Happy Halloweekend!

It's officially Halloweekend 2011.

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!

Here's the long awaited costume we decided to get for Kaleigh:

Our little leopard got runner up on Friday night at The Little Gym party! I was humbled and surprised, as I didn't even know there was a costume contest going on! I will post better pictures later.

Daddy is still working A TON, so it's just been Kaleigh and me lately. We haven't even carved her pumpkin yet. I am hoping that Daddy can be home when we do this, but that may be wishful thinking.

That being said, I've been constantly reminding myself of how lucky I am to have such an amazing kid. By amazing, I mean mellow, happy-go-lucky, obedient, and easy. I know moms who can't wait until the kids are in bed, until their mom's night out, and need to get away. I am the exact opposite so far. I love spending every moment with Kaleigh, probably in fear of missing out on something. A word, a milestone, something major that she does for the first time. She is definitely my bestest buddy, and I honestly prefer her over most adults that I know.

Which brings me to my next subject. My daughter seriously amazes me.

On Friday, at the Little Gym party, she colored her first picture with markers (of course I kept it), stuck a ghost sticker on it, and beamed with pleasure as she handed it to me. We walked into the activity room, and her first stop was a station where you are supposed to walk with a spoon while balancing a plastic egg in the spoon. To my surprise, she did it on her first try, took the egg off, and walked right over to the basket of the eggs and plopped the egg in the basket where it belonged, gave the spoon back to the teacher standing there with her mouth wide open, and proceeded to clap when she was done. She got play-doh as a prize. Second station was the little balance beam which she absolutely loved. I held her hand (as she asked for "help" each time), and walked it probably about a dozen times. Third station was a "pin the lips on the frog" fabric game which she placed the lips right where they were supposed to go. She even walked over to the high balance beam and had the teacher help her walk it! And, of course, she walked the "cat walk" consisting of high mats for the costume contest twice for the "judges" and about a half dozen times on her own. Needless to say, she was exhausted by the end of the night! Daddy met us for Mongolian Grill dinner and she passed out shortly after.

She is still using her potty, and I am happy to report that I haven't changed a #2 diaper since we brought the potty home. Tonight, for the first time, she walked into the bathroom herself and sat down on the potty. (Usually I ask if she wants to go sit on the potty and she says "Yes" or "No," though I've only gotten two "Nos" so far). I asked if she had to go and she said "Yes." I had to go get my phone (sometimes I play videos for her to watch to help her relax), and she followed me bare and ended up going on the floor. The good news is that she recognized she had to go and went to the potty to do so. Baby steps, my friends! I am extremely proud of her.

Usually while we're on the potty, we'll read potty books, or books in general since my child is a huge book worm if she's having trouble focusing. She loves her "ABC" books, and now will point to objects that I tell her to find. She also can tell me what sound a cow makes, a dog makes, and sometimes if I'm lucky, a duck's "quack" can quietly be heard escaping her mouth.

It seriously blows my mind that Kaleigh used to just lay there. When she was first born, she slept more than she was awake since she was a preemie, and because, that's what newborns do.

She is now this little "person." I often refer to her as a baby still, which, of course she isn't. She's definitely a toddler. A walking, talking, dancing, singing, playful toddler.

I just cannot believe how fast she seems to be growing up and changing everyday.

And I cannot wait to see what's in store for our future!