While I was away

Yesterday I spent the day with my big boy, Ben while daddy spent the day with baby Jacky.  Ben and I went to pick up a case for my new iPhone and then do a little fall/winter shopping for Ben at Gap- where he can now shop in both the baby/toddler section and the big kid section (XS is for size 4/5).  Then we headed to my sister's where we got to spend a fun afternoon with my niece Ashlynn.  She gave Ben lots of wide open-mouthed kisses when we left, and spared one for me. : )
James spent his day feeding and playing with his baby.  When I got the kids to bed last night I asked James what funny thing my baby did while I was away, and he told me the cutest story that still has me smiling from ear to ear.  Apparently shortly after Ben and I left James sees Jackson head down and around the hallway leading to Ben's room.  He then could hear him knocking on the closed door.  After a minute he went to get him and told him that mommy and Ben weren't here.  A minute later he headed out of the living room again and was attempting to climb up the two stairs which lead to the hallway down to the master bedroom.  He was still on the hunt for his mommy.  Or maybe his brother.  But I like to think he was looking for me.
It's always fun to spend some one-on-one time with each of my kids, but I sure loved coming home to my baby.  And this is how I found him.  Shirtless, on the couch, snuggled up to daddy, watching college football.  And this is the smile he gave me when he saw me!

 And here are all my boys reunited.  Love them.

Shortly after this picture Ben removed his shirt too.  James is always telling him that he's supposed to be the example for Jackson; but for some reason Ben is always trying to be like baby Jacky.  Silly boy.  

Ben's First Best Friend

Aren't best friend's fun?  I remember my first best friend.  Her name was Jenny.  She was just as blonde as I was and we used to chase around this boy Michael in Kindergarten.  One time we actually caught him by the jacket, and he wiggled out of that thing and took off again leaving his jacket behind in our tight grips.

Look at how little they were. : ) 

Well Ben found his best buddy last year in preschool.  His name is Beau.  He has really cool hair.  Has a sweet little voice.  And just really likes my little Ben.  And the best part is that I really like his mom, Shannon.  She is super friendly.  Very involved.  And so organized.  She's always on time and prepared.  By prepared, I mean she always has lots of snacks.  She introduced me to our gym, Club Sport.  I have a work out buddy.  And our little buddies get to hang out a lot at the gym.

It's been fun watching their relationship grow.  They run to each other when they see each other.  Ben always asks if Beau is going to be there when we are headed to the club.  And he ALWAYS asks when he can go to Beau's house again.

I really haven't seen them fight too often before, but they sure can work each other up and can get pretty wild around each other.  Which isn't always the best thing in the club's lobby.  I haven't worked in the classroom yet this year but I hear they make some mean creations in the sandbox together at school.

Can you spot Beau? 

It's so fun to see Ben developing relationships with so many great friends between school and church.  He has become so social and outgoing, which makes me so proud of him.  And I love that he has a best friend in a little boy, who's just as blonde as he is.  : ) 

Yesterday at Beau's super hero birthday party. 

Still Sick

This week has been a tough one.  As I said on Monday Jackson started to get sick and was taking it like a champ.  But that was on the first day.  Today is day five.  Cold is a little better.  Diaper rash is a tad better.  His tummy is still out of whack.  Today was the first solids he had in three days.  So it's been a rough week.  I really don't know if more so for him or me.  It's so hard seeing your child in pain.  We've spent most of the week at home- other than some necessary running around for big brother.  My usually very independent baby (he'd rather be on the floor playing than held), has become quite the snuggle bug this week.  I have loved laying on the couch with him watching movies with Ben.  Ben was always cuddled up to me as a baby.  It's how I put him to bed every night.  And its how we hung out most of the time.  So that has been a nice change this week.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, Jackson woke up a couple hours after going down to bed.  He was pretty uncomfortable and restless both times, so both times I brought him into bed with me and snuggled him while we watched the "baby channel"- Baby First.  Both nights we fell asleep together.  Loved it.
Tonight Ben and James went to Uncle Jeff's football game, and Jacky and I stayed home.  We went on a long walk all around our neighborhood.  I think it was the first walk ever just him and I.  So funny how things I used to do solo with Ben ALL the time, just don't happen much with Jacky.  It's always fun to get that one-on-one time together.  It took a while to get him to fall asleep tonight.  Usually I just lay him down with a bottle and he goes right out.  Well tonight I heard him crying and went in his nursery.  I sang to him.  It's his favorite.  Mine too.  He just stares at me when I start to sing.  Today I really had him cracking up on his changing table while I belted out so Michael Buble: "I promise you kid, I give more than I get.  I just haven't met you yet!"

James and Ben just got home about twenty minutes ago, and I just put Ben to bed.  While we were brushing his teeth I was recalling a cute thing that happened at school on Wednesday with him.  Ben, his friend Beau, and a cute girl from school, Andrea all happened to be wearing shirts with big guitars on them at school on Wednesday.  As we walked out of the school's yard towards our car we hear Andrea yell, "goodbye Rockstar Ben!"  To which he replied, "goodbye Rockstar Andrea!"  I told him that was just so cute and we were just talking about all of his wonderful friends.  I told him, you're Mr. Popular aren't' you.  He smoke his head no.  A second later he asked what's popular?  I told him it's when you have lots of friends and everyone wants to be your friend.  I guess that changed his mind and he said he was.  A moment later he added, "because you dress me so cute."  I cracked up and told him I had to put that on my blog.  He said okay but asked me not to put the Rockstar Andrea part- so sshhh, it's our little secret.  Love both my boys.  All of my boys.

Here he is with some of his friends at his BF Beau's b-day party today. 

Beary Sick Today

My Baby Jacky has a bad cold and a horrible tummy- which has lead to a horrible diaper rash.  But I'm lucky in that when my kids aren't feeling well, all they want to do is sleep.  Jackson woke up at 7 am.  I gave him a bottle and usually he'll go back down for about an hour or so.  Well today, he slept till 10.  And then after just a few short hours, he went back down around 1.  And didn't wake up until 4:30.  He's now in bed for the night, and has been there since 7.  Crazy, right.

During the few hours I had with him today he handled his cold like a champ.  Just doing his normal cute thing.  He now can stand holding on to something for quite a long time and it's the cutest thing watching his little legs wiggle around, struggling to support his little body.

I hope he's much, much better tomorrow.  Especially the diaper rash.  It's his first one and it's bad.  I feel horrible having to wipe him.  I started him on yogurt this week, so that may be the cause.  I'm going to pull it from his diet for now and hope it clears up very soon.

I love you my sweet baby Jacky.  You are the best baby ever.  And you were looking so beary cute today!

Rustic Modern Reception

The receiving table.  With my way too small swag banner.  Didn't think about there being two table.  Oh well. 

 

Gotta have a photo booth area. 

My large letters hung on three columns in the space.  They were very time consuming but well worth the effect.  I might have to make some for me now. 

Jayson & Kaitlin's cute love story starting with their dad's college days.  Who would have guessed that almost exactly thirty years later their children would end up married.  So sweet. 

The amazing hanging gallery.  We hung everything from the beams in the ceiling and this was by far the biggest undertaking, but the coolest effect.  It was like a gallery. 

James' Aunt Staci and I went the day before and picked all the flowers at the San Francisco Flower Mart.  Then I arranged all of the flowers the day of the reception.  I love the wild flower, succulent mix.

The food buffet table- before the delicious food came out. 

It was Nothing Bundt Cakes of course.  On birch wood cake plates. Yum! 

We thought we would change things up a bit and do a nut bar- a little sweet and a little salty. 

The wood slab labels, which my dad cut for me with a very scary saw, and then I used
a wood burning pen to write the names of each item.  Love how these turned out.  

The super cool s'more bar outside on the patio. 

And now for the party guests. 

 

My little mack daddy. 

 Photo booth pics.

This was the best we could get. : )

Digging into the nut bar. 

And this was our cue to call it a night. : )

Congratulations Jayson & Kaitlin.  We love you guys.