The big day

Justin and I took Aubrie for a long walk around Roscoe Village in the hopes of "getting things moving." After a day full of contractions being 7-10 minutes apart they finally started to stop me in my tracks. When we got home, I called my doctor to see what she wanted me to do since I had my 40 appointment scheduled for the morning (yes....40 weeks, 9 months my foot, you are REALLY pregnant for 10 months). She told me to page her at 7am and she will move my appointment up and she will see me in Labor & Delivery since she was on call, but for me to come in sooner if I went into labor. Knowing I may go into labor over night, or that I at least had an early appointment, Tracy came and spent the night at our house in case we had to leave quickly so she can stay with Aubrie.

I woke up at 4am with very strong contractions every 9 minutes. I tried to go back to sleep, but they continued to wake me. I showered, ate some cereal, and took care of a few last minute things. I paged my doctor and she gave me the option of coming in early or waiting until my appointment at 9am. She said if I was not in active labor at that time they could only keep me if I was going to be induced. That was a decision I had to make before I got there. We decided to take our time and see if labor progressed on its own...and it did.

Before we left for the hospital the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and as the doctor predicted I could no longer talk through them. We arrived at the hospital at 9am and went straight to Labor & Delivery instead of to my appointment since my doctor was on call. Dr. Thorpe sent us right to be admitted in a room before she even checked me in triage. My mom showed up with snacks and something to knit to pass the time since Aubrie's birth day lasted over a whole day! By noon I had an epidural, which much to my surprise only worked on one side again. While this wasn't fun, I know many people give birth without any medication so it could have been much worse. While my mom and sister went to get something to eat, Dr. Thorpe came in and broke my water and I was dilated to 5cm. Within the hour I was not having fun anymore...I dilated to 9cm very quickly and by the time Dr. Thorpe was paged to come back it was "go time."

Lydia June Waldeck was born at 3:12pm. I am blessed to say she is perfect.

Ready to go....

Here she is!

8 lbs 8.6 oz! That's a big girl!

Hi daddy!

Having a moment with mommy

My parents

Hello Grandma

Hi Papa

Proud Grandparents

Aunt Bina

Getting settled in our room

Getting some rest after a long day

Aubrie meeting Lydia

We arrived home from the hospital on September 3rd around 6pm. My mom was waiting with Aubrie who was anxiously waiting to meet her little sister. As you see...it went better than we could have ever hoped. She was very excited and wants to hold her and hug her. Attached are some pictures from the day. Everything seems to be as it should...and I couldn't imagine not having both of them here at home.

Aubrie wanted to show Lydia all of her toys. She kept patting the ground and saying "come on baby" as if she wanted her to come and sit by her so she could explain all of her things.

Aubrie wanted to show Lydia her ball, but didn't understand why she couldn't throw it to her.

Grandma of four

Proud Great Grandma

Bath time!

Lydia's first bath! She likes it, just like her big sister loves the bath.

Here is a flashback of Aubrie in the tub

...And baby makes four

Lydia June Waldeck was born on September 2nd, at 3:11pm.

She weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches.

She is perfect!

Thank you for all of the well wishes and prayers.

Many photos and details to follow.

Hello everyone!

Ok...I know what you are all thinking. Where is she? Well, we are wondering the same thing. Aside from being a bit anxious, everything is going well. The first due date I was given was September 1st. Later I was told it was looking like August 28th. I had an appointment yesterday and I am dilated 2cm. If you have had a baby before, you know you can be dilated for weeks before anything happens. I have been walking as much as possible without trying to wear myself out. I think I am beyond nesting at this point because I feel like I am straightening up every minutes. I think she is taking her time because I am too prepared. My bags are packed and in the car, the house is all set, I have my toes painted red and I am ready to go! We will keep you all posted, and I am sure Justin will be giving a play by play via Facebook.

Until then...scroll on down and see what we have been up to this past month!

The Flynn's wedding reception

Christina and Brian were married this past December, and they had their wedding reception on August 7th at the Northwest Cafe in Chicago. They wanted a small party to celebrate with their friends and families. We all had a great time,

and we continue to wish them all the happiness in the world!

The Northwest Cafe does not have a website, but you can check them out on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Northwest-Cafe/200274275393#

The Flynns

My grandma with all of the boys, and the bride

Father - daughter dance

The girls were seeing if we would have another guest arrive

Jennifer, Tracy, Me, Christina, and Kitty

Brian and his mother-in-law

My grandma dancing with my dad

Three generations

Mom, Grandma, and Jennifer

Justin...being Justin

Some of the girls

Justin dancing with my grandma

The Wyatts and the Waldecks

Grandma and the boys

The mother-in-law

Parents of two-to-be

Hello?

Just like prom...

The Pfeffers

My grandma and Jennifer

.....and they lived happily ever after

Meanwhile....the kids had a sleepover at our house with the babysitter.

They had a great time playing together the whole week.

Cheese!

A great visit with great friends!

While in Quantico, we were able to catch up with some great friends we made in Twentynine Palms, CA. None of us has babies while we lived on base, so it was fun to get all of the girls together. Yes...we ALL have girls. Thank you to Lisa, the Pellerins, the Quinns, and the Katolins for a great visit. We are blessed to have remained friends with you despite us all living across the country. Here's to many more playdates!

Hanging out at the Katolin's house

Ellie, Haven, Aubrie & Elyse

Elyse & Aubrie making some music

Andrea, Elyse, Lisa, Lindsey, Ellie, and Haven

(Aubrie was not very happy about taking this picture, so we are hanging out on the side)

Aubrie & I

The girls playing together


Hanging out at the Pellerin's house

Aubrie, Elyse, and Raegan

Erica tried her best to get their attention for the sake of a good picture,
but they all just laughed at her

Jason, Justin & Dennis

Pizza break

Andrea, me, and Erica with our babies...

Hanging out with Nana and Papa Irv

We had a great visit in Maryland! We definatly don't see Nana, Papa Irv & Lauren enough. I have more pictures from our visit, but I still can't find my cord to download them from our other camera. Hopefully I find it soon. Stay tuned!

Nana & Justin

Aubrie kept pulling Justin & I to her and hugging us both

Watching the ducks

A quick bedtime story with Papa Irv

The National Zoo - DC

Checking out the animals

Signing MONKEY, obviously very excited to see the monkeys



Trying to give the monkeys a smooch. Cute, but kissing zoo windows....gross.



The pigs were sleeping, so she is signing BED



Seeing the cows with mommy. She loved mooing back at them.

Playing in the water


It was hot outside




Close up of "misty" Aubrie

Hanging at the zoo with Nana

"Hi Bear"

Hi fake bear

Another fun zoo activity

Going to get ice cream with Nana

Signing ICE CREAM

Eating her HUGE "children's cone"

Saying "DONE, DONE, DONE"

OK...mommy may have helped her

A perfect ending to a perfect day

Thanks Nana!

Pooped!

I have more pictures from our other camera,

but I have to find the cord in order to download them! Check back soon

33 weeks pregnant

Here we are enjoying the day watching our friends play baseball at Horner Park. A friend of ours took some great pictures without me even knowing. You have to love people with fancy cameras and ninja-like photography skills.

Thanks Lee

My new favorite picture

Small Update

This picture is actually old......but here I am. In this picture I was 30 weeks along and everything is looking great. The baby was butt down at my last appointment but she has turned and is now head down. Yay! I have had some cramps and uncomfortable days, but overall,

besides being tired, I am feeling great.

Chalk and ice pops with daddy

Aubrie is doing great! She is so smart I can't even take it. She amazes me more and more everyday. Justin and I were spending time with her last week when we both looked at each other in disbelief. "Did she just count to 10?" Yes, yes she did, and she has been doing it ever since. I have tried to get it on video a few times, but just like the ASL cards, she seems to know I'm taping and becomes more interested in that. My mom always says as soon as you tell people they can do something, they make a liar out of you. So true... But, I am glad Justin and I experienced it the first time together. It was actually really funny because she did it so perfectly. I guess all the counting I do with her has paid off.

(I'll keep working on those videos)

Until then...he is a video of her dancing to a Butterfly song.
Half way through the song she wants me to take a picture of her baby)

Setting up his gear the night before. Memories....

Targets in the distance

Justin is home from his latest drill weekend. This time he was in Indiana spending four days at the rifle range. I am proud to say he got Expert by shooting 215 on Table 1 and 93 on Table 2. He had a good weekend with the Marines, but is happy to be home and sleep past 4:30 am.

Practicing already....

I have one cabinet set up for Aubrie full of pots, Tupperware, and fake food in a picture that allows her to play in the kitchen while I cook. This way, she can pull it all out on the floor if she chooses. Luckily for me, she enjoys the "Clean Up Song,"

so she usually will put it all back when she is finished playing.

The other day, she got all three of her babies and set them up in the chair.

She sang to them and fed them, and finally gave them a big hug and smooch.

She is going to be a great big sister!

My new creative streak...

Here is a new picture of the girls' room. I decided to tap into my artistic side and paint something for the wall, since I wasn't able to find anything I loved. I was inspired by all of Aubrie's art work. Let's say I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome! As was Justin....

3-16 x 20 canvases

We finally found a new dresser for their room. Thank you Craigslist.com

Aubrie was very interested in the bassinet as I was putting it together. I told her it was the baby's bed, so when I came back in the room after putting the screwdriver away, this is what I found. She said "baby bed." Well, she is right. She has been laying her babies in the bottom of it and covering them with blankets to go to bed.

Time to paint!

Aubrie has already had a very busy summer. We have experimenting with alot of art and she really enjoys painting. We color and play with playdoh, chalk, etc. We are always looking for more art ideas, so please share any tips you may have. She loves it!

Family update

where's the baby?

Hello everyone!

Quick family update.....I have successfully completed another semester at Columbia and I am happy to say I am OFF for the summer. I just had my 28 week check up and my glucose test. After a second glucose test that lasted about 4 hours, I learned my results came back fantastic. I am feeling bigger everyday and naturally I am pretty tired. Otherwise, I can't complain. I am having another good pregnancy and I am thankful it isn't 100 degrees, yet.

Aubrie is taking a break from daycare since I am home. This gives us an opportunity to spend as much time together as possible before the baby comes. Aubrie seems to understand that a baby is in my belly because she points to my belly and says "baby." However, I am aware that she may just be confused and thinks that's what I call my belly button. While shopping the other day, our friend Tracy asked Aubrie where the baby was and she lifted her own shirt and pointed to her belly button. Either way, it's cute.

Aubrie just had her 1 1/2 year check up, and Dr. Morse said he was incredibly impressed by her. She is chatting constantly and I can't get over how smart she is. My ASL class gave us a sign language kit when she was born, and she actually knows all of the cards already. The kit comes with two books, a music cd (to sign along with), and flash cards that are very easy to follow.

The Sign, Sing, and Play Kit by Monta Z. Briant

http://www.amazon.com/Sign-Sing-Play-Language-Basics/dp/1401907660

The signs she knows amaze me! Including SUN, STARS, LIGHTS, BATH, BUBBLES, BOAT, CHEESE, along with over 100 more and most of the animals that I know the signs for. She also knows all of the basics such as ALL DONE, EAT, MORE, THANK YOU, etc. It is very helpful because as she learns to talk, alot of her words can sound alike. This way, she is talking and signing together so I know when she is saying BALL, BANANA, or BALLOON. (yes, those all sound alike sometimes.) The Dr. was amazed how much she demonstrated naturally during our visit, which caused our appointment to run a bit long because he had so many questions. Every time we leave the house she signs TREE, CAR, FLOWER, BIRD,and AIRPLANE. Another thing is she points to her ear when she hears the birds chirping, or a car beeping.

The best part is when we sit down to read books everyday, she can point to most of the pictures in the books we have and say/sign what it is. I recently realized she enjoys quizzing me as well. When she gets a book out, she brings it to me and sits on my lap. I obviously point to pictures and ask "what's that?" often, because she points to pictures and says "sat." Which I realized is her translation of "what's that." She can identify many animals and the sounds they make, which has made our recent zoo trips alot of fun.

She is able to ask for things and decline things, which cuts down on the tantrums. She is LOVING going to the park and we are learning she is pretty fearless on the play sets. Another favorite of hers is turning on music and dancing around. The majority of the time is spent bouncing around to the music, but she recognizes a few and actually does them the right way. A few of her favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and The Wheels on the Bus. And last but not least, she is officially obsessed with Sesame Street, especially Elmo. She has a few Sesame Street toys, but Elmo gets carried around the house. When she doesn't know where he is, she puts both hands to her mouth and shouts "AAAAHHHH-BBBBUUUU." She constantly says DADDY, BOBBY, and AU-BIE, while pointing to the correct person. Bobby, is me...at least she knows who I am. We are working on pronouncing M's. Overall, this is a very exciting stage and we are enjoying every minute of it.

Teaching Grandma ASL

signing EAT

signing BABY

Justin is doing well at his job and still enjoying it. Drill keeps him busy once a month, but it seems like it comes around more often than that. We just celebrated his 29th birthday with a date to see Blue Man Group, which we both really enjoyed. He is also on a softball league with Brian, and they recently won the Championship game. Aside from that, he is busy coming up with witty material for his Facebook status, and in his words "busy being awesome."

Look who loves the park!

Aubrie's new friend Rosie. Frank and his niece met us for lunch and a park playdate at Wells.

Fellger Park with Sophie

More Fellger...Aubrie loves this train

"Learning" how to share

"ALL DONE"

Random Aubrie moments that I love...

At Dave & Buster's for an ASL event

Bath time already? But, I want to go for a ride

Marine week at Navy Pier

Hanging out on a humvee

Hello

Playing in my tee pee with Marcus

Napping during a long shopping day

Playing Rock Band with daddy

No pictures please...

Back to rockin' out...

Relaxing after a long rehersal

Coloring with my cousins

Fishies!

Byeee!!!

Sophie's 1st Birthday Party

BFF's ready to party!

Cheese!

Aubrie & Tisha

Gift time

My fam

The Wilson's

Tisha & I

The birthday girl

peek a boo

a quick post cake bath

Cubs game

The Flynn's & the Wyatt's "enjoyed" opening day at Wrigley Field in the 40 below weather while we took the kids for pizza and watched the game on tv. After the game we all met at Moretti's.
Papa & Brendan

Go Cubs Go






Three generations


The family at Moretti's


Aunt Jennifer taught Aubrie how to drink out of a straw

The next day, we all gathered at mom & dad's for an early mother's day bbq

while the Wyatt's were still in town.

Making muffins with mommy

In an attempt to keep Aubrie occupied, I decided to make blueberry muffins and have her "help." She did a great job, but had a hard time understanding that there were steps involved. She was upset everytime we had to stop and move on to the next step. She is a good little mixer!
Of course, waiting for them to cook was the hardest part. She was able to enjoy one while they are still warm. She is so smart, she knew to blow on them before she ate one.
After making a bit of a mess, I put the remaining muffin in a bowl for her.
She was debating whether or not she should share with Charlie.

I'm glad to see she did such a good job helping. We have another thing we can do together!

Memorial Day in Kentucky

Tater, Jersey and Sapphire

Hi Horsies! (baby bump sighting)

Justin and his dad heading in for lunch

(after looking for "stuff to shoot")

Playing ball with daddy


Bounce house fun

Elijah telling Aubrie the rules of his pool

Mia, Elijah, Aubrie

more pool time

Watermelon break



Showing Mia how she rinses her own hair

(well...at least her face)

Mia covering her "booby dot"

(definitely a future blackmail photo)

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Coriell

Congratulations to Megan and Michael who tied the knot on May 21st!

We love you guys and wish you all of the happiness in the world!

Little miss Mia Coriell

Easter

The Wyatt's were in town for the Easter holiday and we were all

together for dinner and festivities. Grandma & Papa had the kids over for an

Easter sleepover!

We are not sure who had more fun, the kids or Grandma & Papa.

Coloring Easter eggs at Grandma & Papa's house

Let the games begin!

Comparing their goodies

Papa took the kids to the park after the egg hunt

Their girls in their matching Easter dresses made by grandma.

Grandma and her leg o' lamb (or...bone o' lamb)

Laughing with aunt Bina

And the goodies kept coming!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Sgt Flynn's Wetdown

Many of Brian's friends and fellow Marines came out to

celebrate his promotion.

The girls

The boys

The Waldeck's

The Wyatt's

The Flynn's

Brian and his proud brother, Kurt

Mr & Mrs.Flynn and Sgt Maj Carter

Yes, the evening ended with a challenge being presented to the good Captain that he could not refuse....a pound of inferno hot wings in 10 mins without any drinks or leaving his seat. He suceeded,what a proud moment for him. His guts thanked him later.

Survey says....

We are extremely excited to announce Aubrie will have a little sister! We are especially excited that we do not have to worry about buying "boy things" yet. Thanks to our friends Keith & Sue Reardon we have enough girl clothes to last many baby girls.

The ultrasound tech had Justin and Aubrie wait in the lobby while she took some measurements of the baby and said she would call them in when she looked for the sex. Well...she must have landed right on her "girly parts," because as soon as she looked at the monitor she shouted "It's a GIRL!" She covered her mouthed and said "Oh my God, I am so sorry." I guess she was just excited. When she called Justin and Aubrie in, she had to try to find it all over again. It was a good thing she saw it the first time because it wasn't as clear this time around. We are very excited! We were hoping this one was a girl....maybe it's because we don't have any room for boy things. For now, we are just happy that everything looks good and Aubrie will have a sister to teach the ropes to. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

I am having an interesting pregnancy this time around. Not bad...just interesting. I have been to the Dr a few times for blood work and labs to try to figure out why I have been sick so late in the game. I am 20 weeks today and I am finally feeling better. It turns out I have two hernias, neither which are any cause for concern at this point, but I find them interesting. One is under my belly button and the other is where my ab muscles meet in the middle. If I lean back it looks like you can see the baby, or some sort of muscle, but it happens to be my stomach. My brother in law informed me its a hernia. My OB wants me to watch them and take note of any changes, as well as see a physical therapist to teach me how I can strengthen the muscles back up. I also have to learn how to properly pick up Aubrie and roll onto my arms when I am getting out of bed or off of the floor. And I'm not even big yet! Otherwise, all is well.

Innie or Outie?

Stay tuned!

Tomorrow at 4:30 pm we will find out what we are having!

(As long as the little one cooperates)

Will post asap!

Face painting at school!

This week was circus week, so Aubrie came home with her face painted like a clown.

She is tired here and more interested in her yogurt.

Painted like a kitty and playing with play dough before dinner

Paint time!

Finger Paint!

The final products

All this art makes me sleepy.

After a quick clothes change, Aubrie grabbed her blanket and her pillow and

decided it was naptime in the hallway.

Raegan & Aubrie's playdate

Ready for the tub

Raegan liked to use Aubrie as a ladder. She is standing while holding on to something,

and often this "something" was Aubrie.

Aubrie taking a break

Teaching Raegan how to play with her piggy bank.

Raegan's turn...

Now...this is how you put your shoes on

School House Rocks!

Aubrie started day care in February and she LOVES it. She has many new friends and she is becoming a social butterfly. When we drop her off, she is greeted by hugs and cheers of joy. It is adorable to hear all the kids say "HI AUBRIE," and when we pick her up she runs to us with her arms open. She always waves and says BYEEEE to all of her friends and heads to the door. She is really enjoying the art projects everyday and is turning into a little artist. As you see in the pictures, she is a big fan of play dough and finger paints. Getting ready for school
Finger painting

Aubrie's first paper doll

Aubrie's first school award!

Congratulations Sergeant Flynn!

On March 23rd Brian was promoted to Sgt. We are all very proud of him. Here are a few pictures. Unfortunately, Justin was unable to make it, so Aubrie and I went out to Great Lakes with Christina. After the ceremony, we went to O'Donovan's to toast his success, where other friends and family joined in the celebration.

Congrats again Brian!

Checking in...

Long time no update...Yes I know. Sorry it has been so long. I wanted to sent out a brief update to you all. Baby number 2 is growing like a weed. Justin thinks I am showing, but I think it is just the excessive amount of bread and cheese I eat. We had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and I have some new pictures to share.

Profile

A perfect little arm

I will had my 4 month check up on Monday, and I have actually lost weight instead of gaining like I should. I have been sick for a while now, so it is understandable. I am feeling better now, thank goodness. The "morning" (yeah right) sickness seemed to be stick around until the 16th week. Lucky me.We may have an appointment on April 17th to see what we are having.

We are all recovering from a nasty fight with a cold/flu situation. Aubrie had it the worst. Complete with a fever of 104.2! It was a tough week for all of us, and we are trying to get back in the swing of things.

In other exciting news, Aubrie started Day Care and seems to be enjoying herself. She does art everyday, so we have started coloring at home. Check out he working on some of her artwork!

Stay tuned for finger paints!

Alot to celebrate and be thankful for!

Happy Birthday to me! I turned 28 this week and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope this update finds you all well. We have had a lot to celebrate this holiday season, you will have to scroll down though December and see. My sister's wedding, a Texas Christmas celebration, and my parents anniversary. I wish you all a great start to the new year, and may many blessings be upon you throughout 2009!

My sister, Christina, and my friend, Tracy, took me to the spa at Mario Tricoci for an hour long pedicure and a manicure the day before my birthday. After the spa they took me to Grand Lux Cafe for dinner, and much to my surprise, there were friends and family to greet us. I really enjoyed myself throughout the day and I really appreciate all the effort that went in to the festivities! My parents joined us as well, and they celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary!Happy anniversary mom & dad!

Aubrie had her very first sleepover with grandma so we could
paint the town after dinner!

Picking up our little girl! We missed her.

The next day was my actual birthday. Justin and I enjoyed our first breakfast alone since last year, before we picked up Aubrie. We then spent the day relaxing together at home and ended the day blowing out my candles and counting my blessings.
It's really only 28 candles, it's a small cake!

Aubrie helped..yum!












Oh....and one more thing to be thankful for...

Aubrie is going to be a big sister!

Here we go again!

It is all very new, but the beans have been spilled. Technically, I should be waiting one more month before I share the news. We found out on Christmas Eve, after my blueberry pancakes were not sitting well. We waited until our Texas trip to tell my whole family, which was hard to do. My due date is September 2nd. I have already been to the doctor and everything looks good. Justin & Aubrie came with me and we were all able to hear the baby's heart beat. The heart rate was a healthy 144 bpm. It was overwhelming and emotional for me, it must be the hormones. I have not been as lucky as I was with Aubrie. This time I have been feeling pretty awful and chasing a one year old doesn't help. I was sick the whole time we were in Texas. Justin has been amazing and I am thankful he knows how to do dishes and laundry. He has stepped up and helped me tremendously on the days I feel like I can not function. I am hoping it all passes soon. We are very excited and looking forward to the kids being so close in age. They will be almost two years apart and hopefully they will be great friends. And by that I mean they will occupy each other! Ha!

I will keep you all posted with any updates.

God Bless!

Let it snow!

We arrived home from Texas to a winter wonderland.

Aubrie loves the sled from Grandma & Papa, especially when I run with her.

She laughed the whole time.

Only taking short breaks to grab snow and eat it.

New friends!

On October 31st, my good friend Danyel, and her husband Scotty, welcomed their baby boy into the world. His name is Lincoln Gabriel Haime.

Welcome Lincoln!

Aubrie was able to meet her new friend last week.

Christmas...Texas style

BFF's

Bath time at the Wilson's

Aubrie was anxious to get in the tub

Aubrie & Sophie about to have lunch

Merry Christmas!!!

The holidays have passed us, and if you are wondering where your

Christmas card is from us....here it is.

Happy Holidays

Our family had a small Christmas dinner at my parents house on Christmas Eve.

The Flynns

The Waldecks

Me and my Grandma

Aubrie and her grandma

This seems to be a tradition in our family. Holding the napkin holders in our eyes..... For some reason, we do it every year and it never gets old.

Aubrie see what Santa brought for her! It was a sweet morning!

A new baby doll

The Flynn's Wedding

INTRODUCING....Mr & Mrs. Flynn

Going to the Chapel and we're..gonna get married!

A luncheon in honor of the newlyweds at The Gage on Michigan Ave

A traditional Irish song for the couple

and it wouldn't be complete without the pipes.

Jennifer joined in via phone for the music

Aubrie & her Godparents

Proud parents of the bride

a long day....

Off to Kitty O'Shea's

Christina & Brian, we wish you all of happiness in the world!

Congratulations!

Random Aubrie moments I love....

Hanging with daddy

Driving in my car.....beep...beep

First ponytail!

The sweetest thing in the world

Playing in Charlie's kennel.

She kept crawling in and out, and bringing her

toys in with her. I think she just loves to open and close the gate.

Christina's Bachlorette night!

Brian's mom set up a lovely brunch for Christina at the James Hotel.

We ate for hours.

A quick toast, with Tootsie, before we head out for the evening.

We went to Sidetrack on Halsted, a fantasic bar in Boys town featuring showtunes on

Monday nights. While Christina invited a few of us to join her, she did not know many of us invited more of her friends to surprise her. It was a great night.

Tisha & I

(LOOK...no babies, and we have martinis!)

I don't get out much

Jean & Christina

Drowning in hot pink feathers

The sign of a great time

My first PB & J!

Check out my hippo towel

Thanks Kevin & Selena!

A sweet moment with grandma

These are the new pictures of my sisters family, taken at their

house in Texas. Our whole family will be together in January,

so there will be plenty of pictures to follow.

Ainslee, Jennifer, Brent, Brendan

Ainslee

Brendan

Thanksgiving in Kentucky

Aubrie & Elijah with Papaw

Playing with Aunt Donna

(grandma made her dress)

Happy Birthday Aubrie!!!!

Well, we did it. We survived a whole year with our baby. She has become a tiny little person right before our eyes. I am forever grateful to those of you that allowed me to call and share each milestone...and sometimes my tears. I can't lie and say it was an easy year, but everytime I look at her little face, I know every difficult day was worth it. We are thankful for a healthy and happy year, and look forward to every year to follow.
~Laurie

The morning of my bday. My mommy and I had a sleepover ay my BFF, Sophie's house because daddy was traveling for work. Tia made blueberry pancakes and put a candle in mine. Sophie bought me a present and helped me open it.

Then, we went to my grandma & Papa's house to have birthday pizza and cupcakes.

Playing with a balloon at my birthday party.

My birthday cake!

Yum...

Fun with Fall!

Happy Birthday Marines!

Brian & Justin

My sister Christina & I enjoying the night

My hubby and I

Me & the boys

Aww

Being fancy at Level

We were all exhausted!

We celebrated the 233rd birthday of the Marine Corps, and we celebrated in style. Justin and I went to the ball for the Marines out of Great Lakes, it was held at Arlington Park race track. We left there after dinner and joined Christina & Brian, and the 2/24 Marines at the Hyatt O'Hare.

We left there at midnight with an entourage and headed to Moe's Cantina in Wrigleyville. After a few hours there, we headed downtown to Level. Our friend Harris, a former Marine, made sure we were taken care of, and we had a great time. Justin and I have not been awake past 10 pm for quite awhile now, so needless to say, we were exhausted. Aubrie had a sleep over at Grandma & Papa's, so Justin and I settled there at 4:30 am.

Yes, you read correctly, 4:30am.

We definitely needed a fun night out.

Random Aubrie moments that I love

Wearing mommy's Uggs

Hugging her baby

Fun in the tub!

Justin and Aubrie relaxed in the tub after a long day. She loves to play with her new letters,

but as you see.....I think Justin loves them even more. He played a little game of

"how many foam letters and numbers can I stick to my baby in the bath tub". .


He wasn't sure of the "rules." So, he wore his swim trunks.

Happy Halloween!

Boo!

(Thanks for the shirt Tracy)

Aubrie loved grandma's boo pumpkin pin.

Our little lobster looked good enough to eat!

Hee Hee

We went to the Reardon's to take the kids Trick or Treating.

Aubrie was in a hurry

Aubrie had her baby, and daddy had his lobster cracker

Family photo

Look at those eyes

Lobster Tails & Frog Legs

Aubrie and Sophie tried on their costumes at the pumpkin patch because they were not together for Halloween.

Sophie spent much of the time laughing while being propped up by her daddy! Aubrie crawled around and picked up pumpkins.

Big girl tub!

No more baby tub, thanks to our new super long non slip bath mat.

And I can spell my name! Just kidding...mommy did it.

Lashes & curls

Ok, quick update....I finished my midterms (woo hoo), Justin is happy to be back with the Marines, and Aubrie is about to walk anyday now. Justin and I joined a gym and we are looking forward to getting back into shape. Aubrie joined Gymboree and she loves it! She is saying "dada" (and actually meaning it), "momma" (she thinks everything is momma, figures, and she seemed to have developed an Italian accent when she learned it), she says something that might be "ball", and something that might be "baby". She waves hello and goodbye, and gives her baby "big hugs". The cutest one is when I hug Justin while holding her, I say "group hug" and she lays her head on him. She also thinks looking at herself in the mirror is hilarious. She is walking along the bed and the couches and can take a few steps forward if she holds my hands. Justin said she took one unassisted step forward on Tuesday while I was at school. Anyday now....

Her FIRST BIRTHDAY is on Nov. 20th!

One whole year, I can't believe it. Time flys when you're having fun!

...or I am too tired to realize it has been that long.

Stay tuned for Aubrie's Gymboree & Halloween pictures.

I had a few posted of her in her costume at the pumpkin patch,

I will "re-release" them after the weekend, along with the new pictures.

Justin and I have the Marine Corps Ball next weekend,

I'm sure we will have plenty of pictures from that too.

Happy Halloween!

Welles Park with Grandma & Papa

While Justin was gone on Sunday, my parents took Aubrie and I out to lunch. After that we went to the park they took my sisters and I to when we were little. It was great to watch the looks on their faces while she giggled away on the swings. My dad had to be reminded a few times that she is still a baby. He was so excited I thought I'd lose her to an "underdog."

We had a great time, but we missed Justin.

She was so tired on the walk home until we turned the corner

and she saw her daddy, she just lit up.

GYMBOREE!!!

Aubrie started going to Gymboree for Play and Learn class. She took a bit to get into it, but by the end she kept clapping and laughing. We are learning new games to play and songs to sing.

Margate Park Pumpkin Patch

We went to our first pumpkin patch with the Wilson family.

Aubrie is at the perfect age because she was crawling all over and trying

to walk around the bales of hay. She actually stopped to pick up pumpkins

and held them up in the air.I think these are my favorite pictures of her so far!

I love the fall.

Tisha, James, & Sophie

Hey mom...look at this.

Watch out Great Lakes....here he comes

Justin headed out to Great Lakes for his first drill weekend at 4am. You can see the excitement in his eyes in the pics above. Especially when I wanted a quick photo of him with his cover on. (yes Jessica, he has his cover on indoors, he reminded me) He is the Motor Transport and Utilities Section OIC (officer in charge) for Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron - 48.

After Justin came home we took our very first pictures of Aubrie and her daddy,

Captain Waldeck.

Family

We took a trip to Kentucky for the weekend for Jorga & Timmy's wedding. This was the first time we didn't have to rush our trip and we really enjoyed ourselves.

We look forward to seeing everyone again for Thanksgiving.

Swing Time

Aubrie and I went to Welles Park to try out the swings.

She laughed the whole time, but at one point she puked a little.

Waldeck update

me & my baby

Hello! Sorry this update took so long. A few new things have been going on, as you see. I started another semester at Columbia and I am trying to get used to balancing school, homework, and a crawling, teething little person. I have cut back at work, and I am there only one day a week in order to do homework on a day Justin is around.

Justin is doing great. He is very busy with work, sometimes being there 10-12 hours a day. He has been riding his bike and going for runs with Charlie after work. He is currently looking into some Reserve options with the Marine Corps.

Aubrie is getting so big. She is crawling like crazy and "chatting" up a storm. She is standing and "walking" down the hallway by leaning on a large costco sized package of paper towels. She is figuring it out slowly, but she will probably be running any day now. We have fallen into a schedule with naptime and bedtime, and she is sleeping through the night (most days).

Hope this finds you all in good health and spirits! Feel free to leave us a comment, we would love to hear from you! Just click on the little envelope below this post.

Laurie

Storytime...

Aubrie loves to take each book off of the shelf one by one.

I can place them back on the shelf and she pulls them down all over again.

She thinks it is hilarious

...and they taste good too.

Guess what?

Hello, um...I wanted to tell you all something. I....wait a minute....

....what's this?

um....paper....I think it's a piece of paper. Chewy..

Anyway, I was saying... Now I have...oops, hold on...

What do we have here?

It seems to be some sort of a tag...

Yep, it is, it's a tag.

Anyway...where was I?

Oh yeah...I have more room to play now. That's all, just wanted to show you.

Go Cubs Go

While the Wyatt's were in town, we all went to a Cubs game. Stay tuned for more pics

We Are Fa-mi-ly..I got all my sistas with me!

After our grandma passed, we got together with our cousins that we haven't

seen in years. We had a bbq at mom and dad's house.

It was great to see everyone, and hope to continue getting together!

I stand!

...and watch the Cubs game.

Eleanor Pfeffer 1931-2008

Grandma Pfeffer & Aubrie (1 day old)

On August 15th, my grandma passed away. I was on my way home from California,

but my family was with her during her last moments. After 9 years in Vegas,

she moved back to Chicago 18 months ago. My dad was with her many

times a week and never gave up on her. She will be greatly missed.

Happy to be home!

Daddy picking us up from the airport

Catching up on daddy time

Newest honorary member of the Wolfpack

Introducing Aubrie to Col Kassner, Commanding Officer of 3d LAR

Jessica's Melons

What do you get when you mix two new moms, two small watermelons,

a melon baller, and two sleeping babies.....and a beer?

Needless to say, we picked right up where we left off and had a great time.

Aunt Shirley

Bath Time!

We're here!!!

Hello Ollie!

Look! An ear!

Aunt Shirley made the girls some hats

Olivia was nice enough to let Aubrie try out her toys.

Hanging out with our girls

Play ball!

We went to watch daddy and Brian play softball.

Aubrie had to wear her cami dress.

Goldfish!!!

...and my two teeth!

If you like my shirt, go to www.downzipper.com

he's NOT the father...?!?!?

Watching some tv while mommy does the dishes, snacking on a bagel

(she isn't really watching Maury, probably Little Einstines)

New Friends

Aubrie enjoyed our playdate with Tisha and baby Sophie!

Welcome Olivia Karrington Wilkins

Olivia Karrington made her big debut back on May 27th, 2008.

She was born at 4:16am, weighed 7.5lbs and 19.9 inches long.

Jessica is doing an amazing job while Jon is serving with the

Marines in Afghanistan. Please keep them in your prayers.

Aubrie and I will be leaving on Monday to visit them in California for two weeks.

We can't wait to meet her...she is beautiful!!!!

And....so it begins

She's up...

she's off...

she's exploring...

look at my teeth!

Making memories....

Resting with Marcus...

Laughing with David...

Being cute with daddy...

....and pulling mommy's hair.

I eat Cherrios!

and watch Oprah...

Swimming at Grandma & Papa's

Aubrie relaxed in the pool to try to keep cool on another hot and humid day.

she found the grass

Aubrie greeted Papa after his big fishing trip

Hot Dog!!!

In honor of the Fourth of July, the boys had a hot dog eating contest. Charlie was the winner with 12 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
We had a great time watching them force the hot dogs down, but we didn't stay

around to watch them all try (and some succeed) to vomit after the contest.

Soon after....Justin decided he needed to get back into working out. HA! He enjoyed his break from Marine Corps PT, but with the encouragment of Major Christian he has gotten his motivation back.

He decided to buy a bike and Major Christian sent him a box of gear to help get him started.

Major Christian competes in Iron Man competitions and has completed many marathons. He is sponsored by Specialized Bikes and Surefire tacticle gear. He raises money for the Semper Fi Fund and runs in memory of SSgt Jay Collado, who was killed in action when Justin and his team were hit by an IED in 2006. Please check out the Semper Fi Fund at http://www.semperfifund.org/ and donate if you can.

You can also check out Major Christian's latest Iron Man results http://www.forcerecon.com/Semper-Fi-Fund-Raiser.htm

Taste of Chicago

After a quick visit to the doctor (above-playing in the paper),

we met Tracy for a day at the taste.

We know she loves watermelon!

Sharing a snack

We walked all over downtown and ate our weight in food at the taste.

We found some shade and had a little watermelon picnic with Aubrie.

She made a bit of a mess, but what fun is it if we can't play with our food.

Broadway in Grant Park

We went to Grant Park to listen to Broadway in Chicago.

Aubrie and her grandma had a great time together.

We stopped to take a few pictures by the flowers near the art museum, but Aubrie got upset when I attempted to move her cup.

a quick family photo

Be By Baby!!!

I went ahead and got myself a sweet little weekend job at Be By Baby!

It's a really cute little attachment parenting store. They are very supportive and

allow Justin to bring Aubrie in so I can feed her while I am at work. They sell all sorts of

baby slings, baby clothes, nursing bras / accessories, and cloth diapers!

I had to take a few classes there to learn about everything.

Well, I "drank the water" and Aubrie is now a Fuzzi Bunz wearing baby!

Cloth diapers aren't what they used to be. Justin and I have adjusted very well,

it is so much easier than I had anticipated. Now her little butt is so cute,

I don't even want to put pants on her.

Check them out!

http://www.fuzzibunz.com/

Look what I can do...

Stand in my crib!!!!

Welcome Reagan Lynn Pellerin!

Jason and Erica welcomed their baby girl Raegan

I'm 7 months old!

Friends

Zweiback toast! Woo hoo!

Aubrie has began big girl food! Here she is enjoying a Zwieback toast all by herself.

I have added home pureed squash and sweet potato to her normal menu.

She has also been eating chunks of bananas and "feeding" herself with the spoon. As you see in the photo above....I have been feeding her without a shirt on. She started to grab the bib/shirt and suck on it instead of eating....gross. I decided to attempt mealtime without this distraction until she gets the hang of it. (I'll have to teach her that eating without a shirt is inappropriate before high school)

Let the good times roll.....

While we were visiting the Wyatt's in Texas, Aubrie began to roll over. Very exciting! Not so exciting? The sound of her rolling off of the bed a few weeks ago. BONK! WAAAA! We all survived after a few tears, and we learned an important lesson. Babies don't bounce.

They do, however, learn to "skooch" backwards (during a "nap"), climb on top of the pillow that was strategically placed to avoid baby rolls, and ride the pillow to the floor to visit with the dog. As you can see, she was having a great time. Needless to say, naps are now in the crib only, even if a small fight takes place. I'm bigger than her, so I win : )

Good times!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

Our first trip to Lincoln Park Zoo.

Shades...check. Let's find the Polar Bear.

Checking out the monkeys

Nana enjoying Chicago!

I couldn't resist the matching!

Aubrie slept most of the time, but Amelia was able to see all of the animals. She is so smart!

We had a great time and we enjoyed the humidity...I mean sunshine.

We were sad to have our visit end, but we are planning a trip to

Maryland in Aug or Sept. We miss you guys already!

We had so much fun (and we ate ALOT)!

Nana is coming to town......

Aubrie & Nana

Mia & Charlie

Showing Nana her feet

Nana is hilarious!

Beautiful Amelia Grace : )

Cousins!

Aubrie can fall asleep ANYWHERE! Don't worry, Nana was making sure she didn't fall.

Nana & Aubrie at Water Tower

This time it's the wind that she thinks is so funny!

Waiting for Justin in Banana Republic

Taking the girls for ice cream

Nana, Megan & Amelia are here! We took a trip downtown to do some shopping. Amelia was able to go to the American Girl Store and get a few outfits for her doll. We stopped at the Water Tower for a few quick family photos.

They Say It's Your Birthday...!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Justin turned 28 on June 6th! Here is his gift from Aubrie & I.
It's a shadow box that holds his Officer's sword.

Now he is able to display his ribbons and medals for all to see.

He deserves it! Happy Birthday Justin!

Check out http://www.medalsofamerica.com/

For his birthday dinner, we went to Uncle Julio's. One of his favorites! Justin was so grateful that his mom, sister and niece could be here to celebrate with him! My parents and Brian also joined us for dinner. Although, you never really need a reason for Uncle Julio's.

Amelia gladly finished uncle Justin's complimentary dessert.

After dinner we went to our house and enjoyed Justin's favorite

ice cream cake from Cold Stone. Thanks Nana!

Too much excitement for Aubrie. Grandma got her to fall asleep during the festivities.

Memorial Day weekend in Kentucky

Megan, Papaw & Justin

Memaw & Papaw

Riding Tater

Brooke & Amelia

Michael, Mia & Megan

Hanging out with Aunt Megan & Aunt Jorga

Enjoying watermelon

Relaxing with daddy

Charlie was exhausted from his first trip to the farm!

We had a great time in Kentucky, again. Aubrie had her first slice of watermelon at the family BBQ. Charlie came with us and ran free through the country. He only zapped himself once on the electric fence while checking out the horses.

Needless to say, we were all very tired when we got home!

Aubrie is 6 months old!!!

Hello Everyone

Here is a perfect picture of dinner time. Aubrie has been enjoying new foods such as rice cereal (pictured), mashed bananas, mashed peas, and sweet potato. She is doing a great job experimenting with her coordination! She even gets hold of the spoon once in awhile (it gets slippery). Which is great until she gags herself, and looks at me as if I did it. This time, Aubrie was tired and decided to rub her eyes(and face). After dinner, she gets a bath from mommy and story time with daddy. We have settled into a pretty good routine....for now : )



Taking a bath before the cereal on my face turns to cement
oh...and that's my gator

At Aubrie's 6 month check up we learned she weighs 19 lbs and is 26 inches long.

Aubrie's first Cubs game!

At our seats

Batter up!

The rain rolls in...

Train ride home
We had a great time at Wrigley! The rain was really coming down, but we stayed dry (great seats Brian!).The wind was pretty brutal so it got chilly. Aubrie slept through most of the game in the carrier : )Justin and I had a ball park hot dog, and we stuck it out until the 7th inning stretch. Aubrie's first "Take me out to the ballgame"!

Kentucky Trip

Aubrie riding Tater

Four generations of Waldeck's

We went to Kentucky over the weekend to introduce Aubrie to her great memaw and papaw!

Our little city girl got her first taste of country life.

She will be spending many summers here with the horses and dirt bikes!

Aubrie's Baptism

Proud Godparents Christina & Brian

Aubrie was baptized at St. Alphonsus on April 13th. Aubrie wore the same baptism outfit that my sisters and I wore. We had a small party at our condo after the service. We prayed for a sunny day and our prayers were answered. I was a bit cold outside, so we stayed warm squeezed in our tiny place. Thank you to all of you who were able to share the day with us! I will post more pictures of this as I get them.

Texas! Here we come!

The cousins

Sisters and their girls

Brendan reading the girls a bedtime story

Buddies

Brendan's soccer game!

San Antonio Rodeo

Napping at the Rodeo

"I want to hold her" - Ainslee

We spent a whole week in Texas with my sister Jennifer and her family. We had a great time! Ainslee and Aubrie became buddies right away. Ainslee wanted to hold her all the time. Brendan is so big, almost 6! We went to one of his soccer games and he even read the bedtime stories! He's such a little man!

Their house is beautiful, and we spent alot of time in their pool.

We can't wait to go back in December.

The girls

Ainslee and Aubrie in the Easter dresses grandma made on the Wyatts front porch

Pool Fun at the Wyatt's

The Wyatt's

Ainslee


Brendan

Aubrie's first time in the warm sunshine!

Aubrie's first "swim"

Happy Easter!

Her duck from Ainslee & Brendan

Family fun coloring Easter Eggs

Walking home from Easter Mass with daddy

Happy St Paddy's Day!

Grandma & Papa





Top o' the morning to ya! We missed the parade, but we were downtown at Kitty O'Shea's. Brian walked in the parade with the Young Marines, and his dad is a member of the Shannon Rovers. Justin, Aubrie and I went to eat at Elephant & Castle and we saw some of the Rovers. Aubrie was a hit in her little Irish sweater!

Only a few more years until she's an Irish dancer like her mommy!

First laugh!

Aubrie's personality has really started to show. Her first laugh was on Feb 29th, in the tub. We were playing with her little water toys and she let out a big belly laugh out of no where. Justin and I looked at each other SHOCKED! Then we called my mom and tried to hav her do it again. Now she is laughing all the time. We went for a walk the other day and Justin was holding her. It was pretty windy and her little hair was blowing in the wind. Justin asked "Aubrie, is it breezy" and she laughed the whole way down the block. Needless to say, she makes my face hurt from smiling so much!

Aubrie is 2 months!

Ok, she's 2 1/2 months. I'm slow. She got her second round of shots this week and she weighs 14 lbs! I have begun to put away the clothes she has grown out of. It really is going fast! She is smiling like crazy and she getting cuter everyday!

SNOW TIME!

We took Aubrie out to "play" in the snow today.

Can't tell if she enjoyed it, but she looked adorable!

Meeting Papaw & Mona

Happy New Year! We stayed in and celebrated by watching a movie and going to bed early. HA!

Merry Christmas!

Our first Christmas in our new house with our new addition!

Christmas Eve

We were so happy to have the whole family together.

Everyone had a great time, being silly as usual!

The Wyatts Visit!

Grandma giving the kids a bath.

Aubrie & Papa

Aunt Jennifer & the cousins

Jennifer, Brent, Brendan & Ainslee are here for Christmas!

Bath Time!

Aubrie LOVES the bath!

Aubrie's Home!

On Nov 21st at 6pm, we left Swedish Covenant Hospital. It was dark, windy, pouring rain and freezing cold. All I could think as they wheeled me out to the car with my daughter in my arms (covered in blankets so she didn't blow away), is "it's never like this on TLC's Baby Story."

We arrived home and gave Aubrie a tour of her new home. My parents and Grandma came over and my mom made us a meatloaf. It was overwhemling to be home at first. I was tired, a little sore and a bit teary, but I couldn't be happier.

Let the games begin!

Our baby girl has arrived!

After 28 hours in the hospital......Our daughter, Aubrie James Waldeck, was born Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 2:15pm. She weighs 7lbs and is 20 1/2 inches long.

At about 8 am Monday morning, I had a feeling my water was "leaking." After a few experiments to see if I was right, I told Justin to go ahead to work. I had an appointment scheduled for 11am anyway. I talked to my mom and my sister Jennifer and they