Welcome Back, Happy Baby.

Forty-eight hours. That's about how long we had a sick little baby on our hands. And with no medicine able to help this little virus, it was not a very fun two days. We tried to sleep, tried to eat, and watched the same episode of Sesame Street six times. And forty-eight hours later, my happy little baby returned...



Yes, it is August, but we scooted outside at 7:00 this morning when the weather was surprisingly cool. Jacob's great-grandma made several of the cutest hats I have ever seen and it just didn't do them justice pairing them with some shorts and a t-shirt. Hello, perfect opportunity to try on some new fall clothes.



The Verdict? Crazy cute.



Next up? A breakfast outing with a buddy. And these two little men did quite well eating up their french toast and fruit so that their mommas could enjoy some breakfast as well.



And during this little breakfast date, I couldn't help but think how grown up my littlest one is.



In fact, today he is officially eighteen-months.



And when bellies were full, we headed over to the play area in the mall for some real, run-around-until-you-are-sleepy-enough-for-a-nice-long-nap fun.



And aside from the fact that I initially cringed at how many germs were on this mall play equipment and my momma friend told me to get over it, we had great fun.





Little man can really jump!







Happy eighteen-month birthday, baby. Momma is so glad that your gorgeous smile is back and you are feeling more like your happy little self.

Summer Lovin'

Camps are over and all the kiddies are getting ready to go back to school.... us? Well, we are still soaking up the last few weeks of summer.

And what we are loving about summer right now....

Birthday celebrations. TWO birthday celebrations for two little lovebirds about to walk down the aisle in a few short months.



Casual Birthday Celebrations. Or so says my mom. Until we walk into this spectacularly set table and thanksgiving dinner. And not just your everyday turkey and dressing. Mom had all that and the sweet potatoes, twice baked potatoes (a Linzaloo favorite), and more....



Guitar time with Pops. Sometimes they play songs we know and sometimes he makes up the words as he goes, singing about anything and everything that comes to his mind. Occasionally, these lyrics have us laughing hysterically and other times, I find myself just thinking what an awesome person Pops (Daddy-o to me) really is.







Yaya Time. One of the only times Jacob will not immediately come to me occurs when he is with his Yaya. He will cling to her hip, shake his head, and hold on tight. I pretend to care... but only for a moment. Because how could this much love be a bad thing?





Poppy (Great-grandfather) Time. When I look back at these photographs, I am continually reminded of how good we have it. Jacob has two parents, four grandparents, three great-grandparents, and a billion other aunts, uncles, and cousins that surround him with love and laughter and all things good. And he just soaks it all right up... and then gives all that love right back.



The Box. Oh no, not just any cardboard box. This is the same box from The Berenstain Bear's book Inside, Outside, Upside Down, made especially by Yaya for her grandsons.





The Binky Debate. To take away or to let them stay? And then I decided there would be no debating this one for a bit. He's only seventeen months...



Being Hot, Sweet, and Sticky for just a Few More Weeks. Love, love this child. I love the way the way the popsicles are still so sweet to him because he is not used to having sweets...



...those crazy, adorable expressions he gives all throughout the day.



...the way he searches the sky for airplanes or birds or bugs or anything else flying up high.



....that little finger that points to everything. Dis, dis?, dat!, he says, absorbing all of the names of things we tell him.



.....and while I love the way Jacob looks in this one, I love how our sweet fourteen-year-old puppy Onyx looks like she is going to tear someone's head off in this picture.



....love that belly, those little hands, and everything else this little one has to offer. Life's about as sweet as it can possibly be and I can't think of a better way I'd rather be.

Hello again, Chicago.

To top off our last trip of the summer... a visit to Phil's brother and sister-in-law.



No visit is quite complete without a Cards-Cubs ballgame. The icing on the cake? We were only eight rows from the field. The little ones lasted until the sixth inning, but we are confident that our support drove the Cards to pull a big win in extra innings.



And if you were worried, don't be. Even though they live in Chicago, they're still good ol' Cards fans.



Jacob's second visit to Wrigley Field. What a lucky kid.



And since these two don't see each other all too often, we certainly love to capture all of these little moments.... Like bringing in bubbles to try and get both of them to look up and giggle at the camera.





Mission failed.



Adorable, yes. Perfectly posed, not quite.



I did manage to capture some good ones...





The kind that I know I will look back on ten years from now and think to myself, remember when they were that little?



Remember how they just wanted to explore everything and get into everything and understand it all?





These are the days to remember...

The Good Life.

I'm not a cook (we already knew that), but lately I'm thinking that I've got the perfect recipe for life. To kick things off, ice cold Starbucks coffee... which kicked off our day and our drive up to Milwaukee to visit some friends.



Add in a growing little one that timed his naps perfectly with our road expeditions. This also marked the last ride that those little chunky feet would hit the back of that seat because, Little Man is growing tall quickly and it was time to turn the car seat around.



Mix everything up with a longtime college buddy of Philip's. And there's not many things cuter than seeing two good buddies together than seeing them together with their own little boys.



And for an even sweeter trip? Throw in your little friend's naked bottom on his new birthday present.





And if the worm wasn't adorable with one little lad, pop them both on and see how much fun you can have... or not.



And just when you think things can't get tastier... you start looking towards the future, wondering how it will all turn out. Will little boys grow up to be buds like their dads?





Will your friend's gorgeous new addition have her own new little friend?



One thing I know is true. When you mix up family and friends and a whole lot of love, you've got nothing but good things coming your way....



Sometimes these good things come in the form of your little one sneaking away with his plate and cup and making himself comfortable on his own little chair.



And smiling like crazy when he knows Momma caught him.



When life is this good, it's hard not to cheer.



Details of our last stop of the road trip coming soon....

Coming Back (Soon)!

Between these mini shoots and being the guest photographer this weekend, I've had little time to do much else. And when there is a free moment, I've been soaking up some time with this little guy...



When this weekend is over, life will slow down a bit... and I'll finally be able to complete our out-of-town adventures and updates.... lots to come!

Happy Weekend!