Silly Sunday

You were being a sweet girl this morning, and you looked SO PRETTY in the new dress that Mimi bought you.

After church, we came home and you got to play with PlayDoh for the first time. I was worried that you would try to eat it, but you did really well with it and had a blast.

Then tonight after dinner we were all in a silly mood and decided to blast some music and dance around. You had SO MUCH FUN! Uncle Nate is a great dance partner.

Uncle Nate: "What?! Hey, you were MY dance partner! How dare you betray me and dance w/ Nick."

"Can't we just all get a long and dance together? I have two hands, guys! You can each hold one hand...no need to fight over me."

Miss Independent

Tonight at dinner you wanted to sit in my chair and you wanted to feed yourself. You used big girl silverware and did a good job w/out too much of a mess for me to clean up.

I am just amazed at all the things you are learning and doing. You are just growing up too fast! Before I know it, you'll be leaving for your first day of kindergarten! I am so proud of you and hope you know I love you so incredibly much.

First Circus

Today after the party at Uncle Tyler's we headed to the American Airlines Center to go to the circus. Britt Berrett gave us free tickets, and I was worried that you would lose interest quickly and be squirmy and want to get down and run around, but you did a great job and were so entertained, especially by the elephants.

During intermission, we went and walked around so you could get some wiggles out. You were so adorable and kept climbing up and down these stairs. We were in a part where there weren't any people, just some of the workers at the AAC and they commented on how cute you were.

You would run behind these chairs and want me to chase you. Then you noticed that there were people below you and you kept sticking your hand through the rails to wave to them even though they didn't see you.

After that, we came home and crashed from having so much fun and excitement. You were vegged out on the floor with your dolls and bah bah just watching TV.

You must have found another bah bah somewhere, b/c I looked over and saw this and about died laughing. You are so funny with your bottles. I don't think the combination of water and milk would be too tasty, though!

First toothbrush

Grandma got you your very own toothbrush, and you LOVED it! You wouldn't let me take it away to wash it off when we were done. And your crazy hair just cracks me up. The song I'm singing is a song that Grandpa used to sing to me and Aunt Lexie & Uncle Nick and Nate when we were little and it was time to brush teeth. There's two other verses that go:

Together and tight, together and tight, there's a mouth that is together and tight.
Ba ba ba ba ba ba (that's the part where we got to spit and then sing that line)
Together and tight, together and tight, there's a mouth that is together and tight.

Wipe your mug, wipe your mug, and let's go in and say our prayers
Ba ba ba ba ba ba
Wipe your mug, wipe your mug, and let's go in and say our prayers.

I'm glad you're old enough to have a toothbrush now and that I can sing you that song. It's fun to brush your tiny little teeth.

3 Girls' Birthday Party

To celebrate yours, Brooke's, and Heather's birthdays, we had a party over at Tyler & Emily's. Emily made Brooke's favorite meal...chicken alfredo. It was AMAZING. The food wasn't quite ready when we got there so we all just sat around and talked and watched all the little kids play until it was time to eat.

Here's the 3 birthday girls. If you look in the background, you can see the two little cakes that Emily made for you and Brooke to destroy later. They were decorated so adorable, and that was such a good idea to make smaller cakes for you two to destroy. Thanks, Emily!

It was so cute to see you and Brooke and Andrew play so nice together. All 3 of you sat and played with this farm & barn animals for a good 10 minutes, which is a long time in baby time.

Then after we ate, it was time to open up presents. You loved the wrapping paper. And what are you doing with your hands? Too funny.

I guess you decided you'd had enough of looking at the paper and holding it, so it was time to chew on it.

You got this cute little pink puppy. Aunt Sandy was saying it looked like a pink peptobismal explosion in the corner b/c of all the pink.

I love your little face here. You got this pink My Little Pony, which you loved. That was a fun present, b/c I remember playing with those when I was a little girl.

Then it was time for the cake demolition. Again, I love your face here. You're such a smiley and happy baby.

"Mom, you mean I can can stick my hands in this without getting in trouble? Really?"

Since you and Brooke got to have fun with your cake, Heather wanted to have fun with hers, too. The adults had her cake for dessert, and it was an almond butter cream cake...SO SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

This is Baby Brooke after destroying her cake. You really didn't get that messy. Out of the two of you, I for sure thought you would be the one to go crazy and make a mess. But you were acting all dainty and didn't get too messy with your cake. B/c of the frosting, it looked like Brooke had guacamole all over. It was a lot of fun to watch the two of you, and it made me laugh to look over at 8 adults just completely engrossed in what 2 little babies were doing.

After a few minutes you decided that you had had enough and wanted to get out of the chair and get cleaned up.

Once you were out of the chair, you were happy as a lark and were getting frosting all over me and my hair and my clothes b/c it was smeared all over your hands. And then Tyler was trying to put some on my face, too.

We went upstairs and gave you messy girls a bath. The bath water was so full of cake that when I poured it over your head to rinse out the soap, there were little bits of cake all over in your hair. I guess that's how we can measure what a success the party was...by the bits of cake in your hair.

Here's the two pretty girls all cleaned up and ready for bed. It really was a great party and one I hope you enjoyed, b/c you're never going to get to destroy a cake like that again.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY

BABY AUTUMN BOTTOM!!!

Your First Annual New Year's Pool Dip

Every year for the past 8 years, we've had a New Year's Pool Dip. This was your first, and from the look on your face and your crazy hairdo, you're ready.

We spent the morning cleaning off the patio and getting the food ready. Grandpa and Uncle Jon put together this little picnic table and a sand table (pictures later) that you and Andrew got for Christmas.

You donned your new ducky swim robe and were prepping yourself for the plunge.

You were being so cute and acting like a little swimsuit model.

After we ate, we went over to the sand table to play. I think you're still a little too young for it, b/c all you wanted to do was...

...eat the sand. YUCK!

"Hey...listen, Mama Paparazzi. Get that camera out of my face."

For the Pool Dip, all you had to do since you're a little baby was walk across the tanning bed. Luckily it was 75 degrees outside, but the water was a chilly 44 degrees. I thought you would freak out b/c it was cold on your feet and legs.

But you loved it and were so proud of yourself.

Here's everyone piled in the hot tub after we all got in the pool.

You LOVED being in the hot tub with all the bubbles and stayed in for a long time just playing with the adults and other kids.

Every year we also have white elephant gifts at the Pool Dip, and how fitting that this was the gift you chose! It's an Indian horse figurine. You were very happy with it and liked playing with it. Maybe you already know so much more about your Ponca heritage than I do.

I went to Sam Moon's after dropping Uncle Nick off at work and you and Baby Brooke got matching headbands.

Then Andrew was feeling left out, so he tried one on, too.

It was a great day filled with fun, good food, and lots of fun cousins to play with. I think we wore you out!

Baby's First Christmas

Today was your first Christmas, and it's fun that you're almost one year old so you were a little more fun than a one month old. Just so you know, which I'm sure you'll learn in future years, it's tradition that we line up at the top of the stairs youngest to oldest and then go down to see what Santa brought. This year we didn't line up on the stairs, but we did line up and I was so glad, b/c for once I got to go first b/c I was holding you and you are the youngest. Thanks!


We were in the living room, and this is what Santa brought you and Andrew to share. But us adults wanted to try it out first. After we see what Santa has brought, we go in the living room.


Then we sit around the Christmas tree and Grandpa hands out presents. You sat with Uncle Jon and helped him open some of his presents.


You were more excited about the wrapping paper and bows than you were about the presents. (I'm sure that will change in a few years).


You got a Princess Songs CD from Aunt Lexie and you LOVED this card from Great Grandma Ruth.


You also got a book of Disney stories, and what's so ironic is that I flipped open to a page and it just happened to be this page of Pocahontas.


You and Andrew both got this Winnie the Pooh bike from Santa. You were good about sharing.


Then we had sour cream cheese bread (on the left) and scrapple (on the right) for our traditional Christmas breakfast. You really liked the scrapple and ate half of one.

After that we spent most of the day playing Wii (the adults got that from Santa) and I just LOVE this picture of you in the toy that Santa brought you. You were cute and liked crawling through the tunnels (but only if I was at the end of it telling you to crawl to me).

From the looks of this picture, I'd say your first Christmas was a big success and that you had a good day. Of all the gifts I got this year, you are for sure the best one.

MERRY FIRST CHRISTMAS, AUTUMN!!!