Wanting to Be Sure of You

Fells Point Festival - October 2010

2010-10-06T21:38:00.002-04:00

Ripley went to the Fells Point Festival three times this past weekend. Twice on Saturday with Chad and PaPa (and Aunt Nona one of these times); once on Sunday with me, Chad and PaPa. Apparently on one of the two first visits, she became enamored with two of the rides in the ride section - the Crazy Bus and the BumbleBees. So on Sunday, we made it happen. She was definitely one of the smaller kids on the rides, but she was fearless.

MiMi and PaPa's 40th Wedding Anniversary - August 2010

2010-10-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

One of other summer adventures was meeting up with the Kramer family in Pennsylvania at a condo on the grounds of the Nemacolin resort. There was so much to do - multiple swimming pools (one with a water slide), a croquet court, and wild animals! Ripley's most vivid memory of her time (which she still talks about) was finding a teeny snake (not much larger than a large earthworm) in the pool. She was the one who spotted it - and said "What is that?".

We had lovely anniversary dinner at The Summit Inn, which apparently has an amazing view of the sunset, but the night we were there it was cloudy! It was nice to get a family picture.

One of the last events was Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Culann, and Chad doing the Fat Bird zip line. I have a feeling our adventure girl is going to end up on a zip line one of these days.

Father's Day Weekend - June 2010 - Atlantic City

2010-09-05T22:08:00.005-04:00

We owed PaPa a much overdue stay at the windsurfing hotel in Atlantic City and decided that Father's Day weekend was the perfect time. We had gorgeous weather, and Ripley loved wandering along the beach with MiMi. We ended the trip with a fun stop at the Atlantic City Aquarium.

Uncle Tom's Visit - June 2010

2010-09-05T21:46:00.008-04:00

I've lost track of a bit of chronology, but Uncle Tom came to visit in June. Uncle Culann came over from Cleveland too. We went to the Greek Festival in Greektown, stopped off at the American Visionary Arts Museum, and went to the Farmer's Market where the boys won a lobster and Uncle Culann used a bike to make a smoothie. All in all a super-fun weekend.

Ripley's 2nd Birthday - May 2010

2010-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

Somewhere along the way, I completely skipped documenting Ripley's birthday. We had a series of celebrations that started with small treats with her friends at school. Her teachers decorated the table.

We also continued the tradition of attending a baseball game. This time in a box, courtesy of TFA, with a crew of TFA folks, as well as Adam and Charlie Martin, and Olivia Todd.

Finally, we hosted people at the Tot Lot for a cookout (a small fenced in space that local families can use and little kids can play). It was a very hot day, so we got out the inflatable pool to cool the kids off. We had small cupcakes and Rita's for dessert, and it didn't last long enough for it to melt! Adam, Charlie and Olivia were in attendance, as well as Aunt Nona, and of course MiMi and PaPa. All in all, I think our little 2 yr years old had a fabulous time. I know we had much fun celebrating her!

Texas - May 2010 - Schlitterbahn

2010-09-05T21:14:00.011-04:00

Yes, it's September, and I am just now writing about May. It's been a crazy summer, and I have started a second blog (even though I can't keep up with this one) that might merge with this one at some point, but for now, this is still Ripley's blog. And we have a lot of catching up to do. So let's get to it.

When Aunt Jen came back from her latest trip, we decided that a trip to Schlitterbahn (best water park in the country) was a must. We've always known that Ripley loved the water, but she was in her element here. Schlitterbahn is so big that you have to take a train from one part of the park to the other.

She played with Grandma and Grandpa for a while and rode the slide in the small pool. She also went in the big pool with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Jen. I think we'll be going back in a few years when she could do a bit more because she is older.

Part of our Texas trip was a stop in Round Rock to see Grandma Flossie. While it was a short visit, it was so good to see her.

Easter 2010 and PaPa's Birthday - Atlantic City - April 2010

2010-09-05T19:00:00.001-04:00

I entirely skipped our other Atlantic City adventure this year, which happened right around Easter. Again, I've lost track of exactly the order of things, but we did start Easter with Ripley doing the Patterson Park Egg Hunt. As you can tell from the coats, it was quite chilly. While I think she did understand the idea of getting eggs, she decided she only wanted one this year. We'll see how many she goes after next year. We had brunch with the whole family in Havre de Grace (I am going to try to remember exactly where).

Part Two of the Adventure was in Atlantic City. We stayed at the Flagship Resort and had a great view of the bay. More walking along the boardwalk and the beach, and just general fun being with MiMi and PaPa.

Hopewell Cancer Walk - April 18, 2010

2010-04-18T13:19:00.005-04:00

I don't know where the past month has gone, and my goal over the next week is to do some updating on the blog, but it seemed like I should start with something simple first. This morning, Chad, Ripley and I joined my colleague from work, Larry, to do the Hopewell Cancer Walk. He's a survivor and coordinates a team every year - Team Larry. This weekend was also the weekend for Relay for Life in Texas that Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dean help organize. It was darn cold here in Baltimore for an April morning (high 30's/early 40's), but Ripley had a great time being pushed in her stroller for 1 K. Our goal next year is to do the 5 K, but this will require some training. She's a bit too young to understand how much it means to us to participate in events that raise money to support those fighting cancer or survivors, but one day she will. Until then, she can enjoy the granola bars at the end.

Trip to Michigan - March 12-14, 2010

2010-03-15T20:55:00.011-04:00

We don't have many photos from this recent visit to Detroit, but here's one of Little Miss Ripley with her fast-friend Jimmy Brisson. On Friday, we had the pleasure of staying with Ripley's godmother, Katie and her family: husband Gerry; son, Jimmy; and daughter, Ruthie. The kids had such a fun time playing, while the adults caught up and munched on yummy Thai food. We love that we get to see them, and hopefully next time, the "big" kids, Lexie and Nate, will be home, too.

On Saturday and Sunday, we spent time in Dearborn with the McCartan clan. Aunt Maura was visiting from Ireland. This could be anyone sitting with Ripley, but trust me, it's Aunt Maura. Ripley had fun blowing bubbles with Mimi, giving Aunt Helen hugs, and saying Happy Birthday to Granny Maura. We even got to see Uncle Mike after his St. Patty's Day run. Our trips are never quite long enough, but we love every minute of the time we spend with family.

Ripley was great on the plane both ways, even though she seemed to have scared off the rest of the passengers. On both flights we were told every seat would be taken, but the window seat next to us was left empty both on the way out and back. Who wouldn't want to sit next to Ripley? It worked in our favor, though, as we had extra space both ways. As we waited to disembark in Baltimore, she started waving her hands in the "all done" motion, and said "All done people" and "Go, people, go." A girl who knows what she wants.

My Time with Mimi and PaPa - February 19 - 22

2010-02-25T21:04:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Mimi, the following is a record of my time while Mommy and Daddy were in Las Vegas (where they celebrated Mommy's birthday and got ENGAGED).

Friday - February 19th, 2010

I woke up at 7:00 AM (or so PaPa says!). I called for Momma/Daddy but it was OK that PaPa/Mimi were there. Mimi started practicing how to say "Happy Birthday Mommy!" while I was getting dressed. What is a "Happy Birthday" anyways? Must be a good thing because everyone smiles when I say it. I ate "gogurt, booberries, waffle, and juice" for breakfast. Since this is my journal, it's OK to tell that I pooped before I got dressed for school. PaPa K took me to school and I spent a happy day there (see Miss Kathy's note).

Mimi picked me up from school and Aunt Nona was at home with PaPa when we got there. She is walking funny - uses two shiny sticks and swings a lot when she walks.It doesn't look like much fun. I said I wanted to watch Elmo on TV. It took Mimi and PaPa a long time to make everything work. I had to show them a button to push on the TV and Mommy/Daddy's picture helped them a lot. We started to watch Elmopalooza but I got tired of it after a while so we did art work instead. I made a drawing for Mommy's birthday and played with Play-Doh. And the I heard Mommy/Daddy on PaPa's phone. I am used to seeing them when we talked but it was OK because they sounded happy and I was too.

I played a lot with my blocks and I like using both of my hands to build tall towers. Mimi made me special food for dinner but I liked the noodle/veg/meat dish she made for everyone also so I helped PaPa eat his. I had a big bubble bath (oh I did go pee pee in the potty) and I went to bed after Mimi read me 5-6 books and sang to me.

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

I woke up at 7:30 and Mimi helped me pick out a purple outfit because today is Mommy's birthday and purple is her favorite color (mine too). We practiced our "Happy Birthday" song. Instead of booberries , we had banana, milk and gogurt today - and some of PaPa's eggs and cinnamon toast.

We played for a long time and I did my happy dance (that's what Mimi calls it). PaPa started to get me dressed for Storyville around 11:00 AM, but I was tired and took a nap instead. PaPa fixed me lunch when I woke up and I went pee pee in the potty. We played with my crayons and PaPa drew some nice pictures - he is such a good draw-er!

We had fun building things and I would knock them down. We had a big surprise when Daddy/Mommy talked to me on the computer. How can that be that I can see/hear them? I was able to tell Mommy "Happy Birthday, Mommy" and it made her so happy. I said it to Daddy too! Mommy showed PaPa and Mimi a beautiful, sparkling ring and said she said "yes" to Daddy and PaPa and Mimi were very happy too - and so was Aunt Nona. Everyone said they love Daddy/Mommy and want them to be very happy. Mommy was able to show us the lovely room they were staying at in Las Vegas - you can see big fountains from their room.

PaPa fixed me a special dinner with what he call "fake chicken" (I really like it) and peas and milk and gogurt. We decided I didn't need a bath tonight because I had not been outside so I snuggled in with PaPa who read me a lot of books - he was having so much fun I had to ask him for my "paci" so I could go to sleep!

PaPa and Mimi said they were going to call great granny Maura and grand-uncle Tom and grand-aunt Connie to tell them that Mommy made Daddy very happy by saying "yes" - and he sent e-mail to Grandmom Janet and Granddad Dean.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Today I slept until 8:00 AM yesterday was so exciting - so many happy dances. Today PaPa is getting us organized to go someplace called IKEA - sort of a Storyville for grown ups. He and Aunt Nona are excited about buying kitchen cabinets - I wonder why that is so exciting? I don't mind because I got to ride in the car with Mimi and Aunt Nona with her silver sticks. PaPa said he had talked with GrandMom Janet and GrandDad Dean last night and MiMi said they were very very happy.

I had to stop for a while so MiMi could get a new pen. Anyways, I had a lot of fun in IKEA. We got a special chair with wheel - like a grown up stroller for Aunt Nona and her shiny sticks so she did not have to walk on her sore leg. Sometimes I sat on her lap while Mimi pushed us and sometimes I rode with PaPa. I got to play with special kid's furniture and toys while PaPa shopped - I was even strong enough to push a bigger girl around a "peek-a-boo" orange chair - we took turns spinning. I played in a little house with a bigger boy and his sister who showed me how t play with the Tic Tac Toe magnets. I showed them and their Mommy my "happy dance". We ate mac and cheese and helped PaPa eat his Swedish meatballs and dessert. PaPa let me ride on the big cart with his special doors as long as I held on tight - which I did. I was so tired I fell asleep in the car and hardly noticed Mimi taking me up to my crib and changing me as I continued my nap. Everyone else took a nap too. Later PaPa let me play with his phone and I called one of MiMi's best friends which was very nice because Mimi was able to share our happy Daddy/Mommy news.

I had a big bubble bath before going to bed.

Monday, February 22, 2010

I woke up a couple of times during the night but went right back to sleep after Mimi changed me. Daddy/Mommy are coming home today and everyone is excited. After PaPa took me to school, he was going to buy a big bottle of "bubbly" - not the kind you use in the bathtub. This is something grown-ups drink on special occasions. Kind of unusual, I think. Anyways, for school I needed a picture of a favorite animal - I could not just pick one so PaPa made a picture of a bunch of nice animals like a cat and dog. PaPa made me dinner after school because Mimi had taken Aunt Nona to the doctor for her hurt leg. They brought special treats to have a party for Mommy/Daddy. I stayed up late and helped in the kitchen. I stood on the stool, washed my hands and helped put food on the plates.

I watched out the window and all of a sudden there was Mommy/Daddy walking down the street. I jumped up and down. I was so happy to see them. I hugged and hugged and they hugged and hugged me back. We had the best family hug. I love my Mommy/Addy very very much and I am so happy they are home with me and Mimi, PaPa and Aunt Nona.

The End

PS I forgot to say that I was able to talk to Unc Culann and Aunt Carolyn on Friday and their birds talked too but not their fish.

Blizzard of the Century - February 5 - 6, 2010

2010-02-06T11:59:00.008-05:00

In past 3 months, Ripley may have experienced more snow than some people ever experience (hmm..Texas family??). And this is in Maryland!

Yesterday on the way home from school, we stopped to play outside for a few minutes. I built a snow person and Ripley was fascinated. I thought some "before" pictures would give good context for the "after" blizzard photos.

This February storm is the second HUGE snow of the year - the other one being right before Christmas that closed school for 3 days. We've had other snows this year too, but this one truly is going to go down in the record books as being the highest accumulation. I predict no school all week.

I think there will be more photos, but here are a few to get you started.

The snow stuck against the door on the upstairs deck and Ripley ready in her sized 6-9 mo. snow suit (borrowed/stolen from the Martins).

Ripley standing on our observation platform, aka the lid to a plastic storage bin (note: the snow completely covering the step) and a family photo (note: my car in the background).

Snow surfing and sunken in the snow.

As I sit and type this, the snow is still falling. The walk that Chad shoveled earlier is almost completely covered again. Aunt Nona has joined us from down the block. It's times like this that we miss having Culann and Carolyn and Shannon across the street. We did see our neighbors Matt, Cristen and Caden out earlier. They had a sled that we tried, but the snow was too deep. We'll have to try again soon.

More photos when the storm is over...

Potty - January 2010

2010-01-11T21:50:00.004-05:00

Ripley has started her potty training. We've had limited success so far (although there has been some action), but she does love to sit and read.

Please note how tasteful this photo is. I don't think it will cause extreme embarrassment when she is older, but if it does, I promise to take it down.

New Years 2009 - Cape May

2010-01-11T21:14:00.004-05:00

We ended the year on a high note, spending time with our New Year's crew (Scott, Nina, Kai and Von; James and Mare; Teresa; and Alan) in a beautiful house in Cape May. It was a bit cold, but this did not deter us. There was dancing on New Year's Eve night. Feeding ducks in the park where I had placed a letterbox last year (and that I put a new book in this year). We saw the tree and train at Congress Hall and walked along the beach as the sun went down. It is hard to imagine how we could have had a better time.

Asheville - Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

Before I forget about our adventures, I wanted to put down some of the places we visited in Asheville. We met up with Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dean right after Christmas (Dec. 26) since they were out this way visiting other family (we have no good pictures with them - boo).

We stayed at a Holiday Inn that had a suite with two rooms so that we could put Ripley to bed while we played games and talked with Mom and Dean. It also had an indoor pool. I had forgotten what joy Ripley takes in swimming. She squealed and splashed, and loved the "humpty dumpty" game where she sits on the wall, reaches for our hands and then jumps (or rather steps) into the pool.

After an adventure at the Biltmore Estate, we had a late vegetarian lunch at the Laughing Seed Cafe. It is so exciting to eat somewhere that I have to read every item on the menu because I can eat them all. Asheville was overall one of the most veggie places I've been.

On our final morning, we ate at The Early Girl Eatery. Scrumptious. And a fun pail of toys for Ripley. As usual, she enjoyed pancakes!

Christmas 2009 - New Jersey

2009-12-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

This is out of order, but we were in Cedar Brook for Christmas Day. Ripley got to wear her Christmas sweater and enjoyed wearing her cracker crown and playing in the snow with Uncle Culann. She finally started calling grammy Vivienne, "Mi Mi", and while "Pop Pop/Paw Paw" is still quite high in her esteem, he's officially got competition.

Among the many things she got, she ended up with some stylish sunglasses and a plain old Elmo. She's a bit obsessed and we wanted to indulge her slightly, but without all of the bells and whistles.

The BIG Snow 2009 - preChristmas

2009-12-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

The Saturday before Christmas, Baltimore got about 20 inches of snow. School was cancelled for all three days it had been scheduled that week, so there was lots of time to play. Aunt "Nona" came over and Daddy shoveled snow. I stuffed Ripley into a snow suit that was about a year too small, but we made it work.

Vist to Santa 2009

2009-12-20T20:28:00.006-05:00

Photos of the Snow of December 2009 in a subsequent post, but I have the CD with the Santa picture, so I wanted to upload it while I had the chance.

We ventured out this afternoon to the Inner Harbor where Santa has a house. Still tons of snow and ice and slush on the ground. Ripley was a bit scared to sit on her own, so Chad and I jumped in the photo with her.

Because we had issues with the CD we bought last year, they gave us the super package for the cheap package price. We went with the purple theme like we did last year. And exactly the same Santa. I think it's officially a tradition.

34th Street Year 2 and Decorating the Tree

2009-12-13T22:40:00.006-05:00

The holidays are in full swing here in Baltimore. On Friday night, we made our second annual trip up to 34th Street (see pictures from last year). This year Ripley could actually walk and wanted to climb the stairs up to the houses!

I think she is truly beginning to appreciate Christmas. We bought a full-sized 7 1/2 foot tall tree with the lights already attached. For the first week, we had it up with just the lights and every morning when we come downstairs, she says "tree" and we turn on the lights. Saturday, we finally got around to putting the rest of the decorations on the tree. Little big girl Ripley was incredibly helpful, as can be seen in the video below!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-02T21:47:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a month since I last wrote. I am not entirely sure where the month of November went, but we just finished up a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in New Jersey. It's taken until today (Wednesday) for Ripley to stop trying to find her Pop Pop.

We deviated from our normal tradition and stayed the full weekend. We'll head to Cape May for New Years. Chad's 20th high school reunion was Saturday and despite wanting to attend, Ripley stayed home with her grandparents.

While we tried to give her all of the Thanksgiving fare, Ripley only seemed to want to eat the cranberry sauce from Whole Foods and the rolls. Maybe next year...

Halloween, Chad's Birthday, and a Visit from James and Mare

2009-11-01T22:13:00.008-05:00

Ripley had a series of Halloween events, starting with Boo at the Zoo in Cleveland (penguin - see previous post), the Halloween Lantern Parade in Patterson Park (ladybug - thank you Grammy!), Ghoul at the School, and Fells Point Kids Halloween.

We were also happy to see James and Mare this weekend. They

joined us on our Fells Point Halloween adventure, ate yummy food with us at DiPasquales, and wrapped up a visit to the American Visionary Arts museum. We seem to have a bit of a jinx when it comes to our visits with James and Mare, as James slipped and banged himself up in the wooden tree house at the museum as we were leaving, but we are hoping for a quick recovery.

Despite the busy week, we also had time to celebrate Chad's birthday. We went to the B&O Brasserie where Chad got the mixed grill, which to our surprise came out in a ceramic pig. A memorable evening all around.

Visit to Cleveland - October 2009

2009-11-01T21:46:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, we made a very overdue visit to Cleveland to see Uncle Culann and Aunt Carolyn. It was part of a birthday celebration for Chad. We were pleasantly surprised by the city. I am not sure what we expected, but we had a really nice time.

We at yummy middle eastern food at Aladdin (I think this was the name), comfort food grilled cheese at Melt, and take-away pirogies and mexican food from the Westside Market. Oh, how I wish we had a market like it!

We stayed at the Intercontinental Suites, which allowed us some much overdue time to play poker while Ripley slept in the bedroom.

On Friday, we went to Boo at the Zoo, and despite a bit of rain, we had such a fun time. Ripley wore the first of her costumes - a penguin. We ended the weekend with a trip to Turtle Park, where Ripley had fun climbing and playing in the sand.

Things I Can Do - Eat at My Table

2009-10-11T22:02:00.003-04:00

We finally got Ripley her own little table and chairs. She eats at a little table at day care, so we thought she's like one at home. So far, it has been a pretty big success, and she looks like such a big girl.

And despite the Tiger's bib, they did not make it to post-season. Maybe one of these years, they will?

More Fun in October

2009-10-11T21:44:00.003-04:00

Our October weekends are shaping up to be full full full. This weekend, we had an impromptu visit from Matt, Christine and Deirdre which involved a trip to the Science Center and dinner out. Somehow, I think we ended up with no photos from this visit, which is quite odd, but a good time was had by all.

And then today (Sunday), we took our first trip to the Aquarium. We couldn't quite tell how much she enjoyed the fish, but she loved it each time we put her down and she was able to dash off into the crowd. She especially loved it when we took a break in the snack bar area, and she was able to move chairs.

Fells Point Festival Weekend

2009-10-04T20:51:00.011-04:00

Fells Point Festival weekend holds a dear place in our hearts (our first kiss). While this was not Ripley's first festival, I think she enjoyed this one much more than last year when she was only 4 month old.

Her Grammy and Pop Pop came down to visit and accompanied us on our Saturday Fells Point Adventure. She was the only one of us to end up with any sort of purchase. Note her owl bag in the photo of her on her Pop Pop's shoulders.

We went back on Sunday, met up with the Martins, played on the playground in the Lancaster Street park, and then our final adventure was walking back up Broadway and stopping for her first ride on a carousel. She was a bit tired, but each time she came around, she gave me a big grin.

New Orleans - September 2009

2009-09-29T22:33:00.003-04:00

We just got home from a wonderful trip to New Orleans. It was the first time in a very long time that both Jen and I and Jon and Emily were in the same place. And cousin Eric was there too. Last, but not least, Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dean were there too.

There are many adventures to describe, but a list seems just as appropriate:

Friday -
Checking into the Iberville Suites
Dinner at Angeli on Decatur (wonderful pizza and calzone)

Saturday -
Letterbox in Lafayette Cemetary
Dante's Kitchen for lunch/brunch (took the street car)
Deanie's for dinner

Sunday -
Wandering around Jackson Square
Court of Two Sisters for Brunch

Monday -
Beignets at Cafe du Monde
Lunch at The Gumbo Shop

And the whole crew (minus Nicole who was taking the photos):

Things I Can Do - Dip

2009-09-20T20:18:00.003-04:00

Ripley will be 16 months later this week (right about the time we are in New Orleans!) and she is learning a ton every day. Her most recent food obsession is "dipping". It was not anything we actually taught her. She just sort of watched us and starting doing it. And now she wants to do it all the time. This is a video I captured of her in action. She has been pretty meticulous up to this point, but as you will see, she couldn't contain her love of ketchup. There is a quick cut away, as I have to grab some sticky little fingers.

She also likes to mop up the syrup on her plate when she is eating her mini-waffles. Again, not anything we taught her to do. And I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of the things she does that we haven't taught her.

Labor Day Weekend 2009 - Fair, Fountain and Storyville

2009-09-06T16:55:00.007-04:00

It's been a busy Labor Day weekend so far. A few updates.

First, on Saturday, we went to the Maryland State Fair 2009. If you are interested in comparing them to 2008, you can find that post here. She did not get to sample funnel cake (none of us ordered it), but Aunt Fiona did share her peach sundae, which was a big hit.

Ripley also seemed to love the chicks the most, although all of the animals captured her attention. Note how different she looks with the tractor this year. And that she has slight more hair.

Also on Saturday, we checked out the new fountain down at the inner harbor. While she didn't go full on into the water, she had a great time just running around. Every hour, it is choreographed, just like the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas. Well, except this is Baltimore.

And finally, today (Sunday), we went to Storyville. It is an amazing place for kids at one of the local libraries. It is hard to describe, but it is basically an indoor play area with different areas - store, post office, house, construction zone. She had a fabulous time, and I think we'll be going back. My favorite part was when she took one of the blankets and put it into the play washing machine. She'll be helping with laundry before we know it. Chad liked when she decided to mix it up with the bay noises (video). He believes she has a future as a DJ.

Things I Can Do - Open Doors

2009-09-06T16:44:00.006-04:00

A way-too-short trip to DC to see Grandma Janet

2009-09-03T20:18:00.002-04:00

Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dean were in DC this week for a conference so Ripley and I went down on Monday (8/31) to visit. We decided it was time to go to the National Zoo. We had an excellent time, although I think the children's zoo area in Baltimore might have been more fun. In Baltimore, she got to pet (and chase) a goat; there may have been more animals in the DC children's area, but they were not set up to pet when we were there.

I think our favorite animals might have been the prairie dogs, the sea lions (who we go to see getting fed) and the cow.

The First (of many?) Weekends with Grammy and Pa Pa

2009-09-03T20:00:00.005-04:00

I wish I could tell you that I had pictures, but there was an error with our memory card, and I think I might have lost several photos from the past weekend (most from the wedding - sigh). So this will just be a wordy update on Ripley's first weekend away from her parents and with her Jersey grandparents.

This past weekend (8/28-8/30), I had the privilege of marrying two of my good friend, James and Mare. The wedding was in NYC - Battery Garden, and there was a weekend full of events. As much as I think Ripley would have enjoyed herself, we decided this was the time for a weekend with Grammy and Pa Pa in Jersey. From what we can tell, she had a fabulous time, despite a pretty rainy weekend. And Vivienne and Chuck, while looking a bit tired when we arrived back on Sunday (we left her on Friday at noon), seemed to also have had a good time. We hope this is the start of many weekend with her grandparents. And if there is any other family out there who wants to give an overnight a shot, just let us know.

This little girl of ours is already such a personality and presence. I don't think I've written about this before because I am usually busy sharing things we've done and places we've gone, but if you haven't figured it out, Ripley is pretty darn fearless. While I worry sometimes about how far she is willing to wander off before _I_ can't stand it anymore and follow her, I would much rather have this extrovert of a child than a shrinking violet. And I don't think we have to worry about her being a shrinking violet.

She started her new daycare about 3 weeks ago, and she is already the rock star of the place. Everyone knows who she is (and this daycare is bigger than the last). She has an infectious smile and blows kisses at everyone and will stare you down with her big blue eyes with the long long eyelashes. There are mornings when she does get upset when I leave, but most of the time, she wanders off to her friends and looks back at me and smiles and then gets back to her playing and babbling.

I wish I knew how she had become the little person she is, and I have no doubt that Chad and I have something to do with it, but she is well on her way to being an independent Wilson woman, which is a tough road sometimes, but I don't think her Aunt Jenny or I would have it any other way. We've known from the start that she was a tough girl; not every child could come out of NICU having been poked in her foot to draw blood every 3 hours for 6 days with such a sunny personality, but she did. Not every child could get hit in the head with a door (as she did tonight when we were out to dinner) and just say "uh-oh" and continue on her merry way. But Miss Ripley Annabel Wilson can and does. She is a force to be reckoned with; she is my daughter; and she is the ultimate joy.

Detroit - August 2009

2009-08-09T22:37:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, we were in Dearborn, Ferndale, and St. Clair, MI to see our wonderful midwest family and friends. We stayed the night Friday with The Brissons - Kate and Gerry hosted us for a late dinner (our plane was over 2 hours late) where we were joined by Sarah Jacobson to reminesce about Baltimore in our younger years. The next morning, we had breakfast and went to the park with Jimmy and Ruthie. Much fun was had by all.

On Saturday, we drove up to St. Clair to see the McCartan crew. Aunt Helen and Uncle Mike hosted us at their house because there was a big boat race extravaganza in town. Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Culann drove over from Cleveland. Aunt Maura and Uncle Lee flew over from Ireland. Cousins Thomas and Maura joined the party. And of course, the matriarch herself was in attendance - Granny Maura. Much fun was had by all. There was a birthday celebration for Grammy Vivienne, games of ladder ball and late-night poker, open mike night with folks from all over town. Chad even got to have a Daly burger and Daly dog!

North Carolina - July 2009

2009-08-09T21:55:00.003-04:00

On a whim, and because Chad had an all day retreat, Ripley and I decided to go visit Aunt Jen and Cousin Dexter a few weeks ago (July 24-26). We love Southwest Airlines and got a great rate on Thursday and flew down the next day.

It had only been a few month since we saw Cousin Dexter, but he has grown A LOT. And when Ripley was last in Aunt Jen's house, she was only crawling, not walking, so there was much to do and explore. We had a pretty casual weekend. More pool time, spooking Cousin Dexter, and smiling at the airport (one of my new favorite toothy grin pictures!).

Things I Can Do - Sign for More

2009-08-09T21:28:00.004-04:00

Yes, it has been over a month, so here I am tonight trying to do some catch up. And things are going to be out of order because I want to link this video first. Aunt Jenny gave us a Baby Sign Language book way back when Ripley was just a wee fetus. We've been pretty good about one of the first signs babies are supposed to learn - MORE. You basically touch your fingers and thumbs on each hand and move them together. When Ripley was in NC, she did it once when we were eating breakfast with Aunt Jenny, but hasn't done it again since. Until tonight. When she very clearly had one hand with its fingers and thumb together and would hit it against the palm of her other hand. All to get the little cat cookies (like animal crackers) from Trader Joe 's.

She was a bit shy at first about doing it on video, but she finally did it.

Things I Can Do - WALK

2009-07-06T23:07:00.007-04:00

I almost forgot. We have a child who is mobile on two legs. She had been taking steps since her first birthday and the wedding, but I hesitated to call it walking. Then on Father's Day weekend - Saturday - she realized she could go more than 2-3 steps, and it was the beginning of the end. I think Uncle Culann has some of the first video, but here's another video of the WALKING (from our RI visit)! We even got her fitted for official walking shoes this afternoon. 4 extra wide, for anyone interested. Yes, she has muffin-top feet (her father's term of endearment) - the extra wide gives her feet room so they don't spill out over the top of the straps.

Rhode Island - July 4th, 2009

2009-07-06T21:43:00.006-04:00

For her second fourth of July, Ripley made the trip north to our friend Tree's house in the woods. While it was a bit chilly, this did not stop Ripley from enjoying her first time in the surf at the ocean. While she's been to the beach before (Cape May and Virginia Beach), this was her first time in the water. She loved the first go-around despite taking in a mouthful of salt water.

In addition to the ocean, she got to swim in Miss Tree's pool. I thought it would be fun to capture an action shot of Chad tossing her in the air. Little did I know he was going to do so with such vigor. She's almost off the top of the shot. But in true fearless Ripley form, she was unfazed. No fireworks, but lots of fun!

Visit to Texas - June 2009

2009-07-06T21:35:00.007-04:00

Chad had a conference in Chicago and a bachelor party in Philadelphia, so Ripley and I decided to make a trip to Texas. While it was a quick trip, we got to (1) see MiMi (Flossie) in Round Rock and made a visit to Hilltop Lakes where we (2) got to swim in the Texas pool and visit with cousins Emily Marie, Jamie and Austin; and (3) got to ride in the golf cart with Grandma Janet.

There was much much more, but those are the highlights!

Ripley's First Birthday: Part III AKA Culann and Carolyn's Wedding (5/30/09)

2009-07-06T21:10:00.010-04:00

I would like to say that we've been out of the country or something similarly exciting, but I have no excuse for not updating the blog. My goal tonight is to catch up. We'll see if it happens.

When we last left our heroine, she was celebrating her first birthday. Over a month later, I can no longer say that she "just turned one." Ripley Annabel is now 13+ months old. We rounded out her first birthday week with her Uncle Culann and Aunt Carolyn's wedding. Ripley was part of the wedding party - and I was her accessory. She was the ring girl and I pulled her down the aisle in a fun blue wagon. She loved being in the wagon. Was not as happy out of the wagon.

We tried to get her to go to sleep early (see her in her PJs and getting a bottle), but there was a lot going on. A sampling of photos is below. Include one of her new official aunt and uncle.

Ripley's First Birthday: Part II - Daycare

2009-06-04T22:21:00.008-04:00

We had to have a small celebration at daycare, so I made mini-carrot cake cupcakes and her older friends sang to her. This was her first experience with cupcakes, so she was a bit befuddled. It didn't take long for her to realize she had been missing out.

Ripley's First Birthday: Part I - Baseball Game

2009-06-04T22:10:00.004-04:00

It has been way too long since I've posted an update, but it's been a busy busy month. As most of you know, May 27th is a big day for little Miss Ripley. We kicked off her birthday celebration with a visit from some out of town guests - Miss Shannon from Korea and Uncle Culann and Aunt Carolyn from Cleveland. Memorial Day and baseball at Camden Yards are always going to be intertwined with the little one's birth, so we decided to have this Memorial Day be baby's first baseball game (we have an official certificate from the Orioles to this effect). So James and Kari, Fiona, Culann, Carolyn, Pop Pop, Miss Bridie (visiting from Ireland), Mom and Dad set off to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays (which we won). There was slight disappointment because we did not arrive early enough to get the free Orioles camo hat, but there was too much fun to be had to let this trouble us. Baby even got to visit the Camden Club where there was a spectacular view of the game.

A Visit from Dan Rice

2009-06-04T22:00:00.003-04:00

A quick acknowledgment that Chad's TFA roommate Dan Rice visited a couple of weeks ago. He lives in Florida now and hardly ever heads up this way so it's been ages since we've seen him. Had a nice afternoon visiting, and now have a great excuse to go to Ft. Lauderdale!

To See Aunt Jen and Dexter

2009-05-12T17:11:00.006-04:00

This is going to have to be quick. Ripley just took another one of her power naps - which this time was less than 30 minutes. The girl just won't sleep much more than 45 minutes at a time. So I hear her playing in her crib. We think it could be more teeth coming in?

Two weekends ago (5/2/09) we went to see Aunt Jen in NC before she headed away again for a while. Such a fun visit. Pottery festivals, pools, shopping, hanging out with Dexter. I've posted two pictures and a video for your enjoyment.

Aunt (soon-to-be official) Carolyn's Bridal Shower

2009-04-26T22:10:00.004-04:00

I'm on a roll, so I figured I might as well go ahead and post a couple of pictures of Ripley at her Aunt Carolyn's bridal shower lunch this afternoon. Much fun was had by all; it was a nice preview of the wedding, but without the boys.

First Tooth/Teeth

2009-04-26T22:05:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to put this up for over a week, but am just catching up with some posts. So, baby girl finally has a couple of teeth (at the ripe old age of 10.5 months). The second just cut through earlier this week (from what I can tell). I noticed the first right before Easter, but I can't tell you exactly when. This probably makes me a bad mom for not knowing when she really got her first tooth, but she's been so good about them - hardly cranky at all, so it passed without much fanfare. If you look very closely, you can see a small white smudge on the photo to the left. Don't let anyone tell you taking photos of baby mouths is easy.

Things I Can Do - Play with My Toys

2009-04-26T21:59:00.003-04:00

Ripley got a cool toy from her Grandma Janet for Christmas, but just this week discovered how she can use it herself. She's growing up way too fast...I know, I know. It's just a toy, but she's starting to understand cause and effect - a pretty important concept as concepts go.

Things I Can Do - Wreak Havoc

2009-04-26T21:51:00.003-04:00

Another video that really does speak for itself, but a bit of background. Ripley discovered this past week that she can open the cabinets in our kitchen, despite the fact that they have no hardware. She knows she can weasel her hand in the upper corner and yank. So I let her pull out some of the plastic-ware from that particular cabinet. Which I thought was harmless, and which actually made me organize the whole cabinet a bit more. The second time I let her do this, I was making her lunch for daycare, and when I turned around, she was nowhere to be seen. And then I looked more closely. Yup - she decided it wasn't enough to pull out the items within reach - she needed to access the items in the back as well. Thus her position in the video.

Visit to Texas - April 2009

2009-04-17T20:43:00.012-04:00

Time seems to be passing more and more quickly for us. I think I need to commit to updating the blog once a week at the same time. Maybe Sunday night? Otherwise, things seem to be slipping away. I am going to go back and try to recreate a few things, but didn't want that to stop me from posting some photos of our trip to Texas last week.

We started out in Pearland for one night where we got to see Grandma Janet, Aunt Judy and Uncle Benny. Ripley absolutely loved the pond in the backyard. I wish we had gotten some video of her splashing, but I think you can get the gist of how much she enjoyed leaning over and splashing.

Galveston was our next stop. Chad and I decided it might have been over 5 years since we had been there, so we booked a room at the Casa Del Mar for Thursday night. We got to the city fairly early and Ripley fell asleep right as we were pulling into town, so we drove around visiting my old houses (1818 Ave. O; 2525 O 1/2 ; 3615 O 1/2) I had forgotten how close the first house was to the beach. It was very run down, but the other two (especially 3615) looked great.

Overall Galveston was on the mend, but there was still so much damage from Hurricane Ike evident. The Down on the Strand, there was a line on the buildings showing where the water had been.

We had lunch at a wonderful Mexican place called Gorditas (where Chad had a spicy beer thing called a Michelada, and then headed to the Bolivar Ferry where we saw a ton of seagulls and dolphins!

For dinner, Chad had crawfish etouffee from Benno's on the Beach and I got a falafel from a Mediterranean Chef on the Strand, both of which we took back to the room so we could put the little girl to sleep. It was a bit cold so we didn't actually get into our suits to go to the pool or the beach, but we did walk along the beach for a bit.

On Friday morning, we had an amazing breakfast at The Sunflower Cafe and took some pastries to go (including a slice of pecan pie that they somehow dipped in chocolate!) to share with Mom and Dean. We tried to go on a Galveston Duck Tour, but the PA system wasn't working, so the tour guide thought we wouldn't be able to hear and didn't want to go ahead with the tour. We'll have to try again on our next visit. On our way out of town, we stopped off at Katie's Seafood Market (1902 Wharf - right off the Strand) to pick up some shrimp for dinner. We swung by Pearland again, picked up Mom/Grandma Janet and headed up to Hilltop.

It is always so relaxing to be at Hilltop. We went into Jewett on Saturday to the Flea Market. The only purchase was some kettle corn because Chad can't ever pass this up. We went to the cantata service at the Hilltop Chapel for Easter Sunday. Ripley did well for about half of the time, but she got tired fast so she and I sat out in the lobby for the second half. And finally on Monday before we left, we got to see the cousins and Aunt Emily and Uncle Freddie before we headed back to Hobby Airport to fly home. All in all a most wonderful visit. We can't wait to get back so we can swim in the Texas pool!

Things I Can Do - Climb Stairs (!!!)

2009-04-02T13:47:00.006-04:00

We've had a string of illness here in the House of Ripley, but are on the mend. I'll do some catching up next week when we are on Spring Break, but I had to post this video I shot this morning. It speaks for itself. She is getting so darn big!

Things I am Learning to Do - Feed Myself

2009-02-24T16:49:00.007-05:00

I haven't written much about food on the blog so far, but little girl is making leaps and bounds when it comes to solids. She still has her bottles, but we are doing a lot of purees (yum- vanilla or banana yogurt, carrots, prunes, pears, peaches; yuck - plain yogurt, beets, peas) but she is also starting to eat chunks of things (black beans, muenster cheese, bananas, kiwi, tofu), despite the fact that she does not have any teeth. We are working on grabbing these little chunks with her, and she's gotten really good at it. Check out the video of her eating "puffs" (basically little pieces of cereal that dissolve in her mouth).

Things I am Learning to Do - Swim

2009-02-17T18:44:00.004-05:00

We started our official swim lessons two weekend ago. I took her the first week, and this past week was pool time with Daddy. I wish I could convey to you how much she loves to splash around. Baby swim lesson consist mostly of getting her used to the water (check), trying to get her to kick (she's a bit young for this), floating on her back (which she hasn't quite decided if she likes), and getting dunked (which she's fine with). I am not sure we'll sign up for a second session after this first one as most of the things we are "learning" seem to be things we can practice on our own with her - the trick is going to be finding a pool where we can continue on our own. There are a couple of possibilities, so I hope to have more pool shots as the year wears on.

Thing I Can Do - Pull Up

2009-02-17T18:38:00.005-05:00

She's decided to pull up onto absolutely everything. Here are two shots - one of her after she's pulled up on the edge of her crib, and the other of her after she's pulled up on one of the corral gates we have around "her" space on the second floor. And yes, that is the remnants of the bruise on her forehead in the first picture.

Things I Can Do - Crawl Forward

2009-02-11T19:28:00.005-05:00

As promised, here is a crawling video. She's been doing this since Saturday (2/7), so we'll count it as the day she first propelled herself forward with her belly off the ground (she had done some scootching on her tummy before). She is pro enough that she quickly made it to the side of the bed and fell off on Monday (see Oops post). I would guess that by the end of the week, she'll be up to mach 10.

**Yes, that is me whistling to try to get her attention. Sometimes it works, but I do feel silly doing it.**

Oops

2009-02-10T20:16:00.005-05:00

For those of you who are my Facebook friends, you already know that we let Ripley fall off the bed yesterday. She's fine, but has quite the bruise on her forehead. We are adjusting to mobile child - she has been crawling forward since last Friday. I really am going to try to get video. Part of our morning routine is getting ready for the day with her sitting on the bed while we get dressed, put on shoes, etc. I was in the adjoining bathroom brushing my hair when I heard the "thunk", and there she was on the floor bawling. Which caused me to tear up too. Part of me is glad we got this out of the way - from what I understand of little ones, they all fall at some point. So we have our first fall done and over.

Detroit in January/February

2009-02-08T08:33:00.006-05:00

I realized that my last update had "Christmas" in the title, which, now that it is February, seems like very long ago. So on to our most latest adventure. Last weekend (1/30 - 2/1), we took a quick trip to Detroit where we saw family and friends. Culann drove over from Cleveland to see his niece and they had a nice time hanging out at Big Boy.

We got a great package deal and stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn where there was a fun pool, so we took baby girl for her first real swim (in a darling little suit from Grammy Vivienne). Despite the water being pretty cold, she had a fun time. And bad parents that we are, we did take her in the hot tub for a few minutes to warm her up after the cold pool adventure. On a related note, we started swim lessons yesterday morning (in a much warmer indoor pool) and Ripley LOVED it. She splashed and didn't flinch when I dunked her. I think we have another swimmer on our hands.

We had brunch at the Dearborn Inn on Sunday with Granny Maura, Uncle Mike, Aunt Helen, Uncle Tom, and Uncle Culann. And our last stop was in Ferndale to see godmother Katie, Gerry, Natty and sleeping Jimmy and Ruthie. All in all a wonderful weekend.

I think we are going to be more local in February, but I will try to be better about updating the day-to-day adventure. We just put up a corral for the baby because...wait for it...she is finally moving forward after weeks of scootching backward. I'll try to get a video to capture the movement.

Christmas in Virginia

2009-01-23T21:29:00.008-05:00

We continued with our beach tradition for Christmas this year by meeting up with Mom, Dean, Jenny, Jon and Nicole in Virginia Beach. There were even a few furry friends who joined us. Ripley and her cousin Dexter got along quite well.

Ripley enjoyed being with everyone - and she loved the shiny wrapping paper that might have been more fun than her presents. There were walks on the beach, some letterboxing and just good family time. Ripley would like to thank her Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dean for renting such a fun place for us to all be together.

New Years at Cape May

2009-01-23T21:12:00.004-05:00

We'll get to Christmas eventually, but a few words about New Years. We've been so lucky over the years to be able to meet up with our "architect" friends (even though not all of them are architects) in Cape May for New Years. The short version of the story is that Chad's college roommate Alan went to high school with Scott, who married Nina and had Cai and Von. Scott knew James from grad school (I think - and/or living together in Philly); Mare is James' sweetie and they live in NYC. I should ask again how Teresa knows Scott. Anyway, we all have a fun time together that involves a big house, walks on the beach, dominos and Guitar Hero/Rock Band.

This was Ripley's first new years in Cape May. We did a few new things - including going to Sunset Beach to watch the sun go down over the water. A fun adventure!

Inauguration Adventure

2009-01-22T20:26:00.005-05:00

I am not sure where the month of January has gone, but here we are almost 2 weeks after the last update. And I still haven't written about the many Christmas celebrations and baby's first New Years. I've decided to start with the inauguration, and think I'll link most of the pictures to my Picasa account instead of trying to put them here.

I like to think we did inauguration-lite. No outside standing in the cold for hours for us. Chad's college friend Nicole had reservations at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant The Source in the Newseum, a museum on Pennsylvania Ave. in DC. She called the weekend before and asked if we wanted to join her - Chad had been pretty uninspired about going, but this was an invitation that could not be refused.

So we got up at 5:15 am on Tuesday, January 20th and made our way to the RI Metro stop. Little to no traffic on the BW Parkway heading down. We got the last spot in the lot after Chad sweet talked the manager into letting us into the lot. He directed us to a half spot where we ended up on the curb (see photo of this in the album).

We walked to Nicole's and hung out there for a few hours and watched the people standing on the mall freezing and realized we had made the right decision not take Ripley out in the cold for that long since she was just coming off some lung gunk. We took a bus downtown, did some walking and ended up at the restaurant right as the swearing in ceremony was about to start. We finally made our way through the mob at the Newseum and watched Obama take the oath on the TV screens in the bar. For the sake of full disclosure, I have to say that they would not turn on the sound, so when I say we watched it, this is accurate.

We headed up for our lunch reservation and had a leisurely time enjoying good food and good company. Ripley was an angel through the meal - eating, sleeping and playing without one bit of ruckus. At one point, I thought I saw Wolfgang Puck, but no one else had, but we asked the waiter and sure enough, it was him. We were good about not being stalkers, but at the end of our meal, he came over to us and we had to ask if we could take Ripley's picture with him (see photo on Picasa). He said he has a 2 year old that he could hook her up with!

After lunch, we went outside and tried to catch a glimpse of the parade through the glass windows of the restaurant and the barricades. I did have a good view of the car, but the Obamas were not walking when they passed where we were.

Our final stop of the day was to meet up with Drew, Naya and Cai who had been out on the mall in the cold and had come all the way from Los Angeles for the event. We didn't have nearly enough time to catch up but I am so glad the little ones got to see each other. They had both been troopers all day long. We headed home around 6:00 and were once again lucky in that we hit very little traffic. We have wonderful memories of an amazing historic event - it will be fun to share them with Ripley when she is older and can truly understand the significance of the day.

Thanks for reading the long update - I'll try to get back to Christmas over the weekend.

Santa is Coming to Town

2009-01-06T21:56:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of updates to make, but in the meantime, here is a video from the pageant at Ripley's daycare. The babies in the infant room were the "reindeer" on Santa's "sleigh". I am definitely biased, but I think she is the most adorable reindeer of them all.

More Holiday Stuff

2008-12-16T08:30:00.007-05:00

We spent our last weekend of 2008 at home doing fun holiday stuff. On Saturday, we went up to Hampden (a neighborhood in Baltimore) that has a 34th Street. Each year every person on the block decorates in quite the lavish fashion - and it is called A Miracle on 34th Street.

On Sunday, it was a gorgeous day, so after brunch with Lea and Bill, we walked over to the harbor in the big girl stroller (did I mention I left the small snap and go stroller in Texas!) which little girl has taken to quite well - and by taken to, I mean loves to gum. At the harbor, we saw:

Catching Up - Baby's First Trip to Texas

2008-12-14T21:54:00.018-05:00

Without much of a break, we headed from Thanksgiving weekend to our first trip to Texas. Ripley and I flew out on Wednesday - they gave Chad a gate pass to get through security, even though he wasn't flying with us, so he was able to help us get settled. She did pretty darn good on the plane. I put her in the wrap and she slept, but she wouldn't let me sit down. Fortunately, it was smooth flying so we were able to stand in the aisle for about 1 1/2 hours of the flight while she dozed. I used my early present from Chad, an Ipod Touch to watch a couple of TV shows so it really wasn't all that bad.

We landed in San Antonio where Grandma Janet picked us up and took us to Cotulla to see Aunt Jill. We had a fun meal, stared at their Christmas tree, and visited Ben's the next day (Thursday). A short trip. but it was enough time to forget our snap and go stroller! We've been told it has found a good new home.

After San Antonio was Round Rock were we stayed with MiMi (Flossie) and met up with Aunt Jenny. Ripley also got to meet her Aunt Kelley, Uncle Dale and cousin Sara. Chad flew in on Friday an we stayed one more night before heading over to Hilltop on Saturday. We got to meet Ripley's new cousin Eric and see Emily, Freddy, Emily Marie, Jamie and Austin. Mom felt under the weather on Saturday night (we seem to bring sickness with us wherever we go), but Emily spearheading the production of some wonderful homemade flour tortillas, so we all ate well.

On Sunday, we drove down to The Woodlands where we stopped by to see Grandma Potter. I am pretty sure that neither she or Ripley will remember they met, but it meant so much to me that we have a few photos to show that they did. We'll be able to show the pictures to baby girl when she is older and tell her stories of her great grandmother.

Next stop was Uncle Jay and Aunt Marianne's where Matt and Margie joined us for some barbeque and soup. Ripley enjoyed looking at all of the trees in their backyard. She was a bit skittish around Uncle Jay at first, but finally warmed up to him. We have pictures now, so we'll try to show her the Texas family so the next time we visit, she'll know everyone.

Our last stop was Aunt Judy and Uncle Benny's in Pearland. Once again, we had a lovely meal and enjoyed visiting with everyone. Little girl really enjoyed hanging out with her second cousin Chelsea - they were even wearing the same color green! Ripley even got to open some early presents...and seemed to enjoy the paper as much as anything.

It was quite the whirlwind, but we enjoyed every minute of it and are so glad that Ripley got to meet everyone. I am not sure when we'll be back, but I think little girl would love a summer trip where she could float down the river.

Catching Up - Baby's First Thanksgiving

2008-12-14T21:01:00.011-05:00

It has been a busy few weeks and will remain busy through the end of the year, but I finally think I have a bit of time to try to recreate some of our adventures. They started with Ripley's first Thanksgiving. We have some wonderful holiday traditions that we were so excited about sharing with little girl.

Things started with the trip north on 95. Usually a 2 1/2 hour trip, we know it is going to take longer on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but we were able to leave around 3:30 and pretty quickly made our way through Maryland, only to come to a screeching halt in Delaware. For those of you who do not travel this stretch of road, 12 miles of I-95 are in Delaware. Doesn't seem like so much, but this 12 miles took us 1 1/2 hours to traverse. Once in Jersey, things were fine again and we were there by 7:30 or so.

A wonderful Thanksgiving Thursday with good food and good company. Uncle Tom came over from Detroit. Matt, Christine and Deirdre joined us. But we did miss Uncle Culann and Aunt Carolyn who went up to Michigan this year. And Chuck was laid low upstairs with a stomach virus. I am glad Ripley will be too small to remember they weren't there - and we hope that we'll get back on track next year! Daddy took time away from carving the turkey to handout with ittle girl in her pretty dress.

Little girl got us up early on Friday, so it made sense to hit a Black Friday sale (for the first time) - to replace our camera which was taking way too many blurry photos. After a nice brunch, Chad, Ripley and I headed to Cape May, where we stayed at Congress Hall, a super cool historic hotel. We walked along the beach, did some shopping, played some skee ball at the local arcade, and ate dinner at our usual - Stumpos. We made it an early night, put baby to bed and followed in the tradition of watching a movie by watching Hancock (much better than we thought it was going to be).

On Saturday, we took our time and headed to the Cape May - Lewes Ferry to begin the ride home. It was baby's first boat ride and she had a wonderful time looking out the window at the ocean. We look forward to many many more Thanksgiving adventures.

I Still Have a Big Head or My 6 Month Visit to the Doctor

2008-12-11T22:17:00.006-05:00

I really am hoping that this weekend I will have time to write about our Thanksgiving adventure and our Texas adventure, but for now, I will simply provide the new stats on baby girl.

At our 6 month visit (which was really more like 6 1/2 months), she weighed 15 lb 12 oz (36%) and was 25.2 inches long (22%). And what we are all waiting for - her head size. Let's just say that we know she has a large brain and is beginning to show signs that she is going to outsmart us all. Her noggin is apparently larger than 94% of other girl babies her age. And if you don't believe it, I've uploaded a recent picture.

Texas Photos - details to follow

2008-12-08T21:54:00.005-05:00

We got home from Texas this afternoon at about 5 pm. I've been unpacking and such. I'll write more about both Thanksgiving (including our trip to Cape May) and the Texas adventure soon, but for now, feel free to browse the photos on my Picasa site.

**UPDATE - I don't think this includes the photos from our camera - just the ones from my Mom, Margie's, Aunt Judy's and Chelsea's - I'll try to get the others up soon!

The Kitties in the Window

2008-11-20T17:01:00.005-05:00

I finally got around to hanging up Ripley's stained glass cat that Grandma Janet made for her (the one on the right). She loves to look out windows so I thought it would be fun to have two cats in the window next to her rocking chair. The second cat is one that I made back when I was in high school (middle school?). As we looked at them today, I told her about her great Grandpa Potter and how he taught me how to make stained glass. I hope some day we can teach her...

Carleton Class of 2029 - revisited

2008-11-18T22:03:00.006-05:00

She is finally big enough for her Carleton shirt, and as you can see from the photo, it brings out the smart in her. And she is big enough for the Levi's that her great aunt Connie and great uncle Lee sent. She is quite the stylish baby when she wears them and will probably look even better when they are not quite so baggy!

Out of Town Visitors - my friend Cai

2008-11-18T21:45:00.008-05:00

Some very good friends visited us this past weekend. Most of us met in 1993 when they came to Baltimore with Teach For America - Drew, Sara, Kelly, Deirdre. Naya was in DC, but we don't hold this against her. She and Drew have been married for a while now - one of our most fun weddings in Southern Colorado.

Last year when we started telling people we were pregnant, we called Drew and Naya. Somewhere along the way, I think we both doubted that the other couple was going to have kids. I vividly remember walking in the square down in Fells Points and telling Drew that we had something to tell him, and him telling me that they had something

to tell us. Somehow we managed to get pregnant within a month of one another. Cai was born on Apri 24th and Ripley was born on May 27th. Right now that month makes a huge difference - Cai is motoring around while Ripley is still just barely edging along - but as they get older, that month is going to be insignificant, and they will, in effect, be exactly the same age.

I know other people have better pictures from the weekend, so when they share one of the group shots, I'll upload it here (done 11/20/08). My photos from the weekend are linked on my Picasa account. We had such a fun weekend visting old spots like Jimmy's and some new ones like Hampden. There is never enough time, but we've been good about making sure we see one another at least once a year. Everyone got along swimmingly - except for Chad scaring Cai for some reason? Maybe next time, we will try clean-shaven Chad.

Things Ripley Can Do - Eat "real" Food

2008-11-18T21:25:00.006-05:00

We started big people food a few weeks ago - first some rice cereal - now on to sweet potatoes and mangos. We try things for 3 days to make sure there are no allergies. I've been making food and freezing it in cubes which has been fun and not nearly as much work as it would seem. Tonight I cooked, pureed, and froze beets which should be fun to give her.

So far sweet potatoes have been the big winner - here's a video of her eating them.

Things Ripley Can Do - Schootch (precurser to crawling)

2008-11-06T22:50:00.007-05:00

I don't think "schootch" is any sort of technical baby term, but it was what came to mind as Ripley and I were playing today. She is starting to realize that she can propel herself forward. Pretty fun!

Things Ripley Can Do - Roll Back to Front

2008-11-06T22:31:00.007-05:00

This is pretty long (1 min +) and the payoff comes at the end, so don't feel obligated to watch. The gist is that little girl can finally roll from her back to her front, which means we have to start being careful about where we leave her. I used to know she'd be in the same spot when I came back over, but now...a whole new world. Chad said she rolled yesterday (11/4), but this is the first photo evidence.

Lazy Sunday

2008-11-02T13:53:00.008-05:00

The pictures say it all. But in case you are wondering about the hat. We've found it the best-nap-aide-ever. It is called a Sleepy Hat (this links to a site with no shipping charge) and has helped Ripley sleep better at daycare and at home. Once she is dozing (not before because it freaks her out a bit), you pull down the flaps, and they block out the light so she doesn't startle as easily. Not to sound like an ad, but if you have a little one or are looking for a good gift for someone who has a little one, check it out.

The Rest of the Halloween Story

2008-11-01T19:16:00.009-04:00

Ripley had an incredibly busy week with Halloween activities. It started on Sunday with the Lantern Parade (see previous post), and continued on Wednesday with her play group. We started going to Wednesday play group back in the summer when I was working from home, so it was easy to arrange my schedule to visit with other Fells Point/Butcher's Hill moms and their little ones. It has been harder this Fall, but we manage to go every other week or so, and this week was the Halloween dress up event. Ripley was Tinkerbell, courtesy of her aunt Jenny.

Ripley is no longer the youngest in the group - she was for quite a while - but the majority of the babies are still about 2-3 months ahead of her, so it has been fun seeing what she is going to be doing (crawling!) before we know it.

On Friday, we had 3 events. First came her appearance as Tinkerbell at her day care party. To the left you can see her as "angry" Tink with Miss Crystal (purple hat) and Miss Kari (green hat). I think she was mad that she couldn't have a cupcake with bright orange frosting. Or maybe she was just hungry.

We went from our day care party to Ghoul at the School. Community groups and businesses set up tables at Patterson Park Public Charter School and the kids walk around and get to trick or treat. Daddy aka Dr. Kramer Dr. Kramer Dr. Kramer (it is so fun for his students to see him at events like this) carried her around. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and she had a nice time being the center of attention.

And finally, after a short stop at home for a nap, we headed up to see our friends the Kannams. I am mad that I did not get a picture of them - Peter was a coconut tree, Zachary was a soccer ball, and Cole was a Siberian Tiger. Ripley had drooled all over her Tinkerbell costume, so we changed back into tofu pup to round out the week. I stayed at the house and helped hand out candy, while Chad took her around with the boys. All in all, it was a very fun first Halloween, but I don't think Chad got her enough candy when they were trick or treating. I suppose that will have to wait for the upcoming years.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Halloween

2008-10-28T22:21:00.006-04:00

So our week of Halloween kicked off on Sunday with the Halloween Lantern Parade in Patterson Park. This quirky event occurs every year, but this is the first time we've gone because we are usually out of town Halloween weekend for Chad's birthday. This year the celebration came to us (a fun visit from Granny Vivienne and Pop Pop), so we were here. The parade was supposed to happen on Saturday, but it was much too rainy and windy, so they did it on Sunday.

Ripley did not march in the parade this year, but she did dress up so that the people who were marching by could see her in her first costume - what I like to refer to as the "tofu pup" outfit. To the untrained eye, it could seem like a hot dog costume, but her vegetarian aunt (Carolyn) was part of sending it, and knows Ripley's mom is vegetarian, so I have no doubt it was a tofu pup. Then again, if her uncle Culann had anything to do with it, I suppose it was a hot dog.

There were many many Patterson Park students who kept coming up to Ripley's daddy and yelling Dr. Kramer Dr. Kramer. There was even one little girl who I thought was going to hyperventilate from the excitement of seeing her principal outside of school.

I am trying to convert some of the video Chad shot so you can see the coolness that was the parade, so I might add this later. For now, this picture gives you a sense of what it looked like. I think next year, we'll be sure to make a lantern for little girl (and let her help, of course) and will figure out a way to help her march/roll with it. It seems like a fun tradition to start.

This is just the beginning of Halloween 2008. Still to come - Play Group Halloween; Day Care Halloween; Ghoul at the School

Things Ripley Can Do - Eat her Fist

2008-10-21T21:52:00.006-04:00

Yes, I can eat my fist. Sometimes I can even eat both of them.

Baltimore Farmer's Market

2008-10-21T21:42:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite things to do on Sunday morning is head over to the Baltimore Farmer's Market under the Jones Falls Expressway. My motivation is usually to get something like fresh basil for pesto or fresh cage-free eggs for the baking I love to do. Chad, on the other hand, is usually single-minded. He goes for the kettle corn. And not just some small normal sized bag of kettle corn. He isn't happy unless he buys the yard of kettle corn. A few weeks ago, I decided we needed a picture of Ripley in relation to the kettle corn. No further comment is needed.

Wanting to Be Sure of You

2008-10-19T19:00:00.003-04:00

I was thinking about the blog today and realized that some of you might not know the origin of the title of the blog. It comes from A.A. Milne:

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh!” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”
~A.A. Milne

When I first found out I was pregnant and during those first few months when I didn't feel pregnant, it seemed a bit surreal that we were going to have a little one joining our world. Now that she's been with us for almost 5 months, it still seems a bit surreal when I am folding little baby laundry or watching her eyes sparkle when she hears Chad's voice when he gets home from work. In some moments, it doesn't feel as though anything is different - and yet, in others, it is clear that nothing will ever be the same.

She is a joy, our Ripley Annabel...we can't wait for those of you who have not met her to meet her; and for those of you who have, but haven't seen her for a while to see her again.

October 11th and 12th - Marathon Cheering and North Run Farm

2008-10-13T20:29:00.007-04:00

It was a beautiful weekend here in Baltimore, so we did outside things. On Saturday, we cheered for 3 hours near Patterson Park for the Baltimore Marathon runners. Ripley did amazing - she was up for 2 hours of it and then slept in the sling for the final hour. I am not a runner (maybe Ripley will be), but it was inspiring to see people come past at mile 16. I saw our neighbor Dana, and Chad saw our friend Kari - both of whom were doing the 1/2 marathon.

Then on Sunday, we met up with our friends the Lindamoods (Kevin, Melisa, and Sienna) and went to North Run Farm in Baltimore County. North Run Farm is a pumpkin patch, has farm animals and a hay ride, and has a pretty sizable corn maze (themed to the election this year). We picked our own pumpkin, visited with the chickens and baby sheep (I suppose you'd call them lambs).

We rode the hay ride and somehow Chad and I ended up sitting on the hay, which I am not sure was meant to be sat upon as much as it was to be decorative. And finally, we wandered through the corn maze. Those of you who follow the adventures of Ripley will not be shocked to read

that she ended up napping in the sling (see the bump in the green fabric) for the maze - probably for the best, as my mental energy and navigation skills were needed to keep us from getting lost in the corn.

Duckpin Bowling and Fells Point Festival

2008-10-13T20:15:00.014-04:00

Two of our adventures earlier this month were quite Baltimore specific - duckpin bowling at the Patterson Bowl and the Fells Point Festival (an aside - my first kiss with Chad was at the Fells Point Festival in October of 1993!).

We don't have very good pictures (I think a new camera might be in the works), but here is a sampling of photos from duckpin. Note the shape of our daughter's head and the duckpin bowling ball - I am just saying...

And then we met up with the Martins (Kate, Marc, Adam and Charlie) at the Fells Point Festival.

Charlie is about a month younger than Ripley, but you wouldn't know it from their sizes. We've talked about starting a girl band, with the third girl being Olivia - Omari and Shaylin Todd's new little one (4 months younger than Ripley - so about 2 weeks old right now). Check back in 15 years.

See how she grows...2 month and 4 months stats

2008-10-04T22:15:00.004-04:00

We had Ripley's 4 month visit earlier this week (can you believe it?), and I thought I should post her stats and go back and do the ones from her 2 month visit.

4 months

weight - 12 bl 8 oz (23rd percentile)

height/length - 24.33 inches (52nd percentile)

head - 86th percentile

2 months

weight - 10 lb (25th percentile)

height/length - 22.44 inches (49th percentile)

head - 92nd percentile

As you can see, little girl still has a big head. This is one of the things they were concerned about when they were doing sonograms. At one point, they told us they thought she could be a 10 or 11 lb baby at birth, based on her head measurements in utereo. Needless to say, she wasn't (6 lb 11 oz at birth) which has me question modern medicine. I mean, really...with all of our technology, they are that off with their estimates?

She did great with her shots this time - an initial piercing scream like no other sound in the world, but a quick calm-down. The doctor complimented her on being so alert and tracking and following his voice. She's got a killer smile and is quite the flirt. Apparently he sees other 4 month olds who are not quite as lively.

Bad Parents - Part One - TV

2008-09-30T22:25:00.004-04:00

The video speaks for itself...

Things Ripley can Do - Hold her bottle

2008-09-30T22:15:00.004-04:00

I think it may have started a while back with Chuck. And then the ladies at day care have been encouraging it, but little girl can full on hold her bottle when she wants to...

New York City - September 13-14, 2008

2008-09-15T19:50:00.002-04:00

I realized that even though I posted last weekend, it wasn't really about Ripley, so it is high time for me to steal a few minutes for some updates. I tried to put them in order - so this update on New York is the most recent, but I also just added a few others, so scroll on down.

Ripley made her first trip to the Big Apple this weekend. We stayed with Pop Pop in NJ on Friday night - Granny was away on retreat, but we'll see them again this coming weekend when they are down in Baltimore so Vivienne can fly to Detroit.

We headed up to James and Mare's place on Saturday. So beautiful. A wonderful view (Chrysler Building on the left; UN on the right), and a gorgeous courtyard. You can just make out the

Empire State Building in the background of the photo with Ripley in her stroller.

We did a lot of walking on Sunday, and it was sweltering, but we found a cool toy store, Kidding Around, and bought a fun rattle for the little girl to chew on. Of course, Ripley spent some time napping in her sling...

All in all, we had a wonderful visit and will have to make sure not to go almost a full year without seeing James and Mare again. Chad seems to think we could live in Manhattan, but I am more incined to make more of an effort to visit more often.

Things Ripley can Do - Bubble Mouth

2008-09-15T19:45:00.001-04:00

I wish I had a video for the full effect, but when Chuck and Vivienne were here for Labor Day weekend, I didn't think twice about letting little girl hang out with her Pop Pop until I discovered that he somehow taught her to put spittle on her lips and blow bubbles. This causes her to drool even more than usual. Chad did take photos - you'l have to use a bit of imagination, but I think you can see her gearing up in these photos.

First Day of School at Patterson Park Public Charter School

2008-09-15T19:39:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, Chad is principal of Patterson Park Public Charter School in Baltimore City. Charter schools are public schools that are free to all city residents, and typically serve the communities in which they are located. His school is currently K - 7th grade and will add an 8th grade next year. The work is never simple. As they grow, they've needed to do a lot of construction. Last year, while their cafeteria was being worked on, the students ate outside in a huge tent - sort of like going to a wedding reception every day for lunch.

This is the start of his second year, and Ripley and I wanted to support him as he welcomed back his students. He has such a demanding job and so many responsibilities, but always makes times for little girl. She'll have a lot of reasons to be proud of her daddy - the important work he is doing for kids in Baltimore City is just one of them.

Ripley at the Maryland State Fair

2008-09-15T19:28:00.006-04:00

While she slept through about 80% of our visit, Ripley did wake up towards the end of our trip to the Maryland State Fair on August 24. She missed out on the fair food (funnel cake for baby in 2009!) but got to see the tractors, and we walked through the goat/sheep barn. We also tried to see the rabbits and chickens (one of my and her daddy's favorite things), but most of them had been judged already and taken home. We'll have to make sure to go earlier next year.

Grandpa Dean on The Tonight Show

2008-09-06T20:46:00.004-04:00

As some of you know, Dean was at the Republican National Convention this week. While there, he got accosted by several news agencies, including the Tonight Show. We recorded it on Chad's computer, but the file was pretty big - even when I cut it down to just the segment Dean was a part of. I was finally able to figure out how to share it by compressing it some (which makes the sound about half a second off - but still watchable) and then uploading it to YouTube. So you can see it there or you can watch it here. How exciting that Ripley will get to see her grandpa in years to come!

Slide show of Ripley's First Three Month

2008-09-02T08:27:00.005-04:00

I'm only about a week late for her 3 month birthday (August 27). If you have 6 minutes, take a look at the slide show I cobbled together of sweet baby during her first three month. It was my first attempt at using Microsoft Movie Maker, and I think it turned out pretty well. I suppose I'll need to keep track of months 3-6 so I can make another one in November for her 6 month birthday.

Things I Can Do - Roll Over

2008-08-31T15:20:00.005-04:00

I am not sure where the past week has gone, but I've been remiss in updating the blog. I'll start with a simple video of little girl rolling from tummy to back. While we think she is advanced in all areas, she does still need a bit of help getting set up to roll. When placed on her tummy, her hands must be placed bent at her side in order for her to accomplish this feat. She hasn't quite figured out what to do with them if they are down straight at her side.

Equal Time for Rutgers

2008-08-21T22:37:00.004-04:00

I let Chad choose her outfit today, and he chose this:

Let the lobbying begin...

I am 12 weeks old today

2008-08-19T22:22:00.005-04:00

Photos of big girl Ripley in her overalls (thanks Aunt Jenny!). Her new favorite thing to do is to pretend she is standing.

Visit to Friends (bar #???)

2008-08-18T14:25:00.009-04:00

We finally made it to Friends this past week (maybe Thursday?). I was in the mood for nachos, and Friends has the best ones in the entire city, in my humble opinion. They have mounds of good stuff (lettuce, salsa, cheese, black beans - sour cream and pepper on the when I order them) without making the chips soggy. And you run out of chips before you run out of good stuff - which is amazing. If you are reading this and are in Baltimore, you really need to check them out.

Enough about the nachos, check out the picture of Ripley in her car seat in the bar.

New Sling

2008-08-18T14:19:00.005-04:00

I bought a new sling for Ripley. We still use the old one, but this Sleepy Wrap is more versatile than the Hot Sling I have. Here's a picture of her facing out in it - she has more and more head control every day, so this new one is going to be fun.

The old one is still great for getting her to fall asleep, but this new one will allow us to wander through the world with her getting a full on view of what is going on around her.

Carleton Class of 2029

2008-08-14T11:21:00.004-04:00

I just finished reading the most recent copy of my alumni magazine - The Voice - and I know it sounds as cheesy as it gets, but I want my daughter to be part of a place like Carleton. Calling it a place doesn't quite capture it because a huge part of it was about the people. Such amazing people. I spent an hour or so last night finding Carleton people on Facebook. Not best friends, but cool people who I like knowing are out there in the world.

While I said it is not completely about the place, I have to mention the peace that I feel when I am back in Northfield. It is hard to describe other than to say it just feels so right to be there - even all these years later. I do go to reunion to see people, but it is also about being on campus and in town.

I know there are a lot colleges that might provide the same environment, but there is a part of me that believes Carleton is unique. I suppose the best example of this is Dacie Moses house. I can't think of any of my friends who went to different colleges who had a place like this. A place to go bake cookies any time you want. This was probably more important to me as one who loves to bake, but for those who don't like to back, it was still a place to go eat cookies and play cribbage and have beer muffins for brunch. All surrounded by amazing people.

So the indoctrination will begin in earnest with Ripley's Carleton baby gear and will continue in 2012 (20th - 4 yrs old), 2017 (25th - 9 yrs old) and 2022 (30th - 14 yrs old) - our three chances to go to reunion and help her fall in love with the place too. Of course, I want her to have choices and will do my best not to cross the line into overbearing pushy mother. I have a feeling papa might lobby for Rutgers, but while he feels an affinity to the State University of New Jersey, I am not quite sure it is the same as my feelings about Carleton.

We are Having a Baby: Part I - Blue Moon Breakfast

2008-08-10T21:36:00.006-04:00

Blue Moon Cafe in Fells Point is one of our favorite places to eat breakfast. It is the go-to spot on the mornings in the dead of winter when school is canceled for a snow day. If you aren't there before 8:15 on a weekend, be prepared to wait at least an hour. Blue Moon is all the more special because it was where I told Chad about Ripley for the first time.

I took the home test on a Friday - Chad was out at a work happy hour, so I was alone. I don't remember buying the test in detail or why I thought I should take one precisely, but I do remember thinking that I didn't need the brand name and that the store brand would be just fine...especially since it had two tests for the price of one. I was expecting a plus or a minus or one line versus two versus no lines, but the CVS kit could be considered a "pregnancy test for dummies". You pee on the stick and voila, the word PREGNANT appears. Yes, the full word.

So even though the whole word appeared, I wasn't convinced. I mean, it was a generic test, so it could be wrong, right? I called Kaiser to see if I could go in for a real test. The advice nurse was so nice on the phone. I told her I had taken a home test, but wanted a real test, and she said "Sweetie, those tests are pretty accurate. We can go ahead and just schedule your first visit in 6 weeks with your OB." I insisted on the real test and she repeated, "I can put in the lab request for tomorrow, but sweetie, a home test is very accurate."

I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to tell Chad, so when he got home later that night, and we started planning out the weekend, I told him we had some errands to do up in Towson (where the Kaiser lab was) on Saturday morning. I didn't tell him what exactly. We woke up particularly early the next morning, so we decided to go to Blue Moon. Right after we ordered, we started reviewing the specific errands, and I told him one of them was to stop by the Kaiser lab to confirm my pregnancy test. His face lit up and I remember the biggest smile. All in Blue Moon.

So we went today with Ripley for the first time. Does it surprise anyone that she fell asleep in the sling? Not before we got a couple of pictures though.

We are Having a Baby: Part II - El Salto Lunch (a story for later)

Adventures in Drive Ins

2008-08-09T11:28:00.008-04:00

Last night Chad and I saw our first new release movies since baby was born: The Dark Knight and Wall-E. It was an impossible to pass up a double-feature of two of the highest ranked movies on the tomatometer (94% and 97% respectively) at Bengie's Drive-In which has a lot of rules.

I think we were both a bit distracted during Wall-E because we were getting settled, and I'd probably want to see it again on DVD since I feel like I missed out on the nuances of some of the artwork. By the time Dark Knight rolled around, Ripley was snoozing so we did get to focus. And like the reviews say, it was an incredibly serious movie, but we both did like it.

I think we'd go back again, if the double-feature was right.

This was the best I could do for a picture of her - right before it got dark. You can see the screen in the background and of course all of the cars!

Cool Things about Ripley

2008-08-07T16:04:00.005-04:00

(1) She is finally big enough for her g diapers (thanks sweet Shannon). I haven't changed her yet, so I'll let everyone know how it goes.

(2) She wears fun onesies made for her by her Aunt Carolyn.

Things I Can Do - Hold My Head up (aka Ripley non-Bobble Head)

2008-08-04T23:28:00.003-04:00

Yesterday (8/3/2008) was the first time we noticed little girl holding up her head! She and Daddy were hanging out in bed and with no prompting, she started craning her neck...

Today (8/4/2008), during morning tummy time, she lifted her head and kicked at the same time, which landed her on her side. She stayed there for a bit, and while I was tempted to push her over, I let her struggle with it, and she eventually let herself drop onto her back. I think this qualifies as her first stomach to back flip. No video unfortunately, as attempts to recreate have resulted in a mad mad little girl.

Daycare Update

2008-08-04T22:25:00.003-04:00

I was talking to my mom over the weekend and realized that I had not given an update on the daycare situation. Ripley will be starting a week from today at a place called the Vera Shank Child Care Center, which is only 2 blocks from our house. It was recommend by one of the board members at Chad's school, so we visited and really like it. It is a much smaller center than the Tide Point center - they just started an infant room earlier this summer and will only have 6 infants at a time with 2 caregivers.

We are going to start with half-days and see how it goes. I am hoping to work in the office 3 days a week and from home the other days, but I would have the option of taking her if I really need directed time to focus on a project. I have to be flexible with my hours since a lot of the e-mailing I do with students happens at night anyway.

Christening in Detroit

2008-07-28T14:37:00.011-04:00

While things are fresh in my mind, I thought it would be a good time to write about our visit to Detroit. First airplane ride - check. First visit with great-grandmother Maura -check. First time at the pool - check. Christening - check. It was an overwhelming success; the only downside being how tired everyone is (including Ripley who is asleep in the sling right now).

On Friday midday, we headed to BWI with Ripley's entourage (Chuck, Vivienne, Fiona, mom and dad). It does seem to take a village to get a child on a plane. We divided and conquered with Chad and Chuck parking the cars and Fiona and Vivienne helping me with baggage and baby.

Once on the plane, we used the tried and true strategy of "try to put baby into a milk coma". This worked to an extent, but it took being put into the sling to truly knock her out. I don't think we disturbed the people around us too much - and since Fiona, Chuck and Vivienne were the ones behind us, I think it all worked out just fine.

When we got to Detroit/Dearborn, we checked into the Dearborn Inn. I had never stayed there before, although others in the party had. There have been several McCartan family events that have taken place here - I don't remember all of them, but they usually involve lunch/brunch and then photos by the fireplace (you'll see an example later).

After checking in, we headed to Gertrude Street to see Granny Maura. She and Ripley hit it off right away.

On Saturday, we all headed to St. Mel's for the Christening. Little girl was very accommodating as we put on her dress - it was a team effort.After a beautiful, quirky ceremony led by Uncle/Father Tom, the photos began in earnest (many are linked here at my Picasa album). Ripley didn't flinch when the water was dribbled on her head; in fact, she was asleep for 3/4 of the ceremony, and an angel during the rest. We are so thankful to Culann Kramer and Katie Brisson for agreeing to be Godparents.

There is so much more, including two wonderful brunches at the Dearborn Inn, but I think the most incredible part of it all was having 4 generations all in one place. The love for Ripley, but also for each of us in the family was such a wonderful gift.

Ale Mary's

2008-07-23T18:00:00.003-04:00

Went to baby's fourth bar yesterday (7/22 Tuesday) - Ale Mary's in Fells Point. A really fun neighborhood place where we usually run into our friends Megan and Patrick. It is right next door to the very first apartment I lived in on Fleet Street back in 1992! Back then it was called Tony's and then Aftershock and both places were quite sketchy which is probably why they shut down.

Ripley started out in the baby Bjorn, switched to the sling for a bit and then back to the Bjorn for the walk home. She even got to spend some time not cooped up and was a hit with the 4 drunk ladies at the end of the bar.

International Visitors

2008-07-21T20:24:00.004-04:00

This is slightly out of order (Artscape adventure was Saturday), but we had our first international visitors on Thursday and Friday. Maura and Lee were visiting from Ireland, so they came down from New Jersey with Granny Vivienne and PopPop Chuck. Needless to say, Ripley enjoyed the attention immensely. I think Fiona has more pictures, so I might try to steal a few more from her. The one on the left is one of the best ones I have of Maura and Ripley.

Baby's First [fill in the blank]

2008-07-19T22:20:00.007-04:00

I find myself in the constant mode of thinking about "baby's first [fill in the blank]". Today was baby's first trip on public transportation - the Baltimore subway. For those of you who don't know much about the subway "system" in Baltimore, it consists one one line (yes, you read that right, one line) that generally runs northwest. There is a stop near Hopkins Hospital, which is near our house, so I thought it would be fun to take the subway to Artscape today (baby's first Artscape).

The fun started with getting stuck in the elevator down to the platform (baby's first time being stuck in an elevator). I used the call button to call for help, but Ripley was screaming so loudly at that point, that I couldn't hear what the man was saying. Fortunately, less than 5 minutes later (it could have been less than 3 minutes later, but it seemed much longer), the elevator started moving.

The misadventure continued when we got to Artscape at 10:30, only to discover that it didn't start until 12. Drat. So we walked up to Sofi's Crepes to see if they were open - nope - not until 11:30, so we headed down Charles Street for an extended walk and to take the subway home. By this time, it was pretty darn hot, so we stopped off in Starbucks (baby's first visit to Starbucks), and I tried their new smoothie (the orange mango banana was OK - but I'd recommend sticking with the coffee drinks, but maybe the chocolate one is better).

This misadventure took a lot out of both of us, so we were content to sit around for the rest of the day and watch bad TV. She's sleeping soundly right now, so I should probably try to get some rest myself since Chad is out in West Virginia on a retreat for work and this will be baby's first night without Daddy (aka baby's first night home alone with mom).