Storm Lake Visit

We traveled to Storm Lake last weekend to get in some sun and water time!  Unfortunately, Mother Nature surprised us with record low temps both Friday night and Saturday night so we spent most of the weekend in long pants and sweatshirts.  So much for working on that tan!  

We had an amazing time despite the cold weather!  Elliott loved the beach and the boat.  He had absolutely no fear of the water and would have walked right in if we would have let him.  Yikes! This kids fearless attitude is going to give me gray hair.

Thanks for such an amazing weekend Pops and Mimi!

He was very uneasy about the cracks in the dock

Let me go Pops...

New Swing

First boat ride

Pops even let him drive!



Hugs for Mimi

Hmmm....I wonder how I can get into that water?

Building sand castles

15 Months

15 Months

 

Is it terrible two's yet? Holy cow, Elliott has a mind of his own!  He officially threw his first real fit this morning.  Lay down on the floor, kick his feet, and cry his eyes out fit.  And it was all over the medicine syringe that Dad took away.  Yikes! I think it's officially time to start reading the parenting books. Oh wait, I've already read two of them.  Shoot. I think I'm going to have to reread them.   

 

Despite moments like the one detailed above, Elliott is so much fun right now.  He is literally a sponge, soaking up everything that is happening around him.  I won't list in detail what he comprehends because it would take you all night to read this.  One of the cutest things he does right now is say "Oooh oooh aaah aaah" when you ask him what a monkey says.  Adorable! 

 

Favorite things include: reading books, playing basketball, anything that involves water, and pushing his own cart at the grocery store.

 

Schedule: Wake up around 6:30am, naps at 9:30 and 1:30 and 8:00 bedtime.  I thought he was ready to take one nap because he started taking only 50 minute naps and often times didn't want to take the 2nd nap.  We tried a couple days and we failed.  We are back to taking two naps and they are both usually between 1.5 to 2 hours.  He must be growing! 

I told him to pose like a model....just kidding!  But seriously, isn't that face so cute! 

 

First big boy haircut

 



Steamboat Springs

First Family Vacation

 

John and Laurie bought a week's stay at a condo in Steamboat Springs at a hospital fundraiser last year.  They asked all of the kids to join them for their vacation and we gladly accepted. "Vacation" felt like a foreign word to Mark and me after waiting two years to take one.  (Side note: I mentioned this to a male coworker who said, "Well, you took 12 full weeks of vacation last summer when you were on maternity leave with Elliott."  To that I say, someone who puts vacation and maternity leave in the same sentence has never done it.)

We fought (sorry, "discussed") for several weeks on whether to fly or drive.  Mark's worst nightmare was being stuck on a plane while Elliott screamed his head off, so we decided to drive the 15 hours.  Well folks, we got 15 hours of screaming in the car instead of 1.5 hours on the plane.  Elliott isn't necessarily fond of cars and slept a total of 4 hours on the drive.  What a nightmare!  We were already researching flight options for the travel back home before we even arrived in Steamboat.

The five days in Steamboat were absolutely amazing.  The weather was gorgeous! Eighty degrees in Colorado actually feels like 80, unlike Kansas City where 80 degrees leaves you with frizzy hair and sweaty shorts.  We decided not to move Elliott's schedule to Colorado time so we were up bright and early at 5:30 am MST most mornings.  I know, 5:30am wakeup calls are not on my list of vacation to-do's either.  Due to the early wakeup calls we spent most mornings going on long walks so we wouldn't wake up the rest of the house. We found a really cool stream/wading pool the first morning.  The water was numbing cold  but Elliott didn’t seem to mind!  

Hiking Fish Creek Falls

 

Swimming

 

Whitewater Rafting in Glenwood Springs

Thanks to Laurie for staying back with the little rugrat so we could enjoy an adventurous day on the river.

 

Night Out on the Town

 

 

Rodeo

 

Hahn's Peak ATV Ride

Unfortunately these things don't have car seats so Laurie got the short end of the stick and stayed back with Elliott again.

 

 

Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs

 

Gondola Ride to a Restaurant on Top of the Mountain

 

Elliott and I ended up taking a flight home.  He actually did very well for his first plane ride, despite Southwest's requirement that I purchase a ticket for him because I didn't have proof of his birthdate. They promised me they would refund the ticket if I sent in a copy of his birth certificate when I got home.  I'm not keeping my fingers crossed!

Our Own Nanny

Everyone warns you that having a kid is a lot of work.  You hear a lot of... "No more sleeping in," "No more free time," "No more relaxing Sundays."  I remember taking all these comments with a grain of salt.  "Yeah, yeah.  I know." 

But I didn't know.  I had no idea.  Adding Elliott to our family has been like adding a second full time job on my list of things to do for the day.  To Do #1: Be a mother.

The only thing different about this “To Do,” is that I actually want to do it.  I love being a mother and I absolutely love Elliott.  A parent's love for their child truly is indescribable.  However, there are moments that I wish Mark and I had help.  Someone to help change the dirty diapers.  Someone to help put him to bed at night.  Someone to watch him so I can run a quick 30 minute errand without lugging around a car seat.  Someone to help entertain him so I can actually make a real meal again without Elliott constantly begging at my side to be picked up.

Surprisingly, my wish was granted!  My brother’s fiancé stayed with us while she was on rotation with an allergist in Overland Park.  She was like our own live-in nanny!  We had a fun two weeks and we were sad to see her go! 

Story Time

Going Swimming

Uncle Danny and Elliott playing with Legos

Currie Family Pictures

We had family pictures taken a couple weekends ago at Loose Park.  I stopped trying to pretend I was a professional photographer and decided to finally pay someone to do it.  My expensive camera can take some great pictures, but I'm too impatient to sit down and figure out how to really use it! We spent two hours goofing around at a gorgeous park in Kansas City and we had an absolute blast!  The pictures turned out better than we could have imagined.  I'm posting the links because it will be easier than downloading each picture. Enjoy!

www.nikkieads.com/slideshows/currie
http://nikkieads.exposuremanager.com/g/currie

Huey P. Long Bridge

One of Mark's first projects with HNTB was the Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Project in New Orleans.  It's a 2,300 foot railroad and highway bridge that crosses the Mississippi River.  The project cost $1.2 billion and took seven years to complete.  HNTB was the erection engineer and was tasked with widening the steel trusses at the top of the bridge.  For three spans of the bridge, the trusses were built on barges on the side of the river and then lifted into place.  Each truss was approximately the size of two football fields. Mark traveled to New Orleans weekly from the fall of 2009 to the spring of 2011 and worked on what is now known as the "Big Lifts."   

The bridge was finally completed this year and the Louisiana Department of Transportation held a ribbon cutting ceremony this past Sunday.  Mark and I flew down for the weekend to attend the ceremony with some of his coworkers.  He had a great time reuniting with some of the contractors that he worked alongside for 18 months.  After listening to them tell stories and reminisce, I have a much greater appreciation for what Mark does as an engineer.    I am very proud of him!     

I highly recommend a trip to New Orleans at least once.  The culture is so rich and the houses are absolutely beautiful. Most of the homes are built pre-civil war and are full of southern charm.  But (and this is a big but), one trip to New Orleans is enough to fulfill my curiosity for a lifetime.  The city is extremely dirty and there are neighborhoods that have still not recovered from Hurricane Katrina.   We spent most of Saturday shopping and touring Bourbon Street and the French Quarter.  We ate at a restaurant called Jacques Imos Saturday night and it was amazing!  It’s a whole-in-the-wall, but the food is “real Nawlin’ food” and comes highly recommended.  I am not sure I will ever be able to eat seafood in the Midwest again!  

 

A truss sitting on the barge below the bridge

One of the trusses being floated into place

Mark on the bridge

The lifts were done at night to diminish traffic delays so Mark has some gorgeous sunset pictures.

This is not Mark, but he did take the picture.  I think it's safe to say that he conquered his fear of heights while working on this bridge!

 

 

This one is Mark!

 

Some of the HNTB Engineers
Mark Currie, Sean Coone, Hans Hutton

Ribbon Cutting

14 Months

Elliott comprehends so much!  He now understands sit down, outside, walk, tubby time, upstairs, hungry and shut the door.  We are constantly giving him small tasks to do and he loves completing them!  I hope the fun in completing tasks continues when we start giving him things like mow the lawn or take out the trash.

 

He said his first word a couple days ago.  Drum roll please.....ball!  I'm sure you are all so surprised.  We were out for a walk and the neighbor boys were throwing a baseball back and forth.  Elliott reached forward and yelled "ball" several times until they were out of sight.  So cute!

 

We don't have any measurements, but I think he has taken some time off from growing.  He is still in 18-month clothes and some 24-month shirts.  Although he is slowing in height and weight, he certainly looks older every day. 

Favorite Things:
Being outside....he literally begs to go outside
Playing with sticks
Tubby time (he now tries to drink the water out of the faucet)
Basketball
Closing doors
Baby animal app on Mom's phone (which only comes out in emergency situations)

Eating like a big boy. 

He figured out how to turn Mom's phone on and off.

Playing basketball....again!