Dane County Fair

Arick and I took Jacob to the Dane County Fair for the 2nd time, and this year was just so much fun to see Jacob's reactions to everything going on around him. Last year he wanted to eat the baby chic we gave him to pet. This year he kindly said HI and even after a bit decided he could pet the little chic. So cute!

Arick decided to take a ride on the death drop (not my thing at all) and Jacob and I waved to him while he went up, up, up, up, up. Makes me sink just thinking about it. The tippy top of the ride was swaying in the wind for goodness sake! NO THANK YOU!

It was so funny to see Jacob wave good bye while Arick was shot into the air!

These pictures really do not do this ride any justice....SUPER scary!

Here is the real reason Arick wanted to go to the fair. When summer time comes some may look forward to water, beach, and sun but not Arick. He does not believe summer officially starts until he has had one of these...

Happy SUMMER!

OH Happy SUN!

This is so random, but I feel the need to share. Jacob has the cutest ceiling light in his room and I think you need to see it. Its a SUN and we purchased it from IKEA. Our friends Lindsay and Travis bought this light 3 years ago when they were expecting their daughter and I was super excited that IKEA was still carrying it when it was my turn to create a nursery.

It has turned into something more then a light for Jacob. He enjoys to lay on the ground and just look up, babble and giggle. To be honest its probably one of my most favorite purchases for his room thus far.

Its always a SUNNY day in Jacob's room!

OK not ALWAYS a Sunny day! I know its so mean to take a picture of my crying son who did NOT want to go to bed. Is it weird that I find something adorable about our son's crying face? I mean his crinkled up face and his tiny tears. Do I have to mention that his PJ's are a Sheriff's outfit which made me smile even more thinking about my crying sheriff. Rain or shine this kid cracks me up!

FINALLY!

I have missed blogging...like really really missed it. The good news, I got a new camera...bad news, I have no idea how to use it! Don't worry I will have it figured out in no time but my most favorite tech friend is in Canada! Its the worst thing ever...I can take all of these fantastic pictures but I can not upload one of them! TEASE!!! :) I have finally created enough space on my lap top to add more pictures so I was able to upload some recent pictures from my OLD camera. It is what it is...at least I can post a few blogs in between my wait.

In Transition

I have SO much to blog about but I am sort of in transition right now between my old and new camera. I promise I will be back very very soon!

We hired some help around the house

His windows are a little streaky but he is so darn cute I think we will keep him!

Aunt Jessie's Birthday

This Saturday is Arick's sisters Birthday but we are all going to celebrate tonight. Jacob made Aunt Jessie a little something for her special day. Our inspiration...

So we went to the craft store and bought this...

Started with this...

And ended up with this...

I think she will like it! We made one for our house too but instead of AUNT it says OUR FAMILY. They are not perfect but they were a lot of fun to make and Jacob enjoyed having his hand painted. No pictures of the little guy it was not easy for Arick and I to juggle a hand painted almost two year old without our walls paying for it!

The Pease Family

Last weekend I went to MN...BY MY SELF...and had a great time! My cousin Andrea and her husband Steve live in St Paul. They are expecting their first child in September and I jumped at the chance to spend some quality time with them before our lives change once again. Andrea and I have gone through a lot of changes together good and bad and this one is going to be

THE BEST!

The drive up was L O N G! 4 hours L O N G, but totally worth it. Plus I had Breaking Dawn on CD to listen to so it was not all bad. When I arrived we hugged, chatted, oohhed and awwwed over Sullivan's room (thats the name they picked for their little one) and headed out the door to see Eclipse with her friend Morgan. After the movie we went back to her place and enjoyed pizza with Steve.

Andrea and Steve were married in March of 2009 and even though I have known Steve sense HS it was really nice to spend some time with them as a couple to get to know not just him but them together so much better. Really great people!

On Saturday Andrea I went to IKEA and I think we looked at every inch and corner of that store, but it was really fun. She helped me with jars for my pantry cabinet (that seems to be a forever long process) and I helped her find some fantastic baskets and hooks for the little guy's room. Did I mention how much I love IKEA? LOVE! We were EXHAUSTED after all that shopping and both decided a nap was in order. That night we decided to stay in and watch a movie. Leap Year with Amy Adams...um it was OK. Cute, but predictable...which is totally what I expected but still really wanted to see it. Steve went to the store and bought junk food for the viewing which was an ideal night in my opinion. Steve really took care of Andrea and I all weekend and it brought back all the memories of what its like being pregnant with the special treatment. Except I think that is just who Steve is...total score for Andrea!

Sunday we all got up and they took me to this really cute restaurant for breakfast and it was delicious! After that it was time for me to head back on the road for that L O N G 4 hour L O N G drive back to my family.

Before I show you the pictures (I did not take very many) I just want to say that this weekend was long over due. I love the comfort I feel around Andrea and I really wish we were a tad closer. I was pleasantly surprised that I had the same feelings with Steve around. Never did I ever feel uncomfortable to be around them and in fact I loved it. If we can not be 9 again laughing until our guts hurt well then this was 2nd best.

Alright enough of the loved dovey stuff. Here are the pictures...

Here is Andrea and Steve on their wedding day. I had to post this because I did not get one single picture of them together from the front. What was I thinking?!?

On our way to breakfast...see this is the only picture I have of them together. The skyline coming into St Paul

The Hospital where Sullivan will be born. Its right around the corner from their house.

Andrea and I at breakfast

Steve at breakfast...the news was SHOCKING!

Lastly I was able to get to know Jameson their incredibly smart and sweet dog. He was such a cuddle butt and actually slept with me at night. I really love Jameson and I think we bonded over late night TV. Look at this lovey puppy....he is so soft.

Thanks Steve and Andrea for the fun weekend. I missed Steve's coffee this morning...that guy can brew a Cup O Joe!

Elmo,Big Bird, and Cookie Monster! OH MY!

I made a lot of statements before having a child that I find myself going back on. One of them being that I hated commercialized characters. I never wanted my child to like them outside of watching them on TV. I use to say I will never put my child in character clothes, or buy them character stuffed animals or use them as a theme for a Birthday party.

Well Jacob is 1.5 years old and I have caved on 2 out of the 3. He really has only worn 1 Sesame St. shirt, but he has ELMO Live and a stuffed Cookie Monster (not to mention all the books and videos). The last one on the list I have yet to cave in on, but when all your child says is ELMO, ELMO, ELMO whats a mom to do??!!
The old me wants to run screaming NOOOOOOOOO! The mom of Jacob thinks its the best idea EVER! Look at all this cute stuff I have found if I did a Sesame St theme.

Oh my gosh the possibilities are endless! I could have a ton of fun with this and I know Jacob would just LOVE it!

Alright, so my thinking has changed sense Jacob was born. Before I thought these characters were tacky, and annoying. Which for the record I do still feel that way, but when they bring such a smile to his face how could I not give him what he wants?!?

Jacob is going to be "in" to a lot of things that I may not love myself but that does not make them bad or wrong. I guess if he loves Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird well then I can find a way to like them as well. It could be worse right?
If this little boy is still talking about Elmo in December as much as he does now I think Sesame St it is!

This Post has been brought to you by the letter J and the number 2!

18 Months

Our little guy is growing up so fast! He had his 18 month appt with Dr Harnish and he weighed in at 26 pounds and is 32 inches tall. So he is in the 56 percentile for weight and 99 percentile for height. He is growing SO FAST! I just wish I could freeze time for a bit or maybe invent a rewind button. Arick and I have a lot of fun watching him grow and learn, but sometimes I wish I could go back to when he was itty bitty. When we were in the thick of things (as Lindsay and I like to call it) and Jacob was getting up every 2-3 hours or worse I would wish and pray he would sleep through the night. Now he sleeps through the night and I miss those nights alone in the living room when the entire house was still. It really was the best cuddle time. I guess its true what they say...you always want what you can't have.

THEN! December 30th 2008
NOW! July 5th 2010

No more highchair

We went to TARGET...

And bought THIS!


This makes me happy for so many reasons.

1.) I am so sick of cleaning his highchair. It is just one more thing to clean up and Iam constantly washing the pad that goes over it.

2.) Jacob thinks it is the best thing ever to push his highchair all over the kitchen and down the hall. I know its not a big deal but it still just gets to me sometimes.

3.) My little boy is growing up and becoming such a big boy! He LOVED eating with us tonight in his big boy chair.
Of course we had a lot of great memories in his highchair and of course I captured most of them with pictures and video...so I am so excited to get the space back in my kitchen and make a new home for the highchair in our basement...until next time. Look at this toddler...we have a toddler! CRAZY, FUN, LOVE!

Our FIRST Family Fireworks

OK well let me start by saying I had NO idea how the fireworks were going to go. I was very nervous that Jacob was going to get scared and hide in my lap the entire time. Oh boy was I wrong! Turns out our son LOVES them. He was belly laughing at each and every BOOM and danced all around afterwards. It was a lot of fun to watch and so worth getting him out of his routine and schedule to go and see them.
On Sunday we spent most of the day at the Monona Festival where we saw Grandma and Grandpa Smith, met up with the Krueger's and took a ride on the Carousel. Then we all had lunch at the Tate of Monona. After that it was time to get Jacob home for a nap so we could make it back for the fireworks! SO glad we did...we came back and watched fireworks with the Kruegers, Brian and Kait, The Jaeger's minus Jessica as she is SO ready to have her baby and her feet just could not take the heat and walking. ;) Stacy (Jordon was feeling a little under the weather), Sydney, Taylor and Stephanie were with us as well. Alright so here are the pictures...I just could not pick...we had a GREAT time! Again...HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!