Toby 1995-2009

It's a sad day for the McNelly-Goldberg family. We said farewell to our longtime companion, Toby. He was given to me by my sweet friend Tish our senior year in high school. He was the coolest, most beautiful cat I have ever known. Toby lived a long, happy life and we will miss him dearly.

Dear Tobster,

Thank you for greeting me in the kitchen each morning with soft brushes against my legs. Thank you for keeping our feet warm at night. Thank you for letting all of the neighborhood cats know when they were getting to close to our house. Thank you for allowing us to have many laughs at your expense. Thank you for not getting too upset when we felt the need to put scrunchies on your tail to see how long it would take for you to get it off. Thank you for the funny way you walked when we put tape on your paws. Thank you for keeping Aaron company on the piano bench while he played for us. Thank you for helping me keep the kitchen floor clean by gobbling up anything you could find that was edible. Thank you for keeping an eye on Ruby and making sure she was safe while she was in her swing. Thank you for the loving way you greeted our guests. Thank you for keeping Lewis on his toes and not letting him get away with too many shenanigans when he came to visit. Thank you for helping us eat the popcorn during movie time. Thank you for the soothing purrs you shared with us all.

Thank you for your unconditional love and affection. You have given us many good memories and will always hold a special place in our hearts.

I love you buddy,

Amanda

Party, Party, Party

It was a busy weekend for the McG's. Our dear friends Amy and Bayron are getting ready to welcome their first child into the world. We couldn't be more thrilled! Harley Elizabeth will arrive sometime late February. Their co-ed shower was Saturday night at the Cantina. It was Ruby's fist party and she did great!! She got lots of love from everyone. Sunday it was off to Amy's 'girly' shower with my Mom (GiGi) and Ruby. Ruby got to wear the amazing dress GiGi made for her. She looked beautiful!

Ruby Update

Two months...

We had Ruby's 2 month check up today where she received her first round of shots- BOO!!:( It was not fun for either of us! She now weighs 11lbs 11.5oz, and 23 1/2in., and is in the 75th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. The doc thinks she will roll over very soon considering how active and strong she is. We shall see... I make sure she gets a little tummy time each day, but she absolutely HATES it!! Our Ruby is growing so fast! She loves eye contact and is getting very 'talkative.' Her smiles just melt us!!!

Two months already??

It has been a wonderful, challenging and exciting time for us. Today our Ruby is 2 months old. Wow, she is growing so fast! We grow more and more in love with her every day. She is has started to get very animated over the last couple of weeks and we are having so much fun with her. Mornings are especially sweet:)

Ruby updates:

At Ruby's 2-4 week appointment she weighed 8lbs 6oz- 22in.

5 weeks- smiling at us, watching mobil on her swing

6 weeks- making lots of sounds

7 weeks- slept 9 hrs!!

8 weeks- celebrated her first Halloween and experience her first Bama tailgate:)

Halloween

Ruby celebrated her first Halloween this weekend. Her super cool Aunt Jennifer gave her a pumpkin costume to wear. We ended up with 2 costumes so she split up the night and wore both.

Our precious little pumpkin:)

Ruby and Harley (her soon to be BFF)

Alabama vs Tennessee

We took Ruby to her first Bama tailgate and she did great! The Shockley clan had a nice set-up complete with bottle warmers and pack-n-play for the kids. We had a wonderful time! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Ruby meets Tanner

Ruby with Aunt Greta

B's and their babies:)

The fellas

One Month Old

A few pics of Ruby's first month.....

Ruby and Aunt Sandra

Her 2 week pose:)

Chillin in her lounger

2 weeks...

Our friend Angela, Angela Marino Photography, helped us to capture some beautiful moments with our new daughter.

Happy Birthday!

September 3, 2009 was Aaron's 31st birthday. We had a wonderful day together which included a trip to my OB for my 38 week check up and ultrasound. I left there feeling a little frustrated because they told me I was measuring a week behind my due date. At this point in my pregnancy, that was the last thing I wanted to hear! We spent the rest of the day running around town and paying a visit to our niece and nephew. Had some dinner, watched some TV, then off to bed. I turned off the light and laid down. But I would not be going to sleep...my water broke!! We were admitted into the hospital at 12:30am and Ruby Sofia joined September 4th at 8:39am. She weighed 5lbs 13oz- 21in, blue eyes and a full head of dark hair. She was healthy and beautiful! What a great birthday present for Aaron!!

6:00 AM- Just got my epi....yay!

8:06 AM- Last photo with just the two of us:)

8:39 AM- She's here!!

First family photo:)

She had lots of visitors... here are just a few.

Papa Bob (My Dad)

Aunt Amy (One of my B's)

Mama G and Papa G (Aaron's Parents)

Playing catch-up...

We wanted to start this blog so that we can keep up with our new adventure as parents while keeping our friends and family in the loop.

Here are some pre Ruby's arrival pics to get us started:)

Our dear friend, Angela Marino, of Angela Marino Photography took these amazing photos of Aaron and I.