Halloween

So I should probably write a little about Halloween. It was really fun because it was the first time Kate understood the concept (at least a little). She decided she wanted to be a cat (although at first she wanted to be a cow, then a sheep. I think I actually suggested a cat because there are about zero cute sheep costumes available). Brett and I dressed up as Ron and Hermione, so we affectionately referred to Kate as Baby McGonagall. On the actual day of Halloween we stayed inside; Brett was working late and I was not about to venture out trick-or-treating with her on my own.  But we took her to the ward Halloween party for her first trunk-or-treat and she had a great time. She even got the hang of saying "Trick or Treat" and I think managed an occasional "Thank you". She was very excited to come home with a bag of "special treats"--what she calls any kind of treat or candy. Of course, I forgot to take any pictures of her in her costume until after we got home. So these pictures are of a kid who is already up past her bedtime, won't sit still to have her picture taken, and whose costume and makeup have undergone several hours of wear. And she is still adorable.

Unfortunately, Deacon ate pretty much all of her Halloween candy a day or two later when we accidentally left the bag on the floor. Kate was very forgiving, which was good, because Brett and I were planning on eating most of it anyway!

Conversations with Kate: What's That?

"What's that?" is the question of the week. She has been asking this about everything, even when she knows what things are. Sometimes she wants you to answer her question, and sometimes she will answer the question herself. So last night I go into Kate's room to check on her because she isn't going to sleep. She tells me she needs her diaper changed. So I lay her down on the floor. Keep in mind that I haven't turned the light on, so it is dark. Kate hands me something and asks, "What's that?" I take it from her without even thinking about it. I don't know what it is, probably something she found on the floor. So I say, "I don't know." Kate gleefully replies with, "It's a booger!"

Yup, it is indeed a booger.

Hot Chocolate

Fall is here! Kate recently got to experience hot chocolate for the first time. I think she likes it :)

The Pumpkin Patch

No, we didn't go to the pumpkin patch in November. We went before Halloween. By now we already know that I am not proficient at writing posts as they happen. But I still want to record all the fun adventures of our little family.

Kate loved the pumpkin patch--she talked about it for weeks afterward. It was the first time since Brett and I have been married that we picked out pumpkins and carved them, so it was equally as fun for the two of us.

First we went on a little train that circled the pumpkin patch. We tried taking pictures of Kate on the train, but she was just way more interested in looking around at everything that was happening.

Kate kept on going up to various pumpkins and trying to pick them up. Then she would declare that they were "too heavy". 

It was exciting once we found some that were more her size!

We kept on trying to get Kate to pose for various cute pictures. She had about zero interest in looking at the camera.

Once Brett and I found some we liked Kate helped push the wheelbarrow around.

She loved watching the bees on the flowers.

And at the very end of our trip Kate got to pick out her very own little pumpkin. In truth she had picked out many pumpkins during our wanderings around the patch, but this was the one she got to take home.

It was the perfect fall outing for our little family.

Mommy and Me

Do you know how hard and frustrating it is to be a mom and have almost no good pictures of you with your kid? Yeah, I spend almost all day everyday with Kate, but when she looks back at the photos she might never know it. One day I was taking pictures of her and she decided she needed to sit in my lap, so we tried to take some together. We learned that clearly I need some help in the photography department. But at least we have some pictures to prove that we actually hang out together!

I originally started taking pictures because I thought she looked adorable in this dress

Classic finger up the nose pose

Terrible lighting, but I just love that smile

Together

Yup, mom rocks at this

Love this girl

Birthday Videos

And here is the birthday fun we were able to catch on video:

Happy Birthday 2 You!

My baby is now 2. And yes, I am writing this birthday post over a month after she had her birthday. I could make up lots of excuses for why that is--but I'll skip that. Here's what I was thinking about on and around her birthday:

I was thinking about the actual word: birthday. The day she was born. The day I gave birth to her. I was remembering that day, and reliving all of its sweetness in my mind. It was the day she grew our family. I could not have imagined how much joy she would bring to us. Her smile and laughter light up my life every single day. Sometimes I just look at her and kiss her and think about how beautiful she is. Everything about her little self is so amazing. I love watching her grow and learn. I love how I grow and learn when I am with her. Two years ago, I could never have perceived how I would be able to love someone as much as I love her.

Ok, now that I have released a small fraction of my mom emotions, I can write about her actual birthday. Like her previous birthday, it was a nice relaxing day. We opted to skip a party and just celebrate as a family.

 

We spent a good deal of the morning playing with Play-Doh. It is her favorite "toy". Sometimes she even asks to kiss the Play-Doh goodnight before she goes to bed.

Play-Doh was literally the only activity I had planned. Other than that I just let her take the lead and did pretty much whatever she wanted (including eating cinnamon toast crunch). Then when Daddy came home we had dinner, cake, and presents.

 

I am so grateful for the past two years I've spent getting to know this amazing little girl.