Merry Christmas!

We received the best Christmas present ever yesterday morning with the birth of our sweet little girl.  

Anneli (said Ana-Leigh) K Hendrix arrived at 6:04am on December 24th after an incredibly swift & intense labor.  Annie surprised everyone by weighing in at a whopping TEN pounds & measures 22 1/4 inches long.

We're resting at the hospital until Friday when we get to go home & be a new family of four!

From the mouths of babes

This morning Jack stumbled into our room & started to crawl into bed next to me.  He suddenly stopped & walked over to the crib saying, "Mama?  Is there a baby in there yet?"

Looks like everyone around here is just waiting.

Eating my words...

I had publicly predicted that I would no longer be pregnant as of the end of last week.

Well, it's the middle of the next week & yes, I am still very pregnant.  Darn.

I hit my due date tomorrow, yet I already feel as if I'm overdue.

Yesterday my doctor said he didn't expect to see me at my appointment next week & I told him that I didn't expect to see him this week.  He figures one of us is bound to be right at some point.

Sleep gets more & more elusive each night.  I never thought I'd say I was ready to have a baby just so I could actually sleep again, but I am!  I figure this baby won't possibly sleep worse than Jack who woke every 2 hours or less for the first 8-9 months of his life.  Surely that won't happen 2 times in a row...

Where is baby?

I was certain we were going to make a trip to the hospital last night.  But, we're still here & no baby in sight.  I've had a hunch that the little one is coming this week, but I'd like to make it to next Monday.

Things have been progressing just like they did with Jack, which is why I think the baby is well on its way.  As of yesterday I am 3 centimeters dilated & feeling contractions every day.  They are mild & don't hurt, but there.  

I got very sad yesterday about the baby coming.  I'm so excited to meet this little one & so excited to find out who's been rumbling around in my belly all these months, but I feel as if I'm already mourning my alone time with Jack.  We've had so much fun together lately & it feels strange to be stepping into the unknown again.  I'm just trying to enjoy our time together as much as possible right now.  

Overheard in the Hendrix house this weekend

Today while I was putting Jack down for his nap he said:

"Mama, you're so cute."

"Mama, you're the best."

"Mama, you're beautiful.  Mama, I am too."

My favorite quote of the weekend was when we were pretend playing "airport" and he said, "Mama, the pilot needs to snuggle." while climbing onto my lap.  Lately he needs to snuggle about 15 times a day.  Perhaps it's because I'm so pregnant that having the thermostat set at 65 feels warm to me.  The poor kid is a popsicle.

I'm not sure how I got the sweetest kid ever, but I'm sure glad I did.  Feel free to stop by if you need a boost from Jack.

Rename This Blog!

John posting:
Major programing note- This blog will need to have a new moniker once baby number two gets here. We can't keep calling our family blog 'peek-a-boo jack' without giving that kid a complex. Lets have some ideas people!

An offering to start:

Ursula Smursula

A Whole New Jack

He wears underwear & pees in the potty.

He stays in our church nursery without screaming (this has been an issue since he was 13 months old- one of us pretty much had to stay with him in the nursery for the past 2+years!).

He tells stories, volunteers & requests songs in Sunday School (and somehow it always ends up being hysterically funny- at least to John & me).

He goes right to sleep most nights without calling us in 100 times.

This has all happened in the past 3 weeks.

November has been a big month in our house.

4 more weeks!

Well, my due date is 4 weeks from today.  Hopefully not too much plus or minus those 4 weeks.  It's hard to believe that we'll be meeting this little one so soon & that very shortly we won't be able to imagine life without him or her.  

Diapers are bought, the crib is set up & now we're just waiting!

Potty Mouth

If you've ever been around a group of moms, then you know that a common topic of conversation is their child's potty habits.  Somehow, a totally unacceptable & gross topic of conversation becomes completely normal & fascinating.  Everyone has their diaper blow-out stories, potty training stories, etc, etc.  I could tell you the pooping habits of my closest friend's children.  Gross, but true, and not at all unusual.

Well, now it's my turn for some potty talk.

I've been trying, unsucessfuly, to potty train Jack since this summer.  It was a big deal for him to move from diapers to pull-ups & he met the change with much resistance.  Well, it turns out that pull-ups are diapers in disguise.  We got to the point where Jack would tell me he needed to go to the bathroom, I would tell him that I would take him to the potty & he would smile & say, "No thanks mom.  Maybe later.  I'll go in my pants."  He would really only sit on the potty for his grandma.  

So, this week we did a big countdown to take away the pull-ups.  He was not happy about this.  I made a paper chain that I rigged (of course!) so that we would run out of pull-ups & chains on Wednesday night.  This meant there were no more pull-ups & he had to wear his underwear.  (I'm going to miss the days when I can rigg things to my advantage.  One day soon he's going to catch on.)

Well, the boy has been wearing underwear since Thursday (with the exception of sleep times) & he's had ZERO accidents!!  And, yesterday at church he actually went poop in the potty.  He was sitting & told me he needed a diaper to poop in.  I told him I didn't have any & he would either have to go in the potty or hold it until we got home.  He paused & said, "Okay mom.  I went."  And he did!  Then we called John out of Sunday School to come take a look.  The 3 of us threw a poop party in the bathroom & last night had ice cream for dinner.  (I had promised him that we could do this a while ago to celebrate the 1st time he pooped in the potty.)

This is a huge success for us.  I can't believe it's been so easy so far.  I totally expect some set-backs, especially when the baby comes, but right now I'm just enjoying this.

So, that's my poop story for the week.  

Perhaps I need to duct tape the child's mouth shut in public...

Jack & I were at Wal-Mart for over an hour today at 5pm, when I'm pretty sure the store is the most packed.  I hate Wal-Mart.  I rarely go there.  It's overcrowded & hot.  Really, really hot.  But, I had to get our tires changed because, once again, I got a flat tire while John was out of town.  Bummer.

Anyway, Jack & I were hanging out in the toys & a woman with an abnormally large bottom came walking by.  If you took the average ample American bottom and multiplied it by 10, you might come close to what we were looking at.

And then it happened.  The inappropriate comment from my son.

"Mama!  That lady has a big bootie!  Mama!  Mama!  Look!  I like that big bootie!!"

This was of course said at the top of his lungs while pointing.  He was thrilled at her bootie & pointed it out to everyone within hearing distance.  I didn't know what to do, so I just picked him up & walked away, but I couldn't stop giggling myself...

Thank you friends!

Thanks everyone for your kind words on my belly photo.  Those are nice to read as I am rapidly growing out of my MATERNITY clothes!  But, truth be told, both times I've pretty much liked the way I've looked pregnant (up until that last month when you get bigger than you ever thought possible!).  

To answer the Jack question, he usually says the baby is a sister.  But, he also says that the sister is growing in HIS belly, along with a brother.  It's just a sexless baby growing in my belly according to Jack.  Most other people think the baby is a girl, including John & my mom.  I have no inkling either way.  I think I just assume it's a boy because I've already had a boy & that's all I know.  (And, I love little boys!)  

Jack has also told me that he wants the baby to sleep in his bed with him.  If it keeps me from waking up a zillion times a night like I did for months with Jack, I think it's a great idea!

My Little Pirate's Booty

The Belly

As requested, here is a photo of my gigantic belly, courtesy of my friend Emily.  Only 6 more weeks to go.  Ack!

Halloween!

We had a great time on Halloween.  Jack got to go trick-or-treating at school & at night.  I can't believe how much candy that kid brought home.  I had to carry his plastic pumpkin because it was so heavy.

We went trick-or-treating with our friends the Holcombes.  Ava Belle was dressed as a rat & Jack was dressed as a pirate.  They both made themselves right at home at the houses we visited & dug through pretty much every candy bowl, helping themselves.

Best Mom Moment of Today

Unprompted I love you's.  Jack gave me at least 10 today, followed by lots of kisses.  So sweet.

30 Weeks

I'm now 30 weeks pregnant.  30 weeks.  That means I'm having a baby in 10 weeks, or less, or more.  December doesn't seem soon, but 10 weeks seems way too soon.  I'm excited to meet this little one, but feel like the time is bolting away, there is so much to do, and I'm not quite ready to mother a newborn again.  Of course, Jack was born 3 days past his due date & even as I was in labor I thought, "aren't I supposed to have more time??"  My goal is to have everything major finished by the beginning of December.  I'm pretty sure that won't happen, but I can try!

I had another ultrasound on Thursday.  The doctor wanted to make sure the baby was big enough (even though I've been measuring big & look big, to me at least).  The baby is currently in the 60th percentile & weighs 3 pounds 11 ounces already.  That seems big to me since I do have 10 weeks left & that's when the pounds start packing on.  I'm hoping a 10 pound baby doesn't come out to greet me in December.

And, we're fairly certain by this most recent ultrasound photo (which I will post soon) that this baby is Jack's twin.  I seem to be winning the gene war.  At least Jack's a cutie.  That bodes well for the rest of our kids!

Two of my new favorite photos

Jack, holding John's new book.  I love this picture.  I think he looks like a doll.

We have about 5 photos of the three of us all together since Jack was born.  I'm glad this one is a good one!

Thank You Varicella Vaccine, for Giving My Son the Pox

Yes, it's true.  Jack is apparently one of the 3-5% of people who actually get the chicken pox from the vaccination.  We've delayed all of his vax, but I've been slowly catching him up on them.  Two weeks before school started he got the varicella vaccination so he wouldn't get the chicken pox.  

He now has the chicken pox.  Nothing like I had as a kid- I was covered from head to toe.  He has about 30 spots, no blisters, no fever.  He just itches.  It's supposedly not contagious, but I've still quarantined us, just in case.  The worst part has been sleep.  He's been sleeping so great for us, but the past 2 nights he's been in bed with me & up every hour or two because of the itching.  

If You're In St. Louis...

You should come to John's book release signing tonight.  It's at Subterranean Books in the Loop from 6-8pm.  Come by & buy a book or two, or three, or ten...

Barack Obama

I swear we haven't been brainwashing the kid, but he likes to walk around saying Barack Obama over & over again.  He thinks it's pretty funny.  So do we.

He also doesn't care at all that I've been leaving him at preschool.  I'm grateful not to have to deal with the tears & trauma that I was expecting, but I guess I thought he'd miss me a little bit!

In other news, I feel as big as a house.  Yesterday the doctor said I was measuring a centimeter more than they would expect me to.  I told him it's because I'm having a 12 pound baby.  This kid feels way lower & way heavier than Jack.  And, as a result I am way more uncomfortable than with Jack.  So goes baby #2 I guess.

First Day of Preschool

Jack went to his first day of preschool this morning.  I was expecting lots of tears from both of us, but we both had big smiles & dry eyes when I left.  I already feel anxious to go pick him up so I can see how his day went!

Would you like to see what's been growing in my belly??

Yep, that's our baby!  This was taken about 3 weeks ago at 22 weeks.  I'm almost 25 weeks along which means I only have 15 weeks to go before we get to meet this precious little one.

Hopefully you can tell what you're looking at in these photos.  They are both head shots.  We only had the regular ultrasounds with Jack, so these seemed pretty shocking to us when we first saw them.

Jack is very excited about being a big brother & really likes the babies at our church.  Most days he wants a brother, and for a while he would tell us he wanted a brother named Lyla.  Two weeks ago he told my friend he wanted a brother named Jesus.  Last week he didn't care about the name, but he definitely wanted a sister.  He's either going to be disappointed with the name or the gender!

We're looking forward to our Christmas baby.

Jack's latest obsession

Jack loves Buzz Lightyear & his Woody doll.  He talks about them non-stop.  We have a rule that Buzz is not allowed to sleep with him- no talking toys in bed.  But, he tucks Woody into his bed right next to him every single night.

Strange Dreams

Jack has been having nightmares the past few nights.  He keeps dreaming that it's raining inside.  Every night before he goes to sleep he says, "Mama, don't let it rain inside!"  And then, he wakes crying in the middle of the night telling me that it's raining in the living room.  

Poor kid.

9 Years Ago Today...

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Breaking News!

This is really only breaking news to us, but, Jack ate grapes on Monday night.  Yes, you heard me, we're hooting & celebrating because my almost 3 year old ate not one, but 7 or 8 grapes!  

I can honestly count on one hand the amount of fruit Jack has eaten since he went off baby food.  A bite or two of banana, a sliver of strawberry, and one whole blueberry (that was over a year ago).  He refuses to touch the stuff.  But at dinner on Monday John & I were eating grapes & Jack yelled, "I like grapes!", took a bite of one, shivered & made a funny face & then ate the rest.  John & I cheered & he kept on eating them.  He even ate some yesterday.

The excitement never ends around here.

This Is the Messiest You Will Ever See Jack

Jack, enjoying some cookie dough.  This child never intentionally gets messy, except, apparently, when cookie dough is involved.

Looking Forward & Back

I am not a mom who doesn't want her baby boy to grow up.  I look forward to the day when we can play board games together, watch a movie on a rainy afternoon, and read chapter books together.  I love each stage of Jack's life more than the last.  I love hearing the next new thing out of his mouth & I love watching him interact & discover his world.

That's why I was surprised when I felt sad after we took apart his crib & put a big bed in his room a few months ago.  My baby boy will be 3 years old next month.  And, as much as I look forward to the years ahead & all he'll experience, my heart feels sad at all that will fade away.

At this point in his life he is completely honest.  The idea of telling a lie doesn't occur to him.  He says it how it is without hiding anything he's feeling.  And, he believes everything we tell him.

He loves his momma & daddy.  He's so excited to see us, to play with us, to make us laugh.  He loves to hold our hands & wants 10 hugs & kisses before he goes to bed.  I will hug & kiss this boy as many times as he wants because I know the day will come when he'll not even want me to tuck him in, much less kiss him.

He can't hide his excitement.  When he sees something new or something he loves, he yells & points & laughs & wants to tell me all about it.  And I will listen as long as he wants to talk to me.   

Sometimes, I feel so much love for him that I think it will make my heart burst.  Before he entered the world I didn't know it was even possible to love someone so wholeheartedly knowing that they can give you nothing but themselves in return.  

And, I think about him becoming a teenager and I hope he still likes me.  I hope I can still make him laugh.  

I want him to be free to grow & explore & become the man he's going to be, but I also want to hold on to him so tight & hope that he'll never leave because he is my baby & he'll always be my baby.  I know I have a long time before he's all grown up, but I also know it's going to go so much faster than I ever thought possible.

So, I try to savor the days we spend together.  I try to listen to him when he talks, get on the floor when he asks me to play with him, and kiss & hug him until he doesn't want anymore.

Too Much Curious George

I went to the doctor yesterday.  Jack knows my doctor.  He knows my doctor's name.  He's seen my doctor many times & never says anything to him or in his presence except, "Great job Mama!"  (Everyone needs to hear this after having their feet in stir-ups!)

Yesterday when my doctor walked into the room Jack shouted out, "Hi Dr. Monkey!"  My doctor asked what he said & he yelled out again, "Hi Dr. Monkey!" and giggled.

There's an episode of Curious George where George is Dr. Monkey.  Apparently this made an impact on Jack.  At least my doctor thought it was funny too!  And, I'm very glad the man doesn't actually resemble a monkey.  

This is what happens when he dresses himself.

Jack picked out his own clothes this morning.  Suede boots (perfect for a 90 degree day), ratty sweatpants, and his Easter sweater vest from 2 years ago.  He obviously gets his fashion sense from his daddy.

What More Could a Boy Want?

Trucks, baby animals & snowcones!

I Forgot to Mention...

that John got me a Wii & the Wii Fit for Mother's Day.  Pretty much the best gift ever from the best husband ever.  I'm off to headbutt some soccer balls & panda heads while the child naps.

I Might Stop Blogging About Sleep Sometime Soon

Today we have an appointment at the St. Luke's Sleep Center with pediatric nurse extraordinaire Nancy Burkenmeier.  We've visited her once before when Jack was 8 or 9 months old & waking up every hour.  Last time it took us 3 months to get in.  This time they had an appointment the next day.  She gave us a plan to follow & he was happily sleeping through the night in less than a week.  I kind of knew myself what to do with an infant, but just needed her to kick my butt to do it.

I, however, have no idea what to do with a kid who is almost 3.  Do we let him cry it out or will that freak him out so much that he'll really never want to sleep in his bed again?  All I know is that the kid has no idea how to relax & go to sleep & it's up to us to help him with that.

We really do have other things going on in our lives.  I really do have other, much more exciting things to blog about.  But, the sleep issue is so all-encompassing that it's hard to write about anything else.

So, hopefully coming soon will be a sleep success story, photos of the Dan Zanes concert we went to as a family (I had been looking forward to this concert for almost a year & it rocked), and some other cute photos of the boy.  

Adventures in Sleep

The sleep saga continues in the Hendrix household.  We're quickly approaching the month mark that we took Jack's binkies away.  We soon realized it wasn't the staying asleep that was a problem, it was the calming down enough to actually get to sleep that was the issue.  

I started off very adamant that we were not going to rock or rub him to sleep.  After much screaming that has been thrown out the window.  Now I just want him to sleep & I seem to spend my entire day trying to get him to sleep.  

We ended up moving him out of his crib & into a twin bed.  That helped a lot.  I think he felt trapped in his crib.  But now we've started having to lie down with him just to get him to fall asleep.  If this was a quick process, it wouldn't bother me so much, but tonight, for example, it has taken an hour and a half.  And the longer it takes him to get to sleep the more fidgety he gets & the more he wants done for him.  He "needs" lotion, kleenex, water, a different friend in bed, his toenails clipped (yes- he has asked for this several times), his socks on, his socks off, a different blanket, and the list goes on & on.

I am going crazy.  I actually found many grey hairs on my head this week.  I'm putting a call into our trusty sleep doctor tomorrow & am hoping she can help us with a plan.  

I Broke My Son's Heart Tonight

The binkies are finally gone.  Yes, my 3 this July, walking, talking boy still slept with his beloved binkies.  Today he happily traded them in at the toy store for this cool piano.  Needless to say, the piano is of little comfort at bedtime.  He told me to take it back & get his binkies.

This is by far the hardest bit of parenting I've done thus far.  Harder than letting him cry it out at 8 months.  Harder than taking the bottle away.  Harder than dropping him off at his mother's day out program while he wailed for yet another kiss.  He cried & cried like his little heart was breaking & I feel like the worst mother alive.

Another reason I love this kid

So, I took Jack to the bookstore tonight.  St. Louis has decided, after teasing us with a taste of spring, that it is,  indeed, still winter.  So, we escaped the house for a while & went to read some books.  Jack loves the bookstore.  Okay, in reality Jack loves going to just about ANY store, but he really loves the bookstore.  

We sat in the kid's section to read.  There was another boy surrounded by Thomas the Tank Engine books & other "boy" books.  Jack decided to sit down and read this.  Now, I'm not a huge Thomas fan- I find him rather surly & mean, but surely he's better than Barbie!  Right?  

The other parents grinned at me as I read to Jack about all things Barbie.  When were were done reading he pointed to the pretty, sparkly Barbie & yelled, "Mama!"  

I said, "Where do you see Mama?"  

And he once again pointed to Barbie & said, "There!  That's my Mama.  So pretty."

How can I argue with that?

A double post is tacky, but the only thing that seems appropriate tonight!

Rock Chalk!

Have you ever seen anything more perfect?

A Belated St. Patty's Day Wish From Jack

This is why I can't keep chocolate in the house.

Today should be a national holiday for it marks the much awaited delivery of our Girl Scout Cookies. A whole sleeve of Thin Mints has already disappeared & more are waiting in the freezer. It's a good thing those little sin snacks only come around once a year.

Last year John told my girlfriends that ONE Somoa packed a whopping 4 grams of fat. This was after almost a whole box had been eaten. I think he received death threats for a month.

ps- i must give credit where credit is due.  i found the little drawing over at Tales of a Real Life Lusbian.  it didn't say it was copywrited, but still...

My Guitar Hero

Enjoy Jack's rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. A little toddler speak translation for you- at the end he says, "Thank you New York Jesus!"

Shhh...don't wake Fred Bird!

Fred Bird, or red bird as Jack calls him, is Jack's favorite new friend. In this photo he is rocking Fred Bird to sleep. He then dropped him on his head in the crib & had me cover him with a blanket. He wanted me to give Fred a pacifier, but I told him that Fred hates binkies & thinks they're gross. I'm hoping that rubs off.

It's pretty sweet to see him parent Fred. We diapered the bird, put band-aids on his boo-boos & Jack tears around the house with Fred in a little stroller. The other day I listened in on a little conversation he was having with Fred. It went something like, "Ohhh. Fred! You fall down. You so sad. It's okay. I kiss it."

I forgot my camera again...

I woke up this morning & it was 21 degrees outside. So, my next logical thought was, why don't Jack & I go to the zoo? And we did. And we froze, but had so much fun.

We've been visiting the zoo a lot lately & I can't believe how much Jack loves it. Today we went to the reptile house, the monkey house, the bird house, the outside bird paths, the bears & we caught the 12:30 sea lion feeding.

And, I forgot my camera like I do every time we went to the zoo. So, what you don't see photos of are Jack waving to the birds, peering at the tiny neon frogs (tiny is Jack's new favorite word), and running like a madman through the monkey house laughing at all the monkeys. He also thought the sea lions were hysterical. At the end of our visit we ran into a like-minded friend & her daughter who also thought it was fun to go to the zoo when the temperature drops below freezing.

The best part of the day was that it was true quality time together. We spend a lot of time getting together with friends in the mornings, which we both love, running errands or just trying to stay busy with an activity. It's nice to do something, just the two of us, where we can talk & hold hands & share a meal together. Sometimes it gets lonely spending all day every day with a person who is really only interested in themselves. But, such is the life of all mothers with toddlers I think. I was thankful to slow down and have a day where we just enjoyed being together with no agenda & no where to be.

And, I've found that the zoo rocks in the cold. You'll never get the monkey house to yourself unless you go when it's freezing outside!

Jack-isms

These are some of my current favorite Jack-isms.

"Me no like my dinner." This is said often.
"Soscrem!" Toddler for ice cream. This is said even more often.
" I NEED _______!!!" Fill in the blank with whatever you want. Some common fill-ins are "my mommy", "treat", and, of course, "soscrem"
"Ummm...sure." and "No tank you." These two phrases make him seem surprisingly more agreeable than he is.
Tonight we were having him say, "No dinner! Straight to bed Mama!" which came out with all the words mixed up & amidst much laughter from all three of us.

And, my all time favorite, (drum-roll please!)
"Oops-a-doodie!"

Just because...

Here she comes...

Miss America!

Tonight we will be enjoying the Miss America Pageant. We love watching this together every year. We'll be enjoying brownies from the great state of Minnesota & Cheetos hailing from Texas all while rooting for Miss Missouri, Kansas, New York & New Jersey (and whoever else we decide is pretty!).

I've been waiting for this night for months!

From the mouth of my babe...

Jack (discovering that he is different from mommy): Mama! Me no have boobs!

No son, you don't.

A New Favorite

I just added a new link to my blog. I found her work on etsy & think it's amazing. I'm going to have to start saving...

Drumroll please...

Jack peed on the potty for the first time ever today! Okay, he actually peed all over the bathroom floor, but he was sitting on his potty when he did it. I forgot to put on the little boy pee guard. But still, if you are a parent, you know this is HUGE. We haven't even been doing any real potty training, we've just had a potty in the bathroom for a few months. He likes to sit on it while fully clothed.

But, today I was going to the bathroom & he asked me to take his pants off so he could go too. He just sat there smiling at me (I ignored him & read my magazine. Come on, can't I have a moment of privacy!) When I was done he got up too & mimed flushing his potty & ran out of the bathroom. A few seconds later I heard him say, "Oh! Again!" and he ran back into the bathroom, sat on his potty & peed!

We danced a little pee-pee celebration dance afterwards.

Maybe this potty training thing will be easier than I thought.

The Best Christmas Present Ever

My parents got us a membership to The Magic House. I'm so excited about this because Jack loves it there & is entertained for hours. We all went after Christmas & it was a madhouse, but so much fun.

Christmas

A few Christmas photos. Jack got something on the camera lens Christmas Eve, so some of the photos are a little fuzzy. Booo.


Cheese!



Jack loved opening presents. He didn't even care what was in the wrapping, just that he got to open more gifts!



Too many presents!!! This photo shows you what we're going through right now. It's Christmas detox at our house. Everyday I'm asked for "candy, candy, candy!", "treat please mama!" along with many typical 2 1/2 year old tantrums.

Santa?

Jack and I had some guy time this morning. We hit the loop and drank coffee and chocolate milk. (The milk was mine.) On our sidewalk stroll, jumping over the 'walk of fame' stars, Jack made a shocking discovery. He spotted the cart pushing older, somewhat portly, bearded gentleman who sells bongs and other head-shop accouterment. He shouted: "HI, SANTA!"
The man responded warmly and then Jack got nervous. As I picked him up I said, "No, Jack, Santa's high." We left and jumped over more stars.

My Kid is Smarter Than Your Kid

Snow Day!

Jack quickly learned that snow was tasty for lunch.

Pie Night!

Here are a few photos from our first pie night (a tradition ripped off from the Kirkland family who had TWENTY-THREE pies this year!).


As you can see, the kids loved pie night.



And after pie they all piled on John's lap for a story. What you don't see is that just a few days later all of these children came down with the same killer cough & fever. Bummer.

You know your kid's sick when...

They refuse to eat ice cream for dinner. True story.

At least he tells the truth with a smile

The following is a conversation I had with Jack this morning after picking him up from school.

Me: What did you do at school today?
Jack: I cried.

Sad, but true. That's what he did at school. He said the same thing when John asked him about school. But, all with a smile.

Le Thomas de Engie Tanket

John here:

In New York, you can see anything on the subway.
Riding back to New Jersey on friday, the train door opened and in came two parents with a toddler about Jack's age in a stroller. They bent down and chatted with him playfully. As I heard the boy respond, I realized the little guy had a French accent. I then immediately noticed that his parents were speaking sing-songy French to him. All of the young boy's words and sounds were the same cadence as Jack's, but En Francais. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, though I suspected it was the same kind of conversations we have with Jack now. But, then he pulled out a "Thomas the Tank Engine" toy and showed it to his mom and said "Mama, Choo-Choo!" She said "Oui, Oui, le Choo Choo!"

Some things are the same in any language. I smiled all the way home, missing my little boy.

Our Trip

John & I went to New York this weekend. I was surprised with a ticket to go see Cyrano DeBergerac with Laura starring....are you ready?...JENNIFER GARNER and Kevin Klein. Yes, JG, my favorite person in Hollywood. It was fantastic. Laura & I sat with binoculars to our eyes the whole time.

We had such a good weekend, but it felt like too long to be away from Jack. I missed him so much. He had fun with the grandparents & wept when they left. So much for missing mom & dad! Next time we go were planning on taking Jack. That should be a real adventure.

Hero of the Day!

Kevin, after finishing the NY Marathon today. Rock Star.

Baby Dreams

I was just eavesdropping on Jack talking in his sleep. He moaned, "I want that." and then, "Mine. Mine!"

Sounds about right. His sleep talk sounds suspiciously like his wake talk.

Show me some love people!

Seriously. If you love me & are reading this, today would be a good day to tell me. This might be your last chance as I'm 95% sure that Jack is plotting my demise as I write this. Can you kill a mother with a full week of grouchiness, demands to be held & temper tantrums? I think so.

Add this to the fact that my kitchen just exploded dirty dishes everywhere. And the clean clothes are multiplying in my bedroom- when are we getting the dryer that folds the clothes? Or just a maid. And I'm feeling especially frumpalicious these days (ack! I'm a frumpy mom!!!) thanks in part to a shizy haircut that makes me look like (and these are my words folks, don't go stealing them) "a shaggy dog ass face". If you don't know what that looks like, come take a look at my hair. And, if I don't find a new pair of shoes soon, I'm going to be spending the winter barefoot & with frostbites on my toes. Seriously, why do all sensible shoes look as if they were made for an 80 year old woman?

AND John is super busy with good work, but a lot of work all at once. So we're all just snippy at the Hendrix house.

That's my rant for today. If you see any of the three of us, we could probably all use a hug.

MINE!

This photo doesn't match this post, I just thought it was cute. Yes, that is a ring of chocolate around Jack's mouth. And check out his cool surfer dude hair.

Jack is going through the mine stage. Everything is his. MY BOOK! MY CUP! MY GUITAR! MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

It kind of drives me crazy. He yells when he says it & grabs things.

But, today I was glad to hear mine. We were leaving the grocery store & he laid his head on my shoulder, gave my back a pat & whispered, "My mama".

I love this kid. He knew just what I needed to hear.

What's the deal with farm animals?

Parents As Teachers is a national organization that sends a Parent Educator to your home about every 2 months to help make sure your child is developmentally on track & to help the parents with educational activites. We love PAT. They've helped us with sleep, food, and fun. They have play groups & lots of fun activities throughout the year. And, we love our parent educator Angela. Jack loves her too.

That being said, Anglea was here about a month ago. She was playing a game with Jack where he would pull different objects out of a can & name them. It was to test his speech more than his vocabulary. (Yes, this story gets better, hang in there...)

Most of the items in the can were animals of some sort. Jack wouldn't name any of them. He mooed at the cow, but that was about it.

When she left I freaked & told John that we needed to work on animals with Jack. But then I thought, what the heck is the deal with all the farm animals??? Big deal, Jack won't identify a pig. Show the kid a saxophone & he'll walk around all day yelling "SAXOPHONE"! He can also name a clarinet, flute, piano, guitar, drum & bassoon.

All you parents out there need to help stop the farm animal madness with me.

Reflections of Me

It's scary when you realize that your children are reflecting you back to yourself- the good stuff & the bad. John & I have discovered that he had little to do with the DNA of Jack- he's almost entirely me. That's scary to me!

Not only does he look exactly like me, but all of his mannerisims and the way he talks are reflections of me. He's shy in new situations & takes a while to warm up...just like me. He loves to pout & resists being cheered up...just like me. He's so, so stubborn...just like me. He has a fiery hot temper...just like me. He thinks poop is really funny...just like...well...me. He's grouchy when he wakes up...just like me. He's compassionate & emotional...just like me. He likes to steal his friend's toys...oh wait, not like me. And I could go on & on.

Sometimes, when I get frustrated with Jack, I sit back & realize that he is reacting exactly the way I would like to react & probably would react if I had no impulse control. I hope the fact that we are so similar will make me a better mom to him. Poor John has to live with two of us in the same house!

Ribbon Dance!

As promised, here is Jack's ribbon dance. I just want to know who the moron is that filmed it sideways. Oh wait, that's me.

Cock your head to the side & enjoy! He really gets going in the 2nd half.

Blogging Blahs

If you haven't already noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately. I apologize to my two faithful fans. It's not for lack of ideas (I'm bubbling over), or lack of time (although my time has been sparse lately). Mostly, lack of motivation. When John started school the laptop went with him, so in order to blog I have to (GASP!) climb the stairs to the attic. Easy access is the key to my successful blogging life.

But, as of right now, I'm recommiting myself to posting more regularly.

Here are just a few things you can look forward to very, very soon:

-A rockin' dance video of Jack complete with multi-colored dance ribbons
-How to make your grouchy toddler happy (note:this involves having house guests named Kbo & Lola, aka: The Toddler Tamers)
-How to use your blog to get invited to a beautiful wedding & kickin' reception of people you've never met (thanks Jane & John!)
-And, without a doubt, more shoe & purse posts

So, stay tuned, there's more on the way!

Shoe Envy

John typing - We bought Jack some 'back to school' (read: fall) shoes, and boy do I want a pair of my own! Does everyone do this to their children? As in, dress them like we wish to dress ouselves? See post below for confessions of shallow parents.

We did buy matching zip-up hoodies for the Hendrix boys. Waiting for that first snap of cold with baited breath...

Fashion Faux-Pas

I was embarrassed to go out in public with Jack today. He dug a very ugly pair of sandals that had been handed down to us out of the closet & insisted on wearing them with white socks. He looked like a miniature tourist.

I know this is not bad. He could have put on a sparkly tu-tu & tiara to wear to the store (neither of which we have in our house, but if we did, I am sure he would wear them 24-7). But still, I tried to convince him to wear different shoes & I even put his crocs in the diaper bag hoping that he would see them & want to wear them.

No such luck.

Obviously, I need some perspective. I'm not even sure this is worth a blog entry except to show how vain I really am!

My Biggest Fan

I have a few more pictures of my opening (Yes, this is John, not Andrea. Sorry, ok!) on my blog. But I had to post this one that Warren took. He was so cute wandering around in the gallery! Yes, he was mostly flirting with his friend AvaBelle, and not really admiring my work as I instructed him. But, of all the things in that room, I was most proud of him. So cliche, and so very true. (Attn Mgmt: I'd like 4 more of him, please.)

The Hamster Wheel

Lately I feel like I've been living my life on a hamster wheel. Running & running, but not getting anywhere. There is always more to be done that never happens. I clean the house & about 10 seconds later it looks like a bomb went off again. Even now, at 9:30 at night, there is still more to do. Loads of laundry to be folded, dishes to be done, not to mention the big stuff to be cleaned. All I really want to do is read my book and go to bed. I think that is life with a toddler.

Little Boy

Well, the summer is over (hooray!) and I found I've been left with a little boy running around my house. At the beginning of the summer Jack seemed a baby with little boy tendencies & now he's a little boy with baby tendencies. What has changed you ask? Well, let me tell you a few things.

He's always been kind of a nervous kid. Very cautious of other kids, even kids we know & see several times a week. But, over the course of the summer he started loving other kids. In fact, not a day goes by when he doesn't ask for every single one of his friends by name (over, and over, and over again). One of his favorite games is to zero in on what toy his friend is attached to & grab it & run away laughing in hopes that he will be chased. Not a nice game. But, it is surprisingly entertaining to watch until it just gets mean after the 50th time. Perhaps we have the makings of a bully.

Or, maybe not, because he's become a very sympathetic boy. When other kids are crying he gets very concerned & often sits by them & pats their head. He does that with me as well. Mean mama found that if I pretend to cry when I ask him to do something, he will comply. I don't really use that trick, but I think it's funny & sweet.

Jack now says little sentences & every day he says new words. Today we were dancing & he stopped and said, "Mama, clap!" Clap is one I had never heard before. "Funny" also made it's way into his vocabulary this week. John & I were making him laugh in the car & he said, "Mamada (this is what he calls us when we're together) funny."

And, he is sleeping better than ever. That only took 2 years...

I am loving this stage of life. It just seems to be getting better.

Picture, picture, picture page

I haven't posted photos of Jack for a while. That seems wrong since the title of this blog is Peek-a-boo Jack. So, here are some kickin' photos for you...


Jumpin' Jack Flash





Jack loves to jump. Elliot loves to jump with him. This kid can get some height.



Fashionista




John's going to have some competition in a few years on being the most stylish dresser in the house. I think Jack will win. He's not scared to make risky moves- like carrying a flowered satin bag while garage saleing. (Yes, this actually happened last weekend...)

Firsts

It's pretty thrilling to see Jack do things for the first time. We've seen countless firsts and still have many, many left to go. He's started speaking in sentences. Here are some recent first words & sentences from the mouth of my babe:
"saxophone!" (it's said with an exclamation point- he loves the saxophone)
"Little baby toes." This was said while he was kissing Elsie's toes over & over.
"Mama, I want chocolate milk." This is said every single time we pass a McDonalds.
"I want food." This one cracks me up every time. I ask him what kind of food & he just replies, "Yeah, food!"

One of the biggest & most exciting firsts happened in the pool this past weekend. Out of nowhere he put his face in the water and blew bubbles. We've not been trying to teach him this, he just did it. All of a sudden he's become comfortable in the pool & will do so many new things. He's been jumping off of things, riding on our back & putting his whole head under water.

It's fun to wake up every morning wondering what first we'll see that day!

Rest In Peace Miss Kitty

You are much loved & already missed.

Our Day in Court

So, we had our day in court yesterday. I won't reveal the details of our case on my little blog in case there are super secret agents looking for evidence against us in our measly little small claims case. But, many of you have heard our saga, so I don't need to re-hash it except to say that he wasn't there, so we have to re-summons. Stink.

BUT, the real reason for this post is to say that small claims court rocks! I loved it. I think I'm made to be a small claims court judge. Minus the fact that I'd have to go to law school. When Jack was born I watched The People's Court everday while he nursed. (Okay, I watched The People's Court before Jack was born as well...) And, if you haven't checked it out, you should. I love Judge Marilyn Mulian. She can bring it, but she brings it with a smile, unlike Judge Judy.

We only got to see one full case, the others before us were dismissals or cases like ours where only one person was in the court. But, it was exciting. The judge was snippy, the plantiffs were inflamed & there was almost a little scuffle at the end. I'm actually glad that we'll have to go back again.