My little sister

Molly Elaine Doyle joined us at 1:12am on Saturday, July 2nd. I cant wait to meet her. I am at home with Lisa. We are going to get donuts from DD and then go straight to the hospital so I can meet Molly.

Im going to be a big brother! Real Soon!

Well, mom is in the hospital and she has started the inducing process. She went in for her ultrasound this morning, and just like me, she was admitted straight to delivery. She is healthy and the baby is healthy. I am actually at home hanging with Lisa until we get the news. Lets hope it doesnt take three days this time.

I am really excited to be a big brother. I dont know if I get a little brother or sister yet, but either way I know we will have lots of fun together. Here is my list of things to do with the little bugger once he/she is old enough:

- play basketball

- go for walks and search for cones, pinwheels, flags and taxi cabs

- go for hikes

- go kayaking

- go camping and sleep in a tent

- make smoothies

- have family hugs

- dance parties in the kitchen to my favorite songs - Forever and Just the Way You Are

- drive daddy's car

- ride bikes

We have a lot to do and I have a lot to teach him.

I will keep you posted on her arrival.

FMD

Adventures with Finn!

Today was a great day. It's beautiful, sunny and warm in Baltimore. To celebrate, we all woke up early this morning and had breakfast before we headed to Patapsco State Park for some exploring and frolicking. When we arrived, we saw all of these mountain bikers going really fast down the trails - there was a big charity race. It was fun... mommy says I can ride next year.

We trekked through the mud down to the river bank and daddy let me drop a few pebbles in the river. The sound of the river was mesmerizing. I just stared at the little rapids in awe. I can't wait to get in a kayak. After the river, we hiked up the road and I played in another stream. Finally, we stopped at a picnic table for some juice and goldfish and then headed for the swings. What a morning - I just loved being outside. I think mommy and daddy did too.

We had so much fun that I was s

o worn out and I fell asleep minutes after we got in the car to go home. I wonder what we'll do tomorrow? I think I heard something about the National Zoo in DC - woohoo. I will keep you posted.

FYI - my new favorite words are "bubbles" and "eggs". Eggs, cheese, and toast are my favorite breakfast. Now that I am 17 months old, I am a really big help around the house. I am great at helping to unload the dishwasher, make coffee, and even scramble the eggs. I am a whiz in

the kitchen. Daddy says that will go a long way with the ladies.

Back to my nap!

FMD.

St. Patty's Day

Hello Friends,

I am not doing really well with the blog. I guess I am just too darn busy being a kid. I am growing up so fast and doing so many new things that I don't have time to sit at a computer - I have the rest of my life to do that.

Last weekend, we went to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. I had so much fun with my cousins. Margaret is nine and she is my new best friend. We had so much fun playing together. We went swimming, played in the condo, and watched movies in the truck on the way up. Mom and Dad got to go skiing and snowboarding. I heard mom is getting really good.

I am sad that

we missed the Doyle Corned Beef Bash again this year. I am making sure that Mom and Dad don't have to work next year so we can definitely go. I heard it was a lot of fun and the food was amazing. I can't wait. This year, Daddy is making some corned beef and we might go watch some irish dancers at J. Patricks. I probably wont be able to stay long because it gets so loud and crowded. I am not waiting in line to refill my juice cup. Thankfully (for everyone) its just a short walk down the street.

Okay, so I am 17 months now and I have a lot of teeth. My molars have been coming in for a while but they don't seem to hurt as much as the front teeth. I just drool a lot. I am still not much of a talker but I give Mommy and Daddy some shout outs and I can say "ball" really well. Other than that, I just point, giggle and grunt.

I have some new favorite toys. Mommy bought me a really cool basketball hoop and I love dunking over Daddy. I love being outside and get a little cranky when its raining and I have to stay inside. I think our house is shrinking... or maybe I am just getting bigger.

Lisa is still the best babysitter ever and she takes me on adventures to the museum, aquarium and even last week she took me to see the Easter Bunny. I didn't cry.

That is all for now. I need to help Mommy and Daddy clean up and organize our basement so I can have more room to play. Happy St. Patty's Day!!z

I'M BACK!

I am back on the blog. I haven't been able to write much over the last few months because my dad was hogging the computer, trying to finish his research paper. I think he is done and that is good because I missed having him around on the weekends. He spent a lot of time at Koba Coffee shop.

It's now February and I have changed a lot since my 1 year birthday. I am now 15 months... almost a grown man. I love dancing, running, and even spinning in circles - but that makes mommy really nervous. She thinks I am going to fall and hit my head. I think she forgets that I have a HUGE head and its pretty hard.

Speaking of huge, do you all remember that huge snowstorm that hit the east coast a few weeks ago? It was awesome. I went out and played in it but I didn't really like the sledding part... maybe next year. I was really bummed that my cousin Tierney couldn't fly out to play with me.

I went back to Chicago for Christmas and it was great. I saw all my relatives. I had fun playing with peeps my own age. I was lucky enough to get some really cool toys from Santa. I love my Elmo. He is so funny.

Im back in Baltimore now and I am happy to be back hanging out with Lisa, my babysitter. We have a lot of fun together. I also love going to my neighbors house. Tom and Melissa spoil me like crazy. I love their dog Stanley, but sometimes I think he gets jealous of me.

I am still working on the talking thing, but I am really good at showing you my belly button - just ask. Okay, I think we are all caught up. I will try to be better about keeping this updated.

Peace out, Bean Sprouts!

FMD

ps. I can really jam on the piano with Opa.

My First Year - In Video

Happy New Year! I will write more later and tell you about my Christmas trip to Chicago and all my cool new toys but in the meantime, here is a little video my mom made of my first year. Yes, it's a little late since I am almost 15 months old but better late than never!

-FMD

Birthday Cake and New Car Video

My 1st Birthday Party

I'm back to tell you all about my first birthday party! I had such a great time with all my friends and I really loved eating my birthday cake. Mommy spent so much time on it that I mostly just picked at it with my fingers but it sure tasted good! I got so many nice presents from my friends and I still love to play with the bus mommy and daddy got me but I really don't like using the door to get in and out.

Mom made cupcakes for my friends and we had lots of good food although I was too busy playing with my new toys to eat any of it. I got an awesome new car from Opa and Gege and I will post some pictures and videos of it for all my Chicago friends to see. I am so lucky to have so many great friends! Gotta run, gotta practice walking! 

I made it!

I am sitting in my new toy bus!

I am 1!!!! Wow, what a great year it has been.  I have a lot of memories, all of which I will never remember (how does that make sense?). 

I woke up this morning and found lots of balloons in the house, which are my favorite. I have had the red one in my hand for well over 5 hours. Mommy decorated the house and bought me some nice new toys to play with. So many of my friends and family have sent text messages, emails and Grandma and Grandpa Doyle even sent me more balloons. I am so lucky.

BIG NEWS! I can now stand up all by myself. I know how to walk but I choose not to. I figure I have a lifetime of walking so I will ride this crawling and being carried thing out as long as I can.

I am looking forward to my party on Saturday. I have some little friends and big friends coming and GeGe is flying in from Chicago... just to see ME. 

I will be sure to not let a year pass before my next blog update. 

Lata,  Sweet Potata!

FMD

I like to laugh!

I know I have been MIA on the blog for a while, but you need to cut me some slack. I have been very busy. I am crawling like crazy, climbing mountain size stair cases, and eating real foods like avocados and tomatoes. I am in the middle of a growth spurt. Here are some highlights:

• I have 8 teeth
•  I sleep through the night. I go down at 7:30 and wake up at 7ish
• I finally have hair. I am working on a sweet mullet that would make Uncle Tom jealous
• I went on my first boat ride while on vacation in MI with my Doyle relatives
• I have had a lot of visitors. Seamus, Maria and Madalyn, and the Thompsons (with Tyler)
• I have been kissing lots of lady friends; Madalyn, Isla and Marly
• I went to the zoo and fed the giraffes. I love turtles.
• My new baby sitter, Lisa, ROCKS! She takes me on walks and buys me cool clothes
• My workouts include the stairmaster, doing pull-ups, and running laps with Mom and Dad around the house

Here is a clip of me enjoying life's simple things - Dad throwing a bottle up the stairs and we watch it roll down the steps. Enjoy.

Best Neighbors Ever!

Our neighbors Melissa and Tom have been so good to me. Last week they gave me a really cool toy called the Beach Party Bus. I love sitting on it and pushing all of the buttons.

Look at me go!

Thanks Melissa and Tom!

I'm on the Move!

Look out! I love to crawl. 

Finally... an update!

Greetings!

I know I have been MIA on the blog lately. I hope you enjoyed the videos. I have been very busy growing, eating and digesting real food (mom and dad are adjusting to my digestion as well). I love pears, bananas, apples, carrots and sweet potatoes. At this rate, I am eating more vegetables than my mom.

I will admit. I am a wild man. I can't stop moving. Dad says holding me is like trying to hold a wet salmon. I can't help it - I am just so curious about everything in the world that I can't concentrate on anything. I like to touch everything, study it with my big eyes, and then I have to give everything a thorough taste test. My life is so full of adventure that I like to wake up at 3am every morning to see what's going on. 

Other highlights:

• I have two new teeth on the bottom
• I love to crawl and scoot around - this keeps mom and dad on their toes
  
• I do a great impression of Arthur Fonsarelli  - "Heyyyyyy"
• I can't quite read yet, but I am really good at pretending:

Now that the weather is nice, I love going to Ft. McHenry and playing in the grass. Pulling grass is so much fun. I wish I could it eat. Dad would let me, but Mom says no.

Here is a pic of me at the park. I am trying out a few poses for a possible career in modeling. 

Thats all for now, but I have some exciting plans coming up so I will give you updates. Gege is coming to visit. Mom, Gege and I are going to Richmond, VA for mom's work. Dad has to stay home and work - boo!

Uncle Dave is coming to town to visit me, but I think he really is coming to take me to my first Phish show in NJ. He wants me to change my name to Phinn. Dad says no "phrickin way".

Peace out Bean Sprout! - FMD

Fun with Opa and Gege

I know it's been awhile, I promise to write more soon. I've been busy trying to scoot around the house. I'm on the move!

Family Laugh Time

My parents are pretty darn funny. 

Yum Yum

I just had my first bowl of cereal and it was pretty much the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I even tried eating the bowl and spoon. I can't wait to get my hands on some deep dish pizza... maybe next week. 

My photo shoot

 Mom's friend Penie took some pics of me a couple weeks ago. Mom said she had a hard time deciding which ones she loves the most! I just discovered that I know how to yell and move my voice up and down so I spend a lot of time doing that. I also love to give kisses. See?

My First St. Patty's Day!

Yesterday was a great day, and not just because it was my first St. Patrick's Day. I went back to Johns Hopkins again to try and finally get my kidneys checked out. Last time my veins weren't big enough to get the IV in so we had to reschedule. For this visit, Mr. Ron and Miss Christina had a special machine that helped them find my veins under a UV light. It was called the Vein Viewer - it was awesome and they got the IV in on the first shot.

After the IV and the catheter (ouch! that was my third catheter and I am only 5 months), they strapped me down to a table and took xray pictures of this dye moving through my kidneys and bladder. I didn't mind it so much... I laughed with mom and dad and Gege - yes, she came out to visit me and watch me while mom and dad go to work. I even took a nap for a bit. I was strapped down for an hour.

After the procedure, we met with Dr. Gearhart. He is a Scottish man from Georgia and he talks funny and tells weird stories. He told me my kidneys looked great and are draining properly. Great News! No more medicine and no more IVs.

We got the party started later that afternoon. The adults had corned beef, potatoes and Gege's Irish soda bread and this weird drink that was really dark and had a creamy layer on top. Dad really seemed to like it. It was definitely NOT my kind of drink. I will stick with the milk.

I think I am going to like St. Patrick's Day more and more every year. I cant wait to go to the Doyle Corned Beef Bash in Chicago. I hear it is pretty wild. Here are some pics...

 

I am enjoying my time with Gege, she is spoiling me and I am giving her lots of kisses in return. Talk to you soon!

Doctor's Visit

I had my four month doctor's appointment this week and they told my mom that I weigh 17 lbs, 11 oz and I am 27 and 3/4 inches long. Dr. P. doesn't believe that I am that long because apparently that is the height of an average 7 month old. What can I say? I am tall like Grandpa Doyle. 

I also starting noticing how fun it is to see other babies. I went over to my friend Anthony's house this week and we had a lot of fun together. Anthony's mom Penie took some pictures of us. Here are a couple:

I am counting down the days until Gege comes to visit from Chicago. 13 Days! I can't wait to see her. Talk to you soon!

Look, I'm Growing!

I'm Growing...I just passed the fourth month mark and all is good. I am starting to figure this gig out. I love to smile, take baths, play with my friends, eat as much as I can, and sleep. I am still working on the nap thing, but I am sleeping a lot during the night and that makes mom really happy.

Here are a few of my tricks.

Finn "Diesel" - I have developed an alter-ego. When I don't sleep or get really hungry, I introduce everyone to the "diesel". I don't cry

 much, but I have a great pout or snarl on my face and I just make deep, long grumbling noises. Its my way of letting people know that I need something... usually food. If you don't have milk, you better back off!

I love taking a bath!

  

Here is a picture of me giving you all a shout out!

And finally, here is just a picture of me hanging out with mom & dad on the weekend.