All About This Guy

It's been awhile since this little dude has had a blog post all to himself! He's grown so much, both physically and mentally. We've got a chatterbox on our hands these days-a willful, adventurous, joyful (most of the time), busy little chatterbox with big feet and dimpled elbows. We still can't understand most of his jargon, but he sure seems to know exactly what he's saying and has full-on conversations with us. He's learned tons of new words, and is even producing some two word phrases (i.e. "More cookie?!" "More choc'late?" He's my child.). I'm constantly surprised by how much he understands-a few weeks ago I asked him to go grab the Very Hungry Caterpillar book and bring it to me to read, not expecting him to be able to actually do so. But he went right over to his little shelf, rifled through all of his books until he found the story, and brought it right over! He's also outgrown all of his 18-24 month pants, and has thinned out quite a bit. In fact, 24 month/2T pants fit him perfectly in terms of length, but the waist is huge. His pants sag so low, I can see the bottom of his diaper; it's like a throwback to the late 90's/early 2000's over here. A little more about this handsome guy: 

-He will be two years old at the end of next month. Where is the time going?!

-He has been obsessed with washing his hands in the sink. And by washing his hands, I mean he says "Hans?!" and demands to be placed next to the kitchen sink so he can turn the water on and off and move the faucet back and forth. He also sometimes asks for baths and loves to lay on his tummy in there, like he's swimming. He's a bit of a water-bug. 

-Loves, LOVES, LOOOVES choo choo trains right now. And anything that goes, really. We have a train ornament on our Christmas tree that Colt has had since he was a little boy, and Jace loves to play with it. 

-He created his first piece of "wall art" just this morning on the garage and laundry room doors (with a black crayon). 

-He's been so cute about helping me around the house. He loves to sweep the floor (as soon as he sees me take the broom out of the closet, he tries to take it away from me and do it himself), and when I ask him to help me bring in groceries, he proudly carries his little bag into the house and up to the counter. He looks so pleased with himself, I can't help but laugh. He's also pretty good about throwing his own diapers away, and he will usually pick up his crayons and put them away when we ask him to, depending on the day (and his mood). 

-He has taken an interest in coloring. He asks for "ca'ans" (crayons) and paper, and uses a variety of different colors until the paper is filled with colorful scribbles. He predominately uses his right hand, and he's got a nice tri-finger grasp going on, rather than wrapping his whole hand around the crayon.

-This guy is notorious right now for alternating between moments of calm, sweetness, and snuggles, then at the drop of a hat crying and banging his toys on the furniture because he didn't get his way. Toddler mood swings, anyone?

-Loves to play outside, rain, shine, or snow. He loves to jump in the puddles and go visit the dog and chickens that live down the road.

-He has had some weird sleep patterns over the last several days. He's been waking up a couple times every night this week, and one day he woke up at 4:00 am (!). But the next day, he slept in until 9:00 am, which is unheard of. And the other night, he woke up at 1:30 and was giggling like a madman all by himself in his crib for several minutes. I'm not sure if he's growing, teething, or if it's a developmental leap, but it keeps things interesting.  

-Favorite foods include: Costco cheese pizza, fruit and veggie pouches ("Pouchie? POUCHIE?!"), cinnamon toast, yogurt, popcorn (especially cheese popcorn), eggs in all forms, tomato sauce, "treats," and meat (with the exception of ground hamburger). He also still loves Mexican food. He's definitely got opinions, though. He'll gobble something up one day, and when I give it to the him the next day, he'll refuse to eat. Stinker.

-Current favorite films include: The Polar Express, Toy Story, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Winnie the Pooh (both the original and the Christmas edition).

-Runs around yelling "Oh NO!" all the time, even when there hasn't been an oopsie.

-Loves babies, or at least pointing them out. Hopefully that continues even after we bring one home and upend life as he knows it. ;)

Thanksgiving in Denver and Family Photos

Two weeks ago, we were able to take a trip out to Denver to celebrate Thanksgiving with all of my in-laws. We spent eight days with our family, playing with cousins, eating delicious food, and watching the Polar Express on repeat (Jace is real sorry about that, guys).

It's the first time we've all been together in the same place since before Colt and I got married in 2013...and there was only four hours throughout the week that we were able to get EVERYONE together at the same time. It's hard to coordinate everyone's work schedules when you have an ER doctor and a dentist in the family. Turns out people still need emergency care and dental services, even over Thanksgiving break.

My mother-in-law was so cute and totally capitalized on those four precious hours of family time: within that little window, we took family pictures, celebrated Christmas, AND had Thanksgiving Dinner together on the day that we could all be there. She pulled it off! Despite some stressful moments (I may have found a secluded area and cried at pictures because Jace threw approximately seven tantrums, ran around everywhere, got his clothes covered in dirt, and ate candy that turned his mouth and tongue orange, which was entirely my fault for giving to him in the first place. I blame my pregnancy hormones for my poor judgement, and for the tears.), we had a wonderful time together. Grammy and Grampy spoiled ALL of us, and it was so nice to just be with everyone, relaxing and enjoying the cozy holiday season. It doesn't happen often, and we feel lucky we were able to make it happen this year.

One day, Grammy took all the mom's and the kids to an indoor amusement park called Lollipop Land, which is located in an indoor sports facility, complete with two ice rinks. Jace was more interested in wandering around the facility than in riding the rides, so he and I spent most of the time exploring. We happened to stumble upon a hockey game, and JJ stopped and watched the game for at least 15 minutes. He was completely fascinated! He got a little scared when the crowd cheered unexpectedly, and when the players started banging their sticks on the walls of the rink at the beginning of the game, but it was cool to see him enjoying it. Colt loves to watch hockey as well, so maybe that's something they will be able to enjoy together throughout the years.

We had such a wonderful time! Thank you so much Grammy and Grampy! We love you and can't wait to see you again soon.

(Almost) 27 Weeks: I'm Itchy!

How Far Along? 27 weeks in a day and a half. I'll start my third trimester the day after my birthday :) Baby's Size Equivalent? A butternut squash/boule de pain/a bowling pin/a "slow loris." My pregnancy app is weird. It's also strange to think I have a bowling pin living in my torso. Maternity Clothes? It's a mixed bag! I love my maternity jeans, so I wear them sometimes. But leggings are still my trouser-of-choice, and a few of my trusty pairs of regular jeans. But who knows for how long? Time will tell. How Are You Sleeping? Pretty well, although there have been a couple of times I've woken up because my back or belly does not appreciate the position I finagled myself into. My belly needs it's own pillow again. Jace has had a couple of night wakings this week, and yesterday he woke up at 4:00 am, chipper and alert as could be. I'm not sure if he's growing, or teething, or plotting his hostile takeover of planet earth, but he's been slightly more of a hinderance when it comes to sleep than his baby brother this week. Best moment this week? It snowed! And it's been so cold lately that there is a perma-frost on the grass, trees, and rooftops that looks almost like snow. I love it! Weird pregnancy moment? When we went to Denver, my mother-in-law asked me if my belly was itchy. I answered honestly that, no, I hadn't experienced that particular joy of pregnancy thus far. Literally the very  next day, my belly, back, and sides started to itch uncontrollably. I thought it was just my skin reacting to the dry Colorado climate, but it's persisted since we arrived back home two weeks ago. No amount of bio-oil or lotion has managed to completely get rid of it. Pregnancy is a strange game, my friends. Any Movement: Oh, yeah. Lots. Anything making you queasy? No. Keeping my fingers crossed that the nausea ship has sailed. How About Cravings? I am loving oatmeal e'rry morning...but I've always loved my oatmeal. What I'm Looking Forward To: My birthday next week! And Christmas! And a break from work, and family time, and driving around to look at Christmas lights, and going to see Collateral Beauty (I hope it's good; don't let me down, Will Smith!) and going to Salt and Straw, and using the new perfume Colt bought me but that I don't get until my birthday day...and snuggling this sweet and beautiful boy once March rolls around.