Some things take time...

Being that he's 9 months old and all, we're trying Jack on the Stage 3 foods. Other than having more in the container, the big difference is the chunks. I wouldn't say that Jack 'loves' the chunks. Perhaps its the texture. Maybe its that he doesn't really mash them well enough yet before they go down. So, teeth or no teeth (well, 2 teeth)...we're forging ahead. He'll figure it out.

Welcome to the family...

Greta Caroline Smith

Today, Bob and I got to meet the newest addition to the Smith family--our niece Greta (Jace and Laura's daughter), who decided to make her dramatic entrance into the world yesterday afternoon. She is tiny yet beautiful, and has the daintiest little cry. She weighed in at a solid 5lbs. She's going to need to pack on some weight just to fit in her clothes (wouldn't that be a wonderful problem to have?), but I'm guessing she'll more than make up for it in the months to come. We are so excited for Jace and Laura....WELCOME TO PARENTHOOD!!!!

This past week...

So I've been stuck at home this past week with a sick, grumpy, tired, yet still insanely active Jack...and thought I would share with you some statistics since last Friday.

2-the number of times I've had to change MY clothes because I was covered in vomit

10-the number of times I've had to change Jack's clothes due solely to puke or poop

6-the number of loads of laundry Jack has created

12-the number of times I've taken Jack's temperature

3-the number of baths Jack's had

1-the number of shower's I've had (gross I know)

6-the number of days I haven't gotten to sleep past 7:00

12-(a.m., that is), the earliest I've been able to fall asleep

3-the number of times I've had to call in to work

1-the number of hours left in my PTO bank

3-the number of vacation days I had in March that I will not get to use

1-the number of breakdowns I've had

23-the number of poopy diapers I've changed

16-the number of times I've complained about not getting enough sleep (maybe more)

2-the number of total hours Jack has napped each day (he needs roughly 3-4)

4-the number of Kleenex boxes I've been through since Sunday

2-the number of red, raw noses in the house

1-the number of tired, worn out, sick mommies in the house

6-the number of nights Jack has slept in his own room

11-the number of days left til our new niece's due date :)

9-the number of months old Jack is today

7-the number of days I've still adored every single minute of Jack (well, almost every minute)

Hope everyone else's week was much better...and filled with much less poop and vomit than ours!!! :-D

What's left...

What more could Jack possibly do after infecting his daddy with a nasty stomach bug and giving his mother his gross little cold? (And saturating outfit after outfit with diarrhea, plus, let's not forget what he did to me at the movies) Well, I think he's set his sights a little higher today while he's got us all home sick. He might be trying to give us a heart attack! Crafty little feller that he is...I guess he wanted to stand a little taller at his table, so he used a toy truck to give himself a boost. I know we probably should have grabbed him down BEFORE we took the picture to prevent a fall, but we couldn't help ourselves....and in the end, he caught himself when he lost his balance! We are certain that he's going to give us a huge run for our money over the next several years.

The waiting game...

So, last night I awoke to the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut followed by vomiting. In other words, Bob, too, has fallen victim to 'the sickness'. I spent the rest of the morning--and all day today--waiting silently for it to come over me. There's just quite simply no way I think I can avoid it. I mean Jack, the original culprit, covered me in vomit Friday night....and I'm certain he has infected me with his germs. Bob certainly got it. It seems inevitable. So, I wait...

Our Little Colts Fan...

Even though Jack is slightly under the weather still today and will most certainly be in bed long before kickoff...he felt the need to show some team spirit today. He's the cutest little Colts' fan I have ever seen!!! (Thanks for the hat Uncle Jason)

We survived!!!

Well, Jack's first night in his own room went well for all of us (despite the events of the evening prior to bedtime). Hopefully, tonight when everything is back to its normal routine, it'll be even better.

Jack's got a slight fever this morning, so I'm hoping that this isn't a stomach virus....only time will tell!!!

Be glad...

...that I've decided not to add pictures with this post. But if you have a weak stomach, maybe you should pass on this one!

Tonight, Bob and I decided since Jack had taken 2 awesomely long naps today, that we could brave going to the movies. We were dying to see Marley & Me (especially since we'd read the book when it came out 3 years ago--right after we got our own 'world's worst dog'). So we headed out.

For nearly the first hour Jack sat there completely enthralled with the movie. Then I gave him his nighttime bottle, which got him just sleepy enough that he even drifted off to sleep, although he didn't quite want to finish it--not the usual deal, but I didn't think much of it. I couldn't believe how well this was going. It was SO great!!! I was enjoying a good movie with my husband and my little guy was sound asleep on my chest. All was good in our world.

Ha ha ha....little did I know.

About 30 minutes after he'd fallen asleep...he started to stir. No biggie! Then he coughed a few times, and completely woke up. Then he puked.....we're still fine at this point because well, we all know that Jack is always spitting up. As I'm trying to wipe up the small mess on my chest, Jack pukes again. Little more this time! So I decide to exit at this point to discreetly clean up......when he projectile vomits 3 times all over me. Whole last bottle down my sweatshirt! Okay, fine. I get out of the theater......JUST IN TIME for assault #2. He projectile puked his entire dinner (from about 5 hours before) out his mouth and both nostrils!!! And he'd had peas with his dinner--so it was all thick, green, etc (sorry for the description, but I need someone else to feel my pain).

Eventually I manage to find a changing table and got him changed while I dry-heaved my way through the smell....I sadly had no change of clothes. As soon as the puking was over, Jack seemed none the worse for the wear. We managed to (barely) catch the end of the movie, then high-tailed it out of there. We were attempting this afternoon to start switching Jack over to regular formula--and had done a couple 1/2 and 1/2 bottles--clearly that didn't work out so well. So that could be the culprit and not some awful stomach bug.

He is acting quite fine, but, of course, this had to happen the night he's going to his own room. I'm a little freaked out, so we'll see!!

Today's the day...

Bear with me...this post is a little more emotional!!!

So today is finally the day that we I am finally ready to bite the bullet and move Jack to his own room (Bob has been ready for awhile now). As I'm sure everyone knows, I'm quite attached to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed little guy that entered our lives almost 9 months ago. And so I worry...about...well, everything! So putting him outside the safe haven of our room, where we are all so perfectly...TOGETHER...has seemed a little intimidating! We all know there's safety in numbers.

However, I'm tired of sneaking into my bedroom at night with a flashlight, tip-toeing to bed, and stressing that every time I roll over he might wake up--because Jack is most certainly the lightest sleeper you'll ever meet (second only to one other--his mother). Add in the fact that every SINGLE night this week, despite our sneaky tactics, we have managed somehow to wake him up. The door squeaks. The blankets rustle. I sip my water a little too loud. The toilet flushes. Take your pick--it doesn't take much. So, I believe this has given me just the oomph I need to make it happen.

He is currently taking his first nap in there....we're going on 3 hours. Hopefully, this is an indication of good things to come. I'm certainly excited over being able to watch TV in my bedroom again, going to bed when I feel like it--without having to sneak in there and cringing every time I hear him move thinking he's waking up. We'll even be able to go to the bathroom at night if we need to without holding our breath to see if we've done the unthinkable. I'm glad that we won't wake him up in the morning when we're getting ready. And countless other things....

Yet, despite how ready I feel right now in the afternoon, something tells me that tonight, when I curl into my own bed...and look over, where he used to be (for nearly 9 months), it's not going to feel this easy. In fact, I think it's probably going to feel pretty hard. We've never slept a night more than a few feet apart since the day he was born. And while I'm pretty sure that he's going to get some peaceful, uninterrupted slumber that he desperately needs--I am not. I will be listening for every little sound that could indicate something is amiss...probably for the rest of my life. Neurotic? Perhaps.

However, I know its time...even if my heart breaks a little in the process.

Wish me luck!!

Quite the big boy...

First pair of Levi's....

Gotta love baby jeans....

Spending time in PJs

A Trip to Lafayette

Jack with his cousin Grace

Jack with Grandma Teresa

Jack with his Aunt Laura (and his soon-to-be born baby girl cousin)


I worked today while Bob and Jack flew the coop and spent the day with family. I came home to an empty house (for about an hour)--and truly had no idea what to do with myself. But, by the time I figured it out, they were already home. Oh well--another day (or decade)!!

Saying goodbye to Granny...

...well, for a month anyway.

Hitting the Jackpot!

~~Rocking~~

I still L-O-V-E this little grin.

I wouldn't say he looks thrilled to be having his picture taken (repeatedly).

Getting the hang of it.

And, well, not getting the hang of it.

What do you do at Granny's when there's no power?

You hang out with mommy for a little bit....

When that gets boring, you start thinking about what kind of trouble you can get into.

You get ready to explore your new surroundings...

Show off your teeth to the camera.


Finally, you put your escape plan into action and tackle the stairs.

(Successfully, I might add)

How do you know...

....when its time for a new diaper?

Perhaps, when it looks like THIS.

What a load....I mean, its down to his knees.

Remember this...

....because I'm not sure it'll ever happen again. In fact, I can't believe it happened at all. He fell asleep during his nighttime bottle (this alone was a feat), and then was so out that he even stayed asleep during the transfer to his own bed (this was fantastic since he's such a light sleeper you have to tiptoe around usually to keep him asleep) .

An Evening at Home