...Sent Birthday Wishes to Chicago

Carmelle, you think you're special because it's your birthday today. That's complete nonsense... you're special every day! Seriously though, may the best of your wishes be the least of what you get.

Happy Birthday,
Wade, Megan, Cecilia & Finn

...Got Hurt Bone

Last night Daddy went somewhere with neighbor John, so Mommy and I made a date to watch Disney's Enchanted and eat sunflower seeds and popcorn - our favorites. I liked the movie okay, but I wish the characters would have stayed pretend instead of real.

I also ate way too much food because I got what I call hurt bone. When I told my Mommy about my hurt bone she keep making me repeat myself. "I said hurt bone, MOM!" [Geez]
She laughed a lot and then told me she calls it heartburn. Same difference.

~ CECI

...Finally Finished The Birthday Video [Geez]

I have finally finished the video from Finnegan's first birthday party. We have had a very busy summer so far and I have the bruises to prove it...literally.

After things calmed down, I went to finish this project only to discover that Vista and Windows Movie Maker do not like each other. Every time I went to publish this video, a huge green bar would appear on the bottom of the screen smooshing my lovely video up at the top. After several attempts to finalize it, and a lot of nasty words, I finally Googled, "Windows Movie Maker Green Bar." Eureka! I found out I am not alone in my video publishing pain, but more importantly I discovered a blog post with a solution. Alleluia!

So without further ado, please enjoy Finnegan's First Birthday Party caught on film.

...Prayed for Sofia

Special request...baby Sofia Miller needs our prayers and postive energy. She is being admitted to the PICU at Children's Mercy this afternoon because she has reherniated - allowing bowel to move up in her chest. They also see an obstruction in her bowel. She will be undergoing yet another surgery tonight. She is an amazing baby who has gone through so much already. My heart just aches for her parents.

Please keep the Miller family in your thoughts.

...Added to Our Gallery

shown left to right: Aphrodite (my cat), Me, my Daddy and Finnie.
Not shown, my Mommy because she is in my tummy. You can't really see her.

Ceci

...Continued a Tradition

Wade's home town of Lecompton, Kansas has quite a background. It is known as "the political birthplace of the American civil war.” Lecompton was the official capital of the Kansas Territory from 1855 to 1861 and played an important role in Kansas and United States history. The Lecompton Constitution was written there and ignited a chain of events that divided the nation and helped lead to the Civil War. It was debated on the floor of Congress and in the President’s office. Okay...I feel like I am writing a paper for school [shuddering].

Every third weekend in June the town celebrates its history with Territorial Days. Wade gets giddy with excitement in the days leading up to this annual event. His family convenes at Grandma and Grandpa Weeks’ house for the day as they live within seconds of all the action. We arrive early on Saturday morning and do not leave until the very end. A tradition every Leomptonian cannot miss out on or they will be shunned by family and friends. Believe me; we still get slack for the few times we had to miss it.

The festival has all the typical all American flair: a parade full of Shriners, carnival games & rides, yummy food, a talent contest, a turtle race [did not find one to race this year, bummer.] tricycle races [Cecilia won 3rd place and won $2 even though she cried the whole time.] and grand finale - a street dance featuring music by a favorite local band, Nodding Lizards. This year marked the first time we allowed Cecilia to stay up for the street dance. Did she enjoy it?...uh, let me just say that her and I were THE FIRST people dancing in the street. She wowed us with her dance moves for roughly 2 solid hours. We had a blast.


Finnegan enjoying the Parade.


Cecilia bought a huge snow cone with her race winnings.


Finn could have stayed in this swing all day...except when it was time to eat.


She always picks the Mustang. Smart girl.

...Visited the Doctor

Mr. Finn [nickname back by popular demand] enjoyed a visit to his doctor this afternoon for a 12 month well baby check up. All went swimmingly. Developmentally he is doing all the things a happy healthy little boy should be doing... like putting objects inside each other, pointing at what he wants and shows definite understanding of a few simple words. NO being the one he hears the most. He can even stack blocks. Five of them to be exact. A feat typically accomplished by a 19 month old baby. What?...am I bragging? Yes. Yes, I am. His growth is most excellent too, continuing nicely on a perfect little curve. I know all you fellow mommies are waiting to hear his stats, so here goes:

• 24 lbs. 1 oz. [60th percentile]
• 32 inches [95th percentile]

Because I was curious, I spent 15 minutes digging Cecilia's growth charts out of my cedar chest to...yes, compare them. Cecilia weighed slightly less at 22 lbs. 4 oz., but they both measured at 32 inches. No big surprise, but still interesting... and probably just to me.

Wade and I have been working on a video of Mr. Finn's birthday party. It is our first attempt at editing video with Windows Movie Maker. Fun, yet challenging. Kudos to film editors who do this everyday. Hopefully we will get that video uploaded this week. In the mean time, here are some of my favorite shots from his BBQ blowout...