Grinnen Barretts

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:41:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting here with a big ol bowl of popcorn and a coke, taking advantage of every second of 3 kids sleeping at the same time! I suppose I can thank our kid friendly NYE party last night for this break I'm experiencing, for without it, I wouldn't have some exhausted kiddos! :)

We rang in the new year with Laurie, Liam, Chris & Sarah...we snacked and played board games, and enjoyed some beverages. It was a great night!

I've been doing some thinking today about what my goals are for 2012, or really just life in general. What I keep coming back to, is that I just want to be better. A better mom, better wife, better person... I want to say yes more, yell less, be more fun. I see a cleaner, more organized home, special dates with my kids, and even with my husband. I want to volunteer, and would love for Andrew to join that with me!

We have an amazing year ahead of us! Andrew will be 6, and will move from Kindergarten to 1st grade! Princess Evelyn will be 3 and starting preschool already! And, my sweet little Ryan will have his 1st brithday...he will crawl, take his 1st steps, say his first words...

So many amazing things to look forward to! Bring it on 2012!!!

The inevitible

2011-09-13T08:33:00.004-05:00

Well... it was bound to happen... my 12 weeks at home is coming to an end way too quickly, and I gotta be honest. I'm horribly sad!

I very clearly remember dropping Andrew off at his first babysitter 5 years ago. I drove away in tears and thought to myself that it was only temporary...some day I'd be able to be home. Two babies later and I'm in the same place, except this time I know it isn't temporary.

There are so many parts of my day I'm going to miss....

My snuggly Ryan so early in the morning when the whole house is sleeping...

Watching Andrew get on his bus & waving goodbye each morning...

Talking to Denise as we walk back home....

The sweet way Evie cuddles up in my lap as soon as she can so we can enjoy our coffee together & watch her 'doggie movie'....

Waiting on the front porch for Andrew to come home...

Hearing him be so excited for his day when he's first off the bus...

My one on one time with Andrew to help him with his homework with no distractions in the house (other than my happy cooing Ryan)...

Getting to spend 2 full days a week as a whole family with Mike home (when I go back, we are never home on the same day together)...

All the time we spend with friends, playdates, and having time to run errands at easy times of the day...

Nursing Ryan... I struggled with the time commitment, but I have to say, I'm incredibly proud of how big he has gotten while being 100% home grown!

Being just a housewife.... It makes me feel like I have purpose knowing my kids & house have been taken care of! Somehow it has all clicked... I like that Mike can come home to a picked up house & dinner...it gives me a good feeling!

My house just runs so smoothly right now. There is a beautiful balance for all 3 of my kids, and so many of those special moments that I am lucky enough to get every day! I'm nowhere near ready to give any of that up. I know there are benefits to going back to work too... adult conversation & a solid 6 hours or so with no crying...oh, and the paycheck is good too. Not quite sure my heart is going to value those benefits though, because it is here, at home, with my beautiful happy babies.

Of course it's not without bumps, and it's not all sunshine all the time, but there is definitely more good than bad and I think that's all I can ask for! I love my family, I love my life & I really hope I can figure out a way for work not to upset my balance!

A few days on my own...

2011-07-03T10:10:00.002-05:00

I have been so very lucky with all my kids that Mike has been able to stay home with us for the first 2 weeks. Gives me a chance to get some rest, and help the kids adjust to our new schedule! Mike's officially been back to work for 4 days now. I wasn't nearly as nervous for him to leave me alone with 3 as I was for him to leave me with 2! Kind of funny how that works!

I've been trying to make sure I do something fun with Andrew & Evie, in a situation I can manage with Ryan. Soooo....to the splash park we went! 3 days in a row, only for about an hour at a time, but hey, we went, we got home, got fed & got napped! Pretty successful in my eyes! They've seemed to enjoy it, and Ryan's been just fine napping in his carseat while we've been there!

THe past couple days Ryan's been a touch fussy (nothing horrible by any means!), so today we finally started some tummy time, back time and kid skin time (I lay him down in his diaper & let the kids hold his hands, etc so he gets used to them). He's snoring on my shoulder now, so hopefully he just needed a little activity to really wipe him out!

While I've been home...

Most creative thing I learned how to do: Make PB&J with a spoon!

Most valuable lesson I've taught myself: Start each day with a schedule & stick to it! Makes everyone much happier!

Proudest moment: Actually getting everyone out of the house and entertained!

Hardest obstacle: Dealing with an almost 2 year old who doesn't quite listen from a couch while nursing a newborn! And, by the same token, dealing with a 5 year old who gets a little tired of helping out all the time, and expresses it with a flat out 'No' when asked. Neither of them is difficult all the time, but they definitely are some of the time & typically reach that moment at the same time!

Hardest emotional issue: Not getting to eat dinner with my family. As hard as I try, schedules only work so well & Ryan is always ready for dinner right when we are, so I eat on the couch while I feed him & everyone else is at the dinner table.

What I still need to learn: Not that I've ever been able to brag about my housekeeping skills, but it's definitely harder now! I'd give myself a C+/B- for keeping up with dishes. laundry and toys. What's most important to me is paying attention to the lot of them, which I think I'm doing, but I feel more put together when my house is picked up, so I need to keep up on that too for my own sanity!

I currently don't have any really guilty mom moments as a mom of 3, but I'm sure I'll get there!

Welcome Home!

2011-07-01T08:39:00.006-05:00

Welcome home to my beautiful baby boy, Ryan Christopher Barrett! Born 6/15/11, weighing in at 7lbs 4oz, measuring 20.5in long at 9:02pm.

In the hospital, I was amazed at how calm Ryan was...barely crying at all & I would actually need to wake him up to eat! WHAT?! This is so completely different from Andrew & Evie who very quickly established an every 2 hour type of routine! He is most content just laying next to his mommy...he stole my heart instantly. He is so sweet and cuddly & warm and good baby smelling! :) By the time we got home, I had stopped telling people how much he was sleeping...I didn't want to jinx myself by bragging about getting 5-6 hours sleep in the hospital! He continued this trend at home too (and I'm still cautious to mention it out loud!) He was actually sleeping SO much that he wasn't gaining enough weight - I would wake him up to feed him, but if I tried any more frequently than 3 hour intervals he'd be too tired to eat! I let him sleep at night though & in just 2 1/2 short weeks have already enjoyed 2 full nights sleep! I fully expect him to wake up at some point, and then I will just totally appreciate all the rest he let me get in the beginning. He's just starting to have some brief periods of awakeness between feedings & naps, and I'm pleased to say that he stays relatively content. Such a difference from the first two! Andrew was always fine being held (until that point at night where the crying started!), and Evie just cried no matter what you did! So far, he hates to be cold & naked, which makes bathtime, diaper changes & clothing changes fun! He doesn't seem to mind chaos (it actually seems to calm him somehow!), or personal space invasion! He LOVES to be warm & cozy, so being swaddled up tight w/ way too many blankies is totally how he rolls! We even started to put a hot water bottle next to him at night to help him have that 'sleeping next to mommy' feeling that he loves! He is definitely the type of baby that makes you want to have more babies! Yes, this one stole my heart...my heart is full & content!

Meeting Andrew....

Andrew has been an absolutely AMAZING helper! He LOVES to hold the baby, and Ryan is so relaxed with him. Yesterday, while Andrew was holding him (so I could sweep & mop the floors) Ryan just about fell asleep in his arms. (insert 'awwww' here!). He has been just perfect helping to keep Evie entertained & even getting her dressed for me. He helps with the laundry, dishes and cleaning the floor...kinda makes me think something I've been doing is right! He's got such a soft tone when talking to his baby brother & Ryan really seems to respond to him. I feel so lucky to have him around!

Meeting Evie...

Oh, Evie -- she who is OBSESSED with her babies just doesn't quite know what to do with Ryan! She is such a sweetheart! When she first saw him in the hospital, she came running up yelling "baby! baby!", and when she went to hold him she reached out her arms and wrapped him in a big huge bear hug & pulled him to her! Then, she sits & stares at him...so careful not to move too much or be too loud...it is adorable. She is on constant baby patrol all day long, being such a big helper bringing me blankies, diapers, paci's, wipes, and always needing to know exactly where he is. She loves to 'help' his swing go back and forth, and help me get him out of bed, put the paci in his mouth, throw away dirty diapers... it's almost exhausting, but I LOVE how involved she wants to be & think it's adorable to watch her play 'little mama'! I am so lucky to have her around too!

Everyone is happy and healthy and right where they are supposed to be! The transition to my little family of 5 has been absolutely seemless, and I love how great all my kids are! My heart is complete and I couldn't ask for anything more...except maybe a minivan!

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-03T07:44:00.003-05:00

Since we didn't make any official plans for Spring Break, Mike & I took an impromptu trip up to Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI. It's only 3 hours away, has the coolest rooms I've ever seen in a hotel, and an amazing indoor waterpark! It is right on Lake Michigan, and the views were beautiful! It has me thinking we're going to try to make it a summer trip as well, and rent a Villa right on the beach! The room we stayed in was the Kidaquarium room...it was BIG & clean! The kids had their own little sleeping cubby with bunk beds, a TV & enough room for Evie's pack n play. There was no door on the cubby, but it was seperated, which was nice. There was also a couch, fridge, microwave & coffee pot! We were able to pack lunches & breakfast & ate dinner at the resort. Both kids were excited & stir crazy by the time we got there Wednesday afternoon...a quick wardrobe change and we were off to the waterpark! Andrew was nervous walking in about how deep the water was going to be at the end of the water slides, but right off the bat, there were two water slides perfect for him that didn't drop him into a pool of water (they just slid flat after twisting). He immediately went down both those slides countless times! Then, it was off to explore all the different things that sprayed & dumped water, the lazy river & even the hot tub before going down the BIG twisty tube slide with Mike. He seemed to enjoy it, but didn't have much interest in going down it again -- everything else was just fine for him! The pool was too deep for him to stand in, so he'd run over & grab himself a life vest & off he went! It's amazing to me, that at 4 1/2, he basically could have been left alone to play there & been absoultely safe! The last day we were there, he made a friend and the two of them ran around & played all morning! He finally got up the courage to stand under the big ship bucket which dumped 1000 gallons of water on you! It knocked him down every time (and even about took his shorts once!), and he absoultely loved it! Evie continues to be my child with no fear! She didn't know what to do first, so we led her over to the small kids area with a pirate ship to climb on & lots of different water sprays. There was a little bucket you could fill up and dump on your head -- this was probably her least favorite of everything, but the 2 days we were there she kept getting braver & would dump it on her head! I guess if the rest of the kids thought it was so great, then it must be, right? There was a little baby waterslide area she loved! The first time down, it was nothing but a facefull of water -- I thought sure there was going to be crying, but she just marched back up the stairs & kept going down! By the end she was figuring out how to keep herself propped up a little! She LOVES jumping in the pool! I couldn't let her get too far away from me, because she'll jump in whether you're there to catch her or not! (kinda scary, actually!) Mike and I basically divided & conquered...one of us was following one kid the whole time! I was a bit envious of the parents with older kids who got to sit poolside with their drinks while their kids entertained themselves! In a few years, when my kids are that old, I wonder if I'll be sitting with a drink, envious of the parents with young kids who are able to still find joy in the smallest of water splashes.... I guess every age brings something special & I just have to make sure I treasure it all! :)

Sibling Love

2010-09-25T14:15:00.001-05:00

This morning, we're getting ready to leave. I had to go to work & we were meeting my Dad & Karen so they could watch the kids today. Dad & Karen have a room upstairs (more for Andrew & Liam now, and eventually Evie) which has bunk beds, toys & a little TV. The boys LOVE to play up in 'their' room. So, this morning when we were leaving Andrew was asking if Liam was going with them, so he'd have someone to play with up there. Liam was not. Andrew thinks for a moment....

"Can Evie play up there with me?"

me: "not unless there's someone up there with her" (there are 2 sets of steep stairs)
Andrew: "I'll be up there!"
me: "an adult needs to be upstairs to keep her safe"
Andrew: (in the most sincere & loving tone) "I will try my hardest and do my best to keep her safe and protect her so she won't go down the stairs. I can do it, I know I can!"

Such a good & loving big brother!!!! :) :) :) I hope it stays that way!!

Happy Birthday Evie!!

2010-09-09T21:26:00.001-05:00

My dearest baby Evelyn Jean,

I can’t believe a year has gone by since the words ‘It’s a Girl’ brought tears of joy to my eyes and forever changed my world!
We brought you home and you cried all the time, but Three little birds (last play count 304), a tight swaddle and bouncing helped calm you down.
You loved laying with Andrew and being held close, except when you didn’t and you sure let us know! (We learned quickly to undress you & leave you alone!)
You have always loved baths – you’d fall asleep while I washed you! You hate tight clothes & shoes (though they’re yummy to eat!), so I keep you in dresses, tank tops, leggings and bare feet.
You are stubborn and strong and know what you want, and I promise to do EVERYTHING I can to protect those core traits to give you the tools you need to go far!
You are happy as long as the day goes your way, and you have a whole houseful of people trained to make sure that happens!
You love music and dancing – your current favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Delilah, and Beautiful Girls – basically anything that has a consistent and predictable beat!
I love your laugh, your ‘look’, your hugs and snuggles, and I’m SO proud to know your recipe.
You are the most amazing little girl, you taught me the infinite capacity of my own heart, you taught me how to ask for advice (and how to listen!) and you are more than I ever could have asked for.

And now you’re my whole life, now you’re my whole world…we’ve come so far since that day…and I thought I loved you then!

and now, deep thoughts....

2010-06-15T21:19:00.002-05:00

My brain has felt pretty fuzzy lately, but there are a few things that keep swirling around that keep me going...

1) My kids totally rock. They make me smile and laugh and feel love like I never knew existed every single day of the week. I always feel like they deserve more, and it pushes and drives me to be better.

2) At the end of the day, I have food on my table, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and a bed to sleep in. Something I never valued nearly as much as I should have until recently watching "The Blind Side". If you haven't seen it, rent it. It will give you a whole new appreciation of life.

3) I love that Evie is such a diva that she only goes to bed 'nicely' when she has her princess, super soft chenille sheet on her bed that Laurie bought her from Pottery Barn. Any other sheet simply will not do and it ticks her off!

4) Andrew's current bedtime routine takes about 30 minutes & consists of reading books, playing shadow puppets, discussing our favorite thing about the day, cuddling and talking, and playing the "no go" game (a game where I say it's time to go & he tackles me with hugs and kisses begging me not to leave). I love this time we have together!

5) It melts my heart that Andrew calls all the baby dolls in the house his baby Evie & takes care of them in a way that I take care of Evie. He even makes his bear bear a bed in his bed, which is Evie sleeping in bed with him.

6) Evie is stubborn, and I love every inch of fight in her little body. I hope with all my might that she does not lose the drive an determination that is packed into her!

7) We have gone through a lot this year, and through it all Mike has been strong and steady and dependable and I will always love and appreciate that about him!

8) I think it's awesome that my sister lives across the street, and that we get to see her and Liam as often as we do!

9) I may hate my job with every ounce that is my being, but I love the people I work with and the flexibility it gives me. It pays the bills and doesn't kill me. And for that, I am grateful.

10) There are people in my life I wish would leave, and people I wish would come back. But, I am extremely grateful for the people in my life and the frienships that have grown!

Fun Monday!

2010-05-24T21:15:00.002-05:00

It seems like we've been waiting forever for some nice weather. Well, today, it was finally here!! Ev went down for her morning nap & Andrew and I headed outside to put water in the baby pool, figuring it would warm up for them to play in this afternoon. We cleaned out the pool, and put the water in it...somewhere in the process Andrew got wet -- go figure right!? I remembered being a kid, and how fun it was to play in the sprinkler with our clothes on, so I just let him play. I set up the sprinkler, and he ran and laughed and played for at least an hour! He had his "obstacle course" where he would start back by the fence, run and jump in the pool, then hop out and run through the sprinkler.

This afternoon we filled water balloons, then went and got Liam from school. I thought the boys would have a water balloon fight -- nope...they just threw the balloons in the yard. Not a lot of fun for the amount of work that goes into filling those little things! Liam, Andrew & Evie played outside until dinner. The pool was nice and warm from the hot sun today. Ev loved the pool and the sprinkler, and was not ready to come inside.

We finished up our awesome day with Grahams ice cream downtown Geneva. The boys loved their chocolate chip & chocolate ice cream in "brown" cones (sugar cones), and Evie enjoyed her vanilla!

SOCCER!!

2010-04-13T21:09:00.003-05:00

Today was Andrew's 2nd soccer practice and my first time getting to watch him! I've never been one for soccer, but really, it was FUN! Andrew tries SO hard with such determination and focus. At the same time he has a smile on his face the entire time! He is trying hard and having fun, and it is great for me to get to see that! :) Tonight he scored 3 goals during their little scrimmage. He actually played soccer during the game instead of screwing off on the field. He was the first one in line whenever the coaches asked them to do anything...you can tell he is so eager to please! He loves it when the coaches goof off with him (pretend to take his ball) and actually (pretty sure on accident) punched one of his coaches in the junk in a retaliation effort to get his ball back! He does goof off some while the coaches are talking...he was the only kid laying on his back kicking his feet in the air while all the other kids were sitting and listening! Perhaps he is going to be the guy who assembles without directions (so to speak!)! I have to say though, as silly as he was being, as soon as a direction was given he was on it! Tonight was our first Tuesday where we went straight from work / sitter out to practice with Evie, so I think I'm going to need to figure something out with her because she was not happy tonight! The fields are very windy & I think she got chilly (poor baby!)! I forgot my camera today, but I will definitely be adding some pictures!!

Evie - 7 months old!

2010-03-30T12:30:00.003-05:00

Today my baby girl is 7 months old...she is closer to being 1 than a newborn, and I just can't believe it! I look at her while she's getting her bottle & I wonder when she got so big! I still remember her being the length of my arm! Now, she is sitting on her own (well...sort of...for the most part anyway!) We are slowly introducing food...she's got a pretty sensitive stomach & and is having some problems getting used to the different foods, so we're playing with the combinations to get everything just right for her! Right now she is getting fruit in the morning ang veggies at night & we'll be giving her lunch foods soon. Some days she eats really well, and other days you can't hardly get her to open her mouth! She's figured out all the tricks too & will clamp her lips together and blow out, so any hope of getting anything near her is just spit back at you! She seems to really like the sweet potatoes and pears the best so far. She is getting SO close to crawling! She is always getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. It's so cute, because she gets SO frustrated that she can't do it yet & will keep trying and crying all at the same time! It's amazing how she's gone from such a crabby baby to this happy little thing! She still has her days...but that's just Ev being Ev! My little princess diva...she won't eat her bottle unless it's warm enough, won't eat her food unless it's the right consistency, and prefers you to rub her back so she'll go to sleep. She's recently been waking up at night & fussing, but she'll fuss herself awake, which is kind of backwards. She doesn't need anything..just a little reassurance...just a couple minutes worth of backrub is usually all she needs to go back to sleep, but I'd love to not have that interruption at night! She loves to rock herself from side to side, and no one gets her laughing quite like Andrew...it's SO adorable! It's funny...as I started to write this, I was thinking not much has changed with her in the last month, but looking back, I guess it has!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-30T12:19:00.002-05:00

This year for Spring Break, Laurie & I knew we wanted to take the kids to do something fun, but were both on budget & time constraints. After a lot of looking around, we finally settled on Grizzly Jacks Grand Bear Resort in Utica. Only 1 1/2 hours away, plenty of room for Me, Mike, Laurie & the 3 kids, plus they have an indoor water park!

We hauled out Saturday afternoon (after getting to see the Easter Bunny at the Geneva Easter Egg Hunt!), and arrived at the resort shortly after check in. They had overbooked the rooms, so we got an awesome room upgrade!! Upgrade might be selling it short...we had 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a full kitchen & living room, and 3 fireplaces! The boys got to sleep in their own bunk bed room, and thought that was AWESOME!! Two of the bedrooms had whirlpool tubs, so the boys got to take a fun bath in one of them! They learned very quickly that the water has to be all the way over the jets before you turn them on, or you will spray water EVERYWHERE!

After we quickly unpacked Saturday, we went to the waterpark...all 3 kids LOVED it! Andrew had one smaller slide he could go down, but seemed to really enjoy the wave pool the best! He was loving jumping the waves. I was surprised by this, since he doesn't really like the waves at the beach in Florida! Maybe it's easier to be a little braver when the 'ocean' is way smaller scale! Liam was tall enough to go down the BIG BIG waterslides, and spent most of his time over on the other side of the park going down those ones! Evie and I hung out in the wave pool (when the waves were turned off). She LOVED being bounced around in circles in the water. We practiced floating on her back, but she wasn't a big fan! When the waves would turn on, I would sit her in the zero depth portion and let the water crash on her lap...she would sit and squeal and kick her legs, so I think she liked it! ;) We also took a couple laps around the lazy river, and she seemed to enjoy just floating around too.

For dinner, we got back to the room, and ordered pizza in. The boys crashed shortly after! We stayed out pretty late to take advantage of the water park.

The next morning, we got up & got breakfast then headed back to the water park. We spent an hour or so there, before going back to the room & packing up. They had an indoor amusement park that we planned on spending some time at, but by then the boys were WIPED! We went in, they rode the merry go round & dinosaur roller coaster, and then they wanted to go home. That was fine..we had the drive ahead of us, and I think the adults were more tired than the kids!

It was a totally fun 24 hours, and I think the kids really enjoyed themselves!

She's Mobile!

2010-01-29T20:46:00.002-06:00

It is one day before she turns 5 months old & Evie is OFFICIALLY mobile! She first rolled back in mid-December, and then would only do it with us helping her over. Today, we were in the kitchen eating breakfast & she was chilling on her activity mat. All of a sudden, I look in the family room & she was ON HER TUMMY! Her little arms & legs were just flailing about! It was adorable! Almost like she was saying 'okay, now what do I do?' We all ran in and cheerd her, and I rolled her back over to her back -- she had never gone from her tummy to her back before. Before we know it, she rolled back over onto her tummy! A little later this morning, she went from her back to her tummy, then back to her back again! She was doing this all day today, so I think it's okay to officially say she is mobile!!! Yay Evie!!

Preschool

2010-01-28T16:41:00.002-06:00

Today, I walked in my house & was greeted by two things on my fridge that instantly made me smile! (and no, MIke did not have the kids sitting on top of the refrigerator)

1) My first EVER note sent home from a teacher... it reads:

Andrew was caught being a good friend playing today. :)
(okay, so I get it that all preschool teachers probably send something like this home, but it still makes me smile!) (I asked him how he was a good friend -- apparently he 'shared toys and stuff with all the kids but Caitlyn.' I asked him why not Caitlyn... 'because she was sick today') :)

2) A picture that Andrew drew...it has 2 people on it, and some other scribbles and the narration of it is "Friends mommy & Andrew playing"
(when I asked Andrew what we were playing, he told me his fire truck)

Awww! We've been having a tough week this week and those two things made my day! It's like all the hard work I put in, all the frustration....and it's totally worth it! He loves me! He really really loves me! And, he behaves in a way that is appropriate when I'm not around to tell him to! This is a VERY proud mom moment!

My Quotable Kid

2009-11-24T21:21:00.002-06:00

I've started a new blog:

http://quotablekidbarrett.blogspot.com/

Many times, Andrew says things that absolutely crack me up! I want to remember them, so I started a 'my quotable kid' blog so I can keep track of when and where he says the funny things he says! Once Evie starts talking (I know we're a long way away!) I will add her funny comments to it as well! This is mainly for me, but as always, feel free to check in on the funny things my crazy kid says! :)

Sappy Mom Moment

2009-11-14T14:28:00.002-06:00

Today is a beautiful day!! I took advantage of the weather & got outside to blow some leaves. While hard at work, I became lost and surrounded in my thoughts....

Here I am outside working. I have left Andrew, 3 1/2, inside, alone with my 10 week old baby girl. And I TRUST him!! She was buckled in her swing smiling and cooing when I went outside. I left him with instructions to come get me if she started to cry. How amazing is that!? I checked in on them a few times. I was in awe with what I witnessed. Andrew thought she might be cold, so he put a blanket on her tucked in the way I do. To entertain her, he put little plastic eggs on her mobile so she could watch them. When her music stopped, he restarted it. As always she was very entertained by him, and he was eating it up!

How lucky am I to have this amazing little boy who is so caring and nurturing and loves to take such good care of his baby sister? How lucky am I to have this beautiful, sweet baby girl who has become so easy to care for?

It makes me think that along the way I have to have done something right. The next time I yell or snap at one of my kids (and actually feel bad about it) I'm going to remember this! I love my kids and I love my life. I need these moments to remind me of how good it can be. Andrew was testy the rest of the morning, and I have to just think about these times to help push me through. As I sit here with my baby waking up slowly in my arms the way she does...I know I wouldn't want it any other way!

(**Mental note...I had 8 hours of sleep & 2 cups of coffee prior to leaf blowing. Apparenty, this is my recipe!)

My funny kid

2009-11-13T14:33:00.002-06:00

Today, Andrew and I had an opportunity to go to the park for a little one on one time. It was only 30 minutes, but I loved it!

We were playing his game -- pet shop -- where he pretends there are animals in cages underneath the playground equipment. He is the 'pet master' and will give you whatever pet you ask for, and then you have to teach it to do tricks using all the playground equipment. Then we switch turns so he can get his pet. Today, he chose to get the pet snake....

Flash forward through the game...he decided he wanted his snake to come home with him. What does it matter, right!? So, the snake came home. I was feeding Evie, and all of a sudden Andrew's snake was hungry. So, he lifted up his shirt to feed his snake, and proceeded to burp it before he played with it! It was SO funny!!

Evie - 2 months

2009-11-13T14:31:00.003-06:00

We had Evie's 2 month checkup on October 30th....she weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs already! She also grew 2 inches & was 23 inches long! She started sleeping through the night at 6 1/2 weeks, and will go from about 8:30pm - 6:00am (roughly)...it is so nice! She coos & smiles, and some days is SO full of cuddles! She loves to lay naked on the floor...it is usually the easiest way to calm her down! She continues to be fixed on Andrew...when he is in the room she is drawn to him! She will talk more to him than to anyone else, and when she sees him her face usually lights up into a big smile! I LOVE to see their relationship grow!

First Smile!!

2009-10-18T16:24:00.002-05:00

First Smile!!

I believe the actual first smile date was October 8th...

first time caught on camera was October 13th! I love it!

7 weeks flown by!

2009-10-18T13:37:00.003-05:00

My oh my...how can she be 7 weeks old already? I can't believe it! So...a little bit about our little miss Ev!

She's a screamer...oh my goodness can this child cry! I thought she had reflux, so I took her to the doctor, explained the symptoms & she agreed with me so we got a prescription of Zantac. It helped a little, but not completely. The pediatrician had also recommended that I cut out dairy, so after a week, I gave it a try. What a turn around! She turned into a relatively calm child. She still has her bouts, but it is no longer all day every day...music to my ears! She started cooing & smiling all at the same time which is SO rewarding! It's like she's saying, thanks mom for figuring that out!

The little things I love so much...

Whenever Andrew is near her, she is absolutely drawn to him! He loves to do back time & tummy time with her, and she turns toward him & is always reaching out and grabbing his shirt or hand or touching his face...it is so sweet!

If she wakes up, Andrew takes it upon himself to go in to her. He will sing her a song (usually the ABC's), and if that doesn't immediately calm her down, he will decide she wants to watch a movie, will run & grab my iPod & start Little Einsteins for her! He lays down on the floor & watches it.

When I hold her, she reaches her little arm out & wraps it around my shoulder. I love it!

Her smile is GORGEOUS!!

She's FINALLY in her own room! Such a big girl...and I get my space back. It feels so good & like we've crossed one of the many bridges for the next year!

She absolutely loves to be sung to (Itsy Bitsy Spider is her kid favorite) and listen to music. Laurie figured out that the song "Everything's gonna be alright" by Bob Marley is her favorite, so that song is constantly on repeat!

Now that she doesn't cry so much, I've gotten back into reading to Andrew which I had totally missed! She will sit on my lap and listen to the books.

I feel like life is finally gaining a ground of normalcy which it had been lacking for the last 4 weeks.

Evie is growing and changing every day & Andrew is LOVING preschool and his role as big brother. We've come a long way in 7 weeks. I've only got 5 more weeks before I go back to work, and am SO excited to have more time as she becomes easier & a little person!

Alphabet Fun!

2009-10-11T13:38:00.002-05:00

Andrew LOVES working on his alphabet. It is so fun for me to see him recognize a letter -- he gets SO proud "Look MOM! I see an 'A'! Just like in my name!" Today we were playing one of his games -- a 'what comes after' game, and I asked him what comes after the letter 'L'. His answer....'minnow pee'! So cute!! :)

PRESCHOOL!

2009-09-08T12:20:00.004-05:00

Today was Andrew's first day of preschool. How and when did my baby get so old!? He has been looking forward to going to school all summer long, so I was so excited for him that this day was finally here. He was thrilled that he would be going and we would be staying home (with that baby!) We went school shopping a few weeks ago & we have kept those clothes in the bag waiting for this day. Last night we got them out & he picked out his own outfit to wear (he was so excited). I told him I would make him a special first day of school breakfast to get his energy for the day -- his choice of pancakes, waffles, bacon, toast -- you name it. What did he choose? Peanut butter & Jelly. It made my morning easier! He slept in this morning a little bit & was SO happy when he woke up!

On his way to school we were talking about the friends he was going to make, and as an added bonus he was going to get to see Liam at recess! He told us he was going to introduce Liam to all his friends and the girls too because girls can go to school too. Hmm...who knew! LOL! He had a blast his first day! He got to paint his hand, read "There Was an Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe", sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider", got to have crackers & apple juice for a snack, and played on the playground at recess. I'm so happy for him that he loves this & gets to go to preschool. I just can't believe he's old enough! :) (by the way, I made it through with no tears!)

Posing with his backpack

Andrew & Daddy

Andrew & Mommy

Standing in front of his school with his 'school supplies' (the required box with a change of clothes inside)

Already playing with (and telling on) his new friends. I don't know how many times he told us goodbye while we were there. He was SO ready for us to leave! At least he was happy to see me and go home too though! :)

How'd we get her name?

2009-09-08T12:13:00.003-05:00

We've had a lot of people ask us how we came up with the name Evelyn Jean....

The long story :)...

When looking at baby names, I loved the name Evie - pronounced with a short e (like Evian) rather than a long E (like Eve) . I found that Evie was actually short for Evelyn, which I thought was beautiful and perfect. The name Lynn has many ties in our families -- my mom's middle name is Lynn, as is mine, Mike's mom's, and my cousin Erica's. The name Jean is just as strong in my family -- my Grandma's, sister's, and aunt's, middle name is Jean, and it is my cousin's first name. While we were trying to come up with a name, I was torn between carrying on 'Lynn' or carrying on 'Jean' (having family meaning to a name is important to me). When I came across Evelyn and paired it with Jean, I thought it sounded so elegant & beautiful that it almost had to be!

Then, to top it off, I was working at the Dupage County Fair one day and a little girl who looked JUST LIKE Andrew came walking up -- I was staring at this girl because of the resembelence. She had the same eyes, button nose, killer smile, and hair color (though hers was longer). When her mom was calling her back her name was Evie -- it was TOTALLY a sign! :)

We hadn't fully decided this would be her name until we actually met her. There were a lot of other names on the list we liked just as well, but she was such an Evie that it just worked out. :)

Firsts

2009-09-08T11:32:00.003-05:00

This week Evie had many firsts (of course!) We had our first doctor's appointment, and she was already back up to 7lbs 2oz (she was 6lbs 14oz on discharge day).

Then, she had her first nap in her swing....

......her first bath in the sink (she hardly cried at all!!) Andrew helped wash her hair and her arms...then he was done. :)

.....her first walk to the park

....and her first flowers (hand picked by Andrew!)

Evie also went to her first party! A 60th birthday party for her Grandpa Barrett. I forgot the camera, so I don't have any pictures. She slept the whole time in the Baby Bjorn, which worked out very well for everyone! :)

There has been a lot of adjusting this week, but in all everything is going well. Every day gets just a little bit easier. She seems to be a pretty easy baby, just has her days and nights mixed up a bit, but we're working on turning that around with some success. She is definitely not bothered by noise, prefers to be held than in a swing or bouncer, but is doing awesome at sleeping in her bed (the pack n play for now). She's not too dependant on pacifiers, and eats (on average) every 3 hours. I think it's been a little hard on Andrew (and me too) that we don't have 100% of our time to give to him, but we're all getting used to it. I think it's really going to help out a ton that he's starting preschool this week, so he'll have his own time to do his own thing which has nothing to do with us or the baby. On top of preschool, I'm going to be sending him to his babysitter 1 day per week -- he has friends there that he loves to play with, and I think that'll be good for him too. Plus, it will keep a little consistency in his schedule. I fully intend on having a 'date night' with him once Evie gets a little older, just so he can see he's still the apple of my eye! :)

Big Brother Andrew

2009-09-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

Andrew has been so sweet with his new baby sister, that I have to share some stories so that I don't forget them!

It really was awesome to see him in the hospital after she was born...it had felt like forever since I'd seen him, and really it had only been a day! He ran into the room & hopped up on the bed & wanted to 'carry' her. He was so gentle holding her! He started trying to tickle her on her face and on her tummy, which was adorable! He introduced himself to her 'Hi Evie, I'm Andrew!'. She was absolutely mesmerized by him and wouldn't keep her eyes off him. After a minute or so I suggested he sing her a song, to which he promptly belted out the ABC's, followed by Baa Baa Black Sheep. It was so cute! The next morning when we were going to be on our way home, I called & talked to him and he asked if we were bringing 'that baby' home too. She's here to stay buddy!

Apparently when my mom & sister told him we had a baby girl, he started crying saying he wanted a baby brother. He still comes up to my belly & tells me there's a baby in it, and this one's going to be a brother. HAHA!!

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-09-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

After nine long months of anticipation, our sweet baby GIRL made her arrival on August 30th! She decided she was on her way at around 10am. I patiently waited for Mike to get home from work, and we made our way to the hospital around 1pm. The labor went pretty fast & easy -- I was totally shocked, actually! I called my mom (who watched Andrew for us) at around 7:30 or so to tell Andrew goodnight and to report that I didn't think the baby would be born any time soon. While on the phone with her, the doctor came in, so I finished saying goodnight & hung up. Much to my surprise, he was in there because it was time to deliver! Our beautiful little miss Evelyn Jean Barrett came into this world at 7:56pm weighing 7lbs, 4oz and 20" long. The words 'It's a GIRL' were so sweet to hear! She looked nothing like Andrew, which totally surprised me...my whole pregnancy I just assumed this baby would look just like he did. She came out with black hair, and eyes that I think will stay blue! She has the chubbiest cheeks, and is oh, so sweet! Welcome to our lives our sweet little Evie!

Happy Birthday Mike!

2009-08-09T19:12:00.002-05:00

This year Mike celebrated his 32nd birthday! We had a great night with family, and he got some pretty cool gifts too! He had a lot of help opening presents from Andrew & Liam. Mike & Andrew have been loving his new Wii games! It sure seems like a lot of time has passed since his big 30th birthday party, but it's only been 2 years!!

Rainy Saturday

2009-08-09T19:03:00.002-05:00

A couple Saturdays ago, we had a very cold & rainy day. It's kind of funny how we're so used to playing outside that when we have a rain day, I feel like I'm at a loss for what to do! I obviously figure it out in the winter! :) So, I decided we would set up Andrew's frog tent & 'campout' in the living room! We went to the library & rented Alvin & the Chipmunks, then came home and got the tent stocked with blankets & pillows! Andrew LOVED it! Mike and I were not allowed in his tent -- it was for him only! He even got to have popcorn & a drink while watching his movie! As a special treat, we told him he could sleep in it at night -- he was thrilled. We moved the tent back to his room & got everything all set up for him. He lasted about 10 minutes before he moved into his bed! The tent was a hit for the next couple days before we had to take it down!

Sneak Peak!

2009-07-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at our old office turned baby's room! I think it is adorable! Everything is the same as it was when it was all in Andrew's room, but there is something different about it that I love! We still need to put the mobile & Ocean Wonders on the crib, but other than that it's ready to go!! :)

We should have taken a before & after picture to show the amount of work it took to get this room where it is!

Library Fun!

2009-07-27T21:41:00.005-05:00

Recently, Andrew and I have been LOVING the Geneva Library. We went there for the first time about a month ago, and each got cards. Andrew loves to go there and check out new books. He will pick out a book and sit down in the middle of the floor and 'read' it! The library offers a lot of great free programs as well! Last week we got to enjoy Kindermusik's 'Shake, Wiggle & Giggle'...it's a program I've thought about getting Andrew in since he loves music & instruments so much. Kindermusik teaches kids how to keep a beat and listen to music and that sort of thing. I think they tried to cover a wide range of age activities in a small amount of time...it was less interesting than I thought it would be, but Andrew loved it & was really into it!

This week we got to go meet Clifford the Big Red Dog! The boys were so excited, which I thought was cool since they aren't even all that into Clifford. Laurie & Liam came with us & we met up with Andrew's old babysitter & her two boys. After Clifford we went to the splash park for a picnic lunch & some fun!!

Where we have been...

2009-07-27T13:35:00.003-05:00

Okay, so when you haven't blogged in almost a year, where do you even start? I have no clue!!

Let's see -- we started out the New Year by finding out I'm pregnant. That was exciting! I don't think Andrew really got it at first, but as my belly has gotten bigger, he's getting excited about being a big brother. He hugs my belly & kisses it at least once a day! One time he told Mike that he didn't want the baby in my tummy anymore -- he wanted it out so he could play with it! For a while he was saying he was going to have a sister, but lately he's decided he's having a brother. Whenever I'm hungry he asks if my baby is hungry, to which I say yes. Then he'll stick out his belly and say 'so is mine!'. (Yes, he's decided he has a baby in his tummy too!) The other night when I asked him what his baby's name was, he told me it was "Hammy". My baby's name is "Coo Coo Caa Caa". Hmm...I think between the two I like Hammy better! During dinner he'll tell us that his tummy is going to open and all his food & the baby are going to fly out all over the place. I'll leave that explanation alone!!

We went to Florida twice this year. Once for Spring Break with Laurie & Liam, and another time about a month later with Mike. Andrew LOVES Florida & has decided that every plane is on it's way to Florida! He still tells me that he wants to go there all the time, and even that he wants to live there. I may just take the little man up on that some day! He hates being cold, and loves the sand & ocean....he may be on to something there! We spent a lot of time at the beach with my mom & Ron, and even got to take a few boat rides on Ron's new Danzi! We were at one beach, and some guy came flying in & hit Ron's boat. Without any prompting, Andrew stands up tall & while shaking his finger, yells "Hey you silly guy, you hit our boat!" Way to stand up for us buddy! I try to teach him to use his words to stand up for himself -- he must be listening! On Mother's Day in Florida we went out to a great breakfast & then to the Moat Aquarium where we got to see lots of fish, a dolphin show, and other cool things. It was a blast!

At home, I decided I was going to do my best to make as many moments count with Andrew this summer, and I'm surprised at how easy & rewarding it has been! We've taken lots of trips to Cosley Zoo, spent time at mom's pool & the splash park, took a train ride to Wheaton for ice cream, joined the library & done some cool things like Kindermusik & Clifford. It has been a blast, and I have loved all the time with my little guy! Of course, his favorite thing to do is just hang out and play with Liam, which is very easy to do since he's just across the street!

In March, Andrew got moved into his new big boy bed. He absolutely loves the bed & his room. He spends time in there by himself playing lots of times. His new love is to put on a CD & dance! He likes it if I join him too! :)

Andrew turned 3 in June & got his very own big boy bike with training wheels. He loves riding it to the park & is just sure some day he'll be faster than Liam! He's got a ways to go!

Shortly after his 3rd birthday we managed to get him potty trained. It took a few months for him to figure it all out, but a sticker chart, smiley face chart, rewards cards, and promise of a big prize & he finally got it! It's been nice to have no diapers for a few months!

Andrew will be starting preschool in the fall & is SO excited. It was all he would talk about for the longest time! The timing will be perfect too, because he'll start right when the baby's born, so he'll have a couple days of 'me time' to himself, which I think will be very rewarding and good for him! He's going to continue going to the baby sitter one day a week as well. We changed sitters a few months ago, so for consistency he'll be going one day a week. It will be more time for him, and some time just for me & the baby! I was a little torn about that decision at first, but as it gets closer I think it's going to be great! I've never been one to send my kid to the sitter when I'm home, but I really think it'll be best for everyone to stick to the schedule.

Mike and I went to Vegas in June for my sister Carrie's wedding. What a place!! It was absolutley intoxicating, and I'm definitely going to go back when I can enjoy the night life of it all! Vegas is NOT where you want to be while pregnant! Andrew stayed with Mike's parents while we were gone -- it was the longest I'd ever left him! It was hard, but we all survived. :) This past weekend I let him go to Wisconsin with my Mom, Ron, Laurie & Liam. He had a blast & I was able to get a little work done around the house.

There have been other little things we've been working with Andrew on this summer, like dressing himself & picking up & getting his own snacks that he's picked up very nicely. I think those are essential skills which will also help with his independence once the baby's here.

Andrew's really taken to sports this summer -- he can hit a pitched ball (better than off the T!), shoot baskets, and loves to dribble the soccer ball. We skipped T-ball this season, but I'm really considering putting him in soccer for the fall. He REALLY wants to play on a team & get a trophy! :)

The baby's room is ready to go -- just waiting for the little body to occupy the crib! We need to pick up a couple miscelaneous things, but for the most part we're ready to go! I also plan on picking up some new things for Andrew to help keep him busy in the event I can't get to him when he needs something!

Not much has changed as far as Mike & I go. Mike got moved to a store that's much closer to home which has been WONDERFUL! He now helps with taking Andrew to the sitter, he leaves late enough in the morning to help out some and is home for dinner at night. He does work 2 nights per week, which is more than he had been doing, but it's not that bad! I'm still working at John Deere where everything has changed. I have a job though, so I can't complain. :)

So, I'm sure I've left out something, but it's at least a starting point to getting back into the blog! I couldn't get any pictures to load for some reason, but they're all on facebook anyway!

Oh....one thing I DID forget -- Andrew's tall enough this year to touch the bottom of the pool! No more being carried around! As soon as he realized he could touch, his overall confidence in the water shot up! He still wants my hands to jump in, but that's about all the help from me he needs!

I'm Back!

2009-07-22T20:42:00.001-05:00

After an INCREDIBLY long hiatus, I am going to make a strong effort to get back into blogging. I have been very into facebook -- mainly because it's so much faste & the picture upload tool is way easier to use than the blogger one. But, I have realized that I miss the stories. I go back through this blog & I love the milestones that are documented and the stories of our lives. That is not something you get on facebook. So, with the arrival of baby #2 on its way, I am going to remember this & will be blogging again! :)

'they're talking about sandwiches!'

2009-02-25T21:33:00.002-06:00

The other day while driving home, Andrew kept asking me why they were talking about sandwiches. I had no clue what he was talking about & was asking him all kinds of questions trying to figure it out. I had about given up until I listened to the radio. The John Mayer song "Say What You Need to Say" was playing, and if you listen, he does kind of run the words together....'sandwich you need to say'! I laughed, and tried to tell Andrew what the words were, and he insisted they were talking about sandwiches. Tonight, on the drive home, the song came on again, and he says 'see, they're talking about sandwiches again!' I smiled & agreed with him!

Grandma's birthday

2008-10-26T17:59:00.003-05:00

Happy 75th Birthday Grandma! Over 50 years of marriage, 3 kids, 9 grand kids, 9.25 great grand kids....what a full & fun life!! It was great to have the WHOLE family (minus Timmy) together!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T17:48:00.003-05:00

Every year since Andrew's been born, My Dad, Karen, Laurie & Liam have taken him to a pumpkin patch on a Saturday when I have had to work. This year, I decided to join in the tradition! We took the boys out to Jonomac Farms in Malta, IL. They had a BLAST! Big slides, corn mazes, tricycles, more big slides, duck racing, and corn in a silo (sand box style!). This will definitely make the books for family traditions!

Florida -- Pictures!

2008-10-13T21:34:00.004-05:00

We're back from our trip -- so sad! I could seriously move to Florida. If I thought I could get my whole family on board with coming, I would so be job searching and house hunting right now! I love the beach, the sun, the heat, the humidity...the smell....I just love it!

We got to go out on Ron's new boat -- the Donzi 35! It is super fast and oh so cool! Andrew preferred the beach to the boat though, so we spent 2 days playing on the boat, and 2 days at the beach (plus a couple evenings!). We dug in the sand, built sand castles, played on the surf board...it was so much fun!

My heart melted!

2008-10-11T20:18:00.002-05:00

Today in the car, Andrew was making his normal phone calls to Aunt Laurie & Liam. Then he said:

"I want to call you, Mom"

So I said, that was fine, he could call me. Then he goes:

"Hello, Mom? I just have to tell you something"

(me) "What do you have to tell me?"

(Andrew) "That I love you"

Aw! It melted my heart!

Andrew on You Tube!

2008-10-03T19:51:00.001-05:00

Check out my little man's Baa Baa Black Sheep!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsiuPj_I708

He did this after winning the crowd with Three Blind Mice!

FLORIDA!!!

2008-10-01T23:26:00.002-05:00

In just a few short hours, Mike, Andrew & I will be boarding a plane for Florida! I am so excited! Our annual John Deere training is a few weeks earlier this year, which allows Mike to take some time off work & come with us for the FIRST TIME EVER! I am so excited for him to come to the beach & eat at the restauants we have been talking about for years! Last year, Andrew wore an outfit that was HUGE on him at the beach....so big, in fact, that he still fits in it this year! I'm hoping to get some super cool pics (with my new camera!) of him at the same beach in the same outfit! Tune in soon for new pictures!

Kline Creek Farm

2008-09-19T13:18:00.008-05:00

What a georgous day today! I got us out of the house and over to Winfield to Kline Creek Farm. Andrew was a bit stubborn at first & only wanted to play on the gravel path! We were in no hurry, so I let him (and got an opportunity to practice some shots with my new camera!). When we finally got to the farm part, he LOVED it! He got to see chickens, horses, sheep & cows. There wasn't a lot of activity going on, but we got there in time to see the horses led out to eat & the cows herded in to their pen. There were no people there, so we got to walk at our leisure & see the different things! I got to talk to the guy who sheers the sheep & he told me when they do the sheering & when the lambs will be born, so I think we'll be going back in the next few weeks!

Puddle Jumpers!

2008-09-19T13:18:00.003-05:00

Ike brought a lot of rain to our town! Because of the rain, I had one very bored and antsy, no-napped 2 year old on Saturday! It was about 80 and raining...perfect weather for jumping in puddles! Check out his cool outfit! Raincoat, shorts, and snow boots! He & Mike had a blast!

If this doesn't make you smile...

2008-09-17T10:15:00.001-05:00

Last night, Andrew & I were eating dinner. My cell phone was on the table, so he picked it up, opened it & hit some buttons. His conversation:

Hello!

Ah Lolie!

You okay?

Yeah!

Uh huh!

I eating dinner!

Yeah!

My mommy!

(at this point, I checked the phone to make sure it wasn't on!)

Yeah!

Oh no!

Hello?

he looks at the phone & sees it is off..

I call again!

he pushes some buttons

Hello Ah Lolie!

my boys!

2008-09-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

These boys are more like brothers than cousins! I just love this picture of them! We can't wait until Laurie & Liam (Ah Lolie & Wiam) move in across the street!

My 29th +1 year birthday

2008-09-04T21:31:00.003-05:00

So. It happened. I tried not to let it, but it did anyway. I turned 30 over Labor Day weekend. I told Mike a while ago that I didn't want a big party. As it was, the day was absolutely perfect & I wouldn't have asked for anything more! We had plans to go to Wisconsin for the weekend, but one of Mike's assistants at work threw a wrench in that schedule so we stayed home. Saturday we had some friends over & we ate & drank & played --- it was so much fun! Monday was my birthday. Laurie, Andrew & I went out to breakfast at Egg Harbor in Geneva. We walked down 3rd street & talked the whole way to Starbucks. A couple lattes & chocolate milk for the little man & we actually got to sit & continue a conversation (thanks Andrew!). After we got back to the car, we went floor shopping for Laurie's new house. Andrew & I made our way back to mom's house, where he went down for a nap & I went down to the pool! My Aunt & Uncle, Robby w/ his son Sy, Jeannie w/ her b/f Brian & Tabitha were all there. Bart & Nicole stopped by as well as some other friends. It was a very laid back little party, and I wouldn't have had it any other way! Oh...and the best part....

I got a NIKON D60!!!!! I've been playing with it a little, but am still learning all the features of the camera. Here are some of the pics I've taken! I've got some learning to do, but even not knowing what I'm doing I think they turned out pretty well!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-09-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

Mike and I celebrated our 4th anniversary this year! The traditional gift is silk, so I thought a little outside the box, and got a French Silk pie & some champagne to celebrate. It was a nice evening! Hopefully we'll be able to get a sitter & go out to dinner sometime soon!

Elburn Days 2008

2008-09-04T21:17:00.003-05:00

Another Elburn Days has come and gone. This was our first one as Hogan Walker, so there were some emotions tied, but as the fair went on and everything remained the same, it became less of an issue.

Andrew loved the rides this year! Friday night, he and Brandt rode rides & jumped in the bouncer...neither of them wanted to leave! Saturday afternoon we took Andrew back for more. He isn't quite ready for the roller coaster -- even with Mike riding with him! (we found that out the hard way!), but he loved the rest of the rides...and the chocolate ice cream....and the popcorn.....and the $3 blow up hammer he won at a game..........

if you look very closely you can see Andrew SCREAMING! while Mike is riding the dragon with him!

Happy 31st Birthday Mike!

2008-09-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

Mike turned 31 this year! We had a pretty toned down party this year -- dinner with his parents, then dinner with my dad & Karen, then dinner with my Mom & Ron. Andrew & I got Mike some tickets to the Disturbed concert & arranged for some of his friends to go with. He had a blast -- minus a migrane before the main act took the stage :( but in all I think he had a great birthday!

**While we were at his parents, I forgot a diaper, and Andrew had to be changed. His mom made a "homemade" diaper using an old rag & safety pins. When we came home in the stylish outfit, he grabbed his blankie, cowboy hat, and sunglasses & decided he should play the piano!

Two Weddings....

2008-09-04T20:45:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of August we had two weddings to go to! The first was my cousin Danne to her now husband Travis. We travelled to Indiana to join in the fun! The ride there left a bit to be desired...Andrew barely slept, and was complaining for most of the 4 hour drive. We got to the hotel & he got to go swimming with Mike while I got ready. Then, Andrew took his first shower with daddy which he LOVED! We got him dressed in his suit & he looked ADORABLE! He was great through the ceremony (thanks Danne, for keeping it short & sweet!). The reception was so much fun & kid friendly with candy & glow necklaces! There was even a little room off the main hall where all the kids ran & played! After a night of running, playing & dancing, Andrew sure was pooped & ready to go home! (**a cute note...when the DJ first started playing it was LOUD! Andrew covered his ears & told him to STOP! I told him that at weddings we play music -- after a quick break, he was off, tearing up the dance floor!)

Our next weekend was a short week later for my friend, Heather. I've known her since 5th grade when I first moved to St Charles. I was a bridesmaid, so our whole weekend was full! Andrew got to spend the night at my parents with Liam, so he had a riot! Mike and I enjoyed a little open bar, danced, and caught up with old friends I hadn't seen in a while. My camera died, so I don't have any pictures to share!

just a cute one!

2008-09-02T10:41:00.003-05:00

I know I have a ton of updating to do!! But, here is a cute pic my mom took while we were hanging out at her pool on Monday, and I wanted to post it before I forgot! Andrew just loved me swimming him on my back all around the pool! We had a blast taking turns letting all the kids jump off the diving board (while we caught them!). Andrew only took a couple turns himself, but loved telling everyone to DIVE! when it was their turn to go!

Cute Story

2008-08-08T11:27:00.002-05:00

Of course this story is about Andrew! Last night, I was shoe shopping for a wedding I am in on Saturday. I was trying on shoes at DSW, and put on a pair & was walking away from Andrew, looking in the mirror. When I turned around, he had kicked off both his shoes & had reached over to the shoes on the shelf & put on two mismatched women's dress shoes! When I asked him what he was doing, he simply replied "my pretty shoes!". He tried on shoes with me until I found the perfect pair, which he picked out!

Thank you Dora & Diego!

2008-08-08T09:20:00.003-05:00

Last night Andrew was watching his favorite movie (for now), Dora Pirate, while I was getting his bath ready. I came out just as she was getting ready to count her stars...and he counted to 7 in Spanish! I was so proud! Thanks to his love for Dora & Diego, he can count in Spanish, and knows the words (and pardon the spelling) - Luna (moon), Tuga (tortuga - turtle), Obre (open), and Estrella (stars).

In English he is routinely counting to 12, but has gotten to 16 with a little help. He keeps forgetting 4 & 5 though! Jumps straight from 3 to 6! We'll have to work on that!

Peck Farm Park

2008-08-07T21:00:00.003-05:00

So, I am always looking for fun, new things to do with Andrew on my Mondays off with him. I decided to head out to Peck Farm Park & check out the butterfly museum. Andrew loved the butterflies (as much as he could). When we went in they gave us a "map" and we would look at the butterflies & pick out which one it looked like. He was more impressed with the waterfalls than the butterflies, but it was still fun! After, we walked around and saw the old barns, the 4 story silo (which he insisted on climbing), and walked a long path down to a pond. The most fun, though -- walking on the rocks around the flowers. He had a great time, and it's always fun to explore nature!

Family Vacation

2008-08-07T20:42:00.003-05:00

This year, Mike & I took a few days off & headed up to the lake to spend some time with Mom & Ron, and Laurie & Liam. We had a blast! We went out to Alcatraz (a sandbar in the middle of the lake), and anchored the boat & the big floatie pool! The boys had a blast climbing up the ladder and running over to the gate and jumping in! Well, Liam did...Andrew needed a little help, but loved every minute of it! Liam is quite the little fish jumping in and swimming against the current all by himself to get around to the ladder. Very impressive! We got to have one adults night out, where we went to dinner, and then for drinks. We crashed a very classy wedding at the Dirty Turtle, and Mike & Laurie danced and danced. I did a little, but mostly sat with mom watching them have fun! Saturday Mike had to leave and go to work, and Laurie and I took the boys horse back riding. The boys had a blast petting their horses & holding the reins. Andrew still talks about his horse, Smokey, and Liam's horse, Phillip, and how Smokey liked to eat leaves! Every chance he got, our horse was heading into the woods to eat! A little scary for me, but Andrew thought it was a riot!

Fourth of July

2008-08-07T20:22:00.003-05:00

This was Andrew's 3rd Fourth of July, and by far was the most fun! His first 4th, he was only 4 weeks old. We went to a party at Charlie & Julie's, got home in time for fireworks, but he was too young & uninterested. An incredibly overwhelmed baby-- he had a tough time sleeping! The next year, Mike worked, and Andrew was tucked away soundly before fireworks even began. This year though -- the fun of a toddler on a less strict schedule!

We went to Charlie & Julie's again for their annual party. Andrew had so much fun playing on the slip n slide & in the pool with his friend Logan. We made it home in plenty of time to get him through the bath & ready for bed...and FIREWORKS! Andrew LOVED them! As the fireworks went off, he exclaimed "The stars are falling, mommy!". What a very cool view! As the fireworks created and lit up the smoke, he would also tell me that the clouds were falling. It was so much fun! We got home & he slept soundly...still talking about the stars falling as he drifted off to sleep. What a fun night!

Kenny Chesney!

2008-07-06T14:09:00.004-05:00

For my upcoming 30th birthday, my sister took me to see Kenny Chesney! It's a couple months early, but you can't control when the concert is coming to town! It was a beautiful night -- amazing weather, the best company, and music that gives you chills! Thank you, Laurie!

The first beer -- inside the parking garage before the concert

Laurie rockin' out!

Kenny Chesney - Poets & Pirates tour

The full stadium

Sisters -- right before Kenny came out

Calling Ron during "Beer in Mexico"

The beautiful day!

Goodbye Ehlers....

2008-06-21T14:05:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, my Mom & Ron sold the store. There is no more "Ehlers Lawn & Recreation". We are still a John Deere store, and were bought out by a dealership called Hogan Walker. It has been a very emotional parting of ways. I am still working there, but they are coming in and changing EVERYTHING. I think the whole deal has been pretty bittersweet. On the one hand, mom & Ron should have a little more flexibility in their schedules, but on the other hand, they really feel like they were pushed into it prematurely, and the buyers handled the whole situation with an incredible lack of sensitivity. We had a last fling party a couple weeks ago, which I think was a nice note to end the era. As for my position in the company -- so far they've taken away my favorite things to do, and increased my paperwork by at least 10 times. So, I am actively pursuing a different job. I am not rushing into anything, and am keeping my mind open for different possibilities. I've only sent out one unsuccessful resume, but hey, it's a start! I'll keep you all posted!

Swedish Days

2008-06-21T09:57:00.004-05:00

This week was Swedish Days downtown Geneva. I took Tuesday off to be home with Mike & Andrew so we could go to the Creation Station and build an airplane. Andrew got a Home Depot apron and a model airplane! Since the attention span wasn't there to build the airplane, we put the kit in the car & headed on to some sidewalk sales. After naptime, we headed back down & had dinner with my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Scott, Jeannie and Tabitha, Mom & Laurie. Ron met up with us by the band where the kids got to dance a little before we decided it was bedtime. Thursday night we headed back down so Liam and Andrew could enjoy some rides. Boy did they! Andrew was just heavy enough to meet the 30 pound minimum weight to jump on the super trampoline with the bungee cords. Both boys jumped higher, higher higher! From there, we went to the motorcycles. Liam had a blast riding his blue motorcycle, but Andrew wasn't too sure! Maybe it was that pink one he chose to drive! When we got to the racecars, he was all about the carnival rides! I had to pull him off & entice him with flying an airplane, which he loved too! It was such a fun night!

Andrew's Birthday Party

2008-06-21T09:38:00.005-05:00

We had Andrew's 2nd birthday party on June 8th -- how fun! We decided to do an ice cream social with sundaes, brownies, cookies & cake. The kids had a blast, but it was just as much fun for the adults to add all the yummy toppings! Andrew got some great gifts, and everyone had a fun time!

...And She walked....

2008-06-02T21:32:00.004-05:00

This weekend, my sister walked 40 miles to raise money for breast cancer research. I am crazy proud of her! She was in pain, but said "it's nothing compared to what women with breast cancer go through, so I'm not going to quit...that's what I keep telling myself". Good job, Laurie! Thanks for making a difference -- and keep 'em bouncing! Love ya!

(the shirt says "Someone I love did the Avon walk for Breast Cancer")

Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew!

2008-06-02T21:00:00.006-05:00

Today is Andrew's 2nd birthday! Where has the time gone? I just can't hardly even believe that a short 2 years ago I had this sweet, angelic little baby, and now -- he is all BOY! He definitely has a mind of his own! He is still sweet & cuddly, but wants things done his way, and now! I'm enjoying (almost) every minute of it! (j/k -- I could do without the meltdowns when I give him -for example - water instead of juice -- but I wouldn't give it up for the world!).

His birthday celebration started last nigh at Mike's parents house. They watched him for me yesterday so I could go to a bridal shower, and we stayed for dinner and cake & ice cream. He had a great day yesterday hanging out with them!

Then, I was home with him today & it was such a treat. We went to a special breakfast at Egg Harbor in Geneva where he indulged himself with cinnamon roll french toast, bacon, and strawberry-orange juice. From there we headed back out to Cosley Zoo, and again, the highlight was the train! We came home, had a light lunch, then he went down for a nice long nap! During his nap, I attempted to bake him a birthday cake -- somehow, I completely ruined it (still not quite sure!)! So, plan B -- he woke up from his nap & we headed to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cake! We came home & it was hot as could be, so I set up his pool at the end of his slide on his swingset & he played there for at least an hour before my mom, Ron, Laurie & Liam came over to join us for some pizza & cake. Liam and Andrew played in that pool & on the swings for another hour at least! Mike & I got Andrew the coolest Radio Flyer flip trike which is a tricycle & a big wheel all in one! He absolutely loves it! It was a perfect day! Only a couple minor melt downs, but I just sprayed Holly with some water to snap him out of it! We have his birthday party this Sunday & I'm sure it will be just as fun!

Jump'n Jiminie's

2008-06-02T20:50:00.003-05:00

There is an inflatable playyard in St Charles called Jump'n Jiminie's, which always looked like so much fun! I checked their open jump schedule, and it's only Tuesdays & Thursdays for little guys under 8. Mike has those two days off, so he took Andrew there one day figuring there wouldn't be too many older kids there during the school year. Apparently, when they first got there, the only thing Andrew cared about was a Step Two plastic slide. Great -- they could have done that at home! Then some older kids arrived & went right for the inflatables & Andrew followed! Mike said he had so much fun climbing up the tall ladders and flying down the slides! Most of the older kids were patient as he slowly made his way to the top, and only a couple pushed around him. At least if he fell, it would be a bouncy fall! What a fun day with daddy!

Cosley Zoo

2008-06-02T20:43:00.003-05:00

Shortly after May 5 (I can't remember the date) I took Andrew to Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. It's only about 15 minutes from my house & it's free to get in. Our neighbors across the street from us told me about it, and I jumped on the opportunity to take Andrew there. It is very small -- kind of like a farm with nice fenced in animals. And the highlight -- a choo choo you can play in! I think Andrew had more fun with the choo choo than looking at the animals. He really wanted to see monkeys, but they don't have them. I guess we'll have to head out to Brookfied for those at some point this summer!

It was a georgous day, and while I took the stroller, I let him just run around and take in all the animals. What a fun day we had! I think he was most excited to see the ducks, which is very funny to me, because we see ducks every day at the park! I guess you like what you are used to!

Daddy cut grass!

2008-06-02T20:36:00.002-05:00

(May 5, 2008)

For Christmas, Andrew got his own lawnmower! He has finally gotten to use it! Mike was cutting the grass & we pulled out the lawnmower, and Andrew followed in his steps cutting the grass with him! Andrew's mower is much cooler, though, because it blows bubbles -- most of the time! Everytime he heard a lawnmower for about a week afterwards he would proclaim "I help daddy cut grass!"

Weekend Project!

2008-04-07T20:35:00.005-05:00

This weekend Mike & I finally got Andrew's swingset where we wanted it in the backyard! This was no small project, since doing this meant properly anchoring it down & mulching out his play area.

We are very proud of his little backyard playground & he loves it! We spent the whole weekend digging, anchoring* & mulching (*anchoring should be no small task, but do you see that big tree back there? Big tree = big roots which we could not get through w/out chopping up the roots--which we didn't want to do! We finally -- after an HOUR of trying -- anchored the back leg around one of the roots!) After we had his play area set up, we cleaned up the rest of the yard. Andrew earned his keep by helping put last years left over leaves in the bags!

I was so excited to see my first flower bloom! Nice weather + flowers = spring is FINALLY here! (and not just because it's April!)

Finally onto the fun stuff....PLAYING on all the cool stuff! Andrew's going to be quite the little daredevil! I love being able to tell him to go play outside while I make dinner or clean the kitchen. He doesn't quite get yet that he can go out by himself, but that's fine -- I'll take all the "Mommy COME!" ' s I can get!

Andrew's surgery

2008-03-31T12:11:00.001-05:00

Andrew's surgery was today. Everything went well & all looks normal! Here's to never having to go through anything like this again!

Easter

2008-03-30T13:47:00.006-05:00

Well, another fun-filled holiday has come and gone! This Easter was an absolute blast filled with lots and lots of family time! Andrew didn't quite get the idea of the Easter Bunny, but he loved the Easter basket! His Easter bunny spoiled him with stickers, a Diego puppet, a rubber Pooh & Friends ball, and 4 little Diego bouncy balls. That was way more than the E.B. and I had discussed, so I have to say I was quite surprised as well! He also got some Whoppers (Robin's Eggs), a chocolate dipped oreo & a chocolate Easter Bunny sucker. He was great at finding all the eggs & loved carrying around his basket and throwing them in! (lesson learned -- next year I'll have E.B. hide plastic eggs!) He had so much fun this year & so did we!

P.S. One funny story I just have to write so I won't forget it -- after brunch at the Country Club, there was an Easter Egg hunt for the kids. Usually it's outside, but since there was snow on the ground, they moved it into the men's locker room. The boys were running around looking for eggs & they found SO MANY!! This was thanks to Ron who was looking in all the golf shoes on top of the lockers, finding the eggs & moving them to a lower spot where the boys could get them. Laurie didn't know this, and found & guarded two eggs in a plant around the corner. She was telling all the kids that they were reserved, and called Liam & Andrew over because she at least wanted to give them the opportunity to find some eggs (last year all the big kids got the eggs right away & there were none left for the little guys!). After they found their eggs, she saw their basket! We felt a little bad, but at least the boys had a great time!!

Andrew's upcoming surgery

2008-03-07T12:44:00.002-06:00

Andrew will be having surgery on March 31 to correct an improper circumcision. I'm sure he'll be so glad when he's older that I so publicly discussed his business! I was dragging my feet a bit because the whole thing scares me (the anaesthetic, stitches, recovery, trauma...) but I was finally convinced at the most recent pediatrician's visit that it HAS to be done, and we need to do it before he'll ever remember it. So, we had the consultation with the Urologist a week ago, (who agreed it was a mess & needed to be fixed), and will be fixing it on that Monday. Please think good thoughts on that day to hope no complications come up!

Snow Day!

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

Between yesterday afternoon & today we must have gotten a foot of snow! Today, thankfully, was a beautiful day - not windy & about 30 degrees, so I bundled up Andrew & we went out to play! We started with a ride in his sled. He had so much fun when I would run fast with him & Holly would chase us through the snow! He was laughing so hard & so loud that I wished I had the energy to just keep running with him! When I was too tired to pull him anymore I encouraged him to get off the sled & throw snow balls (bo ball!) for Hollly. Holly loved it & he had so much fun. I started talking to some neighbors, and I looked over at him & he was taking the snow by the handful & eating it. Thank goodness it was still white!! Every time I would ask him if he was cold & did he want to go inside, he would shake his head & yell "NO!" then take off for more snow. We were out for 1 1/2 hours, and man was he pooped when we finally came in! Here are some pictures of his fun afternoon!

First Haircut!

2008-01-25T20:33:00.000-06:00

Finally, at 20 months old, Andrew had enough long hair to justify a haircut! On Tuesday I came home from work early so we could give Andrew a bath to get the "mohawk" picture to show just how long his hair was! We then took him to Cookie Cutters in the Geneva Commons, and he got to sit in a very cool fire truck & watch Blues Clues while the stylist cut his hair! He did very well, and only cried a couple times (when she was cutting close to his ears). At the end of the haircut he got to play on the slide they have inside. Very cool! We got a certificate, picture, and some of his hair to commemorate the occasion! I thought he'd look older for some reason, but he looks exactly the same --- just without all the crazy long hair!

Running to the bath...can you tell he's wearing one of his boots!?

Look at that long hair!

Sitting in his fire truck...he has no clue what comes next!

"But I like my hair!!"

snip snip....

...snip snip...

Finally the slide! (Check out that cute haircut!)

Puh Poh & Finger Paint

2008-01-25T20:19:00.001-06:00

Dinnertime at our house usually means a meltdown for Andrew. Other than a couple nights a week, I have to fix dinner before Mike gets home & it's a time of night where Andrew really wants my attention. It's hard to give him attention & cook at the same time, and utensils, pots & pans, choo choo movies and everything else I've tried just don't work --- or if they did, they have lost their appeal! So, I decided to try some new arts things that could keep him occupied and in the kitchen and out from under my feet! The two things I tried are play dough (puh poh) and finger painting. Finger painting takes quite a bit of attention! Andrew doesn't really like the feel of the paint on his hands, so I cut shapes out of a sponge for him to dip in the paint and stamp -- he loves it! The play dough is his favorite though, and he asks to play every day! He runs over to the closet where we keep all his crafty things, and points up and says "puh poh peese!", so of course we let him play!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T21:43:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to all our friends and family! We hope 2008 brings you everything you wish for!

Snowmobiling!

2008-01-01T21:29:00.000-06:00

Andrew and I went up to Wisconsin the Saturday after Christmas so he could go for his first snowmobile ride! It was my first time riding in 3 years, and I was excited to get out on the trail & have him join the fun! We got up there Saturday early afternoon & did a very short ride. I used my Snugli to help keep him strapped to me. It worked like a charm while he was awake, but as soon as he fell asleep, his heavy head (with helmet) fell straight forward! I had a new and instant respect for all parents who have ridden their sleeping children in front of them for so many years. It never looked like work before! Day two mom & Ron had a trip planned with some friends, so Laurie & I took the boys on a trip to New Lisbon - about 35 miles round trip. Andrew wasn't too happy on this second day. I think in the future (until he's a little older) I will need to give him a day to rest in between. I was very happy to get out though and to share this with him!

Merry Christmas!

2008-01-01T20:17:00.000-06:00

Christmas this year was here and gone in the blink of an eye. Our Christmas started the Saturday before in Ossian, Indiana at my Aunt & Uncle's house. We combined Christmas with my cousin Danne graduating from Ball State. Most of the family was there & it was so fun to have everyone together. Sunday we headed back and went to my Dad & Karen's house. The boys did so well for having spent 10 hours in the car in a 24 hour period of time. Monday we were with my Mom & Ron for dinner. Jeannie brought her web cam and we got a special treat of talking to my cousin Erica who didn't make it home for Christmas. Christmas morning we took it easy at home. Santa came & brought Andrew a Vacuum, Race Track, and Tractor. He was a little interested in tearing off the paper, and really liked taking the toys out! He didn't quite understand why he couldn't just play with one thing! After a relaxing morning we then headed to Mike's parents for dinner. Everywhere we went we were blessed with wonderful food, family, and generosity.

As I was getting ready Christmas morning, I couldn't help think back a year. As I was trying to remember Andrew last Christmas, I kept getting memories of the little baby covered in plaster because I was trying to make handprint ornaments & he was trying to eat them! This little guy who was just starting to push up on his hands and kness...just rocking to start to think about crawling. He had just learned to sit up unassisted. He only had a couple of teeth, and he was still spitting up a lot. Was that just a year ago? Is it possible that in such a short amount of time, I now have this little boy who runs around, talks up a storm, and has brought more joy than I ever could have imagined. Did all that really happen in just a year? I suppose every year I will be amazed at how much he has changed. At his first birthday, I expected (obviously) that there would be alot of changes from birth to one...but even the last six months he has changed so much --- it is unbelievable to me. So many times I feel fortunate and overwhelmed with happiness that he his healthy and growing and changing....but what I would give to just hit pause sometimes...

Breakfast with Santa

2007-12-10T10:15:00.000-06:00

Mom & Ron took us out to Kishwaukee Country Club to do breakfast with Santa. They had a brunch, so we all got some good food, then went over to the main event. Andrew did just fine waiting in line, watching the other kids get their toys from this stranger. He watched them all sit on his lap and tell them what they wanted. When it was his turn...I think the picture explains it best!

We got him calmed down & gave him some of the toys out of his goodie bag to play with & all was good!

I elfed us!

2007-11-28T21:43:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to elf myself all day today, what with internet problems and so on it's been crazy annoying! I figured out the internet problem, and finally got elfed! Check it out!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9630410257

Florida

2007-11-28T21:23:00.000-06:00

Every year in October / November I go to Florida for John Deere training. Mom & Ron have a house very near the training site and they are there for the duration of training, so I am able to bring Andrew with & mom watches him during the day. This year I got to go with our friend Charlie who has been a friend of Mike's for a very long time and also works at Ehlers. The flight down went well - Andrew was awake but in a good mood & fell asleep when we landed - just like on our trip to Colorado! We got home & settled in before we headed to the beach to play in the sand and eat at the sandbar restaurant. Andrew had a blast playing with his toys in the sand, and I even let Charlie walk him into the water a little bit (even though he didn't have a life vest on!) I don't think I could say which beach event Andrew liked most - digging in the sand with his shovel, running up to the water, pushing his truck - every single thing he did made me wish I lived on the beach so he could have that much fun every single day! He was so cute when a wave would come in - he would stand sideways and put one foot up as if to stop it! We would pick him up and swing him out of harms way & he just loved it! The next day we got to go out on Ron's boat. We went to a restaurant on Cabbage Key (or something) which is the restaurant where Jimmy Buffett allegedly wrote the song "Cheeseburger in Paradise" about. All the burgers were served medium, and you could only get cole slaw or potato salad as any side. And their kids menu - grilled cheese! It was a great lunch, but it was humorous how simple it all was (especially for me who substitutes everything!) Andrew loved the boat - every time we would move, he would crawl up into my lap, put his head on my shoulder and go to sleep. When we weren't moving, he was up and running around - as much as he could! The next day Charlie and I started training, and the next three days went by very quickly. Our last night there mom & Ron had some friends over & we played poker and other betting games all night. I got a great hand of pocket aces, but my poker face gave it away. I tried to bluff the same way a couple hands later, and Charlie called me on it and won. Once Texas holdem was over, we played some other games, and I somehow managed to win some money! Our flight back wasn't so easy. Andrew should have fallen asleep on take off and didn't so he was awake & fussy the whole way home except for about 1/2 hour when he did sleep. There was a nasty old guy in front of me who kept banging his seat back at me because my fussy toddler knocked the tray with his head a couple times. Oh well - you can't win them all, and the trip was a blast!

Missy

2007-11-28T21:16:00.000-06:00

So, I know this seems to be the Andrew blog, but there is more going on around here than just him - briefly I know, but it happens. Mike & I noticed that our cat's bathroom habits were not normal (without going into a whole lot of detail). It actually started before we left for Colorado, so she was on an antibiotic for a UTI, and was supposed to be done with her meds the day we left, but they wanted to recheck her. Of course, there was still an infection, so our friend Sarah got to give Missy her pill twice a day (Sarah, who is allergic to cats - bless her heart!). So, we get home, finish up the meds, and she is still having problems. I made an appointment with her doctor because now this was 3 weeks worth, and she wasn't getting any better & I didn't want some doctor I didn't know to just put her on more antibiotics. He agreed with me that it was time to look at something else. That something else we needed to look at were BLADDER STONES! So, Missy had surgery a couple days before Andrew & I left for Florida. It was a pretty invasive surgery. I got to go visit her (and almost passed out in the room!) and she came home the next day. She wasn't supposed to jump or have that much activity. There is so much activity around here (especially with Andrew - he loves her!) that we decided to keep her shut in the 3rd bedroom. None of the furniture is tall & it is so nice and warm in this room. She wasn't too happy about it, but she was on kitty morphine most of the time, so she was pretty loopy and passed out anyway. She's back to normal now & is on a special diet for the rest of her life! I don't even want to say what the vet bill was! I know I could have had so many free cats for the amount....but they wouldn't have been my Miss!!!

HALLOWEEN!

2007-11-28T21:02:00.000-06:00

What a fun day! Mike, Laurie & I started out trick or treating with Andrew the Monkey & Liam the fireman at Grandma & Grandpa Sambrookes's house. It has been a tradition of ours to stop there with the boys before heading out, and I think everyone enjoys it. From there, Mike & I went to his parents house so his mom could get some pictures. We were only there for a few minutes. She was dressed as a very scary witch & Andrew cried everytime we took a step away so she could get a picture! So, back in the car we go to come home - Laurie & Liam met us - and we were off to trick or treat around our neighborhood. Liam did great going door to door, asking "trick or treat" and saying thank you. Andrew did a good job of walking - made it to a couple doors by himself, but had trouble leaving the houses! He was more entertained with sitting on everyone's steps! We tried to get him to say something that sounded like trick or treat, but he wouldn't. At one point, Mike & I walked him up to a door, said trick or treat, got the candy and left. At that point I decided we were just asking for candy, so if Andrew didn't go up to a door, we just stayed back! The boys got a lot of great candy, and had so much fun!

Liam the Fireman

Andrew the monkey

Oooh...candy!!

After a long day of trick or treating!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-11-28T20:48:00.000-06:00

Laurie and I decided to take the boys to the pumpkin patch this year. We had an absolutely beautiful day! There were lots of activities for the boys - straw maze, a wooden John Deere tractor, sand box, straw climing hill, and a hay ride! I think the highlight of their day was the sand box, but I'd hate to say I paid money to get into a place for a sand box! They got to run around plenty though. Liam did great going through the straw mazes, though I couldn't draw Andrew away from the tractor long enough to see if he would go through it! The hay ride was short, and not quite as eventful as we thought it would be, but I think both boys liked seeing the tractor. Out in the field we got to see lots of pumpkins. I tried to stage a picture similar to last years with Andrew & the pumpkins, but everytime I tried a picture, he would cry. Even a kiss from Liam didn't cheer him up! All in all the boys had fun, and so did we, so it was a successful outing!

Johnson's Mound

2007-11-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

In early fall I decided I wanted to do something a little different with Andrew than our normal walks to the park & playing inside. What could I do? Then, I remembered a beautiful forest preserve park called Johnson's Mound in Elburn. So, I packed up Andrew & Holly and off we went. Andrew loved it! There is lots of walking and exploring to do & Holly loved to be outside running around off leash (for the most part!) Of course, her leash was on her in case of other people or cars so I could grab her quickly...plus Andrew thinks it's a riot to walk her! Andrew loved looking at EVERYTHING - leaves, sticks, rocks - and he loved being able to run around not having to hold my hand the whole time so that he could climb on things and explore the forest floor. We did this twice & had an absolutely wonderful time. It is definitley on my list of things to do when the weather turns nice again!

Andrew walking Holly

She got away - SO SAD!

Having a blast!

Climing on a fallen tree!

Long time no post!

2007-11-19T21:50:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm still here, for the few of you who read this blog!!! We've been crazy busy & been having major internet problems which makes posting very difficult. Stay tuned though, and I will have updates on nature trips, our trip to Florida, Halloween & probably Thanksgiving...everything to catch up the last month and a half! Hopefully I'll be able to get to it this weekend, as long as the internet cooperates!

New Robe, Please

2007-10-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this is just funny...I was getting Andrew ready for his bath & found a robe hanging in his closet, so I decided to put it on him just to see how it fit. It was one of the cutest things! I think it's time we buy the boy a new robe!

Scarecrow Fest

2007-10-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

This weekend was Scarecrow Fest in St Charles, and we thought it would be fun for Andrew to go. We found a relatively close parking spot & went to walk around and look at the crafts. I decided I must not be too crafty as I, with money in hand, could not find anything to buy! Maybe we were looking at the wrong booths! Andrew was already getting fussy & he was red because he was so hot! We went in search of a sno cone for him to cool him down & give him a little treat. Success! And, he (and Mike) absolutely loved it! We walked over by the rides to see if there was anything he would be big enough to go on. We were wishing his cousin Liam was with us, because there were quite a few I think he would have enjoyed, but we weren't so sure he'd remain seated...hence the "big brother" would have been very handy! We opted for the carosaul, because Mike was able to ride with him. My motion sickness has crippled me on such rides! I stood on the side to take pictures of the first carnival ride (and even just watching the thing go round and round was almost enough to do me in!). Andrew loved it so much he didn't want to get off! We then made our way up to the pumpkins to look around, but by this time - after spending an hour and a half in 90 some degrees & humid, Andrew was done, so we bypassed the pumpkins, got a couple caramel apples & headed home. Kind of a quick trip, but at least we got that carnival ride in!

Seeing my baby!!

2007-10-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

I suppose there always comes a time when a mom misses seeing her "baby" as this child is growing older by the second! Andrew is turning into such a little boy as he loves to show us what he has learned, what he can do, and tries to imitate new things. A couple weeks ago some friends of ours had a couple & their baby stay with them. To save them the trouble of bringing down baby things, I offered Andrew's things he no longer uses for them to borrow for the weekend. One of the things I dug out was his bouncy seat, which he loved as an infant. We put it away when he was starting to try to sit on his own & about falling out of it. Once the seat was back home, he had a newfound love of his old toy...and I got to see my baby again!

Our Trip to Denver

2007-10-06T20:16:00.000-05:00

This year, Mike & I took Andrew to Denver, Colorado to meet our friends Katie & Jesse and their two kids Siven and Adelane. We haven't seen Siven since he was 11 months old, and it was our first time meeting 5 month old Addie. It was so wonderful to see them, and Andrew had a great time! It would have been a little better if only Andrew would have slept a little for us, but the days were fun despite his exhaustion!

Day One:

Andrew's first plane ride since he was 4 months old! We thought he would be so excited, since he loves to point out every airplane that flys by in the sky. Who knew the highlight of the airport was going to be the moving walkway? Andrew did wonderfully on the plane, though he did not take a nap until we landed! We made it off the plane and to baggage claim until he finally woke up, which gave him about a 45 minute nap. This was my first experience of the high altitude. I couldn't figure out why I was winded until Katie reminded us of the thinner air! I thought it was just because I haven't carried a sleeping baby for that long in quite some time! We got to Katie & Jesse's, and were able to get settled into our room & spend some time outside talking before Jesse got home from work with Siven and Addie! It was my first time holding the sweet baby girl & I didn't want to let go! Andrew didn't seem to mind as he was quite entertained meeting his new friend, Siven, and getting to play with all Siven's toys which he was so nicely sharing!

Ooohh...the moving walkway!

Katie & Addie ............................Andrew on Siven's Trike

Day Two:

Andrew got up at 4:30 (I think) and was up for the day...it may have been 5:30...I can't quite remember. I was needing a little caffine, so Mike and I walked to a coffee shop and down to a little park in town so Andrew could play on the playground. We got back to Katie & Jesse's, had some lunch & put the kids down for a nap. When everyone was awake, Katie, Siven, Addie, Mike, Andrew & I walked to the Denver Zoo. Jesse got off work early & met us there. Since it was 4:00 on a Friday afternoon when we got there, there were hardly any people & we were able to let Andrew walk by himself most of the time we were there. We got to see some very exciting things, since it was a beautiful day & most the animals were awake. We got to see two lion cubs playing, a tiger pacing by the glass, the giraffes running around, some wierd animal trying to jump the little ditch thing to eat some leaves and got to hear a cheetah voice his opinion. At the inside monkey exhibit, Andrew got scared when one of the little ones kept jumping at him through the glass. So funny! It was way more activity than we got to see at the overly crowded Brookfield zoo when it was so hot all the animals were sleeping!

I think those are zebras......... Big bear, little bear!................ The Cheetah voicing his opinion!

Tiger Walking! ..........................We think he wanted Siven! .........Cubs Playing!

"This way Guys!"

Day Three:

Saturday night, Katie was able to score some amazing tickets to the Avalanche game (hockey). The seats were 7 rows back from the ice. How cool! We took the beginning part of the day & drove the kids up into the mountains. We stopped in a little mountain town (the name escapes me) and did some shopping, and had a fabulous lunch at the rudest German restaurant! "He hasn't carried apple juice in 10 years!). I think Jesse made him mad when he ordered his brat without sourkraut & then I ordered the all American Chicken sandwich (which they jokingly refered to as a chili cheese dog!). We continued up the mountains and got to see some fabulous views. At the top of where we went (again, the name escapes me) we were going to get out and do some hiking, but the temperature had dropped from 80 some degrees in Denver to 52 degrees & windy. We decided to leave the kids in the car, but I was still able to get some great pictures. At some point while we were there, Siven decided to call Andrew "Connor". Katie kept trying to get him to stop, telling him that calling someone by another name is rude. But, when Siven kept saying "bye-bye Connor" to which Andrew would bust out laughing - it was hard to tell him to stop! Anyway, we continued on our journey to the town of Conifur where Jesse's parents live. They very graciously agreed to watch all three kids for us so we could have a night out at the hockey game! We got Andrew & Siven set up with dinner and snuck out of the house. We got to the hockey game & it was amazing! This was the first pro hockey game I had ever been to, and it was so exciting. Jesse explained to me the whole blue line thing, which I started to understand by the time the game was over. It still kind of looks like there are always people everywhere. We didn't get to see any fights, but it was still exciting!

...........The beautiful colors!.......................... "Bye Bye Connor!"

...........Cute Boys!...............................

.............Views from the top!........................

Day Four:

Getting to wake up in the mountains has got to be one of the most breathtaking things I have ever experienced. I don't think my pictures can truely capture what it looks like to have the sun reflect off the mountains to make them look like they are absolutely glowing! Dottie (Jesse's mom) cooked us an amazing breakfast, and we hit the road shortly after to head home. On the way back, we stopped at red rocks, which is a concert hall that has been formed out of natural rocks. The acoustics are amazing! There were a lot of stairs to get to the top & Jesse convinced me it would be worth it in the end to make it all the way up to get to see the views...he was right! It was such a clear day, you could see downtown Denver & the Denver airport, which I'm guessing were at least 30 miles away (correct me if I'm wrong, Katie!). Andrew got to ride in Siven & Addie's backpack on the way up & Mike was lucky enough to carry him. He loved being outside though, and it was totally relaxing. We got home & cleaned up quick before Katie & Jesse's friends came over with their son who is about 1 month younger than Andrew. We had a bunch of finger foods & got to watch the Broncos win! The Rockies won their game too, which forced a 1 game tie breaker on Monday!

..............Waking up in the mountains!.........................

Andrew in the backpack! ....................Views from the top of Red Rocks!.........

Red Rocks........................... Family Pic............................ How do I get that ride?!

Day Five:

Katie & Jesse had to go to work, leaving Mike & I on our own for the day. We took our time getting going in the morning, and went to the Denver Aquarium in the afternoon after Andrew got up from his nap. We got to take the bus into downtown Denver & walked the 16th street mall, which was very cool. It is a road that is only open to pedestrians and shuttle busses, so you can take your time walking the strip with all kinds of shops and restaruants. A couple parks later (which were so beautiful and peaceful) and we were at the aquarium. Once again, not a lot of people are there at 4:00 on a Monday afternoon, so we really got to take our time looking at all the tanks! Andrew didn't quite know what to think! I had to show him that there was glass between him and the fish, because they were really freaking him out. Their tropical display featured a live tiger which was moving around a little bit. It also had a fake orangatang, which Andrew was entranced with! We got to see some otters which were doing backflips off the glass for about 5 minutes! When we got to the end - a huge tank with sharks & fish - there was a 13 month old baby girl who had no fear going up to the glass. Andrew saw this & immediately followed suit, and ooohed and ahhed over the sharks swimming by. Our day at the aquarium was over & it was dinner time so Mike & I ate at a little restaurant outside. We ended up having to run for the bus to get back & got there in time to see it pulling away. We called Katie before we tried to get on another bus...good thing! Apparently, if you need to go East, you can't just get on the Westbound bus & wait for it to loop around! We would have been half way back to Conifur if we had gotten on that bus! A half hour later, we were able to catch the right bus home. We got to Katie & Jesse's, put Andrew down, and watched the Rockies win their tie-breaker game. We did get to sit outside for a little bit and talk some more. What a great day to end our trip! We forgot our camera this day, so believe it or not NO PICTURES!!

Day Six:

Home we come! Katie dropped us off at the airport & Andrew was finally excited to see the planes! The little guy was so exhausted, he fell asleep before we were even fully in the air & didn't wake up until after we landed in Chicago. We had dinner with mom, Laurie & Liam, did some laundry & went to bed. We were all tired! After 6 days of that much excitement, who wouldn't be!

Boys in the bath! ................................. "Da!" (plane...da is everything!)

Thank you again, to Katie & Jesse for opening your house to us and letting us stay with you. We loved spending time with you and your family & can't wait to make the trip again! Good luck in the next couple weeks getting everything put together for Siven's 3rd birthday & Addie's baptism!

Andrew's 15 month checkup

2007-09-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

Today I got to take Andrew to his 15 month check up. He weighs 26 lbs & is 32 inches long. How did that happen? We met with a new doctor since his old one changed practices. I like her very much & will stay with the doctor's office! I was waiting to meet her before I changed doctors, because the other guy in the office that we got shifted to when the first primary care physician left was a cranky old guy who made me feel pretty inadequate. So new doctor - very good! She actually sat down and took the time to answer my questions and didn't give me the "every kid does this, I'm bored with this question" type of an attitude I had been getting. Andrew got 3 shots & screamed like crazy! I just hate doctor's visits! I have promised him some Dairy Queen, because we all know nothing makes you feel better than a little DQ!

A day in the park!

2007-09-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

Laurie brought Liam over to go to the park down by our house. Here are some cute pics of the boys!

I've noticed my picture taking has been lacking lately - We leave for Denver THIS THURSDAY!! and I am definitely going to do better! Speaking of Denver - I've vowed my house will be spotless before I leave. Today Andrew took a nice long nap for me so I was able to shower & clean tubs, toilets & sinks in BOTH BATHROOMS!! This includes washing the shower curtains, scrubbing the liners & washing the bathroom rugs! It's a big accomplishment for me - I don't brag about my housekeeping skills, so to get all that done in 2 hours is a big deal!

Festival of the vine

2007-09-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Laurie & I took the boys to Festival of the Vine a couple weekends ago. We stopped at Starbuck's for some latte's & kept the boys busy with some raisins so we actually got an adult conversation in! Then, we walked around & looked at all the crafts. We made our way over to the courthouse parking lot where they had pumpkin painting & a "find the candy in the hay"

thing. The boys had a blast in the hay! Andrew didn't really know what to think about it - but we were also about 1/2 past nap by this time! Andrew painted his own pumpkin & loved it! I let him dip his fingers in the paint & use them to decorate! We had planned on a horse drawn carriage ride, but both the boys were way past the point where they needed to be sleeping, so we opted for a drive home instead!

White trash update

2007-09-23T20:40:00.000-05:00

So, today @ 8:30 am those dogs started barking again. Of course I was up, as Andrew decided to get up at 6:15 this morning (ugh!), but with all the windows open, it was annoying. So, I made the executive decision to call the cops & it was a very good call! The officer agreed with me that the noise is excessive, and said it's too bad there are neighbors like this. She rents the house from her brother - the officer said I should stay out of things, but he said he is going to send the ticket to her brother because it will probably have a greater impact than if it went to her. He said it will be easy to do since no one was home, all he needs to do is look up the registered owner to the house & it's done. I asked him about the harrassment - nothing they can do. He said ignore her & she'll eventually get tired of yelling to herself! I think I'll wait a couple weeks & see if this ticket has any impact. On the bright side - it's almost winter so the house will be shut up anyway!

Two words...WHITE TRASH!!!

2007-09-21T21:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, so many of you may know already about my white trash neighbor. If not, here is the brief synopsis. Last winter, our nice quiet old neighbors moved out & their daughter w/ 3 kids & 3 dogs moved in. Whenever Holly was outside, her dogs were outside, off leash, and not fenced in (we have a very small neighborhood - all the houses are close, so this is a kind of big deal). Repeatedly, we had to call Holly in because these dogs were snapping at her through the fence & I even saw them try to pee on her. (No, I'm not kidding!). One night, as we're trying to put Andrew to bed, I heard the commotion outside once again, and had had enough. I handed Andrew to Mike & went outside to deal with this. One of her dogs charged me in my yard with its ears pinned back and tail straight out barking at me. Knowing enough about dogs to know this is a defensive stance, I stood in the same spot (there was no way I was going to go back in my house and risk this beast following me), and called for her to call her dogs. The neighbor got her dogs back in the house & shut the door. I went over there, and knocked on her door. Now, I had a lot of adrenaline pumping & I know I can be a bit of a B at that point in time, but at any rate, I asked her if she lived there now, to which she replied yes, and then I very sweetly (yeah right) informed her that her dogs need to be leashed when they're outside & that they routinely try to attack my dog through the fence. Fast forward to Andrew's birthday in June. For months, we had been tolerating these dogs being locked in her garage barking all day long. It was June & I couldn't have my windows open because it was so disruptive. At 9:30 at night after his party the dogs were still barking. I finally decided to take action & called the police. She just happened to come home while the cops were there writing her a warning & low & behold she opened the garage & the dogs charged the officer down the driveway. PERFECT! She proceeded to yell profanities over my fence to me and our friends who were joining us for a drink after the party. This went on for probably 10 minutes in total, and at some point I quit talking to her & just let her look like the idiot. A few weeks go by (the barking has not yet stopped) and my cat was outside laying next to my fence by my house (way on my property) and 2 of her dogs come charging onto my property to attack her through the fence. Luckily Holly was outside and went over there barking with her hair up (which, for those of you who know Holly, is very uncharacteristic). I yelled at her to get her dogs off my property & told her that I wasn't going to tolerate it anymore, and I was going to let the police deal with her from now on. The next day, the barking continued, I called the cops, and low and behold, the barking stopped for quite some time. Recently, it has started again. I don't want to be the neighbor who calls the police all the time. I actually think it is a waste of resources to call 911 (as advised to do) every time her dogs bark for the better part of the day. So, I went down to the police station to see what we could do about the problem. They told me that if it's that big of a problem that I'm willing to go to the police station to see what options there are, they would put it in as a "keep the peace" violation which is a $25 fine per occurrence. I'm glad they are willing to do something, but I still don't want to be that neighbor! Now, I'm not an unreasonable person. By excessive barking, I mean beginning at 6:15 am when the B leaves the house until she returns at 4:30 pm. Now, maybe they stop for a little while here and there, but I would say out of the 10 hour stretch, they are barking for at least 7. Dogs are dogs, and they will bark, but give me a break! So, onto today where the beef is big enough to get me to blog about it. There is a family two houses down from us that have a black lab named Izzy. Today, I was playing with Andrew on the side of the house & I saw Izzy run across the street and down the sidewalk. I noticed one of my neighbors friends grabbed the dog by the collar and said "I'm not taking this dog home if we don't know where it belongs". I was right there with Andrew & said that I knew the dog & I would take it home. No big deal, right? Later in the afternoon, Andrew & I are playing in the back yard, and miss White Trash herself says "Where's your black lab, sweetheart?" (say that in the snottiest tone you can come up with & it's almost how she said it!) I was like "What are you talking about" She then proceeds to tell me that I said the dog was mine, and she knows who the dog is, it's Izzy & she lives 2 houses down. I was shocked by the confrontation (which you all know I don't like anyway), and simply said that I didn't say that, and told her exactly what I did say. She then proceeds (and pardon my language) to tell me that I am a fat ass, a bitch, and a pussy, and am afraid of dogs. I told her I'm not afraid of dogs, I just have a problem with dogs that attack my animals through the fence and bark all day. She continued on with the barrage of insults for a little while. I did call her a B, which I feel badly about, because I do not condone that type of language in front of Andrew. Why can't I just have a peaceful afternoon in my backyard? I really hate living here now because of her. She makes every day uncomfortable. Now, I need advice. Her brother owns the house. She has 3 babies from 3 daddies & can't afford a place of her own. We have met the brother on several occasions, and he is a really nice guy, as are her parents. So, do I:

A) Contact the brother, inform him of the situation, and tell him that my next phone call will be to the police for harassment

B) Skip the bro & go straight to the police

C) Sell my house & move to a cute little house in South Elgin w/ St. Charles schools that I can afford & is listed!

D) Ignore her, and teach Andrew how to say "Hi White Trash" whenever he sees her! (he he!)

E) Call the cops every time the dogs make a noise & make those $25 fines add up to the point she's put out on her scrawny little behind!

Happy Anniversary & Happy Birthday!

2007-09-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

Mike & I celebrated 3 years of marriage on August 28th. It's amazing how a baby changes things! Our 1st anniversary, we went to Chicago for the night and spent a wonderful evening downtown & had dinner on the Spirit of Chicago dinner cruise. Our second anniversary we had a 12 week old baby! Andrew had his first sleepover @ Grandma & Grandpa's, and Mike and I went to a nice dinner & a show. This year, we went to Chili's with a cranky 1 year old! Next year we'll have to do a little something special!!

For my birthday (29...the age I'll be for the rest of my life!!) we tried unsuccessfully to get a babysitter. We decided to go to dinner anyway, and went to a new restaurant called Urban Grille in Geneva. The food was excellent!! However, the service was terrible. I would definitely go back without a baby! It took us over an hour to get our food. We knew when we sat down it was going to be slow, so we ordered an appetizer so Andrew could have something to eat. They forgot to bring it! The appetizer makes ordinary fries seem lame....french fries w/ garlic butter sauce & parmesan cheese...mmm!!! After we got home from dinner, our friends Bart & Nicole came over for a night cap & we had some very exciting conversation! We sat outside with a fire & talked...it was a wonderful evening. Next year is the big 3-0....uh oh! I'm already dreading it!

Misc Pics

2007-09-05T21:36:00.000-05:00

I don't have a story for every picture (believe it or not!) but here are some of my other recent favorites!

Playing with rocks...his favorite!!

Making a super cute face while playing with his bubbles!

He wanted to bring the rocks to the bubble machine!

Mike was playing with a remote control toy for the cat & it scared Andrew! He was hiding behind his daddy for protection!

The little stink stole my twizzlers & thought it was so funny!

Such a cute face!!

He loves to play in the fridge!

So much for filling the pool! He loves to steel the hose!

Every time his bubble machine blows bubbles, Andrew
mimics the "oooh" sound the fan makes,
and makes this face!

Mall Trip!

2007-09-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

So, Andrew's first ride was supposed to be at Elburn Days, but that got shot down by the rain. I was looking for a fun new thing to do with him, and remembered an indoor play area at Charlestowne Mall. On Monday, Mike and I took him to the mall to play there & he got to have his first ride in one of those cars you pay 50 cents for. He loved it, and every time the car started, he would say "Eeeeee!" Who says you have to spend money to have fun! It was so amazing to watch him take things in! There were two other little girls in the play area running around, climbing on everything & jumping on things. He would watch them, and you could tell he was trying to figure out how to do the same things they were. He was about 1 year younger than the youngest one, so of course he couldn't do everything they were, but it was so fun to watch him interact and try to figure it out!

Loving his pets!

2007-09-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

Andrew has always loved Holly & Missy, but he has recently taken to hugging them and playing with them a lot! He loves to take Holly's toys and give them to her, and she is normally great at being very gentle with him. She's still a dog though & has knocked him down a couple times, but that is to be expected. Missy though, she does not enjoy his company nearly as much! Our fat cat is always out because she's anxiously awaiting the next time she'll be fed. Andrew takes every opportunity to "hug" her, and when she bats at him, he thinks it's absolutley hilarious & bats back. I'm very thankful she has no claws (eventhough I still feel guilty about ripping them out!!)! The cutest thing he has done with Holly - one night he wanted to play with her, but she would only play with me. I would throw a toy for her, she would drop it, Andrew would go get it, bring it back to me, then sit on my lap until I threw it. When she would catch it, he would laugh and clap his hands! It was so fun!

Cougar's Game

2007-09-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

We had a company outing at the Cougar's game. It was Andrew's second of the season! Andrew had pizza for dinner, but I think his highlight of the night was getting to share my Nestle Crunch Dibs. Man this boy has a sweet tooth! I was not paying attention, and before I knew it he had a whole mouthful of icecream! Obviously, this was a special treat, so I let him enjoy! We had a great time with our friends. Andrew got a little sleepy around 8 (normal bedtime) and reached for Grandma. He knows who to go to to get rocked to sleep - that's for sure! It was a long night, and the little guy slept in until 7:30 the next morning. Who knew this was going to be a turning point for him to start sleeping in a little - a welcome break to his normal 6:15 wake time! He got his first souvenier - a Cougar's baseball bat, which will be proudly displayed in his room as soon as I get time to do something "boy" with his bedroom. He's getting to the point where I think his little teddy bears are a little too young for him!

Elburn Days

2007-09-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

Elburn Days weekend was an incredibly busy & wet one! I don't think we've ever gotten that much rain in August! It is the first time that I ever remember the fair shutting down on Saturday and Sunday (and I've been going since I was 10...19 years, oh my!) Andrew was quite the trooper! We got to drive in the parade on Friday night. Laurie & Jeannie brought Andrew, Liam & Tabitha all down to the shop in mom's Explorer. How cute it was to see the 3 car seats across one row! I let Andrew drive our tractor, and he did a great job steering every time we needed to turn to the left. He had some problems going right, but I was there to help him out! He was way too busy to wave at anyone, but he loved watching everyone watch him. Before the parade we got to go pet some horses (compliments of a good customer of mine) and he stopped to show a bunch of police officers his little dance! Ozzie Cougar came over to say hi to us, and he couldn't get away fast enough! Apparently he isn't old enough for adults in Cougar costumes! Saturday, he and I went down to the booth & he got to help me "sell" some tractors. We ended up leaving at 5, just minutes before they closed the park down. Sunday he was going to come with, but again with the rain!! We got to stay home and have a lazy day all to ourselves!

A message from beyond?

2007-08-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this totally spooked me! Last night, Mike called me to say he had to drive to another store to pick up some stock. After talking to him, I put Andrew in the tub, and he was playing for a little while, when all of a sudden he stands up, looks over my head, points, and says "dada". At this very same time, I got a chill up my spine that I couldn't shake. Andrew kept looking in this same spot, pointing at dada. Right before he did this, a very bad storm started blowing through. So, I got Andrew out of the tub & called Mike to make sure he was okay. Thankfully he was! Tonight's bath had nothing out of the ordinary!

Happy feet & bedtime!

2007-08-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

Andrew is growing up so fast, and it never escapes amazing me at just how much he can learn and how fast. He holds an object up to me and watches me say it (like Ball) and he concentrates so hard to try to say it! Everything still comes out Da! but I'm pleased to say Ma! is working it's way into the mix! I think Andrew has figured out where his feet are! Lately, since he's had a terrible bout of eczema we have been giving him an oatmeal bath at night. The oatmeal bath makes the water look dirty to the point that you can't see anything underwater. When he's sitting there, I will ask him where his feet are, and he will start kicking his legs so his feet come out of the water! Then he just laughs like he is so proud of himself! He will do the same thing in his carseat, but nowhere else!

Andrew's bedtime is 8:00. Lately, as if on cue, at 8:00, he will stand up, grab his blankie and walk to his room to go to bed! He has done it 3 nights in a row! He gets to his crib, and then turns around and puts his arms up for me to lift him into bed. This is nothing we have taught him, he has just started doing it on his own!

Andrew Dancing

2007-08-15T21:51:00.000-05:00

I know this video is a little dark & I couldn't get him to look at the camera, but let's face it, the cute part is how he shakes his little booty!!

Pictures

2007-08-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

So I know I haven't posted any pictures in a while, so here are some recent ones!

My sweet Andrew!!

Riding his horse!

Liam & Andrew playing in the sand & water table!

Taking a bath after playing!