Monday, June 22, 2009

Trip to Chicago





We took Matthew on his first official family vacation to Chicago. We visited Shedd Aquarium and Brookfield Zoo while we were there. Shedd Aquarium was a big waste of time. It was their "free" admission weekend, so we were there with about 5,000 other people. After driving in traffic for an hour to reach the aquarium and standing in line for 45 minutes (we were in the very short line because we had a stroller, the other line was at least a two hour wait) we finally got into the aquarium only to find out that the "free" admission was only for the freshwater fish and the other areas were extra. So $45 later (luckily Matthew was free because of his age) we were on an elevator and ready to embark on the aquarium. There were so many people there that we could not see any of the attractions on the main floor. We went to a few of the "pay" areas that were far less congested and saw some pretty cool things, like saw fish, sharks, jellyfish, exotic saltwater fish and sting rays. We also fought through the crowd to get to the dolphin arena only to find out that the dolphin shows were canceled for the time being. We did visit the underwater viewing so Matthew could see the dolphins and manatees swim and he was very intrigued with them as well as the penguins. After a much easier trip back tot he burbs, we relaxed and had a nice dinner at Cheesecake Factory. The plus of Shedd Aquarium was watching the massive storm roll into downtown Chicago just a few miles north of us. This same storm produced tornadoes in the burbs about an hour before. It was an amazing site to watch and luckily we didn't get a drop of rain on us!

On Saturday we took Matthew to Brookfield Zoo which was a much nicer experience. We walked around the 215 acre zoo for four hours seeing all kinds of great animals. Matthew was very interested in many, often saying "wow" and everything they did! They had a special exhibit called Dinosaurs Alive, which features life size anamatronic dinosaurs. This was a little scary for Matthew, so he stayed his distance. Once we got back to the hotel we spent an hour in the pool to cool off and Matthew loved that! We swam around with him, threw him back and forth between us and even taught him how to kick his legs while on his back. We capped off our day with a late lunch to the Rainforest Cafe.

All in all we had a great time. Matthew did a great job of sleeping on his "big boy" bed in the hotel (a toddler aerobed) and slept all three nights without any problems or fuss. Though I do feel bad for our hotel neighbors because Matthew gets very excited when he wakes up and a few mornings at 8:00 am he decided to run around and scream at the top of his lungs just for the fun of it. He enjoyed watching the cars on the highway outside our hotel window and watching the big airplanes take off and land from Ohare. He kept saying "cars" and "trucks" while watching out the window. We were very lucky to be able to take Matthew on this trip with everything going on in our lives right now, but we had been planning for it for a year, so we were well saved up. Enjoy the pictures at our usual site.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

2 year check-up

Ryan and I took Matthew for his 2 year check-up today and we got a clean bill of health! He now weighs 27.25 pounds (25th percentile) and is 33.75 inches tall (25th percentile). He is proportionate in both height and weight and we couldn't be happier. An added bonus was that he was up to date for his shots, so we didn't have to get any and we don't have to return until he is three. The doctor is also pleased with Matthew's growing vocabulary and isn't worried at all. We will go to the ENT in July to have another hearing screen and have his ears checked. We also plan on starting the potty training process this summer since I will be home with him for a constant. Who knows how that will turn out.

We are gearing up for our first family vacation this week. We are taking Matthew to Chicago to go to Shedd Aquarium and Brookfield Zoo. We will be staying for three nights and coming home late Sunday night. It is also a trip for our sixth anniversary and Father's Day, which both fall on Sunday!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

It's done!





Ryan worked very hard the past week and a half to complete Matthew's swing set! We got to play on it yesterday for the first time when Aunt Cara, Uncle Brian and Cousin Maia came to visit. Matthew took very well to the rock wall and loved the slide while Maia enjoyed the swings. Today after the rain stopped and Matthew woke up from nap, we went back outside for more playtime. This time, Matthew took it upon himself to climb the rock wall by himself! Ryan was standing very close just in case, but he didn't need much help at all. Once at the top, he scooted to the slide and went down all by himself. He did that over and over for a while until we moved him to the swings. He actually liked the swings today and really likes his toddler swing we got for him yesterday. It sits slightly reclined so he can relax while being pushed. He also liked to do short swings on his glider. We still have to set up the sandbox under the clubhouse and mulch out the play area, but the hardest part is over. School is out on Thursday for the summer and we are looking forward to many play dates on the new swing set this summer. Take a look at our picture site for more pictures of the set and Matthew playing! Enjoy!