Celebrating 2 1/2 at the Zoo

Luke turned the big 2 1/2 last Saturday - can you believe it? 2 1/2! We spent the day at Brookfield Zoo and had a blast. All of the animals were awake which never happens when we go! I have to tell you though that by hour 4, I was beat and walking VERY slowly.

Checking out the lions.












It was the Hamill Family Play Zoo's 10th Anniversary so they had some extra events going on.

Luke 'signed' his name on the birthday banner!


Luke loves all characters!


And then he got to play doctor for a bit.


He loved the baboons!




But he told us his favorite was the giraffes. He also said he is going to ride a giraffe when he is older - ha!


Fishy face




And of course a stop at the carousel on our way out!


Another wonderful time at the zoo with my now 2 1/2 year old!!!

From Tears to Laughter

The day started off well...I had a good doctor's appointment and then headed in to work. For a variety of reasons, it was a very stressful day at work - the combination of the audit, bank changes, preparing for leave, etc. literally put me on the verge of tears. As I was leaving work and called Wally, I was fighting back the tears and just looking forward to heading home and enjoying the weekend. After a quick stop at Target, I arrived home to this...



and the laughter began! This little boy can make any bad day good!

He was hilarious with the hose - threatening to spray us and then running away when we had the hose in our hand, spraying himself in the face and cracking up, washing his car, spraying down the driveway, and filling his gas tank!

I dare you not to smile while looking at these pics :)

Random thoughts in the middle of the night...

It's 4 AM.

I am wide awake.

It is storming pretty bad out.

One very loud thunder woke me up and that was it.

I came downstairs.

I am making lists.

Lots of lists.

I'm feeling very anxious about the next few weeks.

Wally had jury duty on Monday.

He was put on a jury and finished up yesterday.

His summer vacation finally begins.

This means I can breath a little easier.

The list on the refrigerator that I created a few weeks ago can finally start getting some things checked off of it.

I am thankful.

Our daycare is very flexible and allowing us to just go 2 days/week in June (as they always have) and we are able to keep Luke home all of July and until Wally starts school in mid-August (without paying!). Then he will go 2-days a week until I go back to work in October sometime.

How many lists can one person come up with.

The one list I dread the most though is always the grocery list.

Why is that?

Luke is officially paci-free.

On night #2, he asked for his paci and was heading towards the garbage to get it.

I told him he threw it away and was a big boy and he said ok and laid back down.

Last night, he didn't even mention it.

I feel good about it because I didn't push it or "lose" it. He willingly threw it in the garbage.

Luke was so sweet last night.

He was putting toys on my belly and watching them move up and down since the baby was moving.

He touched my belly and asked, "When my baby sister coming out?"

I told him in a few weeks.

He said, "Why?"

He is ready to meet her.

He then proceeded to get his baby doll, wrap him in his blankie and give him kisses.

Seriously, Luke is the sweetest boy ever!

Wouldn't you know that I am wide awake on the first morning where I don't have to take Luke to daycare and could actually sleep in an extra 15-20 minutes.

I made chocolate chip cookies last night.

You know the ones where you just add in a stick of butter and an egg.

I am so tempted to just sit and eat them all right now.

The only thing holding me back is we ran out of milk last night.

I can't have cookies without milk.

I guess I should get back to my lists or even better try to go back to sleep for a bit.

Did that really just happen???

Luke and I were laying in his bed reading a Big Brother book tonight. After I got done reading it, he wanted to read it to me so he gave me his paci and read the book. Completely out of the blue, I asked him if he wanted to throw his paci in the garbage. He said, "Yes. I don't need it. I a big brother." So we got out of bed and he threw it away in the bathroom garbage. Did that really just happen???

He only has his paci at naptime and bedtime and only at home. He hasn't taken a paci at daycare since he turned 1. So I have always known that he doesn't NEED it, but I've just let it slide. He has thrown his paci in the baby's crib in the past and "given" it to her, but of course before bedtime, he asks for it again.

I think this time might be for real. I kept telling him how proud I was of him and how he is such a big boy - in big boy underwear, in his big boy bed and no paci! He is now sound asleep :) Did that really just happen??? Yeah!!!

35/35

Yesterday I was 35 weeks, which means there are 35 days remaining until my due date - CRAZY!!!

I have to say that this pregnancy has really flown by! I can see the next 2 weeks going just as quickly too. I have our annual audit at work those 2 weeks and I pretty much run it with the auditors. After these 2 weeks though, I wouldn't mind if time slowed down just a bit so I can make sure that I am prepared in every way for our baby girl. We really have all of the necessities at this point, but it would be nice to have some time to stock the house with toilet paper, paper towel, etc. and other things like that so that we don't have to do a lot of running around when the baby comes and can just enjoy our new family of 4!

After this past weekend, we finally have no more out of town stays. We still have things going on on the weekends, but they are day trips or events and we can sleep in our own beds from now until Will's wedding in early August.

I am still feeling pretty good, but I have officially become a victim of swollen feet! Ugh! On Friday, I went to try on my dress shoes for the wedding on Saturday and realized that my feet were FAT and those shoes were not going to fit no matter how hard I tried to squeeze in to them. I have officially conceded to flip flops at all times! I didn't have this issue at the end of my pregnancy with Luke - it was December! I did have to stop wearing my rings at the end of that pregnancy though, and it looks like that will be the case again. If it is not a humid day, the rings can stay on, but otherwise, they are off!

I am definitely running out of room and can't eat as much in one sitting. I am still feeling lots of movement, but you can tell that things are getting a little tight in there for her. Legs and hands and other random body parts can be found sticking out quite often!

I had my beta strep test at my last appointment and my doctor said that the baby was head down so that is good news! I go back this Friday and then weekly from here on out - again, CRAZY!!! I really can't wait to meet my baby girl :)

35w1d

Water Table Fun

After another weekend in the I-Valley for a wedding, we headed back home in the early afternoon Sunday to just relax and spend some time together. Wally will be opening our pool this week so in the meantime we had some water table fun!



Going in for the splash...


Eyes are shut...


Big smile...


And some cheese!


He considered going in until I told him that wasn't a good idea so he proceeded to just put in one foot at a time and splash Nala on the deck!


Gotta love summer!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

This past weekend we headed to LP on Saturday morning. Luke did some golfing with Wally and Grandpa Z. and then we met up with some of the Kohr family that was in town from Wisconsin for dinner.

Sunday was Aunt Carly's graduation party so after riding the storm out in the morning, the weather cleared up just in time for the start of the party at 3!

Monday we headed over to Grandma & Grandpa Z.'s house for a cookout to celebrate Great Grandma Zukowski's birthday.

I didn't do so great with pictures other than a short period of time at the grad party that I was in the mood to carry around my camera! I just haven't been in a picture-taking mood these days, but I know the days of pictures of just Luke are going to be gone soon so I need to do better!

The grad and proud parents!


Katie and me (34 weeks!)


I bought theses mustaches for the Fiesta-themed party!




Playing with Uncle Jack!




He told me he was going to sit on the rock and smile for me...this is what I got!


Luke loves Jake!


He had to see how it worked!


Taking a walk with Aunt Kathy


So cute!


Love these shots of Brooklyn and Luke :)


The foursome!