Food!

Last night's dinner consisted of cheesy shells, mashed potatoes, cantaloupe, and a brownie for desert. Jack licked his plate clean! It's amazing how much food he can fit into his belly!

 

"Baby Jack Says He'll Watch Spiderman with Me!"

Yesterday Jack and I went over to Nathan & Noah's house. Amy, their mom, had to run a quick errand, so I told her I would watch her boys so she didn't have to take them with her. It was only 15 minutes, so I thought how hard could it be to watch a 2 and 5 year old? I think I would have stood a better chance in hand-to-hand combat with Al Qaeda then to successfully watch three boys.

Right after she leaves, Nathan and Noah start to fight over an action figure (By the way, throughout this story, Jack is sitting in my lap the whole time watching. He was no help whatsoever!). These kids have a million action figures, yet they both want the same one. So the bigger boy pins his brother down. What happened to the angels that were playing with Jack and showing him how to skateboard? It was like, "Mom's gone, lets raise Hell!" So I told them to stop or I would call their mom. Nathan, the older one, says, "Go ahead! Call my mom" while shaking his head and hands at me like his name is Shaniqua. I was like, "Fine." and I pretended to call her. He starts to cry and begs me to hang up. So, after that, I decided to get the boys to  jump up and down to pass the time. Again, she's only gone for 15 minutes, how much can happen in that amount of time?

Well Nathan jumps off the couch and does a flip. I told him it was really cool looking, but don't do it again. So what does he do? He flips off the couch except he lands on his head and I hear a crack. All I could think of was, "Oh my gosh, he just broke his neck!" so of course, being the calm and collective mother that I am, I freak out. I run over to him and ask if he is ok. He's kind of stunned but stands up. I'm like, "Ok... ok... ok... I'm calling 911" and Nathan is like, "I'm ok. I don't need to go to the hospital. Can I have some ice for my head?" I was like, "Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god, can you move?" and Nathan replies, " Can I have some ice?" So, I get him a bag of ice and text Amy. So, yeah, next time I tell a kid to knock something off, I think I'll tie them to a chair and wrap them in bubble-wrap to make sure they don't do it again.

Other then almost killing my new friends first born, we had a really good time at Amy's. She made Jack and I REAL mashed potatoes (apparently boxed potatoes aren't real mashed potatoes) and Nathan and Noah played with Jack all day. It was so sweet, Noah asked Amy if she would watch Spiderman with her. She said no, so he turned to Jack and said, "Jack, will you watch Spiderman with me?". Noah then pauses as if he was listening to Jack speak, and replies "Yup, Baby Jack says he'll watch Spiderman with me." SO CUTE! 

iMac, iPhone, MacBook Pro...

Ok, so Kevin has this thing about Apple... he's like, totally all about it. We have the iMac, MacBookPro (which I can't touch!), and he has the iPhone. Jack USED to love playing with my laptop and cell phone, which is just a Dell and a Samsung, but now that he has had a taste of the forbidden fruit, all that tot can think about are Macs. Here's Kevin teaching him how to play "Tap Tap" which is like Guitar Hero but for the iPhone. They were so into it they didn't even notice I was home and taking pictures of them! BOYS!

Lesson #3 in Raising a Boy: Boys Love Poop!

Look, I've read the book and I'm well aware that Everyone Poops, but that doesn't mean I don't think it is gross. Apparently, however, my offspring has a different opinion on the matter, and to him it is the best thing since sliced bread... Allow me to explain:

Yesterday morning was like every other morning we have. Jack wakes up, Kevin changes him and brings him to our room for family cuddle time (which has turned into Jack hitting us until we play with him time), followed by Jack getting a bottle. A pretty good routine that we have down. After that I usually get up and blog which I did. Remember yesterday's blog when I wrote Jack made a present for me? Well, he did. And it was unlike any present before. 

When I was writing my blog I could smell Jack had a dirty diaper, and it was riper then usual, but I wanted to finish my blog up as it was short and I thought Babycakes could wait 5 minutes. SO WRONG. (Here's a lesson for you new mothers: If your baby smells and you think they can wait for just a second, don't! Drop whatever you are doing and clean that tot up! Otherwise, what I am about to write WILL happen to you!) I looked down and Jack has chocolate all over the carpet and ALL over his face and body. I thought, "Chocolate? When did I have chocolate in the room?" except it wasn't chocolate, folks, it was baby poo!!! He thought it was probably like mud or whatever, so he rubbed it all over his face, his mouth, his body, the carpet... Naturally, being the nurturing and loving mother I am, I scream and start to dry heave. I grab Jack and take him to his room to clean him up but I couldn't because there was this never ending supply of poop coming out of him and he kept laughing. Kevin gets the shower started and we plop him in. Yes, we hosed him down like cattle. He hates it when we hose him down, but believe me, it was the only way to sanitize him. After that, we gave him a nice bath (he loves baths!) During his bath, I grab his toothbrush, baby toothpaste, and I scrub his mouth down. I kept trying to think of ways I could disinfect it, but they all involved chemicals and fire which just doesn't sound very safe for a baby. So, I got it as clean as I could and am hoping for the best.

Hey Summer, Katie, Brenna, and Connie: Enjoy your new baby boys!

Lesson #3 in Raising a Boy: Boys Love Poop!

Jack's Way or the Highway!

I remember last year when Jack was born, he was so sweet! He would just lay there like a big potato, and he'd never cause his mother any grief. Lately, however, my little potato has grown into a giant sized pumpkin who wakes up every morning thinking to himself, "How can I make my mommy crazy today?"

To get a diaper on Jack is like trying to bring peace to the middle east... IMPOSSIBLE! If I don't have a bottle or a rad toy handy when he needs a diaper on, well, then that boy will be naked. I tell him, "I am the alpha!" and he just fights me. I hold him down so I can get it on and he screams bloody murder at me! And this boy loves to be naked just as much as his mother. If I'd let him hang out all day with no clothes on, he'd totally do it. He hates it when I try to get clothes on him. Then again, if I could get away hanging out naked all day, I'd totally do it! We are a lot alike in that aspect. Anyway, here is a picture of Jack from yesterday after his bath. He was so mad at me when I put his clothes on him: 

Another thing this wonderful little dumpling likes to do is play with technology. Every morning I get onto the computer and there is Jack right behind me trying to reach the keyboard. He can't just push the buttons... No, he has to pound them until they pop off the keyboard.... where he then tries to eat them. Here's what I am looking at right now:

Sigh, Jack just made me a present in his diaper... Until tomorrow my friends....

Nathan & Noah

I'm very excited that Jack & I both made new friends! I work with this girl named Amy who has a 5 year old and a 3 year old, Nathan & Noah. She invited us over for lunch and we had such a great time! Even though Jack is small and can't run around, her boys were so nice to him. They brought him toys and talked to him. At one point Jackpot was whining, so Nathan came up to me and said, "Excuse me, can you please tell Jack to stop making that noise, it hurts my ears." So polite! Anyway, I only took one picture of Jack with Noah, but I'm sure we'll have more play dates in the future. Amy 's boys have a lot of energy, but they are polite and super fun to be around! I hope Jack is just like then when he's older. And thank goodness I finally made a friend. As much as I love hanging out with Jack 24/7, I sure need some girl fun at times.

And although this has nothing to do with making new friends, I just had to share this with you: Aunt Jessica hit Jack in the face with a hula-hoop! Like, I know he has my big head, but dang! He didn't even notice and just kept on moving. Poor thing, I just want to wrap him up in bubble wrap and never let him go.

Ouch!

So, I took Jack to get his vaccinations today. Let me tell you, in Bend they do things a lot different around here and I LOVE it! I called the health department last week to inquire about what I needed to do so I could get Jack vaccinated. In Reno, it is a walk-in at the health department where you sit for 4-6 hours with disgusting people only to be told you make too much money to qualify for the shots at a cheaper cost even though you are the only provider and a single mother. Here in Bend, it was by appointment only so we got right in. Their health department was GORGEOUS! You could eat off the floor it was so clean. The nurse wasn't some bitter old hag who hated her job. She was so sweet and kind, and the same goes with the receptionist staff. And the people who were in the waiting room with me were clean with all of their teeth. It was a miracle! Also, they told me it didn't matter what my income was, it was $15 no matter who you are. $15?! I paid $196 for Jack in Reno and my insurance wouldn't cover it. Incredible!

Poor Jack-Jack though, he got three shots today and was so sad. He just looked at me like, "Mom, why are you holding me down? Why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved me!" so of course I started to cry. Once the nurse was done with the shots, Jack stopped crying and cuddled up to me and fell asleep. I, of course, kept crying.

On a side note, four people at the health department told me, "Whoe! That's a big boy!" What a shocker!

Triathlon: Makes Me Sleepy Just Watching It.

Last Saturday was the big triathlon that Aunt Jess and Uncle Nicolas have been training for for months now.  Jack and I got up extra early so we could go watch them and wow! I was exhausted from just watching them! I mean, first they had this huge swim down the river, followed by over an hour of intense bike riding, ending it with 6 miles of running. I had no clue how healthy and in shape my siblings were. I know just from living with Aunt Jessica that she has really dedicated herself to this, but when I think of my brother, I sure never thought he was so sporty!

Jack had a marvelous time. He got so excited each time Nick or Jess passed us. He got to play with his cousins, too, which is always a fantastic time for him. Grandma Tutu filled him full of maple muffin, so I guess we are starting his diet next week.

The one thing about the tri, though, that I will never forget, was the man in the speedo. Like, the clothes everyone had on were tight enough if you ask me, but there was this guy competing who wore a speedo.... the entire time! Like, the river is freezing, especially at 8:00 in the morning. Everyone had wetsuits except him. He had this yellow speedo and it was not a pretty sight. So I thought, ok, he's a little different, no need to stare. It wasn't until I saw him bike in his speedo and run in his speedo did I really grasp that this man was cut from a different kind of cookie dough. I tried to get a picture of him to share with all of you, but my mom wouldn't let me. She thought it'd be rude (mothers!). Afterwards, Jess told me some interesting stories of the speedo man. Seems like he was the hot topic of the day, and I'm sure that was his goal. Don't get me wrong, I love a man confident enough to rock life naked, but there was just something about him that made me think maybe he should put some pants on. Anyway, here are some pictures from last Saturday... enjoy! 

Look close, those are swimmers!

See, triathlons make Pip and Will sleepy, too.

I love Pippa's face in this one. She looks so British.

Laura ran to get Pip and Will went after her. He loves his mummy, she makes the best french toast!

"Pippa, what do you say when someone gives you something?" Pip, "You're welcome!" She's still learning. =)

Meet my baby Buddha. He loves maple muffins.

Kids behave so much better with muffin in their mouths.

Maxwell

Jack, Riley, & Maxwell

This past week, Aunt Jessica's good friend, Lynn, and her family came to visit us. Their son, Maxwell, is 4 years old and just loves babies! So, it was a delight to have them here and to watch Jack interact with a new friend. At first, Jack didn't know what to make of Maxwell, and definitely could not keep up! But once Jack got use to him, they had an awesome time together! They played with Jack's new toys, and Maxwell played "Karate Chop!" with Jack, as well as put glitter on his nose. The boys also tortured poor Riley and Samantha, Lynn's two scotty dogs. A good time was had by one and all (except for the scotty dogs, who didn't seem as happy!)!

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

So, this baby diet is a lot harder then I thought it would be. Like, yesterday we are in Target and Jack starts fussing. So, I give him the other half of his bottle from breakfast. He finishes that and throws his bottle at me, then starts to scream. Great, I'm one of those mothers who can't control their children. So what do I do? I just give him a graham cracker. Isn't that what I wanted to stop doing? I know he was hungry, I should have packed fruit or something healthier. Or try to distract him with a toy. Arg, I am going to have to figure this out before Jack becomes the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghost Busters. 

Jack going to his Senior Prom circa 2024.

The Michelin Man

For the most part, Kevin, Jack, and I are in good health. None of us have any diseases or illnesses, however all three of us are a little on the "fluffy" side. Kevin and I have been talking about wanting to lose weight together for seven months now (I've been saying it since I was 9 months pregnant, "I have got to drop 30 pounds!" Luckily I lost 15 pounds minutes after Jack was born). And although Jack's doctor said he didn't need to lose weight, he is rather large for his size (He is in the 100th percentile for his height and weight at this age, and 95th percentile for his head). Could it be the pizza, Oreos, frosting, banana cake, and all the other naughty food I give him? Yeah, probably. I am totally to blame for Jack being so chunky.

Yesterday we went to Costco and although about every person who looked at him admired how adorable he was, several people said, "AW! He's so fat!" I know fat babies are so cute, but as he gets bigger, it won't be as cute. Aside from it not being cute to be obese at 5 years old, I am concerned the path I have put him on could result in childhood diabetes or other illnesses as he gets older. 

So, although I won't be putting Jack on a diet to lose weight, I am going to change what I feed him. Kevin is on board with me and we are both going to try to shed our extra pounds by this October. Why October? Have you seen my Halloween costumes? I wear more to the beach then at Halloween, and my booty is not Halloween ready.

Kevin wants to lose 25 pounds, I want to lose 7 (easier said then done with the way I eat) and Jack will be on a "no candy and pizza" diet. He will get more of the baby foods, yogurts, and other healthy foods instead of the quick fix of a graham cracker or cookie. I am hoping with him learning to walk soon that it will also help with his little rolls. 

So, say goodbye to the Michelin Man, and say hello to a much healthier, happier, baby! 

The Proof!

The proof that Jack Sparrow can stand all by himself!

I took Jack over to Aunt Laura's house for a play-date with his cousins yesterday. Did you know babies like tot pools even without water? Well, I didn't. Those kids had the time of their lives without a single drop of water! They just played with the balls and the empty pool for hours.

Afterwards, we had an amazing home-made banana cake with frosting made by Laura. Pippa was quietly eating her slice of cake when Jack came over, grabbed the entire piece with his hand and stuffed it in his face. Poor Pip, she doesn't stand a chance against Jack when it comes to cake. So, after he stole her cake and rubbed it all over Laura's nice carpet, he then decides he's tired and it's time to go home. So, Laura, I owe you one! Sorry!

Look closely, Will is standing on his own!

Jack Sprat

No major updates today. Jack has been practicing his standing like a mad-man. Grandma Tutu is in town so I'm sure we'll have plenty of updates tomorrow.

As for this picture? Jack was hanging out with me in the bedroom. He was quietly playing on the floor. Then it got really quiet and when I turned around, this is how my sweet boy fell asleep. He looked so uncomfortable but stayed like that for about an hour.