Just some photos from this week.

Times have changed.

I, like many of my friends, could not have imagined myself spending a Saturday night at home, much less being a mother. Although I wanted children, a few years ago it was just an abstract thought...something I knew would happen one day...way in the future. But, here I am a wife, the proud mother of a beautiful, thriving 14 month old, and two crazy dogs, and I couldn't be happier. Staying home on a Saturday night is just fine for me, in fact it is perfect.

Last night, as we were watching videos we had taken over the weekend and laughing hysterically I realized that things are just perfect the way they are and what a great little family I have...crazy dogs and all. Just a little insight into what makes me happy these days....

This is the hot dog song/dance from Micky Mouse Club (for my non mommy friends)...please excuse my terrible voice.

Showing off walking skills.

Kaitlin walking May 14, 2011, originally uploaded by mcgills09.

Via Flickr:
Kaitlin is starting to walk more than she crawls. She gets so excited and is so proud of herself!

14 months.

This has been quite a busy month for our little bug. Along with numerous trips to the park, we have also visited the Georgia Aquarium, the Botanical Garden, become a regular at LA Fitness Kids Klub, and started classes at Gymboree. She is a social butterfly to say the least. She started walking a month ago and, like me, is always in a hurry. This means there are a lot of falls. A few bumps and bruises and she is not phased a bit. Each day I feel like she is doing something new. Some of our favorite things right now:

* Opening and closing doors and cabinets.
* Taking everything out of a bag,purse, box, etc. We are working on putting it back in.
* Eating with a spoon. I won't give her free reign just yet...
* Trying out different snack foods. She would literally eat cheerios all day long...
* Taking off bibs by herself (and her pants and diaper a couple of times).
* Playing independently, but is at her happiest when mommy or daddy is playing with her.
* Loving her babies--her bedtime lovey, Ellie the elephant, her lady bug stuffed animals, and her bitty baby.
* Listening to music, dancing, and singing baby babble.
* Playing peek-a-boo and cracking up.
* Play hide and seek (I hide, she comes and finds me).
* Giving mommy looks like "you are an idiot"---she is so my child and I know I am going to get serious pay backs.
* Mama is now "mammy" and still her favorite word. Its funny because when she wakes up in the morning she says "mammy" and then she says "dog" because I always take her to see the dogs when she gets up.
* Repeating words a lot... hint hint daddy ;).
* She most likely thinks Mac's name is "bad dog" and I know she says it sometimes.
* Mommy is losing the hair bow battle, as its just not worth the struggle and she takes them out anyway.
* Fighting allergies (I hate that she got this from me, especially since we live in the south).
* Squealing...remember when I said it was so cute when she was 4 months old...not so much now in the middle of the grocery store. We are working on not squealing anymore.
* Giving hugs and being just as sweet as ever.

And just for fun, here is a pic of when she was 2 weeks old and one I took yesterday. What a difference 13.5 months can make!

Mother's Day Weekend.

Anyone that is blessed to be a mother knows that mother's day is everyday. However, with all of the rewards there are certainly challenges, so it is nice to have a day of appreciation. :) I was very spoiled this mother's day weekend. Have I mentioned how much I love the weather down here? Aside from having to lather sunscreen on Kaitlin everytime we go outdoors, it is wonderful.

Saturday afternoon stroll along the Chattahoochi River.

The hubby planned a picnic at the park and it was the perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon.

In honor of Mother's Day weekend...

{At our beautiful wedding that my parents so generously gave us.}

My mom is truly my best friend and although I hate to admit she is ALWAYS right (really wish I'd listened to the tanning bed/sun burn advice in high school/college). But even when I make bad decisions she is always there for me. She is so strong and always sacrifices for those she loves, especially her children. We are very lucky to have her as our mom!

Atlanta Botanical Garden.

This may be my new favorite place in Atlanta (although the Georgia Aquarium is AMAZING). But, I could honestly spend hours at the Botanical Garden. It is gorgeous and you would never think that something so beautiful would be right in the middle of the city. It is located next to Piedmont Park (also another favorite) in Midtown. Here is the link to my photos from the day...all taken with my manual settings! BJ and Kaitlin were good sports, as it was hot outside. Some of the pics at the end were taken @ Piedmont Park on the way to the car.

Botanical Garden