21 months

Ada is 21 months old today! Once again, she's changed so much in the last 3 months. It really is amazing to see how much she learns in such a short period of time.

We had a busy start to our summer with trips to Disney World and Washington DC in May. John's parents went along with us on our week long trip to Disney. Ada loved spending so much time with them. She was a big fan of the buses as well as the characters (except Princess Tiana). She never cried on a ride but finally seemed to enjoy them on our last day when she signed "more" after getting off Ariel's Undersea Adventure. She was pretty good on the plane too. It definitely helped to have Grandma Kathy sitting next to us!

Mickey Mouse! 5.13.18

We had a great time in Washington DC too. We all flew out the Saturday before Memorial Day. John and Ada flew back home on Tuesday when my American College Health Association conference started. Aubrey, Andrew, and Finley joined us for about 24 hours of our trip. It was so great to see them again! We visited the National Mall, National Air and Space Museum, and walked by a few of the monuments. (I did a more formal tour of the National Mall and the monuments during my conference which was awesome!)

Washington DC 5.27.18

In June, we spent an evening with Ben and Heidi while they visited Chicago, road tripped up to Cochrane for a long weekend to celebrate Great Grandma Rohrer's 90th birthday, and hosted Annie, Ben, Ella, and Natalie for a night. Plus, Grandma and Grandpa Lenz stayed with us for a couple of nights before and after their trip to Spain.

Heidi and Ben visited Chicago. 6.8.18

With Grandpa Lonnie during Great Grandma's birthday party - 6.16.18

Visiting Great Grandma - 6.17.18

Showing Ella some Disney World pictures. 6.24.18

Our July was pretty low-key with a visit out to Geiner and Marcela's to see Laura, Paolo, and Zulay plus a couple of days with Laura and Paolo at our place, and a quick visit by Grandma Jul so she could see Laura and Paolo too. 

Laura, Paolo, and Grandma Jul visited! 7.10.18

Ada took a gymnastics class through the Chicago Park District in June and July and also started Lil' Kickers soccer in June. She really seems to enjoy both classes. She still loves her daycare, especially Mr. Jesse. She also enjoys going to see the Old Town School of Folk Music Wiggleworms performances and is even starting to sing along sometimes. Ada still loves going to the park and is getting pretty good at climbing. She loves to walk instead of ride in the stroller, especially when it means she gets to pet the neighborhood dogs. Her favorite dog is Moose, an old chocolate lab. Moose's owner thinks Ada is something too!

Lil' Kickers 7.3.18

Gymnastics 7.3.18

Playing in the water after Wiggleworms 7.31.18

It really, truly is a joy to be Ada's Mama, even though it's tough sometimes (like when she's kicking and screaming to not be put in the stroller or to not have her diaper changed). But, we're figuring those moments out too. Tomorrow her baby brother will be born. I think she senses there are big changes happening because she's been a little extra clingy to me lately and a little tougher to put to bed. But, I think she'll be a great big sister and adjust well to this humongous change. Fingers crossed!

Our last photo as a family of three. 8.5.18

Grandma Jul 8.5.18

Race Report: Race to Wrigley

The three of us ran the Race to Wrigley 5K on Sunday. John was in Corral B so started ahead of us. Strollers were allowed but supposed to start at the back of everyone else so Ada and I were at the end. The route was a nice one through the neighborhood, on some streets I hadn't been on yet, and there were plenty of spectators cheering which was fun. The biggest downside was that I wanted to run with Ada in the stroller but we started behind walkers. So for the first 1.5 miles or so, we were dodging around people walking. After the 1.5 mile mark it opened up quite a bit, except when the course went through the stadium. My last 0.1 mile was a 9:10 pace (though the first mile was over 13:00)!

Ada especially enjoyed the music playing in the start corrals, seeing Clark the Cub on the course, and meeting a real dog named Wrigley at the post-race party. Running felt great for me and I was able to run the whole way except when I had to walk to get around other participants. We might just have to sign up for another 5K before the boy arrives!

Distance: 5K 
Time: 37:00
Cost: $39 + $3.75 processing fee
Pros: Close to home, fun course through Wrigleyville, tech participant t-shirts, medals, stroller friendly
Cons: Strollers need better integration into the race (corral of their own or left vs right side of course), post-race party wasn't very well managed which didn't matter much to be because I wasn't drinking my post-race beer anyway
Would I run it again?: Yup.

18 months

Ada turned 18 months old on Saturday! We took her pictures on Sunday after we ran the Race to Wrigley. Once again, she has learned so much in the last 3 months. It's incredible! She loves her Mama and Dada (and says those two words innumerable times each day). She's obsessed with her cousin Ella. She wasn't too interested in Ella when we met her on New Year's Day but at Easter time she was all about her...and long as mama wasn't holding Ella. Ella's birth announcement is on the fridge and every now and then, Ada will go over to the fridge and point to it saying "Ella." Every baby she sees is also Ella. Hopefully she'll be this into her baby brother when he arrives!

Ada holding Ella on Easter Sunday 4.1.18

She also really likes going to the park, climbing anything and everything, playing with balls, saying new words, and eating grapes (and really anything, especially fruit). Mr. Jesse is her favorite teacher at school.

Chicago Children's Museum with Grandma and Grandpa Lenz 3.9.18

There aren't too many things she doesn't like. At least, not that she doesn't like for more than a minute or two. The main thing is when Mama holds other babies. She's not a fan of that!

Chicago Flower & Garden Festival with Grandma Jul 3.16.18

I don't think she really understands that she's getting a baby brother. But last night when I asked her where her brother was, she pointed to my belly and then gave my belly a kiss. I thought maybe we were making progress but later she did the same thing to John's belly. 😂

Accessory game on point thanks to Grandma Jul 4.24.18

We haven't traveled too much in the last few months. We went up to Oshkosh for Easter and Ella's baptism and then went to Madison the last weekend in April for Crazylegs. Grandma Jul and Grandma and Grandpa Lenz all came down to visit us a few times. John also went out to Montana skiing with his dad and sisters. But, we're going to be busy the next month with a 7 day trip to Disney World, a long weekend in Washington DC (with Mama staying for a conference and Dada and Ada coming back home), and then another long weekend in Cochrane to celebrate Great Grandma Rohrer's 90th birthday. Whew! After that, it will be time to stay home and get ready for the boy!

Hugs for Mama 3.17.18

More and more each day, I feel lucky to be Ada's Mama. There are challenging times, of course, but overall, it's an absolutely amazing experience to be her mom. Baby Girl, thanks for making me a mom, for challenging me to be the best mom I can be, and for all the smiles, hugs, and kisses you give. You are incredible.

Race Report: Crazylegs Classic 2018

Once again, we met Mark, KJ, and Betty in Madison for the Crazylegs Classic. It was great to spend some time with them again. This was the first year I participated in the 2 mile walk instead of the run. I wasn't sure I could handle a hilly 8K at almost 27 weeks pregnant. The walk wasn't much of a physical challenge (though pushing a stroller up Bascom Hill is no joke) but it was so much fun!

On the school bus from the Kohl Center to the Square

Ada seemed to enjoy it too. She saw Bucky at the start and again in Camp Randall after we finished. She fell asleep for a little bit of the walk but enjoyed running across the finish line and climbing the steps in the stadium.

Camp Randall

On the turf at Camp Randall

We all enjoyed some Ian's Pizza afterwards before heading back to our hotel for naps and swimming. The weather was absolutely beautiful...among the best we've ever had for Crazylegs!

Distance: 2 mile walk
Time: untimed
Cost: $30 walk, $40 8K
Pros: Fun course starting at Capitol Square and ending at Camp Randall, nice tech t-shirt this year, options for both runners and walkers, free shuttles to start line
Cons: Merging run and walk routes before entering Camp Randall, especially when strollers had to cross the paths of the runners...yikes!
Would I do it again?: Yes! 

Race Report: Shamrock Shuffle

Natallie and I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8K on Sunday, March 25th. Since I was one day shy of 22 weeks pregnant, I had pretty much no expectations about this race. Natallie stuck with me the whole time and we ran comfortably. I felt great physically but struggled with urinary incontinence which has been a recurring issue for me with running during this pregnancy. It's frustrating. I've been to PT which helped immensely but I think I'm going to have to stick to lower mileage and/or walking for the remainder of this pregnancy. We shall see. I'm not completely discouraged yet (though I haven't run since the race).

This race is so well-managed. The gear check and start corrals were easy to access. The corrals closed 10 minutes before the start which was a manageable length of time to huddle in the cold. The course was crowded but not too crowded. I really enjoy this route through the loop. It's such a fun way to kick off the racing season in Chicago!

We didn't stick around too long after finishing since it was so cold. We grabbed our medals and snacks, stopped at Starbucks, and got back on the train home. Overall, it was a good race, despite being my slowest Shamrock Shuffle to date. 😉

Distance: 8K 
Time: 51:35
Cost: $39
Pros: Well-managed race, fun course through downtown Chicago, annual tradition
Cons: Weather was pretty cold, packet pickup was at McCormick Place and expo was not worth the trip
Would I run it again?: Yes!

15 months

Ada is (a little over) 15 months old! She has grown so much in the last three months. She's starting to talk and definitely comprehends a lot. She currently says hi, dada, mama, hat, and hot pretty well. She also started trying to say sock in the last few days but it comes out more like "ock" which sounds pretty similar to hat and hot. Her gross and fine motor skills are great. She can walk and run, even outside in the snow! She also loves her shoes (and boots) and will bring them over to John or me when she wants to wear them. The teachers at her daycare know her by her cute pink Sperry boots from Auntie Natalie. She's still eating really well, currently liking avocados and rice. She still loves music and dancing. Apparently she had Zumba at daycare one day which led to a few new moves. Ada loves putting things into a container and taking them back out again...over and over and over. She's starting to enjoy reading as well, especially lift-the-flap books like Where's Spot? and Dear Zoo. She is also starting to play pretend with her stuffed animals and dolls. She will pretend to feed them with a spoon, saying "mmm", and also hold her baby doll, rocking her and patting her back. It's pretty darn adorable!

Ada's first time in the snow 1.15.18

She's not a fan of falling down, even when she's clearly OK. We try not to pay much attention to these minor types of falls and tell her she's OK. She also does not like being told no and definitely throws little tantrums. Luckily, they're short-lived...for now, at least. She doesn't like having her diaper changed either though the last few days I've been letting her play with a little container of baby body butter while I change her and that keeps her entertained.

Playing Scrabble with Grandma Jul 2.3.18

Our only travels since Ada's first birthday have been up to Wisconsin for holidays. We spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Oshkosh. Ada and I went up to Stoughton for the Spindlerish Girls Weekend in early December. That was our first car trip with just the two of us and it went pretty well...aside from Ada having a major diarrhea blowout diaper in Janesville on our way home. We spent time in both Oshkosh and Cochrane over the Christmas holiday, finishing up our visit by meeting Ada's first cousin, Arabella Elise, who was born on December 28th. While we were in Cochrane, John and I even managed to sneak away for a couple of nights, leaving Ada home with Grandma Jul and Grandpa Lonnie. So far 2018 has been pretty low-key with two visits from Grandma and Grandpa Lenz and another from Grandma Jul in early February. But, there's excitement coming...we booked our first trip to Disney World as a family of three for May! Grandma and Grandpa Lenz are coming too.

Meeting Baby Ella 1.1.18

1.30.18

Our biggest news is that Ada is going to be a big sister! Baby Lenz #2 is due July 30, 2018. We are so very excited!!

Book Report: Cryoburn

I finished Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold awhile ago already now. It was a pretty quick read. This story went somewhere completely new in the Vorkosigan Saga but it didn't take long for me to be completely engrossed. After not reading much about Miles in the previous book, it was good to get reacquainted with him in this one. I really do enjoy his character.

Title: Cryoburn
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 679 (Nook pages)
Stars (Out of 5): *****

Book Report: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance

I finally read a book! This is the first book I've finished since September 2016, three months before Ada was born. Yikes! John and I took a little getaway while we were in Wisconsin for the holidays, leaving Ada with my parents for two nights. While we were away, I caught up on everything else I had to do so actually had time to start a book. It only took a few pages to be completely engrossed in it so I was reading anytime I had a chance. It has helped tremendously that Ada consistently naps for two hours in the afternoons now so I try to read a chapter then and a chapter before I go to bed.

I hadn't really thought too much about Ivan's character previously but I really liked getting to know him better in this book. The story was great, as usual from Bujold. This was the perfect book to get me back into reading!

Title: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 1036 (Nook pages)
Stars (Out of 5): *****

Race Report: Festival Foods Turkey Trot Oshkosh

John, Natalie, and I ran the Festival Foods Turkey Trot in Oshkosh on Thanksgiving morning. That feels so long ago now! John ran the 2 mile and Natalie and I ran the 5 mile race. Natalie did great considering she hadn't run in awhile. We just had to stop once so she could take off a layer and then walked through a side cramp. I felt pretty great.

The race started at the new Menominee Nation Arena and had a completely different route than in years past. It was fun to run a new route though traffic leaving the race area was definitely effected.

The post-race donuts and pumpkin pie definitely hit the spot! Hopefully this is a tradition we can continue on the years we celebrate Thanksgiving in Oshkosh...including Natalie!

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 54:52
Cost: $20
Pros: Inexpensive race, easy to get to, nice course, great post-race refreshments, fun way to start Thanksgiving
Cons: None, really...
Would I run it again?: Yup!

12 months

Ada is 12 months old! I can't believe she's a whole year old already. My baby girl is turning in to a little girl right before my eyes. She's constantly on the go. She walks pretty well now and likes to explore. She likes other people and always gets comments from strangers when we're out and about. Last week I had an older woman tell me she was the most beautiful baby she'd seen in quite some time. Ada absolutely loves music. We often play Google Music through the Chromecast on our TV. As soon as she wakes up, she'll point to the TV and grunt until we put the music on. She's a good eater. Current favorites include mac and cheese and raspberries. She loves going outside for walks and will go get her shoes when she wants to get out. She also really enjoys her daycare. My mom and I took her to daycare's Harvest Fest on a Friday, a day she doesn't usually go to daycare, and she made herself right at home. Her teachers also absolutely adore her.

October was a fun month. Mom visited the first weekend in October since we didn't make it to Minneapolis the last weekend in September. She needed her Ada time and we needed a baby-sitter so we could run the Chicago International 5K so it worked out for all of us! Mom and I also took Ada to the Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Fest and went out to watch the marathon. It was a busy weekend!

10.7.17 - Ada's first Chicago Marathon

Mom gifted Ada and I a Bob running stroller for our birthdays. We've made good use of it already! It's so much easier to push than I thought it would be. Ada seems to really enjoy it too!

10.13.17

10.17.17

John, Ada, and I went out Didier Farms Pumpkin Patch in the suburbs with Keith and Allyson as well. It was a chilly day but we had fun. Geiner and Marcela met us out there too!

10.15.17 - Geiner, Ada, and Marcela

10.15.17

10.15.17

Our only trip out of town this month was to Columbus for Taya's second birthday party. We met Mary and Jeff for lunch on our way into town and then spent the night with the Kurths. Ada slept on the floor in the guest room and slept through the night for the first time ever with me (she apparently slept through the night twice when I was at Bird Camp in August). I was shocked! It was so fun to celebrate with Taya. I hope she and Ada will become good friends.

10.22.17 - Ada and Taya

We celebrated Ada's birthday on Saturday, October 28th. It worked out well for Mom to come down for both the party and to watch Ada while John and I ran the Hot Chocolate (but John ended up not running). Mom brought my cousin's 10 year old daughter along with her which was so much fun. We ended up going to the Shedd Aquarium on Friday as well as down to McCormick Place to pick up our race packets then back to Lakeview so Ada could participate in Children's Learning Place's Harvest Fest parade. After the party on Saturday, we went back downtown so Gabby could see the bean and Maggie Daley Park. It was a fun weekend!

10.27.17 - Ada the pineapple

10.28.17 - The birthday girl!

 

Ada with her godparents, Auntie Annie and Uncle Ben

Ada with Auntie Natalie

Daddy, Ada, and Mommy

Grandma Jul, Ada, and Mommy

Checking out the bean

Ada's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. We went out to a trick or treat event at the businesses on Southport on the night before Halloween. We stayed home and carved our giant pumpkin on Halloween night. Ada enjoyed playing with the seeds.

10.31.17 - Ada's first Halloween

We went to the Children's Museum on Ada's actual birthday. It was pretty crowded and she's a little too small for most of the exhibits but she still seemed to have a good time. We ate at a new quick service restaurant called Buona. It was pretty good and Ada really liked her grilled cheese sandwich. Daddy also finally got her new scooter from Grandma and Grandpa Lenz out of the box so she could ride it.

11.5.17 - Ada's first birthday

We love you so much, Ada Jo! Thanks for making this the best year of our lives so far!