Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Helping Out Daddy...

Hey Jake, 
You love your Daddy. As much as you are attached to me, you really enjoy spending time with your Daddy. You love playing outside while he works. You usually run around "mowing" the driveway, playing with trucks, bubbles or something. But this one day your Daddy text messages me that I needed to come outside and bring my camera....this is what I saw when I went outside. 


Look how cute you are helping your Daddy!


You were helping your Daddy sand down his rims so they could be painted...you really wanted to help paint them but spray painting at one didn't sound like a good parenting move! 


I'm so glad that you have a Daddy that will help you learn about cars, guns and carpentry. The things your Daddy can teach you are so useful. Being able to fix things and build things are very important and skills to have and I'm so glad that you will grow up watching and learning from your Daddy. You have a great Daddy that loves to make time to be with you are teach you...even while he's working...you are always welcome in his life, remember that! 

Love, 
Mommy/ I can teach you things too ; )

Monday, October 17, 2011

Your a Boy...for sure!

Hey Baby, 
I had a doctors appointment today. It was just a routine appointment we listened to your heart beat and my mid wife measured my tummy to make sure you are growing well. You are doing great. So, far you have been doing great. Growing and healthy as far as we can tell. I am so grateful for your health, I feel so blessed! But one thing was in the back of my mind. When we last had an ultrasound I wasn't quite convinced that you were a boy...a little shadow didn't prove anything to me or your daddy. So I was in on a Monday and I happen to know that the ultrasound tech is in on Monday's so I asked if he could look again! Kevin (our ultrasound tech) wasn't busy so I got to see you again. I was teased for not believing Kevin but a mama's got to know! You behaved so much better this time, you flipped right over and showed us all what we were looking for!! You are a boy...no doubt anymore. Your Daddy and I are so excited, brothers!! Your daddy loves his brothers and we can't wait for you to have such a great relationship!! Plus, we love boy stuff...cars, swords, trucks, sports...this is so stereotypical I know but your brother really loves all things guy...so we'll go with it! Don't worry we will have a kitchen for you to play with and even a guy doll. Anyways, now that we know you are a boy (I'm going to laugh so hard if you are really a girl!!) we have a name picked out...and it is...

Jackson Ray

Your Daddy and I both love the name Jackson and we will probably call you Jack as a nickname, as long as you like it. Jackson is also a family name, we had been looking for a name that was in the family and we found Jackson, so there you go. Your middle name, Ray, was your Great Grandfathers name. He was a great man, someone your Daddy loved and looked up to very much. So, you are named after him. We hope you love it as much as we do. 

We are so excited to meet you little guy. Keep cooking!

Love, Mommy/you and your brother have the same initials...cute? or crazy? 

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Gizdich Ranch!

Theres this cute little ranch..farm...place over in Watsonville called Gizdich Ranch. It has apple orchards, pick your own berries in the summer, an apple juice press, antiques, pies, pumpkins...just tons of fun! I have been coming here with my family for practically my whole life. I thought this would be the perfect time to take you to for a visit. So Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy, you and I hopped in the car and had some fall time fun.

We bought some apples, ate some apple pie, looked at antiques...
talked to some pumpkins

pat, pat pumpkin


had a grand ol' time on a very old tractor



 Went through a hay tunnel...Grandpa coaxed you through


walked on a hay bridge...Grandma helped you over

Hung out with some more pumpkins



We had a great time...it was much warmer than I think it should have been for a fall events but...I still love California. I am excited for you to experience this fall season...it's so full of fun and festivities. 

Love, 
Mommy/I have plans for apple crisp with the apples we bought!! 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Funny little conversation

Every afternoon we lay down before nap time and read 4 or more books. Since moving you to a big bed we cuddle in bed a read then have these sweet little talks, some are sentimental and some are silly, they all mean a lot to me!
Today you looked over at me and said... "ag-a-lator" "What?" I said. "I sleep with agalator." "Oh...you want the alligator?"
You have this stuffed alligator from IKEA. You have started this new thing at nap time, wanting every stuffed animal you have in bed with you. I try to limit it but...you sleep great with them all piled next to your pillow. Well back to our conversation. You answered me, "yeah, of course!" and put your hands up, like come on mom, thats what I said! It cracks me up when you say 'of course'. You say that, because I say that a lot. It's funny to hear you say things that I say. You are so witty.

Love, Mama/ can't wait to hear what other funny things you will say!

As I was sitting here typing this I told you I had a big headache, that my head hurt really bad. You looked at me, patted my head and told me, "Mama, medicine". "Oh, I should take medicine?", you replied, "yeah, Mama medicine, I get it!" and off you went to get me some medicine! Don't worry, the medicine is all locked away. You were just being sweet! So very very sweet!

Big Boy Words

Your vocabulary has been rapidly expanding and you now say some pretty cute things. You went from one word to two word combos and now...some pretty full sentences. Your first sentence was, "I afraid of the dark."I was surprised by the completeness of your statement and by the fact that you think you are afraid of the dark. You aren't really. You walk into dark rooms, sleep completely through the night in the dark and you love the moon and stars. So, I was quite shocked by your first sentence. 
Not only is your vocabulary expanding but so are your feelings and emotions. You were never afraid of something before. You are learning to label your feelings and we are helping you to manage them. You are quite the feeler. You feel things deeply. When someone leaves, when you don't get your way, your little heart breaks. But, you are a good listener and we can explain things to you and you understand. It's a work in progress and I'm learning to not take every fit and bout of defiance personally. It's hard...every child is different and sometimes I compare you to other kids...and that's not fair to you or me...at all. I'm learning, this whole process is new to both of us. I always thought my parents knew what they were doing...but, no amount of reading or babysitting has prepared me for the real life decisions I face everyday. Do I spank you...time out...take away that toy...sit you down and talk...a condo of all of the above. Somedays it feels like a barley make it through with my sanity but, you are growing up to be quite nice and even polite. There isn't much more I can ask for right now. You are discovering who you are just as much as we are getting to know you. 
Anyways....
My favorite new thing that you do is narrate your self. You say things like..."I sit down" "I do it" "I get it" "I pick it up" "I color" "I play with cars"...I love it!! I love that you know what you are doing and you love to tell us. You are so proud of the fact that you can communicate with us. It is such a joy to watch you grow and learn. 
Something else thats new...I think we are going to start potty training. I want to just do it in one swoop and will probably start the 'three day method' soon. Let's do it or not. But, to see if you were ready, Daddy and I bought you a really cool ramp/launcher thing for your cars! It sat on the back of the toilet in your bathroom and you would try and try to go potty in your toilet so you could get this toy. You totally understood what we wanted you to do and that you would get that awesome toy if you went in the potty! So one night Daddy sat you down to try and you went!!! We were so excited. It was the smallest amount of pee I have ever seen but you did it! We rejoiced and you clapped for yourself. You were so excited to get your new toy. We even stayed up a little past bed time to play with it! So, another journey begins. I'm not quite sure I'm ready...I think potty training is more about mommy training at first...always asking if you have to go. Well, here goes nothing. 

We took these pictures today...I love being silly with you!!

Love, Mama/glad to be on this journey with your Daddy and you!! (and soon our little Jackson)





Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Little Kicks

Hey Baby Boy, 
I have been feeling you kick for almost a month now. Little flutters and occasionally a big bump! Like our last trip to the doctor, you had just been poked and prodded by the ultra sound tech and by the time we got to see our wonderful mid-wife you were not having any more. She kept finding your heart beat and you would move. She finally found you and you kicked the doppler and you moved so much that my whole tummy jumped...already an active little boy...I can't wait!!
Well, the other night your Daddy, Matt, Alex, Papa and I went to a Switchfoot and Anberlin concert. At one point during the Anberlin concert there was some heavy bass drum action and you were kick, kick, kicking. I put your daddy's hand on my tummy and he felt you stomping to the beat. I love when your daddy gets to feel you kick. It's all between you and me for so long but now he get's to start talking to you and playing music for you. He loves to feel you move. Your daddy is so excited to meet you and he loves you so much! I can't wait to feel you move more. It's so reassuring to know that you are moving and growing. 
Keep cooking baby...but we are so excited to meet you...only 18 more weeks...wow, I better get prepared!

Love, Mama/ this is the only time in life when I will encourage you to kick me!! 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Recently

Here are some cute pictures of your recent activities...

Your daddy got you a penguin. This little guy sits in a special place every night for bed. If he's not there you are not happy and we search to find him!


You are training to be a clone trooper...or at least a Star Wars fan, like your Daddy!


You and your Daddy shared a "Chocolate Milk Shake" at Denny's. We met your Nana, Papa, Matt and Alex for dinner at Denny's. You enjoyed your meal and being passed around the table to play. You most definitely enjoyed your 'Chocolate Milk Shake' as you called it. But, the part of this night I will never forget was Papa teaching you how to get Semi-trucks to hunk. We all stood out side of Denny's and watched as you and Papa would get truck after truck to honk! We would cheer and you would say 'bye semi!' if the truck didn't honk, you would tell it to 'swo down semi!'. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. You would throw your little fist in the air and swing it up and down, yelling 'hi semi, hi semi!'. Just thinking about it melts my heart. You love those big trucks!


I love moments like these! Just the two of us cuddling on the couch! I love you my boy!


We love to eat at Chevy's! On the weekend they have a very talented balloon sculptor that makes all of the kids cool balloon toys. You asked for a dinosaur. And he made you one. You loved this thing. You named it Rex, and would run around saying 'rawr, rawr, rawr!' too cute!


You are so much for to be around Jake! You bring us so much joy! We are so very blessed and thankful to have you! You have a pretty fun life and we love to share it with you!

Love, Mama/ loves taking pictures of you!!