first field trip...

In continuation of my previous post subject: time moves too fast…

Jack has his first “field trip” today, for which they are walking to a nearby ice cream shop. I’m so excited for him! What a fun adventure. Field trip days are the best.

He also received his paperwork for preschool, which will start soon. When did this little boy get old enough for preschool?!

I remember when he was a baby and I thought, “I wonder what he’ll sound like. I wonder how he’ll act, and look, and think, and be…”. Now these wonders are pushed further into the future to a place where he’s a big boy and I wonder what sports he’ll play, and what he’ll enjoy, and what subjects he’ll like, and, again, what he’ll sound like, and think, and be...

Little boy, little man.

Lila: 6 months...

Lila had her 6 month checkup and just typing that is a kind of punch to the stomach. 6 months? When did that happen? Half a year…really? She’s so beautiful and loving and sweet. I am so so proud of my little girl.

She weighs 16 pounds 12 ounces (75th percentile) and she’s 27 inches long (80th percentile). She received 4 shots and actually handled it better than her big brother’s 1 shot (but don’t tell him…he tried his best to be brave! Plus Lila has unawareness on her side, whereas Jack can see it coming!)
The Dr gave her the okay to eat just about anything…or at least try it. She’s been interested in grown up (table) food lately so I finally gave her some mini-baby pieces of bread last night. In all honesty, the pieces were so small that she probably didn’t even notice them, but it’s a start. I’m also experimenting with making my own food for her (more on that later)
She’s sleeping through the night and waking up so damn smiley and happy. I just want to kiss her face all morning, but after a while she asks me to stop and FINALLY feed her…then I can go back to love-attacking her! (PS: LOVE this hat! The pic cracks me up, but it's a million percent adorable in person!)
Lila really is such a happy baby. She’s got her daily routine down pat and life is getting easier (until she get’s mobile and then we’ll be back on a learning curve!)

Happy, happy half year birthday to my 6 month old girl! Slow down, sister!

What I'll remember

Last night Jack woke up at 1:30 and wanted to come into our bed. (I usually don’t mind if Jim’s already gone to work, but 3 in a queen-sized gets a little cramped! Plus I’m trying to break the snuggle habit, although I’m not happy about it).

I brought him back to his room and he just wasn’t having it. So I sat in his bed and rocked him, and held him and walked around the room, and scratched his back when he needed me to…and I realized that I had forgotten about the nights of pacing his room back and forth and back and forth to get him back to sleep.

I must have walked the same path in his room a hundred times a week…but I have so easily forgotten about how hard and tiring it was. It’s funny how the most difficult times are the easiest to forget (although I say “hard times” loosely because he was an easy-going baby, I think…or maybe my memory is sugar-coating that fact too!)

Soon I’ll remember how hard it was, and how tired I was, and how stressful it can be (but most likely these will be multiplied with an addition to the equation)…but in the end, the best times are the ones I’ll remember.

Potty Training (kind of)...

Today I woke up with full-on Potty-Training Gusto! Most likely because Jack woke up and his first words we’re “M-M’s? Pee-pee potty?” And sure enough, despite the bright bathroom and sleepy morning eyes, Jack went in the potty! (And was thus rewarded with M&M’s at 6 in the morning!)

It’s one of the few times he’s initiated the act himself, so I was very excited. And to continue to encourage his progress, I’ve made a nice little “Potty Chart” to track his development as we go:
Now I’ve done pretty much zero research on this whole potty training business, and I’m not trying to put the pressure on Jack, I just want to start getting him into habit. (And hopefully, have him (mostly) out of diapers by the time #2 arrives!) I figure, we’ll ease into the process slowly, and when we run into bumps along the road, we can move into the R&D phase! ;-)

So here’s the deal, every time he goes in the potty, he can put a sticker on his chart. When he fills up an entire row, he gets a little present TBD. Of course there will be cheers and hugs and M&M’s along the way, and I’m sure plenty of accidents…but bring.it.on! Trial and error, here we come!

just like Dada!

Just two men, shaving...

And being goofy...

I took his hand and followed...

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I,

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky.

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood;

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill,

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know. (Unknown)

He's such a big boy!

Last night, in the interest of safety (see this post), we decided it was time to convert Jack's crib to a "Big-boy Toddler Bed"...and he loved it!

He loved jumping in his new bed...

...climbing out...

more jumping...(and making the face like, "I know I'm not supposed to be doing this!")

"Uh-oh!"

And testing out his new digs...

Night-night, Baby!

And I couldn't be prouder that he stayed in his big-boy bed all night long! No falling out...no "escaping" to play with his toys...no waking up for a midnight play-date!

He did, however, manage to make a 180° flip and end up with his head at the other end...(Please notice the excessive amount of pillows and blankets next to his crib, in case of an accident! Even though his bed is a whole 5 inches off the ground...you can never be too careful!)

And he just had to cover his head when it was time to get up...(either that, or my incessant camera flashing was too much for 6am!!)

He's just growing up so fast: sleeping in his new bed (and I'm sure we will have some stories from our little escape artist to come), going potty on the big-boy potty (Aunt CC has pictures of this...I swear, right Care!), singing, talking, running, (definetly NOT throwing tantrums...not my Jack!)...what a big boy!

Next thing you know, he'll be driving and bringing home his first girlfriend...I think I have about 20 years until I have to worry about that, right?!!?

(love)