Dr. Danielle prescribes hugs and kisses

Danielle went to visit Grandma Janie and got in a few extra hugs and kisses from Uncle Mike Bucek, then from Cousin Jeannette DeBee, when she returned home.

The best medicine.

Click this photo to see the whole album:

Danielle at 11 months 11/1/07 8:42 PM

Prison Break still frames

From Prison Break ...

Finally got some photos from the set. Not all of them are in focus, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Click on a photo to link to the album.

Enjoy.

Danielle's First Halloween!

From Danielle's Fi...

From Danielle's Fi...

Danielle joined her buddies Elizabeth, George, and Griffin Yancy for her very first Halloween trick-or-treating. We never saw so many cute costumes.





After stressing (slightly) over a costume for Big D, Christa offered up her own hand-made M&M costume that she crafted for Griffin. As if Danielle wasn't already sweet enough!!! :-)

From Danielle's Fi...

Danielle didn't get candy (Daddy did!), but she got lots of extra hugs and snuggles, from Aunt Christa and Aunt Sherri. She liked those better, anyway.

From Danielle's Fi...

From Danielle's Fi...

It was hard to compete with all the great costumes we saw that night, especially Sean Dugan's "Napolean Dynamite" outfit, but she held her own. Dugan's pneumatic skull-on-a-stick was a big hit with the neighborhood kids.



Sean's got, like, mad trick-or-treating skills...

Mary & Heather Reunited

Mary reunited with her good friend Heather Ryndak-Swink, who was in Austin this weekend. Heather was Mary's former classmate at University of Illinois at Springfield's Master's program in Public Affairs Reporting, and recently got married (Yea, Heather!).

They had a tasty lunch on Friday at the Eastside Cafe, then came back and spent some time on our porch. I missed seeing Heather, but I'm glad the girls got to have some time together.

Danielle's Baptism

From Danielle's Ba...

Danielle got right with God on October 21, 2007, at the Holy Family Church in Wharton, Texas. The whole Bucek clan was out, so it was a hoot (really!). Uncle Tim conducted the ceremony, so you know it was a hoot. Father Tim is a party monster. Seriously, we had a great time, and Danielle soon got over the momentary trauma of water on her head. She does the same thing when we wash her hair, Tim- don't take it personally.

Danielle's Godparents are Mary's cousin Sara and her husband Keith, and we couldn't think of two more down-to-earth people, so we're very glad to have them as parents-on-deck. So to speak.



Danielle was sporting a beautiful family heirloom baptismal dress worn by her Cita, her Aunt Lizzy, and many more in the Chumney line, so it felt like Grandma India (and Grandpa Ron) was right there with us the whole time. Danielle refused to wear the bonnet for more than a single photo, though. She wanted her wild mane to be free!

Li'l Bit helped Daddy play piano while we waited for everyone to be ready. But the best moment of all was when Father Tim presented the newly-christened Danielle Anne Guilbot to the world, and she started waving to the congregation with both hands, like a tiny, curly-headed Richard Nixon.

From Danielle's Ba...

Good thing she's no ham.

Cita & Lizzy visit doesn't help the Cowboys

Danielle had a fun visit to Cita's house, and she got to see her Aunt Lizzy, but it still didn't help the Cowboys beat New England. I know, I know... Danielle's magical powers enabled the Spurs to roll over the Cleveland Cavaliers for their fourth NBA Championship earlier this year.

But let's face it: LeBron James is no Tom Brady. Or maybe his coach just didn't have signal-stealing video cameras in place. Whatever. Spurs rock.

But we know that Da Boyz must have had some of Dad's help from on high the previous Monday night, when Tony Romo threw six (yes, 6!) interceptions and still won the game. Nice one, Dad.

Danielle can't wait to go back!

Prison Break Viewing Party

The Friends and Former (and Future) Co-Workers of Curtis Wayne threw a lovely Prison Break Viewing Party at Robert & Sherri Dugan's house on Monday to watch Curtis' national TV series debut on Dugan's HUGE 60-inch HDTV.

Sherri cooked up some great food and snacks, and my friends Shirley Martin and Kai Dupe even brought champagne to celebrate!








We had to cut off Danielle at two glasses. She's a lightweight.





I want to thank all the good people who made it out to celebrate this special moment (literally- that's about how long I was onscreen) with me, Mary, and Danielle: Robert, Sherri, Kylie, and Sean Dugan, Robert Boley, Kai Dupe, Shirley Martin, Scott Artman, Eduardo Mena, Diana Lamnisos, Vicki Aversa, Jon Twichell, Lance Adams, Elaine Moser, and John Deviney, and Dugan's neice Kelly.





Danielle's grandma Cita also hosted a family viewing party in San Antonio. Ever since I turned 30, though, I find it increasingly hard to be in two places at once, so I hope she will forgive me for hanging around the ATX. We'll try to make it down to SA for my gruesome death scene. :-)