Potty Princess

Cate is all but potty trained. She is certainly ahead of the power curve on this skill, but she began to show interest a few months ago by patting her diaper whenever she was wet or dirty. We introduced the toilet as a fun place to sit and read books, then added Nemo fruit snacks for incentive. Before we knew it....presto, one potty trained almost-two-year-old.

No Means NO!

As it turns out, Cate has quite a few opinions. For the record, she is always hungry, and she always wants to eat. She just really likes to say NO!

Toddler-dom

As of this week, I do believe that Catelynn has earned her toddler card. As she approaches her 2nd birthday, she is stretching her adventurous/mischievous legs. Last Friday, she found a marker and wreaked havoc on our furniture and herself. I have come to find from experience, that washable markers do not necessarily come out of upholstery. A few days later, I got a text from Marc while I was at work telling me that she had eaten half a tube of toothpaste. Luckily it was the children's kind, and when Marc checked with poison control, he found the only side effect was vomiting. And vomit she did! Marc said it was the bluest puke he has ever seen. Somehow, we survived the first 5 years of Wesley's life without any such incidents (although, he was an expert escape artist!). I have a feeling this is just one area my two children may be different.

NOT ready for her close up

My mom sent Catelynn a few new outfits...just because. I wanted to send her a picture of Cate in one of the outfits. This is the progression of pictures to achieve the final two decent pictures, which happened after I told her that if she took a picture, we could go have breakfast!

WHAT a character

Just a few examples of Cate's budding personality....

Wearing her bathing suit bottoms on her head. She is obsessed with putting things on her head, especially underwear. :o

Sporting a new purse from Mimi!

Wearing her winter hat (inside) and loving on her babies.

Take a little off the top

...or in Catelynn's case, a little off the bottom. After much deliberation (probably more than is necessary for such a decision), we went to Sweet and Sassy Salon in Franklin to have Cate's hair cut for the first time. It was getting a little business in the front/party in the back (read:mullet). Wesley's hair grew in the same way. What can I say? My babies are just prone to mullets.
The Before Shot

She was a complete angel for the entire experience. She played with a little phone and held very still. She was not too sure how to feel about the spray bottle, but the blow dryer didn't bother her a bit. We will miss those sweet curls, but there are still a few left, and before we know it, she will be ready for pigtails!

The After Shot

Observations from Lunch

For lunch today, I lovingly prepared a turkey and cheese sandwich for my only daughter. As it turns out, she is categorically against lunch meat. Will not eat it. She proceeded to tear the sandwich apart, eat the cheese, create more bread crumbs than I ever thought possible, and point to the turkey and babble something intensely important. She has also started to spit out food. This is a major transgression! But she spits the food as one might spit out a watermelon seed, complete with the sound effect. I have to tell her "no" and try to pretend I don't think it is hysterical. She also grabbed my arm with her mustard-y hand, and ruined the sleeve of my shirt. Note to self: stick with the PB&J.

And for her next trick...

Marc sent me this video while I was working the other day. The subject line read: "under very close parental supervision."

Good Morning, Sunshine

This is the way Catelynn wakes up virtually every morning: I hear her start to babble quietly on the baby monitor. Then, she plays contentedly in her crib, which can last upwards of 20 minutes on some days. When go into her room to get her, this is what I find:

Don't worry. I realize how good I have it! And if it is any comfort to any other mothers, she has eaten a large portion of the side rails on her crib. :)

Bookworm

From a very early age, Cate has seemed to enjoy reading. She loves to be read to (as long is it doesn't take TOO long), but she also loves to look at the books by herself. Lately she has been jabbering a story aloud as she flips through the pages. The other day, Marc said she was really into it. He wasn't sure what the story was about, but there was a lot of the words "baby" and "no," two of her favorite things to say.

What a GIRL!

I'm beginning to think that Cate may not be the typical girly-girl. As we have already established, she does not enjoy headbands. I'm guessing that hair bows and pony tails may not go over well either, whenever she gets enough hair to try them out. Since she could crawl, she has been intensely interested in Wesley's toys: trains, cars, balls, blocks, etc.

The other day, I found her vrooming a car down the side of the couch, complete with the engine noise. When we go outside, she loves to collect rocks by the fist full....and shove them in the PVC pipe that sticks out of our siding (What is that thing for, anyway? Oh, never mind, clearly it is for rocks!)

And then there is this: maybe a bit girly after all!

Fashion Statement

Riding in the car today, Wesley said, "Mommy, why is Catelynn wearing those tighties....or tight pants. What are those things called?"
"Tights."
"Yeah, tights. What are those for?"
"Well, I guess they are just for decoration."
"Aww. Now Catelynn looks more cute, I mean, handsome than I do."
What can I say? She's a tough act to follow.

(please note the headband she is wearing around her neck...again! Hey, at least she still has her shoes on)

Sibling Rivalry

Most of the time, Wesley and Catelynn play very well together. She doesn't seem to mind that he is loud and energetic, but rather enjoys watching the chaos unfold. He is very gentle with her, downright sweet even. Now don't get me wrong, we are not living in utopia. Sometimes someone gets hurt. Wesley's bouncing will get out of control, and Catelynn will get a bit roughed up. Lately, Cate seems to be exploring her environment, which includes finding out what happens when she pounds Wesley on the head with a matchbox car. Monday was a whole different story. Wesley was bothering Cate in the double cart at Target. He wasn't being particularly abrasive, but she was irritated, and she let him know it. I warned him several times that he needed to leave her alone and give her space. Finally, she had had enough and took matters into her own hands. She leaned back and literally head butted him. At first I couldn't believe my eyes. She did not cry a bit, but Wesley let out an ouch. Then, as I tried to contain my laughter, I sternly told Cate "no-no." But honestly, he kind of had it coming!

Rock Band

It seems the music in the Acton genes is strong in our children. Wesley has long been interested and appreciative of the varied forms of music to which he has been exposed. Now, it seems that Catelynn is in on the action. She very clearly perks up when a catchy tune comes on the radio, and she even taps a little rhythm on her leg or chest. Wesley is quite fond of both air guitar and air keyboard. It leads me to wonder....do I have the next White Stripes in the back seat of my Jeep?

In His Shoes

I got a kick out of watching these videos together. Wesley is a bit older at the time than Catelynn (thus, I'm sure, the reason for his more successful venture), but it sure was fun to watch Cate take a crack at it. Why do kids find it so much fun to march around in giant shoes? Wait, now that I think about it, that does kind of sound fun!

Wesley at 20 months...

Cate's turn...

and one more...

Water Baby

Over the summer, Cate has really enjoyed any and all water activities. Quite the little firecracker, this one is!. She is NOT afraid of getting wet....or dirty, for that matter. She is an interesting combination of a tough cookie and a drama queen. Watch the video and see what I mean!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Mile a Minute

Maybe you're thinking, "Sure she's cute, but what kind of tricks does she do?" She waves, blows kisses, plays a little patty cake...you know, the basics. She also dances a bit like Ray Charles (picture that signature head bob only a lot paler and just as bald). At times, she also likes to sing along and is working on whistling. Her favorite pastime is taking all the plastic wear from the kitchen cabinet and carrying her toys around in them. It is not unusual to find her hugging a baby doll and sweetly patting its back. She is also increasingly affectionate to Marc and I, bestowing hugs, pats, and very open-mouthed kisses. She is adding to her vocabulary regularly. She says momma, dada, some form of Welsey, up, hi, more, book, and a variety of other sounds that seem to mean something very important to her. She has some strong opinions about mealtime, especially related to when it should be, how fast her food should be served, and which items she cares to eat. If an unwanted morsel is offered, she politely removes it from her mouth and hands it back to you. To sum things up....she is a character, and we LOVE her!

Walker Catelynn Ranger

About a month after her initial take off, Catelynn seems to have mastered the milestone of walking. It is such a gradual progression from being coaxed into taking steps to abandoning crawling all together. She is growing up before our very eyes!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

PS...the music is from The Weepies new album (love them!).

And she's off....

April 17th: First steps...about 4!

A fine palate

We went to Panera Bread for dinner the other night. I brought Cate some squash from home, and I was feeding her while we waited for our food to be ready. When I brought Wesley's grilled cheese and my turkey sandwich and Greek salad back to the table, Catelynn refused to eat another bit of squash. She looked right around the spoonful I had offered her and stared at my plate. She ended up eating the tomatoes from my salad, turkey, apple, and bread. Only after all the food was cleared from the table, she finished the rest of her jar of squash. Oh my.

A Year in Phone Pictures

Catelynn is 1 year old! Here are the highlights captured by my Treo phone over the last year.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mini Me, Part 2

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of me and Cate for comparison sake. Today, my aunt sent me this picture, and I couldn't resist sharing the familial resemblance. :) Both of the pictures were taken at six months of age.

Playing Dress-Up

Dressing a girl is so much fun. Going into Cate's closet every morning to pick out her outfit is one of my favorite parts of the day. The tights, the skirts, the flare jeans...so much fun! I'm like her personal shopper, and I get to build her sense of style. (This will be a fun post to read when I'm arguing with her over the length of shorts or the plunge of a neckline!) Here are a few shots of the fabulous outfit she wore today. She DID NOT want to wear that headband, no matter how cute it looked!

Notice the headband in her hand...she won that battle.

Wesley had to get in on the action. :)

Look at the pockets on those jeans. See what I mean?

Mini Me

This picture was taken in 1978. The woman is my maternal grandmother, Millie Ross. The baby is me! Not sure exactly how old I am in the picture, but I do look a lot like the little girl in this picture...

Baby Love

My sister bought this sweet baby for Catelynn before she was born. At about 6 months, I gave it to her. Every night she snuggles up with it, pops her thumb in her mouth, and drifts off to sleep. Adorable!

Deja Vu

To quote a song by Shirley Bassey:
"They say the next big thing is here
That the revolution's near
But to me it seems quite clear
That it's all just a little bit of history repeating"

Both videos were taken of the kids at nine months old!

Brothers and Sisters

It is so great to see Catelynn through Wesley's eyes. He loves that girl! And she adores him right back. Despite her resistance, he insists upon giving her a hug and kiss before bedtime and naps. They love to entertain each other in the car (usually very loudly!). When she squeals and yells, he says, "Mommy, she is singing her opera." He calls blowing raspberries her "spit opera." She watches him all the time. In fact, the first time she crawled, it was at his prompting and following his example! I'm sure their relationship will not be without its occasional discord and rivalries, but I hope it is always dominated by love.

Something to sink her teeth into

As previously mentioned, Cate is currently cutting teeth...four at the same time, to be precise. As Marc so sweetly said, my "feeders" may be in trouble. These teething toys in the refrigerator make me smile every time I see them. Tonight I was holding Cate on my lap during dinner, feeding her pieces of squash and carrots. In an instant, she had a piece of my prime rib in her mouth!! In one deft nurse-mommy motion, I retrieved the morsel, much to her dismay. Whoa there, Princess! I'm not even sure I have enough teeth for that. (MEAT!)

Vocalization Exercises

It seems the changes come so quickly. One day, I am saying, "No, she's not sitting up yet," and the next day she is proving me wrong. Catelynn--and Wesley, for that matter--sure do keep a smile on my face. With two bottom teeth firmly in place, and a top tooth joining the crowd, Catelynn seems to be exploring her mouth a bit more. Her tongue has become downright fascinating and babbling has added to the daily din around our household. She seems generally in favor of meal times, especially when they involve Cheerios (she actually recognizes and rejoices when she sees the box!) At this particular meal time, she was pulling out all the stops on cuteness. Hysterical.

Baby's First Christmas

Catelynn's joy for life was certainly evident in her Christmas spirit on this, her very first Christmas. She is so sweet, and the holiday seemed to soak up some of that sweetness, making it that much more wonderful for our family. This year, we thank God for two precious gifts: His Son and our daughter.

Studio pictures at Portrait Innovations

"Posing" by the tree

Opening the first gift of the first Christmas (from Wesley)

Too pooped to play. :)