Las Vegas 2010

I say "Las Vegas 2010" because I'm hoping to make it a routine trip every couple years. Lezlie and I were in a definite need to get away. So, since Lezlie got off for Truman Day (no, I'm not kidding), we opted to make a weekend trip to Las Vegas. She had been there a few years with friends, but this would be my first trip.

Things didn't start out too great. I don't know what it is, but airports just stress me out. It's not that I'm afraid of flying. It's the whole "am I forgetting something" thing. I told Lezlie while we waited for our delayed flight in St. Louis that I wouldn't relax until we're on the ground in Las Vegas with our luggage in hand. So, what happens? We get to Vegas and wait and wait for our luggage while the rest of the St. Louisans go off to their hotels. We go to the luggage counter where they were very apologetic but were not able to locate our luggage. So, they gave us a toiletry kit and said they would search around and call us each day. Long story short, the bag was tagged for a Ralph Heim going to Louisville, Kentucky. They quickly found a flight from Louisville to Las Vegas, but we still didn't get our luggage until the night before we left.

That being said, we both had a very good time. On night #1, we got a little crazy trying to forget about our lost luggage. We went a club called "Jet" at the Mirage. There was no line so we said, what the hell. There were lots of people, lots of good music, and lots of strong drinks. So you could easily guess that the next morning was slow-going for us. Because Lezlie had virtually no casual clothes, we slowing walked to the mall--bought some shorts, shoes that she didn't need, and we both bought a couple shirts. That night, we made our way to Margaritaville. I would definitely recommend this place. Good atmosphere, good food, and very reasonable prices. Nothing real fancy but just the way I like it. Below is the Volcano Nachos of which we could only eat half.
Friday night, we toured a few casinos. Going cheap that night, we got our entertainment from the Bellagio fountains--definitely worth seeing. It was a little packed but we found a pretty good spot to watch the show.To finish off the night, we headed back to the Venetian (where we stayed) and took a Gondola ride. Yes, they have a river flowing through the casino. An Italian man did the steering while he sang some Opera songs, most of which we understood nothing. But, it was quite romantic. He tried to do a little small talk, but he was what Seinfeld would call a "low talker" and in combination with the thick Italian accent, I just nodded my head and smiled. After that, we continued to tour the Venetian and discovered another half of the hotel we had not seen.
On Saturday, we did more touring of the casinos--Caesar's Palace, Treasure Island, Mirage, Bellagio. But, I believe that was the extent of it. Next time, we'll have to go to all the rest we missed. I've heard everyone say how big they are but I still didn't realize. We got lost in the Bellagio and finally stopped at a gift shop and asked them how to get out of the place. I'm sure that's how they're designed, though. They don't want you to leave.

Each casino had it's strengths. I felt the Venetian was the most ornate and romantic. Caesar's Palace was also very ornate and had the best shopping mall of them all. The Venetian shopping was way too upscale for us--most of the stores I wouldn't even step into. I felt the Bellagio was the classiest casino. I don't know how to describe it, but it was definitely packed. And, every casino had it's own smell. I don't know what it was, but it seemed like they all pumped pure perfume through the air system--so much that it became a little bothersome to me. But, maybe I just have a sensitive nose.

Saturday, night we went to a show. After a little debate between the two of us, Lezlie got what she wanted and we went to see "O", a Cirque du Soleil show. And, I believe it was probably the most expensive show we could have seen. Oh well. It's Vegas so you might as well blow your money, right? I didn't know what to expect, having never been to an acrobat show, but it was very impressive and I would recommend it. After the show was over, we headed to downtown Vegas on Freemont Street. I don't know what it was but we weren't real impressed. It was a neat atmosphere and the drinks were cheap, but it was a lot different from the strip. Maybe it's because we are too snobbish, maybe we were depressed that we had to leave in the morning, or maybe it was the fact that it looked like you would get held at gun-point if you walked around the corner. But, we didn't stay long since we had an 8am flight back to STL.

So, for all you interested, we'll probably go back in 2012 or 2013. There's so much more we have yet to see. And maybe next time, I'll sit at a table and play a little blackjack. And who knows, maybe our luggage will be on the same flight as us.

Six Month Checkup

Ben had his 6 month checkup this Wednesday. He now weighs 18.6 lbs. I didn't pay attention to height/length but Dr. Rosenbloom said he was 50th percentile in both. I'm not sure I understand since Maya was much smaller at this age and she was also always 50th percentile. Maybe it's just because he's a boy and the scale is different. But then again, she said that it is basically meaningless anyway.

Head shape is fine. She acknowledged that one side is a little more flat than the other, but she said they would never put a helmet on him. He got 2 shots and a rotavirus drink. He cried a bit but didn't pull the whole "stop breathing" act like Maya does. I asked about the excessive drooling, and she just laughed and said there isn't nothing you can do about that. I guess we'll just have extra drooly kids.

We can now say he is sitting up by himself. He's a little wobbly but he's getting better with his balance every day. If he sees something he wants, he will often try to lean over only to have his face fall flat on the floor.

This morning Lezlie took him for his six month pictures. He got all dressed up in Cardinals gear and they turned out great. Above is a picture I took with my phone. I'm sure many of you will get a picture soon.

Easter 2010

Finally!! We got good weather for Easter. It seems that for the past few years, it had been so cold. But, this year we had 75 degree weather. It was a little slushy in the grass looking for eggs, but luckily the Easter bunny stayed away from the real wet spots:)

I started the weekend with the Luetjen family tradition of splitting wood for my Grandma. I know, this may sound crazy, but I honestly love doing it. I grew up hating it, but now that I sit at a desk 40 hours a week, I love to get my hands dirty when I have the chance. I get to flex my muscles and this year I actually got a little sun--something I don't get behind a desk. And, of course, I get to see the smile on my Grandma's face when it's all done. We had a pretty good crew--Philip, Karl and the boys, and of course, Grandma. Jason missed it this year because he "accidentally" planned a vacation to Italy without realizing it was Easter weekend. I'll just have to make him do all of the heavy lifting next year.

My Mom did the big Easter dinner again this year. This year she went through the trouble of putting 3 lasagnas together for everyone. I don't know if she had been hearing me complain about all of the ham and turkey at family gatherings. But, it was fantastic. Thanks, Mom.

This year we didn't even have to coach Maya into finding the eggs. She just ran and grabbed all she could. After the egg hunt, all of the kids got to enjoy the weather outside and Maya pushed trucks with cousin Dasch. Eventually, we were able to coax her back into the house.Easter Sunday started out pretty stressful. Maya decided to throw a few fits at church. It just seemed like every other kid was an angel and she insisted on saying "No, Dada". It's not like we don't go to church and she doesn't know how to act. Maybe it was the pancakes and syrup she ate just prior to church??

Through all this, Ben turned 6 months old. It's hard to believe our little Chunkster Bunkster is that old. He wasn't quite old enough to get the whole Easter thing. He actually slept through the egg hunt at Aunt Maxine's. But, I'm sure he loved all the attention he got. But, I'm afraid all of those cuddling days will soon be over. We honestly don't get much time with him at all during the week. By the time we both get home, it's 5:30-6pm and then it's supper time and then bath time. And, he's been struggling to make it to 7:30 before going to bed. But, the last few days, Lezlie has gotten him to take a nap when first getting home. So, he's able to make it a little further but still barely past 8pm. If only we could get Maya to go to bed that early...

The Shaft

I'm starting to get the feeling that Ben is getting the shaft in regards to the blog. And, I know if I don't document everything, I'll forget all the little memories. Like...say...when he had his first solid foods. Or, the time he cringed when eating vegetables for the first time. These sound like little things, but when he's 18 I'll be 48 (God that's depressing) and it will be so deep in my mind, I don't know if I'll be able to dig it out.

I'll have to say, though, Ben's best buddy is his big sister Maya. Let's just say he get his share of screaming in his face. Hey Ben!!! Hi Ben!!! My Ben!!! Here Ben!!! Mouth!!! But he just takes it all in. And, it often results in a giggle when Maya does something off the wall, like...say...leap off of the couch and bounce off of Ben's exer-saucer. Bath time is lots of fun. Or as I like to call it, anatomy class. Maya points. Pee Pee?!? Yes, Maya. Pee Pee!! Pee Pee!! At least she's learning something.
Just the other day, I was watching Sesame Street with Maya and Ben and all of a sudden Ben hiked his leg over and finally rolled over from his back to his front. Below is a pic I caught with my camera after he did it. He was so proud of himself.Now I say that this was the first time he rolled over. But, that isn't entirely true. A few days earlier, Lezlie and I were making a big deal of getting Ben to roll over. And then comes big sister who proceeds to roll Ben like you would roll a barrel. So, I guess that was really the first time he rolled over. Looking back at Maya's progression, she didn't roll over until 6 months. So, I guess he's progressing a little faster. Maybe it's because he's a boy. Maybe it's because he has an older sibling. Who knows?

Ben got baptized on February 28th at our church, Holy Cross. That weekend, Jackie, Will, and Willa came up to visit. On Saturday, we brought Willa to Build-A-Bear and let her deck out a bear for her birthday. On that Sunday, we had a great showing. Susan was his sponsor and we got a great hope chest from the church. I just wish they did that when Maya was baptized. It was great to have everyone come to us and visit for an afternoon. If only the U.S. hockey team would have won the gold, it would have been a perfect day. I was on a diet for a month up until the baptism. And, I was soooo craving my cousin Debbie's cake that she was making. Since then, I have yet to start the diet again. Oh well, at least I lost 10 pounds.
Ben has been doing pretty good at nights. He usually goes to sleep about 8pm and then wakes up again at 1am and 5am. We just wish he could make it a couple more hours so we would only have to wake up once a night. At night, he's drinking about 6 ounces at a time, which is a lot more than Maya did. I'm betting she didn't drink that much until 8-9 months of age.

We have had a couple incidents at day-care lately. Ben's room recently added a "biter" to the room. And, Ben has been a victim a couple times when the teachers have turned their back. But, Momma Lezlie has showed her disappointment and they have promised to keep a close eye on the other one. Unfortunately, during this same time, Maya also fell victim to a biter. This one we don't quite understand. For a baby to bite another is one thing, but a 2-3 year old? I don't understand. Again, Momma Lezlie let her thoughts be heard and we're hoping that doesn't happen again soon.

Last weekend, Ben got his first experience at a birthday party. Susan's family threw a big party for 6 birthdays. And, we all got to see Ronnie and Carolyn's new house. Boy are we jealous. There is just so much space. I don't know how many times we lost track of Maya. At one point in time, Maya had somehow "found" 4 dollar bills. I guess I should start keeping an eye on my wallet.

Anyway, I hope this get me all caught up on everything. I'll leave you with one of my favorite pics I've taken.