Toddler C

Spring has sprung!

2010-04-06T11:15:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone, it's been a LONG time since we last posted anything, and a lot has been going on in our world. Let's start with Caroline! She is talking up a storm, lots of new words every day ... and starting to use sentences now for a few weeks. Some of her favorites: "Oww that hurts!" "I'm cooking Mommy" "Cut pizza Mommy" "I brush my hair" "I want my shoes" she is getting good! Sometimes she can be hard to understand but we are learning and she is good at communicating what she wants:) Her favorite foods in no particular order: "roni" (any kind of pasta), veggies, waffles (w/syrup of course), sausage (any kind! she's a true Chicagoan) and YOGURT. This girl does not skip a beat, she's on from the second she wakes up to the minute she passes out in her crib at night. No sign of a big girl bed yet, she is perfectly content in her crib with 20-30 of her nearest and dearest friends (stuffed animals). She is still loving every minute of daycare, and now that the weather has gotten nicer, she's able to spend a lot of time outside with the kids at Miss Tami's. She loves riding around in her Cozy Coupe car, toting her Disney princess suitcase, making pretend coffee in her kitchen for Ben, and playing relentlessly with her puzzles, trying to count to 10 with all her effort. She is about as cute as they come, and really into everything. Just a sweet little girl with a great personality.

Now onto Ben ... he did some traveling for school at the beginning of March, with a nice two-week trip to South Africa. The first week of his trip was solely school related, while he and some classmates worked on a consulting project for a company in Swaziland. The trip was successful and he spent another week cruising Kruger National Park outside of Johannesburg with some friends - great pictures to come soon - but he had a blast. He was also able to visit with our good friends Lauren and Geoff Gursel who were fabulous hosts to Ben and some classmates, showing them the sights of Joburg, and shuffling Ben from place to place. He had an awesome time!! Ben is now in his FINAL quarter of school at Georgetown, and we find ourselves marveling at how quickly our time in DC has gone ... soon enough we will be making our next move ... which takes me to the big news! Ben accepted a job in NYC that starts in mid July. We are in the final process of first time home buying in New Jersey, and we'll be outside Manhattan about 30 minutes by train. We are really excited and will post more news about our new place soon!

All of this has obviously kept me very busy ... Ben's in charge of the finance stuff, and I've been glued to the New Jersey MLS listings searching for our perfect home! Now that we've found it, I'm on to bigger and better things ... paint colors, furniture, you name it! And finding Caroline a new daycare/nursery school, which has been pretty successful so far. If all goes according to plan, we will close on May 25 and move that weekend (Memorial Day!) ... really soon! We've got a few good weekends ahead of us enjoying the time we have left in DC and planning for our next stop. Stay tuned for more updates.

Ben and I also recently celebrated some birthdays ... I'll leave Ben's age out of this post but I hit the big 30! We had a great time celebrating with friends and family at an awesome Mexican fiesta followed by a night out on the town with drinks more friends. We are very lucky to have all that we do!

18 months and counting!!!

2009-12-18T11:12:00.006-06:00

We realize it's been a while since our last post ... but so much going on! Thanksgiving in Chicago was a BLAST, and the month of December has seemingly flown by. Finally got all of the holiday cards mailed yesterday and now we're moving onto our next feat ... packing for Brazil. We take off Tuesday morning for our three-flight adventure, so here's to some vino for me/Ben, and some Benadryl for Caroline. This trip is gonna be a doozy - but we are so excited to see the Brites family! They've never met Caroline, and we already know they will just love her. She is thrilled to meet all of her many, many cousins!!

Speaking of C, she is 18 months today! Really the time has disappeared. Our little sweet baby has turned into a semi-sweet, very active, independent smart little cookie. This week her interests include: cereal, bubble baths and cooking up just about anything in her mini kitchen. It's adorable.

C is also really into anything Christmas-y ... the tree (read: shaking the tree), lights (read: pulling at the lights), Santa (ho ho ho!) and snow! This morning we had on GMA and the weather man was talking about all the snow we're anticipating in Washington this weekend and she promptly ran to the sliding door to look for the snow. She was sadly disappointed to not find anything just yet.

We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and promise to post some pics from our Brazil extravaganza once we're back in the new year! For now, enjoy some recent photos of C.

We're Tired of Being Sick!

2009-11-09T12:11:00.004-06:00

The theme of this post is ... we've had it with being sick! From the stomach flu to the cold and flu, we're ready to be healthy again. Poor Caroline was out of daycare twice last week with a bad cold, then passed to both me and Ben. Here's hoping we've hit our quota for this cold and flu season!

Halloween weekend was great with a visit from Mimi. We had a blast playing and hanging out. Saturday, of course, was the big trick-or-treating trip to Centreville. C dressed as a little lioness (costume courtesy of Tim) and Timmy went as an adorable dinosaur. Both costumes were a hit with the toddlers, and although we had to bribe Caroline with a juice box to put her "mane" on, a good time was had by all.

Uncle John and Aunt Linda's old neighbors, Karoline and Gary, were gracious hosts and served up a spooky Halloween meal especially for the little ones! Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets and ABC tater tots (and helping after helping of "dip" aka ketchup) were enjoyed by all. The adults tasted three varieties of chili, and drank a lot of wine. Poor Gary's wine cellar will certainly need to be restocked ... he is probably wondering where did all the white wine go?

Sunday we went to watch the Bears battle out the Browns at Thirsty Bernie (luckily one game they actually DID win). We made a trip to Toys R Us before Mimi had to head to the airport and overall, had a really fun trip. Come back to visit soon!

Will upload some more photos soon. This weekend ... Ben and Caroline hang out while I hit up the Long Island wineries with the crazy NYC crew! Stay tuned and have a great week.

Pumpkin farm pictures

2009-10-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

Blog Hiatus

2009-10-14T09:58:00.002-05:00

Well ... it's been a while ... but we're back! Caroline is creeping up on 16 months (this weekend) and in full-time daycare, Ben is nearly finished with his first quarter of year #2 of school, and I'm still busy working away. We had a great summer and now settling back into the school/Fall routine.

It's amazing how much Caroline has changed over the past few months. For those of you that haven't seen her in a while - she has a great disposition and personality. Very easy-going and all-around cute (of course, we're biased) and curious. She has about 20 "favorite" words ... from cheese, shoes, socks, Bo-Bo to Go Gators! (her latest from Aunt Shelley), Mimi, cookie and doggie ... she is chatting up a storm. She loves the daycare (Timmy is there three days a week - what's not to love?) and has enjoyed making some new friends.

Ben and I have been busy - trying to take advantage of nights out and hanging with friends. We've enjoyed entertaining at our new place (yes, we moved AGAIN at the beginning of August) and drinking vino and grilling up steaks on the patio. We've had a few weddings (congrats to Tim & Jo, Ed & Erin, and Luke & Arianne!) since the end of August ... and of course Ben has tons to do for school. Between "Finance Day," recruiting and networking events, being a TA for an old professor this year, and general schoolwork, Ben's a busy guy with lots of late nights and Monster drinking. But through it all, he keeps a great attitude and we are so proud of him. Hard to believe he'll be back in the workforce in no time!

The latest addition to our family was a new (gently used) car purchase in September. Aunt Susie sold us her Saturn VUE and we're thrilled to have more space for the ever-growing Caroline and all of her things! Jim bought our old car and flew out to pick it up a few weeks back. It was a short trip, but good to see him before his last CPA exam and the start of his new job. Many of you know that Jim was laid off during the summer, but he's working with Uncle Jerry at Altom Transport as the "CFO's right-hand man." He's in week 2 and seems to be doing great so far.

Here are a few recent photos of Caroline and Timmy's trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend - the weather was fabulous and they really had a fun time running around and checking out all the cool things (e.g., slides, Noah's ark, petting zoo, tunnels, pumpkin picking area, etc.). What a great way to end the weekend!

This Saturday we're gearing up for Maggie's birthday bash ... YMNO (Young Mom's Night Out). We've already prepped the pull-out couch for Maggie and Kaylee to spend the night. Break out the vino ... the Trader Joe's appetizers ... we're ready to party!

Have a great week everyone. Stay tuned for more updates!

The Weekend in Photos!

2008-12-21T23:50:00.003-06:00

Daddy can't believe what a big girl I am!

Left: I am six months old today! (Dec. 18)

Middle: Mommy, Santiago, Dora and me enjoying Saturday night!

Right: Me and Mommy on a lazy Saturday morning.

Cute as a Christmas Elf.

2008-12-21T23:44:00.002-06:00

So, I'm headed to Chicago tomorrow night for the holidays! I can hardly believe Christmas is this Thursday. I wasn't able to get any shopping done, but maybe next year.

This weekend was really busy. Friday night Mommy and I went to Uncle Chris and Aunt Maggie's to exchange gifts with Timmy. That was fun! I won't see Timmy until he gets to Chicago on New Years Day for the wedding. Good times! Saturday night Daddy's friend from school Carlos and his wife Dora had us over for a fantastic dinner. I, of course, was stuck eating rice cereal and pears, but I didn't care. I got to meet their son, Santiago, and he's a cutie pie! I was pretty tired so slept the night away. Today was busy too. Had to go get my pictures taken AGAIN at the mall. I like going there because there is sooooo much to look at. Lots of people to watch. We got home and spent the rest of the day packing and finishing up everything before we leave tomorrow night. Oh yeah, and I tried sweet potatoes for the first time - boy were they yummy! I almost ate the whole jar.

Okay, it's late and I need to get my beauty sleep! I will write more from Chicago... hope everyone had a great weekend.

Santa... I know him!!!!!

2008-12-15T22:03:00.004-06:00

Look at Timmy's cool train! He and GUJ have matching conductor hats - how cool!

Just me and Timmy. We match (of course!) thanks to GAL.

Yes, fellow readers... that's right! Sunday we trekked to the mall to see SANTA CLAUS! We only had to wait about 45 minutes in line and both me and Timmy were really good. Timmy got a pretzel from Auntie Anne's - not fair - I can't eat those yet! But it sure did look yummy. I bet if I eat ALL of my rice cereal tomorrow Mommy will let me try one. :) Sitting on Santa's lap was great. We didn't cry at all and were actually confused how Santa was able to take a break from all of his toymaking and make a trip to Virginia that day! Anyway, Mom will try and scan the picture and post it on my site soon.

Cousin Lindsey was in town on Sunday so we had a nice family dinner out at GUJ and GAL's. I tried out the "Johnny Jump-Up" for the first time, and Timmy and I played with some of the new toys he got for his 1st birthday. All in all, a grrrrreat day! I passed out a little before 7 p.m., but awoke around 3 in the morning and boy was I sad. My first tooth finally came in! It's a miracle! Today I was feeling great, though. Check out some pictures of my fun weekend.

23 Days Until Santa!

2008-12-02T20:15:00.003-06:00

I hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend! Mine was pretty busy. I was in Lancaster for Thanksgiving visiting my family... we stayed with Aunt Karlla and Uncle Fed... you know what this means - lots of fun with cousins Gabriele and Erminia! Check us out!

Gobble, Gobble!

2008-11-26T09:26:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow readers! I know I am so lucky to have many family and friends that care about me... from right here in Arlington... to Chicago, Lancaster, New York, Florida, North Carolina, California, Brazil, Paris... and even China! Hope you have a terrific holiday and safe travels to everyone.

We leave for PA bright and early tomorrow morning, and will be back on Saturday afternoon just in time for Timmy's "Barnyard Bash!" I can't believe he is celebrating the BIG ONE already! The party should be a lot of fun, we always have a good time when we're playing together.

Some recent snapshots...

2008-11-24T13:12:00.003-06:00

Look at how sweet I am in my pretty velour dress!

Mommy says that Daddy and I have the same hairline... hmm, any thoughts?

Check out my boots with the fur! Can you believe I have my very own pair of Uggs? Thanks to Aunts Laura and Boudie, and Uncle Zack!

Here I am, just playing a way! This is when Aunt Katie was babysitting for me two weeks ago...

I love the weekends!

2008-11-24T12:53:00.002-06:00

This weekend was a pretty good, besides the fact that I have started teething! Let me tell you... teething really stinks. I get crabby pretty easily and have been tired more than usual. We are all hoping this tooth comes very soon!

Saturday I stayed with Daddy while Mommy and Aunt Maggie ran some errands... Saturday night Alyssa came to stay with me for a bit while Mommy celebrated Aunt Lauren's "last night of freedom" - ha! - and Daddy went a classmate's birthday party in Clarendon.

Sunday I got to go to Costco with Mommy. We were nearly out of formula and that is NOT a good thing! I can't wait until I can eat real food. Mommy was telling me about all the delicious snacks she tried while we were shopping! After that, we went to visit cousin Timmy... we watched some football and had some snacks. Then I went home and crashed!

Great Aunt Susie and Rosemary land tomorrow!! They are coming to visit for a whole week! We will see them on Wednesday night, they are coming to check out our new place and have dinner.

We are going to Lancaster on Thursday morning to visit PopPop, Nana Vovo, Uncle Fed, Aunt Karlla, cousins Gabriele and Erminia, and of course, Scully! Mommy is making stuffing for the first time so wish her good luck...

And Saturday is Timmy's first birthday party! Mommy says it's a "barnyard bash" - I don't know what that means but it will be funnnnnnnnn!!!! Yay!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and happy early Thanksgiving! It's my first!

Five Months Today!

2008-11-18T11:19:00.003-06:00

Checking myself out in the other mirror! This is pretty cool!

Look at all my drool! Thanks, Aunt Lucia for this cute outfit... I'm styling!

This is me when I woke up this morning. I'm officially five months old today! Can you believe it? I can't. Time has just flown by. Seems like just yesterday we were leaving Prentice ... now I'm practically crawling!

Check Me Out!

2008-11-17T11:58:00.001-06:00

Where Does the Time Go?

2008-11-17T11:29:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone! Hope you had a fantastic weekend. So much has happened since the last time I wrote. Last week was pretty hectic... Mommy was busy at work and Daddy had a lot of school work and was crazy preparing for his conference in Philadelphia. The end of the week, though, was great! Aunt Katie came on Thursday night when I was sleeping and she stayed with me on Friday and we played all day long while Mommy was in Maryland for a meeting. Saturday a few more visitors arrived... my Aunts Karlla, Laura and Boudie! It was great! We met Aunt Lindsey for lunch at Whitlow's (our favorite) and then came home and hung out. Daddy came back from Philadelphia in the early evening, and then Mommy and her friends went over to Aunt Lauren's for the big bachelorette night! Everyone had a great time and I've heard that Aunt Lauren did an amazing job making the night so special! Lots of yummy food and wine, and a good time was had by all.

Oh yeah, and how can I forget... Aunts Laura and Boudie, and Uncle Zack bought me my first pair of Uggs... now all I need is a pair of apple bottom jeans... 'cause I have my boots with the fur! Woo hoo!

Yesterday for Sunday Funday we went to "Thirsty Bernie's" to watch da Bears battle out the Packers . Timmy was there wearing his Bears' gear, and GUJ was intently watching the game. Although the Bears lost, we had a fun time hanging out with GAL, GUJ, Aunts Lindsey, Maggie and Katie, and Uncle Chris. GUJ said I need to get some Bears gear for the next game, we'll work on it!

Aunt Kaylee came over last night on her way home from work... to cut my hair! Yes, two days short of turning five months, I had my first hair cut! Aunt Kaylee just trimmed up the sides. Playing is already much easier because all the hair is out of my face now! YAY! Thanks again, Aunt Kaylee!

Mommy said she will post some news pictures later on... be sure to check back soon.

Sweet Home... Chicago

2008-11-06T12:34:00.003-06:00

Man, I'm a smart one!

Come on... if I can get one, I can definitely get TWO!

I've got one down pat.

This cute outfit is from Nick, Tami and Alexander! Thanks, guys!

Tonight's the night! We're headed on Southwest from Dulles to Midway. Dziadzia said he'll be there at 9 p.m. to pick us up, and he even found the base for my car seat! He's really on it this trip... Mommy hopes I will sleep on the plane but she knows I'm good ALL the time! No need to worry, Mom!

Mommy talked to Aunt Katie today and one of her sisters may have a swing we can borrow for the weekend. That will be GREAT! I need to be entertained... duh!!!

I spent last night and this morning trying to get both of my feet in my mouth at the same time. It's a rough job, but someone's got to do it! Mommy and Daddy think this is hilarious... but come on, guys, this is just what babies do.

Aunt Kaylee came over last night while I was sleeping and colored Mommy's hair. Mommy told me this morning what a great job she did - and can't wait to show it off in Chicago. I think Aunt Kaylee's next job is going to be cutting MY hair, it's so wild!

And... this morning I held my own bottle all by myself! Usually I make a good grab for it and just hold on, but today it was ALL ME! Check out the pictures to prove it!

Have a great weekend, fellow readers. I'll be sure to post pictures and details from my Chicago adventures when we're back home on Sunday. We'll miss you, Daddy!

A Day of Many "Firsts" ...

2008-11-05T10:21:00.003-06:00

Well, Tuesday, November 4, was a big day all around! Not only was Barack Obama elected President of the United States in one of the most historical elections ever... I also ate rice cereal (via my silver spoon from Pop Pop and Nana Vovo - check out the pics!) AND I learned to put my little toes in my mouth. I'm not sure which tasted better, the rice cereal... or my toes... hmm!

Daddy went over to David and Meredith's place to watch the election results pour in with his G-town buddies. Unfortunately, I crashed before 7:15 p.m., so I couldn't make the festivities. I stayed in with Mom and slept...

We need to finish packing for Chicago when Mommy gets home from work tonight. I saw the bag and it's already looking pretty full! Okay, off to take a nap!

Oops... one more thing!

2008-11-04T09:40:00.003-06:00

Congrats to Aunt Lauren and Uncle Geoff! They got engaged on Saturday night, and Mommy and Daddy had a fun night out celebrating their big news. Unfortunately, Uncle Geoff had to go back to London last night but he will be back soon. We are all so excited for the big news!

Here's Mommy with the newly-engaged Aunt Lauren and their other friend, Aunt Margey!

2008-11-04T09:36:00.000-06:00

I slept TWELVE hours last night and now I'm ready to play! Let's party!

Today's the DAY!

2008-11-04T09:20:00.003-06:00

So... today is it! The big day we've been waiting for... seems like just yesterday Mommy told me it was only 30 days until the election, and now it's here! Luckily, we went to vote on Saturday. Mommy was paranoid that she wouldn't have time today, and even though we weren't thrilled to wait in line for such a long time (over three hours!!) we were glad to get it over with. My friend Ella went to vote this morning with her mommy and she said it was cold.

Daddy told me that we are going over to his friend David's house tonight for an election party. We'll see - last night I could barely stay up until 7 p.m., how does he expect to last until the polls close? Cousin Timmy is having an election party at his house too. Mommy said they are making pizzas and that sounds like fun! Have fun, everyone!

I slept 12 WHOLE hours last night and didn't make a peep! When Mommy came home from work last night I was sleepy. She gave me my nightly bath and then we read a few books, and then I crashed... I was just sooooo tired from the weekend. That usually happens on Monday nights. We'll see about tonight, though... :)

That's it from here... off to watch some CNN and get the latest update from the polls.

I had a fun weekend!

2008-11-03T21:00:00.001-06:00

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T08:27:00.002-05:00

As you can tell from the pictures, I am REALLY excited for my first Halloween! Great Aunt Susie made me an adorable bunny costume made of white fleece and pink gingham. I told her it was perfect because they weather has gotten a bit cooler this past week!

This morning Daddy is taking me to the doctor for my four-month check up. Unfortunately this means I also have to get some shots today:( Daddy will be there to comfort and hold me, but Mommy has to work.

The rest of the day looks pretty good, though... Daddy is going to drop me off at Uncle Chris and Aunt Maggie's house after my appointment. We'll head out to Centreville in the early afternoon (once we pick up Timmy from his babysitter, of course!) and get ready for some trick-or-treating fun! We now have a double stroller (thanks, Uncle Fed!) so Timmy and I are ready to roll...

Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Chris will meet up with the gang later on! It should be a lot of fun. Mommy promises to take PLENTY of pictures that will be posted here over the weekend. Hope that everyone has a great day, and thanks to everyone that sent me Halloween cards and good wishes! Off to Georgetown... fingers crossed the shots won't hurt too much!

2008-10-31T08:26:00.000-05:00

Today is the big day! I FINALLY get to wear my Halloween costume... woo hoo!

2008-10-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Daddy is the best!

2008-10-30T14:12:00.003-05:00

Here's me and my Daddy playing by the mirror - my favorite!

My Daddy is a Great Guy

2008-10-30T14:04:00.003-05:00

I love my Daddy! Last night he came home from a long day of school and played with me and read me a few books before I went to bed. He is so funny! We spent a lot of time in the hallway looking into the mirror, and then I started to get antsy while he was reading the third book. That's okay... Mommy said it was time for bed anyway!

Last night I woke up twice. Once at 12:30, and the other at 4:45. Mommy and Daddy think I'm still congested, but really - all I want to do is play and have fun!

I heard Mommy telling Daddy that the building maintenance people came to fix the heat in our apartment. They are worried I'm going to be cold, but I'm fine! I love my sleep sacks and cuddling. Actually, cuddling is my favorite!

My cousin Erminia is almost 18 months, and doesn't fit into some of her clothes anymore. That's where I come in! I've got some great 3-6 month outfits that look really cute on me:) Thanks for all the cute clothes!!

When I was in the hospital, Aunt Tupper (she's Mommy's friend and her REAL name is Sarah) came to visit me and brought me PJs for every age! Boy, she was really thinking! The little onesies she gave me for the summer I wore almost every day... and I've recently started to sport the next pair... check out the pictures!

Okay, off to nap... will report back soon. Tonight Daddy is making dinner and Mommy's excited.

Oh yeah, and tomorrow's Halloween! Me and Timmy get to hang again! Woo hoo!

2008-10-30T13:57:00.002-05:00

Day 1

2008-10-29T11:03:00.005-05:00

Mommy has been trying to set this thing up for weeks! Actually... months... before I even came along. She told me she's not too tech-savvy, but her friend Leah gave her some good pointers. Thanks, Leah! Now everyone can keep in touch with me since I'm far, far away from the South Side of Chicago.

So, things have been pretty busy here! We moved on August 1st and Daddy started school about a week later. He's already finished his first quarter at Georgetown, and time is really flying by. Before we know it, it will be Christmas. Mommy went back to work on October 1st and that was pretty sad. She and I used to play ALL day long! We had so much fun listening to music, playing with all my toys, and of course taking walks into Clarendon (and checking out the new stock at Ann Taylor Loft) - oops! Mommy told me to write that:) Now I have a new babysitter that comes to our house every morning, and she brings me a little friend to play with too. Except my new little friend is now walking! Wow, we are really growing up fast.

One good thing about living out here is that we have all kinds of family nearby! There's Aunt Lauren in DuPont; Aunt Maggie, Uncle Chris and cousin Timmy also in Arlington; Aunt Kaylee in Herndon; and Great Uncle John (aka GUJ), Great Aunt Linda (aka GAL) and cousin Elliott in Centreville! If we're really adventurous, we'll hop in the Alero and head up to Lancaster to visit Daddy's parents, Nana Vovo and PopPop Welch, and Aunt Karlla, Uncle Federico and cousins Gabriele and Erminia. I can't forget Scully either! She's a fun doggie and I can't wait to play with her soon.

Can you believe I'm four months old already? Mommy and Daddy keep saying they wish I'd stay little, but all I want to do is be BIG! I'm rolling all over the place, and hopefully before long, I can actually crawl. I need to keep up with people... like Timmy! He is really fast now. I need to call him up and hear about some of his tricks.

Well... that's it for now. I'm off to take a nap! Before I go, happy birthday to two of Mommy's best friends, and my favorite Aunts... Lauren and Lisa! Hope you two have a terrific day.