Put the Fork Down

More Ted-ness

2012-01-17T19:57:00.002-05:00

Our little man has settled in. Of course he much prefers being held over sleeping in his bassinet. Mere is happy to oblige.

Frannie now gets very excited to see him. She can't say Ted yet, so she calls him "Baby Bother." Freudian slip?

Henry drew a Phillies Potato head. "He lives with the Phanatic." Daddy is so very proud!

Nigh' night!

Meet the new kid!

2012-01-16T23:23:00.004-05:00

Edward Lloyd Chatham joined our family on January 11, 2012 at 1:14 p.m. Our biggest baby yet, Ted weighed in at 8 lbs, 11 oz, and measured 20.5 inches.

Frances wasn't really sure what to think about Ted at first. She just kept pointing and screeching, "Baby! Baby!"

Henry is pretty excited about the arrival of Baby Brother. "I will call him Edward, Mommy."

Can Daddy handle all of these kiddos?

Holiday Weekend Update 7.4.11

2011-07-04T23:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th! Henry and I celebrated by driving out to see the fireworks at the fairgrounds. "Fireworks mean it's someone's birthday," says Henry. We did mainly watch from inside the truck, though, since he was worried that we were too close and the noise was too loud. No problem, fewer bugs that way. Frannie celebrated our nation's birthday by taking a too-short nap and going to bed early. Daddy celebrated the 4th by spending most of the afternoon inflating and filling the backyard pool. He's a good daddy.

All sorts of new and exciting things are happening here on the farm. We have acquired 8 chickens, all hens (technically pullets, since they aren't laying eggs yet). They reside in a "chicken tractor," which is a mobile henhouse + fenced run that can be wheeled around the yard. We are hoping for eggs in September (if we're lucky). For those interested in the finer details, we have 3 Buff Orpingtons (the yellow/buff colored ladies), 3 Rhode Island Reds (yep, the reddish ones), and 2 Dominiques (the black and white gals). There's always a chance when you start with chicks that you will end up with a rooster or two anyway, but it looks like these are all girls.

New baby chicks, less than 1 week old.

The chicken tractor in action.

A couple of the girls up close.

The garden is ridiculous. We started with 100 tomato seedlings, of which about 70 have survived. Yes, we may be crazy. Lots of green tomatoes, and lots of flowers, but no fresh 'maters yet. Soon I will be complaining about the gwazillion tomatoes we have to get canned. I'm also planning to dry a bunch of the cherry tomatoes.

Just a sampling of the tomato garden, before it became a tomato jungle.

The potato plants look good, and the spring peas are just about spent. Kale is still going (surprising in the heat we've had lately). The onions may or may not survive a grass invasion--I've pretty much decided to give up and just see what's left in the fall. Que sera sera. Our Louisiana purple pod pole beans just had their first harvest; they are super cute! Pepper plants are still tiny, bush beans, soybeans, cucumbers, and carrots are still pretty small, and the beets look dismal. Artichokes were dug up by some mean little animal, so we'll have to wait until next year to try that again. Brussels sprouts and okra have been planted (maybe a bit late, but we'll see). Overwhelmed yet? We are. And due to the crazy weather I never got around to planting several other seeds I wanted to try this year (canteloupe, several herb varieties).

Henry has made it through 3 rounds of swimming lessons, which he loves. He can now jump off the platform by himself and swim to his teacher. It's an ugly dog paddle, but, hey, it's a work in progress. He and Daddy went to the movies last week to see Cars 2--Henry has been waiting for this all summer. Next on his agenda is August, when he goes to the beach! His favorite word currently is "actually," and the most frequently heard sentence in our house, "I'm four and a half now."

Hamming it up at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

The boy still loves his leaves.

Frances is, of course, growing fast. She's also a little bit of a daredevil and tends to lead with her head, literally. So far no major injuries, though. She has decided that while it's fun to let Mommy put bows and pony tails in her hair, it's more fun to immediately yank them out. I'm starting to understand the short haircuts I always had as a kid. If this doesn't change soon we are going to seriously consider trimming some bangs. Not many words out of this girl yet, still mama, diddy, heehee, and mwah! but she usually gets her point across.

"Yes, I can walk and drink from a sippy all at once. Aren't I talented?"

Check out the cabinet door-to-nowhere. One of the finer features of our modern kitchen.

It's one of Frannie's favorite play spots.

I can't forget to congratulate both of my "baby" brothers on their recent graduations. Michael graduated from UVA School of Medicine, and Jacob graduated from UK General Surgery Residency. I'm so proud of both of you (and your wives)!

A rare family photo opportunity.

Miss you all!

No, that's not the grim reaper, just Dennis out in the field with his scythe.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:27:00.002-04:00

Frannie's Birthday Bonanza!

2011-04-24T12:37:00.006-04:00

I hope you don't mind that I now post forty-eleven photos of our one-year-old baby girl!

She does rock the ponytail, in case you haven't noticed.

Requisite baby-covered-in-ice-cream photo.

Can't have too many first birthday cakes!

What's a big girl to do with all of this attention?

Being a big brother has its perks--three cakes to help eat!

Frances's first tea set is a big hit.

She also loves the picnic table, which currently resides in our kitchen.

"Hmm, who shall I invite to tea?"

Hey! I'm a photo ham like my big brother!

You didn't think mommy would forget my birthday hat, did you?

One of Frannie's favorite presents: the Big Box.

Peek-a-boo!

This is hilarious! I could play this all day!

Did you notice how grown up I am now?

That's what happens when you turn one!

Remember Old Man Winter?

2011-04-24T12:14:00.004-04:00

We thought he would never leave!

But it was fun while it lasted!

Ok, maybe only some days.

Henry figured out icicles.

Everyone was getting a bit stir crazy.

(Oh, by the way, I'm walking like a pro now.)

Dance party takes away winter!

Good thing Daddy's birthday came along to stir things up.

Respect the mustache.

Spring is finally here--just wait until you hear about Super Ambitious Garden 2011.

Weekend Update 2.4.11

2011-02-04T22:07:00.010-05:00

Here's a whirlwind tour of the last six weeks. I will spare you the massive amounts of text and just get on with the photos. Hold on to your shorts!

Frannie's first Christmas. She LOVED the wrapping paper!

Henry really loved Christmas this year. Presents were particularly fun. After every present he said, "I needed that!"

Santa brought Big Buzz That Knows English AND Spanish!

The second day of Christmas--Henry's first time sledding. Brr, cold!

I love this man.

The slowest, unsteepest sled ride ever in the history of kid-dom.

The pond was moderately frozen over.

Biggie braved the cold to see what we were up to.

If you haven't already heard, Biggie passed away in January. RIP, kitty cat. I was very upset about the whole thing. I think he was trying to console me, but Dennis told me that cats don't have souls. So now I can't even imagine a happy Biggie in kitty cat heaven. *tear*

Don't be fooled by how fast Henry may appear to be going in this photo. It was the wind. I think he had already come to a stop at this point.

The fourth day of Christmas. Cousin Andrew (and his parents) came to visit. Andrew and Fran modeled baby headbands together. One of these babies enjoyed the experience much more than the other. Gipper apparently thought Drew was delicious.

Henry shares the wisdom gained from dealing with a very lovable dog for 4 years.

The seventh day of Christmas. Henry follows in his mommy's footsteps by modeling the Perry family wreath. I prefer it as a collar. He likes a sombrero.

Henry's fourth birthday party. This is Henry's friend Sam.

Frances enjoyed the pizza, too.

When Lucy arrived, Henry had to help her unzip her coat.

They make a very cute couple.

Grandmom (with some help from Daddy, I believe) made Henry's birthday cake. The rocket in the foreground is a Buzz Lightyear candle.

More presents! Thank you for the awesome Crocs snow boots, Aunt Kelly and Parrain Jacob and Cousin Andrew!

Yes, the birthday hat is still going strong.

Yes, Mere, I am taking picture of Frances.

So there.

Weekend Update 12.19.10

2010-12-18T23:17:00.010-05:00

1. I should not have complained about snow. Early Thursday morning we had an ice storm. Much worse than snow. At least this year's was not as catastrophic as "The Ice Storm of '09." The roads, however, are still pretty treacherous. As is our back porch, driveway, steps, and sidewalk. We haven't found the bag of salt yet.

2. The creation of Christmas gifts goes on. I really LOVE not shopping in December. Frances and I went to the Walmart (crazy wild Saturday night, I know) for a few supplies, and I was very glad not to be worrying about purchasing gifts. Instead, I focused my energies on finding junk food. And shrinky dinks. Succeeded on the junk food. No shrinky dinks in Walmart, though, in case you need some. I guess I'll have to trek to Hobby Lobby sometime if I want those. The upside to that situation is that I'll have a good excuse to drive through Chick Fil A for another peppermint chocolate chip shake!

3. For as much as we've been in the house lately, you would think we could make some headway on the cleaning. You would think that, but you would be wrong. I swear it seems to get worse every day. Where does all of this junk come from? I need to watch a few episodes of Hoarders and then go throw some crap out. If I had been thinking, I should have just planned to give everyone hand-me-downs for Christmas presents. Looks like I'm all set for Christmas 2011, though!

4. The cats will be outside cats. Any minute now. Really. I mean it. It's just really cold. And they like to hover outside the back window meowing pathetically. I think I could stand them inside except for one thing: the kitty litter. And one other thing: the jumping on the table. Last night Biggie ate Henry's mac 'n cheese while Henry took a potty break. Not a happy scene. Apparently, though, cats don't enjoy Cheerios. Gipper is certainly happy about that!

5. Henry would like for everyone to admire his gingerbread man. Notice that it's actually a gingerbread house. Details details.

Today Henry and I made a gumdrop "reef." "It's bee-you-tiful!"

6. This week when I refer to the baby as Fran, Henry says, "I want you call her Frannie, Mommy." Okay then.

Lately Henry loves to tell me, "You are my mother. I am your son."

If I don't see ya, Merry Christmas!

Weekend Update 12.12.10

2010-12-12T23:04:00.001-05:00

Snow Snow Snow!

(and not much else)

1. It has been much too cold to do anything outside, so we've been doing lots of inside cleaning, and baking, and soapmaking. For my readers who don't live in Kentucky, when bad winter weather threatens, everyone rushes to the store for "bread and milk." Literally. As in, we (not thinking) made a routine trip to the Kroger for a nice Saturday afternoon outing. Bad idea. I suspect that everyone in the 5 county area was in our Kroger buying bread and milk. Luckily we still managed to snag some. (Hey, it was already on our list, I swear!) Imagine that a hurricane was coming and Rouse's was running low on batteries and bottled water--fun trip!

2. A few things Henry has been saying lately:

--I like that "Soda," referring to Yoda.

--If you recall his favorite movie, Frosty the Snowman, you know that there is a bunny rabbit named Hocus Pocus. Henry likes to pretend that he's playing with the rabbit, but he calls him "Focus Focus," or sometimes "Hokist Pokist" if he's corrected.

--He does like to repeat everyone's full names. He knows Henry Dennis Chatham, and Dennis Edward Chatham, and Becca Perry Chatham. Our favorite, though, is Frances Aunt 'Ree Chatham!

--Frequently he points out when everyone is in attendance by yelling out, "Whole Family!" and then naming out everyone. Sometimes the whole family also includes the Gipper, and occasionally Biggie and Smalls as well.

--A couple of times this week I've caught him calling his baby sister Frannie. No more, "Her name is Frances, Mommy!" I guess.

3. Frannie has 2 real teeth (bottom front). She loves to show 'em off, except when I want to snap a picture. Also, "She is a wiggle worm," according to her big brother.

Weekend Update 12.5.10 (2 weeks worth!)

2010-12-04T23:13:00.010-05:00

1. Thanksgiving was lovely. We were joined by my whole immediate family. Dennis made the roasted turkey and stuffing (basted every 20 minutes, thank-you-very-much), which as always was delicious. Jacob also contributed a tasty, crispy fried turkey. We couldn't get anyone to take leftovers home, so we ended up with three gallon ziplocs full of leftover turkey meat. At least that's when we gave up and tossed the rest. Also delicious: Marie's pumpkin cream pie a la Pioneer Woman, Kelly's green beans, Mere's cranberry sauce from scratch, oyster artichoke soup, Doodah's salad...

2. Gipper has two new "little sisters." We adopted 2 cats. Yup, two. The idea was to get a barn cat to take care of the mouse problem. So far we have two inside cats and no dead mice.

Meet Biggie. She's our combat killer (we hope).

Meet Smalls. She's our diva.

She also has six toes on her front paws.

Side note: Do you ever watch the show Hoarders? Have you seen any of the episodes in which a hoarder has 30+ cats in the house? I can only imagine that the stench must knock you over before you even get in the door. Just having cats in two rooms of the house with a litter box that's cleaned twice a day is already disgusting.

3. Henry's favorite Christmas show is Frosty the Snowman. He begs to watch it every day. He also yells for the song every time we're in the car. (There is a sequel to Frosty, Frosty Returns, starring John Goodman as the voice of Frosty. Please don't ever watch it-it's just terrible.)

4. According to Henry, the newest member of our family is Pepper, our Elf on the Shelf. Every night Pepper magically goes to visit Santa to report on Henry's behavior, then returns to a new perch in the house before anyone wakes up. First thing each morning, Henry runs around looking for Pepper. When I get home each day from work, he has to show Pepper to me first thing.

Henry: "Mommy, look at Pepper! He's on the clock!"

Me: "Wow, how did he get up there?"

Henry: "He flied up there."

Me: "He did?"

Henry: "Yeah! With magic!"

5. Rookie Boot Camp is over. Dennis finished it. I almost did, but I strained my right adductor group (aka inner thigh) and had to sit out the last few sessions. The good news is that I was able to ellipse and run on the treadmill this week without much discomfort, so I think my lying around doing nothing was successful. We're planning to rejoin the next session, but I don't think it starts up for a couple of months. I'm definitely not ready for the regular boot camp, so I'll stick with the rookie version for a while. Or maybe forever.

6. Frances is crawling, pulling up, and cruising around the coffee table. She also can stand alone for 10-20 seconds at a time. I suspect she'll be walking any minute now. Frannie loves to talk to her toys, and her babbling has become very conversational (with some raspberries thrown in for good measure).

7. This year we are again trying to give mostly handmade gifts, which really makes the season more enjoyable for us. Yesterday we went to the Lex to do some shopping (unfortunately I haven't quite figured out how to hand-make Toy Story figures). It was immensely painful, and the nasty sleet/snow/rain wasn't helping, either. Hopefully we won't have to travel back until after the holidays.

8. Delicious winter evening drink: hot spiced apple cider plus butterscotch schnapps. Yum!

Equally delicious old standby: hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps. I urge you to try one of them soon. You will be a happier person for it.

9. Speaking of delicious/peppermint/cocoa combinations, yesterday I had a Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake from Chick-Fil-A. If you are within driving distance of a Chick-Fil-A, get in your car now and go buy one.

Seriously.

I'll wait.

Isn't it awesome? Okay, sorry if you are reading this on Sunday and drove all the way out to CFA just to realize that they are closed on Sundays. When you try again tomorrow you will realize the extra trip was worth it because the milkshake is that good. Oh yeah, so I take back what I wrote earlier about not going to Lexington again for a while. I need to go back for a milkshake. Or three.

10. Henry is doing really well at getting himself dressed. Some mornings he shows up in our room fully dressed and ready for the day. Other days he's completely naked or just in his underwear, "My need help get dressed on!"

It's Christmastime!

Weekend Update 11.21.10

2010-11-21T23:45:00.004-05:00

So the Weekend Update is a bit like Five Things Friday, but I won't guarantee that you're getting 5 things every time. Also, I haven't yet come up with a wittier title. I'm open for suggestions.

Like most 3-year-olds, Henry can be terribly hilarious to talk with, whether he knows it or not:

1. (In response to someone calling the baby Frannie) Henry:"Her name is Frances, Mommy."

Me: "But her nickname is Frannie. Is that okay?"

Henry: "Yes, but her NAME is Frances!"

2. Henry had a difficult time adjusting to his new preschool, "Mommasori."

But now if you ask him how his day was, he replies, "I calm down at that new school, Mommy."

3. Not surprisingly, Henry doesn't quite yet understand the difference between can't and don't. One of his favorite expressions: "I can't like that broccoli."

4. As a loud truck passed us today while walking downtown: "That truck scared my ears!"

5. Me: "Henry, guess what I heard last night when I came home?"

Henry: "What?"

Me: "An owl!"

Henry: "What do owls eat?"

Me: "Mice and insects."

Henry: "And what else?"

Me: "I don't know, what do you think owls eat?"

Henry: "Pancakes!"

Henry went from "I can't like to fly that kite" to "let me do it!" in just an afternoon.

Gipper has been doing some "'splorin'" lately, much to our chagrin. He apparently is so doofy and loveable that he doesn't even realize when the neighbor dogs are about to eat him.

Henry's "Tookless" Halloween costume. He's very proud of the costume Mommy and Daddy made him!

(Side story: There was a little party at Mom's Morning Out for Halloween. I asked Henry what his friend Lucy wore to the party. "Her mommy not finish making her costume yet." So sweet--everyone's mommy must make their costumes!)

Less than a week after Halloween, the Chatham family jack-o-lanterns were finally carved. On the left is "Zoey's pumpkin," on the right is Henry's.

I take my food very seriously, Mommy.

Earlier today we tried to arrange a photo shoot outside (time to get our Christmas cards in the works)...

...fail.

A few fairly recent photos

2010-11-01T00:01:00.004-04:00

More to come in a day or so...

Cool tricks! Cool tricks!

2010-08-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

Let me show you some of my cool tricks.

The somersault is Henry's go-to cool trick.

Only occasionally does someone get injured when he's doing this.

Frances is kickin' it in tummy time.

Look at this cool barn! We need one of those!

Sometimes I mix it up by sitting in my Bumbo chair.

Look at how good I'm getting at this! I could make this into a career.

Henry will kiss you, and you will like it!

When I dip, you dip, we dip.

2010-08-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

We tried to bring out Henry's "old pool," but it only lasted through one day.

Possibly because the monkey pool over-wintered on the back porch, it didn't survive very well. The upper section wouldn't stay inflated, the canopy was filthy, and it basically collapsed after about half an hour of use.

Obviously Henry didn't mind; he went ahead and had a great time anyway.

Here is Henry in his "new pool."

Grandmom sent this pool, which holds 2000 gallons, as a prize for Henry becoming very-close-to-almost-entirely potty-trained. We invited Henry's friend Lucy (and her mommy, my good friend, Anne) for the first swim yesterday. It was a success! Daddy was smart enough to buy a cover for the pool, so tonight when Henry got in, it was lovely, clean, and warm(er).

That's how I roll.

2010-08-01T21:13:00.001-04:00

Yup, I'm going back to belly now. Don't act like you're not impressed.

Kitchens and apples and bikes, oh my.

2010-08-01T00:22:00.008-04:00

Cousin Zoey recently turned 3. So, of course, Dennis (and Henry and I, but mostly Dennis) built her a little play kitchen. It's similar to Henry's blue kitchen that we made for his 3rd birthday.

Here the cousins are, checking out the finished product.

A handful of the few apples gleaned from the old apple tree in our backyard.

We don't know what type of tree it is, but the apples were sweet and a little tart. Unfortunately, rehabilitating an old apple tree can be much more difficult that starting from the beginning. The tree definitely needs some TLC if it's going to be healthy again. Since it's only a couple of hundred yards (at most) away from the new trees, we'll have to take care of it as well to prevent any diseases or pests from spreading.

The beginnings of our apple orchard.

Dennis planted 12 one-year-old trees this year in our front pasture. They are six different varieties: Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Sweet 16, and two others that I cannot remember. (Any help, Dennis?) We also planted two pecan trees that seem to be doing well; the jury is still out on whether the eight blueberry bushes will survive.

Henry's first ride on his new McQueen bike.

Don't worry, Mere and Doodah went directly to Walmart to buy him a matching helmet just after his inaugural ride. Note the McQueen sippy in the McQueen handlebar basket. Stylin'!

Frances's Baptism

2010-06-13T10:16:00.006-04:00

Baby girl was baptized Saturday afternoon. We were able to include cousins Zoey and Melody, too. So it was a hectic few days, with both families camping out in the house. It was a great experience, and who knows when we'll all be able to get together again?

Here is Frances being baptized. If you look at the center of the photo, you can see Henry watching really closely.

Mere and Doodah catching some snuggles.

Frances's godmother, aka Nanny 'Rie.

From L to R: Kathy holding Zoey, Tim holding Melody, Fr. Tom, Melissa (Zoey's godmother), Dennis (godfather to both girls), Bobbie (Melody's godmother)

Our little family.

I promise Frances didn't cry all day. Just for most of the pictures.

(The swing was my birthday present.)

The Perrys

Front row: Mere holding Frances, Henry, Doodah holding Andrew

Back row: Michael, Marie, Jacob, Rebecca, Dennis

We missed you, Kelly!

The Chatham kids.

Front: Zoey, Melissa holding Frances and Melody, Henry

Back: Tim (Frances's godfather), Rebecca, Dennis

Can't forget the Gipper, the original grandchild.

The Twisted Sifter created the cake. It was "Pink Velvet," which is flavored with pomegranate juice. Yummy! They also sell awesome cupcakes.

Henry and Parrain Jacob got to spend some quality time together.

Henry was so excited to hang out with his favorite cousin Zoey.

Frances has figured out the whole smile thing!

Where ya been for the past month?

2010-05-26T22:50:00.003-04:00

We've been busy growing, and eating, and playing, and napping...

"What up?"

Naps with Mere are the best!

Super Henry to the rescue!

Henry does love to hold his baby sister.

Henry has some cool new shoes!

Sweet baby toes.

"What's my big brother doing to me?"

"What's my daddy doing to me?"

Henry just can't get enough Frances!

2010-04-23T22:20:00.002-04:00

But he's not alone--we can't either.

1 week down

2010-04-21T23:21:00.003-04:00

17 + years to go! Well, and then some!

Grandmom has demanded more pictures, so I must oblige:

This past Saturday we brought the kids to Lex to meet cousin Andrew. He and Frances took turns sleeping through the visit.

Frances spent most of Doodah's visit sleeping, too.

Earlier today Frances enjoyed hanging out with Daddy.

Henry's always up for a photo op.

"Cheese!"

Baby sister is here!

2010-04-14T23:10:00.002-04:00

Frances Marie was born April 13, 2010 at 12:39 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 20 inches long. She was OP, aka "sunny side up", so instead of a conehead, she has a squishy face--but that's improving. She's a champion nurser already, loves to sleep, and Daddy says he hardly ever hears her cry. Let's hope this lasts!

"I so excited, Mommy! You brought Baby Sister home!"

Dr. Anne, my good friend and obstetrician. She's the best!

Henry loves to hold her. He'll just pet her over and over and call her "cute" and "little" and "pretty." "Baby need to grow up."

Progress

2010-02-18T22:04:00.007-05:00

Although the whole process seems unending, we are making some progress. Almost all of the wallpaper is down. Now we're scraping the residual wallpaper glue, which takes as long or longer than just removing the paper. Then just 2 more washes of the walls, and we're done--with that aspect. This is starting to get old fast.

Dining room before we started.

Dining room now. (Thanks, Grandmom!)

Hallway before.

Note the THREE layers of wallpaper in some areas.

Hallway now.

Downstairs bath before--who doesn't love bouquets of seashells, really?

Bathroom now.

Have I shown you the most interesting room in the house? It's the master bath. Note the gold tub and toilet, the blue shag carpet, and the pink wallpaper. I think the wooden toilet seat really brings it all together and makes it work.

(In case you were just dying for a close-up of the Valentine's wallpaper.) It came down over the weekend, which I think was very fitting.

So if you're keeping track of our to-do list, here's an update:

sliding glass doors replaced with French doors--mostly completed--needs some framing finished and handle/deadbolt installed
French doors installed to front living room--doors not delivered yet, and "the guy" for that is working on the other French doors right now anyway
front door threshold repaired/jacked up--done, I've been told
garage door openers--purchased, waiting on "the guy" to install them, hopefully within the next week
HVAC repair--"the guy" said he'd be out to look at it this week--I guess he's taking his time, but still 2 days left to the week
electrical work: ceiling fan installation (7 of them, please) plus moving the bathroom light fixtures, plus figuring out the front floodlights--"the guy" checked out the house today, and apparently will be back next week to get that done
drywall repair--gotta wait until all the wallpaper glue is cleaned off first and the electrical work is done, then we'll call "the guy"
carpets--to be done after drywall and priming are done
locks changed--will call "the guy" after the back French doors are done so we can have all matching locks (I'm totally pumped about this--only one key!)
chimney cleaning--back burner at the moment

And by the way, I'm 31 weeks pregnant today--only 9 weeks to go until my due date, so the pressure is on! Besides, who knows when this girl will decide to show up? If all of the above list doesn't have you feeling my stress, I also haven't made any diapers for this baby, or done any shopping, or even evaluated what sort of newborn stuff we might need. I got rid of a lot of Henry's baby stuff that I didn't just love, plus I've been told I must have some pink things. And the icing on the cake is that she's still breech--already a troublemaker! Keep your fingers crossed that she will cooperate and turn over sometime soon!

Grandmom came to visit for the weekend, and we kept her hard at work. Mere is coming Saturday to take the next shift. And I need a nap.

I'm a farmer's wife

2010-02-09T22:25:00.008-05:00

or at least a farmer's-wife-in-progress.

We did finally close on the new house and farm on Thursday. Over the weekend we began the renovation process. French doors have been ordered, "guys" have been called, lists have been made.

On Sunday we got started with wallpaper removal. We have one upstairs bedroom, the entire upper and downstairs hallway and stairwell, the dining room, 3 bathrooms, and the kitchen to scrape clean. As of today, Henry's room has been done, and part of the upstairs hall and stairway has been done--only 12 thousand more hours of work to go! It's not terribly difficult work, just very time-consuming.

After all of the wallpaper comes down, we'll have the drywall "guy" make any needed repairs (there will be a lot) to the walls and ceilings. Many of the walls and ceilings in the house have cracks that need to be repaired, and it's enough that it would be a huge mess and a pain and not enough of a money-saver for us to do ourselves. We'll most likely need several of the ceilings re-textured as well.

(Oh, and we'll probably have some light fixtures moved/changed/added before we get the drywall done.)

Then, after the drywall is done, we can have the bedroom carpet replaced. Then we can move in, we think.

Other items that need attention as well (preferably before we move in):

back sliding glass doors replaced with French doors

French doors added to front living room

HVAC system addressed--may need one or both blowers replaced

front door threshold repaired/replaced

fireplace and chimney cleaned

locks changed!

garage door openers replaced

Wow, that looks overwhelming when it's all typed out! If we ever accomplish all of those things, we can get started on the "want to" list of things that we can do after we move in.

So I know you're so entertained already. Wanna see pictures inside the house? I know that's what you're here for.

Henry's room before

First ya gotta peel the outer decorative layer off, then wet down the backing and glue, then scrape scrape scrape!

Here's what you're left with: walls that need a little more TLC.

Some examples of what we need "touched up."

We think the mold may be old--the roof is relatively new, but the previous owners probably waited a bit too long to have it replaced.

Henry helped by keeping himself (mostly) occupied in Baby Sister's room.

He insisted I take a photo of the TV.

Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

Next up, the hall and stairwell!

The downstairs bathroom

The kitchen (which will likely be the last room to be renovated) has THREE layers of wallpaper. Looking forward to that!

We're buying a farm!

2010-01-26T21:41:00.006-05:00

The closing is (finally!) scheduled for next Thursday, which seems a bit unreal since we've had a contract on it since October! We are also still trying to sell our current house in this ridiculously slow market--if you've got any clout with St. Joseph, put in a good word for us, mkay?

Here are some shots of the outside:

The front, obviously

The back

View from the front steps (big front lawn)

Partial view from the back of the house--

the fence separates the back yard from pasture

Our "shed," or outbuilding, or whatever it's called

The back pastures

The whole property is 17 acres. It's been used as cattle pasture until now. We have a few plans in the works for it down the road. For now we're going to focus on getting into the house and making some repairs/updates. The property also has a huge pond; Henry can't wait to get in "Henry's Boat," which is a half-sunk little fiberglass dingy that has seen better days. Maybe when it warms up a bit...

As we work on the inside, I'll show some before and after photos so you can keep up with our progress. First items to tackle on the to-do list: remove layers of wallpaper, repair drywall, and replace 32-year-old royal blue shag carpeting (we're pretty sure there's no wood flooring under there--it's likely original to the house). Feel free to stop by and help out if you've got some extra time on your hands!

Snow Days!

2010-01-26T21:31:00.003-05:00

Baby sister!

2010-01-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Henry wants everyone to know that Baby Sister is doing well!

Henry's 3!

2010-01-23T23:38:00.003-05:00

Some belated birthday pictures:

3 Chatham boys ready for the cold

Henry's Ernie and Bert cake, specially made by Grandmom

The birthday hat lives on!

Henry's big present was a play kitchen made by mommy and daddy!

(We had help from Uncle Tim and Doodah, too--thanks, guys!)

Notice that he managed to rip off the curtain within 5 minutes.

(Daddy fixed it, though.)

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share from Christmas--we drove to Louisiana without a charged battery for our camera. Mommy and daddy fail.

Tis the season

2009-12-13T21:06:00.003-05:00

for Christmas trees,

25-degree wagon rides,

and baking cookies!

I love this picture--Henry's trying to hug the dog, and Gipper looks scared to death!

Henry is very excited that he's going to have a baby sister!

Our 20-week ultrasound looked great, and confirmed the femininity of the baby.

At least she's a modest one!

Announcement

2009-10-18T20:23:00.002-04:00

We're knocked up. Tune in around April 22, 2010, for more details.

That is all.

Hanging out with my cousins

2009-10-17T22:27:00.002-04:00

Since the last time I updated, Henry's had lots of quality time with some of his cousins. In August we visited family in Maryland and New Jersey.

Zoey, Will, and Henry enjoyed playing cars with Pop Pop.

We got them to sit still (almost) for a group portrait.

The next day, everybody hung out at the beach in Atlantic City.

Sandy juice is apparently quite delicious!

Henry LOVED the beach!

Little waves!

Last weekend we had a visit from Grandmom, Pop Pop, and Cousin Zoey. Henry and Zoey dressed up for HallZOOeen at the Cincinnati Zoo. Zoey loved her ladybug costume. Henry eventually figured out that it was futile to try to get his off.

We had a great time, and ate lots of junk food!

Henry's been a busy big boy.

2009-07-26T23:06:00.003-04:00

Here he is showing off his new "boy bed!"

Notice the "Bumbob" sheets--all part of the bribery.

The boys love their Guitar Hero.

"Rock, Daddy!"

"You rock!"

And here is photographic proof that our son does, indeed, eat turnips.

In other news, Dennis and I are waist-deep into our Couch-to-5K training. We just finished Week 4 (of 9)! We're planning to run the Constitution 5K on September 20th. Well, maybe hoping is a better word. If anyone wants to visit that weekend, you can hang out at the Constitution Square Arts Fest, then fight over who gets to babysit during the race.

No lollygagging today.

2009-06-23T23:45:00.003-04:00

Henry does enjoy a good swing--just not necessarily in the primary way intended.

Sliding is still fun, too!

The garden is off to a good, albeit slightly tardy, start!

One can never have too much Thomas...

2009-06-08T23:58:00.003-04:00

...especially if one's name is Henry!

Outside!

2009-05-22T22:37:00.005-04:00

So if you've been wondering what we (and by we, I mean, mainly Henry) have been up to, it's "Outside!" Every evening when I walk up the stairs, Henry is waiting for me at the top, saying, "Outside, Mommy! Outside!" Then he grabs my hand and tries to drag me to the back door. He loves to do anything and everything, as long as it's outside. For example:

Helping tumble Mommy's compost bin.

Gipper enjoys "Outside!" too, just not as actively.

Watering the yard.

Check out my awesome new slide! Thanks, Mere and Doodah!

The inaugural run.

I've got this landing thing down!

Can you feel the fun?

Check out my sweet bike trailer!

Hmm, not sure they know how to ride those things yet...good thing I've got my Thomas helmet.

Whew! I survived!

Now I'll show them how it's done, and looking good while doing it.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:56:00.001-04:00

Henry may not like the Easter Bunny, but he sure does like the stuff he brought!

Wishing you a blessed Easter season!

Yep, I'm a little behind on the blogging!

2009-04-05T18:17:00.007-04:00

I'll just pick up where I left off.

Day 5:

We drove to Naples. After reading Rick Steves, we were all a bit scared of Naples. Once we drove into town, we were all A LOT scared. Totally crowded and grungy and impossible to navigate. After a couple of unsuccessful passes in search of our hotel, we decided that Napoli was better off left unexplored, and got the heck out of town. Whew! And we only lost part of a fender there.

So on we drove to Pompeii, where we found a lovely little motel just a couple of hundred yards away from the entrance to the ruins. Dinner was had at a quiet little place in town called Vecchio Americano (where of course they spoke very little English), and the owner’s brother even drove us back to the motel. That in itself was an experience--even Henry said “whoa!” a couple of times.

Sorry, no good photos from this day--it's better left forgotten!

Day 6:

Dennis and I got up early and had breakfast (this motel has a killer breakfast, by the way, and fresh cappuccino, and freshly made apple juice...) and walked down to the ruins of Pompeii. This worked out MUCH better than if we had day-tripped in; it was not at all crowded and not too hot. By the time we left at 11:30 the school groups were overtaking the area.

Three stepping-stones signals a main thoroughfare. Since the streets were flooded with water as a means of cleaning them, the stepping stones allowed pedestrians to cross without getting their sandals wet. Also, the chariots were made to span them.

The main forum with Mount Vesuvius in the distance.

Marble countertops at some ancient fast food joints.

Demonstrating the location of the ancient bathroom, which shared plumbing with the kitchen. Dennis calls this photo “Mount Vesuvius part deux.”

A bakery: to the left is a brick oven, the structures on the right are mills which were powered by donkeys or slaves to grind grain. Who doesn’t like their bread flavored with tiny bits of rock, really?

The amphitheater.

Here come the Irish!

If you ever visit Pompeii, definitely shell out the 3 Euro for a glass of fresh orange/lemonade at the tourist suck across from the entrance--so nummy!

After Pompeii, we all hopped back into the car again to drive back up to Rome. After orienting ourselves to the hotel, we stepped back out to pick up our Roma Passes and get started! Since tonight was a bonus Rome day, we decided to make one of our optional stops, the National Museum of Rome (Palazzo Massimo). Here we saw lots and lots of sculpture, as well as some very cool mosaics. Henry particularly enjoyed the frescoes depicting fish (“Ish!”). In the basement there are displays of Roman coins from current Euros all the way back to old chunks of bronze, as well as some ancient jewelry and dolls, and a mummified eight-year-old girl.

For dinner we stopped at La Gallina Bianca, which has excellent wood-fired pizza. Then half-price gelato from G. Fassi, which was huge and delicious.

And then bedtime.

European Vacation...

2009-03-19T17:09:00.009-04:00

Day 4:
More Florence, aka the “cradle of Renaissance” (la culla del Rinascimento). [For more details on Florentine art, check out The Museums of Florence.]
Dennis and I got up a bit early for breakfast and walked around the Piazza Di San Marco, then on to the Accademia di Belle Arti for a viewing of Michelangelo's David. It’s much more amazing in real life--pictures just do not translate the awesomeness.
Back to the hotel to pick up the rest of the crew, and then we hit the streets again for The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), which has the largest brick and mortar dome in existence. We spent some time inside the Battistero di San Giovanni (the Baptistry), with its beautiful and detailed ceiling mosaics. The north and east doors were created by Lorenzo Ghiberti (although these are apparently replicas--the originals are in the museum nearby).

The mosaic ceiling in the Baptistry.

The Duomo.

Lunch on the Piazza Signoria.

Henry enjoyed his macaroni, of course!

After lunch we toured the Uffizi Gallery, where we were able to see some masterpieces such as Boticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Bacchus, plus lots of other Renaissance works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael (plus some non-ninja painters).
And the day’s not over yet! Onward to the Basilica of Santa Croce, which is a beautiful church that houses the tombs of such guys as Michelangelo and Gallileo, as well as lots of other interesting pieces. It's also the largest Franciscan church in the world.

A relic from St. Francis of Assisi, from the collection at Santa Croce.

Henry and Grandmom were happy to head back at this point, but we pushed on to dinner at Trattoria ZaZa. Maybe the best meal of the trip so far. It was a party in my mouth.

European Vacation, continued...

2009-03-19T04:36:00.001-04:00

Day 2:
The real trip begins. We drove to Strasbourg, France, for some window shopping and walking around. We saw General Jean-Baptiste Kléber, and ate lunch near the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady at Maison Kammerzell. The house wine was excellent!

Kleber

The very Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady

But France was not our final destination on Friday--we must power on to Zurich! Some have called the Swiss people gnomes, but everyone we saw looked to be of average height and attractiveness.

Our arrival at the first hotel of our trip.

The largest clock face in Europe.

Dennis and I had a lovely dinner at a lovely restaurant in an old guildhall while Grandmom and Henry chilled at the hotel.
Zurich was a little confusing because they don’t really use Euros; they have swiss francs (although most places do take Euros, but the exchange rate is crummy).

Day 3:
Really long drive to Firenze aka Florence.

Henry was happy to be out of the car!

The view from our hotel rooms.

We didn’t do much on this evening except walk around a bit. We checked out the outdoor market at San Lorenzo. Dennis and I had dinner out and more excellent house wine (are you sensing a pattern here?)

Chatham Tour '09 Part 1: flying, then Mainz, Germany

2009-03-18T03:48:00.003-04:00

I know I'm a few days behind, but I'll update a bit at a time.

Day 0:
Catch the red-eye from Cincy to Frankfort. Glad we brought the Benadryl fast-melts and the SpongeBob videos!

Day 1:
Grandmom was waiting for us at the airport. We drove back to the house to shower and eat. Then the sightseeing began! We drove around (and around) Mainz, then parked and walked around the city center. Dennis and I ventured into 2 different yarn shops, where I proceeded to embarrass myself. And we will never mention that again.
We all made a brief stop in the Gutenberg Museum to sneak a peek at the Gutenberg Bibles on display. Then back to the house to eat and pass out, finally.

Remember this stroller? It was our best buddy on our last European vacation, and it survives still!

Hallo from Deutschland!

2009-03-13T02:52:00.002-04:00

...for the moment. We're back in Europe for another Chatham family adventure, woohoo! Over the next week or so, we'll be driving down through Italy and back. Our internet access will be spotty, at best, once we leave the comforts of the household. I'll try to update with a couple of pictures here and there, but no promises of anything until we return.
Danke schoen!

A chilly Valentine's afternoon

2009-02-15T20:24:00.003-05:00

Well, it looked a lot nicer outside than it felt. With the wind blowing, it turned out to be a pretty chilly day. Henry, however, barely seemed bothered a bit. In fact, he attempted to refuse putting on his coat. Good thing we're still stronger than him!

It's amazing what a big boy he is suddenly!

Doesn't he look so grown up?

He had to prove how big he was by climbing up the "ladder" over and over unassisted. Well, you can imagine that I didn't stand too far away.

Just in case anyone has never experienced an ice storm, I thought I'd throw out a picture of the aftermath. It was certainly a new experience for us, and hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime ordeal.

Back in business!

2009-01-30T15:03:00.003-05:00

Okay, not totally. The power is still off at the office, so it's another snow day.

So you know how as soon as you shell out for a $600 generator (plus accessories and fuel) and snuggle up in the basement for the long haul, the power comes back on? Yup. So we spent about $200 an hour for those 4 hours of not-quite-freezing-our-tails-off.

But hey, who's in for some awesome tailgaters next season? I predict Guitar Hero becomes a new tradition.

And in case you're disappointed that you won't get to hear more tales of how we were roughing it after The Great Ice Storm of 2009, know that we still have a "boil water" advisory for the next 3-5 days. Don't want y'all to think we have it too easy.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite movie quotes:

"There is no charge for awesomeness...or attractiveness."

--Po, in Kung Fu Panda

Baby, it's cold outside!

2009-01-29T18:20:00.002-05:00

And inside.

We had the winter storm from hell this week--freezing rain for more than 24 hours, then 2-3 inches of snow on top of that. Most of our county and several of the surrounding counties are out of power. We lost power on Tuesday afternoon. The first night wasn't too bad. Yesterday we went to Jacob and Kelly's. Tonight I'm on call, so we're back.

Still no power, and still about 24 degrees outside. Thus about 40 degrees inside.

How am I blogging? you might ask. We bought a generator at Home Depot in Lexington, and we're snuggled up in the basement. We've got the essentials: an electric heater, blankets, TV and internet!

Not sure when the power will be back--last night it was said they hoped to get it 80% restored in 3 days. So in two more days, if we're lucky.

Here's to a long weekend...

Sorry, no pictures--the battery needs charging. Maybe that will make the list eventually!

A snowy Tuesday afternoon

2009-01-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

Everyone's wearing their mama-made hats!

Gipper had to disrupt the snow angel-making.

Henry had so much fun, we literally had to drag him inside kicking and screaming. Some of us don't like cold, wet feet after a while, you know!

E-A-G-L-E-S!

2009-01-18T14:04:00.001-05:00

Go Eagles!

Henry is 2!

2009-01-13T21:25:00.002-05:00

Time flies when you're having fun, I guess.

The Birthday Hat fits much better this year than last.

Henry also likes it a lot more now.

Chocolate SpongeBob cake courtesy of Daddy, approved.

Wooden rocking horse from Grandma and Grandpop, also approved.

If you're wondering what Dennis and I gave him, well, it's a potty chair. He definitely likes to sit on it, but nothing more exciting than that yet. We'll keep you posted, ew.

Christmas morning!

2008-12-28T22:04:00.003-05:00

We had a pretty quiet Christmas this year, just the three (okay, four, with Gipper) of us. Even though we don't think Henry knew what was going on, he managed to wake up at 4:45 a.m.! I never realized before how exhausting Christmas can be for parents.

The big reveal of the tricycle--

thanks, Mere and Doodah!

Henry loves all of his gifts, but this ball from Grandmom and Grandpop is a favorite. He definitely loves to say "bwall!"

Henry's gift from Daddy was Dennis, the lazy diesel engine.

You didn't think Santa forgot the Gipper, did you?

Henry still isn't quite sure enough about Elmo Live to touch him, but he will watch him, mesmerized, from a few feet away. He also is learning to dance along.

Didja miss us?

2008-12-21T01:10:00.003-05:00

Hey, we've been busy!

New PJs!

Mere, Doodah, Uncle Michael, and Aunt Marie all came to visit last month.

The Gipper and his new cousin Theo made friends...sort of.

"I'll wash. You dry."

'Sup?

Fall is here!

2008-11-13T00:30:00.003-05:00

Henry loves the leaves in fall.

Henry also loves chocolate.

I just love those eyes!

Here's Henry's Halloween getup. As you can tell, he did NOT love the hood. Special thanks to Mere, who helped sew the costume during her last visit!

If you've happened to check out my links and have read my friend Jenn's blog, Notes to self, consider voting for her in the blogger's choice awards. She's a great writer and an awesome chick!

Also, you may have notice my new little button in the sidebar. Just a warning, you'll likely get something handmade this Christmas!

Comings and goings

2008-10-28T20:26:00.005-04:00

We recently visited the Louisville Zoo. Apparently it was a bit disappointing.

Have you figured out what Henry's gonna wear for Halloween yet?

Parain Jacob has some new doggy neighbors. Henry immediately befriended them. He speaks fluent doggy.

Fall is lots of fun!

Not a happy day.

2008-10-05T21:02:00.001-04:00

We love you, Ma.

Halloween is coming!

2008-09-28T01:31:00.001-04:00

Time to brainstorm for our costumes!

Missed us?

2008-09-20T22:06:00.002-04:00

Yup, we've been busy.

We're just a couple of slave-drivers, forcing Henry to help with the housework.

We've had to do some serious thinking.

But there's been time for some fun, too.

And Gipper's working hard at training all of the Little People to sit still in their spots.

The Answer: Two Days.

2008-08-20T21:52:00.006-04:00

The Question: How long does it take for Henry to get sick after starting Mom's Morning Out (part-time daycare M/T/T/F mornings)?

Yep, exactly 2 days. More like 6 total hours, to be precise. Henry began MMO this week (well, for us it's technically DMO) so that Dennis can start working part-time at the office. Today at lunch I noticed he was super hot and trying to get a head start on his nap. Temp=101.2. Dr. R. took a look at him and ordered a rapid strep test--bingo! So now he has to miss tomorrow for sure (contagious for 24 hrs after starting antibiotics). And daddy has to call in on his second day of work. Hopefully his boss will cut him some slack!

What I find hilarious is that this child walked/crawled/slid around my office every day for over a year, put every nasty thing he could find in his mouth (including my stethoscope when he can get it), practically licked the floor, and not once has he been really sick. 2 days with other kids his age and bam, he's down for the count.

Hats off!

2008-08-06T23:26:00.002-04:00

Or on, really. Henry really loves to run around wearing my old baseball cap. As in, once he has the hat perched on his head, he runs back and forth across the living room giggling his butt off like it's the most hilarious thing he's done all year. It is pretty funny actually.

Michael and Marie's Wedding

2008-07-29T22:28:00.004-04:00

My brother Michael married his sweetheart Marie on July 12, 2008. They're already back from the honeymoon in California and moved in to their home in Charlottesville.

The complete Perry clan at the rehearsal dinner

Henry and Aunt Kelly shared a glass of wine.

"I'm pretty much adorable."

The Perry ladies at the reception--aren't we well-coordinated?

From left to right: me, Mom, Marie, Kelly

After all the festivities ended, Mom modeled her wedding dress for us.

It was a long and busy weekend.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Perry!

The Great American Balloon Race

2008-07-13T20:11:00.003-04:00

On the Sunday of The Great American Brass Band Festival, (site here)

we attended the hot-air balloon race.

We were really close to the balloons as they took off!

Henry was duly impressed.

He even brought his Bee-bo along for the fun.

Brusha brusha brusha

2008-07-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

Don't be fooled, there's more chewing the toothbrush

than tooth-cleaning getting done.

We visited the Fort Harrod Beef Festival

2008-07-13T19:44:00.001-04:00

No pictures from that, but we did hit the park afterwards. Henry did not like the swings, but he seemed to enjoy the mulch.

"Seriously, Mom, it is hot out here!"

"I'm hitting the road!"

A Boy's First Haircut

2008-07-01T20:19:00.000-04:00

Don't be fooled by the initial appearance of calm...

...it didn't last long.

Everyone survived! I felt bad for Mike the barber,

but he bravely hung in there the whole time!

A month behind

2008-06-15T21:07:00.005-04:00

I was interrupted while trying to post some pictures from Cousin Zoey's visit:

Not sure how they feel about each other.

Wow, Grandpop sure can move!

And no one's visit to the Chatham house

is complete without a photo of someone eating!

What is there to do in Connecticut? Part Three

2008-06-10T16:32:00.005-04:00

Sunday morning we snuggled in bed for a bit.

They never let me do this at home!

We also visited Mark Twain's house in Hartford. It was a decent tour, but Henry was not happy to be carried, and of course the house is not air-conditioned! By the time we took the above photo (after the tour), he had passed out.

What is there to do in Connecticut? Part Deux

2008-06-10T16:17:00.004-04:00

On Saturday we drove to Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, to see some ships being restored and eat lobster. It was a really nice day.

Here you can see evidence of two of Henry's head injuries which were sustained on the trip: above his right eyebrow, and (less visible) the left upper temple. The boy is not phased by much.

Daddy's hat is fun, but it's kinda smelly!

So I found Momma's wallet, but where's the cash?

Dana (the groom) and Dennis later that night at the wedding reception.

Somebody's Momma and Daddy might have had a little too much fun at that wedding reception.

What is there to do in Connecticut?

2008-06-10T13:52:00.004-04:00

Mere and Doodah met us in Hartford for a Memorial Day weekend full of fun and sightseeing. Our college friend Dana got married, too (the real reason for the trip). And I know everyone wants to see some pictures from our adventures, right? Right!

Well, since apparently there isn't much to do in Connecticut, we drove to Boston on Friday.

First stop, George Washington Statue in the Boston Public Garden. Daddy only thought he could escape!

So far, Henry's really enjoying himself.

What fun is a trip to New England without visiting some famous dead guys? Here's Sam Adams' gravesite. All day Doodah kept asking, "But where's the beer?" any time we saw a reference to Sam Adams. It was hi-larious. Really.

Yup, I'm pretty much adorable.

Henry's favorite part of the day was our stop at the Boston Commons. Just one more chance for him to push the stroller!

The newest members of our household

2008-05-19T22:43:00.003-04:00

Clothilde and Dieter

(Stupid Sock Creatures)

"Where is your briefcase, Dieter?"

"I don't know, and I can't find my tie either!"

Gardeninin'

2008-05-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

This gardening thing isn't so hard!

Just throw some dirt around.

Then you water it really well.

Back to the dirt, mom!

A few laps around the yard, then we'll be done for the day.

Is there a 12-step program for Apple Juice Addicts?

2008-05-18T13:25:00.003-04:00

Top 5

2008-05-18T13:01:00.002-04:00

Since Sarah asked, my top 5 baby items:

1. The Miracle Blanket. Definitely #1. Most of our friends have gotten one from us for baby showers. We lurved it. Excellent for the swaddling-impaired.

2. A swing. We really like our Fisher Price Papasan Cradle Swing. And we used the heck out of it until Henry threathened to turn it over.

3. An easy-to-use travel system. I list this because it's something I didn't think we'd need, but I was wrong. It made life so much easier to just pick Henry up in the carrier and schlep him around, especially when he was sleeping. I'd definitely recommend an extra base so that both cars have one.

4. The Ameda Purely Yours super duper breastpump. I think it may last me through another 3 or 4 babies. I haven't had any problems with it, it has certainly paid for itself (think of all the formula we would have had to buy!), and it was just super-easy to use. I chose it over the Medela Pump In Style because of the barrier between the horns and the pump tubing--you never have to clean the tubing or worry about germs getting in there. The only annoying part was that it's difficult to find in local stores--I had to order online and make sure I had extra parts on hand. And don't forget the car plug; it came in handy a few times!

5. A really comfy chair. We have a greater glider in Henry's room that I just couldn't live without. When you're nursing for the 5th time in the same night, it's nice to have a soft rocker to plop into!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T11:31:00.002-04:00

Just a few pics since it's been a couple of weeks, and I'm being harrassed!

Can't wait till we get some Guitar Hero!

The walk in action.

Yes, Henry loves his belly b!

Just another day.

2008-04-27T22:43:00.004-04:00

Yup, I'm officially old. At least from the perspective of someone who was just getting comfortable with the idea of being "twenty-something." At dinner tonight I whined because I didn't get carded when ordering wine.

I'll admit that I have been walking around in a little bit of a funk for the past week. It's nothing particular about it (and nothing really rational), but I definitely have felt this birthday looming over me. Which is just silly. It's another day.

Dennis brought something up that helped me gain some perspective, however. He said, "Just think of where you are already, and you're only thirty." Just think of where I am already.

So instead of lamenting the passage of my twenties, I'll embrace the beginning of a whole new decade by reminding myself of where I am now:

I'm married to the person who is just perfect for me. I can't imagine there being something better than this.
We have a beautiful, healthy son.
I've survived medical school and residency.
I am building a practice in a great office where I'm very happy.
We own a nice house in a wonderful town.
We have the means to live comfortably and do what we like within reason.

I think that's pretty darn good for thirty!

And besides, who am I kidding? I drive a station wagon!

New duds.

2008-04-20T21:50:00.004-04:00

Here's an adorable little outfit made by Angel of Cotton Candy. The diaper matches the shirt, and the shorts are fleece (which works as a diaper cover). Isn't it just awesome?

Not only are we gardening,

2008-04-20T21:34:00.002-04:00

we're also composting! Dennis and I made a compost bin from a trash can. You can find the instructional video that we used HERE. The main difference between the video and our method: we used a drill. Nailing was not working out. Maybe the chick in the video had a much wimpier trash can to start with?

The only thing it lacks is a bungee cord to keep the top on snugly when it's rolled around the yard.

Is it summer time yet?

2008-04-15T23:09:00.004-04:00

Not quite, especially since it almost froze here last night.
But one of us seems ready!

Check out the new Crocs!

No, we do not serve our son alcohol. Most of the time.

This is one of the current favorite activities: spinning in a circle.

"Which way is the beach?"

Go Phils!

2008-04-15T22:44:00.004-04:00

Two weekends ago we visited Cincinnati to catch the Phillies playing the Reds in Great American Ballpark.

Henry had his first hotdog.

"What's that on your head, Dad?"

Just look at those matching profiles! What a pair!

Too bad the game was in the middle of nap time--Henry was not a happy camper, and we left early. But we did stay long enough to see Ryan Howard hit a home run in the top of the 5th.

He did sort of like his new stroller, just as long as he was the one pushing it.

On Sunday Dennis met Jim for the game. Henry and I did a little shopping instead. It was a much better day for him. That's my son--he'd take the mall over the game any day!

Henry wants to say "Hey!"

2008-04-13T23:02:00.005-04:00

Actually, the way he says it has two syllables, "hay-ay!" It's pretty cute. I'll try to capture it on video for y'all sometime soon. And in case anyone's wondering, he is walking on his own some. Still wobbly, but 5-10 steps at a time on his own. We're getting there!

These bread-eating pictures below are a little bit old (like a month). You can really see how much he's grown when comparing to the above photo with the skinnier face.

Can anyone say daddy's boy? Where else would he get these expressions?

Yup, homemade bread is delicious!

Oh, did I mention that it snowed?

2008-03-10T22:33:00.003-04:00

We had 6 inches by midday Saturday. It was exciting, for me at least.

Our back porch.

Henry was not overly enthusiastic.

But he finally warmed up to it a bit.

Some crazy snow ninja worked hard at shoveling our driveway.

Henry and I enjoyed watching him work from the comfort of the garage.

Henry shows us how to eat with a spoon!

2008-03-10T21:46:00.006-04:00

First we say grace.

Just do like I do. Put the spoon in your mouth.

Mmmmm, delicious.

Ta da!

When you're done, throw it on the floor.
Gipper will clean up.

Whew! That was exhausting!

Sorry, Grandmom, it looks like he's gonna be a righty after all!

And now I share with you

2008-02-27T20:05:00.005-05:00

the obligatory barrage of cute-baby-eating-spaghetti photos! To borrow a phrase from Henry's Parrain, he really "got involved in it."

Death of a Mullet and New Booty Style

2008-02-26T17:52:00.006-05:00

Yeah, we cut it. Well, Dennis held him, and I cut it. Not the best looking haircut in the history of haircuts, but it's not the worst, either. And it's already starting to fluff out again, after only a week or so. I have no doubt The Baby Mullet shall visit our home again...

Check out Henry's newest diaper. I won it from a fellow diaper-making mama (she sells hers). I did pick out the embroidered design. It's pretty durn cute.

A second video

2008-02-23T15:25:00.004-05:00

...'cause you just can't get enough.

A Few Small Steps

2008-02-22T21:46:00.004-05:00

Recently (well on February 9th to be exact) Henry took his first steps without support. And the next day we caught a couple on tape. He's not really sure of himself yet, but any day now I think he'll be off on his own.

Here's a brief video for you. He LURVES his new walker!

Just a few of Henry's favorite things

2008-02-03T21:51:00.001-05:00

Eatin' bananas (especially with Doodah)

Eatin' yogurt (is it wrong that our child loves to eat so much?)

Bath time! (required after eating yogurt)

Chillin' between bath time and bedtime

Note bedtime--not listed as a favorite thing.

Curls? Really?

2008-02-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

How could you not call this thing a mullet?

And just to clarify, I already do the other "those mom" things--since Henry's mess cannot be contained, and he HATES the nose wipe. HATES. You'd get less protesting from him if you sawed his right arm off slowly.

We have not cut the hair off yet. For some reason it's a milestone I'm really hesitant to reach. If you know me well enough, you can figure out why. ;)

Cute Baby Curls vs. Mullet

2008-01-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

I've always said I'd never be one of those moms. Those moms do things like bring their child out in public with a stained t-shirt. They let their child be seen with a slimy/crusty nose. And their babies have mullets.

Now it's time to cast your vote: cute baby curliness or mullet? (The poll is directly to the right -->)

Mmm, water is delicious!

2008-01-21T21:13:00.001-05:00

No longer a zero!

2008-01-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

Henry's just turned one, so of course we had a party to celebrate. More pictures to come, hopefully, but I'm having a little trouble with the upload right now...

If this isn't the cutest birthday hat ever, I dare you to show me a cuter one!

Nothing new

2007-12-30T00:22:00.000-05:00

Just a cute picture of our boy.

Toys toys toys!

2007-12-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

What would Christmas be without a boatload of toys? Less messy, anyway.

Here Henry examines his rotary phone:

"Hello? Anybody there?"

"Check out my big top! Let me show you how it's done!

Pull them out like this!

I'm a genius!"

Aargh! That be a pirate ship!

This isn't the best picture ever, but for once Henry actually resembles his mama. He looks a lot like my baby pictures.

Belated Thanksgiving photos

2007-12-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

We drove out to Maryland for Thanksgiving this year. Dennis' parents were in from Germany. We had a fun, busy weekend.
Henry met his first cousin, Zoey:
"Not so sure about her..."
"Okay, back off! They're my grandparents!"
Finally the two kids made up and held hands.

Here's a photo of the whole Chatham clan:

Those crazy Chatham kids, circa 1983.
Guess which one is Henry's dad?

A visit from Henry's uncles!

2007-12-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

MIchael stopped by on his drive home, and he brought Parain along with him.

This hat might be okay...not sure yet.

Pattycakin'

Make up your own caption for this one.

Cookie time

2007-11-15T22:57:00.000-05:00

Ooooh, another fun Henry video! (Sorry, the file is huge.)

Giggleface

2007-11-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

And check out the hair! It curls!

mmm, prunes!

2007-11-11T21:53:00.000-05:00

Henry wears them so well!

HallZOOween at the Cincy Zoo!

2007-10-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

Today we took a short trip over to the Cincinnati Zoo for the HallZOOween festivities. Henry seemed to enjoy himself, although he was much more interested in watching the people than the real animals!

I have to admit that I'm super-proud of myself for making his costume. It may be some of my best sewing ever. Even Dennis was impressed. And I didn't stay up *all* night doing it. And now without further ado:

Yes, I've been delinquent.

2007-10-14T12:38:00.000-04:00

It's been more than a month since I last posted. So I'll make up for it...

Mama knitted me some awesome wool pants!

Crackers are nummy!

New toy!

2007-09-15T19:41:00.001-04:00

This weekend was the Constitution Square Festival--lots of art, crafts, and yummy treats. Henry came home with a hand-made circus train.

And now showing off his new wool fluffy butt.

Videos of Henry

2007-09-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

#1 Henry shows off the jiggle.

#2 Henry plays soccer, "crawls" and jiggles some more.

Henry's first tailgater

2007-09-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, September 1, we drove up to ND for the ND-Ga. Tech game. At least Henry enjoyed himself!

Henry and Kelly hanging out. Dave may have some competition.

Katie helped Henry check out the real newbie, Maggie, and her momma Caroline.

Gotta dress for the occasion.

Grass is fun. I love this photo!

Henry's already getting the hang of this football thing.

Fun time with Gipp

2007-08-30T21:26:00.001-04:00

What's that? You have a secret?

Just whisper it into my ear.

The boys have some naptime together.

Play time!

2007-08-22T22:07:00.000-04:00

Gotta get my push-ups in!

Beefcake!

That was exhausting!

Put the Fork Down

More Ted-ness

Meet the new kid!

Holiday Weekend Update 7.4.11

Happy Easter!

Frannie's Birthday Bonanza!

Remember Old Man Winter?

Weekend Update 2.4.11

Weekend Update 12.19.10

Weekend Update 12.12.10

Weekend Update 12.5.10 (2 weeks worth!)

Weekend Update 11.21.10

A few *fairly* recent photos

Cool tricks! Cool tricks!

When I dip, you dip, we dip.

That's how I roll.

Kitchens and apples and bikes, oh my.

Frances's Baptism

Where ya been for the past month?

Henry just can't get enough Frances!

1 week down

Baby sister is here!

Progress

I'm a farmer's wife

We're buying a farm!

Snow Days!

Baby sister!

Henry's 3!

Tis the season

Announcement

Hanging out with my cousins

Henry's been a busy big boy.

No lollygagging today.

One can never have too much Thomas...

Outside!

Happy Easter!

Yep, I'm a little behind on the blogging!

European Vacation...

European Vacation, continued...

Chatham Tour '09 Part 1: flying, then Mainz, Germany

Hallo from Deutschland!

A chilly Valentine's afternoon

Back in business!

Baby, it's cold outside!

A snowy Tuesday afternoon

E-A-G-L-E-S!

Henry is 2!

Christmas morning!

Didja miss us?

Fall is here!

Comings and goings

Not a happy day.

Halloween is coming!

Missed us?

The Answer: Two Days.

Hats off!

Michael and Marie's Wedding

The Great American Balloon Race

Brusha brusha brusha

We visited the Fort Harrod Beef Festival

A Boy's First Haircut

A month behind

What is there to do in Connecticut? Part Three

What is there to do in Connecticut? Part Deux

What is there to do in Connecticut?

The newest members of our household

Gardeninin'

Is there a 12-step program for Apple Juice Addicts?

Top 5

Happy Mother's Day!

Just another day.

New duds.

Not only are we gardening,

Is it summer time yet?

Go Phils!

Henry wants to say "Hey!"

Oh, did I mention that it snowed?

Henry shows us how to eat with a spoon!

And now I share with you

Death of a Mullet and New Booty Style

A few fairly recent photos