being beck

One of the amazing things about watching your child grow up is observing them imitating you. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, it is like holding up a mirror to who you are.

Wednesday night, Gaby went to the pantry in our kitchen and grabbed a rather large unopened bag of catfood, dragged it over to the cat’s food bowl, which was empty, and tipped the bag towards the bowl, saying "Keecat, yum yum".  Not only recognizing that the cat needed food, but trying to give it to him as well.   We nearly cried…  our daughter is so precious and sweet natured, even as she’s entering full toddlerhood.  We cannot wait to see what she does next.

Daddy and Gaby Kate put on a show for me and I loved every minute of it….

I visited with my BFF Kathy today in Burleson and let Gaby Kate play with her little girl, Madison.

    Here are GK and Madison gettin’ ready to roll in the Barbie Jeep Wrangler.

       Places to go, things to see……like the remnants of an unfortunate frog.

Teddy gave Gaby kisses!  Kathy is laughing at Teddy howling and GK trying to copy him….I wish I had it on video….

                    Enjoying the pretty flowers on a beautiful spring day!

Here are some pics of Gaby Kate’s dedication at church on Sunday. GK loved seeing her grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on such a special day.

It was at church on Mother’s Day 2 years ago that I first felt little Gaby Kate move inside my belly. That will be the Mother’s Day gift from God that I will remember forever. I couldn’t have imagined then how wonderfully and completely my life was about to change.

Each day that passes, I have more respect and admiration for all of the mothers that have touched my life through the years, both family and friends. I love you all. Happy Mother’s Day and thank you for helping me navigate this path.

After taking a power nap in the car this afternoon (since she played in her crib during naptime at home today), Gaby Kate was ready to tackle her second birthday party of the day!

My cousin Gary turned 65 and Gaby Kate couldn’t miss the fun. We were lucky enough to be invited to have dinner with him and his friends to mark the occasion. GK insisted on wearing her pink party dress and succeeded in entertaining us all once again. We have included some fun pictures from the festivities.

                                     I love you, Gary! Happy Birthday!

                        I’ll be done texting in just a minute…be  patient!

                                      All partied out and ready for bed.                         

Gaby Kate had a wonderful time celebrating at her cousin Harrison’s 4th birthday party today! Gaby is so glad that he has moved back to Texas to play with her!

Here is the birthday boy, complete with lots of dino decorations and a very scary dinosaur mask!!

Gaby played in a ball pit for the first time today at the party. It will no doubt me the first of many times to come.

After working up her thirst, Gaby relaxes and drinks her apple juice in the arms of her daddy!

I would like to say that my daughter didn’t get stuck in her favorite swing while I was trying to remove her from it this morning, thereby leading to the squirming and crying which led to the accidental dumping of the adjacent overpriced coffee onto the grass.

Or that my daughter didn’t take her diaper off during naptime (again) and pee all over North America.

Or that the cat didn’t jump onto the kitchen island in a slow-witted attempt to help himself to the food I was preparing for aforementioned daughter this afternoon and manage to show remarkable aim in knocking the fruit bowl directly onto his food and water below.

Or that my daughter didn’t open up the bag of tiny freeze-dried banana and strawberry pieces while I was writing this post and create a virtual sea of about 912,463 yellow and red bits on the carpet….and then scream at the vacuum cleaner (or me) for disrupting the party.

I would like to say these things did not happen today while I was fighting a very stubborn toilet and riding on a hormonal roller coaster. But sadly, I cannot.

Tired Mommy

I heard an ad for Barney on PBS today and he was singing “Just Can’t Get Enough” – a song I listened to in the 80′s by Depeche Mode. Until now, I had prided myself on avoiding Barney (knowing that there was a possibility that Gaby Kate might enjoy it and knowing with a fair amount of certainty that I would NOT).

The promo came on without warning and I had not yet ingested enough coffee to fully appreciate the irony until several hours later.

My worlds have officially collided, at least in my head. I am reminded once again that I am no longer a teenager staying out too late. Now that I’m fifteen almost twenty years removed from that time, I am closer in years to the point in which my baby girl will be asking permission to stay out late than I am to those past adventures….and the songs I couldn’t live without way back then are being sung to preschoolers today.  Ouch.

K

Here is a rough depiction of this weirdness….

Gaby Kate invited Mamsie and Popsie to go shopping with her at Southlake Town Square. She let Mommy join the fun, too.

Gaby enjoys her first visit to the Talbot’s dressing room (big surprise)

Popsie, I think my size is over here….

Is this a good price? I don’t want us to get ripped off!

Fruit print is SO 2006!

Do you come here often? Do you date older women?

Hot pink AND polka dots in my size? Pinch me.