Kate Daniels 1 YEAR OLD! (and 1 week)

Well my sweet baby is officially 1 year and 1 week old!  And a lot happens in 1 week for a baby.  She has really taken off with walking in just the last 24 hours.  What was 4-5 steps max has turned into an entire room.  She also feels so much better so I know that has to help.  I'm still in disbelief that a year has come and gone, but it has been such a fun year and I've been able to fall in love all over again with such a sweet baby.  Having 2 girls is such a joy!  Here is a little bit about Kate at 1 year:

• Weighs 20 lbs 4 oz (we go for an official 1 year check-up on the 21st so other measurements will come soon)
• Has 2 bottom teeth and 1 top tooth.  Funny, its not the front top tooth, its the one just to the side of the left front tooth.  I'm expecting her to cut a bunch all at once!
• IS WALKING!!!  She is a little wobbly but believe me she gets around and now things are in reach!  Baby proofing even more has begun.
• Is eating more and more table food and she LOVES to eat!  Even if she has already eaten, if you are eating she is right there under you wanting a bite.  She really loves ice cream and popsicles!
• Has started having whole milk and so far she likes it!  No surprise there.
• Is sleeping through the nights the majority of the time.  She has about 2 naps a day and most of those are in her swing.  She looks out the window and listens to the radio.
• Says Ma-Ma and has been but I still love it.  She has also started saying Da-Da too.  Everything else is more like Na Na Na Na.  She loves to babble :)
• Is such a happy baby.  She loves to see me and her big sister in the morning :)
• Waves bye-bye.
• LOVES water!   We just got back from a quick beach trip and she even loved the ocean.  She also has had so much fun here in our little sprinklers and water toys.  

First whole milk bottle

She loves playing with the blinds

Water fun

Yummy Watermelon!

First popsicle!  I think she loved it!

My world!!!

Kate's Watermelon Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Kate's 1st birthday!  Her actual birthday is Monday so we had planned to celebrate all weekend leading up.  Friday morning, Kate woke up about 5 am running a fever so right away plans were changed.  We spent the morning at the Dr's office and he told me she had a sinus infection.  That sinus infection made her feel so bad.  Poor baby laid around on me all day and slept.  It was so pitiful.  Our family party had to be rescheduled for next weekend but we kept today's party on.  Dr. Setia felt we would see the antibiotics kick in after 24 hours.  This morning was looking like she would not be in a party mood but around 10:00 am when the party started she woke up from her nap with a little more life about her and the party turned out much better than we thought it might.  Kate even showed interest in her birthday cake which was what we wanted.   We also got to have the party out on our new porch so that was exciting too!    I'm still in disbelief that Kate is about to be 1 but we had a fun time celebrating today. And I have to thank everyone who made things for this party! The cake pops had to be the cutest things ever, (Thank you Angie!), and Sugie even made a fruit basket complete with fruit flowers, along with Kate's cake that she had fun digging in.  I have to mention too that Kate's chair cover was actually from mine & Kelly's rehearsal dinner.  Lydia had made those and it fit just perfect!  A little wash and we'll be ready for the next party :)  Happy "early" Birthday to our precious baby girl!

My Pinterest wreath :)

Cake Pops!

Kate's watermelon Ice Cream cake-loved it!

Aren't these the cutest cake pops!  The inside was strawberry cake with chocolate chips as "seeds"!

Sleeping before the party

Cohen loved playing with Ramsey!

Birthday girl showing some life

Getting a handful...

Sweet Nolan

My 2 babies!

Notice Cohen's green mouth from her cake pop

She liked her new hat!

Happy Birthday Kate Daniels!

Taking Steps

My sweet baby is now taking steps!  She will go about 4-5 at the most.  I just know she is going to be up walking very soon.  I love to encourage her but it also makes me so sad!  It was a Thursday one year ago that I spent my last day with Cohen and last night at home before Kate arrived!  It seems like just yesterday.  And now here we are and Kate is coming up on her first birthday!!  She is good standing alone, she moves holding on to things very fast, and she can now pick herself up to a standing position without holding onto anything.  I can see that sometimes she feels brave and will just start walking and other times, especially when she's sleepy, she has no interest in trying.  She will sit down and crawl to me usually whining wanting me to pick her up.  When she does stand alone you can tell she knows she's doing something big because she stands up and then smiles so big.   Of course we are there cheering her along the entire time and when we clap that puts the icing on the cake.  I've tried my best to get some pictures of her but its very hard because most of the time I'm the one she's walking to.  I tried to snap a few with my mom here the other day.  I definitely want to get this big moment on camera if possible!  Tomorrow we start the celebration weekend...I've been in denial that it is here already but I'm super excited for Kate's 1st birthday!!

Swimming Lessons

This week Cohen is taking swimming lessons.  Cohen loves to swim, but she loves to swim with a floatie and is very hesitant about doing any new things.   She talks about drowning, which she doesn't really understand but will still ask if she is going to drown in a bathtub with 1 inch water.   She has taken lessons the last 2 summers and each time they always begin with tears.  I was very excited that this year we had no crying!  She had a great time the first day and was very eager to get there on Tuesday.  She even volunteered to go out after Brooke.  Since she, her friend Brooke, and Savannah are the only 3 at this particular time, I thought that would help and I believe it really has.  On that second day though Lindsey started letting her go to swim on her on to the wall and I noticed that she was starting to be hesitant.  Sure enough, yesterday she cried all afternoon asking if she had to go back.  I was getting pretty fed up hearing about it.  She went back today though and she didn't cry but you can tell the hesitation is there.   Tomorrow is our last day so I'm hoping she does ok.  She still will not have anything to do with jumping off the diving board or going down the slide.  Fear is so big in this child!  She loves a floatie.  Hopefully she is learning though and it will all click.  As much as we love to swim I have faith that this summer she will definitely love the water and since she has a floatie most of time she is fine.  Cohen is my "little oven" with almost anything.  She has to preheat to situations :)

Day 2...all ready.  Goggles make it all good!

Kicking with her face in

waiting for her turn...Day 3.  Not so excited even with goggles on.

Made it to the side!

Addison was all smiles for Aunt Ashleigh :)

Brock's Diaper Change Experience

I'm behind on blogging because we have been so busy!  This happens to be one story I want to remember.  This happened on Memorial Day (fitting).  We have built onto our deck and screened in a porch and have been working on getting everything painted which has definitely been a job!  Monday we were so blessed with our wonderful family helping us.  Outside painting it was me, Kelly, Larry, Lydia, my mama, and Suzy.   Inside, Cohen and Brock were playing and I had just put Kate in her swing so she would take a nap.  I'm not sure how long she slept, but I know it wasn't long.  Brock came out on the porch to tell me Kate had a dirty diaper.   We all joked to him that he needed to change it and now would be a great time to learn how.  We did laugh and Lydia even shouted she was kidding with him as he was going back into the house.  I was finishing my paint spot then going to change her.  A few minutes later before I could get inside, Brock comes back out with a frustrated look and says, "Ashleigh I can't get this diaper back on."  It took a minute for me to realize that he had attempted the "change".   I asked him what he did, and he said "I changed her diaper, I thought you guys were serious when you told me to, and now I can't get it back on."  Then I asked where she was and he said on the "pink thing" which is her changing pad.  I took off running because I was afraid she would fall off!  When I got to her room there she sat on her changing table and was clean!  She did start to pee right when I walked in which made a mess but Brock had changed her dirty diaper, threw it away and wiped her clean all by himself...he is 9 and is a boy!  This is something most guys have no desire to do much less a young one!  All he was having trouble with was the new diaper.  It really amazed me because not only did he change her, but he had to get her out of her swing, back to her room, and up on the changing table.  I wish so bad I could have been a fly on the wall...and you know I wish I had a picture or video to share, but this is all I got and its after the fun was over :)  I love it!