King Brown, King Short, and King Tall

The Christmas decorating process has begun! This weekend, Mike took the initiative to start getting all of the Christmas boxes out of the attic. We at least wanted some stuff up before guests arrive for Michael's baptism next weekend. Katie was delighted by all of the lights and garland, but she especially loves the "Christmas doll" nativity scene we've set up on the entertainment center. She has repeatedly asked to play with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, King Brown (the dark-skinned one), King Short (the kneeling one), and King Tall (the standing one) since they've been erected. She totally thinks they are her dolls and has tried to undress them and yank out their haloes. (What are the odds that they will all survive intact this entire Christmas season?) The best is when she forces Mike to play "Christmas dolls" with her. The dolls usually have conversations like, "Mary, you have a pretty, pretty pink dress." "King Brown, I like your brown beard." "Baby Jesus, where are your clothes?"

HIGH-Fives

And when we say high-fives, we really mean looooong-fives! My goodness, look at how tall Michael is growing! His feet always stick out of his baby bouncy seats, and we often hear him kicking against the side of his bassinet when he is waking. We just can't keep up with his growth...he's already getting to be too long for his 6-month-clothes! At this rate, he'll be able to wear Dad's clothes by next year. We expect to hear from all of the major college basketball programs soon....

More from Thanksgiving....

A father/son moment Mike hopes to replicate throughout their lives...

Connor, Mr. Brian and Michael checking out the desserts...

Cooper (2-years-old), Connor (2.5), and Katie finding trouble together... Notice the backpack on Katie's back - she had to be like Dora!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Despite not being able to travel to be with family, we still managed to cook up a bird of our own with all of the fixings this afternoon. It was rather nice to celebrate quietly with our new little family and gave us a chance to reflect on what we are especially thankful for this year...two healthy, beautiful kids that continue to change our definitions and expectations of "love" each day.

While Michael did not make the photo before the feast (i.e., the Lions game put him to sleep with the rest of America), he joined in on the festivities this evening as we visited friends Brian and Maureen (and Connor) for dessert. Yum. We will all sleep well tonight!

Cheap (and Easy) Entertainment

Not sure if you can see all of the papers toward the bottom of today's picture, but they pretty much constitute Katie's latest obsession. You see, Katie has finally reached her Disney Princess phase. Judging from our jaunt through the Disney Store a few weeks ago, it seems that every female (ages 2-13) must go through their own love affair with every one of the Disney princesses. After spending an hour at the store (where Daddy/Santa snuck out with a couple purchases...SHHHH!!), Katie would not stop talking about Belle, Ariel, Tiana, etc., etc. Luckily, Traci looked online and found the official Disney Princess website. At this website, we found the most magical application! The website allows you to pick out a dress, jewelry, purse, and tiara for each and every character. You can then print out your original creation. Katie and Traci spent most of this week creating different designs for each princess, and now Katie goes EVERYWHERE with her print-outs. These puppies have kept her silent at church, the doctor's office, on car rides, everywhere. And, the whole thing only cost us the price of the paper, the computer's electricity, and the little plastic holders Traci put them in. They've also been a fabulous teaching tool for Katie: She loves to name the colors we have used, she likes to tell us how the princesses' wardrobes are different or the same (for example, which ones are wearing hats vs. tiaras), and we have even gotten to talk about some basic racial/ethnic stuff (with the beautiful princesses Mulan, Pocahantas, and Tiana in the mix)! A good investment, indeed.

Top O' the Charts

Michael had an extremely successful 2-month check-up at the doctors' office this morning! He checked out perfectly in all departments, except for some slightly stiff neck muscles. (Darn torticollis - we'll work on that! Nothing we haven't already seen with Katie.) The little guy was a champ with all of the poking and prodding and only cried (bloody murder) for a few seconds during the shot. Speaking of champion kids, Katie was an angel through the whole visit. We weren't sure what she would do with herself while all of the time and attention were devoted to her brother, but she just patiently watched, asked questions, played with her princesses, or read books. Basically, she ensured that Mommy could focus on Michael, not her. Anyway, here are the metrics you may have wondered about: Height - 25 inches (97th percentile) and Weight - 14 lbs., 10 oz. (96th percentile). Yep, we've got a teeny-tiny peanut on our hands. (A lady in the waiting room guessed that he was 5-months-old!)

He Speaks Ewok!

Our little guy turns 2 months-old today! To mark the occasion, we tried to capture some of his daily chatter for your enjoyment. Not to compare the two kids or anything, but Michael is definitely more talkative than Katie ever was at this age. (Hard to believe that anybody could beat Katie in the chatterbox department...) He loves to just stare into your eyes or at your lips so that he can "converse" and mimic you. He has adopted quite the strange language. We liken it to the language of the Ewoks from "Return of the Jedi." We didn't capture the best conversation, but this will give you a little taste of Michael's talking cuteness. Oh, and as for Michael's 2-month measurements, stay tuned for Tuesday's big check-up. We'll see how much the gentle giant has grown!

Friends' Thanksgiving!!

The whole family celebrated the holidays with about 50 of their closest local friends tonight! Our good buddies Angela, Ben, Lyla (almost 3-years-old, pictured with Katie), and Anamarie (15 months-old) hosted a huge potluck pre-Thanksgiving dinner at their house. This "Friends' Thanksgiving" is something they have done since college, but it now includes what felt like at least 100 million little kids running around everywhere. Katie was in heaven as most of her best friends - Lyla, Patrick, Sam, Rory, etc. - were in attendance. Mike and Traci were in heaven because their two kids were occupied (whether by play or sleep), while they got to eat, drink, and be merry. It was an especially great evening since we won't be traveling to see family for the actual Thanksgiving holiday. We would have loved to have gotten more pictures from the festivities, but the darn camera batteries ran out after getting this cute picture of Katie with the hostess. Thank you so much, Ben and Angela!!

Getting Stronger Everyday

Our little boy sure is growing up quickly. Every day he is emerging out of his newborn slumber, eyes awake to everything in the world. (Sometimes Mommy wishes for some of that slumber back, but that's another story...) Although he doesn't really enjoy tummy time, all of that strength training is yielding great dividends. He can hold his head pretty steadily when you walk around with him and look all around when he's on his belly. He has even pseudo-rolled (rolled from belly to back off of a small pillow - mainly due to gravity) much to Katie's delight. (She asked him to do it over and over and over again.) But the best thing about Michael right now is his vocalization. This kid has a TON to get off of his chest all the time. His vocabulary includes many "ah-goos," "oohs," "aahs," and "mmmms." Nothing is quite as adorable as the breathy mutterings of an infant, especially after he flashes you his knowing smile. It would be awesome to capture this on video for all of you, but he is most vocal right after breastfeeding...and, well...we'll keep that to ourselves! :)

When in Fall....

You must JUMP! Katie, Michael, and Traci celebrated the beautiful autumn morning by heading to one of our favorite parks. It's been awhile since Katie's been to a playground, so she was delighted. After getting her fill of swings, slides, and ladders, she turned her focus to all of the cool leaves falling from the trees. Traci decided to introduce her to a fall rite-of-passage: the leaf jump! (When you don't have a yard of your own to rake, your kids tend to miss out a little on the leaf fun.) Katie enjoyed the jumping for about five minutes before moving on to something else. Pretty typical... Oh, and Michael did his part by pretty much sleeping through the whole visit. Good 8-week-old!

Shake Your Booties

Had to capture this photo before Michael grows out of both the shirt and accessories. Mike's squadmate, Joanne, actually hand-made this hat and matching set of booties. Thanks, Joanne...they are too cute! And when did booties go out of style for adults? They look quite comfortable.

Which One Doesn't Belong?

 

Apparently, one never gets too old for an activity center...

Whom Do I Look Like? (MJM Version)

Way back when Katie was a little baby, we conducted a blog vote to determine whom she resembled the most. The votes were decidedly split, with everybody finding some sort of trait that looked Mommy, Daddy, Gramma, Grammy, etc., etc. Now it's time for everybody to decide whom Michael looks like! Here are your 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!

Manolos? Jimmy Choos? Anyone?

Fashion, fashion, fashion...our little girl already has been bitten by the pretty clothes bug. She is now obsessed with trying on Mommy's shoes, scarves, hats, and whatever else she can get her hands on. This morning, she was striking a pose in shoes ranging from high-heels to leather boots. Mommy has promised her that, some quiet winter day when we have nothing better to do, we will put on a full-fledged fashion show. That includes Mommy, too. If she can fit into them, Traci will don her old bridesmaid's dresses. Katie thinks they are Mommy princess dresses. It will remain to be seen whether any pictures will be taken... Oh, and notice how she is starting to get Michael in on the fashion action - sweet brown shoes, MJMIII!

Blending In

Sadly, we're in the middle of three days of constant rain as we endure the remnants of the most recent tropical storm to swing through the east coast. Hard to be inside on a national holiday, but we made the best of it. On this Veterans Day, thank you to all those that serve(d) our blessed country. We are forever in your debt...

Looking One Month in the Face...

 

A couple of weeks late, but here is a series of one month shots we took of Michael. Amazing to see the differences already. So stern! Currently, he's really starting to come into his own in terms of expressions, gazes, smiles, etc. We'll do our best to document them in the coming weeks. Happy Monday, everybody...

Birthday Party, Take 2

Today was Round 2 for the Big Birthday Party Weekend. Katie, Michael, and Traci once again ventured on their own to a fantastic indoor toddler gym for Charlie's festivities. (Where was Daddy this weekend, you might ask? He got caught up on A LOT of important home, desk, and sleep things!) Katie seemed a little more comfortable at this birthday location (JW Tumbles) because this gym chain is where she used to take classes last winter. The kids got to climb over mini obstacles, swing on super swings, have free play, and, of course, eat pizza and cupcakes. Oh, and Michael got to enjoy all of this too because the little scoundrel WOULD NOT SLEEP (grrrrr....).

Once again, enjoy the photos on the right. We'll take next weekend to rest, and then we're off on some more adventures by the end of the month!

Birthday Party, Take 1

It's that time of year again...the time when a vast majority of Katie's buddies have their birthday parties! Why is this the high birthday season? Looking back nearly three years ago, Traci met a bunch of her mom friends at a local hospital's New Moms' Group organized by birth date. Her particular Moms' Group contained kids born between November 2006 and February 2007, so here we are with multiple parties on the horizon. Just this weekend, Katie has two birthday parties to attend! Today, Katie, Michael, and Traci trekked to a super-cool indoor play area with tons of bounce houses, inflatable slides, and playground areas for Gabi's 3rd birthday party. Although Katie was reluctant to go on any of the really big slides and obstacle courses, she did have fun bouncing everywhere else. And, of course, she feasted on her cupcake (and asked Mommy if she could have the one that belonged to the girl seated next to her). Tonight, she is sleeping with a bunch of the little trinkets from her favor bag. As for Michael, he thankfully slept through all of the festivities.

Please find some pictures from the day's events in the album on the right. Tomorrow is another big party at a JW Tumbles facility (very much like a Gymboree indoor gym). We'll be sure to post some pics from that as well!

Just Cuz He's Cute

When Katie was a wee infant, we never videotaped her. We figured that she wasn't really doing anything worth taping at that point. Now we really regret that we have no footage of her from when she was younger than 7 months. With that in mind, we are trying to tape Michael just being Michael at this fun, young age. Tonight he was particularly engaged with his playmat: pumping the chimes with his legs, checking himself out in the mirror, staring at the elephant, and cooing happily. So, enjoy a slice of a 6-week-old's life! (Oh, and also enjoy the screeching of Katie in the background. She was in bath-tub heaven.)

Terry Bradshaw, in Training

Go, Michael, Go! Katie and Traci like to put Michael through "tummy time" training every day. He's getting better and better at picking up his head when flat and holding his head steady when upright. Katie is definitely the "old softy" of the two trainers...as you can see from the video, she cannot stand when her little brother gets fussy or frustrated. She immediately wants Mommy to either roll him over or pick him up. So adorably protective of the little bro... And why did we name this post after Terry Bradshaw? Michael's hair is definitely in that newborn stage where he's losing it off the top, but growing it long in the back. The former Steeler great would be proud!

On a side note, Traci and Katie lucked into H1N1 shots at the ob-gyn today! Traci's doc offered them when Traci went in for her 6-week check-up. Of course we jumped at the chance to avoid the hours-long vaccination lines that have been popping up all over our area. Katie was so spectacular with her unexpected shot - she didn't flinch or cry!! After the appointment, we went straight to Wendy's, where Katie was rewarded with a Frostie for her excellent behavior.

Spindaround

Just playing with the computer's photo collage capabilities... I wanted to capture the joy of Katie and her buddy Megan (19 months old) dancing their hearts out this morning. Megan was so nice to let Katie borrow her new tutu, so, of course, Katie had to "spindaround" (all one word in Katie-speak). I think this morphed photo speaks volumes...

Halloween 2009

More fun Halloween photos from this weekend! Please check out the complete photo album to the right...