A Mid Week Photo Shoot

It has come to our attention that we are slacking on providing our family and friends with updated photos of the Little One. As I was telling Grandma Ann tonight, it's been a fussy few weeks as Kate appears to be teething. But we've added a late afternoon nap to the schedule and our little angel seems much happier. So with this new found contentment and joy, I grabbed the camera and took some pictures. I hope you enjoy them.
Here she is: Kate at 5 1/2 months!

Mommy's Little Helper

Sitting Pretty

Happy Birthday, Grandma Ann

Today is February 5th--Grandma Ann's Birthday.
We hope it is a day filled with joy and blessing.
We thought we'd contribute to your joy with a little song,
and well, Katherine had her own surprise to add in.

Happy Birthday! We love you.

She Feels the Music!

I love music. Maybe it was last night's amazing concert that inspired me to pull out my fiddle earlier tonight, but as much as I love to play, I just don't do it much anymore. It did however, feel good to just play the fiddle for fun, and not as part of my "day job." I played for only about 30 minutes, but for much of that time, I had my eyes closed playing (and trying to remember) some of the old Contra dance tunes that I used to play. It felt so good to play that I'll try to make a little time on most days to return a little bit to the music.

When I came upstairs, Katherine was in her swing, and when she saw me come up to her, she just started smiling and laughing at me. My mandolin case was nearby (speaking of instruments that don't get played enough), so I opened the case and started playing it for Katherine. She just started laughing and dancing in her swing. Now, I admit that these days, my mandolin playing is a bit rustic, but Katherine laughs at things that she likes, so it was not like playing for grown-ups and having them laugh at my playing.

Even before Katherine was born, Papa Gallagher promised that he would sign her up for Irish step dance lessons. I think this second video just proves that she will definitely take to the step dancing. She just needs to learn to stand up first.

A Night of Fiddle Playing

Last night Josh and I went out and enjoyed a wonderful evening of fiddle music. As a Christmas gift, I bought Josh and my dad tickets to the Music Center at Strathmore to see a group of fiddle players that Josh has followed for years. And since I bought the tickets, I made sure my mom and I had the chance to go too.

One performer was Scottish fiddler, Alasdair Fraser. He was accompanied by a young, very talented cellist named Natalie Haas. They have an upbeat unique sound that I really enjoy. The duo has been a favorite of mine since Josh introduced me to them . Below is a link to one of the songs they performed last night. Natalie brings a different element to the cello, and Alsadair is an amazing fiddler.

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas playing Valley of the Moon

Now one of Josh's favorite is Irish fiddler Martin Hayes accompanied by guitarist Dennis Cahill. Again, the duo really compliment each other. The guitar provides a unique support for the playing style of Martin Hayes. Unlike the energentic Fraser, this fiddler from county Claire is very laid back. Even the cadence of his speech and the deilvery of his jokes is slow and methodical. Yet, Hayes is equally talented in his own right. And boy - when Martin starts playing his hair flies! We had he priveldge of sitting in the 3rd row of the orchestra and could see every facial expression and wild curl as he performed. Below is a YouTube video of Martin and Dennis playing, A Peacock's Feather, one of his more subdued tunes. It's a little hard to hear Dennis on guitar, but you'll get a feel for Hayes' different style.

The final performer was American, Bruce Molsky. He's known for his Appalachian fiddle playing and banjo picking. Now Josh can tell you more about the type of banjo playing this is but trust me it's unique.

Here's Bruce on banjo playing the tune, Cider

He also played (and sang) an incredible version of the folk song Cotton Eyed Joe

The show was called Highland, Heath, and Holler. The theme was a reminder of the shared fiddle tradition that Scotland, Ireland, and America share. It was a really enjoyable night.

Merry Christmas, my love (and dad too).

I trust you enjoyed your evening!

Just Sitting Pretty

Well, Kate officially turned 5 months old this week. She's changing every day. We love playing with her and watching her laugh. We think she might be starting to teethe. There are no visible signs of teeth yet, but she's chewing on her bottle a lot and at times it seems to bother her to suck on the bottle. We'll be keeping a close eye on those gums for any developements.

In honor of Kate's determination to sit up, Gigi bought her this stylish, purple Bumbo seat. Brenden has a fancier seat of his own at their house too, and now Kate can sit along side him. (As long as Brenden doesn't squeeze his big tushy into her seat first.) If he'd stand still long enough I might be able to get a few photos of the two of them together. But for now, here's some shots of Kate.

p.s. Kate has a new friend. Evelyn and Joey Hutchinson just welcomed a daughter, Esther Joy, into the world on January 16th. They live a few streets over from us, and Katherine is eagerly awaiting their first play date!! Congratulations Hutchinsons!! I'm so happy it's a little girl!

A Date Night for Josh and Kim

Well, tonight Kate was left with a babysitter for the first time while Josh and I went to a movie and ran some errands. I really needed some one-on-one time with my husband. Now, Kate has stayed with my parents before, but tonight we left her with, Danielle, a former student of mine who is now in college. I had full faith in Danielle. I wasn't a paranoid parent worrying about Kate. Rather I was worried about the babysitter: would she know what to do if Kate gave her trouble eating or if Kate wouldn't go down to bed? Both of these issues are regular trouble spots for Josh and I -- never mind someone brand new to Kate. So I typed up two pages of detailed instructions. If this happens...do this. Or if that happens... do that. Our very competent sitter was grateful for the tips and schedule; however, she didn't really need them. Of course tonight Kate was an angel. She was full of smiles and giggles. She ate all her cereal and almost all of her bottle. She went to bed right on time and fell asleep without even a fuss. So not only will Josh and I go out again soon, but I want to know if Danielle can move in?

Dinner is Served

Today was a good day. It comes as a welcome respite after a long, hard week with Kate. Kate and I ran some errands this morning with a good friend who is expecting her baby any day now. Kate was delightful, and we had our first successful shopping experience. Also, it was a good day because Kate ate well! Kate hasn't eaten well the last few days - much to my frustration. So in order to increase her calorie intake and help her reflux we introduced oatmeal cereal this week. The doctor said it could take quite a few attempts before she gets the hang of it...

First Day: Kate wasn't too sure about this stuff.

Second Day: Kate really didn't like it!

I don't think she swallowed any of the cereal.

Day Three: Well, why don't you just see for yourself...

Along the same line of thinking, I bought a high chair for Kate today when we were out running errands. She has really been trying to sit up a lot lately, and we wanted her to have a place to sit and play while we ate. And now she has a place to eat too. We all had a wonderful dinner tonight...full of smiles and laughter.

The shiny glow on Kate's face is Aquaphor...

she just had a bath and she was all greased up and ready for bed!