Happy Birthday!!!

July 24, 2006 was a big day in the Gieseke extended family. Sophie gained 2 cousins in one day! First to arrive was Lydia Marie, daughter of Daniel and Rachel Colip, who are Andy's first cousins. Later in the day Tanner Daniel arrived, son of Michelle and Brian Gilligan, Mara's sister and brother-in-law. All babies and parents are doing well, and Chase looks like he is all ready to be a big brother. Congratulations to everyone!

Two Months Old

That's right...Sophie is two months old today! You can tell that she's been growing, too. We haven't been to the doctor in a couple of weeks, but I'd guess that she's crossed the 10 pound mark. So what exactly does a two month old do all day?? Well, let's start with the evening. 8:00 is bath time, then we play until about 9:30. After that is our late night snack, then rocking and singing, and finally at 10:30 it's bedtime. We wake up between 5:00 am and 6:00 am, have breakfast, play and look at books, and then it's down for our morning nap from 7 - 9:30. The rest of the day is a series of feedings, playing, and naps, and sometimes we run errands or have a lunch date! The best lunch dates are when daddy comes home for lunch:) Life for this two month old is pretty grand!

"Tails" from Tucson

Mommy and Sophie have been sick with colds, so we have both been taking some extra naps during the day. Takoda thought he would lend a hand, er, paw:) I guess he knows that the best medicine is love. Aunt Michelle also thought she would help mommy by sending Sophie a fun bouncy chair. This chair is the greatest invention ever. It sings and lights up and the seat vibrates! The best part is that mommy is guaranteed at least a 10 minute shower when Sophie is in it. That Aunt Michelle is so smart. Speaking of Aunt Michelle, she'll be having baby Tanner any day now, and Sophie will no longer be the baby of the family. At least on the Friedman side. She'll just have to settle for being baby of the Giesekes. Unless Aunt Liz and Uncle Jace want to compete??

San Diego Road Trip

This past weekend the Gieseke family, including Grandma and Grandpa, went to San Diego to celebrate the Fourth of July, and to enjoy our last days together before the grandparents start making their way back to Florida. We expected to find relief from the oppressive Tucson heat, but instead we were greeted by the hottest 4th in 20 years! Not that it stopped us from having a blast... We visited Balboa Park and purchased a painting in Spanish Village. The next day we went to Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. It's a great place for children, but Sophie decided to sleep the entire time. She did wake up later though, and she got to go for her first swim in our hotel pool. At first Sophie didn't know what to think, but she quickly got the idea and enjoyed splashing and being pulled through the water by her mom. Our trip ended on the 4th at Seaport Village where we spent the day walking around and enjoying the warm weather and cool breezes coming off the bay. Grandma and Grandpa stayed an extra day before heading north to San Luis Obispo while the younger Giesekes headed back to Tucson. It was a fun trip, and we now know that when Sophie is a little bit older, the places to go in San Diego with a child are Seaport Village and Coronado. We also learned the place to avoid: Mission Beach!