Three Months

































What a busy few weeks we've had. I'm a little behind on the posts (what's new?) but I wanted to get Quinn's monthly photo up. He's now proficient at finding his thumb, has lost most of his hair, has started sleeping in his crib in the same room as Lillie, and has rolled over a handful of times!




































On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Lillie and Quinn were baptized with Father Sergio at St. Andrew. It was a very special occasion since we had so much of our family in town to be present. A special thanks to the godparents, Kelly and Timmy (to Quinn,) and Moira and Mike (to Lillie.) It meant a lot to see you standing up there with our kids.
After, the whole gang traveled back to our house for a little celebration and for Lillie's 2nd birthday party.












Here are Quinn's monthly birthday pictures. I plan on adding to these each month to see how our little guy is growing. At his two month check up, he weighed in at almost 15 pounds! Quinn is loving to sit up whenever he can, and almost rolled over on the doctor's table!
















We had a great Thanksgiving here in Chicago! We decided to host, for the first time, both our families this year...just look at this handsome group. (Yes, that's Conor on the right running back into the frame after setting the timer on our camera.) With 16 people to feed, we had so much good food, I'm going to post the menu so that I'll know where to look in case we do it again.

For starters, Conor worked hard to perfect the brined, grilled, turkey, and it was awesome! If you've never brined a turkey, it can be a lot of prep work, but it's sooo worth it. He cooked a 12 pound bird on the grill and a 23 pounder in the oven. (Oh, and thankfully our ovens were in working order...that's a whole other story.) The turkeys were the real winners of the menu, as they should be. Our moms took care of the pies: two varieties of pumpkin and a tawny apple, all family recipes. Moira made the Berry Mallow Yam Bake, a staple at Sullivan Thanksgivings, and did a wonderful job at keeping the marshmallows from catching fire (I can't say the same for the bread I toasted for the stuffing!) The rest of the menu consisted of:

  • This holiday punch. It was light and refreshing...I'll definitely use it again.
  • The fondue pot had to make it's yearly appearance from out of storage, so I made this queso dip. It was a huge success based on the constant circle of people around it.
  • Ina's buttermilk mashed potatoes. They were yummy, but I'll make more next time. Lesson learned, mashed potatoes are the first to go!
  • These carrots are so easy, and I loved the subtle ginger flavor. Yes, I love the Barefoot Contessa.
  • Of course there was GBC. What Thanksgiving is complete without a Green Bean Casserole! I made my Aunt's modified version of this recipe.
  • And I attempted to make my cousin, Scott's, favorite cornbread & sausage stuffing. I don't think I quite pulled it off, but I did keep things exciting by forgetting to pull out the toast from the broiler!
We ended the day with our annual Christmas craft, which did involve a little sewing, but I think everyone did a great job on their Gingerbread houses. I'm very proud of you all!

So there it is, our first Thanksgiving! Can't wait for next year!

















Another birthday. Lillie, at two years you:

are almost three feet tall

love your baby brother to pieces


have started jumping off of everything, with no fear


are miss independent

can do somersaults over and over again


still love swim class


can identify most of the letters in the alphabet


sing songs by filling in the blank


recognize most numbers


still have a love for Elmo


can name many colors, but purple is still your favorite

love to run and fly kites

can climb up the jungle gym and slide down all by yourself

are talking in sentences


miss dad when he's away or flying on an "airbee"


love to talk on the phone (can with mom's iphone)


insist on taking the stairs all by yourself


love to draw and finger paint

get excited for pancake sunday (and who wouldn't!)

have brought two years of joy to your proud parents




Check out our weekend activities. Lillie turns TWO on Wednesday...stay tuned.








































We had gorgeous weather in Chicago over the weekend, 70 degrees on both days! We took advantage and went for a long walk along the lake and found a great spot for flying Lillie's kite. It's a beautiful butterfly kite and she loves to be outside and run around with it. In fact, we were along the running path and after seeing all the runners pass by, she decided to join in. I think we have a Forrest Gump on our hands...she could have kept running, and running, and running. I hope this isn't the last of the nice weather, but part of me is looking forward to that first snow so we can build a snowman and have a snowball fight.

















Quinn has started staying awake for longer periods during the day and we've started seeing him smile. Luckily, we caught this one on camera to share with everyone. Isn't he the cutest?!





















It's a little late, but here is Quinn's one-month-old picture. Today he is six weeks...what?! Two months is creeping up on us, and we already can't imagine our lives without the Mighty Quinn.











































Happy Halloween! Our neighborhood held it's Halloween festivities yesterday and we all had so much fun. Quinn was a skeleton baby and Lillie was Elmo. Of course she was Elmo, he's her best friend! We walked up and down Southport and Lillie learned to say "trick or treat" very quickly to gather a pumpkin full of candy. And how perfect that Elmo saw Elmo and the two shared a big hug! We ended the walk with some pumpkin decorating and a fun play session at the park. Meanwhile, Quinn slept in the stroller the entire time. Next year will be a lot of fun...especially if Quinn is walking (no pressure)!

























Purple is all the rage in Lillie's world these days...the color purple and finger painting! She loves both, and although she does indeed know how to identify other colors, she'd rather everything in her world be purple. We started using the finger paints a lot in the past month, and she can't get enough. This is great news given the weather is getting colder and we may be stuck inside more often. Now we have to figure out how to keep and display all those cute masterpieces!





















Quinn turned three weeks old yesterday, and while it's only three weeks, my how time flies. It's a little sad to think about how fast he's growing...just look at this photo and all his rolls! He had such a full belly when we snapped this pic, I think his diaper was about ready to pop off.

















Once we were finally done taking in all his cuteness, we gave Quinn his first bath. We're hoping he's like his big sister and will learn to love the water, but for now this momentous occasion ended with tears.

















Comfy and cozy again, here's Quinn with his first hairstyle, complete with a part. Isn't he handsome?!




































He's here! We're proud to introduce Quinn Russell Sullivan born on September 28 at a whopping 10 pounds 5 ounces! It's been way too long since our last post, we know. While things are understandably a bit busy right now, we're hoping to be much better about letting everyone know what's going on here in Chicago.

Quinn is a rock star already, sleeping very soundly for most of the day. We're getting more and more chances to see his eyes open as the days go on, and they are looking to be blue just like his big sister. Lillie is also a rock star of a big sister, helping Mom and Dad with his burping and being our diaper changing aid. Everyone has settled in nicely in the last couple of weeks, and we're so glad to be the Sullivan Four...finally.



















Our visit to Alaska was great, but way too short. As always, we packed as much in as we possibly could: a baby shower for Patrick, Julie, and their new baby girls, catching up with friends and family, a marathon relay, and Conor was even able to go through his old childhood He-Man collection to get it ready for Ebay (anyone interested?). Collin, who is only a few months younger than Lillie, greeted her with open arms and they had a ball giving each other hugs and kisses.


















This was the all-star marathon relay team who ran the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon, consisting of Jenna, Catherine, Conor, and Terrill. They called their team "The Why-Nots," which was very appropriate since they didn't really form until a few days before the actual race. You may recall that Conor ran this very marathon back in 2005, so of course he was excited to be back in it, but this time as the anchor to the relay. They all did really well and ended up having a great time.

















Before we left to head back to Chicago, we were able to enjoy the Sullivan June Birthday and Father's Day party, and on such a short trip, it was nice to be able to see so much family at one time. It's always fun when our trips coincide with these get-togethers. It was sad to say goodbye since we're not exactly sure when we'll be back. Most likely it won't be this year, but we're hoping for a trip early next year.


















Next up in our busy summer was a trip out west to Sonoma/San Francisco/Anchorage. We packed a lot into just over 9 days. Our friends, Annie and Brian, got married in the middle of wine country, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. I'm told the wine was amazing, and I can certainly vouch for it smelling delicious! We spent the weekend in Novato and did a lot of catching up with friends and family. We were able to see both Kelly and Erin from the Sullivan clan, our friends Chris & Jess with their son Auggie, and of course all our friends that were also there for the wedding.























We took a trip to a redwood forest called Muir Woods which was jaw dropping gorgeous and cool! It was an easy hike on all of us the morning after the wedding. That night we met up with cousin Kelly and her boyfriend, Greg, for some great burritos.

















The next day we made a go of as many wineries as we could fit in before meeting up with cousin Erin in St. Helena for dinner. Lillie was such a trooper through all of this and loved being around so many new people.
































On our last day, we checked out of the hotel and drove into San Francisco and did mostly a driving tour of the hot spots while Lillie slept. We were able to squeeze in a little picnic at Crissy Field, and oh my, was it windy and cold there! I highly recommend heading over to the Warming Hut for some hot chocolate and sweet treats after spending some time on the beach. Afterwards, we had just enough time to make it to the airport and hop on an airplane (or "airbee" as Lillie calls them) on our way to Anchorage. It was all so great and I cannot wait to find another time to go back to San Francisco.


















Back in May (yes May!) we took a little trip to Ohio where Lillie had her first overnight with Mamaw and Papa. Conor and I stayed in a cabin in Hocking Hills for a couple of nights as a sort of "babymoon" before Baby Boy Sullivan arrives in September. Lillie had a blast hanging out with her cousins, climbing trees, attending baseball and soccer games, and celebrating Carter's birthday.


















Conor and I had a wonderful relaxing time hanging out in the beautiful Hocking Hills. I was even able to start catching up on reading Harry Potter, which has been an ongoing to-do for a couple years now! (Yes, I still haven't finished the series, but I'm getting there!) We felt like we were all by ourselves in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly how we wanted it. I highly recommend our Inn to anyone who finds themselves in this area of Ohio. Very nice people and great food!









































Hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday. It was rainy here, but we were outside most of the day anyway. Conor and I went to the Cubs game while a friend of ours babysat Lillie (how nice on the 4th of July)! Afterwards, the three of us hopped in the car to stay out of the rain for a bit and headed downtown to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. It was the perfect time to be there since most people were leaving, making it easy for us to find awesome parking and to maneuver the stroller (equipped with a rain cover) to find a great spot to watch the Guster concert that had just started. It was really great to see them live again, and Lillie loved "singing along" with music and dancing in her stroller. The rain died down right after the concert, which meant the dinner rush was a little more crowded. We tried so many delicious dishes from area restaurants and left very satisfied with full bellies! Thank you rain for actually making our day easier!

Still haven't forgotten all the make up posts...I promise they're coming.









































We've been silent for a while here on the blog, but get ready for a slew of updates over the next few days! We've had a very busy couple of months with trips to Ohio, San Francisco, Alaska, and Boston. Whew. It's so nice to be back home and not living out of a suitcase.

In between all of these trips, I was asked to design a birthday invitation for a bowling party. Here's what they looked like before being sent off. Birthday invitations are so much fun to put together. I used my home inkjet printer for these instead of my press, but I still really like the end result.






















Lillie, time is going by too quickly for Mom and Dad. You're becoming a beautiful little girl in every way. At 18 months you:

have a red furry best friend, who's name you love to say

love to laugh

are running full speed ahead

are very generous and share when playing with others

get more curls in your hair everyday

love to have a dance party when daddy gets home from work

love to eat grapes

want to do most things that we do, and all by yourself

have to sleep with both elmo and bunny

are more and more excited to go to swim lessons with daddy

can relax on your back in the water and scoop, scoop, scoop

have almost all of your teeth

are an iphone/blackberry expert

love to swing and go down the slide by yourself

push every button you can (including all of daddy's)

want to be outside all day long

can kick a ball like a soccer pro

are going to make an amazing big sister






















Thank you Aunt Kelly for sending this adorable outfit. Lillie really is kind of a big deal, don't you think? The weather here is nice and warm and we have the windows open today...perfect for wearing a tank top and tutu! Weekend here we come.






















Seriously. Just look at how cute Lillie is in her swimsuit. I just can't get enough. Our Saturday mornings are now the most fun of the entire week. Lillie has started taking swim lessons each Saturday and is absolutely giddy from the time we pull out her suit until we make it to the pool! She loves to run around the house in her swimsuit and nothing else...as it should be, I think. Then she gets to spend some quality one-on-one time with dad at the lessons, and she rocks! BUBBLES. She loves to blow bubbles and lay on her back in the water (not at the same time, of course)! Our little fish. I'm sure she'll be a pro at butterfly in no time.

















My birthday was last week and Conor made me these awesome red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles. Don't you just love the signature circle sprinkle on top? Red velvet is my all-time favorite, it's just so sad that Lillie couldn't enjoy these tasty treats (the whole egg allergy). Still, we didn't let any go to waste, I am eating for two after all! I had such a great day, Conor even made one of my favorites for dinner: creamed salmon on texas toast. It was all perfect. I'll be dreaming of those cupcakes until next year...

















For the past few months, I've been working on a very exciting project...my very first letterpress job! Annie and Brian were kind enough to ask me to make the invitations for their wedding coming up in June. It was so much fun and I really think that they turned out great. (Especially for being made on my little 5x8 Kelsey tabletop press.) I got to know my press up close and personal and can't wait to print more projects on it. I have a million ideas swirling around in my brain right now, I'm not sure how to choose which to do next. I'll post more photos of the invitation suite later...just want to make sure all the recipients actually receive them in the mail before seeing it on here!

















Happy Easter everyone! We had a great weekend full of visitors, good eating, and a trip to the aquarium. Aunt Catie and Andy were here for a quick one night visit, and Lillie was in heaven! On Easter morning, she woke up to find that the Easter Bunny hid eggs all around the living room, and she found every one of them (and all the goodies inside them). Afterwards, the gang headed to the Shedd Aquarium to see some cool fish and then back home for Easter lunch. In addition to all the Easter excitement, we had a big milestone happen on Friday. Our big girl used her potty for the first time! I know, some of you without kids might be a little turned off by this topic, but seeing that pee in the potty was one of the coolest things I've ever seen her do. (I'll spare you all the pictures we took of that milestone.) It hasn't happened again, but it will and we're patient...go Lillie!

Have You Heard the News?


















I'm going to be a big sister! Mom and Dad say the new baby will be here around September 30. I can't wait to be the best big sister EVER! As I learn to start sharing, I will open my blog to the whole family. I hope you enjoy the new look, a lot is changing with the new baby on its way. Make a note of the new blog address, but don't worry - if you go to the old one, you'll be automatically sent here.

Under Construction

It's been a long time since the last post, but please be patient! Lillie's blog is undergoing a facelift and there's exciting stuff to come! Check back soon.

Let the healing begin

Breaking News

Lillie's got a wrist fracture. Outlook is good, but she's in a half cast. We're assured that she won't lose her piano skills.

Back at Home


Lillie has started to enjoy sitting on anything that is just her size. She's found the desk a fun place to hang out and color. Thanks to Grandpa Murphy for carrying this heavy desk all the way home when he was kindergarten...saving it from a lifetime in the dump. I remember playing with this when I was little, and now Lillie is giving it some TLC too.

We're getting ready for a long weekend trip to Miami. Goodbye cold weather and snow...bring on the sun! Okay, even if it is supposed to rain our first couple of days there, bring on the warm weather!

Etc



While we were home, Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president (what a day!) so of course I snapped a shot for Lillie to always remember.



It was no secret who her favorite was while we were there...anywhere Carter went, Lillie went to. He's one cool cat!


And speaking of cool, Lillie's favorite place to hang out (when Carter wasn't around) was the fridge. Seriously, it was her favorite place! Those spices were rearranged more times than we can count. Now if we can just get her to like milk as much as playing with it.

Updates on Ohio


We've been back home for some time now, and I'm just getting around to posting...sorry everyone. Ohio was a lot of fun packed into one week. Lillie got to go sledding with all of her cousins and loved it! She even went down the (very little) hill all by herself! Such a big girl now. There were even a couple of snowboards around that the big kids perfecting. Someday Lillie, someday.