December 2006,

Merry Christmas everyone.  Let us tell you about our year…

Nicole’s long, hard pregnancy led to the healthy arrival of Kyra Brooke Macomber.  We were at a neighborhood block party on June 4 when Nicole told Brad, “We have to go.”  Contractions came fast and left no time for pleasantries like an epidural, so Nicole experienced a natural childbirth.  She wouldn’t recommend it.  If Kyra had arrived on her expected due date, however, she would have been delivered by one Dr. Grimm on 6/6/06.   That might have been a bad omen, so we’re happy with how it turned out.

Kyra’s a laidback, happy baby who smiles a lot and is now grabbing everything and trying to sit up on her own.  Ava is sweet with her sister, although there were times this summer when she seemed to be acting up.  It’s hard to tell whether she was clamoring for her parents’ attention or simply being a typical two-year old.  Ava loves Tigger (which she calls “Tigger Pooh”), trucks, trains, and saying cute things like “No thanks, I’m fine,” when we ask her to do things like pick up her toys.

Nicole had to make a serious decision about what to do after her maternity leave.  Ultimately, we decided it was important to spend more time at home with the girls for awhile, so she and Software AG parted ways after four years.  Nicole’s taking Ava to and from preschool now, where Ava’s getting the social interaction and outdoor playtime she needs.

Brad’s professional life also took a number of turns.  Right after the new year, Brad took on a new role as a sales manager in Sprint Nextel’s Strategic Alliances Organization.  He hired a couple of people and had to do a lot of work, and it was a great experience to be responsible for business development.  By the end of the year, our department reorganized again and Brad shifted into a more internally-focused, operational role to work more closely with our VP and with other Sprint departments.

For Brad’s work on the job last year, he was given Sprint’s “Inner Circle” award and a trip for two to the Bahamas this Spring.  It was a nice vacation for us before the arrival of Kyra and we loved those relaxing days and full nights of sleep.  The rest of our vacations this year have revolved around spending time with family who have come from as far as Australiato welcome Kyra into the world.