DOMINCAN REPUBLIC!!

Standing in front of a Christmas Tree while wearing summer clothes, hmmm..... weird! However, the weirdest part may be walking around the palm trees in shorts listening to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"!

Abby chillin' on our bed at the resort while wearing her floaty that we got her to use while she was there.

Playing in the pool a the resort!

Don't they look happy and Christina is BEAUTIFUL!!

On the sunset cruise! Abby is having a good time!

We got a little wet getting to the boat, this is all the Polo boys looking like the next cast of Gilligan's Island!

The three men waiting for the beautiful bride to walk down the aisle.

The whole family at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.

Abby walking on the beach, splashing her feet in the Ocean.

The pool at the resort.

Abby at the wedding holding the bridesmaid bouquet.
We went to the Domincan Republic for 5 days from Friday Dec. 11- Tuesday Dec. 15. Eric's brother, Jeff, got married there. So, Abby got to take her first plane ride and use her passport for the first time. We now have an international baby! Gotta love that. Abby was really good on the flights over to the Dominican. We flew for about 5 hours total, but with all of the airport time and customs time etc, the trip took most of the day. Abby was a trooper and she enjoyed most of the new sights. Once we got to the hotel she really had a good time. She swam in the bog pool and ate lots of new food. She even had herself a few Pina Coladas (Virgin of course). The night of the rehearsal dinner, we took a sunset dinner cruise. Abby was not too sure about that whole experience. We had to ride in small speedboats out to the big boat and we all got drenching wet. It was not so fun. but the dinner on the boat was great and it ended up being a beautiful night. The Wedding itself was gorgeous and Christina looked stunning in her wedding dress. The reception was a ball and everyone danced for hours. We all chilled on Monday and took the long trek home Tuesday. Abby was great on the first flight home, but on the final leg, the last one to Detroit, Abby decided she did not want to be on the airplane. She SCREAMED for the first 10 minutes of the flight and we became "those people" The ones you NEVER want to sit by on the plane. But everyone around us was REALLY understanding and after the first 10 minutes, the rest of the flight was really good. She was well behaved and giggled and laughed. We got off the plane around 10:30 and finally arrived home around midnight. Abby slept hard all night long and I think she was REALLY glad to be back in her own sweet bed. ( And I was really glad to have her back in her own bed). Overall, the trip was a success and she was wonderful and we all had a great time. Now, to begin the Christmas season!!

Hard 2 weeks for the Polos!

Abby and her cousin Grace using their Great Aunts cell phones to text!! Abby is completely enthralled and happy. She looks like an old pro!

Abby with both of her first cousins, Grace and Isabelle. Isabelle is coveting those phones in a bad way!!

Oma with 2 of her beautiful granddaughters!

Oma and Conrad with the kids after stuffing ourselves!

Abby fist bumping Isabelle.


The past couple of weeks have been really hard for us and Abby. A couple of weeks ago (Sunday), Abby started running a fever, it kept getting higher and higher everyday until it reached 104.3. We got her into the Dr. on that Wednesday (Nov.18). the Dr. checked her temperature and it was still over 104. Abby was also coughing a lot. At that time, I told the Dr. how bad her urine smelled, but she said that was probably due to the high fever and such. She told me Abby had the symptoms of Swine Flu and sent me to the lab to get an x-ray to make sure it was not turning into something respiratory. Getting a chest x-ray for a 19 month old is an ordeal. Abby cried and cried and all I could do was hold her hands and tell her it was going to be ok. The chest x-rays came back fine and the dr. said to just give her Tylenol and/or Motrin, and warm baths to keep the fever down and it should go away in a couple of days. Well, 5 days later, she was still spiking fevers of 103, and she was getting copious amounts of Tylenol and Motrin. On Monday (Nov. 23) after the fever raging for over a week, we called the Dr. again. They scheduled us to come back in on Tuesday to see what could be wrong with her. So, again, Abby and I hauled ourselves back to the Dr. This time, she decided we needed to take urine sample, another chest x-ray and draw blood for blood tests. In little girls that are so young, you can't ask them to pee in a cup, so the actually have to tape a bag over their entire private parts to try and catch the urine when they pee. After they taped the bag, they sent us off to take blood and get another chest x-ray at the lab, hoping that while we were doing that she would pee in the bag. So I had to go take her back to the x-ray room and hold her hands while she cried and cried while they took another chest x-ray. Then came the blood draw. This had to be the worst part of the entire ordeal. Luckily, at that time, Eric showed up to help me. I had to hold Abby down while two nurses took her arm and drew stuck a needle in and drew her blood. She sobbed and sobbed and screamed and cried. She looked up at me with tears in her eye and said "pwease". Like please make them stop mama, please make them stop. I started crying with her and just held her and told her it was ok. Finally, once the blood had been drawn, we went back to the Dr.s office to check her urine bag to see if she had peed. She hadn't. We waited almost 45 more minutes for her to pee. Finally she peed in the bag and they tested her urine and discovered she had a urinary tract infection. However, she did not pee enough for the Dr. to send a sample to the lab. So, the Dr. then had to come in and Eric had to hold her down while they put a catheter in and extracted more urine. All of this was done to Abby in one day. We were at the Dr. for 3 1/2 hours. Finally, the Dr. gave us antibiotics for the urinary tract infection and sent us home. finally, within 48 hours, her fever went away completely!! She is sooooooo much better!! She is finally back to her loving happy little self. She was miserable for 10 days with a HIGH fever and it really took a toll on her. We are sooooo happy that she is better, it is such a BIG relief for us. She was able to enjoy Thanksgiving with her cousins and enjoy her extra time with Dada and Mama at home.

Trick or Treating

Abby crawled/fell into her toy box and then could not figure out how to get out, but she did not seem to mind to much. She decided she was going to chill out and read.

Yesterday Abby put her head down like this, took both arms off, the floor and then tried to push herself over (like a somersault). We have no idea how she learned this or where is came from. But then Daddy started doing it with her. She did this numerous times and it was really funny to watch. I told Eric that now was the time to start gymnastics!

On Sunday, we went back to the apple orchard so I could get some more apples and cider. They had the ponies there that the kids could ride. The nice lady running it said Abby could go and pet the ponies. Abby LOVES animals of any kind!! She enjoyed the ponies.

They also had a bridge at the apple orchard that Abby enjoyed running back and forth on. The bridge was only over a VERY small creek, but she liked it anyway.

On Sunday, we also went to the zoo for trick or treating. The zoo has a special trick or treating day every year for the kids. All of the trick or treating stations were sponsored by a different group. This is the station sponsored by Max and Erma's. They had 2 dogs dressed up and Abby loves characters dressed up like this. She is not afraid of them at all.

They had blow up charaters all around the zoo as well. Abby liked this one the best.

Abby is a pink poodle this year, which is the same thing she was last year, but the costume still fit her, so she is wearing it again!!

Here is another of the character walking around.. Abby is giving him a Hi-5

Grace's first birthday party!

This past weekend we went to our niece's first birthday party. Grace was so cute and we had so much fun. The kids always love playing together and they don't get to see eachother often enough. Also this week, we took Abby to the Dr. for her 18 month check up. She now weighs 19 lbs 10 oz. We are finally getting close to the 20 lb mark. She is still in the below third percentile in weight. Her height is 30 1/4 inches which is in the 30th percentile and her head circumference is 46cm which is in the 35th percentile. So she is doing great. She had to have 3 shots, which is always tough for us (and her). She had her regular seasonal flu shot and 2 vaccines. Abby will go back in 3 months for her 21 month checkup.

Apple time again!

On Wednesday we went on our annual apple picking adventure. Abby enjoyed it so much more this year, than she did last year. She ate so many apples. She just wanted to keep picking and eating apples. Here is a good picture of her blending in with the pumpkins that were for sale at the apple picking place. we did buy a couple because Abby needs her own pumpkin.

Abby is sitting in the back of Eric's car eating another apple. She was definitely enjoying them.

She even liked picking the apples off of the tree herself. Daddy helped lift her up so she could pick her own apples.

The family while picking! Having a good time!

Abby found the perfect apple and she had to eat it. It looked sooo good. She loved putting the apples in the bag for us. She did have a hard time walking in all of the tall grass, but that did not discourage her from trying!! We had a great time and now I get to make some apple butter!! Yummy!!!

our little cheerleader!

Abby and Dada in a traditional cheerleading pose! She looks like she is really having fun!

Mimi has decided that she wants Abby to follow in her footsteps and be a UT cheerleader. So she bought her a cheerleading outfit! She looks so cute!! I think Abby appears to like the idea as well!

our life.........

Abby has been a busy girl........
Abby got her first car from Mimi and Grandpa!!

And a kiss from her cousin Zach!!

It's been a Long Time!

Sorry to everyone who reads the blog, it has been a long time since I have written an entry. It has been a busy few weeks. School started and Abby went back to daycare. Eric shot in his annual matches at Camp Perry (and did very well) . Abby and I went home and visited my parents a couple of times, and we got to visit with my friend Liz and her daughter Grace (who is 14 days older than Abby.) It is fun to visit with Liz and Grace since Liz and I can talk about our daughters and can relate the the struggles and joys the other one is having. Abby adjusted well after the first couple of days of returning to daycare. I think she adjusted better than I did. I cried the first couple of days wayyy more than she did! So, other than that, our life has been pretty much, just the usual beginning of the school year. Sad to leave the baby, happy to have a job to go back to.

Cedar Point!

Abby playing with Snoopy

Abby with Linus

Abby and Oma on the school bus ride.

Abby looking at Dada and I, wondering how in the world we talked her into going on this ride!!

Even as she got on the ride, she was unsure.


Abby and Dada sharing a Popsicle.

Abby loving the horses at the fairgrounds

Abby talking on her cell and chillin' while walking to the fairgrounds from Mimi and grandpas house.

Abby petting horses at the fairgrounds.


Abby, Eric and I have had a busy week since the last blog entry. Last Sunday, we took Abby to the Lucas County fairgrounds to see all of the animals. She loves animals and really enjoyed seeing them. On Tuesday, I took Abby to the gym with me for the first time. I decided I really needed to get back into the gym, so since Eric is working a lot this summer, I added a babysitting component to my membership so Abby could go with me. SO while I am at the gym, she goes into a kids room and plays with all of the other kids until I am done working out. It is nice for me to be able to do that and she only cried the very first time I dropped her off. Since then, she has been good and they workers there think she is so sweet ( we all know she is :) On Tuesday afternoon, Abby and I went to the zoo. She really loves the zoo and I like to take her at least once a week. On Thursday Abby went to Cedar Point for the first time in her short) life. Eric and I went early in the morning and dropped Abby off with my parents. Later on in the day, my parents brought Abby to meet us so that she could experience Cedar Point (my parents have a pass so they just go whenever they want and it does not cost them anything). So, anyway, Abby rode one kids ride and then we all rode the Paddlewheel excursion together ( the silly boat ride with all the lame jokes). Abby was not so much for the boat ride, the loud noises that go off scared her. Other than that, she liked the food and she liked Snoopy and Linus and Schroeder and she liked watching all the people and the other kids. Hopefully next summer she will get more out of it and enjoy it more. However, I had kind of a rough day at CP, as anyone on facebook already knows. I got pooped on by a bird, I broke my sunglasses in half and I lost my cell phone on one of the hills of the Magnum. Luckily for me, I called CP and they were able to recover my phone in one piece and my parents are going to pick it up for me. I am really happy about that. I will have to be without a cell phone for almost a week though. Oh well, I keep thinking it wasn't that many years ago when no one had a cell phone, so I can live for a week :) SO that has been our life, busy, fun and exciting!

Just some fun photos!

There is not much news really for this blog entry, I just had some pictures that I wanted to post that were really cute of Abby. Our lives have been pretty ho hum for the most part. Abby and I are enjoying our summer together, but I am not looking forward to going back to school in soon. WE bought Abby some sidewalk chalk and she just played with it for the first time today and she really loved it. She was covere din chalk when she was done, but it was worth it. We did go and get some pictures of Abby done at the studio this week, but Abby was not too excited about all of the camera flashes. As a matter of fact, when the camera would flash, Abby would run to me and hide her face. THe flashes really upset her. We think they reminded her of fireworks (which she is really scared of) We think that is probably why is did not like getting her picture taken. WE hope she will grow out of it soon. Here are some fun pictures of Abby in her pool and coloring in Grandpa Franks Giant coloring book.

Doesn't she look so grown up coloring like this. She even holds the crayon correctly.

She quite enjoyed putting the crayons in her pocket and taking them out again. . This was a fun game for some time.