what a difference a year can make...

It is hard to believe that today is already our 1 year anniversary! I can only speak for myself, but without question this has been the best year of my life. Not only am I blessed with a husband I love dearly, we have a beautiful daughter. I can't imagine life getting any better than this.

another uncle?!

On Wednesday night Whitney had the pleasure of meeting her Uncle Pat. The rest of the family couldn't make the quick trip, but she is very much looking forward to meeting them in 2 weeks. Thank you Pat for driving 14 hours to be able to spend a few hours with your niece!

Whitney Goes Hi Fi

So I've been meaning to post this for the last 2 weeks and am woefully behind in getting it up here. Whitney's cousin/God mother (and my God daughter) Elizabeth somehow put together a super cool video that captures some of the first few weeks of Whitneys life set to music. How awesome is that?? I guess that's what the kids' are doing these days. Me? I'm just trying to figure out how to turn my camera on.

Check it out...

http://animoto.com/play/XN0MUuv7FYZR15Sa1Mnltw?utm_medium=email&utm_source=share&utm_campaign=animoto&utm_content=main_link

Going forward, I'll be serving as E's self appointed agent, please direct all queries about future media production opportunities to me and we'll think about it. I do hear the Litmus Vinyl has a new record out, I think a video backdrop would really make that Summerfest gig explode. And now that U2 is off the road this summer, she'll have some extra time... Just a thought.

my new mission...

It was during our morning walk today that Miss Whitney decided to make my day and give me endless smiles! This may not sound all that interesting, but it's actually a pretty big breakthrough. After nearly 6 weeks of little expression (excluding the smiles that involuntarily follow the "formula fog"), I can't tell you how exciting this is. So now it's become my mission to capture some of these smiles on film, but that's proving to be challenging thus far. Stay tuned...

some pictures from past couple days...

big weekend

This weekend Whitney had the pleasure of meeting her Uncle Brian, Aunt Pam, and cousin Drew. We all had a very nice visit and hope they will come back soon. We went on many strolls, visited 2 different parks/playgrounds, and went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Drew was very sweet toward Whitney, but was also interested in learning to play the guitar from his cool Uncle James.

happy birthday meghan!

I miss you and can't wait to see you next weekend!

birthday wishes

Special birthday wishes to Grandpa Carlson; Whitney misses you very much! Whitney would also like to wish a belated happy birthday to Aunt Pam. She can't wait to meet her, Uncle Brian, and cousin Drew this weekend :)

1 month old today!

friendly visitors

Whitney had a nice weekend complete with making 2 new friends! Jamie and Katie brought over Mona (5 months) on Friday, and Matt and Ann-Marie brought over Olivia (5+ months) on Sunday. Whitney is looking forward to many fun play dates with her new friends this summer. Mom realized that she's going to have to work on her photography skills in order to capture multiple kids camera-ready at the same time...

The rest of the weekend was spent strolling around town, going out to brunch, watching a Brewers game with dad, playing on Whitney's activity mat, and napping with mom. Whitney turned 4 weeks old today!

dinner out on the town

We took Whitney out to dinner for the first time tonight. She opted to BYOB (bring your own bottle) but seemed to enjoy the experience nonetheless. Mom and dad were thrilled by her decision to nap the entire time.

The following pictures are a little deceptive...she isn't always this peaceful and quiet. However these moments make for much better pictures than the meltdowns.

Mother's Day

This weekend James, Whitney, and I celebrated my first Mother's Day. For 33 years this day had been reserved for celebrating the incredible mother I have. However this year I'm fortunate to be honored on this day as well! On Saturday James, Whitney, and myself had a special day. James took Whitney out in the morning so I could catch up on some much needed rest. They returned to cook me a big breakfast, and spoil me with a beautiful engraved necklace and flowers. The rest of the day was spent together shopping and strolling around. Sunday we had a nice day in Madison at Colleen and Jim's house (complete with 2 grandparents, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, and 7 cousins doting on Whitney) . This was a very meaningful weekend for me and I feel tremendously blessed. Happy Mother's Day to all mommies out there, and especially to my mom and mother-in-law! I'm lucky to have these examples of what it truly means to be a mother.

is that a smile for me?

This picture doesn't fully capture it, but I swear Whitney smiled at me yesterday! I realize that most babies don't smile (or at least knowingly while they're awake) until around 8 weeks, but I'm hoping Whitney is an overachiever in this area.

oldies but goodies

Decked out in her mommy's 1976 nightgown, Whitney enjoys relaxing and sleeping in the Kelly family bassinet.

On Tuesday, Whitney had the pleasure of spending the day with Nana and Papa. They were kind enough to give her this adorable bonnet.

One of the highlights of Whitney's day continues to be when her daddy comes home from work. She especially likes to dance to music with him.

2 weeks old!

It's hard to remember what life was like before our little girl arrived just 2 short weeks ago. We're in awe of the how fast she is already changing and growing. At her 2 week well check today she weighed in at 8lbs 12 oz, having gained close to a pound in 11 days. She's pretty long and lean, so I think most of the weight is going to those adorable cheeks of hers.

Whitney had a busy weekend full of activity. Mommy and daddy took her on a long stroller ride around town and to the park for the first time. On Saturday night our friend Jen stopped by to pay Whitney a visit and bring dinner for us.

Sunday was a special day with a visit from Aunt Katie, and cousins Elizabeth, Erin, and Meghan. Whitney was spoiled with all sorts of love and attention, loving every minute of it, while mom and dad were treated to a much appreciated home-cooked meal. Whitney definitely enjoyed the day because it took no more than 10 minutes after her visitors left for the tears to come.