Favorite Jack Stories

Jack is doing all kinds of funny things these days. There is a pantry cupboard in our new place that is pretty low to the ground...and it is the one cabinet that doesn't have a child lock in place (don't worry, we will soon be installing one), so Jack is constantly picking out what he would like to eat and tossing cans and other items in various places. Well, the other day I was headed to the store so I picked up my purse and it felt quite heavy. I didn't remember putting the camera or anything in it, so I opened it to see what was weighing it down. And lo and behold I found 5 potatoes! I'm not sure when he put the potatoes in my purse but I was glad I found them before I went to the grocery and it looked as though I was shoplifting.

Jack loves to show off his body parts these days. He doesn't really know where anything is...but his belly button. So, if you ask him where his nose (mouth, eyes, ears, etc) is he will instantly lift up his shirt and show you his "buh" (as he calls it) or button.

Jack is also obsessed with dogs (or "bog"). Both neighbors have dogs that occassionally bark and he will stop whatever he is doing (which is usually constructing something in the dirt) and say "bog, bog" "woof, woof". We took him to the pet store and he was actually a little leary of the dogs when it came to petting them - but in his defense, they were pretty large and I was a bit scared, too.

Air Jack

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I found this hoop at a garage sale yesterday and since then Jack has been busy perfecting his dunk...that is when his dad isn't hogging the ball.

Easter

We actually had a really fun Easter here with Jack. I was on call so we weren't able to go to church that morning but the Easter bunny did hop his way into Jack's room and leave him with some cool bath crayons and fingerpaints. We also decorated Easter eggs (which was terribly messy). Jack had practiced his egg hunting skills at school all week and had come home with quite a load of "treats" so we had a few of those, too. I had to convince him that the chocolate bunnies tasted better without their foil covering. I think Jack's hands are still green from the egg dye but overall we had a lot of fun (even though it was snowing here!).

Class Picture

I love all their little faces in this picture and I think it is amazing that no one is crying. These are all of Jack's friends from school. He is one of the youngest so the ages range from 15 months -18 months. I'm not sure how his teachers keep up with them all! Because Jack has an easy name to pronounce several of the older girls get so excited when they see him now and can shout "ack" "ack". It's too cute.

The Zoo

As you can tell, Jack wasn't all that interested in the zebras.

He was fascinated by the meerkat. I love his little face in this picture (although there is something on our camera lens blurring the shot).

He also wasn't sure he wanted to participate in the brushing of the goats. He's a pretty cautious kid when it comes to new things.

We enjoyed our first family trip to the zoo today. It was a beautiful day so the zoo was actually pretty crowded. Jack was funny in that he wasn't all that interested in the animals - but mostly wanted to play in all the bushes and trees at the zoo and watch all the other little kids who were running around. Oh well...there were several animals that seemed to attract his attention. The birds and meerkat (is the plural of meerkat "meerkats"?) were some of his favorites and he also liked watching the sharks swimming in their aquarium. Hopefully soon I'll be able to download some better pictures taken by his Aunt Lainee (visiting on her Spring Break).

Push Ups

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So, I don't often let Jack have ice cream, but we had such a fun day playing outside that I couldn't resist taking a break and having some dessert with my favorite little man. It didn't take him long to figure out how the Push Up worked.

A Toddler with Style

Here is Jack taking some fashion advice from his father. I think his red shoes compliment this outfit nicely.

First Haircut

The before shot...He's looking a little unkempt

Here he still has no idea what's to come.

He was so serious (but very calm) during the actual "cut". They had a movie playing for him to watch but he was much more interested in watching his stylist work.

The finished product...although Daddy thinks the hairdresser went a little overboard with the gel. Doesn't he look so much older?

All Boy

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In case there was ever a question as to whether our son acted like a boy, just look at his hands (and his mouth). He loves the dirt and if he goes outside that is right where he heads.

Have You Missed Us?

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. We recently moved into our first house...and while the actual "living" in the house has been wonderful, the process of getting to that point was a bit of a pain. We are still wading through boxes, purchasing furniture and painting walls. I have a list about a mile long of things that need to be bought or fixed. I'm thankful that Spring Break starts today and Nathan is thrilled that he gets to use his vacation to fix up our place.

Jack has been going through a bit of a rough patch. Last week he had a stomach virus and got two new molars (left top and bottom). There was little sleep going on at our house. Then this week his allergies have started acting up and he's getting his right top molar. I'm so ready for this teething stuff to be over! The one thing that helps us get through the days is playtime in the backyard. Jack LOVES the new yard and all the dirt it contains. He is all boy and by bath time he is ready to be washed...there is dirt everywhere (including his mouth)!

Anyway, as we get settled we'll post some pictures of the house...

We're ready for visitors!

Heirlooms & Aunties

Recently, in the midst of our packing, Nathan found a stuffed animal that he played with when he was Jack's age. Jack loved the new puppy and carried it around like it was a baby. I've never actually seen him hold anything else the way he held this little dog. It was so cute.

Jack's Aunt Lainee just headed home after a weekend with us. Jack was a major chatterbox/entertainer during her visit. He cried today when we dropped her off at the airport. I keep trying to tell him she will be back...

During her stay she also was able to get him down for some great naps. We're trying to figure out what her secret involved???

Our Little Sweetheart

Jack reading the Valentines from his classmates.

I love this picture because he looks like he's actually reading his card.

Valentine's Day at our house was pretty eventful in a very unromantic, untraditional Valentine's way. Jack spent the morning at the doctor's office where we found out he had bronchiolits and a left ear infection. He had already been home sick for three days with crazy high fevers and a horrible cough so we were happy to get some heavy-duty antibiotics to knock this sickness out! He did have a Valentine party at his school on the 15th so he was able to exchange some Valentine cards then and eat some goodies with his friends. Some good friends of ours volunteered to watch Jack on the evening of February 14th so Nathan and I could go and eat. It was nice to get out and have a quiet meal...but it was a bit weird without Jack around to keep us entertained (and on our toes).

Western Days

Unhappy Cowboy

Guess it was the hat...

Jack's school has been celebrating "Western Days" these past few days so I wanted to post a couple of my favorites pictures. I don't think Jack was a huge fan of the hat. Apparently, however, he WAS big fan of the mini corndogs and had about 5 each day. That's my boy!

Being Silly

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Lately Jack has really been cracking me up. He has developed this great sense of humor... and he is totally into everything. Nathan has a djembe (drum) from Malaysia that he plays occassionally. The base of it is open and Jack has learned he can stick things into the base and if it's small enough it will go through the small hole that seperates the base part from the upper drum part. The other day Nathan went to play his drum and it was making a funny sound, so he looks down the hole and finds a spoon. It wasn't even a Jack-sized spoon. It was one of our spoons that I'm guessing he yanked when I was putting dishes into the dishwasher.

He also doesn't allow any time for cuddling when you get him up in the morning. Once you pick him up from his crib, he immediately begins pointing to the various objects he wants. And if you take something away these days and try to hide it in an unreachable location, two weeks later he can remember exactly where you placed it! He'll stand at that location and just say "up...up...up...up". Smart kid.

Walking Man Update

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So, Jack has become much more confident on his feet this week! It's shocking what he's able to do now in such a short time. It's now possible for him to follow me from room to room (I'm learning to deal with my new "shadow"). He also much prefers walking to crawling now so when he falls he always attempts to get back on his two feet. He still hasn't conquered standing up on his own and requires some type of still object to help him regain his stance after falling...but he's a tall guy so it may take him a while to have balance like that. He's also walking much better in shoes these days. We did have to go and find a pretty flexible pair as he boycotted walking whenever his stylish but uncomfortable Gap shoes were on his feet. (We purchased a pair of "See Kai Run" shoes...I'd highly recommend them for any new walker.) But I'm guessing soon he'll be off and running.

Snow Day

On Wednesday, snow took our area by surprise. Because people around here have no clue how to drive in icy conditions, both mom and dad were off of work for the day. Jack and mom had a great time outside feeling the snow and trying to stay on our feet.

Playtime with Jack

Besides the walking, we really don't have any other big news to report...so here are just a few fun pictures of Jack and his new playset we found courtesy of "Craig's List".

Walking Man

Jack walking on January 3rd.


Jack walking January 12. Can you see an improvement?

January 2nd was a big day at our house. Jack finally decided he was ready to let go and give walking on his own a try. Though he's still not quite ready for a marathon, he has improved during this last week...and is keeping us both on our toes now. The hardest part of his new found talent is the harder falls that come with it. We've already had 2 new bruises on his forehead and a big fat lip from falling into his Leapfrog table. But, his falls don't seem to keep him from getting back up and trying again.

Perfecting a New Smile for the New Year

So during the Holiday break, Jack found his "cheesy" grin. Now it's hard to get him to smile normally. I guess he just wants to show off all those new pearly whites. Whatever the reason, I've found that it is impossible for strangers to ignore him these days. If they try, he just stares them down and shoots them one of these grins and they can't help but smile back... even the tough business men on planes who just want to be left alone.

Happy New Year from Jack, Nathan and Mommy!

Christmas In Missouri

So, on Christmas Day we hopped a plane from Pittsburgh to Missouri and made it to my house in time for supper and presents.

Jack with Mom and Dad by the tree. He was so excited to open presents again!

Jack with a cool puzzle from his Aunt Lainee.

These last three pictures are of Jack modeling his cool new Peyton Manning jersey from his Great Uncle, Dick.