A Bit of Zoo, Park, Science Center, and Ice Cream

This past weekend was a good one--we'd had plans to go out of town, but we ended up staying home and doing a few low-key things instead. It was good to regroup, get outdoors (thank goodness it was a little bit cooler), and I was blessed with/granted/given a nice break on Sunday (thanks to Kevin and his parents for hanging with Lew). 

[Lewis has been/is still a bit of a teething monster the past week, which has been a tad trying at times. I rushed him to the doctor the other day after nap when his fever spiked to 104.9(!), which totally scared me. Luckily, it went down quickly with Advil. He's been waking up from nap covered in sweat and having mouth pain. We've started giving Advil and Orajel at naptime and bedtime--nighttime is no problem (no wake-ups), but at naptime, he sweats and sweats for some reason (like a fever is breaking). He has had a low-grade fever the whole time, with a few spikes here and there, so I guess that is the cause of his profuse sweating. I've put a fan on him to see if that would help (hasn't so far). These two teeth have been working their way in for like a week and a half, now! I counted them as 'in' on his 17 month post because I could see them starting to emerge, but they're taking their sweet time.]

Friday afternoon, we stopped by the zoo for a quick once-around and a trip to the splash park. Then Saturday, we went to a park to go 'hiking' (which ended up not being as nature-y or wilderness-y as we're used to...the trails were paved sidewalks) and to the playground, and then to the Louisville Science Center later that afternoon/evening.

First, the zoo:

 Rhinos, up and about for a change

(usually they're sleeping/not moving)

 Grizzly bears!

 A beauty

 Saying hello

And zoo splash park time:

 I think I've mentioned that he loves steering wheels

 And drinking the water as it's being sprayed in his face

 Whee!

I love this one!

He's so happy right there!

 Attempting to climb up on the seal

A few from our trip to the park/playground at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park on Saturday morning:

 Pretty fast slides, there

 Distracted swinging

There is a dog run next to the playground, and Lewis was definitely more interested in watching the dogs than he was in playing that day.

After nap on Saturday, we headed downtown to check out Smashburger (pretty yum) and the Louisville Science Center. He had such a great time in KidZone (geared toward the younger crowd, separate from the main exhibits)--it was a bit overwhelming, I think (like, Where do I begin? What do I do first? There's so much to see!), but he eventually got into a few areas and stayed put for awhile. Of course it was fun for us to see him get so excited about things, too:

 Driving the ambulance, pushing the buttons to turn on the light and siren

 Tried driving the bus, but preferred to stand on the ground so he could better reach all of the control buttons.

 A construction zone

He loved the blocks and trucks here--was hard to get him to leave

 Fun in the water table

 Splish Splash

We did go over to the special exhibit, Science in Play, for a little bit, and it was very nice/fun, but Lewis didn't 'get' the concepts as much he did in the other area. We didn't stay in there too long, but he did make a piece of art:

Stamping with a potato

 I added rolled corn below the two potato stamps.

 Looking out at the river

 Commander Lew

(piloting a fake airplane)

 Trying to take the phones with him

They're not cell phones/cordless phones, buddy! I don't think he understood why they were connected with cords.

On the way home, we stopped for ice cream. Here's how it played out with Kevin, Lewis, and Peter Dink, sharing Kevin's cone:

 Loving it

 It's oh-so-good.

Notice Peter starting to creep in.

 Peter, licking his chops

 Peter, sitting nicely and waiting for a bite while Lewis gives him the yeah-right-dog, this-ice-cream-is-mine look

 Peter nudging his way a little closer to the prize

 Finally, the competition is gone and Peter Dink can have a bite!

You're Welcome, Emily (or should I say Thank You?)

Here is a picture from my mom (Thanks, Mom!) of my sister and I wearing the infamous red terry cloth outfits, with coordinating jackets. And since it's from a portrait session, you can't see the full get-up, but you get the point. :)

I'm the chub on the left. :)

And Lewis, 30 years later...

And did I mention that Kevin had an outfit from the same collection (from JCPenney)? There are pictures. Sharon, I'll have to get ahold of one to scan and add to the collection! :)

Ooh, update. Here it is!

Kevin and his dad, sometime in 1978 (I think??)

I see now that it's not exactly the same (Kevin's has white cuffs and striped sleeves; ours had red cuffs and the jacket's sleeves weren't striped). If not the same, still very close. :) 

And how much do Little Kevin and Lewis look alike?!?

Additions to 17 Month Post

A few things I remembered today as I sit here drinking a delicious beer (a very long day with a fevery, teething Lewis and Kevin away at a work dinner until 9 or 10pm...):


**Lewis loves big trucks, diesel trucks, delivery trucks, armored trucks, fire trucks, ambulances, planes, etc. I've heard that boys get into 'boy' things whether we show them/teach them or not, and it seems to be true! Anything with a steering wheel, he is all over.


**As far as mimicking/making connections goes (I mentioned that he will comb his hair if we give him a comb or brush), he also will take the remote up to the TV and bang the TV screen with it. Bad for the TV, good for him, understanding that it goes together. :)


**That reminds me, too, he's been fascinated with our phones for a while now (accidentally calling and/or texting a few As and Bs in my contact list), but he also loves to open it and say 'Hello!' (or more like 'Hearrrrggh').

To the Zoo, Playground, and Our Own Backyard

We were finally able to go as a family to the zoo last weekend! It was really hot and threatening storms, but we had a nice morning visit and saw lots more animals than Lewis and I normally see during the week.

 Walking next to Mr. Peacock

 Lewis checking out the orangutan

 Water-sliding his 'normal' way

 And then trying out the 'proper' way

 'I did it, Ma!'

 Watching the polar bear walk oddly backward and forward

 Lewis and the gorilla

The Lion

Da! Da! (pointing at the lion)

We decided the lion was his favorite animal that day, so I think I'm going to go with Lewis the Lion for Halloween this year. I found a couple of patterns I'm going to look into making.

Saturday evening, we headed to the school's playground across the street. Kevin and Lewis have been back there before, but I've never been! It is definitely a nice playground that we'll try to visit more often.

 Jumping on the bridge

 Not sliding very quickly down the slide (they were really slow/sticky)

 Danger! Danger!

He flipped and flopped the whole way down the curly slide. Here I was taking a picture as he was about to possibly faceplant off the bottom (he did not actually fall off, though he looked like he might).

 Stuck

I heard a weird whimpering sound the other day and asked Kevin what was going on--he said, 'Hang on, I've got to get the camera! He's stuck in the storage cube!' 

 He loves the broom!

The snow shovel, too.

His new tools (L) and our tools (R).

At Target the other day, Kevin spotted these tools on seasonal clearance (they were only 60 cents a piece), so we picked up a few in Lew's size. Of course he still likes the big-sized broom and snow shovel, but hopefully he will learn to love these usable ones in his size. He did dig in the garden with his shovel, but I didn't get the camera outside fast enough.

I have started a fall to do list in the hopes that maybe it will bring fall a bit sooner. Maybe? Cooler temps? Falling leaves? Pumpkins? Spice? One can hope.

17 Months Old

17 Months Old
Wearing an outfit from when I was little (which Kevin had one similar to, too).
Holding shoes to keep him distracted and seated (see below). :)

His stats (from BabyCenter):


Height: 34 inches (90th - 95th percentile)
Weight: 28.6 pounds (75th - 90th percentile)
Head Size: 20 inches (above 95th percentile)


What he's doing this month (Blogger is being lame and won't let me bullet without whiting out all of the text, so I'm using asterisks instead):


**He has a new obsession with shoes! He likes to bring ours to us (we say thank you) and then wants us to put them on. He'll do the same with his, too--he'll get some out of his closet, bring them to us, and 'ask' us (eh-eh-eh) to put them on him. He's also done that with our shirts/shorts some. He'll bring them to us like, 'Okay, time to get dressed, up and at 'em! Chop chop!'


**Since our Boise trip, he is also obsessed with the broom (Juniper had a little one they fought over). He likes getting ours down from its hook and carries it around the house (much to Peter's dismay--he cowers). Outside in the garage, he likes to get down and carry the broom and snow shovel around the yard.


**He has started to bite a little (just rarely) out of frustration and/or when he's tired. We're trying to stay calm and not react to it to see if he will just stop doing it. 


**Similarly, he still gags himself from time to time at mealtimes if we aren't paying attention to him and/or if we're over in the kitchen, prepping more food for him to eat. I/We try to stay near him/engage him to keep an eye on it. Again, I'm trying not to overreact to it to see if he will just stop.


**We have been using sleep sacks for the past few weeks since the whole climbing-out-of-the-crib incidents, and they are working. I think we'll continue doing so for now and not convert his bed just yet (going on the advice of my sister who has already transitioned Juniper to a toddler bed).


**He has started mimicking some, i.e. if I hand him a brush or comb, he will try to comb his hair with it now (instead of just trying to eat it).


**When we dress him now, he'll put an arm or a leg up to help us.


**He has started putting things back where they belong/picking up after himself a little--when folding laundry a few weeks ago, he laid on top of it (like he does) and knocked a few pieces off the couch. Without prompting, he picked them up and put them back in the pile for me. If he knocks a magnet off the fridge, he'll pick it up and put it back. He also likes to pull a lid off of something (like from a spray bottle of hair product) and then put it back on.


**He is a problem solver! He has started pushing the wicker storage cubes around the room and next to his gate (meant to keep him in the room). He hasn't yet scaled the gate, but he's thinking about it. He also does this with his music table to our built-in bookshelves in the basement (I posted a pic of that a few weeks ago).


**He points to things (i.e. articles of clothing, food) and says 'Dah?' and we tell him the name of the thing.


**When we talk to him lately, it seems like he's actually pausing to listen and process what we're saying. And when he talks, his 'words' are starting to sound more like real words. 
With that, he knows things--when I say, 'Okay, let's go to the basement!' he runs to the basement door. When I say, 'Alright, are you ready to go?' or 'We've gotta go!' he'll go to the back door and stand. When I say, 'Alright, we need to change your diaper,' he'll go to his room (where the changing table is). One day a few weeks ago, Kevin was home and I said, 'Where's Dada?' and he walked around the house, following Kevin's voice, until he found him.


**He still LOVES when we say 'I'm gonna get you!' and chase him around and 'get' him. He just giggles and giggles.


**He has started this really cute thing where he says, 'Da? Da?' and puts his hands up like, 'Where did it go?'


**His t-ball skills are improving--he's really good now at making contact. We may or may not have researched t-ball leagues (not until he's 3 years old). :)


**Current Tooth Count: 16 (he's gotten 4 new this month!)

Outtakes:

 So throw your hands in the air, and wave 'em like you just don't care

 The whole outfit

And throwing down the shoes after realizing we were tricking him into sitting still.

Boise: Part 3

Pink cowboy boots!?

I got these for Juni at a yard sale last month--I thought I'd see if Lew would wear them at all (thinking he wouldn't), and he loved them!

He also loved pushing around Juni's doll's pink stroller.

Future Cowboy?
He has a cute little cowboy-esque lip snarl in those last two pictures.

Eating fresh-as-you-can-get blueberries from the backyard

Juniper, rinsing Lew's hair

Hey, lady, what do you think you're doing?!

And then trying to pour her bowl of 'soup' on his head.

Lots and lots of splashing!

Monday, Emily and Joe both went to work and Juniper went to Miss Donna's house, so Lewis and I headed to the Idaho Aquarium to check out the animals. It was small, but there were a lot of touch tanks (of course Lew got up to the edge of the tanks and started splashing nearby kids...oops.)

Lewis with Iggy the iguana

Checking out the shark and ray tank

And the starfish

Juni, so glad to see Drina after a day at Miss Donna's...

...and so ready to wrestle with Lewis again.

:)

And then they tag-teamed Drina

And then EVERYone wanted to pile on Auntie Em

We decided to take them outside for a little bit to get the crazies out before bedtime, and Lewis LOVED following Joe around while Joe watered their (amazing, beautiful, inspirational) garden.

A big fan of the hose. (Not the hoes, Joe Bergstrom.) :)

Enjoying some ice cream

Drinking from the hose

Jumping on the bed :)

Juni, hugging Lewis good-bye the next morning (a little blurry, sorry)

I love my cousin, Juniper, so much. :)

We had about an hour delay from Boise to Denver (which was more like 1 1/2 hours by the time we took off), but that was okay because we had plenty of cushion time in Denver. The Boise-Denver leg was amazing--the most comfortable flight I've ever been on. A big plane (I could stand up in my seat without having to duck!), a bulkhead seat right behind first class with like 3 feet of leg room and an empty seat next to us, TV shows, and Lewis fell asleep at takeoff and slept about an hour (so was only awake about the last 30 minutes of the flight). Awesome.

Lunch with a view in Boise

There were some smaller firefighting planes and really large C-130s coming in and flying out, both of which have been out fighting forest fires around Idaho. Pretty neat to see them/hear them come in. They were really big planes! Apparently they are also used to transport presidential vehicles around the country. (There was a veteran sitting next to us, taking pictures, and he was telling us about them. Pretty neat.)

And dinner in Denver--loving to watch the planes coming and going

We found out that they USED to have a play area in Denver, but it has been removed--bummer, but we did find another broken down people mover to run up and down a few times. The layover really wasn't too bad--we walked around some, both ate dinner, and I changed Lewis into his PJs, and then it was time to go!

Ready to board and fall asleep (in theory)

We were super cramped from Denver to Louisville--it was a totally full flight, on a small plane, with no room to breathe. We unfortunately also had the Doublemint Twins behind us--two teenage girls who were singing, oohing and aahing at Lewis and playing with him, and then they started clapping/stomping/snapping/banging on their tray tables (which of course were connected to MY seat). At that, I pulled out my Stern Teacher Voice and kindly asked them to not hit the back of my seat. [And it was then that I began to question where their parents were, and I made a mental note about teaching my children common courtesy. How to act on a plane. How to act on a plane that is leaving late into the evening with small children aboard. And certainly not to sing or bang or clap on a plane.] They pretty much shut up after that and Lewis finally fell asleep at about 9:40pm Boise time (so two hours later than usual). We made it in around 10:30pm Boise time (so 12:30am Louisville time) Tuesday night, and we've been unpacking and trying to get back to 'normal' ever since.


Great trip--thanks again, Bergstroms, for your lovely hospitality. We'll see you in November!