"Punkins!!!"

We have been all about "punkins", as Kate says, around our house since the beginning of October. I got some of the decorative pumpkins to put around the house early on and Kate confiscated a few of them as hers and has been playing with them for a while. Then last week the church where Kate goes to school started their annual pumpkin patch so one evening last week we made a family trip to pick out our big pumpkin. It was the first day of cooler weather so we all enjoyed walking around outside and Kate LOVED the pumpkins. She ran around picking up as many as she could and of course cried when we had to leave.

Then on Sunday we finally got around to carving the pumpkin. It was a quick and simple jack-o-lantern face that I carved. Kate was interested in watching the process but once it was complete with the candle burning inside Kate was a little scared of it. She's been a bit of a scardy cat these days about a lot of things. She was still interested in checking it out but she wanted to hold on to me pretty tight and she would just say "Momma, I scare you" over and over again, which really means that she's scared. Emily just laid back in the bouncy seat and enjoyed being outside for the festivities.

Here are some pictures from our "punkin" adventure--

Kate loved all of the pumpkins. She kept trying to pick up the big ones but realized they were too "heady" (heavy) so she picked up as many little ones as she could.

She loved all the regular looking pumpkins but the ones that were bumpy, like the one in the foreground of this picture, she was scared of them and wouldn't even think about touching one.

Emily was all smiles and happy to be strolling outside

Daddy and Kate. Kate wasn't big on participating in this picture. She wanted to play peek-a-boo with Daddy from the other side

Carving our pumpkin at home. I tried to get Kate to help me scoop out the insides but she did not want to get her hands into that pumpkin

This is what she does when she's scared. "Punkin scare you"

Our finished product

We did finally convince Kate to sit on the same bench as the jack-o-lantern even though she was still pretty scared of it

Emily 2 Months Old

The last couple of months have just flown by since Miss Emily joined our life. I think she's already trying to compete with her big sister for who was the best baby. Kate was such a good baby that we were certain that Emily would give us a harder time because you don't hear of too many people having more than one easy baby, but Emily has proved us wrong already. She is so sweet and easy on Momma and Daddy! We are already pretty much sleeping through the night...she is going from 9 or 9:30 to 6 or 6:30. I am able to put her down before she is all the way asleep and she will just look around her crib until she's ready to go to sleep and then she goes to sleep with no fuss. Just in the last couple of days she's started showing more interest in some toys. She has been very interested in some of Kate's stuffed animals...Mickey may have a new friend...and she has really started to enjoy her mobile. Emily is growing like crazy. We went for her 2 month check up on the 11th and she is weighing in at 12 lbs, 11 oz and 24 inches long. That is 90th percentile for weight and off the charts for length. We make big babies around here! The smiles have fully arrived! Emily loves to be on the changing table and will give the biggest grins and just gurgle and coo at me anytime she's there. I haven't been able to catch a good smile on camera yet though. She just stares at the camera and can't think about anything else. I just can't believe how blessed we are with our wonderful girls!!

Emily is loving her swing these days. She usually naps in it in the afternoons while Kate is napping.

Kate insisted on a ride in the double stroller one day a couple of weeks ago. They both loved it!

Kate loves to play with Emily's toys as much as Emily does

Daddy getting in a snuggle with Emily

Kate - 23 Months Old

We are less than a month away from having a two year old!! Kate is such a big girl and continues to entertain us on a daily basis with the things that she says and does. She is really to the point that I feel like we are carrying on actual conversations all the time. She is speaking in sentences a lot of the time. One of my favorite things she says right now is "I so essited!!" (I'm so excited) usually with hands in the air and often a little dance that goes with it. Kate is LOVING going to school. In the beginning she was crying when the helpers at school would get her out of the car in the carpool line but now she's excited to see them and happily tells me bye-bye. One of her teachers told me one day that the only trouble they had with Kate that day was that she started crying when it was time to put away the toys because she didn't want to leave. I'm so glad that she has somewhere to go play with other kids where she has a great time and doesn't want to leave! We try to get details about school, her friends and what she does at school out of her but all we get in response are things about cars (she played with the toy cars on our open house visit) and tea party (snack time).

I thought this would be a good point in time to note a few current favorite things. Kate still LOVES tv and "dd's" (DVDs). Her current favs are "Memo" (Nemo), "Pee Pooh" (Winnie the Pooh) and still loves all the baby Einstein movies. Current favorites in the book category are Dr. Seuss Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?, Yat and Dat (a local book about New Orleans food) and of course her Dora and Mickey books. Little Einsteins have moved into the favorite TV show category along with Mickey and Dora. Kate really enjoys coloring and collecting what I like to call "treasures". Kate will put things in a bucket, basket, purse, wagon, toy stroller...you name it and carry these "treasures" all over the house. Here is a short list of some of Kate's "treasures"-- dental floss, handles to razors, a travel bottle of shaving cream, a travel bottle of scope, measuring spoons, flashlights, measuring tape, cans of soup or vegetables from the pantry, little cups like the ones you rinse your mouth out with at the dentist, silver cup and rattle that were Nick's as a baby, her miniature Mickey and friends and most recently mini pumpkins like the ones you would use several of for a centerpiece. It never ceases to amaze me the things that she becomes attached to and wants to carry around with her.

Kate is getting so big! She's the perfect big sister and pretty sweet to Momma and Daddy as well. We are so blessed!!

"Cheeeese!"

Pulling her wagon of treasures

Watching Nemo from the window sill in Momma and Daddy's room

Daddy recently got a new bike with a seat for Kate to ride too.

A Couple of Firsts

Two weekends ago Emily had her first little road trip to stay with Pop Pop in Port Barre. Port Barre is only an hour away and of course Emily made it great traveling there. I was also very relieved that both girls slept great there all weekend and, as always had a great time seeing family and playing with cousins. Emily had not yet met her Mama LaHaye so we had a great visit with her on Saturday morning and enjoyed food and fun with family on Friday and Saturday nights.

We also went tailgating for the first time last weekend. Of course this is Emily's first tailgate ever and Kate's first of the season, which also felt a little like her first ever since things are totally different this year vs last year. With the early game (LSU played at 11:30) we thought it would be a good opportunity to get the girls out there on a game day and try to catch the band coming down the hill into Tiger stadium since we're always up early anyways. We were on campus around 8. Visited a couple of tailgates and then made our way over to the stadium. Kate was disappointed that Mike had already been loaded in his cage for the game so we couldn't see him in his habitat. Then we staked out our spot to watch the players and the band go into the stadium. Kate didn't cry, but was pretty scared by the whole scene...who can blame her there are tons of people everywhere and then the loud band. She took it all in though and I think she enjoyed it. I think next year she'll be all about it. Emily was perfect. She just hung out in the baby bjorn and enjoyed some snuggle time for the morning.

Daddy and Emily with cousins Ann Marie and Amelia

Kate and Amelia had a lot of fun playing together

Emily and Mama LaHaye

"Tea Party" at Mama LaHaye's (They call snack time at school "tea party" and Kate talks about it all the time. It's clearly her favorite part of the day)

Playing with toys at Pop Pop's

Emily and her Parrain

Scott and Adi Levy with Daddy and Kate outside of Mike the Tiger's habitat

Momma and her two girls out for tailgating on Saturday

The family of tailgaters

Kate and Daddy waiting on the football players to come down and go into the stadium

Kate and Daddy waiting on the band. You can tell Kate was far from pumped about the experience. She was pretty freaked out by all of the hoopla but handled it well.