School Party!

Last Friday I took cupcakes (train ones of course!) to Jack's school for them to celebrate his birthday. It was so funny to watch 8 two-year-olds interact. We also send a gift at the beginning of the year and when it is your child's birthday they get to pick something out of the birthday box! Jack picked one of two that had a bow! He is so my child! And you know I would never send a gift without a bow!

All Aboard...It's Party Time!

We had the most fun at Jack's party! He is one train obsessed little boy, and it was good thing I talked J into the train ride, because they all LOVED it! We were also lucky enough to get to spend the day with all the grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and even one of Jack's great-grandparents. We could not have asked for a better day! Now here are the pictures. ( I know that is really all you want to see anyway)

Flying By

Oh my I do not know what has happened, but since Jack started school time seems to be flying and I really need to slow it down a little very quickly!


Jack had a great birthday and party on Saturday. (I have picures and lots of recap, I promise) Somewhere in the mix of last week I had a birthday too. It was great and so were the gifts, but Jack's party was the next day, so not much time for fun, however Em and I did squeeze in a pedicure, lunch, baby bites, and tickets to see Legally Blonde on Broadway. I had my 30 week doctor's appointment today at 31 weeks, and still can not believe that Henry will be here in 9 weeks! I really want to slow that down! We have a mini storage to rent, a big boy room to do, and a house to sell, all preferably before he comes, but as I learned with Jack sometimes there is another plan! Okay, enough of my panicking and on to the fun stuff!


Jack got to miss school on his birthday for a photo shoot (more on that much later) so I decided to let him have the entire day out. We went to the mall to meet J for lunch, got a yummy cookie,

rode the carousel,

came home to gifts on the porch, had a visit from the Rutland's with yummy treats and a new train, and Pop came over with gifts and to play. Needless to say, there was no napping that day, but it was lots of fun!

New Thomas toys for the bath!

Birthday Day

Jack had a wonderful birthday! I have a full recap post coming tomorrow complete with video, but in the mean time I just had to show you this picture. It is my favorite from the day. Pop came to see the birthday boy and they made it about 2 steps inside the door! And I am not even going to start telling you about the complete melt down fit the child had when Pop left!

To My Baby Jack

Dear Jack,

It is so hard to believe that it has been two years since you came quickly into our world, three weeks early, and a tiny 5lbs. You were one little determined boy then, and you still have that same determination in everything you do. Everyday with you is greater than I imagined and you amaze me every second.

This year has brought about so many changes and I just want to stop time so I can hold you in my arms and kiss your sweet face. It seems like each day you change and become more and more of a little boy and no longer a baby. How quickly I have forgotten what it felt like to hold that 5lb baby boy and yet I everyday I think my heart could not possibly love you anymore, but it continues to stretch more and more.

This year you have become our little talker, you are more obsessed with trains than I ever thought possible, you still LOVE Barney and can not possibly think of sleeping without your snuggly or favorite blanket. We talk about fishing, watch the Little Rascals at least 5 times a week, want to go outside or ride every hour. You love to go anywhere at any time and get more excited over the sound of the garage door opening when daddy comes come than anything else. You will eat anything sweet and can not possibly function if you can not have at least one dum dum per day. You have started school 3 mornings a week and it has been the best thing for both of us. You needed some friends besides mommy, but I still miss you while you are gone and can not wait for afternoon carpool to pick you up.

I thank God everyday for giving me more than I ever deserved in you. You are my Bestest Boy and my favorite Tootlebug! Happy 2nd Birthday sweet boy!

2008

2009

2010

Weekend List

This weekend we...

• Drove our race car grocery cart
  

• Got to pick out a new wooden train since mommy had a coupon. So Emily was the pick of the day this trip to the toy store

• And speaking of Emily's we got a big yummy cookie slice at the mall thanks to Aunt Emmy for getting Jack the birthday coupon

• Finally after 7 months of reading every double stroller review on the internet we decided on the stroller that seems best for us.

• We watched WAY to much football and got a game plan together to start working on Jack's big boy room next weekend as soon as the birthday festivities are over.

Monkey Cupcakes

J quickly pointed out to me on Friday morning that Jack had no clue what I was saying when I gave him and talk about not pushing his friends and being good at school that day. I also told him I would take him to the bakery close to his school for a cupcake if he got a good report. Knowing that even if he did not know what I meant, I vowed I would keep my end of the bargain up, after all Friday was the start of birthday week at our house and what better way to celebrate than with cupcakes!

So as I drove up in carpool to get Jack I noticed him walking out with his teacher. I rolled my window down to say Hi and she starts by saying....I wanted to bring Jack out today so I could talk to you (I begin thinking OH MY what has he done now!) then she goes on with Jack was so good day he did not cry during carpool at all and had the best day! (at this point I am thinking well maybe he does listen to me, or maybe he doesn't but at least he was good)

We begin to pull out of carpool line...and Jack says Cupcake mommy!

I guess J will NEVER underestimate the intelligence of an almost 2 year old again! And...I have decided that I am not opposed to a little bribery either!

We also will not mention that he ate my cupcake and his!

Football Friday

I am learning VERY quickly that I am going to be majorly out number around here, so I have decided I better just get into the Football Spirit since it is a slight obsession at our house. However the extent of my team support wearing are these earrings...monogrammed of course!

Of course I am not giving into becoming a VOL fan, but I will let Jack wear his orange and white!

No crying at drop off this morning and I promised him a treat if he was good at school today and did not push his friends...so we will see!

Yellow, elephants, and some shopping

Yesterday was yellow day at school, and Jack did not cry at drop off. I think it was harder for me than the 1st day because he was fighting it so hard. That little lip was quivering and he looked at me and said Bye Momma, but never a tear! I was so proud of him...until I picked him up and read his daily sheet, and found out he was pushing his friends yesterday! After naptime I talked to him about it which I am sure did a lot of good, but I think he got the point when I refused to give him a sucker! HA!

I have been so busy lately and of course I can not shop with a 2 year old, so online shopping has become my friend! I have been in LOVE with these shoes for Jack since last fall, but since we already had fall shoes then, I decided to wait...until this year!

They came yesterday, and I still LOVE them. Can not wait for him to wear them!

I also found Jack and Henry their 1st matching outfit on major clearance, at two different stores, weeks apart, but I lucked up and got their sizes for next year. Can not wait for them to wear matching outfits because I know it will not last forever.

For some reason Jack's 1st week of MDO brought home an awful cold to me, of course right when I did not need it! We have party planning and pick ups to do today and fabric searching too. Happy Thursday!

Picnics and Trains

Jack's train table makes a good place for a picnic too!

28 Week Update

I got up bright and early yesterday for my doctor's appointment since I had to stay for at least an hour for the sugar test to make sure I did not have gestational diabetes. This is a routine procedure, and probably the worst one ever! No food beforehand (which is not fun especially when morning sickness has returned), the worst, sweetest drink you have ever tasted, and waiting for an hour...if you don't pass its 4 HOURS! I passed thankfully and got out in an hour and J took Jack to school for me. He did so good, and even walked J into school, only a little whining when the teacher shut the dutch door behind J. I think he is starting to think I am much more boring than school!!


Now for the stats

At 28 weeks.....

• Heartbeat was 152, and I had to find you for the nurse
• You are the size of a cabbage
  
• We only have 12 weeks at the most before you are here. I really want to keep you in there a little longer than that!
  
• I had the big weight gain that the doc said would happen...6lbs! YIKES! For a total of 10lbs gained
• Still throwing up in the mornings
• The heartburn is still making daily appearances
  
• We are definitely going to call you Henry, as of today! HA! I still like John Henry, but I do not want your name to be shortened to John because I don't think any little boy should have to compete with his daddy having the same name. J likes Henry better...so we will see!

We survived!

We made it through the 1st week of MDO, not to mention that this week was also the big children's consignment sale at church, which I worked WAY to much, but did manage to get Jack a couple of good things in return, just not sure all that manual labor was worth it! Sara Ann and I decided that working the Wednesday night shift (6pm-10pm) during receiving would be a good idea, well we were so wrong... More stress worrying about getting the cute stuff we saw ahead of time, 2 pregnant girls and manual labor do not mix, and 10pm is way to late for said manual labor! I worked during the sale Friday morning while Jack was in school, and that was much better timing. I will remember that next year!

Jack had a great day at school Friday, and I could tell when I walked down from the gym to get him that he is quickly warming up to his teachers. He has been a much easier child the last few days, and I can not help but think school has a little something to do with it! He still cries when I drop him off, but I know that will pass soon!

Our week was so busy with something going on every night and trying to adjust to school. I also resumed taking orders with Tootlebugs on the 1st and had planned to do so until about mid October, just to give me time to get the 30+ things done for my boys before John Henry or Henry (the name thing is...well... a totally different post for another day! HA!) gets here, well after 72 orders I decided I better stop now unless I wanted to be working while in the hospital having a baby!

So the boys played in their pjs, watched way to much football, and I worked! And yes, has you can see we are still Choo-choo OBSESSED. He now knows most of their names and will recite them on command. Of course I must thank Thomas the Train for helping Jack learn his Aunt Em's name and his brother's name.

I managed to get all of this done today, and hoping for a productive day tomorrow!

We have a busy week ahead with birthday partying planning, school, lunch dates, but hoping for some down time too!

School Days!

Today was Jack's 1st day of MDO! I was a nervous wreck and prayed really hard that he would make it all day and actually enjoy it! He cries EVERY single time we pull into the church parking lot and this morning was no exception, but since we had a few minutes in carpool line he calmed down just in time for his teacher to take him out of the car...and that make him very unhappy. No kicking or screaming just that you broke my heart cry!

He survived and had a very good day. I got him a little cupcake treat, but he was out not 5 minutes after his teacher put him in the car. If all goes well maybe Friday will bring less crying!

Labor Day

We decided to take a little trip to TN for the weekend since it was a long one. Our sweet and favorite friends just moved into their new home and we could not wait to see it!

Jack was in heaven with 3 extra kids to play with and a HUGE yard to play in. I even seriously considered moving in when he slept until 9:30 Saturday morning!


We did NOTHING which was rare and made for a nice break. And we can not wait to go back soon, but I guess we better hurry since my doc says NO more traveling after our trip to Chicago at the beginning of October.

Today it was back to work and I even made time to squeeze in some monogramming for Jack since he starts MDO tomorrow! Say a little prayer. I hope he will love it!

The Spunky Monkeys

This little monkey was NOT at all happy about going to school for his orientation yesterday. It was so awful and I was so embarrassed. I felt really bad that J left work to come see Jack scream! We were only there for like 20 minutes and Jack screamed and cried and acted like he had been taken to the most awful place on earth! We met his sweet teachers, who did not seem to mind knowing that they had a crier! They assured me they were fine with it, but of course I was dying, sweating like we were in a sauna, mortified that my child was acting like the biggest baby while all the other little boys were playing away. His 1st day is next Wednesday, and I had a talk with him, but it probably won't work!

The only good thing is that he is in the same room for school and Sunday school, so say a little prayer...we need all we can get!

Their little school backpacks!

Bad Idea

Jack and I met Steph and Baby Will for lunch at the new Chuy's that just opened at the Summit, while we were waiting I decided to attempt a little shopping HA! We ended up waiting in the car and enjoying this HUGE mistake sucker! Never again will I buy him one of those things! Thank goodness for wet wipes and the Goo Goo car wash!