A NINETEEN-MONTH-OLD GIRL

How is it that my little baby is nineteen months old??? It can't be! But it is! And it's the best.

I snapped these photos yesterday, during our morning walk, at the Bell Tower. It's particularly fun for you because 1) it has lots of steps (you love walking up and down steps) and 2) it has a clock at top. And clocks are your favorite! I'm even contemplating making a cuckoo clock costume for you for Halloween, you love clocks so much. It's between that and a cat costume...

Also, I had to share the photo above...it's just too darn funny. Everyone knows you love being outside. And although you were anti-stroller for a bit there (you wanted to walk everywhere), you now love your stroller again, because of course, you are usually outside when you're in it. So the other day I was packing up your diaper bag, etc. before meeting naenae and you were being kind of quiet. That's when I walked in the kitchen and found you here. Ha. In your stroller basket, waiting for me. This photo cracks me up so much!

UNC NICU/NCC GRADUATE REUNION 2016

Sunday was a big day for you Maeve! It was the UNC NICU/NCC Graduate Reunion 2016. It was hosted by the hospital at the Friday Center and it was such a fun event! We had been anticipating this party for months and it was bigger and more fun than we imagined!

When we arrived the first things we saw were the fire truck, ambulance and helicopter parked out front for you all to see/play inside. It's really something to think that many of the kids at the reunion arrived at the NICU for the first time via helicopter. It reminds me of how important the UNC NICU is not just to our family but to so many around the state.

While waiting in line to sit in the helicopter, we ran into Ford, a little one who was in the NICU with you. He was happy and healthy and adorable, and it was nice to chat with his parents.

Once inside you got to watch as an artist made you a flower out of a balloon, got your photo taken in a photobooth, saw Rameses and Wool E. Bull, saw a horse, ate a cupcake, and got a cool new t-shirt. And there were just so many babies there, Maeve! Some tiny, just out of the NICU and some a bit older. There were wagons carrying twins and triplets. It was adorable. There is a reunion every two years, and we already can't wait for the next one!

They asked each graduate to make and bring a scrapbook page for a big book that stays in the NICU (I think it is called the Album of Hope or something like that) to encourage parents and families of children currently in the NICU. For your page we cut out photos of you in the NICU along with more current ones. It was cute, and of course, a reminder of how far you've come and how lucky we are!

And there you are in your new shirt. You couldn't wait to show it off to naenae!!! xo

LATELY

What a week you've had, baby girl! It began on Sunday with a quick trip to/a few days at the beach and ended with the UNC marching band downtown last night. In between were lots of campus walks, Kidzu visits, library story times and playground fun. Highlights include a new tooth and you saying "Chihuahua" (you have a book with photos of lots of dog breeds that you love). Summer may be over next week, but we're soaking up every last minute of it in the meantime! xo

FIRST MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

I can't believe you made it to eighteen months before embarking on your first proper mountain adventure, but that was the case! For the Labor Day weekend, naenae and grandpa rented a big mountain house on the New River in West Jefferson, NC. They hosted us + some extended family including your cousin McKinley, who will turn one in October. The weekend was so perfect. The weather was cool. The views from the house were amazing. And you had a ball. Here is the story of your first mountain adventure, Maeve...

Dad and I had a long workday/wedding in Raleigh on Friday, when naenae and grandpa were scheduled to depart, so we dropped you off early that morning at their house. I'm told that you supervised the packing, had a snack once in your carseat, then passed out before you guys got beyond the city limits. Ha.

Like always, I asked naenae and grandpa to send me tons of photos of you throughout the day. Because being away from you is still hard for me (will it ever not be?). I'm so thankful that they obliged and sent me lots. In the one above you are settling in at the cabin. We loved it so much and can't wait to stay there again.

While you guys experienced great weather, on Friday your dad and I were in Raleigh as Hurricane Hermine rolled through. It wasn't too bad, but it was cold and rainy and windy all day long. But we got to spend our time at Raleigh's most impressive event venue (which was on our professional bucket list) so it wasn't too bad. It was kind of exciting, actually. But I missed you terribly.

Friday night, your new pal McKinley arrived and you guys had a sleepover at the cabin, which included a shared bath (McKinley even rinsed the shampoo from your hair, I hear) and lots of sweet playtime. I hate that the photo above is so blurry, but I still love it regardless! Naenae loves her girls.

Your dad and I arrived in West Jefferson late Saturday and were thrilled to be reunited! You showed us around the house, which included the best wraparound porch, where you spent most of your time. You and McKinley took turns riding and pushing your tricycle and car around the porch and throwing balls, for hours on end. And we all spent hours on the porch playing with you two and taking in the gorgeous river view and sweet mountain air.

Highlights of our trip include visits to the quaint downtown, playtime at a local park, a short hike, and bonding with family we rarely see (you even got to meet your cousin Seth, who was visiting from South Korea, for the first time). While we had planned on venturing out to the river in some capacity, we found that all of our options at the local outfitter meant staying on the river for a minimum of two hours (not my ideal scenario for your first time in a river canoe). That coupled with the cold kept us away...this time. But it also gave us an excuse to come back in the Spring!

I had so much fun during our stay that I didn't take a single photo, which is why your dad isn't seen in any of these (he was behind the lens). But he had a great time, too! He actually did a research project on the New River while at Carolina, so it is special to him. We took many trips there, with our beloved Oni, years ago, so we love it there!

Thank you so much naenae and grandpa for inviting us along on your trip and for taking such good care of our girl. And thank you grams and grandpa for taking care of Lilly and Louis and making our trip possible. It was a great Labor Day weekend!

PS: Above is a photo of you from last year's Labor Day weekend. Ah!!! You were so tiny. And squishy! More photos from that girls' weekend at the beach are right here.

JUNIOR GARDENER

The Junior Gardeners program at Kidzu is just about the most perfect fit for this downtown baby with not much of a yard to call her own. Bugs! Dirt! New friends! Outside! AKA the recipe for a perfect morning in Maeve's book.

"1, 2, 3" AND "PLEASED TO MEET YOU!"

I remember commenting to your dad a couple of weeks ago that your vocabulary was exploding right before our eyes. Since then, it has probably tripled. Some recent favorite vocab moments: you say, "one...twoooooo...three" now. And your very favorite word seems to be "no." And you say it all the time. Ha. You also say "night night" when you are ready for bed/a nap or want to play in your crib.

And then there are those words that your daddy and I understand but might confuse someone else without context. For example, "ride" means "magic carpet ride" to you, and that you would like for us to pull you around the house on a blanket singing songs. And "side" means you want to go outside. And speaking of words that end in "-ide" you also love the word "slide." AKA your favorite thing to do at any park. It's kind of funny that you are going through phases where you learn/like to use words that rhyme. Like when you first learned to say clock, sock, block, etc.

On occasion we can even make out simple sentences when you're babbling. For example, we were at a park over the weekend and you spent almost the entire time going down a slide there. When the time came to leave I picked you up and carried you to the car. You whined and babbled and I swear you said, while pointing to the slide, "But I was happy there!!!"

And then there are a few mystery words that we are still trying to figure out. One in particular is "sobby" and you use it often and in different situations.

Finally, on the list of new things you're doing that are adorable, this weekend naenae taught you how to greet someone new by extending your hand and shaking theirs. You can shake hands, Maeve! I just extend my arm to you and say, "hello there!" and you shake it! And then I usually say "pleased to meet you!" 

I love this for a few reasons. First, it is extremely important to your dad and I that you are well-mannered and polite. I also love this because you are beginning to be around more children, whether at the museums or parks, and I notice that it sometime seems confusing to connect with them/greet them when you first meet them. I've observed you patting other children's' backs or kind of yelling in the past to connect. Hopefully this will help bridge any gaps. You actually tried to shake a baby's hand at the park yesterday but they weren't sure what to do. It was so cute, none the less! xo