Happy 6 month birthday Catie!

I can't believe that Catie is 6 months old today. It seems like just yesterday that I was large and in charge sitting on the couch folding laundry when my water broke. Where does the time go? It's funny, I look at Catie and sometimes she looks huge and other times she looks so little (well her feet always look little). She is growing up so fast. She has her 6 month appointment next Thursday so I will report all of her stats then. Happy 6 month birthday Catie. I love you chunky monkey!

It's freezing outside!!

When I woke up this morning it looked like it had snowed outside. The roofs were covered with frost and so were the cars. It was in the low 30's last night. Burrrr. Not to worry, Catie sleeps with a warm mist humidifier so her room is a perfect temperature. Hopefully it warms up so we can take Catie to the swings this afternoon. Catie is old enough that we are finally able to use the big park behind our house. It is a kids frenzy around 4:30 when the parents are getting home and taking their kids out. Catie loves swinging on the swing and Colin loves watching the people...ok, so do I.

A family filled weekend

On Friday morning Catie, Susie, and I flew down to Pasadena to surprise my mom for her 60th birthday. We landed at about 10:45 am and my dad picked us up. We went to my dad's office to change Catie into her party dress and headed over to the first of two birthday celebrations for my mom. Her girlfriends were throwing her a Scottish birthday luncheon. Scottish you make ask. The reason is that my mother has decided to take up a hobby. No it isn't scrap booking, knitting or writing a memoir. She has been taking BAG PIPE lessons. Yes folks, my mom wants to play the bag pipes (which my dad gave her for her birthday). The thing is that if you know my mom it makes total sense. Ok..so I digress.

We arrived at the party just after my mom did and walked in the front door. She was in the kitchen when her girlfriend said, "Catherine, come in here. You have a surprise at the door". She walked in and saw the three of standing there and just started to cry. It was great. We totally surprised her. Her response was. "So that is why you were on text this morning". Text= Instant Message. She was close!

The lunch was wonderful and they even surprised her with a bagpiper. The noise didn't seem to bother Catie at all. She just stared at the man and probably thought..."This is what my grandmother wants to do"?

After the lunch we came home, sat by the fire, a gave my mom her birthday present, a memory book. We asked both sides of the family to write their favorite memory with my mom, or a birthday wish or anything that they wanted to. Susie and I compiled it all into a book that she can keep and read over when ever she likes. She was really touched.

On Saturday morning my dad surprised my mom with a massage at the spa (which he included my sister and me on). We had a wonderful time and came home very relaxed. In the late afternoon we had to drop Susie off at the airport so she could head back to SF and get ready for Cabo(she left on Sunday morning- jerk face). On Saturday night my Aunt and Uncle threw my mom a dinner party with about 30 of their friends. It was a great party. Who would have thought that a bunch of 60 year olds would party until almost midnight! I think that the only reason that they left is because we all did.

Catie and I flew back on Sunday afternoon and she was great on the flight. It was a wonderful weekend filled with family and friends and now it is back to daily grind. I hope that everyone has a great week.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

I want to wish my mom and Catie's Nonnie a very happy birthday. I know that she would get mad if I told you how old she is, but I will say that she isn't turning 59 and she is not turning 61. So Happy Birthday to a very young Mom :) I hope that you have a wonderful day and a terrific birthday week. I wish that we could be with you to help you celebrate but we will toast you from afar (and celebrate when you come up next month). You are a remarkable woman, mother, grandmother and friend. Happy, happy Birthday. I love you!!!

Pre-school applications vs. College Applications...which are worse?

Answer: pre-school applications.

Holy cow. The rumors about getting your child into the good pre-schools are true!! I have called several pre-schools to request applications for Catie. The first question they ask when I call is, "Is the baby born yet". Are you kidding me? My response is, "She is 5 months old, is it too late to put her on the waiting list?" How in the world do you enroll someone that hasn't been born yet? One of the questions on the multiple page application is what is the baby birth's date. Are you suppose to put TBD?

For the past two weeks I have been filling out applications and mailing deposit checks (we are not eating this month so Catie can attend pre-school in 3 years!!!!!). She is officially on the waiting list for three pre-schools in Marin and 1 in San Francisco (she was enrolled there a week after she was born). The pre-school in San Francisco is where Colin and all his friends went. Colin was a legend there, or so he says.

So Miss Catie, you are on the waiting lists. Now all I have to do is stress out that the unborn baby is ahead of you on the list! Oh well, finger painting here you come!

Back to work

For the last five months I have been dreading this day (thanks economy). The day that I go back to work. AHHH! Sunday night was filled with some tears and some quite moments but I knew that it would be ok and more importantly I knew that Catie would be ok. If my mom could work full time and leave me (and honestly people, I was a super cute baby) then I knew that I could do it to! It is the selfish part of me that wants to be at home with Catie. I know that she is in good hands and Colin and I are working to make sure that Catie has every opportunity in life (that is what I tell myself when I leave her everyday). So, I am now a working mom (well minus Fridays) and at this time I would like to take a moment and thank my mom. I never knew how hard it was and I admire her even more then I already do. She did it was grace, love and a wonderful attitude. Catie is lucky that I have had such a wonderful role model. Thank you mom for being you!

Catie's First Trip to the Zoo

On Sunday we decided that we wanted to doing something different and fun for Catie so we decided to go to the San Francisco Zoo. I have never been to the zoo (and have wanted to go for a long time) and Colin has not been since he was a little boy. It was a chilly day so we all dressed warmly and headed out.

Catie loved it so much that she didn't even want to take her usual afternoon nap. It was fun to hear all of Colin's stories about the zoo and where the animals were before it was remodeled (yes, he is old). He remembered an area where you could feed the animals and was adamant that we went there.

We finally made it to the petting zoo in the kids area and there were tons of goats and sheep that you could feed. Colin put $.25 in the food machine and then the minute he tried to feed one he freaked out. They would come close and he would walk quickly in the other direction. He turned to me and said, "Now I remember that this use to freak me out as a kid". After I stopped laughing so hard that I was crying, I took Catie inside to show her the lambs. We wanted to show her the real Lilly (the blanket that she sleeps with...see older post). We stopped by the cafe to warm up, saw the monkeys and then headed back to the car. Once we got home I had to get ready for our big adventure the next day....my first day back at work! The newest lion pup

Holiday pictures

Where's Catie?

There she is


Is that you Santa?


Catie's stocking is as big as she is...smart girl!

Kim took the same picture in the same chair 30 years ago!

Catie and Little Nonnie

Catie, Kim, her great grandfather and her Nonnie

Mommy and Catie after her bath in the kitchen sink.

Happy New Years to everyone!

Catie's first Christmas

I can't believe that the holidays are over. Catie's first Christmas was so much fun and we have about a 1,000 pictures to prove it. Here is a very brief summary of the major events.

Catie, Colin, Susie and I drove down to Pasadena on December 23rd. We were all remembering how exactly one year before I was pregnant and we were driving down to tell my parents. How time flys. One year later and a 5 month old is in the backseat (Catie...not Susie).

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve. Colin and my dad played golf and the ladies had their nails done, ran errands and got ready for the big day. We had a wonderful dinner and ended the night with Irish coffees (Colin was in heaven).

Christmas morning was slightly different then normal. Catie woke up at 7 am and had her breakfast. At 8 am Colin went to morning mass, my mom and dad then went to pick up Nonnie and when everyone finally returned it was time for Catie to take a nap. We sat by the fire and chatted while she slept and when she woke up around 11 am we feed her and started opening the gifts. Catie got clothes, Baby Einsteins, cd's, teething toys and a music table. Grandparents, Aunts, Parents, and Santa were all very generous. We watched the rain, sat by the fire, opened presents and had mimosas. Overall it was a perfect day.

After Christmas we headed to Palm Springs for a few days so that Catie could meet her maternal great grandfather and her cousins. As usual, she was the hit of the party. While we were in PS we also had an opportunity to see a movie (which we haven't done since 3 days before Catie was born). Susie, Colin and I went and saw Marley and Me while Nonnie and Bampa babysat. If you haven't seen the movie you need it. It was wonderful but just make sure that you bring Kleenex with you!

We headed back to Pasadena on the 30th to get ready for New Year's Eve. A bunch of our friends came over for dinner and drinks and around 12 am we headed up to the parade route to check out the floats. It was a great night and the next day was even better because USC won the Rose Bowl!!

On Saturday, January 3rd the O'Connell's headed back up north in a very packed car. We had a wonderful time in Pasadena and we will never forget Catie's first Christmas.

Cheers to 2009! May it be a great year for everyone.

ps- I will post pictures later today