catherine's first ponytail=)

here you are with your first ponytail=) you were very proud of it! look how cute you are!

potty time with elmo

just elmo. not catherine, yet. we'll venture down that road once we're settled in clemson.

a few months ago a friend told daddy and me about the video "potty time with elmo" and that it was pretty hilarious.

side note: every time mommy goes shopping with gigi, your daddy expects us to come back with a surprise for him....

one day gigi and i went to target and i decided i should get that video for daddy as his surprise. daddy, not catherine. again, not yet.

so daddy loved his surprise, and our friends weren't lying. that movie is flippin funny. everybody talking about what they personally call their poo-poo or tee-tee. awesome.

and while daddy and i obviously enjoy this entertainment, you love the video too. it is hands down your favorite. "POTTY" you say, every time we ask if you want to watch a movie. this isn't really appropriate talk for public viewing, but i'm gonna tell you anyway. when you're in the bath tub and you see us using the potty, you get a big grin on your face and start giggling and say "potty! potty!". you're very entertained by the whole subject...

my favorite song on the video is called "accidents happen." elmo and grover sing it together and man do i love it. and what i really wanted to tell you is that i've had grover's sweet little voice stuck in my head all day, singing "sometimes you are just not sure, if you should go to the potty or play some more!" i love what you've done to me my sweet girl=)

you are the most fun. what an interesting little world you've opened up to your parents=)

mommy

we like making faces at each other through the front door=)

are you cute or what?

i think the face you're making here looks just like your daddy

tidbits from surgery

snuggling before surgery

making silly faces

watching a movie with daddy

today right before we went home. this is what you did when i asked you to "show me your neck."

surgery...and the lake

hi love~




you're in surgery right now. they're gonna do a bronchoscopy to make sure your airway looks alright, then they'll close up the hole where your trach was. to do this they'll cut out the area where the hole is now to get rid of the tract, then they'll stitch up each layer-trachea, muscle, skin. so it's just the tiniest bit more complicated than it sounds. they gave you some versed about 30 minutes before they took you back to the OR and you were hi-larious! giggling at everything and so so sweet. we got a video of some of it but that was before the medicine kicked in full force. daddy and i were cracking up...right along with you. it made mama feel better=) i was nervous about the surgery to begin with, but maybe more nervous about you being terrified as they took you away from us to the OR. but as it turns out, you gladly went to lauren the anesthesiologist blowing us kisses and waving and not fussing one bit. score one for versed, i guess!







so i'm writing this letter to pass the time and not think about them doing surgery on your sweet little throat. you'd think i'd be used to this, right? i don't think i am. or maybe it's just because you're older and you have a little more of an idea what's going on. and therefore you don't like it. unless they give you versed, that is=)



we got back from the lake last night at 8pm. and then left the house at 4:30 this morning to get you to charlottesvile. that was a side note. what i want to tell you is the lake was so much fun!!! you learned a new phrase: "OH BOY!!". you're so funny saying it. you get very proud of yourself. you danced and sang and danced and sang with gigi and played with jackson so sweetly. you two missed anna cate so much and can't wait to see her next month!! another new thing you love is to hold our hands. you're such a little sweetie-you'll reach up from the back seat so we can all hold hands while we're riding down the road. you met a new doll anna (anna cate's old doll) at the lake and fell in love. you and pearl and anna had lots of fun. (pearl is your other doll. i don't know if i've told you about her but she's been a big hit ever since she joined our family a couple weeks ago.) you loved boat rides even more than last year. i think you would've gladly jumped over the front as we sped along the lake if we hadn't been holding on to you. i could go on and on, but i'll let the pictures speak for themselves!




i love you sweet baby. i am anxiously looking forward to you being out of surgery. i'll miss your "neck poots" and your blow hole.





mommy

ps-dr rodgers just called while i was uploading the pictures and said you're all finished and you're starting to wake up in the OR. he said you did great and were stable the whole time. your airway looked perfect and he stitched it up with no problem. we should probably go home early tomorrow morning. well done sweet girl=)

you teaching grandmama things.

you LOVE to rock in rocking chairs.

big girl



i think your face is hilarious here. i think you might've been pooping.

"BOAT!"

you and jackson. obviously having a good time on the boat!

there you are. thinking about leaping off into the water.

you're so happy!!!

you and me. singing on the boat.

i'm layin' one on you. big time.

you and sweet jackson. again, looking very happy=)

i couldn't resist.

just in case you're wondering, that's your dress on daddy's head.