Happy Birthday Jack!

Jack's actual birthday (January 6 or 'Janjuary 6' according to him) was a pretty low key affair. Everybody but him was at least a little sick (Mama and Lola were a lot sick, Papaw just got out of the hospital, plus it was the middle of the week), so we couldn't do much more than a few hurriedly wrapped matchbox cars and a recipe for "Emergency Chocolate Cake" from America's Test Kitchen. I thought the recipe name was pretty apt given our recent run of bad luck on the health front. Interestingly, it has mayonaise in it rather than butter and eggs.

We hope to have a bit more of a festive occasion this weekend, but Jack seemed to really appreciate what little we did do to celebrate his birthday so far.

Best Christmas Pic

The award goes to Jack, at least based on the few pics that were actually taken by our camera. We were insanely busy with travel and kid juggling and baking baking baking and then Jack got pneumonia and then the rest of us got sick too. Unfortunately, we kept forgetting to take pictures. I know that Uncle Tony and Aunt Katie snapped a few so maybe they'll submit another nomination. After finally reviewing the Christmas time pics on our camera Mama votes for this one of Jack helping us decorate the Christmas tree before the craziness of the holidays really began. I love the look on his face. Almost every night since the tree went up he has spent at least a few minutes on the couch with Mama and/or Daddy just gazing at the tree. It was a real sanity-saver when he was so needy with the pneumonia and restless with the prednisone.


This is my favorite recent pic of Freeman. With the shirt from Maemae, the leggings from Aunt Kathy, and Jack's old sock rattles, he looks like a lot of his toys. This shot reminds me of the Where's Waldo books.

Holiday Haiku

Honey Optional
Nonfat dry milk and
Peanut butter. Mix and roll.
Save me from myself.

Oh, Prednisone
You help heal my poor
boy's pneumonia but how mean
he is now. 'Roid rage

Fried Rice
Pretty good made from
leftover turkey, ham, eggs,
garlic, celery.

The Plague
Jack is well, Freeman
dodges the worst of it but
head colds rule my house.

Three Months Old

I'll say it again: Time does fly.

Check out kiddo in the traditional overalls gifted by Big Dad.


At the mothers group I attend, I think I've become that lady whose kid always wears leggings. I hear a siren song emanate from the women's sock department at Target every time I'm on that side of town.

Little Bit loves to laugh and coo at faces. His laughs aren't sustained giggles yet, but they're getting there. He's about 14 pounds worth of silly baby.



He's also starting to unclench those tiny fists and hold on to toys and stroke the boobs as he nurses.

See the Brothers!

That's what we say (ever so brightly) when Jack loves on Freeman.
Of course, it's not all sunshine between the brothers all the time. There's a reason none of you will be receiving holiday cards that show the two boys smiling at the same time.

Or looking at the camera at the same time for that matter. I might have used this one anyway if someone had said, "Hey, Lady. Lose the burp rag." At least it was free.

Jackisms

We are frequently driving home when NPR's News and Notes is on the radio. Yesterday Jack heard talk about Barack Obama. He has no idea who (or what) that is. His contribution to the political discussion: "I like Barack-oli."

Sometimes Jack can be difficult with his toddler mood swings, but sometimes he completely cracks us up. This picture is from this morning. He kept saying, "This is a very nice hat I'm wearing me." His 'hat' is one of the Lincoln Logs tubs from his daddy's youth. He was pretty unconcerned about not being able to see where he was going.

Two Months Old

Big Bit continues to chunkify. He's become quick to grin, though I didn't get that in these pics.

Favorite pastimes include boobs, pushing himself to a standing position in our laps, and laughing when Mama yawns (which is quite frequently). He also finds the mobile over his crib pretty entertaining.