March 2006

Caitlin had a great visit with Aunt Lara and Nanny Glo.  They flew in for the weekend and we had a great time.  She also got to see Aunt Becky for a few days.  She was looking forward to playing with the cousins too but they got sick and couldn't come.  Caitlin loves to hide in her room and play outside.

She also got 3 inches cut off her hair and looks very different.  It is much more manageable now to fix her hair.

She started a new "school."  She is now at Miss Angel's house with 3 other kids.  She gets to play all day with Able, the dog, and LOVES it!!

Caitlin is talking all the time.  We can have some really good conversations now.  She doesn't like for us to call her funny or silly.  She will say, "I not funny!"  We haven't convinced her yet that it is okay to be funny.

She absolutely loves everything Dora and we have started giving her rewards for good behavior.  She recently earned a Dora watch by going to bed without crying or getting up.  She loves it and is now working towards the Dora backpack.

January 2006

It is a new year and I am trying to catch up on Caitlin's scrapbooking and website.  With our trip and getting my weddings completed, I have fallen behind.  Let's see - what is going on with Caitlin?  On Sunday, she got the tip of a crayon stuck up her nose.  That was loads of fun.  Luckily, Rusty was able to get it out and we did not have to take her to the Emergency Room!!  She loved Christmas - thank you everyone for her presents.  She LOVED the Curious George books and we read them just about every day - thanks Lara!!  She enjoys her new digital camera and her beauty and dress-up stuff.  She loves to play in her room now.  She got a piggy bank for Christmas and loves to find money and put it in there.

She saw Cousin Noah get a basketball goal for Christmas and wanted one too.  So with the Christmas money from Great Granddaddy and Grandmama Love, we got her one too.  She can slam dunk it and she can actually shoot pretty well.

November 2007

We went to Mexico!!!! It was an absolute blast!!  We missed Caitlin like crazy but really needed the break from everything.

October 2006

October has been a busy month for everyone.  Rusty just had his first two house closings and is enjoying being a Realtor.  My work is pretty slow, which is good.  It allows me to expand my photography business and it has been great fun.  This month I will have completed two weddings so I am definitely busy working on pictures and creating digital albums.  Rusty and I are looking forward to our trip in November to Riviera Maya, Mexico.  We both just got our passports and are ready to go.  It will be hard to leave Caitlin, I will probably cry.  But we both need this break!!  And she will love getting to spend time with Heather and Ben and the Scotts.

Caitlin is getting bigger and older and it makes us sad sometimes to see that she's just not a baby anymore.  She talks all the time and is so smart.  She loves Barney, school and singing.  She LOVES the monkey purse that cousin Noah gave her (thanks Lisa!!)  She takes it EVERYWHERE!!!  And she tells us all the time that No-No gave her her monkey purse.  She has discovered money and likes to keep it in her monkey purse.  She calls all change either "pennies" or "monies".  I am going to get her a piggy bank to help control the playing with money so she doesn't lose it and it will teach her to save.

August 2006

Every new phase Caitlin goes through, we just keep thinking this is our favorite stage.  She just keeps getting more fun to be with.  She is talking in 4-6 word sentences and is such a good communicator.  She definitely can have her terrible two moments, but usually they aren't that bad.  We have made it clear that when she throws a fit, we stop listening.  That way her fits don't get any attention.

Caitlin likes to be independent.  She eats by herself, wants to go potty alone, buckle herself in her carseat and all kinds of other things.  Whenever she does something be herself, she says, "Myself mommy!"  She's excited when she can do things on her own.

She LOVES to sing songs and her repertoire is growing.  Check out the video section.  In the first one, she didn't know I was filming her.  She was playing the piano and singing.  It was so cute.

July 2006

Caitlin turned two and had a great birthday party.  Thank you to all who came and made the party great fun!!

We wanted to visit all the grandparents for July 4th, so all the family chipped in and rented an RV and made the trip.  It was a great visit.  Caitlin did pretty well on the trip and loved the RV.

Some more Caitlin phrases -

• Motorcycle, vroom, vroom = she has either seen a motorcycle or she wants to ride her new tricycle
• Outside, okay? = I want to go outside (She says this as she is opening the door to go outside, not caring if I consent or not)
• Bebops = She wants to watch the Doodlebops
• Melmo = Elmo from Sesame Street

July 10 - Caitlin went peepee and poopoo in the potty for the first time!!!  YAY!!!

June 2006

Caitlin is very opinionated and knows what she wants and when she wants it.  I dread the teenage years.  She can turn sommersaults all by herself and she can pretty well feed herself without needing a bath afterwards.  I'm very thankful for that last one.  She loves to drink out of a cup (without a lid) - she feels so grown-up.

Some Caitlin phrases -

• Mommy hold you = mommy please pick me up
• Want la la = I want to brush my teeth (Don't ask me how brush my teeth = la-la)
• One, two night nights = I want my 2 blankets from my crib
• Daddy's book = I want you to read me the GI Joe book that was Daddy's as a kid
• Eye glasses = The sun is in my eyes and I want my sunglasses on.

May 2006

Caitlin is saying phrases now and talking all the time.  Sometimes she needs an interpreter, but it is fun to listen to her.  Her favorite things are her lipstick (really its lipgloss, but she doesn't know that), her baby and stroller and anything outside.  This child would play outside all day long if we let her.  She loves to look out the window in the car and point out stuff she sees.  Her favorites are school buses, motorcycles and anything with a siren going!!

April 2006

Caitlin enjoyed the 3 Easter egg hunts she participated in.  She liked putting the eggs in her basket, but did not care about the candy inside.  She recently figured out how to put her pants on by herself and talks non stop.

We had a traumatic Saturday.  I had put Caitlin in the car and we were going shopping.  I put my keys in the door handle inside the door and hooked her in.  I forgot about the keys and shut the doors.  I then went to put the stroller in the trunk and I heard the doors lock.  Caitlin had grabbed my keys and was locking herself in the car!!  I kept telling her to push the other buttons hoping she would unlock the doors, but she didn't.  Then she dropped the keys.  No extra key and no way to get her out.  I did still have the trunk open but couldn't break in.  She was hyseterical when she realized I couldn't get to her.  I ended up having the call the police department to break into the car.  We got her out after a traumatic 20 minutes.  She was very clingy for the rest of the day.

March 2006

Rusty got a job offer from a company that he has had several interview with and has accepted the job.  He starts March 6th.  Caitlin will be going to a preschool/daycare that's on the way to work.  They have a really good curriculum and we are excited about all the new things she will learn!

Caitlin is starting to say phrases now.  The other day she was handing me stuff and saying, "Here you go."  She can also open doors now.  So we had to go get some of the door knob covers to kepp her out of certain places.  She loves to put on "makeup", which is really just playing with mommy's nice makeup brushes.  So she's getting some of her own from the Easter Bunny.  She loves to put on makeup and then look in the mirror and say, "Pretty."  She's all girl!!

February 2006

Caitlin now sleeps without her pacifier. She was so connected to it, we were kind of worried that it would be hard for her.  One day, though, Rusty took Caitlin home for a nap and I had the diaper bag with the pacifier in it.  She went down fine without it so we just acted like it never existed.  She would call her pacifier her "night night" because she always got it when she went to sleep.  She also has a baby blanket that my mom made her that she always sleeps with too and she calls it "night night" too.  So after that first nap without it, whenever she would ask for her "night night" we would just get her blanket for her.   She sleeps fine without the pacifier.  YAY!!

Oh, and she can now open doors - not good!!

January 2006

Caitlin had her 18 month checkup and is doing great.  Her vocabulary is advanced for her age and she can do everything an 18 month old is supposed to do.  She is still 75th percentile for her height.  Her weight is getting better for her age, even though she still looks skinny to me.  Caitlin likes to sing now.  When she hears music, she will start to sing her own "words."  In the mornings, we can hear her over the monitor singing to herself in her crib.  Caitlin LOVES to brush her teeth and for some reason calls it "la la."  She really just likes to suck the toothpaste off the toothbrush, but hey, at least she's getting in the habit.  

Caitlin loves to point out her body parts.  She knows her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, head, hair, belly button, toes, feet, elbow and knees.  She's getting really good at repeating what we say and saying names for people.  She does really well with mama, dada, nana, papa, but poor Aunt Heather is "Hocker".

December 2005

Caitlin has learned how to drink out of a straw, give herself five, and to shake her booty (dance).  She babbles all the time, but who knows what she's saying.  We've been working with her on the stair and she can come down them pretty well now.  We still monitor her on the big stairs, but the few steps in the bonus room, we just let her go.  She's more careful when we are not right beside her.

November 2005

Caitlin had a fall down some stairs.  She tucked and rolled quite well and only had a little bruise under her eye.  She cried for a minute and then wanted to swing (which is where she was headed in the first place).  She doesn't understand that she doesn't know how to go down stairs yet.  She tries to walk down them like an adult, but doesn't look where she's putting her feet.  So we are working with her on that.

We had a big road trip for Thanksgiving and Caitlin did great.  She doesn't sleep very well in the car but she handled the 9 hour drive really well.  And she slept great and Grandma Grace's so we all had a great visit in Louisiana.

Caitlin's favorite things to do right now are play with her shoes and play outside.  She loves animals and does the trucker's honk and says, "Honk, Honk" when big trucks go by.

October 2005

Caitlin is walking more and more now.  She can walk across the room pretty good.  She usually falls gracefully, so we haven't had many accidents.  We've taught her a few signs for words.  She can do the sign language for "love", "up", "eat", "baby" and "more".  Next I'm going to teach her Please and Thank you.  She doesn't understand those yet.

Here are some new words that Caitlin says:

• Tickle, tickle pronounced "dickle, dickle"
• Puppy pronounced "puhpa"
• Shoes pronounced "hoos"

September 2005

Caitlin had her checkup.  She is still not over 20 pounds but she's really close - 19 pounds, 14 ounces.  She was 31 inches long.  She is in the 75th percentile for her height and the 10th percentile for her weight.  She still isn't walking - lazy little girl!  But she's average or ahead on everything else.  She's talking all the time, but we can only understand her part of the time.  She likes to feed herself and has recently figured out the spoon.  She can also blow kisses and click her tongue.  We got her a new car seat - one that faces forward - and she's much happier in the car now.  She absolutely loves being able to see everything.  She just sits back, puts her hands on her arms rests and kicks her feet.  She knows where her belly button is and loves the show you!

August 2005

Caitlin is changing every day.  Now she stays at home with Rusty and I think she really loves it.  She plays well on her own and is so close to walking.  She stands up really well now.  She tries hard to say words.  So far she has said "Uh oh" "Yes" "That"  "Thank you" and I swear the other day she said "Hey daddy."  (Rusty heard her too, so its not just me being crazy!!)

Now she can also say "Puppy" and "Kitty".

August 23 - Caitlin took her first steps.  Of course as soon as I got the video camera, she wouldn't do it anymore!!

July 2005

Caitlin had her birthday party and had a great time.  She did not know what to do with the cake.  After helping her taste the cake and even shoving her hands down in it, all she wanted to do was lick the icing.  She did enjoy opening all her gifts and playing with her new toys.

Caitlin had her 12 month checkup on the 6th.  She only weighs 18 lbs 12 oz but is 30 inches long.  So, like always, she's tall and skinny.

June 2005

Caitlin has flown for the first time now.  We went to Kansas to visit with family.  She did really well on the planes.  She just wanted to stand up and look around.  We went to the zoo and a water park while we were there.  Caitlin did NOT like the water.  I think it was too cold for her.  We are going to try again in our neighborhood pool when it gets warm enough.

Caitlin is crawling all over the place exploring.  She pulls up on everything and has really good balance.  She will stand up and let go and stand on her own for a few seconds and then she plops down.  She loves to play peek-a-boo and eat anything that mommy and daddy are eating.

May 2005

Caitlin is starting to eat table foods now.  She has eaten mashed potatoes, pancakes, crackers and, of course, ice cream.  She can now crawl using her knees and is pulling herself up now.  If we hold her hands, she steps a little, so it won't be long before she is fully mobile and walking.

Caitlin went to her first airshow.  Heather got us free tickets and we had a blast.  We put little foamy ear plugs in her ears for the loud parts and she kept them in pretty well.  She loved watching the planes and took her 2 naps during the loudest parts of the show.

April 2005

Caitlin is almost crawling.  She does the army crawl and uses her elbows and feet to scoot around.  She looks like an inchworm most of the time.  But it works for her and she gets where she's trying to get.  She doesn't really like table food yet.  The only table food she will eat is crackers and ice cream.  I don't think she's really figured out how to chew yet.  She still thinks she can just swallow everything and be okay, so sometimes the crackers surprise her.

She can say three things so far - Mama, Bye bye and Dada.  She has also learned how to hug.  She tries to kiss, but really its just licking you.

We've also noticed that whenever any male walks by, she turns and looks and is a shameless flirt.  This does not bode well for the future!!

March 2005

Caitlin has recently found her shadow.  She tries to play with it and grab it.  She also says, "Mmmmm" when she eats and nods up and down.  She's rolling over a lot more and cannot be left alone anymore on the bed!!  But she does hold her own bottle and that is a great milestone!!!

We have finally figured out how to fix her hair and make it look halfway decent.  Her hair is now affectionately known as the palm trees.  (See the new pictures)

This month Caitlin has eaten Cheerios and ice cream for the first time.  She didn't know what to think about Cheerios but LOVED the ice cream!! (See the new pictures)

Caitlin had her 9 month checkup.  She is in the 75th percentile for her height and the 20th percentile for her weight.  The doctor said that her weight is fine now but once she starts crawling and walking, it might be a problem, so we have to increase her calorie intake.  The doctor said that she was doing great and is normal in every way.

February 2005

Caitlin just had her 6 month checkup, even though she's now 7 months old.  She's is doing well, got a little cold, but she's getting better.  She got another round of shots but won't have any more until she's a year old.  She weighs 14 lbs 15 oz and is 27 inches long.  She is in the 30th percentile for her weight, 85th percentile for her height and is in the 80th percentile for her head circumference.  So basically, she is tall and skinny with a big head.

We started her on baby food about a week ago.  She loves all the vegetables we have given her but will not eat more than a few bites of fruits.  I'll wait a little while on the fruits and try them again.  But I'm glad that she likes the veggies.

She loves to play with mommy and daddy but will also play by herself too.  She loves her exersaucer and her jumpy seat.  I think she can now relate names to people.  Yesterday, Rusty and I were sitting on the couch and he would hide behind me so Caitlin couldn't see him.  I would say, "Where's daddy?"  and she would look around me to find him.  It surprised us both that she really does know who mommy and daddy are.

Mid February she got sick and had a fever for almost a whole week.  It got as high as 103.7!  The doctor said that she had a double ear infection and gave her some antibiotics.  Now if we could just get her to swallow the medicine!!!!!!!!!  Man, she is stubborn!

January 2005

We celebrated the New Year at Rosemary Beach in Florida.  We all had such a blast.  Caitlin was great on the trip and experienced the beach for the first time.  I think she liked the sand.  Caitlin can almost sit up by herself now.  She really likes being able to look around at everything.  We've also discovered that she likes to hang upside down.

I finally got her to eat cereal and enjoy it.  I used her formula to mix it and I think it now tastes familiar to her.  She actually would open her mouth for more if I wasn't quick enough.

December 2004

Caitlin rolled over and we missed it!!!  I had laid her down on her play mat and laid on the bed (this was after my surgery and Rusty had gone to run an errand).  She was talking to herself and playing with her toys.  A few minutes later I hear her grunting and look down at her.  She was on her STOMACH!!  I can't believe I missed it.  Then a few days later, I laid her on her stomach and immediately she rolled back over on her back.  I can't believe how fast she is doing stuff - she isn't supposed to grow up this fast!!!

November 2004

Caitlin had her 4 month checkup and got shots again.  She handled it well - only cried for a few minutes.  She weighs 13 lbs 1 oz and is 24 1/2 inches.  She is still 45th percentile for her weight and is now 55th percentile for her height.  The doctor said she is right in the middle of the growth curve and right on track.

The doctor said that we can start feeding her cereal and trying out different baby foods.  I fed her some last night and she made the funniest faces.  I don't think she knew what to do with it.  After a while, she started to almost chew.  I'll keep trying and see if she gets better.

Caitlin is sleeping almost 10-12 hours a night now.  It is so nice to be able to sleep for 7-8 hour stretches without interruption.  She always wakes up happy and ready to play.

We went to visit family for Thanksgiving and Caitlin did great.  We went to Texas, Louisiana and Memphis, TN.  It was quite a first road trip for her.  She got her first haircut, started trying to roll over and will reach for her bottle and try to put it in her mouth.

October 2004

Caitlin "talks" to us now all the time.  When we talk to her she stares at us and tries to make her mouth move like ours.  We love to "talk" to her all day long.  She also has started to roll over on her side and move around in her crib.  Sometimes when I go to get her from her crib, she has turned around at least 90 degrees from how I laid her.  I think she is using her feet against the crib and scooting herself around.

This month, Caitlin will have her first professional portrait.  Her daycare is doing a picture day and having a company come in for pictures.  I am going to have them photograph her in her Halloween costume.  I'll share those as soon as I can.

Caitlin enjoyed Halloween.  She was a pumpkin and was so cute.  She went "trick-or-treating" to Nana's house and went to a Halloween party at the Sutherlands.  It was pretty hot so she didn't stay in her costume long.

She smiles and giggles now all the time.  She will giggle when we kiss on her neck and tummy or when we make silly noises.  It is the sweetest sound I've ever heard!

September 2004

Caitlin discovered her hand.  She will lay and stare at it for long periods of time.  She will also lick ANYTHING that comes in contact with her mouth.  She has started to coo.  She got her first shots this month.  Rusty was great and took her to that appointment - I did not want to see her get shots.  He said that she turned red and screamed like she's never screamed before.  She was in the 45th percentile for her weight and the 75th percentile for her height.  Her next checkup is Nov 1.

August 2004

Caitlin's personality is starting to come out. She smiles and laughs all the time. Her neck is getting stronger and she can hold your head up better. She likes to stare at lights. She started daycare this month and seems to really enjoy it. They hold her and rock her and take her outside. She seems to not notice that we are gone.

July 2004

I don't know how Rusty and I got so lucky!! Caitlin is SO good natured - we couldn't have asked for a better baby. She only fusses when she's hungry or tired.  She is so alert and is already trying to hold her head up. She had her first checkup and she's doing great.