Carpe Diem

Two! Two?

2011-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

I swear..I just can't believe Morgan is two. TWO!!! She is turning into such a little lady. I love having conversations with her and playing with her in the evenings and on the weekends. Her favorite thing to do these days is to pull her highchair up to the counter and help us cook or wash dishes. This usually ends up creating a mess..but she has such a great time doing it and it really keeps her occupied. She also loves to sweep, wipe up messes, and shut any doors that are open (I am feeling a hint of OCD coming on). She also loves to sing her ABCs and go to school. We had a gathering at our home for her birthday and it was a really nice time. It turned into a southern BBQ style menu. Shaun and I tackled pulled pork sandwiches for the first time - and I think they turned out really well! Morgan's favorite movie is Toy Story and that was the inspiration for the cake - Buzz is her favorite character. Morgan received a ton of really nice gifts and we're very appreciative to everyone who came over to make the day special. Morgan, we love you and here is to many, many more birthdays!!!

Train Garden

2011-01-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

One evening before Christmas we took Morgan to a train garden (a tradition in this area) at a local firehouse. I can remember my Grandfather taking me there as a kid...and come to find out...they still have the garden at the same firehouse I used to go to way back. It was great no money fun and I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

Candid Camera

2011-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I had no idea Shaun was standing behind me when taking this video...I can't believe I'm posting this. I'm in my pajamas...and making soup with Morgan. She loves to pull her highchair up next to me in the kitchen. Here I'm trying to determine if we have a dirty diaper on our hands...or just gas. And trying to teach her the difference as well...

Random Fall Pics

2011-01-08T12:20:00.001-08:00

Jut a random group of photos from the Fall.

Morgan at the farm (in her farm attire...)

Morgan trying on Dad's Vibram Five fingers...

Morgan waiting for Dad to run by at the marathon. Morgan was snacking on berries, which I ultimately handed off to Shaun. She was DEVESTATED when he ran by us and just kept going. She kept saying "Daddy coming back? Daddy coming back??"Morgan at Mimi's house on ThanksgivingA cute dress from the fall.

OBX

2011-01-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

We spent a week in the OBX this summer as a family - and it was fabulous. Thankfully, Hurricane Earl was a near miss...and passed just miles off the coast only 48 hours before our scheduled arrival. While our front yard was flooded..and the drive was painfully long..we had a great time with our friends at the beach. And as luck would have it...Morgan IS a beach baby....AMEN! This was her first trip to the beach..so we were not sure how it was going to go. She also slept like a champ. We rented cribs and high chairs and this ended up being a very wise move...the kids slept great! Our days consisted of Breakast-Beach-Pool-Lunch-Naps-Snack-Beach-Dinner-Bed-Repeat. Heaven!! The best part was spending 7 full days with Morgan and with great friends. Looking forward to next year already!

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First Day of School....

2011-01-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sniffle, Sniffle. Sob, sob.

Halloween 2010

2011-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

While vacationing in Austria a little under two years ago, I bought Morgan a dirndl in one of the shops in town. Dirndls are the traditional attired for girls and women in the Bavarian region of Germany. I figured one day it might fit her. In early October of 2010, I decided to see if it fit her. Lo and behold, not only did it fit her, it was already getting snug. With Halloween upon us, I decided to make it her costume. We think she looked adorable...but a lot of people on Halloween evening kept saying, "Very cute. What are you?" Ha. So instead of saying a beer maiden..we said..."a milk maiden!" We did a loop around the blog to do some trick or treating, and by then we were exhausted. Morgan loved walking up and down the steps and ringing the doorbells (and even ran INTO one neighbors house)...in fact, the next day on the way to school she wanted to stop at each house and knock on the door! After trick or treating, we returned home where Morgan had her first candy bar. Ever. A Snickers. Let's just say the Snickers factory has a friend for life. After tallying her loot, we put Morgan's PJ's on and headed out front with our neighbors to hand out candy to the other kids. I think this was probably her favorite part of the day. Oh - and I forgot to mention - prior to Halloween, Morgan "helped" me carve a pumpkin and we went to Zoo Boo and had a blast!

Apple Picking

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

We did our annual apple picking trip this year and had a blast. Morgan was not exactly in the best mood for the first half of our outing, but I think that is just because I dressed her in long sleeves and overalls and it ended up being 80 degrees out. She was very stressed out that the apples were "stuck" to the trees. We did end finding a raspberry patch where she ate about half the berries we picked....here are some pics and a comparison to last year. My a lot changes in a year.

The Zoo

2010-07-18T11:39:00.001-07:00

I took Morgan to the zoo for the first time today. Morgan loved getting on and off of this turtle (which is not real). Morgan even gave the turtle a goodbye hug! It was so hot out today (94 with a heat index of 99..) and I was so proud of her for being such a good girl! She passed out in the car within 5 minutes of leaving the zoo...midway through chewing on some cheerios. It was hysterical. I am certainly enjoying the quiet of nice nap she's taking right now!!
(

Sometimes Morgan...

2010-06-26T12:21:00.002-07:00

Likes to dress up in ridiculous outfits and run around like a very silly girl with stainsall over her shirt. And who am I to stop her?This is a good shot of her boo boo from a few weeks ago when she fell off a tricycle. Long story!

Too Cool For School

2010-06-26T12:20:00.001-07:00

Milk Maiden

2010-06-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

This made me think of the beer maidens in Munich...

Morgan Loves Cherries

2010-06-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

From the farmer's market.....(this also means more...)

I'm guessing you understand why we feed her these topless!

Let's Get Caught Up

2010-06-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind (understatement of 2010). I'm a bad mom! Did you know this is my 200th post? To think I've actually had at least 200 paragaraphs worth of things to say?? Well, I guess if you know me it's no shock. So rather than waste my time trying to catch up on all that's happened since I last wrote...I'm just going to jump in on what's going on now. So...I present....a typical morning in the life of Morgan (and I guess by default, us!). Enjoy!

It is important to read the paper first thing.

Then we must check on baby. Wait...did I introduce you to baby??? Shame on me.

Well, here she is...in all her glory. Great Grandma gave Morgan this doll for her 1st birthday and lately they have struck up a special relationship. We kid that Morgan has made us grandparents already. When Morgan eats, baby eats. When Morgan sleeps, baby sleeps. And God forbid we can't find baby!!!

Usually by this time, we're due for a tantrum. Just because.

Then we take our car for a ride.

Then the car takes her for a ride...(or really mama does). Buckle up, safety first!

Then we read a story....

And now it's time to use the car for something really productive. Climbing!

Let's torture the doggie now!

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Then we check that our belly button is still there (and belly button hernia too :(

And here it is. The "look." I've been trying to capture this on camera for months. It's so fleeting...that sometimes I thought I was imagining it. This is the look she gives me when I tell her "No." She knows she's not supposed to climb on the table...oh yes, she knows!

Row, Row, Row

2010-04-06T18:23:00.001-07:00

When I came home from work today Morgan was showing off her new trick...signing the "Row, Row, Row" in "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat." It was pretty exciting. It's so fun to see how she is starting to imitate things that we do. And say. Which reminds me...we need to work on our language around here! I know I've been slacking on pictures lately...but Morgan does not sit still! EVER! I know I've said this before...but this is definitely my favorite age! It so crazy to think of how fast she is growing. Shaun bought the shirt she is wearing in this video in Strasbourg, France soon after she was born. I laughed in his face when he brought it home because I thought it would never fit her. Well, fit her it does. It's sad to see Morgan lose her "babyishness" but I love to see how she changes and grows. Sigh. That being said...I need to figure out how to deal with temper tantrums, screeching, biting, being a picky eater, and an affinity for toilet brushes. Double sigh.

Peek a boo!

2010-03-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

New Trick

2010-03-06T16:13:00.001-08:00

Someone taught Morgan to rub her belly when she's hungry. It wasn't me.

First Snowstorm

2010-02-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

This snowstorm look's like child's play compared to the snow we have right now. But this was Morgan's first big snow. We bundled her up in her snow suit and took her outside for a few minutes. She is NOT a fan of mittens.

Talk to the animals...

2010-02-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Morgan loves to read to her animals....

Halloween

2010-02-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

Yikes. I'm far behind. Morgan was a duck for Halloween and we think her costume was so cute! The feet were a little big..so I had to masking tape them on....she was a "tagged bird." Unfortunately, Morgan had a pretty bad cold that night so we couldn't join the neighborhood Halloween parade or go trick or treating....so we visited Laura, Dan and Samson. Morgan and Samson had a great time scurrying around on the floor and looking at the commotion outside as people walked by in their costumes.

Noises

2010-02-06T17:18:00.001-08:00

On Thanksgiving day Morgan showed off a new trick. Well...I guess we helped a lot..but we thought it was pretty funny.

First Thanksgiving

2010-01-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We spent the day at my mom's house. The greatest part of the day was definitely getting to meet our new cousin, Owen...who is such a cutie! We decided that Thanksgiving is Morgan's holiday. If there is one thing that girl loves it is food. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree(s). You'll notice her chowing down below as the buffet line passes by. She is oblivious. We were also able to get a picture for my grandfather of his 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grand child. Poor Owen..surrounded by ALL of those ladies! Morgan got to take a peak at the tree..and her and Shaun tackled the wishbone.

Valley View Farms

2010-01-22T07:22:00.001-08:00

I can remember being very little and heading up to Valley View Farms each year with my grandfather to look at all of the decorated Christmas trees. Christmas is pretty huge in our family. Trees are up before or right after Thanksgiving and they'll stay up until early January. And most of us have more than one tree in our house. This year I had the pleasure of taking Morgan to Valley View for the first time. I think she enjoyed looking at the lights...but most of all I know she enjoyed her antlers! They kept hitting me in face! I know I'm very far behind on this blog..but I swear I will get caught up..just hang with me! If anyone is even still reading this?! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday - stay warm!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

Changes

2009-11-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

I think it is funny to see the things that change as Morgan grows when it comes to buying baby gear. I noticed that when she moved into 12 month clothing most clothing companies stopped including the feet on the pajamas...I guess babies don't like their feet covered up at night. Morgan generally doesn't like her feet covered at all...she is constantly ripping her socks and shoes off when she can. I just bought Morgan a few sleepers for when she moves into 18 month clothing...that is still a ways off..but I had a coupon! I noticed that the snaps are now going down the back of the sleeper, instead of the front where they normally are. Hmmm. I was wondering at what point they started to rip their sleepers off...I was wondering when they figure out how to unsnap things. I guess it is between 12 and 18 months!!! Let's just hope that snap removal does not lead to diaper removal. Oy.

First Day of School

2009-11-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Trying to get caught up on the blog! Here is a picture of Morgan and I on her first day of school! It was so bittersweet...but Morgan absolutely loves school..so that makes me feel better. Wow...this picture is from late August. I am REALLY behind!

Apple Picking

2009-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today we went apple picking at a farm 45 minutes away. Aunt Laura and Uncle Dan joined us. Morgan wore her new apple outfit and had fun chewing on an apple and looking at the HUGE pumpkins. Actually, if you look close below in picture where she is "picking" an apple...you'll see she dropped her puff in the process. An apple flavored puff at that! One of Morgan's friends organized the outing - so there were some babies and mamas that posed for some pictures. Apple outfits are so cute.

Nine Months

2009-09-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Morgan turned 9 months old on Monday. She is crawling big time - belly and arms up. And she is fast! She LOVES moving around and has even pulled herself to standing a few times. She is getting better at drinking from her sippy cup and has enjoyed eating some egg yolks this month (until now here diet has been too diverse). Puffs are her favorite snack - she flaps her wings when she sees the container as you can see below. She was trying to reach for them the other day and almost fell out of her highchair. Mobility has caused its share of bumps and bruises - mainly to her noggin, after a few seconds of crying she usually shakes it off. We still have not seen any teeth!! As always, we LOVE that gummy smile. Morgan is now making the "da da" sounds...and I'm pretty certain she's starting to associate it with Shaun. And everything and everyone else she runs into.

The biggest news this month is that we finally moved into our new place and we are loving it! It's so great to be back downtown again. Albeit we have had no time to unpack! Once we get organized I will try to post some pics. Hope you are all doing well - hopefully my posts will become more frequent!

Summer is the Time

2009-08-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

For Corn. And, apparently, feet. Morgan still has no teeth - but loves to gnaw on everything. She had a blast with this ear of corn. She also loves sucking on her big toe. And teething biscuits (aka baby crack). Teething biscuits entertain her for a long time but make a mess - once the biscuit dries on her it is like cement! Don't tell daycare that I didn't have a chance to give her a bath last night before bed. Shhhh.

Cheerio Monster

2009-08-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Morgan this evening before bed. She was pretty talkative. And if there is one thing this kid loves...it is Cheerios.

We're in the Army Now

2009-08-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hooah.

8 Months - Oh My!

2009-08-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

Morgan turns 8 months old today. This month has brought about many changes for us especially as I am a working girl again! I won't lie - I have kind of enjoyed some grown up time to myself. But...I miss her terribly. I've returned on an 80% schedule so I spend my Fridays off of work...and playing with her. Aunt Laura was kind enough to watch Morgan the past 3 weeks and Monday she starts daycare.

Morgan is an eating machine. We can never seem to staisfy her hunger and if you saw how much she eats in a sitting you'd be shocked. She enjoys starting her day with banacado (smashed banana mixed with avacado and some oatmeal cereal) and loves, loves, loves sweet potatoes, apples and peaches. My dad and Laura made a batch of "apples and chicken" for Morgan this month and she went bonkers! So we can now add chicken into the rotation. Morgan still does not have any teeth and we love that gummy smile. Every morning when Shaun brings her in to me I stick my finger in her mouth and move it around to see if I can feel teeth. She probably thinks I'm nuts. In mobility news....we're on the verge of full fledged crawling. Morgan has the army crawl down - I'll be posting a video soon. She is sitting so well..but still frustrated she can't get there by herself (except for one time). Here are some pics from a photo shoot the other day. I still need to sort through and post her 8 month pictures - so check back soon to see those! The last one is my favorite. She's started to snort when she gets excited. It's hysterical.

Uncle Aaron

2009-08-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Takes really great candid iphone pictures. Here is one from Mom and Keith's deck party. We were away for the day..but it looks like she had fun!

Please don't think

2009-08-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

She always smiles in pictures. Or likes her outfits.

Sitting

2009-08-09T18:10:00.001-07:00

Morgan pushed herself to sitting this week. We snapped these pictures right after she did it. She was soooooooooo proud of herself.

My Baby

2009-08-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Is becoming mobile. (Third one down is her favorite pose of late)

I could just eat her up!

Mom and Keith Get Hitched

2009-08-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

As they say. Eat, Drink, Remarry. Congrats Mom and Keith!!!

Month 7

2009-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

I better get Morgan's 7 month post and pictures up before she turns 8 months old! Morgan spent half of her 7th month in Germany and half in the US. Morgan has adjusted beautifully to the US save a week-long time change adjustment where no one was getting any sleep. As we boarded the plane for the US we were upgraded to business class. This made our flight sooooo much easier than it otherwise would have been and we are very thankful!

Morgan is so active now...it is hard to believe she was getting frustrated last month when she was on her stomach. She's a pro at rolling all over the place to get where she wants to go. She has even started to scoot around a bit....some form of an army crawl. Recently she is able to sit unsupported and pushed herself to sitting last week without any help. She has started clicking her tongue and talking to herself. A lot. And who knows where she gets THAT from?

Solid foods have been the name of the game this month. Morgan has been eating bananas, apples, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, and butternut squash. I would have to say that bananas and apples are her favorites. Here are some of our favorite pics from this month. Enjoy!

Month 7 Favorites

The Most Beautiful Women in the World

2009-08-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

Are my sisters.

Randomness!

2009-07-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Nat and I before rehearsal dinner.Girls before rehearsal dinner.

Morgan with her Aunt Nat before the rehearsal dinner. *sigh*

Getting ready on wedding day. Laura and Nat.We all wore red shoes...
New toy. She loves it! (P.S. I love you Fisher Price). She's also sitting up really well now! Lots of pillows just in case!I've been making Morgan's baby food. Today I made apples, pears, apricots, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. I'm exhausted! Dear Morgan - I hope you like mom's cooking. I'm beginning to understand why they say motherhood is a thankless job. We're storing up since I'm going back to work in one week. *double sigh*

Just a quick one...

2009-07-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say hi and that we're all doing well! We've been very busy buying cars. And cell phones. And a house. More to come on all of that. Morgan seems to be loving America just fine. This picture is compliments of her Uncle Aaron.
We've also been busy because Laura, my sister, and Dan were married on July 17th. It was a wonderful ceremony and celebration. And they looked stunning!
Stay tuned. When I get my act together there will be lots of posts!!

Tschüs!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

The apartment is packed and keys are handed over. We're in a hotel in Frankfurt and we're all very anxious to board our plane tomorrow!! There are a lot of things I can think to say here, but I have no idea how to summarize our experience living abroad. I think I'm just going to leave it at this. I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the travel we've done and the experiences we've had. I'm thankful for learning about other cultures and I'm hoping it has made me more tolerant of those that are different than me. I'm thankful for having spent so much quality time with Shaun. And even Koop. But more than anything, I'm thankful for our little Morgan. I know she won't remember any of this...but we will bring her back here one day to show her around. And who doesn't need an excuse to tour around Europe??

So on to a FAQ: Yes! The blog will continue. I'm an addict. So stay tuned once we're stateside. I hope you will keep following us, although, I'm often shocked at how many of our friends and family read the silly things I write. I'm in the market for a new blog title, but our url will stay the same.

So with that said, signing of from Germany. See you all very soon.

Morgan's BFF, Ava

2009-06-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a dentist appointment and my friend Meredith and her daughter, Ava, agreed to watch Morgan. Ava and Morgan have hung out quite a bit...Meredith and I were in the same prenatal class and have taken a gymnastics and yoga class together since then with the girls. To say it has been comforting to know a fellow east coaster in Frankfurt having a baby at the same time as me...would be the understatement of the decade! Meredith took some adorable photos of the girls while I was at my appointment. Thanks again Meredith and Ava!!

Hmm....I wonder what this is?
Let's bring it in for closer inspection.Let's play with some other toys now. Look how well we play!
Everybody smile!
Ava looking adorable. Morgan looking lady-like. I guess I have a thing or two to teach her about wearing skirts.
Good game, Ava. Good game!

Six Months Old!!

2009-06-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Shaun's first Father's Day also marked Morgan's 6 month birthday. Hard to believe!! This has definitely been our favorite month (I know, I know...I keep saying that). Morgan learned how to roll over from her back to her stomach. Let the mobility begin. I think Morgan may be the only baby in the whole stinking world that doesn't really like to sleep on her tummy. When I lay her down to sleep she almost immediately rolls to her tummy. Then screams bloody murder because she prefers her back. It is quite strange...she used to roll from her tummy to her back a lot..but lately she doesn't seem to do it! Morgan is not sitting unsupported yet, but loves her bebepod chair and I think by next month she'll start to sit a bit better. Her new favorite toy - our faces. She loves to reach up and grab our mouths, noses, chins, hair (ouch), and she especially loves Shaun's face if he hasn't shaved.

The biggest accomplishment of this month has been something we've been waiting for since about day 2. SLEEP!!! Morgan has FINALLY started to sleep pretty well and with some consistency. We have been putting her to bed around 6:30pm and she will usually sleep through until about 4am or so. I usually feed her at 4am and then she will sleep until 7am. I know that doesn't sound ideal to many, but to us it is heaven. We'll work on eliminating that 4am feed...after we get back home. Which reminds me. I have some packing to do.

And, no. I have no idea where she gets this sassy face. Not. a. clue.

Here is a link to our favorite pics from this month. Enjoy!

6MonthFavorites

Playdate with Emma

2009-06-23T11:32:00.001-07:00

Our friends Kurt & Carrie had a daughter named Emma about 3 weeks ago. On Sunday we went to visit precious Emma and her parents. Emma is such a doll and really made me realize how much Morgan has grown. Here are some pictures of Emma and Morgan "playing." Congrats again Kurt and Carrie! Thanks for sharing your Father's Day with us!

Emma: Here is my finger. Isn't it cute??
Morgan: Cute enough to eat my pretty!!! (insert evil plan laugh)

Morgan: "Ha, ha ha. Emma, you tell the best jokes!!"

Happy First Father's Day Shaun!

2009-06-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Shaun's first Father's Day last Sunday. I made Shaun breakfast which included home fried potatoes, eggs, bacon, apples, and coffee. Shaun has the most ridiculous egg order I have ever heard of. His instructions were as follows:
1. Cook egg as though it would be sunny side up.
2. After whites have cooked, gently break yolk and spread over cooked whites.
3. Flip egg and finish cooking.
It was a bizarre version of over easy...but it was his day. Who am I to judge?
Then Shaun opened his presents...and if you know him...you know he LOVES to unwrap things. Father's Day was a bit of an excuse to do some souvenir shopping, hence the Frankfurt print. Morgan is so lucky to have such a patient and loving Dad...Happy Father's day Shaun!!

Frankfurt printA picture of Shaun and Morgan in St. GoarOur little art project...

Morgan wouldn't let go of the wrapping paper. The kid loves paper."OH Dad! I wonder what I bought you!""Dad, here is the card I made you! Can I chew on it?"

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2009-06-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

Morgan turned 6 months old today (can you believe it?). Soooo...we were very excited to try some solid food. We decided to start with bananas. Here is the video. She wasn't interested in eating very much, but did well with what little made it in to her mouth. We let her play with the bananas in her hands a bit too. I'm not exactly sure if she likes bananas given the faces she was making. I can already see that lunchtime around here is about to get a whole lot messier. *sigh*

Sneezing is soooo funny!

2009-06-16T05:19:00.000-07:00

I could not stop sneezing this morning for some reason. I realized that as I was sneezing Morgan was laughing...apparently sneezing is funny! So I thought I'd pretend to sneeze a few times to see if she laughed again....and laugh she did!

After Bath Time

2009-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lausanne, Switzerland June 12-14

2009-06-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to visit our friend Litza in Lausanne, Switzerland. We had a great trip and really enjoyed walking around Lausanne and Pully. Lausanne is on Lake Geneva and the views (particularly from Litza's balcony) were just breathtaking. We enjoyed renting a little motor boat and going out in the lake for about an hour on Saturday. Shaun was our captain and I am happy to report that we made it back to shore safe and sound. Directly across the lake from Lausanne is a little town you may have heard of - Evian, France. And yes! Those mountains on the bottles of Evian do look like the real thing. The atmosphere in Lausanne reminded us of a California beach town - especially with the 80 degree temps and sunshine. We also had a delicious dinner at a restaurant on the lake on Saturday night. Morgan was an absolute all star during the trip - she did great!! A HUGE thanks go out to Litza for being such an awesome hostess. Here's to our last road trip. Here are our pictures...

Lausanne Favorites

New High Chair

2009-06-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here is Morgan sitting up in her new Stokke highchair (thanks Grandpa Mark and Grandma Sharon!). I'm super excited about this chair and can't wait to get some more use out of it. First we need to buy a kitchen table that isn't 3.5 feet tall! The reason we picked this chair is because it slides up to your table and she can sit down and eat dinner with us (again, once we have a table..and a house to put said table in...). We also really like it because she can use it for several years as a chair until she is big enough to sit in regular kitchen chairs (the bar can be removed).

Congrats Aunt Natalie!

2009-06-14T13:10:00.001-07:00

An overdue congrats go out to my sister Natalie. First, we wanted to congratulate her on earning her Master of Arts in Humanities from Hood College. Secondly, she is now engaged! Natalie and Aaron have been engaged for a few weeks now (sorry, I am super slow with the posts) and we couldn't be happier for them! Especially Morgan. She got to work on this sign right away. Congrats again! XOXO

Morgan and Kooper

2009-06-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Morgan has been so interested in Kooper lately. She follows Kooper with her eyes all of the time. Sometimes when I'm feeding Morgan she hears Kooper walking by and will stop eating, turn, and look for Koop. This shocked me - because if there is one thing Morgan is focused on...it is eating! I cut the end of this video off...but the picture at the bottom should make up for it. Don't ask me why she has a fascination with Kooper's tail. This one is for Uncle Dan!

Spargel Season

2009-06-14T12:05:00.001-07:00

It is Spargel season here in Germany. Spargel is white asparagus and you can't walk down the street without seeing a stand selling Spargel or go to a restaurant where it isn't on the menu. Shaun is a huge fan of the Spargelcremesuppe. This stand also sells strawberries and we bought some last week - they were the best strawberries I've ever had!

Cool Gift

2009-06-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

A co-worker and friend of mine in Germany gave Morgan this little boat as a present. It is such a cool and unique gift I HAD to share. Note her initials on the side, "MER." MER is also the beginning of "MERmaid"....how cute!! The hull of the boat is painted to look like the German flag. "Mein Boot" is German for "My Boat." The stern.The port side - her weight at birth.

The mast - her length at birth. Yes - the little fabric heart sail comes off! (I KNOW, so cute, right?)
The Deck - with lot sof cute girly things - including a block with an "M."And because I know you're going to ask! - The boat is from a company called "Worlds Greatest Bath Boats." Of course our little boat was launched in 2008. Thanks again Morrisons!!

Baby Phon

2009-06-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I bought a baby monitor in Germany. We have one for when we return home but it is a 110V monitor...so until we leave I purchased a 220V monitor. The monitor is used like a regular monitor, but there is a also a screen that shows one of the three faces below based upon what Morgan is up to. Needless to say...my favorite Morgan is a schlafendes Morgan.

San Fermin...a year later

2009-06-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

I bought this for Morgan in Pamplona, Spain last year. It finally fits.

Like Mother....

2009-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

After a long night with Morgan in our Paris hotel room. I was beat. So was she. She slept in her crib..but in the morning I brought her in to bed with me so I could get some sleep. Shaun snapped this in the morning...he thought it was funny that we were laying in almost the exact same position. And for the record..before the peanut gallery chimes in....I am wearing clothes!

Paris and Normandy - May 28 - June 1, 2009

2009-06-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

We promised ourselves that before we left Germany we would visit Normandy so I think it is fitting that it was our last major trip. We headed out on Thursday morning around 8am and our first stop along the way was Paris (about 5.5 hour drive). In planning this trip we thought it would be best to stop over in between Frankfurt and Normandy to break the trip up a bit for Morgan. We had a great stay in Paris and enjoyed walking around and seeing the familiar sites and stayed in a hotel on the West Bank. That evening we had a phenomenal dinner at a restaurant in the Saint Germain section of Paris: Fish - la Boissonerie - we highly recommend. Unfortunately, Morgan was beyond overtired at that point and was inconsolable - so we had to speed-eat our dinners (of course...that didn't stop us from ordering dessert...). As we were leaving a man having dinner with his wife and daughter stopped Shaun and said, "You have a beautiful daughter. I hope that in 19 years you can come back here and enjoy dinner with her as I am with mine." It was so sweet. And shocking..since Morgan had been fussing up a storm! Friday, after grabbing some chocolate croissants for the road, we headed out for Normandy. We enjoyed amazing weather during this entire trip and the drive through Northern France was gorgeous. Along the way we stopped in the beautiful harbor town of Honfleur where we enjoyed a delicious lunch along the water.

Our next stop was Mont Saint-Michel. The Mont is a beautiful commune topped with an abbey. We strapped Morgan in the Bjorn and toured around the town at the base of the Mont..but by the time we reached the top we were too exhausted to tour the abbey and Morgan was having her evening melt down (I swear, dinner time is the witching hour). Finally, we arrived at our destination for the day - Hotel Churchill in Bayeux. I truly can not say enough wonderful things about this hotel! They were nice, accommodating, and centrally located to everything we wanted to see. One morning, the woman working the front desk even walked Morgan around so that I could eat my breakfast..what a treat!

First thing on Saturday morning, we headed to the Omaha beach museum. I should say, that in preparation for this trip we both read "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan and we listened to the "D-Day" audiobook by Stephen Ambrose in the car on the drive up to Normandy. I really believe that having some of this background information made it a more enjoyable visit. The Omaha museum was great - it had TONS of uniforms, equipment, weapons and artillery. It was fascinating to see these things after having read about them. From the museum we headed down to the beach and I have to admit it was a truly sobering experience. The beach was harder than I thought it would be and also far less commercialized. I was afraid it was going to be a tourist circus and it wasn't. And as I'd heard from others who had visited....it really is amazing how little that beach is. We were practically the only people on the beach and it was really nice having Omaha to ourselves.

Next we were off to Point du Hoc. Point du Hoc had a beautiful view. There were tons of craters in the grass from the bombings and several bunkers built by the Nazis as they prepared to defend their "impregnable Atlantic wall." The US 2nd Army Ranger Battalion was charged with storming this pointe during the war and destroying a gun emplacment that was at the top. Over half of their unit died trying to complete this mission...only to find out that the guns the Allies thought were in the emplacement at the top - had not yet been put into service. Omaha beach lies to the West of this point, Utah to the East.

Utah beach was next and this was more commercialized and much busier than Omaha beach. We opted out of the museum as we had seen the Omaha museum and headed straight for the beach. There was barbed wire everywhere!

We ended our day by visiting the American Cemetery. It is such a gorgeous cemetery overlooking Omaha beach and the water. There was a lot of construction going on as the cemetery was preparing for the 65th anniversary of D-Day on June 6th. By then we were all beat - especially Morgan. We headed back to the hotel to rest for an hour before meeting up with our friend Brian for dinner at The Frangole in Bayeux. It was fabulous.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed out to Arromanches which is on the Gold Beach coastline (one of the British invasion beaches). Out to sea and on the beach you can see remains of the temporary harbors (or "mulberries") used during WWII. We strolled around the town and ended up buying a piece of artwork and a baguette and then decided it was time to hit the road. After a 3.5 hour drive we were back in Paris where we stayed for one more night. We enjoyed a great dinner not far from the Arc de Triumph and settled in for an early night - we were SO exhausted. We had such a great trip - but the car and stroller time was definitely taking its toll on Morgan and us.

I think the most touching moment of our trip came on Saturday morning just after breakfast and before heading to the beaches. As we left the dining room we met two men, a father and son, from California. The father was a D-Day vet and had come ashore on the morning of D-Day on the Canadian beach, Juno and had returned for the 65th anniversary. We shook his hand. We said thank you. I felt pretty speechless. He just smiled and said, "I'm glad I'm here to talk about it." *sigh*

Here are all of our pictures. I know there are a lot! I pared it down from 320 to about 150....I did my best. I know Shaun is in a LOT of them...but that is because he was the designated Bjorn wearer for this trip!

Paris and Normandy Favorites

Month 5

2009-06-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Morgan turned five months old on May 21st. I can't believe it! Each month seems to be our "favorite age." We can hardly wait to see what she'll do next. Month five had many fun new firsts: first beerfest, meeting Grandpa Mark and Grandma Sharon, teething, finding her legs..and feet!, holding her bottle, and lots of tummy time. Morgan is sitting up really well if we pull her to sitting and hold on to her little hands - which has made her bebepod chair a favorite this month. Other favorite activities have included ripping/chewing on paper, blowing raspberries, screeching at the top of her lungs, and lately she keeps trying to do little sit-ups lifting her head and feet off the floor while on her back. Her favorite toys are her washcloth during bath time, tags on any of her toys (now I "get" why the Taggies brand is so popular!), and her feet. I swear - she loves her legs and feet now. It makes diaper changes a wrestling match. I can barely take my eyes off of her or she picks up whatever she can reach and puts it in her mouth. (I wonder how much Desitin can be safely ingested???????) She also is starting to arch her back and reach for things that she thinks are behind her head. Bibs are now a staple in her wardrobe - she is such a little drool machine.

Another new first has been an emotion - FRUSTRATION. Morgan has started to growl and grunt. Yes - growl and grunt - when she can't reach something she wants. Or is uncomfortable. Or wants a change of scenery. Or because it is Tuesday. Or Wednesday. I think you get the picture. My theory is that she sees things that she wants and she wants to be able to reach them....but because she isn't mobile yet she gets frustrated.

I'll hold my tongue on her sleep habits...why bring a good blog down?

As for firsts for me...I celebrated my first Mother's Day. We spent the day touring around the Rhein Valley and enjoyed a great lunch at a biergarten in Rudesheim. Here's to the girl who made me a mom! Happy 5 months Morgan.

Month 5 Favorites

Mr. Sun, Sun....

2009-06-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Oh boy to I love Summer. This pasty white girl is in desperate need of a tan - and that is NOT something I have been able to get in rainy Germany. But alas! There was a break in the weather a weekend or so ago and we took full advantage of it. The whole family (Kooper too!) headed out to Grunenberg Park in Frankfurt. I threw a blanket out on the grass and we laid out in the park for a while. Since Morgan is still so small - we had to stay in the shade a bit. I have yet to completely understand if it is OK to put sunscreen on a baby who is less than 6 months old - but I slathered her in spf 50, but kept her in the shade. It was such a wonderful day.

We're dorks, I know!

Me and my Morgan Monster.

Dad and his girls.Morgan meet grass. Grass, Morgan.Morgan says, "Peace Koop!"
Morgan really loves to follow Kooper with her eyes lately.
Smile if you're having fun.This picture just makes me laugh.

New Things

2009-06-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

Morgan has started holding her bottle.

And sometimes a sippy cup of water.
And she wants to hold whatever Mom and Dad are drinking too! She can't keep her eyes and hands off of our drinks, silverware and anything else on the table! She is really keeping us on our toes. I don't think we'll have any trouble getting her to accept solid food in a few weeks.A few minutes after this picture was taken she had ripped this placemat in half. She's also sitting in a high chair (baby stuhl) at the hotel in Normandy - they were excited to try it out since she was their first infant guest since they bought it. Unfortunately there were no safety straps and Morgan isn't fully steady while sitting - so we ended up holding her. But she had fun while it lasted.

Naughty Corner

2009-06-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

In gymnastics this week Morgan and two of her friends were very fussy. The instructor, Gabrielle, picked up the fussy babies and bounced them on a large exercise ball to calm them down. Ava is in the middle and Robert on the right. They spent the rest of class being bounced - it was pretty funny. Especially when Gabrielle needed our help to get up. I am going to miss these babies and moms.

New Tub

2009-06-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Once Morgan started sucking on her knees in her tummy tub...we decided it was time for a bigger tub. She loves it. She makes a crazy mess every time we give her a bath. Seriously - she gives "splish splash" a whole new meaning. This tub is a lot easier to bathe her in because we can basically set her in it and let her kick away while we watch. She also has a new favorite toy - her washcloth. *Sigh*...no money fun.

Randoms from our playtime today...

2009-05-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Gymastics (and Morgan's friends)

2009-05-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have been taking a "gymnastics" class with Morgan for the past month. During the first hour of class the moms workout and during the second hour there is a discussion. Topics for discussion have ranged from "is routine important?" to "when to start solid foods." During one class the teacher asked us to sing whatever lullabye we sing to our babies at night to the class. How embarrassing! But since everyone in the class has a different cultural background it was very interesting to hear the lullabies. There are people in the class from Pakistan, England, Japan, Denmark, and France. During the workout portion of class all of the babies are placed on a blanket in the middle of the room to hang out. Morgan is in pink below. Her friend Ava is the only baby looking at the camera in the bottom left hand corner - is that not THE most beautiful head of hair?? Her English friend Ollie has his blanket over his face because he was taking a nap (top left). Alessandro is the baby boy doing the push up at the top right (he is Danish and Italian) and Robert is the baby boy to his left (he is Japanese). Romeo is the baby boy in the blue shirt and plaid pants (his daddy is Italian and his mommy is French) and Adam (his mommy is from Pakistan and his daddy is German) is to Ava's right and Romeo's left. I'm also including a picture of the Kinderwagen Garage! That is where we park our kinderwagens before class!

Someone is excited...

2009-05-13T08:06:00.001-07:00

Morgan is excited. Aunt Laura and Uncle Dan's wedding invitation arrived today! She was so excited...she ate the envelope as mama Kooper looked on.

Teething?

2009-05-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Morgan has started teething. She has been drooling a LOT and has recently started grunting like crazy. I thought she was just being fussy but after looking at all of the signs (being fussy, chomping down on our fingers, having trouble sleeping, drooling, low fevers) we're almost certain she has a tooth coming in. Luckily she is having a good day today! (the past two days have been pretty bad). We've found that a steady cycle of Orajel, Tylenol and frozen washcloths seem to keep her somewhat happy. If your curious what a teething baby sounds like...here ya go! Here she is grunting up a storm and trying to shove a burp cloth down her throat....not sure what that will accomplish but it is kind of funny to watch. Poor baby! I hope this tooth shows up soon.

Awww...

2009-05-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

I took this pic of Shaun and Morgan the other day. Melts my heart!

Chillin

2009-05-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

Morgan took a three hour nap yesterday - quite the marathon. I LOVED it. She also slept well last night -hmmmmm. I actually went in and woke her up after 3 hours - I love to let sleeping babies lie - but I needed her to sleep at night. When I found her she was laying perpendicular to the front crib rail, with her feet propped up on the rails and her hands behind her head. I'd equate it to sitting on a recliner. I was able to snap some quick shots..although I am not sure if these do it justice. It was quite funny.

A Little Photo Shoot

2009-05-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some candid shots of Morgan doing her tummy time the other day. She seems to be taking to her tummy play time more and more - I think now that she can push herself up a bit she is actually enjoying it!

And the other way...

2009-05-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here she is from tummy to back. This was nearing nap time so she is pretty fussy. She's also sporting her "Friday" bib. Have a good weekend everyone!

Rollin, rollin rollin

2009-04-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Finally..I caught it on video. Rolling from back to side! Morgan is playing with the tray and toy from her bebepod chair.

Bubbles anyone?

2009-04-29T09:18:00.001-07:00

Drooling is Morgan's new trick. It's very messy (I'm not sure if you can tell but her entire top half of her shirt is wet below) and I am told it is a precursor to teeth - we shall see!

Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest

2009-04-27T03:38:00.000-07:00

The weekend of April 25th we headed down to Stuttgart, Germany for the Frühlingsfest. We went to one of the beer tents and gave Morgan an introduction to the festivals and German folk music. After we were done at the tent we walked through the fair grounds, grabbed a wurst, and headed back to our hotel. The hotel was kind enough to give us a portable crib complete with a penguin washcloth puppet and baby toiletry kit including soap and lotion! Morgan was a trooper in the hotel and only woke up once that night to eat and then went right back to sleep. MUCH improved from St. Anton! Here are our pics:

Month 5 Favorites

I'm 4 Months Old!

2009-04-27T03:14:00.000-07:00

Name: Morgan
Aliases: Morgan Monster, Fusspot, Pumpkin
New Firsts: Rolling from back to side and belly to back, reaching and grabbing accurately*, First vacation and first swim (see St. Anton post), meeting Grandma Michele, first Easter, and meeting Matt and Traci.
*includes Mom's necklaces, hair, shirt and glasses - which is why mom rarely wears jewelery now, always has her hair back and doesn't put her glasses on until after I got to bed.
Hobbies: Drooling, Sucking on my hands (I seem to like every finger but my thumb - and sometimes I like to suck on them all at once!), I LOVE to kick my legs up in the air and throw them back down onto the floor, playing with my feet in the bath tub, and having laughing sessions with Mom and Dad. I continue to love bath time and my nightly massage.
Other Items of Note: I don't like to sleep because I feel like I'm missing out. Mom and Dad really wish I'd get the hang of this sleeping thing because they are really tired. But that is what diet coke and espresso are for (so I heard them say...) They also tried to take my pacifier away from me. That only lasted 4 weeks - but then one night they had a meltdown and gave it back. I said thank you by only waking up once that night. I am looking forward to summer and moving back the the US! I can't wait to meet all of my family!

Here are all of my 4th month pictures:

Month4 Favorites

das Baby schläft

2009-04-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

Our little angel. Only wish this was a more frequent occurrence. Passed out by herself in her crib. Twice. In one week.

First Vacation - St. Anton (March 28 - 31)

2009-04-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

We spent our 2007 Christmas in St. Anton, Austria and had a blast (you may remember this post..). If you had told me then that 15 months later we'd return WITH a baby - I would have bet against you! For Shaun's birthday Morgan and I gave him a ski trip to St. Anton. We had a great time! Shaun enjoyed skiing with our friend Mike and Morgan and I hung out with Emily and Sammy during the day. Needless to say - I did not reprise my ski bunny role this time. Morgan was a champ during the 6 hour car ride both ways. She also went for her first swim (thanks Mom and Aunt Nattie for picking out the adorable swimsuit!) and she did great! Although I was NOT a fan of sitting in the baby pool with her (rather not think about what else may be in that water!). The biggest downside to the trip was that Morgan did NOT want to sleep and would only sleep for a maximum of 2 hours before screaming her head off. Ultimately she ended up splitting the night between my arms and Shaun's chest. *sigh* Here are all the pics..

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Easter at Adam and Melanie's house along with about 25 other friends/coworkers. We enjoyed hanging out and stuffing our faces with absolutely delicious food. Here are some pictures of Morgan's first Easter. Yes - the Easter bunny came with an Easter basket - complete with our favorite chocolates. Of course, Mom and Dad will need to eat the candy this year. Thanks again to Adam and Melanie for hosting a wonderful Easter! Click here for all of the photos.Morgan in her Easter Dress

Family Photo

She Laughs

2009-04-05T09:37:00.001-07:00

Morgan is very skilled at making us look ridiculous. She has really started laughing lately and we can't seem to stop trying to make her laugh now b/c it is so funny. Today Shaun was playing with her and I caught it on tape. You'll notice right around the 00:18 mark on the video that Shaun actually scares her and makes her jump. If you go out of Morgan's field of vision for more than a second or two I think she forgets that you were there and when you return she always looks startled.

Vocals

2009-04-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Morgan recently discovered that she can make ALL sorts of noises - not just cries!! This has been a lot of fun for us, although, sometimes her noises border on shrieks. Today I was cleaning in the other room while she was playing in her crib....and I heard her talking up a storm. Here is what I saw when I went into her room - audio is must with this one! (Obviously I wasn't cleaning her room - that looks like a bomb hit it since we just returned from vacation - more on that soon).

Still Learning...

2009-03-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

27. Velcro. You have to make sure you close all of the velcro fasteners on baby clothing otherwise everything gets stuck together in the wash and some of the more delicate fabrics get pulled.

28. Gerber clothing runs soo small! I was warned of this. Morgan is now in 6-9 month Gerber clothing but wears 3-6 months for everything else. That being said - I love the Gerber clothing!

29. Sometimes I feel like all I do is laundry. Spray and Wash stain stick is my new best friend. I also don't buy into the "babies need gentle detergent" theory. Morgan's clothes get washed with Mom and Dad's in our favorite German detergent "Ariel." Expect

30. It is ok to start your day at 7am and end it at 7pm. It's also ok to start it at noon and end it at midnight.

31. Babies poop in the tub sometimes. It's ok. Actually - the first time it is kind of funny...after that...

32. Goodbye purse, hello diaper bag. I love our "Diaper Dude." And no - it's not just for dudes!

33. Travel really screws up your routine! I can't believe how just being away from home for 3 days ruined Morgan's sleep at night. And our sleep too!

Drei Monat

2009-03-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Morgan turned 3 months old! We recently went to the doctor's and our little pork chop (yes, pork chop - we ARE in Germany after all!) is weighing in at 5,610 grams (12.3 lbs). She is 60 cm long (23.6in.) an increase of 8cm (3in.) since birth. We also began round 1 of vaccinations and Morgan did really well (defined as minimal crying and no fever).

These days Morgan can be found sucking on her hands (or anything she can get into her mouth), playing on her playmat, chilling in her bouncer, splashing in the tub, and making funny razzing noises as she entertains herself. We also heard her first laugh which was quite funny. Morgan is also holding her head up really well. She loves to headbang us - I have no idea how Shaun and I have avoided a split lip with the way she throws her head around.

I think Shaun and I both agree that this month was pretty challenging. As we've tried to help her learn how to fall asleep on her own we have had some very challenging nights. But I think we're starting to turn the corner (lighting strike me down) and hopefully we'll start to see some more consistency in her nightime sleep.

She continues to be such a joy. And even though we're both exhausted she can always cheer us up with that smile.

Here is a link to Morgan's 3rd month pictures:

Month 3 favorites

Who loves bath time??

2009-03-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Morgan! I love the tummy tub - it keeps her nice and warm. Bath time has also been made easier by her newly acquired head control!

The Yummiest Thing in the World

2009-03-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Are my hands. You'll also notice the new mobile - she LOVES it.

Happy St. Pat's!

2009-03-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

2009-03-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Morgan -

I love you and that set of lungs you have even if I don't act like it when you've been screaming for 20 minutes straight. Even if I haven't had a good night's sleep since sometime in October.

Love,
Mom

P.S. I have no idea why your hair looks so red!

Passport Photo

2009-03-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

Shortly after Morgan was born I took her to have her passport photo taken. I completely forgot to post this. She was about 3 weeks old - and it took the photographer about 30 minutes to get a picture with her eyes open. Kind of looks like a mugshot.

We Need More Sleep

2009-03-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

At 3am last night the following conversation took place. Sleep deprivation makes me sarcastic. It makes Shaun gullible.
*****
We hear Morgan on the monitor at 3am. I went into her room and fed her and was back in bed around 3:15am.

Shaun: Was she hungry?
Kate: No. She wanted to talk.
Shaun: What did she say?
Kate: She wanted to gossip.
Shaun: Really?
Kate: SERIOUSLY? She is only 10 weeks old. Of course she was hungry.
Shaun: Man, I thought she said something
Kate: I hope you know this conversation will be blogged.

*********
This was followed by about 10 minutes of laughing...

Ridiculous-ness

2009-03-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

The other night as I was getting Morgan ready for bed she had that "I'm not going to bed anytime soon!" look in her eyes. So in an effort to burn off some of her energy before bed we played dress up. I had her PJ pants already on, added a hat my mom made for her and some adorable footwear - and voila. Yes - she looks ridiculous..but she slept well that night ;) And I now have something incredibly embarrassing to show her future boyfriends!

Some Photos from Last Week

2009-03-02T02:12:00.000-08:00

I had to use Morgan's infant seat to hold the items I was carrying (including groceries and mail) so I could fold up her stroller before we headed upstairs to our apartment. I guess I should mention that she was already in the infant seat! Luckily she was sleeping and didn't seem to mind.

We read some books - current favorite? "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?"

She started sucking on the plastic rings she was playing with. I couldn't figure out what the noise was. When I turned around this is what I saw.
Morgan continues to sleep with her hands out in front of her. She usually just puts one hand up - but the other day I caught her with both hands up.

It was so nice on Sunday we all went for a walk to the park. Morgan is hiding in the Bjorn under Shaun's jacket.

We tried our her bebepod chair. I think she still needs more neck control before we let her fly solo in the chair but she did really well for the few minutes we had her in the chair. Of course...she does have that "what are they doing to me NOW" look on her face. hmm.

BUT - most exciting of all? Morgan slept through the night last week (9:30pm to 4am) for the first time. It hasn't been a recurring event but we were just glad to know it's possible. I'm also very proud to say that we're back in our room and Morgan is in her crib.

Happy Valentine's Day (belated)

2009-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this post up. Morgan received so many Valentine's outfits I had to wait until they all made it into the rotation! Here is our little Valentine...

Some videos...

2009-02-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh how I hate to wake up from my afternoon nap....

Morgan recently discovered her hands...and how tasty they are!

Month 2

2009-02-23T01:35:00.000-08:00

Morgan turned 2 months old on Saturday (time FLIES). It has been a great month and we've tried to post pictures as exciting things have happened. Month two was definitely easier than month one for several reasons, but mainly because Morgan started sleeping longer at night and because she has been interacting with us more. We spend most of her waking hours trying to get her to smile...and now she gives us HUGE smiles all of the time. She's more focused on our faces and she's always looking around. I think she is also starting to understand cause and effect (i.e. "I cry, mom picks me up!) which is a risky proposition! We love laying her on the floor and watching her flap her little arms and legs around. Here is a link to our favorite photos from this month.

Month 2 Favorites

New Things!

2009-02-23T01:22:00.000-08:00

I love hanging out in my tutu.

I can hold on to plastic rings and play!

I copy dad a lot!
We're not sure yet..but it looks like I might have blue eyes like mom.

Mo chuisle

2009-02-23T01:18:00.000-08:00

Our little boxer.

Flat Tires Stink

2009-02-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

One of the tires on our car has had a slow air leak for a few weeks. We have filled it with air as needed and even tried to "fix it" with a can of Fix a Flat. Shaun had off of work today because of President's Day and decided that he'd take the car to the auto repair to be fixed as everything was open in Germany today. When went to take the car this morning the tire was flat! After some fiddling with the car jack he noticed that the jack was actually slipping out from under the car. At this point he called ADAC (equivalent of AAA in the US). After a short wait they arrived (in the "yellow angel" car they sent) and helped to put the spare tire on the car. While Shaun was waiting he called to tell me he had never actually left the parking spot and that he was waiting for ADAC to arrive. Morgan and I felt pretty bad for him because it was snowing pretty. So we walked to the bakery and picked up a double espresso and a croissant for Dad. He was happy to see us!! Isn't that our luck? The day we decide we're going to take care of a problem that has been plaguing us for weeks the tire actually goes flat! Shaun then took the car to the auto repair shop and was able to get the tire replaced...but it was a long day

Our First Family Photos!

2009-02-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

2009-02-16T05:42:00.001-08:00

In November my Dad called me and told me he wanted to visit for a long weekend in February so that he could meet Morgan. On Friday my Dad arrived for his visit and we were very excited for him to meet Morgan. When my dad arrived at our apartment I buzzed him and he came in and played with Morgan for a few minutes. That's when we heard a knock at the door and my dad said, "Who could that be?" To which I replied, "Shaun - he is out walking the dog." I ran to open the door and was pleasantly surprised to see my sisters standing there!!!! I was shocked and it was the greatest surprise. A few minutes later Shaun arrived back with Kooper and was equally surprised. My dad and sisters had kept this secret since November and even kept Shaun in the dark!

We enjoyed a relaxing weekend of hanging out in Frankfurt and we took a day trip to Mainz. Everyone had a chance to hold, feed, and change Morgan. Aunt Natalie was a pro at diaper changes, swaddling and calming Morgan down. Aunt Laura was the fashion consultant and enjoyed selecting Morgan's outfits - although I am not so sure she enjoyed the actual act of dressing her since Morgan is a little wiggle worm - and snuggling with her when she was sleepy. On Sunday night it took Laura, Natalie and my dad to get her into her pajamas! And my Dad was an expert at feeding, burping, snuggling, and getting Morgan to smile.

It was a great trip filled with a LOT of food, great wine, a new board game Bananograms which I am now obsessed with, and Morgan-time. I already miss them all and am so glad they could come for a visit. It was exactly what I needed. I can't wait to see them all again when we arrive home in July. Thank you all for making the trip! See the album below for pics of their stay in Frankfurt and some of my favorite pictures.

Dad, Laura, and Natalie's Visit

Like I Said

2009-02-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

Kooper is Morgan's shadow.