HELLO!

Yeah.. I've been MIA..

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www.ejamienyc.typepad.com

see you soon!

Oh yes..

Yes Folks.

My feisty nature of late (mainly at the office) has attracted the attention of the folks at the National Hurricane Center.

What you see here is a current image of Tropical Storm Erin.

It goes without saying that anyone who knows me at all finds this insanely amusing. My colleagues have gotten quite a kick out of it.

To my friends in Texas - the last thing you need is rain! I hope my little buddy doesn't wreak too much havoc over there.

Social Butterfly

Seriously. This kid has the life.

She hangs out with a social crowd, and seems to always be the life of the party.

Saturday our friend Sandi had a birthday party/housewarming party. We headed over there early evening. Several friends from work were there. I just put her down in the sun room and she made herself comfortable. Hung out with my boss, loved both of my boss's sons (ages 15 and 7). She played with them forever. And of course (the other) Uncle David - aka Baby Whisperer- was there. She loves him. Just grins ear to ear when she sees him. We stayed there right up until her bed-time, and she was none the worse for the wear. She really is spoiling us.

Sunday morning we headed to church. We hadn't been in two weeks. So, I don't know if it's because we haven't been in two weeks, or whether its because Eileen has become that much more mobile, but she was feisty! Not misbehaving - not yelling or crying or pitching a fit -just being social. She kept blowing raspberries at the priest as he read the Gospel. During the sermon she kept saying 'babababababa' quite loudly. And seeing as we were in the front row, this was quickly going from cute to rude. So I made my way to the back of the church to hang out with the other parents and listen through the speaker and watch through closed doors! We'll give it another shot next week, and if she's still on a mission to par-tay.. well our days of front row church people may be on hold for a couple of years.

And then, then the fun began! We went to IHOP! Eileen got to eat her first pancake. Let me rephrase that: Eileen got to devour her first pancake. She absolutely loved it. She's been eating more solids lately-- little baby raviolis and cheese slices. But she is generally pretty picky when it comes to new foods. Not pancakes. One little taste and then she gobbled it up. So cute. Of course we took pictures.

(pause here for Erin's social commentary: The table next to us was a family of 4. Mom, Dad, teenage daughter, and a son about 4 years old. The daughter sits down with her ipod in her ears. Stays that way about 10 minutes. THEN she took out the earbuds to talk on her cell phone. All while mom, dad and brother sat and chatted and ate breakfast. Now I don't know the circumstances. I have never been in that situation -raising a teenager. I shouldn't pass judgement. But I hope to high Heaven that I am never that parent that would allow my child to act in such a manner. Besides the lack of manners, it's just downright sad).

We thought about going to the pool, but it was really just too hot to even do that. If she were older, or if I were by myself, I would have parked there all afternoon and basked in the summer heat. But she's still too little to be able to handle it, so we decided to go see some model homes in a new development.

It is a fantastic concept.. basically a village in the middle of town. Single family homes, town houses, loft style condos. Several large parks. Retail - shopping, movies, restaurants, and a small grocery store. It is in the early stages, no retail is there yet.. just some of the homes. The idea is that you don't really have a yard, you go to the many giant gorgeous parks. You don't have to drive anywhere once you're home. Need a gallon of milk? You can walk to the little grocery store within the village. This whole concept would be ideal for Josh and I, seeing as how he's not able to drive. BUT since the houses start at about $400,000, it is not likely we will ever actually live there. But hey, we can dream.. and we can wander through the (air-conditioned) model homes. And I did indeed find my dream home. Craftsman style, and actually not much bigger than the house we have now. Gorgeous kitchen opening up to the family room. Master on main. Bedrooms, loft and bonus room upstairs. Very open and airy. Arched doorways. Even a firepit out on the patio. And half a million dollars.

Of course, one thing that did not occur to me was that I'd be carrying Eileen all over the place. From house to house. Upstairs and downstairs and back up again. Inside and out. Hot and cold. Did I mention the stairs? And did I mention that she weighs around 24 or 25 pounds. And did I mention we looked at at least six houses? Wait, did I tell you there were stairs? And now I get to brag: because despite the heat and all the stairs, I was NOT out of breath! And, my arms did not ache. In fact, I didn't even really notice that I was starting to get a little tired of carrying her until we were in one of the last houses! It seems that my 5:30am workouts are paying off. Now, I will admit, that later that evening, my back was aching, so it did catch up with me!

And now here we are and it's Tuesday morning. Still hot as hades here. Two weeks ago we had a load of rain and our yard turned green and the flowers were gorgeous. Now it's been in the high 90s, with heat indeces (fancy word alert) in the 100s, and we've had not a drop of rain. So the yard is brown again and now my flowers just look nasty. They are long and 'leggy' looking. I will be pulling them up soon and waiting it out til mum season.

That's about it from our world. Catch ya later!

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

So, where were we?
Talking about the trip!


















The second day was the actual wedding. It was a blast. Kim & Bill had it in their (gorgeous) back yard. Tents, bonfires, horseshoes, live band, and barbeque! oh, and of course the nuptials. We were all dressed up for the ceremony, and within 5minutes of it being over, I was in a t-shirt and shorts and so was Eileen! It would have been nice hawod I remembered the fact that I would need to be in a family picture.. but that would have been far too much brain power. So there's Erin The Southern Cousin in her t-shirt and shorts. Good thing Bill loves me! :)

It was hot but breezy. We all just hung out and played in the backyard. Couldn't have been more perfect. All the kids had a blast running around. The adults had a blast chowing down and having a beer or two. We did not stay for the bonfire (I was bummed about that!). Eileen did great, but by 6ish she was hot and worn out, so we headed back to the hotel. But she did manage to consume a corn muffin and a piece of wedding cake. She likes her carbs!


Sunday was fantastic. Everyone was heading out of NH. Josh, Granndpa, Beanie, Eileen and I drove back to Boston. We spent the day walking around Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall. I love love love that part of Boston. I haven't been there in several years. I remember going there so many summers as a kid when we'd go to Aunt Sharon & Uncle Ron's. We ate some fried clams (well, not Josh, but the rest of us did). There really is no place that can serve up fried clams like Boston. I was in Heaven. Then we walked around. I was on the hunt for Baby Red Sox gear. We found a great vendor and dropped a load of cash there. We really shouldn't have, but how often do we get to hang out in Boston?! Josh got a new cap & a Green Monstah t-shirt, Eileen and I got matching Sox caps, and we both got a t-shirt. (ahem. and now it's also time to get the Tennessee cheerleader outfit!).

Then we made our way over to Aunt Sharon & Uncle Ron's condo. They've lived there as long as I can remember and it's just cool. They are the reason I always wanted to live in the big city (tho I ended up in NYC and not Boston, it was still b.c of them!). Their windows on one side look into the heart of downtown Boston, and on the other side they look into the Harbor. And for years they looked over the Big Dig, which now is amazingly almost finished and actually seems to have turned out quite well. We hung outr at their pool for a while. And Eileen got to ride on a swing for the first time ever. And she LOVED it. She just squealed and giggled and couldn't get enough. She just gets cuter and more fun every day.

And then we headed back to the hotel in Boston and crashed. She did even better on the plane trips back home- slept all the way through both flights. After 3days of running around, I think she was beat. But she was just insanely good the whole time.

It was great to see the family. It was great to get to hang out in Boston. We definitely came away with some great memories!

A Diversion: Code BROWN

We're taking a slight diversion from the Vacation tales. These pics have nothing to do with the story, they are just cute ones I wanted to share.

Today's posting is not for the faint of heart! In fact, it is quite grody. It may be the grodiest thing you've read in a while. (sidebar: I am well aware the word 'grody' is straight out of late 80s Valley Girl speak, and I am well-aware that 'grodiest' is probably not even a word. But isn't it fun to just keep reading those two words and saying them in your head?!)

So, last night we had a pretty normal evening.. get home from work (oh- it's hot as all get out here- heat index of over 100 and half the city lost power last night- but not us Thank Heaven) around 6. Play with Eileen a little.. get some water boiling for pasta.. get a bottle made for her.. watch some news.. sit her down in her high chair to eat while Daddy finishes getting our dinner ready. Lately she just clams up and decides she just doesn't want to eat unless it's yogurt or cheerios. I decided maybe it was the highchair - bc the whole time we were gone and she ate on the floor or stroller she didn't once protest!- so Daddy drug out the portable highchair to see if the change of scenery helped.

Eh, it did a little, she decided she'd allow me to feed her some more. So then we're eating, and she did several poots. Eh. it's cute when a baby poots. Then it became evident that she was actually pooping b.c her face gets the color of a late summer tomato! So we let her do her thing and we finished dinner. Then I thought maybe she'd want to eat more since she'd made room in her tummy! She ate a little more and then she was done. Time for a tubby!

THAT turned out to be the understatement of the year! I unbuckle her, pick her up, and OH MY WORD. There is a mound of greenish brown POO in her chair. And on her leg. UGGGGGGGG. So I pick her up and have her at arm's length and am moving at mach speed to get upstairs to the bathroom to just dump her in the tub.

Thank Heaven we have hard wood floors.

So I am running thru the den, Josh right in front of me so he can start the water. In one nano second, but also in extreme slow motion, I hear ever so slightly 'PLOP' and then feel my flip flop sliding around on the floor. I freeze. Oh Lord, no. But Oh Lord yes. More POO fell smack out of her diaper and onto the floor! And there was splatter to go along with it! And to top it off Gracie was at my heels and then was fascinated by the mound, and evidently decided it would be a great after dinner snack. So there I am holding Eileen at arm's length, she's dripping poo and crying, and I am yelling at Gracie to get the hell away from the POO! Josh hadn't yet realized any of this was happening, and then was getting upset b.c I was yelling at the dog!

At this point I just laid her down on the floor. There was now poop on her toes! Those precious toes! I just start stripping her down, so thankful for easy to clean hardwood, Josh gets the dog locked in our bedroom and the tub running. Poor Eileen is crying and scared and can't figure out why I've just unceremoniously stripped her nekkid in the middle of the living room! I am somewhat mopping up the mound - at least the size of a baseball- with baby wipes and cloth diapers. Those things rock. I can't imagine using them as actual diapers- but as cloths/rags- fantastic! Those two however, went straight to the trash. I wasn't even going to begin trying to clean them. Oh, and my shoes. There were footprints of poo where I had danced around trying to figure out what the hell to do. I did have the foresight to take those off before heading up to the carpeted 2nd floor!

She and I made it upstairs and into the warm waiting water. Whew. Poor Josh was downstairs cleaning up the rest of the floor, my shoes, and portable high chair. And poor Gracie didn't know what to think; she eventually showed up at the tubbie with Piggie in mouth - bringing us her favorite toy to make it all better.

The whole event probably lasted all of 5-6 minutes, but it felt like ages. Once we got done with the tubby Eileen was back in high sprits, and I broke my 'no wine during the week' rule.

So, that was our eventful evening. Who said life in the burbs was boring!?!?

And no complaints about the ickyness level of this entry, you had fair warning!

Day One...

We are usually the nut jobs that take the morning flight at the most ungodly hour available~ usually the 5:45am flight out! This time, however, I did manage to use what is left of my brain power and book us on a mid-morning flight. Even with packing as much as possible the night before, and even with Josh and I being up at 5:30 am to allow plenty of time to get ready and finish packing, we were still somewhat rushing out the door to get to the airport in time!

I was obsessed with the TSA site to make sure I had everything packed properly for carry-on. I had my one-qt ziploc bag of my own liquids (yes, we checked bags. But I have a fear of getting stuck somewhere overnight so I always pack some essentials in my carry-on!), none over 3oz. Then I had Eileen's bag of essentials - also none over 3oz. And of course there was a separate ziplock bag of her formula (2oz bottles) and juice (4oz bottles) and benadryl (6oz bottle!). It was OK for me to have some of her liquids over the 3oz limit, and all were in orginal unsealed packaging - but even still- not only did it have to go thru the xray, it was also photographed. The TSA folks were very nice about it all- I am sure it helped b.c of my obsessive preparation- but this is an example of why it takes ages to get thru security- b.c the TSA people have to take pictures of Benadryl and Apple Juice. (of course, I of all people, understand why this has to be done, and I am certainly not knocking security measures, but it still boggles the mind).

We made it thru security, hung out in the terminal. Let Eileen crawl around as much as possible to try and burn up some energy! Josh was quite excited to now be part of the early boarders - "those with small children who may need extra time to board the plane." Flight from Knoxville to DC was a small plane, slightly cramped, but a good flight none the less. There was an 18month old in front of us who provided Eileen with a lot of entertainment.

In my booking prowess, I somehow only allowed 45 minutes between flights in DC. But Luck was on my side! We actually landed in DC early. That was cool..we could see the Capitol building, the Washington and Lincoln monuments. We flew over Arlington and the WWII memorial. I have not been to DC since I was 13; can't wait to take Eileen there someday. So we scarfed down some airport food (my $8 turkey sandwich was just divine) and had a quick diaper change and were off to the next flight.

The beauty of the DC to Boston flight was that it was the commuter shuttle. So you have a planeful of people who travel regularly. Translation: they know how to get on and off a plane quickly and effieciently. They know NOT to get up to go to the restroom as the plane is taxiing out of the gate (and therefore stop all action as we know it). They know not to use cell phones and ipods during takeoff and landing. Really, a pleasant experience. We had a whole row to ourselves which was nice for spreading out. As you see in teh first picture, Eileen passed out in my arms. That was right after she learned she could raise and lower the window shade. Mommy stopped that little activity right away b.c it was loud and I didn't want to be that parent!

We made it to Boston, got our bags amazingly fast. Grandpa and Beanie had already gone on to the rental car place and were heading back to the terminal to get us. Delta managed to lose Grandpa's luggage (but not Beanie's- how does that happen?!).

What should have been a quick trip to New Hampshire turned into a traffic jam, but we eventually made it there. Eileen got a tad fussy but nothing a bottle couldn't fix! Granpa and Daddy went to the store to get some baby food and beer (nice) and of course I forgot to tell them to get diapers. I mean, that's like forgetting to get gas at the gas station!!! At least I had enough to get through to the morning. We went on to the rehearsal dinner.. I really didn't know if we'd stay long b.c I wasn't sure how long Eileen would hold up.

HA! She's a regular club kid! She was in high spirits.. fascinated watching her older cousins run around.. fascinated by Uncle Dick - he appears to have hung the moon in her world! She had a blast hanging out with Nick and Dan (bottom picture). Nick tickled her and made her giggle just like his dad used to do to me when I was a baby! Funny how things go in cycles like that. Nick (who will be 15 in November) said he felt old b.c he sees how big Jack (5) and Emma (also 5) are. HA! I remember when Nick was born, and now he's taller than me by a head and has a girlfriend. Talk about old. (heehee.. but his dad is still older than me! love ya Bob!) There was a big dance area and Eileen had free reign to move all around the floor (while managing to avoid the 5year olds running around!). She also was a fan of crawling UNDER the tables. That was stopped as quickly as it was started!

Anyway, it was well after 10pm by the time we got back to the hotel. Eileen was no worse for the wear. She was still giggling and ready to play! But the minute I put the bottle in her mouth, she passed out. She was not a fan of sleeping in the pack-n-play provided by the hotel. Since we had a king-size bed, we let her sleep with us. Sometimes it's just easy that way. And it's just so sweet to wake up and she's next to you. And now, in the middle of the night, she has a habit of rolling over andputting her arm around my (or Josh's ) neck. Words really can't to justice to how sweet that is.

So that was Day One. Up early.. plane rides.. car rides.. meeting most of her extended family on Grandpa's side... and then crashing with Mommy and Daddy in a really really big bed. Does it get any better?!

The Trip!

Whew. We're home! This will be a short posting. I'm at work - even tho I was only out two days, AND I kept up with emails while gone- I am still catching up to a load of stuff. And there's so much to tell, and of course so many pictures, that the blog about the trip will just have to encompass several postings!

But I will say, it was a fantastic trip. Eileen was so good it bordered on freaky. I just keep waiting for the other foot to drop. She was amazing on the flights- no need for the Benadryl. On the last flight yesterday, she slept the whole time - even through the landing! She was good in the hotels, at the rehearsal dinner - which kept her out partying past 10pm, at the wedding, and on our day in Boston. She missed a lot of naps and was nowhere near being on routine, but she didn't seem to be phased by it. Amazing.

We had a blast, loved getting to see so much of the family. Its fun to get to hang out with Cousins, Aunts, Uncles... we get to see them so little!

Here are a few of the (over 200!) shots we got while on the road...

Pooh chilling on the plane. Eileen fast asleep (with Pooh of course) smack in the middle of the king size bed in the hotel.

Grandpa & Josh in front of the Black Rose (also known as the main hangout of Boston Based IRA!) - not sure if you can really see Eileen's face, but it's hilarious.

Josh, Eileen & I on Aunt Sharon's balcony, which just happens to overlook the Boston skyline.

You can, of course, take a sneak peak at the pics at www.eileenloebner.shutterfly.com

Tune in for more later...

videos

View some updated videos at http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ejamienyc
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You Might Be A Redneck If..

You know what this machine is!

Oh yes folks, it is a food dehydrator.

We got it as a wedding present, three and a half years ago. I really was thinking that Josh had forgotten about it, as it was tucked away in a corner of the garage. Every now and again, he gets on a kick and says he's going to make beef jerky. I never believe him, b.c he's never actually done it.

I come downstairs last night after bathing, playing, feeding (oh, and drugging) Eileen. I smell this smell. I was thinking, what is that?? Is someone grilling out and the smell has entered our house (even tho all the windows are shut)? As I come further down the stairs, the smell is stronger and stronger. At first it was sort of an OK smell. And then it was just overpowering. And then I made my way into the kitchen. And there it is. The machine had made its way into the house, and was humming away. And permeating the whole house with this very-sweet-very-spicy-very-beef-y scent.

Now, keep in mind- I had cleaned the whole house earlier. Everything smelled nice and citrus-y (thanks to citrus febreeze, wet swiffer, and plegde!). Nothing beats a nice fresh house on a relaxing Sunday evening. Only now I had a nice, powerfully beef jerky-ish house.

"Mmmmmm... honey? So, how long does this thing stay on?" WRONG question. Who wants to take a guess at the answer? How about six to eight hours. As in, we're going to go to sleep with that thing on and it will really make its way into every nook and cranny of our house. I oh so sweetly replied with, "Hmm. Oh wow. OK, well.. how about next time you decide to do this little activity, do it in the garage or the back deck?" I think I should get an award for how I managed to contain myself and let dear hubby enjoy his activity.

You know when you go to a place that is all smoky? and when you come out you feel like you just reek? (especially if you're a girl with long hair). Yeah. I swear that this morning at the gym when I was sweating it smelled like beef jerky. I swear that even now after a shower and a heavy dose of perfume, I smell like beef jerky.

So, not only did he make beef jerky, he made it insanely hot. Want to know what he put in it?
1) crushed red pepper
2) tobasco (an ode to Wayne)
3) black pepper
4) whatever spcices were in the little packet that came with it

Yeah, I won't be touching that with a 10-foot pole.

In his defense, he really had no idea it would smell so strongly. And he did say that he wants to try to do pineapple next. Now that I may allow to be done inside, b.c that will actually probably smell really good.

Ya gotta love Josh. He's just such a big kid, he really had fun with this. But ewwwwww.

Moving on.. I know you're really only reading this for updates on Eileen. We had one of those weekends where we just didn't stop. She is a trouper and just goes with the flow. By Sunday afternoon tho she was over it and just sort of fussy. We were supposed to go to her friend's first bday party! I was pumped to go b.c I was excited about the first little buddy party. But we ended up not going, I don't think Eileen would have been much fun!

Josh got the gate installed and the 'banister guard' attached. Now Eileen can crawl around the entire 2nd floor, and she loves it. She's hilarious. I will take her up to her room, put her down. She'll sit there for a minute and look around, and then she bolts. She heads straight to the bonus room. Yep, she knows her toys are there!

Last night I 'tested' the Baby Benadryl. Gave it to her at 7:40 last night and this morning she was still a little groggy. And that was just from 1/4 teaspoon! So, I won't give it to her on the plane unless she's really having a hard time.

Sorry I don't have many pictures of her to post. We were so busy we didn't take many. I'll take some this week!

BFF

Gracie likes Eileen more and more every day.
Check out the little lady here..
in the first shot, she's eating her Gerber Cruncher.
in the second shot, you see her face? "Who me?!?!" as she oh so slyly slips Gracie what is left of her Cruncher.
And there you see in the third shot, Gracie chomping away on that Cruncher!


This has become a nightly ritual. It's not like Eileen just happens to dangle her little hand over the edge of her chair and Gracie gobbles up what is there. No, Eileen consciously looks for Gracie and then shares her loot with the dog! Daddy of course was mortified that Eileen let Gracie lick her food and then would take another bite. But seeing as how half the time Gracie is licking Eileen's mouth, really, how bad can it be that they're sharing food?!?!?

When Gracie sees or hears the high chair being moved 'into position' for a meal, she immediately assumes her position right next to Eileen. Hilarious.

It became evident last night that Eileen had spent the entire day at school practicing her crawling. She's like a speeding bullet. I can barely contain her to get her undressed for her bath.
Last night once I got her stripped down, I let her crawl around her room while I got the tub ready. Have you ever seen a naked little baby butt scooting around? I don't think there can be anything cuter! So I stick my head out from the bathroom to make sure she's OK, and she's just all over the place. Then she turns around, sees that I am watching, and just giggles. So I got down on my hands and knees and started crawling. She made a beeline for the ottoman and hid behind it. She'd stick her little head out and look for me and just laugh and laugh. And then the naked little butt would scoot on to her next victim, which is the toybox. She likes to open and close the lid.

Gracie is just not sure what to think about the fact that Eileen can move around at will. She just watches her in fascination, then kind of walks along beside her sniffing her head. Part of me thinks Gracie wants to make sure Eileen doesn't get hurt or try to go somewhere 'bad.' And part of me thinks Gracie just can't figure out what the heck Eileen is all about and just follows her around trying to solve the mystery. Either way, it's quite cute.

Happy Wednesday!

Good Mommy!

This weekend I took so many pictures that I am making two blog entries! this is part one, and I'll continue it in the entry below.. :)

It was a great weekend. There was nothing spectacular that we did, but everything we did was fun. Oh, and teh weather- to die for. The mornings were so cool we actually opened the windows. In July. In Tennessee. I'm not sure that's ever happened! It's funny... those mornings had the feel of a Football Morning. Which made me get super excited for football and the fall. I do love the fall. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the summer. Definite mixed emotions b.c I don't want summer to end but I can't wait for football and getting Eileen into this. Ok, anyway .. I am rambling.

I left work early Friday to head to a local consignment sale for kids. I have not been to it before, but it is held every year and I always hear what a good deal it is. Since Eileen has not a single thing to wear when it does start to get chilly, I figured I might as well check it out. Oiy!!! Jack-Pot. I could not believe all the clothes. From newborn up to tween. Clothes, toys, supplies - all there. I got there at 3ish, and there was still loads to pick from. I can't imagine how good it must have been at 9 that morning! So I walked out having spent right at a hundred bucks - with thirty-two items. And most of those were sets! So you do the math. Even if she wears somethng only once before she grows out of it, it didn't cost me more than $3-4!!! And this was all good stuff.. Gymboree and Baby Gap and Children's Place. So cute. So fun.

So, she's crawling like crazy- and she's also figured out how to clap! She loves it. That's what she's doing in the first picture on this post. So, she's majorly mobile, and immensely curious. Not a good combination for our not really baby-proof house. She's currently fascinated by the shredder and the garbage can (hey, it is the Beemer of garbage cans). So, the pak-n-play is permanently in place downstairs. And I stick her in it for as long as I can get away with. Right now she loves it. As long as Pooh is nearby, she's a happy camper. I think Gracie feels sorry for her!

Saturday afternoon we headed over to Josh's office. His friend Andrew is a professional photographer, and they have a studio at the office! So Andrew did a full on photoshoot for us! Eileen is such a ham! At first, she was scared of Andrew and the lights. She wanted nothing to do with being in the middle of that floor and him taking her picture. As soon as I got down there with her (and I was not in photo shoot attire, so hopefully I am not in too many shots!) she did better. And then when she warmed up to him, well, what a little show off she is! She crawled around, laughed, smiled huge. We had some of her toys in the shots with her (Pooh, of course) and she just had a blast. We even had an outfit change in the middle of it. She ate it up. I can't wait to see those shots!

We spent the afternoon running errands - I was a happy girl to get my copy of Harry Potter- tho I haven't started to read it yet! We were supposed to go to dinner for Daddy's bday, but it was so late when we got back from errands, and the little lady was just worn out (all that performing in her photo shoot!) so we just got take-out and hung out at home. Truth be told, Mommy and Daddy were both pretty beat too.. we probably had more fun hanging out at home in our PJs than we would have at a restaurant!

For the rest of the update.. check out the post below... along with some hilarious pictures!

She has her cake and eats it too!!!!

I don't recall my first experience with chocolate, but I can only hope it was as fun as Eileen's! We had chocolate cake with chocolate icing for Josh's bday.. and Eileen got to join the fun!!! As you can see in this first shot, she's eyeing that cake, isn't she?!?!



Aunt Sissy had come over for the afternoon and got to hang out for a while.. she also had little Howard with her. I know Gracie is mellowed out; she wasn't even phased by the fact that another dog was in her house! And then Uncle David came over, and we all grilled out some burgers and veggies.



And then we had cake. I'm actually not sure how much of it she ate. She really just wore it! She did it the blob of ice cream, and I did feed her two bites of cake. Other than that, she really just smeared the chocolate around and licked her hands. You can imagine the bath! I carried her upstairs at an arm's length- which she thought was hilarious- and plopped her in. Chocolate in her hair, up her nose, on her legs, all over her butt! (not her actual butt - it was on her shorts- but still!) I let her soak for quite some time. (tho this morning I found more chocolate that was under her little fingernail!)


It was a blast.



Poor Josh spent most of his birthday doing Daddy chores! He defrosted the freezer, washed the car, adjusted the car seat, grilled the burgers, and put together a new shelf we got! But I think he had fun. And I'm loving the cleaned out freezer.



Oh, and at church on Sunday morning, Eileen of course was a complete crack up. We sit in the front row, I don't know how the priest manages to get thru Mass. She's insanely well-behaved, but she's still hilarious. She likes to dance during some of the songs. She stands on the front pew with her fat little feet going to town. During the final blessing, she decided to blow raspberries at the lady behind us, which cracked the poor woman up. And during the middle of the Mass she is just fascinated to watch the priest, and at times, she just waves at him. If it were me up there I'd probably lose it.



I guess that's about it from us. It was a fun weekend.. glorious weather and a lot of fun times just hanging out with baby.

Happy Monday!

lots of updated pictures:
www.eileenloebner.shutterfly.com

She did it!

Yep.. this morning she crawled! Not very fast and not very far. But she legitimately was up on all floors and went about three feet. Heck, she probably practiced all day at school and is by now an expert.

I saw her get 'in the position' and so I put her ball and my bracelet (which she is obsessed with) about 10 feet in front of her. Then I sat there and patted the floor and said "Cmon! come to Mommy!" Yes folks. I treated my daughter like a dog. But it worked! She was on a mission for that bracelet and she got it. I promptly took it away and repeated the whole process, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. nope, she did it again. We are definitely getting those gates TONIGHT!

As you can see, we finally got some batteries for the camera so I could take pictures. We joined the current century and got rechargeables. At the little battery display, they had it nicely broken out for behind the times consumers like myself:

infrequent picture takers (10-20 pics a month) = normal old school black and gold batteries

moderate picture takers (20-80 pics a month)= old school batteries that have been spruced up and are now silver and blue and evidently have more power

frequent picture takers (80+ pictures a month)= the rechargeable kind - which have come down a ton in price.

What I want to know is where is the obsessive mommy section? I take pictures of everything the child does. (she's going to hate me when she develops a sense of modesty!).

Anyway.. it's almost Friday. It's been a wild week. Looking forward to not too many commitments this weekend! one thing I MUST do is to make Dadddy a cake. He'll be 34 on Sunday!!! He's been diligently doing WW with me, but we'll let ourselves splurge for his big day.

I'm heading out now to go get the troops (Thursdays are the day I don the head wrap and yellow cab. I get Josh, then Eileen, then the dog and then finally we're home.) I hear it's raining in parts of town, I pray it is at our house. Twice this week it has POURED at my office- which is all of 3 miles or so from our house- and at our house it has stayed bone dry. So annoying.

See you later!