Our Weekend: Duluth Bound

This weekend we packed up our little guy and made a last minute decision to head north to Duluth for the weekend. While some babies are thrown into the world of travel early on, we have held off with Jackson, with our biggest trip to date being one night of camping earlier this summer. Mike has an aunt who lives in Duluth, it was supposed to be scorching hot at home, and we really were needing some family time, so I made the call and to the lake we went.

We were up an at it bright and early Saturday, and were on the road around 6am. Little man slept for a solid hour and a half, and we stopped for breakfast at Tobies, a big truck stop/diner about halfway there. I grew up stopping there on family trips to Duluth..ahh, memories! Little man was full of smiles and baby talk after his nap, and the last hour of the drive he was just perfect. Handling a nearly 3 hour car drive with him went so much better than I expected it would. 

We made it to Duluth by 10am, and hung around catching up with Mike's aunt before heading out for the day. We decided to take Jax to the aquarium, with a quick lunch at Culvers, first. Unfortunately, the busy morning was too much for our little guy and he crashed before we had a chance to feed him.

No worries on that end though, his stroller tray is as good a spot as any for chicken fingers and French friends. He wasn't overly impressed by the aquarium, but he did take notice of the fish and otters, and acted like it was no big thing. It always cracks me up when little ones see something so out of the ordinary and act like they just saw an every day thing.

Pardon the frizzy hair and frazzled look. 90 degrees and ridiculously humid. Is it fall yet?

The one exhibit that own our little guy over was the lava display that showed how the Great Lakes were formed. You could touch it and feel the warmth, mist, and lit up lava, and Jackson would have stood there touching the rocks and giggling all day.

After the aquarium, we walked over to Canal Park and went through some shops, walked the lakefront, and made our way back. Like the awesome

mom/blogger that I am, I managed to capture no pictures at the lake. Of course, Little man was rubbing his eyes and was wearing sunscreen, which is not a good combo, sooo..priorities. We had to get out of there pretty quick and get him cleaned up.

We headed back to Mikes aunts house, and Jackson had a blast playing with the puppies and crawling all over her house. We headed out to Outback Steakhouse for dinner, grabbed some Coldstone to go, and Jackson was crashed before we even got home. He slept through getting out of the car, changed, and into his pajamas, and went straight to bed. We finished the night off eating ice cream and watching Insurgent, which I really liked. Anyone else think this series is WAY better than the Hunger Games?

We were up and headed out pretty early Sunday, trying to make sure we left at a good time so Jax would nap in the car. He slept most of the way home, and was so happy to get home and play his heart out. We made a Target run for groceries, and cleaned up the house a bit to get it ready for more showings (the joys of trying to sell your house).

Overall, we had a great weekend as a family. It was much needed and I am already excited to go again next year and let our little guy experience Lake Superior for real. I have always loved Duluth, and am so glad we made the trip!

Linking up with Meg, Biana, and Ashley today!

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One Year Photos

Last month, we met up with our favorite photographer Amanda Baloun, who has been there to take many pictures for us over the past few years. She has captured our wedding reception, Jackson's 3 and 9 month photos, and now his one year photos. Her work blows me away more and more every time I get our images back. We truly are so lucky to have her capturing the most candid moments of our little family.

At this session, Jackson showed up cranky and ready to not do a single thing we asked of him. The smiles captured by Amanda were few and far between, but you would never know it looking at these images. I will say, the child has mastered his serious 'model pose'.
Despite being a 'male dominated' family, I opted for pink shades in these pictures, and so glad I did! Coupled with the lush summer greens, these pictures are the epitome of summertime, at least to me! I honestly can't pick a favorite out of them all, and could not be one bit happier with how they turned out!

Jersey pic requests brought to you by the husband

 Melt. My. Heart.

 This boy owns my heart.

 Doesn't he look so over our kisses!?

 His face! This one kills me!

 Baby J Crew model? (proud mama, obviously).

Mike came to me with this one and said 'doesn't this look like a cologne ad!?' it made me laugh. This kid is such a ham.

 All that I love most in one photo.

Linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts on Thursday today!

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Workwear Wednesday #2

One of my favorite things to pull together for work is a classy look that is also super feminine. When I saw this pink lace skirt on the clearance rack (my favorite place) at Express, I knew I had to have it. This has been one of my favorite pieces to wear to work this summer, especially on warmer days when I have meetings or need to look a bit more pulled together.

Top express (out of stock) // skirt express (out if stock) // necklace old // shoes old // watch Michael Kors

Us working ladies up in Minnesota are getting in as many dress and skirt days as we can before the cool days of fall kick in. I am 100% ready for the change of seasons, but am definitely enjoying the change-up we are allowed for our work wardrobe in the summer!

Linking up with Holly for Waiting on Wednesday today!

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What's Hap-"Pinning"

I think this is such a fun new linkup by Jenn and Jessie, and I am super excited to participate. Pinterest speaks to my (and I'm pretty sure every other blogger's) soul, and has given me SO many fun, creative ideas to try. Top recipes, craft projects, and home decor have all come from Pinterest. So, for this first week of the link-up, I am going to share with you all my top Pins over the past few years that have proven successful and I would absolutely recommend!

1. DIY

I love me some DIY projects, especially when they involve glitter. I have also recently taken up crocheting, and this little hat is just as cute as the picture, and I cannot wait to give it to my sweet nephew who will be here in two short months.

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I did this project for some storage containers in our small bathroom, and it dresses things up, conceals what is inside, and adds a bit of sparkle to the small room!

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I made one of these pumpkins last year, and you can find my process here. These add such a fun touch to the entryway in the fall, and I cannot wait to whip them out again in another month or so!

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2. Desserts

I have made these brownies so many times I have lost count. They come out absolutely perfect every single time, are thick, chewy, and just amazing. Once you ditch the box mix for these, you will never go back.

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A 'healthy' option made with bananas, these are great to have for breakfasts on the go, and I have made them many, many times. 

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You will think you have died and gone to heaven when you eat these. Just make them. Now.

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3. Meals

Ok, this one isn't a 'meal', but it is a delicious, refreshing side that I would 100% made again!

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 This dish is a great way to try out quinoa, and really is delicious. I make a batch and then separate it out for 4-6 meals (depending on how hungry I am ;-)) and call it good. It is a fantastic healthy option packed full of flavor.

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 This is the best soup I have ever made. It is absolutely perfect for a cool fall Sunday afternoon watching football. It is not the quickest to whip up, but it is 100% worth the time and effort.

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4. Baby Boy Style

Because once upon a time dressing a little man made me a little sad (because pink and ruffles, you guys). And now, dressing a little boy is one of my favorite things to do and nothing makes me happier than dressing him like a little 'grown man'.

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That is it for me today, although you know this is just the tip of the iceberg for my pinterest obsession. I cannot wait to see what all you ladies have going on with your pins!

 

 

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One Year Old.

Just like that, our sweet baby boy is one year old. As I sit down to type this it feels surreal, and while the facts cannot be denied, it just doesn't fully connect that he is, in fact, one year old. Last summer feels like a lifetime ago and yesterday, all at once. I cannot imagine having a baby who doesn't, crawl, giggle, and play, yet that sweet baby boy who slept in my arms and went on long walks on cool fall days is someone who I have to remind myself is just a memory. He is the same baby, but he is different. I look back on pictures from the past year, and feel like I don't even know that chunky little four month old that stares back at me. And really, I don't. He is growing and changing every day, and with those changes the love we have for him grows, as well. We thought we couldn't love him more than in those moments after he was born, but oh how wrong we were. He is the light of our lives, the reason we wake up grateful to be alive, and the reason we can't wait to get home in the evenings for playtime and cuddles. Life without our little man is a distant memory that is hard to imagine, and moving forward we know that he will grow into a boy who we are so proud to call ours.
Of course, despite the trip down memory lane and our sadness over saying goodbye to our baby, we are often reminded that he still is our baby, despite what the months on the calendar might say. He keeps us busy, has his fair share of fussy nights, and loves nothing more than a blanket and cuddles on the couch with mom or dad. And, with all of the growing he continues to do, comes continuous changes every month!

Age: 12 months

Height: 32-33 inches. Hard to accurately measure a squirmy guy! Either way, he is in the 99-100th percentile.

Weight: 26.5 pounds. 98th percentile.

Milestones: Standing independently. Walking holding only one hand. And he now officially has a few words/babbles in his vocabulary. Mama (which is his favorite as of this week), dada, baba, gaga, and puh-puh. We aren't quite sure how much he connects these words to any meaning, but considering mama is usually babbled when he is feeling sleepy, cranky, or needy, I think he has that one figured out. And, when asked 'where's dada!?' he has replied with a smile and 'daaaah-da!' He knows his people!

Sleep: We have had definite improvements this month, but he still just isn't the greatest sleeper. We did cut out nursing at night, and have figured out that if he does wake up (which happens about every other night lately), the baby channel and laying on the couch will put him back out in a matter of minutes. So, getting him to sleep quickly while breaking the habit of eating in the middle of the night has been a definite victory for mom and dad!

Best Moment: Hearing him babble mama and dada just can't be beat. When he is feeling extra lovey, he will come in, wrap his hands around your neck, and open his mouth wide for a face smothering kiss and shrills and squeals on his end. There is nothing sweeter. *this is almost ALWAYS followed by him grabbing a handful of hair and yanking, hard. I think he is already mastering buttering us up.* We also took family portraits and are so thrilled with them; they capture who he is just pefectly.
He continues to make strides towards walking, and while he isn't there quite yet, he is getting more confident every day and we know it will happen soon enough!

Worst Moment: He has come to love standing at his baby gate and looking down the stairs, but this month on a morning while mom was getting ready in the bathroom, he managed to push the gate over and roll down the stairs. Mama's heart just about stopped, but he escaped injury free minus a nasty looking rug burn on his nose. Needless to say, even when the gate is up, he not left on his own at all anymore.

Health: Good! This month we received news that, for the first time since that first detection on the 20 week ultrasound, his dilation of his kidney has gone down! We have been hopeful and waiting to see improvement, so for it to finally happen was so wonderful. Since we saw improvement, we don't have to do another followup for six months. 
Other than the kidney improvement, health has been great, and he continues to do well.

Eating: Give this boy all of the food. He loves to eat, and would have blueberries and string cheese for every single meal if he could. He is also a lover of pasta, any flavorful dish that has meat and vegetables, desserts (obviously), and pancakes are the key to his heart. Plain cooked veggies are not his favorite, but if they are mixed in with his meals he is pretty good about eating them. So, moving forward we need to be creative with our cooking to incorporate as much of the 'good stuff' as possible!

We have cut down nursing to just once a day before bed, and he has done very well transitioning to the bottle/sippy cup the rest of the time. We still have a lot of frozen breast milk, so we likely won't be introducing cow's milk for another month or so. We plan to cut out that final nursing session in the coming week. While we wouldn't mind continuing a bit longer, mama is going back to night classes the end of the month, and for the sake of everybody, it will be best if we have a new, 'nursing free' schedule established so that transition is as easy on everyone as possible.

Teeth: 8. Always making a show of things, his next two bottom teeth both broke through on his birthday. He is getting somewhat better with his tendency to bite, and it tends to just be mom that he goes for, likely because he thinks it will get him food. So we hope that phase passes soon, the bites get scarier and more painful with every new teeth that makes its appearance!

We really cannot say enough how much we love our little guy. His laugh is infectious, his smile is captivating, and his sweet hugs and (somewhat vicious) kisses make every tough moment worth it. We cannot wait to celebrate many, many more birthdays with our little guy, and love him more than words can say!

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