My Little Man

A couple of weeks ago, my sister came over and we made spaghetti for dinner.  I usually put Hannah in one of Jack's old Spider-man t-shirts on spaghetti night because it's already red and keeps her from ruining her non-red clothes.  She happened to be barefoot and wearing her adorable skinny jeans that night, and I don't know what it was...but watching her walk around in her big brother's t-shirt with those skinny jeans - I just fell even more in love with her.  I really just could've eaten her up.

But as I was doting on her and trying to capture some photos, Jack announced, "I think it's more adorable with me in it."

Maybe he's a little jealous.  Sometimes.  Maybe.

*****

When he was done eating his spaghetti dinner (one meal he actually eats quickly and well), he set down his fork and said, "BAM."  Without missing a beat, he explained, "My dad taught me that."

I thought it sounded a little familiar:)

*****

One night, while we were snuggling before bed, I told Jack, "You're my baby," after kissing his adorable belly.  Do you know what that sweet boy said to me?

"That makes my heart happy."

Ditto, Little Man.  Ditto.

*****

While spending time collecting sticks with Great-Uncle Danny over Thanksgiving, Jack said, "I don't mean to upset you, Uncle Danny, but you just interrupted me."

Uncle Danny, caught a little off-guard, apologized to Jack and explained that he hadn't meant to interrupt, to which Jack replied, "It's okay.  I do it all the time."

*****

While climbing out of the car the other day, I noticed that Jack referred to himself in the third-person, but not just as Jack.  He referred to himself as Jack-a-Bear.  I had to think about it for a second, but then I asked, "You mean, like Hannah Bear?  So you're Jack-a-Bear?"

"Exactly," he told me.  "You're right, Mama!"

So creative, and so on-point.  I was very impressed, even though it does make me chuckle a bit:)

*****

As tiring as he can be...as talkative, as energetic, as particular, as sensitive, as stubborn as he can be...I couldn't possibly love this four and a half year old boy any more.  He has made my life better just by being in it, and I'm so lucky that I get to be his mommy.

A Teacher's Dream Come True

This next video clip I'm about to share with you deserves a little set up -

*Jack is reading a book called Pajama Time! by Sandra Boynton.  It's one of Hannah's favorites - we read it almost every night.  While he doesn't have the entire thing memorized, he has the general idea.

*Hannah has impeccable book-handling skills for a 15 month old, if you ask me.

*The bow in her hair?  Jack put that there, and it's the only bow she hasn't immediately taken out.  Oh, and he also put those polka dot socks on her little tootsies.

*Ignore Hannah's temper tantrum.  And the impatient twitch that comes from Jack as a result of said temper tantrum.  It gets better.

*When Hannah starts reading, it's because after Jack read, "Pajammy to the left, pajammy to the right," she knows that the next line is, "Jamma, jamma, jamma, jamma, P! J!"  He forgot - she was trying to remind him.

*Notice that Jack uses the volume of his voice in wonderful, read-aloud fashion.  The text itself calls for this, but remember - he is four.  And he's whispering the end of the book that's meant to help little ones go to sleep.

*I'm completely in love with these two brilliant children.  I know I'm biased.  I'm their mom.  And a teacher.  But seriously?!  Sheer brilliance.  They're marked for greatness.

Enjoy!

{Video: Jack and Hannah, Reading}

Thankful Thursday

Dear Momma,

Today I am most thankful for you, my sister - you are making me an Auntie, and it's a dream come true!  I can't even tell you how completely excited I am for this tiny, little baby of yours to join our family.

I am thrilled that Jack and Hannah will have a cousin so close in age.  I'm imagining sleep-overs and vacations and trick-or-treating and back to school shopping trips.

I can't wait to see how Jack looks after his baby cousin.  What will Hannah think of a baby at Grammy's?  Will she give the baby kisses?  Will Jack share his toys?

I am lucky and anxious to be able to cuddle another newborn...to take newborn pictures and kiss chunky, baby cheeks.

I'm looking forward to shopping for tiny, newborn clothes and to planning the BEST BABY SHOWER EVER.

I can't wait to share stories my babies have loved and clothes that they once could wear.

But most of all, I'm thankful that I will get to share this raw, mothering experience with you.  That I will get a front seat to watching you transform the moment you hold that tiny baby in your arms for the first time.  This baby will teach you to love in ways you can't imagine.  He or she will teach you to be patient.  To be compassionate.  That things you think are the biggest deals right now, actually don't matter at all.  Not even a tiny, little bit.

Some days, all that matters is the way tiny fingers look in newborn fists.  Or the way your newborn's head fits perfectly in the nook on your shoulder.  Maybe it's the crystal, clear color in your newborn's eyes.  It might be the sound Baby makes at night, when you go in once, twice, maybe three times just to listen to him breathing (there - I said it - I think it's a boy!).  Or maybe it's dropping off the baby at daycare for the first time.  Or sending your little one off to Pre-K.

Some nights you will lay awake thinking about what your baby will be when he grows up.  Whether he  will play sports or write books.  How the curve of his chin and the shape of his tiny, baby nose might one day change.  And you will want to stop time.  You'll worry about the temperature of Baby's room and whether her (maybe?) crib is comfy enough.  You'll worry about her first broken heart.

These are the things that will matter soon.

I am so, so happy for you.

And so very thankful.

Love,

E

{Momma and Baby at 12 weeks}

PS - I'm also thankful for this afternoon light, that tutu (thanks Aunt Jess!), my baby girl, and her sweet brother who agreed to head to the window so his tiny sister would follow, allowing Mama to capture this picture:

Thankful Thursday

It's been too long since my last Thankful Thursday post, so here goes...

I'm thankful for 80 degree weather in March.

I'm thankful for afternoons at the park with my little ones and our friends.

{By the way, wouldn't this be a cute picture on their wedding program one day?  Just sayin'.}

I'm thankful for Kimmee who constantly works to help me stay organized (but not too organized) at work.

I'm thankful for Jack's teachers for giving his class time to dance each and every afternoon.

I'm thankful for Hannah's teachers who love on her and make her smile and taught her how to clap her hands with glee (she hasn't stopped since)!

I'm thankful that Jack is such a good big brother that he can have an entire conversation with his baby sister while she says not a word:

J: Hannah Bear, how was your day?  

H: (nada)

J: Was it good?  

H: (nada)

J: Did you play?  

H: (nada)

J: What did you play?

H: (nada)

I'm thankful for late-night conversations with my hubby once the babies are in bed.  It's nice to finish a sentence uninterrupted every once in awhile.

Sunday Morning Sweetness

Jack: Gives Hannah his toy lion to play with while he plays with his superhero city from Aunt Jess.

Hannah: Continues to roll towards the superhero city, leaving said lion behind.

Jack:  "Mommy, she keeps touching my toy even though I gave her my lion."

Mommy: "Jack, do you know why Hannah does that?  She loves to play with what you're playing with because she loves you.  You're her big brother, and she thinks you're awesome."

Jack: (with a serious, and endearing smile, makes eye contact with his wiggly, baby sister)  "Hannah, when you're a little bigger and you can talk, I'll teach you how to jump, okay?  Deal?"

Mommy: (heart melts all over the family room floor - this is what it's all about)

Silent Sunday

{It seems that Miss Hannah started to slip while propped up on some pillows on our bed and her wonderful big brother hustled over to keep her from toppling head-first.  He really is the best...}

The Graduate

Jack is now an official graduate of the big sibling class provided by the hospital.  This morning we took Jack to learn all about becoming a big brother, and it was a huge success - thanks to Daddy stepping in to make sure our little man got some one-on-one assistance with baby care techniques.  I snapped photos and tried not to overheat:)

A baby-holding lesson from Daddy

Snuggling his baby

Practicing his holding skills

Daddy models a swaddle

Practicing the swaddling skills

Jack enjoyed making a "baby taco"

Changing a diaper

Receiving his certificate for the Best Big Brother

Jack did so well during the class and even throughout the tour.  He loved seeing the rooms where he was born and where his sister will be born.  It was pretty cute, and hopefully it will make visiting the hospital a little bit smoother.  We'll see...

After our class, we came home and Daddy set to work painting our fence.  Jack and I took the opportunity to play out on the deck, so we set up the water table, the baby pool, and the sandbox and he went to town.  We had lunch, took a great nap, and played outside some more.

This evening, we went out to get more fence paint and to have dinner at Famous Dave's.  Jack was so well-behaved and practiced his coloring skills during dinner.  When we got home, we got ready for bed, and Jack and Daddy snuggled and watched nature shows on TV for a little while.  

It was the perfect ending to a perfect, summer day.

Just Jack...Recently

Jack is as busy as ever these days, and I can barely keep up with recording all of the hilarious and adorable things that he does every day.  He definitely keeps us on our toes, that's for sure...

Yesterday at his yearly check-up he weighed 30 pounds (25-50th percentile) and was 37 inches tall (50th percentile).  Brad and I were thinking he might get really lucky and be built like Grampy and Grandpa, but with those percentages, it's not seeming very likely.  Developmentally, he's doing great, although I did learn that we need to work on knowing our full name:)  Jack received a clean bill of health while we were there, and he's all set for another year.  We even escaped without any shots, so that was wonderful and made it much easier to head to school afterwards too.  

Here he is eating dinner with Skinny Bear in what he deemed was his new spot at the table.

Jack has always been extremely observant, but lately I've been surprised by his comments and just how much he really is watching and listening to every single thing around him.  One morning on our way to school he announced that his toy "has green eyes like Daddy."  I was astonished to find out that he knew what color Daddy's eyes are, and then I asked him what color my eyes were, and he said, "Blue, like Jack's eyes."  Indeed.

While watching The Cat in the Hat, he noticed that it was raining in the movie, and immediately made a connection, saying, "It's raining today just like ours is raining."  Meaning that while it was raining in the movie, it was also raining outside our house.  His teachers will love his making connections skills:)

After watching an episode of Blue's Clues where Steve leaves for college, Jack looked up at me and said, "I wish I could go to college like Steve."  I bravely told him that one day he can, and then considered running to the bathroom to cry my eyes out.  My only consolation is that it's still 15 years away.  I've got some time to adjust...

Every night when Jack hears Brad open the garage door, he runs outside to greet him.

When we leave for school in the mornings, he'll often glance outside the garage and comment, "What a nice day today," with just my inflection.  Even if it's raining or cloudy or cold.  Adorable.

On our way to the minute clinic last month, I told Jack we were going to see a different doctor.  When we pulled into the shopping center, he said, "But Mommy, this is where dinner lives," because he could see restaurants and didn't recognize the area as a place a doctor's office would be located.

When he wants to know what something says, he'll ask, "Mommy, what's this about?"

Cute vocabulary words:

buh-loo = blue

meelk = milk

grills = girls (our puppy dogs)

Not sure why he adds extra syllables or has an accent occasionally, but it's too adorable for the time being!

He loves to climb up in Daddy's lap, and this night, very much enjoyed posing for pictures.

At three years old, Jack is a pretty strong negotiator and loves to make a plan.  For example, while eating Sunday Steak Dinner one night, he pulled out three pieces of steak and said, "I'll eat these steaks and then I can have an Oreo."  Or he might say, "First, I'm going to go get new underwear and socks, and then I'll go potty."

Jack is very in touch with his body.  Just tonight, after his shower, he asked me, "Mama, what's wrong with my nipples?"  When I asked him what he meant, he said that they were all red.  So I had to example that his nipples are always a different color from the rest of his chest, and that seemed to be a perfectly acceptable answer to him, thankgoodness.

The other afternoon, he came running from the bathroom, crying and saying that he couldn't find his toy airplane.  When I went in to investigate, I didn't see it anywhere and said it must be somewhere else.  He started crying harder and jumping up and down, and then he pointed to the air vent.  Finally, he said, "Mommy, it went in there!"  Like it had just flown in all by itself.  Or maybe the vent just sucked it up.  I asked Jack if he put the airplane in the vent, and he said yes:)  Now we were getting somewhere...

If we go for a walk and Jack wants to ride in the stroller, he says that we're going for a "green walk."  You know...since our stroller is green, of course!

Love. Love. Love. this picture

Jack loves the puppy dogs, although he doesn't always love their kisses or the fact that they may a) steal his food or b) chew on his toys.  He does routinely "scrub them" (rub their backs) and check their ears to see if they have an ear infection.  Apparently, he's noticed that Belle is rather prone to ear infections.  This morning, he was trying to check Gracie's ears when he announced that he couldn't find them.  I don't blame him; she is a little furry:)

He's currently learning to color inside the lines!  One night at dinner, Daddy colored a picture for Jack.  The entire time, Jack was intently watching what Brad was doing, and when Brad handed him the picture of Buzz, colored inside the lines, he just stared and stared at it.  Immediately, he chose another picture and began focusing on the details of the drawing with his little markers.  It was the cutest thing - I laminated both the Buzz picture and the picture Jack did immediately after because I was so proud.

And finally, this whole "big brother" thing...  While I think he may be a little unclear about some of the details, I also firmly believe that Jack is going to be the best big brother ever.  To hear him talk about Peanut is the cutest thing in the world...makes this mama's heart melt.

Whenever he wants to kiss the baby, he insists that I pull my shirt up and looks for one of the freckles on my stomach to kiss that spot.  Apparently, he thinks she hides behind the freckles and can only feel his kisses if my belly is bare:)

The other morning when I asked him if he thought Baby Girl would like her room, he responded with, "I think my sister will like {insert Baby Girl's name} room.  Hmmm...does he think they're two different people?

When his soccer coach asked him if he was having a little brother or sister, he explained that he's having a boy and I'm having a girl.  Uh-oh!

This morning he was playing with his Mickey airplane which he can ride on, but it also has a handle so that a toddler can push it around.  He was asking me what the handle was for, and when I explained, he said that Baby Girl will like to push it around and that he will show her how to do it.  So adorable.  Then he reiterated that, "I will tell her how to do it."  Okay, great, I was thinking.  But then he said, "Pick your shirt up," and I realized he was going to tell her RIGHT THEN.  And that he did.  Brought tears to my eyes at how absolutely sweet and innocent the whole exchange was...

There were two little bags of M&M's in our key bowl this evening that Jack found while eating dinner - one pink and one blue (left over from my surprise shower).  He quickly explained to me that the blue M&M's were his, but the pink ones are for Baby Girl.  Too cute...

I so love this time with him.  He's at such a fun age and is soaking up so much of the world around him...it's amazing to watch.  

33 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 33 weeks (and 3 days)

Size of Baby: Peanut weighs about four and a half pounds and could possibly have grown another inch.
Baby's Developmental Milestones: At 33 weeks, the amniotic fluid has maxed out, and there is likely more baby than fluid in the belly.  She closes her eyes when sleeping and opens them when she's awake.  She can also now differentiate between night and day since light can filter through the belly.  Her immune system is growing strong, and antibodies are being passed from me to her to help protect her from germs once she's born.
Total Weight Gain: As of today, I've gained 36.5 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: This week I bought some new jammies, thinking ahead for my hospital stay.  I haven't been so comfy lately in my pajamas, and so my new pants without an elastic waist and a yoga band are fabulous!

Movement: Not as much this week because I think she's running out of room, but when she does move, it's pretty strong.
Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well!
What I miss: Being able to snuggle real close with Jack.  This morning when he cuddled up in bed next to me, he said, "Mama, there's no room for Jack."  Poor thing...
Cravings: Fruit - I'm convinced that the reason I've gained less weight this time around is due to the fact that I've been eating fruit and veggies like they're going out of style.  With Jack, I ate lots of cookies.  And cake.  And pudding.
Symptoms: My body temperature is way up.  My shins and calves feel very tight, and my feet still hurt on most days.  Several people have commented that they think the baby has dropped and that they think she may be early.  We'll see...we'd like to make it to 37 weeks at the very least!
Best Pregnancy Moment this Week: I bought the baby a little onesie with a tutu attached to it, and I gave it to Jack to show to Daddy.  When Jack walked up to Daddy with it, and Daddy asked who it was for, Jack said, "{insert baby girl's name} Bear," in his sweetest voice.  It was the cutest thing ever, and our hearts just melted.