just in case you needed a smile today...

P.S. Here is the first smile I ever snapped. She was one week old.

ryne has been...

not putting his baseball bat down.

even when strolling around the neighborhood.

learning to blow bubbles. I'm trying to teach him that you don't have to put the stick on your mouth... he doesn't get it. He usually winds up with some bubbles on his face.

not using the pedals. He likes to coast backwards in our driveway.

wearing "big boy" undies on occasion... to get use to the idea. We're not potty training just yet.

just enjoying the simple things in life. Like watching the garbage truck.

it's good to be two.

emma kate has been...

pretty busy lately.

(she got her first cold this past week... from you know who)

As you can see she is sitting up on her own.

She's crawling really well too.

Pulling up on anything and everything. Lifting her little leg occasionally to see if she might climb up. She has already climbed the first step leading upstairs.

Babbling some...

She says, "da da", but doesn't make the connection yet.

Teething?

I'm not sure. She doesn't drool like Ryne did when he was, but she gums everything.

Mostly she's just been a little sweetheart.

ryne meet ryne

For those of you that don't know....

Alan was born and raised in Illinois. He grew up just outside of Chicago (it's my kind of town... totally) and is a HUGE Cubs fan. One of his all time favorite cubbies and the man whom our son is named after is hall of famer, Ryne Sandberg. On my first trip to Chicago we actually got to meet Ryne Sandberg at Harry Caray's... great guy and not bad looking either. ;)

Sandberg is managing the Tennesse Smokies (a Cubs minor league team) and we knew he would be coming to B'ham to play the Barons (White Sox). Alan knows the general manager for the Barons, so we were able to get in the stadium before the rest of the crowd and were the first to get autographs and pictures. It was hot. We were hungry. Had to wait almost an hour. Ryne better appreciate this some day.

It was the first time I had ever seen the stadium empty, except for the workers.

Since we had the "hook up" we went in through the executive offices and bypassed the front gates. Emma Kate's onesie said "It's not my diaper that stinks... it's the white sox!". Such a smack talker! I wheeled her quickly through so I don't think anyone noticed, but Alan and I laughed about it anyway.

So we get down to the dugout and wait... ok, so far so good.

and we wait...

and wait...

and just about the time we think we can't wait anymore...

Sandberg shows up! Thank you, Lord.
He signed a baseball card.

He signed a ball.

I got a great picture.

Now let's eat and watch some ball!

I even got a picture with both Sandberg and Ryne in it!!! ;)

bath time buddies

signature pose

This is Emma Kate sitting up... she doesn't really sit on her tushy. Our little tumble weed likes to be able to move at a moments notice. At seven months old, she is now crawling, not very fast, but she gets where she needs to go. She pulled herself up to a standing position on the hearth this weekend (with a little help from a pillow)! She stood for a couple of seconds and then toppled over. Looks like it's time to lower the crib mattress... slow down baby girl, what's the rush?

happy in the highchair