Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Crib be-gone!

It's gone, kaput, no more, torn down, and laid to rest...the crib is no longer a crib!  Reid took off the side bars and we've converted (somewhat jimmy-rigged) into a toddler bed.  The bed that was loaned to us is over 20 years old and it is in fantastic shape, but doesn't work quite the same with all the attachments (ie; safety railing) as the new-fangled beds out there.  But, we managed to make it work...for now...and Jack LOVES his new bed.  We asked him to try and climb up into it and he got up on the first try, sat down, and said, "I like this new bed!!" with a huge cheesy grin plastered across his face.  He practiced getting in and out a couple of times before we read books and laid down.  And that's all it took...we officially have no more baby in this house!  I'm excited that he's becoming a little boy and learning all these "big kid" things.  We're on the hunt for a twin mattress set that he'll be able to grow with and use for awhile, but until then, the toddler bed will work. 
Until next time...

Monday, March 28, 2011

2 year old assertiveness :)

Jack sure showed us that he's ready for some independence this past weekend.  My family was in town visiting (pics to come) and he ate up every second with his aunts/uncles/grandma/and ye-ye, that he could get.  He led them around the living room and played "Ring around the rosey" and "Hokey Pokey" and he sat and watched the Jayhawks WIN on Friday and unfortunately lose on Sunday.  He lasted through all the heartache, screams of agony from his uncles, and cheers and jeers.  About a year ago, he would've never been able to sit through that KU vs VCU game, with my siblings, because he couldn't stand loud noises.  But, yesterday he was yelling at the screen with the rest of them!  :) 
He's also been using the phrases, "Uh...no" and "Uh...yes".  Kind of like a teenage girl talking with her girlfriends might say it..."uhhh...No!"  It's quite entertaining, even though he's telling us no.  We have no idea where he picked this up, either. 
And last but not least on the assertive train...Jack decided yesterday that he didn't like his bed anymore.  At nap time, he fought sleep really bad and I went upstairs to try and console him and he threw his pacifier out and said, "I don't like this bed!"  So, I didn't fight it, thought maybe he was distracted by the visitors and I agreed he could forego a nap.  Come bedtime...when he was VERY exhuasted after all the excitement we've had, he was crying and throwing his pacifier again.  He said, "I don't like this bed!"  So, we decided not to fight it (again) and put the mattress on the floor and made his "big boy" bed.  He sleeps on a cot at school and I'm thinking it's just been helping him transition naturally.  So, last night he laid right down on the mattress and said, "I want to sleep on the floor."  Literally 5 minutes later- he was OUT!  And slept the entire night!  So, we'll see how tonight goes and if we get another great night sleep..the crib is getting torn down and we're on the hunt for a real big boy bed! 
Until next time...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

2 year stats

Jack and I visited Dr. Cattaneo yesterday for his 2 yr check up and he's healthy and BIG! 
Weight: 32.2 lbs which is just over 90th percentile
Height: 37 inches which is 98th percentile (phew!)
Head circumference: 19.75 inches which is around 85th percentile

I told my coworkers today about his stats and realized as I was saying the numbers out loud, that I better start saving for wardrobe and shoes for his teenage years...he's going to grow like a weed!  Babycenter.com height predictor (which I know is just an estimate) said that Jack will be 6 ft 4 in by the time he reaches 18!  WOW!  The disclaimer is that "there is a 50% chance he'll be within 0.8 inches and a 90% chance he'll be within 2.1".  And boys keep growing until about 21, so he could be taller!!  Holy cow!...my jaw drops just thinking about this.  It will be interesting to look back on this post in 16 years and see how they "guesstimated"! 
Until next time...

2nd birthday parties are FUN (RUN)

Life is so much fun with a 2 year old, and so are birthday parties!  This past weekend Jack had a birthday party fit for a king!  We invited 10 kiddos to FUN RUN, an indoor inflatible playground.  All of his friends showed up and I think they all had a blast!  Jack was SO excited to see this because he loves the movie Cars:
The kids played and had yummy cupcakes.  I made 48 cupcakes with green "grass" (green coconut) and I made little soccer toothpicks to go in them.  Our theme was soccer, again. 
Birthday boy's cupcake:
Jack loves cupcakes!:
I think if his love for Cars continues then that will be next year's theme.  After cake and ice cream, the kids gave Jack so many nice gifts!  He is sure one lucky little guy.  He got 2 Cars backpacks!  Here he is with one on while opening the 2nd:
I think they ran themselves silly.  I know Jack was sweating so much he looked like he had just gotten out of the bathtub!  It was so wonderful to share his special day with friends from near and far.  In fact, Jack's 2nd cousin Emery came all the way from Wichita, KS to spend the weekend with him.  They love playing together and it was very special to have him (and mom and daddy) here.  We feel very blessed to have wonderful people to surround our child.  Thank you for loving him, like we do.
Until next time... 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy Birthday Jack!!

2 year ago today, our lives changed in so many ways!  At 8:42am on 3/17/09, Jack Gerrard Kirby was born.  He was a big baby and shocked us with his size.  He has made every day better with his big cheesy grin, his sense of humor, and his unconditional love for us.  We could not be more blessed!  We love you baby!!!
Jack Gerrard Kirby, born 3/17/09:
1 year old:
2 years old:
Until next time...

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Our independent, "school"-loving toddler

Jack is still LOVING every minute of "school".  He has been excited all 3 mornings this week so far and the last 2 days we've received a "sunny" rating on his report card.  My anxiety level is WAY down and I haven't even called to check on him today! (go me!)  I am so thankful that he's adjusting well. 
The last two morning's I've dropped him off, he's been very eager to get back in the building. 
Tuesday- since I haven't quite mastered the timing of leaving the house and getting to the building when they open, I ended up being 5 minutes early on Tuesday, so we had to wait in the car.  Jackwas squealingfrom the backseat, "I want to go to school!  I want to go to school!"  I said, "Just a minute, buddy...we have to wait for them to open the doors!"  When we did get inside, I took his jacket off and he promptly turned around and said, "Ok..buh bye mommy!" and waved me out the door.  At that moment, I realized he doesn't need me like he used to when he was a little baby.
Today (Wed)- we got there before his normal morning teacher and so he got to go to the 3 yr old room and wait.  He saw some new toys and was in awe.  He pulled out the drum and xylophone and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!!"  Then he plopped down and smiled and said, "It's PERFECT!"  I could not even get him to say goodbye or I love you, to me because he was SO enthralled in those instruments.  :)  Not only does he take after his mother by loving school, but also her love of music.  (I knew there was part of me in his mix, somewhere...even if he's the spitting image of his father!)
Until next time...

Monday, March 7, 2011

1st day of school...1st day of school!

Today was an eventful day for us!  Reid started his new job at Cerner (days) and so Jack started at "school" (daycare).  While we were getting ready to walk out the door, I couldn't help but think of Nemo on Finding Nemo saying, "First day of school, first day of school, time to get up dad!"  I believe my son may have inherited my excitement for the 1st day of school.  We got out the door on time and when I dropped him off, he went straight for the toys and I barely got a kiss goodbye! 
Of course, I should've never worried, but in the 5 minutes I was in the building, I didn't think I could've possibly have told the woman everything she needed to know about taking care of MY son!  This was his 1st time away from home with strangers.  Would he look up and realize I wasn't there and have a meltdown?  Would he hit?  Would he say something he shouldn't?  Would he be a bully to the kids or play/share well?  I should've trusted in the fact that we haven't raised him to be an animal, and that he is actually a sweet and polite boy to others, as well as to us.  I was an anxious wreck for about an hour after I got to work.  I called Reid and started to cry and he says, "Babe, why are you crying?!"  I wailed..."HE'S MY BABY!"  And he kindly reminded me, "He'll still be your baby when you pick him up after work."  (Thank you dear) 
I told myself not to call more than once, so I waited until 8:30 and made the call.  I got to talk to his teacher, which she eased all my worries.  I had heard a child screaming in the background when they picked up the phone and my heart sank.."oh dear, that's Jack" I thought.  But, to my surprise, Danielle said, "Jack's doing fabulous!  I can't believe how much he can talk!"  (He does take after his mother!)  :)  I started crying tears of joy and relief when I heard this.  So, all was well and my fears were put to rest.  And even though I wanted to call at lunch, I knew they'd call in an emergency.
When I went to pick him up, he didn't even run over to me in excitement!  Instead, he flung himself on the floor and wailed because he DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE!  (He does take after my love of school!)  We got a great "daily report".  He slept 1 hour and 40 minutes, ate all his lunch, and said his "ABC's" to the teacher before naptime.  And we found out he'll be moving to the 2 year old preschool room on Monday, just in time for his birthday.  Miss Danielle circled "Sunny" to describe his day.  I can only hope for an equally as good of day tomorrow.
God is good.  I'm so thankful for kind people to watch my child and empathize with me as the mom.  Here's to another great day tomorrow.  We'll see how long our morning routine/schedule keeps up! 
Here's my big boy ready to walk out the door:
My handsome guys ready for their big days:
Until next time...

Haircut

This is what a haircut looks like at our house:
Nothing like a toothbrush and a mirror for distraction.  :)
Until next time...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

March is here!

Well, today is the start of an extremely busy spring for us in the Kirby household!  Our March and April, and a few May weekends are almost all full of fun activities! 
First off- I just want to put a plug in for Just Between Friends, a kids consignment sale franchise that I love!  This past weekend was the Spring sale for the northland location and boy was it awesome...again.  I took several items to consign and sold everything but about 5 items.  I made $110 and spent about $150, but hey, that's really only spending $40!  (Or at least that how I justified it to my dear hubby).  Plus I purchased Jack's entire summer wardrobe!  I got 17 shirts, 7 pairs of short, 7 complete outfits (so 7 more shorts and shirts), 2 swim trunks, 6 pairs of jammies, 3 plates, 2 DVD's, and 3 books...all for $150!  I was really excited about my finds and I think the only thing we'll have to buy is some shoes when his foot grows a little bit.  So, please, if you have children or you have children's items you want to sell, check out their website--www.jbfsale.com and search for a sale near you!  It is totally worth it!
Next BIG news for the Kirby household- Reid accepted a position with Cerner Corporation, a medical software company.  He will start March 7th and is going to be in a program called Velocity Business Consultant training.  He'll have weeks of training and then placed into a role.  This is such a great opportunity for not only him, but our family as well.  We will finally have a normal schedule- no nights and weekends (for now).  There is a potential for Reid to do some travelling, but it will likely be during the week.  And he is excited about some travelling- this is something he loves to do! 
With the new job/hours, Jack will be going to daycare.  I signed him up last night, actually.  He'll start Monday morning at Caroline's House.  The biggest "positive" for us is that the daycare is literally 1 mile (if that) away from our house, and I pass it on my way to/from work everyday.  He'll be in a room with 4 other 2 year olds.  At this point their in a transition room and then soon, they'll move into the 2 year old preschool room.  They've been waiting on another 2 year old enrollment to make the switch in rooms, so it will be perfect for all of us.  Another "positive" is that his teacher is a girl that used to work with Reid at Hy-Vee, so she's a familiar face.  I'm not as nervous about this transition as I thought I might be (ask me again Sunday night!).  Jack is very social and I think it will be such a wonderful thing for him to create new friendships and learn how to interact with other kids.  I'm hoping he will learn to share better, communicate his feelings, and learn to play in a group. 
So, lots going on, like I said.  Here's a glimpse into our calendar this next month:
March 5-6th: Jack and Mommy to Wichita for my cousin's baby shower
March 7th: Daddy's 1st day at Cerner, Jack's 1st day at school
March 10-12th: NE state basketball in Lincoln.  My brother Timothy is a Junior and this is the 4th straight year they've been to state.  They won the last 3 years! 
March 12th: Mommy has orientation for William Jewell BSN-AT program.
March 17th: Jack is 2! 
March 18th/19th: Jack's birthday party weekend, plus Sammy and the Atchison's are visiting
March 25-27th: Skoch family in town

Whew...You get the idea...and this is JUST MARCH!  So many exciting things to look forward to. 
Until next time...