State Fair

Last Saturday, we went up to the Iowa State Fair, to see our Niece McKenna compete in a Gymnastics competition. We also wanted to go to show Payton all of the animals because he loves animals! The first thing we did when we got there was watch McKenna compete. She did such an awesome job! She is 4 years old and she placed 2nd in her class or division. I believe there were about 50 girls competing so 2nd is really good!! She was pretty proud of herself and so were we!

After the gymnastics competition I have no pictures. I'm sure you're wondering, why? Well, I decided it would be a good idea to leave the camera bag with both cameras in it on top of our stroller and somewhere along the way while we were walking it must have fallen off. When I realized they were gone, of course I panicked!! Then I cried, I had his first haircut pictures on the camera and video of some of his first steps, I was so sad that I might not be able to have those back!! Corey and his brother went to all of the administration offices and the lost & found to see if anyone had turned them in but no one had. My Sister-in-law and I retraced our steps at least 3 times, which if you've been to the State Fair, you know there are parts that are extremely hilly! Needless to say we got our exercise that day! We spent what seemed like a couple of hours looking and I had kind of given up. Payton and I went to watch the Lambchops show with Aunt Kristi, Aunt Jenny, Grandma Sandy and all of his cousins and while we were watching the show a State Fair Worker came up to us and said "Ma'am You all lost 2 cameras". I immediately piped up and said "Yes I lost them". She then told me that she had found them and taken them to the Patrol building. I was so relieved and grateful, I wanted to hug her!! Corey went to track down the cameras and pretty much missed everything else that went on at the fair that day. He's such an awesome husband and father!

Some of the highlights that I have no pictures of were the baby animals. Payton loved them! He kept wanting me to pick him up because he thought I was going to put him the pin with the baby ducks and baby chickens! He really liked the cows! And he really enjoyed the splash pad, that kid was soaked and so was his grandfather and I because he can't walk on his own yet so we had to hold his hand and carry him through the water! He threw a fit when we had to leave the splash pad. It was also very hot that day so Corey, Payton and I decided to call it a day around 2:30 in the afternoon and when we got back to our car I did take some pictures of a hot, wet & tired Baby!

We did have a good time though and can't wait to go back next year!!

First Haircut

So Last week, which by the way was my first week at home full time with Payton (Yay), I decided that he needed his hair trimmed. In the following pictures I'm sure you can see why! His bangs were hanging pretty much down to the end of his nose!

So I decided that I could probably just trim those puppies right up and everything would be okay. Boy was I wrong! I trimmed them up before he went to bed on Monday night and I really couldn't tell what they looked like because Corey was holding him and I was kind of leaning in at an angle. Corey was laughing and I personally didn't think it looked that bad. Tuesday morning as we were eating breakfast I just had to laugh because it really did look kind of hilarious! I tried to take some pictures of the damage I did but at the time I didn't think it was funny at all!

As you can see I cut the bangs straight across but didn't touch the rest of his hair. So, the front kind of reminded me of Lloyd Christmas (from the movie "Dumb and Dumber) and the back was still long so he had a total mullet going on, so he also had kind of a Joe Dirt thing going on in the back. 

 

Luckily, I called my hairstylist Kara to see if she could save me and she did! I took him with me when I got my hair cut on Tuesday night and she fixed it. I was kind of waiting until after he was a year old to have his first haircut but after I messed it up, I really didn't have a choice! So here some pictures of his first haircut. There are quite a few because I didn't know which ones to include or not include, sorry!

  

He did a really good job sitting still and quietly, especially since it was his bed time. We had a bottle for back up but didn't have to use it! He's just getting to be such a big boy! He looks even older now with his haircut but I told her to leave some of the curls in the back, I just can't part with them yet!!

A Month Full of Firsts

The Month of July has been full of "Firsts" for Payton! It started out with Payton's first Bicycle Ride, I think he liked it but I'm not positive. He ended up falling asleep (which is actually what we were thinking might happen considering it was his bedtime!). I especially love his pink helmet that Cousin Jenna was kind enough to let us borrow! Hopefully this is the first of many bicycle rides we will go on as a family, I just have to find a bike!

                                                                                                                             

A few weeks later we went on our First Family Vacation! We went to Branson, MO to visit my Grandparents. The drive was approximately 7 hours and I was very worried how Payton would handle being in the car for that long. Aunt Kristi gave us their old portable DVD player and Grandma Jerilyn stocked up on little toys that would keep him busy in the car! He did Amazing! I don't think we had a melt down at all, a few little squeals but nothing major! 

The second night of the trip we went to Branson Landing and Payton watched his First fire & water show, he was very interested in it but I couldn't really tell if he was enjoying it or not. After the fire & water show some street performers started playing drums on buckets, trashcans, etc. Payton absolutely loved that! I think he would have watched them all night if we would have stood there!

                             

We ended the evening with Payton's first trip to the Disney Store which he absolutely loved! He had a great time taking all of the stuffed animals/dolls out of the containers and crawling around in the play area. The dolls that they had back by the play area were the seven dwarfs, so we ended up getting him a Doc doll because he loves pulling glasses off of People's faces! On the way back to the cars we saw a clown making balloon animals and no one was in line so Cousin Levi & Cousin Garek got some balloons! Levi got a Turtle and Garek got a Fishing Pole I had to throw in some pictures of them showing off their balloons!

  

 

The next day was filled with visiting Great Grandma Janice, Great Grandpa Jerry & Great Great Grandma Macel (You'd think I would have some pictures but apparently I just wasn't in photo taking mode during this time!) that was followed by swimming! This wasn't technically Payton's first time swimming but we'll say it was his First time swimming in a big pool!

  

  

 

He had so much fun swimming that he was completely wiped out afterwards and fell asleep while we were changing his clothes!!

The next morning Payton had his First Krispy Kreme Doughnut, I think he liked it!

 

Followed a bath with his cousins, it was the first time with all of them together.

That evening we went back to visit Great Grandma & Grandpa (again no pictures, I'm sorry!) and we even got to go for an evening swim!

  

It was a very fun vacation but the highlight was when Payton took his FIRST STEPS!! I, of course wasn't in the room when it happened but I was told he took 3 steps to Daddy! He has since taken a couple steps at a time but nothing more than that, I'm sure it won't be long!! Just look how big my little boy is getting!