BIRTHDAY UPDATE

It's taken me all week to recover from the Big Birthday Weekend ... both physically and emotionally. I'm seriously a basket case when it comes to milestones for my babes! I remember feeling so sad when JP turned one ... and it happened again this year. I was actually fine all day, but after all of the party guests left and the kids were in bed I cried and cried. My sweet boy turned 2 and I had so many emotions. I was filled with such gratitude for my healthy son. I was anxious and excited for the years to come. I was sad that the last two years have gone too fast. I tried to imagine myself 70 years old and wanting to relive these busy days over again ... poor A! At one point, after listening to me rattle on and on, he asked me to talk to my friends to see if my feelings were "normal!" Thankfully, my informal poll of friends and coworkers has confirmed that I'm a normal* mom. (*Okay, well that could be debated!)

JP had a great weekend. We'd been talking about this big day for weeks on end. It was fun to pull him out of his crib and show him the streamers and balloons in place for his "Happy" day! He started the day with a birthday doughnut ... he had to practice blowing out a candle!

We played all morning ... he went down for a nap and awoke to a house full of guests and presents! Barely awake, he ran to the gifts and started unwrapping.

I'm not sure who had the most fun with his new toys!

It was JP's special day ... I was proud of myself for just standing back and letting him feast on colored frosting!

Little AA kept the party going too ...

Unfortunately, it rained and rained all afternoon ... but JP didn't seem to notice. As soon as the rain lifted we all headed outside to try out some new gifts.

I'm certain that JP will remember this birthday for awhile ... this past week he's told EVERYONE that he had a "Happy" and a "Choo-Choo cake"!

BIRTHDAY LETTER

Dear Jackson,

Happy Birthday my sweet son! It seems like just last week the doctor shouted "It's a BOY!" as I heard your first cries. My life has flipped inside and out since that day! You have brought so much joy to me! You are filled with such energy and passion in all that you do.

Over the last year you have emerged into quite the little boy. In the past 365 days your first steps have turned into sprints; your one word sounds are now full sentences; your bottles are replaced with big boy cups and you've developed a much longer attention span with toys! You've become a big brother ... and you've embraced this new role with such enthusiasm and love. It melts my heart each time you kiss Addie and tell her that you love her.

Each day you seem to learn something new. You are brilliant and beautiful. You are kind and spirited. You are hilarious and loud.

May God bless you and keep you safe all the days of your life. I am forever grateful to call you my son! Happy 2nd Birthday!

Love, Mommy

TWO!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my
blue eyed babe!

WEDDING CRASHERS

My sweet JP is going to be a wedding crasher someday. I just know it! He absolutely LOVES wedding dances! Last year he attracted flocks of women on the dance floor ... and this weekend was no exception! My dazzling cousin S was married at a beautiful venue in Minneapolis. JP was super excited to wear his "suit jacket."JP insisted I use "gel" in his hair ... he then proceeded to stare at himself in the mirror for a minute or so before agreeing to take a picture with his smiling sister.

He's such a heart throb!

And she is too!

Capturing a good picture of the four of us is not so easy!

Since the wedding started at 6:00, we tried our best to arrive with the kids well rested with the plans to last as long as possible ...

AA did okay as long as her mommy and daddy were close by ... she's not quite the social butterfly like her big brother.

While AA rested in her stroller, JP took the dance floor. He flirted with his aunts to be

assuring them that he'll the best little ring bearer in their weddings!

Although this white boy can't exactly jump,

he can sure dance!

We left around 10:00 (!) and the kids were asleep before we even left the parking ramp. JP slept in until 8:00 am the next day ... by far the longest ever! Although A and I didn't get to show the crowd our very own dance moves, we had a great time as a family!

FATHER'S DAY WISH

The greatest
gift

I ever had

was Heaven sent,

I call

him Dad!

Love you daddy!

AA'S TREE

To follow tradition, we planted a tree for AA in commemoration of her baptism ...
(although we decided to wait until summer to plant instead of freezing February!)

JP'S TREE

Two summers ago we planted a tree in our backyard in commemoration of JP's baptism.
Thankfully, with the right conditions ...

including nutrients, water, grooming ...

and plenty of TLC ...

year after year

both the tree and JP are growing just beautifully.

BEDTIME ROUTINE

JP thrives on structure, routine, and predictability (hmmm ... I wonder who he takes after?). He's full of life and is energized by people. While JP is flexible and loves social outings, he also loves order. As he gets older and older, this becomes more apparent. Bed time is a prime example. We first brush teeth, then change into jammies, then pick out a few books, then bedtime prayers. If I try to skip any of these steps or change order, he isn't happy! I'm sure routine is the foundation for safety in a toddlers world.

One of my favorite parts of my day with JP is our bedtime prayers. I normally sing him a song or two, we say a few prayers, and then we "God Bless." We start by "God Blessing" our immediate family, and then I turn it over to him and ask who he wants to God Bless. JP normally starts with Boppa or Grandma, Miss Emmy, or Abby the neighbor dog. Sometimes he blesses our dinner guests or playmate friends and on some nights we make it through the whole extended family ... naming all of his cousins and aunts and uncles. Every once in awhile he throws me though ... last week after blessing Mommy, Daddy, and baby Addie I asked if he could think of anyone else. After nearly a minute of silence he responded, "and Uncle Jake's shoes!" And tonight after the same scenario, he said "and swimmin' pools!"

I guess I embrace occasional deviations from the normal routine!

TUB TIME

Bath time was sure exciting at our home tonight. JP and AA were in the tub together for the first time!
JP didn't mind sharing his "swimmin' pool" with AA one bit.

Of course, JP just had to notice that AA was missing a body part ... if you, ahem, know what I mean.

After a quick (and impromptu) lesson in boys versus girls anatomy, JP was on to the next topic of conversation ... whew. I'm not too sure how long these dual bathtub nights should last!

SIX MONTHS OLD

One minute: One hour:One month:

Two months:

Three months:

Four months:

Five months:

and now ... Six months:

I'm gonna miss this.