Introducing Madeline's First Tooth!

Well, it has been a big week for Madeline. She got her first tooth, started genuine attempts at crawling, and she "pulled up" to look through her bin of books -- her little leg muscles were quivering from the effort. Rob also gave her a lime to taste...you can see how much she liked it!

A Very Busy Three Weeks

The last three weeks have flown by! We went to another Illini game with my dearest college friends and their new babies, visited with Rob's family, and spent a special weekend with my grandparents. Then to top it all off, Madeline and I flew to Denver to visit Mollie for a week! Here are some of the highlights:

Go Illinois!
Cassidy, Ella, Madeline and Baby Haru must have been good luck charms because Illinois beat the University of Wisconsin in another big upset. It was such a fun reunion with Erin, Tara, Jamie and all the husbands (who have a great time together too). Before we all headed back to Peoria for the night, we met up with a group of our Delta Gamma sorority sisters at Amy Ludwig's family tailgate (and met all the new DG babies).












The Vlachs Visit
Rob's mom, dad, sister and grandma drove down and spent that Sunday with us for a relaxed afternoon. Marion and Tom tried Indian food for the first time and liked it!




Meg's Grandparents Visit from Arkansas
We had a very special visit with my grandparents, who drove all the way up from Arkansas. We went for several walks along Grand View Drive, watched the Illini play the University of Iowa (can't win 'em all) and supported Andrea by visiting her at Bradley University's all-night Dance Marathon. It's hard to describe how much the time I spend with my grandparents means to me.

Denver, Here We Come!
Madeline and I had a fantastic time visiting Mollie in Colorado for a whole week. Mollie was such a gracious hostess, and her boyfriend, Kenny, was so kind to allow us to take over his single apartment, while he camped out with Mollie's best friends and roommates, Julie and Allison. We spent the weekend in Estes Park, a charming little town nestled in the mountains. We cozied up by the fire and watched the snow fall outside the window of our condo, which was built alongside a small river.

Madeline did so well on the first plane ride of her life! A mechanical problem caused us to miss our connection at O'Hare on the way home, and despite missing both her naps and waiting around in the airport for four extra hours, she was still cheerful, entertaining travelers and flight attendants (though I did have to explain several times that her "teradactyl" shriek is actually a happy sound).

Madeline's First Illini Game

Madeline watched an Illini victory over Penn State at her first University of Illinois football game this weekend! We went with Jo, Jason, Erica, Craig, Graig and his lovely new wife, Caitlin (who both went to Penn State). It was a very exciting upset. Madeline, who was decked out in her Illini gear, blended into the sea of orange and actually cheered with the crowd! Then (it's hard to believe this is possible), she actually fell asleep on Rob's shoulder during the fourth quarter, despite the roaring crowd and touchdown fireworks.











So, if Madeline decides to attend the University of Illinois in another 18 years (no pressure or anything), she will be a fourth generation Illini. She already has a U of I car seat and more orange-and-blue than her parents (not to mention that her mom and dad met there their senior year!). So as you can see the "gentle" nudging has begun at only six months.

And the best part is, we're going back again next weekend for Illinois v. Wisconsin with my Delta Gamma sorority sisters (Erin, Jamie and Tara) and their growing families! We can't wait to meet little Cassidy and Ella and see Jamie's pregnant bump!

Go Illini!!