Quick Takes

1) I just finished my first semester at UMSL.  I am studying accounting in hopes that I will eventually sit for the CPA exam.  Accounting is interesting, but other areas of business interest me as well.  I enjoyed my finance class at Missouri State, so I may pursue a finance minor.  Guess we'll see what happens.  Thankfully I was able to get one semester down while being a full-time stay-at-home daddy with the little miss.

2) Gianna is fascinated with a photo album that my wife's mom gave to us.  She flips the pages back and forth, back and forth.  I am not quite sure why she likes it, but I think the crinkly sound of the pages might grab her attention.  

3) Only 11 days till Christmas!  Gianna's first--outside the womb--and I am pretty sure it will be the first one we get to celebrate in our own home!  The first couple of years we were either out of town or at my wife's parents' house.  This year we will be waking up in our cozy little apartment.  Hope Santa has time for a visit :)  

4) Next week is Gianna's godmother's birthday.  Auntie Carol will be__ on Dec. 19th.  Happy Birthday to a great fairy godmother!  (It's an inside joke that would take too long to explain).  

5) Gianna is a huge fan of frozen squash.  I baked a squash last week and froze the 'meat' in an ice tray.  After eating two cubes of it yesterday, I tried feeding her a banana, but she pointed to the empty squash dish and grunted.  I got more out for her, and boy was she a happy camper.

6) It was a great week of feast days in the Church's calendar.  St. Damasus I, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Lucy, and St. John of the Cross were honored this week.  According to a post on Facebook by my older brother, John, St. Damasus "commissioned St. Jerome to revise the Latin text of the Bible by producing a single 'Vulgate.'"  Cool deal.  May these great saints continue to pray for us!  

7) Speaking of the saints, last Saturday was the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  Besides being an awesome celebration, it was a day of remembering a miscarried child for Lauren and I.  Nicholas Marian went to God on this day in 2010.  Although it was a sad time for us, we have great hope that he--we both have a strong inkling that he was a boy--is praying for us in heaven.  Praise God for the gift of children!  

That's all for now.  Take care, everyone, and happy Advent!

What's Happenin'

It's been a long time since my last post.  Can't even remember what it was about.  Guess I need to go back to read it before I write this one.  Nah.

Anyway, so much seems to be happening these days in the Kelly home.  Gianna is learning new tricks and mommy and daddy are learning how to handle this growing child.  Recently, the baby girl got a runny nose.  It kind of happened all of a sudden.  We have been wiping it with basically whatever: napkin, towel, rag, our own hands.  It is messy, but it is worth every wipe.  I have used the NoseFrida--thanks Ted and Katie!--on her once, but she freaked out, so I've stuck with just wiping her down. 

On a much happier note, Gianna is walking on her own, shall I say it, two feet!  When we were down visiting my family in Springfield for Thanksgiving, she said heck with this holding on to people stuff and started taking steps.  She is moving all over the house now.  We are quickly figuring out how to baby-proof things before Gianna gets a hold of something.  Looks like the Christmas tree will be harder to figure out than I first thought.  We want to put it on a table or stand, but we think she will reach it.  Any suggestions on baby-proofing a Christmas tree are most welcome!

Gianna is eating a wider variety of solid foods.  To name a few: avocado, banana, sweet potato, apple sauce, squash, pickle.  She can pretty much eat an entire banana every morning when I feed it to her.  She has yet to start feeding herself, but she is getting there...baby steps :)

A couple of Saturdays ago, we attended a Mass of consecration of children to the Blessed Mother.  There were about 100 people in attendance.  Also in attendance was staff from the St. Louis Review, the archdiocesan newspaper.  The photographer took a few shots of Lauren and Gianna and of several other families.  This past week's edition came out on Thursday, and guess what?  Lauren and Gianna were on the front cover!  It's a pic of Lauren smiling at Gianna, and the caption reads "Keeping Watch over Families."  We have received many comments thru texts, phone calls, and Facebook.  I think the best one yet came from Lauren's doctor.  He said in his voice mail that the photographer did a good job of capturing motherhood in action.  I thought that was very kind of him to say.  It was also very thoughtful of him to even call knowing that he is a very busy man.  My girls are celebrities now...

One final note: Gianna visited Santa this past weekend.  She even sat on his lap.  Lauren wasn't able to go because she was proctoring the ACT, so I snapped a few shots of the baby for her.  See for yourself.  It's of Gianna looking up at Santa with the look that says "who is this guy?"

Happy Advent to all and God bless!