Lila's Luau, Queen's Ball & so much more!

So many things have happened since I last blogged! I can't believe it has been this long, but with the busy schedules we've been leading lately...gosh...I just wonder how any of us are awake.

I looked and saw that my last post was on McKinley's 7 month birthday...guess what? He'll be 8 months next week, really. I also saw that I'd shared my beautiful Valentine roses, I have something wonderful to add to that.
To further my gift, Cary took all three of us away for the weekend to Keystone. We had a lovely suite, which made for such a relaxing trip. We did some great Target, Trader Joe's & Keystone/Castleton shopping, hit the FABULOUS Babies R Us (HUGE) and ate at two of our favorite restaurants; Claddaugh (YUM!!!) and Cheesecake Factory (DOUBLE YUM!!!). Heck, we even had the luxury of plopping on the couch to watch 'Superbad' after McKinley was tucked in bed. Oh, and yes...we did get Cheesecake...to go.
I think we all had a great opportunity to totally rejuvenate that weekend. It was so nice.

That rejuvenation, however was short lived. During that week, Cary played Mr. Mom while I was completely incognito. I had so much to do for Queen's Ball it was crazy. I hated being away or tuned out from 'my boys', but it was for a good cause. Have I mentioned that Queen's Ball was a fundraiser for St. Ann's Clinic for those in our area who cannot afford proper health care? It was worth it. Besides that, I realized that I do indeed want to pursue a career in event planning. I swear, its just in my blood. I'm assuming that God will guide me where I need to be and when I need to be there. But I'm very certain that I AM where I need to be right now. I'm a lucky girl to get to spend so much time at home watching McKinley grow into a little boy, and to get to concentrate on being Cary's wife too. I treasure these times and know that I will miss them someday.

Back to Queen's Ball, everything we planned turned out so beautifully, I hope to have some better pictures soon, which I will post FOR SURE! The photographer we hired was excellent...he did our engagement pictures way back when and totally came through for us again. I didn't even have an opportunity to take the first picture that evening, which was a disappointment but understandable. I'm relying on my sisters to give me some fun candid shots. In the meantime, I've decided with all the pictures I have to add and share, it will be so much easier (and more FUN!) to add a slide show...

I'm pretty proud of how everything went down. Our chapter played host this year and are the only chapter that I am aware of who had the honor of welcoming every Indiana State Beta Sigma Phi officer for this event. They came from all over the state in that LOVELY weather to be with us. We were also honored to have the head nun who runs our charity with us as well.
I gave a speech, well...two, I guess. I think I did pretty well. I thought I'd be a little rusty since I hadn't spoken publicly since last April. I'm satisfied with what I did. A friend of ours said she liked my speaking voice so much that she could listen to me and easily fall asleep. Hahaha...hmmmm...NOT so good for a SPEAKING voice, good for McKinley lullabies though.
I'm also beyond thrilled with the backdrop for the 'Queen's Crowning'. My Mom made it! Its gorgeous and everyone oohed and ahhh'd. We really pulled it out.
Cary was a huge help as well. He really did so much for McKinley that week and that day and even came up with some great last minute ideas during the evening. He's a good one to have by my side.

As you can see, we had even more fun the following weekend while visiting friends and a very special birthday girl.

In honor of Lila's birthday, we've put together a slide show of the day.
We had SOSOSOSO much fun at Lila's 1st birthday party. It was so exciting for us to see how McKinley reacted and interacted with everyone. It was his very first kiddie birthday party too! He was so good and I really think he had fun! We sure did. It was good to see Vanessa and fam again, it had been so long. It was also very sweet to see all the changes in our children since we last saw each other.
It is hard to believe that Lila is a year old...McKinley will be turning the BIG ONE so soon!
In traveling up north for the party, we again decided to make a weekend of it. It was another nice getaway, we enjoy doing little 'weekenders' like that.

I'm proud to report that Cary has a new route...and it is so much better for him! I know he misses his favorite old patrons, but I think he is enjoying this change of pace. He needed a refresher!
I'm also really proud of him for deciding to play baseball this year. I CANNOT WAIT to see this lefty pitcher in action. I've heard about his abilities and the fun he has on the field for so long, now it will be so nice to SEE it! Pictures to come, I'm sure! How fun it will be to take McKinley out to watch his Daddy this spring (with plenty of Baby sunscreen and hats, no doubt)!

Finally, I'll update on McKinley's amazing new tricks...last Saturday, amid the celebration, McKinley started teething! He's getting his bottom two teeth in, poor guy. He's had a few bad days, is not sleeping as soundly as normal through the night, and sometimes is a little less giddy but I think he's doing okay with it. We can't wait to see what he looks like with some chompers! Hahaha!
He has definitely mastered the famed sippy cup through all of this. We chose a sippy with a teething spout, so its nice and soft on his gums. Throw some ice cold water in there and he's a happier boy.

McKinley has added some vowels and syllables to his repertoire, it is hilarious to listen to his squeals of new sounds. Pretty funny. Also, we're happy to announce that McKinley will most likely win the new Baby Idol contest...as soon as Simon, Paula and Randy discover him that is. As we watch American Idol, on the floor with McKinley while he plays, he occasionally looks up to see who's making all those lovely sounds. He always thinks he should join in. We need to record it and send it in to America's Funniest Videos. It's something to see!

I think that is all for now in the crazy land of Vernon.
I PROMISE the next entry will not be so long.
I'm very hopeful that things slow down for us for a minute or two.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to turn back those clocks!
Lynn

A week of milestones and a 7 month birthday

In my last post I said that I was having a hard time keeping track of all the changes McKinley is making. I wasn't kidding. In just one week's time he has said his first words, which are quickly turning into many other jibbery noises, graduated to the 'big boy car seat' and rides in the grocery cart and a first try at 'puffs' (think melty rice cakes for babies). Note in that I said he is saying...WORDS.

Last Monday, Cary was changing McKinley's diaper and 'talking' to him, as we do, trying to get him to say "Mama". Guess what? He said it! OF COURSE, I was out of the room getting things ready for his bath. Of course, I was! Thankfully, he was all too happy to continue repeating it for me. And yesterday I was given a very special gift. I woke up to "mamamamamama" on the monitor. THAT is the BEST way to wake up, EVER!

Well, it would only be appropriate that Cary would hear McKinley say "Mama" and I would hear him say "Dada" first, right? That's how it happened! Last night, while Cary was in the shower and I was getting McKinley ready for his bath (I SWEAR this child gets 'talkie' before bathtime), he said "Dada"!!! I screamed Cary's name so loud it made McKinley jump! FUNNY! I ran into the bathroom, with a naked McKinley in arms, to tell Cary what I had just witnessed. Its kind of anti-climactic when it is 'your' word and you don't get to hear it, but I was so excited! I can't believe our baby boy is chattering so much already! It is amazing to see.

Last Saturday, McKinley took his very first ride in the big boy car seat, you see how it ended...zzzzzzzz. He was really able to look all over and even outside the car. I think he enjoys this one much more than the infant seat, he was WAY over that. I would be too, if I had the option of riding in what can only be described as a rear-facing lounger! Geez, if only we could all be so comfortable in our 'car seats'.

Anyway, it was a major realization for me and Cary that McKinley is really growing out of that baby phase. The first time we had to carry him from the car to a destination - not in a car seat - was startling to both of us.

On Sunday, McKinley had his yummy sweet potato flavored puffs. He wasn't so sure about them, but he sure liked pushing them around on his high chair tray. He finally got the hang of it...put puff piece in between finger and thumb, bring hand to mouth, put puff in mouth. It was a really entertaining process. Also, within the week we have tried out the grocery-cart cover. WHY didn't someone invent that sooner? BLAH! They need to make them for adults. Hmmm...there's an idea. Who wants to touch that nasty, dirty grocery cart handle anyway? YUCK! And don't even think about the germs you'll find on that little seat part. Ewwwww! Creeps me out.

Well, this thing just covers all of that funk and keeps McKinley (and us, for that matter) as germ free as we can manage. How have I turned into a germ-o-phobe?

So, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Yay! I love it! Once again, the online 'July Mommy' group I belong to chose to do an exchange. This time we exchanged a book for our children. I don't know how, but we were lucky enough to have the same Mommy and baby we had for the Christmas outfit exchange draw us again! She and her son sent McKinley the cutest Elmo Valentine themed book, and a cute little pez dispenser for us. FUN!

Tomorrow evening we will read our two Valentine's Day books to McKinley, while he is in his 'Heartbreaker' sleeper and hope he will grow to appreciate the day as we do.

I'm so excited to share that I got my Valentine a little early this year. Cary and McKinley sent me the most gorgeous roses and a box of chocolates! I was so surprised, it was very sweet of my boys to think of me.

Can't wait to exchange Valentines with them tomorrow.

Not much else is new on the home front. I'm hard at work finishing up stuff for the Queen's Ball (NINE days and counting) with my chapter. We will all be glad when its over (husbands and family members included). I told Cary that after this is over I'm going to need a nice, stiff drink...or two, or three...hmmm, maybe 5?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lynn

Lovebug

Ahhh, so many things have been happening I have a hard time keeping up on the updates! Our lives are so busy right now what with planning our annual sorority Queen's Ball for this month and just the normal day-to-day life of parenthood, its crazy around here!



We've had fun times despite being so busy...McKinley and I have been 'lunching fools' lately sharing lunch with 'aunts' Lisa and Jodi and next week we'll see Honey and Papa (my Godparents)! But the best lunches are when we all three lunch together when Daddy comes home at noon to see us.

McKinley has been hard at work being my little helper, happily going right along with me as I run many errands for sorority and Queen's Ball. He's such a good sport. As long as he can see me, see what's going on around him, has his paci and maybe a toy he's very happy.

Some sad news in our lives, two weeks ago we lost our dear, dear neighbor and friend, Mickey. Many who have been to our home have met the famed pair next door, and if you haven't met them you've met/heard Badger their dog. Mickey has been battling leukemia for some time now, he had also recently developed some various skin cancers while Jane, his wife continues her second battle with breast cancer. Mickey left us on January 18th. Our hearts and our prayers are with Jane and their families. Cary and I keep talking about how they just don't make good neighbors like that anymore. He will be missed, especially this summer. He and Cary had a friendly 'grass cutting competition'. Jane once told me that every time Cary mowed, she 'got on Mickey' to get out there and cut it like Cary did and to learn from his beautiful work. So, Mickey began charting the directions he mowed every week on his calendar, changing it up just like Cary. TOO FUNNY! The yards on this block are always meticulous, that's for sure.

I fondly remember Mickey's kindness last winter. He and Jane were so happy to be welcoming a new 'neighbor' (McKinley), they couldn't wait! During our last big snow I lumbered out to the Eclipse (which we'd left outside) to leave for an appointment. Mickey was busy clearing off the sidewalk, but when he saw pregnant me he came right over and started digging out the car, insisting that I stand by and wait. This coming from an 80 year old man! He was always so kind to us. A true gentleman.
Our neighborhood will NOT be the same.


Last weekend we visited Grandma & Grandpa, Mamaw, Aunt Lori & Uncle Mike and cousins in Bloomington. We had a lot of fun, as you can tell! I LOVE this picture of Cary's parents and McKinley, it is precious. I also love the green bean face. Grandma was feeding McKinley and he could not have been happier to be having green beans,
served by his Grandma, while having his picture taken.

McKinley has been making some very big changes lately. So many, in fact that I am not sure I can keep up! I'm confident in saying that in a post in the not-so-distant-future I'll be reporting that we have a crawler! He's so close and very determined. We can really tell that he is tired of being immobile and is just ready to go. Great! Great...
As I previously posted, he started by saying, "Oh!" all the time. That was quickly followed by "Mmmm", which is leading to "mamamamama". Now his very favorite thing to do is where you say 'ahhhhhhhhhh' and you move your hand to and from your mouth, making an 'ahh, ahh, ahh' sound. Hard to explain, but very cute! Now he sings a very (VERY) high pitched squeal along with the funny mouth thing. It gets him so excited and he looks like he's going to burst. The best is when he does this in the middle of mass while everyone else is singing. I keep saying he's our 'Baby Idol' (I think he's going to love music like his Mommy and Daddy-Dave Matthews Band and Justin Timberlake, especially). Cary and I can't keep from laughing out loud when he sings in church when it is SILENT, or when Father Joel is speaking. I know the people around us are all greatly entertained, they don't mind his 'singing' and have reassured us that they enjoy such a happy baby. I could swear one of the greeters was going to clear 'our' pew so she could see him when some newish parishoners 'stole' our regular seat last week. After mass, she came up to us and told McKinley how much she'd missed him that night! She was even complaining about the other people who were sitting where we do! How funny is that? Cary and I are so glad that McKinley's loud expressions of happiness are so well received, sometimes you never know how people will react to a baby.

Also, new are the stage 2 foods. He has really enjoyed all the same old favorites (green beans, peas, applesauce, even pears!) in the thicker purees and now we've added turkey, macaroni and cheese and chicken to his repertoire (NASTY, we think). Here are some pictures of McKinley in his new high chair. He loves that thing, we are SO glad we got it!

Recently, McKinley has shown some interest in the television, so we whipped out the Baby Einstein DVD and let me just say that he is so taken by the whole thing we are just amazed. Its not like we sit him in front of it for hours, by any means (lol), just for the duration of the show. I get down on the floor and we do the moves that the DVD instructs together. He is so happy and just sings and watches very intently. It is so sweet.
Soon we will have our 6 month pictures back to post on here, but for now we'll share the 'home photo shoots' that we enjoy doing.

Busy weeks ahead as we finish all the Queen's Ball planning and prepare to host the event on February 23rd. I'm honored to be serving as our chapter's princess, and my sweet husband will be escorting me that evening. We will have many pictures, I'm sure.

Also, the day after Valentine's Day, Cary and I will be celebrating NINE great years together. I just can't believe it! Time flies when you're having fun, right?! It seems like yesterday that he walked up to my jewelry counter...I don't think we will ever forget that moment. Sometimes God puts us right where we're supposed to be, right when we're supposed to be there!
And speaking of Valentine's Day...here is our little Valentine Prince. He's our sweetie!









Have a great week!
Lynn

A special day to our family

Today would have been my Dad's 64th birthday, it would also have been his first birthday as a Grandpa. I STILL cannot believe he's not here for that. We miss him dearly and wanted to share his memory and what today meant. I know he was here with us in spirit, as usual. I treasure that thought and keep him with me always. However, not one visit to Hallmark do I not look at the 'Father' or 'Grandfather' section and think of Dad and what fun (and who) we are all missing out on.

Yesterday was McKinley's 6 month appointment. It went very well! He had his 3rd round of vaccinations which he, thankfully handled really well. The doctor said McKinley is in the 75th percentile all around and she was very pleased with his progress. We were given the go-ahead for 2nd foods (thicker purees and mixed flavors) and next month we can try the fun little melty puffs!
Here are his stats for 6 months:
Weight: 19.75 lbs
Height: 27 inches
Birth stats:
Weight: 7 lbs 11 oz.
Height: 20 inches

We completely understand the term 'growing like a weed'.

Finally, our big news for the week: we got a new fridge! Whoo hoo! Its too cool, and yes...I just called a fridge "cool". Its the kind that has the freezer on the bottom, fridge on top. LOVE IT!
Cary and I say that you know you've been officially domesticated when you get excited over a fridge, or any other household appliance, for that matter. When we got our new dishwasher last year we were practically giddy!
Oh, by the way...to toot our horns...the cool fridge is even cooler because it is an energy star appliance (meaning it #1 costs MUCH less to run than a non-energy star appliance and #2 takes MUCH less energy to run). Good for the environment AND attractive in our kitchen. How good is that?!
You gotta remember, sometimes it is the little things in life...right?

Have a great weekend.
Lynn

McKinley's Half Birthday!

McKinley turned 6 months old today! We cannot believe our teeny tiny baby boy is half a year old! Where did all that time go?

I thought I'd share some shots we took this evening after bathtime. He always loves his bath so much and is in such a good mood afterward, so it was the perfect time to take some pics!

Updates in McKinleyland...as if there haven't been enough lately, we feel like he is making huge strides in the milestone department. Along with everything I've posted below McKinley is now saying 'OH!' and OH, so dramatically too! His eyes get really wide and his mouth makes a perfect 'O'. Its so funny! Below is a picture taken tonight where he got all serious on me and started repeating 'Oh, oh, oh' over and over again!

This week is McKinley's 6 month check up with our pedi, and its also time for his next round of professional pictures. So, he's got a packed schedule this week.

As for us...we're getting back into the post-holiday daily grind. Cary is thankfully past the holiday mail rush and I am focusing full force on the planning of this year's Queen's Ball, hosted by my chapter of sorority, of which I am currently serving as President.

Now that those busy celebratory months are behind us, we are once again focusing on going 'green'. At Saturday's 'E-scrap', hosted by Trees, Inc., we donated an old computer monitor to be recycled and/or reused. Here is the link to the story in our local paper. http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_012220720.html You can see the ASTOUNDING number of electronic items that were 'scrapped' yesterday, it was a RECORD! Seeing it made a difference for me...I mean, you just don't realize how many things we just throw away! All those Monitors/Computers/typewriters/televisions/radios! It was nuts.

We also have found some awesome new products that we are anxious to try; we recently discovered that our favorite local grocer, Baesler's is now carrying a wide selection of non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products along with their usual but ever-growing selection of organic and local foods. Even Walmart seems to be getting in on the fun, we found a really nifty non-toxic, biodegradable dryer sheet (lavender scented, thank you very much!) that had an excellent price point (CHEAPER than the usual Downy or Bounce sheets we always buy) and some non-toxic for environment, pets, or children carpet cleaner. We've used the dryer sheets, they work very well! Plus, they kind of remind me of wax paper, and they biodegrade in something like 21 days! Awesome!

See, its little things like that we are all throwing away that we just don't think about! I would have never given a dryer sheet a thought until we found these, but it all adds up-literally...in landfills. I think the best part about the increasing availability of these products is that none of us has to go out of our way or spend any more money than we currently spend. In some cases (i.e. the dryer sheets), we're spending less.

I'm happy to report that we have also made our donation from McKinley's Christmas tree to our local Catholic based, low/no income health clinic. St. Ann's Clinic and Dental Clinic provide their services totally free. This clinic is run, administratively by nuns, and the physician and nursing staff are volunteer based. Its just a good thing. Anyway, when I dropped off this large bag of diapers, paci's, new clothing, new toys, nursing and feeding supplies the nun was surprised. I told her that this is something we were going to do annually, as a family. We want to help at least one child who's Mommy or Daddy cannot afford these very basic things. She assured me that they would be put to good use.


















Too many cute pics...had to share them ALL!

Here's hoping that your 2008 has started out well! Don't forget that you can post a comment on here. We love reading how all of you are doing.

Lynn

I made him LAUGH!

OHMYGOSH. I finally did it! I finally made McKinley laugh! He laughs ALL the time, for his Daddy...but just hasn't given up that bubbly little giggle for Mommy. Well, tonight during his bath HE LAUGHED FOR ME!
When we give him baths, we alwasy try to switch up his toys a little, to break the monotony. He loves all his bath toys (especially the water book we picked out for him for Christmas-he SCREAMS when we take it away to get him out of the tub), and I think its partially because we do switch them. Anyway, I chose these cute little squirty toys that we registered for back in the preggy days. They're very cute, 'water' animals and babies (seahorse and baby, penguin and baby, etc.), well I picked up the pelican and baby, filled it with water and squirted it against the 'wall' of McKinley's baby tub. As you can imagine, it made a funny squeeky, squirty noise and before I had time to comprehend what was happening McKinley was in a full-throttle laugh. You know, the kind where you are sucking in air real fast and it makes noise too and your whole face squishes in a wide smile? OHMYGOSH, how cute was that? Tears immediately sprang to my eyes, I called for Cary. He was just as surprised as I was, he has never previously laughed THIS much! He kept it up for quite a while while we played with him and boy, the tears were rollin'!
Between the raspberries and standing (do you believe it?) and now the laugh...I don't think I can contain my extra levels of emotion hormones! Hahahaha!
It was precious, can't wait until he does it again.
Lynn

Razzzzberries, anyone?!

Awww, how cute!
We noticed tonight that McKinley is officially blowing raspberries. Its pretty funny because its usually followed by a gleeful screech, which then leads to more singing, of course.
Guess where we made this discovery? At mass! Hahaha!
He was such a good baby, but he just wanted to talk to us so badly! It cracks me up.
I'll capture it soon and post the pic!
Too fun.

Happy New Year!

We had a great time ringing in the new year as a new family. We all went out to dinner, did some shopping and then went home to celebrate in our jammies. Because of the wind (which was CRAZY), dropping temps and the fact that we are all ailing, we thought it would be best to be cozy and warm at home.


It seemed like McKinley could just feel the anticipation and excitement that surrounds New Year's Eve, he actually stayed awake until midnight! Granted, he threw in a few quickie naps that made the whole process easier, I always say he doesn't want to miss anything. We didn't try to keep him up either, I swear! He just kept singing and talking and playing. We couldn't make him go to bed before his first New Year, especially since he was WIDE awake.


When it came time to don our party hats and horns, McKinley really got into the spirit. While watching Cary and I "toot" our horns, he decided instead of making noise with he would use it as a teether! Too funny. The horn totally prompted more singing, lately it seems if he finds something he really likes he puts it in his mouth and sings. Happy boy!

As the countdown began, we watched Dick Clark (as was ALWAYS tradition in both our homes as children) and hugged and kissed "Happy New Year!". Soon after, McKinley was fast asleep. I'm sure he was dreaming about what 2008 will bring him; crawling, walking, talking, teeth, maybe a little more hair, etc. It was such a sweet night! We hope everyone had a safe and happy evening as well.

Happy New Year!!!!!!
Lynn

2007, Our Year in Review

Break out the noisemakers and the words to Auld Lang Syne, 2008 is almost here and '07 is gone! Do you believe it? I sure don't. As I've said many times, this whole year has just FLOWN by. Fellow parents tell me that it just gets faster and faster. Ayyy...

To recap 2007...its been pretty sweet. Well, at least the last half was! The first half I was CONSTANTLY sick in one form or another and Cary just went with it. LOL. Poor guy.
We had many exciting adventures...

*Ultrasounds! At 10 weeks pregnant, we heard Baby V's heartbeat. At week 20, we were supposed to find out who we had...McKinley decided otherwise and strategically placed his umbillical cord between his legs, forcing Mommy & Daddy-to-be to wait four more weeks. AGONY. Very soon though, we found out we were having our baby boy! Yay! Pictured is one of the AWESOME shots taken during our 4D sonogram. It really looks like McKinley too!

*Weekend getaways and good times! Living up the last few months as 'just the two of us', we headed off to many fun destinations; Edinburgh shopping trips, St. Louis Cardinals games, and many trips to Indy's HUGE BRU (Babies R Us) just to name a few. We had so much fun together, as always. And we had a total blast at this year's Queen's Ball. As

the pregnant one of the bunch, I was officially the D.D. (Designated Driver).

*Play Ball! Cary spent much of the spring coaching baseball again, though this time he only signed on as assistant because of the pregnancy. He had a lot of fun and did so well, as always. I hope he continues at this, he is an excellent role model to these young boys.

*School's out! Proudly, I finished up my core studies through Indiana Wesleyan. Now, if they would just get me through this last stupid class...ugh.

*Baby Preparations! Gosh, did we have fun putting McKinley's nursery together. I'm so proud of how it turned out, its the 'funnest' room in the house. LOL - How funny it must have been to see the two of us working around my belly to configure the furniture and get the stripes painted! Good times! Also along the 'prep' line, I had a few showers that were SO much fun!

In the end, we battled Gestational Diabetes, twice daily insulin shots and a constant array of illnesses (eye infections, upper respiratory infections, carpal tunnel, etc.) through the 9 month duration, but the result was FANTASTIC!

*Celebrate! Cary and I celebrated 8 great years together in February and 3 wonderful years of marriage in October.

*The arrival of a brand new title! Parents! What a year to become parents! McKinley arrived on FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH of July. Luckiest day of our lives! After too many hours or labor to mention, we ended up delivering via C-section at a very early 5:26 a.m. That's something worth waking up early for!

*Sharing Family Memories! Since then, everything has been captured on our blog. We've had a beautiful baptism, 1st Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus many more fun and random moments to be so thankful for.

Bottom line? This year, we have certainly been blessed. We all look forward to a great year and wish all of you the very same.

Happy New Year! See ya in '08!

Lynn, Cary & McKinley

Holiday Recap

Whew!

Time for a breather!

Over the last few days we have been so busy, it is nice to have a day to just chill. Cary and I have SO enjoyed watching our son on his first Christmas. We were able to do so many things and start some really wonderful traditions. We have many pictures and events to share.

Usual Midnight Mass go-ers, this year as first time parents we opted to head to the family liturgy in the early evening at Church in hopes to help make it a pleasant, yet still religious event. What a success! We had a great time watching all the young children of St. Benedict's act out the story of the Birth of Christ. As I watched Joseph (with Mary, of course), I couldn't help but hope there is a 'little' bit of Mommy in McKinley (I was very active in Children's Theatre and Drama camp-I know...shocking, huh?). Maybe someday he will take time out from his busy sports schedule to play a leading role in the church Christmas play! Hee hee hee. Just once?!

The church was beautiful and magical, as it always is, but even more so at Christmastime. My favorite part was walking into a darkened church only lit by candlelight. It was so beautiful. McKinley even seemed so taken by the excitement of the evening, he watched everything so intently and was truly an angel. Afterward, we went for some Mexican food and out for a few last minute things.

When we got home, we all got ready for bed, comfy in our jammies and started the new 'old tradition' of reading 'The Night Before Christmas' to McKinley. Happily, the cats joined in on the sleep-inducing storytime. McKinley was fast asleep soon after and Mommy and Daddy set to work getting everything ready for Santa. We made cookies, finished wrapping some of our own presents and waited for the big man to bring McKinley's goodies around.

In the morning, we exchanged our gifts and then invited Mom over for coffee, cinnamon rolls and more gift-giving! I think Mom really enjoyed watching McKinley 'open' his gifts. I also think she was as eager to rip them open as we were! And can I just say how THRILLED I am with my new Rachael Ray stove-top griddle/grill and my Paula Deen Cookware?!?! Just to name a few... LOVE IT!

We had a great morning together, it was SO NICE!

The Vernon's got packed up and headed south-ish, to Btown where McKinley met most of his cousins, Great Aunts and Great Uncles for the very first time. He was such a good sport! He let the entire family pass him around, interacting with each of them. While Grandma V opened all her gifts, McKinley sat in the middle of the circle with Grandpa, intently watching everyone. Next year I kinda doubt he'll be so quiet!!!!!

Grandma V's lasagna was SO awesome, as always. Never did I know that anything other than turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and noodles were served as Christmas dinner...until I joined a true Italian family! I will always love my mashed potatoes and noodles, but man, that lasagna is out of this world. My mouth is watering...seriously.

When the evening was over, we headed back to Cary's parent's house to spend the night. Santa is just so used to hitting their house for Logan and Mason, so he went ahead and dropped off a few things for McKinley while he was there. McKinley has been a VERY GOOD BOY! Santa treated him well by making trips to Nonna's, Grandma & Grandpa's and our house too!

Today we got to visit Cary's Mamaw while in Btown. We all enjoyed spending some holiday time together and McKinley especially enjoyed 'talking' to her. He seemed so captivated just watching and listening to his Great-Grandmother.

We certainly had a very successful trip!

When we got home and settled in, it was time for McKinley's first try at prunes! YUMMY! He mmm, mmmm, mmmmmm-ed the whole time. Afterward, we were all anxious to break out some of his new toys, so the three of us got on the floor and played together. McKinley rolled from back to tummy for us right there!!! He's done this before with help, and he rolled from belly to back at 8 days old, but this was the very first time he actually rolled from back to belly ALL BY HIMSELF!

I cried.

Daddy cheered.

McKinley got very excited.

Valentine (our white cat) was even in the room to witness the whole thing.

It was a moment!

Also new in McKinleyLand...for a little while now he has been sitting up by himself in the bathtub. Well, he's honed his skill because now he will sit ANYWHERE by himself, and very straight too! We are so proud!

And GUESS WHAT ELSE????

He's giggling now! I mean REAL LIVE GIGGLING. Its the most infectious and beautiful sound EVER (I'm sure every mother has said that). It is this precious, little throaty laugh that seems to be uncontrollable and just bubbles up from inside. Ohhhhh, that makes me cry too. LOL.

Between the emotion of all the new things McKinley is doing and the holiday itself, its a wonder I'm able to hold it together at all. Ha!

We have really had a wonderful holiday and are very thankful for being able to spend such quality time with some of the people we love. We hope that everyone had as great a holiday as we did!

And many more to come!

Happy New Year is right around the corner!!!!!

Lynn

Christmas Eve!

Wow, its really here. Unreal how quickly time has gone by. It seems like the last time I checked the calendar it was JULY!

As promised, these are the full shots of the photos we took for Christmas. These are just a FEW of the 40 or so shots we actually have. He just kept taking such cute pics that we couldn't stop! We use my Dad's AWESOME camera for all the pictures we take now. I think he would be pretty proud of how we've used his favorite toy!

Also, here's a message from the little man himself! I just know he's personally wishing each and every one of you a very happy holiday. McKinley really loves the keyboard, so I thought I'd see what he would do. He really likes the big space bar and the letter V...that's a good thing! Hahahaha.

Hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.

r ff dfd ,kj bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb sa gcccccccccv v vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv ccgbv b bbbbb b

bbbbv vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv h, ubu n ,hhh6jff6f nk bvbvv vv

Love,

Lynn, Cary & McKinley too!!!!! (He helped!)

McKinley meets SANTA!!!

Tonight was the big night...the one Cary and I have talked about for years. Tonight was THE night we took our son to meet the wonderful man who brings presents 'round to all the children of the world!

We were so excited, though for McKinley it was pretty uneventful. Just your typical evening of sitting on the lap of a red-velvet-suited-man-in-a-funny-hat-and-big-black-boots kind of night. Until, that is, he discovered Santa's real-live beard. I felt so sorry for the jolly old elf as our son tugged away at his face. I would very much like to share that when I apologized to Santa for the beard-tugging, he promptly told me that it was just fine, that he was used to it and that he was just glad it wasn't his chest hair, "particularly those ones up by the neck, they tend to hurt". That is a direct quote. OKAY THEN! Didn't need to know that Santa has chest hair, but whatever!
Mommy really struggled to keep a straight face for that one...

McKinley was a huge hit with our Santa and his 'elves', who no longer dress the part, by the way. What happened there? Did I miss the part where the elves get to wear jeans and a t-shirt? Must be contractual, like they're on strike along with the writers in Hollywood or something???? Poor Santa, sweltering in that HOT suit, while his elves snap away kiddy-pics in comfortable clothing.

I can't believe Christmas is really here! I keep saying how quickly it has 'snuck' up on us, well...its true! But we are SO looking forward to seeing all of our friends and family and sharing in this special time with them. Cary and I have a few gifts to finish, but we feel pretty ready under the circumstances. McKinley has some fun stuff coming his way! I can't wait to see how he rips into the paper! It will no doubt be the highlight to his day.

This Monday, we hosted the annual sorority Christmas party in our home. It was nice to relax with my sisters, I had a great time and hope that they did too. I made mulled wine and Godiva Truffletinis, which I thought were fabulous...don't think they were as big a hit to everyone else though. Oh well! I love to be their hostess whenever I can. I'd post pictures, but we didn't take any! Oops.

I thought I would post some pictures of McKinley's Christmas tree and his other decorations in the nursery. There are some special stories of the things we've placed in his room. First, the tree: on it hangs a very special ornament, one we had made just for him. It is an imprint of his hand, across the top it says "McKinley's First Christmas" along with the date of his birth. We had it made by Hadley Pottery and it turned out beautifully. Also hanging on his tree are some fun little baby things like pacifiers, diaper pins, and some other brand new baby essentials that we will be donating to charity after the holiday with diapers, a few outfits and some other goodies. This is something we would like to try and do every year, hang items pertaining to McKinley's age on his tree and donate them along with a package for a child of his age who is in need. We feel it is important for him to learn early to give to others, it is so rewarding.

On his changing table and shelves sit a few special pieces from my childhood. Anyone remember Rodney the Reindeer from Hallmark? A long time ago, my parents got me a Rodney...I LOVED him. I still have him. Somewhere along the line, Rodney took a sabatical, but HE'S BACK! (check out http://www.rodneyreindeer.com/ too fun!!!) So, McKinley had to have his very own Rodney, who is new and improved-he's so soft and fluffy now!

Also on the shelves are a collection of Santa music boxes. These were gifts from Diane & Brent, my Godparents. When I was younger they always gave me a sweet collectible, I am so thankful to have these pieces to share with our son! Its so nice to have something like that to pass along to him. There is also a train on the large shelf above the changing table. This train was a gift from my Mom a few years ago. She got it as a small momento to remind me of my Grandpa, who was a long-time employee of the railroads here in T.H. Little did we know that one day it would grace McKinley's room, who is named after my Grandpa, Clarence McKinley Crecelius.

We had so much fun decorating McKinley's room and love how it all turned out...I think the snowflakes are McKinley's favorite though, he just gazes at them and talks to them. It is very sweet to watch.

He has made many changes again this week. Our little man is now constantly reaching out for us, and for anything he can grab for that matter. He is also further exploring his vocal tones and pitches and has some new noises that are so nice! Yesterday he even sang for me while jumping in his jumperoo. It was the most beautiful little sound.

As for food, I'm happy to report that the bananas are a total hit! We have found that when he really likes a food he does this funny little coo that is seriously starting to sound like, "Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm." And he is certainly enjoying having rice cereal in the mornings and a '1st food' in the evening. I think it has changed his timing too, he wants to go to bed a little earlier and has lengthened his naps as well. All in all, he is a very happy baby. We are so thankful for that.

This time I will close with our Christmas Card (courtesy of secretstorksurprise.com). Cary and I had a blast taking these pictures with McKinley, who was such a good sport! I'll post full views of these pictures on Christmas Eve, for the full effect.

Have a wonderful Holiday Weekend!

Lynn

McKinley's 5 month b-day

Today McKinley is 5 months old!

I cannot believe our little boy is growing so quickly. It is beautiful to see all the changes he has made, we look forward to the many to come. We just can't believe how far this little boy has come from the tiny little thing he was to this growing 5 month old. If he doesn't stop getting taller we will be looking up to him sooner than expected! Hee hee hee.

Here, a picture of what we wake up to every morning, but this morning was special and he knew it! He is so excited to be a big 5 month old boy!

Lynn

So many events, so little time!

We certainly have had an eventful month thus far. And many more exciting holiday celebrations to come!

On Sunday, December 2nd, Cary and I went with my sorority chapter to serve dinner to the homeless at the Lighthouse Mission. I have done this many times from a very early age and through high school with the Interact organization. Now, our sorority has made a commitment to serve food there once a month. I'm pretty proud of my sisters considering there are only FIVE of us who are active. I hope to continue sharing this rewarding and humbling service with my husband, my mother and anyone else who would care to join us.

Also this month, I have been lucky enough to have been taught further about the Jewish religion and Chanukah. Sarah, from our sorority chapter was kind enough to show us some insight into this beautiful celebration of her religion. She even gave us a dreidle. I think we were all able to learn so much that evening.

This past Sunday, Karen and Marianne hosted their annual cookie exchange. Everyone made 4 dozen cookies to trade and yummy they were! I made pecan clusters, hidden mint cookies (thank you to Miss Paula Deen for those DELISH recipes) and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. As is normal for me, I had such a hard time deciding what recipes to use! This is an event that my Mom and I really enjoy participating in during the holiday season. We always have so much fun together.

This evening was the annual Beta Sigma Phi City Council Christmas Party. We had a lovely evening at the newly opened Sycamore Farm B&B event barn, despite being in an area that is not yet heated. Our toes got frosty, but it was a beautiful location.

The Vernon's have been hard at work Christmas shopping for our precious boy. He will have some really fun things to 'open' on Christmas day. He has already received his very first Christmas present! Our 'July Mommy' online group did an outfit exchange. I am so proud of all of us because we are spread out across the country and we pulled this off! My Secret July Mommy Santa lives in St. Paul, Mn! She and her son, Sebastian picked out an adorable red velour sleeper with the cutest hat for McKinley. I'll post pics of that as soon as I can. Its too cute of an outfit not to show off!

McKinley has been a busy boy with his latest growth spurt. His hair is getting longer and slightly thicker too! And don't even get me started on how active he is becoming. He has learned how to crawl, military style and can't wait to get somewhere! I am amazed at his agility. He loves to climb 'up' his Mommy and Daddy's chests and snort and bury his head in our necks. I swear, it is the funniest thing! I am happy to report that this child absolutely loves his jumperoo! A jumperoo is the updated, less 'hazardous' version of a johnny-jump-up type thing with a million bells and whistles. McKinley's even has a toucan and gecko hanging from the rainforest trees! Its hilarious! So far, he really loves all of his toys and activity equipment. I don't think there is anything we've run across yet that he doesn't completely enjoy, we are so pleased.

On to food! McKinley turns FIVE MONTHS OLD this Thursday (which totally blows my mind), this means he will be going to TWO 'meals' a day, as advised by our pedi. We are going to serve cereal in the mornings, which he loves and food in the evenings, even better! He has tried peas, carrots, sweet potatoes and now pears. He loved everything but the pears. Now we are going to try squash, green beans and bananas, yum! It is so much fun to see his reactions to these new foods and textures. His facial expressions are priceless.

Speaking of McKinley's facial expressions...I am proud to announce that our son has made his debut in print! On Sunday, December 2nd, McKinley appeared in our Valley Viewer as one of the featured babies from our photographer. We were so excited to show him off. I looked on the trib website, but had no luck finding a link to post on here of McKinley's pic. So instead, I've put the full-color pic on here, which is better than the newsprint!

Something else really wonderful happened for McKinley since my last post. He has had his very first snow! Yay! A beautiful snow it was too. We took pictures very, very quickly outside with him last Friday. We also put his foot in the snow. There is a reason, so nobody freak out! Um, I don't really know why, but there is an old wives tale that says something about putting baby's foot in his/her first snow???? If you know anything about this, please post a comment! I'd love to know WHY we did this exactly... hahaha.

Our family is still going forward with the 'green' thing. I have been contacting companies that we receive mailings from (that we did not sign up for, I might add), asking them to please remove us from their lists. Its a small thing, again, but every little bit adds up.

We will have much more to post for the remainder of the month. Monday, Cary and I will be hosting our annual Sorority Christmas party in our home. I look forward to this every year, especially because I serve the Oliver Mulled Wine that my Dad introduced us to. Oh, it is so good and warm!

Finally, unfortunately it seems Ladybug is not the only beloved pet to make her journey to pet heaven as of late. Special thoughts of sympathy go out from our family to the families of Lady (Vanessa's family dog), Lucy (Jodi's hamster), and Ralph (Chrissy's chinchilla). I'm sure they're all sniffing one another in the traditional greeting! May they rest in peace!

Hope you are all having a blessed holiday and a wonderful week!

Lynn