Holiday Card Photoshoot Drama, Grammie Sue & Gramps arrive, & 3 hurried little steps!!!

Before Daddy gets into the Christmas/Birthday details...let's get up to 88 mph and go back in time for a little bit. It's the end of November and we need a nice family picture for this year's Christmas cards. After the great experience we had with the JC Penney's portrait studio in Pittsburgh this summer, we figure we'll do that again. Only to find out that the JC Penney's up here in VT doesn't have a portrait studio. Instead we go to the only one at U Mall in Burlington, the Sears Portrait Studio.

Lizzie Sue, jumping back to the future, one day you will brush your teeth and then drink some orange juice. That disgusting taste in your mouth, is exactly how Mommy and Daddy felt after our Christmas card photo-shoot experience at Sears. Daddy will save everyone the ugly details, and instead share a few choice words: overbooked, disorganized, understaffed, disorganized, apathetic, disorganized, not adequately trained staffers and disorderly disorganized. They did have one thing going for them...they were really good at being disorganized!!! All issues aside, we waited a long time and Lizzie Sue did a great job of waiting and waiting and waiting in her pretty christmas dress. Eventually we got some great photos a made a Christmas card. Oh and Lizzie Sue met Santa for the first time at the Berlin Mall too!







As the days got closer and closer to Christmas and Lizzie Sue's first birthday, Mommy and Daddy were getting excited. We had the house decorated. We had the house cleaned up ready for all of our house guests. We had an almost one year old let go of the ottooman and take three hurried little steps to the sofa. We had the stockings hung....what? YES you read that correctly, Lizzie Sue took her first real steps on her own the week before Christmas!!! Daddy decided not to tell Grammie Sue and Gramps and figured they could experience it first hand in a few short days. Each day Lizzie Sue got better and better about taking those steps and was ready for center stage. Grammie Sue and Gramps arrived, came into the house and Lizzie Sue let out her war cry of excitement, sprinted across the room and Polamalu style tackled Gramie Sue. Ok so maybe it didn't happen exactly like that, but Lizzie Sue did take a few steps in front of Grammie Sue and Gramps and everyone rejoiced!!!

Then Christmas Eve came and Lizzie Sue turned one year old!!! More to come on that shortly...

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 7 Months Old!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Happy 7 months old! Notice that Daddy didn't even say "today you are 7 months old" because this post is so overdue, Daddy might as well start working on the Happy 8 month post. With that in mind, most of your 7th month of life was spent traveling, as seen by the novel of a previous post. Still there are a few things to talk about and before all that...here you are with Roxie Bear, in NH at Yaya and Pop's house.



Let's talk about teeth for a minute. While you were in Pittsburgh visiting Grammie Sue and Gramps, everyone thought you were starting to teeth again. After having two very lonely bottom teeth for the last few months, it was about time some other teeth came around to join them. Well while you were in NH at Yaya and Pop's house, your top two teeth came in. Then by the next weekend another top tooth has come in, just chilling out on the top of your right side with no pair below or pair across in sight. Well in about a week later Mommy and Daddy started to see signs that your lopsided top teeth would be balanced out. Hopefully that tooth will get here soon, since Daddy is writing this post 2 weeks late and that tooth still hasn't come in.

And then there's the rolling, let's talk about that. This past month you've mastered rolling over, front to back, back to front, side to side, top to bottom, you name it, you can roll it! This has made it interesting as you are a little bit more mobile when Mommy and Daddy put you down on the floor for two seconds, who knows how far you'll roll and what you'll get into while you are there. Luckily for us sometimes you get onto your belly and just decide to cry and stay there instead of roll over, which at least helps Daddy find you whenever you try to roll away and hide under the table or sofa. When you are on your belly, you are so close to crawling that it both scares Daddy that you'll be crawling soon, and makes Daddy happy cause that's one step closer to seeing you playing Rugby...ha ha. Even this past week you've gotten up in the crawling position and rocked back and forth, even once or twice when you realize you can't reach a toy you want, you launch yourself forward, willing to take the sacrifice digger to get that toy.

Speaking of taking diggers, this last month has been filled with you moving a lot more, which can be read as you taking tons of bumps and bruises. You are sitting up all on your own if put down in that position, you still don't have the whole, getting up to the sitting position from laying down just yet. Of course just like some crazy scientist throwing apples up in the air, what sits up, must fall down. You've knocked yourself a couple of times that way, yet the best thump happened the other day. Mommy and Daddy still aren't sure if you whacked yourself in the eyebrow with the ladle you were playing with or the edge of the metal mixing bowl you were using as a drum, yet either way you had a huge lump on your eyebrow and it took a while to calm you down after that one.


Well since it's almost time for Daddy to starting working on the 8 month post, this is enough for now. Maybe you'll be standing at the end of the drive way waiting for the school bus to pick you up for the first day of kindergarten before Daddy get's that next post written.

We love you,

Mommy & Daddy

The WAY Overdue Vacation Post!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

As you can tell from the lack of posts over the last few weeks, July has been very busy for Mommy, Daddy and you too! Just so Daddy can keep it all straight, we drove 5 hours to Cape Cod for July 4th, we then flew from Manchester, NH to Pittsburgh, PA and spent a week with Grammie Sue & Gramps, then we flew home, Mommy did laundry for 3 days, then you drove to YaYa & Pop's house in NH and have been there for the last week. All of the traveling has been great, yet Daddy is looking forward to August and just being home for a while.

The Cape

We packed Mommy's car full between us, our bags, and all the other Lizzie Sue things that we had to bring for the trip. Daddy does miss when Mommy and Daddy used to be able to pack for an entire week away in one large suitcase together! We all got an early start Thursday before July 4th in an attempt to miss weekend/holiday Cape traffic. We were successful in that part of our plan and made it to the Cape relatively unscathed, aside from stopping somewhere after Boston because you just needed to get out of the car seat for a bit and stretch. Otherwise we made good time and didn't really hit any traffic. We stayed with Mommy & Daddy's friends, Guy & Ashley who have three kids - Olivia at 7, Hayden at 5, and Sophia at 2. Needless to say adding Mommy, Daddy, and you to the mix made for a full house and a lot of hungry mouths to feed come dinner time.

Olivia, Hayden, and Sophia were so excited to see you, play with you, hold you, bring you your toys, and Sophia even helped by putting your hat on you once (more over your face then on you head but still she was helping). You watched the kids constantly with a look on your face that a zoologist would have when watching animals in their natural habitat. You were intrigued by these, not big enough to be adults, but not small like me, sized humans. Daddy does have to say that Olivia has become such a wonderful and helpful young lady...she was great when we needed an extra hand.

While down on the Cape, you slept a lot. In hindsight Daddy is thinking there might have been a growth spurt in there somewhere cause you really slept that much! The morning of July 4th, we went to one of Ashley's families house that was right on a parade route and watched the parade. You sat in Mommy's lap and really enjoyed all the loud cars, music, people in costumes and all the bright colors. After the parade you racked out and were dead to the world. So asleep that Mommy had laid you down on a blanket in the back yard, only about 10 feet from the road, and an ambulance/fire trucks went by with sirens screaming and you never even flinched. We think that's cause you were riding in the back of the ambulance with Mommy for the first 32 weeks of your kangaroo pouch adventures in Mommy. Later that day we went to one of the pond beaches and you slept through most of that adventure too. We did get you to stand in the water for a little bit, but mostly you just wanted to sleep. Of course all of that was after you tried to eat sand. Of course you put everything in your mouth lately so why should this surprise anyone, it doesn't, its more the amount of time it took. We honestly put out a beach towel, laid you down on your back, and almost instantly you reached off the towel, grabbed a handful of sand, and brought it right to your mouth. Did you know that you were supposed to do that? Did someone tell you it's not a first trip to the beach adventure if you don't eat sand? Did it taste good at least?

The next day we all went to the real beach and it was windy, cold, the water was freezing, and you slept through most of it again. This time around we got a 15 second video of you putting your feet in the water. Yes only 15 seconds because that's how long it took for you to realize just how cold the ocean was and start screaming like a sailor with a man overboard. Daddy thought the water was fine, maybe that's the Vermonter in him or maybe Daddy was just happy not to be swimming in the Jersey oceans and having to avoid three eyed fish, bodies (not the crowded beach kind but the cement shoes kind) and other things that aren't supposed to be in the wada! Yes Daddy said wada, Daddy's from Jersey, that's how we say it...get over it already...and yes, Daddy will not be allowed to teach you how to say water...Mommy already made that rule!

Although we didn't want to leave and were having an awesome time on the Cape, and more importantly with Guy and Ashley, we eventually had to leave to get to the Manchester Airport. Luckily we decided to leave the Cape Monday afternoon, instead of Sunday or else we would have found ourselves in the 15 mile long bumper to bumper back up of cars trying to get off the Cape. Lizzie you are pretty good about car rides as long as the car is moving, Daddy doesn't even went to begin to imagine what that would have been like with you in the back seat.

Flying

Daddy will admit he was pretty nervous about flying with you. With traveling for work, Daddy has found himself on a plane with "that" baby and he really didn't want you to be someone else's "that" baby. Even with a 730am flight out of Manchester, it still was a pretty full flight. Luckily the timing work out that Daddy was able to get you asleep at the gate before we bored the plane. You slept through the whole boarding process and about halfway through take off you opened your eyes, looked right up at Mommy, and went right back to sleep. About halfway through our first flight, you woke up and were great for the rest of the flight. When you did wake up, you had the cutest look on your face that said, "This isn't where I feel asleep, where the heck am I?" Once you fully woke up, all you wanted to do was play, not with the nice toys we had in your diaper bag. Instead you wanted the really expensive and always hard to come by air plane napkin and plastic cup. Eventually you got bored with those and then wanted nothing else but to attack the Sky Mall magazine. Needless to say we didn't put that Sky Mall back for the next passengers as Daddy is sure they didn't want your ripped up, chewed on, drooled on and all around destroyed version of the sky mall.

Daddy was able to get you asleep once we boarded the second plane before we took off and you slept through that entire second flight. Granted it was a short flight from Baltimore to Pittsburgh, but still, you slept through both take off and landing so Daddy was happy you weren't "that" baby. You woke up as we were making our way to baggage claim and more importantly in time to meet Grammie Sue at baggage claim.

Pittsburgh (A City of Champions...It doesn't matter, on ice or grass we'll kick your...)

Grammie Sue and Gramps met us at the airport, which was needed just to get all of our luggage from baggage claim out to the car and loaded up. Daddy says all of our luggage but he would just like to point out for the record Daddy had one small suitcase. The rest of Mommy's gigantic suitcase and then everything else was all yours Lizzie. Thankfully Grammie Sue went out and had a few toys you liked waiting for you and even a high chair and bumbo chair so we didn't have to figure out how to fly with all that stuff too. One of the first things that happened in Pittsburgh was you going to the casino. No not to gamble, they didn't even have to card you to know you were too young to play, no Gramps wanted to take you there and show you off to all his friends. Seeing the bad poker hand (think other 4 letter word) eating grin when he was showing you off was well worth the trip to Pittsburgh.

One evening Mommy and Daddy decided to have some us time and left you with Grammie Sue and Gramps for the evening/bed time. We went to Kenneywood, which is a small amusement part just outside the city, and had a great time. Eventually we decided to come home hoping to find you sound asleep all angelic with Grammie Sue and Gramps with big smiles on their faces. Instead we came home to find you went to bed no problem, then woke up about 45 minutes into bed time, wanted to eat, and wanted nothing to do with the bottle. Then you realized Mommy wasn't around and proceeded to scream for the next hour until we got home. By the time Mommy and Daddy got there, 1) you were beyond screaming and to the complete meltdown, no more voice left in you to scream, down to the can't get enough air into your lungs, huh huh huh huh huh sobs 2) Grammie Sue and Gramps smiled, handed you to us, and promptly went downstairs to go to bed 3) Mommy and Daddy felt like the worst parents EVER! Obviously we all got over it eventually, yet I think Gramps is still having post traumatic stress disorder from the whole experience...don't worry he gives Daddy enough stress to make up for it.

Also while out in Pittsburgh Uncle Matty came out for the weekend to visit. Aunt Sarah couldn't make it and was deeply missed, yet you still had a fun time with Uncle Matty. Even to the point of him showing up late Friday night and you practically dove out of Daddy's arms to be held by Uncle Matty...ok fine truth be told Daddy pretty much threw you into Uncle Matty's arms before he could even put down his bags...but still it happened and is blog worthy no matter which version you believe. Not only was Uncle Matty driving all the way out from Philly awesome, him and Aunt Sarah sent along a few presents for you, which you quickly tore through the wrapping paper and found some great books. Not just any old books, but Uncle Matty and Aunt Sarah's favorite childhood books...maybe one of those will become you favorite book down the road, right now all you want to do is chew on books so Uncle Matty and Aunt Sarah's books are tucked away until you get a little older.

Since Uncle Matty had never been to Pittsburgh, we did all the great tourist things. We went to Station square and shopped. We took the incline up and took pictures of the city from the top of the incline. We watched the dancing water fountain behind the hard rock cafe. And Daddy's favorite part was the Primanti Brother's sandwich we had for lunch. For those not familiar with the almost famous sandwich...you have to click here and just look at the sandwich on the top left of the page...a little taste of heaven all crammed onto one sandwich! http://www.primantibrothers.com/

The last day of our Pittsburgh visit we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo. All of us adults had a great time and Lizzie you would have been just as happy in your stroller being pushed around the mall, yet it was still a fun trip. You did really like the water falls and ponds making water noises when we got near the aquarium. Daddy thinks part of that is Grammie Sue having the white noise machine and you falling in love with the heavy rain sound during your visit. Since then we have gone out and purchased the same sound machine and now totally understand why everyone calls them baby "crack" machines! Anyway the zoo was awesome and we even went through the children section, thinking about how much fun you'll have running around through there next summer when you are a little bit older. Uncle Matty left from the zoo to head home and although you really didn't notice him leaving, us adults all missed him and were very happy he came out to visit for the weekend!

Flying Home

This time around we didn't have a 7am flight out of Pittsburgh so we took our time that morning with a nice breakfast and doing some last minute packing before heading off to the airport. If it ain't broke, don't fix it prevailed and Daddy once again got you asleep at the gate before our flight and you slept through take off and most of the flight. Again you woke up, slightly confused, and just played the rest of the way. Grammie Sue kept telling Daddy every time you drop a toy it's just you learning about gravity and depth perception, yet on the very tight plane setting...Daddy wasn't really too excited about you finding that as a great place to practice that whole depth perception thing. We had a short lay over in Philly which wasn't bad until we realized our gate we were leaving from was in the one wing of the airport that was running the heat in the middle of July. And then to top it off our flight leaving was running behind schedule so now we are all crammed around the gate waiting to board the plane, just making it even hotter in that area. The lay over was long enough that you napped before we got on the plane but woke up before we boarded thanks to the delay. Luckily you were really good through the last flight, awake the whole time, and just content to play and rip up another sky mall (seriously who actually buys stuff out of those anyway).

Mommy and Daddy really think you flew so well because you like riding in the car, except this was even better because we got to hold you instead of strapping you in a car seat. We landed in NH no problem, got our bags, loaded back up the car, again thinking how are we ever going to fit it all in there, let alone where there really things we didn't bring on this trip or is our house completely empty and packed into the back of Mommy's car? Thankfully you passed out almost instantly in your big girl car seat, yep you heard me, while in Pittsburgh we went to toys r'us and got you a big girl car seat, which you love! Mommy and Daddy love it too, because of how much easier it is to put you into it and take you out of it, compared to that torture device of an infant car seat.

Two hours later we got home, unloaded the car, and since you were wide awake now at 9pm we stayed up for a bit unpacking and getting you tired before we tried to go to bed. Amazingly you then road in the car for 4 hours the next day when Mommy went to YaYa and Pop's house in NH to pick up the cats. Mommy came home and got right to doing laundry and packing again because three days later you both went to YaYa and Pop's house for a week to meet your 2 month old cousin Brooklyn Juliette King. Daddy had to stay home and work so he really can't talk about all the adventures you had out there...Daddy will leave that post to Mommy.

In the mean time Daddy's going to get working on your 7 month birthday post, yes he knows, it's almost a week late at this point, things have been busy this month and time just keeps flying by. There are tons of things to talk about in this birthday post so check back soon to hear all about the teething adventures...yes we are back in that, which Daddy is beginning to think it might be one of the rings of hell that Dante left out.

Also Daddy knows there are no pictures with this post...crazy right? There were just too many good ones from this vacation to only pick a few to put in here (read as just not enough time in the day) so Daddy is going to put them all up on facebook later tonight or tomorrow and will just post the link to the album in here for everyone later.

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

20 weeks, teeth read blogs???, Uncle Whitney's Grad, and the next tooth already?

Dear Lizzie Sue,

A couple of days ago you were 20 weeks old...yeah Daddy was a major slacker this week. He blames the season finale of Lost...don't worry when you get older I'll show you the first season and it too shall consume your life with you trying to figure out what is really happening on that show. Anyway Daddy digresses back to your 20 weeks old post.

Apparently teeth can read blogs...and now I owe you a pony ride because your first tooth finally made its appearance last weekend. After a very rough couple of days, Mommy and Daddy, both very tired, woke up early Saturday morning to drive to Uncle Whitney's college graduation to find your front right tooth looking back at us. Here is Daddy's best attempt at getting a picture of this special occasion, everyone out there in Lizzie Sue paparazzi-land will have to take my word that there really is a tooth in there.

Uncle Whitney's graduation was fun as we did some of our longest driving with you that day and you did very well all things considered. You pretty much slept almost the entire time whenever we had you strapped into the car seat. This trip showed Mommy and Daddy it is possible to travel with you long distances and it also means a trip to NJ this summer will still be an adventure.

So this morning Mommy and Daddy walked out of church. Not because we weren't happy with the service, or because someone sat in our place in our pew, but because we were losing a battle with teething. Yes Daddy is still talking about teething, apparently after your first tooth comes in, the rest don't magically appear overnight. So once again Mommy and Daddy are back to taking care of a very fussy baby. It looks like your front left tooth didn't like being without Righty so its on its way in as well. Before we left church Daddy got the best teething/parenting advice he has ever received. The magic cure to teething is Black Berry Brandy, apparently Daddy is supposed to put a little on his finger, rub it on your gums, and then drink the rest of the bottle himself. We will have to try that teething remedy before your last tooth decides to join the teeth party in your mouth.

A week from today you'll be 5 months and Daddy will talk about your 4 month doctor visit, shots, and Grammie Sue's reaction to seeing you this coming Saturday!

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 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

30 weeks of catching up

Ok so I totally realize that I mentioned getting this blog up and running long before now. Tomorrow Meggan will be 30 weeks along...that time just completely flew by...where did it go? Well I'll try to cover that in my next couple of posts. For now I'll just let you know we are both wicked excited about having a baby and a big big thanks goes out to everyone for their continual how is Meggan doing questions. You all rock!

Cheers,
~Keith