Little ONE!

As you may have gathered, Stacey, Kori and I will usually celebrate 
holidays and birthdays twice. Kori's birthday was no different. To 
kick off her 1 year milestone, we started with a small gathering of 
friends and family in St. Louis the weekend before the 4th. Memaw 
hosted a great bash with great food, great gifts, and great company. 
Thanks again to everyone who made Kori part of their Saturday 
including Mr. Dacey who was 24 hours late (wink).

Just seven days later, we were back at it at Grand Lake with the Tulsa 
crew including my ma. I think we got ourselves a taste of several 
birthdays to come. My vision for the majority of future birthdays is 
pools, boats, aquatic sports/toys, fireworks, water parks and of course lake time. We think 
she has enough hardware to support the next 5 birthdays: splash parks, 
inflatable water gym, princess bugey, slides, a wagon, etc. Stacey and 
I would like to thank all of you for making our little girl feel so 
special this past year. I can't think of anything I'd rather do 
more than watch her continue to grow, we have not had a boring day since last July 2nd which is a great feeling.

Inflatable waterpark

Princess Buggy

Overwhelmed by the attention and gifts

Trying to dig into her suckers

We were hoping for a little more excitement with her wagon ;)

Splash waterpark so maybe she will stay out of the dog's water bowl

The ultimate jungle gym/climber

Being studious in her new lawn chair

Finally get to cool off at the pool

And lets not forget about the cake eating contest Kori had with herself....I must say she had quit an audience.....it was fun to help her out too

This blog is brought you by another priceless moment in Kori's Story. 
Thursday night was a rough one for all of us. Kori didn't want to go 
down for anything which rarely happens so I took the night shift and 
partied with her. I tried taking her for a walk outside, feeding her 
which turned into her feeding me for 20 minutes straight, running 
through the baby genuis playlist, and more rockin. Finally, we made 
it. There were a few toss and turns but settled in and slept for about 
5 to 6 hours (FYI ever since that night she has slept no less then 12 hours at night). So here we are Friday morning...thank you for that morning 
start with a fresh lake breeze. Oh wait!!! That's just Kori making a 
stinky in my eye. You guessed it folks. Somehow our midnight tosses and 
turns resulted in a silent but deadley spooning position. How we 
ended up butt to face is beyond me. Adding insult to injury, Kori 
laughs in my face as if her poot wasn't enough.
Thanks for watching!!!

"Let's show these guys what kind of team they're about to beat."
~Phil Dunphy
Please keep the McDonald family in your prayers. Unfortunately, we lost another great man on July 5th. Keith McDonald, Brett's dad, was a notable family man that leaves behind a very respectable legacy. Brett has been a very close friend of mine since I first step foot in Stillwater. The support their family gave me and mine was momumental when we suffered the same tradegy. I'm still not up to speed on the details of their loss, but feel free to send your love and support.

Kori, you just won the Super Bowl? What are going to do next?!

DISNEY WORLD!!!

Most recently, we got back from a week long vacation in Florida. See itinerary listed below. Why not go to Florida a week before the Blanchard/Cromer wedding to indulge in some family fun. Thank you Dick and Barb for such a wonderful time. The two of you really went above and beyond. I really appreciate you giving me, my daughter, and our family our first Disney experience.

Sunday- SeaWorld

 

Monday- Magical Kingdom and Hollywood Studios

It’s a Small World…, Space Mountain, Mickey Ears, Star Wars, Parades, Light Shows, and much more.

Tuesday- Epcot
Soarin’, Finding Nemo, Mission: Space, Tour of the Countries, Electric Light Shows, and Fireworks.
Wednesday- Animal Kingdom
Safari, Tough to be a Bug, Mt. Everest, Petting Zoo, Train Ride, Rainforest Café, and Bachelor Party on Church Street (Orlando, FL)

Thursday- Melbourne, FL
BBQ/Meet and Greet at Tim and Sarah’s/Recover from Last Night.

First touch of the ocean

Some one must have gotten up very early to do this

Not really excited about the loud waves

Much happier on the blanket

Friday- Rehearsal Dinner, Mr. Mom, Day o’ Beach, Dinner at a Tennis Club, and Squidlibs.

Kori and Carter (Stacey's cousin Scott's son) becoming friends

Blanchard/Cromer siblings

Saturday- Tim and Sarah’s Special Day
Mr. Mom, Day o’ Beach, Wedding, and Frown cause it’s almost Over.

Party Animal

The happy couple...unfortunately this is the only pic I have of them :(

Sunday-Tulsa bound



 Carry 10 bags with 1 of them being mine.
Jealous?
Seriously, I could go on and on about this vacation. Kori was an absolute sweetheart. We couldn’t pass anyone without some kind of compliment. There was no amount of heat or crowd that could stop her. She was attentive, engaged, interested, and friendly to all. And I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Sarah. They put together a beautiful weekend, a beautiful day, and I hope that remains constant the rest of their lives. Kori is lucky to have them as a Aunt and Uncle.

So, Tom! What was your favorite part?

Well, Tom! Thanks for askingJ

I can honestly say that “It’s a Small World” ride was the my favorite. Let me explain! Yes, the jingle will remain with you the whole trip. Yes, it may seem a little over rated. Yes, it seems cliché. But, we just so happen to get the first row in the boat, and we just happen to be tall enough to hold on to the rail giving us just enough development to ride our own ride. Speaking for myself, I got a huge kick watching her get all worked up, jump around, and dance as we pass through all the different countries. It’s like I was living that ride through her and that sounds completely fake but…it’s the truth. Fun to be a dad at Disney World. I got to live my first time and her first time

 all in one trip. With all that said, I should be caught up but don’t go far cause….

SHE’S WALKING. DON’T CHANGE THE CHANNEL, FOLKS!!!

“Some people call me a salesman, I call myself a salesfriend, so obviously I need strangers to trust me. I don't take it kindly when someone Tom Sellecks my bus bench.”

~Phil Dunphy

Warning: Objects in rearview mirror are louder than they appear!

Next up on the Cowley itinerary, we are westbound 44 on to St. Louis for some grad parties, a wedding for a long time childhood friend, and grandma’s birthday. All of those take place in less than 48 hours mind you. Congrats to the all the seniors at Vianney baseball on a successful campaign this season (3^rd in state) and making it to graduation. We were fortunate enough to be in town for the Pfeiffer/Barnes/Lartonoix grad party. It was great seeing all the families again. Feels like yesterday we were fumbling through bunt coverage’s and team defense 3 years. Any who, I hope their baseball careers will bring them near Tulsa on occasion.
Our 3^rd wedding of the year took place at Busch Stadium which was pretty cool I must say. The ceremony took place right on top of home plate with the reception being held in the executive suites (I can’t place the actual name of the hall). I feel like it only took 30 minutes to get through the whole program which worked out real nice cause it did sprinkle almost the entire time we were in the green seats. It actually brought a nice feel to the wedding if you ask me. One hour into the whole production, my shirt and tie is mangled and damp from Kori using my chest as her own personal playground and I am drenched in cherry juice (red on yellow is not flattering). “Here Kori! Gnaw on this cherry and calm down a bit! The juice won‘t get all over me instantly” Really, Tom?!
At least the table of parents that watch me grow up got a huge kick out me struggling as a parent. Talk about stepping into a time machine. Aside from the bone head mistake to stray from the lemon wedge and give Kori a cherry to squeeze, the wedding was a lot of fun and so was she: flirting with all the little boys, meeting all my old friends and their parents, dancing till last call, etc. I can’t imagine taking a kid her age to a wedding that’s just awful. We’d probably RSVP no a little more often or one of us would have to fly solo but so far she has aced these late night weddings. Grandma was a big help though. She’ll take Kori sleeping, crabby, fussy, poopy, whatever. Hope you had a good birthday grandma! I know we were super glad to be in town for it.
Not to discredit the wedding, but my favorite part of the weekend was Sunday, the day before Memorial Day. I finally got to see my little bro and his family…most importantly his two kids, Brendan and Bailey. Moving to Tulsa has been tough but great at the same time. Leaving the kiddies has been the toughest part in my opinion: Matthew, Brendan, and Bailey. It would be nice to see them more often and watch Kori interact. So Sunday Fun Day was pretty typical: BBQ, some drinks, TLC, quality time, and several laughs. My mom thought it would be nice to open up the Cowley boy’s arts and crafts box from all the years past. Man, I really didn’t think the content of our cards/presents would be that entertaining. Between my brother’s penmanship/spelling and my desperate attempt to be the perfect son, I couldn’t tell what was more hilarious. One card read, “Dear Mom, I feel sorry for you!” …and that was it. What does that even mean?
Good time all around though. I wish everyone’s schedules would allow those moments to happen more often. Again, don’t go far. We got more comingJ

“I was gonna tell Claire about the dog. I was just waiting until she was in the right mood. Actually, I did get one right mood a couple nights ago... but I cashed that in for something else.”
~Phil Dunphy

'Tis the season…

It has come to my attention that I haven’t blogged since May 6^th and I am several entries behind so I hope all of you are extremely curious about the story of Kori. Since Easter, we’ve spent a few weekends at the lake, attended the Schmuhl/Walker wedding in Oklahoma City, road tripped to St. Louis for numerous events (Grad party, Williams Wedding, Grandma Cowley’s birthday, etc.), and set voyage to Florida for a week to terrorize Disney World and the Blanchard/Cromer wedding.

So…

Coming to you live from THE FIRST CHANCE I GOT SO BACK OFF, WIFEJ

Our time at the lake is a great break from reality. Kori has become quite fond of the boat, the golf cart, the water, and the unlimited attention. Most of the weekends play out the same but that’s the best part. Chores and obligations are almost non existent and the house there allows your mind to know that’s perfectly fine to NOT do anything. It’s such a reliable and peaceful get away. I can’t thank Dick and Barb enough for allowing Stacey, Kori, and I to visit so frequently.

Year to date, Kori has been to 4 weddings already and half of them have already been out of state. She was quite the handful at the Schmul/Walker wedding. With Stacey standing in as a bridesmaid, let’s just say I was ready for a drink when the ceremony was over. “Excuse me barkeep! Can I get a beer and uh…apple juice?” If you’re partial to the occasional rub down or hair tug, you’ll want to sit in the row directly in front of Kori and I. “No worries, ma’am. The orange cheese puff residue clashes well with that whole thing you have going on. Hahaha…Tide pen?” More importantly, the Schmul/Walker Wedding was beautiful and pretty hilarious. The speeches by the wedding party were very entertaining even with Chardonnay soaked slacks and a sticky baby. Seriously though, I’m not complaining. I think it’s fun to share. Thanks to Josh and Karen for letting us be a part of your special day. Your family seems like a lot of fun.

Roll pics! Don’t go far because I have few more to catch up on.

   Schmuhl/Walker Wedding.....Kori obviously wasn't in the mood for pictures

                                        Mother's Day Weekend at the Lake

“I'm cool dad, that's my thang. I'm hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face.”
~Phil Dunphy

Cruisin for a Bruisin

The story on Kori has been a bit delayed so I do apologize. Milli, Vanilli, and I will blame it on the rain. Her 1st Easter though adorable through any new parent's eye was not exactly filled with sunshine and rainbows. It was just the opposite actually . Kori cried on the way to church, fussed/napped during church, and cried on the way home from church. I think we were the parents that fell for typical parent Easter protocall by dressing their kid in something itchy and uncomfortable. After we got home, things were back to normal for the most part. The rest of the day consisted of naps, snacks, and grandmas...yes grandmas. At one point Kori had 4 grandmas at her disposal. My mom and grandma were brave enough and generous enough to leave the St. Louis twisters in their rearview mirror in order to spend less then 48 hours with their grandchild. When you couple that with Stacey's mom and grandma, what do you get? Four people telling you what you did wrong four times. Ha. Just kidding. I probably just earned myself 10 minutes in the ugly chair with that comment. But for real, that's how we got to 4 grandmas and 4 different generations in one living room. Anyway, it was really nice sharing Kori with everyone on her 1st Easter. Unfortunatley, the day ended a little early. We put her down for her 5 o'clock nap that she takes occassionally and we didn't see her until 7:30 a.m. the next day. Rough life, huh?
Fast forward a week into late breaking development news, and you'll find our 10 month old little one, the same one that was 6 lbs. 14 oz. in July, standing all by herself and taking the occassionnal/accidental step. Sadly, some of these leaps of faith lead to a bruise on face, most of the time on my dime. Maybe I give her too much credit sometimes. Anywho, coupled with those few prouds steps are paths of mass destruction. This is typical from what I gather but she's throwing everything in her sight, beating me senseless with remote controls, and terrorizing Stacey's hair. Even with that said, I'll stamp this as my favorite age thus far. Her personality is really coming through and I finally get to start sharing my food with her...and vice versa. It takes a lot more effort these days when I get home from work cause it's like herding cats getting her through the bath routine but that's her journey, and I have to respect that. Still a huge fan of hers.
Other events include but are not limited to Little Gym appointments, 1st top toof poking through the roof, and adult- like farts. True story. Luckily for me I have someone else to blame it on besides the dog.

Later, Gators!

So Laura's trying to test me? Bring it on. I've been tested my entire life. They could never find anything.
~Phil Dunphy

                                             The few pictures we managed to get on Easter

                                                  Not excited about being dressed up

                                   She knows exactly where her toys are, and how to get them

Dear Babysitter

(when the day comes that we have to use a babysitter who "doesn't" know Kori's every move this is an example of the instructions that will be left)

Thank you for your time and patience in advance. Kori IS a great baby with a teenaged attitude. With the proper warning and briefing, the night should go just fine. I've listed an outline of events for your review to help stay on track of her routine and your sanity. Keep in mind these are guidleines not hardlines and times will vary.

5:30-6:00 Dinner time. If she gets stubborn you may want to put the food into her bowl and feed her from that opposed to a jar or warm her up with some puffs, crackers or juice.
6:00-6:30 Bath time. It can be a little back breaking with all the bending over but it's usually pretty peaceful and simple. Fill up the tub, scrub a dub, and finito. Tricky part is getting the diaper and PJs on while she discovers America and all you see in return is her little fanny crawling away at full speed. Gotta be quick and aggressive here: lotion, diaper, PJs, Qtips, and do the hairdo. I like to let her chew on the brush so I can buy myself some time.  The hair is an important part (according to mom) because you have to get it combed without letting her mess it up within the first few minutes of getting out of the bath.  Her hair dries faster then you can believe and it will be standing up, with curls on the end without the proper care....it's adorable but lets be honest we would like our child looking somewhat clean the next day and there is no fixing it once it's dry....a hairdryer on low heat and speed works wonders if your desperate. 
7:00-8:00 ish Play time. This usually consists of dragging the majority of the toys out into the middle of the room if they're not already, seeing how close she can get to the dog bed, yelling at cats, peddling for food/snacks, climbing stairs and/or into the dishwasher, leg rides, playing with remotes, making out with Riggles, trying to get at Mom's laptop, and other miscellaneous mischief.
8:00 ish Bed time. Most of the time it's one strike and she's out meaning she'll go down without a fight. If we miss the first time and she's still fusing after 10 minutes, plan on another 15 minutes of play time or get a bottle ready.

After that, you arehome free. We don't see her past 8:30 pm and before 7:30 a.m. too often.

We will leave you with a few of our favorite pictures from Kori's 9 month photo session which most of you have already seen on facebook