Beach Bum!

Over the weekend, we had a lot of fun getting together with friends at Sean and Sarah M's place in Wisconsin. In addition to getting to play with Anand and Vivek again, Owen took advantage of his first visit to the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The water was a little bit cold....

...but the sand provided a lot of entertainment for the little guy. Owen started slow, opting to eat a few grains of sand.

However, the full face plant consumption method proved to be much more entertaining. Even with a mouth and eye full of sand, he was smiling and willing to keep on playing.

We opted for the bottle of water cleaning instead, and he was ready for more.

Here is a picture of Owen, Anand, and Vivek playing in the lawn.

Cheers!

Morning Entertainment

While the sleepless nights seem to be a thing of the past in our household (knock on wood), active mornings are now an everyday certainty. Generally beginning about 5:45 AM, the sounds of an active little conversationalist take over the airwaves and slowly encourage Brecken and I to get on with our day. Seriously, there are mornings now when he will chatter for 30-45 minutes before hinting at a cry. Unlike mornings past in which slow awakenings and lounging were commonplace, Owen is now itching to get on with his play time. Here is a picture shortly after his wake-up this morning.


Of course, Owen also wants you to notice his two big teeth (might have to look closely online). Here is another quick shot of Owen after joining the two of us upstairs.


After finishing his breakfast (apples & apricots today), Owen is ready to get back to the playroom. Here he is in a moment of intense concentration.
...and here he is realizing that the camera is in the room.
The little guy really likes to work for the camera. The other thing you will notice is Owen's affinity for standing up. He is yet to feel comfortable enough to work his way around the little table or along the couch, but he definitely likes being upright. In fact, once he realized that we were hiding the TV remote controls on top of the cushions, he has been hard to keep down.

BTW: Kudos to spirit shop Aunt Maureen for the "East" attire.

It's good to be a Dad!

First, happy father's day wishes to Grandpa L, Grandpa C, and Great-Grandpa C, as well as all of the other dads out there.

My first Father's Day, and we made the most of it. With a little guy like this, it's easy to be a proud dad.

Owen, Brecken and I started off the morning with brunch at Ann Sather before heading over to Wrigley for the final game of the Tigers vs. Cubs weekend series. We were curious to see how Owen would do during his second game. Thankfully, without the scorching heat or the rowdy bleacher bums, he really enjoyed his afternoon at the ballpark.

Sitting in the second row, between the Tigers dugout and bullpen, we had great seats, making this an even more memorable first Father's Day.

Capping off the day, Brecken made a great dinner and showed off her newly acquired cake decorating skills...

Thanks Owen! Thanks Brecken! It really is good to be a dad!

Reunited - Tigers vs. Cubs!

From the time tickets went on sale in February, this weekend has been marked on the social calendar.

Tigers....Cubs....Wrigley Field!

For the past three days, Tigers fans took over Wrigley, helping the boys from Detroit sweep away the Cubs in three rather lopsided contests.

The weekend and the arrival of the Tigers was a great excuse for getting together with the ol' Michigan crew. Mike, Mark, Andy, Erika, and I enjoyed our view from the bleachers on Saturday afternoon.

Jeff came into town on Friday, but was unable to stay for the weekend (Limo Driver...MOVE THAT LIMO!). It was a tiring couple of days, but as always, it was great reuniting with great friends!

E I.....E I.....Owen meets Eli!

Over the weekend, Brecken and I welcomed Sarah and Michael into town. This trip was extra special, however, as it was the first chance for Owen to meet his 3+ month old counterpart in crime, Eli.

Eli wowed us with his joie de vivre, complete with grunts, smiles, and a lot of chatter.... a spitting, or should I say drooling, image of his father.

We had a lot of fun hanging out with the kids and watching them interact.

A great weekend for everyone.

Safe travels home Eli! Bring your parents back again sometime soon.

School's Out For Summer!

On Thursday morning, after a lot of procrastination and a week of very little sleep, I turned in my last two papers for the year.

It is hard to say who was actually happier about this first year milestone.
Bring on summer vacation! Or at least bring on no homework, no cases, and no lecture until September. The actual vacation only lasts a few days, as I start work for GE Healthcare Financial Services on Monday. More on that later. Cheers!

TOOTH!

We knew it was only a matter of time, but the amazing bout of fussiness today confirmed the arrival of Owen's first tooth. Big moments in life! It appears the second tooth is not far behind.

Confirmation

Along with the 100 year celebration of St. Clement's church and with Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, presiding, Brecken was confirmed in the Catholic Church today.

Owen, Brecken, cousin Jaime, and I enjoyed a nice outdoor brunch following the service.

In the photo, Owen is caught looking for Amazing Grace in the bag. Thanks for the gift Miss C.

Red Wings? No! Pistons? No! Tigers? ...hmmm

A friend in Detroit mentioned earlier this week that about a month ago the city wasn't debating whether the Red Wings or the Pistons would win, but whether the championship parades would be held on the same day. So much for that idea.

With the Pistons dropping game 6 in Miami this evening, all attention turns to the those frisky Tigers.

Can the Tigers follow in the footsteps of the '05 White Sox and maintain this level of play for the next few months? It's hard to say, but for those of who learned the game watching the likes of Trammell, Whitaker, Parrish, Gibson, and Morris (ah heck...toss in Chet Lemon too), it has been a long time.

Well....a Detroit "long time" means nothing here on the Chicago north side, but you get the idea. For those worried about Owen's loyalties...we'll just agree to disagree that he has a National League and an American League favorite for now. At the game in two weeks, he'll be wearing both logos proudly.