I'm Getting Ready for Next Season

Hello all and Season's Greetings! We're busy decorating the house, playing Christmas music, and enjoying all the fun things to do this time of year. Well, I know in the past I've talked with certainty about my future plans. But, as we all know, desperate times call for desperate measures. So I talked it over with Coach Weis and we decided that I'm going to be helping out on the offensive line come next season. They can use all the help they can get! True, I know I'm a little small but I make up for it in speed. I can do the 40 yard crawl in 45 seconds, but sometimes I get a little distracted and veer off course. Just as soon as I get the hang of this walking business I can move forward with my training routine. I do have to remind Uncle Brian and my cousins, Casey and Matthew, that we did at least beat Duke. You guys should join me in South Bend, the team really needs us! Nolan, we need you to be the brains of the operation. Ask your Mom and Dad, tell them it will be a learning opportunity. Have a great day! And remember, "Go Irish!"

Happy Cake and Trick or Treat!

Hi everyone! Thanks to all of our family and friends who visited us in October, it was great to see you. Benny had a great birthday party, although it took him a minute to decide whether or not he liked the happy cake. I'm pretty sure the adults liked the cake and, as usual, we had enough food to feed an army. Our meat trays would have made Gram proud!

Benny also dressed up for Halloween this year, although we did not go trick-or-treating. We had a hard time coming up with a costume topping last year's chili pepper. Check out our early posts for those pictures. This year he was a dinosaur, or as we called him all day yesterday, Benasaurus Rex. We had a great day and hope your Halloween was nice as well! Take care!

He makes a pretty fearsome Benasaurus Rex, don't let the smile fool you!

At the Park

Hello everyone! We're having beautiful weather in DC, so that means we've had Benny out and about quite a bit. He loves going to the playground, anytime he can sit in the swing or crawl around in the dirt, he is a happy camper. It is truly amazing how dirty he can get in a very short period of time.

He is doing much better this week, getting over a cold and an ear infection. He has a follow-up visit to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get the "all clear." Thanks for you thoughts and concerns. Benny says not to worry, he will be raring to go for his birthday party this weekend.

Speaking of raring to go, we think he might be pretty close to walking. We've caught him standing up on his own, not holding on to anything, several times over the past four days. I nearly gasp everytime, then he just sits down and smiles at us! It won't be long before we're posting pictures of him literally running away from the camera.

Enjoy the pictures! I did a 5K with a friend a few weeks ago and Benny came to cheer us on. If you look closely, you can see that the sweatshirt is a U of M one. Go Griz! Check back soon for pictures of Benny's first birthday!

What Happened to Summer?

What happened to Summer? Actually, its still pretty hot in DC, it might as well be summertime. We've been pretty lazy putting up new photos, sorry about that. Just because we haven't put up photos doesn't mean there hasn't been alot going on!

One of the great photo-0ps I wish I could show you was our best-of-intentions-gone-terribly-wrong trip to the beach down in Norfolk. It was pretty funny, Mom & Dad had a good laugh after the fact. Unfortunately, the digital camera was out of commission for that shenanigan. Lets just say, as a baby, I like to put anything and everything into my mouth, including handfuls of sand. Mom wasn't too keen on that idea. Next thing you know, everyone is covered in sand and crying or yelling. That trip to the beach lasted all of 20 minutes, from the moment we pulled up to the moment we drove away. Mom & Dad chalked it up to a "learning experience," whatever that means...

I hung out with Mom a bunch this summer. As a result, I've mastered the phrase, "Mama." I've found its the golden ticket to getting my every heart's desire. Now Dad's class is finally over and I get to see him everyday. We have fun at the park, I especially like the baby swings. Daddy and I also watch football: Dallas Cowboys = Yay!!! Notre Dame = What the heck is going on? The Irish are off to the worst start EVER, but on a bright note, they now have positive rushing yards and two offensive touchdowns for the season. Mom and Dad watch the TV with disbelief saying, "We'll win next week..."

I visited my cousin Mariela twice this month! You can see a picture of her at the top of the page. Apparently she didn't think my joke was very funny. I don't know how I feel about not being the littlest baby in the family anymore, she kind of stole my thunder. But, she is so nice, I think I'll forgive her. :)

So that is the news around here. Everyone keeps asking if I'm walking yet. Nope, I find that I'm pretty speedy crawling, so thats my current means of transportation. I like to keep my folks on their toes though. Who knows when I'll take my first steps? I'm going to keep them guessing! Have a great day!

Summer Vacation!

We've had a very busy summer so far. Hopefully you still recognize Benny, it has been a long time since we've posted any pictures. We spent a couple of weeks in Montana visiting family. Benny spent lots of time learning new tricks from his cousins on the Casey side. His three older cousins taught him how to get around even faster, how to pull up on anything he can get his hands on, and the joy of playing with trucks and balls. He also got his first haircut from Grandma Geri. He looks more like a little boy now, rather than a baby. There is never a dull moment around here, he is definitely keeping us busy! Hope you have a great day!

Benny, aka "Cantiflas"

Some of you may be asking, "Who (or what) is Cantiflas?" He was a very funny Mexican comedian popular in the 1960's. Benny's association with Cantiflas started very early, in the womb in fact. One night, shortly before he was born, I could not sleep. Benny was having some kind of dance party. So, after several hours of tossing and turning and waking up Tommy, I got up and turned on the tv. Lo and behold, an old Cantiflas movie at 3am. We laughed, Benny settled down and finally I got some sleep that night. Since then, we've called him our little "Cantiflas" when he is giggling. Fast forward to now... Benny is becoming more vocal everyday, he says da-da, squeals, screams and giggles. (Much to my dismay, he hasn't said ma-ma yet, despite daily prompts and bribes.) It usually takes a little warming up to get him into full giggle mode, but lately he just spontaneously bursts into laughter. He is learning to pull himself up on things like his crib, the couch, ect. I caught him doing that yesterday and he just looked at me, grinned and laid down laughing. So, who knows what kind of joker he will turn out to be as he gets older.

Its been quite awhile since we've posted anything. One reason (excuse) is that Benny is now officially mobile. We're chasing him around. He is army-crawling like crazy. His first across-the-room trek was in Minnesota in front of Grandma and Grandpa and several aunts and uncles, and on Father's Day. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. Have a great day!

Cool Toys

So out of the blue today, Mommy and Daddy surprised me with several awesome new toys: a stirring spoon and some food storage containers. This stuff is GREAT!! Some would say revolutionary! Wooo Hooo!! My new toys kept me entertained for hours. The stirrer is great!!You can gnaw on it, wave it in the air like a billy club, or even tap yourself on the noggin with it (Daddy got a little nervous with that move. He made me stop. He's such a Nervous Nellie). The containers are just as cool. You can play them like bongos. Where'd Mom & Dad find this stuff? It must have been expensive. I don't normally brag, but I was able to get my things to work without even reading the Owner's Manual. Once word gets out, every seven month-old on the planet is going to be clamoring for this stuff. It will be total chaos. Daddy mumbled something to Mommy about how one day they'll remember fondly when I could be entertained with simple, inexpensive toys. I've got to admit, he's right. I already want a motorboat for bath time. For right now however, I'm pretty pleased with my new acquisitions.

Change in career plans

There's been a change of plans. I've decided that when I grow up, I no longer want to be an astronaut/ race car driver/ Supreme Court Justice/ philanthropist/ guitar-playing rodeo cowboy. I now want to be a lizard. In the past week, I've learned how to flicker my tongue in-and-out. I have so much fun doing this that I can see myself doing this for a living. Daddy says I should keep all my options open.

We're coming off a pretty fun weekend. Daddy took Friday off from work and we went to Andrews Air Force Base for an airshow. We saw the Air Force's stunt team (the Thunderbirds), hundreds of airplanes, helicopters, and other cool exhibits. We also saw a vintage P-40 Warhawk, the type of aircraft that my great-Grandpa Baba (Dennis) worked on in China for three years during World War II. He was part of the famous "Flying Tigers" air unit. Afterwards Daddy took me over to an Air Force recruiter and signed me up. Daddy got a free refrigerator magnet for it. He told me not to worry about anything, the contract doesn't take effect until I'm 18 years old, plus he really gave them the name of my Uncle Tony. I guess Uncle Tony has a surprise coming to him in 2025.
On Sunday, we saw Daddy's godson Jonathan make his First Communion. Daddy was so proud. He says he remembers getting pictures of Jonathan when he was my age, except that Jonathan was living in Japan at the time. Daddy says he's amazed at how fast time flies. I'm not so sure. These past seven months seem like a lifetime to me.

Workout

Hello there everyone. As many of you know, my dad is a bit of a running fanatic. Uncle Andy and Aunt Sarah got this cool Jeep jogging stroller for me before I was even born! And now I'm finally big enough to fit in it. Dad started taking me out in it a few weeks ago, and it isn't such a bad ride. I usually just sleep and make Dad do all the hard work.

We went for a nice long run Mother's Day morning. It was a little brisk, but I think Mom overdid it a bit with the clothing. I thought I was back in Montana based on all the clothes she kept layering on. I will admit that I stayed nice and toasty warm.

Mom is trying to get a picture of me that shows off my new chompers, no luck just yet. We'll keep you posted. Have a great day!

All I want for Cinco de Mayo are my two front teeth

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! Viva la Revolucion!!

This was a weekend of several notable 'firsts.' Not only did I experience my first Cinco de Mayo, Mommy & Daddy had a whole lot of people over for Margaritas and Mexican food. Sure looked like people were having a good time. I was tempted to try a margarita, but Daddy says I have to produce a photo ID that says I'm at least 21 months old. The next big thing is that my first teeth arrived!! The tops of the bottom two have just broken through the gums. The choppers had been on back order for the last six months, but they finally delivered. I like the look of them. A couple more of these babies and I'll be ready to sink my teeth into a juicy steak. I'm looking forward to incorporating a full set into a winning smile. The teeth are the coolest things since I found my feet. What a load of fun these things are. Whenever the ten little piggies and I get together we have crazy ol' time.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Tim!

Hi Grandpa Tim! Happy Birthday! Did Grandma make you a happy cake? As you can see, I have my summer clothes on, it is nice and warm here. We took a walk down to the Mall yesterday, there were lots of people around. I wore my new sunhat and took my pet goldfish. Maybe we can go fishing the next time I come to Montana.

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I hear Nolan is coming over. He'll have to represent the grandsons today! Safe travels over the next few weeks to you and Grandma Geri. We'll talk to you soon!

Proud moment for fathers everywhere

Today is the 15th of April, which marks the sixth month of my entry into this world, or as Daddy puts it my 0.5th birthday. Seizing on the moment, Daddy decided (at great personal risk) to bake me a cake. He said the last impulse he had to bake anything was probably sometime in the '80's. Mommy sighed and mumbled something about a personal cross she had to bear.

The finished product is very interesting indeed. It is of a geometric shape not seen before on this planet. I'm not sure the cake itself is of this earth. I would bet it's going to require that a team of scientists and engineers meet in a series of conferences to decide what to name this new object.

I am not allowed to try any of the cake for a couple of reasons: 1. I don't have any teeth 2. Mommy wants to make sure the sample she sent to the EPA turns up negative. For his part, Daddy is very proud of himself. He's strutting around like a one-man Fourth of July parade. Daddy says that myself and the cake represent his two greatest creations.

New Happenings

Hello Everyone! As you can see, I'm preparing for my career as a professional soccer player. A big thank you to Uncle Andy and Aunt Sarah for the authentic Ronaldinho couture. I'm counting on professional soccer as plan B, just in case my career in professional wrestling doesn't take off.

Our family had a really nice trip to Las Vegas. I was an especially good boy on the flight back, I slept for 3-1/2 hours! Good thing, my folks needed the time to recuperate from the weekend. It was great visiting the twins! They have so many fun toys and a wrestling mat that I could roll around on to my heart's content. Casey and Matty got a little excited with the plastic golf clubs, but they sure taught me lots of new things. Before I went I did not know much in the way of baby-talk, but I haven't stopped chattering since I got home. I even said "Dada" right before Daddy left for work yesterday. I just want to get it in writing that my dad promised me a car, any car I want, because I'm so lovable. I'm sitting up by myself now, and I've discovered my feet! Who knew your limbs could be so entertaining?! I know it won't be long until I'm running around, causing trouble with Nolan, Matty and Casey. I'm starting to eat more solids now too. You know, the food is alright, but the best thing is watching Mommy make funny faces and sounds while she is encouraging me to eat. Most of the time, I just humor her and take a bite.

It is cherry blossom time in DC. We went out to the Mall on Tuesday, the weather was great! Unfortunately, its going to be cold all weekend (maybe even snow on Saturday, brr) so I don't think we'll go out to see the trees. Have a very Happy Easter! Happy Birthday to Casey and Matthew on Sunday, wish we could be there to celebrate with you!

Did Someone Say Happy Cake?

This is a very special week! Happy Birthday to Grandma Geri today and Happy Birthday to Grandma Licha on Sunday! I hear the twins were working on a happy cake for Grandma Geri. If there is any left when I get to Vegas, I'll let you know how it tasted. I wish we could be there to celebrate with you. If you were here, I'd show you how excited I am by jumping in my bouncer. Eat lots of cake and ice cream! I miss you!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Can't believe I just turned five months old. Where does the time fly? Daddy says I'm getting big and promises to let me start driving just as soon as I can reach the pedals. I'm getting ready to enjoy my first full major league baseball season. I think my first tooth should be arriving here soon, maybe in time for me to enjoy a couple of hot dogs on Opening Day. Looking forward to my first brat. I've been working on my curveball in my spare time and have also acquired a couple of other nifty new tricks. I can now roll on to my stomach on demand. I'm sure there is good job out there that requires this skill. I can work up quite a hearty appettite doing this, so Mom has started me on some solid foods. Bananas are great, so is rice cereal. I'm not so sold on sweet potatoes. I tend to give Mom some pretty vivid facial feedback when that stuff is put in my mouth. I can't help it, you could probably mortar bricks with it. Somewhere, some wall is collapsing because of my lunch. Actually, I'm kidding. Mom feeds me pretty well. Daddy's a different story. Apparently his own dietary intake still has some carryovers from his bachelor days. No way I'm eating anything he prepares. I'll be calling the FDA as soon as my fingers are big enough to work a cell phone.

Looking forward to seeing Aunt Mary, Uncle Brian, and Casey & Matthew in Vegas this weekend. You can also find me at the roulette table at Caesar's. I'm going to win enough to retire before the age of 1.

Congratulations Pam & Gabe

What a wonderful trip to South Bend! The wedding was beautiful. We are so happy for Pam and Gabe as they start their new life together. Benny did great; the more people said he was cute, the more he smiled! It was actually really cold, so we did not walk around very long and didn't take Benny out of the stroller at all for pictures. As a result, all of the photo ops Tommy planned around campus didn't happen. But, we visited the most important places. The first place we took him was the Grotto to say a prayer and light a candle in thanksgiving for his health. We found ourselves counting our many, many blessings this weekend. We are not able to spend nearly as much time with family and friends as we would like, but we cherish the time we do have together. Have a great day everyone!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my daddy's birthday! My friends, Dumbo and Igor the dinosaur, thought this would be the perfect way to say happy birthday! I am not lucky enought to partake in the yummy carrot cake, maybe next year I'll get a little taste.
We're getting ready for out trip out to South Bend. Or, as Daddy refers to Notre Dame, the "hallowed ground." I'm excited to walk around campus and hear my folks tell stories about their college days. Dad keeps teasing Mom that he is going to take me to the Linebacker while she is out with her friends, atleast Mom hopes he is teasing! Come back soon, we will put up pictures from campus. As we are getting ready for the trip, we're listening to lots of Celtic music. ND will be a great place to celebrate Pam & Gabe's wedding and St. Patrick's Day! Take care and have a great day!

Sleep Agendas

Lately I've become suspicious that Mom & Dad wait until I'm asleep, and then they formulate little secret plans. I think they hatch plots about what ridiculous items they're going to dress me in, what college I'm going to, how to ensure I get good SAT and golf scores, etc. Thankfully, Robert and Shannon Griffin sent me Dumbo the Elephant. He's become my cribmate and my chief confidante. He shares my concerns. We decided we just couldn't leave Mom & Dad unsupervised. Last week when it came time for bedtime I began to let forth with a series of good, long yowls until Mom & Dad got the picture and got me out of the crib. For good measure, I gave them a couple of early morning reminders at 3:45 AM. You should've seen the look on Daddy's face. You would think the stock market just crashed or that the Cowboys forgot to show up for a football game. What do they expect? I'm an infant, that's how I communicate. What am I supposed to do, designate Dumbo as my chief negotiator and take the case to arbitration? I know they've been in secret communication with my grandparents, and aunts Judee and Mary on advice on how to 'establish a good sleep routine.' Fine. Fine. Fine. They want sleep, I decided to give them sleep. I've slept twelve hours continuously the last couple of nights and a lot during the day. I just want to note for the record, that while I am now better rested and generally in a better disposition, my job productivity is on the downswing. I'll never get my novel finished at this rate. When I'm a teenager and Mom & Dad are complaining that I won't get out of bed, you can bet that I'm going to bring this whole episode up.

Broken Camera

Hi All! Well, it seems our digital camera bit the dust. Its a shame because Benny had some really good photo ops this week. He is doing really well. He is rolling onto his side, not quite all the way around. Its pretty fun to watch him play. He is reaching for his toys more now and sticking absolutely everything in his mouth. We started giving him a little rice cereal and that is always fun to watch. He likes having the spoon in his mouth, so he bites down on it. When he manages to get a little bit of the mush in his mouth, he blows out like he's making bubbles. So then we have mush all over. One more funny story from this week that would have been a great picture... Benny has a bouncer now with all kinds of fun toys like a piano, mirror, teething toy, ect. But, what does he like best? He tries to chew the pictures of the seat. The lesson here is simple is better. He is keeping us busy, thats for sure.
Benny has been giving us a run for our money at naptimes and nighttime, maybe he thinks he's missing out on some excitement. I think we are getting that under control now though. Famous last words, right? Thanks to all for your advice! Have a nice weekend. Hopefully we'll get a new camera and get more pictures up soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello family and friends! I hope Cupid was good to you yesterday! I have big news to report; not only am I a "Handsome Devil," I am also a rolling "Handsome Devil." I can officially roll from my tummy to my back. My mom actually missed the first one because she was messing with her iPod, but I demonstrated my athletic prowess for her again. And I was a very good boy yesterday so my parents could have a nice Valentine's Day dinner. I wonder when I can try some of that tasty chocolate.

Today is my four-month birthday! Am I celebrating with cake, ice cream, and birthday candles? Unfortunately, no. Actually, I have to go to the doctor for my check-up and shots! Boo! But I'll let you all know how big I am when I get back. Have a great day!

UPDATE: My doctor was so happy to see me, she kept saying how I was SO big. So of course I gave her a few smiles and giggles. I offically weigh 15 pounds, 3 ounces and I'm 26 inches long. The shots weren't so bad, not for a tough guy like me.

Any Happy Cake Left for Me?

Happy Birthday Nolan! I'll admit that I was a little outraged that I could not partake in any happy cake this year. My folks say I have to wait until my first birthday. So how was the cake? Better than milk? This is going to be a great year for you and I hear you're literally starting the year, "on the ground and running." My mom is sorry this post is a little late going up. She kept saying "stupid camera" again and again. Apparently there were some technical difficulties. All is well now.

Things have been pretty busy around here. I like keeping my mom on her toes. She'll put me on my back and then I'll make it look like I'm just about to roll over, and then I don't. She doesn't want to turn around and miss my first roll so she is stuck, then I smile, laugh and kick my legs. I like to wow people by showing just how far I can put my hand in my mouth, too. We've been staying inside for the past week or so. Its been cold here! I have to get all bundled up to go across the street. I need tips from my Montana and Minnesota family on how to stay warm! Well, thats all for now. Have a great day and I'll let you all know when I roll over.

Happy Birthdays!

It has been a few days since my last entry, life has been pretty quiet around here. Dad went to New York City to visit his ND friends so I thought I'd wear my special ND shirt for them. A big thank you to Colleen for the t-shirt, it shows off all my "muscles." :)

I'm starting to get the suspicion that Pops is trying to influence my thinking. For example, Daddy has made it a point to say that I can go to any college I want to. I think however that he mumbled something about how the selection of a certain school in Indiana will get me a car sooner than certain other educational options. Also, I'm sure all universities have fight songs, but it seems like only one is ever played in the house. All the time. It may be strictly coincidence, but Dad dresses up like a leprechaun whenever he puts me down to sleep and when I get up in the morning. It's the first and last thing I see in the day. In all fairness maybe all Daddies dress up like leprechauns. I'll have to ask around as soon as I make some friends and establish my network.

Happy Birthday to Aunt Sue and Aunt Judee! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I hear Nolan is walking. I'm hoping to roll over pretty soon. I keep trying, Mom is helping me a little bit. Actually its pretty fun to just lay on my back and look at the lights in the ceiling.

So, I know I said my life's ambition was to be a Mexican wrestler with Lucha Libre, but I've changed my mind again. My new friend Christine took a bunch of pictures of me last weekend. For a guy that loves lights, the camera flash was just the ticket. I think my call is in modeling. It would be a crime to not share this face with the world!

Go Irish!

My First 100 Days

Well, the President always makes a big deal out of his first 100 days in office, so I'd like to share some of my accomplishments. I've learned alot since birth. I can focus, I can coo and make all kinds of baby noises, but most important, I can smile. My parents go crazy for that! It doesn't matter what I do, one smile and they're like putty in my hands. Sometimes I even wake up crying in the middle of the night, then I flash them a smile with a giggle (for a little extra pizzaz) and they don't even mind being up anymore.

My administration has not been without its challenges. For starters, I can't seem to get any variety in my diet. True I love milk, but by my count I've had 615 consecutive meals of nothing but the stuff. I think the first word I'm going to say is going to be "Moo." What does it take to get a steak in this place? Also, my parents tend to dress me in one-piece ensembles, not seeming to know that this was last popular when Fat Elvis was playing The Mirage in Vegas. Get with the program people. How about a trip to Brooks Brothers, or at least a pair of Dockers?

The Highlights

Well, I'd like to give all my family and friends a rundown of the last three months. They have been very exciting, to say the least. I'm finding I have a promising career as a Mexican Wrestler. The first picture below is me pinning my archrival, El Grillo, my Uncle Joey taught me this move. Not to brag, but I worked El Grillo over pretty good. My life's ambition right now is to dominate Lucha Libre. I might be a little small, but I'm pretty quick off the ropes. I have all of the skills I need. Sometimes when my parents are asleep at night, I don my uniform and protect the citizens of the city as a crime-fighting Superhero. Don't tell Mom though. She's convinced I'm asleep like an angel.












If Lucha Libre doesn't work out, I figure I can always become one of Santa's elves. My cousin Nolan let me borrow his new dump truck for the picture, thank you! I sure had a good time with Grandma, Grandpa, and all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. It sure was cold, and there was this fluffy white stuff all over. My mom kept layering on the clothes too, luckily I stayed nice and toasty warm.
















Check this out! I was barely two weeks old in this picture and my parents dressed me up for Halloween! Lets just say I wasn't exactly thrilled. I couldn't even go Trick-or-Treating because I don't have any teeth. They kept laughing and saying how cute I looked. I have to agree, I must be the most handsome little chili pepper around!
















Look at me, I'm 'Hot Stuff'


This is what I looked like the first time my daddy got to see me. I was a little tired from my journey into the world; the doctors and nurses did a great job taking care of me. I won the prize for being the biggest baby in the NICU. Luckily I got to go and stay in my mommy's room after a few days. It was much more quiet in there. Then we got to go home, my favorite place!
















Thanks for checking out my blog. Come back soon!

Hello All

Hi everyone! I'm following in my cousins' footsteps and starting up my own blog. A big thanks to Matty and Casey for helping me. Tomorrow I turn 1/4 of a year old! My parents say it feels like I was born just yesterday, I think I'm going to hear that line for the rest of my life. This is one of my first pictures, I've managed to gain alot of weight since then and I'm even more good-looking! Come back and visit the blog often, I'll add more pictures!