Kicks & Giggles

I'm just sitting here at the computer, typing my nightly email to Jack (who is in China again) and I'm feeling this little one inside me move around and kick. Oh how I love that feeling! It's been pretty faint up until now, and I've kind of questioned whether or not it really was a baby or just my rumbling tummy, but this is definitely not me. And it makes me so happy!

I'm 17 weeks today, and I can't believe it. This pregnancy is going by so much faster than it did with Jackson. I'm sure that's because I'm so occupied with Jackson now, and last time I was just sitting at my desk at work all day, trying to stay busy. We have THE ultrasound two weeks from today. It really surprised at my last appointment me when it was time to schedule that already! Of course we're excited to find out if this will be a little brother or sister for Jackson. And I really just don't know. Honestly, I would be just as excited about either one.

I had two people at church last week ask if I was pregnant, so I guess that means I'm showing enough for people to tell. I really think it depends on what I wear, but it is getting harder and harder to hide...not that I'm trying to hide it, but you know. I've been wearing maternity pants for about two weeks, and they are so much more comfortable! Jack says I have to take belly pictures again this time. He's determined to be the advocate for the younger children to make sure they get the same treatment as the older ones did. I guess that comes from being the youngest of 6.

I'm feeling great these days...I'm definitely into the "easy" second trimester now. I still usually take a nap with Jackson every day, and smells get to me sometimes, but overall I feel pretty good.

Life is good!

Park

We love having a little park right across the street from our house. Now that the weather has gotten so nice we go there almost every day. Jackson loves to "sing" and "side" as well as play with the dirt, rocks, and wood chips.

We also go walking around neighborhood most days. He's learned some of the neighbor dog's names, as well as the word "tulip" ---way to learn your mother's favorite flower, kid!

Jackson loves to ride in his stroller when we go for walks. He hardly ever asks to get out of the stroller when we're on walks...if only he'd be that way in the cart at the store!

I hope we live near a park or playground in Ohio over the summer. We've really loved having this one so close!

Hello, world

Dear friends, family, acquaintance, blog stalkers, and psychos,

We've decided to make our blog public again. Turns out we just have too many friends. Yep, we're that popular. Ok, maybe we're not, but we're going public again anyway. So add us back to your google reader (unless you fall under the psycho category) and get used to hearing from us again. ...that is, if I keep up the blog writing.

Sincerely,

us

10.8.10

Yep, that's right folks, we're expecting baby #2, due October 8th. I'm 14 1/2 weeks now. I'm over most of the sickness now, but it was not too fun for a little while. I started feeling sick around week 3, before we even took the test. The sickness also ended a little sooner too (around week 10 or 11) , so I'm glad about that. Despite the term "morning sickness," mornings were best for me. If I needed to wash dishes or do something else like that, I would have to tackle it in the morning or else I just couldn't do it later. By about 10:00 am, I was feeling pretty gross. I'd always (and still try to) take a nap with Jackson in the afternoons to help me make it through the day. Like last time, I never did actually throw up...but I came even closer this time than I did before...especially when Jackson was sick and throwing up. For the most part I think I'm over it, but smells still really get to me. I'm getting energy and life back too, which is kind of nice.

We're going to find out boy or girl this time too. Hopefully we'll be able to do that just before we leave for our internship, so in about 4 or 5 weeks. People have asked if I have any intuition one way or the other, and I just don't know. I was thinking "girl" before I got pregnant, but now I have no clue. I think I thought girl early on with Jackson too, so I guess it doesn't mean much. I really would be totally happy with either. It would be fun for Jackson to have a little buddy to play with in a year or two... but of course it would be fun to have a girl, too :) I guess we'll see in a few weeks!

I feel like I'm showing more and sooner than I did with Jackson. It's really funny though...and I'm sure almost anyone who has ever told people they're pregnant has experienced the same thing... but as soon as you tell someone (or as soon as someone who knows already sees you for the first time) you get that awkward glance at the tummy to see if your'e showing or not. Last night I was standing in a group with about 5 other girls my age and when I told them, every one of them did a tummy check. And I laughed. And then---this is almost as funny to me--- people always say, "Oh you look great! I can't even tell you're pregnant!" Wait a minute...so does that mean it is un-great to look pregnant?

I also feel like I'm way more emotional this time....Jack might think otherwise; maybe I've just forgotten. I've had a couple total meltdowns and many more that I've held back, and for no real reason.... like last night. I just sob and sob and don't know why. Or silly things, like a video about how to properly wash strawberries, brings me to tears. Blame the hormones.

These two little people will be 26 months apart. People usually either ask how far apart they'll be, or I can tell they're trying to calculate it in their heads. So there you have it: 2 years + 2 months.

We're pretty excited! Hooray for babies!

Jack's Changes

This post is not about puberty.

But things are changing quickly around here. I can't believe that I only have two more days of class before finals. A few other changes are happening, as well.

One major change is that two weeks ago, I was released from the Young Men. I've been the YM President since the start of the school year and have been in the presidency for about 2.5 years. I will really miss spending time with the great young men in our ward. And I'm sure they'll miss making bald jokes about me (go up thou bald head). I've enjoyed the many experiences with them, from camping trips to activities, to lessons and more.

Another change is that we'll no longer be going to China for the Summer. When we first posted about that, we were fairly confident it would be the case, but some of the details were still unclear. It turns out that I would be able to go, but I wouldn't be able to bring Natalie and Jackson with me, and we felt best about being together. It's a little disappointing (the not going to China...not the being together), but I will still be traveling to China (for nearly two weeks with a group of MBA students to visit companies) and we will still have a great internship opportunity. And I believe we'll still have opportunities to work abroad in the future.

Instead of China, we'll be in the exotic land of Ohio--Akron, to be exact. I'll be doing an HR internship at Goodyear's headquarters there. We'll only be about 45 min. from Kirtland, so if anyone is making a trip, you're welcome to come sleep on our floor! We're looking forward to our adventure in Akron and are excited for the possibilities that lie ahead.

Potty

Jackson has really been interested in the potty lately. I got him a little potty a few months ago, not really planning on starting to try to potty train him any time soon, but just to have it around for him to get familiar with it. At first he'd just play with it, putting the cushy seat on his head, putting toys in the potty pot,

Vocabulary Explosion

Jackson is talking so much more these past few weeks. It really impresses me when he comes out with a word for the first time all on his own, without me saying it first or prodding him to say it. It's so fun to be able to communicate more with him. And it kind of makes me feel special when I understand things he's saying when other people can't. Yep, I'm his mom, that's right. He understands most of what we say to him, too. He does really well at following simple instructions---when he wants to, of course.

He's been learning and saying a couple new words a day recently, and I really need to write them down... I'll try to remember them but I'm sure I'll be leaving some out. Mostly this list is just for the sake of me recording it, but I'm sure at least grandmas would be interested in reading it. We're up to about 100 words.

People:
Daddy
Mom
Gapa (grandpa)
gammah (grandma)
bay-dy (Brady...neighbor boy who babysits him)
Amy (my sister)
San (Shawn, my brother-in-law)
Ty (neighbor friend)
Mack (neighbor friend)

Food:
cheese
caker (cracker)
cookie
juice
milk
dink (drink)
cup
apol (apple)
nana (banana)
ga gahn (all gone)
da dahn (all done)
hot
aye-sen (raisin)

egg
gan-cake (pancake)

Toys:
cars
truck
ball
ba-ball (football)
loon (balloon)
baby
back back (backpack)
puzzle
star
bakum (vaccuum)
choo-choo
chug-i-tn (Chuggington)
ee-ee (tv)
te-ee (teddy)

cuh-ur (color)

Outside:
ah-side or side (outside)
side (slide)
sing (swing)
gah (rock)
gik (stick)
*sniff sniff* (flower)
house (usually in reference to one particular friend's house)
sun
shoes
gah-kit (jacket)
hat
guv (glove)
gite (light)
moon
sow (snow)
soweng (snowing)

Manners:
gae que (thank you)
sah-ee (sorry ... a new one that he learned yesterday and uses a LOT so far)
ghue-ee (excuse me)
bye or bye bye
nigh nigh (night night)

guck (stuck)
sall-we (shall we?)

Churchy:
tepol (temple)
jees-s (Jesus)
meh men (Amen)

Animals:
goggy (doggy)
caw (cow)
gig (pig)
guk (duck)
elmo

makes sounds for: (he'll copy lots more, but says these on his own)
monkey
duck
lion
cow
pig
donkey
horse

Body parts:
eyes
nose
mahth (mouth)
ear
gahsess (glasses)
han (hand)
toes
soos (soother/pacifier)
arm
socks
toot
poop
potty
ginky (stinky)

Commands:
up
sit
dahwn (down)
eh-eh-es (there it is)
uh-oh
come
kees (kiss)
hug

no

NO!

no

uh-huh

yah

go

help

Songs he sings: ...I really need to get a good video of him singing; he does such a good job and it is so cute
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
ABC's
I am a Child of God
Muffin Man
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Little Red Caboose
If You're Happy and You Know It
Ring Around the Rosie
Clean up Clean up
Anything we're singing, he tries to sing along

February happened. Here's proof:

February happened. March did too, but we'll start with February. I just put pictures on Jack's computer (mine is full. No room for more pictures.) and so I figured it would be selfish of me to withhold pictures of this cute boy from the rest of the world.

All dressed up and ready for church, from the tie down to the shoes.

For Valentine's Day we went to Fuddruckers with Jordan & Shawn. I know, not the most romantic place, and probably even less romantic to take your kid, but hey, we went out. Not a great picture...Jackson wanted the camera.

A fun little spot he found to sit and eat his raisins:

Such a good helper! Actually he'd usually rather have me hold him while I vacuum, but occasionally he'll vacuum along with his vacuum or with the attachment from mine.

He LOVES playing with cars. In addition to driving them around, beep beep-ing, and crashing, he likes to line them all up in a row, usually biggest to smallest, and all facing the same way.

He's becoming much more skilled at using a fork or spoon to eat, when he wants to.

See the skill?
Again, such a helper! No, I don't really let him take hot stuff from the oven.
Lesson learned: Don't let your drooling kid fall asleep on your chest when you're wearing a shirt with a cheap iron-on image on it. The image just might transfer to the kid's face.

Static Cling

I really think I might go crazy soon. Jackson is being sooo clingy lately! He does just fine going to anyone else and will run around and play when daddy gets home, but when it is just the two of us all day, he will NOT let me put him down. I seriously have to either have a screaming, crying boy or hold him constantly... to eat, cook, try to clean (which doesn't happen as often as it should because it's a lot harder while holding him)--even when I shower & use the bathroom he wants me to hold him. I am really starting to go crazy. I'm trying to "draw the line" at holding him while we eat, and so he just screams and hits his head on the table as he tries to climb on my lap. Right now as I type this, he's sitting on my lap watching Chuggington in a separate window on the computer. He is perfectly happy if I'm carrying him or he's on my lap at the table, but otherwise he just goes crazy, and I do too! It would be so nice if he would just sit in the family room and play with blocks or cars or something while I wash the dishes or just be my own person for a few minutes. Too much to ask? I guess so.

Anyone else's kids like this? Any suggestions to get him to be a little more independent? Help!