July 4th and more

Sorry I am just getting to this now, but Axel and I have been busy preparing for daddy's bday. Today Keith turns 34 and Daddy's list of wants continued to increase as the days approaching his birthday neared. It is funny because typically Keith and I don't want anything, but this year was different. First, Keith said, "I think I want a couple of new shirts for my birthday. You know, the ones with the collar that you bought me a couple of years ago". A couple of days later, "I think if you can get my battery for my watch, that would be great." And then I got, "I think if you can get a new phone for me and transfer my numbers that is what I really want!" But on Monday I got, "I really want chilly dogs. Can you make your yummy chili and can we put it over those hot dogs that we had at your mom's house this weekend?" Of course I thought! So, Axel and I had to go to the mall Monday and Tuesday this week in order to get daddy shirts and a new phone that works! I just finished getting the battery and buying all of the ingredients for the chili that I need to start making in the next 30 minutes. Good thing he won't read this until after today is nearly over. The wonderful thing about the way I shop is that his entire birthday only cost me $50. Yep....if you time it right and get shirts on sale with an additional 40% off at the Gap and then get a phone when you are eligible for an upgrade, money is hardly needed. Keith and I are very proud of our cheapness, a.k.a. frugalness

Now, on to Axel. Axel received a cute hat for my birthday from Tyler and Cynthia. Tyler and Cynthia love to buy Axel gifts. I do have to say that I love the baseball cap and am looking forward to when it fits!


We all had a great time at Gamma's house this weekend for the 4th. Every year we all get together and play croquet. The winner gets to add their name to the croquet trophy and keep it the entire year. Unfortunately, I lost it to Ryan in our dual off. I do have to say that he played quite well and I lost to a true up and coming croquet champion.



Axel had a great time after getting his screaming fit out the 45 min before everyone arrived. Boy, was I glad to get there an hour earlier than everyone else.

I am not quite sure why he is starting to become a screamer, but my only guess is that he is in pain from teething. His teeth still have not broken through his gums, YET, but besides biting on everything and being a constant drool machine he now screams uncontrollably at night and occasionally during the day. I have to "shhhh", swaddle, and rock him quickly side to side in order to calm him. The hour and a half that it initially took me to get him to stop and go to sleep is now down to about 20 min or so. Axel has also not been sleeping well during the day. Yesterday I discovered that if I swaddled him he actually took a full 2 hour nap. Unfortunately, last night was a pretty bad night of sleep and he was up almost every hour, but hopefully we will get back on track again. I keep threatening to give him baby Tylenol thinking that it will help, but I am afraid maybe I am reading him wrong and he is not in pain, but just has new found fussiness for other reasons that I am unaware of. The one night that I did give him Tylenol he slept quite well, but that was a week ago and his sleeping improved the following night for almost a week until last night. I guess the teeth make a slow progression and don't have to cause constant pain? Any moms out there who can help out or clarify would be greatly appreciated!

Here are a few more pictures from this weekend. A family picture with all 5 of us. A picture of naked Axel in the 95+ degree Sacramento weather and daddy being funny with Axel. Daddy thought he needed yet another picture of Axel holding some hard liquor along with a firecracker for his 1st 4th of July. Axel actually slept through the two hours of fire works that we did. I was glad because I really wanted to stay and enjoy the family tradition. Axel will probably be sleeping for at least another year or two during the fireworks, but I am sure he will love all of the fireworks that we set off eventually.




Hope you all have a great end of the week and I will post again soon on how daddy's/Keith's b-day went and how his weekend of racing goes. His team's race is this weekend so I am sure it will be fun. Ok, time to start that chilly while Axel's eyes are still shut!!