Merry Christmas 2011!

What a wonderful Christmastime we had, our 1st as a 4-member family! First Bridget and Daddy decorated our tree, and it looked terrific! Then the celebrations began.....and there were plenty of them! First came the Kelley Christmas Family, when the girls got to see almost all of their Kelley cousins and the rest of Papa's extended family (and there are lots of them!). Next we journeyed up to Maine for a celebration at Pop Pop and Mimi's, and the girls got to play with their cousins from Mama's side of the family. On Christmas Eve we celebrated with a party and sing along in Brookline with Nana's relatives and had a blast.....Bridget even won $18 on scratch tickets she earned with her sing along performance! Finally, on Christmas morning, we got to open all the presents that Santa left for us under our beautiful tree in Quincy. It was a fantastic streak of celebrations and we enjoyed them all! It was great getting so many wonderful presents, but what we enjoyed most was getting to spend so much quality time with our wonderful family. Take a look at all of our sensational celebrations by clicking here!

A Lucky 7 Months with Fiona

Even with all the excitement of her 1st Christmas right around the corner, Fiona found time to have lots of excitement as she began the 2nd half of her 1st year. On top of our fantastic trip to Maine for Thanksgiving, and the Quincy Christmas Parade, Fiona found time for lots of other fun in month 7. She is beginning to master crawling, which means Mama and Daddy need to pay a lot more attention to what she's doing! She also got to take a tubby with her big sister, which was a treat. And Bridget had a very exciting month too, as she moved from her crib into a big girl bed, which she absolutely loves! Click here to see all of the latest action!

59th Annual Quincy Christmas Parade

Today we took in the 59th Annual Quincy Christmas Parade and had a great time! Last year the McMullens joined us and we had a lot of fun despite the freezing weather. This year Nana and Papa joined us, and the weather was different (much warmer) but the end result was the same...a great day! Some of the special guests in the parade included Senator Scott Brown, former Bruins captain Rick "Nifty" Middleton, ex-Sox slugger Sam Horn, Ronald McDonald and Santa Claus. And of course there were lots of floats, bands and classic cars too! Bridget and Nana bought an automatic bubble machine that was a big hit, while Fiona spend most of the afternoon cuddling up with Papa. It was also an opportunity for us to use our new double stroller. Click here to see all of the photos from this year's festivities!

Thanksgiving in Maine - 2011

With our alternating Thanksgiving schedule between Maine and Massachusetts, this year we made our biennium trip up north to celebrate turkey day. Pop Pop and Mimi were excellent hosts as usual, and the Steeves family joined as well. We got to see our first snow of the season and Bridget had a great time playing in it with her cousins Cole and Drew. She also got to join her cousins and Pop Pop for some relaxing in the hot top. Meanwhile Fiona was in her usual great spirits as she celebrated her 1st Thanksgiving. Click here to see some photos of our fun!

Happy 1/2 Birthday Fiona!

It's hard to believe that 6 months have passed since Fiona Lynne Kelley entered the world, but our baby girl is now 1/2 year old! This past month, on top of being baptized and celebrating her 1st Halloween, Fiona had some fun outings and impressive milestones too. We went out to Lori Darosa's house to spend an afternoon with Mama's former co-worker from Mulberry and their families, and the girls had a great time. Bridget especially loved getting to play with the dollhouse. Fiona is also working on her crawling and has begun to be spoon-fed! Click here to see all of our recent activities!

Bridget's 1st Haircut

After 29 months, and bangs drifting down over her eys, Mama took Bridget to Snip-its in Hingham (MA) for her 1st haircut today. Their outing started off with Bridget getting a smoothie, which she was a huge fan of. Then it was time to get into the chair where her hairstylist wet her hair, trimmed her bangs, and then used the blow drier on Bridget. The day was a huge success and Bridget was a great customer the entire time. She even got a certificate to mark with occasion with a lock of hair from her first visit to the hairdresser! Click here to see the photos!

Happy Halloween from The Wiggles!

After spending her first 2 Halloweens as a bunny and a cow, Bridget stepped off the farm this year and joined the rest her family in becoming the Wiggles! Bridget was Jeff of course, and was joined by Daddy as Anthony, Mama as Murray and Fiona as Greg. We went to a Halloween party thrown by the West Roxbury Kelleys, then headed to Nana and Papa's to show off the costumes and take some pics. On Halloween night Murray and Greg stayed home, but Anthony took Jeff out for her first night of trick-or-treating, joined by her friend Jack (a dinosaur) and his mother Melissa. Bridget looked great in her Jeff costume and Wiggles backpack, and said "Happy Halloween" and "trick or treat" at every house we stopped by. Her adorableness scored her lots of candy, which she was nice enough to share with her parents. Click her to check out the photos!

God Bless Fiona!

Today Fiona was baptized at St. Ann's Parish in Quincy (MA), the same church where her big sister was baptized 2 years ago. There were lots of babies being baptized today, and we believe the Patriots bye week may have been a contributing factor. There was even a set of triplets! But of all the babies Fiona was clearly the best behaved and other families even said so after the ceremony. Afterward we celebrated the big occasion at the Adams Inn. Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a special day! Check out all of the photos here!

Thomas the Train at Edaville Railroad

Today the Kelleys headed to Carver (MA) to meet Thomas the Train at Edaville Railroad. We got to take a train ride, pulled by Thomas himself, and then pose for some pictures with him. Daddy and Bridget found out the hard way that the folks at Edaville do not want you to touch Thomas' face! Bridget also got to ride on the merry go round before we headed over to a singalong where Bridget showed off her mastery of the tambourine. It was a great afternoon, and you can see the photos of all our fun by clicking here!

Feeling Fine at 5 (Months)

Another fun-filled month has flown by, but not before the Kelley clan got to have lots of new adventures! Grammie came back up from Florida for the wedding of Mama's cousin Jenna, and the following day we had a surprise birthday brunch for Grammie at Granite Links in Quincy. Bridget's friend Jack came over for a playdate, and the girls headed over to Framingham to spend a day with the McMullen siblings. Bridget has also gotten into selecting her own team for the Kelley Family Fantasy Football League, the Neponset Bridge Trolls, but so far her enthusiasm has not translated into early season success. Click here to see all of the latest Kelley family photos!

Fiona's Fabulous 4th Month!

Fiona's 4th month saw her 1st summer come to an end, but not before having some more summertime fun. We made a trip down to Cape Cod for Sean and Cheryl Fay's wedding, and Nana and Papa drove all the way down to babysit. We also got to see Aunt Patricia and Uncle Tom Mannering while we were there! On the way home we paid a visit to Daddy's cousin Beth and her boyfriend Ian. Fiona enjoyed her first visit to the Cape, and Bridget had a great time playing with Jake and Claire Kayajan at Beth's house. Fiona has also started using her exersaucer, which she is a huge fan of. Click here to see all of the latest photos!

Visits to Maine - Summer 2011

This summer was filled with lots of fun, and that included many trips up north to visit our friends and family in Maine. Up in Hartland at Pop Pop and Mimi's we had a celebration for Bridget's 2nd birthday, went for boat rides, played in the lake, and Bridget went fishing with her new pole! Over the 4th of July weekend we made a day trip up to Kennebunk to help Nan Reilly celebrate her 90th birthday! And over this past Labor Day weekend we journeyed up to Windham to enjoy some pool time at Uncle Aaron and Auntie Tonya's, where Bridget and Fiona got a chance to play with their Cianchette cousins. Check out all of the photos from our Maine excursions here!

Summer Fun for Fiona

This past month, Fiona's last at home with Mama before heading off to daycare at Karen's full time, was once again filled with visitors, outings and lots of fun! The Haven clan was among our visitors, and Fiona loved meeting everyone, while Bridget had a great time playing with Alejandro and Gabriel. We also met Will and Dash Claflin at Larz Anderson's park for some playground fun, and Mama and Fiona paid a visit to the Tracy home where they got to meet Hunter for the first time. The month was capped off by a pool party with Daddy's Brookline friends and their families, where the girls had lots of people, big and small, to play with. Click here to see the photos!

The Wiggles Concert - 2011

As a belated 2nd birthday present from her parents that will be tough to top in upcoming years, Bridget went to the Wiggles concert today! To say that she was overwhelmed with excitement does not do justice to what a thrill it was seeing her favorite group in the flesh.....even if Jeff (her favorite) was missing his first show in 20 years after recently having a pacemaker put in. Fortunately Anthony, Murray, Sam and a fill-in named Brad still performed all of her favorite songs and Bridget left with a few souvenirs to help remember the special occasion: a Wiggles backpack and a Henry the Octopus stuffed animal. Despite the 100 degree heat it was a great show and great day and Bridget is already counting down the days until the come back from Australia for another visit. Meanwhile, Fiona spent the day at Karen's house for her first trip to daycare, which was also a big success. Click here to see all of the photos from the big show!

Terrific 2 Months for Fiona

Fiona is one happy baby, and who could blame her? She has been loving spending the summer with her Mama at home, and she just got to celebrate her first 4th of July! She is so strong that it seems like she's already trying to crawl, but Daddy wouldn't mind a little more time with her being stationary before having to follow her around. Recent fun included her first trip to the aquarium, a favorite location for the Kelley clan. Click here to see all of our latest pics!

Fiona's Still Excellent at 8 Weeks

Fiona's 8th week was a relaxing one filled with summer fun. We got a visit from Amy Robinson, who came down from Maine to see our adorable girls. We made a visit up to Maine ourselves, but those photos will be saved for a "Summer in Maine" post coming soon. We also made a few visits to the playground, where Bridget is becoming more fearless by the day (and turning Daddy's few remaining hairs white!). Fiona is becoming more active herself and it won't be long before she is joining her big sister on the playground. Click here to see our most recent photos!

Fiona's Sensational at 7 Weeks!

This week brought another batch of new cousins for Fiona to meet, as the Tingley-Kelleys came up from Philly to pay a visit. What a treat! It's quite clear that all of Fiona's cousins love her to pieces, and the feeling is mutual! Fiona also made it over to the McMullen's house where she got to meet Brady, who was born just a few weeks after her. Hopefully Fiona and Brady will be great pals just like their big sisters Bridget and Emma. Fiona also found time to lounge around with Bridget in their new nightgowns...a 7 week old needs to find some time to relax! See all of the latest photos by clicking here!

Happy 2nd Birthday Bridget!

How can 2 years have gone by already since we announced the birth of Bridget Helena Kelley? Uncle Dave and Auntie Jill were gracious enough to let us celebrate Bridget's big day (along with Nana's birthday and Father's Day) at their home in Wakefield once again, and it was a big success. She also had a celebration up in Maine when we visited Pop Pop and Mimi, and one at Karen's house with all of her daycare friends in attendance. Needless to say Bridget's 2nd birthday did not go by unnoticed, and a big thanks to everyone that helped make all of her celebrations so special! And she still has one last birthday treat coming from her Mama and Daddy next month....stay tuned! In the meantime, click here to see the photos from all of Bridget's birthday celebrations!

High 5 (Weeks) for Fiona

This past week Fiona moved her baths out of the sink and into the tubby, where Mama and Bridget helped clean her up. She also got to attend another fun birthday party, this one for the O'Malleys, Murphy (4) and Mary (2). Bridget probably had the most fun at the party though, as her cousin Seamus was nice enough to help her play in the moonwalk (and act as her personal bodyguard inside of it). Bridget had a big milestone herself this week, as she began brushing her own teeth, using her Thomas the Train toothpaste. Click here to see the latest photos!

Four Stars for Fiona's 4th Week!

Fiona's 4th week was another one filled with fun. She got to tag along with Bridget and her friend Jack Coughlin to the Quincy Summer Festival, and then we all met up with her other friend Anya Healy and headed to the playground. The West Roxbury Kelleys came for a visit, which meant more fun with more new cousins! Fiona also got to attend her first birthday party, as her and Bridget were invited to a dual birthday bash for the Diaz brothers, Evan (2) and Ryan (1). Bridget even got to ride a pony at the party! Another exciting week and she's still not even a month old! Click here to see all of the latest photos, including Bridget's impersonation of a jockey!

Week 3 and Fiona is Still a Charm

Fiona's 3rd week was highlighted by a visit from Grammie, who came up from Florida to stay in Quincy with us for the week. It was a great visit and Fiona is already looking forward to seeing Grammie again soon! But Grammie wasn't the only Week 3 visitor....we also got more visits (and help) from Nana and Papa and a visit from the Windham Cianchettes too. Fiona was excited to meet more of her new cousins! We also managed to get out of the house for a trip to Wollaston Beach and some play time for Bridget at the playground. Bridget has been a great big sister so far! We even made it over to Norwood for a Memorial Day BBQ. Check out all of Fiona's latest fun in these photos!

Fiona's Doing Wonderful in Week 2

Fiona turned 2 weeks old today and has been adjusting to life in Quincy wonderfully. Her big sister Bridget absolutely loves her, and it's already obvious that the feeling is mutual. Although her Daddy had to return to work this week, Mama got some assistance from Nana who stopped by and was lots of help. We also received visits from the Steeves clan, the McMullens, Sean and Wendy, Amy and Frannie, and the week ended with Uncle Dick dropping off Grammie for her stay (more on that next week). Check out the photos from Fiona's 2nd week on Earth!

Fiona's First Week

How the time flies...Fiona is already 1 week old! She has settled into her new home quite nicely and everything (with the exception of her Mama's amount sleep) has been terrific so far. She has already had visits from Nana and Papa, Auntie Nicole, Derek Diaz, Mimi and Pop Pop, and the entire Norwood Kelley clan (when she got to meet her Godparents, Uncle Brian and Auntie Kim). She also had her first doctor's visit on Friday, where she received a clean bill of health. She is nearly back up to birth weight already and she measured in at 20 1/4 inches long (I'm guessing they got it wrong at her birth or she is really growing fast!). Unfortunately Daddy has to go back to work this week, but we've had a great time getting adjusted to our new family member and she seems to be adjusting well to us too! Of course it helps when you have the world's best big sister in Bridget, who is taking great care of her baby sister and seems to be adjusting better than anyone. Check out the photos from Fiona's 1st week by clicking here!

Fiona Comes Home!

After less than 48 hours spent at Brigham & Women's hospital, Fiona has come home to Quincy! She has already gotten to meet Nana, Papa, and her big sister Bridget, and can't wait to meet the rest of her new family and friends! Her first meeting with her big sister could not have gone any better as Bridget clearly loves Fiona as much as we do already. Even though the hospital room had a great view of Boston, it's certainly nice to be home. Special thanks to Nana and Papa for taking care of Bridget while we went to the hospital! To see all of the photos from the delivery room right up to her arrival in Quincy click here!

Fiona Lynne Kelley

True to form in the Kelley household she took her sweet time getting here (5 days after her due date), but just like her big sister she was worth the wait. At 2:28 pm this afternoon Fiona Lynne Kelley finally arrived! She weighs 8 lbs 15 oz and is 19 inches long. Both mother and daughter are doing great and, also like her big sister, she is absolutely adorable! What a happy Mother's Day!!!

Easter 2011

What a wonderful Easter! The Easter Bunny came to Quincy and Bridget did a great job finding all of the Easter Eggs he hid around the living room. He also left Easter baskets for everyone in the family...but Bridget definitely liked her's the most! She got jelly beans, chocolates, new weebles, a new book, an Angelina Ballerina movie, a Super Why! activity book and a bunny on a skateboard. We then went over to Norwood where Uncle Brian's family hosted their annual Easter brunch and Easter Egg hunt (2nd straight loss for Daddy's team!). It was a great day...and you can check out all of the photos by clicking here!

Sesame Street Live!

Bridget went to the Sesame Street Live show today of "Elmo's Green Thumb" at Boston University's Agganis Arena. She took her Elmo doll with her and ended up leaving with an Elmo balloon too! (a reward for being such a good girl for the 2nd half of the show). Mama and Daddy joined her, as did the Todd, Sarah and Emma McMullen. Highlights included both Elmo and Zoe waving to Bridget, but the #1 highlight was clearly getting the Elmo balloon at the end. But Bridget did have a hard time figuring out why all of the characters were so tall. Click here to see all of the photos from our fun afternoon!

2011 Newport (RI) Vacation

With our new addition due in just 6 weeks (May 3) we decided to take one last mini-vacation as the Kelley trio before becoming the Kelley quartet. We went down to Newport, Rhode Island for a long weekend of relaxation, staying at the Hotel Viking. Bridget was a little overwhelmed when we fist arrived by all of the people surrounding us to hold the door, take the luggage and check us in, saying "I don't want to go on vacation"...but by Sunday she didn't want to leave. (She also yelled "he's taking our car" when the valet drove off). We had a great time playing in the pool, lounging in our room and wandering around Newport. The people at the Hotel Viking could not have been nicer and it made for a great stay. .....Click here to see the photos from our weekend away.

Miscellaneous Photos: Winter 2010-11

With the first day of spring arriving tomorrow (and not a moment too soon) it seemed an appropriate time to take a look back on the winter season that just passed. As usual the Kelley clan was up to lots of good stuff: playing in the snow, getting together with the Bentley crew, visiting the Norwood Kelleys, being visited by Pop Pop and Mimi, heading to Windham (Grammie was there!) and Hartland too. Even around the house we stayed busy reading, coloring, eating or just relaxing. Despite the snow (and there was plenty) we had a wonderful winter.....Click here to see the potpourri of photos from the winter of 2010-11.

Princess Bridget Goes Partying

Our lovely Miss Bidget became Princess Bridget for the afternoon, when she attended a Prince & Princess Party in honor of her friend Harper's 3rd birthday. Joining in the fun were here friend's from Karen's house, and fellow princesses, Anya, Lily and Ella, along with princes Jack and Tyler. There were wands, tiaras, cupcakes and lots of fun! Bridget is our little princess every day, but it was nice to make it official for an afternoon.....Click here to see the photos from the Prince & Princess Party!