5 months and eating rice cereal!

Rody is 5 months old this week (on the 26th of August...). We can't believe it. Everyday he gets cuter, sweeter and more fun (if that is possible!).

We really weren't sure when to start giving some solid rice cereal food, but we tried it this week. Below documents the occassion. He didn't hate it; He didn't love it. I don't know if we will do it on a daily basis just yet...we'll wait and see.

yummy spoon...
mommy feeding me!
nice...
Gimme more!
All done!
Rody "rolls" everywhere these days. If we leave him on the floor on a blanket, when we come back it is like searching for a hide-and-seeker! Randy found him near the weights the other day...I guess he gravitates to what he likes best!
So expressive...here he had rolled himself under a boppy and was stuck with the arms and legs around the base of it!
Finding his thumb every so often...BTW...he is doing so much better at night! We just put him down with paci and if he loses it, then he loses it. He has been sleeping wonderfully and last night he went down at 9:15 and woke up at 6 for a feeding...great!
Still enjoying his activity center. I bought him some new toys like stackers and blocks on Ebay for this new phase that he is going through! He is mobile and loves big toys and noise...


Hope you are having a good day!

Shh...It's a surprise!

Wow...What a weekend! First of all, it was the first time in 3 years that our entire immediate family has been together. Second of all, it was a surprise party 1 year in the making. And the best part- my dad had NO idea!

Maggie flew in on Wednesday. My mom told dad that she had to come because if she didn't use her leave, she would lose it. Then, Molly et al came on Thursday-mom told dad they were coming to surprise Maggie...

then, we came Friday-mom told dad we were coming to surprise Molly...

What HE didn't know was that we were all coming to surprise him!

So, we planned professional pics on Saturday morning....we made up a story about why he was coming and it was last minute since we were all going to be there...and my dad bought it...like, yeah, we all just randomly brough white shirts to wear in the pictures...what a coincidence!

so funny...

dad with grandkids in ND jerseys...

Mom and dad with their grandkids...Rody wasn't looking at the camera when we were outside...more interested in his feet!
Evans family
Ky and Rody
All the cousins!
Aunt Sandy!
Sleepy time...
Aunt Maggie!
My little boy is getting so big!
One of our family shots...we got some good ones!

Birthday party was Saturday night....we were making excuses all day to go set up, which my dad bought every one of them! We told him we were going out to eat at Golden Corral for dinner...and he bought that...but he knew something was up when we turned to go toward the clubhouse instead!

Here he is being surprised...we told him that this was a surprise party, but the guest list was still unknown!

Molly is showing him that the mayor of Erie, PA declared my dad's 60th birthday an official holiday in Erie, Pa...or it is officially "Mike McCoy" day- something like that
Enjoying the party
Here we are setting up...
Karson and Rody


Rody LOVED the balloons!

Grandma and Rody
Uncle Kevin!
Some of my dad's former Raiders teammates came for the surprise...Dave Rowe and Monte Johnson...they told some hilarious stories!
Karson enjoying the icing!

There is so much more that I could tell, but I have to run right now. It was so much fun to pull off a surprise like that....and so funny to watch my dad really have no idea about it!

Seeing all my siblings was fun as well...it was a long time coming!

Happy "early" birthday dad...you will be in prison on your actual birthday, but we'll be thinking of you! :)

New post coming soon

So sorry for the delay in a new post! I started back to work last Monday and it was a rough week. Then, we left of Friday to go to my parent's house for a surprise 60th birthday weekend for my dad...it was the first time in 3 years that my entire family (all siblings) have been together! Isn't that crazy? The last time was Camp Fitch 2005 after Randy and I got married.

I'll have pictures soon...Rody did great and LOVED his cousins and aunts/uncles, and of course grandma and papa! My dad had NO clue about the surprise party and it was so fun to pull one like that over on him!

Check back soon for some pics...

-katie

Happy Birthday Maggie

Happy Birthday Maggie! Sorry I didn't post this yesterday on your actual birthday!

Hope you had a good one...see you soon!

Olympic Men's Shotput...Go USA!

Okay, so I've blogged about my former training partners Reese and Adam attending the Olympics....and I wanted to update you on their progress!

They had the qualification round Friday morning Beijing time (so last night for us) and the final is held at 9pm Beijing time (9am our time) today! They will be showing the shot put final on TV TONIGHT (FRIDAY) ON NBC SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 8-10PM.

Reese is the 2007 World Champion and did well in the qualifying round. All 3 Americans made it to the final round...I am SO EXCITED to see how the competition goes. All 3 of these men are incredible competitors and we have a big chance to sweep the medals in men's shot put!

Here is a link to the schedule/results http://www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/resultsandschedules/rsc=ATM051100/index.html


Go REESE Go! Go ADAM! Go CHRISTIAN!

My college coach, Coach Don Babbitt, is also at the Olympics coaching Reese through these finals....I know his presence there is a huge encouragement for Reese!

Back to work with breastpump in hand!

Today is my last day at home with Rody. I got back to work tomorrow and begin another school year. I've really been praying for peace in this circumstance and the Lord has answered our prayers as far as care for Rody goes.
His daddy gets to stay home and care for him! We both would prefer that I be the one to stay home, but this year it will be daddy who stays home---which is wonderfu! So glad Rody does not have to go to daycare!
Randy is going to work a night job for a while until he finds something in ministry that will allow me to stay home with baby!
I'm sad today- just being honest. Part of me is excited to go back to work- but that is like only 10% of me and the other 90% really just wants to be a mom- you know, stay home and take care of Rody, do the laundry, clean the house, make the beds, go for walks, etc...I pray that one day the Lord will make this desire a reality.

So I called Medela yesterday b/c my breastpump was not functioning properly. I talked to costumer service and we went through a procedure to "clean" it out. She told me the pump I have ( I borrowed my sister's pump) is not meant for DAILY use, but OCCASSIONAL only...well, sister, homegirl doesn't have $300 to shell out for a breastpump, so this one will have to do. I will just pray that it will last and do very fine on a daily basis....

Anyways, baby is up and I am going to feed him. I love him so much. I love being a mommy! It is just the most wonderful thing that could have ever happened to me. I love that Randy and I are parents together and love eachother so much...Rody is so fortunate for that...

Enjoying my day....

-katie

Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy

Enjoying the last few days of summer break...

Rody has daddy with his hands and feet! He is our little monkey :)
And I don't know what you call these...hamstring rolls? whatever they are, I love them!

Rody loves to "bounce". His legs are so strong--

Crying it out

We had a battle last night. And the score is : Parents 1, Rody 0

We've gotten in a bad habit of running into Rody's room 20 times a night to stick his pacifier back in his mouth. It got to a breaking point last night. I have to go back to work on Wednesday and Randy is working a night job. So, if we don't nip this now, then I will be running in his room 20 times a night by myself, getting no sleep, and then working all day. YUK!

We decided to....(gasp)....Let Rody cry for 20 minutes before we went in his room.

Now, we are not totally bad parents because we have a VIDEO monitor....thank the Lord for those. So, as we were sitting on the couch trying not to let the crying break down and get me in my motherly instinct mode, we were watching him via video. Thus, nobody was harmed in this experiement.

Rody cried for 20 minutes...with a couple of lulls to which we had our fingers crossed praying that lull was the end. It wasn't. After 20 minutes we went in to console him...pat him and tell him it is ok...and NOT give him the paci.

He cried 5 more minutes, so Randy went in at this point and consoled him...still crying (I'm crying at this point if you are keeping score)...

Then, by the grace of God (seriously), after 35 minutes, the crying stopped and Rody was totally out. It was 10:30 at night and we did not hear a peep until 5:30Am...I went in and fed him, put him back down and didn't hear from him again until 10am...when I had to wake him up for church!

He's been in a fantastic mood today....very happy (which he usually is anyways), but I feel a little more confident tonight. So, when Randy goes to work tonight, we will try again.

I'm not completely sure that we've cured the problem- I"m sure we'll have some more nights like last night, but I pray I don't crack under the pressure when Randy is not here to reassure me!


And you know what? Rody still loved me this morning...yep, he gave me a BIG smile when I went in to wake him up.

It will be OK!

What have we been up to?

It's been a good week!

Since the weather cooled a bit, we've been outside more--enjoying the hammock in the shade with daddy

Being intrigued by my paci--and trying to figure out how to put it in my mouth all by myself!

Tasting footballs...yummy!
Getting geared up for the upcoming college football season

I've got my game face on!

I have a Notre Dame jersey, Clemson jersey, and now all I need is a Georgia jersey!

I've been spending some alone play time in my baby einstein. I usually go straight to the part that makes noise and tells me names of animals in english AND spanish...

And when I've had enough, I just put my head down wherever I'm at!

The Olympics have begun! So excited to watch the events and see athlete's dreams come true!

French guys make me laugh

My new friend Killian (from France) made me laugh so hard! He had me laughing for literally 15 minutes straight. We got some of it on video, but unfortunately not the best moments and it is a little dark...

Jefferson

We headed to Jefferson, GA to see Katie's family...

Fun times with Grandma!

I love sitting in the seat that all my cousins all sat in when they were little too!
I met my Uncle Caleb...
And some of his French friends...this is Charlotte
Sweet moments