Watch Me

This week Casey got to spend some time at the gym.  She played in daycare, went swimming, and started up tumbling again.  She is very comfortable in the baby pool nowadays.  she walks all over and as it gets deeper, she goes on her tip toes, but keeps walking.  She likes sitting on the edge of the pool and "jumping" in...basically I put my hands under her arms and pull her in.  She loves the kitchen in the gym daycare. The highlight of tumbling was the stamp she gets at the end of the class was put on her foot. 

Saturday, Casey hung with Daddy all day, while Mommy went snowboarding.  We had friends over later and Casey had a blast reading to everyone and showing them all her toys.

Other than that, it was a quiet week.
 

getting ready for bathtime

removed all the bath toys, so she and baby could sit in it

Cheesing it up

listen to her say..."watch me"

Taos

We were in Taos this weekend. Casey spent Saturday and Sunday at the Taos Ski Valley Daycare, while we got to ride all weekend. They need snow, just like Summit County does, but we had fun. On the way back to Denver, we stopped off at the Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs.

Earlier this week, Stacy, Ken and Isaac came to visit for a couple days. Casey had fun sharing her toys with Isaac...sort of. Thursday, we headed down to Denver for a girls night in book club. Casey had fun entertaining everyone. Friday, we got to hang out with Aunt Kelly all day. We went to the mall and hung out with all the other moms and kids. Then we headed to the playground so Casey could play and Frisco could run around...Casey slept through the whole trip, but Frisco had a great time. We hung out at Kel's the rest of the afternoon, took a short walk to Boulder Creek, then had dinner in Boulder. We left Kel and headed to the airport to pick up Stan, then we drove down to Taos, NM. The sign in Denver that says 4 1/2 hours to Taos...is a bit of a lie...it took us 5 1/2 hours.

on to the pix

Isaac and Casey playing

Casey enjoying Garden of the Gods

Tracy & Frisco enjoying Garden of the Gods

Casey & Stan watching people climbing these rocks...

there is actually someone up on the top of those in the background

Casey thought doing this was SO funny

To Pee or Not to Pee

Tonight, Casey went running towards her potty saying, "poopy" over and over again. I went with her, took her diaper off and sat her on the potty...she had already pooped in her diaper, however when I put her on the potty she kept trying to go more...and after a few toots and a little pee, she wiped, poured it all in the toilet and flushed the toilet. We have not officially started potty training, but that was pretty exciting! This event took place the day after she pooped in the tub while Daddy was giving her a bath...then, while Mommy was cleaning out the bathtub, she peed all over Daddy before he could get her to the changing table. hehe...

Stan was here all week, working from home. We got to get some riding in on our new snowboards (xmas presents to ourselves). We played lots of Wii. And we got Casey on skis. She wasn't too sure about the skis, but figured out how to scoot herself around...with our help.

Casey got to play with her Aunt Kelly this weekend. She had so much fun, when Kel would leave the room, Casey would immediately say, "Where Kelly?"

Casey's new thing this week is, "Why?" I did not know it starts this early. But all week..."Why? Why? Why?"

drinking juice from a big girl cup

cheese

our little hippie daughter

notice her moving her legs. we'll get better video as the winter moves along.

Christmas Part 2

The day after Christmas, we drove down to Gramma Lois' house in Roanoke, VA, for Christmas with Stan's family. Aunt Lisa, Uncle Dave, Ashlynne, Morganne and Max were in town from Miami. Uncle Marvin and Aunt Linda also came over to play and deliver more gifts. Casey had a great time hamming it up for everyone. She showed off her dancing and talking and her "being cute." She will do something for attention, then stop to make sure you're watching by lowering her head and then slowly looking up, but not right at you.

Casey got to open even more gifts. She got books, cute clothes, a cell phone, a WordWorld fish, a talking teapot set, a stroller and plenty more. She and Max had a blast pushing the stroller all over the house.

We had a great Christmas week with all of our family. Casey is wiped out!!

casey and max building a tower...then they knock it down

shirtless baby trying on her new fancy shoes

working on max's truck

casey explaining the show to ashlynne, morganne and max

enjoying a good thumb suck during her bedtime book

gramma lois and casey chillin'

Christmas Part 1

Last week we were in Burke, VA celebrating Christmas with Tracy's family. Casey had lots of fun entertaining Grandma Gail and Grandpa Tom. Aunt Kel was in town too to play with her favorite niece; and Aunt Marcy, Uncle Stuart, Lily and Jack were around too providing Casey with plenty of playmates and loads of attention. We kept busy with shopping, decorating christmas cookies, sledding in the 2 feet of snow, and playing with all of GG and GT's toys. Casey loved showing off her dance skills. She kind of does the "Elaine" (from Seinfeld). There is a little jump, skip, one leg straight, one leg bent, serious face, lots of twirls. Pretty funny.

Christmas morning, Casey decided to wake up extra early, 6:30 a.m., so after breakfast and stockings, she had to take a nap. I think it was all part of her plan...she wanted full attention when she opened her gifts. She had a blast the rest of the day playing with all her, Jack and Lily's toys. She got a new tricycle, the Little People Carnival, a tool bench, a book that spells her name (first and last), a bowling game, a new baby, a wagon/stroller/car all in one, a new ski jacket, a computer and tons more!!! We're all having fun playing with everything.

Within the past week, Casey has been putting words together more and more. She likes having conversations, whether it's to herself or to her baby. "gibberish, gibberish, lily, jack, gibberish, gibberish, mommy, daddy, sausage, pancake, etc."

Enjoy the pix...

Grandma Gail reading in her rocking chair by the fire...picture perfect.

resting with Grandpa Tom

she just poured water over her head

the girls sledding...oh and ivan

come on ride that train...

family photo...and frisco's not happy about it

decorating cookies...sorta

so excited about her new tool bench

bop it champ

mommy pushing casey around on her new trike

Blizzard of '09

Everyone has recovered from whatever bug was going around. Luckily, Tracy never got it. We got most of our chores done and even got a day of snowboarding in on Wednesday at Breckenridge before heading to the East Coast for Christmas. We left Colorado Thursday morning, stayed in Independence, MO Thursday night, then Cambridge, OH Friday night, driving in the GMC Yukon...all of us, including Stan this time.

The DC area got almost 2 feet of snow over the weekend. Which made the last day of our road trip a little more interesting. Luckily there were not a whole lot of cars on the roads. It was very eerie getting on the Beltway at 5:00 p.m. and not seeing another car for a couple miles. It took twice as long as it was supposed to...but we did finally make it to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Burke. Casey was a great traveler yet again. Frisco was too.

Casey has been having fun playing with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Kelly, who flew in Sunday. Aunt Marcy, Lily and Jack came over Monday to go sledding. We stayed outside for hours playing with the neighborhood kids, teaching them how to do a sled train and how to make a jump. Casey wasn't too sure about sledding herself, but she had a great time watching everyone else sled.

Here are some pix. Merry Christmas!!

Casey and her Aunts

Casey sledding with Aunt Kel, while Lily and Aunt Marcy assist

Casey teaching Aunt Kel a song

SNOW

It's finally snowing. Snowed all day today, Casey got to go sledding down the drive way.

This week, Casey got the flu...she was up all night Thursday throwing up. The funny thing was that she would throw up, then she was ready to be wide awake and play. After messing up the crib, then the pack n' play, she ended up sleeping with mom the rest of the night. She had to miss her last day of tumbling, but after a long morning nap she started feeling much better. Stan on the other hand...is terribly sick today...

We got to go snowboarding at Abasin Saturday afternoon, thanks to the Butsons for watching Casey. Casey got to play with Connor and Dillon a lot this week. They had a blast!

We're packing up the rest of the week and we leave on Thursday to head to VA for the holidays!

at the top of abasin

her new favorite spot

casey, connor and dillon "the pianists"

dillon and casey "so cool"

little model

enjoying the snow

mommy, casey and frisco playing in the snow

Ring Around the Rosy

Casey is cracking us up lately. She likes showing off in front of anyone who will watch her. She knows how to "be cute." She'll look down and then slowly lift her head and smile. She loves playing and now singing "Ring Around the Rosy." She'll walk over and grab your hands and say "Rosy." She likes to sing, "all fall down!"

Thursday, Casey got the second part of her H1N1 shot. While waiting in line, she felt it was okay to lift her shirt, tuck it under her chin and flash the rest of the line, over and over and over and over. She has become very interested in her clothes...trying to take them off and put them on herself. Luckily, she has not really succeeded in taking them off on her own.

Thursday night Casey got to visit with Santa again. The town of Dillon had "the lighting of Dillon," an event with free hot dogs, cookies, cocoa, music and Santa. Casey had a blast, except when she sat on Santa's lap.

Friday she had tumbling. This time daddy got to attend and see her mad skills.

Saturday we had a Holiday Party at the house, which included fondue and 30 of our closest CO friends. Everyone had a great time. Mom and Dad got to go snowboarding both Saturday and Monday, thanks to our friends Kathy and Sean for watching Casey.

Casey would like to wish her Uncle Dave a belated Happy Birthday, Cousin Jack a Happy 2nd Birthday today and Cousin Ashlynne a Happy 8th Birthday coming up Wed.

Casey and Santa having fun

Casey riding in the car with blankey

at Keystone

Santa Baby

Casey went to visit Santa at Tysons on Monday before we came home...

Thanksgiving

We are back home from Thanksgiving in VA. Casey was great on the plane. Both to and from, several people commented at how good she was on the plane. Yay!

Our trip included a Virginia Tech game in Blacksburg; shopping; a visit with Chrissy; a couple of visits with Santa; lots of aunt/uncle/cousin time with Marcy, Stuart, Jack and Lily...etc.

Thanksgiving morning, Stan and Tracy ran the Drumstick Dash 5K in Roanoke, then enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at Gramma Lois' with Aunt Linda, Uncle Marvin, Blair, Chad and their new baby boy, Grayson. Friday Casey got to hold Grayson...she loved pointing at him and saying, "baby!"

Sunday, Grandpa Tom took Tracy and Stan flying!! We took a Cesna 172 out to Rehobeth Beach, along the coast then back over Annapolis. Stan and I got to take over the controls once we were airborne. Very fun!!

Thanks to all our family for visiting and playing with Casey!

go hokies!

chillin' with gramma lois

cheesin with baby

stan flying

tracy hanging in the back of the cockpit...that's ocean city in the background

cousins

Artist

Casey was quite the artist this week. She played with sidewalk chalk at the rec center daycare and then later at home; she colored with crayons all week, one of her favorite activities (which is nice for mommy); and she got real messy with fingerpaints at home.

She is starting to notice her friends now. She will ask about her friends every once in a while, "Rowan?" She is also starting to play with her friends. We went to pick her up from the rec center daycare and Rowan and Casey were actually playing together on the slide. Sarah and Brian watched Casey on Saturday while mom, dad and Aunt Kel went riding at Keystone. They had fun chasing each other around the house. Aunt Kel babysat Casey Sat night while mom and dad went to a fundraising event for her daycare.

Casey is very much into climbing lately. She wants to climb on everything...the coffee table, up into chairs, under chairs, on her toys. She'll climb up onto her toy, then look around very proud. She is also starting to pretend play a lot more. She'll make her horse walk around, her little people walk around and jump off things. Her vocabulary is growing too. She repeats pretty much everything we say. She says, "Thank you" a whole lot and usually when she is actually supposed to. She is also putting together 2 word sentences. Sometime we're amazed by the things that come out of her mouth.

She is a little fiesty sometimes too. She had her first official "timeout" this past week. She kept hitting mommy with her toy. After 2 warnings, she was whisked upstairs into her crib, with no blankey. It took her a minute to register, but once she did, she cried until I came back a minute later to "discuss." After she calmed down, we came back downstairs and she continued playing, without hitting mommy. I'm sure it will always be that easy!!;)

Enjoy the pix.

trying to be blue like her Aunt Kel (aka, Smurfette) on Halloween

"cheese"

chalking up the sidewalk