Windy City Visit

We decided it was time to head up to Chicago to see Jeni and the kids for a weekend.  Gabe hadn't seen his cousins since he was 2 weeks old and he has changed a lot. 

We decided to leave Friday after work from Scott's parents house.  It would be easier for Gabe to sleep most of the way with us leaving later.  It mostly worked.  Gabe and I hung out in the back seat playing and then sleeping. 

He slept all the way until Springfield, then he was ready for a break.  We stopped at our regular spot, Steak 'N Shake.  It was delicious, maybe even delectable.  After, food and a diaper change we were back on the road and at Jeni's house by 9:30, not bad timing.  Gabe got his second wind after a long nap and was able to play a little with his cousins when we arrived.

On Saturday, Scott and Mason ran a Zombie 5K, that was 2 hours away from Highland Park.  So Gabe and I hung took our time getting ready, playing and morning napping.  We even went for a walk around the neighborhood. 

Gabe has his fist glance of Lake Michigan.  We all took off for an afternoon of soccer and car rides.  Gabe was a trooper with being dragged so many places, but he did it all with a smile, at least until the final leg of the drive home.  

On Sunday we went to Pinstripes for brunch and a little bocce ball.  The food was amazing!  Gabe enjoyed watching the balls go up and down the court.  He even got in on a little action.

It was a great trip up, can't wait to see everyone again at Thanksgiving.  Gabe was asleep within minutes of us leaving.

GBR!

It is football season, finally!  We are starting Gabe out early learning the ins and outs of the sport.  So far, he is a great clapper and cheers when mom and dad do.  He is a little concerned with the yelling at the TV though.  I'm sure he will get used to it and start doing the same soon.

Apple Picking

Gabriel is now a seasoned apple picker.  We went over to Eckert's on Sunday to get some apples while the selection was still good.  It ended up being the best selection Scott and I have even seen.  We could just stay at one tree and fill our bags.  Of course we didn't, we tried to go up and down the aisles and get different kinds of apples, we had three to pick from.  We mostly picked the Jonathan's and Golden Delicious, and they are all awesome!

I'll let the pictures tell the story of our day at Eckerts.

Before heading out to pick apples

 

 

 

 

We had a great time picking apples and Gabe loved eating the apples as well.  Can't wait to check out the pumpkin patch next.

7 Months!

I can't believe Gabriel is 7 months old!  The last month has been a busy one for Gabe.  He has leaned to crawl, pull himself up, started saying mama, and clapping for himself.

Since he is crawling, nothing is safe and it's all he wants to do.  He is constantly exploring the house and chasing Reily.  When he pulls himself up, he takes small steps to get closer and balance himself with whatever he is holding on to.

 

We don't have a month doctor's appointment for his stats, but I've been told he is around 21.5lbs on the scale at Nana's house.  He's a big boy, but he is so happy and fun to have around!

 

Happy 7 months Gabe!

Forest Park Walk

Gabe went on his first exploring walk around Forest Park last weekend.  Scott wanted to get a long run in and I needed my walk.  So, Gabe and I took a scenic 3 mile walk around the park.  He didn't sleep at all during this walk and was just looking at everything we passed.

First we walked over to the World's Fair Pavilion and checked out the ducks. 

Then we walked all the way to the Muny and saw the St. Louis wall of fame.

Then we went to the History Muesum and saw the trolley car out front. 

Then we walked by the tennis matches and tried to understand the sport - we still didn't get the scoring.

Then it was time to meet Scott at the car for a much needed diaper change and milk before we headed down to Soulard.

It was a little toasty in the market and Gabe and I hung out outside and showed off his game day shirt.  Go Big Red!

 

Viva Las Vegas!

We have returned from our weekend getaway to Las Vegas.  It was the perfect time away from daily life and enough time away from Gabe for me not to go crazy.  Although, I could use a few more days at the pool.

My flight out of St. Louis was crazy early (6am, what were we thinking?).  Since it was my first trip west of I35, I was like a kid staring out the window as we flew over the mountains.

Flying into Las Vegas and driving down the strip was a trip in itself. The hotels were huge! But then I saw that everything was just on one street. For some reason, I thought things would be more spread out. But what did I care, I was seeing mountains in my own country (I've only seen mountains in Spain).

I arrived Thursday morning, bright and early (7:30 Las Vegas time).  I quickly grabbed my bags and headed to the Bellagio Hotel to get my room and a nap.  Our room overlooked the mountains and the Palms Hotel.  I shut the blinds and had a great nap. 

I met up with my friend Suzie, from Lindenwood, for lunch at Planet Hollywood Hotel.  Since it was just across the street from my hotel it was an easy place to find and walk around.  We sat and caught up on all things St. Louis and Lindenwood. 

Later, I met up with Nicole, Mike, Rachel and Brian at the pool.  It was so nice to lay by the pool and relax.  We picked a place for dinner at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, China Poblano.  It was an interesting mix of Chinese and Mexican foods.  The menu made things seem a little scary, but everything was great!

On Friday, I took my time doing anything.  It was my full day to not care and I took advantage of it.  I got breakfast at Jean Phillippe.  There was anything chocolate and crepes and coffees.  

It was a easy breakfast and watching the chocolate flow from the ceiling was pretty cool.  I then headed to the pool.  I had the pool all to myself for a few hours.  I tanned and needlepointed. 

Scott met me there on Friday afternoon from Australia.  I waited patiently at the entrance to the hotel for him to arrive from the airport.  It was so nice to finally see him walking up (he saw me first).  We had a little time to relax and walk around the strip before we went on our seperate ways for the night.

 

We walked around the strip for a while so Scott could keep moving and not let the jet lag set in. We walked from the Bellagio over to Caesar's Palace and then walked the mall inside the hotel. There was a lot to see and a lot of high end stores that I would never think of going into.

 

 Above is the garden that is inside the Bellagio and to the left is the ceiling in the lobby.

Girls night/Guys night was on Friday.  The guys went to a great surf/turf dinner while the girls took in a show and then went to a club for some free drinks and dancing.  The club, Hyde was on the first floor of the Bellagio, we had a front row seat for the fountain show every 30 minutes. 

 

 

 On Saturday Scott and I were able to do our own thing during the day.  We walked the strip, from the Bellagio all the way to the Tropicana.  It was a long, hot walk.  We did go inside New York, New York for some a/c, food and to check it out.  

 We placed our only bet of the weekend at the sports bar in our hotel.  We placed a straight win/lose bet on Nebraska. 

 After our day of exploring Vegas, the strip, we had a wonderful group dinner at Prime Steakhouse.  The food was amazing!

 

It was a great trip to celebrate our wonderful friends and their upcoming wedding.  Can't wait to celebrate in November!