Abby's 2nd Birthday....Out to dinner

We took our 2 year old to Red Robin to celebrate her big birthday! She had a great time, loved the balloon of course, and got a yummy dessert with the waitresses singing to her!

And here she is trying to feed me a bite of her sundae......she loves to share!

Day trip to Williamsburg, VA

We took a day trip up to Williamsburg on Friday. Here are some fun memories. Abby had a good time and it was a beautiful day to be outside.

Waiting outside for lunch, collecting rocks.....her new hobby

Ooooh......horsies!

And cows!!! Farm animals are her favorite, so they were a hit.

Walking with Great Grandma Paulette

Mike and I taking a rest

Abby joined in the photo with a funny face

With the great grandparents

"Peekaboo"

And finally a never missed opportunity to eat ice cream! Blue sherbet!! Yummy!!

I caught her talking to herself on the bench....always a classic

East Coast Hawkeye Ball 2009

Well, even being 8 months pregnant and 4 weeks away from delivery, we managed to attend the annual Hawkeye Ball. We haven't been to the large East Coast ball in 3+ years and missed the past 2 West Coast balls due to deployment and Abby's birth, so it was fun to see so many familiar faces that have crossed paths with us over our years in California. This small military community we are in is such a blessing, with such great friends. We didn't stay too late though, my pregnant feet were screaming at me. And the great grandparents stayed and watched Abby for the night. Everyone had a good time.

Visit with Grma & Grmpa Reiss in Virginia

Abby's Great-Grandma and Grandpa Reiss came to visit this past week and Abby has really enjoyed the extra company around the house and our daily outings.

At the beach splashing in the water....which ws amazingly warm for the first week of October!
Great Grandpa Bob showing Abby how to dig a hole and find the little crabs below

Fun walking in the water wih Great Grandma Paulette

Some at-home time with the great grandparents. Abby loves showing off her toys. The funniest thing lately is her insistence on having everyone sit in specific spots on the couch. So she grabs your hand and says "sit" and brings you over to the couch to do just that.

Bedtime reading with Great Grandpa Bob

Last day of Sept...a little Fall-like

We went up to the Navy Base today to meet friends for a craft fair and lunch. The girls ran around outside for a while to burn off some energy.

Covering her ears because a plane was taking off nearby on-base.

Holding hands with her friend Emily

First Salon Haircut!

We took Abby for her first official salon haircut! Until now I've been trimming her bangs regularly, but I've never touched the back, and it was getting a little shaggy and wild, so I decided to have a professional take a stab at it. She trimmed up the back so it was closer to one length, and touched up her layers to take the baby hairs off the ends, and cut her bangs!

Abby was great! SUCH a big girl without a single squirm, worry, or cry. In fact she was silent through the whole thing and sat very still for the stylist. I was worried she would get scared because from the moment we walked into the salon the other 1 year olds getting their haircuts were screaming; not exactly the best first impression of what was to come.

Getting started. She even kept her arms under the cape, even though she kept wondering why she couldn't see her hands.

It was hard to get a smile out of the kid.....this was the closest I got.

Cute piggie tails too!

Her favorite part was definitely the dum-dum pop at the end!

Sept Swimming....

Well, it seems our swimming days are coming to an end this season. Mike took Abby in the pool last night but the water temperature was about 69 degrees.....WAY too cold for mommy!

We hadn't been swimming for about 3 weeks since Grandma was here. Our weather has cooled off so much that we have been able to turn the A/C off for the last few days/nights with the nice breeze that has been in the area.

But Abby never seems to mind the temp and jumps right in! It wasn't until she got out after some time in the water that she realized she was cold and shivering.

So unless we have a random HOT week, I think our water days are numbered. She did have fun with daddy though, as always, he's her favorite swim partner, especially when mommy is a wuss and refuses to be any more uncomfortable than just being pregnant.

Pointing at the airplane flying by!

Girls Rooms COMPLETE!

So my handyman husband has finally finished painting the girls rooms! The rest of the house is on the list, but their rooms were the priority so no one would be put out of their rooms once this baby arrives! We updated the wall color, and changed the trim and baseboards from wood to white.

Abby's room is purple & sage, and the baby's room is two shades of purple.

Abby's 2 closets...so much storage

Baby's room!

Bedroom door on the left and closet on the right.

Puppy and Baby Love

Abby LOVES her baby dolls. And even more, she loves to interact with them like a real baby these days. She even requests (requires!!) to sleep with them sometimes too. Mike caught her in the kitchen saying "Ride Roxy". I was a little worried she was actually trying to ride the real Roxy, but luckily she was just immitating her previous actions and showing her baby how to ride the pull-doggie. Abby has tried on many occasion to straddle and ride Roxy these days, so I wouldn't have been surprised!

And when Roxy is no longer amused with Abby's "affection", she loves dragging this barking dog around the house in circles. Quite the companion.