Apples!

We went on our annual apple picking trip to Eckerts this past weekend.  It did not disappoint.  Eckerts did add a couple things, there was a "sandbox" with tractors for the boys to play in.  There were about 7-8 tractors sitting around and the boys absolutely loved playing in there. So much so, that we had to drag them away to ride on the real tractors.

 





They even had a large display of pumpkins for kids to climb on and parents to attempt to take pictures.  This was really the best one we got.  Neither one would look at me.  Oh, well, they had fun right?

 



We had a long tractor ride past the pumpkin patch over to a section of apples that we had never been. We had to walk a ways before we found trees with decent apples left on them.  It was a challenge to make sure Bennett did not eat the apples off the ground.  But once he got the hang of it, there was no stopping that kid. 



These boys, Scott and I had a great time at Eckerts.  We really love going there for each season.  We took our stash of apples and have already made an apple pie.  I'm hoping apple sauce will happen this week as well. 

Pike Plus

Gabe is moving up the swim ranks very nicely.  He just started his first class in the new session.  He  has advanced to Pike Plus from Pike.  He was a little nervous on the first day of class and forgot to follow his new teacher over to the other side of the pool.  But Miss Jo helped him find his teacher and all was good.

He seemed to love his new class with all new kids.  I even caught him playing with another boy in his class while they waited turns with the teacher.  Overall, Gabe really loves swim lessons and it is visible to Scott and I when we have family swims after class or on Sundays. 

The Y has really been a great place for us all to enjoy.

Huskers!

It's that time of year again, college football is upon us.  We could not be more excited about this season for the Huskers!  While I was in Omaha in August, I got the boys some new Husker gear.  It was sorely needed and has been put to good use the last few Saturdays.

The boys have learned the cheers, Go Big Red!  and Husker Power!  We like to keep them in the know of good sports teams with great history. 

Maybe I should have gone up a size on Gabe's



All 6 of us watching

Splish, Splash, Splosh Goodbye Summer

On Labor Day, Scott and I didn't have any real plans for the day.  We knew we needed to do something fun for the boys so they would take awesome naps.  And that usually means swimming at the Y.  Since it was Labor Day, the Y closed early and we were left trying to think where to go with boys in their swim suits. 

Scott, thankfully, thought of the playground at Millennium Park and I remembered the splash pad!  Jackpot!  It was the perfect thing to stop some whiney, "I want to go to the Y" kids. 

The boys had so much fun running around for 45 minutes in the water.  It was getting really hot for me and we didn't last at the playground too much longer after they were out of the water.  But we did get some great naps.

Giro Della Montagna

Every Labor Day weekend the Gateway Cup makes it way around neighborhoods in St. Louis.  We love going.  I stumbled upon the event in 2009 when I lived in my old neighborhood, St. Louis Hills, and the race went around Francis Park.  We watched for a while then went on to other things. 

The next year, we missed going to the St. Louis Hills part of the race and went to The Hill instead.  And since then, we end up going to the Sunday races, Giro Della Montagna.  We took the boys last year to the race and they didn't really get much out of it.  This year, we got there early to get a table in front of church and food, essential things to entertain toddlers. 

Start of the Race

Lunch among bikers

We were able to watch the end of a men's race, an entire women's race and the beginning of the 40+ men's race.  Gabe liked cheering for the bikers.  He was yelling too loud as they raced by, but he did like seeing how fast they could go.  Bennett was more in it for the food and playing in the flowerbeds of the church.

While Scott and Bennett went to get the car, Gabriel and I moved as close as we could to watch the men's race.  It may have taken Gabe by surprise to see how fast the bikes went past us, but he loved it.  We saw 2 laps by the time we had to catch up to Scott.  It was a great morning for a bike race.

Watching the bikers

Breezy

We come up with a long To Do List before each baby is born.  Some are things that we've been meaning to do for some time, others are necessities to have another body in the house.  We have been talking about putting overhead lights and ceiling fans in the boys rooms forever.  We finally did it!

Both rooms did not have any overhead lighting and it was starting to be difficult when the boys played in their rooms at night or even looking in the closest.  And since there wasn't even so much as space designated for us to eventually install a fan/light, we needed an electrician. 

We bought our fans at Menards and we were impressed with the service and selection that we had to choose from.  Since we will be putting bunk beds in Gabe's room for both boys once the baby is here, I did not want a full size fan.  I can just see the boys trying to swing from the fan from the top bunk.  Luckily, I found a fan with smaller blades and it doesn't make the smaller rooms look over powered by a normal size fan. 

The boys love to show off their new fans and how they have 2 switches, one for the light and one for the fan.  It's a pretty sweet setup for them. 

Gabe's Room

Bennett's Room

Baby A

It's come to my attention that baby A #3 has not received much blog love.  In fact, it was only made social media known about a month ago that B3 or Third Base is arriving in November.  I really blame this fun fact on the 2 older siblings.  They are both running wild all the time.  But I digress about them, this is going to be about my pregnancy so far.

The beginning of this pregnancy started off with me getting the flu and/or strep in early April.  Our whole family was hit by it, some worse than others for 2 weeks.  Then my morning sickness lasted for what seemed like forever.  I think, Scott might disagree, I could safely say I was no long feeling sick in June.  This was the first pregnancy that I actually took the anti-nausea medicine that the doctor prescribed. 

Of course this pregnancy, with 2 little ones to chase around, is much different than when it was just Gabe and I.  Both, Gabe and Bennett, are very active and love to play, wrestle and just be little boys.  So, my exhaustion level is much higher than before.  It's really rare that I'm wake or not in bed later than 9pm.  Most nights, I'm happy to go to bed right after the boys, at 7:30. 

In may other ways, this pregnancy has been more fun.  Gabriel has been convinced that Baby A is a girl.  We try to ask him daily what he thinks the baby is and what the name will be.  He tells us, almost every time, it's a Sister.  But we remind him that it could be a boy and he then says the baby boy name.  Also, when we ask, he tells us there is just one baby.  I'm glad he doesn't think there is more than one in there.  Scott has made it a point to read Bernstein Bears New Baby to Gabriel most nights, which Gabriel loves.

Bennett isn't too sure of what is going on.  He has slowly gotten used to the fact that my lap is getting smaller and it's hard for him to sit on it during story time.  But he is extra snuggly and I love it.  I do ask Bennett to say good morning or night to the baby.  He is great at kissing the baby good morning.  Even when other people ask where the baby is, he just points to my stomach and says baby. 

Now that we are in the final 9 weeks of pregnancy, overall I feel fine, I'm just tired by the end of the day.  I figure that won't go away for a while, so I'm making the most of it.  This kid is a mover, just like Bennett, except most kicks are at the bottom of my stomach.  Where Bennett and Gabe seemed to kick more towards my chest.  Most nights while watching TV, this kid is kicking, punching and doing flips.  Of course, when I try to let Scott feel, most times, the baby completely stops. 

Other fun pregnancy feelings this time around, I may have had some small contractions this week.  Since both boys were induced, I'm not 100% sure if that's what I felt.  There is a part of me that really wants this baby to be early, not too early.  The other part, is really enjoying my time with both boys.  I know they will be excited when the baby gets here, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up the man to man parenting that we have been working on.  The zone defense should be interesting for a while.

I guess what sums up the last 8 months in the Allenzotti pregnancy world.