A Trip to the Zoo With the Boys

Today Mia was lucky enough to get to hang out with 3 cute boys at the Brookfield Zoo! We met up with Kristy and Melissa and Payton, Joey and Michael, and had a blast seeing the animals. It was also great to get to have some time to chat with Melissa and Kristy. Here are some pictures from our little excursion. You can also check out Kristy and Melissa's blog, as I'm sure they will have pictures up soon as well.

Michael, Mia, Joey, and Payton (they all look so serious!)

Mia and Joey
Mia screaming (notice all the boys looking at her silliness)

Joey and Payton

Mia screaming at Mikey

Payton

Mia screaming at the goat (notice a theme??)

Joey checking out an animal at the petting zoo

Heart for Life Run/Walk

Today was an amazing day. It was the 9th Annual Heart for Life Run, which I am proud to say I have participated in all 9 years now. I was excited this would be Mia's first year participating with us. However, the day turned out to much more special. After picking up our race numbers, I walked back to the group to see them all in purple shirts. It turns out that Pam, Kelly, and Cort with some input from Sarah and Ian and made shirts for everyone to honor my dad. On the front they said "Knuckles for Jerry" since my dad was always giving everyone knuckles, and on the back they said "In our hearts for life." They even got Mia a little shirt. It was just beautiful and amazing to continue to see such support and what an impact my dad had on so many people. I am also so lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends and family.

Our Group

Cort and I with Mia

Cort giving knuckles

Becky, Mia, Jen, Noah and Mom

The best friend in the world!

Graham and Payton
Melissa and Michael

Pam and Ryan

Aidan running the kid's race

The Anderson Family

The kids resting with their medals after the kid's run

Parent-Infant Class

Mia and I had our first Parent-Infant class at the Montessori school that my mom works at today. Mia really enjoyed herself. We were in a room that had all toys and baby-sized furniture. While there were a million things she could play with, her favorite was playing with jingle bells that were attached to a wooden handle. She also enjoyed exploring by putting everything in her mouth. After playing, Mia got to have snack with all the other kids. She was the youngest, but she still was able to sit in a little chair at the little table with all the other kids. She got to eat her favorite snack-Cherrios! Finally, Mia and I took a dip in the pool while Grandma watched. She had so much fun!

Mia playing

Snack Time

Back to the Arboretum

Yesterday Cort and I headed back to the Arboretum with Mia again. We started out by checking out Xanadu-a crazy twig sculpture. Then we walked around and Mia hung out with a cicada friend. Finally, we took a break, fed Mia, and played on a blanket.

Cort and Mia inside "Xandadu"

Xandadu
Do you see it?

Mia was not doing her usual "posing" today

She is very mad that I put her in the grass here. :)

Life is much better on a blanket

My goofball

Mia and Daddy

Today Cort celebrated his first Father's Day as a daddy. Mia is so lucky to have such a wonderful dad. I know Cort is and will be as wonderful of a dad as mine was to me. Seeing Cort with her reminds me a lot of my dad-he is just so playful like my dad. Mia just lights up when Cort is around-she knows he is the fun one to play with.

Sarah's mom was nice enough to invite us over to her pool today, so we spent the morning there relaxing. Then we headed home to meet up with Cort's parents, who were kind enough to watch Mia while we worked on some yard work. We picked the wrong day to do it though-it was so disgustingly hot outside! After that Sarah and Ian came over with Aidan and Ava to have a BBQ with Cort's parents.

Mia floating in the raft

With Daddy

Happy Father's Day

Catch-Up

I have been a bit of a slacker the last week or so and haven't updated. School ended, so I have been busy enjoying my Mia. We have hit the waterpark twice, went to the Arboretum with Ava, had a garage sale, and have been going on lots of runs and walks. I am so happy it is summer! Here are a couple random pictures of Mia

Enjoying eating grass

Checking out a cicada

Sitting in the flowers at the Arboretum

Visiting with Auntie Ness

Annoying Zip

More Milestones

The past couple of days have seen Mia hitting some new milestones. First off, she is still not really happy to bear weight on her legs. But we got her a Leap Frog Learning Table and she has been a little more agreeable to it. Unfortunately, I think she is just stubborn and will do things when she wants to or when it is advantageous to her. Case in point-the last couple of times I have gone in her room in the morning or after naps to go get her, she is standing up in her crib, peering out. We lowered the crib tonight because we were afraid she was going to topple out. Crazy girl!

Although Mia has been sitting up for awhile, she hasn't been able to get herself into a sitting position until just the other day. Now it's like she's been doing it her whole life. Mia has also started to wave goodbye. Whenever we are someone else is leaving, I always take her arm and wave it goodbye. Yesterday though when we were leaving Sarah and Ian's, we were saying bye to Mike and Tonya and she did it by herself. The funny part is that she gets confused and sometimes when we say to wave, she claps instead. :) Also, her new word/sound of choice is "Wow!

Mia checking out the world outside her crib

Good morning!
Mia's new learning table

Noah's Birthday

I can't believe it, but my nephew Noah is going to be turning 1 this week. A year ago he was born, just a little over 3 pounds, and now he is such a big boy and doing so great! Here are some pictures from his birthday party this weekend.

Noah with Grandma

Jen with her nephew Stefan
Aunt Cathy with Noah

Noah with Aunt Cathy and his Great Grandpa

Noah playing

Trying out the cake

Opening Gifts