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

A week in reflection

So most of you know that last August I took a new job at the local high school and one of the benefits of this job was that I would be off for the summer. My summer officially started last Friday (about 10 days ago).

Anyone who knew me growing up knew that I never thought I would be a stay at home mom. I often stated that I thought "I would lose my mind" but after I had Lizzie I thought I would like nothing more to have that opportunity and now I do since I am off for the summer.

I have officially been a "stay at home mom" for just over a week and I have to say full time stay at home moms deserve a lot of credit. Every day I wake up with the hope of getting so much done, and everyday I go to bed after not having accomplished hardly anything that I wanted to. For example I have been trying to wash our sheets for at least a week and I keep running out of time. I would also love to vacuum but I value a sleeping baby that much more I can deal with the dust bunnies.

In other news we are in the process of transitioning Lizzie from our bed to her crib. I love the cuddle time we have a night but I am ready to have my space back, especially since I am with her all day every day (and I wouldn't change if for the world.) We have only been at the for 2 nights and it is hard but I feel it is important so we will keep at it.

I am trying to get back into running. This baby weight is not going to come off by itself so I have decided to help it. So 3 mornings a week I pack Lizzie into the stroller and walk to Norwich where I do the couch to 5K program. I did this program before I got pregnant with her and had good success with it and am glad I am finally getting back into it.

We are getting ready to go on vacation in about 10 days and I have already started planning. Going on vacation used to be relatively simple for just Keith and I but now we have Lizzie and that add a whole new dimension of planning. Stay tuned for those details and for Keith's six month blog (she will be 6 months on Wednesday and I refuse to believe it).

24 weeks, Grammie Sue & Gramps visit, solid foods and other dinner table fun!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Yesterday you were 24 weeks old...just two more weeks and you'll be 6 months. Just the idea of that is still crazy to Daddy that you'll be half a year old...geez the time really is flying by. So as mentioned in the last post, Grammie Sue and Gramps were up visiting from Pittsburgh. It was a great week for everyone involved. They got some quality Lizzie Sue time, Mommy and Daddy got some "here take her" time too! Daddy does miss walking downstairs, handing you off to Grammie Sue, going back upstairs to get some coffee, wake up, shower and eventually coming back down stairs to find you just chillen with Grammie Sue.

Daddy does have a suspicion you have learned your concept of time from Gramps. Daddy says this because every time he would hand you to Gramps to just hold you for a minute while Daddy did something, it usually took 30 minutes to get you back. Ever since then if you want to be picked up and Mommy or Daddy takes a minute to get to you, you scream like we've left you alone for 30 minutes...Thanks Gramps!

One of the great things that came out of Grammie Sue and Gramps visit is you starting solid foods. After sitting in our laps at the dinner table and even playing with a plastic spoon and copying us by scrapping the spoon on the table and putting it in your mouth...we all agreed you might be ready to try solid foods. So Mommy picked up some avocados, we magic bulleted them up for you, and you went to town. Of course this video is from your first attempt at it...you've gotten a lot better about it over the last 2 weeks. To this point you've had avocado, rice cereal, bananas and watermelon with plans to attempt sweet potatoes tomorrow night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXRQOdt2GnI (first solid food)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8TwRDfUyQk (laughing after first solid food)

After Grammie Sue and Gramps left a wonderful package arrived a few days later. Grammie Sue ordered you an awesome toy that you love sooOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! These soft stacker rings. What's great is each ring has an animal on there, all making different kinds of noise. By far your favorite ring is the little ring from the top that has a bumble bee on it. The bee is kind of crinkly so you love squishing him and chewing on him. Although pretty much everything picked up goes into your mouth lately, the bumble bee seems to spend more time there then any other toy.


Also in that great package we picked you up a high chair that clips right onto our dinner table. You love being at the dinner table with us and this way Mommy and Daddy can eat dinner with 2 hands each while you just sit in your chair and chew on your bumble bee. Normally when you are hanging out in your chair, you are pretty vocal and like knocking your toys off the table...yet the other night Mommy and Daddy were both talking and realized at the same moment you weren't making as much noise as normal. We both looked over to see you with this very intense look of concentration on your face. You then proceeded to take both hands, grab the front of the high chair and hold on like a lap bar for a roller coaster...you continued to concentrate...Daddy started to see your grip leaving indents on the table...and then the most unlady like noise, to ever be made at our dinner table, came out of you. Needless to say, we rushed you off for a new diaper and still needed to change your onesie.


You've had a busy last couple of days and will continue to have busy days as Mommy is soon done with work for the year...she'll have all summer to go on some great adventures with you. Also this visit from Grammie Sue and Gramps really reminded us how much we are looking forward to our trip to Pittsburgh in July! Oh and on another positive note from their visit, they brought Daddy some Yuengling beer...and as everyone can see...you seemed to like it too!

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

P.S. No Children Were Given Any Beer During the Making of This Blog

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

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

"Hurry up tooth, come out to play", videos and 19 weeks!!!

Dear Lizzie Sue,

Today you are 19 weeks old. Pretty crazy huh? Almost 20 weeks which really isn't that significant of a number except 20 is nice and round and even and 19 just seems like almost 20. Of course when talking about years, 19 or 20 both really are teases until you turn 21. Then it's all down hill from there.

A few posts ago Daddy mentioned we think you are teething, these last few weeks have left no doubt in our mind. At this point your bottom front tooth is so close to coming out to play that Mommy and Daddy are willing to rent pony rides just to make the play date happen. You have had your good and bad moments lately with this whole teething experience. Daddy's knuckle is still hoping you'll soon choose the teething ring over it one of these days. Everyone keeps saying that once the first tooth shows up the rest are a piece of cake after that. Daddy's keeping his fingers crossed, both that it's true and that if your teeth do make cake appear, that it's ice cream cake!

A few people have asked to see all the Lizzie Sue video's we have on youtube. I figured instead of embedding them all here on the blog, I'd just put the link to all 5 of the videos. The first 3 videos were from your first couple of weeks home with Mommy and Daddy. The 2 recent videos were from a few weeks ago with Mommy and Daddy giving you raspberries in an attempt to get you to laugh on camera. Of course you thwarted our plans that day and only giggled, no real laughs, yet still they are great videos.

What's that Lizzie? Oh people should bookmark the link as Daddy will keep putting more videos on there over time...ok good idea...see she is a smart cookie...gets that from Mommy of course!

http://www.youtube.com/user/kpmccusker

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