Hot. Hot. Hot.

As I was uploading pictures for this post I was watching the news and heard them say the heat index today got up to 122 degrees. So now I kind of feel bad for this post since it's all about being outside today. Maybe having him outside wasn't such a good idea but it seemed like a perfect day for a pool this morning. I spent about 30 mintues trying to blow up the pool myself and realized you couldn't even tell a little bit. So the boys and I went to Target and got an electric pump. It was worth the money. Only fifteen minutes later he was in the pool! He had so much fun and I was having fun watching and taking pictures of him. I would have got in but had to stay semi dry since Asher was still inside all day.

Jaxson also wanted to play his TBall tonight that he got for his birthday. I struggled putting that together until I read the directions. Ugh.. But once Dave got home he was so excited to go play base-uh-ball. And that they did for quite awhile. Jaxson was dripping once they were done and was ready to come inside for some air conditioning. It was the first really HOT day of the summer so we wanted to make sure we did summer like things. Although, maybe it was a little too hot now that I realize just how hot it really was!

He really got into this one... as you can tell...

Jaxson was pitching to Dave. Jax did pretty good on the pitch and Dave hit it over the garage.

He was so hot!

He started to have Dave pitch to him and he was hitting them far!

I have so many more pictures I could post but I resisted. I took over 200 pictures when they were playing. I always imagined Jaxson and Dave playing baseball in the backyard when Jax was just a baby. I loved watching it happen and got a little crazy with the camera.

Art Fest 2011

 Friday of last week we got a call from Holcombs to meet at the Art Festival downtonw. It was the perfect night and we had pretty much everything put together for Jaxson's birthday party so we took them up on it. Once we met up with them (after passing them when we were "meeting int he middle") the kids were off having fun instantly. We walked down the kid craft aisle and we made bookmarks and sunglasses. We tried to divert their attention when it was something particularly messy. But once we stopped at the balloon stand it was all over. They were in heaven. It lasted awhile until all the swinging of the balloons eventually made the string break and fly off into the sky. (The adults were relieved)

Waiting patiently for their balloons

They were bummed until they found..... the fountain.... 

We tried to say "just your feet" and "don't get wet" but as you can see it didn't work that well. At least we had a change of clothes in case of an emergency potty mishap. No potty accidents, but we definitely had a drenched two year old that appreciated the dry clothes for the ride home. :) 

A Scientific Experiment

 Jaxson got a kite from Elaine on Easter and he has been bugging us to do it nearly every day. There is always some reason or another we can't do it. So tonight while eating dinner on the deck a breeze was coming through and we thought maybe there would be enough to get it going at least a little in the backyard. So the scientific experiment began. I visited my memory of 6th grade science class and used the Scientific Method.

Question: Is a slight breeze enough to fly a kite?? 

Background Research: Might have saved us some time... but we skipped this step.. 

Hypothesis: If you run fast enough you can probably get it going.. at least a little bit

Test Your Hypothesis:

Analyze The Data: Fail. Breezy is NOT the same thing as Windy.. 

Draw a Conclusion: A kid will have just as much fun pretending a stick is a kite... 

Look What I Can Do!!

 Asher has never really been a fan of tummy time but we have been working on it. He didn't get an outstanding rating on that at his last visit to the doc. He still doesn't love it but when he is on his tummy he can lift his head and chest up high and look around. He is trying to roll and I think has done it a couple times. (I think because sometimes I will lay him one way and I will come back to him the other way, but I still have never actually seen him roll) I also think his expressions were funny. he was amazed by my camera with the flash on since I very rarely use the flash.

 

Drool Much?

Whoa, what is that really bright light??

He obviously wasn't entertained by whatever was on TV

Dear Jaxson,

My dearest Jaxson, just yesterday we celebrated your third birthday. Three years ago you came to meet us on a sunny June day and I couldn't have found a more perfect baby. And now when I look at you I still see my baby boy. I always will. Even though when I call you baby boy you correct me to tell me that you are Jaxson boy, not a baby. I get to hear your thoughts and see your personality now and I love it. You are still the thoughtful, quiet little boy with a little added attitude.  You are becoming more independent and love doing things on your own. When you do snuggle on my lap it makes my heart melt. And now that it is few and far between I try to soak it in as best I can. Some of your favorite things are to eat outside in the breeze, you love playing with your dinosaurs and little cars. There aren't many things you love more than sleeping at grandmas house, or all the popsicles she lets you have. You still love being at home with your family over being out and about. Unless Aubrey is near, because in that case you two are like glue together. She is still your best friend and I love to see you smile and laugh together. I can't wait to watch you with your new friends as you get older because you are a great friend, even at three. I love to watch you have fun but it makes me happy that you are happiest simply being with us at home. Because simply being with you makes me happiest too.

I am so excited to watch you grow over the next year. I want to give you new experiences and see what you learn. I will watch you come out of your shell and hear your thoughts, ideas, and opinions on all the things around us. I couldn't be prouder of the little boy you are and I know that everything to come will just make me more proud than I am today.

Forever my first baby boy

Dancing in the summer rain on your third birthday

Three Years

Another year, another party. Wow, I can't believe we have now thrown three birthday parties for my baby boy. This year we didn't have a sunny day on our hands, but a very gloomy rainy day. No swim party but the kids entertained themselves just fine with balloons and play doh (which was Dave's idea to bring) We had a hotdog bar with every topping under the sun to jazz it up just the way you wanted along with pasta salad, assorted chips, watermelon. Dave's dad decided to add some bratwurst and little smokies to the mix as well which were a hit! Luckily this time we didn't take home that many leftovers. But the real hit of the party wasn't the food but was the Cakepops! Jennie makes them all the time and I see them on her blog often. And Aunt Sue makes them regularly just never on a stick. So, I asked Sue for help but to my surprise (and luck) she offered to just whip them up and bring them with her. They looked amazing!! It probably took half the time and look twice as good without me there trying to help. :) They were red velvet, Jaxson's favorite kind of cake pops, and boy did he love them!

Everyone had such a great time and THANK YOU to everyone that was able to join us! Until next year....

Jaxson got a little shy when everyone started singing..

Trying to reach for more cakepops.. I don't blame him. I was trying to resist as well (and failed miserably!)

Asher was getting all the love from the ladies

Yes, even Dave got a gift so him and Jaxson can play supersoaker together in the backyard this summer.

Kristy helped us feed Asher while we cleaned up! It was nice to catch up and have an extra pair of willing arms for our little guy.

Are You HAPPY?!?

Jaxson, in the sweetest voice, will come up to you and ask, "Are you happy?" He does it all the time now but I have began to notice he has started to use it strategically. If he thinks I am upset about anything he will come over to ask. And even more than that now when he has done something naughty he will come over and tilt his little head and ask if I am happy. I have caught on to his little ability because he will do that and then suddenly he is somehow not in trouble anymore. So I have started to answer it honestly, no I am not happy because you _____. And then he will look at you and say it louder, "ARE YOU HAPPY?" The answer is still no but it gets harder to not smile. If you don't ever give in he will run off and tell me that he isn't happy.

Although, it is very hard to not give in. How can this face not make you happy???

Shared

Every seven years my birthday falls on Father's Day. I remember when I was like 6, or whenever it fell on my birthday when I was young, that nobody could come to my party because of father's day. Blah blah blah... From then on I never really seemed to notice on those days that it was fathers day as well. Now that we celebrate Father's Day in our house with our two boys Dave and I had to share our day. I reminded him that celebrating me being alive trumps celebrating him being a dad because he couldn't be a dad to these two boys if I wasn't alive. He didn't buy it. haha.. But I think we shared very nicely. And really, once we went to the Apple store and we got me my new MacBook Pro I couldn't be mad at anyone really. He could have the rest of the day playing with the boys. (This was great so I could sit on my new computer all day!)

But we had lunch and dinner outside in the perfect weather. The boys played all day together and had a great time. It was really a perfect day even if we weren't celebrating anything!

Party of Four

 To Michelle and Jesse's surprise on June 17th their little bundles of joy decided that was the day. Even though mom, dad, and the doctors wanted to keep them in there since they were just shy of 33 weeks they had other plans.  From the looks of Michelle I am thinking they just wanted to stretch their legs a little and the only way to do that was on the outside. Everything went as well as it can at week 33. They were able to breath on their own and scored high on the apgar. The doctors are encouraged with how they are progressing each day but will still need to stay awhile in the NICU. We all can't wait until they are strong enough to come home, then eventually to Iowa to meet all of us!

Daddy and Oak

Mommy and Mabel

Asher: Three Months

I know I said I really wanted to take pictures of Asher every month on the 9th, on his actual "monthly" birthday but this month it didn't really work out.  It was cloudy and raining and then other things started rolling and I wasn't really feeling like a full on photo session. I know, I know... but really there are sometimes that I really just don't feel like taking pictures. So on Friday while Dave was grilling, Jaxson was playing in the yard, and the weather was perfect I snapped away. At three months, one week, and one day here is Asher Joseph.

Asher is really becoming more active and has a personality. He loves to try to grab at toys now and occasionally gets a hold of them. When he does he struggles to get the object into his mouth and finds it eventually. His other new favorite pass time is being a slobber monster. If they had a reality show called Drool Factor, he would win.

I know he is thinking where is my mouth!!

Little baby toes are too cute to resist.

Jaxson dove into some new bubble equipment that Elaine had at her house. It's nice that he was able to do some of the work himself.