Happy 18th month birthday, Jake

Happy (early) 18th month birthday, buddy! You have brought a new found joy to our family that is indescribable.

We knew having 2 was going to be a challenge but looking back over the past 18 months, I can't imagine it any other way! We feel so complete as a family and look forward to all of our future adventures as a family of 4!
As I stated in an earlier post, Jake's accomplishment of walking has turned our life back around facing forward! He now has the freedom to explore and investigate every little thing around him, which he takes full advantage of. With his teeth all in (except his 2 year molars) and his new found freedom, we are back to the good ole' Jake! The one that smiles and laughs at just about anything and dances the moment the 1st beat of a good song comes on the radio! He loves to mimic his sister and his daddy, which are 2 great role models of fun. A few of his favorite things include balls, sticks, and books. Definitely all boy.

Here are his 18 month stats:

Height: 33 inches - 75%ile

Weight: 28 lbs 4 oz - 75-90%ile

Head Circumference: 49 1/4 cm - 75-90%ile

Here are a few random pics of the one we affectionately refer to as "buddy".

Wrapping up summer

If someone could explain to me how it is already September 18th...I would love to know!

Today we enjoyed the annual Fox Harbor Picnic! This is 1 of the 2 great events our neighborhood association puts on each year. I know I have said multiple times how much we love our neighborhood, but now seems like a great time to reitterate how happy we are in Prospect! We pay a whopping $40/year for our association and they put on 2 big events: the picnic (pictures below) and the upcoming Halloween party (pictures to come in ~6 weeks). This afternoon was filled with a lot of bouncy play, a little cornhole, a little creek time, and of course, a lot of great food and a visit from the ice cream truck. Jake had his 1st taste of a popcicle, which he carried around for 20 minutes and had 1 small bite. You can only imagine what an 18 month old looks like after carrying around a popcicle for 20 minutes.

Here are some pictures of the fun. It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end! We are sad to have closed our pool this past week but look forward to enjoying the beautiful fall time weather in KY!

22 days of kindergarten under our belt

Better late than never! Several weeks ago I promised a picture of Kate on the bus and I just captured it this past week. She has met a new friend, Ella, who is in 1st grade and also stays at the same after school program. They have become best buddies, which leads to a very content little girl boarding the bus each morning.


















We are progressing well to our 1st goal of reading. Every Tuesday night we receive 3 6-8 page books in her bookbag that is required reading for the week. This past week she started to recognize the common words like the, of, up, down, and, but, etc. By Thursday night she didn't even hesitate when she came upon one of the transition words. She has also started sounding out words. Reading with her each night has always been one of my most favorite moments of the day...now it is just 10 levels higher.

Here are some random pictures from "crazy hair day" at school. Jake fits right in with the crazy hair with his blonde curly locks. I had planned to get his 1st haircut this past weekend but have decided to hold off just a few more weeks. I just can't quite bring myself to cut any of those precious curls quite yet!

Oh how far we have come!

YES...it is official...Jake is walking! Most people immediately comment, "oh, you have your hands full now with him walking." To be quite honest, it has actually made life 100% easier. Being that he is 30 pounds and very active, it was nearly impossible for us to hold him for longer than 10 or 15 minutes. Add to that the fact that we are always outside (think hot concrete), the lack of motivation to walk led to an extremely high level of frustration, aka screaming!

He took his 1st steps a few days before his 17 month birthday and every since, he hasn't stopped. He transitioned from walking 25% of the time and crawling 75% to now walking 100% of the time. He tries to run, which usually results in a large stumble forward. Over the last week he added multi-tasking to his resume (sippy + walking). The videos below capture that latest talent.

The advancement has also opened the door to other activities like helping me wash dishes, or at least just make a mess of the water. He loves to climb on anything and everything...and then of course, lunge forward onto his belly/face. All with a huge smile of pure joy.

Enjoy the videos :)