Gas Costs What?

Katie's latest quirk??? She refuses to nap during the day unless she is riding in the car. She will fight off sleeping in the crib, stroller, our arms, whatever...but the minute she hits the road, she is out like a light. Do you realize how expensive a habit this is going to be unless we break it? Anybody have any suggestions?

Chillin' On the Couch

In case you forgot, this is my buddy Max (10.5 months old). He and I spent the afternoon chillin' on the couch while our moms gabbed away. I was a bit jealous because Max crawled around the joint while I was stuck in my same ol', same ol' position. We enjoyed a nice episode of Baby Einstein before both shrieking because we needed our naps. Don't we sound like a fun duo to be around?

Super Girl!

Here's our Super Girl, flying over tall buildings with a single bound! Even though she's showing some great neck, back, leg, and arm strength, she still stubbornly refuses to roll over. Oh well, we relish in the fact that she's not going anywhere when we lay her down.

Katie's other big news - she said "Mama" yesterday! We know it doesn't mean anything yet, but it sure made Mom's day. Now we are trying to teach her the "D" sound.

In Remembrance

This Memorial Day, we remember our ancestors, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Photo: Arlington National Cemetary (10/2006)

Vowels Are Old News

Katie finally spoke her first consonant today. She's been practicing her M's all day long. Mmm-mmm-mmm. Traci is hoping that this means she's on her way to choosing "Mama" for her first word. Personally, I think she's just getting a head start on her five syllable last name.

Abs-olutely Beautiful

This was an attempt to showcase both Katie's latest past-time and some of the new flowers we bought today. Instead, Katie chose to showcase her six-pack abs. Anyhow, Katie loves to stand up these days (assisted, of course) and begin marching in place. Still no rolling over...we think she might just go straight to walking!

Hello Summer!

Happy Un-Official Beginning of Summer, everyone! We hope you all have fun plans for the long weekend. We are not travelling anywhere, but we plan to buy some flowers for the back balcony and cook out whenever possible. The weather is heating up here - around 90 degree highs all weekend. That's why Mommy and Kate have ditched the long-sleeve shirts for sleeveless wear. Alas, Daddy had to get all dressed up to go into work for a 3-11PM shift today. Guess his summer starts tomorrow...

Come and Play With Me!

He's almost here! He's almost here! Katie was very interested in "Aunt" Maureen's belly today. Not only was it a great place to prop her arm, but she knew that her buddy inside is almost due to arrive. By the way, doesn't Maureen look FANTASTIC as a pregnant mommy-to-be?

A Hard Day's Night

After a long day of work (for Daddy) and play (for Katie), this is how these two usually end up. Katie, with drool streaming down onto Daddy's good shirt, has him pinned to the floor on top of her Sesame Street couch. Daddy entertains until dinnertime, Katie gets a bath, and then the house quiets down when Katie settles into bed.

Strange Brew

After church this morning, we stopped into Rock Bottom Brewery for a quick bite. Mike was surprised to see a new beer on the menu which called out to him for some reason. After sampling a pint (pretty good, actually), Traci sweet-talked the waiter into letting us buy the glass for $2.00. Don't worry, Grandma M., Katie didn't see any resemblance...

License to Dr[ool]

After a quick feeding in the Home Depot parking lot, Mom set Katie down in the driver's seat while waiting for Dad to return.
She looked so comfortable behind the wheel, we couldn't resist snapping a few photos.

Somebody please tell Katie that the minimum driving age is 16 YEARS, not weeks...

Daddy's Home!

As you can see, Dad made it home safe and sound from his first extended business trip away from Katie. Mom and Katie picked him up from the airport, and then the entire family settled in for a fantastic come-from-behind Cubs victory over the hated White Sox. (To Mom's delight, Katie screamed every time that White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen came on the screen.) Katie was so excited by all the good news that she promptly fell asleep on our late afternoon walk. It's so great for everybody to be home again!

Have You Seen My Dad?

Has anybody seen my daddy? I haven't seen him for awhile. He's on something called a "business trip," but I don't understand that. I cannot wait for him to come home. (And I think that Mommy is counting down the hours as well.) I get to greet him at the airport tomorrow. I hope he is as happy to see me as I will be to see him!

Maybe Next Month

Katie is not quite ready to eat solid foods, but we are starting to prepare her for the momentous milestone. We've been having her sit at the "Big Kid's Table" in her borrowed high chair to get used to the setting. As you can see, she still looks tiny in the high chair. And she's more interested in the chandelier that hangs above the table than the food on it. Until then, Geno is patiently sitting right below her just waiting for all the morsels to drop...

Trying It On For Size

Today is the deadline for Notre Dame football ticket applications. That being said, Katie's dad may have gotten a little too excited about the fall in staging this picture. Good fit, don't you think? Anyway, it looks like the plan is to try to attend the Penn State away game (Mike & Traci) and the Air Force home game (Mike, Bill, Ben & Tom). Pending ticket availability, of course. Katie will probably have to wait one more year to get a glimpse of the gold helmets. Hope to see some of you this fall...

Works Like a Charm...

After a pretty rough weekend of "sleep training" (or letting her cry it out for nighttime and naps), Mom has decided to pull back a bit. Although Katie is doing an EXCELLENT job of falling and staying asleep at night, her naps are not going so well. We swear that she spent 10x more time screaming than napping this past weekend when we tried to get her to fall asleep in her crib during the day. So, we went back to the tried-and-true today - the long walk out in nature. The picture on the right is proof that she is still in control...for now!

Happy Mama's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to one and all! We had a fantastic first Mother's Day, with all kinds of treats for Mommy. First (and perhaps most important), Katie gave Mom her first gift when she slept in until 9:15!! Mommy would have just been fine with that, but Daddy, Geno, and Katie had more surprises in store. After church, the family had a nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Later, Mommy was presented with cards and gifts, including a fantastic spa package!! Finally, Dad completed one of his (and Mom's) least favorite chores, a massive grocery shopping trip. He left his girls at home for some nice bonding. All in all, Mommy thinks everyday should be Mother's Day if she gets treated this well!

I Can Do It, Too!

This isn't the best picture of Katie, but there is a funny story behind it. Today we were in the non-baby portion of our Mommy & Me Yoga class when Katie decided to join in. Usually all the babies just lay on their blankets while the mommies do stretches and poses. We were just in a nice stretch in which we hold up our legs and reach for our toes when Katie decided to imitate us exactly. Everybody in the class started cracking up, so of course I had to get a picture. She's already trying to join in with the old girls!

Lean On Me

Little Baby Kate is starting to "tripod sit" - sitting upright on her own with hands planted on the ground in front of her. Today she was able to maintain this pose long enough for Mom to run downstairs to fetch the camera. She absolutely loves to have a new view of the world - between her tripod sits, her Bumbo, and her exersaucer, she observes everything going on around her. I suppose we should enjoy this period where she can interact with her world without moving toward it.

Making Myself At Home

After a long day of shopping with Mommy and "Aunt" Maureen, I decided to take my socks off, settle into Maureen's couch, and chew on my finger for awhile. The adults thought I looked so funny making myself comfortable that they had to snap this shot. What's so wrong with sitting back and soaking in the world?

From Peanut to Tree

In all of the baptism craziness, we forgot to update everybody on Katie's recent pediatric check-up. Our little "Peanut" is sprouting up like no other!! Her weight came in at 14 lbs., 9 oz. (75th percentile), and her height was an amazing 26 1/2 inches (actually off the female charts!!!). And, our brave little one barely flinched during her first couple of shots. So, it looks like everything is going well with the Very Hungry Katerpillar!

Our Daughter's Dunking

Our little girl was baptized today! Katie was most impressive, taking the water over the head like it was nothing more than her evening bath. Mom and Dad were quite proud. The ceremony was nice...very relaxed with only two other families. Katie wore a beautiful dress that has been handed down through at least four generations of her Daddy's family (see photo).



Katie with her new Godparents, Uncle Dave and Aunt Krystina.
Katie with Grammy K. and Papa T.

Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate with us to make our daughter's day so special...

Sesame Seat

Katie finally met some cousins this weekend. Uncle Dave, Aunt Krystina, and cousins Julian and Nicholas came in from Pittsburgh to help celebrate her baptism. I don't think she knew quite what to think of these BOYS. She just watched in bewilderment as they tackled each other and brandished their dinosaurs. She did like all the cool new stuff they brought with them (e.g., the Sesame Street couch). Here, she and Julian settle in to watch some Kentucky Derby coverage. Mommy's horse won (of course, anyone can pick the favorite!).

I'm Not Too Sure About This...

So, Mom dragged out this crazy contraption and decided to plop me into it. I think I was supposed to stand here and play with all these bells and whistles that surround me. Instead, I just stared up at her with my bewildered puppy-dog eyes and then chewed on my hand for awhile.

Wish me luck for tomorrow - Round 2 of those horrible prickly things (I think they are called shots)!!!

Who Do I Look Like?

Alright...it's time for another vote! We need your participation so that we can solve a debate going on between Mommy and Daddy. So, who do you think I look like? Here are the choices:

A.) I totally look like Daddy...just look at my _________________.
B.) No way! I'm like Mommy with my __________________.
C.) Stop the arguing! I'm a perfect combination of both because _______________.
D.) Actually...I look like neither. Where did I come from?

Be sure to put your vote and thoughts in our comments box below!

Good Job, Daddy!

You may be wondering why I am hanging out in the bathroom sink. I'm just here to admire my Daddy's fine painting work that tied up his entire weekend. Thanks, Daddy, for taking time out of your busy schedule to make our place look great! Next on his workman agenda - paint the main hallway, paint the upstairs hallway, re-do the master bedroom, decorate the master bath, and safety-proof the entire condo. Phew! I think that Daddy is going to have a pretty tiring summer!