Hug Boy

4-25-06

Jack,

You have entered a new phase that I just love. Just this past weekend, you were tearing around the kitchen while I loaded the dishwasher with some silverware in your hands just chatting up a storm, when you changed direction and came walking to me saying "MAMAMAMAMA!"

I was so excited that you were saying Ma-ma because you always say Da-da, but when you reached me, you threw your little arms around my leg and gave me a big hug. I can't even tell you how touched I was by this sweet little gesture.

Since you hugged Calum on Easter and that hug in the kitchen, you have discovered that you love hugs! I couldn't be happier about this new love of yours and am ALWAYS wanting more. Because of the frequency with which I have been requesting them and because of how much you love other children, when we go to the playground, I find you frequently want to give hugs to the other children on the playground. The slightly older ones get a big kick out of it and will take your hand and drag you around the playground with them for the rest of the time that we are there, but the younger ones that are 15 months and under, don't know what to make of it. They kind of let you hug them and some push away a little. You don't seem offended or detered in the least, though, and when the hug is over, you take off for the next thing - that is, until the hug deprivation sets in and you are off to find another little kid to hug.

We have also made the jump and purchased a digital camera. Dani's blog entry earlier mentioned that our camera broke, so we made the plunge and I have been addicted ever since. I understand what your Aunt Erin said about being addicted to the internet and the pictures on her blog. I follow you around with this new camera like I'm filming a documentary and I'm afraid that I'm going to miss some very meaningful moment that will never happen again.

I think you've become immune to every attempt that I've made to gain your attention now. I have tried to get you to smile and look at me so much now that you don't even react when I try to get your attention now for a picture. You've developed the ability to effectively tune me out.

Also, your will has grown so strong that you are becoming more and more sure that what you can do what you want to do. Most of the time, this is good, but in instances like where you want to discover the street - not so good. :)

This strong will manifests itself in these moments as toddler tantrums that truly don't last very long, but they are an excellent workout for me as I pick you up and struggle to hold onto you while you buck and try to get back to what you were doing before I tried to redirect you. Finally, I'll be able to interest you in something else and you'll forget what it was that was so important for you to do before, but you always remember and try again. You smart little booger! Although it's challenging, part of me is so proud of your independence and your self assurance. I wish I had just a little bit more of that myself. Now, all I need to do is figure out how to convince you that I am right when it really matters! I think that's the challenge for the rest of our years together, huh?

You're the best, little man! Mommy loves you!!

Love,

Mommy

Hey Jack,

Hey! It's your cousin Dani....it was so much fun to see you at Easter....you looked like you were having a great time playing with all of your other cousins! And you seemed to have a good time searching for the eggs that were hidden. My friend Tiffany says hi..you probably will end up meeting her one day...but Easter was really fun...I got a couple of pictures of you hunting for your eggs..your mom told me to make sure to get doubles because their camera was broke so they didn't bring it. But I gotta go...Hope to see you soon!!! Love ya..

Dani
XOXO

Family Dates!

4-18-06

Jack,

Boy are you getting so big! I really feel it in my back and my arms now when I carry you around, but I think it's good for me. Mommy is getting cut! (that means that my muscles are really starting to show - not that I've been injured... :) )

It's been a little while since I blogged last and a lot has happened. On April 8th, we went to Purina Farms to see the animals. Purina Farms is a little farm where they have mostly dogs and cats that they train to put on shows for animal training and care when kids come to visit. They also had bunnies and baby chickens and ducks, piglets, fancy miniature hens, goats, sheep, cows. Basically, every barn animal you could imagine. You were fascinated with the baby chicks, the fancy hens and the bunny rabbits. You looked over the little fence at the baby chicks as they ran from one heat lamp to the other back and forth. A couple of times, you tried to climb the fence because you wanted to join them. You also loved the bunnies and patted their very soft backs and the backs of the fancy hens. We had such a wonderful time.

You fell asleep on the way home and so we stopped for lunch at Fuddruckers. You woke up as we finished eating and we played with you at the table and then we went home.

Last weekend, I wanted to try a family date, so I proposed that we all go to a drive-in movie together. We planned it in advance so that we got to the drive-in and folded down the backseat so you had the whole back of the car to roll around in and put out your toys and blankets. We played with you until the movie started and then I held you on my lap while we all watched the movie: Ice Age 2. You loved watching the movie with us and snuggled on my lap until you got tired and then you drifted off to sleep. We put the blankets folded up under you for cushioning and you slept through the rest of the movie while your Daddy and I watched a double feature: The Benchwarmers, shared an Italian sub, some sodas and candy and then we all went home. It was a very nice evening!

The new stadium for the Cardinal's is open and the first game of the season opened last week - just a reference point for you when you read this when you are older, you'll know around what time all of these things happened.

And two days ago was your second Easter! You were so precious! You are still a little too young to grasp that it's a holiday, but we told you that someone had come the night before, and took you into the family room where there was an Easter basket with Peeps in it, a video, a plush Spongebob with bunny ears and other toys - match box cars and Mr. Potato Head parts - and you were so excited! You threw your little hands in the air and screamed and ran to the table all excited to grab your new Spongebob! It made me feel so good to see that!

We had so much fun, too, going to visit the family on Easter Sunday. We started out by visiting with Grandma and Poppa Dougherty and Erin, Brett, Calum and Denni & Dara Shank. We took pictures and you hugged baby Calum. It was so sweet.

From there, we packed up and went to Scott and Mary's house for Easter with the Roses. You hugged both Hannah and Brent and just loved getting to see everyone and spend time with them.

At one point, you tripped and fell in the grass and cut your lip on your teeth. There was a lot of blood. I had to cup my hand under your chin to catch it because it was running out of your mouth. I was really scared. I sat you on the outside table and Grandma Rose brought you her ice tea and you sucked on the ice until the bleeding subsided and you felt all better. I can't even see the cuts anymore! You are doing just wonderfully!

Right now, you have a bit of a cold - you are such a little trooper! We got up today and listened to music and danced and you crawled around before you left to spend the day with Grandma Dougherty and I came to work. My mind is still with you, though, my little boy! I can't wait to see you tonight!

Love,

Mommy

SUPERMOM

4-3-06

Behold me – I am SuperMom!!

Have you ever met SuperMom? Well, let me be the one to introduce her to you! See that lady with the laundry in the washer, the dishes in the dishwasher, child fed and off to spend the day with his grandmother, 2 dogs and four cats fed and resting comfortably in their respective beds, writing in her child’s blog thoughts for posterity while working and replying to business emails, keeping a grocery list and taking notes on chapters for class while gathering supporting articles for a paper that is coming due this week? Still don’t see her? She’s the one with her chest puffed out in pride with that red flowing cape streaming from around her neck! Oh…. HER!!!

Who is that woman? Why – she is ME! (do you think the cape matches my pants or is it a little over the top….?)

How does a normal person make a jump from normalcy into this Super mode, you might ask? Well, here is the answer:

CAFFEINE!!!

SuperMom’s super-juice can come in many forms – Diet Sodas, coffee and (my personal favorite) chocolate!!!

But beware the power of the kryptonite. Super-Mom’s kryptonite is lack of sleep. It is a powerful foe. Think what you will, there is no defense against it. You think – a little more caffeine will take care of that, but you would be wrong. Moving through the tired haze of the day you aren’t even aware of how much it is effecting you until a sympathetic family member points out with more than a little concern in their voice that you have just spent the last five minutes talking about your son, but calling him the name of the family dog.

That’s when you realize, you must have the antidote!! The only antidote that works for sleep deprivation is a good nap or a good nights sleep. Then, from the ashes, normalcy returns as you stretch, open up a super-juice (of your choice) and Super-Mom is born again to conquer another day!

;)

Love,

Mommy (aka: SuperMom – on a good day!)