16 months and the first fall day

I feel a bit like a traitor for wishing away summer after I about died waiting for it to come after last winter, but once that first fall-ish breeze comes there's no looking back. This Saturday was an honest to goodness perfect early fall day. Deric spent the morning at the golf course and Jake and I spent our morning in the backyard, coloring the patio (and ourselves) with chalk, cleaning up the garden beds and collecting sticks. We had the windows open, I baked chocolate chip cookies and fall decorations started to make their appearance. Of course, this week the temps are nice and high again but I have hope that fall is only weeks away! 

A little about Jake at 16 months:

These past couple months have been some of my favorites. He's such a perfect mix of baby and kid now, still cuddly before bed and babbling away,  but also putting on his own shoes (okay, just his Crocs, but still!) and becoming semi-successful with a fork. He mimics everything Deric does; I've even heard him mimic the cadence(?) of an entire sentence that Deric said. Jake walks with either one arm swinging wide or with  hands behind his back, belly stuck out to balance that big noggin of his. Just this week he's started to give me real kisses when I ask (which is every five minutes, poor kid) and he can pronounce "but(t)" as clear as day. We're so proud.