Colorado - A Photo Journey

Our two week trip to Colorado was great. We had fun visiting with friends and family and seeing real mountains for the first time since last August. We would have loved to visit everyone but quickly realized that would be impossible. We did make our rounds around Denver and loved the fresh Colorado air. We will try to catch more people next time.

Grandpa J picked us up at the airport and was a big help at baggage claim. 2 kids, 2 bags, 2 car seats, 1 stroller, 1 diaper bag, 1 tired Mommy and all the little extras were a little much for us to handle on our own. Thanks Grandpa!

Okay, this is a HUGE post with nearly one million photos! Enjoy!

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Here Grandpa J gets reacquainted with Axel...Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Mommy & Axel getting ready to take Lucas to the park.
Here's our big boy Axel at 6 weeks old...can you believe that?! 6 weeks!
Anyone who knows my father will understand this photo...The Lecture! :) Love you Dad!
Lucas learned all about how to water Grandpa's plants. This was a dream come true after waiting all winter to use sprinklers and sprayers.
Note: Grandpa J had a few not-so-friendly freckles removed from his face and is sporting the bandage aftermath.
Oh, it's Heaven for this little boy!
Lucas had a few requests when we told him we were going to Colorado. "Can we go to REI?"

Lucas was very disappointed to learn that there are no REI's in Ohio. We made a few trips to visit all his old favorites in the camping section: stoves, coffee makers and lanterns were a must see!

We had a wonderful lunch with our dear friends Darcy & Dave. Boy, we have missed you two!! It was so fun to see them and what a treat to eat at Cheeky Monks (Belgian Brew Pub) in downtown Denver. Delicious!

Darcy & Mr. I-Don't-Like-The-Camera Lucas
Darcy and Janelle (sisters since birth)...I'm the big sister being a year older! :) HA! Love you Darc!
Dave & Darcy...check out their website when you can. They're adopting!! YAHOO!
Back to Grandma & Grandpa's house for a little relaxing.

Big smiles!
Like I said, BIG SMILES! Yep, Axel broke out his smile on many occasions. It's so fun to watch babies grow learn and finally respond to you visually. We'll keep him!
Axel, Mommy & Lucas...We sure missed you Daddy!
I bet Daddy missed us too. He also missed Grandpa's super grillin' skills. Mmmmm...RIBS!!
Lucas ate and ate and ate some more! Who would of known this boy could eat so much?!
Do you see how good these taste?
We took a quick trip to Loveland to the train park. Unfortunately, the train was tucked away for winter but the playground toys were a hit and so was the train track. Lucas ran around the entire track 4 times!

Mommy & Axel enjoying the sun and warm weather.
Grandpa giving Lucas a hand.
Lucas doing it all by himself.
Cozy night in Grandpa's arms.
Don't forget about Grandma too. She hates having her photo taken but we snuck in a few! :)

We all had a laugh with Axel's response to Grandma's expressions...
Mr. Bug Eyes! Free entertainment.
So handsome!
We even made a visit to Grandpa's work so he could show off the new grand kid. Lucas made out pretty well too getting special treats in the office.
We headed to Aunt Kate's house for a fun sleep over. Kate's so cool! She let Lucas jump on her bed, soooo fun!
Kate and Axel getting to know each other.
Mommy was no longer needed and it was Kate's turn to read books. Kendall, Kate's sister, was a big hit for Lucas too. They played soccer and ran around outside. Lucas was flirting the entire time and was so busy...so was Mommy, she didn't get a photo of Kendall...sorry!We had a great visit with my old college roommate, Michelle. Meeting at a coffee shop was a good deal for everyone. Lucas watched and learned all about the coffee makers, steamers, whipped cream and carmel toppers. We had our girly talk.Michelle's phone was probably the highlight. That and going to Home Depot to pretend ride the riding lawn mowers while Mommy & Michelle caught up. :)THE BLIZZARD!
Colorado is DRY! However, we were there to witness the first good Spring snow they've had this year. It was a full on blizzard the day before we were supposed to fly out. So, we delayed our flight two days and enjoyed the warm sunny weather out in the snow and extra days with Grandma & Grandpa.

Storm coming in.
Staying warm and cozy inside.
Grandpa & Grandma got to come home early and spend the afternoon with us.
The next day was so gorgeous and the snow was tasty...Lucas tested it all out. Apple juice snow cones were a must!

We went for a walk and Lucas sang "Baa-baa Black Sheep" at the top of his lungs! He was one happy boy!
Tasty snow!
My little angel's angel. :)
If only we had our skis!
Axel had a few poo blow outs and after this one, we decide to capture what he's been working on for 6 weeks! HIS BELLY! Boy oh boy do I love that belly!
Okay, I just love my boys!!
Check out that profile...nice round head...so sweet!
Due to our delay in going home, we were able to go to Christy's (another old college roommate) home. Our roommate Jana made the trip up and it was so fun to catch up and watch the kids play and "share" tpgether.

Christy's son, Wes and his ketchup too.
Neighbor Nat.
Lucas too!
Don't forget about Jana & Jewel (11mo).There's Christy!

Uncle Micah & Axel
And Lucas too. He sure does love Uncle Micah!
Here's Grandma again. So many smiles...
and giggles too.
Eventually, everyone was all tuckered out!
What a great trip!!!

My little airplane angels! This was the diaper changing position!
We had such a wonderful time. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU GRANDMA AND GRANDPA JAKULEWICZ. Thank you so much for all your help and love and hugs and cuddles! See you soon.

Back to Ohio

We made it back to Ohio safe and sound after a few extra days in Colorado because of the blizzard. It was great to spend extra time with my parents. The boys were AWESOME (again!) on the plane and shocked all the passengers around us. I was so proud and thankful!

I have a million photos and fun stories to share but will get to that when things mellow out. We are all trying to get used to being home and back on Eastern time. Poor Lucas went to preschool this morning looking like a zombie but seemed pretty happy to go.

More to come...

What Lucas Thinks of His Parents

We are weathering the Denver blizzard and have actually postponed our flight until Sunday to avoid total craziness at the airport today. It was a crazy storm and we were happy to be inside a warm cozy house. The snow sure is beautiful but it's hard to enjoy with freezing temps. However, this weekend should be beautiful!

Anyways, I had a few minutes and read my friends blog this morning. Amy had a cute post on asking questions to her 2 year old about herself. I decided to give it a try. Many of you have seen this list of questions on other blogs or facebook recently. Basically, you ask your child the questions and get some telling, and often humorous, answers. It turned out to be pretty fun. Here's what Lucas thinks of his Mommy and Daddy (Axel had no comment but one big poo...mmm, what does that mean?)...

Mommy Questions:

1. What is something mom always says to you? make sure you're not crying when I'm on the phone

2. What makes mom happy? when I don't whine and cry

3. How old is your mom? how old are you?...you know mommy...I'm three...you're nine zero!

4. What does your mom do when you're not around? goes to a meeting

5. What is your mom really good at? coloring new letters

6. What does your mom do for a job? work, work at home

7. What is your mom's favorite food? tamales

8. What do you and your mom like to do together? go to places

9. What does your mom like best about your dad? I don't know...cause he's nice

10. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? dinosaur store with lots of dinosaurs

Daddy Questions:

1. What is something dad always says to you? to giggle around while climbing

2. What makes dad happy? playing with him

3. How old is your dad? how old is he?...you know mommy...three nine

4. What does your dad do when you're not around? work at his school

5. What is your dad really good at? teaching me how to ice skate...he likes to climb

6. What does your dad do for a job? work

7. What is your dad's favorite food? chicken

8. What do you and your dad like to do together? play Go Fish

9. What does your dad like best about your mom? I don't know...dancing with you

10. Where is your dad's favorite place to go? swimming

Too Fun!

Colorado

Yes, the blog has been a little quiet this past week.

The reason? SPRING BREAK!

Daddy is on a much needed Spring Break climbing trip with his brother after a very busy end to his school quarter. Mommy, Lucas and Axel are in Colorado visiting Grandma and Grandpa Jakulewicz for 10 days! I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with family and friends in Colorado. I do wish I could visit everyone but it would just get too crazy. Sorry to all our friends who we can't see this visit. We miss you!

I'm sure you're wondering about the plane ride with a 3 1/2 year old and a 5 week old. I'm happy to announce that we had the best trip ever and I couldn't have asked for a better flight. I'm so proud of my boys, they did awesome!

The biggest challenge was getting 2 bags, 2 carseats, a stroller, a diaper bag, oh yeah, and 2 kids checked in. Keep in mind, this was after me going to the store to buy snacks, forgetting my wallet in the car, going back in to pay and leaving all the snacks at the store, only to realize it after returning home. Luckliy, Kristina helped us get to the airport and double checked that I remembered not only my wallet but my two kids too! (Thanks Kristina)

After checking our bags, Axel slept in the Baby Bjorn and Lucas got a free stroller ride to the gate. You know how it goes, we got all sorts of looks in the terminal and I'm sure many people were hoping they didn't have to sit next to the lady with a toddler and newborn. Little did they know that my boys ROCK! :)

Axel woke up to eat on take off, poo and slept the entire flight until landing when we repeated the eat/poo process. Lucas sprawled out (we had three seats to ourselves because the plane was under booked...when does that ever happen?) . He had two seats and kept himself busy telling stories and playing with whatever he could find. Not a peep out of either of them. The extra seat was a perfect diaper changing spot too!

Not until about 20 minutes from landing did anyone bother to talk to us. Now they want to be nice! People are funny and I guess I can't blame them...I was a little nervous too!

It was a treat for sure and made my life way easy. I know we still have another flight so that could be a whole different story but I'll take what I can. Positive thoughts for part two.

Catching Up

Today, I realized that I'm a little behind in my blog posts. I guess that's part of life with a newborn, time goes by and you really haven't done much. :) Okay, that's not a fair statement because having a newborn is hardly "not doing much!" I'm just not doing much of the things I used to be doing. :)

I digress...

So, today is Catch Up Day! Enjoy the photos and thoughts.

Baking bread has been really fun for me. Sometimes successful and sometimes not...just ask Mike after my Turkish (hard as a rock) flatbread that showed up on the dinner table and then took a quick dive in the dumpster.

Here's a success...
Yummy Challah Bread. I'll have to get the recipe posted but that might not happen today.
We bought some bagels the other day which have quickly turned hard despite putting them in the freezer to preserve. This morning I woke up around 5am with Axel and had an "ah-ha" moment...I could make baby french toast out of those dry bagels! It was a huge hit for Lucas and was so tasty too! I was very impressed with my new creation.

Axel had a smile the other day and this one occurred when he was looking at Daddy. Of course, once the camera was out, the smile was gone. We're still not sure if it was technically a "real" smile but will take what we can get.
Now he's looking at his Mommy...or probably the big camera flash! Either way, it's exciting to know that smiles and looking at all of us is just around the corner.
Here's Daddy and his boys. Puzzle time for Lucas, ceiling fan time for Axel and multi-tasking time for Daddy. Mommy was so proud of her boys.
Our friend Kristina had a birthday last Sunday so we celebrated with a tasty brunch. Here's part of the gang...Janelle, Lucas, Kristina, Mike and Axel.
The other part of the gang, Jill and Amy.
Lucas has figured out that birthdays are fun even if they aren't his. It's cupcake time! We woke up somewhat early to bake these and Lucas was in charge of the frosting and tasting too. Oh, we didn't forget the card either...Lucas-made with stickers and all. He loves cutting out hearts ever since Valentine's Day.
Such a big helper!
Axel celebrating in his own way.
Two weeks ago, Mike gave a slide show at our local climbing gym, Urban Krag. He showed a few movies and lots of photos of his glory days climbing in Zion National Park, Utah. It was a good turn out and the boys cooperated...for the most part. :)

Mr. Serious getting ready...
and his fan club eagerly waiting. Lucas was thrilled to get to use his little green chair and sit with the big kids. He wants nothing to do with the camera most of the time...little stinker!
Here's Axel checking out his favorite window...

and here he is losing interest in the window.
"WHERE'S THE BOOBIE?"
Axel post boobie...so happy now.
Lucas and Axel getting to know each other. This is so fun to watch!
Look at that belly!
Just content.
I love my family!!!!

One Month Old?!

Oh my, has it really been a whole month with Axel in our home?

Can he really be a month old?

Did I make it a whole month with less than normal sleep?

Has Lucas been a big brother that long?

Did Daddy really miss out on changing all those diapers while attending class? :)

The answer is YES!

Happy "Month Old" Birthday Axel. WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

I can already tell you will be I'll grown up before I know it. Please slow down just a little. :)




If I really do have a month old baby, that means I also have a 3 1/2 year old "big boy" too!

Lucas, you have been a wonderful big brother to Axel. Thank you for your extra help and patience while we all get adjusted to a new life. WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

Adventure is My Middle Name

Leave it up to our friend Kristina to find a wonderful, Adventure Perfect gift. Now keep in mind, Kristina is supposed to be finishing her Masters Degree Thesis. Instead, she has been surfing the Internet and finding more ways to procrastinate! We must be related, I'm pretty good at procrastination too. I'm also good at being a hypocrite..."Get back to work crazy lady!" :)

I have to admit, we are glad she's such a procrastinator. She found four great baby outfits for our little Adventure Bug!

1. "Life is an Adventure"
2. "I Climb Oregon"
3. "Adventure Brat"
4. "Rock Climber by Day, Deadly Ninja by Night"
Have no fear, Kristina would never forget Lucas who absolutely adores her! She found a perfect shirt for him too, although, I think he was a little disappointed her present was not a cool toy or kitchen appliance. :)

The front:
The back:
THANK YOU KRISTINA!

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone else who has sent thoughts, prayers, dinners, cards and gifts. We truly appreciate it!

AXEL UPDATE:
He is doing great and I'm amazed at how fast these little critters grow and develop. He had his two week check up last week and weighed in at 9lbs 13oz and is in the 74% on the baby charts. A little different from Lucas who never officially made it on the chart until he was over two years old. Looks like we have a big boy on our hands!

That famous TUMMY TIME, such a strong boy.
Oh, but it's so much work too! He opted just to lay his head down and watch everything going on in our busy and messy living room.