Lots of Pictures

There's nothing more precious that a sleeping baby.

Our new house! Hooray!

Playing golf.

First day of school!

For school he had to dress for a "50s Sock Hop" - so this was the best I could do on short notice.

People standing in line to buy the Harry Potter book. I'm more interested in the phenomenon than the book (which I don't think it the greatest thing ever).

Here is the night of the book release. There were hundreds of people there to get the book at 12 am, and it was like - I'm not kidding - 90 degrees in the store! It was really one of the most horrible nights of my life.

Of course, I brought Finny. And he was thrilled to be part of the experience. As you can see.


This is kind of just a wild and crazy moment. In the fridge. It happens.

Kevin and Finny on a walk along the Mississippi River.

Playing computer games. He's so cool.

His second birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

He is modeling a sweater his Grandma made.


Doesn't he look like a cute little elfkin?

We went to see Bill and Hillary Clinton when they visited the Quad Cities in July. It was almost as miserable as the Harry Potter book premiere event. Though, I did get this picture of Hillary Clinton. No such luck getting a picture of Harry Potter.


Finny drank two bottles of water while waiting for the Clintons to come out. Just some advice to presidential candidates: making people wait in 90 degree weather because you're an hour late does not rally them to your side. Savvy?

Cute Things Finny Does, Part 2

Finny started to say "actually" a lot. It's so funny because it is such an adult thing to say.

For example, he'll ask for juice, but when the refrigerator opens and he sees the milk, he'll say, "Mommy! Milk, actually!" Although he says it more like, "Ach-ally." It's the cutest thing ever.

Cute Things Finny Does, Part I

I know these are things I'm going to forget when he goes to college. So, before that happens:

1. He says "baby creen" instead of "baby cream." And, when he gets some on his hands, he always asks if it is okay if he puts it on his butt. Why his butt? I have no idea.

2. Whenever you ask him how many of something there are, he says "fourteen." Lots of babies have a favorite number like this, that they use for everything. But usually it is three or four; how did he get fourteen? It is also so funny sometimes... like I'll say, "Hey Finny, do you want any brothers or sisters?" And he'll say, "Yeah!" So I say, "How many?" And he says, "Fourteen!"

3. I believe he really thinks that kissing a boo-boo will make it better. And, after you kiss his boo-boo he'll say, "Daaaanks!" ("Thanks," for those of you who don't know Finnytalk.)

4. Sometimes he say, "Mommy, what's that?" And I'll say, "It's a microwave." And he'll say, "My-co-ave? OoooOOOO! My-co-ave!" It's the cutest thing ever.

5. He always announces "Right back!" before he runs away somewhere.

6. If he tries to do something, like fix a toy, open a door, etc. that is above his difficulty level, he'll try half-heartedly only once, and then say immediately, "Too hawd, Mommy!"

7. When I'm working on the computer, he asks if he can "See babies, quick?" Meaning, he wants to look at videos of himself when he was a baby. Just last night, we were watching a video of him, perhaps 10 months old, trying desperately to talk. He says, "Mommy, Finny talk!" And I say, "Yeah, that's when you were trying to talk. What is Finny saying in this video?" So he leans forward to study the video, listens for a moment, then looks at me. He points at the video. "Finny want it, cookie!" (Meaning, the Finny in the video was saying that he wants a cookie! Hehe.)

8. He's "L"s sound like "W"s. So, he'll say things like, "Wook, Mommy! Wollypop!" Or, when he wants lotion, he'll say "Wotin!" though now it's more like "Wotion!"