McSpadden Family

January crafts

2012-02-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Here are the crafts from Brooke's class at school for January

Everyone is sick

2012-02-15T13:16:00.001-05:00

It was a rough time at the end of January in our house. Brooke got a "blemish" on her cheek that turned out to be quite an issue. It swelled up and bruised before we finally decided to try and pop it. Luckily we waited to pop it when she was in the bath tub. There was so much pressure built up underneath that blood sprayed out. Then the whole thing dried up like a big raisin on her face. I ended up taking her to the doctor just to be safe and they put her on antibiotics; just in case it was an infection of some kind. On top of all that, Keith and I both got sick. He had some kind of a virus that really hit him hard. He missed 4 days of work and spent most of that time in bed with a fever and chills. I had a cold that turned into a sinus infection and ear infection. I couldn't remember when I've had an ear infection before. It made me feel so much sympathy for all those kids that get them frequently. Luckily my OB called in some Amoxicillin and I started feeling better within a week. We are very thankful that Brooke did not catch either of our sicknesses. She still has a bruise that is fading on her face from that spot, poor thing. The picture on this post is Brooke trying to copy the baby in the Pamper's ad. She saw it in my magazine and thought it was so funny.

Trip to Austin

2012-02-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Keith, Brooke and I flew to Austin the second week of January. We had a jam-packed schedule for the 4 days we were there. Brooke was her typical traveling self; saying hi to everyone and not sleeping at all on the plane. We got in super late on Friday night and went straight to Wayne and Jill's house. We got up early the next morning and met our Realtor and the home builder rep at some of the model homes. It was really nice to go through homes with the same floor plan as ours. We spent the rest of the weekend with Keith's parents, Mark & and Shevawn and Wayne & Jill's family. It was so nice to see everyone and watch the kids play together. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the adults during our trip. We headed back to Wayne and Jill's house in Georgetown on Sunday night. It was sad to say goodbye to Mark and Shevawn. We love spending time with their family and the cousins are already having tons of fun together. Brooke and Lauren are practically the same size. Brooke kept asking for Claire after they left, so cute and so sad. They will be closer soon. On Monday morning we started the day by touring schools for Brooke. We found a great school that is less than 2 miles from our new house. The director was very passionate and educated about the Primrose brand of preschools. We quickly got Brooke on their waiting list for this summer. Next, we headed to the design center to pick out everything from back splash to brick color for the house. The process actually went very smoothly. Keith and I agreed on most everything. We had also done a bit of research at Home Depot ahead of time. I am very pleased with the choices we made for the inside fixtures/floors/etc. It is hard to say how I feel about the stone and brick on the outside. It is not my area of expertise and they tell you that stone color varies in each batch. Let's hope it turns out nice. We finished the house part of the day by walking the lot for our future home. I was excited to see that we could save a couple of the mature oak trees in the front yard. We were so thankful that Keith's mom Twyla watched Brooke for us all day. It would have been quite challenging to pick out all the house stuff with her running around. Monday night we celebrated Keith's dad's birthday at the Salt Lick. I know that I am pregnant and my hunger is already a little out of whack, but that food was amazing. I ate way more than I should and every bite was awesome. Happy Birthday Big Mark!! We wrapped up our trip on Tuesday by picking out a few more house things in the design center and then heading to the airport. We had a little bit of flight issues; our Austin to Dallas flight got canceled. Luckily Keith was able to get us on a flight from Austin to Chicago and then Chicago to Pittsburgh. We finally arrived home around 1 AM. Brooke did not sleep even 5 minutes during all that traveling.We were glad to be home but very excited about our upcoming move in June. It will be exciting to see the pictures each week of the progress on the house. We can't wait to be back in Texas and close to family; 4 months and counting!

Brooke's crafts from school

2012-02-08T20:37:00.003-05:00

I can't say enough how much I love Brooke's pre-school. Here are the little crafts they made with her from December.

reading with Grammy

2012-02-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

My mom got Brooke this super cute hat for Christmas and a lot of great books. I love to watch them read together. Thanks mom for always giving her books. She loves to read.

Church on New Year's Day

2012-02-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

We were excited to celebrate the first day of the new year by going to church with our family. We love our sweet little church and it was nice to still have my mom in town visiting. Here are a few pictures of Brooke, my mom and I before church. Doesn't Brooke look cute in her party dress!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

It should be no surprise that we chose to celebrate the new year at home. Keith grilled some yummy steaks and I made shrimp scampi. We were so excited that our friends Lindsey and Pete could come over for dinner too. Lindsey made some delicious coconut shrimp and shrimp cocktail. Can you tell that the pregnant ladies were craving shrimp, ha! Christian and Brooke had a great time playing, they stayed up until almost 10 PM. Lindsey, my mom, and I enjoyed some relaxing conversation while the guys played with the kids in the basement. We all watched a movie after the kids were in bed and made it to about 11:30. So, we almost stayed up until midnight. Maybe we'll make it next year! Here are some things we enjoyed in 2011:*Great trips to California, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Washington DC and Texas. *Celebrating Brooke's first birthday.*Finding out we were pregnant with our second baby girl, Annabelle. *Keith signing onto work as a doctor in Cedar Park, Texas.*Having the opportunity to build a great house in Cedar Park.What a blessed year it has been. We are so thankful to God for blessing us in this way.

5th Anniversary

2012-01-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Keith and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on December 30th. Keith had picked out a few nice restaurants in Pittsburgh and let me make the final choice. My mom offered to babysit so we could have a long, quiet dinner. This was the first dinner that Keith and I had eaten out alone since our last anniversary, so we cherished the time. I truly enjoyed the nice conversation and slow eating. The restaurant was really cozy and the food was delicious. Keith surprised me with a nice watch for an anniversary gift. My old watch battery stopped working before we moved to Pittsburgh and I haven't worn a watch in about 3 years. I love the thought that he put into it and the way he kept it a surprise. We have enjoyed a lot of adventures over the past 5 years together. We are excited for the adventures to come in the next five years. Love you Keith!

Family Pictures

2012-01-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

My mom requested that we take a big family picture while everyone was together for Christmas. We had great weather on Friday so we headed outside for our group shot. Kelly's brother Mark was nice enough to take the pictures for us. I was surprised that we got a few good ones. It is hard to get Brooke to sit still and smile at the camera. Here are a few pictures from our morning outside.

Christmas Dinner

2012-01-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas again with a BIG meal on December 26th. My mom and I headed to Oakmont Bakery in the morning to get some delicious cookies for the week. Oakmont has the best desserts. When we got back to the house Keith had already started on the brisket; it smelled amazing. It wasn't too much longer before Ryan and Kelly came over. We were so excited to have them staying for a few days. Our dinner turned out great. It was my first time to make rolls that rise. I let them rise a little to long, but now I can to it right next time. Over the next few days we stayed at the house and relaxed. The girls went out and got pedicures, the boys watched a lot of football. Brooke had a GREAT time playing with her uncle. He was great to really play and roughhouse with her. I thought it was a little strange that he kept trying to get her to do sit ups. He said it was never to early to start working on your abs. We all drove out to the Hartwood Acres Mansion to see the big Christmas lights display. We let Brooke ride on my lap in the front. Let's just say I am glad she has a car seat. She was all over the place. She definitely enjoyed all the lights, but we ended up passing her from the front, all the way to the back during the 30 minute trip. Ryan and Kelly introduced us to a fun game called Free Ride. We played it several times while they were here. It did get pretty intense a couple times, so I'm not sure we will ever play with Shevawn, hehe. On Wednesday Kelly's brother Josh flew in. He is in the process of moving from Vancouver to Costa Rica for his poker career. We enjoyed getting to catch up with him. Mason and Jackson were especially excited to see him since he used to watch them when we were out of town. Ryan and Kelly picked up Greek food for dinner from our favorite local place. We had a feast! Then Kelly's other brother Josh came over and we played a big game of pictionary. Ryan and I are not very skilled at drawing, so there was a LOT of laughing. It was so nice to have Keith home this entire week. He was on vacation from the hospitals, pagers, etc. Brooke loved having breakfast with Daddy every morning. Overall it was a great Christmas holiday. We will take wonderful memories with us of Christmas holidays spent in Pittsburgh.

Christmas Day

2012-01-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time watching Brooke open her presents on Christmas day. She kept walking around, looking at everything and saying WOW!! I'm so glad that Keith got it on video. Our friends and family were SO generous the gifts for Brooke. She is definitely set with toys for the next year. Later that morning we got dressed up for Church. I should have tried Brooke's dress on her closer to Christmas day because it was way too short. Good thing for tights! We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day at church. It is kind of nice to have Christmas fall on a Sunday. I appreciate having another reminder that Jesus is the reason for all our celebrating. We had a small Christmas dinner with just the four of us, but it was still delicious. I can't go without having a honey baked ham for Christmas. They are just the best. I should have taken a picture at dinner but I forgot. I don't even have a picture of my mom on Christmas day, oops. I promise that she was there.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-08T15:02:00.001-05:00

We were so excited to have my mom fly in on Christmas Eve. We picked her up at the airport around 5 and headed to our favorite Chinese food to pick up dinner. Brooke is not the easiest to handle in a restaurant, so we got the food to go. It was such a delicious dinner and a treat to have my mom with us. We put Brooke to bed shortly after dinner and started building her play kitchen. This was a very cheap kitchen so I didn't expect much from it. I definitely didn't expect it to be in about 100 pieces. Keith patiently put the kitchen together in about an hour and a half. It was worth all the effort to see how much she enjoys her very own kitchen. We also put away all her old toys so she would notice the new toys from Santa and family.

Making Gingerbread Men

2012-01-08T14:56:00.000-05:00

We had a great time making gingerbread men with the girls across the street. Brooke is always excited to play with Ava, Kylie and Morgan. These gingerbread kits were really easy and not too messy. After the cookies were decorated, the girls ran, screamed and played in the house. We are so lucky to have nice neighbors. I wish they could move with us to Texas. Ava would be the best babysitter. I think Brooke and Morgan would be in a constant battle over their toys. We have to separate them quite a bit.

Kitchen Helper

2012-01-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

Brooke is so interested in helping me in the kitchen. She wants to "help" unload the dishwasher, cook, and open all the drawers. It is getting a little more difficult to keep her out of things. She can now reach up and open most of the drawers and unlock the dishwasher. I can tell she is paying close attention to me when I cook. I caught her putting on the oven mitt and saying hot.

Who needs Christmas Presents

2012-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

Brooke really loved playing in the boxes that came in the mail for Christmas. Every time another package arrived, she was excited to play with the empty box. She especially loved when Keith and I would pull her down the hallway. I had to take this picture of Keith when he was "watching" Brooke. I asked him to watch her while I unloaded the dishwasher. I figured something was up when I heard her pulling clothes out of the closet. Sure enough, he had fallen asleep on the bed. She was taking total advantage of her unsupervised time.Keith had better catch up on his sleep now because we are not going to get much this summer.

Preschool closure

2012-01-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

Brooke's preschool called to tell us that a gas leak was found near the school and they would be closed for a full week. I kind of had a panic moment thinking of how I was going to entertain Brooke inside all week while I worked. Luckily, my good friend Jess shared her passes with us to the science center on one of the days. Brooke and Jacob had so much fun playing in the water, in the ball pit and on the giant operation board. Thankfully, Jess warned me to bring an extra set of clothes. It was a good thing because Brooke and Jacob were soaked in less than 5 minutes. They are definitely not afraid of splashing. I spent some of the money that would have gone to daycare on a few new toys and activities for the house. Brooke loved the sticky decals and the "Cars" cars. I can't say that it was an easy week, but we survived it. We were both so excited for preschool when it re-opened the following week.

Sitting on Santa's lap

2012-01-08T14:33:00.001-05:00

We went to see Santa again this year with the Stasko's and Thomas'. It is much more fun to wait in the long line with friends. Brooke did really well with Santa. She was curious about his beard but overall seemed happy to sit in his lap. I swear she would go home with the stranger. Keith asked her to give a hug to her friend Christian after the picture. She hugged Christian and then the next two random kids in line that we have never seen. I am glad that she is so friendly, but I have to keep a close eye on her.

Christmas tree destroyed

2012-01-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

Our sweet little Brooke could not keep her hands off the Christmas tree. We didn't have any lights on the tree or low hanging ornaments, but that did not stop her from spinning it and pulling on the branches. The weekend after we put up the tree she managed to tip it over and break it in half. We joked that it was now the Christmas shrub. Keith and I decided to leave it up as is since we are moving this year. It was quite pathetic looking, but we still managed to have a great Christmas. AND, we bought a new pre-lit tree the day after Christmas on sale. I am so excited to have a beautiful tree next year in Texas.

Nutcracker with Podiatry Wives

2012-01-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

The podiatry resident wives had a wonderful girls night at the beginning of December, thanks to Bridget. She organized getting tickets for everyone to see the Nutcracker and then have dinner. It was fun to get dressed up and go to the ballet with the girls. Our group is unique in that we are all experiencing the same thing with out husbands' schedules. They understand the long hours, weekends, call nights, etc. So, it was quite a treat for all the girls to have a night together while the husbands watched the kids. I am loving the mild Pittsburgh winter. It was so warm that I didn't even wear my coat. Let's hope it continues this way.

It's a girl!

2011-12-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

We had our sonogram yesterday morning to determine the baby's gender. It did not take the doctor long to tell this baby is a girl. We were very excited to see that all her measurements, heartbeat, etc. were healthy and right on track. Although we would love to add a boy to the McSpadden clan, we are very happy to have a healthy baby girl on the way. I grew up with the brother, so I don't know much about the sister thing. Everyone who grew up with a sister/sisters tells me it is great. I am very happy for Brooke to have a sister. I am also excited that we don't have to buy any new clothes or shoes for this baby. She will be born in the same season as Brooke so they can share clothes. Thanks to everyone for sharing in our excitement!!

Putting up the Christmas Tree

2011-12-06T20:20:00.001-05:00

Keith and I debated if we should put up our Christmas tree this year. Brooke is into everything and is not the most gentle. We put up the tree after Thanksgiving while Ryan and Kelly were still visiting. They helped us contain her a little bit. Even with their help she still broke 2 ornaments. Later that weekend she drove her car into the tree repeatedly until it fell over. We had to move all the ornaments up out of her reach and we decided not to put on any lights that she could break or eat. Here is the result, a pathetic tree that is in danger of being destroyed each day.

Sharing a Graham Cracker

2011-12-06T20:16:00.001-05:00

Brooke loves her daddy, that's for sure. He thought it was so cute that she would hold a graham cracker in her mouth and let him take it. He called it their Lady and the Tramp moment. They are very sweet together!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T20:40:00.001-05:00

Keith and I were so excited to host Thanksgiving this year for the podiatry residents and their families that were in town. We had 12 adults and 4 kids for our meal. I was really impressed with the food that everyone made. I'm not just saying that because I'm pregnant and pretty much devoured all food in my path. We truly enjoyed all the food. Keith did not disappoint with his deep fried turkeys. They were delicious too. It was so cute to see Jacob watching so intently as Keith carved the turkeys with an electric knife. I don't think I've ever seen him stand still for so long. We enjoyed a great day of friends, food, and fun. Lots to be thankful for this year. Ryan and Kelly drove into Pittsburgh late Tuesday night and were able to stay until Saturday morning. We loved having them visit. They were a huge help with Brooke while Keith and I were cooking for Thanksgiving. Brooke was definitely not shy with her uncle Ryan and Aunt Kelly. I think she wore them out with playing and climbing all over them. We are excited to see them again for Christmas in just 3 weeks.

Brooke and her shades

2011-11-30T20:40:00.001-05:00

Brooke takes after her momma in a lot of ways so I'm not one bit suprised to see how much she loves sunglasses. I happen to love sunglasses, even though people in Pittsburgh tell me I don't need them here. I still find myself wearing my sunglasses almost daily. Brooke's Grammy got her a pair of sunglasses last year and she loves them. She insists on wearing them in the house or if we are going bye bye. Here are a couple shots we took of her sporting the shades this month.

Resident wives hang out time

2011-11-30T20:25:00.001-05:00

The 5 third year residents went to a national conference earlier this month in Florida. While they were living it up in Florida, we deicded to get all the kids together for quesadillas and tortilla soup. We had the best time. I can't remember when I have laughed so much. All the kids play so well together and Jess made the most delicious soup. We ended up staying at her house past bedtime so we deicded to give the kids a community bath. They loved it and we were so entertained. Christian has so much hair, it would stick up like a little Who child. Jacob was diving and swimming all over the tub and Brooke got a kick out of pouring water on everyone. On Friday Jess came over to learn how to make chinese food. I had been telling her how easy it was to do. We made a delicious dinner of kung pao chicken, potstickers, edemame, and fried rice. I'm confident she could make it again on her own. The kids enjoyed another night of playing together. Sadly Brooke and Jacob came down with a stomach bug the next day. Brooke was so kind to pass it onto me and then a couple days later Keith go it. We were so relieved to be a throw up free house after a full week of being sick.

Halloween at the Zoo

2011-11-30T20:17:00.001-05:00

We took our little cow to the Pittsburgh Zoo for trick-or-treating. It was a brisk 39 degrees outside, so we didn't stay too long. We ran into our friends Lindsey and Pete at the zoo. Their little boy Christian was a cute monkey. I can't get over how the costumes are so different back east. When I was growing up in Arizona it was still hot on October. I remember trick or treating as a swimmer one year. I was glad that we had Brooke bundled up in her costume. She had a great time.

First snow

2011-11-30T20:15:00.001-05:00

This post is a little out of order. We had our first snow in Pittsburgh the weekend before Halloween. It was pretty and short. Here are a couple pictures from our October snow storm.

We're having a baby, round two!

2011-11-30T20:06:00.001-05:00

We recently made the announcment to everyone that we are expecting our second baby on May 6th. This pregnancy has been very different from the first time. I started feeling sick at 5 weeks and it lasted until about week 15. I am glad to finally be over that stage. I have also being eating like every day is Thanksgiving. Oddly enough, I haven't gained any weight, but I know it is coming. We heard the baby's heartbeat again on November 16. I was suprised to already take my diabetes test at that appointment. Thankfully I passsed, for now. I guess you can develop gestational diabetes at any time during a pregnancy. We also scheduled our sonogram for December 14th. We are hoping to find out the gender at that visit. We are very happy that the baby is healthy and growing fast. Brooke has no idea what is happening. She was fascinated watching me get my blood drawn. Maybe she has a medical career in her future. I do know that she will make a great big sister. She loves to play with other kids. Stay tuned for more details on baby number 2.

Keith on the cover

2011-11-30T20:03:00.001-05:00

The podiatry residents at West Penn go to a national Podiatry conference each year in the spring. The flier came in the mail this month. There was a picture on the front cover from one of the labs during last year's conference in Florida. If you look closely, beyond all that blue garb you can see that it is Keith! He assures me that no one will notice but I thought it was pretty cool. He was on the front cover of a national podiatry publication. He is looking forward to their conference this year, hosted in San Antonio.

Playing with the dogs

2011-11-12T09:27:00.001-05:00

Brooke loves Mason and Jackson. She asks for them as soon as she wakes up each day. Jackson lets her do anything to him but Mason is quite a bit afraid. Keith took a few pictures of her climbing into their chair to give them hugs.

Brooke's October Art

2011-11-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

I look the preschool that Brooke attends on Tuesday/Thursday. They send home the cutest projects. Here is what came home for October!

Country girl

2011-11-12T08:51:00.001-05:00

Brooke has a pair of cowboy boots from our friend Lindsey. I think she looks so cute and country when she wears them. I had to snap a couple pictures of her before church a couple weeks ago. She loves to wear her boots! Too bad she won't let me out a bow on her head.

Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

2011-11-12T08:37:00.001-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch for our third and final year last month. I think the pumpkins were the best this year. We tried to get some pictures of Brooke in all the pumpkins but she is on the move. It is very difficult for her to sit still. She did enjoy the hay ride and walking through the pumpkin patch. Hands down her absolute favorite was the petting zoo. She was not one bit afraid. She kept chasing the sheep around saying Baaaaa.... At one point Keith had to pull her off of a goat's back. She was trying to ride him like a horse. She loved the little pigs too. The farm had a lot of different activities for kids, mostly for bigger kids. She did seem to like "milking the cow." Maybe we have a future Ag girl on our hands. The day was beautiful and we enjoyed our last outing to Reilly's farm.

Little table and chairs

2011-11-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

My friend Lindsey told me about a cute little kids table and chairs at Ikea. I knew that Brooke would love to read her books and draw at her own table. We took our trip to Ikea on the way to pick up Keith from the airport. He was returning from a trip to Texas. Here are a few pictures of Brooke and her table and Keith with all our family/friends in Texas.

Cold weather is here

2011-11-10T22:03:00.001-05:00

I bundled Brooke up after her nap and took her outside to play in the leaves. Fall is in full swing in Pittsburgh. I thought she looked so cute in her fleece and hat. She was excited to be outside and play with the dogs.

More Arizona Pictures

2011-11-10T10:34:00.001-05:00

She loves guacamole!

Trip to Arizona

2011-11-10T10:30:00.001-05:00

Brooke and I flew to Arizona to visit my mom during her fall break. We had a great time relaxing at her house. She took several trips to Goodwill and found a ton of toys for Brooke. Even with all those great toys, Brooke still wanted to spend her time pulling the artificial grass stuffing out of my mom's inside trees. It made a big mess! I think Brooke's second favorite thing about being in Arizona was playing outside. The weather was beautiful! My mom has a park right down the street from her house. We played in the sand, the pool and let Brooke ride her scooter in the driveway. My favorite part of being in Arizona, other than seeing my mom and close friends, was all the great mexican food. We had the best food at Cafe Rio. I have never seen Brooke eat so much. I think she ate half of my mom's tamale at one of our lunches there. We are definitely looking forward to good mexican food in Austin. I am so fortunate to continue friendships with my girls from high school. We got together on this trip for dinner at Kona Grill. It was only my second dinner to be away from Brooke since she has been born, crazy!! We had a great time catching up and hearing about Kristin's exciting pregnancy. I was also able to spend some time with my high school friend Jamie. She made the trip over to my mom's house to visit with me and see Brooke. I love that my high school best friend Sally still lives down the street from my mom, even though they both moved. Sally's kids are so sweet with Brooke. She had the best time playing in their play room. She thinks Logan is so funny; she laughs at everything he says. This is kind of a big deal because she is a serious kid. I love to see her laugh. I always wish that Sally lived closer to me, but I know that she loves Arizona. Hopefully they will come visit us in Texas. Brooke and I were also able to spend a few days visiting family in Arizona. We drove straight to my aunt and uncle's house after flying in to Phoenix. She enjoyed eating cupcakes and playing with Matthew's old toys. And of course she found their remote and turned on the TV. She is so into technology. We enjoyed another day with them at Jamie's soccer game. Brooke loved having an open space to run. After the game we went back to Michael and Lori's house. Brooke enjoyed playing with all their toys. Michael is redoing all their cabinets and more in the kitchen. We had to keep Brooke out of that area. She really wanted to play with all the tools and of course, the vacuum. Lastly, we got to see Aunt Steph. She came over for lunch after church on Sunday. We always have a great time with her. We are saying lots of prayers for her and Josh. They are in an exciting and nerve racking time. Josh is interviewing for residency spots. They could end up in Michigan, Ohio, or Oklahoma. We are praying they match with the best place for their family. We really enjoyed our trip to Arizona. I always treasure the time we can spend with my mom. She is a great grammy for Brooke! We are counting down the days until she comes to visit us in Pittsburgh for Christmas.

September trip to Texas

2011-10-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

My company had a Leadership meeting in Dallas last month. Brooke and I flew out for the week. She got to spend the first part of the week with her cousins Claire and Lauren. They had the best time playing in the play room, feeding the ducks, and getting dirty outside. On Tuesday night we moved over to Mark and Twyla's house. Brooke had 3 fun-filled days playing with her grams, poppa, and Maggie. Thanks to Shevawn for taking pictures of the girls. I did not take any pictures while I was there.

Playing Row, row, row your boat

Sand and Water table outside

Feeing the ducks

Talking to Dada

Twyla bought the girls matching dresses. It is easy to see that getting 3 girls to sit still and look at the camera was impossible.

Favorite Food

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

Brooke's favorite food to eat any time of day is yogurt. She loves the greek yogurt with the mix in fruit. I was amazed that she would eat an entire adult size yogurt. Maybe all that protein is why she has so much energy. She even learned to say the word yogurt, so she can request it at anytime. I let her try eating by herself about halfway through this cup. It was a bit messy but she did pretty well with the spoon.

Brooke's first Photo Shoot

2011-10-30T20:14:00.003-04:00

Brooke has been on the go ever since she started walking. I try to get pictures of her but she won't sit still. If she is sitting still, it is even harder to get her to look at the camera. So, I made an appointment at Target to get her photos taken. I had not heard of any friends using the Target photo studio, so we went in with no expectations. The photographer was great! She has a small niece and definitely knew how to deal with kids. Here are some of my favorite shots!

Here are some of my favorite shots!

1st A&M Game

2011-10-01T17:51:00.004-04:00

We were so exicted for Brooke to wear her Aggie cheerleader outfit this year. Mark and Twyla gave it to us at our baby shower. We actually put the outfit on for church and then let her wear it later on for the game. She looked so cute.
We had all the resdients and their families over for dinner and the game. It was a fun night with good food and an Aggie win.

Graduating to Young Toddlers Class

2011-10-01T17:42:00.004-04:00

At the end of August, Brooke moved from her infant class at school, to the young toddler class. All the kids in the young toddler class are 1 to 2 years old. The classroom is so different; instead of high chairs they have little table and chairs. They have play kitchens, dolls, blocks, books and so much more. The kids get to play outside on the playground and take a nap on a mat each day. I was kind of in disbelief that Brooke would stay put on a mat for sleeping. Go figure, she does just fine. She sleeps on average an hour on her mat.
THe teachers in the infant room made her a book called infant memories from her 8 months in their class. They are the sweetest ladies; I could not have picked a better school and group of teachers.
The second group of pictures is to show how active and daring Brooke is lately. She will climb up on anything if you are not looking.

Visit from Jenn

2011-10-01T17:34:00.006-04:00

One of my best friends flew in from Dallas at the end of August. She had never been to Pittsburgh and wanted to visit before it got cold. We had the best time sightseeing, hanging at the house, and eating a TON.
We also had a great day of shopping and eating at Oakmont Bakery while Brooke was at nursery school.
Here are a few pictures of our adventures.

Brooke loves dirt

2011-09-05T14:25:00.004-04:00

Brooke loves to be outside. She will stand by the door and say please until I take her outside. There are a lot of fun toys to play with in the yard, but she always ends up in the dirt. Sometimes she eats a little dirt. She likes to stack the dirt in the umbrella stand. Here is my cute little mess playing in the dirt.

Visit from Uncle Josh

2011-09-05T14:18:00.004-04:00

We were so excited to have Josh drive in from Ohio during his residency visit. He got to Pittsburgh on Friday night and we took him straight to Primanti Brothers. He loved the huge sandwich with fries and coleslaw. Brooke enjoyed her portion of my sandwich too.
On Saturday, we got up and headed to Pamela's for crepes. This was another big hit with Josh. We spent the rest of the day relaxing around the house. Brooke loved having someone else to play with her. The last time she saw Josh was in Arizona with she was 9 months old. She showed off her new walking skills.
We were sad to say goodbye to Josh on Sunday after church. The weekend went by too fast. Hopefully he can come back with Steph this spring.

Wiconsin Wedding

2011-09-02T07:53:00.008-04:00

Keith's good friend from med school got married in Wisconsin on August 13th. We flew up to Wisconsin on Friday for the weekend. Brooke did pretty good on the flight, but she has a much harder time sitting still. Our flight was just over an hour to Milwaukee. From there, we drove about an hour north to Appleton, Wisconsin. We stopped at Culver's for lunch on our way to Appleton. Brooke had her first butter burger and she liked it! Our hotel in Appleton was the best. They had a pack and play for Brooke, a big room for her to run around, and a fridge/microwave so we could store her food and milk. They also had a heated indoor pool and spa. She loved swimming inside!!
We met up with a few of Keith's med school friends for dinner on Friday. They had never met Brooke, so it was fun to see their reaction. She was all over the place that night. There was a big birthday party in the same room at the restaurant. Each person had a balloon taped to their seat. I was not surprised when she walked over to their table and started pulling balloons off the seat. Luckily they were almost done and they thought she was super entertaining.
On Saturday we relaxed around the hotel room, swam and took a morning nap. It was the best! We had lunch a Qdoba and then started getting dressed for the wedding. We were ready for the wedding at 2. Brooke looked so cute in her dress from Grams and Poppa. She didn't last very long in the ceremony. The church was so beautiful and huge; it would echo your voice. Brooke thought the echo was so fun. Luckily there was a side area that we could take her to run around.
After the wedding there was a 3 hour break before the reception started. We went back to the hotel room and took another nap. It was perfect. Brooke was so rested when we left for the reception. The wedding couple (Brian and Kelly) setup a high chair at our table in the reception. They were so sweet to Brooke. She loved all the people, the food and most of all the dancing. When the DJ started that music she started bobbing to the beat. We couldn't get her off the dance floor. We finally left the reception at 10 PM; way past her bedtime. It was really nice to see all of Keith's friends from med school.
On Sunday, we got up early and drove down to our old church in North Chicago. We were so excited to see the Booth's. They had us over for lunch after church. Brooke loved playing their huge backyard. It was really nice to catch up with them. We really missed their family.
We flew back to Pittsburgh on Sunday evening. Brooke was awful on the flight home. She didn't go for more than 5 minutes without screaming. We were so glad it was a short flight. Overall it was a wonderful trip to Wisconsin.

Brooke Walking

2011-08-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

Brooke's School Work

2011-08-22T09:48:00.002-04:00

Brooke's little pre-school sends home lots of crafts that Brooke "made". I am not going to keep all these little treasures, so I will take a picture and scan them. She had a couple paper cut outs of animals that she painted with pudding. I didn't even think about it when I put them on the fridge. It didn't take more than a couple hours for our dog Jackson to sniff out that craft and lick off all the pudding, ha! Here is a sample of her July art.

Keith's 28th Birthday

2011-08-08T09:02:00.002-04:00

This was the first year in Pittsburgh that Keith was not on-call for his birthday. We had a very relaxing day celebrating. He did have to go into the hospital and round in the morning but he was back by 10. We opened all his presents and of course Brooke wanted to help. Later that afternoon we went to Oakmont Bakery so he could pick out a couple sweet treats. Keith had never been to Oakmont before. He was definitely impressed. We took our treats and headed to Chili's for dinner. I told Keith we could go anywhere he wanted for dinner and he picked Chili's. We had a great dinner. Brooke loved being out with a bunch of people. After dinner we went back home and ate our Oakmont treats. They were all delicious. We put Brooke to bed and watched a movie in the basement. It was a very relaxing day. Hopefully Keith enjoyed his last birthday in Pittsburgh. Happy Birthday Keith!!

Fun in the tub and thanks for the new toys

2011-08-08T08:54:00.004-04:00

Keith took a few pictures of Brooke in the tub. She loves to play with bubbles, drink the water and throw her toys around. I would like to say she is very gentle and loving with her babies and toys but that is not the case. She is usually slamming, throwing, or hitting her toys.
We took a picture of Brooke with the new toys from my Aunt Shirley. She bought them for Brooke when we came to visit her in Michigan. Of course the laptop is her favorite. My little technology baby!

Trip to Michigan

2011-07-27T09:24:00.011-04:00

My mom, Brooke and I took a trip to Michigan to visit my mom's family. We left on Wednesday July 6th. The drive took about 5 and a half hours. Brooke did really well on her first longer road trip. We rigged up a portable DVD player for her in the back. Our neighbors loaned us some Barney and Nick Jr DVD's.
We stayed with my mom's sister Shirley, at her house in Sterling Heights. Her oldest son Jim was also visiting. He came with his girlfriend Lisa from Georgia. Brooke loved meeting everyone. My Aunt Shirley had gone to Toys R Us and bought the cutest toys for Brooke.
We had a really nice cookout at my cousin John's house on Thursday. They have a great outdoor setup and a nice salt water pool. We had tons of fun swimming and being outside. My cousin Jim made a best ribs. He worked on them all day. It was really nice to see everyone. I had not been to visit in almost 5 years.
On Friday we drove about an hour to see my cousin Paul's daughter Rachel in her softball tournament. I had a lot of fun experimenting with my camera zoom lens. I'm sure I looked like a paparazzi stalking her in the outfield.
After the game we met Michelle at Panera Bread. Michelle's husband Ryan went to Med school with Keith in Chicago. Michelle and Ryan are living in Canton, MI while he is doing his residency. I was especially excited to see her because she was due with her first baby in 1 week. (She had the baby three days after we saw her) It was so nice to visit with her.
We ate a ton of great food while we were there. My aunt fixed her amazing potato salad. I think I ate a pound of it. She also got a honey baked ham. What a treat!! We really enjoyed our little trip to Michigan. We drove back on Saturday morning so we could get home for dinner with Keith. I wish he could have come with us; definitely on the next visit.

4th of July lunch at Burgatory

2011-07-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful lunch at a new burger place in Pittsburgh on the 4th of July. THe restaurant had amazing burgers, shakes and truffle fries; yum!! They had a create your own burger option. There were so many choices, between rubs, toppings, and bread. I think of got carried away with my order. My burger was a bit overwhelming. NExt time I will get one of their standard burgers on the menu. We had the waitress take our picture. I was suprised at how great it came out. Everyone is looking, even Brooke.
Ryan and Kelly headed back to DC after lunch. We were so glad to spend the whole weekend with them.

4th of July party with the Podiatry families

2011-07-21T07:06:00.004-04:00

Pete and Lindsey hosted a 4th of July cookout at their house on Sunday the 3rd. Almost all of the podiatry residents and their families were there. Lindsey bought a fun blow up pool for the kids to swim. I think they would have stayed in there the whole time. Brooke was fearless in the pool. She did go under twice and we had to pull her out. This was a good lesson for me to never turn my eyes away from her in a pool.
We enjoyed being outside; it even sprinkled on us a little bit. The food and company were great. My mom asked Jess if she would take a family picture for us at the party. The ones she took turned out great.

Block Party for the 4th Weekend

2011-07-19T14:48:00.005-04:00

We love our neighbors! They decided to throw a block party on Saturday July 2nd. I was so nice to make food and then walk it right out our front door. We had quite a spread of appetizers, hamburgers/hot dogs, and desserts. Everyone brought their lawn chairs and set them up in the street. We enjoyed hours of visiting, playing with the kids and eating. Ryan, Kelly and had a great time playing the bean bag game. Ryan and Kelly were so patient with all the little kids. They taught them how to baseball with a huge plastic bat and wiffle ball. Brooke could not have been happier. She loved being outside with all the big kids. She was definitely worn out by 8 o'clock. We could put her down for bed and bring the monitor back out to the party. Our montior works in the street; so we could keep visiting and relaxing outside.
The kids finished the night be lighting sparklers and some small fireworks. What a great 4th of July party.

First Settlers Win

2011-07-19T14:46:00.003-04:00

I had to document Ryan's first time of winning the game Settlers. We have been playing this game for over 3 years and this was his first time to win. It was a HUGE deal.

Red Sox game with Ryan and Kelly

2011-07-19T14:38:00.004-04:00

We went to a Saturday night baseball game in Pittsburgh with Ryan and Kelly on June 25t. Pittsburgh was playing Ryan's favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. Ryan required that all of us wear Boston clothing. Of course, none of us own Boston clothing, so he brought extras.
This was the first time I've ever seen the Pirates ballpark with a full house. There were no empty seats. We enjoyed the game and some great food. What other ballpark has buffalo wings and Primanti sandwiches. Mmmmm.......

VBS

2011-07-16T22:25:00.003-04:00

I was so excited to help out with the VBS at our church this year. We wanted to be involved last year; but Brooke was born one week before VBS. Anyway, I signed up to help in the 4's class. I had a blast. The theme for the week for God's big top and they decorated everything like the circus. On the last night, they had a big carnival for all the kids and their parents. My mom worked the snow cone booth and I ran a carnival fishing game. It is amazing to me how much work our little church puts into VBS. I think everyone was a volunteer in some way. I wish there was a picture or video or the performances on the last night. Each class sang a song and did choreography. My group wore hippo masks and sang the Hip Hip Hip Hippopotamus song. It was too cute. Yay for a great Holiday Park VBS>

The infected thumb

2011-07-16T22:18:00.003-04:00

Brooke has been sucking her thumb since she was in the womb. When she is teething; she bite on that same thumb. A few weeks ago; her thumb turned very red and puffed up. We watched to see if it would get better, but it stayed swollen and red. We took her to the pediatrician to see what was going on. He said it was an infection. He took that thumb and squeezed so hard. A bunch of icky stuff came out and she had a bruise under the skin. I'm sure it felt much better after the pressure was released. I tried to take a picture after we came home from the dr. It is a bit fuzzy, but you get the idea. The Dr. also put her on an antibiotic for 2 weeks; just so the infection would not spread.

Storybook Forest

2011-07-16T22:07:00.007-04:00

We took a road trip to Storybook Forest with Lindsey and Jess. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed this place. It was kind of like taking a journey back 30 years before there were so many rules. They let you bring in your own food and drink. Everyone rode the rides, even the babies. There were no lines and everything was included with your admission ticket. Needless to say, we enjoyed our day at Storybook Forest. We stayed at the park for almost 6 hours and I think Chase and Tally would have stayed all night. It was the perfect place for them. Here are quite a few pictures from our day.

Catching up

2011-07-16T22:04:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful 5 weeks with my mom in Pittsburgh. It seems like we had something planned all the time. That is why I have been so bad at updating my blog. So, will do my best to catch up the blog on our happenings from the last 5 weeks.

Father's Day

2011-06-29T16:17:00.006-04:00

We were excited to celebrate Keith for his second Father's Day. He opened his Father's Day gifts from Brooke and I. Brooke made a footprint craft and poem. I gave him boat shoes, a soft t-shirt and a John Wooden book.
We are teaching cradle roll at church right now. We tried to take a family pic in our classroom. Brooke had on her new outfit from Grams.
After church we had a great ahi tuna meal and a special cake. I think it is safe to say that Keith enjoyed his day.

Birthday Laptop from Ryan and Kelly

2011-06-29T16:12:00.003-04:00

Ryan and Kelly came in town the week after Brooke's birthday party. They had a wonderful idea to give her a baby laoptop. It is the cutest thing. It says hello to her, plays music, and sends her pretend e-mails. She loves grooving to the music and closing the laptop lid.
Thanks Ryan and Kelly!!

Fun at the Zoo

2011-06-29T16:04:00.006-04:00

We took our first trip the zoo with Grammy and Brooke. It was a great day to be outside. Jess and her kids joined us for the zoo and lunch. Brooke especially liked the fish and the monkeys. She can make the ooh ooh ahh ahh sound like the monkeys, so cute!
Grammy gave Brooke a slide and swing set for her birthday. Brooke loves to play in the front yard with the girls accross the street.

Brooke's first birthday

2011-06-29T14:15:00.010-04:00

We celebrated Brooke's first birthday on the actual day, Saturday June 11th. We had a combination of family, church friends, neighbors, and podiatry friends over for the party. It was such a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, all the kids had a great time, and Brooke loved smashing her cake. We got her birthday cake and little smash cake from a great little bakery in Pittsburgh called Oakmont. They tried to design the cake around the 1st birthday hat that I ordered for Brooke on Etsy. She wore her hat and tutu for the cake smashing part. Our little neighbor Ava was so sweet to help Brooke eat her cake.
Keith and I got her a little car that she can push and ride on. Brooke and Jacob rode that car all over the front yard.
We also put up a picture wall with photos from Brooke's first year. I loved to see how much she changed in a year.
Thank you to everyone for making her party so great!

Ready for work

2011-06-22T09:44:00.003-04:00

I put Brooke in her Encompass onesie for the first time a couple weeks ago. She was so happy and excited. It just so happened that it was a Monday morning, so I sent her picture to some of my coworkers. I titled the photo "Brooke doesn't have a case of the mondays" Isn't she cute!?!

End of May

2011-06-22T08:59:00.005-04:00

We had a lot of fun activities going on at the end of May. Brooke had a little carnival at her preschool. It was definitely geared towards older children, but we still enjoyed it. She tie-dyed a shirt and watched the bigger kids play games.
On Sunday we had a birthday party for our sweet neighbor girls Kylee and Morgan. They had a fun party at their house. Keith showed the girls how to make water balloons and throw them at each other. It is crazy to think that Morgan wasn't even born when we moved here and now she is 2 years old.
Later that night we went over to Kyle and Bridget's house for a Memorial day dinner. Brooke loved chasing their cat Tibbet. After dinner we took a nice walk around Highland Park. It was a beautiful evening.
I also had to include a couple pictures of the new toy that our neighbors gave Brooke. Their girls are now too big for it. This is the coolest toy; it plays different nursery rhymes on each side of the cube. Brooke loves it!

Kelly's Graduation

2011-06-19T21:11:00.005-04:00

We were so excited to celebrate my sister-in-law's graduation on May 14th. She graduated with her masters from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. We went to the graduation ceremony, but Brooke did not last very long. Keith had to take her out into the lobby because she was saying hello to everyone during the ceremony. After the ceremony was over Kelly, Ryan and Kelly's parents came over to our house for dinner. We had a great time celebrating. After a great dinner of steaks, grilled corn and perogi casserole; we had specialty cupcakes and played Settlers. This was the first time for Kelly's parents to play. They did a pretty good job picking up all the rules. Sadly for Ryan, he still did not win. He has yet to win a game of Settlers. We had a great time celebrating with family this weekend!!

ACU Magazine

2011-05-31T12:59:00.003-04:00

Abilene Christian University sends out a magazine each quarter. They include announcements from alumni on births, marriages, etc. This past issue included Brooke's birth announcement and Ryan's wedding announcement.

Brooke's artwork

2011-05-31T12:55:00.005-04:00

Brooke goes to a wonderful preschool every Tuesday and Thursday. They send home the cutest crafts every couple of weeks. I wasn't sure what to do with the cute projects; so I scanned them in for the blog. I especially love the hand prints and poem that she made for a Mother's Day gift.

Brooke is 11 months!!

2011-05-23T12:22:00.009-04:00

It is crazy for me to think that Brooke is already 11 months old. Time is flying! We are enjoying her personality; which seems to come out more each month. I tried to get a shot of her with the horse and the blocks; but she is way to busy to sit still. I appreciate the skills of my photographer friend jess. She is able to get great pics of all the kids. I thought these photos still turned out pretty cute.
Here are some fun facts about Brooke at 11 months:
*She is eating everything. We tried strawberries, peanut butter and eggs with no allergy issues. Yay! I have even tried to mix in some different flavors into her meals. She likes baby curry and spanish rice.
*She is still in size 3 diaper and weighs 19 pounds
*She drinks completely out of a sippy cup. She only likes milk and water; no juice.
*She learned how to clap
*She pulls up on everything and pushes her cart around.
*She has 6 teeth, three top and three bottom
*she has discovered the toilet water. Now we have to be sure all bathroom doors are closed.

Trip to Washington DC

2011-05-20T14:39:00.009-04:00

We drove to Washington DC earlier this month to visit Ryan and Kelly. We spent all day Saturday touring Mt. Vernon. It was nice to be outside and walk the grounds. We took a little boat cruise of the Potomac river and then toured the mansion. This was the perfect activity to do with Brooke. She loves to look at all the people and enjoy the outdoors. Keith especially enjoyed learning all about the gardens and touring the museum of George Washington. We learned that Brooke has allergies on this trip. There were so many plants in bloom and pollen count was high. Her eyes got very goopy.
On Sunday we went to church with Ryan and Kelly and then had a great lunch at their house. They made it a very special first Mother's day. I got to shop at Nordstrom Rack without Brooke for a couple hours. It was so nice!!
on Sunday night we went to Ryan's softball game. Brooke loved yelling "ball" and seeing all the action.
on Monday we drove into Washington DC and looked at some of the famous sights. We walked to the White house and the new memorial in the mall. Brooke allergies were getting so bad at that point; so we drove back early on Monday. It was a really nice trip.

Cinco De Mayo

2011-05-18T15:02:00.003-04:00

We went to Patron restaurant in Monroeville with a couple families for Cinco De Mayo. After the 45 minute wait, we were seated at a big table right next to the live band. They were a little loud at first, but after a few minutes it was great. The babies loved jamming to the music. The food was great and the margaritas were awesome. I can't believe I didn't take any other pictures. The Hecks and Staskos were at dinner with us. Yay for Cinco De Mayo!!

Springsgiving

2011-05-15T10:02:00.011-04:00

We had our second annual Springsgiving the last weekend of April. Keith got up at 7 AM on Saturday to start smoking the pork shoulders. He also smoked bacon-wrapped-chicken. He setup the deep fryer and fried a turkey and chicken wings. Sadly, I did not get a picture of any of the great food. We had about 30 people over for our Springsgiving meal. They all brought sides, desserts, and drinks. We had great weather, so everyone played outside. We also celebrated baby Jacob's first birthday. Jess made the cutest monkey cupcakes. Jacob was so cute with his cupcake. It took him a minute to realize it was really his. He kept waiting for someone to take it away from him. Brooke enjoyed crawling in the grass and being outside. I think that Springsgiving is catching on with this group. I would not be suprised if they celebrate next year in their new towns. This was definitely the best turkey that Keith has ever cooked. There were no leftovers after the meal was finished.
We also had a visit from Kelly on Friday/Saturday. She was in town for a church reunion at her parent's church. She taught Brooke how to high five!

Easter

2011-05-11T15:49:00.010-04:00

We celebrated Easter with some of our close friends in Pittsburgh. We went to church and then had a late lunch at our house. They all brought yummy food to share. I had my first attempt at making a ham. We usually just buy the ham from Honey Baked Hams. I decided to save money this year and make it myself. So, Saturday night I started basting and cooking the ham at 9 PM. Three hours later I took the ham out of the oven. It was mushy and overdone, kind of like retirement home food. I got the wrapping out of the trash and was so embarrassed to read that the ham was already cooked. All I needed to do was heat it up before serving. So, at 1 AM I drove back to the grocery store and bought another ham. The second ham was delicious, but I think next time I will stick with the pros at Honey Baked hams. The Easter bunny brought Brooke and Keith some wonderful treats. Brooke's basket was so big she could fit inside. That was a smart bunny; getting basket that could be used to hold her books in the living room. The bunny also brought her an Elmo phone and a mini glow worm. Her Grams from Texas sent some cute ducky socks, a pink pair of jeans and a sweater. She also sent a cute Lamb video.
We had beautiful weather on Easter Sunday. The kids played outside and we took lots of pictures. I should have put on my cute shoes for the pictures. Oh well! I am very thankful for my sweet Pittsburgh girls and their families. They have been a huge blessing to us. I love that Jess took pictures of Brooke and Jacob playing together. They are such cute friends. My favorite picture is where they are looking out the screen door. All the neighbor kids were playing in the street right in front of our house.
We are most thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave. I am excited for Brooke to understand this story when she is older.
Hoppy Easter!!

Brooke 10 months

2011-05-02T09:52:00.007-04:00

This first year is flying by with our sweet Brooke. As I write this, she is almost 11 months old. We have really enjoyed our time with her this month. She is more expressive and animated. She is also pulling up on anything she can grab. I predict she will be walking by her first birthday. I tried to get some good pictures with Brooke by her horse and blocks. It was a challenge. She is so fast with crawling. This was the first time that she noticed the blocks sitting on top of the horse. They were quickly knocked down, ha! Here are a few fun facts about Brooke at 10 months:
*she weight 18.5 pounds
*wearing size 3 diaper
*still has only 2 teeth
*she is starting to repeat more words. She now says dogs, papa, bye bye, quack (like a duck sound)
*She sleeps 12 hours and night and takes 3 hr naps each day
*She loves going to school on Tue/Thurs. Sometimes she doesn't want to leave at the end of the day.
*She has tried peanut butter, strawberries and eggs with no problem. She is feeding herself bites of food too.
*No more bottles. We are officially onto the sippy cup for all liquids.
*She will still go to everyone. She just loves people.
*Wearing a size 3 shoe
*bathtime is still her favorite. She loves to splash and put her face in the water.

Blue Bonnets, Grandparents, and Texas Friends

2011-04-30T08:43:00.009-04:00

On our last Saturday in Texas we walked from Keith's parents house to a big patch of blue bonnets. It was quite a challenge to try and get a good photo of all three girls. We took a ton of pictures and managed to get a few where the babies were looking at the camera.
Twyla's parents from drove in from Oklahoma for lunch that day. It was nice to visit with them.
Keith and I had a second (late) lunch with my best girls in Dallas. We had some great mexican food outside on the patio at Manny's. This was Keith's first time to meet Val's boyfriend Brad. We enjoyed getting to know him a little bit better. Val and Brad have taken some fun trips this year, including a trip to New York's time square for New Years Eve. You might have seen them on TV! Val said they do not have bathrooms anywhere in that area and people start gathering way before midnight. Can you imagine not going to the restroom for 6 hours? Anyway, we got to catch up with Liz too. She is graduating with her masters degree in education this May. She is one busy gal; teaching full time and taking classes at night. Jenn was at lunch too. I am hoping she will come and visit us in Pittsburgh this summer.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing and hanging with Keith's family. It was a very nice weekend in Texas. Keith and I really did not want to come back to Pittsburgh. We are definitely counting down the months until we can move back.

Ft Worth Zoo with Mark and Shevawn

2011-04-26T21:18:00.005-04:00

We headed to the Ft. Worth zoo on Friday morning to meet Mark, Shevawn, Claire and Lauren. It was a beautiful day, so the zoo was packed. We enjoyed being outside in the nice weather and checking out some animals. Brooke especially loved the penguins and the monkeys. She was so brave to go in a the bird area with Keith. There were birds flying eveywhere in this netted in area. It would have been more than traumatic for me. Lauren slept for most of the time in her stroller. She is just the best baby.

Cousin time

2011-04-21T08:49:00.005-04:00

They loved playing at the sand and water table. Brooke loved Myko too!

Brooke and Lauren look so much alike to me.

It was her first time to be in a swing. You can tell she is having a blast!

Brooke is quite the wild woman in the tub. She taught Claire how to "super splash" and crawl in the tub.

Brooke was so excited to spend a whole day playing with her cousins Claire and Lauren in Texas. Shevawn was a real trooper for watching all three of them while I was at a conference for work. They had a great day playing outside, in the playroom and wrapping up the day with bath time. I know they are going to have lots of adventures together as they grow up.
This was also my first time to meet baby Lauren. She is the BEST! She likes to snuggle, she is so quiet, and she is happy all the time. It is amazing how big she is for only 12 weeks, but I think that has contributed to her sleeping more at night. It is safe to say that I have the baby bug after spending a week with her.
Mark and Shevawn were so sweet to celebrate my birthday while Brooke and I were at their house. They bought Chinese food from one of my favorite places near their house. We had a nice dinner and a dairy free birthday dessert. I always enjoy my time visiting them in Texas. It brings back great memories of living with them. I will always remember the weekend that I moved in with them; 08/08/08. IT was the opening ceremony of the Olympics in China. How crazy that less than 3 years later we have 3 babies. Our lives have definitely changed. I sure do love these girls.

Birthday and Lactose intolerant

2011-04-10T07:34:00.007-04:00

I wanted Keith to take a picture of Brooke and I with my birthday cookie. She was so distracted by the cookie that is was almost impossible to get her looking at the camera.

I didn't want to crop any of the pictures so you could see the trees and neighborhood in the background. It is so pretty here.

I had a wonderful 29th birthday yesterday. I spent the whole day with Keith and Brooke. Keith stopped by this awesome bakery on his way home from work in the morning and picked up the best cookies. I am not a cake person, so I'd much rather have cookies or a pie. For lunch we went to Sawa for Sushi and Hibachi. Brooke was fascinated with all the flying knives and fire. It was a delicious meal. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting ready for our trip to Dallas. We even got to play outside for about 30 minutes. The neighborhood girls from accross the street were outside, so we brought Brooke out to "play". SHe loves being around bigger kids and they are so sweet to her. Mason and Jackson were also enjoying the freedom to run wild outside. Brooke said doggies for the first time! Keith and I enjoyed some movie time after Brooke was asleep for the night. He could not believe that I had never seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. We watched that and Young Victoria with EMily Blunt. I guess is sounds like a very low key birthday, but that's what made it great for me. Thanks for a great day!!

So a couple weeks ago I went to the dr. for some stomach trouble that I was having. Long story short, I am now Lactose intolerant. For anyone who knows me, this is shocking. I LOVE milk and usually drink several glasses a day. The Dr. said it could have happened from the pregnancy or when I stopped drinking dairy while breastfeeing brooke. Anyway, I am now carrying lactaid pills with me to take in case I eat anything with dairy. If you happen to have a nemesis or not so favorite person just let me know. I can eat dairy without the medicine and then hang out near them. The gas that will follow is unbearable. They will pass out without warning, ha! I know being lactose intolerant is not a HUGE deal, but it is another reminder to me that God is in charge and I am not in control. I am thankful for all the blessings he has put in my life and will continue to face new challenges with a positive attitude.

Brooke is pulling up

2011-04-08T09:04:00.002-04:00

As soon as we got back to Pittsburgh, Brooke started pulling up on the ottoman and window ledge. She loves to look out the window with the dogs. I think they are so sweet.

Brooke visits Grammy's class

2011-04-08T09:00:00.004-04:00

The day before we left Arizona, I took Brooke to visit my mom at her school. She had been telling her first grade class all about Brooke and her visit. They were so cute! They all wanted to touch her. Brooke was so interested in all the kids. She was a big distraction too, so we only stayed about an hour.
Our good friend Rick Lytle was in town for a work conference that week. He stopped by my mom's house to meet Brooke and visit for a bit. I love this picture of them!

Last weekend in Arizona

2011-04-06T09:19:00.007-04:00

Lori was teaching Brooke to walk around their house. Brooke loved watching Matthew play the Wii. Poor Jamie was sick with Pneumonia so she couldn't play with everyone.

Brooke and my dad. He hasn't decided what he wants Brooke to call him.

We met Sandy and Allison Stoll at the Olive Mill for breakfast. This was a great restaurant and olive farm. They had the best olive Oil. I took a couple bottles back to Pittsburgh for Keith. Allison and I have been friends since we were born. I am excited for our kids to be friends one day.

We had a great lunch at Kona Grill with the Allan family.

Brooke and I were so blessed to have time to visit with so many friends and family during our trip to Arizona. During our last weekend we spent time with my cousin Mike and his family, my dad, the Stolls, and saw lots of great families from my old church.

High school friends

2011-04-02T09:44:00.005-04:00

I was able to catch up with several of my friends from high school on this trip. I always love seeing my friend Sally and her kiddos. Luckily she still lives right down the street from my mom so we can hang out a lot during my visits. Her kids Emma and Logan were so sweet with Brooke. I have never heard her laugh so much. WE enjoyed playing at her house last week. Sally and I keep in touch through e-mail and phone calls, but it doesn't compare to hanging out in person. We looked through a lot of our old high school dance and band photos. Definitely a blast from the past. Some of our fashion choices were more than questionable.
On Saturday night, I met 3 of my high school friends at the Cheesecake factory for dinner. We had a blast! It is so great to see how everyone's lives have changed in 10 years. Bridget is a teacher, she's working on her masters, and she got married about a year ago. Kristin is in nursing school, she has been married 5 years and has a 10 month old baby girl names Raegan. Sally is a teacher, she's been married 8 years and has an almost 5 year old daughter Emma and a 3 year old son Logan. Crazy how much has changed since we were in high school. We were sad that our other pals Jamie and Camille couldn't make it. We decided that another reunion is necessary, but we don't need to wait 10 more years. So great to see you ladies!!!

Fun Times at Grammy's house

2011-04-02T09:32:00.004-04:00

Brooke loved exploring a my mom's house during our visit. She was fascinated by the washer, the cucko clock, and all the decorations that were at her level. My mom also has a lot of artificial trees in her house. Brooke would pull up on the baskets and try to pull out the stuffing. We had to keep her in shoes or bare feet while she was crawling. The first day we were at my mom's house she slipped in her socks and got a bruise on her cheek.

Brooke meets Kendall

2011-04-01T08:25:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday afternoon, our good friends, the Kellars, came over for a visit and to meet Brooke. Debbie brought Shane's little girl Kendall. She was so cute playing with Brooke. Kayla was there too. She is pregnant with her a baby girl they are naming Kamber. She was technically due the second week of April, but she had the baby on March 29th. They are such a great family; I wish we lived closer to them. Brooke and Kendall would definitely enjoy playing together.

Grammy's Birthday

2011-03-29T18:24:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Grammy's birthday in Arizona last week. Brooke was excited to help her blow out the candles. Leslie brought some yummy cupcakes from Sprinkles to celebrate.

Hanging with Uncle Josh and Aunt Steph

2011-03-27T11:08:00.006-04:00

We were so fortunate to see Josh and Steph three times during our Arizona visit. They came over to my mom's house for dinner and basketball watching on our first Saturday in town. Then we saw them the next day for a spring training baseball game at the new Salt River Ballpark. It was such a nice day to be outside. On Tuesday night, we celebrated Josh's birthday early at Joe's barbeque. My mom brought a few cupcakes from Sprinkles to share. It was a great time. Steph taught Brooke to make a bubble blowing sound with her lips. She kept trying to do it all night. Her face would puff up and turn red. We laughed so hard at the restaurant watching her.
We are sad to live so far from them but glad to see them a bunch on this trip. We are hoping they can come visit us in Pittsburgh when Josh is back east doing orthopedic rotations.

Brooke skyping with her daddy

2011-03-25T13:49:00.004-04:00

We are so glad to have skpe to see and talk to Keith while we are in Arizona. This is the longest that he has ever been away from Brooke. Here are a couple pictures of her skyping with Keith last week. She gets so excited to hear his voice.

Arizona friends and family/ St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-23T21:03:00.006-04:00

Brooke and I flew to Phoenix on Wednesday March 16th. My mom met us at the airport and took us right to see my Aunt and Uncle. This was their first time to meet Brooke. She loved playing with all the toys at their house and eating in a new high chair.
On Thursday, Brooke and I had lunch with two of my best friends from youth group. Heather lives right down the street from my mom and offered to host at her house. It was really nice for all the babies to play together while we chatted and ate lunch. Heather is expecting her second baby this summer. Meghan's baby Asher is 6 week younger than Brooke. They live in Memphis, TN. It had been 4 years since all three of us were together. We had tons of fun catching up!!
Thursday night, we went with Grammy to meet some of her old friends at Flemmings. They had such yummy food on their happy hour special. We split some great Calamari and spinach ravioli. And of course we had to drink a green beverage! Brooke loved sitting in her high chair on the patio. She seems to "make friends" everywhere we go!

Brooke is 9 Months

2011-03-20T11:11:00.005-04:00

Our sweet little Brooke Marie is already 9 months old. I took her to the Dr. for a checkup last week. She now weighs 16 lbs and 10 oz. She is only in the 14% for her weight but the Dr. said that was just fine. She is 27 and 1/2 inches long, which puts her in the 40% for height.
Here are some fun things about Brooke at 9 months:
*She still has two little teeth
*She smiles at everyone and will go to everyone, no separation anxiety yet.
*She loves to eat. She is now eating peas with no tummy problems. She also tried prunes this month.
*She is crawling non-stop. She is super intersted in cords, remotes, the dog bowls and computers. We have to watch her very carefully now.
*She is wearing size 3 dipers and 9 month clothes.
*She loves to play with zipppers or jewelry if you are holding her.
*She likes to touch people's faces
*She "sings" when there is music on.
*She loves a loud environment. The barking dogs, talking on phone, TV, toys that play music, etc are super entertaining to her.
*She lights up when her daddy comes home from work. Such a cute face!
*She only pulls up in her crib.
*She likes to go after the dogs. She wants to pull their tails and let Jackson lick her hand.
*Her favorite toy is a plastic spooon.

Trip to Florida

2011-03-18T14:21:00.011-04:00

Last week Brooke and I met Keith in Ft. Lauderdale Florida for a long weekend. All the 2nd and 3rd year podiatry residents were there for a conference all week. Lindsey and I decided we would fly in on Thursday with the kids and stay for the weekend. We had a great time in the sunny, warm Florida weather. It was so nice to push the strollers outside along the beach. We were excited to attend the West Penn Party on Thursday night and see all the residents, attendings and former residents. Everyone was really nice and Brooke loved meeting all the new people. On Saturday we went to the beach with all the other West Penn residents. There were a lot of birds outside around the restuarant. I was definitely freaking out at the pigeons walking under the tables. Hopefully I didn't give Lindsey a fear of birds too. The guys played volleyball while the girls layed out and played with the babies. Brooke wasn't quite sure of the sand. She would play for a little bit and then cry for me to hold her. She took a lot of naps on me in the sun. I was so silly to forget sunscreen on my shins and feet. After a full day outside I was completely burnt. Good thing we were close to Walgreens. Keith walked there and bought a can of dermoplast for me. On Sunday we took a water taxi around all the fancy houses and shops. We ate lunch on the water and had a very relaxing time. Brooke did her first and hopefully last Spring Break flashing. She kept lifting her dress at all the people riding by in the boats. Our hotel also had a nice pool and hot tub. We took Brooke in the hot tub for the first time. She loved it! We enjoyed our little vacation in Florida so much. It was kind of sad to come back to the snow in Pittsburgh.

Brooke is officially crawling..look out!

2011-03-06T16:26:00.001-05:00

San Diego and Coronado Trip

2011-03-06T15:40:00.008-05:00

We left San Francisco on Monday morning and flew to San Diego. We got in just around lunch time; so we looked up a Rubio's for fish taco's. Rubio's are all over Arizona and it is not a big deal to eat there; but in Pittsburgh we have zero places that serve fish tacos. Lunch was so great!! After lunch we drove to my cousin Dave and his wife Pearl's house. They were so nice to host us for a couple days. We had a great time hanging out with their two kiddos; Zach and Christian. Dave took us on a beautiful scenic tour of the San Diego coast. They live very close to Torrey Pines beach, so we took a hike there with Brooke one afternoon. She wore her little sunglasses from Grammy for the first time. She actually kept them on. Keith took some nice pictures of the beach and of the hangliders. We would really like to hanglide sometime soon. We said goodbye to Dave and Pearl on Wednesday and headed to Coronado Island. I used to come to Coronado Island in the summers in high school and college. It hadn't changed a bit since my last visit. We stayed at a wonderful hotel just off the beach. It was nice to walk everywhere. We took on a stroll along the beach and looked at all the nice houses. Then we had a fantastic dinner at an authentic Mexican food restaurant. (more fish tacos, woo hoo!) I was so bummed to be feeling sick after dinner. I had a fever and bad cough. Brooke and I stayed in the hotel for the night and Keith went out with the camera to take pictures of the sunset. The next morning I was feeling a little bit better; so put Brooke in her swim suit and took her in the Ocean. She loved the sand, but not the cold water. Keith got some great pictures of her on the beach towel. Keith used his last upgrades as American Airlines Gold Member to bump us to first class for the way home. Brooke did great again on the flight. We were so blessed to go on this trip. Keith and I really enjoyed ourselves and had a chance to relax away from pagers, e-mails and snow.

Trip to San Francisco

2011-03-03T18:06:00.005-05:00

Our little family was so excited to take a trip to California last week. We started our trip by flying from Pittsburgh to San Francisco. I was a little nervous for the 4 hr and 2 minute flight;but Brooke did awesome. She did not cry at all!! She played, slept, ate, and "flirted" with anyone who would look her direction. When we finally arrived in San Fran; Keith's friend Chris and his wife Laura were there to pick us up. We headed straight to Napa for a bit of wine tasting. Chris and Laura knew so much about the Napa vineyards. I learned a lot about the wines from Napa during our car ride out there. We visited two vineyards in Napa. The first one did a tasting where they put three of the same wines in different years together. You were supposed to put the wines in order. Only one girl in our tasting group could pick out the correct order. It was a lot of fun and such beautiful country.
On Sunday we walked all around San Francisco. We went through Chinatown and it was all decked out for the Chinese new year. We walked through the old ferry building which was full of specialty food shops. We put Brooke in the baby Bjorn carrier. She was so excited to see everyone and everything. She definitely enjoyed being outside. When she was tired, she just leaned forward in the carrier and took a nap. It was perfect. We also walked down by Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. We could look out and see Alcatraz too. We ended the day with dinner at a fantastic French restaurant. Brooke slept through the whole dinner. It was almost like we were on a double date. We really enjoyed spending time with Chris and Laura too. They were great hosts! On Monday morning we flew from San Francisco to San Diego.....our trip continues.....

8 Months old

2011-02-28T10:06:00.003-05:00

I know I am a little behind on this 8 month post. We have experienced a lot of cough/cold sickness around our house this month. Sadly, I did not take Brooke's picture in front of her horse. She is now closer to 9 months old, so I am going to use a picture of her from our California trip. Here are some interesting things about Brooke this month:
*She weighs 16 lbs and 10 oz
*Still wearing a size 2 diaper
*she sits in a high chair at restaurants now
*she is instantly drawn to jewelry. if you are wearing a ring, necklace, or earrings she will try to pull on them.
*She has started to pull up on things like her crib and the pew at church
*She is sleeping on her tummy now with her bottom in the air. This is just how her cousin Claire sleeps.
*She is wearing 6-9 month clothes and 12 month pj's.
*She does the sign for car from her Signing time video.
*She loves the Mum Mum biter biscuits
*She is just starting to crawl. Her method is to scoot and drag the other leg behind her. This is very funny to watch.

My little Valentine

2011-02-28T10:00:00.003-05:00

Brooke wore this cute little Valentine outfit a lot this month. We had a great Valentines Day this year. Brooke made us a Valentine magent with her face on it at preschool. She received her first Valentine cards from her Grams and Grammy.
Keith and I even exchanged cards and little gifts this year. Keith typically hates Valentines day. I think he caved this year because I kept pestering him to get me a sweet card.
Keith and Brooke were also finnally feeling better after being sick for over a week. Happy Valentines Day!!

Sick little baby

2011-02-07T20:48:00.002-05:00

Brooke was sick for the first time this weekend. She had a cold and fever. I never realized how hard it is for a baby to have a runny nose. They cannot blow their noses; so it just drips out all day. When they sneeze it comes out like an explosion. Brooke had a couple really tough nights trying to sleep with congestion and snot. Luckily she seems to be on the mend today. She went to sleep at 9 last night and slept until 6 this morning. That is almost back to her normal sleeping schedule. Lately she has been quite the mover in her crib. I will put her to bed in one positon and she rolls and moves all over. It is even funnier to see how much she has moved in her giant sleep sack.

High Chair and play mat

2011-02-04T19:25:00.006-05:00

We have offically graduated to the high chair. Brooke was eating in her bumbo seat up until yesterday. She was trying to lean back and tip over in the seat and now she is strong enough. So, I started securely strapping her into the high chair for eating times. Thanks for Uncle Ryan and Aunt Kell for such a great high chair.
I stole the idea from my friend Lindsey to get a puzzle mat. It takes of tons of space on the wood floor and it provides an extra cushion. Brooke is now sitting up really well, but will fall to the side if she reaches for a toy. This mat will also be great when she starts crawling. We used to put a big blanket/quilt on the wood floors for her to play. This is a definite upgrade. AND, another big plus, the dogs don't have any deisre to chew on it.
Lastly, we are amazed at how loud Brooke can be. She is such a happy baby, but it is a LOUD happy. When I'm talking on the phone people are shocked at how loud she is in the background. I have been tempted to start wearing earplugs when she is in her jumparoo. She also seems to think it is a contest for who can be the loudest between her and the dogs. When they start barking she starts screaming. Stay tuned for a video of that.

1st week of daycare for Brooke

2011-01-29T16:09:00.003-05:00

This was a big week for the McSpadden family; Brooke started two day a week daycare. She is going for 6 hours on Tues/Thurs to Beulah Christian Preschool. It is just at the edge of our neighborhood. I really love the staff there; it is such a cute little school. Brooke seems to like going there too. She doesn't even cry when I drop her off. Her teachers asked me to bring in some family photos. They make a little family tree for all the babies in her class. There are 5 babies that go on Tuesday and Thursday. I do miss her while she is gone, but I am enjoying the 6 hours of dedicated work time. At the end of the day I can't wait to go and pick her up.

Bath time with Daddy

2011-01-25T09:47:00.004-05:00

We struggle with having good daddy/daughter time in our house. Keith works a TON of hours and is not home very much. I want them to spend time together every day, so we decided he would take over bath time. Brooke gets a bath right before bed and Keith is usually home by then. She loves time with her daddy. She is even saying dada now. I think he is enjoying this time with her too. He took a video of her splashing in the tub last night. She is getting too big for the whale tub. We should be moving her to the big tub but we have these annoying shower doors that are attached to the tub. It is very awkward to bathe her in the bigger tub. We'll be there soon enough. She can sit up and grab things over the side in her whale tub and she splashes tons of water.
I also started showing her the Signing Time video's every afternoon. She LOVES the TV. She is glued to anything that I put on the TV or DVD player(Don't worry, we are limiting our TV/VIDEO time to 30 min per day). I am interested to see if she will pick up any of the signs from this video.