It's Foley Time

Ten Months

2012-02-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Technically 10 1/2 months. Where has the time gone???

Also, we have a climber.

Date Night

2012-02-04T10:27:00.001-08:00

It is not often that we get the opportunity to gather for a family picture. When Grandma Lyn came up last weekend we had her snap this photo quickly before Nathan and I headed out the door.

It's also not often that Nathan and I get to go out alone for a date night. We went to a lovely French restaurant and enjoyed a calm, peaceful and QUIET dinner. THANK YOU Grandma Lyn!!!

Princess Tool Belt

2012-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

On a quiet night at home a few weeks ago we noticed Bridget take one of her purses, loop it around her waist, and then proceed to hang two of her fairy wands into the sides. It took her a few minutes to complete the process and we just just sat there and watched her quietly. When Nathan and I finally asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'm making my Princess Tool Belt!". (Duh!)

Christmas 2011

2012-02-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice QUIET Christmas morning at home this year. Here are a few highlights:

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

It is becoming tradition for Bridget and Evan to open one gift on Christmas Eve - a pair of Pajamas from Grandma and Grandma Foley. This year they upped the ante by adding a book - The Night Before Christmas. It is a audio book that they pre-recorded with their voices and customized with the kiddo's names. They LOVED it!

Seventh Annual Roommate Dinner

2012-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

We got together with our friends Sara, Brett, George, Sonya, and Levi again this year. It is a tradition we started way back in 2005 when Sara, Brett, Sonya and myself lived together in San Francisco. We've added to the group over the years, and with the addition of Evan this year, the new members now outnumber the original four!

Roommate dinner was held at our new place this year, just a few weeks after we moved in. It was good motivation to get unpacked and settled!

It's always fun to pick a great recipe and this year was no exception. We settled on a recipe from Nathan's mom - Hawaiian Chicken. It was a big hit!

We did our normal amount of socializing while dinner was cooking.

After dinner the real fun began - the kids' presents!

All in all it was another great roommate dinner. We are so fortunate to have such good friends in our lives, and it is so great that we've been able to keep the tradition going all these years.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-02-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is only a few months late...

We went the easy route and let a restaurant cook our Thanksgiving Dinner this year. We had just moved into our new place 2 days prior to Turkey-Day so it made sense.

Dinner was at Spengers in Berkeley. It is a restaurant that my Dad, Uncle, and even Nana have fond memories of, going back many decades.

Evan had not yet had meat prior to Thanksgiving, so we let him try some baby food Turkey and he LOVED it. Here he is in a bit of a food coma after dinner.

We also used the occasion as a good opportunity to take a family photo. Spengers is a seafood restaurant, but the room where we ate was covered with GUNS!!! It was so odd we just had to use it as a backdrop.

Nine Months

2011-12-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe Evan is already nine months old. The last month has been pretty eventful. Not only did we move, Evan is not ON the move. He rolls, scoots, and crawls, and is even pulling himself up to standing. He had his 9 month Dr. appointment the other day and he now weighs 20 lbs. 4 oz., and he is 28" tall. He is in the 60th percentile for both height and weight. Dr. thinks he's doing great (and so do we)!

Getting his monthly photo is becoming harder now that he is so mobile:

And some more outtakes...

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

We decided to start a new tradition and do an advent calendar this year. I figure it will be a good way for Bridget to better understand the concept of time, and how long a day/week/month is. Each bag has a very small gift in it, and it is serving as a great countdown to when Santa arrives.

We started today, Dec. 1, and she will open her last gift on Christmas Eve. In a few years we can start doing one for Evan too and we'll have two rows hanging. I have high hopes of making this a Foley tradition for many years to come.

Today's gift was a small notepad with Disney Princesses in it.

Eight Months

2011-11-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

A few days late ... we've been a little busy! We are almost done with our move and the kids are already loving their new home.

Bumble Bee and Elephant

2011-10-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! This year Bridget decided she wanted to be a Bumble Bee. She has been contemplating her costume choice for almost a full year so let's just say we were happy she finally settled on something and stuck with it.

We knew we would have a repeat of the Halloween pumpkin party at Bridget's school, and also another round of trick-or-treating -- so we decided to get Evan a costume too. He was an Elephant.

Daddy did a very good job picking out Bridget's costume and getting her ready for the party while Mommy was out of town (luckily I came back into town the night of the party and was able to make it for the second half).

Bridget's pumpkin is the second from the left, with the "sideburns."

Bridget and another Bumble Bee!

For Halloween itself we decided to pack up and head to a more family-friendly neighborhood. And we sure found one! There were kids everywhere and lots of fun decorations and candy all around. Even Bridget noted that she only saw 21 other kids last year, but this year she saw 811! (These are direct quoted numbers!).

Evan was quite a trooper as we went from house to house.

We are glad to have Halloween over with for another year. And we are starting to take bets on what Miss B will want to dress up as next year!

Seven Months

2011-10-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our little goblin is seven months old already! He is "mobile" in the sense that he can roll to get anywhere he wants. He has been practicing getting up on his knees and we expect him to take off crawling any day now. No teeth yet.

Six Months

2011-09-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Weight: 17lbs. 4oz.
Height: 26.5 in.
Percentile: 45th (for both height and weight)
Cuteness factor: Off the charts!

Bridget's Birthday Weekend

2011-09-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

In case anyone didn't already know, Bridget turned FOUR last week!!! This is the first year we went all out with a party where she was able to invite friends. We decided on a local art studio where the kids would be making clay sculptures.

We went with a Hello Kitty theme (mostly because I happened across a cute Hello Kitty themed invitation that I was able to customize from an artist on etsy.com).

We might have been a little ambitious with Bridget's party - we invited 19 kids. But the real shocker is that 17 showed up! The poor instructor definitely had her hands full. Luckily most kids' parents stuck around to help assist in the sculpture making!

Bridget got a little distracted half-way through and opted to color instead of continue with the clay. We certainly cant blame her - she had a lot of hosting to do! She is sitting next to her former (and Evan's current) caretaker, Nonna, in this photo:

What party is complete without cupcakes?! Bridget's Grandma Carol supplied the mini cupcakes and lemonade and they were a BIG hit!

After the party festivities, we continued the Birthday celebration at one of our favorite local restaurants. We had a big family crowd that included the Oregon Foley's, Uncle Pete, Nana, and Grandma Lyn. Dinner was delicious and Bridget's enery never faded. Even at the end when she was still able to whip out an "after-party" style pose:

And if the weekend festivities weren't enough, we still had a little celebration on her actual birthday. We even picked up an ice cream cake like she has had at all her prior birthdays.

All in all I'd say Bridget had a pretty amazing 4th birthday! We still can't believe what an amazing SMART, BEAUTIFUL, BIG kid she is becoming!

Five Months

2011-08-20T09:35:00.001-07:00

I know I saw this with every monthly picture, but wow, I just cant believe how fast Evan is growing. His little personality continues to develop and he is getting stronger and stronger every day. His favorite thing to do is stand or sit up (with a little help) - he just loves to be up and looking around.

I returned to work 3 weeks ago and it has been a smooth transition back into the business world. Nathan stayed home with Evan that first week and Evan officially started daycare on August 8. We are taking him to the same place that his big sister went and we couldn't be happier with the decision. Evan is smiling and giggling every morning when we drop him off, and he is smiling and giggling every evening when we pick him up.

Evan's next doctor appt is in early September and we'll probably start him on solid food around that time. I expect we will have another milestone update by then too - our little guy is anxious to get on the move and already makes attempts to get on his knees when he's on his tummy.

Gone Fishing

2011-08-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Bridget's school was closed on Wednesday so it was the perfect opportunity for Nathan and her to have a special day together. He took the day off and they headed up to Bodega Bay for some fishing. They had a great time and she was very proud when she caught her first fish.

Four Month Stats

2011-07-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Evan had his 4-month check up last Thursday and is doing great, as predicted.

He is 14lbs 10oz, and 25" tall. That puts him in the 30th percentile for weight and 40th percentile for height. For comparison, miss Bridget was never below 95% until her 3rd birthday!

He is also VERY strong. He quickly went from a few accidental roll overs last week to fully rolling across the floor this weekend. I predicted early on that he might reach certain milestones faster than his sister (rolling, sitting, crawling, walking) and it looks like he's off to a good start!

Four Months

2011-07-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Our "Little Man" turned 4 months old today! He has his next Dr. appointment later this week, I'll report his latest "stats" after the appt.

4th of July

2011-07-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth, from our sparkler and our firecracker. We'll let you decide which is which.

Three Months

2011-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Evan is three months old now and his personality is really starting to emerge. He loves to smile, talk, and coo. He is a big fan of his big sister too.

Family Portrait

2011-06-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just love that Evan is a mini-Nathan and Bridget is a mini-Kara in this photo.

Two Months

2011-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Instead of a nine week photo, here is one from Monday, which was his two month birthday.

Seems like 2 WEEKS was just yesterday and he's already 2 MONTHS, sniff sniff - he's growing up too fast!

Baby Smiles

2011-05-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

I found these photos on the SD card when I uploaded Evan's 8-week photos today. I had forgotten we took them earlier in the week. How cute is he?!

And I got this one of him today. STRETCH!!

Eight Weeks (ish)

2011-05-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Evan was 8 weeks on Wednesday. He had a Dr. appointment last Thursday and weighed 10lbs 14oz. He is now in the 40% for weight and 20% for height. He is starting to give us lots of smiles, which in turn makes us have lots of smiles :)

Seven Weeks

2011-05-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Evan is now 7 weeks old. He is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night - 5 hours last night! He is also starting to give us his first smiles and he's is holding his head up like a champ.

Six Weeks

2011-04-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have been taking Evan's picture in the same spot each week, starting at week 2. It's cute to see that he's almost always in the same position, stretching and tilting his head an body towards the sun (our big sliding glass door).

Five Weeks

2011-04-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Evan is 5 weeks old. He has officially outgrown his newborn clothes and is now wearing size 0-3 months. We don't know his exact weight but would guess its at about 10 pounds. We'll have new stats after his next Dr. appointment on May 5.

Four Weeks

2011-04-13T17:03:00.001-07:00

Almost a month old!

Three Weeks

2011-04-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Evan is now three weeks old. Nothing new to report this week - he's still sleeping and eating like a champ. At his appointment last Friday he was 7 lbs 12 oz (which happens to be the weight Bridget was when she was BORN!).

Mom's Day

2011-04-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Dad stayed home with Evan on Friday morning so Bridget and I could go to school together for "Mom's Day." Each week Bridget's school focuses on a different letter of the alphabet and last week was M week. So they invited all of the Mom's to visit and participate in school on Friday morning. Bridget and I were both very excited.

At school I got to participate in Reading Circle, Science time (we learned that when you mix blue food coloring and red food coloring in water, you end up with PURPLE water). We also got to play outside, had a morning snack, and we also got to do "small group" time, in which we chose to play dress-up in the home-center.

We had a great time but one of the best parts was seeing Bridget interact with her friends. I took this picture with my phone - Bridget and Lucy were both dressed completely in pink and even had the same shoes on! Maya also joined in the photo since she was wearing pink as well.

Two Weeks

2011-03-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Evan is two weeks old today!

He continues to sleep most of the time, pretty much only waking up to eat and during diaper changes. But occasionally he opens his eyes to check out his surroundings and today I was able to get a few shots of him with his eyes open.

School Day

2011-03-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

I took Evan with me to drop Bridget off at school on Friday. Bridget was SO proud and excited to show off her new baby brother. It was so cute to see all the kids gather around to meet him. And Evan has been quite the charmer every place we go.

One Week

2011-03-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it has been a full week already! Here is a picture of Evan doing one of the three things he does best - SLEEPING! I'll spare everyone photos of the other two things he does :)

Things continue to go well now that we are home. We had our first newborn checkup on Monday and he was up to 6lb. 14oz. (he's quickly re-gaining the weight that newborns lose in the first few days). He is eating and growing like a little champ.

Family of Four

2011-03-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to have a new addition to our family! Evan Bruno Foley joined us at 1:37am on Wednesday March 16. He weighed 7lbs. 2oz. and was 19.25" tall.

He was born 10 days early and it started with my water breaking on Tuesday evening just as Nathan and Bridget were getting home. It was quite unexpected considering Bridget didn't arrive until she was forced out 14 days after her original due date!

We made it to the hospital around 9pm and Evan was born just a few hours later.

We brought the camera and the computer to the hospital with us, but unfortunately we brought the wrong camera charger so we only have cell phone shots from the first few hours.

This one was taken about 8 hours after he was born.

Evan was able to "room-in" with me so he barely left my side during our whole hospital stay. This is the bassinet that he slept in, and Bridget asked us "Why is he sleeping in a Bucket??"

We were able to leave the hospital the day after he was born. It was great because it allowed us to get Bridget more comfortable with her new baby brother in our own environment. And we rode home as a family in style - last week I ordered a new cover for Bridget's infant car seat (her original seat was pink). Luckily it arrived the day we left the hospital so Evan didn't have to ride home in pink. It's also fitting that he came home in a green seat on St, Patrick's Day.

Today was our first full day at home. Evan is a very mellow little guy and he has spent most of his life sp far asleep. Here is a shot of Nathan and his son.

Bridget and Evan are bonding really well too. She is very attentive to him and loves to give him kisses and bring him toys. She sings to him too. She had a chance to hold him tonight and it just melted my heart.

9 months and other updates

2011-03-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

I've been getting lots of belly photo requests so I had Nathan take this picture of me when I stopped by his office yesterday. It was taken with a blackberry, so not the best quality, but you can see how my bump had grown over the past few months! Its amazing how different this pregnancy has been. With Bridget I was much bigger at this point.

I'm a bit embarrassed this is my first blog post of 2011 and it's MARCH! Things have been quite busy in the Foley house. The holidays went by in a blur, with the Pistochini's visiting from the East Coast. Bridget really embraced Christmas this year and had a wonderful time with family.

I spent January and February preparing for the largest event I do each year. The event was help February 28-March 4 in San Francisco and I made it through -- even though the last day of the event was also exactly 3 weeks before my due date!

My maternity leave officially started last Monday and I spent the last week finally focusing on getting ready for the baby. We got all of Bridget's infant things out of storage, and we also finally ordered a new crib. There is still a lot to do, like sorting through and cleaning baby clothes, assembling furniture, etc, so hopefully this baby holds out for another week or two.

Nathan has also been very busy with work lately. He hurt his hand (badly) about a month ago and is currently finishing up physical therapy and we're hoping there is no permanent damage. We have made quite a pair lately with him only having one functional hand and me being very pregnant!

Bridget is doing GREAT! She continues to thrive at school and surprises us with new things each day. She transitioned to a "big girl bed" a few weeks ago and so far so good. She is very excited to meet her new sister or brother and has also offered many name suggestions. We cant wait to see her become a big sister.

Now that I am on leave I promise to try and update a little more. At the very least I will definitely post updates once our new addition arrives!

Annual Roommate Dinner

2010-12-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue, but better late than never right?! We went up to Reno, NV the weekend of December 4-5 for our annual roommate dinner. I've posted about this before, so I will save the whole explanation for the end of the post, and get right to the good stuff - the pictures!

The whole gang (Brett, Nathan, Levi, Sara, Kara, Sonya, George, Bridget):

All the girls preparing dinner:

The final product (Orange glazed Pork Chops, Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Kale - all totally low calorie and fat free!!!):

Opening gifts for the kids after dinner. Bridget was SOOO excited to give George his very own Glow Worm that she helped him open it:

Bridget was very attentive to George the whole weekend. And really, who wouldn't be? He is one cute kid. It wasn't until Bridget spent some time with George that she opened up to the idea of possibly having a brother on the way instead of a sister:

Bridget also got some great cuddle time with Auntie Sonya and Uncle Levi (and the dogs too!):

Some Background:
The annual roommate dinner is a tradition that started in 2005 when 4 of us lived together in a rented condo in San Francisco. Sara, Brett, Sonya, and myself were the original four. We have continued to have the dinner every year since, and in the past six years we have DOUBLED the headcount for the dinner. We have moved around to different places over the years, and this year we traveled to Reno. Sara and Brett had just recently added to their family (George) AND they purchased their first home - it was a great setting for our 6th annual dinner.

Christmas Toys and Socks

2010-12-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Bridget was very excited to put up and decorate our Christmas tree this year. We started by assembling the tree on Thanksgiving weekend. We have a pretty small tree but it is perfect for our apartment, and a great size for Bridget to help with!

Nathan took charge of assembly while Bridget helped and supervised.

We held off on actually decorating the tree because it was pretty late once we got the tree assembled Sunday night. Then on Monday night Bridget had some trouble eating her dinner, so her tree decorating privileges got revoked. Unfortunately the same thing happened on Tuesday and Wednesday nights so our tree sat bare for a few days. Finally on Thursday night we had a great dinner and then we got to work decorating the tree.

Mommy did the lights and garland while Bridget and Daddy unpacked all the ornaments (or Christmas Toys as Bridget calls them). Then they added all the ornaments while I hung the stockings (or Christmas Socks as Bridget calls them). All in all I think we did a pretty good job!

Now we just need to wait a few weeks for Santa to put some presents on the tree. In the mean time we are trying to help Bridget stay off the naughty list.

5 Months

2010-11-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Taken 11/20, approx 4 months to go!

Here is an outtake. Bridget is 3 in case you are wondering.

Halloween

2010-11-06T14:26:00.001-07:00

This was the first year we carved pumpkins. Daddy cleaned them out.

Bridget snuck a little taste.

Mommy and Bridget worked on the carving (Bridget helped with a push pin).

Bridget in her costume - Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

There was a Halloween party at Bridget's school. She and her friend Lucy were both Disney Princesses. We're not sure how that is much different than every other day.

All the kids brought their carved pumpkins to display at the party. Ours is the cat pumpkin on the second rung of the ladder on the right.

On Halloween itself, Bridget and Daddy went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Mom stayed home to pass out candy and watch the Giants play in the World Series.

Baby Time

2010-11-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time coming. What better way to get back into blogging than with a huge announcement - we're adding to our family! I'm about halfway through my pregnancy and due March 25, 2011. Bridget is VERY excited to be a big sister.

Here was my first ultrasound, at 7 weeks. The baby was just a little bean at that point.

I had another ultrasound at 12 weeks. Things are much more recognizable in this picture.

My third ultrasound was at about 19 weeks. This was the "anatomy ultrasound," although we chose NOT to find out the baby's gender this time. We didn't get any good baby photos from this ultrasound but we got a great one of Bridget sporting her "I'm gonna be a BIG sister" shirt. It was also a treat to have Bridget at the appointment with us so she could "see" the baby.

I promise to get better about keeping this blog updated and I plan to start the Monthly Belly Pics soon, like I did with Bridget.

Happy Birthday Bridget!

2010-09-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Bridget turned 3 last Sunday. We celebrated with a family party at home and Bridget scored some fun loot.

Her big gift from Mommy and Daddy was a dress up trunk full of princess and other costumes and accessories.

She also got some great toys, book, and clothes. She had to put on this YELLOW headband right away.

Per her request we got her an ice cream cake with brown ice cream and yellow frosting. Actually she asked for yellow with sparkles but this is the best we could do. She blew out her candles right away.

I cant believe another year has gone by!!

Preschool

2010-08-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Bridget started preschool on Monday! Things went really well and she seems to be enjoying it. Mom and dad are enjoying how well she has been sleeping at night!

Here are some pictures from her first day.

The preschool she is in has 24 kids and 3 teachers. It is a very creative and interactive environment and we think Bridget will do really well there. They divide the kids into 3 groups of 8 for their "work time" and Bridget just happened to get placed in the YELLOW group. I wonder how that happened?

Bridget the Ballarina

2010-08-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Bridget and I took a "pre-ballet" class on Friday mornings for the last 6 weeks. We both had a lot of fun. The best part was seeing her "costume" progression from the first day with shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers, to the last day with a skirt and top, a tutu, and ballet shoes. One class she even managed to wear a skirt and TWO tutus.

Here are some shots I took this past Friday, which was her last class. I wish we could keep going but they are only offered during the week. For now we will stick with her gymnastics class on Saturdays which she still loves.

We start each class with a warm up and stretching with bouncy balls.

There is a water fountain in the studio. As you can imagine we take a lot of water breaks, hence the big wet spot on her top.

About half way through the class the girls get to take turns running into the middle of the room and leaping over the ribbon.

This is the "Bavarian Butterfly Dance" where the girls get to dance with each other.

In this picture they are "painting" the room with scarves.

The Nail Store

2010-07-17T12:39:00.001-07:00

I took Bridget to a nail salon a few weeks ago on one of my days off. She loves having her nails painted so it was a special treat for her to go to the "nail store." I knew a nice pink color was a lost cause when I saw that Yellow polish was an option.

She ended up with yellow nails with gold sparkles.

Match Sticks

2010-07-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

We've been taking Bridget to gymnastics every Saturday since April. She cant quite pronounce "Gymnastics" so it comes out more like "Match Sticks." Here are some shots we took back in mid-June.

Ranch Hand

2010-06-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

We went up to Healdsburg to visit Uncle Pete and Uncle Brian a few weeks ago while Bridget's grandparents were in town. There was a surprise special treat in store for Bridget when we got there.

Uncle Pete's neighbor, Nancy, brought one of her miniature horses up to the ranch.

Bridget and I hopped in the buggy and we rode down to Nancy's ranch.

When we got there, Bridget got to meet a brand new colt that was only 3 days old. Her mamma was very protective but she let Bridget pet the baby while Nancy was there with her.

Here is a great shot of Bridget walking with Nathan, Uncle Pete, and Uncle Brian. Just one of the guys! I love how they all seem to be walking in stride.

We made a pit stop on our walk back up to the ranch - so Bridget could pull some rocks out of her shoes. A ladybug landed on her and she was able to hold it for a few seconds.

Doctor Bridget

2010-06-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a visit from Mark and Dee (aka Grandpa and Mameao). They stopped by the Bay Area on their way out to Hawaii (lucky them!). Bridget had a great time with them as you can see in the pictures.

They arrived on Thursday and we headed out to the East Bay to visit with Nana (Bridget's great-grandmother). When we arrived, Bridget was given her first Doctor Kit. It is something she's been requesting for a while so it was the perfect gift from her grandparents.

She got right to work "healing" her Mameao.

On Friday, they headed out to our house to spend the day. Bridget was excited to wear her favorite yellow dress and show off her ballet moves.

She convinced her grandpa to play with her at her dollhouse.

And then they shared some Popcorn. In case the dress, bowl, and sippy cup didn't give it away...Bridget LOVES yellow.

Later in the day they all did some serious coloring.

Stay tuned for some pictures from the rest of the weekend when we went up to Healdsburg to visit Uncle Pete and Brian up at their ranch.

Dad's Day

2010-06-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt in my mind that Bridget has one of the best Dads any girl could hope for. Nathan proved it again today by donning a matching red and pink apron with hearts on it and letting Bridget help him make cinnamon rolls. They came out delicious!

Stay tuned for some delayed posts from the last few weeks. Lots of good stuff on the way!

Ikea Trip

2010-05-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today we made a trip to Sacramento to meet up with the McGinness'. They drove in from Reno specifically to go to Ikea to complete the furniture for their nursery (they are expecting a little boy 2 days before Bridget's birthday!). We all met for brunch and then braved the massive store. Once we made it through the display areas and into the warehouse we finally had to sit down for a little rest.

One of our Ikea purchases was a new blanket and pillow for Bridget's "big girl bed." She still sleeps in her crib but hopefully the new bedding will be incentive to try out the other bed. If not, at least it makes a great place for her to tuck in her babies.

Pretty Hair

2010-05-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

In case I haven't mentioned it before, Bridget LOVES accessories. The other day she wanted clips in her bangs, a flower ponytail holder in the back, AND a headband. The logistics of the headband were a little difficult but she made it work. Once her 'do was all assembled and in place she went to the mirror and announced, "I'm pretty."

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Bridget, you are the reason I get to call myself a mom. I love you!

Earrings

2010-05-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Have we mentioned before that Bridget is a girly girl??? The other day she found a pair of stick on earrings in one of her books. After we put them on she first said, "Can I go look in the mirror?", and she followed that with, "I'm a girl.".

Yes Bridget, yes you are.

Discovering Discovery Kingdom

2010-05-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a LONG time since I posted. We've had a long run of sicknesses, business travel, rainy weather etc. But we're all healthy, we're all home, and this weekend was bright and sunny. Plus the Sharks and the Canucks are both still in the playoffs so life is pretty good right now.

We decided to purchase season passes for Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, formerly known as Marine World in Vallejo. It's only a 30min drive from us, and with plenty of kid-friendly activities we thought it would be a good investment for the summer.

We headed out there on Sunday afternoon and this morning (Tuesday) Bridget was still talking about all the animals she got to see and the rides she got to ride. The best part is we only covered about half of the park, so there will be plenty of new stuff to see on our next visit.

Bridget's first ride was on the hot air balloons, which consisted of balloon baskets that spin like "teacups" and raise into the air.

Nathan was a little concerned that the height would scare Bridget. Riiight.

There was a camel hanging out nearby and we were able to get a cute Daddy/Bridget shot.

Next stop was the safari ride. Bridget chose the Yellow car, naturally.

She still reminds us that she was driving and daddy was riding in the back.

Next we rode on the spinning boat. It made mommy dizzy. It made Bridget squeal and giggle.

When the boat ride came to a stop Bridget did not even hesitate and shouted, "Can we go AGAIN!?".

We ended the day with a show by "Shooka" the killer whale.

I have a feeling this was only the first of MANY trips we'll be making out there this summer.

If any local friends want to head out there with us one weekend let me know - our season passes came with some 50% off day pass coupons.

Easter Parade

2010-04-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

Easter turned into quite a big deal in the Foley house this year. There were presents, egg hunts, candy, music lessons, and best of all, Dresses. There were so many costume changes that Nathan compared the day to a Britney Spears concert.

We started off with a yellow dress from Grandma and Grampa Foley. It also came with a card in the shape of a bunny, which she prentended to hop around the floor.

There were also gifts from Mameao and Grampa P, which involved another yellow outfit and some egg toys and decorations.

On Easter Sunday we made our way up to Healdsburg to visit Uncle Pete and Uncle Brian. Her Great Grandmother, Nana, was also there. We started the visit with an indoor easter egg hunt (it was pouring rain all day). But we quickly moved on to music lessons when Bridget discovered the piano and the Ukelele that Uncle Brian brought home from Hawaii.

There were some really fancy eggs decorated with GLITTER and Bridget loved them. She is also wearing a beautiful hand-knitted dress that Uncle Brian made for her when she was born.

Then Bridget got a visit from some of the young chickens that live up on "Honey Rock Ranch" in Healdsburg.

There was one final outfit change before the day was over. This is a pink and white easter dress that Bridget picked out by herself.

Fashion Forward

2010-03-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

Bridget loves yellow. She also loves accessories, shoes, hair, and basically anything having to do with fashion. I wish I could say this was her mom's influence but even I admit I'm not as opinionated when it comes to fashion choices as this little girl! She has been obsessed with yellow lately. And who can blame her? It is a very bright as sunny color.

But did you know it goes with pigtails? And gloves? And pink socks? And a blue necklace???

Mommy is also sporting some Bridget inspired fashion... in the form of pigtails and a pink headband. But I will spare you that picture.

But this is where it gets serious.... Where did my BABY go and when did this little GIRL arrive on the scene???

By MYSELF!!!

2010-03-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

This post is a few weeks late. These shots were actually taken at the beginning of the month...before I left for 8 days for my latest work event. But they are worth sharing no matter how late they are.

We love to take Bridget to the park on the weekends. She loves to run and play, and we love seeing her in action. There is no question that she is one INDEPENDENT little girl.

When we go out in public one of us usually (tries to) hold her hand. Lately our request to hold hands has been met with something to the affect of "I want to hold hands BY MYSELF!" Which results in just that, holding her own hands...

It is precious, funny, and defiant all at once. It's simply too much and we wouldn't want it any other way!

Here are some other action shots we got on that same visit to the park:

Model in the Making

2010-03-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

This was taken weeks ago, and I am just getting around to posting it. One morning Bridget and I were eating breakfast and I was flipping through a fashion magazine. Bridget made me stop in my tracks when I got to this page:

Then she asked me for some lipstick:

Then she asked me for her white sunglasses. COINCIDENCE?!?!?!?!?

a-DORA-ble

2010-02-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

It has been raining a lot here lately, and when I saw this Dora umbrella I knew it was perfect for Bridget. Unfortunately I didn't think before giving it to her tonight - should have waited until morning. All she wants to do is go outside but she has settled for sitting with daddy and hiding so "mommy can't see us." Now we're taking bets to see how long before she breaks it.

Cute Picture of the Month

2010-02-10T21:34:00.001-08:00

This picture was too cute not to post!

This was taken on Sunday morning after she put on Mommy's shoes and necklace, grabbed her purse, and announced she was "going to work."

Bridget the Superhero

2010-02-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Bridget has been fascinated with Superheros lately. She loves putting on her cape, and of course puts her own girly spin on things. This morning she wanted her PINK cape and paired it with her pink flower barrette that she got from her friend Finn. And of course no costume is complete without a dress with NO LEGGINGS.

A Day on the Bay

2010-01-31T21:02:00.000-08:00

We decided to do something different this weekend so we took Bridget to the city via the Golden Gate Ferry. Bridget has been on a boat once before when we had a dinner cruise for Nathan's company Christmas party two years ago, but this was her first ferry ride.

It took a little bit of pre-planning, with me driving into San Francisco on Saturday and parking at my office. Then I rode the ferry home and Nathan and Bridget picked me up. Then today we all got on the ferry and rode into the city, and were able to pick up the car at my office and drive home.

We had a great time on the boat and walking around the SF Ferry Building. We stopped to get a bite to eat for dinner and then made the mile walk to my office. It was a bonus that Bridget was really tired by the time we got home so she went down for bed without a fuss.

We brought our fancy DSLR camera with us to the ferry, but unfortunately we forgot to put in the SD card! It has no internal memory so we were forced to rely on our camera phones for pictures (in addition to lugging around the big unusable camera).

Kitchen Helper

2010-01-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

We kept things simple for dinner tonight and went with classic mac and cheese. Bridget was eager to help so she donned her green apron, stepped on her special stool, and we put her to work. She was very helpful and added the butter and the cheese packet, and did most of the stirring.

When it was time to eat we made sure to put it on her PINK plate so she could eat it with her PINK fork and we put it all on her MAP placemat. She has a pink spoon too but it was in the wash. (Bridget can be rather particular about the way she does things, in case you haven't noticed.)

Hissy Fits

2010-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty cooped up inside the last few days so instead of sharing pictures I will provide a re-cap of some of the funny things Bridget has done recently.

1. The other night Bridget was playing with the cat. We kept warning her to be careful and not be too aggressive or else she would make Panzer upset. Sure enough a few minutes later Panzer let out a big HISS. Bridget was a little startled but she was fine after we explained (again) that she had made the cat mad.

Flash forward about 20 minutes when it was time for bed. Nathan asked Bridget to go pick out some books and head upstairs. Can you guess her reaction? She looked at Nathan and let out a big HISS.

2. Bridget pulled a new one on us tonight when she was going to bed. We are well versed in her usual antics...I need water...I need to go potty...I need to be tucked in...but tonight's really tops the cake. Nathan gave her a sip of water which she promptly spit out onto her sheet, and then looked up and said "Daddy I need to get up, I need a new sheet." Guess who (unhappily) went to bed on a wet sheet tonight?

If this is what she's throwing at us at 2 1/2, what do we have to look forward to when she is 16? I don't even want to think about it.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2010-01-18T14:11:00.001-08:00

It might be raining and it might be Monday, but that is not getting us down. We spent the morning catching up on some of Bridget's favorite TV shows (Dora and Diego). We also read some books, and played with her dollhouse. For lunch we had chicken and stars soup - she ate more than half of it by herself!

Here is a cute shot of Bridget looking longingly out at the rain:

Yes, she is wearing a sleeveless shirt. It is her favorite and I just didn't have it in me to fight with her this morning. I figured she would get cold and eventually ask for a blanket or a warmer shirt. Instead she just asked for COFFEE!

Introducing Weekly Us

2010-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

You might notice a new picture on the right hand of the blog, where the "Cute Picture of the Month" usually appears. The new picture is part of a project I started on Halloween called "Weekly Us." It's an idea I totally stole from my friend Sara at McGinness Clan, where she and her husband are taking a photo together every week for a month. It's a great idea, only I modified it slightly so it would be a picture of me and Bridget every week.

There has been one thing that has bothered me a little bit whenever I look through the blog archives or at the thousands of photos I've taken since Bridget was born -- I am barely in any of the photos. I have been so busy being BEHIND the camera that I never take the opportunity to get in FRONT of the camera, with Bridget. The Weekly Us project will force me to do just that. And as a bonus it will also force Nathan to get more comfortable with a camera. I can't wait to look back on the whole set of 52 photos next Halloween!

Here are a few of the pictures we've taken in the last 2 months, and you can view the whole set by clicking on the photo to the right of the blog. The photo will change each week as I upload the new photo. Enjoy!

Holiday Card

2010-01-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

I was really behind the ball this year and didn't get my Christmas cards ordered until the week of Dec. 14. Then I had planned on addressing and sending them all out while we were in Portland, but that didn't happen.

And now here we are in early January and I still havent gotten a single card sent. At this point I plan to save the postage and just post a digital copy here on the blog. If you really want a hard copy, let me know and I will send one out.

I promise to be better next year!

Good Bye 2009!

2009-12-31T12:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the highlights from 2009. It was a good year and we look forward to 2010 being even better!

This year we did a lot of traveling, starting the year off in Portland. In April we went to Virginia to see Bridget's Uncle Scott and Aunt Christine get married. We also made two trips to Reno, once for the 4th of July and again for Thanksgiving.

We spent our first full night away from Bridget in April, when we went to LA for the wedding of one of Nathan's friends. Bridget handled it so well that we decided to get away again in December for my 30th birthday.

Here is a picture of us at the wedding of Brian and Erin in LA (yes, I wore the same dress to both April weddings!):

I also took the plunge and became a red head right before my birthday, and got braces too. The red hair will probably stay a while but the braces should be off by the end of 2010.

Some of Bridget's milestones this year included her first hair cut, her first trips to the zoo and a pumpkin patch, a pony ride, her fist pair of cowboy boots, and potty training (she now only wears diapers at night!).

We also moved this year to a much bigger and quieter place, and Bridget decorated her first Christmas Tree. She is now a huge fan of Christmas!

And in 2010 we plan to...

Scale back on the traveling. But we are considering making our first family trip to Disney Land.

Transition Bridget from a crib to a big-girl bed sometime in the first part of the year.

Enroll Bridget at least part time in a pre-school, in the fall. We also plan to keep up with Gymnastics and swimming (Bridget just loves "lessons"). Ballet and music are also being considered, but not all at once, we'll see how her interests develop and switch out.

Take Bridget on new and fun outings. Some ideas so far are to ride the ferry, go to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, go to story time at the library, and take a train ride.

Zoolights

2009-12-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

One of the last stops we made during our visit in Portland was to the Oregon Zoo for Zoolights.

They describe it as "a winter wonderland, aglow with a million lights." It was COLD, but it was fun and we are glad to have had the experience, but let's just say Bridget was not on her best behavior that night.

We rented a stroller for her, and we padded it with blankets and bundled her up as best we could.

She liked riding in the stroller and honking the horn for about 10 minutes.

Then all she wanted to do was take off her gloves and run free.

Tea Time

2009-12-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

Bridget got a new tea set to go with her table and chairs. It is quite a fancy tea set, perfect for a girly-girl like Bridget.

She had to test it out while Grandma was helping her unpack it.

Then she sat down with Papa and Grandma to have a little tea party.

Bridget knew just what to do.

She even shared!

We even managed to make it through the week and all the way back to California with only one casualty (we lost one of the cups due to the combination of a ceramic cup, hardwood floors, and an excited two year old).

Hot Chocolate

2009-12-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

One of Bridget's favorite gifts this year came from her Uncle Scott and Aunt Christine. It's a cute Giraffe mug and some fancy hot chocolate mix. The mug has a little giraffe head inside, meant to poke out of the top of the milk as you drink it down.

Maybe I just like it because it reminds me of a duck mug I had as a little girl. Either way it is lots of fun and Bridget would never turn down a chance to have a hot beverage.

Ever the girly-girl, note in this next picture that she has (remnants of) pink nail polish on her fingers. She rarely ever goes a day without pink nails.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry this is a little late...it has been a crazy week. Here are some pictures from Christmas morning. Needless to say, Bridget had a fabulous holiday.
This post in no way captures all of the wonderful and generous gifts she got this year - but here is a sneak peak at what our Christmas Day looked like.

First thing in the morning (6am, ugh!) she sat down with Papa at her new table and chairs. Perfect for coloring and drinking tea.

Us adults opened all our gifts on Christmas Eve, so it was ALL about Bridget on Christmas morning. Here she is in front of all her gifts, trying to decide where to start.

She got several great new books but she insisted on reading this one with daddy right away.

This green and pink outfit from her Mommom in Pennsylvania was so perfect that she insisted on changing her outfit right then.

A little coloring with Papa...

By the time we got around to opening the stockings Bridget was a little tired and needed daddy to hold her "like a baby." She insisted, however, on keeping her new Disney light up boots from Mameo and Grandpa on her feet.

Later in the day she donned her new rain jacket and looked like a model out of a fishing or hunting catalog.

Santa is Coming!

2009-12-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

This is the first Christmas where Bridget really understands what is going on. She can't wait to open presents and see what Santa got her. Before bed we made sure to set out some cookies and milk for Santa, and some carrots for the Reindeer.

Bridget decided to help out with the carrots but she didn't think Rudolph would mind.

Cat Drama

2009-12-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

We had some drama today in Portland, when Dorothy the dog chased a local cat up a tree. The whole scenario could have passed off as a Caillou epispde -- there was debate as to whether to call the fire department, and all the neighbors came out to help solve the problem.

Bridget was very concerned and posted herself at the front window to keep an eye on the "kooshka."

The cat was pretty high and it stayed still for a while before attempting to get down.

There was a dramatic hang before it fell to the ground and scurried away. The cat seemed to be escape unharmed but Bridget has been reminding us all day about what happened.

WhipperSnipper

2009-12-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

We took Bridget to a local kids hair salon, WhipperSnippers, to tackle the mess on the top of her head. Her bangs have really been getting in her eyes lately and I'm too nervous to do it myself (or maybe I'm still scarred from my own childhood hair memories ;).

Bridget had a great time driving her red car while the stylist got to work.

The stylist added some gel at the end which really brought out Bridget's curl.

The salon also had a great play area and Bridget had fun climbing before we had to head back to Grandma's house.

A Pistochini Christmas

2009-12-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

We had a chance to get together with our California family before leaving for our trip up to Portland. Nana, Uncle Pete, and Uncle Brian came over for Chili, Coconut Eggnog, and, of course, presents.

The Coconut Eggnog was another recipe out of the December issue of Sunset magazine. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

Bridget had a great time opening her presents and playing with all her new loot.

We had a nice easy dinner with chili from the slow cooker.

Bridget wasn't too into the chili but she LOVED her candy cane.

By the end of the night Bridget was as exhausted as the rest of us!

DJ Bridget

2009-12-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready to make the drive up to Portland for Christmas. In anticipation of the long drive with an antsy two-year-old, we borrowed a portable DVD player from some friends (thanks, Whitney and Dennis!). The thought of 10 hours of Caillou, Elmo, and Dora is a little daunting, so we went out and got Bridget some kids headphones.

I think she likes them! And they are PINK!!!

And this marks 200 posts for Foleytime!

The Cookie Project

2009-12-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

This season I decided it sounded like a good idea to bake some holiday cookies.
I found a delicious sounding recipe in my Sunset magazine for Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies. Around the same time, two holiday potlucks got scheduled at work, one for my whole office, and one just for my department.

First, the ingredients. I don't have a well stocked pantry when it comes to baking so I had to get A LOT...$45 worth of A LOT. Do you have any idea how much 24 oz. of chocolate costs!? And that doesn't include the new hand-held mixer I had to get (luckily I had a gift card from my birthday, thanks Kelly!).

The recipe looked pretty intense so I decided to divide it up into phases. The first night I made the dough. Bridget helped, and we wore our new aprons from Maimeo and Grandpa.

The second night I baked both batches of cookies. The recipe said they would keep for two days, which was perfect because I had one party the following day and one the day after that. I also crushed all the candy canes, made the first batch of icing, and assembled the first batch of cookies (for my department party).

The third night I made the second batch of icing and assembled the second set of cookies (for my office party).

All in all I'd say they were a hit. I ended up photocopying the recipe for four of my coworkers.

Mani/Pedi

2009-12-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Bridget loves doing anything GIRLY and that includes getting her nails painted as often as possible. She was treated to a manicure and pedicure by her Aunt Sara when we were up in Reno for Thanksgiving.

She got another manicure this weekend - because it was pretty much the only thing I could get her to sit still for!

Birthday Sans Bridget

2009-12-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

Last week was a milestone birthday - the big 3-0. For a few months I had been toying with the idea of having a party. The last time I really celebrated was for my 25th, and Nathan wasn't even with me to celebrate back then (we had JUST met). In the end I decided not to have a big party, but instead have a small dinner celebration followed by some after-partying for those who were up for it.

For dinner we headed into the city to Maya, one of my favorite restaurants.

We even made it to a few local bars after dinner. I'd say that I was quite a trooper for a 30 year-old. But I didn't feel like such a trooper when I woke up the next day with a hangover!

It was a great birthday but I am glad it's over. Now I can concentrate on enjoying the rest of my 30s. From what I hear, it only gets better!

A special thanks to Bridget's grandmother, Lyn, and Uncle Ryan, who came up for the night to stay with her so Nathan and I could party without our 2 year-old distraction!

Thanksgiving in Nevada

2009-11-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day we drove to Fallon, Nevada. It is a town about an hour east of Reno and it is where our friend Brett grew up. We had a lovely afternoon with good food an great company. Brett's parents hosted dinner and their house was well prepared for Bridget, because they have a grandson who is about 6 months older than her.

Their house sits on a lot of land and there were horses and mules milling about. Bridget stayed very close to me when we went to see them, but I think she liked seeing the animals. (And yes, I did dye my hair red. You like?)

We had a great dinner with all the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Instead of place cards, Brett's mom made gingerbread cookies and wrote each persons name in icing. Needless to say, Bridget LOVED hers.

She spent quite a bit of time on the phone while we were at the McGinness house. She called all her relatives, and she also did some chatting with her favorite singer (Britney).

She also loved riding around the house on Aiden's tricycle. She got the concept of pedaling and only tipped over a few times.

All of these photos were taken by Sara McGinness. Thank you Sara! I'd like to use the excuse that our camera battery was dead (which IS true), but I still would never have been able to take as great of pictures as she does.

Trimming the Tree

2009-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

We decided to put our our Christmas tree and decorations this year. The last time we put up a tree was when I was pregnant so this is truly Bridget's first Christmas Tree.

I set up the tree and added the lights and some of the more fragile ornaments while Bridget took her nap.

Once she was up she took over with the soft ornaments.

She also stopped for a minute to play one of the drums.

She had a lot of fun decorating, and learned how to open and close one of the musical ornaments.

She even tried to wear the stockings!

Here is the final result. Bridget actually did a really good job with spacing out the ornaments.

Bridget's Play Date

2009-11-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

We had a chance to meet up with Sara's friend Annie and her boy Drake (who's almost 3) while we were up in Reno. The plan was to visit Santa but Bridget ended up having much more fun playing with Drake. (We did make it to Santa's chair, but not all the way onto his lap. Bridget asked for a "Yellow Present" in case anyone is wondering.)

After the Santa attempt we ended up just walking through the mall and stopping in a play area for a while.

Drake is one of the cutest little boys we've been around, and the two of them together was simply comical.

All the running around made them tired (well, as tired as 2 year olds can get), so Nathan went and got them some water. They made sure to "cheers" properly before they drank.

They started out sitting on opposite sides of these steps, but Bridget quickly moved in next to her new friend.

While Bridget was busy showing off, Drake took a second to show us his push-ups and his Spiderman muscles.

She made sure to show Drake her owie, and she actually got him to kiss it (too bad I wasn't quick enough with the camera).

We're Not in San Francisco Anymore

2009-11-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

We took a trip up to Reno to visit our good friends Brett and Sara for Thanksgiving. Every time we drive up there we talk about stopping at Cabela's, but we never seem to make it. This time we made a point to stop at this mega outdoor/hunting store and we were not disappointed.

They have a HUGE fish aquarium filled with trout and Bridget was captivated.

There are also several very large life size dioramas filled with wild animals. Bridget had a great time pointing out all the Moose, Deer, and some really exotic species like a Leopard, Lion, and even an Elephant.

The place is not very PC, but don't worry we didn't actually come home with this pink toy gun set.

We also left the Davy Crockett coonskin hat in the store.

Weekend Brunch

2009-11-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had a rare chance to get together with our friends Sara and Brett and Sonya and Levi. Sara and Brett were passing through town on their way home from Hawaii (lucky them) so we met for Brunch at the 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

Bridget had the French Toast and was very excited about the mound of whipped cream that came on the plate.

She also got to open a few belated Birthday gifts from Aunt Sara and Uncle Brett. One of her gifts was a pink cell phone.

She also decided it had a built in camera phone.

We were able to get another group shot similar to the one we got a few months ago at Amici's. We're excited to see them again in a few weeks for our annual roommate holiday get together.

Let's Make a Deal

2009-11-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry I don't have a picture to accompany this post, but the story is too cute to not be told. Lately Bridget has really taken a liking to skirts and dresses. They are all she ever wants to wear. Yesterday morning she wanted to wear her pink skirt when she woke up, but she was going to gymnastics later in the day, so I wanted her to wear pants.

This is what I said to her:
"Bridget you can wear the skirt while mommy finishes getting ready for work, but when we leave for Nonna's, you will have to change into your pants. That's the deal. OK?"

And this is what she said to me:
"No, that is NOT the deal."

And so it begins...

When did this happen?

2009-11-14T20:45:00.001-08:00

Today Bridget got dressed in a cute outfit complete with tights AND pigtails. And then I realized she has no trace of BABY left in her. She is truly a little girl now. It is hard to believe she was once less than 8 pounds.

It's Delicious!!!

2009-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

We had a little time to kill this morning so Bridget and I stopped into Starbucks. Normally she gets a box of Apple Juice but they were all out this morning. Instead I ordered her a kids hot chocolate and had them make it a cooler temperature than normal (120 degrees is perfect for 2 year old's in case you are curious).

She was SOOO excited to drink her hot chocolate. After her first sip she let our a big "Ahhhhhh" and then proclaimed "It's Delicious!".

Sorry the picture is not the best quality but you can still see how happy she was!

Coloring Skills

2009-11-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Bridget got a new coloring book and some large crayola crayons about 2 weeks ago.

For the first week, all the pages she colored looked like this:

A few days ago I was cleaning up the living room and stopped in my tracks. She had left her coloring book open to the page she was last working on - where she was clearly trying to color in specific items instead of scribbling across the whole page.

What a difference a week makes, it's amazing to see her motor skills developing.

Jam Session

2009-11-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was going through old emails and found these pictures from Nonna. These are all of Bridget's friends at daycare. Judging by the length of her hair and the clothes she is wearing, I think these were taken sometime in fall 2008.

Here is a picture of the Marina Daycare Band - from the left we've got Bridget, then Leanna, next is Nikki, and Mierko is on the right. In the very back in the bouncy seat is Elaina.

And here is a cute shot of Bridget and Leanna. Leanna is 3 months older than Bridget. Watching these two interact is a lot of fun - especially when they fight and then make up! If we ever have a hard time getting Bridget to come to us at the end of the day, all we have to do is ask Leanna for a hug. Bridget's competitive streak comes out and she'll come running!

The Halloween Kitty

2009-10-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

We decided to avoid San Francisco this weekend due to the Bay Bridge closure which has backed up traffic all around the bay. Instead we stayed in Marin and took Bridget to a local mall.

She was excited to get dressed up in her "kooshka" cat costume and her trick-or-treat bag.

Our first stop was, appropriately, a pet store where our shy kitty got her first piece of candy.

She continued to be shy in other stores but she quickly realized that candy makes everything better.

Soon her confidence was up and she was getting candy left and right.

We also ran into some other "kooshkas" - Leanna and Nikki (her friends at daycare) and Nonna (her daycare provider). Unfortunately Bridget did not recognize them outside of Nonna's house. This is Leanna in the picture, along with Julie the dog, and Bridget did not know it was them!

Pixie Park Halloween Parade

2009-10-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

(This is the first official post from Nathan's blogger profile)

Today I took Bridget to the Pixie Park Halloween Parade. It is an annual event put on by a local co-op park that our friends Whitney and Dennis belong to. This was Bridget’s first chance to make a public appearance in her "kooshka" (kitty) costume. It was a little hot so she only wore the top and not the matching pants.

Here is Bridget posing behind the stereotypical Halloween Cat (black, just like Bridget’s cat, Panzer).

The local Fire Department (City of Ross) was also there. Bridget was very interested in the Fire Truck.

She also had a chance to get inside of the fire truck and they gave her a very cool City of Ross Fire Hat.

The weather was a little warmer than expected so Bridget changed out of the kooshka costume but she kept the Fire Hat.

Bridget then found the Sith Lord Darth Vader (AKA Finn). Finn is Whitney and Dennis' son who is almost 5, and their daughter Fiona (dressed as a purple witch) was also there. Bridget says "Finn and FEE-ona" are her "Fwends!".

Then to complete the day there was a kid project table where Bridget created a glitter Halloween mask. Dad is still cleaning up the glitter. And when we got home mom questioned whether I took Bridget to the Halloween Parade or to San Francisco.

B is for Bridget

2009-10-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I realized after I wrote yesterday's post about initials that I haven't posted any pictures of my new tattoo.

When Nathan was taking the picture of it today, Bridget ran up and struck the same pose...I couldn't have staged that if I tried!

The tattoo experience happened during a work trip to Austin in September (the same trip where I got Bridget's pink boots). I never really envisioned myself getting a tattoo, mostly because I never had anything that I cared about so completely and unconditionally until our little girl showed up. But now that I have one I am really happy with it. I went with a stylized "B" for Bridget. It's a good thing it didn't hurt as badly as I anticipated - because I basically committed myself to getting another tattoo if and when we have another child!

Initials

2009-10-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

How cute are these initials that I found on another blog?

And how serendipitous that Bridget's initials happen to all be in the same color pallette? We're thinking about transitioning Bridget out of her crib and into a toddler bed at the beginning of the year. When we do that, I will be looking for cheap ways to update the decor of her room. I'm thinking these would look really good printed and framed on the wall.

You can go here to find your own initials, almost all the letters are there now.

Stand Off

2009-10-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had an epic battle of wills on Sunday morning. The issue at hand was an uneaten bite of pancake. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but we had asked B to take "just one more bite" before we got dressed and headed off to the Pumpkin Patch. She was having none of it, and it quickly became an issue of power and not just an issue of uneaten food.

Bridget is very independent, and we love that about her, but certain times we need to remind her who is in charge. The whole ordeal easily took 30 minutes. We both stood our ground, but mommy ultimately won out. Guess who Bridget ran to as soon as she finished her bite and it was all over?

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

We found a great local pumpkin patch to take Bridget on Sunday. The Nicasio Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch, located in a small town in West Marin, had all the traditional fall farm traditions like a hay ride, kids music, mazes, a petting zoo, local vegetables, and of course, Pumpkins. I can see this pumpkin patch becoming a tradition for the Foley's each October.

There was a hay maze just Bridget's size and she had fun running through it.

Time to find a pumpkin. Bridget loved this one but it was a little too heavy for her.

Ahh, this one was more her size:

Look! A scare crow!

Bridget was not ready to go home at the end of our visit and this is how she showed us.

Family Visit

2009-10-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from another set of Bridget's grandparents this weekend. Nathan's mom Becky, and her husband James came down from Klamath Falls, Oregon. When Bridget was introduced to "Grandma Becky" she decided James would naturally be called "Papa Becky." It actually makes sense if you think about it from a 2 year-old perspective.

They had a lot of fun coloring and playing, and she also insisted on trying on her Halloween Costume so they could see it. Here is a picture of Bridget sharing her crayons with James, aka Papa Becky.

And when we went to dinner, Bridget wanted to hold hands with Daddy and Grandma Becky.

Coffee Addiction

2009-10-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned yet that Bridget LOVES coffee??? She will take as many sips as you'll give her. She also loves making coffee, so lately I have been letting her help me.

First she gets her stool and parks herself in front of the coffee maker. Then she helps pour the water in and put the filter in. And her favorite part is when she gets to push the blue button to turn it on. Then she just stares while the coffee brews, and she is very careful not to touch the pot because it gets hot (and she reminds me of this about 3 times during the brew process).

Coloring with Daddy

2009-10-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

We got Bridget some large crayons and some drawing paper this weekend. She went straight to work as soon as we got home.

Daddy even joined the fun.

Bridget Foley: Stylist and Disciplinarian

2009-10-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning we were playing in the living room when Bridget suddenly announced that she was going to take her baby to swimming lessons. She then proceeded to pack her purse and her diaper bag with toys and clothes.

Then she changed her shirt, added a jacket... and then she ACCESSORIZED:

The necklace wasn't working for her, so she turned it into a headband. She also changed her bracelet into an anklet, and then pushed it up to her knee. Look closely at her right leg and you can barely see the pink and white "kneelet."

A while later, her baby did something wrong, and Bridget placed her into "timeout." Timeout is something we do with Bridget occasionally when she's having trouble listening.

It is really funny to watch her follow the exact script when she puts baby (and sometimes daddy) into timeout.

And after baby's timeout was over she gave her a kiss and told her she loves her.

Rainy Day

2009-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of the first real storm of the season. It was pouring when we had to leave this morning, so Bridget got to finally wear her Froggy Boots and Froggy Raincoat. They make her very happy.

This is actually an "action shot." Here she is hopping around the living room shouting "RIBBIT, RIBBIT, RIBBIT!"