Breakthroughs and Other News

Greetings all! Abbie is now 6 and a half weeks old! And what a baby she is turning out to be. We have had a few breakthroughs in the past few weeks. She has started smiling in direct response to what we are saying to her. For those parents out there: you know just how rewarding this can be. The 4:00am-feeding stress can melt away in an instant when she does that.

She has picked up the "coo"ing and has even laughed out loud a few times. Her newborn wailing has changed into more of a baby "cry." And she has become incredibly picky. She knows exactly what she wants and will wear Mommy and Daddy down until she gets it. Part of the gig I guess.

We as parents have decided to learn a bit of baby sign-language to better facilitate communication when the time is right. We'll keep you updated on our successes.

My job got extended and I get to hang out at the Magic Kingdom for a while longer. This time though I get to work during the day (as opposed to the after hours events).

Zoey is doing well. She has started checking on the baby when she starts crying. She simply walks into the baby's room and sits while staring up at the crib. It's quite amazing to watch.

Lindsay is doing well also. She has been keeping busy on maternity leave by scrap-booking. Most recently Lindsay has been trying to get Abbie on a schedule which is by far her most difficult hobby at the moment. A 6 week old who knows exactly what she wants isn't as receptive as one might think to a new schedule.

The trip to Mississippi was a success and the entire family loved having the new baby around. Christmas and New Years both were great memories. Hope the same can be said for your most recent Holidays. Enjoy the pictures, we'll chat again soon.

Christmas 2008

Halloween and other headlines

Here we are, September 7 and the autumn/Halloween season has begun at Disney. The Magic Kingdom had its first "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" last Friday. My job this fall puts me very close to all the parties. Opening night of the season went incredibly well and hopefully is a sign of what's to come in the latter part of '08.

Lindsay is coming along nicely, her belly button has almost completely disappeared. Soon, it will pop up just like the little thingy on the thanksgiving day turkey, signaling that Abbie is done baking and ready to be introduced to the world! Only 10.5 weeks to go.

We moved last weekend, OY! I'm glad it's over, we only moved down the street. Not really far enough to warrant the need for a U-Haul. However, you could have convinced me that we needed one very easily while wheeling our 500 lb armoire through the parking lot at 11:30 pm. But it's all over and everything is set and we love the extra space. So there.

Lindsay had her baby shower yesterday which was a rousing success. Lindsay commented numerous times on how nice it was to have all those old friends all in one place. A friend of ours, Becky, went all out in planning the event. Many thanks go to her and her husband, Evan, for not only helping us move, but in also planning such an amazing shower.

Zoey is good. She's staying busy exploring all the new nooks and crannies of our place. The first week was a little stressful for her as she couldn't quite figure out why we weren't in our regular house, but it seems as if this is now home for the little doggy.

The storms have not affected us nearly as much as the news stations would have you believe. There has been a lot of rain, but fortunately our part of town hasn't been too badly hit. I hope everything is going well in your part of the world. Take care everyone.

Lazy Sundays

It's been a pretty eventful week, followed by a classic lazy Sunday. We are the epitome of sitting around and doing nothing today. But here are the updates (with gobs of pictures):

Lindsay is feeling great, continuing to be in the "glowing" pregnant phase. She admires her ever growing belly every hour, on the hour. It's fun to watch. She also thinks she has felt little Abigail move for the first time this past week.

My parents visited during the latter part of this week. We all had a great time and snapped lots of pictures during their visit to Disney's Hollywood Studios. In a huge surprise, they accompanied Lindsay to Babies 'R Us yesterday in which they were kind enough to buy us our baby stroller/travel system. I came home from work yesterday to find the ginormous box sitting in the living room. So we spent the morning playing with it, and Lindsay showing me all the features that sold her on it. Zoey had an amazing doggy morning playing with all the packaging. Needless to say words cannot express how appreciative I was when I came home and found it.

My time with Star Wars Weekends came to close yesterday in dramatic fashion. If you can believe it, the final decision of "Dance Off with the Star Wars Stars" came down to a recount between couple #1 (Chewbacca and his Jawa) and group #3 (Darth Vader and his legion of Storm Troopers, the usual winner). And with one last chant by the audience, it was final. Chewbacca pulled out his first victory of the season! What a moment, thrilling to say the least. And as if that wasn't enough, a local news station interviewed the winner in a TV spot to air later. And...scene.

Tomorrow I start the new gig as a "leader in training." It sounds like it will be a whirlwind of new experiences, new friends and new lessons learned. I am very much looking forward to it all, updates are sure to follow.

Today (June 22) is our wedding anniversary celebrating 5 years of wedded bliss. We will be celebrating this evening with a feild trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and dining at their signature restaurant, Jiko: the cooking place. Which continues to be our favorite on-Disney-property restaurant. Once again, I hope everyone had a great week! Enjoy all the pictures from this week. Thanks for reading.

Ridiculous Commercials

Random thought: I'm no business genius but common sense would tell me that if I'm going to spend my hard earned company money on a national television advertising campaign I would make sure my commercial is effective...meaning not annoying. How do so many excruciating commercials make it through the entire production process without someone looking up and saying "Wait a minute, doesn't this commercial suck?" But I digress...

This past week has been filled with much stress, and much relief. But first, the baby. Lindsay is in her 17th week of pregnancy. Most of our evenings are now filled with her telling me every detail of her changing physique. And, in the most exciting news, I believe we have both settled on a name! Please say hello to Abigail Hannah McKinney. Enjoy the picture (if you look closely you will notice that mommy got a haircut this week).

The job front has taken many turns this past week. It appeared as if every last opportunity was drying up right before my eyes, and I was destined to make my way back to my home base. Then, at the very last minute...a phone call. This was a great phone call, for on the other end a kind voice offered me the opportunity to be a part of a brand new training and networking course for future company leaders. I am super excited to have this opportunity and am very much looking forward to meeting new faces in entertainment!

On the flip side, this means that I must hang my hat on Disney Star Wars Weekends for the season (and possibly for good). It's an unfortunate circumstance, but I absolutely cannot pass up the opportunity to be a part of this program. Star Wars Weekends has been, quite possibly, the most fun I have ever had at work. It has certainly changed my life for the better and forced me to realize a hidden talent that know one (not even myself) knew existed. And, in some strange way I will forever feel connected to the entire saga. It has been such a pleasure entertaining strangers and friends alike, the torch passes this weekend.

It's been quite a busy week as you can see. My family is visiting during the latter part of the upcoming week. So, a visit to the parks to check out everything new will certainly be on the agenda - pictures to follow. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods, take care everyone.

95 Degrees in the Shade

Hello again! It's been a busy week for both of us so here's the latest. Lindsay has hit the 16 week mark meaning the baby can almost hear us talk to it. The next photos will inevitably contain one of Lindsay with headphones on her stomach. Creating a play list for my unborn child has proven to be quite the daunting task. It needs to be a healthy blend from a variety of wholesome genres. Who better to put way too much thought into that other than two people with music degrees.

The job hunt has come up empty, completely empty. Not to worry, I continue to have a job with Disney, however my opportunities for advancement will have a little more time to simmer.

Star Wars Weekends 2008 have officially kicked off at Disney's Hollywood Studios! If you haven't scoped it out, then what are you waiting for? If you won't get the chance this year, check out the video below. Regardless of how you see it, I promise it will be a good time. Hope you had a great week everyone, take care.