Recent Pics

Not much has changed in the past week....Finley continues to be lots of fun and such a happy little girl. Here are some of our latest pics!

Hmmmm....perhaps a sign that she might be more addicted to the pacifier than Dave or I want to admit???

Fin also loves "working" on computers. A word to the wise, don't leave your laptop unattended if she's around.

This is what we walk into every morning. It never fails to crack me up that Fin is wide awake, reading a book. When the monitor goes on, we usually hear her singing the ABC's or reading...though sometims she's less patient and just calls out for Mommy or Daddy.

Okay, I admit it. I went to Ed Debevic's for lunch on my 31st birthday this year. After Finley saw the servers get up on the countertops and ledges to do a dance to "YMCA", she wanted in on the action. Her performance of clapping and swaying even got some applause from some of the tables in our section, which she loved.

Today Finley and I went to the Skokie Exploratorium with some friends. Here's Fin and

her pal Emma up on a dinosaur. Exciting, huh?

Big Shoes to Fill....

Of course I'm biased, but Finley really is an amazingly sweet, funny, PERFECT little girl. She cracks jokes on her own, says the most adorable things, is starting to sing songs and loves Mary Poppins more than you can possibly imagine. She is getting smarter each and every day, and it's honestly mind-blowing to watch. Although the hours can be long, I really do love being able to stay at home with her and can't imagine life any other way.

To add to her list of accomplishments, Finley is on her way to becoming a big sister. =) We're expecting Baby #2 on June 3, which means that I'm just shy of 14 weeks pregnant. I had to attach the picture below as a message to the little one in my belly..... Baby #2, you have big shoes to fill!

However, I'm sure he/she is up to the task and will be a wonderful addition to our family.

Misc + Kohl Children's Museum

Here are some more recent pictures of Finley.

This morning, we went to the Kohl Children's Museum with some of Finley's and my friends. Dave and I took Finley there this past spring, but this time she was able to enjoy everything a lot more and had a great time.

In the water room....

She continues to be mesmerized by computer keyboards.

This yawn was our cue to hit the road....

Chicago Botanic Garden

We took advantage of the nice weather a couple weeks ago and headed up to Glencoe to check out the Chicago Botanic Garden. Finley loved having lots of room to run around, and it was a perfect day to spend some time outside.

Finley is obsessed with checking EVERYTHING to see if it's "hot" before she touches it.

Dave and Fin taking a break from running around.

Halloween

Every year, our neighborhood has a Halloween festival. Kids go trick-or-treating at the local businesses, they can decorate pumpkins, and it's pretty much mass chaos!! We went with a bunch of friends this year and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon outside. Finley dressed up as a "Fifties Girl" complete with a poodle skirt.

At the beginning of the afternoon...Fin started out a bit stunned by the crowds!

Finley and Dorothy (Emma) checking out their loot.

Studying the train set in one of the store windows.

Heading back south to meet none other than ELMO!!!

Seriously, this kid LOVES Elmo. Every time she ran up to him to hug him, we started laughing.

Fall is Here

Here are some recent pics of Fin....she's doing great, and talking up a storm. She even spent a weekend on her own with Dave while I spent a couple days in Denver visiting my friend Lindsay and her gorgeous son, Jack. Amazingly enough, we all survived being apart although I missed her (and even Dave) like crazy!

Here she is hanging out in the neighborhood, our very own tree hugger.

Fin loves her new rain boots so much that she insists on wearing them even when the sun is out.

We spent an afternoon playing at Pump It Up, where Fin had a blast bouncing around on all the equipment.

No, she's not a sumo wrestler...it's just a souped up wearable blanket with legs. I had to take a pic so I can remember how goofy she looks.

The Latest

Since Dave and I take pics together about 1-2 times a year, I thought I'd include this one. Our good friend Sarah from high school got married on September 12, so we headed out to Oak Brook to celebrate at the reception.

Aunt Julie's building is a favorite stop on our walks....even when she's not home, we hang out on the glider for a few minutes before continuing on our travels.

She's now quite proud of the fact that she can get herself up on it without any help!

We're making the most of whatever nice weather we have left, and spending lots of time at the park with friends. It's amazing how independent Finley is at the park now, compared to how she was at the beginning of the summer.

Fin is at an age where it's impossible to get her to stay still long enough to snap a picture!

Trip to St. Joseph - Part Deux

Before heading home, we went to the Curious Kids Museum, which Finley and Dave loved. Seriously, Dave had a little too much fun....

Here's Fin learning how to make a cartoon reel...

And this is Fin and Dave right before they blasted off into space.

Finley "snacked" on a banana in the rain forest. Ewwww....

Oh no! Mama got "sick" at the museum....thank goodness Finley is a trained EMT!


Dave played make-believe and pretended he was a news anchor for a few minutes.

Trip to St. Joseph - Part One

Dave, Finley and I headed to St. Joseph for a couple days of relaxation.... Unfortunately, Finley wanted nothing to do with sleeping or napping in her pack-n-play in a strange place. After a sleepless Wednesday night and a no-nap Thursday, we decided to end our trip a bit early and drive home Thursday night. However, we managed to have a nice time hanging out and the weather was excellent for our quick trip!

Hanging out at Silver Beach. Fin has no fear of the water and loves playing in the sand.

Dave and Fin at the end of the pier.

Here's Fin and I with Silver Beach in the background.

Fin loved Kilwin's. Smart girl!


In downtown St. Joe.

Ho-Flo

Last weekend, we went back to Flossmoor to visit with the Hickey Family. Chelsey, Jake, Shane, Ryan, Meredith and Ala seemed to love Finley as much as she loved and adored them. The kids were so great with Finley, and did an excellent job of keeping her happy and entertained. Fin bounced on the trampoline, ran around the backyard, played in the clubhouse, played piano, etc... Dave and I had a really great day/night catching up with Heidi, Jamie and all the kids too!

Here's a picture of Chelsey, Ala, Finley and Meredith. Finley is exactly a year older than Chelsey was when I first met the Hickey's waaaaay back in the day.

Not Much Happening!

Not much has been going on lately! Dave is still working quite a bit, so Finley and I keep busy with lots of playdates and almost daily visits from GJ (my mom). Thank goodness for her apartment on the Gold Coast, since Summer Julie is now back to teaching! Boo.

A trip to the Farm in the Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Playing at Fellger Park with her boyfriend AJ.

Somehow, this move didn't end in disaster....

Doing laps around the dining room table after dinner.

Enjoying a walk with Mr. Monkey...

The Latest

We've had a busy week! Last week we visited some friends out in the west burbs, Saturday we beat the heat by staying indoors most of the day (bad mom, I know) and then Sunday we went to Grandpa Bill and Grandma Marge's to cool off in their pool!

Exhausted and zoned out after a fun playdate with Ella, Abby, Grace, Hannah, Graham and Mairen.

Over the weekend I showed Finley how to swaddle her baby doll. She thought it was so neat that she spent most of the day Saturday proudly walking around the condo in modified swaddle. Occasionally I'd catch her standing in front of the bedroom mirrors, smiling at herself.

Today we played with some friends at Pump It Up, an inflatable play place. The girls had a great time going down the slides and in the bouncing around, and I may or may not have pondered how much fun it would be to play in there after a glass or two of wine. Don't worry, no alcohol was consumed during the playdate.

18 Months!

Here's Finley a year ago....back when she was close to the 95th percentile for both height and weight. Yowsa. I was fearful that by the time she reached 18 months, she'd be massive!!! However, it turns out she may still have a future as a supermodel. At her 18-month check-up she was a whopping 34.25 inches tall (95th percentile) and 24 pounds (50th percentile). Everything else looked great, so we don't have to go back until she turns 2.

Last Sunday we took Finley to River Park (part of the Chicago Park District). They have a playground, pool, splash pad, dog park and lots of grass for Fin to run around.

Deep in conversation with Dad.

Longingly watching the big kids in the pool.

Enjoying the slide.