End of the Year Roundup:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Had a baby. A BIG baby. I thought he was turning into a stone baby, but he was just fat.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? To be honest, I can't remember what my NYR was last year. This year Ted and I are embarking on the totally unoriginal "lose weight and stop eating crap" resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Uhh. Me, myself, and I. Along with Jaime Alvarez. A billion people got pregnant in 2008 too. It was a fertile year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Not necessarily "close," but my Uncle Frank passed away.

5. What countries did you visit? Hmmmm. Just the US I guess.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A non-pregnant summmer. Skinny jeans. Other than that, life is pretty good.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Trip to Pensacola, FL in May just because it was fun and our last "just us" trip before the baby. August 27th, which was my due date, which came and went and made me want to cry. September 3rd, 2008...when I went into the hospital to be induced. September 4th was a horrific day with a wonderful ending. September 5th was a painful day. I also enjoyed Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with the new boy.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Geesh, I feel like I could answer "I had a baby" to so many of these questions. I was pretty proud of myself when all was said and done though. I had a baby. I pushed it out. It was hard, but I did it. The rest of the year I sort of just laid around. :)

9. What was your biggest failure? Gagging during birth. And yelling in pain. I wish I hadn't done those things.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? See above.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My laptop. And our new phones.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Ted has been an awesome husband, father, and best friend.

14. Where did most of your money go? Oh man, let's not talk about it. Baby clothes? Gadgets? There was some responsible spending in there somewhere, I swear.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Adorable baby clothes. Christmas. David Cook winning American Idol.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Ugh.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer in money, richer in life.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating junk.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With most of our family in NY.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I suppose I did.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Grey's, ER, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Little People, Big World. When I was pregnant, anything with babies. Now I'm digging Biography.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? What an awful question! There is no one that I truly HATE.

24. What was the best book you read? The Secret Life of Bees. I'm digging the Twilight series now.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Reel to Reel players.

26. What did you want and get? Everything.

27. What did you want and not get? Nothing.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Wall*E

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29. We went to see a comedian named John Pinette. Hilarious.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Nothing. It was a great year.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Elastic waistbands.

32. What kept you sane? Teddy.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I didn't really "fancy" anyone. After Hilary was out of the running I was pretty stoked about Obama.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Obama's election night speech. I've never been moved by anything in politics. That moved me.

35. Who did you miss? My grandparents, Tianne, Donald.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Cana.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. I learned how much my parents must have loved me when I was born. You can't really fathom it until you have one of your own. It was a pretty cool realization.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "When you walk the streets you will have no cares if you walk the lines and not the squares. As you go through life make this your goal: Watch the doughnut not the hole." ~Burl Ives

Congrats Jaime and CJ!

Our friends Jaime and CJ have welcomed a son, Cooper Luis, to the world! Congrats guys!

The Nappers

Brind'Amour's Skills

Brind'Amour has been growing like a weed and it is so amazing to watch him change. He learns new things so quickly, but it seems like so long ago that he wasn't in control of his hands at all...but he's only 3 months old. It's really strange, this weird time warp that we are in. At any rate, he is able to grab purposefully now...when he wants to grab a rattle or toy, he will, when he wants to grab a blanket or your hand he will. He also tends to hold the bottle up to his mouth when he's eating too. The other day he had a kung fu grip on it and I totally couldn't get his fingers unwrapped from it. It was hilarious.

He's also babbling up a storm. One of his daycare "teachers" said yesterday that "he likes to eat and talk." One of the other babies started crying in his bouncer while I was there and I asked if Brind'Amour fusses much during the day. She said that, no, he doesn't fuss. "He looks at all the other kids like 'What's your deal? This isn't so hard.'" That cracked Ted and I up because it's totally him...pretty mellow little fellow.

He smiles every morning when we peek our head over the crib to wish him a good morning. It's rare that he cries when he wakes up. I'll just hear him in there talking to himself and when I check on him he's wide awake staring at his mobile and kicking his legs. During the week when we have to wake him up to get ready he makes some hilarious faces and may whimper a bit, but then he's back to his old smiley self.

Here's a video of him taken yesterday. He's showing off his skills...and his Christmas socks for Aunt Becky to see!


Brindy Shows Off His Skillz from Eilis B on Vimeo.

Let the Holidays Begin!

Giving Thanks and Such.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving this year...my side of the family was in town and we had a great time together. Ted and I haven't been with family for the past couple of Thanksgivings, so it was a nice change. And of course it was Brind'Amour's first Thanksgiving...and we are so thankful to have him in our lives!



We spent a lot of time just hanging around the house and being goofy. It was really great to see everyone and we are looking forward to heading home for Christmas to see more family and friends.


Hangin' with Dad
Just hangin'

With his cousin Bella

Laughing with Uncle Johnny

Grandpa W sings to him

The W-F-B Clan

Brind'Amour can hold onto things now. And shake them.

So much to be thankful for...

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Still Growing Over Here:

I like to move it, move it from Eilis B on Vimeo.

Thanks Babcie!

My mother just finished her two weeks of babysitting Brind'Amour and the two of them had a time together! Thanks for everything...we miss you already!

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

Commissioned Watercolor Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!!

Brind'Amour Dances to the Classics:



He is so much fun!

For Grandma A:

He looks so cute in the outfit you made him!

13 Pounds of Love.

The boy had his 2 month check up today and is 13lbs 8oz of pure adorableness. He's in the 95th percentile for height and weight and has graduated to the 75th percentile for head circumference. He's meeting his developmental milestones and the doctor was pleased with what he saw...he's a healthy little guy. He also got his first shots today, poor thing. Ted and I were both able to be there today so we held his little hands and talked to him as the nurse stabbed him with needles that went "to the bone" per Ted's recollection. The little guy cried but took it all like a champ and was back to his old smiley self shortly after.

I can't believe how fast time goes and how big our little boy is getting:




Grandma W. is in town for two weeks and they are having a blast together! It's been gorgeous down here this week so they've been able to take walks and hang out in the yard. He's getting more and more animated these days and is really loving it when you talk and sing to him. It's a riot.


Playing with Grandma W.

Last but not least, a preview of how adorable holiday pictures are going to be:


Gotta love this kid...

Our Little Caterpillar

Brind'Amour was a caterpillar for about 5 minutes last night. He was NOT diggin' on his costume, much to my dismay. But it's a good lesson in parenting...Halloween isn't always going to go as you had it in your mind...but it will be fun regardless.






We had to go with our back up "festive" outfit instead:


Ted's Dad and Step-Mom are in town this weekend and we all hit a hockey game today-Brind'Amour's second! He's getting so big and can hold his head up so well these days...it was much different than his first game when he was just a month old. He loved sitting on our laps and watching the lights this time...

Happy Fall!



Love,

Eilis, Ted, and Brind'Amour

Giant 8 Week Old Baby

Grandma B.

Thanks to Maggie for spending two weeks with us and watching the boy while I transitioned back to work. They've been two peas in a pod...

Parenting.

Ted's Step-Mom Maggie is in town watching the boy while we work and she still can't get over seeing Ted as a Dad. We've been documenting a bit to show his father, 'cause apparently he won't believe it either.

First Wedding Anniversary

Teddy and I were married one year yesterday! We celebrated by having a nice dinner at The Melting Pot, which is where Ted proposed. It was a great evening...and we both had chocolate fondue for the first time, which rocked our worlds. It's been a wonderful first year...


The Threesome

My Love and I

A shout out to Geri for saving the cake for us in her freezer all year!

Enjoying some wedding cake...it was actually really good still!

Back To Work.

I'm back at work today and thinking of the wee one. I took two pictures of him last night to print out and bring to work, but then I forgot to print them. So I'll post them so I can look at him. I miss him, but it's good to be back at work and using my brain. Thanks again to Grandma B for coming to town to watch him!

Making Up For Slacking.

As The Boy is getting bigger he spends less time sleeping during the day and I haven't been posting as regularly...but today I'm making up for it with some extra posts. Enjoy!

The Professional Sleeper: A Boy After My Own Heart



Make sure you've got your volume up!

Diary of a Snuggler.

Ted's family was in town this weekend and Brind'Amour was in snuggle heaven. As you'll see, he slept most of the weekend and was quite content! Thanks to Grandma Pam, Great Grandma Norma, and Great Aunt Patti for coming to visit and keeping the boy occupied!


Four Generations