And I finally added bris photos, only about 2 months after it happened…

The highlight was definitely our boat trip out on the lake which concluded with a fireworks show.  We were wondering whether we would still go because at dinner it looked as if we were going to get rained out.  Normally from that restaurant you can see across the lake, but the storm that moved in was so severe, you couldn’t see all the way across.  Fortunately the storm had dwindled to a slow drizzle and we made it on the boat. 

It was a double-decker boat, so we elected to sit on the lower level (the upper level was about full anyway).  This ended up being a smart choice because a little ways into the trip, they handed out garbage bags for people to wear for more rain.  We were protected from all of that.  We saw some enormous homes owned mostly by rich Chicago businessmen.  One of them apparently had 55 rooms and had been a money-loser througout the years.  I’m not sure if they give tours of those places, but it would be fun to walk through one of them at some point.

Finally it got dark out and the fireworks began.  Jonah entertained everyone through his sheer enthusiasm.  As each one went off, he would shout excitedly.  On some of them, he said, “It’s magic!” and ”Magic fireworks!”  About halfway through, he proclaimed, “I like fireworks!”  He proceeded to say this about a dozen times during the show, much to everyone’s pleasure.  At one point the captain of the ship said, “He’s more fun than the fireworks!”  The only downside was that I did get a bit seasick toward the end.  I know, I know, how could someone get seasick on Lake Geneva of all places – it wasn’t like we were braving 30-foot swells in the North Atlantic — but I guess I just don’t handle water too well.  Still, it was worth it to see Jonah have such a good time.

The rest of the weekend was fairly mellow.  We spent time at the beach or sitting on the deck for lunches and dinners.  We brought Bianca too, and she didn’t much like the fireworks going off set by amateurs throughout the weekend, but I think it was better than being back in Chicago.  Our neighborhood sounds like a warzone sometimes during the 4th.

All in all it was a fun, relaxing weekend, though of course quite crowded.  We’re looking forward to going up again, maybe in the fall, when it won’t be quite as congested.  I don’t have any photos now, but will post some once they are available.

Oh! And of course note all the CRAZY hair.  It does that all on its own.

Also, this isn’t Elliott’s first smile, he smiles all the time, but this is the first one I’ve been able to catch on film.

• Goodnight, Baby – iBaby           

Board book where you put the different babies in their beds

• Series by Helen Oxenbury: All Fall Down, Tickle Tickle, Clap Hands, Say Goodnight           

Short board books for young ones

• Today I Feel Silly – Jamie Lee Curtis           

Great book about different feelings kids have

• I Love Monkey - Suzanne Kaufman           

This was a 3 year old birthday gift book and we read it multiple times a day at first.  Nice message about being yourself.

• Z Was Zapped - Chris. Van Allsburg           

We checked one out from the library then had to buy it because he liked it so much.  He even asked about it as we waited a week or two for it to arrive.

• Love You Forever - Robert N. Munsch          

This is one of my all time favorites.  I owned it even before I had kids thanks to a friend who knew I liked reading it while I babysat.

This weekend I got my first smiles.  He’s been smiling and laughing randomly but this weekend I got him to do it a couple times for me.  It’s fun.  I can’t wait to hear his real laugh.  He does this chuckle in his sleep sometimes and he smiles while he’s nursing but getting him to smile AT me is much better. 

He’s also flipped over a number of times from his belly to his back.  I’m not sure yet if this is luck or skill.  I know Jonah did it early too and his doctor told me it was just a fluke that it would stop.  We’ll see…

Jonah just turned 3 and didn’t need any shots.  He’s now 39″ tall and weighs 35 lbs. 

Elliott at 1 month is 21.25″ long and weighs 9 lbs, 9 oz.  That’s a pretty good weight gain since his lowest at 7 lbs. 2 oz at 3 days old, I think.  Makes sense since the kid seems to be eating non-stop!

That’s all for now. 

Boring Elliott (short) from Julie Diehl on Vimeo.

Yes, Jonah and I went downtown to witness history.  The Tribune said there was a crowd of about two million down there to see the Stanley Cup, and we were included in the number.  It was really humid and over 90 degrees, so it was a little sticky, but I’m glad we went, even though we basically saw nothing. 

We actually got there reasonably early, like at 9:30am.  They were not due to be by where we were standing (at the corner of Michigan and South Water) untill about 11 or 11:30am, but I knew it was going to be tough to stand in one place for over two hours with a three-year-old.  Also, the crowd was not, shall we say, family friendly.  Lots of drinking and smoking going on, plus of course people insist on moving around, so people were constantly pushing into us.  Did I mention it was hot?  After awhile, I knew our position was untenable, so I backed us out to where we had some breathing room (literally).  I knew it would decrease our chances of seeing anything, but for safety’s sake, it was the smart move.  Had I been by myself, I would have gladly pushed ahead, personal safety be damned, but these are the sacrifices you make as a father.

Here’s a short video I shot about an hour before the Hawks came through:

Before the parade from Chris Diehl on Vimeo.

At about 11:15am, the crowd really started to get loud. By this point we had been pushed back to entrance of the Hard Rock Hotel, so we were pretty far from the edge of the street where we would have had a view of the parade. I was able to see a couple of the Hawks on the doubledecker buses, but with people putting kids and their girlfriends on their shoulders, plus the general clamor, I’m surprised I even saw that. Didn’t get even a glimpse of the Cup.

Below is a video of the Hawks coming by. Just so you know, the video is terrible. You can barely see anything, plus I think the strap to the camera got in front of the lens. But I had Jonah on my shoulders, who was simultaneously choking me and trying to get down, so in a way, I’m lucky I even got the crappy footage you see here. What’s important is that we were there!

Untitled from Chris Diehl on Vimeo.

Still can’t believe the Blackhawks are Stanley Cup champions. Now if only we could attend the Cubs parade…

Here’s a video of our celebration at home on his actual birthday.  I’ll attach photos of the party soon.

Jonah’s 3rd B-day from Julie Diehl on Vimeo.