Valentine's Day

Andrew seemed to have hit the Valentine's Day jackpot this year with cards and gifts from all his admirers. I saved up all his goodies until the 14th, so he could open them all at once when he got home from daycare. 

Opening his cards

My Grandpa Kay sent him a stuffed bear, which he is opening here.

I bought him some V-day sticker books, since he is so into stickers these days. At daycare, they made this neat little V-day art project:

Andrew's art collection

He also got something from a couple of the other kids at daycare, so I was feeling a little guilty that I didn't do valentines from him, but it just sounded like a bunch of busy work at this point. :) By the end of the day, it looked like Valentine's Day had exploded all over our house. Mike and I celebrated on President's Day, since we both had the day off. We went to a movie and then did some shopping after lunch. Romantic, indeed! 

On Saturday, we took Andrew to get his hair cut (much needed as you can see above) and then to Noodle Company (his favorite). Sunday we took him to the Burpee Museum in the morning. 

Andrew doesn't stand much of chance against T-Rex down there

Eye to eye with a snake

Making his own fossil artwork

The best part...pushing buttons to hear animal sounds

After lunch, we thought we had this grand plan to drive to Woodfield Mall and let him sleep on the way in. Well, Andrew decided he wasn't going to sleep, and the whole trip was a complete flop. He was too tired to walk, and then when we rented a stroller, he just wanted to be held. We stayed about 30 minutes and then had to drive all the way home for an hour. We did; however, stop into the disney store where we bought a car and a mickey plate. 

As I type this, ANOTHER winter storm is starting up. The one we had 2 days ago was awful because of the ice. A snowplow actually went in a ditch outside our neighborhood. It has been a very snowy February! We always find a way to stay busy, though. :)

The First Year Without Mom

Well, I made it through the first year, as Friday was the one year anniversary. Dad and I met out at the park where we spread her ashes. It had just snowed a lot the night before, and the park was closed, so we had to walk from the entrance in knee deep snow. We were huffing and puffing by the time we reached her tree, but it was worth it. For weeks, I had this image of me being a complete mess on this day, but  a feeling of closure came over me instead when we went to go visit. I can say that things are easier, but I still have days where the smallest memory or thought will trigger a break down. 

Dad also brought me a few more of her things, and Andrew helped me go through all the books in the evening. He also got into a bag of clothes and hats that I was going to give back to Tammy, so he was definitely having a blast. Some of the stuff still had price tags on it from an old garage sale, and he took all the stickers and put them on his face and shirt. 

On Saturday, Andrew and I went to Michael's, so he could pick out some stickers. After that, we met my dad and Myrna for lunch at Noodle Company. Andrew literally ate EVERY BITE of his mac and cheese (not kid sized). Ob both Saturday and Sunday, I helped him make some Valentine decorations that we also picked up at Michael's. 

He didn't take a nap on either day (same as last weekend), and he fell asleep before 7:30 on both nights. It was wonderful! I have been working with the daycare provider on shortening his naps. As a few people saw from my facebook status this morning, I snuck out after he fell asleep last night and put a blanket over some pillows to have him think I was still there. It actually worked, and I did the same thing again tonight. I feel so free just typing this blog! HA! 

Yesterday morning was a huge hassle, because I ended up getting a flat tire. Mike put air in it, and we somehow made it the 2 miles to Toyota. The rim was about 1/2 inch from the ground. Of course a flat tire is not included in the warranty, so that cost some $$$$. 

I'm excited for tomorrow, so I can give Andrew his Valentine's gifts. He also has a small collection of cards and gifts from relatives, which are waiting to be opened. 

I'll end this with a picture I love that I took earlier this week. It has snowed pratically every day over the past week. Andrew likes to watch daddy snowblow. 

Winter Fun

Believe it or not, we have been able to get out a little bit over the last two weeks in between all the sickness at our house! The Sunday before Andrew got sick, we spent some time at the Discovery Center. Mike's parents bought us a season pass, so we can now go as a family whenever we want. 

He enjoyed doing all the big boy things that Mike was doing, such as throwing a baseball as hard as he could and the high jump (he got a an inch or two off the ground).

Here he is on one of the days that I stayed home with him when he was sick. How can you resist this face? 

We have been getting a TON of snow the last week or so, and so Andrew wanted to go check it out one evening. I told him he probably wouldn't like it, because it was still snowing and very windy. He enjoyed the first 1 minute and then was ready to go back inside.  I would also like to note that he does not like to wear gloves, so that is why he is not wearing any in the pics.

On Sunday, we went sledding on a golf course we used to go to when I was a kid (by my first house on Randall Rd.). I think Andrew actually liked the idea of it more than the actual sledding. He seemed a bit unsure while we were there, but kept asking to go again that same afternoon. We didn't realize until we were about to leave that all we had was a baby sled. Mike and I somehow fit our butts on that thing!

Today he was a little stinker again and gave us trouble getting into the car for daycare. Since we were staying in the neighborhood, I had to ride with Andrew on my lap in the backseat of Mike's car. Since has was going to be late for work, I just jumped in the car with no coat and my shoes half on. I just did not want to end up walking him there again! He continues to be an angel at daycare and very stubborn and persistent at home. He does make me laugh with his growing vocabulary, though. Yesterday the room started to get very stinky (I knew it was him), and I asked him if it was him or Bubba (what we call the dog). He yells, "Bubba!" and starts cracking up. After about five minutes, I asked him if he was done pooping or if he needed to poop more, and he said, "more poops." On Sunday, I accidentally knocked over the vacuum cleaner when I was mopping, and he said, "You okay?" I guess we ask him that a lot. :) 

The Flu Strikes

Oh my, the last week has been something else. Last Tuesday night, Andrew was giving me an especially hard time going to bed, and it turned out he was not feeling well. I gave up and put him in the bed with me a little after 11 PM, and I woke up at midnight, because he was throwing up. To make a long story short.....13 puke episodes and 7 loads of laundry later, it all ended until Thursday night. I thought he was going okay and made the mistake of giving him mac and cheese. He got sick again on me in the bed at midnight. So...I had to take Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off of work. Saturday night rolls around, and I get the flu! I had to take Monday off of work, as well. I am still feeling pretty weak, but getting much better. It has been almost impossible to keep up with the two classes I am teaching. To top it off, Andrew would not let me do anything this morning, and I had to carry him to daycare. I walked through people's yards with a kid in his pajamas over my shoulder.  It was quite the scene. I have been off of work for a week, and I didn't have time for nonsense! 

I just wanted to catch people up, because I haven't posted as much as I usually do. Also, for my family members reading this, I forgot to put stamps on my Christmas thank you cards, so they should all be sent out now. One didn't come back at all, so maybe I stamped that one? Who knows. I just want everybody to know that I did not forgot about all the wonderful gifts that were sent to us!  Do I sound like I have been stressed lately? :)

Did Your Face Catch On Fire?

Catchy subject line, eh? I had a couple of sun spots on my face, so my dermatologist prescribed me some cream to put on my face for 2 weeks. However, it can cause redness and blistering. I'm on day 11, and I'm looking pretty scary! I have been trying to avoid going in public this week, so if you do see me out, I was not involved in an accident. I'm doing this to myself on purpose. :) It is supposedly going to heal very nicely (uh, hopefully!).

These last few weeks, we have just been trying to wind down from the holidays. Andrew and I had a cold last weekend, so we did a lot of Bob the Builder watching (his new favorite). I also wanted to mention that I took him to get his 2 year photos on December 31st, but it was a complete flop. I have used the same girl since he was 6 months old, but when I got there, there was a girl that had only been there 2 weeks. Let's just say I almost grabbed the camera out of her hands and pushed her down (too harsh??). I did buy one picture for $7.99. I'm still debating if I want to reschedule over the next month or two, because the whole thing can be stressful.

This past week has been really crazy with work, as I started two new classes, and I am getting re-certified for two different areas. I will be able to breath again next week when the two re-certification workshops are over. 

I have a few of pics of him enjoying his new things from the past 2 weeks...

We really need to have a talk with him about all this cell phone usage (especially while driving)...

Every single hot wheel must come in with him. Every. Single. One.

Vegas Trip

Mike and I were thrilled to take our first vacation since before I got pregnant. When NIU got into the Orange Bowl, we played around with the idea of going to Miami, but the whole thing was just too expensive for 2 to 3 days. Vegas came in second, and Mike's parents were kind enough to stay at our house to watch Andrew and Jez while we were there. 

At first, things were not looking good when we got there New Year's Eve. We arrived at 11:30 PM because flights were super cheap. Well, when we got there, there was some type of mix-up with Priceline and the hotel, and they did not have our reservation. They did not even have a room! So, here we are past midnight on New Year's Eve at the airport calling hotels in Vegas of all places. Mike found one at The Orleans, which was off the strip. The taxi driver told he he just drove around a couple to 5 different hotels, and they were all booked. He said the average stay was $900 a night. Well, Priceline actually said they would not only refund our money, but pay for our hotel! So.....we finally arrive at 2 AM (4 AM our time) and hit the sack. I was pretty tired the next day, but I was so excited about being there that I was able to deal with it. :)  We spent the next couple of days gambling, eating, and watching sports. (I Just wish I got a little more sleep.) It was much easier to watch the Orange Bowl without Mr. Andrew around who likes to turn the TV off when it's not one of his shows. Our other 2 nights were at Palazzo, which has awesome rooms for sports, because they give you two TV's. We lost a good chunk of money on the Illinois/Purdue game. They also have the best sports book EVER. You get your own TV, couch/chairs, and server while watching your games. 

We also saw a movie while we were there, which you don't understand how rare that can be until you have kids. On the night before we left, I ended up going on a hot streak and won over $800. We came back home even, so that's what I call a good trip! I put $40 in a machine and won $100. Then I went to a different machine and won $300. Then on the third machine, I won $550. It was insane. I played it down $150 and then walked away. For a while I thought the machine may have malfunctioning, because I have never seen a machine win so much. We were feeling pretty down when it was time to go home, but we were also anxious to see Andrew. It was a MUCH needed vacation!