Fall Pics

The leaves this fall have been extra beautiful. I finally remembered to bring my camera out a couple of days in a row. Here are some pics of Nolan. Please not that I have pretty much NO pictures of his face. He doesn't look at the camera and is always on the go.

Oh Yea, Today is also Nolan's 20 month birthday.  Good bye teens, hello, 20's :) Also, a shout out to my mom, because it is her Birthday today!  We love you Grandma Peggy!

Happy Halloween

We had another great Halloween here in 69th St.  We had a fun party filled with lots of super cute kids and their parents.  I made my first batch of Chili for the season, and we so much fun hanging out and listing to Halloween music!

Here are a few pics of our NYC Turtle:

 NYC Turtle with 80's rock groupie and a newly retired Tony La Russa

Nolan was not in a very good mood this Halloween, but we still managed to hit up a few apartments for trick or treating!

Chatter Box

Nolan is talking non stop this day, and unlike previous months, things he is saying are actually making sense!

Top New Words:
Car
Airplane
Uncle
Tatie (Katie)
Please
Than Tu (Thank you)
Boo (book)
Cheese
Cracker
With Halloween a few days ago, the newest word is candy or cookie
Ello (Hello)
Is dis dis
Its broke
Toes
Eyes
Teeth
Nose

Give me that camera Mama

See my toes

I'm very serious today.  I'll say something witty in a bit. 

Nolan does the most hilarious thing when ever he sees anything that is round and black....he thinks it's a microphone, and he starts to yell and sing into it.  We have no idea where he came up with this, but it is so funny.  Shawn gave him one of my make up brushes the other day, and he walked all around the apartment "singing!"

Go Cards

I have to give a shout out to the Shawn and his team the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the World Series.  It was a crazy run for them, and it was a fun series to watch.  Shawn went to game 2 in St. Louis, and even though they lost that game, they ended up winning it all.

 Nolan rocked his Cardinal's gear all throught the series.  He also went to his class dressed as Albert Pujlos, eye black and all!

World Series Champs:
NY Yankees when I was pregnant with Nolan
SF Giants his first year
STL Cardinals his second year

What are the chances of those three teams winning back to back to back.  The only thing that will make the run sweeter is to see the Oakland A's win it in 2012!!

18 months

I guess at 18 months you are no longer considered a baby and are now a toddler.  I feel like Nolan has been running, talking and eating like a toddler for months, but we're now getting a taste of the terrible 2's! While the fits are short, we're trying to nip them in the bud.  We've also been trying time outs.  Even the most advanced one and a half year old doesn't really grab the concept of being disciplined, but we're willing to put in the effort!!

Lots of new things are happening with Nolan this week.  We started a combo class for kids 18-24 months at New York Kids Club.  Nolan did pretty well, and I think he did really well in the art, snack, story section.  The class has two part; one part gym class and the other a more focused sit down with a teacher. I think it is so great to give him a little taste of preschool with the comfort of having me there to help guide him.  Nolan doesn't like circle time, but I'm hoping that as he learns the routine he'll be more cooperative.

Nolan is down to just one nap.  He is going to bed by 7:15, up around 6:30 a.m. and down for his nap at noon.  I am still getting used to the longer waking hours in a row, but it has allowed us to get in a better routine with eating, classes and play dates. 

Our boy continues to be full of life.  He runs, sings, dances, claps, blows kisses and gives hugs all day.  He loves talking to all the doormen in the neighborhood tell them hi and bye as we walk by.  He also now fully recognizes our apartment.  It is so cute when he points and says "bubba, bubba."  If you point to another apartment and ask if he lives there he says, "No, no, no, no!"

We're looking forward to hearing Nolan say even more new words and watching his little mind think, process and grow!

Same Place different year!  What a difference.  He sat for the first time in the bottom picture that day.  Now he runs wild at Sheep's Meadow!

Learning to eat at the table~

We love you Nolan!! Happy Year and a Half. 

Naural Disasters

NYC had a crazy end of August.  We had a small earthquake when Nolan and I were out at the U.S. Open watching the first round.  Shawn was in his office and felt a small sway of the building, but it seemed like there was little to no damage in the city.
Less then a week later Hurricane Irene came up the eastern seaboard.  Outside of heavy wind and rains, NYC fared pretty well.   I feel badly for all of the people that left the city and ended up in places with no power and couldn't get back to the city for a few days.

Priest Lake

After the O'Neill reunion, we spend two days at Priest Lake at my aunt and uncle's cabin. I have so many great memories as a kid there in the old cabin. The "new" cabin is so beautiful with huge windows that over look the amazing lake view. Nolan went on his first kayak ride with Shawn, and he even got into the water with me! He is so full of adventure. He turned 17 months on the trip. His new loves are animated movies. Despicable Me and Shrek 4 being the top two. He'll point to the TV and say, "Gru." He is also running, so I'm always on the run chasing after him. Nolan's words have really come around, and I love that the please and thank you that we taught him in sign language are now the main words in his vocab. He says yes please, thank you, excuse me: great manners for a such a boys boy!

We opened up some great wine with dinner, including a 2003 Woodward Canyon Cab from Walla Walla with my great, great, great?? uncle's picture on it. It was such a treat to drink that bottle with many members of the Yeenders, including my cousin Tiffany who made the trek from Seattle, and my cousins Ryan and Carol who came from Portland! Tee and Chuck came from Seattle and Marcy and Rocky came from Portland and Denise and Bob from Spokane. We're so lucky to have such a wonderful family!!

Sunset from the deck

Nolan and his Papa having snacks!

The water was a little cold, but my sister, dad, Ryan and I dove in head first!! Thanks for the great pic Tiff! Please note Shawn and Frank, my sister's new fiance, watching in the kayaks!

O'Neill Clan

Last week we packed up and headed to NW Idaho for the O'Neill Olympics. We rented a 42 acre place where we all camped, ate, played games, and took a quick ride down to lake Pondere. Nolan loved playing with all of his older cousins and running free all over the place. Shawn kept giving him rides in the wheel barrel, and he totally loved it. It was so great to get out of the city get some fresh air and spend quality time with my extended family.....all 56 of us! Icing on the cake was team O'Yeender winning the Olympics. Ohhhhh Yea!

My grandparent are the best! This was on my Gpa's 85th birthday!

The full moon provided light for us, most of the time we didn't even need a flashlight. My cousins and I were "howling" at the moon :0

Nolan was happy to see his Auntie Katie again!

The O'Neill's are amazing musicians, and we got to listed to them sign and play for over 2 hours.