Staycation

One of the amazing things about Dave's job up here is that he gets a crazy amount of time off. Total bonus, something we really appreciate and one of the reasons we came up here! We don't exactly get to decide when he gets that time off, though, something that is generally fine with us. It has been a little weird in the last year or so with the personnel issues they had, but basically, we are back to a rolling schedule of a week off every 4/5 weeks. Anyway, we forgot about it and all of sudden we were faced with a week off last week! Gotta love surprises like that:) We had no plans and that was just fine, there is always about a week's worth of house stuff to do, right?! 

Words can't describe how much I loved her in this:)

Happy boy!

"Mom, Mom, take our picture!!!" everyday...")

Much of the week, we were dealing with the fussiest baby we have probably ever had! Poor Collin was SO sick. Super fussy, spiking a fever, screaming and not sleeping. And here is where Dave and I win the worst parent awards...we didn't take him in to the doc. I know! He was drooling and chewing on everything (beware - he will try and bite your shoulder and he has sharp teeth:) he had a cough but wasn't doing anything with his ears. He wouldn't breastfeed very much (oh my God, I hate writing this out in black and white...) but we don't usually run to the doc at every fever, etc. He then seemed a little better and we had Kate's 4 year well-check on Monday, so we waited until then. 

Yes, that is a new (and her first) Barbie in her hand, she wanted to take her outside -
Barbie only fell into the leaves once:)

Chasing Mommy, she was the monster trying to scare me

Biking back to the house...

Our brilliant plan to rake the leaves into a pile at the bottom of the slide! I went down it too:)

Collin supervising from his swing...

Video of us in the backyard -  http://youtu.be/UZPEApS5fPU

Dave and I just alternated playing with the kids and tackling our to-do lists, we did get a lot accomplished! Yeah! We also went down to the Dells with some friends and ate at Buffalo Phils (food delivered by trains - Kate loves it). We also had dental appointments for the whole family - woo hoo.  :) It was Kate's first time and she did great. Was fine until the chair went backwards, then got scared. Collin chilled in the car seat while Daddy and Kate checked on me (in another room) and then she laid down on Daddy's lap and did fine the rest of the time. Highlights were getting a pencil and "blue sparkly toothpaste!!" She asked if she could go back next week.  

On Monday, I had to take both kiddos to Kate's doctor appointment. That morning I got a call that she couldn't get her immunizations because their fridge had failed. We went anyway, Kate has traditionally been...awful at the doctor. Won't stand on the scale, won't open her mouth, won't do anything. Oh - AND her doctor is one of our best friends of up here. She knows him and loves him! We had been working on being a big girl so I decided to go anyway and do the physical. Collin was a trooper, I took him out of the carseat and he just played on the floor, tried to eat my shoelaces. Kate was bouncing off the walls, but was perfect with Laurie, the nurse. Did everything right away - yay! Laurie and I both forgot to have her take off her shoes so her weight and height are a little inflated but she was 90% for height and 50% for weight - same as Collin! She's super healthy, developing fine. We all knew this. I had to take her (and Collin) back the next day to get the immunizations. She was cool while we waited, was talking about how the mist (flu mist) was to keep her healthy...I actually thought it wouldn't be that bad! 

Getting her blood pressure checked...

Silly me. We went back to the room, she was holding Laurie's hand. Got quiet and sat on my lap and did fine with the nasal spray. I hadn't been sure where she would need to get her shots (was hoping shoulder as that is where Kate was expecting it) but of course, it had to be her thighs:(  She would not do it. She was almost hiding behind the furniture in the room. I didn't know what to do. Laurie was good but then finally said that I'll have to hold her. So we got her up on the table, and I was hugging/holding her and then I had to lay her down. It was awful!!! She screamed and wouldn't stop crying. Laurie gave her some fruit snacks and I had a little dum dum sucker for her. Laurie stayed until all her tears were dry and we left. She was fine by the time we got out front - distracted by pushing the handicap button thing for the doors. She said her leg was sore later that night, but obviously she is fine now. Collin is due for his round of shots next week...

When we got home from dance last night, she let me take a picture of her in her new tutu...so I ran with it and did a mini photo shoot (about 50 photos on the camera:) Dave laughed when he got home. I told him that I had to go to the bathroom so bad after running around town with both kids for a couple hours, but was going to run with it if she was cooperating! When you are pregnant, you keep going to the bathroom and once the baby is here you don't have time to go anymore. Gotta love it!

New tutu from Samantha!

Trying to convince me to eat her snack in her dance outfit. Sorry sweetie...

Oh, I forgot to mention...so as I was chatting with Dr. Ryan about really important things like if Dave is hunting this year and when we are going out for pierogis again...:) He checked Collin's ears since I said he had been so fussy last week. Ear infection. Both ears. Yup. Felt pretty awesome right about then. He prescribed antibiotics and asked me again when his last fever was....ugh. So, Collin is currently taking amoxicillin (silly me, I mean he is currently spitting amoxicillin out on Dave and I) and we get his ears rechecked next week, coincidentally on his nine month "bday." So, I'll have a nice little recap of his stats next week! He is doing much better now:) Sleeping a bit better (by his standards, not most babies:) and is much happier. Here's hoping for a week in the Lenninger household where none of us are sick!!!....yeah, I'm not holding my breath:) 

Peace!