The Chronicles of Brownia

Jake and His Exercise Video

2012-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Turn up your volumn for this one (so you can hear the tv too). I'm not sure how many of you have seen the Mickey Mouskersize videos on Disney Channel, but Jake loves the soccer one and even follows all of the directions. It is just too darn cute and so I had to get it on video. :)

...and yes we know his pjs are too big on him...but the boy always has his own ideas on what he HAS to wear. :)

Very Happy AJ Video

2012-02-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

I have always said that AJ is a very happy baby that is quick to laugh and smile...now you can see that too. :)

My Boys (AJ at 5 1/2 months)

2012-02-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well this past week was pretty sad for me as I had to return to work. Although I must say it made my Wednesday and now my Friday REALLY special and we are having a blast just playing. :) The boys enjoy playing with trains together right now. Jake will sit in the middle of his track loop moving the trains around and AJ will lay next to it knocking the train over. hehe But Jake is being great and has not gotten upset with his brother once. :) I am so thankful that I was able to take 6 months off to bond with my little AJ and have some great times with our family, and I am thankful that I do not have to work full time. So really, I have it pretty good. AJ is doing great at Miss Linda's and is happy as can be....and even Jake does not seem to mind sharing his "grown up place" with his little brother. I was told that the first day Jake was the first to wake up from nap time and he quickly asked, "Where is my bra?" So cute. :) Yes Jake is starting to talk more and more. The other day we turned into our driveway and from the backseat I hear Jake say "Our Hawws!" ...then "Es pree." Meaning Our house, its pretty." hehe...yeah sometimes you need a decoder ring to understand him. :) AJ is doing great. Getting stronger and stronger and while he cannot sit on his own yet you can just tell he wants to take off running and go play with his brother. He can hardly wait. :) Ok, well enough of the catch-up...here are some new pictures!!!
My McCutie :)

Jake is just getting to be such a big boy :)

Just opened the next set of clothes and AJ's were getting small. We had to buy some stuff because we did not have enough warm stuff at this age since Jake was born in March. But now AJ is in his brother's old clothes and I just love it. So darn cute!!!!

AJ enjoying a little reading time

monkey see...monkey do. lol Jake loves sitting in his brother's chair. Although he often calls it a potty which to be honest makes me a little nervous :)

Reading Buddies

So cute playing with his Whozit :)

I love watching the beginning stages of my boys playing with each other

We recently got a new dishwasher and Jake LOVES playing with the box and his crayons...I really don't blame him :)

And my little gentleman :) Jake is in a wedding next weekend...he will be the ring bearer (yes please start praying for us now). So we wanted to try on his suit...he is just so adorable in it. :)

Well have a good weekend everyone. I have some videos to add but will get to them as I can. :)

AJ is 5 Months Old!!!

2012-01-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

It is so hard for me to believe that yesterday my little AJ turned 5 months. Maybe its because he is my baby...but how can he be that old?!? :) But oh what a wonderful little man he is. He is a great eater who loves his milk and though still a mess...he does like his rice cereal. On Saturday he had carrots for the first time...not too sure what he thought of them, but he did cry after he ate his first serving yesterday until I got him a little more. :) He is also quite the talker which is just so darn cute...no idea what it means but it sounds quite important. :) And he is just the happiest baby ever, always laughing and sharing his smiley yet drooley face. We love our little AJ. Also on the 9th he rolled over for the first time...he has only done it one other time since then but we are very proud of him...and I think he would rather learn to stand up on his own anyway. hehe Jake is also doing really well and is constantly making me realize what a big boy he is. He is talking more and more, loves to be active and play outside, adores Handy Manny, Building things, mandarin oranges and playing with his new train. Something that he does right now that I love is that he will see me sitting on the floor while his brother is playing and he will run to me with a smile, yelling "Hi Ma!" and will then jump in my lap and give me a huge bear hug without letting go. Makes me soooooo happy. Oh and we finally have a protein that he really enjoys....nuggets!!!! So that is probably the end of your patience....so onto the pictures!!!
I think AJ is worried that we are going to take his little buddy from him :)

This was great...I just happened to be taking pictures of AJ watching Jake play when...

...he suddenly rolled on his side....

...and then his back. :) I got pictures of his first roll over....too cool. As for AJ...he looked as surprised as I was, :)

I love this. Ryan and AJ were in the backyard watching Jake play...just too cute of two of my guys. :)

The cutest brothers ever!!!

Hehe...the other day Jake decided he wanted to try on mom's boots.

These boys already adore each other...the other night AJ was getting fussy and so Jake climbed up next to me on the couch looked at me and said "I take Bra"....so I let him hold him...and wouldn't you know AJ calmed down and was just smiling at and laughing with his brother.

Too cute

Carrots!!!!!

AJ was very excited to watch the 49ers playoff game

Our little quarterback

Although like always he wanted to sit and cuddle with Daddy while watching football

The ball is as big as he is

I love my guys!!!

Well that is us for now...I am loving watching my boys grow up and can hardly wait to see the next stage!!!

Catching Up

2012-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone, I have been having so much fun being home with my boys that I have been bad about my blog entries. But this really has been a wonderful time. I will put a new blog entry on soon as AJ just turned the big 5 Month mark yesterday :), but for now I wanted to catch up on some pictures that were taken before my family came to celebrate Christmas a couple of weeks ago. So enjoy the pictures!!! :)
The exersaucer!!! Jake LOVED this thing and now AJ is enjoying it. He still needs some blankets stuffed in with him and he gets tired after a bit...but he really enjoys it.

An excited boy!!!

They always say that kids have more fun with the box.... :D

AJ having a blast on his playmat

Jake loves his new train and we often find him setting up a new track anywhere in the house :)

AJ loves the camera :D

I love this...Jake was being super quiet in the front room and when I checked on him he was happily playing with his nativity set. Makes a momma happy. :)

These brothers really love each other

This was one of those rare moments where both boys were sleeping at the same time (Jake is really working on giving up naps)...so I had to get pictures...and Jake was just so silly falling asleep with his hat on.

Too cute

And Jake on his rocking horse. Funny because this was a gift to him before he was born...but for so long he was scared of it. Fun to see him finally enjoying it and riding his horsey. :)

Well I am off now to feed AJ and give Jakey a bath but hopefully I will return to you soon with updates and pictures. Have a great day!!!

2nd Christmas and Grandma's 90 Birthday

2012-01-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family. We had a wonderful time with my parents, aunts and Grandma. And they loved seeing our growing boys and visa versa. So let me just share the weekend with you in pictures. :)
Jake anxiously waiting for them to arrive

My mom got to feed AJ some rice cereal. He is getting a little better at eating it now but is still a big mess. :) I think of him eating like a kitten because when we put the spoon in his mouth he quickly licks it off. :)

AJ snoozing with my Dad :)

Such a cute little sleeper

To bad my son is not relaxed

AJ hanging out with my Aunt Kathy and Amy

This was also the first time that my Aunt Joanie met AJ which was a lot of fun...

...and they seemed to get along real well. :)

Ahhhh...cuddles with GG

When it came time to exchange Christmas Jake helped by passing out the presents. I really enjoyed watching this because that was my job when I was little. So fun to pass that onto my son.

Jake and my dad celebrating the traditional gift that My aunt Joanie gave him - - - M&Ms

Model Santa Pose

Cuddles with Grandma

AJ really seemed to enjoy this reindeer

Piper got a really cool treat that looked like an Italian pastry...and Jake was only too happy to give it to her. :D

Jake was of course hamming it up the entire time and I think made the night even more entertaining for all. :)

Santa Piper

So much love for one little guy...getting attention from Aunt Kathy, Joanie and GG

Ahhh...happily snoozing with his Great Aunt Joanie

This boy got fully covered in Christmas lol

This was onto my Grandma's Birthday celebration for her 90th Birthday. We all went to Embassy Suites for dinner and then the rest of my family stayed there overnight. But we had a bit of a late dinner and so Ryan and I caved and let Jake watch a video during dinner so we could enjoy the celebration. Here is Jake enjoying his video and sharing it with his Grandma.

Our whole family...a good looking bunch :)

GG showing her cake off to Jake

And Jake helping himself to it...for the record neither Ryan and I were present for this. Grandpa and GG were giving him a bit of spoiling.

We had such a wonderful weekend and it was so fun to celebrate Christmas and a huge birthday together. So much fun to see the boys interact with all of their family and make such wonderful memories together. Hope that you all were able to make such memories as well. Until next time :)

Jake and Pa's Christmas Toy Video

2012-01-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

So for Christmas this year Ryan's dad got a remote controlled helicopter. He of course loved playing with his new toy while they were here...but Jake went NUTS!!! He loved watching his Pa fly it. So I hope you enjoy this little video of them playing together. :)

Our Christmas (and AJ's First)

2011-12-31T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well this Christmas was very special because it was little AJ's first. Funny because he was way too young to really appreciate it...but it was still fun. Last Christmas we really thought we were pregnant but did not know yet for sure...so it was great to have him giggling in our arms this year. Such a wonderful blessing. Here are some of our wonderful pictures.
AJ just kicking back and enjoying his First Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning we opened up our stockings with Ryan's parents.

AJ loved this ball that Santa left in his stocking

Jake loving on his brother as we all sat in front of the tree.

These two are just too cute :)

Brown Family Christmas 2011

Silly Boys

AJ getting some love from Grandma

Ohhhh...a cool Lightning pillow for our Jakey Bear

And he seems really excited about this Cars little punching bag from Miss Linda

And AJ seems excited about his clothes Miss Linda gave him as well.

Ryan was super surprised by his Rock band gift from his parents for his Wii

Jake's big gift this year was a train set which he LOVED

Hours and hours of fun here :)

Looks like AJ is getting worn out from all the excitement

Grandpa is pretty excited about his remote control helicopter :)

Yep...he's out :D

Such a happy little Santa.

Momma loves her little Squidly

As does Dadda

Well it looks like we did pretty well by our little guy. It was such a wonderful Christmas and we pray that you had a wonderful one too. Love to you all and hope you have a fantastic new year.

Fun Times with the Boys

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas we had some fun times that I was never able to get on the blog, so I am playing catchup before I put on the Christmas pictures. :) AJ is growing like a weed. He had his 4 month well baby appointment and he is now 26 1/2" long and is 16 lbs 4 oz...quite a bit smaller than his brother was at this age, so our Squidly is a little Squirt. :) But oh he is so darn cute. Jake is doing great too and is getting so verbal. Yesterday I went into his room and he proudly looked at me and said "Ma, I put toys away." What he had really done is taken every single thing apart in his room and then he put it all back into two bins. :) He was so darn proud though that he had put everything away...it was really cute. :) And he adores his little brother...he will run up to him and say, "Hi bra, Hi A-jah." :) Then the other day we were out in the car and we stopped next to a truck with dogs in the back. Jake was really excited to see them and next I heard. "Dog, I Jake. Dog..that Ma" This really is a fun age. But onto the pictures....
AJ still loves the swing and often takes small little naps while in it.

I can only call this picture....My Little Goobers. :)

And big news here...AJ has now had rice cereal. He is honestly not to sure about it but he is just starting to get a little better at it. Once we have the spoon feeding handled we can move onto veggies!!!

He seems to like it a little bit

...open up... :)

So darn cute in his high chair...

...and very excited too. :)

For Christmas Ryan got the Rock band game for his Wii and we played it together as a family....tons of fun and AJ really seemed to take to it. :)

Grandma and Pa having some fun times with the boys

A little Brother Snuggling Time

Too cute.

We had a really great time at Christmas too and will be putting those up later today. Hope you are having a great New Years Eve!!!

The Boys Preparing for Christmas

2011-12-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well we have slowly been getting ready for Christmas this year...normally I have a lot more done by now but this year I am enjoying my time with my little AJ and enjoying all the baby cuddles. :) I think its worth it! :) But we are having a blast. Jake LOVES the Christmas tree and enjoys looking at the ornaments...although we do occasionally hear an "Oh no!!!" from the other room and we know he just touched the tree and took an ornament off...a no no. But all in all he is being pretty good. AJ loves the tree too as he will just stare at it, enjoying all the bright lights and colors. I am loving this time with both of my boys and enjoying getting ready for Christmas with them. Even had Jake help me set up the nativity this year which was very special and fun. He has a veggie tale nativity too that Ryan found for him at a garage sale some months back and he LOVES it. Although he does not seem to like Mary and Joseph in the stable with Baby Jesus...so we are still working on teaching him the wonderful story. :) But you probably want to see the pictures :).....enjoy!!!
Little Reindeer baby is getting excited :)

A picture that makes a momma happy. Jake having fun coloring and AJ happily asleep in his swing.

Jake and Daddy adding new stickers to his Cars sticker book. :)

Jake checking out his Christmas tree :)

Jake trying to look innocent

My adorable little AJ sleeping just like his brother did

Our Christmas tree topper....but does it really surprise anyone??? :D

Busted...AJ playing with one of Jake's toys

A wonderful time of my boys hanging out together

We like to start them early at reading in the Brown house. :)

AJ is also like his brother in that he loves to cuddle with his spit up cloths

My Cuddle Boys

AJ's very first Christmas Tree

...I think he likes it! :)

I hope you all are also having a great time with your families while staying warm and well. Talk to you soon!!! :D

AJ's First Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Nothing like putting the Christmas Tree up to make me realize that I need to post the Thanksgiving pictures :) We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year with both my parents and Ryan's parents spending it with us at our house. It was a great time to have our whole family together again and we feel blessed that every one of us was there. And not only was Jake more aware of it this year but we also got to introduce AJ to the holiday...although its kinda sad that it was his first and yet he could not taste any of the yummy food. Oh well, next year. :) But it was a wonderful wonderful time and here are some of the pictures from the weekend.
My Dad reading to the boys.

AJ in his first Thanksgiving outfit...I think he agrees that it is pretty funny :)

As you can see by Jake's wide open mouth...there was several new things that we introduced to Jake that he REALLY liked. :)

However little AJ slept through the big meal. Hehe....he is so darn cute

A very Happy AJ in his 1st Thanksgiving PJs

Having some lovin time with his Grandma

"Look everyone I can sit!!!....well with help" :) (Grandma is holding onto my PJs)

I am discovering that getting a picture with both boys and other people can be difficult...but here is a pretty good one with my parents. :)

The boys playing with Grandma and Grandpa. Jake of course has a flashlight...thanks to Handy Manny Jake loves his "Flicker." :)

Grandma giving AJ a bottle for the first time, although....

....AJ felt like giving to himself. :) Such a big boy :)

Cute picture with the Grandparents with a diapered baby (yes he had just blown his diaper...something he is VERY VERY good at...and we did not have him in fresh clothes yet)

But that was a taste of our wonderful Thanksgiving...I hope that you and your families had a great one too!!!!

AJ Videos

2011-11-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Often when AJ is on his play mat he can become very verbal...and loud as he is laughing, talking and making all sorts of sounds. This is the best video that I have gotten of it so far...but it gives you a little taste. :)

And this is just a cute little video of AJ on his mat and then giving me a cute little smile :)

AJ is 3 Months Old!!!

2011-11-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it??? I sure can't. Yesterday my younger baby boy (yes I still call Jake my baby boy...I can't help it :) turned 3 months old. It is just so amazing how fast the time goes by. But he is doing so well...as you will soon see he is getting much better at his tummy time...right before he falls asleep that is. :) He loves to play as he kicks his feet, waves his arms, laughs and talks...it is the cutest thing...I will try and get a video up after this. But I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
My guys :)

Hehe...this was the first time that I put AJ down for tummy time and he really did well...popped his head right up and kept it there for a couple minutes...he seems as surprised as I was here :)

Jake playing with his brother on the play mat

Here he was just being too darn cute...so I got a few pictures

He found me :)

My happy little AJ...Happy 3 months little Squidly (yes this nickname still comes out once in a while...sorry Meliss)

Jake and AJ at 12 weeks

2011-11-14T14:33:00.013-08:00

My Adorable Boys
Not sure why the font is stuck like it is above...but hey we will just go with it. :) Well AJ is now 12 weeks old which is getting darn close to being 3 months old. I cannot believe it. But our time is so wonderful. He is such a wonderful little guy and we are loving watching him bond with his brother. Jake is already getting really protective...looking out for him if another kid takes his blanket or toy. Its kinda cute. AJ now giggles occasionally which is just the cutest thing. And I love hearing Jake try and pronounce "AJ" or "Brother"...too cute. But here are some wonderful pictures of our boys...sorry for the delay but hopefully this makes up for it. :)

Jake is constantly asking to hold his brother which I love and every time we let him he gets this huge grin on his face.

The boys "eating breakfast" together at the table...ok AJ is just digesting his :)

And I know this is a terrible picture but it also makes me laugh. While Jake most often gets in trouble around his brother by pulling the pacy out of AJ's mouth he also likes him to have it...just not too gentle about putting it back in.

I think Jake is explaining a cartoon to his brother here

Doesn't Jake look happy? :) Sometimes Jake will ask for AJ to sit next to him on the couch...too cute.

Can't you almost hear what Jake is thinking? "Mooooooooommm, AJ is leaning on me"

Another attempt at tummy time...how are we supposed to get credit for giving the boy tummy time when he keeps falling asleep?!?! He is even grinning in his sleep over this. :)

Brotherly Love

I love my boys

Hehe...we have such a good dog. Here Jake had just put a container on her head and she was willing to leave it there. Jake adores his "Pi" (her name is Piper)

My boy is getting so grown up!!!

AJ just enjoying life

Funny how he loves sitting wedged between the cushions of the couch...Jake did too.

But those are my wonderful loving boys. Hope you are all having a great week and enjoying the change to cooler weather. Love from the Brown family. :)

Halloween!!!

2011-11-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

This was a very special Halloween this year. For one we had our little 10 week old Austin Jonah there to take it all in, and then we had Jake who really was old enough to appreciate it more this year. So we had a really really good time. But first some fun pictures of the boys leading up to the spooky day. :)
My cute little AJ...sometimes he has so much energy and enjoys moving around as best he can.

This picture makes me laugh. They had both just woken up and I took them downstairs...Jake asked for cartoons and so I set AJ down in the crook of the couch to turn on the tv...this was them waiting...they both look a bit bored. :)

At 10 weeks you can already tell that AJ adores his big brother

Do I get credit for giving my child tummy time when he always just falls asleep? hehe Although you can see here that he has also adopted the butt up position like his brother always did. :)

And here we are at Halloween. Jake was an alligator this year and I think he was quite adorable. We took the kids to the Harvest festival at our church but first we took Jake to see our neighbors...he discovered that if he said "treat" ( we could get him to say trick, or, and treat separately but not together this year...so we settled for treat? and then thank you or "tyou" as Jake says it) they would give you candy...he was pretty stoked as you can see. :)

On the way to the Harvest Festival...the boy was pretty excited.

And my little AJ got to dress up as well. He was a football this year. :) But as I told all our friends...he was nice and warm...and darn cute too.

My little Gator going "Trunk or Treating" (at our church people bring their cars and decorate the backs to hand candy out of in the parking lot...its really fun)

I think AJ was having fun too

Jake did pretty well (especially since Momma and Dadda were trying to limit his candy intake)

My tired boys at the end of the night. :)

At home Jake and his Dada HAD to explore his stash...Jake loved it

I think he likes this one!!! :)

So it was a really great Halloween and we had so much fun with our boys thanks also to our awesome church. Hope you all had a fun one too!!!

Trip to Grandparents and GGs

2011-10-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well last week we took a trip to my parents house to let them show off their newest grandson, have some fun adventures for Jake, and also introduce my Grandma to her great grandson. It was a fast but really fun trip and we have some great pictures to share it. :)
First I just thought this was funny...Jake with a skinned chin wearing a hard hat...he should have had it on when he took a header into our furniture. :(

My mom and AJ

While we were there we decided to take a trip to the Train Museum in Old Town Sacramento...Jake LOVED it. I cannot tell you how many times we heard the word "train" in that 2 hour span. :)

Cool big train...although Jake really liked the phones best :)

Jake was going crazy running from one display to the next

AJ seemed to enjoy himself as well. :) Future train lover?

And the best part was the Thomas the Train area with 4 train tables...we were there for about an hour. :)

This boy is serious about his trains

Hanging out on Grandma and Grandpa's boat

Grandpa and AJ cuddling time

Ahhhh and my Grandma got to meet and hold AJ for the first time...needless to say she was pretty happy :)

The two are checking each other out. :)

GG and her Great Grandsons

Ahhhh cute cuddles

So hard to get family pictures with a 2 year old :) But a great one with the Grandparents and GG

4 Generations

Well this is Ryan's last couple of days before he goes back to work on Monday. We had such a great time it really felt like a nice long family vacation. We did so many fun things and got to have a lot of adventures for Jake which was awesome. AJ is growing so fast and we are so happy that Ryan got to stay home these 6 weeks and really get to know him and love on him. Sad its over but I will always have fond memories of this time. I love my family!!! Thank you Ry for taking the time, taking care of me and being such a great Dada to our boys! :)

Apple Picking and AJ is almost 2 months :)

2011-10-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, on Saturday my youngest boy is going to be 2 months old already. Hard to believe. He is such a wonderful little guy whom we love and his big brother is beginning to adore...when he is not stealing his pacey that is. :) But what can I say about my little Austin Jonah...he is a wonderfully easy baby, loves to be cuddled, has a smile that lights up his entire face, has his most successful tummy times when his big brother is there to encourage him, he wants to stand (any time we try and have him sit with us supporting him he does not want to bend at the waist...he wants to stand), and he loves anything bright. That is pretty much him right now. Hehe...I look forward to him sitting and playing with his brother but also know that when mobility comes and we have two little boys getting into everything, we will definitely be in trouble. :) But here are some pictures of our cute little one.
AJ had a message for his daddy when he came home on this night :)

Taking in everything around him while chillin' in his bouncy chair

This picture really looks like Jake and AJ are playing telephone together...Jake LOVES to play telephone right now.

APPLE PICKING!!!! This week we took a family trip to Tehachapi to go apple picking. We were looking forward to the yummy apples and we had a feeling that Jake would have fun...which he really did.

Hehe...and while we were there Jake HAD to drag along his own bucket...it was pretty cute

Showing off one of the yummy apples

Jake even found one that was just AJ's size...seems to have made his little brother pretty happy

Daddy and Jake taking a stroll back to the car

Across the street there was a little pumpkin patch which Jake yelled "Pum" whenever he saw it...so we had to let him explore after we were done picking.

AJ of course slept. :)

The boys looking around

Momma's Boys

I realize that it has been a while since I have given an update on Jake. :) I am so proud of my little man. While he has his times of acting out with his new brother around he has been really good. He still loves giving him kisses and is always wanting him around which is really cute. He is a great big brother. And he is growing up so darn fast. He is really starting to get more verbal all of a sudden with his number of words skyrocketing and starting to make sentences. The other night Ryan gave him a treat of some goldfish crackers and while walking to his little table he tripped and the fish went flying out of his cup much to the delight of our dog Piper. Jake sadly looked at his cup and said to Ryan "I fall, all gone..." then looking at him with a smile added "more?" OK simple sentence but darn cute. But he is amazing us with the things that he says now. We are so proud of him

Hope that everyone is having a good week!!!

Dancing Baby 2

2011-10-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember the "Dancing Baby" song that Ryan made up when Jake was a little guy...well its back and now staring AJ. :) What is great is seeing Jake giggle at it in the background...if he only remembered that he did it too. :)

The Boys at 7 Weeks and Pumpkin Patch!!!

2011-10-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

The last week has been such a fun time. AJ is getting so much more aware of what is around him, is starting to smile more (adorable) and enjoys sitting in his bouncy chair and rocker. Will even sit there long enough for me to shower and get ready which is a miracle. :) We also took the boys to the pumpkin patch which honestly I have been looking forward to all year as Jake loves the place. He of course had a blast, although I don't know how impressed AJ was...he slept through most of it. :)
My Major Hunk...well one of three of course :)

I love this picture of AJ and his grandpa that we got right before we left SLO.

The Brown Boys...and yes AJ is the one with the remote...impressive for his size and age :)

Jake was having a blast playing with his "Pi" (Piper)

Yep this is AJ not Jake...they can sometimes look so much alike at this age. :) But this was his first time on Jake's beloved play mat.

My new favorite picture :)

Working out at the baby gym :)

The Pumpkin Patch!!!! We are so lucky to have an awesome pumpkin patch right here in Rosamond that has a petting zoo along with all the wonderful pumpkins. After Jake's last trip to the petting zoo he was quite brave. Here he is feeding a goat.

And the donkey...although Jake first thought he was a cow he quickly found this to be his favorite animal. :)

And I think the donkey liked him too. hehe

AJ having pumpkin dreams...must be happy ones.

Jake of course had to check out a few pumpkins before finding his favorite

...which he did and was very excited as you can see

I love that he is starting to pose more for pictures...so cute

I really think we could have stayed there all day

Jake liked this one

So fun because I have a picture of Jake like this too...in his stroller with his very first pumpkin (the place gives a little one to kids for their first Halloween). AJ is not too impressed as he is quite a bit younger than Jake was for his first Pumpkin patch trip but Jake is now taking really good care of the pumpkin for him. :) Now I can hardly wait to go next year and see both boys exploring the place. :)

My Boys at 6 Weeks

2011-10-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well the last couple of days we were able to get some great pictures...and since AJ was 6 weeks old yesterday I thought I would share a bunch of them. AJ is really becoming more alert when he is awake and is really starting to study things. He loves looking at light which includes windows or just any light in the house. :) And he is a strong little dude starting to hold his head up more steadily, push his arms out occasionally and even push strongly with his legs. He is going to be just like his brother. And speaking of brother...Jake has really started to take a more active liking to little AJ. Whenever Jake sees little AJ's Mickey Lovie he brings it to his brother, he loves to tickle him, hug him, give him kisses and even saying he loves him, and as I found this morning...when AJ is having some time on the floor Jake is there giving him love and when AJ is having tummy time Jake is there rooting him on. :) So enjoy these pictures...they were really fun to take.
AJ studying some of the toys on his bouncy chair

...got it!!! :)

Look at that strong little neck

Loving on his Grandma

AJ LOVES being swaddled...although he is a little Houdini as you can see by the hand just starting to come out. :) I love the little smile...first time I really caught one for a picture.

Having some relaxing floor time (Big Brother was napping)

My two boys wore themselves out. :)

Cute Baby Boy

Hanging out with Big Brother...are they arm wrestling already???

Tummy Time!!! And he is doing so well...this was only his second time and the first time he would not lift his head.

I think what helped was that Big Brother was there cheering him on. :)

Jake is already introducing AJ to blocks.

Me and my Boys

Hehe...Ryan and I left AJ with Grandma and Grandpa this morning for a little bit and when we came home we found that AJ had made himself comfortable. :)

We have had such a wonderful time here in SLO...will be really sad to leave but its been so much fun!!!

The Boys at 5+ Weeks :)

2011-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay folks but we have been having a great time taking a trip to San Luis Obispo to show AJ off to Ryan's parents and also some good friends. So therefore the delay. But its been such a great time and of course AJ continues to win people over...he is such a happy and cute little boy it does not surprise me. I am not one bit biased am I? :) But below are some of our pictures to show what we have been doing.
Looks like Mickey gives AJ sweet dreams. :)

A big event happened last week...AJ's first bottle. :) He took it like a champ and seemed to enjoy it. And best of all...it helped him sleep from 10pm to around 3 am. I like it!!!

Ahhhh...cute sleeping baby

Meeting the Grandparents for the first time. AJ of course adores them...and they seem to like him ok too. ;) :D

Yesterday we went to a petting zoo type place with some really good friends which was a lot of fun and the kids (which now adds to 6...wow its amazing how much things have changed since the old college days) loved it.

Checking out the animals with Dad.

Jake with his friend Emma. We loved watching them this weekend as Emma really had the upper hand...dragging Jake around and taking care of him. It was both adorable and hilarious.

And the two babies (AJ and Tessa) slept through most of the petting zoo experience. These two are 3 days apart in age.

Jake's first hay ride. :)

So I had this fun idea of getting a picture of each of the boys with the pumpkin backdrop...

until I got this picture. lol...he was busily shaking his head that he did not want a picture and so I accidentally got this picture...although I do think its hilarious.

My dear friend Melissa lovin on AJ

"The Oldest" Jake, Kadence and Emma hanging out watching some before bedtime cartoons...its amazingly hard to get a picture of these three because they are so active...so this worked well.

And my cute little AJ...worn out from a morning at church just a little bit ago. Funny because he slept through church too. :) We are having a great time here and enjoying every minute of our time so there will be more fun pictures to come. :)

AJ is a Month Old!!!!

2011-09-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can hardly believe that my little boy is already a month old. It seems like yesterday that I spent the early morning with Jake and Ryan before going to the hospital to meet little AJ for the first time. But what a wonderful month it has been. AJ is such a wonderful and mellow little boy and always just seems so happy to cuddle and look around. He is getting so strong too, holding up his head without weaving as much and even starting to use his arms to push himself up when he is laying on your chest. The boy is such so darn cute and also so much like his brother. Jake is doing pretty well, he is starting to help give AJ his pacey and will still give him kisses and talk to him occasionally. Its a little tough for him after Grandma and Grandpa left as he does not have as much attention but we are trying to give him special time and attention. He is just going to be such a wonderful big brother. And now for your pictures. :)
Ahhhh...AJ loving on his Daddy

As many of you have heard, Jake has a great love for his snow boots right now, putting them on as soon as he wakes up...he is always wearing them and its really hard to get him in anything else. Silly boy.

Such an adorable big boy

...and he is such a ham

More Momma Cuddles

A very alert little AJ

A very relaxed little AJ

As you can see AJ is now quite a big fan of his swing...and loves staring at the toys just like his brother used to. :)

How the swing can put these boys to sleep...so darn cute. AJ's First Bath...on his one month birthday AJ's cord was off and healed enough where we could give him his first tub bath. He was really not a fan, as you can see, but I am sure he will warm up to them.

"Do I know you!!!" :D

Adorable sleeping baby. :)

Jake and AJ at 3 weeks

2011-09-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

On Monday our little AJ turned 3 weeks old. :) He is more awake now and really enjoys just taking the world in, spending some quiet time in his little rocker and of course cuddling. We have started to take him places although he seems to sleep through all of them. If the car is involved this kid is out! :) Big brother is still being good with him although we are starting to have to watch him when we have AJ in his little chair on the floor...very close to crazy toddler. :D But we are a happy little family. My mom and dad have been an amazing help and with them leaving tomorrow we will really miss them. Thank you guys so so so so much for all of your help...I really don't know what we would have done without you and I know the boys will miss you a lot.
And now for your pictures.....
Jake's second time cuddling his baby brother.

AJ's first time in the swing...honestly was not too sure about it.

One day a friend came by with two of Jake's friends...Jake had a great time with them!!!

Last weekend my Aunt Kathy got to come and visit us and so she got to meet a very young little AJ. It was a great thrill as she had to wait and meet Jake when he was 3 1/2 months old. Such a fun time!!!

Ahhhh...its love. :)

Our great builder. Jake adores blocks and sometimes has to wear his hard hat when everything is under construction.

AJ wearing his Grandma Peggy's hat. This was originally made for Jake but AJ thinks that he really makes it look good. :D

The boys with Grandma and "Pa"

Awww....sweet cuddles in the car

Taking Jake for some big boy time at the playground...followed by ice cream...he LOVED it!!!

Another cute moment that reminds me that these two are brothers. This is AJ's little rocker and I just saw him asleep like this, arms up...all relaxed. I have a very similar picture of Jake when he was little. In many ways these two little guys are so similar. :)

I love my boys so much and am such a blessed mommy!!!!

Jake and His Brother AJ at 2 Weeks

2011-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Wow my little guy is already 2 weeks old...its just so amazing how quickly the time goes. But AJ is doing great. We took him to his well baby appointment this week and he is already 10 lbs 8 oz and 22 3/4" long...yes he hit his first growth spurt. Probably not 100% correct as measuring newborns is quite difficult but I believed it more when we put on a onesie he had worn when he came home from the hospital...and it did not fit nearly as well. hehe (you can see it in the last picture...the "automatic sprinkler" one...stretched a bit from the neck now) But he is also starting to sleep better...2 out of the last 3 nights he slept in 4 hour increments which was a wonderful blessing. He is such a mellow and happy little baby and we feel really really blessed. And his big brother Jake is really starting to have a soft spot towards him. The other morning my mom brought AJ down and Jake would not calm down until he was able to give his little brother a kiss. So sweet. :) But below is what you are looking for...pictures!!! :)
I thought you were supposed to be blessed with a child who stayed where you put them when you had a newborn. This little guy already figured out how to wiggle out of his sleep positioner.

Daddy LOVES his boys. :)

Hehe...the other night Jake wanted to cuddle with me and 3 of his buddies...it was quite humorous to watch. :)

Ahhhh Jake sharing one of his toys with his little brother.

....wonder how long this wonderful sharing will last. :)

".....umm....I think this Lamby is staring at me."

Yes!!!!!! We wanted to give Jake time to warm up to his brother before we introduced him to holding him. Here are a couple pictures of the first time. Sooooooo cute. :)

I am really looking forward to watching these two grow up together.

I am amazed by this little guys neck strength...sure his head is a lot smaller than his brother's was...but still...two weeks old!!!

This is classic if you remember Jake when he was AJ's age. Jake loved to grab hold of his hair while he was laying in his pack n play....and here his little brother is doing the same time...there are times where I think AJ is Jake's little clone. :)

Lol...here is Jake being Mommy's Helper and bringing me the Boppy to feed AJ. :D

....although he got a little sidetracked and realized it also made a great neck pillow. :)

My strong little boy. :)

Ahhhh...sleeping babies are so adorable.

"Is it me or did this fit me better two weeks ago?" "But I am really still very cute!" :D

As for the whole family we are doing great. My mom has continued to stay with us and has been a total lifesaver, playing with Jake and getting up with him every morning, taking care of the house and the cooking and cleaning and of course helping with little AJ. So wonderful to have her help. Ryan has one week of work left before he takes his time off which he is really looking forward to. And I am doing really well...have been running errands and driving and feel like I am healing so much faster than last time. Just cannot wait until I am completely healed and can lift both my boys and do everything again. But everything is going so well and I am thankful for all of these blessings.

AJ at One Week and his Loving Big Bro :)

2011-08-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe how fast the first week of AJ's life went. He is such a good baby and so mellow just like his big brother. We are really enjoying him as we watch him become more alert and of course enjoy a lot of snuggle time. Jake is starting to warm up to him as well. He will still kiss him on the head, will blow kisses at him while he is in the pack N play and if you ask him if he loves his little brother he will say "yeah." :) I am so looking forward to watching them grow up together. But here are some new pictures for you all to enjoy.
Momma and Austin cuddles. :)

Spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa

Sunbathing...still letting him sit in the light to work on that jauntice so we get a lot of naked baby time. :) I think this is the first time I have ever gotten Jake to pose for a picture. :)

Funny Boy...its funny, it seems that Jake's method of getting more attention these days is just to be a major ham...he is too funny. :)

"Sword fighting" with his "Pa"

The Boys. :) Jake wanted AJ to meet one of his favorite toys.

Its funny...Jake keeps wanting to give his brother a blanket...many times such as here he will toss a burp cloth over him or a blanket to help keep him warm. :) Too cute.

Ahhhhh...I love this picture.

A very relaxed little man.

Hanging with Grandpa

Must be a good dream.

Duck Boy....I LOVE these little footsies...They were a gift for Jake and they were too small for him....soooooo excited to see AJ in them. :)

Some time with a fuzzy friend. :)

Have a great week everyone.

A "Pound It" From Big Brother

2011-08-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to get this up on the Blog as well. We have not been sure how Jake was going to react to a baby being brought into his life and while he is still not to sure he is doing really well, ignoring AJ a lot and giving me some looks for holding his little Brother instead of him but he is behaving really well. But the one thing that he will do with his little brother is give him kisses and of course in the typical boy fashion...."Pounding it" with his baby bro. :) So here he is giving his brother his first "Pound it" in the hospital. :)

Introducing Austin Jonah Brown!!!!

2011-08-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday August 22, 2011 at 1:07pm we introduced Austin Jonah Brown or AJ into the world at 9lbs 13oz and 21" long (yes quite a bit smaller than his brother hehe). :) It was such an exciting day and everything went really well. He got to meet his Big Brother Jake at the hospital the next day and while not all together sure about this little guy he is still being really good and even giving AJ kisses...although not wanting to hold him or anything yet...we are giving him time to adjust. :) But we all came home from the hospital on Wednesday night and have loved being a family of 4 since then...with some amazing help from my parents...not sure what we would do without them right now. :D AJ is doing great...if its possible at this point he is even more mellow than Jake was and is a great sleeper and eater. Getting over a little bit of Jauntice right now but seems to be doing well there. Lots of adorable diaper time right now...pictures of that next time. ;) But here are some pictures of our adorable little guy. :D

Jake "pounding it" with his little bro

Ahhhhhhhhh

Coming Home!!! Our first family picture :D

I love this time...and I am healing really well and getting along fine..just can't wait till I am 100% and I can start spending some serious time playing with my boys! :) Austin will be a week old tomorrow...wow so crazy. But we are enjoying every moment. :)

The Sounds of Jake :)

2011-08-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

So Jake really has a lot of words right now and always seems to surprise us with new ones...he is even saying "please" more often when we ask him. :D But instead of using them he often chooses to babble in his own language for quite some time. I wanted to get a recording of it but every time I get out my camera he stops. So the other day while he was supposed to be going down for a nap, he "talked" for about 25 minutes straight. hehe...I love hearing it and so recorded it so I could have it for a keepsake. Monitor picture does not really show up on the camera but I really just wanted the sound anyway...so you can listen and try to decipher his language. :)

What is really funny about him talking is that he is so darn serious about it...and if you ask him what he said chances are he is going to repeat it in exactly the same way. I love my little boy so much!!!

In other news :) I am scheduled for my c-section a week from tomorrow (Aug 22) and I can hardly wait. Not only am I ready not to be pregnant anymore but I can hardly wait to meet my little AJ and see what he is like. As for Jake....the boy really needs a playmate too. Lately he wants to play with our dog Piper all the time and when he wears her out and she stops playing, Jake starts to cry. Sooooooo sad. So he may not be too happy when we bring AJ home from the hospital, but he will love him when he is a bit older. :)

Beach Video

2011-07-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wanted to add this video to the Beach pictures that I just added. When we were at the beach Ryan pointed out to Jake where I was and this is what Jake did. I love my little man so much and these little actions just make a momma feel so loved. :) I love you Jakey Bear!!!! :)

Our 4th of July Beach Bum :)

2011-07-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! :) Well a couple weeks ago we made a last minute decision to go to San Luis Obispo to enjoy the 4th of July with Ryan's parents. We had a really great time and enjoyed just getting away as we knew it was probably our last trip before little AJ is born. So we also wanted to do something special with Jake. We decided to take him one afternoon to the beach and let him play in the water and the sand. It was foggy but we all enjoyed the break from the heat and watching our "little bear" make a mess in the sand. :) Enjoy!!!
Here we are getting to the beach...it was a lot to take in and Jake enjoyed just looking around. And yes that is my tummy...getting quite bigger...a little less than 5 weeks left now. :)

Jake testing out the water...seems to like it.

Walking into the water with his dada...it was a little cold but they ended up going out to Jake's waist with him walking in all by himself.

The boys. :) Jake walking back in with his "dada" and his "pa" which he started calling his grandpa over the weekend.

And we discovered the sand bucket and shovel on this trip...as always very serious about his play. :)

Ryan kept showing him how to make little buildings and then Jake would add his own little bit of sand to them.

Too bad he is not having any fun. :)

This boy LOVES the sand and is not one bit afraid to get dirty. :)

Hehe..I love how serious he gets when he plays sometimes...such concentration. :)

Playing "bury the foot" with his Grandparents...here he just "freed" himself :)

So thank you Wayne and Peggy for letting us come so last minute and have such a wonderful time. Love making these special family memories. :) Soon we will be a family of 4...so crazy to think about. My c-section is scheduled for Aug 22 at 12:30...and then we get to meet little Austin Jonah Brown...can hardly wait to meet him and see what he looks like, what his personality is and what his big brother thinks of him. :) What an adventure we have ahead of us. :)

Have a great week everyone!!!

Swimming Lessons!!!

2011-07-02T15:00:00.001-07:00

So about 3 weeks ago we started Jake in Mommy and Me swim lessons. He had not had any lessons yet and we wanted to get him started so that he would be comfortable with the water. Well so far we have accomplished that in spades. To the degree where we are now having to teach him some fear of the water because he will try and jump into the pool NOT where we are waiting in the pool to catch him. But my boy is a fish and he absolutely LOVES it!!!! At Jake's last lesson Ryan was able to take some pictures. As you can see it was a little cool and windy that day...but Jake still had a blast. :)
Coming down the stairs all dressed for his lessons. :)

At Jake's first lesson his teacher had them sit on the side of the pool and fall in towards us...this was cake for Jake.

The next step was jumping into the pool so that we would catch them in the water. This he LOVES!!! At the last lesson I was even going further away from him so he would jump in and then, while holding his breath, he will kick under water to come towards me. Can't pop his head up yet...but we are working on that. :)

Working on being on his back and kicking with his swim teacher...not his favorite thing to do but Jake is getting so much better at it.

If you look at Jake's face you can see there is pure joy. This is after we kicked it up a notch and his teacher will have him go underwater as he pushes him toward me...this is when he just came out of the water. Too bad he does not like it. ;)

Kick, kick, kick...splash, splash, splash

My happy little fish!!!

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful 4th of July weekend!!

Trip to the Aquarium

2011-06-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday we took Jake to the aquarium in Long Beach, what was great was that morning after we all were ready Ryan asked Jake if he was ready to "car go" (Jake's phrase which we have adopted) and Jake looked at him and said "ish" which is one of Jake's ways of saying fish...he knew what was coming. :) He then said it MANY more times before we even got the car moving. :D Once there he definitely had his favorite fish...but mostly he just enjoyed running around the place and exploring...which we allowed as it was his day. :)
Jake the Boat Captain. :) They had this play area outside which Jake LOVED.

Ahoy there Jakey!!!

And the sharks....Jake really loved the sharks and he watched them longer than any of the other fish.

Too cute.

I love this picture because if you look at his reflection you can see that he is waving to the shark.

Woooo...that's a big one.

Jake loved the little Baby "Nemos" :) big surprise there :)

Checking out some "ishies" as Jake calls them with his Dada

Ooohhhh...at times the hat had to be backwards so he could get close enough to the glass...something that on the normal day he will not put up with. :)

Leaving the aquarium and walking around the harbor...I think Jake had a good time. :)

Yesterday we took him to the pool for the first time since last summer. He starts his Mommy and Me classes on Monday and so we wanted to get him reintroduced. At first he held onto us really tight and was a bit afraid. But by the end of the time he was loving being thrown up and down by dada in the pool, "swimming" to each of us while we held onto him under his tummy, jumping to Ryan from the steps and even getting in and out by holding onto Ryan's hand. Many times while I held him he told me "down"...but I had to explain to him that he could not swim on his own yet. :) That's my boy...no fear. :) So I guess taking him to see sharks one day and the pool the next did not backfire on us. hehe

So that has been our weekend so far. We have had a blast and so has Jake...its nice to give him these times before he has a little brother dividing the attention. Have a great week everyone and enjoy the warm weather.

Jake's Move to a Big Bed :)

2011-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello there my friends. I have no idea why this is underlining but as I have now uploaded all of these pictures twice I am just going to go with it. :) Well a few weeks ago we decided to move Jake to a big boy bed. Not only this but we moved Jake to a new room. We decided to try and make him an awesome new cars room so that he might want to switch and then we could leave the nursery as it is for his baby brother. :) It worked out so well and Jake absolutely loves his new room as you will see now. :) Enjoy
First though here is an adorable picture of Jake...yes he is using the blanket as a pillow and the pillow as a blanket....what can I say. :) But as you can see he was badly in the need of a haircut so......

we asked our dear friend Linda (who watches Jake while I am at work) if she would mind giving him a hair cut again. Doesn't he look like an adorable big boy. :D

So at this point Jake taught us a lesson and that is.... when can you tell your child would like a pillow? When he starts using his stuffed animals as pillows. :) This pic was closest we could get of it happening. :)

So this is Jake's first night with a pillow. lol..you can tell he is still figuring it out. :) But you should have seen the look on his face when we gave it to him at bedtime...he was so excited!!!

The next night he got it. :D Isn't he so cute!!!

And he we are...the big boy room. Ryan and I kept the door closed as we were working on it so Jake did not see it until we were done. :)

Checking it out....

I think he likes it :D

Yeah he likes it. :D

This cracked me up...as you can see before I put some extra stuffed animals in his room that I knew he would not want to share with his little brother when he gets here. And I just put his three bears in his bed that he sleeps with...well this was not good enough. Jake soon put them all in his bed...which is where they have stayed. :) He still sleeps with all of them 3 weeks later. :)

I think he just realized that his new bed is like his toy car. :)

Yes!!! We had no idea how Jake would sleep in his big boy bed and he did great!!! This is Jake sleeping in his bed for the first time for a nap. And I only had to go up there 4 times and tell him to get back in bed. :) We were so happy. The crazy thing is that he stays in his bed until we go and get him. Not sure how long that will last...but we are enjoying it :)

And that is us. On the baby brother front, for those who did not see my announcement on Facebook we finally decided on a name for Squid (sorry Melissa I could not help myself hehe), he will be Austin Jonah Brown or AJ as a nickname. Everything is going really well with the pregnancy so far and we are getting really excited to meet him. I am 28 weeks along which means only 11 weeks left since it will be a scheduled c-section. Wow...that is not that long. So for now we are enjoying being a family of 3. We are taking Jake to an aquarium this weekend as he loves fish and we want to do some special things with him before his little brother arrives.

Well I should get going but have a good week everyone. :)

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa :)

2011-05-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

For Easter this year Ryan's parents came to our house and we had a wonderful time together. The Monday after his dad had to travel on business and so we got to keep his mom for a week which was so much fun for all of us. We were very sad to see her leave as she is so much fun and was such a huge help. When his dad came back they stayed the weekend and then watched Jake one more day before going home. So many fun times and thanks to Peggy, my son learned some new big boy skills which I am so thankful for. So here are some pictures to enjoy. :D
Ahhhh my sweet little boy sleeping. I always tell people that my son must sleep with 3 of his buddies...this shows that love for his blanky bear, blue bear and of course his Birthday panda.

Oh happy boy. This was taken on Easter after church and Jake was having sooooo much fun. :D

OK funny story with this one. The night before Peggy and I were following Jake up the stairs in crawl fashion and he totally ate it. He was fine and happily continued up the stairs but Peggy and I tried really hard not to laugh...covering our telltale mouths...well Jake saw this and for the next few days covered his mouth every time he laughed. :)

Jake helping his Grandma wash dishes...he LOVED it!!!!

Here they are in action.

Jake and Daddy having sooooooo much fun.

This I just think is a fun picture. Ryan's mom had taken Jake to the park and he suddenly decided that he was done and just started to leave all by himself.

Day 2 at the park...this time with Grandma and Grandpa...he adores this big slide.

Grandma thought it looked like so much fun she decided to try it out.

...soon followed by Grandpa :)

boys will be boys

And a new family picture...not too many more of these with just Jake...a little more than 3 months and we will welcome our newest baby boy to the world...sorry no name yet....but we are working on that.

More pictures to come...just need to get them off my camera first. :D Have a great day!!!

Jake's Wake up Daddy Game :)

2011-05-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Have not been able to post a video in forever since my computer did not seem to like it. Figured I would give it a shot now that it is fixed. :D

Jake has found a new game that he really loves. He asks his daddy (in true Jake language mind you) to pretend to sleep on the floor. Then he tells everyone to be quiet before jumping on him and "waking him up." Jake really thinks this is hilarious and wants to do it over and over and over. :D So cute seeing Jake and his daddy play together.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Random Catch Up Pictures

2011-03-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well as I promised I had some old pictures that I needed to catch everyone up on...so here they are. :D Yes they start after New Years and go until a couple weeks ago...but better late than never right? :) Jake's first time in the snow...in our very own backyard. Huge thanks to our friend Kimberly for letting us borrow this snow suit. :D

Hmmm...is this going to be his first snowball fight? :)

Getting a little more confident about walking in the stuff.

Ooppps. :D

Momma and Jakey Bear...can you tell he is really not sure about all this? hehe

The boys

Post snow hairdo...lol...cracks me up. :)

I absolutely love this picture. I took this a few weeks ago and so it is pretty new...but he is just so darned cute...and has an adorable smile.

My little helper. Every time I get the swiffer out he wants to do it. So when I am done I take out a couple lengths and let him finish up. :D

Jake LOVES this car. Ryan found it for like $5 at a garage sale and its Jake's favorite outdoor toy. Especially when he gets pushed at high speeds. :)

Getting to be a big boy and eat at the counter with his Aunt Steph while she was here.

OK, so isn't my little GQ boy adorable? We had him all dressed up for 2 year portraits...too bad he WOULD NOT allow pictures to be taken. Maybe we are just at that age for now. Time will tell.

Well now you are all caught up...now that I have a working computer I will try and be better about pictures. Especially with a new little one that will be joining us in August. :)

Jake's 2nd Birthday BBQ :D

2011-03-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

After much waiting...here are Jakey's Birthday BBQ pictures. :) OK isn't this the most amazing cupcake cake you have ever seen?!??!?! I mean last year our friend Katie made this amazing firetruck cupcake cupcake cake, and she continues to amaze us by making these amazing creations. This year we had a Handy Manny Theme as Jake LOVES the cartoon and before this BBQ Katie had not even heard of him before..she did a pretty awesome job didn't she? :) Thank you so much Katie for helping to make this day so special for our Jakey Bear. :D Of course Jake was having so much fun with his friends outside that it took him a while to notice this wonderful sweet creation.

Our wonderful BBQ chefs. :) Jake's Uncle Jason and both Grandpas.

Ahhhhh...Jake's finally comes in and sees his favorite characters in sugar. :) I think he likes it.

Yep...he likes it. :D

Some of his friends playing in our backyard.

Yummmm...pretty different from last year when he would only play with it. This time he ate every bit he could.

Looks like everyone is enjoying it. I love how the big table became the kids table. :)

Oh my little boy...he REALLY enjoyed that cupcake. hehe

OK these are some pictures taken before Ryan left for a business trip. Jake was having so much fun playing blocks with his Aunt Steph (who you can see hiding behind the chair) and his Dada. :) Here you see the amazing tower they built together. Jake LOVES his blocks.

This little boy LOVES his Dada...

just a little...don't ya think? :)

Well its been a bit of a crazy weekend. Poor Jake was being sweet on Friday night by throwing away a wrapper in a trash can and he hit his thumb on a can that was in there and sliced it pretty good. We took him to urgent care and he ended up getting two stitches on the knuckle side of his thumb...now he and his grandma will have scars to compare next time they see each other. He is doing really well now...although he does not want to keep the band aid on anymore...already taken it off twice today and he is supposed to leave it on one more day...tell that to a two year old toddler. :) But he has been such a big boy through this and we are really proud of him.

Hope you all had a nice weekend...will catch up more on older pictures soon. :)

Jake's 2nd Birthday

2011-03-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone...I am finally back blogging after my computer took a dive and I had to get a new hard drive. But its for a wonderful occasion. Last Thursday our little Jakey Bear turned 2. I cannot believe that my little baby boy is now two years old...it is going WAY too fast. But it was a great day. Both of his sets of grandparents, his Aunt Bethany, and his Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Jason were all there for his big day (the last 3 came all the way from North Carolina!!!). He loved all the extra attention and playmates. :) We started the day at "Build a Bear" at the mall, had some food at the food court and then after coming home for a nap we had presents, play time and then of course some dessert. :) Jake had such a good time and I think we did well by him on his 2nd Birthday. There were so many great pictures to share that I will be following this blog with another one of his little bbq party we had a couple days later..stayed tuned as you HAVE to see his Handy Manny Cake!!! :)
So Ryan and I thought it would be fun to take Jake to Build a Bear for his birthday...we did not know if he would like it but thought we would give it a shot....do you think he had fun???

I think so. :)

Jake LOVED the pandas (not sure where that came from) and proceeded to take as many as he could reach out of the bin and give them to grandma. :D I think we know his choice. :)

And my boy and his love for cars. He found these cars at the back of the store and had a great time filling them with what else..pandas. :)

Jake even helped by stepping on the pedal to help stuff his bear.

Picking out the bear's heart was really tough...so many to choose from.

Ahhhh...cuddle time with his new bear. :)

Fun at the food court...what we are supposed to eat here too?!?!

Hehe..this was during his present opening..I have known for a long time that he likes to read...but two books at once? :)

This was great...my dad was sitting on the floor next to Jake which was normally what he wants. But this time he pulled my dad's hand so he would lay on his tummy next to him and inspect some of his new toys. :)

This was Jake's main present from us...his very first tricycle!!! Its a little big for him...but hey for Jake...that's an accomplishment. :D

And for dessert...a "Cars" cookie cake. For those of you with a Sam's Club membership you have to check these out...they are double decker cookie cakes...amazing!!!

I think he likes it!!! :D

Some morning playing time with grandpa. Too cute. :D

And my little boy trying to look like his Uncle Chuck (in his new t-shirt from his aunt and uncle). :)

Happy Birthday Baby Boy....I love you soooo much and am loving watching you grow up!!!

New Years!!! Just a little late :)

2011-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

OK, so we had this wonderfully amazing New Years trip that we had such a great time on...and I am just now getting those pictures up. Oooopppss. :) Oh well, you can enjoy them in February. :) First we drove up to the Sacramento area to take advantage of our time off so that we could see two sets of dear friends of ours. The first stop was to see our friends Paul, Bethany and Stevie who used to live down the street from us in Rosamond but moved this past summer. Our boys are a little less than 2 months apart and while they were young immobile infants and early toddlers they spent a lot of time together as their mom's hung out, ran errands and just had fun together. So it was really fun to get together with our friends and see our toddlers play together once again. The next stop was to see Melissa, Steve, Kadence and Kassidy who are dear friends from college who we love getting together with and we have started a tradition of getting together with every New Years. We had a great time and were soon joined by the rest of the gang (Troy, Becky, Emma, and Jim). We had a great trip and it was so much fun to catch up with old friends. And once again I realize that all of the pictures are of our kids. Some day I will get ones of the grown ups. lol
Jake and Stevie playing

Ahhhhh....such cute boys

This picture reminds me of two old guys sitting on a porch and telling stories...except its two young toddlers sitting on the fireplace ledge babbling. hehe

And here we are at our next stop. Our three older kids stopping for some food...a rare occurrence as they were often busy playing.

And once again a picture of the three of them on the piano...we seem to get one of these every time...will fun to see them grow up through these pictures together later.

Playdough!!!!!

And this is the newest member to our little playgroup. Little Kassidy, such a happy mellow baby...just taking everything in.

Ah yes, Jake and the pink baby stroller...he really fell in love with this toy while we were there. hehe No baby though...just enjoyed pushing around his sippy. :)

And for any of you trying to think of upcoming birthday ideas for Ryan...he seems to like purple baby blankets....who knew??? :D

Hope you are all having a good week and next up will be snow pictures in our own backyard. :)

A Wonderful Christmas

2011-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well it was a wonderfully crazy Christmas this year. We traveled to SLO and Sacramento to see family and friends and were home for Christmas itself to host my family as well as see some friends who were in town from out of state. We had a really great time and are still recuperating. lol. :D As soon as I get pictures from Ryan's family from our time in SLO I will put them on here...but until then here are our Christmas pictures. :) And some fun Sacramento pics will be soon to follow. :D
Jake cuddling with his grandma on Christmas Eve

Jake on Christmas Morning...waiting at the tree

"....come on GG Santa came!!!"

Can you tell he is a little excited about all the commotion

Too cute :D

OK, so I was just trying to get a picture of Jake and his new "Cars" cars but I hit a button on my camera...turned out kinda artsy and fun though hehe

Jake loving on his new stuffed animals...many of his favorite characters. :)

Jake loves Handy Manny and he went pretty nuts over this toy...and he even has figured out how to take all the tools out and put them back in their correct spots. My boy is so smart. :D

I think he is a little excited!!!

I love this picture...my aunt Kathy and my Grandma...loving opening your stockings...I think Jake's excitement wore off on them. :)

Our family picture...Jake's having a bit too much fun with his apple in a cup...but he is in it. A victory!!! hehe

This was Jake's big present from his Mommy and Daddy...a toy kitchen which he absolutely loves and plays with all the time.

Jake and Grandpa...enjoying some Christmas cartoons. :)

And a very precious teething Jake and tired Daddy cuddling after a busy day. I love these moments! :D

Well I pray that you all had wonderful Christmases as well and are having a good start to your new year. See you all soon!!!

Christmas Portraits for Christmas Eve :)

2010-12-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day and looking forward to a special day tomorrow. For the occasion I thought I would upload some of our family's Christmas portraits. We had them taken a while ago but they are still pretty cute. :D

This is the first time that this kind of picture has turned out and Jake is not making some sort of funny or unhappy face. :D

Our Happy Family

Our Sweet Little Jakey Bear Jake and his "Dadda"

Jake and his "Momma"

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

Catching Up

2010-12-10T07:44:00.001-08:00

OK, I admit I am pretty far behind on the blog entries. :D We just got so caught up in the holidays I had not gotten to it. But now we can treat you to a bunch of new pictures. :D We are all doing well and looking forward to Christmas, and yes we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with both of our parents...we are just enjoying life. :D So here are some pictures of what you have missed over the past month and a half. :D
Our adorable little boy

Our little football player. :) People always comment on his size and say he will be a football player...but as you can see...the ball is still a bit large for him. :D

This was a really fun day where we went to a park in LA for our little friend Victoria's 1st birthday party. But as you can see Jake had more fun playing with the big kids. :)

Jake and Victoria enjoying the swings.

Think he likes swings?

Trying on Daddy's shoes

When I took this picture I remember looking at it in shock...my baby boy has sure grown up. And this is one of his favorite shirts as he will run around all day pointing at it and saying "Neeee" his name for Handy Manny. :D

And Jake also now enjoys coloring...well he likes playing with the crayons the most...but he has fun.

An artist hard at work.

His huge love right now though is building things with any type of blocks. He just loves it and as you can see concentrates really hard while building.

Jake's new big boy bed!!! :D No he is not sleeping in it yet, but we got a great deal on it on Craig's list and as you can see Jake can hardly wait to sleep in it. (and yes it does convert to hold a twin size mattress...good for a growing boy)

Ahhhhh Thanksgiving. Such a yummy time of year. As you can see Jake loved the rolls. His meal that night was pretty much rolls, cranberry jello and milk. :)

Yum!!!

...oh yeah...and pie. Jake LOOOOVVVEEESSS pie. And Grandpa was only too happy to share. :)

And here is one of Jake's grander building. He is not too good at structure as they are often very tall and narrow and then fall over. But with someone holding onto the bottom he does pretty well. :D

Next up will be our Christmas portraits. :) But I figure you can enjoy all these for a little bit. :D Have a great time getting ready for Christmas!!!

Jake's 2nd Halloween

2010-11-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

OK, I am on a roll now :D

Well for Jake's second Halloween we were not sure that he was ready for trick or treating and so we decided to take him to a Harvest Festival that our friend Linda (who watches Jake while I am at work) had invited us too. Jake absolutely loved it, especially the blow up slide as you will see soon, and we were really glad we did it. Oh...and Jake was an adorable monkey...very appropriate for my little monkey boy who loves to climb and eat bananas. :)
Getting ready before going into Miss Linda's house to show off his costume :D

Such a cute monkey boy (with my good friend Marina in the background)

"Ta-da!!! I'm a monkey momma!!!"

ahhhhhhhh

"....ahhh a girl hug" (really his good friend Faith that he spent a lot of time with at Miss Linda's before she went onto Kindergarten)

Jake really wanted to go into this blow up area and play soccer with the older boys

Ahhhh...the slide...do you think he likes it?

Yey...at the top and ready to go.

Again!!!

"Here I come!!!"

"Look at me Miss Linda!!!"

"Aren't I cute?"

Well I hope you enjoyed these pictures half as much as we enjoyed the day. :) Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Pumpkin Patch Part 2

2010-11-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yes!!! More pictures. :D
Jake found some pumpkins that he CAN carry. :D And he did...moved them all over the place. :)

"Look Momma...a pumpkin!!!"

Having fun and posing for dada

Making sure we are still watching him look at all the pumpkins

This was so funny, when Jake finally picked out his pumpkin he just stood there holding it and looking at us for the longest time. :D He was very happy with it...

...until he found this ity bity one. He LOVED it and we almost had to let him nap with it afterwards. :D

OK, next up...Jake's Halloween pictures from when we went to the Harvest Festival. :D

Pumpkin Patch Part 1

2010-11-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well I really apologize for the lack of pictures lately. We are having some computer issues and as many times as I have tried I could not load any pictures. But I found if I load them one at a time they are coming through for now. So who knows how many I will get on but hey they are some for you to enjoy. :D

But a couple weeks before Halloween we took Jake to our local pumpkin patch and he had a blast. He had been there last year too but was not nearly as interested...I think he would have stayed there all day if we let him. :) He touched every pumpkin in the patch and tried to move about a third of them...and the funny thing is that I do not know if I am exaggerating. :D
We have arrived and Jake can hardly wait to get in :D

Walking with his "dada" into the pumpkin patch

Trying to lift a pumpkin that is a little too big for him. :D

They have a little petting zoo there and as you can see he really liked it. His favorite by far were the chickens. :D

Trying to lift yet another pumpkin. :D

OK, going to try and publish this and then put on more pictures a few at a time. :D

Jake's First Haircut

2010-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, as our dear son was starting to grow a natural mullet we decided to cut his hair. It was a sad event cutting those first little hairs but also a very loving one as Ryan and I did it ourselves...at first. :D But Jake did really well thanks to the trance that we put him in by turning on an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. :D Then a couple of days later our dear Miss Linda, who watches Jake while I am at work, fixed it up and made it look really cute. We now lay down our scissors and leave his hair in her capable hands. :D
It has begun, and Momma is trying to figure out out the heck to start.

First trim.

"I survived!!!" And "wow how grown up do I look." :D

After Miss Linda cleaned it up. Amazingly she used trimmers and Jake was just as calm as could be sitting in her lap. The boy is afraid of our vacuum cleaner and yet trimmers are fine. Who knows. :D

Stay tuned for pictures at the pumpkin patch. :D

Jake at Play

2010-10-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well I figured it was time for some new pictures...and Jake and I had a great time playing in the backyard on Friday and we got some fun ones..so the timing is great. But first I figured you were all due for a Jakey update. :) So how big is our little man? Still big :) He is about 3' tall and weighs a little under 34 lbs which means he is wearing 24 month and 2T shirts already and going into the same for pants. And a size 6 shoe...the most exciting thing to share since he now needs him with all his walking. But you know we are now learning that kids sure outgrow shoes fast. :) Thank goodness for hand me downs and great used kids stuff stores. :) He still adores the word Car and Cool, but now also really enjoys Ball and Go (as in he will climb into his stroller and say "go"...lets go for a walk he means), and with age comes "mo" which means more and learning to shake his head no which he uses constantly. He loves to read, climb, play outside, play with his cars and balls and he is still a wonderfully cuddly little boy who loves to give kisses and giggle. And yes we are at the fussy eating stage....sigh.

But that is my adorable boy...now onto pictures. :)
This is how Jake gets comfy and also shows off his incredible strength. Just watching cartoons one morning with his back against the couch and his feet across from him against the ottoman...so he is not touching the ground at all.

Ahhh...the slide. We got this slide a while back and Jake currently LOVES it. He can climb up it (the right way finally) and slide down all by himself and he loves it. Sometimes he is bummed that he cannot go outside and play. :)

Getting ready to slide....

...here we go...

...whhhhheeeeeeeeee!!!!!

A boy needs some rest after all that play. :)

Taking a break from playing with Piper to watch a airplane fly by. :)

Play Time again. :) Jake and Piper love playing tug-a-war...they play it a lot and both seem to enjoy themselves.

Cute boy. :)

Well stay tuned as last night Ryan and I gave Jake his first haircut. :) Hey he is almost 19 months...he was due as he was starting to have a mullet. :D Pictures to come.

Fun with Family

2010-09-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a really good time having Ryan's parents over as well as his sister Bethany and her husband Chuck. Jake had not spent a lot of time with his Aunt B and Uncle Chuck and so it was so much fun watching him warm up to them. Although I really think it helped when Uncle Chuck put chips in Jake's dinner...a way to any boys heart. :) But we had a really great time and we will miss them now that they are on their way to their new home in North Carolina. But here are some great pictures to remember the weekend by. :)
Jake and Uncle Chuck playing with cars and the slide...

...and then just playing with cars...who is having more fun? :)

Daddy was out watering a plant and started to throw drops over to Jake...he LOVED it!!!

"This is just too much fun"

Jake and his Aunt B...soooo cute :)

Grandpa giving Jake a little driving lesson...I am not sure Grandpa approves of his skills ;)

And I just took this picture this morning...very cute, but I could not get over how big he looks in this picture. My adorable little man. :)

1 1/2 Year Portraits

2010-09-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wow...so on Friday Jake turned a year and a half old. I still can't get over that. When did my little baby boy turn into this little kid. Time is passing so quickly...I just want it to slow down. :) But he is at such a fun age right now and I am enjoying every minute of it, even with him getting seven teeth in the last 9 weeks. :) But on his half birthday we took him to get new pictures. It was a fussy day but we still managed to get some good shots. Hope you enjoy. :)
Ahhhh...such a cute boy

Jake with his beloved Patrick. This is not his sleeping stuffed animal but his favorite playmate. :)

Yey...new family picture. Jake's aunt Bethany and Uncle Chuck happened to be here too on their way to moving to NC, and so we got to get this great family pic. Jake was laughing at the photographer for trying to get him to smile.

We call this Jake's GQ picture. :)

Ah and a normal moment with Patrick...the hat is often in the mouth these days...could be all those new teeth coming in. :) And this one is too great not to share. Jake somehow has learned to share this wonderful smile every time we ask him for a "cheesy grin" The photographer loved it and was even asking to see it after we were done taking pictures. My adorable little boy.

Hope you have enjoyed and I do have many of our own pictures to share...hopefully I will have them up soon. Have a great week everyone.

Fun with a Toddler

2010-09-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Oh I love my little boy..and that is what he is right now, a little boy. He is getting so big and independent and we are just loving watching him develop his own personality...which includes brushing his teeth for like 10 minutes at night to stall going to bed. :) But he is a big boy now walking, learning to run (very dangerous as he learned Sunday when he lost control and ran right into a pew at church..funny now but he made quite the boom), sitting in a booster seat and the table and eating big boy food and even occasionally working on drinking from a cup. It really is amazing how much he has grown up in the last couple of months. But here are some really fun pictures to enjoy :D
Were going through his hats from last year to see if any of them fit and he thought it was hilarious. This was one of the few that did fit and he loved putting it on himself. hehe

Cute boy sitting at the table and eating. He hit a point where he was so fussy eating and we did not know why. Then one day I was getting his dinner ready and when I looked over he had climbed into a chair and was sitting at the table with his sippy. I got out his booster and he has been happy ever since. :)

Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) came over last weekend and Jake had a great time just hanging out with them.

Here Jake and his Grandpa were getting very excited over a cartoon...probably Mickey. :) He sure was a Grandpa's boy that weekend. It was really cute.

Ahhhh...the first time he used a fork. So much easier than a spoon right now because he loves spearing the food and he has not really figured out the fine art of using a spoon yet. :) Thank you Bonnie for this wonderful tip. :)

Too cute

However very often the fork gets abandoned at some point in favor of the hands. :)

Jake, Grandma and Piper...everyone looks so happy :D They had all just come back from a walk.

Mom, Dad and Jake all in their jammies. :)

And oh Jake's favorite part of the weekend. We had been bad about getting Jake's little pool out this summer and so we finally got it out for the first time. He was not too happy about it until Ryan thought to put his slide going into it. He instantly wanted to go down the slide and loved splashing into it. Often taking a dive into the water at the last instant. Way to go Dad!!!!

This is too much fun!!!

Making the plunge. But that is us as of now. Hope you all are enjoying the last bits of water and fun and looking forward to some nice cool weather. :D

A Fun Weekend in Sacramento!!!

2010-08-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we took a trip to Sacramento for our friend Meliss' baby shower and we had such a blast getting together with friends. A bunch of us stayed at the Gruenholz Bed and Breakfast which also included our friends Troy and Becky. It was so much fun to see our three kids playing with or around each other. :) Its the third time they have all gotten together (although the first time Jake was still in my tummy :) ) and its so much fun to see the changes with all of them at every step. So here are some fun pictures to enjoy :D
Oh yes, Jake's favorite hobby these days...pushing the laundry basket around. Here he is in action. hehe

My happy little Angel. :D Jake has gotten into wearing hats again which is really awesome in the hot sun around here. He can even put them on himself...although the hat rides high and at angle but its really cute.

And here we are in Sac...I just realized that I never got any pictures of all of us adults. lol Can tell where our priorities are. :) But here Jake and Kadence are giving us some tunes. :)

Here Kadence, Emma and Jake are having a good time playing.

And the three musicians plus Becky the helper...she had to lift Jake up and was amazed at his weight. hehe But hey he IS probably half her weight. :D

Music seems to be big with these three. :D

Jake and Kadence reading books and enjoying their sippies at the end of the day. Yes they are 6 months apart in age...hehehe.

While we were there we also got to see our friends Paul and Bethany which was awesome as they used to live less than a mile from us and now they live in Sac. Our boys are 7 weeks apart and so spent much of their first year of life together. Now both boys are walking and so it was so much fun to see them together again. And they seemed pretty excited to see each other too. :) Here Jake and Stevie and playing and reading.

We went out to lunch and since the pizza place was empty we let them explore a bit after eating. They really seemed to enjoy themselves.

And of course....Daddy and Jake being goofy together. These days Jake loves to cuddle with me which of course I adore. But with daddy...he loves to play. :D

Our Little Toddler

2010-08-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well maybe not little. :D But wow...in the last few weeks Jake has really seemed to make the transition from being a baby to a toddler. He is now walking around a little although still prefers to crawl as he amazes people with his speed. But he is just learning so much and so quickly. His vocabulary is growing as he truly knows the word ball and nana (banana) now. And he now has two molars, well they are still working on breaking through but we have 2 1/2 points through on both so we are getting there. But I love our little man so much. Anyway, here are some more pictures that I promised. :D
A last play day at the old house before we moved.

Jake loves his "dada"

Lately Jake loves talking on his monitor...he really thinks its a phone. (yeah had to get him off the couch after this photo though :) )

Awww...you have not had many pics lately...so had to get a new picture of the cheesy grin.

This weekend we took him to the pool for the first time this summer. I had been wanting to do it for a long time and we finally were able to. He was not too comfy at first but he got a lot better as time went.

Swimming Jakey (with mom holding on of course)

Ahhhh Dada loves

"I'm flying"

He loved going in circles and splashing the water.

Too funny :)

Look Grandma (who was taking pics) I am holding on all by myself!!!

This little monkey was not too happy to get out of the water...but we had a ton of fun and it was time to go home.

Hope you are all enjoying the rest of your summer. Will talk more soon. :D

The Mobile/Walking Jake

2010-08-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

OK, as I practically got jumped on Facebook...here is one of our first videos of Jake walking. :D

As some of you know Jake has had the ability to walk for some time...just not the interest. He is just too darn good at walking on his knees and he is the fastest crawler in the west. :) But on Thursday he started to try it out more on his own...away from furniture which he had been cruising around for quite some time. We are so proud, but between that and the crazing climbing this boy does...wow are we in trouble. :)

And also as a little bonus. The day before he learned to climb on his ride on truck which he loves and we find him doing all the time now. :) Now he just needs to learn how to go somewhere on it. :D

And I have more cute pictures...I promise that once I have the time I will get them uploaded. :D

How Time Flys

2010-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, its amazing how fast the time goes. But it is for good reason, as many of you know we will be moving soon and so our lives have been really crazy. We are moving to a bigger home in Rosamond and renting out our current house and should be moving within the next week or two. Last weekend our wonderful parents came down and helped us paint the house which was an amazing help and now it looks great. Now as soon as the new carpet is put in we can start moving in. It is going to be so hard for me to leave this house, so many great memories...we brought Jake home to this house. But the new house is awesome and it has a much bigger backyard which Jake will love as he gets older. He is not walking yet but he has become quite the monkey and loves to climb on everything. But as a result of all of this I have not gotten the chance to blog in quite some time. So here are some pictures that I downloaded a couple of weeks ago that are quite cute and some were big occasions.

What is new with Jake, well lets see. He has begun to walk on his knees...and he does it constantly. Even has created little callouses on his knees. hehe His favorite word is car which is says quite often...but never on command. He loves to play tug-o-war with Piper and is often chasing her around the kitchen. He has 5 teeth and more on the way. His favorite things to eat are yogurt and cheese and we are down to one bottle a day at night-time. Ryan and I are having such a great time watching him grow up as right now it seems as though he is constantly learning new things.

But here are some new pictures. Hope you enjoy.
Jake's first ever bubble bath. He was a bit confused at first but now really likes it. :)

Are boys programmed by God to love the remote control? I mean Jake is 15 months old here and he already knows how to use it.

....and he uses it well...you can see that he found his favorite show. Jake adores Mickey Mouse.

Jake colored for the first time making his daddy a father's day card all by himself. :)

I know this sounds crazy but a few weeks ago Jake met his Great Gram and Great Gramps for the first time. It was a great occasion and he really showed off during his visit. Here is is being held by his Great Gram. :D

And here Jake and Great Gramps are checking each other out. I really thing that Jake wanted to take off in his wheel chair...he kept looking at it with awe. :)

Jake and his Moma...just enjoying the day.

The great game of Tug-O-War. It is so cute to watch as Jake often gets the giggles. Piper is so good with Jake and I think they both have a good time.

And Jake's new skill is that he climbs on top of some blankets next to our ottoman and then climbs up on the ottoman itself. He really is our little monkey. I though kids were supposed to walk before they climbed????

But I will get you more pictures and videos soon. Enjoy your week everyone and I hope you all had a wonderful 4th.

Jakes "Whoops"

2010-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey check me out, trying to get on a video too. :) Be sure to look at the entry I just put on with some really cute Jake pictures. But I really wanted to share this video too. Jake loves pushing his big, ride on dump truck around and so I was getting a fun video of it. But be sure you have your volume on at the end and listen to him say "whoops" for the first time...its really cute.

My Crazy Adorable Son

2010-05-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All!!! I am having a wonderful morning, my wonderful husband stayed up with my son this morning so I could sleep and then when I woke up at a blissful 9am, they were both asleep. Does it get better than that??? So here I am blogging...then I will do laundry. lol

Anywho, Jake is so much fun right now as he has entered the stage of really loving to push his toys around, actually interact with you while you play, and is enjoying trying to feed himself...quite a mess but cute. Here are some wonderful pictures to enjoy!
Yes this is an occasion where Jake wanted to help Mommy feed him. I always give him a spoon too when I feed him and now he wants to stick the spoon in his food as well. This was a spaghetti night.

And now you will see him pushing some of his favorite toys. Here is his big school bus...

...his airplane

...his lawn mower...

...ok, just an adorable picture of him

...and his black truck. But he will really push anything. He has a puzzle with trucks and he even tries to push those. :)

Just being darn cute in the morning with his sippy. We just stopped him morning bottle on Friday and so now we only have one bottle left...the nighttime bottle. Think we will get him used to not having his morning one first and then tackle that one. :)

Reading with Grandma this weekend. Jake really enjoyed seeing his Grandma and Grandpa this weekend and showing off a bit. :)

Ah yes, and the cheesy grin. Jake now has one. He looks at you and smiles as hard as he can with his eyes all scrunched up. Not really sure where he got that....

Jake Crawling to the Water

2010-05-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

So here is the video that I promised long ago of Jake crawling into the water at the beach. Our brave little surfer baby!!! :)

The rest of the Hawaii Pics

2010-05-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ahh, after much delay here are the rest of our Hawaii pics. :) Sorry for the delay. I will add some videos later but we can enjoy these for now. Jake is now 14 months old which I still find incredible, and he is a very active boy. Very curious and always getting into things. He really wants to feed himself but is not very good at it (picture to come in a future blog, can climb stairs (which he learned to do in Hawaii) and will do it every chance he gets, is currently walking on his knees, and will stand on his own for a few seconds before tumbling down. :) And he is still pushing anything around that has wheels, with his own sound effects that sounds like '''hhhhhwwwwoooooooooo." It really is cute. Anywho more of that to come, but here are the rest of the pics.
The family at Turtle Beach

Ryan and Jake :)

Our family swimming in the waterfall. :) Jake did so well, we were amazed. First we carried him in in his life jacket and he did great...not even a peep. Then we tried the boogie board and he was a natural. Beautiful place...our favorite part of the trip.

"Surfer Baby"

Grabbing a drink after his swim.

We then went to the Dole pineapple plant...Jake fit right in. :)

"Wo dad!!! I am standing on the car!!!

Ric and Amanda were awesome and watched Jake one night so we could go on a date. Here we are in North Shore where we went to dinner and had this awesome view.

"The Crew" The kids really did seem to have a great time and Jake loved having them all to play with every day.

It was a wonderful trip and we will always be thankful to the Trimillos' for letting us stay with them and showing us all over the island. It was a fantastic vacation!

Hawaii Trip part 2

2010-05-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hey two blog entries in one day :D This is how I play catchup and start sharing my pictures quickly. :) Here are some more beautiful Hawaii pictures to share.

Our view at breakfast after church....not bad. :)

We took this amazing drive through the rain forest...you opened your window and it sounded like you were on the Jungle Boat Ride at Disneyland. :D

Jake and I at the top of Round Top

Family Pic at the top of Round Top...that is Waikiki Beach in the background.

Ryan and Ric...can you tell these two are trouble when they are together???

This was our view from our table (with Emily enjoying the fish)...yeah awesome restaurant with an aquarium in it...the kids were thrilled, and us adults were a little excited too :)

Now many thought we were nuts but we went on a few hikes while we were there, with 4 adults and 4 kids under age 3. hehe Each of us had a kid strapped on us ( I have a picture of all of us on another computer...will have to post that one later), but we still had a blast and the kids were all great.

Ryan, Jake, little Matt and I at Inspiration Point (University of Hawaii Arboretum)

Jake did so well on the hike, but fell asleep right before reaching the little waterfall.

It was warm, rainy and the kids were falling asleep...so we were glad to make it. :D

On this day we went to "Dog Beach" which was great because it was really shallow and allowed Jake to get comfortable. So he and his Daddy are checking it out.

Checking out some cool coral.

Our own private beach.

Jake got really brave here, even crawled in all by himself. (I have a video of this that I will post later) This is when we started calling him "surfer baby."

Jake really enjoyed playing with the sand toys at the beach.

Jake and Emily hanging out in the water and having a great time.

Stay tuned for the next installment which includes a trip to a waterfall that we swam in. :D

Jake's Vacation in Hawaii Part 1 :)

2010-05-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

Well hello everyone, sorry its been so long..once again. But we have a lot going on in our lives right now and to top it all off we were just in Hawaii for 8 days. :D I know, it was really rough but Ryan just finished getting his master's and we decided to celebrate by going to visit our friends Ric and Amanda who just happened to be stationed in Hawaii. We had a really wonderful time with them and I will have to put in a few blogs just to cover all the awesome things that we did while we were there. :)

And lots has changed with Jake too, he has now swam in the ocean with Mommy and Daddy, crawled into the ocean all on his own, floated on a boogie board while next to a waterfall, can eat a banana by biting without us having to cut it up, he LOVES to push his cars and trucks around and he is has currently gone almost 3 days without his pacy (OK that one he is not doing too well on but hey we are getting it done and soon he will not even miss it...I hope) But some of those are pictures that you can look forward to seeing. But lets just start out with some of those pics before my son breaks down into another I want my pacy meltdown. :)

The morning of the flight Ryan and I are quickly getting ready while Jake unpacks the backpack to see what goodies we brought him.

Jake was a trooper this night as it was getting late and even later for him due to the three hour time difference. But he still enjoyed getting to know his new friends Matt and Nicole.

Jake and Mommy at the beach in Waikiki...this was our first night there as our friends took us here for dinner on the beach and to watch the fireworks.

Family shot. A very happy boy with a very happy Daddy.

Our little friend Emily who Jake really enjoyed playing with the whole time we were there...she was very sweet to him and they were so much fun to watch.

Our first full day in Hawaii...and as you can see...Jake is ready to go and see the island.

Jake holding a coconut at the Hawaiian Flea Market where we got most of our souvenirs.

And Jake's first time in the ocean. At first Ryan set him feet on the sand so he could just put his feet in. Yeah that resulted in screaming, so we stopped that. But we quickly found that if we just held him we could walk all the way into the water and he was completely relaxed and fine (as long as he had his trusty pacy that is...he had it a bit more than normal on this trip with all the new things he did) But here you can see him with Ryan on his first ever dip into the ocean.

And now with mommy...he is almost in all the way!!!

A family of splashers...he was really so mellow and we were so proud of him.

We have so many more pictures to share...so stay tuned. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!

Easter Boy and More

2010-04-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello there everyone...did you all have a wonderful Easter? Ours was really nice, just a bit busy...although to be honest our lives have just been really busy since the month of March began. So now we are looking forward to three nice weeks at home to relax and get ready for our family trip to Hawaii to see friends and just relax. :D Anywho...what is new with us. Well, Ryan's sister Bethany got married a couple of weeks ago and I was honored to be one of her bridesmaids. It was a beautiful wedding and I think the bride and groom are just thrilled to finally be married. :D For Easter, last weekend, we took a drive to my parents and had a nice time there and at my Grandma's for Easter Sunday. Jake seemed to have a good time as well even though he has been recovering from a bug that just does not want to go away. He really is the cutest boy. Today we went to the grocery store and he was WAY overdue for a nap. So I let him have his pacey. Well when we were at the register and I was putting everything on the conveyor I looked at him just as he was putting his pacey on the conveyor and watching it travel away. lol Guess he wanted to help his Mommy. :D Well here are some pics for you all to enjoy.

This was a day where I heard Jake wake up from his nap and for once he did not wake up crying...was just happily playing. You can see his surprise at my arrival as he had not called for me yet. :)

Ahhh...the favorite crib pastime of chewing on the rails :D Guess this is why he was happy.

".....ohhhh...hi momma!" (notice the drool coming down after his little rail chew. :D

Jake's Great Grandma Mary had given Jake some birthday money and as he has a ton of toys we wanted to get him something that he could play with outside this summer. So we found this wonderful slide for him on Craig's List for $25 :) And he is the typical kid...wanting to climb the slide.

I think he likes it!!!

You have heard of Jake's love for fish, well for his birthday Ryan and I got him this lamp where the fish go around in circles so it looks like they are swimming. All we have to do is turn it on and Jake just zones out. :D

And here is Jake at his first wedding...all dressed up and chewing on a spoon.

His aunt B and new Uncle Chuck. :)

excited boys

And onto Easter. His GG got him this cute package with the fuzzy duck...although Jake really enjoyed the tissue paper the most.

...and the card...the boy loves cards. :)

Funny...I think this box of animal cookies from Grandma and Grandpa was Jake's favorite...he would not let go of it for some time. :)

Ahhhh and the classic family picture with baby...everyone is looking at Jake and not the camera...except me...see I was paying attention! :D

Have a great week everyone!

Jakes Birthday Part 3

2010-03-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay everyone...but we have been quite busy. Ryan's sister Bethany got married last weekend and so we were having a wonderful time up in SLO for the big event. :) But lets finish up Jake's birthday first. :) Last I left you, I sent you the video of him destroying his cake at his birthday party. Wow...that really was quite the site. hehe. And well, this may sound crazy but we let him do it again. With his Grandparents here for his real birthday we had to give him a cake to destroy. Although you will notice, we were a little smarter this time and we put a towel over his high chair and stripped him to his diaper. Although I will note that both times he got cake in his diaper. :) But it was a great day...even though I had the crazy idea to get his one year portraits that day...yeah that was a disaster. We ended up having to leave the first time and come back. :( But then we did get some really good ones when we went back. Crazy little bear. :) Well enjoy and I will post again later with some newer pics. :)
"I'm one....yey...and I know what to do with this thing this time!!!" :)

"Take that you silly cake"

The only picture we have of him trying cake...he really does not like it much...although loves to play with it.

The destroyer in action :D

"Hi momma...I'm innocent....I promise"

Crazy Boy

Ahhhh and the portraits...my adorable one year old. :D

I really do love props...the kids love them and they allow you to actually get some cute pictures.

Ahhhhh...loving family

The whole family :D

My little boy is now a year old....a toddler....not a baby now. :( Ahhhh but I love him so much and can hardly imagine my life without him. I know he will not remember this day...but it was very special to his family. :D

Birthday Cake Video

2010-03-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

OK folks, hopefully this works. :D The video that you have been waiting for...the total cake destruction. :D

Jake...The One Year Old Boy!!!

2010-03-20T17:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, On March 17th my baby boy turned one....I still cannot believe it. He was just born...wasn't he??? But yes, he is now a one year old little man that has so much character, loves to have fun, cuddle, play with his dog Piper and cuddle with his "mama" and "dada." I love my little Jake so much and it has been a wonderful first year. At this point in his life he is cruising around the furniture and can walk about 10 ft while holding onto our hands, he LOVES bananas and is getting used to some more solid foods, can stack his mega blocks on top of each other, loves trucks, balls and books...and need I say is the most adorable child in the world? :D Oh and what you all must be wondering...he is now 27lbs 4 oz and 32 1/4" long. Yep we grow them big. And he is now doing well at switching over to cows milk. I DID IT...he was nursed until he was a year old...I MADE IT!!!! I have to brag a little because the little guy did not make it easy after a two week nursing strike when he was 4 1/2 months, biting me when he was 9 months (more time off there), and then self weaning at 10 1/2 months. BUT WE DID IT!!! :D

OK, enough of that...here are a ton of pictures for you to enjoy.

Jake coming out to his party last weekend...he was very excited!!!
Playing with his friends David and Abigail.

Chasing after his friends David and Dylan.

Playing with Caden. He really had a great time with all the kids there.

Ahhhh and the cakes. Our friend Katie made the most awesome cakes for his birthday. For all of us she made the most amazing cupcake cake I have ever seen. Isn't it awesome!!!

And for Jake...a really cute smash cake to match our decor. And wow...a big cake...wonder what he will do with that.....

"What is everyone looking at?"

"Ooooooohhhhhhh....thats pretty...for me???

"Hmmmm...this is kinda interesting" (he really did not like eating it...first time with sugar)

"Oh ok, its like finger paint...I can do this"

"Hey its kinda squishy when I dig into it!!!"

"Uh Mom...I think I lost my hands in this thing?"

"He he he...nope I got them....some stuff came out with them though"

"Hmmmm...this is kinda fun"

"Thank you Miss Katie for making me this really fun cake....when I am older they will tell me how yummy it was too." :D

Stay tuned for hopefully I video of this...if it is not too long and will load. And some real birthDAY cake pics and nice 1 year portraits. :)

More Fun Times

2010-03-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, a drought of blogs for so long and today you guys get two. :D Pretty good huh? Well for those of you that have not checked out the video that I posted earlier definitely don't miss it...its a keeper. :)

Well first of all I need to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!! Today is my husbands birthday and sadly he has work all day and then school all night, not a fun way to spend your birthday. But Jake and I were able to "dadnap" him earlier today and go out to lunch which was fun. We will have a great do-over tomorrow hon. But Happy Birthday and we love you very much.

Ah the past couple of weeks have been busy but we have had a lot of fun. We went to see some friends of ours who live in LA and see their baby girl Victoria who was born on October which was so much fun and Jake really enjoyed exploring their apartment. :) We had our wonderful anniversary. Fun events with friends, and now we are getting ready for Jake's birthday...wow...I cannot believe that 2 weeks from today he will be a year old. Where did the time go? I just held him for the first time...how can this be? :) But it has been such an amazing year and I have loved being a mom with all of its blessings, challenges and sleep deprivation. :) Hehe...naw Jake is a great sleeper...I just miss the sleeping in part of my old life. :) But he is doing so well. Crawling and pulling himself on anything he can find...which sometimes unfortunately includes our dog Piper. hehe But he is so happy and doing so well, we are very proud. We are currently weaning him from his pacy which is a bit challenging but honestly once he gets his attention on something else he does not even miss it. Today he has only had it when he has gone down for a nap...definitely some fussy times but we are doing well. :) Next challenges to come are getting him to drink only from his sippy (progress here on learning to use it with water is pretty good, when he isn't showering the room...still have the little valve thingy out for him), and getting him switched over to cows milk from mama milk on his birthday. I pray that he likes it. :) OK, I guess we can move onto pictures now. Enjoy :)
When we visited our friend's Jason and Alea, we went bowling with Jake for the first time. He did pretty well, although as you can see he was much more interested in Daddy's hat than the game.

Meeting and getting to know his new friend Victoria.

Trying to share his toys with her...cute if you did not see him clunk her in the head with it a moment later.

And this is a view we see a lot these days...out of nowhere he will come up to you and climb up your leg to get your attention. :) With Daddy....

...and with Mommy.

Ahhhh trucks....Jake really loves trucks.

"Where is my puppy?"

And I had to put some stills in from the video attached before. He had so much fun sliding back and forth in this box...and so did his Daddy and I who were supposed to be cleaning up the house before a friend came so we could go on our date. Oh well, this was WAY more important. :D

Have a great week everyone!!!

In Honor of the Past Olympics :D

2010-03-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

So I am having some serious issues with getting this to work, so hopefully it comes out even though it starts with a black screen. Ryan, Jake and I were having great fun with a box the other day...went on for about 30 minutes. :) Enjoy and stay tuned for more pictures. :)

My Wonderful Husbandy :)

2010-03-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

I tried a few times to get a blog together yesterday with pictures and videos but was having technical difficulty. So I will work on that and hopefully get one up soon. But I did not want to wait longer to share what my wonderful Husband did for our anniversary last week. It was our 6 year anniversary and we really had not planned anything because we went out and celebrated it when my parents were in town a couple of weeks before and we had set up to have a friend watch Jake about a week after. But Ryan had some other secret plans. I knew there was some sort of surprise but he would not tell me what it was. Of course he told Jake that morning but I guess he figured an 11 month old would not tell anyone. ;) But after church he looked at Jake and said, "lets take Mommy to her surprise." So we drove to a park near our home and Ryan got out and proceeded to take out an awesome picnic lunch and a blanket....even Jake's little booster chair. It was soooooooooooooooo sweet. We had a wonderful time and we had never gone on a picnic together before, that was not with a big group of people. So it was so romantic and wonderful. Little Jake even seemed to enjoy himself as he amazingly stayed on the blanket and enjoyed attacking the Rubbermaid of crackers that Ryan packed. So cute to see him sit there and munch away. But it was the most amazing day and I love you so much Sweet Boy for making such an amazing surprise for me. :D I love you very much

So then this last Saturday our wonderful friend Katie watched Jake so we could go out. And it was so nice. We had a wonderful dinner at Chili's and then just had fun running a couple or errands the two of us. And hey I don't care what you say....holding hands as you walk into Wal-Mart without a child throwing things out of the cart is very romantic. :) Such a nice evening and nice to have those times just the two of us.