It's a Boy!!!

Can you see the boy part? It's taken at a funny angle but it's there if you look. He is healthy and we are happy.

Finding a New Home

Stella and I went on our first trip to Chicago. The main intent was for Scott & I to look at about a dozen homes to live in for minimally the next year. It has been a stressful time as Scott has been busy, not only with his new job but looking at about 40 homes after work, and forget about the countless ones we looked at online.

It was good for Stella to see her daddy. She was so happy and excited. We think she started to understand that we are going to live 'here' wherever 'here' is. Stella's Nana and Bampi drove up to see us and to watch Stella while Scott and I went home-searching. Overall it was a great few days spending it with family in our soon-to-be home city. Stella and I also had fun hanging with Deb and Gus (the first of many I'm sure).

In this run, we found our new home. Weird. Like Stella, I think I'll need to be there for it to finally start sinking in...

Stella Baker

As the weather turns colder, and mommy gets bigger, and with daddy in Chicago, we are desperately looking for things to entertain Miss Stella. One day, we decided to make cupcakes (her current favorite dessert). Stella was very committed to mixing. She did better than I thought she would. When all was said and done, our kitchen did have a light coating of cake mix but it smelled great. Stella was very proud of her work and was especially excited to eat her project. What is ironic is that after all that work, she still enjoyed just eating the icing off of the cupcake - not the 'bread'. Very much like her old man. Anyway, it kept her busy for 20 minutes...now what?!?!

Here she is enjoying her finished product while shaking her diaper-clad tushy to her most favoritest band of all time: Wilco.

More Wilco. More cupcakes. But a hi to bunch of special people.

Couldn't resist this last one. An ode to Cooper and Scotty-Doo!

Beach Buddies

A snapshot taken from our joint family vacation to LBI (Long Beach Island) back in August. We thought this may be an annual tradition but with us being Chicago-bound by end of year, and the Merriams being Cali-bound next year, this one may be our one and only. Maybe we can consider meeting in Mexico next year?!?! Or alternating between Lake Michigan and the Pacific Ocean? :)
Anyway, here's a postcard of a picture of two very cute, very young friends walking the beach. Stella loved this trip so much so that in the past week, prompted by finding her bucket and shovel, she has been asking to go to the beach with Markus. Great memories.

Stella's Favorite Canvas...herself

This is what Stella does when I'm not paying attention to her. One moment, she is an angel of an artist happily painting away at her easel. The next minute, I am folding laundry and realize that she's been a little too quiet for a little too long. I walk over slightly panicked but telling myself that I'm just being paranoid and that she just loves painting that much (which she does). Well, I guess she loved it so much so that she discarded her brushes to use her face and hands. Clean up was a bear but I had to take a picture...this one's for the ages.