Wedding weekend

Wow, it's been awhile since I last checked in. Where have the weeks been going?  I know, work.  A week ago I worked my 12 hr night shifts and that pretty much puts me out of commission for a few days.  I spend Saturday and Sunday trying to sleep, and getting only about 7 hours total, and then sleep during the day on Monday.  It was back to work for me Wednesday and Thursday, and then we hit the road to IA Thursday evening.

The week before that we were able to see our friends Mike, Kristi, Cora, & Henry for a short time before heading over to Dave & Lauryn's for dinner.    They live just blocks away from one another.  We are so glad that we finally got to see Dave & Lauryn's new place.  It is a beautiful home in Minneapolis and we are so excited for them as they start their life together.  While at Mike & Kristi's I saw a minivan sitting in front of their house.  Yes, they got a minivan.  I have to say, I'm jealous.  I know, I know, how many people are proud that they drive a minivan?  I would be!  Plus, the convenience would be so nice.  Nate and I have had the minivan conversation many times.  We actually had it before we got married and he made me promise him that I would never get one.  It wasn't a pinky promise though.  :)  I'm hoping that the good old camry holds out for a few more years, but when it decides to leave me I may have to fight hard for the minivan (it conveniently holds both strollers and golf clubs for road trips honey).   

I was able to squeeze in a chiropractor appointment a couple of weeks ago.  The last time I wrote I think that I put that I had been running.  Well, right after writing that I began to experience a lot of pain in my right hip, down my leg.  I eventually went to the chiropractor who has been working with me.  She instructed me not to run until today.  It was still painful, but she is seeing me twice and week and has me doing certain stretches and exercises.  I'm hoping that sooner rather than later things will loosen up and I can get back into my routine.  Not that I'd be running outside a lot this week anyway.  It's been in the 90's.  I got up at 5:15 this morning to try to run and was reminded that our days are getting much shorter.  I couldn't believe how dark (and hot) it was out at that time.  On a side note, when I saw the chiropractor I told her about this hard are in my back that felt like a big muscle knot, but I knew it wasn't that.  It did hurt a little when I pushed on it a lot.  Well good news, it's not a tumor...it's a "fat pad" or lipoma.  Gee, great!  Just what I wanted to hear.  Brings a whole new meaning to having back fat. 

As mentioned before, we spent this past weekend in IA for my cousin Amanda's wedding.  We arrived to my parent's house around 11:00 pm, after a very long day.  My day was crazy in the ED, I didn't get off work until late so had to pick the kids up at the zoo (where my sitter was picking her kids up from camp), and therefore got home even later.  I threw a few things in a bag, we fed the kids, and jumped in the Traverse.  We made a quick stop to fill up with gas and made one more stop after we hit a deer.  Yep, that's right.  The Traverse is evidently a deer magnet.  Don't worry, we didn't kill the deer...it was already dead.  Yes, you read that correctly, we hit a dead deer.  The lovely person who killed the deer didn't feel the  need to remove the dead carcass from the middle of the road so we hit it.  The gas gauge went from full to empty and I told Nate that he had to pull over to make sure that the gas wasn't leaking.  I was very concerned that we were going to explode with the kids strapped into their carseats in the back.  Long story short, we did not explode and made it safely to my parent's house with plenty of gas and the check engine light on.  I took it into the local garage in the morning (while Nate was enjoying his time on the golf course).  One of the sensor cables underneath came unplugged.  They plugged it back in, reset the computer, and we were good to go.  Thank God!!!

The kids and I had lots of visitors on Friday...aunts, cousins, and Grandmas.  Thank you everybody for coming out, it was so good to see you all.  Don't worry, I know that you came to see the kids and not me, and I'm ok with that.  :)  A Huge thank you to Aunt Moe Moe who altered Ava's flower girl dress.  It looked so much better on her and I didn't have to worry about her skirt falling off as she came down the aisle.  :)  Friday night Grant hung out with Grandma and then Aunt Darlene while Nate, Ava, and I went to rehearsal and then dinner.  Grant got to hang out with Aunt Darlene and cousin Sara on Saturday night while we were at the wedding reception as well.  Thank you so so very much!

Saturday morning Grant and Daddy went into Norway for a parade while Ava and I headed to the church for pictures before the wedding.  I was quickly reminded that Ava will never be a model.  That girl can not fake smile for the life of her.  Half of the time she looks stunned with her eyebrows raised up, and the other half she has a crooked smile and looks like she had a stroke.  Thankfully she was well behaved that day though.  She was exhausted by Saturday evening.  She fell asleep on my lap around 7:00.  Poor thing! 

Sunday morning we hung out with everybody at Grandma & Grandpa's.  Ava got to take a tractor ride and drive the tractor with Grandpa (Grandpa says she needs a bit more practice before driving on her own).  We got on the road just before 11:00.  We made one stop for lunch and were home around 4:00 so that we could start laundry and get some groceries for the week.  We were grateful for a quiet ride home from both kids!

Monday was back to work for the both of us.  This week has been so hot that we're planning nothing outdoors.  Today I took the kids to my own personal hell...the Mall of America.  It wasn't as bad as I had envisioned, but I'm glad that we're done with it.  I had a bunch of returns that had to go back there.  Tuesdays are "Toddler Tuesdays" at the mall so they always have something for the kids.  Today it was a singer and they had crafts set up to do.  So, Ava did some coloring and some dancing while Grant took him nap.  We were back home in time for lunch.  I think tomorrow morning we'll venture out to the Children's Museum.  Ava loves that place!  I think that I'll be getting a membership to there as well. 

We hope that you're enjoying your week and staying cool!    

Grant turned 10 months on Friday.  He's also starting to play patty cake and clap.  He gets so excited.  The picture above is so him with that mischievous smile.

He obviously doesn't think that turning 10 months old is that cool

The Becker family

Grandma & Grandpa with the grandkids

Our family with Grandma Great

One of Grant's funny faces

Ava forgot to drop the pedals on the way up the aisle, but she did it on the way out.  :)

She found a little snack after the wedding

The back of Ava's dress

Grandma reading bedtime stories to the kids after the wedding.  I'm surprised that Ava hadn't passed out yet since it was 11 pm

The girls in the wedding party

Ava & Daddy

Grandma Great reading Ava's magazine to her while they waited to go down the aisle. 

Grandpa, Ava, and Zacky on their tractor ride

Playing princess today.  I got to be the "special helper".

Dancing with Uncle Brent

Mommy's maiden voyage

I packed up the car on Thursday and made my first road trip alone with the two kids. Let's say it was an experience. The first 15 minutes were blissful. I had two beautiful sleeping children securely strapped into their car seats and we were on our way. Then we hit 494, traffic stopped, and my mind began focusing on how every single minute at this point in the trip counted since they were asleep. How long would they truly sleep for? I was irate after arriving in Minneapolis an hour after our departure time. This is when Ava abruptly awoke and made the announcement, "whoa Mommy, I just took the longest nap in the whole world, can I watch a movie now". Great, we haven't even left the cities and Ava's nap is now over. Thanks to the Ipad I was able to buy some time since I can't exactly hook up the DVD player while driving. Grant took a good nap and I threw toys at him for awhile. I then made a discovery. The band-aid that I had put on Grant's finger prior to leaving the house (he somehow cut it open on a toy and it was bleeding Everywhere!) was no longer on his finger. I then noticed that he was chewing on something. I quickly turned out the hazards, yanked the car over to the side of the highway, ran around the car (only to realize that his door was still locked, so I ran back to the driver's side to unlock it, and back to his side), and dug the lovely band-aid out of his mouth before he choked on it. A short stop and we were on our way again.

Next stop; McDonald's. Yeah, not my idea of a great mid afternoon pit stop but I needed a place to feed Grant. So, we made a stop in the bathroom to change a diaper and a break for Ava. We then tried to figure out what was more nutritious...chocolate chip cookies or french fries. Yeah, great choices huh? We settled on a cookie for an afternoon snack while I nursed Grant. Halfway through feeding Grant Ava starts her "dance" at which point she announces that she needs to go poopy. I'm quickly trying to get Grant unsuctioned from my breast as she's saying, "I'm going to go poppy in my pants, it's coming out of my bottom". We make a mad dash to the bathroom where she is adamant about choosing the handicap toilet that sits 12 feet off the floor. I lift her up there and we are safe from any accidents. Grant is now cranky and wants to finish eating so since Ava is demanding privacy I turn my back to her and feed Grant in this disgusting stall while praying that nobody steals the diaper bag off our table that contains my wallet and car keys. Once Ava is done she needs to be wiped. Oh fun! She bends over, putting her hands on the floor (makes me want to dry heave), Grant is now grabbing onto the germ filled door, and Ava decides she would have better balance if she puts her head down on the floor as well (makes me want to vomit thinking about the germs she is touching). At this point I just want a bucket of sanitizer to dunk them in. We eventually make our way to the sink and scrub all of our hands (including Grant's), finish feeding Grant, and load up again.

At this point Ava has her movie in so she is good. God rewarded me for our pit stop and Grant fell back to sleep for a short while. After 4 hours and 15 minutes, we finally arrived at the cabin safe and sound. Mission accomplished! Boppa arrived shortly after we did, and Daddy arrived just after dinner time.

Friday was a bit chilly so we didn't make it out on the water. Ava spent some time picking raspberries with Daddy and Boppa, and we all got a chance to play outside for awhile. Friday evening Nate surprised me with dinner reservations and Mema and Boppa watched the kids. We had a much needed night out to ourselves (ok, it was really just a couple of hours, but that is more than we ever get) and enjoyed some great food. Saturday was beautiful and Grant finally took his first boat ride. My friend Libby and her parents came over for a few hours for a boat ride. Grant absolutely loved driving the boat. Saturday evening we were supposed to have dinner at the neighbor's place. However, since our kids didn't get their normal naps we had a few melt downs. Nate was able to stay and enjoy dinner with everybody, while I put the kids down. Dinner was good, even warmed up in the microwave.

  We headed home Sunday after one last boat ride and some lunch. The kids did fairly well on the ride home. It just gets to be a long trip with Grant, especially when we get stuck in traffic. It was back to work for both of us on Monday. The rest of the week is filled with play dates and a dinner with friends. Should go quickly, like most weeks. :)

 

 

Ava & Grandpa Ed

Ava, Grandpa Ed, and Grant

"Clueless" is the caption to this picture

Our newest captain.  He was in heaven (and I think Boppa was too)

Ava trying not to smile with Mema

Libby & Grant

Ava kissing the minnow that she and Daddy caught

Uncle Jeremy giving Ava a lesson on what's in her tackle box

Ava caught this sunny all by herself. 

Ava realizing that it hurts when you touch their top fins

Grant rocking out with his maracas

My sweet boy and me on the boat

Fishing with her daddy

parties, teeth, bathroom talk, and more

I'm sure that you've noticed that I've been slacking on the blog lately. It's not that I don't think about it, I do. It's just that there isn't enough time in one day.  I've taken on a new project/goal.  I told Nate at the beginning of the year that I was going to make a new years resolution (which I don't do) to run a 5K (which I don't run) by the end of the year.  This may seem like a small feat to most people.  However, if you know me you know that I truly don't run.  I was the one in elementary school who used to dread the physical fitness test day where we had to run around the stupid baseball diamond for the mile run.  Yes, it all started when I was 7 years old.  Anyway, long story short, I started this couch to 5K program.  I quickly realized that not working out for 9 months of pregnancy and 9 months postpartum really takes a toll on your endurance and fitness level.  It's only three days a week that I have to run, but it's sadly difficult to find the time to do it.  So, I end up doing it at 8:30 at night when the kids are in bed and before it gets to dark.  Therefore, my blogging time has been cut out.  So, there is my excuse.  :)

Let's think back to a week and a half ago.  I worked my 12 hr day shift while the kids stayed home with Daddy.  Ava had a birthday party to go to on Saturday.  It was supposed to be a pool party but since it was 65 degrees she wore a sweatshirt instead.  She had a great time playing, doing crafts, and having ice cream for lunch.  The rest of the weekend was spent at the library and hanging out with our friends Josh, Kate, and Tate. 

Monday Ava and I headed to Grant's 9 month Dr. appointment.  Yes, the big man is 9 months, weighs in at 21 3/4 lbs, is 30 inches long, and has a big ol' head (off the charts).  He's still off the charts with his height, but has settled into the 90th percentile for his weight.  He just popped his 8th tooth (4th one on the bottom) this past weekend.  I swear he gets a new tooth daily.  It's a good thing since this kids Loves to eat!!!  He eats more than most toddlers I think.  He loves his table food, and I love this as well because then he can feed himself. 

We had another busy weekend this past weekend.  Saturday morning Aunt Darlene, Great Grandma, and cousin Sara came to visit while Aunt Virgie was up here for a Norwex conference.  We spent the morning together and then went out for lunch at Pizza Ranch, where Grant should have been charged for an adult buffet with everything that he ate.  That afternoon Nate and I headed out for a wedding while they stayed with the kids until Mema came to watch the around 4:00.  Mema spent the night with us since we weren't home until later.  By later I mean 11:00.  Yeah, we are those super lame people who are in bed before midnight on the weekends.  I didn't really want to pump in the car, so we headed home to avoid that.  Ah, one more of the great things about breast feeding...you can never go anywhere for more than 5 hours without being pumped like a milk cow. 

Sunday morning we took Mema to the zoo.  Ava was super excited.  We even rode the monorail for the first time.  It will be closing for good next month and I wanted to make sure that she got to ride on it at least once.  She had a great time.  We had perfect weather to be at the zoo, nice and cool.  We were home in time for lunch and then got ready for our friends Josh, Jenny, Nora, Josh, Kate, and Tate to come over.  Nora is about 8 months younger than Ava.  It was so fun watching the girls play together, pretend, and chat.  What a fun age!  We had a great time visiting with the adults, which we don't get to do enough.  We were so lucky to get to spend that time with Josh and Jenny since they delivered their twins today!  We can't wait to meet the two little men!

A little update on Ava's potty training.  We have been accident free during the day for quite some time.  She went quite awhile without having accidents at night so we started to let her wear her big girl underwear to bed.  She did great for the first few nights.  Then she had two nights in a row where she had an accident.  We have decided that it's most likely because we are dumb and were giving her a drink before bedtime.  She used to wake up in the middle of the night and come tell us if she had to go though.  She is so funny about going to the bathroom (not funny ha ha, but funny weird).  She won't just go to the bathroom, she has to wait until the last minute when she is doing a little dance and then makes a mad dash to the bathroom.  The other night she was in the play room with Nate and all of a sudden comes running through the living room into the bathroom.  She flips on the light and the fan in the bathroom.  I then hear her say to herself, "Hey, I didn't know I had all this poopy in my tummy.  That's why I had all the gas out of my bottom".  Then tonight she is in the bathroom singing (very common for her, as she sings all day long about anything and everything).  This time was a bit different though.  Only my daughter would make up song lyrics about her poop to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me".  Hopefully Jesus doesn't take it personally.  I feel like I should set a video camera up in there to catch all of the funny stuff that comes out of her mouth when she's in the bathroom.

We hope that you are enjoying your week.  Thanks for checking in!
 

Hanging out before getting ready the other morning

At the zoo.  Ava is into getting her picture taken (even though she has a fake smile on all the time)

This would be Grant as he passed out during dinner the other night.  Poor little guy!