September...so far, anyway

Nope, it's not quite the end of the month yet, but I want to be as caught up as I can be before we go in next Wednesday to have this "belly growth" surgically removed. :)

A different way to ride bike with Daddy.

Although she usually enjoys the pull-behind trailer, she really likes being up where she can see everything and feel like SHE'S riding bike. ;)

Thank you, Hayden, for letting us borrow your helmet!

Sense of humor slowly returning after a "Bad News Hairs" experience.

I was WAY past due for a hair cut and wanted a cut before the baby arrived but couldn't get in to my regular stylist.

The few of you who HAVE curly hair are already thinking, "Stupid, stupid, stupid"...because it is stupid to risk letting a "rookie" cut curly hair (especially when you're asking them to cut A BUNCH off).

In the words of Mattaya: "Oh goo'ness."

The worst part. The triangle. The dreaded triangle. The dreaded, yet all-too-familiar triangle that occurs when someone unacquainted with curly hair cuts curly hair. *sigh* My regular stylist has graciously agreed to squeeze me in the evening before the c-section to try to fix The Triangle. God bless her.

One hot September day, we went to Auntie Linda's 60th birthday party...and practiced opening presents that Auntie Linda had brought for Mattaya. ;)

YAY! A book and a puzzle that makes animal noises!

Mommy's attempt at a birthday cake.

I'm relishing the fact that she's 2 and has no idea what a birthday cake is SUPPOSED to look like! ;)

Mommy and Daddy quickly decorated for the Cars birthday party while the 2-year-old was napping.

The party blowers were a hit...with Mattaya AND Uncle Luke.

Mattaya had a great time soaking up all that attention!

Although she hasn't had much experience, she handled the whole candle aspect very well. No touching. And she actually blew at the right time and enjoyed it! :)

Anxiously awaiting the first piece of "dittay cake" (birthday cake).

Mattaya's Birthday Advice: If you sense that your cake is about to fall off your fork (she stabbed the whole piece and raised it to her mouth), quickly catch it with your hands before it falls to pieces.

"Is this not the way it's done?"

Mmmmm.

One of her gifts was her very own helmet so we wouldn't always have to borrow Hayden's.

After Mattaya went to bed, we celebrated Gramma Leelee's birthday (a week late). Julie's not so much about the camera and picture-taking...

...but Matt threatened to revoke her cake. So here she is, earning her cake.

Grampa Gary and Gramma Pam sent a LARGE balloon bouquet for Mattaya's birthday.

She loved the many colors, and she kept trying to get INTO the middle of the bouquet.

"Ooh, shiny!"

"Hug it."

The phrase we hear all day every day. This girl LOVES almost everything. Even airplanes she sees while we're driving in the van. SHE wants to hug it. She wants YOU to hug it. And if either of those desires is unfulfilled, disappointment is sure to follow.

We do a lot of blowing kisses....

Enjoying Auntie Linda's puzzle (after Leelee put some batteries in it!).

A girl and her dog watching cartoons and waiting for breakfast.

This dog was a birthday gift from Larry & Cindy, and he goes with us EVERYWHERE.

These balloons lasted days and days...the mylar ones are still in the hallway upstairs [freaking us out every time we exit our bedroom!]. Anyway, that's not the point of this picture. The point is her "helpfulness". Mattaya loves to be a helper, which might be handy with the upcoming arrival of her sister. HOWEVER, her "helpfulness" is very broadly defined. On this particular day, she helped put the finishing touches on the perfectly coifed ponytail I'd created on her head. She came out of the bathroom with comb in hand and said, "Hair. Comb." Then she raked the comb from the top of her head to the side and said, "Pretty." *sigh*

Why do something only once when you can do it twice? ;)

Yippee skippee! Boppa and Leelee gave Mattaya a wagon for her birthday! We rode it around in the house for a few days before taking it outside. She LOVES it and refers to it as "wheez"...maybe because wagons have "wheels"? Your guess is as good as ours....

Mattaya is always so "ladylike".

And Daddy's timing with pictures is too funny.

This is what happens on a Sunday morning if I ask Matt to quickly get a picture of a new dress before we leave. Nevermind that you can't see the dress!

Here you can see a LITTLE of the dress. :)

Ready for the first day of Sunday school....