No cards from us this year

Happy Holidays!
Top Ten Reasons you are not getting a Christmas card from our family.
10. Have you met Jack? If you have than you know we are very busy around this house keeping him from killing himself (today’s event was when he was using a piece of cardboard to slide down the stairs. How does he come up with this stuff????)
9. We are expecting a baby girl in February! I tend to use pregnancy as an excuse to get out of anything, from pumping my own gas to sending out Christmas cards.
8. For some reason, we decided that now is the perfect time to put our house up for sale. At 8 months pregnant….hmmmm….this was not a good plan.
7. We left all of the house projects to wait until the last minute, so we have been super busy painting, tiling and organizing.
6. Jay has been very busy with his job lately and we really didn’t want to have to photo shop him into the picture.
5. I have been taking a ton of pictures of Jack for a Christmas card, but the little tike is so fast, all I have are pictures of his back as he runs away from me.
4. Can I claim that I am just trying to save trees by not sending them out?
3. I have long since given up on having Jay help me with Christmas cards and Jack just stared at me blankly when I asked him to help.
2. We DID have serious plans on sending out Happy New Year's cards, but that too slipped right by us.
1. Again, I have to blame Jack. He is one busy, busy kid! Just keeping him from dismembering himself is a full time job!

We (OK, just me, Jay really isn't too hung up about this) really feel bad about not sending out cards to our friends and family. I swear, next year it will be done!

More Table Time

A few months ago, Jay and I got a little table for Jack. It was by far the best $30 we have ever spent. Jack loves sitting at his table! He is so excited to color, have snack or just read books at his table. I do get a little annoyed by it sometimes though, Jack does insist that I sit with him and sometimes I really need to do dishes and he keeps pushing me back to my chair.

Table Time

Jack learned a new trick a while ago, one that I am not very excited about. He has learned how to climb up on the dining room chairs and grab at anything and everything sitting on the table. These pictures show Jack "reading" the Sunday paper. Also, I just have to add that there is no way that these pics were actually taken on a Sunday. With Jack keeping us so busy, it takes me at least three days to get through the sale ads, so the paper stays on the table for at least half the week, if not all the way to the next Sunday!

Jack has decided that it is great fun to put his trucks up on the table and then shove them off. It is a game that can go on for an hour.

Here is the little man having snack at the table, his chin just barely high enough to be above the table!

Thankful

This morning as I was getting ready, I was trying to figure out what I am most thankful for this year. I finally figured out that one phrase can pretty much sum up everything that I am thankful for.
I am thankful for what I know and I am thankful for what I don't know.
1. I am thankful that I know what it is like to have a sleepy child lay his head on my shoulder and I am thankful that I don't know what it is like to loose a child.
2. I am thankful that I know what it is like to buy a house and I am thankful that I do not know what it is like to have a home foreclosed.
3. I am thankful that I know what it is like to spend every day with my child and I am thankful that I do not know what it is like to leave my child in a daycare.
4. I am thankful that I know what it is like to have my parents still hold hands in public and I thankful that I do not know what it is like to have divorced parents.
5. I am thankful that I know what it is like to have a husband in love with me and his child and I am thankful that I do not know what it is like to be a single mother.
6. I am thankful that I know what it is like trying to figure out how to try and visit all of our families during the holidays and I am thankful that I do not know what it is like to have family that doesn't wish to see us.
7. I am thankful that I know how much a friend can help and I am thankful not to know what it is like to feel like you have no one.

There are so many experiences that I am so glad that I have been lucky enough to enjoy and I am so very, very thankful that I have been so lucky to avoid so much pain and heartbreak that others have had to endure.

18 Months

Our little Jack is already 18 months old! Time flies so fast when you are chasing after an active little guy!

18 Month Stats:
Height: 33 1/2 inches (81%)
Weight: 26 pounds, 4oz (55%)
Head: 18 1/4 inches (14%)

Likes: All veggies, bananas, yogurt, pears, playing outside, cookies, dogs, cats, being teased, causing trouble, jumping on beds, brushing his teeth, Tylenol, commercials with dogs and cats, pacifiers, his night-night blanket, Daddy and Mommy.

Dislikes: Being told "No", shots and Daddy going to work.

When we took Jack in for his 18 month appointment, Jack's doctor said that Jack is one of the most healthy kids he has had in a long time. Hopefully that will continue this winter as well!

Since it was Jack's half birthday, I felt that cupcakes were necessary for desert. We bought some at Target and I have learned my lesson not to buy Halloween cupcakes ever again!

The Little Dipper

Tonight at dinner, Jack was eating very nicely when all of the sudden he kept pointing towards the kitchen telling me "more". I couldn't figure out what he needed "more" of. We were having Chicken Cordon Bleu over rice, with squash and peaches rounding out the meal, all of which there was still plenty on his high chair tray. He also still had plenty of milk, his fork and a bowl, so what could he need "more" of? He had been having some pumpkin bread (a new favorite of his, we have gone through a loaf and a half since Friday) before dinner, so I thought maybe he wanted more of that and offered it to him. Nope. Not it. I realized that he was pointing towards the fridge, so I asked him if he wanted cheese and he happily responded "cheese!", I was impressed with myself for figuring out the "more" problem to only have him start all over again. What else could he want out of the fridge? Hmmm.....ahhh, ketchup! I offered him ketchup and it turned out that is what he wanted all along. For the rest of his meal, he happily dipped his shredded cheddar cheese, chicken cordon bleu, squash and pumpkin bread into his ketchup. I should have figured it out earlier, the kid loves to dip his food in anything, during breakfast he will dip his toast in his yogurt and at lunch he dips his green beans in his applesauce. Ick.
A couple of weeks ago, Jay, Jack and I were at Ikea and stopped for lunch while we were there. I had some Swedish Meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy. Jack had chicken nuggets and fries. He wasn't interested in trying my meal at all, but all of the sudden he started reaching over to dip his fries in my gravy. I was disgusted, but apparently Jack enjoyed it because he ate the rest of his fries that way. Ick.
I think I better stock up on ketchup and other dipping sauces, I think we will be going through a lot of it!

What A Wonderful World

Last Tuesday, Jay and I went in for an ultrasound of the baby. We were given the exciting news that a little baby GIRL will be entering our family! She is perfect and healthy and we are so excited. The ultrasound technician showed us all of our little baby's parts, including her itty-bitty kidneys. The technician had a really hard time getting pictures of her because our little lady was moving all around the entire time (just like her big brother!), but we did get a couple that we will post soon. Right now she is positioned like she is standing straight up, so Jay and I think that all of her moving around was "dancing". We have already picked up a few PINK things and I can't wait to do more shopping!