2011 catch up

July- Jack's 19 months

And helped me install this flagstone patio!

August- Jack 20 months

 And finally weaned!  Although he replaced that with only wanting to have me carry him in the hiking pack while we were out in Colorado for 2 weeks!  Here we are on the top of the mountain after hauling him up there!  I got my reward as a mama and he slept on me while the sun beat down on us on top of that mountain.  Awesome! 

Looking handsome after dinner in Breckenridge. 

Most picturesque play ground in America!

September- Jack is 21 months old

Jack loves tailgating!  Everyone feeds him snacks and he gets to play in the ice from the coolers.

He's a true little Hawkeye!

Celebrating Great Grandma Frieda's birthday in City Park.  We had a beautiful day!

Jack hadn't been to a birthday party before but knew just when to help blow out the candles!

A beautiful day in our back yard.  There is a little path between our house and our neighbors that we like to go take 'nature walks' on.  We often see deer and Jack will croutch down, point, and whisper when he seems them.  He will be a good little hunter!

October: Jack 22 months

Walking around the Amana's during Octoberfest.  Such a pretty day!

Our little lion on Halloween!  He loved getting sweets from the neighbors and really loved having the kids come to the door so that he could pass out candy.

November: Jack 23 months old

December: Jack is 2!

We celebrated his birthday over the course of a week!

Here we are on his actual birthday eating tacos and virgin strawberry daquari's.  Not a bad way to spend a birthday!

Christmas brunch with the Porter girls!

Baby Litton #2!

Here is the little sweet pea at 13 weeks!

After a long, trying time with horrible morning sickness and extreme exhaustion, it was so fun to see our little baby's cute profile and and arms and legs wiggling around.

I am now 15 weeks pregnant and we will have our 20 week ultrasound the last week of Febuary.  Yes, we will be finding out what we're having and yes, we will be sure to share the news.  As for names, I don't think this baby will be named quite as quickly as Jack was.  I have a feeling there will need to be lots of discussion in hammering out the perfect name.  We'll keep you posted!

July 2011

(a little blog catch-up!)

 Jack and Andy's favorite thing to do is wrestle.  Jack will often times run over to the rug and just wait for Andy to come and roll around.  Boys being boys!

We spent a few days up in Okoboji for the 4th.  It's one of my favorite places and I love bringing Jack there.  We rented a little fishing boat for an hour to cruise around with the boys.  Jack wasn't loving the too small life jacket I stuffed him in. 

 These two boys just melt my heart.  They are the cutest, sweetest little guys.  I love watching them together.  They really know that they are family and just love being together.  Nico will say things to Desiree on a random morning like "I want to go to Iowa City and see Jack Jack".  And Jack will just be giddy at the computer waiting for Nico's sweet face to pop up while Skyping on the computer.

 Our boys were so good that we kept them up good and late at Barfoot one night in Okoboji.  Here Jack is walking Uncle Tyler's dog Sadie.  I'm sure everyone was wondering who this child's mother is and why he's letting him stay up so late!

Enjoying a Nutty Bar at Arnold's Park.  An Okoboji tradition!

 The Daddys and their boys!

 Enjoying a special Fourth of July treat on our drive home.  This boy has a sweet tooth!

Happy Father's Day!

Since we were traveling home from Mexico on Father's Day, we decided to really celebrate it the next Sunday.  We had a nice, relaxing day and then headed out to the Amana's for dinner. 

 Andy has lots of childhood memories coming to the Amana's and really enjoys sharing them with Jack.

 The two of them usually get a little wrestling in each day.  Jack just can't get enough of it!

Andy, you are the very best Daddy!  Jack is a lucky guy to have you as his father and to get to spend so much time with you.  And you really should write a book with all your parenting techniques!  You're good!

Cancun!

We spent the second week of June in Cancun, Mexico for Tyler and Dana's wedding.  Despite two cases of pink eye and horrible colds, we had a great time!

 Jack put my sunglasses in his shirt, just like Daddy!

 Jack just loves being on vacation!

 Family picture right before the wedding ceremony.

 Sisters and cousins!

 We had a beautiful reception right at sunset on the beach.  Picture perfect!

 My little cutie in the sand.

 And my Nico bear.  He's the sweetest!

 Congratulations Mr & Mrs Scheppmann!

Hello summer!

Our new patio!  We are really enjoying having this done.  After a long winter of working on the house, it sure feels good to sit out her and relax!

The obligatory messy spaghetti face picture.

 Checking out our garage sale finds! 

Highlights include RL seersucker pants and brand new Sperry top-siders.  Very fun!

 

Jack is taking antibiotics right now and the doctor and pharmacist both warned us that it tastes horrible.  Well Jack just sucks it down like a champ, although he prefers to do it himself.  Good boy.

 Jack and Andy have lots of little thinks they do and this one is called "touching the ceiling".  Jack thinks it's really funny!  (Nico, Jack wore his Italia soccer tee just for you!)

 And sometimes when my sweet boy isn't laughing, he pulls out this face.  Usually when he's tired and had enough.  I still think he's cute, though:)

I also have to note that Jack will just sit in his booster at the table while we go through a list of things that he might want...Toast?   Nooo.  Cereal?  Nooo.  Pancakes?  Nooo.  Smoothie?   Nooo.  He's very patient and just shakes his head no after whatever we say as though he knows it's going to be a long process.  Usually he'll eat whatever we give him, but being on this medicine is making him loose his appetite a bit.

 Tonight we went to the Brown Street Block Party which is a little neighborhood picnic.  Jack found this little girl Eva and I think he has a crush.  They were playing bags and I asked Jack if he wanted his picture taken with Eva and he said "yeah" and charged on over to her and gave her the cutest smile.   

And then I said do you want to give her a hug?  And he said "Yeah!" and just scooped her up and hugged her for about 20 seconds (that's a really long hug for him!).  I sure think Jack has good taste.  She is sure a cute, sweet girl.  Hopefully she's okay with shorter guys.

 He came home sticky from watermelon juice and had dried mud on his legs. 

I love my little summer boy!

17 month!

Jack will be 17 months old tomorrow. 

• He is a really good eater and pretty much eats the same meals that we eat.  Andy has been making him smoothies each morning and he really LOVES those.  Lucky boy!
• He loves using a cup and can pick it up, drink, set it down, repeat over and over without spilling.  So far at least!
• He is learning to do summer saults and if I ask him to do one he'll squat down, put his hands on the floor, put his head down, and then either waits for me to help him over or rolls to the side to do it by himself.
• He also recently learned to walk backwards and he thinks it's so funny and laughs out loud each time he does it. 
• He's really great with his fine motor skills.  For the last month he's really been into stacking things.  With small 1" blocks, he can stack them seven cubes high.  And then yesterday I had him eating grapes at the kitchen table and he started poking them with a wooden kabob stick and had the whole stick full of grapes!
• He is starting to talk more and more.  He's also starting to sign two words together, his favorite being 'more please'.  It's too cute and I can't help but say okay each time.  At times he'll randomly say two words together like, Grandma Frieda or red fox, but that's not very consistent yet. 
• He LOVES his gummy vitamins and will change from being whiney and crabby to a sweet smiling little  boy saying "pease" if we ask him if he wants one.  I guess it's our best bribe trick so far.
• Jack loves being outside, walking, strolling, going down the slide head first, collecting rocks to go in his bucket, etc.  It will be a fun summer!
• Jack has his four top teeth, four bottom teeth, and three molars.  I told Andy that I think these teething stages have been the hardest part of parenting so far.  Good thing Jack enjoys a dose of tylenol now and then!
• He is wearing mostly 18 month clothes, although some of his 12 month stuff still fits.  He's kind of a peanut.
• He understand simple directions like "go put your jammies in the hamper" and "please throw that in the garbage".  Unfortunately he likes to throw lots of things in the garbage.  We have to watch that boy! 

 

 

He likes hugs and snuggling, and leans his forehead in if you ask for a kiss.  I always try to get him to give me a smooch on the lips, but it doesn't happen very often.  When he does want a kiss he'll pucker up and go "mmmmmmmmm".  Of course we then attack him with kisses.  He is too sweet!