What's the Buzz

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-06-08T22:59:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had a little surprise party for my dad's 60th birthday. Unfortunately it was not much of a surprise since we had to prepare food and decorate while he was home!! Due to the horrible weather, plans got turned a little upside down but it was still a great time. Happy happy birthday dad! 60 IS the new 40!

Papa Hunk with the girls

Adorable Aiden practicing for his birthday!

Mya sitting on "the porch" haha

Gavin talking to his friends for literally 15 mintutes

What's more fun than a balloon war?!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all our troops fighting for our freedom and for all who have lost their lives for us! We had a great weekend relaxing at home and soaking up the sun. Three straight days of weather in the upper 80's. I am calling it the calm before the June Storm. Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

SupaStar!

2010-05-26T12:37:00.000-04:00

On May 12th Mya had a little dance recital to end her 8 weeks of "Creative Dance and Tumbling" class at the Webster Recreation Center. It was a cute little class, although nothing close to what I had expected! Mya had a lot of fun and looked forward to going every week. Her coordination improved and she loved being the teacher's helper. I think the teacher was quite fond of Mya as well ;) She did so great at the recital. We were very proud and I even signed her up for the class Part II!

My little Mary Katherine Gallagher!

Sorry the pics are out of order...still learning this new format! I need a class. Or wine...

Once you go Mac you never go back

2010-05-25T19:56:00.008-04:00

I am posting from my new iMac! Wow, I have some serious studying to do. At the moment I cannot figure out how to change my text so this will have to do. I LOVE this computer! I can see why people are so passionate about their Macs. Not sure that I am joining the cult (yet) but I can see how that would happen!

Ok, here's a quick recap as I promised. Matt survived his 4th knee surgery. We were lucky to have Nana and Papa come to watch Mya so that I could go along. It was a pretty simple procedure but still a very long day. And luckily I had the camera because it snowed!! One of the latest snows on record for the season.

On our way to Strong Hospital, April 27, 2010

Huge snowflakes!!

Unfortunately I was unable to see Matt as he was waking up from his anestheia. I was so disappointed because I had been looking forward to videotaping it! All in good fun, but he is hysterical afterward! Can you tell we've been through this a lot?!

Breakin It

2010-04-26T23:11:00.008-04:00

As in Spring Breakin...another week of vacation behind us. It was nice and relaxing, no big plans. We're saving the big trip for next year! I enjoyed having some days to myself to purge the junk that has accumulated in our house. Took full advantage of daycare services...and only felt a small twinge of guilt! We were very lucky to have people come and visit us here in Webster. On Tuesday Karen and Kath brought their kids and we hung out at the Strong Museum of Play. Jack was a little on the tired side so it was a short trip, but still good times! I love when people come to visit us! Mya had a great time with Jack and "Leese" and we hope to see them again soon!

Karen and Elise

Elise and Jack taking a ride on the train by themselves!

Mya still needed her mommy (who needs a serious tan!)

Mya and the Berensteins

Then we got a special visit from the Flatau Clan. They came up Tuesday night and we cooked up some great food and had some good laughs. After the kids went down Corey met up with some friends for drinks which left Mar and I to get some shopping done, without kids. Twas great I tell you. And what do you think we did on Wednesday? Yep Yep...back to the Museum! I had my fill by the end of the day but we still had tons of fun with Mya's cousins. We hope they come back real soon!

In all it was a wonderful and SHORT week off! Next up, back to work and Matt's 4th knee surgery!

Spring Awakening

2010-04-12T20:37:00.006-04:00

We had a great weekend! Matt's parents came up to visit, after a long winter trip to Myrtle Beach. We hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving! Matt put his dad to work right away so the girls got to enjoy some walks and shopping. On Sunday we spent most of the day outside working around the house and in the yard. There was a lot of clean-up to do. It was still pretty chilly despite the bright sunshine. We need warmer weather soon!!

Mya helping Papa with the wheelbarrow

Mya's first ride on the lawnmower!

Helping plant the seeds for our vegetable garden

Mya, the girl who hates to get dirty, couldn't get enough of the "dirt"!

Mya's Nana and Papa

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T14:41:00.004-04:00

A little picnic lunch - 86 degrees on April 3, 2010

Couldn't have asked for a better Easter weekend! Record temperatures and well behaved kids. It felt like a July afternoon! We got to spend the day with my family and all the kids and we had a great time. Saturday morning we hung out and soaked in some sun, then met my brother and sister at the Botanical Gardens. We we feasted on good Polish eats and lots of chocolate!

Mya and Aiden

Finally got to see the Easter bunny!

Grandma MoeMoe in her glory

A bikini in April!

Matt getting in on the fun

Thanks for all the great Easter treats! We are in detox now :) I didn't get any pictures of Mya finding her Easter basket this year. She hurt her leg and it was a crazy morning. She was spoiled though..as usual!

Tutorial?

2010-03-24T22:04:00.005-04:00

So I almost forgot all the in's and out's of blogger. I will have to spruce this up soon. Of course there are just never enough hours in the day. I will work on a "catch up" post chronicling the last 7 months but if you know me then you know I am Queen Procrastinator (I still have x-mas gifts for unnamed sisters-in-law that live far away..yikes..)

Tonight Mya had a Daddy and Me night. I had to moderate a workshop (aka Party Meeting, as Mya calls it) so Matt was in charge of taking Mya to her dance class. I got the minute to minute updates via text message. Mya was her usual rockstar self and earned a trip to McDonald's. Way to go dad...big cup of Hi-C right before bed! Lesson learned there. I will try to get some pictures of her class next week. I keep forgetting the camera. Til then....

"why you so obsessed with me..."

Mom, is this Lady Gaga?!

Let's try this again...

2010-03-22T21:27:00.002-04:00

So I gave up on blogging after having trouble posting pictures, then got addicted to facebook and just posted stuff on there. But facebook is getting a bit old and I am tired of being told that I will "get in trouble" for putting personal stuff on facebook. So I think I will just go back to blogging. Tomorrow that is. :)

Bye Bye Blog???

2009-07-28T10:34:00.000-04:00

I have had so much to post but for the last two weeks everytime I try to upload pictures I get error messages. I will continue to try but it's very frustrating!! Any tips for me?

I've tried multiple computers too...

Fun on the 4th!

2009-07-09T12:13:00.007-04:00

Happy 4th of July 2009!

Grandma and the kids!

Very cute profile shot :)

Finally enjoying the swings

Mya and her Papa

Mya and her Nanna

McKenna the daredevil

Mya and her best friend Gavin (or Gabby as she calls him!)

Gavin Firecracker

The girls and their grandparents

Mya avoiding the sand on the beach

Waiting for some fireworks!

Can't wait for next year!

New Do

2009-07-09T11:50:00.007-04:00

I finally took Mya to get a fresh haircut for the summer. Her scraggly mop needed an update!

Bye-Bye long hair!

Before...

Waiting her turn

"Bee"-having very well!

Cute new bob!

Looking good!

Birthday Buzz

2009-07-01T08:19:00.005-04:00

Our little nug turned TWO on June 14th! We had a little family party at the house to celebrate her big day. I had so many pictures that I put them in a little slide show. She loved opening all her presents and hasn't stopped asking for CAKE since that day! Thank you to all the Nana's and Papa's, aunties and uncles...it was a great day and we are so thankful that you all came to celebrate with us!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mya has grown leaps and bounds...it's almost impossible to update on her progress! Here are a few bullets (thanks for that idea Kristen ;)

- She is 27lbs, 33 inches - 50th percentile for both

- Her vocabulary is great, although she can be hard to understand sometimes. She'll repeat almost any word you ask her

- She can repeat the alphabet and numbers 1-10 (and can say some in order)

- She can name and recognize the colors red,pink, green, blue, purple, white, black, and yellow

- She knows 10-15 signs, some of which I didn't even know about until I got an update from daycare!

- Her visual memory is unbelievable. She knows what exit we have to get off at to get home, she knows who the other kids parents are at daycare, and if she sees something while we are shopping she will tell me who owns that toy or those shoes...it's so funny.

- She loves to read and we have to read at least 5 books every night before bed. The mouse book (Cinderella), the doggy book (101 Dalmations), the Elmo book, the potty book (Once Upon a Potty), and several others.

- she can recognize and point out all her nana's, papa's, aunts, uncles, and cousins. McKenna and Gavin are "Kenna and Gabon"

- she nows wants to put on her own shoes and buckle herself into her carseat. Makes for along morning!

- she HATES being "duhrty". Completely unacceptable!

- she still will not eat many fruits, no vegetables, and no meats. I asked her what she wanted for dinner yesterday and she said "Cheese. Cheese and cookies" LOL!

- She is all girl. Loves her babies, purses, putting my make-up on, dancing, and kissing the boys!! She is a kissing bandit.

That is just a small sample -I could go on forever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYA BEE - we love you so much!!

Cousins weekend!

2009-06-29T21:40:00.004-04:00

Happy summer vacation to me! I am free to do whatever I want until September 1st. This includes finally getting some of my pictures up here for all my fans (hahaha). June was a very busy month which included a visit from my sister and many birthdays!

Mary Beth, McKenna, and Gavin came to stay with us in mid-June to help us celebrate Mya's birthday. We had a blast and the kids were great. It was so much fun. Chaotic, but fun!

YEAH!!!! Auntie Jo Jo's house!!

The girls were great at entertaining themselves. In fact, they were so good we didn't even notice that McKenna made her way into the middle of the street! Luckily we don't have a lot of traffic.

Here Mya, let me take you for a ride

Helping pull weeds - nothing like putting them to work!

I was such a good boy - just smiled all weekend!

On Saturday morning we took the kids to have their picture taken together. It went pretty well. It's not very easy to get three kids to look at a camera at the same time AND smile, but it was fun trying. Afterward we took then to McDonald's for lunch (ahh! you feed your kids that?! pppbblllllllllttttttt!)

Mya's first trip to McDonald's - so excited!

Oh Gavin stop, you kill me!

Waiting patiently - VERY well behaved!

We got in lots of walks with the kids - the weather was perfect all weeknd. The hard part was keeping them in the strollers!

McKenna and Gavin

McKenna helping Matt give Mya a bath. She does NOT like to be "duhrty"!

Thanks for the good eats Uncle Matt! And thanks for celebrating your birthday with all of us!

Romper Room!

Gavin enjoying a shower while McKenna helps!

THANK YOU Auntie Cha Cha for coming to stay with us. We can't wait to do this every year!

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-26T21:35:00.004-04:00

Alright so we've been on a bit of a hiatus. What can I say, it's hectic around here! Mya is on the go from the minute she wakes up until we put her to bed, then I crash. This is normal right?

We got to spend the weekend with the Joseph's in Olean with a little side trip to Chatauqua Lake to see the Hinch's and the Hensberger's. Mya got to meet Emma for the first time. They were born a week apart. She is so cute - a little peanut with a big personality! We had a really fun time. We;ll be heading back to Olean in just under two weeks for Maren's baby showers. I am planning one of them and hope it goes well.

I will most more Mya updates in the near future - when she turns TWO! We taught her to say her name and her age. "What is your name? 'MYA'. How old are you? 'TWO'. She was doing great, but now if you ask her what her name is she says 'MYA TWO'. She is working on saying Joseph but it sounds more like Jesus. 'MYA JESUS'! LOL.

Here are some pics from the long weekend!

Easter eggs

2009-04-11T21:56:00.003-04:00

I thought I would get Mya into the tradition of coloring Easter eggs. She was interested for a bit then just wanted to eat all the paint! But we had fun and look forward to doing it again next year.

HAPPY EASTER!

Sick...and tired!

2009-04-04T13:33:00.005-04:00

The bee has been under the weather for a while - probably the flu but we'll be making a trip to the doctor tomorrow to be sure. She's been sick for four days now - even with all the clean-up from her sickness I feel like I've had so much free time! She hasn't move in four days so I've been able to clean and work on some projects. It's like a vacation. We just hope she gets better soon!

Matt and Mya having a slumber party!

Here are some pictures from the past weeks. I am looking for a new camera so if you have any suggestions let me know!

Blowing bubbles at Grandma's

Rummaging through the closets

21 Months

2009-03-17T20:56:00.004-04:00

I can't even say that Mya is a year and a half anymore - she's almost 2! She's grown a ton in the last month. She got on the scale and it said 26 pounds - up 4 pounds since her last doctor visit. She's talking quite a bit, but still fairly unintelligible. Of course WE know what she is saying...but no one else would! Her newest words are bubbles, cookie, cheese, truck, Matt, Papa, shoe...and some others. She can say all of her friends names at daycare - Johnny, Ella, Max, Ry-Ry (Rylee), and Gigi (Regina). She's also putting two and three words together and is very good at saying "No No Mommy, No No Daddy!" She is super attached to me, and I have to be within inches of her or she freaks. I'm hoping she gets over this soon! She's learned to blow her nose - finally! We go through boxes and boxes of tissues. She's a big cuddler and loves to lay on the bed with me and watch a video.

Every morning when we get to daycare and every night when we leave, Mya walks up to the infant room and stops and talks to all the babies. EVERY DAY. All the staff knows she does that as well. And during the day when they play in the hallway, she stops to chat with the babies. It's always on her care note "Mya had fun playing in the ball pit and of course stopped to say hello to the babies". It's too funny. At home she will walk around with her baby dolls and pat them on the back, and even puts diapers and baby powder on them. I finally got it on video but god knows I have no idea how to share that.

So all's well with us! I need a new camera, so some of my pictures are not the best quality. But here are some from the past few weeks.

Mya's new haircut

Spring Fever!

Yeah, that's chocolate on my face...thanks for selling us those candy bars neighbor friend!

I LOVE emptying the dishwasher!

Blowing bubbles with daddy

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!

Our new favorite place

2009-03-13T23:18:00.005-04:00

Strong...National Museum of PLAY! We hear that commercial at least once a day and decided it was time to take Mya over to see what all the buzz is about. Our friends Megan and Joe wanted to bring their daughter Julia to the museum so they asked us to join them. We got there around 10am and stayed until 2pm, and probably only got to see about 1/3 of the place! There is just so much to see and do. It also happened to be Dr. Suess's birthday so they had a lot of fun activities. Mya had a ball and was so tired when we left. The funniest part about it was that we only live 15 minutes away so I figured we would put Mya down for a nap when we got home - but she passed out before we even got on the expressway! We got a chuckle out of that. We're even thinking of getting a yearly membership. An awesome place to play on a rainy day? Can't beat that!

Mya and dad making cards

Sweet Julia

Mya putting on her homemade Dr. Suess hat

Mya and Julia taking a lunch break

Going mining with Mr. Potato Head

Riding Elmo's taxi cab

Arts and crafts with Julia

Dirty 30

2009-02-22T21:25:00.007-05:00

Yeah that's right. February 22, 1979 to February 22, 2009. Like Ferris Beuller said, life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

I had an awesome birthday this year which lasted over a week long!! Thank you everyone for all the gifts, cakes, treats, movies, trips, flowers, calls, messages...it was great!

I took lots of pictures of my parties but none turned out all that great. Here are some decent ones.

First was the family party...

My delicious cake

Cheese!

Mya and Bebe

Honk, Honk!

Hold my hand please!

Visions of the future..

Then my Fredonia gals all got together to celebrate with me!!

Holy dessert

You only turn 30 once!

Holy margaritas!

Then...this weekend Matt took me on a trip to the Finger Lakes. We stayed in Watkins Glen then drove into Corning for the Palate Festival. We had a great time and it was great to get away for a weekend. Mya got to stay with Uncle Tom and Aunt Amanda. They spoiled her of course and she had lots of fun. I got to come home to a cake, flowers, and card from Mya! Thanks guys!

Our hotel

Watkins Glen

Seneca Harbor Park

Our suite

Happy Birthday to me!

Typical self portrait

Wine tasting

Suffering through the Glass Museum

I'll drink to that!!

THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE!!

20 months

2009-02-19T11:04:00.003-05:00

and 5 days...

Mya, Mya, Mya...20 months going on 16. Let's see, the girls at daycare call you Diva, Miss Sass, Sassypants... visions of life to come?!

Mya is finding her independence and watch out if you get in her way. She knows what she wants and has no patience if you can't figure out what she's looking for. She fully understands the meaning of "No" and "Mine". She knows exactly how to manipulate mom and dad - and can turn on and off tears like nothing. My favorite is when she is screaming and pretending to cry, then looks and me without a single teardrop on her face. I just laugh at her - cracks me up.
Developmentally she seems to be doing well. She uses her words appropriately and can pretty much let us know what she wants or needs through words or gestures. She is 23lbs and 31.5 inches. Her legs are so short - just like mom. We'll be hemming all her pants I'm sure. She loves to run everywhere. On walks she plods along until her legs just give out. She is a dancing fool, and has very good rhythm. She can follow the beat very well, especially in the car. I want to look into dance lessons soon. Anything to keep her busy. Her favorite activities are jumping on the bed and playing in the tupperware cupboard. She hasn't touched her toys in days! She is also going through an aggressive phase and hits a lot. A lot of this she picks up from daycare - I've seen the other kids hitting while I was there. All come with the territory but we're working on her behavior.

She now tells us when she needs a diaper change so potty training is around the corner. I have no idea how that works so I will have to do some reading! We are also moving her to a toddler bed soon. She goes to bed easily and sleeps very good on the cots at school so it's time. I can't wait to find new bedding - her comforter has seen it's day!

Where did my baby go?!!!

My big 3-0 is this weekend. We had a big celebration over the weekend at my parents and this weekend Matt is taking me away while Uncle Tom and Aunt Amanda baby-sit! I have lots of pictures so I will be working on that next!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T20:24:00.001-05:00

Love,
Mya

A month in review..

2009-02-04T20:23:00.003-05:00

Well apparently January went pretty quick because it's all of a sudden it's February and I never even got around to putting in updates from the last month. It's that mid-winter slump thing that we all get I suppose. So what's been going on? Well, in one month's time Mya went from whiny, clingy, snotty (as in boogers...) to happy, silly, loving, fun, clean (as in no more boogers!!). What a change! I never did the 19 month post because it was around the time of her surgery and we just got too busy. She was a real champ and healed up pretty quick. It's been two weeks now and we go back to see the doctor on Monday to check her ears and nose. I'm hoping we won't ever have to go back! Mya got so many nice get well gifts, way over the top! But she loved them all. MWAH!

What else...My Fredonia Christmas party was the weekend of January 19th, which was also Maren's 30th birthday! Happy Birthday Sister. We had a blast at the party and will soon be getting together to celebrate my big day.

Grandma and Grandpa T came to visit Mya the weekend after her surgery. Unfortunately she was pretty cranky and not feeling her best, but she did enjoy the visit! Grandma made cupcakes, which quickly disappeared..

Mya is learning so much - her new favorite activity is to stand on the countertop and play with all the cups in the cupboards. She takes apart all her sippy cups and can put all the pieces back correctly, over and over again. She would stay there for hours if I let her, but it gets too boring for me! She also tells me when she needs a diaper change and ASKS to go to bed!! Every night for about two weeks now she points to the stairs, walks up, then runs right to her crib. I put her in and she lays right down and says Mwah! I guess I am doing something right LOL! Can't beat that. Oh, and it's always around 7pm - she is like clockwork! We also got some good video of her dancing the chicken dance. It's so funny, but no clue how to get that on here.

Other news...Mar went back to work, so sad! Tom and Amanda are having a BOY!! Now the count is even, 2 girls 2 boys...hmmm what will Mar have next?? We have lots of fun stuff planned for February so I will be updating a lot more often!

Snack time

Cheese!!

I really do try to smile, but this is the best I got!

Mommy can I get one of these?

I'm just gonna help myself and mom will never know..

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T21:50:00.005-05:00

Well another busy holiday season is over. It was great and I am so sad to have to go back to work. Mya had a blast and she loves playing with her new toys. She got so many nice gifts, and we are very thankful!! I had way too many pictures to post so I put some in a slideshow - check them out if you have some time.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We are looking forward to a great 2009. I will be 30, Mya will become a terrible 2 year old, and we will continue to work on our house. I have my usual list of resolutions that I won't stick to. I hope to go on a vacation at some point...maybe in my dreams!!

Here are some funny pictures of Mya - she's becoming very creative!

What do you do on a snow day?

2008-12-22T13:54:00.002-05:00

Around here, I put everyone to work!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-20T21:44:00.005-05:00

Over the river and through the woods we did NOT go! It snowed all day here so we decided not to go to Olean for the Joseph Christmas dinner. We probably made the right choice because we are supposed to get another 6-12 inches today. Praying for a snow day tomorrow but I'll likely be trudging out in the morning. So instead of having a delicious dinner and exchanging gifts, we made the best of it. Mya loves going outside and will get all her gear and bring it to me when she wants to go out, like a doggie with his lease haha. She did not like sledding but I'm sure after a few times she will like it. Right now we're at 15 inches and counting...

Helping Dad shovel

Sledding with Mya's friends Amber and Natalie

Get me off this thing!

What do we do when we're stuck inside?? Why dance of course!

Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow

2008-12-19T21:11:00.006-05:00

We got hammered with snow today - 1 foot so far. School was open but of course they screwed up and started sending people home early. It was the worst driving conditions I've been in in a long time. But home safe now, in pj's, ready for a Batman movie marathon. What's that Mar? I'm lame?

I needed to post the 18 month birthday update! Mya is now on her way to the terrible two's. She is 23 pounds and 31 inches long. Head circumference is still off the charts, haha. Must be that big brain she is going to have. She has about 15 words although I think a lot of them are only understood by us. Still a picky eater but her new favorite is ravioli. She is finishing a 2nd round of antibiotics for her ear and is in good spirits lately. Her new thing is to play the "MINE" game with Matt. He tries to take her baby away and says "mine, mine, mine" and she freaks out and runs to me for protection. Of course everything to her is now "MINE!" She's been very good at daycare. She went through a hitting phase for a bit but now when she doesn't want her friends to come near her she shakes her finger at them! I have no idea where she learned that one. Miss Regina told me that the other day two of her friends were crying and fussing so she went around and brought them blankets and toys. She is already very empathetic which is so cute. She is fascinated with the Christmas tree. We've been working on saying "Ho Ho Ho" and when I ask her what Santa says she goes "oh oh oh". Dsylexic?

My grandpa taught me how to do this!

Having some breakfast with baby

Are you hungry too?

Coughlin Family Christmas was a success! We had a lot of fun. Mrs. Claus never fails to entertain. Mya would not sit on santa's lap again as you may have noticed in the previous post. Maybe next year!

Mya and McKenna 'sharing'

Christmas 2008

Mya guarding Gavin

Her new baby from Santa

What a night!

We also got to see Santa on Sunday when Momee and Haddie took everyone to Breakfast with Santa. Mar brought the kids and Grandpa and Grandma Flatau came too. The girls had a ball - thanks for treating us to a great breakfast Mom and Dad!

The first grandson!

The Flatau's minus one

Mya getting silly (yes that's chocolate in her hand)

Nope, still don't want to see Santa!

Also - Lots of good news to share!! Congratulations to Maren and Dave - they are bringing a little Bush into the world on July 30th!

AND

Congratulations to Tom and Amanda - they are expecting a little Tab's on July 22nd!

Surprise!!

AND

Congratulations to Leah and Mike - a little Gargano will be arriving on July 4th!

IS THAT EVERYONE??

What a difference a year makes

2008-12-18T22:06:00.001-05:00

Mya 2007

Mya 2008

Mya 2007

Mya 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

The holidays are in full swing here. We have our tree and stockings up. I even have some presents wrapped under the tree. It just looks so much better with presents underneath! Our tree looks pathetic but I guess thats what happens when you have a one year old. Mya keeps pulling all the decorations off the tree so the bottom half is just about empty! Saturday night was the annual Webster Lights Parade in the village. It was freezing! Mya had fun though. She looked like the little brother from A Christmas Story. The only problem was that now she will NOT sit in the stroller so eventually we had to leave because she just wanted to run into the street. The fun never ends!

Getting bundled up

Never without a snack "mwore, mwore, mwore..."

No I will NOT look at you!

Yeah, not gonna sit here anymore..

Can I be in the parade mom?

The firetrucks all lit up

Bye Bye!!

2008-12-06T23:00:00.014-05:00

We've had a busy week after being gone for 4 days..it definitely takes a lot more time to get things in order after being away than it used to. We had a really nice Thanksgiving that started Wednesday night. We headed to Olean, my first trip to Olean since we moved to Webster. The ride was not bad at all. We had some snow in the beginning but then just rain. Mya was excellent. She played quietly for the first hour then fell asleep. She thought it was just a nap cause she wanted to play as soon as we arrived! Grandma Joe had gifts of course! A book and ornaments for our tree. Oh how you spoil her! Turkey day started with the parade of course. If you know me then you know that the parade MUST be on TV. Hopefully Mya will share in this eventually :)

Having snacks and watching the parade

The parade got Rick Rolled auntie Maren!

Maren and Dave had everyone over for dinner. Maren did a good job and the food was great. Maren was the Lady of the Day! Mya got to play with Bradley and Brett, Maren and Dave's nephews. They were all really cute together.

I'm hungry, let's go!

Looking pretty

Mya and Brett

Mya and Bradley torturing Guiness

Of course I tried to get a family shot but this was the best we could do:

That evening we played Rock Band. That was hysterical. I never knew Dave had such a good singing voice! Mya was rocking out along with everyone.

Let's get on with the games!

What's that? I'm the dancer?! Ok!

I think I'd rather play guitar!

Here is a clip of Mya dancing!

It was a fun night! Friday we got up at 4am to shop!! I got a few things and we had a nice breakfast at Perkins. Mya got some quality time with the Joseph's, who will be gone all winter.

We left for my parents house at about 5pm and drove through a blizzard. Again, Mya was excellent, considering it took us almost an hour longer to get from Olean to Hamburg. We spent the rest of the weekend at the Tab's. Matt and I took full advantage - my parents baby-sat the whole weekend! Thanks Mom and Dad! Grandma T also had a gift for Mya, new Christmas PJ's!

Soooo tired!

And to end the weekend, meltdowns galore! Ah the drama queen at her best!

That's all for now!

Turkey for You and Turkey for Me

2008-11-26T14:14:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for mommy and daddy...

...and moose, blankie, fish crackers, toasted cheese..

Happy Thanksgiving 2008! We are going to Olean to visit Matt's family for two days then to Hamburg to see the Tab's for two days. I'm sure I will have LOTS to post after our trips. Until then, I got nuthin. Mya's been sick - ear infection and perforated eardrum :( I'm glad we caught it before the long weekend.

So off to eat lots of turkey and pumpkin pie. And of course watching the Macy's Day parade! My favorite. Safe travels everyone!

17 Months

2008-11-17T21:03:00.004-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting our 17 month photoshoot. It was actually our Christmas card picture session because I am crazy and already ordered our cards. It was such a good deal that I just couldn't resist. I am not posting all the pictures but I will put a few of them in here. Mya's had a cold for a while but otherwise doing well. She's turning into quite the cuddle bug lately. She gives everyone and everything hugs and kisses, and she makes the "mwah" sound when she does it. She's saying some of her words more clearly - mom, dad, dog, all done, ball, hi, bye. She can sign more, milk, and all done. She's been very clingy with me - if I'm around she wants to be held at all times. Even today she cried when I left her at daycare. Probably just a phase. Next month we go for her 18 month appointment. I can't wait to see how big she's gotten.

17 Months Old

Show's on - where's the popcorn??

So anyways, she was all like....

Look at the camera? What does that mean?

How's this for cooperation?

Screaming YEAH at the end of Word World theme song
(then makes us rewind it and start over)

About a week ago we got to visit Mar's kids for the day. I sent out all those pics but here is one of the three of them. We had a lot of fun! It was like running a daycare. I went home exhausted and I didn't even do anything!

McKenna, Gavin, and Mya

Meet me at Dunkin Uncle Corey!

Other than that just looking forward to seeing everyone at Thanksgiving. Can't wait to go shopping the day after. It's payday hehe. I already have crazy Christmas fever. It will be so fun to see Mya this year. Here's a little something my mom did.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/qLfpwykHx3c9yZqpL7t4

Poor Mya looks so pissed off. Where's the spirit!!

2008-11-10T20:29:00.004-05:00

We've been having some lawn woes so we got ourselves out all weekend to clean up the yard and rake some of the millions of leaves that we have. Mya, the girl who did not like being outside all summer, has been having a ball playing out in the yard. I tried to get a few pictures but she is such a mover that it was hard to get many good ones. We had to get it all done before the snow comes!

No drinking and jumping!

I'm going to try this again!

I can do it myself

Then the rain started coming down so we had to hang inside the house. Mya was still wound up so we put on her show Word World and she went crazy dancing to the theme song! Hyper much?!

Thanks Tom!

2008-11-07T23:06:00.001-05:00

This made my life!

I also heard that Oprah thinks she is going to be on Obama's staff and that the first baby Obama was born on Wednesday.

ENOUGH ALREADY

Is it just me?

2008-11-05T12:11:00.003-05:00

No reason for this, just feel the need to get it out.

I don't get "the profound effect" that electing Barack Obama is having on America. Yeah, I voted for him, yeah I think we need change, yeah it's great that he's the first african american president. But people around here are going crazy. There are flags all over, people calling in on the radio, etc. I felt like it was the day after 9/11 when everyone banded like brothers to show their patriotism to our country. They even had a song montage thing on the radio, set to the song "One" by U2 where every few seconds they had a snipet from one of Obama's speeches. Maybe I'm just sick of all the millions of political ads that have been on TV. Or maybe I am just grumpy today, but if I read another status update on facebook about Obama I am going to scream.

Flame away, but I don't get it. He's just an average Joe who's set out to change the world. And I hope he does just that.

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T18:55:00.004-04:00

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-30T21:12:00.005-04:00

It's Halloween Eve and we finally got around to carving our pumpkins. I don't know about anyone else but where I grew up we carved our pumpkins every year for Halloween. Matt kept telling me that he never carved a pumpkin before. I find that hard to believe but he swears that is the truth! So this was his first time and they came out pretty good! Mya was fascinated with it at first, then just wanted to eat - big surprise! She is going to dress up as a little devil tomorrow, thanks to the creative skills of Auntie Cha-Cha. The only problem is that Mya starts crying as soon as she sees her costume. I'm hoping she'll wear it for at least a few pictures! Here are some pumpkin pictures

Daddy the pumpkin carving virgin

Is this how you eat it?

Still munching..

Scary pumpkins!

Other than that we've just been having fun with Mya. She is such a character. Thanks to everyone for the Halloween cards and thanks for visiting us last Sunday Grandma and Grandpa Tabs. We had lots of fun!

Anyone remember Edith Ann? These pics remind me of her!

Can you see all the teeth I have now?!

Pictures!

2008-10-25T18:35:00.006-04:00

I couldn't post any pictures last time, so here are a few from the past couple days. Mya is becoming quite the character!

I'll help you guys fix the fireplace..

See, that's all it takes!

I'm 16 months old!

I love to pout!

I hate you guys! (words to come...)

Here's your shoes momma

I'll put the groceries away for you but daddy says I should only work for payment..

Lounging with Dad

My new reading spot

I love my books!!

16 Months

2008-10-16T20:31:00.003-04:00

Another "birthday" has come and gone..My baby is 16 months old! She's grown so much in the past month. She has been more independent as well. Here are some of the new things she's been doing this month

- can officially get down the stairs all by herself! (just mastered that today)
- Now has 9 teeth AND 4 molars
- can say momma, dad, up, bye-bye, uh-oh, baby (well, bebe), hi, yeah, and all done. She talks constantly. Even the daycare teachers mentioned that she is the noisiest kid in the room
- LOVES to be my helper - she wants to shut all the doors, fridge, dishwasher, and dryer. When I pour her milk, she has to be the one to put the cap back on and carry it back to the fridge. And the other day, she threw her mac and cheese all over the floor. When I got her out of her chair she picked up all the noodles, opened the garbage, and put them in! It was so cute. Floor was a mess but what could I say.
- finally enjoys playing outside and helping in the garden
- LOVES our neighbors dog - she makes a beeline to him every time he's out
- she likes to bring me her books and sit in my lap to read - she has a process of turning around, walking backward, then plopping in my lap. Cracks me up

We're also in a pouting phase. Her new thing is to put her head on the floor or on the wall if she is mad. It looks like she is doing the downward dog! She can also have full blown meltdowns but not too often. She is growing like a weed and we seem to pack aways clothes a little too often.

Here is Mya at 16 months old...

ok, well blogger won't let me post pics tonight. When I can I will put up some new pictures!

In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety Two

2008-10-13T21:58:00.005-04:00

Columbus sailed the ocean blue.. and thanks to him I got to enjoy a nice extended weekend! We decided to take a ride in to Buffalo to visit my parents and to see the baby. The weather was unbelievable - almost 80 all weekend. Mya had a blast and it was great to see everyone. On Sunday we got all the grandkids together and went to get pumpkins and apples. The kids were really good, especially Gavin who didn't make a peep ALL DAY! That is unheard of in this house. We came home with pumpkins, apples, popcorn, and scarecrows to add to the cider and donuts that Tom and Amanda brought over. Now it's back to work and working out! Oh and miracle of miracles - Mya fell asleep during the ride home. Just closed her eyes and dozed off. I think we're turning a new leaf here! :)

GRRR! I'm scary!

Gavin, 2 weeks old

The girls, in their cool new outfits

So, what are you going to be for Halloween?

Petting the bunny

Grandma and Grandpa with the kids

Thanks for hanging with us today!

Lots of thanks to go around - thanks to Mom and Dad for putting up with us and for the cool PJ's you got for Mya! Thanks to Tom and Amanda for the Halloween outfit and treats! And thanks to Cha Cha for the hair clippies, pumpkin onesie, and for making Mya's Halloween costume.

(I am out of thank you notes....hope this will work LOL)

Sabres won 7-1 today!

Beautiful Boy

2008-10-01T22:14:00.004-04:00

I got to visit Mar and Gavin today! He is such a tiny peanut. Not quite ready to face the world yet. His face stayed all scrunched up and he wouldn't open his eyes for me. I must have scared him! Poor guy got poked and prodded the whole time I was there. I did sneak some pictures though. Mar is doing good and they were all anxious to get home. I couldn't believe how small he was. I think the first four months that Mya was home is a blur and I can only remember her being 15 pounds or more! They grow so fast. So welcome to the family Gavin! It's a great one!

And I finally got the official stats: Gavin Rhys Flatau, born 9/30/08 at 2:58am, 8lbs 9oz 21 inches.

Settling in for a nap

Mother and Son

So much hair!

JoJo and Gavs

What the heck lady! I was sleeping!

Oh, and he looks EXACTLY like McKenna did - could have been identical twins. Here is a side by side:

McKenna

Gavin

See you when you get home!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-30T08:50:00.002-04:00

to my nephew Gavin!

Gavin Rhys Flatau was born early this morning weighing in at 8lbs 9oz. I don't have all the details or pictures yet, so I will post as it comes in.

Congrats to the Flatau's and to Aunt Amanda - she wins a weekend with Mya!

Down on the Farm

2008-09-27T21:25:00.006-04:00

Today we took Mya to Wickham Farms in Penfield. It's a little place on the way to her doctor's office that I wanted to check out. It was really cute. There was miniature golf, apple picking, a corn maze, pumpkin picking, and lots of goodies. Mya had a great time and was very well behaved. She loved the swing they had and seemed to enjoy the wagon ride for the most part. We had a blast in the corn maze - it was harder than we thought. Matt scared me so bad that I almost peed my pants. Then we bought some cider and apples, but no pumpkins yet. A little too early for that. It was a great day and we ALL took long naps when we got home.

Aunt Maren and Mya

Weeeee!

Daddy leading the pack

You destroy...you buy

Getting a little silly on the ride home

Enjoying a fire at the homestead

And in case you were wondering - NO BABY YET. Hank and Mollie are out of the race and Amanda is on the way out as well...c'mon woman!

Wine Country

2008-09-27T21:04:00.005-04:00

This weekend Maren and Dave were planning on coming out for a visit because they had tickets to see Ryan Adams at Auditorium Theater. Turns out that Carey was also going to be in town from NYC! Maren and Carey had not seen each other in over a year and it was the first time that Dave got to see our house. Wine and food was in abundance and a good time was had by all. The night just went too fast. Maren and I have to plan a trip to Brooklyn soon because a year is too long to go without seeing Carey. Of course and evening together would not be complete without some antics...

Just call me Posh Spice

Pretend you love each other!

Maren let me show you my new trick...

Adult party games

Let me just grab this shopping cart so I can buy myself another bottle of wine. Mine is gone.

What in the hell is going on people??!

Love you girls!

Baby Pool!

2008-09-23T19:36:00.003-04:00

Not the one you swim in.

My nephew is due to arrive tomorrow however there has been no word on a trip to the hospital just yet. For fun I decided to start a pool to see who can guess the correct date, weight, and length of baby Gavin. Winner gets to take Mya for a whole weekend!! Here are the guesses we have so far

Mollie - September 26th, 5:09am, 9lbs 6oz, 21.5inches

Amanda - September 28th, 9:15am, 8lbs 5oz, 22inches

Matt - October 1st, 1:34pm, 9lb 3oz, 21inches

Moe - September 27th, 7pm 8lbs, 3oz, 19inches

Hank - September 24th, 5pm, 8lbs 6oz, 19.5inches

Anyone else care to join in?!

Retro

2008-09-22T20:26:00.004-04:00

My mom gave my sister and I a bag of clothes that she had saved from when we were babies. Somehow the only thing I ended up with was a little pink jacket. I put it on Mya today and it looked so cute! I love it. Here is Mya, retro chic

Getting ready for school

My little sprout

Mom, you cut my head off!

Get outta here paparazzi!

15 Months

2008-09-15T20:42:00.005-04:00

Happy 15 months to Mya! Today we went for her 15 month well check. She is now 22.2 pounds and 31 3/4 inches. Not even a full pound gained since her 12 month visit, so still a peanut! We're still working on teeth. She currently has 3 and half teeth...with 8 on the way. They are just taking a really long time to come in. No new words yet, but her understanding of words/directions is just taking off. She'll do almost anything I ask her too (of course unless she's beings stubborn!) and it's amazing to watch her follow my commands. She is walking very fast now and doesn't need her arms for balance. She can also blow kisses now, which is too cute.

Her latest favorite activities are coloring and dancing. Anytime music comes on, even if it's just a commercial on TV, she will start shaking her booty. It is hysterical. Here is a little video. Yes, she is wearing only a diaper and a bib. What can I say, it was a lazy Sunday. Sorry for the video quality - I need some camera help.

At her appointment today the doctor saw lesions on the back of her throat, a sign of Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. This is the second time that Mya's had it. It just keeps going around daycare. I didn't even know she had it though, so it can't be bothering her that much. She also got her 15 mo. vaccines, which include the MMR, aka the Autism shot. I am worried about that one. I know that there is research that there is no link between vaccines and Autism but I've heard people give talks about how it's not the actual vaccine but a suppressed immune system while the child is given the vaccine that can cause the problems. We all know Mya doesn't have the best immune system!! Of course I worried all day about whether I should have gotten that shot today..but the doctor seemed to think it would be ok.

Here is a link if you want to read more about vaccines...it's really interesting. http://www.generationrescue.org/vaccines.html

Here is a picture of Mya on her 15 month birthday.

We also woke up to a surprise from Hurricane Ike this morning. We had a wind storm last night and one of our trees came down in the backyard. We were very lucky that it fell the way it did because had it fallen forward, it would have gone right through Mya's bedroom window. That little girl's got an angel watching over her!

This one is hard to see but our neighbor's tree spilt in half from the wind

T'was quite an eventful day for us!

I also forgot to give props to my friends Carrie and Tim. They welcomed their baby girl, Ashleigh Patricia, on September 9, 2008. She is beautiful and I can't wait to see her! Congrats Sheehan family!

Horses, Horses, Horses, Horses...

2008-09-13T17:49:00.007-04:00

Sleepless in Seattle anyone?? Just me, right..

So today we got to hang out with our friends Charity and Brad. They invited us to come to their barn and see the horses. Mya was a little afraid at first but then had a good time. They were really big horses so I think they scared her a bit. Matt's co-worker Amy and her husband Eric joined us as well. Everyone rode the horses but me! I am a weenie. The rain held off so we had a wonderful afternoon! We even made plans to all hang out Friday night with the kids. Charity has a daughter, Amber, and Amy has a son, Carter. Should be fun. On tap for tomorrow - football! We got a baby-sitter so it's date day! I can't wait!

Here are some pictures from today -

Hmm...not too sure about this

Charity and Amy riding Clover and Flash

I think I'll just hang out over here..

Whoa Horsie!

Amy riding Clover

I like to play the drums on dad's head

Brad and Shamrock

Happy trails to you!

And happy 7th birthday to my godson Brian!

Ahhh...

2008-09-07T22:39:00.005-04:00

I got my laptop back! I realize just how addicted I am now I'm back online. Oh well, better this than drugs.

To catch up to speed this will be mostly pictures. School is back in session for me and Mya goes back to daycare full time starting tomorrow. Fall is here - it was cool today and football has been on since 12:30pm. I love it.

Labor Day weekend was a great end to summer. Matt had his annual Fantasy Football weekend - every year there is a golf tournament and football draft. That left Mya and I to visit and relax by the pool and go out on my sister's boat. It was great. Here are some pictures!

Riding to Buffalo is fun!

Baby butt crack

Who needs the pool when you can play with tupperware?!

Driving Uncle Corey's boat

Whoa, cut her off!

Grandpa, you don't need a dentist. I can do your cleaning!

Sunset

Heading back to the dock

I love so you much McKenna! Don't be scared of me!

Lost..

2008-09-03T21:55:00.003-04:00

I left my laptop in Buffalo this weekend. I feel like I lost a limb. I have some cute pictures from Labor Day weekend but I will have to delay that post for a bit until I can download my pictures.

Happy Back to School Teacher friends!!

Need a baby gift?

2008-08-28T21:21:00.001-04:00

Click Here

www.merrybethtabs.etsy.com

And support my sister!

Moving on Up!

2008-08-28T13:58:00.010-04:00

Mya has officially moved to the Toddler room at daycare. My little "Bright Balloon" is now a "Cute Comet"! This is a big change, especially for me! No more babies in cribs. All the kids are walking around, playing with new toys, sitting at tables for breakfast and lunch. The biggest difference is that they all sleep on cots for naptime. I'm a bit worried about this, but I'm sure Mya will do fine. It may take some time to train her to stay put though. We'll see how it goes. Mya did not do well when she started at this new daycare in April. It took her about two weeks to adjust. I wondered if it would be the same when she moved to the toddler room but then we found out that Miss Jami, her favorite teacher, was moving up as well! We love you miss Jami!

Some things they will be doing in her class this year include:

signing words

gross motor activies (tumbling, running)

fine motor activities (eating with a spoon)

building vocabulary through nursery rhymes and songs

Should be a fun year! I hope to be able to volunteer here and there...depending on my schedule.

I didn't get any pictures of her in class today, but here is one on our way in...

Yes she had an arsenal of stuffed animals with her. She needed all the comforts of home!

When we came home today, Matt had a surprise for Mya. A lady he works with made her an awesome blanket. It is so cute!

Thank you Cindy - that was so nice of you to do!! Of course Mya loved it. Blankies and babies, her favorite things!

Yeah, slumber party!

And the back...I took this to show Mary Beth. The whole back of the blanket is this material. Too cute!

Coming soon...back to school :(
'
'
'

Fred Fest

2008-08-25T14:22:00.005-04:00

Well I survived Fred Camp Fest 2008. This year we went to Stonybrook State Park and it ended up being a really great time, tents and all. Everyone was able to come except for Carey who's in NYC. Maybe next year she'll make it. This was our 6th annual summer event. Kath, Maren, Candy and I got there Friday night and set up camp. Colleen and Meghann came Saturday morning. We had lots of laughs and lots of food! The only downfall was that this was a very family oriented campsite, with kids and noise, and something that smelled like the zoo. Not sure what that was though... Maren any thoughts on that?

Here are just a few of the many memories that were made. Remember girls, these are memories!

Our deluxe tent, courtesy of Kath

How many cookies can I fit in my mouth?

Get out of the box and play some tennis

Maren, Candy, and Meghann gearing up for our hike

Hi Carey!!

Temple Street girls (with Maren taking the picture...)

Chow Time

Aftermath of swimming in 66 degree water!

While I was off toasting marshmallows Matt took Mya down to Olean. They had a great time and Mya was excellent during the two hour plus car ride. She got to hang out with G-Ma, G-Pa, and Uncle Dave. On Sunday they hung out at the Lebanese festival for some good eats. Maren rushed home so she could love on Mya before they left, which gave me several hours home alone to relax!!

Thanks for rushing home Auntie!

Next year we are planning to rent a cottage at Letchworth. Tent camping was a bit much for us - give me a warm bed anyday over that! We are also planning something big for 2009 - the year we all turn 30. Where does the time go??

Randoms

2008-08-22T13:06:00.005-04:00

We finally finished spreading mulch in the front of our house and it is looking much better. A lot of our plants are coming back to life and I've been pruning like a mad woman. Next year should go better but it's a learning process.
I need to get a few more pictures of the front but I'm waiting to see if more flowers bloom soon.

Mya is walking all over now. She still keeps her hands up in the air for balance but she's becoming a pro. I tried to get a little video so you can see her mad skills but it won't upload today. Maybe next week.

It's an exciting weekend for me! It's the 5th annual Fredonia Camp Fest. Six girls, no husbands, no kids. I can't wait. This year we're going to StonyBrook Park, instead of Letchworth. We have to sleep in tents so it will be interesting. I'd much prefer a nice log cabin, but I'm keeping my mouth zipped. This should be the last ever tent camping. I'll make the best of it. Matt is taking Mya down to Olean to see Great Grandma Joseph and go golfing with Uncle Larry. It's my second weekend away from my baby. In other news, Mya is getting two new teeth on the bottom! Making that a total of 4 teeth. She's a bit cranky today so I am guessing that is why. Bring on the tylenol!

Some pic from the week -

I bad

Mya's new snack table

Bye Mommy! I'll miss you!

Oh, and 6 months from today I'll be the big 3-0. I'll drink to that.

Fiasco

2008-08-20T23:01:00.002-04:00

Poor Mya, it's always something. We decided to try out a new restaurant today cause I didn't feel like cooking. When we moved here we got a welcome letter from Prioretti's, an Italian place. It came with a gift certificate for a free pizza, and two free entree's for dine-in. We thought it would be good to go out since we'll all be split up this weekend.

Having never been there before, we go dressed very casually (thinking it's a pizza joint) and lugging a one year old with all her goods. Turns out we stuck out like a sore thumb. It was not exactly baby-friendly. But whatever, we were hungry and didn't feel like leaving.

Mya got settled in, we ordered our food, things were fine. Then the waitress sets down a dish of pasta and Mya's hand flies into - kinda like when she squishes all the noodles in her bowl of mac and cheese...only this was hot pasta sauce!

If you know Mya you know that she can scream louder than Macauley Caulkin in Home Alone. It was quite the scene. I got her out of the chair and walked to the front of the restaurant, where I thought the bathrooms were, but no, they were in the back, so we scream our way back to the bathroom. After she calmed down and we went back to the table I see that her eye and cheek are red and puffy - she had put her hot hand on her face! Oy. So Matt had to take Mya out of the place while I asked the waitress to pack up our uneaten meals to go.

The things you go through for a free meal.

And no, no pictures. I felt too bad to be grabbing the camera. The redness went away after a bit and she was fine. I swear it's always something with us!!

Home Improvement Weekend

2008-08-17T21:09:00.006-04:00

Grandpa and Grandma Joseph made the trek to Webster this weekend to help us out with some projects around the house. This was a voluntary visit but we sure put them to work! Matt and Grandpa Emil painted the office, painted the wall leading upstairs, hung my mirror, fixed the bathroom door, bought a load of mulch, and did various other fix-ups. Matt made multiple trips to Lowe's, ate lots of cookies, and chased squirrels around the yard. He may have rabies, but that's for another post. Here's some pics of what we did:

Now Matt, watch and learn...

Keep watching Matt...

This is never coming down!

Fresh mulch for the front (more pics to come...)

Wow can I play in that?!

While the guys did the dirty work, the ladies did a LOT of shopping. Mya was a trooper - I think we have a future mall rat on our hands. We hit up the Eastview Mall, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl's and Target. As well as a pit stop at Starbucks and Auntie Annie's pretzels of course. Just a couple things here..

New pillows for my couch and chair

New rug for entryway

It was a very productive weekend for us. We got so much accomplished in a very short time. Big thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Joe. Not only did they come out to visit, but they brought lots of goods too - cookies, wine, Rum (yummm!), cheese, a step stool so this shorty can reach the top shelves of the cupboards, and an outfit for Mya! We are spoiled. Thank you so much!! We appreciate all of the help.

See you next weekend!

Time for me to nap so mom and dad can draft their football teams

One down...

2008-08-17T18:39:00.001-04:00

...one to go. Fantasy season is under way in our house. My first draft of two went well, with only a few snide comments from Matt. Team "She's All Joseph" is pretty solid, but not championship level by any means. Starting lineup will be

Tony Romo
Joseph Addai
Thomas Jones
TJ Housh
Greg Jennings
Lee Evans
Vernon Davis
Mason Crosby

Having 5th pick out of 10 teams was not a good spot to be in. That plus the fact that my internet kept disconnecting led to some tense moments. I am predicting a 5th place win for my team.

Oh....and to that girl that called me a cheater. Watch yourself. Team JOSEPH has it in the bag.

B(.)(.)Bs. Out.

14 Months

2008-08-13T15:15:00.010-04:00

Go ahead and laugh but I still like to celebrate every "month" birthday that Mya has, although the official picture taking session stopped after her first birthday. I get picked on enough, why continue to subject myself to ridicule?

Now that Mya is 14 months old, she is taking about 20 steps unassisted. She can stand up from the floor on her own and it gets easier everyday. She prefers to run but it doesn't always work out. If you are holding her hands to help her out, the faster you can go the better. She thinks it's hysterical and will laugh the whole time. In fact, she seems to have the most fun if you are playing in warp speed. There is no such thing as sitting and playing with a toy. Her attention span is less than a millisecond. Like father like daughter?

She weighs approximately 23 pounds and is about 31 inches long. Her favorite foods are peaches, bananas, mac and cheese, pbj sandies, goldfish crackers, waffles, and toasted cheese. My good eater has become so picky. Water or milk only, don't even think of giving her juice. Or grape Kool-Aid.

Mya can clap her hands, make the signs for "milk" and "more", wave hello and good-bye, says hi, dada, nay-nay (which I believe is momma), and babbles incessantly. She still only has her two bottom teeth but I can see the top ones coming through. She loves her books, blankies, and babies. If I say "hug the baby!" she'll give her doll a big bear hug.

Mya has this crazy belly laugh that just makes you starting laughing yourself. She will laugh at the simplest things and Matt and I will just look at each and crack up. She has a smile that is so big it's like it comes from the bottom of her soul. Only problem is that it's hard to catch on camera.

She continues to get monthly colds and runny noses, sometimes fevers but is usually happy. She sleeps like a rock and doesn't know this but when I check on her at night I always rub her little feet. I will miss those!

And there are always the less exciting things like whining, screaming, hitting, pinching, hair pulling, you know...she will test my patience like you wouldn't believe. But we still love her.

Happy Birthday Mya!

Shaggy Dog

2008-08-11T12:55:00.003-04:00

I did it. I broke down and took Mya for a haircut. I've been trying to avoid it - everyone always comments on her long full head of hair. But after a battle of the barretts, Mya lost. This morning we headed down to the HairZoo for Mya's first cut.

No way mom, you're not putting those things in my hair anymore!

This is a pretty big bib...

Get me outta here!

Mya did pretty well, but it was the fastest cut I'd ever seen. Fourteen bucks later (yes, $14)...we got this

Yeah! I can see again!

Congrats Mya! You made it through the first of many haircuts. You're getting too big too fast!

I'm-a Walking, Yes Indeed...

2008-08-10T20:28:00.004-04:00

Well Mya is on her way to being fully mobile. It's only taken 14 months but as we all know Mya does things on her own time.. Check it out!

And so it begins...

2008-08-10T19:44:00.002-04:00

"Who's a friendly, little bee playing oh-so happily.
Buzzing here and buzzing there.. Busy buzzing everywhere.
Maya loves and Maya cares, Maya gives and Maya shares.
Maya likes to play around, but she'll never let you down.
Maya.. Maya the Bee. Maya... Maya the Bee
See her flying through the air, buzzing here and buzzing there.
Saying catch me if you dare, busy buzzing everywhere.
Maya.. Maya the Bee. Maya.. Maya the Bee.."