Evergreen State Fair

We made it to the last day of the Evergreen State Fair. We are on a budget, so we just walked around and explored the grounds. We showed Jace all the animals (he was much more interested in watching all of the people), smelled all the delicious fair food, and marveled at the bravery of those reckless souls standing in line to ride the carnival rides. I've never trusted portable roller coasters. If it wasn't standing there a few weeks ago, I won't ride it. But it made us excited to take JJ to Disneyland next year with all of his cousins. Everything is that much more exciting and novel when you get to experience it with a little one. Colt has never been, and he's a bit cynical about how much he will enjoy it. But I think he's in for a treat. 

7 Months

Oh my little Jace-Man,

You are seven months old today. Everyone says big changes are just around the corner, and I am already getting glimpses as you hold onto my fingers and pull yourself up to a stand all by yourself, or when you reach for something and lean so far over that you're almost on your hands and knees. Soon the era of "immobile baby" will be a thing of the past, and I'll have a curious little mover. I'm so excited for those changes, but at the same time, I'm not sure I'm ready. You're growing up so fast, and based on how hard and fast you kick those chubby little legs when we pick you up, I think you're going to be pretty swift of foot. 

You are doing so many new things. You can pull yourself to a stand, and are so close to realizing that you can support yourself on all fours, although you immediately push your knees out straight when Dad or I let go of you. You know your name and love to play "Where's Jace?" and "Peek-a-Boo." It's been so neat to see you learn who you are and start to purposefully play games with us. You connect your roll-overs and can cover a respectable amount of surface area in a short period of time, but only when you're in the mood. Most of the time you're perfectly content to stay where you are. You've become a side/tummy sleeper, and we had to take your lovey away, because you liked to bury your face into it during the night. You play pass with your tiny basketball, and hate having your face and hands wiped. It's quite the crisis. You've also started to reach a little for me when I come to pick you up, and monkey and pig noises never fail to make you laugh.

You have funny little quirks, like crossing your ankles when you eat, and making "The Grudge" noise when you are super relaxed and trying to soothe yourself to sleep. You also love to practice putting your own bink in your mouth while you're trying to take a nap, but your aim is a bit off so you usually fall asleep while chewing on the outside of the paci. You stick your tongue out all the time, and you've started to give lovely (and slobbery) open-mouth kisses. That might be my favorite trick of yours to date. 

You are a blast to hang out with. Sure, sometimes you're a bit of a fussy-pants, but there's usually a reason, even though it can take a minute before Dad and I identify that reason (sorry about that). But you are my little buddy, and we go everywhere together. You love to dance with me, and you love acoustic guitar. You smile at strangers and make new friends wherever we go. When you laugh hard, you start to snort, which basically means we were meant for each other. You are obsessed with watching me drink soda, and seize every opportunity to grab the bottle and try and take a swig or two yourself. One day, son. But not today. 

As much as I look forward to bedtime and a couple hours to myself, I look forward just as much to when you wake up at 6:00 am and I get to come get you and bring you back to bed to snuggle for an hour or two before we're fully awake for the day. You love an adventure, and are completely content in your pack when we go hiking. We took you inside Cabela's last weekend, and you had the biggest smile on your face from the moment we walked inside to our eventual exit. You grinned at every person who walked by, even if they didn't pay you the slightest bit of attention. You loved it in there, and we loved taking you. It's so fun to show you new things, and figure out what makes you happy.

You've made Dad and I more adventurous, more willing to take certain risks and less inclined to take others (no more 100 mph rides on that motorcycle, right Colt?). You bring laughter and smiles, silly voices and piggy faces, sloppy kisses and early mornings, and endless amounts of joy to our hearts and to our home. It's never easy, but it's worth it.

 You won't be my baby forever, but I hope you are always curious, always adventurous, that you remain sweet and friendly and strong and observant and determined and wonderful. We love you, little man.

Love, Mama

Lake 22

This last Saturday, we stuck JJ in his Poco Pack and headed up the mountains to hike Lake 22. The trail was steep, the views were breathtakingly beautiful, and the company was pretty rad, too. I love these adventures with my boys.

The Clock On The Wall Has Been Stuck At Three For Days, And Days

Sometimes being a mom is hard. Rewarding, joyful, life-changing, absolutely. But also, difficult. In our house these days, it's particularly hard to be a mom (or dad) between the hours of 3 and 5 am. 

We've been tweeking and changing various aspects of Jace's routine slightly to see if it helps him stay asleep, and it at first appears to work. The little angel sleeps through the night! But, we've learned, it's merely a cruel psychological ploy to wreak havoc on our increasingly fragile sanity. Because when we do exactly the same thing the following night, he returns to waking around 3 and cries until 5. What the cuss?! I know I shouldn't be complaining because an 8 hour stretch at night is awesome (knock wood). Good job Jace! But waking up at 3 and screaming for two hours isn't ideal, am I right? 

I try and tell myself it's just a phase and eventually, one day, he'll sleep more consistently. Then I feel guilty for wishing these days away, because they are short and soon he won't be my baby anymore. And then I feel sort of ashamed, because it's my fault he isn't sleeping. I must not be doing something right; there's something I'm missing. I've discovered this weird quirk in myself that I didn't know existed until Jace was born: for some reason, I associate good sleeping with good mothering. If Jace isn't sleeping through the night when the doctor says he is old enough to be doing so, I just must not be doing this whole mom-thing very well. Is it just me, or do all moms experience this frustration-guilt-self doubt cycle?

However, he generally wakes up in the morning happy as a clam at high tide. So at least there's that. And those smiles. And those blue eyes....and chubby legs... and giggles.

There's that. 

Conquering Lake Washington

Clearly, I cannot keep my eyes open if there is a speck of sunlight. It's the Oregonian in me.

My parents gave us a date night for Colt's birthday present, so we decided to go kayaking on Lake Washington. It was a blast! We paddled around and looked at the beautiful lake houses on shore, then drifted towards the middle of the lake and just floated, watched the water airplanes take off and land, and chased the wakes from the boats driving nearby. It was a gorgeous day and we had so much fun. Colt was sitting in the back and he took most of the pictures, so there aren't too many of him. Which is a shame, because he looks mighty fine in a life jacket. 

Life is so much better with Jace, and we wouldn't have it any other way, but it was nice to get out by ourselves and spend a few hours alone together. Turns out, I'm still kind of funny, Colt's still good at flirting with me, and we still like each other. :)

Thanks for the great gift, mom and dad! Love you guys!

Colt's Birthday Present

Haha! It was terribly bright.

Colt has always been fascinated with helicopters, and harbors a secret fancy of getting his pilot's license. So, for his birthday/Father's Day present, I scheduled him for a helicopter demo-flight at a local flight school. He was given a few instructions and some information about the helicopter, then he got inside with a certified pilot and was able to fly the helicopter himself! My parents were in town for the weekend, so they were able to come with Jace and I to watch Colt take-off. It was SO cool! I was a little nervous at first, but as we watched the blades start to spin and the helicopter lifted off the ground, I couldn't help literally jumping up and down with excitement as I snapped a million pictures. I was pretty sure Colt would like his gift, but I didn't expect to get so excited myself just watching from the tarmac! 

Colt is a pretty easy-going guy, and he's generally not one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. It can be hard to tell when he's happy, or sad, or excited, etc. But today was different. Before we left, he kept telling me how much he was looking forward to his present, and the smile still hasn't left his face. I hesitate to use the word "cute" when referring to my manly husband, but he was like a giddy little boy.  I love making him so happy. :) 

Hole in one, Mrs. Plessman. Hole. In. One.

28

In honor of his 28th birthday, here is a list of 28 fun facts about this gent:

1. Born in Casper, Wyoming.

2. Middle name: Will.I.Am (just William, actually), after his dad.

3. Motorcycle enthusiast.

4. He is the antithesis of a night owl. He'd be delighted if we were in bed by 7:30 pm every night.

5. Colt HATES to be tickled, but he isn't the least bit shy about dishing it out.

6. Summer is his favorite season.

7. He has the loudest, greatest laugh I have ever heard.

8. Served his LDS mission in Holland, and speaks Dutch. 

9. He hates picking the movie.

10. He takes such good care of his things. His truck is 16 years old and in mint condish.

11. Colt almost never remembers his dreams, except for one, in which he was a cowboy in a Shark Rodeo. It was exactly what it sounds like. Yeehaw!

12. Refuses to eat: pickles, S'mores, olives, salt and vinegar potato chips, and seafood of any kind. Additionally, due to a bout of food poisoning and an untimely case of the stomach flu, he has not eaten ribs since 2008, and has not touched a bowl of Cheerios since 2011 (I was a witness to that one). He actually hated salsa too, until after his mission. Now he will choose chips and salsa over just about any dessert or treat.

13. He is a teensy bit OCD. ;)

14. The 4th of July is Colt's favorite holiday, and Halloween is his least favorite.

15. He loves to be outside, whether he's camping, hiking, or just sitting on the porch.

16. Growing up, his favorite T.V. shows were MacGyver (heh heh) and Seinfeld. Now we mostly watch a lot of Andy Griffith and Parks and Rec re-runs.

17. He used to have a bowl cut and a Batman bike. Baby Colton was a treat-and-a-half.

18. He never eats cookie dough or raw batter of any kind. More for me!

19. He prefers to "use the terms we all know and love."

20. Whenever we wrastle, he uses his head to ward me off. It's an unusual, albeit effective, tactical move.

21. He is the youngest of four kids. He has three older sisters, and no brothers. Because of this, he's super understanding about the ridiculous amount of money a girl must pay for a decent-fitting pair of jeans.

22. He is an excellent soccer player. Actually, he is a talented athlete in general. For someone who hates to run, he's quite fast.

23. He has freckles on the tops of his ears, and one on the side of his toe.

24. He is a whiz on the grill, and makes rather tasty scrambled eggs, although he struggles to order his eggs accurately in a restaurant (see #19). 

25. He cuts his own hair.

26. Is devastatingly attractive, even first thing in the morning.

27. Colt always has a cup of ice water sitting on the kitchen counter. He gets himself a glass as soon as he walks in the door, re-fills it periodically throughout the evening, and then it sits out until he leaves for work the next morning. He is rather particular about his cup of water; he gets a little irritated if I move it, and he always, always knows when I've taken a drink. It's cute.
28. He is a truly spectacular husband and father. 

And one more, for luck:

29. He is absolutely adored by his lady and a certain tiny blonde boy.

Happy Birthday, buddy! Sometimes it makes me a little sad that I missed out on your first 23 years. Thanks for letting me tag along for the rest! Love you more than all the stars in the sky and the fish in the sea. ❤️