Merry Cousins

So these are pictures of Leah with all of her cousins. Above is the Schultz side of the family...Rylee, Leah, Shelby, Lexi, Bradyn and Justin. They are all quite a bit older than her, but she LOVED spending time with them and had all their names down by the time our Christmas celebration was over. In the picture to the left is Leah with her Myerscough cousins...Colby and Macy. Leah is enamored with Macy. She can't get enough of her. It's pretty great to see them play together and it's even more fun when we get to see her play with all her extended cousins.


Growing up I was very close to most of my cousins and sometimes I can't help but feel like Leah is missing out, living so far away from family. But maybe that makes the time that they get to spend together even more special. I love going home for the holidays or anytime really, and I always wish that there was more time to spend with my cousins. But the holidays were chaotic and they FLEW by and time got away from us. Next time we go home we will definitely be trying to arrange more "play-time". When we were home for Thanksgiving we got to see Tara and her son Jameson, Tiffany and her 2 kids Preston and Brooklyn, and Paul and his 2 kids Spencer and Tyler...I definitely need more of that.

We had a very Merry Christmas, full of Family and Fun. And while it was chaotic going from New Jersey to Illinois to Minnesota to Wisonsin, back to Illinois and then home again....we wouldn't change a thing. What a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with those that we love. I cherish every day we get to spend with family because they are too few and far between.
So thank you to ALL of our family for making the holiday's so special and may we continue to be blessed in the New Year!

The Girls Got Good Taste!

Be still my beating heart...what a proud moment for Mommy, HA! After all the presents had been opened Leah went straight for Aunt Cynthia's new COACH purse. Teach them right from the start!!! You would think that with all the toys on the floor she would be itching to get into all of them, but no, not my girl...high class all the way. Now I just have to work on making sure we don't have any "Diva" Attitude. Maybe next year we can shoot for some Gucci or Versace...or not :)

Official Taste Tester

YUMMY!

This past Friday Leah and I were hard at work doing some holiday baking. Normally I try to find something for us to do during the day to get us out of the house for a little bit...even if it is just running to the grocery store. But Today, we were waiting for Leah's "Big Girl" bed to get delivered, so I had to stay put. I decided that making cookies for our neighbors was a friendly-holiday thing to do. NOTE: We have the best neighbors (2 of them actually) that always help us out and house-sit/dog-sit when ever we leave town. Anyway, I tried to get Leah to step in and really get involved (meaning-Messy) but she wasn't really interested. She did have fun helping me hold the mixer, but that was short lived. Of course when I was unwrapping Hershey's Kisses for the Peanut Butter Blossoms she was happy to steal a Kiss. Anyway, as I was taking the beaters out of the blender I let her have a lick. Her face lit up, so I gave in and gave her one...and she was off!!! She ran out to the living room to cherish her new treasure. She loved licking the beater so much. You can tell by her expression above how much she is enjoying it. Even after she had licked it clean she wouldn't hand it over. I thought it was pretty cute. I know when we are at Gigi's (my mom's) house for Christmas she will get to make more cookies and I can guarantee she will be begging for the beater. The trick will be getting Aunt WaWa to share, Ha!

In other news, I am 28+ weeks in my second pregnancy now. The THIRD trimester, YAY! I seem to be doing well, or at least I think so. My doctor is concerned because I am experiencing some Braxton-Hicks contractions. I'm not too worried...I had them for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy with Leah, but my doctor says this time it is different. Everything has been "stretched" before and I started having them very early. So I am on strict orders to take it easy...of course this would be right before the Holiday's with our crazy travel plans that include Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois! I told my doc...I know the deal (All my time working for the March of Dimes has made me a expert, of sorts-Ha!) Lots of rest, lots of water, warm showers and laying on my left side. I don't think he liked my quick response and lack of concern...Now my problem is that Mitch is going to be on me...He is not that kind of doctor but he sure is acting like THAT kind of doctor :) But seriously, neither of us wants me to end up on bedrest, so I guess it's time for me to buckle down and behave.

WaWa!!!

Okay, so WaWa is actually Aunt Laura but Leah can't seem to pronounce Laura so she says "WaWa". We were fortunate enough to have Aunt Laura come and stay with us for a few days after Thanksgiving. She was out in NJ/NY visiting her in-laws for the holiday and her work schedule permitted her to stay for a few extra days to catch up with her favorite little niece Leah. We only had 2 days but they were great. On Monday we took Leah to the asthma/allergy specialist (not so much fun) and then we went shopping at Quakerbridge Mall where Leah got to see Santa Claus. Last year she loved him but this year...not so much. She just kind of looked at him with this scowl on her face...it didn't last long. I had been trying to introduce the idea of Santa to her with books. Now, when ever she sees him on TV or in books she says "oh, oh oh" I guess that is her version of "Ho Ho Ho!" Maybe if I would have waited a bit longer she would have been a little less apprehensive, oh well maybe next year.

On Tuesday we went to Adventure Aquarium in Camden. It has slowly become one of our favorite spots. Leah does really well and loves to look at all the fish...plus on weekdays it gives her an opportunity to run around, even though we are stuck indoors. We spent the most time watching the hippos and the sharks. We are glad that Aunt Laura got to go with us, and I love the picture above of them posing in the shark's mouth.

Lucky for Mitch and I. My sister was here for our anniversary. We were able to go out to dinner and knew that Leah was in good hands with her Auntie! I think Leah had a great time, but Aunt Laura looked exhausted when we got home :) Thanks Aunt WaWa for coming to visit. We love getting to spend time with you and can't wait for Christmas!

Leah trying to tickle her Aunt Wawa!

The Road Warrior

Leah and I flew to Illinois to be with my family for Thanksgiving. Mitch then drove to Illinois on Wed. and we all drove back together on the 29th after my niece and nephew were baptized. Yes, it is about a 13 hour drive and we have been told many times that we are crazy. But Mitch and I kind of got used to making that long of a drive when we lived in Champaign. Anytime we went to Minnesota to visit his family it was about an 11 hour haul. People think we are especially crazy to attempt it with a toddler, but I have to say she did GREAT!

Now looking at this picture you might be thinking she doesn't look "great". But this is a kid who didn't take a nap and was exhausted from playing with all her little cousins. It was pretty cute actually...We got home from church, and put her in the high chair to have lunch and she was actually falling asleep eating her meal. But as soon as we took her out and gave her a little bit of freedom she was off and running with the troops! She kept right up with Macy and Preston and wanted to do everything that they did. By the time we got her in the car around 2:30 she was wiped out. She was asleep before we even got out of Charleston and slept for over 2 hours. I finally woke her up so that she would sleep during the night on the ride home. We hooked up the portable DVD player and for the most part she was happy as a clam in the backseat. She had a few small meltdowns but that was to be expected. It gives me hope that she will be tolerant when we drive to and from Minnesota for Christmas. PLEASE PLEASE do good on the drives at Christmas!!!

So Many Blessings!

This is Brooklyn and Preston Phillips (My cousin Tiffany's kids) Preston is holding my nephew Colby. Then of course there is Leah. My niece Macy is holding baby Jameson (my cousin Tara's son). Aren't they adorable!!!

Wow, has it really been over a month since I last blogged? This getting ready for the holiday thing has really slowed me down...well, that or the toddler that lives in my house that is in constant overdrive :)

I was fortunate enough to go home again this year for Thanksgiving. I have a feeling...actually I know that it won't be nearly as easy for me to pick up and go home once baby #2 arrives in March so it was GREAT to go home. While I was there I got to spend lots of time with family. I think one of the highlights was getting to see Leah play with all her little cousins that are her age. We had quite a wild bunch on our hands. But it was so much fun. I feel bad that Leah doesn't get to have these experiences more often...maybe someday.

The picture below is of my niece and nephew's baptism. It worked out perfect actually because little Jameson was baptized on Saturday so I got to celebrate with them too. That's the real reason that I went home. There is no greater gift from God than Children. And MAN, are these two little ones pretty special. I may be a little biased, but I love them so much and was so happy to be there on their special day. I can't wait to get home for Christmas and see them again...oh and the rest of my family too :)

Making Cookies

When Leah's grandparents were here they made cookies with her. In the pictures she looked like she was having a lot of fun, so we thought that we would give it a try. So here she is measuring out the ingredients with her daddy.

Really, I think she had more fun trying to TASTE all the indredients and playing with all the utensils...I couldn't get the wisk away from her :)

Last but not least, she waited patiently for the cookies to be done. She has a mean impersonation of cookie monster...thankfully she has better manners when it comes to eating them!

Twinkly Toes!

Yes, little Leah is all girl! She is getting weekly pedicures now...well, not really but I will let her think it is a real pedicure for as long as possible :)

If she spots a bottle of nail polish on the counter or sees me taking my nail polish off she will insist that I paint her toes too! It's a great mother-daughter bonding experience...and her toes look pretty cute to boot!

Windsor Farms Fall Festival

This weekend we took Leah to the Windsor Farms Fall Festival. We had actually taken her to it last year, so we figured we may as well go again. This year Leah was much more excited to take in the festivities. She enjoyed listening to the live band...I think they were called SUNDOG...she was busting a move and clapping along with the songs.

Of course we went out into the pumpkin patch to pick a good one! Leah saw her daddy pick out a pumpkin so she thought that she should get to pick something too. There weren't a whole lot of gourds this year, but the two that she found, she thought that she had to have. I love this picture because it shows her struggle to try to carry them both...this went on for about 10 minutes before she finally caved and put them both down.

I like to call this picture "careful, your midwestern roots are showing." Of course we went on the hayrack ride, and Leah had to chew on straw or hay the entire time. I couldn't get her to put it down.

And last but not least...ELMO!!! When we first got there she started saying "Melmo, Melmo, Melmo!" I couldn't figure out what she was talking about, but there he was. I swear she spotted him from a mile away...at first she was scared of him, but it only took her a minute to warm up. She loved giving him high-fives, and every time she saw him walking around she would take off after him. It was pretty cute...what a fun day!

What a weekend!

Wow, what a weekend! We are so exhausted we are still recovering. Mitch could only muster up enough energy to lay on the couch and watch all 12 innings of the Twins game last night, ha ha. Really though, we had a great visit with Dave and Tootie and we couldn't have asked for better weather. On Friday Dave, Tootie and I took Leah to an orchard. She showed them the animals, and the tractors and she picked out a few little pumpkins. We got to enjoy apple cookies and cider for a snack before heading home. On Saturday we went to Philly. The weather didn't look to good but we just got sprinkled on for a few minutes then the sun was shining the rest of the day. We went to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the home of Betsy Ross. Grandpa Dave showed Leah how to dunk her fries and chicken nuggets in ketchup at lunch time...so now she is a pro. After the dowtown historical tour we went to Eastern State Penitentiary...one of America's first prisons...it was creepy and interesting. Leah did pretty good considering it was such a long day.

Sunday she didn't fair as well, but she was a trooper. We left the house around 9 am on Sunday and caught the train from Princeton to NYC, once in New York we hopped on the Subway and went to Brooklyn's Battery Park where we caught the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and then on to Ellis Island. Dave, Tootie and Mitch went up the Statue of Liberty while I stayed on the ground with Leah. I let her out of the stroller on the grassy area where she chased the ducks for a bit. Then it was back on the Ferry and off to Ellis Island. From there we took the ferry back to Battery Park...I think this was where Leah had the most fun. It was a gorgeous day and thankfully I had packed an extra outfit. Leah played in the water fountain for over a half-hour. She was SOAKED!!! But she had a lot of fun...then it was back on the subway to Penn Station where we caught the 6 o'clock train home. I think we were all tired out by the time we got home.

On Monday Dave, Tootie and I took Leah to the aquarium. She had fun showing them all the fish. She loved watching the seals with Grandpa Dave and she even got a souvenir stuffed penguin.

Besides that Leah had fun making chocolate chip cookies with grandma and grandpa while Mitch and I went on a date. And Leah and Grandpa snuggled on the couch and watched Toy Story 2 one morning. You would never know that she hadn't seen them in 6 months...she warmed right up to them like she sees them all the time. It's difficult living so far away from family. But we sure do love when they come to visit. It was a great visit with The Schultz grandparents! I think my parents are coming the end of the month, and my sister will be here for a few days post-Thanksgiving. Before you know it Christmas will be here!!!

Free Fall'in It

Now that summer is over, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to do on the days that Leah and I are home alone together. We were in a really good routine the last days of summer. We would get up, have breakfast, watch Sesame Street, Go to the park, come home and have a snack, she would nap and then we would have lunch. After lunch, she would play with toys for a bit, we would go out and play in her little pool, she would come in and have another snack and then go down for another nap...by the time she woke up Daddy would be home!!!

Now that the weather is getting cooler, our schedule is all over the place. The mornings almost seem to chilly to go to the park, so we have been venturing out in the afternoon, but what else can I do to fill the days. We read lots of books, play with puzzles and toys, but I feel like she is getting bored here at home with me...SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!!! The last 2 weeks were especially tough, with Mitch being gone on his Colorado hunting trip. It was so nice to pick him up on Saturday and have him home with us yesterday. On Friday we had a WONDERFUL visit to the aquarium with our friends Kathleen and little Ryan. I wish we could have stayed longer, but Leah crashed!!! If only we lived closer and could do playdates more frequently. I am going to start looking into Kindermusic and Gymboree...anything to get us out of the house, or else this fall will lead to a really long winter. Here are some pictures of Leah's first try with play-doh and coloring.

Little Matty got married!

So I have been on hiatus for the last 2 weeks. I went home to Illinois the end of August to spend some time with family and friends, and to help my family...well, mostly my mom, get ready for my brother's wedding. My parents graciously planned and paid for my brother's wedding and I am so glad that they did. It was truly a wonderful celebration for Matt and Cynthia and a day that I hope they will never forget. Matt and Cynthia make a wonderful couple, with a beautiful family. I have really enjoyed getting to know Cynthia, and am so excited to have her as a member of our ever-expanding family. Congrats to the Newlyweds!!!

It was great being home, because I had babysitters on hand...something I am lacking in New Jersey. My friend Rachel babysat for Leah on Tuesday while I got my hair done, and she was brave enough to watch Leah and Colby while we were at the wedding reception. Thanks so much, Rachel. My new sis-in-law Cynthia and brother Matt watched Leah on Wed. night while I went out to dinner with Rachel and Andrea...we chatted for hours, it was just like old times minus the alcohol. We are much older and wiser :) On Thursday I went out to the river with my cousin Paul and Spencer to see my Uncle Dave and Aunt Althea...There are no words to describe how much Leah despised the sand. To say that she HATED it would be an understatement. Her tears were quickly dried when Uncle Dave gave her some fruit chews and Althea rocked with her on the "porch" swing. On Friday Leah and I got to have a playdate with my cousin Tiff and her two kids, and I was watching Colby, so we definitely had our hands full. Melissa came to hang out so that was nice, and she saved Leah from being run over by that crazy "Dennis-the-menace" Preston, lol!!! It seems that no matter how long I am home for there is never enough to time to visit and catch up with all my loved ones, but I am grateful for the time that I had with the ones that I did see.

So it may seem that I had a lot of people babysitting for me, but I got to do a bit of babysitting myself. My mom had Colby Saturday night (8/30) while Cynthia was having her bachelorette party and Matt was at work. I certainly got a little taste of what it will be like to get 2 kids ready for bed. Then on Monday, mom has Macy and Colby all day...it got a little chaotic with all 3 of the grandkids at Grandma's all day. On Friday I watched Colby most of the day, while Cynthia was having her trial hair run before the wedding. Needless to say I really got to experience what it was like to have 2 little ones, at least for short periods of time, and I think I did okay. Bath/Bed time was definitely the roughest part of the day...THANK GOD I have such a great partner in Mitch. Leah did really good with Colby. She would try to give him hugs and kisses. She would pet him like a dog, she got really good at pointing to him and saying "baby". She only tried to sit on him in his bouncy seat a few times, so I have high hopes that she will be a great big sister. It was a great trip home. I'm always sad to leave, and it makes me look forward to the next time.

Shoe Fetish!!!

Oh my Leah, She is truly a girl after my own heart. She has discovered shoes. Last week she kept going to her room and pointing up to the top of her dresser...this is where the shoes are at. I kept trying to bring her back to the living room and her toys to play, but she kept returning to her room eventually having a temper tantrum. As she sat on the floor crying, pointing up at the dresser, she lifted her foot and wiggled her toes..."Shoes" I said, "Do you want your shoes?" I got some off the top of the dresser and set them on the floor but that wasn't good enough. She got even more mad as I walked away and when I looked she was trying to put them on. I sat on the floor and put her shoes on and she got up and smiled...happy as a clam. Now we can't start the day unless we have a pair of shoes on. When she doesn't have shoes on she tries to put my shoes on, or even funnier...Mitch's shoes. She is getting so grown up, bless her heart she tries so hard to put her socks on too. Yes, my girl loves shoes. And I couldn't be happier!

The Best

So I have to give my wonderful husband, Mitchell some props. Last week, he threw me a surprise party to congratulate me for graduating with my masters. I never saw it coming. I was utterly clueless...which is normally not the case! He had asked me 2 weeks before hand if we had any plans, had me call a few friends and make arrangements. We had wanted to have a cookout with friends for Leah's 1st birthday, but the trip to the hospital 2 days before that put a hault to that plan, and everyone is always so busy in the summer. We figured that as long as everyone was around it would be a great chance to get the grown-ups and kids together for a "play-date" we had the grill fired up and the baby pool's inflated. Imagine my surprise when there were balloons, flowers and a cake FOR ME! I probably don't say it enough, but God gave me a wonderful gift when he brought Mitch into my life. He is a wonderful husband, father and my very best friend.

Aqua girl

Trying to touch the starfish (above)
and playing in the seaweed with daddy (below)

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to take Leah to the Aquarium Adventure in Camden. It is right on the river across from Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. She is really into animals and tries to mimic their noises. Granted, you can't really do a whole lot of mimicking of fish :) but she had a great time quacking at the ducks. We ended up getting the "Family Passport" So that we can get in with 4 adults, 4 children and discounts on parking, food, etc...every time we go. We figured that if we go just 2 more times and take some guests once, it has already paid for itself. I can't wait to have a playdate their with some of our friends. It will also be nice for when we have out-of-town guests...and I am sure grandparents would enjoy taking Leah too!

Leah did great despite missing her morning nap. We thought she would sleep in the car on the way there (it's about an hour) but it didn't happen. She is so curious and get's so excited when we leave the house. Once you put her shoes on she heads for the door waving and yelling "buh-Bye" behind her. She must be talking to the dogs :)

I think she enjoyed almost all of the exhibits and we heard "ooohhh" all day long. The only time she clung to us was when we saw the hippos and when we were in the shark tunnel...I think they were just too big for her liking. Can't wait to go back soon.

My Best Friends Wedding!

Okay, so technically it was my little sister's wedding, but I consider her both...my sister and my best friend. It's rough living so far apart from one another, I in New Jersey, and she all the way out in Arizona. It was great that we were able to fly out to Arizona for a week to be with her during such a special time, but really...I didn't see her at all. I guess that's because she was doing "wedding stuff" and hanging out with all her child-less friends, while I stayed in a house with my brother, Cynthia and their 2 kids, cousin Tiffany and her 2 kids and of course my niece Shelby, charming husband and adorable Leah.

Anyway, the wedding was so wonderful. I don't think they could have found a better setting than the Oro Valley Church of Christ nestled in the Catalina Foothills, and the ceremony was so touching. What really got me was my father's tears. It was crazy...Jer started down the aisle with Laura and choked up and on cue, you could hear all the bridesmaids behind me start to sniffle. Laura was the most beautiful bride, Jeff should consider himself lucky. I consider myself lucky everyday. Laura is the best when you need a laugh, and great when you need a shoulder to cry on. I am doubly blessed...she is my sister and my best friend.

Family Vacation and I mean FAMILY!

Wow, We just returned from the most exhausting vacation I have ever been on. And even though 2 days later I still feel like I am recovering, I wouldn't change a thing, well except maybe add more family to the mix :) A lot of my family headed west for the weekend. My baby sister Laura got married...FINALLY, after 20 months of being engaged and lots of planning. Anyway, we had the wonderful experience of sharing a home with my brother his fiance and their kids, my niece Shelby who came to babysit and my cousin was just across the street with her 2 kids. Their house wasn't very kid-friendly so they spent most the time with us and it was GREAT! It seemed like pure chaos when I was in the midst of it all, but thinking back to my times as a kid being with our BIG family and all my cousins...I think those times were pretty chaotic too. I have to wonder how my grandparents raised their 5 boys and then would take in a truckload of grandkids for the holidays?!? Anyway, we were in Tucson, Arizona and boy was it hot, but it was a dry heat and Mitch finally agrees with me that the dry heat is more tolerable than the humidity after 2 days playing golf with my dad and the guys (I think he was nervous about this, but he did great, and I am so proud of him). On Thursday morning he got up early (7 am) packed up the kids and went to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Saguaro National Park. It was 3 hours of walking talking and viewing the wildlife. It was HOT but the kids were such troopers we really had a good time. The rest of our time was really spent enjoying the pool. I will post more later about the wedding, but here are some pictures of the kids.

Day at the Zoo: Part II

Okay, so maybe it wasn't really a day at the Zoo! But the whole weekend felt like a 3-ring circus, LOL!!! I went home to help celebrate my sister's bridal shower, and while I was there we squeezed in a baby shower for my cousin Tara and a bachelorette party for my sister. Honestly, after the weekend I'm feeling old. It seems that when I go home we always try to cram so much stuff in since I don't get home much. I am looking forward to the day when I can come home and just RELAX!!! I have a feeling it's going to be a long time before that happens.

I flew in on Thursday afternoon. Tara, my wonderful cousin, picked Leah and I up and took us home. Grandma Carol (Gia) took Leah and Macy to the pool while I got my hair done. I sure wish I have pictures of Gia trying to control those two at the pool, but anway. On Friday I had my online class for the U of I. Then I went to see Baby Colby. Friday afternoon Laura's in-laws flew in from NY, so we had dinner with them. Saturday we got started bright and early. Grandma Schaumburg, Aunt Sandy, Aunt Jane and Heather all came to the house to visit before the shower. I left and met the other bridesmaids to get set up. The shower was great fun. It was really nice to see all the family and friends, especially Laura's bridesmaids that I haven't seen in years. After Laura's shower was the baby shower, which I must admit, I didn't quite make it too. I tried but after bridal shower clean up I got to the baby shower and it was over, so I just went to Aunt Trina's to visit and gave Tara her gifts. Then I got 30 minutes of down time (just enough to wash my face and change my clothes) and then we were off for the bachelorette party...Like I said, I was exhausted and it all made me feel old ;) Anyway here are a few family pictures from the weekend. Even though I was worn out, I wouldn't change a thing. You can't put a price on time with your family and friends!

A Day at the Zoo!

Last week Mitch and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the Philadelphia Zoo by our dear friends the Brueggemeiers. Mitch and Shawn work together at BMS. They came to dinner and met Leah when she was about 5 weeks old, and while they were expecting their own baby. When Amanda had Matt in August we went and saw them in the hospital. Amanda and I then found a Baby and Me class that we went to together for about 2 months. We have become great friends, and we just know that Matt and Leah are best buddies. Anyway, they have a season pass to the zoo which allows them to bring in guest for free...WOO HOO!!! I think we are going to look into Aquarium passes so we can return the favor. But anyway, we went on Sunday the 14th...It was the first nice sunny day we had had in awhile. I wasn't sure if Leah would like it or not being so young, but she LOVED it. She was quick to pick out all the animals. She would point to them and make all sorts of noises in her excitement. Matt did too!!! How did our kids get to be so smart??? The kids were both great, a couple of real troopers. Neither one fussed and they just watched the animals in awe. Amanda says that in the picture above we are saying the same thing...something along the lines of "OOOoooOOOooo, look at the Camel." Can't wait until next time.

The Flamingos were toward the end, Leah was
getting tired. But she still enjoyed watching them.

If you look carefully in the background you can see a Tiger.
There was also one up close to the glass that Leah had her eye on.

Swimming Fool!

We finally had a day that was nice and warm enough for Leah to play in her pool. This past Friday it was warm and sunny, unlike the rain that we had for 6 straight days before that only to be followed by afternoon showers and storms all day Saturday. Anyway, she LOVED it. This isn't her first time swimming. She has been in 2 hotel pools before, but this is the first time we could just put her down and watch her play. She seemed to think that the water in the pool was quite the refreshing treat. She kept trying to drink it with her hands and then later with one of her water toys. It was pretty cute, but then again, we always think that she is pretty cute.
Lately, she has been trying to make a mad dash for the outdoors when ever we open our back screen door to the deck, which wouldn't be a big deal if there weren't 3 steps down to some slate slab stones at the bottom. Mitch built a gate to keep her contained, only to have her figure out how to unlatch it and open it after 2 days, Yes, 2 days so now we have resorted to putting big objects in front of the gate so she can't escape. That one keeps us on our toes, but boy do we love her!

This is Leah testing us, trying to see if we will
stop her from opening the gate. I think she
really just wants to go get back in the water!

Fun with Family

On June 4th my sister Laura arrived in New Jersey. As fate would happen, my sisters fiance is from New York and his mother recently relocated to New Jersey. When her future in-laws decided to have a bridal shower for her in New York it worked out perfectly for us...we didn't have far to go. After my new nephew was born on June 5th, my mother and our very dear family friend, Cece, jumped in the car and headed East. They got to New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. It's always great to see familiar faces, and Leah LOVES to have company. She turns on the charm and is a total "ham" for whoever will look her way. My mother really enjoyed taking pictures of Leah on Sunday morning while we were getting ready. Don't ask me where I was (probably showering) but she was able to snap pictures of Leah running around with condoms...yes, condoms and also this one with a tampon. My mom thought that these would be great additions to her baby book. Thanks mom!

On Sunday morning we drove about 2 hours north, up to Port Chester, New York for my sister's shower. Susan and Valerie (Laura's future mom-in-law and sister-in-law) put together a wonderful party in Laura's honor. It was at a great Italian restaurant, and the food was great.

This picture shows off Gia Carol's handy work. My mom was giving Leah a bath on Saturday night. She turned to get the towel and Leah stood up in the bath and went right back down. She bumped her right eye pretty good. She had a nice shiner. It looked much worse on Monday and without a doubt it was more painful for Gia Carol who will never live it down ;)

On Monday before Mom and Cece hit the road and before Laura got dropped off at the airport Grandma got some shopping in. Mom got Macy and Leah matching dresses for the wedding rehearsal at Gymboree. Leah and I go back to Illinois next week so we can have Laura's shower with all our family and friends back home. It will be nice to see everyone...most of all I'm looking forward to getting my hands on that new little nephew of mine, Colby.
Cheers and Have a Nice Weekend!

Colby James

The New Happy Family
~Matt, Cynthia and baby Colby...we need one with Macy in it too!

I'm an Auntie!!! My nephew Colby James Myerscough was born on Friday June 5th. Cynthia was having a scheduled C-Section, but it was still very exciting. My parents went out the the hospital and got to see him when he was just minutes old. He was 7lbs 11 oz and 22 1/2 inches ...he is a LONG baby! I can't wait to get home and see him. I can tell from the pictures that he is cute and adorable and perfect, even though he looks like Matt :) I am going home on Thursday June 18th, it can't come soon enough. My sister is getting married in July so I will be home for her bridal shower and bachelorette party. There is lots of good stuff going on in our family. Colby is a blessing. All the up-coming weddings are blessings and we have so much to be grateful for. Matt is going to be such an amazing dad. Cynthia has a four year old daughter Macy, and she has been good practice for him. I am going to enjoy watching him grow as a person and a father.

Visiting Maryland

Memorial Day Weekend we went to Maryland to see Laura. Fortunately and conveniently, the University of Arizona woman's golf team made it the the NCAA championship that was being held there. We got to go out to dinner with the team. We went to a Japanese Tepanyaki restaurant. Leah loved it!!! She just smiled at the Japanese chef and kept waving at him, and he would wave back and say "Hi baby" It was fun, but when it came time for him to do some tricks, Leah just wouldn't cooperate. I guess she didn't feel like trying to catch the flying pieces of chicken in her mouth. The next day Leah greeted the team at the hotel when they returned. We were on the 8th floor and Leah and I were playing in the hall...from the bottom of the atrium the team heard her and looked up. They waved she waved, it was good fun, then Leah got to go swimming in the pool. Aunt Laura has asked us not to publicly post pictures of her in a swimsuit, so I will refrain. It was great to see family. Even if it was just Laura ;)

This weekend Laura's future mother-in-law and sister-in-law are having a bridal shower for her in New York so we will have company. Laura comes on Thursday (tomorrow) and my mom and her friend Cece are coming on Saturday. Mom's got to stick around town. My nephew is being delivered Friday morning...YAY!