In Thanksgiving

Hey everyone,

I tried to get Mommy to post a blog on Thanksgiving weekend, but we had company over so we never got around to it. We had so much fun with everyone! Mommy cooked a really big meal and we had Nana & Pops, Matt & Rachel, Rachel's mom and sister, and Uncle Spirit all over to eat with us. The food was good and getting to see everyone was even better. Mommy was sad to not be able to spend Thanksgiving Day with Daddy because he had to work, but I think spending Sunday afternoon with everyone made up for it.

Mommy asked me if she could share a few things with you today and I figured that was okay with me, so I will turn it over to her.... Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Christmas is right around the corner, and supposedly this fat guy named Santa is watching me right now and will bring me presents if I'm a good boy....sounds interesting, but that would be fine with me!

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I hope this finds you all happy and healthy, preparing for the wonderful time of the year that is Christmas. We are all getting very excited around here, decorating the house and wrapping presents. Aga and Aga are coming to visit us the day after Christmas and we are really looking forward to that. With all the hustle and bustle of the season it seems we sometimes forget what it is really all about. I will write more on the love our amazing God has for us, but first I wanted to get back to Thanksgiving and share a few things I am truly thankful for...

Not getting to spend Thanksgiving Day with my husband (or any family, for that matter) was more difficult than I thought it would be. Thanksgiving is a day for gathering with those you love and sitting around while eating, relaxing, and laughing. I was not able to do any of that as I had two small children to take care of, a broken washing machine to fix, a car with a dead battery, an empty pantry, and a heart full of frustration and bitterness. It seemed like every time I turned around something else was going wrong or breaking and I could not stop feeling sorry for myself. The baby was fussy, my 2 year-old kept screaming and asking for his binky (which he had given up months ago), and here I was, exhausted with unbrushed teeth, greasy hair, and an overflowing basket of laundry that was staring me down. I simply wanted to lock myself in the bathroom, let my greasy hair down, and cry (which I ended up doing but not until Robb came home and I could justify it...!).

And yet, in my selfish state, I realized something. I realized that I had many things to be thankful for and although I was having a bad day (ok, 4 or 5 bad days in a row...) I would not let it overshadow how full and rich my life indeed was.

My husband may have had to work on Thanksgiving, but at least he had a job in this horrible economy and was able to provide for his family, to be able to put food on the table and at the same time have enough left over to provide entertainment and toys for his children as well. That was something to be thankful for.

My children may have been driving me absolutely crazy, but I loved them with all my heart and soul and they were my life. To say that my children are a blessing in my life is a gross understatement. They are my everything. There is not a day that goes by where I don't look into their beautiful blue eyes and feel God's immense love for me, for us. They are happy, healthy, gorgeous boys who know they are loved in this horrible world of child abuse and neglect, and that was something to be thankful for.

My hair may have been greasy and my car may have been dead, but at least I had a home to take a shower in and at least I had a safe, reliable car to call my own. It is always a pain to have to take care of car troubles, but it is something that we can afford and we are lucky enough to not have to choose between fixing the car and putting food on the table. And I know that no one cares my hair is greasy except for me. My kids love me because I play with them, and feed them, and tell them bedtime stories, and hug them when they cry...they could care less what I look like. My dogs love me because I take them for walks, and keep them healthy and vaccinated, and throw the ball for them, and let them sleep under the covers with me...they could care less what I look like. My husband loves me because of my sense of humor, and they way my nose wrinkles up when I laugh, and how I cry everytime I see a hurt animal, and the awesome train tracks I help my son to build, and because of the love I have for him...he could care less what I look like.

I have an amazing family, and amazing friends, and two hyper, loving dogs, and a great job that I actually love doing (how many people can say that?), and a beautifully messy house with a broken washing machine, and sooooooo many things to be thankful for.

Sometimes you just have to put it into perspective.

An Afternoon at the Park

Mommy took me to a park near our subdivision last week. It was a perfectly wonderful afternoon and I had so much fun! I learned how to climb up to the top of the playground (with Mommy's help) and even went down the slide all by myself! They also had these awesome bouncy things that I had a blast riding. You can see how much fun I had from the look on my face! We will have to do this park thing more often.

Pictures to Share...

I love holding baby Jaxson!

Jaxson loves his Rainforest swing. He looks so big in this picture!

Old school footie PJs are the best!

Running around like the crazy boy I am...

I've been workin' on the railroad....

Mommy and I have been building some pretty complicated train tracks lately...we went to a toy store a few weeks ago where they had a train table and we stole their cool ideas!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Well, Tucson has officially gotten cold. Last night and the night before we actually had frost warnings! I love this time of year, except that I wish we would get snow here like at Aga and Aga's house in Chicago. I love snow. Mommy had to get out all of my warm winter clothes and we realized that I didn't have too much that fit, so we need to go shopping today and get some jeans and sweatpants in my size.

Aunt Missy left on Tuesday this week and I was so sad I cried when we dropped her off at the airport. I know her and Mommy had a great time together though. They did a lot of shopping and she spent a lot of time playing with me and Jax. We all had so much fun. We were sad to see her go, but know that we will see her again soon when her and Kyle move here next year.

I do have some pretty exciting news to share. My old babysitter, Brandi, and her husband David were in the process of adopting a baby girl at the end of October. Now if you can remember, they have 2 boys of their own, Licoln and Henry. Lincoln is 4 and Henry is a few months older than me. Well their new baby was supposed to be born the first week of November and the birth mother went in for a scheduled C section on Wednesday evening. Brandi and David were going to name her Georgi Ann and had everything ready for a baby girl. Well......when the baby came out......IT WAS A BOY! What a great surprise! They ended up naming him Jacob Ladd and he was 10 lbs 15 oz and 21.75 inches long. A huge baby, but they are so excited and so in love with him. They are bringing him home this afternoon and Mommy and I are going to go over and bring them some formula. I am so excited to meet him! We said lots of prayers for the Johnson family and they are so blessed.

Baby Jaxson is starting to talk! And when I say talk, he's obviously not talking like I can talk, but he's cooing and oohing and ahhing. It is so cute! He likes to lay underneath his Ocean Adventure play yard and look at the toys dangling above him and listen to the music playing. He also likes to sit in his bouncy chair and bat at the toys hanging in front of him. He makes all sorts of happy noises and I love listening to him. He is growing up pretty fast.

Well, I think Mommy is getting ready to take us to the zoo, so I need to go. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Love,
Jeremy

Playing with Mommy's purses...man, these things are heavy.

Jaxson sitting in his bouncy chair watching his toys swing in front of him.

I love holding my baby brother. He smiled at me yesterday and that put a huge smile on my face!!

Trick-Or-Treating!

Sorry I am a few days late writing about my trick-or-treating experience. Auntie Missy is here and I've had a hard time tearing Mommy away to help me write a blog entry. Missy got here on Tuesday and is here for a week. When she got off the plane and we picked her up at the airport, guess what she brought for me?! A Thomas engine that moves all by itself when you press the conductor man down! It's totally awesome! I've been having so much fun playing with someone new and I know Mommy is really happy she's here too.

So anyway, Halloween was a blast! I had so much fun. Rachel and Matt came over that night to go trick-or-treating with us. I got changed into my costume and we got Jax all packed into the stroller and off we went. I made sure to grab my candy tote to put all my goodies in. We started off walking down our street and I couldn't believe how many people were out! Everyone was all dressed up in different costumes, too, it was pretty cool seeing all the neat ideas people had. The first couple houses we went to Mommy and Rachel had to help me figure out what I was supposed to do, but then I finally got the hang of it. I became a doorbell ringing, candy collecting champion!

We went to about 20-25 houses and I got pretty tired fairly fast. Hey man, I'm only two years old and this was my very first time! I think I did pretty good! I know Mommy and Daddy were very proud of me and they told me I would do a great job teaching my little brother how to do this when he's old enough to go. I'm so excited to show him the ropes. We will have a blast together. Too bad Halloween only comes once a year. I've already started to think about what I will dress up as next year......hmmmm, Buzz LightYear.....a cowboy.....a fireman.....a train conductor.....? There are too many choices! It's a good thing I have a lot of Halloweens ahead of me!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Love,

Jeremy

Baby Jax dressed up as a jack-o-lantern.

Miss Rachel pumped up my confidence and told me I could do this thing called "trick-or-treating" even though I was a bit nervous.

A few houses down, and I am on my way all by myself!


Look at me! TRICK-OR-TREAT!!!!

Whoa baby! Look at this stash I reeled in for myself! No sharing with Mommy and Daddy! It's a good thing Jax doesn't have any teeth yet, or I'd have to hide it from him, too!

Our littlest punkin' looking cute as always.

One Month Old!

Can you believe that my little brother is already one month old?! Where the heck has the past month gone? It went by so fast. I guess I've been busy practicing being a good big brother and setting an example for Jaxson to follow. Anyway, he has grown and changed so much in the past month, it is crazy. I can't wait for the next 11 months, watching him continue to grow and learn everything he can from me. :)

It is only a few days away from Halloween and I am getting so excited! On Sunday night, Mommy and Daddy took me to Reid Park Zoo for trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, the animals were not on display but that was okay. They did an awesome job decorating the zoo. It was so cool! I dressed up in my Blackhawks costume and Daddy cut down a hockey stick for me so it is just my size. There were about a jazillion people there and everyone was dressed up. I help onto Mommy's hand really, really tight the whole time and did not try to run away for fear I'd get lost in the sea of people and never be found again! Mommy and Daddy taught me how to say trick-or-treat when I went up to the people who were passing out candy, but when the time came to say it, I got really shy and nervous so Mommy had to collect my candy for me. Oh well, I will be ready for Sunday around the neighborhood!

On Monday when Mommy had to work all day, Daddy took me and Jaxson to the Pima Air and Space Museum, where we had never been before. They had so many airplanes and helicopters! I was in heaven! I kept seeing Harold everywhere! Daddy forgot to bring the camera so we don't have any pictures, but I know Mommy wants to visit too so hopefully we will go back soon.

It was a fun time, and it definitely fueled my growing obsession with airplanes and Harolds.

Mommy tells me Aunt Missy is coming next week and she seems really excited about it. I am looking forward to having someone new to play with! Missy is a lot of fun and we haven't seen her in a long time. I will make sure Mommy posts Halloween pictures before she gets too busy with Missy. Take care!

Love,

Jeremy

One month old Jaxson!

Jaxson wearing his first pair of overalls.

Guess who's first Halloween? Our lil' punkin'!

Mr. Blackhawk 2010!

Mommy and Daddy gave me neon blue yogurt and expected me to NOT make a mess of myself?! Get real!

The Weekend is Here!

Well, today is Friday and it is my favorite day of the week because I know that after Daddy gets home from work today, he will be home for 3 whole days to play with me and I just LOVE that. He's had a really tough week at work and there have been a few nights this week where I haven't even gotten to see him before I go to bed. That makes me sad, but I know that the holidays are a busy time for him at work and it won't get any better until after the New Year. Oh well.

The zoo is having trick-or-treating this weekend and Mommy and Daddy said they would take me on Sunday evening. I am so excited! I get to dress up in my hockey costume and go get candy from all the animals! It will be so much fun! Baby Jax is coming too but Mommy says he's not old enough to eat candy, so I don't have to share with him! Woo hoo!

Yesterday we had to take Jaxson to the doctor because he had a rash that kept getting worse and Mommy was really worried about him. I was a really good boy at the doctor's office I'll have you know. The doctor said he didn't know what was causing the rash and he suspects it will spread all over before it eventually goes away in a week or so. But he did say as long as Jaxson is feeling well and not running a fever or vomiting, that it should be fine. The rash doesn't seem to be bothering him so that is a good thing. I hope he gets better soon.

Mommy has been taking us for walks again in the morning now that it has cooled off. I love going for walks, but now I have to sit in my stroller so that Jax can come with us. I don't mind it though. Sometimes I get to hold Dee and sometimes Mommy has to take her when she isn't behaving, which is quite often. I enjoy getting some fresh air though, it has been nice.

Well, I am going to eat some breakfast and get ready to go for our morning walk. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend as much as I know I will enjoy mine with Daddy.

Love,

Jeremy

Mommy says a sleeping baby is her favorite kind of baby.

Daddy gave Jax a curly mohawk, but from the look on his face I don't think he was too impressed.

Looking cute as always during a stroll through Sabino Canyon with Mommy, Daddy, Aga (#1) and baby Jax.

My new kid corner!

Sorry it's been a little while since I've posted. Things have been busy around the house since baby Jaxson came home and I had a hard time getting Mommy and Daddy to help me write an entry. Anyway, like I said, I've been busy helping Mommy take care of Jaxson now that Daddy is back at work. We are trying to get Jax on a schedule and Mommy is trying to get him to nap while I'm taking my nap so that she can get some rest, too! It seems like all he does is eat and sleep, but he is starting to spend a little more time being awake and alert, and watching me. Mommy and Daddy keep telling me that I have to behave myself and be a good influence on Jax because he watches all that I do and he is learning from me.

For my birthday, Aga and Aga (Gramma and Grandpa) bought me a really cool table and chairs that is just my size for the corner in the kitchen! It came this week and Daddy put it together for me. It was waiting for me in the morning and my, what a surprise that was! It is awesome! I like to color and eat my snacks at it, and also read my books. I'm not allowed to eat my meals there yet because I make too much of a mess and I can't sit still, but maybe when I get a little bit older I can. Thank you so much Aga and Aga!!!

So, Halloween is coming up real soon and I think I have finally figured out what I'm going to dress up as: a Blackhawks player. I bet you couldn't guess that, huh? I am going to wear my Hawks jersey and Mommy and Daddy found me black shorts, long black socks, and black shoes as well. Daddy is looking for a small hockey stick for me to carry around while I am trick or treating. I am so excited to go trick-or-treating, I hear it is a great time and you get tons of free candy! That is the best part!!! Jaxson is going with me in the stroller. It should be a lot of fun.

Mommy wanted me to let you know that she got her and Aga's crosstitches back from being framed at Michaels, and they turned out really well. They are now hanging up in Jax's room. I will post pictures below so you can see how good they look.

Alright, Mommy tells me it's time to get to bed, so I must say good night. Enjoy the updated pictures on Webshots...more to come soon!

Love,
Jeremy

Here it is, my new table and chairs. I love that it is just my size!

This is Mommy's crosstitch annoucing Jaxson's birth.

This is Aga's crosstitch that she made for Jaxson. It has all my favorite animals on it...especially the giraffe!

Meeting Jaxson

Well, Mommy and Jaxson are home from the hospital now and we have been having a great time.

But before I get into that, I got to meet Jaxson for the first time yesterday in the hospital. Not going to lie, I didn't know what to do. I was scared, excited, nervous, and very overwhelm. Daddy picked up Gramma and I and we got to the hospital around the same time that Nana and Pops where there. It was weird seeing Mommy in that room and meeting Jaxson. Nana and Pops where having a good time with Jaxson, so I tried to stay out of the way. When they left I had a chance to hold baby Jaxson and I think I did a pretty good job.

But Mommy and Jaxson where released today and got home right around lunch time. I felt more comfortable today and it was nice having everyone home. After I ate, I got to hold him again. He really didn't want to keep his pacifier in, so I helped him with that.

There are a lot more pictures that are webshots from Jaxson's last day in hospital and his arrival home. I have included the pictures where I got to hold him, so I hope you enjoy.

Love,
Jeremy

In the hospital holding my little brother.

Daddy was close to help out.

I can't describe how great it feels to be a big brother, but think this smile gives you a hint.

He started crying so I thought that a little pat on the head would be a good way to calm him down.

Our new family. Daddy, Mommy, Jaxson, and me.

Jaxson is here

It has been a busy day, but Baby Jaxson is finally here. I have not been able to see him yet, but Daddy did get some pictures that I wanted to share with everyone. Here is the information. Jaxson Ryan was born on September 27, 2010 at 6:42pm. He weighted 7lb 12.5oz and was 20 inches tall.

Enjoy the pictures. Daddy has put all the pictures on the webshots page so check them out. More to come.

Love you Jaxson.

Love,
Jeremy

Jaxson being weighted. 7lb, 12.5oz.

Daddy giving Jaxson a welcome kiss.

Proud Mommy with her newest son.

Mommy giving him a welcome kiss.

What I do with my time while I wait for Jaxson

We continue to wait around the house for Jaxson. His room is ready, we got a new stroller for the both of us, we've pulled out my old clothes for him, I don't understand why he isn't here yet. Mommy did talk to her doctor and has scheduled an induction on September 27. So I think that might be the day that Jaxson decides to come out and play with me. I'm pretty frickin' excited and can't wait for him.

So in the mean time I have been busy with Mommy and Daddy doing some pretty cool things. We are a frequent visitor to the zoo and in fact have become good friends with the giraffes. We go so often that I get to help feed them their morning snack. Sometimes they get carrots, sometimes they get lettuce, and other days they get biscuits. Whatever it is, they love it all.

If we aren't at the zoo, I enjoy a good splash in the pool. Daddy takes me in the pool as often as he can. I like to jump into the water to Daddy and splash and swim around. Charlie will usually swim with us, or at least chase after her ball. Dee Dee has gotten better with the water and will at least sit with me on the top step.

Our neighbors just had a baby the other day, a little girl named Brooke. I can't wait to have a little baby, a little baby brother. Just a couple weeks now and Jaxson will be here. I will make sure that Daddy posts pictures on Webshots. I know that he has posted the newest pictures, so enjoy.

Love,
Jeremy

Feeding them their favorite snack, carrots!!!

Their tongues are sooooo long. The lady at the zoo told me they can be up to 18 inches long. Wow!

Daddy teaching me to float on my back.

Mommy got a great action shot of me jumping in to Daddy.

I don't know what Daddy is looking at. I like looking at things upside-down through my legs.