One and a half.

Okay I know it has been awhile and I honestly considered quitting the blog altogether...but then I read back through the last year and a half and it was so nice to read about Kaitlin and our family at different stages of her life. Especially because time really does go by too fast and its so easy to forget the little moments. So I've decided to start back up...

Our little Katie Bug is a year and a half old! I can't believe it. The second year is going by even faster than the first year! We are having a ball with our little toddler. She is so much fun. Although we spend a lot of time chasing after her, she makes us laugh constantly and is full of personality. She loves to run around and be outdoors. She goes to the door and begs to go outside. She loves her dogs and thinks every other dog (or even deer) is named "Mac." She loves to brush her teeth. She tries to copy everything I do. Singing and dancing is a favorite and she loves to listen to music. The hokey pokey is the current favorite dance right now. Sadly, she loves when BJ and I sing to her- poor thing. The child has always loved to eat, but she loves it even more now. She would eat all day if we would let her...but of course she refuses to eat vegetables or any type of meat. I do miss the days when she would eat her peas and carrots. She still goes to bed easily most nights and naps well. She loves to play dress up and do anything to be the center of attention. She still loves her "baby" and CANNOT go to bed without it. Kaitlin is very observant and takes everything in. She understands when we ask her to do something and 9 times out of 10, she cooperates. She does test us at times. We do have an occasional temper tantrum, but they are short lived. I'm hoping this is the worst of the "terrible twos" but we still have a ways to go. She is learning sign language at her school and we practice at home. She signs "more" when she wants something (usually food) and she also knows the signs for "help" and "water." She is a little Mountaineer fan already and can do the "First Down" cheer (well as best as an 18 month old can). She will also say "GOOOOOOO" when a game is on. She likes to pick things up and pass them out. She also loves to put things together, and close doors. She closes the doors every time she enters or leaves a room, and she especially loves to shut the dogs out of a room. This sweet girl sure does know how to make us feel good when she lays her head on our chest or begs to be picked up. We are excited to see what the next 6 months bring and before you know it we will be celebrating her 2nd birthday! I'll give some updates on what our family has been up to in a later post- of course things are always changing with us!

Its finally cool enough to take walks and Kaitlin loves to drive her car.

She is looking so grown up.

In her new hiking gear...she loves to be up high.

Having so much fun.

Hilton Head Island.

Hilton Head is my favorite beach. My family has been vacationing there since I was a young child and owns two timeshare condos. Last summer we were able to spend a week there with BJ's family for Kaitlin's first trip to the beach. Although it has definitely grown over the years, it remains beautiful with its scenic beaches, golf courses, Harbor Town, inter-coastal waterways, spanish moss trees, fabulous restaurants, and great shopping. HHI is a very special place for us.

Kaitlin absolutely loves the beach and pool. She is just like her mom and dad. She would spend all day in the pool or running around the beach if she could. She is also such a friendly little social butterfly. She would walk up to strangers at the beach and say "hi," try to play with their toys, and chase every dog she saw. She is not scared of anything and is very independent. Although, she absolutely LOVES to be the center of attention. Her personality really lights up! She is such a ham and really is quite amazing.

This year we vacationed with my parents, my brother, and Jessi. Patrick was unable to come because of his job and we missed him. We had a wonderful time and were very sad to leave! Unfortunately we had to leave HHI early and did not get to spend the entire week...the real world called and we had to answer. But, since it is not a far drive from ATL, hopefully we will make it back this summer. I am still working on all the pictures (of course I took hundreds) but here are a few favorites so far ( had a hard time narrowing them down).

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.