Final Days in Chicago

Most of these pics are from our final trip to the playground in Grant Park before we moved.  

(left) Digging away in the dirt...what he does best!

(right) He's telling me not to take a picture here!  Haha!

Walking across the BP bridge with our old building in the background.  I did love this view!

Enjoying our last picnic in Millennium Park!

(right) He completed his first sticker chart and bought two diggers as a reward!  He was SO proud!

Doesn't he look like baby Baker here? I had wrapped him all up after a bath and he looked so tiny!  Memories.

He went and got his "friends" and cuddled on the couch with them.

Poor Bleeker!  He so didn't want to be in this box, much less have Monkey on his back.

He took ALL of his stuffed friends and put them in the box...then laid on top

Part 2: Animal Kingdom and Epcot

Okay, so you all know that we've been just a little bit busy making our move from Chicago to NYC.  With all that was going on in the weeks leading up to it, I fell WAY behind on the blog.  So bear with me as I attempt to catch up.  I make no promises but I'm going to do my best.  I find that the older Baker gets, the less time I have to blog.  So, here are more pics from our trip to Disney.  I probably won't do much in the form of captions so use your imagination!  Haha!

Riding on a Safari!!  Bumpy but loads of fun!

Watching the Lion King performance.

Baker was in awe.

This was the most priceless moment of the trip...seeing him meet Mickey. I've never seen him be so in awe of someone or something before but he was just giddy and couldn't stop smiling.  He could not get enough of him!  He was showing Mickey a picture that he colored for him.  So sweet.

This kid was not afraid of any characters!

He was making faces at Eeyore while he signed his picture frame...haha!

He didn't know really anything about Tigger but after meeting him, who was quite possibly the BEST character in the parks (well, the guy playing him was), he was in love with him!!!!

Digging for dino bones

With the famous tree

We arrived at Epcot!!

Germany

Eating at the Biergarten

He danced the night away!

Oy, oy, oy, oy!

We got rained on!

Disney World Part 1:  Downtown Disney & Magic Kingdom

We took a trip to Disney World with Nina and Papa just over a week ago and had the most amazing time!  I knew it would be fun but I didn't know it would be that fun or that Baker would have such a great time at 3 years old.  We were told by so many that 3 is too young but for us, it was perfect.  I think Baker enjoyed meeting the characters as much as anything.  But the Buzz Lightyear ride was quite the hit too!  It really seemed that God worked things out for us time-wise, especially the first day with attraction lines and such.  We were able to get on almost every ride or show that we wanted in Magic Kingdom and could have done more but we wanted to head back to the hotel so Baker could get his nap in...and we needed the rest too!  :) So, this is part 1 of the pics...more to come!

Meeting Nina and Papa at the airport gate.  He was so excited to see them!

Nina and her biggest fan

We headed to Downtown Disney once we get settled in our hotel rooms.  This is in front of the largest Disney store ever!!  Baker was in heaven.

Checking out the dinosaur at the T-Rex restaurant we ate at for dinner.

What a great place to eat at, esp if you have kids!

As soon as we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, we were greeted by Pluto!  He was the first to sign Baker's picture frame!

Nina & Papa having lots of fun on the Buzz Lightyear ride.  This was a huge hit with Baker.  He saw pics of this ride before we even got to Disney and was top on his list when we got there.

Riding Small World

Small World ride #2

Meeting Pinnoccio!

Donald Duck!

Cooling down with his Mickey ice cream while we stood in line to meet Woody and Jessie...it was pretty warm that day.

His heroes!

Watching him meet Jessie and Woody was something I won't forget.  He was in awe and beyond excited!  And they were the best characters ever...totally played the role and wonderful with the kids.  After Baker met them, he said Jessie was his girlfriend.  :)

Riding the train back to the front of the park so we could head back to the hotel for a nap.

We couldn't go to Disney and not get ears!  Isn't he cute?

At the front of the park

Back at the park to watch the Electrical Lights Parade and fireworks. 

Little did we know that moments after we got there that another parade celebrating Mardi Gras was going to happen!  It was a fun surprise seeing all of the main characters when we least expected it.

Trying desperately to get a picture of Baker in front of the castle was no easy feat!  But this one turned out cute!

I could take a million pics of us in front of this castle and it still wouldn't be enough!  It's just too pretty!

This is probably the winner to be framed in his autographed frame!

LOVE this pic of us!  Such a magical place.

Here comes the parade!

He and Nina had the best time watching it.  To say that Baker absolutely loved this parade and the fireworks would be an understatement!

This picture of Baker pretty much sums up our entire Disney experience...magical.  He was in awe of it all.  I seriously heart this picture.

Back at the hotel for the night...what a big day and we were all tired.  Baker was holding his new balloon that we sadly couldn't bring back with us.