Sweet Little Bumble Bees

When I was pregnant with Katie and preparing her clothes for the nursery, I thought girl clothes were adorable, but complicated.  Boys clothes are so easy - most pants match with most tops.  Girls, on the other hand, have lots of pieces, none of the pinks match, and there are a lot more buttons and snaps : )  BUT, I have grown to love dressing Katie-girl up.  When I discovered the Company, Sweet Little Bumble Bees, I wanted to buy all of the items.  Jessica, a dear friend of mine from college, has created such adorable head pieces and they are great quality!  I had to take some pictures of Katie as soon as they arrived in the mail.

Check out their site:

www.sweetlittlebumblebees.blogspot.com

February weekend get-away

February started off great, with a girls weekend "stay-cation".  I felt so special to be included in a 24 hour get-a-way to Willows Lodge in Woodinville.  I headed up with 3 other moms (and good friends) from Andy's co-op preschool.  We all have two kids, one girl and one boy.  Nothing like wine tasting, chocolate, cheese, good meals, lots of laughter and a massage to make a weekend away so great. Thanks girls!  Believe it or not, it was my first whole night away from Katie!  The kids enjoyed a night with dad : )

First stop - Ste. Michelle Winery and lunch

First purchase by Cynthia

Our favorite winery - Ross Andrew

Pre-dinner champagne by the fire at Willows

More time with daddy

Kyle has had a crazy schedule and so we try to carve out some family/daddy time every evening we can.  We have dinner as a family, then have a little play time, and then baths, stories, prayers, and bed-time for the kids.  I love how the kids squeal with excitement when Kyle walks in the door. 

January

January always seems to be a month of hibernation.  The Holidays have come and gone and there is some sense of needing to just have a simple schedule.  When I was in the auditing world, January was crazy at work - but outside of work - there wasn't much going on.  Given that it usually is grey and rainy/snowy in January - it also feels good to just cozy up inside.  We did just that.  Here are some pictures to document the past month.

Katie in her high chair - such a good little eater

She loves sticking out her tongue and sliding it over her new tooth

Happy guy

Reading books in bed

Katieisms

Katie is doing new things every day.  The best part is seeing the two kids interact with one another.  I love seeing and hearing them giggle and make faces at each other.

1)  Katie is babbling a lot more - she likes to say babababa and end it with a raspberry and a big smile.
2)  Sparkly eyes - Katie smiles with her eyes.  If her mouth is covered or she is drinking a bottle, I still can tell when she is smiling as her eyes light up.  It's one of my favorite things about her.
3)  Dermoid cyst- Surgery is scheduled for March 18th.  Ugh.  I am not looking forward to it, but I am ready for her bump to be gone.  Now that Katie is moving around (especially in her crib), she has a constant bruise on her bump because it sticks out. 
4)  Moving!  Yep, she's rolling more - mostly from her back to her tummy.  She also is getting good at getting her limbs stuck in the crib but is not able to get them back out.  I can tell from her frustrated chatter what is happening.  Thank goodness for sleep sacks to keep those legs wrapped up!
5)  Right thumb - Katie soothes herself with her right thumb.  It lets me know when she is ready for a nap and she falls asleep with it in her mouth every time.  Should I be saving up for braces now?
6)  Bananas - Just like her brother, bananas are Katie's favorite pureed food.  She eats a ton, but wants to feed herself, so it's a constant fight for the spoon.  She prefers bananas and sweet potatoes and definitely will let you know when she is not interested in something.  Especially green beans and carrots.
7)  Cereal - Katie likes to chew on Cheerios and mum mums, but she still has some work to do with swallowing chunky food.  Most of the time she has quite a gag reflex, but then grabs for another one.
8)  Exersaucer - She LOVES the one with springs.  She could jump all day long.  We just have to make sure Andy doesn't get carried away as he likes to make her bounce A LOT.
9)  Airplane.  Katie doesn't cuddle.  She sticks her arms straight out like she's about to take off.  She does this when you pick her up and when you carry her.
10)  Happy baby.  Katie is a very happy and easy going little girl.  And she sleeps - a lot.  That makes me happy : )

Andyisms

For some reason blogging has been really tough for me lately.  I am going to try and do a better job!  Here are some "observations" about the kids lately:

ANDY:

1)  New favorite word - MINE (especially when Katie is using or playing with one of his toys)
2)  As we were driving across 520 - I said, "look at Mt. Rainier."  Andy responded by saying, "Oh mom, look at Mt. Reindeer."  Made me chuckle. 
3)  Andy has become a better eater - hooray!  Thank goodness for the Annie's gummy bunnies, creative storage container that make eating fun, and the Jessica Seinfield's cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious."  I also have enjoyed "The Hungry Monkey."
4)  Cars, trains, planes, books and balls.  Andy rotates among these things.  He especially is obsessed with cars, reading about cars, and watching cars on TV.
5)  Eczema:  Andy has it and we are trying to figure out what is causing it.  The main change in his environment has been the exposure to more dogs and their dander.  Since I have a horrible allergy to animals, it makes me think he may have gotten my genes.  Poor guy!  For now, he is doing much better on the steroid ointment and I have been cleaning our house like a mad-woman!  Next, testing by the allergy doctor.
6)  I was cooking dinner and I asked Andy if he wanted his baba (yes, we still call his milk that).  As we sat down to dinner, he pointed to my glass of wine and said, "that's mama's baba."  Hmmm...so true Andy.  Why are kids so observant - they point out the good, the bad, and the ugly!
7)  Houdini:  Andy has now figured out EVERY child lock that we have tried.  If he had more meat on his bones, he would be able to open the step gates as well.  I am not ready to give up nap/quiet time, so we are going to be utilizing duct tape for the time being.
8)  He's a talker!  I love my little talker.  He holds full conversations with me all day long.  It is so fun to see the world through a 2 1/2 year-old's eyes.  I find myself giggling and laughing in hysterics over some of the things he says.
9)  Rocker - Andy still rocks himself to sleep.  He goes from side to side and often hums.  He will wake up in the middle of the night only to rock himself back to sleep.  Maybe he will grown out of this some day?!?
10)  Screaming - Andy likes to SCREAM when his sister is trying to sleep, when I am trying to have a conversation on the phone, or when he wants attention. 
11)  Whispering - Have you seen the show, "In the Middle".  The youngest son whispers to himself on the show.  Should I be concerned if Andy does the same thing?  Many times he's telling a story to himself, recounting the daily activities, or saying his prayers under his breath.  I think it's kind of cute, but the show definitely points it out as being "strange."
12)  Hugs - Andy gives the best hugs and he is so diligent about saying, "I lub you, mommy."  It's the best and it's what gets me through each day with a smile on my face.