Melting My Heart

"I miss you".

Collins told Brian this for the first time a few weeks ago when he got home from work one day. Talk about melting your heart! It was the sweetest thing. Then she started saying "i ruv you" in response to us saying it to her, and it is without a doubt the most precious thing I have ever heard. It thrills me every time she says it.

We are leaving for our ski trip to Park City tomorrow and will be gone for a little over three days. I'm excited about how much fun Collins will have with her grandparents, and I'm excited for us to get away and take a really cool vacation.

But how much did my heart break today when I went in after her nap and she said, "Mama, come back" and I said, "come back from where?" and she said, "ski trip". That one stopped me in my tracks...I had told her a little about our trip because I didn't want her to be confused about where we were. But we hadn't talked about it in awhile and then that randomly comes out? Talk about melting your heart.

All I can say is Collins "we miss you" and "we ruv you", and we'll "be back soon".

 

Bossypants

We were driving in the car yesterday, and Collins said "Take this baby (pointing to herself) to Gigi's house right now!". My first reaction was to laugh really hard. My second thought was "I'm impressed- that's a really long sentence". My third thought was "Wow- my baby is really bossy".

We got home and she kicked me out of the driver seat, plopped herself in my place and started pretend driving. She then said, "Driving to Gigi's house, now!". This girl knows exactly what she wants and now knows how to communicate it. And you know what? She ended up getting what she wanted. :)

New this Week

An introduction to dinosaurs...

a desire to dunk...

a puppet show...

and a new direction on the slide...a fun week!

Back Seat Driver

Overheard from the back seat while driving around town yesterday:

1) "Fast, Mama" (was not speeding promise!)
2) "Whoa, Mama" (we were going around a curve)
3) "New song, Mama" (what she actually prefers toddler tunes over country?)
4) "Rebound!" (listening to State basketball game on radio)

Can you see why it is easy to get distracted while driving with this one? She has also started telling me which way to turn once we get into our neighborhood. This one does not miss a beat!

Two-Year Check-Up

Miss C saw the doctor today for her two-year-old check-up and everything looked great. I know she is growing up fast because she can now do a standing weight and height measurement, she didn't have to get any shots, and this is the last time we have to strip her down to her diaper for a check-up!

Here are her measurements (and this is more for my record-keeping than your interest):
Weight: 27 lbs 8 oz (62%)
Height: 34.125" (87%)
Head circumference: 19 5/8"

She did get her finger pricked to test her blood, but she assures me that her boo-boo is "much better".

Snow Baby

Collins got her first real snow experience on Saturday. She thought it was very cool and didn't want to come back inside!

 

Happy Valentines Day

Silly glasses for a silly holiday!

Happy Birthday C!

Collins turned two years old today. She's been saying "Happy birthday me" for over a week so now she can be official. After Saturday's party, I think she was honestly surprised that there was still more celebrating to do. She said, "another birthday?". :)

As I looked in on her sleeping last night I was amazed to think that two years have already passed. She's nearly as long as her crib now and seems more like a little person than a baby. She has opinions on what to wear, a vocabulary that cracks me up, and a fearlessness on the playground that makes me a little nervous. She's running full-speed into her third year, and I can't wait to go along for the ride. What a fun year it was from one to two- can't wait to see what two to three holds!

Here's the birthay girl ready to go on her special day...

She had a birthday/Valentines party at preschool...her teacher said she was proud of herself for blowing out the candle.

Dinner at Gigi's and Grandpa's house...

Look at her baby's new wheels!

I'm pretty sure what Collins will remember about her second birthday is all the cake. Happy birthday C! We love you!

Celebrating TWO!!!

We had a big birthday bash this weekend to celebrate our little girl turning two. It was a special day filled with happy moments, lots of adorable toddlers, and all kinds of love for the birthday girl. After all, she is a Valentine's baby...

Between a visit from all the grandparents, some cool birthday presents, having all her friends over at one time, and being encouraged to eat cupcakes- Saturday was no doubt Collins's best day EVER. Here is the happy girl in her new tent...

Nana was the first guest invited inside. By the end of the party, I think everyone had taken a tour!

Collins got a pleasant surprise upon waking up from her nap- the arrival of Mimi and Baba!

Then another cool present was revealed (her Dad thought it was important to work on her jump shot this Spring)...

She had been talking about her birthday outfit for weeks so she was pretty excited to finally put on the heart dress for her Valentines-themed party..

 Brian smoked some tasty ribs and turkey breast for the party...

and Alli and I took on the project of making LOTS of cupcakes.

And then everybody began arriving!

We were beyond lucky to get a gorgeous day in February so we could play outside...

Inside we kept the kids busy by decorating sugar cookies (it was a little scary to let them loose with cookies, red icing and sprinkles). Staley and Collins were a cute pair...

Wardrobe malfunction!

Some crafters hard at work on Valentines...

 

What a fun day- thanks to everybody for celebrating this big milestone with us!

 

Apparently the party activities worked up an appetite in the baby because she took out a couple of ribs after everyone left...

Happy second birthday sweet girl!

A Year Later

Yesterday we took advantage of the warm afternoon and hung out in the backyard for the first time in awhile. Collins ran laps around the deck, collected rocks, and played with the basketball while I picked up sticks. Then this moment happened...

which reminded me of this...

and it made me happy to think of where we've been and where we are now. How much she has changed in a year's time! It also made me excited for Spring!

Every Girl Needs One

Instant pick-me-up for a gal having a rough morning?

A new pink tutu of course.

Rookie Mistake

Note to self- if you want Collins to take an afternoon nap DO NOT tell her that when she wakes up we are going to a birthday party where she will get to eat cupcakes.

Girlfriend literally could not fall asleep, and we are still paying for it days later with bad sleeping. But she got her two cupcakes! :)

A New Gig

Almost exactly two years ago, I stopped working full-time to concentrate full-time on a sweet little baby. Being at home with Collins has definitely been one of the great joys of my life. But now that she's almost two and we've gotten ourselves into a comfortable routine, I've decided to take on a new work project.

I recently got hired to help plan a Women's Health Conference for Duke Medicine. The event is in May in Durham so it's only a couple of months of part-time work, and I'll squeeze it in during naps and preschool and whenever else I can find time.

I've definitely felt a little rusty going back into the professional world again. Putting on dress clothes, attending meetings, attempting a mail merge, going on a site visit- it's all been fun but it's also felt a bit odd. I've just been out of this world for a long time, and it's no longer my comfort zone. While she napped today, I made phone calls to some vendors I used to work with. It was nice to re-connect, but it was also nice when Collins woke up and we crawled inside a tent together, and I read her "Where the Wild Things Are". Two very different worlds!