Lovin' The Weather

Man, this weather has been AWESOME!! Yesterday, after we ate some lunch, we headed out to the park to play and take some pictures!  And actually, it was so nice, we went to TWO parks!  Katie did let me take some pictures of her at each park, which was great since Katie had on a cute Valentine's outfit that we got from Target a few weeks ago!  I am really loving how great the pictures are with my new lens!  Here are some at the first park....

I LoVe this picture!!

 The model pose...

 Looking at the water under the bridge!

 Just hangin' around!!

 ...and then she had most definitely had enough!

 She wanted to go play on the playground!

After playing for a while, Katie went potty and then wanted to get in the car.  I asked if she wanted to go to another park since it was so nice, and of course she said yes!  So we headed to another park not too far away and played a lot more!

 Cutie!

 I just love this picture - all of the colors are so intense!

 And then she started sliding down on her belly.  We had such a fun time!

 She also played some music on the chimes!

 And this was the infamous...TWO MINUTES!!!  She always says this whenever she wants to either keep doing whatever she is doing - or if she is trying to delay something she doesn't want to do.

This weather makes me so excited for when spring rolls around - warmer temperatures and sunshine!

Momma's Little Helper

Last night, some friends came over for dinner, so I was doing some cooking.  Katie wanted to help, so she finally got to wear her apron she got for Christmas! So cute - and she loved it!  I think she makes a cute little chef.  And the food turned out so yummy (recipes to come on Friday)!  I also love that maybe, just maybe, my new lens makes it easier for Brad to take pictures with my nice camera - the quality of the pics is just so much better! 

In other news, my little sous-chef had to go to the doctor yesterday - yes, our pediatrician's office even has hours on Sunday!!  She woke up at 4:30 saying her ear hurt.  I LOVE that she can tell us what hurts!!  I don't like that it ended up being a double ear infection, but so glad we could get it taken care of and get antibiotics going as soon as possible!  She is feeling much better and slept til 8:15 this morning (and proceeded to get up, go pee-pee TWICE, and change into big girl panties - Brad caught the tail end and helped her with the panties, but I'm so proud she is doing those things on her own!)  Happy Monday!

Get Your Guac On

For the last week or so, I have been really wanting some guacamole from a local restaurant.  You see, it is not just any guacamole.  They make it tableside.  And I am fairly certain they put crack in it.   It is uh-ma-zing!!  It is avocados, onions, tomatoes, lime juice, spice (not sure what kind), and some sort of green herb - maybe cilantro?  And you can request the level of spice you like.  I love it.  And this week, I think I could have eaten it every single meal.  

 Well, ladies and gentlemen...I finally got my guac last night! And it was delicious!  Every.single.bite.  Their chips are pretty amazing too - they make their own.

And when we got there last night, I happened to notice the daily specials.  And the tableside guacamole is half price on Mondays.  I know where I'll be heading at 5:00 tomorrow!

Friday Funday

It seems like our Fridays have turn into our playdate days!  And yesterday was just that - - plus a Mommy - Daughter Date for lunch, too!  Fun!  I didn't take my "nice" camera, so my iPhone pics will just have to do!

Our first stop was an indoor playground!  It is a new, local place - like the grand opening was Thursday!  It was really nice and pretty cool - literally an indoor playground with a track around it for riding tricycles and the likes.  And the bathrooms were my favorite part - they look like Port-a-Potties!  You open the door and then it takes you into a real bathroom - with a mini potty (perfect for Katie) and a mini sink!  Amazing!  We met one of Katie's best friends from her class at Mother's Day Out!  And they had a ball!

 So cute - love this one!

 I think this one may be my favorite - there is a tree house that you climb up into, and the girls were peeking down and saying hi!  SO cute!  This may have to go in a frame in her room!

 After that fun adventure, we headed to a little store that had all their sweet winter clothes marked down big time.  It was pretty picked over, and I wasn't in much of a shopping mood (very rare - have to take advantage of that!), so we walked down to a restaurant for a Mommy-Katie Date!  It was so fun, and I think Katie felt super special!

 I love that the kids' meals at this little place come with a fruit (grapes today) and goldfish.  The perfect kiddo meal!  Oh, and Mac n Cheese too!

Then we had to run a couple more errands and came home for quiet time - watching Finding Nemo again!  A very fun Friday for us - have a great weekend!

Much Better!

Thanks for all of the well wishes for our sweet girl!  She was MUCH better yesterday...thank goodness!  I did end up keeping her home from school (as I mentioned previously) - didn't want to risk getting the call to come get her or risk her catching something else while her little immune system was trying to catch up!  So we had a fun day of relaxing and going to Target - our home away from home!  And of course, the day she needs to stay home, I have three calls scheduled for work! AH!  But it worked out just fine - Katie was a sweet, sweet girl!  After "quiet time", we went to meet my friend Tanja for some yogurt and to visit...so  much fun!  Katie just adores her - she would only let Tanja take her to the bathroom...a-okay with me!  And a big thank you to Tanja for being so patient :)  And then Brad got back in town - HOORAY! 

After we got home from the yogurt outing, Katie was playing with her toys and then she ate dinner.  I decided to get out the fancy schmancy camera again and play with it some more. 

Katie would only cooperate if Sadie was in the picture! Love this collage...

 And then this goofy girl...she was loving playing with the water bottle Tanja gave her!

 And her first braid!  Tanja french braided her hair and it is ADORABLE!!  Doesn't she look so old from the back?!  Unacceptable...

 I thought she looked pretty old while sitting at the table eating her dinner too.  Hard to believe she will be 3 years old just about 3 months from now!!

 And after dinner, she just had to do some singing into her microphone.  Look at those knockout baby blues...I love that she got my eyes!

Happy Friday!!

Our Day Yesterday

Hello, Winter!  And hello to the colds that come along with the temperatures going up and down (and most kids having the sniffles)!  I am so lucky that Katie is a healthy girl overall - she just seems so pitiful when she's under the weather!  She had been coughing a little the last few days and then Tuesday afternoon she had a really runny nose.  She woke up yesterday morning with snot literally pouring out of her nose (sorry...TMI, I know) - poor thing.  And coughing.  And sneezing.  Yuck.  So she got her very own box of Kleenex (special treat for sure)!

 And we snuggled in bed ALL DAY - except for meals, of course!  We watched shows and movies and read books.  That is most definitely the only plus to a sick one - snuggling!

 You can tell in her eyes that she was most definitely not feeling chipper.  And her cheeks were flushed and chapped from her nose running (and continually wiping it)!

 And then after lunch, she actually fell asleep.  That NEVER happens - she usually thinks she's going to miss out on something!

She also had a low-grade fever of about 100 degrees throughout the afternoon and evening.  Luckily, she is fever-free today and seems to be feeling MUCH better!  She isn't even saying she needs to blow her nose! I did keep her home from Mother's Day Out, but that was only precautionary.  She must have needed some sleep because she went down by 7:30 last night and slept until 9:00 this morning!

**I also want to add - she was accident-free, even though she didn't feel good! And I left her in a Pull-Up for the day in case she fell asleep in my bed.  No accidents though! YAY!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Middle-Of-The-Week! Let the countdown to the weekend begin!

Here is what I'm loving today (and for most of them, I can thank Pinterest)....

I'm LOVING these Goody hair elastics that also look like a real bracelets!  I have worn a rubber band on my wrist for years .... and now it can look sorta stylish! I have the black rubber bands with the silver piece on them. 

I'm LOVING that there is not a chance of severe weather in the forecast.  After three bouts of it in less than a week (in January, no less), I need winter to return!  And I sure hope the last week isn't any indication of what spring will be like! I hate bad weather!

I'm LOVING this card! HA!  It couldn't be closer to the truth.  I was just thinking the other day that I am doing much better about spending money at Target!  I guess that means it is time for a Target run...

I'm LOVING this neat idea!  The lyrics to the first dance song are on the tree and his and her initials are on the hearts.  I found it on Pinterest but it did not have a tutorial...any thoughts how to get the lyrics in the shape of a tree??

 I'm LOVING this.  Moms, you will appreciate this.

 I'm LOVING this idea for the bath - so simple! Get shaving cream and food color, mix, and let the kids have a blast in the bath!

 I'm LOVING this idea - baking a marble to make a necklace...doesn't it look cool??  Below the picture are the instructions I found!

Bake at 325-350 degrees on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes.  As soon as you take them out, put them in a metal bowl or sink of cold ice water.  Then you glue end caps on to make a necklace!  These are just marbles found in the floral department.  Here is another discussion on how to "fry marbles"! I can't wait to try this!!

What are YOU loving today?? Wanna link up? Go {HERE}!!

Just A Little Bedtime & Potty Update

So, you may have read my desperate cry request for help in regards to Katie taking like THREE HOURS to fall asleep at night.  I got some good advice and suggestions.  And I will admit - most of it I didn't want to hear.  Why, you ask? Well, because most mommas said that this is exactly what happened when their child was giving up naptime.  Whew....not cool.  I work when Katie naps.  Plus, momma needs just a little bit of a break!  But I thought about it for a few days, and it made total sense.  So, last Friday was the first day of the test.  There was no napping...we had quiet time together.  We layed in bed and watched Finding Nemo.  And she went straight to sleep that night.  And then we did quiet time again on Saturday.  And Sunday.  And Monday.  And she went straight to sleep at about 7:00 every night.  And slept til roughly 8:00 the next morning.  I certainly cannot complain about that.  We are still helping her understand the concept of quiet time - she thinks if she is under a blanket, we are asking her to sleep.  I also need to do better about getting her in her room by herself for an hour or so.  She can play.  Or read.  Or whatever.  Just in her room.  Maybe we will try that tomorrow.  But!  The good news is that, for now, she is sleeping all night in her bed!  I wonder if that will change at all over the next few months.  Or if it will change when baby comes.  Oh well...we will work with what we have going for now.

The second update is in regards to the potty training topic.  It seems we have for real turned a corner!  Last Thursday night I had to work and Katie had big girl panties on at home.  She and Brad went on a Daddy Date and she wanted to keep her panties on.  And she did.  With no accidents.  So Friday, when we were heading to the museum with friends, she wanted to wear big girl panties.  And she did.  With no accidents.  She has worn them all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  And she does fine in public (probably because I ask her every 10 minutes if she needs to go potty), but sometimes she forgets she doesn't have a Pull-Up on and starts to tinkle in her panties.  She catches herself and finished on the potty, but she has to change panties because she doesn't like to wear wet panties (can't say I blame her).  She even did great at church in big girl panties...and she wore them to school this morning!! Sunday - she was completely accident-free!! She is wearing a Pull-Up at night because she still wakes up wet, but I am a-okay with that!!

Whew!  Lots of big transitions going on in this household!  I am glad that we will only have one in diapers (at least come June) and am hoping Katie will have adjusted to her new routine with quiet time.  All of this makes for one very tired momma, but I know it is worth it in the end!

"Katie" For Sale

No, I'm not selling my child.  Just some of the cute things she has worn!  I thought I'd do a quick post and see if anyone has a little Katie or knows someone that may be interested.  Personally, I think these things are really cute - and why not get them used and cheaper?! :)

1) 3T Kavio brand shirt with a Hang To Dry applique - perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day!  $9 shipped

2) 3T Kavio brand shirt with a Hang To Dry applique - perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day! $9 shipped SOLD

3) 3T Old Navy white tank top with appliqued "K" and "katie" - $7 shipped SOLD

4) 3T Old Navy light pink tank top with appliqued "K" and "katie" - $7 shipped SOLD

5) Size 2 Monag shirt with Cinderella applique and "Katie" with matching, custom shorts (I'd say this outfit would fit a 2T) - $13 shipped SOLD

6) 3T Fall outfits - coordinating Halloween and Thanksgiving outfits - shirts both match the same pair of pants!  The shirts are long-sleeved Cherokee brand and the pants are custom made (outfits came from Carleigh Bug's Facebook store).  Each shirt was worn just a handful of times - $25 shipped (set retails for $60!!) SOLD

Up close of Halloween (or, really, could be all Fall) shirt - it does have two small blue dots beneath the applique.

Up close of the Thanksgiving shirt

7) 9 month adorable, boutique outfit - could be great for Valentine's Day, or even later for the 4th of July.  Has monogram of kCe (C is for the last name). $10 shipped

8) Size 2 Monag outfit - red dress with coordinating turquoise leggings.  We LOVED this outfit!  Does have monogram kCe, but I think an applique could be put over the monogram.  $10 shipped

**If you are interested, please comment on this post with what item number and your Paypal email address.  I will send an invoice when I get the comment! THANK YOU!*