Alexander Matthew

Couldn't resist sharing a few more pictures of this little cutie!

A Visit with Alex

Today Poppa, Gramma, and Olivia visited Prentice Women's Hospital to check on Mommy, Daddy and Alex. Since this was Olivia's second visit she was quite excited to see everyone. As we drove to the hospital, she seemed to know exactly where we were going. Olivia is practicing to be a helpful big sister and always tells Poppa and Gramma to "Shhhhh" when we're near Alex's new crib. Olivia says a good approximation of Alex's name and she talks about him often.

We all thought Mom and Alex looked great. Mom had a good night's sleep, and I think you can tell from the pictures she looks well rested (I'd say radiant). Bec's smile lights up the room and she is positive and upbeat, especially when she's near Alex.

Alex is just about the most beautiful baby one could imagine, and we're all thrilled to welcome him into the world and into our little family. he is doing quite well and its easy to see how much he enjoys spending time with his Mom and Dad. He definitely loves cuddling up with his parents and grandparents.

It was a big thrill for me to hold little Alex for the first time today. He's the cutest little peanut, and he certainly enjoyed snuggling with his Poppa as he burrowed into my arms and got all nice and warm. Snuggling with my grandchildren is one of my greatest pleasures, and I will remember my first time with Alex for the rest of my life. I'm sure I'll enjoy recounting the story of the first time I held him many times in the future!

To Do/Poppa Do List!

Jane and I are very excited about the arrival of the new grandchild (#6 for us!) We've been spending the weekend getting ready. Here's our to do list: do the laundry, pack our bags, clean the house, wash the car, turn off the A/C, assemble tools for Bec's Daddy Do list, pay bills, return movies, banking, assemble recipes and spices, yardwork, pool maintenance, stop the mail and paper, organize great-grandpa's meds and laundry... and probably a few other things I've forgotten. Matt, Bec, and O here we come! P.S. We're also looking forward to seeing some friends and visiting with the other grandkids, and catching up with John and Marilyn.

Charlie Loves Grapes

One thing Charlie loves to do is eat, and one of his favorite foods is grapes. It's been a bit of a challenge to keep the fridge filled this summer with the grandkids visiting so often! And Charlie is certainly doing his part to keep us making trips to the grocery store.

O Weeds a Flowerbed

Olivia is always eager to help around the house. I like to think it's because she's getting ready to be a big sister. When it comes to yardwork, she is the most enthusiastic helper anyone could ask for. As you can see O takes her work VERY seriously. And, of course. Gramma was grateful for the help.

Art Lessons

My brother, Chris, is a passionate artist and doodler who never misses a chance to draw and get others to draw. On a recent trip to Michigan he spent some time with Trevor and Abby doing just that. As you can tell, he had them spellbound. I can't remember the last time I saw Trevor and Abby sit still for that long! And Trevor was so inspired he signed up for a week of Art Camp in Joliet. Good job, Chris.

Fixit Project

One of my projects last week was to fix the handle on the bathroom door (which gets quite a workout during the summer with everyone using the pool). I needed a bit of help. Fortunately Olivia was around to help... and she had her own tools! She got right down to work and threw herself into the project. With her help I had the door fixed in a flash.

O Loves to Draw!

One of my favorite things to do is draw with my grandchildren, and I had an opportunity to do just that with Olivia the other day. We had great fun scribbling all over a giant pad of paper. She loves sorting through the crayons to pick out her favorite colors. O tries to imitate whatever marks I make... and she always seems to want MY crayon! I really enjoyed listening to her laugh and giggle as she made lots of bold crayon strokes attacking the paper with the gusto of a budding Picasso.

Sully"s Silly Dive

Sully loves swimming in our pool and he's turning into quite a little fish. He can hold his breath longer than Poppa and Gramma. He can swim across the pool in 2 breaths. He can dive for sunken treasure. But what he loves to do the most is invent all kinds of different dives. Here's a video of one of his inventions he calls his "silly"dive.

Sully and Charlie Build a Dam

Sully and Charlie had a chance recently to visit the Childrens' Garden at The Morton Arboretum. They both had lots of fun exploring the gardens, treehouses, and various play areas. However the highlight of the day was collecting rocks and building dams in the play river that winds through much of the garden. What could be more fun than a child friendly engineering project that included an opportunity to get wet on a hot summer day?