Ahhhhhgust.

August is quickly coming to an end which means cooler days and a new school year ahead. We have been out and about with zoo and park outings, sometimes sneaking two separate parks in on one day. Life is getting easier with all three as the older two are able to (mostly) keep each other occupied while I tend to Piper who is usually shoving her face full of wood chips :/. 

Piper had her allergy consult this week which didn't provide a ton of info, but did land us an epi pen as the NP is concerned that her allergies just aren't showing yet since she is so young. We will continue with annual visits for both she and Greta to follow any changes. 

We are busy around here anticipating house guests with twin 6 month olds, an upcoming wedding, and trip prep for Dave and I. We are heading to Europe mid September which we are so excited (and anxious!!) about, and with our three most favorite people staying behind, we have lots to do! It will be a fun and eventful holiday weekend around here. 

Catching up on photos, enjoy the overload.

Greta rediscovers her lady bug costume from her first Halloween. 

Picnic at the park.

Obsessed with the lady bug. 

Piper is exhausted ;).

New (used)  kitchen = fun for all! 

A few moments of peace. 

Just tall enough to ride the carousel alone at the zoo (on tippy toes).

Zoo fun with Maddie and Amy.

Post zoo picnic at the park.

Park fun with the Kimbers (I managed all 5!).

There are never enough matching pj photos. 

Pre allergy testing. Piper is 10 months old!  

Waiting for results, this brave girl didn't even cry! 

Audios Hernia

We have had a busy few weeks with two big events, a move for Dave's mom and a hernia repair for Dave. The move sorta came out of the blue as her current residence was struggling to meet her increased physical needs, so they recommended we start looking. After Dave toured a couple of facilities, he quickly knew his favorite and as luck would have it, we were able to land a bed within a couple of weeks and coordinated her move with the help of his family. It was actually pretty slick and she tolerated it quite well. Her new spot is really nice with plenty of great natural light and really good nursing care. That move took place on a Sunday and Monday and Dave was scheduled for hernia surgery on Tuesday.

I was able to schedule myself to work the afternoon of Dave's surgery so I could take care of him after he was out. All went well with surgery as planned and Dave did great. It was his first experience under general anesthesia and he was surprised at the fogginess he felt. Otherwise, no other major complaints besides a really dry mouth and kind of feeling drunk. He walked and ate and drank and did all of the things he was suppose to do and I discharged him and drove him home after my work shift. He is on lifting restrictions (20lbs) for 4 weeks, which means he can only carry Piper, which is the hardest on Sully and Greta. We are moving right along and almost two weeks have already passed. We made quite the nurse/patient duo, and an excellent team. Dave really appreciated his day in the quiet hospital, mega thanks to Cassandra for holding down the fort for the entire 10 hours we were gone! Yikes.

We made home made bandaids for Dave for when he got home. 

Prepped and ready to go. 

All set! 

Walking the halls, my number 1 patient! 

Minneapolis and more.

We have been plugging along the last 10 or so days. Dave had a vacation week which was spent cleaning our drawers, working (for me), nursing home hunting for Dave's mom, a trip to Minneapolis with my family, and lots of neighborhood fun.

Piper had her 9 month check up and she is 18.1lbs of pure love and 27inches. She landed herself an allergy consult thanks to a reaction to Honey Nut Cheerios and our allergy issues with Greta. I'm not looking forward to it, but knowledge is power, especially before we start introducing more foods in her diet. She has been sleeping through the night(!!!) for about a week or so. She generally is down by around 8:30 and wakes between 6:30 and 7. That is early for me, but Ill take it over being up all night. Sleep gets easier with every baby. Thank God.

We spent last weekend in Minneapolis for a Connelly family trip/meeting. I was anxious about how it would go with the kids, but it was actually really fun. We spent Friday evening close to the hotel, and met in Burnsville on Saturday morning with the family for a meeting. We broke for lunch and Dave and I took the kids to Tin Fish on Lake Calhoun which was really nice and good to be outside. We had a pool party on Saturday evening followed by drinks with some of the siblings after. On Sunday Dave and I did our own thing and met with the Gehlens for brunch which was good. It always feels so good spend time with them. Leanne had a baby in April and named her Mae. We were so excited to meet the new baby and introduce her to the kids, specifically Piper as we are certain they will be college roommates and then best friends someday ;).

Piper doing her best to keep up. 

Quiet time snuggles with my boy.

Family night park fun. 

Sully's turn. 

Sully's art is showcased at the Pavilion in an art show
called "Off the Fridge."

Ready to go in our full car. Packed to the max. 

Peace in quiet in the car. Everyone sleeps! 

A relaxing lunch ;).

Lake Calhoun family selfie.

Cousin fun at the hotel.  

Piper meets Mae.

Greta, Natalie, Sullivan, and Joey.

Raggedy Anne, Piper, and Andy.
My aunt Patty sent me these dolls my Grandmother Virginia made. 

Super hero fun.

Fun in the sun.

We have been loving summer! So many impromptu fun outings and a few days close to home, too. Dave and I have also been working on our social life which has been an added bonus. I almost forgot how fun it is to get out of the house once in awhile.

Piper is officially 9 months old and is constantly standing, even walking around furniture! I don't think we are close to actually walking yet, in fact, Im hoping she holds off until over 12 months like the other two, but I'm not counting on it. Time will tell. She had a short bout of waking up twice each night but she has settled back into her drill of only waking once in the early morning hours (5-6am) and then going back down until 8 or so. This is a schedule I can handle. She goes with the flow and loves to be loved by Sully and Greta. When she is playing with them, she will yell and giggle and crawl all over them. Sully and Greta are both really tolerant, but get annoyed when she eats their toys. 

We survived miserably hot days this month and even managed a camping trip for Dave and the kids along with an airshow with just Sully (mega thanks to Jeff for scoring us seats near the runway). The kids also went to a 'Mini Munchkin' camp put on by some neighbor girls. It was so fun for them and I know the girls who threw it were so exited and put a lot of thought and planning in to it. We have the best neighbors. 

Nights are a smidgen better around here. Greta usually comes in before midnight, Sully comes in way later, if at all, and Piper has been staying in her crib all night (thanks to my discipline and not bringing her in). I know we are still a couple of years away from the busy fog to lift, but I honestly already feel like things are getting better. 

Dexterity Dough (Miss Jean's invention).

Sitting around the campfire while its 98 degrees out. Yikes. 

Have fun campers, Piper and I are headed home to our own beds! 

Big girl! 

Airshow shuttle ride.

Sully isn't interested in the family selfie,
he would rather watch the Blue Angels, can't blame him :).

Geese feeding fun. 

Drinks before James Taylor with Mag. 

Family nap with all three. So relaxing ;).

Sisters.

Mini Munchkin camp.

Swimming fun, Dave put her suit on BACKWARDS! Haha. 

Dinner out with neighbors.

Photo session. 

Sully- 4yrs 2ms, Greta- 2yrs 9ms, Piper- 9ms