Little Lady

Natalie looked so cute this morning we just had to share a few pictures. She actually kept this headband on most of the morning. At church she remembered it was on and, of course, had to promptly remove it. But when an older gentleman (a regular member of Natalie's church fan club) picked it up off the floor and attempted to put it on his own head she all of a sudden had to have it back on HER head. Reverse psychology works every time.

Digging in the Dirt

Just some cute pictures of Natalie playing in the tomato plant dirt......don't you just want to nibble on those arms?

Thank you, Grandma Betty

We took Grandma Betty to the airport today and it wasn't fun. When Natalie realized she wasn't getting back in the car, she started holding her arms out and crying...while buckled into her car seat. It was heartbreaking! She finally stopped screaming and cracked a smile on the way home after my 7th, off-key, raspy, totally made-up verse of "Wheels on the Bus".

She became so attached to Betty this trip that Corey and I were a little concerned she would tuck herself in Grandma's suitcase and head to Michigan. The frightening part is, we're not sure Grandma would have reported the luggage discovery until she'd had a few more weeks with Natalie!

Thank you, Grandma, for a wonderful week. We miss you!

On one of their daily walks

Playing "Peek-A-Boo" (currently Natalie's favorite)

Grandma learned this can go on for HOURS!

Yes, Natalie had to sit on Grandma's lap while she had her cereal

...and even needed to taste it!

And yes, Natalie's most requested book to be read to her is "I Like Me".

I don't think there are any current self esteem problems with this kid!

Hopefully, we can keep it that way.

A Spoon, A Fork and a Big Girl Cup, Please?

Natalie is now loving using a fork and spoon with her meals. She does a great job, too! And yesterday she insisted on drinking from a regular cup (all by herself) ...which she handles remarkably steady. There is hardly any spilling, but somehow she ends up with a milk beard instead of a moustache! Hmmmmm. She's just growing up too fast!

Grandma Time!

Grandma Betty has been visiting this week and Natalie is loving every minute of it...we all are. She loves the extra cuddles, attention and activity...and Corey and I are loving her company, too, as well as the freedom that comes with a resident Grandma! It's a whole new world and I dare not get too used to it or next week is going to hurt!

Trip to Charleston

We just returned from our anniversary trip to Charleston, SC....and to sum this city up in one word...CHARMING! What a great place. We walked and we walked and we walked the streets looking at beautiful, enormous homes and quaint, manicured gardens. When our feet just wouldn't walk anymore, we rented bikes and toured more neighborhoods on wheels.

The architecture is just amazing...such grand homes and most of them are older than my home state! We took a carriage ride through town, toured the Magnolia Plantation and ate wonderful meals at some really great restaurants. What a great trip...we can't wait to go back.

First stop, the Magnolia Plantation...according to our Southern Belle tour guide, the original house was burned to the ground by those pesky Union Soldiers during the "War of Northern Agression."  The rebuild is not too shabby.  The grounds were amazing, in need of a little love and a lot of pruning, but still amazing.  We learned that the front of a plantation house actually faced the river (as that is the way most visitors and residents would arrive). 

Next up...the streets of Charleston.  Amazing. Charming. Historic. Did I already say charming?

A special thanks to Grandma Betty who manned the home front with Natalie so her parents could escape to the low country. It was our first time leaving her overnight. On the third day I turned to Corey and said, "I really miss her today for kind of the first time". He looked at me, horrified, and said, "I've missed her since we left...what's wrong with you?" I guess it just took me a little longer to get Natalie-sick but when it hit I was so ready to get home and squeeze her!

Baby in a Box

Natalie and Scarlet are getting to be better friends these days. It's mostly because they share many of the same interests....playing with tissue paper, hiding behind large houseplants, toys that jingle and BOXES. The other night these two jumped in and jumped out of this box for at least thirty minutes.

They'd both get in....they'd both get out.....Scarlet would get in....she'd get out....Natalie would get in....then, clap for herself, of course....then she'd get out. You get the idea. I'm not sure why our house is so littered with baby toys and kitty toys when all we need is an empty box.

The Blanket

Well, Grandma....Natalie loves this blanket so much it now goes everywhere with us. Last night, it almost went in the bathtub!

Before Natalie was born, my Grandmother crocheted two beautiful lavender blankets and they've been a nap time and bedtime companion from the beginning. Well, now Natalie takes it upon herself to get either blanket between the slats of her crib and carries one or both around with her most of the day. I keep putting them back in the crib and she keeps getting them out. I find them everywhere...only having been abandoned once she's found something way too tempting to pass up. So, if they're missing in action at nap time they're usually near the cat food bowls, the computer printer or the DVD player! She's pretty predictable.

Last night she didn't want to let go of it to take a bath. I tried to explain that blankets take baths in the washing machine...not the bathtub. I ended up setting the blanket on the toilet next to the tub so she could see it....it was the only way I could coax her into the tub without it. As soon as she got out, she grabbed it and off she went. I think we have an official comfort companion.

She definitely prefers it draped around her like a big shawl.

Yes, she's laying her head down on the side of the tub....while standing.

The blanket is always accompanied by the thumb!

She'd prefer to go to sleep just like this!

Our Sweet Girl...

These are just some sweet pictures I took of Natalie the other day. She loves the window in the front room because it's just the right height for her to have a full view of the front yard and street. She gets so excited when she sees walkers (especially those with dogs) that she'll just start shouting and squealing at them.

Speaking of Natalie, the neighborly greeter....last night a couple came to our door selling something. I wasn't interested, but Natalie was so excited to have visitors (I think one of her favorite sounds is the doorbell). After they left I shut only the front glass storm door so she could keep looking out. Well, at least 20 minutes later I heard Natalie "talking" and giggling in the entry hall...she was still standing in front of the storm door waving to the couple. They had used our driveway to turn around, she made eye contact and there they sat...in their car, waving to Natalie who was just so pleased with the attention!

Our 6th Anniversary

Today, Corey and I celebrated our 6th anniversary! We had a really nice day...we took a walk in one of our favorite neighborhoods and then around downtown, we stopped at a lemonade stand created by 3 cute little girls down the street from us who actually offered us a sprig of mint and a napkin with our lemonade (such little budding and stylish entrepreneurs) and ended the day with a picnic in the park...with Natalie in tow, of course!

A funny picnic note...on our way out the door I grabbed this box of Harry and David crackers that came in a gift basket a while ago (I figured our anniversary picnic deserved a better cracker then a regular ol' Triscuit)...well, one bite of these fancy crackers and it was obvious they had come into our kitchen a long, long while ago.

When we looked at the date on the box it read July of 2005. Whoops! Well, sadly, there was no convincing Natalie that these crackers were awful. She started crying when we took them away. We finally let her play with them and much to our dismay she kept nibbling on them as she sorted, stacked and squashed them. I guess we need to start serving her tastier snacks so she develops more discerning tastes!

Such a serious little face on Natalie!

Natalie enjoying her stale crackers...poor girl...she doesn't really know what a good cracker tastes like!