A Blessed Christmas

We feel so blessed that we have such wonderful family & friends to celebrate Christmas with. This year, we had a great time watching the magic unfold through Tatum's precious 2-year-old eyes. It was an absolute WOW moment for both of us and we agreed it was definitely the best Christmas on the books.

Merry Christmas from the Nagles!

Ugly Sweater Christmas with the amazing Smiths & wonderful Filly's!

Silly Santa.

Gannon Ugly Sweater Christmas in Missoula.

Trip to the North Pole to see Santa!

Family.

Silly Girl. :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did!

Cheers to my Buddy, Daddykins, Dad.

Cheers, Buddy. Even though you no longer drink, let's have a toast of Diet Coke...here's to you Dad.

A toast to my Father, the amazing Jack Kenneth Gannon. No special occasion, except that he deserves it, and probably doesn't hear it enough. You're amazing. Isn't that the reason for a toast, afterall? To Amazing-ness.

Mr. Jack Gannon, born and raised in Wibaux, MT, just a small-town Montana boy at heart, but that heart is made of pure, wholesome, GOLD. But yet, you're so damn tough all at the same time.

The lessons you have taught me are endless, but here a

re a few I am thankful for, and in turn, leave me toasting you for being so damn awesome:

1. You taught me what true love is. True love is the way you learned to french braid my hair when I was a kindergartner, because my mama had to go back to work and you had more flexibility. True love is the way you never forget a birthday, anniversary, valentine's day, or other special occasion you share with my awesome mama. True love is working several jobs, mostly all at once, to support your family. True love is working 4 days a week in Valley City, ND and leaving your loved family at home so you can have a job with good pay and maybe even some benefits. True love is making sacrifice after safcrifice after sacrifice for your wife and kids. True love is being the room Dad in my kindergarten class. True love is the look on your face when Tatum gives you a hug. True love is bailing your k

ids out time and time again and teaching them lessons at the same time. True love is tough love. True love is wise words. True love is what you have taught us.

2. You taught me to work. And not only did you teach me, you taught my brothers too, and thanks to you, they're pretty awesome. You taught us to work through love and tough choices on your part, but not through anger or violence (even though we most likely deserved it).

3. You taught me so much wisdom. Your wisdom is truly amazing, some might be jealous of it, because there is just so much. Call me biased (afterall, I am the baby girl of the family), but even at 28, I still believe you know everything. And if you don't know, you have an answer. You know what car I should buy, what job I shoul

d take, what flooring I should choose, where I should vacation, the list is ENDLESS. But it's all right there in your heart and mind.

4. You taught me how to live. This is one of my favorite things about you. You taught me that life is short. Afterall, your Dad (another awesome small town boy from Wibaux, MT) died at the young age of 46 (could be wrong on this age, but I'm close). You were just a boy yourself. But you learned at that point (or at least that's my assumption) that it was time to live your life. You are the only person I know that has a true bucket list and is actually crossing things off that list. And that makes you a hero in my eyes. Not that you weren't the moment I set foot in this crazy world. But that's just one more thing that puts you on a pedestal. You taught me that money doesn't grow on trees, but it also doesn't go on a hearse. You taught me you have to work hard, but it's ok to live and vacation and spend the m

oney you work hard for. You taught me that life is too damn short to settle for a job that sucks. And that even though it's important to pay the bills, it's more important to live each day like it was your last. I've had a lot of reflection about this in my huge lifespan, and especially in the last few years since I myself have finally cut the cord and started to pay my own bills. And this is by far one of the most amazing things about you. You are a responsible, thoughtful free-spirit all rolled into one. I long to have that ability.

5. Family First, Questions Later. This is a big one. It goes along with the things I've already said. But you are a prime example of unconditional love. You love your wife like a fairytale. But not the cheesy fairytale that we all know what the ending will be like. It's like the fairytale that you fell in love, made a promise, and kept that promise, even though that meant a lot of sacrifices on your part. One big one comes to mind, but I don't think I need to announce it for the world. Because you know what it is. You love your k

ids unconditionally. And not the way ALL parents say they love their kids unconditionally. You love your kids when they wreck all your cars, when they drink all your beer (and I'm not talking when they're "of age"), when they date real douchebags (geez, boys!), when they go off to college and don't do so hot, when they throw parties in your garage while you're on vacation (damn boys, give your Dad a break), when they act like children even though they're adults, and when they end up successful, smart, and filled with love themselves. You love them the same no matter what. You always have. And that, Mr. Gannon, is

something to be proud of.

I've stopped at 5 lessons. Obviously that's a substantially smaller amount than you've actually taught me. But these are some of my favorites. And you, Mr. Jack Kenneth Gannon, deserve a toast, for teaching your children these awesome lessons. You deserve to know that you're amazing, smart (brilliant, in fact), and full of wisdom. You work hard, and you deserve to be treated with respect. If you can't get it from this crazy, screwed-up world, just know you have at least 4 (much more than that, I know) people who you've taught so much to, and who are so grateful for you.

We love you Mr. Gannon, small town Montana b

oy, and we appreciate you.

Love,

Your Family

Giving Thanks!

We had the most awesome turkey day, right here at home! :) Ryan cooked an amazing turkey (smoked) and all the fixin's. :) It was delicious! I actually successfully made a pumpkin pie, chocolate pies, and a from-scratch pumpkin cheesecake. I was highly impressed with my skills.

We spent the weekend with Kyle & Kelli and had a great time. We did a lot of sledding on the hill right across the road from our house, and we ventured out to cut our own Christmas tree as well, which was super fun! We are so thankful for many things this year, but mostly friends and wonderful family, health, and happiness!

twenty.seven.

T-Bug is 27 Months Old.

2 years and 3 months.

117.39 weeks.

829.79 days.

19,723.07 hours.

1,183,384.72 minutes.

My sweet, sweet baby girl. I can't believe how much time has flown by. Tatum, you are such a joy in our lives. We have so enjoyed this last month with you. You're speaking so well, and one word sentences are a thing of the past for you!

TWENTY SEVEN things that amaze us about you:

1. Your love for your stuffed animals. You now have 3, all of which you must sleep with. You started with Mr. Teddy, and he was always your go-to. Then you went to Isabella's 3rd birthday party at build-a-bear and made a kitty, Myla. You named this kitty after Auntie & Uncle KGK's kitty. Last, but not least, you have Duchess Dog, the puppy that Uncle Mooley gave you! :)

2. Your love for the outdoors. You love being outside more than ANYTHING. When we come inside, you cry and get very upset!

3. Your "interview" that you do with Daddy. You know your name, age, where you live, where you go to school, Mommy's name, Daddy's name, and what Mommy and Daddy do for work. I call it the "interrogation," but Daddy says he's just interviewing you.

4. The way you go potty all by yourself, all the time! You are a rockstar on the potty and we are sooo proud of you for that.

5. When you don't know where something is or you don't know the anwer to something, you shrug your shoulders and put your hands up and say "I don't know." It's the cutest thing!

6. Your love for school! When we keep you home, you miss your friends and teachers!

7. Your beautiful, sparkly, blue eyes! These came from your Daddy and we are so glad. You have the most beautiful eyes in the world, and we love to see them sparkle with excitement.

8. Your love for Christmas! This is new this year and we are loving it! Every time we are in a store, you shout, "Oh look Mommy, Christmas!!!!" It is going to be a wonderful time!

9. The way you play with your babies. You push them in the stroller, give them binkies, rock them. You are such a good Mommy.

10. Your love for lotion, lipstick, or any products Mommy is using. You take the lipstick and smear it all over your face, and lotion usually goes in your hand while you take tiny dabs of it for your legs. A nickel-sized dab of lotion will usually last you quite a while! :)

11. The way you wrestle with Daddy. You love playing with him so much! Sometimes, when you play with Mommy you get too rough, but you know your limits and love every minute of it.

12. Your love for Pugsly. He is your best friend. There is no doubt about it. You pet him, hug him, chase him, choke him, but all because you love him.

13. The way you love to snuggle in the mornings when you wake up.

14. The way you tell us your feelings. You usually say, "I am sad," or "I am happy," or "I am a good girl." :)

15. Your love for books! Books, books, and more books! You love them SO MUCH. You read every single day, and several books. Mommy & Daddy read to you a lot, but you also like to crawl up in the big chair and read books to yourself. Your favorite book is currently Goodnight Moon closely followed by If you Give a Moose a Muffin.

16. The way you love to cook! You love baking and cooking with Mommy & Daddy, and you always want to help!

17. Your love for doing dishes! Once you have helped cook dinner, you love to help clean up! You love to do dishes, but I think this is just because you get to splash around in the water, and you love water.

18. Your singing! You sing "Tiny Tim" over and over and over. You know several other songs, but that one is definitely your top choice.

19. Your hair! It's crazy and wild, but I love it! It's sort of blonde now, even though when you were born it was pitch black! And it's LONG. You sit nicely for me every day and let me "do" your hair though, so it's pretty in control most of the time. :)

20. Your obsession with the SHOP. You love to spend time in the shop with Daddy. You have 4 (yes FOUR) bicycles out there that you love to speed around. You just learned to peddle them, so you can go really fast now!

21. Your OCD. Ok, you don't really have OCD, but Mommy & Daddy have self-diagnosed OCD so we say you do too. You always have to have things in order and if you make a mess you love to help clean it up! :)

22. Your adorable smile. You giggle, laugh, talk, and do many things, but this smile melts my heart every time.

23. The way you say prayers every night.

24. Your pout. Trust me, I don't like it when you pout, and I often tell you not to "whine," but this pout you do is hilarious. You stick your lip out and give those little eyes, just like I used to do to my Daddy.

25. You ability to make us always miss you.

26. Your hugs & kisses. You squeeze and squeeze and kiss and kiss whenever we ask. We are so lucky!

27. EVERYTHING.

Tatum G. Nagle, we love you so much. We can't believe how much you've grown. We are so lucky. Thank you for being amazing.

Love, Mommy & Daddy

Happy Halloween!

We had an AWESOME Halloween weekend. Uncle MOoley & Auntie Kelli came over and we were able to have a little adult fun AND kid fun!

Friday night was our adult Halloween party. We all dressed up and had a great time! Tatum was lucky enough to stay home with her friend from school. :)

Saturday we enjoyed some vegging time and headed to Coeur D'Alene in the evening for trick-or-treating downtown. That was so much fun! All the little shops handed out candy to the kiddos.

Sunday was spent relaxing, watching footb

all, and prepping for the big night! We enjoyed trick-or-treating with the Fillys & Vatsvogs! It was wonderful!

We are so lucky to have awesome family and friends. :)

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TATUM

Today I was blessed enough to spend the day at Tatum's school with her. There were some "issues" going on and I wanted to see what I could see. We had such a great time. It was so fun to hang out with Bug all day and see what goes on in her little world.

The day consisted of: lots of potty time, music time, weather time, days-of-the-week time, ABC's, numbers, outside time, playdough, coloring, snacks, lunch, and naps! It was never a dull moment!

I picked Tatum up after nap and we went to the park for some much-needed playtime! We followed that up with some sherbert from Baskin Robbins! What a lovely day it was. :)

I am so lucky to have such an amazing little girl. I thank God every day.

TWENTY-SIX

Tatum Georgia Nagle

~26 Months Old 10/17/10~

Dear Princess Tatum,

You are 26 months old. I can't even truly believe I am writing you this love letter, but alas, you are that old. You have learned so much in a such a little time. I am loving you being TWO and I only wish you would just stay little. :)

You have spent the past month doing many important things: your first leaf jump, loving on your chickens, loving on your puppy, moving into the next big-kid room at school, finding new friends, aquiring new teachers, giving Mama & Daddy heck, singing songs!, and just saying hilarious things!

Some of my favorite things you sing this month, and I have yet to capture on video, are:

1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

2. ABC's (skipping T, U, V). We sing this while we brush your teeth to make sure we can stay in the no-cavity club at the dentist!

3. Jesus Loves Me.

The hilarious things you have said this month:

1. Woot, Woot, Get It, Get It. You said this when Mommy started dancing, which made Daddy & Mommy giggle uncontrollably.

2. Yep.

3. Ok, Alright (still...)

4. No my (do whatever it is you don't want to do).

5. No way Jose! (Thank you Daddy).

6. Yes way Jose! (Thank you Mommy).

You are so observant. You noticed the moon the other night and it wasn't even dark! You noticed the sky was red and you said it was painted. I said God painted it and you agreed. :)

You have a few downers this month as well...you moved to a big-kid classroom at school and the adjustment has been, well, an adjustment. You have a hard time being nice at home in the evenings. You are very emotional these days. You also have difficulty listenting to teachers and Mommy. Mommy got called into the principal's office twice! But, we'll work together and figure out what's going on. Mommy & Daddy will get to the bottom of this!

Your favorite thing to do is STILL to play outside. Anything outside and you are in love! But you have also started loving on babies. :) You push them around and sing to them and talk to them. You still love to read and color.

Tatum, you light up our life. Daddy & I talk all the time about how lucky we are, how thrilled we are that YOU are our daughter. We love you so much and we can't wait to see what each new day brings. You bring a smile to our faces when you give the biggest squeezes. We love you SO MUCH.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Falling Leaves

We had so much fun taking Tatum to Manito Park here in Spokane and letting her play in the leaves! What a great time! :)

We spent this weekend at Kyle & Kelli's and Kyle and I ran a 5k! It was very fun, but it was 28 Degrees so we froze our butts off!

Fall is definitely here!

Frybread Fiesta & Steppin' Out to Fight Diabetes!

We had an awesome weekend, starting with Friday night at Cabelas! That shouldn't surprise you. BUT, it should surprise you that the only purchase was a Diet Mt. Dew for Mr. Nagle! :)

Saturday morning we cleaned out the shop and did some much-needed organizing! It was a great feeling. We had our favorites over for a Frybread Fiesta on Saturday evening. The adults got some time to chat and the kiddos ran, played, and wore each other out! Tatum slept like a dream!

T-Bug & PJ making silly cookie faces

Most of the group minus Miss Filly who took the picture. :)

Kiddos being cute.

Sunday morning we stepped out to fight diabetes in the annual Diabetes Walk in downtown Spokane. We have done this for 3 years now, and we love it! It's so nice to support a great cause that is close to our hearts and get some exercise in at the same time. We did the 5 mile and TBug did excellent! :)

25 Months of Pure Joy...

Tatum Bug is 25 Months Old...and counting...

Dear Princess Tatum,

You are the joy of our lives. :) We have so much fun with you, and love every minute of you.

Some of the new things you have started since turning 2 are:

1. Started loving baby dolls. You pack these little babes around non-stop! You have 3 now, and you keep them all naked, at all times. I thought it was odd at first, but you tell me they aren't cold. "no baby cold. nope." is usually what you say. Sometimes you will tell me baby is cold and ask me to put their "jammies" on. You push them in the stroller, give them binkies, and bottles. It's very sweet watching you rock them and sing them lullabies. You're such a good little mommy! :)

2. You talk more and more every day! Some of my favorite things you have said lately: "of course" when daddy asked you to do something, "nope, yep, nope" when I ask you questions, and you repeat EVERYTHING we say! It's very sweet.

3. Just this last week or so you have been so cuddly. You run up to me as fast as you can and squeeze my leg with both arms as tight as you can! It's the sweetest thing. And sometimes you just run up and put your arms around my neck and squeeze. YOu do this to Daddy too and he loves it! When I'm not at your level, you say "Mommy pick you up" which tells me you want me to pick you up so you can hug on me. I cherish these hugs so much, and I think you are the best hugger around. You certainly learned that from Daddy & Nana GG!

4. You still love your chickens! Every night after school, we come home and you run as fast you can to see your "girls." We gather eggs and you hold the basket for a few minutes before saying "Daddy hold this, my run" and then you take off running back to the house. When we eat eggs you tell us they are "blondies eggs" or "spaz eggs" and Mommy tells Daddy it's wierd to hear you talk abou the eggs that way. :)

5. You still love to read, read, read! A lot of your family loves to read, but your Grandma Gail has been running a library for years! There was no chance you wouldn't love books! It's so neat when I tell you to go play and I find you reading a book to yourself. You can read the whole Goodnight Moon book on your own!

6. Prayers...you say them every night, blessing every person you know, including all your daycare friends! It's very sweet listening to you bless everyone that you love so dearly.

7. You have picked up calling me "mother" somedays. It's so random, you will just call me "Mother." Hilarious, though.

These are only a few of the adorable things that you do. We love watching you, listening to you, and learning from you. Thank you for being so awesome, Tatum.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Congratulations to Auntie Dan Dan & Ross!

Going to the Chapel and Dan Dan...weeeent and got maaaried!

We spent last weekend in our hometown of Glendive, MT for Ryan's sister's wedding! His little sister, Dan Dan (Danielle) has been dating Ross for 7 years and finally tied the knot! It was so nice to be a part of their special day. Ryan was an usher and did an excellent job keeping people ushered. :) The bride was absolutely STUNNING. She is such a beautiful Auntie. We had a great time spending all weekend with Ryan's family and just enjoying each other. It was a very nice time for all.

Unfortunately, my camera died after only a few pics, so I had to steal a couple photos for the blog. BUT, http://www.gannonphotographyonline.com/ did the pics, so I think I know where I can find some more when they are done!

Congratulations Danielle & Ross! We love you!

KGK Visit & The Boys Go Hunting!

I am trying to update this blog a little more often, so here's my first go. :) I ordered a book of my blog that should arrive soon, so I thought it would be fun if it were updated more often. :)

Last weekend was the last few days of archery elk season here in WA, and Ryan had yet to get out, so he was granted a leave of absence from the Nagle household for 2 days. :) He invited his friend, Kris, from Idaho and my brother, Kyle. The boys had an awesome time even though it rained on them ALL weekend. But, alas, no elk. :(

Kelli came out with Kyle and we had a nice girl's weekend. We dined out, watched chic-flicks, and shopped. We were successful in all things. We did notice one thing about Tatum - and this is terrible news - she does NOT like to shop. Our little princess would rather be running around outside, playing in the dirt, hanging in the shop, or doing anything BUT shopping. She complains the whole time! I woner if she'll always be a tomboy or if she will get diva-fied over time? Only time will tell...

It was a nice weekend of relaxation. :)

Tatum Georgia Nagle is TWO

Princess Tatum Georgia Nagle

8.17.08

8lbs 2oz

8.17.10

27lbs 1oz

Still cute as can be. :)

Princess Bug is officially the big 2! We can't believe it! Oh sweet Tatum Bug, how we can remember the day you were born:

You came a few days early on a full moon. It was over 100degrees that day and we were H-O-T! After contracting all day, I finally got into a birthing pool at around midnight and you joined us at 4:45 AM. You were so precious, innocent, beautiful. We loved your little ears that are just like your daddy's. We loved your little Nagle nose. We loved your sweet, perfect pink lips. We loved that you were a girl. We loved your smell. Your Daddy used to smell your neck as often as he could. We loved every little piece of you...and we still do...2 years later...

Now, you are a BIG girl. You love to giggle, scream, play, jump, run, walk, smell, and just be a sweet little girl. We love your smile, your lips still perfect, sweet and pink. We love your ears, still just like your Daddy's. We love your cute unmistakable Nagle nose. We love your smell, especially after your bath. We still smell your neck, even though it doesn't smell quite like it did the day you were born. We love your giggle. We love our conversations. We love that you say "please" when you want something and "thank you" when you get something. We love that you understand us. We love you baby girl.

You have said some hilarious things this past month or so. One Sunday morning you & Daddy woke up early and were snuggling. Daddy rubbed your head and you said, "Easy Tiger." Pugsley always runs by you very quickly and sometimes knocks you down! One day, and many times since then, you said "Chill Out Pugsley." ONe day when we were in the car with Nana, she mentioned that she forgot something at the house. You said "Come on Nana!" You make us giggle and laugh out loud. We love your attitude, your personality, and the Tatum Bug that you are.

Princess Bug, we can't wait to see what you bring to us in the future. Thank you for giving us the most amazing two years we have ever had. We can't wait to see what the TWO's bring us.

Love you baby girl,

Your Mama and Daddy

Born in the U-S-A

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone had a safe & fun holiday! We spent the weekend camping on the north fork of the CDA River with my parents. Even though the weather didn't cooperate, we had a great time hanging by the campire, hiking to the falls, and fishing! Ryan taught me to fly fish and I caught one!

My monster fish

I see some game!

Happy Fishers!

Camping with AMAZING friends!

So I haven't blog updated in a LONG time other than my little letters to Tatum. I thought now would be a great time to update with some new photos! We went camping last weekend at Round Lake with some great friends! We have known the Filly's since TBug was just a wee Bug and they introduced us to the Conrads! We had such a great time!

Tatum G

Miss Tatum G is officially 22 Months old and counting...I can't believe she will be 2 in two very short months. She acts like she's 20 somedays. But I miss my sweet little angelic baby! :)

Dear Tatum,

You are officially an independent little toddler girl. You know exactly what you want, and you know when you want it! You're learning so much each and every day, and your talking is rampant!

Your favorite things to do this month are:

1. Swimming Pool (my wimming poo).

2. Play with Daddy (daddy home? daddy work? daddy shop?).

3. Eat animal crackers (more animal cookies pease).

4. Look for deer (dee, dee, dee).

5. Potty on the toilet, yea right...(potty).

6. Play with pugsly...or hit him & pull his tail.

7. Ride Smokey (mokey, good boy mokey, bucked off).

8. Sit in the big chair and watch cartoons in the morning.

9. Join mommy & daddy in bed in the morning (mornin' guys!).

10. And pretty much anything that involves GIGGLING!

Your favorite things to say this month are:

1. Here go (here ya go).

2. Bye bye sucka

3. Miss you Daddy or Miss you Mommy

4. Lub you Mommy or Lub you Daddy

5. Bless you

6. Thank you

7. Pease (please)

Tatum, you are one amazing little girl and we can't wait to see what the next month brings. WE LOVE YOU.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

21 MONTHS

~Tatum Georgia Nagle, 21 Months~


It seems my only updates these days come in the form of letters to Tatum and about Tatum, so here is her update for 21 MONTHS!



Wow Miss Tatum is 21 months old. She's pushing the 2 mark in a BIG way. We can't believe it. As the summer approaches I vividly remember the summer I was pregnant with Tatum and the time near her birth. My how you have changed Tatum.



You love to T.A.L.K.! It's a constant thing with new words everyday. Some of your latest and greatest sayings are: "Bye, Bye Sucka" "Monkey's Binky" "Love you" "My Nana/Papa/Daddy/Mama" (depending on who you want to hold you at the time), and many more! Your vocabulary amazes me Tatum. It's so funny when we're out and I say, "Tatum, can you say hello?" And you respond, "No." Oh how we love that we can have a conversation with you. My favorite thing this month was when you got bit at daycare. I asked you "who did that to you?" And you told me! "Ro-Ro!" Now, even weeks later, you point to your arm and say "RoRo bite." :)



You are one crazy little girl. You run, and you play, and you jump, and you keep us SO BUSY. Your Daddy & I have to tag-team you or we are exhausted! We are so lucky there are 2 of us. :)



Your new favorite toys are trucks & dolls. YOu are quite the well-rounded little gal. You love to play with trucks and fill them with sand and drive them all around the yeard. But you love yourself a little dolly! You especially love pushing the dollies in a stroller! You're such a good little mama. :)



This month we went to MONTANA by car to see all of our MT family. You were a great traveler! We spent about 6 hours in the car each day and you did wonderful! You spend some time watching DVD's and some time reading, and a little bit of napping too. But you rock the car trips like a trooper! We were so proud of you. And your MT family loved having you there to visit!



Tatum, we are so blessed with you, and we can't WAIT for a summer filled with fun! :)

20 Month Picture

TWO-ZERO

Dear Tatum Bug,

You are the big TWO-ZERO months! Wow, what an angel you have been. You are such a goof, I think you have your Mama & Daddy's sense of humor. The picture I'm attaching to this blog gives a good indication of your humor. You always do silly things just to get laugh out of your mama and daddy.

Tatum, you have learned a lot in the last month! You are well on your way to being potty-trained (we hope). In fact, you have done very well on road trips and even went on the airplane on the way to Nana & Papa's house! How many 20 month olds can say they have gone potty on an airplane? :) We are so proud of you, and we love how big you are becoming.

You have also re-discovered how much you love the outdoors. Your Daddy is so proud to have you as his daughter. You love all the things we do - being outside, hunting, hiking, biking, walking, mowing, grilling, if we do it, you LOVE it too! You also discovered the horseshoe pits are filled with sand, and they have become your new sandbox! You like to take your shoes off and feel the sand in your toes. We are excited to take you to the ocean this summer so you can play in a Huge sandbox!

You are talking, talking, talking like it's your job! You can communicate very well, and we usually understand what you are saying. You are quite the parrot, so Mama has learned to shape up her pirate mouth in a big hurry! In the last month you gave birthday messages to Uncle Curtis and Uncle Jimmy, and they both LOVED them. We are excited for you to give Birthday messages to all your Aunts and Uncles.

In your 20th month, you traveled yet again. We went to see Nana GG & Papa Jack in California! As usual, you were a pro on the airplane, and we had a great time. Now, if your Mama could just get it together and post some pictures on this blog.

The newest thing you have picked up on is DRESSING YOURSELF! This is quite interesting for your Mama to deal with! You don't like to take your shirt off once you already have one on. You especially love your PJ top that says "I love Mom" and you point to the "Mom" and tell me what it says, over and over. You used to be the best dressed at daycare, but if you start dressing yourself, your mama might have to let go of that title and let you become "most creatively dressed." :)

We are so blessed to have you as our daughter Tatum Georgia, and we are so proud of how big you are becoming! Thank you for giving us each and every day with you. We love you so much!

Princess Tatum Bug

~19 fabulous months~

NINETEEN

To Our Dearest Princess Tatum Bug -

You are Nineteen Months Old. I can't believe I sit here and write a blog about that age, when it seems that just yesterday you were a sweet little peanut that weighed 8lb, 2oz. You have done so much to amaze me in the last nineteen months, and I have been a bad mommy who hasn't blogged about it. Even worse, your baby book is in shambles. So let me try to recap and catch up.

August 17, 2008

You entered our world, my sweet, sweet little girl! You surprised us one fine Saturday morning when Mama woke up to cramps. Daddy & Mama spent the day eating to avoid what was really happening (contractions). :) Finally, our midwife and doula came over and after many long hours you were finally born at 4:45 am. We were shocked you were a little girl! We thought for sure you'd be a boy. But little miss Tatum Georgia Nagle, you were healthy, and that's all that mattered. We love you so much and we will never forget the day you joined us in this crazy world!

Your First Year

You accomplished SO much in your first year. You rolled over, smiled, giggled, tee-heed, crawled, WALKED, ran, and said Mama, Daddy, Nana, Papa and Pupa (Pugsly). You love your loved ones, including your puppy, and you have definitely made it known. You kissed, you hugged, you were just a shining angel!

The Next 6 Months

The time between your first birthday and your eighteen-month birthday flew! You were walking at 10 1/2 months but you took off into a full-bore run between about month 13 and 16. You can go anywhere and do anything that mama and daddy can...just ask you! You have developed quite an expressive personality (code for: attitude). You remind me of your mama with you little snap in your voice and feisty ways. But still, you are just like your Daddy and you love the outdoors and animals! Oh Tatum, you aren't even 2, and you've been pheasant hunting, deer hunting, shed hunting, and fishing. You are one amazing little girl. We are so proud when you take an interest in the things we love. Speaking of that, you love to golf. Mama and Nana took you golfing when you were 18 months old and you had a GREAT time. You carried around your little club and a ball, and you spent most of the time putting mama and nana's ball in the cup. You already know the object of the game! Your mama couldn't have been more proud.

The Big One-Nine

You are officially NINETEEN months old, as of 3/17/2010. Wow, your mama and Daddy are shocked at how big you are. We talk about it all the time. And we often ask ourselves, what did we do without miss T-Bug? This month you have been doing many fun things. You really started working on Potty Training this month! And WOW Tatum, you have been doing a fantastic job. You go on the potty a lot, and we know you are trying SO hard. You love to get your potty treat, nany (candy) as you call it! And it's so cute how you cheer everyone else on when they potty by screaming YAY! and clapping your hands...even in public restrooms!

You went fishing and boating this month and you did much better than you did last year, when you were only 10 months old. Tatum, your Daddy was so proud of you when you took out your pink fishing pole and started fishing. To top it off, you were wearing your adorable little bucket hat that read "fishing buddy" on it. Could your Daddy have beamed any more?

You also have really started to talk in the last month or so. You say anything I say, I have my own little parrot! Sometimes we call you the parrot because you also like to do anything we do. You love to say hi and talk on the phone, and you really love to say "I love you" to Nana, Papa, Daddy, Mama, and anyone else who will listen! You love skyping with your Nana and showing off all you have learned. You love wearing Mama and Daddy's shoes around the house. You look so funny walking around in Daddy's big shoes! You have quite an opinion as to what you wear on your head, but if we are outside, you always let us put a hat on you!

You have also picked up a few bad habits. I blame daycare. For instance, you push people. You don't do this with one hand, you use both arms and push as hard as you can. You get in trouble for this one. Daddy has "patted" your little butt since you were just a tiny baby (he's really just patting your big cloth diaper) and now you think it's funny to run up behind Mama and Daddy and "spank" our butts. Then you run off.

Your favorite thing to do in the last month has been playing! You love your new playroom! And one of the reasons is because you have that very cool ladybug tent that you like to hide in! Speaking of hiding, you love to play hide and seek! It's your favorite thing to do! You usually start by hiding behind your crib and peeking through the bars. Then you hide behind the fireplace. Then you hide behind mama and daddy's clotheshamper. And then you like Mama or Daddy to hide with you and take you to places you can't find on your own. Your favorites are: in the shower, in the clothebasket, or between the fridge and the garbage. Sometimes we hide under blankets too. You think this is hilarious and you giggle until your guts hurt!

Tatum, you are so special to your Mama and Daddy. We love you so much. You have been an amazing addition to our lives and we are so B-L-E-S-S-E-D to have you! Thank you for your big hugs and kisses, your tiny little body, your gut-busting giggles, and your love of life. Your innocence is refreshing, and we are so lucky that you share these things with us and bring us back to reality every day. You are one amazing little girl, Tatum Georgia Nagle, and for that, we are truly blessed and thank God every day.

Love Always,

Your Mama & Daddy

Play!

We have been trying to make our "basement" more user-friendly since we moved into this lovely lemon we call home...so we finally accomplished it this weekend! My father helped us paint (thank you!) and my madre helped me make my dream a reality...Here are some before and afters. Now, keep in mind we live in a 1951 rancher with a really nasty scary grandma basement. So, to make that user-friendly, I was quite impressed! :)

Before...when I got it all cleaned out.

Before...

After...this is where the treadmill was in the first pic.

After...this is the playroom side. :)

After, you can kinda see the separation of the room with the couch.

What fun house projects are when they are all finished! :)