Derek and I want to apologize for our blogging negligence lately. It seems like September and October just snuck past us. We have had such an exciting couple of months!
Derek and I made one last trip to Franklin in early September; where we dropped Anna-Kate off with my grandparents, picked up my sister and headed to Saint Louis for my first Cardinals game!! We had wonderful seats and really enjoyed the game. I don't want to bog this post down with pictures, so here are just a few I took:
Derek was so excited that I was finally at a Cards game with him! And of course I had to sport the "Moms Future MVP" shirt for him!
My sister and I on our way up to the top of the Arch!
Anna-Kate had a wonderful time with my grandmother and even made her first trip to the nail salon! She gets girlier by the day. She loves getting her nails painted and playing in my make up. I have to watch her because she will grab chap stick and lip gloss and layer it on her lips and cheeks!
Anna-Kate at a horse show in Franklin! See her pretty nails!
This is just one example of how Anna-Kate likes to throw on random "accessories." This time she was going out with her baby, but had to take a break to feed it! (We were practicing for baby Thomas)
When we got back to Franklin, my sister and cousin threw me a baby shower! I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was! They are just so thoughtful! I had a great time and we got some really nice things for Thomas!
Anna-Kate and my cousin Greer- aren't they beautiful??!!
Since I was pregnant I believe I can admit that this was my favorite part- the food table!! My cousin knows me so well!! She even had a chocolate fountain!! All of the decor on the table matched the nursery and we were able to use it!
Last fall Anna-Kate loved going to Ryne's football games and this year was no different! She absolutely adores getting outside and watching the game. Well I wish I could say she goes to see her uncle play, but the truth is she adores the cheerleaders! Every time they start, she stops and just stares at them! I've been able to teach her a few cheers so she can join in with the girls. It's so cute! My sister got her a couple of pom poms and I cannot wait for Anna-Kate to take those to the next game!
This is a rare moment for Anna-Kate- she never sits down during the games!
Twirling after one of the cheerleading routines
This game was rainy- but she had so much fun!
Making silly faces at Granddaddy! We can thank Kristen for teaching her this one! :)
Another of Anna-Kate's favorite events last fall was the pumpkin patch. This year we went with my friend Liz and her little boy Ben. We got to pick a pumpkin for everyone and then we went on a hayride. Anna-Kate and Ben enjoyed seeing the animals and they even got to feed a pig! We carved our pumpkins tonight, but I'll wait to reveal those later this week when I blog about Halloween!
They loved the hayride!
Not sure about feeding the pig
I'm so excited to say that Anna-Kate is almost fully potty trained!! We tried off and on all summer, but she just wasn't ready! Finally, late September she started showing more interest and it didn't take long before she caught on to the whole idea! Derek and I have been really hesitant to get too excited because we've been afraid she'd regress once Thomas got here, but so far she's doing great! The only time she's wearing a diaper is overnight. We've not begun to train her for that because she's still sleeping in her crib and we want her to be able to get herself out of bed to use her potty. I do have to admit, it seems like Derek and I were the ones who needed potty training! It's not tough being 9 months pregnant and potty training a 2-year old! Luckily our little girl has a mind of her own! :)
I have lots of pictures like this from the first few days of potty training!
I have some exciting news of my own! In late September a friend approached me about helping her with a full-service design project. What a blessing that was! I hope to get a chance to blog about that sometime in the near future!
Last but certainly not least, Derek, Anna-Kate and I welcomed our newest family member almost exactly two weeks ago! It so nice to finally have the little guy here! He's absolutely perfect! I'll post a couple of pictures, but I plan on making a more complete post in the next few days!