Waterpark & Fair

We made it to Wirth Park one last time with Alex before the baby arrives.  It was an extra special treat that Daddy was able to come along this time.  Alex loved the water as usual.  Then we took a family trip to the Racine Fair since this Momma will most likely miss the Wisconsin State Fair this year.  I was a little nervous being 40 minutes away from the hospital but we wanted to make the most of these last few days with just Alex.  It was the perfect summer night and Alex had a blast looking through all the barns at the animals.

Daddy & Alex goin' for a dip in the pool!

Alex lovin' the cute bunnies:)



Showing off the little chicks to another little boy.



Alex climbed into every huge tractor they had on display and loved it!

Every little boys dream!

Checkin' out the horsies.

Momma!  That sheep just Baa-ed really loud at me!

Recovering and Waiting...

It's been a gradual process of recovery for Alex this past week with his tonsils.  The doctor and nurses said days 3-5 are usually the worst and they were right.  Alex hasn't complained much but it's easy to see when his mouth is bothering him.  He's been doing pretty well on drinking liquids but it has even been hard for him to swallow.  He hasn't had much of an appetite all week although we have made frequent trips to the bakery to pick up a chocolate long john for our little man.  Alex has been pretty good about taking his medicine and it's like night and day after we give him a dose.  A few sleepless nights with him but, all in all, I think Alex is recovering really well and almost back to himself again.

Peeking around the door for any nurses so Alex can make a run for it.

This pretty much sums up the past week with our Alex Man.

Not much energy for running around but lovin' the swing at the park.

Alex was showered with ice cream, shakes, smoothies and gifts all week.  Thanks to Auntie Joan for the super cool radio flyer.  Alex LOVES it!

We've gotten a little stir crazy indoors with Alex recovering from his surgery and we're trying to make the most of the little time we have with just Alex before Baby M arrives.  Yesterday, we walked around the Milwaukee County Zoo with Uncle Mark.  Alex has been more interested in the different animals through the books we read and puzzles so it was neat to see him explore the zoo this time.  He kept talking about the horsies so we thought it might be a good idea to give him a pony ride.  That "good idea" turned bad as soon as Alex sat on the pony.  The other good idea we had was to take Alex on the choo-choo train since he's been into Thomas the Train lately.  Another bad idea.  He wanted no part of it after we bought our tickets and got in line.  Alex definitely wasn't feeling like himself at the zoo but it was good to get out, walk around and enjoy the fresh air.

Who's son is this?!

Not liking the pony ride!



Riding the choo-choo train at the Zoo.

We are all patiently awaiting Baby M's arrival.  We had our 38 week checkup yesterday and everything looks great.  I am 2 centimeters dilated!  We are scheduled to get induced next week if this baby doesn't make an appearance on its own before then.  We finished a few last minute projects around the house this week and now we're all just waiting...  

Popsicle Boy

Alex had tonsillectomy and adendoidectomy surgery today at Children's Hospital and he did fantastic.  He had gigantic tonsils and adenoids so were we advised to remove them before they cause problems for Alex in the future.  The procedure took less than 30 minutes and the doctor said Alex did great.  Alex was extremely cooperative and polite and each nurse said he should be a role model to all patients. 

After surgery, the doctor said it was critical for Alex to get in as many fluids as he could, especially in the first 48 hours.  Not a problem for the Alex Man.  He literally had 9 popsicles in the first hour after surgery and 3 cups of apple juice.  All the nurses knew him as the "popsicle boy."  By the end of the day, Alex had become the record holder at Children's Hospital for the most popsicles eaten in a day totaling 14!  Even after all the medications, Alex decided to forego his nap and not sleep a wink until about 7:30pm when he finally crashed for the night.  I know the next few weeks will be rough for our little man but we are SO proud of him!

 

Right before surgery with Dr. Martin



The "popsicle boy" right after surgery.



Passing the time by with Daddy's IPad.

Finally, asleep after a rough day!



Ahh...Summer!

We've been taking full advantage of the nice weather this summer as we've been keeping Alex busy and trying to fit in as much as possible before Baby M arrives.  This past weekend, we went to the Racine Zoo with our friends, Zack, Katie & Ty, we checked out St. Dominic's festival, Daddy took Alex for a ride in his new bike seat, along with Ann and Mark, and Mommy took Alex to the pool to keep cool in this heat, along with his boy cousins, Logan & Tyler.  What a fun, jam-packed weekend!

 

Momma, I'm sitting in the shade - It's TOO hot outside!



Alex & Ty - best buds at the zoo.

 

Check out my new ride!

 

Logan Man having some fun in the sun!

Uncle Steve throwing Alex up into the waterfall.

Alex & Ty Ty making a splash!

I'm 37 weeks (tomorrow) which means I am officially full-term!  The heat hasn't bothered me too bad and I'm still sleeping really good at night despite my frequent trips to the bathroom.  My feet get sore when I'm on them a long time or when I'm chasing after Alex and I have the occasional swollen ankles.  But not too much to complain about from this expectant Mom.  Dave is finishing up his baseball season and I've had time now to get the nursery set so I'm starting to feel ready.  Alex has surgery to get his tonsils removed on Wednesday so, fingers-crossed, we're hoping for a speedy recovery before the Baby arrives!

Oh Baby!

Anna's Baptism

We celebrated Anna Kathryn's Baptism this afternoon at Holy Apostles Catholic Church.  She borrowed Hailey's baptismal gown and she looked beautiful just as Hailey had.  She winced a little bit when the priest blessed her with the holy water but, besides that, she was a perfect little angel throughout mass.  God Bless you, Miss Anna.  Your Godmother is very proud of you:)

So angelic!

Anna with her Parents and Godparents

My sweet Goddaughter:)

Happy 4th!

We had a fun, long 4th of July weekend!  We kicked off the holiday at a festival by our house.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  Alex enjoyed riding the "bunny horse" on the carousel and the choo-choo train.  The park had some playgrounds too which Alex loved.

On Monday, we went to the Tosa parade with Papa & Nana Michna and Annie & Mark.  It was neat to see Alex's reaction to it all.  I think his favorites were the mini go-karts, motorcycles and marching bands.  Papa made us burgers on the grill and then it was off to Papa & Nana Beyer's for the afternoon.  The cousins enjoyed playing in the pool and on the swing set.  Dave lit his annual firecrackers for everybody's enjoyment.  We didn't quite make it to the fireworks but we did see some in the sky on our drive home so Alex could enjoy.  However, he wasn't a huge fan of the noise so it was probably better that we skipped them this year.

Alex & "Papa Bob" having fun on the slide.

Practicing his big brother skills with cousin, Anna.

Alex waving to Mama on his "bunny horse."

Alex's first sparkler!

Enjoying the Tosa parade with Annie and Mark!

Daddy & Alex at the parade.

Alex, our entertainer:)

"Papa Geno" and Alex sharing a laugh:)

Hailey & Logan lovin' the water!

My little stud muffin:)

Happy 4th of July!

Stayin' Cool

I played hookie from work today and spent the day with my little man at the pool since it was so hot and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Nana joined us, as well as, Aunt Carla & Tyler while Papa stayed back with Anna.  Alex is definitely not afraid of the water and probably went down the baby water slide about 100 times.  He was so fun to watch - He'd climb the stairs, skip the kids in line that weren't paying attention (no, I'm not condoning this) and then sit patiently next to the lifeguard until he was waved to go.  After he was done, he'd get up from the slide, count to three and then jump as high as he could in the water and land on his butt.  This was his routine every time down the slide.  We had a blast and can't wait to come back with Daddy this summer!

My crazy fish leaping through the air!

Cool shades, Alex!

Havin' fun in the waterfalls with Nana!

Lovin' the water slide!

Tyler had a blast too!