Felicity: 3 Months

Felicity turned three months old on the 6th and had a check up at the doctor today.

24" and 12 lbs 12 oz. That's pretty much right at the 50th percentile. An average, healthy little baby. That's how we grow 'em around here. She's so alert and talkative that several ladies at the doctor's office guessed she was six months old! Most people who see her comment about how much she looks like her Daddy.

Her favorite things: cooing as her parents sing to her, being held in a standing position, eating, and sucking her thumb. Neither of her older sisters were thumb suckers, but we think it is adorable and we never have to worry about carrying a pacifier around. Plus, when it's time to sleep, Felicity generally just pops that thumb in her mouth and drifts off. No Sandman needed. She still spits up quite a bit. Her sisters love her (to the point that Felicity is a little afraid when they come around with their enthusiastic hugs and kisses). She hasn't been a great night sleeper the past few weeks, but with our vacation we kind of expected that. Hopefully she'll be back on track soon! The past few days she's been attempting to roll over and can go from her back to her side, but gets stuck there. Maybe we'll have that exciting development any day.

How We Met

A blog we follow is hosting a link up for all the love stories. And you know how we are about love stories...

Note: Every picture in this post is from 2007, the year we met. And the reason we look so very young.

Mostly, we're doing this for posterity. Perhaps someday our children will care how their Daddy and Mommy met. So here's the rest of the story.

Pre-met

Turns out, Sarah met Tim before they actually met. Sarah was helping to start up a youth group at her parish after graduating from college. Tim was helping lead a very large youth group on the other side of town. So Sarah and the other youth leaders went to check out the program at the other parish. That night, Tim acted like Lewis Black. Which is to say he jumped around and yelled a lot. Interesting first impression.

Met

Back at the new youth group a few months later: Sarah asked a friend, Nate, to come help out with an evening program. At the end of the night, Nate asked Sarah and her friend Elizabeth if they wanted to go to a party. "Sure, but I've got another friend, Evan, in town tonight, too. Can he come?" Yes. Directions to the party were given. Friends meet up, drive to party. 

On the way, Evan asks, "So how do we know these people?" 

"Um, well, actually we don't reallllllly." But Sarah promises that if there isn't beer at the party, they'd leave.

Knock on the door.

"Hello...I'm Tim. You must be Nate's friends. Do you want a beer?"

And that, children, is how you find love. It was a housewarming party for the home that Tim had just purchased. We stayed until 2 in the AM. And if you know your mother at all, you know that this was remarkable.  The morning after the party, Tim was ecstatic to find Sarah on Facebook - just a wee bit of recon occurred.

This was followed by messages exchanged on Facebook and hanging out with the church's young adult group. Your parents each thought the other was smart, witty, charming, not bad to look at...it was time.

Pre-date

Did you know there is such a thing as a "pre-date"? Yes, children, it does exist. Just as Nessie and Leprechauns are real, so too is the pre-date.

At the beginning of May 2007, via those Facebook messages, your parents met for dinner after work on a Tuesday. Mom thinking it was a date. Dad certain this was a pre-date. An interview, of sorts. But he ended up picking up the bill. So we know who won that one...

Back to the story. They met for dinner. And talked for hours. Literally talked and laughed until they were the last ones left in the place. The manager finally came up to the booth, "We're not kicking you out, but we planned on moving this booth around tonight after closing. If you guys wouldn't mind moving over to that booth, we'll bring out a free dessert." Deal. We moved and ate the MOST FABULOUS bread pudding that has ever been created. And we don't like bread pudding and won't eat it anywhere else.

First Date

Tim asked Sarah on a real first date. Let the record show, he's a good date planner. Cinco de Mayo 2007. She was living with her parents (in their basement, to complete the cliche) and he came to pick her up. Luckily no one was home at the time so he wasn't subjected to the game 10 Million Questions for a Potential Suitor. 

He didn't like country music, but had the only "country" CD he owned playing in the car. Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines. Sarah didn't actually know any of the music. But was very impressed by the effort. Off to the Mall. Where Tim bought Sarah a cowgirl hat to memorialize her love of country music and wear to the RASCAL FLATTS concert he was taking her to in the near future! They took a little ride on the two story carousel in the food court. Ate Mexican food and drank margaritas to celebrate Mexican independence, of course. Then Sarah needed to get back home because she had made plans with the girls from work for the rest of the night.

But, ah (Tim says now "AAAAHAHHAHAH!!!!!"), when Tim dropped her off at home, family members were home. And despite her warnings that they were a bit...much...overwhelming...crazy...he insisted on coming in to meet everyone. That's probably the moment she fell in love with him. 

The 10 Million Question game was played. And just when Sarah thought things were going pretty well after all, Aunt Bridget came racing into the kitchen.

"SEVEN. Just remember seven," Aunt Bridget yelled. Sarah almost died. She had told her sisters just a few months earlier that she was a size seven on her left ring finger (which ironically is not correct). And if ever a boy should want to know, they would have that tidbit handy.

Tim was informed (after prodding a very reluctant-to-tell-what-it-meant Sarah) and found it all very, very funny. Sarah's family liked him. Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours.

Well, that about explains it. We won't go into anymore details about first kisses and first "I love you's" and proposal/engagement. Because this is really supposed to be about how we met, right? Plus, if you're our children-in-the-future, you're already grossed out by this much detail. Just know that they lived happily ever after.

Nothing Parties Like a Rental

We recently returned from TEN DAYS vacationing with Sarah's family in a rented home on Lake Diane in Michigan. (Acknowledgement: Tim is a saint). No serious injuries, no fighting...just excessive beer drinking and eye rolling. With possibly too much sassy-ness. It was a good time. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Our view of Lake Diane

Felicity has been "talking" up a storm and Tim was able to spend extra time with her during vacation. This was really nice for him because he's at work or she's sleeping/getting ready for bed when he is home. They had a really adorable cooing conversation one afternoon while the big girls were napping.

Speaking of the big girls, they LOVED going out on Grandpa's boat and going fast. A few times, we took them out on the paddle boat. But it wasn't fast enough and they asked to go back to the house. Truly their parents' children.

Daddy, Vivian, Aunt Maria, Miriam

 So in general, there was a lot of this:

Nope, she's totally sober.

 And, of course, this:

Totally wiped out.

Some outlaws, for whatever reason, doing this:

Tim, Ryan, Tom

Maybe a dash of this:

Two peas in a crazypod.

  With Stella doing this:

"Someone please help me."

 Oh, and plenty of this:

"A naptime cocktail. Cheers!"

But wait! That's not all! We got to go wedding and bridesmaids dress shopping for Aunt Annette's wedding!

Unfortunately, a certain someone (who reads this blog) is forbidden from viewing the said wedding dress. 

You know who you are. But in case anyone is still trying to figure it out...above, right. Cute couple, huh?

So instead all you all get to see is pictures of Wellman sisters etc. at the store.

OH! And have we introduced Michael's new gf?!?! Meet Patty. Or as we call her, Pepper. Everyone around here needs a good nickname. She grew up in Milan, Italy, went to college at Purdue, works in Chicago, met Michael AT CHURCH. We're fans.

Yeah, we're not entirely sure how he snagged such a cute girl either.

Alright, on with the story...so the Sunday of our vacation, Uncle Michael and Aunt Nichole did a Tough Mudder. This is 10+ miles of running with 20+ obstacles that include barbed wire, fire, lots of mud, swimming through ice water, getting shocked by live wires and MORE MORE MORE. And they loved it. Only it didn't love them. Apparently, somewhere on the website there was a warning not to drink the water you were swimming through. (Do you know where this is going?) So Monday night/Tuesday morning, we find out they did drink the water. And they were very, very, very sick from some waterborne illness/bacteria. Yuck. No more details needed. But they both needed some rest...almost impossible with 14ish other people running around the house. Oh, and it was raining off and on. A small band of us were off to Toledo. First the children's museum, which even the big/college kids liked! 

These two big girls had a blast and burned off lots of energy! It was a great place - we'd recommend it.

Then we tried to see the cathedral...

It was massive and beautiful on the outside.

And very locked up for the day. Bummer.

Nichole and Michael recovered. And claim they'd do another Tough Mudder. It was that fun, apparently.

Our ranks continued to swell when Uncle Tom and Aunt Marilyn came to visit one evening.

We played games (don't really understand the one below yet...something about hitting a beer bottle off a pole with a frisbee).

Enjoyed a fire.

And talked.

There's more that we didn't get pictures of, like Uncle John's fireworks or Vivian vomiting or praying together or the never ending games of Tripoly or the hike with a thousand ticks and so on. (We still don't know why she got sick, but she said it was because she ate too much. Hummm.) 

So a big thanks to Sarah's family for an exciting, relaxing, entertaining ten days.

Meet the Cousins

We've been busy and kind of off the grid for a bit, but we're back with lots to update you about! First item of business, Felicity met her Arizona cousins about two weeks ago!

Left to Right: Colin, Sam, Felicity, Lydia, Vivian, Hannah, Miriam, John Michael

 What do you think she's thinking?

They were able to coax a smile out of her with lots of tickling and arm waving!

And, of course, Miriam and Vivian loved playing with their older cousins.

MORE to come...

Amishville Strikes Again

We took the girls to Amishville on Saturday to spend time with Sarah's extended family during their annual camping trip. We didn't spend the night this year with Felicity being so little. But here's a little photo recap of a few of the things we did this year...

Lily, Miriam, and Izzy heading toward the "farm".

Grandma and Miriam

"Swing me!" says Vivian.

Your wish is my command.

Checking out the farm animals.

Like this fancy rooster.

Photo-proof that Felicity was there.

Viv got to peek at some baby pigeons.

Up at the stage, Miriam put on a performance.

Viv joined in.

They LOVED it.

Whole family shot...minus just a few family members who couldn't make it and a sleeping Felicity.

Color mash-up.

Last Morning

"Last Morning." This is how Vivian references anything in the past. We love it. While kids are trying to get a grasp of the world, they come up with some adorable, interesting, not-quite-right concepts. Like when a one year old waves backwards, as if trying to tell herself goodbye. Or this morning, Miriam asked if Aunt Nichole was Aunt Maria's mommy. Well, they are together a lot. And they look similar. And Nichole is older than Maria. But no, not her mommy. Generations can be a particularly difficult concept to get your head around. Especially when your cousin Andrew (Dad's nephew) is the same age as your aunts (Mom's sisters). 

And on a completely unrelated note, we made these lemon shortbread cookies this week. Saw the recipe on Pinterest. Lemon. Yes. Shortbread. Yes. Together. Double yes. You will not regret making them...

...unless they turn out as ugly as ours did. No. We take that back. Even if they're not half as attractive as the originals, you'll be sooooo happy you made them. And then you'll need to go buy stock in butter.

By the way, this little Felicity. She's starting to drool and has gone up a clothing size. It begins.

Cute cute cute.