Labor Day Weekend

Our Labor Day weekend was spent cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes, who were in town to play Northern Illinois at Soldier Field, and hosting all of our friends and family that came for the game. Despite a poor showing, the Hawks pulled it off, and we even managed to dodge the impending rain storm that was predicted all day. Ella enjoyed hanging out with her Uncle Sam on Sunday and Monday, and of course, the boys found time for a little golf. Today also marked the end of the pool season in Chicago, so Ella and I made a couple of trips this past week to take advantage of the warm weather. It's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end, but we're looking forward to a fun-filled fall!

Helping me sweep the floor.

Hanging out with her buddy, Nic.

Tailgating at Soldier Field. Jeritt is demonstrating his own version of the 'Serious Face.'

Squeezing in some pool time before they close for the year.

An Aviation Fascination

Apparently, last weekend's Air and Water Show left a lasting impression on Ella, because she must have pointed out 50 airplanes to me this week. And her favorite object in her "First 100 Words" book is also airplane. It's fitting for this week's blog, too, because our favorite photographer, Cousin Abbie, captured some great shots at last weekend's show, and I've included a couple of the best below. Other than aviation, our week included a walk and picnic by the lake with Ella's buddy, Harper, and her mom, as well as a trip to my old office to visit former co-workers. I hadn't seen most of them for a really long time, and they loved seeing how much Ella had grown. We also participated in a couple of More Than Milk (the mom-founded volunteer organization I'm now on the board of) events, where we both enjoyed some social time with other moms and toddlers. Over the weekend we were finally able to catch up with our good friends, Nick and Jovana, as well as start the transition of moving Ella into her new room. In big news, she's on night five of sleeping in her big bed (the queen bed we had in our former guest room), and is doing great!

Giving Baby a kiss.

The hazards of a toddler who is no longer napping in a crib.

Just enjoying a refreshing drink.

Pointing at the airplanes at the Air and Water Show last weekend.

Sharing a secret with Grandpa Al.

The reaction to the first loud jet. She was in my lap so fast!

Sidewalk chalk with Cousin Abbie.

Grandpa Al and the Air Show

On Thursday, Grandpa Al came out for a weekend visit. He was able to spend lots of time with Ella at the park, mostly following her around as she explored everything but the playground equipment. And on Friday night, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Kristin, Grandpa Al, Jeritt, and I attended a Milwaukee Brewers game in Milwaukee. We had fantastic seats, and had a really good time! Saturday was Ella's first official Chicago Air and Water Show. We were a little worried about how she'd react to the loud jets, as she'd clung pretty tightly to Grandpa Al when they watched the practice runs on our roof. However, she did great! The ear plugs helped, and we had a great day of weather with family and friends. 

Park time!

She had to try the big swing.

Modeling her new shoes.

Reading books with Grandpa.

Relaxing after lining up all of her 'friends.'

The Milwaukee Brewers game.

The Air and Water Show.

Her favorite seat.

Little Miss Houdini

We knew it was only a matter of time. But we still weren't prepared. This week marked Ella's last official week in her crib, as she figured out how to escape. At first it was just after her nap or when she woke up in the morning, but on Thursday night it turned into a non-stop strategy to avoid bedtime. While we're planning to move her into her new 'big girl' bed and room in a month or two, we just aren't ready yet. So, our short-term solution, to prevent her from hurting herself, was to remove the front panel of her crib. It's now sort of a daybed, and if she rolls out, it's only a foot off the ground. However, this means she's no longer contained within her room, resulting in lots of play time instead of nap time. Let's hope this phase passes soon! Over the weekend we attended our friend, Bennett's, second birthday party. It was held at a water park, so of course both Jeritt and Ella had a blast. On Saturday night Jeritt and I went out for dinner to celebrate our five-year wedding anniversary. My, how life can change in five years!

We're practicing on the potty. And so is Violet.

Violet also had a runny nose.

A classy look.

"Do I have something on my face?"

This is how I found her one morning this week. Not in her crib, but pretty darn sweet.

Loving the healthy cookies I made. Her latest word is now "cookie."

 

Excited about her 'new' bed.

Not excited to have her photo taken during bath time.

Ella and Dad on the water slide at Bennett's birthday party.

She loved the gigantic sand box.

Just tickling the ivories.

Play Dates with Pals

This week was filled with lots of play dates with some of Ella's best pals. Harper and her mom came over for a pool date on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning we joined five other toddlers and moms at a nearby park with a water sprinkler, and grabbed lunch afterwards. Later that day, our good friend, Natasha, brought her three-month-old son, Jonah, over to visit, and Ella was mesmerized with the 'bebe,' (how 'baby' sounds coming from her mouth). And on Friday we went to Morgan's house for a pudding finger painting play date. Once Ella figured out that the 'paint' was tasty, she was more focused on devouring it by the fingerful than creating a masterpiece. The weekend was pretty low key, with a visit to a great neighborhood park that also boasts a pretty cool water area. We'd heard it was a fun one, and Ella (and Jeritt) definitely had a blast splashing around with a few other friends that joined us. I even got a play date, as Aunt Erin and I finally enjoyed our long-awaited dinner out to celebrate her very belated birthday. 

All dressed up for a special sister date.

Harper came over to play!

And so did Baby Jonah!

Ella loved the pudding at Morgan's pudding painting play date.

She preferred to eat it. I guess she'll be a chef instead of an artist.

Checking out the cool water park we've heard so much about!

Yes, she did go down the slide. Not my idea, of course.