Amelia Cate's Place

My First Thanksgiving...in the land of the FIRST Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T21:32:00.009-05:00

I traveled to Boston for my second visit to spend my first Thanksgiving with my Memere, Pepere, Aunt Allyson and Uncle Darren. The Sunday before we left, we had a pre-thanksgiving lunch with Grandpa, Nana, Aunt Sally Ann and Uncle Clint. So I had two Thanksgivings this year, but didn't

really get to experience the gluttony since I still can't eat food. Boo. It all looked pretty tasty though, especially my Memere's lemon meringue pie.

A tradition that both my families share is

going to get a Christmas tree the day after

Thanksgiving (we're going this weekend in Richmond) and I helped pick out the Perron Christmas tree. I found my own mini tree, but mommie and daddy wouldn't let me try to take it as a carry-on.

I also went into Boston and cruised around Fanueil Hall, but my parent's forgot to take a picture. Slackers.

My dad has titled the picture of me in my pink fleece: "Look, a bear in the woods!"

Photo Shoot

2008-11-26T00:45:00.005-05:00

At the end of October, in an effort to have really good pictures taken of me, my mommie and daddy had a professional photographer come and do a photo shoot with me. I had lots of fun, but it was tiring to be the center of attention for two straight hours.

Hopefully all these pictures will make up for my month long hiatus- daycare wipes me out!

Slideshow

Worthington Photography Blog

Thomas the Jebo!

2008-11-26T00:36:00.004-05:00

I am no longer the newest baby on the block- baby Thomas was born on November 12 to Tracy and Jack. Devon and Campbell are now the proud big sisters of a little brother. We're all excited that he's here and that Uncle Rich was finally proven wrong- Jack does not only make girls (not that there is anything wrong with that!!).

Texas, Part II- SeaWorld

2008-11-26T00:12:00.005-05:00

As I said before, we got to see Shamu (how does he travel from Orlando to San Antonio for shows?), got up close and personal with dolphins (mommie and daddy got to feed them but I was too small) and checked out the penguins.

SeaWorld was cool and I now have my very own stuffed Shamu to remember the trip. Let me rephrase- my very own small stuffed replica-a dead Shamu is not in my nursery. That would smell bad....and be terrifying.

"Don't Squat With Yer Spurs On"- My Trip to Texas

2008-11-25T23:30:00.008-05:00

My daddy and grandpa were going to a Shell Oil conference in San Antonio, Texas (is there somewhere else you would hold an oil conference?) and so we decided to go along.

Nana, mommie and I flew down together and met daddy and grandpa. The flight was uneventful except for flying first class- that was great. I love the big seats; much easier

to fall asleep in.

We did lots of fun stuff- ate lunch and dinner on the Riverwalk, visited the Alamo and went to SeaWorld (see next post).

My Two Personas

2008-11-25T23:18:00.004-05:00

For Halloween, I had two costumes this year- one was as a part of a famous family and the other, an insect. Which one is your favorite?

Obligatory Pumpkin Patch Picture

2008-11-25T23:07:00.005-05:00

As expected, my silly parents took me pumpkin picking before Halloween. Um, I can't pick out my own hand, nevermind a perfect pumpkin. Regardless, I took a hayride out to the field and sat among the only three orange pumpkins they could find (the rest were all green....seriously) and then we got back on the hayride and bought pumpkins that were by the cash register.

I suspect we'll go through this ritual year after year. Good thing I'm a good sport and actually enjoyed hanging out in the hay.

Daddy's Home!

2008-11-25T22:30:00.006-05:00

After what seemed like forever, Daddy came home from China. He did lots of fun things and I'm sure if you ask, he'll tell you lots and lots of stories. He has so many pictures that he made a movie for a school project that he let me post. Check it out below.

I'm just happy to have him home and not have to talk to him on the computer anymore. As you can see from the picture, I got all dressed up to meet him at the airport and I recognized him immediately when he came off the plane. He didn't smell quite like himself- 29 hours on a plane is sorta stinky.

Three Months Old!

2008-10-22T11:36:00.007-04:00

Today marks another milestone in my albeit short time on earth- I'm three months old! It's been a busy two weeks- I started attending the Grace Covenant Child Development Center without my mommie on the 13th. It was a little hard at first, but everyone is very nice and they like to hold me and let me make funny noises at them. There are also other babies there too, but I'm not big enough to play with them yet and frankly, I already have a BFF and tons of cool cousins. But as I get older, I'm sure I'll grow to appreciate such playmates.

Tomorrow my daddy comes home from China, which is all I wanted for my three month present!

Maymont

2008-10-17T00:11:00.007-04:00

On my Memere's last day, it was a beautiful sunny day so she and my mommie took me to Maymont park to see the bears. I had a very good time kicking around in my bugaboo- there's lots of room for me to kick my legs while someone pushes me around, so that's what I did.

I got to see the bears, but they were pretty far away. They look cuddly, though, kind of like our dog, Seneca! I got to sit on a bear that

won't bite, so that was cool.

Chillin' in My Chair

2008-10-17T00:05:00.003-04:00

I got this super cool "Anywhere Chair" from my mommie's friend Amy in Boston and have already chilled out in it a few times. I'm sitting in it in my nursery, but according to the chair, I can take it anywhere I want when I get bigger!

China

2008-10-16T23:53:00.004-04:00

So, as many of you know who read the blog, my daddy left for China two days after I was baptized- October 7th. My grandmother from Boston, Memere, stayed down for the first week to help out my mommie 'cuz she went back to work after hanging out with me for 10 weeks. It's been a bit of whirlwind here in Richmond!

An update from my daddy: he flew for 28 hours from NYC to Germany, then Singapore and finally, Bejing; he's visited Xi'an to see the army of terra cotta soldiers, seen the Forbidden City, stood in Tiananmen Square, toured a Chinese factory, tasted a chicken foot by accident (gross) and slept on the Great Wall after rappelling down the side.

We haven't seen any pictures yet, but we did find this cool shot of the sun setting on the Great Wall. We've been Skyping with him, so I do get to see and hear him.

Baptism

2008-10-13T22:46:00.015-04:00

October 5th was a very special day when I was baptized into the Episcopal Church at St. Thomas'. That's the same church where my mommie and daddy got married almost four years ago. I was very lucky to have tons of family and friends come to share the day with me. My mommie's cousin Brandon and his girlfriend Amy traveled the farthest to be with me- they came from Florida! Daddy's friends also braved 95 on a Sunday to see me too- they're fun!

I didn't cry at all- I like church. My mommie takes me on Sundays and I like all the singing. Most importantly, apparently, I did not cry when the priest,

Sue, poured water over my head. What's there to cry about? I love having clean hair!

My baptism gown was in my mommie's family for 90 years- her grandmother wore it first back in the early 1900's- wow! To make sure I didn't spit up on it, I had a wardrobe change and wore a different dress to the party.

I am very grateful for my godparents, Chris and Ashley, who will always be an important part of my spiritual and everyday life, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and all my family and friends. I'm so lucky to have so many people care about me- thank you for loving me so much!

Hands!

2008-10-13T22:29:00.004-04:00

I know this may seem silly to adults, but I have hands!! My very own pacifiers that I try daily to get completely into my mouth and they almost seem to fit. My mommie said she expects a snarky comment from Pete to appear almost immediately after this post...

Busy Bee

2008-10-13T21:05:00.004-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I've been a very busy girl, as you will see from all the pictures and posts.

First, I had my first living history experience by going to Williamsburg and seeing all the places my daddy used to hang out when he was in college way back when- the Cheese Shop, College Delly (we just walked by- no sandwich with "enough mayo on it to choke a horse" for me...yet), his old fraternity house.

We also spent time in Colonial Williamsburg where I saw women and men in

funny hats and shoes, hung out with Thomas Jefferson and had dinner at the King's Arms.

I also spent time with my mommie's friend from graduate school, Stephanie, her husband Brad and their twin daughters, Jaina and Caitlyn, who just turned 5. Having a twin seems to be really fun- they always have someone their own age to play with!

Two Months Old!

2008-09-25T14:34:00.006-04:00

Wow, where has the time gone? I can't believe I turned two months old on Monday! I've been so busy growing and learning new things that the time has just flown by.

I went to the pediatrican today for my two month visit and got my new stats- I am almost 25 inches long (they measure me with pencil marks on a big piece of paper so there is a margin of error when I squirm), 12 pounds and my head is 16 inches (which means my brain is growing- phew). I also had my first round of vaccinations-- 5 shots and a liquid one. Thankfully the nurse was quick, but it still hurt a ton and now I have 3 yellow band-aids on my legs.

I now smile and laugh a lot, make funny noises, and have discovered these things that taste good (my mommie calls them 'my hands'.....whatever, they're yummy when I'm sleepy). I also like sticking my tongue out at my mommie when she sticks hers out at me- that's fun.

My biggest accomplishment in the last 10 days is skipping a meal, otherwise known as sleeping through the night. When I was 8 weeks old I started sleeping between 6 and 8 hours a night. It's been a big adjustment, but I know it will make life a lot easier when my mommie goes back to work (which I don't want to talk about right now).

Shopping

2008-09-25T13:43:00.004-04:00

Last week mommie and I met her second family from Lexington (or Lex Vegas for those in the know)- Jean, Peter, Jenny and little Ellie. Well, she's little compared to her mom, but I think she's a big girl- she's one and walks by herself!

As you can see, we had a good time poking around Stony Point, most particularly a store called Anthropoligie. From what I gather, Lex Vegas doesn't have such a store and Jean and Jenny seemed to savor their time there. I guess we are lucky to have so many choices- mommie said when she lived there, the high end design was the Martha Stewart collection at K-Mart.

Ellie has clearly already begun to master the shopping skills of her mom and grandmother, otherwise known as 'Ninj"- a name coined when Ellie was a baby and Jean would sneak into Jenny's house like a ninja.

I love it- having a ninja in the house is so cool!

...To the Land of the Lobstah-- Boston

2008-09-15T14:07:00.005-04:00

I've had a busy 10 days with the most exciting part being my first plane ride-- what an adventure! With a name like Amelia, you'd think I would take to the skies like an old pro! And I sort of did.... on the way home.

The ride up to Boston wasn't the greatest when we learned firsthand that I have officially grown out of my newborn diapers (icky) and that I do not like to fly when I haven't eaten (I might have cried a little).

I'm much happier on a full stomach (who isn't?), which I tried to tell my mommie but she doesn't speak baby yet. She's learning now!

Luckily, the male business travelers stuck in the back of an already overcrowded plane were very understanding and didn't actually stone mommie after she got off the plane- she just worried that they might. Once I got into the airport and got to see all the interesting Bostonians, I was happy again.

After that, I had a great time in Boston spending time with my Memere, Pepere, Aunt Allyson and Darren. I also got to meet my 96 year old maternal great grandma- I'm really lucky to have three great grandmas!

Finally, the best part was meeting all the people in the North that love me and wanted to officially welcome me to the world. I got to wear a new blue party dress and I was on my best behavior and let everyone hold me without crying. It was a fun but exhausting being the center of attention; subsequently, I slept for the longest stretch ever- 6 hours!

Mommie and I got home yesterday after an uneventful flight where I slept soundly. I was so happy to wake up and see daddy picking us up at the airport. He had to stay in Virginia to go to school and missed our flying adventure. Luckily, he gets to experience it in November for Thanksgiving!

From Pickin' Crab on the Chesapeake...

2008-09-15T13:59:00.003-04:00

As Hurricane Hanna prepared to swing through Virginia, mommie and daddy packed me and Seneca into the car really early in the morning and headed down to the river to a little town called Ophelia where my great-grandma lives. Their plan worked and we successfully beat the storm and while it rained and blew outside, we settled in for my very first (and my mommie's too) crab pickin', followed by a crabcake cook off between great grandma and our friend Bob.

Luckily, we didn't actually have to say whose crabcakes were better (from the talk at the table, they were both delish) and I'll have to wait a few years before I can actually weigh in with my opinion.

The Rivah

2008-09-02T10:25:00.009-04:00

This weekend my parent's took me to visit my BFF Camden at the Rivah. We had lots of fun taking naps together side by side in our moses baskets, listening to music together (Chris had us listening to Jazz during breakfast in honor of New Orleans), watching our dogs play fetch in the river, meeting our parent's friends Matt and Francie and catching some rays on the dock (does 5 minutes count?). All in all, it was a perfect baby weekend.

Traveling in Style

2008-08-28T17:42:00.005-04:00

Since I've been born, my mommie has been trying to figure out the best way to carry me around when we're at home and I don't want to be alone or when we are out on the town. After trying the pouch style sling (too hot and difficult to adjust me) and the baby bjorn (I'm too small for it and mommie is too short), we finally hit paydirt with the Ellaroo ring sling. Mommie can tie me on in my favorite frog position and we can cruise around comfortably. The material is also very soft and breathable for the muggy Richmond weather.

Yay- less sweaty baby, which no one likes! I'm off to cruise around the house and help make dinner.

New Toy

2008-08-27T18:04:00.004-04:00

Today my mommie and daddy gave me a new toy- my very own iTouch iPod! Well, not really my very own, but I do have my own playlist where I get to download comforting ocean sounds or my favorite, whale sounds, and fun songs for the car like "Wheels on the Bus." As you can see, I think my mommie's song choices are pretty funny (so does my daddy)- Abba is so old school. But they do sing catchy tunes!

If anyone has suggestions for my playlist, send them on. Nothing with bad words or themes though- "Riding Dirty" is not allowed on my list as I overheard my parents saying, whatever that means!

One Month Old Today!

2008-08-22T15:00:00.012-04:00

Today is my one month birthday. My parent's can't believe that I've been here for four weeks already- I feel like I've been here forever...in a good way. Time is flying by and I'm growing every day.

I'm already over 9 and half pounds and may even have hit double digits. I'm also smiling and laughing when my mommie and daddy talk to me (and no, it's not gas, I swear!) and I can hold my head up and turn it from side to side during tummy time.

I'm also sleeping longer at night, which is mostly just exciting to my parents, not me. I've missed some of the Olympics because of it, but I'll catch them in London.

Paparazzi

2008-08-19T20:42:00.003-04:00

The paparazzi caught this candid shot of me sneaking out of the the spa.

p.s. By "spa," I mean my bath in the kitchen sink, and by "paparazzi," I mean my mommie.

My BFF Arrives!

2008-08-13T21:05:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a big day because my BFF (best friend forever) arrived- Nina Camden Peace! I know we are only 3 weeks apart, but I feel like I've waited FOREVER for her to arrive! I can't wait until she and her mom are ready to take field trips to the mall or the zoo... or even just to our backyard.

I went to the hospital today to meet Camden and she has sooo much hair! I'm a little jealous because I think she'll get a haircut way before me and probably get to use mousse first too. Sigh.

'Cuz I know everyone wants to know and this will be the first and last year we can talk about our "stats"(especially weight)- Camden was 7 pounds, 8 ounces, 21 inches and was born at 2:28pm on August 12th.

Welcome Nina Camden Peace- I can't wait to spend tons and tons of time with you!

PS- Camden has her own blog too: click here.

Me and Mommie

2008-08-13T21:04:00.003-04:00

This is the first week my mommie and I are by ourselves! Last week daddy worked from home so we got to eat lunch out twice and go to the mall twice. The week before that, my memere and pepere were helping out from Boston.

I didn't know what to expect- perhaps just days spent at home watching the Olympics (my mom is slightly obsessed with swimming)? I wasn't sure we'd ever leave the house, especially since mommie can't pick up the car seat with me in it because of her c-section.

However, my mommie has not disappointed. We've had guests every day at lunch- Matt and Seth came by on Monday (my mom's partners at work-they're funny!), Devon and Jacqueline from the law firm came by yesterday with lunch and today Nicole and Lisa popped by to bring dinner. I'm glad all these nice people come by with food for my mommie because I'm not sure she'd eat without them!

Then, we had our very first excursion to Target yesterday to get some things for Aunt Ashley. I got to ride in a sling for the first time- that was fun, but I think mommie might need to figure out a more comfortable way to put me in; I was a little smushed but I still managed to nap.

Today I went to the pediatrician again to check my weight- I gained an entire pound since last Wednesday, so now I weight 9 pounds, 3 ounces. I clearly like to eat. After that, we had one more stop.... more in the next post!

My First Shot

2008-08-07T17:21:00.006-04:00

No, Uncle Clay, not my first time shooting a shotgun, my first vaccination! Yesterday was my two week visit to the pediatrician and it started off well- I had gained 6 ounces and was now 8 lbs, 2 oz and very, very close to my birth weight. I had also grown a whole inch, which is very tiring work and why I nap all day long.

Then, the appointment started to go downhill. The doctor had to put some medicine on my belly button to help heal it and it was a little uncomfortable. Then came the bad part- my first shot. Yikes! The nurse held down my leg and just jabbed it in with no warning! It hurt soo much that my face got red and I cried silently. I think my face made my mommie cry a little herself, but don't tell her I could see. I did get a neat yellow Band-Aid out of the deal.

Daddy Time

2008-08-07T16:44:00.002-04:00

This week, daddy has been working from home so he can help my mommie out and spend time with little ol' me. That's why I haven't been posting as much because I've been spending time sleeping on, and staring at, my daddy, not blogging. But I promise to be more diligent in the future.

Pimp My Stroller

2008-08-07T16:21:00.006-04:00

In the last few days, mommie and daddy have taken me out for walks in my new Bugaboo Chamelon stroller. I think it's pretty nice, but my daddy is especially proud of it. He chose the color and style after one of his classmates in graduate school told him that the stroller was "the bomb." Mommie likes it because it's not bulky like other strollers. I get to recline in style, although I have to say that our neighborhood sidewalks are very bumpy, but I still manage to sleep through it.

Grandpa Turns 60!

2008-08-01T15:40:00.010-04:00

Yesterday was the second time my mommie and I left the house to go to Nana and Grandpa's house to celebrate his very big birthday- 60!

I like riding in my pink and orange car seat- it puts me right to sleep, despite all the bumps and holes in the city streets. I'm used to those since my mommie drove a Wrangler the whole time she was pregnant!

I got to meet lots of family, including my Great Grandma. I'm her first great grandchild and it was neat to be in a picture of four generations of my family.

Meeting the Big Kids

2008-08-01T14:39:00.008-04:00

On Wed night, we had a big family spaghetti supper (not that I got to try any) that my memere and pepere made for everyone and I got to meet my two cool cousins, Griffin and Davis. They are so big! I'm so glad they were happy to meet me- I was a little worried they wouldn't think I was cool because I'm so little and can't play with them yet. I can't wait for them to teach me all the cool things they know how to do- like play baseball and vacuum. Griffin is a really good baseball player and I hope he'll teach me how to hit off a tee like he does. Davis loves helping around the house and my mommie would be very happy if I liked to vacuum as much as he does!

I also got to meet another cool big kid when I was in the hospital- Devon. She's four and very pretty. I know I'll look up to her as I get bigger and need advice on how to be a super "grrl" like she is. I'm really lucky to have older kids already looking out for me!

No day at the spa

2008-07-29T13:14:00.004-04:00

Frankly, I found my bath in the kitchen sink to be quite unpleasant.

Drying off was much more agreeable, however.

My first visit to the Dr.

2008-07-28T11:02:00.002-04:00

My mommie took me to the pediatrician today where I earned high marks. My weight is 7lbs, 12oz which is good because I had slimmed down to 7lbs, 8oz a few days ago - so it appears I'm on the upswing. Based on my weight fluctuations, I'm somewhere between the 50th and 75th percentile for my weight, and I'm also in the 90th percentile for my height.

The Dr. was pleased with how alert I am. I'll be going back again next week for another check up.

I am really tired now, however, because I kept everyone awake all last night. I think I'll take a nap.

Leaving the hospital

2008-07-27T22:59:00.004-04:00

After Saturday rolled around, I was growing restless of the hospital room. Though the accommodations were nice and I really couldn't say enough about how supportive and kind the nursing staff was, I was really looking forward to checking out the room my parents had been making for me.

After my mommie was feeling better, and my daddy finished wrestling with the car seat, we all packed up and headed home.

On the way out, one of those nice nurses suggested we pose for a picture in front of the fountain. Apparently everyone does it, so we felt obliged to accommodate.

Tale of the Tape

2008-07-26T15:28:00.003-04:00

My daddy is studying statistics in school right now, so he said I needed to report my relevant data points... whatever that means.

July 22, 6:25 p.m.
8 lbs. 4 oz.
21 inches

Memere says those were my mommie's measurements exactly! My daddy tried to explain something about regression to the mean, but I told him to just concentrate on his homework.

Grandparents!

2008-07-26T14:50:00.009-04:00

Lucky Me! Look at all the proud grandparents!

All my grandparents came to see me right away. Check out these great pictures of them. Let the spoiling begin....

Hello everyone!

2008-07-26T10:37:00.008-04:00

My entrance into the world took a little bit longer than I had planned (and everyone expected). I was making good progress on the way out, but then I got kinda tied up in my umbilical cord and couldn’t tell anyone; so I made my mommie’s labor longer and harder than I planned. My mommie’s doctor told her that my name should be “trouble” because she had to go through 12 hours of natural back labor, an epidural, and then when I still didn’t arrive, a c-section. Luckily though, my mom had a good team in the delivery room- my daddy, their very good friend Tracy who is a birth assistant, and Pam, the greatest nurse ever.

When I finally arrived, I wasn’t able to breathe right away because the cord was still wrapped around my neck, but there was a NICU team there to help with that right away. I started crying very quickly, although not before scaring my new parents while they waited to hear me cry. I think maybe my nickname should be trouble!

Lots of people were waiting for my arrival- just like having my own “village”- my daddy’s parents, my mommie’s parents and my Aunt Sally Ann and Uncle Clint- were all in the waiting room and then we had tons of other people cheering for me to come, even as far away as my Aunt Allyson and Uncle Darren in Boston.

I barely got to meet my mommie and daddy ‘cuz I got whisked away to the transition nursery to make sure I would keep breathing properly. I finally got to spend time with my parent’s about four hours after I was born and I was SO happy to meet them. I’m tired now from my very long day of travel, so I’m off to bed.