Been tough to post blog entries lately – lots going on in my life right now. Some things are exciting, while others are, well, not so great. One of the biggest items I’m dealing with is a torn AC joint. According to this Web site: The acromioclavicular (AC) joint [is] the joint between the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone).
The injury happened during an ice hockey game a week ago. Our game was getting a little rough, and the play moved to the other end of the ice. After the refs and I looked that direction, some guy blindsided me into the boards. I went in neck and shoulder first. Figuring it was just a bad bruise, I decided to wait a few days before having my right shoulder checked by a doctor. By Friday, about one-fifth of my chest had turned bright yellow and I was still having trouble lifting heavy objects and moving my arm in certain positions.
Now, I’m wearing a sling. It’s mainly to keep me from using my arm, but it’s made life pretty tough this weekend. Using my left hand for everything is not ideal. Changing diapers is now a chore, as is feeding myself! Using the key to start the car? Surprisingly difficult. Getting a shirt on and off? Often requires assistance. In fact, just about everything is a challenge. I’m sure I’ll be sore after just typing up this blog entry. Certainly should be quite the challenge month between work and parenting. I’m supposed to be in the sling for a minimum of two weeks, but it could be as long as eight. Ouch!
All posts by jlope23
Taking the little rascals to the Rascals game
Last night, we went to the River City Rascals baseball game with our friends the Hattons. Jen, Mike and little Drew met us outside the ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. (you may know Jen from her blog, Life with Drew). It was a blast, though everything was “tiny,” at least in comparison to a St. Louis Cardinals game. By that, I mean the car show outside the stadium featured just five cars, there were only a handful of seating sections, only two concession stands were open, etc.
However, it was a really intimate affair. We were close to the field. Our son loved seeing all the mascots, and he also loved running along the open concourse and using the slide at the playground area. It’s well worth checking out if you have young kids. Highly recommend.
We had fun catching up with Mike and Jen, who we hadn’t seen in ages. And the two boys, Oliver and Drew, seemed to enjoy touching each other and making loud grunt noises. Pretty cute stuff. Anyway, we took just a handful of pictures but they didn’t turn out great. Below are a few, featuring the boys, everybody but me in our seats and the Hattons. Enjoy.
Our trip to the Springfield, Mo., Zoo in pictures
Been behind in my blogging, so this post should catch us up. I’ve been meaning to share some photos from our recent trip to Springfield, Mo., to visit with my parents and grandma Carol. We had just a wonderful time. Below is a slideshow from our day at the Springfield Zoo. Oliver just loves looking at animals. The weather was borderline hot, but at least tolerable. Enjoy:
Happy Fourth (OK, Sixth – I’m a little late) of July
We spent the Fourth of July weekend in Springfield, Mo., with my parents and my Grandma Carol (who was visiting for a few weeks). What a fun time. I’ll post some more about the visit later, but for now, I’ll share some details about our holiday outing. My parents’ house is just south of town, so we headed out a couple miles to nearby Battlefield, Mo., to watch fireworks.
My mom insisted we get there early, and early it was. I think we had just over two hours to kill before the show started. Oliver spent most of it running, with his head down, back and forth across the sidewalk, through the playground area and in/out of the crowd. It was really tiring chasing him everywhere, and he was extremely stubborn about being redirected back to our spot on the lawn. However, just before the fireworks he was pretty tired, as seen here in this photo taken shortly after we gave him a bottle as he watched the band play:
The fireworks were actually pretty impressive, though the show was a bit short. Honestly, it was one of the better firework displays I’ve seen in my 33 years. While watching, I had my camera and tripod set up to try and capture a few images. Here’s one of the few firework pictures that worked:
After a while, I turned the camera over toward Sarah and Oliver to capture the picture below. It was actually almost pitch black by that point, so I had the camera set to capture as much light as possible. This shot also was aided by the light of the fireworks. Here’s the pic:
Overall, Oliver really seemed to enjoy the fireworks. He sat and stared at them calmly, though it was about two hours past his bedtime. By the end, he had turned around and put his head down on Sarah’s shoulder, but he kept twisting his head around and opening one tired eye to catch a glimpse. It was pretty cute. Next year should be even more exciting, since he’ll be talking and all that fun stuff.
Anyway, to wrap up this post, below is a YouTube video I shot and cleaned up (mostly reducing the darkness). You can tell my mom was enjoying herself, from her enthusiastic, booming voice! Oliver was just calm as could be. Enjoy:
Our boy is starting to explore the world
Our boy is starting to explore the world. We’ve been taking him outside just about every day for the past month. He really enjoys running up and down the driveway, sprinting out into the grass and laughing at Molly and chasing the young neighborhood boys up the courtyard.
It’s so cute to see him soak up his new surroundings. There is, however, a bit of sadness as his father. For nearly 16 months, his world has revolved around a confined space with very few people. Soon, he’s going to be a big boy, off playing by himself and meeting new people. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that it’s hard acknowledging that one’s baby is now a full-fledge toddler.
Anyway, below is a short slideshow of Oliver goofing around on our driveway a week ago. Enjoy:
Our son still has a ‘doggy complex’
Oliver still has a “doggy complex.” Our goldendoodle, Molly, is his best friend right now. The two of them are always chasing each other around, fetching toys and digging in the doggie food dish.
Here’s a video of the two of them goofing around at my grandma’s house this past weekend:
And here’s a video of Oliver running into Molly’s crate (his new thing, any time he hears us tell Molly to go there):
Baby gets a haircut (his sixth already!)
Those who’ve seen Oliver lately, whether in picture or in person, have noticed that his hair had been getting pretty long. So on Sunday, we called on his official “hairstylist,” his uncle Aaron, to trim the frock. Can you believe Oliver is already on his sixth haircut? Crazy. He’s only 15 months old.
Anyway, this was the first time that Sarah and I got to watch the haircut (the previous ones were done while we were working and Oliver was being watched by Sarah’s mom). It was darn cute.
Below is a picture of the haircut in progress, and then Oliver sporting his new ‘do afterward. His hair is a little spiky, and looks pretty cool. He’s such a little boy. Anyway, enjoy:
A really nice Father’s Day
I had a really nice Father’s Day, for those of you who care to know. The day started out with a big breakfast, then I got a really sweet card. Sarah made it with some help from Oliver. It features his first ever doodles (we just bought him crayons).
Next, we headed to Brentwood, where I had an ice hockey game. That was special for me, because it was Oliver’s first time “watching” (said loosely) me play. It was hard for me to concentrate on the game at times, as I kept looking across the ice and seeing Oliver running back and forth behind the top row of seats. Was pretty cool, and I’m always going to remember him watching me play on Father’s Day.
Next, we headed to Sarah’s parents’ house for a barbecue. That was, of course, also very nice. Had a great time. Now we’re home and relaxing before bed.
Below are a couple pictures of Oliver with his proud dad today. (Oh yeah, and I’ll write about his haircut later — you may notice between pictures that his ‘do is shorter later in the day.) Enjoy:
Oliver’s (almost) first swim
With the temperature again pushing 100 degrees yesterday, we decided to fill up Oliver’s baby pool and take the boy out for a swim. Oliver, in his swimming diaper and trunks, was ready to go.
However, outside, he FREAKED OUT. When his feet touched the water, he’d let out a terrified shrill and then run to his momma. One time, he even sprinted across the yard, away from the pool. I wish I could share some pictures, but the camera was all fogged up. After it cleared, I got a shot of Oliver looking at the pool, which was about all he’d do.
He was really clingy with Sarah, and was just content to sit with her. Oh well, we’ll have to try the pool again. I’m convinced he’ll like it, if we can just get him into it.
Oliver’s stinky feet
I need to start posting some videos of the boy. He’s just so darn active and cute right now. Here’s one from a week ago, in which Sarah is singing a made-up song, let’s call it “Stinky Feet,” while Oliver laughs. If you listen closely, you can also hear one of Oliver’s new phrases: “Again.” He likes to blurt out “again” over and over when he likes something, whether it’s reading a book “again,” bouncing on my lap “again,” tossing him in the air and catching him “again,” or doing what we do in this video … “again.” Anyway, enjoy:
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