2 1/2 year old

Our big girl!




Katelyn has changed and grown up so much in these past 6 months. Her communication is unbelievable and how much she understands and can communicate back is amazing. Her vocabulary is growing daily and she talks all the time! She is a wonderful big sister and always introducing Haley to everyone we meet or that comes to her house. You love to hug and give her kisses. She loves to help get diapers and wipes and Haley's paci when she gets fussy.

Katelyn is in preschool and absolutely loves it! She knows every one's name in her class and talks about them all the time. She loves to sing the songs she has learned and loves to show off all the crafts she has made.

Here are some stats:

Height: 36 inches

Weight: 28 lbs

Clothes: 2T and some 3T

Shoes: size 8 toddlers

Sleeps about 10-12 hrs at night.

Naps: some days you take them, other days you have quiet time in your room.

Foods: likes grilled cheese and loves vegetable soup, you are now eating spaghetti
and lasagna now.

Totally in a big girl bed.

Do pretty well getting yourself dressed and can put on your own shoes.

Wish we could say you were attempting to be potty trained, but you could care less.

She knows all her ABCs saying them and reading them.

Can count to 15 pretty good.

Knows all her shapes and colors.

Is starting to be able to spell her name.

She can start and stop and change dvds in her dvd player.

She can draw pictures of people with a great circle for a face and then adds all the features.

Loves to sing. Her favorites are " Holy, Holy" and " Jesus Loves Me"


Sayings of a 2 1/2 year old:

" Mommy, i need to pump! ( as she tries to put together my breast pump)

" What is it?" ( Asks alot )

" Why?"

" What's that noise, Mommy?" ( she asks all the time)

So one time after asking," What's that noise? I responded with that's music, and she responds NO, mommy, its Holy Holy! Which was the song that was playing. She loves to sing Holy, Holy, which she has learned from bible school, but according to Katelyn that is not music.

Another saying: Me: " Katelyn, you are a smart cookie!"
Katelyn: " Mommy, I am not a cookie, I am a big girl!" ( so true)

Thanksgiving 2011 (Part 2)

Thanksgiving night we head over to my dad's parents for some more good food and fun times with family. My cousin, Hunter and his wife, have just recently had a baby boy, Braxton, so lots more kids to have fun with!

Mark and Haley

Heather and Braxton

Brileigh and Katelyn playing

Amanda and Brileigh


The day after Thanksgiving we had my cousins from my mom's side over to have our Thanksgiving together. We had a fried turkey for this one and it was delicious. It was such a beautiful day too we were able to eat outside around the pool. Here is a group photo. We missed having Smith there, but she was in Peru studying abroad, but we will see her at Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2011 ( Part 1)

This year for the holidays will be the first year we dont have to travel anywhere!!! Yeah!!! It was so nice to have family come stay with us and celebrate Thanksgiving here both in Rocky Mount for David's family and in Wilson for mine! We had David's cousins stay with us the night before Thanksgiving because they were traveling from Winston Salem, so we all enjoyed the kids playing and good pizza!

The guys and girls playing candy land!


Thanksgiving lunch was at David's mom where we fit 50 people in her garage and house for everyone to eat! The food was delicious and all had a great time! We were even able to get lots of pictures!


Katelyn and Tabitha

Tabitha, Bryan, Katelyn and David

Katelyn and Hannah

Family photo

The Collins Clan!

Great Ama and all her great grandkids and a few parents holding some!

The grandkids and Ama!

Haley's Baptism

David and I were both raised Episcopalian and though we don't agree with everything in the way the church has gone, we still love an infant baptism. David worded it best, " As Father George, told us that an infant baptism is "us answering for Haley in that she will follow Christ and that we will lead her". And when he says "us" he means more than just the parents, more then just the immediate family, more than just Godparents. He is meaning all that surround Haley in her life."

Beautiful Haley on her special day!


We had Katelyn baptized at one month and she wore the same gown that i had worn and all the " Elizabeths" in our family. Haley had the honor of wearing David's grandmother's father's gown, so to say that this is a family heirloom, is putting it mildly. It is 109 years old and still is great shape. I was scared to put it on her, but she looked beautiful in it and to see David's grandmother's face was priceless.

Thanks to all that came to support us and Haley on this wonderful day, especially Natalie. David and I asked Natalie to be Haley's Godmother and she gladly accepted. Natalie and I's friendship started in college in nursing school, but we have known each other since high school as competitors on the basketball court! If you would have told us we would be such great friends now back in high school, we would have told you you were crazy! It is amazing how God brings people in your life and how He can use and change those friendships. I am so glad He changed this one into an amazing friendship and now to be the Godmother of one of my daughters is even more special.

Natalie and Haley

Big Sis and Haley in her beautiful gown

Father George, Natalie, and us

All our family that made this day special.

My side of the family.

David's immediate family

2 Months Old

2 Months OLD!


I know time goes by quickly, it has with Katelyn, but i feel like it is even faster with Haley. I am still sleep deprived, but its hard to believe its already Novemeber! Haley you are developing your own personality and starting to "coo" and talk some. You can definitily track things now, especially your mommy! You are a mommy's girl! It is amazing how fussy you can get and the second you get back in mommy's arms you are as quiet as a mouse! Daddy doesnt think you like him, but you are starting to know him well too! You absolutely love your big sister though and she loves you. Katelyn has to becareful though because at times she thinks you are as big as she is.

STATS

Weight: 11.3 lbs

Length: 22 inches

Head: 14 cm

Clothes: a few 0-3 months still fit, but mostly 3 months clothes.

Diapers: Size 1

Sleep: Takes 3 naps a day at least, then at night you are still waking up at least
twice to eat. Soon you will be moving to your crib.

Eating: I am finally getting you to space out feedings to every 3 hours and i think
you are taking around 3 ozs a feeding.

You love to take a bath and to swing.

You have found your hands and love to have them in your mouth.

You are doing better at taking a paci, but its still not your favorite thing, you are starting to like your fingers though.

Haley you are a great rider in the car which is great because we are all over the place most days.

You are starting to smile and anyday now you are going to start "cooing"!

Your neck control is amazing and you are about to turn over from your stomach to your back on the left side.

Until next month....

Happy Halloween 2011

For Halloween this year, my brother John found Katelyn this really cute NC State Cheerleader outfit to wear as her costume. She was so cute and I already had some bows that went perfect in her hair! I looked around for what to dress Haley as and decided to stick with the red and black colors and dress her as a lady bug! I am not a huge fan of this date, but we enjoyed seeing the girls dressed up. Of course Katelyn loves getting candy. It rained the whole night, so we just went to Gigi's then to Maggie's church's fall festival, then headed home. Katelyn had fun playing games and getting candy. Haley was a good sport being in her costume, but she didnt last long in it, so we only got a few pics.

All smiles!

Sweet big sister and Haley in her pumpkin outfit.

Mommy and her girls!

Family photo

Ahmpa and his girls!

Maggie and lady bug Ella and me with lady bug Haley

Ahmpa with his lady bug and John(maggies dad)with his lady bug


Katelyn digging for candy!

Katelyn's Halloween Program 2011

Katelyn's preschool has a little program for the kids all dressed up for Halloween. They paraded around the gym then sang a few songs, then they go back to their classroom. They were all really cute! Katelyn sings all the songs at home, but she got stage freight during the program. Look for my little NC State cheerleader!

Haley and Ella waiting for their big siblings programs!

Katelyn in the parade

Caleb and Katelyn attempting to sing

Ahma, Haley, Katelyn and mommy after the show!

Zoo Crew Visit

David's mom has a big family with 4 other brothers and sisters, so it is always hard to visit with everyone just at Thanksgiving, so one weekend we decided to get his uncle's family, which he has 4 children and 5 grandchildren, together in Rocky Mount to hang out. Leslie and Sarah and their kids stayed at our house. Their husbands werent able to make it, so David and little Jack were the only guys with 6 women in the house and we had 5 kids under 5! The kids did really well playing together and the little ones are so cute! It was alot of fun though and we hope to do it again soon!

The whole crowd


Jack and Caroline

Katelyn, Anna, and Nia swinging

All the kids eating dinner, lots of high chairs!

Bath time! Katelyn and Anna had a blast with Aunt Cathy.

Thanks uncle ( cousin) Wes for the donuts! Yummy!