Happy 1st Birthday, Nola!!!

Nola is 1!!! What a year she has had...she arrived at 5:42 am on 9/16/07 and has been busy ever since. She is a really great baby - started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks (even though it was in the swing, it still counts) - rolled over at 4 months - sat up at 6 months - started crawling at 8 months - pulling up days later - and walking at 11 months!!
She is a fantastic eater - loves bananas, pancakes, cantelope, watermelon, carrots, sweet potatoes, black beans. But her favorite 2 things so far are cheese and ice cream.
Nola woke up on her birthday ready for a fun day. After a pretty quick breakfast we packed up and took Reagan to preschool. We then picked up Cassidy and headed to the party store to pick up plates, napkins and order balloons for Nola's party. She was happy to walk around the store and Cassidy was trying to keep her from touching everything - it was a losing battle. After coming to home to play for a while it was time to go back and pick up Reagan at school. Once again, Nola didn't want to leave Reagan's preschool room - too bad for her it will be another 3 years before she gets to stay there.
Since everyone was in a good mood we headed for Hallmark and then Trader Joe's. Reagan was picking out a card that played music for Nola - and Nola danced with each one she opened. The ladies at Hallmark thought Nola was too cute as she walked around carrying my credit cards.
At Trader Joe's Reagan and Cassidy each got their own cart and we headed in. After stopping for the pasta snack (which they all loved and I bought) Nola pushed Reagan's cart a little, but when she kept crashing into the shelves, I gave her a box of cereal bars to carry and she walked the rest of the way without incident.
After a good morning and afternoon nap, Nola was ready to celebrate. We were lucky enough to be joined by Papa, Grandpa John & Grandma Jane. Nola enjoyed her Giron's cheese pizza and then it was time for presents. Nola got an adorable brown jumper - and she loved taking it out of the pretty bag. She got her first Madame Alexander huggums and bottles - she was quickly hugging and carrying her baby around before feeding her the bottle. (Reagan said she should name her Julia - just like her huggums - but we will let Nola name her when she can). Nola also liked the ball game that Reagan gave her - it has a hammer and 4 balls, what can be better?! Pat & I gave her a ride and spin pony that also has some interactive games on the TV. She loved getting on it and bouncing around.
Then it was time for cake. Reagan had picked out the cake, so we obviously had chocolate. We gave Nola a piece and it was easy to see...she is definitely a Mulcrone! She shoved huge pieces in her mouth - and loved each moment - we heard lots of 'numa numa' during dessert. Pat also gave her some ice cream and a spoon so that was fun to watch.
We are so blessed to have Nola in our family. Its so fun to watch how quickly she learns new things and how funny she is. She will sometimes make herself laugh which, in turn, makes us laugh. She loves to give hugs (and says 'awww' as she is hugging you). One of the funny things she does is to take Reagan's cup away. When Reagan isn't looking she will walk over and quickly snag her cup and start drinking. I think she realizes that Reagan's juice isn't as watered down as hers and (even better) sometimes Reagan has chocolate milk!! She is definitely forming her own personality and doesn't let Reagan (or others) push her around. She easily figures people out - ie, she knows that Uncle Mike is a softy and will hold her if she cries, she knows the nice ladies in the church nursery will hold her as well. She is so much fun and we can't wait to watch her this year and for many, many years to follow. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of her first year of life - we hope you will continue to be in her (and our) lives and continue to pray for Nola as she continues to grow!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I don't have any pictures for this post, but did want to let you know what we did today. When we were driving from church to South Holland my mom called to ask if Pat had old clothes with him - my first thought was 'what project does dad need help with today?' - but she then told me that my Uncle Nick needed help moving things out of the shop and my Aunt Karen was calling the village to get sand and bags for their house.
So Pat went right over there and I waited until the girls and I had lunch and then headed over myself. I knew I wasn't going to be much help moving furnaces so I joined the sandbagging efforts. I had never filled sandbags before - and now I can say I have. We finished the first pile of sand that was delivered and then had to wait for another load to get there. While we waited, people started putting the sandbags around their garage and house.
While we were there, the lake that once was the adjoining parking lot was inching closer and closer to their house. I guess the water had been rising 3 inches an hour, but before we were done it was only rising 1 inch an hour.
The next load of sand arrived - this time it was 2 piles - so we started up again. There was plenty of help so we were able to get them filled pretty quickly. Once we were done we headed to my parent's house for dinner and to rest.
As we were getting closer to our house tonight we could see things were getting worse here. 1st Avenue was closed, Prairie was closed and we could see the water from Salt Creek on Washington. As soon as we opened our back door I knew our basement was not dry. Sure enough our carpeting was all wet. Luckily we did not have any standing water - just really wet carpet. So Pat started, and I finished, using the dry vac to get some of the water out of the carpet. It is still damp, but much better.
The news is saying most of the rivers and creeks have not crested, so we are praying that we don't get more water overnight or tomorrow. Otherwise we will be back downstairs repeating tonights fun times!

First Day of Preschool

We now officially have a preschooler in our house! Reagan started preschool this week. Tuesday her and I went for a 1 hour orientation session. The kids were able to play while the teachers talked to the parents about parties, field trips, crafts, etc. When it was time to clean up I was helping Reagan and she asked me if it was now time for a snack. I explained that she was only there for an hour, so there would not be a snack. She was already disappointed when she realized that she hadn't done a craft either - an hour obviously wasn't enough time for her.
On Thursday she had her first 'full day' (2 1/4 hours) of preschool. She woke up before 8 - so that made our first day of getting ready easier. She was very excited and couldn't wait to put her princess backpack on. (This was the 2nd backpack - the first one I bought was cute and small, but after orientation I had to return it because it didn't fit a 8x11 piece of paper)
It was a great trip to school - we prayed for Reagan's day and year of preschool and for her teachers and new friends. It was the perfect way to start her schooling years.
After stopping outside to take her picture we headed in to her school and room. The board outside her room tells what they will do that day - what snack they will have, what they will learn about, if they will play outside, etc. Reagan found her cubbie and put her bag away. I told her that I would show her the bathroom so in case she needed to use it, she would know where it was. She said 'mom, I saw it when we came in.' (obviously ready for preschool)
She washed her hands (as they must do everyday) and then sat down at the table to color with markers. I kissed her and Nola and I headed out to the van.
I do have to say it was a weird feeling to leave her at school. I knew she was fine and would love it, but it was a milestone day - her first day of school. Nola and I hung out at home and then went down the block to see Michelle and Nate.
When we got back to pick her up they were just coming in from the playground. After they were settled in the room we were able to go in and get them. They were all sitting at tables waiting with their backpacks on. We had to stop and get her first craft - her handprints. There was a small hole in the paint in the print on her left hand, she explained to me that that is where her ouchie is so she didn't put paint on it. Her teacher overheard and nodded in agreement. (This was from when she fell on her way into dance class last week - over a week ago - but somethings last a long time)
She told me she had a good time and they played on the playground. She also told me the teachers told them they wouldn't see them for 4 days - we have heard that many times since Thursday. She asked me to pray again on the way home, and we did.
We are looking forward to a great year of preschoo. I think we will have a lot of funny stories to tell.

Maureen & Roy's Wedding Day

What a gorgeous day it was on Saturday - a perfect day for Maureen & Roy's wedding. We had a quiet morning of baths and TV time and getting ready. I took Reagan to get her hair done at Symmetry - and it turned out great! I thought it would look good, but it surpassed my expectations.
We stopped for Mc Donald's for Reagan on the way to the church. We had to wake Nola up from her nap, so she hadn't eaten either. When we got to St Paul we took the girls downstairs and got them dressed.
Then Nola had her first tailgate - we put Reagan's Conlonfest tshirt over Nola's dress and set her up in the back of the van for lunch. It worked out just fine and makes for a good story.
Maureen looked fabulous! From her dress, to her hair, to her makeup - she looked perfect and definitely had the bride glow!
We took pictures outside St Paul before the wedding and then headed inside to wait for the wedding to begin.
By about 2:00 Reagan was asking when it would be her turn - obviously not afraid of walking down the aisle. At 2:30 we were able to tell her it was about time.
She did a great job as the flower girl. Before she walked down the aisle Pat told her to smile the whole time - and she did!
Maureen walked up the aisle with Pat & Loretta - not an easy feat with the length of St Paul's aisle - but it was a great moment.
As soon as the music started during the ceremony Reagan started doing her ballet moves. I tried not to laugh and told her she couldn't do that in church. She tried to contain herself, but every once in a while I would see her toe being pointed and tapping and her arms lifting up. Nola, on the other hand, didn't make it through much of the ceremony. She decided she would talk loudly once the priest started talking and then she started waving at Pat up on the alter. Luckily my dad was sitting close by and took her out of the church.
The rest of the ceremony went very well. Oh, except for when Reagan had to go to the bathroom 'bad' while we were kneeling in the front of the church.
We had some down time in between the church and reception so we were able to hang out at the Mulcrone's. It was good to be able to see family and friends and just relax.
My parents then took both of the girls to drop Nola off with Michelle. I thought Reagan would fall asleep in the car, but I was wrong.
The reception was so much fun! Pat was seated at the head table and I sat with John & Connie, Micky & Bunny, Father Joe and another couple. We had a great time - and the highlight was watching Danny take the trays the servers used to put the serving trays on and hiding them under his table. It was so funny to watch the servers come out and look so confused because they couldn't put their trays down.
Reagan sat with my parents through dinner. When dinner was done she was one of the first people on the dance floor. She was so excited to have so much room to show off her moves. At one point she was the only one on the dance floor - yes, she is so shy!
When 9:30 rolled around it was time for Reagan to get her pajamas on and go to Cassidy's for a sleep over. She was tired by then, and actually ready to go. Cori, Aly and Cassidy all came to pick her up. As she got in the car, Reagan said that she would be staying there for 3 days.
So, being kid-free, we were able to fully enjoy the rest of the reception. We caught up with friends and family and had time to dance. Not too much dancing for Pat, but that's ok.
The reception ended at midnight and there were still plenty of people hanging out. We got the presents loaded up and took Pat, Loretta and Roy home. Yes, Roy. He and Maureen needed a ride home, so the Funks took Maureen and we took Roy since neither car could fit both of them.
Pat and I got home close to 2. We thought about eating some of the wedding cake then, but decided we were too tired. We also knew we would be getting Nola back by 8am so needed to sleep.
It was a wonderful day and such a great time. We are thrilled to have Roy join our family - and so happy for him and Maureen.

Practice Makes Perfect

Both of the girls are sleeping right now - a beautiful thing - both are recovering from a big weekend - Maureen & Roy's wedding!!!
Friday evening we ventured to St Paul of the Cross for the wedding rehearsal. It was an extremely well-run rehearsal and everyone was well behaved. Reagan was so excited to be practicing to be the flower girl and couldn't wait to get started. When the priest was telling Trish & Grace just to speak in their normal voice because the sound system was really good, Grace rose her hand and told him that 'we go to school here' - interpreted, don't bother with the details, I know what I am doing.
It was then time to practice leaving the church. Reagan was busy doing her Color Wonders, and had to get up fast to take her turn but was carrying the markers and book. When she got to the aisle, before walking down, she simply handed the markers and book to the priest and walked down the aisle. It was quite funny.
The rehearsal dinner was at EPI (Edison Park Inn). It was great because we had a side party room and were by ourselves. Reagan & Nola really enjoyed playing with Trish, Grace, Kate & Maive. Reagan was excited that Kate's shoes fit her and Nola was excited to hug Maive and then hold on to her back as she walked away - wish I could have gotten that on video.
It was fun to meet all of Roy's family and to visit with our family that was in from out of town. We all (including Nola) enjoyed the pizza and the company. We headed home to rest up for the big day...

Happy Birthday, Grandma

This past Tuesday Grandma Jane celebrated her birthday! We were able to celebrate with her on Monday afternoon. It was a great party with Arnello's pizza and lots of great desserts.
Before the big day I asked Reagan what she thought we should buy Grandma for her birthday. I was expecting her to say 'a bike', as that has been her suggestion for everyone else's birthday - including Grandpa John and Grandma Loretta. But she thought about it a while and then said 'a scooter'. Too bad that wasn't on Grandma's list!!
When Grandma was about to open her presents, Reagan told her, 'that's just clothes' - nothing like ruining the surprise and making it sound not so exciting. But Grandma was really excited with her clothes - even though her grandchildren didn't think they were so great.

Walk this Way

Nola is walking!!! She started about the middle of last week and just keeps on moving. But of course, when she has her walking shoes on she doesn't walk too much. I remember that Reagan did the same thing.
It is so weird to be in the kitchen and just watch her walk through the living room - like it is no big deal. She definitely walks better with something in her hand - I think it distracts her.
So we will enjoy the slow pace walk while we can - we know the running won't be too far behind!
** You can check out short videos I have attached - just a short walk in each one - then she was more interested in playing with her sister's markers while she is resting.

Labor Day

We love long weekends! So this past Labor Day weekend was just what we needed. After the bachelor and bachelorette parties, we were ready for a restful Monday.
We headed over to Maloney's for their pool party. Reagan had fallen asleep in the car and slept for almost an hour while we enjoyed the party. After she woke up she was ready to get in the pool with Roisin and have fun! Pat was ready to cool off so he swam with her. She did a great job with her floats and noodle - she told us she was practicing to swim on her back so she wouldn't cry. I got Nola ready and handed her off to Pat in the pool. She was happy to be hanging out with her dad and sister. We got her a float and she was having a great time playing with that and the water. (I guess the Y swim classes are paying off!)
After a couple hours we had to get out of the pool and head to South Holland for Grandma Jane's birthday party. Reagan obviously wasn't ready to leave, but she knew Leo was waiting for her so that made is a little easier. Thanks to the Maloney's for a great party!

Maureen's Night Out

Saturday night was Maureen's bachelorette party - her last night of freedom!?! Colleen hosted everyone at her house and then we walked to Cafe LaGuardia for dinner. After a long wait (didn't try the sangria before dinner since I had to drive Kris and I home) - we were seated and served paella (yum), Cuban nachos, appetizer sample and, of course, sangria. What a great dinner and fun company. Barbara joined us late in the dinner, but was still able to enjoy the fun.
We stopped at the Old Man bar on the way back to Colleen's. Definitely a local hangout - but good deals on the beer!
When we got back to Colleen's Maureen opened all of her gifts. Some that would be appropriate to share on this blog, and others that will remain a secret.
So after a long, fun night Maureen fell asleep on the couch and we headed home - not arriving until 2:30 am!! Can't remember the last time I was out so late - but it was all worth it! Now we are excited for Saturday - what a great day it will be - and Reagan & Nola are excited to be getting a new uncle!