Lake of the Ozarks

Well we finally did it... a long weekend trip away without our kids!

We left after breakfast on Thursday morning and drove to the Ozarks with two other couples, the Allotey's and Schweska's, and were home for lunch on Sunday.  It was so incredibly hard leaving our babies behind, but we needed a vacation!  

Jannette approached me last November about planning a trip because all of our husbands were turning 30 within about one month of each other and it would be a good excuse to get away.  And that it was!  It even worked out that Josh's birthday fell on the weekend we were there.  Jannette's dad owns a condo on the lake that also has a pool that we were able to stay at.  It was a perfect getaway spot for us.  We stopped at a winery on our way there for lunch and wine (naturally), grilled out, drank by the pool, danced, slept in, lots of boat rides, lots of lake bars, lots of fun, and lots and lots of memories with great friends!  

"Sis-See See"

If Avery had a fan club, Rudy would be the president.  He has become so interested in making sure Avery sees whatever he is doing and works very hard to impress her.

When he gets his bat and ball out, "Sis-See see" over and over until we make sure she is front and center...then as he hits and when he "runs the bases," he looks back to Avery to make sure she is watching.

He LOVES to make her laugh.  And Avery finds Rudy pretty hysterical, most of the time.  Unfortunately for him, she keeps him working.  What makes her belly laugh one day, does nothing for her the next.  It's almost sad when he is trying so desperately to get her going and I watch him run through all the things that have worked in the past, only to get blank stares or a sly smile from Little Miss.

Rudy hardly wants to slow down to eat any more.  But guess what works?  "Rudy, show Avery how you can take a big bite."  And what do ya know...he opens wide and looks at Avery as he takes it in and chews.

Speaking of Peachie... here she is at 7 months old!

It's been a month and its hard for me to think what has changed, but I'll try...  

She has worked her way through all the Stage 1 fruits and vegetables and had no problems with anything, other than a dislike for peas.  She is starting to eat more for breakfast and dinner and I am close to working in lunch.  She still takes the same amount of formula each day, the doctor said not until about 8-9 months when she eats fuller meals will she start to decrease.  "According to the books," she should be feeding herself crackers (which I remember very clearly being freaked out by when I read that when Rudy was 7 months!).  I've given her small puffs or yogurt melts in the past few weeks, but she gags on them pretty quickly.  Now that she is eating more, I am going to make a conscious effort to offer her that stuff more.  She's got to learn! 

She sits up on her own like a champ and moves from sitting to laying on her stomach, although not very gracefully.  She scoots backwards pretty fast and we have found her halfway under the couch, chair, crib, etc on more than one occasion.  And she sleeps in her crib 75% of the time for naps now, which is really nice.  She's playful, happy, quiet, content, and just the sweetest.

Rudy is not the only one who can't get enough of her around here... she's such a lovable little girl!  

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...!

Well we finally did it...a weekend trip away with both kids! 

Not going to lie (and I'm sure no one is surprised), I was anxious and nervous about the 5+ hour car ride each way, getting the kids to take naps and go to bed in a foreign place, and just the general jitters of wanting them to stay safe and healthy (no one wants to be away from home when someone gets sick or hurt!). 

Packing was a treat.  Good thing we have a large vehicle because we about packed up our whole house.  A few days before when I started packing, John said, "It's not like we have to pack that much, we are only going to be gone for 2 days.  A couple of pairs of mesh shorts and t-shirts for Rudy and a couple outfits for Avery, and we should be set."  If only it were that easy!  Clothes were simple, no doubt.  But the double stroller, Avery's bouncing seat, high chair, 2 pack n plays, Avery's bath seat, bottles, formula, baby food, all the bath stuff, diapers galore - swim and regular, swim suits, swim devices (water wings, tubes, etc)... plus the distraction devices... laptop, iPad, toys, snack... we were full to the brim!

But having said all that, it was well worth it!  Traveling with young kids is never going to be easy for us.   But we were up for the challenge and prepared for just about anything.  It was nice to have a few days together, a break in our day-to-day routines, and especially nice to spend some time with family! 

The kids did great on both car trips... only spending 20-30 minutes fussy easy way.  We timed our departure times as best we could, hoping to get naps in, not mess up their schedule too much, and get there in as few stops as possible. 

Avery did incredible throughout.  She slept, ate, etc no different than when we are at home.  That girl knows how to go with the flow!  Rudy did much better than I had hoped, not great, but pretty good.  He went to bed late both nights (which was to be expected and, hey, it's vacation afterall!) and it took us awhile to get him to sleep, but he slept in a "big boy bed" both nights, and only woke up during the night on the second night.  He woke up around 5:30-6 both mornings and had no interest in relaxing/playing in bed until 7 like he does at home.  His nap had to be taken while I drove him around for a couple hours in the car.  Needless to say, he was one tired boy when it was time to leave!  But he was happy throughout!  Rudy is tricky.  He loves people, he loves to entertain, he loves to be on the go, but he does not love to sleep in different places.  When we  have moved... the first few days are rough -- lots of "crying it out" and grumpy days to follow... but after a few days he is fine.  But it's not like we can follow that same method on a weekend trip.  It's not worth the upset for Rudy... so we just do what we can and it worked out ok.  And Rudy had SO much fun!... which is the most important part :)

Rudy and Avery enjoyed some time in the pool with their cousins...

Our little dare devil wanted to be just like his older cousins and jumped fearlessly off the diving board (into Dad's arms, of cours)... over and over again.  

And Rudy has offically developed a new obsession with baseball...moving right along through whichever sport is in season.  

The fascination started with Riley and his friends a few weeks ago.  We have been to a couple of their games and during a rained out pool day, they set up a little tee and bases for him in the basement.  But it escalated during our weekend trip and there's no going back now.  The Keough's have an indoor batting cage/tent/contraption in their basement and Rudy never wanted to leave it.  He loved to hit the balls, "run the bases," throw balls, and boss everyone around to do the same...and he expected a cheering section, too. 

Jack had a couple of baseball games that we were able to go to and Rudy was, and still is, so impressed.  

Since being home, we had to get Rudy a helmet and tee, he sleeps with his bat and immedately wakes up ready to play "ball-ball"... we have made trips to the store and elsewhere wearing his helmet and carrying his bat.  Air Bud has even been replaced with Sandlot.  Every time "Jack" is mentioned or he sees Jack's picture, he talks about him playing "ball-ball."  And thankfully (and surprisingly) I think he's only had 1 timeout for hitting something or someone other than a ball.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great time celebrating the fourth of July! 

Rudy, Avery, and I met Jenna, Nolan, and Nora for a walk in the park first thing in the morning.  It was a beautiful day and there were lots and lots of people out.

Gran and Papa came over and we got out our pool and had a blast splashing around!  Uncle Kurt joined us all later in the afternoon -- ice cream to cool off from such a hot day and homemade pizzas for dinner!

What a fun day!

We were leaving for a weekend trip the next day and John was at work, so we didn't make plans for fireworks this year, but while I was up late packing I was able to see a few from our courtyard.  I kept thinking how much Rudy would love to see them... something to look forward to for next year!

Summer Fun!

Sun is shining.  Weather is sweet.  Make you want to move your dancing feet.

- Bob Marley

We took a morning trip to the Sangamon County Fair one weekend.  Papa was entering salsa in the Chili Cook-off and John was at work, so the kids and I rode along.  We thought it would be fun to check out some rides, eat some fair food, and all that kind of good stuff.  Our plan was to leave about 10 am and come home around noon so the kids could take naps before the Kramp's pool party.  Unfortunately, the fair didn't "start" until noon.  Go figure.  We missed the rides, but one "kid" building opened early so Rudy was able to check it out.  We were also there in time to see the cows getting baths, which was pretty exciting!  (And don't worry, the concessions opened early too so we were able to enjoy a corn dog!)

The kids took naps when we got back to Gran and Papa's...well, sort of.  For whatever reason, Rudy will not take naps unless he is in his own bed.  The last few times we have tried to have him take a nap somewhere else, he spends the entire time crying in the crib and never ends up sleeping.  Avery will sleep where ever, but the crying keeps her up.  And I end up stressed with the whole process.  I'd love for him to "just get used to it" but I also don't want to spend days without naps in the process.  Kids, or at least Rudy, won't just go to bed early that night.  Instead we are left to deal with a moody, whiny, clingy, crabby little man.  We are able to be home for naps the majority of the time, so I guess a missed nap every once in awhile isn't a big deal.  As long as we have something to entertain him in the evening and patience getting him to bed, no harm done.  At least he was up in time to go swimming at the Kramp's and Avery was able to get in a little snooze in the stroller later that afternoon.

Rudy is always up for a good time, no doubt about that!!

John has been very busy working lately.  Side jobs have picked up, both construction type work during the day and tree jobs with my dad on the evenings and weekends.  Oh and extra shifts at the firehouse, too.  And have I mentioned I started a new job?  When OAG wasn't able to keep me there at one day a week, I reached out to the firm I worked for in college.  They welcomed me back with open arms and were happy to have my help, even if just one day a week.  I committed to one full day in the office and I have the option to take work home, if I choose.  I get paid by the hour, which is perfect for me right now.  The day of the week that I am in the office fluctuates week to week, based on John's schedule.  Which means Daddy Day Care is back in business!  I truly believe everything works out for a reason.  As upset as I was about leaving OAG, this situation is so much better for our family.  Long story, short:  We haven't had a lot of days, just the four of us, without obligations.  So when the opportunity presented itself for a full day at home with no plans, we passed on being productive and "trying to get things done around the house" and took the kids to the zoo!  Not only were there cows, horses, monkeys, penguins, and ducks to see, but also a choo-choo train to ride and a playground to play at!  We are working hard and playing hard this summer!!     

I have started to get into the habit of taking the kids for a walk a couple times a day.  Just a quick 20-30 minute walk each time.  It gets us out of the house, some fresh air, a little exercise for me and what even feels like down time because I don't have to chase or entertain or pick up, and if I'm lucky, some rest time for the kids, too.  I had been using our front to back double stroller and it's pretty difficult to maneuver unless the ground is smooth and flat.  I decided to splurge and get us a double jogging stroller and WOW, what a difference it made.  Rudy and Avery were pretty happy, too...

And who doesn't love some bath pictures??

We have a couple of really great kids :)