McKinly Gibson Fitch

As promised... pictures of my new nephew!  Isn't he a cutie?

In the arms of his daddy, my brother.

Reconnecting with friends

Laine and I got to spend the morning with our good friends the Baxters today.  Our lives and families have changed a lot since we used to live in the same neighborhood together, but it was great to catch up a little.

Laine enjoyed the sandbox, and ate a little sand along the way!

Laine and Ellie are both getting so big.

I'm an aunt!

Congratulations to my brother Blair and his wife Brittany on the safe arrival of their first child!  Six days after his due date McKinly Gibson Fitch finally made his way into the world at 9:30 this morning.  He weighs 9 pounds 2 ounces and is 22 inches long.  Brittany did great during the long labor, and mom and baby are doing well now.  I'll post pictures soon.  Can't wait to meet my new nephew!

A view from the back porch

The first few days have come and gone.  Laine is slowly getting adjusted to her new "home."  She's had a few restless nights, waking up crying, but hopefully she will get used to her new surroundings soon.  After replacing the batteries in her crib soother last night, she slept like a log.  Thank you Fisher Price for a wonderful invention!  

Laine has taken full advantage of the back porch and swing-set in the yard already.  Quite a change from the small patches of grass at Gulf Drive.  We're glad to be here.

Made it to Greenville

We made it back to the east coast!  Penny had a good drive yesterday, after first repairing the flat tire that sprung up over night.  And Laine and I successfully managed the flight from St. Louis to Charlotte today.  As I told Penny, she was very busy but not loud.  I guess that's the best I could hope for at this point.  The lady next to us on the plane graciously helped entertain Laine by singing silly songs and showing her pictures on her camera and computer.  

I think Laine is asleep for the night at this point - hopefully she'll transition well in the days to come.  Thanks to everyone who prayed for a safe trip for us.  The place we are staying is wonderful, and we're already enjoying our space amongst the family who is hosting us.  We're glad to be here, and we'll keep you posted on our summer adventures.

Z is for Zebra

Laine and I squeezed in one last trip to the zoo this week before our departure for Greenville. We'll miss the free zoo and especially the free carousel rides. This will be one of the many things to look forward to upon our return.

Y is for Yoyo

Laine discovered the yoyo the other day... not too sure what to do with it though.

X is for X-Men

Penny and I love movies, and one of our quirks is that we like the X-men movies.  When I first met Penny I was a little skeptical of the comic book turned movie, but I have become a huge fan of this series.  If you haven't seen them, give them a chance - you might become a new fan too!

One week left

We only have one more week until we head to Greenville, SC for the summer.  Penny is going to intern for 12 weeks at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church, where we moved from and are still members.  We are really looking forward to going, but we're also going to miss our friends and home here in St. Louis.  

Trying to make the most of our last few days in St. Louis, I'm working down a list in my head of things I want to do "one more time."  This morning Laine and I made it out to the zoo so she could ride the carousel a few times.  I didn't capture a smile in these pictures, but to quote Laine, she loves to "Ride!"

I added this one just because she looks so pretty!

W is for Wet Weather

Everyone gets the rainy-day blues from time to time.

V is for Voice of Truth

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Rev 3:20

U is for Umbrella

This is our new umbrella and one of Laine's favorite words to say.  Our last umbrella got stolen from the Vinita Park library when we were checking out books in a downpour.  Thankfully a sweet lady offered to walk us to our car so we could stay relatively dry.  I was aiming for a gender neutral color in picking out this umbrella, but Penny says I missed the mark a little.  Sorry about that Penny - hope your friends don't pick on you too much for carrying a bright green umbrella!

T is for Tissue

Only those who know me really well know that I love tissues.  I'm actually somewhat addicted to them.  As a result I keep boxes stashed all over the house for easy access.  And my favorite brand is Puffs Plus Lotion, so when a cold comes along my nose does not go raw from wiping it.  The top box here got invaded by little hands - Laine loves tissues too!

S is for Slides and Smiles

We went to Tilles Park the other day, and Laine loved it.  They have a great playground, swing set, sandbox, and even water spouts.  Here's a glimpse of her enjoyment.

R is for Reefs

I recently invested in my second pair of Reef flip-flops. After wearing a pair of Rainbows for several summers, I determined that I preferred my brown Reefs over my black Rainbows. Penny is a passionate fan of Rainbows, so I had to give them a shot. But alas, my feet like Reefs better. The best part about all of this is that I found these Reefs online for half price. Can't beat a good deal!

Q is for Q-Tips

Who came up with these brilliant things?  And how did they get their name anyway?  Read about the best-selling cotton swab here.

P is for Parks and Playgrounds

One of the things I love about St. Louis is the abundance of parks.  You can normally find at least one park within a mile or two of wherever you are in the city.  And of course playgrounds are important too now that Laine can maneuver them better.  Our newest find this week is St. Vincent Park in Pagedale.  We went there last summer to enjoy the community pool/waterpark, but this time we checked out the walking trail and playground.  It is a nice park with a great path that leads through a pretty neighborhood and right onto UMSL's campus.  It was a nice change of pace from the parks that we normally frequent.