Look Mommy! I not wet....

As I was posting the last time I was unaware that Katelyn refused to put on her night time pull up and was sound asleep in her nice clean bed unprotected from a bed wetting experience. I probably would have woken the sleeping monster simply to change those pants but Justin let me sleep soundly without a clue of the grim possibility that I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to change sheets. However, when Katelyn awoke she said, "Look Mommy! I'm not wet!" At first I was like okay because it is normal that she doesn't use her pull up in the night but then half asleep I realized what a big accomplishment that was. I'm still not ready for her big girl panties every night because I am tired enough as it is with everything at work and all the other normal Tarah duties but I was really excited to see the first dry night come and go.

Another first was her first occupational therapy session today. We came to find out that Cross Therapy is highly recommended by Katelyn's beloved pediatrician and were much happier with the responses they have given us as compared to children's therapy team. I realize that CTT has done wonders with her speech therapy but were unhappy with the scheduling situation and lack of communication by their OT staff. Katelyn enjoyed her "play" time with the therapist and we are looking forward to discussing her goald further next week. We are supposed to learn how to "brush" her which is part of the Wilbarger method. Here's a good site I found about this method: http://www.pbbkids.com/the_wilbarger_brushing_protocol.htm

On a side note....I have been slowly preparing crafts for the county fair and to sell at an upcoming craft fair. If anyone is interested in seeing what I have so far or is interested in helping with a craft fair booth, let me know.

Have a great weekend if I don't see or talk to you before then!

Great news!

Don't get too excited by the title...I know that some people are wishing that Justin and I would have another baby but this isn't that kind of great news. The exam is over at work and I made the Dean's list for the second term. (I have to admit I was a little disappointed that I didn't make the President's list like I did in term 1 but this is still an honor with all the other things I have taken on this term). Things are looking up right now. I have started my senior project and hopefully things will be back down to a low roar at the bank for awhile.

Katelyn has still been coughing a lot since our trip to Branson so I took her to the doctor today. He seems to think that it is those non-existent allergies again. He gave me some samples of a different allergy medicine to try and if that doesn't work more antibiotics. We are really going to try to keep her off those until we can see the GI doc on August 4th though. Even though she hasn't felt well her and daddy can still have fun!

These were those squish pillows that were so popular a few years ago. They make great mushroom hats!

Katelyn met two milestones in the last week. She was invited to her first birthday part and it was decided that she gets to be a flower girl in my cousin Angela's wedding in October. This will end up being a milestone for me too because I will have to drive to Knoxville with Katelyn by myself. Luckily it is a holiday weekend so I will get to stay longer with my mom.

Happy Belated Birthday to Hardy!

Circus and Not a Circus

On Saturday we went to Branson. It was definitely a much needed get away. You would think since we took a vacation this year that we wouldn't want to get out of town so bad but it didn't really feel like much of a vacation when we went to Florida. I guess because we came back feeling so crappy from the sun. Anyway...So Saturday we took Katelyn to the matinee of the New Shanghai Circus' presentation of the Acrobats of China. This was a fabulous show! In fact it is my favorite so far but coming in a close second is Legends in Concert. You can visit the website at: http://acrobatsofchina.com/en/. We were able to get front row seats and Katelyn's eyes were glued to the stage the whole time. There was death defying feats and fun rhythmic dances and soft ballets. It was really nice and I would totally recommend this show to anyone going to Branson anytime soon. We also did some shopping and discovered a secret. All the evening shows start at around 8 so this is the time to shop in Branson. Most of the stores don't close until 9 so from about 7:00 to 9:00 the stores are almost empty. We found some great deals on fall and winter clothes for Katelyn. And the doting mother that I am I didn't even buy anything for myself until I got home. It seems that everytime I go shopping Katelyn gets the better end of the deal. Anyway we went to Springfield to the Bass Pro Shop yesterday. I guess that Katelyn didn't sleep well and I know that she wasn't feeling well. She was in a horrible mood and was really rather hard to keep up with so we didn't stay there for very long. We decided to just come home and I was able to get some alone time at the mall and grocery shopping while Justin watched Katelyn.

Today Katelyn went to her new big girl school. This is the not a circus part of the title. It was so nice to drop her off at a school that was not chaotic with peopple everywhere. Her teacher was great and let Katelyn pick out her own cubby and hook to hang her backpack. She introduced her to another little girl and they just hit right off playing while I talked with the teacher and the cook about some last minute questions that they had. She had no accidents and they said that she did great for her first day. I am really excited about this place and think that it is going to be an answer to prayer! The cook really is a sweet lady. Her granddaughter is Katelyn's age and recently moved to New Jersey. Miss Anna really misses Bella and was telling her daughter about Katelyn who said that God provides in your time of need. Miss Anna has decided to make Katelyn her special girl until she can see her own granddaughter again. Isn't that sweet?!?!?

Happy 4th of July!

Today we got to swim with Justin's Nana and Papa and his two much younger cousins, Jordan and Hope. Katelyn really likes to play with the bigger kids and had fun swimming. She didn't like swimming as much as they did and we took a nap while watching Peter Pan. I can't wait to see how she reacts tonight with the fireworks!

Big Girl School

Well, I'm not sure what I will tell Katelyn when she actually goes to big girl school because we told her that the preschool she is starting on Monday is her big girl school. We went to visit this afternoon and it went over well. When I picked her up from her daycare I told her that we were going to her big girl school to meet her new friends and her new teacher and she was excited. All the kids knew she was coming and they introduced themselves and told her how old they were. She was very excited and took off playing with them right away. I was really happy to see this. I am a little concerned how Monday will go since it will be a stressful day for me anyway. Our FDIC compliance exam starts Monday and exams are always stressful on everyone around the bank. I have been preparing for this for over a month so I am really hoping that all goes well.

We are going to Branson this weekend. We aren't sure yet if we are going to Silver Dollar City or not but do want to. I will make sure to post some pics when we return. Happy Fourth of July to everyone!

Yeehaw! Ride 'em cowboys!

We took Katelyn to her first (and I must admit my first) rodeo last night. It was so much fun...a little on the warm side but definitely fun! The bank is a sponsor this year and so we were able to get free tickets for Justin's mom, dad, and brother and for the three of us. It was a nice and inexpensive outing. Our main purchase was this lovely pink cowgirl hat for Katelyn. I think it suits her perfectly. Pretty in pink! We arrived around 6:30 so that we could watc the Muttin Bustin. This is where the little kids around age 4 and 5 climb on a sheep and ride it as far as they can go. A girl won for the night and she did a really good job. Katelyn wanted to ride to but mommy isn't ready for that yet. I told her maybe in a couple of years. I'm thinking it took me 24 years to make it to a rodea...maybe another 20 or so until I want to watch someone I know, especially Katelyn actually be in the rodeo. Anyway, there was a touching speech about our freedom and what the flag stood for and a great grand entry parade with the Rodeo Rounders (the pretty girls on horses). It was great fun and I would suggest it to anyone who has never been before.