Some mornings she’s a hot mess before she eats. Some mornings she’s nice and calm. Today was a good day so I snapped a pic of her cute outfit. I’ve completely lost track of which grandma got her which outfits…
Category Archives: Katie
I wanna see out there!
As soon as you open the blinds, she’s RIGHT THERE trying to climb up and over the couch to see outside. Especially if her brother is out there!
Me, too! Me, too!
And a great picture of her mis-matched jammies. It’s what happens when you have three-piece sets (one top, shorts, and pants)—you end up with odd pieces for a night here and there!
Deckwarming & Katie’s Third First Birthday
Today was the big day of our Deckwarming party (and Tom’s going away party) as well as a mini celebration of Katie’s first birthday (technically her third first birthday as we already celebrated in Michigan, then she had her actual birthday on the 10th, and then today’s gathering). It was a long, hot, tiring—yet fun—day.
Party-prep is so much work—it never seems like stuff will take that long…but it always does. I was VERY thankful to have hired Virginia to come watch the kids while we did the prep because then I didn’t have to listen to Katie screaming because I wasn’t paying attention to her…and I was actually able to get stuff done! I loved what Virginia posted on Facebook—it’s classic Owen:
As usual, we had too much food (or maybe just not enough people?!) but then, I’m a Len and we apparently don’t know how to cook for less than 40 people (or are paranoid about not having enough food regardless of the number of people). 🙂 But everything was delicious.
The weather actually held out—it was touch and go for awhile with intermittent thunderstorms pretty much all morning and early afternoon—but it cleared up about 4 and was sunny and gorgeous (though the humidity was right at about 99%).
We had a good blend of old (Mitchells and Trimbles) and new friends (from my mommy group) and the kids had a blast in the playroom and in the pool.
Then it was time for the birthday cake. I had wanted to do something special for Katie so she didn’t fall into that “second kid gets squat compared to the first kid” thing PLUS after Owen’s Lego cake debacle I had decided I was never attempting to bake a cake again…so I asked our friend Ursula to make a cake. She has recently started making and decorating cakes and she’s ABSOLUTELY AMAZING (as opposed to my first attempt—see above Lego debacle post). Here’s the picture I sent her (that I found on Pinterest) along with her version on the right (I asked for the 1 on top instead of the ladybug and only two layers):
Amazing, right?
Also a big thanks to mommy-group friend Jacqueline who helped with my last-minute ice cream request (Doh! How could we have forgotten ice cream on our three trips to town?!) and pre-party kitchen cleanup (she arrived during the last 15-minute rush to get everything done, saw I was a bit overwhelmed, and jumped in to wash the sink full of dishes).
Some of the kids playing dress up:
Having a blast in the pool:
Wandering:
She made such a mess that we had to hose off the deck (thanks, Roger!) and give her a quick bath in the sink with Dawn detergent (I hadn’t planned ahead to have baby soap downstairs). Here she is somewhat cleaned up, back with Virginia again.
Since Owen was having so much fun in the pool and with the kids, we let him stay up late. This is about 9:30 right before he finally went to bed.
Thanks to everyone who shared the day with me and Tom!! And you can tell we’re all getting older…everyone had gone home by 10:15!! 🙂
We struck gold twice.
So, when we were home on our recent vacation, we got out some old slides. I wanted to show them to Tom and Owen…but I was also hoping to find pictures of me in some of the outfits of mine that I’ve been putting on Katie. And we struck gold twice.
Green and floral shirt, circa about 1975-76.
And from October 18, 2012 (see original post here).
I’m thinking the shirt HAD to have shrunk, as I was obviously about 2 or 3 years old when I was wearing it…and Katie was 3 months old. I guess I’ll keep it around and try again when Katie is older, just for laughs. 🙂
And no, mom, I don’t think she looks like me. But I’m digging your plaid pants. 🙂
The second outfit is a blue jumper, seen here on me about early 1974 (unless I was sitting at three months by December 1973) with a doll in almost the same outfit.
And on Katie on November 11, 2012 (see original post here).
There is NO way that we look even remotely close in these pictures…in fact, I think I look a little like my older cousin Greg and Katie looks like, well, Katie. 🙂
Stay tuned for more old slides…
Katie got bit!
So, Katie loves playing with Charlie. For the most part, Charlie doesn’t mind—but every once in awhile she’ll have enough and give Katie a swat (she has no claws so it’s not dangerous). Sometimes Katie stops…sometimes she doesn’t. Once in awhile Katie gets a quick nip and it shocks her but doesn’t really hurt her.
Until tonight.
She got bit HARD. At first we didn’t think too much about it but she was screaming harder and louder (and longer) than normal…so I took a peek…and saw blood. Yep, Charlie bit her hand so hard it drew blood. Poor kid. ((A day later you can still see the teeth marks and bruising.))
Katie + Chips + Maggie
She was having a ball eating chip crumbs out of the bag. We tried to take it away by setting it out of reach on the couch…and she immediately climbed right up to get them!
And of course Maggie wasn’t too far away…which led Katie to feeding her.
She loves laying on her brother.
Amazingly, post-nap happiness.
After the usual screaming, of course.
Katie and Charlie Skyping
Tom was Skyping with his mom and brother when Charlie jumped up and Katie just started going crazy with her. Charlie was pretty good—but you can tell she definitely wanted the attention.
Happy first birthday, Katie!
First outfit of the day…a white onesie (with design that could be covered up by the sticker) from Gramma Jean. I didn’t put her in the matching pants because they clashed with the sticker. 🙂
Here you can see the actual onesie. She started ripping the sticker off after the first 100 photos. 🙂 This is also where she loves to play—the coat rack. I’m not sure what she’ll do when we finally get hooks attached to the bottom level for their coats!
Post-nap outfit change! This one is from Grauntie Sue! It’s scary because it’s size 18mo and fits pretty well.
Katie’s Birthday Peek
Katie’s first five steps!
So all day I’ve been trying to get Katie to walk—to no avail. Tom comes home and was playing with her and I was in the kitchen and he yells “She’s walking! She just took four steps!”
Of course she did. 😐
I’m home all day every day yet she chooses to walk in the first five minutes she’s alone with daddy. Stinker.
So we immediately tried to get her to so it again—which is usually the kiss if death—but she did it!
So she took her first real steps the day before her first birthday!!
Trying to play peek with Katie
Of course she was doing it perfectly and super cutely BEFORE I started recording. But she still gives me some über cute faces. 🙂
Smile & Standing
Someone feels better today.
Standing up like it’s cool!
She’s getting SO close to walking!!
Katie sharing with Charlie
Dual Trance
I think Sesame Street was on and they were both in a trance. Since Katie still wasn’t feeling well, I was just happy she was calm and content for a few minutes (instead of screamy, sneezy, and snotty).
Screamy, Sneezy, and Snotty
Guess who woke up with all three Ss this morning?! Plus drippy, too, I guess.
😐
Best we can tell, it was allergies of some sort (the snot—though plentiful—was clear). And she was definitely pathetic looking—red-rimmed and runny eyes, sneezy sneezy sneezy, and continuously dripping (and sometimes spraying) snot.
Good times.
Busy Brother
Katie was up—and screaming—so I asked Owen to go in and keep her company for a few minutes while I took a quick shower. This is what I walked in to see (though in the pic I’d already grabbed her from the crib):
He had dragged his big bear AND his turtle into her room…and was reading from her books (well, reading in so much as it’s a picture book that has “one star, two cats, three balls, etc.” in pictures on each page).
Then when I got her out of the crib…I saw his two other bears in there!
What a busy brother he’d been during my five-minute-or-less shower!
More pool fun with the kids
Daddy and Owen went in the pool tonight…and after awhile, Katie peeked behind the curtains and saw them out there…and went CRAZY so I took her out, too.
Now, he LOVES going under water!
Katie butt!
It only took about 25 shots to get this one!
Someone was tiiii-red
Katie was hungry AND tired when we got home from Costco. She was actually covering up her face with the B as she was drinking. Like brother, like sister.
Katie takes a surprise tumble.
I was just snapping test shots of her on her downstairs basket…
When this happened.
Katie and her basket
(These are all photos from the new camera.)
She loves—LOVES—playing in these wicker baskets upstairs in the living room. In and out. Around. Over. Back in.
She’s also getting really good at standing!
And she loves cuddling in the big frog!
Katie’s first real drink from a cup
When we were on vacation, she constantly glommed onto whoever was drinking something from a cup and wanted to drink herself. So when we got home, we let her try on her own. And damn if she didn’t do too badly! Sure, she spilled some and dribbled a bit—but she actually got most of it in her mouth!
The baby monitor is going back up today.
As I walk into the living room this morning:
Tom: Look who just got up!
Me: Katie?
Tom: Yes, she slept in!
Me: Oh, you mean after crying for 20 minutes at 6:30?
Tom: I didn’t hear her over the fan.
Me: I did. I’ve been up since 6:30. FAIL.
The baby monitor goes back up today (it was down from vacation). I only have four more weekends of not having to get up with the early-rising kids…and I need every last one of them to be successful.
Daddy gave in.
So, you all know by now that Katie often SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER when we set her down/leave the room because she wants the attention and/or she wants to be carried. Well, when we’re trying to get dinner ready, we can’t really do that. Enter…the baby carrier. I told Tom not to even start it because he’s leaving soon and I won’t be using it (well, at least not while making dinner). But OH MAN did she love it. She was PERFECTLY content.
Left to their own devices…
This is what happens.
Cutie in black and white
Owen really spoiled me.
Most of the time when Owen woke up in the morning or after a nap, he’d just play happily in his crib. For a long time if you let him. And when you finally went in to get him, he was all smiles and giggles.
So of course I expected Katie to do the same.
Ha.
HA HA.
She starts screaming within two minutes of waking up.
Every.
Single.
Time.
😐
And sometimes doesn’t even stop after you pick her up. Or stops, but starts again when you lay her down to change her diaper.
It gets old…fast. It’s a good thing she’s cute.
They make each other happy.
They were both cranky before she climbed over to him.
Moments after this picture, Owen says “Katie, I love you.”
Awwww.
Busy busy.
