Lamm Fam

Comparable

2012-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Charlie 6 months

Jack 6 months

Jack Fat Face

Charlie Fat Face

What do ya think??

I'm 6 Months Old!!

2012-02-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Before...

After...

mmm mmm mmm

Wash it down.

My big helper, Jack. (Thanks a lot.) (And this happened TWICE. Fool me once...)

I guess I blinked a bit too long because today is Charlie's 6 month birthday!! A whole half of a year... WOW. We celebrated by introducing rice cereal and he was VERY happy about that! He loved every second of it. And so did I.

All about Charlie:

He likes rice cereal
He likes to chew on his sippy, but doesn't drink much
He's a drool monster
He's unfortunately up every 4 hours recently at night...
He's pretty laid back during the day
He's a snuggle bug
He rolls and rolls and likes to be on his tummy a bit more
He's getting really close to sitting up
He likes his Jumperoo
He almost always falls asleep while nursing
He loves a bath and kicks and flaps his arms
He LOVES Jack (who doesn't?)
He's been falling asleep in his car seat almost every time we get in the car
He will rarely take a binky these days
He is SUPER ticklish
His smile will melt your heart

These last 6 months have flown by even faster than Jack's first 6 months. I've been so grateful for Charlie and his sweet personality; it has made this transition a piece of cake. It's an absolute pleasure to be his mama and I can't wait to see what else Charlie has in store for us!

p.s. What's up with blogger btw? My pictures are all sorts of out of order...

Adventures in Lammland

2012-01-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Is it raining? No. Bath time? No. That is sweat. Jack came in from playing outside and left his coat AND hood on. This was the result.

It's been unseasonably warm around these parts. We've gotten MUCH needed outdoor time.

Showing off the chubby stems. (Check out the rubber band wrists!)

Daddy Time

Baby Blues
Heading to the park! (Lovely background, I know. I'm super good at photography.)

"Fing" That's "swing" in Jackese.

This is Charlie's 2nd ride in a swing. He loved it.

Yes. He is THAT delicious in real life. :)

Jack has really been paying close attention to Charlie the last couple of weeks. He asks where he is, wants to give him kisses and is so excited when he wakes up.

"Don't jump. Too high." - One of Jack's favorite lines. He loves to jump off of EVERYthing.

Here's Jack lovin' on Charlie and saying, "Aww. That's so nice!" (He's always tooting his own horn.)

What we've been up to...

2012-01-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Jumperooin'

High Chairin'

Jack Searchin'

Playdoughin'

Chubby Cheekin'

Profilin'

Winter Wonderland Walkin'

Cheesin'

Bath Tubbin'... when it's not bath time.

Snugglin'

Glow Stick Bathin'

Face Squishin'

Snow Ballin'

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T12:20:00.000-08:00

Taylre and Charlie
Parker's parents transferred home videos to DVDs- such a special gift. There's nothing like seeing your husband as a 14 year old. :)

The cutest hats and mittens from Barrett and Taylre and cozy jammies from Nana and Boompa

Marshall, Barrett, Jack and Taylre (and Charlie)

Nana and Charlie
So many presents... where do you begin???

Sleepy Head Christmas morning

Marshall, Mackenzie and Jack
Cute cute boys.

Hope your Christmas was filled with fun and joy, as ours was!

More Pictures...

2011-12-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

We had some good friends stop by on Saturday on their way to Utah. Time was short, but it was so fun to see them and meet their new teeny tiny, Lia. We miss them and are trying to come up with a plan they can't resist to get them to move here! TBD. :)

(A couple things: 1. Remind me not to wear that sweater anymore... ok, maybe it's not the sweater that's the issue and 2. I need a HAIRCUT!)

Stats

2011-12-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

Here is my little (big) 4.5 month old. He rolled over the other day from his tummy to his back. He's not too sure how he felt about it. He's almost rolling over from his back; if he could just get that arm out of the way...

Charlie's 4 month stats- weight: 17 lbs 14 oz (89%) height: 26.75 in (93 %) head circ.: 44.3 cm (90%). His Dr. said he's the average size of a 6 month old. He's growing right out of 6 month clothes and right into 9 and 12 month. He's got plenty of chub, but is super long! Charlie's sleeping has changed a bit. He's inconsistently taking 2 longer naps in the day, but is a bit restless at night. He may be fighting another cold, which is probably the culprit. He's still only eating once in the early morning. And, I've started to do some feedings in bed. (I never even tried that with Jack.) People have told me it's the only way to go, and I'm starting to believe them! He loves to play with his feet and roll around. He's hilarious in his bathtub. He wiggles his legs and flaps his arms like he wants to swim. Maybe he'll take after Jack and be a water baby. Charlie is sporting the bib, as Jack did. Charlie's is for spit. Jack's was for spit-up. I'm so grateful for this healthy sweet baby boy. I'm one lucky mama to spend my days with my two little guys.

And just for the record... here is Jack about the same age. He weighed 13 lbs 10 oz and was 25. 5 inches. He always pulled the funniest faces! He was (and still is) very animated and bright-eyed. Bushy-tailed? Not so much. Charlie's basically the exact opposite of Jack. And for that, I love them both.

Swimming and Smiles

2011-12-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Jack is still taking the "Water Babies" swimming class. (Check out my post last year here.) Once a week he swims with the instructor and once a week I get in with him while Parker stays with Charlie. I'm so glad we didn't give it up! Jack loves it and I love it too. We just got him these goggles. He's been trying them out in the tub before his next swimming class. (He does not love them.) He may be able to move up to the next class- no parents- in the next few sessions. It will be bitter sweet. I will definitely miss swimming with him! He's learned lots! He can climb out of the pool, go under water (sort of), and wear a life jacket and float on his back. They've been trying to teach him to blow out of his nose under the water. He doesn't do that well, but he tries. And he does not mind going under water. It's been a year since we started swimming and he has changed so much!

I haven't been able to catch great smiles from Charlie until now!

The other night the boys and I were sitting/jumping/laughing on the couch. Jack and Charlie couldn't stop staring at each other. Jack loved to jump off the couch to make Charlie laugh. And when Charlie would smile Jack would smile. And I, of course, had to smile (slash cry).

This morning, while I was on the computer (being a totally attentive mom), Charlie started fussing a bit (gasp!). I asked Jack to go over and give him a kiss. Pretty soon I hear "Hi, Baby, Hi!" in a tiny high pitched voice. "Ok? Ok?" I could have died. Sweetest. Babies. Ever.

Charlie is 4 months now. He is still the easiest peasiest baby ever and I love him and thank him every day. He has his 4 month check up next week. I always love to see their stats.

We're getting ready for Christmas around here. The tree is up, but not decorated. The Christmas box is out, but not opened. I have a lot of stuff on my to-do list, but not a lot checked off. I'm sure I'll be hustling and bustling at the very last second, like I usually am. Why do I do this to myself???

Thanksgiving in McCall

2011-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

Funny Boys

2011-11-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe they're mine!

Jack, the Magician. (DVD was attached to the draw string of his pants. He was very confused.)

Sleepy Head. The sun started to set on his face.

Can you guess what one of Jack's favorite outdoor activities is?? CHALK!

Jack loves to snuggle and watch himself in the mirror. (He also likes to watch himself pout.)

Good Morning.

Charlie is getting so strong. His little face is changing every day.

He's getting so big. I'm afraid he's going to outgrow his seat!! Today he weighed in (on my scale and fully clothed) 17.6 lbs. So that probably means just over 17 pounds w/o clothes. His personality is coming out a bit. He's much more alert, a bit more fussy (still hardly at all, but when he's mad he is LOUD!) and a lot more interactive! This week he has started the beginnings of rolling over... always to his right. He usually eats between 8 and 9 pm and then sleeps until between 5:30 and 6:30 am. Then he eats and goes back to sleep until about 8 am. (On occasion, he'll sleep all the way through.) He takes about 2.5 naps during the day. He definitely doesn't nap as well as he sleeps at night, but I'LL TAKE IT! I love this sweet babe of mine.

Jumperoo and Signing Time

2011-11-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it. I cleaned the spiderwebs and disinfected the jumperoo this morning just to see Charlie's reaction to playing in it. I wasn't anticipating him being a pro and playing in it for about 15 minutes. Can he be this big already? Guess so.
This is a great toy for him right now. His upper body is not that strong and I think this will help strengthen his neck muscles.

Oh man. Would you look at that face?

Hi. My name is Jack and I'm a Baby Signing Time-aholic.

(Enlarge this one ^. He can't take the time to move his whole head, just the eyeballs. He might miss something!)

I love watching the different faces Jack makes while watching.

(Why do I only notice my crooked pictures on the wall when I look at photos? I swear they're straight in real life.)

Jack has introduced Charlie to the dark side. (I say that like Jack's in charge... hmmm.) I guess there could be worse things. :)

Parker's Birthday

2011-11-09T09:42:00.001-08:00

Parker is 32!! Yes, that's right- THIRTY-TWO! Wow. Happy Birthday (yesterday)!

The birthday boy with his boys. Take one.

The birthday boy with his boys. Take two.

What do you think? Do they look alike??

We started the festivities early this year with a date to Tucanos (Brazilian grill) on Saturday night. Thank goodness for Parker's brother, Barrett and his wife Taylre. They watched our boys for us. (I'm not quite ready to leave the babe with a "real" baby-sitter. Surprise, surprise.) Then we came home to watch BSU play. Barrett and Taylre stayed and Mackenzie and Brooke came over too.

Then we made a special present for Dad.

Monday night, one of Parker's massage therapists and I went and decorated his office. I'm not sure that he loved it as much as we loved doing it. At least we had fun!

Last night, we had Parker's siblings over for pizza, pie and presents. We always have fun. And Jack has a blast with his cousins. So glad we're close.

Jack was VERY interested in and/or terrified of the candles.

Thanks to all who came and were a part of Parker's special day!

Hope your 32nd birthday was all that you dreamed it would be. :) Love you bunches.

I'm 3 Months Old!

2011-11-01T18:06:00.001-07:00

hApPy hAlloWeEn!

2011-10-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Baby Love

2011-10-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Cheeeeese!" Jack's interested in having his picture taken and taking pictures.

This is Charlie's standard park uniform now- keeps him toasty. He's going to grow out of it soon. Jack wore this until he was at least 9 months old!

He's now grabbing onto things in his reach and swatting at toys. He likes to stick his hand out and touch the books when I'm reading to him.

We've been trying to spend every second we can outside before it gets too freezing.

I don't remember Jack blowing bubbles like this, but this is one of Charlie's greatest tricks.

Jack loves to love on Charlie. And Charlie is starting to love him back. He now watches Jack. He even stretches his neck out and arches his back to keep his eye on him. He smiles at him even when Jack isn't paying attention. I love the interaction and can't wait for more!

Charlie is super ticklish! His laugh is part giggle, part strained exhale. It makes my day.

Could you just munch on this bundle of joy?? Yeah, me too.

Cute Patoots

2011-10-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Cute face.

Jack doing a word search. (He still LOVES letters.)

Charlie is all smiles...
...and sleep. How'd I get so lucky? He had a 9 hour stretch the other night. Please don't change, please don't change, please don't change!

Getting back from the park. He loves riding in the stroller and being outside.

We had Charlie's 2 month check up on Wednesday. He was 14 lbs 14 ounces (90th percentile) and 24 inches (75th percentile). He seems to have hit a plateau in the weight gaining- which I don't mind because now he's wearing things 2 or 3 times instead of just once. :) He's mostly in 3-6 and 6 month clothes and is growing out of some 6 month stuff already. He has a little cold right now that he got from his oh so loving brother. Parker got Charlie to chuckle this morning by kissing his neck. (Parker is sporting a goatee at the moment.) We stopped swaddling him a couple of weeks ago- we swaddled Jack until he was almost NINE MONTHS OLD. Now Charlie is in a sleep sack that Jack never used. His hands get so cold at night. I hate that. But, he sleeps just fine- he doesn't care apparently. :) He falls asleep on his own... without crying. Who is this child? He is a dream and I'm enjoying every second of it!

Why I love this kid...

2011-10-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

He loves to be outside and spent the majority of the summer out there. Now that the cold/rainy/windy weather has come, he STILL loves playing out there! Jack really loves life. He is a GREAT independent player. Give him a ball, hoop and rocks and he's set! In the last couple of weeks his vocabulary has really taken off. He remembers most of the nouns he hears; especially from books. He puts together lots of three word sentences: I want this, I go outside, turn the light, etc. Jack's the best. This has been such a fun age... I hear it can go down hill at three. So, I'm soaking it all up just in case!

mmmm...

2011-10-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

I just made the mistake of making these... although I took the lazy route and made them into drop cookies with frosting. They aren't cute, but they are fabulous.

http://www.somethingswanky.com/2011/09/cheesecake-caramel-pumpkin-cups.html

Baby Blessing

2011-09-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

We blessed Charlie on Sunday. It was wonderful.

Labor Day

2011-09-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

We went to McCall over Labor Day. It was such a nice little get-away for our family. Parker was able to take Saturday AND Monday off-such a nice break for him. The boys got to golf. We got in the hot tub. Jack got to ride the four-wheelers, jump on the trampoline, and make a fire with Boompa, Parker's dad. What a FUN place for two year old! (And a 29 year old!) Parker's mom, Melodie, made LOTS of yummy food for for us! We watched the BSU game on the biggest TV you've ever seen. Melodie and I got in some good gabbing. It was such a great time: relaxing and fun- just what we needed. Thanks, Rick and Mel! Hope we can do it again sooon!

Jack- 2 years

2011-09-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Faces

2011-09-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put 462 pictures on this post, but I'll spare you.

I really can't believe it. Despite my skepticism, Charlie is still the easiest baby that ever lived. Oh, how lucky I am. Last night, he had a 7 hour stretch between feedings. And then another4+ hour stretch. During the day, he eats about every 3 hours. He's starting to talk more and is smiling regularly. I've yet to catch a good one. He's weighing about 12.5 pounds at 6.5 weeks. Everyone comments on how big he is. He loves to be held, but doesn't mind hanging out in his bouncy seat. I can guarantee that he will fall asleep if I snuggle him. We have not had a single moment of fussiness that couldn't be resolved with a binky, a feeding, or a snuggle. He is awesome in the car and running errands. My mom asked me yesterday if I will be ready soon to have another one. The answer would be yes, except that would require me to be pregnant and deliver the baby; I haven't mustered the courage. Plus the fact that the next one will most likely be a nightmare! :) The time will come.

Chubby Chubberson

2011-09-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Charlie has smiled a few times... I'm pretty sure they were real. I've had a few witnesses. :) Now, the challenge is catching it on camera. He smiled a bit this morning and this is all I got.

He's getting super chubby. Jack only had a chubby face. Charlie's arms and tummy are getting a bit chubby too. Who doesn't love a chubby baby??

Our day so far

2011-09-01T09:53:00.001-07:00

Breakfast

Lounging
Self portrait

Things I'm grateful for today- (in no particular order)

1. Baby Bjorn- I used this so much with Jack and I'm really excited that Charlie is ready for it. Today was the first day and we loved it. (The last time I used it I was hauling 25 pounds. 11 is much better!)
2. Cool September morning- such a refreshing change. Jack actually had pants and a jacket on!
3. Non-pregnant body- I'm still really appreciating not being pregnant. I don't remember feeling so appreciative with Jack. It's nice to walk to the park without having contractions or being out of breath.
4. Baby voices- I love Jack's little two year old voice and all of his crazy words, and Charlie is just starting to make a few coos and it's heavenly.
5. Missing my husband- that means he's at the office working hard for the money, so hard for the money. :)

4 weeks

2011-08-29T07:56:00.001-07:00

Today is Charlie's 4 week birthday. He's changed so much already! (I can see why people keep having more babies- the "tiny" just doesn't last long enough.) Thank goodness, his even temperament and ability to sleep have not. Sometimes, I wonder where this baby came from. After Jack and his fussiness and sleeping habits, I didn't think a baby like this was possible. They do exist!!

Charlie has gained 3 pounds- now weighing in just over 11 pounds. He's starting to lose his hair on top keeping the fringe on the sides-old man style, just like Jack did. When we talk to him, we can see in his eyes that, if he could, he'd be smiling. (I can't wait for that!) The last couple of weeks he's had some acne on his cheeks. It's starting to clear up. It took all I had not to get rid of them myself! He's been going 2 to 4 hours between feedings. At night, he's had some restless sleep with tossing and turning and moans and groans. Jack did the very same thing for a week or so. I'm hoping this passes.

Before Charlie came, I asked everyone I knew with more than one kid what it was like to have two. Half of the women said it was no big deal, and the other said it was a difficult transition. I've come to the conclusion that women have completely different experiences with their babies based on the personality/temperament/health of the babe. It took me a while to get settled in with Jack- between 9 and 12 months. I'm sure a lot of it was me being a new mom, but I know some of it was Jack and his lack of sleep and fussiness. I already feel settled with these two. I'm convinced it's because Charlie is so easy. (I'm grateful I had a semi-difficult one first!)

We went to all three hours of church yesterday- he slept the whole time. I didn't have to feed him, so that was a bonus. (I'm not quite ready to feed him out of the comfort of my own home! Or someone else's ;))

Jack is getting more settled in too. He's getting back to his independent self. He's helping by throwing away diapers and just now is trying to give Charlie his binky. He continues to keep Parker and me rolling. After he gives Charlie kisses or hugs, he says, "Nice," in a funny little voice. He likes to make one syllable words in to two.

Life at the Lamms is good. Just lovin on these babies.

Happy Birthday

2011-08-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today, my little Jack is 2. I love being his mom. I love that I get to spend my days with him. I love seeing his little personality develop. I love him.

Things Jack loves:

Charlie
Letters
Playing outside
Playing with cousins/kids
Books
Wrestling with Dad
Music/People singing to him
Balls
Swimming/Water
Baths
Dice
Popsicle
Rocks
Jumping in his bed

We had a birthday party for Jack on Saturday. My brother, Chris, and his family were in town to celebrate with us. Parker's siblings, Barrett and Lisa, and his parents joined the fun as well. Jack has so many people that love him!

Cousins

He decided to go with no hands...

Thank you all for coming and celebrating the birth & life of our (not so) baby Jack!

Brothers

2011-08-22T09:02:00.001-07:00

Jack vs Charlie

2011-08-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jack (16 days)

Charlie (16 days)

Jack

Charlie

Jack

Charlie

Day 14

2011-08-14T10:29:00.001-07:00

I hate that this baby is changing so fast. SLOW DOWN, please. Today is day 14. I know. I'm as shocked as you are. This has been thee fastest two weeks of my life.

Charlie is such a great baby. So far. (I have to say that because as soon as I thought that with Jack, he changed. Okay, maybe I shouldn't say it at all...) He has not been fussy. He cries when he's hungry and that's about it. (Thank goodness 'cause Jack doesn't do well when he cries.) He actually sleeps-instead of screams- in the car. He sleeps all night, except to eat (2-3.5 hours) of course. He has lots of pleasant awake time. He is a GREAT eater. Did I luck out or is Heavenly Father just easing me in? Either way, I'll take it.

4 days

5 days

7 days

Yesterday, Jack tried to nurse. Hahahaha!

Mr. Jack is adjusting. Not well, necessarily. He loves Charlie. He just doesn't love me a lot these days. He's been pretty whiny. (I don't do whiny.) I'm trying to balance nursing and Jack time. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

10 days

12 days

tummy time
our little sweet pete

Perfection

2011-08-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

Baby Charlie is here!

2011-08-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have hacked into Carly's blog to let everyone know that Charles Parker Lamm was born at 7:08 last night. He weighs 8.2 lbs and is 21.5 inches long. Carly was, once again, my hero. Labor started around 3:30ish, we got to the hospital after 6:30, and he was here a half hour later. Mama and baby are doing well. He looks just like Carly.

Parker

10 Days

2011-07-25T14:55:00.001-07:00

(pardon the slightly see-through top and the post-attempted-nap face/hair)

Did you see the ticker?? Yes!! You're reading that correctly. 10 DAYS! I was induced with Jack 10 days before my due date. This leaves me wondering what tomorrow will bring... new territory for me. I was dilated to 3 cm when I arrived to have Jack. I'm curious if I've progressed with this little guy, but I haven't been checked (yet)- don't want to get my hopes up. Or be let down! A month ago, I was certain that I would have him early. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm a little too comfortable for comfort... make sense?

Any time now, Little Buddy, any time...

Saturday

2011-07-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was spoiled today. I got a massage AND a pedicure. AND I got to go grocery shopping all by myself. Then I got to come home and hang out with these two. Life's good.

(^ Click on this to enlarge... it's hilarious. ^)

cute cute cute

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2011-07-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

9 (NINE!) Years.
We celebrated with the usual/favorite: dinner and a movie. We saw "Larry Crowne" and went to Macaroni Grill. (mmmm. I had the best salad- parmesan crusted chicken.) We even hired an official babysitter. She had to put Jack to bed and everything. (He's only really been put to bed by (other than us) Uncle Barrett. Everything went great.

Wow. 9 years. Does that make us old? (I'm sure it depends who you're talking to...) I hope not. I still feel young.

I love Parker. I love that we get to raise these babies together and make plans together and enjoy each other. We've definitely gone through a few rough things together, and that just makes the sweet stuff sweeter. Here's to the next 9 years, (hopefully) a few more babies, and lots more fun!!!!

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Fun With Family

2011-07-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. Barrett and Taylre had their Boise reception on Saturday. Parker's brother, Marshall, and his family came to town. They came over on Sunday and the cousins had a grand ol' time. I really can't believe I'm at this stage of my life. I remember being excited to see cousins as a kid, and now I LOVE that Jack has relationships with his cousins. He has a few on both sides around his age and he loves spending time with them. I'm looking forward to the days when they're a bit older and are "friends."

Henry's soggy diaper... man those things hold a TON!

Emma

Cute Face.

Happy 4th!!!

2011-07-04T20:14:00.001-07:00

Life doesn't get much better.

a few of his favorite things

2011-06-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

The ONLY thing that keeps Jack's attention that comes from the TV is Baby Signing Time. He loves it. I only have one DVD right now. I'm planning to get him another one for his birthday. I'm grateful he's not a TV junkie, but also grateful that I can (almost) guarantee 20 minutes of (educational) distraction.

His other favorite past time is reading! I think it's an actual obsession. I take no credit. He has learned to love books on his own. He brings them to me all day long. We end up with little piles by the computer, on the couch and anywhere else I may sit during the day. If it gets too quiet, I can assume I have left the toilet available for splashing in or he is reading a book somewhere. This is an obsession that I hope continues. (The books, not the toilet.)

We're still alive...

2011-06-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

This is as far as my camera got on our vacation before the battery died. (And I did not get one picture in Seattle, of course...)

But, this is how much fun Jack had the ENTIRE 12 days we were gone.

Jack and I started off by flying to Seattle. We stayed 4 days and had a fantastic time. Jack got to spend lots of time with his cousins and Grammy and Grandpa- who he calls PaPa. The ladies of the family threw a little surprise baby shower where we were totally spoiled! They're the sweetest. The trip started off with a bang- my mom ended up in the ER the first night with a gall bladder attack, which meant little sleep. Jack woke up early and decided to poop in the tub. Luckily, it could only go up from there and the rest of the trip was great. Jack slept well and we got to spend fun times with family. (My mom recovered quickly and is doing fine... so far.)

I got up at 5am on Saturday morning to get ready for our journey to Parker's brother Barrett's and our friend Taylre's wedding in Salem, OR. Parker drove from Boise to Chehalis, WA the night before where we met him at 8am to drive down to Salem. Jack did GREAT in the car. We made it just in time to get ready and head to the 1pm ceremony. It was lovely! An outdoor wedding in mid-June. It was the best weather we had the whole trip! They are adorable and we're sooo excited that they live in Boise!!

Sunday morning, we headed over to the coast (Pacific City) with Parker's family. We stayed for a week at a beach house. Despite the weather, we had a good time. We made the trek to Tillamook, went to Mo's and the outlets in Lincoln City, and played on the beach a bit. Jack LOVED the ocean, but did not love how cold it was. We played games, got in the hot tub (legs only for me), and ate and ate and ate! Jack was completely entertained by his older cousins- which was a nice change for him (and me). He seemed to grow up right before our eyes. His sleeping habits changed a bit-not for the better- and stuck even when we got back to Boise. Thank goodness, we're now back on track. He's sleeping and napping like a champ! Parker's parents so lovingly volunteered to fly Jack back with them as we took the 9+ hour drive home. That was the longest I'd spent away from Jack and I had a bit of anxiety... of course, he was an angel baby for them and his first whine of the day was when I appeared. Gotta love that.

We are so glad to be home. Now all we have to do is wait around for this little munchkin to make his appearance. 5.5 weeks! All is well with the pregnancy. No high blood pressure. Minimal swelling- besides the enormous feet during our trip! I (mostly) feel good. With Jack, I never got to the point where I felt like I couldn't be pregnant another minute. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll get there with this one. :)

Fun In the Sun

2011-05-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ready...
Set...
GO!
awww. He went a little too fast and landed on his back in the pool. (Of course, it was hilarious.) He was not thrilled. Luckily he has a short memory. He climbed right back up and went down again. (I assisted this time and he landed on his feet.)

Presenting an airplane to Mama.

He can't get enough of his foam letters. Thankfully, he's learning a bit through his obsession.

Found this slide at a garage sale! (And, the pool above.) Yahoo. I've never been a garage saler, but I'm starting to see the fun!

Pregnancy and Stuff

2011-05-13T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hello, Third Trimester. We meet again. Please be kind.

28 weeks
baby weighs 2.25ish pounds
baby is 14.8ish inches tall
blinks
can see light
getting chubby! (Both of us.)
(all according to babycenter.com)

------------------------------------------------------

In other news...

the sun is shining
around 80 degrees for the next couple of days
Jack is a dolly in his shorts and sandals
haystacks for dinner
the end.

Mothers' Day!

2011-05-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Parker and Jack made this a great Mothers' Day. Mine actually started on Saturday. I got to go see a movie (Something Borrowed... eh.) and run some errands... by. my. self! Parker and Jack were preparing for the next day. This is what they were working on-

Yes. Evidently I'm a sucker for homemade gifts. I always thought that was just something parents pretended to enjoy... nope! I LOVE it. Look at those sweet little hands and feet. That's just not something you can buy.

And, I got a grill!!! (This is for both Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day. Parker just ended up having to do all the work!) Wahoo! I've been wanting one. Parker was even in charge of dinner and did a fabulous job. Mmmm. It's hard to beat homemade burgers. He also made a yummy breakfast, took care of Jack while I took a bath, cleaned the kitchen, etc. I'm a lucky lady!

It looks like Jack is giving me loves. No. He's trying to escape. (Forgive the hair. This is end-of-day church hair including wrestling a 1.5 year old AND teaching Relief Society.)

And, brace yourselves. I'm being brave. Here it is... a real pregnancy shot. 27 weeks.

In like a lion, out like a lamm

2011-05-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

In March, my Kindergarten teacher put up a poster that said, "Spring comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," complete with adorable pictures of a lion and a lamb. I remember thinking that I had NO clue what that meant. I get it now.

We had a pretty cool storm the other day. The thunder shook the house. The storm produced this.
And these.
Jack loves to pick flowers(weeds) for Mama. Pretty sure he's got something up his sleeve for Mothers' Day.

Parents and Easter

2011-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

My mom was on Spring Break last week and she and my dad drove over for a little visit. Of course, we had a great time. I love them. I miss them.

Easter

My two handsome boys ready for church.

We celebrated Easter with Parker's sister, Lisa, and her family. We had an awesome meal and hung outside all afternoon/evening. Jack had a BLAST on the trampoline and exploring their backyard. (Here is my belly in all its glory. Oh man.)

The newly engaged, Barrett and Taylre!!

Travis built a fire. It was perfect for the slightly chilly evening. I'm looking forward to more days spent outside!!! (Today is not one of those...)

All about Jack... my life, not just this post

2011-04-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

1. 19 1/2 months old
2. obsessed with:
foam letters and numbers (you know, the ones for the bath?)
jelly beans (mmmm starburst jelly beans. I justify this by telling him the color every time I give him one...)
books- he LOVES them. He brings me books all day long.
airplanes
lights- he has to point them out, turns them on and off, makes me turn them on and off
saying "mama" and "dada" If he sees someone he doesn't know, he points to me and says, "mama?" Like, "have you met my mom yet?"
3. sleeping through the night (yay!!)
4. sometimes not napping (boo!!)
5. goes to nursery at church for two hours and LOVES it. No tears so far.
6. still loves to bathe
7. still loves swimming
8. seems to have a chronic runny nose recently
9. new words include the letters K, A, E and O, 8, on, cold, side (for outside), Jesus (oh, so cute), baby, up (for both up and down), tuh-toe (for toilet)
10. he's been so happy lately (basically, a piece of cake- I know, I know. I'm in for it with a newborn)
11. gets very excited to go places: play place at the mall, library, park
12. likes visiting Dad at his office
13. loves to play in our backyard despite the lack of toys- he's good with rocks and grass
14. enjoys listening to music and dancing
15. can be sensitive and pulls out that bottom lip in any situation he sees fit
16. points to my belly when asked where his brother is
17. points to himself when asked where the baby is
18. a snuggle bug in the morning and is becoming more affectionate on his own
19. gets sad when he hears other kids cry
20. not a huge climber or daredevil, but starting to venture out a bit more
21. likes to watch his Baby Signing Time DVD
22. a mama's boy (fine by me), but is sad when Dad leaves for work, or the room for that matter

I hope this new little one knows what he has to live up to. :)

Check out this giveaway

2011-04-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Woombie Giveaway

Cute Face

2011-04-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

I love these cheeks. He looks just like Parker's baby pictures here. Jack enjoyed our one day of sunshine last Friday. He was outside the whole day-at the park and in the back yard- if he wasn't sleeping or eating.

First Photo Shoot

2011-04-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Is he smiling, or is it me?

Kind of a weird shot, but cool at the same time? This is the baby flipped over facing the floor.

Perfect little (big) tootsie.

See that chunky thigh she was talking about?

Doesn't this look like a Barbie leg?

BABY # 2

2011-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

We're having a BOY!!!!

We are soooooo excited!! Jack is going to be in heaven!.. eventually. No name yet. Boy names have been so hard for us. I think we could have had triplet girls and been set on names. I'm sure something will come up... The ultrasound tech took adorable pictures that I will post as soon as I can get my scanner working. So far, he looks JUST like Jack. (Your baby probably did too...) He's measuring big. He weighs a couple of ounces heavier than average. The tech kept saying "Wow, what big feet he has, " and "Wow, look how chunky that thigh is." Great. Jack was a perfect 7 pounder. We'll see what this little (big) guy ends up being. I'm excited to use all of Jack's cute clothes again. And, even though it would be SO much fun to do a girls' room, it will be sooo convenient and CHEAP to use the stuff we have! Now I CAN'T WAIT for him to get here!!!!!

Yay! Yay! Yay!

are you serious?

2011-03-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been bumped. We've been waiting and waiting, of course, to find out what this cute little babe is and they rescheduled our ultrasound appointment. Something about the technician having a sick kid in the hospital or something? I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention. (I'm totally kidding people.) (If you recall, our scheduled induction with Jack was also bumped by a day and a half. Traumatic.) Soooo, we have a new a appointment in a week from today. A WEEK. My dad said to just cancel it 'cause the baby will practically be here by then. I know this doesn't really seem like that big o' deal. And, by next week, it really won't seem like a big deal. But, it is to me right now. That is all.

p.s. I changed the poll date, so if you have a new hunch, feel free to change your vote! (Is it possible for the gender to change in week???!)

RANDOM (to be said like Charlie Sheen's "winning")

2011-03-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Mama's helper- you know how wonderfully helpful 18 month-olds are, right?

My new toy.

Some of Jack's favorite things: balls and head dresses.

Outside fun.

He doesn't actually ride his four wheeler (That would require effort. If it was motorized I'm sure he'd be all over the place.), he just enjoys dancing to the tunes it plays.

Since we've moved here, I've been dying to get Jack a bookshelf. I keep looking on Craigslist only to find NOTHING. The last couple of months I've seen a small bookshelf at Walmart for $15. Why didn't I just pick it up a long time ago? It has solved ALL of my problems- in Jack's room. :)

Some of the best money I've ever spent.

Jack loves to put the tortellini on his fingers. (This has turned out to be one of his favorite foods.)

See?

On Monday we find out what we're having. I'm (almost) 20 weeks. I'm feeling great. I'm getting large(r). I'm getting so excited to have another little person here with us. I'm so happy the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer.

boy or girl?

2011-02-28T10:43:00.001-08:00

We have an appointment in 3 weeks from today to find out what we're having. What do you think? Boy or Girl? Vote in the poll on the right. I CAN'T WAIT!

just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

2011-02-24T17:56:00.001-08:00

Jack and I have been taking a swimming class. I think I love it as much as he does.

*Please disregard all of my creepy faces* He pretty much makes this adorable face the entire time.

His teacher is awesome. She's trying to get him to blow out his nose to make bubbles. He can't seem to zip his lips. It's hilarious to watch him try to figure it out.

Jack is the youngest (of 3) in his class and definitely the most brave. I think he's just young enough to not be scared.

I'm teaching him how to blow nose bubbles. He gets a kick out of watching me look like a fool.

Of course, I'm so excited to have another babe. But, I am going to miss my one on one time with this cute face. Love him to pieces.

Movie Review

2011-02-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to a movie by yourself? I have. 3 times. I actually enjoy it. You should try it sometime. The other night I went to this movie:

It didn't get great reviews, but I'm not the type of movie watcher who needs great reviews to get me to see a movie. (Chick flicks are pretty much a guarantee in my book.) I really liked this one. I LOVED the music. -If you're not a fan of country music, you may want to disregard this review.- The acting was decent enough for me. It had all I needed... a little romance and a little emotion. TWO THUMBS UP. (View at your own risk! I'm not promising anything!)

Not much to say...

2011-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Good News/Bad News

2011-01-07T10:10:00.001-08:00

Do you want the good news or bad news first???

Ok. Let's start with the bad (more like sad) news:

Parker got a us the most adorable puppy for Christmas. We had to give him back. Parker was allergic to him and we're pretty sure that Jack was a bit too. Does this mean we'll remain a puppy-less home FOREVER? TBD.

Farewell kisses.

Luckily, Jack is young enough that he doesn't seem to miss the pup. Although, the first morning without him, Jack went straight to the bathroom- puppy's bedroom- to wake him up.

On to better news:

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

I'm 10 weeks along.
Due August 4th.
Jack and Babe will be 23ish months apart.
We couldn't be happier!

Jackie Boy

2011-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

Jack had his 15-18 month wellness checkup this week. He's now 16 1/2 months. He weighs 25+ pounds (60% ), is 32" tall (75%), and his head is 49 cm around (90%)- about the size of mine. :)

I really can't get over his development since his last check up 4 months ago. He's walking and running everywhere. He is super talkative. He says mama, dada, ball, hi, hot, more, etc. and signs a few others including all done, his favorite. He loves to watch me eat my cereal and let me know when I'm all done. Jack loves balls. To him, anything round is a ball: his blueberries, light fixtures, Christmas decorations. He has a really sweet personality. He loves to give kisses and hands them out willingly to anyone interested. He knows how to be gentle and will pet me when prompted to be soft. People really interest Jack. He's not usually afraid to be picked up or played with by others. He loves bath time and hopes it's his turn every time the water is turned on. He loves to eat and isn't too picky. He'll try anything. Jack continues to be a terrible sleeper. I know what I could do, I just don't want to. He's starting to throw mini-tantrums and hit things/people when circumstances are not ideal. It's amusing for now. Jack is a happy little guy- easy to smile and laugh. Did life exist before him? Pretty sure not.

Lately

2010-12-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

Haircut No. 2

Australia 2010

2010-11-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

Bondi Beach- Parker served here (Bondi Junction) for 6 months out of his 2 year church mission.

Right outside the Opera House.

The next several photos were taken on a city tour bus. It was a "hop on hop off" tour and we took advantage. We spent about 5 hours on this tour. It was pretty awesome, minus the rain.

Everywhere we went, Jack was the star of the show. He had a smile for everyone and waved at anyone who would glance his direction.

Jack fell asleep on Boompa again (who he started calling "Gaga," as in "Lady" jk) on the city tour. He did this in Seattle as well. Boompa must be comfy!

It is spring in Australia and everything was in full bloom. It's hard to see the brilliance in this picture, but these purple trees were beautiful.

This is a mall in downtown Sydney called Queen Victoria Building (QVB... or QVC, as Rick called it). The architecture is beautiful and it has some great shopping!

After spending a few days in Sydney, we rented a car and headed down south (on the wrong side of the road) to Canberra, the capital and another place where (for one night), and on to the beach and a town called Ulladulla.

On the way we HAD to stop to see the world's largest ram. Don't you feel complete now?

The next few pictures are from Pebbly Beach about 1/2 hour from Ulladulla.

All of these animals are wild. (The birds are REALLY wild.)

Jack's not too sure, but I thought this was AWESOME!

Lazy kangaroos

This is our condo at Mollymook Beach. Rick and Parker eating one of Parker's favorite mission meals: Meat Pie Sandwich. (Sick)

Parker is still in contact with some people from Ulladulla, the Camerons. They are some of the warmest and friendliest people I've met. We spent every evening at their house. They threw Parker a birthday party and invited everyone from their church (a small branch). There were still families there that Parker knew. We had a GREAT time with them.

This is their property.

Jack loved their animals. And he loved their kids. He had the time of his life hanging out with all of the big kids. And they didn't mind him either!

Mollymook Beach

I'm pretty sure Jack would have been fine if we stayed there forever.

It wasn't warm, but it wasn't bad. The day we were leaving, the rain finally stopped and the sun came out. We HAD to jump in the ocean. (Although, Parker and I took a dip the day before in the rain. We weren't leaving Australia without swimming in the ocean, and didn't know if that would be our last chance.)

We're officially counting Jack's first steps on the beaches of Mollymook. He started to say a few more words while overseas as well: Nana, Gaga, hot and hi.

The Camerons (minus two kids)

Ulladulla

They have lots of yummy bakeries and we chose to participate in several of those.

After Ulladulla, we headed back up to Sydney and finished our trip there. We had 6 days left. This is what we did.

View from our balcony.

There was a botanical garden a few blocks from our hotel. These are (huge) bats.

This is a life-like statue we found in the gardens.

The have the most amazing wild birds.

The view from the park at the gardens.

Parker's birthday dinner- kidless.

Water taxi tour

Posh homes on the other side of the harbor.

Everything was so lush.

Cuties, Boompa and Nana.

Jack did so well on this trip. I was so relieved. I kept waiting for him to break down and he never did. He flew like a champ. (Although there were a couple of moments that I thought "this can't be worth it." It was.) On the way there, we had a full flight, but on the way home we were so lucky to sit in a row of three by ourselves. Jack slept in the seat between us... such a relief to not have to hold him for 15 hours. During the trip, he was up for anything, slept a bit in his stroller, and was a great participant in the feasting. He loved being out and about and seeing all of the people, soaking up all of the attention he was given.

Thank you, Rick and Melodie. What a great trip. We will treasure these memories forever.

Home Sweet Home

2010-11-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

We're home. Finally. We had a 10 hour delay in Sydney, which forced us to stay over in LA. But, we made it! Jack slept for 15 hours last night. He's never done that. Not even close. He was such a good little traveler. And of course, WE HAD A GREAT TIME! (But we are soooo glad to be home!)

Here's a little peek of our travels.

Guess Where We're Going?

2010-10-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a few hints...

Yes, that's right! We're headed down under!
A graduation gift, courtesy of Parker's parents.
I CAN'T WAIT.

(Scroll down to see other new posts)

Moving and Life in Boise

2010-10-12T12:29:00.001-07:00

Jack's last meal.

It was hard to say goodbye. I had a difficult time leaving the apartment we were in for over 3 years- the longest we've lived anywhere in our 8 years- and the first place where we were finally able to bring a baby home. It was hard to say goodbye to good friends. It was hard to leave Oregon. It was good to us. It was scary to transition from students- where people tell you what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give you money to do it- to what I call adulthood.

But we're here! And we're so excited to be here. We love being so close to Parker's family. Parker is really enjoying getting his practice going. (He bought an existing practice here in Boise. Things are going really well. He's learning A LOT and loving it.) We have already had family dinners from both sides of our families. Parker has gone to 2 BSU football games... they are CRAZY fans here. I'm pretty sure they ask you to leave the city if you're not a fan.

Jack has been having a ball exploring his new territory. He's still not quite walking, but getting pretty close. He's talking a TON- not saying real words, but acting like he is.

Doesn't he look like SUCH a big boy? I can't get over it.

He went out to mow the yard with Dad. If you click on the picture below, you can see how thrilled he is about it.

He's having a blast living near his cousins. We went to the zoo and all he wanted to look at was Kage and Sophie.

I just had to add this cute bear... a sloth bear.

My mom already came for a visit this last weekend! Jack adores her. They played hide and seek and she took him for walks. We had such a great time. She helped me get my house together. We're finally (mostly) unpacked. Thanks, Mom, for the great weekend and all of the help!!

I can't believe we're here- in the place we'll call home for a VERY long time. We're excited to see what Boise has in store for us!!

Home

2010-10-11T14:22:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our new home that we're renting. It is so nice to be in a house! Why didn't anyone ever tell me how AWESOME a GARAGE is?? All that stuff we never knew where to put- the garage!

Jack's room

Our room is a work in progress... as are all of the rooms.

Living room/play room for now (front door- complete with cute little boy.)

You are not going to believe the steal of a deal we got for this couch on craigslist. $350! (Thank you mom.) It is ginormous, gorgeous and in pristine condition. I don't know what that guy was thinking!!!

Still working on it.
We're in a HUGE cute neighborhood. I love being able to step out of my house and take Jack for a walk without driving anywhere! (Although, I miss the golf course desperately.) There are 3 parks- one just a 5 minute walk away. Lots of people from church live in our neighborhood- our ward calls it "Little Rexburg."

More to come on our move and life in Boise!

Cheese and Beaches

2010-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

One of our last weekends in Portland, we decided to head over to the coast. We, of course, had to make a stop at Tillamook Cheese Factory. We did the tour, sampled the cheese, purchased some (divine) cheese, and topped it off with an ice cream cone. Jack was a fan of the cheese sampling and the ice cream, not so much of the tour. :)

Cutest cow I've ever seen.

My two little boys enjoying an ice cream cone.

We headed over to Cannon Beach. We thought Labor Day weekend was a crazy idea, but it turned out to be perfection. The weather was beautiful and the the crowds were small.

Take one

Take two

Even though we didn't make many trips to the beach during our time in Oregon, I'm going to miss the thought that we were less than two hours away from the water.

Splash Park

2010-09-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took advantage of Parker's half day and went to Blue Lake Park. This is the beautiful/closed/algae filled lake.

But the splash park was open! There was hardly anyone there. At one point I think I saw NO kids playing in the water.

We found ourselves a nice shady patch to eat our lunch.

Before and After

2010-09-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Before...

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...And After...

tear

The big 1

2010-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jack is one. How does that even happen?

Jack's 1 year stats:

- weight 23 lbs 11 oz (66th percentile)
- height 33 inches (99th percentile)
- head circumference (95th percentile)

Jack's accomplishments:

- pulls himself up on everything
- has the most efficient army crawl around
- says "mama" and "dada"
- waves bye when people leave or even mention the word
- gives the best open mouthed kisses when prompted and recently started giving them spontaneously
- signs "bye," "more," "all done," "airplane," and "where?" (See below for more details)
- recognizes lots more signs
- sleeps (mostly) through the night
- has 6 teeth

Jack has a funny/quirky personality. He makes the funniest faces. He loves to be snuggled and rocked to sleep- on his terms. In the mornings, he has been waking up a bit early to join us in our bed... I love it. Jack is a very curious, but not mischievous, little boy. He stares at new people before he gives a smile- just likes to check them out first. He gives the best/worst pouty lip I've ever seen. It used to break my heart. Now it just makes me laugh. Jack is at his happiest outside. He prefers the b'jorn to the stroller so he can get a better look at what is going on. He is not as light of a sleeper these days- thank goodness. We can actually put him down and walk out of his room without him waking up. Jack likes to follow us around our apartment and has recently decided to start climbing the stairs to find us. He is a great eater, but is not loving vegetables like he used to. His favorites are bread, avocado, grapes, watermelon, chicken and crackers. Jack is a happy, sweet, smart, strong, verbal, beautiful babe, and we love him. We're enjoying this fun age with him and are looking forward to all of the firsts we get to share with him.

Washing up for his big day!

He was so excited to turn one, open presents and have his first taste of cake!

The grands.

BBQ for dinner.

The cake is apparently trying to make a right turn.

I wanted to be a "good mom" and make a cute cake for his 1st birthday. (I'm realizing now that I would have been a better mom had I not made the cake. :)) I could not think of what to make. Does a one year old have a preference? NO. They don't. But Jack does seem to like airplanes. Any time he hears one, whether we're inside or outside, he looks around to see if he can find it... it's pretty cute. He's even starting to sign it. (Which is also his sign for bye, all done and where... we're working on it.) So that's what we did. (Thanks, Mom and Parker, for your help/patience.)

Since Jack was born (or maybe before), Parker has had visions of Jack crawling towards his cake, devouring it and having to bathe him for days to remove the mess. All of Parker's dreams were crushed when Jack had no clue. We tried to show him, but he was having none of it.

So after a bit, we decided to take him in and give him a more appropriate portion. Once he was in the proper eating place, he was finally comfortable enough to go ahead and take a bite.

"All done." (Or airplane, or bye, or where?)

Not too bad

Opening presents.

His first dollar on his first birthday. We're on a our way to a mission/college fund!!!

Jack got some really fun (and comfy!) fall and winter clothes, a BSU football jersey, toys, a signing DVD, and this awesome Lamm Family measuring board. Growing up, we always had a wall/door at our house to measure our heights. I loved that. This is the perfect thing for us right now... we can take it with us wherever we go. I haven't put Jack's one year old height on it yet, but I'm looking forward to it and all the other ones we will add to it!!

Thanks to both our families for a fun 1st birthday. Jack is a lucky dog who has lots of people who love him, and there is nothing better than that.

ps. Thanks, Brianne for the pics!

Big Boy

2010-08-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

JULY- busy busy busy

2010-08-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

We've worn Jack out with all the fun we had in July!

Thank goodness for good friends. I thought Jack and I would be celebrating the 4th by ourselves because Parker was out of town. But our friends, the Mollenhauers, took pity on us and invited us to a park and have yummy festive cake! Then, we headed over to the Lyman's for fireworks. Jack was not a fan, but we had a great time! Thank you friends.

He's getting big. Almost one. Oh man.

Jack has recently decided that he is just too busy for a diaper change. I'm usually sweating by the time we're done wrestling.

Crystal, Nola (isn't she a cutie?), Jack and I went to the Blue Lake splash park. Nola seemed indifferent and Jack had to cry at first and then love it by the end. We went again a few days later with Emali and her crew. Jack liked it much better the second time around.

This is the only shot I got from our last (although it wasn't really the last) get together with all of our friends who we started the chiropractic program with. We had a BBQ at a park and it turned out to be really fun. As our time winds down here, I'm filled with all sorts of regrets... I wish I would have spent more time with friends.

Parker and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on the 16th. Man... are we that old? Our friend, Kristine, watched Jackie while we went to dinner and a movie. We haven't done that in almost a year! (Before Jack, that was our favorite thing to do.) That was the longest we'd left Jack, and though we had fun on our date, we were both itching to get back to our little man.

ok guys. Check out my peacock feathers. Can you believe it's been a year and I'm still dealing with this crazy hair? I had no idea that, just below my ever changing body, this would be my least favorite thing to deal with... ok maybe there are a few others, but this drives me bAnAnAs!!

Family Anniversary photo. Jack was super excited.

We took a road trip to Boise that we swore we would not do again with Jack until we had to move. We wanted to get a few things settled before we move in two months. Of course, nothing is settled, but we did have a pretty fun trip. This picture is of Lisa (Parker's sister), Jack and Travis (Lisa's husband), oh and Isaac too!

I don't remember where we stopped to feed Jack, but the wind was blowing 612 MPH. It was pretty funny and Jack loved it. We were going to feed him at a picnic table, but it was too windy so we had to feed him in the car. Bread, bananas and peas EVERYWHERE. (Before I had Jack, that kind of stuff would have driven me crazy. I'm pleasantly surprised that it doesn't. Oddly enough, it drives Parker, the most laid back person I know, crazy.)

The ride home was tons more endurable (not a word, but I'm using it anyway). We borrowed a DVD player. Thank. Heaven.

Turns out Jack would much rather sit in the front and not strapped down facing the back of the car... weird.
Our next adventure was a fun road trip to southern OR (Grant's Pass) with our friends, Maren and Jared and their kids. We borrowed her sister's van so we could spend the 4 hour (8 hour (I mean 10) round trip) trip together. It was so much fun.

We boated and wake boarded. We must have had awesome instructors because both Parker and I were able to get up. So fun. We're doing that again.

We kayaked down the river- same river that "A River Wild" was filmed on. It was great. We ate our heads off, talked a ton and even got to see the BYUI dancers.

Thank you, Brinkerhoffs!

Sooooo that was our July. Our August calendar seems to be filling up as well, so I'll let you know all of the fun and not-so-fun things we do!

Update

2010-07-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, here is graduation week in (almost) full. It took me so long- hope I didn't lose your interest!

We started the week with Parker's graduation. It was held at the Convention Center down town. It was short and sweet! They had a great speaker and under 50 graduates. They had a lovely reception to follow that we didn't participate in, but looked great. We headed home for a lunch at our house. Parker's parents, my parents and Parker's brothers, Barrett and Mackenzie were in attendance. Later that evening, we headed down to Cheesecake Factory (Parker's favorite. Not for the dinner as much as the Strawberry Shortcake.)

We've been lucky to share this experience with such good friends. Adam and Lindsay (and Maielle)

Crystal and Devin (and Nola)

The boys.

The Jump

Parker definitely wants to do it again... I think I want to join him next time!

Cubs @ Mariners
1 for 3
We had tons o' fun at Safeco Field... even though they (Cubbies) only won one game. Jack, Melodie and I went to the first game (a loss), and the big boys went to all three.

Jack had fun being the center of attention for our whole section. I went to get a hot dog and came back to Jack hanging out with the woman sitting next to me. (Don't worry, she was "normal" unlike several of the others in attendance, including the man peeing in the garbage can on the way out of the field...)

Baby Cub

One of our next adventures (after eating at Spud Fish and Chips on Alki Beach) was Riding the Ducks. It's a land and water tour of downtown. It's pretty fun and you get some awesome views and cool information about the city.

Jack fell asleep on the duck despite the noise, wind and cold. He was just too comfy with Boomps to resist!

Parker only has to work half days this quarter and it's already been so nice to have him home more. We're planning our last few trips to Seattle :( and a couple to Boise as we finish out our time here in Portland. Is this really happening?! Portland has been good to us and we will miss it.

Sneak Peek

2010-06-27T15:35:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos from what we've been up to the past week. More to come!

A Few Things I Know...

2010-06-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, Jack and I were in Seattle for 4 days and I didn't take a single picture!!! It is not directly related to the fun that was had... there was plenty! We ate like crazy, of course, shopped, of course, gabbed, of course, etc. We're heading back up in a couple of weeks!

A few things I know:

Parker's graduation is in 11 days...

Jack's still the cutest baby ever born... (see above)

Parker 'n Company will be jumping out of an airplane in T minus 13 days... (they're all scared out of their pants, except Rick)

I wish it would turn to summer...

9 MONTHS OLD... what?!

2010-05-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

When I left Jack, he was sitting in front of his boppy. This is how I found him when I came back 2 minutes later... he doesn't crawl yet... that I know of! :)

Our wonderful, fabulous, and extremely good looking :) friends let us borrow this piano. Jack LOVES it.

He makes the funniest faces. Even when he was tiny, he did funny things with his tongue and mouth. This month, he sucks his lips in as far as they can go. Sometimes both...

and sometimes just one.

For Jack's 9 month birthday (not really), we went to a Beaver's baseball game. (Parker's young men were going for an activity and we tagged along.)

Why do we [parents] insist on getting the photo of the baby freaking out at the guy in the animal suit? Is it really funny?? YES... I don't know why.

We had to leave early to put Jack to bed, but were not too sorry. The Beavers are not great. Here's to a lifelong love of baseball, Jack... whether you like it or not. :)

Stuff

2010-05-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

We had our second annual Mothers' Day with my parents.

It's so fun to see them with Jack. They adore him almost as much as we do. :)

We went to Multnomah Falls. It was my first time! We've lived here almost three years and for some reason hadn't made it to the falls. Parker still hasn't made it because he was at the clinic, but I'm pretty sure he's satisfied with just the pictures.

We went swimming at my parents' hotel pool. It was Jack's first time and he had so much fun!
On Friday night, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. It's our fav. On saturday, we went out to a late lunch/early dinner with my mom's Aunt Shirley. Then, my parents headed home.

This is Jack's bitter beer face.

Luckily for Jack and me, that wasn't then end. While Parker prepared for his last set of boards, we headed up to Seattle Monday morning for some more fun: family BBQ, visits with brothers, sisters, and cousins, out to lunch at 5 Guys and shopping at Ikea. Jack loves being with his cousins. And he has the cutest ones!

Baby Chris. What a sweet peet.

Chris and Jack, Char and Lauren, Me and Chris

This is Jack dining at 5 guys with Brianne, Kaylin, Lauren and me. I tried to get a shot of his adorable new tooth. I think you might get a glimpse if you click on the photo to enlarge. Thankfully, Jack hasn't been too ornery about getting a tooth!! And luckily for him (and me!), he hasn't had the diaper rash, runny nose, etc.

Grampy entertained Jack while I packed up on Friday to come home. It's always sad to say goodbye, but we have another trip planned in few weeks! Hopefully Jack will do just as well on that road trip! He was awesome in the car. (Which is a lot more than I can say for our last trip.) Yahoo!

Boards

2010-05-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

Parker passed another set of boards! He has one more set of boards next weekend and then it's smooth sailing. I'm very proud of my little smarty pants!

(This picture was taken last spring when things were a bit more cRaZy! Pretty sure this was the quarter that started and ended with finals-because of snow the quarter before- and then was topped off with a set of boards! And all that with a pregnant wife!! I don't know how he got through that. He amazes me.)

Great job, Honey Buns!! You make me proud!

Randomness

2010-05-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we watched some friends' kids. Here are the boys checking each other out.
Jack's first instinct: hand-to-face

Forgive him... it was sweet potato night.

Today, we went to a Rugby game... match? squabble? throw down? I'm not sure what it's called, but whatever it is, it's RUTHLESS.

Did I mention that it's girls' Rugby? Do not underestimate them. Even the tiny ones (although most of them were bigger than Parker). They are rough. One of my Young Women from church invited us to watch her game/match/squabble/throw down. The first play we saw, a girl got blasted in her face. Blood gushed. She will need stitches in her eyebrow. I had to close my eyes a couple of times.

Jack tried to last.

Jack's been handing out kisses. Of course, we can't get enough.

8 months and 1 day. (A few days ago...)

I was looking at newborn pictures of Jack the other day and it seems like a dream. It's like I can't remember those days actually happening. Good thing we have proof. Well, he's 8 months now, and I'm sure before we know it we will be throwing him his first birthday party.

We can feel his first tooth. It should reveal itself any day now. I guess I'm not really ready for him to have a tooth, but I know he's going to look darn cute. ( I'm certain, because people keep telling me and I've seen it happen with other people, that I won't be concerned with such trivial things as a first tooth with my next babies, but I'm enjoying this time I have now to think everything is SUCH a big deal. :))

Family Photos- February 2010

2010-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

My sweet little man

My two cute boys.

He looks like he's got a secret...

Play time

2010-04-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, Jack has finally graduated from the kitchen sink tub to the big boy tub. He has always loved a bath, but now it's even more fun!!

The last few days have been beautiful here in Portland. Jack and I (and friends) have enjoyed the small piece of grass in our parking lot. It was a bit wet, but we didn't mind. We've also been on a few walks this week. It feels so good to be outside!

We're having so much fun. I'm excited for this summer to spend more time outside!!

Easter and Beyond

2010-04-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Seattle last Saturday morning. I was nervous to take Jack on another road trip since the last two did not go so well. However, he did GREAT. He didn't sleep much on the road, but was mostly pleasant. Parker had to head back down to Portland Sunday evening after Easter dinner. Jack and I stayed until Saturday morning and then my parents drove us home.

The first night, we went out to dinner at Buca di Beppo. Fabulous food. You order family style and we must have thought we we ordering for the Duggars (19 kids and counting)! Ooohhh, sooooo gooooood!

This is a cute tent my mom got for the gkids. Jack ended up enjoying it too!

Grampy and Jack
Ryanne got a hold of my camera!! Cute little thing.

Playing in the "fort"

Photo shoot with Lauren and Jack. Notice the difference in noggin size. Jack definitely got his dad's ginormous head gene, not his mom's pea head gene. (Jack is 3 1/2 months older, but STILL!)

Introducing Baby Christopher Andrew Kaikane Stephens. 6.5 lbs 19 inches (HUGE preemie!)

My SIL, Char, had Christopher 6 weeks early. He is the most ADORABLE little thing I've ever seen. He'll be in the hospital for a little while longer as he gains the strength to exclusively eat on his own. With all things considered, he's a healthy baby. I was thrilled to be able to meet him and even hold him before I had to leave. Can't wait to get my little paws on him again!

Grammy and a few of her babies.

It's crazy to see Jack sitting up in a high chair. He had his first experience at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago and he LOVES the freedom... for a few minutes at least. So, as you can see, before Jack, my parents only had grandDAUGHTERS. Guess I'm going to have to stock their baby items with boy stuff!

Kiss Kiss
I've never heard Jack laugh so hard! Kaylin had him rollin'. He loves to watch his cousins. It's so funny that babies know the difference between adults and kids. They must have a special connection.

Cousinly love.

I LOVE MY FAMILY. We had fun, as always. Our time is limited, so I'm hoping to plan several more trips to Seattle before the summer is through!

Visit From Nana

2010-04-02T16:35:00.001-07:00

I love his little profile.

We had a fabulous time with Parker's mom, Nana. Jack just stared at her and snuggled her. Every time he came down from his nap he was thrilled that she was still there! We got in a little shopping (Target and Ikea), a lot of eating (Taco Del Mar, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheesecake Factory, homemade nachos and chicken carbonara) and even more gabbing. We'll be happy to see her, and the boys, in June for graduation!!

Tomorrow, we're heading up to Seattle. Parker's trip will be a quick one. He's heading back down Sunday evening to start 11th quarter Monday morning!! I'm going to be staying, possibly all week, and then my parents are driving Jack and me back to Portland. My sister-in-law is in the hospital awaiting the early arrival of their baby boy. If he doesn't come on his own before next Friday, they will induce. He's coming 6 weeks too soon according to their time frame, but right on time for mine!! :)

HAPPY EASTER!

Spring Break Portland

2010-03-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

We've really LOVED having Dad home this week. I can see a change in Jack when he gets to spend more time with Parker. He's not such a Mama's Boy. And speaking of changes... Jack slept through the night (9ish-5 or 6ish) 3 times in a row in the past week. Sadly, it's a first! Longer stretches are seeming to become a pattern. He's also napping a bit better in the day. Go Jackie!

We're getting excited to have Parker's mom come visit!! She's coming on Tuesday and staying until Friday and then we're heading up to Seattle for Easter! Yeehaw! Stay tuned for pics!

We Have a Sitter

2010-03-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

He's so proud. (Me too)

This was the first day of real sitting without any help from Mom. He was mostly sitting up, but slowly made his way to the ground...

Spring Chicken

2010-03-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

Parker and I both said that Jack changed over the weekend, right before our eyes. He got bigger and started making new noises and faces.

He wasn't a fan of eating solids when we started a couple of weeks ago (I think it had something to do with my homemade versions), but he's loving it now (the store bought, pre-packaged versions). He likes peas, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, and oatmeal.

He looks so much like Parker here.

Jack (usually) NEVER falls asleep ANYWHERE on his own, even in his car seat. But in the last couple of weeks it has happened about three times. On these occasions it has been in the evening when he's only slept about an hour or less total during the day. He loves to hold onto his rings in his seat and (obviously) fell asleep this way. What a sweet pea.

This is Jack's "Please Get Me Outta Here and Hold Me 'Cause I'm So Cute" face. If his wish is not granted, the next face is not so pleasant.

He's just about sitting up on his own and really enjoying this new perspective.

Parker finishes up his 10th quarter in a couple of weeks. He's working (and by working I mean paying large amounts of money to adjust people who aren't paying anything) about 25 hours/week at 2 school clinics. One is a free clinic down town where he treats some "interesting" people and the other is on campus where he's treating student families. Both seem to be pretty good experiences and training for the future. Oh man, real life is just around the corner!

We're looking forward to Parker's 2 week break that's not really a break this time, as he has to work at the clinics both weeks. But Jack and I are looking forward to spending a bit more time with Dad. We're planning on spending Easter in Seattle. Is Jack too little for the Easter Bunny to visit?? He certainly wasn't too young for Santa. :)

The trees are blossoming here in Portland... beautiful as always. Jack and I have been enjoying about 4 walks a week at a golf course trail just down the street from us. I've been carrying him in his Baby Bjorn. He loves to be up right, able to see everything and I get a better work out. We'll see how long that lasts...

HAPPY SPRING, almost