First Day of School

The girls had their first day of Children's Day Out on Tuesday.  We had meet the teacher last week, so Ainslee was able to get a taste of just how much fun she was going to have.  She was very excited to start school!  When I dropped her off at her room this morning she ran right in and started working at their tables.  The teacher had to remind her to tell me goodbye, which I took as a sign she was going to have a great day!  Hattie went into her classroom without a fuss and I am sure she was excited to see so many of her little baby friends in her class. 
The car ride home was quiet, the house was quiet, it was strange.  I ran lots of errands, cleaned up the house, did laundry, ate a quick lunch, and forced myself to relax for about 10 minutes before pick up time.
I got great reports from their teachers.  Apparently Hattie did not cry all day and was a happy little girl.  Ainslee said she had fun and looked exhausted.  She told me she sang songs, played kitchen and legos, ate lunch, played in the gym, and made a friend.  They both took great naps when we got home, so I know they played hard.  I think they are going to have a great year!

Ainslee's first day of school picture

 My best attempt at Hattie's first day of school picture- she was not in the mood

 She also wouldn't hold still for a sister picture.  I thought about "staging" a picture later, but this is real life! :)

Walking!

Hattie had been taking a step or two here and there, but finally decided to really go for it on August 20th.  She took about 7 steps across the kitchen in front of Mommy, Daddy, and Ainslee.  The rest of the afternoon she spent perfecting her new skill.  She is not a 100% walker yet, crawling is still faster and easier, but she is doing very well.  At our church's potluck lunch last Sunday, she learned how to stand from a sitting position, so now she doesn't even have to pull up on something first.  We are so proud of her and she is SUPER proud of herself!

She has also started to do more of this!  And that makes Mommy very happy!  I now see a light at the end of the tunnel on the nursing.

12 Months Old!

Hattie Cakes turned a year old on July 29th!  Daddy made special birthday pancakes for her and we had a playdate at the splashpark with all of our MOPS friends.  I'm pretty sure she was completely oblivious to the festivities, but Ainslee and I sang "Happy Birthday to You!" MANY times. :)  On Saturday we had her birthday party.  I went with an "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream" theme, since she literally screams whenever she sees ice cream, I wish I were kidding... We had lots of friends and family over to help us celebrate Hattie's big day with pizza, fruit/veggies, ice cream cone cupcakes, and of course- lots of ice cream!  I think Hattie had a great time!

12 month stats:
Height: 29 inches
Weight: 17lb 13 oz. 

 Hattie and McKade in the bowl of "Dip and Dots"

 Hattie and her adorable baby friends, Anna, McKade, Jackson, and Caroline

 Ethan Ainslee and Cameron enjoying their pizza...and eyeing the ice cream toppings

 Grandpa and G-Ma

 Aunt Yo's amazing ice cream cone cupcakes!

 The birthday girl!

 Quick cuddles with Mommy

 Enjoying the playground

 She was not too sure about everyone singing to her

 She was SURE about the cake!

 This is right before we finally cut her off

 And right before her bath :)

 Taking her turn at the ice cream cone pinata

 Pop made a fun Pin the Cherry on the Ice Cream Cone game!

 Grammie snuggles next to her birthday wreath

 Great-Putt and Great-Memaw helped us celebrate!

Summer Recap

We have been trying to make the most of our summer and just enjoy the family time before Daddy goes back to work.  I did a terrible job taking pictures this summer, but I'll blame that on the fact that we were all having too much fun to stop for a picture.  Also, the fact that if we went anywhere, it was man-on-man with diaper bags, snacks, and strollers...not conducive to picture taking.  Here is a little recap of our summer events:

• Port Aransas trip with the Kilpatrick family (SUPER FUN!)
• Playdates with friends
• Ainslee's first movie theater experience (Winnie the Pooh)
• Flying L Ranch
• Multiple Sea World trips
• Tubing/Skiing on Grandpa and G-Ma's boat at the river