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.