Colorado...Day 2

Today our dear friend Deb was getting married....the reason we all gathered here to begin with. Our morning consisted of breakfast, coffee & chit chat with Jen & Miss Ava on the beautiful patio of our hotel room & then we all got ready for the big event. 

The wedding was to take place at 11:30am & the reception was at 4:30pm so we needed to be ready & out the door fairly early. Here are my two handsome boys all dressed up:

 And mommy & Mason:

We made our way to the Black Canyon Inn where the wedding was taking place. It was a short 10 minute drive from where we were staying & the grounds were gorgeous. The wedding was held in a covered pavilion that overlooked Rocky Mountain National Park & was absolutely breath-taking!

Here comes the bride:

Saying "I Do":

:

Her dress was SO pretty & she looked so very happy!!

Introducing the new Mr. & Mrs!!

Look who else had a pretty dress & looked beautiful - little Miss Ava:

And after the ceremony was all said & done, we had to take advantage of the beautiful backdrop & get one of many family pics:

Since there was a 3 hour wait until the reception, we decided to head back to our hotel, change & meet the "Elite" crew for lunch & walk around the downtown area. We all met at this little "hole in the wall" wood fire pizza joint called Picnic in the Park & had lunch. We of course couldn't leave the place without getting our picture taken with the elk...who yes strangely enough has a picnic basket on his antlers:

After we ate lunch, we were going to hit up some of the Christmas shops on the main street but unfortunately it started to rain so we decided to head back to the hotel & let Mason (& ourselves) take a little nap before the reception.

We returned to the BC Inn around 4:30pm & the Twin Oaks Steakhouse where the reception was held was beautifully decorated inside. These were the guest tables:

And the beautiful & dee-lish wedding cake:

And two of the cutest guests ever....Mason & Ava

We all enjoyed cocktails, yummy appetizers, a dee-lish buffet & afterwards the amazing wedding cake. Both the marble & chocolate cake were worth every bite & yes I had two pieces - would you expect anything less from me? The cake was all laid out on a table & there was plenty to go around so why not?!?

Shortly after the first few dances we decided to call it a night as Mason was getting tired & the music was starting to get loud. We said our goodbyes to everyone & this Mama enjoyed going to bed early & getting a good nights sleep - something that is quite rare these days ;) Must be the mountain air!

Congrats to Deb & Jon - so very blessed to have been in the company of girlfriends I love & witness such a beautiful wedding of two very deserving people!

Colorado...Day 1

Today we were all up & at 'em early as we made our way to the airport for a weekend get-away to Colorado. This was Mason's 1st vacation & 1st time flying so I was a bit nervous on how he would be on the flight as well as during our trip away from the comfort's of our own home. 

We left the house at 5am & managed to get to the airport, park & unload the car, get shuttled to the terminal, get checked-in, go through security with all Mason's stuff, barely made it to the gate with no time to spare as they were boarding passengers & when it was our turn to board the plane the attendant asked for Mason's boarding pass. 

Wait, what? Boarding pass? For a child who is sitting on my lap? 

No one had told or asked us about a boarding pass. When I first booked these flights online I had checked the little box that one infant would be traveling on my lap & there was nothing else for me to fill out so I thought nothing of it. One would think they would have said something when we checked in while they saw me holding Mason, OR at least when they checked our documents through the security line when I was again holding him?? Uh, NO! 

So as we are about to get on the plane they inform us we need to go to the ticket counter & get a boarding pass printed for Mason. We were already late to the gate so I was annoyed & worried we would be last to board & not be able to sit all together. So we get out of line, haul everything over to the counter & they ask me for paperwork with proof of Mason's birthdate on it. 

What? Oh wait, I have it right here...let me just pull it out of my ass for you. 

LOL - I didn't really say that but I sure wanted to! No one mentioned to me that I would need this documentation so NO I didn't have his birth certificate on me or anything else for that matter with his DOB. The only thing I had with me with his name on it was our insurance card. 

So after much pleading & begging they let it slide, entered his info into the computer all the while telling me about FAA regulations & how they could lose their job over this & good luck coming back home through Denver without this info, blah blah blah. I said I would worry about it later but for now we have a flight to catch. Thank you & goodbye. 

We finally were able to get on the plane & after I was cursing Southwest Airlines for the last 20 minutes of drama we just went through, we were told the flight attendant was holding a row for us so we could all sit together. So I ended up feeling bad for cursing them & thanked the attendant 10 different times. We all got comfy in our row & were off - our first vacation as a family of 3 :) 

We arrived at the Denver airport at 8am, picked up our luggage & made our way to the car rental place. Mason had done awesome as our little traveler so far & I was amazed he was doing so well. We rented our car, got loaded up & decided to stop at Shane's parents house for a few hours before we made our way up to Estes Park. They live 15 minutes from the airport so it was nice to stop in, relax a bit, feed Mason & let him take a nap. 

By lunchtime we were on our way to our destination & enjoyed the 2 hour car ride driving through the Rocky Mountains up to Estes Park. 

 We're not in Kansas anymore!

We stayed at the cutest little place called the Appenzell Inn which reminded me of a hotel one might find in the Swiss Alps. 

 Our room was on the very end far left. This was the view from our patio:

Absolutely beautiful! The rooms were studio-apartment-like which included a king bed, living room, fireplace, jacuzzi tub & a small kitchen. We will definitely be coming back & staying at this cute little Inn again! 

My "Elite" girlfriends & their husbands had all made the trip to CO also for our friend Deb's wedding & half of our group stayed here. Right next to our room were these 2 beautiful girls along with Jen's husband:

 JenJen & Miss Ava 

We spent the evening getting settled into our room & then later headed over to our friend Camille & Ray's room where everyone had gathered for cocktails & munched on some of Camille's awesome & famous chips & salsa! 

We ended up turning in early as it had been a LONG day for us while the rest of the group met the bride & groom-2-be at a local bar for more cocktails. From what I understand, we missed one heck of a karaoke show!!

7 months old

7 months old & less than half way to turning one! This past week I have started planning the "first birthday" festivities...I know some of you can hardly believe that - lol :) I'm not going to share many details just yet but know that it is going to be a fun celebration & it is going to be grand!!

Weight: At your 6 month appointment you weighed in at 19 lbs 4 oz & were 27.5 inches long - both in the 80th percentile. I'm sure by now you are at least 22 lbs. You are definitely a big, healthy, growing boy! I have begun to pack up most of your summer 6 mos shirts & shorts :( They were starting to get a little snug so we are moving on to 9 mos clothing. You continue to wear size 3 diapers & have some room to grow into those!

Sleeping: You are a great nap-taker & follow a good routine. Awake for the day at 6:30am, a 45 minute nap around 8:30am, a 1.5-2 hour nap around noon, another 45 minute cat-nap around 4:30pm & down for the night around 7:30pm. You are still waking up at 11pm & 3:30am for a bottle every night without fail. I have been given all kinds of advice from other moms on how to drop that 11pm feeding but that means I have to keep you up later in the night. Not sure that is what I want to do as you shows signs that you are ready to go down around 7pm. We will figure it out eventually. For now I will just enjoy those late night snuggles :)

You have also started to flip onto your tummy to sleep & find that position most comfortable. It still makes me nervous to come in & find your little nose almost buried in the mattress but this is how you prefer to sleep & you wake up & get mad at mommy if I try to flip you over. It's a battle I can't win.

Eating: You have mastered eating solids & still love the orange veggies & LOVE fruit - especially mango & blueberries w/apples! I tried giving you puffs a several weeks ago & loved watching you pick them up ever so delicately with your little hand, shove them in your mouth & then proceed to gag on them....which wasn't so cute :( So we waited a couple of weeks & tried the puffs again which this time you did much better. You actually swirl them in your mouth & try to chew on them & no gagging!

We also tried Baby Mum Mum's (rice crackers) which you loved to chew on but once they became soft, you proceeded to gag on those as well. For a split second I thought I was going to have to free you from that high chair & give you back blows - scared Mommy to death! Will try giving you these again in a couple of weeks. For now we will just stick to our oatmeal, veggies, fruits & puffs! This past month you have also started using a "sippy cup" which you are doing pretty well with.

Milestones:
- You are now sitting up unassisted & enjoy sitting on the floor surrounded by your toys. Millie our Bulldog loves to sit next to you & watch you play - secretly hoping you will share your toys with her!

- The "rock-n-crawl" is your latest thing. You aren't crawling yet but are SO very close to doing so. You get up on your hands & knees like you are going to take off & you just sit & rock back & forth not quite sure knowing what to do with your arms. You get SO frustrated but are a very determined little boy & after many attempts you get pissed off & eventually just give up. You have been doing this for 3 weeks now & it makes me wonder if you are ever going to crawl?!

- This toy is your absolute favorite right now. They are stackable wooden rings made by Melissa & Doug & you love them. You enjoy taking them all off of the stick & then proceed to chew on them.

- "Peek-a-Boo" is your favorite game & the giggles that come with it are the absolute best!
- You love it when mommy sings to you. Some of your favorite songs are "The Wheels on the Bus" & "You Are My Sunshine".

- You had your 1st vacation & airplane ride to Colorado! We spent Labor Day weekend in Estes Park for a wedding & spent a couple of days with your daddy's parents - Grandma & Grandpa "Mountain" (since they live in the mountains.) My parents are Grandma & Grandpa "Farm" as they live on a farm!

 

You are growing & developing at lightening speeds & even though it is exciting to see you excel at all these new things, it also makes me sad that my little newborn is no longer here. You are a beautiful little boy whom we love so very much & I look forward to seeing what the next month brings us.

Love you little bubba,

Daddy & Mommy

Smoked

The hubby has gone & bought himself a new "toy". Surprisingly it doesn't have wheels OR a motor. It is a smoker & he is having much fun trying out new things to smoke. 

I can't lie...I too am enjoying tasting all these newly smoked edibles :) The very first thing he smoked were baby back ribs. Here is a pic of the "trial-run" ribs all rubbed down & ready to go:

And after 6 hours of smoking & cooking here is the end result: 

I must say they were absolutely DEE-LISH & I may be a bit biased but I think they were pretty much the best ribs I have ever sank my teeth into! The hubby was quite proud of himself & has now found a new hobby. Since then he has smoked ribs one additional time which were just as tasty as the first! 

Lucky for me it looks like he will be smoking brisket & some baked beans this weekend! I am looking very forward to being his "taste-tester" :)

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Ever since I have lived in the KC area, I have heard talk of this fabulous little farmstead in the middle of Overland Park, KS from friends & co-workers. In the 14 years that I have lived here I have never been...mainly because we never had a reason to go. Now that we have Mason we were excited to check this place out & see what the hype was all about!

Deanna Rose was a police officer & the first female officer to die in the line of duty in the state of Kansas. The farmstead was renamed in 1985 in her honor & this 12 acre farmstead has kept the "charm of the farm" to children living in the city. 

I grew up on a farm in South Dakota & spent many summers on my grandparents farm bottle-feeding the calves, watching grandpa milk the cows, gathering eggs with my grandma, riding the 4-wheeler & had so much fun. So this little place takes me back to those treasured days & I am so excited to be able to share these experiences with Mason. 

Deanna Rose has so much to offer. While there the kids can bottle feed the baby goats, milk a cow, take a horse drawn wagon ride through the woods, go on a pony ride, feed the ducks & so much more. He is of course too little to be able to do all those things now but that didn't stop him from having a great time while there.

We arrived around noon & loaded up the stroller. It was an overcast day, not too hot, a little humid but overall perfect weather. Cost to enter the farm was $2 for adults - so cheap! I am already liking this place :) 

We spent the next 2 hours checking it all out. I think Mason enjoyed watching all the people rather than the animals but that is ok - his mommy & daddy had fun for him! 

I took him into the baby goat pen & he was fascinated by all the little goats coming up to us. I unfortunately didn't have any food for them so once they figured that out they quickly left us alone.

Next we made our way over to the cows & the calves & then made a pit-stop by the park for his first official turn on the swing. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it & kept trying to bounce up & down in it as if he was in his jumperoo.

After swinging we headed over to the other side of the farmstead where they had the duck pond, chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, another park & a huge sandbox. They had two of these baby goats to pet & feed & I thought they were SO cute:

We had such a good time with our little man & look forward to many future visits to this hidden little treasure in the middle of Overland Park!

Girl's Night Out

Tonight was a much needed girl's night out that has been in the "works" for several months now. This past spring, New Kids on the Block concert tickets went on sale & being the 80's lover that I am, I had to go. If this is sounding all too familiar, it's because I saw NKOTB 2 summers ago with the Backstreet Boys. 

This year they were coming back to KC with 98 Degrees & Boys II Men so I of course had to go again. I knew several girls from the "Game-Night" group would want to go so I sent out a group text & just as I thought, a few of the girls were in. Fast forward 6 months & it is concert time!

We started the evening out by having dinner at BRGR down in the Power & Light District & a round of drinks:

Which led to a celebratory shot:

While there I had a really good burger & shared the Truffle Tater Tots with Melissa which were pretty amazing:

After we all enjoyed our beverages & dinner we walked over to the Sprint Center where we were about to embark on a trip down memory lane:

We had really good seats being in the lower level sitting about 6 rows back from the floor. Melissa was able to capture some great photos during the concert so the ones you are about to see were taken by her & shamelessly "borrowed" by me :) (Thanks Mel)

First up was Boys II Men & unfortunately they only performed for 30 minutes. They sang all their familiar old hits & still looked & sounded as good as they did back in the day!

Next to perform was 98 Degrees which I wasn't too impressed with....other than watching Nick & Drew Lachey :) I didn't care too much for them in the 90's & it was the same during the concert.

Then New Kids on the Block came on last & there was a whole lot of screaming & booty shakin' going on...especially in our row :) 

Michelle & I agreed that Donnie Wahlberg still is & always will be our favorite & after 25 years still has some pretty awesome abs!

Yes - it has been 25 years since they made their first debut & they kept repeating that little fact again & again during the concert. Ugh - as if I didn't feel old enough!?

It was a super, fun night out with these ladies & this Mama is looking forward to doing it again when the whole "game-night" group goes to the Pink concert in November!

"Elite" Gathering

I am so very thankful to be blessed by so many girlfriends in my life! There are the "Game-Night" girls, the "Elite" girls, the "South Carolina" girls, & a whole lot of girlfriends that fall into that "other" category that are just as special! When I am able to get together with any of these ladies it is always sure to be a great time full of hugs, catching up, laughs & usually an alcoholic beverage - or two!

Since Mason came along, time spent with my girlfriends doesn't happen as often as it once did but we always make a point to try & all get together when time allows! It has been a long time since the entire group of "Elite" girlfriends were last seen together - 15 months to be exact - when we all gathered in Destin, FL! 

 My girlfriend Deanna (pictured above) lives in Austin, TX & just so happened to be visiting family in KC this week! So all the girls made it a point to get together for dinner this past weekend at The Cheesecake Factory to catch up & so that Deanna could meet "Destin Babies #1 & #2". Our girlfriend Kari lives in Chicago with Destin Baby #3 so unfortunately she wasn't able to be there but this is as close to the entire group as it gets...babies included! 

We spent the evening passing babies around, eating a dee-lish meal, enjoying a cocktail...for others it was several cocktails :) catching up & there was so much laughter. When you get these girls together there is a lot of craziness & laughter that goes on. 

Mommies & Destin baby #2 - Miss Ava & #1 - Mason

There was even talk of a 2014 Destin Reunion this May which will include the babies! Looking SO forward to that!

After several fun hours with these ladies & lots of picture-taking, it was time to get home & put Mase to bed. He isn't quite the "party animal" like his mama once was so he is usually done for the night around 7:30pm. 

It was SO good getting to see Deanna & my "Elite" ladies! We are looking forward to getting to see these ladies again over the Labor Day weekend when we all gather for our dear friend Deb's wedding in Colorado! Going to be good times!

The bride-2-be & Mason

6 months old

Today Mason you are 6 months old & I find it hard to believe that it has been half a year since you were born! Another month has flown by & again I can't believe how fast the time is going. Everyone told me it would  - I just didn't realize how fast! Those first couple of months of your life are a blur - a distant memory - & as much as I love every new milestone you are making, I long for those days when you were just a few weeks old.

Your Daddy & I were walking out of the store today & a mom walked passed us with her newborn all snuggled in the Moby. We both looked at each other & commented on how we can hardly remember you being that tiny. You continue to amaze us with how big you are getting, all that you are learning & how you are becoming quite the handsome little boy!

Weight: As of last week, you weighed 18.5 lbs at the Dr's office. You have your official 6 mos appointment in a couple of weeks so we will get all your stats then. Not looking forward to another round of shots but am looking forward to seeing your height/weight & percentiles!

You are still wearing 6 mos clothing but they are slowly getting more & more snug :( I have a feeling that in another month we will be moving up to the 9 mos clothing. You continue to wear size 3 diapers & should be in those for awhile as they are still a tad too big on you.

Sleeping: You are still a great nap-taker! You continue to take a morning nap, a long early afternoon nap & another late afternoon nap! Our bedtime routine starts around 7pm consisting of a bath (every other night), story-time, a bottle then bed-time. I have gotten into the habit of laying in our bed with you & snuggling when it is time to go to sleep. I will rub your little back & you usually fall asleep within minutes. I love to lay there & watch you sleep long after you have drifted off. I then move you into your crib around 8pm & you will awake around 11pm because you have flipped over on your tummy - which you hate - & once I flip you back over you will fall right back to sleep once the paci is re-inserted. You awake again at 3am to be fed, then back to sleep & up for the day around 6:30am. I don't ever mind getting up with you at night & absolutely love our quiet time together. But with that said, I am secretly looking forward to you sleeping through the night & am envious of mommy friends who tell me their little ones sleep from 8p-5am!!

This picture pretty much sums up how you like to fall asleep. Talk about a major SIDS risk! You LOVE to pull your little blankie over your face & sleep that way. I of course remove it from you after you have drifted off but I don't doubt you would stay that way all night if I let you! You are definitely your daddy's child - he loves to sleep with the covers over his head also!

Eating: Looking at you people will say you are definitely a healthy eater! You are still being breast-fed, supplemented with formula & are eating 5oz at a time. I continue to pump at work & usually one last time before I go to bed but unfortunately my supply is decreasing so not sure how much longer I can keep this up. My goal was 6 months & I have reached that but I'm just not ready to give it up yet. So as long as I am still producing, I will keep on pumping.

This past month we introduced solids into your diet. You were a little hesitant at first but after the first week you were eating oatmeal cereal, veggies & fruits  like a champ. Sweet potatoes & bananas are your favorite - peas & peaches not so much! You tolerate pears & apples & make the cutest "pucker face" when eating them :) We start our morning with cereal + fruit & for supper it's cereal + veggies. Will start to introduce veggies + fruit at lunch-time in the next couple of weeks. You also are learning to drink water from a sippy cup! Unfortunately, most of it ends up down the front of your shirt rather than in our mouth :) Baby steps...

Milestones: I am amazed at how fast you are learning things compared to last month! You are definitely a little explorer! Your sensory & motor skills are developing as they should be for being 6 months so that is good.
- I would say you will be crawling by our next monthly update. Right now you are creeping forward & backwards on your tummy & sliding around while pushing against the floor. You will raise yourself up on your hands & almost on your knees & rock back & forth. I'd say the days of you just laying around are going to be short-lived.
- You are getting real close to being able to sit up unassisted. You get distracted while playing with toys or when you see mommy/daddy, will lose your balance & fall to the side but sitting up with the boppy you do really well. I am looking forward to when you can sit up 100% so that I don't have to keep hauling you in your cars-seat into the store. You are starting to get heavy!!
- You roll over from back to front like a champ but struggle to flip back over onto your back. This really makes you mad when you do it in your crib while sleeping.
- Pretty sure you are going to cut a tooth any day now! You have been drooling for 2 months now, have been quite a fussy little boy & gnaw on everything you can get your hands on.
- Your eyes have gone from a gray-blue color to a hazel or light brown color. Pretty sure you are going to have brown eyes like your mama!
- Playing with your feet fascinates you! Anytime you are laying on your back or sitting you reach for those little tootsies & try to stick them in your mouth.

- You like to help us hold your bottle when you are eating & can hold it with your own hands pretty well. Just another reminder of how big you are getting :(
- The sounds that come out of your mouth crack us up! Last week you started screaming for fun & do it ALL. THE. TIME!! Your daddy likes to imitate your scream & it makes you laugh. Next thing I know you are both squealing back & forth at each other which you both find amusing - your mommy not so much. You also think it is fun to blow raspberries - especially when you have a mouth full of food! Quite the little stinker you are :)
- You love to grab anything & everything you can get your little paws on & stuff it directly into your mouth - mom's food, Millie's ears, stuffed animals, the book I am reading to you, your blankie, my fingers - you name it. You love to pull your paci out of your mouth & are getting really good at putting it back in all by yourself too!

This past month we also celebrated some "firsts". You celebrated your first 4th of July:

You attended your first wedding:

You "rocked" your very first pair of sunglasses: 

It has been an awesome roller-coaster ride these past 6 months & we are looking SO very forward to the changes you will make & milestones you will conquer in the next 6 months! Just please try & not accomplish them too quickly!?

Happy 6 months little man! Mommy & Daddy love you oh so very much!!