The Rasdall Family Blog

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-28T11:49:00.001-05:00

I have to start off by saying that we did a poor job this Thanksgiving as we forgot to take pictures but this was because we had such a great time! We drove down to Sarasota for the day as my parents were at the Florida home for Thanksgiving this year. Mike and my mom did most of the cooking while myself, my dad, Michael and Ryan hung out and goofed around :) The meal turned out fantastic thanks to Mike and Grandma Ludwig! Michael slept through it! Worked out well though because it allowed for Mike and I to enjoy our meal :)
Since I had to work the following day, we were not able to spend the night in Sarasota. We did venture to Orlando though on Friday afternoon to spend some quality time with The Taylor's :) We checked into the hotel and Michael immediately found his hiding spot.

We met up with Adam and Amanda at our hotel then traveled over to Downtown Disney to shop and eat :) Amanda recommended the Rainforest Cafe and her recommendation was perfect. Michael was occupied the entire meal as he studied his surroundings. He is a big animal person so seeing monkeys and elephants just made his afternoon! The Rainforest Cafe also has a thunder storm that comes through every 30 minutes which was exciting too! We saw these awesome animal bar stools while we were waiting for our seats and we could not resist passing up getting a picture of our lil man on the giraffe!

They also had tons of aquariums throughout the place that Michael found appealing!

After we enjoyed our meal, we strolled around the downtown Disney area, hitting up some of the shops, stopping at the Disney stores. Michael is really now getting into Mickey Mouse :)

Downtown Disney had several areas throughout where these Christmas set ups were placed so we decided to get a family picture at one of them :) We were tempted to try Santa again since DD's setup is super nifty but figured we wouldn't torture the poor boy again since the first visit was a no go :)

We also took a picture of the expecting couple! That's right... Amanda and Adam are 3 months pregnant! Yay!

We had a wonderful afternoon with the Taylor's at Downtown Disney! We spent the rest of the evening at the Florida Mall, as well as the next morning, picking up some last minute Xmas presents for family :) Michael also turned 15 months old on our holiday weekend so be on the look out for that post!

Light Up Ocala

2009-11-21T22:00:00.013-05:00

It is that time of year again... Christmas time! Every November, Ocala has a fabulous afternoon/evening of festivities prepared in celebration of the Christmas season :) There are tons of vendors, musical/dance programs, great food, a parade and even several bands! Once it is dark, the downtown square of Ocala will turn off all the town lights followed by only turning on the Christmas lights on the square! It is super cool and such a fun event :)

This year, we met up with Jen, one of Michael's daycare teachers from when he attended Pebbles, we well as her son Luke. Michael and Luke totally like each other and are such boys around one another!

Before Jen and Luke showed up, the 3 of us grabbed some Starbucks (Michael got a green straw) and we perused the vendors. Mike bought me an awesome Gator necklace which I ended up having to take off later in the evening as Michael likes anything flashy!
Once Jen and Luke arrived, we decided to hit up the cookie decorating stand. Luke and Jen made a great lil cookie but we kept Michael from partaking in this activity due to his icky history with blue/red dye products.

Luke and his cookie :)

We decided to grab something to eat afterwards since it was getting late. We found a great lil spot that had picnic tables and grass so that is where we parked our booty's for an hour or so. After the kids ate, they felt the need to RUN around! Mike and I spent quite some time chasing our lil man around :)

Daddy caught Michael!

Then it was my turn :)

Luke is such a 2 year old boy... super happy and adventurous! Well monkey see, monkey do! Luke would climb on the table and jump... So Michael "tried" to do the same thing :)

See? Silly lil boy...

Since that wasn't the safest idea for the lil guy, we decided to play high 5!

We also found a go-cart and hung out there for some time.

Luke giving Michael a kiss :)

Michael being happy and wanting popcorn!

Jen and Michael playing while we await the lights!

Daddy and Luke doing the same :)

Finally... the lights!!

Michael admiring the lights :)
He did seem confused at first...

but really got into the lights a few minutes after they came on!

After our evening downtown, we met up with Andrea and Ben at Mimi's for desert. They were traveling through town from Gainesville into St. Pete. We were so glad to spend some time with them since they now reside in California and we don't see them often. Maybe they will be the next to have a lil one? Keeping my fingers crossed. Overall, it was a fabulous night!!

Preparing for Christmas... early!

2009-11-07T22:00:00.006-05:00

I was able to convince Mike to put the Christmas tree up tonight: Saturday, November 7th!! We had a total ball with the process since this is our first year we put up a tree! (We usually aren't in town for Christmas)

We began our evening with pulling out our holiday bin from our storage closed outside. We found Michael's Hallmark snowmen from last year. Here is his reaction!!

It was then time to pull out the Christmas tree we had bought earlier in the week from Hobby Lobby (love that store!)

Michael was ALL about helping his Daddy, watching him pull everything out of the big box, inspecting the pieces of the tree and admiring Daddy put the pieces together :)

So the tree was exciting... but the lights were even more exciting for our lil guy! He sat and played with these for quite some time! He isn't one to just sit and play but the lights definitely kept his attention for awhile :)

Finished product!

Since we began our project somewhat late in the evening, Michael didn't make it to see the tree complete. We put him to bed around 830 then went back to decorating! I fluffed the tree, Daddy put on the lights and we got all the ornaments on before our bedtime :) When Michael came downstairs the next morning, he was super excited to see the tree all done! He smiled and giggled then went to play with his Hallmark Xmas snowmen :)

Daddy's Birthday Celebration

2009-11-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to Daddy!!

We began Daddy's birthday a few days early due to my work schedule, having late home visits and such. I baked Mike cupcakes on Wednesday and gave him his gifts. Originally we were going to spend a long weekend in Orlando, visiting the Magic Kingdom since Daddy would get in free, as well as Michael. However, we decided to something a little more low key and cost friendly...

Lowry Park Zoo!!

Totally glad we decided to go to the Zoo because Michael just loves animals and was able to run around more freely since the Zoo was not crazy busy, like Disney would be. Michael decided he wanted to walk into the Zoo, rather to ride in the stroller. He grabbed both Daddy's and mine fingers so you know me, couldn't resist the picture opportunity!

Once were were inside, Michael ran around for awhile, running into groups of kids from local Elementary Schools. He also pushed his stroller around some :) He thinks he is just the biggest lil boy around! Daddy did help since Michael wasn't the best at steering :)

First stop... Monkeys!

So I just stood by most of the time through this exhibit area as Michael and Daddy LOVE monkeys! Hence Michael's nicname... monkey :) I was able to get a shot of them enjoying their views of the monkeys and no joke, Mike was not posing for this photo. He REALLY does like Monkeys and apparently something really did excite the 2 of them!

Since Michael was running ALL over the place, it was time for him to return to the stroller. He had a ball kicking the gates every time we stopped to see something :)

Around 11 or so, we grabbed a small lunch for us and a big boy lunch for Michael. We were surprised because he didn't like the animal crackers! He stuck to his hot dog, fries and goldfish :)

When we were walking out of the kids area to head over to "Africa," we ran into a Llama! Michael wasn't overly thrilled so we moved on :)
We stopped at the carousal before going to see the Giraffe's. Of course, we pick out the giraffe for Michael to sit on. Stunk though because it didn't move! I was totally bummed but Michael seemed to enjoy the ride :)

There were tons of distractions on our way to see the giraffe's. We ended up spending quite some time watching the meerkat's.

Honestly, I think Michael liked this area because he liked his own reflection. Not too sure the meerkat's were the reason for hanging around for so long ;)

Our big boy decided to walk over to the giraffe's on his own :)

Now I swear that he really does like giraffe's!! Here, not so much but even I wasn't too thrilled because of their slimy long tongues. He preferred to admire them from a distance :)

Lil man was getting sleepy and it was getting HOT so we decided to leave and head to Ellenton for the remainder of the day to begin out Xmas shopping at the Outlet mall. We decided to have Daddy's 37th birthday dinner at the Crab Trap II, the restaurant where Mike met my parents one afternoon in 2006, to ask them if he could take me off their hands and marry me :) Great times!!

Halloween Part 2

2009-11-01T15:53:00.002-05:00

Michael's morning Halloween went really well! Once we got home after some early trick-or-treating, Michael took his nap and then had lunch after he woke up. Daddy wasn't feeling too hot so Michael and I went to Walmart to pick up a few things. We got home, unpacked and then Michael and I went upstairs to clean and do some laundry. I was making his bed when Michael came running in but I guess tripped and SLAMMED his head into door post! Poor little guy cried for 15-20 minutes! We tried to get a few pictures of the big goose egg on his head...

So kind of a rough afternoon but we gave the lil guy some Tylenol and some juice and he seemed to perk up :) Our friends, the Lazdowski's, contacted us and said they were hanging outside their house for awhile to hand out some candy and invited us over. We spent Halloween with them last year but Michael and Ellie slept through most of it. This year, they were all over the place, enjoying each others company and watching all the crazy kids running around in some crazy costumes!

Heading to the Lazdowski's...
Michael exploring the yard and driveway :)
Ellie decided to go through Michael's broken pumpkin :)

How cute is this precious lil ballerina!! You can kinda see in the picture that she is grabbing Mike's keys. Ellie had a ball with these. She pushed the buttons over and over again, setting the car lights off :) Too cute!

Michael figured out how to carry his broken pumpkin!

The Lazdowski's live in Saddle Creek, a part of Fore Ranch. Mike has some co-workers that reside down the street so we walked down and hit up a few homes before meeting up with some West Port peeps. We found a house that had a bowl of candy with a hand that grabs you when you take the candy. Michael actually did well and didn't seem to be scared but Michael loves his food! He will do what it takes to get anything that he can put in his mouth!

We headed back to hang out with Ellie a lil more. The 2 kiddos have known each other since they were born. They are only 5 weeks apart. They met when Michael was 3 weeks, Ellie 8 weeks :)

Both these kiddos are routine and were ready for the bath, bottle and bed at the same time!! We packed lil man up around 7:30 and headed home. Michael got to talk with Mamaw and Papaw on Skype for a few before bed which always makes him happy! He also had to dump out his pumpkin to see how he made out from his night of trick-or-treating :)

We couldn't have asked for a better Halloween and we were so fortunate to spend it with some great friends! You know Michael had a ball, being able to spend time with 2 lil ladies AND get candy :) Def a success and we are looking forward to more holiday's to come!

Our lil giraffe went trick-or-treating!

2009-10-31T15:59:00.002-04:00

Halloween morning we woke up to this :) I just love our view, especially on mornings when it is cool and foggy. Well the coolness didn't last long as the temperature crept up into the high 80's but hey, it is Florida in October right?

Well, Daddy was wonderful as always and let me catch a few extra zzzz's but if you look at the next 3 pictures, you will see what these 2 boys were up to all morning :)

The best part is the video but I'm too impatient to wait for that to upload so the pictures will work for now :) Michael made a MESS and loved every darn second of it! Daddy had as much fun with it too and he was so excited to share with me what they did all morning :) They know me well because it was cleaned up by the time I came down!

Once we were up and ready, we had plans to meet up with Brooklynn at West Marion Hospital, where Amy is stationed out of for Marion Co EMS. She had spoke with the staff a few days prior and they told her to bring the kids up for the morning and they would be dressed up, passing out some candy so of course, we penciled in this activity to our Halloween schedule. Besides, Michael always looks forward to his quality time with Brooklynn.

We didn't dress Michael until we got there, even though the hospital is just down the road. His costume was comfy but heavy and big. Since the costume was 18 month, Daddy had to roll lil man's sleeves up :)
Sweet lil Brooklynn, her mom Amy and sister Lauren had been so kind to stop and pick up a pumpkin for Michael since we had forgot to purchase one. When we met up in the parking lot, she walked up to him and gave him the pumpkin :)
Hugs!
They hold hands too :)
Once inside, the kids walked around some and filled their pumpkins with candy. Michael got quite a bit of stuff, including mini play-doh's and little spider things.

He was trying to sweeten up the nurse so he could get some extra stuff and it worked! She put her bucket down and Michael grabbed quite a bit of stuff out and shoved right into his mouth, wrapper and all!

After the kids walked around a bit, Amy took us to one of the back rooms where the EMS crew hang out when they are at the hospital. We let the kids run around while we stacked up on poptarts, nutrigrain bars and cookies )

This is an example of how hot it got at 11:00 am! Poor sweet Brooklynn was drenched in sweat and wanted to get her costume OFF!! And she did :) and Michael seemed to enjoy watching her do so!

Michael was watching Brooklynn run around in her pull ups and got excited!

Before we left, the kids had fun messing with the phone :)

He is so super smitten by her! We are excited to say that he will begin a new private preschool, Future Stars Academy, in 2 weeks, which is the same school Brooklynn is at now. She used to attend Pebbles but left a month or so ago for FSA. We took him to tour on Friday afternoon and he liked it, but loved that Brooklynn would be in his class and really enjoyed her taking the tour with us! These two kiddos are inseparable! It was an exciting morning and great start to Michael's Halloween!

Our lil man has reached 14 months :)

2009-10-27T19:00:00.010-04:00

Welp, Michael is def a lil man now. Everyone tells us these days that he is now looking like a "boy" and not a baby, which is sad but exciting at the same time :) These last few months have been a joy with our lil man because he is learning so many new things... including being mischievous :) He is into EVERYTHING :) He is a walking fool, loves to climb on the furniture, stairs and his toys and he even tries to run! He has even found himself some new hiding spots!

He has learned new words, some include tickle, bubble, duck and quack.

Michael eats everything! Some new foods include pizza, cinnamon toast, yogurt raisins, and mahi mahi.

Loves, loves, loves his milk...

and juice!!

He really enjoys all his toys, still loving his Gator bat and car. We take him upstairs everything around 7:30 for a bath and his bottle of milk before bed. He has a Safari toy in his room and his new thing has been to throw, I mean, chuck these balls around the room! We have to be careful when he does this because we've been hit and is hurts :)

We've definitely noticed Michael becoming more like a little boy. Sadly, he isn't our little snuggle bunny anymore but now that he is into everything all the time, we really get to see his personality grow and flourish :) The best of this age is watching him get excited about so many things and we get to relive it through him! He is a joy!

Michael and Brooklynn's Co-Ed Sleepover and Trip to Coon Hollo Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

It has been mostly a Mommy/Michael weekend :) On Friday, Mike left after school for Crystal River with his co-workers for a fishing trip through Saturday evening which meant that Michael and I were going to be on our own for the night. Well, not for long!! I had called one of my fav friends the day prior and we decided to have a sleepover! She came over Friday evening with Brooklynn, Michael's adorable g/f, after Michael and I got home from work/school. We ordered the kiddo's some pizza. Now this was the first time Michael has had pizza and he really seemed to enjoy it! I put some towels down over the rug so the kids could eat and watch Sesame Street. You can see here that Michael got DIRTY! Pizza on his legs and all :)

Once the pizza was consumed by our lil ones, we took them upstairs for their bath! First co-ed bath! So I know it is cute now but I'm sure when we find them like this at 16 we will have to remember we started it! The kids had a blast though. I'll have to post the video at some point but they were so giggly and excited, splashing around! I got to wash Brooklynn's hair and had fun with it too, as you can see in the pic below :)

Isn't she just adorable in her flower towel?? :)
Bath was checked off the list so we then got them dressed for bed. They played around a little more but then got their milk cups and went to bed around 830 or so :)
The little buggers were up at 615! So we didn't get much sleep since Amy and I were up talking til 1230 am or so. We were too excited for our trip to the Pumpkin patch so we didn't really notice how tired we were. Amy ran out to get us coffee so that made the morning a little easier :) The kids ate, we got ready and then Stephanie, Michael's daycare teacher (also Brooklynn's old DC teacher) came to the house with her daughter Ashley, to ride with us to Micanopy for our day at the pumpkin patch!

Micanopy is only 30 minutes or so from us, somewhat between Ocala and Gainesville. This place was amazing! So much better then the pumpkin patch Michael and I went to last year.

Once we arrived, we took the kiddos to the cow where they could learn to milk. Brooklynn figured it out but Michael seemed more interested in the butt and the bells :)

Then it was time for the hayride!! They took us around the patch and such, where at one point we were able to get off and feed the cows. Now Amy is much less anal then I am and allowed Brooklynn to feed and touch the cow, however, Michael and I just looked and got back on the hayride pretty quickly :) I give her props!

The lil couple on the hayride!

Amy got some cuter pics of the 2 on the hayride. She was able to catch Michael put his head on her shoulder :) He did it quite a few times too!

Hayride, check! Now off to the lil pumpkin patch areas :)

They both tried to eat them too!

Pumpkin patch, check! Now it was time for the tractor pull thing. Michael was not too excited at first, he seems unsure of the seat and whined some when I got in with him but once the ride began, he leaned back and enjoyed the scenery :)

Tractor pull thing, check :) The kids rested for a bit, got their diapers changed and had a snack of gold fish, teddy grams, yogurt raisins and french fries. Amy had brought Brooklynn's halloween costume. She got her all dressed up and took some adorable photos!!

Then it was time for the see saw of which the kids LOVED!!! I got a cute video of this as well and will have to post it soon :)

Next activity was the big tin tub of corn!

Nothing but fun and smiles all day :)

(Michael with Ms. Stephanie)

The group at the Patch!!
Can't wait for next year! Heck, I might just take Michael back for Halloween and take Daddy with us this time :)

St. Augustine and Deland Mini Vaca

2009-10-19T21:29:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, Mike and I randomly decided that we needed to take a mini vacation together. Volleyball has been in full swing since August and Michael and I haven't been able to see Daddy much so this was the perfect idea that would allow us to have some fun and relax too as a family :) Of course, St. Augustine was the first place that came out of our mouths. We absolutely LOVE this lil old city and can't seem to stay away. Michael has become a fan as well.

So on Saturday morning, we got up, ate and packed. If Michael is on our room while I'm getting ready, he wants to watch me blow dry my hair. I don't know why he is so fascinated but he watches intently every time :) Mike thought it was super cute so he ran downstairs, grabbed the camera and took this pic below :)

We timed the 2 hour car ride around Michael's nap so he ate lunch before we left, at about 11. Mike had stopped at Starbucks earlier in the morning but of course, once we got into St. Augustine, we hit up our fav spot again! You can tell from the pic below that he had just woke up :) He is a great lil traveler!

After getting our coffee, we decided to stroll around town. We split a large pretzel from one of the shops in the lil shopping district and found Daddy a St. Augustine shirt. We then made our way to the Fort. The last time we were in town, we weren't able to make it to the Fort for several reasons, 1 being the crazy HOT and humid weather and also that Michael was sick, running a fever so we had to get him home, then to the hospital :( However, this trip, we got to explore the entire place.

We took some pictures before heading in. The view is just beautiful and Michael ran around for awhile, eventually meeting up with a new friend... a big dog! He was excited until the dog got close :) He isn't a big animal fan quite yet.

After Michael ran from the puppy, we made our way into the Fort. We took the stroller but let Michael walk in by himself. He was holding my hand most of the way but then decided he was going to walk on his own, so he let go :( Daddy got a picture of it.

Once inside, the place belonged to Michael. He was all over the little rooms! He really enjoys exploring new places.

He found the rope that blocks off the center grassy area and became occupied with that for awhile. Once he grabbed it, he looked back at us like, am I allowed?? We giggled at him at began to take pictures so he knew it was okay for him to play with it :)

We couldn't leave without going on top of the Fort. Talk about some amazing views of the city and river! We were able to get a nice individual to take a picture for us while we were exploring up there. It was windy and a lil chilly too!

Daddy put Michael down and off he went once he saw the cannons!

The funniest thing though was that Michael was captivated by the coquina shell ground and walls. Now if Mike were typing this post, he would throw a history lesson into this so I guess I will do it for him :) Fact: Coquina actually absorbs the cannon balls rather than exploding into pieces like stone does.

We spent a good hour at the Fort and then decided it was time to eat! Daddy threw Michael on his shoulders and we headed out :)

Views from the top of the Fort :)

Mike had seen a restaurant on a guide that he wanted to try and thought it was down the road so we walked... and walked... and walked... no restaurant! Later we found out that it was outside the town :) We ended up eating at Harry's, a seafood place that we have been to before but love! Michael got his very own kids meal... Mahi Mahi and mashed potatoes :) He ate most of it! The kid has a crazy appetite because he also drank an entire cup of milk too!

Dinner was fantastic and super filling! Can't go wrong with Harry's :) The Gators were playing Arkansas so we hit up a local bar in town to watch the remainder of the game. Close one but the Gators won, thank the lord! Because it was getting late, we decided to head out to the beach where our hotel was. We didn't get to bed as early as we wanted because our reservation got screwed up but we eventually got a new hotel and hit the sack around 9:)

The following morning, we grabbed some breakfast, bundled up and walked a few blocks to the beach. It was in the 50's and the wind was blowing 15-20 mph! Talk about cold... well at least for us Floridians :)

A nice lil old couple was kind enough to take a family picture for us :)
Daddy took some shots of Michael roaming the beach.

We wish we could have taken his shoes off but the sand was freezing so we left his shoes on but Daddy got some fantastic pictures, which we will frame :)

We weren't quite ready to head home yet and it was still early, 10 am or so. I asked Mike if he would want to see Stetson University in DeLand, a school I went to my freshman year of college. I've always really enjoyed the little town and thought Mike would as well, and it wasn't too far out of our way. He said yes, so off we went!

When we got into town, we drove around the campus and then went to MainStreet Grille for lunch. It is a neat restaurant and has beautiful fountains. As we were leaving, Daddy and Michael were enjoying the view so I snapped a few pics :) We walked around town to the coffee joint, Boston Coffee. We got back to the car, strapped our lil man in, toured the school a little more and hit the road :)

It was a great weekend with the fam and we are looking forward to another one hopefully soon. Plan is to spend a day at Disney for Mike's birthday in November :) Only a few more weeks of Volleyball are left so we will have more time to spend together, at least until January because then baseball begins!

Munchkins

2009-10-04T20:02:00.003-04:00

This morning, Mike and I had a craving for Dunkin Donut Munchkins :) So we got in the car, pj's and all, and drove down the street to hit up DD's :) We ordered an assortment of the munchkins and of course, coffee!

When we got home, we put Michael in his high chair, suited him up with a bib and Daddy gave Michael his own favorite donut flavor... chocolate!

Michael got totally excited when Daddy gave him his very own munchkin and he went to put the entire thing in his mouth!!

Obviously he could not fit the entire thing in but he got a good size chunk! He ate what he put in his mouth but didn't have any desire to have anymore.

That's our boy! He isn't one for sweets :)

Someone likes to shop!

2009-10-03T12:22:00.006-04:00

Our little man likes to shop! He is my son!! This morning, we hit up ToyRUs first to find some outfits for our family trip to DisneyWorld next month. We were able to get him Tigger and Mickey shirts for our mini vaca. Daddy's birthday is Nov 6th so he will get in for free :) Michael is also free so only I have to pay for a ticket :) Talk about a good deal! So we went ahead and figured we would start prepping for our first trip to the Magic Kingdom as a family :)

After ToysRUs, we went to Best Buy so I could get my brother, Uncle Ryan, a gift card for his birthday, which is today! He is 23! While we were there, Michael decided to take us for a walk around the store. Some of the staff just thought he was sooo cute, that they gave him one of the Best Buy balloons :) I think they noticed that Michael pointing at them and smiling. He was tickled that he got one! We tied it to his arm and he walked through the store with it :)

We had forgot our camera so Daddy and I took these pictures with our phones. Michael is also wearing a West Port HS shirt that Daddy had made for him.

He is becoming more independent each day! He would hold our hand at times as he perused the store but mostly wanted to walk by himself! I'm sure it won't be long before we find ourselves chasing him as he runs through the store!

Really? 13 months?

2009-09-28T21:06:00.017-04:00

We were so excited for our lil man to turn 1 but its so weird, yet exciting, that he is now on the downslide to 2!! We are slowly coming to realize that he is no longer "our lil baby." He has definitely hit the toddler stage!! He is into EVERYTHING, climbing on EVERYTHING, eating EVERYTHING as well as kissing, waving and pointing at EVERYTHING! Now that he is walking, we hope to lose the remainder of our baby weight chasing the lil guy around :)

*Michael really does love his GATORS! He enjoys playing with his blue and orange football but most importantly, he LOVES his Gator bat. He even drags it around the house and will use it as a cane or even straddle the darn thing, like a wooden pony stick thingy.

He likes to sport his Gator attire too!

Daddy even is teaching him the GATOR chomp :) Mike is such a wonderful dad!

*Our little man really gets into playing games. Whether it is peek-a-boo(with himself too), being chased around the house or grabbing Mike's hand from under the door, he finds the humor in whatever we do and has fun with it!

*Besides his GATOR bat, he also drags his "Bongo" around the house as well. You can see in the picture below the monkey to the side... Bongo :) His cousin Kaitlynn gave Michael this stuffed animal this summer when he returned home from the hospital after being treated for MRSA. He has been attached to it ever since!

*Michael eats and drinks pretty much anything! He holds his own bottles of milk... yes we are drinking Whole Milk!!! He loves it and it was an easy transition from formula. He also likes his apple juice and pear juice. As far as food goes... he eats anything really. He doesn't like green beans or peas. He usually has either hard boiled or scrambled eggs for breakfast, sometimes grits, oatmeal or toast. Lunch usually consists of flavored apple sauces or mashed potatoes with either hot dog, Vienna sausage or turkey/chicken sticks by Gerber Graduates. He snacks on baby Goldfish, cheezits, cheetos, Gerber crackers, Sesame Street organic crackers... Dinner is whatever we eat really. He loves spaghetti. We even bought him his own kind of pasta noodles! Salmon is still a fav:) He now eats when he wakes up, lunch at 11, snack at 2 and 4 and dinner at 6/630. He is one routined kid!

*Michael is super affectionate and sweet and adorable :) He loves to give us hugs and kisses. This includes his lil friends too! He not only likes to snuggle on us (when he is calm) but he also likes to snuggle in with his pillows and blankets. He is all about being comfy :)

*You guessed it! He is a walking machine!! He is walking so well too! He will try to run as well but usually falls on his face and laughs and then crawl the rest of the way :) He keeps us on our toes now!

Most importantly, Michael is happy. He pretty much has a smile on his face all the time, we swear. Ask his daycare teachers :)

Our lil helper

2009-09-27T20:35:00.015-04:00

What a day!! Our lil Rasdall family got a ton accomplished this afternoon, from building Michael's new dresser to 6 loads of laundry as well as cleaning toilets and organizing our storage space!!! We are so proud of ourselves :) The best part, Michael helped! He wanted to assist with everything too, which made getting everything done today so much more fun!

Daddy and Michael spent most of the afternoon putting together his new dresser that my parents bought him for his birthday. I know, we are a month behind but some of the pieces came broken so we had to await new ones. Anyways, Michael watched Daddy intently... observing how he used the tools to where he would grab them after Mike was done and make the same movement with the tool. He LOVED the cordless screwdriver and totally enjoyed pressing the button to make the noise.

Michael also wanted to inspect the pieces before Daddy used them. After he looked them over, he handed them to Daddy :)

Of course, Daddy and Michael took a few breaks to have some fun!

You can somewhat see in this picture below Michael's excited face, where his lips kinda pucker up and his body gets stiff.

While Daddy put the finishing touches on the dresser, Michael came to help me finish one of my 6 loads of laundry :) He pulled everything out but decided that he was bored waiting for me to fold and then put the remainder of the clothes back in the dryer. Once he accomplished that, he took the rest back out for me to finish :) What a sweet boy!!

After we finished that load of clothes, we went back to Micheal's room to check out his new dresser! He was really proud of his work!

It tired our lil man out though because once he looked over his new and big dresser, he grabbed his pillows that Auntie Charlotte made for him, and made himself comfy :)

We are just so blessed to have such a wonderful lil guy in our lives who is very loving and helpful :) Can't wait to see what he does next!

Elmo's Green Thumb

2009-09-25T20:43:00.013-04:00

This past week we were able to take Michael to see Sesame Street Live! One of my very good friends, Amy, who is also Brooklynn's mommy, was so kind to give us her free tickets to the show on Wednesday night since they had already bought tickets for Tuesday. We are just so grateful and appreciative of all they do for us :)

Mike and I were joking around once we arrived because we are always talking about going to a Gator game and hanging out in Gainesville. We haven't made a game yet but some how, Elmo gets us to Gainesville!
Before the show, we took a few photos :)

The show for this year was "Elmo's Green Thumb."

It was super vibrant and fun and everyone in the audience was so excited! We even got Michael a Tshirt to wear! Unfortunately, Micheal didn't nap much earlier in the day so we was ready to go at intermission, however, what he did see, he LOVED, especially Elmo with his squeaky but yet adorable voice :)

Daddy and Michael enjoying the show!

Daddy caught Michael and me laughing!

So sleepy...

Since the little guy was fading fast, we decided to leave but not without a picture of my boys at "the swamp"!!

Thank you to the Pozdol's for giving us the opportunity to see Elmo LIVE!!

Grandma comes to visit!!

2009-09-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

Grandma Cindy came to visit Michael! She drove up from Sarasota to Ocala the day after his party so that she would be able to spend more quality time with the lil man. She also came bearing TONS of presents! Michael was able to give Grandma her birthday gifts while she was visiting, which included this envelope/card that Michael decorated with Daddy :) I think we have a creative little guy on our hands, don't you think? :)

Inside the card :)

So it took Michael an hour to open everything that Grandma brought. I think our little man will be well educated by all these Leap Frog toys!

He was super excited about his travel tray! He got to take it with him to Cedar Key later that afternoon! It is a perfect toy because we travel quite a bit around the state and we are currently planning trips to Alabama and Texas!

Mike and I were particularly excited about this Boon Frog! It scoops up all of Michael's bath toys after he done with his "splish splash," and then you hang it on the wall and the soap/water drains out! Fabulous idea!

So after our morning of gift opening, we packed up the little guy and Grandma and headed to Cedar Key. My mom has lived in FL for like 45 years and has never been so we thought this would be a great opportunity since we are only 1 hr 30 min away. Michael slept most of the way which worked perfectly. He was in a great mood once we arrived :)

One of the main reasons we enjoy going to Cedar Key is because the food is AMAZING!!! We went to the Rusty Rim for lunch and enjoyed Clams, Oysters, Gator Tail, Shrimp... the list goes on :)
Michael hanging out on Gma's lap :)

After lunch, we walked out to the Pier. The Key is just beautiful and we hope to go back soon for the entire weekend and boat out to some of the little islands.

My handsome boys! Michael's expression is priceless :)

Always getting kisses from Mommy :)

My mommy, Me and Michael.

After our photo session at the Pier was complete, we walked around town... shopped and enjoyed some ice coffee. It was so wonderful to spend the day with Grandma. We are so looking forward to our next visit with her! Hopefully it will be soon as Uncle Ryan's 23rd bday is right around the corner, along with Grandpa John! We just need to get him back to Florida!

It's party time!!

2009-09-04T21:49:00.031-04:00

It is finally here! We have been prepping for this party celebration for 2 months :) Michael was just so excited to spend the day with his little and big friends! Before Michael's guests arrived, Mommy and Charlotte baked and decorated the birthday boy's cupcakes :) They turned out awesome and tasted great! Michael also Skyped Mamaw and Papaw while eating his pre party snack. Everyone arrived around 2 pm and began to play and snack on Mini Nilla's, Goldfish and Cheetos's :) Daddy cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for all the big kids and made some yummy pasta salad too!

Here are some photo's from the party :)

Michael cheesing!

Rainey Rebecca!

Ellie Skye!

Brooklynn!

Brooklynn and Michael playing with his new car from Mamaw and Papaw :)

Last but not least, Luke!!

Michael was crushing on lil Rainey :) How could you not? She is just precious!

Michael not only enjoyed spending the day with his little friends, but 3 of his teachers from Daycare also came to celebrate with our little man. He just adores his teachers, Amy, Stephanie and Jenn :) Here he is with Jenn and Luke!

Rainey and mommy Melissa had to leave early :( Brooklynn and Michael didn't want her to go but they came over to say their good byes. We really enjoyed spending some time with the Lindeman ladies!

Now we can't forgot Ms. Ellie!! Michael has always enjoyed his play dates with her. He even got to celebrate with Ellie on her first birthday a month ago :) She enjoyed helping Michael open and play with his presents. They are just too cute!

Auntie Charlotte gave Michael so many wonderful gifts. Not only did she make some beautiful safari themed pillows for our little man but also gave him some great books! Michael LOVES books!

Unfortunately, Auntie Andrea and Uncle Ben couldn't make it :( They moved to California after they got married in June but they sent Michael a wonderful alphabet drum for his birthday!

Ok, I couldn't resist! I had to post this picture! Ellie is totally "chillin."

Piano from Mommy and Daddy!

Michael got to spend the entire day with Auntie Charlotte! They hung out before the party and even after! Charlotte took some other birthday pictures for us, which we will post in his 1 year blog :) She also gave little man his bath! Thanks for coming Auntie!!!

It is cupcake time!! Everyone sang Happy Birthday too :) We got that on video!

Mommy and Daddy got to blow the candle out :) Gotta love Daddy in his party hat!

Soooo, little man is not into sweets. Never really has been. The story here is Michael has had 2 cupcakes, one at Daycare and one at Ellie's party. Both times he consumed the icing, he broke out in hives. We think he was a little traumatized from his experiences as he wanted NOTHING to do with the icing or cupcake. The doctor thinks he is allergic to blue and red dye so we made sure his cupcake was white icing/white cake :)

We attempted to put the cake and icing in his mouth but he wouldn't have it. He didn't break out in hives though!!

Luke totally loved his cupcake! He ate the entire thing!

Little Brooklynn and Luke eating away :) We love these kids!

So Ellie and Brooklynn became great little friends! Can't wait to play date with both Amy's, Ellie and Brooklynn :)

Ellie giving her man a smooch!!

We can not thank everyone enough for making Michael's birthday so incredibly wonderful!!! The celebration was a HUGE success!! Can't wait until next year :) We love you all and Michael sends you all KISSES!!

Michael turns 1!!!

2009-08-30T21:20:00.018-04:00

Michael turned 1 on Thursday the 27th! With that came his 12 month check up with Dr. Harrell. Mike and I took the little guy for his visit and everything checked out perfect! Well, minus the ear infection but he was already being treated for that. He just adores Dr. Harrell and has always done so well with her, even when its time for shots. He weighed in at 24 lbs and 13 oz (75%) and is 29.5 inches (50%) long!
After his doctor's appointment, we decided to take Michael out for a birthday dinner! We chose a restaurant nearby of which we had never tried... Cody's :) The food was excellent and what made the experience even better was the paper and crayons that were provided at the table, which totally kept the lil guy happy and occupied!
Here is a photo of our lovely artwork! Michael didn't even try to put the crayons in his mouth!
He got to enjoy tortilla chips and bread for his appetizer and salmon with mashed potatoes for his entree :) He wasn't too big into the desert as we only got him to taste one bite of vanilla ice cream.
Daddy loves this picture of Michael because of his great facial expression!
Yummy! Bread!

On Friday night once Michael was asleep, Mike and I cleaned the house and worked on putting up decorations. Who would have ever thought that our place would be adorned in safari decor!?!? This is Michael's birthday button! We even put streamers on his high chair!
Here is the table with its decorations... includes party bags and gifts for the kids as well as presents, which were on the other side of the table :) We have been getting super pumped and prepping for our lil man's big day for months and it is soooo hard to believe that this time has finally arrived! Stay tuned for the birthday post!

Our trip Day 3: Anniversary Celebration

2009-08-04T16:56:00.022-04:00

On Monday, Mike and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary! It is amazing how quickly time has gone by and it seems as though we have been married forever :) Last year, we stayed home due to Michael's birth being 1 month out but this year was different! We were able to travel and take our little man with us and celebrate.

We began our day with breakfast and a trip to the pool!

After a relaxing morning, we walked around downtown, grabbed some lunch at Atlanta Bread Company and came back for family nap time!

Once everyone was up, we took another trip to the pool. We all played in the pool for an extended period of time. Daddy fed the little man and I got to lay out, working on my tan!

Then it was Daddy's turn for some sun so Michael and I went inside, took a bath and began our primping for our anniversary dinner!

(Michael showing off his ability to stand with no assistance before heading out for dinner)

We found a fantastic place on Beach Drive called ParkShore Grille. The food was AMAZING!!! Michael was terrific too! We received many compliments on how well he did. We enjoyed a Portebella-Red Pepper stack along with a Mozzarella-Tomato Salad. I got Filet Mignon and Mike enjoyed some fabulous Jumbo Shrimp. After dinner, we walked around town, hit up Starbucks for dessert and made our way back to the hotel. We hung out on the patio for awhile before heading to bed.

Me and Michael on the patio

Giving KISSES!

Handsome Dada...

who is enjoying his dessert... Starbucks!

Our little man enjoying the view :)

Thanks to both our parents who made our anniversary so great! We love you!

Our trip Day 2: Rays Game!

2009-08-04T16:55:00.026-04:00

Sunday was baseball day! Kim had planned the ballgame a couple of months ago as one of my Father's Day gifts. She did such a great job!

Michael decided to sleep in a bit so our day began a little later than normal. First on our agenda was a visit to Molly and Andy's, who live a few minutes from downtown St Pete. Molly and Kim were sorority sisters at Winthrop. Also, visiting this weekend was another sister of Kim's, Kelli, and her boyfriend Mike.

As we were getting ready, Michael felt that he was not quite clean enough so tried to join Mama in the shower :) He loves the tub and this has become somewhat of a new habit, throwing the curtain to the side and working his way to the water!

So, finally baseball time!!! Michael caught a quick 15 minute nap on the way to Tropicana Field and we arrived.

What was so great is that Kim had really planned this event well! My first pro game, in 1982, was the Twins and Royals in Kansas City...Michael's first game was also the Royals! It was Family Fun Day at "The Trop!" Not only great seats by the picnic area and Royals bullpen, but free hot dog, drink, and cracker jack, too! If the Lil Dude was walking, he could've run the bases afterwards.

Michael absolutely LOVED being at the Park! He enjoyed watching all of the people, even playing peek-a-boo with the ladies in front of us...He liked clapping along to the music and all of the rally chants, etc. The Lil Dude did sooooo great!!! We, as usual, recieved a lot of compliments from the people around us on how well-behaved he was(especially for only having a 15 minute nap.) Of course, all of this action going on and he really couldn't have cared less that he was witnessing a no-hitter into the 8th inning!!! Shields lost it as well as the game in the 8th, however. Michael finallay did fall asleep, shortly there after, sometime during the 8th...Didn't even flinch when the diesel horn went off in the 9th for a home run...He was OUT!!!
What a terrific day!!! Enjoy some more pics...

Not digging the cotton candy

Our trip Day 1: St. Pete Pier

2009-08-04T16:08:00.015-04:00

Our little family traveled down to St. Petersburg on Saturday for an extended weekend which included a Rays game and celebrating our 2nd anniversary. We got into town and before checking into our hotel, we made a trip over to the Pier. We decided to grab something to eat before we strolled around. We found a place called Capt Al's which had some great food and mashed potatoes for the little guy! Here are some photos :)

Michael laughing...

at me eating a sandwich! He thinks everything is funny!

After lunch, Michael got a surprise treat! We met this nice man at the Pier who made animal balloons! Michael watched intently while he worked...

Michael may not be displaying enthusiasm when he got his monkey, but we assure you, he LOVED it! He played with the darn thing all day until it came apart :)

We walked around the Pier, went to the Aquarium but only hung out in the gift shop. We were ready to leave and head to the hotel to check in and swim! However, before we left the Pier, we had to get some family pictures!

My wonderful boys!

Me and Michael blowing kisses!

Our family!

After a fantastic afternoon, we finally went to the hotel!

We checked in, unpacked and headed straight for the pool! After a nice swim, we went to dinner at Baywalk and had some sushi followed by desert at Ben and Jerry's! Couldn't have asked for a better first day of vacation! Daddy is going to complete Day 2! Enjoy and we love and miss everyone!

Almost.....

2009-07-28T20:55:00.012-04:00

So, each day brings something new and amazing from the Lil Dude. Michael has been shuffling around the furniture for quite a little while now, but he's been tentative to move forward...Until now!

We cannot believe that we are about to have a walker on our hands :)

I love how, when he's done...He is done! "I'm NOT your trained monkey!!!"

Ellie's 1st Birthday!

2009-07-27T21:33:00.017-04:00

Happy Birthday to Ms. Ellie Skye!! She turned 1 on the 24th of July and Amy and Gary gave her the most precious 1st birthday party! Michael had a blast too, enjoying her company and toys, but not the cupcakes so much :)

Ellie got so many wonderful presents! From a walker/rider thingy to a learning purse, she was captivated by it all!

Michael apparently loved Ellie's bday gifts too...

Ellie's Aunt Tara made some magnificent cupcakes... little pink piggies! They were adorable and so tasty! Ellie kinda got into the cupcake but seemed to enjoy mamma and dadda licking the icing off her fingers more :)

So Michael was not all about the cupcake. We had an incident in daycare a few months back where he was given a cupcake that had blue icing. He had broke out in hives but we figured since Tara's little cakes were homemade, including the icing, lil man would be ok! Good thing we brought the Benadryl! Here are the results...

Overall, the party was a success! The little ones played together, both laughed at each other as well as cried :) They were super cute and you could tell they just had a blast!

Michael gave everyone kisses goodbye... even the sliding door :) That is our little man! He is one of a kind :)

We love and miss you all!

The countdown is on...

2009-07-25T12:03:00.017-04:00

Little man is really 11 months old? Seriously? Michael has grown like crazy over the past month. As we continue to prep for his 1 year birthday party and deal with our crazy busy lives, we still just sit back and watch him as much as we can. It is truly amazing how quickly they grow. Here is an update on the little guy...

*We aren't sure of his exact stats right now. We took him to his PCP 2 weeks ago and he weighted in at 24 lbs 2 oz and was 28 1/4 in.

*Michael is pulling up on anything and everything. Us, his high chair, couch, ottoman, baby gate... whatever he can find.

*He is constantly walking too but is having to hold onto to something, ie furniture, toys, etc. It won't be long before he's walking without assistance. Oh boy...

*Little man has learned how to crawl... up the stairs!! Gates are now in place after a little accident :)

*Michael gives us kisses! On the forehead, nose, cheeks and lips :) He has learned to close his mouth and pucker but most of the time he gives us his nice, open-mouthed wet kisses!

*Food... where do we start! This little man decided a few weeks back that he would REFUSE all baby foods. Great... an entire cabinet of baby food... anyone in need of stage 2 and 3 foods? Anyways, we have had to alter his diet. He is all about egg yolks for bfast. He will have vienna sausages, salmon, mashed potatoes, saltine crackers and spaghetti for his other meals. We also give him the Gerber Graduate foods like puffs, biter biscuits, lil crunchies and the lil sides. As you can see, he still loves food :) Sippy... still in progress...

*Michael is able to carry on a conversation with us or the TV at length, with us having no idea what he is saying. Convo consists of entire paragraphs full of different consonant and vowel sounds as well as inflexion and emotion. When Michael decides he wants something, he says our name "mama" or "dada." When he does not get what wants, he will redirect his conversation to the other parent, saying their name over and over again... :)

*It's time for bed and... he no longer cries! We put him in the crib. We give him his puppy to snuggle with as well as his blankie and off to sleep he goes! YES! Bed time around 8:30... and up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 am. It's wonderful...

*Most important... he is healthy! We had do deal with that MRSA thing earlier this month but he is doing amazing.

We are currently in the process of birthday planning :) Hard to believe we have 1 month to go before he is 1!!!

Michael sends kisses to you all :)

TV anyone?

2009-07-25T11:34:00.007-04:00

Our little man is not into TV all that much but there are 3 shows that will keep his attention... Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and... SHREK! Michael will watch Jeopardy and WOF every night from 7 to 8! We have learned that he also likes Shrek as it was on TV one afternoon and he was glued. Good thing we own it! It really only holds his attention for 10 minutes at a time as the little guy wants to crawl and practice walking every waking moment! Here are a few random shots we got of the little guy indulging in television!

Jeopardy...

Wheel of Fortune...

and Shrek!!!

Little Day Trips!

2009-07-25T11:02:00.013-04:00

Michael has not been spending much time at home this summer. Between trips to Sarasota, St. Augustine and Jacksonville, he has also been able to visit me at work in Leesburg, attend Volleyball conditioning with Daddy at WPHS and spend a morning at Eckerd Academy in Brooksville(where mommy and daddy met!) Here are some snapshots from his little day trips (most taken with our cell phones).

He LOVES watching the girls practice!

Daddy and Michael after a morning of Vball conditioning.

We went down to E-How-Kee, now known as Eckerd Academy, for a morning to visit with some old friends of ours. Not many people remain but some of our favorites are still around, including Ms. Frankie and Ch. Dan! Daddy took these pictures... the famous boardwalk coming into "community" where all the groups met before meals. Lots of "huddles" took place here as well (my group one night until 2 am!)

Last but not least, Daddy as brought little man to visit me at work! YAY!!! My co-workers LOVE to visit with Michael. We went out to lunch with my supervisor and another co-worker and then spent some time around the office. He found a picture on my desk that fascinated him... Pic of him a few days old!

11 month blog to come along with Ellie's 1st birthday party!

St Augustine (and surprise trip to Jax)

2009-07-22T21:30:00.028-04:00

Our little Rasdall family decided last summer that we needed a family vacation! We chose to rent a house on Crescent Beach, just a few miles south of St. Augustine. So off to St. Augustine we go! We checked in at 2 on July 4th, went to the house, unpacked, completed our Walmart run and then relaxed the remainder of the evening. We couldn't have asked for a better start to our vacation!

On Sunday, everyone spent some time at the beach. Mike, myself, Matt and Mandi decided to head into St. Augustine for the later part of the afternoon, enjoy some shopping and mojito's at Columbia Restaurant. The little man joined us as Mamaw, Papaw and the kids wanted to soak up more sun!
So before we left, I checked Michael's temp as he had been running low grade fevers (which we thought were due to teething). Michael also had a bite (or what we thought was a bite) on his arm that had gotten fairly infected (so we thought again). We were keeping an eye on it and had decided that if it worsened, we would take him to an urgent care on the 6th. Little man seemed to be feeling ok so we headed out. We got into town, stopped for a drink, walked around town and hit up some shops. As we decided to take our family picture (seen above), I noticed Michael is really warm... like really hot to the touch. We start to get really worried and give him more Tylenol, thinking this would help. Within an hour, he is still CRAZY hot! We get him home and took his temp... 103.7 and 103.9!!! Are you serious???? We immediately pack what we thought we would need for the evening and rush to the nearest ER.

Get to the ER... temp is now 104.3!! I'm thinking he is going to have seizure! They give him meds and antibiotics. The doctors look at the little guys arm and my waist and tell us we have MRSA. Of course, I'm crying and thinking I'm going to die. Poor Mike... he was AMAZING. He calmed me down, called my parents with updates and most of all, took such wonderful care of our little man who seemed so confused with everything going on. Michael was pretty critical so they ambulanced us to Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville where Michael would be admitted, placed on 36 hours of antibiotics and have his huge sore lanced.

While he was being taken care of, I not so happily made my way to the adult side of the hospital and got myself treated. I finished around 4:30 am, headed to Michael's room where the little man and Daddy were just settling down. We were all up until 6 am. Great start to the vacation, right?! Anyways, I won't bore you with more details. Basically, Michael was fantastic through it all! We were finally released on Tuesday night and made our way back to the beach house.

The rest of the vacation was a blast. Lots of time to spend at the beach. Unfortunately due to Michael and I having sores lanced, we weren't able to venture out until the last day of vacation but we enjoyed our little time at the beach. Mamaw, Papaw, Kaitlynn, Owen, Matt and Mandi were beach bums!!! They loved every minute! Daddy got to spend quite a bit of time outside too, using his little boogie board! Daddy also introduced the little man to the sand and salt water!

The entire family made trip into St. Augustine on Wednesday night. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Harry's and desert at Kilwins.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to watch Michael interact with his cousins Kaitlynn and Owen. It is an understatement when I say he loved being around them. He was just constant smiles around those two, crawled and climbed all over them and both Kaitlynn and Owen were amazing with the little man!

We had such a great vaca that we have decided to plan another one for next summer... a week in the Colorado Mtns! Here are a few random photo's from the week! Enjoy!

Love and Miss you all!

Daddy's Day 2009

2009-07-12T22:20:00.011-04:00

My wonderful Dada's Day actually began a couple of weeks prior to the actual day...Everyone knows how I am...If something is discussed like, say for example, possibly going to a ballgame or something...I am going to get on it, find a workable date and get tix. Kim knows me sooo well! She and Michael HAD to surprise me with an early Dada's gift to what will be Michael's first pro ballgame! Kim had already planned a great weekend in St. Pete that will encompass Dada's Day, our 2nd anniversary, and Michael's very first pro ballgame. We are heading down for 3 days the first week of August. What is really cool is that Michael's first game, just as mine was, will be a Royals game :) again, planned weeks ahead by Kim!

Dada's weekend began with all of the wonderful wedding activities for Ben and Andrea's wedding. Lot's of fun in Bradenton and Sarasota. We were childless Saturday evening and overnight as we enjoyed the reception and the official start to Father's Day on Lido Key...Yes, we were actually able to stay up past midnight. We just enjoyed a lazy Sunday as we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa and had a great brunch at one of my favorite Venice spots, The Crow's Nest, before heading on home. I loved my St Pete weekend package, "Daddy's Hugs" book to read to the Lil Dude as well as two super cute hand-decorated frames that will adorn my classroom come fall.

Kretzmann-Yung Wedding

2009-07-12T22:12:00.011-04:00

Andrea and Ben got married! So, I have known Ben since High School. He was my sophomore Prom date and we remained friends after our HS graduation in 2001. He called the summer of 2005 after we graduated college and told me his girlfriend was moving to Charlotte, NC and asked if I would show her around as I was still living in the area, looking for a job :) It was best friendship at first sight! Andrea is one of the most amazing, loyal, kind and thoughtful people I know. Anyways, this wonderful couple got engaged in 2007 and we were so lucky to be able to attend the wedding and enjoyed being apart of their special day!

We were able to attend the Rehearsal dinner in Bradenton. Michael just LOVES his Auntie Andrea and Uncle Ben and they are just wonderful with the little guy! We will miss them as they are now living in California where Ben is a Resident at Cedar-Sinai in Beverly Hills. Michael also got to spend time with his Auntie Charlotte! Michael not only attended the Rehearsal dinner but also the wedding! (which was absolutely beautiful!!!!)

After the wedding, we took Michael to my parents house. Grandma and Grandpa Ludwig wanted to keep the little man for the night so we could go have some adult fun, the first adult fun we have had since Michael was born. He did fantastic while he was with Gma and Gpa. They played all afternoon and the following morning until we got there. Another blog will follow as this afternoon was Father's Day :) It was a great weekend for the little guy and us!

More to come! We love and miss you all :)

Pool playdate with Ellie

2009-07-12T21:59:00.013-04:00

A few weeks ago, we met up with our neighborhood friends, The Lazdowski's, for a pool date. We have known them from when we first moved to Ocala in early 2007, as Amy got us our first apartment in Deerwood Villages! Amy and her husband had a little girl Ellie just 5 weeks before Michael was born. They live here in Fore Ranch and we have been able to get together quite a bit for dinners and afternoon playdates:) We decided to head to the pool on a Sunday to let the little ones swim!

The two got along great! Ellie loved Michael's floatie and Michael just loved watching Ellie in his floatie! He giggled non stop for several minutes, just admiring her :) It was a successful playdate! The older they get, the more they enjoy interacting with each other. We can't wait to celebrate Ellie's 1st birthday later this month!

10 MONTHS!

2009-06-29T12:30:00.013-04:00

We received our reality check on Friday…In the mail, hidden amongst all the bills, was Michael’s Toys-R-Us Birthday Club 1 year birthday party checklist. Holy cow, ALREADY??? Are you kidding me?!?!?! The countdown is on and, of course, Mama got right on it :) We perused through the birthday catalogue, which we also received that day, didn’t really like any of the themes in it and headed to the Party Store to get invitations (number one on the birthday club checklist). “Invitations” yeah right! We wound up pretty much planning the party and getting most everything needed…One of those things that we are super excited about, but also sad that our Lil Dude is growing up!

So, 10 MONTHS OLD! Wow, what an amazing month it has been. First and foremost, the MOST important of all milestones was “Mama!!!” It melts the heart and still brings a tear to the eye. What really makes it extra special is the fact that Michael has the association of what it (and Dada) means now.

Also, this month, we’ve adjusted his eating pattern to only 4 bottles a day and 3 sit-down meals. This was not a tough adjustment, really. Of course, now as meal or bottle time nears, Michael will crawl over and let out a demanding screech…He knows when it’s time to eat as if you couldn’t tell from the pictures :)

This month has been so eventful. The Lil Dude started crawling around, now being EVERYWHERE! We can’t move two feet without Michael wanting to see what we’re up to and following. Not only becoming mobile this month, but he also started pulling himself up just a few days ago. He started feeding himself puffs. We also absolutely love when he looks at us for social cues. He’ll see something or someone do something that he thinks is pretty funny, but will look at us sometimes just to make sure that it really IS funny…Then start laughing his little “smoker’s laugh.”

Some of Michael’s very favorite things:

People! He loves people…Loves flirting with waitresses at restaurants and generally watching people.

Dancing! On command, even. A truly diverse taste in music, if it feels right, he will sway to the beat…80’s, hip-hop, pop, and recently female country singers…

Fruit! Any fruit to eat…Apples, pears, mango, peaches, medley…At least we know that he won’t ever get scurvy!

Puffs! Sweet potato, banana, peach-mango, corn-cheddar…

Books! Loves the pictures and intently (sometimes) hangs on every word.

Wheel of Fortune! Enthralled by this show...Loves the spin, hears the little sound when a new puzzle comes up and, no matter where he is or what he's doing, he snaps up and has to take a look!

Himself! In the mirror, on video or pictures, or the reflection off of any glass…He gets an absolute kick out of seeing himself.

I am so fortunate to be able to be at home with our precious Lil Dude this summer! Everyday is something new and exciting and I get to be a part of it. Even though Michael won’t remember this summer, Dada will cherish the memories forever! Next week, the three of us are heading to Crescent Beach in St. Augustine to meet up with the rest of the Rasdall clan as they take the show on the road and head to Florida. Many more memories to come as Michael quickly approaches the 1 year mark! Love and kisses to you all, we miss you!

Our New Morning Greeting

2009-06-29T08:38:00.036-04:00

The Lil Dude has been mobile for quite a while now. He hadn't shown much interest in pulling up, though... Pretty pleased just to be able to follow us around EVERYWHERE that we go.

We were Skyping with Mamaw and Papaw a few evenings ago. Sometimes I will just turn the camera on Michael as he roams around the living room (we all know that the video calls are ALL about the boy)...I had the laptop on the couch looking down on him, when he crawled over, grabbed the couch and pulled himself up to his knees!!! I guess it's all about the right motivation, he loves going after the computer so he can bang on the keys (maybe destined to be a piano player like Mama...)

So, he has been practicing pulling up onto everything. Normally, when we go into get him up in the morning, he is on his tummy intently looking at the door from the corner of his crib. I usually stand him up in the corner so that he can reach and say good morning to Geoffrey, his giraffe... but the last two mornings, he has already been up on his knees waiting on me!

I know we say this every blog update, but our Lil Dude is truly growing up WAY too fast! On a daily basis, there is something new and exciting...Truly amazing to watch :)

We love being able to share, via the blog, these precious moments with all of you and wish we could share them in person...We miss and love you all very much!!!

New Trick

2009-06-22T11:11:00.003-04:00

So, speaking again of random moments...

We pick up the Lil Dude last Wednesday, do a little running around and get home to sit down and feed him. We have been working and working, trying to get him to feed himself puffs, to no avail. He had been getting better as he could pick them up and we would just lightly guide his arm up and he would get it in his mouth.

We sit down and put some puffs on his tray, Kim gets ready to help him out and, not even waiting, he just starts going to town! We had to stop putting multiple puffs in front of him as he was stuffing as many as quickly into his mouth as possible!

Our Lil Dude is growing up! It is certainly bittersweet, though. It is awesome to see him learning and doing new things, on a daily basis. However, it reminds us that he will not be our little baby forever. If only time could slow down just a little bit.

FINALLY!

2009-06-22T10:42:00.005-04:00

So, after a few months of nothing but "dadadadadada..." we (and by "we" I REALLY mean Kim, especially...) have been anticipating the other side of the coin. Of course. it never quite happens as you would plan it and it always seems to come at the most random of times. This makes it ALL the better, though.

We are sitting on the couch, Michael is in his bouncy just hopping away when, out of absolutely no where..."mmmmmm. mmmmmm. mmmmaaaaaa mmmmmaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!" How great is that?!?!?! He only says it once and moves on like it was nothing. Matter of fact, the next couple of days, he only says it once per day, again at random, non-prompted, non-coerced times (and Mama's not even here for either one...)

We were able to get a short video, though three nights later. I literally spent most of the days with camera in hand, just waiting to hear "mmmmm" and on the camera would go. This one was right after Mama gave his his bottle, gotta love the burp right in the middle of this :)

Of course, since this video a week or so ago, we have definitley seen the Mama and Dada association, too. We love it when he crawls up behind us, grabs our ankle and looks up saying "Mama" or "Dada." It is soooo amazing and still brings a tear to the eye. We love this Lil Dude so much!

Little swimmers!

2009-06-14T07:21:00.008-04:00

Last Thursday, Amy (Brooklyn's mom) gave me a call and asked if we would like to bring Michael to their pool for a swim. Of course we say yes! We change the little guy into his swimwear, pack his bag, and off we went. It was perfect because we got there a little after 6 in the evening so it wasn't super hot. Well, to no surprise, he LOVED it!!

Daddy had a blast teaching our little guy how to swim. He did really well too, kicking his feet and he didn't even cry when he took a head dive into the water.

Brooklyn is a little water baby herself and just loved playing with Michael in the pool. If you look at Michael's face in the background, you can see his "stank" face. :) He was a little jealous but he loves to hang out with Brooklyn's older sister Lauren too! She is always asking when she gets to babysit our little man :) We can't wait for our next swim trip!

True love

2009-06-06T21:10:00.009-04:00

Michael and Brooklyn met back in November of 2008! He was 9 weeks old and she was 8 months old. It was true love at first sight as Brooklyn made her way to Michael's crib with a stuffed lamb. She gave him the toy to comfort him as he was crying. Over the months, they became even closer! Now that Brooklyn is in the 1's room, she still comes back to visit Michael in the infant room as Amy (Brooklyn's mom) works in both rooms. They will hold hands, give each other kisses and when they see each other, their faces just light up! They have been on several play dates outside of daycare, from shopping at Old Navy to lunch to Barnes and Noble. Oh and Starbucks! Here are some pictures from their play date this weekend at B&N.

Michael wanted his stroller back :)

Brooklyn pushed Michael all over B&N

Leaning in for a KISS!

Brooklyn gave Michael a big smooch!

It is about time :)

2009-06-04T18:42:00.003-04:00

Michael is crawling!! Well, not like on his hands/knees crawling per say but he is army crawling!! Mike and I went to pick the little guy up from Daycare yesterday and while Mike was signing him out, I met with Michael's teacher Stephanie. She tried to be as subtle as possible as she did not want to give it away, but ended up telling us that Michael was crawling everywhere! She said it even surprised her because he is known for rolling to where he wants to be :) She then pulled out his favorite toys to entice the little guy to demonstrate his new skills! Well let me tell you, my eyes started watering :) I was able to hold the tears back because I didn't want to look like an idiot but it was amazing to finally see Michael lifting his chunky body and move!
When we got home, we had him crawling everywhere, all evening! We even called Mamaw and Papaw as well as Uncle Matt, Aunt Mandi and cousins Kaitlynn and Owen on Skype so they could see! We even got a little video and of course, I'm going to post it for all to see! Enjoy :)

The newest addiction!

2009-06-02T16:54:00.004-04:00

Someone loves puffs! Michael is all about his sweet potato puffs and apple/banana puffs! Here are some updated photos of the lil guy eating away! Video included! Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom :)

Reorganized room :)

2009-05-31T09:45:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago, rather than go out and spend money, we decided why not reorganize Michael's room??? Mike lowered Michael's crib while I moved all of his furniture around to give him more space to play! He currently is all about his Go baby Go Cruise and Crawl Musical Safari that we recently moved to his room :)

When he is burnt out with this toy, he wants to rock:) So we couldn't resist getting the camera and videoing it for all to see! Enjoy!

Love to all!!

9 months really?

2009-05-30T20:06:00.015-04:00

Yes, it is true! Michael turned 9 months on May 27th. We took him to visit his favorite lady... Dr. Stephanie Harrell! He is so sweet on her and does so incredibly well at all his visits as he is there quite often due to monthly sickness via daycare. He weighed in at 22 lbs and 12 oz. I won Starbucks from Daddy as Mike called 23 lbs or higher:) Mommy's know best right? :) He was also 27 1/2 inches long. He has thinned out as he is now 75% percentile for weight (rather than 95th) and 50% for height. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that he inherited my height ;)

*He eats everything! Favorites include sweet potatoes, apples/chicken, kiwi/apples/mango, mixed veggies as well as blueberries/apples. Oh and of course his newest fav is cinnamon/raisin/granola! He also enjoys his sweet potato puffs! He learned how to chew them even before he had teeth :) Up until his appointment this week, he was eating 2 meals a day with 5 to 6 bottles. We have now switched to 3 meals a day with 4 bottles.

*He says "dada," "dad," "rara," and "baba." Unfortunately, no "mama" yet, although he is sooooo close. He does have a connection to the word and will smile when its said.

*He finally got his first tooth the day before his 9 month check up. His second tooth actually popped through the day after his doctor visit. No pictures of the tooth yet though :(

*We lowered his bed and he no longer sleeps with a bumper. Poor guy had gotten his chubby legs stuck in between the bars a few times.

*He loves to be read too! Esp books with big pictures:)

*Bath time is a favorite, whether it is in his tub, our tub or the sink! We can't wait to get him in the ocean in a few weeks!

*He doesn't quite crawl but he will scoot or roll to wherever he needs to be:) Mike's niece never crawled but went from rolling to walking. The doctor wasn't concerned either. Michael stands up so well, holding himself up as he has some strong little yet chunky legs!

*Favorite toys include: Musical Safari and Musical Table as well as his Press and Go Animal Parade. He also enjoys big people toys which include our cell phones, TV remotes and the camera :)

*He has had several play dates! He spends quite a bit of time with Brooklyn as they attend the same daycare but have now been shopping together, had a lunch at Panera as well as a trip to Barnes and Noble. Ellie has also come over the play and another play date is in the works!

(Michael and Ellie in late April)

*The word love is an understatement when I say Michael LOVES to dance. It's all day, everyday! This is his most recent dance video :)

We have so many wonderful events to look forward to this summer! Michael will get to spend an entire week with Mamaw, Papaw, Uncle Matt, Aunt Mandi and cousins Kaitlynn and Owen on Crescent Beach/St. Augustine! Michael also gets to attend Andrea and Ben's Wedding in June down in Sarasota. And of course a fun filled weekend in Vero Beach with Auntie Amanda and Uncle Adam :) The best part of the summer for our lil man... he will be home with daddy for 7 weeks!!! Yay! This also means we will have tons of material for the blog :) We love and miss you all!

The new smile!

2009-05-30T19:47:00.009-04:00

Ok, as we all know, Michael LOVES to smile! He is such a happy, spunky and outgoing baby boy :) He has always liked the camera and when we would take pictures, he would look and smile as soon as he say the red light for the flash. Well, probably within the last 2 to 3 weeks, he has decided to give us a major "cheese" every time we try and snap a photo! So here are some of his recent pictures that demonstrate our quirky boy :)

He even cheeses when he eats!

And the best part, he always has a HUGE smile when he decides to destroy the family room!

He is our little bundle of joy!! More posts to come :)

Homosassa Springs

2009-05-30T17:49:00.020-04:00

Welcome to Homosassa Springs! We made the venture to the park on May 2 (I know, totally behind on the post). Once we arrived, we purchased our tickets and hopped on the boat that transported us to the Park. The boat ride lasted about 15-20 minutes, which allowed for us to see much of native Florida. It reminded us of our camp days when working for Eckerd... especially the humidity in the air!

Michael had a wonderful afternoon getting to see Lou the Hippo, alligators as well as some manatee's.

His favorite section on the Park was the fishbowl.

After we hung out with the all the fishes, we decided to head to lunch at a nearby place but ran into this great picture opportunity! We couldn't resist!

And of course, we always try and get a family picture!

So quite a few of Mike's co-workers grew up in the area and told about this local joint called "Margauritagrill." We decided to head over and try it out! Well we can tell you that Michael loved this place. He tried the fries and bread, but since he did not have teeth at the time so we were careful with what we gave him. We got some GREAT pictures!

It was a fantastic afternoon in Homosassa! We can't wait to go back again but next time it will be during the fall or spring ;) Love to all!

He is his Mama's Son!!!

2009-04-25T16:35:00.004-04:00

So, a little more dancing...

Michael and I were enjoying some time at home Monday, listening to music and watching some videos. The lil dude is developing quite diverse musical tastes...However, certain songs just seem to grab him more than others. He has been a John Cougar Mellencamp fan for a long while...He went through a Chris Brown phase...But, right now, he seems to be all about Kid Cudi! So...we are watching vids and a live Spring Break version comes on, ironically from Panama City where WE were for Spring Break, Michael starts his usual swaying, on his tummy, but rolls over and just starts going nuts!!! What's great is that he watches the crowd in the video and imitates...he "puts his hands up" on cue and answers to Kid Cudi's cadence. He's got moves like his Mama :)~

Hope you Enjoy!

All He Wants to do is Dance...

2009-04-12T22:38:00.004-04:00

So, as we work on sitting up without assistance and crawling, Michael continues to amaze us! He gets around the room pretty well between army crawling and rolling... While practicing crawling, we decided to use two of his favorite "toys" in order to entice him, the TV remote and Kim's cell phone. He absolutely LOVES looking at the pictures and listening to the ring tones on MaMa's phone! Rather than crawl, he surprised us the other night...We had to get it on video.
Love to All!!!

Cedar Key

2009-04-04T22:23:00.009-04:00

So, come about Wednesday of our Panama City vacation, Kim and I decided that we needed to extend our break as much as we could...We couldn't think of any place that we'd rather go to than Cedar Key! It is one of our VERY favorite Florida spots! We took our time and drove the back way, which is absolutely gorgeous, following the Gulf coastline through the panhandle and along the western coast. The three of us arrived just in time for dinner at Dock Street Depot. Cedar Key has the best home-grown clams anywhere (although ALL of the seafood is terrific there!!!) Michael loved the patio seating and the gulf breeze. He DIDN'T like the lemon :)

After dinner we strolled through a couple of shops, caught a great sunset, and headed over to the historic Island Hotel for desert. Kim had the tiramisu and I had a great coffee cordial. Michael loves all of the attention that seems to follow him wherever we go. He flirted and talked to the waitress as well as anyone else that would listen! Afterwards, we stopped into the Raw Bar to get a little take out for the hotel, as we waited, we listened to the band, Michael smiled and swayed to the classic rock, but by the end of the first song...OUT!!! Slept through 4 or 5 songs, the drunk guy in the corner suggested that Michael must've had too much too drink already :)

A lazy stroll through town and on the pier along with another incredible lunch rounded out our "bonus day" of vacation. Kim and I haven't been this relaxed in quite a long time! It was truly a wonderful week and, already, we cannot wait for our next Cedar Key adventure.

Panama City Beach

2009-04-04T19:27:00.048-04:00

Spring Break 2009! Mike's team got to play in a tournament this SB in Panama City! Well, Michael and I did not want to miss out on this trip! We were so excited about watching Daddy coach his games and to spend time as a family @ the beach!
We packed up everything we needed for the trip, shoved it in the car, made a quick stop @ Starbucks then hit the road to Panama City Beach! Michael was a joy to travel with! He napped half the trip and played with his toys the remainder of the trip. Once we were in town, we checked in to our condo that was paid for by the Booster Club!!

We then hit up Walmart to purchase food for the week as well as a new stroller due to us forgetting ours @ home. Oops :) The night was relaxing. Mike had a quick coach/player meeting then it was bed time.

Daddy and Michael went for a walk to Starbucks the following morning while I got ready. I then joined them for another walk along the beach and had lunch.

Then off to Game 1 that afternoon. Michael did SOOO well. He LOVES watching baseball and being outdoors. He even snuck in a little nap :)

We can't forget to mention the famous baby mohawk! The guys on Mike's team decided that they were all going to shave their heads mohawk style so we decided to style Michael's hair just like the boys! Came out super cute and the guys loved it!

West Port won 17-0! GREAT game! Michael and I really enjoyed the afternoon!

Daddy stayed with the other coaches to scout the next game. Michael and I came back, had some dinner and went to bed. However, we were awoken by a soaking wet Daddy who apparently took a swim with some players fully dressed :)

Tuesday, we went to watch Daddy coach game 2!

Unfortunately, we watched the last 3 innings from the parking lot as Daddy got ejected from the game! Daddy says this is because there was poor officiating :) He does want everyone to know that he did not say bad words until after he was ejected :)
That evening was a blast. We went to Pier Park, the 3 of us. We rode the Carousel a few times, went to Starbucks, hit up come super cute baby shops!

Wednesday was their off day. Mike spent the morning with the boys having breakfast and the afternoon with the team playing beach football and volleyball. Wednesday night, we drove to Pensacola to visit with Kristin and Chase. We ate the the Fish House, enjoyed some seafood and good company. Long drive though!

Thursday, their games were rained out. Mike spent the day with the guys and Michael and I hit up Pier park again and did some shopping.

We left Friday early afternoon to return home. Didn't quite make it due to stopping in Cedar Key. Daddy to post on that mini-vaca next! Xoxoxo

7 month post!

2009-04-04T18:56:00.012-04:00

Michael turned the big 7 months on March 27th! We are a little behind on the postings due to Mike's Spring Break trip but we have so much to blog about! He is definitely over 20 lbs! We haven't had him weighted recently. He isn't scheduled to return to the pediatrician until he is 9 months.

During the last month, he now:

*Greets Mike almost every morning on this tummy, trying to sneak a peek over the crib to see what he can look at.

*Scoots... not crawling yet but it is kind of like army crawling/rolling around. He backs up more than he scoots forward.

*Says "bababa!" Screams alot :) Sometimes he sounds like a bird! No "mama" yet though... we are working on this :)

*He doesn't enjoy laying on his back anymore unless he is working on his toe touches :) He actually prefers to be bouncing in his jumperoo, rolling around, laying on his tummy and playing as well as standing with assistance from us.

More posts to come from our Spring Break trip! We love you all!

Michael's big night out!

2009-03-22T12:35:00.009-04:00

Our little family had a dinner date with our close friends Andrea and Ben last night! It was the first time we have taken Michael to a restaurant since he has been able to sit up on his own. He has only been out to eat 3 times since he was born and he either sat in our laps or in a stroller. Last night, that all changed :) He was able to sit up in a high chair for an hour and a half! He played with his toys, ate his apple sauce and took in all the sites and sounds of the restaurant! Esp the birthday gong (It was a Japanese place where we get sushi)!

(Andrea and Ben with Michael. Andrea's hair looks this way as she had a test run with the hairdresser for their wedding in June!)

Prior to heading to dinner, we stopped at Old Navy! Everything for infants was $5!!!!!! We stocked up on 12-18 month clothing :) Michael even picked out his own bathing suit for his upcoming Panama City Spring Break trip with Mommy, Daddy and the baseball team. He almost shoplifted the darn thing! He is always a good little shopper though. Old Navy, Target and ToysRUs are his favorites.

Over the past few weeks, Michael has been grabbing at EVERYTHING. He has always done this, since he was first born, but lately it has been aggressively! The bottle, phone and remote are his favorites. He also has a new word... Grrrr... which he says when he is grabbing his Disney Tigger. Can't wait for our first trip to The Magic Kingdom in November!

He is also feeling much better since his last visit to the doctor last Saturday. He had a little cold and double ear infection. So this is his third ear infection, the first one lasting 6 weeks. Hopefully he won't need to have his ears tubed as the doctor said it might be a possibility since he constantly has infections. Guess he got Mommy's and Uncle Ryan's bad ears! Poor thing :( But even though he gets a little sick from time to time, the kid smiles constantly! Gotta love it:)

We love and miss you all!

Our chunk :)

2009-03-20T13:57:00.008-04:00

So I still can't believe Michael has gotten so big so fast! I took him to work this morning and every time someone came to hold him/play with him, they would tell me how healthy he is, how chunky he is, how BIG he is :) So I thought I would give you all a little reminder of how much he has grown:) Take a look...

Michael @ 1 week in his swing! He is swallowed up by the darn thing!

Michael @ 6 months! He is grabbing his stinkin' bears!

Love to all!

Blog Award!

2009-03-19T21:08:00.003-04:00

That is right! Ms. Erin gave us a blogger award! She is the sweetest :) So here are the 7 things we love...

*Each other! Who would have thought that the back woods of Central Florida and juvenile delinquents would have brought us together. Smelly and romantic!
*Michael!! Can't imagine life without the lil' dude. He is truly a blessing in ever way.
*Starbucks... enough said :)
*DVR! It was great before having a child but now a necessity!
*Traveling... anywhere...
*Lazy Sundays!
*Our jobs. Makes life so much better when you love what you do and make a different in kids lives:)

Cheering on Daddy!

2009-03-14T20:40:00.011-04:00

On Friday, Michael had to be picked up early from Daycare due to the staff thinking he might have pink eye. Thankfully it wasn't pink eye but it gave Mommy and Michael the day to hang out. I had to work on some things for work that morning/early afternoon but it worked out that Michael came home early. We decided to go watch Mike coach and play baseball with other school staff members against the Varsity baseball team. This was actually a fundraiser/pep rally for the team. They were able to raise some money for their Spring Break tournament in Panama City at the end of the month.

Michael got to spend the afternoon watching Daddy coach the staff and also pitch!! Daddy even went up to bat... didn't hit the ball though:) Michael had a blast! He was able to meet more of Daddy's co-workers and it obvious that Michael does not have separation anxiety. He loved being held by Daddy's friends. The day was even more special because Michael and I got to sit in the dugout for the entire game! Talk about good seats!

Earlier this week, Michael also spent the evening watching JV baseball at West Port with Daddy since I had to work a little late. He LOVES the game. He not only seems to love watching the guys play but really enjoys being outside. As soon as he is sitting up without any assistance, we will be taking pictures of the little guy on the mound:)

Enjoy the pics! Love to all!

6 months old... dang!

2009-03-09T22:26:00.011-04:00

Ok... Michael is 6 months old. So hard to believe. We are amazed at how quickly the lil guy is growing!

Let's begin with his stats...

19 lbs...

14 oz...

and 27 inches!

He is our big little boy!

*First and foremost... Michael had his first KISS! Yes that is right... Brooklyn, his girlfriend at daycare, gave Michael his first smooch. They also hold hands :) Brooklyn's mom calls Michael her future son-in-law!

*He loves his Baby Einstein jumparoo!

*He sits up on his own most of the time... sometimes needing assistance:)

*He rolls over on a daily basis, mostly from back to tummy. No crawling yet though. He tries!

*He stands up well with assistance from Mommy and Daddy.

*New favorite food... CARROTS!

*LOVES bath time... and we mean LOVES bath time. He is all about splish splashing!

*Sleeps through the night... every night!!! It is about time. He has been consistent for the last month:) Mommy and daddy are super excited about this one.

*He is saying... "Dadadada"... all the time... but mostly when he wants something :) No "mama" yet :(

*He likes tummy time! He used to HATE tummy time.

*He is fascinated with hands... his hands, our hands... any one's hands... He rubs them, feels them, pinches them, stares and tries to eat them...

*No teeth yet but he is constantly gnawing on his hands and drooling like crazy!

*** Last but not least... the boy is ALWAYS happy! He just never stops smiling! From the time he awakes to the time he heads to bed, he is giggling, smiling and talking! It is hard to step back from the constant on the go of our lives and just realize that it has been 6 months now. We can't imagine life without him. Guess # 2 may come sooner than we think ;) Mike says... "We'll see" :)

Enjoy the photos and we hope everyone is doing well! Love to all!

The Rasdalls

Pictures!

2009-02-21T09:04:00.008-05:00

Our little man continues to grow like a weed! Hard to believe he will be 6 months next Friday! We wanted to share a few updated pictures of the little guy! Enjoy:)

Who knew a bag of chips was funny!

2009-02-07T09:16:00.003-05:00

So it takes about 30 seconds to see the lil man giggling like crazy! And just when you think he stops... he keeps going! Enjoy :)

Dadadadadadadada!

2009-02-07T09:03:00.002-05:00

5 Months old!

2009-01-31T08:40:00.008-05:00

Michael turned 5 months on Tuesday, the 27th! He keeps growing.. and growing... and growing! He was 18 lbs 13 oz, wearing 9-12 month clothing!!

-Michael LOVES his toes... he is all about his toe-touches! They don't quite make it to his mouth yet though :)

-He is all about his Gerber Applesause! Bananas to come this weekend!

-He is sleeping through the night! Well, 75% of the time... no complaints here!

-He girrgles! He also loves his ""rasberries and "motorboat" sounds. :)

-He likes, not loves yet, his Baby Einstein jumperoo! It grows on him more each day. We can tell though it is already helping with his leg strength!

-He absolutely LOVES his friends at daycare! Apparently he causes cat fights amongst the ladies! His g/f Brooklyn does not approve of Michael conversing with other girls. No joke!! But Mommy is still his #1 woman.

-He is all about shaking his booty, whether we tell him or he just hears a song he likes!! He will plant his feet on the floor and lift his butt and shake, shake, shake!

-Nemo! He hearts Nemo. Enough said :)

-He is rolling over more! From his tummy to his back :)

-Michael prefers to sit up over laying down! He is able to sit with minimal help.

-Michael is just fascinated with his surroundings. He enjoys new places, new things and meeting new people.

Mommy and Daddy's top 5 things about Michael!

1. After his morning bottle, the smile that you give us! So content and thankful! (Only bottle that we get this specific look)
2. His adult manarisms. This includes him putting his hands behind his head while relaxing as well as crossing his feet.
3. The constant rotating of his feet... he twrills them all the time.
4. He is just so easily amused! Love watching him watch himself on video. He won't stop giggling/smiling!
5. We love to watch lil man sleep! He is our little angel!

You've Been Holding Out on Me!!!

2009-01-25T09:38:00.004-05:00

So, after some success with the rice cereal over the past 3 or so weeks, Kim and I decided it was time to add some flavor into the lil dude's diet! We introduced apples to Michael last night. Of course, after almost 5 months of bland formula and even more bland rice cereal, we weren't sure how he would like some flavor... Our question was quickly answered.

Kim picked Michael up early from daycare the other day and he was feeling warm...a 102 temp! So, after some Tylenol and a couple of conversations with the doctor, we took lil dude in. He has the start of an ear infection, this time in his right ear. He is doing fine though, still his normal happy self (as you can see from the video). We can't believe that he is only a couple of days away from being 5 months old (blog soon to come)! oh, by the way... 18lbs 13oz... Not kidding about the "eating us out of house and home..." I think he'll be ready to pitch for me by districts!

Love to you all!!!

Kim, Mike, and Michael

Ah, forget it! Where's my thumb???

2009-01-10T21:44:00.002-05:00

Chatting With Mommy

2009-01-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

CEREAL!!!!

2009-01-10T12:07:00.007-05:00

For a few weeks, Michael has been very interested in watching Mommy and Daddy eat! He opens his mouth at the right time and giggles with anticipation as we raise our food to our mouths. At his 4 month check-up, we got the okay to get started on some yummy rice cereal!

We decided to do our once a day feeding between his 4:30ish bottle and his night-night bottle. When it is bottle time, Michael WANTS his baba and wouldn't want to mess with the spoon just yet. The first couple of nights, the lil dude wasn't too terribly interested. I think that we waited to closely to bottle time. But, the third night was a great success! Although he made nasty faces, he took the cereal and swallowed quite well. It has still been hit or miss, but Michael is doing all the right things as he gets used to moving the food to the back of his mouth and swallowing. He is growing up WAY too quickly!!!

4 month stats :)

2009-01-10T11:34:00.005-05:00

Michael turned 4 months on December 27th! He is HUGE! Here are his 4 month stats:

17 lbs 10 oz... 95th % for weight
25 inches long... 50th % for height
17 inches for his head... 75th %

-Michael rolled over from his stomach to his back once, but doesn't seem too interested in doing it again. His look post rollover was scared and then the tears followed:) He seems more interested in trying to army crawl.

-He did begin scootching on his back also... with purpose! If he sees something he wants, he tries to go for it but ends up going in circles for now :)

-Michael LOVES his kisses from us. He is starting to kiss back... nice and open mouth... and sometimes with tongue! He talks ALL the time! The only time he is quiet it when he is sleeping. At his 4 month check up, he talked Dr. Harrell's ear off and then gave a stern talking to the nurse after his shots.

-He continues to be the happiest baby EVER. He smiles and giggles constantly.

-He has discovered his hands and feet. He loves to hold things... and then shove them in his mouth :)

-LOVES patty-cake!

-Rarely wakes up screaming for his bottle anymore. Always has a smile on his face when we go into get him, and then the talking begins!

-So far, he loves everybody, especially Auntie Amanda when she comes to stay! Doesn't mind being passed around though.

Favorite toys/things to do include:

-Playmat of course!

-The swing.

-His learning puppy and blue blanket puppy.

-VHI videos and Ducktales DVDs

-His best bud Bluey (the elephant on his mat)

-His GATOR football!

-Staring at Mamaw and Papaw on Skype

-Playing with his girlfriend Brooklyn at daycare

-Last but not least... snuggling with Mommy and Daddy!

Lots of love from Michael and us:)

Christmas Vacation!

2009-01-10T11:04:00.015-05:00

Christmas vacation came and went too quickly! Michael went on his first BIG road trip to Boone, NC to spend the holiday with my parents and brother. We decided it might be in our best interest to cut the trip in half. Thank goodness we did! We left Monday night, stayed in Orangeburg, SC, then completed our drive the following morning. What should have taken 9 hours... took around 12? Michael has to eat ;) He is such a wonderful little traveler!! We stopped at Winthrop, where I attended college, and hit up the bookstore to purchase some WU gear for the little guy :)
We got to Boone on Tuesday afternoon! Michael and I relaxed while Daddy and Grandma hit up the grocery store since those two were our chefs for the weekend. Grandpa, Mommy and Uncle Ry Ry DO NOT cook. We are dangerous in the kitchen :)

Most of vacation was just filled with relaxation. Grandma kept Michael for 3 nights so that Mike and I could get some sleep. He slept through the night 2 of those 3. Grandma didn't want the little guy to go. She wanted to keep him for another week then drop him back off to us on her way back to Sarasota.

Christmas was wonderful. Michael made out well! New car seat... Priori Maxo Cozi... AMAZING! Also a new high chair along with mommy's favorites... baby Osh Kosh and Ralph Lauren outfits. He got some nifty toys from MOMA, museum of modern art in Manhattan.

Michael also got to visit Beech Mtn, but unfortunately, there was no snow this Xmas. Def next year when he visits Colorado! Most of his time in NC was with Grandma. He loves her!!

Grandpa and Uncle Ry played with him all week as well. Michael especially like to watch my dad walk around... he is so tall!

Of course we had to get him a little Appalachian State gear as well.
The trip back was better than the trip up. Better timed around Michael's feedings and naps. Once we were back, I had to return to work, but daddy spend the whole week with Michael, having many boy days. Lots of football to watch :)
Love to all!

BOY DAY!!!

2009-01-01T16:13:00.003-05:00

As I hang out with the lil dude today, on New Year's, I am thinking of the many memorable boy days that Pops and I have enjoyed over the years. Of course, the one's that I most vividly recall occurred before picture in picture and occurred before the BCS ruined New Year's Day football... These memories involve collecting all of the TV's in the house, hooking up rabbit ears and watching ALL of the games throughout the day! We would hole up in the basement and watch 10 or 12 ballgames, leaving only to go upstairs and grab some of the snacks that Mom had cooked up for us.
Michael will not remember anything from today, but I cannot help to hope and pray that this is the first of many memorable boy days that he and I will share. I also hope that they have such a profound impact on Michael's life as the one's with Pops had on me.
Here's hoping that everyone of you has a terrific New Year and that we all can take the time to cherish every moment that we have with those we love and care about!

2008-12-14T12:13:00.001-05:00

Michael's reaction when we told him he was going to see Santa!

Santa and more!

2008-12-14T10:08:00.019-05:00

This past few days have been busy for baby M! On Friday, Michael went back to the doctor since his bronchiolitis has been lingering for several weeks now. Auntie Amanda came with us! Thank goodness because we had so much to carry out after the appointment. Michael received another breathing treatment at the office and this time it helped with his wheezing and congestion in his chest. They gave us a pump and a prescription for albuteral. She also checked his ears and found the beginnings of an infection in his left ear so we also got a script for amoxicilion. Poor little guy. Just can't seem to shake this cold. He is still taking his C-Phen drops to help with the congestion. He did so incredibly well though. Dr. Park had a difficult time getting to look in his ear because he was so obsessed with looking at himself in the mirror, sticking his tongue out and smiling :) Since it wasn't his 4 month check up, they only weighed the little man... 17 lbs! (Daddy just measured him... 26 inches.) After the appointment, mommy and auntie Amanda dropped little man off at Daycare.

Later that night, Mommy and Michael traveled down to Oxford for auntie Amanda's bridal shower. He was a little fussy due to his cold but did well! He never cried but had a difficult time getting his food down because of the phlegm. Overall, the trip was a success! He had a blast watching auntie Amanda open all her gifts.

On Saturday morning, Daddy got Michael ready to go meet Santa!! After everyone was ready, we hopped in the car and headed to the mall. We got there early so we wouldn't have to wait long. Michael was sleeping upon arrival but woke up when we were in line, just before his visit with Santa. Daddy did such a great job getting Michael to look at him and smile. Michael didn't seem to care too much for Santa. He looked at everything but Santa! :) The trip was a success though and Mommy and Daddy were also good... we only bought one thing, the Snowmen singing thingy from Hallmark since Michael was so captivated by it. Mommy found Michael's Xmas gift next year, a FL Gator light weight stroller :)

Today, we have been relaxing, enjoying the weekend before a hectic week of work. Michael has spent the morning watching cartoons and playing with the musical Snowmen thing Daddy bought yesterday. We are almost ready for Xmas!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the holiday season! Love Kim, Mike, and Michael :)

3 Months old!

2008-12-11T17:00:00.021-05:00

Where do we begin?! We are so sorry for slacking on the blog. Things have been incredibly hectic the past few weeks! Michael turned 3 months on Thanksgiving Day! We left Ocala on Wednesday evening and headed south to Sarasota to spend the holiday with my family.

Wednesday night, Michael finally got to meet his Uncle Ryan!

My brother looked a little nervous when he first held him, but adjusted quickly, especially after Mike threw a bottle in his hand, letting him feed Michael. He also spent quality time with Grandma Cindy, playing and snuggling.

Thursday, Michael was able to meet his Great Aunts, Great Uncles and second cousins. Tanner, Abigail and Chloe were so fascinated with Michael. They spend the afternoon trying to play with him. Michael's main interest, as always, was his elephant on his playmat:) After dinner, we traveled into Bradenton and spent some time with our friends, Ben and Andrea, and their parents. Michael was passed around all evening and did so well! As soon as we walked in the door, Andrea's mom went in for the baby!! Overall, it was a great day!

Friday was followed by a day with Grandma. Mommy and daddy got to go on a date! Our trip concluded with a visit to Charlotte's. She and her family hosted a Thanksgiving BBQ for family and friends.

He spent most of the afternoon/evening sleeping as he was still sick with bronchiolitis. After the BBQ, we decided to head back to Ocala. Even though it was hectic, it was relaxing at the same time. It helped that Michael let mommy and daddy sleep through the night :)

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we took Michael to Light Up Ocala with some friends and their little girl Ellie. The weather was perfect, not too cold but a nice chill in the air. Michael did great as always but he did sleep through the best part of the night, when all the lights in the town were turned off for a few seconds and then the city lit up with Xmas lights! We went to dinner with the Lazdowski's afterwards, enjoying a warm meal and great conversation!

Michael at "Light Up Ocala"

As always, Daddy and Michael love to watch their sports:) Here are a few photos of Michael dressed up in our favorite team outfits!

Daddy and Michael watching Gator football:) Touchdown!!

Michael continues to grow like a weed! He is sitting up well, talking non stop. He loves to mimic our mouth movements and sounds and LOVES to stick his tongue out at us! He will reach up and feel our faces, rubbing daddy's stubble and grabbing mommy's nose. He loves to watch us eat, now chewing on his nipple. We think he is about ready for cereal and mommy's favorite, Gerber bananas. He will visit his doctor again tomorrow since he still has a cold but will return again on the 29th for his 4 month check up. Can't wait to see how much he weighs and how long he is! We are also excited for so many upcoming events! We head to Boone, NC for Xmas with my parents, followed by Mamaw and Papaw's trip to FL in February!

Michael sucking his thumb!

Hope everyone is doing well! Also, wanted to say CONGRATS to Chris and Kynda! Bailey boy is finally here:) Love to everyone! Kim, Mike and Michael.

First Baby Cold :(

2008-11-15T18:30:00.006-05:00

We knew it was going to come sooner or later... Along with his second week of daycare comes the first of his colds :(

Fortunately, he has only had a low-grade fever, but is congested and feeling icky. His terrific personality hasn't changed, but he has not been eating very much the past couple of days(which, as you can see, doesn't happen!) We took him in to see the doc yesterday, she wasn't overly concerned, at this point. Hopefully, it stays out of his chest and his fever doesn't spike. By the way, he weighed 15lbs 6oz(with shorts and a tee on.)

As I said, his easy-going, fun-loving style hasn't changed... He still loves to dance!!! He has always gotten excited when music is on(even in Mommy's tummy). He loves it. Michael can be laying or sitting totally still, just chillin...play some music and he starts bouncing around!

Love to you all!!!

Mike, Kim, and Michael

1st Week in Daycare & More

2008-11-11T20:08:00.020-05:00

Well, it was truly a bittersweet week! First, Kim was excited to return to the land of adult interaction and money-making...but, not without a sacrifice. Michael started daycare last Monday :(

We dropped in on Friday afternoon to drop off all of his items ahead of time, as well as to check things out one more time. Everyone that we've met has been terrific! Our daycare, Pebbles, is part of The Rock Community Church (get it?!?...Pebbles, The Rock). It is about 2 miles from the house, which is super convenient, as well as 5 miles or so from West Port High School, where I teach.

Mommy and I had some definite anxiety over leaving our most precious boy with strangers! We knew that Michael would love the interaction and being around the others babies, but that only made us feel a little better.

Monday, as hard as we tried to prolong it, came way too quickly. We decided to go it together, which turned out to be much needed. We both shed some tears, but the teachers were great! We only called to check in 3 times throughout the day and they were very reassuring. Kim and I also decided to pick him up together. He had bouncy chair time, swing time, and tummy time his first day. He must have been tuckered out because he was snoozing when we arrived.

Each day got a little better, but was still tough. At night, however, we have already seen such a huge difference! He talks non-stop!!! It is so great to see him mouthing different sounds now. He even adds some interesting facial expressions while doing them. Michael loves telling us all about his day when we get home!

This past weekend, we also attempted our first road trip. We decided to visit Adam and Amanda down in Vero Beach. Vero is the perfect distance, at 2 1/2 hours away. We picked him up Friday, fed him then headed out. Only one stop to change a diaper (which was actually a Mommy Starbucks stop...) He did terrific all weekend, took all of the change in stride (as he always does).

Sunday marked Michael's first trip to the beach. It was a perfect day, but a little breezy for the lil dude. We attempted some pictures, but he wasn't up for it. Michael wasn't too happy with a crack full of sand :) All in all, though, a great day. Sunday was also his first trip to a bar n grill(a monumental day in a male's life!)

As always, we miss you all and hope life is as wonderful for everyone as it is for us! We are so incredibly blessed to have all of you in our lives and so fortunate to have Baby M!

Love,

Mike, Kim, and Michael

2 months old!

2008-10-27T16:30:00.022-04:00

Today Michael is 2 months old! Hard to believe! Not only did he turn 2 months old today but he also had his 2 month check up... and yes... this included his shots :/ This is after his oral vaccination
This is after 3 shots in his thunder thighs

Mike and I weren't surprised at his reaction when he was given his 4 vaccinations (3 shots and 1 by mouth) He did cry but calmed down after 10-15 minutes. Actually, when daddy put Michael back in his car seat, he was just fine! What shocked us was how BIG he has gotten! Drum roll please... at 2 months Michael weighs 13 lbs and 11 oz! and he is 24 inches long! (90th percentile for each). The nurse joked around with Mike that it doesn't look like he will get his little baseball player but rather a son who is a linebacker!! This is okay... we like football too! If I had a say in it, he would play college football for the Florida Gators. We know Uncle Bobby and Uncle Chris would give us a hard time with that one! :)

Michael comtinues to be such a happy boy! He loves his play mat... his newest obsession. He will be occupied with it for 1-2 hours!

I'll have to make sure he has one at daycare which he starts on Monday as I return to work. I'm excited to go back and have some adult interaction but I'm still struggling with the idea that someone else will be with our little guy for 8 hrs/day, 5 days/week. Good thing my job is flexible as I'm sure I will be picking the little guy up early when I do not have late home visits with my clients. Also, daddy is done with volleyball season this week so he will be done with his work day at 4, which means more time with Baby M!

I was able to talk to my little brother today. First time in a long time and he seems excited to meet Michael. Since he is in college, his schedule has been busy and he was not able to come to Ocala to meet him since he was born. This just means Mike and I can take a mini-weekend vaca to Sarasota, introduce Ryan to Baby M and get pictures of the little guy on the beach! Hopefully we will get down this weekend, if not next. I also took Baby M out shopping this weekend so daddy could get a nap and we purchased some winter clothes for him as we will be in Boone, NC this Christmas with my parents and brother. Michael has been chatting it up though with Mike's family in Colorado via Skype and he seems like he can recognize their voices! It is great that Michael has such a large family who is so loving. Kinda stinks that they are all so far away :( Just makes our trips to visit more special.

Hope everyone is doing well and we love you all!

Closing in on 2 months!

2008-10-21T09:19:00.015-04:00

I was going to wait and blog tomorrow as Michael will be 8 weeks old! But I couldn't resist after last night festivities.

I fed Michael around 11 pm and then made my way to bed. I knew I could be up between 1:00/2:00 am as he only drank a little more than 3 oz. So 1:30 am rolls around and Michael is up! He is smiling and cooing like crazy, waiting for someone to come feed him. I make his bottle, 6 oz, and I think I'm crazy to make so much because he never eats that much in the middle of the night. Well... 45 minutes later, 6 oz is gone and he wants more. I give him another 1.5 oz and he is as content as can be. So I had changed his diaper before I fed him so I could put him right to bed after eating. Well the little man decided he had to go poop! I left him in his crib for 10 minutes or so he could do his thing then cleaned and changed him. As I'm putting on his new diaper, he decided to keep going on. Cleaned and new diaper. Again, he is nothing but smiles at this point!!! So I tried rocking him to sleep and I smell something... a not so pleasent smell. He pooped AGAIN! He gets changed and then as the new diaper is going on... He pees everywhere!! On his poor little face, his nighty... everywhere. UGh. It had been a month since he had done that to me. Needless to say... we clean him up and get new clothes. I put him in the crib, turn on his mobile and head to bed. Once in bed, I wake Mike up and tell him my evening events as I'm so wound up, laughing because I'm so tired and laughing because Michael never stopped grinning through the last 2 hours! Baby Michael then procedes to talk (aka cooing)to himself for awhile (sounds so funny through the monitor), followed by hicups! So I'm exhausted. 2.5 hrs less sleep than usual. But I couldn't wait to tell my story :)

He has definitly hit another growth spirt. He averages 5 oz a meal now... sometimes 7-8 oz!! He also is now eating in 4 hour spirts :) This makes us happy. Can't wait until it turns into 6-7 hrs! He coos ALL the time!! We are working on him rolling over and he is SO close but he just can seem to get that big head of his to roll with his body!

He continues to enjoy his "baby spa" and Charlotte was able to get some great photos of Michael's bathtime experience while she was here!

While Charlotte was in town to visit, we also traveled to our nearest Pumpkin Patch! The experience was... interesting! He was not a big fan of the patch and I don't blame him. It was HOT and there was little shade and he was woken up by mean mommmy when he got to our destination point as I wanted him awake for pictures. I learned my lesson! We will try the Patch again this weekend.

Mike and I are taken aback but how quickly he has grown. His newborn clothes no longer fit and he is outgrowing his 0-3 month. He is too long! His new box of diapers are no longer stage 1... but stage 1-2! It is wonderful to see him grow so much but saddening at the same time. He is our little wiggle worm... squirming all the time! I have a feeling he is going to be a very active child:) Ok that is enough for today! Enjoy the photos! Love to all!

2008-10-16T16:14:00.008-04:00

Baby Michael turned 7 weeks yesterday! He is discovering his mouth and shoving everything he can find in it! This includes his hands, his blanket, bib, shirt, and the list continues on...

He is enjoying his swing more but does not care for his rattles and toys. He is always distracted by the darn ceiling fans... I'm thinking fan may be his first word!!! His left hand/arm also seems to be more active than his right, so Daddy might get his wish... a son who is a left handed pitcher!

We have had several visitors come to meet our new addition. Two of my sorority sisters from college were here last week and now my best friend from high school is in town to meet baby Michael. She is a professional photographer so you all will be seeing some fabulous photos of Michael soon!

Halloween is also just around the corner! Michael will be my baby bumble bee!!! Picture of him in his costume to come soon as well :) I think daddy is going to be Hannah Montana or Capt. Underpants. Yes, we all know Mike is a little off but that is why we love him. Can't wait to see how Michael turns out!!!

6 weeks old tomorrow!

2008-10-07T10:28:00.013-04:00

Alright, so here goes my first attempt at blogging! Baby Michael will be 6 weeks old tomorrow! So hard to believe how fast the time goes by. Sadly, I only have 4 more weeks left at home with him until I have to return to work. His daycare is just down the street from the house and only a few extra miles from Mike's school.

The little man continues to grow, eating on average 4 oz a meal, every 3 hours or so. No sleeping through the night yet but he is sleeping in his crib in his nursey! We are thinking he is close to 10 lbs and around 23 inches now. He does not visit with his doctor until the end of the month when he will receive his shots. He is still the happiest little baby ever! He gives us so many smiles and is talking (cooing I should say) more as well! The ceiling fan and his crib mobile seem to be his obsessions for now:)

Michael and I are taking more trips out. We have visited daddy at work and have been to my office down in Leesburg a few times. Of course we have our daily trips to Starbucks! We also go for daily walks... well maybe every other day:) It is still so hot! I'm so excited for Volleyball season to end and the cooler weather to arrive so our little family can go for strolls every evening. Well, that is after daddy and Michael get through post-season :)

There are no words to describe how great it is being a parent! I'm already planning #2.... in 5-6 years:) We are enjoying baby Raz now and look forward to all the great experiences and memories to come with the little guy!

Love to everyone!! Kim, Mike and Michael

1 MONTH OLD!!!

2008-09-27T10:38:00.016-04:00

Our big boy is growing up way too fast!!!

It is so hard to believe that Baby M is one-month old today. It has truly been an amazing time. Kim and I can't believe that there ever was a time when we believed that our lives would have been okay without the blessing of a child.

The little dude has developed quite the personality! He smiles from time to time, more so in the last few days, and loves to chill and look around. We know that we are fortunate as he just doesn't fuss or cry very often. He has some new sounds that he has been trying out the last couple of days. In addition to his grunting, he has started making, what can be best described as, a kitty-cat sound. No real cooing yet.

Michael's favorite Mommy time is mid-afternoon, relaxing and watching Baby Story. This usually is after some tummy time and play time. Bath time is also one of his favorites!

As for Daddy time, there is nothing better than eating breakfast and watching Sportscenter every morning at 6:00...

We are venturing out a little more often, not too much as he hasn't had all of his shots yet. We usually head out to Target, Wal-Mart, Old Navy, etc... Baby M had his first BBQ last weekend. We all went over to Gary, Amy, and Baby Ellie's house for a "meet the baby" BBQ. Ellie is about a month older than Michael. Ellie and Michael must not have been as excited as their parents, as they slept through most of the festivities, waking up only to eat and go back to sleep. I know Mommy and I sure enjoyed getting out and Kim especially enjoyed finally having a couple glasses of wine.

Yesterday, Mommy and Baby M came up to West Port to visit. The ladies have been wanting to meet the little man and, of course, my volleyball girls have too!

We love and miss you all! Thank you for the many gifts and cards! As we continue to settle into our routine, we will begin to answer all of the cards and well-wishes.

Love, Mike, Kim, and Baby M!!!