The Kennedys are on the move. . .again

First of all, Katie and I apologize for the lack of posting lately. We've been having trouble with our internet connection, but hope to have it resolved by this weekend.

And now to. . . .

THE BIG NEWS

We are moving again. My company, Georgia-Pacific, has offered me a position as Plant Controller at their Las Vegas Gypsum Plant. It will be far away, but Katie and I think it's the right decision for us to go. I've been out to interview, and I think it's a great career move. I'll be going out in possibly less than 2 weeks, and Katie and Maggie and Jack Pete will probably join me in January. Of course, I'll be coming home as much as possible until they move, and Katie will come out to help me find a house. We know that we will be there for 2 years. We are very excited about the opportunity, and will keep everyone posted as we go along.


The view from just outside of Georgia-Pacific's Las Vegas Gypsum Plant. 

And now, some news about Maggie. She's still teething. Katie's in Florida for work, so it's just us for a few days. Mommy will be home tomorrow night. Here are a few pictures.


Maggie in jeans and a sweater. 


The happiest baby in the world. 


Jack Pete 

Have a good Wednesday.

~Andy

Maggie's Weekend

Maggie started her weekend a little early this week. I got a call from daycare around 10 am saying that she had gotten sick and I needed to come pick her up. So, I called the doctor to make sure that I didn't need to bring her in (I didn't) and I picked her up. She didn't get sick anymore- I think she just wanted to start her weekend!!

So, we surprised Andy at the airport on Friday night as he arrived back home from Muskogee, OK. I woke up yesterday morning with whatever Maggie had on Friday but still had to go to Raleigh, NC for work. Needless to say by the time I got back home last night (after two flights) I wasn't feeling that good.

I am much better today. Andy and I spent the day playing with Maggie and being lazy. Andy had to go back out of town for the week tonight and we will miss him terribly. Here are some pictures that we snapped of Maggie today.

-Katie

Today is...

Our 4th anniversary!!! It seems like we have been married forever (in a good way). We are now at the point where we finish each others sentences, say the same thing at the same time and we know when the other isn't feeling well.

Like father, like daughter. Andy bought Maggie her first piano- a little plastic Little Tykes one. She loves it and likes to make "music" with it by using both her hands and her mouth.

It should be a quiet weekend for Andy and Maggie. I have to fly to Raleigh, NC for the day on Saturday for work but will be back on Saturday night.

Have a good Friday!!

-Katie

The Wonderful World of Teething

Imagine yourself sound asleep and you think you are dreaming about a baby crying. You then open your eyes and realize that it isn't a dream; it's your child crying at 4 am. This is what happened to me this morning. Maggie is officially teething and she doesn't like it one bit.

She went back to sleep after about 30 minutes and a dose of Tylenol. We'll see what happens tonight. She was mostly pleasant today but she has had her fussy times.

Friday was a big day for Maggie. She had her 6-month check-up at the pediatrician. She is developing on schedule, if not a little ahead. She weighs 18 lbs, 4 oz., is 25 3/4 inches long and should be crawling in the next few months. The doctor told us lots of other things that Maggie will be doing soon which just means that she is growing up too quickly. The low point of the visit was the 5 shots that she got, but she was a trooper and did well.

Maggie did get some pleasant surprises this weekend. Friday night Andy and I went out to eat at PF Changs and Maggie was right there with us. This was one of the first times that we have ventured out to a restaurant with Maggie by ourselves. Maggie was able to sit in a highchair too. She enjoyed people watching. She tried a grain of white rice but didn't care for it too much.

After braving the rain, Maggie's next stop was Babies R Us. Andy and I decided that it was time to purchase a highchair for Maggie. It was becoming more and more difficult to feed her in her bouncy seat. So, Maggie now has her very own highchair. She loves being up high and watching me cook. We also gave her a sippy cup for the first time this weekend. She didn't quite know what it was and why what was coming out didn't really have a taste (it was water), but she will get the hang of it soon.

So, tomorrow starts another week. Andy is heading back to Muskogee, Oklahoma on Tuesday night and will return on Friday night. Andy and I will also be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday- we will be doing something on Sunday but we haven't decided what yet. I think it will depend on the teething situation with Maggie as she is celebrating with us.

Have a good Monday!

-Katie


I love my new highchair! 


Hey everybody!! 


What's for breakfast Mommy? 


What, you want me to hold it myself? 


This ExerSaucer is fun! 

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Today is October 6th. There are a lot of birthday's to be celebrated today.

Birthday #1- Maggie is 6 months old today!!! Technically, 12 minutes from now. Anyway, she celebrated her half birthday by having her school picture taken today. For all of those curious minds that want to know which outfit won the vote (drum roll please...)- Outfit Three won and she looked adorable. Maggie is going to continue the birthday celebration tomorrow night by going with Mommy and Daddy to get her very own highchair. However, she first has to go to the doctor in the morning and get shots- boo:(

Birthday #2- Aunt Amy is celebrating her 19th birthday today. I almost called her at 4 am to remind her what it felt like for me 19 years ago to be awake. I didn't but I might try it next year.

Birthday #3- Our good friends Mica and Micah Stevens welcomed Preston Henry into the world today at 2:44 pm. He weighs 6 lbs 14 oz and is 19 inches long. He also was born with a full head of red curls. Preston's dad, Micah, is also celebrating his birthday today. Congratulations to Mica and Micah- we can't wait to see pictures.

And, last but not least- here are Maggie's birthday pictures. These aren't the best. It seems like we just couldn't capture the picture when the hat was actually on her head. Oh well, there are many more birthday's ahead of us.

Happy Friday!

- Katie

It's School Picture Time

When I went to pick up Maggie one day last week there was a flyer attached to her daily report card. The flyer was letting the parents know that Thursday, October 6th was going to be school picture day. I couldn't have been more excited. Andy and I had actually had a conversation a few days before this wondering if Maggie was going to have school pictures made. Now I had my answer. So, now to the hard part. What was Maggie going to wear?

Then I came up with this brilliant idea. Why don't I let her friends and family that read her website decide??? Okay, so now it's up to you. It's this easy; below you will find pictures of Maggie in three different outfits. Whichever outfit you like the best for her school picture- just email me your choice. If you do not know my email address, you can find it listed under the "Contact Us" section on the right-hand side of the page. (Note: the background of the picture will be fall-ish). Voting will begin as soon as this is posted and will continue until Wednesday night at 9 pm EST. Have fun and vote as often as you'd like!!!

Outfit #1- Outfit number one is a fushia and pink horizontal striped dress with ruffles decorating the bottom edge of the dress as well as the cuffs of the sleeves.


Option # 1

Outfit #2- Outfit number two is a pair of vintage wash jeans paired worn with a white t-shirt and paired with a peach button-up sweater.


Option # 2

Outfit #3- Outfit number three is a pair of vintage wash jeans paired worn with a white t-shirt and paired with a multi-colored knit poncho.


Option # 3

- Katie

PS- here is a picture of Maggie and Andy taken today before church.


Me and Daddy

: : MILESTONES : :

Katie had to work late tonight, so it was an evening of just Maggie and me. We’ve had three big milestones in the last few days, so here’s a recap:

• Crying for Daddy: This one came about when I picked her up from daycare today. She saw me enter the room, threw her hands up for me. When I turned around to gather up her bottles, she started crying. This lasted until I picked her up. I think she’s officially a Daddy’s girl now!
• Sitting up on her own: During afternoon playtime, I had her on our bed as I was attempting to fold some laundry (sorry for this if it shows up in the picture.) We’ve been working with her some on sitting up, but until now she’s always had help either by a pillow or us. She was all excited and playful as I was singing her new favorite song, the "Last Act Finale" from the opera The Gondoliers. I propped her up only to notice that she could stay up by herself. She stayed up for about five minutes, spit up some carrots (the new food of the week!) and fell over, smiling the whole time.
  
  
• Waving: Okay, so maybe we’re stretching a little on this one, but we think she’s doing it. As Katie was feeding her the bedtime bottle, I was waving to her, and soon she found herself opening and closing her hand. I don’t think she can do it on demand yet, nor does she know what it means, but it’s exciting anyway.

She was with her older, wiser friends Ethan Bruce and Todd Hamblin this weekend, so maybe they taught her some of these new tricks while we weren't looking! She also got to visit with her cousin Anna and we all know smarts run in the family.

Have a good week.
~Andy

Daily Report Card

Every day that Maggie is at daycare, or as we like to call it- school, she gets a daily report card of her activities. Things like when she napped, ate, went to the bathroom, etc... are listed. The following was what was listed on today's report card and my thought's as I read it are in parentheses:

Maggie Kennedy 9/21/05

Behavior- Happy (like she is anything but happy!)

Naps- 8-9, 11:30-12:45, 3:15-3:45 (WHAT- she slept 3 hours- that is a record for her at daycare, the most she normally sleeps all day is an hour and a half)

Meals- 10am- bottle and cereal
1pm- bottle
4pm- bottle, cereal and pears (okay, someone must have missed my note that she doesn't get cereal in the afternoons but oh well)

Diapers- (no need to publish the digestive habits of my daughter, but they were normal today)

So, Maggie had a great day. She did get to change clothes at some point today for some reason but so did her best friend at daycare, Grace. Maybe they had a food fight??

On another random thought. I tried to measure Maggie to the best of my ability after I put her down to bed tonight. I think she is about 25 1/2 inches long!!! By the time she is 18 months old she will be half of her adult height. At the rate she is going she is going to be taller than her daddy!!

Speaking of Daddy, he is in Muskogee, Oklahoma this week. He also has come down with a cold or sinus issues of some sort so I really wish he was at home where I could ask him every 5 minutes how he is feeling. Now he just gets my emails asking this every few hours.

I was supposed to be traveling to Baton Rouge tomorrow to attend LSU's Career Fair but the sudden strengthening of Hurricane Rita has prompted me to cancel my trip. We can only pray that Rita does far less destruction than Katrina.

On a lighter note, here are some pictures.

Katie

Maggie's Weekend

Maggie had a great weekend with Mommy and Daddy. I was able to get an earlier flight home on Friday, so I was at home when Maggie got home from school. She and Andy had a good week but I was very glad to be home.

Saturday, Maggie and I spent most of the day around the house. We did venture out to the grocery store where Maggie always makes friends since she is such a happy little girl. Andy spent all day yesterday sanding the porches. The paint on both of the porches was peeling very badly so Andy is fixing them the correct way so we will not have this problem again.

We all went to church this morning and I took Maggie to the mall this afternoon. Maggie has also started teething this weekend. We have suspected this for a while because of the amount of drool that she can produce, but now everything that she can get in her mouth goes in her mouth. She was also a little cranky after church. When we got home she slept for almost 2 hours so the crankiness could have also been tiredness.

Andy is going out of town tomorrow morning. He is going to do a mill audit in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We will miss him terribly.

Enjoy the pictures. Jack hadn't had his picture on the website lately so there is also a picture of him.

Katie

While Daddy Wasn't Looking

While Daddy wasn't looking...Mommy put a bow in Maggie's hair!!!! Maggie's hair has gotten a lot thicker and more blonde over the past several weeks. So, I just couldn't help myself. It looks a little funny, as it appears that there is just a bow sticking on her head, but nonetheless, it's cute. And yes, she is trying to sit up on her own.

There are also some pictures from my girls weekend with my college friends too. We had a great time being tourists in Chattanooga, TN. It was a good thing that Maggie had such a great time with Daddy last weekend because I am flying out tomorrow for work until Friday. I will be in Bonita Springs, Florida exhibiting at the Florida Nurses Association conference.

Enjoy the pictures.

Katie

“Just Daddy and Me, and oh yeah, Jack Pete”

If Maggie could talk, that’s what she would have said to describe this weekend. Katie was out of town, so I had the whole show to myself. This is by far the longest time that I’ve been in charge of her, completely anyway. It was very interesting.

Friday night was fairly uneventful. Saturday started early, as Maggie thought that there was no reason for me to sleep past 6:15 on a Saturday. So up we were. We made a trip to the Farmer’s Market around lunch. As we’ve written, this week she started fruits and vegetables. Saturday was the first installment of the sweet potatoes. Everything she had on was stained orange. We had a good time though. She finally tired out around 7:30 and she had tired me out in the process.

Sunday was church as usual. I say usual, but in fact it’s the first time I had to pick out the dress and get a baby bag ready for church. I succeeded though (this is a real biggy considering I took her to daycare last week with her dress on backwards!).

Katie got home in the early afternoon. She had been to an unclaimed freight store in Chattanooga and bought Maggie an upscale umbrella stroller. We looked it up online and it retails for $300. No, no, no, we didn’t win the lottery. She got the stroller for $15. I’m thinking I should try to sell it on E-bay rather than us use it, but I’m betting that would not go over too well.

Enjoy the pictures of Maggie in her new stroller. I’m omitting the ones that I took this morning because as it turns out, her dress was WAY TOO BIG, so the pictures make her look like an overstuffed baby doll.

~Andy

5 Months Old

Maggie turned 5 months old today!!! We can't believe it's gone by this fast. Maggie celebrated by spending time with Mommy and Daddy's friend, Brian, and by eating baby applesauce for the first time. She loved it. At first, she was like, "What did she just put in my mouth?" But then she realized that it tasted good and she could have more.

Of course, her monthly birthday picture is below as well as other pictures from the holiday week.

Katie

Maggie's Visit with Mimi and Pap

Mimi and Pap (Andy's parents) braved long lines at the gas stations to come visit Maggie this weekend. They arrived on Saturday at lunchtime and visited until mid-afternoon today. We had a great visit and Maggie even decided that she would give up naptimes to get to play as much as she could.

We all went to church today and Maggie wore her first pair of shoes, Robeez.



Maggie also wore a dress that I wore as a baby (26 years ago) and it looks brand new. Andy and I also discovered that if you put Maggie on your lap at the piano she will bang on it and she loves to hear it make noise. Andy couldn't be happier that at 5 months old, Maggie is already showing her fondness for music.

We will definitely have more pictures this week as we have more company arriving tomorrow and Maggie's 5 month birthday is on Tuesday.

Have a good Labor Day and enjoy your day off work (most of you).

Katie