Lots to be Thankful for this Year!

Thanksgiving was fantastic! We had lots of family over during the long weekend. Guest stars include, Grandma Nennie, Grumpy (Michael), Grammy and Poppi Collins, the Stanos with extra special guest star Brighton Sawyer Stano and of course, us Collickis.

Joe conducted arts and crafts, which lead to lots of crayon smears on the furniture and eaten paper. Fun all around!

And then Elsa and Colby had some fun at the new art table as well....

It was a great day had by all! Thank you to everyone who came to dinner and the lovely and tasty dishes you brought! This has been such a wonderful tradition. Carrie and David, you were missed greatly, we love you.

Mama's New Job

Hello! It's Laura and I just wanted to again highlight that I am fully employed at Dulaney High School. I was not super specific in the Halloween post. I am a Paraeducator in the Special Education department, in a classroom with students with a variety of special needs, ranging from high functioning kids with mild MR and Downs to kids with ADHD and Autism. It is a great job and I love the classroom and staff. Plus, the school is right near where Colby goes to daycare and the hours are great, so it is win-win all around! So no more, "When I get a job....." that day is here! There will be no newsletter in the holiday card, so consider this your newsbreak!

*Side note: the title of this post is a shout-out to Grandma Locken, who had this book in her collection of the Berenstain Bears series!

Here is a picture of Colby, cheering for her mom's new job and sweet insurance plan! Go Pats :)

The Stano GIRLS :)

So I know we are late to the party, but WELCOME BRIGHTON SAWYER STANO! Brighton was born on Monday, November 9th at 2:07pm with relative ease, stressful planning notwithstanding ;)
She has been here for just over two weeks, but those two weeks have been super busy! I (Laura) started my new job (full-time BCPS Employee, no more subbing--HOORAY!) at Dulaney High School working in the Special Education Department, but still found time to hang out with Elsa while her baby sister was being born. Here is one adorable pic that we took when Elsa was helping take care of Brighton. These girls are such cute little sisters, I hope Colby doesn't start asking for one! Actually, she burst into tears when Joe and I took turns holding Brighton, so I am pretty sure Colby is not ready to be a big sister. More soon!

Halloween is Fun!!!

Halloween is the best holiday yet! First it is Daddy's Birthday the day before so the party starts early. He introduced me to the wonderful world of Pizza Hut pizza and the just as good next morning Pizza Hut pizza. Mom also got Dad this awesome cake. I didn't eat any, but it looked to cool to eat anyway.
The next cool thing is getting to hang out with your friends in funny costumes. For Halloween I played with my friends Emma and Ella. They were the best looking Bee and Ladybug on the block. I was a duck. We had so much fun showing off our costumes to the neighbors and our parents. Here are a few highlights.

After the trick or treating we played on the slide and had a dance party. Dad is working on the music video from the party. You will have to wait for that. That's all for now. Time for bed. Please give me some comments and let me know that you are doing well.

Boo at the Zoo!

Yesterday, Mom and Dad took me to the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore for the Zoo Boo Halloween event. My best friends Aunt Jen and Elsa were there, and also Uncle Brandon ;) We had such a good time! We saw birds, turtles, polar bears and farm animals, mostly goats and cows. It was delightful--I wore myself out. The minute we got in the car, I fell asleep!

When's the last time you saw Elvis and a duck riding a turtle?! Well, you have now!


This is me and Mom walking around the barnyard, just us girls....

Hanging out at Home

This is my parents' attempt to control my crazy bangs. I smiled and loved the clip, but then forgot and pulled it out. Well worth the $5 for the 3 others that have never made it out of the pack...











I did NOT realize that by reading Katie's Coo and Dad's awesome Scottish accent meant that we were Scottish! I mean, I saw the flag at the Clark/Kimmet rematch and heard my Dad say, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!" a lot, but I didn't know it meant that we were Scots....Just kidding, I am happy to be Scottish, I LOVE Katie's Coo. Thanks Auntie Elizabeth ;)

Here are me and Mom, hanging out at home. I decided Mom works hard and to give her a back massage. My hands are small and my skills are limited, but I think she enjoyed it.


Speaking of fall, did I mention that I also love leaves...They've been recognized by the FDA as an "excellent" source of iron and fiber for toddlers--take that, Gerber!


This shot is for the Locken side of the family--props for John Deere. I also listen to "All About John Deere" on my iPod so I can talk shop with my uncles next time I see them!

I Don't Mean to be a Bother, but I think the Phone's for You!

Here is Colby walking all over the place. She has been public for a while now, but we have not blogged in a while. Busy doing stuff!

It's Nice to Help!

So here is Elsa helping feed Colby some mac 'n cheese. Elsa likes to help and Colby likes to eat mac 'n cheese, perfect!

Dancing and Walking

These are two way different activities, so they need two different videos to display their awesomeness.
Here is Colby dancing and then realizing that she may not have all the necessary energy to do so. This also showcases her new surprised face...you'll see :)




And now for the walking....She can walk. She will walk around in spurts in the living room, her bedroom, in the kitchen, but does not seem to want to walk like a real person. So we're on to you, Noodles. We know you can walk....

Back to New Hampshire: The Clark/Kimmet Rematch

Now you're probably wondering: what the heck is a rematch? That, my friends, is our version of a family reunion. We all went up to NH for the family reunion in Scituate, MA, but before that, we went to the October House and visited with Grandma Nennie, Grumpy, Uncle Barry, Auntie Kate and Arlo.
It was so much fun! Colby got to meet her cousin, Arlo. Actually, we all got to meet each other. Joe and I met Arlo for the first time and just fell in love with him. He is such a sweet, cuddly, determined little guy. And I know that Grandma Nennie was on cloud 9 with her beautiful grandbabies afoot (and afoot they were: Arlo, you with the crawling all over and Colby, you up and down the little kitchen stairs!).

Colby just realizing that Arlo is, indeed, there!

And Auntie Kate was a big hit with Colby, as Colby is a sea gull and Kate is a food-sharer: match made in heaven!
Colby was also trying to decide if she was willing to share her dad with Arlo and ultimately, was unable to...


And onto the actual reunion. It was a great time had by all. Here we are at Peggotty Beach in Scituate. Really, it should be called "Blanchard Beach," and Beach Baby was back in her element!

Arlo and Colby with their cousins, Callie and Ethan, along with Auntie Katie. And of course, me, Barry and Kate.

And then it was off to Somerville with Auntie Maggie and Uncle Paul. So for some reason, we didn't get any pics of that, so we will take a bunch when we go to Auntie Maggie's baby showe next month. It was great to see our friends and also great to eat brunch at Sunset. Awesome.

Ok, back to NH for a quick boat ride, where Colby and Arlo had a blast. And more photographic evidence of Grumpy acknowledging the grandkids!


And, true to her genes, Colby LOVED sailing. "I'm saiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiling! The power, the absolute POWER!"

Teeth Bite

Here is a picture of me and my BFF Elsa suffering through the teething process. We look miserable, I know. This picture was taken on July 29, 2009--Happy Anniversary Aunt Jen and Uncle Brandon!

A Tomato Grows in Parkville

Hi, it's Laura, remember me? Colby's Mom. Anyway, so after living in apartments for years, it was nice to be able to grow and maintain a garden! Check out the lone red tomato, it reminded me of the one Christmas ball on Charlie Brown's pathetic little tree. But we have also grown and eaten some cucumbers, which was pretty exciting. It is very rewarding to plant something, watch it grow and then eat it :)

More on this later....

My Birthday--Part Two!

My second birthday party was a week after my birthday, to give Mom and Dad some time to plan after our lovely beach vacation. Grandma Nennie came down for the party and that was quite a surprise, I had no idea! No one tells me anything....During my party, I needed a break, so Grandma Nennie took me outside to chill out in the garden. There were a lot of new people and I was feeling kind of stranger-anxious, so we took a break. I am still working through being away from my Mom and Dad, so we were taking it easy.

But anyway, the party was really special because it was also to congratulate my Aunt Carrie for graduating from Johns Hopkins Nursing School. I am excited to receive all kinds of free medical advice! We all had a great time. I can't wait for next year! I love cake.

AND, all my A-list friends were there! The whole LRV crew was there: Elsa "BFF" Stano, Emma and Ella "The E's" Beck, Trevor "T-bone" Atkinson--we had a blast! T-bone counts because he was born in LRV, even though he has since moved...

Oh, so I almost forgot, here is my glamour shot:

Who needs a photographer and lame fake backgrounds?!


This is my fabulous co-cake that I shared with my Aunt Carrie, check out her beautiful peridot engagement ring. Niiiiiiiice.

I still don't quite get presents and opening them, but I am sure that I will learn in due time....

Unless it's a book. I understand what a book is. I like them and I like receiving and reading them. Books I know!

THE AFTERMATH

Poor, poor tray.....

So thank you thank you thank you to everyone who made this wonderful day possible and all my special appearance guests from near and far! In no particular order: Mom and Dad, Grammy and Poppi, Aunt Carrie and Uncle David, Grandma Nennie, Aunt Jen and Uncle Brandon, The Reichs, Great Grandma Collins, the Philly Crew, the LRV neighbors, and so many more. Thanks and lots of love!

Unkey Dave is now Uncle David

So it's official....My Unkey Dave is now going to be my Uncle David. David asked my Aunt Carrie to marry him and now they are engaged. I am not quite sure what that means, but my Mom and Dad are really happy about it. So woohoo! I like celebrating, so that makes me happy too!

Ok, so apparently, there were no photos of me and my Uncle David. Ok, let's not skirt the issue, I was having a tough day and the opportunity did not present itself. So here is one of my Aunt Carrie and Uncle David, who is sporting a handsome beard! I sometimes maybe thought he was my dad and became prone to staring....Sorry about that...

Click here for MORE exciting photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Joseph.C.Sawicki

A New Family Tradition

It was a wonderful beach vacation had by all. Just what all of us needed. And just think, next year, we will have twice as many kids! (We're going to need a bigger boat...) Jen and Brandon's little lady in mid-November and Maggie and Paul's little lady around Thanksgiving. Can't wait. Here's to many more family vacations. Thanks and much love :)

July 17th: My Birthday--Part One

So my actual birthday took place during the 10 hour car ride back from the beach, so to make it up to me, we celebrated the day before. Aunt Jen threw me a swinging party, which anyone who was anyone on Pawleys Island (the Daley Family) attended. Uncle Paul at the grill made some delicious burgers, Aunt Maggie supervised the careful spelling of my name on the cake and Aunt Jen and Uncle Brandon decorated our lovely beach house and really made me feel special.

At first I wasn't so sure.....I mean, it's like, you've got 15 people shouting a strange song to you and then after withholding cake for a year, they expect you to dive right in, with no catch? Come on people.....I may have been born at night, but not last night!

Then, I was like, YEAH! There seemed to be some discussion about chocolate versus yellow, but it was all cake to me. Cake--good! Frosting--good! What's left to ponder?


Thanks to everyone who made my first ever birthday party fantastic! Don't worry, there is a second chance to wish me Happy Birthday on July 25th at my house! Be there or be square ;)

The Beach, Baby!

It was my first beach vacation to Pawleys Island in South Carolina. I went with Mom and Dad, Aunt Jen, Uncle Brandon and Elsa and Aunt Maggie and Uncle Paul for a luxurious week.

So I just gotta say it, I love the beach. I love the sand (I ate a ton), the ocean (I tried to swim like a fish) and the whole experience! Although, me and sunscreen had an adjustment period....but once my Mom rationalized that it could double as product, we were like peas and carrots!

It was like I was always meant to be a beach baby!

I can't wait until next year when me and my three girl friends will rule the beach. It will be legen-----wait for it----DARY!

I know it meant a lot to my Mom to have a beach baby. Aside from my health and well-being, I know my Mom secretly wished for me to be her little beach buddy. So I am glad it all worked out. Not to say that I didn't enjoy the down time with my Dad. A girl's gotta rest....unless you happen to be my Mom!

I was born to love fireworks!

Apparently, I am destined to love fireworks. My parents love them, so do my Aunt Jen and Uncle Brandon, so it is only fitting that I love them also. We had a great time at the Dollar Tree parking lot watching the fireworks show that our neighborhood association puts on for July 4th. As you can see, Elsa LOVED the fireworks. Heehee.





And here is a sweet video clip of me loving the fireworks. And then it devolved into a "Where's Colby?" game. Let's face it, it is more fun to play a game about me then stare at fireworks, which I don't really understand.

Happy Father's Day!

So for Dad's big day, I helped Mom get some stuff together. We had to celebrate Father's Day for Dad's first Father's Day and Poppi's first Father's Day as a Grandfather. Geez, can't these people do anything without consulting me?! It's cool, I like it. We had brunch, which I slept through, but it apparently, everyone had a good time!

I got a Swing!!!

A few weeks ago we got Colby a swing. We will eventually set it up in the big tree in our back yard, but for now she is small enough that we can just hang it off the roof of the back porch. I think she likes it most of the time. Or at least she doesn't hate it. Check her out.

Speed Turtle

Colby started crawling as last month as you know. Here is her latest music video.

Enjoy.

Eating all by myself

So I knew I could do it, you knew I could do it and I knew that you knew that I could do it, so I just decided to do it. A few days ago I started feeding myself the bottle. I could do this for months now but would you feed yourself if someone else was going to hold the bottle like a sucker? (S0rry mom and dad). But I am a big girl now and it is time to do it on my own. So times I still let mom or dad hold me, sometimes I just hang on my own. Either way I get to eat with the family.
I also like eating out at restaurants. I have this new booster seat that lets me sit at the table in a real chair with everyone else. I even get to order off the menu.

Gentle Tug of War

So my mom realized in retrospect that this may not have ended well, but my big brother was very nice and we played tug-o-war with his rope toy. There was some confusion about whose rope toy it was, mine or his, but he seems to have staked his claim. It's cool, he has more fun with it anyway.

LLB10

So I know my mom and dad have not entered my stats each month, but I am 10 months old, so we're just going to go with that as the title.
My mom and I went to see Dr. Bogue yesterday and I am doing great, as per uge. I am long (29"), lean (20lbs, 11 oz) and bulbous (46 3/4cm head circumference). Sweet. This all means nothing to me, but I was glad to hear that I am growing "perfectly" as per the growth chart on my file. Whew.
And my mom also had to show me off like a circus animal, making me look up when she called my name, pick up stuff, say "dada" and babbly things, do push-ups, the whole shmoo. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the whole ordeal and took an angry nap when we got home.

I am wearing the shirt my Poppi bought me that says "Sometimes crabby, but always cute" (maybe he found out about the angry nap (not that he hasn't seen his share!) or the pain that my my third tooth has caused, it popped up over the weekend).

Who's This Guy?

So my dad has the kind of job where he needs to be fitted for a respirator every once in a while. I have no idea what this means or entails, but apparently it requires that he not have any facial hair, as to not interfere with the seal of the respirator. And also, my mom has really gotten attached to the beard, so this was the agreed upon facial hair style until the beard is allowed to grow back in to its glorious state.

Happy Mother's Day!

Here I am, mugging* for my mom on Mother's Day. My dad and I served Mom some lox and cream cheese and had a good time. Then, we went to Grammy and Poppi's and had some more salmon and good times with Aunt Carrie. I was glad to see my mom so relaxed and having a special day, all because of me!

* This is my new smile I made up, I think of it as the "adorable troll baby" smile.


This is me crawling around before we had dinner with the family, wearing a ridiculously expensive and borderline weather-inappropriate dress. It was a clearance item and my mom bought it for me when I was two months old. And I do not think it will fit me in another month!