October Lately

Since I tend to take a lot of photos on my phone...here are some of the best from October!

mama lovin  |  brothers  |  picture day

camo kid  |  "fee-wheeler"  |  hunting buddies

camp life  |  hunting date  |  naked baby smiles

morning pjs  |  he picked out his outfit  |  kisses

night time snuggles  |  smiley!  |  boots and shorts

I adore them  |  nap time  |  future hunter

sick bubba  |  farmers market  |  Sami and Tim's wedding

reading  |  snuggles  |  rolling over!

library time  |  good night baby  |  reading to his mouse

apple orchard  |  picking apples  |  dinosaur

"ta-da"  |  smiles for mama  |  play date with Blake

farmers market  |  pumpkin patch zoo  |  the camel 

fit mama  |  13 weeks  |  big brother love

nugget  |  Colton's hat  |  cookie cake

painting pumpkins  |  Halloween  |  big boy bed

sending smiles to daddy  |  thinking  |  stretching

green smoothie face  |  football babe  |  construction worker

daddy's boys  |  turtle baby  |  cousins

Trick or Treat Part 1

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher and I love kids, candy, and dress up? or maybe it's because I like the spooky, creepy, crawly holiday. Who knows exactly why. All I know is that once October hits, I am counting down the days until Halloween. Side note: This is one of the least favorite holidays among my teacher friends. Because, kids are cray. However, it's my absolute favorite. (yes, more than Christmas and Valentine's day.) Kids in costumes?! Parades? trick-or-treating? Um, yes please!

However, now that I'm a mama I love it even more! I'm convinced everything is more fun when you're a mom. At least looking back, I think so. Anywho, this year picking out Dayton's costume was pretty easy. We thought about his favorite things (#allboy) and wrote down a few ideas: shark, dinosaur, construction, John Deere, firefighter, police man, etc. We looked at a few costumes and availability (and price), but we finally narrowed it down to the shark or a construction worker.

We bought both at Target and brought them home to make our final decision. I was leaning towards shark, but only because I had found the cutest turtle costume for Colton and I was all about the matching/coordinating costumes. But, Dayton finally ended up picking the construction worker. In the end, I was glad he did because he's getting much more use out of that $20 costume (thanks Target!) than he would have gotten from the shark. And I have to say, he was a pretty darn cute construction worker.

Our first trick-or-treat adventure was down in Marion, Iowa at the Marion airport. Thanks to my sister-in-law, who found this gem, we were able to drive down and trick-or-treat with the grandparents, and the cousins. The mini airport did a fantastic job of making the afternoon enjoyable. There were fire engines, police cars, helicopters, and of course small airplanes. I'm pretty sure Dayton was in little boy heaven (even though you'd never know from his stoic facial expressions).

After we got done at the airport, Grandma and Grandpa took both kiddos to their house for 24 hours (that's about all this mama could handle) for our first kid free weekend since before I got pregnant with Colton!! We were a little excited. And I did pretty good. Only a few tears. *wink*

Grandpa was a sweetheart and sent this mama photos of her babies the whole time they were gone. They had a blast playing with their cousin, Jackson, and getting to go for some more trick-or-treating! And we enjoyed some quality alone time at home - with no kids!

"Crotein" Shake

If you haven't noticed, we're all about a healthy lifestyle over here. I am incredibly passionate about nutrition. It fascinates me!

When we got pregnant with Dayton, I was even more concerned about nutrition for my baby's sake. I ate all organic meats and produce and tried to keep an incredibly clean diet. I stayed about 80/20 (80% clean and 20% cheats). This is how we normally eat, but the biggest difference was switching almost completely over to organic products. I have read way too much about what the chemicals and shady ingredients in today's food can do to your body - but I'll save that for another day.

As the years have gone by, my passion hasn't changed. As my kiddos grow older and I learn more each day, my passion for nutrition continues to grow. Dayton, my 2.5 year old, is a bottomless pit. That boy is going to eat us out of house and home! Seriously. Each meal is followed by, "I want somptin else, please!" (The hubs and I still smirk at "somptin".) I wanted to find something that would satiate his hunger, would provide added nutrition, and placate my desires for healthy snacking.

Introducing KidzShake. KidzShake is a nutritious protein powder filled with other goodies like

• probiotics (good gut bacteria)
• organic protein (builds muscles and keeps you full!)
• vitamin C (growth and repair of tissue)
• magnesium (bone strength and development)
• calcium (cardiovascular and nervous system health, bone strength)
• potassium (regulates fluids, minerals, and blood pressure)
• vitamin D (helps absorb calcium - bone health)
• B vitamins (convert food to fuel)
• fiber (balances blood sugar levels and improves digestion).

Ummm, yes, I'll take them all. Here's all of my money. Ha! No, but seriously. This protein shake designed for kids is exactly what I was looking for. (Thanks @beyondfitmom for the recommendation!) Obviously, I ordered one and was excited for Dayton to try it. 

I ended up deciding on the strawberry. You can mix strawberry with all kinds of fruit flavored smoothies and I knew Dayton wouldn't have any problem drinking something fruity. The first time I gave it to him, I mixed it with some milk and put it in his cup. He gulped it down in no time! It was a huge hit. *mom cheers!* 

Now, Dayton asks for his "crotein shake" on the regular. And this mama is all too happy to give it to him. Oh, you want a protein shake? Suuuure, here you go kiddo! #iwin. 

The kiddo is happy. Mama is happy. And daddy is happy because it fits in the budget AND Dayton gets to drink "crotein shakes" like daddy. All around win. Do I have you convinced yet?

Good Morning

Oh this sweet baby. I can't even get enough of him. These are the moments I will always remember. It's the little things, y'all!

This is how my sweet babe wakes up every morning. If Dayton isn't up yet, I wake this smiley little man up and enjoy all of his cuddles on my own. If Dayton happens to be up, he always asks if he can wake Baby Colton up. Oh my heart! There's something special about brothers. I couldn't love these two any more.

Colton - Weeks 13&14

Fall 2016 Fun

I love fall, but who doesn't! This fall has brought so many fun activities. Every year gets better and better with kiddos. I love all of the excitement that Dayton has about this season and the fun that it brings. It's contagious!

This weekend daddy was out of town hunting, but we didn't let that stop us from having some fun of our own. Our morning was going to be busy. We had a 2 year old birthday party to go to! Our good friends, Nate and Bobbi, were celebrating their daughter Emma's birthday. It was a pumpkin patch themed birthday and the weather could not have been better! I was super impressed with Bobbi's party planning skills. There was a chili bar, a mini pumpkin patch for the kiddos to choose a pumpkin to paint, a face painting station, and a pinata! Dayton absolutely loved it...as you can see from my awesome iPhone photos.

After the party, we headed home to change and feed Colton. Then we were off again to HyVee's Trick or Treat event. Man, I love our HyVee (a local grocery store). They seriously have the best costumer service. This event is planned for littles and their families. We started at the front of the store and then went to a "station" in each department. This led us around the store. We trick-or-treated at each station and Dayton received things like cheese sticks, an apple, pencils, come candy, and a small toy. At the end of the stations, we went to a back store room where kiddos got to get a sugar cookie and decorate it with huge tubes of icing. Employees helped kiddos get their cookie in a sack to take home!

 We also picked out a small pumpkin and decorated it with about a bazillion stickers. Dayton loved this part! All of the employees were obviously having a lot of fun. They were all dressed up and were so engaged with the kids. It was so fun to see! We ran into our neighbors and ended up trick-or-treating with them. This is a definite "must do" for us next year too!

One quick funny story. Dayton doesn't really watch TV, so he doesn't know many TV characters. There was a very tall employee dressed in a full Batman costume. It was awesome. Dayton was scared out of his mind of him though! He asked who he was and I told him it was Batman. He liked/hated Batman. He kept asking where he was and that he wanted to see him, but as soon as Batman came anywhere near us, he backed up and hid behind me. On our way out, Batman happened to be at the front door. I asked Dayton if he wanted to take a picture with him - five minutes before he kept saying, "I want the Batman!" - but Dayton lost it. He cried and was saying, "No!" and pushing to get behind me to hide. Oh my gosh, it was hilarious and so cute all at the same time. The poor man was so nice and was trying to be gentle and "not scary" to Dayton, but Day was having none of it. After we left and he calmed down, he talked non-stop about Batman. And that's where his obsession with "the Batman" began!

Colton James: Three Months

Hey Bubba,

Three months old. Are we really that far along in time? I know this is basically impossible, but can you slow down with the growing please? Every morning when I (or Dayton) wake you up and say good morning, you give the sweetest smiles and it makes my day. I love waking you up and seeing those smiles and watching you stretch as soon as I let you out of your swaddle. You are such a little cuddle bug when you're not wiggling all over the place. You love snuggling your mama and mama hates putting you down. I could snuggle you all day. I do snuggle you every night, so I guess we have that! From 7:30 pm-9:30 pm, it's you and me baby boy. I've spoiled you rotten and I don't even care.

I love watching you play with your brother. I'm so glad we had you, another boy. Watching you with your brother is the sweetest thing. He loves to make you laugh and smile and now that you're babbling so much, he likes to make you "talk" to him too. Watching him talk to you is the sweetest thing. I want you to know how much your brother loves you. He's protective of you too. I know he'll beat up on you later one, so I want to tell you now how much he loves you. The other day we went to the gym and I set your car seat on the floor. Dayton stood by you and was gently rocking your car seat. A little girl walked up to just look at you. She didn't even get that close to you and your big brother put his hand out and gently pushed her away from you. It was so sweet, but I did tell him not to push and that it was okay if she looked at you. Don't forget sweet man, your big brother loves you and is protective of you. He has been since the day you were born.

I also want you to know how much your daddy loves you. It's been fun for me to watch how different your daddy is with you and your brother. He loves to make the both of you laugh, but he loves coming home to you because you smile immediately at him. You know his voice. You see him come in and follow him all around the house. It's adorable. He's much more comfortable with you because this is round number two. Don't get me wrong, he was great with your brother, but he's more comfortable with you in a way. He can make you smile and laugh faster and he loves tickling you. I can just see the wrestling matches and tickles in our future with two busy boys. You have a good daddy. I hope you can feel that already.

We love you little man. You were the piece we didn't know we were missing. We love you to the moon and back, Colton James.

Love, Mama

Three month update:

Size - Baby boy, you gained about a pound and are at 13 lb 2 oz. Mama borrowed a friend's baby scale to see where you were at. You are not quite as chubby as your brother was, but you are starting to get some rolls and your cheeks are getting a little chubbier as well.    

Words - None, but you are babbling quite a bit and giggling at us.

Activity - You, little bubba, are one wiggly baby. Your daddy has started calling you "little wiggly" because you are constantly moving. The only time you're not moving is when you're sleepy or sleeping. Even when you nurse, your arms are flailing around and your fingers are grabbing and holding onto mama's clothes. You don't love tummy time, but it's getting much better now that you can hold your head up for longer. You roll onto your side when I put you onto your back. I don't think it'll be too long before you start rolling over!

You're also chewing and drooling on everything. Teeth, maybe? Dayton got teeth early, so it would not surprise me at all. You are the smiley-est baby as well. You smile as soon as mama looks at you and you are pretty giggly too. I absolutely love watching you smile and giggle at mama. I'm also a little surprised at how ticklish you are! That's your daddy's favorite.

Food - You only drink breast milk. You eat 7 times a day every 3 hours (woo!). Right now your schedule is nurse when you wake up around 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 6:30 pm, 8:30 pm and 10 pm.

Half way through the month, we switched you over to a more "school"-like schedule.

• 6:45-7 am - wake and nurse
• 9 am - nurse
• 11-12 pm - nap
• 12 pm - nurse
• 12:30-3 pm - nap
• 3 pm - nurse
• 5-6 pm - nap
• 6 pm - nurse
• 8:30ish - nurse to bedtime

Sleep -  You are sleeping from about 9-7 am in the morning, so about 10 hours. Thank you bubba! You sleep well and I don't have to worry about you waking up. At least at this point! Some days, you wake up on your own around 7, but a lot of days, I have to wake you up around 7 to get your schedule started. I think you could easily sleep longer, but it's easier for me to get your schedule started!

Bedtime/Waketime - 

Hair - Dark brown

Eyes - Dark blue with a little bit more brown than last month

Teeth - None, but you are drooling and chewing on everything in sight!

Wardrobe - size 3-6 months

Diapers - size 2

Likes - You love to eat, play with daddy, watch your big brother, sleep in your swing, be swaddled, be worn by mama in the carrier, be in your car seat, and be where you can see what is going on.

Mama's Favorite - I love watching you watch what is going on around you. You're so curious and so intent on being able to see what is happening. If you hear a noise of any sort, you are looking to see what it is. I love your wonder and curiosity.

Pumpkin Patch

Another item on our bucket list was the pumpkin patch...one of my absolute favorites! I did a little "research" this year and found a pumpkin patch that sounded like there would be a lot to do for our busy little boy. Barn Stahl is about thirty minutes away from our house and it was worth every minute of the drive. There was a petting zoo (including a huge camel and an African porcupine), games, mazes, slides, a corn room, food, and tractor rides. It was super windy that day, so we didn't stay for too long but now we know it's there and we know how great it is and I already can't wait to take two busy boys back there next year!