Na Zdraví!

Everyday livin'

2010-06-26T08:55:00.003-04:00

At the playground:
In the sandbox:
Eating snacks (her favorite pskoty) at Letna, a park that overlooks Prague

Walking with Mama across Charles Bridge (and having a very nice German couple take our picture)

Making sure Daddy doesn't do as much work as he wants to at the cafe across from our flat:

Taking a rest on Charles Bridge to watch the Vltava River:

Immediately after I took this picture, I saw a statue of a lion and said, "Ellie, look at the lion!" She replied, "Grrrrrrrr." Her new favorite sound;

World Cup 2010: The Beautiful Game in a Beautiful City

2010-06-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

The last time we were in Prague, the end of our trip coincided with the European Cup soccer championships. All throughout the city, jumbotrons were set up and crowds of people gathered around to watch the action. Of course, the Czech Republic participated in the Euro Cup, but didn't manage to qualify for this year's World Cup in South Africa. So, we wondered how big a deal the tournament would be. Luckily for us, Prague set up Old Town Square with concession stands and a giant screen, so we've been down to watch a few of the matches. Best fans so far: South Korea. They had a drum, a vuvuzela, and thunder sticks, plus some highly organized chants. We saw them score against Uruguay, and I swear you would have thought the Czechs were playing...

Ellie has been watching soccer just about since she was born, talking with Dad about the relative merits of the 4-4-2 vs. the trendy 4-2-3-1, the advantages of attacking outside backs, and the role of the holding midfielder - you know, the basics. Actually, all she really knows is how to celebrate when the announcer, Mom, and Dad yell "GGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!" This particular celebratory moment came after the first American score against Slovenia.

Despite the Americans' loss in the round of 16, the World Cup has provided a bunch of fond memories in our favorite city. Ellie is already lobbying for a trip to Brazil for the tournament in 2014, but she might just have to settle for Old Town Square and the big screen TV...

Ellie's First Birthday - Šťastné Narozeniny!

2010-06-17T14:33:00.010-04:00

It's amazing to think that one year ago, Ellie Maria Haberkern came into the world at 4:48 p.m. Incredible.
So to celebrate this very important day, we spent it as a family, just the three of us. We started the day like every other - playing with Ellie's favorite morning time toy, Snugglepuppy. (We didn't name him, Sandra Boynton did.) She started asking for "Pup" in the morning. I guess she was bound to shorten his name!

At breakfast, she got a few of her favorite Czech snacks, pškoty. They are similar to Nilla wafers, but less sweet. She thinks these are the greatest EVER. The picture below is her typical, joyous reaction to pškoty:

Then it was time for cards and presents. The cards were just as exciting as the presents, and she loved opening Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Katherine's very sweet birthday card. Let's just say that she was covered in glitter by the end of "opening" the card.

Of course we had to get her a few Czech toys to commemorate her first birthday in Prague.

There is a Czech cartoon from the 1940's called Krtek, the Little Mole. We got her a book, Krtek a kamaradi and matching animal flashcards. Both the book and the cards have all the animals in Czech and English. The illustrations are cute, and the Czech names for the animals are, ummm, challenging? (Personal favs include squirrel = veverka, bear = medved) Most importantly, Ellie really likes them and has particularly enjoyed the flashcards.

With all this newfound animal-related Czech, we headed to the Praha Zoo! It was a beautiful day, and the zoo was a 40 minute walk across Stromovka Park. Ellie loved the polar bears who were performing for the crowd, and the monkeys.

After lunch at the zoo and a solid afternoon nap, more present awaited the birthday girl! Padrino sent a very special Ellie-phant onesie for his ahijada (goddaughter). Thank goodness the Czech Posta delivered it with impressive timing. Thank you, Padrino, we love you!

Our last stop of the day was to a special birthday dinner. Ellie wanted to get in on the celebrating with some Pilsner Urquell, but really just enjoyed chewing on the glass.

Since Ellie is a great eater, we think the highlight of her day was the pizza she wolfed down. Our girl really likes food of all kinds, but her mushroom, spinach, and egg pizza seemed to say "Happy Birthday Ellie!" Czech style:)

We took a last few pictures at the park before heading home. We read On The Day You Were Born, (mama's personal favorite) before putting an exhausted Ellie to sleep. It was a day to remember the miracle that came into our lives a year ago and to celebrate all that is to come.

At Home on Jana Zajice

2010-06-13T14:08:00.004-04:00

That's the name of our street here in Prague. We have been thrilled with the location of the place we rented. It is close to great transportation, parks, and beer gardens. What more could you need? The only surprise we discovered when we arrived is a ton of construction in the surrounding neighborhood. Prague is building a new tunnel through Letna, the large hill that this part of the city sits on. So almost everyday, we experience a small explosion that lasts about 1-3 seconds. Thank goodness friends warned us about it. Otherwise, we might have thought we lived on a fault line!

Here are a few pictures from home/at home:

The view to the west from our front windows. Sparta Praha Stadium in the foreground with Saint Vitus lit up at night.

"Daddy, up!"

The sole purpose of blocks on the table is to knock them down and hear the big bang when they hit the floor.

Ellie spends a lot of time in the corner of the living room "reading books". We've started calling it Ellie's Corner. She takes down every book on the shelf and flips through it, no matter what it is. From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the Frommer's Guide to Prague...she loves books (and apparently guidebooks;)

Have Fun Storming the Castle

2010-06-12T13:58:00.002-04:00

Ellie's first trip to Prauge wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Hradcany, or the Castle. On a hill above the city, Saint Vitus Cathedral looms large as one of Prague's most iconic images. (Although the most popular, it is one of my favorites.) Unfortunately, June is high tourist season for Prague, so even early on a Saturday morning, there was a long line to get into St. Vitus. While we are sure Ellie would have loved looking at the immense stain glass windows, silver tomb of St. John of Nepomuc, ornate alter, etc., she seemed just as happy to play outside with us:

We walked around to a beautiful and newly landscaped overlook that was inexplicably deserted and had a picnic lunch. (How we found our own corner of Hradcany with no tourists, I'll never know.) We were having such a lovely afternoon that we attempted to commemorate the event with a family photo with the self-timer. As you can see below, Ellie was too busy playing with Phil's phone to look at the camera. I think she was saying, "You want me to sit still? I'll show you sitting still..."

Mosaic House Opening, Date Night!

2010-06-11T19:11:00.003-04:00

Our friends, Chris and Laura, have just opened an amazing hotel and hostel called Mosaic House. This project has been in the works for years and our trip just so happened to coincide with the opening, in time for the World Cup! So on Friday night, we had a friend watch Ellie and we went out with Phil and Shanna and a few others for dinner to see the place. It is nothing short of incredible, a huge success for our friends. Congrats, guys!

If anyone is planning to visit Prague, Mosaic House is the place to stay...

Balloons: Ellie's international language of happiness

2010-06-11T07:35:00.001-04:00

The Billa, our neighborhood grocery store, isn't always known for the friendliest service. But on our second trip to Billa, Ellie was offered a big yellow "balonek" by the otherwise stern cashier. Smiles and "dekuju" ensued (from Ellie and me, respectively) and the language barriers were broken. The balonek has produced hours of fun at home:

One of the many reasons...

2010-06-05T14:28:00.004-04:00

we love Praha: a ten minute walk from our flat to a playground +
a beer garden +
crazy views of the city =

wonder and joy!

We really do spend a lot of time here;)

"Stand in the place where you live"

2010-06-05T07:55:00.003-04:00

Ellie is on the move these days - she's crawling all over the place and just the other day started to stand on her own. Phil was sitting in a chair, she pulled herself up on his knee and just let go! It was very funny to see her concentrating on standing up while trying to decide if it was fun or scary. Hilarious! Practicing standing has become one of her new pastimes. Here is a picture I snapped while visiting our friends Laura and Chris. Their sweet boys, Owen and Elliot, were sharing Ellie's snack when Ellie managed to steady herself with no hands!

Phil is also teaching Ellie to lift her arms up in response to not just "How big is Ellie?" but also when he says "Goal!", since we will be watching a lot of the World Cup, and to get ready for the upcoming NFL season:

How big is Ellie?

2010-06-04T07:52:00.000-04:00

After getting over our jet lag, we spent the first few days exploring the parks around our flat with Ellie. We are staying in Prague 6, a very residential area with two gorgeous parks within minutes of our door. The weather got sunny and warm and lifted our spirits immediately! Ellie loves the game "How big is Ellie? SO BIG!" and raises her arms up over her head, just to let us know that she really is getting bigger everyday. So for her first pictures in Prague, she decided to show off her new trick...

Putting the passport to good use

2010-06-01T07:52:00.002-04:00

Our bags were packed, we double and triple checked everything, and after much anticipation, drove to JFK to fly to Prague for the month. Phil has a conference and some research to do in Prague, we decided to make an extended trip out of it and show Ellie one of our favorite cities. I had a bit of apprehension about the overnight 8+ hour flight from New York to Prague. Let's just stay I tried not to think about it too much. Phil and I always say to each other that we ask a lot of our 11 month old daughter, but she (almost always) rises to the occasion. And on the flight, she did just that. She did fine in the airport, and we were lucky to get the bulkhead seat with no one sitting in our third seat. She played, read, ate, and generally kept us and some of the people around us smiling for awhile. (Not everyone, but hey, what are you going to do?) A few hours into the flight, she got tired and cried on and off for a bit. Here is her "less than happy" face.

We tried to put her down in her bassinet (a very cool contraption that hooks into the wall for babies to sleep in). But at that point, she was having none of it.

Eventually, she got tired enough to fall asleep in my arms and slept for 5 hours. In the bassinet, all you could see was her little butt sticking up in the air;) She even managed to stay asleep through landing.

Our friend Laura was kind enough to pick us up so we had a friendly face waiting to greet us at baggage claim. That made a huge difference in our happiness, thanks so much, Laura! She took us to the flat we rented, and we got settled in. It was 60 degrees and raining when we arrived, a perfect day to hunker down and get over our jet lag. With only a short excursion out for dinner supplies, we kept it very low key that day. The flat we rented came "baby ready" with a crib, high chair, and changing table, all things that made our life much easier upon arrival. It is a lovely place with lots of open space for our little crawler to explore. But after the overnight flight, Ellie was very tired so exploration really had to wait for a day or so. She slept for her usual naps and then for 14 hours that night! All in all, it was a blissfully uneventful day of international travel with Ellie...and that is all we were hoping for.

Shhhh! It's a secret

2010-05-30T09:23:00.000-04:00

"My Uncle Jonathan sent me this very special Fed Ex package because I'm so good at keeping secrets. I'm in charge of keeping the sparkly ring inside the box a secret from his girlfriend, Katherine. That's why he sent it to my house instead of his own. I'm going to give it to him to give to her this weekend. I'm so happy she's going to be my aunt!"

p.s. Katherine said yes! I'm so glad I could help out Uncle Jonathan with his big surprise:)

Hello, World

2010-05-29T21:38:00.010-04:00

Dear World,

Usually, I let my mom write these posts. She does a very, very good job, so I've let it go this long. Things, however, have changed. Let me be specific:

1) I have now spoken three words (more or less); I say "hi" when greeting people, I know that dogs say "woof," and I know that things I like are "yum." I also taunt Phillip and Danielle (which is what I call them in my head) by occasionally, tantalizingly saying "Mama" and "Dada" while looking at them. Their reactions are priceless.

2) I am mobile, and I can pull myself up to a standing position. I have also climbed stairs (under adult supervision). Realistically, the sky is now the limit. I have heard on good authority that world domination is one step past crawling.

2a) I am also international. Yes, I have a passport, so I can go anywhere I want (like Prague). I think the picture could be a little more flattering, but it will do. So, be prepared to see me jet-setting in Cannes, Dubai, and Monaco soon.

3) I love to read. Rather, I turn the pages of my books at my own pace, or I stop and deconstruct images as I please. I have also learned to express my pleasure (or lack thereof) at what I am reading. Clapping especially seems to excite Phillip and Danielle, so I use it as a means of ensuring that they continue to feed me avocado, chicken, and fresh fruit.

Based on my research into this matter, I believe that literacy, mobility, and eloquence are the essential characteristics of adulthood. So, I am very happy to finally introduce myself to you all, and I hope you continue to stay abreast of my comings and goings.

With love,

Ellie Maria

Princeton Reunions

2010-05-29T07:26:00.003-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, Princeton hosted its annual Reunions weekend. Campus has been getting ready for this and graduation for weeks, and we have been told that this spectacle is not to be missed. On Saturday morning, we took Ellie out for a stroll around campus.

Princeton was swarming with an estimated 20,000 people all decked out in orange. Bright orange. Being former Charlottesville dwellers, we understand the love of orange. So for Ellie to unite her love of her birthplace and her current town, she proudly wore her Virginia shirt all day (thanks, Thad!) Of course, we had to get a few pictures of Ellie on one of the Princeton tigers:

Ellie particularly liked the Princeton band, a uniquely quirky subset of the Princeton undergrad population. Marching bands are big fun when you are 11 months old...

"We're number one! We're number one!" (a new chant Phil is teaching Ellie;)

Four Generations - Something to Clap About

2010-05-18T08:17:00.004-04:00

I've said before how lucky Ellie is to have great-grandmothers on both sides of Phil's family. (The longevity on the Haberkern and Whiting sides of the family is truly astounding.) We never pass up an opportunity to have visitors, so Grandma Connie and Great-Grandma Dot came to see us at the beginning of their trip to North Carolina. The weather wasn't very cooperative for Great-Grandma Dot's first trip to Princeton, so we ended up visiting the Princeton Art Museum instead of the previously scheduled outdoor activities. Ellie seemed to enjoy the museum, or at least being carried around for an hour.

Recently, Ellie learned that she could clap (loud noise using just your two hands...whoa! Please refer to the video below for her first claps caught on video) After a few photos of Ellie and the four generations, she decided she'd had enough with the pictures - more clapping!

The Times They Are A Changin'

2010-05-08T07:49:00.005-04:00

Melissa and Julie, my college roommates from UNC, are dear friends of mine. These women have been with me through all of the ups and downs. Four babies later, we are all mothers and decided to celebrate Mother's day weekend together in Princeton. Six adults, one three year old, and three babies under the age of 1 under one roof for four days = big fun!

The little ones;)

The little ones + big brother

Growling atop the Princeton Tiger

Enjoying the sunshine

Learning to share toys

A little time outside with the babies

Still laughing after all these years!

Swimmin'

2010-05-03T07:37:00.001-04:00

Ellie has always loved bath time, so I was really hoping that she would continue to love the water and enjoy the pool. Every Thursday morning, we go to swim class at the Y. She LOVES it. The teacher is wonderful and is very purposeful in using the time to teach swim skills while making everything a game. Ellie is the only girl amidst 7 other little guys which seems to be par for the course these days (many of her friends are boys). It is a very sweet time for Ellie and me to have together every week. I think I like it almost as much as she does!

Learning to blow bubbles - Ellie usually tries to lap at the water and drink it instead, but one of these days she'll get the hang of it.

Learning to "reach and pull" with her arms

Mama and Ellie

After swim class is over, it's time to play at home!

Babies, Toddlers, and Godparents Rule

2010-05-01T08:46:00.003-04:00

This weekend we went to DC to co-host a baby shower for our friends Mike and Rebecca at the Scotts. While we anxiously await the arrival of baby boy "Acorn" Schaefer, we celebrated with friends, BBQ, and lots of presents. Both Ellie and Ema (the coolest two year old that Ellie knows) can't wait to have another little one around. Acorn won't even know what to do with himself with two girls trying to show him ropes of being a baby and then a toddler;) And of course, her favorite padrino was there for the weekend, too. Both Ema and Ellie love their padrino and hang on every word he says:

Playing in the sandbox is so much fun for Ellie these days. All the playgrounds we go to in Princeton have one, but Ema's was way cooler!

Ema also read to Ellie, pointing out the words in Spanish and English. Thank goodness someone is going to teach Ellie Spanish!

With the azaleas in full bloom, padrino posed with his goddaughters. Happy times!

And a visit to DC wouldn't be complete without seeing Ellie's godmother, Julie. She loves Aunt Julie and Uncle Eric, and particularly loved reading with her. Ellie chose the challenging book "10 minutes til bedtime," which has no words. Aunt Julie is such a good storyteller!

Home Alone

2010-04-23T08:50:00.003-04:00

Who wouldn't trust this baby to be left in Princeton without Mom and Dad? :) Ellie told us she was ready for a week with us because she wanted a visit with her grandparents all to herself. Nannie, Gung, and Grandma came to Princeton and stayed with Ellie while Phil and I went to Europe. Phil had a conference in Croatia, and we added on a few more days in Slovenia. Ellie loved every minute of her special week with three people who adore her (and spoil her rotten!)

Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Katherine came for a few days to help out. Uncle Jonathan was extra good at spoiling Ellie with her favorite snacks: Mum-Mum rice crackers. Delicious!

Grandma Connie went to swim class with Ellie - this is one of her favorite weekly activities! She loves the water and is starting to learn the basics of blowing bubbles, reaching her arms out in the water, and kicking.

The Waldrons came to visit one day so Ellie could spend time with her Great Aunt Catherine, Great Uncle Pat, and Great Aunt Judy.

Kisses for Grandma Connie all the time!

Gung is BIG fun on the playmat. They like to growl together;)

A very special thank you to Nannie for all the countless hours holding Ellie, singing to her, and playing. You are the best! Phil and I enjoyed our vacation more than we ever thought possible because we knew Ellie was so happy at home with her three grandparents. Thank you for everything!

Lost on Campus

2010-04-14T20:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:12:00.010-04:00

Ellie's first Easter was a glorious day in Princeton - 70's and sunny with blue skies, just perfect! We went to church together and spent the day with Nannie and Gung. The highlight of Ellie's day was her first taste of lamb for dinner (she loved it, as she loves almost all food so far). A quiet day at home with family was just what we needed.

Nannie and Gung brought Ellie a new baby lamb stuffed animal...and she wanted to share it with Daddy, too!

Omnivore's Dilemma

2010-03-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

Ellie finally met a food she didn't like: curried butternut squash. At nine months old, she's a non-discriminating omnivore: most food is delicious or at least palatable. (I guess this is sort of like me;) But not this time. I thought that the spices in this squash might be a little bit of a stretch, and I was right. Her facial expressions were so out of the ordinary for her that I had to capture them on camera. I guess it's a little underhanded of me to purposely give her a few more bites of something she didn't like, but hey, you gotta find laughs where you can...

Great-Grandma Tota visits Princeton

2010-03-20T21:10:00.003-04:00

Phil's paternal grandma, Carlota, just celebrated her 93rd birthday and is one of the most incredible women I have ever met. She flew up to see us from North Carolina to spend some time with her first great-granddaughter.

She spent a couple of days in Long Island with her son and his family, and we spent Saturday with the Manhasset Haberkerns. Ellie is lucky enough to have two wonderful cousins, Nathaniel and India (who is only a few months older, but a lot more mobile than Ellie;) It was particularly fun to see them together, not just for Grandma To but for us, too!

Nathaniel and Ellie - he was being very sweet and sharing some of India's toys with Ellie

India cruising all around

Ellie and India hanging on the lawn

We brought Grandma To back to Princeton after our visit to LI. It was fun for all of us to spend time together eating breakfast and relaxing at home.

On Sunday, my parents came down for the day and we all had brunch together. We spent the afternoon walking around Princeton and basking in the glorious spring day - 70's and sunny was a welcome change in central Jerz! Grandma To remembered Princeton fondly after visiting years ago and we were happy that we could continue creating happy memories.

The best wakeup ever

2010-03-19T20:46:00.002-04:00

Almost everyday when Ellie wakes up from her afternoon nap, she plays peekaboo with her blanket. She covers her eyes and then pulls the blanket down so you can see her face. She thinks she's hilarious and I can't lie, I agree...

When Mexichirish eyes are smiling

2010-03-17T20:55:00.004-04:00

For Ellie's first Saint Patrick's Day, Nannie and Gung celebrated by coming for their weekly visit decked out in green and bearing gifts of balloons. Ellie has fallen in love with balloons, and Gung bought her bright green ones for this special day. Yay for being a proud 1/4 Irish!

Ellie was given a beautiful green dress by her little friend Nora (thanks Matt and Crissie!). It was perfect for St. Patrick's Day and we had a little photo session with Nannie.

A whole day playing with Nannie and Gung, watching the parade on TV, singing Irish songs, ending with Gung's corned beef and cabbage (Ellie was unsure about this as an important part of her culinary repertoire)...what a way to celebrate.

"This is my new friend Wyatt..."

2010-02-22T14:11:00.013-05:00

One of my dearest friends in the world, Melissa, came to visit with her husband Hayden and their gorgeous son Wyatt. We were also supposed to have the Hammers visiting as well, but sadly another snow storm closed Newark Airport, BOO! We missed having the Hammers join in the fun, but had a fantastic time being snowed in for a long weekend "staycation".

Wyatt "Big Man" Lindsay

Wyatt is just three weeks older than Ellie, and the two kids kept us laughing the entire weekend. It's amazing how much fun four adults and two kids can have with nothing much to do except sleep, eat, drink, and play around the house. Here they are saying hello to each other:

Neither Wyatt nor Ellie is mobile yet, so they spent the majority of their time together seated on the playmat surrounded by toys. Both of them loved playing with blocks, but each in their own way. Ellie would pick up a block, shake it up and down, maybe bite it...while Wyatt was a little less, gentle and a lot more interested in slamming and banging blocks. They certainly each had their own style of playing!

We did manage to get ourselves out of the house and walk around Princeton for a bit on Saturday when the snow let up. We had lunch at a local brewery got this picture of Mel, Hayden, and Wyatt. Thanks for coming, guys!

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!"

2010-02-19T13:56:00.005-05:00

...says Ellie with a high pitched shriek;)

We were lucky enough to celebrate Phil's day as a family with Grandma Connie. On Friday, we spent the afternoon walking around Princeton and had an early dinner out. On Saturday, we went to a local sculpture garden, Grounds for Sculpture, and strolled around in the snow. The highlight of the day was probably the live peacocks that have free range on the grounds. Ellie seemed intermittently intrigued by the birds, but was completely entranced by the fountains. She just loves running water! On Saturday night, Grandma graciously offered to babysit so Phil and I could go out alone. We had an exquisite dinner at a Elements and went to see a movie, too.

Throughout the weekend, Grandma helped Ellie do all kinds of things like playing with blocks, reading books, and of course practicing high fives! Thanks for visiting G'ma Connie!

Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

For Ellie's first Chinese New Year (and Valentine's Day), we celebrated by spending the weekend in NYC with my brother and his girlfriend, Katherine. Earlier in the week, our previously scheduled vacation to Colorado was canceled by yet another snowstorm. Undeterred by this disappointment, we packed ourselves up, and crashed my brother's apartment for two days. On Saturday, the four of us took Ellie to see some culture and went to the Museum of Modern Art. Phil carried Ellie all around MoMA, having very deep conversations about everything from Monet's waterlillies to Orozco's shoebox on the floor. I think she was intrigued by anything with bright colors, but Phil is convinced she has a very discerning eye for art.

On Sunday morning, we headed to Chinatown and ran into a parade. There were dragons dancing in the streets and drums beating all around us. Ellie seemed intrigued by the dragons and unperturbed by the drums.

Our favorite dim sum place was a mob scene, so we went to our family's favorite restaurant instead. The Dong family has been going to Hop Lee for as long as I can remember and the food was delicious as always.

Jonathan and Katherine with Ellie

Only one minor mishap at lunch: after taking this photo, Ellie proceeded to splash her hand into the plate of hot sauce in front of her. Katherine saved the day by swooping in, moving the plate, and grabbing Ellie's hand before she could smear it on her face. Good save, K!

This last video was made especially for Gung: Ellie's first tofu, broccoli, and rice!

Snowpocalypse 2010: Hangin' in DC

2010-01-29T19:50:00.003-05:00

Was it Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon? We've had so many 12+ inch snowfalls this year it is hard to keep track...but we spent the last weekend of January at Julie and Eric new abode in Great Falls, VA. Using a genetic counseling conference as an excuse, we had grad school reunion as Tricia, her husband Kevin, and Sarah all flew in to DC. On Friday while all the ladies were at the conference, Ellie spent the day with Dad and Uncle Eric.

She did fun things like walk around the lake at the house...

and visited the Air and Space Museum! I'm sure Uncle Eric spent lots of time telling Ellie all about the planes;)

We spent the rest of the weekend snowed in at Julie and Eric's. On Saturday, we ventured out of the house to walk to the waterfalls. Even bundled up in the cold, Ellie loved the walk in the snow. It tuckered her out enough that she fell asleep in the Bjorn for the first time in months right after we took this photo.

Ellie loves being part of the party - this photo is just too funny as she looks like she's part of the conversation with her godmother Julie and me! Ellie really is just one of the girls;)

Before heading back to Princeton on Sunday, we had brunch at JC and Marcela's with Padrino who was visiting from Charlottesville and Mike and Rebecca, too! Sadly, I forgot to take any photos at brunch, but it was a wonderful ending to a very snowy weekend in DC.

Back to Merrimac

2010-01-23T19:46:00.002-05:00

We took a quick trip up to Merrimac to visit Grandma Connie and had too much fun with all the Whitings! It was just a few days, but we were so happy to drive up for the weekend.

One of the highlights was having lunch out with everyone at Michael's Harborside. Ellie got to test out her new chair and Grandma kept her amused all through the meal.

Ellie loved hanging out with all the Joneses and Whitings!

And Great-Grandma Dot keeps Ellie cheering: Yay for family visits!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2010-01-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

Two of my new favorite pictures of Ellie - she's squealing with excitement for nothing in particular...

Running with Ellie

2010-01-20T10:19:00.005-05:00

Ellie and I often go running on the D & R Canal together. There is an entrance to this 30+ mile canal and trail 0.5 miles from our house (one of the biggest bonuses of living in our neighborhood). This is often a regular part of the day, nothing too out of the ordinary. On our run yesterday, we has an especially "warm" January day in the 40's. Much more pleasant than the brutal 15 degrees of a few weeks ago. When she was younger, she would inevitably fall asleep, but now, at 7 months, she is often interested in the sights and sounds around her. I found myself running along, listening to Ellie babble away to herself, "Ma-ma-ma-ha-ha-ha". It struck me as an unbelievably sweet moment: me and my daughter, alone in the woods, running along on a Tuesday afternoon. It made me stop and appreciate the little moments I get to share with her these days. She brings a unique kind of joy to the day with her little voice than I ever could have imagined. About 20 minutes into our run, she stopped babbling. I looked in on her and she was asleep. I have also learned to appreciate the quiet of her sleep, too;) Awake or asleep, she is joy.

Padrino's house: our home away from home

2010-01-10T20:30:00.014-05:00

Phil went to a conference in San Diego for four days, so Ellie and I decided to go "home" to Charlottesville for a visit;) We were missing living in the same town as Steve, Dawkins, and Rugby, but we were so happy to see them and had as much fun as we usually do. We were also lucky enough to convince JC, Marcela, and Ema to visit from DC for the weekend. The days flew by as usual between hanging out at home, walks on the trail, and lots of cooking when the babies were asleep. Five adults, two babies, and four dogs = big fun!

Rugby was kind enough to let Ellie share his bed. She is sitting up, but still needs a little extra cushioning to brace her when she wobbles and eventually topples!

On the Rivanna Trail, Ema loved throwing stones into the creek. Ellie watched intently, hoping to learn a thing or two from her godsister;)

Ellie couldn't stop waving her arms and legs in excitement while out on the snowy trail.

Ellie and Ema amidst the stuffed animal wreckage left by Dawkins, Rugby, Wally, and Archie.

Ellie's first cartwheels: it's good to have a godfather who is a professional spotter!

Just before leaving Cville, we had to snap a photo of Padrino and his two goddaughters.

Adventures in consumption

2010-01-04T22:17:00.005-05:00

Let's be clear: in many important, lovely, wonderful ways, Ellie is truly Danielle's daughter. First: they're both devastatingly good looking (yes, this is Phil writing). Second: they both sleep like champs. And third: they both love to eat and drink. One of the unexpected pleasures of watching Ellie grow up so far has been teaching her to eat solid foods and to handle the sippy cup. Both have had mixed results (although Ellie, like mom and padrino, loves her veggies), but both have been thoroughly entertaining. So without further adieu, we introduce Ellie's adventures in learning to use her cup...

Welcoming the new year

2010-01-01T20:41:00.001-05:00

We rung in 2010 by spending it with dear friends, both old and new. Our UNC friends have been getting together for over 10 years for New Years, and this year, we hosted the big event in Princeton. There were eleven of us from our Chapel Hill days, Boston days, and beyond (those of you who weren't here were missed!) and a few new friends from Princeton. With an abundance of food, drink, and celebration, we began the 2010 with people we love.

The wonder on Ellie's face says it all: "Happy New Year!"

Tia Tia arrived all the way from London with delicious gifts of wrapping paper for Ellie;)

Ellie and her new friend Isabel, both eying the parrot early in the night.

By the time 2010 arrived, I insisted on a photo: what's a group photo without a picture of RPatts and a cookie monster hat, courtesy of our gag gift exchange?

Happy New Year! We love you guys!

All dressed up

2009-12-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

...for mama's birthday! Ellie was too cute while showing off her newly acquired skill of sitting up - I couldn't resist snapping a picture of her on my birthday. She's the best present ever!

Over the river and through the woods to Grandma Connie's we go!

2009-12-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

"I LOVE CHRISTMAS!"
- Ellie Maria Haberkern

We were so lucky to be able to spend five days in Merrimac, MA with Grandma Connie and all the Whiting clan for Ellie's first Christmas. The weather was appropriately New England, a balmy 20 degrees and snowing, and we were dreaming of a white Christmas.

Ellie helped Grandma Connie trim her tree one of the first nights we arrived. Ellie loved all the angels that adorn the tree, but was particularly intrigued by the Moravian stars, too. (Her Dad was fairly excited that E gravitated towards the stars:)

We spent Christmas Eve at Aunt Debbie's house with the Whitings and Joneses. Thank goodness Aunt Debbie and cousin Stacey had festive headgear to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Great-Grandma Dot was instrumental in Ellie's happiness by introducing her to balloons. Ellie was beyond perplexed and amused.

It was a fun night, but totally exhausting.

On Christmas morning, Ellie awoke and seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the excitement.

There was so much fun to experience from the paper to the tissue paper to the boxes...and oh yes, the presents!

After a long nap, Ellie was ready to keep the party going. We had eleven members of the Whiting family for dinner on Christmas at Grandma Connie's house. There was lots of food, drinking, and merrriment - a typical Whiting holiday! We are blessed to be surrounded with so much love on Ellie's first Christmas.

The stockings were hung by the chimmney with care...

2009-12-22T13:37:00.001-05:00

...in the hopes that Ellie would enjoy her first Christmas season!

December was full of lots of celebrating with a few pre-Christmas highlights:

A visit from Ethan (and Denyce and Joe). We can't wait until they move to Princeton in 2010.

Ellie's new favorite activity: eating solid food! Favs include butternut squash, oatmeal, string beans, and parsnips. She is still quite dubious about cauliflower and surprisingly, apples.

Celebrating Nannie's birthday! Nannie and Gung usually come once a week to spend the day with Ellie. We turned this visit into a special one by going out to an early dinner and coming home to chocolate cake and champagne .

Lots of lazy lounging around at home

Christmas tree decorating and college basketball season - Go Heels!

We can't wait for Christmas...

Winter Wallop

2009-12-20T21:15:00.001-05:00

When the Jersey weather said to expect a "winter wallop", we never expected so much for Ellie's first snow - a solid 14 inches! Our friends, Brooke and Dustin, got snowed in with us on Saturday and by Sunday morning, we were able to take Ellie out to enjoy the great outdoors! I think she didn't know what to do with her Dad plopping her down in the cold, but hey, she was pretty cute (red nose and all!)

Fauxhawks and other new looks

2009-10-16T16:02:00.003-04:00

Ellie + Playmat = Heaven

2009-09-25T21:24:00.002-04:00

The pure, unadulterated joy that Ellie derives from time on her playmat is just incredible. It is so much fun to watch. Here are few photos that speak for themselves:

Autumn Comes to New Jersey

2009-09-20T20:52:00.000-04:00

Among the many unexpected pleasures of living in Princeton is the simple fact that we live very close to NYC, and that our little college town serves as an idyllic getaway for city slickers of all types. What that means is that our New York friends feel free to come out and stay for a day (or, if we're lucky, a weekend) in order to enjoy the delights of "country" (i.e. suburban) living. In Princeton, those delights include a) Bent Spoon ice cream, b) Jersey fresh corn and tomatoes, and c) Terhune Orchards. A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed two of these three wonders with our friends Dave, Sarah, Will, and Elizabeth, who journeyed from exotic Brooklyn to see us. This was the first time Will and Elizabeth got to meet Ellie, but another reason for the visit was a trip to Terhune for the kick-off weekend for apple picking!

Sarah, Danielle, Ellie, and Elizabeth Pose:

We have a long history of apple picking, reaching back to our days in Boston and extending through our time in C'ville, where Carter Mountain Orchards make the world's greatest apple cider donuts. So, on a wonderful fall afternoon we all headed out to pick apples, eat apples and donuts, and generally enjoy a beautiful day. Terhune was PACKED - we were not the only ones searching for fall deliciousness and the sweet polka stylings of the resident band. We still managed to find some apples, though, as well as other treats:

Will revels in nature's bounty -

Dave literally sings the praises of caramel apples -

We're very, very happy that Ellie got to meet some more members of her extended family of friends, and are also super excited that she is learning to appreciate fine foods. We also promise that she had a blast (no matter what this picture shows!!!) -

Maybe these are more like it! Ellie really loved picking apples, and had almost as much fun as Mom:

Catch Tiger Fever

2009-09-19T22:18:00.000-04:00

On a sunny September day, what could be better than family, fun, and football! My brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Katherine spent the day with us in Princeton and we took Ellie to her first football game. It was a perfect day for lots of time outside, walking around campus, and a visit to Palmer Stadium.

Ellie woke up excited for the day! She couldn't wait to see Uncle Jonathan and Katherine.

On the way to the game, Ellie thought it was a good idea to chew on Uncle Jonathan's thumb. Good thing he loves her so much...

Jonathan and Katherine on campus on the way to the stadium

At the game, it wasn't exactly the same atmosphere of an ACC game, but we cheered for the Tigers nonetheless. Ellie was in the Bjorn and seemed to be having fun...

...but we know who Ellie is really cheering for;)

Toys, Trips, and Teaching

2009-09-16T22:03:00.002-04:00

At 13 weeks, Ellie had a few fun things happening this week. She continues her interest in toys and is extremely amused by her playmat. She can lay on the mat and stare up at the colorful toys. She has a monkey, giraffe, turtle, and parrot. But her favorite, by far, is a butterfly that Great-grandma Dot gave her. Mariposa draws Ellie's attention no matter where she is on the mat. It is really great and she is starting to grab for her, too. It is hilarious when she is super excited and she kicks her legs like she is running. As first time parents, Phil and I think this is the height of humor these days!

Ellie and I also took a day trip to Hoboken to visit my friend Jodi, and her gorgeous baby, Brady. Brady is 4 weeks old and absolutely adorable. Brady was a tiny guy at birth, but is now growing well. Jodi and I laughed at the size difference between them right now:) We went out to lunch with the babies and spent a great day together. Ellie loves meeting new friends!

Princeton started its semester this week and Phil had his first classes. On his first day of teaching, I sent him a few pictures of Ellie to brighten his day. I'm not quite sure what she was trying to tell her Dad in this one, but it happens to be Phil's favorite.

"Cause I love that dirty water, Boston you (used to be) our home"

2009-09-12T21:02:00.005-04:00

Over the weekend, we took Ellie on her first trip to New England to meet the Whiting clan. Grandma Connie moved to her hometown of Merrimac, MA last fall and joined Great-grandma Dot and lots of other Whiting family members. Phil's cousin Mike got married this weekend, and it was the perfect time to spend a few days introducing Ellie to this side of her extended family. The weekend was non-stop fun from start to finish. We arrived on Wednesday (Ellie was an all-star on the 5 hour car ride!) and spend Thursday with family. We walked around Newburyport, a beautiful town on the water. Ellie particularly enjoyed our lunch as it gave her a chance to do some of her favorite things: 1. be outside 2. talk and most importantly 3. hang out with Grandma!

The next day Ellie got an entire afternoon with Grandma by herself! Phil and I picked up Steve from the airport and decided to go in to the city a few hours early to walk around Cambridge. I had not visited Boston and Cambridge since we moved away in 2002. We lived in Boston for two wonderful years right after college. All afternoon, memory after memory kept me smiling as we walked around and reminisced about that time in our life. It was a great way for Phil and I to get a little time to ourselves in a place we love, and for Grandma to have Ellie all to herself.

Phil at Widner Library (where he spent a LOT of time while at Divinity School!)

(

D drinking iced hot chocolate in Cambridge (a fav!)

Ellie is extremely blessed to have two great-grandmothers. Great-grandma Dot (aka Grandma Grandma) had been waiting to meet her and was pretty excited when we arrived. They spent lots of time together in the rocking chair and snuggling.

The Merrimac Whitings all realize that Ellie is a New York Giants fan (obviously), but still hold out hope that she may have a little love for the New England Patriots. Aunt Suzie decided one way to influence this was to buy Ellie a Tom Brady jersey. I mean, who doesn't love Tom Brady? Uncle Bob went so far as to make it an "authentic jersey" and managed to spill Bud Light all over it before giving it to her. But everyone knows that Ellie loves the Giants the most, and has her gameday onesie, a gift from her padrino Steve, that says "The Future Mrs. Eli Manning". Love it, love it, love it.

Aunt Debbie and Great-Grandma showing Ellie the Brady jersey. (I think she looks skeptical;)

The main event of the weekend was Mike and Rachel's wedding. It was tons of fun for everyone and I have to admit, at 13 weeks old, my daughter really likes parties. She was held by all her aunts, uncles, cousins and loved every minute of it. She danced her first dance with Daddy (Why do you build me up, buttercup baby), her first slow dance with padrino (I can't help falling in love with you), and rocked out with Mom to a little Justin Timberlake. I like that she's learning rhythm early;) She fell fast asleep for about two hours in the middle of the day with the party going on all around her. We all had a blast and Ellie really loves all the Whitings.

This last picture pretty much sums up how she felt at the end of the weekend...too much fun!

Greetings from Ellie

2009-09-07T22:19:00.003-04:00

Ellie had a few things to show off this week. She is quite the talker these days and spends every morning cooing and laughing. Her head control is also improving everyday as she gets stronger and stronger. Phil and I love hearing her voice and we try to listen intently to what she's saying...possibly the secrets to time and space?

She also began showing interest in the mobile above her swing and the mirror. We imagine her inner monologue goes something like this, "Who is that good looking baby up there? And why is she smiling at me? WOW! This is so amazing!"

Glamour Shots?! I don't need no stinking glamour shots

2009-08-30T20:55:00.004-04:00

...is essentially what Ellie was telling me. I tried to take a few pictures of her this morning and she was having NONE of it. This face really says it all.

Here are a few other faces caught on camera including:

"Who me?"

Just waking up from a nap after our morning walk. I understand, I feel the same way when I wake up, too.

Staring into the middle distance

And finally, a few photos from Sunday afternoon. Ellie was all dressed up for church and it was beautiful outside. I couldn't resist sitting her under the fig tree in the backyard and snapping away. At least she humored me for a few minutes and even managed to laugh at her mother.

New laughs and old friends

2009-08-23T19:48:00.005-04:00

It is hard to believe that Ellie has been with us for 9 weeks now. In that time so much has happened, and we are amazed by her everyday. I can't lie, this child has hundreds of photos taken on a weekly basis, but I understand that as her very biased Mom, that I am probably the only one who thinks each and every photo is necessary:) Here are (only) a few of Ellie at 9 weeks. She learned to sit in the Boppy pillow and more importantly, is starting to laugh! Her smiles and laughter keep us amused everyday...

In addition to Ellie's new skills, we had our first NJ visitors, some old friends: Edith came up from Baltimore and Tia arrived from London (en route to Hawaii) for the weekend. We were thrilled to have them as our first visitors to Princeton and to meet Ellie. On Sunday, Dave and Sarah joined us from Brooklyn and drove over to see us. Edith made incredible blintzes for the occasion topped with blackberries from the Farmer's Market. (Jersey produce, love it!) The seven of us then took Ellie on a stroll around Princeton's campus. The day was beautiful and a first visit for Edith, Dave, and Sarah. Having such good friends in our new home was a wonderful way to continue getting settled.

"Oh, I love this lady with the red hair!"

Tia Tia came to visit all the way from London

A mix of items from the weekend: Hungarian wine, chocolate biscuits, the baby monitor, and Ellie's Tarheel burp cloth

Outside the Princeton Chapel

Long Beach Island: Ellie's first trip down the shore

2009-08-14T09:43:00.001-04:00

Oh, Jersey. Where the hair is big, the shorts are denim, and the beach is miraculously transformed into...the shore. Our family was so worn down from moving that we immediately headed to Long Beach Island to get a little R & R with our extended family: D's aunt Katherine, cousin Patty, and Patty's sons Robert and Shawn (plus Hank and Ann for a couple of days). We've spent some wonderful weeks at LBI with this crew, and are super excited that it's so close now. A couple of days of sun, sand, and surf were just what we needed to relieve some stress.

This is a group that hadn't met Ellie yet, so needless to say we barely got to hold her for the three days we were at LBI. Katherine, Patty, and Ann were all very excited to keep Ellie safe and happy, so we happily spent some time on the beach. The newest member of the Waldron-Meyer clan was certainly a welcome addition at LBI!

So, one thing we learned was that Ellie loves the beach. While still a little young for the water, walking in the sand was a real favorite. She is always happy when she's outdoors, and she really seemed to enjoy the salt air (she tried to lick the salt residue from the Baby Bjorn). The beach also gave her a chance to accessorize (that hat is ridiculous, but we loved it) and to prove that she was her mother's daughter...

Nothing says Jersey shore quite like a highly questionable, but entirely enjoyable, amusement park. One night, Ellie's cousins Shawn and Robert decided to take her (with some adult supervision) to Fantasy Island. While they rode the pirate ship, the tea cups, and the tilt-a-whirl, Ellie had a pleasant nap and watched her father win her a prize. It took five bucks and ten rubber frogs (which he tried to catapult into lily pads) but the neon green tiger shark was well worth it. Of course, Robert (who is nine) immediately won a much larger, much nicer bear which he gave to Ellie, but Phil is not keeping score...

All things considered, this trip to the shore was a wonderful and educational journey for Ellie. She got to meet new people (who love her very much), see new things, and experience the sunny side of life. It seems like the Jersey shore isn't such a bad place after all.

The Big Move: Cville to Princeton

2009-08-08T08:53:00.003-04:00

After six years in our beloved Charlottesville, it was finally time for us to leave. We are so excited to being a new chapter in Princeton, but feel a great deal of sadness leaving our home. Cville has been a place that has brought us so much joy for so many reasons: we have family here, we have incredible friends, our professional and academic lives were fulfilling and successful...and we really loved the restaurants;) It was time to move on, but we will miss Cville. Our last week was quite hectic, but seemed a fitting end to our time. We had one of our dear friends, Rebecca, come and visit. She and her husband Mike lived here for the last few years before moving to DC. She got to meet Ellie (sadly, Mike had to work and didn't get to make the trip). Ellie was so happy in her arms that she promptly fell asleep!

On Wednesday, the movers came and packed everything up from our house. It was surreal to see the moving truck with our belongings. Oddly, getting movers made us feel just as grown up (or even more grown up) as having a baby...

We felt a little slap happy that day, part sleep deprivation, part exhaustion (physical and emotional). Here is the photographic evidence of our delirium. Isn't this the best way to pack Ellie's stuff? :)

After the truck was loaded, Phil drove up to NJ with the truck to supervise the unloading while Ellie and I moved in with Steve. Phil came back to Cville on Thursday night so the three of us could spend our last few days together with Steve, Dawkins, and Rugby. It was fitting to end our time in Cville with lots of time on the back deck with our family. Ellie loved living in the same town as her Padrino, even for just a few weeks of her life.

A typical afternoon: Ellie in repose and Phil working

Ellie trying to sit with Rugby

Big Brown (Dawkins)

Brunch the day we left on Steve's back deck: we know Ellie will love bacon as much as her Aunt Rachel!

After brunch, we said a difficult goodbye to Steve. Then Phil, Ellie, and I drove from Cville to Princeton in just about seven hours. Ellie was a very, very good baby and slept for almost five hours of the trip. It was pretty impressive. She had her moments of freaking out (crossing into Delaware; clearly she does not love tax free shopping or sports betting), but all in all, she did an incredible job. We arrived at around 8 p.m. - there were boxes everywhere, but we were home. And so we began the Princeton chapter of our life...

So much family, so little time (Southern edition)

2009-08-03T17:22:00.010-04:00

Just a couple of days before we left Cville, we had a wonderful day filled with visitors. A number of Haberkerns came to meet Ellie: Uncles Charlie and John, Aunt Sherry, cousins Kerry and Jill and Kerry's boyfriend Justin, and the matriarch of the family, Grandma Tota. Since our house was a wreck as we packed (what felt like hundreds of boxes), we all met up at Steve's house for lunch and then spent the afternoon walking around Grounds.

Ellie is blessed to have two great-grandmothers! (She'll meet the other one next month in Massachusetts.) At 92, Grandma Tota is just amazing and she was so excited to spend time with her first great-grandchild.

Ellie smiled a lot for her Uncle Charlie who came to see her all the way from Seattle!

Kerry, Aunt Sherry and Jill brought Ellie some classic children's books - we can't wait to start reading them!

Uncles John visited from Norfolk!

Ellie loves this super soft stuffed dog from Great-Grandma To...maybe we'll have to name it Di after Grandma's dog;)

Ellie is definitely part of a large extended Haberkern family that loves her very much. Thanks for traveling to see us!

Ellie's Baptism, pt. 2

2009-07-26T22:26:00.005-04:00

There are so many things that have made Charlottesville our home (and not just a place we live) for the past five years. One we discovered only in the past year has been our church, Westminster Presbyterian. Steve and Rachel joined this church just before she died, and some of Rachel's ashes are buried in the Memorial Garden of the church. Phil and I wanted Ellie to be baptized in this church as a part of this greater community, and in a place with so much personal significance. The pastor, Jim, honored our request for a small family prayer in the Memorial Garden before the actual service and baptism. I can't quite describe the empty places in my heart that wish Rachel was here with us to meet Ellie. I know Rachel is Ellie's guardian angel, watching and singing to Ellie in her dreams, but I can't help but miss Rachel even more on days like this.

The day was beautiful, and our family and friends gathered before the service in the garden. Ellie is incredibly blessed to have Steve as her godfather (or her padrino as she'll call him) and our dear friend Julie as her godmother. Ellie was surrounded with nothing but love on this very special day.

During the service, Ellie was an all-star! She slept soundly amidst the thunderous organ and the choir's singing. We were a bit nervous when it came time for the actual baptism ceremony. Despite Jim dousing her with enough water to cover her head, though, which startled her awake for a moment, Ellie promptly snuggled back into my arms and went back to sleep. Not a peep! She was too funny and apparently very sleepy that Sunday morning. She wore a Waldron family christening gown bought in Ireland by my maternal grandmother for her first of 14 grandchildren. Six of us wore it at our baptisms, including me and my brother. I was thrilled it was still in beautiful condition and that Ellie could continue the tradition by wearing it.

Our friends and family that joined us made this day a special one, not just for Ellie, but for us.

My sleepy girl:

Check out the baby booties! They were part of the christening outfit and looked like ballet slippers;):

Our pastor, Jim:

Yay for genetic counselors! Shawn, D, Ellie, and Julie:

Shout out for the History department;) Jason and Holly and Bob and Danielle:

Katherine, Jonathan, and Ellie

Mike, Shawn, and baby Sophia

Ellie sends hugs to everyone!

Ellie's Baptism Weekend, pt. 1

2009-07-25T17:55:00.003-04:00

With our impending move to Princeton looming in just a few short weeks, Phil and I felt strongly about baptizing Ellie in our beloved Charlottesville. So this weekend, we had a wonderful few days with family and friends to celebrate this important life event. Grandma Connie arrived on Thursday, and the Dong family arrived on Friday. On Saturday, Ellie went for her first stroll on Grounds. (Mr. Jefferson's university does not call it campus.) The lawn at UVA is just beautiful and was perfect for a few family photos to commemorate Ellie's visit to Grounds.

Ellie really is in this photo, but you can't see her as she is tucked away in the BOB stroller!

We were thrilled to have my brother's girlfriend, Katherine, visiting Charlottesville for the first time, too.

Ellie tried to stay awake with all the excitement, but just couldn't keep her eyes open for a picture with Dad and Grandma.

Steve brought his labs, Dawkins and Rugby, along for the walk. No family photos would be complete without the boys!

Smiles and Sleep

2009-07-24T17:46:00.000-04:00

A few photos of Ellie's newly acquired ability to smile (purposefully)...

And our favorite Ellie pose: falling asleep with her arms under her chin when she is laying on top of me. It is such an incredibly sweet pose that we just love.

VIPs from DC

2009-07-15T15:40:00.008-04:00

Since Cville is a short two hour drive from DC, some of our favorite people from our nation's capital came to visit. Balkees, my college roommate, was visiting DC from Montreal, and Emily, another friend from Chapel Hill, lives in DC. They drove down to spend the day with us and brought homemade muffins, fruit from a local farm, and champagne for a brunch extravaganza! Along with Steve, Dawkins, and Rugby, we enjoyed a wonderful Sunday afternoon together. Balkees had just returned from a few months in Cambodia and brought Ellie gorgeous silk booties. I can't wait to put them on her. Balkees decided that the word for Aunt in Arabic is difficult to pronounce, but is close to the Latin word for Aunt, Amita. So Ellie will just have to call her Amita Balkees. Here she is with Amita:

Emily loves babies and spent lots of the afternoon holding Ellie. Emily is a fellow knitter and knit Ellie the sweetest gray-blue sweater, which she'll need for those cold Jersey winters! Emily was convinced that Ellie was going to be a boy when I was pregnant, but added three pale pink buttons to complete the sweater for Ellie;) Ellie is going to be the best dressed child. Thank you for coming, guys! We love you!

A few days later, Marcela, another VIP from DC, came to meet Ellie. Marcela and JC are good friends whose daughter, Ema, is Ellie's "godsister". (Steve is also Ema's padrino!) JC and Ema couldn't make the trip, but were SO happy to have Marcela visiting for the afternoon. She brought a delicious lunch for us and Steve. Ellie knew right away Marcela was an all-star mama and fell fast asleep in her arms. Marcela is an extrodinary knitter (I have such talented friends) who knit Ellie her first kimono. It is a gorgeous dark brown with a green belt. Thank goodness we're moving north where Ellie can wear her fabulous knitted creations. We love you, Marcela, it was wonderful to see you!

So far, Ellie has been a pretty good sleeper. But after a few busy days, we try to get some extra sleep when we can. Here is Phil sneaking in a nap with Ellie!

In Vino Veritas

2009-07-11T19:04:00.002-04:00

Phil, Steve, and I took Ellie to Veritas Vineyard in Afton, VA for an evening picnic. The grounds of this winery are just beautiful and they have live music once a month in the summer. With a delicious assortment of bread, cheese, cured meats, and cookies for dessert, we packed up Ellie in the BOB stroller and wheeled her out onto the grounds of the vineyard. On a gorgeous Virginia evening, with a Beatles cover band playing music, we enjoyed dinner al fresco with a few hundred other revelers. Ellie got to wear her first bracelet when Uncle Steve put his "over 21" bracelet on his goddaughter, proving that yes, she was at least 21 (ummm, days?). We couldn't decide: is Ellie bigger than the wine bottle or vice versa?

Funny girl

2009-07-09T12:36:00.005-04:00

A friend told me that one of the things she didn't expect about becoming a parent was how funny babies can be. That's not to say hilarity ensues 24/7...i.e. Phil did not find it humorous when she had her first episode of projectile vomiting on him. I disagree, it was sort of funny, but I digress. Even in the first few weeks, Ellie amuses us often with her expressions and faces. We can't capture all of them in photos (not for lack of trying) but here are a few from this week:

Kisses from Daddy

Is she worried about something or just surprised?

The many faces of Ellie

Not really a funny face, but just a cute pose on the blanket that Nannie knit for her. We love Ellie's first tie-dyed outfit, direct from Ashville, NC. Thanks Bob and Marcia! I think orange might be a good color for her!

"People, seriously, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: No photos before 7 a.m. Please."

July 4th weekend: a brewery, bathtime, and a visit from Uncle Jonathan

2009-07-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

My brother, Jonathan, came to visit over July 4th weekend. Let's be honest, he didn't come to see Phil and me. He flew down to Cville to meet Ellie. It isn't exaggerating to say that it was love at first sight. Ellie did greet him at the airport with a few screams (i.e. Mom and Dad were negligent and didn't change my diaper immediately!) She quickly calmed down on the car ride home from the airport sitting next to her uncle, the guy who looks a lot like Mom:) The four of us spent most of Friday at our house, letting Jonathan get to know Ellie. She seemed pretty interested in what he had to say...

On Saturday the 4th, we decided to celebrate the holiday by taking Ellie to her first brewery. How very American of us! We went to the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA with our friends Mur and Katie. It was a gorgeous day in the Virginia countryside. Ellie did very well and slept for most of the afternoon. It was her longest outing yet! Great food, friends, and family.

Ellie also had her first real bath over the weekend. It was quite an event. I'm sure in the future, it will be less of a production, but today it took the following to give our little girl a bath: two towels, two washcloths, two kinds of baby shampoo, two concerned parents with four hands, and one uncle with two cameras. (We'll get better at this with more practice, I'm sure.) Most importantly, she really liked bathtime. No major meltdowns, who-hoo!

On Sunday afternoon before Jonathan left, Ellie had some very awake time. We took a few family photos with Ellie wearing her new cherry shirt. (Thanks, Uncle Jonathan!) It was a wonderful July 4th weekend with much to celebrate.

Does this onesie make my butt look big?

2009-07-01T17:30:00.001-04:00

Ellie had her two week appointment at the pediatrician today. She weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 4 oz. She has been eating very well (obviously her mother's daughter). Solid work, little girl!

We've also been taking lots of walks outside, enjoying Ellie's first Charlottesville summer. Here she is in her new hat before we went out. She is usually awake when we start our walks, but quickly falls asleep in her stroller. It's wonderful that she likes the movement of being in the stroller. I am thrilled that the weather has been nice enough to spend time outside almost everyday!

Dinner at Padrino's House

2009-06-27T20:42:00.001-04:00

Phil and I are very lucky to have the summer at home together. The timing has worked out better than we could have planned. Phil graduated in May, Ellie arrived in June, and we will move to Princeton in August. (We are not afraid to throw all our life transitions for 2009 into four months!) So during the time between Ellie's arrival and the move, we are both able to stay home with her. We are getting to know her and able to spend this time together as a family. It is quite incredible. It makes me think of something a friend told me during my pregnancy. She said once you have a baby, you know what it is like to carry a piece of your heart outside yourself. We are starting to understand that sentiment.

Although most of our time is (happily) spent at home, we have also been taking Ellie to her "home away from home", Uncle Steve's house. Steve is her godfather, or padrino, godfather in Spanish. Steve's other godchild, Ema, calls him padrino, and we like that name, too. Phil is also lobbying for ochránce, godfather in Czech, but I'm not sure that's as easy to pronounce:) Maybe we'll just let Ellie decide what she wants to call Steve. Here are a few pictures from her first dinner on the back deck. She definitely likes being outside!

Dressed up and ready to go out (A special note to Will and Elizabeth, thanks for the cow onesie!)

"Where am I?"

Safe and sound with Uncle Steve

One week old

2009-06-24T12:20:00.001-04:00

We were so blessed to have our parents stay with us the week after Ellie was born. It was extremely helpful to have everyone here to help us with anything and everything. Gung did all the cooking for a week, and Nannie and Grandma did the laundry and cleaned (not to mention all the extra hands to hold Ellie.) Phil and I were able to get some much needed rest and focus on figuring out how to be new parents. Moms and Dad - Thank you for coming and staying with us! We love you guys and Ellie loves you very much!

First Days Home with Nannie, Gung, and Grandma Connie

2009-06-21T15:42:00.006-04:00

Ellie's first night at home - She's sleeping in a Moses basket (Phil thinks the name Moses basket is absurd, but hey, I think its cute). Here she is with her Blabla, an adorable knitted animal from her godfather. We are slowly learning the art of swaddling, although Ellie is determined to get her hands up and out of the swaddle as soon as possible.

Evenings seem to be a time for Ellie to be awake and alert, so we were able to snap a few photos with her big eyes wide open.

Nannie, Gung, and Grandma Connie stayed with us for the whole week after Ellie was born. They were so incredibly helpful and we were thrilled to have them share this time with us. Ellie spent lots of time in Nannie's arms, hearing stories, songs, and poems. Nannie also knit her very first project for Ellie, the gorgeous white, brown, and blue blanket in these photos. (Good work, Mom!)

Grandma Connie gave her a million kisses and hugs every day, too.

Love from Uncle Steve

First visitors: Bob and Danielle and Mur and Katie

Ellie had some special time with Gung on Father's Day. He sang her the Marine Corps Hymn. She seemed to like it!

After some quality time with Ellie, Gung celebrated becoming a grandfather by smoking a Cuban cigar on the deck. Everyone celebrates in their own way:)

It's exhausting for Ellie to be the center of her grandparents' attention! So she also found some time to sleep in Dad's arms and on his chest.

In the Hospital

2009-06-19T17:24:00.000-04:00

Grandma Connie arrived on Thursday, June 18th after her two day drive from Massachusetts. Ellie charmed her right away as she proclaimed her the most beautiful baby in the world. We couldn’t agree more.

Phil is quite taken with his daughter, too.

And her Mom has already taken hundreds of photos of her gorgeous baby to share with the world. She really is incredible.

We could not have had better care at UVA Hospital. Our doctors were incredible and very supportive. We had one-on-one nursing care, and the labor and delivery nurses in particular were outstanding. We felt so well cared for from the minute we walked through the door. Phil and I stayed at the hospital until Friday (with Phil making due on a hospital cot!) On Thursday, we had lots of friends come by to meet Ellie and see us. The support was so appreciated. The grandparents held down the fort at home until we were ready to take Ellie home on Friday morning. I couldn't resist dressing her up in a sweet onesie that has a panda on the front and says "Keep Life Wild". (Thanks Jason and Jamaica!) I think (and hope) we are ready for the "wild" life ahead of us...

Welcome Ellie Maria Haberkern!

2009-06-17T23:00:00.019-04:00

Ellie Maria Haberkern arrived into the world at 4:48pm on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. She weighed in at a sizable 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 ½ inches long. We can’t believe she’s actually here and bringing us so much joy already. We are in love.

I went into labor early on a rainy Wednesday morning, about 3:45 a.m. I woke up with contractions, coming at regular intervals during those early morning hours. By around 6 a.m., Phil and I decided to start timing them and they were about 10 minutes apart. It seemed that this might be the real thing! By 8 a.m. we had called both Connie in Massachusetts and Hank and Ann in NJ and said, “It’s time!” One funny side note: when I called my parents, I woke my Dad up around 7 a.m. (In his sleepy stupor, when I told him I was in labor, his first response was, “I have to go to the police station to tell them that we’re going to be away for a week.” ?!?! Hilariousness if you know Hank…)

At 8 a.m. we were at the hospital and by 9, we were in our labor and delivery room. I labored for a few hours and decided that at noon, I needed a little more help with the pain. I had an epidural and was able to sleep for a few hours. Things kept progressing and by 3 p.m., I was ready to push. At 4:48 p.m., Ellie Maria Haberkern was born and placed immediately on my chest. She was perfect in every way! Phil was (as always) the best ever during this whole experience.

The hours after Ellie arrived were so special as we got to meet our daughter and the three of us got to spend some time alone together. Here are a few of the pictures from our first hours together.

Hank and Ann arrived around 8:30 p.m. after driving (in the pouring rain) from NJ. Gung (Cantonese for maternal grandfather) and Nannie (what all of our family called my Mom’s mom) were also fell in love at first sight with Ellie.

Around 10:30 p.m., Ellie had one more VIP to meet. Ellie’s Godfather and uncle, Steve, also drove back early from his vacation to see family in New York to meet his goddaughter. We were so happy to see him and lucky to have such a loving godfather who would travel many hours back to Charlottesville for her.

June 17^th was one of the most beautiful days of our life.