The Walker Blog: Family Update

Showing posts with label Family Update. Show all posts

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

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

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

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Posted by Cat's Litterbox | Family Update | 3:30 PM

So it's been over a month since we last posted and so much has happened! In case you didn't know, Gus has his own blog (he's such an over-achiever) and it's updated every Tuesday. You can find the link to his blog on the side of this blog... definitely subscribe so you can follow his growth and development. He's now 20 weeks and has quite the personality.

9-11-10 Gus @ 4 Months

Gus will light up when he sees his mom. He is, hands-down, a mama's boy. He loves-loves-loves Cathy. He should, she is staying home with him and they spend their days laughing, snuggling, and getting to know each other. Gus is a VERY happy little guy and is always laughing, chatting, and smiling. He likes to be talked to, and will eagerly talk back when he's being engaged in conversation.

A few weeks ago we had dinner at McDonald's (yes... not the healthiest choice, but it was 7pm and we needed to get Gus home for bed) and had salads. Well, we paid for it because we both came down with an EXTREME case of food poisoning. We both were up all night throwing up, and thankfully our neighbor Wendy came over in the morning and took Gus for us so we could sleep. She also ran to CVS and got us some crackers, Pepto and Gatorade. She's an amazing friend!

Two weeks ago we drove up to Indiana to surprise Steve's dad for his 60th surprise birthday. It was a wonderful occasion and it really meant the world to his dad for us to come up. He got to see Gus and he and Sue Ann were both amazed at how big Gus had gotten! It was a quick weekend trip, but we went to the oldest orchard in Indiana, and we enjoyed our time with them. They're planning on coming to see us for Thanksgiving, and Gus will be six months!

Gus and Grandpa Walker

Picture taken by Greta at the party... SO CUTE!!

Back at the beginning of September, Cathy's parents came for a visit and we went to the beach with them. It was a great visit and they were surprised to see how big Gus had gotten as well. They had not seen us since July 11th, when we left Michigan to come back to NC. The visit with them for Labor Day was amazing and we had a wonderful time with them. They'll also be coming back to NC for Thanksgiving, which should be absolutely amazing to have both of our parents here together! It'll be a very special holiday for us!

Family Picture at Wrightsville Beach, NC 9-5-10

Cathy's Parents <3

Gus dipping his toes in the Atlantic Ocean for the second time!

Cathy has been asked by Scholastic to stay on as an advisor for another year. It's hard because she's not in a classroom, so she won't have the chance to go to NYC again (the other advisors get to go back to NYC in February), but she's excited to still participate and be as involved as she can be.

Her business has taken on a new set of products just for parents. She's excited to start making items that parents can use (chore charts, calendars, etc.) and can make them year-round. This summer she did a lot of business with teachers, and did more business this summer than last summer. She would have had more business if she had been here in NC during the peak months (June/July).

Steve is still with Burt's Bees and is as happy as ever. He's been adjusting to some changes that have been implemented, but is as eager and excited to go to work each day as he ever has been. He loves what he does, and is so good at it.

The Bengal Boys

Gus and Steve and their matching jerseys that they wear to watch the Bengals play!

Saturday is Cathy (and her twin brother Scott's)'s birthday. She'll be 34! We'll be going to Outback for dinner, because it's Cathy's favorite place to go! Our friend Jen will be coming with us and it should make for a nice birthday for her. She's so happy to start her 34th year with Gus. She's wanted to be a mom for the longest time, and her birthday will be very special because of having Gus in her life.

The weather here in NC is FINALLY starting to cool off. We're looking forward to the leaves changing colors and the weather to get out of the 90s and 80s and start cooling into the 70s and 60s!

We'll write again soon!

The Walkers

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Posted by Steve and Cat Walker | Family Update, Gus | 4:26 PM

Well we are happy to report that we're finally home in North Carolina!! We came home on Gus's two-month birthday! Steve got the call from our attorney on July 9th and he was able to get a ticket for Saturday the 10th.

As much as we hated being apart and not having the first two months together as a family, but the timing worked out well. Cathy's oldest brother David came into town with his family from Arizona. They arrived late on the 9th and then Steve arrived on the 10th. For the first time ever, Cathy's mom was able to see all six of her grandchildren and her three children with their spouses at the same time. It was wonderful!!

We came home to NC on the 11th, which also happened to be Gus's two-month birthday! It was so nice to be home with him! Since we've been home, we found a pediatrician and took him for his two-month well baby appointment. He weighed in at 11 pounds and 5 ounces, and his height was 23.75 inches! That's almost two-feet tall!!

Gus has his very own blog, be sure to check out his blog and follow him!! We also have a lot of videos posted to our family YouTube page! You should check that out and subscribe as well!!

We had our first baby shower yesterday at Burt's Bees. Steve works with some of the nicest people! Cathy brought Gus up and everyone enjoyed meeting him. He was all smiles and was in his usual good mood!

Today Gus is 12 weeks old! It's hard to believe that twelve-weeks ago today we were in Michigan in a fog of bliss! A week from tomorrow Gus will be three months old and we don't know where the time has gone. Gus has become the major focus of our lives, and we cannot remember life before him! We both feel like he's the greatest thing to happen to us, and we've concurred that he's the world's greatest baby.

We'll write again soon...
The Walkers