Progressive Dinner Party

I love our neighborhood! I may be partial but believe we live on the best cul-de-sac in our community with friendly, sweet neighbors that truly make it somewhere special to live.


One day last spring while out walking with Teagan I met Shanna, Dave and Caleb in their front yard and we discovered we were in the same prenatal classes! It turns out little Caleb and Teagan were born just one day apart! That day marked the start of a great friendship that led to being introduced to Krissy and Kevin who's little boy Jackson (Jack) is also the same age. They just moved into our neighborhood earlier this year.
Now the moms and our children meet regularly for walks, playdates and dinners. We also discovered within weeks of each other that we were expecting our second children which has made going through this pregnancy with them and our comrades from the larger Thursday playdate group so much fun! It also helps that our husbands share a love of golf and drink or too!

We decided to wrap up the holiday season with a progressive dinner party between our three houses.

The Kellys were in charge of desserts which included a fun yuletide log that Betty taught me learn to make. It took HOURS people. Hours. But I can now proudly say I know how to make a mean chocolate ganache and pastry cream! We also made Oreo truffles and chocolate bark to go along with Brian's Irish Coffees! Very festive indeed!

Krissy, Kevin and Jackson hosted us with two amazing fondues that took me right back to my travels in Switzerland!

The poor cat was a hit and took refuge from three curious toddlers behind the stair gate!

I had to capture this picture of Teagan in her cute skirt for the R family who gave it to her. Isn't it perfect for the holidays and beyond? Unfortunately she is going through a phase where she likes to take off her clothes...anywhere, anytime. Daddy is thrilled with this latest development. Not!

I love, love, love Shanna and Dave's decorating style. Their dinners are always gourmet and elegant. I thought these plates and chargers were to die for! We had homemade mac-n-cheese with the most amazing chili which Dave made using his new smoker! It was unlike any chili we've ever had and D-lish, with a capital D!

Betty and Da Boys! Merry Christmas!!

Toddler Christmas Party

Merry Christmas everyone! Today Teagan hosted a Christmas party for her Thursday Playdate toddler friends. We had such a great time making crafts, playing and eating sweet treats. I have a lot of love for these special women and look as forward to this day each week as Tea does. It amazes me that four out of five of us are pregnant with our second children, due within mere weeks of each other! Right now we have more boys than girls but with two of our mom's confirmed to have lots of pink in their future we think those numbers just may even out! We are looking forward to January 3rd when Krissy finds out what she is having. I am the lone holdout on Team Green and must confess it is much harder to wait for the surprise this time!

I just had to try making these adorable marshmellow pops after seeing a pink and white version on Hostess With the Mostess' site! Nana Betty helped!

The table pre-kiddos coming in!

Teagan gave each friend a cute ornament with their name and the year on it.

She loved making her Christmas crafts!

The finished products. See how proud she is? We put them on the tree.

Grandpa Gerry has a smile for us...but true to his word once all the kids arrived he sneaked up stairs, "As far away as possible..."

I love this picture of Shanna and Caleb. How cute is his Christmas outfit?

A sweet picture of Melissa and Grayson

Do you think half Swedish Elsa and half Irish Teagan are discussing what to do to resolve the financial crisis in Europe? They look oh-so-serious in this shot!

The closest we came to getting six little ones to sit together and look at a camera: Grayson, Kaden, Jackson, Caleb, Elsa and Teagan

Caleb just wants to get back to his train and says, "No more pictures!" I think the girls agree....

Happy camper Jackson!

Linda, Shanna, me, Krissy and Melissa with our little elves!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Big Sister

Teagan is 19 months old and I am 19 weeks pregnant heading into the Christmas holidays. We had our big ultrasound with the perinatologist this week. I was so nervous I couldn't sleep before but all turned out well as he said Baby Kelly looks healthy! We have so much to be thankful for this season and are enjoying these December days. There's our baby! I have anterior placenta which just means the placenta is up top. The baby is also breech at the moment but that could change well before our due date which incidentally is April 30th - Teagan's second birthday!

Waiting to see the doc. Brian is SURE we are having a boy and I am confused as my trusty gender predictor that is based on heart beats per minute has been bouncing between girl and boy predictions for the last few months. The latest prediction: boy!

If we have a boy the name is sure to be Fionn, Brian's favorite and one that has special meaning for us, but more on that later. For a girl Brian likes Siobhan and Saioirse. I like Maeve, Isla, Niamh, Caoimhe, Harper and Sawyer. So far we can't agree on those and who knows what will pop up between now and spring as a favorite.

After my appointment Melissa took pictures of me in front of her tree. Notice the "tombo" which is Japanese for dragonfly. It's my favorite symbol of good luck and she put this beautiful on her tree just for me!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of Baby: 6 inches, 9 ounces which is the size of a mango

Gender: We are going to be surprised. It is a lot harder for Mom this time!

Movement: Due to anterior placenta I am just now feeling flutters

Sleep: I get bits here and there. At least I have more time to update the blog in the wee hours!

Cravings: Chocolate (ok, normal for me), strawberry lemonaide and chips (which I never want normally). Fried pickles. I never should have started eating them. With Teagan I just wanted yogurt all the time - not so much with this baby!

Symptoms: Just being tired and super thirsty for water.

Best Moment This Week: Shopping for maternity clothes with Betty!

Collecting The Post

My sweet Teagan I got a wonderful idea from another blogger Mommy. Each month I will try to capture your milestones as you are growing so fast and changing so much each and every day that Daddy and I can barely believe it!

This December you are 19 months old! You weigh 24.4 pounds, wear a size 4 diaper, an 18 mo to 2T clothes, size 5.5 shoe in Clarks or a 7 in Primigi. You are tall and in the 90-95%! In no time you and cousin Kade will be towering over us in bodyguard fashion! Nanna Betty is sure you will end up on the runway! Your sweet face is all daddy, but we also see Nana Mo, auntie Joyce and cousin Carrington in you. I love your big eyes and long lashes!

You make us laugh each and every day with your sweet and funny sense of humor. You are happy almost always and it has been fun to see your personality develop so rapidly. Your vocabulary is great too and at the moment you are saying well over 100 words. You surprised us last month with a big sentence: "That's Daddy's towel." And you constantly make friends in the store or wherever we go as you usually have a nice hello for them and a "Thank You" sprinkled with the occasional "I Wuv U" which just makes a heart melt.

Right now your favorite things are your stuffed lambs, toast, going outside, your bobby (paci), milk (which to my delight you say with an Irish accent now that your grandparents from Ireland are visiting), Kade and Wiss (aunt Melissa)

Speaking of the grandparents, you adore them! Fresh from a visit with Nana Mo and Poppy has you asking for them often. Just like all our babies you love Poppy's shoulder. And you immediately became best friends with Nana Betty going off to "collect" the post with her daily or just snuggling up in her lap for a book. Plus each day when Gerry falls asleep on the sofa you love to go over and untie his shoes! Brian and I marvel at how you instinctively walk with your arms folded behind your back at times, just like your grandpa and way before you met him.
Yes, it's true. Daddy's a little crazy and has sown your pj's together in this shot. This, trust me, was borne out of a moment of desperation in a hotel in Florida for you have decided now is the time to release yourself from the confinement of a crib or pack-n-play...and we simply.aren't.ready.

So this answer to our problem was either the engineer...or the farmer coming out in your dad, the jury is still out on this. The good news is the pjs worked their magic for a few days until you gave up your quest, content to sleep again without becoming a Flying Walenda. We're on the lookout for a toddler bed as this is sure to be a temporary solution.....

A rare shot of you eating. Most days you can take or leave food, as long as you have milk. I am preplexed as you simply don't like the things most other kids like...and if you do like it today then that in no way means you will have anything to do with it tomorrow. So your weight is only in the 25-50% making you a slim, trim fighting machine. But your pediatrician assures me you are getting what you need and healthy. We love you Little Mouse! Each and everyday is just a treaure and full of adventures now that you are in our lives. I so wish I could make time stand still and keep you this little forever. I especially love snuggling with you in the wee hours, rocking you in your nursery. You ask for hugs and insist I kiss your stuffed lamb then put your head on my shoulder and fall asleep in my arms. My sweet angel baby. Our prayer is you will grow up wise, not just making the right choices, but the best choices, responsible, Godly and with a heart for those who are less fortunate. We love you so. - Mommy and Daddy

Uncle Rob & Aunt Jessica's Wedding

Cousins
My gorgeous nieces

We traveled to Destin, Florida for Rob & Jessica's wedding on November 20th. It was such an amazing trip as we got to be with our entire family for the first time in years! Lots of laughs and great memories plus the wedding was stunning.

My camera was on the blink the entire trip...this I later discovered, was due to operator error. I really must take Brian's advice and stop pushing buttons on this thing if I haven't a clue what they do! I had all kinds of weird settings going. At any rate, I got a few good shots. But pics of the bride and groom are seriously lacking here. Mon dieu. Pregnancy brain strikes again! I hope to order some from their wedding photograper soon! In the meantime, thanks Rob and Jessica for the lovely time and best wishes for many, many more happy years to come!

We had a family dinner at Cantina Laredo on our first night!

My sister Angie and Kiersten
Angie and Peyton

Nana Mo and the girls!

Kade loves the beach!

Treasures

The R Family - we love you!

Sisters Dana and Melissa looking so pretty before the wedding

Brian and Teagan

Ron and Zachary...poor Zach ended up with a lovely green cast after the trip!

Love this picture of my mom, Maureen

Ah!!!! ONE picture of the bride and groom! Don't they look amazing?

Sweet picture of Teagan in her daddy's lap

Brian, Jim and Ron - The Three Amigos

If there is one thing Brian HATES it is pickles and it has become a sort of thing to give him a hard time about. So naturally we ordered fried pickels (a southern delicacy) from the aptly named Pickels Beachside Shack in Seaside which is a cute town where they filmed The Truman Show! We got him a hat from here too but he won't wear it as he swears it smells like...picklessssssss!!!

Here's the shot of those fried pickles!!! Yummmmmmmmy! Notice, Brian is no where near the table.

Cousins having fun before we jump on a plane. We had a GREAT time and miss you!