Picture Update...

Here's a quick catch up on some recent pics...

We're still transitioning to one nap even though it's been over a month and a half since we started. By the time lunch rolls around, this little guy is spent. This happens often in his high chair while I'm feeding him lunch. You can see the progression...

 

 Poor buddy.

 Josh and I got Jake a wagon for his birthday. Best purchase ever. He LOVES it. We ride in it at least twice a day. He has never been so content being confined to anything...until now. His face lights up if we mention the word wagon.

 We laid sod in our backyard a couple weeks ago (actually on Josh's birthday...poor Josh...it's okay, it was a great gift once it was complete.) Before we laid it though, Jake got some good dirt time.

Love the concentration. And that belly.

A pic off Josh's iPhone from this past Sunday. Nothing better than a little afternoon snuggle time with my boys. I know it's a blurry pic, but I'm obsessed with it. Maybe because I wanted to freeze that moment in time. My heart overflows.

Visit from the Grands...

I'm way late on this post, but better late than never. Josh's parents came to visit us a few weeks ago for Jake's birthday. They got to stay for almost a week - had to make that 18 hour drive worth it. Yep, that's right, they drove. They're dedicated grandparents! They hadn't gotten to see Jake since he was about 5 weeks old, and I think it's fair to say this visit was much better than the first. Jake had probably his worst colicky weekend the last time they were here and screamed the whole time (and Josh's dad was sick for the entire visit.) This visit was SO good. We thoroughly enjoyed their company (and their help), and it only took a matter of minutes for Jake to fall in love with them. He was going through withdrawals (probably from the constant love & attention) when they left...something tells me that was mutual. I only captured a few pictures of them with Jake but I wanted to make sure I documented the visit. What a sweet time.

Papa & Jake reading his new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse book.

 Jake & Grandma on his birthday.

Papa took Jake on lots of "adventures" outside. He loved it.

Jake was using Papa's head as a drum here. :)

Jake with his South Carolina grands. Look at that grin - happy, happy guy.

The Fly Swatter...

Who needs toys when you have a fly swatter? The first time we really heard Jake get super tickled at something and bust out his belly laugh was back in the spring when Josh was killing flies in our kitchen. Apparently, the fly swatter hasn't lost its touch...

Kind of obsessed with the part where he laughs so hard, it turns into a silent laugh. :)

And then a few more pics of Jake with the fly swatter... (We actually did have a ton of flies to kill recently...not really the season for it I know, but we laid sod the other day in our backyard - YAY - and the constant in and out resulted in a few "friends." It's okay - it provided Jake some entertainment.)

He's all boy for sure.

Sweet Reunions...

We got to reconnect with some great friends this weekend. We feel so blessed that we still have such great friendships from all the different seasons of our lives...we only wish we saw all them more.

Brian & Kelly Key, both best friends of mine in college, were passing through on their way to Siloam Springs. Brian was teaching at a college retreat, so we got to grab lunch with them on Friday. Was definitely not long enough - I sure treasured those two hours. (In case you haven't ever caught up on their story, you need to - it's beyond inspiring. Check out their blog here.)

Miss them so much! Unfortunately, Jake didn't get to meet Gabby, their 10 month old. Despite the "long line" they claim there is to get to her, I think Jake could jump to the front pretty easily. I mean, look at him? :)

Then our friends Bodie and Marissa came in on Saturday. I posted about their wedding and engagement back in the spring. This was our first time to hang out with them as a married couple. Crazy! Jake loved them - I think the feeling was mutual. Even for Bodie. Apparently Jake's out of the "boring baby phase" now. ;) Thankful they were willing to come to us since it's a little tougher to take road trips these days. 

 

 Love this pic. And love how Jake always crosses his little feet. Thanks for loving on our little man, Bodie & Mo!

Birthday Celebrations...

I want to share some pictures from Jake's birthday celebrations. Yes, that's plural. We just did two very small family parties. And party really isn't a very accurate term - we simply had cake and opened presents and loved all over him all day (not that we don't do that everyday.) I kept going back and forth, feeling bad that I wasn't making a huge deal out of his 1st birthday, but I think we covered the important stuff. And we got some great pictures! Jake did not disappoint with the cake smash.  (Warning: picture overload below, sorry. There were so many good ones, I just couldn't narrow it down.)

The cake. I ordered it from Shelby Lynn's. It was awesome. I love how it turned out. (I decided to just match the cake to his nursery instead of having a theme, since there wasn't much else to the party as far as decorations go.)


Jake had a matching little smash cake. (Josh was playing around with our camera in this shot. We still only know about .05% of what the camera is capable of doing. We're learning!)

Had to include at least one pic of him opening presents. He, of course, was more infatuated with the tissue paper than the gifts.

Getting started on the cake...

Really getting into it...

Once he started to get a reaction, he really started to ham it up. He was signing "please" here...exactly why he was only wearing a diaper.

Starting to get a little full.

Love this close-up.

 

Opening gifts at party #2 (with Josh's parents...they came in all the way from South Carolina for his birthday.)

 

Jake's first baseball mitt. Thanks Great Grandpa Carl! 

 Starting on cake #2. I decided to make my own cake for this one, since we ordered one for the first party. I also decided to let him try chocolate. Apparently he likes both.

Love that little grin. 

Can't get big enough handfuls. 

Hamming it up again. 

 He's so proud of himself.

 
And a little family picture from his first birthday. New favorite.

Happy Birthday, Jake...

dear jake...
today you turned one. as i'm typing this right now, the computer says it's 7:59pm. (i didn't plan that.) that is the exact minute you entered into the world one year ago. screaming. {then you continued screaming for the first 2 months of your life...as you can see, we all survived. it was touch and go for a while.}

there is no possible way to sum up a year. especially the first. so i thought i'd just tell you some stuff about you, how you are right now. i often wonder how much of this will change and how much is a reflection of who you will grow into. only time will tell.

you have always loved being outside. it was one of the only things that kept us sane during the colicky months and it remains your favorite place to be. i love that about you.

you are a terrible napper. always have been. maybe you just don't want to miss out on anything. or maybe you really don't require as much sleep as some kids. or maybe i passed on the "light sleeper" gene. who knows...i've learned that i guess a lot in this whole parenting thing.

you have started mimicking us more and more. two words for that - cute & scary. as if parenting wasn't sanctifying and refining enough. i hope you pick up on the good more than the bad. i have a feeling we'll be saying sorry to you a lot as well.

you are not an organizer. you know how some babies like to put things inside stuff? nope, not you - you dump, scatter, empty, spread, everything, everywhere. this is a challenge for your type A momma. i'm learning to let go of "neatness" all the time...it's a never-ending battle. i have a feeling we will have some battles over cleaning your room.

you don't snuggle much. so when you do, i soak it up. i love that you know your sleep "cues." when the light goes out and the sound machine goes on...your head goes on my shoulder. that's why it's hard to relinquish the "going to bed" duty to anyone else. that's my only snuggle time with you.

you have so much of your daddy in you - you are such a people person. you love being around lots of people. and you thrive in new places. you love exploring and experiencing new things. this is SO your daddy. and some of my favorite things about both of you.

you love your daddy so much. i love watching you when every time he gets home. the excitement in your face is priceless. i hope you always admire him in this way - he is such a Godly model for you.

you are extremely determined. maybe the term is strong-willed. this can prove to be challenging but i fully believe that your strong will can be harnessed and used in a mighty way for Christ someday. i pray that the Lord uses this to make you a strong leader. for Him.

you are beautiful. i stare at you a lot and study your face, your smile, your little fat feet. pictures truly can't capture your cuteness.

you have expanded our ability to love more that we ever knew possible. and you have expanded our view of God. to think that God the Father loves us infinitely more than i could ever love you truly baffles me. when i really try to wrap my mind around that truth, it's so humbling. and comforting. i pray that you know God in this way someday.

your daddy and i pray that you will come to know Christ in a personal, tangible way someday. that you will find full confidence in who you are in Him, not who this world tells you to be. we pray that you will understand at an early age that you are performing for an audience of One. and that you will experience freedom in obedience to His ways.

happy birthday jake, our little tooter. we love you so very much.

Meet Brooke Avery...

She's here! My new niece, Brooke Avery Scott, arrived on September 4th. Josh, Jake, and I traveled down to Texas last weekend to meet the latest addition. She is beautiful. See for yourself...

Isn't she gorgeous? My sister makes some pretty babies (you too, David.) ;) 

 

Proud big brother - Luke's first time holding Brooke. He did really well. (Of course, that was only interesting for about 45 seconds, then on to something else.)

 

Me and the little sweetheart. Love all the pink stuff and bows - we're not used to that!

Jake checking out his new little cousin. So sweet.

My dad rode down with us since my mom was already in Texas with Paige. So we also got to celebrate Jake's 1st birthday (a little early) with my family while we were down there. (We had 3/4 of us there...that was the best it was gonna get.) I can't wait to share those pictures. The cake smashing was awesome! :) 

It was a really fun weekend celebrating both little ones. Luke, Jake, and Brooke are almost exactly a year apart each. At this rate, there should be another one next August or September. Ryan, Libby? ;)

Another hiatus & a Jake update...

Wow, it's been over 3 weeks since I last blogged. It doesn't feel like that long ago. Time is FLYING! Someone said in Bible study yesterday that Christmas is less than 100 days away now. How did that happen? Anyways, every night after I put Jake to bed, I have this nagging thought in my head that I need to go blog (and I know I'll be glad that I have this little online journal someday), but man, sometimes it's just not what I want to do at the end of the day. I just want to veg on the couch with my husband. Or attempt to make at least one checkmark on the to-do list. I haven't even really been on facebook. Confession: I still have what I like to call a "dumb" phone, so it's pretty easy to disconnect from the interweb as some like to call it. And here's another confession: sometimes it's really nice and exactly what I need. One of the many things I love about kamp. But I digress. All excuses aside, I'm back now. :)

Lots has been happening in the past month. Mostly with Jake, of course. I don't want to forget these fun things, so it's kind of wordy. Feel free to just check out the pics. :) And since there's so much to catch up on, who doesn't prefer bullet points?

• Jake started walking right before he turned 11 months. I really thought it would be sooner b/c he was taking steps for weeks...it just took him a while to decide that was his primary mode of transportation. So the funny thing is, I can't really even remember when he took his "first step." I feel like there were lots of them. Mother of the Year award, I know. I earn lots of those every day. (Hope you are picking up on the sarcasm.) 

• Within days of him walking, he also started signing everything. It's like everything clicked all at once. It's so fun. All those months of me signing "Please," "More," "Thank you," etc. finally paid off. He gets it. And it's precious. Especially thank you...looks like he's blowing you a kiss. Okay, so he was really just clapping in this pic, but it that's basically what "more" looks like...

• The kid LOVES him some water. A pool, bath time, really any running water. He can reach the faucet on the tub in our bathroom, and he turns it on ALL the time. Just turns it on and walks away, as if the water is supposed to be running all the time. If you turn it off, he'll be back in a matter of moments to turn it back on. Exhibit A:
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
• He got sick for really the first time about 2 weeks ago. Pretty yucky head cold and fever. Nothing major. We are thankful to be able to say he almost made it a whole year without a "sick" visit to the doctor. We realize this is a HUGE blessing. But look at that sad little face...
  
  
  
• Funny story (well, funny now...not at the time) coming out of him being sick - Benadryl does NOT knock out our child. Has the reverse effect actually. I don't know why I was surprised by this - by my child who takes the shortest naps and who will NOT sleep in the car. That was a long night, and needless to say, no more Benadryl for Jake. :)
  
• Speaking of naps, we are transitioning to one. At the risk of sounding like a complainer, we'll just say it's a sanctifying process - for me that is. We can just sum it up by saying, he doesn't nap any longer when he's supposed to have one LONG nap. Nope - an hour and this guy's good to go. :/
  
• He loves dogs. He starts barking (well, his version of barking) every time he sees one - in real life, in a picture, on TV...without being prompted. It's awesome. My brother was in for a visit and his dog was in the backyard - Jake was glued to the window for a couple days...
  
  
  
  
• He had about a week where he was terrified by the windshield wipers. It was kind of sad, but hilarious at the same time. I so wish I had taken a video of the first time he saw them running. Pure terror. (That sounds mean, but someday he'll laugh at himself.)
  
• And lastly, the jury is still out on whether Jake is a strong-willed child. So those of you who have one are probably thinking, "Well he's not then because you would know." Well, there are lots of days I have NO doubt in my mind, then the next he is the sweetest, loving little guy. But man, if he gets his mind set on something, he's gonna do it. Now that's he's walking and on the verge of running, you should see him pick up the speed when he knows he's doing something he shouldn't, holding something he shouldn't, when he sees a door open that is normally closed, when he ___ (fill in the blank.) It's not funny, but it is. Praying now for discernment on how to discipline and guide him without breaking his little spirit. :)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Hoping to keep the updates coming more regularly (not all Jake, I promise.) 

Chocolate Pudding...

Daddy always shares the good stuff with Jake. Exhibit A...

Apparently shares his daddy's love for chocolate.

  Begging.

 If this face doesn't tell you how he felt about it, nothing will. Pure joy!

Slow dancing in the afternoon...

{Warning: Cheesy Mom Post Ahead}

I have a new favorite activity with Jake. Well, activity may be a stretch, but however it's classified, I'm going to cherish it as long (or short) as it may last. One afternoon last week, I decided to plug in my iPod and play some Frank Sinatra. (Random fact about me: I love music from the Big Band Era...something soothing about it.) Anywho, I started goofing off with Jake to one of the more upbeat songs and dancing him around the living room. He got a pretty big kick out of it. The next song that came on was slower, and the sweet buddy started resting his head on my shoulder and snuggled with me while I danced around. Important side note: Jake is NOT a snuggler! He snuggles a little bit with me when I sing to him before he goes to bed, but even then, he is so squirmy. The kid is always on the go...no time for snuggling. Well, until now. So you better believe I'm taking advantage of it!

My life is definitely not glamorous. In fact, I lead a pretty simple, small life. (An exciting day for us is taking a walk with friends or running some errands.) But moments like these make all the slow days worth it. So if you come by my house in the afternoon and hear music playing, you might just find me having a little dance session. Just me and Jake (well, and Frank.) :)

Another Pinterest Project...

So I pinned this sign a long time ago on Pinterest and thanks to my super handy husband, we actually made it happen. And it only cost $7. And that's a legit $7 - not "oh, you have to have these 12 things already on hand for it to be that cheap," it REALLY only cost $7. We got the pallet wood from a local interior design place that was getting rid of old pallets (you can find them places, I promise!) We connected them by using 2 long pieces of scrap wood. Then we bought a sample stain from Lowe's ($4) and a Sharpie paint pen from Hobby Lobby ($3.) That was it!

We aren't regular DIY'ers - mostly a time issue - but we really enjoy it when we get to be. I'm pretty pleased with the finished product. It's hanging in our entry hallway.