Counting 1-12

Here's a look back at Mae and her monthly growth. -T

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months
4 Months
5 Months
6 Months
7 Months (even though I didn't write it on the sign)

8 Months
9 Months
10 Months
11 Months

12 Months...

and still fitting into things she wore 8 months ago...

weighing in at 17lbs 7oz.

12 Months = 1 Year

So, not only did Mae turn 1, but coincidentally she hit her 12 month mark on the same day. So, with some help from Papa D and Grandma Weez, we took her final "monthly picture" of her first year. -T

Wondering why so many people are staring at her

She wants to be the one taking the picture instead

Now she's getting excited
Entertained by her grandparents

Peek-a-boo

THERE she is!

Yea for Mae!!! (I believe this is at the end of Patty Cake)

Our litte family on Mae's 12 month mark

Get your fingers out of your mouth!
Well...we tried.

Mae Turns 1

Even though she still fits in all her same clothes as 8 months ago, Mae still got older and had her first birthday. She seemed to have a good time, but she likes to be social no matter the occasion. We just can't believe our baby girl is 1! -T

Her birthday morning...opening her first gift (from Grandma and Grandpa)

First gift of the day

Mom did a great job decorating...so creative.

A gift from Aunt Randy

She seems to like it

Yes...she does indeed like it

What's next, she says

Cake! (that looks bigger than her)

Grandma Weez, Papa D, Aunt Beth, Uncle Brian and her Cincinnati cousins came out to share some cake and time...she seemed to enjoy that more than the cake

She was very hesistant and unsure, but still seemed to like it

Maybe a fork/spoon would help?

I guess she's just got better manners than most 1 year olds and wants a utensil

It sure did take her awhile to warm up to it

Here she is trying to pump herself up!

THERE we go! That's what we're waiting for!

A special shoutout to Mom for how great her cake was!

When faced with the choice of carrots and cake...she picked carrots

And that's it because that's her sign for "all done."

On to presents!

She received some very nice things from all, including her being decorated - she looks thrilled, huh?

Engrossed in her new gift...as is Morgan

It was a great 1st birthday! Thanks to everyone who made it special for sweet little girl!

Vacation Over, but List Complete

I did one of those "I'm going to sit on a billboard until my terrible team wins a game" things. Although mine was, "I'm not shaving until my list is complete." So, after a week of work and some help from my dear wife, my list got completed. One project we've just been putting off and putting off (since Christmas) until we found time to do it together was painting our mantel(we blame Mae). I put it on my list and it was one of the final projects we completed on the list. So, I finally shaved. The downside was it took Mae over an hour to recognize me again. She just stared at me like I was some weird stranger that stole her dad's voice. Anyway, although my week of "vacation" is through, it was all very fun and fulfilling. -T

The mantel before

You can vaguely see there is even a damaged spot on the top that needed to be addressed, it wasn't that we JUST wanted a different color

And it needed some work on the left

Finishing up my last project (organize garage shelves) on the list

The painted mantel

We like it

Isn't this the face of a guy, with the help of his wife, just completed the following list: clean shower, strip caulk out of shower, re-caulk shower, caulk around mirror, make a 244-page book from our blog 2010, change windshield wipers, wash cars, vacuum cars, wax cars, clean out area around pine tree, "Resolve" carpet stains in living room, dining room, guest room, and family room, carpet clean living room, dining room, and guest room, clean basement carpet, lay down outside pathway bricks, take Lindsey's car to Firestone, goto eye doctor, paint mantel, and organize garage shelves...plus a few other normal and odd jobs

List complete - bring on basketball season...and a nice shave!

A Vacation From My Problems!

I decided with basketball season approaching, a time when things never get done, as well as needing time away from everything and everyone at the office, that I would take a week off. So, I made a big list of things to get done. The project I knew would take the most time, as well as the biggest toll on my body was clearing out the area around our pine tree. When I started, I didn't think if I took the entire year off that I could get it done, but with some help from Lindsey and absolutely no help from Mae, it got done! My hands and hamstrings were also done. -T

Total disaster...and this is AFTER I spent a few hours on it already moving the logs that were on the edge of it

I wish I would have taken a picture before I moved all the logs because it made it that much more overwhelming

Better perspective here of what we were dealing with

Meanwhile, at our own personal pumpkin patch...Mae was getting her fun on

Careful...those leaves are sharp!

Better than waiting for brush pickup day

Still enyjoing herself...for now

We really are excited that we got pumpkins to grow

Mae seems to really love them

Mae: "Hey Mom! Look how funny I am!"

"Mom! I'm funnier than you are!"

(Mom searches around to prove Mae is NOT funnier...this picture BARELY shows what Mom will do next)

Mom: "Who's the funniest in the family, Mae!?"

Mom: "That's right...Mom is! Who's laughing now!"

Okay, so that's not TOTALLY what happened. Mae was actually the one who found a rotten tomato and Mae was actually the one who squirted her face with it...Mom, unfortunately, didn't think this was funny at all. That's actually not true...she thought it was funny enough to take a couple pictures of it.

Back to the other side of the yard (Lindsey was able to help with it by the way, she didn't spend the ENTIRE project taking pictures)

The green left in the front are hostas - not weeds

The green in the back is on the other side of the fence

Satisfying