This post has been a long time coming. I keep attempting to sit down and record all the wonderful things Jack does but with his new found mobility, this has become quite impossible. He's such a delight! I can't help but "baby talk" to him. Texas has also worn off on me because Chase had to kindly ask me to stop calling him "Buba." Although Jack is normally referred to as Jack, every night when I snuggle him before bed, the baby talk comes spilling out. He's "oooshies", "jiaooshies", and "booshies", and "ooooshiboooshis." Chase can't tell if I've lost my mind of if I'm just completely obsessed with my little man. Probably both!
I love putting Jack to sleep. I ask him for a snuggle and he nuzzles his head to my chest. We play a little game where I say a sound and he copies me. Then I say two sounds, and he copies me. He's never been one for a long routine and usually reaches for his crib after a couple of minutes. Depending on the day (and how much energy I have), I love to rock him in my chair while he snuggles up to me. Is there any greater feeling in the world than a baby hugging you?
Jack had his first day of nursery and it didn't go as I had planned. I knew he would be easy going and just play with the toys but that Sunday morning he seemed a little sick so we weren't going to drop him off. However, they needed me to play the piano in Primary and Chase had to teach the third hour so to nursery he went. I didn't even get to take him. Sarah Clowrad from the primary dropped him off while I played the piano. I managed to get a picture of him right after and he seemed like he had fun. I'm just sad I didn't get to witness it myself. I did take him the next Sunday and got all chocked up after I left him with the leaders. Probably best that Sarah dropped him off the week before. I'm a little too attached. However, I won't lie that it's VERY nice to sit in Sunday School and Relief Society with out him. I can actually listen to what's being said! It's dreamy.
I remember when Jess had Tommi and was worried that he wasn't talking as much as Lizzy did. We decided it was because boys develop slower than girls to which I am now reassuring myself with Jack. I think Sadie knew 100 words by 18 months. She could say "alligator" for heaven's sake! Jack is working on his animal sounds and knows a hand full of words that just about melt me when they come from his mouth. I think his first word was "uh oh", but it could have also been "dada" (something that really vexes me),"gah" (ball) or "dis" for "this." Knocking his chest was pretty much every animal sound for a while but he has now learned to say the sounds of an elephant, monkey, fish, duck, puppy, horse, lamb, snake, lion, tiger, bear, ad piggy. He loves his little pig puppet. Some of his new words are "mama" which he says in such an adorable little tone that I can't help smiling from ear to ear. He can say "sadie" which comes out sounding more like "didi." He can say "Mimi, cookie, wawa(water), nana(banana), kitty, ck(truck), moon, star, "gigu" (thank you)and probably more but I'm tired of thinking of them:-) He's getting really good at just saying words we say after we ask him to say them.
He's also getting into books. One of my favorite things he'll do is grab a book and scoot back into my lap to sit down. If I am standing he'll sit on my feet. He just wants to be near. This whole wanting to be bear mom is cute but I can't leave a room with out him bursting into tears. Depending on the day he will often just play in the toy room with the train table for a while. Sadie and he have gotten a lot better at playing together which makes my life a whole lot easier, but most of the time, I need to sit in the room with them as referee. Although pretty mellow, he can be pretty feisty too, especially when Sadie swipes something from him.
Jack learned to hit from Sadie and will hit her if she gets too close to him. Sadie's new thing is to teach him "not to hit" by ignoring him rather than lashing back but that doesn't always work. Damage has been done:-) He loves to slam doors and run away from me when I'm trying to dress him. I still think it's cute when I see his little diaper clad body standing against the wall opposite me. It's so fun running away from Mom!
Lately he's also become quite attached to his monkey blanket which he calls "bahh" because that's what Sadie calls her lamb blanket. He used to be a binky guy and preferred it all day but recently got a cold and wanted nothing to do with it because he couldn't breath through his nose. Hopefully this will stick and we can officially be done with the pacifier before the age of 2 unlike Sadie who had it pried away at 3 1/2!
I should probably mention that Jack is a marathon sleeper. He takes a three to four hour nap and sleeps in until 9 or 10 in the morning. When he wakes up he just hangs out in his crib. He's so quiet some mornings that I don't know he's awake. It makes me feel bad when I go in there to get him and see him sitting in his crib. Sometimes I wonder how long he's been awake. I'm not complaining about having such an amazing sleeper but after one morning when he woke up at noon (he was a little sick with a cold), I had to keep going in there to see if he was still breathing.
One thing I've noticed about Jack is his easy going little personality and his understanding of the world around him. I rarely ever hear him cry in the car. Rather I've got the four year old whining while he just looks at the window with an inquisitive look on his face. He loves seeing the world around him. He also LOVES water, whether it be a lake, river or just the bath tub. He could play with water while throwing rocks, sticks and dirt all day long. Anytime we see a lake, he points out the window and yells "wawa!!" He's also been quite taken with everyone's Christmas lights on their houses. Boy do they decorate in Texas! There are lights everywhere and if there's time before bedtime, we hop in the car and drive around the neighborhoods to look at them. It's rare to find a home completely dark around here. Jack especially loves the inflatable penguins.
Jack loves to wrestle with his Dad. After dinner we will crawl around like horses and wrestle in the living room. Jack loves being chased by Sadie and will laugh so hard that we hear him snort. Sadie will turn on music, get all dressed up and dance around the room. Jack follows along as he turns around and stops his feet right along side her. It's really fun watching them dance together. Chase also loves to tickle Jack while he's changing his diaper. I always hear shouts of laughter and snorts coming from his room when Dad's in there.
Lately it's been very challenging to get Jack to eat. I mentioned before that he got a really bad cold and didn't really want to eat anything. As a mother I feel like such a failure when I can't get my kids to eat. When he didn't even want a cookie we knew something was very wrong. I think this was the first time Jack has been really sick. I was very close to taking him to the doctor but realized that with no fever, there's really nothing they can do for him. I still worry because that's what I do best. I just hate seeing him sick with a red chafed nose, and droopy eyes. SO sad.
Before we could get Jack to eat pretty much anything as long as he was playing with something. Now, he gives each bite an evil eye, and shakes his head. Another new word...."No" which he says with kind of a French accent. Sometimes I will hold up four different options for him like cheese, yogurt, fruit, whatever and he always shakes his head with a discreet little "no." It's my new challenge these days, to get food into Jack whatever way I can:-) The bathtub is usually the best distraction. He'll pretty much eat anything in there. Like I said, water is a good thing with Jack. He can also be found in the pantry pointing to cookies, or crackers whose appeal far surpass the yogurt, cheese and oatmeal. I try to keep the pantry closed because if he sees something he can't have, he won't eat anything else.
Jack is also a very obedient little boy. Usually a Christmas tree and an 18 month old don't mix, but Jack is very good at backing away when we tell him not to touch something. He'll stop at the sidewalk when I tell him not to run in the street and he'll usually give something to me if I ask him to hand over what he shouldn't be playing with. It's nice to have a kid who actually listens to me. Hopefully we can carry this on into the toddler years.
He's got great motor skills. Lately he's become very fast at walking. He'll be running in no time. He climbs everything from chairs, to ladders, and boulders outside. When he's hungry I often times find he's climbed up into his high chair. If we had stairs he would probably be able to climb down at this point. He's learned that going head first isn't the best idea anymore. He'll climb the stairs at the playground and go down the big slide over and over again all by himself. He loves to wander all over the place (as long as he knows I'm close by) collecting acorns, rocks, dirt, grass, and discovering the bugs below the earth. He's such a happy little guy and such a joy to have in our home. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have such a wonderful son. I love my little boy to pieces!!
Sadie's preschool presented us parents with quite the show for Christmas. I noticed Sadie was singing some new songs in the car and it was fun to hear her sing with all her little buddies. Of course our kid was the one who decided to adjust her tights and show everyone her stubby little legs (and Dora underwear). We were equally impressed with alleluia shouts from the kids in every key possible. Not the most reverent version we've heard but certainly the most entertaining.
Sometimes I can't believe it was only a year ago Sadie asked Santa for Chick Hicks and King from the Cars movie. Where has my little "tom boy" gone. All Sadie wants to do is color in her My Little Pony book, dress up, and wear my jewelry. Her favorite color is pink, and is officially a "girly girl" (for the time being....you never know with Sadie).
There are two things that can always grab Jack's attention, basketballs (any type of ball actually) and water. The word "gah" (ball) is said about 100 times a day by this little fellow. If it's raining Jack will point to the windows and yell "a wah wah!!". The same reaction occurs every time we might pass a fountain, lake, river, or puddle. He loves water.
He also loves to take baths and showers with his Dad. One morning while Chase was shaving his head and waiting for the water to warm up, he turned around to find Jack standing in the shower with his PJ's on. Good thing our water heater is set to a lower temperature!! I guess he couldn't wait. If Chase is ever in the shower and Jack happens to walk by, he'll bang on the door until Chase lets him in.
This post has been a long time coming. I keep attempting to sit down and record all the wonderful things Jack does but with his new found mobility, this has become quite impossible. He's such a delight! I can't help but "baby talk" to him. Texas has also worn off on me because Chase had to kindly ask me to stop calling him "Buba." Although Jack is normally referred to as Jack, every night when I snuggle him before bed, the baby talk comes spilling out. He's "oooshies", "jiaooshies", and "booshies", and "ooooshiboooshis." Chase can't tell if I've lost my mind of if I'm just completely obsessed with my little man. Probably both!
He's also getting into books. One of my favorite things he'll do is grab a book and scoot back into my lap to sit down. If I am standing he'll sit on my feet. He just wants to be near. This whole wanting to be bear mom is cute but I can't leave a room with out him bursting into tears. Depending on the day he will often just play in the toy room with the train table for a while. Sadie and he have gotten a lot better at playing together which makes my life a whole lot easier, but most of the time, I need to sit in the room with them as referee. Although pretty mellow, he can be pretty feisty too, especially when Sadie swipes something from him.
One of our favorite places around here is Lake Travis. It's about five minutes from our house and such a fun area for the kiddos. It warmed up again so we took my family there to enjoy some fresh 65 degree air. Jack sat at the water's edge the whole time throwing rock after rock. It never gets old for that kid. Sadie followed Grandpa around as they searched for sea shells (lake shells?), turtles, ducks and fish. I relished the time I had to hang out with Mom and Jane. I love having them all to myself!!
Another favorite spot, just up the street is the Oasis, a restaurant better known for their view than their food. It turned out to be a very warm day so we sat outside and watched the sailboats below. I love Austin. Where else can you sail and eat outside at the end of November? Can you tell I love being outside? Something Virginia and I didn't much agree with. I spent WAY too much time in my house last year. I am loving all this fresh, warm air!!
I'm so glad the Etheringtons came for Thanksgiving! Hopefully I can round them up again for Easter. I've heard the blue bonnets are incredible that time of year, and it bound to be warmer. It's in the bag!
When I told my Mom we might possibly be moving to Austin this last summer, she immediately told me that she couldn't wait to visit! They came for Thanksgiving and it was so much fun. I love my family. Sadie of course leached onto Grandpa and didn't let go until pried off at the airport when they went back to Utah. It was 6 degrees in Utah when they left and were welcomed with warm upper 60's weather. While we whipped up all of Mom's delicious Thanksgiving recipes, Sadie and Grandpa climbed the tree in our back yard. Only Grandpa would think to do something that fun. I used to climb trees (back when I was 7) but after Chase encountered a possum while jumping the fence, I've steered clear of their domain. I've become quite the wimp. Sadie got a little closer to heaven that afternoon.
Mimi always brings lots of books when she comes to visit. Sadie's favorite thing to do with her Mimi is snuggle up and read some new stories. "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie" was a big hit. This is my first Thanksgiving cooking with Mom and Jane since I got married. For the past three years we always ate at the Todd's with the Cannon clan (we miss that:-). This year, we had so much fun singing to Ella Fitzgerald and enjoying the breeze from the open windows.
The feast was delicious and the Pumpkin Cheesecake, even better. Once our stomachs had settled, we packed up the car and raced to the movie theatre to see Tangled. Sadie now wants to grow her hair out down to her toes. I loved the movie mainly because it was adorable, but because little Jack sat on my lap practically the whole time! It was my turn to be in heaven. Such a little snuggler. I also had Sadie sitting right behind me which is always fun because I can look back and see the magical delight exuding from her little face. She is now a Rapunzel super fan, like every other little girl in that theatre.
That night the temperature dropped like 20 degrees. The next day, although it was sunny, we bundled up in our scarves and hats to go shopping on South Congress street. What fun little shops! They had a candy shop with chocolate covered bacon. Only in the South! They had a whole store dedicated to cowboy boots. Of course we had to buy some pink ones for Sadie. She'll be so surprised Christmas morning. I don't know if I've mentioned that Sadie is obsessed with ponies and cowgirls. She's going to rock those cowboy boots.
After a delicious meal, we went to the Hey Cupcake trailer to get some more deliciousness. Jack threw rocks, we enjoyed the sunshine, and Sadie licked her frosting. Does anyone have a kid that actually eats the cupcake and not just the frosting? I don't think that kid exists.
We headed over to UT campus and Jane thought it would be fun to seek out the Chi Omega house. Dad, who loves to be a pill sometimes insisted on finding the Beta Theta Pie house as well. They must be having a bad couple of years because not only have they been closed up in Utah, but don't even exist in Austin. Poor Dad. I know he doesn't really even care but it's fun to make fun of him anyway. The Chi O house was way nicer than ours at the U. We peeked in the windows and decided that headquarters must like them more than the Utah sisters. Oh well. I bet they didn't have as much fun as we did living in the "four man" down stairs or playing super mario brothers until 4 a.m. You have to be creative when you live in a dump:-)
After a quick stop to a Book People (independent bookstore..a must for the Etheringtons) and Anthropology, a must for Mom, we headed home, put the kids to sleep and went to Harry Potter. Jane stayed home and watched 5 recorded episodes of Americas Next Top Model. I TIVOed them just for her.
I never thought I would EVER eat from an outdoor vendor. I flinch when I walk by hot dog stands or have to smell the goopy cheese they put on people's chips. D.C. was full of them and I was never tempted to patronize their little carts but Austin has made a new woman out of me! Austin is known for their large number of outdoor food facilities. There are trailers EVERYWHERE selling cupcakes, crepes, tacos and they're REALLY good. Maybe I've been missing out all these years!
They have a farmer's market every Saturday in town all over the place. We picked one in Barton Creek for the day and weren't surprised to find a long line of people waiting to sing some live music. Austin is known for their live music at any possible venue. Check out the guys cell phone on the left. It looks like the one I had my freshman year at the U. Love it!
Sadie got her face painted and of course asked him to paint a unicorn because that is the most glorified pony of all time. It flies! Did you know that? Her unicorns and ponies all have the same names; Acornia, Princess, and Destiny. She was very sad when we told he she could NOT wear the unicorn on her face to church the next day.
We sat down and listened to the music while Sadie performed for everyone (as always). That girl LOVES to dance, especially for an audience. Even if she's a little shy at first, she usually has everyone watching and clapping towards the end. Jack spent his time climbing on any and every chair that was unoccupied and nearly gave everyone around us a heart attack when he almost fell over. Sometimes I think that kid has a death wish. He climes up on everything these days. I'll turn around while I'm making his oatmeal in the morning to find he's shimmied out of his highchair and standing straight up for a better view of the room and the floor far below him. I have to keep two eyes on him at all times.
Have I mentioned yet how much I love Austin? There is always something fun to do and the weather is always so cooperative. It was November and Sadie is wearing a tank top! It was either pretty hot that day or Sadie must have done a lot of dancing!
