Ahhhh......the Corn! (try sounding like a Pirate when you say it)

Jack had corn on the cob for the first time the other night. He was so proud to have corn with handles. Here are some great pictures I managed to get and a video at the bottom. (He's so country).

Big bite!

This is one of those instances when Jack puts food on his face (yogurt here) to make us laugh. Just sits there like this until we notice.

"The corn tastes good for me".

Supermarket Sweep!

Niko came over the other night and Jack had his grocery cart out. Amy had to run home and get Niko's cart (this is how it works with toddlers). They ran around the court like maniacs with their grocery carts. I looked at Amy and said, "it's like they won five minutes in the grocery store, they're runnin' around grabbin' whatever they can". Sam perked up and said, "yeah, that gameshow, 'Supermarket Sweep'!

Swappin' grocery items

Look at 'em go. . .

Trading out more items

Aaaahhhh. . . playing nice together.

Weekend With the Boy Cousins

Janeen, Casey, Nicholas and Nathaniel came to visit us for the first time as a whole family. It was tons of fun. The boys got along so well and just had a blast! Jack was so happy the entire weekend and did so well sharing all of his toys.


Nicholas looks as though something may be bothering him here. This picture is priceless. I'm sure it will go in the archives and come out about the time when they start dating.

Baby Nate climbing the curtains.

Playing "coffee" in the baby pool with bowls and a pitcher.

Here they're playing "restaurant" and Nate is the waiter. (such a crack up)

Little blonde studs

Busy playing in the playroom.

Pool time!

"Kuncle Casey" (as Jack says), Nathaniel and Nicholas at the pool.

Drying off with Aunt Neen. What a great weekend!

The Good Things About Living Away from Home. . .

Jack was sick all last week. When he was finally well, we gave him the option of going to the pool or going on a train ride (the metro) to see the Gateway Arch. He chose the Arch. He was psyched about the train ride, then immediately upon entering the train, he was "ready to go back to the van".


Look at the lip

The Arch

We saw all sorts of sights at the Arch (this guy was truly snoozing)

Jack is the little blue speck in the grass.

Jack and Sam looking at a helicopter flying over the river.

View from the park trail

MORE ARCH

Sam and Jack right by one of the arch legs

On our way to find some lunch downtown (next time we'll take a stroller)

After lunch, on our way back to the train (Jack was getting tired)

I love the look of contentment on his face here, he was so proud to be on daddy's shoulders.

The train ride home was all smiles - no longer scary

"Toot-Toot, Chugga-Chugga, Big Red Car"

Jack is usually shy about singing in front of anyone, let alone on camera.

Playing Catch-up with pictures

I brought this hat back from Nicholas' birthday party in Lexington over a week ago. We don't go anywhere without it.

Apparently the hat wasn't enough, he had to put stickers on his head too.

Posing with our Thomas hat

We are a bit full of ourselves here.

The hat thing caught on in the neighborhood. Our neighbor, Mark brought out all sorts of hats so there wouldn't be "hat envy" between Niko and Jack.

In mama's shoes. (and a little L.L. Cool J sweat pant-look). If Jack sees our shoes laying around, he's putting them on.

More of my shoes with the work bench and tool belt.

The next famous pianist? Jack has really shown an interest in piano. Maybe we'll get lessons if it continues.

More piano. . .

Thanks, Grandma Firsdon, for the keyboard. We're using it alot.

How do I know Jack is sick of the camera in his face?

I get pictures like this. . .

. . .and this.

He charges the camera and quickly closes the flip-up flash.

He humors me by barely looking up when I ask him to say "cheese".

He's stuck with me.

My Funny Guy

Jack is so funny. He makes me laugh all the time with the comments he comes up with. This morning while he was sitting in his chair, eating his waffle he says,

"Jinger, come over and sit down right now, mommy".

After school one day I asked if he enjoyed his lunch, he said,

"Yeah, but Alex didn't like his peanut butter and Jelly." (obviously Alex is a classmate)

While wedging a matchbox car under my leg, he says,

"Oh, how are we going to get him out? We need a fishing pole!"

And, just like his dad, he deliberately puts food (mostly yogurt) on his face while we're not looking, trying to make us laugh.

His favorite things right now are:

• waffles (for about a year now)
• honeynut cheerios
• oatmeal
• dinoco helicopter
• Lightning McQueen car (for almost a year now also)
• the Wiggles
• taking walks
• going to the gym
• bubbles in his bath
• doing anything he can by himself!

Hooked on Phonics

Jack likes to play the "what letter" game. I give him a word and he tells me what letter it starts with. Here's a video of him making his letter sounds A - H (ignore the phone ringing in the background)

The Past Week in Pictures

Take out food bag was a full evening's worth of fun.

. . . and Jack is never shy to pose for the camera (while in the bag)

Jack and neighbor, Niko, playing hard in the playroom closet where older toys are kept.

Serious independent playing

Happy meal toy in hand, wooden spoon in mouth (kept there during entire video), all while holding daddy's hand. Too cute.

Mother's Day Reminiscing

The very day I found out I was going to be a mother. . . eleven months in the making.

23 weeks pregnant. I'm being nice to myself - not showing the picture of my whale-self the day before leaving for the hospital.

21 hours of laboring and it still ended in a c-section. . . out comes beautiful Jack, plump red lips and all.

Oh, I just don't know if I can even remember him being this little.

Sweet baby

Happy baby

When I took the pregnancy test, I already knew I was pregnant. I could feel it in my stomach. It wasn't morning sickness or that I was already growing, but a tickle of excitement. I had had numerous disappointments with negative tests and I just knew this was the day. I had turned the test over so that I couldn't see it while it was "processing". After three minutes I went in and turned it over, saw two lines and went to my knees laughing and crying at the same time. I was alone in the house and I just walked around aimlessly, my mind racing about how to tell Sam the news. So creatively, when he came home for lunch that day, I handed him the pregnancy test and said, "here".

I thank God every day for Jack. He made me wait but it was worth it. Of course what I didn't realize that day was how much my life was going to change.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!