Merry Christmas!

Baby it's Cold Outside!

Take a look at our snow-filled fun!

December 2010

Colby's Frequent Flyer Card

So young Master Colby is certainly a jet-setter. He was on a plane four times in one week over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we visited my step-sister and brother in Atlanta. We had so much fun! One of the higlights was the Atlanta Aquarium. Breathtaking!

We also visited my cousin Jared's restaurant while we were down there. Colby loved the stuffed snowballs (a New Orleans tradition brought to Atlanta). I will not do it justice, but it's essentially shaved ice, sweet cream, ice cream and whipped topping. There are many flavors and creations to choose from; we had a mud pie and pumpkin pie.

We spent Thankgiving in Omaha, visited with new baby Corbyn Hevi, and were prepping for the big wedding at the end of the year (Kevin and Angel's). See the dress rehearsal below...I will make sure Colby wears pants down the aisle.

View the full album for Nov 2010 here!



Happy Halloween 2010

Here is our photo album from the fun events. Enjoy!

Halloween 2010

A Milestone: Colby's first haircut

Watching Dad get haircut first

A milk before the big event

Ok, doesn't look so bad...

Hi Alex the Barber!

Double-fisted dum-dums was the key

A little young for a shave...

C'mon, let me play!

Father and Son, a great pair! Thanks, Alex!

Pumpkin Farms, etc.

The Fall is one of the best times of year, especially to a little boy that likes to go on adventures. We went to two Pumpkin Farms (Sonny Acres and Susanna Farms), and even saw Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE! Enjoy some of our pictures!

Petting the sheep

Taking a drive

Picking the perfect pumpkin

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE!

The YGG gang

Close-up

Muno back stage!

The best little pumpkin is ME!

Banana Bread (with Cauliflower)

Mr. Colby does not like veggies. I have tried many tricks, but alas, nothing has worked until now. This recipe is from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife). I loved it, and so did my dad and Babysitter Amy. Colby seemed to like it well enough, although I cannot help but think he's on to my game. Enjoy!

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3/4 C whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 C firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 C of canola or vegetable oil
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 C banana puree*
• 1/2 C cauliflower puree **
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9x5 loaf pan or 2 mini pans with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, mix flours with baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture just until combined.
4. Pour the batter in the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean: 55-60 mins for a large loaf, 25-30 for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 mins, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving. (I did not let it cool, I ate it piping hot!)

*Banana Puree: Mash up a banana, add a bit of water, and blend.
**Cauliflower Puree: Cut into small florets, steam for 8-10 mins, then blend.

Colby's New Words

I deserved this one...

Fall Fun with Friends!

We went to Cedarburg's Wine and Harvest Festival this weekend to meet our dear friends. Let me tell you, getting 1 year olds to sit still on a bale of hay is hard work! ;-) This event is a must-do for everyone. It was so fun!

Cedarburg Fun

New Friends!

Colby has met some buddies in Villa Park. Look at our fun at the Oktoberfest last weekend with his friends!


Colby and Mia playing with ducks!

















Colby and Mia cheering on Beau!






















Joe and Colby riding the dragons!



Colby turns 1 year old!

It was hard to believe that Colby honored us with his arrival one year ago on August 8, 2009. It feels like a lot has happened since then, but at the same time, like it was yesterday when he fit in my forearm. We had a wonderful celebration to commemorate #1 at our new home. Enjoy the pics!

  
  Album of the party:

Colby's First Birthday

Discoveries

This summer, I have had the pleasure of witnessing Colby experience many "firsts." To watch him discover these simple things with such awe and excitement is humbling. We should all take a moment and watch a baby experience a "first." It will really change your outlook on life.

Croquet is the best!

Stairs, look at me go!

Splash Pool with my friend, Katie

My Reflection! Playing with him is fun!

Summer Lovin', Had Me a Blast...

We have been VERY busy this summer! We celebrated the Blackhawks win, moved, went to Omaha for a week, and are now settling into our new home.

Here are links to our summer albums:

Moving Fun

Omaha-June/July 2010

Colby's Chicago Tour

We are less than two weeks away from our move to the suburbs, so Joe thought it would be a great idea to capture some moments of Colby near all the famous sports and historical Chicago landmarks. We left our house at 6:45 am this morning to ensure crowd-free photo opps! Enjoy the album or take a quick peek at some of the pics below. Happy Memorial Day!

Colby Sleeping at the UC

Crawling around at Millenium Park (a couple days before)

Doing stairs at the Field Museum

Hangin' by the Shedd

Walking to the famous Art Institute Lions

Go Cubs!

First Words

We had Colby's 9 month appointment this week, and he weighs 23 lbs, 10 oz, and is 29" long (even though the nurse entered in 29 FEET, we knew it was just the difference of an apostrophe from a quote!). When we were at the doctor's office, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire about Colby's development. One question asked, "Does your child say mama, dada, googoo, gaga?" We had not heard those cute sounds yet from our son, so we checked "no." Colby must have known that he should start the baby talk, because the moment we got home he was a chatterbox! See the video of his new skill.

Browse the entire album of our Spring Fun!

Spring Fun

From Mario's to Harpoon

There is a wonderful Italian Lemonade (aka Italian Ice) stand on Taylor Street in the city. It opens May 1 and closes in September. All summer long, Joe and I would walk there and get a tasty treat to satisfy my pregnancy cravings. Now, our son has developed a love for Mario's too.

Also chronicled pictorially is a father teaching his son about beer. ;-) Harpoon Brewery was a favorite of ours while we lived in Boston, and they have recently started to distribute to Chicago. See Colby below picking out his very own IPA.

Happy May to all! xo, The Thompson's


MMM...orange Italian Ice is great!


Even better to wear!


Mom filled my bottle cap with a big scoop!

Dad grabbing a beer after a hard day...

...Colby following suit!

Swinging Fun and Cubs Game

Colby has had many fun April adventures. He's becoming a lot more mobile (crawling, standing), so it's opened up a whole new world for him. Scary for us, great for him!

We discovered his love for swings at a neighborhood park during the nice weather. We even were lucky enough to be invited to a Cubs game during an 80-degree day. Colby lasted until the top of the 9th! Wonder where he gets his dedication to sports from?

Last week, Colby attended his first wedding (my cousin, Amy's). It was a beautiful day and congrats to the happy couple!

Enjoy our pictorial rendition of April below!

Biz, Colby, Becca & Katie

Colby got spoiled with these seats!

Mom had a hot dog, I had sweet potatoes!

Amy, Jason & Bup