Sesame Street Breakfast at Sea World

For Katie's birthday, mom really wanted to take Katie to Sea World to have brunch with the Sesame Street Monsters. We were all set to go for the 29th when they called and said they needed to reschedule. We were able to reschedule for yesterday, and we had so much fun!

Katie and Nathan ready to go!

Katie and Mamaw

Nathan and Papaw

Our Family

Katie and Nathan have the best Grandparents and Great Grandparents!

It was such a beautiful day at the park, and we got there before it opened so it wasn't crowded. I had to nurse Nathan before we ate, and I sat out on the picnic tables near the lake. I forgot how peaceful the park was in the mornings before opening. Mom, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, Paul, and Katie went on in to eat and meet the characters.

Mom and Rosita

Elmo "visiting" with Katie

Elmo and the Medina Family

Me, Nathan and Cookie Monster

Me, Nathan and Rosita

Big Bird and the Medina Family

Katie wasn't too sure what to think of the characters at first. She is such a fan of Sesame Street at home. She knows all the characters names, even Tele, whom Paul had to identify for me. She squeals with delight when they come on TV, and she points out any article that has their pictures on it while we are out shopping. She even tries to "sing along" with the Elmo's World song. However, she wasn't so sure that she wanted to be close to them in person.

Grover, Nathan and Papaw

Paul, Katie and Rosita

Rosita, Nathan and Papaw

Elmo's Christmas Wish at Bay of Play

Paul and Doodle Bug

Katie and Me

Nathan, one month old!

When the characters came over to our table, she got scared and tensed up. She would hide her face in her hands or cry when we stood next to them. I was hoping since we were there a little longer than when we took pictures with them in the park last month, she would warm up, but it didn't happen. Oh well! We had such a great time, and she really did have a blast! I hope that we will be able to do the brunch again next year. Maybe then we can get some good pictures of her snuggling up with Elmo and Grover. Or as she says "Momo and SUP-P-P--ER!"

Happy Second Birthday, Kaitlyn!

For Katie Bug's 2nd Birthday, we wanted to make sure that her day was one to remember! Mom had booked the Brunch with Sesame Street at Sea World to surprise Katie with, but at the last minute they had to reschedule our brunch to the 30th. We quickly came up with another plan and filled Katie's day with all the things she loved!
Mom, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa went with Katie, Nathan and me to The Magnolia Pancake House for some delicious pancakes! Katie is a huge fan of "cake cakes" and happily munched down her birthday pancake and fruit.

After lunch, we took Katie to the New Braunfels Children's Museum. We had never been there before, but she LOVED it! The last time we went to the San Antonio Children's Museum, she had a great time, but she is able to do so much more on her own now. The NB Museum has a wonderful set-up and a lot of activities for the little ones to do!

Grocery Shopping! She got all the chicken, bread, milk and veggies!

Flying the Space Ship

"I see Gam Gam!"

Katie, the artist

Building with Mommy

Learning about money!

Katie, Nathan and Me

Katie with Grandma and Grandpa

When we came home, Uncle Jon and Grandpa Paul came over to help us celebrate.  Grandpa, Paul and Papa put together Katie's birthday surprises....

Table and Chairs from Mommy and Daddy

Pink Mustang from Grandma and Grandpa!!!!

I told Mom this is the first and last time Katie will get a new car with a bow on it for her birthday! LOL! Katie had so much fun on her birthday, and we are so grateful that our family was able to get togther and celebrate her special day!

Kaitlyn: Two Years Old

Our Sweet Baby Girl,

Today, you are two years old. I look at you and I am just amazed at how precious you are. You are so energetic and full of life. I love your smile and the sparkle that fills your eyes. I don't know if you will ever understand fully how much we love you so.

August 10, 2011 (19 months old)

October 1, 2011

At Sea World on November 20, 2011

You have grown so much in the past year; it is hard to remember most days that you are still a one year old. You are talking so much more; I can't even keep track of all the words you say now, but it is well over fifty. Sometimes you can't quite get out what you want to tell us, but you are learning other ways to get around that. This past month, your grab our hands and tell us "show" as you want to show us what you want. You also point to objects and say "this" if you don't know the word. You are getting a lot better at putting two words together. You say things like "bottle, more," "up please," "love you" and "thank you, mom." Just this morning you told Grandma, "Come on, let's go!" I love that you are using "please" and "thank you" when you want things, although if you don't have your mind set to say or do something, it is certainly not going to happen.

Going to the Pumpkin Patch

October 23, 2011

Rainbow Fall Festival, October 2011

Your memory is so good, too! You went to the doctor a few times in October: for your "18" month check-up, your flu shot, and a couple of times for a rash. When Grandma took you in for your rash, you remembered that we took you there for some shots several weeks before and when they asked you to get up on the table, you got really upset. You even pointed to the leg you got your flu shot in and told the nurse "owie." Several months ago, you got a cut on your little toe and you still like to show us your foot and tell us "owie" so that we can kiss it all better for you. If we don't comply, you have come to giving your foot kisses yourself. Hopefully one day soon that little toe will heal up, lol. You remember that Grandma had surgery on her stomach and look for her "owie" there, too. You are quite the caregiver; you like to play doctor and listen to everyone's heart with your play stethoscope. You even know where to put the bell on our chests!

September 2011

December 4, 2011

Playing "Elmo" with Uncle Jon

While you have bouts of being shy, you still love to be the center of attention with people that you are familiar with. You love spending time with other kids and repeatedly ask to play with Bella if we haven't been over to Noemi's house in awhile. This month especially, you have been home with me and while driving down the road, it is not uncommon to hear you rattling off "Nonee..Bella...Pallo...Bian," which is your request to go and play at Aunt Nomi's house. While out and about, you like to ask about Daddy, Mawmaw, Papaw and Uncle Jon. You can even go through my phone and figure out how to call daddy!

Going to see the Reindeer at the Hyatt, November 25th

Isabella's Birthday Party, December 10th

The past several months, we have been preparing you for the biggest change to our family this year. Your little brother was born last month, and at you are such an amazing big sister. While I was still pregnant, you loved to give my tummy hugs and kisses. You would rub my belly and tell me "baby" all the time. Now that Nathan is here, you love to hold him, give him kisses and hug him as much as you can. You lean over his face and give him Eskimo kisses frequently and whenever we pick Nathan up, you run to a chair and tell us "chair!" while reaching your arms out to hold Nathan. You are usually pretty gentle, but sometimes you get a bit excited because you are so full of love! You can clearly say "brudder" (brother) and "bubba" when referring to Nathan, but I love to hear you say his name. For the longest time you would call him "Ka Kin," but recently it sounds more like "Ay Tan." I can't wait to see you and your brother grow up together. I hope that you both will develop a lasting friendship and closeness throughout the years.

Christmas Eve

December 23, 2011

You have become quite the little helper for mommy and daddy. You still like to help mommy with carrying and sorting the laundry, but now you like to get out the soap and rags and help me clean. You recognize when something has been spilled and you will tell me "mess" and then start asking for a "towel" so that you can clean it up. You even like to help clean Nathan's face when he spits up! You have discovered step stools recently, as well. Whenever I am ready to wash the dishes or prepare something in the kitchen, you make sure to grab my Ice Chest and drag it over while yelling at me "helper!" to alert me you are coming to help. While this usually increases my work time significantly, it is so sweet to see you trying to participate and wanting to do things that mommy and daddy do.

December 17th at Sesame Street Live

 In typical two year old fashion, your favorite words have become "no" and "mine." We have been working with you about "sharing" with others since you spend a lot of time with Bella and Lily at Aunt Nomi's. You are getting better about sharing, but you still like to grab things out of other people's hands and yell at them to "SHARE!" We still have some work to do. lol. :o)

First Spur's Game, December 21st

I could go on forever about all of the adorable things that you do:

-I love to see you skip down the hallways when you are excited
-You shriek with excitement when Uncle Jon comes over to play
-You love to wrestle with daddy
-Whenever he asks to come in your playhouse, you always shut the door and tell him "NO!"
-You will drag whoever you can to the door and request to go "ouside" as much as possible
-You love to wear shoes and can sometimes put them on the correct feet yourself
-You like to help flush the toilet whenever someone is going to the bathroom
-You twirl around when you want to show us your pretty outfits
-You love purses and chap stick ("chap!")
-Elmo is your favorite character
-You give the best hugs and now you say "squeeze, squeeze, squeeze" as you hug our necks
-You cross your ankles when you sit in your carseat
-We have discovered this month that you are really good at unwrapping presents
-You LOVE to play in the water, even if it is way too cold outside
-The puppies are so much fun to you, except when Buddy sits in your Elmo chair
-You love to pick out your clothes and pajamas and frequently request for "bows" in your hair

Some other things to note:
-You have gotten all of your teeth in...goodness teething is awful
-You love to drink water and try to get water out of the fridge all day
-You are a good eater, usually, and will eat fruits, veggies, bread, and eggs pretty easily
-You are wearing Medium Diapers now, or size 4 disposables
-You are wearing a size 7 shoe
-You are in 2T clothing
-You usually sleep from 8:30-9:30pm to 7:30-8:30am
-You can name your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, chin, hair, head, hands, feet, tummy and knees
-You can go up and down stairs
-You sing parts of "You are my sunshine (happy, grey, love you, sunshine)" and "Elmo's World"
-You can follow two part commands (to go and get something and bring it to me)
-You can tell us what sounds a cow, dog, sheep, and duck make
-You can feed yourself well with your fork and spoon and drink out of cups with lids well
-Stack at least four objects together (maybe more, but I can't remember)
-You love the letter "B"....this week you were pointing at an "8" and telling me "B"
-You are learning your colors and are really good at recognizing pink and blue
-You brush your teeth very well with a little bit of help
-You also like to wash your hands and dry them with help
-You can take all of your clothes off (and your diapers too!)
-You went on your first car ride to Oklahoma and did great! (Sept 30-Oct 3)
-You went to your first Spur's game with Grandma (December 21st)
-We went to see Sesame Street Live and "MOMO!" on December 17th

I just can't believe how quickly you have grown. It seems like only a few months ago I was walking you around the dining room, singing to you to get you to sleep.  I would say that I want to slow down time to enjoy you more, but I have found that I enjoy each new stage you go through, and I love seeing the new things that you can do and learn. Our hearts are so full of love for you, and you are the sunshine in our lives. I hope this next year brings lots of happy memories and fun learning experiences for you. I know I can't wait to see what is in store. Always remember that we love you and are so, so proud of our baby girl!

Happy Second Birthday, Doodle Doo!

Love,
Mommy

Nathan: One Month

Our little snuggle bug,

WOW! I can't believe that you are already a month old, Nathan! This milestone snuck up on me so quickly. I don't know if it was the holidays, having a newborn at home again, or if this is a preview of life to come with two little ones, but there is never a dull moment at our house.  We seem to be finding our groove a little bit better with you than we did when we brought your sister home. (I guess the saying that your first is your "guinea pig" is true! lol!) Neither of us seems as nervous taking care of you, and you have been on the go with us all the time. You have been to Grandma's house, Isabella's birthday party, two Christmas Eve get togethers (Tiffanie's and Aunt Melissa's Houses), Mommy's Christmas Party at work, Grandma's office, the hair salon, Sesame Street Live, Chick-fil-A, several shopping adventures, a few restaurants, and the doctor's office for check-ups.

Katie and Nathan, November 30th

First Outing to see Dr. H, December 2nd

At Sesame Street Live, December 17th

You have been such a good baby; we are truly blessed. The first two weeks we were home, I was so surprised that you were settling into a little routine of your own, already! You have been eating every two-three hours during the day, and every four hours at night from the first week (about 8-10 times a day). I worried originally that you would get your days and nights confused, but you have been really good at staying alert during "day" hours and going right back to sleep after you eat at night. On the 23rd, you slept from 10:30pm to 4:00am and have been trying to keep the same pattern for the last week. What a wonderful Christmas gift that has been to mommy!

Snuggling with Grandma, December 11th

First Bath, December 11th

I am also very grateful that you have been doing so well nursing. This was something I struggled with greatly with Katie, so I tried not to have such high expectations for our nursing relationship. I really hoped you would nurse well in the hospital that way you didn't have to battle jaundice, but I was fully prepared to pump breast milk from day one if you wouldn't nurse. I need not be concerned, though! You have been latching well and nursing like a champ from the very start. I have gotten a lot more comfortable nursing you while we are out and about, although you really don't like to hide under the blanket. You love to look around and see what is going on.

Both our babies love bath time, December 15th

You are so alert! You have been eating around 8 or 9am and staying awake for quite awhile after that. You usually have a good nap through lunch time and then you stay awake for some time during the afternoon and in the evening. The times always vary, but you are a very alert baby. You seem to do pretty well with tummy time, too. You like to look around, make cute "aahh" sounds (first time on the 22nd), and try to flip over onto your back. You have actually done this three times already. The first time you flipped over, I thought it was a fluke. Then a couple of days later, on the 17th, you flipped over during tummy time in the living room. Last week you flipped over while doing tummy time in the bedroom! You are so strong and are able to lift yourself up really well for a one month old. Your legs are really strong, too. If fact, when you were born you had such a strong kick and muscle definition in your thighs!

December 13, 2011

You have grown so much this past month. At your two week check-up, you were up almost a pound from your birth weight! If I had to guess, I think you weigh around nine pounds now. I put most of your newborn clothes away when you were two weeks old because you were already 8 lbs, and they seemed to be fitting more snug. In a short two weeks, you have been filling out your 0-3 month clothes nicely. Your little legs are starting to get chunky, even. I am already starting to gather your 3-6 month clothes as I am sure you will be wearing those before I have to return to work. You are wearing size one diapers, as well.

December 22, 2011

A short list of your developments this month:
-Lifting your head when lying on your tummy
-Responds to sounds (I especially love how you seem to calm down at the sound of my voice)
-Stares at faces
-Follows objects briefly with eyes (you were tracking daddy's face when you were only a couple of weeks old)
-Vocalizes: oohs and ahhs
-Holds head at 45-degree angle
-Smiles, although you aren't smiling back at us when we smile at you, you have lots of random smiles though out the day
-You have been moving your arms around a whole lot more this past week, but I am not sure that you officially "recognize" them just yet.

Katie and Nathan, December 15th

Having you here with us, Nathan, is such a wonderful feeling. I love that your arrival has made our family complete. We are all so in love with you and can't get enough of your snuggles and hugs. Always know how much your family loves you and how special you are to us! We love you so much, sweet baby boy.

Love,
Mommy