Zoo Fun Fun!

Today I had the pleasure of joining Poppy, "Uncle" Oscar, Ian and Preston (my two best buds) at the Dallas Zoo for a day of fun!

If you live in the Dallas area and haven't visited the zoo lately, you really should give it a try.  In the past, my family has always considered the Fort Worth Zoo to be far superior to Dallas' version.  After our trip today, though, Poppy was incredibly impressed with how far the Dallas Zoo has come!

They had this little wading pool that I quickly took advantage of.  Thankfully, Poppy had the foresight to take off my leggings before turning me loose in this thing.

There was also a great petting zoo area.  I ran from animal to animal, checking them all out and giving each one a speedy little pat.

Preston and I even got to ride on a real live camel!  How cool is that?!

This butterfly bench was the perfect spot for Ian and I to chillax in while enjoying a little popscicle snack.

 We were able to feed the giraffes a little snack, too.  No popscicles for them, though...only lettuce.

As we were leaving the zoo, I noticed a vendor selling popcorn.  I asked Poppy for some, and he said he'd make some for me when we got back to his house.  Ever true to his word, Poppy let me indulge in popcorn and a PB sandwich before my afternoon nap.

Thanks for a great day, Poppy!  I sure did have fun.

A Little About Baby #2

It's been a while since I said much about the baby growing inside of Mommy's belly.  I'm super excited about being a big sister, though, so I guess I should fill you in a bit.

First of all, he is a boy!  I really thought I was going to have a baby sister, but now I'm looking forward to a baby brother.  It may or may not have helped when Daddy pointed out the fact that I won't have to share as many of my toys now.

Second, Mommy gets lots of questions about how this pregnancy has compared to her pregnancy with me.  Over and over, I hear her say that this pregnancy was been very different.  She dealt with "morning sickness" and exhaustion much further into the second trimester than she did with me.  She's also had headaches, backaches, and lots of pelvic pressure this time around.  Thankfully, her doctor says that's all pretty normal with baby #2.

For the most part, the above mentioned issues have all resolved themselves.  The backaches and exhaustion are still hanging around, though.  Mommy really hasn't been able to pick me up much since the beginning of the year because it really bothers her back.  I have learned to be satisfied with her "holding" me while she sits on the couch or a chair, though, so it's not so bad.

If you ask me, the best part of this whole pregnancy thing is watching Mommy's belly grow.  I love to pat her tummy and talk to my baby brother.  I tell him that I'm his big sister and I'll teach him a lot when he gets here.  So far, I plan to show him the ropes of baby signs, drinking from a bottle, and sitting in a high chair.

Auntie has been taking official baby bump pictures of Mommy, but Mommy won't approve any of them for blog purposes.  They've all been taken at night when she looks and feels totally exhausted, so I can only post this mediocre picture right now.  It was taken last Saturday after a commercial shoot that Mommy and Daddy were part of.

(In case you aren't sure, that's Mommy in the green shirt.) 

This week is Spring Break for Mommy, so maybe we'll manage to get a belly pic of her in the morning when she's looking her freshest.

Very Hungry Katerpillar Pary (1 month late)

My 3rd birthday party was almost a month ago, but I still have fond memories of that fun day.  Here are a few of the highlights.

By far, the star of the show was the Very Hungry Caterpillar cake that "Aunt" Michele made.  Isnt' it gorgeous?!

As you can see, the cake's beauty didn't keep any of us from devouring it! 

 Of course, presents are always a hit at a kid's birthday party, too.  Some of my favorite gifts were the games Pop the Pig, Don't Break the Ice, and What's on My Head.  I also really like the myPC keyboard and mouse that Leila gave me!

Mommy, of course, loved all of the new additions to my closet.

Mommy completely forgot to get a picture of the food table, but if you squint juuuust right you can kind of make it out in this shot.  And, if you look extra closely, you can see that the VHC quilt my Nana made for me before I was born.  It made the perfect party tablecloth!

Just a few days before the party, we found out that my Hill Country cousins were going to be able to make the 6 hour trek to join us for the celebration. I was sooo happy to be able to spend some time with them! This is me with my baby cousin, C-Wa. McB and I apparently never stood still enough to get a picture of the two of us taken.

Mommy thought I should throw this picture in because she thinks it looks like Leila and I are praying together.  In reality, nothing nearly that serious or mature is going on here.  We're just checking out that keyboard she gave me!

If you've seen any of the pictures from my 1st and 2nd birthday parties, you can tell that Mommy didn't put so much effort into this one.  That's okay, though, because I had a ton of fun with things just the way they were. 

 And, as my "Aunt" Brandi has already told Mommy, "You're pregnant...that's an excuse for a minimum of 18 months."

11 Questions Tag Up

Jessica, Mommy's blog friend from theparsonagefamily.com, tagged her in this little questionnaire (which is one of those words Mommy can never remember how to spell). Mommy and I decided that we would make the questionnaire info a combined effort... so the first 11 fun facts are all about me, and the 11 answers to Jessica's questions are all about Mommy!

The concept of this tag up come from Leslie at A Blonde Ambition.

The Rules
• You must post the rules.
• Post 11 fun facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the tagger posted for you, then create 11 questions to ask the people you've tagged.
• Tag 11 people and link them in your post.
• Let them know you have tagged them.


11 Fun Facts About Katie Bug

1. I am a little speed racer on my Radio Flyer trike. And I don't discriminate about where to ride it, either. The house, sidewalk, and street all work equally well for me.

2. I can distinguish between words that do and do not rhyme, produce my own rhyming words, and orally blend words. These facts really get Mommy excited because they are all major prerequisites for reading.

3. I am a thumb sucker and a hair twirler. Both at the same time, please.

4. I seem to have inherited both of my parents culinary vices. Candy (thank you, Mommy) and chips (thanks, Daddy) are my weaknesses!

5. Before I take a nap or go to bed at night, everything has to be "put in it's place" in my bedroom. There is rarely a stray sock, piece of play food, or picture book that escapes my notice.

6. I very much despise the "Happy Birthday" song.

7. I have about 12 dress up costumes that I play with on a regular basis.

8. I am a world class cuddler.

9. I am also a world class bed-time-staller. This is largely due to the fact that I have figured out that neither of my parents is very likely to say no to my requests for more cuddles!

10. I order my own drinks and meals at restaurants (most of the time). Thankfully, Mommy and Daddy still pick up the tab.

11. I'm getting ready to be a big sister!


Jessica's 11 Questions w/ Mommy's Answers (and in Mommy's own words)

1. Where would you go if you had an all-expenses paid trip somewhere? This is a toughie! It would probably be a toss up between London and Sydney. Jer and I were initially planning on London for our honeymoon destination, but we decided to change course when we realized we could take an all-inclusive cruise for much, much less. We were very happy with our decision, but promised each other that we'd go to London someday.
As far as Sydney goes, we really thought we were going to move there at one point. Hillsong Church had (and maybe still has) a worship school there that Jer wanted to attend. Obviously, we changed course (again), but this time because we believed God was leading us in a different direction.

2. What do you remember about kindergarten? A lot! My teacher's name was Mrs. Horn, and in my mind she was about 70 years old. I remember playing the "Quiet Game" at the end of the day on the first day of school and wanting so, so badly to be picked...then bursting into tears when someone finally called on me because I didn't want to go to the front of the class and stand in front of everyone.
I also remember crawling into the tunnel on the playground (away from the teacher's field of vision) to kiss a little boy named Brian. Having a tonsillectomy, scooting around the gym on little wheely boards, learning to read, and being picked on by Jimmy White are just a few of my other kindergarten memories.

3. Where did you and your spouse go on your first date? Breadwinner's Bakery and Bistro in Uptown Dallas. It's still one of our favorite date spots.

4. It's 10:30 pm on a weeknight. What are you doing? If I'm thinking clearly, I'm just about to get in bed and read a few pages in whatever book is currently at the top of my nightstand stack. On nights when my head isn't so clear, I'm running around like crazy trying to take care of last minute details for the next morning.

5. What did your senior prom dress look like? I actually didn't go to my senior prom. My Senior Walk dress was very promworthy, though. It was a slinky, bright blue, spaghetti strap, beaded number with rhombus cut outs on the stomach and an open back. It was incredibly risque for me!

6. If you could instantly be fluent in one language, what would it be? This one's a no brainer! It be Spanish, for sure. Living in Texas, the ability to speak Spanish would open up so many doors for me on a personal, professional, and ministerial level.

7. What is the proudest moment of your life? Probably giving birth to Katie Bug. I spent my late teens and early twenties terrified of childbirth, so facing that fear was very empowering for me.

8. Are there any words people say you pronounce funny? Not around here. When we visit with family from Illinois, Canada, and Wisconsin, though, they often chuckle at my "Texan accent".

9. What do people need to know about you to "really" know you? I was once dead in my sins, but have been made alive in Christ. Colossians 2: 13-14

10. What was your favorite class in college? It's a three way tie between Bible Study (which was a deceptively simple name for such a life changing class), Scripture and Ethics, and Children's Literature.

11. You're craving something salty. What do you grab? Ha! I rarely crave salt, so it would have to be one of those trail mixes with M&M's and chocolate chips. Or maybe a pickle...I have craved those a teensy bit with this pregnancy.

I'm tagging Kelly, Tanya, and Brooke in this little game. And because I'm too lazy to think up my own questions, I'll just tell you to answer the 11 questions above.