Names Please for the Newest McCain

The newest member of the McCain clan arrived today.  He is 3 months old, weighs about 3 pounds with ginger hair and golden eyes.

Poor little guy needs a name and we need your help.  We aren't feeling terribly creative apparently, so inspiration hasn't struck. 

Some ideas we've had:
Patriot (as in New England...) to be shortened to Pat the Cat
Frank (as in Beamer)
Beamer (as in Frank)
Aussie or AussieCat
Arrernte (local Aboriginal language)

Cat in Arrernte is "alkngatherrke" which I can't pronounce.

So, please vote or provide new suggestions in the comments.  We need a name!!!!

9 Months Old Today

Wow, how time flies...

Gavin and Braden turned 9 months old today, so here are the stats:

Braden: 

• 17.9 in (head) (50th percentile) (adjusted 75th percentile)
• 28.5 in (length) (50th percentile) (adjusted 75th percentile)
• 19lbs (25th percentile) (adjusted 50th percentile)
• 4 teeth, crawling on all fours and can pull himself to a standing position.  Walking is just around the corner.

Gavin:

• 17.1 in (head) (10th percentile) (adjusted 25th percentile)
• 28.9 in (length) (70th percentile) (adjusted 90th percentile)
• 17.5lbs (5th percentile) (adjusted 25th percentile)
• 8 teeth, crawling like an inchworm and can pull himself to a standing position.

 

  

Random Thoughts

It has been almost a month since my last posting, this whole working thing is tough!  But, I love it, so I'll just have to find a way to get better about posting pictures and things.  The weather has been wet for almost 3 weeks straight now.  I don't think they're going to be able to call this the Red Centre anymore, because it is awfully green.  We're practically semi-tropical these days, although it is starting to cool off a bit.  Not sure we even hit 90' today, but it was nice.

This summer has seen a significant increase in crime and "anti-social" behavior in town, so much so that its hit the papers internationally.  Fortunately, we haven't been personally affected and it seems to be getting better, especially as the weather gets cooler (the rain hasn't hurt either).

The rain has contributed to some amazing skies lately. Here are some pictures from a recent walk along the golf course behind our house.  (The last picture is my favorite, but it isn't of the sky.) (Also, there are some new pictures on the Insects page.)

Sunset over our house

Jamie walking out our back onto the golf course

Sunset and rain - gorgeous combination

Playing with Stieg

Devil Dog

Come in and play!

Gavin dropped to his knee too quick

 




MOMMY!!  I've stood up and I can't sit down!!!!



8 Months

Blog note:  You may have noticed the new links down the right hand side.  Rather than trying to include pictures within the blog posts, those will be my "critter gallery."  I'll try to note anytime I update those pages, but this way folks only have to see what they want to see.  :)  There are lots of new pictures on the reptiles and insect pages this month.

Its hard to believe how fast the boys are growing!  Jamie is becoming quite the little boy - climbing and swimming are his two favorite activities.  And he doesn't care where he does them (the bathtub, swingset, couch), we'll really be in trouble when he tries to figure out ways to combine them!

Yesterday the babies turned 8 months old.  It was quite the month for them.  Both started crawling!  Gavin has decided that if he's going to be smallest, he needs to be first at something.  So, teeth it is.  Gavin has cut 8 teeth in less than 2 months.  Even Jamie who got his teeth pretty darn fast took almost 4 months to get 8 teeth!!!

 

Yasi?

Nosi! 

Last week was dominated with talk and preparation for Cyclone Yasi, which hit Queensland pretty hard.  Queensland really didn't need any more rain, let alone a cyclone (hurricane).  What was really notable about Yasi is although it weakened as it came inland, it still managed drop huge amounts of rain across the center of the country. 

We were given flooding preparations plans (Alice Springs Flood Map), buildings around town were protected by sandbags, and we gathered up all the toys in the backyard and tied them down.  We braced for 60mph+ winds and rains up to 12" over a 48 period.

And we got...nothing.  Well, not nothing, just nothing remarkable.  We got rain, but only about an inch or so.  It did come down pretty hard a few times.  Hard enough to overwhelm drainage capabilities in our front yard, which created a wonderful play zone for Jamie.

I'm not sure anything would've made him happier than the hour he spent playing in the rain and splashing in the puddles.

The next day the skies had cleared, the yard had drained and we spent a lovely afternoon playing the backyard.

Gavin LOVED this popsicle!