Sleeping Issues

I am writing this while Alexander is in his bedroom screaming his head off. This has been going on for the past 45 minutes. He is absolutely exhausted but is fighting tooth and nail. This isn't too unusual except for the bonus issue of his ability to crawl out of his crib. We are not sure what to do!

Christmas Morning

Here's a good shot of Alex Christmas morning. It took him a while to warm up to the present process. He had to drink his milk and wake up a bit first. Then he would open one present, play with it and then start on another present. After all was said and done, we do not think he had a favorite toy. He enjoyed playing with all of them!

Christmas in Fairfield

This is Alex and Abuela, on Boxing Day. After opening present Christmas morning in Aston, we drove out to Abuelos during nap time. Christmas evening was enjoyed with the Donaldson family and Alex received many great books and a big John Deer tractor. On Boxing day, we exchanged present with Abuelos and that evening went to Erin and Matt Rose's house to spend time with my Fairfield friends.
Thursday and Friday was a lot of visiting and playing with toys. On Saturday, we packed everything up and then went to Mammaw's in the evening. There we enjoyed a silly Pollyanna, where Alex almost came away with Exacto knives and a tape measure (thank you Rich for stealing that!). After a nice evening, we came home and are now trying to get our apartment/lives ready for the new year.

Pictures to come...

Tonight we got back from Fairfield after a nice 5 day visit :) I'll get the pictures updated tomorrow. At the moment, PSU is beating the Texas Aggies 24 to 17!!!

Carr Family

Last night we had Mimi, John, Michelle, Megan and Kate over for dinner. Alex took a while to warm up to everyone but at the end of the evening was giving hugs and kisses to everyone.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a nice time and overcame several illnesses. We were very glad everyone came and spent time with us!

Go figure

Alex has been doing real well with Christmas present until the past few days. Lately, he has decided that all presents are his and need to be opened asap. I have already re-wrapped/fixed 4 presents. It should be interesting tomorrow when he can really open the presents :)

Box

Ok, so this is not the best picture, but Alex LOVES playing in this box. Some of his toys were delivered in it and he loves diving into the peanuts and kicking around. Even better, he is EXHAUSTED after doing it. So it is a before bedtime ritual for the moment :)

Baking Cookies

This weekend, we started our cookie making. Everyone got into the act and seemed to enjoy themselves.

Hair Cut

At 20 monthes, Alex's hair had gotten too long and unruly. So we took him to Master Cuts at the Granite Run mall on Wednesday evening to get his first hair cut. After a few waffle fries, Alex sat on Pat's lap, looked at me and got his hair cut. The curls are gone and he looks 6 months older. He is growing soo quickly!

New Brother/Sister

Last night during dinner, we were all gathered around the dinner table eating pizza. And Pat asked Alex if wanted a brother or sister. With out blinking an eye, Alex said "yes" and went back to his pizza. Scary thing is...we think he understood the question :)

So weird...

Today Alex and I took a nap. After putting him in his crib, he did his protest routine and I went to bed. After awhile the cry started to change to more of an angry hurt cry. I walk in, look in his crib and I do not see my little boy but hear him. I yell for Pat and look around the crib. Then I notice his crib sheet is moving. Somehow the little monkey had crawled under the sheet and couldn't figure a way out. So we rescued him, changed the crib sheet, and everyone went back for a nap.

1 Final Down

Pat had his first final to day. Now 2 more and a paper to go!

Tomorrow he starts his new medication..so hopefully that will help the tightness in his chest!

Christmas with a 20m old

Oh What Fun!

Alex is VERY much into Christmas. He loved coloring on all the Christmas cards and is absolutely fascinated by Christmas decorations.

Here are a few aneced0tes:

1. When Tara (Alex's sitter) put her Christmas Tree up, Alex dragged me over, made me sit next to the tree and point out all the ornaments.

2. Alex will say "Santa" and shrug his shoulders, as if asking "where is he?"

3. While playing with my singing Angel, Alex said Angel but pointed to the wings and said "Bird"

4. He really enjoys Christmas Lights. However, he insulted Pat and called the fake Christmas tree he bought a "bush".

5. Snowmen are referred to as "Men"

6. Alex really enjoys his Advent Calendar. Each night he places a new ornament on his very own tree.

7. Lately, before bed, Alex likes to turn on the radio to a Christmas station and dance.

No doubt the excitement and wonder will continue to grow.

Nov. to Fairfield

I know I have been REALLY bad at blogging but here's the November picture/update. Before Thanksgiving, Pat had pneumonia and I broncitis. Thankfully, Alex stayed healthy. Then, on Thanksgiving, we went to Pat's Uncle Joe and Aunt Joan's house in NJ where Alex LOVED chasing Delancy around the house. After a nice evening there, Alex and I drove to visit my family in Fairfield while Pat stayed and studied.
While in Fairfield, Thursday night, Alex spiked a fever of 102. Luckily, motrin, tylenol and running around in a diaper at 2am helped bring that down. After that, he did well during the day and visited with the Donaldsons on Friday. Saturday, he ran a fever all day and learned to climb out of the pack 'n' play. Needless to say, he did not get a nap. So on the drive home, he slept from Gettysburg to Lancaster and then screamed to Aston. It was great... However, that Monday, we went to the Doctor's and he said it was just a cold... go figure...

Let it Snow!

Today we had our first real snow. So after school, Pat and I took Alex out to play. He LOVED licking the snow and burring his mittens in the snow. He got to try out his winter gear and didn't seem to mind the slight extra padding :)

Potty Training

Since Alex has been really interested in the potty, we decided to start potty training. Every night before and after his bath, Alex sits and uses his potty. He is very excited to go "Potty" and flushing. Alex is truly growing up fast!

Halloween Night

Granted, this is a bit late but this is my favorite Halloween picture. Halloween Night we went for a walk around the neighborhood. We did not stop at any houses but Alex LOVED walking around and carrying his bag. It was great!

Happy 27th!

For my birthday, we were lucky to have visitors! Saturday, we had Mimi, Magnee, Pap, Tía, Abuelo and Abuela join us for pizza and cake.

On Sunday, Magnee, Pap, Tía, and the Abuelos joined Alex and I to pick out a pumpkin for Halloween. Needless to say, Linvilla was crowded but everyone left happy after seeing the animals and produce.

For lunch, Pat made some delicious Zitti and after that, we were all able to sit back and relax.

It is always great to have family around!!!

Updated Stats

Today we went for Alex's 18m check up. He is in the 75% for weight and head circumference and 50% for height. He was also a trooped and had 4 shots. HOPEFULLY we will not have to go back 'til his 2 year appointment.

New tricks

Lately Alex has been refusing to eat. He will walk around and eat off our forks but refuses to feed himself. He also has been fighting bedtime. He will be exhausted but refuses to go to sleep. fun fun fun

Now this weekend, I am headed to scrapbook and Pat has his FIRST weekend alone with Alex :) We shall see how it goes...

Prayer Request

Please keep my grandfather, Guy Donaldson and family in your prayers. This week he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and goes to the oncologist on Monday.

Lanugage Explosion

Ok...I have finished grading papers and needed something to do. So I decided to update Alex's vocabulary which has seemed to explode this month!

People:
Daddy, Mommy, Tía, Magnee, Copper, Bobo, Maddy, Hunter, Danny, Baby, Mimi, Bob

Food:
cup, meat, plate, apple, green bean, cheese, fish

Other:
please, up, down, off, no, bubbles, bath, ball, kitty, puppy, Night Night, pillow, hi, bye bye, block, back, belly, eye, ear, nose, mine, read, pee pee, potty, beep, choo choo

Those are all I can think for now...we are working on more :)

Weekend update

This weekend, all of us went to visit Fairfield. Since Liz is in Phoenix, Alex was able to sleep in his own room (bonus)!

While in Fairfield, Alex was able to visit with Abuelos and his great-grandparents. He can now say Magnee (it is easier!) and again loved playing with Copper.

Besides visiting, Alex enjoyed eating green beans, stolen apples, and pizza (venturas).

Other fun weekend news, Norah Ray Patterson was born on Saturday and Janice and Matt were wed.

Webpage update

Alex's webpage is updated. This picture was just too cute to not stand out :) Other than that, we have been kinda under the weather. Today I am taking Alex to the Doctor for his cough. Hopefully if we get him healthy we will feel better too :)

Growing up too fast...

I have been very lax about keeping up online and the pictures. However, things have been very busy and it is amazing how fast Alex is growing.

Today I took Alex's 18m pictures. I could not believe how LONG Alex is. For the 1st time since he was a sack of potato infant, Alex did not fight having his picture taken. He happily sat down next to Rubble and laughed as he laid next to the duck. It was the duck picture that through me for a loop. He is actually as big as the duck!

Alex is comfortably wearing 2t clothing and his vocabulary and comprehension has grown! He now will readily identify pictures in his book and will specifically request his favorite books (baby or puppy...). It is truly remarkable how our little man is growing.

Yikes!

Ok...so I have been VERY bad about blogging :(

Things have been SUPER busy here. I'm back to work full time in a public school and then working 10-12 hours a week grading and such for a charter school. Needless to say, it keeps me busy!

Pat is back to school and working hard. He seems to be enjoying his classes and clinical but is ready to graduate and move on. Hard to believe the end is in site!

Alex has been very active! He loves the outdoors, puppies, and moving. Lately he has been giving kisses, saying 'please', and can be a real nice little boy. He's used the potty twice but has backed off that lately. Hopefully we did not scar him and push that milestone back.

Other that that... we are in need of getting a newer car. The Sunfire is going down hill and we need something reliable to get Pat and Alex place to place. So that is this weekend's project..../sigh

We have also given up online gaming for a bit. To save money and focus on other things. Of course my other things are work, work and more work :)

I am also considering taking a school trip to Mexico over Spring Break. We shall see how that goes.

Family news... my sister is looking at moving to AZ. Pat's brother is engaged and looking at a Feb 2008 wedding. My grandfather does NOT have lymphoma. Pat's uncle Jim, is out of the hospital. And everyone else seems busy.

Friend news...The Kolmus and Greico families welcomed a new little one into the world this month. A healthy boy and girl :)

Over all....this month could be described as BUSY!

186 Days left..

So the first week of school is done and we all wish it were June :) Alex seems to be adjusting back to daycare (loving the constant puppy and baby time). I am exhausted after the past 2 days. I guess I guess I got too used to Alex's schedule :)

Other news... the Pontiac broke down...again. This time the REAR brakes failed. So we got them fixed and are now searching the Internet for our next new car.

On a positive note, I got a call from HR today to set up an interview for the Technology Coordinator job at PDSD. I go Wednesday (during my prep) for a writing sample and interview. Keep your fingers crossed...I guess :)

A bit remiss...

Sorry I haven't caught up in a while... Things have been hopping. The weekend at Fairfield was nice. We got to help celebrate Abuela's birthday and relax a bit. Labor day was spent mourning the death of Summer and Pat visited his Dad in the hospital.

Other than that... this week, I started back to teaching and Alex started back to daycare full time. I think Alex has been the happier of the 2 :)

Tomorrow is the big first day with students. We shall see how that goes :)

End of summer...

Yesterday, Pat started back to school, his second to last semester! It is hard to believe that the summer is over. Where did the time go?

Ocean City, MD

Thanks to Expedia.com, we inexpensively took Alex down for his first active beach vacation. We stayed at 24th street and immediately checked in and went down to the beach. Once on the beach, Alex tried to throw sand but thankfully that was a one time no no lesson. We got our space set up and went down to the water. Alex really loved the water, even though it was a bit chilly. He would laugh when it came up and dance when it left. I don't believe he went under at all but we got a few wet faces from unintentional splashes.

After the water, we tried to warm up quickly and then play in the sand. Alex really enjoyed his sale CVS items (shovel, pail, rake, scoop, sieve, and molds); in fact, so did Daddy. Once the sand got a little old, we played with other CVS toys (bubble wands) until Alex dumped the last of the bubble solution.

3 hours later, we headed back to the room for showers and clean clothes. Phillips was our buffet destination where Alex LOVED the french fries and saying Hi to everyone who walked past. To off set the dinner, we did a bit of walking on the board walk.

That night, Alex slept like crap. He did not want to go to sleep and let everyone know it. After 2 hours of sleep he woke up and climbed into the spare bed with me. An hour later, he fell onto the floor. Oopps! Finally we just let him run for 2 hours, after barricading the porch door. Finally at 4am, we put him the pack 'n' play to stay 'til 7am.

After that lovely night, Alex and I went down to the beach while Daddy went for donuts. At the beach, Alex was content chasing the sea gulls and just walking along the edge of the water. Once we got food, Alex loved sharing his donut with the birdies. Of course this was after he was full. After breakfast we played in the Ocean and on the beach for the last time in 2007.

We went back to the hotel to clean and pack up. We walked around a bit to wear Alex out and left Ocean City around 11am. After a Wendy's lunch, we hit the highway and Alex did not fall asleep until the half way point between Dover and Wilmington. Thankfully he slept once we got home 'til 3pm. That night, Alex slept from 7:45 PM to 8am Saturday morning.

Overall, it was a nice vacation!

Cleaning the Apartment

While Alex was at Tara's, yesterday, Pat and I decided to deep clean the apartment. Pat rented a carpet cleaner from GIANT and spent the morning wet vacuuming the carpet. It was REALLY disgusting but well worth the effort. While Pat was vacuuming, I cleaned Alex's highchair, the cupboards, the oven, and blinds. It was a dirty morning but we are glad we did it. Hopefully it will pay off with less colds and allergies this school year.

August 18th-20th

Besides the updated pictures on the webpage, these were pictures that we selected from our family portrait.

Other than picking pictures, Alex hung out with the Abuelos while I went to a Bridal shower for Janice Beall. During this time, Alex stepped in tar and had to get new shoes and pants.

Alex also got to visit with all the Great-Grandparents on Saturday and Sunday. He also wanted EVERYONE to see Copper. He would pull everyone's hand out to Copper's Box. He would then chase Copper around the house and then scream at him, PUPPY and NITE NITE! It brought a lot of great smiles :)

On Monday, Alex helped out at the Market. He would carry everything around and stack it in new places. In the afternoon, Abuela, Alex and I visited Boyd's Bear. We ran through all 4 floors and Alex liked checking out the displays. Towards the end, I went shopping and Abuela and Alex checked out the statues. When I found them, Abuela was holding on to Alex by his shirt. Both were a tad tired.

Time at Fairfield

This weekend has been busy!

After arriving safely on Friday nite, Saturday morning we visited Mammaw and I got my grading done. Then in the afternoon, we ran some errands and went to Erin Overholtzer-Rose's wedding reception. Alex had a blast! There were bubbles, kids to play with and dancing. Shannon Long also had her daughter there, Olivia (3 weeks). Alex was VERY jealous when I help Olivia. But kept trying to feed her his supper. He was a very busy boy!

On Sunday, Alex had an active morning of chasing Copper and then getting his picture taken with the family. After being VERY good, he got to jump in the pool with the Abuelos. Later that evening, we helped celebrate Uncle Steve's 50th Birthday. Alex got to see a lot of family and meet the newest member, Dawson Mickey (1 week old).

Monday and Tuesday were a bit calmer. Alex got to see visit Abuela's friend Sarah and Magnee, chase Copper, play in the pool and Carroll Valley Park, and eat LOTS of peaches.

As soon as Temple's Server is up, the website should be updated with the new pictures :)

End of the Week

This week has been busy :)

On Monday we had visits from Laura Nelson and her puppies (that Alex LOVED!!!), and Liz and Joe.

Then Mommy was able to scrapbook while Alex was at Tara's. Thankfully the rota virus ended Tuesday....who knew solid poop could be soo exciting ;)

On Thursday we went to see Mimi who had a minor operation. Alex loved playing with Mimi's fan and checking everything out. Thankfully everything went well with the surgery

Today, Alex's last I tooth broke through. So here ends the cranky slobbering baby for a bit! (hopefully!)

We also heard from Pat's brother, John...he proposed to Michelle last nite and they are going to try for an '08 wedding.

Also Alex has been more talkative and playful since his surgery. His attention span has even lengthened from 5 seconds to maybe 10 ;) He now enjoys watching TV and playing in the bathtub again.

The webpage has been updated with random but cute pictures :)

We're off to Fairfield this weekend for lots of things. There should be new material to put up when we get back :)

rotavirus

Alex still has diarrhea but thankfully is not vomiting and is well hydrated. It just makes for a lot of laundry :)

Other than that, it is amazing how much difference the ear tubes make in Alex's disposition. At the moment he is engrossed and dancing to Sesame Street. He has not watched TV since he was little. Now we wonder if he could not hear it. He is also more likely to give hugs and kisses :)

Update 8-3

The balloon magic held, even after a night of vomitting. Thankfully he woke up happy and healthy this morning (we hope!). The fun times of the Toddler Years :)

Oh, the webpage was updated with more balloon pictures! Feel free to check it out (psst....there's a link at the bottom of the page).

balloons

Today Alex received balloons from the Abuelos. They came during his nap and when he woke up...it was play time. He absolutely LOVED them! He ran around the apartment hitting the things yelling "WOW". Then he realized he could drag them around without hitting them. So he drug the balloons everywhere, amazed that they were following. The next trick was hiding in the balloons. This took Peek-A-Boo to the next level. Who knew balloons could be this much fun!

Other news: Alex's webpage was updated with the Knoebel's trip pictures and a few pictures from DuPont. Enjoy! :)

The day after...

So we have found out that Alex does NOT do well with anesethsia. The vomitting ended in the car but that brought out diarrhea and terrible diaper rash. This woke him up several times through out the nite.

Thankfully the day after was A LOT better. He seems to be back to his normal self (Thank God!) :)

Happy 16 m Birthday!

On Alex's big 16 month birthday, he got his ear tubes (aren't we giving parents?). He did great going into the hospital and waiting and we were told he did great through surgery (his right ear was still infected). After waking up he was an absolute bear, which is what we were told to expect. He cried for a very long time and then got sick from the anesthesia. So at the moment, he is a little cranky and fighting a nap. But thankfully the tubes are in and ear infections will be a thing of the past.

Happy 16m! :)

Knoebel's

This weekend we visited North Central PA. We stayed at a nice Red Roof Inn Hotel in Danville. This has been our first solo vacation since Alex's birth. It was a fun experience!

On Sunday, Alex actually slept in but Abuela woke us up at 7am. So we all got ready and went to a little ball field park in Danville. There Alex played in the dugouts and ventured into the Susquehanna River. After getting quite muddy, we got changed and headed to Knoebel's.

At Knoebel's we checked into the Keystone National High School Pavilion and got our free ride and meal tickets. After a short lunch, we hopped on the rides. Alex rode on the flying airplanes, Merry Go Round, Train, Firetrucks, and the Ferris Wheel. He seemed to enjoy each ride and was DEVASTATED to get off. Totally off schedule, Alex crashed in his stroller around 3pm and slept until we got our food at 3:45pm. After the meal we headed back to Danville and every got clean and ready for bed.

After a decent night of sleep, Alex ended up sleeping with me in a spare bed, we had a Friendley's breakfast and back to Aston.

Applications and Interviews

Today Alex had his first lollipop. We went to the bank and the teller was soo excited about giving him it, I could not refuse. Alex loved it! It turned his mouth and drool a special shade of blue :) He was cute and very good about keeping it in his mouth. Other than his mouth, nothing was sticky!

Also today, I was called to schedule an technology trainer interview. Unfortunately , it is the day after Alex's surgery but Pat has volunteered to stay home. I also dropped off an application for the Technology Coordinator position at PDSD. It amazes me how school districts wait 'til the last minute to hire people. We shall see what turns up.

Oh! And others words that Alex has started saying:
Ball
Happy
Ew

Pre-Surgery Appt.

Well, it seems the rash is probably a virus. Hopefully it will be gone by the weekend :)

Other than that, Alex was a real trooper at the hospital. He allowed them to poke and prod without too much fuss. It was a blessing for Mom. Now I just need to clean out the car and get rid of the Cheerios and Pretzels because he is not allowed to eat 8 hours before his surgery. That could be fun.

Yikes!

Alex did well going back to Tara's the past 2 days. He did have a crying fit each time Pat dropped him off but was all smiles and hugs for me when I picked him up. He is a special guy :)

Other than that, Alex has a new tooth (top left I tooth). He is also saying "Bubbles", "baby," and I swore he said "Who is that?" when Pat knocked on the car door. Though all Pat heard was "daddy".

Tonight Alex was sporting some kind of rash. The Doctor most reassuringly said it could be a reaction to the omnicef or Scarlet Fever. We are hoping it is just a reaction. Thankfully only 2 more days of the stuff.

Tomorrow we're off for the pre-surgery appointment...I'm scared to be putting my son through surgery at 16 months but excited for no more ear infections.

This past weekend...

was interesting with the release of the new Harry Potter book. Which I finished by Saturday night (a good book) :)

While I was reading, Alex was very unhappy with his new ear infection. He had a fever, not eating or sleeping, and constantly poking at his ear. Monday morning we saw Dr. Brooks. Alex's right ear was very infected (omnicef to the rescue) and his "I" teeth are coming in. The top right tooth was a new addition.

I still have not heard from Millersville :( So I have started applying for other new positions. I feel returning back in September would be another unhappy year. Hopefully that situation can be avoided and I can get out of this rut.

Other than that...Alex' website: http://astro.temple.edu/~pcarr/AjbcWeb/start.htm has been updated. Unfortunately, my limited webdesign skill has not allowed me to make it an RSS feed. If anyone has any pointers, please let me know. Until then I will just post the update information on here.

Update

Since the last entry, Alex has been one busy boy. Since Tara has been on vacation that busyness has been with me... :)

After a Doctor's appt. Alex is the the 75% percentile for weight and head size and 50% for height. He also got 2 shots.

We also had the pleasure of an Abuelos' visit. Alex was fairly good for his grandparents :)

Since then, we have been shopping, to the library, the parks and Linvilla. Pictures will no doubt ensue...

New Activities that Alex likes to do:
1. Splash in puddles
2. Point and watch for airplanes
3. Climb on the bed and into the highchair
4. Lead mommy and daddy around by the finger
5. Hugs and kisses
6. Walk inbetween legs

New Words:
1. Ouch
2. Apple (every fruit is apple)
3. Hat
4. Alright (I think I heard this)

He is growing fast!

Alex's Laugh

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7-5

Today Pat starts his new job with the Federal Court System. He had to get up earlier but hopefully everything else will go well for the next few weeks.

Other than that, Alex has been cranky. I don't know if has been the rainy weather or teething but he is not his happy self. Since he was soo cranky, I decided to take him for his blood tests before his nap. I figured if he was already cranky, having blood drawn would not hurt the situation. Thankfully everything went great and Alex, besides whining, was fine.

Now it is nap time and I have a chance to catch up on emails, work on Keystone stuff, and maybe RELAX!

Fun Activities

Here are some things that Alex likes to do:

1. Go outside
2. Pretend to cook
3. Chase after or be chased by Daddy and Mommy
4. Climb
5. Crawl on the bed and throw pillows
6. Snuggle in blankets
7. Point out birds
8. Wave Bye-bye to cars
9. Push shopping carts
10. Go up and down stairs
11. Dance
12. Make music
13. Read

And other words, Alex knows:
Hot Hot
Bye-Bye

15 Months

July 1st was Alex's 15th birthday. So far...here's all the exciting things that have happened since his 1st birthday.

Words:1
Uh-oh, Puppy, Mama, Dad, This, That, Whoo, Owl, and G

Teeth:
4 molars and 1 inscisor (canine)

Tricks:
Bring his shoes
stack items
put on lids
chase people
open and close doors
climb up and down steps
drinks only from a cup

July 1 & 2nd

On Sunday, we had the Garvey Summer Birthdays (Pat, Mimi, Sarah, and Carroll). It was great to see everyone and Alex had a great time. He really loved playing with Jim and Carroll's sliding door and chasing after Tinker, the dog. Luckily, Tinker was a good sport and gave Alex a few kisses.

Monday, Alex and I traveled to Exton while Pat was at work. We dropped off Mimi's birthday present with Aunt Megan and then went shopping at Sam's. However, after unloading the items into the trunk, I shut the car keys under the milk. Thankfully, Mom and Dad gave us AAA for an Easter Present and in 45 min. we were on our way again. Alex fell asleep in the car and that made bringing everything in a tad easier.

June 30th

Happy Birthday, Mimi!

Today was a pretty big day for Alex. He went to 2 parties and survived. The first one was in Kennett Square with friends from church. Alex was 1 of 6 kids under then age of 4. He did fairly well holding his own and loved to play with everyone else's toys. It was great to see everyone and catch up a bit. It is hard to believe that 3 year ago, we were all newlyweds and not even considering kids :)

After coming home, Alex and I walked down to graduation party. There Alex terrorized Buster the dog by chasing him everywhere and enjoyed climbing on a moon bounce. He seemed to enjoy himself and the new graduate seemed to be enjoying herself as well.

Needless to say, after being outside all afternoon, Alex was exhausted and conked out at 7pm.

The Weekend

This past weekend at Fairfield was very busy. We left Aston at 9am on Friday. From here we went to Mimi's park to try to tire Alex out. Thankfully it worked and he slept all the on the Turnpike and most of Rt 15. Then we hit McDonald's and then saw the Abuelos. At the Abuelos, Alex got to swing on the new swing and was moved to the "guest" room. Needless to say, Alex was not impressed with the new room and screamed almost every night.

On Saturday, Alex and I helped out Magnee and Pap at the New Oxford Market. Alex kept Magnee and Pap busy and in smiles, waving to all the cars and birds. In the afternoon, Alex played with Abuelo and we went to a Party at Alicia Duff's. We had a great time and were able to talk and catch up with a few people. Once we got back, Alex played with the Abuelos before heading to bed.

On Sunday, Everyone went to the Gettysburg Amphitheater for church. Alex was not interested in sitting and explored with Abuela. After the service, we all went to Friendly's were Alex woofed down sausage and home fries. Following a nap and some food, Alex played outside under the watchful eyes of the Abuelos and Mammaw. He loves being outside
and chasing Copper (puppy) around the yard. When Mammaw went to visit Aunt Janet , Alex, Abuelos and I jumped in the pool. This was Alex's first time in the pool this year. He loved it! He especially enjoyed splashing around. The last activity was after dinner, when we went to Mammaw's for dessert. Again, Alex loved playing outside and exploring EVERYTHING.

On Monday, Alex was a crankbutt. We were packed and ready to leave at 9:45am. We went to visit Magnee to say goodbye to her and Abuelos. Alex slept fairly well on the ride home but was very unhappy once he woke up. Nothing seemed to please him until 6pm when the tylenol kicked in. Needless to say, he and I were asleep at 7pm.

Change of Plans

Last night, Alex had a slight fever and so we decided to stay home, at least for the night. However, this morning, Alex was O.K. So we will try to head out later today to Fairfield.

More Projects

2nd day of vacation and I have already been told I laugh a lot more. It is GREAT!!!

Today's Project was to order more pictures for my summer scrapbooking projects. Also found a way to share the pictures and allow for people to order them. Alex now has a "group" at

Now anyone who is interested can view the pictures, add their own, and order the pictures. Hopefully this will be healpful!

Well, tonight we are off for Fairfield to see family and friends. So I am off to pack and Tuesday I will have lots more stories.

First Day of Vacation

So it is the first day of Summer Vacation and I am starting on my pet projects :)

First off, June was been super busy. We went to the Benner Family Reunion near Lancaster. Alex loved playing with the Abuelos and seeing all the animals.

Then it was Pat's Birthday weekend. The following weekend was Father's Day. A lot of good times :)

Now this week, I finished my 4th year at Sun Valley H.S., finished my Networks and Internet Applications class, finished the requirements for my Graduate Degree and started summer vacation.

Alex's big news, he is now officially on the cup. He only has 1 bottle and that is before bed. It seems to be working ok. And yesterday we went to DuPont Children's Hospital to see Dr. Cook (an ENT). Alex has fluid behind both ears and has some hearing loss. So, thankfully, Dr. Cook wants to put in ear tubes. However, that will not be done until August 1st. So we are praying that nothing major happens between then and now.

For a Pat update, he has been a SUPER trooper in helping out during this busy time. He is working hard at his Internship and is scrutinizing the life in a single practice.