The Swangers

Fun in the Park

2011-04-25T18:22:00.002-07:00

Catherine's Birthday Day

2011-03-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

March 28, 2010

It has rained on her birthday every year so far, this year she was prepared with a stylish new pair of "wellies" courtesy of Nana.

She celebrated her birthday with her friends in school, including her little friend K, who was 3 yesterday.

We also spent the morning in class, after taking in cupcakes we decided to stay (read, it was pouring outside and loading the boys up again wasn't in my plan). Jack played hard with the big kids, he thought he was the bees knees. He fell asleep sitting up when he got home (excuse his onesie)

Andrew was also happy that it was Catherine's birthday!

She had to wear her birthday crown for her birthday cupcake at home

Her present from mommy and daddy, she's ready summer vacations.

Happy 3rd Birthday Catherine

2011-03-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

March 28, 2011

My sweet little Catherine,

I can not believe that you are already 3 years old, it just seems like yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital in the little pink outfit that now hangs in your room as a sweet little reminder that you were once so little.

You are so loving and caring, a little (sometimes a lot) sassy, so funny that there isn't a day that goes by that your daddy and I don't giggle over something you've said or done. You love your little brothers with all your heart, I truly believe that there is no other big sister as great as you. You're a great little shopper, never wanting to miss out on a Saturday morning with your Nana and I.

You LOVE going to school and having just received your first "report card" it shows, your a great little student.

You make your daddy and I so proud, we love you so much.

Jack's Cookie's and Milk Party Details

2011-03-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Jack's First Birthday Party

2011-03-21T11:22:00.001-07:00

March 20, 2011

We had a wonderful time celebrating Jack's birthday with friends and family!

St. Patricks Day

2011-03-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

March 17, 2011

It's not MY favorite "holiday" but I'd hate for kids to get pinched for not wearing green ;)

Getting all three of them to look at the camera is next to impossible.

The kids will be in red and white on April 23 for St. Georges day and we'll have a Newkie Brown to celebrate ;)

Jack's Birthday Day

2011-03-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2011

Jack had a wonderful birthday day, he loved his "practice" cake, but did we really have any doubts?

Happy 1st Birthday Jack

2011-03-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2011

To my sweet Jack,

It's been a whole year since you joined us, mommy can't believe it. You are the sweetest, chubbiest, most lovable little boy. You never fail to make your daddy and I laugh with your antics, they started the day you were born when you would just keep one eye open as not to miss out, the nurses nicknamed you "one eyed Jack". You still to this day don't want to miss out on a thing, hence your short little cat naps, although you are still such a good little boy even with very little sleep.

You give your whole self into everything that you do, you didn't just cut one tooth at a time, you cut two, three or even four molars, your not allergic to one fruit but all of them and there to this day isn't a food that you won't eat, even black olives, which you really don't like but you're not one for wasting anything. You didn't crawl for very long at all before you decided that walking was a much better means of getting around, you made this decision the same week your little brother was born. You are so mischievous, we're always amazed at the things you can get yourself into it. You love your big sister with all your heart and follow her around most of the day, she's taught you so much in this last year and you've taught her how to be such a great big sister. You are so gentle with Andrew we are actually amazed, you rub his head with such love and your open mouth kisses melt my heart, as do your pucker kisses (but you've been holding on to those lately).

Most of all, you are you, there's no one else like you my little Jack and may you always stay this way (within reason, of course) .

We love you, happy birthday little man!

Love Mommy, Daddy, Catherine and baby Andrew

Sweetness

2011-03-07T17:23:00.001-08:00

March 7, 2011

I asked Catherine to keep an eye on Andrew while I rocked Jack to sleep, she loves to be helpful in anyway she can. After I got Jack off to bed I walked into our bedroom to find this..

She really is an angel who loves her two little brothers more than anything.

As for the paci, it's a bone of contention these days, she really only has to go to sleep with although at least once a day I catch her with one in her mouth, usually it's not hers, hence how she and Jack share everything.

Family Pictures

2011-03-03T14:31:00.001-08:00

We had the talented Joanna (and her husband Mark) come down and take our family pictures. We've known Joanna since I was pregnant with Catherine, she's now taken all three of our babies newborn pictures and each time I'm amazed by her work. Should you need her talents (which you do) she'll travel to Greenville for a nominal fee or you could travel to Asheville for some amazing mountain pictures, like in the fall when they have the best colors outside of New England. She also does weddings, for those of you that are getting married soon ;)

Here's a link to all the pictures.

http://www.tuesdaysfrog.com/pickpic/gallery/login.php

Passcode: andrew

Here's a link to her website

http://www.tuesdaysfrog.com/

A whole month...

2011-03-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2011

...and what a month it's been.

It's been easier than I ever dreamed it could be, maybe because Andrew is my 3rd and people always say the 3rd is easy (mainly because they don't have a choice), maybe it's because this isn't my first (or second) rodeo, maybe it's because my husband has been such a huge help this time around, maybe it's because I have a wonderful helper in Catherine, maybe it's because I have been blessed with three wonderful children, I'm pretty certain it's all of the above.

Andrew is:

~Weighing 9 pounds even

~Eating 3 ounces every 2-4 hours

~Sleeping 4-5 hour stretches at night

~Wearing size 1 diapers

~Can still fit into some of his up to 7 pounds outfits but is mainly wearing newborn

~a great baby!

Jack's First Haircut

2011-03-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

February 10, 2011

Jack was in need of a haircut, especially after my attempt to "trim" it right before Christmas. We headed to Jelly Beans for his 1 penny first haircut.

I know what y'all are thinking, but you really could tell that he had had it cut, I swear!

At the same time, Catherine had her cut, I mean really cut, so much so I cried when we got in the car. It has since grown on me and strangers now stop me to tell me how cute her cut is...go figure.

Andrew Harrison

2011-02-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

January 25, 2011

Andrew Harrison Swanger
1.25.11
7:55 A.M.
7 Pounds, 7 Ounces
19.5 inches long

Andrew is the icing on our cake, the perfect topping to an already perfect family.

Just like Catherine and Jack, Andrew was born via C-Section unlike the other two he gave us a little fright in the delivery room. After he was born and the nurses gave him to his daddy to hold and for me to see (as I was still on the operating table) he started what John and I thought was "talking", we laughed and said he was already trying to keep up with his older brother and sister.

He wasn't and it wasn't funny, he had apparently swallowed fluid and was grunting to get the fluids up. The nurses were fantastic, not only dealing with Andrew but also dealing with John and I, as we both were a little panicked. They called in the NICU nurse practitioner and helped him along with his breathing, after a little while they let John hold him again and I was able to hold him on the trip to our room.

Once in the room, he started again with his grunting, again the NICU nurse came in and gave him a good talking to and ran some tests. I can remember at this point asking that they call our pediatrician in as he is off on Tuesday afternoons and I wanted him to see him and not the on-call Dr., to which I was informed that he was already on his way, this made me worry and relax all at the same time. After getting a through check up by Dr. Washburn he was given the all clear, he was still grunting but all of the tests were coming back normal and his oxygen levels were great. He grunted into the night, a good 16 hours.

Since then, he's been the best boy. He eats and sleeps like champ!

His sister is in awe of him, she told everyone she saw in the hospital that Andrew was here and not in mommy's tummy. Jack, well I don't think Jack really knows what's hit him, he wasn't the baby for long but he did give Andrew big open mouth kisses on his head, which was the sweetest thing. Jack was also a hit with all the nurses on the 4th floor, he flirted and did all his tricks in true Jack fashion.

SNOW SNOW SNOW

2011-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

December 26, 2010

The snow started falling on Christmas night and boy was Catherine excited when she woke up on Boxing Day!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Princesses on Ice

2010-12-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

December 11. 2010

As part of an early Christmas present from mommy and daddy Catherine and I had a wonderful mommy daughter day with Emily and Izzy at Princesses on Ice. We took the girls to breakfast, both dressed in their princess dresses and then we went to see all the princesses.

Cinderella and Princess Ariel (aka The Little Mermaid)

Santa

2010-12-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

Santa came to town the other day, he stopped off at GiGi's work and then came to our neighborhood on the back of a fire truck.

He liked Santa for mere fact that he didn't have to reach very far to pull his hair

Daddy trying very hard to convince Catherine to go talk to Santa

Getting closer

Close enough

Waving to Santa as he drove through the neighborhood

Gingerbread House

2010-12-12T09:04:00.001-08:00

Catherine and I decided that we were going to decorate a gingerbread house together. It was a little stressful, she wanted to eat the candy and marshmallows and then tell me where to put things. I decided (with the help of John) that I may be a little to much of a control freak to decorate a gingerbread house with a two year old, but we did have some fun and our end result is pretty cute!

Mauldin Christmas Parade

2010-12-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

November 28, 2010

Every year we walk to the bottom of Nana's street, set the chairs out, wait for the parade to begin, collect some candy

Waiting for the parade to start and getting her candy bag ready for the loot

This is her not so impressed face

and Jack's not so impressed face

Waving and shouting "Merry Christmas" to everyone

Jack waving for the first time, he learned from the best

So excited that Santa was getting so close

Thanksgiving

2010-12-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2010

After over a week of both kids having Hand, Mouth and Foot, Catherine bursting both ear drums and Jack being diagnosed with Asthma and starting breathing treatments we were ready for a good Thanksgiving dinner at GiGi and Papa's house.

Getting both of them to look at the camera at the same time is next to impossible

This boy was a champ, unknown to us at the time he had a double ear infection, yet he was still a happy camper and ate well on his first Thanksgiving.

"Cheese"

Thanksgiving Performance

2010-12-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2010

Catherine's class put on a great Thanksgiving Performance for us. They sang three songs complete with actions and a little dancing. Unfortunately, Catherine was sick the entire week before the performance but that didn't stop her from shaking her hips with the music.

Her class were the Thanksgiving Turkeys!

I'm not sure that I've shared before how much I love this school, Catherine has learned so much in the three short months that she's been going, her teachers are two wonderful ladies who deserve medals for spending all that time with a classroom full of two years olds. I'm excited for her to continue to learn and grow throughout the rest of the school year.

8 Months

2010-12-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2010

~Facts About Jack~

~ He weighs 20 pounds

~He is wearing size 6-12 months and size 4 diapers

~It is getting harder and harder to take his picture as sitting still is no longer his thing

~He has no real desire to crawl, it might burn some of that fat off that he's holding onto. He will launch himself forward and lay on his tummy where he gets very frustrated

~ His second tooth came in on the bottom and his third is on it's way in, it's his eye tooth so we've started to call him snaggle tooth

~ He is still a happy boy but is very spoiled, he will only nap for an extended period if he is being held, if not he'll get in 10 minutes at the max.

Jack and The Green Bean

2010-10-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

October 28, 2010

Jack is a grabby gus, anything in his reach is fair game. After dinner Catherine pushed her plate a little to close and Jack thought died and gone to heaven, big people food! We let him have a single green bean as he couldn't actually bite it, well it wasn't a tasty as he thought but he wasn't about to give up on it.

Outdoor Fun

2010-10-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons we bought our house was because it was on a small cul-de-sac, it has proven to be one of the best things we could have done. Catherine is able to ride her tricycle in the "circle" and we can sit in the driveway and watch. She is getting so good at riding it.

**The kids across the street decorated the street, thankfully it rained**

Beep Beep!!

He loves the car!

Getting better and better at peddling and steering on her own.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2010

We went to the Holy Cross pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins. Catherine was very picky, most of the pumpkins were "to big" but when she saw the "perfect" one she knew.

7 Months Old

2010-10-28T18:40:00.001-07:00

October 16, 2010

~~Facts About Jack~~

He weighs a whopping 19.8 pounds

He is in size 4 diapers

He finally cut his first tooth on the bottom, the second one is coming hopefully right behind it and it looks like the top two are trying hard to cut through

He is in size 12 months clothes or 6-12 months depending on the brand

He loves to sit on the floor and play with his toys, the annoying ball that sings and rolls around is his favorite and gets less annoying when you see him get all excited

He is a grabby grabby gus, anything that is near he'll go for it, I have to be quick with the reflexes as many of his dinners have almost ended up on the floor

He is loves to eat, shocking, he's on stage 2 foods 3 times a day and loves his MumMums

He's a chatty little thing, if Catherine is talking (which is ALL the time) he tries hard to chime in, we mostly get "ehhhs" but every once in a while we'll hear a "dadadadada"

He is the happiest baby on the block still and smiles all the time

Halloween Photo Shoot

2010-10-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2010

We had a Halloween photo shoot with the talented Olivia Collins. Our two little Pirates!! Jack was very cooperative, Catherine, well she's 2 but Olivia did manage to capture a couple of good shots.

Apple Picking

2010-10-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

October 5, 2010

We took our annual trip to Skytop Apple Orchard.

This being her 3rd year of going, she is now a pro!

How Could I Forget?

2010-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had our BIG ultrasound on September 24 and we're having another BOY!!!

Now if only we had a name we could decide on we'd be well on our way with this little man.

Please Do Not Disturb...I'm Reading

2010-10-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Waiting for his dinner one night he decided to read the new book that his Great Nannie and Great Granddad sent for him.

A star is born?

2010-10-03T07:47:00.001-07:00

September 29, 2010

Catherine's school each September raises money for the March of Dimes, they end the month with a dinner and a "show" for the parents. It was to say the least HYSTERICAL!!

No Fruit for YOU!

2010-09-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well maybe just the Jack Attack!

Jack's first attempt at food was apples, he loved them! Jack's second attempt at food was apples, he loved them again BUT he broke out in an odd "rash" around his right eye and on his forehead. We moved on from apples trying pears, prunes, bananas and peaches each time he tried them after the 4th or 5th bite the "rash" would appear. We laid off fruit and just stuck with the veggies that he loved.

At his 6 month well check I took a jar of apples to show our pediatrician what was happening. Well the "rash" is hives and Jack is no longer allowed to eat any form of fruit or any kind of juice. We were told that the hives can quickly turn into something much worse. We'll try fruits again at 9 months at the Dr.'s office but until then we are reading all the labels as many of the veggies that are mixed contain a fruit. Good thing he loves his veggies!

6 Months Old

2010-09-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2010

A whole half a year has gone by since the little man was born, it's so hard to think of life before he was here.

Facts about Jack~

~He weighs 17 pounds 6 ounces and is 26 1/4 inches long, placing him in the 50% percentile for both

~He is now eating 3 meals a day with 4 6oz bottles

~ He loves to snuggle

~ He is still a cat napper BUT he sleeps all night, well unless he looses his paci

~ He can sit up all on his own until he gets excited about sitting up and then he falls over

~ He can hold his bottle, normally he does this if it's taken away one to many times

~ He is so ticklish and will cackle to no end if you happen to catch the right spot

~He is growing to like car rides more and more, not that he has a choice we always seem to be on the run.

~ He still thinks the world of his big sister

School Picture Day

2010-09-14T12:50:00.001-07:00

September 13, 2010

I'm pretty sure that she is growing up way to fast. She had her school pictures this morning all dressed up like she could go to big girl school.

and so the two year old cheesy grin begins

Holly Wild

2010-09-14T06:53:00.001-07:00

September 12, 2010

We took a trip to Holly Wild Animal Park, I've only been once at Christmas and John hadn't been in years. I can't believe it took us so long to take the kids, Catherine had a blast and even Jack's eyes were glued to all the animals.

Notice the grip he has on her hair, she doesn't say a word, every once in a while you'll hear "help me mommy" but she NEVER complains and the boy has a GRIP!

Chicken Little!

So excited!

The animals were huge...

would eat right out of your hands...

and give you dirty looks.

They both loved it!

Catherine's first pony ride. I asked before we bought the tickets if she didn't like it could we get our money back, no need she only cried when it was over.

So confidant she could pet Cinnamon and ride all at the same time

Not wanting to dismount.

Greedy goats

It was a nice afternoon, we'll be back next spring or for the Christmas light show!

Backyard Fun

2010-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

August 2010

The evenings have finally started to cool off a little so we can use our backyard again!

First Day of Preschool

2010-08-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

August 30, 2010

Today was Catherine's first day of preschool, she is going Monday, Wednesday and Friday's from 9-12. She has two wonderful teachers and was excited to meet new friends, it just seems like yesterday that she was going to the baby room with Mrs. Lu now she's in K2, goodness knows what I'll be like when she starts kindergarten.

The fact that she got to take a backpack was the highlight of her morning.

Jack and I had a very quiet house this morning, we didn't really know what to do with ourselves.

Never Say Never...

2010-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

These are my words to live by from now on! Why you may ask?

Well, I said I would NEVER drive a minivan and when I said it I meant it! Alas, I'm now the proud owner of a new 2010 VW Routon and you know what? I LOVE it! I take back everything bad I ever said about them. Granted it being a VW helps greatly, for those of us that go WAY BACK you know my love for VWs starting with that little red beauty Dayzee (and yes I spelled it with a 'y" before the 'y' craze started) that car would still be sitting in my driveway today if I had it my way. I've been thinking of keeping up the with VW tradition and adding a little Grateful Dead sticker to the back window, maybe a family of dancing (marching) bears instead of those stick figure things?

So why did we NEED this new fabulous minivan?

Well, we're expecting our 3rd child in February! For those of you that need to pick your chins up, I'll give you a second.

Ready now? Jack will be 10, hopefully 10 and 1/2 months old when baby number 3 comes, I know you're all thinking what were they thinking? Well, it was shocking to say the least! We thought our family was complete, well we were mistaken someone bigger than us had other plans. I'm not going to lie, it took me a while to get my head around it but now I'm excited and ready to take on 3 under 3 and 2 under 1!

So that's the story behind the minivan :-)

Cate and Izzy

2010-08-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2010

These two have been the best of friends since they were wee little babies, it's been wonderful to see how they've grown together. There isn't a day that goes by that Catherine doesn't ask "Where my Izzy?"

Swings!

2010-08-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2010

This morning we met Emily and Izzy at the park, it was a little cooler today (ha! it only reached 90). We had a great time and Jack even got to partake instead of just hanging out in his stroller.

Believe it or not this was only Catherine's 2nd time in a swing, from the time she was about 9 months old she's hated them, we think it may have to do with all her ear problems. She loves to swing now.

Kicking his feet up!

5 Months Old

2010-08-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

August 16, 2010

It's hard to believe that next month this little man will be 6 months old!

Trying very hard to sit up, he's almost there!

Where's my daddy? He wouldn't put me through this!

Fact's about Jack....

~ He's weighs almost 16 pounds

~He is now drinking regular Similac (thank goodness), still 6oz every 4 hours

~He eats TWO "solid" meals a day, a fruit with cereal in the morning and a veg for dinner, he hasn't met one yet he didn't like (I didn't have any doubts)

~ He rolled over soon after he turned 4 months old, now there's no stopping him!

~ He can no longer be swaddled at night, see above

~ He loves his Excersaucer, he would stay all day in it given the opportunity

~He still thinks his sister is the best thing since sliced bread and she thinks the same of him.

~ All that dark hair he was born with is gone, it's now a nice shade of blonde and goes well with his blue eyes and LONG eyelashes.

The Swanger Farm Stand

2010-08-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

July 2010

Well OK Farm Stand might be pushing it but we've (I say we like I had so much to do with it) have had a bumper crop this year. Catherine and her daddy go to "harvest" each night when he gets home from work. Green beans are Catherine's favorite, they don't very often make it into the house.

If you'd like some squash or tomatoes just say the word, we have more than we can handle!

These pictures are from one days harvest!

These next two pictures have nothing to do with the garden, but I was playing with my new wonderful camera and the Butterfly Bush is at the entrance to garden.

Hello Solids...

2010-08-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

July 17th, 2010

...I've been waiting for you!

Checking out the spoon

Thinking about how good this is going to be

Trying very hard to shove it all in his mouth

Unfortunately, this attempt was a big fat fail, it turns out the little man is not a fan of wheat, his whole face broke out in hives and his eyes were swelling. I knew he would be fine with rice cereal because he had that added to his bottles shortly after he was born, so we tried oatmeal mixed with apples, we'll try oatmeal again later (much later) and avoid anything that contains wheat until after he turns 6 months old.

We've now progressed to apples/pears/bananas for breakfast followed by a nice 6oz bottle and for dinner he's tried sweet potatoes and carrots, peas are next. He is still taking 4 6oz bottles a day!

4 Months Old

2010-08-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2010

All Catherine has to do in walk in the room and you loose him

Facts About Jack....

~ He weighs 15 pounds 2 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches tall

~ He is 50 percentile for both weight and height, although to us he is a Chunky Monkey!

~ He finally let out a cackle, in the middle of the Seneca Walmart no less but it was wonderful to hear, he makes you work VERY hard for them

~ He still loves to smile and wakes up every morning with the biggest grin

~ He is still taking 6 ounces of Alimentum every 4 hours but he's on the verge of taking more or adding in a solid (or two)

~ He's found a new friend in one of Catherine's old toys, it's a dragonfly that crinkles and squeaks and he LOVES it, it's the only thing that makes a car ride a little better.

~ He still loves his sleep at night and is a mere cat napper during the day

~ He is trying very hard to cut his first tooth, his top little gum is as white as can be and the drool is none stop, but no sign of one breaking through yet.

Catherine

2010-06-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

June 16th 2010

Catherine was put on this earth to be a big sister, she is beyond wonderful with Jack! He is so blessed and lucky to have her as his big sister. She has made the transition from one child to two so easy, I'd heard horror stories and complaints of how hard it was, some days are trying but for the most part our days are easy thanks to the sweetest girl anyone could ask for.

Last week we came home from a playdate, Jack was starving and I was dying for the bathroom, I made a bottle and placed it on the coffee table, Jack was in the Boppy and I ran to the bathroom.

I came out to find this:

Note the concentration on her face, she takes her job as a big sister very serious!

For some reason in the last few weeks Catherine has decided that she no longer likes to have her picture taken, so all the shots I have of her she is making a very serious face, unless she's caught in the act and has no clue the camera is out

3 Months Old

2010-06-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

June 16th, 2010

This boy gets easier by the day, he's laid back, loves to smile and is as happy as they come (unless he's in the car). We decided to do this months shoot shirtless, as he has the cutest rolls

Facts about Jack...

~He weighs almost 14 pounds
(we don't have an official weight check until he is 4 months old)

~He is wearing size 3-6 months and 6 months, all his 3 month outfits are packed away

~He smiles the biggest gummiest smiles you've seen but he has yet to let out a cackle

~His sister is his favorite person in the whole world, he looks for her all the time and looks at her with the most loving look when she looks at him, it gives me the warm and fuzzies.

~He eats 6 ounces every 4 hours, sometimes every 3 (he works hard for those rolls), he's still on Alimentum hopefully soon we can move on to something less expensive.

~He sleeps like champ for 10-12 hours, but he still has to be swaddled just right and the slightest noise will wake him up

Catherine and Ben

2010-05-28T06:06:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from our trip to Falls Park...

.

Don't worry Ben, we're keeping these pictures safe and sound until your high school graduation.

Baptism

2010-05-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

May 23, 2010

Jack was Baptized today wearing the same gown as his sister, cousin, Aunt, Uncle and Mommy. And just like his sister, he slept through the whole thing.

Catherine never falls asleep in Church, except today.

With his Mommy, Daddy and Godparents

The pictures from the Church are a little fuzzy due to the lighting and the lack of flash, I'm hoping someone got some better shots they can share.

2 Months Old

2010-05-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2010

I said it every month with Catherine and I'm going to say it with Jack too, time is going by to quickly. How can he already be two months old? He is still a great baby, he still loves to be held A LOT but that's OK because like I said time is going by to quick.

Facts about Jack...

~He weighs 12 pounds and is 23 1/4 inches long, putting him in the 4oth percentile for both

~He has started to smile on his own, he started out by making you work for them but now he just gives them out all the time and they're the best dimple filled smiles you've ever seen.

~He's started to "talk" to us and boy does he have a lot to say

~He's already had his first ear infection, a double one to boot

~He's eating 5 ounces every 3.5 hours of the very expensive Alumentum
(but it's working great and worth every penny)

~He is a snuggle bum and loves to be swaddled, if he is swaddled just right,
he'll sleep for 6-7 hours straight at night!!

A few picture outtakes.

Strawberry Picking

2010-05-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

May 11, 2010

We headed to Stewart Farms in Laurens County with some friends to take advantage of the awesome strawberry season. The morning was a little chilly (for SC) and damp from the rain the night before but that meant that we pretty much had the whole field to ourselves.

I think he was a little jealous that he couldn't eat some

Looking for the perfect one...

she found it...

and ate it

This boy has the patience of a Saint

Girl talk (thank goodness for stain remover!)

A weekend of firsts

2010-05-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2010

We packed up and headed down to the lake for the weekend, making this our first trip down of the summer and Jack's first trip ever. We had a great time relaxing (what the lake was made for), fishing, and boating (although we didn't go very far at all).

Jack's first boat ride

Catherine's first time fishing

Checking out her tackle

Helping daddy

Her first catch

First smile caught on camera

Chef Catherine

2010-05-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2010

Catherine loves to "help" in the kitchen so when I saw this apron and chefs hat in a cute little store that fell victim to the economy I had to get it. She takes her job very seriously!

One Month Old

2010-04-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

April 16 2010

Our little man is doing great, he has a little issue with reflux, not the kind that we get back what we just put in but the kind that he likes to hold onto, gag and frighten his mommy and daddy, he's on Zantac and rice cereal both of which seem to be helping him a lot, not to mention our nerves.

He weighs a whopping 9lbs 12 oz (the same as his sister weighed at 2 months)
He has already outgrown all of his newborn clothes, they're already packed up :-(
He is wearing size 1 diapers, having only worn the newborn size for a week
He's a great little pooper, if you knew the troubles we had with Catherine you'd understand why this on the list.
He loves the bouncy seat
He LOVES to watch the ceiling fans which he just found in the last couple of days
He is a great sleeper, sleeping most nights for 4, sometimes 5 and even a couple of times 6 hours at a time, mommy loves this.
He looks for his sister and tries very hard to make sure he knows exactly where she is, at all times (who can blame him, she is the BEST big sister, always giving out loves and kisses)

The nurses in the hospital nicknamed Jack, One Eyed Jack because he would open one eye, look around and then close it, it's the cutest thing. I've been trying to capture it on camera for a while, finally I got this shot, it's close enough.

Day Tripper

2010-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

April 6th, 2010

Happy Birthday Nana, today she would have been 87 years young. I miss her so very much!

Catherine, Jack, my mum and I decided to take the trip to Franklin, NC where both she and my Grandfather are buried.

On the way we stopped off in Dillard, GA, a small little town with a great restaurant and grounds we've been to Franklin a lot and passed by the restaurant, this trip we decided to check it out, it was fantastic!

The perfect end to a great meal, Strawberry Shortcake

White linen pants, pink sandals and a dirty fence

Feeding the goats and laughing the entire time

She wasn'r so sure of the donkey that wanted her bow

Beautiful girl

Handsome boy

After we left Dillard we headed up to Franklin, the cemetery where they are is surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, God's country if you ask me.

Easter

2010-04-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2010

Catherine's second Easter and Jack's first Easter was GREAT. On Saturday we headed to the Clements house for an egg hunt with all of our friends. On Sunday, we started the day by seeing what the Easter Bunny had left, then off to Church, then to Gigi and Papas house, then finally home for Easter dinner and another egg hunt.

Welcome to world Jack!

2010-03-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2010

Jack is here!

Jack William Swanger
March 16, 2010
1:11 PM
7 Pounds, 8 ounces
20 inches

He is such a love! John and I are both amazed at how much your heart can grow with the birth of a second child!

Happy Day!

2010-03-07T05:46:00.001-08:00

March 6, 2010

Today we celebrated Catherine's "Happy Day", her birthday isn't until the end of the month, the 28th to be exact but due to the arrival of her brother we decided to celebrate early with her little friends.

Our house was transformed in to "Catherine's Sweet Shoppe" and a sweet time was had by all. The weather helped, it was beautiful here today!

"Happy Day" - Catherine's Sweet Shoppe

2010-03-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

Catherine's Sweet Shoppe Details

The Invitations

Fireplace complete with wrapped candy and lollipops

Snack Table

Cake Table

Cake pops - easy to make and even better to eat!

Gift bags

Welcome Sign

Lollipop entrance

Jack Attacks!

2010-02-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2010

Catherine was the easiest pregnancy a girl could dream of, no problems at all, a 38 weeks we found out she was breeched and I'd have to have a C-section. That was it, she actually made my life a little easier, I had a haircut the morning she was born, went to the hospital at two and had her by 5.

This pregnancy on the other hand has been something else, at 18 weeks they thought I had appendicitis, I didn't, just a tear in the wall of my abdomen that I can still feel today at 35 weeks. At 19 weeks I was pulled out of work and haven't been back since. At 32 weeks I had the worst migraine I've ever had (and I've had them since high school) I ended up at Labor and Delivery where I was having contractions. I was sent home on "light duty bedrest", three days later I was back at L/D with contractions that were only 3 minutes apart, thankfully they were able to get them to stop with a couple of shots of brethine, we were sent home and I was now on strict bedrest.

The contractions stopped for a day, when I saw my OB she put me on Procardia, it made me feel terrible but I needed to take it so that Jack could stay in for a while longer. After 4 days on Procardia I ended up in the ER for breathing issues and of course more contractions. After a few tests it was confirmed that I could no longer take the Procardia and back home we went with even more emphasis on bedrest.

At 33 weeks we had a visit with a high risk Dr. Jack weighed over 5 pounds and from all the measurements he looked fantastic, his mommy on the other hand was diagnosed with Shingles. We were told that if I could make it to 35 weeks both Dr's would be happy, 36 would be optimum.

So here we are at 35 weeks, Jack is as active as ever and based on the size of my ever growing tummy he's getting bigger by the day. Technically I'm allowed to be "off" bedrest as of but I'm not sure how well that's going to work out given the slightest activity will bring on contractions. My goal now is to make to 39 weeks!

Snow in Greenville

2010-02-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

February 13, 2009

It's rare thing 'round these parts but when we get it it's so much fun!!

Columbia Zoo

2010-02-21T17:18:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2010

We decided to head down to the Columbia Zoo just for a change, it was colder than we thought and started raining after we had lunch but we had a good time! The camera ran out of batteries so we only got a couple of pictures.

Catherine loved the elephants...

especially ones that burp while drinking...

and the sneaky ones!

A year in review

2010-02-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

This girl went from being a baby to a toddler this year, I'm really not sure where time has gone!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

October

November

December

*I can't seem to find the pictures from August and September*

Christmas Afternoon

2010-02-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

"Helping" daddy put her cottage together, what you can't see in the picture is Auntie Jen helping put together the half and the market!

Making sure she has everything in order in her new house

Even the dog was exhausted!

ENOUGH already mom!

Santa Came to Town

2010-02-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2009

Christmas Morning

Oh boy was Santa ever good to Catherine this year, she must have been a very good girl all year!!

Santa brought her a new table and chairs, the whole Mr. Potato Head family, coloring books, crayons...

Then Nana and Auntie Jen joined us, she was so excited to get her Rose Petal Cottage and all the goodies that go along with it.

Christmas Eve

2010-02-21T04:32:00.000-08:00

As we do each year we headed to Carole and Tom's for the Molony Family Christmas Party. Catherine loved Uncle Tom's village last year but this year she was enthralled by it.

Catherine with baby Durham

and her with both baby Tinsley and baby Durham, she's going to make a great big sister!

School Christmas Party

2010-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

December 23, 2009

I'll say no more than the teachers deserve medals and we had a great time eating cookies and listening to the whole class "sing" Jingle Bells.

"Little Miss Helpful"

There's only one way to eat a cookie with frosting

The aftermath

So excited to get her stocking full of goodies from her teachers

Roper Mountain Lights

2010-02-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2009

Sitting up front with Daddy to get a better view of the lights

I can not be responsible for the looks that she gives...(or the very dirty face)

Off to check Santa's village

"Come on you guys"

A Visit to Santa

2010-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

December 7, 2009

Well, it didn't go as we thought it would, she loved everything to do with Santa or Ho Ho as she likes to call him. From the line we waved and yelled Hi, did a little dance when I said we were next and then the close up...

maybe next year!

Catherine's First Hair Cut

2010-02-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

December 4, 2009

It was time, the toddler mullet was starting to appear so off we went to Jelly Beans. I think I worried the poor girl to death with my demands so Catherine ended up with a little and by a little I mean A LITTLE trim but it does look much better!

This look makes me laugh, it's her "did my mom say you could cut that piece of hair" look!

Thanksgiving in the frozen north

2010-01-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2009

OK, so it wasn't THAT cold but it was cold for us southern folk. We made the drive, long drive thanks to a rock slide on I40, a pregnant women and a toddler in 9 hours (normally a 7 hour trip at the most) but it was well worth it to see the Lake's.

Ben and Catherine yet again had a grand time playing with each other, Catherine loved all of Ben's toys!! We packed a lot into our short trip, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the zoo and the Childrens Museum, oh and of course a little shopping on Thanksgiving morning!

Ben is all excited to read Cars with Uncle John, Catherine by the look on her face is less than excited.

Ready for dinner

Cracking up with Nana

Playing with her new puzzle

Cincinnati Children's Museum

The Cincinnati Zoo

It's a...

2010-01-31T06:16:00.000-08:00

November 9, 2009

BOY!!! Jack William

Named after his great grandfathers and his daddy, Jack is my granddad, William was my granddad on my mums side (he died when my mum was 3), William is also John's middle name and his Hubba's middle name. We are more than thrilled that Catherine is going to have a little brother, he better be tough ;-)

We found out a little early thanks to an appendicitis scare, I didn't have appendicitis but I do have a tear in my abdomen wall, it's not any fun and quite painful. I'm out of work for the next 8 weeks at which time my doctor will evaluate things again. We did get to see Jack in 3D which was awesome, we didn't get any 3D ultra sounds with Catherine so it was neat to see him, he has Catherine's little button nose.

Halloween 2009

2010-01-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

Halloween this year was messy, Catherine recovered from her surgery quickly but it was a little cold and rainy to go out trick or treating. Not to mention her poor little best friend Izzy had H1N1, Catherine didn't want to make Izzy feel bad by trick or treating without her so she just went to the neighbors house and spent the rest of the night waiting for the door bell to ring.

Quick costume change from black cat to a witch in a matter of seconds

Making sure her bag is ready for candy

Leaving the neighbors house and checking out her goods

Looking for the trick or treaters...

Still looking for them

Yay! They came!!

Showing us her claws and mean face (read: protecting her candy from mommy)

Those darn ears!

2010-01-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

October 29, 2009

Catherine has spent nearly every month of her life with an ear infection, they started when she was 2 months old, she had her first set of tubes at 7 months and the ear infections continued, now that they are really failing her (one is out completely and the other is not working) she went back in for a new set, stainless steel this time and she also had her adenoids out.

Brave girl...

Making sure that she had control of the remote

Patient Bunny...the nursing staff at Hillcrest were FANTASTIC

Fake crying for the sake of the nurse while having her blood pressure taken.

Boo in the Zoo

2010-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

October 20, 2009

Cate the Cat headed to Boo in the Zoo with full gusto this year!

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

2010-01-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

October 18, 2009

To continue our fall trips we headed to Clemson to go to Denver Downs, we had a blast. Catherine thought that the goats were pretty funny, the maze was a blast and she even got to pick her very own baby pumpkin.

She has no fear of animals at all

Leading the way in the maze

Taking a break and planning her exit strategy

Apple Picking 2009

2010-01-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

October 10, 2009

There's so much to do and so many places to visit in the fall.

We started with a trip to Sky Top Apple Orchard in Flat Rock, NC. We picked the coldest day of the year thus far and it seemed like everyone else had picked the trees bare, but we had lot's of fun none the less.

Off on a mission!

It's probably a good thing the trees were bare, she would have wanted to carry the full bucket.

How tall, last fall?

How tall, this fall?

Big news!

2010-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

September 2009

Catherine is going to be a BIG SISTER, we are thrilled. Baby number is 2 is due on April 3rd...only three days earlier than Catherine's original due date.

Mountain Folk

2010-01-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

July 31-August 2, 2009

The three of us, plus Nana and Auntie Jen took a trip to the mountains and met up with Uncle Chris, Auntie Jen and cousin Ben in Pigeon Forge TN. We rented a great cabin nestled in the woods high on the side of mountain. Ben and Catherine had a grand time playing with each other, Ben is a gentle giant next to his cousin who, shall we say can hold her own despite her petite size!

Back away from the coloring book! The look on poor Ben's face, he must have thought it was going to be a long weekend.

Who us? NEVER!!!

Catherine, Ben and Nana...trying to get three people, two of them toddlers to look at the camera at the same time is next to impossible.

Ring around the rosie...

Feeding the ducks

Nothing like a sleeping baby after a long day of eating, feeding ducks, playing and shopping

unless you have two sleeping babies!

Saying good bye!

Pigtails and backyard adventures

2010-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

July 11, 2009

Catherine's first pigtails, yes they are tiny tails but they are tails none the less.

There are steps or a "rock wall" on the other side of the slide, but that would be the easy way up!

SUCCESS!!

4th of July at the lake house

2010-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

What's the 4th without water, boats, good food, good friends and family?

From ready to go...(this girl loves the water, good thing seeing as her daddy was in the NAVY and spent 4 years at sea, it's in her blood)

to pooped in 10 minutes, that's what a good boat ride will do to a girl.

and Jeff very well may kill me for these next two, but I can't resist.

It is a very fast Jet Ski and he did try hard to save it (this is after he'd been out on the water for while), but none the less I laughed. Sorry Jeff!

4th of July 2009

2010-01-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

Fourth of July celebrations started at Fluor with the annual company picnic, we invited the Allens along for the fun.

Best of Friends

Catherine's first carnival ride, her daddy was a little nervous!

Watching the fireworks, Fluor puts on a show that rivals downtown Greenville, if you ask me.

Dog Days of Summer

2010-01-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

Last summer Catherine was just a wee bitty baby so we spent most of the summer inside trying to stay out of the heat, this summer we embraced the heat and made the most of out it, including a trip to Charleston.

June 9, 2009 at Folly Beach, South Carolina

Ready and waiting to hit the sand!

South Carolina Girls, Best in the World (Mommy prefers the East Carolina Girls, Best in the World version, but for this sweet girl, South Carolina fits too!)

3 Generations

2009-08-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

May 29-30 2009

My Mum, Catherine and I decided to take a quick trip to Beaufort, South Carolina. There isn't anywhere I love more than the low country of South Carolina, Beaufort tops Charleston for me, it is a wonderful place.

We started our trip by finding a cute roadside restaurant and then we hit Main Street, we couldn't miss the cute stores and then we took a stroll along the waterfront.

Catherine and Nana taking a break looking out at the river.

Catherine's first chocolate ice cream, to say she loved it is an understatement!

Cooling off in the pool

BIG storm rolling in while we were in the restaurant eating dinner

Reading herself a story before bed...

the book is fitting.

Oh how I love the low country

Thinking about how she loves this town too!!

Random pictures

2009-08-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

A few more pictures from Spring '09

2009-08-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Best of friends

In the Secret Garden

Picking out her summer wardrobe

1st Easter

2009-08-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 12, 2009

Catherine had a very exciting first Easter. We started the day off seeing what the Easter bunny left for her...

Then we were off to Church for a lovely Easter Service, after Church we headed to Granny and Papa's and that's when the day fell apart. Catherine wanted to show off her walking skills and was walking into Granny and Papa's house like a big girl in her pretty Easter dress that her Nana bought for her, unfortunately she lost her footing and hit her mouth on some brick steps, the blood started and we took off to the ER.

We got to the ER, Catherine screaming in pain, blood all over the three of us and everyone in there staring at us with a look of sympathy. We waited no more than 5 minutes in the ER, that's the great thing about Greenville Children's Hospital, you don't wait, when in doubt GO THERE!

We saw the DR on call and there was nothing that she could do for the poor girl except give her a huge does of Motrin she chipped her front left tooth, knocked both front teeth loose and cut the inside of her lip. We were told that she would bleed for a while because that's what the mouth does and that we should see a dentist first thing Monday.

After a long nap on her Mommy she felt a little better and was able to play with her new stroller that the Easter Bunny brought.

Then we put on her second Easter dress of the day, thank goodness she has a number of dresses in her closet and headed off to her Great Aunt Fran's house for a little egg hunt.

Catherine's First Birthday

2009-08-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

March 28, 2009

So excited to be turning O-N-E!

Eating breakfast at her favorite place, Cracker Barrel

Party table

Opening her presents

Let's eat CAKE

Stairs and SNOW!!

2009-03-01T15:33:00.001-08:00

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Catherine in action.

Snow is nothing new for our friends in Boston (I think they are working on close to 60 inches for the season), but it's Catherine's first snow fall. She thought it was funny!!

11 Months Old

2009-03-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 28, 2009

This time next month, she'll be a toddler, it's going by to quickly!

This month, she of course learned to walk, climb the stairs (umm, yeah a little nerve wracking), she can blow you biggest kiss you've ever received and she can nod yes (we're not teaching her no just yet, she's likely to use it to often)

Here are some pictures from trip to the Aquarium on her 11 month birthday.

American Woman

2009-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 27, 2009

Today, after 21 years of living in the United States, I became a US Citizen.

A few facts:

We moved to the US, San Francisco to be exact in October of 1987, I was 10.
I was granted Permanent Residency when I was 14, in Boston.
I've been issued 2 Green Cards since, my original card was pink
I was able to get my Citizenship when I turned 18, NOT because I married John, I just couldn't change my name without getting a new Green Card or becoming a Citizen, I chose to become a Citizen
I've been paying taxes since I first started working at The Gap when I was 16, all Permanent Residents pay taxes.
I will still hold my British Citizenship and Catherine will become a subject of Her Majesty the Queen.
The process to become a Citizen is hard, long and well worth it (Oh and pretty expensive too!)

Getting my Certificate

In front of the flag, with a less than impressed Catherine

Outside the Immigration office in Charleston

These Boots (or in this case Robeez) were made for...

2009-02-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2009

WALKING!!!!!

Yup, that's right 4 days shy of her 11 month birthday she took off, OK, slight exageration, she took 5 steps BUT 5 steps went to 6, then 7 all the way up to 15! Her Nana and Auntie Jen gave her all the encourgement she needed and their hugs at the end of each walk helped!!

The video is bad b/c it was taken on my cell.

10 Months

2009-01-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2009

DOUBLE DIGITS!!

Whew, what a month, Catherine is starting pack in a lot in a short month. She can say Mama (insert Mama's cheesy grin here), she could become a star at Dance Dance Revolution because she's a dancing machine, especially if her daddy's the one playing the guitar and singing. She is standing on her own, she's still chasing the poor Sydness around the house with her walker and laughs a wicked laugh while doing it, she's learned Wheels on the Bus, if you sing it, she rolls her hands around each other, think roly poly and last but not least, she can cough on demand, yup, she got the drama gene!

A few pictures from tonight, showing off her standing skills.

Look Ma, no hands

Catherine had her friend Isabel over on Friday night along with Isabel's mommy and daddy Emily and Jeff. The girls had a great time, they played so well together, Catherine did however show Isabel that she has 9 teeth now, in Catherine's defense Isabel did offer her finger, but still, she may have wanted a kiss on the finger not a bite.

Here's Catherine showing off her walking (and strength) skills

For biting me, I'll have your bow...

Jammies

2009-01-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

These are Catherine's big girl jammies from cousins Ellie and Andy in England, they make her look so big, but when something happens to the top they turn into "Hubba Jammies" - Hubba was John's grandad.

Pancakes

2009-01-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2009

Catherine had her first pancakes this morning, she loved them so much that she shared with Sydney.

New Robe

2009-01-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2009

Catherine just got her Christmas presents from her Great-Nannie and Great-Grandad in England, along with a box of keepsakes she got this robe complete with matching slippers.

So many toys

2009-01-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

It's official, Catherine is spoiled...well OK, we've all known it for some time but something had to be done about the toys (we won't even talk about the clothes). We have this deep closet just off the family room, it is now Catherine's toy room.

I bought a shelving system and was it the midst of putting everything in there when I "lost" Catherine...

Needless to say she thought she was pretty clever (and in 7th heaven). She doesn't play in the closet, we just go in and get the toys that we want to play with and bring them into the family room, so far so good on the bringing them out, putting them back is another story. EVERYTHING is good in theory, I suppose.

A little side note. The black cable is running through the wall like that because I decided that the TV should be on the only wall doesn't have a cable jack, John ran the cable from some box that's in that closet so I could have the family room the way I wanted it, not the way the builder thought it should be. And the white plug, yeah that's a light, for some odd reason the builder didn't put a light in a deep dark closet...odd, very odd!

The Bug!

2009-01-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

January 07, 2009

It was a rough week in the Swanger household, Catherine caught a stomach bug, I'm pretty sure she got it from the Dr.'s office when we went to see if she had an ear infection, it was ugly. The poor child made three visits to the Dr in one week, she lost 1/2 a pound in two days and almost made a trip to the hospital for fluids. We avoided the hospital by doing a full night of Pedilyte, 1/2 ounce every hour on the hour, cured mommy and daddy of having another baby anytime soon but it worked so it was all worth it, she maintained her weight from the day before and the Dr. was happy with that. Her daddy felt so sorry for her that he decided to join her in the misery!

Even George was feeling a little under the weather.

I've always loved Catherine's school, they are wonderful but after this week I have to say that they are fantastic. Our Dr. told us that this bug was rampant through daycares (and schools), he'd heard of a few daycares closing down classrooms because so many children were sick. Only three in Catherine's entire school got it, they are clean, they follow procedures and they really do care about their kids!

9 Months Old

2009-01-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

December 28, 2008

Well, it's that time again, another month has passed us by, she's going to be ONE in three short months....CRAZY!!!

In the last month she's learned to give you a kiss (a good smacker roo it is too), she's found her feet with the help of her shopping cart or anything that is the right height and moves with ease, she's learned the word no and ignores us for the most part when we say it her (although she gives you a nice smile as she's doing the thing that she shouldn't be doing...that must be her Daddy in her coming out) and she's learned to shake her tail feather, it's more like swaying the boat but none the less if she hears music she's a rockin'.

Our Doctor doesn't do a 9 month check up but we saw him for what I thought may have been an ear infection, it wasn't, the tubes are working!! She weighs a whopping 18 pounds 8 ounces, she's still a peanut but healthly as can be!!

Hold on Puppy, crazy baby driver

Check out the concentration on her face

What? Mom you don't think this funny?

I get by with help from my cart (and my big bow on the wrong side of my head)

Christmas Part 2

2008-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas, watching Catherine open her presents was a great memory, her antics made us laugh, she's a performer. She got a Laugh and Learn house, puppy and cell phone from Santa (all of which make a noise!), an Elmo Live (something else that makes a noise) and a baby laptop from Mommy and Daddy, a shopping cart (that says "lets go shopping" - perfect gift for her Nana to give), a fancy ball, a lot of cool clothes and a million other things from Nana, some fun bath toys and some cute clothes from Auntie Jenn, Uncle Chris and Auntie Jen got her some toys that make noise, (which is fine b/c we repaid the favor by giving Ben the greatest, well loudest fridge magnet a kid has ever seen) and a mommy and baby Hedgehog, the daddy well lets just say, if your English, you know what happened to the daddy...it's a sad story, one that involves a road and a car... much to sad to talk about in a Christmas post.

Some pictures from Christmas day.

YAY! Santa came...so did Nana, Auntie Jenn, Uncle Chris, Ben, Auntie Jen...

Whoa! This house is awesome, you crawl through and voila, more presents.

Cousins...I wonder what they're thinking?

This is the easy way to get into your presents, everyone should try it

It works with ribbon to!

It's a hit!

Practice makes PERFECT!

Thanks Nana, I LOVE IT!

She wasn't really into the whole cracker crown, she did however eat a full English Christmas dinner...that's my girl!

Nana and her Grandchildren

Christmas Part 1

2008-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

December 23 and 24, 2008

The Swanger Clan, minus Papa, he'd had enough picture taking by the time our camera made it to the front.

Catherine's Great Uncle Bill, or Santa Molony...which ever.

Just the three of us, at the Molony Family Christmas Eve

Look out, she's on the move!

Catherine's new wheels from Granny and Papa