2010 Eckert Holiday iNewsletter

Happy Holidays from the Eckert Family! Chick on the following image to view our iPad inspired "2010 Eckert Holiday iNewsletter."

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed and prosperous 2011!

Jason, Cari, Cassie, Tommy, and Christopher

Christopher Patrick Eckert Has Arrived!

Christopher Patrick Eckert was born at 2:31 p.m. on Saturday, August 21, 2010. He is 9 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well. We decided to induce labor and as such had a relatively long process at the hospital.

Pictures are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/ChristopherSArrival#

Christopher now shares a birthday with Count Basie, Jack Buck, Wilt Chamberlain, Kenny Rogers, Archie Griffin, Kim Cattrall, Jim McMahon, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Usain Bolt. His birth joins the following famous events which took place on August 21: The first Lincoln-Douglas Debate (1858), the birth of the Green Bay Packers franchise (1922), Babe Ruth’s 600th Home Run (1931), and Hawaii becoming the 50th State (1959). August 21 is also the feast day of Roman Catholic Saint Pope Pius X.

Grandparents Tom and Mary Ann Burns were in town for the special day. Grandparents Leo and Sandy Eckert are on the way. Thanks to all for your prayers and support!

Cassie's First Track Meet

Cassie had her first track meet on Friday night and did great! She finished second in each of her three races (the 100 Meters, the 200 Meters, and the 4x100 Meter Relay) and received a ribbon for each. This was a "Team Munchkin" intrasquad meet for first and second graders from Bishop Leibold and Incarnation schools. She seems to be really enjoying track and has another meet this Friday night. Grandma Mary Ann Burns plans to be here for the second meet to cheer Cassie on!

When asked why she likes track, Cassie said, "I like getting ribbons and playing between the races."

Cassie on Two Wheels!

Cassie is riding a "big girl" bike on two wheels! She picked it up in less than 24 hours last weekend and has been riding daily ever since. We have even been exploring the Great Miami River Trail, a fabulous bike trail in the Dayton area. I had taken her training wheels off last fall but never had the chance to taker her out to practice. As you can see from the video, she is having a great time. Tommy is doing well with his training wheels, which may be removed soon.

We Are Having a Boy!

Cari and I recently learned that we are having a boy. The due date continues to be August 25. Everything looked good on the ultrasound. The baby is growing (measuring a little large for his gestational age) and seems to be doing well. We were able to feel him kick for the first time last night.

Many people have asked how Cassie and Tommy reacted to the news. Tommy was very excited. Cassie was somewhat sad as she was really looking forward to having a little sister. She has certainly come around and is looking forward to meeting the baby.

I did record the moment Cari told the kids the baby's gender. Enjoy!

Claire's Baptism

Our newest niece, the beautiful Claire Klinner, was baptized on February 13 by her grandpa, Deacon Tom Burns. In addition to the video, you may enjoy these pictures. Parents Dawn and Eric and sister Ali are very proud.

Cassie Starts Track

A new season, a new sport to try. Cassie is giving track and field a try and will be on the first and second grade team through the joint Bishop Leibold/Incarnation team. Stay tuned for updates. We hope she will like track as she does run fast. So far, aside from swimming, she has not really enjoyed her other experiences with organized sports (soccer and basketball). Go Cassie!

Cassie's Take on Tiger Woods

Last weekend I was watching an ESPN reply of Tiger Woods' apology "press conference." Cassie came in the room, asked if that was Tiger Woods, and asked why he was saying he was sorry and what he had done wrong. After I explained that Tiger was romantic with women other than his wife, Cassie asked, "Why is he apologizing to us? He should only be apologizing to his wife right now."

From the mouth of babes. If only those in trouble would hire conflict managers as wise as seven-year-olds.

We are Expecting Baby Number Three!

We are very pleased to announce that we are expecting our third child! Cari is due on August 25. We do plan to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. We are very excited about our news and appreciate everyone’s well wishes and prayers.

(Jason is also excited to break this news on EckSpot, although we did tell select people before the electronic announcement.)