SO Fun

Last Saturday was my 33rd Birthday! Oddly enough I spent a majority of the day cleaning. Luckily my sweet husband was by my side, which actually made it fun...first at Charlotte Family Housing as part of a service project with some other couples from our church, and later in the bakement doing the usual end of the week scrub down. Later we had a really fun night-- drinks and Izzie entertainment at my parents' and out to dinner and bar-hopping with Brian and my brother and his girlfriend. Nothing better than being with family...it's with those people that I feel most happy and my true self. I never want to take it for granted that they are all just a few miles down the road...I thank my lucky stars everyday!

Isabelle is now 19 months and I am so happy to say that this age is SO much fun. A month or so ago I was worried that the "terrible twos" had begun since I had heard from others that it doesn't necessarily start when your child turns 2....sometimes earlier and sometimes later (I'm hoping never!). But as I look back at those weeks before Christmas I realize that Isabelle was clearly not herself and those daily tantrums and days of fussiness must have been the result of teething or maybe even due to the hectic nature of the season.

Today she is so sweet and happy. We have conversations even though I can't understand anything she says...but she is starting to mimic some things that I say (hurray!). She loves her afternoon nap and is always happy to walk with me to the bedroom at about 1:00 everyday (not sure if it's the nap or the pacifier that she craves most, but she frequently snoozes for 3 hours which makes me very happy). Isabelle is obsessed with coloring and I just love it when I find her sitting at her little table busily drawing with crayons all by herself (which doesn't last very long since she usually demands that I join her!). For some reason Isabelle is always the most fun during the so called "witching hour" for other babies and children. Between her dinner and bedtime she is an absolute delight, usually running laps around the house, making silly noises, dancing and entertaining us.

Running around is her favorite pastime and we both enjoyed a beautiful Spring-like afternoon last week.Mmm, I'm ready for that blue-sky to come back!She pretends to walk on a balance beam (something she learned at Little Gym)!

Take a break for a Crockett hug.My precious mullet-head. Are those bangs ever going to grow?

Ashes, ashes, We all FALL DOWN! Isabelle helped her daddy assemble her little table and chairs from Ikea. The kitchen has been ignored since we got this $20 set. All she wants to do is sit and color. Oh well...thanks anyway, Santa!

A few weeks ago Isabelle spent a Sunday evening with cousins, so a joint bathtime was in order. Isabelle definitely idolizes her older cousin, Betsy Grace, and watched (and copied) her every move. Betsy Grace has been a hugger since the day she understood the word. Hugs in the bath, hugs hello, hugs goodbye, hugs everywhere. Isabelle is finally starting to hug when I ask for one (sometimes), but she is certainly not giving them as freely as little lovebug BG does. Hoping she will rub off on Izzie!They are quite a little pair.This was one of my recent wedding cakes. Now I've got a break from wedding cakes till mid-April. Don't you worry...I'll manage to find ways to fill my time in the bakement! But I am looking forward to having some low-key (maybe even lazy?) Saturdays soon!