Caitlynn's 1st Christmas

We had a great time celebrating Caitlynn's first Christmas. She must have a been a VERY good girl since Santa unloaded his entire sleigh at our house! We spent Christmas Eve with the extended Harbold family up near Gettysburg, PA. Santa stopped by to deliver presents. We tried to have Caitlynn sit on his lap but she cried the instant we put her down. She did have a fun time playing with her cousins... and their new toys!
Christmas was spent at our house. Grandpop and Nonna came down from NJ. Popi, Mimi, and Uncle Rusty came down from PA. We all loved watching Caitlynn attempt to open up her gifts. She was pretty good in the beginning but in the end, all she wanted to do was sit on the boxes or play with them. We ended up opening most of her gifts while she watched or crawled around. We were very blessed to have "Santa" bring her so many clothes, toys, and treats. Of course, all of her new toys had to opened up and tested out on Christmas morning. Luckily, Santa remembered to give her batteries for all of her gifts. Santa is just so smart!
After a busy morning, we had a early afternoon dinner. Laura made butternut squash soup, salad, and chicken and steak (which was cooked fondue style). It was fun to sit around the table and enjoy the great company. We had a very memorable first Christmas with Caitlynn and are so thankful our families joined us for this special time with her!

Fun in the Snow

Caitlynn didn't quite enjoy the snow storm but we sure did! Here are videos of us trying to "sled" down the hill in front of our house. We didn't have an actual sled but we didn't let that stop us from trying!

Opening Up Presents

This was Caitlynn's first time opening up Christmas presents. She didn't quite get the "tear the paper off" idea but she got better towards the end. It's a long video!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We got a massive snow storm here over the weekend. We think we got about 18 inches of snow in a 24 hour period. We decided to let Caitlynn "play" in the snow. She wasn't a fan of the cold stuff and didn't like getting snowflakes in her face. We took her out before the storm ended but if we had taken her out at night, the snow would have covered her up! Maybe next year, she will enjoy sledding if we get another storm like this!

Early Christmas with the Clements

Despite the snow storm, we were able to celebrate Christmas early with the Clement side of the family. Andrew and Hilary came up from NC on Friday and Grandpop, Nonna, Richie and Steph braved the winter storm and came down on Saturday. Andrew cooked all day and we enjoyed every bite! Hilary and Nonna brought down treats and we even got some cookies from Grandmom Campisi! Caitlynn opened up some gifts early, which was fun to watch. She didn't quite get the "tear all the paper off" idea but she sure did LOVE playing in the boxes! With everyone together, we were able to get an updated family photo. We had a great time all snuggled up inside and enjoying some quality time together!

We've got a Climber!

Caitlynn has been quite busy climbing everything she can, from stairs and people to the sofa! Here are some videos of her showing off her new skill!

On the Move!

Caitlynn has figured out how to walk behind her toys and push them. She loves playing with her toy but will happily push around anything she can (i.e. a basket, her highchair, a chair, etc). She can really get around quite well these days!

11 Months Old

Caitlynn is now 11 months old. We can't believe that we'll soon be celebrating her 1st birthday. Where has the time gone?! She weighs 20 lbs 11 ozs and is 28.5 inches long. She continues with the same eating and sleeping patterns. New foods she has tried this month are turkey, graham crackers, and cheddar cheese. We have attempted to give her foods that we are eating but is not willing to try them out. She continues to love yogurt and cheese the best and will eat almost anything if it is mixed with yogurt. Good thing she is not lactose intolerant right now!
Caitlynn is very active and is getting into everything! She has figured out that she can push her toys around and walk behind them. She is most successful when the toys actually have wheels, but that doesn't stop her from trying to walk with everything else in the house!

Santa Claus

Caitlynn went to see Santa for the first time at Arundel Mills mall. She wasn't quite sure what to think of the big guy in his red suit and beard. She didn't cry but she wasn't smiling either. We went two different times to try and get pictures of her smiling with him but it just didn't happen this year! It doesn't matter though because we think she looks cute anyway!

Adventures in the Snow!

We had our first real snow fall in Maryland so Caitlynn was finally able to wear the snowsuit Nonna and Grandpop had bought her. She wasn't quite sure what to think of the cold white stuff she was sitting on but, she didn't cry. Maybe next time we will all make snow angels together!

Weekend Fun

Caitlynn enjoyed time with her cousins Madison and Simone. Since this was the only time we were going to see them before Christmas, we decided to exchange gifts early. They all got matching PJ's which looked so cute on all three girls! Since we were all together, we were able to get a Harbold family photo in front of one of Mimi's Christmas trees. I took a few shots but we finally got one with everyone looking! Caitlynn made her first Gingerbread house, with some decorating assistance from Mimi and the girls. I think she would have eaten all of the candy if we let her! She also took her first trip to Hershey Park and enjoyed two trips in Chocolate World. Somehow, she ended up with a onesie from there, though we don't know who could of bought her that! :-) She had a great time playing with the girls!

Caitlynn's 1st Thanksgiving

Caitlynn had a very busy 1st Thanksgiving! She started off arriving a day early at Mimi and Popi's. She loved crawling all over and playing there! She spent Thanksgiving day at Aunt Margie's house with all the Harbold's. She tried turkey for the first time and liked it. We think she enjoyed the mashed potatoes much better though! We were hoping to get some photos of her playing in the leaves but they were to wet for her to be in. Maybe we will have better luck next year!

10 Months Old

Caitlynn is now 10 months old and as active as ever! She weight about 20 lbs and is still 28 1/2 inches long. She continues to follow the same drinking and eating patterns but her appetite has grown quite a lot of the past month. New foods she has tried are: american cheese, egg yolk, hot dogs, pumpkin, asparagus, and graham crackers. She wasn't so fond of the asparagus and egg yolk but she ate it if it was mixed in with yogurt. This may be our way of getting her to "eat" new foods now!
Caitlynn is now with Aunt Leanne for daycare 4 days a week. She stays home with Daddy ever Monday. She likes her a lot but she still loves Mom-mom, who will stop over to visit her every day. She now has a new friend at daycare. Landon, a little boy born in mid-August, now joins her everyday. She loves to look at him and has even decided that he doesn't need to wear his socks either (she's not a fan of sock-wearing)!
Caitlynn is a busy little bee now that she can crawl! She buzzes all over the place and can even climb the stairs! When she standing, she will let go and stand on her own for a few seconds but she is still unbalanced. She still crawls to get around but I'm sure walking is in her near future! Her top teeth are growing in nicely and we think she is starting on one or two more top teeth to go along with them. She's been doing a lot of ear pulling lately but we're not 100% sure. We will soon see if we were right!

Philly Fan

Caitlynn is always supporting the "home" teams!

Happy Halloween!

Mom's Group Halloween Party

Today, a couple from my Mom's Group hosted a Halloween Party for the babies. It was so much fun to see all the little ones dressed up. Even though some of them REALLY didn't enjoy wearing their costumes, we were all able to get some great pictures. We had a great time watching all the babies play together!

Clark's Elioak Farm

This afternoon, I took Caitlynn to a local farm. She loved looking at and petting all of the farm animals. She even got to see some of her friends from the Mom's Group. We had so much fun with the animals and other babies that we never got a chance to check out the pumpkin patch. She fell asleep before we could make it there! Maybe we can try again next time!

9 months old

Caitlynn is now 9 months old and a very busy little girl! She weighs 19 lbs 1 oz and is 28 1/2 inches long. She sleeps from 7:00pm- 7:00am and takes a nap from 11:30-1:30ish. She is down to drinking 3 bottles a day, eating three meals a days, and having 1-2 snacks in between. This month she tried: zucchini, cantaloupe, chicken, and string cheese. When we went for her 9 month check-up, her pediatrician gave us the "green light" for introducing her to meats, milk products, and small amounts of what we eat for dinner. He is happy with her growth and development and says she is right on track. She also went to Kennedy Krieger for a follow-up visit. They are also pleased with her development and said she is right on track. Great news all around!

This has been a HUGE developmental month for her. She has learned how to crawl and pull herself up on furniture (see videos below). She started off slow but has really gotten the hang of it and can move rather quickly now, especially if she is motivated by something she shouldn't have (i.e. the phone, Rocco's food, etc.)! She has both bottom teeth and is cutting her top teeth. She loves going to Mom-mom's for daycare and will happily go to her in the mornings when I'm dropping her off. She has started to cry when "strangers" try and hold her and only stops when she goes back to her mommy or daddy. She continues to be a joy and we love watching her grow!

Baltimore Half Marathon

Aunt Jill, Laura, and Mimi all ran in the Baltimore 1/2 Marathon today. Though it drizzled for some of the race, the weather was nice enough and they all finished the 13.1 miles! Ryan, Popi, Grandpop, and Nonna were there to cheer them on to the finish. It was tiring but a fun "once in a lifetime" experience.


Laura and Caitlynn celebrating her finish time of 2:20:57.

8 months old!

Caitlynn is now 8 months old. She weighs about 20 pounds and is 28 1/4 inches long. She continues with the same eating and drinking habits. New foods she has tried are butternut squash, peaches, and pears. Laura is still making all of her food, with some help from Nonna. She now naps from 11-1ish and 4:30-5ish everyday. We currently have some "creative daycare" going on for her. Grandpop watches her on Monday's, she goes to Aunt Leanne and Mom-mom's Tuesday-Thursday, and Daddy watches her on Friday's. She has been great in the mornings and Laura has been able to drop her off and get to work on time everyday (which is a miracle in itself!).

Caitlynn now gets bored with her toys and wants to have new ones to play with. She has gotten the hang of the "Jump-Up" and loves to bounce around. A friend let us borrow an exosaucer and she seems to really enjoy time in that too. She rolls around a lot to get to where she wants to be and can push herself to a sitting position. When she's on her tummy, she sometimes pulls her feet under her but doesn't go anywhere. We're pretty sure she's going to start crawling around at any moment! Watch out!

Daddy turns 30!

Today we celebrated Ryan's 30th birthday with our immediate family. We had a great time munching on snacks and eating shish-kabobs and NJ corn. The Wii Carnival games were a big hit and started some sibling rivalry. Everyone enjoyed the birthday boy's cake of choice: a cookie cake! A fun time was had by all!

Mom's Group BBQ

We just attended a BBQ that one of the mom's from Laura's Mom's Group hosted. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see how the babies have grown since the first meeting back in February! Of course, Caitlynn "beat up" some of the other babies there by kicking them, puling their hair, and taking their toys. I guess we're going to have to talk to her about "Sharing and Caring".

7 Months Old

Caitlynn is now 7 months old and is such a big girl! She weighs about 18 pounds and is 26.5 inches long. She sleeps from 8ish to 7ish every night and takes a nap from about 12-1:30 and 4-4:30 almost everyday. She drinks 4 7 oz bottles a day, 3 of which are formula which she seems to be able to tolerate well. She eats: Cheerios for breakfast, rice cereal/oatmeal and a fruit for lunch, and a veggie for dinner. New foods that she has tried this month are: Cheerios, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocado, and applesauce, most of which Laura has made for her. She doesn't always like foods the first time she's introduced to them but eventually gets used to and will eat most of them.

She can now sit up all by herself for extended periods of time. She loves playing with her toys but is always more interested in what she can't or shouldn't have and everything goes right into her mouth! Speaking off, her tooth has completely broken through and she only shows it when she is smiling nice and big. She's even starting to cut another bottom tooth! She has discovered how to squeal in delight and does it most often when Rocco is around her. She loves her "Jump-Up" but still isn't quite tall enough to bounce using both feet. She continues to be a happy little girl who brings joy and amazement to our lives!

Ocean City, NJ

Caitlynn and Laura had one last vacation in Ocean City, NJ with Popi, Mimi, Aunt Jill, and Mike and Joyce Miller. We all had a great time enjoying the sand and sun and watching Caitlynn. It was a trip of some "firsts" for her: playing in the ocean, chewing on a corn cob, and shopping in AC.

Caitlynn's first kiss!

Caitlynn was on a play date with Evan today and is apparently smitten with him!