Little Paws,

Our "C man" as Colin affectionately calls him has little paws that will grab, grip and hold onto anything (shirt, skin, hair, monkey, toy, book - you get the idea). We are thrilled that he has such good hand-eye coordination but the little paws just keep holding on . . . and sometimes hurt. We started the rice cereal this weekend. Connor seemed to like it and is already trying to feed himself. If you ask my mom, this should come at no surprise. Connor is enjoying playing with all his new toys. A big thank you to all!

"Dance Monkey"

"Dad, this is my spoon"

Our Christmas Cutie

We have been busy visiting our Moorhouse family this weekend. Connor met all of his cousins (Brielle, Bailey, Brooke, Brandon -- see a pattern? and Emily) - I think the kids are technically his second cousins but I will have to check with my aunt NJ for confirmation. Anyway, we are calling them cousins because it is easier and still true, so. . . Connor loved all his cousins especially baby Emi who is just about his size.

We also exchanged gifts with the Harrisons/Chisholms this weekend. Connor got some great gifts. It is definitely more difficult to put together toys when you have an infant. Honestly, I think I put together an entertainment center faster than his sit and cruise jungle today - but I finally finished and he loves it. Cousin Brandon helped Connor open most of his gifts but Connor actually opened one all by himself. I was holding Connor in my lap and placed a gift in his lap just to hold until I was ready to open it for him. Well, Connor didn't need my help. He grabbed hold of a piece of the paper and started tearing, very slowly but he ripped off the paper and held it in his hand. Once I took that piece away, he started on another. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since he has been grabbing almost anything he can get to these days. He usually is able to pick up items with one try - sometimes two. (Not to worry that he could actually take a toy out of the box by himself though - they tie down these toys with so many twist ties and tape that it took me 25 uniterrupted minutes to take an assembled toy out of the box). Hand-Eye Coordination is going well - and once he picks it up he likes to taste it. We are still waiting to try food until things slow down. Here is my favorite picture from this week - hope you like it too.

4 Months Old

Connor had his 4 month appointment this morning. He got 2 shots and is currently sleeping it off. He now weighs 15 pounds 15 ounces and is 26 1/2 inches long! He reamains in the 75/90 percentile respectively. We can't believe how big he is getting - so quickly. The doctor is letting us introduce foods - which will be lots of fun. We are of course starting with rice cereal - probably next week - so I will let you know how it goes. Here are some picture of Connor on his actual 4 month birthday (last Sunday). We took him to the Club to see Santa again. He didn't seem to mind at all (Click on the picture to see Connor's face). Santa was way more interested in Connor than me - the photographer - because I had to call Santa's name several times before he would turn around to get his picture taken. This was our first visit with Santa at the Club and it was wonderful. They had a dessert buffet and Santa gave a wrapped gift to each child. You can't go wrong with mimosas and chocolate bread pudding! Delicious.

Haunted House . . .

Connor and I have been spending most of our time at home. We have really enjoyed hanging out everyday, indoors now since it is cold. Although I thought I knew all of the house noises, now that I am home all day, I have discovered new ones. Most recently I was convinced I was going crazy or a ghost was playing piano in our attic. (I have never been in the attic and neither has Colin - it is scary and we are avoiding going up - so far so good). I knew it must be a friendly ghost because he/she was playing twinkle, twinkle little star. For days, I would sit in the glider, rocker, swivel recliner in our bedroom and feed Connor and every once in awhile I would hear a faint version of twinkle, twinkle. I really thought it was the Church since I often hear the bells ringing on Sundays. But it wasn't Sunday and since when did a Church play twinkle, twinkle? My next thought was of course a ghost. I did live in a haunted dorm in college. We would sit on the stoop and watch the ghost tours (which always made a stop at our door step). So a ghost wasn't out of the question. Then, I convinced myself that I was indeed crazy (for all the above reasons). Last week I finally figured it out!

At my baby shower I recevied a fish aquarium that plays music (twinkle, twinkle is one of the songs). Connor recently has been enthralled with the aquarium and just touches over and over again trying to reach the fish. It is designed to go on his crib but it doesn't fit so I have been letting him look at it in our room. So it turns out that the aquarium has a remote - at one point I knew this but over the past 4 months (yes Connor turned 4 months on Sunday - Happy Belated) I forgot about the remote. Everytime I turn up or down the volume on my Comcast remote control the aquarium picks up the signal and turns on or off. So, if I want to hear the tv a little better I must turn it up twice in order to actually hear the tv without twinkle, twinkle in the background.

I was pleased to discover that a ghost isn't living in our attic. At least not one that is playing the piano. Connor has his 4 month appointment on Thursday. Stay tuned for his new stats. . .

Orange and Blue

Did you know that I only applied to colleges with the school colors of Orange and Blue? Well, it is true. I didn't really plan it that way . . . it just happened. Our beloved Auburn Tigers ended this season a little early - it seems we will not be going bowling this January. Last year Colin and I went to the Peach Bowl (now known as The Chick-fil-a Bowl) in Atlanta. Although we didn't know it at the time, it was technically Connor's first Auburn game. Auburn won. This season was sad. We only won 5 games (I think) and our coach left. We are just waiting to find out who the new coach will be . . . of course I will miss Tubberville. Just when it seemed that we would never see the light . . . my second favorite Division I team (who also wear orange and blue) saved the day. If you are from Alabama you must know that even if your team stinks - so long as you win the Iron Bowl (Auburn v. Alabama) your season was not a total waste (and you get to rub it in to the losing fans for the next 365 days). Well, Auburn lost this year in the Iron Bowl. We attened a 1st Birthday Party for Trey on the day of the game- the son of one of my "oldest friends". It is hard to believe he is already one. His dad is an Auburn fan - his mom wore orange and blue but I think she is still a Bama fan at heart as are her parents and brother. His cake was split half crimson and white and the other half - you guessed it - Orange and Blue. Here is a picture of Connor and Trey at the party. And Connor in his Auburn gear.



To make matters worse, Alabama was ranked #1. Even worse that having a terrible season and losing the Iron Bowl would be to see Alabama win the National Championship. Thus, last Saturday we cheered on Tim Tebow and the Gators. Orange and Blue came through again and knocked off Alabama. Sorry Bama fans. My Uncle and 2 of my cousins graduated from Florida so I will cheer for Florida unless they are playing Auburn. I will cheer for Auburn and always for anyone that is playing Alabama.

As football season starts to wind down, basketball is just getting under way. If you know my husband then you know he loves his basketball. He helps coach a 7th grade team at our church. Connor went to his first game on Saturday. He loved it, really. I thought the buzzer and whistles would be too much for him, but he sat enthralled the entire game. Connor also watched his first Duke games this month. Check out the Moorhouse men in their Duke gear - I promise that they put on these outfits voluntarily just to watch the game - I of course had to take a picture. Too funny!

More posts to come . . . getting ready for Christmas is keeping us busy.

Yummy and Delicious!

The Menu:
Turkey
Dressing
Broccoli Casserole
Aunt Wilma's Casserole (my favorite)
Creamed Corn
Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Ambrosia
Carrot Cake (my 2nd favorite)
Pecan Pie
Apple Pie
Rolls
Corn Muffins

Just add some Sweet Tea, Wine and Family and you have our wonderful Thanksgiving! Although we missed the Caldwells, Great Aunt MeeGee's crew, and Matt Johnson, we really enjoyed Connor's first Thanksgiving. It was at least 70 degrees today and beautiful!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I don't even eat turkey! I love a holiday where you only bring yourself and a dish -- or in my case just yourself and the baby. Since we don't get "home" to Alabama that often, it is especially nice when we do - to see so much family. Here is our annual Thanksgiving Family photo. We had 12 this year for dinner (Connor sat at the head of the table). I have also included a photo of the table - my mom did a great job.

Happy Thanksgiving!

love, Connor

Never Did I Ever ...

"10 years ago, I never thought I would be in Alabama, at a Bass Pro Shop with a baby". This was Colin's statement this morning as we strolled up to the new Bass Pro Shop in Leeds, Alabama. We don't hunt, or fish or wear camo. We did however venture out to Leeds this morning to see the newest store in town. It was more like a small city.
It is right off the interstate but the road to get there is single-lane and long and winding. It was like a state park complete with a nature trail and fishing pond. When we finally arrived at the store itself we were stunned. The parking lot was PACKED! There must have been over 500 cars. I thought about turning around and leaving right then but we decided that we would at least go in the store to see if the line was ridiculous. The line for what? SANTA of course. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (more on that tomorrow) . . . but we couldn't pass up Santa and his "deer". Connor loved Santa and we loved the fact that we were in and out of the store in less than 15 minutes with a picture of Santa (oh and to top it all off - the pictures were free!).

99 Days Old . . .

On his 99th day in this world (Saturday), our Connor decided it was time to sit up and see everything from a new angle. Now, he can't sit up and stay up for an extended period of time on his own, but he can sit up from a reclined position and look around. Even when he is sitting in a chair, he tries to sit up even straighter! He certainly has better posture than either of us. I'll try to get a video up of him soon - but as ya'll all know, I am new to this so it may take awhile.

Connor is also talking up a storm. He is practicing spelling his name (well, that is what I think). He is stuck on the "O" but has definitely mastered that letter.

It isn't really that cold here but it has been a little windy. We picked up this hat and sweater for Connor to survive the cold weather. We hear it is very cold at home.

Stroller Shopping

So for 3 months we have been keeping Connor in his car seat and just snapping it into his stroller for our walks. Yesterday my mom decided to see if Connor was big enough to ride in the stroller without the car seat. He is still in a reclined position but really enjoyed the extra space to kick his legs and move his arms while we went shopping. I thought it would be chilly yesterday since everyone here is wearing vests or coats - but it was really just a beautiful fall day and super sunny. I hear it is freezing and snowing back home - ugggh. We are happy to be here where it is fairly warm for another whole week! We are still working on the sleeping, but I am hopeful that patience will yield long term results. We are making progress, little by little.

Click on the image to see a close up of Connor in his stroller.

Since I learned how to upload the photos with the ability to "Click to Enlarge", I went back through the blog and reloaded many of the photos so you can now enlarge many of the old photos if you want to see any of them closer up.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Connor is really enjoying his time in Alabama. It isn't as warm as we would like, but it is definitely warmer than Maryland. Connor is really trying to sit up on his own this week. He has found his hands (actually a few weeks ago) and loves to sit up and hold his hands together. So sweet.

I have gotten to see my girls from high school and visit with old friends. So far, it has been a very relaxing trip -- although we miss Colin and Auntie Cait very much.

Connor hung out in the laundry basket today. He is too long to fit in the basket!! . . .

We think Connor may have found his lovie blanket. Look how happy he is sitting up like a big boy and cuddling with his green blanket.

Sweet Home

Connor was 3 months old on Friday and to celebrate, Connor and I flew out bright and early to Alabama so he could meet more of his family. Although I was super stressed about the flight for several weeks, I calmed down just in time for the big day. Connor was an angel on the flight and didn't cry at all! We have been visiting with relatives (namely all of Connor's great aunts) and his great grandmother as well as watching a LOT of football. Both of our teams lost this weekend but we are still having a great time. Colin misses us (so he says). . .

Since we didn't find out whether Connor was a boy or a girl before delivery day and since babies first notice the colors black and white (according to all the literature), we decorated Connor's nursery in black and white with splashes of color. Here is what his room looks like at home.

Connor has 2 beautiful handmade quilts from great friends. You may notice that he has hand and footprint frames - the handprint is missing from the picture. We tried at least 10 times to get that handprint down without Connor crushing the paper or clinching his fist. Colin and I finally got it last week - but it didn't make the picture. I was determined to get the footprint and handprint before 3 months because I was afraid that if we waited much longer the prints wouldn't fit in the frames. He is growing fast!

Connor loves his black and white. He will talk for an hour in his crib while oohing over the patterns.

Miss you Colin!

Test to Upload Photos

This is a test run to see if I can figure out how to upload a photo and then allow you to "Click to enlarge". After visiting Blogger for Dummies - lets see if it works.

Protect this House!

Colin and I have been season ticket holders for the Ravens since the 2003 season. I suppose our first real date was the Ravens-Broncos Monday night game in 2002. We had such a great time that we just had to be PSL owners (we actually own the seats). (Our seats for the Broncos game were memorable to say the least - There was a glitch in the construction of the stairs and one stair was much smaller than all the others. This resulted in many, many falls up the stairs throughout the evening by unknowing fans. We saw nachos tossed across aisles and beers met the concrete.) I must admit that before moving to Baltimore I loathed Pro Football. College is so much better. The ACC just doesn't really cut it for me (I know, I am a SEC snob) so getting to watch the Ravens has actually been my football outlet in Baltimore - even during losing seasons. Our seats, although not in the section with the misshapen stair, are just across the aisle from The Kirbys! Colin and I took Caitlin to her first Ravens game, where she met Greg - they got married and we have all been tailgating together ever since. I haven't been to a game this year - Connor and I hang out at home and watch the games. The Ravens were away at Houston last weekend so I had both my boys at home with me. Look how cute!

Congratulations and Surprises!

It has been 5 years since Colin and I found out we passed the Bar Exam. Wow, we are old. For those of you who don't know, you take the Bar the last week of July but have to wait (for what seems like an eternity) for the results. Alabama posted the results a few weeks ago. Yesterday a batch of new Maryland lawyers got their results. Congrats to Tommy, Millie etc., on passing the Bar!

So, today Connor and I got up early and started getting ready for our outing to Downs Park for Mom Mom's Birthday. I set Connor up on our bed and after making sure he was happy, I turned around to brush my hair. When I turned back around seconds later, this is what I found!

Connor is starting to sleep more - little by little - but this was a surprise. To fall asleep sitting up! He slowly drifted down and landed comfortably on the bed where he snoozed for an hour until Grandma Cathy came to visit.

This afternoon we picked up Mom Mom and Uncle Neal and drove to Downs Park. We had a great lunch together and then walked the trails in the park. Connor got his first taste of Boy Scout camping at the Camporee. Speaking of taste, the Boy Scouts were cooking up meals - (none of which smelled edible (at all) to me).

I Voted

Well we all got out early to vote Tuesday. It took about an hour to vote but Connor was a trooper. When we finally got up to the registration table, the volunteer informed me that my name was not listed as a voter. Of course, the name curse/ identity crisis continues. She said she would have to get a judge to assist. I suggested that she look under my maiden and married names (together). I ended up getting to vote. I am listed with 2 last names. Perfect - just what I wanted to avoid.

Wednesday Connor and I finally returned to our daily walk. The weather is mild still and Connor enjoys the fresh air. Connor is now wearing 3-6 month clothes and most of them are barely long enough! Here is a cute shot I caught today.

Daylight Savings Time

I woke up today to the news - tonight we will turn back all the clocks and get an extra hour of sleep according to the media. Colin and I suspect that we may actually get an hour less sleep and a confused baby. We are optimistic that Connor will adapt quickly but are not holding our breath. We went to the post office this morning to get Connor a baby passport. Not that we have somewhere to go . . . but I really wanted Connor to have one. Baby passports are the cutest! His picture was a little rushed so of course not as perfect as I would have liked, but considering we had to wait 1 1/2 hours to get it, he did really well. I would have gone earlier to get the passport but we have been waiting on his birth certificate to arrive. The State of Maryland has serious issues which continue to haunt me the longer I live here. When I got married, I completed the application to change my name online, printed it, and carried it along with my marriage certificate, new social security card (with married name) and title and registration to the MVA. I just wanted to change my name on my license. The State of Maryland refused to let me drop my middle name and keep my maiden name as my middle name! Clearly, this just reinforces my position that this place is filled with Yankees. I made several arguments to support my position that my middle name (Brooke) should be dropped and replaced with my madien name (like all good Southern women). The best argument was that the Social Security Administration let me do this - and here was my new card to prove it - Federal trumps State - the woman at the MVA just smiled and said "Mam, Maryland is a full name state". What does that mean?? Well, come to find out it means that "If it fits, it sticks". So, if my full name all written out First, Middle, Maiden and Married names fit on the license then they will print on the license. Turns out that Moorhouse is pretty long so all 4 names didn't fit. But, in order to keep my maiden name as part of my name, I still have "B" as an initial. So I have 4 names! Ridiculous. I am considering filing paperwork with the State to change my name officially but haven't done so yet because I am still (obviously) upset about the fact that I have been put in this position to begin with.

So, if this wasn't enough to be irate with the State . . . After Connor was born I recevied a Birth Registration Notice addressed to Courtney George Moorhouse. Unbelievable! I read the notice and it said to call if any of the information was incorrect. Well, yes, my middle name is not George. Since Colin and Connor have the same middle name I suspect that the person that entered the information in the computer made a mistake. I suggested the same to the woman at the Department of Vital Records. She informed me that I must have made the error when I completed the application at the hospital. Unlikely, since I have had the same name for 30 years . . . I then proceeded to obtain my birth certificate, a notarized statement that my middle name is not George and submitted the paperwork. The woman actually asked me if my middle name before I was married was George! Really? Anyway, we finally received his Birth Certificates last week so we were able to go get the passport today. Even if we don't go on any fancy European vacations, Connor will be able to travel in style to Alabama.

Enough ranting, here is a sweet picture of me and my boy from this weekend. . .

Happy Halloween

Connor dressed up as Curious "Connor" George (for those of you who don't know - George is his middle name). He had so much fun trick or treating on our street. Our neighborhood has plenty of kids but we had 4 - count them - 4 trick or treaters so we handed out candy on our walk. All the excitement had Connor all tired out by the end of the night. Of course, he didn't want to sleep in his bed - but he was a good little monkey all day - so I can't complain.

Colin was supposed to be the Man in the Yellow Hat - but as you can see he just wore his Halloween orange. He was very taken with Curious George - check out this picture (ha ha). Imagine how cute it would have been to be in a yellow hat.

Here is our tired monkey . . .

Hanging out at home

Since we had so much family in town, we hung out at home quite a bit. Here are a few shots of Connor having fun with his Uncle Mike and Uncle Ben.



Connor was all tired out - but still cute in his outfit from Auntie Cait and Uncle Greg . . .



Connor playing with his new friend/ frog from Uncle Ben - He loves him, thanks, Ben.

Weekend Update

Connor had a great week ya'll. Last weekend Connor had family come to visit for his Baptism. He wore a white gown with a white jumper underneath and adorable white booties. We spared him the bonnet - but took pictures later in the full outfit.

So, I knew that I wanted to get a Smith Island Cake for Connor's "after-party" and when we went to order it, the bakery said that one 10 inch cake fed 14 to 20 people. We expected about 30-35 at the Baptism so they suggested I buy 2 10 inch cakes. Like I said, I really wanted this cake, so instead of just getting one (1) 12 inch cake, I listened to the bakery and purchased 2 cakes. One with a cross and one with his initials (you must know I love initials).

We almost forgot to pick up the cakes on Saturday which would have been a huge disaster for Colin - since it would have been his fault. Honestly, he gets blamed for most things but this truly would have been his fault. Luckily I remembered 30 minutes before the bakery closed and we were in time to get the cakes. First of all, the cakes each weighed more than Connor. Second, we ended up with the 2nd cake in our freezer. We know it feeds about 30 people so we plan to break it out for Christmas and enjoy it then. The cake really is so delicious. I have included a picture - because I love this cake sooo much.

75/90

Connor had his two month appointment today - he will be 10 weeks old tomorrow. He had several shots but he was a very brave boy and only cried a little bit. Connor is now 12 pounds 13 ounces (75th percentile) and 24 1/4 inches (90th percentile). Check out our happy boy.

Happy Monday!

The weather is chilly and we finally broke down and turned on the heat. We had a great weekend visiting with friends. Auburn didn't play and the Ravens finally won after a few rough weeks. Connor has a big week, this week. His 2 month appointment (4 shots) is on Wednesday and then his Great Aunt Cathy and Uncle Chuck will arrive on Thursday to visit all the way from Alabama. Connor will get to meet most of his Moorhouse family this weekend at his baptism. We will have lots of pictures to share next week. In the meantime, here are a few of Connor enjoying his tummy time.

We're Back . . .

Connor at 2 months

After a frustrating 2 weeks of being unable to post, we are back. Connor is now 2 months old and getting bigger every day. He has his 2 month appointment next week so we will know just exactly how much he has grown since his last appointment where he was 9 pounds 12 ounces and 22 inches. Colin and I suspect he will be over 12 pounds next week, if he isn't already. The weather here has been fabulous the past few weeks - mid to high 70s most days - so we are really trying to get out an enjoy it while it lasts. Connor at 8 weeks

Connor is also starting to smile for reasons other than pooing. If you know Colin, then you know it is likely Connor will be into sports - of all kinds. Here are some photos of Connor playing with his sports toys from his Aunt Jemima (aka Jimmie). And yes, Connor has both an Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben!

Connor may also be a swimmer. Maybe it was all the Olympics we watched just before and just after he was born . . . but Connor swims with his arms all day long. Speaking of the Olympics. I have to say that expecting around the Olympics was wonderful. I highly recommend it. I slept well my entire pregnancy until about a week before Connor arrived. When I was awake early in the morning, the Olympics were on - constantly. Even at 3 am there was some event to watch. Once Connor arrvied we were able to watch events at all hours making the transition to no sleep much easier to handle. If Connor turns out to be a swimmer, his Auntie Cait will have to teach him to dive because neither Colin nor I can dive - at all - period. Colin and I actually tried several years ago to dive and it was embarassing- lucikly there are no photos of the attempt.