Life with Little Man

NYC Part II

2011-03-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Me trip to the Big Apple!

2011-03-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

We decided to be adventurous last weekend and take the bus to New York City from DC so we could meet up with John Patrick's Gaga and Grandpa and Aunts Becky and Suzanne. Daddy was home working hard to finish his doctoral dissertation and we figured NYC would be more fun that trying not to bug him at home! Little man did great on the bus- he was SO excited to ride the bus, and totally chilled out listening to his favorite song on the iPod- "Good Morning" from the musical Singin' in the Rain. That and his poems from Daddy on the iPod and pointing out every bus and car and truck that passed by made time go fast!

We had a fun weekend walking the city with the family. Saturday morning little man and I got up early and explored a little around our hotel on the east side. We had a yummy breakfast together at a little diner, and he was totally amazed by all the taxis and bags of garbage on the streets. "Yuck yuck!!!" he kept saying! After everyone else was awake we went down to Chinatown, where John Patrick had fun playing on a great playground in the warm sun, and then we headed to Little Italy for pizza at Lombardi's- America's 1st pizzeria. It was SOOOOO yummy. Then we ventured out for gelalato. John Patrick loved it so much he ate all of his and half of mine. He fell asleep at naptime murmuring, "Ice cream.... mmmmmm.. good...."

Although it was a quick trip, we had so much fun and it was great to see the family!

Excuse the crappy pics.. couldn't take my real camera with me, so had to settle for the crappy old point and shoot, but at least we got some pics. Better than nothing!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T12:56:00.001-08:00

John Patrick is now 17 1/2 months and is more fun than ever! Happy Valentine's Day!

Some of his favorite new things to say are : Our Father... and pray the whole prayer, Hail Mary, calling Daddy "William", come on, I think so, I did it!, toilet, so many more I can't remember all right now! Little man is ready to go outside, so more later!

1st Snowfall 2010- John Patrick 15 months

2010-12-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

Today was our 1st snowfall in MD! John Patrick hated the snow last year when he was just about 5 months old, and he wasn't much a fan of it this time, at first. He hated the feel of it on his hands, yet refuses to wear his mittens. Once he finally agreed to keep the mittens on, he had more fun, and we even took a walk to the park. We were the only crazies out though, so no playmates :) Hoping for a snow delay or snow day, but with only a few inches on the ground, I don't think it's going to happen for us this time!

Visiting Santa- almost 15 months

2010-12-01T17:13:00.001-08:00

I never expected John Patrick to freak out like he did with Santa this year. He is such an extrovert, and just loves being around new people, it never occurred to me that he would scream! But it made for some pretty classic pictures!

Halloween Part 3!

2010-11-13T10:53:00.001-08:00

Halloween Part 2!

2010-11-13T06:15:00.000-08:00

Halloween with cousins Madison and McKenzie!

2010-11-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating Halloween like always with Aunt Linda and Uncle John and cousins Madison and McKenzie. The twins had amazing homemade witch costumes, and they joked that John Patrick was their flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz. Cute! He was so happy to see his cousins, of course, and had so much fun trick or treating. He even managed to say "trickotreat" and "dank you!" at many houses. He didn't quite get the concept of taking the candy and leaving- he wanted to give the candy back to the people and stay for a while! Houses with dogs were his favorite, and he would cry when we had to pull him away. All in all, an fun night. excited for what next year will bring!

More fun in the leaves!

2010-11-12T18:59:00.001-08:00

Playing in the leaves! 14 months

2010-11-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a beautiful day and we took a walk in the woods by our house that afternoon. John Patrick just loves playing in the leaves, and hiking. He often leads me on a walk through our backyard and giggles as he runs down uneven ground and hills. He loves learning new words like "acorn" and "scarecrow" on our walks through the neighborhood.

John Patrick's first trip to the ER!

2010-11-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Mommy got an email from Daddy yesterday while at work with this picture! Poor little man slipped and bumped his eye on the coffee table yesterday. He has a pretty swollen and black and blue eye, and it got pretty cut up, which made mommy freak out and take him to ER to make sure we didn't need stitches. Luckily, he didn't, and he was such a good boy in the waiting room. He played with the few other toddlers that were there, and handed people magazines. He loved the taxi ride home, too, and kept trying to hand paperwork from the hospital to the cab driver. Quite the personality! Kept everyone in good spirits in the hospital. We are just glad he is back to his normal busy self!

Halloween at the Park with Ani

2010-10-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

My little monkey! John Patrick loves the song 5 little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and he loves "nanas", so his costume seemed fitting!

Yesterday John Patrick got to wear his monkey costume for the first time. He loves it. He thinks he is a giant stuffed animal in it! He also thought his good friend Ani turned into one, and kept hugging her and trying to cuddle up to her. He loves soft, cozy animals! We took the kids to Glen Echo park for the Fall Frolic, and they got to march in the costume parade, decorate pumpkins, and run around with a million other kids in costumes. We are looking forward to tonight with Aunt Linda and Uncle John and cousins Madison and Mckenzie!

John Patrick, Ani, and Ani's Dad Shahnur. John Patrick wouldn't stop hugging Ani!

Happy boy on the swings!

Always chasing after dogs! He just loves them!

Coloring a picture and not happy that he can't have ALL the markers at once!

Cheerios!

2010-10-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

John Patrick loves Cheerios. He now can say the word and asks for them in the morning as his pre-breakfast appetizer. This morning he was so funny- he wanted to read the back of the cereal box. It didn't look all the interesting, but it sure did keep him entertained!

Big Boy Chair and my cute jammies..

2010-10-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

We picked up this great antique toddler chair at our little shop we always go to in Front Royal. John Patrick isn't quite ready for sitting at the table without being strapped in, but it will be nice in a few months!

Annual October Trip to Shenandoah

2010-10-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

We always go to Shenandoah for my birthday weekend as a daytrip. We mosey our way out to Front Royal for a fall festival and antiquing, and stop at pumpkin patches and farms along the way. On the way home we always stop at Three Fox Winery, which is our most favorite place to relax on a sunny fall afternoon. We had a lot of fun with John Patrick this year- he loved learning to skip rocks with daddy along the creek at the vineyard, swing in the hammocks, ad have a picnic.

Playing in Hay and Apple Picking!

2010-10-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we headed out to Homestead Farms for apple picking and fall fun... with about a million other suburban dc families. John Patrick had a ball and went nuts over how many apples were everywhere! At the start of the visit he just called them "balls", but by the end, he learned a new word: "apple"! Now he asks for apples everyday and learns a few new words daily. Some of his newest words: airplane, squirrel, thank you, bubbles, I poop!, monkey, train, bus, choo choo, vroom vroom... so may more I can't remember them all! We are having fun with his linguistic development for sure!

Celebrating Mommy's Birthday

2010-10-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

A favorite picture from a few weeks back- celebrating my birthday. More to come after a full night of sleep!

More 12 month portraits.

2010-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

I really am so behind on family pictures. These are a few shots I took at my sister Linda's beautiful home back in September. She and her husband John have created the most relaxing, lush backyard, and it was perfect to snap a few quick pics of John Patrick! I love the last one with his cousin McKenzie. I think they are starting to look a bit alike! He loves his cousins!! Can't wait for Halloween with the girls this year!

1st Bike ride and fall hike at Sugarloaf Mtn.

2010-10-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

John PAtrick is totally obsessed with dogs and balls. Paying ball with this dog at the winery at Sugarloaf was heaven for him!

devouring an entire pear... doesn't even let the stem slow him down!

we bought a Burley Bike trailer a few weekends ago off craigslist, and have been enjoying taking little man out on the beautiful fall days! William is now able to tow him along to the park on their Daddy-Days when they don't have the car. He wasn't a huge fan of the helmet at first, but has gotten used to it!

John Partrick is one year old!

2010-10-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, actually he is now 13 months old.. but I am way behind on the family blog. Fall is busy season for portraits and weddings, so photography has been keeping me very busy! But anyways, I took him over to Glenview Mansion a few weeks back to do his formal one year portrait session, for which he officially decided to ignore mommy taking pictures and destroy his suit in the mud! Maybe next year we'll get some more smiling pictures. But this year, we will just remember his sparky personality and his emerging walking skills, his obsession with anything round, muddy, and gross.

John Patrick is walking!

2010-09-09T18:43:00.001-07:00

He has been taking steps on his own since about about 10 months, but it wasn't until yesterday, Sept. 8th, that we saw him actually walk across the whole room and into another room. One year and about one week old! Luckily, both William and I were there to see him in action! Here are a few short videos I took just on the cell phone tonight while he walked the courtyard of our building. He was quite motivated to walk to his girlfriend Ani when she came out to play! She was so excited for him to be walking! Now the real trouble begins!!

Celebrating John Patrick's 1st Birthday with friends

2010-08-30T03:17:00.001-07:00

We celebrated John Patrick's 1st Birthday a little early with his friends. My mom is in town from Rochester, and helped me make the special chocolate dog-shaped cake from scratch. John Patrick just adores dogs, so I was excited to see his reaction with all the dog decorations. He saw the table cloth first, and made his typical, "mmmm" sounds in a high-pitched squeal that he makes when he likes something or sees an animal. He wasn't too sure about what was happening when we all started signing to him and put the cake in front of him, but he did get pretty into the chocolate cake once he got going. It was so fun to watch! Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate and making his day so special! Can't wait to celebrate with the Gilmore family next weekend for his real birthday!

Day 2 of camping and beaching...

2010-08-12T12:19:00.001-07:00

Beach photos!

2010-08-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

No fear... that is John Patrick's life slogan... He just crawled all around the sand and splashed right into the water. He loved loved loved being thrown high into the air by daddy! The light was gorgeous, so of course I took way to many pictures!

First Camping and Beach Experience!

2010-08-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

We decided to camp at Lewes, DE in Cape Henlopen State Park at the ocean for a night. It was a beautiful park, and we would definitely go back, versus spending the day at over-crowded Rehoboth.

First, the camping photos... He loved it! Dirt, sand, and pine needles, oh, and fire... what more could a boy ask for? He loved crawling all over the campsite, playing around in the tent, and was transfixed by the fire daddy built as he stayed up way past his bedtime to enjoy the complete camping experience! We were a little nervous about how he would do with the camping, but clearly, he is very adaptable and adventurous. We're so glad we took him, even though it was just one night!

John Patrick is 11 months old!

2010-08-08T19:03:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe he will be one in just a month! I made an attempt at a quickie informal portrait session today, since I missed the 10 month shoot, and it is nearly impossible to get him to sit still for 2 seconds. He makes so many funny faces! Today he actually was so excited by the white backdrop that he walked from his Radio Flyer wagon to the backdrop all on his own! I couldn't believe it. I don't think he could either! He has been taking more steps today on his own, and he gets so excited every time. I love the shots of him trying to climb up the backdrop. He is a climber for sure! He climbed up onto Grandma Sop's rocking chair a few days ago, and started clapping when he did it. Clapping is his newest trick. He also can climb all the way up a tunnel slide at the playground. He gets a real kick out of giving me a heart attack as I run around to the top to make sure he doesn't crawl off the ledge. It's been a fun summer together and I am getting sad to see it come to an end so quickly.

Playing around- 11 months

2010-08-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't know it but little man had his tear duct surgery this morning. I think he may have had some super human powers mixed in with the anestesia because after he came to, he was rearing to go all day. He took a long 3 hour nap after a little bagel and cream cheese (disregarding the notice to avoid food for 12 hours.... yeah right!), and when he woke up, it was non-stop discovery all day. He even climbed a lawn chair at the pool and attempted to climb the chain link fence. Yikes! Everytime I would go into the kitchen to do somehting, he would escape away to his new fave play spot- our bedroom. Actually, more specifically, my dresser. He stands there opening and closing the doors for the longest time. It just doesn't get old!

His eyes look so much better after the procedure! No more goopey eyes!!! YAY!

I couldn't help but snap a few of his cute little butt cheeks hanging out of his dipe... and of course, his luscious curls!

All dressed up...

2010-07-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Little man looked extra handsome for Grandpa in his suit and tie. I wish he would have sat still to pose alone for a picture, but that is just impossible these days.. We are going to have a tough time for his 1 year portrait session! I am going to try again with the same outfit since I love it so much! He definitely wears pink well :)

Partying Gilmore Style for Dad

2010-07-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

JP and Syb hosted an awesome party as always on Tuesday night. Fun to have the extended family join together again! We sure did lots of partying this summer! Little man had fun with his cousins, and loved getting in the hot tub in his diaper! I love this picture of Addison driving John Patrick in the Barbie Jeep- he is making a total Dan face!

Family Outing to Ontario Beach Park

2010-07-31T18:38:00.001-07:00

On July 26th, entire family headed down to Ontario Beach Park to indulge in the Rochester must-have summer treat: Abbott's. As if we hadn't already indulged enough over the course of Camp Gilmore! We all woofed down our ice cream before it could melt, and of course John Patrick demanded spoonfuls faster and faster as he eyed McKenzie's cone. After a few family portraits by the water we headed over to the historic Denztel Carousel, one of the oldest in the country, and we all took a ride. Turns out Mom and Dad came here after they got engaged. It was an appropriate way to spend one of our last days all together. While the rest of the fam took a stroll down the pier, I snapped a few shots of my handsome nephews. We had a lot of fun together, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate Dad's life. I think he would have been happy to see the grandkids all together enjoying one of his and mom's favorite places to frequent as youth.

Quality Time with Grandpa

2010-07-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

John Patrick is really drawn to Grandpa. He loves visiting by his bedside and giving little love pats. He loves grabbing his mouth for some reason, and we have to tell him to be gentle. He gets very excited to see him every morning when he wakes up. Here are a few special shots of little man and grandpa.

Cousins at the Playground

2010-07-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

The kids are having so much fun together. I took them all to the playground the other day since they are getting a little stir-crazy hanging around the house so much. Addison didn't have any shoes with him, so he borrowed his cousin Madison's fuzzy pink flip-flops. Pretty cute. He didn't mind, as long as he could go to the park!

Raspberry Picking!

2010-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Dan and I took the boys raspberry picking last week. John Patrick went nuts of course, shoving berry after berry into his mouth. Jarrod went to the very back f the patch looking for the biggest berries, and he was my co-cook in the kitchen afterwards to make the jam. The jam turned out just delicious. We used the low-sugar freezer jam recipe from Sure Jell, and I love the fruity taste so much better than the full-sugar recipe. YUM!

Gilmore Summer Camp Part IV

2010-07-24T08:43:00.001-07:00

Summer Camp Part III

2010-07-24T08:40:00.001-07:00

Gilmore Summer Camp Part II

2010-07-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Gilmore Summer Camp in Rochester!

2010-07-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Well, what started out as a 2-week visit at home so WIlliam could get work done on his thesis, has turned into a full summer here with the whole family! The cousins are having a blast together- John Patrick is just loving all his time with the kids and aunts and uncles. We are all camped out here without knowing when we will go back home. Dad is just hanging in there, most probably enjoying all the non-stop visitors and the family being together under one roof.

The next few posts will highlight some of the fun had here in Rochester this month. John Patrick is 10.5 months! He is talking up a storm, and still cruising, crawling super fast, and has learned to stand up on his own from a squat. Some of his favorite new words are "ball", "uh oh" "yeah" "love you" and his very favorite sounds, "mmmmmmm" when he eats anything!

Katie's Graduation

2010-06-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Even though John Patrick has been sick with ear infections this weekend, he was feeling better enough to make it to Katie's graduation party. Good thing, since that was one of the main reasons we came home!! He perked up after eating a second lunch and had fun being passed from one cousin and aunt to another.

Even more strawberry pics!

2010-06-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

More from berry picking...

2010-06-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Picking with Grammy Grams! Almost 10 months

2010-06-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

John Patrick went strawberry picking for his first time this week in Rochester. He has loved strawberries since he was in the womb, and he devoured one after another in the patch. Poor grammy was on her own for the berry picking for our jam this year, since mommy was too busy monitoring little man to make sure he was only eating berries, not the stems and hay. He couldn't get enough of them, and he was just dripping with berry juice within minutes. When we got home, he took a long nap so Grammy and I could make the homemade jam. He had a little taste the next day on his homemade english muffin bread, and was a big fan! Lots of good eating here at Grammy's!

Happy 1st Father's Day! 9.5 mths old

2010-06-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Weekend at the Farm!

2010-06-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the start of summer vacation by taking little man up to the Ranck Family Farm- "Verdant View" in Lancaster, County PA this weekend. He had quite an experience of country life! He just adored all the animals, especially the baby goats that surrounded him and nibbled his ears! Big thanks to Pat and Elisa for hosting us this weekend. We had so much fun, and even got to meet their dear Amish friends, a young couple our age with 5 little girls! The youngest is a month younger than John Patrick, and they had so much fun playing together and sharing some puffs for a snack. Sorry, no pictures of the Amish playdate!

Play Date with Ani!- Almost 9 months

2010-06-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Ani is our neighbor's little baby girl. She is so cute, and will be turning a year in a few weeks. The two play so well together. Ani is inspiring John Patrick with her walking!

Memorial Day Outing- Picnic and Ice Cream with Mommy and Daddy

2010-06-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a really relaxing Memorial Day together as a family. We went for a picnic on Roosevelt Island, which to be honest is not very picturesque for picnics, so we probably won't go back unless to hike, and then a drive over to Alexandria for the delicious homemade frozen custard at The Dairy Godmother's. William and I went there the week before John Patrick was born. Well, he liked the frozen custard then and he loves it even more now! He had strawberry custard, and I had strawberry rhubarb sorbet. William stuck to the classic chocolate. It was so good I wanted a second scoop.. but William controlled me :)

Simple toys: kitchen utensils! Almost 9 months..

2010-06-02T10:18:00.001-07:00

Gilmore Memorial Day Picnic!

2010-06-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Always such a fun time when the Gilmores get together! We enjoyed lots of swimming and good food at Mary Lu and Sue's place last weekend. John Patrick adored all the attention from all of his cousins!

Playing the grass! Almost 9 months old

2010-06-02T10:07:00.001-07:00

John Patrick started crawling doing the military crawl around 6.5 months, and he got around just fine for the longest time like that. But he has evolved now into the traditional crawling on all fours, and has gotten quite fast! He loves to crawl in the grass chasing after bugs and picking weeds. One day he picked up a piece of bird poop and tried to snack on it. Luckily I intercepted! GROSS!

Last Swimming class! Almost 9 months old...

2010-06-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

They call him Michael Phelps... he just seems to have a natural inclination for how to move in the water. It is a lot of fun to watch John Patrick try to take off and swim after one of his water toys, or after another baby in the water. Our 6 sessions of swimming classes were so great for him. Now that the pool has opened in our neighborhood, I am taking him swimming daily, and he is loving it!

8 months eating avocado

2010-05-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

John Patrick is working on self-feeding. He loves avocado, but it is so slippery! He did a pretty good job of scooping it all up for himself, though! He also loves to suck his thumb between bites, and if you try to get him to take a bite before he is ready, he closes his eyes, and turns his head, as if to say, "not gonna do it!". He loves to eat, but is quite clear about when and how he wants to do it!

8 Month photo shoot!

2010-05-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

We've been busy trying to keep up with John Patrick as he cruises the furniture. He ops up, then sits down, then pops up, walks a bit, then sits down... he is all over the place! Big milestones this month: Obviously, learning to stand up on his own and cruise, saying "Dada" and meaning it, forgetting how to sleep for three weeks and then re-learning (THANK GOD!!!), waving (but only while in his highchair for some reason), drinking from a regular cup all on his own (though of course with lots of water down his shirt!), eating a teething cookie, eating a bite of my whoopie pie, eating a bite of my spinach omelette, eating a bite of just about everything and still loving it... I am sure there has been much more, but these are a few highlights!

My first taste of real ice cream...

2010-05-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

and the verdict is: HE LIKES IT!! Wouldn't stop eating it the most delicious ice cream in town- Dolcezza's Argentine Gelato- Thaitian Vanilla Bean- YUMMMERS! I intended for him to only have a sample spoonful, but that was a joke. He couldn't stop reaching for the spoon and pulling the cup to his lips to lick it. Who could blame him? It really is the best ice cream I have ever had. The good news was that he ate his asparagus for dinner right after.

My first ride on the carousel at 8 months

2010-05-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Self-feeding at 8 months

2010-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

John Patrick really likes to feed himself. He does pretty well with cheese and ham bites, but avocado and strawberry get a little more messy. just a tad. And, he insists on sucking his thumb in between bites, and often pretends he is disinterested, and just closes his eyes. This from the baby who loves to eat!

Last one from Easter Sunday

2010-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

More pictures from Easter weekend

2010-05-08T18:43:00.001-07:00

My First Easter

2010-05-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

I am quite behind on blogging, but had some time tonight to get this post ready. We made a last-minute decision to go home to Rochester for Easter, and it also happened to be my mom's birthday that weekend, so we had lots of family celebrations!

John Patrick really enjoyed his cousins Katie, Megan, and Claire and had fun opening up his Easter basket! He was so excited about his wooden toy train that he didn't want to open anything else the Easter Bunny had brought him.

Getting into trouble and making a mess!

2010-04-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

He figured out how to crawl under the excersaucer- I guess that means it can no longer function as a baby gate to keep him confined to the living room!

And he just LOVES strawberries, but what cracks me up is the face he makes everytime, as if he were in pain from their tartness, but yet he grabs my hands to feed him more, desperate for another bite. Today I dipped it in greek yogurt, and let him feed himself. He was a big fan, even though you can't tell from his faces!

7 month photo shoot- a few weeks late!

2010-04-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

With a number of client portrait sessions to edit recently, I was too busy to work on little man's 7 month session. Now that he is practically 8 months old, I decided I'd better get it done this weekend! This week his new trick is pulling himself up to standing all on his own. Now we really have to keep our eyes on him!

Being Destructive...

2010-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mommy and John Patrick

2010-04-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dear friend Emily Hayes for snapping these fabulous shots of us when she came over to play a few weeks ago!

Playing in the grass- April 22- 7.5 months

2010-04-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

First Swimming Class! April 17th

2010-04-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

We signed John Patrick up for swim classes with his good friend Farrah. It was so much fun! They loved the water, and each other. John Patrick held Farrah's hand and kissed her. She is still sort of freaked out by his advances! We are so excited to go back to swim class again this Saturday! He just loved splashing around in the water.

Frozen Yogurt!!! celebrating 7 months old

2010-04-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

When John Patrick was one month old we took him to Ben and Jerry's to celebrate. It's hard to believe he is now 7 months old and so interested in everything we eat that this time we took him for ice cream, he got his own little sample size to try! Plain Tart Frozen Yogurt from Greenberry... yummy! He loved it! And when he finished his little sample cup, he leaned over to try and steal William's dark chocolate yogurt. We'll hold off on that for a while!

I just love his chubby legs! He is very affectionate and loves to give kisses. Every morning when he wakes up he starts the day by giving each of us a big zerbert kiss on the face. He is now working on his kissing technique and often makes the sound, "mwa" when kissing! So cute!

His new favorite sound is "babababababa" which he says over and over again. He has a lot to talk about!

Hanging with Daddy

2010-03-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Visit to the Gilmore Cousins in Richmond- 6.5 mths

2010-03-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great time down at Dan and Karissa's this Friday and Saturday visiting with all the cousins. John Patrick just loved all the attention from his aunt and uncle (cuddling and rough-housing, respectively), and the play-time with his cousins Stone, Jarrod, Addison, and Jess. Jess was good enough to get up with him at 5:30am for an hour of early morning playtime. John Patrick led the yoga routine. Jarrod was so sweet he cooked breakfast with Dan, and even wiped up John Patrick's spit up from his toys. What a good cousin! Thanks for a great visit! Cant wait to see you all again soon!

Discovering Grass! 6.5 months

2010-03-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! Loving the swing-set for the first time!

2010-03-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

And this one is a really funny face! He was so excited he looks kind of scary in this one!

Play date with Farrah- 6.5 months

2010-03-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

John Patrick was getting frisky with Farrah... taking off her socks on a play date. Gotta keep an eye on him!

John Patrick is 6 months old!

2010-03-02T16:51:00.001-08:00

Happy half-year birthday, little man! Your personality and spunk continue to blossom as the months pass. You have so much fun playing with mommy and daddy, you won't let us sleep! You babble "mama" and "baaaa" and imitate all sorts of other sounds like "YAY!". You sit up tall and love to dig through your toy basket to pull out every single toy. You get mad at us when we eat in front of you and don't share. You are insatiably hungry day and night. You are strong and love to tackle daddy. Your eyes are brighter blue now then they were at birth, and you love to make flirty eyes at any girl you meet, no matter how tired you are. We love you, little man! Every day is more fun because of you!

6 months- happy boy

2010-03-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

The last one is of John Patrick's new favorite game- sit in front of his basket and pull out every toy. Notice the huge pile in his lap!

Reminder: click on the pictures to see them bigger!

2010-02-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

If they show up too small, or you just want a closer look, just click on a picture to open it up bigger. Use the arrow button to navigate back to the blog.

5 1/2 months old and sitting up on his own

2010-02-18T18:31:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

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"Ladies, I'm available!"

John Patrick's first tooth! (at 24 weeks)

2010-02-18T18:00:00.001-08:00

It came the night we lost power in the big storm. We thought that he woke up crying because he was cold, even with 3 pairs of jammies on. We cuddled him and soothed him, and when he woke up in the morning, we knew why he had been so upset! His first tooth had cut through the gum! Over the past week or so, it has been creeping out more, and now his second bottom tooth is also out. This picture is from Valentine's Day, when the second tooth wasn't very visible yet. Such a big boy!

If only I could eat cake...

2010-02-13T07:56:00.001-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I decided to make a Red Velvet cake. SO yummy! I just adore red velvet, and if Georgetown Cupcake didn't charge 3.50 per taste of heaven, I would buy the bakery out. This one came out just delicious with a yummy cream cheese frosting. I just can't eat it in front of John Patrick. He looks at me longingly, as if to say, "If only I could eat cake!"

Icicles- calm after the great storm of 2010

2010-02-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

24 weeks- Love my food!

2010-02-13T07:52:00.001-08:00

On the move! 24 weeks

2010-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

John Patrick is on the move. Trying very hard to crawl. He can scoot himself across the floor, and makes diaper changing quite the acrobatics act. Here is a picture of him after rolling during a diaper change and trying to escape!

More snowstorm 2010- with his buddy Ronan

2010-02-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

We put the boys in their baby bathrub in the snow like a sled (of course I had been dreaming of this photo opp while cooped up inside all day the day before!) Ronan was pushing his feet into John Patrick's face, and sicne he couldn't get to his hands due to his snowsuit being restricting, and since he is big-time teething (his very first tooth popped out a bit on Friday night!!), John Patrick responding by eating Ronan's feet. Oopss. sorry about that, little guy! He didn't seem to mind too much!

Also included a few of John Patrick chilling with Daddy- he is very interested in everything Daddy does, and is especially fascinated by the computer!

Snowstorm of 2010

2010-02-09T15:40:00.001-08:00

Trying to post a few pictures from this weekend's major snowstorm that dumped 25 inches on DC, before packing up and heading out as the next round of 10-20 inches pounds us tonight. This has NOT been fun for us, but it was pretty on the first few days, and we could at least somewhat enjoy it all before our place got soooo cold from losing power. Thanks to good friends who have been hosting us as we flee for heat!

John Patrick is not much a fan of the cold and snow, but he let me snap a few shots of him in the snow at least!

John Patrick learns to sit up at 5 months old

2010-02-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

It started at about 4 months with his fascination with his feet- he could balance pretty well, but leaning over his legs so he could eat his feet. Now he is loving being able to sit up for little periods of time on his own! He works the abs pretty good- every time we lay him down, he grunts and heaves trying to use all his tummy muscles to sit up. I think he may be developing a 6-pack already! In any case, I just love his faces as he is so proud of himself and his new skill!

Guy time- John Patrick and Ronan

2010-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a play date with our friends Linda from church, and her little Ronan, who is just a month younger than John Patrick. He is so sweet! John Patrick loves being around people of all ages, but he really loves little people like him! The boys were so cute sitting on the couch together. John Patrick leaning on Ronan's shoulder, and later, trying to hold his hand, and then, steal his binky. Ronan was a good sport about it all!

A few more from the 5 month photo shoot...

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Just to show how long John Patrick is! He is already wearing size 12-month pjs comfortably!

John Patrick's 5 month photo shoot at 21 wks.

2010-02-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Little man was hamming it up for the camera last Sunday when he woke up from his nap! All dressed up in his Sunday best (in his adorable little Kenneth Cole argyle sweater and pant set that I bought at Thanksgiving and couldn't believe he would ever be big enough to fit into!). Today is his 5 month birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to him this morning as he eat his pears, and he laughed. He thought that was pretty funny. This week he has really been using his new favorite word- "mama", over and over. Daddy is being a pretty good sport about all this mama talk! He is so cute- looks right at me, hugs me, and says "mama". He is involved in quite a few crib acrobatics- we find him in every which way when we come in at night.. I am afraid he is already busy plotting his escape route when we leave him in there to fall asleep when he doesn't want to! September 3rd seems like forever ago, but it is hard to believe he is already 5 months old.

John Patrick's girlfriend

2010-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

Sweet little Farrah is just the most beautiful baby! She is just a few days older than our little man, and we get together frequently for walks. Just had to post this of her beautiful face! John Patrick is one lucky little man to have such a pretty first girlfriend! :)

John Patrick 20 weeks- playtime

2010-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Little man's face really seems to be changing overnight. He is starting to look more and more like a little boy. He rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time in on Friday, January 22nd, and since then cannot stop rolling! As soon as we put him on his back in the crib, he flips over to his tummy. Tonight I put him in the crib for a few minutes while I prepared his bath, and when I went in to get him, he was trying to pull himself up to sitting using the bumpers. He was laughing, like he knew he was getting into trouble! We have our hands full with this active little guy! Time to lower the crib mattress before he attempts any flips out. We're having lots of fun watching him learn new tricks everyday!

John Patrick 19 weeks- First Sweet Potatoes

2010-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Little man started real food this week. He just couldn't hold off any longer. He looks longingly at our food. He grabs our spoons of food and tries to shove it in him mouth. He grabs our glasses with both hands, brings them to his lips, and tilts back to sip water. He knows food, and wants in. The Dr. said this boy was ready, so we started him with sweet potatoes. Boy, did he love that. Honestly, we didn't put too much thought into what would be his first food. I just had lots of sweet potatoes left over from our dinner, and mashed it up. After a few tries with sweet potato he had bananas, then avocado, then carrots, and now at 20 weeks, pears. He loves it all. What a foodie. Maybe I have a future chef, or restaurant critic on my hands... we'll see how he does with more adventerrous flavors as time passes.

John Patrick's First Food!

2010-01-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

Too tired to explain right now, but he had his first bowl of rice cereal for dinner last night. He ate it right up and loved it! It was as though he just knew what to do! He has a strong interest in food, and we decided to give it a try, after earlier this week he sipped water from my glass without a problem. Now he wants to try everything!

Lots of Milstones this week (!7/18 weeks old)

2010-01-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

John Patrick has been a busy boy. Today he had his first kiss with the neighbor baby Farrah who is 4 days older than him. He wouldn't stop reaching for her, pulling her in close to kiss her face, and trying to hold her hand. It was so incredibly cute. William hopped behind the camera to catch a bit of the romance. Farrah didn't know what to think of it all! We'll have to keep a close eye on these two on their next Friday play-date next week!

A few more from the snow storm...

2009-12-21T18:23:00.001-08:00

SNOW STORM!! John Patrick at 15 weeks

2009-12-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

Got almost 2 feet of snow over the weekend, and it has paralyzed DC. School was cancelled Monday and Tuesday, and we are enjoying extra Mommy time at home this week! Took little man out in the snow, and he was not a fan!! Today we tried again, this time while it was not snowing, and put him in the sled. He didn't cry, but his face tells it all.. "Go ahead, Mom, get your pictures. Then can we be done?" He at least humored me!

My First Visit to Santa! @ 15 weeks

2009-12-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

Decided to hit the mall to meet Santa on Friday night before the big storm blew in. Hardly any wait at all, and they were even nice enough to let me take my own pictures on my camera. John Patrick didn't mind the Jolly Fellow, but he was kind of out of it, so no big smiles like usual. I was hoping for a tug-the-beard- picture....

My First Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Decided rather last-minute to go to Rochester to spend Thanksgiving with family. John Patrick had a blast with his cousins "KatieMeganClaire" as they are known, and his aunties and uncle JP. Here are a few pics of the little man surrounded by his adoring cousins and Godmother Sybil!

John Patrick is 3 months old!

2009-12-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe he is already 3 months old on December 3rd- also my return back to work date. I am going to miss spending so much time with him everyday, but will look forward to coming home to his irresistible smile everyday. We did this portrait session at home last weekend in hopes of getting a Christmas card shot, but he was past his smile time. Nonetheless, we still captured his "preppy boy" spirit! Outfit courtesy of Gymboree and Old Navy!

10 weeks old- Sunday hike in Rock Creek Park

2009-11-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

After my 2 month doctor's checkup!

2009-11-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

John Patrick did very well at his 2 month checkup. He weighed 12 lbs 5 oz, and measured 24.5 inches long. His height is in the 90th percentile! Turns out he has a rather small head, in only the 25th percentile! He is tall and skinny- his onsies are all too short, and his pants too long and wide.

He did cry a lot when he got his vaccines, but after a long long nap, he was back to normal, all smiles! The nurse have him a bugs bunny bandaid and he looked so cute!

Videos of John Patrick at 9 and 10 weeks old

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9 weeks old

2009-11-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

We went to our new friends Linda and Gavin's baptism of their little guy Ronan, who is just a month younger than John Patrick. Since our little guy was dressed up so cute in his antique cars outfit, I had to do a mini photo shoot in the beautiful fall weather!

9 weeks old hike at Little Bennett Park

2009-11-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and took a drive up to Sugarloaf mountain for a hike, only to find out when we got there that the county had closed the road and the park for roadwork. We were so bummed not to be able to take our hike there, but had fun taking pictures at a cute little farm nearby, and a hike in another park close by. Just wish it would stay light out longer so we could have more time to play outside!