Action Jackson on the Run - 14.5 Months

Our Runner

We decided Jackson doesn't walk. He runs. Everywhere. All day. From sun up. To sun down. Not kidding. Wanted to include a video so you can see for yourself. He's so fast it's hard to get pictures of him.

There goes Jackson again!

Video of Jackson running

Maybe this is normal. Not sure. All I know is anyone who watches him says... THIS kid is FAST! And then they are usually sweating!

He's fun. Love him.

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Summer Fun (For Free) in Minnesota - 14 Months

Free Summer Fun

Hey there! We're just having a blast in Minnesota this summer. The sun is finally out and the weather is warm.

Stompin water and sand with my cool kicks

Our friends told us about two cool splash pad parks in Eden Prairie so we met them at Miller Park (with their adorable three girls) and played! Jackson is quite curious of water but wasn't so sure about the fountains of shooting water. I took his t-shirt off and let him run wild, but a stream of loud water hit him and that was the end of him.

Whitest kid out there

Jackson liked playing in the sand a lot (and walking in it). Must invest in a pair of sandals. And he loved playing with his new friends and chasing them around. They were GREAT with Jackson.

Jackson running around with his buddies Zoe and Kaia

The sun came out too so I think that was a big reason Jackson conked out on the way home. This happens never, so I knew he had the time of his life.

Having too much fun with mom again

We also have been taking the bike and bike cart out a lot and finding a ton of new parks. This three-level beast is one of our favorites! FREE.

Where were these parks when we were little?

I took Jackson to the Life Time Fitness pool in Savage. I didn't have to pay for him since I have a membership, so I'm not sure if this is considered FREE, but for me it is. I wasn't sure how he'd be since he freaked when the water hit him at the splash pad. The minute he set foot in the water he said, "WOW!" Followed by an "Ohhhhhhhhh!" and then a "WOW!" He splashed and ran over to the six fountains of water bubbling out of the pool and stood there forever. HE WAS SO HAPPY. I took him out for a swim and he loved that. WE BOTH had a blast. We will be doing that again for sure!!!! Can you believe that was MY first time using the pool since my membership in 2010? I guess when I workout, I mean business. Now I'm mad at myself for not utilizing such a sweet pool all these years. Time to start!! I wish I snapped a picture or two of Jackson swimming, but I needed to keep ALL EYES on Action Jackson.

We are in FULL action mode 99% of the day

Love garbage day because I can push all the recycling bins down the road and sit on them. All while looking cute.

I knew I liked my old car seat for a reason!

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Our Sports-Minded Action Jackson - 14 months

Finding Room in a Townhome with an Active Toddler

It's hard not to want to live in an actual house versus a town home with a postage stamp as a yard, but I'm trying to find the positives. One being that we have a roof over our heads, a huge bonus!! Secondly, we don't have to shovel our driveway out or have to buy a snow blower in the never ending winter months. Thirdly, we don't have to mow our lawn or go out and buy a lawn mower. And we do have more time to do other stuff (like go on 7-mile bike rides) than take care of our yard... Though I would LOVE it if we had a garden (but we do have several herbs and tomato plants growing on our deck). And we live right across the street from a grocery store and Dairy Queen, which is quite convenient.

Jackson is number 1!!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm being grateful for what we DO have? This helps when I start thinking how badly I want a house with a yard Jackson can run around in and so on. It'll all come when the timing is right, right?

ANYWAY, our little active Action Jackson loves getting his hands into everything and I have to watch him every second he's inside AND outside since cars fly through our back alleyway. I thought I'd introduce him to a bunch of sporting activities because he started to play with three kids a few houses down from ours who are renting for a couple months (their house caught on fire...scary). They gave Jackson a hockey stick and he played for an ENTIRE hour. I couldn't believe this. Hockey!?!?! He was in heaven. I couldn't believe it!!! I wish I grabbed a pic but I was too busy making sure he didn't clock anyone...

So I grabbed a pic of Jackson practicing these sports:

Soccer stud?

Working on his soccer skills!

Bend it like Beckham, baby!

Volleyball star?

Bump, set, SPIKE! Just like mom!

Tennis anyone?

Andy Roddick who? LOVE!

Broomball action?

Not mom's favorite sport...

Boxing... (ha, ha)

That's right...boxin

Mr. Cutie himself

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Our Favorite Family Activity - 14 Months

Bike Riding

So I've totally gotten use out of our BOB stroller. From running to trekking through the snow to taking it in the terrain to even traveling by plane with it, I ADORE OUR BOB. I try to find all kind of fun ways to be active with it.

Bike riding fun!! Yes, we do have helmets.

Last winter Karl bought a bike trailer off of Craigslist. AND, right around that time one of my awesome co-workers gave me a SWEET Trek bike because he wanted to get rid of all memories of his ex-girlfriend. The only bad part was his roommate took the bike out and hit a car.... Oops. It needed fixin.

Karl took it in to his mom's cousin's bike shop and it was good as new. Never before have I had such a nice bike!

As the weather keeps getting nicer (YAY!), Karl and I are getting out more and more. Even though he was on-call last week, he actually got home early one night and we hopped on our bikes, found a new trail right in our front yard and off we went.

JACKSON LOVED IT!!!!!!!! I think I loved it more!

The best part is the cart turns into a running stroller for two!! (Slow your thinking down! No two kids just yet!).

How do you stay active with your young ones?

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Done Done Done with Breastfeeding - 14 Months

Done Nursing - Bittersweet

I am done with nursing. I quit at 14 months. Why am I so bummed?

I mean, nursing is a LOT of work.

A lot.

I won't sugarcoat it.

I will also tell you it's the most amazing bonding experience.

I'm still happy:) P.S. One of my daddy's patients made this train for me.

The first time I experienced nursing I spent several LONG minutes, sometimes HOURS trying to figure it out each and EVERY time...and there were a lot of times (try 11+ times a day).

You will sweat and your neck begins to hurt, your back aches. Your nips go raw, they bleed....they scream at you in pain. Then you finish a session (success!) ONLY to do it all over again an hour or two later. Your life REVOLVES around nursing that first month (OK...Truth? Try more like the first 6 months), or until you get the hang of it. It's nuts. Then you start pumping. And you are so doggone tired that the last thing you want to do is wake up in the middle of the night to PUMP after a nurse session. But you do. And you don't know how you're doing it. You don't even know who you are anymore. A feeding machine? A milk maker?

Then you have pump parts to clean. And bottles to wash out and bags to fill with milk and label and to stack just perfectly in the freezer. Then you move those into a gallon bag and mark it up and put it in the deep freezer...and wash more pump parts and bottles. And not to mention the HUGE pump bag you have to carry to and from work every day, along with lunch and your coffee or tea... Heaven forbid the wires pop off in the parking lot. And the times you have to leave a meeting or go pump throughout the day at work. The comments people will make...You learn a different approach to working.

So yes, nursing is a lot of work.

But it's also amazing. It's between mom and baby. You learn to SLOW down. To APPRECIATE your body. Appreciate LIFE. To LOVE your body. It helps you transition into a motherly role more... Or at least it did for me. I was forced to sit down. I was forced to stop and focus on Jackson and Jackson alone. I studied him at all hours of the night. We bonded in a way nobody else will get to. There are other ways besides nursing to feel that connection, but it truly has been a special time. And in the bigger realm of things, it's only a year. I look back and I feel like that went fast. But I also look back and get nervous about having to do that ALL OVER AGAIN in the coming years... So yes, it does feel like a year, but no it doesn't. Did I clear that up? Ha.

After Jackson's first birthday, he was only nursing in the morning and night. I took away the morning nurse and kept that nighttime feeding for as long as I could. Then last Wednesday came and Jackson decided to use me as a chew toy. And the next night. And then the next. I couldn't take it anymore so I stopped. He went down just fine. We instead read books and snuggled. Then did our nightly prayers and he was out. Just like that. Since he's been born, I've let him take the lead and it's worked out great. But he is also a very strong-willed little man.

Now for me... OUCH. My right side is fine, the left...it's a bag full of marbles and huge. I just hope the pain goes away...

All I can say is I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yiiippppppeeeee!!! Now, to enjoy this summer and have a few cocktails without too many worries. Don't worry, I'll behave:)

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Father's Day Fun! - 14 months

Celebrating Father's Day

OK, getting back on track here with the blog. Father's Day. A GREAT weekend. The weather was ridiculous. As in AWESOME.

Daddy and Jackson. Buddies for life.

Dad is my hero...

My parents came up Friday. I know, you're probably wondering what are they doing up again!?!? Karl's dad has been going through a few surgeries on his knee and is unable to watch Jackson, so my parents have been coming up lots to help. Five hours up and five hours back. PHEW. We owe them a LOT! Karl's sis has been helping us out a lot too. We owe her too!!! We'd be kind of screwed without family up here.


If this doesn't just melt your heart... Pa-Pa and Jackson

We are keeping my parents BUSY! My mom even fell asleep when I was talking to her! That's how exhausted they are by the end of day... It's rough getting old!


Ahhh. Just copying daddy.

On Friday Jackson and I walked over to the liquor store where I had him pick out six craft beers for his dad. I knew Karl would LOVE this gift, and especially because the beers were hand picked by his son. We also strolled over to Wal-mart where Jackson hand picked his daddy's card. It was either between the one with pancakes on it or fishies. We got home and I hid the goods in our closet. But I made sure Jackson signed the card...and then my leg.

ANYWAY, I baked a rhubarb cake, which turned out delicious to kick off Father's Day early. My parents brought up our favorite pizza from Roscoe - Pietro's. YUM!!!

Saturday Karl and my dad went to Crate and Barrel where Karl bought a bunch of fancy drink glasses - you know what I'm talking about - the fancy square ones and special beer ones and all kinds of cool glasses. He was in heaven. Then he bought a bunch of containers from the Container Store for all the flours he buys to make his specialty pancakes on the weekends. He even made my mom gluten-free pancakes!

My mom and I went SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know...Happy Father's Day to US!!! It's been a LONG LONG LONG time since my mom and I went shopping. So long that my favorite store had moved out of Southdale over a year and a half ago!!!!!!! OMG. So embarrassed. BUT, that meant we HAD to hit up the Mall of America:) YAY! I finally own a pair of those red hot pants!

Looking for Morel Mushrooms with dad!

Sunday - the REAL Father's Day. We went on a walk, hit up the park, played with a bucket of water on the deck....took a trike ride. I went running. My brother had us over for steak spinach salads. Then we met Karl's family for dinner at Woolley's - our favorite place!! They had a deal - 50% off all steaks and FREE craft beer if you're a dad!! SCORE!

The Three Stooges

What did you do for Father's Day?

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