From Marcus' Blog: Another Visit from Your Nana P and GG

We so lucky to have your Nana Pari and Great Grandma Linda come to visit us towards the middle of October. It was just a wonderful visit. They drove down on a Thursday and then left Monday morning. We had a pretty eventful weekend!

Since they didn't get in until late on Thursday, we didn't do anything on Thursday. In fact you were asleep when they got in, but your Nana was so excited to see you that we went into your room so that she could watch your sweet face as you slept.

I took Friday off of work and we were able to spend time at home with your Nana and Great Grandma. Aunt Megan came over to visit as well. Nana, you and I went grocery shopping in the morning then we spent the day just catching up and watching you be the center of attention. Nana helped out while I made lasagna for our dinner. Dad, you and I had pictures in the afternoon so we took off for a while. (Pictures should be coming in the mail soon and I am so excited!) After pictures we all headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Miklos' house for dinner. The whole family was there including Uncle Chris and Aunt Megan.

On Saturday we took Nana to the farmer's market downtown. We spent time looking at the crafts and buying fruit to make you baby food. Afterwards we came home and Aunt Megan came over then we headed to the craft store. After a long visit at the craft store you passed out in the car as we drove home. We visited for a while longer and then headed out to dinner just you, Nana, and I at TGIFridays. It was wonderful for Nana and I to be able to catch up and visit. After we got home it was fairly late and you went to bed then I went out with Dad for the evening while Nana watched you.

Sunday was spent at home again. We watched football on Sunday, red the paper, and visited. Aunt Megan came over for pizza at dinnertime. Unfortunately Uncle Chris was sick so he didn't get a chance to come over.

Monday morning was back to the normal grind. Fortunately we were able to take Nana to your daycare when I dropped you off. So she got to see your school and she was very impressed. After we dropped you off I drove her home and we said our tear filled goodbyes before I headed off to work. It was a wonderful visit and we are hoping she will be able to come down again for your first birthday!

Your Nana got you the cute puppy dog hat in the pictures!

From Marcus' Blog: Swimming Lessons

For the first four weeks of October I put you into baby swimming lessons at the West YMCA. It was rewarding, fun, challenging, and tiring and I would do it all over again. I had my friend Lindsay join us for the lessons and she also included her sister in law and niece. It was great because it was just the three of us plus one other mom that joined halfway through the lessons.

The challenging parts were the fact that the lessons were at 6:30 which is right during your nap time in the evening (next time I will try to get you in at a different time). In addition you were usually starving once we got done, even if you had eaten a snack beforehand. On top of this you had a double ear infection one week and that complicated things further. Aside from these struggles I’m glad we did it and I will continue to take you. My goal is to try and go twice a year until you hit three and take actual swimming lessons that aren’t ‘mommy and me’ lessons.

Now the fun part… we played games like ‘Wheels on the Bus’ and the ‘Hokey Pokey.’ We practiced back floating, getting in and out of the pool, chasing after balls to get into the ‘superman’ position, and blowing bubbles/sticking your face in the water. You are a water baby for the most part. You  were happy at most of the lessons except for when you were sick and the instructor loved you and was constantly trying to coax smiles out of your handsome face. 

You Practing Your Backfloating Skills on Mommy

Superman Floating

More Teething Than Practicing Your Swimming Skills

Practicing Crawling Out of the Pool

Watching Daddy While Singing 'Humpty Dumpty'

My Swimming Graduate!

The Happenings of the Weekend

We go through ebbs and flows with our weekends and how busy they are. This weekend was pretty busy. We got to do lots of things and we had fun.

Friday night we went out to dinner with Cole's brother Grae at the Ram. Nothing terribly fancy but it was fun and it is always good to get Marcus out in a restaurant to eat. I like to believe that if we continuously take him out and get him acclimated to eating in public and having to wait while eating that he will be better behaved and used to it when he gets older. We shall see if my theory works down the road!

Saturday we went to Lexie's (Cole's friend Tony's daughter) birthday party. She turned five and so it was off to PoJo's. Cole and I haven't been there in forever so it was pretty fun. We tried the photo booth with Marcus and it was an epic fail. The pictures didn't print the first time so they gave us a refund and we tried again. The second time Marcus' head was cut off in all of them even though we had his pictures in the "square" that was supposed to be the frame.

We took Marcus on some of the quarter rides for little kids that shake back and forth. I had low expectations and didn't think he would really care for it or realize what was going on. However he absolutely loved it. Pics below are from the PoJos experience.

After PoJos we headed over to the Tap House to watch the BSU game with Joe and Coco. Marcus was an absolute trooper and stayed for the whole game. We were out from 9:30 am and didn't get home until about 5. What an awesome little boy!

Sunday was football day! We had a lot of organizing and cleaning up to do since Jake and Jessica moved out and my Mom and Grandma are coming to visit. So we spent the morning cleaning and playing with Marcus before heading to Grae's for the football party. Pic below of Cole and Marcus playing together Sunday morning.

The football watch party was fun too. Cole and I played each other this week in fantasy football and I won. Actually all the couples played this week and all of the girls won. ;o) The only downside to the evening was that Marcus starting getting pretty fussy and I had a feeling he had an ear infection. I took him to the doctor today and sure enough he does. Poor little man. Antibiotics are in him though and we are on the mend!