Apologies go out to all the doting grandparents out there! I know you have all been eager to see what mischief Mr. Keen was up to on Halloween, and I have been lax about getting the photo evidence up on the blog. Better late than never!

Keenan did enjoy his first Halloween--he happily donned a fuzzy candy corn suit to please his momma. We trotted him around to a few of our favorite neighbors to show of the mini-man's adorability (not a word, but you get the idea). On Keenan's behalf, we gladly accepted the candy offered to him. And then we ate it. Didn't offer him a piece. Poor guy. . .I think we'll let him have some candy next year when he's a big boy and can carry his own trick-or-treat bag himself.

Keenan has discovered a new trick. . .pull-ups UNDER the coffee table. The space beneath the coffee table is his new favorite hang-out spot. Check out him demonstrating his amazing talent in the photo below. Bet you can't do that!

Lastly, almost everyone loves dogs and babies. But, you may not be surprised to learn that dogs don't always love babies. . .especially babies that bulldoze themselves into happily bone-chewing dogs. Click the arrow to play the video.

Munchkin Goes Punkin' Huntin' (and more adventures. . .)

Two of the main reasons for having babies is to take them punkin' pickin' and to dress them up for Halloween (stay tuned for a later post on Halloween!). Really, in the official list of "Why to have kids," those two activities rank in the top ten.

So, Ben and I fulfilled one of our parental duties and took the munchkin out for a day of punkins, farm animals, apples, and wheelbarrows. Ben and I have made it a little tradition to visit Homestead Farms near Poolesville, MD every autumn, and it was extra fun this year to be able to introduce Keenan to the family tradition. Here is the photographic evidence.

Keen Goes to Jersey

A big apology goes out to all of our favorite people in Jersey who are wondering why Keenan's trip to visit them hasn't made it into the blog yet. Blame it on pure laziness and massive time deficiency, as of late, on Keen's momma's end.


Our trip to Jersey was a three-day whirlwind. . .September 12-14. We began our visit in Lakewood, where we introduced Keenan to his Great-Grandma Mary and Great Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Jim. We were also lucky to be joined by Grammy and Pop DeGeorge, who flew up from NC to join the fun. We took the requisite 4-generations shot: Keen, Mom, Pop, and Great-Grandma. Our births span about 92 years!

Keenan with his Great Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Jim

Keenan with his Jersey Aunties: Denise, Jen and Josey, Lisa, Kim and Mom

We then moved on to Red Bank where we had a mini party with the Chester girls and stayed overnight with Lori's friend Lisa and her boyfriend Quinn. Most of the Chester girls (Denise, Kim and Jen) were in attendance, and it was so wonderful to introduce Keen to his "Aunties", some for the first time. Saturday morning's big excitement for Keenan (and maybe more so for his mom and dad) was a trip to a true NJ diner in downtown Red Bank, where Keen watched his mom and dad inhale way too many pancakes and eggy concoctions. Thanks, Lisa and Quinn, for giving up your entire room to the Ulrich fam and for giving us the grand tour of Red Bank! We'll be back again soon :)

Red Bank, NJ: Keenan's first Jersey Diner experience

Next stop was Denville, where we invaded the beautiful new home of Jen, Mike, and Josey Vitale. And by "new," we mean "living-there-for-one-week" new. The Vitales deserve something really big and extravagant for taking us in for the day and night, along with all of the other visitors who stopped in and out to meet Keenan. I'm not sure I would have been as open-armed to guest invaders had I just moved into a new house! Keen loved spending some QT with Miss Josey, his older and much wiser 2-year-old girlfriend. Many baby kisses were exchanged. . .so cute.

Keenan with Auntie Jen and Josey (she's 2 today--October 7!)

Bryan with Karl, Jen with Josey, Lori with Keen

On Sunday morn, we headed on out to the homeland of Chester. . .or, I should clarify and mention that we just drove through Chester on our way to Long Valley to meet more friends at the Long Valley Brew Pub for scrumptious brunch. Ben's buddies Pete and Steve (old work buddies from Ben's days in NYC) brought their wives, Carrie and Olga, and their kiddos (2 each!). We had a great time catching up and wondering in amazement how all of us have somehow managed to procreate and remembering those pre-kid days just a few years ago. We'll definitely be returning soon to give Keen a real taste of Chester.

Thanks for making Keenan's first trip to New Jersey very special. He's already asking to come back :)

Happy 1st Birthday Zack

Keenan's cousin Zack had a birthday earlier this week. He worked a whole year for this one. In our family, that means you get a big party with your own cake, and where your cousins open your presents.

Zack, you have a little something around your mouth.

"I'm so excited, just imagine when it's my birthday!"

Of course, no family birthday weekend would be complete without a cousin couch line-up. It's too bad this is a still photo with no sound. Two seconds before this picture, adults started dancing, singing, and generally distracting Keen and Zack from their cranky mood. The result is at least presentable (Keen's on the far left).

Summertime Wrap-up

Mom and Dad have been a little behind in the blog posts...chalk it up to a really busy summer. Here are a few pictures from the past month to bring everyone up to speed.



We took a trip to Manassas Battlefield Park a few weekends ago. We saw the statue of Stonewall Jackson, walked through a rebuilt war home, had a nice picnic lunch, and then chilled out under the shade and took these two pics of the kids.

Here's Keenan a few weeks ago doing something he loves now...holding himself up while facing backwards on a chair.

Daphne, Treeing Walker Coonhound, studying her next prey in the open fields.

Continuing the barrage of random pictures, here's one of Keenan's favorite foods: Peas

Thanks to Grammy and Pop for this outfit, straight from the final frontier of Alaska. This hat is great because it actually stays on his head.

Same picture of Dad, with the little man posing as expected. Dad believes when any digital camera appears, Keenan knows those silver objects shine crazy lights, and cause adults to do weird things too.












Keenan's cousins Sarah and Tommy visited for Zack's birthday weekend. This morning Sarah was testing Keenan's ability to carry items on his head (for those time in his future when he has to carry laundry down to the river).

So far, he can hold a cloth book on his head, and smile at the same time. Next time we'll try a bottle of milk.

Cool at the Pool

Yes, the wee little man looks a bit concerned in this photo taken at the neighborhood pool. It's probably because the water was a bit nippy and very deep--a whole 12 inches. He did enjoy splashing around though . . .so much that he needed a nap immediately afterward in the beach towel.

We reported on Keenan's newfound spitting talent a few weeks ago. He has now taken it to the next level--spitting FOOD. You can only imagine how proud his mom is of him. He even seems to prefer the enjoyment of spitting and seeing his mom's not-so-thrilled reaction over the enjoyment of tasting food and having a full belly. Mom and Dad hope this is a very sort stage in his development!

Another "habit" Keenan has developed is rolling onto his belly in the middle of the night. Now, he's past the main window for SIDS risk, so this really shouldn't be a big deal at all. However, he rolls on his belly and than screams and wails until someone comes in and flips him back over. We know, as well as he knows, he's perfectly capable of doing it himself. . .last night, mom or dad had to make at least 3 trips into his room to flip him over like a pancake. Again, we're hoping this is a very short stage!

It's good to have friends

Keenan, Will, and Peyton (Will and Peyton are siblings)

Ben's birthday (BIG 33!) is sneaking up on us, so we thought we'd use the occasion as an excuse to have a few friends over and use the deck. It was our first true "gathering" at the house that involved multiple mobile munchkins. Keenan had a great time making googly eyes at his two older lady friends, Peyton and Molly, and chilling on the playmat with his good buddy and "birthday twin" Will.

Keenan and Molly

SPIT a.k.a. "pbpbpbpbpbt"

The parenting books say kids are supposed to start making consonant-like sounds now and using their mouths like a musical instrument. If that's the case, maybe some kind of horn will be in Keenan's future. Check out how much he enjoys pursing his lips together and blowing out:




Note: Dad needed at least four takes to get this on camera. Our little ham would stop playing the "instrument" as soon as Dad click the camera's shutter. Hence, the video starts with the camera beneath the table as we try to hide it from him!

Beach Baby

Keenan and family--Daphne included!-- took their second road trip together, down to the southern tip of North Carolina to visit Grammy and Pop near the beach in Southport. Keen spent two quality days at the beach--the first of which he napped away (Not even a first-time beach-goer can resist napping under a shady umbrella with the relaxing sound of crashing waves!). He got to wear some super-cool color-coordinated new beach duds and to dip his feet in the warm ocean water. Thanks to Auntie Jen for Keen's jungle bathing suit, and to Margie and the Schiffners for his stylin' hat! Keenan was definitely the hippest mini-dude on the beach.

"My future's so bright..."


"Okay, I'll smile as long as you fix my hat."

"I don't see any squirrels, but these sand crabs look delicious."

Bouncing Baby Boy

Look at our little ball of energy bounce! Keenan just loves this "Jumperoo" and we love watching him bounce. Thanks Kristi, Erica, Megan, and Caitlin--you obviously knew from experience that this contraption would be a big hit!
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Grammy and Pop DeGeorge came up last weekend and watched Keenan for an entire weekend while Ben and Lori went to their good friends Chris and Cecilia's wedding. The wedding tested Mom and Dad's ability to stay up past 10 (we made it well into the weee hours).

Speaking of sleep, Lori's Mom is known for her non-stop, always busy, high stamina level. In fact, she probably hadn't taken a nap in 20 years. . .until last weekend. She took two!

Keenan learned at least one new skill from his grandparents: sleeping on his side. Seems that every time Grammy put him to bed, he immediately pulled his legs up and swung them over to his left. Here's a picture of Grammy and Keenan on the deck, showing his strong legs off!





Later next week we look forward to taking the whole family down to Southport to see Grammy and Pop.

Happy Father's Day & More Big Milestones to Report

Father's Day 2008: Three Generations of Ulrich Boys
Keenan, looking thrilled, with his Grampa Keith and Daddy Ben at Artie's in Fairfax, VA

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Stop the presses! Mr. Keenan Ulrich rolled over for the first time this morning. No one actually witnessed this remarkable event, but his momma knows that she put him down on the floor on his back with some toys, and when she came back into the room a minute later, he was on his belly propped up on his elbows, smiling.

In other headlines, Mr. Keenan Ulrich also had his first taste of solid food this paste week. Yum. Rice flakes mixed with formula. He sure did gobble it down. . .see the little video below. We promise it's darn cute.

This pasty white goo is good stuff!

One more story for the front page. . .Mr. Keenan Ulrich is currently recovering from his first illness(es). The poor little guy came down with a cold, which turned into the beginnings of an ear infection; and he also had a pretty bad case of thrush, a common mouth infection of breast-fed babies. Luckily baby antibiotics taste like bubble-gum, so Keen has been very happy to take his meds twice a day. . .and to taste something other than milk.

Lots of Daddies and Babies

Jason (son Ty), Ben (daughter Peyton), Daddy (me), Brian (daughter Molly), and Brandon (daughter Haley)

Mom and Dad took me to Burke Lake Park for a picnic over Memorial Day weekend, and boy oh boy, was it fun! I got to "play" with lots of my friends--here's five of us with our daddies. There were another 5 boys running around that didn't make it into this picture. . .I guess my Mom and Dad have some prolific friends!
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And here's me all stretched out on my belly, looking at myself in the mirror. Mom says I'm long and skinny, just like my Daddy. How do you like my noggin? Round and hairless. . .just like Daddy, too!

Picture Day, 4-month Weigh-In, and Girlfriends

I am such a big boy. Got to pose for my first school pictures a couple weeks ago, when I was 3.5 months old. And yeah, I am darn handsome with my toothless smile. Eat your heart out, ladies!

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But now I'm 4 months old. My mom took me to the doctor on Wednesday, and I now weigh 15 pounds, which puts me right in the middle of all other baby boys my age. I got 4 more shots, too. I cried like a baby during the shots (I'm allowed), and took all of 10 seconds to recover once they were done. What a man, I am!
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One of my many girlfriends came to visit me last weekend, but this one is a little bit more mature and one of my favorites! Check out me and my older girlfriend, Josey Vitale (1.5 yrs), chilling together in the comfy chair in our jammies. She introduced me to Elmo, and I must admit, he's rather addictive. My mom and Josey's mom Jen are already plotting our engagement about 25 years from now.

My Daddy is a Master!

Congratulations, Daddy! We're so proud of you!

This past Sunday, Ben graduated with a Masters in Management of IT from UVA. Our little family of three made the trip, and Lori's good friend Lisa came along for the fun and to help handle lil' Keen, should he have misbehaved. Luckily for all parties involved, the little guy was pretty darn perfect while watching/sleeping/eating through the first two-hour ceremony, and then the second hour and a half one!

A Week of Milestones!

Peacefully asleep on my first road trip

What a busy and momentous week our little man had! He checked many "firsts" off his list. . .

• first day at daycare
• first road trip
• first overnight in the pack n' play
• first time truly sleeping through the night (11 hours!And he's now slept through the night for 5 nights straight. . .pure bliss for mom!)

Keenan enjoyed his first few days at daycare. . .mom had a much harder time with it, and shed a few tears when dropping him off the first day. But, he's in very good hands and seems pretty happy there with Miss Sima, his main caretaker. Mom even got to enjoy a small party honoring new moms at the daycare center on Friday. . .very sweet! He'll go to daycare for 3 days a week until early June when he'll go the full 5 days.

We're also proud of our baby boy for sleeping his way to Jamestown, North Carolina and making the 5 hour trip a breeze for mom and dad--it helped a lot that we left at 8 pm--Keenan's bed time! We all enjoyed our visit with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, and truly enjoyed celebrating the first communion of Keenan's cousin Sarah. . .she looked gorgeous in her communion gown. We especially loved gobbling the super delish chocolate cake we ate afterwards! Thanks Uncle Brian and Aunt Jen! Keenan made it home with only one serious meltdown in the car, so all in all, our first travel experience with the new lil' man was a good one.

Next predicted milestone: ROLLING OVER! The little guy seems intent on mastering this skill soon. . .he's mastered the leg swing to prop himself on his side, but he hasn't figured out how to conquer the arm obstacle preventing him from going further.

This one's for the ladies . . . a wee British lass, in particular!

The latest news on the international grapevine is that a certain little lady in the UK is smitten with our little baby boy. Three-year-old Keira, daughter of our friends Kim and Paul in the UK, has become smitten with our little man based on his handsome photos and antics displayed on this blog. When we told Keenan about this little British lass' feelings for him, he blushed and insisted on sending her a little message.

We hope to schedule a formal introduction of the three wee ones in late June (Keira has a little brother, too)--photos of their meeting will surely make a future post!

Greetings to Kim, Paul, Keira and Dylan! (P.S. I apologize if I'm spelling your daughter's name wrong. . .I can never remember the "i before e" thing!)

Sleepyheads

This photo shows a typical evening ritual in the Ulrich household. . .my two favorite lazy dudes suffering from food coma on the couch. And yes, they both snore.


Keenan just had his 3-month birthday and he's becoming more and more aware of himself. . .especially his hands. He loves to snap his lips loudly again his fists as a signal to mom that he wants to be fed pronto, or else a meltdown is impending. He can also whip his head around, darting his eyes here and there, and follows whatever piques his interest around him. His smiles get bigger by the day, and his coos are beginning to sound like he's actually trying to say something. He's a great nighttime sleeper and seems to really like his crib--especially the bunny rabbit that circles above him in his mobile. And, he has recently decided that he does not approve of dirty diapers and screams until he gets changed. At least he rewards the diaper changer with smiles and coos as soon as his butt is clean!

Miles O' Smiles

I couldn't resist posting this mini-movie. . .when he smiles, Keenan is irresistibly adorable, at least to his momma. I think his smiles will make you smile, too!

Keenan Goes Wine-Tasting

In the magnolias at the National Arboretum in DC

Keenan had a very busy, fun, and exhausting week with his Grammy and Pop, and the newly-engaged Uncle Mark and Aunt Allison--who were all in town for an extended visit to spend time with the little man. He took in the Bonsai exhibit and flowering cherry and magnolia trees at the National Arboretum in DC, went wine-tasting and shopping in Middleburg, VA, and played a round of mini-golf and disc golf--both while riding in the Baby Bjorn on dad and mom's chest. He also made THREE trips to get ice cream. . .

Chrysalis Winery in Middleburg--Keenan liked Sarah's Patio White wine the best

Keenan made every effort to impress the family with long bouts of unjustified wailing, interspersed with very short breaks for smiles and coos. Sunday night, after everyone headed home to NC and CA, Keenan made history by breaking his current record for consecutive hours of sleep with a whopping 8! He fell asleep at 9 p.m. Sunday night and woke up at 5 a.m. and went to back to sleep until 8 a.m., much to his sleepy mom's delight!

All play and no work makes Keenan a happy guy!

Our little boy has found his smile and loves to share it with us every morning. In the evenings, he opts instead to show off his blood-curdling screams. . .but in this blog, we focus on the positive, so here are some pics of a smiling, playful guy and a more serious pose after just returning from a nature walk with mom.

Keenan had his two-month doctor's appointment, and he is growing like a weed. He now weighs 12 pounds and is 23.5 inches long, putting him in the 60th and 75th percentile ranges for other baby boys his age (up from 20% at 2 weeks!). Needless to say, we've never worried about our little piggy's appetite.