The Waldeck Family

Kuiper's Pumpkin Farm 9/1/10

2011-06-03T08:21:00.004-05:00

****Since I am so far behind, I will adjust the dates later****

***This way you can view them as I post***

FLASHBACK!

Our pumpkin patch trip 2009

Kuiper's Pumpkin Fest 2010

Lincoln Park Zoo Harvest Days 2010

We are BACK!

2011-06-02T16:46:00.007-05:00

I have months and months....and months of updates to post. I have been so crazy busy with school this past semester that I had to put the blog on the back burner. Finally, I have graduated and I am making this blog my priority until I get it updated fully. I have been hard at work all day today editing and gathering photos. Lots of laughs and a few tears. I can't believe how many events have passed and how many pictures I have just gone through. I owe it to Brian Flynn, and David & Mona Waldeck to post pictures while they are deployed (I'm thankful for the chance to upload mini facebook updates). I will upload as much as possible, asap. Here is the most recent...Aubrie graduated from preschool yesterday!

Please check back for more updates, and I will post as I finish events. Please keep Justin's dad, Dave and his wife Mona in your prayers. They are both deployed with the Army Corps of Engineers and doing great things. My brother-in-law, Brian Flynn, is also currently deployed with the Marine Corps and we couldn't be prouder of him. Keep him and my sister, Christina, in your prayers as they go through their first deployment.

I can't explain to you how much it means to me to have so many of you bother me about updating this blog. I continued to be amazed by how many people actually keep up with us. I often think about how many friends we have from all over the country; because some of you insist on moving away from Chicago, and also because so many of us became family away from family and have changed duty stations.

I love you all and wish we all lived in one big cul-de-sac :)

Laurie

Aubrie's Preschool Graduation!

2011-06-02T12:06:00.011-05:00

The students performed "David Goes to School" as their graduation play

Aubrie read her line like a pro, and then sat down and chewed her nails. hmmm

Her big moment!

"A great big Care-a-lot SMILE!"

Complete with choreography

Most Nurturing Award

Big hug from mommy

Flowers from daddy

Aubrie loves Monica

After her ceremony, Aubrie was able to pick where we went to dinner for her special day. She said she wanted "PASTA!" We went to Moretti's and she enjoyed a big plate of spaghetti

We are so proud of her :)

Halloween 2010

2011-03-01T08:20:00.000-06:00

We had a fun filled Halloween! I was determined to make our costumes, since my parents never allowed us to have the store bought kind growning up. I took the challenge of making Yo Gabba Gabba characters, and Aubrie couldn't have been more excited about it! We made a lot of people laugh and we posed for a lot of pictures!

Aubrie had a school party and brought Lydia with her.

Justin was their chaparone and it was super cute!

Lydia was a big fan of the class frog and the fish tank

Daddy and his girls

:)

Norwood Park Halloween Fest

Our Gabba Family photo

Lollipop break with Papa

Roscoe Village Trick or Treating

11/15/10

More summer summaries...

2010-11-15T08:58:00.008-06:00

Who doesn't love a good ol' Chicago street fest? We try to go to as many as possible....until you realize they are pretty much all the same vendors. We really liked the Retro on Roscoe fest, especially the ice cream. Another favorite was the Burger Fest. I like any excuse to eat burgers in the street with a fresh glass of Sangria.

A quick post ice cream bath

Aubrie is signing daddy

Family photo

Lunch break with Marc, Tracy and Bina
at Eggs & Bakin in Lakeview

I drink from a straw

1,2,3 weeeeeeee

This year we discovered a small street fest right on Tisha & James' block. Too bad it was the hottest day of the year and the bounce house was smack in the middle of the sun, near the pony rides. Sadly, they managed to have the worst Pad Thai and gyros ever. On the other hand, the sangria was tasty. The best part was the live band we rocked out to from the comfort of their front yard. Next year will have big plans. We will take advantage of the entertainment while relaxing with good food and brilliantly stocked coolers.

Besties sharing a snack

Brownstone block party

In the DOGHOUSE with Papa

Gary visited Chicago, and came to play with legos

Lazy day with daddy

MACG-48 Family Day

2010-11-14T23:14:00.008-06:00

Marine Air Control Group 48 held their Family Day on July 3rd on the base at Great Lakes. It felt like the coldest day EVER, even though the forcast said it would be a beautiful summer day. The wind and rain kept most people hiding in the food tents for most of the event. The sun finally came out and we were able to enjoy some of the activities with the girls. There was a bounce house, a petting zoo and much much more. My parents joined us and we salvaged the day in the end. Luckily, the event was moved from the day after the USMC birthday ball, when no one wants to wake up early. Hopefully next year will be nicer outside and we can enjoy all of the activities.

WTTW Fun and Run with the Haime family!

2010-11-14T16:16:00.008-06:00

On July 17th, we met Scotty, Danyel, Lincoln and Kingston near Lincoln Park Zoo for the annual WTTW Fun and Run. Justin ran the 5K and we did the 3K. After the run, we were able to walk around and meet all of the characters from channel 11. The girls had a blast. It was great to see the excitement in the kids face's. It was a perfect day and we came home with pooped kids and lots of fun samples. Can't wait for next year. Taking it all in......

this is gonna be fun

The boys and their first borns waiting in line for ELMO

Me and my friend

Killing time...

Patiently waiting...... sooooo close!

Finally meeting ELMO!!!

The Waldecks

Lydia missed out on the photo op.....It may have been too exciting

The Haimes

Me and my little friend

The tots dash

Ralph's World Concert

It's a big deal...he is Aubrie's Bon Jovi

Perfect way to end the day!

Summer catch up.....well the month of May

2010-11-13T18:19:00.013-06:00

I have not been so good at updating this summer. Shame on me...

Here is a bunch of the stuff we have done : ) I guess it is a good thing that we have been too busy for updates. Better late than never right!

Day at one of the many parks we went to this summer.

I'm having oatmeal for breakfast, and I feed myself.

Me too!What?The best thing about summer is the option for outdoor baths.

Courtyard pool! Look out folks...it's fancy

Another park....this one has snacks and Sophie!

Silly faces!

Ralph's World concert at Ravinia

boop

Glen's diner for a "Sprinkle" in honor of baby Calvin

...then off to another park

Fun with daddy after drill

so serious...

(i love this picture)

Uncle Julio's for another "Sprinkle" with the girls

Lydia has been busy learning about the world around her

and how to make music

Here Come the Hawks...The Miiiighty Blaaackhawks

2010-11-12T23:06:00.001-06:00

After the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, we went down to the rally to see the cup. The turnout was unbelievable! My parents and I battled the crowds and it was well worth it. It was amazing to experience this day with my dad. I know how much it meant to him and it was an emotional day. He grew up loving the Hawks and watching with his mom.

She was there with us in spirit!

The ticker tape coming down the building

This picture is worth a thousand words

The streets were PACKED! We found Christina :)

Cleaning the city A toast to the Hawks!!!

What a great day!

A few days later, we went to see the cup t Brooke's Park

Lydia's Baptism

2010-11-12T21:58:00.000-06:00

God Bless our Lydia

Happy 30th Birthday Justin!

2010-08-17T22:03:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Justin's big 3-0 on June 6th with a few rounds of Whirlyball and a fiesta at our house with all the Mexican food you could eat. Whirlyball was a lot of fun but it is a bit dangerous too.

I got nailed in the eye with the ball at the end :(I played it cool

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND*

our girlies

Lydia loves corn!

My favorite part of the night was watching all of the kids go up and down the stairs playing in the courtyard. Even in the pouring rain :)

They had so much fun, and THEN had cake and ice cream

The boys

Medieval Times!

Justin and David shared a birthday and James' have is only a day apart, so they shared festivities all weekend. For James' portion of the celebration,

we went to catch a dinner and tournament.

We had the green knight

Eating my "baby dragon"

Tisha (and Calvin)

We met one of the locals

For David's portion, we went to watch the Hawks game at Stanleys.

Some of the group at Stanleys for Live Band Karaoke

Me, David and Charlie

I think the first weekend of June will be my birthday now too.

Happy Easter

2010-06-19T22:21:00.009-05:00

Easter Eggstravaganza! at Soldier Fieldwaiting to go on the field

FINALLY the free for all!

I'm pretty sure the event was sponsored bt Snickers....

I love these next few pictures. Watch Sophie...

That must have been an interesting wrapper

Justin and Aubrie on the score board

James and Sophie on the score board

They were TERRIFIED of the mascot!

long day...

Aubrie and Lydia in their new wagon

Hanging out with Sophie again

(I love Lydia's little face)

Coloring Easter eggs with Asha and Zuri!"playing" outside

Friends

Asha and her outfit of choice for the day

Birthdays, St Patricks day and other fun things from months go

2010-06-19T20:32:00.007-05:00

Reading together :)

Helping me make salad (without using a knife)

Happy Birthday Christina!

A stroll in our fancy new stroller Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

GYMNASTICS!!!!!

2010-04-08T23:08:00.005-05:00

Aubrie started gymnastics last week and she LOVES it! On the first day she ran around and navigated the mats and equipment fearlessly. She talked about it all week long, although at first I was wondering why she wanted to play with "match sticks." Ha!

This week, while anxiously waiting to be able to play on the equipment, Aubrie said to me "I'll be right back, ok?" I explained she needed to wait unil all the kids were ready to play and she stood at the edge of the mat and skooched her little feet closer and closer. Once the teacher said they could start playing she turned to me and said "Mommy...Let's do this."

I swear! And not in the "hey i want to do this", but more like "lets do it!" The other moms were my witnesses and the reaction from the room was priceless.

This is what the call the "hot tub."The kids walk or climb up the "cheese wedge"

hop into and out of the hot tub, and roll down the cheese on the other side.

Next is the kicking of the candle stick. They climb on a chuncky little mat and swing on the bar to kick down a foam shape. She doesn't actually kick it down here, but she had done it about five times already. (btw, that is not my baby crying in the back ground)

Then we went upstairs to try the rings

And another bar

..and the dismount

She loved the huge trampoline at the end of th eobsticale course. She would skip a whole section just to get to it faster. See for yourself...

Someone looks worn out!

Nap time

: )

Latest update

2010-04-07T17:38:00.007-05:00

Spring has Sprung!

I want to apologize for not updating this sooner. It is a tough semester and I have a LOT of homework. After midterms, I thought I would have an opportunity to work on it, but it has gotten away from me. The good thing is that many of you have asked about it, which lets me know how many people actually keep up with us : ) So, I have a deal to make. I have updated with a few older events and this weeks Easter pictures. I still need to add Lydia's Baptism, Christina's birthday, St. Patrick's Day and a few more things.

School is going well (and is almost over, 6 weeks to go)! Justin is doing great at work and has another new position at work. He is looking forward to the new challenges ahead. He is still busy with the Marine Reserves and Expeditionary Warfare School. The girls are amazing and I think about the blog everyday because of everything that happens around here (i will elaborate in posts)! As a family overall, we are doing great. We have found a church in our neighborhood that we love, and I look forward to our Sunday morning walk with the girls. I will work on adding pictures and details a little bit everyday and will publish the post when it each one is finished. You will all just have to scroll down a bit to find the new things as I post them. Please be patient with me, and I will update as much as I can as soon as I can.

Love to all!

Laurie

Happy Easter!!!

2010-04-05T14:59:00.003-05:00

The Easter Bunny came!!! The Easter Bunny hid eggs and candy all over the courtyard. Aubrie was so excited when she woke up and saw "all the COLORS!"

She could hardly get down the stairs fast enough

The Easter Bunny was pretty clever about hiding things, and even left a few things for Lydia
(thanks gina)

Stickers!

Wait a minute....

...is that what I think it is?

A PEEP!!!
or as Aubrie says...a mah-mah-yo

More loot....
it was this moment that made me realize the Easter Bunny may have put out too many eggs

(although, they were real eggs that we colored and plastic ones filled with yogurt covered raisins,

chickadee crackers,and fruit snacks : ) cheating?)

Hello Easter Bunny

So excited to bust into an egg, she took a big bite and said

"OH NO! ...CHEESE!"

Time for church

Me and Lydia
: )

A few pictures of my two friends

That's a cool looking cake grandma, I just want to look at it....

Grandma & Papa

I still can't believe they are both smiling!

The girls went to the park with daddy and papa to fly a kite

Justin had a lot of fun flying the kite

Happy Easter everybody!

Praises & Prayers

2010-04-01T21:07:00.001-05:00

Parker is here!

Michael-Stewart Coriell was born 3/25/2010 at 8:01 am...

Weighing 6lbs. 2oz and 18.75 in. long!!!

Megan says "He's just perfect!"

Amelia is a great big sister already!

We are so excited to meet our newest nephew!

On another note, Justin's dad is currently deployed to Afghanistan with the Army Corps of Engineers. However, he is no stranger to deployments. After serving 20 years in the Navy, he has had more than his share. He is doing great things over there and we are very proud of him. Please keep him and his guys in your thoughts & prayers.

My father in law on the right

Romp at Gomps

2010-03-04T21:51:00.000-06:00

Guess what?!?

I eat food!

A went to a fundraiser at neighborhood park to help build a newplayground.

They had a lot of fun activities set up for the kids and we were able to get out of

the house and enjoy the nice weather.

The kids had a chance to draw what they would like to have in the new playground Very seriously working on her drawingAubrie really enjoyed the car and bike section Waiting in line for face painting

Aubrie's favorite park was her chocolate covered pretzel : )

Congrats Marcus & Tracy!!!!

2010-01-24T21:45:00.000-06:00

On January 24th, two of our closest friends got engaged! Marcus set up a private tour of Wrigley Field and popped the question right on home plate! He put togther a great surprise party after the proposal and we can't wait for the festivities to begin!

Congratulations Marcus and Tracy!

We love you very much!

A few randoms : )

2010-01-24T21:30:00.002-06:00

Aubrie and Sophie having a chat

The girls hanging out

Lydia checking herself out

Look who's 29!

2010-01-19T23:06:00.003-06:00

On January 18th, I turned 29. We had a nice dinner at the house with the girls complete with homemade French Onion soup, a big fancy salad and warm crusty bread. Then we celebrated with some cake, which was Aubrie's favorite part. We had a pretty successful family photo taken, thanks to the timer on the camera : )The night before, we went out to dinner at Elvissa, a tapas restaurant in Old Town. Thanks to everyone that came out to celebrate with us. We had a great time, it's good to get away and talk to other adults once in awhile. What better way to celebrate a birthday than sharing food in the company of great friends!

Next year's the big one!

Christmas pics I forgot!

2010-01-05T22:22:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T23:02:00.001-06:00

Christmas at Grandma & Papa'sEating cheese and crackers You can still see the bruise healing on my face : )

makes for fantastic holiday memoriesThe flynns

Dancing

T'was the night before Christmas

We ate lots of great food and shared many laughs. My parents read to the girls and we headed home to wait for Santa. I made sure to change them into their Christmas jammies in the morning, since I left them at home : )

Santa came!

Running to the tree!

Helping Lydia open a gift

Relaxing and watching a movie with daddy

Baby it's cold outside!

2009-12-23T14:41:00.000-06:00

First snow of the year!

Lydia's giggles

Sharing some laughs

Not sure why she is pouting now, but it is adorable

Lydia laughing

(good work Justin)

Tracy comes over to play! The correct way to play with Play D'oh

Check out my Nikes

Trying to keep busy, and keep warm

Who is ready to play in snow?

I am!

Learning how to make salad

Hanging out with daddy

Wait a minute now....How do I jump?

Meeting Isabella

our first "play date"

Aubrie's home!

Those girls are boring they just sit there

Grandma!

Grandma came to hang out and play with the girls while I hung out on

the couch, with ice on my face all hopped up on vicodin after getting my wisdom teeth out.

Aubrie "reading" a book

Decorating for Christmas

Beads!

Helping daddy decorate the tree

Merry Christmas!

Aubrie's very first handmade ornament

Pink eye strikes!

eek!
Making pudding for mommy
(No more pink eye)

Note the painful "smile"

American Idol....watch out!

2009-12-03T09:24:00.003-06:00

Singing her ABCs

Singing Lemon Drops and Gum Drops

(i sang the last part with her so you can tell what she is saying)

Singing Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

(ok...i helped)

Thanksgiving in Kentucky 2009

2009-11-28T14:17:00.001-06:00

Lydia meeting her Papaw

and Aunt Donna

and Justin's Memaw

Where's the baby?

There she is!

(hanging out with Papaw and Great Papaw)

Singing Papaw a song

Hello sister

Trying to get Aubrie to cooperate for a photo

Lydia cooperated the best she could, but being little is exhausting

Another attempt at a family photo

Aubrie is 2!

2009-11-23T13:33:00.009-06:00

Happy Birth Day!

2007

2008

Here she is.....my girl!
I can't believe she is 2 years old. It really does seem like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant. Justin was so excited that he did the math in his head and shouted "we're having a baby by Christmas!" I had an emotional night before her first birthday. I kept remembering my oldest sister, Jennifer, saying when her kids had their first birthdays that she had kept them alive for a whole year. It always sounded sweet and a little bit silly, until I that night when I was putting her to bed. It was true. We had kept her alive for a whole year.

2009

And now look at her.....two years old. She is so smart, she amazes me more and more everyday. She sings many songs including her ABC's, Lady Gaga's Paparazzi, and songs she makes up on her own; she dances to music in the car, music she makes with her toys, and dances along to So You Think You Can Dance; She loves art including finger paints, stickers, drawing with crayons, chalk, or pens that mommy accidental leaves within her reach; she "reads" books to herself, reads to her sister by putting a book in her face and saying "look baby!" and helps read her bedtime story. Aubrie also loves talking about colors and shapes, the ABC's and can count up to number 17 (after 17 she goes back to 13). I can see that she is developing her little imagination as I watch her play with her baby dolls and listen to her create songs. The thing we are most proud of is her sweet little manners. She says please and thank you as most kids do, but she will shout "bless you mommy" from across the house and say "good night baby, sweet dreams"

to Lydia at bedtime. She is such a blessing and we love her more everyday.

Don't get me wrong.....she is two. So, she also tests our patience everyday.

Eating her birthday cupcake

Frank & his new friend Lydia

Aubrie's birthday cake

We had Tres Leches cake (which was interesting) and we sang
Ring Around the Rosie since she was not a fan of the Birthday song

Some friends at Aubrie's party!

Our attempts at a family picture

Lydia wasn't too happy, so Aubrie tried to console her

"oooooo......looook at thiiiiss!" ~ aubrie

Tutu!

Thanks Heidi & Emily!

My dad and cousin Katie

"Where did Elmo go?"

Happy 234th Birthday Marines

2009-11-14T13:48:00.001-06:00

Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Wheeling , IL.

My date : )

The Flynns

So excited to be out with adults...past 9 pm!

Seesters!

The girls played with Sophie while we were at the ball and then we all had a sleepover!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-05T13:33:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Halloween at Corrine & Bryan Trtan's wedding!

The girls had a sleepover at Grandma & Papa's house

Lydia, before her morning coffee-

a little cross eyed, and I think she is flicking me off.

Trick or Treat!

My Aunt Cindy and cousin Katie picked out the most adorable costume for Aubrie this year. She was the cutest bumble bee! Lydia was supposed to be a flower, but a full day and night in the ER and the pediatrician's office prevented me from finishing her costume. Turns out she had a double ear infection. All is better now, and we were still able to put on her Halloween hat for a few cute pictures of the girls. Justin stood up in Bryan Trtan's wedding (which was the best man in our wedding) on Halloween night so the girls spent the night with grandma and papa.

Jessica & Olivia visit Chicago!

2009-10-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

Olivia and Jessica came to see us while Jon was in Japan. I guess they weren't quite sick of us after our week long stay at their house. Here are a few pictures of our visit.

Good morning ladies!

Ollie loved Lydia's ears

Stomping through leaves at Horner Park

Olvia wondering what what is happening.

The sweet California girl doesn't know seasons. Leaves!
Poor Jessica was freezing

Olivia falls down alot. She reminded me of Agador

from the movie The Birdcage.

(the one that slips and falls because he isn't used to wearing shoes)

My tree hugger

Fun at Bengston's Pumkin Farm

Corn Maze

Napping after a long day

(Thanks for the hat Shirley)

Pumpkin painting

The night before they left, we waited for the girls to go to bed and Jessica

and I went out for some adult time with the girls!

Miss you guys already!

Disneyland with the Wilkins family!

2009-10-10T14:08:00.002-05:00

In October, we flew to California to for a friend's wedding and took the opportunity to visit the Wilkins family. We stayed at there house for a whole week and loved every minute of it. They were our neighbors in Twentynine Palms and we have remained closed, talking about 5 times a day. We were lucky enough to have Shirley, our "Marine Corps off base mom," come and visit us and watch the girls while we were at the wedding.

LT. & Mrs. Brian Koll

The Pi Kapps

Rockin' out

Brian & Justin

Justin & Dana

Disneyland!

We took the girls to Disneyland and had a great time. We walked around alot and realized there wasn't too much we could do with two toddlers and a newborn, but we had fun anyway. Aubrie was not a huge fan of any of the rides that took place inside, because most of them were dark. She would say "no, no, all done." We only tried a few rides and she ended up enjoying herself after the first minute or so. She really liked the Dumbo ride. She cried when we sat down but as soon as it started she shouted "AWESOME!"

Toon Town

The train ride that we learned was merely a train to get around the park....

and not a ride at all.

Aubrie holding Lydia's hand during "It's a small world."

This moment actually brought tears to my eyes.

Finding Nemo ride

Making sure daddy is watching

Aubrie was exhausted at the end of the day. She laid down in the

back of the Tahoe before getting into her car seat.

Sharing cheeriosWaiting to meet Aunt Shirley!This picture speaks for itself

My friends : )

Hanging outside

It's hot in California

Giving Lydia smooches

a nap with a new friend

The girls with their daddies

One to show her boyfriend in high school

Some of Lydia's friends

2009-09-16T12:01:00.006-05:00

Nana can't take her eyes off of me

Great Grandma

David

Grandma

Tracy

Reflecting on her first few weeks

Aubrie checking on her sister

Aubrie meeting Lydia

2009-09-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

We arrived home from the hospital on September 3rd around 6pm. My mom was waiting with Aubrie who was anxiously waiting to meet her little sister. As you see...it went better than we could have ever hoped. She was very excited and wants to hold her and hug her. Attached are some pictures from the day. Everything seems to be as it should...and I couldn't imagine not having both of them here at home.

Aubrie wanted to show Lydia all of her toys. She kept patting the ground and saying "come on baby" as if she wanted her to come and sit by her so she could explain all of her things.

Aubrie wanted to show Lydia her ball, but didn't understand why she couldn't throw it to her.

Grandma of four

Proud Great Grandma

Bath time!

2009-09-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

Lydia's first bath! She likes it, just like her big sister loves the bath.

Here is a flashback of Aubrie in the tub

...And baby makes four

2009-09-03T22:27:00.002-05:00

Lydia June Waldeck was born on September 2nd, at 3:11pm.

She weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches.

She is perfect!

Thank you for all of the well wishes and prayers.

Many photos and details to follow.

The big day

2009-09-03T11:27:00.000-05:00

Justin and I took Aubrie for a long walk around Roscoe Village in the hopes of "getting things moving." After a day full of contractions being 7-10 minutes apart they finally started to stop me in my tracks. When we got home, I called my doctor to see what she wanted me to do since I had my 40 appointment scheduled for the morning (yes....40 weeks, 9 months my foot, you are REALLY pregnant for 10 months). She told me to page her at 7am and she will move my appointment up and she will see me in Labor & Delivery since she was on call, but for me to come in sooner if I went into labor. Knowing I may go into labor over night, or that I at least had an early appointment, Tracy came and spent the night at our house in case we had to leave quickly so she can stay with Aubrie.

I woke up at 4am with very strong contractions every 9 minutes. I tried to go back to sleep, but they continued to wake me. I showered, ate some cereal, and took care of a few last minute things. I paged my doctor and she gave me the option of coming in early or waiting until my appointment at 9am. She said if I was not in active labor at that time they could only keep me if I was going to be induced. That was a decision I had to make before I got there. We decided to take our time and see if labor progressed on its own...and it did.

Before we left for the hospital the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and as the doctor predicted I could no longer talk through them. We arrived at the hospital at 9am and went straight to Labor & Delivery instead of to my appointment since my doctor was on call. Dr. Thorpe sent us right to be admitted in a room before she even checked me in triage. My mom showed up with snacks and something to knit to pass the time since Aubrie's birth day lasted over a whole day! By noon I had an epidural, which much to my surprise only worked on one side again. While this wasn't fun, I know many people give birth without any medication so it could have been much worse. While my mom and sister went to get something to eat, Dr. Thorpe came in and broke my water and I was dilated to 5cm. Within the hour I was not having fun anymore...I dilated to 9cm very quickly and by the time Dr. Thorpe was paged to come back it was "go time."

Lydia June Waldeck was born at 3:12pm. I am blessed to say she is perfect.

Ready to go....

Here she is!

8 lbs 8.6 oz! That's a big girl!

Hi daddy!

Having a moment with mommy

My parents

Hello Grandma

Hi Papa

Proud Grandparents

Aunt Bina

Getting settled in our room

Getting some rest after a long day

Hello everyone!

2009-08-23T22:15:00.004-05:00

Ok...I know what you are all thinking. Where is she? Well, we are wondering the same thing. Aside from being a bit anxious, everything is going well. The first due date I was given was September 1st. Later I was told it was looking like August 28th. I had an appointment yesterday and I am dilated 2cm. If you have had a baby before, you know you can be dilated for weeks before anything happens. I have been walking as much as possible without trying to wear myself out. I think I am beyond nesting at this point because I feel like I am straightening up every minutes. I think she is taking her time because I am too prepared. My bags are packed and in the car, the house is all set, I have my toes painted red and I am ready to go! We will keep you all posted, and I am sure Justin will be giving a play by play via Facebook.

Until then...scroll on down and see what we have been up to this past month!

The Flynn's wedding reception

2009-08-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

Christina and Brian were married this past December, and they had their wedding reception on August 7th at the Northwest Cafe in Chicago. They wanted a small party to celebrate with their friends and families. We all had a great time,

and we continue to wish them all the happiness in the world!

The Northwest Cafe does not have a website, but you can check them out on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Northwest-Cafe/200274275393#

The Flynns

My grandma with all of the boys, and the bride

Father - daughter dance

The girls were seeing if we would have another guest arrive

Jennifer, Tracy, Me, Christina, and Kitty

Brian and his mother-in-law

My grandma dancing with my dad

Three generations

Mom, Grandma, and Jennifer

Justin...being Justin

Some of the girls

Justin dancing with my grandma

The Wyatts and the Waldecks

Grandma and the boys

The mother-in-law

Parents of two-to-be

Hello?

Just like prom...

The Pfeffers

My grandma and Jennifer

.....and they lived happily ever after

Meanwhile....the kids had a sleepover at our house with the babysitter.

They had a great time playing together the whole week.

Cheese!

A great visit with great friends!

2009-07-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

While in Quantico, we were able to catch up with some great friends we made in Twentynine Palms, CA. None of us has babies while we lived on base, so it was fun to get all of the girls together. Yes...we ALL have girls. Thank you to Lisa, the Pellerins, the Quinns, and the Katolins for a great visit. We are blessed to have remained friends with you despite us all living across the country. Here's to many more playdates!

Hanging out at the Katolin's house

Ellie, Haven, Aubrie & Elyse

Elyse & Aubrie making some music

Andrea, Elyse, Lisa, Lindsey, Ellie, and Haven

(Aubrie was not very happy about taking this picture, so we are hanging out on the side)

Aubrie & I

The girls playing together

Hanging out at the Pellerin's house

Aubrie, Elyse, and Raegan

Erica tried her best to get their attention for the sake of a good picture,
but they all just laughed at her

Jason, Justin & Dennis

Pizza break

Andrea, me, and Erica with our babies...

Hanging out with Nana and Papa Irv

We had a great visit in Maryland! We definatly don't see Nana, Papa Irv & Lauren enough. I have more pictures from our visit, but I still can't find my cord to download them from our other camera. Hopefully I find it soon. Stay tuned!

Nana & Justin

Aubrie kept pulling Justin & I to her and hugging us both

Watching the ducks

A quick bedtime story with Papa Irv

The National Zoo - DC

2009-07-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

Checking out the animals

Signing MONKEY, obviously very excited to see the monkeys

Trying to give the monkeys a smooch. Cute, but kissing zoo windows....gross.

The pigs were sleeping, so she is signing BED

Seeing the cows with mommy. She loved mooing back at them.

Playing in the water

It was hot outside

Close up of "misty" Aubrie

Hanging at the zoo with Nana

"Hi Bear"

Hi fake bear

Another fun zoo activity

Going to get ice cream with Nana

Signing ICE CREAM

Eating her HUGE "children's cone"

Saying "DONE, DONE, DONE"

OK...mommy may have helped her

A perfect ending to a perfect day

Thanks Nana!

Pooped!

33 weeks pregnant

2009-07-14T00:22:00.006-05:00

Here we are enjoying the day watching our friends play baseball at Horner Park. A friend of ours took some great pictures without me even knowing. You have to love people with fancy cameras and ninja-like photography skills.

Thanks Lee

My new favorite picture

Small Update

2009-07-12T08:06:00.016-05:00

This picture is actually old......but here I am. In this picture I was 30 weeks along and everything is looking great. The baby was butt down at my last appointment but she has turned and is now head down. Yay! I have had some cramps and uncomfortable days, but overall,

besides being tired, I am feeling great.

Chalk and ice pops with daddy

Aubrie is doing great! She is so smart I can't even take it. She amazes me more and more everyday. Justin and I were spending time with her last week when we both looked at each other in disbelief. "Did she just count to 10?" Yes, yes she did, and she has been doing it ever since. I have tried to get it on video a few times, but just like the ASL cards, she seems to know I'm taping and becomes more interested in that. My mom always says as soon as you tell people they can do something, they make a liar out of you. So true... But, I am glad Justin and I experienced it the first time together. It was actually really funny because she did it so perfectly. I guess all the counting I do with her has paid off.

(I'll keep working on those videos)

Until then...he is a video of her dancing to a Butterfly song.
Half way through the song she wants me to take a picture of her baby)

Setting up his gear the night before. Memories....

Targets in the distance

Justin is home from his latest drill weekend. This time he was in Indiana spending four days at the rifle range. I am proud to say he got Expert by shooting 215 on Table 1 and 93 on Table 2. He had a good weekend with the Marines, but is happy to be home and sleep past 4:30 am.

Practicing already....

2009-07-12T00:35:00.000-05:00

I have one cabinet set up for Aubrie full of pots, Tupperware, and fake food in a picture that allows her to play in the kitchen while I cook. This way, she can pull it all out on the floor if she chooses. Luckily for me, she enjoys the "Clean Up Song,"

so she usually will put it all back when she is finished playing.

The other day, she got all three of her babies and set them up in the chair.

She sang to them and fed them, and finally gave them a big hug and smooch.

She is going to be a great big sister!

My new creative streak...

2009-07-03T19:52:00.003-05:00

Here is a new picture of the girls' room. I decided to tap into my artistic side and paint something for the wall, since I wasn't able to find anything I loved. I was inspired by all of Aubrie's art work. Let's say I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome! As was Justin....

3-16 x 20 canvases

We finally found a new dresser for their room. Thank you Craigslist.com

Aubrie was very interested in the bassinet as I was putting it together. I told her it was the baby's bed, so when I came back in the room after putting the screwdriver away, this is what I found. She said "baby bed." Well, she is right. She has been laying her babies in the bottom of it and covering them with blankets to go to bed.

Time to paint!

2009-06-19T21:56:00.001-05:00

Aubrie has already had a very busy summer. We have experimenting with alot of art and she really enjoys painting. We color and play with playdoh, chalk, etc. We are always looking for more art ideas, so please share any tips you may have. She loves it!

Family update

2009-06-12T16:27:00.013-05:00

where's the baby?

Hello everyone!

Quick family update.....I have successfully completed another semester at Columbia and I am happy to say I am OFF for the summer. I just had my 28 week check up and my glucose test. After a second glucose test that lasted about 4 hours, I learned my results came back fantastic. I am feeling bigger everyday and naturally I am pretty tired. Otherwise, I can't complain. I am having another good pregnancy and I am thankful it isn't 100 degrees, yet.

Aubrie is taking a break from daycare since I am home. This gives us an opportunity to spend as much time together as possible before the baby comes. Aubrie seems to understand that a baby is in my belly because she points to my belly and says "baby." However, I am aware that she may just be confused and thinks that's what I call my belly button. While shopping the other day, our friend Tracy asked Aubrie where the baby was and she lifted her own shirt and pointed to her belly button. Either way, it's cute.

Aubrie just had her 1 1/2 year check up, and Dr. Morse said he was incredibly impressed by her. She is chatting constantly and I can't get over how smart she is. My ASL class gave us a sign language kit when she was born, and she actually knows all of the cards already. The kit comes with two books, a music cd (to sign along with), and flash cards that are very easy to follow.

The Sign, Sing, and Play Kit by Monta Z. Briant

http://www.amazon.com/Sign-Sing-Play-Language-Basics/dp/1401907660

The signs she knows amaze me! Including SUN, STARS, LIGHTS, BATH, BUBBLES, BOAT, CHEESE, along with over 100 more and most of the animals that I know the signs for. She also knows all of the basics such as ALL DONE, EAT, MORE, THANK YOU, etc. It is very helpful because as she learns to talk, alot of her words can sound alike. This way, she is talking and signing together so I know when she is saying BALL, BANANA, or BALLOON. (yes, those all sound alike sometimes.) The Dr. was amazed how much she demonstrated naturally during our visit, which caused our appointment to run a bit long because he had so many questions. Every time we leave the house she signs TREE, CAR, FLOWER, BIRD,and AIRPLANE. Another thing is she points to her ear when she hears the birds chirping, or a car beeping.

The best part is when we sit down to read books everyday, she can point to most of the pictures in the books we have and say/sign what it is. I recently realized she enjoys quizzing me as well. When she gets a book out, she brings it to me and sits on my lap. I obviously point to pictures and ask "what's that?" often, because she points to pictures and says "sat." Which I realized is her translation of "what's that." She can identify many animals and the sounds they make, which has made our recent zoo trips alot of fun.

She is able to ask for things and decline things, which cuts down on the tantrums. She is LOVING going to the park and we are learning she is pretty fearless on the play sets. Another favorite of hers is turning on music and dancing around. The majority of the time is spent bouncing around to the music, but she recognizes a few and actually does them the right way. A few of her favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and The Wheels on the Bus. And last but not least, she is officially obsessed with Sesame Street, especially Elmo. She has a few Sesame Street toys, but Elmo gets carried around the house. When she doesn't know where he is, she puts both hands to her mouth and shouts "AAAAHHHH-BBBBUUUU." She constantly says DADDY, BOBBY, and AU-BIE, while pointing to the correct person. Bobby, is me...at least she knows who I am. We are working on pronouncing M's. Overall, this is a very exciting stage and we are enjoying every minute of it.

Teaching Grandma ASL

signing EAT

signing BABY

Justin is doing well at his job and still enjoying it. Drill keeps him busy once a month, but it seems like it comes around more often than that. We just celebrated his 29th birthday with a date to see Blue Man Group, which we both really enjoyed. He is also on a softball league with Brian, and they recently won the Championship game. Aside from that, he is busy coming up with witty material for his Facebook status, and in his words "busy being awesome."

Look who loves the park!

2009-06-11T21:38:00.005-05:00

Aubrie's new friend Rosie. Frank and his niece met us for lunch and a park playdate at Wells.

Fellger Park with Sophie

More Fellger...Aubrie loves this train

"Learning" how to share

"ALL DONE"

Random Aubrie moments that I love...

2009-06-11T11:21:00.002-05:00

At Dave & Buster's for an ASL event

Bath time already? But, I want to go for a ride

Marine week at Navy Pier

Hanging out on a humvee

Hello

Playing in my tee pee with Marcus

Napping during a long shopping day

Playing Rock Band with daddy

No pictures please...

Back to rockin' out...

Relaxing after a long rehersal

Coloring with my cousins

Fishies!

Byeee!!!

Sophie's 1st Birthday Party

2009-06-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

BFF's ready to party!

Cheese!

Aubrie & Tisha

Gift time

My fam

The Wilson's

Tisha & I

The birthday girl

peek a boo

a quick post cake bath

Cubs game

2009-06-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Flynn's & the Wyatt's "enjoyed" opening day at Wrigley Field in the 40 below weather while we took the kids for pizza and watched the game on tv. After the game we all met at Moretti's.
Papa & Brendan

Go Cubs Go

Three generations

The family at Moretti's

Aunt Jennifer taught Aubrie how to drink out of a straw

The next day, we all gathered at mom & dad's for an early mother's day bbq

while the Wyatt's were still in town.

Making muffins with mommy

2009-06-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to keep Aubrie occupied, I decided to make blueberry muffins and have her "help." She did a great job, but had a hard time understanding that there were steps involved. She was upset everytime we had to stop and move on to the next step. She is a good little mixer!
Of course, waiting for them to cook was the hardest part. She was able to enjoy one while they are still warm. She is so smart, she knew to blow on them before she ate one.
After making a bit of a mess, I put the remaining muffin in a bowl for her.
She was debating whether or not she should share with Charlie.

I'm glad to see she did such a good job helping. We have another thing we can do together!

Memorial Day in Kentucky

2009-05-25T11:13:00.007-05:00

Tater, Jersey and Sapphire

Hi Horsies! (baby bump sighting)

Justin and his dad heading in for lunch

(after looking for "stuff to shoot")

Playing ball with daddy

Bounce house fun

Elijah telling Aubrie the rules of his pool

Mia, Elijah, Aubrie

more pool time

Watermelon break

Showing Mia how she rinses her own hair

(well...at least her face)

Mia covering her "booby dot"

(definitely a future blackmail photo)

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Coriell

2009-05-24T11:22:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Megan and Michael who tied the knot on May 21st!

We love you guys and wish you all of the happiness in the world!

Little miss Mia Coriell

Easter

2009-04-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

The Wyatt's were in town for the Easter holiday and we were all

together for dinner and festivities. Grandma & Papa had the kids over for an

Easter sleepover!

We are not sure who had more fun, the kids or Grandma & Papa.

Coloring Easter eggs at Grandma & Papa's house

Let the games begin!

Comparing their goodies

Papa took the kids to the park after the egg hunt

Their girls in their matching Easter dresses made by grandma.

Grandma and her leg o' lamb (or...bone o' lamb)

Laughing with aunt Bina

And the goodies kept coming!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Sgt Flynn's Wetdown

2009-04-20T20:08:00.004-05:00

Many of Brian's friends and fellow Marines came out to

celebrate his promotion.

The girls

The boys

The Waldeck's

The Wyatt's

The Flynn's

Brian and his proud brother, Kurt

Mr & Mrs.Flynn and Sgt Maj Carter

Yes, the evening ended with a challenge being presented to the good Captain that he could not refuse....a pound of inferno hot wings in 10 mins without any drinks or leaving his seat. He suceeded,what a proud moment for him. His guts thanked him later.

Survey says....

2009-04-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

We are extremely excited to announce Aubrie will have a little sister! We are especially excited that we do not have to worry about buying "boy things" yet. Thanks to our friends Keith & Sue Reardon we have enough girl clothes to last many baby girls.

The ultrasound tech had Justin and Aubrie wait in the lobby while she took some measurements of the baby and said she would call them in when she looked for the sex. Well...she must have landed right on her "girly parts," because as soon as she looked at the monitor she shouted "It's a GIRL!" She covered her mouthed and said "Oh my God, I am so sorry." I guess she was just excited. When she called Justin and Aubrie in, she had to try to find it all over again. It was a good thing she saw it the first time because it wasn't as clear this time around. We are very excited! We were hoping this one was a girl....maybe it's because we don't have any room for boy things. For now, we are just happy that everything looks good and Aubrie will have a sister to teach the ropes to. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

I am having an interesting pregnancy this time around. Not bad...just interesting. I have been to the Dr a few times for blood work and labs to try to figure out why I have been sick so late in the game. I am 20 weeks today and I am finally feeling better. It turns out I have two hernias, neither which are any cause for concern at this point, but I find them interesting. One is under my belly button and the other is where my ab muscles meet in the middle. If I lean back it looks like you can see the baby, or some sort of muscle, but it happens to be my stomach. My brother in law informed me its a hernia. My OB wants me to watch them and take note of any changes, as well as see a physical therapist to teach me how I can strengthen the muscles back up. I also have to learn how to properly pick up Aubrie and roll onto my arms when I am getting out of bed or off of the floor. And I'm not even big yet! Otherwise, all is well.

Innie or Outie?

2009-04-16T10:01:00.003-05:00

Stay tuned!

Tomorrow at 4:30 pm we will find out what we are having!

(As long as the little one cooperates)

Will post asap!

Face painting at school!

2009-04-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

This week was circus week, so Aubrie came home with her face painted like a clown.

She is tired here and more interested in her yogurt.

Painted like a kitty and playing with play dough before dinner

Paint time!

2009-04-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

Finger Paint!

The final products

All this art makes me sleepy.

After a quick clothes change, Aubrie grabbed her blanket and her pillow and

decided it was naptime in the hallway.

Raegan & Aubrie's playdate

2009-04-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

Ready for the tub

Raegan liked to use Aubrie as a ladder. She is standing while holding on to something,

and often this "something" was Aubrie.

Aubrie taking a break

Teaching Raegan how to play with her piggy bank.

Raegan's turn...

Now...this is how you put your shoes on

School House Rocks!

2009-03-27T09:18:00.001-05:00

Aubrie started day care in February and she LOVES it. She has many new friends and she is becoming a social butterfly. When we drop her off, she is greeted by hugs and cheers of joy. It is adorable to hear all the kids say "HI AUBRIE," and when we pick her up she runs to us with her arms open. She always waves and says BYEEEE to all of her friends and heads to the door. She is really enjoying the art projects everyday and is turning into a little artist. As you see in the pictures, she is a big fan of play dough and finger paints. Getting ready for school
Finger painting

Aubrie's first paper doll

Aubrie's first school award!

Congratulations Sergeant Flynn!

2009-03-25T15:48:00.003-05:00

On March 23rd Brian was promoted to Sgt. We are all very proud of him. Here are a few pictures. Unfortunately, Justin was unable to make it, so Aubrie and I went out to Great Lakes with Christina. After the ceremony, we went to O'Donovan's to toast his success, where other friends and family joined in the celebration.

Congrats again Brian!

Checking in...

2009-03-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

Long time no update...Yes I know. Sorry it has been so long. I wanted to sent out a brief update to you all. Baby number 2 is growing like a weed. Justin thinks I am showing, but I think it is just the excessive amount of bread and cheese I eat. We had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and I have some new pictures to share.

Profile

A perfect little arm

I will had my 4 month check up on Monday, and I have actually lost weight instead of gaining like I should. I have been sick for a while now, so it is understandable. I am feeling better now, thank goodness. The "morning" (yeah right) sickness seemed to be stick around until the 16th week. Lucky me.We may have an appointment on April 17th to see what we are having.

We are all recovering from a nasty fight with a cold/flu situation. Aubrie had it the worst. Complete with a fever of 104.2! It was a tough week for all of us, and we are trying to get back in the swing of things.

In other exciting news, Aubrie started Day Care and seems to be enjoying herself. She does art everyday, so we have started coloring at home. Check out he working on some of her artwork!

Stay tuned for finger paints!

Alot to celebrate and be thankful for!

2009-01-20T15:32:00.012-06:00

Happy Birthday to me! I turned 28 this week and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope this update finds you all well. We have had a lot to celebrate this holiday season, you will have to scroll down though December and see. My sister's wedding, a Texas Christmas celebration, and my parents anniversary. I wish you all a great start to the new year, and may many blessings be upon you throughout 2009!

My sister, Christina, and my friend, Tracy, took me to the spa at Mario Tricoci for an hour long pedicure and a manicure the day before my birthday. After the spa they took me to Grand Lux Cafe for dinner, and much to my surprise, there were friends and family to greet us. I really enjoyed myself throughout the day and I really appreciate all the effort that went in to the festivities! My parents joined us as well, and they celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary!Happy anniversary mom & dad!

Aubrie had her very first sleepover with grandma so we could
paint the town after dinner!

Picking up our little girl! We missed her.

The next day was my actual birthday. Justin and I enjoyed our first breakfast alone since last year, before we picked up Aubrie. We then spent the day relaxing together at home and ended the day blowing out my candles and counting my blessings.
It's really only 28 candles, it's a small cake!

Aubrie helped..yum!

Oh....and one more thing to be thankful for...

Aubrie is going to be a big sister!

Here we go again!

It is all very new, but the beans have been spilled. Technically, I should be waiting one more month before I share the news. We found out on Christmas Eve, after my blueberry pancakes were not sitting well. We waited until our Texas trip to tell my whole family, which was hard to do. My due date is September 2nd. I have already been to the doctor and everything looks good. Justin & Aubrie came with me and we were all able to hear the baby's heart beat. The heart rate was a healthy 144 bpm. It was overwhelming and emotional for me, it must be the hormones. I have not been as lucky as I was with Aubrie. This time I have been feeling pretty awful and chasing a one year old doesn't help. I was sick the whole time we were in Texas. Justin has been amazing and I am thankful he knows how to do dishes and laundry. He has stepped up and helped me tremendously on the days I feel like I can not function. I am hoping it all passes soon. We are very excited and looking forward to the kids being so close in age. They will be almost two years apart and hopefully they will be great friends. And by that I mean they will occupy each other! Ha!

I will keep you all posted with any updates.

God Bless!

Let it snow!

2009-01-11T11:09:00.004-06:00

We arrived home from Texas to a winter wonderland.

Aubrie loves the sled from Grandma & Papa, especially when I run with her.

She laughed the whole time.

Only taking short breaks to grab snow and eat it.

New friends!

2009-01-10T14:08:00.003-06:00

On October 31st, my good friend Danyel, and her husband Scotty, welcomed their baby boy into the world. His name is Lincoln Gabriel Haime.

Welcome Lincoln!

Aubrie was able to meet her new friend last week.

Christmas...Texas style

2009-01-09T11:12:00.005-06:00

BFF's

2009-01-01T20:12:00.003-06:00

Bath time at the Wilson's

Aubrie was anxious to get in the tub

Aubrie & Sophie about to have lunch

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-26T11:08:00.010-06:00

The holidays have passed us, and if you are wondering where your

Christmas card is from us....here it is.

Happy Holidays

Our family had a small Christmas dinner at my parents house on Christmas Eve.

The Flynns

The Waldecks

Me and my Grandma

Aubrie and her grandma

This seems to be a tradition in our family. Holding the napkin holders in our eyes..... For some reason, we do it every year and it never gets old.

Aubrie see what Santa brought for her! It was a sweet morning!

A new baby doll