It's hard to believe I'm dedicating a blog page to my 6 month old son. SIX MONTHS??!! How can that be. Obviously he looks the part, but it just passes too doggone fast! (At last weeks visit to the pediatrician his height and weight were both 95th percentile. After hearing that his head circumference was 50th percentile, I said, "yup, he may be a football player.") He is teething for the first time as of this week, and just to prove a point, he outgrew his infant carseat this week, as well. (the same one Lainie and Brinley used until about 9 months of age.)
They say time flies when your having fun. If that's true, then I worry that Isaac will cause our lives to pass by too quickly. He amazes us daily with his good nature and reminds us why parenting is such an entertaining specatator sport. Even when he finally loses patience with us and gets upset, he'll break halfway through a wail and go right to his cheesiest of cheesy grins. He loves to cuddle with his mommy and show off his big smile to her. It's been a blast to see him socialize with his two sisters. Once they enter the room his eyes go right to them, and they rarely leave them. He has learned to grab two fistfuls of hair everytime they get within reach and he loves to full out body hug their heads and giggle. I sure hope he's always so watchful and loving with his older sisters. It would be such a big help to a dad who already gets butterflies thinking about teenage daughters :) I am so excited to share father-son activities with my Isaac boy through the years ahead. We feel blessed everyday to have him.

I thought this would be an appropriate time to post this picture. I know McCain has been disappointed at the imbalance in media coverage between him and his opponent, so here is a little boost. With all of my viewing audience we should be able to get a message out there that despite what you think of his "maverick" politics or the party he belongs to, John McCain was a really nice guy to us. Even when he was late getting off to Lake Powell with his buddy (physician I was working with at the time - to L of Maren) to meet their families, he took the time to talk and take a picture. There, that ought to even things up a bit, eh!?

I just added this photo cause I'm a dad and when I saw this photo I wished I had special time-travelling skills. Ever have those moments? Lainie got to come spend a few hours with me tonight while I'm "moonlighting" at an MRI center. I am just here to save people from allergic reactions to contrast and provide sedation for those afflicted with closterphobia. That really translates to a lot of time to work on logs, blogs, ESPN, and reading the latest orthopedic literature, which, depending on my recent schedule, often leads into catching up on naps. So that's why Lainie and I were able to lazily eat dinner out on the green grass under the sun with a nice, light breeze. We watched a herd of geese, several gold finches and two hummingbirds feeding on some bird feeders along the back lawn, and laughed. It was a perfect daddy-daughter date, as she loves to call them. When we finished eating I asked her what she wanted to do next. She said, "Let's play a game! How 'bout Duck, Duck, Goose.......well, but you'll have to be a duck a lot of times!" :) I didn't mind, at least there wasn't that wrenching feeling that I may play the entire game and never be a goose. As a side note, I'm not sure the real geese liked us imitating them because every time we ran close to them they all hissed at us. I told Lainie that if they came after us she should run and I would stay behind and try to slow them down. She stayed away from them after that.

Before Kari and Chris were married, Maren was able to leave New Orleans early and spend some time with our parents. I wanted to include some of those photos. These are some moments captured from a trip to Lagoon with Grandma Kristen and Aunt Jennie and her children. Amazingly Shelley and Chris and Joe and Emily were planning on going the same day and they all met up. Two things: this made me extremely jealous, but talk about the stars aligning! I figured I'd include the above picture now and then post it at some point when these two are somewhere in their teen years and thinking they are pretty untouchable. That'll give the rest of us a moment of delight. :)

Grandma Kristen with Owen, Isaac, and Brin.

Claire has been Lainie's best buddy as we have somehow moved in tandem with Jarv and Jennie, first to phoenix, and then to the midwest. We will miss them much now that they have returned to SLC, but we know from experience that the draw to be near to our extended family and "home" is great.

This picture left me feeling uneasy. Something about the idea of not one, but TWO teenage female drivers at the same time someday made my heart skip a beat. 

Just a few more fun pictures from our visit to the homeland!

An Eastern Boy and a Western Girl

We were so fortunate to be at our sister Kari's wedding to our new brother-in-law, Chris Goellner, in Idaho earlier this month. What a blessing it is to have such a large and loving family (and surprisingly enough, an italian from New Jersey has always just fit right in). 

Alaina and Brinley were asked to be flower girls along with their other beautiful little female cousins. They all looked gorgeous, and you could tell they kinda knew it :)

Hunter was the ring bearer. What a grin! I thought these two made a pretty cute couple. All the nieces and nephew (Hunter) did such a great job in the procession. Alaina didn't quite know when to stop throwing flowers, though. She continued past the groom and judge, past the decorative arch, and almost to the boundary of the property before turning around and realizing that she was alone. She quickly came back the way she'd come and the show went on. Kari and Chris looked so happy as they said their vows, and then it was time to celebrate. 

Brinley lets loose after the ceremony. It's funny how they'll smile endlessly when they are doing what THEY want to do, but try to snap some formal pictures and it's like they can't even fake a happy appearance. 

Isaac finds something to pass the time while he waits for the pictures to stop. 

Watching Kari and Chris commit their lives to each other made me so grateful I'd found this girl to share our journey through life. She is the sweetest companion and mother! (even if she makes me do all the blogging in our house)

I don't think anyone logged as much time on the dance floor as our nephew, Ethan. He was posessed by his "happy feet." Here, Lainie was lucky enough partner with him on a two-step.  YeeHaw!

Mike and Jen practice for their coming addition. Only she'll likely be wearing pink, and may not appreciate her delicate, chubby belly being displayed to the world. Don't worry, though, Mike. I don't think Isaac really took issue to it. He's comfortable with his 95th percentile body.  

I had to include this picture of Carly Jean dreamily watching the bride and groom enjoying their first dance. 

We had such an enjoyable time with the Goellner family! They were a pleasure to share such an occasion with, and we are grateful to have another member of the family! Congrats Chris and Kari Goellner!

We have returned to Michigan safely from our Idaho/Utah vacation.  It was a blessing to see family and a few friends.  We had so much fun.  Stay tuned to see some pictures from our trip.

Saying Goodbye to the Big Easy

Grandma Kristen descended like an angel out the skies to help Maren drive back to Michigan and then fly on to Idaho. Maren had fun showing her around the Crescent City. 

In front of the St. Charles cathedral with an alligator (for Lainie) and a little dolly (Brin's) that Grandma bought them in the French Quarter. 

Ferry Boat on the Mississippi. 

At the aquarium. I included this picture because of Brin's psycho smile (fond memories of her psycho cupcake look) and Isaac's open stare at the fish. 

In rainforest room. 

Hey, look! No sunburn. :)

At the New Orleans Zoo

Our little wild animal. She's so sweet and cuddly, but just when we think she's tame...  

The most intimidating view at the zoo. It's a huge silverback gorilla. watchout!!

Lainie Day!!

June 2nd may have been one month to the day before Lainie's Birthday, but it was HER DAY!! We took the girls swimming when I returned from work. Grandma Kristen napped poolside (she was overcoming a cold) while Maren and I swam with the three kids. As Isaac and I were making our rounds around the pool we happened upon Maren who was trying to convince Lainie to try to swim with her help, but without her little arm floatation devices. Lainie was resisting so we switched spots. After much further convincing and manipulative statements like, "don't you trust your dad...then why don't you show it by removing these?", we finally convinced Lainie to remove her airbladder sleeves. You do what you have to, sometimes, and just hope your kids don't remember it later, I guess. Well, Lainie practiced floating on her back for a bit, and then I set her on the stairs. I said, "Lainie, just swim to Daddy.." while I stood about 3 feet away. To our amazement Lainie began swimming! She swam the 3 feet and then, as daddy backed up more and more, it became 6 feet, and then 9 feet, and then 12! We were so proud and so was she. She wanted to keep swimming all night! She swam the entire length of the pool 3 or 4 times. She's now our little Mer-Lainie. 

After washing off the chlorine, Alaina was ready to continue her night. She has had a loose tooth for about 1 week, and it was ready to come out this night. Daddy pulled one of her two central bottom teeth and she didn't even grimace. What a brave girl!! Out just in time for Kari and Chris's wedding! 

As a side note, even with all the pride and excitement over new milestones reached , there was (and is) a feeling of real sadness somewhere down deep inside me. I guess it is that realization that father time is going to keep passing no matter what we do to try to trip him up. My little girl is getting bigger and I am left wishing I had her back as a baby, and a one year old, and a two year old... just once at each earlier stage of her life for one more hug. But...of course, that wouldn't be enough either, would it? I'm selfish, but I sure do love my children! As I write this, I'm reminded of a country song that talks about when tough guys have little girls they turn into big babies again. I need to take a break.