Papa...Paparazzi!

On Sunday the three of us headed to the Picture People for Kate's first photo shoot! Things went very well and we got so many great pictures. We had a couple different outfits for her to wear and while we got through the family pictures, the "diaper" pictures and the first outfit pictures, our little Peanut was getting pretty tired and as a result a little fussy. We were able to feed her and then our hope was to finish up the shoot once she had a full belly, but to no one's surprise she fell right asleep. Our plan is to get her back in to the Picture People tomorrow or the next day to finish the shoot, but even without it, the pictures turned out great.

Here's a few of our favorites:

Hapy Birthday Shelly!

Yesterday we celebrated Shelly's first birthday as a Mom. While I was at work during the day, the three of us along with Joe, Deb and Greg went out to Fratello's for a wonderful family dinner. The food and drinks were great, Kate was content as can be and Shelly even got a special birthday cupcake with an awesome little "sparking fountain candle" on top. Obviously the Weiland boys enjoyed that, but Kate also had her eyes locked on the bright colors.

After that, we all went back to our house and enjoyed some delicious birthday cake and each others' company. Shelly, I just want to say "Happy Birthday" one more time! We love you so much and thanks for everything you do for us!

Some Firsts!

Kate had her first lunch date a couple of weeks ago with several lovely ladies that included Deb, Deb Bell (Deb's friend) and her daughter, Abbey. Abbey was moving to Alabama the next day and really wanted to meet Kate before she left so we all met at a local cafe to eat, chat and say our good-byes to her. It was so great to see her and I wish her and her husband the best of luck as they begin another chapter in a new city.

Kate also got to experience her first boat ride on Friday. Deb, Ryan, Greg, John, Kate and I all surprised Joe with a belated Father's Day get-together. As you may recall from an earlier post, they were all in North Carolina for Father's Day so we were apart for that special day. We couldn't have picked a better night to slowly cruise down the Fox River. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the water was so calm. I think it's safe to say that Kate had a great time despite not liking her sun hat. Enjoy the pics!

Kate all dressed up for her first luncheon

Kate and I after her first lunch date. It's a bit too bright for Kate!

Kate sporting her new life jacket

Papa Joe and Kate enjoying the boat ride

Mimi and Kate sneak a snuggle on the boat

Enjoying the beautiful weather with daddy

10 Weeks!

I can't believe our little peanut will be 10 weeks old tomorrow. During my pregnancy days 10 weeks seemed like an eternity, but now that she is here time seems to be passing by in the blink of an eye. We had her 2 month appointment last week and I'm happy to report that Kate is completely healthy. She now weighs 10 pounds, 12 ounces and is 22 inches long. Both of these statistics puts her in the 50th percentile for children her age.

Unfortunately her two month check-up also meant that she was due for some shots. I wasn't aware that she was going to be receiving vaccinations prior to her appointment which was probably a blessing in disguise. Ironically, John had planned on meeting me at the doctor's office because he wasn't able to make her last one. He sure picked quite the day to come! As hard as it was, he held down Kate's little legs so the nurse could poke her three times and give her an oral vaccination for Rotavirus. Immediately following, his warm and caring personality was highlighted as he comforted our little girl and she calmed down in an instant. Kate and I are so blessed to have him in our lives as he takes such great care of the both of us!

I don't have any real recent pictures to post at the moment as our camera is at Joe and Deb's. Once we obtain it, we'll post pics of all of the exciting events that have taken place over the past couple of weeks including Kate's first ladies luncheon and her first boat ride!

Have a great week everyone!

Kate's Baptism

This past Sunday Kate was baptized into the Holy Catholic Church at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Green Bay. After 10:30 mass the private ceremony took place amongst our immediate family. It was so wonderful to see everyone that came from near and far to celebrate this most special day.

After the ceremony concluded, everyone headed to our house where we had brunch waiting. After filling up on food we served Kate's raspberry-filled buttercream Alpha-Delights cake (which was amazing), and opened presents.

It was a wonderful day and we can't thank everyone enough for not only being there to celebrate with us, but for their generosity with all the gifts they gave Kate. We greatly appreciate it!

Here are some more pics from Kate's big day:

The three of us along with Father Jim, Godfather Scott and Godmother Jen
Just the three of us
The Weiland family with their "Holy" Girl and her Alpha-Delights Cake

All the Burch Grand-kids along with Kate

Reflection: Father's Day Weekend

My apologies for not being diligent with our blog updates. I swear, Chuck has had more updates in the past few weeks than the Weiland family. For those of you who aren't familiar with Chuck, you're missing out on one cool cat.

I'd like to go back a few weeks to Father's Day weekend. John, Kate and I spent the weekend at my parent's house in West Bend. On Saturday, John discovered his new favorite place in West Bend - "The Candyman". John, myself, my sister-in-law Laura and the kids (Brooke, Charlie & Kate) capitalized on the beautiful weather and took a stroll downtown to purchase some tasty treats. I have a feeling that this will become a staple each time we visit going forward.

On Sunday we celebrated a very special Father's Day. We began the day by going to mass and our little peanut decided to give dad an extra present and spit up all over him and herself. Luckily, it was near the end of mass so we didn't have to smell that lovely milky scent for an hour. After mass, we proceeded to have brunch and open gifts. John even got a well-deserved nap in! It was very special to be with family on John's very first Father's Day.

For those of you that know John or simply read these posts, it comes as no shock to you that he is an incredible father. The best part of my day is when he comes home from work and interacts with Kate. While he entertains her with song and dance, he also makes me laugh. It brings such joy to my heart to watch him love her the way that he does. It's no wonder her favorite onesie reads "Daddy Makes Me Smile".

I love you, Daddy!

Kate giving Daddy a big smooch

Our niece, Brooke, and Kate seeing eye-to-eye

Everyone can't get enough of Kate!

Simon says, "Open your mouth"

Andrea & Michael: Just Married

I would like to take this time to congratulate John's cousin, Andrea, and her new husband Michael! They were married this past weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina where she grew up and John's aunt and uncle still reside. Prior to having Kate we were certain that we were going to make the trip to witness this spectacular event, but once our little one arrived we realized that traveling would be a little more complicated than it once was. Ultimately John and I came to the decision to stay in Wisconsin, but the two of them were definitely in our thoughts. I caught myself looking at the clock all day on Saturday and praying for them as they were committing their lives to each other.

Thankfully, Andrea has a blog and kept all of her readers updated with wedding details. She included a picture of her cake design (which was beautiful!) and described some special touches that they added such as "signature cocktails" - yum! So while we couldn't be there, her blog (and Deb's photos!) made us feel as though we were present. From the many photos we viewed, it was so apparent that their special day was wonderful. The weather looked gorgeous, the reception hall was exquisite and the bride and groom were simply stunning. In fact, Andrea looked so beautiful that some of her bridal photos are displayed on "Southern Weddings'" blog!

So at this time I'd like to extend a belated "cheers" to the bride and groom. May your days, weeks and years ahead be filled with much love, laughter and joy. Congratulations and long may you love!

Kate wore PINK to honor you, Andrea!