Reading a Christmas Story

Last year we began the tradition of reading a Christmas story each night to Jack before bed. This is followed by going to the advent calendar for a treat. This year, it has been a really fun part of our bedtime routine with Baby Jack. As soon as we are done reading, Jack runs to find the treat in the calendar. He gets so excited and immediately begins chewing on the paper, but often spits out the treat because he really doesn't care for sweets. Because the calendar sits on a chest in our hallway, Jack often plays with it during the day, so we don't put the treat into it until just before we read the story. He always looks at us in amazement--as if to say, "Hey, this wasn't here earlier...I looked!"

Of all the Christmas books we read, Jack's favorite is clear: Room for a Little One (A Christmas Tale.) This particular book features animals in the manger and Jack just loves the dog and cat. In fact, he loves the cat so much, he ripped the page out with it's picture and walked around the house kissing and petting it. (I had to tape it back into the book.) Now we can only read the book up to that page and then Jack won't let us go any further.

On a side note, I just figured out how to edit video on our computer. I am so proud of me!

Wild 16 Month Old Boy

Jack turned 16 months old yesterday. He is so full of energy that we are just drained! In this picture, he was trying his best to take off his shirt, but took a wrong turn somewhere in the process. (Jack hates long sleeves!)

Here are some random Baby Jack facts:

• He does not slow down. At all. He is non-stop action.
• He loves books, but you have to read quickly, because he turns the pages very fast! He also likes to put his foot on the pages while you read. His current favorite is Mr. Brown Can Moo.
• He will only eat eggs if they have hot salsa on them. (Must have been all the spicy food I ate when I was pregnant and breast feeding!)
• He can unscrew caps. He can take the safety stops out of our outlets. He is getting very dangerous.
• He is obsessed with cats and dogs, but especially cats. We finally realized, he has been saying cat for awhile, it just sounds like "tee tee." (Kitty?) When he sees a dog, he says "ruff ruff." (Although that sounds more like a high pitched squeal.) He has a small stuffed cat he loves to play with more than anything. I put in between the rails of his crib after he goes to sleep and night and you can hear him playing with it when he wakes up and finds it in the morning.
• He is a good sleeper. 10-11 hours each night and at least a 2 hour nap each day. Although, he did wake up last night around 12:30am with a cough (he has a bit of a cold) and decided it was morning and didn't want to go back to bed. Stuart brought him into our bed about 1:30am. I know, bad idea, but he argued that Jack kept smiling at him, so he had to! (He is putty in Jack's little manipulative hands.) He then sat between us, wide awake, for another 30 minutes or more, alternately grabbing our noses and saying "nose, nose."

That's enough for now. More to come later. I'll try to do some Christmas posts soon.

First Picture with Santa

Jack took his first picture with Santa yesterday. (Yes, we tried one with all of the kids, but you know teenage girls are not always open to having their picture taken, so Jack was the only willing participant.) We didn't do this last year because we weren't trusting enough to pass off our baby to a strange man in a Santa suit.

Jack was great, running around, playing with everyone, talking up a storm, having a ball, until the second we put him on Santa's lap. That was the moment he became very quiet and even a little shy, which is shocking behavior for him. He was good, just not willing to look up or smile too much.

Mmmm

Don't come between a boy and his Cheetos!

Ready for My Picture

This is a first. Instead of running to take the camera from me, he stopped and smiled for a picture. Isn't he the cutest?

Singing Little Bunny Foo Foo

OK, this just cracks me up. As I mentioned, I've been singing Little Bunny Foo Foo with Jack. (Yes, I realize there are a handful of you out there who don't know the song, but it's not my fault you've been living under a rock!) Anyway, Jack is very funny about the song. He won't look at me when I do the song and acts uninterested, but he always stops what he is doing when we get to the part about bopping the field mice on the head and laughs because I bop him on the head. Lately, when I do the song, if I pause in the middle, he will help me finish it the way he wants. (Try to ignore my awful voice.)

Just Like Dad

This may not amuse anyone other than myself, but I'm going to share it anyway. The other night Stuart was on the phone and Baby Jack imitated his dad. Jack walked around the house with a cell phone, copying his dad, keeping the phone to his ear and chatting away for about 20 minutes. It was so cute.

New Words

Yesterday, Jack learned to say some new things. He can now say "nose" and when you ask, he can sound like a dog, "ruff ruff." We were thrilled and kept making him perform last night.

I can't wait until he can say something useful, like drink, more, again, hungry, etc.

HELP!

Seriously, there is nothing this kid won't get into.

Christmas Lights

Jack had a blast helping Stuart hang the outside Christmas lights yesterday. I was exhausted after chasing him when he got into trouble. Nothing too bad, he just:

1. continually ran down the street
2. chased after every car that passed,
3. tried to tip over the neighbor's trash bins
4. climbed the ladder
5. ate the rocks in the yard
6. repeatedly unplugged the lights
   

Don't pay any attention to his Halloween shirt with all of the bats. I know that season has passed, but the shirt still fits him and I got it for only $1. I know, I am cheap.

A Night Out

Look closely at this picture. You might not recognize us without Jack, but that is actually Stuart and I, out for an afternoon, without our baby boy. We needed it! We spent Saturday at a Christmas party while Jack enjoyed some quality time with Grammie and Papa.

I didn't take many pics and it was a small gathering, but here is Stuart with our friends Sharon and Kathy.

The best part is, we came to pick up Jack and found him fast asleep in papa's arms. What could be better?

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Last week I got a song stuck in my head. Well, actually, it was part of a song...I couldn't remember how it ended. I hate when that happens. The song was Little Bunny Foo Foo. Don't ask me why; all I can say is I spend the better part of my days with a toddler, so my brain is a little warped. Anyway, I asked Stuart how the song ended. He looked at me like I was nuts (a common thing for him to do.) He thought I was making it up. I tried to convince him it was a real song, which he didn't believe. He told me it must be "some Mormon thing" that no one else knew. I tried to convince him, but to no avail. (He's as stubborn as I am.) So, I went to Wikipedia to resolve our dispute. Wikipedia is our "go to" conflict resolution tool, so we use it frequently. Sure enough, there was a reference for the song and it even included all of the words! Yea! The song was even featured once on South Park, so that helped convince him it wasn't some obscure "Mormon thing." Anyway, I have been singing it to Jack ever since, and he loves it!

My question to all of you is, are you familiar with the song? Use the voting tool on the blog to cast your vote. (It's not enough to be right in this house, you have to really rub it in!)

Who is My Mom?

Jack says very few words at this point. We are limited to: mom, dada, eye, hi, no, and sometimes go. The one he says most often is mom. This used to be reserved just for me, but over the last couple of weeks, he has been calling almost every woman he meets, "mom." He even calls his dad, "mom" from time to time. We are working to help him identify who is who. Sorry for the dim lights in the video, but if you listen, he is starting to get the hang of it.

Shoe Problems

Jack has always loved shoes. When he was younger, he would chew on his dad's shoes. (Gross, I know.) Over the weekend, I found him trying to put his foot into a pair of my high heels. I thought I would help him out by putting his feet into a pair of my flats. He really liked them. (Try to ignore my bras on the floor; I hadn't cleaned our bedroom.)

Unfortunately, when he couldn't keep them on, he got a little frustrated.

I worry about how he reacts when he is frustrated. Stuart thinks I should let it go. In his opinion, "we won the baby lottery" with Jack. Since Jack is so happy, a good sleeper, and not at all difficult, Stuart thinks this is a minor challenge. As I said before, the kid is determined.

Phone Calls

While Stuart was away in China, he called and spoke to Jack on the phone once or twice each day. (Don't ask us about the phone bill...it was ugly!) Ever since, Jack loves to walk around and talk on the phone. He doesn't always use a phone, sometimes it is something similar in size. He just babbles away.

15 Months Old

On the 22nd, Jack turned 15 months old. He is getting so big it is hard to believe. He is currently 27 lb 4 oz and is over 34 inches long. This kid is tall. He also has 16 teeth and the last 4 molars are already starting to come in now.

The problem with his size is that people assume he is older than he is. I took him to Scottsdale Fashion Square mall to play in the kiddie area a few weeks ago and was astonished that he was so much bigger than the kids his age. This caused more than a few dirty looks from other moms. You see, Jack is extremely happy and not at all shy. As a result, he runs all over the place, screaming and laughing and trying to play with the other kids. The other moms are trying to tell him to wait his turn and say please. They were not subtle at hiding their looks of disgust over his inability to follow their instructions and my inability to keep him in check. Hello...he is only 15 months old. He may be as big as your 3 year old, but he just isn't that sophisticated yet. I was proud, however, at how quickly he could master climbing on everything, and also more than a little terrified. I swear each day my goal is to just keep this kid alive.

In the first year, we took monthly photos of Jack. Now, we are attempting to do a nice photo shoot every 3 months. That really isn't possible anymore; he is way too active. We took 206 pictures in an attempt to get one photo we somewhat liked. As you can see from some of the other attempts, he just won't hold still for even a second any longer.

Thanksgiving

This year I am especially thankful for family. Not just traditional family, but friends and loved ones that support you through life. Every second we have with our family is precious. The loss of my aunt is a reminder that the time we have should be lived to the fullest. Jack always reminds me to live in the moment. I often get wrapped up in things and don't realize he wants my attention. He responds by coming over to me, grabbing my face and turning it so that I am looking at him when he kisses me.

Bedtime Stories

From very early on, we have made reading a part of Jack's bedtime routine. It has been so fun to watch his interest grow and change over time. He used to giggle and laugh so hard during the Dr. Seuss stories that I had to then switch to something else to calm him down.

Now that he is older, he definately has his favorites and they change. For awhile it was the ABC book. Currently, it is the Foot Book. He puts his foot into the middle of the book to show his foot as you read. He insists on turning the pages, and you better read fast because he turns them fast. He also calls out "mom" when we get to the pig page. (I don't know what that is about, but I am not too happy with it!) Jack insists that we read it multiple times each night, getting very upset if we don't read it at least 5 times. He absolutely prefers me to read instead of dad. Sometimes, when Stuart is reading, he will grab at my shirt and pull me over to the book so that I will take over.

We always finish the session with Good Night Moon. However, we have to stop when we get to the page that says "Good Night Kittens." Jack starts making happy noises and pets the page. He then takes my hand and puts it on the page to pet the cats. Recently he began grabbing my hand when I am on the previous page in anticipation of what is to come. After the kitten page, he has no more interest in the book. By the way, the Good Night Moon book is trashed. He has torn off the back page and eaten through many of the others. When is he going to stop putting everything in his mouth?!

I do love that he is so interested in books. He brings them to me all day long to read to him. It's a great habit for him.

Tantrums

Saturday we all went to the Fountain Hills Art Festival. We have been trying to find a painting for the family room that we could both agree on for a couple of years. We finally found one and even got a heck of deal on it. (We are both bargain shoppers and love to negotiate.) I had looked at the painting on Friday with some friends and when Stuart and I returned on Saturday, the artist immediately offered $100 off. Good sign he was flexible on price. Stuart got him down another $150. I then talked him into taking a final $50 off the price. We were very excited. Doesn't it look great?

Anyway, we got it home and up on the wall and Jack was very excited. He kept climbing on the couch to grab it and pound his fists into it. I kept telling him "no," and would pull him away from the painting. He then proceeded to throw his first serious tantrum. He screamed and cried. He tried to bite me when I pulled him away. The little booger even tried to grab my face to bite me in frustration. When I didn't let him, he bit his own arm. He was so angry and upset. We have never seen anything like it. By Sunday, the appeal of the painting seemed to have worn off and Jack left it alone. Tuesday, however, he thought he would give it another try. He waited until I was otherwise occupied and climbed up on the couch. He then looked over to make sure I was watching him before he slapped the painting. Then he laughed while I ran over to stop him. What is up with that?! Yesterday, he tried a new approach. He would climb up on my lap when I was on the couch and give me several kisses and then sneak his hand behind me to grab the painting. I would pull him away and tell him no, and he would kiss me again and then make another attempt. He is a sneaky boy. Don't let his sweet face fool you. This boy is starting to fight for control of the house. He may be little, but he has powerful tools at his disposal.

Dad is Home

I know I haven't posted anything for awhile. I have been feeling really down and have not been up to doing it lately. Stuart being gone was a big reminder of how isolated I feel living here; it feels like I rarely get to see anyone. I know I shouldn't complain and in truth it really makes me appreciate my husband, and our relationship more. It's been wonderful having him back, but it has, understandably, taken a good week for him to get back on the right time schedule. Jack is thrilled to have his dad back and takes it very hard now when he leaves in the morning for work. We are both so tired right now. It has been 4 months since we last had a date without Jack and it is starting to wear on us. However, I know how blessed we are and Stuart is so good at reminding me of that on a regular basis.

We also got news last week that my aunt Shelley is not doing well and has very limited time remaining with her family. (http://shelleyshelleyconway.blogspot.com/) I cannot begin to understand how hard it must be to try to say good-bye to your children. I am so grateful that so many have come out to support and assist them during this time. Everything else is trivial compared to that. I focus on so many small frustrations and forget that I have a beautiful family that is healthy and happy, and that is really the most important thing of all. I also appreciate some very good girlfriends I have that got me out of the house last Friday for a walk around the Fountain Hills Art Festival. Sarah and Sharon are always good for being there to listen and sympathize. They also know when to hit me upside the head and making sure I stop whining.

I promise to have more Jack posts soon. He has been a constant ray of both sunshine and frustration in this house and is our perspective.

Exhausted

I just got off the phone with Stuart and he has begun his journey home. He made it to Hong Kong and is getting on a plane to Taipei. After that he flies to LA and then home, so he will get in tomorrow night. I am worn out after this week alone. I thought I would share a summary of what Jack has been doing while dad was gone. Note that most of these are new activities he started in the last week.

This it the toy box we keep in our room. Jack dumped it out to make room for himself. Pretty tame, but it gets worse.


This is Jack with his Diaper Genie. He won't leave it alone. He will pick it up and carry it to me, no matter where I am in the house. This morning, I found him putting Stuart's car keys in it and later, his new shoes.


This one is self-expanatory. He is obsessed with the dryer now and I am having a hard time keeping him out of it.


Yes, this is the pantry, emptied out on the kitchen floor.


Yes, this is naked Jack with the computer keyboard. I have to explain that he and I were playing hide and seek in the office and the living room. He loves that game, and loves it when I jump out and scare him. I went into the kitchen to hide in there and he was out of my sight for no more than 30 seconds (no exaggeration) when I hear a crash and find that he has taken his diaper off and is now playing on the computer, naked. (I had better pics, but they were too graphic and I would hate to garner attention from CPS.)

And of course, Baby Jack loves water...

Missing Dad

Tonight I dropped Stuart at the airport for a business trip to China. I know I'm sad, but I already miss him. He is not only a wonderful husband, but he is my best friend (and sometimes it feels like he's my only one!) Jack did ok saying good-bye, but I think tomorrow morning will be rough. Stuart is the one he wants to see when he first gets up each day and they usually spend time together each morning. Can't wait until he returns.

Don't Forget to Vote

Trick or Treat

We tried our best to get Jack interested in the pumpkin, but after a first glance, he left it alone. He didn't like the slimy insides either.


The kid friendly versions were only slightly more interesting to Jack.

Stuart picked out his costume again this year. Jack loves to walk around with his make-shift spears (mops, brooms, dusters, wrapping paper tubes, etc.) So, he thought this would at least give him a pitch fork to play with for the evening. He broke the first one a couple of weeks ago, so we had to buy a second one for Halloween. They are great for hard to reach places in the house.


We didn't think he would wear the hood, but he was so excited to run through the streets, he didn't try to take it off all night.

I think the outfit is very appropriate.

He was more interested in chasing the only other 2 kids on our street then trick-or-treating. He played with cars in the driveways, tried to re-landscape some yards, and fell into the street multiple times.

He actually ran into one house and had to be dragged back out before he destroyed anything. Another neighbor made the mistake of offering Jack his choice of items from her candy bowl; Jack grabbed a bunch and threw it in her driveway. I think he just loved running wild in the street and checking out all of the Halloween decorations. The last house we visited had a dog and that just made his evening!

He really doesn't have any interest in the sweets, he just likes the sound the wrappers make. Our home is covered with Nerds candy because Jack liked the way they shook in the boxes and played until he got them open and dumped them everywhere.

We got very few trick-or-treaters. This was mainly due to the fact that there was an elaborate street party with very cool haunted houses a few blocks from us that drew the crowds away from us. As a result, we have tons of candy left. Can I send it to anyone out there? Anyway, this was so fun for us all. Last Halloween, Jack was only 2 months old, so this was his first trick-or-treating adventure. It didn't last long, but then again it was way too hot to be out in such a warm costume.

Crazy Baby

Jack is loads of entertainment!

The Evil Glow Worm

Sunday morning while Stuart was in the shower and I was in the office playing on the computer, Jack was playing in his room. Suddenly, I hear an awful cry coming from him. He is in hysterics. We both run to him in a panic to see what is wrong. Jack is walking down the hall with a terrified look on his face, holding his glow worm out in front of him. He has turned it on and it's face is glowing while it plays soft lullabies. Jack was absolutely scared to death of the thing and was brining it to me to fix. It took awhile for us to calm Jack down and I had to get the glow worm out of his sight to do it. Now, he has played with this toy before with no problems. However, due to the vast number of toys he has, it had ended up at the bottom of his toy chest so he hadn't seen it in a couple of months. We were shocked by the strong reaction by Jack as he is a pretty fearless kid.

Then, last night, Stuart comes into the room with Jack in his arms; the boy is sobbing and miserable. Stuart informs me that he tried to show Jack the glow worm again to see if he would react the same way. What the heck?! Let's run a little experiment to see if he will freak out again? Nice. Notice the smile on Stuart's face in the picture. He assured me he hid the toy away so as not to upset the baby again.

Well, apparently Stuart's idea of hiding it was to throw it behind Jack's bedroom door. Which, of course, he found this morning and had the same reaction. You have to see this. It took some time to calm him down.

I guess I am no better than Stuart as I took the time to film the horrible scene before disposing of the evil glow worm. Some day this kid will have a lot to tell his therapist.

Celebrating Papa's Birthday

Saturday evening we celebrated my dad's birthday with some great steaks on the grill. My dad and Laura came up, along with Marcy and Bremen. Now, Jack has had some difficulty with my dad. You all know that Jack prefers women, but he has some real trepidation around older men, specifically those with gray hair (sorry dad!) So, it took him awhile to warm up to his papa. The problem is, every time he gets comfortable around him, my dad takes off for a few weeks. (How nice to be retired!) and we have to start over with him. It doesn't help that my son doesn't really like sweets so the usual papa bribes don't work on Jack. Saturday's celebration was no different as my dad had just returned from a month long vacation to visit my brothers in Idaho and Utah. It took a bit, but he won Jack over in the end.






Hmmm, I'm not sure I want papa holding me...

Wait a minute...what's that? Can I eat it?

Everything is good now!

The highlight of the evening was watching Jack play with his cousin Bremen. The last time they were together, Jack wasn't walking yet, so their interaction was limited. It was a whole different story this time. Bremen was so involved with Jack that I couldn't get him to eat any dinner; he preferred time with his cousin.

After such a long, crazy, active day, Jack slept great Saturday night!