{8 months}

Jake just hit the 8 month mark last week! He's got the army crawl down great and it's so fun to watch him move around! Definitely trying to baby proof---he keeps proving he can get into more and more that we realize we need to put away or move higher! Jake's favorite toy is still his little blue and green car that grandma g. bought him. He laughs and smiles whenever he hears the squeaky wheels. He is constantly making me laugh and smile! I love seeing his little personality come out more and more each day.

We've been getting back in the swing of things since getting back from Texas. Travis started school this week and Jake and I have been busy getting things done around the house and playing with friends. Karlee was nice enough to treat me to a Krispy Kreme doughnut for my birthday. We walked there and the kiddos crashed by the end of the walk. And Jake and Lelia's reunion after not seeing each other for a month was classic! Lelia was so sweet and Jake was a little upset.

Jake discovered a love for swinging at a really great park the other day about 5 minutes from our house. I'm so excited to keep going back to that one! We are looking forward to cooler weather in the fall. It has been really hot here the last couple of weeks!

{texas}

We are headed to Washington this year for Christmas and are staying in North Carolina for Thanksgiving, so a trip to Texas this summer was in order! My brother and sister were also in town from BYU and we all had such a great time together.

Flying with a baby scared me to death, but luckily Jake exceeded expectations. Of course it was a work out and we were exhausted by the end of it, but I'm just so glad Travis was with me! I admire all those mamas out there who can fly solo with kids! Naturally, Jake pooped on 3 out of 4 of our total flights. One of them was thankfully at the end of the flight since it started going up his back. Those airplane bathrooms get 100 times smaller when you're using the changing table in there. Other than the diaper changes it was pretty smooth flying there and back.

The day after we arrived in Texas, we all headed to Schlitterbahn and spent the day having fun at the water park. My parents rented a cabana so we had a great shaded area with a grill. My dad grilled hamburgers for lunch and delicious chicken and grilled pineapple and veggies for dinner. With of course delicious snacks to go along! We ate like kings the whole week. We all had a blast on the water slides and we all managed to get away without sunburns. Jake loved the water too.

We stated at a hotel that night then woke up and the boys went kayaking down the Guadalupe River while the girls {plus Jake} shopped at a huge outlet mall. The boys also went to a movie since they couldn't stand shopping. Once we were back in College Station, the boys did a lot of soccer playing, golfing, movies. They also went to the Houston temple. And my brother had his court of honor! Nate couldn't find a neckerchief slide with his scout uniform, so he grabbed a binki to use until mom came to the rescue with something a little better. Very creative though!

All of my siblings were so great with Jake and I hardly had to do anything but nurse him! I had personal nannies all day long. It was great. Makell taught Jake how to self-feed himself finger foods like cheerios too.

Our adopted grandpa, David Braziel cooked us delicious fajitas, we got to see some great friends, and we went to the Bluebell ice cream factory too. It was a packed week full of fun and I think the highlight was when we all sat in the family room and talked and laughed for hours, predicting the future for my siblings and watching old family videos. Just like old times! Thanks mom and dad for a fabulous trip!

{dad's old shoes & story time}

Last night we were headed out the door and Travis thought to put some shoes on Jake. They happened to be his own from when he was a baby! I'm so glad Travis' mom saved them. They are the cutest shoes! I also had to document one of Jake's favorite times of the day---story time before bedtime. I usually let him hold, chew, and play with the books for a bit and then I read a couple to him. His favorite is the book "Say Moo" and his facial expressions are priceless. He gets so excited while listening and he fusses when the book is over! He also loves to scoot to his sound machine. I also wanted to get a picture of his scars on his head from the skin openings he had when he was born. His hair will definitely cover them someday but for now the bit of hair he does have back there just sticks straight up. I can't believe he'll be 8 months old next week. 8 months! What in the world!