My Funny Valentine (s)

When I was little the night before Valentines Day was my very favorite night of the year. Every year my dad would go after work to Cummings and buy a box of the best chocolate covered strawberries. He would leave them in the back of his truck so they would stay hidden and cold. Then first thing in the morning he would give them to my mom for Valentines day. And every year there would be a couple strawberries missing by the time she opened the box.
 For years on the night before Valentines Day I would sneak outside, climb in the back of the truck and eat the biggest strawberries in the box. They were always juicy and delicious. Sorry mom. Then one year I climbed into the truck to find two boxes. One just for me. Thanks dad.
I still get my own box every year. Because I married the most awesome person on the planet who somehow always finds a way to make sure I get my Cummings chocolate covered strawberries on Valentines day. But this year I gave the very biggest strawberries to this kid. I have a feeling there are going to be strawberries missing from my box for years to come. And they have never tasted sweeter.

I am one lucky girl to have two Valentines. Love these boys.

When he is Covered in Dirt.

I love being a boy mom. I love being this boys mom. I love his messy bed head. I love that he is wild. I love when he is covered in dirt. I love that he always wants to be outside.  I love that he chases the dog. I love that he is always climbing up something. I love the bumps and scrapes that prove it. 

Second Generation Bed Hog

This is a very early morning selfie taken with the flash and believe it or not Jack was laughing about the bright light.
A few nights ago Jack woke up and was soaked. When he can't fall asleep he drinks a ton of water before bed and no diaper can stand up to that level of hydration. So into bed with us he came.
I arranged it so we all had just enough room and let me tell you it was a snug fit. You can see the edge of the bed in the picture, but we all fit. I was surprised at how quickly Jack fell back asleep and for a while I just laid there soaking in a rare moment where everything was still and we were all together.  I was just drifting back to sleep when Jack roller over and climbed around until he was laying across me.  Having a baby sleep on your chest is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. Having a toddler sleep on your chest is not. His head was on my neck, his knees were in my stomach, his hand was on my face, he was drooling and sweating and wiggling.
I am laughing as I type this picturing how hard my mom will be laughing when she reads this. And I know she'll say I deserve it. As a child I was a notorious bed hog. I could not fall asleep unless someone was with me, and I always put my hand on their face so I would know if they left. I guess I do deserve a few nights of being kicked and smothered and waking up with the soreness that comes from sleeping on the edge of the bed.
Mother I snapped this picture for you so that you can know that the world is just and what goes around really does come around.

In a Rush to Grow Up

It seems Jack Vincent is in a big rush to grow up.

 We went bowling and he loved it. What?? When did he get old enough to bowl?? Who knew they even made bowling shoes that small. 

He feeds Daxter every morning. It is his first "job" and he really likes doing it. He spills a ton of dog food all over the floor- but it is worth the clean up. 

He also begs to give Daxter treats all day long. He is really good at sharing with Dax…. hopefully that will transfer over to sharing with other kids and his cousins???? Fingers crossed. 

He jumps on beds. Loves Sesame Street and the movie Tarzan. Its official. Time is flying. 

What motherhood has taught me about Love.

Parenthood is getting puked on. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.  

Motherhood is chasing around a tiny human begging them to let you clean their bum. At some point its like- Hey Jack I am the one elbow deep in your stink why am I consoling you? I promise holding still long enough for a diaper change won't hurt you. It isn't always pretty. 

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. 

But I have learnt that love deepens at three a.m. when your newborn is wide awake and hungry. Love grows when your baby is cutting a tooth and requires all day  rocking. Love comes alive when your toddler gives you a challenging day and yet you miss him terribly once he falls asleep for the night. 

True love is when you are covered in puke and still loving.

Jackanese

Jack is starting to talk a little bit here and there and it has been so much fun.  He is pretty hard to understand but it sure is cute.
His current vocabulary consists of,
Daadd Daadd (Dad)
Mom Mom (Mom)
Issit  (Can I see it?)
My My (Mine or I want)
Low (Hello)
I I (Bye Bye)
Daaa ( Dog or Down. We just have to guess.)

Jack knows that the Tiger saws Rawrr, the Snake says Ssssss and the Wolf says Ahwooo.

He can show you where his nose, head, mouth, and tongue are when you ask. My favorite is when you ask him where his tongue is because he sticks it really far out and says AHHHH.

He still loves to wave hello and goodbye, give high fives, and clap after every single thing he does.

His emotions are intense and he bounces from happy to sad very quickly. But I am loving this time full of kisses that taste like pretzels and piggyback rides wherever we go. He is incredibly creative and quite the problem solver. I can't keep him out of anything. He dances whenever he hears music no matter where we are. Seeing the world through his eyes is truly spectacular. I can't wait till he can share more of his thoughts with us. It is a crazy time full of tantrums and laughter and by four in the afternoon I am usually close to tears. But I wouldn't trade this time for the world.

This and That

Life lately has been exciting and fast paced. There hasn't been a whole lot of time for blogging. Here is a quick catch up. 

Started out the 2015 right with a family party that ended at eleven. Adults playing duck duck goose super competitively running full speed and acquiring injuries. Happy Mormon New Years Eve everybody. 

I am really mad at the weather for being so cold with no snow to play in. Because being outside is not fun and Jack gets really bad cabin fever we have been spending a lot of time at our favorite museums. Trying to explain to Jack we can't climb into the exhibits at the Dinosaur museum is pretty hard. He is such a climber. 

 Jack is turning into a picky eater. Yikes. He would prefer to only eat pretzels, apples, and Nilla Wafers.  Anything else usually ends in disaster. He absolutely insists on feeding himself and lately it is a huge battle to even get him into the high chair. He wants to sit at the table. I think a booster seat is in the very near future.

Oh and markers. Jack loves to eat markers. I seriously almost called poison control when he bit the tip of the marker he was coloring with and it exploded in his mouth. Don't worry he is totally fine. 

This is Tayla Jacks cousin and best friend. He really does love to color. That's why I keep giving him markers even though he sometimes eats them. 

 Jack loves water bottles. He like to take the lid on and off and on and off. We have a major melt down when he can't find the lid. It is the strangest thing. He will play with a water bottle and the lid for way longer than he will play with any of the toys he got for Christmas.  But I am kind of impressed at his motor skills. I feel like that would be hard with his little pudgy hands

Jack holding his newborn pajamas. 

 Little jibber jabber is starting to say some words now that we can understand and it has been pretty exciting. The more he communicates the more we get to know him. The more we know the more we love. Time is flying by and I am grateful for this space to store some of the memories I don't want to ever forget.