5-Years And Counting

HAPPY 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY MOMMY & DADDY!!!!!

It's amazing how much has happened since September 05, 2004. :) We had a wonderful time celebrating the anniversary with some Mommy/Daddy time at Rapunzel's Spa and then had a family dinner at a quaint local Italian restaurant, Ristorante Toscano.

Dancing Queen

Morgan loves dancing...it is absolutely adorable. She can hear the faintest music and will start grooving with a mixture of some signature moves. We just had to share a couple great recent examples of our little dancing queen. The first video we took during concert in the park. Mommy only wishes she had her camera nearby for a few more performances (e.g. her debut at Banana Republic).

She will dance to just about any song but her favorite dance...and a definite crowd pleaser...is a short routine to "Jump Up and Down," a song we learned from school. Too cute!!! Of course it's even cuter in her tootoo swim suit.

First Airplane Ride & Other Adventures

This past weekend we took Morgan on her first plane ride on our trip to Chicago for Mommy's friend Amy P's wedding. She loved the excitement of the airport and seeing all the planes.

Unfortunately she didn't love the plane ride quite as much. The plane ride itself went OK (once we got in the air after sitting for 1/2 hr) ...but it wasn't easy and by the end Mommy and Daddy were definitely sweating...pick this up, put that away, grab the snacks. What a workout! At least it was only 1 hr 40 min.

Before the wedding we had time to fit in a fun playdate with the FL7 Points (7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 that is). Suppose that needs to be explained. Mommy's group of best friends (seven crazy girls) from high school ended up going to FL after graduation and hence the nickname got started...which later had to get changed to FL7+Brace when our good friend Erin joined the clan. Well it wasn't too long before the points were on the way...Morgan being 7.1, Fred 7.2 and Noah 7.3. We all still keep in touch and see each other whenever we can; when we are in town for holidays, breaks, vacation, and especially weddings. Speaking of weddings, the weekend's big event was fabulous...Amy was gorgeous and we all had a great time (rowdy as usual...we just bring the best out of each other, what can we say). Thanks Abby for the reception pix!

We finished up the weekend with a wonderful 90th birthday party with our dear Poppy. Happy Birthday!!!! What a milestone! We were so glad to be in-town to be a part of the celebration.

It was a wonderful trip! But as always went way too fast; before we knew it we were back at O'Hare boarding a plane to come home. This time at least we had the entire back row. :)

Month 19 in Review

This month Morgan's independence grew even more, but she is also shy at times. She will want to explore but then cling to you the next minute...she will be outgoing with new people but then hide her head in our shoulders at other times. All the while, just as cute as ever (and we are sure she knows it).

We started out the month with a fun day of blackberry picking with Morgan's friend Maya. They were sooooo good! Morgan wasn't sure at first, but within a few minutes we were glad she was wearing a white onsie that could be bleached.

This month was all about family time too. Grandma/Grandpa Brown came over with Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Matt for a fun day at the pool early this month. The next weekend we met up with everyone again for Cousin Sophia's dedication at church. Then Grandma/Grandpa Reineke drove from Chicago later this month with Uncle Tyler for a nice long weekend…we had the usual enjoyable time at Peddler's Village/Rice's Market but we also had a great day at Winterthur (a nearby DuPont estate).

We were also very busy with a couple end of summer picnics, working on some big house projects (including upgrading the roof, replacing the siding and working on the basement) and relaxing when we could (yes, Alia is laying right next to Morgan on the couch in the picture below...they are doing better.)

We also went to the Philadelphia Zoo for a great benefit event sponsored by Merck…sorry, no pictures to share (Mommy is trying to be better and not live behind her lens). But the short summary is…It was a disaster! Poor Morgan was terrified of all the animals and not really understanding that there was a glass or fence between them and her. It all started in the large exhibit for the monkeys; they took one swing towards her and that was it for the evening. Hopefully this is just a phase.

Another big milestone for this month...Morgan's first plane ride, coming up this weekend, more on that to come! :)

Potty Time

If you can believe it...Morgan used the potty for the first time today!!!!

Now don't get too excited, this is a process and we are sure we will be in diapers for months to come.

But it is a first step, and we are really excited and really proud!

She is growing up!

Month 18 in Review

The month was all about Morgan becoming a full-fledged Toddler. The videos posted last month (taken at the end of the month) gave you a glimpse.

What seemed to be missing were the tantrums…oh, we mean "displays of independence." ;) We had a rough couple weeks in the middle of this month (complete with leaving a restaurant for the first time), but with 3 molars popping through at the same time, can you blame her for being a little moody? Just so you don't feel like you are missing out on the full Morgan experience, here's a short clip...but the video does come w/ a warning: "Not to be viewed by Grandmothers or the faint at heart!"

But back to the Morgan we know and love…despite the tantrums, she has also become really affectionate, running up and hugging people she knows and saying hi to everyone, saying good-bye by blowing kisses and giving real kisses to the lucky few. Even being sure to hug Mommy and Daddy after a rough "display of independence," as if to say, "I'm sorry." The cutest thing was watching her hug a friend for the first time, who happened to be Emma at the concert at the school.

Talking (the beginnings of it anyway) has also really started this month! Some of her favorite new words/sayings are: All Done, Sit There, No, Yeah, Milk, Please, and a bunch of things we don't know what they are. We often catch ourselves saying, "did she just say that??!!!"

Morgan has really enjoyed playing copy cat this month, imitating nearly everything. So we definitely have to start watching what we say and do! This even includes going downstairs! (Hence, we have had to become experts walking down backwards.) One of the cutest things is her desire to carry a purse. And not Mommy's purse…her own purse. Morgan carries it like a grown-up and walks around, with all the essentials inside (mirror, lipstick, wallet w/ "credit cards," keys, and of course a cell phone), ready to go at a moments notice.

Cute Story of the Month: Morgan was playing and spilled her drink in the living room. Then quickly disappeared into the other room before we could say anything. Seconds later she reappeared with her washcloth from the kitchen and began cleaning up the spill! What could we say???

It was a pretty busy this month, yet again, with many fun activities, including 4th of July in Carlisle, a picnic at Kid's castle with older friends Grace and Reese, a playdate w/ girlfriend Kaya, Sangria Sunday at Chaddsford Winery with Mommy's friends, the Daria concert at school, and attending concert-in-the-park every Tues.

4th of July

Obviously it took us a little while to get this blog post up, but we wanted to share a few pictures from 4th of July!

We had a great time celebrating the holiday in Carlise, complete with fireworks.

Daddy brought some really neat sparklers for before the show, and Morgan thought they were great. Grandma and Grandpa had the best seats in the house for everyone...roof-top viewing from their company building! Unfortunately, Morgan wasn't so sure about the loud noises from the fireworks, but she definitely seemed to be excited with the concept of staying up late (and of course with the Dairy Queen milkshake aftewards).