The Last 2 Year Celebration...

We were in Pewaukee this weekend to celebrate Rowan's 2nd birthday with Grandma and Grandpa Knutson, Aunt Amanda and Uncle Mitchell! It sure was a fun filled Saturday. Rowan went strong for so many hours, she didn't sleep much Saturday night! More on that later.

Luckily the cloudy weather that we drove through on our way into town cleared out nicely just before lunchtime, so we were able to do lots of play activities outside! She played with bubbles, chalk, balls, washers, and of course the pool!

And it wouldn't be a birthday celebration without presents and cake! Rowan got many wonderful gifts to add to her 2nd birthday collection! Super spoiled she is. She was still overly interested in the cards. Good thing, because these cards even came with gifts inside! Rowan got a tricycle, and she loves the 'trunk'. She was pushing Elmo around in the trunk, she has done more pushing of the bike so far than riding. But she does attempt to put her feet on the pedals sometimes! She will learn!

Then there was our favorite cake! Ice Cream Cake with Disney Princesses! Perfect for our tiara theme this year! She did pretty good with blowing out the candles too!

Great Grandma Simonson joined us for the party too! We managed to get a few group pictures while we were all together! After dinner and cake, we had a bonfire with s'mores! Delightful! It was my first bonfire of the summer. Kurt, CJ, and Dan joined us for some bonfire fun as well. Then when Rowan decided after 2 hours of sleeping that it was time to get up, I headed to bed to try to put a kabosh on that idea.

So after Rowan's busy day of playing and swimming, she managed to sleep a total of about 7 hours. She only napped for 50 minutes, and that was with Amanda and I napping with her. And then, she slept from 9-11pm, and 4-8am. She kept tossing and turning and going from the pack n play to the bed from 12-4am. It was brutal. Not sure why she couldn't fall asleep. I guess over tired! Needless to say, she napped and hour on the way home, and then we all took a 2.5 hour nap after lunch as well. It was much needed for all of us to catch up after our interupted nights sleep and busy Saturday!

Rain Woman...

Rowan and I were going to take Gizmo out to the bathroom tonight, and it started raining as we were heading out the door. Gizmo then didn't want to go outside, so I decided to get Rowan's rain boots on, and let her play in the rain! We don't have a raincoat, so a sweatshirt worked fine! She had fun standing and jumping in the water! Worked perfect because we just stripped her wet clothes and took a bath afterwards, with a popple of course!

Allergy Alert...

Rowan officially has an allergy....to the Penicillin family!

Sunday morning we noticed a few red marks on Rowan's arms, and thought they were bug bites. But by the evening they had multiplied and were all over her body. Rowan has been on Amoxicillin since last Tuesday, and this is her 3rd time being on the antibiotic in her life. I had also given her Benadryl Sunday morning because she has an old mosquito bite on her left ankle that she has recurrently scratched open and is therefore swollen and red with a rash as well. This was present last week too, but looked worse on Sunday.

So Ed and I were going back and forth on what it could be before I headed to work on Sunday, and since she was supposed to go to daycare on Monday, we decided we would probably have to take her to the MD this morning if they weren't better in the morning. And of course they were way worse. So off to the doctor we went, as a family this morning. And sure enough, hives they are. And the are assuming it is the Amoxicillin that caused them. So we stopped that today, and she is now taking Zithromax for 5 days (because we were only on day 6 of the Amoxicillin for her ear infection), and we are also taking Prednisone (a steroid) for not only the hives, but her foot as well. We are assuming her foot isn't infected because it isn't hurting her at all, but it looks pretty nasty sometime, swollen, rashy, discolored around the bite site, but the bite is pretty much healed. Therefore, she was off to daycare after the MD appointment since we weren't dealing with anything contagious, and I headed home to sleep and Ed off to work!

When I picked Rowan up from daycare, the hives seemed worse. And we were warned that they will come and go. But tonight during bath, they seem to be fading. So we will see how long it takes for her to be 'spot' free. Ed has been calling her Spotty all day!

Excuse the naked pictures, but I needed some documentation of the hives, and she wasn't very cooperative when I was trying to take pics!

Who needs sleep...?

Apparently not me...

I worked last night from 7p-7a, and will be doing that all weekend. So therefore I was supposed to sleep most of Saturday, but it is all coming back to me, on how well I don't sleep during the day. Ed and Rowan were gone most of the morning, so the house was quiet. But I managed to wake up at 2pm. Laid there for almost an hour trying to force myself to go back to sleep, but it didn't happen, so I decided to get up.

When I got up, Ed, Rowan and Gizmo were out in the backyard with the pool and beach ball sprinkler! So I went out to join them. This was our first time being in our actual yard! The grass is coming along, but still needs work, hopefully by the end of the summer it will be well on it's way! Ed even mowed it for the first time on Friday night! So anyway, being that it was our first time in our backyard, we finally met the neighbors behind us. One family is actually moving to Atlanta at the end of the week, so we won't get to know them at all. But the other family isn't going anywhere. Oh yeah, the people were moving into the house next to us this weekend too, so we met them as well!

So Rowan was invited to play on the swingset of the family behind us anytime. Apparently the families behind us have bonfires in the street almost every friday and saturday night, and they like to drink beer, so they asked what our drinks of choice are, so they could have it available. The family behind us that isn't moving has 5 year old twin girls, and are expecting in February. And they have a dog named Bucky, who is 4 or 5 months old. Gizmo had a blast running with him! The family next to us has a 2 year old boy. The family that is moving has a 6 year old boy, and a 3 year old boy. The 3 year old (Ethan) is in the picture with Rowan below, he really liked playing with her.

Gizmo had so much fun running, and got so tired and hot, that he decided to take a dip in Rowan's pool. He has never done this for us before. I know he has been in a pool at Karen's house before, but has never gotten in Rowan's. And as you can see, she wasn't a fan. She kept telling him to get out! Luckily we were outside long enough for him to dry off!

The visiting with the neighbors started with the men, then all the ladies and children joined us as well. So we were outside talking with them from like 3-5pm, then had to head in to shower and eat and go to work.

Oh...and on a side note, turns out the neighbors came and knocked on the door at 930pm to invite Ed out to the bonfire. He was out with the neighbors until 2am!

Bathing Beauty..

Just another day in the pool in the driveway! Someday it will move to the yard!

2 Year Check-up

This look says it all...

Weight: 26 pounds (40th percentile)

Height: 34.5 inches (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 46 cm (15th percentile)

Overall, Rowan got a good report, except I left the office feeling like a horrible mother. I guess we have just gotten used to Rowan's on and off crabbiness and constant runny nose, and always attribute it to daycare! I really try not to take her to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. She was there 1 week after starting daycare with hand/foot/mouth disease and an ear infection. Obviously worth the visit. Then I had her there in June due to her waking a ton during the night for several days, and she left with a clean bill of health. So today, I take her for her first well visit since living here and leave with a script for Amoxicillin. Yup, sure enough she has an ear infection and her ear drum ruptured it was so bad! Nice Mom, huh! So apparently whenever she was crabbiest last, there was good reason for it. She was in great spirits at the doctors office though.

Otherwise the Nurse Practitioner asked the standard questions, about eating, and talking, and sleeping, etc, etc. I was thinking she might be lagging behind slightly on her talking, but then the few days before her visit she was talking up a storm, in her gibberish of course. She has been saying Thank you (and not just signing it) and Love You, all the time. She can definitely put 2 words together, and usually in a bossy manner. Mom go, Dad go, Mom come, Dadda come, doggy go! Such a girl!

She left the office with 2 bandaids, one from the Hep A vaccine, and the other from a Lead test lab draw. We coulda skipped the lead test, but since her level was elevated at her 1 year appointment and we failed to follow up, I was curious, luckily she didn't even notice the finger prick!

Currently, Rowan is wearing a size 6 shoe, some size 7 (Nike and Gap). Wears some 2T, but definitely still in 18-24 months. She has a shoe obsession just like her mom. And if you ask her what she wants to wear, if Cindy Lou is clean, that is what she grabs. Poor Cindy will be in shreds like some of Daddy's t-shirts before we know it! Not sure what I would say is her favorite toy right now. She still loves to cover anyone and any animal/doll with blankets and help them nap. Grinch is still her sleeping buddy.

Potty training is still a bit off for us I think. Although she does usually tell us when she has pooped, after the fact. But it is a start. I haven't even bought a potty seat yet. Probably will soon though. Hoping maybe we can accomplish the training before we invite another child into the family (no I am not pregnant yet!) Which is why I think it could be possible.

We are still using a pacifier! Probably more than we would have liked at this age, but she does usually willingly give it up if you ask her too. If we haven't ditched it before another child, she will be giving them to her new sibling for sure. She is still sleeping in a crib, hasn't even tried to climb out. So we plan to keep her there until she either climbs out or we need it for another child.

Rowan definitely keeps us on our toes, and proves to us daily how rewarding being parents are!

Love you RowRow!

FaMiLy TrIp To ThE zOo...

We were able to drag Nana and Papa with us to the zoo today too! Not so successful with Uncle Dusty and Aunt Julie! Oh well. Someday. It was a very nice day at the zoo, maybe a little warm, but not as bad as yesterday. We were sort of hesitating on whether or not we should go because of the heat, so didn't arrive until just before lunchtime. But we enjoyed it.

Rowan wasn't so excited about the train ride until it started going. And for sure, it was Kieran's favorite thing about the zoo! And of course it was the last thing we did. We probably never would have gotten him off of it otherwise!

Rowan wasn't a fan of feeding the goats either. She hung onto Papa very tightly while I got to get slobbered by the goats! Oh well! The one thing Rowan was a fan of was riding in the KB and Grady's double stroller. She wanted nothing to do with her own stroller after she rode with a companion. Maybe someday she will have a companion of her own!

R&KB's Birthday Celebration...

It started with decor....Trucks and Tiaras...

Our Birthday Princess turns 2 officially...

Due to the fact that us adults had a wedding to attend last night, we decided we would celebrate on Sunday with breakfast and a trip to the zoo. Breakfast consisted of pancakes, bacon, and cupcakes. Very well rounded and healthy. For a 2 and 3 year old anyway! They enjoyed it!

Of course there were presents! It was torturous making them wait 24 hours to open presents, but they did it! And Rowan had no interest in it when it was time to actually do it. She was having a rough morning, and her interest ended with the card envelopes! So Kieran got to open pretty much every gift except the one gift you see Rowan opening! She got many nice things. New clothes and shoes, Potterybarn Kids lunchbox and gear, a television painting game/toy (my kind of mess free entertainment, thanks Dusty and Julie). Very spoiled again!

And we couldn't leave out dessert! KB and Rowan had one cupcake before breakfast, and one after breakfast when we actually sang to them and they blew out candles. They did great together. Rowan was KB's cheering squad!

The shirts that Rowan and Kieran are wearing were made by Nana! I found some shirts that I liked on etsy.com, and asked her if she could make them at a lesser price! And she did! Thanks Nana!

It is so fun to see how the two of them interact more and more and enjoy each other more and more as they get older and the more they see each other. They played great together!

Hallquist Wedding...

We were all invited to Hawk and Linda's son's wedding tonight.

It was a very nice time. Molly and I stayed back during the actual wedding with the kids, while Blayne, Eddie, Nana and Papa went. We figured why get a babysitter and then have a 2+ hour break between the wedding and cocktails. Then we all attended the dinner and reception, and Aunt Amanda came to watch the 3 kids. Luckily she survived! I was nervous for her!

She had 3 kids for part of the night, and at one point Molly and I picked up Grady and brought him to the reception for a couple hours so it was easier for Molly to feed him rather than running back and forth. It was nice that the reception was at the Red Circle Inn which is only a couple miles from Nana and Papa's house. So then when Grady was asleep for the night, they took him back to Amanda. This is what we came home too after the reception. Two passed out kids. Although they didn't pass out until 10pm, but they did. It is rare for Rowan to fall asleep without a pacifier! Apparently they had fun!

Thanks again Amanda, we really appreciated you watching them. (Oh and Grady wasn't awake when we got home, I just didn't have a picture of him sleeping and couldn't leave him out!)

Fun day in the Sun...

This morning we headed to the Farmer's Market in Appleton to get some fresh fruits and vegetables, and then jumped in the car to head to Nashotah! We had a busy, warm, fun filled weekend ahead of us.

Saturday started with heat, luckily we brought along Rowan's new beach ball sprinkler! It was quite a hit. Would have been more fun if Nana and Papa didn't have well water, and had enough water pressure to get water out of all three spouts! Oh well, the kids didn't know the difference. And it wouldn't be summer without 'popples'. Leave it up to Rowan to drink the water she was catching in her cup!

Rowan completely forgot how fun a jumperoo was too. She has never been around one with another baby in it besides herself. And boy did she take advantage. When Rowan was in it pushing the weight limit, she was giving Grady the ride of his life. She and Kieran were swinging him back and forth like a sling shot.

Poor Grady!

Happy 2nd Birthday Rowan...

We Love You!

Love, Mommy, Daddy and Gizmo

(sorry couldn't figure out how to flip the 2nd picture!)

Sunny Saturday in Conover...

We arrived at Lake Buckatoban around lunch time on Saturday, and the weather was beautiful. Glad we soaked up as much lake time as we did since this was our only sunny day of the weekend!  We had some lunch, and then put on our suits and relaxed and played in the water and sand. Rowan had so much fun splashing, and sitting on the pier, and floating in her floaty! She thought it was the coolest thing, way more fun this year than last year!

Rowan got a fishing pole from Karen, Doug, Gpa Bill and Gma Pam! The adults were actually into it more than she was. It ended up losing it's bait by the end of the weekend, but that is okay! She got to go on a boat ride in Deb and Stu's boat, she wasn't so into it, mainly because her life jacket was bothering her, so it was a short ride. She also pretended to drive Doug's boat, which she thought was pretty cool!

We had a mini birthday celebration for Rowan in the evening. Ordered some pizza from a local restaurant, and had some cupcakes too. I think Rowan had at least 2 cupcakes if not more. Well, at least 2 cupcakes worth of frosting for sure. I was lucky to get pictures with her tiara on, she was too interested in the cupcakes to realize there was something on her head! I didn't get great pictures of her decorations, but we had a pink and green tiara theme!

A few pictures of the party and decor!

And of course there were gifts too! Rowan was opening gifts before many even realized or were ready, so the pictures are a bit scant! But the rest of the post makes up for it! She got an interesting bike from Grandma and Grandpa Bill. It has no pedals or training wheels. Apparently it helps kids go right to a real bike, and it may help with her pigeon toes too? We will see. Among the rest of the gifts were some clothes, a beach ball sprinkler, a helmet, a lantern, and chair in a bag, a book, her fishing pole, a beach towel, and many other things I am sure I am leaving out. Thanks Karen, Doug, Gma Pam, Gpa Bill, Great Grandma and Grandpa, Deb and Stu for spoiling her!

A few family shots! Actually turned out pretty cute! Can't believe our baby is turning 2 already! Many more birthday posts to come!

July 4th Parade, Conover WI

So far we don't really have a good run with Rowan and parades.  If you recall, the Memorial day parade in Neenah, Rowan wasn't a fan of the bands, and wouldn't leave the safe haven of her wagon. Well, the 4th of July parade, she wasn't a fan of all the sirens and honking that the police vehicles were making. She cried, but was happy in the back of Judy's truck. So that is where she staying for most of the parade while her mother fought for candy for her!

After the parade we headed to the park for some music, tractor racing and food. The weather was raining on and off, so we didn't stay long!

Other Conover Randomness...

The biggest thing that Ed was excited about was fishing, and I don't think he got to do it as much as he would have liked because of the weather, but he did find some fish! Rowan did a lot of swinging on a big girl swing, lots of sand playing, and even some firework watching. Grandpa Bill had many fireworks to entertain the group! Because Rowan was up so late on Saturday, we tried to get her to bed in a timely fashion on Sunday, so we didn't see many fireworks that night!

While we were away, Gizmo spent the weekend at The Ruff House, a nice place that does grooming, day care, dog training, and overnight care too. He was well behaved, and was exhausted when we picked him up. He doesn't usually take to Rowan's laying on him well, but after this weekend he was too tired to care! He even came home with roughed up rear paws after all the playing he did.

It's been awhile...

....since I have posted a video!

Here is Rowan and Gizmo playing ball together.