And Now He Walks...

I promised Uncle B that we'd get a video of Fionn walking. Believe it or not, on his first birthday he decided that walking upright was his preferred method for getting around the house. He still mostly resembles a drunken sailor...but he's fun to watch! Go Fionn Go!

Happy Birthday Lily!

Happy 2nd Birthday Lily Bug! It wasn't that long ago that your Uncle Alan, Kit, and myself were anxiously awaiting your arrival in the PCH 'family room'. It was pretty amazing to be one the first people to hear your daddy and Aunt Sara announce your arrival just minutes after you were born. We even got to meet you that night...except for Kit. She had to wait until you came home. But we knew the two of you would be lifelong friends.

You are an adorable and silly little girl. I LOVE your quirkiness! You do and say silly things all the time that make me smile. You and Kit are absolutely the best of friends. But that doesn't mean that you don't argue. But with all lasting relationships...you fight and get over it...which is how these things should be. You love your little cous', Finner. You always give him your toothiest grin and do your best to make him giggle. You're very successful at that.

In the next month you will be a big sister. I have no doubt that you will love your baby brother or sister with all of your very, big heart. I also have a sneaking suspicion that you will thoroughly enjoy bossing that newcomer around! That's the bonus of being the eldest child...take it from someone who knows!
Welcom to the wonderful world of TWO. Do us a favor...take it easy on your parents...they'll be working hard (on little sleep) in the next few months. Happy Birthday Bug - we love you!

Happy First Birthday Fionn!

Dear Fionn,
Happy 1st Birthday little man! I'm not sure where the time has gone. I've spent the last few days remembering what I was doing one year ago. 365 days later...I can't imagine life without you. A few things about you at this point in your life. You are such a BOY! I mean that with all the love and exasperation that a mother has for her son. At the ripe ol' age of 1, you show no signs of wanting to listen to me (even your bossy big sister demonstrates a glimmer of hope). And when you do get in trouble, you flash me this charming grin and make your eyes all twinkly...I can't help but smile and smother you with kisses!
And what about the relationship with the other woman in your life...your big sis, Kit? You love her with all your heart and soul. There is no denying that she is your best pal, the person you trust completely (besides mom & dad). All that being said, you are no pushover. She's gotten her licks in...but we all know what they say about payback! You've started with your own sneak attacks, which mainly consists of pulling her hair and stealing her favorite things. I'm proud of you for standing up to her...she needs someone to put her in her place from time to time.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate your first with the rest of the family in town. Because you share your birthday with your cousin Ryan (Happy 32nd, by the way), I'm sure you won't mind if he helps you blow out the candles on the birthday cake! You also have the same birthday as your Grandpa Michael. I have a feeling he'll be here to celebrate with you...in spirit. You've got loads of people who are sending you birthday wishes from all over the U.S. and the globe.
Oh, the things you have taught us so far! You bring so much joy and love into our lives. We love you more than words can say! Happy Birthday Fionn.

Love - Mommy

Which International Cities are Most Important to the IrishKids?

As I'm sure you've gathered from previous posts, the IrishKids are lucky enough to have family all over the globe. As a matter of fact, their Nana B is flying in today to spend the next two weeks with her IrishKids (Alan included) and celebrate her grandson's first birthday...one week from today...I can't believe it!


Anyway, since Kit has started talking (which feels like forever) we've been teaching her the various cities that some of her relatives live in...unfortunately not all are represented - it's still a work in progress. At first she did really well distinguishing who lived in which city. Now she's decided that everyone lives in Brussels...with the exception of Chas (she always gets his city right...I think it's because she loves to say DOOO-BYE). Check her out...she's a quick little thing!

October...My Busiest Month All Year!

I'm sure you can relate to this...there always seems to be a month (or maybe months) that has so much packed into it! For some, that month may be December, others it seems to be an entire season, namely SUMMER. For me, it's October!

I've always loved the month of October and I can't really explain why. Maybe because it's when the leaves start changing, or because as a kid, you have settled into the routine of school, activities, etc. or maybe it's Halloween (not really for me though, I'm not a big fan). Or maybe it's because it's the month before my birthday month (yes, even at the ripe age of 32, I celebrate my birthday MONTH).

But as I looked at the calendar the other day...I realized that as an adult, October is a busy month. This month we'll wish our friends, Sandy & Paul a Happy 2nd Anniversary, the IrishKids, Nana B will be visiting, we'll celebrate our neice Lily's 2nd Birthday, celebrate Fionn's 1st Birthday, and to cap it all off Alan and I will celebrate our 3rd Anniversary. Not to mention my cousin Drew and Ryan's birthdays!

So bring on the celebrations!

Baby Day

A couple weeks ago, the IrishKids went to work with Mommy. You see in 2006, my employer experienced quite the baby boom. I think there were something like 30 babies born to employees. So to celebrate, we were invited to Baby Day! It was great to see my colleagues with their little ones. So many cute babies, but that's no surprise, we're a good looking group!


Anyway, I brought both the children to Baby Day. Fionn loved it! He had no problem flirting with the girls and the camera. Kit, on the other hand, wasn't so sure at first. She thought it would be in her best interest to stick to Mommy. No joke, she was like stuck to me for the first 15-20 minutes.
Eventually, she warmed up a bit. That's when she decided to flex her two year old muscles, and by muscles, I mean vocal chords! Ahhhh, the joys of parenting a two year old. At the time, I must admit, I was a bit flustered...what would my colleagues think??? But when I look back...she did pretty darn good, considering she hadn't had lunch or her afternoon nap (I swear, that is not the norm). And in about a year's time...my colleagues will be living it too! I guess we're lucky, we'll all be able to put ourselves in the other persons shoes.
Anyway, it was a fun event to be a part of...but I was exhausted when I left! The sad part, I was only there for an hour. I swear, I should be alot thinner from all the exercise these two make sure I get! I'm glad I was able to see the other mommies in action. They're all doing a helluva job! Congrats.

Bike Rides and Bears Games

Last Sunday was Family Day for the IrishKids. This was due to the fact that the Kids loving parents knew that they'd be working hellish hours in the week ahead. So,to ease our guilty conscious, we decided that we needed to have a little fun as a family. Lucky for us, the Kids grandparents had decided that Sunday would be the perfect day for a bike ride for family and friends! We packed up the bikes, bike trailer and the Kids and headed over to Grandma's.

That sounds ALOT smoother than it actually was. For the 45 minutes prior to leaving our house, we were subjected to the ranting and raving of our eldest IrishKid. Apparently she decided that was the best time to have a MAJOR MELTDOWN. This is largely attributed to the fact that she stubbornly refused to take a nap AND she's 2 (enough said)! But we weren't going to let one meltdown deter us from family fun...and so we pressed on!

And this is what happens to two IrishKids within the first 15 minutes of their bike adventure!

And believe it or not...they stayed like this for about an hour! Giving their parents the opportunity to enjoy a cold, frosty beverage in peace with their Uncle Jack & Grandparents upon arrival of our destination! Cute, huh?
The bike ride was a pre-cursor to the main event of the night...the Bears game at Aunt Carol's on the big screen (projected onto the garage door)! Talk about Bears fans in their glory. Aunt Carol knows how to throw a party!
Really, it was another oppotunity for the IrishKids to hang with family and run around with their cousin, Evan. Evan and Kit are the same age (actually, Evan is about 6 weeks older than Kit) and the two of them had a great time together.
I was thrilled to see these two getting along so well, especially since Kit has been know to push Evan around in the past (I mean literally PUSH). I think he's realized that she's a runt compared to him. They seemed happy to just hang out. Always a bonus to have another little one to occupy the Kitzer.
Unfortunately, the Bears were not victorious on Sunday. No matter...we all had a good time! And Alan and I had a happy little memory to help us get through the long days at the beginning of the week.