Another Milestone

As of about a week or so ago, Keira has been weaned off her bottles. She's taken to the sippy cup fairly well. I have to say there is something kind of sad about moving into the bottleless stage. It's confirmation that she's really no longer a baby and is becoming a big girl. But, with that comes new adventures and milestones. She's signing like crazy so that has helped us understand what she needs though she sometimes mixes up her signs and we have no idea what it is she needs. That is usually followed by a complete meltdown and tantrum. At this point her tantrums are kind of funny, but I hear they get worse. (Yikes!) She's definitely starting to babble and has most certainly starting saying "Dad", but it sounds like "Da" and no signs of saying "Mom" - what's up with that? Thought not discernable except by those closest to her, she also says book, ball, duck (more of a quack than the actual word), etc. It's so fun waiting to see what's going to come out of her mouth next...

Where Did the Weekend Go?

We've had a busy and fun weekend, but can't believe how quickly it went by. We started Saturday with swim lessons before heading out to Afton for William's 1st birthday party. It was a bit of a drive, but it was very scenic and well timed. Keira took her first nap all the way there. What a beautiful day and location for a birthday party!

Keira enjoyed exploring the yard with Mark before grabbing a bite to eat - yummy cheese!

There's the birthday boy, William, enjoying the pool - he's so relaxed in the water! Happy 1st Birthday!!

After Will's birthday, we went straight to Renee and Scott's baby shower in Minneapolis. It was so great and laid back - a barbecue, beer and fun company. We enjoyed a nice late lunch, met some new people and chased Keira all over the yard and into the alley in the back. She had a terrific time. Congrats Renee and Scott - we can't wait until Taco makes his/her appearance in September!!

Here's the mama-to-be, Renee. She's had a great pregnancy and looks great too despite the warm weather.

Here's Mark after he chased Keira down in the alley and dragged her back. She's such a funny kid.

Later that evening we hosted some of our family for dinner and a mean game of croquet before the boys headed off to Leprechaun Days in downtown Rosemount - whoo hoo! The fireworks were terrific and everyone had a great time. Needless to say, Saturday was a very busy day.

After the busy Saturday, we were thankful for a low-key Sunday. We spent it playing with Keira, doing laundry and running a couple of errands, but nothing too taxing. I just wish we had one more day before starting the work week. Ho hum.

We hope you all had a terrific weekend and remember to enjoy the rest of the summer! Before we know it, the leaves will be changing colors again.

Back at Retail

I worked in one of our Best Buy stores while in Denver. I was on my feet a lot and boy did they hurt by the end of it all! So did my back, legs, etc. I am out of shape! I definitely couldn't work retail again. It was different when I was 16, but now that I'm twice that age (eeek!) my body can't handle it. I had a great time, however, talking with the employees and customers. I do miss that part of it, but again, don't know if I could handle that day in and day out, especially if I had to deal with whiny and demanding customers. I'm going to have to work out or something to get ready for the Grand Opening of OUR team's store. This was like a practice! That grand opening is Oct 4 - mark your calendars my Colorado friends. I expect you to be there! Here's a picture of our team that day for the store in Centennial.

From left to right...Sam, Blake, Kirstin, Bob, Diane, me and Britt

Away from Home

This is the longest I've been away from home since Keira was born. It's the 3rd day and I'm getting a bit homesick. I called Mark and Keira this morning. Hearing them was both comforting and heartbreaking. I never thought I'd be a parent who's so attached to her baby, but admittedly, I am. The ironic thing is I've looked forward to traveling thinking I'd catch up on some sleep, but that hasn't happened on any of my trips. I either don't sleep well or I get the same amount of sleep I do at home. I'm also used to being constantly busy so I go a bit nutty when I actually have some down time in my room. I can only focus and be distracted by work for so long. Fortunately I have some great colleagues with me who have helped me stay focused on work and unwind at the end of the day. I'm lucky to work with such great people.

Yesterday I worked in a store helping them get ready for their grand opening which is tomorrow evening. I learned quite a few things and got to witness the retail team in action. It has been an eye-opening experience. I'm amazed at the energy and team dynamics in the field. There's nothing they can't do and they are nimble and flexible, rolling with the punches and having fun along the way. Their energy is contagious. Today I'll be helping at a store event they're hosting specifically for women. It should be a great event and I'm eager to interact with the retail folks and customers. I'll be helping by sharing the story of our new store formats. I'm curious to find out our customers' reactions first-hand. Hopefully Best Buy is going in the right direction.

More later...

Writing from Denver

I'm on another trip to Denver for work and managed to get hooked up to the Internet this time. Unfortunately I still can't access my work e-mail (except through the web which is a pain) and files through VPN. Oh, well. I'm hoping to connect at the store tomorrow. ANYWAY, at least I have Internet access and can entertain myself, even if for a brief time. And, I can read and respond to messages on a basic level. That helps. It's no fun to return from traveling to a mountain of e-mail messages.

We had a fun weekend. Keira especially liked the park/playground near our house. It's a nice walk for us and she has a fun time. She generally bypasses the toys and equipment and likes to go straight to the rocks - interesting girl, our daughter. I also got her on camera dancing (finally). It's so funny and sometimes she gets really into it. She's quite the entertainer. Check it out. (There is volume on the video so just a warning to turn your volume down if you're at work.)

Some have asked what Keira's doing these days, so hope this gives you an idea. She's so much fun and cracks us up all the time.

• Words (not always discernable): Uh-oh, bye, hi, ball, dad (da)...but, no mom - so sad
• She understands a lot. If you ask her, she'll get her blankie, baby, duck, ball or book for you.
• She's finally eating table foods though she still only eats when she wants to, but we're making progress. She ate almost an entire slice of pizza the other day. I jumped for joy.
• She's got 6 visible teeth so far and we think she's been teething the past week, but aren't sure - I don't see anything else popping through just yet
• She runs all over the place and enjoys playing games - chasing her, singing, tickling - some of her faves
• She's actually fitting into 12 month clothing, mind you she's almost 14 months old

The 4th and Our Future Fire Fighter

Keira spent the 4th of July weekend with her grandparents. That worked out really well for everyone. I desperately needed to rest and am still recovering from the most vicious cold I've had in a long time. Keira was able to spend time with her grandparents before they head off to Georgia for the upcoming year. She had a great time! Here she is at breakfast at the local Panera. She's a regular whenever she's in Rochester.

The kids played dress up at daycare today. Check out our little fire fighter. It's never too early to start planning for the future!

Sick

After a little over a year of not getting anything more than the sniffles, I am full blown sick and am so cranky! I can't take time off work right now b/c we're in the middle of some MAJOR projects. You all know that I'm the first to stay home when sick not wanting to infect people, but unfortunately my projects involve working sessions and meetings that are just too difficult to conduct over the phone. So, I'm going to grin and bear it through my chills, sore throat, cough, etc. Please send some pity my way!

I just hope I don't get Keira sick (though she does have a cough she can't seem to get rid of) b/c her grandparents are going to take her this Fri-Sat to spend time with her before they go on their next adventure with Americorp in Georgia. Mark and I will definitely take advantage of the freedom that gives us. I'm just bummed about the prospect of resting more than actively enjoying the time off, but I need to shake this cold. Poor Mark has had to deal with my crankiness for a couple of days now.

Next week wraps up some major projects, but then I'm off to Denver again July 14-17 for another big project. Mark's been such a trooper with holding the fort down and taking care of Keira. I guess I can't complain when it's his time to travel for work. That's all for now.