Grandma and Grandpa Garner Visit

This past weekend Grandma and Grandpa came to visit from Washington.  It was great to have them here.  We had a very mellow weekend compared to some of their visits but we still had a great time.  It was 100 degrees outside and with me being 8 months pregnant, a mellow weekend was perfect.  Some of these photos Grandma sent my way.  Thanks Grandma (Mom)!  It's fun to have pictures from a different perspective and to actually have a few with me in them since I'm usually the picture taker.

One night after work, I went to change into some comfy evening clothes. (not to be confused with our pre-kids evening clothes which usually was for going out on the town.  Oh how things have changed :)  I had just flown in that afternoon from a business trip to LA and Oliver hadn't seen me in a few days.  He was stuck to me like white on rice, all of the way upstairs.  Grandma got this super cute photo of us having an evening snuggle and chat.

On Friday at work, some of the ladies had a surprise baby shower for me.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to some high priority work issues.  I was completely bummed.  They were kind enough to include something for the new big brother in the house, this marker and coloring book set.  He LOVED it!

On Saturday Mom and I headed to the annual Nordstrom's Anniversary sale.  This is a MUST Attend Sale every year.   While we were there, Keith, Oliver and Grandpa spend some time in the backyard at the beach.  Grandpa took a few photos in our absence.

When we got home Oliver was excited to tell me that "Grandpa let me waste water".  Hmm....  I"m thinking this is just one more thing we would been in trouble for as kids.  Grandpa snickered as Oliver exclaimed this and made some comment about our water bill.  Ya ya ya.... paybacks.  At least with the heat the grass probably loved it.  It wasn't necessarily wasted water, right?

Ahhh... nothing like putting your swollen cankles (calf muscles that go straight into your ankles with no definition, thanks to swelling) into a nice cool pool.  Oliver thought it was a splendid idea as well since he could join in the fun.

Keith giving the baby bump some love in the kitchen.

When Keith found out he had an audience with a camera he turned on the humor and pretended to put the meat thermometer in my belly.  Almost done!

After all of that backyard playing and splashing in cold water, Oliver had to come inside to warm up and take a rest.  We found him and Grandpa on the couch watching Little Einstein.

On Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa treated Oliver to an early 3-year birthday present.  Grandma was quite impressed with Oliver's cart pushing skills.Too bad he can't see where he's going and occasionally tried to take someone or something out with the cart.

What did he get?

A new tricycle!!

After seeing him test drive a tricycle in the store that was not very sturdy, I decided he needed a helmet too.

Oliver sportin' his new helmet, complete with a pop-up Grandma.  Ok, not really, but it makes me laugh.

Oliver checking out his tricycle, complete with a helmet, horn and bell.

The pedals are a little too far away (nicer than saying his legs are a little too short) so Keith fixed him up with some blocks on the pedals.  Looks closely in the photos and you can see them.  It was the perfect fix!

Oliver giving a honk on his new horn to let people know he was coming.

We took his new trike to the park for a test drive and some evening exercise.  The park is always a huge hit!

Hello Down Below!

Oliver thought that is was great to hear Grandpa's voice coming through this pipe.

Strolling to another playground in the same park near our house.  Since Oliver was just learning to pedal his way around and the grass was thick, Keith had a big stick to help out.

Headed Home

Grandma and Grandpa also got Oliver this sticker book full of dinosaur's.  He could sit for hours putting stickers on the right pages and reading about the different dinosaurs.

The next morning, Keith took Grandma and Grandpa to the airport before Oliver got up.  First thing in the morning, Oliver asked to see them.  When I told him they were gone he said "I want to give them a kiss".  Ahhhh, such a sweet boy.

Thanks for coming to visit Grandma and Grandpa (Mom and Dad).  We hope to see you again soon!

Painting the Baby Room

Our weekends have been full of visitors, work and fun.  One weekend we spent working on the babies room.  Keith painted, Oliver and I observed and kept out of the way.

We have made more progress on the room since these photos were taken, but you'll have to wait until I take new photos to see those.  Until then, watch Keith work on painting the baby room on one of the hottest days this summer.

Oliver taking time to sit with Madalyn

Hey Mister, are you laying down on the job?

Oliver doing some art of his own just outside of the boys' rooms.

Thanks for all of the hard work painting on a hot summer day, Keith.   The room looks fabulous!

Chick-Fil-A

Time is sure flying this summer.  We have so much to catch the blog up on.

Several weeks ago Chick-Fil-A was having a promotion and Oliver's school participated.  If the kids dressed up like their mascot, the cow, they got to eat for free.  The idea was that we would take the kids for dinner.  Sorry Chick-filet (and Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Jeff),  Keith and I aren't fans of their food so we didn't go.  Oliver did have a great time dressing up like a cow.  He loved is so much he insisted on wearing his cow shirt again the next day.  He was so cute in his outfit that I had to take pictures of him when we got home.

Oliver taking a moment to show me his cow outfit that he made at school. 

What cow outfit would be complete without a tail?  He loved the tail too.

Oliver giving me a big "MOO". 

What a ham.

Thirty-Two Weeks and Growing

This past Sunday marked 32 weeks of pregnancy.  Only Eight to go.  WAHOO!!!  This pregnancy has flown by and has been fairly uneventful, which is always a good thing.  All tests have come back great and there doesn't seem to be any worry.  I had my 32 week check-up yesterday and everything is right on track.  Well, everything except the baby is taking his sweet time moving into position, head down.  The doctor teased that if he hasn't headed south by my next visit she was going to have to have a talk with him about doing his job in this process.  Oliver was turned by this point and I'm sure this one will follow suite soon enough.  If he's like his Dad he's thinking, "hey, I have 8 more weeks, what's the hurry".  As long as he's ready to do his job and move into position in plenty of time for the big day.  I've been feeling good and I think I may have more energy this time compared to my last pregnancy.  This could be because we have a two-year old who keeps us busy and doesn't seem to care if I'm tired or not.  He still has his routine to keep to and that includes support from his Mom and Dad.  Keith and I do think my belly is bigger this time.  This kid seems to have sprouted out of nowhere.  I'm measuring a tad big, but I did with Oliver too and it was a false alarm.  I guess we'll find out soon enough.  As of today, only seven weeks and two days, but who's counting?

Out of curiosity, I pulled up these photos from each pregnancy. 

2007 Pregnancy - 33 weeks

2010 Pregnancy - 32 weeks

What do you think?  Bigger belly or the same?

I can tell you this... below the belly is smaller this time around.  Most of my pants from the 2007 pregnancy are way too big.   Just what a woman wants.  YAY!!

Nana and Papa Visit

As we returned from Steamboat, Nana and Papa were on their way south from WY to see us on their way to TX.  We had a nice and relaxing visit with them.  Tuesday morning Keith took his Dad for 9 holes of golf at Fossil Trace in Golden.  Nana, Oliver and I met up with them for coffee, a stroll downtown and some lunch.  What a great way to spend the afternoon!

Just outside of an antique shop that Nana was shopping in, Oliver found this tricycle.  It was a little big but with Dad's help he was moving it around in no time.

Keith with his parents and Oliver over Clear Creek in Golden.

Last time we were in Golden as a family the creek was running very high from mountain run off.  It is still high, but we could get a little closer this time without the flooding.  Keith and Oliver went to check out the water and see if there were any fish swimming by.

Family photo:  All 3.8 of us!

This is a fun slide near Clear Creek.  It goes from the park up top to the creek down below.  Keith and Oliver went to check it out from the top while Papa checked it out from down below.  Keith said the first thing Oliver said when he peered in the dark slide was "there is a bear in there".  Eventually Keith convinced Oliver that it was OK and they took off down the slide together.

WAHOO!!!  The slide was a hit!  They took it for a ride one more time.

Celebrating Independence Steamboat Style

Typically, we travel to Sheridan, WY for the Independence Day weekend.  Since we are only eight weeks out from having a new baby, we stayed in state this year.  Instead, we traveled to the North Central part of the state with the Stack family and celebrated in Steamboat Springs, CO.  It is a beautiful part of the state and the driving view was amazing.  We were anxious to get there so we didn't stop to take any photos.  On the way home traffic was horrible so again we didn't stop for photos.  We did discuss someday taking a Colorado state vacation just to check out this wonderful place we live and take our time to explore the roadside views.  Someday...

The temperature was perfect, especially for an eight month pregnant lady.  We either had sunshine and 70 degrees, or clouds and rain.  We could have passed on the clouds and rain but since we heard it was pouring down rain in Denver, we didn't complain.  We did take advantage of the time we could to see the sights and get some pool time in. 

The first agenda item for the Fourth of July was the parade downtown.  The parade was a HUGE hit for Oliver.  He LOVED it!!!  They were also suppose to have a cattle drive down main street to kick off the evening rodeo.  We missed both of those events, which I know Oliver would have loved as well.  The cattle drive was during nap time and we opted for a nap since it was going to be a late night.  After nap time the storm clouds and cool weather moved in, so we opted out of the rodeo.  Next time, we'll hit it all!

Oliver and Parker enjoying the parade with the best seats in the house.

Right behind us the Steamboat Springs firetruck parked and it was clearly attraction for many people, especially the kids.

Oliver took a moment to give me some "cheese".  Believe it or not, it was tough to peel away his attention from the parade for a photo moment.

The condo we stayed at was near the ski resort and was three miles from town.  Luckily, there was a free town bus.  This too was a big hit for Oliver.  Here we are, Craig, Jen, Parker, Carrie and Oliver on our ride back to the condo.

After nap time, we hit the pool, clouds and all.  The sun came out a few times to warm us up, but the boys didn't really seem to notice either way.

We splurged on a $2.50 raft for Mom to float on.  You'll see who thought it was his and turned it into his personal yacht, complete with a driver.

Oliver giving clear and direct driving instructions to his driver.

Oliver and Parker playing catch.

The pool balls were a big hit and the boys loved throwing them around.

This photo cracks me up.  Check out the matching expressions as Oliver waits for Parker to throw the ball his way.

That night, we waited for the rain to pass and then headed downtown for the fireworks.  It was still sprinkling a little but we toughed it out.  Oliver enjoyed the fireworks but when they were over he made it very clear that he did not like the big ones, only the little ones.  If you ask him why, the big ones are noisy and the little ones are quiet.  OK.  At least there were no tears just focused attention.  We'll try again next year and maybe he'll grow to like the big ones since those are the ones Keith and I favor.

On our way home traffic was horrible!  We planned to stop in Idaho Springs for lunch but as we approached Empire, Oliver made it clear he was done with the car seat.  Just then we saw "Jenny's", a diner in Empire.  We pulled over and gave it a try.  Luckily, it was just what the back seat driver ordered.  Lunch and a stretch!  The food was great and the people were very friendly.

After lunch, we took a walk through town, the whole three blocks.  Oliver spotted this bench and wanted to have a sit.

About that time we spotted a roadside ice cream shop, my favorite!  Time for dessert!!

One of my favorites, twist ice cream cones.  YUM!!!

A nice lady at a nearby table asked if we would like her to take our photo.  Why, of course!  You can see, it was a bit windy, which give Keith a new look.  HA HA!!

We had a great weekend away.  Thanks Stack family for a great time!!

Just Keep Swimming...

Just Keep Swimming

Just Keep Swimming

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming Swimming...

If you have seen Finding Nemo, you may recognize the ditty above.  We find ourselves singing this to Oliver when he's swimming in the pool or even the bath tub.  It's quite catchy.  Especially if you are like us and have seen Finding Nemo WAY more than your fair share due to requests from a two year old.

Oliver had his last swim lesson and we saw remarkable improvement from the first week to the fifth week.  Technically, the class is six weeks long, but we were out of town for the sixth week.  The first week went well and he was working on swimming (front only, he wouldn't attempt to swim on his back) and jumping off the edge.  The second week he took a major leap backward and wouldn't try anything.  He just clung to Keith.  Going into the third week, we wondered if swim lessons were worth it but we went anyway.  Oliver sprung back into action and began to progress again.  By the fifth week he was getting much braver.  He would jump off the side (almost) by himself, swim on his front side AND his backside.  He would even do a few tricks without Keith touching him.  We are hoping to keep up the progress we made through the summer by visiting the local pools while keeping cool.  It's a lot of work for poor Keith in the pool, but since he is a kid at heart, he seems to find fun ways to keep them both entertained with their head above water. (Tune in for the Steamboat post)

Here is Oliver demonstrating his jumping into the water skills.  At the end I thought he was not happy about getting out of the pool when in fact, he wanted to get out to jump in again but he wanted to get out by himself.  Hmm... where on earth could this kid get his HUGE independent streak?  Have you met his parents? :)

You'll see in this clip, Oliver is trying to swim by hanging onto the edge of the pool and kicking his feet. He got the idea from his buddy Cadence who is in his class at Primrose. He was SO excited to have one of his classmates in swim lessons and asked for her every week.

At the end of every class they sing "Wheels on the Bus" with actions.  As you can tell, it is a big hit with Oliver.

After swim lessons we went for lunch where I noticed Keith and Oliver has matching shirts.  This prompted a photo moment, or three.  They were very patient considering they had to take a break from their chips and salsa to say "Cheese".  I couldn't resist posting all three pictures.  Each one tells a story and I like to imagine what's going through their head.  I'm sure it's something along the line that I'm a crazy lady taking all of those pictures and they wish they could just eat their chips and salsa in piece and quiet. 

Back home, Madalyn enjoyed a scratch and some sunshine on the back porch with Oliver.  Keith thought this was hilarious and a true example of our domesticated house cat.  See the robin in the background?  Our yard is the safest cat yard in the neighborhood.  Madalyn could care less about the robin and would rather sit and enjoy a nice scratch.  Ahh... good kitty!