So Much To Say..

Inspired by her viewing of the Democratic National Convention, Catherine Hannah has been working on her public speaking recently. She wants to keep her options open regarding a future run for the White House or other public office. Here's a rough draft of one of her speeches, given right after her nightly bath to a captive audience. See if you are as inspired as we were......

The Results Are In.....

Catherine Hannah went in for her two month check-up on Monday. Her first set of vaccinations brought out a lot of tears.... in mom and dad! Our little daughter's never cried like that! Afterwards, though, Catherine went right to sleep. Mom and Dad needed a frozen yogurt to help calm themselves down! Here's her current stats: Height: 2 ' 1/4" (92% for her age) Weight: 11 lbs. 12 oz (56% for her age) Yes, she's long and lean, earning her newest nickname - "Two Feet of Sunshine!" Enjoy these photos..... Dad zooms in for yet another close-up Yes, these are in fact Mouse Boots that I'm wearing, and yes, they are the coolest shoes ever!

Love those dimples!

It's a big crib. Might as well fill the space......

An over due post about the Johnson visit from July. There was baseball, baptism, the Jelly Belly Factory, the Zoo, the Exploratorium, gardening, catch, swimming...the fun never ended! And Catherine did it all. Well, she was there for all of it but sleeping through most! Catherine was so pleased to finally meet and snuggle with her Aunt Missy, Uncle Rusty, Daniel and Aidan.

Speaking of fun with her cousins... Elle sent this picture to Catherine to remind her that being a fashion plate is never an easy job!

Snapshots

Some random shots from the week. Though Mom and Dad had an amazingly difficult time going back to work, Catherine seems to have stayed as happy as ever!

A New Friend...

Catherine has recently begun some serious training for a new Olympic event: The PlayMat. In the last week she has spent almost an hour on the mat on several occasions. After learning of Michael Phelp's 6th Gold and Natasia Luikin's stellar all around performance last night, she approached her dad and I about the possibility of our securing a coach to help her train for London 2012. Cinder Sue is our obvious first pick but Cinder actually had something else in mind: synchronized mat time. We just might be on to something here. Stay tuned!

Picnics and Parties

With a return to work looming for Sarah and Scott, we've been enjoying the lazy summer afternoons. Catherine and Mom spent some time having a picnic in the back yard (notice the tongue - Dad is so proud!)..... ...and Catherine hosted a party for her two friends, Jack Hoversen and James Dixon! Dads were feeling mighty proud! Check out Catherine with a Hunk on one side and an All-Star on the other!

Catherine Fires Photographer.....

Brangelina getting $14 million for photos of their new twins?!? Catherine Hannah is on strike, demanding a new agent......

Washin' Those Sins Away....

Catherine Hannah was baptized on Sunday, July 20th at Christ the King Church in Pleasant Hill. Despite some concerns, she slept through the entire event, not even blinking an eye as water was poured on her head! Scott had to do all the crying for her (: Here's some photos of the proud parents and Catherine's Godparents, Melissa Johnson and Matt Malone.

Good Morning, Sunshine!

With Catherine beginning to sleep through the night on a consistent basis, she wakes up refreshed and happy. Those first few minutes are some of our favorite moments of the day.

Summer Snoozing, Summer Fun

Catherine Hannah catches a summertime nap on mom's shoulder Back awake now, it's time for fun on the mat with her jungle friends.... And of course, with a future so bright, you've just GOTTA wear shades!

For Those About to Rock.......

... Catherine Salutes You!

One Month!

Happy Birthday, Catherine! Today our little Cat is 1 month old and to celebrate, SHE decided to take her mom and dad to an A's game! A very welcome break from the heat, we made it to the Coliseum just into the first inning and stayed until the 7th inning stretch. Catherine was so excited about the whole thing that she just passed right out in the parking lot and didn't wake up until we got home! (A's won 3-2 in the 11th, making Catherine 1-0 lifetime in Games Attended) Both today and yesterday she hung out with her Grandma and Grandpa Drain and her Aunt Megan and cousin Elle. She's had a few other visitors over the last few weeks including Grandma and Grandpa Boland, David and Maggie Chiles, Bridget and Greg Manifold and her Aunt Crystal, Aunt Mary and Cousin Kay. All of these people have been giving her lots of snuggles and love. Next week: Aunt Missy, Uncle Rusty, Daniel and Aidan arrive!

The A's uniform:

Reviewing some important STATS with Dad & Taking in the game from the 2nd deck:

Little Lady Elle takes some interest in her cousin's A's socks. Her cousin meanwhile is just too exhausted to even notice that her sock is about to go missing!

Firecrackers on the Fourth

Happy 4th of July! Yesterday was a great day of relaxing and hanging out with friends at the park and at our house for a BBQ. Catherine decided that it would also be nice to give us a break and had a lovely day minus her normal evening witching hour, which gave us both a night of needed rest. Catherine gets ready for Independence Day with a themed shirt which she decided to spit up on just after getting dressed! Catherine and her friend Jack Hoversen hang out in Todos Santos park and enjoy some smooth jazz. And no, they did not call one another in the morning to choose their outfits! Proud fathers do their best to embarrass their young children

News!

Yes, it's true - a post without a photo. You know, babies just don't do much in the first three weeks of life other than look cute in their pink onesies on a lamb skin rug...well, unless you count the time our darling daughter pooped on the wall. Really - it was quite amazing and if we weren't too busy laughing and cleaning up there would undoubtedly be a photo of that on this blog as well!



But today was really something to write about. Today Catherine successfully had breakfast with her dad from a bottle and it all went off without a hitch. Sure she has had the bottle before but that is always at 10pm in moments of desperation when we have tried everything else. But today! Today was a test run of Scott's feeding Catherine with no hidden agenda behind it. What did Sarah do with all the free time on her hands? A nice long shower that even allowed for time afterward to put on mascara and think about what she might wear for the day.



We also think that she is smiling at us. Yes, we know what you are all thinking: GAS. But really - there are moments in the morning that we both really think that those smiles are not gas induced! You may not believe us about the smiles but she is recognizing our voices and turns when we both speak to her. She also is loving playing on her play mat on the floor which she does two or three times a day.