Melissa, Ben, Isaac and Tyler

Best Laugh

2012-01-29T21:13:00.003-05:00

Tyler is starting to laugh and smile a lot more, which is just the best thing in the world. He continues to be a sweet and easy baby and a delight to our family!

Football

2012-01-29T21:08:00.003-05:00

Isaac seems to like football! At first he would see tackles on tv and say, "Night night". Then he moved on to saying "Oh No!" whenever anyone was on the ground. Now he gets quiet and still when the teams line up and when they start moving, he jumps up and down, laughing.
Here's his and Ben's version of football. Isaac catches the ball and then tackles Ben. It's pretty fun!

Best Books of 2011

2012-01-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

This year of reading, similar to last year, brought some gems early on and a few winners late in the year, filled with some forgettable, yet enjoyable books in the middle.
My first two books I read last year were my favorites. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Simonson) was the perfect blend of complex characters, heartwarming moments and relevant social issues. I have lent it to about 5 of my friends and they all loved it. Secondly, Cutting for Stone (Verghese) blew me away on many levels. It is intense and I found it very engaging.
Other reading news: I started reading more mysteries, which I have always loved, Elizabeth George and the Sue Grafton series (A is for Alibi, etc...) and enjoyed a Richard Russo book that I hadn't read yet, while recovering from giving birth to Tyler.
I finally read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which was great! And really enjoyed State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett. I ended the year with reading A Visit from the Goon Squad (Egan), which was mainly a downer, but so wonderfully written that it made it worth it. My long saga book of the year was The Forsyte Saga, which took a few hundred pages to grow on me.
Here's to more wonderful books that keep me up way too late reading and to few boring ones that bring me (much needed) sleep.
PS. Have just started The Hunger Games series - so far - I like it.

Morning Sunshine!

2012-01-06T08:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas

2011-12-31T09:13:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos from Christmas.

Isaac with his new shovel and broom.

The boys and their fire trucks.

Isaac with Michelle at the Please Touch Museum

Tyler with my Mom

Pre-Christmas

2011-12-23T13:21:00.002-05:00

My mom came for a couple days. Here are my mom and Isaac in Rittenhouse.

First time on the big swings!

My littlest guy!

Isaac wearing Mommy's shoes.

Tyler, 1 Month

2011-12-06T11:22:00.006-05:00

(Warning: Post written by sleep deprived mom of a newborn, if it is incoherent, sorry!)
Well, as you can imagine, life with 2 little guys is non-stop work (I was going to say "and fun", but let's be honest, it's not fun all the time.) Both boys are doing well, but we are experiencing the understandable adjustment period. Isaac - to life as not the constant center of attention, and Tyler - to life, in general. Isaac loves Tyler and often mauls him with hugs and kisses. And with not getting a lot of sleep, our patience and creativity to deal with issues isn't great. Anyway, we are loving being a family of four and our two sweet boys. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Tyler practicing his piano playing.

First Bath

Isaac loves to rake the leaves up and then redistribute them around the yard.

Ben's First Marathon

2011-12-06T11:14:00.004-05:00

Ben ran the Philly Marathon in November and we were so proud of him for finishing. Since the race came only 2 weeks after Tyler was born, Ben had been on 1 training run in the month prior to the race and it had only been 7 miles. So I wasn't sure he would be able to finish, but he did and in a great time - 4 hours and 28 minutes. I took both kids out to watch him and it was great to cheer him on. Congrats!!

Here he comes!

Yay Daddy!

There he goes!

Baby Tyler

2011-11-09T11:12:00.003-05:00

On November 1, 2011, we welcomed Tyler Daniel Doane to our family. He was born at 7:07pm and was 8 lbs 11oz, 21 inches long. His birth was so much faster and less complicated than Isaac's, for which I am so grateful. I had to be induced, 5 days after my due date, but after starting labor, it only took about 4 hours for him to arrive. It was so wonderful meeting Tyler and getting to hold him and to finally get him out of me! Ben's mom, Grandma Lulu (or as Isaac sometimes calls her, Boo boo!) was here to take care of Isaac and my mom came for a day to see Tyler on his birth day. We are home now and everyone is doing well. Isaac is still trying to measure what is going on and how he fits in to everything, but I am sure he'll settle down once we are return to our regular schedule. It is a lot of energy trying to tend to two little boys right now, and I am grateful for all the help we have received.

Linvilla Orchards

2011-10-09T09:48:00.002-04:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday, so we decided to go to Linvilla Orchards, as we do every year to get a pumpkin, maybe some apple picking, see the farm animals and eat apple cider donuts. Stupidly, we went at 4pm on a Saturday and it was a madhouse. And being hugely pregnant and slow, this was not ideal. We got to see the animals which Isaac loves and saw some pumpkins and apples, but the line for apple cider donuts was too long, so we settled for funnel cake. I am trying to do fall things before the baby arrives in 2.5 weeks, but mostly I just want to be sitting on the couch.

Isaac likes to give the baby kisses!

Isaac's favorite thing at school

2011-09-26T15:31:00.000-04:00

Dig, dig, dig!

Off to school!

2011-09-12T07:55:00.000-04:00

Summer Fun

2011-08-31T16:12:00.003-04:00

Well, we survived the earthquake and the hurricane last week! We are also getting Isaac ready for preschool (like getting him a helmet - see below!) He is at such a fun age and we are having a great time playing with him.
I am feeling good, only 2 more months before the new baby arrives!

Dancing with Daddy at Lunch!

2011-08-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

Big Boy Bed

2011-08-13T18:15:00.000-04:00

Today Isaac transitioned from his crib to a real bed. He loved it which was a relief to us!

Boy World

2011-08-02T14:07:00.003-04:00

As we prepare for a new baby boy to arrive in our family... (Did I mention on here that I am pregnant? Well, I am and due at the end of October!), I have been thinking a lot about the realities of being the only girl in a house with 3 boys and being the mother of boys. Here is a great Isaac moment that I caught the other day while he was watching Cat in the Hat, his favorite show. I guess refinement is not going to be a natural tendency in this house!!

Older than 2

2011-06-27T09:16:00.002-04:00

Here is Isaac reading with his Daddy on Ben's birthday. Happy Birthday to Ben!

2 Years Old!!!

2011-06-04T20:23:00.005-04:00

Today is Isaac's 2nd birthday - Hooray!! I am so proud of him and all he's accomplished this year and for what a sweet and lovely boy he is. When Isaac and I go on walks around the city, he mostly loves to look at and touch fences, chains and anything related to construction. One of his favorite things is Caution tape, so for his birthday, we got a whole roll of it and put it around our house. Isaac was so excited about it and spent most of the day talking about and playing with it.
My mom was here for a birthday visit and we all went to Smith Playground for the morning and then Ben, Isaac and I walked along the river in the evening. It was a great day and Isaac was especially happy all day.

On the Carousel

2011-05-19T08:21:00.000-04:00

Gardening with Daddy

2011-05-14T13:40:00.002-04:00

Isaac loves helping out in the garden with Ben. But mostly he likes getting sprayed by the hose or watering can.
Sorry this video isn't great, I'm still figuring out video on my iphone.

Dance Video

2011-05-11T15:06:00.002-04:00

For all of those people out there who have never seen me dance, or didn't get to see my last show, here are some parts of my performance with Nora Gibson Performance Project from February. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/21538688
http://vimeo.com/21538073

Trip to the South

2011-04-27T12:49:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Ben, Isaac and I went down to Memphis to visit Ben's family. Ben and Isaac flew down together so Ben could go to a friend's wedding. I performed again with Nora Gibson Performance Project that day, so therefore had to go a day later. It was a relief to get to warmer nicer weather, as this winter has been long and cold. We were in Memphis for 3 days, during which we went to the Memphis zoo with the Geers, had a great bbq with friends and took Isaac to many parks. Isaac did well, except for refusing to eat everything except Cheerios at every meal.
We then went down to Aberdeen, MS to visit more family, where Isaac had fun playing on the golf course and we were much too close to some tornados.
Back to Memphis for a great Easter dinner and egg hunt, which Isaac did not care about. It was really nice to share Isaac with family and spend some much needed time away from home.

Poconos

2011-03-22T13:00:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, we went to the Poconos with Cynthia and Adam, our friends from NYC and their dog, Totti. We rented a farm house and it was great to get away from home. We went on a hike, which Isaac kind of hated, and to the "World's Largest General Store". Sadly, spring is not here yet and it was pretty cold there. With snow forecast tomorrow, warm days are still a ways way.

February

2011-02-28T19:59:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, I had my show with Nora Gibson Performance Project and it went really well. My mom came to watch Isaac for me while I had a lot of rehearsals which was very very helpful. I was really touched by all the people who came to my show. It was my first real show in Philly since we moved here, so it was great for my friends to finally see what I do.

The day after my show, we went to Fairmount Park for Isaac to run around and he feel flat on his face on concrete and got this.
There is something so sad about seeing blood running down my child's face. But it's already healing and he doesn't notice it at all.

Tangly Hair

2011-02-09T11:44:00.002-05:00

Isaac twirls his hair a lot and lately, he's gotten his hair in knots that take awhile to get out. Here's a video of one of them. Also, at the end of the video, you will here Isaac's new laugh, which attracts lots of attention everywhere we go!

More Charlotte and Isaac

2011-02-09T11:41:00.001-05:00

Snow days

2011-01-09T10:06:00.003-05:00

We've had our 3rd snowfall of the winter already. Fortunately, the last 2 were not a huge inconvenience and Isaac got to play in the back yard in the snow. He didn't especially love it, but didn't hate it either.
Isaac has been doing this a lot lately. We'll walk into a room and he's just standing on his head and feet, sometimes no hands down.

Christmas Pictures

2011-01-06T17:37:00.002-05:00

Isaac's second Christmas brought a new tricycle, which he loves to ride around the house. It can be steered by an adult from behind, which is very handy. We also were visited by my Mom, Michelle, Walter and Ben's Mom, which was fun and we loved spending time with them. Happy New Year everyone.

Book Report 2010

2011-01-05T21:28:00.003-05:00

I didn't really have a top 5 list of books this year. I read a couple of winners and a lot of mediocre books, but here are some of the highlights.
MY 2010 book list was bookended by two of the best books I have ever read, New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd and Gone With The Wind. Both were very very long, which I love, and historically interesting. I recommend the first to anyone who knows and loves NYC and the second to anyone anywhere.
In the middle of the year, I was unfortunately mesmerized by the Twilight Saga, which was not great writing, but so addicting and fun.
Best new author of the year - Kate Morton, who has written 3 books which seem to all have the same story, but are entertaining nonetheless.
A Year in Provence was great and really reminded me of my time in Milan, living in a different culture.
There were some other books that stood out to me, but I didn't love them all the way through - American Wife, The Nobodies Album, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
I think 2011 is off to a good reading start already, so here's hoping it continues that way. Happy New Year everyone!

Poor Little Face

2010-12-20T16:44:00.003-05:00

Christmas time! It is so fun getting Christmas cards & packages in the mail and making cookies and stuff. I had my recital for my students and it went well. Isaac got his Christmas present early from us - a table and chairs. He doesn't love it yet, but hopefully he will soon.

Isaac has his first major bruise from falling down. I think we've gone pretty long time without this happening.
He hit his head on the coffee table trying to pick up his Mickey Mouse guitar and has a puffy purple bruise between his eyes. It makes me so sad to look at, but he doesn't mind it.

Life Lately

2010-12-05T21:10:00.005-05:00

Isaac has been spending more time with his friend Charlotte the past couple weeks and they have a lot of fun together!

He has been recently excited about drinking out of a cup.

Dancing

2010-11-09T15:17:00.006-05:00

For any of you that would like to know about the new dance company I am dancing for, here are a collection of clips that the choreographer put together. The quality isn't that great in some of them, and I am only in the 2nd clip (front left). The other clips are from her show last year.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/16580128

So Handsome

2010-11-02T13:21:00.002-04:00

Cookie Time

2010-10-31T15:35:00.005-04:00

We went to a Halloween Party for kids at a nearby church. Isaac went as a chocolate chip cookie and had a good time. He is usually very very shy, but it seems like in situations where no one is paying attention to him, he is comfortable around a lot of people. The video at the end of this post is long and not totally eventful, but Ben would like to share it.

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Weekend Fun

2010-10-10T11:07:00.005-04:00

This weekend we went to Linvilla Farm to get some pumpkins. Isaac didn't reallly see the point in that.

But he did like the apple cider doughnuts and the farm animals.

And as usual, he mostly enjoyed walking around and touching a chain, caution tape or some sort of divider. Isaac loves these sorts of things and wherever we are, he will find them and laugh.

My mom got Isaac a basketball hoop and he likes playing with it. Ben was smart and got him a ball that is too big, so he can learn slowly where the ball is supposed to go. These days Isaac always has something in his hands, a toy car, my phone, a block, my chapstick, so he doesn't have two free hands to put the ball in the basket yet, but he's working on it.

Outside

2010-10-03T13:59:00.003-04:00

It's been a beautiful fall weekend here. We had a picnic yesterday and today spent some time in the backyard. Isaac likes walking around back there and touching everything.

Typical Wandering

2010-09-11T20:53:00.002-04:00

Isaac spends most of his days walking around the house. He has recently conquered the stairs as well. So here is a little slice of how he spends his time
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He Walks!

2010-08-24T15:37:00.002-04:00

Isaac started really walking last week, which is so exciting. He is so cute wandering around the house. Here is a video of him about two days after he really started walking a lot. We're so proud (and I think Isaac is too).

Travels

2010-08-18T09:18:00.002-04:00

Our family has been traveling quite a bit the past couple weeks. Ben was gone two different weeks in North Jersey and Austin for work. Isaac and I went down to VA to see my mom and Walter, then we all flew to Tennessee for Ben's family reunion and then the next weekend we drove 9 hours each way to Maine for a friend's wedding. Each trip was fun and so glad we went, but what an exhausting 2 weeks. Isaac's first plane trip was fine, but one the way back, he screamed for most of the flight. The drive to Maine was difficult with lots of traffic and Isaac resisting sleep.

Anyway, we are home for awhile. And as usual, I did not take a lot of pictures of any of these trips, but here are the ones we have.

With Mimi in Virginia

Ben's family reunion at Pickwick

On the boat

In Ogunquit, Maine

More Jumps

2010-07-26T15:51:00.001-04:00

This is sometimes how I find Isaac after (and before) his naps.

Visiting Alice

2010-07-23T10:09:00.004-04:00

Isaac and I visited Lillian and Alice yesterday in NYC and we loved getting to know little Alice. It's so wonderful for Lillian and I to both be moms and spend time together with our babies. Here are some pictures from the day.

Isaac's House

2010-07-23T10:05:00.003-04:00

Isaac just loves his play house. He can't get enough of it.

Isaac Whistles!

2010-07-08T18:56:00.002-04:00

Isaac has been making a "fish face" the past few days. When making the face, he exhaled and happened to make a whistling noise. Of course, he thought this was hilarious. I tried to get him to repeat the original whistling session so that we could capture it on camera and share with everyone. So, here it is....whistling Isaac!

-Ben

Vuvuzela

2010-06-28T08:36:00.003-04:00

Isaac's South African cousins gave him a vuvuzela from the World Cup in South Africa and he loved it.

He has also said his first word - Doggie - and has finally started crawling and somewhat feeding himself!

Nags Head

2010-06-27T21:31:00.004-04:00

Ben, Isaac and I have just returned from Nags Head, NC, where we spent a wonderful week with my family - my Mom, Walter, Michelle, my sister Fiona and her 4 children, Mitchell, Lauren, Max and Scott (came all the way from South Africa) and my brother, Kevan and his daughter Maggie (from California). It was just an ideal week. The food was amazing, the weather was great, the water was warm, we loved having everyone get to know Isaac, and catching up with everyone. We are so grateful to have this time to relax and be somewhere beautiful.

Taking Steps

2010-06-09T16:57:00.001-04:00

Just thought I'd update you on Isaac's walking progress.

Happy Birthday

2010-06-08T08:10:00.007-04:00

This last weekend, we celebrated Isaac's first birthday. What a special milestone! Ben's mom, my mom and sister came for the occasion and we had a party with some of Isaac's friends. It's been a great year and it's been amazing to watch our little boy grow. He is now a pro at standing and cruising, especially with his little push walker. I am so thankful for a healthy and happy son and for all the support and love that our family has received over this year of learning and changing.

First Beach Day

2010-06-01T08:34:00.003-04:00

We took Isaac to Ocean City, NJ on Memorial Day for his first glance at the ocean and his first beach experience. We went with our friends, the Ku's, who have two older kids, love the beach and have all the gear. Isaac was unsure about the sand at first and when we put him down to stand on the sand, he would pick up one foot. But he immediately liked standing in the water and seeing the waves. Eventually, he liked the sand and watching all the people and being outside. I assumed we'd be there for about an hour or 2, but it was such a beautiful day and we were all having such a great time, we stayed about 4 hours. So, we are ready and prepared for our upcoming trip to the Outer Banks, NC with my family.

Also, this week Isaac turns 1 year old!! I am so excited to celebrate his first year of living and our first year of knowing him!

Standing

2010-05-10T20:13:00.003-04:00

Isaac is practicing standing on his own, and he loves falling backwards. He's standing more and more on his own, so hopefully I'll get a picture of him standing upright soon!

Breathing

2010-04-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

Apparently, breathing in quickly is also hilarious.

Swim Time

2010-04-18T20:34:00.003-04:00

Isaac had his first swim this weekend and loved it. Looks like it's going to be a fun summer!

Paper Shredding

2010-04-11T12:09:00.001-04:00

More Laughing. And notice the morning hair. His hair has a hard time laying down.

Springtime

2010-04-04T08:30:00.003-04:00

Cherry Blossoms in Fairmont Park

The guys cheered on Tennessee basketball.

More laughs!

Auntie

2010-03-29T09:44:00.004-04:00

Auntie Michelle came to visit this past week and we all enjoyed having her here.
We went to Isaac's 9 month doctor's visit and he is healthy and happy. 20 lbs, 28+inches.

Something Funny

2010-03-22T07:55:00.002-04:00

When I got home today, Ben showed me this. Isaac thinks the weirdest things are funny. In some of his books, each time he gets to a specific page he laughs at it. One of them is a picture of a board game. ??
But really, we don't care what is so funny, we just love to hear him laugh.

Sunshine

2010-03-10T09:14:00.002-05:00

The weather has been such a relief this week. We went to Wissahickon Park last weekend for a walk on Saturday, which was fun. We can't wait for Spring!

Baptism

2010-03-03T09:12:00.002-05:00

Ben's parents, my mom, Walter and Michelle came to visit to celebrate Isaac's baptism this past weekend. It was a really special time and exciting to have them all here. Isaac did wonderfully at the service and we were all so proud of him.
It seems as if the death grip of winter has loosened here in Philly, although anything is possible. Most of the snow has melted and the cold is not as severe. We are looking forward to spring!

Isaac will be 9 months tomorrow!

Parties

2010-02-24T09:06:00.003-05:00

Ben, Isaac and I went to NYC to shower our friend Lillian in anticipation of her new baby girl. It was a great time! We also attended Cynthia and Adam's wedding party that night too and Isaac made sure he wore his fanciest outfit.
It's always great to see my dearest friends in New York and even more wonderful to celebrate the joys of their children and marriages.

Enough with the Snow

2010-02-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

Our Backyard in June 09

Our Backyard in Feb 010

We have had 70.3 inches of snow this winter so far. And more snow predicted for next week. Yikes!

Still Love Chocolate

2010-01-28T09:16:00.000-05:00

I threw a shower at Max Brenner, this insane chocolate restaurant, for some friends who are having their 2nd babies. It was good.

On the Swings

2010-01-16T17:23:00.000-05:00

This is Isaac's first time ever on the swings. Since it was finally a nice day out, so we decided to try out the playground. Our little guy looks like such a big boy! I forsee many hours spent on these swings in the future.
He also got his first two teeth this past week!

Shoulder Sit

2010-01-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

Book it 2009

2010-01-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

I'd like to take a moment to remind you all that, although I adore my wonderful son and being with him takes up most of my time, I am doing and interested in other things. This blog doesn't really reflect other aspects of my life, mostly because they are overshadowed by the delightfulness of Isaac. But, in the spirit of the new year, I'd like to share my top books of 2009. A lot of people are listing their top something of the past year or decade and since books are something I am very passionate about, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Unfortunately, as I looked back on my list of books read, I could barely come up with 5 that I thought were exceptional. Maybe it's because a lot of them were read post-giving birth, so they didn't stick with me so well. I sort of wish I were doing my top books of 2008, because there were some gems. But that time has passed, so here is the countdown of 2009.

#5. Digging to America by Anne Tyler.

#4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

#3. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo

#2. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

#1. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

NOVA Christmas

2009-12-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

We are back from our Christmas in Northern Virginia. It was a really fun time. Since we have not travelled very much with Isaac yet, he's not that great at adjusting to new places, especially when it comes to sleeping, but overall he did well. We all went to my sister's Children's Christmas Eve service which she directed. Isaac liked eating the program. We spent most of our time at my mom's house with her, Walter, Michelle and Rita, a 13 year old girl from Latvia who is staying with my mom and Walter for the holidays. Michelle and I played our annual Christmas duets on the piano and I think I played very well considering that I only play the piano once a year. We all visited my grandma in her nursing home and she really enjoyed seeing and playing with Isaac and he seemed to love seeing her. I also got to see some friends from high school and some of them met Isaac for the first time. I know I've said this before, but life is so much sweeter with Isaac around. He is such a delight.
Ben and Michelle and I went to see Sherlock Holmes, which we all liked, while Granny Mac, Walter and Rita babysat for us! The snow has all but melted in Virginia and also here in Philadelphia, which I am thankful for, so I can walk around the neighborhood more easily.
Here's to 2010. I hope it's a great one for all of you.

Snow!

2009-12-23T09:49:00.001-05:00

The big snow storm hit us this past weekend with over 2 feet of snow. It was really beautiful and fun. Isaac didn't seem to notice it too much. Since then it's been a little hard to get around town, mostly because parking is impossible with giant snow drifts everywhere and walking with the stroller is pointless as well. I am grateful that I have 2 friends who live across the street, so that we aren't stuck here all day by ourselves.

Grandma Lulu, Ben's mom, came to visit a couple weeks ago and we loved having her. It's so fun to watch family get to know Isaac. Lucy made us lots of good food and babysat for us too.

We are heading to Falls Church on Christmas Eve to be with my family on Christmas. I know Isaac won't remember this year, but it is still exciting to celebrate with him. He continues to be such a joy in my life and I love getting up every morning to see his smiling face. He is champion eater so far and has liked everything he has been given except the baby food chicken (yuck). He is sitting up pretty well on his own and right now is crazy for the tv remote. He still loves looking out the window at all the cars passing by and kicking his legs all the time.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanksgiving with Auntie

2009-11-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was lovely, but I guess all holidays will be better now that Isaac is here to share them with us. Michelle came to visit for the holiday and we all had a lot of fun with her. It's so great to share Isaac with family and watch them be as delighted by him as we are.
Isaac is just such a happy guy. Lately, all he wants to do is chew on things, including my face. I guess he's getting ready to get some teeth. His Thanksgiving meal was some yummy sweet potatoes which he seemed to like. The adults had cornish game hens with all the other regular Thanksgiving foods.
And here's a special shout out to all of Auntie Michelle's music students. We heard that they look at this blog in their class sometimes, so Hi to all of you. Make sure you listen to Miss McCarten, because she is very smart and fun.

A Dragon's Tale

2009-11-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Halloween is so much more fun with a little one around. I can't remember the last time I dressed up for halloween, but this year, Ben and I went as gypsies and Isaac was a dragon (thanks Amber and Becca for the costume!). We went to a halloween party at our friends house and there were lots of kiddies dressed up. Isaac was a little perplexed as to what was going on and pretty hot in his fleece costume on a 70 degree day. We tried to get some good pictures of all the kids, but this is the best I got.
Also, Isaac had his Phillies shirt on under his costume to encourage his home team in the World Series (didn't seem to do much good).

Halloween is Coming!

2009-10-15T14:58:00.001-04:00

Fun in the Fall

2009-10-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

A Fall day in the city

Isaac had his 4 month check up and is 16 lbs 1oz, in the 75th percentile.

Another meeting of some of the 2009 City Church Babies, Isaac, Charlotte, Charlie and Zoe

Thunder Thighs

2009-10-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

Here are Isaac's legs at 4 months! They are so chunky. He's doing great and going for his check-up tomorrow for more shots :(

6 Years of Luv

2009-09-27T09:14:00.000-04:00

Today is Ben and my 6th wedding anniversary. It has been a wonderful 6 years, full of adventure and fun. Thanks to all our friends and family who have supported us and our marriage. We are so blessed to have each other and our little sweet Isaac!

Fall Time

2009-09-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

The fall has brought one wonderful change. Ben got a new job! He starts on Wednesday at Market Resource Partners http://www.marketresourcepartners.com/pages/homepage.asp He's had a week and a half off which has been great. Isaac and I have loved having him around. One day we went up to Jim Thorpe, PA which is in the Poconos. It wasn't a very fun trip, but nevertheless nice to be in the mountains. Isaac has started to hate the car a little, so it's not fun going on longer trips with him. Plus when we travel, he doesn't get to play much. He loves laying on a blanket, kicking and talking. Still no rolling over, but he's trying really hard.

For labor day weekend we went to Virginia to visit my family. Isaac met my grandma (Mimi) and my uncle Ray for the first time and got to spend time with Aunt Michelle, Granny Mac and Walter.

This is Isaac's most favorite pose, he sits like this all day long.

3 months

2009-09-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Isaac's 3 month birthday. Hooray!
He loves to play on the quilt that Ben's Nana made just for him and has started laughing some which is just awesome.

Brave Buddy

2009-08-21T10:04:00.000-04:00

Today was Isaac's 2 month doctor's appointment, even though it's 2 weeks past his 2 month birthday. He is 14 lbs, 5 oz and 25 inches. The doctor said that he looks great and is growing well. He also was very well behaved, contrary to the last visit. Ben came with me which I was really grateful for, since Isaac got 3 shots and one oral vaccine. Isaac did great, even better than I expected. He only cried for a moment at each shot, but then was calm. As soon as he got in his stroller, he conked out and is now in a deep sleep.
I am just so proud of my little guy. He's sleeping wonderfully. And twice this week he slept over 8 hours at night, which amazes me. He loves sitting up (supported), talking and cooing and holding his hands. I will be happy when the weather gets a little cooler because he is a very hot boy (like his daddy) and gets so sweaty. I have a feeling that in the winter, I am going to be holding him all the time to warm myself up.
I am not doing too much except taking care of Isaac, although I did go back to dance class which was fun! It was hard, but not as bad as I thought it might be. Happy End of the Summer everyone!

August

2009-08-09T14:33:00.000-04:00

It's been an exciting week! One thing we did was, Isaac and I went to a playdate with 9 other moms and babies from ages 2 months-18 months. It was fun (and a little overwhelming) to see all the kids together.

Yesterday, we went about 30 miles north of Philly to New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ. They are two small quaint towns on the Delaware River. We saw where Washington crossed the Delaware (from the famous painting), went to a vineyard and did a wine tasting, saw a lavender farm and had a nice dinner in some beautiful scenery. It was fun to get out of the city, which Ben and I have both been itching to do recently. Isaac seemed to like it too, although he slept most of the day.

Isaac is still growing and mostly can not fit in his 0-3 months onesies anymore. He is talking a lot, making lots of noises which make him smile even more. We are having so much fun all together.

7 Weeks

2009-07-27T20:21:00.000-04:00

Isaac continues to grow and change. Last week we started working on better sleep habits and that has been going great. He can go down for his naps on his own and last night he slept 7 hours at night. He is enjoying his baths more and has grown out of all his newborn clothes. Aunt Michelle came for a short visit and we had a fun time.
Isaac is so fun and Ben and I are both really enjoying being with him.

6 Weeks

2009-07-16T18:22:00.000-04:00

Isaac is now 6 weeks old! He had his 1 month appointment this week and I was very surprised to know that he is now 11 lbs 1.8 oz. I still don't know how we got such a big baby. He is average for height at 21.65 inches. He is still sleeping well in between feedings at night, but doesn't seem to like or need to sleep during the day much, which makes it hard for me to get any naps. Isaac is also losing lots of his hair on top, smiling more and loves to take walks in his stroller.

This summer is really flying by, but we had our first cook out last week in the backyard with some other new and 1 year old parents. Ben finally got to show off his fire pit and I fed Isaac during all the cooking of the meal, so my kind guests did it for me!
My mom came for a couple days and Ben and I got to go out together, which was really fun.

One Month Old!

2009-07-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

Isaac is now 1 month old! He had his first trip to New York City last weekend for my friend Heidi's wedding and he was so well behaved the whole time. It was great to introduce Isaac to our friends and fun to be back in the the city with him.
Ben and I think he has grown a lot in the last couple of weeks, but won't go back to the doctor to find out how much until next week. He also smiles a lot more which is so fun.

A Visit from the Californians

2009-07-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

We had a great visit from Kevan, Anne, Maggie and Alex! They are a lot of fun and we loved introducing them to Isaac and having them stay with us. And I am glad that even though we missed our family beach trip, we could spend some time with them.

Birthday Daddy

2009-06-25T08:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Ben!!

Photo Booth

2009-06-22T18:32:00.001-04:00

Blooms

2009-06-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

Our backyard is in full bloom, including the new addition of the blueberry tree that Gail and Doran gave us.
Enjoy Ben's beautiful photos. Isaac is still doing great and growing and learning more everyday.

Grandmas and Aunts

2009-06-17T12:06:00.000-04:00

Isaac had quite a few visitors come during the past week. Ben's mom, Ben's Aunt Gail and Uncle Doran, my Mom and Walter and my Sister all came to see Isaac and we had a great time. Lots of great food was made for us, which we really appreciate and when Ben went back to work, I got some good help. Isaac is doing great and has regained his birth weight. He now weighs 8 lbs 8.5 oz and is 20.25 inches. He is sleeping pretty well and eating well too. He is very alert during his awake times and loves his vibrating chair.

Today's Face

2009-06-09T21:26:00.000-04:00

Cutie

2009-06-07T18:36:00.000-04:00

Day 4. Things are going well with our new little treasure. We're thankful for all the support and food that our friends and families have given us. Isaac is bringing us so much joy and we continue to be amazed and delighted by him.

Isaac

2009-06-06T12:19:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,
Our son Isaac McCarten Doane has finally arrived!! We are so thrilled about him.
We went into the hospital to start inducing labor on tuesday night. And after a lot of hard work and emotions, Isaac was born on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 12:56am. He was 8 pounds 7 oz at birth and was 19.75 inches long. He is a big guy, much bigger than we or the doctor's predicted. We were released from the hospital last night, and are really happy to be home. I'll write more later, but for now, here are some shots from his first 3 days.

Still Pregnant - Updated

2009-05-24T10:12:00.001-04:00

Now 5 days post-term. After some tests, the doctor's have declared the baby fine and so we've decided to wait to induce labor until June 3. If I don't go into spontaneous labor before that, I will go into the hospital on Tuesday night and probably have the baby sometime on Wednesday.

Flowers

2009-05-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

Our house with our nice flowers and me just waiting around for that baby.

Broad Street

2009-05-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, Ben ran the Broad Street Run, an annual 10 mile race here in Philly. It had about 24,000 running which included a lot of our friends. If you are asking, "Ben runs?" as I did, the answer is, not usually. He gets an urge to do a running race every couple years and barely trains and always does surprisingly well. He did great on Sunday and I was really proud of him as well as all our friends. Everyone who ran by us had a big smile on their faces even though it was chilly and raining.
Ginger and I pretended to run a little to try to get those babies out. It didn't work. The last week has been so uncomfortable and I can't wait to have this part be over with, even if it means going through labor (May be eating my words soon).

37 Weeks

2009-05-01T09:48:00.001-04:00

The baby is full term now and we are ready for him!

Getting Closer

2009-04-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

The backyard progresses to a state where we can enjoy it. We still need more flowers and some other things, but it's so nice to hang out back there and read or eat dinner or sit around the fire pit. And with this great weather, we are out there all the time.
I am now 36 weeks pregnant and after next week, will have a full-term baby walking around in there. It is still pretty surreal that this bump will be a whole other person in a couple weeks. Everything is about ready!

Spring was here.

2009-04-20T16:00:00.000-04:00

Spring was here, but now it is cold and grey again. But during the nice weather, Ben and I were busy.
Went to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park, took a birthing class, hosted a fun easter brunch, and hauled 1.4 tons of concrete out to New Jersey from the back yard.
Only 5 weeks left before my due date and everything is almost ready. At our last ultrasound, the baby was about 4.25 lbs. and the doctor said that the baby would not be too big. Yay for me!
The backyard looks great and we bought some comfy lounge chairs for it - pictures of all of Ben's hard work coming soon! The baby's room is almost done - still waiting on a glider chair that we ordered and a commissioned painting by my mom.

Baby Shower

2009-04-07T18:59:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, my friends, Jenny and Laura threw me a baby shower. I am not usually a fan of showers, but I actually had a really fun time at this one. There were no games, no activities (by my request), just really really good food, some great gifts, and a lot of the people I love. Friends from New York came down and my Mom and sister came up from DC. It was really special having them all there, along with all my Philly friends. Everyone has been really supportive and Ben and I really appreciated all the gifts!

Progress

2009-04-07T18:56:00.001-04:00

Backyard, after the grass. Concrete still needs to be hauled away, but we've already spent a nice day together in the sunshine back there.

Backyard Work

2009-03-24T14:56:00.000-04:00

Ben has been hard at work on our house and yard. He has broken up most of the concrete backyard (with a sledge hammer) in preparations to plant grass and plants. We're not sure when it will all be done, but hopefully it will be ready enough to enjoy when the weather gets nice. Also, we got the bathroom floor retiled and Ben is in process of painting it from dark red (not our choice) to a cool blue. We haven't started on the baby's room yet, but hopefully we can soon.
It stinks that I can't do any of the painting during the day, because I am anxious to have it all finished, but Ben is doing a great job.

30 weeks

2009-03-16T13:16:00.001-04:00

Yep, that is what I really look like now. It's hard for even me to believe and I live with it everyday. Only about 10 weeks left.
In other news, I got laid off from the Orchestra last week. They let 12 people go and are struggling financially. I am really sad about it since I really loved that job, but at least I have the baby to look forward to and plan for.

Visiting Virginia

2009-03-11T11:56:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, we went to Virginia and spent time with my Mom, Michelle and Walter and went to visit my Grandma. We had a great time! It was so nice to see Mimi in the place she is living now and that she seemed happy and healthy. We arrived to see her on Sunday during the group exercise class, at which Mimi was the star! We worked on a ridiculously hard puzzle with her, which she is great at!

San Diego

2009-02-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

Ben and I had a great time in California for a short vacation. We flew into LA, then had lunch in Santa Monica, which was really nice. Being there, you can really feel the difference between West and East coast pace. Everyone was biking or rollerblading or just hanging out. The weather was nice and it's always a treat to get to be near the ocean. Then we drove to Beverly Hills and through Hollywood. The traffic was unbelievably slow and it took us hours to get anywhere. I am sure it didn't help that it was 2 days before the Academy Awards and they had a big chunk of Hollywood Blvd. blocked off.

We then drove down to San Diego to stay with Ben's Uncle and Aunt (Dan and Sue) for 4 days. They live in a really beautiful house in Point Loma and it overlooks the city. We spent a lot of time sitting on their deck looking out at the view. Dan and Sue were so good to us and we appreciated them showing us around. We went to Ocean Beach, La Jolla, Coronado, Old Town and drove through the Gaslamp Quarter. I think my favorite was La Jolla. It was so pretty and at one point we went onto the top of the cliffs and sat and just stared at the view. It was perfectly quiet and so peaceful. It is rare to find those moments and they are really special. We also had some great food - fish tacos, calamari, Mexican food, pizza, and Winchell's donuts.

The baby is such a mover these days, even waking me up in the middle of the night with all his wiggling. I am in my third trimester now and feeling very pregnant, but enjoying it. It's fun to always have someone with me (who is, for now, minimally demanding). Although, I don't appreciate it when he stomps on my bladder, or kicks me in the ribs, or flips so much that i makes me a little nauseous.
We are looking forward to the spring and anticipating our little guy's birth!

24 weeks

2009-02-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

The Ball

2009-01-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

Last night, Ben and I attended the 152 Academy of Music Concert and Ball. At work, I have been helping out with the organization of this event, so we got to go for free. It was a white tie affair, men in tails and women in formal gowns, about 1700 people altogether. The gowns were really spectacular, so unique and lovely.
We went to the President's reception (at which I had to work) which had amazing food (lobster fritters, oysters, shrimp, caviar!) and then off to the Academy for a concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and James Taylor, which was really beautiful. Blythe Danner was the host of the night and Fred Willard did the comedy portion. It was all so well done, not to mention that we were sitting front row center. After the concert, there was a sit down meal at the Belleview hotel and then dancing at 6 different ballrooms throughout the hotel. Everything was so lavish and beautiful and it was really exciting to be there. Ben and I spoke with the Mayor of Philadelphia and Ben got a picture with him. He is such an approachable man.
It was a truly memorable night and we had a great time. I think the baby had a good time too. He's been dancing and kicking all day today!

For more picture of the ball, check out Philadelphia Magazine and especially picture #29! http://www.phillymag.com/party_pictures/gallery.html?gallery=244706