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.

1st Hokie Game

Casey is 4 months old yesterday!

Tracy and Casey flew to VA on Wednesday. Casey was so good on the plane. She slept most of the flight and when she wasn't sleeping, she was smiling and drooling. Stan couldn't pick us up, because he had to go enjoy a Nationals game in a suite with his company.

Thursday we spent all day hanging out with Gramma Gail, Aunt Marcy and cousins Lily and Jack. Casey had fun rolling around the floor with Jack, playing with Gramma and loved having Lily hold her and play with her.

She is learning to sit up. She was sitting in the corner of the couch and was able to lift herself forward into a sitting position. She is drooling a lot, though we have not seen or felt any teeth yet. She puts everything into her mouth...and when there is no object to put in there, she is happy to keep her hands in her mouth.

Friday we drove to Roanoke to visit with Gramma Lois, who is recovering from a broken hip. Casey was glad to see that her Gramma Lois got home from the hospital/rehab on Thursday and seems to be recovering nicely.

We woke early Saturday for a day trip to Charlotte, NC for the first Hokie game vs ECU. The game...was not so fun. It was HOT and the Hokies managed to lose in the last few minutes. We took turns hanging with Casey in the shade of the concourse. Being in the stands was way too hot...we were baking! Sweets and MA brought their 17 month little girl, Ellie, so Casey had someone to "play" with.

We left Roanoke Monday morning to drive back to NOVA so Tracy and Casey could board a plane back to CO. Casey was pretty good on this flight (which was empty, so we had lots of room). She slept during take off, had a meltdown halfway into the flight, then passed out for the remainder of the flight. I actually had to wake her up to get her off the plane. She ate a lot on this trip. 8 oz within an hour...another 4 when we got off the plane and another 4 when we got to Kel's an hour and a half later. Growth spurt?? or just famished from the crazy weekend...

We picked up Frisco from Aunt Kel's house in Boulder on our way home so we got to visit with her a little before leaving her to her studies. Thanks to Aunt Kel and Eric (Kel's roommate) for playing with Frisco this weekend!

Good to be back home, even though the house is still a mess and the wood floors aren't quite finished. Hope to get the last coat of oil on this week and then finish the staining this weekend.

Gramma playing with her grandkids...Jack standing around.

Jack showing Casey the do's and don'ts of tummy time.


sitting up

eating some canteloupe on daddy's shoulders

at the game...so hot


hanging with gramma lois

maryann, ellie and casey

Fun with Floors

It's been a busy week for everyone!

Casey had her 4 month doctor appointment today. She weighed in at 13 lbs, 6 oz (50 percentile)and is 24.5 inches long (70 percentile). She got 3 shots, and took them like a big girl. She got her first cold on Saturday and was coughing, sneezing, and snotty all day Sunday. Today she felt better, but still has a little cough and runny nose. She is still a very happy baby. She's eating 3-6 oz 5-6 times a day. She isn't consistently sleeping through the night just yet. She is going to bed at 8:30, then eats about 2 oz at 10:30 (she really does not like to wake up for this last meal). Sometimes she'll sleep until 6:30-7, but lately she has really enjoyed waking up at 4:00 talking away. Sometimes for 15 minutes, sometimes an hour.

Stan worked from home last week. We hiked up to the Old Dillon Reservoir, which is now empty:( We took Casey for a bike ride in her Chariot bike trailer. She loved it!

This weekend we installed hardwood floors on the main level. Walnut, handscraped, 3-6 inch planks. Mark, Steve, Colin and Stan worked all day Saturday and got most of the floors done. Amy and Chris chipped in too. Sunday Colin, Mark, Stan and Tracy finished up the installation. Sunday night we started the oiling process. 3 more coats to go and the hardwooods are done. We have someone else coming to do the stairs and the finishing touches. Needless to say, we are completely exhausted!

Stan headed to VA today. Tracy and Casey head to VA on Wednesday for the first Virginia Tech game!

Enjoy the pix.

Go Wizards!

Getting ready for a bike ride.

Working on the floors.

Stan measuring and cutting.

the floors are in

First coat of oil

Squealer

We have a squealer on our hands. This weekend, Casey found her high pitched voice. She has been cooing and ahhing for a couple weeks now, but she now likes to throw out the squeals. We've tried to get video of it, but whenever she sees the camera with the flashing red light she freezes. We did get a little of it as you can see below.

Other new stuff this week...We witnessed Casey roll from her belly to her back while playing on her activity mat. She has dropped her late evening feeding, so basically she is sleeping from 8:30-9:00 p.m. until 7:00 - 7:30 a.m. She sometimes still wakes at 3:30 - 4:00 a.m. to talk, but usually falls right back asleep, with the exception of Saturday night, where she got a little louder than usual. She ended up sucking down 4 oz of formula before passing out cold! She is eating 4-6 oz througout the day...usually 6 oz in the morning and at her last meal at 8:30. She is very busy when she eats...looking around, from side to side, smiling, sticking her thumbs in her mouth. It's quite a process! She has also started to notice food. If I have her on my lap while I'm eating something, she watches me put the food in my mouth and seems very interested in it. She is also grabbing at things now, so when she is on my lap at a table, I have to push things back from the edge.

Tuesday we went hiking with Tracy's old hiking buddy, Harriett, who now lives in Chicago. Casey loves to hike...she rides in the backpack and is very attentive, looking at the scenery at the beginning of the hikes and then passes out usually halfway into the hike.

Thursday we took a trip to Aspen to visit Stacy, Ken and their 7 week old boy, Isaac. Casey was an angel the entire trip. She stayed on schedule with her naps and was very interested in everything going on around her as we walked around the town. Both of us were exhausted when we got home that night...she slept through the night without a peep.

The weekend was horrible weather! We got a little hail, snow, some thunder, lightening, lots of rain and cold temperatures. Luckily we had an indoor project to take care of...tearing out our carpets to prepare for the hardwood floor installation happening next weekend. We have pictures below.

She can't get enough of her exersaucer.

She puts anything she can into her mouth.

Chillin'

napping...

Summertime hail storm...

Snow covered the trails at Keystone! Can you believe snow in August?!

Frisco trying to hold onto the carpet as long as possible...

We removed the carpet and baseboards from the living room and hallways!

Crazy in the Crib

This week was pretty relaxing for both Tracy & Casey. We basically hung out at home, while it was rainy and overcast outside. Stan came home Friday night.

Saturday we headed to Boulder. While mom & dad went to an event, Aunt Kelly babysat Casey for a few hours. Kel was a pro. She got Casey to eat all her bottles and even go down for 2 naps while we were gone.

Sunday we met up with friends from VA/DC, Brad & Cyndi who were in town for a wedding. We hiked Peak 9 at Breckenridge Ski Resort. Casey rode in her hiking backpack. She seems to really like it. She looks around for the most part and then when she's had enough she conks out. Our friend Erica, from Breckenridge, also came along. It was a chilly & overcast Sunday. After the hike we had lunch at Rasta Pasta, then headed home to get warm.

Monday, Brad & Cyndi stopped by on their way to the airport. We took a walk up to Lake Dillon, then had lunch at Arapahoe Cafe.

Casey basically spends her days eating about 4 oz of formula 5-6 times a day (depending on if she wakes at 4 a.m. or not). She sleeps anywhere from 1 - 1.5 hours for each naptime. Her bedtime is sometime between 8:00-9:00 p.m. with a last feeding between 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. She loves her exersaucer and still likes to roll around on her activity mat in the morning.

I went up to get her after her morning nap earlier this week and she had turned from her back to her belly and looked like superman. Unfortunately, we have not witnessed her flipping from back to belly yet. It's only happened during her sleeping. This morning, when Stan went up to get her up from her morning nap, she had turned 90 degrees and had her feet resting up on the side of the crib. She is obviously very active in her crib. Sometimes we'll go up to get her and she'll have turned 180 degrees and will be on the other end of the crib. She also loves her afghan blanket (courtesy of Miss Virginia). She puts it over her face, hugs it, rolls around with it and plays with it with her fingers (mostly when she is sucking her thumb).

Not too many pix this week.

holding her head up

filling out the swing a little more

close up of the thumbsucker

our little hokie

Exersaucer

Week of New Stuff

This week was very busy with Gramma Gail and Aunt Kel in town.

It seemed Casey wanted to show off a bit. She talked and cooed a lot more than usual. It actually sounded like she was trying to have a conversation. She started grabbing blankets and bringing them up to her face and snuggling with them. One morning she woke up on her belly! We always put her down on her back and she usually turns onto her side throughout the night. But this one morning we found her on her belly...very exciting, though we were a bit bummed that we didn't witness the roll. Sunday we put together her exersaucer, which she seems to absolutely love it. She is very active on her activity mat and in her exersaucer...grabbing anything she can. She has started to grab things and try to put them in her mouth this week too.

During the week, we made it to Breckenridge for shopping and lunch, went for a hike to the Old Dillon Reservoir, which unfortunately will be drained this month:( We enjoyed dinner at the Tiki Bar at the Lake Dillon Marina and BBQ night at Arapahoe Cafe. We hot tubbed most nights and played a little pool and darts.

Tuesday, Mr. Handyman took over our house in order to take up the mortar and cement board in the dining room. It was one man and it took all day...9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. The hardwood flooring was delivered Thursday. Installation will begin in a couple of weeks.

Friday, Gail and Kel headed to Boulder to meet Kel's moving truck at her new apartment, while Tracy, Stan, Casey and Frisco headed to Denver for a party. Saturday morning we headed to Boulder to see Kel's new crib and have lunch with Terri, who lives 15 minutes from Boulder. We then headed back up the mountain without Kel.

Sunday morning , Kel drove up to Dillon in the morning and we all headed to Breckenridge for a hike up Peak 9 and lunch at Mi Casa. Monday everyone left...Tracy, Casey and Frisco are on their own for the week!

Enjoy the pix...

cute pic of Casey and Gramma Gail at Whale's Tail in Breckenridge

Casey the Rastafarian...

a beautiful rainbow shooting out of Stan's mouth


all dressed up...

the old dillon reservoir...soon to be drained:(

cute pic

hiking in Breckenridge

Breckenridge hike


loving the exersaucer

tile, mortar and cement board removed from dining room

walnut hardwood flooring will be installed on the main level of our house...