About Our Katie » August 2005 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Wed, Aug 31, 2005 7:30 AM
On Monday, Katie received yet another care package from Gran and Grandpa. Among other things, this one contained a framed copy of Gran's latest school picture. Inside the frame there's even a label identifying her as "Katie's Kentucky Gran."

Yesterday and this morning, Katie and I have looked at the picture and talked about who it is. Katie smiles and points at the picture--and today she even gave it a kiss (a big, open-mouthed, slobbery one!).

I predict it's only a matter of time before a framed photo of Grandpa Murphy arrives in the mail! :-)

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Tue, Aug 30, 2005 6:45 PM
Before I forget them, I want to recap some of the newish things that Katie has been doing...

* Steve always makes a big production of blowing on any hot foods before giving them to Katie. She has picked up on his clues and started blowing on them herself. Sometimes she does a quick "puff" through her mouth, but more often, she does this dramatic in-and-out through her nose!

* Yesterday while I was preparing dinner, Katie managed to push a chair from the kitchen down into the family room. (Somehow, I didn't even hear her doing it!) This incident represents an emerging trend. She now moves lots of objects--from toys to furniture--according to her personal preference.

* Since returning from vacation, we have kept her new Mickey and Minnie plush toys on the "Watch Me Grow" chair. Whenever she's playing in her bedroom, she will periodically stop, go over to the dolls, and then lean in to "hug" them. It's VERY sweet.

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Sun, Aug 28, 2005 8:30 PM
Yesterday Katie experienced Chuck E. Cheese for the first time--and she LOVED it. I have a hard time believing she's big enough for such activities, but she really is. She jumped right in and had a ball, particularly in the "Toddler Zone." She loved the Clifford, Barney, and Stuart Little rides, as well as climbing UP the slide.

She also enjoyed a live performance by Chuck himself. In fact, she walked (yes, she's walking on her own more and more every day) about 30 feet away from us and through the "big kids" to give the giant mouse a personal greeting.

Of course, it wasn't the first time Steve or I had been to a Chuck E. Cheese. He was very familiar from taking Danielle when she was little. As for me, well, I used to enjoy GOING there in the 1980s--from weekend outings with Sue and Amy Baumgardner to Jo Anna Jensen's birthday party in '85! :-D

I have to say, the place is fundamentally the same. The dirty ball pit is gone, along with that giant carpeted maze that always smelled like old gym shoes. In its place is a wall of monitors that play "rocking" videos about playing with your friends and going on picnics. But there is still an abundance of arcade games, along with skee ball, basketball, and mediocre food.

Perhaps the biggest change from the 80s is that as guests enter, an employee stamps each kid and his/her parents/guardians with a number visible only under their special light. And they won't let you leave with a child until you show that you have the right number stamped on your hand. It's a nice system--and a very real sign of the times.

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Tue, Aug 23, 2005 7:30 AM
Yesterday Danielle discovered a new game for Katie. Holding Katie upside down by the ankles, Danielle walked up and down the front staircase. As she went up and down, she swung her back and forth, left to right. She said Katie was going crazy with delight!

Since the weather was finally pleasant last night, Steve, Katie, and I went outside after dinner. Katie played in the front yard, on the driveway, and on the neighbors' swingset. We even stayed out right until 8:00. Even so, when we went inside and she heard the garage door close, she flung herself on the floor and threw an all-out "I wanna go back outside!" tantrum.

We keep wondering what we'll do in the winter! I guess we'd better invest in some warm coats, hats, and gloves... ;-)

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Fri, Aug 19, 2005 9:00 PM
We're back from our six-day trip to Orlando. And I must say, Steve, Danielle, and I now need a vacation AFTER our vacation.

However, it was very fun watching Katie enjoy the sights and sounds of Orlando. As I mentioned before, nothing seems to scare her. On the contrary, she appeared to LOVE the hustle and bustle, noise and excitement of the parks.

She demonstrated that again at Universal Studios on Thursday. At the (very loud!) "Beetlejuice" show, she was clapping and dancing. She seemed to especially enjoy their rendition of Kiss's "Rock and Roll All Nite." (Scary, huh?) She also delighted in the action-packed "Shrek" 4D show--even though she refused to wear the 3D glasses. We wanted to take her on the E.T. ride, but they require that all riders be able to walk. (They also require shoes--something we forgot to put on her in our rush out the door... Oops!)

Anyway, I am very curious to see if Katie's fearlessness (as well as her culinary adventurousness) diminishes as she gets older.

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Tue, Aug 16, 2005 11:30 PM
Tonight we discovered what can only be described as restaurant nirvana for Katie: The Rainforest Cafe! We met Cindy for dinner at the Downtown Disney location, and we had a completely glitch-free dining experience. Why? Because Katie was positively captivated by the elaborate surroundings--especially by a giant, lifelike gorilla that was looming over our table. Whenever the gorilla would start to move, she would wave her arms, shake her legs, and squeal with delight!

If you've ever been to a Rainforest Cafe, you know they also have periodic "thunderstorms" where the lights dim, thunder roars, and rain sprinkles down from the ceiling. You might think that Katie would be frightened by the abrupt noise and darkness, but she wasn't all. In fact, during this trip, we've concluded that she isn't afraid of anything. Even one of the Disney character's "bodyguards" commented on her friendliness and fearlessness. (Danielle is predicting that someday Katie will be a contestant on the TV show "Fear Factor"...)

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Mon, Aug 8, 2005 9:15 PM
Katie did a new "trick" tonight while we were shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club. BJ's has those neat carts with a plastic car at the end--where little kiddos can "drive" and honk the toy horn.

Katie wasn't interested in sitting in the car, however. She wanted to be out and about. So while Steve and I were analyzing the various brands of baby wipes, we let her lean against the cart, figuring that would keep her occupied for a bit.

Before we knew it, we looked up and saw her heading down the aisle--pushing the extra-large warehouse-size cart. Remember, it also had the toy car in front. (*I* have trouble maneuvering these sometimes!) And, as if that weren't enough, there was a 33-pound container of cat litter in it, too!

We had the aisle to ourselves, so we just waited to see what else whe would do. When she veered off a bit to the side, she worked her way to the middle of the cart--in between the basket and the "car." She then proceeded to do a series of finely executed 360s!

When we were ready to move to another section of the warehouse, Steve guided the cart in the right direction and then let Katie do the actual pushing. She held her own for a few minutes, but then grew tired. (Gee, I wonder why?!)

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Sun, Aug 7, 2005 3:30 PM
Early this morning, Gran headed home to Kentucky, which is always a sad event. However, we received some very happy news this afternoon. Our neighbor, Kelly, gave birth to a baby girl, Madison Nicole. Hooray for Kelly and Kevin--and for us! We've been hoping they'd "deliver" a gal pal for Katie. :-)

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Sat, Aug 6, 2005 10:30 AM
Katie was recently asked on her first (play)date by our next-door neighbor, Nicky (age four).

The other morning, Nicky was pushing Katie in his old baby swing. Gran says Nicky was super nice with Katie, eventually explaining, "I'm gonna push you ONE more time, and then I'm gonna go inside and watch a movie, 'kay?"

He kept his word and went on in. But before long, he opened up his second-floor bedroom window and called down to the play area: "Hey! Does she wanna come over'n watch the movie wit' me?"

On Katie's behalf, Gran politely declined his invitation. But I'm grateful for Nicky and all the other nice kiddos in our development. When she IS old enough for playdates, Katie will have a ball...

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Fri, Aug 5, 2005 6:30 AM
Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. It's been busy!

And yet, there isn't a whole lot of news to report. Katie had her fourth haircut last night. I love how it turned out. Kriss layered it a bit, so now the curls really show.

Meanwhile, we're increasingly convinced that a tooth is in the works. Katie's sleep habits are just a bit "off" and she's still rather fussy. (Of course, as Danielle recently pointed out, "Anytime Katie acts up or is in a bad mood, you guys say, 'Oh, she must be teething!'" LOL... So true!)

Fortunately for us, Gran has been here to help keep Katie occupied. They've spent A LOT of time outdoors--swimming, swinging, walking, digging in mulch, catching bugs, and studying shadows. Unfortunately for Gran, Katie doesn't seem to notice--much less care about--the extreme heat and humidity!

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