Busy Weekend! Happy Half Birthday Anna! + Bethany Frankel + Door County

Happy Half Birthday Annas! Hard to believe, but Miss Anna Banana turned 6 months on Saturday! As Bob and I look back on the past 6 months it is unbelievable how much has changed and how our little Anna has grown! Hard to fathom that our once 7lb little bundle of joy is now a happy go lucky little girl who loves to eat carrots, green beans, and apples, drinks from a sippy cup, sits up on her own, and loves to babble, bounce and sing!

6 (quick!) Months Ago - Bringing Anna Home from the Hospital



Miss Anna - 2 Weeks Old




And now - 6 months old and such a big girl in my cute pink tutu swimsuit!



We celebrated Anna's "half" birthday with pizza Saturday night and of course, couldn't help but give her a present!








Beyond celebrating Anna's half birthday, we had a pretty busy weekend. Friday night my mom and I headed down to Waukegan IL to see Bethany Frankel, from the New York Housewives on Bravo. Both my mom and I find ourselves addicted to the Housewives shows on Bravo and the New York cast and Bethany are our favorite. For Christmas I surprised my mom with tickets to see her. The show was great and we had such a fun time bonding over dinner, going to the show, and doing some shopping before heading back to Wisconsin on Saturday. After doing plenty of damage at the Le Creuset and Carter's outlets, we stopped in at Trader Joe's in Milwaukee and then headed back to Green Bay Saturday night to celebrate with Bob, my dad, and Anna.

My mom and I Dressed in Red Before the Show




The first Sunday without football in a long time led to a dilemma - what to do? We decided to take advantage of the sunny day and took a ride up to Door County with my parents. We took Anna and my parent's dogs for a walk in the snow at Peninsula State Park and then headed back to Heritage Lake and had snacks and went swimming. We had such a fun time enjoying the fresh air and warm water in the pool. Anna was a little more unsure about the water this time around, but quickly warmed up to the idea and seemed to really enjoy it. She also loved walking around in the snow - so cute to watch her giggle over the dogs as they sniffed their way through the snow:)

Anna All Bundled Up and Ready to Go!



And Off We Go!



Mom, Dad, Brewski, and Lucy



Swimming with Daddy!





Other exciting news in the Seidel family is I finally, officially, started part time at my job at Integrys last week. I had requested going part time a few months back, received approval back in December, and finally transitioned to a part time employee last week. I am thrilled I was able to work out an arrangement at work that will allow me to continue to work and yet still be able to spend two days a week at home with Anna. It seems to be the perfect balance for me and am so thankful we are able to make it work. Bob has been so supportive of my quest to go part time and I really appreciate his support and understanding. I am a little overwhelmed at work, as my work load has not changed much and I am still on a learning curve from my transition last April. I had just 3 short months at my new job before going on maternity leave and have been a very busy bee since I have been back learning and documenting my job functions. Overall, I really enjoy my job and the people I am working with and look forward to going back full time sometime down the road. Until then, I am thankful I get to spend two days a week at home with Anna. Every day with Anna is such a blessing - she is changing every day and I am very thankful for this opportunity!

Superbowl, Here We Come!

The Seidel Family could not be more excited that the Packers are playing in the Superbowl this year! Below are some "Pre-Game" photos from Sunday. Thanks to mom for putting together a Packer Tailgate Party, complete with a festive Packer tree and other festive goodies including Packer M&Ms, Packer cookies, and even Packer buns!

GO PACK GO!

More Baptism Photos!

Bob and I recently received some more pictures from the baptism from my Uncle Pat and Aunt Jeanie, so we thought we would share some of our favorites. We are so grateful that they were willing to share their love for photography with us, thank you so much!!!

Miss Anna Rae Before the Ceremony



Michele, Anna and I



The Ceremony



Bob, Anna, and I



The Willis Family



The Seidel Family

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...

This past weekend was an eventful one for the Seidel family. Bob and I were thrilled to celebrate Anna’s baptism into the Catholic Church on Saturday evening at St. Matthew Parish. Miss Anna Rae was baptized after 4:30 mass during a private ceremony. We were so excited and thankful for all of the family that was able to join us as we celebrated, including Anna’s godparents, Mike and Michele, who came all the way from New Hampshire to participate in the celebration. We met with a couple from our parish last week to learn about the ceremony and were told it was up to us whether or not we would do a full immersion. After talking about it, we decided we would. We loved the symbolism of it and we were so happy we chose to do it. Father Seidl assured us the water would be warm, as it was, and Anna did great. It was such a beautiful ceremony and so neat Bob got to be a part of it as he helped hold Anna as Father Seidl dipped her in the holy water.

Bob and Anna Before Mass Began



Anna Being Baptized



A picture with Anna and her Godparents, Mike and Michele



Anna’s baptismal gown was also very special. My grandfather (my mom’s father) was a gunner in WW2. He was on a mission in Europe when his plane experienced mechanical issues. The pilot went down with the plane and my grandfather parachuted out of the plane and landed safely in the middle of a cabbage field. My godmother’s baptismal gown was made from the parachute my grandfather used to land safely from the plane. This gown has stayed in the family and 60 years later, Anna was baptized in the same gown. It was not only very special to Bob and me, but also to my mother and her family - We know my grandfather was watching down on us Saturday and was extremely honored to be a part of Anna’s special day.

Anna's Baptismal gown, Baptismal blanket knitted by Grandma Lois, Baptismal booties and church doll - a Pre-Baptismal gift from Bob and I, and Anna's cross necklace, a gift from Bob the day she was born.




After the ceremony, everyone joined Bob and I at Happy Joe for dinner. From there we went back to my parents for cake and ice cream and cheered on the Packers to a victory in the second round of the playoffs. Overall, it was a beautiful celebration and great night complete with a Packer victory. Thank you to all who came and helped us celebrate Anna’s special day. We are so thankful for your love and support! Below are some more pictures from this special occasion!

Mommy and Anna before Mass


Anna with her Yummy Baptismal Cake


Cheering on the Pack to a Victory!

Shout Out to Mom and Dad

The other day, my mom and I were talking and she said something to me that really got me thinking. She said, “Your dad and I were talking this morning and it dawned on me. I am done raising you. There is nothing more I can teach you, I can no longer “parent” you, I’m done. From here I can only guide you and give you my opinion. You are an adult now and self sufficient. You are able to make your own decisions.” It really got me thinking. Are we really ever “done” being a parent? I don’t think, as a parent, no matter what the age your children are, you never really stop worrying about them and for the health, safety and well-being, but I do think my mom raises a good point. Now I am older, graduated college, have a career, am a wife and mother, and our relationship has changed - and in an amazing way. While we will always have that "parent/child" relationship, it now goes deeper than that. I can confide in my parents the way I would a friend, and the best part is, they totally get me! They know exactly what I like, what I don’t like, how I think. They know where I came from and what I want out of life. It is no longer their responsibility to take care of me, but rather enjoy me and my family. It is such a special relationship and I am so lucky that we have that bond together.

This whole parent thing is still a strange concept for Bob and I to wrap our hands around. We have fallen into a good routine of bottles, diapers, feeding, rocking, playing and caring for Anna. I have no doubt in our ability to take care of her, but we haven’t really had to make any of the big decisions yet. Where will she go to school? When will we let her pierce her ears or wear make up? What age will we let her date? What will her curfew be? Some of this stuff totally freaks me out. When I was a teenager I was never concerned about my safety when I was out and about with my friends, I really never thought anything bad would happen. Looking back, some of things I did probably weren’t the best decisions I have ever made. I have a whole new respect for my parents…they had to have faith in me I would make good decisions and now Bob and I will have to put the same faith in Anna and in ourselves to teach her the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and how to make good decisions – talk about the ultimate responsibility!

Everyone says, when you have a baby, all the hard work, sleepless nights, and sacrifices are worth it when they smile and laugh at you. Don’t get me wrong, there is no doubt that Anna’s smile doesn’t melt my heart, but I believe the sacrifices we will make will utlitmately be worth it when Anna is older and Bob and I have the same relationship with her as we do our parents now – what a gift that will be! Thanks mom and dad for all you have done for us kids - it wasn’t until I became a parent myself that I truly understood the sacrifices you have made!

Go Pack Go!

Things certainly are getting exciting here in Green Bay. Last weekend, the Packers were able to beat the Bears in their final game of the regular season, ensuring themselves the wild card in the play offs. Growing up I was never really that interested in football, but once I started dating Bob I quickly learned…if I wanted to hang out on Sundays, I better learn the game and now I cannot imagine not cheering on the Packers every Sunday! I was fortunate enough to go to the game and watch the excitement go down from the 1st row. I have never been that close to professional football and it was quite the experience and was very thankful for the opportunity. Not only was it great to be so close the action, it was also exciting to take in all of the sideline chaos…from security, local and national TV cameras, TV personalities, players, there was so much to see . The most exciting part of the game for me was after the game had ended, before running through the tunnel, Rogers, Jennings, and Driver, ran around the field slapping everyone’s hands before going in to the locker room. I had told my dad jokingly before going to the game - I was going to be sitting so close I would be able to slap Rogers on the behind….little did I know, I really would get the opportunity to slap his hand!!!

While Bob and I both love to cheer on the Packers, we all know Bob is a much bigger fan and certainly invests more energy and emotion into the Packers each season, so I felt kind of guilty going to the game without him. I appreciate his understanding and encouraging me to go and have fun – thanks sweetie, I love you!!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Bob and I went back and forth on what we would do for New Years 2010. We contemplated going out to a party we were invited to, but it just didn't seem right to not ring in the new year with our little Anna Rae, so we decided we would just stay in, make a fancy dinner, and celebrate as a family. A week before Christmas, I was out shopping with my mom, Peg, and Anna, and found a ridiculously cute dress at Ann Taylor that I couldn't resist and was marked down from $248 to $29.99. So then I decided we would join my parents at Thornberry for the night, as they were attending their annual formal for New Years and it would be a great place to wear my spanking new dress. After further discussion, we decided that while the dress was adorable, Bob would have to rent a tux and that would negate the money I saved on the dress. So the dress is tucked safely away in my closet for another time.

A few days later we were talking with Bob's parents and decided we would spend New Year's Eve with Paul, Lois, and Brad at our house. We had a great time - instead of a fancy dinner, we made one of our favorite meals, Cincinnati skyline chili. If you have never had it, it comes highly recommended by the Seidel family. You can pick up the seasoning mix at Festival or Woodman's in Green Bay and it is super easy to make.

Our New Year's celebration consisted of a wonderful dinner, 3 hours of a very intense game of Uno Attack, mojitos, tons of laughter, and good family fun - I honestly don't think I have laughed as hard as I did Friday night in a long time. It was wonderful to spend a night in with Anna and family and celebrate what is truly important to Bob and I - the love and support of good family. The next morning, Bob and I made a commitment to each other that we will spend every New Years Eve as a family playing games and enjoying each other's company.

As I reflect back, I am overwhelmed with all we have to be thankful for in 2010 - most importantly our little Anna Rae, who is such a healthy and happy baby, good jobs, a roof over our heads, food to eat, our health, puppies who we adore, and the love and support of family and friends. While there were some lows in 2010, including the loss of Bob's grandfather, my job loss in the beginning of the year, and Michele and Mike's loss in December, I am reminded that it is those struggles that mold us into who we are and we are stronger because of those experiences. I am optimistic 2011 will be a good year. We look forward to watching Anna Rae learn to toddle around as she continues to discover her new world, Anna's baptism and first birthday, I will officially start part time at my job, and a Packer Superbowl victory - Bob's input of course!

We wish everyone a healthy and happy 2011!