Christmas time is here

The week of Christmas came and went in a fury! Besides Jack, Jeff, and I being sick for the entire week, Christmas was great. Jack caught some bug almost two weeks ago, then he gave it to me, and I gave it to Jeff. Our household was really lovely, like a chorus of phlegm, coughing, and sneezing - ahhhh! However, Jack and I are almost, almost, almost completely better, and Jeff just has to let the sickness run its course, and then we could all be ill-free. I felt so bad some days, and I can't imagine how bad Jack must have felt, especially since he can't exactly tell us what's bothering him nor can he understand any of the aches and pains. Poor baby had some really rough nights of sleep, resulting in rough nights for us, as well, along with nights where he ended up in our bed, because he would not sleep anywhere else.

sick baby and mama!

As I mentioned earlier, Christmas was wonderful. I love spending time with my family, where everyone is in such good spirits and smiling and laughing. It's very heart-warming! My parents hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and my mom's side of the family celebrated there (minus Joey, my cousin. He works for security in a NYC airport and had to work on Christmas Eve). My parents (mainly, my mom) do such a nice job decorating their house. It's so colorful and festive. I described it in a card as the "Christmas palace!" For the party, there was tons of food and we just ate, talked, danced (Jack and little Grace had some great moves to the Christmas tunes), and gave each other gifts! Jack does not quite "get" the gift-giving nature of Christmas nor does he understand the real meaning of Christmas, but he does recognize the Christmas lights, the Christmas tree, the Nativity Sets, and the other decorations that we use to celebrate this amazing holiday! This year, the adults all did a name swap and bought gifts for that one person, and instead of everyone opening gifts up at the same time, we opted to have youngest to oldest open the gifts. In this way, we could all enjoy everyone else opening their present(s). Eric's family does this for their gift exchange and Kathy suggested it to our family. It was nice to watch everyone else and to share in their excitement. Jack and Grace were not included in this gift swap and they received many gracious gifts!

It was nice to spend Christmas morning with just Jeff and Jack, my sweet, little family. We had a couple small gifts under the tree for Jack, as well as several stocking stuffer gifts. He seemed excited with everything. We went to Christmas Day Mass at St. Veronica's and it was, surprisingly, unpacked! We arrived just a few minutes late (we try, but we always seem to be a tad bit late to Church every week) and were so sure that it would be standing room only. Much to our surprise, we found a close parking spot and my parents had been able to reserve us a couple seats right next to them. Another surprise was Jack's behavior and cooperation in Church. He stayed with us, on our laps or in our arms, the entire time. He was friendly (hopefully, not in an annoying way) with the couple behind us. He kept flashing them his cute grin and they would, gently, touch his little hand and say "what a happy baby." That was our Christmas miracle! For months, Jack seemed miserable, constantly crying, needing to be rocked, bounced, swayed, etc.... I dreaded taking him out anywhere, for fear that we'd have a major meltdown situation. It provoked so much anxiety in me! I know that things can change so suddenly and that toddler hood will have its own share of excitement, but so far, toddler hood has been easier to manage (mentally and emotionally) than infancy, even though I do still yearn for those precious days with a tiny newborn. Now, whenever someone comments on his disposition, which is, generally, cheerful, sweet, silly, and good-natured, it makes me so relieved and happy. Of course, I know that he can and, most likely, will enter some wild toddler hood days, but I am trying to love and appreciate our cheerful toddler! I do find it interesting, though, when I think about the whole fussy/high needs baby and happy toddler. I have heard of many parents referring to their fussy babies becoming happy toddlers (which is what we've seen, for sure), but it just makes me wonder.... how many unhappy toddlers do you see and how often do you hear of parents with easygoing babies talk about their unhappy toddlers? It just seems, to me, that most toddlers are enjoying life. Either way, I'll take it!

The homily at Mass was very appropriate and something that I think we can never talk about enough: unconditional love! When we pray now, at Church and at home, it's so neat to watch Jack. We have been praying with him since he was born and now when we pray, he will, usually, either clasp his hands or he will reach to hold our hands. He is also, almost always, reverent (or just quiet!) when we pray. I think that prayer is one of the most important things we do each day, and I am glad that he seems to be starting to recognize it...well, as much as a 15-month-old can. He's so sweet.

After Mass, we headed back to my parent's house to open some presents. That was fun. We received too many kind gifts from them. I think they appreciated the gifts we gave them, too. It was a bummer that we couldn't celebrate Christmas Day with Kathy and Eric, though. They spend that day with Eric's family in Indiana. I really miss Kathy on Christmas!! On the other hand, I think it's such a blessing for them that Eric's family lives so close by. Plus, we are still able to always celebrate Christmas Eve together. Jack took a nice afternoon nap and then we traveled to the West Side to celebrate Christmas with the Owens family. Another wonderful celebration! My grandpa (Jack's great-grandpa) dressed up as Santa Claus, which he says he has never done before, and he was such a hit! He looked great and happy and he was so sweet to Jack. Of course, Jack does not really understand much about Christmas, much less, Santa, but Jack does recognize Santa, and he looked bewildered to see Santa standing before him, in the living room, offering him presents! It was really cute. Grandma and Grandpa did a little photo-op, too, of Mr. and Mrs. Claus - so adorable! We had a great meal and a little gift exchange there, too. After eating, Jack and I took a walk with Mike and Laurel, and my dad. Laurel carried Jack on her back, in the Ergo. He seemed quite content and almost fell asleep, even though it was chilly. He was bundled up nicely, though, and his head was very warm, thanks to Cousin Michaela, who knitted him a hat!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

our week in review

I can't believe how fast Christmas is sneaking up on us! So, we have been busy, busy and on the go for the entire month. It's been a super fun-filled month, for sure. But, it's also had its share of stressful moments. I tend to get so anxious and overwhelmed about everything that has to be done before Christmas. Every year I tell myself to slow down and enjoy the season and really reflect on and celebrate the birth of our Lord. For me, it's so easy to say, yet so hard to actually do! I love writing Christmas cards and giving gifts, but I don't think I'm a very creative or a very smart shopper (and we don't quite earn enough money to spend a ton!), so that just makes my decisions and purchases all the more challenging... gosh, I feel like I sound so dramatic writing this... Anyhow, what I would love to do is just spend time with my dear friends and family, maybe bake some cookies and do a small gift swap, and 'adopt a family' next Christmas! That sounds lovely to me.

So this past week has been jam packed with activity. On Monday, Jack and I met up with Alli and Baby Paul at the Blue Manatee Bookstore for story time. What a fabulous bookstore. It was very whimsical and kind of enchanting for kids, with lots of murals on the walls, pretend tree houses, and little nooks all over the store for reading books, putting together puzzles, cuddling stuffed animals, etc. Jack had a blast, racing around the store! It was nice, too, b/c sweet, little Paul was content in Alli's arms, so they were able to follow Jack around with us. After Jack semi-wore himself out, we took a break, sat down in their organic-friendly :) cafe and drank some hot cocoa and chatted for a while longer. Ahh, it was a delightful morning! Later that afternoon, Jack and I met up with my mom and Kathy at Kenwood Mall to do some shopping and eat dinner. We all love to go to Kenwood around Christmas time, even though it is a zoo. My mom and Grandma used to make it a shopping tradition and now that my grandma has passed, my mom likes to keep the tradition going with Kathy and me. Even though it's kind of hectic, there is something really fun (most of the time) to be a part of the holiday mall shuffle. Last year, I remember being out a lot with Jack, and having him sleep so peacefully in my arms or a sling, even when there were crowds everywhere and people hustling all over the place. I thought that was such a precious sight! I love ending the shopping trip with my mom and Kathy (and Jack, too) at LaRosa's for dinner. It's nice to wind down with some good pizza and to talk about memories from years past and to talk about what we hope for in years ahead.

So, Tuesday was another mega-packed day. It started off with me being on-call for central intake from 7am-11am. The morning started off slowly, but it picked up around 10 and I didn't actually end my shift until noon! It was good experience for me, though, b/c since I started working on-call, in October, I haven't had too many pages. Jeff was off all day and he played Mr. Mom big-time. After my shift was over, I headed up to the Kenwood area for the second day in a row to get a facial! Last year, for Christmas, Jeff gave me a gift card for a salon, and I had not used it yet. It was incredible, b/c I also got a mini-massage! What a way to be pampered for an hour or so! That evening was our MOPS Christmas party. It was really nice. We had a little ornament swap, sang some Christmas carols, and hung out with one another. I'm so thankful for this group! Even though I was home in the morning, I was on call, and then I was home for about an hour in between Kenwood and MOPS, so Jeff took care of Jack all day. They had such a fun day together. Jeff took all kinds of videos of the funny things Jack does during a typical day, they played a lot, and even took a little trip to the mall.

On Wednesday, Jack and I met up with my mom for a cocoa and muffin breakfast at Riverside Coffee Mill, our new favorite coffee shop in Batavia. The owners are so friendly and know us and Jack, so that makes our trips extra special! Unfortunately, Jack was a little cranky and not too cooperative during what could have been a very relaxing and enjoyable breakfast. That's life with a toddler, though! When Jeff got home from work on Wednesday, I began telling him how stressed I felt about Christmas coming so quickly, so he offered to do some shopping. What a great husband I have! That was such a relief to me. He did it with such ease, too - no fretting over gifts or second guessing his purchases. He was so quick, efficient, and got some great gifts! Before Jeff went out shopping, my parents stopped by to see our tree and visit for a few minutes. I have never had a live Christmas tree and was so thrilled to get one this year.

On Thursday, Jack and I had a little dinner at my parent's house, and then Mom, Jack, and I went to the Comboni Missionaries Center for their animated nativity scene. We used to go there every year when we were little and it was really special to bring Jack this year. They have re-created the town of Bethlehem and then they have a narrator tell the story of the birth of Jesus, along with really beautiful Christmas hymns. Jack was so still and calm during the experience, which was neat.

Jeff had the day off on Friday, so we planned a family day downtown. It was such a blast! We parked in one of the city's parking lots and walked to the Duke energy center, where they had their annual train display. It was quite a holiday sight! Lots of families with children, all clamoring to get a good look at the display. The trains were traveling through snow-covered towns and mountains and Jack was pretty entertained, although he thought that the free cookie was the best part! He even got to say hello to Santa. We decided to eat lunch downtown and, lo and behold, Jeff spotted a Jimmy John's sub shop! I had only eaten at Jimmy John's in Chicago and had not eaten there since before I was pregnant (I tried to avoid all cold cuts while I was pregnant), and there have been many times when I have just craved one of their sandwiches! Even though I eat the plainest sub around, there is something so tasty about theirs - yummmm. So, I picked up a sandwich and then we walked on down to the Tower Place Mall so that Jack and Jeff could eat something in the food court. There was a little Santa's workshop at the Mall, which we walked around for a bit. Jack was amused by the big bear band! After eating lunch, we walked around downtown for a while, by all the decorated store-fronts and fountain square. It reminded Jeff and me of Chicago a little bit. We used to really enjoy walking around the city and just taking in everything. Jack loved people watching and seeing all the funny things you only see in the city, such as window washers of sky-scrapers!

I worked for a few hours today (Saturday), while my mom watched Jack. She and Jack headed over to my grandparent's house to visit and Mom said that they had a fun time, with Jack being the entertainer. Overall, she said that Jack had a really great day. Her house is so decorated for Christmas, with lights and decorations all over, so Jack is in holiday heaven there. We and my parents have those plug-in window candles, which Jack finds so cool! He loves to ask you to turn one on and then proceed to all the others, asking to turn on each of them, and then he always says "Oooo" after each one is lit up. It's so amazing to see his excitement for such a simple joy! Work was not too busy, but most of the patients I met with had some major stuff going on, so it took me a while to finish up all of my assessments. The census was pretty low today, so there was time to talk with some of my co-workers more than usual, and that was wonderful. Jeff also worked today, but got off pretty early, so we were all able to eat dinner together. We invited my mom over, too, since my dad is in Alabama for the Bowl game. He hardly ever travels anywhere without my mom, whereas my mom travels a lot for work and takes an annual trip with her girlfriends, so this weekend the roles are reversed. My aunt and uncle had extra tickets to the game and they invited my dad. He was really looking forward to it, especially since UC was playing, and UC ended up winning - yay! After we put Jack to bed, Jeff and I did some Christmas baking, while listening to Christmas music. Jeff is such a good sport. We made lots of sweet treats and had fun in the kitchen together.

Tomorrow, we're planning to go to Mass, and then Jack and I are really hoping to travel up to Columbus for a Malone reunion with some of my closest friends! Unfortunately, Jack has come down with a little cold, and he's not looking too good or sounding too great... poor baby. So, we're going to have to wait and see how he's doing tomorrow - fingers crossed for a healthier little guy.

Christmas is just three days! I'm definitely feeling less stressed about the holiday "stuff" and just more and more thankful for the time that I get to spend with my friends and family and joyful about celebrating the birthday of Jesus!

a tale of two cities

Our New England adventures began on Friday, November 30, when we headed off to Massachusetts, to visit Jeff's mom and "step-dad." the drive was such a long one. we had a plan to drive through the night, with Jeff and me alternating between driving and sleeping, hoping that jack would sleep most of the way. jack was a super champ for us, sleeping well and boasting bright smiles during all of our stops! however, we ran into some nasty snow storms in New York. the kind of storm that looks like you are driving through a snow globe. the lines on the highway were not visible, nor were the signs along the road. it didn't help matters that it was 4 am and dark outside. the storms held up our trip by a couple of hours, because we were, literally, scooting along at 5 mph and then we decided to wait it out at a service station for about an hour or so. jack was as happy as a clam, though. we brought him inside and he instantly started smiling and dancing to the music playing inside. overall, the trip took us about 20 hours. when Jeff and i arrived in North Andover, we practically collapsed!


Jeff's mom and David seemed happy to see us and greeted us with open arms! after resting for a bit, we felt, somewhat, rejuvenated, and ready to visit and eat some pizza from Pizza Factory, Jeff's all-time favorite pizza shop! North Andover is home to the small, privately-owned sandwich and pizza shops. They're all over that little town and we love it.... although, we really only eat at pizza factory when we're out there. I love North Andover. Love it love it love it! It's the most quintessential town, so quaint and small-town. They have a main street, which is a five minute walk from Margo and David's dutch colonial home. Main Street could have been the model for Charles Dickens's Christmas Village series. It has the old-fashioned street lights, the cobble stone sidewalks, the small post office, library with a clock tower, park with little benches, two Churches, both with beautiful architecture, several store-fronts, ranging from sandwich shops, coffee shops, pizza places to hardware stores, old-fashioned candy shops, barber shops, etc... With the snow covering the ground and the buildings, it truly felt like I could have been a character in the Christmas Village series. Jack became quite familiar with Margo and David and it was neat to see him interact with them and show them affection. They ate it up! We spent four nights in North Andover, and some of the activities we did while we were there included going to Mass, shopping at the mall (we headed up to N.H., where there is no sales tax - yeah!), trips to the children's section at the library, walks around North Andover, visiting with Jeff's best high school friend, Dave, and his girlfriend, Shannon, taking a trip to Market Basket, where Jeff worked for many years, during high school and college summers, celebrating Christmas early, visiting with David's mother, Betty, who lives below Margo and David, and many stops at the Pizza Factory (of course). When it was time for us to leave, David and Margo became quite emotional, and it was hard to say good-bye to them. We're hoping that we can see them again over the summer.


On Wednesday, we headed up to Jeff's dad's house, in Hudson, New Hampshire. Jeff's dad had
never met Jack, so we had great anticipation prior to arriving at his house. We were welcomed with loving hugs and excitement, especially from Emma, Jeff's 4-year-old half-sister. Jeff's dad has been remarried for 8 years. His wife, Lorrie, has two teen-aged children, Matt and Shayla, from her first marriage. From the moment we arrived, Jack was a blissful state. There were toys everywhere and the house was so kid-friendly. He wore a silly smile on his face as he made laps around the house, carrying a toy in each hand, at all times! He also did lots of dancing to the Christmas music, that was played on a constant basis while we were there. He has a new dance where he bounces and just shakes his little bottom. It's adorable! During our visit there, Jeff's dad made us all kinds of meals and helped us feel so welcome. We also went to the mall with everyone, and Jack and Emma both visited with Santa. Jack studied Santa, and while he didn't really look thrilled, he didn't cry, either! Jack and Emma also rode the train in the mall. We weren't sure how Jack would do, but he loved it! They rode in the caboose, and each time the train came past us, Jack flashed a huge, open-mouth smile, flapped his little hand, and said "hi hi hi!" That image of him is tattooed in my mind. It was really the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen. To to see him so exuberant and ecstatic and to wave at us just lit up my heart! We also did a special Christmas celebration with Jeff's dad's family, which was so neat. Jack does not, completely, understand what is going on and why we are celebrating. However, he does get excited about toys he sees and loves playing with the boxes and wrapping paper. Everyone, including Margo and David, was so generous to us, and we are extremely grateful. One night during our visit, Lorrie's mom and brother came by for a big, turkey dinner. They are so sweet and we enjoyed spending time with them. After Jack and Emma were asleep, we played some cards, which was super fun. Saying goodbye to Jeff's dad and his family was as equally hard as saying good-bye to Margo and David. Rick became real choked up and thanked us so much for making the trip out to visit them. It was another emotional goodbye. Why can't we all live closer??


The drive home, while safer weather conditions graced us, was more difficult for Jack. We were hoping for Jack to sleep through the night again, yet he woke up at 1 am and was not able to fully go back to sleep until 4 am. He's definitely getting better at letting us know what he needs and I think that we're pretty attuned to his needs, as well. However, there are times when we're just not sure what he needs, and since he can't really tell us, it can be frustrating, for everyone.

We made it, though, and Jack did fall asleep and was able to have a peaceful trip from 4am - 10am, when we finally arrived home. An early breakfast stop at Bob Evans helped tremendously. Jack ate so well, as he usually does, and he waved and "talked" to the other patrons and our servers. Jeff and I are completer biased, as we are his parents, but we just think he is too cute.... from his mannerisms, the way his little voice sounds, the smiles he flashes, the funny dances he does. I could go on and on - we can't get enough of him! Shortly after we got home, my parents, graciously, accepted our request to watch Jack for a couple of hours, so that Jeff and I could rest and recover from the drive! That was really wonderful.


Jeff and I had such a great time together during the week, too. It was so nice to not have any home or work worries. We could just parent and enjoy family together! There are many days when I really wish that Jeff could work from home. It would be awesome to spend our days with him. Jeff is such a fun, patient, loving, and tender-hearted dad to Jack. He totally adores Jack and Jack, in turn, loves loves loves Jeff. Jeff is so not intimidated by any parenting issues. I don't think I changed one diaper by myself over the week. WE either tag-teamed them (the poop ones) or Jeff changed them. Jeff is also very supportive of continued nursing with Jack. He sees how nice it is for Jack and how it calms and comforts him. On the drive to and from New England, nursing Jack was a saving grace for the long trip! Jeff is actually the one who said so.


During our visit, I really enjoyed learning more about Jeff, which happens each time we visit. Anyone who knows me, is probably aware that I ask a lot of questions. I'm just so curious and interested in learning about others, and, particularly, my husband as a child. I like to ask about family traditions, what holidays were like, funny/cute stories about Jeff. One story that really struck me was when his dad told about some neighbors who had lost most of their belongings in a fire and how Jeff wanted to help, so he donated just about everything he had to that family. I think that Jeff has carried that generous spirit to his adulthood!

So, now we're back and it's been a week since we left his mom's and traveled to his dad's (I started this blog on the day we arrived home). We commented on this today and became a little melancholy, musing over our week of family time and togetherness! It was quite wonderful
and, definitely, worth the drive.

newborn days

Yesterday, Jack and I brought a meal to one of the moms in MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), who just had her third baby. She has two toddler boys and now a sweet baby girl! They live near our old neighborhood and as we were driving around, I started to get real nostalgic, thinking back on the past year. Driving by all of the landmarks that we used to see everyday brought back so many memories of those first months with Jack. One of the things that I've found to be so incredible about motherhood (well, in my experience, anyway) is that I have spent more time with Jack, on a consistent, daily basis than I have with anyone else in my life. Maybe that's why I have so many memories, because...how can I not? I also just think of his newborn days and remember how tender and precious they really were. Even though we had lots of visitors, there were many times when it was just the two of us, and I would just hold him for hours, while he slept or nursed. Of course, we also have great family memories with Jeff, too. It was amazing to watch Jeff hold his son and to see how, lovingly, he adored him! Jeff and I have been talking about having another baby... we're thinking (God-willing) that it would be nice to have Jack and his sibling about 2 1/2 - 3 years apart. We'll see, though! Anyhow, when I think about it, as wonderful and as much of a blessing I know the baby would be, I can't help but wonder about how different his or her experience will be from Jack's. I don't worry about loving another baby as much as we love Jack. I know that we have enough love in our hearts!!! But I think about how we won't have as much one on one time and how we won't really have those lazy newborn days. However, I also think about how much fun it could be for Jack to be a big brother, how the new baby will have Jack to look up to, to chase after, to run around with, and how much love they will have for one another. Siblings really are the best! I know that I love my sister and can not imagine my life without her. Up until last night, I wasn't even too concerned about the newborn sleepless nights (we still have sleepless nights) or the crying. But, last night, we had a MOPS leadership meeting and one of the moms (the mom to whom we brought a dinner) brought her three-week-old. She's beautiful and has such an angelic face. At one point, though, I was holding her and she started crying... the newborn cry, where she was just having a hard time being consoled and comforted, no matter what I tried. I started to feel a little panicky, as I had truly forgotten about Jack's major crying days. Of course, we still have our days, but now he can better tell us or show us what he wants or needs. I know that a newborn's cry is his way of communicating with us and we, did indeed, learn what Jack's cries meant (most of the time). However, it has been a while since we've had those inconsolable cries and hours of attempting all the tricks we knew to calm and comfort Jack! There was a moment, after the meeting, last night, which helped me to feel less "rusty" and inadequate. After Mom put Baby in her infant seat, she was crying and just not happy to be buckled into her seat. Mom had to get some things together before they could leave and was not able to tend to the baby right away. I remembered what we used to do with Jack, who was also not a frequent fan of his (not in motion) infant seat. So, I picked up her infant seat and lightly swung it back and forth. Almost instantly, the baby was sleeping and content!



OK - a blast from the past picture, taken a year ago, and a recent one!

A baptismal celebration

Today was baby Paul's baptism. It was such a beautiful celebration during Mass. I felt so blessed to be a part of it. He was such a little champ throughout the morning, too! Jack's baptism was not during a Mass and, after today's baptism, I really wish we would have chosen that. Overall, Jack's baptism was just fine. He was baptized in Christ, my family was there, his godparents were there, some close friends were there, and it was simply wonderful! I just wish our Priest could have been a little warmer and more enthused about such a great event taking place. That was another awesome thing about Paul's baptism - the Priest and all those assisting were very friendly and joyful!

Alli and Joe had an "after" party back at their house, which was real nice. Jeff and Jack did not attend the Mass because Jack woke up in a pretty cranktastic mood this morning and we thought that it would be best for him and Jeff to skip out on the baptism. However, they did join us for some celebrating at the Dumont home. It was really great to spend some time chatting with Alli and Joe's families. Everyone is so sweet! Jack was still a little out of sorts at Alli and Joe's. Since yesterday, his schedule has been a little wacky and I think he's teething again (the big molars seem to be popping through - ouch!), and I think that just makes it harder for him to feel content. So, unfortunately, we did not get to hang out for as long as we would have hoped with the Dumont gang! But that's what happens sometimes, as we have learned.

Poor Jack has had a wild day today. On top of cranking and teething, he climbed out of his crib this afternoon, after Jeff attempted to put him down for a nap. I was out doing some shopping for an Advent project that I'm going to work on tonight and Jeff was hoping that Jack would take a nice afternoon nap, since he only slept for about 30 minutes in the car. Jeff said that he put Jack in his crib, after doing the normal nap routine, and that Jack was fine. Then, he heard him start to fuss a little, but not much... Then, he heard some rustling, which was probably Jack throwing his friends (blankie, dino, bear, zebra) out of bed, and then he heard some rattling of the crib rails, and then a THUD, followed by a loud, screaming cry. Jeff said that his heart fell out of his pants (his exact words) and that he bolted up the stairs faster than he's ever run before. When he got to Jack's room, Jack was sitting on the floor, just sobbing. Poor baby! Jeff did a super check of him and, although he was certainly shaken by the incident, he looked and seemed fine. After several minutes, he calmed down, and even let Jeff just hold him and sit with him for a while. I talked to my mom tonight and she said that I climbed out of the crib, too, but that I only did it once. I'm thinking (and hoping) that Jack won't attempt to do it again, especially since it scared him so bad tonight. We may have to take the bumpers out now if he does start using those as leverages. I'm glad that Jack's crib set was such a bargain for us, because he doesn't use the comforter (although he's used it as a play blanket and now it sits on the back of his glider for decoration) and he did not sleep in the crib with bumpers until he was much older, because we were so afraid of the suffocation risk. Gosh, there are just so many things to consider when having babies - you never imagine the kinds of things they're going to do or what kind of temperaments they're going to have and I'm sure that there is so much in store for us that we can not even begin to really fathom right now! Parenting is such an awesome (overwhelming and amazing) journey of discovery.

Tonight we decided to get pizza for dinner and we're really glad that we did. It tasted so good! Jack loves pizza (just like his mommy and daddy) and it was fun for Jeff and I to have some good conversation. I LOVE when he is home for dinner time.

Here is a picture of what happens when you give a baby LaRosa's. Cute, huh?

give thanks!

We had a nice, low-key Thanksgiving celebration at my parent's house. Jeff had to work until 5:30, Kathy and Eric spent the day with Eric's family, so my mom and dad decided to host a small dinner for us and Aunt Eileen. Everything was delicious and we had a really nice time. Jack didn't eat much, besides a banana and some apple sauce. But, he was happy and he had eaten well all day... he doesn't miss a meal on Thanksgiving, waiting for the big dinner! Aunt Eileen was such a trip and kept saying that Jack was the cutest baby she's ever seen and that she's seen a lot of babies - so funny!

Jack and I braved the mall on Black Friday and it was pretty chaotic. We didn't even buy anything. For lunch, we met up with Mom, Kathy, and Eric at Larosa's, of course! It was yummy.

Cousin Matt visited us in the evening. Jack put on such a show for him; smiling, walking, and giving hugs and high fives. Matt seemed entertained! My parents also came over for a bit. It was fun to catch up with Matt and to hear about all of his Chicago adventures. He's loving life at Loyola.

Today, I worked for a bit, while my parents watched little Jack. Then, Jack and I met up with our friends, Michelle and Aleesha, for some shopping, playing, eating, and mall walking. In the play area, I was the total "helicopter" mom, hovering over Jack, because he kept going up to other kids (bigger kids, as he was the smallest one there) and tapping them (well, kind of pushing, but since he's not aggresive about it, i consider it more tapping. Either way, I'm not a fan, and I hope that it doesn't become a habit.) and he also kept wanting to wander out of the play area to the toy store and to the kiddie train track.... great placement of stores, trains, and play land! However, after a full belly, Jack mellowed out a bit, and we were able to get in some good mall laps. I have become quite an avid winter mall walker! Sometimes, it's just us and the retired folk during early mornings. Good times! They love talking to baby J and Jack is always good for a wave and a smile.

My goal has been to go to bed by 11 each night and i'm already running late, so i'm going to end now!

good night.

wedding in paradise

One of Jeff's best friends was married on Sunday, November 18, in Newport Beach, California. The setting was underneath an outdoor gazebo, draping with flowers, and sunsets and ocean breezes in the background! It was gorgeous. Jeff was a groomsman in the wedding and he looked quite handsome.

Up until last week, we contemplated on whether or not to bring Jack with us... then, I contemplated on whether or not I should go. Jack and I had never been separated more than about 6 hours at one time, and that has only happened a handful of times. It is kind of amazing to realize that Jack is the only person that I have spent the most time with in my entire life. Besides when I was a baby with my own mother, I do not think that I have ever spent more time with anyone, on such a consistent basis, as I have with Jack! So, I was extremely nervous about our impending separation! Honestly, I was beginning to feel nauseous and physically ill. However, his sleeping through the night situation the night before we left, really boosted my confidence in how he would handle the separation, and that eased my mind tremendously. Plus, he would be spending one night with Kathy and Eric and one night with Mom and Dad, whom he knows well and loves so much.

Of course, I checked in with everybody constantly, just to make sure that things were going ok and to see if there were any concerns or problems. I was so grateful to hear that he was sleeping well, eating great, playing hard, and that he was in a happy mood during the day. There was only one period of tears for me and that was at the wedding. The bridal party and their dates danced to "Golden Slumbers," which is one of the songs I routinely sing to Jack before bedtime. This made me tear up. During the wedding, I also shed a few more tears, during a couple of the "Dad" toasts that talked about remembering the days when their children were born and how they had such incredible love for their babies... so true, so true!

This weekend meant a lot to Jeff. He hadn't seen most of his friends since our wedding, which was over two years ago. Even though, he had not seen most of them in two years, they are such a tight group of friends and have such a history together, it seemed as though no time had passed at all. Jeff just looked so happy and I could tell that he was loving every minute of spending time with the guys! He also told me how glad he was that I was with him on the trip, as well. On Saturday, before the rehearsal, we had a little date of lunch (at in-n-out burger - really good!) and shopping. It almost felt like old times, where Jeff would sleep in, while I went running (I didn't run during our trip, but I did take long, morning walks around the North Hollywood 'hood where we were staying), and then we'd go for a quick, cheap lunch, followed by a little bit of shopping. The main differences were that we were in LA, not Chicago, and that we talked a lot about our little boy! The weekend was also a nice break for me, too. I LOVE being able to spend my days with Jack. He brings my world so much joy and love I can hardly stand it. But it was nice to spend some quality time with Jeff and to really enjoy his friends and their wives, fiances, and girlfriends, too. If we would have had Jack with us, we know that we would have totally been following his every move and that we would have been completely occupied with caring for him. Jeff's improv coach (from his Chicago days), Liz, was at the wedding, with her husband, and their 4-year-old son, whom happened to be the cutest, little ring-bearer. He was tons of fun and handled the wedding like a champ! It's so neat to see what we can expect from Jack in a few years. Hopefully, one day, he and Jack can meet and become little buds.

Here are few photos from our weekend of laughter, love, and friendship.

a Christmas miracle

Ok, so it's not Christmas and this is hardly a miracle, but... last night, Jack SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! He has actually done this a handful of times. He started sleeping through the night when he was about 9 weeks old, which caught me totally off guard, because I certainly was not expecting him to STTN so early. However, it was short lived. He began waking up in the middle of the night, again, around 4 months, and since then, he's had one random act of STTN (around 12 months). At 4 months, he woke up about once, and, he then began to increasingly wake up more frequently. He has woken up in the middle of the night, an upwards of 10 times (I'm really not exaggerating!!!!) a night. It's been hard, to say the very least. However, we've also had nights where he's woken up just once and gone back to sleep super easily.

While we have several challenges throughout the past 14 months, sleeping has probably surpassed them all. I never really appreciated sleeping until Jack was born. I felt like I could take it or leave it. I never required much, I never loved sleeping, and I was never one to take random naps, like on the weekends or whatever. However, having a baby, who wakes up so much at night, has totally changed my outlook. It even prompted me to purchased a pair of pj pants that has "I love sleeping" written all over them! Even though I did not realize how much my life would be affected by lack of sleep, I never once questioned his night waking during the newborn days. That was just to be expected and, while I may have been in a daze some nights, my baby needed to eat and he needed me, so I gladly woke up, nursed him, changed him, rocked him, walked with him, and, lovingly, did whatever it took to lull him back to sleep. I was completely surprised when he began STTN at 9 weeks, but I accepted it! Even when he began re-waking at night, I accepted that, and, again, I gladly woke up with him. He was still so young, and I believed that he was waking up because he needed to eat in the middle of the night. All the way through about 9 months, I believed that Jack still needed to eat in the middle of the night, contrary to what some doctors or sleep "experts" will say. Around 9-10 months, when Jack had established a decent diet of solids and table foods, I began thinking that he probably, no longer, nutritionally, needed to nurse in the middle of the night. I still nursed him, though, as he often nursed for comfort, and that was usually the only way he'd fall back asleep. When he was an infant, he almost always nursed to sleep. However, as the months have gone by, he has learned how to put himself to sleep before nap time and bedtime, and that's been a giant step for him! Also, as he's gotten older, Jeff and I have shared middle of the night duties, because Jack has been able to fall back asleep with Jeff and not just me...another big step for him!

I would say that we've had a pretty strong anti-cry it out philosophy in our home, although there have been moments of desperation where we have let him cry.... not cry it out, but cry. For example, when we have just needed to collect ourselves (i.e. we've been attempting to put him to sleep for an hour or he's been up just about every hour, we've put him back to bed, and he immediately wakes up after being put down). We think that it's best for us to respond to him and comfort/soothe him, even if that has contributed to his frequent night-wakings. After experiencing how overwhelming and stressful sleeping issues can be, I can definitely understand why parents do sleep training. I think that you have to figure out what's best for your baby and your family and go with that.

I have just kept thinking that STTN will click for him, at some point. Perhaps, it's "clicked!" I am not holding my breath, but I am hopeful and optimistic, especially since Jeff and I are heading to LA this weekend (Jason Shomer's wedding), and Jack will be staying with Kathy and Eric for one night and with my mom and dad for two nights.

Jeff and I went to bed around 12:15 last night, woke up at 6:00 this morning, and I feel so refreshed! Thanks, little Jack! Hopefully, Jack will have a lovely day, after his uninterrupted night of sleep. In honor of sleeping, here are some recent sleeping Jack photos.

someone needs a hair cut....

but I love his wispy locks!

I've started doing mystery shopping a couple times a month (it's easy to do and it's a LITTLE extra money - but every little bit counts). Today, we had one in Milford, and I decided to take Jack to Miami Meadows Park, before the mystery shop trip. This park is really nice. There's a great walking trail, tree-lined and surrounding a duck pond. Plus, along the trail is a dog park, which Jack thinks is terrific! So, we took a quick walk and then did some playing on the play ground. Jack was walking and stumbling all over the place! It was pretty cute. in this photo, he's holding the prized wood chip. those are his favorite playground finds!

our toddling one!

jack has been toying around with the notion of walking for a while now. at first, he walked holding both of our hands (around 12 months), then he graduated to walking with one hand and sometimes taking a step or two on his own (13 months), and most recently (14 months), he's been walking on his own. he's not a full-time walker yet, as he still realizes that he's a bullet crawler, but he's walking more and more! we captured his first "long" walk on video. it's very cute, just pardon my awkward dancing in the background... http://youtube.com/watch?v=-93-ttnCWjQ.

oh, and here's jack hanging out in the dishwasher!

a hike and a half

Today, Jack and I did a super hike at the nature center. We ventured out on a new trail and I didn't realize how hilly it would be - woo! It was great, though. I am so happy that we have these Monday dates at the nature center. It's such a highlight to our weeks. With the backpack carrier, it's a lot easier to try new trails and Jack is much more content. Today was simply wonderful! It was perfect fall weather, beautiful scenery, lovely company, good exercise, and I was just in awe of how God can make things so splendid! Today, I told Jack that we were going to have a prayer hike. So, throughout the hike, we just prayed and thanked God for all of our family and friends and for His goodness to us!

Here is a photo snapped of us at the end of our hike (in the parking lot). Doesn't Jack have such a sweet face? I love this boy!

baby love

one of my best friends, alli, had a baby several weeks ago (he's 2 1/2 weeks old) and he's just the sweetest thing ever. i felt lucky enough to visit him in the hospital shortly after he entered the world! mom, baby, and dad looked great and mom and dad seemed so happy to have their baby in their arms. last week, jeff and i were able to visit with them again... and everyone is continuing to do great and they're adjusting to the new roles as mom and dad. baby paul is so cuddly and absolutely adorable. you forget how small and lovely newborn babies can be. he just snuggles up in your arms or on your chest, in a sleepy, little state of contentment! yesterday, some of our college (xavier univ) girl friends made a trip to cincinnati to visit and we spent some more time with baby paul. joe, alli's husband was the only husband there, but he spent most of the time away from the baby fest, since most of us are moms and we had lots of mommy talk to do! baby paul had some good baby company, too, in jack and baby matt (7 months). joe took this photo of arica, alli and paul, me and jack, suzanne and matt, and lisa. i love these friends! the second photo is paul, in all his cuteness. he is also my godson! i feel so privileged.

cute and happy

Ok, this is my last post for the night...

I just wanted to add one more photo. This one is of Jeff and Jack, reading a story together. Jack has become such a little bookworm, and we are all about encouraging his love for books. It was so sweet to capture this moment of Jeff and Jack, chilling out on the bean bag chair, checking out one of Jack's books!

the funniest, little baby face!

I was taking some pictures of Jack after he woke up from his nap and I captured such a toothy grin from him. Don't you love it??

hiking with the ergo - lovin' it!

On Monday, Jack and I took our first ergo trip. For anyone reading this, who does not know what an Ergo carrier is, let me explain! This is a baby/toddler carrier, that is designed to be used with newborns - toddlers (up to 40 pounds). You can use it as a forward, back, or hip carrier. I have a couple of slings and carriers that I've used with Jack, but they don't work well anymore, because he has become too heavy for me to comfortably carry him in my front or hip carrier (I actually sold the hip carrier already) and he does not seem to enjoy the sling anymore(which is a convertible one, so we now use the hip carry position, but he's still not really liking it). The Ergo has been highly reviewed online and friends, in real life, have also raved about it...thanks, Suzanne, Alli, and Teresa! Since I love to do lots of exploring with Jack, it's so much easier to carry him in a carrier, rather than use the stroller or carry him in my arms. I wanted to get something that would be comfortable for both of us, something that could still last a while longer for Jack, something that Jeff would use, and something that could be used for a newborn baby (whenever that time comes, God willing). The Ergo seemed to fit all of those desires, so I made the leap and purchased it!

If our first trip was any indication, I think we made a wise decision. Jack and I hiked at the nature center for over an hour, and I could barely feel him on my back. He weighs 20 pounds! I was totally enjoying our walk and our ability to walk across bridges and down steps, without worrying about navigating a stroller. It was such a lovely hike! We hadn't been able to hike many of the different trails, previously, because they are not extremely stroller-friendly. The trees, the leaves, the water.... everything, just seemed so much more vibrant and beautiful with our new found "freedom." Jack jabbered away in his own baby language and acted so content to be riding on my back. He also had a good view of everything, which was probably pretty fun for him. Yesterday also happened to be a picture perfect day. The weather was about 55-60 degrees, sunny, and breezy. Add some foliage to that mix and you've got an idyllic fall day! Here are some pics from our hiking adventure.

we are family

This past Sunday, we traveled down to Louisville, KY, to spend time with my relatives. My cousin, Joe, is currently living and working in NYC, but is in town for the week. He asked for the Ohio relatives to visit while he is home and staying with my aunt and uncle. We were so excited to visit with him! Jack has only met him once. I worked for a few hours in the morning and then we hit the road! Piled into the boxy Scion, for the two hour drive, was myself, Jack, Mom, Dad, and Kathy. The road trip went ok. Jack, thankfully, had adjusted much better to car rides! He has had moments (especially, this past summer) of major intolerance to riding in the car and it's painful for everyone involved. Lately, though, he babbles away, is highly entertained by books, and enjoys listening to music (Linda Ronstadt lullaby cd - a library discovery - and Veggie Tales are two current hits!). Due to all the evidence I've read about the safety of rear-facing car seats, we've decided to keep him rear-facing as long as possible. So far, we have had little resistance (well, he doesn't really know any difference, so that helps, too...). When we talked to our pediatrician about it, she said that everybody would be safer, seated rear-facing in cars! Here is a link about car seat safety: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx.

It was really wonderful to spend time with my relatives. Of course, there were a few missing bodies, including my hubby, who was working. Eric, Kathy's husband, and my aunt, Lisa, and cousin, Matt (in Chicago, where he attends college) were also not able to make the trip. It was nice catching up with Joe and hearing about his job and life in the city. He is glad for the experience, but hopes to return to Kentucky or Ohio. Jack and I also joined little Grace, Kurt, and Bernard for a disco dance party before dinner. That was super fun! Grace is such a cutie and says the funniest things. Dinner was also a great time to chat with everyone. Jack actually, happily and calmly, sat on my lap and ate off of my plate. He has never done this before. It allowed me to talk with everyone else, without having to constantly guess what Jack wants to eat (we've been signing to him since he was an infant, and he seems to understand the signs, but he rarely uses them... instead, he does a lot of pointing and saying "that!").

A lot of time when we go do family stuff, I look so forward to the time to spend with my family, but when we get there, it seems as though Jack has a meltdown or is in a, particularly, fussy or feisty mood, and my time is totally spent soothing and calming him. However, today, he was in a really playful and relaxed mood, which made me so happy!

These photos are from our family day (I took the first photo and the second photo is Gracie and me). She's so smiley!

walk and eat and walk and eat

Just a random photo of Jack (although, it was taken at Sycamore Park)

When Jeff and I first started dating in Chicago, we would walk everywhere. It was great and I loved it! Jeff was not so much a fan, but he knew how much I loved to walk and explore the city, so we humored me. Our walks usually ended with a meal at some diner, deli, or pizza place, so Jeff coined our dates as "walk and eat." Today, even though Jeff was not with us, (at first, because it was a mama/baby play date and during our other walking trips, he was working), Jack and I had our own "walk and eat" day. However, "play" could be thrown into our day, as well. We met up with some friends at Miami Meadows park, did lots of climbing and sliding, and took a little walk along the tree-lined path. Everywhere we walk, these days, just sparkles with the beauty of fall! After our play date, we all (well, 8 out of our 10) headed to Big Boy for a kid-friendly lunch. We all had the Halloween coupons to use, so our little ones ate for free! All the kiddos ordered grilled cheese. Jack ate a good portion, as well as some pears, and he drank his milk. He loved using the straw - he's such a big boy! Jack conked out in the car ride home and, surprisingly, I was able to easily transition him to his bed, where he took a solid two-hour nap!

Once he woke up from his nap, we did some playing around the house, and then headed to the post office, to mail some baby gifts and some letters. The post-office happened to be close to Sycamore Park, so Jack and I stopped off at this park, to do the river walk and play for bit. Our walk was brisk and delightful! Jack enjoyed the playground, too, but was really more interested in the wood chips than the swings and slide. Go figure!

We met up with my dad for dinner at CiCi's pizza. This is another kid-friendly pizza buffet restaurant, which we thought was guaranteed to please Jack! However, he was more antsy than anything, and only ate some small bites of macaroni pasta, pineapple, and cheese bread. I love their cheese bread! Since it was a pretty nice evening, I decided that we would take a small walk around the neighborhood, because Jack loves to push around his hippo and check out the holiday decorations dressing up our neighbor's houses and lawns! We invited my dad to join us. While we waited for him to get to our house (he wanted to stop home and pick up Rudy), I fed Jack some applesauce and yogurt, to fill up his tummy a bit more. When my dad and Rudy arrived, we bundled up Jack and ventured out for our walk around the block... Jack, Dad, Rudy, myself, and Hippo. Jeff and I laugh because Jack sticks his little bottom up in the air when he pushes the hippo. It's so funny and cute! We would probably still be walking now (3 hours later) if I hadn't picked up Jack half-way through the walk, just to pick up the pace a bit. He was doing a terrific job and he was very happy and proud of his skill, but it was taking a long time! If it would not have been so close to his bedtime, we would have, gladly, continued to have him walk, but we just had to get movin'! However, when we were about two houses away, we let him push Hippo back into the garage. Jack and I try to do a pre-bedtime walk when Jeff works late (not sure why we don't usually do then when Jeff is home...maybe we'll have to start this, as well). It was nice to have my dad and Rudy along for company tonight.

Whew, what a day! What a fun-filled day! Of course, we had general meltdowns throughout the day and diaper protests (typical toddler stuff), but, overall, it was great.

I love love love my baby!

halloween and happy endings

This is my first attempt at writing a blog. I love writing and I figure that this will be a great way to chronicle our days!

So, today is Halloween... also known as the eve of all saint's day! Last year, at this time, Jack was a tiny newborn, whom we dressed up as a silly banana. If you want to check out his famously adorable video, here is the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Eif6wDDCUtY. It's so funny to watch that video now. it is truly remarkable what a difference a year can make. He still has the dancing in him, though! Jeff actually had a night off, so we were able to spend Halloween together as a family. I made a little spaghetti dinner and then we dressed Jack up as a pumpkin. My original plan was to make Jack a scarecrow costume, but time and gumption slipped away from me. Luckily, my mom had picked up this costume for him months ago, as a back up. Thanks, Mom! Surprisingly, we did not have any meltdowns dressing him up, nor did we have any resistance to wearing the pumpkin hat! Seriously, isn't he a sweet looking pumpkin? I wish we had some video of him, because he was too cute waving to all of the trick or treaters and walking back and forth with his little hippo push toy. It was fun to pass out candy and see all the cute kiddos. Jack got a kick out of everyone walking by. Of course, he really had no clue what was going on, but he was smiling and laughing, so we think he enjoyed the festivities! After our candy ran out, we headed over to my parent's house (they live about three minutes away from us) to show off the cute pumpkin. We also stopped at their neighbor's house, because Jack has a new girlfriend who lives there! It was fun to spend some time with our new friends. My mom is out of town, but my dad was home, and he was really happy to see his dressed up grandson! He was snapping all kinds of photos of the pumpkin on the move (crawling up the stairs, crawling into cabinets, rummaging through toys). He also received one of Jack's most cuddly hugs. Rudy, the dog, also joined in on the Halloween celebrating, by giving Jack lots of kisses.

Today also marked the end of our Baby Adventures Class at the Nature Center. We have had the best time at this class. Jack has become pretty adventurous and has also become quite the explorer. I've loved watching him play and learn and recognize familiar faces and activities from week to week. In addition to all of this goodness, I have reconnected with a long lost friend, who has a daughter a few months older than Jack. Here is a picture to commemorate our final class. This was taken near Lotus Pond. Here are a couple of other random nature center photos. I could make a collage of all the awesome pictures I have from this place. It's so beautiful there, especially during this season!