4th of July, Swimming Lessons, Chicago, and Tons of Fun Times!

Good afternoon, all!


It's me, Addy, making my blogging debut. I hope I can live up to my brother's posts. He is teaching me so much at not quite 3 months. I'm already rolling most of the way over--just to the left. I'm also smiling tons and talking up a storm. Mama keeps wanting to catch my talking on video, but Carter and I keep her a little too busy for that.

We had a wonderful 4 day weekend together over the 4th of July holiday. (Well, let's be real. Papa had to work a lot of it, including an AirCare shift on Friday night and then some chart completion on Sunday night.) On Saturday, we made a family trip to Cedar Rapids to see the Kernels. I slept most of the game in the Baby Bjorn--really comfy if anyone is looking to ask their Mama or Papa for one. Carter, Papa, and Mama said that the game was great! Carter got a special bear and his picture taken for one of the local Cedar Rapids radio stations. He and Papa shared popcorn, hot dogs, and ice cream and were in heaven watching the game. We ended up leaving a couple innings early, but us kiddos lasted a long time. On Sunday, we went to Toys 'R Us to get us kids some inside toys in anticipation of the rain. Carter got a cool grill and I got a new rattle. Of course, it didn't start raining 'til 6 pm, but we played inside anyway 'cause it was way too hot for me.


The next week, Carter started swimming lessons. They are inside and Mama has to swim with Carter so I just chill by the side of the pool in my carseat. I am such a good girl and have only cried a couple of times. When I cry, I quickly recover with a binker, so swimming lessons are never cut short. I really like watching my little brother "the fish" at his lessons. He jumps into the pool, blows bubbles, kicks his feet, back floats, and swims after the football. Mama seems to think he's a little too much of a dare devil when he dives after balls in water that is too deep. I think it's funny.

Finally, last weekend, Mama and Papa went to Chicago for a Cubs game. Gramma A came and babysat Carter and I and boy did we have fun! Gramma bought Carter a laptop so he played with that a lot and I was a really good girl. I went so far as to sleep for almost 7 hours in a row for her! Gramma, of course, barely slept because she was worried about me and Mama keeps asking me why I don't do that for her. Ha ha ha. Someday, Mama. Someday. Mama says that she cried for the first 20 minutes after leaving for Chicago. She said that it's hard to leave kiddos overnight. However, I would say that she ended up having fun from all the pictures she brought home.


Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone is well. We're doing great here and looking forward to a visit to the Andrew's in Dakota Dunes and Anderson's in Albert City next week while Papa works Ragbrai. Then on Friday is Carter's 2nd birthday! He's such a big boy. Oh yeah...Carter got a Lightning McQueen big boy potty! We'll update you on how that's going another time. Let's just say, there's been some tears. :-)

Love to everyone!

Addy

Great Week!

As the title suggests, this has been a great week in the Hogrefe Household...and we still have a few days left! :-)

On Tuesday, Addyson had her 2 month check up with Dr. Goreham-Voss (one of Chris's classmates from medical school). She again performed very well. She had the dreaded 3 shots and rotovirus drink to endure. She held her breath and turned purple when she got the shots, but quickly recovered with a little love from Mama. Carter and Papa went to look at the fish in hopes of not traumatizing poor Carter.


Her poor thighs post shots...

Here's Addy's stats and a comparison to Carter's at this age:

Addy's Height: 23.8 inches--90th percentile
Carter's Height: 24.6 inches--91st percentile

Addy's Weight: 12 lb. 5.5 oz--84th percentile
Carter's Weight: 15.0 pounds--96th percentile (WOW!)

Addy's Head Circumference: 15.7 inches--74th percentile
Carter's Head Circumference: 16.14 inches--65th percentile

We have very robust kiddos! Chris suggested that I start giving Addy some brewer's yeast to help her to catch up to her brother...but I say she's just a girl with a little smaller stature.

We also got permission from Dr. Goreham-Voss to let Miss Addy cry a little bit at night. She was sleeping for 3-4 hours at night and then waking up EVERY hour until Carter got up at about 8. That was getting a little rough on me. After just 2 nights (and very little crying) she is sleeping 4-5 hours, eating, sleeping for 3 hours, eating, sleeping for 3 hours and then is up for the day. It's heavenly. :-)

Chris had his final call shift until January on Sunday. It was brutual, resulted in no sleep, and he didn't get home until 4 the next day, but it was a great milestone for residency! He'll probably have 8 call shifts in January while he rotates in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and then he will NEVER have to have a call shift again. Whooooo hoooooo! For those of you who are not familiar with call shifts, they are typically a 30-hour shift, which is spent exclusively in the hospital. They are pretty rough on all of us since the kids don't see him for 2 days and I don't have any help--especially brutal when both kids wake up screaming at 1 am (which happened this week).

Chris had another milestone this week. As of July 1st, he is a third year Emergency Medicine resident. King of the castle, king of the castle, la la la la! I think I am more excited about this milestone than Chris is. He's been doing Chief duties since April and has been considered a senior resident since last year, so it doesn't see like much of a change for him. However, I find this beginning of third year terribly exciting! He also found out this week that he is on the schedule to moonlight (work as a staff physician) in Anamosa in August. Yay for extra fundage and an awesome learning experience managing patients with no boss.


Carter at the park. Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Finally, yesterday we had a great day. We bought tickets to go to the Cedar Rapids Kernels game on Saturday night with the kiddos. We'll be rocking the Cubs gear in support of one of their minor league teams. Carter, Addyson, and I went to a park in Coralville with Kate and Graham (our next door neighbors). The boys had a blast running off some energy, swinging, and going down the slides while Kate and I held Addyson and chatted. It was a nice day out and not as brutally humid as it was last week. Chris got home late after finishing up some chief work so he wouldn't have to worry about it this weekend. He brought home Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner which was delicious. The order also ended up being incorrect so we got a credit for 12 bonesless wings to be used next time. Another cookless night for me in the near future.


A picture of Addy in one of her festive dresses.

We hope all of you are well and hope that you have a splendid 4th of July holiday. Chris has his first shift with AirCare (the hospital's helicopter service) on Friday night. Pray that he gets flights that are a good learning opportunity, but SAFE! I know I'll have trouble sleeping Friday night and will run outside everytime I hear a helicopter fly overhead.


Papa and Paul ready to take flight...

Peace...

Amy