Kelsey is TWO years old!

12 days old

     On February 1, 2008, Kelsey Rose Hardy surprised us all.  She wasn't due until the end of the month!  I thought she might come around 10 days early like Haylee and Mackenzie, but I wasn't prepared at all for her to come this early.  I didn't even have my bags packed.  I threw some things together and we rushed to the hospital, knowing from past experience how fast my labors are.  I can hardly believe that 2 years have passed!

Kelsey with a stolen piece of chocolate cake.  She just moved the stool, grabbed it, and brought it into the family room like it was nothing.  It was too cute so I told her to smile for a picture and this was the smile she gave me.

     Kelsey is such a big girl now.  Every day she surprises us with the new things she does and says.  I really enjoy watching the older girls get so much pleasure out of watching her do new things.  They always tell me, "Mom, guess what Kelsey said or did!"  Or, "Mom, come see what Kelsey's doing.  It's so cute!"  She certainly gets a lot of attention around this house.

     Kelsey is such an independent child.  She figured out early on that if she couldn't reach something, all she had to do was move the stool.  She likes to help herself to anything I accidentally leave out on the counter.  Once I left a pitcher of crystal light on the kitchen table as I was getting ready to serve dinner.  I didn't notice that she had decided to pour some in her cup.  Of course the pitcher was full and way too heavy for her so she ended up pouring the whole thing on the floor.  Then she looks up and says, "I spill it."  She also spends a lot of time at the sink washing her hands.  She loves to dress herself, which of course means her clothes are often mismatched or backwards.  If we try to help her, she says, "NO, I do it!"  She loves Melmo (Elmo) and doggies and kitties.  She really loves baby dolls.  She also loves to sing (especially action songs) and we all love to listen to her.  "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" is one of her favorites.  It has been so much fun watching her personality develop.  She brings us so much joy every day with her smiles and her sweet kisses.  We are so grateful for our little Kelsey!

Here are some pictures opening presents (note the backwards nightgown- there are princesses on the front):

     We opened presents first thing in the morning before Daren left for work.  Then that evening we had my mom, dad, and Grandma Poetschlag come over for dinner and cake and ice cream.  Her birthday cake is beautiful because my mom decorated it.  My dad actually asked where I got the cake.  I said Albertson's, just to be funny.  Daren got this concerned look on his face and asked, "Really?"  He couldn't stand it if I spent as much money as it would have cost to buy a cake (probably $15 or $20).  I said, "No, my mom decorated it."  He was so relieved but I thought it was quite a compliment to my mom that Daren thought her decorating skills were as good as professionals. 

Here are some pictures of cake and ice cream: