The Goedde Family

You call this vacation???

2009-09-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is the story of the Goedde's transition into a new home. It's a long one...

Little Mack enjoys a last swim at Casa de Goedde. The broken down chair in the background should have been a clue of things to come.

What do you mean we're moving and will be homeless for three weeks???

First stop, Sun River Oregon for Chris Culpon's wedding. We rented a vacation house with the Dowdy clan, including their 5 kids. If you could capitalize a number, I would have done so with that 5. We have dozens of pics, but we know you don't have all day so this is a quick tour.

The kids get wild in the hot tub.

After 5 days with 5 kids, Mack was ready to blow that popsicle stand. Mack took the first shift as we drove through central Oregon.

We switched drivers at Mt Hood, after Mack made a SERIOUS mess in his seat. The fresh air did us all some good.

Don't drink and drive, Mack took a nap after a milk-drunk rage.Ahh, made it to Auntie Annette's in Seattle. I wanted to use this sweet tbirds jersey as the baptismal gown, but Katie won that discussion, photos of the ceremony to come later.

Havin a beer in Seattle's summer sunshine. No place better at this time of year.

Just a cute shot.
Forget the beer though, feedin' time is the best time of the day!

Big lunches lead to long naps...

Back to portland, where Mack macked with the ladies at the pool.

We were there for Katie's 9th Hood 2 Coast relay race. 197 miles from the top of Mt Hood to Seaside, OR. Mom's here with Faye Morgan, teammate, p-town roommate, and Marine. Seriously, 90 lb Capt Morgan.

We're in Montana now and Mack is minutes away from taking his first steps. We have our fingers crossed that he does it for the grandparents here... Just the same, he's ready to get back to FLA.

Here's what drove the painfully long trip (we were temporarily homeless between the time we vacated the Casa and could get into Ranchero de Goedde).

Katie and I fell in love with this house on sight because it's a very different look for a florida house. The modern craftsman style is much more common in the Northwest and makes us feel at home a bit.

Front entry has a small sippin' porch, outdoor audio system and some other nice details.

Katie says she's going to just sit on the counter and drink wine for the first 3 days. One of the main selling points for us. Good things happen when Katie drinks wine.

Katie SWEARS she's going to learn to cook so this thing doesn't get wasted.

Funny story, last year we considered putting a fireplace in the old Casa, the design I drew up was exactly what was already installed @ the ranch.
Great room, looking back to the kitchen. Dining room to kitchen. No, I didn't buy the guy's pool table. We'll use the dining table and benches that were by the pool in this space.

Back deck is 700 sq ft. It's awesome because we spend a lot of time outside. I ordered a kick-ass outdoor kitchen for the far wall already. It's going to be pretty incredible.

All outdoor ceilings and eves are finished with natural Cyprus. Really nice touch...

The back yard looking back to the porch. Also note the upper level deck off Mack's room.

Looking out at the property. It's 1.3 acres with about .8 acres being usable at the moment. The rest is forest. We'll eventually have a pool here, but it'll be a while.

We get on our last flight of the ordeal tomorrow morning at 6am. Not really the way we wanted to spend Mack's 1st birthday (can you believe it?), but if it gets us home faster I'm in. We'll get more pictures out as the house comes together. We're looking forward to your visit!

Mack Monster!

2009-08-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Mack is making the same move as the monster on his shirt!

We sometimes just have to take self portraits!

Mack pulling himself up on the chairs

Daddy is soooooo sleepy... but Mack is not in the napping mood!

Mama, I'll help you take pictures... just let me have that camera cord

Hey, who's that cute kid in the mirror???

Almost ready to take off walking!

My two guys taking a swim!

Greetings everyone! Well, we have some crazy things happening right now. In the midst of Tom's busiest time of year, we found a house that we fell in love with, so we decided to put our house on the market... and wham, 6 days later it sold and we are MOVING! We are leaving for a 3 week trip on August 14th, so that means we have to be totally moved out of here on the 13th. BUT... we don't close on the new house until Sept 4th, so we're "homeless" for 3 weeks! All of our stuff will be in storage and we'll be heading to the West coast! We are very very excited about the new house. It's just perfect for our family. As soon as we are in there, we'll post some pictures.

Today Mack turns 11 months old! I just can't believe that it's been almost a year since he popped in to this world. He's sooooooo much fun. I swear any second now he is going to take off running... pulling up on everything and balancing for a few seconds before dropping back down. He chases Sasha all around the house, and I have to say, he is getting quite fast! That little booty wiggles like crazy as he crawls all over. His hair is getting really curly, too. I LOVE that. It's so adorable.

Poor Tom has been up to his ears in work. He's been a traveling fool... and now with moving, it's been a huge burden on him. He is in dire need of some R&R. We are so looking forward to seeing our family and friends in just a few short weeks. But we'll be at a full sprint right up until we leave.

Love and peace to all of you. Seeing you soon!

Katie

SUMMER '09!

2009-07-17T06:11:00.001-07:00

Look Mama, I'm not supposed to play with this, but I'm SOOOOOO cute!

Now let's see... I know I can figure this remote out!

LOVIN' the pool with daddy!

Nice TEETH!

Just hanging out with my mom...

Can you see my huge front teeth? Oh, and yes, I'm chewing on mom's running shoes. They're quite tasty...

Splash park fun

Grandma Jeanne is showing me how to stand on my tip toes!

Giddy Up Sasha!

Ahhhh, and to top it off, a nice bottle of RUM!

Hi everyone. I hope this update finds you all happy and healthy. We're just plugging along with our summer having a grand time. Tom has been traveling a lot for work... this is his busiest time of year, but after next week's trip things should slow down a bit for him. Mack, as you can see, is growing like a little weed! He's so funny. His personality is quite fiesty (nothing like Tom or me!!!). He's crazy fun and we are loving every minute of it. He's crawling all over the place and pulling himself up on everything. No steps yet, but I'm A-Ok with that! He's about 10 and 1/2 months old now, and I can't even believe that. He says "da da" and sometimes we catch him saying "ma ma" but mostly just makes funny noises and laughes at himself. He's an absolute JOY to be around.

We're heading to Oregon for a friend's wedding in August, then it's off to Seattle for the baptism! We can't wait for our little get away. The Northwest is calling our names.

Oh... and on a side note, I'm training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I'm really excited about it. My goal is qualify for Boston, so that means I have to run it in 3 hrs and 40 minutes or less... I definitely have my work cut out for myself.

Love and peace to you all.

Katie

From Casa De Goedde and beyond...

2009-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

First wrestling match with dad!

I realize that I say I can't beleive how big he's getting in pretty much every update, but seriously! He's looking like a little boy here, riding in the Costco cart without help. He'll be grabbing shit of the shelves and sneaking it in the cart while mom's looking the other way in no time at all...

He's mastered the high chair now. You should see the amount of food this kid eats. Katie (the calorie counter) figured he's putting away 800 calories a day, not including breast milk. Yep, that's my kid...

April, Dudley and Ameilia came down to babysit Mack for a weekend while Katie and I did Vegas for TigerJam (annual party Tiger throws for his business partners). Wow, it was great to pretend we were kidless for a weekend!

Ahhh, the pool at Mandalay Bay...

Saw opening night of The Lion King, then Paramore and No Doubt in concert.

Unbelievable golf at Rio Secca

Back in O Town, our friends Joni and Charley had us out to their lake house a few weeks ago. Highlight of the day was Mack's first boat ride. He's Joni holding him and Gabby watching.

All star wakeboarder Charley "Chachi" Gonzalez kept Mack entertained.

Seriously, Mack didn't take his eyes off Chachi as he wove back and forth jumping the wake. He was really intrigued.

Never too big a boy to look cute for momma...

Here's his new look of celebration. He always does this after crawling over to you. Looks a little evil to me, but what the hell...

We watched Marley and Me the other night. Katie hasn't stopped hugging Sasha since.

Magic win Game 6 against the Cavs, sending us to the finals!

Photo op with Craig Sager. Dude's got the hottest fashions courtside!

An even better photo op, NBA super fan Jim Goldstein. Look him up, seriously...

Just like the Magic, I'm off to LA for my 14th E3. When did I get so old? This crowd is awaiting the opening of the show floor on Day 1. They say 70,000 attendees trying to get a look at this year's games.

Microsoft's press breifing where we announced Facebook Connect for Tiger. You'll be able to post your highlights and challenges direct from the game to your Facebook page sometime in the future. We later announced EA SPORTS MMA (Mixed Martial Arts. Ya, those guys that beat each other to a bloody pulp in a cage), as well as a very cool create a team feature called TeamBUilder for NCAA Football, and the long awaited Online Franchise for Madden. Check it out on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y0c8u7K0Ek

Oh, and this is Paul and Ringo out selling Beatles RockBand. Yoko was there too, but you know they can't all share a stage.

Jumping around a bit as I dig up pictures, the view out the plane window as I landed for Katie Vaughan and Mike's wedding reception. Pretty cool!

Ahh, their first dance...

I'd add more, but the Magic are about to steal game 2 from the Lakers. Gotta run!

April 09... just fun times with the Goeddes

2009-04-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

WEEEEEE!!!!!!! Loves the swings!

2 big chompers!

Mama helping Mack on the dino

Daddy and Mack in the pool... he's not so sure.

Daddy and Mack at the Swamp bar!

Yeah, just hangin' with my mom and dad.

Check out this hat, cutest ever!

Rollin' in his blow up car!

Auntie Annette got me this shirt...

Hi everyone! We can't believe it's already nearing the end of April! Mack is growing like a weed and is so funny. Our weather got nice and hot, so the pool temp was about 90 and we decided to see if Mack likes it... YES he does! He is so adorable splashing around in there. We have a little blow up car for him to sit in, but we also have a super sturdy floaty for him to sit in and he squeals with delight in there. We've discovered he loves the swings at the park, too! He laughs and screams when he's swinging away. Our next adventure is going to be to the splash park. I'm guessing he'll be a pretty big fan of that, too. Pictures to come! He is also eating like crazy. I got him some cottage cheese and he devoured that. Then I tried avacado, LOVED it! He's so funny, because I'll give him something and at first his face kind of gets all squished up like it's poison... then after he has a second to think about it, he's like a baby bird with his pie hole wide open! Love it.

Tom and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on the 20th. Hard to believe that 2 years ago we were all lounging around at the pool sipping champagne! Time sure does fly by.

Tom is getting pretty crazy busy at work right now with all of his games getting ready to launch, so he's been traveling. The big Tiger Jam is in Vegas in a few weeks, and I can't wait because I get to go! I'm anxious about leaving Mack, but my dear friend April is coming down to watch him. I trust her more than I trust myself, so he'll be in good hands! I am already freaking out, though. We'll be gone 2 nights... I know, I know. I keep trying to focus on the spa and the pool!

We're in the midst of planning Mack's baptism. We're so excited because we're planning on doing it in Seattle in August and we'll get to see everyone! The bonus of it is I get to run the Hood to Coast race again with my team! This will be my 9th time running it... had to skip it last year because I was HUGE pregnant with the Mackster, but this year I'll be ready to rock and roll.

Hope this finds everyone happy and healthy. Love to you all!

xoxo

Big Mack

2009-03-30T11:05:00.001-07:00

He was laughing so hard in this one. What a great shot

Daddy spiked his hair and he was hanging out

Yum... let's see if I can put this WHOLE sun in my mouth

Daddy and Mack playing video games

Mama and Mack self portrait...

Hi everyone! Not a whole lot going on extra special around here, but Mr. Mack is getting bigger and bigger and so fun. He had his 6 month check up and is now int he 90th% for weight and 70th% for height. He is rolling all over the place and trying so hard to crawl. He's very close... or so we think. He has found his voice, and loves to scream super loud. Of course we think it's hilarious, so we do it back at him and he laughs his head off. The laugh, by the way, is infectious. I told Tom that Mack is sort of like a drug to me... I can't seem to get enough! He's just adorable, and so much fun to be around.

Well, love to all. We'll update again soon... Happy Spring!

A fun weekend with the Goedde clan

2009-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love this little face so much... he was tired

Check out the booty...

Mack was eyeballing daddy's beer!

Snoozing away... what an angel

We had a super fun weekend, as usual. We went to a new bar called the Swamp Bar. It's down on the St. John's river about 15 miles from our house. The restaurant was great and they have live music on the weekends, so we all enjoyed that while daddy smoked a stogie and we sipped on ice cold brews. The music was really laid back, mostly James Taylor and Jimmy Buffet tunes, so Mack enjoyed the breeze off the water and snoozed away. He's the best little guy, what a trooper. He's now 6 months old and 21 pounds. We're going in for his doctor appointment today, so the official stats will be up soon!

Love to all.

Busy month...

2009-02-28T05:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone starts out Happy at the Goedde house...

Look how big Mack is getting! He'll be 6 months on Wednesday and he's 20.2 lbs. I just looked online and it says he's 86th percentile for weight, of course he was 25th for length last we checked. Fullback or D-lineman? :-)

He's really starting to look like a little boy (as opposed to a baby).

Like I said, everyboy's happy. Even Sasha...

Well, until Grama Jeanne gets a great idea. I'm sure this is the first of thousands of attempts to ride Sasha around the house. Look how well she takes it though...

Katie took Mack up to West Virginia to see April, Dudley and Amelia while daddy slaved away out in San Francisco for a week. Look at Mack's cute bear snowsuit.

On to the good life. Super Bowl was good this year. Sports Illustrated rated Madden Bowl as the #1 party of the year! Helped that Playboy backed out due to the economy, but it was a big success just the same.

Halftime show with Bruce Springstein. I'm not into the Boss much, but the SB halftime show is one of the most impressive shows you'll ever see. They construct and break down that stage in like 2 minutes.

On to Mack's 1st Daytona 500!

Doesn't take mom long to get into the NASCAR spirit. Mack passed out after his first Bud Light.

Check out the mane of a braid behind Katie!

Katie made me take a picture of this poser...

Mack wasn't impressed with him either.

Check out Mack's feet on the stroller bar. He's practicing his double clutch and heel-toe braking so he can get on the track next year!

Speaking of lucky ducks getting on the track. My buddy Nick at NASCAR set up a pace car hot lap for them on Saturday. As me to share the video someday (it's too big to post here). Listening to Katie and her mother scream at the top of their lungs at 140 mph is pretty hilarious. Car fans, that's a 500HP Shelby Cobra GT 500 pace car. It'd be a good race between that and my 6.

Tom, Marco, Jeanne and Mark watch the race on Sunday. Who needs tickets?
Mack was happy all day. He LOVES loud noise.

It was tough being at Daytona without our great friend Bill Calhoun. Many of you met Bill at our wedding where he served as my 71 yr old groomsman. Unfortunately, Wild Bill passed away last month while skiing with his wife in Colorado. Bill and I met 7 years ago at a NASCAR race and have been tearing up infields ever since. Rest in peace buddy, I miss you already...

2009-01-20T04:58:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the Scottish games. Daddy was seeing if Baby Mack was interested in any beer... not sure he has acquired the taste yet!!!

Our little Irishman in his plaid golfer hat from Auntie Annette! How cute is this profile!

Sunglasses... they're so cute, but Mack's not a big fan.

Sasha was kissing Mack here

HA HA! I love the eyes in this one!

Cutest baby!

I love this kid!!!

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since we've updated the blog, so here are a few pictures of our little man. We have been having so much fun with him lately! He's cooing away and making super funny noises. And his daddy can make him laugh like nothing I've ever seen. The other morning we were all out for a stroll around the neighborhood. It was kind of chilly out, so we were bundled up and Mack's little head was sticking out of the baby bjorn fleece cover. He had a hat on, so all you could see were his big blue eyes. Tom would look over at him and make a funny face and Mack was cracking up! We laughed the whole time. He's SO CUTE!

We went to the Scottish Games festival this past weekend with some friends. It was a great time! We were going to have Mack wear his little golf hat that you see in these pictures, but the wind was whipping, so we opted for a hoodie instead. He had a great time, just slept and hung out the entire day. What a little trooper.

I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy! Much love!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

Mack Dalvay and Elijah... Thanks for babysitting grandma and gramps!

Santa's little helper

Out for a stroll with our "spiked" coffee

BRRRR!

Elijah with Dalvay's piano

Daddy and Mack

Dalvay & Elijah

BIG eyes

I've been a good boy... wink wink!

Well, we braved the crazy holiday travel once again and made the trek to Montana for Christmas! We had a fantastic time, and Mack was once again an angel on the flights. The weather was ICY cold when we first arrived (minus 2!) but then it was down right balmy by the end of the week (30's!). We spent lots of time at my parents' house just hanging out and playing with Mack. Joe and Kerry and Elijah and Dalvay came over quite a bit, too, so we got to hang out with them. Thank you to my mom and dad for babysitting so we could go out and about. My parents were brave enough to watch all three grandkids so Joe and Kerry and Tom and I could go to dinner. We had so much fun catching up and having adult conversation!

What a blessing it is to have our families get together for the holidays. It makes us feel sad that we live so far away. I have to admit though... as much as I enjoyed the white Christmas, the SUNSHINE sure did feel good when we landed!!!

Happy New Year to everyone! Here's to a fantastic 2009! Much love and prosperity to all.

Our first date since Mack arrived!!!

2008-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Mack and Auntie April

Tom and Katie... FIRST NIGHT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It felt like a first date for me. Tom watched Mack that morning so I could go get a pedicure and a massage. Then I even had time to shower and shave my legs! I felt like a princess...

Here is sweet April taking Mack for a stroll in the front pack.

Mister cutie pie in his new bib from Auntie Annette!

Mack getting kisses from Sasha

Look at his face here... he's not too sure what to think!

Okay, mama, I'll smile one more time for you!

So it was Tom's holiday party at work on December 13th. We were all set to have Kate watch Mack, but she ended up having to work that night and couldn't do it. We don't know anyone else (or should I say "trust" anyone yet...) so I just figured I wouldn't be able to go. However... I was chatting with April and she said she was free to come down for the weekend. It seemed extravagant, but after checking airfare, Tom said BOOK IT! SO... not only did we get to see April and have an amazing time catching up, but I GOT TO GO ON A DATE WITH MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!! It was the best! Tom watched Mack the morning of the party so April and I could go to the spa. I had a massage and a pedicure and felt like a queen. Then when we got home April held Mack so I could shower and shave my legs and get all ready. I wore these beautiful velvet snake skin pants that Tom bought me last year... but I never got to wear them because I gained a million pounds in 5 minutes once I found out I was pregnant. I ROCKED those pants with a hot little black tank. Tom wore this hot gold jacket, and I didn't post a pic of his shoes, but they were super cute, too!

When we got home April was lying on the couch and Mack was sound asleep on her. He was just an angel. I have to admit, though, I missed him!!! It was such a great night. Thank you April!!!

We're heading to Montana on Monday for Christmas. It's 80 degrees here today and when I talked to my dad earlier it was 2 degrees there... yes, I said TWO degrees. Tell me again why we're going there???

That kid's THE MACK!

2008-12-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

Just like dad, he's never happier than when a meal's on the way. Bring on the lobster!

Good thing there's pretty much ALWAYS a meal around the corner,

resulting in a pretty happy Mack,

most of the time...

I said MOST of the time. Here you see Mack and momma at Tiburon's (my studio) kid's Christmas party. Even a Grinch like me has to admit the outfit's pretty cute.

Santa told Mack he couldn't have the SeaGal's deliver his stocking on Christmas morning. I told that old man to shut the hell up!

Don't MAKE me take my hat off dude. You don't want to see what comes next if that happens!

Not to be discouraged in her effort to pour holiday cheer down my throat (kidding honey), Katie got a great hook-up for the Winter Park Christmas Parade. We watched from Merrill Lynch's office roof, away from crowds and with a nice little breakfast spread.

Pretty nice little small town parade. 2 hours of high school bands and small time politicians. Thank God Katie and I are alike and aren't the types that feel the need to see every last thing.

Mack and I checking out the scene. I thought about going Michael Jackson on him, but knew Katie'd throw me off the ledge for pulling that stunt.

Mack wasn't impressed.

Kate & Katie

Mack LOVES him some Kate!

The high point of the parade for me. I spotted this beauty of a bully down on the street. I couldn't resist and we went down to hang out with Bunny on our way out!

This guy keeps following us...

We hit brunch with the Holt's after the big festivities. Little Jane is seriously about the cutest little girl I've ever met. Makes me want to root for pink with the next one, but we don't do those kinds of things.

Sasha waited patiently for us to get back from the big day.

Mom didn't last long once we got home. I think the Nutty Irishman got to her, but Mack cooperated and slept like 8 hours last night!

Thanksgiving in Seattle!

2008-11-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Mack and Daddy

David and Rick drove all the way from Portland to see us

Mack and the pig at the market

Our little crabby Santa

Mack, Daddy and Auntie Annette... check out his smile!

Nanna and Mack in Chelan

Mack looking at Nanna

Sleepy boy after the Seahawks game

Greetings everyone! Well... we made it to Seattle for Thanksgiving and Mack was a TROOPER on the plane! He slept the whole time both coming and going and made our life very easy. Once in Seattle, he met tons of new people and had a great time. On Sunday a bunch of our friends drove out to Marysville to see us and meet Mack. Then on Monday we drove over the pass to Lake Chelan for a night with Jim and Jackie and Mack got to meet his Great Grandmother, Mary Goedde. On Thanksgiving day, Jackie made a beautiful feast. Colleen, Dennis, Amanda, Jenn, Greg, Jaxon all came to dinner, along with Annette & Derek and Katie & Bren and of course Tom, Mack and me. We had a fantastic time laughing with little one year old Jaxon as he ran around with his crazy arms and played with the doggie. We were feeling so blessed and thankful for our family and friends on this trip. Our dear friends David and Rick even drove all the way up from Portland just to see us and meet our little man. What an adventure, indeed... now we are already gearing up for our trip to Montana for Christmas! But in the meantime, I've put up the pink sparkly Christmas tree and broke out the holiday music... LUCKY TOM! Happy holidays everyone!

Go Seahawks!

2008-11-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Mack in his Seahawks onesie... not feeling too hot.

He's so cute rooting for Daddy's team!

Don't they look the same here!!!

Mack and Daddy both had their Seahawks gear on yesterday for the game... but we lost. BOO! Oh well, the boys looked adorable to say the least. Poor baby Mack has his first cold. His little nose has been all stuffed up and he's sneezing quite a bit. We called Kate, of course, and she told us to get a humidifier and to alternate baby tylenol and baby motrin every 4 to 6 hours. He's feeling a little better today, so that's good. He doesn't have a fever either, so we're thankful for that. We just really want him to feel 100% by the time we get on the airplane on Saturday! I'm not going to the gym today (Monday) for obvious reasons, but it looks like he's going to kick this thing, so maybe tomorrow I can be back in action.

We had a fun weekend. Tom got home Friday night and had to play in a golf tournament on Saturday. Mack and I ventured out for a little shopping trip, and it was a success! Mack loves his Baby Bjorn front pack, so I just put him in that and I was able to walk all over my favorite store, TJ Maxx! He even fell asleep for a little while. When Tom got home the pool was warm enough for a swim! Thank god for the solar heater!!!

T-minus 5 days until we come to Seattle! We're really excited... I've got my list going so I don't forget anything! We can't wait!

Mack's first picnic in the park

2008-11-14T04:56:00.000-08:00

Mack and mama... he's eating

Mack and Kate

Mack and mama looking at the clouds

Mack doing pushups! He's so strong

Check out these blue eyes... isn't my boy so beautiful?

Greetings everyone! It was in the high 80's yesterday, so Mack, Kate and I went to the park and had a picnic. It was so beautiful. We took Mack's shirt off so he could enjoy the warm breeze and he had the best time. He was so content just starring at the clouds and listening to the birds. I got some great shots of him... a few are posted here. He's so strong now. He pushes up with his arms and holds his head up really well. He's 10 weeks old now... crazy.

Tom comes home tonight from his week long business trip. I can't wait to see him. I've missed him like crazy. I can't wait to see if he can tell a difference in Mack. I tried to put a onesie on him yesterday morning after his bath and it was way too small. He's just a little tank. It's really fun to watch him grow and change every single day. What a little miracle.

Daddy is away...

2008-11-10T15:03:00.001-08:00

Bright eyes

I think he's starring at the fan

Just zoning out...

Just about to fuss... he didn't like this hood, but it was so cute!!!

Hi everyone! Tom had to take off this morning for a business trip. He had to be in San Fran this morning and will be in NY on Thursday and Friday. He's coming home Friday night and Mack and I are already counting down. Since I'm back at the gym, I'm able to get an hour to myself each day, though, and that's a huge life saver. Mack has been doing awesome. As you can see in these pictures, he is cuter than ever. His little cheeks are so chubby! He's wearing 3 month clothes now, too!

All is well on the home front. We're just cruising along and doing great. We all can't believe it's November and in just a couple of weeks we're taking our first plane ride!!! It'll be an adventure, to say the least.

Much love to you all!

2008-11-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Mack and Kate

Mack and Julie

Julie's little sweet doggie, Bella. She was an angel the whole time we were at lunch.

Daddy and Mack, check out the shoes! They're so cute.

Today Mack and mom ventured out to lunch with Kate and Julie and Julie's dog, Bella, to our favorite Turkish restaurant, Bosphorous. It was awesome, as usual. I ate so much I'm still full!!! Mack got lots of attention from both Kate and Julie, so I just enjoyed myself in the beautiful sunshine. The weather was gorge! (my new fav show Kath & Kim). I brought a bottle with me, so Kate was able to feed Mack, and we all just hung out.

Poor Tom woke up this morning feeling like crapola. He went to work today, but I'm trying to talk him into laying low tomorrow. We'll see. He's in his pj's now and didn't even eat dinner! That's not like Tom, so you know he's sick! :-)

Mack goes in tomorrow for his 2 month appointment and shots. I'm SO NERVOUS about it, but I know it has to happen. One thing I'm looking forward to is being able to go to the gym again. The gym daycare is very highly rated and they take infants for up to 2 hours per day. I wanted to wait until he had his shots before taking him. I'm excited about getting back into my hard workouts. I've been running quite a bit again, but it's sort of at Mack's beck and call, so this will be good for me. I'm debating signing up for a 1/2 marathon on Dec 8th. We'll see...

OH... I tried on my skinny jeans again today and they're up and zipped... not "public worthy" yet, but getting there. It's much better than it was a week ago. My goal is to be able to wear them by thanksgiving. Come on weight loss!!! We are heading to Seattle on Nov 22nd and we can't wait! It's going to be so fun to hang out with Nanna and Pappa!

Ciao for now!

xoxo

1st Halloween!!!

2008-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm. Amazingly enough, both Katie and I resisted the urge to eat ANY candy this season. That's freaking crazy...

It's bring your kid to work Day! Kidding. We're just getting fired up for the big Tiburon Halloween party at the office.

I went as a young Dr Evil. The mini-me was a hit with the ladies at the party... Mack loves this little daddy-pack. He just hangs out in there all calm and looking at the lights. Pretty freaking cute.

We headed home to get our spooky drink on. We have to sit on the front porch because Sasha makes a fool of herself every time someone rings the doorbell.

Speaking of fool... Sasha was pretty excited about her bee costume. Bzzzzzzzzz...

That is until she saw her long lost sister stroll up. All they need is a hive and honey!

This girl was stoked that an old man like me knew she was a nurse from Silent Hill, one of my favorite video game series of all time. She said I was the only adult that knew what she was. That's right...

Ohh, someone else is scary too!

But he always wakes up cute! He's continuing to just pack on the weight. He was 12 1/2 lbs when we weighed him Wednesday.

His eyes are getting really bright and alert. He's tracking objects and will look over when someone walks in the room.

"Where you goin' with that thermometer? That shit ain't funny dude..."

Sasha crashes out with all her toys. Long nights like that really take their toll when you gotta get up for all the night feedings!

Cute random pics of our sweet little man...

2008-10-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

courtney and Henry gave Mack these overalls... they're SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Godmother, Kate, loving on Sasha

Mack's little face cuter than anyone could imagine... he is so alert!

Here are a few cute randoms of Mack. He's just the best. I can't help but take pictures of him every moment, so I apologize for the copiouse amounts of photos of our son!!!

Lots of love to you all...

Ciao for now...

Bright eyes!

2008-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

After Mack had his morning bath he got dressed in this adorable little outfit from Jordan and Virginia. It's so cute on him! I just had to post this picture so you all could see his big beautiful blue eyes.

We ventured out to a pumpkin carving party yesterday. It was good, but I think a bit of stimulation overload for poor Mack. He got lots of attention from all of the girls there, but he cried a lot and we ended up leaving early so he could chill. He had a fun evening hanging out at home with mom and dad watching football.

7 weeks old... cutest baby!

2008-10-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Tom put Mack in the carrier and was playing video games! Mack loved it.

How cute is this outfit! Mack is getting so big

Big eyes!

I love the lips in this one. Nanna gave him this outfit and it's SO CUTE!

Hi everyone! Well, it's been 7 weeks since Mack came into our world and he's doing awesome! He's wearing the 0 to 3 month clothes and some of them are too small already! We weighed him and he's almost 11 pounds. He has a doctor's appointment on Nov 4th to get his shots, so we'll get an official weight and length. I can't wait to report back!

He's been sleeping much better lately. THANK GOD! He usually goes down around 7pm in the swing and sleeps for about 3 hours. Then we put him our bed so we can all sleep together. I've been swaddling him pretty tightly and that helps him stay asleep, as far as I can tell. He gets kind of fussy in the mornings, so we've taken to giving him his bath during that time and he loves it! He loves to kick his chubby little legs in the water and his eyes get super big. We're still waiting for that smile... I just know it's coming any day now.

We can't wait for Halloween! Sasha has her bumble bee costume all ready to go! I'll post a few pictures of her... it's hilarious! I'm planning on taking Mack to Tom's office on the 31st for some trick or treating. We're still being cautious about taking him to places with lots of people before he gets his shots, though, so we'll see if we go through with it. There will be lots of little kiddos running around EA that day... and the germs will be abundant, I'm sure. Either way, we're looking forward to Halloween. We always get a million kids through our neighborhood and it's super fun.

Ciao for now!

Mack's first football game!

2008-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

The view from the suite
Daddy and Mack
Bill with Tom and Mack
Mack's eyes were starting to get heavy...

Tom and I took Mack and went to Tampa last night for the Bucs/Seahawks game. Some of our friends, Bill and Sabrina Calhoun, had passes to a suite, so it made the evening VERY enjoyable. We had a fantastic time, and Mack was bright eyed and alert most of the night. We're pretty sure he's a hawks fan... despite their pitiful performance last night (sorry Tom). We stayed at a great hotel and Mack slept almost the entire night. We were so happy to experience that, because it was a test for when we're in Seattle next month for Thanksgiving. He's getting cuter and cuter by the day. I dressed him this morning in a little onesie, and it barely fits anymore! He's just so round and sweet.

Zoo trip and other cute pictures

2008-10-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just to get the toes wet was quite exciting!

Mack looking so cute in his bouncy chair

Sleepy baby boy
Dressed in his jack-o-lantern shirt and socks ready for the zoo!
He didn't see much!

Well, today we ventured out to the zoo for the Zoo Boo Bash. It was a Halloween themed day and lots of little kids were there strutting around in costume. Mack was sleeping the whole time, but he sure did look cute in his jack-o-lantern shirt and matching socks!

These other pictures are just a few randoms showing how big he's getting. We had a solar heater installed in the pool, and the water is 91 degrees! We dipped Mack's toes in... Sasha was right there making sure everything was okay.

All is well with us. We're heading to Tampa tomorrow for the Seahawks game. Some of our friends got us tickets complete with suite passes, so we figured it would be a great time for a hotel test... we'll see how it goes! Tom has meetings on Monday and Tuesday and then he has his last 3 days of paternity leave. I'm already feeling sad about it. I'll miss not having him around.

6 weeks tomorrow!

2008-10-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mack hanging out with mom
How sweet is that face???
Daddy and Mack getting their "drink on!"
Sweet sleeping baby... I never get sick of this precious one.
He's so big in the car seat compared to when we first brought him home!!!

Tomorrow Mack will be 6 weeks old! We can't believe it. He weighs 10 pounds and is such a little joy. He has out grown all of his little teeny clothes, so we're now into the 0-3 month old things. It's amazing to see him change right before our eyes! We're still working on getting him to sleep better during the night. He does awesome during the day, but at night it is a bit more challenging. We've been doing the co-sleeping thing and that has helped some. The great thing about that set up is that I (Katie) don't have to get out of bed to feed him... I just roll a bit closer to him and "surrender the boobie!" We got a book called The Happiest Baby on the Block and it has some good suggestions. They stress the swaddling, so we're trying it. If anyone has any tips, please share! I LOVE when the sky starts to get light, because I think "yes! I made it another day!"

Tom has been easing back into work a bit, so it's been really good for me to get used to being alone with Mack during the days. So far it's been great! I started working out again, YAY!!!!!!!!! Tom got me this awesome baby jogging stroller with an infant seat adapter. It's been a life saver. It's a bit sad to know that I have such a long road ahead of me to go to get back in my "fighting shape", but I'm just so happy to be out there moving again. My baby weight is coming off... I'm down to where I was when I got pregnant, but I have about 10 more to go to feel really good again. I can't wait to be able to button my skinny jeans! That'll be awhile... but for 6 weeks, I'm feeling damn good. Plus I LOVE the new addition of the boobies. Too bad they aren't a permanent addition... they're awesome!

We'll keep adding more pictures. There is a halloween thing at the zoo starting this weekend, so hopefully we'll feel up to heading over there and we'll get some cute ones. Mack has a jack-o-lantern shirt and socks so we have to capture that!

Ciao for now, my friends.

Dimples and gear

2008-10-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

1st recorded sighting of Mack's dimples! It's still pretty early so we were really lucky to get a rare glimpse at the dimples in a picture. That silly little monkey will be rolling on the floor with laughter any day now...

In the immortal words of the Dowdy's (parents of 5), "laughter turns to crying". Word for all parents for sure. Look how concerned Sasha is though. I swear, that kid makes a peep and Sasha jumps into action... Yes, there are new shoes in the background, parenthood hasn't changed me THAT much.Speaking of shoes, Mack clearly inherited the sneakerhead gene from dad. 4 pair of Jordans, including the new AJF-1's, Chuck's, some Hollywood style rock & roll moccasins, loafers and his first pair of golf spikes. Nice haul kid...Mack-Mack is THIIIIIIIIIIIISSS big!
This paternity leave gig is a good one. Mack and I are getting pretty good at taking couch naps together.
Mack's toes at one month. He's still so tiny, but growing really, really fast. He weighed in at 8.5 lbs at his one month checkup (3lbs, 2oz above his hospital departure weight) and continues to pack it on. He's already outgrown his preemie gear...
It gets more fun every day as Mack has more and more cognizant time to interact with us.

One month old!

2008-10-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Mack's first bath...
The cutest toes in the universe
hanging out on grandma's lap after a bath
Sweet sleeping baby boy

My mom and me... I wish she lived here.

Well... it's been 4 weeks since Mack made his debut! We weighed him on Tuesday and he's a whopping 8 and 1/2 pounds! We are so excited about that. He's eating like a champ and doing just awesome.

We were sad to see grandma Jeanne leave yesterday. I was all tears and Sasha moped around the entire night and all morning today. She was an amazing help to us. She did laundry, cleaned our house, took Sasha for walks, got up with me for every nightly feeding... I am really going to miss her. The good news, though, is that Tom is now off until late October.

Happy Anniversary Honey!

2008-09-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

9/29/06, a Friday morning at Carroll College's Homecoming. We hiked to the top of Mt Helena with friends. Only Thad, Willie and I knew the plan so it was all bubbles and tears at the top of the rock when I popped the big question.

This picture is cool because you can see the Carroll campus in the valley below us. We'd met 6 years earlier to the day, when I joined the girls for a drive out to Homecoming. Tom Goedde & The Tahoes were born that weekend. I always knew Katie and I had something special, but even I couldn't have imagined how great this moment would be... Totally took Katie by surprise, she needed a minute to regroup. :-)

Mary Larson Mahar (photographer), Joe Mahar, Katie Penny, Thad Michelson, Blue the Black Lab and Willie Sewell made the 3 mile hike fairly easily. Thad made it extra special by sneaking Champagne up the mountain in Blue's supply pack.
Mary and KP take a break as their heartbeats hit 240BPM. No really, Mary is an RN and she calculated their BPM at 240. She's really putting those Carroll College math skillz to use in the field. I eventually helped out by observing that there were only 60 seconds in a minute, not 100...

I'd lined up another big surprise up for later that night. Katie and my parents traveled to join us for a surprise engagement party with Carroll friends and family. The liquor was flowing that night! So much so, that I got my parents (Jim & Jackie) into these get-ups...

Here we are, Tom Goedde & the Tahoes. Monica "Mikey" Gomez, Katie Penny, Tom, Katie, Mary Larson. This was at the traditional Tahoe engagement party. The girls take these opportunities to make fools out of the guests of honor, and themselves...

We're looking forward to rejoining the Carroll homecoming festivities next year. More Mack pics to come soon!!!

2008-09-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry we're slow with the updates guys, we have our hands full as I've returned to work while Mark & Jeanne Astle (Katie's folks) are here to help out. Additionally, I've been trying to post video to the site, but it keeps hanging. Maybe someday...

LT and the girls at EA decorated my office while I was out. It's pretty cute, but the thing that was REALLY impressive was that they cleaned it too! :-) The outpouring of gifts has really been humbling, there was a huge mound of gifts waiting upon return from friends here at work and licensing partners. And the UPS man is literally making two stops a day at Casa de Goedde. We REALLY appreciate them all and the thank you notes are in the mail! (I'm not sure if my mother would be shocked or proud of that).

Jeanne's been a big help with little Mack. Sasha's doing her part by continuing to keep Katie company during the night feedings, but she's also taken on the responsibility of waking Jeanne for them too. She thought you knew ALL the mommas need to be present for feedings. The funny thing is she doesn't wake up Mark or me, just the mommas...

BTW, these two don't look anything alike, do they...

I took a couple shots the other night while Mack slept in my lap. Once I sobered up, I took these pics with my cell phone. He's so cute when he's asleep. And quiet...

Mack's been much more cognizant lately. Just the last 3-4 days he's gone from like 5 minutes of awake and aware time before feeding and going back to sleep, now he's up for 45-60 minutes before the cycle starts again. Unfortunately, his clock is still backwards so Katie and I have had a few rough nights this week. Katie's a hell of a trooper though as she continues to stick with "The Deal". She's volunteered that she does all night duty when I have to work the next day. All the dad's I've ever known roll over laughing when I mention "The Deal", but Katie's all about it. She's a freaking saint (settle down Carroll College), but with my light sleep patterns, we've both spent a fair amount of time walking the house trying to get Mack on a schedule fitting of humans outside Transylvania...

You can really see how much weight he's packing on in this picture. He's getting the baby fat he was supposed to get those last 5 weeks with Katie. Look! He has my triple chin!!! :-P

Ahhh, someday I'll only remember these moments. The beauty of photos and selective memory...

2 WEEKS!

2008-09-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Mack is 2 weeks old today! He's been doing fantastic. We have been taking outtings each day and I'm gaining more and more confidence on being a mom. 2 days ago we met with a lactation consultant. She was wonderful and reassured me. Everything is going fantastic, but he has this fussy time in the evenings. She told me that is totally normal and very typical of most babies. She gave me some tips on how to console him during those times, but just to know it is nothing out of the ordinary made me feel so much better. She also helped me with a few fears I had about nursing out in public. She showed me some different ways to do it that are more discreet. We used the sling and it is so awesome! I was sort of afraid to use it, because I was clueless on how to put it on, etc. But the lactation consultant was so fantastic, and she spent a lot of time just helping me and encouraging me. It's a journey, indeed...

1st Dr, 1st outing

2008-09-14T05:37:00.001-07:00

We've had a couple big days as mom is back to her old self and little Mack is finding his way in the world.

We went to Mack's 1st dr appt on Thursday, he's doing great and put on 10 oz since we checked out of the hospital Saturday. We all know I can gain 10 oz during appetizers, but it's pretty impressive when it's 10% of his body weight!

Cabin fever is setting in big time for Katie and me both, so we took Mack on his first adventure yesterday. We hit Winter Park for a nice walk and a couple drinks. Mack was content in his jog stroller, and Katie is STOKED to be able to drink again. Here's a pic of Mack and I in the park, because Katie can't go anywhere without a camera now...
He slept the entire time.
Sahsa's still doing great too. Here she is on the couch with her "titty bear". It's a pink ribbon branded dog toy that was a gift from Kate, who as you read in Katie's latest update, stood in for me in the delivery room. She's a cancer survivor as well and is really one of the most cherished people in our lives. BTW, Sahsa isn't allowed on the couches when dad is around, so I must have been running errands when this was taken...

Little Mack in his swing. He loves this thing, but even it hasn't been able to get him to sleep the last couple nights. He's still sleeping all day, but wakes up at like 10, then screams till 12 or 1. Once he wares himself out he sleeps like 5 hours, but he's having trouble settling down after that 10pm feeding. Suggestions?

Dad and Mack passed out late in the USC/Ohio State game. We'll see a repeat of this scene today as I got DirecTV installed this week so I'll never miss a Seahawks game again. I've been holding out for a couple years and just going to sports bars for Hawks games. Mack likes to go too, but the ladies are always crowding in on him, blocking the screens. We'll be better at home.... :-)

Katie's side of the story...

2008-09-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Tom has been encouraging me to write my side of the birth story. Although I am not the writer he is, I'll give it a shot...

Tom left on Tuesday evening for New York and jokingly told me to hold out for 3 nights and then we'll be smooth sailing. We laughed it off and kissed goodbye.

Tom's phone broke on the way to NY, so he called me from the hotel with a bunch of emergency contact numbers, thank God.

Wednesday morning I woke up feeling great and went to the gym. I was on the elliptical listening to my i-pod when one of my favorite running songs came on and I just HAD to get back to the treadmill for a little run. I figured I'd go about a mile and then walk the rest of the time. Well... the running felt so amazing I just couldn't stop. I kinda lost myself in the music and kept bumping up the speed until one of the trainers came over, "what are you trying to do, have this baby today?" he said jokingly... hmmm...

I was so wrapped up in the run that I was nearly late for Yoga at the Healing House. My favorite teacher Janelle was teaching and it was amazing. I was still feeling strong, so the headstands were perfect (Janelle told me that headstands encourage breech babies to turn). The other women in class all laughed and said the baby was going to come out saying "om".

I splashed some water on my face, threw on a baseball cap and rushed out the door to make it to a lunch date with Jen Foreman. We had a great time talking and talking about baby stuff, breast feeding, birth, post partum, etc. It was really comforting to get real world advice. I left feeling fantastic.

I got home and was in the bathroom when I felt this strange sort of "pop" like a water balloon. It was like I was still going and couldn't get it to stop. "Oh my God, my water just broke". I had no idea what to do. I was running around like a mad woman when I realized that I still had not showered!!! I jumped in the shower and wasn't about to go to the hospital without shaved legs. The "water" kept on coming, so by then I was pretty confident it was labor and I better figure this out. Tom's phone was out of commission, so I started dialing the emergency contact numbers. I called the first two, no answer... Finally Dale Jackson answered his phone. "Hi Dale, it's Katie... is Tom with you?" He said, "oh shit..." and then I heard Tom's voice.

Up until this point I was relatively calm and keeping it together. But when I heard my dear husband's voice, I just lost it. I started to cry super had and told him in between sobs that my water broke. He took a deep breath and I heard his voice crack. He told me to try and calm down, try to remember to breath. He asked me to call my doctor and he would be on the next flight. I called the doctor's office and the nurse told me to go directly to the hospital. Our dog Sasha had been following me around the house with concern since all this drama started, she is so sweet. I needed a plan for her quick, so I e-mailed Anthony Stevenson, hoping he'd take her to the kennel. Of course he jumped into action and actually had Sasha at his house. We have the best friends... Without knowing what else to do, I put my toothbrush and chap stick in a bag and got in my car and drove myself to the hospital.

The EA network was moving at lightning speed, so Julie Erb and Jillian Holt were on the way to the hospital at the same time I was. Thank the good lord for amazing girl friends. I was so scared, shaking, and generally freaking out. When I got to the hospital, still dripping water, nurses casually walked me up to labor and delivery and showed me to a room by myself. I just sat down at this little table and hung out by myself for a few minutes wondering what in the heck was going to happen and what did I get myself into.

The nurse eventually told me to get in a gown so they could monitor the baby's heartbeat and the contractions. When I mentioned he was breech she cocked her head and said, "oh, well... let me go get an ultra sound machine and we'll see how this little man is doing." She put the gel on my belly and there was my sweet baby still nestled with his head up under my left rib cage seemingly content. Little did he know the world was about to get a lot bigger for him!

Jillian and Julie arrived about 30 minutes later and they were all smiles. I don't know why, but I was calm and content. My good friend Kate is a former mid-wife nurse and had volunteered to help whenever needed, so I left her a couple messages at work. Man, did I need her!

The monitor on the baby showed all was normal, but I was feeling these strong crampy feelings in my low back and stomach. It was coming pretty regularly... the nurse said at one point, "um... Katie, are you feeling anything?" I asked her what she meant. She said, "well, you're in full labor and you're contractions are coming about every minute or two." I said, "oh is that what this aching feeling is every few minutes?" DUH!!!!!!! I am the clueless one and not prepared AT ALL for any of this. Julie started to laugh and came over to see the monitoring machine. We were excited to see how high the "hills" got each time I'd have one. But the fun went away quickly as the pain got stronger and stronger. I declined drugs because I wanted to stay aware and thought it would delay the process until Tom walked through that door. I was getting regular calls from him charting his progress on getting himself on the 4:30 flight, so I was just praying for him and imagining his voice in my ear telling me I could do this. I just tried to visualize his big hands on my shoulders and touching my hand. I tried to see his blue eyes looking into my soul and welling up with big tears telling me how much he loved me.

At about 6:30 a few more medical people starting milling around. I knew Tom's flight was landing at 7:22, so I was just praying they would wait for him to arrive. Kate got there... thank god. She walked in the door and I lost all composure. I just broke down into sobs into her shoulder and she hugged me back, assuring me it was going to be okay. The doctor came in and Kate was right at my side as he went into this horrible description of all of the things that could very well go wrong with a C section, be wrong with the baby, risks, etc. I was horrified and stared at Kate. She looked right into my eyes and said not to worry one bit. "This baby is coming because he is ready. He is ready. Nothing is going to be wrong with him. I'm not leaving you. I will be in the room with you every step of the way." Again, I cried into her shoulder wishing with all of my might that Tom would walk through the door.

The doctor returned 15 minutes later and insisted on getting started. The risks of waiting were getting higher. Once the water breaks, there is more exposure for infection, cord complications, etc. I was in full on labor and they were concerned about him getting too far down into my pelvis, so the decision was made to move forward. Although I was a mess over not having Tom by my side, I was concerned about the well being of my baby, so I went along with everything.

My mind went sort of blank in the operating room. The spinal shot hurt, but I didn't flinch. I was shaking like a leaf and just trying to breath as we got into the actual procedure. Kate was there with me and was watching over the curtain. She kept on telling me that everything was going perfectly. I remember laughing at one point when Kate said the baby was mooning the doctor! Then he was out. He was out, but not crying. I just stared at Kate and said, "when is he going to cry? Why isn't he crying?" She said, "don't worry, he's just about to cry... just a second... any second now..." and then WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! His voice was loud and clear, and I let go a huge sigh of relief. They brought him over to me and I saw the sweetest face every made. I said hello to him and he stopped crying and tried to open those tiny little eyes to see his mama. Kate said, "oh my god, he knows your voice."

After a few moments they took the baby to the nursery and Kate went with him. I spent another 20 minutes in surgery before being wheeled to the recovery area. I felt so strange. I just couldn't believe that I had a baby and now I was lying here in this bed in a strange room alone. Then... my Superman walked in with the biggest smile I've ever seen. Tom's eyes were sparkling and all he could say was, "he's so perfect". Then he leaned over me and hugged me. I never wanted him to let go. We laughed and he said he was 16 minutes after the birth and he told me the whole story about the golf course and the car ride and running through the airport and racing to get to the hospital. It was so beautiful and funny and endearing. I fell in love with him all over again right there in a hospital gown.

Fast forward to the next day, September 4th. All is going well, our baby is perfect and beautiful, we're doing great. Until my mom called with some sad news. My grandfather had passed away in the night. He was 97 years old and frankly he really wanted to go. But this man was the strongest I'd ever known. He was gruff and tough on the outside. He was not particularly fond of children. He'd say mean things on purpose to try and cause a stir or hurt someone's feelings, but I loved him with all my heart. I don't mean just a normal "you're family so I have to say I love you" type of love. I really, truly adored this man. I took to him when I was about 2 yrs old, and for whatever reason he let me in that gruff old shell of his. I used to go stay with my grandparents for a few weeks every summer. I remember one summer in particular when I was probably 10 or 11. Grandpa would get up really early in the mornings, and after a few mornings of being stuck doing chores with grandma, I grew wise and started sleeping in my clothes on, with one eye open. When I heard grandpa stir in the morning, I shot out of bed and was at his side, I was his little shadow. We did everything that summer and every summer after, sprucing up the fair grounds, weeding the garden, visiting his friends, driving all over the county. Grandpa knew everyone in the entire county, including all the gossip on each and every one of them!

My grandmother, his beloved wife of 69 years, died last summer and grandpa was miserable ever since. He was lonely and just over it. I knew he was getting close to leaving this earth. Then... when my mom told me he died, all I could think of was my baby Mack coming into this world as my dear grandfather was exiting. I just know they high fived as they passed through.

So... it's a long story, but things in our lives are so beautiful. We are over the moon happy with our family. Thank you to all of our friends who were amazing and stepped up to help us through every single step of the way. Thank you to my grandfather for leaving and blessing my baby boy with the power of his spirit.

Mack's a week old!

2008-09-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard to comprehend how much life has changed in a week. The birth was such a whirlwind that I think it really hit me for the first time this morning. Katie and I were up for the 4:30 am feeding, which was a particularly long one. I went back to bed at 5, and was dozing back to sleep when I heard an airplane pass over the house (it's rare that we hear planes so it stood out hearing one so early). I kinda snapped back to reality as I realized it was likely the red-eye coming in from LAX, the one that leaves LAX at 10:30 PM, the one you can connect to via the 8:30 SFO, 7:00 SEA, or 5:45 YVR. That was my bread-and-butter flight for years, but it couldn't feel further away from reality right now...

This was a yawn, thank God. He really doesn't cry much at all. We're lucky so far...

We've vowed to raise Mack as part of our life, instead of dropping our lives to cater to his. As a result, he's exposed to all kinds of good noises and stimuli around Casa De Goedde. Movies, vacuum cleaners, dog kisses, he sleeps through it all. He'll cover his eyes when it's too bright for him to sleep, that's about it. He's in the process of that here.

Here's Mack's room. Baby blue and chocolate. Putt-Putt, Pajama Sam, SPY Fox and Freddi Fish (characters from Humongous Entertainment games, my first job in the games industry) look out for him. A couple other cool things, Katie supplied the giant Good NeighBEAR from her former life as a State Farm agent. She also has a cool pedal car and a bunch of smaller collectibles that he'll break within 2 months of crawling... :-) You can also see a map on the wall, it used to hang in my grandfather's home office. He was a big-wig at Boeing and traveled the world extensively back when that wasn't as common as it is today. He used to send me postcards from everywhere he went so I could collect the stamps. Anyway, this map has push pins marking all the cities he'd visited and I remember imagining what they were all like as I pointed and asked questions. Back to today, I've been taking advantage of the time off to get the house whipped into shape and I found the map in the garage. Katie suggested we hang it in Mack's room, using a new color of push pin for my travels and one for Mack's upcoming adventures. My mother has made quilts in her spare time for as long as I can remember. She had a group of ladies from St Ed's who met every week to work on them, and they'd rotate through the recipients. I think the meetings were more about drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and gossip worthy of TMZ, but you know us Catholics, we need an excuse... Of course, babies and weddings always trumped the normal rotation. My folks moved out of the hood a few years ago, but I'm glad to see she's still quilting. This thing is pretty amazing. In the photo below you can see Katie and my names, plus an open space in the middle for Mack. You can also see the incredible detail in the stitching. I think it was driving mom crazy that we waited so long to name him, so she sent it ahead of the birth, and we'll bring it back at Thanksgiving to get his name added. Sometimes I wonder if I'm adopted. Those of you that have golfed with me know I don't have this level of patience...

That's it for now. We'll write again when Mack opens our eyes in a whole new way. I expect that will be tomorrow....

The story of Mack's big day

2008-09-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Man, I feel like I've told this story a thousand times over the last week, but here it is, in all it's detailed glory...

I've been nervous about work travel for the past couple months, but this is our busiest time of year as we launch NASCAR, NCAA Football, Madden and Tiger within a couple months. I've traveled 8 of the last 10 weeks for different launch events and planning meetings, but this was to be my last trip before mack's expected 10/9/08 arrival date. I kissed Katie goodbye and jokingly asked her to hang on for 3 more nights while I ran to NY for NFL Kickoff week activities.

I landed at JFK late Tuesday night and my cell phone wouldn't turn on. In hindsight, I should have known I was in for a long week. Luckily I was traveling with a fairly large group of guys from Tiburon, so after I checked into the hotel, I called Katie and gave her the hotel phone number, and the cell numbers of 4 of the guys I was traveling with. I figured I'd get a replacement phone after golf and before the reception on Wednesday evening.

We were up early and headed out to golf the next morning. There was typical NY traffic, so it took us 2 hours to get out to Glen Arbor up in Westchester, although I'm still not sure how far it actually is. We finally got to the club and I was stoked to see that Phil Holt, Dale Jackson and I were slated to play with Hall of Fame lineman Anthony Munoz. I was pretty excited about it as the former NFL Man of the Year was one of my boyhood idols. He's also a good friend of Sandy Sandoval's, and played in Cincinnati with an old Seattle friend of mine, Kevin Sargent. Lots to talk about... ANYWAY, we had a horrible round, but great day on the course, smoking cigars, talking football and enjoying the sun. It was 3:00 and we were limping into the 18th green for our final scramble putt when Dale's phone rang. He looked a bit startled as he handed me the phone. "Oh shit" is all I could get out...

Katie was understandably terrified on the other end of the phone. Her water broke while she was hanging out at the house. I remember saying "just stay calm and call the doctor" about a thousand times. Truth is, that's about all I could get out as my heart raced and nervous tears rolled down my face. My intention was for her to call the doctor to see if she needed to call an ambulance, or if she could wait for a friend or a cab. Hard core as she always is, decided to drive herself to the hospital when the Dr told her to get in ASAP...

Meanwhile, back on the golf course, I remembered that Todd Sitrin, Steve Chiang and Peter Moore had just left the golf course for an afternoon meeting back in the city, and they were gracious enough to turn around on the highway to pick me up. I left my clubs with the guys, handed Phil my hotel room key, and we were off to the airport; which one I wasn't yet sure. Thank God for Dale who loaned me his cell phone so I was able to keep in contact throughout the ordeal. Jen Foreman graciously stepped in to help find the best airport options, and Steve, Todd and Peter did their best to distract me with stories of their birth experiences. I jumped out of the car at 4:10 at JFK for a 4:30 flight, convinced that there was no way I'd make this flight and I was going to miss the birth of our 1st...

Luckily, you can train new yorkers to be security guards, but you can't take the NY out of them. I ran up to the first security guard I could find. "I'll give you a hundred bucks if you can get me on this flight". He didn't even respond, just grabbed me by the arm and we ran to a secret ticket agent, then past the security lines, literally sprinting through the airport like to old OJ Hertz ads. I made it to the plane, sweaty from the run, and stinking of cigars. The guy next to me was tolerant and understanding once I explained the story. The longest 2 1/2 hour flight of my life followed.

We landed in Orlando and I sprinted for the taxi stand (my car keys were still back at the NY hotel), jumped a cab and again bribed the guy to speed all the way to South Seminole Hospital. Julie Erb, Jillian Holt, and our friend Kate were already at the hospital. I called them at least 3 times, begging the Dr's to stall. I was getting a bit hot under the collar, convinced that some Ivy League punk wanted to be home by 8 (Mack was breech, so a C-section was required). I begged and begged, but the final call came in at 7:49, while I was crossing 17-92, just 2 1/2 miles from the hospital. I missed the birth by just 16 minutes...

It was obviously disappointing to miss the big moment, but I forgot all about it as soon as I saw my nose in 1/50th scale. Mack was perfect, and despite his early arrival there were no tubes, no incubator, and no worries. There is a picture of his little hand wrapped around my finger as we met for the first time. It was an incredible moment, interrupted only by the need to get back to Katie right away.

And there you have it, the crazy start to what I'm sure will be a crazy journey through parnethood!

Mack's 1st weekend

2008-09-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Man, never stand between cross-country grandparents and regular updates on a newborn! Here you go, the latest round of photos and info from Casa De Goedde!

Sasha is literally assuming a mother's role with Mack. We knew she'd be great, but as always she's blown away our high expectations. She snaps to attention and runs to Mack's side whenever he makes a peep. She is super gentle and loves to lick his little toes (although he's not wild about that treatment). During the night, she gets up for all the feedings and patiently sits at Katie's feet. When Katie heads back to bed, Sasha heads to her bed as well, right next to Mack's crib. She's such a sweet dog. She's really struggling with her sleep schedule though. It's tough to make up those late night hours when you already sleep through daylight hours!

Mack regularly falls asleep mid feedings...

The Entertainment Marketing group out at EA's Bay Area office sent a really cute Burt's Bees gift basket that included this bear. Mack digs the stripes, so they were fast friends. BTW, the outfit Mack is in is a preemie size, but it's still falling of him.
Man, this kid is so tiny right now. The Tiburon folks have been really nice and bring meals to our door every night. Phil Holt was up last night (the fresh potato leak soup was incredible), he laughed that it's hard to believe this little guy will likely be bigger than dad someday. Even harder to believe when you see the weight I'll be putting on with people delivering food to my door daily... :-)
Those Goedde boys have HUGE hands! :-) Seriously, this was gonna be a damn big kid if he went full term. His hands and feet are like a Great Dane puppy.

Katie and I had a great moment last night while we were watching football. My family has a fun tradition of using the book The Secret Language of Birthdays to try to "pick" baby's birthdays. It started with my niece Katie (who started HIGH SCHOOL last week, WTH?). I found this book that has a two page personal profile for every day of the year. Many of you have seen this book because it's been on my coffee table for years and is regularly broken out at parties. It's amazing how accurate this thing typically is (the motto for my birthday is "the day of the unsolicited opinion"). Anyway, we'd spent nights reading the profiles around Mack's original due date of 10/9 and weren't wild about any of them. In all of this week's action, we kinda forgot to look up the 9/3 birthday. Here are the key portions of that entry that we found last night(reprinted without permission of course, don't tell)...

The Day Of the Mold Breakers.

People born on Sept 3rd are not always what they seem. Although they can impress others as quiet and tractable, no one who has ever tried to take advantage of a Sept 3rd person will forget the result. Those born on this day have a steel-like armor the seals them off from all forms of flattery and vampirism. They may appear gentle, even a bit soft, but they will insist on being treated honorably and fairly, and vigorously resist efforts to push them around.

Because their work is often visionary in nature, exceptional people born on this day can be way ahead of their time, and must understand if others are slow to approve of their methods. Fortunately, most of these mold breakers display great patience, as well as confidence in the value of their work. Thus, they are well equipped to endure years without recognition while continuing on with their endeavors. Their path to wider acceptance can be made a bit smoother if they take the time to explain to others in everyday language what their objectives are and how they intend to get there.

Sept 3rd people of all abilities gravitate to action and controversy. They are often quite rebellious against the systems in which they must operate, particularly when they feel misunderstood. Both their buoyant optimism and temperamental nature have to be kept under control. Developing emotional consistency and strong willpower is essential for their success in life.

The Meditation for 9/3 is "Hear what others say to you, but remain in tune with your own inner voice"

There is a ton of other content in the profile that y'all can look up yourselves (I'm tired of typing), but it was a cute scene as Katie and I are crying our eyes out on the couch, while Mack sleeps and Sasha licks Katie's tears away like the concerned mom she's become.

We're so excited to see what life has in store for little Mack...

Mack's settling in nicely

2008-09-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Mack's 2nd day has been great. He slept well through the night, as did mom and dad. I'm not quite suckered into that one yet though. He's gonna start screaming any minute. I can tell...

Mack Goedde is Here!

2008-09-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

A bit early, but healthy and welcome just the same. James McArthur "Mack" Goedde joined us 9/3 at 7:49pm, just 16 minutes before daddy made it back from NY. Baby and mom are doing great, here are a few shots from that first night, including a pic taken in the nursery of daddy meeting Mack for the first time!

Officially NESTING

2008-08-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

So I think I'm officially "nesting". I have washed every single little tiny sock, onesie, wash cloth, burp cloth, blankie and toy I can find. We had an ultra sound today and the little man is measuring 5 pounds and 7 ounces. They said he's above average, but not huge... so I'm feeling good about that. He was sucking on his little wrist and kicking away when we saw him. I swear he has Tom's dimples, too! The only thing that worries me is that he's still in a breech position. The doctor said that there is lots of fluid, and he should turn in the next few weeks. I'm crossing my fingers! As far as timing goes, the doctor said as long as we can make it through August, we should be good to go! This Thursday is 35 weeks, so it's definitely the home stretch. I'd put a picture of the 4d ultra sound, but I don't know how to get it from the scanner to the picture section... sorry! I'm technology challenged.

Tom has to go to New York this week for the Tiger Launch and then one more time next week for the NFL kickoff party. Then he's done traveling until after the bambino gets here. I'm so glad. As much as I try not to, when he leaves a little piece of me worries that I'm going to go into labor! At least I have Sasha to take care of me! HA HA!

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

So many of you have heard that Florida is being drenched by Tropical Storm Fay. The rain is pounding us right now in Lake Mary and it just doesn't seem to be letting up one bit. The wind is whipping through here, too... crazy. Sasha HATES the water, and she refuses to go out in the rain to go potty. I have to coax her into going, and I have to be right next to her while she goes or else she won't do it. I had the brilliant idea of making her a poncho... well, as you can see from her face, she was NOT pleased with it. It is now in the trash. I have to admit, I laughed so hard looking at her in the homemade rain coat!

Baby Shower and other stuff

2008-08-20T12:13:00.001-07:00

34 weeks in this picture... huge as a house. Can't wait to have this kid!

A huge thank you to our dear friends Courtney and Farrah for planning and hosting our couples' baby shower this past weekend. It was so beautiful. They did everything from hang adorable decorations to planning out fun games to getting the most beautiful (and delicious) cupcakes! We had a great time. Thank you also to all of our friends who were able to make it. Their generosity was overwhelming... the gifts we received really blew us away. It was very fun.

Lamaze...

2008-08-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

We spent all day Saturday and 1/2 of Sunday in a Lamaze crash course. It was a LOT of information in a short amount of time, so of course I got sweaty palms and was all concerned that I wouldn't remember any of it. Tom was amazing (of course). He played along with all of the breathing techniques and the relaxation stuff. He is such the balance in my life. I was so glad we went, because not only did they discuss the breathing, etc, but they described the whole experience. It was a long weekend, but well worth it. Poor Sasha, though... she was feeling like a latch key kid all weekend long!

Saturday night we went to the Madden '09 kickoff party downtown Orlando and had a blast. It was a very late night, but we had a blast.

2 weeks away!

2008-07-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home sweet home after a 2 week whirlwind trip away. We started in LA for the ESPY awards and had a wonderful time. Then we went to Seattle for Tom's 20th high school reunion (crazy!) then we parted ways and I went to Montana and Tom went to Austin for work meetings. It was a great trip, but we missed our doggie and we were both so glad to get home. Thank you to our dear friend, Kate, for watching our house and sweet Sasha.

Update on baby Goedde... I'm 30 weeks and 4 days along as of today and all seems to be going great! We have an ultra sound on Thursday, so we'll get some new pictures of the little monkey. I'm feeling great, but ready to get this baby here! I'm happy to report that we made huge progress this weekend on the baby's room and cleaned out the closet. It felt fantastic to do that, and I think we're starting to realize how close it really is. Come on baby, we want to meet you!

Tom's sis and fam

2008-07-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

Annette, Derek, Katie (14) and Brendon (9) came down to sunny FL for about 10 days. They spent 7 LONG days at the Disney parks and the last 3 days with us. We had such a blast! Tom and I stole the kids for one day and took them shopping. We all went to the beach the next day and spent the remainder of our time together hanging out at the pool. Everyone had a blast, especially SASHA! She is still moping around looking for her "cousins".

Crawfish boil and pool party!

2008-06-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

Well, we had Tom's marketing team over for our first ever crawfish boil and it was a super success! Tom ordered the crawfish online and they were fed-ex'd to the house Saturday morning LIVE! I was NOT about to touch those things! I helped chop up all the veggies and everything else, but the crawdaddies were all Tom. We all had a fantastic time. The sun was out, the kids played in the pool, and Sasha was in hog heaven with all the people around petting her every other second. One little crawdad escaped before being dropped in the boiling pot... he jumped into the pool and tried to get away. He was captured, but because of his bravery was spared and is now living happily in the aquarium with our one other fish! We fondly named him Crawford.

Happy Father's day to all those daddies out there! It is Tom's first father's day, so he's enjoying left over crawfish and watching golf on the outside TV and the NASCAR race on the inside TV!

Tom's new car

2008-06-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is a picture of Tom's new BMW M6. It's really shiny and pretty! A guy from EA is a professional photographer and asked to do a photo shoot of the car. This is one of the pictures from that night. It was so fun, we went up on top of a parking garage downtown Orlando and around dusk he took this. As you can see, he is quite talented!!!

Tom is the best...

2008-05-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Tom surprised me with a trip to Boca Raton last Tuesday night for a Roots/Erykah Badu concert in an outdoor venue. It was so much fun!!! We drove the new car down and had a blast. Wednesday morning we got up and went to the beach and walked and walked before heading back to Orlando. It was such a fun surprise and a much needed little get away.

Then our Memorial weekend was fab. We didn't have any plans, so we just hung out together and had a good time. We (when I say "we" I mean Tom... I just sat around and talked to him) oiled up all of our outdoor furniture. It looks great! We also washed and waxed the new car and a guy from Tom's office did a photo shoot of it. When we get those pics back I'll post a few up. It's so shiny!

Oh... and here's the "bump" at 22 weeks! It's about the same as before, but I think my butt is getting bigger!!! UGH!!!

Hooray for exercise!!!

2008-05-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

Well, my doctor gave me the green light to start moderate exercise again. I didn't realize just how mopy I had gotten over the last 7 weeks without it. Poor Tom!!! I walked every day this week, ending with 20 miles total. I also did yoga each day at a new studio I found (compliments of my good friend Kate). It's a God send, and I feel like myself again! It's amazing how those endorphins kick in. It brought me back to life.

The baby has been moving around and kicking like crazy. It's the best feeling in the world when I feel the little guy moving around. It's still so surreal, though. My good friend in Seattle had her little girl last weekend... and the thought of a real baby here in my arms has me a bit freaked out. Thank God for 40 weeks!

Mom and Dad came to visit!

2008-05-13T04:54:00.000-07:00

My parents came down for a long weekend and we had a blast. They came with me to my 20 week ultra sound and got to see the little guy swimming around doing flips and kicking away. It was very fun to have them with me.

The guys drove race cars at the Richard Petty driving experience, we went to the Sawgrass golf tournament, we took a scenic boat ride, we hung out at the pool... it was a fab time. I dropped them off at the airport and cried my eyeballs out.

Silver River

2008-05-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, our Saturday was an adventurous one! We spent the day with our friends Charley and Joni on their beautiful boat on the Silver River. We saw 17 alligators, monkeys, turtles, huge fish and much more. The river is spring filled, so it is an even 72 degrees year around and it is crystal clear. We felt like we were in the jungle all day.

2008-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's a boy!

2008-04-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

So... a few weeks ago we had another ultra sound and found out we're having a boy! Tom had a hunch all along that it was going to be a boy. I, on the other hand, was clueless. It was really fun to see him again on the monitor. He had both of his little hands behind his head lounging. I said look, it's like father like son!

Another amazing thing is Tom and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary on April 20th. I can't believe a year ago we were lounging on the beach in Mexico with our friends and family. What a difference one year makes! Tons of our friends are pregnant or just had new babies, so I guess times they be a changin!

My folks are coming to visit next week. I can't wait to see them! I'm going to take them with me to our 20 week ultra sound on May 8th, so they'll get to see their new little grandson. I'm super excited about that. The weather is beautiful and I'm loving living in the sunshine!!!

Bye for now...

Baby on the way!

2008-03-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

So... it's still early, but we can't help but scream from the roof tops that we're going to have a baby! I'm a little over 9 weeks along. We've had 2 ultra sounds so far and the little peanut seems to be going strong. Tom is convinced it's a boy, but I'm not so sure. I keep flip flopping. I've been nauseas a lot and so tired. Also, the food cravings are out of this world! Things I would NEVER consider putting in my mouth are finding their ways into the house. Oh well... 9 months and then I'll get back on track. It's all worth it!

2007-12-06T14:59:00.001-08:00

2007-12-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

I'm new to the blogging, so forgive me for not having pictures, etc. up yet. I begged Tom to teach me how to download photos from the camera onto the new computer. He swears it's really easy... but then I reminded him he's married to the technology VORTEX. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon.

We're heading to Portland on Saturday for a quick trip to wrap up the year. I'm excited to see everyone, but it'll be super fast, so I'm sure I'll miss a few folks. I can't wait to go for a run up in Forest Park and to eat at Cafe Mingo! Of all the "things" I miss in Portland, I'd say those 2 are near the top of the list.

Love and kisses to everyone! Happy December!

2007-12-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

2007-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00