Weekap*

*Week+Recap=Weekap

Wow, what a crazy, crazy week this has been. We leave for our vacation next week (can't wait!) and have been busy trying to get things squared away before we go. We are so looking forward to visiting family, witnessing the marriage of one of my dearest friends, celebrating my parents 25th wedding anniversary, and just getting away from it all for a couple of days! I'm hoping to be back to a somewhat normal posting schedule once we're back from vaca so stay tuned for lots and lots of pictures and stories.

In the meantime, follow me on Instagram and Twitter for lots of vacation updates & pictures (because who doesn't like looking at other people's vacation pictures?)!

Annieway, here's what we've been up to this week:

• If you read my post on Tuesday, you know that Jackson fought his first ever cold :(. After writing that post, we went for a long, long walk and instead of shading his (sleeping) face when we walked away from the sun, I let him soak it up.
  
  Folks; Vitamin D is an amazing thing. He was virtually snot free by Tuesday night and only occasionally coughs now--hopefully he'll be 100% again by the end of this weekend!

Tuesday afternoon tummy time at the park!

Before

Monday morning

After

Tuesday evening

• My best friend moved 12 hours away.. something about her husband finding a really good job and the town they are moving to is really nice, blah, blah, blah.. :) I'm so excited for Jen and Ryan and their new adventures but boy am I going to miss them! Jen and I have been best friends since 7th grade, were each others maids of honor, and lived together during college--she's the closest thing I have to a sister and I'm going to miss her terribly!

Our families.. when did we grow up?!

Gotta do a throwback pic for fun (this is before I had my back surgery)!

• Regular and Fun Size Brandon make my heart so happy! This isn't really new news--just needs to be said again :D

• A few weeks ago, I got the new iPhone 5S and was instantly smitten--it runs SO much better than my old iPhone 4 did, has Siri, and takes great pictures. I absolutely love it, bought a cute case for it, and decided we'd be together forever.. and then it fell out of my pocket while Jax and I were running errands on Wednesday and the screen completely shattered. I. Wanted. To. Cry. (Major first world problems, right?) Anyway, I found somebody who would fix it for me that same day (for a pretty penny) and my beloved 5S and I were once again reunited! The place that fixed it threw in a free knock off Otterbox so hopefully it doesn't happen again.
  
  

  

  It was definitely cracked.

• Jackson loves Bits and Bitsy is starting to warm up to Jax--it warms this cat/human mamma's heart!

In addition to all of this goodness, I have been getting ahead on my work so I don't have to worry about it on vacation--it's been a chaotic mess but it's all coming together and I'm almost finished! Speaking of which, I better get back to it--have a wonderful weekend!

Poor Sick Baby..

The second thing I've been dreading since becoming a mom has happened (the first being this)..

Jackson is sick :(

We first noticed him coughing and sneezing some last weekend but wrote it off as allergies (he came out of the womb sneezing so it's nothing new or alarming). As the week progressed, he began rubbing his eyes quite a bit but again, we didn't think too much about it. Then on Saturday morning, he began coughing more and more and just wasn't acting himself. That's when we knew something was up. 

Partying hard on Saturday night--my best friend is moving to AZ so we stopped by their surprise going away party for a few hours.

By Sunday morning, he was a full on snot and phlegm factory :/ He was still acting fairly happy but as the day went on, he became fussier and snottier. We had my brother over for supper on Sunday night and while he was over, I decided I HAD to get a Nosefrida for Jax--those stupid bulbs don't work well and I've heard nothing but good (yet disgusting) things about the Nosefrida so off I went. 

Jax and Uncle Joey.

I went EVERYWHERE and couldn't find it. I returned home an hour later feeling defeated and decided to just use our Amazon Prime and have it shipped in one day. Since Monday was Memorial Day (which I kept forgetting about), it wouldn't be here until Wednesday. 

Ugh. 

I decided to just go ahead and buy it on Amazon anyway and use the bulb in the meantime but began regretting my decision a few hours later. At 11:30pm, I began calling any place that was still open and asked if they carried it. 

Of course, nobody did.

Needless to say, Jax didn't sleep well at all that night and woke up crying every 15-30 minutes. I finally brought him out to the living room early Monday morning to cuddle and watch cartoons and that's when I once began researching where to buy this damn Nosefrida.

I finally tracked it down at Buy Buy Baby. 

The Hallelujah Chorus played in my head as I patiently waited for the store to open.. I was the first one there when they opened at 9am, grabbed a Frida and box of filters, stopped by the Goodtimes drive thru for celebratory breakfast burritos (which are amazing), and came home to literally suck the snot out of my child. 

It was a very, very long day (he HATES taking Tylenol and gags every time we give it to him; he also threw up a couple of times which resulted in me calling the after hours number for his doctor) but we all made it through. We had another rough night last night (crying every 15-30 minutes, up for an hour at 2am) but he seems to be doing a little better today; he's been napping on his own the last hour and sounds a little less congested. 

Here's hoping we're nearing the end of this baby plague--seeing your child sick and hurting is by far the worst feeling in the world and I hope he doesn't have to go through this again for a long, long time.

Jackson's 5 Month Update!

It's May 22nd.

Our little guy is 5 months old today.

He'll be half a year old in one month.

Ugggggggh!

Jax is such a sweet and funny little guy who grows and learns a little bit more each and every day. We're going to introduce him to rice cereal tomorrow so there's even more changes coming for our growing boy (his Dr. told us at his 4 month well check that we could start whenever--I wasn't quite ready then but figured it would be good to introduce him to it before our family vacation next month).. I don't think I'm ready for all of this!

He was being so cute.. I couldn't pick just one!

Distracted by the cat (more on that in a sec..)

Weight: 15.5 lbs (taken on bathroom scale)

Length: 26.5 in.

Nicknames: Jax, Jack, Stinker, Kiddo, Pumpkin/Punkin (both his Mimi Carol & Nana call him that), Bubbas, Jacksie, Jackie, Bubs, Buddy

Wearing: 6 & 9 month (depends on the brand). 

Sleep: We're still co-sleeping.. but he's starting to nap really well (by himself!) in his Rock & Play so we're going to try getting him to sleep in there during the night, too. We tried doing that last Friday night but he woke up and I couldn't stand it, brought him back into bed with us, and haven't tried it again since.. I'm working on my willpower (I know it'll be better for him, Brandon, and me in the long run)..

Jax likes: Lullabies, laughing, trying to roll over, being rocked, bath time, reading, being talked to/interacted with, tickles, long walks, watching mommy cook/clean, car rides, being outside, kicking, tummy time, Daddy (he LOVES looking at Brandon/touching his beard/playing with him--he thinks his dad is pretty cool!), cuddles.

Jax dislikes: Not being able to roll over, teething, dirty diapers, being hungry, loud noises, big crowds, being in one place for too long, having his fingernails trimmed, not being apart of whatever is going on (I have his cushy chair in the kitchen so he can watch me cook/clean).

Mom & Dad's Favorite Things: His laugh, how he mimics us, his beautiful eyes, how big his personality already his, how happy he is in the morning/when he first wakes up from nap.

Teeth: I see something white under his bottom gums.. I'm not sure if it's a tooth or not but I'd hope so with as much as he slobbers/chews on everything in sight. Poor baby!

Happenings: Two visits from Auntie Abby (once with his buddy, Ben and once with Jason); family pictures; Mommy being sick for the first time since Jax was born; Mommy's new job; Uncle Ryan's (my best friend's hubby) graduation party; lots of clothes shopping for summer; meeting Diane (mom's best friend) for the first time; first Mother's Day; lots of visits with Mimi, Papa, Uncle Joey, Great Aunt Nancy, & Great Uncle Rolf; first Rockies game.

~Jax and I took Uncle Joey to two of his eye appointments this month (both the same day--it was a mess and I felt so bad for my brother..) and everyone at the specialist's office stopped us to talk to Jax and tell us how sweet he is. He was such a trooper that entire day (considering he didn't get his afternoon nap) and was all smiles and jabbers for everyone; the specialist was a hoot and wanted to hold him (she was maybe 4'10.. Jax looked like he was about as tall as she way)! 

(why did I put so many parenthesis in that last paragraph?)

~Jax has started to notice Bitsy and it is the cutest thing ever! He wasn't too sure about her at first (I would hold his hand out so that Bits would come up to sniff it/rub up against it) but now he's comfortable with her and likes watching her and pulling fist fulls of fur out of her.. Needless to say, Bitsy doesn't get too close anymore.

We're leaving for our big family vacation two weeks from today and we couldn't be more excited! We're heading to St. Louis for our dear friend's wedding and then going to Branson for a few days to celebrate my parent's 25th wedding anniversary--it's going to be so much fun! We also get to see Mamma Nanc, my Aunt Judy & Uncle George, and Uncle Denny & Aunt Jean during the trip--I just love our family and can't wait for everyone to meet Jax (we have lots of family who haven't been able to yet).

Baby's 1st Baseball Game

Last Friday during nap time, I started feeling a little summer feverish.. do you ever feel that way?

Yes?

Do you know what the cure for summer fever is?

It's baseball!

Once I got the itch, I knew what needed to be done..

..Stubhub.com*. Pronto.

I was able to score some pretty decent seats for Saturday's game for $14 a pop and couldn't be more excited--our little Jackson was going to attend his first sporting event!

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

We packed for every single scenario possible.. after all, this is Colorado (and Jax)!

We had a nice police officer take a family picture for us (Jax was too busy people watching to look at the camera).

That helmet was actually my brother's when he was a baby!

Jax pretty much wanted nothing to do with the game--I think all of the people, sounds, smells, etc., was a little overwhelming for him so we didn't stay for the whole game. Brandon and I took turns walking around the field with him.

I hardly drink anymore but decided to get a beer at the game--I had a pretty good buzz going after just one and had to ask Brandon if I was hallucinating or if Sasquatch was really sitting behind us. Luckily, he was (they were doing a promo for Jack Link's Beef Jerky).

Jax and I decided to go stand in line to meet Dinger, the Rockies mascot. Dinger had to be on the field during the 4th inning (right as we got to the front of the line) but they still let us get our picture and autograph! Dinger was very nice and allowed Jax to continue napping :)

Memory box souvenirs!

Besides the torrential downpour during the first pitch, it was the perfect night for a game!

It was a little stressful and overwhelming but I'm glad we got to go and take Jax (though we will probably wait until he's a little older to go again)! We had such a fun time and even bumped into one of my friends who I haven't seen in a few years. Attending the game was definitely the cure I needed for my summer fever! 

*Stubhub has no idea who I am and is not sponsoring this post in any way.. I buy from them because their Ticket Oak commercials are my fave.

Working Mom (& Mother's Day Recap)

I have a big announcement:

I got a job!

More on that in a sec.. here's pics and a quick recap of our Mother's Day weekend.

Grandma gifts from Jackson!

I attended a Mom's Night Out Canvas & Cocktails party and brought my signature mini fruit pizzas--they were a hit!

My (unfinished) canvas.. and cocktail.

On Saturday we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my family, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Rolf, and dear friend Diane. Below are a few failed food/cheesecake shots (we shared 3 different kinds--so good!).

My handsome boy before Mother's Day mass.

My parents surprised me with the beautiful calla lilies (my favorite!) for my first Mother's Day!

Mother's Day lunch at my parents.

Jax, Dad & Papa Tony watching the Rockies game.

Lunch! Mom made a spiral ham, salad, & twice baked potatoes and I brought my favorite pineapple stuffing.

Brandon and I also brought a cake from our favorite cakery, Nothing Bundt Cakes.

My mom (center) and her BFFs.

I thank God every minute of every day for giving me this little boy.

We had a perfect Mother's Day weekend and I pray that you and all of the special women in your life had one too! 

Onto my big news..

..I got a job! 

I was offered a job doing the marketing and writing for my hometown museum and I couldn't be more excited! I worked many a summer at the museum so it (and all the people associated with it) holds a special place in my heart. My job title entails social media marketing & management, promotions, and writing for weekly newspaper articles; the hours are great (I choose my own), I get to wear pajamas to work (since I work from home) and, most importantly, I get to stay home and raise my son.

Dream job?

Umm, yeah.

God is good!!

With all of that being said, my posts on here are going to be even more sporadic than usual as I get into the groove of work so please bear with me for a couple of weeks.. I'm also working on another business venture that I will share with you *hopefully* this summer.

Stay tuned!

Friday Funnies

Happy Mother's Day (on Sunday)!

Today's Funnies are dedicated to all moms, grandmas, aunts, girlfriends, and mother figures--y'all rock! Hope you all have a great day and are spoiled by those you love!

Some days it feels like it..

It hasn't started with Jax yet but my cat stands outside the door and meows..

Have a great weekend!