Happy Birthday Daddy

We Love Bubbles

My Computer Is Home

About a week ago my computer was sent off to the doctor. The backlight stopped working and the hard drive went kaplooey. Sadly, I had not backed up my pictures since 10/4/09. So, the last month and half has been lost. I had a really cute picture of the three of us I wanted to share, and wish I had. Then I could download it and have it again. I am sad, but not a huge deal.

Corinne is taking 5-6 steps regularly. It is pretty awesome watching her put the pieces together. She started climbing the sofa the other day. We taught her to get back down feet first. She crawls to the very edge face first and then turns around to get down. It is adorable. She is babbling more and more. Still saying "yeah", "mama", and "dada / daddy". She studies her books often, she really loves them.

We are excited the holiday season has begun. We are hosting Thanksgiving next week. Then Amy, Tiffany, Tommy, and Sam are coming 2 weeks later. I am thrilled for the craziness to begin. Kevin might not be as excited. Corinne is great at opening things now. So, presents should be super fun. I just wanted to post a quick update because I can, because my computer is home.

Beautiful November Day

Steps

Halloween was a blast. Corinne dressed up in her turtle and bundled up to give out candy to all the kids that came to see her. Our wonderful neighbors were disappointed we didn't take her trick or treating because they had made her goody bags of treats she could eat. I love them, they couldn't be sweeter.

Simba got a new costume this year. I think he looks cute. Corinne thinks it is hilarious.

We also went to the zoo for part of our Halloween celebration. She adored the train and the tigers, it was very cool.

Corinne is now taking 5+ steps at a time on her own, but she still doesn't care that much about walking. She is such a fast crawler, it just seems she could care less. She is cutting her upper front teeth and in a growth spurt. So, she is still a pleasure most of the the day, but she is extra cranky when she is sleepy.

Corinne does more than laugh, but...

Here is a sneak peek at Corinne's Halloween costumes:




This video shows Corinne's mood when we have pancakes for dinner:

Why do we have toys?

All she needs is her Simba Dog and a sock.

OT 26-20 Victory for MSU

What a fantastic game! 26 to 20 in overtime, and GREEN and WHITE one. Corinne was sporting her MSU sweatsuit and she and I were thrilled with the outcome.


Kevin was less thrilled...

15 months already?

Corinne has always loved Simba Doggie. Her new hobby is hiding her face in his fur 30-40 times a days. He tolerates it just fine. However, when she tries to hold on and use him for a walker he does try to get away.

I just wanted to sneak this cute snuggly picture in. This is how I found Kevin and Corinne when I came home from photographing a wedding on Saturday. I love them!

We had a spectacular day in the park yesterday. It was gorgreous out and Corinne had a blast walking around, playing on the swings, the tunnel, the slide, and flying.



Corinne had her 15 month appointment today. She is doing great, developing, growing, learning, all that fun stuff. She weighed in at 20 pounds, 10 ounces, 15th percentile. She is 32.5 inches long, 95 percentile. She is staying right on her growth curve. We figure there are worse things to be than tall and thin.

After the appointment Kevin had to head out of town for work. I decided to really treat my self while he was out of town and picked up some tuna helper for us for dinner. Kevin hates hot tuna, and the smell of tuna cooking, but I adore tuna helper. Corinne LOVED it. She usually feed the dogs her food when she is done eating, today she stacked it on her sippy cup. As you can see, it was finger licking good. We still miss daddy though.

Labor Day Weekend 2009

It took me a week to recover and to write this post. We had a very exciting Labor Day weekend planned. All of the Sniderman family was going to Saugatuck to celebrate the union of Arren and Erin. It all started out great.

Thursday Kevin and I celebrated our third anniversary with some video games at Lucky's and nice dinner. Corinne spent the evening with Granny, Grandpa, and Great Aunt Sherry. Friday morning we got up and went to breakfast and the cider mill with Great Aunt Sherry.


That night Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Tommy, and Sam arrived. It had been up in the air as to if they were coming because Tiffany and Sam both had colds. We are very happy they decided to come. It is always nice to have the kids together.

We had a great brunch with the Foulkrod family.

We headed home and everyone else headed out to Saugatuck. We were planning on heading out Sunday morning. Corinne came down with a cold that night and woke up screaming many times. Then we were the ones on the fence about the big family trip. We decided to just make a day of it. Corinne was trooper and looked adorable in the dress.

The wedding was breathtaking. The venus was romantic, serene, and classic (Felt Mansion). It was wonderful to get to visit all the family we don't see that often. We had a great time, until Corinne expired. She really wasn't feeling well. So, we hit the hills to come home around 9:30, when the party was really just getting started.

She slept soundly all the way home and all night, 13 hours total. She also napped for 5 hours the next day. Apparently, she was tired. She is now feeling much better and we have had a fabulous week.

Unfortunately, Kevin now has a humdinger of a cold. We hope to all be healthy soon.

31

I have entered my 31st year. It was a fantastic day. Kevin and Corinne got up and I slept in until nearly 10 AM, crazy late for our household lately (since Corinne was born). It was great. Presents were waiting as soon as I was up. Corinne and Simba decided I needed a new little green iPod. I was confused by this gift, I admit it. I already have an iPod and an iPhone. Then Rufus gave me his gift, which is the Nike+ kit. It allows your iPod to track your mileage, time, all sorts of great stuff to help me workout. But...I like Asics, not Nike. It is a good thing Kevin knew that and got me the carrier for any shoe to use the kit. How thoughtful!

Once Corinne woke up from her nap we headed out for an afternoon of fun. First stop was Castaway Cafe in Howell.It is a huge indoor kid playland (it rained for my birthday).
Corinne had a blast and went up and up and up, then down and down and down. There were tons of kids, she did great. I think mom was more tired than she was when we left. As long as we were there we stopped by the outlet mall for a bit of shopping.

Next, we went to Stillwater for my favorite meal:

• glass of water
• Bell's Oberon
• Spinach Artichoke Dip, it is dreamy
• Cajun Tenderloin Tips, medium
• Caesar Salad
• Free Birthday Brownie / Ice Cream / Hot Fudge Sundae

It was spectacular. Corinne made lots of friends and was perfectly behaved until we were done eating. Then she decided she was tired and fussy. So, we jetted out of there.

We relaxed for the evening. I thought we would see if Corinne will sleep at the drive in, but they only had extremely loud movies playing. It seemed they would not be conducive to sleeping. So, we laid low. Kevin made me a spectacular carrot cake. I may be on sugar overload, but I am happy and full. It has been a great day. I was sung to multiple times, and feel the love with all the birthday wishes.


It has been a busy week here in the Nicholls house. Friday night we got to share in the celebration of Megan and Dave Bangos wedding.

Kevin and I had a great time at the Whitney downtown. There was even an excellent rainbow.
Corinne had her first overnight without us. She stayed with Granny and Grandpa Sniderman. They followed her regular routine and she went down with ease and slept all night, YAY. She did get to attend the rehearsal for the wedding the night before. So, she didn't miss all the festivities. She had fun.

Wednesday was jammed pack full of fun. Corinne and I meet Grandma, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa Nicholls for breakfast. Then we went to a Musical Movement class at the library. It was awesome!

They had tunnels, parachutes, songs, and tons of other kids. Corinne was very independent, crawling all over with or without me. Again, she had a blast. This was an excellent program. We went back to visit more with Grandma Nicholls and go see Great-Grandma.

Face Forward

We won some drawing at Sears and got free pictures. So, we figured we might as well document how big our little girl is getting.

Kevin had the day off and was excited to get her picture taken in her U of M outfit. We will get her green and white Spartan outfit pictures soon, don't worry.

Corinne has been able to stand on her own until she notices for quite some time. When she notices she puts her butt right down. We were both very excited she stayed up for 10+ seconds before noticing to have her picture taken. She is also walking well holding fingers in addition to furniture.

She is so big it is time to turn her car seat around. While she is still a little string bean she is very tall. She is around 32". She seemed a little concerned about the change to facing forward. We thought she was going to be excited and we waited until we could both be there. She seemed overwhelmed and maybe scared. She was more at ease on the second forward facing trip.

Corinne is cutting her first tooth as I type. I can feel the tooth ridges and she has all the drool and chewing one would expect. She has been mostly a pleasure, but when she missed one nap the teething monster inside took over. We will not let that happen again.

We have not posted anything for a little while Sorry, we have just been busy enjoying Summer. We went up north 4 times in 6 weeks. We enjoy playing on the swing and slide in the backyard, taking walks with our friends, and loving our dogs. Prime BBQ season is in full swing and Kevin keeps making us fantastic, delicious food. There have been fun parties and nice visits all over the place. Life is good.

Dar Williams Concert Coming Up...

Dar Williams

Wednesday, Aug 26 8:00p at The Ark in Ann Arbor

"One show only!" Dar Williams is a longtime Ark favorite who finds the personal in the political and the universal -- and sets folk commitment to great pop tunes. Dar has always kept audiences guessing. Are her songs autobiographical? They're so vivid, and they seem so personal, that you assume they must be. read more

Price: $36.00 - $43.00
Dar Williams is a longtime Ark favorite who finds the personal in the political and the universal -- and sets folk commitment to great pop tunes. Dar has always kept audiences guessing. Are her songs autobiographical? They're so vivid, and they seem so personal, that you assume they must be. But Dar says that she prefers to write about and for other people. Her songs tell stories of politics, religion, sexuality, and family. Dar's passion for the big picture has led to a long-held connection to social and environmental issues, and she's gotten involved with various projects, including community gardening and lobbying for renewable energy, in the upstate New York town of Beacon where she lives. Dar's latest album, "Promised Land," is a serious piece of work that includes a cover of the Fountains of Wayne song "Troubled Times." darwilliams.com

It is a great show. We love going to see her every year.

What a morning.

I usually just tell you about the family goings on and fun stuff with Corinne on this blog. However, this morning has been so off that I need to share it.

Corinne woke at 7:30, not atypically early. I rolled over to get up and noticed we forgot to turn on the alarm. I certainly don't want Kevin to be late for work. So, thankfully, I turned it on and got out of bed to get Corinne. She loves the morning and is usually a happy little girl in the morning, today was not an exception. We came down stairs, made her a bottle, and started the coffee. She and I sat down in the family room to give her the bottle. I turned on the TV to watch the "Today Show" while she ate, but it wasn't on. It was an infomercial instead. Why would they put and infomercial on Monday morning at 7:30 am? OH, wait, it must be Sunday. Then I thought back through the last couple of days to determine the day of the week. Yep, it is Sunday. I better go turn off the alarm before it goes off. Alright, back downstairs, let's get coffee. I pull out the coffee pot and immediately spill quite a bit. It seems REALLY full. Then I notice coffee EVERYWHERE. The pot I use for just me is attached to the microwave and the water reservoir pull out to be filled, you don't fill the pot and pour it in. I did not empty the pot of the old coffee. So, the pot overflowed (I am guessing 3-4 cups over) and flooded the microwave shelf and the counter below. I did get all of this cleaned up and started over with another attempt to make coffee. This attempt went much better and now I am awake and amused enough with mommy sleepiness that I needed to share.

Corinne also wants me to wish a Happy 60th Birthday to her Grandpa Nicholls. We all hope you have another fantastic day.
It was fun celebrating with you yesterday!

I forgot what?

Corinne and I took off to tour the state last week with my mom. We had a bridal shower to attend in Kalamazoo and figured we might as well stay a while on the west side of the state. The shower was in a gorgeous park, but was a wee bit chilly for July (read COLD). We had a great time and happy to welcome Erin into the Sniderman family.

From there we headed up to Ludington for a day and the to Frankfort to relax. On this trip I forgot nothing important, I may have been over-prepared. It was a great trip, but we missed Kevin and it was fabulous to come home.


Yesterday, we all loaded up in the Lancer and headed downtown to Comerica Park for Corinne's first Tigers Game. They lost to the Mariners, but we still had a good time. It was Kevin's work's family day. They had reserved the Pepsi Porch, which had a great view of the field, a nice lunch, and all the fabulous people from Fry. So, thank you, Fry, we had fun.

I had debated which diaper bag I was going to take when we were getting ready. Could I fit everything in my purse? No. The backpack? No. So, we wound up taking the big bag. However, I started packing my purse first. I thought I had moved everything over, but I discovered I had forgotten something I never forgot before. Mind you, Corinne is over a year old and this was the first and hopefully last time we head out without any diapers. We checked in the bathrooms, no diaper machines. We checked in the infant area of the gift shop. They sell bottles, pacifiers, every article of clothing you can imagine, and other infant things, but no diapers. Thankfully when we walked back to the Porch a co-worker of Kevin's (who he didn't know, it is a big company) arrived with a child of similar size. His mom Heidi and I were quick friends and the issue was eventually resolved with ease.


Daddy and Corinne were pretty adorable. It was raining on the way there and the way home, but it was sunny and fabulous while we were there.

Frankfort again

Happy Fourth of July

I hope everyone is having a fabulous and safe holiday. I just came in from watching the Camp Dearborn fireworks from my backyard. They were stellar. I am quite impressed Corinne is sleeping through all these booms.

We meet Grandma and Grandpa Nicholls, and the Campbell family at Kensington this afternoon for a nice picnic. I must say, I was quite impressed they brought EVERYTHING you could imagine for the picnic. Corinne adored Jessica's exersaucer. The view of the lake was great. Corinne crashed and we had to exit to come home for nap, but we had a wonderful time.


Tomorrow we are headed back to Frankfort for even more fun in the sun.