Harley Man?

Well Bren has had his eye on this bike for a while, and he finally went out and got it. I never took him as a Harley man, but I guess as soon as he felt the wind in his hair, and the deep rumble of the engine, he was hooked. It's a good looking bike I think, though I haven't taken it for a spin myself yet. But Karson sure seems to love sitting on it, such a little mans  man already!

Okay, the truth is...this is our neighbors bike. Bren had never ridden one, and he let him take it for a spin around the block. He did love riding it though, so maybe there is one in our far off future... like, retired future. :) And I thought it would freak baby K out because it's so loud, but his eyes just got real big and he put his arms out for Bren to hold him, crazy kid!

Switching topics, for all of you that have kids, or grandkids, these things are AMAZING! I was in Costco last week and it was a little too close to Karsons lunch time. I grabbed a box of these pretty little things and pulled one out. They are like a little fruit smoothie, made by a company called Peter Rabbit Organics, and I am their now biggest fan. I can't believe how convenient they are, and tasty too! All I had to do was twist the little top off and he just slurped on the straw-like top. Karson loves them, and they are a great item to keep in the diaper bag for a snack on the go. They have tons of flavors, including veggie blends, yum! 

Express Yourself!

It is so cute to watch Karson learn how to make new faces. He sure loves to express himself, and I can not believe that he is eight months old. Until now I never fully understood what people meant when they said "they grow up so fast", but he really is growing so fast, too fast. That is why we really try to cherish every single moment with him. I know that one day he will be all grown up like his dad, and I wont get to hold him and munch on his yummy cheeks (a least not without him putting up a fight). I love how small he is, did I say is? I meant isn't ;-) Well he may be the size of some two year olds, but he is small to me, and I'll snuggle him as long as he lets me!

(yes those are socks..he doesn't own mittens and it was chilly out!)

               

Seeing Double

Karson absolutely loves people, especially little people like himself. That being said, it's no surprise that he also loves his reflection. It is so hilarious to watch him laugh and play in front of the mirror. It also makes me think about what twins would be like...insane! I commend all those who have them, because I think one can be a handful sometimes. Anyways, I felt bad that he kept hitting his little face so I did move him after the video, but I love how he acts so surprised when he kisses the mirror, like it's kissed him back! I figure this is cute for now...but if he does this when he's 16, we may have a bit of a problem.

ps- sorry it's small, a result of using my phone I assume..

The Grand Canyon!

A little while back we took a trip to New Mexico to visit Brenden's family. I keep giving Brenden a hard time because he has never been to the Grand Canyon!! He lived in Arizona for pete's sake! I went when I was little, and I still remembered how amazing it was. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint the second time! It's such a surreal feeling standing there at the edge, It is so massive and amazing. If you get the chance, I highly recommend going!

This is the little inn we stayed at in Williams Az, right near the Grand Canyon entrance.

I had never seen a gas pump this old in working condition. It looks like you could add some robot legs and put it in a Star Wars movie.

It was a beautiful clear day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Brenden's bday was on Wednesday, the big 28! His mom drove up from San Diego and babysat so we were able to go to dinner to celebrate. We went to a yummy place called "K'Ya Bistro" in Laguna. It was a lot of fun to have a romantic night out. My sister and her family are in town so she and her hubby were able to join us. We had a great time away, but I think we both snuck in and kissed Karson goodnight when we got home.  :)

Welcome Home Gaskins Family

Well we did it, we took the giant leap and bought a house. It was a long, stressful, whirlwind of a process, but it is FINALLY over! Thank goodness. We were both SO tired of looking at houses, and writing up offers, and are very glad to be done. Now the fun part begins. (Side note, house shopping is not nearly as glamorous as they make it seem on HGTV's Property Virgins, especially without Sandra Rinomato on your side. Love her)

As soon as I got the email from our lender saying the house was ours, I made this sign and we met Brenden in the driveway when he got home from work. Karson was obviously more into chewing my hand than anything else (his second tooth has come in by the way).

Our little home.

My favorite part, the backyard. Karson loves it too. He took a nap out on the grass while I cleaned. It backs up to a walking trail, love love love!

Anyways, call it rose covered glasses, or more just being a homeowner virgin, but this home seemed like it was in perfect condition when we first walked through. HA! Well what house is, right? Along with fixing the roof, guest shower and toilet, laundry room, sprinklers, installing new carpet, and having the whole house professionally painted top to bottom (to rid the house of pet smells), we have been spending the last two weeks on little projects ourselves, to make this home just right before the big move in. Savings? What savings? :) It will all be worth it in the end.

The other day I was there scrubbing the kitchen with my mother in law, and just couldn't stand the smell of cats any longer. We dove right in and ripped out all of the carpet (which was luckily only in the bedrooms!) It was....gross to say the least. I'm not a big fan of inside pets, especially cats, and this dreadful stench was the exact reason why. Mind you, I'm sure the previous homeowners could have been a little more, shall we say, cleanly? All in all, I was SO happy to get the old carpet out, and can't wait for the new, fresh, crispy, carpet to be installed!

It took them two days to patch the walls. I mean, who puts this many holes in their walls! Seriously?

I'll be posting pictures of the final product soon!

Five and a Half Months

Karson just keeps on growing! I can't believe how smart he is, and how quickly he catches on to things. 

 He is now 21 pounds! I can't believe it! My nephew is 2 years old and weighs SEVEN pounds more than that. There is no denying he is a big boy! After all, he IS in the 98.5 percentile for his height..so...I think he carries it well! My back is pretty sore from carrying him around, lets just say my chiropractor and I have become great friends! 

He loves to take a bath, and I guess I wasn't getting him undressed fast enough! 

He has started eating real food! I got a baby food maker (The Baby Brezza) and I absolutely love it! Not only does it give me peace of mind knowing exactly what he is eating, it saves tons of money. Last week I bought 2 sweet potatoes for 1.50, and made about 8 meals out of them. You do the math!

I think it is just crazy how small he is, and it is hard to believe one day he will be as big (maybe bigger) than his dad! They are buddies.