Sorry

Long time...no post. I'm sorry. It has been an exceptionally busy week for us. Here's a recap of our week.

Monday, I caught up the laundry from the weekend.

Tuesday, Doug and I had a meeting at church. Our church cluster has started a couples prayer series. It is a 6 week DVD series about learning to pray as a couple. It is rather enjoyable...except the traveling to Tama every other week. The first week of the series we were by far the youngest couple. This past week there was another couple close to our age...so it wasn't as awkward.

Wednesday, Doug, Dallas, and I went to Iowa City for a "reunion" of our Lamaze class. It was suppose to be a time to share our experiences of labor and delivery with the others that were in our class and with a new class that is about ready to conclude. {We had a few couples the last night of our class come back and speak with us.} Unfortunately, we were the only couple to remember the "reunion" date. It was still fun to see Shari again and show off Dallas!

Thursday, Doug's department got a great jump on planting so Doug didn't come home for lunch. But...it was the perfect day for that to happen because Laura called and invited Dallas and I to lunch! We ate at the Country Club and had wonderful visit. Laura is going to do a garden with us this summer...so we chit-chatted about that some, too.

Friday...today...Dallas went for his 2 month check-up. Here's his current stats: Height - 24 1/2 inches; Weight - 15 lbs 3 oz; Head Circumference - 17 inches. He is in the 90th percentile for his height, and over the 95th percentile for his weight and head circumference! (meaning...he is one of the bigger kids for his age!) He did get his 2 month shots...and did not like them at all. He cried (with tears) for a long time...finally went to sleep for 2 and a half hours, and then started crying again! When Doug got home at 5:30, he took over so I could have a break. I started mowing the yard, and stopped around 7:30 to feed Dallas. Since then...he has been back to his happy self.

We were going to go to a Kernels baseball game tonight, but decided to wait until Dallas felt better. I think we are going to try and go Sunday afternoon. Tomorrow, I am going to finish the yard and Doug is going to work up the garden space.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

A note from Dallas

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to write a note before Mom put me to bed. I didn't get a chance this morning to wish all the mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day! Mom, Dad and I went to Peoria, IL today to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Robertson, Grandma and Grandpa Bergman, GG, and Aunt Lisa. We ate at the Texas Roadhouse, and it was delicious! (well, that's what Mom said) We also went to Culver's and got sundaes...they were good too.

Happy Mother's Day!

One more thing before I head off to bed, did you all realize that I am two months old today?!?! I had to remind Mom to take my picture so everyone could see how big I'm getting. I go to the doctor for my 2 month check-up on Friday. I'll make sure Mom updates you on my growth. She says I might be a bit cranky after the appointment...something has been said about getting shots, and I really don't like the sound of that!

Dallas ~ Two Months Old

Love,
Dallas

Tears

Well, it finally happened. Dallas had his first real tears today. Now, when Grandma and Grandpa Robertson were out to visit the weekend after Easter, he was very close to tears one day. His eyes were wet, but no tears. Then, there was the other morning when Dallas lost control of his head and bounced the back of his head off the arm of the rocking chair. He cried some, but no tears.

Today...it was tears!

Here's what happened. Dallas and I were playing on the floor this morning doing some tummy time. Everything was going great. Then the dogs decided that they wanted to play as well. At first, the dogs were staying on their "side" of the living room floor, but then they lost track of where they were. The next thing I know, Charlie took a step backwards and stepped on Dallas. {I know...I should have had myself between Dallas and the dogs, but I was trying to get Dallas to turn his head and look to his left.} I'm not exactly sure where Charlie stepped on Dallas, but I'm thinking it was his arm. He didn't have any kind of marks on this face. When I picked him up and turned him toward me, the tears were forming and starting to fall. They didn't last too long, but it brought tears to my eyes that he was hurt.

All is good now. The weather was great today. The sun was out for most of the day. It was a bit windy, but what's new there! Doug took off work a little early and rented a yard sprayer from the hardware store. We sprayed some Round-Up on a patch in our backyard so we can make a garden! Let's hope that there wasn't too much draft and overspray! I guess we'll find out in a few days...

Until next time...

Cheese!

Dallas woke up this morning in a great mood. He was so full of smiles! I was finally able to capture them on film...well, after clicking the camera many times! Take a look...

Attempt 1: Not quite fast enough

Attempt 2: Huge grin

Attempt 3: Sweet Smile

After having a happy morning, Dallas went back to the therapist for a follow-up with his neck. He has made some progress but still has some way to go. You probably noticed in the pictures, he is still always looking to the right. We go back in a month for another follow-up. Until then, we are to do lots of tummy time and stretching.

Until next time...

Tulilp Time

On Saturday, we made our way down to the town of Pella, IA for the 70th Annual Tulip Time Festival. Doug, Dallas, and I met Aunt Katie there around 10 in the morning. If you remember in my previous post, I was hoping for a dry day...well, it rained through the night, but the sun was out and shining brightly when we arrived. The only downfall was the wind, but we do live in Iowa and we shouldn't have been surprised/bothered by it. By noon, we each had shed a layer and found some great food!

I never knew there were so many variety of tulips! They are each so lovely and different. In the downtown square there are some 25,000 tulips. In front of the houses leading up to main street, there are tulips planted in neat rows. We are unsure if the city maintains those flower beds or if the residents do, but either way, they are perfect. Katie and I took lots of pictures (on her camera because my battery was dead!). Here they are...I hope you enjoy them!

There is a group of 16 girls from the high school that sing and dance to old Holland folk songs.

This sun dial was a gift to the city as well as the tower in the background. You can also see some of the flags representing the different Providences in Holland.

Various tulip beds around town.

The Dutch are famous for wooden shoes...here's Dallas trying on his first pair!

In the downtown area there are two different windmills. The first one pictured is the top of the information booth, and the second one is a working grain mill that was a gift from Holland.

Many of the houses and buildings are of a Dutch style: tall, narrow, and very deep.

Off the downtown square is a beautiful "canal walk" and garden area. Along one of the entrances into the area are these tiled paintings depicting different scenes from Holland communities.

A family picture...yes, Dallas is sleeping!

The Red Rock Threshers Club had an antique tractor display. The JD pictured first is a 1010, which I had never seen before, and Doug says is somewhat rare. The second picture is the group of Olivers that were present.

Dallas...still sleeping

Aunt Katie and her famous self-portraits.

Dallas...waiting for the parade to start

Dallas trying to shade himself from the sun.

One of the entries in the parade was of all the babies in town. We couldn't believe how many participants there were! Some parents carried their babies, while others used old strollers (that they themselves had been pushed in through the parade).

Dallas ... sleeping through the firetruck siren.

Many of the entries were ones that have been participating for many years. This was a new one this year...a train of wooden shoes. A local man had carved each of those shoes from a solid piece of wood and then painted them.

We saw this car driving through town when we first arrived to Pella. We (Doug) didn't know what it was, but when it came through the parade, we found out it is a Lincoln Continental. I forget what year it was...sorry.

This is the Sunken Garden, which was new this year. It is hard to tell in the picture, but the pond is in the shape of a wooden shoe.

Aunt Katie and Dallas on the trolley ride around town to see some of the historic landmarks.

A nice wind-blown look!

The mansion in town was built by Mr. Scholte for his wife when they moved from Holland. He apparently promised his wife he would build her a home exactly like the one they had in Holland within the first year of moving to what is now Pella. Behind the house, is a beautiful tulip garden containing over 20,000 tulips! This statue was placed in the garden at the 150th celebration. We thought it would be fun to put Dallas in the basket of tulips!

This is in the garden behind the Scholte house.

In the flower beds they are very careful to keep the tulips in a row and keep the same variety in the bed. This single yellow one slipped in somehow!