Wednesday, June 27, 2007

15 Month Checkup

(Please click on the photo to see more pictures.)

Yesterday, Jake got to spend a fun day with Jack and Isabelle in Brighton. Today, he got to go to the doctor for his 15 month checkup which included another round of vaccinations.

The doctor confirmed that Jake's abilities seem to be developing at a regular rate. His size, however, is not. He did not grow much (if any) in height or weight since his 12 month checkup. Even his head didn't grow that much, but that one is probably a good thing.

The doctor has suggested a course of tests that he'll start next week. There are a lot of different possibilities to explain why his growth has seemed to hit a plateau. My guess is that he just likes making life difficult for his doctors.

One of the possible reasons could be GERD. The worst-case scenario, and the first thing Jake will be tested for, is cystic fibrosis. His test, next Tuesday, will hopefully eliminate that as a possibility.

Hopefully this will just turn out to be as minor as his possible head complications were.

One other positive thing that came out of the appointment today is Jake's ears are free of infection! If he gets another ear infection soon though, he's off to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Busy Weekend

(Please click on the photo to see more pictures.)

We had absolutely gorgeous weather all weekend (even if it got a bit hot) and we spent a lot of time outside enjoying it.

On Saturday, while I was golfing with Jason at The Links at Pinewood, Michele took Jake over to Patty and Gary's house. Anna was also in town with Reid, so the three kids got to play together for a while.

On Sunday, we had a few couples over for a cookout. Jason and Jo brought Elle across the street. Jeff and Marie were also able to make it. Also, Tony and Michelle brought their adorable (and advanced) daughter Skylar. Jeff and Marie are close friends with Tony and Michelle and I also happen to work with Tony. Everyone seemed to have a good time even though it started getting a bit toasty as the shade disappeared around the yard. DLCnM even stopped by for a few minutes on their way over to the Wegienka's for Evan's birthday party.

The fun didn't end even though the weekend did. Today, I left work a little early since Michele brought Jake downtown. We met up with Alex, Deanne, and Logan and walked through the River Days which was setup along the Detroit river. This is the first year for the event, and it seemed to be a success. The event ends with the fireworks on Wednesday. I hope they decide to do this every year, and allow it to continue to get bigger as more of the riverfront is developed. Jake and Logan had a fun time playing in the water, and we all had a good time watching them, and then eating at Loco Bar and Grill in Greektown.

The excitement continues for Michele tomorrow when she goes to get together with her girlfriends. I'm guessing I'll have even more photos to post from that.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Father's Day '07

(Please click on the photo to see more pictures.)

We had a great Father's Day weekend.

To start things off, Jason and I went to see Fantastic Four on Friday night. We both really liked it, and I thought it might have been better than the first.

Saturday, our two families took Jake and Elle to the park. They had a great time playing with each other. Elle learned to slide all on her own. Jake learned that he still shouldn't put wood chips in his mouth (OK, maybe he didn't learn, but he was definitely reminded).

On Sunday, we headed up and had a cookout and spent some time on the boat with DLCnM and GnGT. It was a gorgeous day to be out on Lake Fenton.

After spending most of the day with them, we headed over to MPnA. Mark and Kelly were there with Simba. Ericka and Chase were also still in town from a wedding. We grilled burgers, and then Jake even got to swim in the pool. He spent A LOT of time in the water today. We left Jake up in GB so that we can avoid paying for daycare this week while Michele goes in to move her classroom. Meme and Alison sure are going to have their hands full for the next couple of days.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Quick Post

(Please click on the photo to see more pictures.)

We had a couple cute pictures of Jake that I wanted to get uploaded along with a little video that I put together. I recorded him while he was asleep on Wednesday night. I did a little post-production work, and you have the video linked below.

Also, Rescue Me's season premier did NOT disappoint. I think this would be the one show I would choose to watch if I was forced to pick a single series. Good thing I don't have to with our 4 tuner DVR! FYI... if the service is offered in your area and are interested in getting U-verse, let me know since I can get credit for a referral. We are very happy with it thus far.

Lastly, today was Michele's last day teaching first grade. She is slated to move to kindergarten next year. The current kindergarten teacher, sadly, is moving out of state. They are also afraid that first grade attendance is going to be lower next year. I think Michele is ready to enjoy the summer home with Jake before worrying too much about that though (at least after she finishes moving stuff around next week).



Monday, June 11, 2007

...Bad Times

(Please click on the photo to see more damage.)

This is the main reason that I was unable to update the blog over the weekend as I had originally hoped.

On Friday, around 2:00, a storm blew through Livonia. Johanna, said it looked like a tornado without the funnel cloud. There was high winds with rain blowing directly sideways.

Most of Livonia (if not all) was without power due to the storm hitting elsewhere, so when the tree fell and pulled the power and phone lines off of our house, there was not a fire or anything.

When I left work and drove home, I had to avoide Middlebelt road between Plymouth and Joy. A large tree on the West side of Middlebelt fell and was blocking 4 of the 5 lanes. Driving through our subdivision let me see just how many limbs and other entire trees were littering the ground.

While Michele took Jake up to her folks to enjoy some time on the boat with DLCnM, I stuck around and arranged getting the tree removed (most of it), and getting utilities restored. My dad came down on Saturday and helped me patch up a few things and clean up most of the yard.

We still have to arrange to get the fence replaced. We also have to replace the service door to the garage and the umbrella for the patio set. Hopefully we won't hit any snags when we try to get this all processed through our insurance company.

Good Times...

(Please click on the photo to see more pictures.)

Jake is really getting around well now... at lesat with assistance. He uses anything that is the proper height to steady himself as he walks or kneels around the house.

Clicking on the photo above will take you to the end of the May photos. Clicking on this link will take you to the newer June pictures including another trip to the park.

Jake is also giving out kisses like they are going out of style. If he doesn't want to give them freely, a quick peck between Michele and I will cause him to go into a a see-saw of affection kissing each of us alternately and, often times, repeatedly.

Mark and Kelly's Wedding: More Photos

So, it has taken a little while, but I have collected quite a few albums from Mark and Kelly's wedding that everyone seemed willing to share.

Professional (available through November 2007)
Christina
Erin
Kathy
Katie
Rick
Trosko's

Thanks again to anyone who passed along their albums.