Christmas

I'm almost certain this was the best Christmas yet. It was so much fun watching the kids on Christmas morning. Jackson was dying to know who saw Santa and when we said that we hadn't seen him he wanted to know who had. He just asked yesterday where Santa was now and what he was doing. There is nothing like being at home for Christmas. I love all the traditions- especially the ones that come now that the kids are getting old enough to know and love them too! We got to spend a lot of time with family which is so special. We spent the Sunday before Christmas with cousins, aunts & uncle on the Chapman side, Christmas eve with my family, Christmas morning with the 4 of us and then went to Nate's parents for the day. Addison had a playhouse waiting for her and it was all she wanted to do- forget the presents they were boring compared to climbing all over her playhouse. Whereas Jackson wanted to open every present under the tree- and then some. I was impressed, however, with him caring for each present. He took time and wanted to play with each gift before going on to the next one. Nathan was smart and unpackaged the difficult ones the night before and we just sat those under the tree. I'm not quite sure of his favorite present- the green tractor, ambulance, all the books and games, dump truck from Gram, scooter from Gram, cash register from auntie or his love for his new camera from Nana. They have all been popular. His favorite just might be Addison's ball popper. Addison got some great gifts too- playhouse, dollies (which she isn't into... yet), popper, clothes and a great doll house bookshelf (from Gram). She isn't into things as delicate as dolls and is more destructive and into banging and knocking things over. Addison started walking this week. 10 steps is her max right now but she is constantly doing 4-5 and then falling. She finally caught on that she can get somewhere walking and is doing it a lot more now instead of just giving up and crawling. She's a super quick crawler so that is still her quickest means. She is also a climber and throws FITS to get up on anything- the stairs are her new love. We're looking forward to an eventful 2008. Addy turns 1 in a few weeks. Cousins move within 1/4 mile in less than 2 months. That is perhaps what we are looking forward to the most. How fun it will be to see each other constantly!! For Heather & I and the kids... not sure about Nate & Phil! Nate & I go on our first vacation since Addison the end of February- Cobo San Lucas. Enjoy!

Santa? or not?

I was excited when Jackson was eager to go see Santa. On Friday, Ashton & Jackson saw Santa at another mall in St. Loius and they both waved and wanted to go over and see Santa. So last night we packed up the family and braved the wintery mix and headed to the mall. We arrived at Santa. Jackson was instantly nervous and didn't want to go up to Santa. With my help he went and sat on Santa's lap and I handed Addison to Santa. As I was walking away Addison looked up at Santa and started wailing. I must say that I can't blame her much- I was a little afraid of Santa myself. So... no pictures with Santa. BUT as we were leaving Jackson was asking when he could go back and see Santa. Maybe we'll try again... On friday, Nana & Papa took all three boys on a train ride from Jeff City to St. Louis. Heather & I drove to St. Louis for a little shopping and to pick them up. They were 2 hours delayed in leaving but wasted time at McDonalds. The boys LOVED the train and are still talking about the tunnels, freight trains they met and the conductors. I think Nana had about as much fun as the boys and is looking forward to another trip next year and adding Addison to the mix. Heather & I are looking forward to another shopping trip :). Addison's foot update: tomorrow will be our 3rd visit to the PT. I felt so great after the last appointment we had with Debbie (her PT). Addison does so well and I can see her progress. Addison and I have been working at home on exercises and she is doing so well. She has taken her first step by herself and I feel this is the perfect time to be working so hard on her feet. I'm confident that we can get her walking and standing straight. Happy Holidays!

Jackson's 1st Day of Preschool!

The call we've all been waiting for came and Jackson started pre-school last week. All a bit sudden for me (and Gram). Tomorrow will be his 2nd day. I asked him today if he was ready to go back and he said "not quite yet".

His first day went perfectly. Cousin Ashton was quite the nurturer and made sure Jackson knew everyone and what to do and when to do it. I stayed and watched him for the first hour but he never needed or wanted me. The teacher told me that when they were coming in from playing outside- around lunch time- Jackson asked if it was time for lunch. When she replied yes he said, "I brought my lunch in my lunchbox!". He was very excited about his new lunch box and packing a lunch.

I really think he will do great with pre-school. I think it will help build his confidence. He likes people to help him do things- and I'm very guilty of doing things for him. It has gotten better since sister came along but he sometimes wants more attention because sister is here- he wants to be the baby.

Speaking of the baby- which she is NOT anymore... she has two teeth now. It came in on Friday but really popped up yesterday. Addison is seeing a PT and we are working on her walking. She has a problem with her flat feet and they always face outward. We have our 2nd appointment with the PT tomorrow. I do exercises with her and try to build her muscles in her ankles and ankles.

Addy has started throwing things and is working through cause & effect. Oh, if I throw this it will be on the floor instead of in my high chair... how cool is that?! And then mommy has to pick it up! Yea for me! She finds throwing facinating. I find it extremely frustrating!

The picture is of Addison riding in the back of Jackson's BIG dump truck. He had been pushing her around before this picture. And then yesterday she was pushing him in the dump truck! They are quite the pair- Jackson can do NOTHING wrong in the eyes of little sister.

Sickness and a tooth!

The "well" doctor check turned into sickness. Jackson started running a fever on Saturday and yesterday was our first day without one. But Addison woke up with one instead! Jackson still has a very bad cough which in turn hurts his throat. On Friday night we couldn't understand him very well- he kept telling us that his mouth hurt and pointing inside. We got the flashlight out and everything... and finally figured out (when he started losing his voice) that it was his throat that hurt. It has been a tough/needy/whiny week. Wednesday morning I needed 2 laps because they both HAD to sit on my lap and snuggle (didn't mind the snuggling bit!). We've called the doctor and its going around and just needs to take its course. Yesterday afternoon (after a very crabby/needy day with Addy) I saw a tooth coming in! So... at this point we're not sure if she has the sickness or just teething. I'm suspecting this could just be teeth. Her gums are all swollen. So after a week of sickness we are now starting to deal with the spoiled rotten boy that I've turned Jackson into while he's been sick! He's still not feeling up to par but I can tell its going to be a tough weekend. Sorry, no pictures of my sick kiddos. I'll try to get a picture of that tooth! It's almost like she knows about it cause I'll talk about it and she'll just smile so big. Precious.

Doctor visit

We ALL went to the doctor this week (Nathan came with us- thankfully) for well- checks. Jackson's 3 yr and Addison's 9 month. The kiddo's look great- still keeping their 100% figures.

Addison is scheduled to see a PT & OT later this month for her feet. Both feet go outward when she walks and she walks on the side of her left foot quite bad. We also have to buy her some high top shoes to keep her ankle and foot straight and strong.

Last night Grandpa & Grandma Chapman came over to visit. Dr. Jackson worked on Grpa- he had some monkey's in his ears and some ticks on his back. I think after some medicine and some very odd care Dr. Jackson got him feeling better. It was a sight to see- Grandpa laying down on Dr. Jacksons towel getting checked over by a 3 yr old. Grandpa was a very good patient.

Meanwhile, Grandma was holding Addison- surprising how Addison was just sitting there very peaceful. I got the camera out and when I started shooting pictures and telling Addison to say cheese she would wrinkle up her nose in the funniest way. I had never seen her do it before when I took a picture- she often does something to that sort when she's being dramatic. I guess that was her way of smiling and saying cheese. I would set the camera down and she'd go back to a pleasant face but when I picked the camera up and faced it towards her she'd wrinkle her face back up again. Quite the character.

Month of October

I guess this is starting to be a trend. I am making a November resolution to start blogging more... we shall see... What a busy month October was. Every weekend we had something major- starting with my 10-year reunion and the rest of the weekends were filled with friends birthday parties. It seems that all of Jackson's friends (and a cousin- and Jackson) have birthdays in October. We had a lot of fun! We had a great visit from Nathan's relatives. Nathan's Aunt, Aunt & Uncle, cousins and their 3 kids came to visit in early October. Jackson fell in love with Cora (age 7) and Dominic (9?). They played so great and were so cute with Jackson and Addison. Jackson is still talking about them and misses them so much. They live in Tuscan so we don't see them often. That needs to change! Then we had Jackson's party on the 21st. It was a construction theme where Uncle Phil brought his bobcat and gave all the kids rides. Then Nathan got the great idea (I wasn't thrilled about it at first but it turned out to be so much fun) of getting the lawn mower out and pulling Jackson's wagon behind it. It hauled 2-3 kids in it and a kid on Nate's lap driving- up & down the driveway for probably an hour. We also had a big pile of rocks, plenty of dump trucks and some loaders to work with. Jackson got a bunch of new toys which still take up the entire living room space and give us lots of enjoyment each day. The next weekend brought us Parkers bonfire/hay ride party. That was a blast. It was out at mom & dad's house, it was a cool night and perfect for roasting marshmellows and enjoying the tractor/hay ride. A few days later we got together AGAIN for halloween at Shana & Chad's (Lauren's) house. Dee & Tim supplied pizza and salad and we all went trick-o-treating. Addison was a bumble bee (compliments of Lauren) and Jackson was a fireman. We had the best looking bunch on the whole street. Farmer Parker & Elephant Lauren took the prize for cutest outfits. We also had princess Alexa, pirate Blaine, cheerleader Erin, thomas the train Jordan, Superman Ashton, Street patrolman Will (most creative- and best at his role). Except for a few falls from running too fast we had a perfect night. Jackson keeps surprising me daily with what phrases he comes up with. I have got to start writing them all down. He has been a super sweet boy lately- bringing mommy flowers from his kitchen and snuggling each night before bed. He tries very hard to be a big 3yr old boy. The other day we were leaving the park and he was throwing a fit because he didn't want to leave. We get in the car and he's still crying and throwing a fit and all the sudden he shuts off the crying and says "mommy, I'm a big boy now". It was day & night in seconds! Addison is busy as ever. She is all over the place and impossible to distract from anything. I realized the other day that she had eaten a moth. She was being so quiet... I should have caught on quicker. Quietness is not good! She is 9 months old- loud as ever, crusing like a pro, pushing a walker or anything else that moves, starting to get into cabinets and has really started talking- screeching/screaming (happily). She is saying mama, dada, more, bye bye, ball and the other night at Shana's she said uh-oh out of the blue. She is also starting to say Jackson- you can't understand it but I was calling for him (holding her) and she repeated me with the same syllables. Talking seems to be her focus right now. A month or so ago it was her gross motor- trying to walk, pull up and such. She is still progressing at that but is really trying to talk. She can also sign "more" and "all done". She waves and claps too. She is such a happy girl (especially when she's on my hip) and is really getting animated. Enjoying our busy life. Looking forward to the holidays, Addison 1st Christmas and Jackson's 3rd. We are home for all of it. More soon!!!

Month of September

Wow, time flys. I cannot believe its been a month since I've blogged. A lot is happening. Nathan & I finished our first triathlon. Finished. Not raced- well, Nathan raced and I finished! It was grueling but I think I've forgotten exactly how tough it was because I'm already thinking of what to sign up for next. The kiddo's are busy. Addison is not only pulling up now but cruising on things. She grabbed ahold of Jackson's rocking chair the other day and started pushing it and taking steps. I can't seem to distract her when her mind is on something she wants- she MUST have it. She wants to do everything that big brother is doing. I've been working on her waving bye-bye and the other day we were leaving Gram's house and I just turned to wave bye to everyone and she started waving perfectly! Then I said "bye-bye" and she goes "ba-ba". I couldn't believe it. I knew she was close to doing something but had no idea she would wave so well and no idea that she would actually say bye-bye! Jackson is just happy with playing at the "new lot" which is now a house but he still refers to it as the "new lot". He is getting to be a little bossy & snotty at times. I've been warned that age 3 can bring on all sorts of things- and I slowly see them coming on. He can still be the sweetest little boy ever- like last night he was getting ready for bedtime and we were watching Bob and he asked me- "snuggle with me, mommy"! I dropped EVERYTHING and came runnin'! A week or so ago we were driving around Sat. evening and our car started acting crazy (while attempting to get onto a highway at 70 mph). Nathan quickly got it to the side of the road and it started vibrating VERY badly. Jackson is in the backseat whining "i want to go home, i want to go home, i want to go home....". This started MANY discussions about mommy's "broken" truck. Thank goodness for extended warranties- it is still in the shop getting a whole new engine block. This past weekend was Will's (Jackson's buddy) birthday party. Dee rented a bounce house for the kids. They had a blast. Jackson asked yesterday if the bouncey was still at Dee's house. Even Addison enjoyed it- sitting on our lap watching the kids (which was dangerous enough).

Labor Day Weekend

Jackson & Lauren

Addison on the move. And very happy about it! She gets frustrated when something gets in her way or she can't get over something.

Last night Nathan was calling for me to come see her and she had gotten herself pulled up on her feet. She is going through stages so quickly that I don't have time to fully enjoy one stage before she starts another one!

We went to the Martin's for a Labor Day party- the kids had a blast playing together and getting wet & dirty. And the adults actually got to sit & talk while watching the kids get along great! Towards the end of the night Shana emptied the pool and it become a mudpit- in which the kids took full advantage. We decided stripping them down to their skivvies was better than getting all the clean clothes dirty- wished I could have gotten a picture of that!

At one point Jackson came running out of the playroom yelling something and acting scared. I tried to understand what he was saying and it sounded like "goats, goats". I kept quizzing him on what he saw cause I didn't see anything that would scare him and finally gave up. Nathan told me later that he told him that he saw goats by the bed. Shana had put her 2 great danes in her room for the party so he must have opened her door and saw those BIG dogs and thought they were goats. Even today I told him that Shana has really big dogs and he argues with me about them being goats! We'll have to go back to her house so we can pet the big goats!

Our first trip

We had our first trip as a family of four. We went to visit Robb and Dave in Lincoln, NE. It went extremely well considering it was Addison's first trip in the car for more than 2 hours. AND I was in the backseat in between both the car seats. So, they didn't sleep very well but we managed. By the time we got there I deserved a "Mommy of the trip" award. We had a great visit- Saturday we ventured the Lincoln Zoo and was quite impressed. Jackson & Robb took a train ride, we fed the hungry & aggressive goats and saw camels. Sunday we went shopping! And the rest of the time we ate great food that Robb & Dave made. Jackson and Addison enjoyed the kitty (the feeling was NOT mutual) and always wanted to know where she was and what she was doing. Jackson was rough at first but got semi-gentler by the time we left- or kitty just got used to it?? This weekend is a worrisome one for me. Papa and Nana took my baby boy camping! This is his first trip anywhere without me so I'm having a bit of a difficult time. And then Nana doesn't call or answer her phone!! I just talked to her FINALLY and they are having such a great time- so Jackson is going to spend a second night and come home tomorrow instead of us going to get him today. They also have Ashton & Parker- which is the reason that Jackson HAD to go. He was so excited when we were packing his backpack and suitcase. My little boy is all grown up! Addison is enjoying the weekend being an only child. She got spoiled by Gram lastnight while Nate & I went to do a practice triathalon. And this morning it was all about Addison. She's not used to being "safe" and not getting knocked over or roughed up while playing on the floor! She is starting to pull up on things- hasn't gotten to her feet but its coming much too quickly. She is so busy.

Photoshoot

We had a little photoshoot for daddy's birthday- and surprised him with some framed pictures. They did amazing- we got some great shots in 5 minutes! Addison was very ready for a nap so we had to act quick & very silly! Heather took them while Parker & Ashton helped make them smile/laugh.

We've had an eventful month so far. Addison went to the dr. yesterday for her 6 month check up- 20lbs, 28" long- 100 percent. I consider that a perfect score :)

Jackson has been enjoying swimming lessons. Tomorrow will be his last class unless we sign up for more. Yesterday he swam about 10 feet all by himself- under water! Pulling and kicking away. He comes up with a smile on his face and you can hardly hold him before he heads back into the water. He is so eager when it comes to doing anything in the water.

Jackson is in love with going to the "new lot"- construction of the Figueiredo's new house. They are pouring walls tomorrow so it will be an exciting day. So far, he's gotten to see the high-lift work the dirt, dump trucks w/ gravel, pumper truck and the concrete trucks all hard at work. He still talks about Daniel (the guy w/ the high-lift) and wonders where he is and what he is doing now. Last week he saw the pumper truck (yes, he knows what a pumper truck is!) going down the highway and he starts yelling "its going to the new lot, its going to the new lot!!".

Addison is moving all over the place. She will sit up and play w/ toys for a few minutes and then she is ready to be on her tummy moving around. She doesn't care for baby toys- she prefers trucks, papers or about anything that isn't her own toys. She is really starting to form her own personality and likes/dislikes. I'm very afraid...

My little swimmer...

Jackson had his first day of swim lessons yesterday. He did great- a little hesitant (not about the water- about his "teachers" and not having mommy right beside him) a few times but after the class he kept talking about it and his teachers- Mara & Ben. We go again tomorrow and I'm sure he'll get better as the days go by. We "practiced" after class- he loves it so much.

Last night for dinner I made an eggplant gratin. He wasn't eating too well but knew we had brownies that he wanted. So, we told him he had to eat 4 bites of the eggplant before he could eat the brownie. He took a bite and started chewing it and his body did a shutter. It was so hilarious- I almost had the same feeling when I ate it! It was very mushy and made you want to shutter. He ate all of his bites without too much prompting but everytime his little body would do an involuntary shutter when he bit down on the eggplant!

My little monster is growing in so many ways. She changes so much day to day now. She is sitting completely by herself for long periods (over 5 minutes the other day). Instead of doing the army crawl she gets up on all four's and rocks back & forth before projecting herself forward. She is eating baby food like a pro- and understands now that it fills her tummy. The only thing she is NOT doing like a pro is SLEEPING! She woke up 3x last night... ugh...

Saturday afternoon/eve Dad, Heather & I wanted to go swim in a lake and have Nathan follow us in the boat. So, Nathan loaded the big boys (ashton & jackson) up in the boat and followed alongside us. Nathan brought his fishing gear and gave the boys HUGE earthworms to play with. Those boys held, played and torchured those gigantic worms for at least 30 minutes... until they lost them (jackson said his fell into the water) and then asked Nate for another set! Boys will be boys! Addison played on the shore w/ Nana.

What a day, what a day...

Our Wednesday started and ended with fun, fun, fun. As soon as the kids woke up we headed down the road 1/4 mile to the Figueiredo's property to see the high loader moving dirt, trees and making a fire. Through out the day we managed 4 trips there to watch the loader making progress. Jackson loves to talk about the high loader (we thought it was a bull dozier until Daniel- the operator- told us differently!) and the dirt, trees and fire. And the fact that Ashton & Parker are building a house right down the road! We barely had time for a nap- in fact, Jackson was so excited that I finally had to go in his room and tell him he couldn't go if he didn't nap quickly- before it was time for daddy to take him & ashton to the fair! They went last night for the mud trucks (jackson's term) and to see all the farm animals. Ashton & Jackson could barely talk fast enough to get all their excitement out. While the big boys went to the fair we celebrated Addison's birthday. Addison, Parker, Heather & I went to get ice cream (although the bday girl slept through the entire party) and check out the progress at the property again. Even though Addison is not feeling well she still manages to c-r-a-w-l all over the place. Parents As Teachers came yesterday and actually felt sorry for me... she is crawling very early and I must baby-proof the house this weekend. She is crazy fast. She is also sitting by herself now. Time is precious...

On the move...

I knew Addison was moving- I'd put here on a blanket and come back a few minutes later and she'd be a few feet from where I left her. But on Saturday Nathan yelled at me to come watch her and sure enough she was pulling herself with her arms and would even get her legs to help. If you put something out of her reach she will surely get it. The tstirts they are wearing in this picture say "what happens at Gram's, stays at Gram's"... so true! My sweet little boy got up from his nap the other day and the first thing out of his mouth was "how are you doing today, mommy?". After telling him that I was doing great he said "your hair looks nice"!!! This is a day where I'm feeling quite sick and I had just taken a shower and pulled my hair back in a knot. Sweet, sweet boy! We're going to be fighting the girls off! Life is getting exciting... and busier. I'm not looking forward to baby-proofing the house and having a "mover" on my hands! I've gotten spoiled and lazy with Jackson being so easy and good.

My little fish... and puppy dog.

Jackson was made for summertime. He loves the water and anything to do with it. I never would have guessed he would have been so comfortable as he is- as he is dealthy afraid of an ant the size of a needle. It's sometimes scary for me how comfortable he is- as he won't make sure I'm looking before jumping in deep (deeper than him at least) water. He has been joining auntie Heather for Ashton's swim lessons and enjoying that time in the water and I finally got him signed up for his own swim lessons starting the end of this month. We also have a new puppy in the house... Jackson- at least 5 times a day- turns into "chewy" the puppy dog. He does tricks, drinks and eats out of bowls on the floor and barks to answer questions. Ashton- a.k.a. gooey- is the one who started all of this- and is actually really quite good at being "in character". He will not talk while in character and gets this cute little smirk on his face- simply adorable. When the boys are all together we have a blast with it- Chewy, Gooey and Louie! The other day mommy & Jackson were doing puppy tricks for daddy and addison and I told him to sit (gave him a treat) and then for the first time I told him to shake... as I reach my hand out Jackson (oops... chewy) starts shaking his body! Nathan & I crack up- it had never crossed my mind that he would shake his body!! Addison is in love w/ brother. He has started making her laugh- nearly uncontrollably- in the car. He'll get her laughing so hard and they'll both be laughing and then to get her to keep laughing he starts to think of things... so he starts saying "fire engine", "bobcat", "scoop"... In the past month Addison has started cereal and fruit and moved out of her pumpkin seat and into a regular car seat (most infants can stay in there MUCH longer than mine... her feet and legs were hanging off the end and she was nearly impossible to carry in it). She will be 6 months old next week. Hard to believe how time goes so quickly. She loves life and is nearly a perfect child... not quite sleeping through the night but I'm starting to think (Nathan has been telling me this for months) that it is my fault. I get in there after she makes a whimper to feed her and she is still sleeping! She's just too cute and I almost miss her if we go the whole night without seeing each other! We went to the St. Louis Zoo again on Saturday and had a great time. Jackson LOVES all the animals. It was a very hot day but we lasted 4 hours. Fun time for all of us. Life is so much fun!

Back Home

Addison & I have returned from Florida and are catching up on our sleep. We had a fabulous trip. Addison just loved her best friend, Riley and the feeling was almost mutual. Addison is a little aggressive- and Riley wasn't quite ready for it. The 3 months difference is quite a bit! Within the first few minutes of meeting Addison was sucking on Riley's face. We ventured the beach the first day and the girls loved the water (not so much the sand, heat and sun, though). We stayed an hour and packed it up and went home. The next days were spent mostly shopping. We literally shopped till the poor girls dropped. The time flew by but Addison was ready to get home and see her brother and daddy... and get back on a sleep schedule. Brother Jackson was VERY happy to see both Mommy & Addison. I'm not sure when Jackson slept- he had a whole list of things that him & Gram did each day and I'm not sure a nap was part of the list. She bought a slip n' slide and they played on that, they went to the pool, mall, pet store and I'm sure hit Chuckie Cheese... Addison had her very first solid food today. We started a little later than we did with Jackson. She is over 5 months old but I'm glad I waited. She did great! Very messy and she is old enough to grab the spoon so this should be an adventure. Jackson begged to give her a bite... I was nervous but he actually did great. She just loves him so she would open her mouth for him and he put the spoon in and then dropped it! My BIG little helper! That's it for us right now... looking forward to taking Jackson back to Florida- he is the perfect age to enjoy it all!

Catch up...

Life has been busy so I'll just give a re-cap of the last 2-3 weeks. Nathan & I celebrated 6 years on the 10th of June. Mom watched the kiddo's while we went to dinner- came back and of course both kids were still awake and Jackson was still lacking a bath... one word- n-a-n-a. Bob is recovery very well and has already lost over 30lbs. It was such a life change for him- amazing. Heather, Mom & I went to Women of Faith in St. Louis this past weekend and it was my first overnight (28 hours) without Addison. I was dreading being away from her but it was such an amazing event. Everyone did great! We spent the most part of Father's Day outside playing. In the late afternoon we joined the Figureiredo's and Nana & Papa at their Beach Club and had a fantastic time. Jackson surprised us all and went down the HUGE waterslide all by himself (w/ a lifeguard at the bottom to catch). He first went down with Nathan and had fun but after seeing Ashton go down with ease by himself he decided he wanted to go by himself (totally NOT Jackson). On the way down (around corners and going fairly fast) he flipped around and looked like he was getting very scared. I hurried down after him thinking he would be screaming and instead he was laughing and running towards the steps to go back up. My baby is growing up!!! Addison is just the happiest, most content child I have ever seen. She's so sweet and is just full of smiles and personality. She is rolling back & forth (well, goes to her back only her her crib) and always wants to be on her tummy when you put her on her back. And when she is on her tummy she is trying with all her might to GO. She wants to make headway. I'm going to be chasing 2 children very, very soon. The other day at Auntie's house I laid her on the couch in the crevice of the 2 cushions and she sat herself all the way up- like a sit up! She is so strong. Addison & I leave for Orlando (take 2) on Saturday. She is very excited to meet her best friend, Riley Grace.

Fun in the sun!

We had a fun party at Grandpa & Grandma's during Memorial Day weekend. Grandpa got out the waterslide and it didn't take Jackson to warm up to it!

We roasted some hot dogs & marshmallows on their new firepit. It was a perfect day of 78 degrees.

Everyone had a blast.

Just an update

Jackson & Daddy on Uncle Phil's new/old bobcat. Jackson is in love. This past week we had a bit of a scare. Addison & I were on the way to the airport to fly to Florida to visit my best friend that just had a baby girl when we found out Grandpa Bob had a heart attack and was going into emergency triple bi-pass. So, we came straight home (have rescheduled our trip for later this month) and have been watching Grandpa get better. We are so lucky to still have him around with us. And he is recovering remarkably well. Jackson & Daddy are over there tonight taking care of him while Joan went to a church meeting.

Addison has mastered rolling over from her back to tummy. She WILL NOT stay on her back now. I timed her last weekend (and it was a tough one) and from the time I let go of her to the time she hit her tummy was 14 seconds. She doesn't waste time and loves being on her tummy. She will be 19 weeks tomorrow. She is perfect in... almost... every way. If the girl would sleep through the night (and not spit up) she'd be perfect. She truely is so good- never cries or fusses if there isn't a good reason and has such a great personality. She talks almost as much as I do- so we might have some problems in a year or two! Her & Jackson both take after me...

We went to the dr. last week and she is 100 percentile in both weight & height! What a champ! She is too long for her 9 month jammies and we have moved on to 12 months. I'm going to have to start buying them without feet b/c she's so long.

Jackson is such a big boy now. He LOVES to hang out w/ Daddy and go anywhere with him. He did not like seeing Grandpa in the hospital but got used to it after several days. If Addison turns deaf I think we can blame it on Jackson. I will put her on the changing table after she wakes up and he will climb his stool right next to her head and do the highest screach in her ear- all in this crazy high pitch baby talk. He loves to hug her- also known as putting all of his weight on top of her.

I'm a big girl now!

Addison rolled over today!!!! 16 weeks today and rolling over! I just don't think she should be that big yet! I missed it... I was putting a load of laundry in and heard her complaining- I went to her thinking she was getting sleepy and ready for a nap and she had rolled herself over and was too close to the wall and not happy about it. I was so upset last night when Nathan told me (while Jackson & I were at the gym) that she had almost rolled over and I was about to miss it- and then I did miss it and I was right there! I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities to see it! And then there is my little nut of a boy. He is too smart for me. Today on the way home I rolled the windows up and he said "no mommy, roll the windows down we need some fresh air in here". He definitely is starting to get his own mind about things and the way he wants them done. I guess this is part of the terrible 2's. It hasn't been too terrible yet so I guess its time... He can just be too sweet and has me wrapped tight...

Sleeping Beauty

It is 9:06am on Monday morning. We put Addison to bed at 8pm Sunday eve. She is STILL sleeping!!! I keep going in there because I'm scared that she has somehow suffocated herself or something. I just can't believe it! We have finally reached the ALL night sleeping. It happened earlier w/ Jackson but for some reason I didn't think we'd ever get to that point w/ Addison. Last night was BLISS and I woke up feeling so great. We had a great weekend. Our friend Dave came into town and we enjoyed his company-Jackson especially- and had a laid back weekend. Nathan & the guys in the family cooked, served and cleaned up a massive brunch for us mother's. And it was a great day of pampering myself- including a little shopping w/ my mom and sister. A black lab puppy arrived on our doorstep this morning and Jackson & I have had a fun time watching and playing w/ him. He loves the little pool and has been jumping in it and racing around the yard. Jake is not so fond of someone else getting our attention but isn't running him off either. 9:13am... better go check on Addison again...

Zoo Day!

We already ventured to the zoo this year and had a fabulous time. I was a little worried about Addison being able to sleep but she did great. Daddy would carrier her in the infant carrier and she also slept in the stroller. Jackson had a blast see all the animals- he is the perfect age right now. Everyone (Figueiredo's,

Robb, Joan, my mom, Deidre and Will all came with us). The weather was a perfect 72 degrees.

As you can see, Addison has some oh so squeezable cheeks! She is so sweet- smiles ALL the time. I will wake her up from a deep sleep and she will just smile at me! She is also becoming quite loud! She loves the sound of her voice and loves to share it with whoever will listen.

Life is getting into a great routine and life w/ two gets easier by the day.

Yesterday I was getting ready for the gym and had a fairly tight tank on... trying to decide if I should change into a t-shirt so I asked him and he said "tshirt, mommy- that's too tight". Never ask that boy anything you don't want an honest answer to! Life father, like son...

Back to normal...

The house of sick has returned back to normal. Everyone is well and we finally have our daddy back too. Its been a long time since I've posted- in that time Nathan has taken a trip to Phoenix (for work & pleasure). It just so happened that Nascar was having a race that weekend so most of the crew stayed and went to that.

In order to keep me sane, Joan stayed the night 2 nights and mom stayed the other nights with me. I also get a little freaked out- we are set back in the woods and weird noises are everywhere- especially when I'm up in the middle of the night feeding Addison.

Addison is now the growling princess. She's not a cooer- instead she growls and roars at us! Its hilarious. I'll growl at her and she'll growl back and smile. She is getting such a cute personality. She is just in love with her big brother and smiles if he is just within her eye sight.

Jackson is just as in love with her. I'm not sure where he learned to talk in the high pitch baby talk (that isn't something Nathan & I do!) but he about pierces our ears talking to her. He is starting to tell her everything exciting that he is doing. We were looking for bunny rabbits out the windows yesterday and when we moved rooms he had to go tell her what we were doing.

His new vocab this past week has been "cool dude", telling me things are beautiful and here's the funniest... He was going pee on the potty for Joan and looked down and started talking about how BIG his pee pee was! He kept going on & on about how BIIIIGGGG it was. The next morning he wanted to give Addison her bottle so Joan was holding both of them and he was feeding her and said "I'm feeding baby sister milk, I've got BOOBS!" Great... my son has a big pee pee and boobs :). I'm very scared of the day he goes to school and starts talking to his teacher about things at home.

Looking forward to a long stretch of warm weather. Jackson just pleads to play outside.

House of Sick

Just as soon as we got the kids on medicine & well I started getting worse. Finally went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed w/ an ear infection. I can't hear a thing in my left ear and my voice is gone so Jackson has been saying "UH?" all day long for the past few days. He has bad cabin fever and is WIRED by 10am- through the rest of the day. I'm a little worried about his ears because he hasn't been listening... hmmm...is that just a 2 1/2 year old that's been couped up all week? Addison is just the most smiley little girl I've ever seen. She seems so happy through anything. Whether she's starving to death or sick with a fever, ear infection AND pink eye the girl is all smiles. Jackson, on the other hand, can make me laugh all day long. I need to write down all the funny little things he tells me. This week has been full of them: "cool dude", "no, not really" and my favorite... Gram was watching him Wed night while Nate & I went to see Blue Man Group. Jackson wanted a banana and Gram asked him if he could eat the whole banana and he responds- "yes. surprise, surprise...". He also said that to me in a funny context the other day. He will hear me say something one day and save it for days later- or even weeks. And he says it in the correct manner! There isn't very much that can make me smile at 2am in the morning. A smiley little girl and a hippo hidden in my Kleenex box have been 2 things this week that have.

A Sick Easter

Jackson's sick, Addison's sick, Mommy's sick... and dad is holding his breath. Along with all the Easter eggs & candy came pink eye, ear infections and a whole lot of green junk. We've been talking to nurses all weekend and just got back from the doctors office this morning- with a bag full of drugs. Just looking into the kids eyes makes my eyes water- they look so sad. As lousy as we felt we did find ways to have fun this weekend. Friday night Uncle Robb came to visit, Saturday afternoon we had an Easter egg hunt at Nana & Papa's (with a bunch of cousins) and Sunday we had a great brunch at Gram & Grandpa's (again, with a bunch of family). We hope we haven't gotten any one else sick. Throughout the weekend Jackson seemed to get better- then worse- then better. But Sat. night Addison came down with really bad eye gunk. We're going to have a lazy day. We got Jackson "Charlotte's Web" for Easter so we've been watching that today. It's such a cute movie. All is quiet in the house now- maybe I'll get a nap afterall!

Dr. Ashton/Birthday boy

Ashton's big 3rd birthday was Sunday and he had quite the party. It was a beautiful day so the kids had so much fun playing outside.

We got him the dr. kit and as you can see... we should have spent the extra money on the dr. coat. Maybe Gram Joan can make him one. I have a feeling his insurance for his practice is going to be VERY expensive with him dressing this way.

He gets funnier by the day and can come up with some hilarious sayings.

Heather, make sure you save this picture for his high school graduation! Or to show all the girls that will be hanging around!

Addison got dedicated this weekend (3/31) at church. She was a perfect angel and looked adorable in her little green dress. I added pink only to her hair bow. Vladimir Pujic did the dedication and it was beautiful. Brother Jackson tried very hard to be good up in front of all those people. Everyone came over for lunch to celebrate.

Mr. Bossy

So... I'm learning. Age 2 brings tantrums- and 2 1/2 brings bossiness. The other day Jackson was telling me that I could not take a nap- him & his sister would take a nap- and I was to make him dinner. hmmm... This morning he asked what I was making him for breakfast. Another new bossy term is "I have to". We told him last night not to throw the rocks- he responds "I have to". That turned out to be his response for almost everything we asked last night. Can't wait to see what age 3 holds! Little Miss Addison has decided in the last week that she doesn't like to sleep much anymore. Saturday was awful- she was awake from 130pm till 10pm at night just fighting us all the way. And the longer it went- of course- the more she fought sleep. I've started really watching her and her signs of tiredness b/c when she goes too long b/t naps she is a bear to get to sleep. We've started a night time routine that seems to be working well. Its amazing how quickly she catches on. We started it in full force on Sunday night- where we do bath, turn down the lights, feed, rock and bed. We start right around 730pm and she knows whats going on already. Consistency is key for babies/children. Just an update on my precious little children :)

Addison at 2 months

She didn't make me as proud as I thought she was going to! ONLY 13lbs 6oz of love! Jackson was 15lbs 5oz at 2 months. She did still make it off the charts- 100% in weight, 95% in height (23 1/4") and 50% in head. I grow em' well! Dr. Weidt thought she was beautiful (of course!). She is smiling so much more in the past 2 days- more alert and more wakeful periods. And, the best news of all.... she slept 8 hours last night! I, of course, wasn't sleeping- worried about her sleeping!! She got a lot of shots yesterday so I'm sure that played a role in her sleeping so well. We shall see tonight. She's sweeter & cuter by the day.

Stand off

The stand off ended tonight. After a long battle today & tonight Jackson pooped again... after 3 days. We raced to the potty at least 30 times today (i'm not even exaggerating! it was probably more!)- he always looked/acted like this was it but would tense up when we got there and say "its just gas, mommy" or "I don't have to go yet". But after about 2- 15 minute tries this evening WE GOT POOP. And lots of it! Poor kid- he must have been hurting- which I'm sure made it even more difficult to go in the end. I was promising him anything he wanted- in the end he got a sucker, juice and tippin' tractor (from Cars, of course).

Addison update

Addison is growing- seems like a pound a day... and could be! We got for her 2 month check up on Thursday and I'm sure she'll be just as heavy as her brother was at 2 months (15lbs 2oz). She continues to spit up- seems like 1/2 her meal each meal. Obviously its not damaging her growth. I am starting to see a schedule developing and trying to help her with it. Over the weekend we were able to lay her down in her crib- awake- and she'd put herself to sleep. Just hoping she will be just as easy a sleeper as her brother. She is really starting to be alert and just watch your face when you talk to her and starting to respond back to you- with a smile or coo. It's so sweet to watch.

POOP!

Day 10 of potty training: It was quite the sight. He came to me like he had in the days passed and said he had pooped- which usually means he just pooped in his pants. We rushed to the potty (mind you, I'm feeding Addison at exactly this same moment), I laid Addison on the floor while I pulled his pants down and there was just a little poop in his pants so I set him on the potty. I picked Addison (now screaming wanting more food) back up and started reading a book to Jackson. He gets a look on his face and starts getting scared/nervous and wanting me to hold his hand. I look down and WE HAVE POOP going into the BIG potty! Daddy came home right then to witness. It was a remarkable moment and I don't think I've been this happy! The mothers reading this will be able to appreciate this moment! We got Jackson a Sally (from the movie Cars, of course) pillow at Walmart the other day and put it on the counter for him to look at everyday to help motivate. Maybe it worked!

Let the mess begin...

Does this picture just make you want to cry?! I started tearing up when I first saw him in his big boy underwear. The 2nd picture to this is his backside- plastered with Mack (from Cars movie). Just to die for cute.

Its been 7 days since we started. He has not pooped on the potty yet. Several times in his big boy underwear though! Usually when we're NOT at home. Luckily, Nathan has usually been with us! The pottying is going good- he has gone 2 days without messing up once. The rest of the days have been only 1 mess up for each day.

We're not giving up though! Which is very hard at times. Jackson LOVES to drink! When you give him a sippy its drained within minutes so it makes for a long few hours afterwards.

Meet Addison...

Newest addition to our family. Born Jan. 25th- she is 6 1/2 weeks old now and changing every day. Last week she grew out of 0-3 month clothes. I grow them big & fast. She will be a football star like her brother. Speaking of big brother... he is doing really well with her. Loves her so much and never forgets to hug & kiss her whenever he sees her every morning or goes to bed at night. He's very proud of her.