Makadie's 2nd Birthday

As I write this post--7 months after the fact--I am seriously amazed at how BIG Makadie has grown in such a short period of time.  It kind of makes me want to cry.  But she is so much fun right now and such a sweet girl that I guess I can't complain.

For Makadie's 2nd birthday, we decided to keep it a little more low key than her first birthday.  We took her to Kangaroo Zoo because so many friends suggested it and said that their kids loved it so much.  Makadie loves to have fun and play so we thought this would be perfect for her.  But...when we got there, she didn't want to do anything.  I think she might have been a little put off by all the kids and the screaming and the huge bouncy toys.  After quite a bit of coaxing, she finally tried out a few of the smaller bounce toys and slides.

After Kangaroo Zoo, we took her out to lunch at Coney's, then it was back home to take a much needed nap.

We invited grandparents and siblings over to our house for cake and ice cream that evening.  We gave Makadie a cupcake with a couple candles in it and she blew them out without any prompting.  That's my girl!

January and February 2014 Catch Up

I kind of think that January and February are like the armpit of winter--they just stink.  These are the times when I really wish I lived somewhere warmer, like Arizona, at least for a couple months a year.  At least there are a few things to look forward to in order to pass the time until it warms up a bit, like Makadie's birthday (which will be a separate post), but mostly, we just spend our time trying not to go too stir crazy. :)

January

We had a Smith family reunion (Covey's mom's side) on New Years Day.  We ate yummy food and talked with family we don't see very often.  Then we took Makadie home for a nap because we also had Ogden family pictures later that day.  After pictures, we all went out to eat at Wendy's then went home to relax a little before bed.

 Kadie was definitely done taking pictures...

Sometimes, I would run out of things to do during the day, which is when I'd suggest bathtime.  :)

I found a great deal on a toddler bed for Makadie at Kid to Kid.  I had some credit there so we only paid about $40 for it.  Kadie loved sitting on it, but she didn't actually sleep in it until February.

Makadie's first exposure to Play-Doh.  She did try to eat it, but spit it back out pretty quickly.

We had a princess tea party...

We practiced changing diapers for when brother came...

And just entertained ourselves in any way we could...

February

FHE at Cold Stone.  Because who doesn't like ice cream in the middle of winter?

I forgot to take some 2 year pictures of Makadie around her birthday, so when Valentine's was coming up, I thought it would be fun to take a few pictures.  I had fun curling Kadie's hair with the flat iron (something I'd just learned how to do on myself a couple months before) and it turned out so cute!  I have the most beautiful little girl!

I helped Makadie make Covey a Valentine's Day card.  On one hand it said, "Daddy, I love you..." and then the accordion part said "this much!"  He liked it.  And Makadie looks like she's never seen the card before even though we made it the night before...

 

Towards the end of the month, we had a bout of unseasonably warm weather.  We spent as much time as possible enjoying it!

 

One day, during that same week, we found out that the Hogle Zoo was offering free admission.  So we went with my friend, Lindsay, and her daughter.  It was SO crowded, but still lots of fun!  Later that night, Makadie and I went to a place called Orange Peel and got some yummy smoothies.  I was trying to soak up all the one on one time with my baby girl that I could!