Photo Shoot!

Our photos are done! Now we have to choose--and it is going to be difficult! They are really awesome! If you want to view them. . . you can get the code in my "notes" on facebook. I think pretty much everyone that reads my blog is a friend of mine on facebook (if not, you will have to send me your email or find me on facebook!). They will only be up for 10 days so view fast!

Sneak Peek!

The sneak peek is up from our photo shoot--just a glimpse until the rest of the pictures are done. You can have a peek yourself at 3 Peas Photography. Our photographer Amy also has a fan page on facebook--find it here.

There are a couple of different pictures posted on there! I'm so excited to see the rest of them!! It is definitely going to be difficult to choose! :0)

Good things!

Weird things are happening over here at our blissfully chaotic household. My little Jada, whom just turned 10 months on June 30th, seems to have picked up walking in a couple of days. Now it seems like that is all she wants to do. Between that and her teeth--she is constantly wanting to nap, for about 10 minutes, eat and play play play. What is happening to my not so little baby girl?!?

And Mr. Jakob--was in potty training boot camp today. Every 20 minutes we took a trip to the potty. If he didn't go within a couple of minutes, I had him get off and try again in 20 minutes. Then later in the afternoon, I was folding laundry on the floor while Jada was eating her lunch in her highchair (which she will try to climb out of if you don't watch her) and Jakob was running with his vacuum back and forth making a ton of racket. Then in a moment's notice it got quiet--and before I realized it I panicked. When you stay home with your kids--you pretty much know them inside and out and when it suddenly gets quiet and Jakob disappears--I know he is most likely pooping--today it would be IN HIS UNDERWEAR! I went back to find him and opened the bathroom door--and there sat Mr. Jakob on his potty chair--with his underwear off. He told me he was pooping on the potty, so I told him to call me when he was done. I left and did a cartwheel (inside my head) and in a couple of minutes heard this tiny little voice calling--"mamaaaa." He did it! ALL BY HIMSELF! He also got up from nap to pee on the potty while I was in the shower. Oh can you imagine the excitement in our household?!?!?!

Then, our package from cottonbabies dot com showed up. We had some minor issues with the velcro straps on our diaper liners and I called the company to inquire how to go about fixing them and they told me the diapers were still under warranty and to send them in to be replaced. Now, that is AWESOME! Not only because we get to have brand new liners--but because they will last even longer now if Mr. Jakob continues to not have to wear them! Yippppeeeeeee!! Maybe they will be around for baby number three. . . .

Tomorrow night we have our photo shoot for the Celebrating Adoption program (weather permitting). We get a free session with a photographer who participates in the program and some free photos. She will also offer us 15% off anything more that we would like to order. We are very excited since we have only done professional photos for Jakob on his 1st birthday. Most people who participate in this program will often get the curly sweet newborn pictures, but Jada was never a curly sleepy baby and we wanted a chance to get some awesome family photos. We are using Amy with 3 Peas Photography and are very excited! I hope the weather holds out for us! If it doesn't, we can reschedule--but we are just so excited to do this we don't want to wait any longer!

If you need some good Karma--we have it here! Rub your fingers on my blog or something and I'm sure it will come your way! For now, I have a walking video for you to see. All my other pictures are on the other computer in the bedroom where hubby is fast asleep (and starts work at 5 am--total ISH!) so I just can't go wake him to use the computer--it will light up the whole room--AND the sound of typing will for sure wake him up! :0) Enjoy!!

Summer!

Yeah, summer is here! I have no complaints about our chilly nights! I love them!! No need for the air conditioner--or heat. This is my heaven for sure! All of our construction is finally done--new driveway, sidewalk and windows. I think we are done for awhile. We've been waiting for all of our lilies to bloom and hoping our garden takes off. These chilly nights are not exactly the perfect growing weather--but, at least we are not in a frost advisory zone. We have finally made a strawberry patch. I've wanted one forever! However, some kind of varmint has been digging up our plants so we just fenced it in tonight. We may not get a crop this year--but I'm hoping they will take off for next year!

Jada has turned 10 months already. I cannot believe it! My parents will be coming up to celebrate her 1st birthday--probably in June--but that's okay. We are going home in August for a visit so we are trying to spread the visits out. I already know what I am getting her. We really don't need anything--really. . . so I have decided to get her an itty bitty twin set from American Girl. I asked if I could get a black girl and white boy (to represent Jada and Jakob) and they were all over that at the store. They thought it was super cool and know that people come in there to get dolls that look like their kids. It will be more for when she gets older, but it will add to our multicultural toys in the house!

Jada is unbelievable! She climbs, crawls, opens cupboards, gets her own snacks, cruises, and is almost walking. . . she takes a few steps here and there. She says Hi, Dada, Mama, waves goodbye, and she says baba--which we are not sure if it is for her bottle or Jakob (we call Jakob Baba or Bubba sometimes). She is non-stop and has been keeping us on our toes! Jakob is being the perfect big brother and is teaching her words, sings to her, feeds her (usually things he doesn't want to eat), and loves to tell her what is his and what is hers. The fights are fewer and he is getting better about being nice to her on a consistent basis so I can leave the room for more than 10 seconds to use the bathroom, get laundry, answer the phone--all the usual stuff. She loves to eat dirt. . . . and they both love to be outside! My own little heaven on Earth--interrupted here and there with some major temper tantrums! Did you know that my kisses have magical powers and can heal skinned knees? Well almost. . . Jakob is still limping around and seems to have a lot of pain when he is being put on a time out. haha! Sneaky bugger!

We had a scare with our cat Squeakers. . . he escaped and was gone for 36 hours. We thought he was gone forever and then he showed back up on our deck this morning. I wish we had a helmet cam on him to see just exactly what he did that whole time. When he came in, he ate, then went right to sleep in the sun, and slept all day, and ate some more and then tried to escape again this evening. He is truly a naughty kitty!

Well, I hope everyone else is experiencing their own slice of heaven! May God's blessings be all around us!

Playing outside! I love her smile and her scrunchy nose! :0)

Two peas in a pod!

He is so darn cute! :0)

Jakob loves to water the plants--and he loves to pick the flowers too! haha!

Jada is eating Teddy Grahams!

Girlie girl!

Eating dirt and playing with sticks! That's my baby! :0)