Memorial Day Weekend

Our weekend started off on Friday. Jamie took the day off and we spent it at Discovery Kingdom (). It's an amusement park that has animals in it! Jamie usually rides on at least one roller coaster while we are there but we were all having so much fun just walking around, seeing the animals, and taking Kian through the child area and doing things with him there :)

We went to a Dolphin show - Kian was BESIDE himself during the whole show - it was so neat!




We saw penguins, a tiger show, and the walruses. There was one walrus named Jocko who was VERY entertaining! He seriously was performing for us and seemed to be enjoying himself! I am quite positive that he could see us through the glass - he would clap his fins when we would clap our hands together and seemed to be looking Kian right in the face! Apparently he was also in the movie 50 First Dates - along with some of the dolphins...it doesn't shock me because Jocko was such a good entertainer!




Saturday we rested up and got some things done around the house. Sunday Jamie went golfing with some buddies from work while Kian and I did some shopping for grilling on Monday. Monday was a day of getting some more things done around the house and the evening was spent relaxing with a movie and a yummy grilled dinner :)

All-in-all it was a great weekend! Most of all because we were able to spend some good family time together :) We are all looking forward to when we can go back to Discovery Kingdom!

Kian's Birthday Celebration Weekend!

Saturday we had our friends Steve and Lisa over to celebrate Kian's third birthday. Jamie went and picked out a balloon bouquet for Kian. The main balloon was of Blue's head and then there were three other balloons that had the number three on them. Kian LOVED them!

We had turkey burgers, corn on the cob, my mom's baked beans, and of course Kian's birthday cake that I made (and to be honest I'm pretty proud of if I may say!)

Then Kian opened gifts. We saved a few gifts from his actual birthday so that he would be able to enjoy them in spurts. Lisa and Steve bought him some coloring books (a Mickey Mouse one to help him get started thinking about our trip to Disney this fall and a Blue's Clues one that you can actually wipe clean - how cool is that!). They also got him a Magnadoodle...I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - Steve or Kian hehe ;)

We all really enjoyed having Steve and Lisa over :) Here's a fun fact - Steve and Lisa were actually the first people that saw Kian right after he was born. And even though they have lived out of state, somehow trips back to the Bay Area have coinsided with Kian's birthday so they have been with us literally for each of Kian's birthdays. How cool is that! :)

Sunday (today) we took it easy in the morning and then in the afternoon we headed to San Jose (about a 45 minute drive) to see Sesame Street Live! We all had a great time! In the Arena were two old phone booths (minus the phones lol) and Jamie found a ledge where he could set up the camera to automatically take the photo while we all shut ourselves inside. That was really funny hehe Kian LOVED the show! He kept yelling "Hi Big Bird" and waving to him - so of course we had to buy him a Big Bird stuffed animal at intermission - he held it the ENTIRE time even the whole way home! The show was really fun, the characters REALLY looked like the puppets come to life! There were some really funny dance routines and great songs that everyone joined in and sang.

All-in-all it was a great weekend and I think Kian really enjoyed the celebration of turning three!

Here is a slide show of the celebration of Kian's birthday - it starts with waking him up on his actual birthday on through until Sesame Street today :)

Here are some photos of the paw print cake I made for Kian's Blue's Clues themed party that we had yesterday. It's not the best, but I was pretty proud of it because well, I'm not cake decorator! hehe




Here is a video of Kian the morning of his birthday - we decorated when he was asleep so it felt like Christmas almost!



Here is a video of Kian enjoying his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse:

On the Menu last night was a Pea Up the Nose

So, last night I was feeding Kian. I warmed up some frozen peas for him, put them on his plate, turned around to wash out the bowl I had them in and Kian said something like “Where’s the green bean?” I turned around to tell him they were peas and that they were on his plate and found Kian with his finger up his nose!

I tilted his head back and sure enough it was in there – WAY up there! I asked him to blow and he sniffed in – so I showed him how to blow and he didn’t understand. So I tried to get it suctioned out with a bulb syringe - holding one the other nostril shut and nothing worked.

I called my mom and emailed Jen (my sister used to stick stuff up her nose all the time and my friend Jen is just my go-to gal when it comes to needing veteran mom advice because her oldest is 10 and she has three boys :)) Both of them suggested calling a nurse direct line.

The nurse asked me to do certain things with Kian and honestly by this time I couldn't see the pea any more. The nurse said to get him to a doctor within 6 hours....ugh! It was almost 7 by this time so Kian and I headed to Urgent Care. Jamie met us there after he got home from work.

Once Jamie got there, he said that he did a bit of research on the net about kids getting peas stuck up their noses...I guess peas can swell so the longer you wait the more stuck the pea can become. It's a good thing we took him in.

Anyway, luckily Jamie's general physician was the doctor in the Urgent Care last night - someone we know and trust. So, the doctor looked in his nose with the devise that they use to do that and he could see the pea! So, he told us that one of us needed to hold the nostril that didn't have the pea in it closed and make a good seal around his mouth and blow. Jamie did it and after two blows the pea flew out! It was amazing LOL

So, we got home an hour after Kian's bed time but at least he's pea free lol And hopefully he won’t be putting things up his nose again – but if he does at least we know what we can do to get it out if we can!

Kian's 3 Year Check up :)

So, we went to a new Peds office and I REALLY liked it (you might recall my really horrid experience with our first ped in the area when I was getting ready for our trip to Wisconsin).

The doctor was SO friendly and you know how you can just tell those people that really, really like kids verses those that don't really know what to do when they are near them...well this doctor was definitely one that loved kids and loved his job. You could just tell.

Anyway, Kian weights in at 28lbs which I figured out is about the 15 percentile. And measures 36" which is also about the 15 percentile. His weight is up from what it has been in the past (5-10 percentile) but the doctor assured me that he is not fat. The doctor says he's just thickening out and that's a good thing :)

The exciting thing is that they guessed Kian would be the same height as his daddy (5'9")! I was very pleased to hear that since the short gene runs on my side of the family - I guess we will find out how true that all is in about 15 years lol!

The Ped answered ALL my questions. Kian even seems to be above target in some of the things that he is doing at this age (throwing a ball, jumping and things like that).

I feel very confident with this doctor in going back to this Ped.

Oh, and Kian also got a shot :( A Hep shot, but I didn't realize it an wasn't able to really prep Kian for it. I felt so bad that I took him to McDonald's for dinner lol (a special treat for him!)

My Baby Turns Three Today!

I can't believe that three years ago today I was in the midst of my 18 hour labor with Kian. I remember the first time I saw him after he was delivered, how the first thing I noticed was his LONG eyelashes (that he still has) and how much he looked like his Daddy.

This last year has been one of discovery for Kian. In the last year he has started to put sentences together, learned to say A LOT more words than I can count and looks more and more like a little kid every day than a baby.

We started getting read for Kian's big day last night. I wrapped Kian's gifts and Jamie hung up some signs my Aunt Lori had made for him - one is a big birthday cake that's a card holder - it says Happy Birthday Kian and the other is a banner that says Happy Birthday Kian on it :) Jamie also blew up a few balloons for Kian to play with.

I set out some Blue's Clues plates and napkins for him to eat on today, Jamie put together his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so we had that sitting out with his other gifts.

This morning it felt almost like Christmas! Kian saw his Birthday Cake sign and flipped out :) He was so surprised!

We then let him open his gifts and we played with him for a little while before Jamie left for work. I am SO glad we decided to do it this way because we definitely wanted Daddy to be apart of the festivities too!

Today for lunch we went to McDonald's for some chicken "wuggets" and later we will have some cupcakes that I made last night when we went to bed :)

We will be having more of a party on May 19th and then the 20th we will take him to see Sesame Street Live for his birthday - so I guess the celebration will be over the next few weeks! hehe

Happy Third Birthday to my favorite little man! What in the world would we do without you!


(I made this for a signature on my message boards to celebrate Kian's bithday - I just thought I would share :))

Photos from Wisconsin Trip

Recovering

Kian and I are still recovering from our big trip. We had a great time visiting family, but now it's back to the daily grind.

Kian and I hung around the house the last few days. I wanted to give him plenty of time to just play and be on his own schedule again. It took a day or so to break Kian of waking up at 6:30 (he usually wakes at about 8AM) and he's been napping a lot lately which has been good for him to get back in sync and get over the end of this cold.

So, now I am in catch up mode. Jamie did an AMAZING job of keeping the house in order. I just have laundry to catch up on and the normal day-to-day things to do. I also have a huge back log of work to catch up on. I've spent the last few days trucking through as much as I can every day during Kian's nap - I'm still not even remotely caught up :(

I finally went grocery shopping today so I am not longer Old Mother Hubbard's rival. It's funny to go from a fridge that has pretty much nothing to one that barely has room to groove!

Kian and I are looking forward to spending all weekend with Jamie. We really don't have any plans per say, just to be together and enjoy each other. We all missed each other so much!

Recap of Kian's First Trip to Wisconsin

Let me preface by saying that Jamie had to stay home while Kian and I traveled to Wisconsin. Jamie is getting deep into the project he's working on and was unable to leave. It also was a bit of a stretch for just me and Kian to go....if Jamie came too we would have to tack on the cost of parking and kenneling Toby (our dog). SO, Jamie had to stay home...we all really missed each other a lot. But the trip was worth it :)

Tuesday, April 24 –
Kian and I head out from San Francisco to Wisconsin. We get in late and have little time to visit before Kian needs to get to bed. It was very good to be back home, but after a long trip it was good to rest.

My mom, my sister Laura, Laura's boyfriend Brian, Grandma and Grandpa Z. and Aunt Lori were all there to greet us when we passed through the security point.


Wednesday, April 25 –
Laura took a day off of work and went shopping with us downtown Appleton so I could do to the Irish store there. I probably could have spent all my money there! I was able to find a wall plaque with Kian’s name on it in the store! I had to special order it, but it’s going to be worth it! Where else can you find Kian’s name but in an Irish store ;) I will take a picture of it once I receive it – I think it’s pretty cool!

That evening was a celebration for my cousin Melissa’s 21st birthday. A bunch of family members gathered at Frank’s Pizza Palace for some GREAT pizza and beer (well for those who were of age ;)) Kian had a great time hugging his third cousin (my cousin Steve’s daughter) Ameerah and going to see what he called the “whale” in the fish tank in the front of the restaurant. It was a great time to visit with family and Kian’s first induction into being at a big family event.

Thursday, April 26 –
Wednesday night Kian woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He had caught a cold the day we left on our trip and I was afraid he might have an ear infection – especially after I asked him if he owies and he told him his ear did after he finally calmed down. I felt SO bad for him. So, Thursday morning I called our insurance company to find an urgent care in the area that would take our insurance. Luckily there was one nearby (and it only cost us $10). My step-dad, Randy, drove us there since so much has changed in the area and I had no idea where the place was! Kian was ok, we were just told to keep him on cough meds and pain reliever to prevent the infection. He was much better after that.

My mom took a half day of vacation and was done with work at 11AM. We picked up my Aunt Lori at my Grandparent’s house and headed to the Fox Cities Children’s museum. We all had a good time. In fact, I’m not sure if Lori, mom or Kian had more fun lol! There were a lot of things to do there! Kian was able to “shop” at Kwik Trip, play doctor, ride a fire truck, work a crane, play with a ball structure that was really fun (we have photos of that, it’s hard to describe), play in a water exhibit and tour a Hispanic cultural exhibit phew! We all did have a great time!

For dinner we ate at Tom’s Drive In – and yes I did have fried cheese curds ;)

Friday, April 27 –
Randy and Mom took off of work. It was Randy’s birthday. In the morning Kian and I watched him open some gifts and we hand delivered our cards to him. Kian was able to play outside with Mom’s dog Hannah – they had a good time. Later on Kian met his Great Grandma and Grandpa Lopas (Randy’s parents).

That evening we went out for a classic Wisconsin Friday Night Fish Fry. Kian didn’t have fish (he’s not able to have fish until he’s about 5 because of his food allergy) but he did have some jello and yummy chicken nuggets. I really enjoyed my fish though! Yum!

We went back to Mom and Randy’s house while everyone else went out to a bar near the house. Laura visited with me and Kian until his bed time. Then me and my mom switched places so I could spend some time with my cousins at the bar. The seriously funny part is that BOTH me and my sister (who is 27) were carded!!! Let me tell ya, I was pretty proud to have someone ask me for my ID being that I turned 30 in October ;)

Saturday, April 28 –
Since I knew that Kian would be really overwhelmed by people, I planned a day at home for me and Kian. He loved being able to have time to play with all the fun little toys my mom got him.

After his nap, we started to get ready for the big party – my Grandma and Grandpa Zuelzk’s 50th wedding anniversary. Kian was pretty overwhelmed at times – which was to be expected since he’s never really been around that many people that wanted to see him! My sister and her boyfriend Brian sat near us and were big helps with Kian (thanks again guys!) The dinner was great so was the entertainment! My sister and Brian sang some songs that were special for my grandparents. My uncle Steve put together a picture slideshow of family from the beginning of the 50 years of marriage on down to the great-grandchildren. It was really neat to see that – he did a great job! Then we were asked to clear the dining area so they could set up the dance floor. In the bar area, where we were waiting, there was one of those machines that has all the stuffed animals in it with a crane to pluck them out. Laura spent about $7 trying to get one out and then my cousin Melissa walks over and gets one after putting a dollar in! My third cousin, Camlyn (she’s 3 ½) saw Kian’s toy and wanted it. So after Laura gave it two more tries my cousin Melissa walks over and gets another stuffed animal! So Kian and Camlyn both had one. Kian wouldn’t let go of his all night - it even followed him to the dance floor! Kian and I headed out well before everyone else. Kian was beat and honestly so was I. I put Kian to bed and was able to just relax a bit before heading to bed myself.

Sunday, April 29 –
Kian and I relaxed a bit in the morning and then got ready to head over to my Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry’s house to visit with the Kesler side of the family (some of my dad’s sisters and brothers). My Aunt Katie drove about 2 hours from Milwaukee. My Uncle Jim came with his wife Debbie and daughter Jenny from Madison area (about a 3 hour drive I think). My Uncle Paul was there as well as my Aunt Sue’s daughter Becky and son Craig. Laura and her boyfriend Brian were there as well. My Aunt Jane in Texas “joined” us via telephone after dinner was over. It was a pretty good turn out, in my opinion :)

My Aunt Sue had a wonderful BBQ planned which had some of the same foods I had a lot growing up – like Knox Blocks and Beautiful Salad. That really brought back a lot of memories for me. Not to mention, my Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry live in the house that my Dad grew up in and I guess I did a bit too. I have a lot of memories of spending time at that house.

Kian had a good time walking both my Uncle Paul and Uncle Jim around the outside of the house. I think they both probably walked about a mile with how much Kian was asking them for walks :)

It was very good to visit with them. I am very thankful for those who traveled a long ways to see us and for my Sue and Terry hosting the shindig.

I took Kian home for a much needed nap. When he woke up we headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa Zuelzke’s house to visit with family there. Kian had a GREAT time playing with Camlyn.

Monday, April 30 –
We kind of took it easy. Mom and I went to the mall so I could look at some pieces live-in person of my Fiestaware so I could figure out what I wanted to add to my collection. We also walked to another store in the mall, which passed by the service desk where they have a TON of balloons. Kian saw a Blue’s Clues balloon that my mom couldn’t resist getting him. I think he played with that all day on Monday. We had lunch at Tom’s Drive In again – per my request :) After we ate we headed to the cheese store near my mom’s house for some fresh cheese curds so I could bring them home with me.

Then we headed over to Brian’s house for cook out. Brian made some GREAT brats and we had some other yummy things like beans and Best Chocolate Cake. My Aunt Lori, Grandma and Grandpa Zuelzke, and my Mom and Randy were all there. We shared family stories and shared some wine. Then it was time for us to say our goodbyes.

Tuesday, May 1-
Kian and I got up early to start our trek back to Wisconsin. My Aunt Lori, Mom and Grandma and Grandpa Zuelzke came to say goodbye at the airport. My Grandpa bought Kian a Packers baseball hat. Kian was a big crank and he wasn’t in form to give anyone a hug goodbye so he just waved and blew kisses (after I prompted him). It was hard to leave, but I am so happy we were able to go to celebrate my Grandparent’s special day.

We're Back!

I don't have much time to post, but I wanted to make sure I updated that Kian and I got home safely.

I am slowly working on a long post along with photos. Right now I am swamped with work and trying to get some household things done. This morning I spent a good chunk of time trying to research a new doctor for Kian since he needs his 3 year check up!

Anyway, more later! Kian and I had a great time, but it's good to be home :)