"First" Camping Trip

At the end of May, Adam and I bought a camper.  It was our original plan to spend this summer looking and getting ideas because it isn't the best timing for us to be doing a lot of camping.  However, we spotted this camper around Mother's Day in Versailles and went to check it out.  Of course, it was pretty much exactly what we were looking for and it was in our price range.  So, after a lot of debate and thinking, we decided to buy it.

We decided to go camping right after school was out to "try out" our new camper.  Adam and I thought it'd be a good opportunity for us to get some family time in before the baby comes.  Who knows what the rest of our summer will bring.  So, Mandy, Jeff and Blake borrowed my mom's camper, and the six of us went on a camping trip for the weekend to St. Marys.  It could've been considered "borderline crazy" because I was 37 weeks pregnant and Mandy was 27 weeks pregnant.  But, I must admit that it was one of the most lazy camping trips I've ever taken.  We did nothing except sit in the shade, watch the kids play, and cook delicious food.  It was really nice.

Friday night was fairly sleepless for both parties mostly because we had a child in each camper that became nocturnal.  So Saturday involved naps all around.  But, the kids did play in the swimming pool we brought, and they had tons of fun.

Blake hopped in the pool with his clothes and diaper on, which turned out to be great entertainment for the adults for a while.  His shorts started to sag lower and lower to the ground.  His diaper was totally saturated to the point that he waddled around and could hardly get in and out of the pool.  Plenty of belly laughs for the adults, and a good workout for Mr. Blake.  :)

The kids thought it was great fun to pour water on our feet so "they would grow."  They  nearly emptied the pool pouring water on everyone's toes.

Saturday night it rained steadily and continued into Sunday morning.  The guys thought ahead to put most everything away before they turned in on Saturday night, which was so smart!  The toys, chairs, wood and other paraphernalia was all dry!  In the morning, the guys had enough time to cook breakfast on the fire before the downpour started again.  We ate in the camper and then decided to pack it up and head home.  There were puddles everywhere outside, it was chilly, and the kids were getting restless.  Poor Adam and Jeff were soaked as they loaded everything up in the rain.  We made it home by noon that day, which was nice because we had time to unload, clean up, and take a nice nap!

This is how I remember most camping trips ending as a kid.  Vera proved to be no exception.

We had a fun weekend!  Hopefully we can enjoy a few more camping trips this summer as a family of four!

Another Great Year at Patty's

I've said it a zillion times over, but Patty sure is the best!  Vera is always in good hands at Patty's house.  She plays hard, learns to play with a bunch of boys, gets plenty of hugs and love, and has done exceptionally well on her school work this year.  At the end of their "school year," Patty presented each of them with an award for working so hard this year. 

Patty also deserves an award, because it really is incredible what she was able to accomplish with 2 year-olds.  Here's a list of skills that Vera and her buddies mastered this year in their classroom.

*Colors
*Shapes (2D & 3D)
*Count 1-30
*Number recognition 1-30
*Number sequencing 1-30
*Number to objects
*Count by 10s
*Count backwards from 10
*Alphabet recognition
*Alphabet sounds
*Alphabet sequence
*Alphabet upper/lower case match
*Beginning sounds of words
*Patterns
*Opposites
*Rhyming
*Reciting days of week
*Phone number
*Address
*First Name -- recognize, spell and practice writing
*Holding pencil
*Sight words (They learned 31 of 38 kindergarten sight words)
*Sight word reading books

Several people have asked me if I'm sending Vera to preschool next year.  I tell everyone that there's no reason for her to go.  Patty has done so much, and Vera has done so well.  I can honestly say she can do everything on the list.  Some are easier for her than others, but it is so amazing to me how "sponge-like" preschoolers really are!!

Ansonia was THE LAST school out this year.  Mom and Vera's first real day of summer is today, June 9.  So for about 2 weeks, Vera thoroughly enjoyed the company of the school kids at Patty's house.  Jenna, Lydia and Courtney played "girl things" with Vera, and she loved every second of it.  In the mornings when she woke up, she was so happy when I told her the big girls would be at her work again!  Patty sent me these pictures and said Vera was in heaven.  She had a tea party with the big girls, and she "had to look stylish," which is why she's wearing the scarf. 

Vera will miss her friends at Patty's house this summer, but she is super-excited to stay home with mom all summer.  Hopefully when the baby comes, Vera can go to Patty's house for a few days to play with her friends. 

36 Weeks

It's getting closer.  And thank goodness it is.  Within the last 2 weeks, I've started to feel more uncomfortable, more gigantic, more tired, and more ready to meet this baby!  Overall, everything is going very well.  I passed my last hurdle before delivery, which is a negative result on the Group B Strep test.  Hooray!  My blood pressure is good (120/60), and the baby's heart rate is around 139.  At my 36 week appointment, Dr. Train said I am 1-2 cm dilated, but I have lots of progress to make before I'm ready to have this baby.  From 36 weeks to 37 weeks, I actually lost weight, which is normal and a pleasant surprise.  I'm measuring just slightly smaller than what's normal.  I haven't gained nearly as much weight this pregnancy than with Vera--and a good thing too!  With Vera I gained almost 50 pounds!  Eek!

36 weeks 0 days

Now that school is over, I can focus more on getting things ready for a newborn in our house.  Hearing that I was slightly dilated was a real reality check to get organized.  I've laid out a few things to pack in my bag.  Adam and Vera assembled our baby swing about a week ago, and Vera just couldn't wait to play with it.  She has played babies a lot more lately, and her babies have spent lots of time in our swing.  Most of the time, her babies swing really fast.  I told Adam it's good that the swing is out now, so we can practice being gentle and slow in the swing.  Today I cleaned up the car seat and washed up a few other baby things.  I have diapers and wipes here and the sleepers are washed.  I'd say we're ready enough. 

First Campfire of 2014

Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start to summer.  We spent lots of time outside enjoying the gorgeous weather.  Dad built a campfire in the back yard, and our little family of 3.5 sat outside on a crisp, clear and calm Saturday evening to enjoy it. 

Summertime means...

...corn on the cob!  Vera Lou loves corn on the cob...as long as she has the "handles" to hold on to it and it isn't too hot.  She does a really good job of biting it off the cob and chowing down!

Vera's New Look

We went to see Dr. Ruhenkamp at the end of April.   It was time for a new pair of glasses for Vera.  Her first pair were getting tight behind the ears, and they also had several scratches on them.  Dr. Ruhenkamp said her prescription changed slightly and still an astigmatism, so a new pair of glasses was definitely a good idea.  In talking with their staff, we had only one pair of glasses in her size that we could order.  Vera wanted purple glasses, and fortunately this one and only came in purple.  Schew!  When it was time to leave the office, Vera couldn't understand why we weren't leaving with the new glasses.  It is hard to explain to a 3 year-old that the glasses had to be ordered and made especially for her.  After a few weeks, Adam took Vera to pick up the new glasses.  Here is her new look:

She wasn't at all thrilled about taking a picture with the new glasses.



Trying not to smile...

That's better!

30 Weeks

I took this picture myself before leaving for Ansonia's Prom.  Here I am at 30 weeks 6 days.