Ellie has a baby brother!!

On September 13, 2012 at 1:29 am we welcomed Conrad Francis Tinguely into the world.  He came fast and furious and weighed in at a healthy 7 lb, 8 oz.  He was 20 inches long.  We're adjusting surprisingly well to life with two kids.  Ellie is handling the change as best as she can.  She certainly loves her little brother but she has become acutely "mom-centric".  Here are a few pictures of our newest family member. 

     

 Meeting her brother for the first time

 Checking out the Farmers Market (after a QCB run, of course!)

Ellie turns TWO

Where does the time go? Honestly!! Happy 2nd Birthday to Eleanor!!!

Getting bigger

Hello friends and family!! Just a quick update on our lives...Ellie turned 19 months recently. She's still at the 90th percentile for height and weight, so we've gotten used to the giant that roams our house. She is super busy these days, making huge messes, tormenting the pets, and reminding us constantly that life is so sweet. Joe successfully defended his dissertation this month, so that is a huge burden off his shoulders. Next up...job market...even bigger burden now upon us. He recently presented a paper in Edinburgh, Scotland...unfortunately, we couldn't join him, but I'm sure there will be other opportunities down the road. My job is going very well...the new duty hour restrictions have made life almost feel normal! We recently ran our fourth marathon here in Sioux Falls. It was a nice comeback run for me. Joe was pretty banged up going into it, so it was kind of a rough day for him. He says a retribution run is necessary. I say ok!! Happy fall, everyone!!

The Lakes 2011

We took a full week vacation to the Lakes in Minnesota. We hung out with family, we swam in the lake, we read books that weren't work-related, we explored Itasca State Park, and we had a wonderful time doing it all!

Play Date with Susie

Thanks for having me over, Kevin and Whitney!! I love playing with Susie so much! And I had a lot of fun splashing around in your big tub...I hope I didn't scare Susie! She's my best friend, and I hope I get to play with her again very soon.

Love,

Eleanor

Happy Mother's Day!!

We celebrated Mom's Day a day early as Jen had to work a 24-hour shift on the labor and delivery floor on Sunday (helping make new moms!) Saturday was a great day...sunny and almost 70 degrees! We started the morning off with a chance meeting of Kevin, Whitney, and Susie at QCB. After a yummy breakfast, we headed to Great Bear for some nature walking (can't quite call it hiking out there). Then, we came home and Jen went for a 4-mile run with Ellie. While she was doing that, Joe picked up pizza from New York Express Pizza...GOOD STUFF! After lunch, we did an arts and crafts project that resulted in an immediate bath for the little one. Nap time ensued. We had dinner at Wild Sage Grille (can you see how things revolve around food in this family?) and then Jen headed to the symphony with her mom, grandma, and aunt. It was a perfect day...we just wish it had lasted longer.

Ellie walks...kind of

Long video, but you'll get the idea within the first minute. She loves to move...if only we could start doing it for real.