Girls Day Out

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On Monday, Jannie, Baby Ann and Francie and I went down to Aptos to visit Aunt Kaky, Cousin Emmy, Cousin Johnners, Aunt Mimi and Cousin Drew (Cousin Connor and Claire were at school/practice). We had a fun girls day out going to lunch and shopping around Aptos!

The girls playing with Francie-pants

Her "O" face

The twins John and Emmy... all grown up and turning 21 next month!

The girls hanging out in Emmy's room

Three Generations of Arnerich Girls

Francie snoozing through lunch in Aunt Mimi's arms

College girls... Congrats to cousin Emmy who was just offered a spot on the San Jose State Soccer Team! She is a superstar.

What a big girl she is! Playing back at home in Jannie's nursery. Heff was working late so we hung out with Auntie Baby Ann and Jannie.

Francie was playing by herself in the crib (having "Francie Time") and Ann walked in to find Sophie on her hind legs looking in on the babe

Princess Sophie

I was working on embroidering some onesie's in Jan's sewing room for Francie and her cousins (watch out at Thanksgiving Ronan and Isabel!) and we laid out our "Shiloh Blanket" we started working on before Francie was born (We saw a stroller blanket that looked similiar on Shiloh Jolie-Pitts lap in a magazine and decided to try making one) but Sophie seemed a little miffed with the lack of attention and took over our project!

Dressed up with Dad and Mom

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We went to a wedding Saturday night (Francie's third wedding, old hat for an 8 week old) at the Menlo Circus Club. Francie wore a smocked dress that was Baby Ann's when she was little and looked so cute :) It was the wedding of Scott and Alicia, who is a tutor at Academic Trainers. They both looked beautiful and we had a great time out and about with Baby Francie!

Francie's Fancy Rocks

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We got the front yard landscaping done on Saturday and it looks much better... hopefully the neighbors won't pretend they aren't friends with us when they walk by anymore :) Heff did a great job and worked hard to get it all in, with a little help from Jose and Hilario of course.

These are our fancy rocks...

Heff was going to run out to get rocks at our favorite dirt store but Francie and I decided to come along for the ride. While Heff was driving over to the rock pile, I saw some much prettier rocks in a pre-filled container on the sidelines. Since it seemed much easier to just load up rocks from a pallet, Heff agreed these rocks were much better than the kind he'd have to shovel into the bed of his new truck himself. It wasn't until we pulled up to the window to pay and they charged $550 to Heff's credit card, we realized these rocks were about 10 times as expensive as the rocks he was going to get. If you come to visit our house, please tell my husband you like his rocks and don't let your kids take any of them home in their pockets.

Sage (right before he sat in the newly planted flower beds instead) I love my dogs :)

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

How Do You Wake a Sleeping Baby?

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Today was "Landscpe-the-Front-Yard-Day" and started bright and early for Heff and Francie. They were up at 7am and Dad bundled her up for their errands...

Most of the plants ready to go in the ground (Heff apparently laid these out one-handed while he held the sleeping beauty... I was still sleeping too:)

Francie slept through two hours of running errands with Dad and was still knocked out when they came home at 9:30

We all piled in the car to get rocks for the front yard by the fence at "the dirt store"

Francie continued to sleep...

Now this should wake her up right? Heff is cutting the wire on this flat of ROCKS to be dumped into the bed of the truck

Still sleeping!

Then out of the car again to walk around the nursery for a few more plants

And still sleeping!

After checking to make sure she still breathes and taking a few layers off of her (it's warm out by now!) the little snoozer heads home

Walking in A Small Town

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Friday night we decided to walk to downtown Palo Alto for dinner together as a family :) We went for Sushi, my first raw fish since being pregnant. Then we kept walking to try a new ice cream/yogurt place called "Fraiche" and since it was nice weather out and we were in a walking mood we kept right on walking to downtown Menlo Park! We knew Janet and John were at a holiday party at Vida in downtown Menlo so we set that as a destination and set to walking. Francie was in the stroller smiling and sleeping, the two things she does best.

Here she is bundled up in the stroller for our walk... she loves to look at the Eric Carle animal bumpers Jannie got for her stroller (she got tired of looking at the "warning" label all day:)

As soon as we hit downtown Menlo, I remembered that this really is a small town... We knew 8 out of the 10 people we saw coming out of Left Bank and stopped to show off Francie and visit with friends, neighbors, clients, employees... we saw a few of each :) Then we made our way to Bistro Vida and Jannie was thrilled to see Francie tapping on her shoulder!

We headed home and crashed on the couch after at least a 6 mile round trip.

Busy Baby Francie

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We had a busy day Thursday! Francie and I walked to Cafe Barrone's with another mom and her baby Estelle, who is 3.5 weeks old, to meet the Mom's Group at 10:30am. We all sat outside enjoying the sun and last bits of warm weather with the babies. It is crazy to see so many young babies, moms and strollers in one place. All of the moms are really nice and it's a fun group to be a part of... lots of baby talk!

Jannie met us there and we walked to Heff's office to say hi to Dad at work and figure out what flowers we are going to put in this weekend for our over-haulin' landscaoe project. Francie got to play with Dad for a bit before we were off to the nursery (the plant kind, not the baby kind:)

Jan and Francie and I stopped at Roger Reynolds Nursery and picked out some Iceberg white climbing roses and some Bluestar Creeper ground cover... Heff has already picked up a bunch of Boxwood hedges and plants for the side of our yard by the fence. This is the before shot :) Hopefully it will look much different by Saturday afternoon!

Last night Aunt Kat, Jannnie, Francie and I went to the "Holiday Gift Show" at Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton to shop for some cute baby and kids stuff and holiday treats!

Our friend Suzi Tinsley was there with her "Sugar Shack" treats... she helped introduce Heff and I the first night we met at the Dreams Happen auction. (After we had been talking for awhile she came up and asked if he was flirting with me to which I think I replied "I hope so" :) then helped drag him out on the dance floor later int he night. Thanks Suzi!)

We had dinner at the Johnet's to watch Arizona beat #2 Oregon... Jannie was trying to teach Francie to say "Bear Down Arizona!"

Grandpa and his favorite baby girl

"I've had a busy day for an 8-week old!" Francie went home and fell right to sleep :)

Lunch at the Goose

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Uncle Jerry came down from San Francisco for the day Wednesday so we all had lunch at the Dutch Goose.

Woah, reset those crossed eyes Francie-pants

Showing off her strong legs and holding her head up for Jerry... she is pretty strong!

A couple weeks ago Jerry's good friend Gary Machado came over to meet Francie... I didn't get the pictures off Janet's camera until just now. I heard Gary felt a litlle slighted he didn't make the blog as a faithful reader :) Here are Jer and Gary with Francie

Congrats on starting your new job Gary! Come visit more often!

Blessings for Francie

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Yesterday we went to Oakwood, the retirement community for nuns of the Sacred Heart, to visit "Ann's Nun" Sister Claire Saizan. Sister Saizan is hilarious, she is 97 years old and full of life and commentary. She came to Oakwood (on the Sacred Heart campus where I went to High School) to retire five years ago from Sacred Heart Convent in Grand Coteau, Lousiana when my sister Ann was an exchange student at the Lousiana school for a semester her junior year. Ann would visit Sister when she came back to Sacred Heart Menlo and has continued to visit her since, along with Jannie who takes her out for rides sometimes.

We thought Sister would like to meet the baby so we took her over for a visit Tuesday after my Mommy/Baby Playgroup and lunch (12 strollers around a table, poor waitress!) Sister loved meeting Francie, but thought we should only be calling her by her given name of "Mary Frances." The nuns were all quite excited to see a baby in the halls and all stopped to say hi... Sister asked, or sort of demanded, each nun to "give her your blessing" so Mary Frances left with lots of holiness. Sister got a little upset that so many people were sharing her time so she asked us to close the door so she could have Mary Frances all to herself.

My mom always asked sister if she could buy her a nice walker (with brakes and wheels and a seat!) like my grandmother, Marmar, had. Sister always said no becuase it was against the vow of poverty, even though her walker was falling apart and hard for her to use. When Marmar died my mom brought her old walker to Sister and told Sister it would mean a lot to her if she would use it and pray for my Grandmother... this seemed acceptable to Sister so she has my grandmothers walker that Jan is sitting in here with Mary Frances. Sister has her name all over it so none of the other nuns will mistake it for theirs.

When we left I asked sister if she needed anything and she said "No, just God" with a smile :)

Daddy's Girl

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Francie loves her time with her Dad! She gives him lots of smiles and almost laughs when she plays with her Dad. Monday night Heff got Francie all ready for bed in her lamb gown (his favorite for changing diapers easily) and took her to bed early while I was working. They played together until they both fell asleep.

Francie found her fists and her new favorite activity is shadow boxing :)

"You want a piece of me?"

Fast asleep (Heff has a hard time putting Francie to sleep in her bassinet and likes her right next to him... I have to be the "disciplinarian" and get her used to the bassinet!)

New lunch spot

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Francie and I had lunch Monday with our friends Alexis and James (two and a half) at a new restaurant that just opened this weekend at the Allied Arts Guild called The Red Currant. It is always great to viit with Alexis and the restaurant was really good if any local blog readers are looking for a new lunch spot!

Francie getting ready for lunch... this onesie is so cute, Alexis and James gave it to Francie and it has a pink ribbon attatched that ties in a bow in the back so Francie looks like she is wrapped up like a present!

James kept saying "She's so cute!"

We played outside in the garden by the fountain for awhile too

Say CHEESE!

Francie just chillin at home after lunch and some errands in her Juicy suit from Aunt Mimi

"Thanks Aunt Mimi! Now I look like my cousins! Except Cousin Emmy, why does your Juicy look like the Target knock off since the "J" zipper pull broke and turned itself into an "I"... you better get that fixed Cuz."

Wedding in Tahoe

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Our good friends Kevin and Heather got married Saturday up at Lake Tahoe. It was a beautiful wedding on the lake and lots of Heff's friends from UC Davis and Red Bluff were there to celebrate. Heather looked beautiful and the reception was perfect, great food and great friends to share their day.

Family photo :)

Claire and Kat on the shuttle ride over to the wedding from the resort

Heather the beautiful bride and her brother

"Look at that pretty bride!"

Kevin the groom!

All dressed up in my wedding best from Jane Flynn

Mary Christensen with Mary Frances

"Other Mary", Heff and Tyler

Having fun at the reception in her PJs

The Edwards Boys and their ladies

Johnny walked by Heff holding Francie and dabbed her nose in cake frosting! Trying to make her cross-eyed Johnny?!

Dad made it all better and liked it off her nose... of Francie could talk she'd say "GROSS DAD!"

"But you are pretty funny Dad"

Back at the Resort at Squaw Creek for the afterparty... Francie the night owl never stops!

We woke up to 4 inches of snow! It was beautiful and Francie's first time to see snow (I'm sure she'll remember it well:)

Vote for Francie!

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Auntie Ann gave Francie this onesie :)

Francie got dressed up Thursday night for dinner out with Mom and Dad and Aunt Kat at Oak City downtown Menlo Park. She was an angel during dinner and slept in Heff's arms the whole time.

She found the pig! Francie started reacting to the pig hanging over her changing table... she hits it and laughs when it swings away from her.

So exciting Francie!

Photo Shoot

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Ken did a great job with the pictures of Francie and Brady at Brilliant Babies photo shoot day. I, of course, picked the wrong day to let my hair dry without a straightener! Heff stopped by the office to say hi Aunt Marge so we had to take a quick picture of the Heffs, just not our best day for pictures :) Ken does weddings, babies and portriats if anyone is looking for a great professional photographer.

www.KenBuckPhotography.com

Great Aunt or "GG" Marge with Molly and Mary and their babies Brady and Francie... three generations of Sheehys! We wish Marmar (my grandmother and Marge's big sister) could be here to meet her Great-grandaughter Mary Frances and Great-nephew Brady Wolfe.

Ready for Baby Playgroup

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Fall weather means a new Fall Wardrobe for Francie!

Just waking up for the day (slept through my PJ's to new outfit change...)

Happy girl in her new sweater

Francie looking at the dogs..."Sage, Mom already taught me how to fight you off if you get up on this couch."

"Took care of that for you mom."

Ready to go out to breakfast with Mom and Dad at Cafe Barrone's where Mom will camp out for Baby Playgroup lunch called Blanket Babies... at least 20 moms and their "pre-crawlers" meet every Thursday and take over an area of a yummy outdoor cafe for lots of baby talk! Francie is making lots of new friends already |:)

Francie Time

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Francie had to return to Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford today for a hip ultrasound. Our pediatrician Dr. Cisco recommended it as a standard procedure for breech babies since the way they sit and exit the womb can very occasionally cause hip dysplasia. Heff had a work meeting so Jannie and I took Francie first thing this morning to get checked out. She was SO good and slept through the whole thing (even while we flipped her from side to side and they rubbed the ultrasound device all over her!) Her hips looked fine and we were reminded just how lucky we are to have a healthy baby.

Sleeping baby in a diaper after her exam

Thanks for helping us Jan

Then we went to the shopping center for lunch at California Cafe... Francie was all smiles. (I'm loving my new iPhone and took all of these pictures with it!)

After a good shopping day (20% off pre-sale at Bloomies!) we headed home to relax. She had a bath, one of her favorite activities and then bundled up in her little lamb towel from the Christensen's that says "Lil' Heff" on the back:)

Heff and I somehow figured out that she likes to have "Francie Time" by herself in her crib with the mobile on and sometimes a binky. When she gets a little fussy in the evenings we put her in the crib and keep cranking the mobile ever so often, she stays happy just kicking her legs and looking around for close to an hour or more.

She also likes her new sleepsack to keep her warm and toasty at night now that it's getting a little colder

Happy Birthdays

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Party Time! It was Em's birthday on Nov 2, Uncle Mark's birthday Nov 9 and Jackie's birthday Nov 12 so we had a big celebration Sunday night at the Johnets (still warm enough for a pizza oven party outside!) and had a "Leg of Buddy the Lamb" to go along with it :) yummm. Claire came down from Red Bluff to celebrate with us all. Here is Francie in her party dress

Me and Aunt Kat wearing Ann's Semester at Sea gifts!

Dad settling Francie down in the Pram

The SF crew with Jan

Aunt Sarah and Uncle Mark in their warm birthday hats Claire made

James and Em

Jer and Allison