Happy Birthday!

I can't believe she's two! I've been very slow to get any postings done, especially Katy's birthday. She turned two back in September. We celebrated with Donny's family the week of her birthday and then with my family a week late so that Emily and Chris could be there. It was a lot of fun to have them here for that. Kevin and Toni were up too, so we almost had the whole family together. Katy loved playing with Caroline. Aunt Emily bought the party hats and blowers (is that what you call them??). They played with them for days after the party. Thanks Em! You rock!

Katy and Caroline

Mom and Dad had an old mattress out for the girls to jump on, so naturally that's where we had to have the party. It was so cute to watch them jump and giggle together.

It didn't take long for Katy to figure out how to work it. She was so proud of herself.

We have a lot of birthdays in our family in the months leading up to Katy's so when it came time for her cake, she knew exactly what to do!

When Katy woke up on her birthday, I sang happy birthday to her and when I was done, she blew like she was blowing out candles. She watched her dad, grandma, grandpa, meme, and Caroline all blow out their candles between June and August, so she knew that after "Happy Birthday" come the candles. In fact, everytime she sees a candle she says "happy birthday to you." Sometimes she calls them "happy birthday to you candles," but it sounds more like "hap day to you tandles." (After we carved our pumpkin for Halloween, we lit a candle and turned out the lights so Katy could see it. Before we could blow out the candle we had to sing "Happy Birthday" to the pumpkin. I think we may have started a family tradition.) When she was opening her presents everything was "Oh toot!" (Oh cute). She got mostly clothes, and she was very impressed with all the "dresses" (even though they were shirts).

She talks so much now! Amber suggested that I make a list of all the things that she says right now and I'm beginning to think it might be easier to list the things that she doesn't say. I think my favorite thing that she says right now is Laura. If I'm in another room and she calls me, she says "Noo-wa!" (Laura). It is so cute. She makes me laugh all the time. One night I asked her what she wanted me to cook her for dinner, and she said "how 'bout cookies." I told her that she couldn't eat cookies for dinner and she said "how 'bout cookies." We went back and forth for a little bit like that, and then she said "how 'bout pizza!" When I told her we didn't have any pizza she whispered "how 'bout pancakes!" The whole exchange made me laugh, so now sometimes she says it to try and make me laugh.

Where has all the time gone? I remember when she was just a newborn and crying all night wishing that she would grow up so she would sleep through the night, and that she could just tell me what she needed. We used to say that we couldn't wait for her to get to where she could play with us. Now we find ourselves wishing we could go back and hold that sweet baby again. I have a picture in my bedroom of her when she was just a few days old. I like to look at it and see how much she's changed. I almost forget sometimes that she used to look like that. We wonder what we ever did without her. She has brought so much joy into our lives! I love my little buddy.