The Walker Blog: 2011

Cat's Litterbox

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Cathy's Blog | 10:39 PM

I think we mentioned this before, but if you'd like to see daily pictures and read about what we're doing, check out Cathy's blog! Just click on the picture and it'll take you to her blog!!
<3
Steve and Cathy (and Gus)

June Already!

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Family Update | 12:14 PM

Where has the time gone??? This blog hasn't been updated since before we went to MI for Gus's finalization! Cathy updates her blog DAILY and includes pictures and videos of Gus and what we've done for the day. Click here to go to her blog. You might want to subscribe via email so that you never miss a post (she posts EVERY night before bed). Gus also has a blog (written by Cathy) and it's updated every Tuesday with pictures and videos. Click here to go to his blog and be sure to subscribe via email as well.

This will be the last post to this blog (for a long time anyway)... be sure to read Cathy's blog or Gus's blog to know what The Walker Family is doing! Thanks for reading!!!

:)
The Walker Family

5-25-11 Eating With A Fork

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | | 11:11 PM

5-24-11 Growling Gus

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | | 1:03 PM

5-23-11 Practicing Eating with a Fork

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | | 8:32 AM

5-23-11 Playing in the Pool

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | | 8:32 AM

5-15-11 Oceanic for Dinner

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:50 PM

5-15-11 Beach

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:48 PM

5-20-11 Gus Running Throwing and Kicking

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:46 PM

5-20-11 Gus Down the Slide

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:46 PM

5-18-11 Wrestling with Elphie

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:44 PM

5-18-11 Laughing At Elphie

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:44 PM

5-14-11 First Birthday Party

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:39 PM

5-12-11 Faces at Lunch

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:30 PM

5-6-11 Walking

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:13 PM

5-5-11 Grace and Gus at the Zoo

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:10 PM

5-11-11 Water Table

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:09 PM

5-3-11 Unaware of Mom

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:19 AM

4-30-11 Laughing at Dinner

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 10:00 PM

4-27-11 Gus Laughing- HILARIOUS

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:11 PM

4-26-11 Dancing Boy

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:52 AM

4-26-11 Wiggle in the Sun

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 11:51 AM

4-25-11 Monkey Boy Gets Hurt

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:35 PM

4-25-11 Apple

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:34 PM

4-20-11 Gus Outside

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 10:45 PM

4-18-11 Laughing not Napping

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | | 9:57 PM

4-13-11 Dinner and a Show

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:46 PM

3-16-11 Walking

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:02 PM

3-13-11 Steps.mov

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:01 PM

4-10-11 Chatty Gus

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 8:59 PM

4-10-11 Hands Behind His Back

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 8:58 PM

4-10-11 Standing at the Gate

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 8:57 PM

Grabbing the Sun

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 8:56 PM

Finalization Here We Come!!!

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Family Update, Gus | 2:01 PM

April 9th, 2011

We got a call about ten days ago informing us that Gus's finalization hearing needed to be scheduled, and we had to pick either April 15th or May 13th. When Cathy asked if it mattered, she was told that we had to BE there IN PERSON for the hearing. She called Steve and together we freaked out because we didn't know we had to physically be there for the hearing. After debating between the two date, neither of which really works for us, we decided to do the 15th (the sooner the better).

We'll be going to MI this coming Thursday and we'll be there Thursday night, and then his hearing is at 11am on Friday the 15th. The 15th is also Tax Day, and should be a great day to celebrate each year. Cathy's mom will be coming to court with us and we'll be meeting Gus's birth mom C and her mom P. We're very excited that they wanted to come to court with us, and it means so much that they'll be there for this very special day. After court, we're going to lunch and C's grandma (P's mom) will be joining us and she'll be meeting her very first great-grandchild. We're super excited to meet her as well, as she's been so very supportive throughout the entire adoption.

After we have lunch with everyone, we'll be coming back to Cathy's parents and then later on, we'll be going out to dinner with her brother's family, and then Jessica (Gus's God Mother and second cousin) will be joining us with her daughter B. It's going to be so special to celebrate Gus's Adoption Day with our family.

We have nothing planned for Saturday, but it'll be a great day with Cathy's parents and hopefully Scott and his family. Then we'll be leaving bright and early on Sunday to drive back to NC. It'll be a VERY quick trip, but one that will be very special.

We had hoped to go back to MI in May/June for Gus's 1st birthday and to see Charlie (Scott and Christie's baby- due on May 18th), but with the unexpected trip next week, we'll be pushing back our MI trip to July. We're hoping that Cathy's parents can come down to NC for Gus's first birthday party which is May 14th.

We've been enjoying our time as a family and Cathy loves being at home with Gus. It's like she was put on Earth to be his mom and is loving every minute of it. Steve loves when he comes home now and Gus gets REALLY excited to see him. He usually goes to the baby gate and stands there waiting for Steve to pick him up. It's really cute.

Gus is amazing. He's walking, sometimes even running, and chatting up a storm. He only says mama and dada right now, but there are a lot of things that's he's saying that we can't quite understand right now. He's got an amazing personality and is very easy going. He doesn't fuss and doesn't usually wear anything but a smile. He loves the cats and his favorite friend is our puppy Elphie. They are the best of friends and Elphie is so tolerant and loving with Gus.

Gus is eating solids (table foods) and has been for a few months. He loves the sippy cup and we don't anticipate a lot of problems when it comes time to ween him from the bottle. He still doesn't have ANY teeth... and has already had his first haircut! Here are some pictures from that event:

Steve and Gus before the haircut

We love the way his haircut turned out and think he looks even cuter than before!! He shouldn't need another haircut for a while, but when it's time for another one, Steve will be taking Gus back to the barber shop. It's going to be a "Daddy and Gus" event and we're excited that they'll have something to do that's special and just between them.

Be sure to check Gus's blog each Tuesday and our family YouTube page for videos. Cathy is going to post some of the more recent ones to this blog so you can see what's been happening. Also, you can now subscribe to our blog through email... if you haven't signed up for this, please do! It'll ensure that you never miss a post!

See you soon!

The Walkers

Welcome Spring!

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Life Update | 12:31 PM

8 Months: January 11th, 2011

9 Months: February 11th, 2011

10 Months: March 11th, 2011

Oh my!!! It's been three months already since we last posted!! YIKES! Maybe we can get Cathy to start posting something every weekend so that we can stay up-to-date with things and not get so far behind!

As you can see, little Gus has been growing like a weed! He's now ten-months-old, and believe it or not, he's walking. He's been walking for about a week now... and each day get just gets more and more stable and comfortable. He's not able to stand up on his own, but he's quick to get up if he has something to grab. He's amazing.

Some of the highlights from the last few months include Gus starting to stand on his own (January 9th). He also has gotten really good with his eating and pretty much skipped over the pureed foods and went straight to table foods. He doesn't have any teeth, but he can gum it like the best of 'em!!

One of Cathy's favorite pictures of Steve and Gus (1-13-11)

We enjoyed watching the Green Bay Packers win the Superbowl and of course, we had to dress Gus up to watch the game.

The only thing that could have made it better was if the Bengals were playing!

February was a really busy month for us. Not only did Cathy take Gus out for a lot of fun playdates, but we also headed north to see Cathy's side of our family. While we were there, we were able to arrange to meet Gus's birth family too! It was a great trip and we'll be heading back north in May/June... as soon as Cathy's SIL Christie has her baby girl!! She's due May 18th and we're hoping to head up around Memorial Day so that we can take advantage of the extra day!

In February (on the 2nd), Cathy took Gus to the park for the very first time. He loved it! He wasn't too sure about the swings at first, but eventually got comfortable and had a great time!

We headed up to Michigan and here are some of the great pictures of meeting his birth family:

Gus's birth father's family

Gus's Birth Great Aunt and her family

Gus's Birth Mom's family

While in Michigan it snowed and Gus got to experience REAL snow. He liked it and enjoyed his first taste of snow!

We got back to Michigan and Steve's dad and Sue Ann came for a nice visit. They bought him his first wagon and had a blast taking him on wagon rides around the neighborhood!

On February 28th, Cathy took Gus to the park again to enjoy the 75 degree weather that we were having. Gus really had fun and while they were out, he started to show signs that he was ready to start taking his first steps!

This brings us to March. So far this month, Gus took his first steps (March 14th) and then really started to walk on the 16th. Cathy was able to capture the walking on video, and Steve got the first steps on video too!!

On the 17th Cathy took Gus to the zoo with our neighbor and her best friend Wendy. They spend just about every day together and the kids all love to play together. We're very blessed to have such great friends in our lives. Here are some pictures from Gus's first trip to the zoo!

As you can tell, it was St. Patty's Day and Cathy dressed Gus in the cutest little outfit! Here are some other favorite pictures from this month:

We'll make sure to post again soon!!! Be sure to check Gus's blog each Tuesday for updates and always check the You Tube channel for new videos!!!
:)
The Walkers

3-13-11 Steps.mov

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Videos of Gus | 9:38 PM

1-10-11 Happy New Year!!

Posted by Steve and Cat Walker | Family Update, Holidays | 1:22 PM

Our Sweet Baby

Gosh it's been a while since we posted! Cathy has been super busy posting each Tuesday on Gus's blog, and then she's been posting daily on her personal blog... we guess this one got over-looked! Sorry!!

Our first Christmas together as a family was wonderful. We spent it just the three of us, and had hoped that Cathy's parents would be able to come down for the week between Christmas and New Year's, but they weren't able to get the time off of work. Instead, we spent the time together and didn't really do much. It was great!

Prior to Christmas, Cathy took Gus to Wal-Mart to have his pictures taken. She had a coupon for 30 pictures for $8. We felt it was too good a price to pass it up, so she took him to get his picture taken on the seventh of December and they were back by the 14th. The lady was so surprised at how happy Gus was and decided to take as many poses as she could! Because Cathy has her new camera and takes MILLIONS of pictures of Gus, she wasn't interested in buying anything more than the coupon package. She was able to get the coupon package (which is all 30 pictures of the same pose) and then two additional pictures. All in all, she did very well with walking out the door only spending $20.

Here are the pictures that we bought:

Naked Santa Boy :)

Rub-a-dub dub... Gus in the tub!

Black and White Jolly Boy

Gus's First Christmas

The pictures were back in time for us to send some out to Gus's birth family, and then our own family and friends.

Christmas at the Walker house was incredible this year. Not only did Santa spoil all of us, but our lives were enriched by the joy that Gus has brought to our family. The first Christmas as a family was more than we had ever dreamed it would be, and it was so very special. We went to Christmas Eve Mass with our neighbors Wendy and Ryan and their family, and then came home and prepared for the big day! Here are some pictures from our special day!

Gus all dressed up for Mass

"Let's go to church!!"

Steve got some coal in his stocking... was he a bad boy???

Gus and Steve opening presents! Gus LOVES his Tickle Me Elmo X-treme!!

Steve was not a bad boy afterall!! He got an iPad!!

Gus was so excited to open present after present!!

Santa brought Cathy a bracelet that says her favorite word: Gus

Some of the toys that Santa and friends and family brought Gus

Such a happy little guy... basking in the wrapping paper of goodies!!

After such a great Christmas, we were blessed with snow on the 26th! We had some snow back on December 4th, but it was a light dusting compared to the snow that we got on the 26th. We took Gus outside for some fun in the snow (he did NOT enjoy himself) and then we came inside to get warm!!

Chillin' (literally) in the snow...

Um... not feeling it so much...

READY to get out of the snow and cold!!!

Cathy and Gus and their matching frog hats (Christmas gifts from Wendy and Ryan and the girls)

We rang in the New Year with Ryan, Wendy, and the girls by having pizza together at their house and then watching the movie Inception. Cathy hated it, Steve loved it. Then after midnight we headed back home and then slept until ten on the first!!

Happy New Year!!!

Steve went back to work on the 3rd and then our lives went back into our usual routine. Gus has been growing and changing each day and you should definitely check his blog each Tuesday to see videos, and highlights of the week. This last week he started to try and stand on his own (by grabbing something) and yesterday he actually stood up. Once he figured out how to stand, he started cruising... we're in for it now!!

Such a cutie!

Everything was soooo funny yesterday! Here's Gus standing and laughing... looks like he's talking! He's saying, "You're in for it now!!"

Gus LOVES vanilla yogurt!

We had to include the Dayton onesie that Gus was sportin' the other day...

Well that's about it from us. Tomorrow Gus turns 8 months old! Can you believe it? Cathy will post pictures on his blog, so be sure to check it out. He has a follow-up appointment on the 13th for his second flu-shot. We're hoping they weigh and measure him and we can see what growth has been made since the six-month appointment!!

We'll post again soon!

Steve and Cat & Gus