Tatum's 2 Year Pictures

We took Tatum's 2 year pictures on October 17. Getting good pictures of a 2 year old is not easy. Tatum was all over the place - she never sat still and did NOT want to be held to get a family picture. However, Christi, as always, came through with some wonderful pictures that we will cherish forever. Now comes the task of choosing the ones for prints!
I love this picture. We even got a nice picture of Mom and Dad!

And the whole family (minus Peanut).

How beautiful!

Look at that smile!

This is such a sweet picture of her profile.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Last weekend we visited a local pumpkin patch. Well, we had to drive a little ways, but it was well worth it. We had so much fun! Not only were there pumpkins, there was a petting zoo, swings, face painting, tractors, and all kinds of fun things to play with. We'll definitely make this a yearly event and in the spring we can't wait to try out the strawberry patch!!
First Tatum checked out the mini-tractors. She's a natural... gets it from her Papa. Photo-op with Mommy on the tractor.

Photo-op with Daddy.

Moving on... she had to try out the fun water pumps that pushed little rubber duckies to the other side. Too bad she was too short to see the duckies. She had fun nonetheless!

Oh, the horsey-swing. It was a battle to get her off the horsey-swing. She loved it, and she did NOT want help. In fact, she didn't want either of us to stand within a five foot radius. Thankfully she did not fall off!

Finally onto the pumpkins! Gosh, there are so many! Found one I like!

Got it!

Now I need another one. We wound up with five total.

This was the only picture we took with the face paint. It was smeared all over in a matter of seconds... but cute for those few seconds!

Happy (belated) Birthday, Tatum!!

Okay so I'm over a month late in posting pictures from Tatum's party. Better late than never, right? Tatum had a blast at her birthday party. The theme was jungle safari because Tatum loves animals. We had a total of 5 little ones (between the ages of 1 and 2) which was tons of fun. We set up the slide and a small ball pit outside in the back yard. Aunt Stacey made the most perfect safari cake, I made edible playdough, and we had a pull string pinata that was a hit! I think everyone had a blast. We were in sugar detox for about a week after the party, but it was well worth it. My little baby is 2 years old! I just can't believe it. It seems like yesterday when Peter was driving like a mad man to get me to the hospital in time to have her. Time certainly flies when you're having fun. Happy (belated) birthday, baby! We love you so much!
Check out that cake! Thanks, Aunt Stacey.
Tatum loved being the center of attention as every sang to her. She's such a ham!
The first present she opened was a toy coffee pot. She didn't care about any other gift - she had to have that darn coffee pot! Finally her Daddy opened it for her and she was able to "make coffee."
Pure joy!

Detroit

Mee-maw and Tatum at the New Orleans airport before flying out. Tatum's first time on an airplane. She's not too sure about it.

On the carousel at Greenfield Village.

In front of the fountain at the Detroit Zoo!

I love the zoo!

Finally we are back home from Detroit! Two full weeks is a long time to be away from home, and considering the circumstances, we are thrilled to be back, safe and sound. Overall, the trip went well. Peter tolerated surgery very well and is on his way to a full recovery. Tatum had a hard time being away from home, but she was such a trooper - especially on the airplane. Here is a short recap of our trip. I didn't take very many pictures, so this is about as good as it gets.

On August 25, we set out for Detroit. Peter, Tatum, my mom and I left for New Orleans that morning. From New Orleans, we had a straight flight to Detroit. The day started off great because we were able to upgrade to first class!!! After being on the plane for 30 seconds, we realized that with a toddler (especially one named Tatum Elizabeth), coach isn't an option. Well, at least it wasn't that day. Tatum did great, however, and the flight was smooth. We arrived in Detroit, got our rental car (a Toyota Highlander) and drove to the Henry Ford guest housing. As Peter was checking us in, we observed a large Indian family who arrived just before we did. They have since become our friends.

After check-in, Peter and I drove to Macomb Baptist Church. The church let us borrow a pack and play and a booster seat for Tatum so we didn't have to lug ours along. My wonderful friends set this up for us - Thanks Girls! That day the weather was great - sunny and about 78 degrees. Low humidity. Weather we dream about in Baton Rouge. Little did we know that in 24 hours we would be freezing with our t-shirts and shorts in the mid 40s! That's right... it is COLD in Detroit, and we were not prepared. A trip to Wal-Mart a couple of days later resulted in the purchase of several long sleeve t-shirts and hoodies for Peter and myself. I'm sure he will deny ever wearing a hoody, but I think I might have a pic or two.

A day or so after our arrival, we discovered that the Indian family we saw the first day was staying just down the hall from us. From their rooms came the most wonderful aroma of Indian spices and food. Peter mentioned to the Indian "Dad" after seeing him in the hallway that it always smelled so wonderful when they cooked. (Peter and the "Dad" had the same surgery on the same day so they were able to walk the halls together - walking was a MUST after surgery.) That same night, we heard a knock at our door and the Indian "daughter" brought us a full Indian meal - in American terms we had roasted potatoes, chicken and rice and beans. It was delicious! We received three more Indian meals after that one, and they were all wonderful. Our sincere thanks to Yusuf and family. I was promised recipes (via facebook) and I can't wait to try them out. We even received an invitation to visit them in Bombay!

As for accomodations, the apartment we stayed in was great. It was small but had everything we needed. They only thing lacking was a nice surrounding neighborhood. To put it mildly, the hospital is in the hood. We went to a nearby CVS pharmacy and were nearly surrounded by panhandlers wanting money. When Peter gave one guy a dollar, he got mad and said he thought Peter would give him more! He then asked for a ride to 7-Mile Road (just one mile from 8-Mile Road as featured in the Eminem film, "8 Mile"). We said no and got out of there as fast as we could. We never went back to that CVS...

One other bloggable event: our second night there, we saw a man walking the halls of our floor (again, more walking around after surgery - doctor's orders!) Peter and I both looked at each other and said "I know that guy!" We couldn't place him, but both of us recognized his face. Peter, being the outgoing one, asked who he was and low and behold he is our pharmacist in Baton Rouge! He had the same surgery Peter had just two days before Peter's. Talk about a small world!

Since our stay was extended by about 5 days, we decided to make the most of it. We visited the Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford's "Greenfield Village," as well as various malls and restaurants. It was a good trip considering the circumstances, but I must admit that unless absolutely necessary, I will never go back to Detroit again. However, I loved the team of doctors, nurses and others that took care of Peter and myself during our stay. I will always have a special place in my heart for them, especially Dr. Mani Menon, Peter's surgeon. Aside from being a world renowned surgeon, expert and pioneer in the field of robotic prostate surgery, he went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable and assured. He even accompanied me to the hospital chapel and prayed with me after Peter's surgery.

Thanks to Dr. Menon and the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital!

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th of July! This year was so much fun. Peter bought sparklers and smoke bombs (and some other "snake" thing that was so terrible it isn't even worth mentioning). He also made homemade chocolate chip ice cream! After supper, we headed outside to celebrate. Tatum did great with the sparklers. She only got burned a little bit - just kidding! We were right there to prevent any disaster. She wasn't scared at all and even held the sparklers all by herself! Then we enjoyed ice cream and had some fun with the pool.
The pictures are actually backwards from how I wanted to post them, but I can't figure out how to rearrange them. So... here is Tatum splashing in the pool! Those darn sprinklers!!

Oooh, I like the ice cream.

Am I close to my mouth?

Sparklers!

Water Fun

Tatum is 21 months old now... just around the corner from 2 years old! She's learned so many new things lately: She can say her name. She can say the names of many of her friends at school - we hear A LOT about Dorothy (her BFF) and Ray (affectionately called "Ray-Ray" by Tatum). She's putting two or more words together. She recognizes many of her letters and can say most of them. And the list goes on. We're having so much fun with her. It's hard to believe that she's growing up so fast!
Now that it's super hot outside, we're playing alot with water toys. She loves the pool and the water hose, but isn't too sure about the sprinklers! Here are a few pictures:
Joy! Helping Daddy water the grass.

Whoa! Sprinklers!

Chillin in the pool. Helping fill up the pool.

Just playin

On any given evening, barring the rain, you can find the Kopfinger family outside, just playing. Tatum loves to be outside, and the fresh air is good for us all. We usually play with ride on toys or the sprinklers. Sometimes we walk to the practice holes (golf) and play on the greens. Of course, a walk around the neighborhood would not be complete without a visit to the two fountains in the front. Anyway, here are some pictures of our family, just hanging out outside after supper one evening.

Look at those teeth!
Smelling the flowers.

Playing with Mommy on the plasma-car.

Even the door frame is alot of fun!

Peter tied a rope to the plasma-car to make it easier to pull around. Tatum has such a tough life!