the sweet life » Sweet News
Recap of July
It's hard to believe July is almost over. The 4th was great (pics below) for many reasons, including Todd taking Cooper to see the fireworks for the first time (from a distance). I think Cooper fell asleep halfway through them, but he was excited to say he "went to the fireworks."
Anna, almost 18 months now, has some new fun words. I also realized a few weeks ago that she started taking part in conversations I was having with Cooper. The language change from 13 months (Daddy, Papa, birdie) to this age is amazing. And even though I tried hard to teach her the name of all of the different construction machines (don't we have 50 books on this subject?), she insists on reading about babies, animals, and her new obsession . . . snowmen. Here are her fun words I don't want to forget . . .
Coo-co (Cooper); Yereal (Cereal); Kit-kat (Kittykat); Al-li (Aunt Alli); Ah-pane (Airplane); Ah-C (Grandma C); Rah-er (Uncle Roger); Av-cado (Avocado); A-men (Snowman)
Cooper's new obsessions have focused on being even more independent ("Mom, I'll just stay home today while you go to work") and learning about the weather. He's told us many times he wants a "meteorologist cake" for his birthday. I'll be sure to take a picture of that one. Of course he also told me he wants to move to Seattle and live in a firetruck with a Dalmatian dog. Sounds like every 3 year old's dream.
The kids have really started playing together (and still fighting too!). It's great they can sometimes entertain each other as we try to keep up with life, work, marathon training (Todd), more work, and business trips to Chicago and Cincinnati. Thanks to Grandma C and Papa for all of their assistance and entertainment this month!
1st post kids family 5k
T-shirts made by A&C at Next Gen
Rock band at friend Ethan Kooper's party
Happy Mom's Day
Despite the wind, rain, & cold weather, it's been a good day. Maybe I should be thankful for being forced to be inside, play with my kids, and remember what they're like at their various ages.
Thanks to my kids & husband for the dark chocolate, flowers, and most of all for fixing up my road bike so I can start riding again. 4 years and 2 kids later . . . please tell me I'll remember how to do it! One of my best presents is starting my part-time schedule again. I've been full-time since January and will love getting off at noon or 2 pm for the next 2 1/2 months to spend more time with my kids (and have a little more time for me . . . did I say that out loud?).
Cooper is still in the stage of questioning everything, and no matter what answer you give him, it turns into another question. Our runs together go like this . . . C: Why does the robin have an orange belly? Me: He was born with it. C: Why was he born with it? Me: Why were you born with your light brown hair? C: I don't know. Why is his belly orange? Why does he fly away? Me: He doesn't want you to take his worm. C: Why does he not want me to take his worm? Me: He's afraid you'll eat it. C: Why is he afraid I'll eat it? Me: Because he doesn't know that you don't like worms. C: I don't like worms. Why is he afraid I'll take his worm? Why does he fly away? And on and on . . . I'm not complaining, but I have to admit it makes the runs a bit more challenging as I'm gasping for air trying to answer 30 minutes worth of questions. :) Cooper has been a great kid lately. He's now in the Tiger room at school with the 3 & 4 year olds, so he's definitely not bored. And while he has his moments of being three, the "terrible three's" have not been too bad yet (knock on wood).
Anna has moved on to toddler-hood. She babbles constantly, asking me things and telling me things. So far I can usually just make out a word or two . . . "Babble babble go." "Babble babble car." etc. She repeats words constantly, runs everywhere, and is slowly losing her baby belly. She now wears clothes she wore last summer. They're just not so long on her and not so tight in the waist. She's one tough kid and chases Cooper, provoking wrestling matches whenever possible. Add "referee" to our list of daily "to do's." Her teachers tell me she has her "sensitive" moments, but can definitely hold her on with her friends. Look out boy cousins . . .
Happy Mom's Day to all! I hope you all get to appreciate your moms (and your kids) today. Now I have to go call my Mom . . .
Happenings in our House
Hopefully Julie will flesh this out a bit, but here's a brief update on what's been happening with us.
We took Anna in for her 1-year doctor visit almost two weeks ago. She's generally healthy, but she couldn't get any of her vaccinations b/c she had another ear infection. She's had fluid in her ear that hasn't drained since December and every time she gets sick her ears get infected. We've tried no-dairy and chiropractic care, neither of which helped. After a visit with the EN&T doctor we scheduled an appointment this Wednesday for her to get ear tubes. We're hopeful this will keep her healthier and help her hear (and thus speak) better.
Cooper's big news is that he is in "big boy" underwear full-time now. He has been using the potty since he was about two, but hasn't "committed" until recently. We didn't push the issue, although we did institute a rather generous reward system in the last month or so. Next step is a "big boy" bed. He's also moving up to an older class at school next week.
A Little Gym opened near us recently and we've enrolled both kids in classes there. We're all very excited. Based on the packed classes it's obvious this community has needed something like this.
Finally, Cooper now insists that we all call each other names from The Incredibles. He's Dash, I'm Mr. Incredible, Julie is Elastagirl, Anna is Jack-Jack and Grandma C is Violet. A typical bedtime conversation might be, "goodnight Dash. I love you," followed by, "I love you too, Mr. Incredible." Do we let them watch too much tv? Probably.
The Week That Was
We were all set to host a small Valentines-themed birthday party this weekend for Anna, but circumstances conspired against us. Last Monday Julie came down with a flu-like virus that knocked her on her behind with a high fever, chills and aches and pains. On Thursday she was still recovering at home and finally decided to go to the doctor. While she checked out alright after a battery of tests, and seemed to recover a bit on Friday, she woke up on Saturday with what looked to be a sunburn. After a call to the nurse she drove herself to the emergency room while I stayed home with the kids. The doctors did more tests and came to the conclusion that it was simply an effect of the fever, which she still could not shake.
Needless to say we had to cancel Anna's party. Luckily she didn't know we had a anything planned! Julie is still home from work today, but is feeling well enough that we'll throw a little party tonight with pink cupcakes courtesy of Grandma C.
Holiday Parties
Cooper and Anna both had their school holiday parties last week, and each classroom performed a few songs they had been practicing for weeks. In Anna's class most of the effort goes into getting the wee-ones to simply sit still long enough for the teachers to sing to them. I snapped a few photos at her party and caught one of the songs on video (see below). Each kid had the name of a reindeer written on their sweatshirts, and it should come as no surprise that hers read "Dancer".
I didn't get any photos from Cooper's class, but I did get videos of three of the four songs (song 1, song 2, song 3). Normally Cooper is pretty into the singing, but by the end of the third songs he's lying on the ground face down - not sure why.
Here's Anna's class.
Yellow Snow
This weekend it snowed about six inches, which was our first significant storm of the season. Cooper had new boots and a new snow suit so we had to go out and test his gear. Julie had a fun idea to fill a couple spray bottles with water and food coloring so he could "paint" the snow. He had such a great time that he wanted to go back outside when we got home from dinner. It was 15 degrees out, so we decided instead to bring the snow inside.
Louise's Memorial Garden
As I mentioned previously, one of the reasons for my trip to Seattle was to attend the dedication of a new garden at Epiphany School in memory of my mom, Louise. Louise was the school secretary for many years, and my sister and I both went to school there. Epiphany was kind enough to offer a space by the new 5th grade classroom (actually, it's a house across the street from the main campus). My sister then worked with our friends Brian and Cora Morrison to come up with a landscape design, and order and install all of the plantings and accessories.
The dedication was scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM, so we felt good with our plan to leave the house at 3 PM. Well, getting the four boys out the door and into the car, then navigating traffic through Montlake on a very rainy Seattle afternoon caused us to be late. I thought it would be a lightly attended event, but there was quite a crowd assembled when we arrived - perhaps 40 or so people. George Edwards (Head of School) and my mom's friend Becky both spoke, then my sister and I cut the ribbon. Afterwards we had a nice reception in the school library. All in all it was a wonderful event, and I continue to be very grateful that Epiphany is so eager to remember "Dr. Mom". The school held a memorial for her after she passed away that was very special to our family as well.
Provided below is a 3-minute video I managed to take while holding Cooper in my arms. I wasn't able to record George's speech, but did catch most of Becky's words. You can also view a couple photos of the garden. I hope to go back and visit next time I'm there, as it was rainy and almost dark during the event.
Seattle Trip
Last week Cooper and I made the trip out to Seattle for a couple reasons. First and foremost we wanted to meet our new nephew/cousin, Ike Robert Bruininks. We chose this particular week because Epiphany School - where my mom worked for many years - dedicated a memorial garden to her on November 15th and I wanted to be there (more on that later).
Other than hanging out with my sister's family and attending the dedication I had no agenda, which turned out to be a wise move. I didn't even make any plans with my Seattle friends. With four boys younger than five under one roof my sister and I pretty much spent all non-sleeping hours refereeing alpha-toddlers. We did manage a couple adventures, including a trip to the Museum of Flight (Cooper and I) and a ride on a Metro bus (Cooper, Henry & I).
Ike is a very cute and well-behaved little guy. He'll need to learn to use those lungs to get some attention in that busy household, but for the time being he is very content with the usual eat/sleep baby routine. Henry is a particularly attentive big brother, especially if Ike needs his binkie popped back in.
For those of you pondering airline travel with your toddler, I strongly recommend purchasing something that is guaranteed to hold your little one's attention for long periods of time. Cooper was a great traveler despite some less-than-ideal seat assignments on the 4+ hour trip from Chicago to Seattle (long story), but he never slept on the longer flights. Our saving grace was a DVD player with an ample supply of video choices and a long battery life.
You can view all of our photos from the trip at Flickr.
Schedules
Both Julie and I are in the midst of positive changes at work. She has been trying to negotiate a part-time schedule since early summer and she finally got approval from her bosses for an 80% appointment. This might not sound like much of a reduction, but her schedule will change seasonally, meaning some times she will be working 20 hours a week and other times (during recruiting season) she will be full-time. As soon as her co-worker comes back from paternity leave she will begin a 20 hour/week stretch. We're really happy about this, especially since we will be able to keep Anna and Cooper in their current daycare, which we (and they) love. If she had found another part-time opportunity (less than 80%) we likely would have had to move them to someplace that offered less-than-full-time schedules. Congrats Julie!
It just so happens that the day her appointment becomes effective I will be assuming a new position as well. Our Communications office was recently reorganized and as a result I'll be assuming the newly created position of Assistant Director of Advanced Media. Not sure what that title means? Me neither, but I'm looking forward to the change. Even though this is pretty much a zero-sum change for us financially, it feels like we are coming out way ahead.
Happy Anniversary
It was five years ago today that Julie and I celebrated our wedding with family and friends in beautiful Cannon Beach, OR. Thanks for five great years Julie!
Afternoon Update:
Here's the back story... Last weekend we found out Cooper had croup, so he stayed home from school on Monday. By Tuesday he was well enough to return to school, but that night was running a low-grade fever again. We ended up keeping him home Wednesday and Thursday, by which time he was getting stir crazy.
This morning he went back to daycare and as soon as I got Anna out of the car she spit up all over herself and got really upset. I thought that was a bit odd since she hadn't eaten anything that morning, then found out from her teachers that the stomach flu was sweeping through her class - she was the only kid not to get it so far. She had perked up and seemed fine, so they agreed to keep an eye on her and call if she exhibited more symptoms.
Julie and I decided to take the afternoon off and go to a nice lunch, hit the coffee shop, bookstore etc. Right as we were digging into our food her cell phone rang - it was the daycare calling. We expected it to be Anna's teachers, but, surprise, it was Cooper's. He had the stomach flu and had gotten sick during nap time. We paid quickly and headed to daycare to pick up both kids. When we arrived we found out Anna was sick as well, so we spent our anniversary holding bowls for kids and changing exploding diapers. Welcome to parenthood, I guess.
Some Ike Photos
Allisa and Brian have posted some of their hospital photos on Shutterfly. As you can see, Henry and Wilson had a front-row view for the birth of their baby brother. I guess that was to be expected given Allisa's previous delivery room guest lists.
Ike Photos
Here are a few photos from the hospital. Allisa and Brian promise to get us some more after they rest up a bit.
We Like Ike
Cooper and Anna have a new cousin! Ike Robert Bruininks was born last night in Seattle. I haven't seen any photos yet, but he was apparently 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine. Can't wait to meet him.
Deck Weather
The weather finally cooled down enough here for us to enjoy a nice meal out on our deck - we should do it more often. You can see all of our photos from that night at Flickr.
Coming up for Air
Anna slept through the night last night (1st time in two weeks that I've had a long stretch of sleep), so I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for a great birthday last week and write a little update on our lives so that we'll remember life with kids at 6 months and 2 years.
Cooper: What fun it is to have a 2 1/2 year old! I hear at 3 we'll go through another adjustment period, but I'm really enjoying his current stage. Don't get me wrong, we still have battles and tantrums, but since turning 2 his communication (and adjustment to having a new sister) has made things easier. He also finally moved to a new class at school (he's a Penguin now) and seems to enjoy school much more again. His favorites right now: Playing guitar; listening to guitar & violin; visiting "the guys" at the market; swimming at CRCE; playing with cars, trucks, & boulders; speaking Spanish/singing Juanes; making Anna laugh (and sometimes knocking her over); going to the bookstore, bagel store, and Grandma's C's house; not eating veggies; climbing the rock at the park; "going running;" and hanging out with Daddy.
Anna: Minus not sleeping for two weeks straight, six months has been really fun. She sits up and dances (as seen in video); smiles and laughs (mainly at Cooper); gets up on her hands and tiptoes (plank position - she's pretty good!); as well as hands and knees pushing backward across the floor until she gets stuck under the furniture; tries to rock herself forward in the crawling position (hasn't worked quite yet); LOVES school and her teachers; only cries when she hungry (except at night); and is very content to go on the many adventures that Cooper loves. She weighs 18 lbs. (74%ile) and she is almost 25 inches (11%ile). Short & stubby! I'm proud to say she gets that from me! :)
The rest of us (have to remember this part of it too): Todd and I have been pretty busy with our respective jobs, so we try to spend most waking weekend moments going on adventures with the kids. This means not a lot gets done in terms of cleaning and such, but we've given that up for now. Life as a working Mom . . . I get up at 3:30 or 4 am usually to feed Anna and work until 6 am. I then clean and fill Anna's bottles for the day (still solely breastfeeding & pumping at work) and then get the kids up and ready. Todd's on Cooper duty in the morning, so I really just have to get myself ready and try to keep my suit clean while getting Anna prepared for the day. We run out the door at 7:15 am or so, hoping there will be no last minute blowouts or tantrums. I have to be at work every day by 8 am, so if we ride together, my kind husband will drop me off at the door and then go park in our lot that's a good 5-10 minute walk from our buildings. Work is crazy this time of year, so my day flies, and if I do have a free moment, I run to the coffee shop and/or shut my door to pump. If I don't have to work late, I run out the door at 5 pm. Todd has already picked up the kids and comes back to work to get me. We head home for 2 hours of feedings, dinner, playing, and maybe a walk before the bedtime routine begins. About 8:30 pm, I finally have time to think about packing for the next day or do some more work, but by then I'm pretty useless. I usually pass out about 9:30 pm. I live on coffee and am very thankful for a supportive husband and parents.
Someday I'll look back and miss these days (I think?). I know I've gained a lot from having to balance so much at once, especially professionally, and most days I can acknowledge I'm very lucky to have been given this opportunity. Now I'm off to bed . . .
New Doo
Did you know Julie chopped all of her hair off? Yep. This cell phone photo doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea.
Happy Belated Birthday Julie!
I forgot to post birthday wishes to Julie here on Tuesday August 28. Doh! My offline greetings were on time, however. Our gift to her was a custom book of photos from Blurb. One of the cool features they offer is the ability to sell your book to others after you've created it. Not that I think anyone else is interested (except relatives?), but it's an interesting concept. Provided below is an example of the "badge" you can create to promote your product.
Tour de Brian
Yesterday my sister posted some photos from my brother-in-law, Brian, who is currently on a two-week cycling trip in France. He and his brother checked out a stage of the Tour de France (view pictures).
Update: Oops, link isn't working - I'll try to get a new one.
Update II: Link works now.
Seer Sucker
I just had to share this photo my sister sent us of our nephew Wilson. They went to a wedding in April and he and his brother Henry wore matching suits. He looks like he's about to start tap-dancing.
Tummy Time & Tummy Troubles
If you ignore the little bit of spit up on her chin this is a good shot of Anna. Her second batch of hair is really coming in, and it is thick blond with a touch of red in certain lighting. She's doing really well on her stomach, and hopefully is growing out of her neck crick (I forgot the official name).
Last weekend Copper came down with the stomach flu and we spent Saturday curled up on the floor watching the movie "Cars" over and over. He was feeling much better on Sunday, so we decided to get some fresh air and go see the Hot Pepper Jazz band at a local park. He was enthralled by the music and the instruments, so it was a fun outing. I forgot the camera, but we took some cell phone pictures.
Play Pool
Last summer the Champaign Park District opened the completely renovated Sholem Aquatic Center, which we visited a handful of times. We really enjoyed the zero-depth pool, lazy river and kids activities during the brutally hot summer days. However, it tended to be very crowded, with very little shade available if you weren't in the pool.
Consequently, we were really excited when we found out that as University staff members we could buy a day pass to the equally new CRCE Aquatic Center on campus w/o purchasing a full-time membership. CRCE has a large indoor (yay shade!) zero-depth pool with all sorts of fun activities, including a nice slide. Best of all, because the summer is a slow time with students gone, the pool was almost deserted when we visited yesterday. Anna slept the whole time we were there, but Cooper had a blast. Can't wait to visit again.
Touch A Truck
Cooper and I played hooky from daycare/work yesterday morning and had a little adventure. After hitting Wal-Mart and Panera we arrived at our ultimate destination - Touch A Truck Day. Cooper is obsessed with construction and farm machinery, and can distinguish a grader from a scraper (I have no idea). The event, which we heard about from a friend, was sponsored by the local park district. The brief description I saw mentioned that we might see tow trucks, police cars and ambulances up close. It was all that and more.
There were cement mixers, massive crane tow trucks, bucket trucks, monster trucks, fire trucks, pumper trucks, and USPS vans (view all photos). Not only could the kids get close they could wait in line to sit in each and honk the horns. As a result the whole park sounded like a massive emergency response, and actually scared Cooper a bit. He didn't want to get too close to any of the larger trucks (apparently he's obsessed, but only from a distance), but we did sit in a number of the smaller trucks. Overall it was an impressive event that we'll definitely visit again.
Happy 35th Daddy!
happy birthday to you . . . happy birthday to you . . . happy birthday dear DADDEEEE . . . happy birthday to you!
We hope you have a wonderful day. We love you very much. Thanks for all you do!
Love, Cooper & Anna (& Mama too!)
Ike Robert Bruininks
The Sweet/Bruininks clan in Seattle found out yesterday that they will be adding another boy to the family - Ike Robert Bruininks. Was there really any doubt that it would be another boy? Can't wait to meet this one. Anna should have a great time at future family reunions with five boy cousins, one brother and no other girls.
Happy Birthday Allisa
Cooper and Anna have a song they would like to sing for their Aunt Alli.
Getting Healthy
The last few weeks we've had a nasty cold make its way through our family. I had it first, then passed it on to Julie and Cooper at about the same time. We assumed that Anna would be the least likely to pick it up, but she did last week.
Poor thing, we finally had to take her to the Doctor on Sunday when her fever spiked. To be safe they took an x-ray of her lungs and drew some blood (not fun with a 2 month old). The docs thought it was still just a virus, but asked us to bring her back on Monday to check her out. She was much improved, although still very congested at night.
Both Julie and I felt like we were coming down with Round 2, but Zicam and neti pots seemed to have made a difference. While it's a relatively small inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, being sick and having two sick kids takes it out of you. Whew - here's to a healthy summer.
Update 04/30: Anna bounced back pretty well, but I was unable to escape the bug (for the 2nd time). We have highs in the 80's today, so we're hoping we all dry up!
Catching Up
It's been quite a while since I've actually written something here, as opposed to just posting links. Life has been pretty busy for our family lately - nothing earth shattering, just the adjustment to two kids and the realization that Julie heads back to work on Wednesday. Our camera also broke the day of Cooper's birthday party, so we haven't really had much in the way of photos to share. *Sidenote* Even though our camera was beyond the manufacturers warranty, Canon repaired it for free. Thanks Canon! Now that we have it back we're trying to make up for lost time. We have a few new photos from March, and a bunch of new ones from Easter weekend.
P.S. - Last Easter we had beautiful, sunny weather. Today we saw snow flurries. What happened? We had 80 degree temps not two weeks ago. Sigh.
Snow Days
Our first week home with Anna has been less eventful than it was when Cooper was born, but it hasn't been without its challenges. Even though both Julie and I have time off from work we were planning on keeping Cooper in daycare. Not only would it keep him in his routine, but it would give us some time alone with Anna during the day so we could ease into the newborn lifestyle again. No dice. It started snowing Tuesday and didn't let up until midday Wednesday. Not only was Cooper's school canceled, but we were stuck in our house with over a foot of snow on the streets. It took me all morning on Wednesday just to dig out half the driveway so we could get one car out (see video below).
Needless to say everyone was struck with a serious case of cabin fever. I'm not ashamed to admit that we've had the DVD player spinning Elmo and Sesame Street quite a bit the last few days to entertain Cooper. Anna has been the easy one. She's been great, and has even been sleeping 5-6 hours at a stretch during the nights. All things considered everyone is doing quite well. I even see some 50 degree temperatures in the 10 day forecast, which seems miraculous given the snow dunes in our backyard.
Fun With Frosty
It seems a bit strange, but last night was the first time since we moved here that it snowed more than a trace amount. We've had plenty of cold weather, and one memorable ice storm, but that's about it. So when we saw 3 inches on the ground this morning Julie went to Wal-Mart with Cooper to buy him some snow boots (he never needed any before), I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk, and then we played in the snow for a bit. It just so happened that Cooper learned about snow angels on Noddy this morning, so that's all he's been talking about. Here are a few photos, and a video of Cooper's mini-Frosty.
A Day Off
Julie and I both have today off since the U of I is closed for MLK Day. We assumed Cooper's daycare would be closed as well since they follow the local school schedule, but we checked on Saturday an lo-and-behold they were open today. So, being the bad parents we are, we decided to drop Cooper off for a while and enjoy a day of no kiddo and no work. Right now we are sitting at Panera enjoying coffee and bagels.
Afternoon Update: We continued the food theme and went to lunch at Biaggi's, which is a nice Italian restaurant nearby. Naps followed. Thanks Laura and Tom for the gift card!
Holiday Recap
Our holiday week in brief:
- Celebrated Christmas with Roger, Tonya and our nephews on 12/23 here in Champaign.
- Hosted brunch for Julie's parents and Grandmother on Christmas day.
- Wednesday we went in for another ultrasound and midwife visit. Julie is measuring two weeks ahead, but that's not b/c baby is big (what we suspected), but b/c Julie has extra fluid. Baby and mom are both doing great, however. Picked out paint for the baby's room.
- Thursday Julie and I made the trek to IKEA in Chicago and walked away with just a crib/mattress - we had higher hopes. Nice to get out of town though.
- Friday I painted the baby's room while Julie picked up more baby essentials.
- Weekend - relaxed.
Yes, it was a Christmas and getting-ready-for-baby week. Logistically we are ready. Mentally...?
Hello 2007
It was exactly one year ago today that I left Seattle with our dog Jack and began the drive to Illinois. The worst weather of the entire trip was from Snoqualmie Pass into Eastern Washington. We made it all the way to Butte, MT the first night, Wall, SD the second night, and Des Moines, IA the third night. The next night we were settled on a leaking air mattress in our new house in Savoy, IL as we waited for the movers to arrive (they left many days before I did, and arrived many days after I did - not sure how that works).
If the past two years have taught us anything it is to expect the unexpected and embrace change. Here's to a healthy and happy 2007.
Happy Birthday Henry!
Happy 4th Birthday to our nephew Henry! We are sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate with you, but we know you had a great time. We look forward to seeing you this spring if you come visit your new cousin.
Frosty
The temperature around here has kept us inside in the evenings for the better part of a week, but we finally decided to brave the elements and go for a quick walk. We bundled Cooper up in his Randy Parker snowsuit and ventured out in search of "Fwosty". Santa still scares him, but he loves Frosty.
Here Comes Fall
Today the high temp is expected to be 58 degrees, so fall has certainly arrived. I think we can finally turn the A/C to "off" until next spring. Additionally, Cooper had to wear pants and a long-sleeve shirt to daycare for the first time. I don't think he liked the new outift since he tugged on the shirt and kept saying "off, off!" He got many compliments from the teachers on his "Lil Vampires Motorcycle Club" t-shirt, however, which his Aunt Alli sent to him. Thanks!
A Visit to Curtis Orchard
This Saturday we had some beautiful fall weather (70s and sunny) so we decided to make the short trip to nearby Curtis Apple Orchard to pick out a couple pumpkins for our porch. It turned out to be the perfect place to take kids, and Cooper had a blast. We plopped Cooper in one of their Radio Flyers, hiked to the back forty and found two perfect pumpkins. Afterwards we had homemade cider, pie and muffins in the cafe before playing in the kids area, which featured a petting zoo, playground and maze, among other things. Good times.
3-1
Happy 31st Julie! We love you.
Growing the Army
I assumed that most people who read our site already know that Julie is pregnant again - approximately 12 weeks along right now. If you didn't know that already, then you certainly do now. ;) There isn't a single girl in this generation of Sweets & Shorts (five boys), so the odds are high that Cooper will have a baby brother in February 2007.
Julie is slowly emerging from the haze of severe morning sickness (a/k/a hyperemesis gravidarum) thanks to the wonderful healing powers of a little drug called zofran. You have to sign your life away to get it approved by the insurance company because it is so expensive, but I think Cooper and I would be willing to pay for it ourselves if it keeps mommy up and about.
Can't wait to meet the little bugger.
Colin & Cooper
We had some friends from St. Louis stay with us on Friday and Cooper had a great time with their son, Colin.
Hello?
Wow, I can't believe we haven't added anything here for two months. Does anybody still read this page? In other news, we decided to switch our photo gallery again. We loaded most of our recent photos on Flickr - feel free to take a look at our collection.
Farewell To A Buddy
Jack Sweet
8/24/94 - 2/10/06
We lost another important member of our family recently. Our dog Jack was a great companion with a heart of gold despite his many "quirks". We know he is now sitting on the couch, with Grammy stroking his ears and rubbing his rump. Save a slice of pie for me Jack.
Settling In?
Well, we all made it to Champaign, IL (Savoy, technically) in one piece, but life has been a bit hectic as we try and settle in. All of us, including our dog, Jack, have been under the weather since we got here with various forms of colds and flus. Combine that with getting settled at a new daycare and jobs and you have a recipe for some cranky, tired folks. Everyone is slowly recovering, but we haven't had much time to relax, explore, unpack or take pictures.
We have added some new photos to the gallery if you haven't checked in there recently. Cooper is crawling up a storm, walking with assistance, and getting used to his first teeth (2 bottom ones).
We'll write more soon, hopefully.
Catching Up
We've made a few new gallery additions lately.
- New photos from August & September for Cooper.
- Julie celebrated her 30th by hosting a walk/run for her friends, and eating Mexican food with her family.
- Julie, Todd, Cooper, Alli, Henry & Wilson made a trip to the Evergreen State Fair last Friday. Henry enjoyed the tractors, the animals, and a ride on "Peanuts" the pony.
Wilson Ryan Cash Bruininks
Our third nephew, Wilson, arrived rather quickly on Friday, July 15 at 3:10 p.m. Wil was 19 1/4" and 6 lbs. 6.5 oz. Check out his photos.
FYI - Ryan was our mother's maiden name, and was added to Wil's full name after he was born. Special kid.
Happy Birthday Brian!
We had a great time celebrating our brother-in-law Brian's 35th Birthday tonight. Cooper slept through most of the festivities, but we still snapped a few new photos for the gallery.
Building the Gallery
Julie has added a few new albums to the gallery.
Henry's Little Bro
Allisa and Brian found out yesterday that their little bean is a BOY! Wilson Cash Bruininks and Fergus Festus Sweet will soon be able to join forces with the mighty "Hank the Tank" - watch out neighborhood.
