Awaiting Katarina

February 2010 was busy, not just because of the usual activities, Valentine's Day, and Gabi's birthday.


Bella at her preschool Valentine's party


Gabi enjoyed helping bake banana pudding
(but then refused to even taste it).
We spent much of the month anticipating the arrival of our newest family member (and hoping that she would wait until after Gabi's birthday celebration before making an appearance). We bought a nice rocking recliner, a new bassinet, and even a minivan for the baby.


Daddy practicing lullabies


Our neighbor, Liz, hosted a diaper shower for me!


Diaper shower guests
Continuing the pictorial account of my baby bump progress:


7-month baby bump (Jan. 1)


7.5-month baby bump (Jan. 17)


8.5-month baby bump (Valentine's Day)


A week before delivery (Feb. 21)


About 30 hours or so before delivery (Feb. 28)
That last picture was taken the evening of our trip to Labor and Delivery, when I felt significant back pain and thought the baby might be coming. We were sent home, though, and didn't return until I had the baby in my arms! And now for the "after" picture:


Mommy with newborn Katarina (St. Patrick's Day)

Autumn Travels

We've been out-of-town often this Fall. I spent Labor Day in Houston before our family trip to Disney World. We all traveled to Texas in October so Michael could take an exam for work, and then Gramma Jane watched the girls so I could accompany Michael to DC for a work convention. We watched an Irish victory in San Antonio on Halloween while the girls trick-or-treated with cousins in Dallas, and finally we took a family trip to see the Notre Dame campus. During my recent travels, I was able to meet up with many old friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in many years.

Houston, TX

Melissa and George in the Orion mock-up in the NASA high-bay
Arlington, TX

Grampa reading the girls a bedtime story


Gabi says, "Hey! Grampa, you're being silly!"


Gramma Jane helped Gabi find caterpillars in the garden


Uncle Brian and Bella check out a caterpillar


Bella being shy


Uncle Brian with his nieces


Allison, my friend since we both moved to Arlington at age 3 (almost 4)
Washington, DC

Jenny, Melissa, and Lisa


Michael and Stephen, old college roommates


Amy, my friend from junior high


Abbey, my best friend and neighbor from elementary school
San Antonio, TX

Melissa, Christina, and Evan


Christina and Evan


Cousin Leah's family


Leah, Melissa, and little Patrick


Little Patrick and Melissa


Old friends from fifth and sixth grades


At Stephanie's house


Hugo, a fellow computer science major from Notre Dame


Notre Dame friends: Cynthia (and Jacob), George, Michael, and Cathy


The ND band made a space shuttle blast across the field to land on the moon


Deep in the heart of Texas


Old college roommate pose


Visiting before heading back home
Dallas, TX

My cousin Mark and one of his twin girls (Lily, I think)


The other twin (Hannah, I think) with Uncle Patrick and Aunt Ashley


My cousins (and Hannah and Lily's two godmothers), Anda and Ashley


Ashley's son Joseph peeking at his cousin
Notre Dame, IN
The following weekend, Michael and I took the girls up to Notre Dame. I'll save those pictures for the next post.

Summer visitors

This summer, we had many visitors come stay with us. We obviously took more pictures than just these, and I'll post them to our Shutterfly page. Email me if you need the address. We love to have guests, so let us know if you'd ever like to come through Little Rock!
Notre Dame friends (6/10-6/15)
Gramma Jane, Grampa, and Uncle Brian (7/10-7/12)
John & family (7/12)
Stephen and Alicia (7/20-7/27)
Joy, Lauren, and Eric (7/28-7/30)

Notre Dame friends (6/10-6/15)
In June, we invited a dozen of our best college friends to come hang out at our house for a mini-reunion. They were here over our 6th wedding anniversary, and they presented us with the most awesome framed collage of pictures with everyone's signature on the mat!


Introduced to video games


Telling Kimba about the "bee-bugs" (ladybugs)


At the River Market


Climbing Pinnacle Mountain


Learning to "play" Joe's bagpipes


Yoga with Cynthia
Gramma Jane, Grampa, and Uncle Brian (7/10-7/12)
Of course Gramma Jane, Grampa, and Uncle Brian found a weekend to come visit!


Swimming at St. Charles pool


Pouring water on Daddy's head


"Cuddle Mommy!"


Girls with the grandparents and uncle
John & family (7/12)
Michael's best friend from high school (who now lives in Atlanta) came back to visit family. We saw them one afternoon to met baby Lucy, and Michael did an echo of Wesley's heart.


Jelly on the tummy
Stephen and Alicia (7/20-7/27)
Uncle Stephen came to follow Lolo and his coworkers around for a week, so Aunt Alicia got to hang with the kids and me.


Neighborhood walk


Playing pirates


Sand table at the Wonder Place


Jumping into St. Charles pool


Dress-up with Samantha


Swinging at the top of the slide


"1-2-3-Whee!"


Splashing at Riverfront Park


Waiting for the waterfall
Joy, Lauren, and Eric (7/28-7/30)
My aunt Joy and her kids came for a short visit, and then they took the girls back to Texas with them to drop them off at Gramma Jane and Grampa's house for a week until we joined them at the family reunion.


Gabi and Eric climbing at Riverfront Park


Bella and Eric running through a tunnel


Splashing in the fountains