Carababababa's

We spent the morning recovering from Brookville. Thankfully, we had no plans until 5:00 when we were going to dinner with Grammie, Poppy, and Aunt Sissy for Grammie's birthday. This gave us the opportunity to put away camping gear, empty the cooler, and nearly finish the muddy laundry.

By the time we headed out to Carabba's Daddy, Ollie, Speck, and I were starving. We pulled into the parking lot just seconds after the rest of the crew, so we didn't even have to wait to be seated. This was good, because I knew there would be bread and olive oil awaiting us inside.

Ollie thoroughly enjoyed bumming food from everyone's plate, especially Poppy's meatballs. Aunt Sissy couldn't get over how the little guy will eat anything we give him and with a smile. He also spent much of dinner begging Daddy for more food by poking him on the arm when he was ready for a bite. If that wasn't enough to get Daddy's attention, we got vocal, practicing his ba, ba, ba sounds.Even though we were all stuffed at the end of the meal we couldn't resist heading down the road for Graeter's. I shared my dip of black raspberry chip with the little guy. I think he adores the best ice cream in the world even more than Daddy. It was very nice to spend time celebrating Grammie's 29th birthday.

After dinner and dessert we had to go to the grocery. I think I spent less tonight than I ever have at the store. I guess gorging myself before shopping is enough to keep me from buying anything but essentials.

Tomorrow I'm off work, so hopefully we'll get some chores out of the way and have plenty of time to kick back. Off to bed to rest up.

Happy Birthday Grammie!

Mudville, Indiana

We headed back to Brookville early this morning to spend the day with Daddy. It rained even more overnight, so the mud situation only worsened. This made for one soggy Daddy, and even more interesting sites traveling around the show grounds.

Once again Ollie loved riding in the Gator checking out all the tractors and such. Me, I enjoyed watching people try to navigate the soupy mess. I probably would have felt differently if I were forced to be a pedestrian, but from the safety of the Gator, this was quite entertaining.

While we were cruising through the mud, we stopped by the petting zoo so Ollie could see the animals. Grandpa will be pleased to hear that he was less interested in the goats than he normally is, but he was definitely into the donkey and the rabbits.

Just as soon as we thought the rain was over for good, it started up again. Grandma, Ollie, and I took refuge in the camper, which gave Ollie the opportunity to learn a new skill. I suppose his obsession with wheels paid off because while we were sitting at the table he turned around and closed the camper window. This entertained him for a good 15 minutes, which was just enough time for the sun to peak back out again.




Soon we were packing up and heading home, this time with Daddy following us. Ollie and I are both happy Daddy is home tonight and I think he's happy to have a dry bed.

Brookville, Raindiana

I took off work today so Ollie and I could join Daddy in Brookville, Indiana at the annual tractor show extravaganza. Daddy had plans to camp, but Ollie and I were just going to hang out for the day and head home before bedtime meltdown.

Of course it poured down rain all night long so Ollie and I had some reservations about making the hour long drive. After a short pow-wow, we decided that we didn't want to disappoint Daddy. So we layered on warm clothes and packed an extra jacket and socks, then headed out the door.

Even though the weather report suggested the rain would stop, it drizzled the entire time we were driving. When we arrived the mud was unbelievable, so much so that Ollie and I decided to approach the day as an adventure.

First things first, Ollie had to eat. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa arrived a few hours earlier with their camper, so we had shelter from the rain and a place where Ollie wouldn't be distracted by all the activity.

After a Gator ride through the mud and pretending to drive JR's golf cart, Ollie was tuckered out and ready for a nap.




We borrowed Grandpa's bunk and cozied up for a snooze and some lounging.






Finally, the rain stopped for a little while and we were able to explore the grounds. Ollie enjoyed the mud almost as much as the tractors and I found watching people navigate the sloppy mess enthralling.



After enjoying a bowl of Grandma's campfire chili, Ollie and I were ready to head home. The excitement of the day wore the little man out, so his head was bobbing as he ate his prunes. The house seems quiet without Daddy and we hope he isn't getting wet in his tent, but we're sure glad to be home and dry.

Tomorrow we'll be heading back to Brookville, hopefully the rain will subside.

Baked Pasghetti

Today was a momentous occasion. Ollie had Grammie's famous baked spaghetti for the first time. Apparently Jordan and Jade requested the yummy deliciousness, and since Ollie is also one of Grammie's grandchildren he got some too. This worked out really well for Daddy and me since the little guy can only eat small portions and he was willing to share.

Watch the progression of his first bites.

Up until now we're not sure Ollie was really a part of the Bentley/Marketti clan, but now it's official. Thanks Grammie!

Who-Dey!

Today we went to Carrie and Casey's to watch the Bengals game. This was Ollie's first NFL experience, so even though Daddy and I aren't sports fans we were excited to watch the game.

As soon as we arrived (with baby gear and a chocolate chip pie in tow) Ollie schmoozed up to Casey for the prime seat in the house. Before we knew it, Ollie was in Big Blue the recliner and in charge of the remote. He can convince anybody to do anything with those baby blues.

Just before halftime we pried Ollie out of Big Blue and forced him to be sociable with Leslie and Carrie. At first he was reluctant, but then he realized that he could get the attention of two pretty ladies. As usual flirting wore him out and minutes later, he dozed off hanging with Daddy.


Ollie woke up just in time to see the Bengals beat Green Bay. Yeah, you read that right, the Bengals won! I guess Ollie's a good luck charm.

After the game we were off to the grocery store. As usual, he found someone to flirt with in the store, but at least this time it was someone his own age. It was too cute to see him enamored with his newest friend Aubrey. He touched her hand and batted his eyelids all the while showing his toothless smile.

Tomorrow I'm off work, but we have tons to do. Hopefully, we'll have time for chores and fun.

Metal Bands?

Ollie slept all night!!! Keep your fingers crossed that this continues.

We started off today helping Daddy take his metals to Bluegrass Recycling. Since we rode with him to Burlington he took us to breakfast at IHOP. Ollie got an order of fruit, but he persuaded us to give him a taste of pancake. Even without syrup, he loved the pancake nibbles and kept begging for more.

After breakfast we all took a late morning nap. This even included Betsy and Petunia. We we finally woke up I realized it was time to get moving if we were to squeeze in all of the activities that we had planned for the day. I wanted to stop by County Market Days because they were having pony rides and we had to swing by the Band Festival to see a few bands.

It seemed to take us two hours to get ourselves moving to get out the door. We have not struggled like this in months. As soon as I think we have something down pat, I'm reminded that is not necessarily the case.

Finally, we were on the road. We we arrived at County Market the parking lot was packed. Ollie enjoyed the pony ride, but he wasn't as excited as he was at the fair. I forgot the camera in the car, so I guess he felt no need to ham it up.

Next we were off to the band festival. As you can imagine, I was really excited to see some bands. Of course I should have planned better because when we arrived preliminaries were almost over, with the second to last band already on the field. So basically, Ollie only got to see one full band. We could have stayed, but there was a 2 hour break between prelims and finals. We decided to head home, but I figured I could leave the boys and head back up around 7:00 to watch the finals by myself.


The weather was so pretty that we hung outside when we got home. Ollie kicked it in his swing and took a few spins on his slide. I have no idea what happened after I left at 6:55, but when I got home around 11:00, Ollie was sound asleep and Daddy's eyes were bloodshot from too much computer time.

Tomorrow we have plans to go to Carrie and Casey's to watch the Bengals game. I guess we'll see if Ollie is a good luck charm.

Lunch n' Munch

Alert the press, Ollie slept all night last night! Even better, he slept until almost 8:00! Of course, since Ollie was on his best behavior, Speck was not cooperating and even though I ate my saltines, the nausea got the best of me. I guess I can't expect both siblings to be on good behavior, can I?

After an exciting morning of hanging by the toilet, we were off to meet Eric for lunch at Sandwich Block. Luckily, by 11:30 there was nothing left in my stomach to cause nausea so I was ready to chow on some ham salad and soup. Ollie was more than enthusiastic about trying everything, but he especially liked the vegetable soup. I'll say he enjoyed the conversation too, but the soup was probably the highlight for the little guy. Not only did we savor lunch, but I bought a pound of ham salad for the road.

Ollie was so tuckered out after lunch he passed out on the way home. I carefully transported him to his crib and he didn't even open his eyes. Best of all, he slept 2 more hours, giving me the opportunity to nap for 30 minutes, do laundry, pay bills, and organize the filing cabinet.

When Daddy got home he was craving a burrito from Chipotle. I was still stuffed from lunch, but I negotiated with Daddy to go shopping for a Halloween costume for Ollie while we were out. He agreed and we were out the door minutes later.

Ollie and I shared a burrito bowl. He loved the rice, beans, chicken, tomatoes, and guacamole. That is except for when Daddy accidentally gave him a piece of pepper and his eyes started to water and he grabbed for his sippy cup. Oh well, I suppose he had to try a jalapeno sometime.

After dinner we went to Target and Kmart looking for the perfect costume. We found a skunk costume with the cutest tail at Kmart and snatched it up without considering that 12 month size would probably not work now, nor in 6 weeks when we need it.

While we were on our way home Grandma called to see if she could come by to see Ollie. She's going to be gone all weekend at a tractor show and knew she couldn't go 6 days without seeing him. Of course we agreed and she pulled in our driveway just before we did.

We couldn't wait to show Grandma the skunk, so I pulled it out of the bag before we even got in the door. She expressed concerns about whether it would fit or not, but Ollie was too tired to try it on tonight. I guess I'll try tomorrow...cross your fingers.

Grandma helped with prunes and pajamas before heading back home. It really is cute how much his grandparents miss Ollie when they don't see him often enough. Ollie is one lucky baby to have so many people standing in line to love on him!

Tomorrow I have to work, but hopefully it will be a quick day and I'll be home with my guys before I know it. Off to bed to keep Speck happy.

Just a Swingin'

Today was an enjoyable day off work. Even though Ollie was up with teething issues, we were able to sleep in and nap at will today. Speck was on good behavior, so no nausea issues all day. Hopefully we're heading in the right direction.

Ollie and I spent most of the day outside enjoying the perfect weather. He loved his swing more than he has in weeks, so much so that he whined when I took him out for lunch and nap.

Nothing really exciting happened today. We read books, practiced crawling, sang songs, played peek-a-boo, and cuddled. Pretty much the perfect day.

Tomorrow is back to work and Ollie's off to Grammie's. Not every day can be like today, but I suppose that makes me appreciate these days even more.

Go Grandparents!

Thankfully, Speck relaxed a little last night and actually allowed me to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Of course big brother didn't cooperate quite as well and woke up around 2:00. Best of all, it only took him an hour and 45 minutes to go back to sleep. I'll admit I was cursing his teeth for an hour and 44 minutes of that time.

Since we got practically no sleep, and Daddy was planning on finishing the deck rail with Poppy, we skipped church this morning. Eventually we'll be able to make it to church again, right?

While Daddy and Poppy worked on the railing, Ollie and I relaxed on the couch with a few of our favorite toys. Fatigue caused Speck to act crabby, so I have to admit I wasn't as enthused about the dump truck as my playmate. We did enjoy hanging in our pajamas though.

Eventually, I got dressed and made some breakfast for all of us while Ollie watched from his high chair. Scrambled eggs and quesadillas were delicious and seemed to calm Speck's nerves. We were so relaxed that while Ollie took his morning nap, I passed out on the couch.

While we were sleeping Grammie showed up to check out the railing progress, which was actually just a ploy to see Ollie. Once we woke up, we headed outside to watch construction. Ollie was less enthusiastic than we anticipated, but probably because we slept through most of the good table saw action.

Shortly after Daddy and Poppy finished, Grandma and Grandpa showed up. This was perfect because Ollie had cards to deliver to all of his grandparents for Grandparents' Day. Amazing how a 99 cent card can elicit tears.

Once all grandparents disbursed, we headed back inside for some playtime, late lunch, and afternoon nap.


The usual Sunday routine of dinner, grocery, and bed followed. This week is going to be hectic as usual, so we need to rest up this evening. Off to bed to keep Speck happy.

Speck's Revenge

Speck hates Penn Station and was not afraid to voice that opinion all night! Just as I was dozing off (sitting straight up on the couch) around 3:00 Ollie woke up with teething issues. One would think that since Ollie was up for over an hour in the middle of the night that he might sleep in some in the morning. One would be mistaken. Instead he woke up with Daddy (who had to go to work) and was ready to eat prunes. Have I angered the sleep gods?

Grandma was coming over around 10:00 to help me with some cleaning, so I knew I had to get myself pulled together enough to at least function. Long story short, Ollie and I were both still in our pajamas when Grandma arrived and Daddy got home from work. I suppose I figured it was crazy to get dressed when I was spending most of my time hoovering over the toilet waiting for the Zesta crackers that I ate to come back up.

Grandma helped me get the entire upstairs of our house sparkling clean and even let me take frequent breaks. She kept looking at me with concern and suggesting I sit down. I don't know what it is, but lack of sleep seems to make the nausea even more extreme.

Daddy and I planned on leaving Ollie with Grammie and Poppy and heading to Oktoberfest in MainStrausse. As the day went on, it was more and more clear that Speck would have no part in smelling German food, so we canceled our plans and Daddy decided to build a railing on our back patio instead.

Poppy and Daddy headed off to pick up the supplies, while Grammie and I played outside with Ollie.


Although I would have liked to go to Oktoberfest, Speck probably did us a favor by saving us enough money to put up the railing. Sometimes things work out for the best.

Penn Station & Explanations

Ollie stayed with Grammie today while I worked. Thankfully she came to pick him up this morning because I was moving about as fast as a tortoise. Come to think of it, I kinda looked like one too. If I could just get past the morning sickness and actually keep my breakfast down, I think I'd have tons more energy. However, Tide won't stock itself, so off to work I went.

I got home around 4:00 and picked up my little guy. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning, so he passed out as soon as we got home. This worked out well because I took a 20 minute cat nap and rested my back.

We both woke up about the time Daddy got home from work. Once Daddy got a quick shower, he and Ollie settled in on the floor playing with his dump truck. Although watching my boys was fun, I was bored with resting my back and ready to eat some dinner. Daddy suggested Penn Station and I happily agreed because I didn't feel like cooking. One quick diaper bag pack and we were out the door within minutes. (Amazingly we've got our out the door time down to under 10 minutes if we work together. Check back with me in 6 months to see what Speck adds to that madness.)

As usual, Ollie was thrilled to be at a restaurant and really enjoyed the munchies we shared with him from our sandwiches. Who knew babies would eat mushrooms?

After dinner we headed home. Ollie was in need of a bath and Speck was already angry with my dinner choice, so I needed some Tums.

Once Ollie was in bed, Daddy headed to the computer and I turned on the television. Every channel seemed to be discussing September 11th which made me wonder how I would explain the events of that day to Ollie when he asks. I suppose that's just one of many difficult conversations I'll have to have with him, but I have no idea what I'll say. Once again I feel completely unprepared to be a parent, but then again is anyone ever prepared?

Sleepyheads

I had to work again today and my sciatic is still giving me grief. Ollie did manage to sleep all night, but my back kept me from getting comfortable. I know I'll sleep well again someday, I'm guessing it will be anywhere between the next 10 months and 20 years.

I picked Ollie up from Grammie's around 4:00 and we headed home for nap time. He must have sensed that I was teetering on the edge and took a 90 minute nap without even the slightest hesitation. When Daddy got home around 5:30 he cooked dinner and let me rest on my side again. This is really annoying, but the only way I get any sense of relief.

Ollie spent the evening practicing crawling. He's figured out how to scoot backwards, but still has not mastered the forward motion. It's funny and frustrating to watch him reaching for something while moving in the wrong direction.

I guess my neediness has taken it's toll on my boys because they passed out before Ollie finished eating his bottle. I'm off for the next 4 days and boy do I need the break. I'm hoping to get my sciatic situation under control so I'm less of a burden on my guys. Obviously, they can't handle me.

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy and Ollie Playtime

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