond.

She also got this really awesome box / case that Emily made. It says "Princess Kaitlynn" on the front and inside was a "Birthday Girl" shirt and a Princess book. It is so awesome! Emily really put a lot of work into it.
These are the party favor bags that I forgot to hand out to most of the kids as they were leaving. Inside was an animal mini coloring book and crayons, sunglasses, bath paint (from Avon), animal foam stickers, and Curious George fruit snacks.

Almost everyone left after or during the gift opening. My mom, older brother (Jim) and his daughter (Sissy) stayed for a little while after the party.

Kaitlynn wouldn't let Sissy put her down.

After the party, I tried to get some pictures of Kaitlynn in her birthday dress, but she was too busy playing with her new toys.