To Nebraska in an RV

Stan worked from home last week, which is always a nice break from the ordinary for us. Tracy went for a couple of runs...one without Casey, one with her. It's starting to get a little easier running with the stroller...but just a little...

Friday we loaded an RV with 13 Hokies and headed to Lincoln, Nebraska. After 8 1/2 hours we finally made it! Saturday was the game. We tailgated at the RV in our hotel parking lot. Lincoln was loaded with Hokie fans. The game was packed with over 84,000 in attendance. We won, Go Hokies! Casey tailgated with us all day, but stayed back at the hotel with our friend Sandy during the game. Thanks Sandy!!

Casey's 2 bottom teeth are coming in strong and she is being a trooper about it. She hasn't been very fussy, but definitely loves to have something to gnaw on at all times. The lower right has actually popped out and we can feel them big time now when she uses our fingers as a teether. She's still rolling from her back to tummy very easily, especially when she is in her crib. Last night she was on her tummy making noise and I just left her. After about 15 minutes she figured out how to flip herself back onto her back and she fell right back to sleep. She also looks determined to crawl. In the RV on the way back to CO on Sunday, she was on her tummy. There was a pacifier just out of reach, so she started to lift up her butt and push with her feet. It helped her scoot and get the paci. Not quite a crawl, but we're getting there.

Thanks to Geoff, Sarah, Kaelin and Otto for playing with Frisco while we were in Neb. Thank to Sandy for watching Casey during the game!! Thank to Amy for providing the RV!!

self portrait

stan and casey enjoying nebraska

Casey tailgating

hanging out

teething

i tried so hard to get a picture of the 2 teeth coming in...this is the best i could do...

Sittin Pretty

Casey is sitting up by herself. Okay, so she still needs a little assistance, but she's able to sit up on the floor for a few minutes by herself. If she looks up too much or tries to grab something beside her she starts to topple over. But she gets stronger and stronger each day. She is also cutting a tooth. At the beginning of the week we saw sign of it on the gums...a little clear mark, but now we can kind of feel a little something...and she's been a bit whiny lately. It's the lower right (from Casey's perspective).

Stan got home Thursday night. So we got to put the final coat of oil on the floors on Friday morning. We then headed to Denver for some errands while the floors dried, then back up the mountain to our friends house in Summit Cove for dinner and bowling. Sarah, Geoff, Kaelin (19 months) and Steve, Stacia, Edan, Olivia and their friend Jill were up for the weekend. Geoff and Sarah were kind enough to bring their Wii...so we bowled all night Friday (Stacia was the champion, Tracy came in 2nd...Stan didn't even make the championship round) and played Rock Band all night Saturday. Stan proved to be not just a guitar player, but an outstanding drummer...he got all kinds of Wii praise, "seriously skilled," "most energetic," "top performer." His band does need a new drummer (their drummer unfortunately moved to Chicago).

The floors did dry, so we were able to finally move our living room furniture back in. We still have to finish the floors under the piano and foosball table, but we are going to wait until we get the stairs installed...hopefully in 2 weeks.

Stan is working from home this week.

Enjoy the pix!

Sitting up all by herself!

standing up by herself while holding on to her activity mat. this was only for a few seconds before Stan had to catch her:)

smiling during tummy time.

ROCK BAND!!!

Busy Bees

It was a busy weekend for the Wards. Tracy and Casey flew to VA on Thursday. Casey is becoming a pro at flying. She was awake most of the packed flight, but very smiley and squeeky.

Friday Tracy and Casey went over to Gramma Gail and Grampa Tom's house. They were taking care of Jack for the weekend. Casey and Jack had a good time together. Jack would scream in a fun way and Casey would look at him and then start bawling. This happened over and over. Jack is definitely getting his fair share of hair pulling, hands in the face, and poking his little cousin now. A couple more months and she'll be able to fight back:)

Friday night we drove down to Roanoke to visit with Gramma Lois, who is recovering very nicely from her broken hip. She is walking around with just a cane now. Congrats Gramma Lois!! We got up early Saturday and headed to Blacksburg for the VT/GT game. Maryann had set up a babysitter for her little girl Ellie and Casey so the adults could go tailgate and enjoy the game. Ellie was nice enough to share her toys and pack 'n play with Casey, thanks Ellie. We drove back to Roanoke Sunday and went over to Great Aunt Linda and Uncle Marvin's house to play.

Monday Tracy and Casey visited with Jessica, Hunter and Jacob in the morning. Hunter and Jacob loved Casey. They shared all their toys with her and even got to hold her! Jacob would pet Casey's head and then give her a hug. Hunter told his mom that he wants one of them (pointing at Casey).

Monday afternoon we all headed back to Gramma Gail and Grampa Tom's for dinner and to play with Uncle Stuart, Aunt Marcy, Lily, (back in town from a wedding in Nantucket, where Lily was a flower girl...check out their blog), Jack and Great Yellow Grandma. Good times!!

Happy Belated Birthday to Lily, who turned 4 last Wednesday.

Tuesday, Stan dropped Tracy and Casey off at the airport for the flight home. Casey slept most of the flight this time. And when she wasn't sleeping, she would suck down a bottle, then pass out again. We got to have dinner and hang out with Aunt Kel before heading up the mountain. Kel was nice enough to play with Frisco while we were gone. Thanks Kel!

Enjoy the pix!

This is how she sleeps.

Go Hokies!

Jacob, Casey and Hunter posing

Swinging in Jacob's swing...she loved it.

The fam.

Cousin Jack giving Casey a scribble knob.

So happy to be hanging with Gramps

Cousins...Casey, Lily and Jack.

Not So Much

This week was pretty chill.

Tracy and Stan had their League of Fools Fantasy Football draft on Tuesday, Tracy from CO, Stan from VA.

Friday afternoon, we picked Stan up from the airport then attended our friends, Stacia and Steve's rehearsal dinner party in Denver. Their wedding was Saturday. Casey was great at the wedding and the reception. She was all smiles while being passed around and then "slept like a baby" for naps and bedtime.

Casey is still drooling a lot and hands are in her mouth at all times, but still no sign of teeth. She is consistently sleeping through the night now. Let's hope I didn't just jinx it. She sometimes wakes at 5:00 a.m. to chat amongst herself for a few minutes, but not as often as she used to. She is a great nap taker and sometimes we don't even know when she wakes up...she's very content rolling around her crib. She has been rolling onto her belly a lot more and we finally witnessed it last night. Most of time we find her on her belly in her crib. She is very grabby. She almost grabbed my plate off the table last night...she has quite a grip. She is also very interested in food and drinks. She watches us eat and drink and grabs for it when she's sitting in our lap. She is also very observant lately...loves to look in the mirror, listen to people talking and watch people and Frisco:)

Sunday was spent doing chores around the house, including applying another coat of oil to the floors. One more coat of finish and they are done:) Monday we got a bike ride in to Frisco for lunch before Stan headed back to VA for the week. Tracy and Casey will meet him there Thursday for the VT/GT game on Saturday.

Unfortunately, we did not take a lot of pix this week. We'll try and do better next week.

This is a hand-me-down hat from Lily...given to her by her Aunt Kel...she loves it!

Ready for her bike ride.