Bring it

Little Miss Mizzou is ready for the big game. Go Tigers!

Too much talky-talky

Okay, since I'm a dweeb and still love to read the comics, this won't come as much of a surprise. I read Baby Blues this morning, and I'm pretty sure the above comic depicts what happened at the Thole family dinner table, oh, just about every night from 1980-1994.

My parents love to say that Sherri started talking when I went to college. Sherri, of course, loves to tell the story about how the first night it was just the three of them at the dinner table, my parents looked at my empty chair, turned to Sherri and gave her a look that said "Well?"

I can't help it, I love to talk. Lucky for Chip, having this blog allows me to share my inane babbling with everyone else. After all, my loved ones shouldn't have to suffer alone.

Three it is

Today marks our little lady's three-month birthday. This, of course, means that not only is Mary Clare getting up there in the months, but that I am also back at work. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

Being at work all day has definitely cut into the time I can spend staging photo sessions with Mary Clare. And well, that just sucks for all of us. However, instead of cutting back on the Kodak moments, I may just put Mary Clare through her photographic paces every evening after bath time. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be fine with my decision to choose photos over food and clean clothes.

But enough about me and my photo obsession. The past month brought us a wealth of firsts and continued delights. Mary Clare laughed once (but only for me, so I know Chip questions this), and she repeatedly flips over from her stomach to her back (but never for the video camera). She coos and gurgles up a storm, and tonight she even tooted in the tub. Talk about tiny little bubbles. Last week she tipped the scales at 10 lbs., 10 oz., and she is finally getting a bit of chub on her. Mary Clare is one smiley little girl, and I think that might be what makes me the happiest of all.

Now, if you love the baby smiles as much as I do, click here to see how our little lady spent the time leading up to her big three-month birthday. She's a cute one, that Mary Clare.

Making fifth disease look good

Considering Mary Clare is now a daycare baby, I really shouldn't be making light of childhood ailments, but I have to say, my nephew Brennan sure does come up with some humdingers. Last summer he had a case of the horribly-named hand, foot and mouth, which Chip still refers to as hoof and mouth. Now it looks like poor little B has fifth disease. While Sherri had a momentary panic when Brian called and said the reason for Brennan's fever and fussiness was because of something called a disease, a quick Google search confirmed that it is actually just a rash caused by a virus. So, sweet little B is now sporting the "slapped cheek" look. It's very chic this year.

Luckily this latest virus hasn't slowed him down, and Sherri was able to get some pictures of him walking -- yes, walking -- yesterday. Click here for more of the squawker (and pointer) in action. I think the bright pink cheeks make me love him even more.

Make it a double

While we're fairly certain Chip, mongrel that he is, passed nary a bit of Irish blood onto Miss Mary Clare, she still likes to play along with the wearing o' the green. Newborns hate to get pinched, after all, so better safe than sorry.

Have a great St. Patrick's day, and click here if you want to check out a few more pictures of the little lassie in her fine green.

Flabbergasted

While on the phone this morning with my friend Kara, out of the blue she asked me a question. But this was no ordinary question. No sir, this was a parenting question.

Well, I'm sorry, but my jaw about hit the floor. Kara, mother of two and parent extraordinaire, actually had a child-related question for newbie mother me. Okay, she wasn't really looking for advice so much as confirmation that Delaney's current fitful sleeping streak is something Mary Clare also did, but still. Someone actually asked me about a parenting matter. I have to tell you, it felt good. Hopefully it made Kara feel good as well, from a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel standpoint, at least.

Now I just need our friend Jenny to have her baby so I can really impress her with my mad parenting skills.

No fair

Sigh. Chip gets to be in all the good photos. Never mind that he was the one reading to Mary Clare during the all-important (yet annoyingly named) tummy time, while I was off checking Facebook. It's still not fair, I tell you.

But it is awfully stinking cute.

The KC cousin

We had a jolly old time in Kansas City this past weekend. Brennan was the consummate host, showing Mary Clare around the shopping plaza and giving her lots of love pounds. Love pounds, you ask? Yes, that's correct. Love pounds. I would love to call them love pats, but until Brennan masters the "gentle" concept, I think we're stuck with the pounds.

All in all, it was a great visit, and despite shooting Mary Clare a few dirty looks, I do think B loves his little cousin. For instance, he made sure that Mary Clare had her binkie in place while Sherri changed her diaper. Yes, he was quite adamant that it go in her mouth, no matter how much grunting and pushing it took to get it there. He's a helper, that one. B even took a few steps in honor of her visit. The boy walks, but only on his own terms. The secret to his walking success is that when he walks independently, he doesn't actually know he's doing it. Hence, it's important not to make a big fuss whenever he takes a few steps, so no loud celebrating, thank you very much. The solution? Golf claps. When Brennan took some steps on Saturday night, Brian, Sherri and I sat there and gave him a nice round of golf claps. Absurd, yet appropriate.

To see more pictures of B in the bath and the cousin photo shoot, click here and view 'itil you can view no more.

I'll go ahead and say what you're surely thinking

Damn, those Thole girls sure do make some cute babies.

I know, right? It's not fair that this much cuteness has been bestowed upon one family, but when you got it, you got it.

How Denis and Mary handle the pressure of having such perfect grandchildren, I'll never know. Surely they are the envy of all their friends.

Because I can

I ask you, kind reader, is there anything better than the baby with a remote photo op? I didn't think so.

I tend to get a little stir-crazy on the nights when Chip has class, so who knows what my trusty camera and I will try next. Maybe a nice photo of Mary Clare plugging away at the Mac, posting her own little contribution to TB? My big plan, of course, is to fit Buddy with a saddle and let him take Mary Clare on a few laps through the house. That will have to wait until she can hold up her head, of course. I do have some parenting standards.

Delighted by the daddy

I can talk, laugh and sing to her all the live long day, but the second Chip walks in the room, Mary Clare is all ears. And smiles. And coos. Oh sure, she makes him work for it, but I'm throwing some pretty good material at her, too, and still I get nothing. However, being the less entertaining parent does allow me to snap pictures of the smiles Chip gets so easily. He's a charmer, that one.

Since we're now officially into Mary Clare's third month, that means we are also 20 photos into the official Third Month photo set. Click here if you want to check them out. It's all very official, of course.

I can't put down my arms!

Brennan is just bringing out all the good quotes from "A Christmas Story" these days. First he's eating like a little piggie, and now he can't put down his arms.

You gotta love a kid who can convince his dad to run around a snowy yard in his tennis shoes, though. And because they are part of the package -- as Sherri likes to remind us -- you also have to love Brennan's two crazy snow-loving dogs. Sherri said Hunter and Holly happily tromped around the yard, and were it not for their antics, they would perfectly blend into the snowy landscape.

Click here for a few more pictures of the pink-cheeked cutie and his two nutty pups enjoying Kansas City's most recent snowfall.