1st year photo shoot

Here are a few pics from our outdoor, 1 year old, family photo shoot.  These were taken at English Landing Park in Parkville, MO.  I'm pleased with how they turned out:

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Enjoy!  Until next time...

Fun Weekend in Hastings

Well, it's getting late on Sunday and I'm still in need of about 12 more hours of recoup time, but tomorrow will be here before I know it.  We had a fantastic weekend in Hastings, my hometown.  It was my high school's alumni weekend.  It's an annual event where the men have a basketball tournament and the women have a volleyball tournament.  You play with your graduating class and it's always a fun time to reconnect with old friends.  Then there's a big shindig afterwards with dinner/beer/raffles.  It was just so fun this year to see my high school classmates.  Some of them I haven't seen in almost 8 years, since we graduated!  It was nice to be able to catch up.  Our class fared decent in the volleyball tournament.  We played four games, more than I did the last time we played, and went 2-2.  I love to play, but my body is paying after playing 4 games in less than 24 hrs. 
What was even more fun, was the fact that my 2 little brothers, whom have graduated, got to come back too.  We had a giant sleepover at our house.  We haven't been home since Christmas.  Jack did very well and slept fairly well for being in an unfamiliar place. 
A couple of "Jack updates":
1) We've been trying to transition Jack to cow's milk, since turning 1.  I'm not sure why I'm hung up on the doctor's "advice", but I went to the whole milk, like suggested first.  Well, he HATES it.  The second night he drank it, he woke up 4 times in the middle of the night and screamed for almost 20-30 minutes.  I think it was gas and teething combined, but it was NOT fun.  I just don't think his little tummy likes it.  And, I shouldn't be surprised; he's been on soy formula since he was very little.  So, instead of going from whole - lactaid - soy, I'm going straight to soy tomorrow.  I'm hoping he enjoys the taste a little bit more.  And if not, I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve to try and get him to drink milk.  He's supposed to be having 16-24 ozs of milk a DAY!  And today he probably had maybe 3 ozs.  He just doesn't like it and he throws his cup back at me.
2) Jack's 7th tooth appeared last week!  That's 4 teeth threw in less than a month!!  It may be part of the reason for the fussiness.  Ibuprofen is still our best friend for these times.
3) He's started to bite things with his front teeth.  So, he'll take a green bean, for example, and he'll bite off half, chew it up, and then finish the bean.  It's just so cute to me, that he knows not to shovel in everything at once anymore.
4) Jack had his first fast food this weekend.  He ate a cheeseburger and fries and some mandarin oranges at Wendy's today.  I think he's going to like Wendy's like his mommy and daddy.  :) 
5) We've started to work on his words more and identifying objects.  I'm happy to report that Jack knows fan and shoe!  It's rewarding for me as a parent to see him learning new things. 
Ok, I think that's about it for now.  This week is Holy Week at my church and so I'll be busy with singing in the choir Wed-Sunday!  We're taking Jack to an Easter egg hunt on Saturday and celebrating with dinner with the Kirby family, as well.  It should be a fun week! 
Until next time...

1 year well baby check

Today was Jack's 1 year well baby check.  I was nervous even walking in the door because I knew he'd have to get shots today.  I'm never excited about those and today I had to go by myself because Reid was working.
However, all is well with Jack.  The doctor was extremely pleased with his growth.  They walked me through his growth chart and said his progress is normal.  He's 25 lbs 1oz, 31 inches long, both 80th percentile.  His head is measuring 19 inches and the 90th percentile.  Dr. Cattaneo said he was able to observe alot of important milestones, just from watching him interact today.  So, that was encouraging. 
Doc gave us the go ahead to switch to whole milk and said NO MORE BOTTLES!  This will be a big change for Jack, but I think he's already transitioning well.  He took his sippy cup, fairly well with dinner, but the taste was obviously not the same.
He also noticed that Jack's working on some upper molars already.  Which would explain why he chews on his hands all day long.  :)  Doc said it would take some time, but that would be the explanation.  I was thinking, "Great!  More fun teething days ahead of us!" 
All in all, I'm pleased with our report.  The shots didn't kill either of us; the baby is already sleeping for the evening.  Our frequency in visits lower significantly, so we'll keep you posted about his growth as we can.  Until next time...

Soccer-ific celebrations!

Well, the 1st birthday party was a complete success.  I tried to stay organized through the week and that helped me so much!  We had so much fun: from the soccer decorations, to the food, to the wonderful friends and family that were so generous to our little man.  I couldn't have asked for anything more, even with the snow storm!  We're grateful that everyone made it to/from KC safely. 
On Friday night my mom and family made it into town before the bad weather started here, but they drove in it most of the way.  We hung out for awhile but had to get to bed because we had an early morning of decorating cupcakes/cake!  Jack's party was, of course, a soccer theme.  I made a half soccer ball cake and the cupcakes were frosted (with the help of my siblings) like "grass".  It was really fun planning all of this. 
We're thankful for Mark and Jayne, Reid's aunt/uncle, for letting us use their home.  It worked out well to have the open space for all the guests.  The boys hung out downstairs and watched basketball and mostly the girls/family were upstairs. 
I'm completely overwhelmed with the gifts that Jack received.  It was fun to see him open things and I know his reaction isn't like a 5 yr olds, but I know he had fun.  We have so many things to take out of the boxes, we could save one for each month of the next year!  He is going to have something fun to do everyday for awhile.  I love it. 
After gifts it was time for cake and singing.  This was really fun for me.  He didn't know what to do at first, but shortly after, we realized he inherited his mother's sweet tooth.  He went at it!  Eventually I gave him his own slice and in 3 bites, no kidding, he was done.  Everyone was laughing...it was pretty crazy to see him shove the whole piece in his mouth.  I think he had a great time. 
My cousin Jennifer, her husband Patrick, and Emery (8 weeks older than Jack) made the trip from Wichita.  It's been so fun for us to be pregnant together and see our boys grow up together.  It was really awesome to see the boys interact this weekend.  They stayed overnight at our house on Saturday evening.  We made dinner and just hung out.  I truly think Emery is scared of Jack...Jack just followed him around like a puppy dog.  Kind of like I followed Jennifer around when we were little.  I always wanted to be like her, cause she was older.  But, just like I was taller than her, Jack is taller than Emery.  At one point, Jack stole Emery's pacifier and stuck it in his own mouth.  It was hilarious.  Jack doesn't have interaction with other kids, so that was fun for me to see (not so fun for Emery).  :)  Hopefully Jack doesn't end up being a bully someday due to his lack of social interaction.  ha!
Here are some pictures of the fun weekend:

The soccer cake spread:

Family picture before gifts started:

After a few bites of frosting he was digging it:

3 bites and his piece was entirely gone...seriously:

Well, that's it for the birthday celebration.  Thanks again for all your love and support through our first year.  We love our little guy so much and are looking forward to the new and exciting things ahead for us.

Until next time...

1st birthday/St. Patty's Day

Today is our bubby's 1st birthday!  It has been a wonderful day!  I woke up really early and made green eggs and green pancakes.  We put a candle in the stack and sang happy birthday.  He wasn't very happy with us not letting him touch the flame.  But, Jack gobbled it up!  I'm not sure he even chewed anything.  :)  I had to say goodbye and go to work, but the fun didn't stop.  Jack got to go to his first St. Patty's Day parade with his daddy and grandma (and aunts/uncles/cousins).  It was pretty chilly, but he made it and I think he even liked it. 

Good morning Birthday Boy!

Green pancakes and green eggs:

Not happy because we wouldn't let him touch the candle:

Birthday boy bundled up at the St. Patty's Day parade:

Chillin' with Grandma Judy at the parade:

I work at the same hospital where I gave birth so I spent a lot of the day reminiscing.  It is surreal to think that just one year ago, I had been laying in a hospital bed holding my baby for the first time.  I went in for surgery at 6am and Jack was delievered by 9am.  We were shocked to find out he weighed 11 lbs and that will be a story for years to come.  They rolled him into the recovery room and they said, "Here's your toddler" and now, he really is a toddler!  He's throwing things, playing "catch", walking all over the place, and "babbling" all sorts of things.  He loves to read books, chew on anything, imitate his parents, and to be chased.  He's quite the little character.  It's hard to believe a whole year has passed. 
We have experienced so many wonderful things in this past year.  We've had amazing support from family and friends and I feel incredibly blessed to have such a beautiful son.  He brings so much joy to our lives and I love his smiles everyday.  He squeals when we come home from work and he hugs us tightly at night.  It's the best feeling in the world.  He's changing every day before our eyes.  (Yesterday tooth #6 came in!)
I pray that God continues to protect us and guide us in this coming year.  There are many more milestones for little Jack.  Thank you again for all your support and love. 
Up next for us...birthday bash this weekend for the little man.  Stay tuned for more pics.
Until next time...

Monday, Fun day!

This morning, I was not very optimistic when I woke up...it was cloudy, overcast, and just dark all day - not the ideal photo taking day.  I emailed my photographer and asked her personal opinion and she said we should just go for it.  What do you know-- right before we left for the park...the sun came out!  It was BEAUTIFUL!  We took the pictures in Parkville, MO which sits right on the Missouri river bank.  (Not by all the industrial stuff; in a much prettier setting).  There was an old bridge, a park bench, nice open landscaping, and even some soccer goals!  We had so much fun and Jack was very cooperative.  Of course, we had to take a soccer ball along for some photos as well.  I'm so anxious to see the finished product.  More to come...
Monday nights are volleyball nights, so that made things even better.  We lost, but only by a few points, to the #1 seed in our league.  Surprisingly we played pretty well for having only 5 players.  I went to the grocery store aftewards and starting stocking up for the big birthday bash this weekend.  It's only a few days away, but we have a lot to do!  My family is coming into town on Friday night to help with some prep work.  I can't wait. 
In just under 36 hours, Jack will turn 1!  It's unbelievable that it's here already.  It feels pretty surreal.  He's such a big boy these days.  I don't think I can call him a "baby" anymore.  Tonight he was practicing going DOWN the stairs!  He would crawl up 2-3, then stop and think and brace himself, and head back down.  After he was down, he's squeal with pride.  It was so much fun to cheer him on.  I'm excited for all the new adventures we're going to experience this coming year.
Stay tuned for birthday pics...Until next time...

#5--it's here!

Well, Jack has 5 teeth now!  The most recent was the second tooth on top and it showed up yesterday.  So, he has all 4 front teeth and a 3rd on the bottom.  The last 3 have just come so fast.  Needless to say our little man has been a bit cranky, but only in spells.  His sleep has been interrupted as well.  I'm trying to stay on top of the ibuprofen/tylenol, but it only goes so far.  I think he's working on one more tooth, but maybe there are more on their way too?!  We'll keep you posted.
Until next time...

Gloomy day

Well, after a few nice days, we're bogged down by clouds today.  I was hoping to get to take Jack for another walk today, but it's gloomy and rainy.  Maybe by the time I get home, it will have cleared up for a bit. 
I'm feeling crunch time before Jack's birthday!  We've got a busy week this week and a full weekend.  So, his birthday is going to be here before I can blink!  Yesterday, Reid had the day off so we got Jack's hair cut for the 3rd time.  He was so well behaved and just stared at the cars out the window, for the most part.  Our hairdresser even put a little gel in and made it spiky.  He looks more and more like a little boy, each day. 
Tonight, Reid has off again, so we're going to get to watch our favorite show, LOST together.  That's a real treat because we always have to DVR it and watch it at a later time.  So, it will be nice to do that together.  Plus, our friend Sarah and Patrick are joining us! 
Reid is working the rest of the week like normal.  I'm anxious for the weekend.  Jack's "Auntie Sam" is coming into town.  We haven't seen our good friend in so long since she moved to Denver a couple months ago!  She and Jack have birthdays 2 days apart...so we're going to celebrate with her while she's in town.  We're so excited!  And, Uncle Benny is going to come and keep Jack on Saturday so mommy can have some girl time, too.  (Thank you Uncle Ben!)
On Sunday we are getting Jack's 1 year old pictures taken at a park.  It's definitely time for an update, since the last ones were at 7 months.  We're hoping to snap a family pic or two, as well.  I'm praying for nice sunny weather...so GO AWAY gloom!  :)
Until next time...

#4

It's official...Jack's up to 4 teeth!!  AND his 5th and 6th are just about ready to pop through.  I'm betting he's going to have 6 teeth by the time his birthday gets here!!  I'm excited for the little guy and happy to know that the fussiness will be gone soon.  :)
Until next time...