Tuesday, July 28, 2009

BBQs, brithdays, and more

July has been a busy, fun month for us! We hosted my college friends for a BBQ on July 4th. Between the four of us, we now have six kids ages 4 mos to 4 yrs, with another on the way in August (not mine!!).

Adam had his 9-month check up. He's 29.5 inches long and weighs 18 lbs 10 oz. He talks a lot, rolls, sits, scoots, and puts everything in his mouth. He's eating a wide variety of baby and table food, and he loves feeding himself. We know when he's done because he starts throwing anything left on his tray! He likes pulling himself up to stand, but he's neither crawling nor walking yet, much to his own frustration! Soon, my son, soon... He has also started clapping and waving, and he thinks this is so funny when he is watching himself in the mirror!

I spent four days in NYC for work earlier this month. Between Steve and our great nanny, the kids were well-cared for. I missed them terribly, although sleeping alone in a hotel room does have its advantages. Namely, the sleeping part! Before I left, we took a family trip to the zoo. Paige still loves the carousel. She got to feed the cows while we were there as well.

For my birthday last weekend, Steve took me to the Cubs game in the afternoon. That evening, we hosted a BBQ here with tons of friends and their kids. The best surprise (which I still can't believe Steve pulled off) was getting my mom to drive up for the party! I was shocked when she walked in! I gave her a big hug & immediately started crying! What a special birthday gift! The BBQ went smoothly until some rain sprinkles began to fall, of course just as the food was coming off the grill. The rain lasted only a few minutes, then the sun came back out. We were treated to a rainbow! So many blessings on this birthday & so much to be thankful for!

A blog post wouldn't be complete without a funny anecdote, so here goes. Last weekend, Paige and I were playing in her kitchen. She pulled out a placemat that has a map of the US on one side and a map of the world on the other. She handed it to me, and we had this conversation:
me: Thanks for the map. Want to see where your grandparents live?
Paige: sure
me: Grandma Sara, Grandpa D, and Grandma Karen and Pop-pop live in Ohio. [I point]
Paige: I want to go to B-ohio! [She always puts a "b" in front of Ohio]
me: well we are going in a couple of weeks, and we will see Grandma Sara's new condo. It's a long drive from here. Do you remember where we live?
Paige: Chicago!
me: Yes! [I point] Do you remember where Grandma Joy and Jaja live?
Paige: Grandma Joy lives on the other side of the map [turns the map over] with Chow Chow [their cat].