Chicago Trip -Part 2: DuPage Children's Museum

On Sunday we decided to go to the DuPage Children's Museum before we traveled home. We thought it'd be good for Jenna to play and run around before being trapped in her car seat for the next 5-6 hours. Plus we were wanting to drive during her nap time to help her pass the time (and make it easier on Mommy and Daddy!). My friend, Angela, and her husband, Mike, met up with us there so it nice getting some more time with them before we left.

Jenna and Daddy building with PVC pipes

Jenna loved putting the balls into this tube and then tilting it so the balls would roll out.

Her most favorite area of the museum was the water play area.

The bubble station was pretty neat too.

She wasn't so sure about the wind tunnel...

What's more fun than getting to bang on things?

Jenna enjoyed the light/prism area too.

This activity was like playing the Tetrus game. Then you move a piece at the bottom and they all fall out. She played with this over and over.

There were a few "early learning" areas for the younger kids. Grant and Mommy hung out there for a little bit so that he could wiggle around too.

My friend, Angela, and Jenna exploring the pretend car.

Jenna then brought a chair over and sat down to join Mommy and Grant...for about 20 seconds before she was ready to do something else. Haha!

A pretend space ship with a spiral staircase.

How high can you stack the blocks?

And of course a family picture at the museum.

We tried to get one of the kids, but it just wasn't going to happen. We were already pushing lunch and nap time. Jenna had had enough and was ready to go.

Angela and me

On the way home, Grant was getting fussy so we stopped so I could feed him and let him move around a little. I just love Grant's expression in this picture.

We had a great time visiting our friends and getting away. Thanks Jamie and Ang for taking the time to visit with us!

Chicago - Part 1

I started this post last week and then got busy with other things and forgot all about it! Two weeks ago we drove to Chicago to visit two of my good friends from high school. With all Drew's traveling, he's accrued some free hotel nights, so we were able to stay at a nice hotel for FREE!! It even came with a cook-to-order breakfast - YUM! :)

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Jenna sleeping in the car on the way there

We took full advantage of the pool especially since it's so cold outside now. It helps that Jenna's such an early riser. We were able to hit up the pool before it got crowded. In fact, one morning we arrived and had to wait on a guy to finish cleaning the pool. :)

We haven't bought any swimming trunks for Grant yet, but we figured he would be just fine in a swim diaper for now. He wasn't in the water for every long anyway.

Jenna enjoyed walking around inside the hotel and looking at the fish in the little ponds.

Up next: Chicago trip part 2 - Our visit to the DuPage Children's Museum.

Miscellaneous

Just some random pictures from the past few weeks...

Enjoying my baby boy

Love that smile!

Daddy has the special touch for getting his little boy to fall asleep.

The first time I thought to put both of them in the bathtub together. Grant's getting too big for his baby bath and the water tends to spill over the edges as I'm washing him so it definitely helps to have him in the bathtub. Jenna LOVED it and she'd "help" me wash him by pouring water over his body and using a washcloth to rub him. I was impressed - she was very gentle with him.

Grant has recently started reaching for objects, although he can't grasp them yet. And his reaching is sporadic too and still a little jerky, but it's fun to see him developing.

As I was trying to get a picture of Grant on his tummy, Jenna decided to lay on top of him.

Up next: Our trip to Chicago this past weekend to visit a few of my high school friends (and then I think I'll be caught up...at least for the time being.)

Trick-or-Treating

Last Thursday was Trick-or-Treat night in our neighborhood. This was Jenna's first year to Trick-or-Treat since she wasn't quite a year old last Halloween. A friend of ours gave us some costumes that her kids had outgrown, so instead of making Jenna's this year, we just went with what we were given (free is always nice!). So Jenna was a ladybug and Grant was a dinosaur.

The week of Trick-or-Treat night was in the 70s, but of course by Thursday, it was in the 40s!!! So it was very cold out! Jenna had a few layers under her clothes to keep her warm and some black gloves. She was so excited to get going - I think because she saw all the other kids out and wanted to be with them. She LOVES watching and being around other kids.

So needless to say we had a hard time getting any "before" pictures. We're already at a tough stage of trying to get her to even look at the camera. She likes to cover her face with her hands or turn her head away whenever we try to take her picture. Many times we have to "trick" her into looking towards us.
Our neighbors had just left the house to go trick-or-treating, so they offered to take a family picture of us. Somehow she got the picture before Jenna turned away. Haha!
Walking with our neighbor...at least for a little bit. Jenna's too slow of a walker for the older kids. Ha! Don't you just love those ladybug wings...too cute!

Daddy and his little dinosaur. Doesn't Grant just look so excited to be out in the cold weather? Don't worry...he and Mommy went back to the house after only going to 1 house. It was too cold and Grant was hungry so he needed to eat.
Thursday night was also Uncle Brian's 33rd birthday, so we went over to their house to celebrate. Jenna and Grant stayed in their costumes, which everyone enjoyed seeing. Here's Grandma (whom Jenna calls "Mawmaw") with Dino-Grant. (It's too bad we didn't take any pics of the back of Grant's costume. There's a long tail with little spikes - very cute!)

Jenna enjoyed eating a yummy birthday cupcake!

Great-Grandma Jones (also known as "Gram Gram" to Jenna) holding Grant.

And then Gram Gram with both great-grandkids.

Earlier that evening we also took pictures of the kids in their Halloween shirts. The first one turned out pretty good, although my elbows partially in the picture.

Jenna holding her pumpkin as it's about to fall out of her hands. Mommy rescued it before it went splat on the ground.