As I told you last week, Gillian went to visit with Dr. Fischer for another round of shots and a wellness check. She is changing every day, so it's not hard to believe that she weighs 18 lbs. 3 oz. (88th percentile) She is 26 3/4" long (70th percentile) and her head (while it did grow 1/2" in circumference) remains in the 25th percentile.
On more of a dour note, Saturday marked 8 years since Mom passed away. That day is always a stark reminder that we must hang on to everything with which we have been blessed. Not a day passes without subtle reminders of my mom. These last 6 months have given me a new perception of what really matters and how quickly things of this world can evaporate. As unbelievable as it is to those who lose a loved one rather unexpectedly, clarity and healing does come with time. We are simply given more hurdles to jump and greater mountains to scale.
Since Saturday marked an important date, Amy, Josh and Abby came over for dinner and games. The night was capped by a congenial Gillian showing off her new-found laughing chops...enjoy, I know we did.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Headed to the doctor....
Well, I've officially managed to miss posting anything about Gillian's half-birthday (which happened last Saturday.....this will only be meaningful to a few of you........Happy half-birthday what?!?!?!). We are going to the doctor today so we'll get to see just how big she has gotten over the past few weeks. We'll also be starting baby foods after today's visit, so that will be a blast!
I also managed to get sawdust in my eye last week and scratch my cornea. I was out of commission for a couple days, but things are back to normal. No questions on this one, let's just say it was an act of my own stupidity.
Here's a couple pictures from our Christmas break.
I also managed to get sawdust in my eye last week and scratch my cornea. I was out of commission for a couple days, but things are back to normal. No questions on this one, let's just say it was an act of my own stupidity.
Here's a couple pictures from our Christmas break.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Gillian is crawling!
Okay, so maybe it's more of a scoot, than a crawl, but she is moving forward!
We spent Friday evening and Saturday in Gas with my maternal Grandparents as they were moving to Ft. Smith, AR. As I was helping to load the moving truck, Michelle came and got me and told me that Gillian was moving forward! Sure enough, Angie and Grandma had put a cell phone on the floor in front of her and off she went.....just like her dad, she already likes the phone :)
We are trying to get it recorded, so hopefully that video will be forthcoming.
In other news....for the first time in a YEAR (since we moved into the house), there is a car parked in the garage!! We got home from Gas on Saturday night and yesterday was spent making room and organizing our things in the garage.
We spent Friday evening and Saturday in Gas with my maternal Grandparents as they were moving to Ft. Smith, AR. As I was helping to load the moving truck, Michelle came and got me and told me that Gillian was moving forward! Sure enough, Angie and Grandma had put a cell phone on the floor in front of her and off she went.....just like her dad, she already likes the phone :)
We are trying to get it recorded, so hopefully that video will be forthcoming.
In other news....for the first time in a YEAR (since we moved into the house), there is a car parked in the garage!! We got home from Gas on Saturday night and yesterday was spent making room and organizing our things in the garage.
Belated Happy Holidays
A very belated Happy Holidays to everyone. Our holiday break was jam-packed trying to visit with everyone in a timely fashion.
After Gillian awoke to her first toys received from Santa Claus, the Madison family came to our house so we could share the day with them. We cooked a 20 lb. bird and then everyone else brought the side dishes. After that we unwrapped gifts and played games. It was sad because the time was so short, but with Christmas falling on a Tuesday, some of us had to work the next day, so we made the best of our time together.
The day after Christmas, we drove to Tulsa. If not for a snowstorm that was passing through the midwest, that trip would have been uneventful. As it was, we ended up getting to Tulsa fairly late. The next morning, we were able to visit with all of Michelle's siblings (Mary, David, and Catherine) who live in Tulsa. Gillian was also able to visit with her cousins Drew and Will. After Don finished working on the night of the 27th, we had a family dinner and then shared Christmas gifts with one another. Again, it seemed as though our visit was all too short....
The next day, we woke up and piled into the car again for a trip to Houston to see Michelle's other sister, Angela and her family. We made it down to their house just in time for dinner. The weather was a welcome change from the snowstorms and cold that we had seen for the month prior. The temperature hovered near 70 degrees during our stay in Texas. We took advantage of the weather and Josh, Emma and Gillian were able to go to the park and play. We also visited the Children's Health Museum and a special exhibit that was temporarily on display. It had a Sesame Street theme, so as you can imagine, the kids loved it! As it always does on vacation, time flew and before we knew it, the time had come to go home. On New Year's Eve, we got up early and began the 12 hour trip home.
I have many, many pictures that I'm working on getting posted, so please as always, bear with me :)
I have other Gillian news.....read the post above....
After Gillian awoke to her first toys received from Santa Claus, the Madison family came to our house so we could share the day with them. We cooked a 20 lb. bird and then everyone else brought the side dishes. After that we unwrapped gifts and played games. It was sad because the time was so short, but with Christmas falling on a Tuesday, some of us had to work the next day, so we made the best of our time together.
The day after Christmas, we drove to Tulsa. If not for a snowstorm that was passing through the midwest, that trip would have been uneventful. As it was, we ended up getting to Tulsa fairly late. The next morning, we were able to visit with all of Michelle's siblings (Mary, David, and Catherine) who live in Tulsa. Gillian was also able to visit with her cousins Drew and Will. After Don finished working on the night of the 27th, we had a family dinner and then shared Christmas gifts with one another. Again, it seemed as though our visit was all too short....
The next day, we woke up and piled into the car again for a trip to Houston to see Michelle's other sister, Angela and her family. We made it down to their house just in time for dinner. The weather was a welcome change from the snowstorms and cold that we had seen for the month prior. The temperature hovered near 70 degrees during our stay in Texas. We took advantage of the weather and Josh, Emma and Gillian were able to go to the park and play. We also visited the Children's Health Museum and a special exhibit that was temporarily on display. It had a Sesame Street theme, so as you can imagine, the kids loved it! As it always does on vacation, time flew and before we knew it, the time had come to go home. On New Year's Eve, we got up early and began the 12 hour trip home.
I have many, many pictures that I'm working on getting posted, so please as always, bear with me :)
I have other Gillian news.....read the post above....
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Santa's Tiniest Elf
Last year during the pregnancy, we found a Santa hat that reads Baby's 1st Christmas. Well, we dug it out of the closet tonight and were able to get a few good pictures....our faves...
First trip to see Santa
2 nights ago, Gillian was accompanied by an entourage of people to see her sit on Santa's lap for the first time. Aunt Amy rode along with us to Crown Center and we were met by Shaun and Lisa and Sara and Jason. We had a great time, and Gillian didn't cry one time. Since we had to wait around an hour to visit with Santa, I'd say that's a pretty big accomplishment for her (especially since I forgot to pack toys in the diaper bag!).
While patiently awaiting her turn to sit on the big guy's lap, she decided (well, we sat her down, but who's keeping track) to take a seat in the Crayola playhouse.
Here she is with Santa Claus...
Here is a great picture of her with Sara and Jason...
While patiently awaiting her turn to sit on the big guy's lap, she decided (well, we sat her down, but who's keeping track) to take a seat in the Crayola playhouse.
Here she is with Santa Claus...
Here is a great picture of her with Sara and Jason...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
2 posts in 2 days???
I know, I know...you looked outside this morning and there were no pigs flying, so you thought there was no way that I could POSSIBLY post today.....well, I've somehow defied logic and decided to post again. I put together a little montage and wanted to share it. I had planned on emailing it to the Smith family, but it was around 30 MB when I was done, which far exceeds any attachment size limits that I've seen. So, I was relegated to sharing it this way. Thank you to Abby for taking the pictures at Grandma and Grandpa's...they lent themselves well to a montage :)
Also, I know this may be cheesy to some of you, but it humbled me a little bit. I heard about this site on the way to work this morning. After they talked about it for a bit, they played the song that you can find on the website. Just a reminder about all of our troops serving our country who will not be able to be with their families this Christmas. The site.
Also, I know this may be cheesy to some of you, but it humbled me a little bit. I heard about this site on the way to work this morning. After they talked about it for a bit, they played the song that you can find on the website. Just a reminder about all of our troops serving our country who will not be able to be with their families this Christmas. The site.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Life at a breakneck pace
I am so sorry it's been so long since I've written. I last posted on Thanksgiving; which seems like just yesterday, but somehow we're only 8 days away from Christmas. In the past few weeks, Gillian has grown so much. She can sit on her own for a little bit and is doing her level best to crawl. We still think she's a few weeks away from being mobile, but it won't be long...
We have been dealing with quite a bit of weather over the past 2 weeks, and luckily everyone that we know here in Kansas city has avoided the worst of it. Unfortunately, 2 of Michelle's siblings and their families were hit pretty hard with the ice storm and were without power for a time. You can see more pictures and read a narrative of the storm on Don's website. Mother Nature is truly amazing sometimes; I just wish we could have the picturesque scenes without the hardships that are endured as a result of the storms.
This past weekend, we spent our time in Iola at the Smith family Christmas. This is my mother's side, and all of her sisters were present with most of all of their children present. Gillian was able to visit extensively with all kinds of people. She was especially excited to see her second cousing Caitlin. They had not seen each other since cousin Eric's wedding.
I keep thinking of things to write about, so I apologize if this doesn't flow very well....last week, Gillian was at the babysitter and her friend Campbell decided that Gillian was being a pest, so Campbell bit Gillian on the face, directly below her eye. We took some pictures, but the pictures really didn't do it justice in hindsight. Other than the initial shock of being bitten, Gillian is showing no ill effects from the incident...however, that being said, you should see the other kid :). Just kidding, no retaliation was taken in this incident.
On a much more serious note, the family of the girl who bit Gillian experienced a great loss this morning around 3 am. Their house burned in Kansas City, KS. At this time, I do not have any more information, but please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers, especially during this special time of year. I will post any more information that I may receive.
In addition to all of this, I saw something today that deemed worthy of posting. George Martin, former NFL defensive end for the New York Giants is walking across the country. Unlike so many other efforts, this is not to gain notoriety for performing such a feat. He is doing it to help raise money and awareness for the heroes of 9/11. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of individuals who are suffering from the toxic combination of dust and airborne particles that accompanied the Twin Towers' collapse in lower Manhattan 7 years ago. You can read more about George Martin in Peter King's column for SI.com; or you can visit George's website. An extremely interesting read....
We have been dealing with quite a bit of weather over the past 2 weeks, and luckily everyone that we know here in Kansas city has avoided the worst of it. Unfortunately, 2 of Michelle's siblings and their families were hit pretty hard with the ice storm and were without power for a time. You can see more pictures and read a narrative of the storm on Don's website. Mother Nature is truly amazing sometimes; I just wish we could have the picturesque scenes without the hardships that are endured as a result of the storms.
This past weekend, we spent our time in Iola at the Smith family Christmas. This is my mother's side, and all of her sisters were present with most of all of their children present. Gillian was able to visit extensively with all kinds of people. She was especially excited to see her second cousing Caitlin. They had not seen each other since cousin Eric's wedding.
I keep thinking of things to write about, so I apologize if this doesn't flow very well....last week, Gillian was at the babysitter and her friend Campbell decided that Gillian was being a pest, so Campbell bit Gillian on the face, directly below her eye. We took some pictures, but the pictures really didn't do it justice in hindsight. Other than the initial shock of being bitten, Gillian is showing no ill effects from the incident...however, that being said, you should see the other kid :). Just kidding, no retaliation was taken in this incident.
On a much more serious note, the family of the girl who bit Gillian experienced a great loss this morning around 3 am. Their house burned in Kansas City, KS. At this time, I do not have any more information, but please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers, especially during this special time of year. I will post any more information that I may receive.
In addition to all of this, I saw something today that deemed worthy of posting. George Martin, former NFL defensive end for the New York Giants is walking across the country. Unlike so many other efforts, this is not to gain notoriety for performing such a feat. He is doing it to help raise money and awareness for the heroes of 9/11. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of individuals who are suffering from the toxic combination of dust and airborne particles that accompanied the Twin Towers' collapse in lower Manhattan 7 years ago. You can read more about George Martin in Peter King's column for SI.com; or you can visit George's website. An extremely interesting read....
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
One of my favorite holidays is upon us...maybe it's because it involves football and food :), but I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Michelle and I are truly blessed to have so many beautiful people in our lives, and lucky for us, today gives us the opportunity to give thanks for so many blessings.
We are spending our holiday weekend in Tulsa with Grandma and Grandpa Youngman, Aunt Catherine, and Uncle David. We escaped KC in the midst of our first winter storm yesterday afternoon. Living in the heart of the midwest, I truly believe you can experience all 4 seasons in a 24 hour time period....it was 75 degrees on Tuesday, and 31 and snowing yesterday (Wednesday). Um...wow. I was wearing shorts last weekend for cryin' out loud!!!
Lots to update with our Gilly bean. We went to the doctor on November 14 and Gillian weighed 14 lbs. 11 oz. (which put her in the 80th percentile for weight) and was 25 3/4" long (90th percentile for height). The weight thing I can understand...but since when do I have any genes that would allow her to be tall.....regardless of how old she is....??? We were in Gas with Nana and Pops last weekend when Gillian rolled over from back to belly. That happened on Saturday, when she was 4 months and 5 days old. Now that she's accomplished that, she has made a habit of rolling around the front room, as if to say 'look at me, I'm mobile!!' Earlier this week (Monday the 18th, I believe) we gave her cereal for the first time. It's a lot of fun, but definitely messy!!
Enjoy your turkey day!!
Here's a little treat that I put this together on the Office Depot website....
We are spending our holiday weekend in Tulsa with Grandma and Grandpa Youngman, Aunt Catherine, and Uncle David. We escaped KC in the midst of our first winter storm yesterday afternoon. Living in the heart of the midwest, I truly believe you can experience all 4 seasons in a 24 hour time period....it was 75 degrees on Tuesday, and 31 and snowing yesterday (Wednesday). Um...wow. I was wearing shorts last weekend for cryin' out loud!!!
Lots to update with our Gilly bean. We went to the doctor on November 14 and Gillian weighed 14 lbs. 11 oz. (which put her in the 80th percentile for weight) and was 25 3/4" long (90th percentile for height). The weight thing I can understand...but since when do I have any genes that would allow her to be tall.....regardless of how old she is....??? We were in Gas with Nana and Pops last weekend when Gillian rolled over from back to belly. That happened on Saturday, when she was 4 months and 5 days old. Now that she's accomplished that, she has made a habit of rolling around the front room, as if to say 'look at me, I'm mobile!!' Earlier this week (Monday the 18th, I believe) we gave her cereal for the first time. It's a lot of fun, but definitely messy!!
Enjoy your turkey day!!
Here's a little treat that I put this together on the Office Depot website....
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Gillian meets cousin Josh
Here is a link to an album that I meant to put out here last week but didn't get a chance. Angela and Joshua visited from Houston for the baptism and the Saturday that they got in, we went to the Farmstead where Michelle worked up until Gillian was born. We took a hayride, pet the goats, got to sit on an antique tractor, and visited the turn-of-the-century 1-room schoolhouse where Abby was the School Marm (yes, that would be my brother's wife Abby). I've attached some of those pictures here, and if you would like to see the entire set, go here.
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