33 for a moment

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Balloons @ Paper Affair

Have I mentioned that Kate loves balloons? Well, she does ... a lot. So when I saw a coupon in the latest edition of Savvy Shopper for three free balloons at Paper Affair, I knew who I was going to take with me to redeem it.

I was going to take Kate to get her balloons yesterday afternoon (seeing as it was her actual birthday and all), but the birthday girl didn't get up from her nap until around 6 p.m.! (She took her time falling asleep yesterday.) But it worked out for a fun little outing this morning. Kate is enjoying her balloons VERY MUCH.

Thank you, Paper Affair!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Kate's 2-Year Checkup

Kate had her 2-year-old well-visit on Monday (two days early). She got a good report, and Dr. G was very impressed with her speech. YAY! She is doing very well, and Dr. G confirmed that Kate has all of her teeth except for her 2-year molars.

Here are Kate's stats:

Weight: 29 pounds (80th percentile)
Height: 36.5 inches (off the charts!)

We have a tall girl ... still! :o)

We also gave our pediatrician the info about our adoption so his office can complete the necessary paperwork (a letter about Kate's health)--just one piece of the huge home study hurdle. Of course, he was happy for us and glad to do it. We have a wonderful pediatrician! He is the best!

Kate just loved his Snoopy tie--she really enjoys watching her Peanuts videos and knows some of the characters (Snoopy and Charlie Brown, for sure) by name. Here she is pointing them out on Dr. G's tie.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Kate @ 23 Months

Here are a few details about Kate at 23 months old (June 8-July 7, 2009). We can't believe she will be 2 years old tomorrow! Where has our little baby gone? We are so thankful for our little girl--she brings us so much joy. :o)

At 23 months ...

Kate loves to color, to play with stickers, and to watch her favorite videos (including Miss PattyCake, Snoopy, and Little People).
She loves cars! She enjoys pointing out real cars and trucks (and their colors) as well as playing with her many toy cars.
She also loves to point out trees and flags and various colors of random objects when we are out and about.

She knows and recognizes colors, letters and shapes (square and triangle are new ones--she's known circle, heart, star for quite some time now).
She likes to knock on doors. I have to really keep an eye on her when we are walking down the hall because she will start knocking on our neighbors' doors. LOL! She also likes to knock on our own door when I am getting my keys out/unlocking the door.
She also likes to point out cookies and cupcakes whenever she sees them. She loves to eat cookies (especially chocolate chip), too.
She had fun playing with my rubber stamps when I had them out a few weeks ago.
When something is wrong or broken or dropped, etc., she often says "It's OK!"

She loves to try on Tanna's shoes.
She misses Tanna when he is not here. She will point at the door and say, "Ah-Pah! Ah-Pah! Ah-Pah!" She loves to run and greet him when he gets home. It is the sweetest thing to see; she just lights up like a firefly when he comes through the door.
One of her favorite books these days is an big Elmo board book that one of our neighbors got for her.
Tanna taught her how to shake hands, and she loves to "shake, shake."

She still loves stairs! She is great at climbing them all by herself.
Her speech continues to improve by leaps and bounds! It seems she is saying new words every day--and even speaks in some sentences. Also, some of her word approximations are now full words. For example, "all-dee" is now "all done," and "guk" is now sometimes "milk." In addition, "op-pease" is now sometimes "open, please."
She is pretty good about cleaning up when prompted. After meals, I will tell her that we need to put her milk back in the fridge, and she will hold onto it at the door for me to open it. Then, she will place it on the shelf herself.
We need to work on her menu/diet. One of our goals is for her to eat a better variety of foods. She currently likes chicken nuggets, meatballs, sausage, bacon, cheese toast, grilled cheese, green beans, applesauce, raisins, yogurt, oatmeal, fruit bars, chips, hot garlic shrimp chips, chex mix, crackers, cookies, etc.

When we are out and about, Tanna's iPhone sometimes helps keep her entertained with videos, etc.
She likes to look at catalogs--specifically, Hanna Andersson and Mini Boden catalogs. I think she likes to look at the kids in them. I like the Mini Boden catalogs because they are a great size for her to hold, and I save them for this purpose. This is cute--in the last few weeks, she will point out a few of the models and say "Bekah" and "Riley" (two of her cousins).
She knows more of her animal sounds--including cow ("moo"), dog ("wuf"), cat ("mow") and snake ("ssss"). I tried to get a video, but it didn't work out. Maybe next time!
She knows many (if not most) character names from Little People, Sesame Street, Miss PattyCake ... and maybe even more. She likes to point them out, too.

She loves to go outside and to the pool. Many days, she will lead our hand to the door or to the window because she wants to go outside. (She'll say, "Outside?") Or she will point to the door and say "Pool?" Sometimes, she will even climb in her stroller to indicate that she is ready to go somewhere. LOL!
She is recognizing more and more familiar faces. She also does a decent job of talking on the phone--saying "Wuv Oooo" and such. She likes to pretend to talk on the phone sometimes, too.
We love her so much, and we thank God for this incredible blessing in our lives!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Kate @ 20-22 Months of Age

Yes, this is VERY late, but here are some of the things I jotted down about Kate when she was 20-22 months old or thereabouts. :o)

She loves to point to her toes, hold up her foot so you can see her toes, etc., etc., and then say, "TOES!"
She is really great about sitting still in my lap to get her hair fixed or to put her socks and shoes on.
She likes to give people five!
She recognizes many letters of the alphabet! I am amazed at how much she has learned in such a short amount of time. She LOVES to play with her LeapFrog refrigerator letter magnets. (She likes the animal ones too, but she is especially enamored with the letters ("uht-ers") lately.)
She has a new interest in books and likes to look at a few in her crib (when we let her) before going to sleep.
For a good while, she LOVED it when we would sing "The Wheels on the Bus" or "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and did the motions. She did her own version of the motions, too. This was especially a favorite thing to do at meal times.
Speaking of the motions, one day we were singing the bus song, and she just started making these repetitive movements with her hands. It took me a few minutes, but then I realized that she had learned motions to the song (motions I didn't even know!). It was so cute--she had learned them at preschool.
Tanna has been teaching her left from right. He laughs at my skepticism and vows that they will show me!
Kate loves to run, and she loves to climb--still!
She LOVES to climb stairs. I mean, she is practically obsessed with stairs. We don't any in our home, so when she sees them, she gets excited and says, "Stairs!" You should have seen her at the beach house where we stayed. She could not get enough of those stairs, and we were constantly trying to keep her off of the staircase.

It has been amazing to watch her vocabulary develop. We are so thankful for her speech progress, especially in such a short amount of time. Some of our favorite words/phrases during this time period are "Jesus," "cookies," "applesauce," "love you," "bless you," "poopy" and "It's OK."
She has learned the word "no" and does not hesitate to use it (even if she means "yes").
She went through a big clapping phase. Anytime she saw someone clapping (in real life or on television), she would stop and clap. Sometimes, she would kind of babble for a minute and then yell "YAY!" and clap, clap, clap. Adorable. (I think this came from some of her class activities in preschool.)
She is obsessed with Miss PattyCake and Snoopy. She asks for them by name, and wants to watch her DVDs all the time. ("Miss PattyCake" is "CaCakes," but her "Snoopy" is pretty clear.) She also loves her Miss PattyCake doll and sometimes plays with her/asks for her/wants her in the crib--this is big, as Kate hasn't really been a big doll person.
Kate loves to have her teeth brushed. Tanna usually does this when he is here, and it is a special time for them.
The tantrums have started, and Kate is definitely not afraid to express her disdain for a situation.
Kate and I like to go get the mail together each evening. It is a fun part of our day. While I am checking the mailbox, she likes to explore the lobby for a minute and greet passersby.
She likes to name body parts and knows just about all of them--even some of the more obscure ones like elbow, chin, etc. She likes to point to her body and name parts, and she also likes to point them out on others.
She loves shoes and often will get them out of her shoe holder and bring them to me to put on. Too bad we don't wear shoes in the house.
She also is obsessed with stars, circles and hearts. She constantly asks for us to draw them for her, and she will point them out when she sees them. We were at the mall one day, and she starts exclaiming "Star! Star!" I finally realized that there was a lady walking toward us with a Macy's bag (the ones with the big red star).

She recognizes family members and has learned their names. She has a few photo albums and loves to point to relatives and name them--or she will point to them and have one of us name everyone in the photos.
She finished her first half-semester of preschool. (We got a late start.) She LOVED school and--after the first few weeks of getting used to it--was so excited to go two days a week. She learned so much and had a lot of fun, too!
She loves to eat with a fork--even some foods (like cheese toast or a fruit bar) that are normally finger foods. Sometimes, if she isn't eating something well, we will put it on a fork, and she will then chow down!
Kate has an obsession with crayons and coloring. Her preschool teacher said that Kate really loves arts/crafts projects and activities, which I can totally see.
She loves flash cards. Another favorite: Play-Doh--either the dough itself or just the little mini containers.
For a while Kate did this funny thing where she would pat on her chest to indicate herself and say "Mama," like she was calling herself "Mama." Then she would say, "No, Kate." Then she would smile or laugh. Back when I was trying to get her to say "Mama," I would pat on my chest and say, "Mama," and she would copy me. Then I would say, "No, you are Kate; I am Mama." So I think this is where this little game originated. She still does it every once in a while. Funny girl!
She loves to go, go, go!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Peachtree Road Race 2009

The runners--bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, bagels in hand, and ready to go!

For a few years now, I have been telling my friends Jennifer and Shane--who are big-time runners--that they need to come to Atlanta for July Fourth and run the Peachtree Road Race. Well, they finally did! YAY!

I was so excited when Jennifer told me they were planning to run. Shane was able to get her registered via the Internet the day registration opened online. (This was the first year for online sign-ups.) However, because of the problems with the online system, by the time he was able to register himself ... it was full.

Next option ... the newspaper registration. The weekend that the form was in the AJC, I got a Sunday paper and completed all the necessary info for Shane. (You have to have an actual copy of the newspaper. Thankfully, you can buy a Sunday paper before Sunday these days, because we were going out of town on that particular Sunday.) Anyway, while I was filling it out, Tanna said for me to complete one for him, too. But I'd only bought one paper. When I told him so, he said not to worry about it, that it was no big deal.

Fast forward a couple of months. The newspaper registration didn't make the cut, so it was sent back to Shane. I told Jennifer I'd be on the lookout for a number for him, and I was. In the meantime, at Jennifer's suggestion, I'd become a fan of the Peachtree Road Race on Facebook--which ended up paying off bigtime! I just happened to be online at the right time--when the fan page for the Peachtree Road Race announced it had a few dozen numbers to give away to the first so many people to respond. I responded right away--and then logged in as Tanna to respond. SCORE! Numbers for Shane and for Tanna! YAY!

Because Shane and Jennifer are experienced runners, they were placed in the first time group. Tanna happened to be in the last time group--but he did great, especially for his first road race (and for not training much). His time for the 6.2-mile course was 67 minutes. Not bad!

I had a fantastic time watching the race with Kate and Abigail, Shane and Jennifer's daughter. (Their son Aiden stayed in Tennessee with Jenn's parents.) We held up signs, took pictures and video, and cheered the runners on! Folks seemed to really like our "God Bless You" and "Run your best in the race of faith / Jesus loves U" signs. I'd say about four or five people stopped to take pictures of us (even runners!). It was so nice to see some friends who were running, too. (Hi, Donna and Luann!)

The Peachtree Road Race is such a fun event--the crowd makes it really memorable. What a fun Fourth of July tradition--hope to see you there next year!

Here are some pictures from our morning:

Early Bird! Look how tired Kate looks. I had to wake her up at about 6:45 to eat breakfast and get ready. And we still ended up running to get to Peachtree. I was so afraid we were going to miss Shane and Jennifer, who were in the first time group. Notice the cool sign that Abigail made for Kate! So cute!

We made it to Peachtree in time to see even the elite runners zoom by. Not too far behind were Jennifer and Shane, but they were too fast for me! This was the only picture I got of them. Maybe next time I will be more prepared. :o)

On Peachtree--Kate waves a flag and watches the race. The weather was wonderful--great racing conditions.

Check out the awesome sign Abigail made! Love her glasses, too!

Here are a few more signs she made to cheer on her parents. :o)

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2

Wish I could have gotten all that on one sign, but I don't think I'd be able to hold a sign that big. hahaha

Abigail and me--we had a lot of fun! She was a great help with Kate, too!

Tanna stops to say hello and to take a few photos.

Tribute to MJ ...

... and another!

Kate on our walk back home. She had her moments, but overall she did really well sitting in her stroller and watching the race. One gal came up to the girls and gave them these Patriotic leis. So sweet!

The runners--back with their new Peachtree Road Race T-shirts. Hope they will add to their collection next year! Way to go, guys! Great job!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth!

Kate wishes everyone a happy Fourth of July! We hope you have had a wonderful day celebrating this great country of ours. While we are proud to be citizens of the United States of America, we are reminded that our ultimate citizenship lies in heaven. Read more from Dr. Michael Youssef.

Our Little Sparkler!

Fourth of July Flashback: Here's Kate last year ...

... and then today in the same dress (a hand-me-down from Rebekah and Riley).

Checking out a FOJ shaker she made at camp.

Wearing Ah-Pah's shoes (one of which still has the Peachtree Road Race timing thingie in its laces)

God bless America!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Having a Blast with the Byingtons

Today, friends Jennifer, Shane and Abigail came in from Tennessee for the weekend. (Son Aiden was spending the weekend with his grandparents.) Shane and Jennifer are big-time runners, and they're here to run the Peachtree Road Race tomorrow. Tanna will be running, too--it's his first road race!

We're having a blast with the Byingtons. After enjoying a late lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, we headed over to the Peachtree Road Race Expo @ the Intercontinental in Buckhead. It was fun to people-watch and to see all the different booths, etc. My favorite booth was the photo-taking one--see the top photo. You could get a fun picture made like this for free--and your prints were ready in just a few seconds, it seemed like. The line moved so fast, too. It was great.

After that, we drove the race course, came back here to hang out for a bit, and then we went out to eat again. (Tanna stayed home with Kate, and we brought him some dinner home with us.) We were going to hit Maggiano's, which apparently has a big pasta buffet the night before the Peachtree Road Race, but--as you can imagine--it was packed. We also had talked about going to the Pasta by the Plaza event at Second Ponce Baptist Church, but time got away from us and we didn't make it. So we ended up at Chili's. :o)

After we got home, we stayed up for a while to visit and to plan out the details for the big day ... and to make a few signs, of course! Can't wait!