A Note from the One in Charge:

Dear Loyal Blog Followers,

Mmmm, sauce!

I wanted to personally apologize for the part that I play in my parent's lack of updating their blog in a timely manner.  I tell them all the time that it is fine if they take a few minutes to tell the world what we have been up to, but they insist that playing with me is more fun!  (I am a pretty fun guy, so I can totally understand where they are coming from!)


Anyway, now that we have that out of the way, I may as well catch you all up to speed myself on what we have been up to lately...

It seems as though life has slowed down a bit since the holidays are past (at least in the way that we aren't traveling to far off places every weekend!)  I am glad of that, because riding in that car seat was really starting to cramp my style. 

We have had some fun night's with mom and dad's friends.  Usually we have some good food, and then me and the other kids just play to our hearts content while the adults just sit and talk (boring!)  Mom and Dad insist that they love to visit with their friends, and that I will understand when I get older.

Cheerios, breakfast of champions

Mom and Dad say that it seems like I am learning more, and doing more every single day.  A lot of times I hear them calling me "mister Independent"  They tell me that I have quite the vocabulary and do well communicating to them what I want/need. (and if I can't find my words, sometimes I just whine in this really obnoxious way until Mom or Dad tell me to show them what I want and have me point) I can count to 3 ("one, two, two") and I can say all of my abc's ("the b's") with someone helping me.  I love to eat, and have a great appetite...I am getting better with a fork and spoon, but my hand's still work best, in my opinion...mom and dad don't like when I try to eat things like jell-o or oatmeal with my hands though.

I have recently taken a liking to singing along with some of my favorite songs (especially Kermit's "It's Not Easy Being Green" , "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "The Ants go Marching"),  as well as saying "Love you" more frequently (I am pretty sure that it melts both mom and dad's hearts when I tell them that!).  At bed time, I have also inserted needing a drink into my bedtime routine, usually just after prayers and right before mom and dad are ready to put me down into my crib.

Hair cut at Cookie Cutters

Some of my favorite things to do lately are climbing onto furniture (including the VERY high bar stools and mom and dads bed--a definite challenge), playing hide-and-seek (I prefer to be the seeker), diving/jumping off of furniture onto a pile of pillows, push-ups with daddy, reading books to mom and dad (occasionally I will give them a chance to read to me too), building with my Mega Blocks and trains, puzzles, and watching cartoons (my favorites are Sesame Street, Thomas the Train, and Blue's Clues)

Recently, I had a VERY scary experience when I spotted a black fuzz in my bath water!!  I honestly thought that the fuzz was going to bite my leg off, so I started to cry and jumped out of the tub and onto mom's lap.  I couldn't figure out why mom and dad were laughing so hysterically at such a serious issue...I mean, they were comforting me too, but c'mon people it was seriously frightening!! 

Playing hide-and-seek

I pretty much wouldn't get back into that bath tub for 3-4 days, and I made mom or dad sit on the edge of their tub with THEIR feet in the water to reassure me that things were safe before I would get into the water...but I WAS NOT going to sit down!  Eventually, after going "fuzz hunting" with dad, and stomping on all the fuzz that we could find, I decided that it was silly to be afraid of fuzz in the tub (or out of the tub), and I got back into the bath tub again...but just to be safe, I am always sure to point out to mom or dad when I spot a piece of fuzz.

Friday night movies and popcorn

As far as mom and dad go, they are still staying busy with work.  Dad is still really liking his new job.  I heard him telling mom that it feels good to be going into the office again and have coworkers around him.  Mom says although home health keeps her pretty busy,  she loves  her job and it's flexibility and wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Longing for spring time

Well, I think that pretty much sums it up...I will let my mom tell you about our recent trip to see the elk at Hardware Ranch, and my first experience with finger paints...until next time, I hope this finds you all well!  If you happen to find spring/summer, send it my way, I am dying to spend my day's outside again...although mom and dad say we shouldn't complain about our weather lately... it's been "unseasonably warm" this winter (whatever that means!)

We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

Visiting Santa Claus

We had a (more than eventful) December full of family and friends!  For us, Christmas wasn't just the long weekend, it seemed to have lasted the entire month! We were so spoiled by family, friends, and neighbors!  I can't say enough how lucky we are to have such great people in our lives. 



One thing that Travis and I both agree on is that the magic of Christmas is definitely more alive with a child!  It was so fun to see how much more interactive Jackson was this year than he was last year-everything from helping decorate the tree, to opening his own (and everyone elses) presents, to visiting Santa Claus to decorating sugar cookies! 

Jackson with Gma and Gpa A

Jackson with cousins Derek and Kyla

The week before Christmas we celebrated with Travis' family.  That is always so much fun because Jackson has 3 (now 4) little cousins that are close (within a year a half) to him in age.  It was so fun (and challenging) watching 3 toddlers experience Christmas together!

Dad, Mom, Trav, Jackson, Myself, Matt, Jana

Christmas weekend we went back to Iowa to celebrate with my family. We had Christmas Eve with my mom's side, Christmas day with my dad's side and our own little family Christmas celebration in between. We wondered how Jackson would react to all the unfamiliar faces that he would be surrounded by during the family parties...and let's just say it seemed as though he LOVED having a bigger audience! I think he must get that personality trait from his Dad ;)  

Jackson dressed all snazzy for Christmas Eve

I feel like I blinked and December was gone, but we had a blast! I must admit that I am looking forward to life slowing down for a little while.  I hope all of you had as great of a holiday as we did and from our family to yours, HAPPY 2012!!