The Singer Pack

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Omaha! Omaha! Omaha!

Steve and I were not too sure on how a 6-7 hour drive was going to go for the little one when we set out on our way to Nebraska. We tried to be optimistic but knew very well that it could be a really long day in the car. Should I mention that we had only just switched from our carrier car seat to the convertible car seat just that week? Smooth move on our part... However, despite a few torrential downpours in Iowa and a couple unhappy hours from Frank, we made it to Omaha unscathed.

Luckily we were able to promptly check into our hotel room and let the little dude crawl around before we had to hop into the car once more. This time we were off to my cousin's house to see the family! The whole trip to Omaha was to celebrate the marriage of my cousin, Sarah, to Marcus. They went to Las Vegas earlier in the year and got married so it was time to celebrate! At my cousin Bryanne's house, the Herrmann family was congregating for some face time. It is unfortunate but we don't get to see that side of the family very often so when we do get together, we try to make the most of it. Nancy and Kelly were home from China and rented a bounce house for all the kids which was a hit! All the kids loved it, even Frankie had his time in it. After he was done eating dinner, he made a bee-line from the patio to the bounce house. He clearly felt it wasn't fair that all the other kids had been bouncing around in there and he wanted his turn. It was a great gathering and fun to see everyone!

The next day, after an early wake up from Frankie, most of the family decided to head to the Omaha Zoo. Frankie loved it! All the kids loved it for that matter. There were lots of animals to see, a carousel to ride, camels to ride, stingrays to touch, and so much more. Even the parents and grandparents had an enjoyable time. Frankie had a stare down with a gorilla and loved the aquarium. We played musical strollers with all the kiddos especially Miss Sophie, she would snatch up an open seat in an instant. :-)

Our time at the zoo was short-lived due to nap times (for both babes and parents). Frankie snoozed while we were at the zoo so we took him for a swim in the pool to expend some of his energy before putting him down. It worked like a charm! He was hesitant of the water at first but quickly warmed up to it.

The evening was full of celebrating Marcus & Sarah. I managed to sneak in a few photos of the family and I can't wait to see the full family photos that the photographer took! We didn't make it too long into the event due to the little dude getting tired but we enjoyed the time that we were there. Family is always fun and crazy to be around.

The ride home was quiet since the little dude went with Grandma and Grandpa to spend a few days in Marshall. Here's to hoping the next family gathering isn't too far away!

Silly Madison & Ava!

This is how The Herrmann's take on the zoo - not
everyone is even in the photo

Frankie vs Gorilla

Loving the aquarium

Miss Sophie loves her cousin Frankie

Swimming with Dad

Frankie is faster than the camera...

So sweet with Grandpa

Grandma & Grandpa with all their grand kids!

Great-grandma & her youngest
great-grandchild (#14)

Photo Series: 11 Months!!

Talk about a blur of a month! We have been keeping busy this summer which is causing me to constantly play catch up with blogging, cleaning, sleeping, etc.

Here is a quick recap of Frankie's progression to 11 months:

- Walking along furniture
- Standing without help
- Constantly moving
- Throwing balls for Kirby
- Likes giving kisses (although you need to be careful that he doesn't bite your nose...)
- Dumping out blocks/elephants/balls/etc. and then putting them back into the bucket/container/etc.
- LOVING blueberries, raspberries, and Cheerios
- Becoming more willing to try new foods (especially whatever Mom or Dad is eating)
- 5 teeth with the sixth on the way
- Was an all-star for his first hair cut
- Can be quite the chatty Cathy
- Enjoyed a few days with Grandma H in Marshall sans Mom and Dad (we have only heard good things about his stay!)
- Took him to the Omaha Zoo and he couldn't get enough of the aquarium
- He has quickened his crawling pace from fast to motoring - if you don't pay attention he is at Kirby's water dish in a flash!
- Participated in the Maple Grove Days Diaper Derby and came in 2nd. He was too enchanted with the little girl next to him to crawl toward Mama. :-)
- We have been able to spend a few different weekends with family and he loves playing with his cousins

I could go on and on but I will stop.

Steve and I had quite the time trying to get Frankie to sit, look at the camera, not grab/eat/throw the picture frame, and smile. We got 2 photos like that...I included a few of the outtakes just because. :-)

Monday, July 21, 2014

Hairs Cut

It was getting a little too long and we had a few events coming up so it needed to be trimmed. The new cut definitely makes him look like a little boy and not a baby. Growing up too quickly!

Before:

During:

After:

My handsome little man.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Father's Day

Steve's first father's day did not go as planned. We originally going to spend the day at Art on the Lake in Excelsior and then boating on the lake with some wonderful friends, however, Mother Nature had other plans. Due to the rain and not so summery weather, we ended up spending the day in Mound with Steve's parents and it was still a great day! Steve and I were offered babysitting services for a few hours; naturally, we took advantage. We went to a movie in Excelsior and I managed to get in a little shopping. :-) He wasn't as excited since it was Father's Day and everything but he survived, barely.

Below you can see my attempt at beginning a Father's Day tradition of matching shirts, however, shortly before these photos were shot, Frankie spit up all over Steve. I was so bummed!! I managed to get these few shots before Steve changed and they are pretty cute so I can't complain too much.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Trip to Marshall

Almost 3-4 months ago now (wow! I am a little behind on photos and stories...) Frankie and I made the trip to Marshall. We were looking forward to a weekend with my parents and my both my brothers and their kids. It was a full house!

I am so thankful that Frankie does well in the car since the normal 2.5-3 hour drive to Marshall took 4 hours! In certain spots, the roads were like ice rinks. I was happy to be driving the truck in case anything should have happened. Nothing did and we made it safely to Marshall - Frankie didn't wake up until we were driving into town! That extra hour could have been bad if he was awake and unhappy.

The entire weekend was a great time for all the kids to spend time together. Frankie enjoyed his cousins and when the boys went out for their banquet he enjoyed his girl time. :-) He wasn't quite crawling at this point (which is hard to remember since he is cruising around now) but the girls were trying to help teach him. Sophie liked to help take care of him and love him up! She was even a great helper with diaper changes.

Us girls did manage to sneak out and do a little shopping since we would be hanging with all the kiddos on Saturday night. But it didn't last too long before we were summoned back...not sure the exact reason we needed to come home since no one was having a meltdown but we kindly obliged.

It was a quick weekend home but well worth it - something about going home is just so nice. If only we could make it happen more frequently. I also managed to survive the nights with just me - Frankie cooperated fairly well but I was thankful to return home and have a partner for those middle of the night bouts of unhappiness.

Cousin time in the playroom!

Watching the girls dance with Grandma

Life is moving too quickly

As I have been re-tracing and re-remembering events and photos it continues to amaze me with how quickly time is moving. And how quickly our little dude is growing. Many of these photos are from just a few short months ago when standing and crawling were so new. Now we are chasing as the little dude cruises easily toward Kirby's water dish or any other item he was to explore. Here is a flashback to wonderful moments from the past few months - I will now try to be more regular in posting photos and stories. With summer upon us and many exciting events taking place, I ensure you that my camera/phone will be close at hand.