Summer has arrived!

Okay, so not for about two more weeks, but for the Andersons it's already here---meaning I can't even count how many times we've been to the pool already and we're all sporting tan lines (including Sydney, despite slathering her in sunscreen every 30 minutes, and I can't handle how cute they are).

This past weekend was so much fun. We were in Denver again, which was nice because this weekend Sydney and I heading to Disneyland(!!) and Jordan has a bachelor party, and we got to go to our first motocross race! My girlfriend's husband is a professional motocross racer and he had an event in Colorado -- and let me tell, y'all: if you ever have a chance to see a motocross race, DO IT. It was sooo much fun and so crazy to watch in person. And it was amazing to see my friend Paige and finally meet her sweet daughter Parker and Justin, her husband.

Memorial Day Weekend

Hope you all had a wonderful few days, enjoying the sunshine and time off with your loved ones. We got back into town Wednesday and were happy to stick around Denver for the weekend, and it was a great unofficial kick-off to summer.

Camping.

What is camping with two dogs and a toddler like? A walking three-ring circus.

I feel like people either love camping or hate camping. Living in Colorado you're surrounded by most people who love it, and usually I would consider myself one of them. Up until I went camping with two dogs and a toddler... Just kidding -- we had an amazing time. It was so great to be out in nature having bonfires, eating s'mores (sooo many s'mores), hiking, kicking back with cold beers, seeing incredible views, and of course viewing it all through a 20-month-old's eyes. Everything was blowing Sydney's mind, and it was really adorable to see.

Sherpa Boots // Fleece Jacket

Jordan picked out an easy spot for our first camping excursion as a family of five in a car campground called The Crags, which is located in the Colorado State Forest in Walden, CO (a little bit northwest of Estes Park), which sounded absolutely perfect. We heard about the beautiful views from the individual sites which allowed privacy, and we heard the hiking nearby was awesome. Sold.

60 Second Catch-Up

Hi everyone! I know I've been slacking off on blog posts a bit lately, but I've got some exciting things happening on the side, which I'll let you all know of soon...but until then, here's a 60-second (give or take some) catch-up on our life lately:

BACHELORETTE PARTY
Hosted bachelorette party in downtown Denver the weekend after returning from Cabo. Not ideal timing (especially when Sydney got sick AGAIN) but it was for one of my best friends, and we had so. much. fun. Rockies game, bars, 'disco brunch' (using that term r e a l l y loosely here), tap house, shoulder game, blowdry bar, glam hair, champagne, lingerie, amazing dinner, dance club, Calvin Harris wannabe, bottle service, dying from exhausting because I'm no longer 24. Such a fun weekend. Happy bachelorette, my beautiful friend!

Miss to Mrs Banner // Tassel Garland

BAPTISM
Baptized - fiiiiiiinally. Getting Syd baptized in the Catholic church and obtaining a library card in Minnesota are probably the two most difficult processes I hope to ever go through. Both equally painful and so complicated. But anyway, so blessed -- all grandparents were in attendance, and Jordan and I are very appreciative and grateful for having such involved parents that are so eager to be a part of Sydney's life. Ceremony went great, but Sydney wanted to swim in baptismal fountain and was not happy she couldn't. May have to install a pool. Had delicious brunch afterwards, and Syd ate pancakes. Happy baptism, my sweet girl!

Flower Crown // White Dress // Black and Gold Flats (sold out; [somewhat] similar)

BABY
Sydney had her 15-month-checkup last week: 30" tall (height percentile - 27%), 21 lbs (weight percentile - 49%, which is the highest she's ever been!!) and head circumference is 45.1 cm (33rd percentile). Wasn't a fan of the shots but handled them fairly well considering it was almost lunchtime (don't mess with her meal schedule, people). At 15 months:

• Walking and running everywhere.
• "Dad" is favorite word. (Carried you for 9 months, but whatever.)
• Avocados, cheese, bananas and pancakes are favorite foods. Gotten a few licks of ice cream and popsicles, though, and I'm pretty sure they'll surpass all the other foods in a heartbeat (duh).
• L O V E S accessories, especially bracelets and sunglasses. Girlfriend really can't get enough of her sunnies and will dig through my diaper bag specifically to find and put them on.
• Starting to have a strong opinion about her clothes, and so far her fashion sense is pretty on point. I've heard some hilarious stories from mamas with older girls, so if wanting to wear her rain boots 24/7 is as bad as it gets, I'll take it. ;-)
• Favorite songs are "Jack and Diane" and the alphabet song. Not kidding. We may or may not listen to "Jack and Diane" on repeat in the car when we're nearing nap time or lunch. :-/
• Just recently became obsessed with Frozen. Welcome to 2013, Sydney. Wants to be watching Frozen all the time whenever she's not outside, and I'm fairly certain I can recite the whole movie now.
• Hair is dark blonde/very light brown and eyes are green/light brown. Evidently I was just a surrogate.
• Starting to really become obsessed with her daddy, and if she's up before Jordan leaves for work, she BAWLS and cries out for dad the rest of the day.
• Loves, loves, loves books, stuffed animals, and coloring, and I love, love, love that about her.
• Still obsessed with dogs. Now obsessed with feeding dogs as well, which makes the usual one minute task no shorter than 10 minutes now.
• Such a sweet girl. Loves to cuddle and snuggle up to her mama, especially when she wakes up in the morning and from naps.

Just Vogue-ing it at the pediatrician's office

Glitter Bow Headband // Infinity Scarf // Chuck Taylor Hightops (got these at the Converse outlet -- sold out; similar)

Bow // Striped Shirt // Romper // Shoes

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xo,

Sarah

Our Weekend

Happy spring! The weather in Colorado seems to have finally taken a permanent turn (fingers crossed) into warmer temps and sunny days, and I couldn't be happier about it. Bright colors, popsicles, the pool, being outside, NOT being sick...all good stuff.

Friday night we had some friends and their two boys over for dinner, and Sydney got a belated birthday gift that she's become obsessed with. She also became reacquainted and obsessed with her Bumbo chair; we brought it out for our friends' 3.5-month-old, and Sydney spent more time sitting in the chair over the weekend than she ever has before, ha! She loves climbing in and out of it, so we haven't put it away yet (because we obviously need more toys to clutter our house with).

We spent the rest of our weekend outside and getting things done around the house, as I mentioned before it's our last totally free weekend until mid-June. Saturday we ran some errands and of course watched the Badgers secure their spot in the Final Four (WOO!), and Sunday was spent outside swinging, eating apples, going to the dog park and watching Dad work.

ON WISCONSIN

Our dogs, Max and Mya, have always been so good with Sydney ever since we brought her home, but they always kind of kept their distance; I think they were trying to figure out exactly what she was, haha. Since becoming a little older and more mobile, she's become increasingly more interested in them and vice-versa, and now it's full-blown love affair. Sydney L O V E S dogs. Loves them! I swear the first thing she does when she's in a new environment is scan the room for a dog -- and she will find one. She's like a wizard at Where's Waldo? if Waldo was any and every dog. Whether it's a real one or a picture of one dressed up as a leprechaun on a sign at the post office, you bet your ass she will find a dog and point, screaming, "DOG!!!" So as you can imagine, the dog park is one of her favorite places ever.

Sydney's 100 lb bodyguard

It's so sweet watching her form relationships with both our pups. Max and Mya have polar opposite personalities; Max is a pure-bred german shepherd that comes from an impressive line of working and police dogs, so he's very protective, especially of me and Sydney, and he's always aware of his surroundings. He's also extremely playful and sweet and one of the friendliest dogs I've met, which is ironic because you would think Mya, being a lab-retriever, would be the same but she's not. She's very quiet and has such a docile demeanor; she prefers humans over other dogs and just wants to sit and be pet all day. We thought Mya would ignore Sydney, but she actually is the first one to go to her when she cries and is the first one to greet her when she comes in the door. It's so sweet! Max, on the other hand, was more distant with Sydney -- until recently, and now it's like they're best pals (it could very well be the food Sydney drops on the floor for him). He'll sit next to her while she's on the floor and let her play with her toys on his back, or he'll sit and let her pet his paws or grab his ears; it's the cutest thing and melts my heart. The other day Max was chewing on a bone and Sydney walked up to him, reached in his mouth and grabbed his bone and walked away and gave it to Mya (poor Max, haha). Both Jordan and I (who were watching carefully) were both amazed; the love and patience these dogs have shown Syd is so adorable, and I can't wait to see watch their friendships grow. Max doesn't know it yet, but I signed him up as a prop for Sydney's upcoming Halloween costume.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We're gearing up for Easter around here and also starting to pack for our Mexican getaway in a couple of weeks, so it's busy busy around here!

Happy Tuesday!

xo

Garth Brooks + Playground Life

Do you ever get excited for a weekend of nothing? No set plans, no visitors, no obligations? I may be alone here, but sometimes when we've been constantly on the go I get kind of happy to look at the calendar and see a few blank squares ahead. Anyone with me?

The only thing we had planned this weekend was to see Garth Brooks in concert, which I was beyond looking forward to. Not only was I super excited to see his show (I saw him once when I was a sophomore in high school, and it was awesome), but I was also curious to see how he'd be holding up with his tour. Like he's done in many other cities, Garth was putting on back-to-back shows in Denver -- nine shows in six days to be accurate, and yes, that means three times he planned to put on two shows in one day. What the hell -- HOW? Jordan and I had tickets to see his later show on Friday night at 10:30 PM, and as we were waiting in line to enter the Pepsi Center everyone was talking about how Garth must be in amazing shape to be able to pull off this kind of schedule.

DATE NIGHT!

Except not so much. Garth was sweaty and out of shape, and there may have been a point in the show I thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest. But WOW---was he incredible. Such a fantastic, amazing concert. He didn't come on until 11:15 because of how long it took in-between shows (getting 36,000 people in and out of the doors is no easy task), but he played well until 2:00 AM and was so awesome. If any of you get a chance to see him, I highly recommend you grab tickets!

The rest of our weekend was spent running some errands, being lazy (aka watching Iron Man 3) and going to a park near our house. We've only been to a handful of playgrounds, but Sydney is suddenly so obsessed with them you'd think they had pancake dispensers. I think it's safe to say we'll be hitting the Colorado playground scene a lot this summer.

Favorite. Thing. Ever.

The first of many heart attacks Sydney will surely give her dad.

Shameless mommy and me twinning :-)

Part of playground life is coming equipped with snacks and beverages, especially if you're the mama to Sydney. Lately I've been making her 'juices' by blending veggies, fruits and yogurt to sustain her 18-year-old boy appetite, and she can't get enough. She loves them and thinks they're milkshakes or something, but she absolutely won't drink them if they're warm (smart kid -- warm smoothies are the worst). Because I'm crazy an overachiever, when we're on the go I've been putting Syd's smoothies in one of my insulated tumblers to keep cold and then pouring them into a sippy cup when she wants to drink. I know, I know...just typing that is insanity. So you can imagine my excitement when I received an insulated cup from Nuby to review.

After a long afternoon on the playground, the Clik-it Insulated Flex Straw Cup (available at Target) is easily one of my favorite cups now. Suited for babies 12 months or older, the insulated base of the cup keeps drinks cooler for longer periods of time -- say, three hours on the playground (birth control in its finest form). The cup has Nuby's trademarked No-Spill soft silicone straw (b o n u s -- spilly sippy cups rival Pack 'n Plays for my most hated baby items ever) and Touch-Flo Technology, which activates as soon as your child puts their mouth on the spout making it easier for them to drink. Like all Nuby products, the cup is BPA free, so you don't have to worry about your child sucking on any harmful compounds or chemicals. Another bonus (which is featured on most Nuby cups) is their Leak Proof Technology where you actually hear the 'click' to know the top is locked to the cup -- this is particularly important for my sweet husband. I love the man; he's insanely intelligent and incredibly street-smart, but like most guys he lacks the tiny attention to details. When Sydney was a baby, he threw on the nipple of an Avent bottle without whim or worry that he had all the pieces and tossed the bottle in my bag. Sure enough milk. spilled. everywhere in my diaper bag because he accidentally forgot the little sealing ring. I was mad (my diaper bag smelled like my breast), Sydney was mad (she didn't have any food), Jordan was mad (because his ladies were mad)...total fiasco. But with our Nuby cups, he never has to worry about Milkgate 2015 after he hears the click. (THANK YOU, NUBY.) I was pleasantly surprised to find Sydney's smoothie really did stay cool throughout our entire time at the playground, which was good because the girl played seriously hard and needed some breaks and refueling. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the cup really didn't leak and spill on her shirt -- although that didn't matter because what she lacked in spilled smoothie, she made up for with mud, dirt and sand.

Sydney is now almost 14 months old and is a bit of a late bloomer in terms of walking. She is standing on her own and walking a bit, but like the cautious sweet girl she is you can tell she still doesn't feel 100% comfortable. I will gladly accept this, as it allows me to snuggle with my baby a little bit more and because once she takes off, I know I'll be chasing her forever.

Headwrap // Hello Baseball Tee // New Balance Infant Shoes

Hope you all had a great weekend!! Cheers to SPRING!

Colorado Baby Anderson is part of the Nuby Parent Blogger Program. While I did not receive any compensation for this post, as part of the program I have received items to sample or review. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and of my own.

Connect with Nuby!

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Best Time of the Year

Who doesn't love fall? It's easily my favorite time of the year (typical girl comment). The leaves start to change, the weather starts to cool down, football is back on, and everyone seems to be in such festive moods -- not to mention, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and everything in-between. This year will be especially special for us, as we get to enjoy the season and holidays with a little peanut (read: lots of cliché but obligatory photo opportunities).

Photo op number one was from last weekend when we went with a group of about 4-5 other families we met through Sydney's old daycare to a local family farm called Miller Farms for their Fall Harvest Festival. It was adorable! We experienced their "Be a Farmer for a Day," where you're allowed to pick up to five bags per person of produce of your choice. And it was awesome. Because we had such a large group, we were able to get our own tractor, which was nice because there were five billion kids running around, and we could spend as much time on each harvest (probably definitely not using the right term here) as we wanted.

Me: Herringbone Vest // Flannel Shirt (similar) // Skinny Jeans // Rain Boots

Sydney: Feather Headband // Long-Sleeve Onesie // Fur Vest (similar) // Leggings // Moccasin Boots

The sky was overcast and the weather was cool (and the rain came down on the tail-end of our farming experience), but it was nice to do something different (i.e., not travel) and it was fun to meet new people. Sydney did really great even though she couldn't really participate; she just stayed snuggled in her baby carrier and babbled/giggled/sighed all day. (She nailed it with her fall apparel, though, yes?)

Caught this sweet daddy-daughter moment when Jordan wasn't looking

I'm pretty sure I could've made it as a farmer because I was in it to win it. I was totally in my element digging up produce and finding the best onion/potato/carrot. I tried convincing Jordan maybe we should sell our house and become farmers, but he wasn't having it. He said I would probably die.

Please excuse my '90s prom updo.

He's probably right.

Between Jordan and I, and no thanks to Sydney who freeloaded the entire day, we managed to gather eight huge bags of produce: sweet onions, red onions, peppers and chiles, carrots, potatoes and pumpkins. We're currently trying to cut everything up and properly freeze them, but it's taking quite a while...perhaps we gather less produce next year because our house REEKS of onion. (Anyone want to come visit?)

It was such a fun way to celebrate fall, and of course we have many more fall activities planned, including pumpkin patches (yes, plural -- sorry, Jordan), Halloween parade at Sydney's old daycare, Halloween, Thanksgiving, turning Sydney's nursery into a Christmas nursery and, of course, decorating our house!

Oh, and for anyone who says Sydney doesn't look like Jordan (which is no one)...

And one more because my husband is such a babe...

Happy fall from our family to yours!!

xo

Travels, Part II: Aspen

If you've never visited Colorado in the fall, I highly recommend it -- specifically, the mountains; more specifically, Aspen. Besides breathtaking views of mountains dusted with early winter snow, the tree colors are incredibly vibrant and colorful, which make for some pretty awesome pictures. 

Jordan had an old man hockey tournament last weekend in Aspen, and while I didn't love the idea of being on-the-go for the 6th weekend in a row, I had never been there before and I knew how beautiful the mountains were this time of the year. Plus, Sydney loves watching hockey, so away we went. The four-hour drive was absolutely gorgeous until we drove through Independence Pass, which was like being on the worst roller coaster but with the best views. Hashtag so carsick, hashtag beautiful.

One lane road winding around a mountain...little dicey.

Last weekend was sunny with bluebird skies, crisp air and fall 50-degree-ish temperatures -- aka perfection. Also perfection? Aspen. Aspen is pretty much my heaven on earth, and by heaven on earth I mean a mountain town full of boots, leather pants, black clothes, fur, good food and great shopping. Plenty of local restaurants to choose from, dive bars, boutique hotels, beautiful homes, cobblestone streets, scenic views... It's like God took all my favorite things and made a town. I'm in love, and it was such a fun weekend getaway.

Gray & White Striped Headband (similar) // Jean Jacket (similar) // Hoodie // Leggings // Leopard Fur Boots (similar)

It was fun watching Jordan play, but to be honest it was even more fun watching Sydney watch him play -- she was fascinated and just sat quietly in my lap taking it all in. This is such a fun age (they all are, though, huh?); Sydney's all over the place, and she's learning so much every day. She still isn't really crawling, not for lack of ability, as she crawls when she wants to, but because she'd rather stand or 'walk' holding someone's hands. She loves waving hi and bye and seems to understand the concept of doing so, and she claps whenever anyone says "YAYYY!" or shows excitement for her. It's all so cute, and our little peanut is growing up before our eyes. Anyway, the boys made it all the way to the "championship game" (I can't take old man hockey seriously enough to write that without quotation marks), but thankfully their games were spaced out enough for us to enjoy the town. 

Me: Oatmeal Beanie (similar) // Red Jacket (similar) // Black Skinny Pants // Camel Boots

Sydney: Oatmeal Beanie (similar) // White Puffer Vest (similar) // Gray Sweatshirt (similar) // Black Leggings // Moccasin Boots

Sherpa Bear Hoodie // Jean Leggings (similar) // Gray Fur Boots

Talon and Sydney watching their dads

The drive back on Sunday was absolutely BRUTAL. Independence Pass, while still beautiful, seemed to have gotten 10x more curvy over the weekend, and both Sydney and I were stuck on a boat that would not stop swaying. I hung my head out the window, Sydney cried for nearly an hour and a half, and poor Jordan drove quietly wishing he were dead time would speed up. We finally made it home, exhausted but alive, with plans to relax and do nothing. I put Sydney down for bed, or rather I thought I put Sydney down because when I turned on the monitor, I saw a little bug trying to escape.

We had to lower the crib, and then of course Sydney decided it would be the most perfect time to shit so then we had to change her, and then from all the activity, Sydney decided it was party time.

Exhausted. But how can you be mad at a face like that?

Xo