The Baby reaches new heights...

The wonders of having a baby when your big kids (who came here all at once, no less) become adolescents never ceases to make us smile! We all -- Mommy, Daddy and her big kids -- marvel at the wonder that is our Cate (and yes, we worry a bit that our marvel might be spoiling her completely!).

This trip to Disneyland was no exception. Although, she has been quite a number of times in her little life, it had been six months since our last visit (gasp, I know) and apparently when you are three, six months is a lo-o-o-ong time. She kept saying, "Oh, I neber did that." Or, "Oh, I think I 'member this." With complete and utter awe. It was so much fun!

And she had grown....not enough for everything...but enough to ride Gadget's Go-Coast for this first time with her Daddy (it is a short roller-coaster and the big kids decided long ago that it wasn't worth the trouble of loading to ride), and big enough to ride Matterhorn with the whole family! ("Dat was shcary!")

Can you see Daddy and his littlest thrill-seeker? (They are in the second car.)

I love this tummy-holding shot of her coming off the roller-coaster. She is still talking about how her tummy "rolled up and up"!

Sadly, in spite of eating all her veggies and drinking all her milk for months in her effort to "get big enough to ride Splash Mountain," she still wasn't. A few more inches, I think.

The roller coasters weren't the baby's only adventures this trip....she also contracted some sort of stomach virus (after the coasters...hmmm?). Phase one hit while we were thankfully in our hotel room resting. She was so FINE, afterwards that I was convinced she had just over-indulged in snacks. And we were at Disneyland after all, so back we went to the park. Dinner with Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl and off to ride "It's a Small World." Well, I won't gross you out with details...suffice it to say that the cast members are very adept at hand-scrubbing those brick pavers when necessary. (And Daddy can pick out adorable t-shirts when he needs to get a quick-as-lightning change of clothes!) Oh my.

But the most telling photo of the fact that Wade and I had a baby "later" in life....when the trio were first visiting Disney, we were adamant about "helping" them pick their ears...they wanted REAL ears, right? Mouseketeer Ears. Our persuasion meant something back then.

Not so much today.

This all-pink girl had been looking at the Princess ears for a couple of days when she finally coerced her Daddy into the Mad Hatter shop. She went right to them and promptly handed them to him. There was NO room for discussion. She couldn't/wouldn't be persuaded. And so, this girl has pink. princess. mouse. ears. complete with tiara!

Did I tell you that she is such a blessing? (Oh, there will be more tomorrow!)