love the lake...

This was seriously the best summer ever! We got to spend so much time at the lake thanks to our wonderful friends and family! At the beginning of August we were able to go back to Bobby's Grandparents place on Priest with the Snyder's and LaBelle's (we missed the Cole's) for another sun and fun filled weekend. Here are some of the pics!

 

We are so thankful for our generous friends and that we get to spend such quality time with such quality people!

Perfectly timed...

I have to say I could not have been happier with the timing of my pregnancy. Having Jack in the beginning of May and then having 16 weeks maternity leave made for the best summer ever! Made even better when your husband and virtually all of your friends are teachers and you all have the summer off together. Because of this we got to do a bunch of fun stuff we most likely would not have been able to do:

 

We spent lots of time with Grandma

 

We had some backyard BBQ's 

We spent lots of quality time with Harper

and Auntie Megan

and even Sienna a couple times

We got to visit our cousins

and have extra cuddles with daddy

We spent some time at the pool with the McCann's...

And with the Hare's

Uncle Terry came and played a few times and taught Jack about world cup soccer

We went to our first Spokane Indians game...

Jack was not impressed

We had an impromptu garage sale and made some extra money

We spent time with Uncle Simpson and learned about Michael Jackson and PYT

We had fun game nights with friends

And lots of shopping trips with mom

All that plus 4 uninterrupted months getting used to our new normal as a family of 3! I could not have asked for a more memorable, perfectly timed, maternity leave. We truly are blessed beyond belief.

3 months...

Jack's 3rd month was a little bit rougher than the first two. Poor guy caught his first cold at the beginning of August and it was a doozy (for all of us)! The bug came on fast and furious and hit him first with the nasal congestion and slight fever and then worked his way down into a chest cold and cough. Of course the timing was right when we were planning a trip to the lake, and right before I went out of town, but we made it work and best of all, we survived!

The good news, after a doctor visit for the cough we got some height and weight stats we wouldn't have had normally at the the 3 month mark.

At 3 months Jack is:

12 lbs 12 oz (9%)

23 1/4 inches (8%)

using size 1 diapers

wearing a few newborn clothes but mostly 0-3 month clothing

consistently sleeping 5-6 hrs at night

going to bed between 8-10pm and getting up between 5-7am with 1-2 feedings in between

takes 1-2 naps a day

sleeping in his crib at night

rolled over for the first time (August 13th) 

cooing and babbling all the time

Little laughs and giggles to himself and others 

outgrown his colic (fingers crossed!)

breastfeeding and taking breast milk from the bottle

laying on his activity mat and really starting to grab and play

likes when we kick his legs for him

still loving his bath time

loves going on jogs in the stroller with daddy

had his first diaper blow out

  Even with a cold Jack was such a trooper this month. He really is such a sweet little man who loves to "talk" and play and smile all day. And now that he has outgrown the colic he seems to be a pretty chill lil dude. As long as he is moving and well fed, he is happy!

It has been so fun to see Jack grow and learn and develop. It really is amazing what can change literally over night. My favorite part is watching his personality emerge bit by bit, little by little, every single day. It's fun to see parts of Jim and myself come out in him and to guess where he gets other traits. Jack is the best parts of both of us. A little bit me, a little bit a lot Jim, and a whole lot of perfection. I just can't get enough. My heart actually leaps with love at the thought of him and when he smiles...forget it, it's all over. 

I'm in serious trouble when he gets older. 

Lake life...

The last week of July, Jack and I had the pleasure to spend the week at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin on Lake Coeur d'Alene. The timing could not have been better since Jim had to be out of town for a conference in Boston. While I love spending as much time as possible with Jack a whole week as a single mom did not sound too appealing so I jumped at the chance to spend the week with my family at the lake.

 

It was the perfect vacation and Jack became a whole new baby! Gone was the colicky baby who screamed and fussed and never slept. Instead we were blessed with the calmest, sweetest, happiest babe you ever did see. He only cried when he was hungry. He took 2 2-3 hour naps consistently and slept from about 8 or 9pm till 5am every day. It was amazing! I have never seen anything like it. Apparently all the kid needed was a beach vacation to relax and chill out.

 

Besides Jack's personality shift it was great to just be around my family. We got to spend good quality time with: Aunt Pat and Ev, Ben and his girlfriend Bridget and her son Gus, Aunt Mary T, Connal, and Fiona, Uncle Frank and Kathleen, Terry and Amy, and of course my mom. It was just what this mama needed! Thanks to all for all the help with Jack, I would not have survived the week without you!

 

Now on to the pictures!

 

this picture kills me. I think it may have been Tuesday...

Tough guy Tuesday that is :)

what is mom making me wear?

 

beautiful day at the CDA resort. Not a cloud in the sky

 

Jack LOVE LOVE LOVES his Grandma!

She can get the best smiles out of him :)

 

even at 5 am Jack is happy at the lake

 

Jack loved hanging out with Gus all week!

Also I need to just say that Gus is the sweetest, most well mannered, polite, fun, kid I have had the joy to be around in a long time. I hope he can teach Jack a thing or two in the years to come.

 

we learned that the swaddle helps Jack sleep and nap

as an added bonus he doesn't seem to mind it

 

Nakey Baby!

Jack's first time skinny dipping; he was not so much a fan

 

sportin and supporting the Hawks just like his Uncle. Thanks for the hat Terry

 

Ben and Gus checking out the view or maybe deciding where they are going to fish

 

seriously never been happier

our digs for the week. I love this place. Its exactly what a lake cabin should be

 

who wouldn't love this place? Check out the view from the porch

 

the full moon reflecting off the water

 

You can't beat this beach

 

sometimes its just too hot for clothes

 

Jack loved his 2nd cousins, Connal and Fiona

 

I don't know what Jack and I would have done at home alone all week. Having our family around to help us all week was amazing! Its such a blessing to be surrounded by the best grandmas, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins anyone could ask for. Thank you all for an unforgettable week!