Maggie's Birthday

Maggie's first birthday was fun. She loved her toys and did a pretty good job at unwrapping! I took her to the doctor the next day and here are her 1 year stats:

23 lb 12 oz (87%)

30.25 inches tall(85%)

19.25 head (off the charts)

Maggie and her friend Jacob who was born a day after her!
Blue eyes
Happy Face

New walker- she LOVES it!

The only picture we got of her destroying and eating her cake- we did use the video camera, though. She wasn't a fan of having cake on her hands- but she ate plenty when Brad fed her.My attempt at a cake- it used to have a big "M" for Maggie and to look like a giant M M.

The Party guests....Isn't this the cutest face? We gave her a new swimsuit to go in the hot tub in CA during Christmas. Her old suit doesn't fit.

She got another suit (2 bucks at Old Navy- I couldn't help it- maybe we will give one to her cousin in CA). She also got new gap jeans and a little tutu skirt. She is wearing them all at once- really fashionable, I know.

Loving the walker

Funny face....after the party

On the way to church. I had to take a pic.

can't believe it

Maggie will be one on Thursday. Where did this year go? The first few months seemed long but now the days fly by. We sure love her.

Brad's New Office

Brad's firm moved offices. He is no longer in the Sear's Tower. I thought this would be a major bummer since the Tower is so close to the train station. But his new office is closer to the attractions downtown that I actually want to visit- and he gets $10 parking on weekdays and $6 on weekends. That is a big deal for me! Usually parking is $25 downtown.

So from now on- I am always driving in. It was so nice to come and go as I wanted. And Maggie took a nap in the car.

It was fun to go see his new cubicle- it was our first time to the new office. I really liked it- it looks much nicer than their old floor in the Tower. The new office also has big windows with great views. Maggie enjoyed the view.

When we got home- the weather was too nice to stay inside so we went to the park.
And check out this physique- This is what hours at the gym every week can do.

First Halloween

We went to our Ward's Trunk-or-Treat. We heard that all the adults dress up to in our ward so Brad and I panicked and threw together our costumes in the last 5 minutes. It was actually pretty fun. Brad originally was just going to be a toolman- but he figured out that he looked like "Al" from Home Improvement. And Maggie is pretty much the cutest duck I've ever seen. Thanks Costco!

O

O is for.................................Oprah!

Brad's good friend from college, Grant, was training at the Q Center in St. Charles this week. He and his wife and son joined him for the same training last year. Jennie, his wife, had registered online and received Oprah tickets!!! She was so lucky- maybe because they were from out of state- they live in Denver. We were excited to go last year- but Oprah cancelled the taping a few days before. We were oh, so disappointed.

Ever since then, Jennie had received e-mails from the Oprah Show offering her tickets pretty much any time she could make it out to Chicago. So- she booked a flight to come join her husband again this year. I was a lucky beneficiary of one of the prized Oprah tickets for Thursday, October 21st.

It was seriously so much fun! I was so star-struck. I had butterflies for the first hour. We signed a release saying we couldn't say anything about the show ahead of time- but I just looked on the Oprah Website and they have already announced our show. We were at the Jessica Seinfeld taping for her new cookbook, Double Delicious. (and none of us liked her outfit. I mean come on- it's Oprah!)

Before we went in- they had us waiting in a large waiting area. They called different parties in- we were one of the first! This meant we got to sit in front for the first three segments until the people on stage came to sit in the audience (and then they moved us to the back). But for the first hour- we were sitting 2 rows behind Jerry Seinfeld!!!!!! It was so cool. Jennie was actually sitting right behind him. So cool!

It was definitely an experience I will never forget- I would have paid a lot to do it- but the tickets were free! I can check it off of my bucket list! I was actually impressed with how nice and accommodating the whole Oprah crew was. And even Oprah herself was very gracious and real. They wouldn't let us bring anything into the studio- so I only got a picture of us outside. And we all had to wake up at 5 to be there by 7 so it was super early!

So watch Oprah on Tuesday, October 26th! (In the studio, they told us it would be aired on the 28th- but again- on the website it says Tuesday, October 26th!) Every time they shot Jerry- the camera angle was shooting at my sister-in-law Melissa and her friend Michelle. So we may be on!!! I will definitely be watching at 9 am on Tuesday! I was wearing orange- Melissa purple, Jennie aqua, and Michelle - green!

Oh.....and we got a free cookbook!!!