Little Lady in Red

CAN'T keep her hands off the ornaments.

Thinks she MUST be able to stand on the top of the step ladder.

Is really DIFFICULT to get to look at the camera AND smile!

Loves to put her hands in her POCKETS!

Deck the halls!

Anna Kate helped decorate the tree... kind of. She put one ornament on, threw the next one like a ball, and then pulled the tops off two other ornaments. Good thing they are shatter-proof ornaments! Mike had to take her upstairs so I could finish decorating the tree. It looks great, for now, but I'm thinking we may have put the tree up a little too early this year!

It happened again!

I forgot to take a picture of Anna Kate today! It is only the second time in her entire 17.5 months of life so I think we will be just fine. There wasn't much opportunity to get one anyway. We left at 9:30 am for the airport and arrived back home at 4 pm. Anna Kate fell asleep in the car by 4:30 and didn't wake up until 11:30 pm. I actually remembered then but decided not to get out of bed for a picture! I'm sure Anna Kate appreciated that as well:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Anna Kate had a great Thanksgiving! I think she had her tongue out all day. It couldn't have been because of all the good food because all she would eat was jello! Everything else was "yucky" or "hot."

For the talent show, Anna Kate did a somersault (with help from Daddy) and then signed "thank you." How talented!

Fun new toys

Anna Kate had fun playing with her cousins and especially liked playing with new-to-her toys!

Viva Las Vegas

Mike, Anna Kate and I flew into Las Vegas late Monday night. And since Anna Kate doesn't sleep unless she is in a crib she was awake until we made it to our hotel at midnight! That made for a long night!

After doing a little shopping and eating lunch at In-N-Out Burger we headed to the strip to check a few things out. We started out at the Bellagio to see their garden room. It was really pretty.

However, Anna Kate looked like this almost the entire time:

Because she was scared of these:

The trees changed expressions and blinked. They were pretty cool but Anna Kate didn't think so!

Next, we headed outside to check out the fountains. We got a great view of Paris!

We waited and waited for the show but it didn't happen. (We found out later that the fountains don't start until 3 pm and we were there at 1 pm.)

We decided to check out Caesars Palace. Anna Kate loved the aquarium! She pointed to all the fish and made fishy noises at them.

Best Friends!

Anna Kate and her blanket.

Baby Love

Anna Kate loves her baby doll!

She often carries her around and "feeds" her with bottles and spoons. Today baby got to sit in the booster seat.

She wanted baby to go in her crib with a blanket but when we said, "Nigh-night," Anna Kate started to cry and wanted baby out of the crib!

Anna Kate used her manners really well this morning. Usually she gets frustrated and whines or screams and I have to remind her to say please. But this morning she was saying please, help please and up please all without whining! Maybe she is finally getting it!

In hiding...

You can't see me!

Laundry Basket Fun

Anna Kate was having fun putting things (like a giant ball) in a laundry basket and then climbing in it herself. I threw a blanket on top of her and she thought that was great. She leaned her head back and said, "Nigh-nigh."

She loves to chew on the blanket tassles.

Bundled Up Baby

Bottoms Up!

Anna Kate and I had fun playing after church!

Just for fun

Cute accessories!

She kept putting the animal crackers in her mouth, taking them out and then sticking them on her face. Her dad promises he did not teach her this!

I was growling at her and she thought it was hilarious!

Anna Kate is just so sweet!

I stood on a stool to take this picture and she kept telling me to "sit."

Free Photo Book

You can get a free photo book from Snapfish.com by going to:

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081029_tows_messyhouse/7

You have to sign up today and have your book ordered by Sunday night. It is really easy to do!

Thanks Tari, Jenny and Tiffany for the info!

17 months old

What Anna Kate is up to:

Likes to close doors and then call out, "Mommy!" so I will open it back up. (Today she shut her door and then locked it!)

Helps "clean" using washcloths or baby wipes.

Sings "Clean-up, Clean-up" anytime she is putting something away.

Says, "Mommy!" when I come into her room in the morning.

Refuses to sit in her high chair - only wants her booster seat.

Says, "kerkle" at every circle she sees. Also identifies diamonds ("imon"), stars and ovals.

Is getting to be a VERY picky eater. She even says "yucky" when she doesn't want to eat something.

When she eats something she likes, she says, "Mm-mm, yummy!"

Can say "cookie" and "cupcake."

Says, "Ahh" when she sees pictures of babies.

Likes to lay in the bath on her belly and tries to blow bubbles.

Says goodbye and gives kisses to her bath toys when I let the water out of the tub.

Loves to play peek-a-boo.

Sleeps about 12 or so hours at night.

Takes about a 2 hour nap - except today - she wouldn't go to sleep.

Tickles herself or our feet and says, "tika-tika."

Tries to sing the ABC's - she is really good at E-F-G!

Likes to play with puzzles and shape sorters.

Says, "Up please!" and "Help please!" when she wants up and help.

Loves to dig through all our kitchen drawers.

Wants to take her blanket with her everywhere - even into the bath tub.

Runs everywhere and climbs on everything!

Likes to color with crayons.

Hides her eyes and says, "Peek boo!"

Says, "Owie" when she gets hurt.

If one of us says, "Owie" she starts to cry - we aren't sure if it compassion or confusion.

Wants her blanket wrapped around her so she can still walk around.

Screams when she's sad, frustrated and just for fun - sometimes it takes us a minute to figure out which one.

Loves to stir and taste when she plays with her kitchen stuff.

Is getting better at following directions, such as: clean up, put that in your room, say _____, etc.

Wants to read books and does really well filling in some words.

Enjoys playing with magnets on the fridge.

Says, "Ready, set go!"

Weighs about 21.5 pounds.

Wears size 4 or 5 shoes and 12-18 and some 18-24 month clothes.

One crazy gal

Anna Kate in the middle of saying "Uh-oh!" because...

... she had dumped out her oatmeal! Lovely!

She put this hat on herself (I promise we have the heat on). I love how she is leaning against the wall.

It took her a while, but she was finally able to get into the cabinet WITH her blanket and close the door as well. Once she got in she laid her head down on her blanket... maybe she wants to move in.

She insisted on wearing these boots all evening. I kept taking them off and she kept putting them back on.

I told her, "Give me a kiss!" and this is the face I got along with some fishy kissy noises!

So smart!

Anna Kate has been wanting me to help her climb into the entertainment center cabinet by saying "Up please!" over and over. Someone, who will remain nameless, helped her up one day and she has been wanting to do it again ever since.

Today she figured out if she pulled out the bottom drawer she could easily climb in all by herself.

Yeah!?!