Mr. and Mrs. Cooney

Last weekend was my sister and Greg's wedding.  It was so beautiful and everything was awesome.  I know they had an amazing day and everyone had so much fun.  In the morning we got our hair done at the salon, and then went to my mom's house to finish getting ready.  We ended up getting pretty lucky with the weather.  Even though it was raining a little bit on our way to the church, the sun came out the rest of the day, so they were able to get some outdoor pictures.  The ceremony was very nice (and short!)  Katie looked so beautiful and Greg looked awesome.  They both had big smiles on their faces the whole day. Kenley was so cute and well-behaved during the ceremony. She stole the show for a few seconds when she was wheeled down the aisle.  Then, we all went in the limo to cruise around a little bit before the reception.  It was a big wedding, so it was really nice to see all of our family and friends.  It was especially nice to see some of my cousins who had come in from out of town. Everything was great- the food, the drinks, the music, the chocolate fountain.  I think everyone had a good time. Katie and Greg are on their honeymoon in St. Lucia and I hope they're having a great time!
My parents also left for vacation this week to go on a cruise to Nova Scotia.  It has been wierd, especially since the weeks leading up to the wedding we were all calling and seeing each other a lot, to not have any contact with them and Katie and Greg.  But, I am looking forward to our vacation starting at the end of next week.  We are heading to Miami and then going on a cruise to the Bahamas.  We're going with our friends, Jim and Melissa Rose.  It will be very hard for both of us to leave our babies behind, but I know they will be in great company with their grandparents. I hope I don't get too sad, and that I am able to fully enjoy the vacation.  I am really looking forward to the excursion to the Atlantis resort.  I have always wanted to go there, and we will be able to use all of their ammenities the entire day.  I'm also lookng forward to Ray and I having some time together away from home.  It has been such an amazing, crazy, busy year and it will be great for us to be able to relax together. 

 

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears

 

Last weekend we went to Brookfield Zoo.  It was honestly one of my favorite days of the summer.  I had been looking forward to taking Kenley to the zoo for a while, and we just had a really fun time spending some family time together. It was a very warm day, but we stayed cool by going into some of the indoor exhibits, and eating italian ice.  One of the first things we did was go into the butterly garden.  This was one of my favorite parts and Kenley was looking all around.  She would really keep her eyes on the butterflies and where they were flying.  We also petted the stingrays, and even one of the little baby stingrays came over by me.  They were very soft and smooth. Kenley was a very good girl at the zoo, and like usual she didn't want to miss out on anything and stayed awake pretty much the whole time.  Of course, she only drifted off right before the dolphin show and then we had to wake her up because they didn't allow strollers in.  I tried to point out some of the dolphins right as they were jumping so she would look in that direction. 

This week has been very hot, so we have been getting full use of the baby pool!  Kenley could sit in there for hours and splash around.  I also took her to my Aunt Tammy's house to go swimming one day this week, and again she loved being in her floaty.    She is getting so strong and can now hold her body up into a full push-up posistion.  She uses this to help her scoot around.  It is so funny to see her like a little body builder holding all of her strength on ther arms and toes.  She seems pretty proud of herself and smiles and laughts when she accomplishes this.  I know it won't be long before she is crawling!  Only 2 days until Katie and Greg's wedding!  I am very excited and it's going to be very fun since we are all standing up.  I can't wait to see Kenley wheeled down the isle in her little wagon.  I know it is going to be an amazing day, and I am very happy for my sister and Greg who have waited a long time for this special day.

Happy 30th Birthday Ray!!

Thursday is Ray's 30th Birthday!  We celebrated this weekend by going to a White Sox game.  It was a lot of fun even though it was pretty hot out.  Kenley was very good and enjoyed her first Sox game.  Luckily, the grandparents all took turns keeping her in the shade.  It was a fun day, and they even won!  I gave Ray his birthday present, which was a Raymond Weil watch that he has been drooling over for a long time.  I think he was truly surprised to get it.  On Thursday Kenley and I are going to take him out to dinner.  Other than that, I have just been enjoying the summer.  We have been to a few pools, and have spent a lot of time outside.  This is probably why people tell me that Kenley has a tan!  She also loves that I take her in the jogging stroller almost every day.  Today we stopped at the park and she went in the swing.  We also saw a huge yellow butterfly that was flying around us and then landed and even let me touch it.  This is about my half-way mark of going back to school :( I try not to think about it, but I know the rest of the summer will go by so fast with Katie's wedding coming up, and us going on vacation.  I still have a few things that I want to do like get to Orland Park pool, stop by the farmer's market, take Kenley to the zoo, and go to the outlet mall.  I am hoping I will get a chance to do all of these things in the next few weeks.

                                            

Happy Birthday America!

This weekend was the 4th of July, and we had a very fun couple of days.  On Friday night, we had dinner with Joan and Mike.  It was really nice, and I think it was the first time the 4 of us have ever been able to get together!  Now that they live just a few miles away I am hoping we will get to see them more.  Saturday Ray went golfing in the morning at Cog Hill. He was looking forward to this since they only play this course once a year.  Later in the day Alison and Ken came over with Kyle and Jordan.  The kids had a great time playing around in the baby pool, and I was glad to finally use it.  On Sunday Jim and Melissa brought Caden over for a little bbq.  Then on Monday we wnt to the Cooney's for their annualy 4th of July party and spent some time in thier pool.  Kenley also experienced her first fire works!  She cried a little for a few that were really loud, so I took her inside to calm her down, but then we went back out and I covered her ears.  She was mesmerized looking up at the sky and her eyes got really big, but she didn't cry again.  I was really surprised because I even jumped for a few since they were only a few feet in front of us!  So, overall it was a really fun weekend and we got to see a lot of people.  It was so nice to be outside the majority of the weekend. We also just found out that my cousin Rob and Pam found out that they are expecting a baby boy!  I am so excited for them, and excited for Kenley to have a playmate at family get-togethers!

Garage Sale

This past weekend we had our first garage sale!  This might not seem that exciting to some people, but for me it was.  As far back as I can remember garage sales have always been a part of my life.  My mom would always have them, often with some of our neighbors, and my grandma had them.  Every summer my sister and I would help my mom prepare for the garage sales by cleaning out our closets and by helping the day of.  I started preparing for this garage sale back when I was home on maternity leave.  I cleaned out my closets and all my jewelry while I was home with Kenley.  It was amazing how much stuff Ray and I actually had to sell, considering we have only lived in the house for a year. We also had some stuff to sell from friends and family. I was so excited on Thursday night that I couldn't sleep!  My mom and sister came to help all day Friday since Ray was at work.  Friday was our best day.  We were  constantly busy from 8:00am-3:00.  We sold a lot of big stuff including a laptop from Alison and a fur coat from Joan.  It was great getting rid of a bunch of stuff and making money!  We made a decent amount considering this stuff was just taking up space in our house, closets, and garage.  My mom is still going to have her garage sale after the 4th, so she is going to take a few of the bigger things that didn't sell.                                                           Today we took Kenley to get her 6 month pictures taken.  We also got some family pictures done.  They came out really nice.  It really is amazing how much she has changed since her 3 month pics.  In a few of the pics you could see her teeth.  (Yes, teeth plural!  She got her second one about a week and a half ago.)  I have gotten so many compliments about how good Kenley is when I have had her out.  I am so lucky that she is such a good baby and I am able to take her everywhere.  From the minute I found out I was pregnant, I always said I wasn't going to be stuck in the house because I have a baby.  I have really stuck to that taking her out all bundeled up when she was only  a few days old till now.  She loves being out and being in her stroller.  I truly think she loves the mall because even today she was a little fussy toward the end of her pictures, but the minute we got back out into the mall area and went to a few stores, she was as happy as could be.  I realize this could become a problem in the future, but I know I'll always have a shopping partner! 

Looking forward to the weekend and 4th of July!

Father's Day Weekend

It was another busy, but fun weekend for us.  Happy 1st Father's Day to Ray, Happy Father's Day to my Dad and Grandpa.  Also, Happy Father's Day to Ray's dad.  I know many people were thinking about him on this day.  We had the family over at the house for a little barbeque on Sunday.  Of course, Kenley got all the attention showing off her new 2nd tooth that popped up this week.  She also enjoyed eating some special treats including a taste of guacamole, chocolate sauce, and bannana pudding.  She was actually upset when Aunt Alison wouldn't give her anymore!  I think she would have kept on eating it until it was gone!  I was glad that Kenley was happy most of the day because it seems that she has developed a bit of mommy attachment.  The last week or so she will sometimes cry when other people try to hold her, or come by her.  I know that it is just a stage, but I want her to be social with other people. 

Also, this weekend, I went to the NKOTBSB concert!  (New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys)  It was a great concert and I went with my best friend since age 3, Joan.  We sang along to almost every song and it reminded me of many days spent together listening to the tapes in our bedrooms, wearing NKOTB shirts, and talking about who was the cutest in the band.  We finally fulfilled one of our childhood dreams!

                                     

Put-In-Bay, OH

This weekend was  my sister's bachelorette party in Put-In-Bay, OH.  None of us had ever been there before, but my sister heard about it and we did a little research and decided to go!  The weekend started out on Thursday night at my house.  All the girls came, and my mom and Greg's Aunt Jan. We played a few games, gave Katie her gifts, and had lots of food and drinks.  Katie's friend, Heather, surprised Katie by coming in from Colorado.  Only my mom and I knew about this surprise, and Katie was shocked when Heather rang the doorbell and Katie opened the door.  We tried to go to sleep early because we wanted to get on the road by 7:00.  The drive up went by fast, and even with a few stops we were there within 5 hours.  We took a 20 minute ferry ride across to the island.  We ended up bringing our cars over since we had so much luggage.  Friday during the day, the weather wasn't great, but we found a pool with a huge hot tub and had a great time hanging out there with a pool dj, and tiki bar.  That night we went  out to dinner at an Irish pub, and then out to the bars around our hotel.  The next day, the weather was beautiful, 80 and sunny, so we went to a different pool that had a swim up bar and a dj. Let's just say that Katie thought it was a good idea to by this HUGE mixed drink for us to share.  Later that night, we went to dinner on the Boardwalk and then went to a bar with a sand bottom and swings and live music. 

We had a great time, and I was happy to spend some time with my sister's friends that I don't get to see very often.  I'm glad Katie had a blast during one of her last single weekends!  I missed Ray and Kenley and was glad to get home to them Sunday night.  Ray had a fun daddy-daughter day with Kenley and took her to Toys-R-US.  She is doing much better and went back to the doctor yesterday for her 6 month check up.  She is in the 90th percentile for both height and weight.  She didn't get her shots yet since she is still on medications, but I will take her back next week.  We are just so happy she is doing better!

                            

Fevers and needles

Well, this week has not gone as planned.  Not that it would ever be a good time for Kenley to be sick, but this week has been especially tough.  On Monday Kenley was with her Grandma Pam and started a fever.  I knew she was in good hands since her Grandma is a nurse, but made a doctor's appt and came home from work as soon as my students left.  Luckily, it wasn't too big of a deal for me to leave early since we had a shorter day because it was finals.  Ray met me at the doctor, and by that time Kenley's temp was 102.  They wanted us to go to the Christ E.R. and get chest x-rays.  By the time we reached Christ around 3:00pm Kenley's temp got up to 104!  Poor thing!  She was so good, even the doctors and nurses kept saying she was way too happy for a baby with that high of a temp.  Everyone loved her, and the nurses nicknamed her "the Gerber baby."  Of course, she wasn't so happy when they decided to take blood.  We had to go through 2 seperate rounds of them poking her for over 30minutes trying to find a vein.  It was horrible watching her cry and look up at us with sad eyes.  I cried just watching her, but I knew we had to do it.  It was 2:00am by the time they finally got her fever down and sent us home.  So, Ray and I stayed home from work on Tuesday because we had to take her back to the doc for follow  up.  She still had a pretty high fever but by that time she was taking fluids.  We had to go for another tortorous blood sample, but then spend the rest of the day at home.  Today, I had to go into work for about 2 hours to finalize my grades.  It was supposed to be a really great day, and I was planning on bringing Kenley to our end of the year celebration, but obviously didn't.  I was sad that I missed my favorite day of work (the last day with no students!) but just wanted to come home and make sure she was okay.  I took her back to the doc and her temp was down, but it seems to be creeping up and down since then. Today is also her 6 month birthday!    As I am writing this she is next to me in her bouncy chair smiling and playing.  At least if I have to have a sick baby, I can say I have a happy, sick baby. Hopefully this fever will go away and stay away!

A very momentous occasion

That's right, Kenley got her first tooth!  You would have thought she said, "mama," by the way I reacted when I first saw it.  I was so excited about this little white tooth sticking out of her lower gums.  At the same time, even Ray agreed, we were a little sad at this "big girl" step.  Kenley is also able to sit up on her own for a few seconds at a time supporting herself using her arms.  She will be turning 6 months this week!  Wow!
Yesterday we set up Kenley's baby pool, but by the time we finished the yard work and got everything set up it started to pour!  I'm sure she will be in it a lot over the next few weeks. (By her, I really mean  me since I fully intend to go in it and get my bronze on!)
We also took Kenley to the flea market today. We didn't really buy much, but it was fun to walk around.  I have been busy getting ready for the end of school and preparing for my sister's bachelorette party!  I am having all the girls over at my house on Thursday night and we are leaving early Friday morning for Put-in-Bay Ohio!  None of us have ever been there before, but it sounds really fun.  It's a little island in the middle of Ohio that has bars, shops, and resturaunts. We are going to be gone Friday to Sunday.  This will be my longest time away from Kenley since she was born.  I know it will be a little hard to leave her, but it makes it easier knowing I don't have to go back to work when I get home.  When Ray went to Vegas the other week, I told him I wanted him to call me twice a day; he told me that I get a two call a day limit while I am gone!  Ha, Ha.  But, I also think it will be a good bonding experience for him and Kenley.  I'll update when I get back!

Memorial Weekend

Yay for a 3 day weekend!  We had a really good weekend.  Saturday Ray and I headed out to the quad cities for John and Kristen Rose's wedding.  It was really nice and great to see some people that we don't see very often.  I know Ray was happy to catch up with some of his college friends.  Unfortunately, I got sick before the night was over, so I ended up back in our room kind of early.  I don't know what came over me.  I went from doing the electric slide to being sick in a matter of 10 minutes.   (and NO, for once it wasn't alcohol!)  I did at least have a good time for the few hours before that.  I just wished I would have been able to stay out a little later and really enjoy a night out.  Kenley stayed with grandma and grandpa, and they enjoyed every minute of having her.

It was great having a day off today, and we really took advantage of the beautiful weather.  I got up early and took Kenley for a run in the jogging stroller while Ray was out golfing.  Then, we met him at Greg's parent's house to go swimming in their pool.  It was Kenley's first time swimming, and she loved it!  This was one of the things that I have most looked forward to doing with her.  Since my idea of a perfect day involves hot weather, sun, and water, I could not wait to see how Kenley liked the pool.  We had a baby floating raft with a sun shade and she sat in that for quite a while as content as could be.  I took many pictures and even captured a few seconds on the video recorder.  I can not wait to have many more days like this one in the next few months!