It's Cold Here

Colds are all around...first Conor, now Lillie. We just got back from the dr and we're hoping the fever comes down in time for Halloween tomorrow. If not, she just might wear her costume inside all day!

Take a Stand

Conor put together a cute little update for you all...enjoy!

Getting Ready for Halloween!

Yes, we have returned from the dead. I've gotten many requests to update the blog, so here it is! Lillie has gotten three more teeth since the last post, and she has added a few words to her vocabulary. They still sound mostly the same, but Mom and Dad can tell what they are! We've become proficient in baby speak. Lillie has also started standing on her own, a little bit longer each time. It seems that walking is just around the corner. For Halloween, we'll be heading to Southport for the Trick or Treat walk. Kids don't go door-to-door here, bummer. We'll still carve some pumpkins for the front stoop and roast up some pumpkin seeds. Lillie's costume is too cute to write about, you'll have to wait for the pictures!



We had a visit from Aunt Moira a couple weeks ago and headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was awesome. Another visit is in order...very soon. We barely scratched the surface!

Here are a few candids for you all to get your Lillie fix...until next time!

Where's YOUR Belly Button?

So much has been going on is the past couple of weeks. We had a visit from Grandma Zola and Grandpa John last week. Lillie had a blast hanging out with them while I got most of our boxes unpacked. Whew. They both worked so hard to get a kiss from Lillie before going back to Ohio, but she's not ready to give kisses out to anyone other than Mom and Dad right now.



Lillie has started climbing stairs, a lot of them, and all the time! She's so proud when she reaches the top. She also knows where her toes are, and cutest of all, where her belly button is! She has a lot of fun showing off her belly button...and then waits for the tickle to come afterward. Lillie has three teeth now (which she has learned is perfect for grinding...eeks!) And now she loves to "talk" on the phone, and boy does her phone gets a lot of use (that is, her hand over her ear.)


A nice co-worker of Conor gave Lillie a cute tractor with a set of Little People. There's a cow and chicken which she loves to imitate. It's her new favorite...don't even try taking it away. "Moooooo!"

Splish Splash, Taking a Bath

The weekend came and went with no sign of the sun. Since we couldn't go outside to play, we thought we'd bring the water inside! Lillie loves her bath, it's the highlight of every day. Plus, she gets to hang out with her favorite pal, Rubber Duckie.

Music class was a blast last week. Lots of new friends, loud instruments, and great songs got Lillie excited. I'll try to take some pictures or maybe even a video to post in the next few weeks.

Da-Da, Ma-Ma, Ball, & Duck

These are all words that Lillie now understands and can say back to us! Of course, "ball" and "duck" sound exactly the same, but she can find and bring each one to us when asked. And she will also wave to anyone who says "hello" or "goodbye," and loves to clap when you suggest it. Lillie seems to be developing at lightning speed now, it's so amazing to watch. Tomorrow we start music class, which she's sure to love.

Over the weekend, our friends Justin and Karen were in town and we got to see baby Annie again. The girls were so cute together. Lillie was such a big girl holding Annie for the pictures...and as you can see, Lillie's already learned a thing or two from Grandpa Tim (see her hand on Annie's head - "for scale.")

The Month in Review

Hello again! Wow, it's been a long time since our last update, and so much has happened. We're getting settled in our new place in Chicago, and finally have all our familiar tools handy again. How did we ever live without the internet?? Alright folks, settle in because this will probably be one of the longest entries here on Lillie's Blog. I promise not to let this much time pass by again without an update!



After we left Boston for good, we spent a quick couple of days in the corporate apartment in Chicago and then left for Alaska for the baptisms of Shanleigh and Collin. Conor was the godfather for Collin. It was a great ceremony (where Timmy and Terrill also got "married"). Much of the family was able to be there, which was great.



While we were there, we were able to see Jon and Julie's new baby girl...and is she ever beautiful. Four days came and went in the blink of an eye, but Lillie had a lot of fun being there and hanging out with Shanleigh and Collin.

Back in Chicago, we closed on our new place and had just enough time to arrange for some work to be done on it before heading to Ohio for a wedding and the Street Fair. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera for Joshua and Sema's big night, but it was a beautiful ceremony outdoors in Lancaster.


Conor wasn't able to stay for the street fair, but Lillie and I went to the first night before heading back to our new home. Running into some familiar faces is always fun, and of course I made sure to stop at the cheerleader's Lemon Shake-Up booth.


Cobi was scheduled to dance with her group during the judges break for Little Miss Firefighter. Those little girls were so cute...and glad to know they all knew what to do in case of a fire. Cobi danced her tail off and entertained the crowd! Before Lillie and I left, we took a ride down the fun slide...maybe next year she'll like it better.


Cobi, Carter, and Claudia were on hand for Lillie's first time in a "real" swing, and boy did she LOVE it.



Back in Chicago, we moved into our new place during the weekend of the big Air & Water Show. Planes were flying around everywhere in the city. It was great timing since we had to pack up all of our things in the corporate apartment on the 30th floor. We had a great view right from our living room!

Since being here, Lillie has gone to a Cubs and a White Sox game, seen several relatives, and hit several parks and playgrounds. She's standing up on anything and everything...including walls. A second tooth has started coming in and she can't stop saying "Da-da-da-da." She's sleeping through the night again and is loving having her crib back.

We still have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do, but we're slowly getting through it all.