Multi purpose gifts are the best!

I'm really glad I did a little research and found the perfect bean bag for Cate for Christmas...

because it had turned out to be a multi-family gift...

who would have thought?

Fun at the Park

After our attempted photo shoot, we had some fun at the park...

 this girl has no fear of the slides...

 going up!

 weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 now mama, THIS is FUN!

 I'll give you LOTS of smiles now...

 listening for airplanes and birds...

 Oh and I'll even blow y'all double kisses...

 and down the slide one last time...

now THAT was fun!

Photoshoot fun...ha!

Taking pictures now days is near impossible, but I wanted to try anyways and snap some pics of Cate at 18 months. We went over to our neighborhood park, and here were the best we got/my faves/ones that turned out...

 mama wants me to pose, so I will just sit here...

 sounds like the kids are having WAY more fun at the slides...

 GIVE ME THAT CAMERA MAMA!

 How bout I just sit on your shoes mama, and play in the dirt...

 Ok mama, I am looking at you now...

Once we went over to the playscapes...she was totally having a great time, and all smiles...

Go figure.

18 months...what?!?

Cate Elisabeth, I cannot believe you are 18 months old. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating your first birthday, and that was six months ago, half a year ago, and in another six months, you will be two! What?!?!  Really, it seems like just yesterday I had you and we were in the hospital. How time does fly when you're having fun!
At 18 months you:
~are 27lbs 3oz - 80%, and 33 inches 85%. (we've moved out of the 90%!!) You had a great pedi visit last week. Dr. T. said, once again, you are a "great grower," and VERY healthy! 
~are doing SO much now, it's getting hard to actually sit and think of everything you are doing, so hopefully I hit all the highlights.
~are a typical busy toddler, that likes to do your own thing, on your own schedule=) 
~say "dada" "mama" "please" "yes" "bye bye" "ba (Bernie)" "no no no"
~ say the following animal noises: goat, horse, cow, monkey, snake, bird, lion/bear/tiger (just open mouth=)
~are very close to saying MANY other things!
~love your books, when you look at the baby books with pictures of food in them you out your face to the book and smack your lips like you are eating it.
~follow pretty much any and all commands. You know what SO many things are and can understand pretty much everything.
~like to feed Bernie and watch him eat
~started being very affectionate, giving hugs, love, kisses, hugs with pats, etc. You love on your babies, and you are finally getting ok with mama lovin' on other babies.
~love being outside.
~still sign for "more" and "eat" when you want to
~have gotten a lot more teeth! All four canines are coming in right now, and you also got one more on the bottom.
~are a fantastic (healthy) eater STILL! The things you don't like are supposedly kids' staples like mac and cheese, chicken nugget, pizza, hot dogs, etc., and let's hope it stays that way!
~are moving from 18 month clothes to 24m, size 4 diapers, size 5 shoes
~sleep from 7:30pm-7am, are down to one nap anywhere from 2-3 hours, have been doing that for about a month now.
~are becoming such a big girl. It's exciting, but sad at the same time. I still cuddle you as much as I can, whenever I can and love on you SO much, call you my baby, because you always will be=).  Your daddy and I just love every second, every day, every minute we have with you, every tantrum, every cry, every whine, every smile, every giggle, every hug, every kiss just brings us smiles. Every day brings us so much fun, laughter, and yes, frustration, but this whole season of life with you has been so much more than your daddy and I have ever imagined! 

Prepping for 2024

We may have a future gymnast on our hands. I enrolled Cate in a toddler gym class at the YMCA, and she LOVES it! (but what toddler wouldn't?) Since Matt was off yesterday, he was able to tag along, and needless to say it was definitely a fun outing...and a workout!

 I catch it mama!!

 thru the tunnel

 bouncing the balls...

 walking the beam...

and rings (I really don't even know what these/this event is called...she likes it though...)

ta daaaa!!!

 and after nap time, we headed to the mall to look for some shoes for dada.. no such luck, but someone had some fun while we were there...

riding the carousel is SERIOUS business...

I cannot believe this girl is 18 months old!!! (tear) No longer a baby, but a babbling, toddling, curious, fun and loving toddler!

We FINALLY made it to the REDWOODS!

"Wow"...that's what Matt and I say when we look back at the pictures from Tahoe, and the road trip to Yosemite. We had no idea the beauty we would find. Just gorgeous! The whole day was totally worth it, even driving an hour through to the south side of the park to Mariposa Grove...

we made it!!!

we did a little hiking...

a fallen tree's roots...

SO serene and beautiful...

I must admit...as much as I wanted to see a bear on this trip...my blood pressure was a little high as we hiked through the grove...thinking one would come out to meet us at any moment...

but no bear...

I put it into perspective...

A comparison for the giant tree...

checking out the giant...

the tunnel tree...

unfortunately this was as far as we could hike, because we were running out of daylight. we didn't make it the extra mile to the museum and fallen tunnel tree=( Oh well, these were definitely sights to see!!

had to stop and hug some trees...

and so we headed back to Lake Tahoe....it was a FULL day, but SO fun and very adventurous for Matt and I.  We saw some breathtaking sights.  Best. Road trip. EVER!!!