Merry Christmas!

LOVING October! Ben's been home a lot more and we've been out having fun. The best part is: October's not even over. We're going to Spooktacular at Dickerson Park Zoo and there's still Halloween... We'll update more soon.

~Naomi

We have TAKEOFF!

There was some concern about Jake's speech being delayed... 1. because he's a preemie and 2. because he's in a bilingual home. We've got talking! So what if it's garbled?

Video...

Here's a video of Jake watching himself play in the kennel. Pay attention to his hands and the reactions he has to himself. Enjoy!

Pit o' balls

Susan got a ball pit for Ethan. Jake's a sucker for anything spherical. And we've got magic! Here's some pics of the ball pit extravaganza today.

In other news, Josh has booked our Disney World trip for next year! And it gets even better- Susan's bestie and family are coming for a few days for the fun. They've got the coolest 3 teens I've met... And did I mention HARRY POTTER WORLD? The cool trip is just getting cooler and cooler. Now if we could conjure a free nanny to come with. ;)

Half of July

July hasn't been a heavy picture month for us... which is actually weird considering Ben was home most of that time. We managed a few pictures (other than on the 4th). Ben is currently on tour and because my mom is working now, Jake gets to spend more time with his Nana & Papa and more time at our own house!

We've attending several BBQ's this month. Here's some pics:

Big Changes...

I found an old memory card I misplaced. There were pictures of Jake on them from February. I can't even believe how much he's changed in just 5 months! Mostly, it's his teeth. He got a mouthful of teeth in under 5 months. Amazing!

surrounded...

We are surrounded by cute things. Specifically cute babies and puppies! Fourth of July was fun- but definitely missed the big bro a lot. It's definitely weird celebrating without him. Jake had a marvelous time- all his favorite people came to visit.

Our poor dogs were scared of the fireworks. Chloe made the decision that food was more important than the onslaught of booms. Hermy had to be made to go out and use the bathroom. Mostly she hid under Jake's crib. Later, we found her in our clothes hamper. SO adorable.

Hope everyone had a good 4th!

And the firsts continue!

Jake attended his first Springfield Cardinal's game yesterday with me and our favorite giant, Andy. Ben was playing a show in Camdenton and missed the roasting in the sun and a lot of fun. After the game, fireworks were set off. I'm very happy to announce that Jake is not afraid of fireworks! The 4th of July will be a blast... haaha, get it? Blast? :D

Earlier this week, we had much fun out in the sunshine with our friend Jeff & his church folk.

We've really had an awesome June...

June's been good to us...

What a great month- and it's not even over! Jake had a lot of 'firsts' this month. His first Incredible Pizza experience, first time getting tossed in a blanket, and first time outside during a windstorm. On Monday, he had his 18 month check up. Everything's good even though he's still in the 4th percentile for weight. He's right in the middle on his height and his head is still large. What a melon.

The wagon was made for walkin'...

So, we decided to take the little tyke for another one of our patented wagon rides. This was to cap off one of his fussiest days in weeks! Seriously, he hated everything today. But, thankfully, his majesty seemed to enjoy the ride, and he stayed in a pretty good mood the rest of the day, so all's well that ends well, I suppose. =) Nothing like a little of Grandma's home-cooking and a bit of nature to brighten the mood. -Ben

Just realizing...

Jake'll be 18 months on the 19th. I can't believe it.

After work today we spent a lot of time reading, cuddling, and lots of time asking 'where's _(fill in the blank)_?' and waiting for him to point out the person/object. It's amazing how many words he knows but won't say. I was watching Ben get Jake ready for a bath today and remembered that he used to fit in the sink! He was so tiny... We'll get a picture up of him present day 'in' the sink soon. That'll give us some perspective on how fast our little guy has grown. ~Naomi

Too much fun!

I've had the last three days off of work and boy have they been fun! Yesterday, we went to Nana & Papa's house and played in the backyard with everyone. Today, we played at the play-yard in the mall. We're just having too much fun! Makes me wanna be independently wealthy! Suggestions? ~Naomi

Day 2, going strong...

Hey, look! We're blogging again! Told ya we would. =) We took a little stroll to Steinert's Greenhouse today; it was hot, nasty, and really fun. Jake saw the most flowers in one location he had ever seen, and my mother-in-law got her picture taken against her will. Good times for everyone! -Ben

Ketchup (hold the musTARD)

I am a terrible blogger. At some point, we've all got to face the truth about ourselves. BUT I do love taking photos and now have plenty to share with you. Both Ben & I will be more diligent at updating this blog. ~Naomi

Here's what we've been up to for the last few months...
(put the mouse over the pics, some of them have caption)