Make it Stappy!

Bad Blogger

2012-01-31T23:38:00.000-06:00

Sigh! I've been a super-bad blogger, and I've been blaming it on Soren walking. In truth, I really started slacking last August, and I have only posted when baby-starved grandmas and aunts request it. So, to catch up, I'm supplementing posts by making albums on flickr and posting videos to YouTube like a crazy person.

Check out these photos:
Awesome August
Superb September
Outstanding October
Novel November

And to get you started on YouTube, here are a few of my favorites:

New photos

2012-01-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

Soren's new (13-month) professional photos came in the mail today. These are a few of my favorites.

Nature Boys

2011-11-19T23:00:00.000-06:00

Soren and I showed Daddy the pine forest that we learned about during the latest Babes in the Woods program at Burr Oak Woods. We had so much fun finding little bits of nature to play with, touch and explore. I love spending time with my nature boys!

Soren's Ball Pit

2011-11-18T22:30:00.000-06:00

Jump around!

2011-11-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

Soren's First Birthday Party

2011-11-13T22:51:00.000-06:00

Our sweet boy is coming up on his first birthday, and we just had to celebrate! Soren (and Mama and Daddy!) have grown and changed and learned a lot this past year, and we wanted to share our joy with our family.

Aunt L made some delicious cupcakes, and with the help of Grandma S, they looked pretty tasty, too! Aunt L also helped Mama make Soren's birthday banner out of cloth from his weekly photo backdrops (a la http://www.younghouselove.com/ and http://www.soulemama.com/)

Group photo time!

Soren got lots of fun toys, including a rocking horse from Grandma Ann and Grandpa Tom and a monster tractor from Uncle John! But do you know what is most fun of all? Wrapping paper!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! We didn't get out to trick-or-treat because we were a little sick, but we took this today especially for Grandma.

Livingston County Steam and Gas Show

2011-09-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

We thought we'd catch Great-grandpa making apple cider at the steam and gas show, but they ran out of apples to squeeze! That was ok with us because, instead of working, he got to spend more time with us.Soren played in the wagon with the corn shellers and the wagon with the corn grinders. He really liked playing in the corn. I see a new item for a sensory tray in the future!Soren watched Great-grandpa and Great-uncle John in the Parade of Power from the fence.He also acted bashful when the ladies let him ride one of the ponies and found a neat group of musicians.

Home from annual training

2011-09-23T21:28:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you haven't seen Daddy for TWO WEEKS and are super-excited? Sit on him, of course!

First ride in the bike trailer

2011-09-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

Parades, dinners and family fun

2011-09-18T22:10:00.011-05:00

We headed up to Chillicothe Friday night so we could be in Chula bright and early for the Chula Street Fair. Great-grandpa had planned to drive his sleigh in the parade, and we thought it'd be fun to watch. As it turns out, the first parade Soren got to watch was the first parade Great-grandpa said he'd been in. He and Judy won first prize for their float!Aunt L showed up later for the pulled pork supper. Soren and Grandpa spent some time putting a hat on each other's head and then squared off over the blocks.Sunday was Meneely Reunion. We were sad that Daddy had to be at annual training and miss the fun, but we got to try a lot of yummy food.

And eventually Soren's overalls got wet (spilled drink? bubble solution? pee? who knows...), and he had to go without.We spent a little more time with Great-grandpa before we packed up and said goodbye!

Scenes from Soren's First Royals Game

2011-09-14T23:00:00.010-05:00

Soren went to his first baseball game today. We hit the cheap seats for an afternoon with the Royals. Soren is a member of Sluggerrr's Blue Crew, and when we arrived, we received a certificate to commemorate his first Royals game. No peanuts or Cracker Jack, but we did grab a brat and some water.

Soren's version of a 7th inning stretch. Royals ended up winning 7-3.

Soren Andrew - Week 43

2011-09-13T22:56:00.005-05:00

Our photo sessions are getting shorter and shorter. I'm either going to have to get faster with the camera or wait for someone to help me wrangle the baby!

Soren Andrew - Week 42

2011-09-06T22:54:00.005-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 41

2011-08-30T23:38:00.005-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 40

2011-08-23T23:37:00.010-05:00

We totally got distracted by Rowdy's carrier.

Soren Andrew - Week 39

2011-08-16T23:36:00.007-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 38

2011-08-09T23:35:00.009-05:00

Man about town

2011-08-04T20:52:00.008-05:00

What LOVELY weather, especially after the heat! We got out to run some errands. Soren definitely enjoyed being out and about.

Soren Andrew - Week 37

2011-08-02T12:46:00.005-05:00

Love Bullets

2011-07-30T22:37:00.004-05:00

In our house, we shoot love bullets.

And no, we don't always use diaper boxes as furniture.

Sleep Training - Week 3

2011-07-30T12:51:00.005-05:00

It's bedtime!

After Soren gets his teeth brushed and pajamas on, he spends some time quietly playing in the crib.

Then we read some books and sing some songs. And, after three weeks, I still get this:

Summer Reading Program

2011-07-29T11:09:00.009-05:00

Check out that plane! Each banner represents 24 books that Soren listened to this summer. After he hit each milestone, we got a new banner and a new book as a prize! Mary Beth got us signed up at the end of June, a little late because I thought Soren was too young for the program. But, we've really enjoyed having a regular trip to the library each week, and we will try to keep that up.
Oh, and P.S. He hasn't just been reading the whole summer. Soren also found a new way to use the pacifier...

CSA bag: CORN!

2011-07-27T11:08:00.004-05:00

Yes! You know it's summer when there's corn on the cob. Fortunately/unfortunately, I'm the only fan of that in my house. Pro: I get all I want. Con: I hope I can eat it all before it goes bad!

Soren Andrew - Week 36

2011-07-26T22:03:00.008-05:00

A tisket, a tasket, a blue plastic basket

2011-07-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

New Friend: Mary Beth

2011-07-21T20:33:00.001-05:00

Soren's new best friend is Mary Beth. She is a librarian at Buckner, and she reads the stories at Story Time. When we go to Story Time, we have to wake up Squeaker (the mouse puppet) to read the stories with us. Then we watch a short video and make a craft. Mary Beth encourages Soren in the crafts, even though he can't really get into them yet.

Soren Andrew - Week 35

2011-07-19T22:02:00.008-05:00

The Agapanthus Triptych

2011-07-17T22:55:00.002-05:00

We stopped by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to check out Monet's Agapanthus Triptych. I was super-excited, both to see the three paintings together AND to reminisce about the fun we had seeing other triptychs at the Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris. The exhibit was really interesting, but Soren was more interested in people-watching. Plus, outside the exhibit he found his favorite part of the whole museum: the vent.

Can't keep a good baby down!

2011-07-17T21:43:00.001-05:00

The day after he turned 8 months, my little monster started pulling up on the dresser!

Soren Update: 8 months

2011-07-16T23:48:00.002-05:00

Eight months - wow! Soren is close to 22.5 pounds, according to our bathroom scale, and he is close to 29.5-30 inches. Plus, he's acquired one more tooth on the bottom.

Soren is having fun being a kiddo. He likes bouncing in his saucer and jumper. He is sitting on his own to play, and spending a lot of time on his feet, just standing, although he has been known to take a step or two. He likes to dump his toys out of their containers, but shows no interest in putting them back, even if it is just to dump them again. Soren also loves to close books while you read to him. I pretend that it's because he can't stand how lovely the cover art is and simply MUST see it again - immediately.

Jason and I have looked into a few signs to teach him, but we haven't pursued it very aggressively. What we ARE working on is getting him to sleep on his own. We've been co-sleeping for the past eight months. I kept delaying the sleep training, blaming the fact that Jason needed to be well-rested for work. With the state emergency duty and Jason working nights, it seemed like the perfect time to start. Even if Soren and I are up all night working on getting this right, we can sleep quietly during the day, just like Daddy!

Soren's development seems to have started accelerating, albeit slowly, and I'm eagerly anticipating what next month brings. Until then...

Long weekend! or Poor Malibu!

2011-07-12T23:53:00.003-05:00

Our weekend got started early with a flying trip to Columbia to see Erin before she took off for southern Missouri and her grown-up job. We're going to miss her!We played with Daddy when we could.Aunt L came to visit; she joined us for Farm Aid Day at the Riverside Market because (sadly)we'll be missing the real Farm Aid this year. (It's SO close! Sigh.)We had Sunday Funday at the Kerr house. Hannah was a very gracious host, and Soren also got a little Olive time. We extended our weekend to Tuesday and made another quick trip to Columbia to see family and run errands.
Whew! Now it's time to stay home for a while...

Soren Andrew - Week 34

2011-07-12T12:56:00.006-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 33

2011-07-05T12:57:00.008-05:00

Soren is definitely enjoying his photo shoots more and more, especially when Daddy makes an appearance!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T23:20:00.001-05:00

Visit Grandpa Tom and Grandma Ann

2011-07-04T22:19:00.004-05:00

Soren alternated between wakefulness and sleep as we traveled toward Lamar to visit Grandpa and Grandma. When we got there, he headed straight for the arm chair and waited for Grandma to get out the toys.

Later, we crashed a birthday party, mostly for cake and use of the pool. Soren has splashed in his bathtub and kiddie pool in the backyard, but this was his first time in a big pool. I don't think his feet stopped kicking the whole time he was in there!I finally got to eat at the famous Chicken Mary's. We drove all the way to Kansas, but that chicken was worth the trip.The next day was full of food, naps and shopping with Grandma and Grandpa.

Soren Andrew - Week 32

2011-06-28T12:57:00.007-05:00

McCreery/Maher Wedding - Best wedding EVAR!!!

2011-06-25T23:18:00.008-05:00

I shouldn't have been surprised about how cute Haley's wedding was because she has always been one classy lady! There was music from the '40s and '50s, soda in bottles chilling in a couple of old washing machines filled with ice, and every table had a unique salt and pepper shaker - ours was Mr. Peanut and I am STILL kicking myself for forgetting to photograph that!How cute are these two? Haley's hair reminds me of Jane Seymour's in Somewhere in Time. Love it! They even had a fountain to refill the empty soda bottles with water, but the kids enjoyed playing in it, too.

Soren Andrew - Week 31

2011-06-21T12:42:00.008-05:00

Father's Day in 1861

2011-06-19T23:12:00.026-05:00

Probably too hot for a battle, but here we are anyway...

Cooling off at Dairy Queen after the battle. Happy Father's Day!

Soren Update: 7 months

2011-06-16T11:03:00.005-05:00

Soren is growing. He weighs in at 21 pounds this month and is 29-29.5-ish inches long. I would tend to attribute this to the meat we've introduced into his diet, but I think there's a growth spurt that usually happens around this time.

I'm sure Soren would like us to inform you that he is no longer a baby. He is trying to consolidate naps, only sometimes unsuccessfully. He is sitting by himself quite well and is showing signs of wanting to move. Instead of crawling, though, he would rather indicate to us that he wants to move or for us to put a toy within reach, so he doesn't have to stretch for it. He also would rather have us help him up so he can try to walk.

Being a big boy also means he gets big-boy food. Soren has started to show interest in what Mama and Daddy are eating and is less content with his own food. He lunged at Daddy's stir-fry just the other night. We've started cutting up soft foods for him in addition to his lovely purees.

Our new toy is foil this month. I didn't realize how bad of a mama I was when pitched the Dove chocolate wrapper, but Soren let me know right away. When I finally figured out what had happened, I fished another piece of candy out of the bag so I could give him a shiny new foil square and made a mental note to start saving the foil for him. Soren also loves when we get fajitas at the local Mexican restaurant; then he gets to play with two BIG pieces of foil that covered our tortillas.

Soren Andrew - Week 30

2011-06-14T12:27:00.008-05:00

Little Rascals discover Boonville

2011-06-13T23:11:00.009-05:00

Soren and I joined Morgan County 4-H's Little Rascals on a trip to Boonville, Mo. Our first stop was:One of the horses had foaled this morning, so we got to see a brand-new baby. Then we went to see the Old Cooper County Jail and Hanging Barn. We also walked a bit on the Katy Trail and checked out the caboose.

Soren Andrew - Week 29

2011-06-07T12:09:00.007-05:00

Soren Update: 6 months-ish

2011-06-06T07:39:00.004-05:00

It's WAY past Soren's half birthday, but I wanted to update you on recent developments.

Soren got his 6-month shots and weighed in at 19 pounds 8 ounces. He is 28.5 inches tall.

He's a good eater. We've experimented with peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and pears in addition to the rice cereal and oatmeal. The peas didn't go down too well the first couple of times, but he hasn't had any problems with them recently.

Soren has six (6!) teeth that have emerged from the gumline. The first two started coming in the week before Mother's Day and the other four followed a lot faster than I thought they would. It's caused some crankiness, so I'm hoping that we get a break for a bit.

In the past couple of weeks, Soren has become an independent sitter. He would prefer to become an independent walker, but thank goodness he's not quite there yet. He's rolling over front-to-back and back-to-front, although it's still mostly the former. Soren has discovered that his toes will fit in his mouth when he's not saying, "Da da da da da!" We've only heard "ma ma ma ma" once, but I have gotten a real kiss.

And, we must also report that it didn't take him long to get ornery. Soren has learned to stop his swing by grabbing one of the poles and if you've told him no, sometimes he'll watch to see if you're looking before he grabs for it again.

Soren likes to play peek-a-boo, look in the mirror (He is a Stapp!) and crinkle newspaper and paper bags. He also likes flying around the house with Daddy and laughing at Mama's dancing.

June trip to Columbia

2011-06-02T23:10:00.013-05:00

I was honored to receive the 4-H State Council Alumni Award from this year's council at Congress. It really means a lot to be recognized by an organization I respect so much! (This photo was taken by the lovely Cassie Reid.) After the evening assembly, we visited with a few friends.

Then we went bowling with Brian.The next day we went to visit Carolina and have a pool party with Mariana and Gabriel.

Soren Andrew - Week 28

2011-05-31T12:11:00.006-05:00

Party with rainbow cupcakes

2011-05-30T23:10:00.007-05:00

We were invited to our neighbor's birthday party, and I used that as an excuse to try to make those lovely rainbow cupcakes! There seemed to be some seismic shifting in the oven, which I blame on inequality of gel proportions. Next time, more gel, more equally! However, everyone at the party was impressed with the tie-dye brilliance, except the 2-year-old birthday boy who was engrossed in his full-size Elmo cake. Psshh! Who needs tiny cupcakes when you have a big one to yourself?!

This was Soren's first birthday party invite, but he wasn't the youngest kid there. He mainly played with the balloons on the picnic table and the sand at the sand table. It was a pretty fun time!

Kickin' it poolside

2011-05-29T17:22:00.006-05:00

Soren had his first taste of summer pool fun when Daddy inflated the kiddie pool.

Shakespeare in the Park

2011-05-27T23:09:00.010-05:00

Yum! We started our STL trip with a stop at Fitz's. I love their root beer and am super-sad that the diner in KC's Union Station is no longer open! I really enjoyed watching that fizzy drink get bottled, and this time I got to share it with Soren (and Jason).

After Fitz's, we checked out the surrounding area of The Loop...

a little history lesson with the trolley...

arts and entertainment on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...and pop culture at the Star Clipper!

Then we headed to Forest Park for the Shakespeare Festival. We met up with Tracy, staked out our spot and chilled...literally! Temps were a bit low for the end of May, and we had a few bouts of showers, but of course, the show must go on!

If for no other reason than to have beautiful, delicious, multi-colored cupcakes baked by the lovely AshLee. I'm sure JR helped, too.

We had so much fun! I just wish these guys didn't live on the complete opposite side of the state!

Soren Andrew - Week 27

2011-05-24T19:56:00.007-05:00

Bates City Barbecue with the Holderieaths

2011-05-20T23:18:00.003-05:00

We've been hearing great things about this place for months now, but we never got around to trying it until the Holderieaths came to town!

It really was good food. I'm not sure it was on my plate long enough to take pictures!

Saucer Time Again!

2011-05-20T16:53:00.001-05:00

My favorite CSA bag yet - yum!

2011-05-18T16:46:00.000-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 26

2011-05-17T19:33:00.001-05:00

Shopping with Mama

2011-05-14T09:53:00.003-05:00

Soren's classic car

2011-05-13T22:49:00.005-05:00

Well, it's not really Soren's. He just likes to think it is...holding the keys and sitting on it and such.

Park trip

2011-05-12T16:32:00.001-05:00

It finally warmed up enough for a park trip. Soren and Mama enjoyed getting out of the house!

Soren Andrew - Week 25

2011-05-10T22:32:00.009-05:00

Around Versailles...

2011-05-08T22:07:00.000-05:00

Friday morning Soren and I got up to visit Great-grandma Schad. Then we all went to visit Aunt Leta and tell her how we've traced the Schad side of the family back to the mid-1600s in Germany with the help of my brother-in-law David. Grandpa D joined us for lunch; Soren sure does like his glasses.Saturday was pretty much a blur, but on Sunday, Mother's Day, we gave Grandma S a "Proud New Grandma" button to wear to church. You can see her wearing it a few pews behind Soren. Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of my mom on Mother's Day. (sad face) We ate lunch at Great-grandma Schad's house and visited with the cousins before heading home to Daddy.

Eldon FFA Banquet

2011-05-05T22:07:00.002-05:00

We went to the Eldon FFA Banquet this year. Soren wore his FFA onesie and played with Grandma and Grandpa while Mama took photos. (Photo by Katie Groner)

Mid-Missouri traveling

2011-05-05T16:30:00.015-05:00

Soren and I hit the road after his Tuesday photo shoot. Our first stop was the Mud Room, so he could make his mama her first-ever Mother's Day gift. It was not NEARLY as momentous for him - he slept through it. Yes, those are hand and thumbprints! Then, we celebrated Aunt L's birthday at Lone Star.

Later, we headed to the Methodist church to watch the Bunraku Bay group perform. Soren was the most interested in the first section, Kotobuki Shiki Sanbaso, which is where the puppets scatter good fortune on the audience and purify the theatre. There were lots of bells and the puppeteers came out into the audience. They avoided Soren for the most part. I assume it's because they have had unhappy prior experiences with young people crying. However, during the Lion Dance, the troupe leader shared that it was good luck for the lion to bite children on the head and proceeded to snap the puppet at Soren. He took it like a champ, and this mama was very relieved! Our friend, and puppeteer, Eric posed the lion with Soren so we could get a photo.

We spent the night at Hotel Shafer. Our friends Sara and Eric (a different one) let us take over their house with baby paraphernalia and braved possible teething fits even though the both had to work the next day(s).
On Wednesday we visted the Merritts in the morning, ate lunch with the Maurers, and spent the afternoon with Jane. We ate dinner with Sara and her friend at Shakespeare's. On Thursday, Soren and I ate breakfast with Sara before we headed south. In Holts Summit, we visited with Mr. Aiden and his mama and sister.We stopped by Rural Missouri to say hi to his daddy before meeting Jena for lunch. Whew! Time to get ready for the FFA banquet!

Soren Andrew - Week 24

2011-05-03T22:23:00.001-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 23

2011-04-26T20:08:00.008-05:00

Easter in Chillicothe

2011-04-24T20:07:00.010-05:00

Group shot - Grandpa D was sick and missed out on the fun.

This time we remembered to take a four-generation photo. (Schad photo is already in the can.)While we were there, there was much visiting and much napping...before church...

...and after.

Growing up...

2011-04-20T22:09:00.000-05:00

Community Supported Agriculture: Red Ridge Farms

2011-04-20T20:19:00.005-05:00

Today Soren and I stopped by Red Ridge Farms, south of Odessa, to pick up our first week of vegetables from the CSA. We have a half share, and that's plenty of veg for us. Most of the produce this week came from the high tunnel because it's been pretty cool in the area. I really like buying food from a local producer, where you can see where and how it's grown. The Zumalts' have a nice place. They grow plants organically and use sustainable methods, such as using natural predators to control pests, fertilizing with chicken litter and watering with rain that has collected in their pond. (It's drinking water quality!)

Soren Andrew - Week 22

2011-04-19T13:10:00.008-05:00

Daddy and Soren fall asleep while reading

2011-04-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

I love you...almost.

2011-04-18T21:03:00.006-05:00

The 83rd Missouri FFA Convention

2011-04-16T20:35:00.011-05:00

On Wednesday, Soren helped us edit our releases and joined us for pizza at Shakespeare's. We caught up with Erin Ross (and the Holderieaths) and Sara Schafer. Soren made an appearance in his FFA outfit when Mama accepted her Honorary State FFA Degree. And he decided to be Aunt L's taskmaster: "Edit faster or I'll pull your hair!"

After it was all said and done, we realized we didn't have any photos of Soren and Grandma. The only evidence of her great baby-sitting job was a happy baby and tons of photos.

Soren Update: 5 months

2011-04-16T12:09:00.004-05:00

Soren is doing well. With no official appointment this month, we will call his weight 18 pounds and will not speculate on height.

Soren is definitely more vocal these days. He really likes the "L" sound, so we sing Skip to My Lou and say I love you a lot. He also is quite active with his hands and has now found his toes, the best toys in the world! Soren played with Grandma S during FFA convention, and she said that he accidently rolled over. We'll see if he can repeat the accident for Mama and Daddy. He's also getting more active in his saucer and Tigger jumper.

Soren Andrew - Week 21

2011-04-12T12:08:00.009-05:00

Lounging 3

2011-04-10T00:34:00.001-05:00

Reading at Barnes and Noble

2011-04-08T14:55:00.002-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 20

2011-04-05T15:31:00.003-05:00

Jump around

2011-04-03T21:16:00.001-05:00

We tried the saucer. Now it's time for the doorway jumper. We had a successful first run.

Holding on

2011-04-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

Today marks the first day I picked up Soren and he didn't immediately drop whatever toy was in his hands. In fact, Sophie made it all the way to the changing table with him.

Hello again, CoMo!

2011-04-01T21:08:00.010-05:00

Oh, Columbia, how we love you, but more importantly, your people. This trip we visited with Jamie, the Holderieaths and some former coworkers from CAFNR, Whitten Hall and Clark Hall. We also ate at 63 Diner and Ingredient. Yum!

Saucer Time

2011-03-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 19

2011-03-29T11:20:00.001-05:00

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Shields

2011-03-28T22:03:00.005-05:00

Soren sure had fun! He watched TV with Grandma...he took a nap with Grandpa...and he tried out a seat of his own!

Grandpa's 60th Birthday Bash

2011-03-26T22:00:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Grandpa D's 60th birthday in Versailles and invited tons of people to come party with us.We had tons of cake.

Grandpa got some things to help him see and hear better.

And he showed off Soren to everyone. Then Aunt L took over.

Then after the party, we went to take photos of Amelia. Daddy acted as baby-wrangler while Mama snapped the pictures.

Soren and his combine

2011-03-25T22:16:00.002-05:00

First taste of rice cereal

2011-03-23T22:22:00.003-05:00

Soren Andrew - Week 18

2011-03-22T23:20:00.003-05:00

Soren Updates: 4 months

2011-03-21T22:25:00.006-05:00

Soren is 17 pounds 7 ounces (90th percentile) and 26.5 inches (90th-95th percentile). Upon hearing how much we were feeding him, she said we could probably back off some supplements because he's at the top of his charts. She also said that we could start feeding him some rice cereal!

Soren is still working at tummy time. Sometimes he can get his rear in gear, but his top half is still stuck. We'll keep you posted. In other news, he's become much more accomplished with his hands. Starting Week 14 or Week 15, he really started grabbing his ball and rattle and shaking them around. He likes putting things in his mouth, mostly his hands, but also Sophie the giraffe and his sleeve and/or blanket.

He likes for Daddy to play Peek-A-Boo and Tug-of-War with him using whatever fabric is handy. He laughs when he "crashes" into Daddy, when Daddy pretends to "get him," or when Mama dances and sings Mancini's Pink Panther theme. He also likes for Mama to sing to him before he goes to bed, usually "It Might as Well Be Spring" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair.

Saturday Morning Gold

2011-03-19T13:13:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T22:12:00.003-05:00

Things were pretty low-key here. Soren wore his shirt from Aunt Tracy. We watched the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day parade online. Then, Daddy helped us make Irish Beef Hand Pies. I checked out Scythian and The Chieftains online. I'm already looking forward to the KC Irish Fest!

Soren Andrew - Week 17

2011-03-15T21:51:00.006-05:00

For more outtakes, click here.

It's in the bag!

2011-03-14T22:25:00.004-05:00

Grandma S heard that Soren was getting too big for his britches and ran to the store. Not only did we get a special delivery of pants, we got a monkey shirt and some sleep bags, too! Thank you, Grandma!

Crazy weekend!

2011-03-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

We had a crazy-busy, crazy-fun weekend. Aunt L came to hang out Friday night. On Saturday we got to Skype with the Stapps in Germany. Oliver and Bella both got to say hi to Cousin Soren. We also made Irish Raisin Cookies while we watched the 25th anniversary concert of Les Mis on TV. Then, we got ready to go celebrate a new Baby Kerr. Before we left, Daddy fixed what little hair Soren has - check out that part!

At the party, Daddy showed off his amazing magic skills, I showed off my non-existent Taboo skills, and Lauren showed off her ability to get people to suggest single boys she should date!

On our way home, we stopped by to say hi to Uncle Snuffy and give him some cookies. Soren is definitely rocking a bald spot!

Sunday was spent trying to track down a camera for Aunt L...and snuggling with Soren!

I love my job...

2011-03-10T21:53:00.000-06:00

Soren Andrew - Week 16

2011-03-08T20:40:00.008-06:00

Here are few extra photos:Happy Fat Tuesday!

Chillicothe-bound to see Great-grandpa

2011-03-05T23:20:00.002-06:00

While Daddy was at drill, Soren and I took a trip to see Great-grandpa. We ate lunch at a homestyle restaurant where the old Harlow's stands. Then, we went back to the house to talk and nap. It was a good visit!

Soren's first trip to the park

2011-03-03T23:00:00.009-06:00

It was so nice outside that we couldn't pass up an opportunity for Soren's first trip to the park.

A dentist appointment is a good excuse to travel

2011-03-02T22:33:00.008-06:00

We had to get up bright and early to head east to Columbia this morning. I had a dentist appointment around 10. As soon as we got there, the ladies started throwing themselves at Soren. As you can see, he was playing hard to get. Then we met Diana for a long lunch at Heidelberg. It will be a long time before we see her again because she is taking a job out of the country, so we tried to make the most of the time we had. We certainly wish her and Jason luck on their latest adventure! It sounds very exciting!

After lunch, we headed to Jane's house. I like to think of her as my "Columbia grandma." When we visit, we talk about how our families are doing, but she also tells me about what it was like to be an Army wife during wartime and being stationed abroad, and she shares life lessons that she has learned along the way. We always drink tea or lemonade, often with freshly picked mint garnishing the glass, and have a few icebox cookies.
Jane was thrilled to see Soren. He talked to her a little bit and showed her how he was coming along with his tummy time.

We hated to leave, but the drive back home isn't short. We stopped at the mall for some food and to visit Aunt L, who was on her way to a group study session, before hitting the road.

Soren Andrew - Week 15

2011-03-01T23:16:00.000-06:00

Soren Andrew - Week 14

2011-02-22T22:13:00.002-06:00

Outtakes can be found here...
This crazy baby made a face like this in almost every shot. I'm not sure what the deal was today.

Trip downtown

2011-02-21T22:54:00.001-06:00

I got a library card to the Kansas City Public Library, so we celebrated the Presidents' Day holiday by checking out the central branch in downtown KC. We looked at the display of newspaper photos from the '20s and '30s on the fifth floor and checked out some classic movies from the Vault. (Cat Ballou, anyone?) I even found an audio book I was interested in: The Tao of Willie Nelson.

We ended up parking near where the FFA was founded, which reminds me: Happy National FFA Week!