Lizzie Sue - Happy 11 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

A few weeks ago you turned 11 months old! Please explain to Daddy how you seem to make time disappear and calendars move so quickly? It feels like just the other day Daddy was writing your 10 month old post with aspirations to squeeze another post in before this post and to actually write this post on time. Double wrong! Daddy is sure all the Lizzie Sue Groupies understand with the craziness of the Holiday Season how time has flown by and why this post is so late. Anyway as always here you are with Roxie Bear!



Part of the reason it has taken Daddy so long to write this post is because over the last month you have become so much more of a little person and not just a bump on a log. You pull up on everything, play with everything, try to eat everything, walk holding onto the furniture and just recently you've been standing all on your own, not holding onto anything. All of these things are reasons why Daddy loves to just play with you or sit in amazement watching you whenever he has the free time, instead of writing blogs...Sorry! The "no-hander" typically happens when you are holding onto something with one hand and playing with a toy in the other. You then let go of what you are holding onto to and play with the toy using both hands. You typically stand there for 5 to 10 seconds all on your own before you realize you aren't holding onto anything. At that point you either panic, drop the toy, and grab for the couch with both hands, or you very delicately and gracefully just sit down and continue playing with your toy. Mommy and Daddy have been working on getting you standing more and more on your own everyday to hopefully build the confidence you need to realize you can walk. We all also learned, while at Pop's and Yaya's house for Thanksgiving, that covering your face to play peak-a-boo while you are standing on your own isn't a great idea. Apparently you seem to loose your balance when you can't see anything...our bad!

Since Daddy mentioned Thanksgiving and Daddy's hungry, let's talk about food for a bit. You have been doing such a great job of feeding yourself over this past month. You push the chair into the kitchen, climb up on the counter, get out the peanut butter and jelly and make your own lunches. Ok so maybe your not there yet, but at least you are doing a better job of getting the food into your mouth and not all over your face. Granted pasta sauce or crock pot cooked, pot roast seasoned vegetables are a little messy, but still you are doing great. We do find it funny that the hardest decision you've ever been presented with at the dinner table is asparagus or green peppers. No, not a decision of should I eat those weird healthy green things, but you love both of them so much, sometimes we can see the brain overload when you can't decide which one to pick up and devour first.

Daddy is going to cut this post short so he has stuff to talk about later this month as we prepare for the best time of year, yes Christmas but also Lizzie Sue's Birthday!!! One year old is almost here and it's going to be one crazy holiday week at our house getting ready to host Christmas and celebrate your birthday. More on the holidays and our traumatic holiday card photo shoot to come soon. Until next time...

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 10 Months Old!!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Two weeks ago you turned 10 months old! That's crazy, not only crazy that it's taken Daddy two weeks to write this post (Daddy blames you...we'll get to that later) but also crazy that you are in double digits! One month closer to being a year old. As Daddy has said before, it makes sense, you were born on Christmas Eve and it's getting to the holiday season, yet at the same time, nobody can believe it's almost been a year already! As always here you with Roxie Bear.



This past month can be summed up with the one word...no not the word everyone is thinking, teething....the word is family. One, Mommy, Daddy and you have been spending and enjoying more and more time together as a family...Two, Grammie Sue and Gramps were here to visit for a week...and C, we all took a trip down to CT to visit Daddy's cousin's family and you finally got to meet GG (Great Grandma) Moenke. So not only has Daddy been busy with work and enjoying being home after all of that family visit/travel, you are demanding more and more of Daddy's time everyday. Long gone are the days that you slept for 18 hours of the day...some days it feels like we are now at the opposite that you are awake for 18 hours and craving attention every minute of it. Even when you go down for a nap, all Daddy can do is crash on the couch exhausted and enjoy the few minutes to himself before running off to do laundry, dishes, take out the trash, clean up all the toys and the thousand other things that always need to be done around the house. So long story short, you've been keeping Mommy and Daddy pretty busy lately, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Grammie Sue and Gramps stayed at the McCusker B&B for a week. They use the excuse of coming up to VT to go to all the restaurants they enjoy up here, but sshhhh they really come to just see you! They hadn't seen you since our trip to Pittsburgh back in July. You were about 7 months at that point and a lot has changed in the last three months. Before when Grammie Sue or Gramps could just put you on the floor to play, you'd roll over a bit, maybe even sit up with some help. This past visit if either of them put you down on the floor...you were off like the Flash crawling away at lightning speeds to go grab some toy to play with or some cat to chase. At the same time you were even more fun to play with for them because you could sit up, pick up toys better, and laughed all the time when they would tickle you or smother you in kisses. You even helped Gramps with one of his many projects around the house...Daddy guesses it's never too early to start you using power tools right? We all know that Grammie Sue and Gramps can't wait to get back up to VT and see you again, so don't worry they will be back in December for your birthday and Christmas.

Also this past month we took a trip to the South West corner of CT to visit Daddy's Cousin. His youngest of 3 kids was being baptized so we went down for the weekend to catch up with some of Daddy's family. You traveled really well for not starting the 5 hour drive until 4pm since Mommy was working a football game until then. Aside from having one "get me out of this torture device of a car seat" meltdown, which actually timed around us stopping for dinner pretty well, you were great in the car. You slept most of it, which was a blessing. Mommy and Daddy had a great time seeing some of Daddy's family, some of which we haven't seen since our wedding but really everyone wanted to see you. The top of that list was GG Moenke. You were the only one of her 8 great grandchildren she hadn't held yet, so that was something to get off her to do list as quickly as we could once we got to CT. Amazingly both nights that we were away from home you slept great. It looks like you knew you were to be on your best behavior in front of all the family or you really just like saving those 4am intermissions for Daddy...thanks!

With the holidays right around the corner, an 11 month post and a year old post will be here before Daddy knows it. Until then Daddy will work on getting another post or two in before your 11 month birthday post since we need to have a few conversations about your eating habits lately and this whole separation anxiety fun we are all experiencing. Until next time....

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 9 Months Old!!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

This week you turned 9 months old! 9 months??? That's just crazy...it's like three quarters of a year...(wait for Daddy's public school math to catch up with everyone else)...hey wait, you are three quarters of a year old! Daddy said this week because for the first time in 9 months, Daddy wasn't home to see you on your monthly birthday. Daddy is actually writing this from BWI waiting to get on his plane back to VT...but more about that work trip later. As always here you are with Roxie Bear.



Update to the above comment about writing this from BWI...it's now been two weeks since Daddy started this post at the airport and finally Daddy is getting around to finishing it. That just shows you how busy things have been around here lately. Ok back to the regularly schedule blog post...

Recently Daddy took a new job which allows him to work from home all the time. In Daddy's eyes this is one step closer to being the house husband he's always wanted to be...now just to get Mommy that high paying job with the Steelers and Daddy doesn't have to work at all...hey Daddy can dream! Being home with you has been amazing. Daddy has been around more and feels more involved in helping raise you. It sound silly since Daddy was always involved before, but being home with you now 24-7 really changes that feeling. Mommy does go to work everyday at 1pm and Daddy has to juggle you and work by himself all afternoon. Thankfully you've had more good afternoons than bad afternoons and when the bad afternoons do happen, Daddy's work is very understanding about it. Thankfully working in the web world...Daddy can always make up work later in the evening when Mommy is home or you are asleep. Although it can be chaotic on those bad afternoons, Daddy wouldn't trade this new job, with the ability to spend more time with you, for anything in the world.

This past month you have really taken off into the feeding yourself races. Yes you still pick up the clumps of cat fur and try to eat them, but Daddy is talking about your feeding yourself real food. Mommy and Daddy have pretty much completely gone away from any thing we need to spoon feed you, aside from the random yogurt, to just giving you small pieces of whatever we are having for dinner. Again with this new high chair, you love to just sit in it, next to us at the dinner table, and chow away on anything we put in front of you. Recently you devoured asparagus like it was chocolate covered crack! Pretty much we haven't put a food in front of you that you didn't like, even to the point of you eating tomatoes the other day. That one really threw Mommy and Daddy for a loop as neither of us like tomatoes, so we aren't quite sure how you could like them so much. Still topping the charts as your number 1 favorite adult food for the time being has to be pizza crust. Mommy & Daddy could give you pizza crust every day 3x a day and you'd still chow down on it like it's the best food ever!

Daddy has a question for you...have you been reading his "how to be a dad" book when he hasn't been looking? Almost like clockwork this month started the separation anxiety, mostly from Mommy, but even from Daddy to a lesser degree. For the most part we aren't talking about horrific screaming when one of us leaves the room, but if given the option to be held by one of us, or anyone else at our church that you've known for the last 9 months, you'd pick Mommy or Daddy 9 times out of 10. Although while Daddy was away on this past work trip, again we had some of your favorite Norwich girls come over in the afternoons to babysit while Mommy was at work, and you weren't too happy with that at times. The hardest part was some days one of the babysitters would work a few hours and then another babysitter would come over for a few more hours until Mommy got home. Every time that happened, you heard someone come in the door and expected Mommy to be home. Once you realized it wasn't Mommy you weren't a happy camper to say the least. Needless to say our babysitters all agree that your screaming is giving them a complex...just kidding, but you still are a great form of birth control for them...so keep up the good work pumpkin!

Lastly Daddy wants to apologize to Chip and Dale on your behalf. For those out there in the Lizzie Sue Blogisphere that don't know, those are Mommy and Daddy's two cats. They handled you coming into the family well...interested in the new thing in the house but trying to live their own lives and stay out of the room when you cried. They worked out new schedules of when they can steal attention from Daddy in the morning before you are up, or in the evening once you are down for the night...they have even been known to curl up next to you during nap time every once in a while. Hell they even don't seem to mind you playing with their cat toys as they have been known to bat your toys around ever so often, yet now that you are crawling/walking with help or holding onto things, their world has changed once again. They can no longer curl up and take a nap on the sofa as they don't really like being woken up by you performing CPR chest compressions on their chests. Even just laying down on the floor near Mommy or Daddy leaves them open to you mad dashing of a crawl over to them and "trying" to pet them. Daddy used the little quote fingers there because when he said "trying" really he meant you grabbing a hand full of fur and pulling. Daddy never realized cat skin/fur was so durable, yet another valuable lesson learning from parenthood. And for that Daddy owes you a thank you for teaching him that, and an apology to Chip and Dale for your skin care/fur treatment techniques. Don't worry Chip and Dale...another year or so and she'll be dressing you up in baby clothes and putting you in a stroller...

As Daddy writes this, Grammie Sue and Gramps just got home to Pittsburgh after a week long visit to the McCusker B&B. Keep your eyes posted for another post soon about their visit to VT!

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 8 Months Old!!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you turned 8 months old. Wow 8 months, already two thirds through the first year of you life...Daddy can't believe it. Before we know it, it will be there will be Christmas items on the shelves at walmart and you'll be turning one year old...and since walmart is already making room for Halloween stuff, it really is just around the corner. Daddy has tons to talk about this month so lets jump right to it, but first, here you are with Roxie Bear.

8 months equals 8 teeth? say what? Yes it is true... not only did that number 6 tooth Daddy talked about in the last post finally cut through this past Friday night, so did number 7 and 8 on the bottom. So now you've got 4 teeth on top and 4 teeth on bottom. Obviously these new teeth need to keep growing to match up with how big your first couple of teeth have become, yet 8 teeth at 8 months is just crazy. Also everything goes into your mouth lately, which is just a normal part of teething, but no more chewing on Daddy's knuckle when your teeth hurt. It wasn't that bad before but lately with all those extra teeth in there, Mommy and Daddy have had enough. We are at the point of teaching you that biting Mommy and Daddy is no longer ok. In an interesting side note, today you were playing on the floor with both your stuffed Monkey from Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matty and a stuffed Tigger that Daddy got you the other day. While you were wresting around with them, Daddy watched you grab each of them at one point or another and bite down on their ear!?!?! Daddy has heard of cats and dogs biting ears to establish who is the alpha in the pack, should Mommy and Daddy assume you are now the alpha in your pack of stuffed animals?

Since we are talking about you playing with these stuffed animals, Daddy wants to talk about some of your other toys. Lizzie Sue, you have four amazing grandparents that have totally embraced their roles as grandparents (read as totally spoil you). With that in mind, you do not lack nor want for toys...then explain to Daddy why your favorite toys are; an old tv remote control, a paper towel tube, a pair of your shoes, and any cat toys that are within reach. Seriously? The tv remote came about after Mommy and Daddy got tired of you trying to steal our remote and when you got it you would change channels on the tv. But the cat toys? Before Daddy said if they are within reach and by within reach Daddy meant in the room with you. The cat toys have had one positive, you've almost learned how to crawl because you so desperately want to get to those cat toys on the other side of the room. Daddy will come back to that crawling thing in a moment, but before then, can you do Daddy a favor and stick to playing with your toys? It's not that we mind you playing with the cat toys, it's that the cats have been so depressed about you playing with their toys lately that all they seem to do is sleep, eat, and just lay around the house. So for the sake of our furry children's mental well-being, please leave their toys alone...they don't play with your toys!

Crawling - you are even closer to crawling then where you were in Daddy's last post. You went to visit Mommy at work this past Saturday and while playing on a blanket on the side of a soccer field, which on a side note, you totally loved watching the girls playing soccer (maybe a future soccer player on our hands, who knows), you probably spent a solid 10 minutes on your hands and knees just rocking back and forth with this huge smile on your face. You've developed your own weird crawl/skootch/belly flop/army crawl that is getting you moving and moving towards those toys (remember your toys not the cat toys, thanks). Although your way to move does work, hopefully you'll just get this crawling thing down soon and we can move onto more important things like ice skating...ok fine we'll start with walking next and then maybe get to ice skating.

Daddy wants to talk about him working from home and spending more time with you during the day and all about Mommy going back to work...yet I'll save that for another post soon.

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 6 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you turned 6 months old! Mommy and Daddy can hardly believe you are already 1/2 of a year old. Everyone warned us this would fly by and they were not kidding. If the next six months goes as quick as this first 6 months went, it's going to be Christmas time (and your birthday time) before we know it. As always here you are with Roxie Bear:


This last month has been a pretty crazy month. You've seemed to stop teething...for now. On one hand Daddy wishes you were done teething forever...on the other hand he would feel really bad for you trying to get a date in college (notice Daddy said college, not high school) with only your two front bottom teeth. Of course eventually you will start to teeth again, yet this time we have a secret weapon...no not the blackberry brandy...just this past week you've fallen in love with your mesh feeding bag. Daddy has learned this is a more recent development in babies so he'll explain. It's a little mesh bag on the end of a seal-able plastic ring. The ring is easy for you to hold onto, and we fill the mesh bag with everything from bananas to watermelon. You can gnaw away on the bag, and you are only able to get little tiny pieces of food through the mesh so there's no choking hazard. Your face with your first real bite into a banana was the best bitter beer face Daddy has ever seen. Anyway the point of this story is that frozen banana chunks in the mesh feeder are a great teething remedy and you get some nutrition out of it too. All this solid food is turning you into Popeye with his spinach...just look at this picture...I could have sworn you asked Daddy if he had his ticket to the gun show!!!

Solid food has become a nightly routine around here. After Mommy and Daddy finish dinner you get put in your bumbo chair on the dining room table and you tear into anything we put in front of you. So far you've eaten (also worn) avocado, sweet potato, oatmeal cereal, bananas, watermelon, blue berries and you keep eyeing up Daddy's baked ziti. Daddy just doesn't think you are ready for the baked ziti just yet. In the last couple of days you’ve even been eating so well that we figure about half of the food actually makes it both in your mouth but down into your tummy, instead of the other half that either makes it into our mouth and ends up on your tummy or just ends up all over your hands which get just about everywhere else.

Also in the last week or so you’ve really figured out rolling over…or at least half of it. Every time Mommy or Daddy puts you down on your back, with in about 10 seconds you are rolling over to your belly. That’s all well and good but you really haven’t figured out the rolling from your belly to your back yet. You’ve pulled it off once or twice but more often than not you just end up laying there and crying until one of us flips you back over. The other day you were so close to crawling, you were up on your arms and started to move your knees, then the next thing we knew you started doing pushups. I guess you really are getting ready for Norwich already! Another sign your going to end up in the Corps of Cadets is that you get distracted very easily..."oh shiny"...where was Daddy? Oh yeah you've started to sit up on your own if we help you get into the position. You are doing very well with it until you get distracted, either look off at something in the distance or just stop concentrating on sitting up and boom you fall over...it really is pretty cute to watch!

The next couple of weeks will be very interesting for all of us. We are taking our first big vacation with you. We will be driving 5 hours to the Cape to visit Guy and Ashley for the 4^th of July. We can’t wait to see your reaction to the first time on the beach, first time in the ocean and first fireworks experience. Right from the Cape we will be flying to Pittsburgh to see Grammie Sue and Gramps. Daddy's keeping his fingers crossed that we aren't that couple with the screaming kid everyone hates on their flight. Hopefully a milk coma will help us on that one. While in Pittsburgh we are looking forward to your first adventure to the zoo, your first ride on the incline, your first primanti brothers sandwich (don't worry Daddy will eat it for you, we'll just let you get all big eyed at the size of it) and your first time in downtown Pittsburgh, maybe we'll run into a Steelers player who would take a picture with you...long as it's not Hines Ward because if it's him Mommy might not be coming back to VT with us...ha ha! Even if we didn't do any of those things in Pittsburgh, the time with Grammie Sue and Gramps will be awesome...hopefully Gramps will continue to teach you how to play poker!

We love you,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 5 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today (read as yesterday because Grammie Sue is a great big distraction) you turned 5 months old. 5 months is almost 6 months, which is half a year, which is half way to your first birthday, which would make you one year old...Daddy can't believe you are almost one year old...ok fine...almost there but still 5 months is closer then you were last month. As always here is a picture of you with Roxie Bear!


This past month has been a busy one. Not only have you traveled a bunch, you've had some grand adventures at home. One of those wonderful adventures was your 4 month doctors visit. Now for all of the Lizzie Sue Groupies out there, keep in mind the following measurements are a little skewed as Lizzie Sue was really 4 months and 2 weeks when we had our check up. You were 25 and a half inches long (Daddy still says it's long and not tall until you stand up on your own, then he'll call it tall) and 14 pounds 7 ounces. This made you 52nd percentile for weight and 79th percentile for height (Daddy swears it should be length). As Daddy mentioned above you did have 2 extra weeks to grown before these measurements comparing you to other 4 month olds, yet still we are very happy to see you are growing taller (read as longer) and putting on weight! Of course with all great doctors visits, there were shots, yet Daddy swears you handled this round of shots better then you did the 2 month shots. Mommy things you handled these worse, so at least one of us is right. When you get older hopefully you'll be able to read this, refresh your memory, and finally settle who was right!


Teething...Daddy is beginning to strongly dislike that word. He's not at the point of totally hating teething yet, hopefully the advice from last weeks post will help him from getting to hate, yet strongly dislike still gives off Daddy's love for teething. Your front left bottom tooth, the one that will forever be known as the tooth that got Mommy and Daddy to walk out of church, decided to join Righty on the outside of your gums this past Friday. Mommy and Daddy really enjoyed the 2 days we had without a fussy baby that was teething. Any Lizzie Sue Groupies just do the math and realize that two days makes Sunday? Yes, as Daddy writes this, it is Monday and you are starting to get fussy again and have a suspicious bump on your gums right next to your two front teeth. Excuse Daddy for a minute as he gets side tracked...

Dear Lizzie Sue's Teeth,
Today you are driving me crazy...please take at least a week off between forcing yourself into Lizzie Sue's mouth. If you do I'll make sure the Tooth Fairy takes you to the big tooth house in the sky and you get to eat all the sweets you want after that. Thank you!
We Strongly Dislike You,
Lizzie Sue's Mommy & Daddy

Ok Daddy's back...as Daddy mentioned at the beginning of the post, Grammie Sue and Gramps are here visiting for the week. They haven't seen you since February for your Baptism. Of course they have seen the youtube videos and the facebook pictures but that's just not the same. Needless to say they have both been super excited to hold you, love you, make you laugh, make you smile, spoil you, tickle you, play with you, even give you a bottle, yet they seem to always leave the stinky diaper changes to Daddy....what's up with that? You even got a visit from Uncle Jimmy's father today as well. He brought you a beautiful Red Sox cheerleaders outfit. There was also a Tom Brady jersey that Daddy's going to bury under the house. Daddy could bury it in the back yard but he'd be worried a tree would grow in the place and many years from now instead of apples or some other good fruit blooming, a bunch of video cameras would start to appear and start taping our every play.

Oh and Daddy can't forget that you now have a cousin. Aunt Julia and Uncle Jamie had a baby girl on Friday at 11:39pm, Brooklyn Juliette King, and if Aunt Julie could have held out for 21 minutes, Brooklyn could have had the same birthday as Grammie Sue. Daddy guesses we'll not hold that one against Aunt Julia. Hopefully later this summer we'll make it down to NJ so you can meet your cousin.

Daddy will have to make a post next week about all your fun adventures with Grammie Sue and Gramps. Daddy is sure we'll have some fun stories to write about after this week...

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 4 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 4 months old. (ok fine, last Friday...Daddy drafted this post Thursday and got totally distracted and is just now getting to post it 4 days late...sorry!) 4/12th's...Daddy remembers something in math class that if he flips the bottom and multiples he'll find x which x equals the lowest common denominator or something like that...anyway Daddy means to say 4/12th is like 1/3rd of your first year with us. I can't believe it's already been a third of a year...wow! And Daddy means wow you've had a very busy month!

As always here you are with Roxie Bear!

As for this busy past month you've had tons of adventures. You got to meet Paul May and Poppa May. Poppa May is great cause he's a Steelers fan, Paulie we will forgive about being a Patriots fan. They stopped by the house to meet you and as always you were excited to meet new people. You also met President Schneider at Norwich one weekend, he was all excited to hear you'll be an incoming student (Daddy says rook, mommy says civilian) in the class of 2030 at Norwich. You also got to meet the Curran's. Shaina is one of your babysitters and her parents were up for her 21st birthday so we all went to a little "Irish restaurant" for "dinner". You were so excited to just sit on daddy's lap, watching all the neon lights and sports on the TVs, that you pretty much forgot to eat dinner and then attacked Mommy when we got home.

On that note Mommy has recently taken to saying how you can find a distraction in a paper bag. Although that is a great sign developmentally, it does make for trying to feed you while we are out of the house a bit challenging. Don't worry though, Mommy and Daddy are doing what all parents do and just rolling with the punches and making it up as we go along. ;-) Also as everyone can see from these pictures...you've been trying to help Mommy and Daddy with getting you dressed. We think you need to keep working on that one.


One of the many fun moments of this past month was Easter Sunday. You got all decked out in your cute little Easter dress, Mommy and Daddy were all dressed up for church, we had the diaper bag all packed, about to get you into your car seat, and you just wanted nothing to do with that Easter dress. Know how we know? Not from any screaming, you weren't screaming. Not from any flailing, you were a still as a 4 month old baby can be. Not from the look on your face, although that should have been a hint for what was coming...but by the way you blew out the side of your diaper and ruined your onesie and leggings. Mommy and Daddy made the quick change of under layer clothes for you, got you back in your dress, and still make it to church on time...we are finally getting good at this getting out of the house business.

Also another highlight of the month was when you rolled over for the first time. Mommy was so excited that she had to come back into the bedroom and wake Daddy up at 630am to tell him so! Thanks Mommy! Although we have yet to have a repeat performance, you have been nonstop about swiveling those hips and rolling over from one side to the other. If you only can remember to move that bottom arm out of the way instead of stretching it out and stopping your rolling motion, you'd be all set. You've also gotten a lot better about keeping your head up on your own, standing up for longer periods of time (still with help from Mommy and Daddy) and even lifting your head up when we have tummy time.


Well right now you are probably out for a walk with Nana. Daddy is in NJ for work, missing you sooooo much! So Nana is over taking care of you while I'm away. With the nicer weather out you've been getting out for walks almost every day, mostly in the stroller but once on Daddy in the carrier. Mommy and Daddy now just need to find adult size strollers or carriers and someone big enough to push/carry us around. Why you ask? Because it seems that strollers and carriers have this magical effect of putting the rider to sleep in almost minutes of starting the walk. If only Daddy could take naps like that!

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 3 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 3 months old. (ok fine yesterday...it took Daddy an extra day to get all the pictures together) Now Daddy wasn't a math major but he did stay at a holiday inn express last night (ok so that's a joke about a hotel chain...yeah I'll explain it when you are older) anyway, 3 months equals a quarter of your first year of life has already passed. Daddy feels like a broken record always talking about how it feels like just yesterday you came home from the hospital with us and now you are already 3 months old...that's so crazy. You'll never understand this one until you have your own lizzie sue! As always here's the typical birthday picture of you and Roxie Bear.

This past month has given us so many smiles and laughs over the last 30 days...and not just smiles and laughs from mommy and daddy but you too have started to smile and laugh. All it takes is for you to let Daddy give you one raspberry and it starts off a 10 minute process of raspberry then smile, raspberry then smile, raspberry then smile until eventually Daddy starts to feel short of breathe from all the raspberries. Yes I know that just means Daddy needs to work on his cardio so he can give you more raspberries and seeing your smile makes it all worth it.

We survived your 2 month shots a couple weeks ago, and I say we because it was just as traumatic for Mommy and Daddy having to watch as it was for you getting the shots. Hopefully when you get older you'll take after Mommy and Daddy and not mind needles.

Also in the last couple of weeks your hair has really started to get long in some spots. At first I was going to say thicken up but that sounded more like something you would say about gravy and not hair so I'll run with getting longer. So Daddy has had a goatee for the last 3 months and just recently had to shave it all off. Just the other night I was holding you and for the first time your little hair was tickling Daddy's face instead of Daddy's face tickling you. It shouldn't be long before Mommy can start to do all those crazy girly things to your hair like ribbons and bows and clips, and scrunchies (do people actually still call them scrunchies?) and headbands and ponytails and pigtails and any other kind of tails Daddy doesn't know about.

And for Daddy's last thought of the post, this has got to be one of my favorite memories over the last month. It took you almost three months, but you finally spit up on Daddy when he was home for lunch in one of his nice work shirts. You were very considerate about the whole situation as you decided to spit up just above Daddy's breast pocket and everything was contained in that pocket. It did make clean up a lot easier so Thank you for that one. Of course I don't think this compares to the time you spit up down Mommy's shirt, and by down I mean you completely missed the shirt and got it down the neckline of the shirt and all over mommy instead of her clothes. I don't think they have an Olympic game for marksmanship in baby spit up, but if they ever did, you'd be our little gold medalist!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 2 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 2 months old...yes Daddy actually posted on the exact day for once! As we started last month due to Mommy's wonderful idea...here is a picture of you and Roxie Bear.

Mommy and Daddy agreed last night at dinner that we can hardly believe you have only been here for 2 months. For one thing it feels just like yesterday that we brought you home, yet at the same time it feels like we have known you forever. Just the other day you spent all day with Mommy, Aunt Julia and Nana taking Aunt Julia to the airport after her visit. Daddy had the day all alone at home and although he enjoyed watching TV and playing video games all day, he missed you terribly and was so happy to hold you when you got home.

You will not understand this for many MANY years to come but becoming a parent make you look back at all those memories of your childhood. I can remember a time that Daddy's father licked his thumb and used it to wipe some dirt of Daddy's face...I also remember thinking that when I become a parent I'll never do such an embarrassing thing to my own children. So with that said we just aren't going to talk about what happened last night when you had a little milk on your cheek. Let's just say your cheek got clean and Daddy failed at keeping that promise to his 7 year old self.


In the last week or so you really have started to become your own little person. Most of the time you no longer like being held facing Mommy or Daddy's chest. Instead you want to be held facing out which makes sense, since you recently started being able to focus those eyes on objects further than a few inches from your face. Most light fixtures and patterns on the walls have been closely scrutinized by you over the last couple of days....Daddy hopes you are not judging us as parents on all that dust. Also you have picked up a habit of getting very fussy/cranky just before you fall asleep. We agree that it is your way of showing your lack of enthusiasm for taking a nap as you might miss something important while you are asleep. Eventually you fall asleep anyway so don't worry that your parents aren't letting you get enough sleep. Now if only we can get you to sleep all the way through the night and we would be all set. Once battle at a time. Also you have a new friend, his name is Mr. Shower Curtain. In the last 2 weeks you have become fascinated with our dark blue shower curtain that has gold suns, moons and stars on it. Who knows...maybe a future astronomer or astronaut on our hands...or you might become a shower-curtainoligist...only time will tell!

We can't wait for spring to get here as it will fall right around the time we can start taking you outside to play in the grass, go for swimming lessons this summer, go for backpack hiking trips, and all sorts of other fun adventures to come. Also Mommy and Daddy are just sick of the snow! So take the snow...Lizzie says "my iron fist kung-fu shall defeat you snow... KAAPOW!!!"

We love you,

~Daddy & Mommy

Lizzie Sue - Happy 1 Month

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Happy 1 Month Birthday today (ok fine 2 days ago, yes daddy is still a slacker)! Mommy came up with a great way for everyone to see how you are growing. Here is a picture of you with Roxie Bear.
Roxie Bear was given to you from a wonderful woman at Daddy's office. As you get bigger, Roxie Bear will stay the same size and we all will be able to see you grow over time.

So you are a month old, it feels like only yesterday we brought you home from the hospital. You have had a busy first month of your life, from the many different visitors at our house to your frequent trips to walmart and church. You also seem to be pulling a fast one over on everyone who meets you outside of the house. At church or when we run into friends you always are sound asleep and angelic. Nobody ever sees you at home when you are "encouraging" mommy to get ready to feed you faster or "motivating" daddy to get that diaper changed quicker.

You spent 4 nights at Nana and Pop's house, went shopping with Nana and Mommy, and spent a couple of nights falling asleep in Pop's or Great-Grammie's arms. You spent the two hour car ride, both times, out cold in a Mommy milk coma. If only we could travel with the cats and it was that simple. Also you just had a visit from Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matty. Daddy is an only child so your going to end up with tons of random aunts and uncles...get used to it.

Mostly you have spent this 1st month sleeping: be it swaddled, in your swing, wrapped up in receiving blankets, in sleep sacks, next to us in bed, in your co-sleeper, or laying on Mommy or Daddy's chest while we watch tv...yep you seem to enjoy your sleep...you get that from both of us! Just in case you think this next month will be boring, I'll let you in on a secret...your going to have a bunch more visitors this coming month. Aunt Julia will be here for a week and she'll be babysitting you while Mommy and Daddy are both at work. Also Grammie Sue and Grumps...I mean Gramps...will be here for a week too!

You are already starting to show your personality and seem to be more and more alert and intelligently processing things while you are awake. We can't wait to see what this next month brings as you seem to be changing ever day. We can't wait!

We love you,

~Mommy and Daddy

Happy Due Date

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today is your due date, January 15th. Since you didn't get the memo I'll spell this one out for you. Today is the day that mommy is supposed to go into labor, go to the hospital, the stork drops you off for us and that makes means this is supposed to be your birth day. Don't get me wrong, we are very happy you decided to join us three weeks early, yet daddy was really hoping for 3 more weeks to get things done around the house. That's ok...we still love you!

So in this past week, you have had some new adventures. This past Sunday was your first Steelers game (don't worry they won!) Just like your mother, you slept through the entire first half of the game. It's ok the Steelers are a 2nd half team anyway. Since it is the playoffs, and they play again this sunday, we aren't going to let you be a jinx. So you will be wearing the same exact outfit you wore this past sunday.


Also Uncle Whitney came to visit. You should know that before this visit Uncle Whitney hadn't changed a diaper or given a baby a bath. You helped him check both of those items off of his birth control list. (I'll explain that when you are older). By the end of his visit he felt a lot more confortable with you in his arms. And now you are celebrating your Due Date at Nana and Pop's house for the weekend. Have no fear, you are being well loved this weekend!









Love,
~Mommy & Daddy

Lizzie Sue - 2 weeks

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 2 weeks old. One week and a day to your due date...Jan 15th, guess you had another plans. It feels like yesterday that your mother told me her water broke and 15 hours later you came rushing into our lives 3 weeks early. In such a short time, your mother and I have fallen deeply in love with you. Becoming a parent is a life changing event and I am so happy you are the change in our lives. In just 2 weeks you have already had great adventures such as explosive diapers, a trip to walmart, a visit to daddy's work, peeing while daddy attempts to change your diaper, doing 2 nights back at the hospital to get the yellow out, no longer sleeping on your back but instead only sleeping on your stomach on mommy's stomach, your first bath and the first time you lifted your head up all on your own. Here's to the adventures yet to be had...

We love you,

~Daddy

First Bath


















Nap time


















Lifting your head