Dah! An update!

Okay, so I've basically forgotton to update the blog in the last month! I'm sorry! We have had a crazy/busy/good/bad/stressful/joyful month.

Since my last update, Chaz, Cate & I took our first family trip on an airplane to California. I had conference for my work in San Francisco, and Chaz & Cate bummed along as tourists. Though I was quite busy, I enjoyed the presentations I gave and watched at my conference, and Chaz and Cate had a blast riding the street cars and touring all of the local parks, a few museums and other notable places in San Francisco. She was a doll on all of our flights. Minus a couple of min of fussing, she ate and slept better than I have the right to expect a 5 month old to do. Of course, we forgot our camera. We bought disposable cameras there, so as soon as we get those pictures developed, we will put them on the internet! Until then, here is an adorable set of pictures of her riding on daddy as we packed.

We returned from San Francisco on a Wednesday night at 11pm (we got home from the aiport at 12:30am) and Cate and I left for Michigan the next day (Thursday) at 8am! We met my mom (Cate's grandma) halfway (in Chicago) and went to Michigan to see our family and old friends. Cate got to meet her great-grandmother (grandma's mom) and her great grandfather (her grandpa's dad) for the first time. She also met a number of my aunts/uncles and cousins. I, of course, forgot my camera again! Jeez. I am not good at this parenting/pictures thing. We did have a chance to take a four-generations photo when I was in Michigan. Here is a Sears photo of great-grandma, grandma, mom and baby.

I got home on the Monday of Thanksgiving week. After working two days, Thanksgiving day arrived. We loaded up into the car and took off for Kansas. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with Chaz's family, and Cate got to meet a number of his aunts/uncles/cousins for the first time.

When we got home Thanksgiving night, we decided to give Cate her first Thanksgiving meal (actually her first meal ever). She "ate" rice cereal. Actually, she didn't eat anything, as I think she spit it all back out onto her bib. But, in the 5 days since, I think she's actually started swallowing whole spoonfuls before spitting the rest out onto her bib.

After our crazy month, I suppose it is no surprise that Cate is a bit under the weather. Cate has been making these awful gasping noises and has had this very sad-sounding cough for a few days. This morning, she was having some trouble breathing, so we went to the doc. So, according to our doc, she has laryngitis. It is bad enough when I lose my voice, but she sounds so sad because when she tries to cry, only a squeak comes out, and when she tries to babble at me ("talk") she just makes this gasping sound. As a result, I stayed home with her today, and she wanted to cuddle all day. Here is a picture of her cuddling with her dad and the dog on the couch.

Cate is 6 months old tomorrow!!! I can't believe it. According to the doc today, she weighs 15 pounds exactly! She is growing so fast.

For my Sister

My sister, Rachel, has been on a buy the baby "I love my aunt" propaganda mission since Cate was born. So, Rachel, here is the most recent purchase on the baby.

Cate says "Thank you Aunt Rachel". She also says the pens on the counter are a really fun toy.

Playing around the house

Okay, so here are a few photos of us playing around the house today. Here is one of Cate & I on the couch after school.
Here are some of Cate playing with her ball on the floor. She loves to roll over onto her tummy now (and will as soon as we lay her down on her back). You'll also see that she loves to eat her toys. Yummy.

Finally, Cate decided to try on her little cow Halloween costume tonight. It looks a bit odd in the photos, but it is super cute in person. You'll also see a picture of a "flying cow". It is her new favorite game.

It is very hard to believe, but Cate will be 5 months old this Saturday! Wow, how time has flown.

Go Cats!

Dad and Daughter K-State Watch Party.

I know she looks more concerned with pulling off her own socks in this photo, but she was smiling just seconds ago as Chaz was singing the K-State fight song to her.

Go Cats!

4 Month Check Up

Cate's 4 month check-up was today and it went great. She weighs 13lbs 1oz and she is 24" tall. This puts her in the 35% of both height and weight. Her head is 15.75", which the doc tells us means she is growing well. Today was a happy visit (baby laughed, cooed and enjoyed kicking the doc in the face!) We are going to do her shots on Wed, so that one will be a little less fun.

A few pictures - Concordia, KS

At the top - a picture of all of Chaz's sisters & I, each with our youngest children (of course, for Deb and I, also our oldest children). From left to right, Deb with her daughter Maggie (4 mo), Pam with son Simon (6 mo), Della in back with Keidra (7 years) in front and Cate (4 mo) and I on the right.
Cate playing on the floor at Grandpa's house.
All three baby cousins playing on the floor. Cate is wearing the purple K-State onesie and the bib (she always wears one now due to a drooling situation). Simon is in the middle and her "twin" cousin Maggie (they were born the same day!) is on the right in the white K-State onesie and the Notre Dame shorts. They were so cute all playing together!
Baby is stirring from her nap, so off I go.

Catherine - 4 months!

I have a bit of extra time at work today (yay Fridays!) so I decided to post a LONG overdue update - even though all of the pictures I've been taking for this update are on our camera at home. I promise more pictures soon.

Cate had her four month "birthday" yesterday. She has been a very busy girl this past week. Friday night we went out to dinner with most of my co-workers because the graduate students a year behind me in school all finished their big comprehensive exams. This is a huge right of passage for them, so we had to celebrate with yummy dinner (and beers for them). It was great to see them all so happy after weeks of comps-induced stress. Cate, unsurprisingly, was super popular, and she flirted with several people who agreed to hold her so that her daddy and I could eat. (Yes, she flirts now, with big smiles and coos and babbling!)

After dinner, we loaded up the car and took off for Concordia, KS. Chaz's sisters were home for fall fest/high school reunions, so we went to see everyone while they were in town. The drive was easy (she slept the whole way - yay for traveling at night). We didn't get in to KS until late, but we got to say "hi" to Grandpa Bob, Grandma Lorene, Aunts Deb & Pam, and Cousins Simon and Maggie before bed.

On Saturday, Chaz & his dad went to the K-State Football game in Manhattan, KS. (This was, in itself, a crazy adventure. Lightning storms caused the game to be delayed, and the stadium to be evacuated. Bob & Chaz got to sit in their car during a torrential downpour for part of the afternoon. But, the game resumed and KSU won!) While they were gone, Cate and I got to attend the Fall fest festivities. Saturday morning, Cate went to her first parade. She didn't mind watching the floats/people pass by until the fire-trucks arrived. As each fire truck passed us, they set off their sirens (to the cheers of lots of older kiddos). Cate was not so amused. After a bit of fussing, I rocked her to sleep, and she slept for the rest of the parade.

After the parade and a bit of walking around/enjoying the beautiful weather, Cate and I had a chance to watch her Cousin Keidra (who is in the 2nd grade) perform with her dance troup at fall fest. They danced to the song "hand jive", and Keidra was excellent.

After a quick lunch at Pizza hut, Cate & I went back to her grandparent's house so she could take a nap. That afternoon she got a chance to play with her "twin cousin" Maggie (born the same day as Cate) and her "older" cousin Simon (born a couple months before Cate). This produced adorable pictures. I promise to post soon.

On Sunday, after early (7:30am) church, we drove down to Salina so that Cate could see her great-Aunt (Chaz's Aunt) Pat and her great-Grandma Waneta. Lunch with them (and everyone else) was great, and at the end we got a few pictures of Cate with all her baby cousins (she has many older cousins, but they weren't all here this trip). Again, I promise to remember to post soon.

On Monday, Chaz had oral surgery at 9am to remove his 4 impacted (meaning sideways and twisted) wisdom-teeth. Thankfully, the surgery went as well as it could (the teeth were so askew the doc said his recovery would be more painful than normal), and Monday and Tuesday were spent helping Daddy recover (mostly by getting out of his way so he could nap. Cate came to school with me). Chaz only worked half a day Wednesday, so Cate got a special half-day at home with Daddy. She loves it.

By Thursday our baby was 4 months old! Chaz had mostly recovered, so we resumed our long family walks after work (us, baby and the dog). We took Cate in the baby carrier (a "backpack" looking carrier designed for long walks/hiking) and she loved it! She could see a lot more of the world than she can from in her stroller.

Today is Friday, and we are headed to a BBQ with Chaz's coworkers this evening. Then, there is much important football on TV tomorrow (OU v. Texas!), so we will hopefully have a fun, low-key weekend.

I head to New Jersey next weekend for a work conference. It will be my first trip sans-baby. I leave Fri morning and get back late Sun. This means I'll only be gone two nights (Fri, Sat), so I'm sure she'll survive. Hopefully daddy will survive too. I know I'm going to miss Cate & Chaz like crazy.

I promise to get our pictures posted before then.