Our first-born

One month from today, we are due with our second boy. Wow. It is hard to believe that baby brother will be here soon! This pregnancy has flown by, and the thought that we will have another little one in the house soon just seems so surreal. We are beyond excited!

One year ago this week we learned about the miscarriage we suffered. Thinking back over the last year, it seems even more surreal (if that is possible) that we have been blessed with another child. I know all of life's trials help shape us, but that experience definitely made me realize how God is in control and only He can lead us through those tough times. My faith is stronger, and my appreciation for "our many blessings," as Jameston says it, is more profound.

Due to Brett's busy work schedule this time of year, which lends to me feeling like a single mom for a few days out of the week during the months of January to April, I have been able to spend a lot of one-on-one time with our first born. Although it's been tough to keep up with Jameston, especially on top of my full-time work schedule (and especially the bigger I have become with Blake), I have enjoyed every minute of it, even the trying ones! He knows what is about to take place---hence the clinginess and "terrible two" moments over the last several months (I did not realize talking back happened around the age of two?!). I know he is just testing us to see exactly what he will be able to "get away with" once his little brother is here. Lil' stinker:

I so wish that I could be at home with him full-time, but he loves his "school" and friends and teachers from there, and I love my jobs as a Mom, first, and an audiologist, second. So, for all of this, I am very thankful. After Blake is born, I will be able to work part-time a few days a week and help provide for our family, for which I feel very blessed. I hope that, one day, he appreciates this sacrifice (because that is what it is in my mind), as it has been really tough emotionally on me to work outside the home. I've heard it so many times from fellow parents that, when you have your second child, the first one seems SO big. He's already such a big boy in my eyes, and I know he will make such an awesome big brother. Jameston tells me often about what he is going to teach his little brother, from kicking the soccer ball to going potty, and how Blake is going to sleep with him in his room (not for over a year to several years on most of those things, buddy)---him knowing, hypothetically at least, what will be taking place in the near future just melts my heart.

Sitting here, writing this with tears welling up in my eyes, I cannot wait for this next chapter in our lives. As a first-born myself, I know (or I've heard) that there will be some big changes ahead for all of us. But when I feel overwhelmed or wonder if I'm doing this "Mommy" thing right, I hear his little voice telling me, "I love you, Mommy. You're my best friend."

TWO and a HALF!

Jameston turned 30-months-old on Tuesday, and I cannot believe, for one second, how big he has gotten just over the last year. I look back at pictures and it seems that time is just flying by! I guess that is what new parents are warned about from the start, huh? Well, I must document what he has been up to lately even if I’m in denial! Here are some pictures and tidbits for us to remember when we look back later on JW at this age:

We had a 2 1/2-year-old photo shoot one Sunday in the backyard--

such a big boy!

Things he LOVES right now are:

• His "truck!" Thank goodness for the mild Winter and beginning of Spring!

• Puzzles, building forts with blankets, reading of any sort but especially his Bibles, "Mommy's tools" as he calls all of my kitchen utensils, and wrestling with Daddy
• All-things-train-related (Baby Brother and the Easter Bunny will be bringing him some caboose toys :-)

• Football and

• Soccer!

• Favorites: Books would be Ten in the Bed (he has it memorized) and his Berenstain Bears and Curious George books; movies would be a toss up between The Lion King and Toy Story; TV shows would be Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Thomas the Train recordings
• Anything outdoors! He's looking forward to the warmer weather and sandbox playing that it will bring...and Daddy is looking forward to many fishing trips with him to the pond across the street from our house!

Developmentally:

1. Weighs in at about 33 lbs. and is about 38 inches tall
2. He's gone through (and may still be going through) a growth spurt of sorts, because he is taking longer naps during the day (sometimes up to 4 hours!) and is eating us out of house and home! He is also too tall for a lot of his size 2T pants and is now wearing a size 8 1/2 shoe. He's long and lean, as those same pants are usually loose around his belly!
3. Diaper size: NONE!! We are down to a pull-up only for night-time. AND he is waking up some nights and calling for us when he has to go. SO excited about that! Amazing how much money it saves when they are no longer wearing diapers! He has an accident (#1 only) every couple of days if he is distracted or playing something that he doesn't want to put down...BUT, he has conquered the #2 task outside of the house! So, I think the we can see the "potty-trained" light at the end of the tunnel!
4. He pretty much dresses himself, everything except his shirt. We, of course, have to check his work on his shoes sometimes, but he is very independent in this regard.
5. He has been in his "big boy room" since early December. We have had some bumps in the road, mainly after the holidays and "grand-kid camp" last week, but all in all he does great in there and sleeps better than he ever has! It is not the keeping him asleep problem, it is the getting him to go to bed problem...
6. He can count to 20 (and 21-29 with prodding). Since he knows his letters and sounds, we are starting to sound out some words while reading. The boy LOVES to read and would probably read 20 books a day if he wasn't such a busy body!
7. Speech: he has started to stutter when he gets excited and is trying to say a question really fast, which is normal and actually really cute. He has gotten most of his grammar down pat! He puts adjectives and adverbs in their respective place, with a couple of substitutions and mix-ups here and there ("mines" for mine, etc.) He knows all about spatial and size concept (which one is bigger? the smallest?), and he has the cutest conversations back and forth between imaginative people/characters while he is playing independently :-)
8. He continues to be a great eater, not really turning down much. He eats what we eat, so if he doesn't like what we're having, he has learned he better eat some of it so that he's not hungry way before breakfast time the next day! His faves these days are: anything Italian, rice, string cheese, go-gurts, fruit snacks, cottage cheese, veggie-chips or pretzels, avocados, broccoli, oranges, and berries of any sort. On the not-so-healthy front, he also loves him some macaroni and cheese (home-made, so it's better for us, right?), chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, ice cream (which was often a treat during the potty-training process we just completed) and pizza! Oh, and he's on a grape juice kick, after we introduced it instead of apple juice

PERSONALITY:

Jameston continues to develop his outgoing personality, and lately he has added a little bit of bossiness at times ("I don't like it" or "I don't want to" are two sentences we are currently trying to nip in the bud). I feel that the latter correlates with his age and the "terrible twos." He mostly has good days, but we have found that we are resorting to sticker charts and time-outs more often that we'd like to. We feel he is sensing a big change ahead and is testing us and trying to found out his boundaries.

I hope this wears off (and does not get worse before it gets better) after his baby brother arrives. Wishful thinking?

He is all boy and is a busy, busy guy most of the time---keeps his parents on their toes!

He has been creative as of late and is making up games with things from around the house. He likes to make "forts" out of blankets and "bridges" with the swim noodles we had been using as bumpers for his big boy bed. Anything that he can put into a straight line is either a "Bridge" or a "Snake" at this time. He also likes to build "birthday cakes" out of his Lego's and blocks.

Also, he likes to line up his toys. Case in point:

He is also, as I hear most boys are, fearless! Ready to try anything new and climb everything in sight! I don't think he's been bruise or bump-free since he before he learned to crawl :-)

Like his Daddy and grandfathers (and most males, I think), our boy loves the outdoors! SO glad for Daylight Savings and our later evenings outside!!

Sweet things he has said recently are:

"I get baptized at church?" He said this over a month ago, after he witnessed a couple of baptisms.

"Dear God-Thank you for our many blessings." How he starts off our night-time prayers. Melts my heart!

"Tell me a story/Ready with me, Mommy." I could hear these words all.day.long. Wish I was at home with him more, so I cherish these requests!

Jameston Wade,

You are the light of our lives! We love watching you grow and learn and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you. Also, we can't wait to see how you take on the role of BIG BROTHER a little over a month from now. We know you will handle it like you do all things: with a lot of love and dedication :-) We love you, buckaroo!

Brett's "Nerdy Thirty" birthday celebrations

So Brett turned 30 on Tuesday...and Jameston has been at his grandparents since Sunday at "Grandkid Camp" with three of his cousins for Spring Break (a post to come on that soon). We have missed the little fella so much!

To celebrate another decade for Brett and not having to worry about childcare, we went on a date Tuesday night. We had dinner at Perry's Steakhouse in Uptown on McKinney and then met up with some family members at the Mavs game, which was one of our birthday gifts to him!

Me and my love

The guys! My dad, brother, Brett and his brother, Cade

On Saturday night I surprised him with a "Nerdy Thirty" birthday party. It was crazy at our house with all the kids but a lot of fun! I had a lot of stuff planned that I forgot about (wish I would've taken more pictures-story of my life), simply because I was enjoying everyone's company...oh well, maybe for his 40th!

Below are second cousins, Eva and Ada, along with our niece, Aspen, enjoying Fuzzy's Tacos, which I had catered (not up for cooking for 30 people these days :-)

Knowing there were going to be 10+ kids there (and looking ahead at the weather for Saturday with nothing but rain in the forecast), I got a pinata as some sort of entertainment. It was a "hit!"

Blur of an action shot!

Ada and Aspen

Eva

Jameston

Luc

Ruby

Aspen again

Layne

and Riley! All the kids had two (or three, can't remember) turns at the pinata...Wyatt and Ettian did not join in on the fun :-)

Jackpot! Jameston was excited about the "M&M's," what he calls Skittles :-)

Brett's brother had the honor of holding the pinata while uncoordinated kids took a swing at it. Thanks, Jared!!

Me and my guy..thirty-years-young! We've been together for the last 10 years...hard to believe. Time flies when you are having fun!

Since a lot of Brett's co-workers and fellow CPA's joined us for the festivities, I went for the "Nerdy" theme...no offense to them! Thought it was more appropriate (as opposed to the "Dirty Thirty" theme I've seen) since kids were around :-)

My big helper, Riley

Where is the fire extinguisher?!

Watching Jameston sing "Happy Birthday" to his Daddy...melted my heart!

Making a wish together and blowing out the many, many candles!

I think Brett had a great 30th birthday...we sure appreciated everyone coming over to help us celebrate him. Here's to the decades to come!

Showered with lots of love

Baby Blake was shown a whole lotta love this past weekend! We are so blessed to have such great friends from church, work and life who are celebrating our baby boy right there with us :-)

The cute invite that Kimberlee designed (sorry, our scanner is not working!)

I pulled the ultimate "pregnancy brain" blooper and took no pictures of the hostesses or the attendees (along with me and my very big belly :-( What was I thinking?! Or better yet, why was I not thinking?! I blame it on the weather and my very scattered brain, which was also getting ready for Brett's 30th birthday shin-dig that was taking place at our house also that day! Oh, and my sister was the official photographer, and I just spaced out and enjoyed everyone's company instead of remembering to take pictures. Oops!

Cari's artwork :-)

The awesome "Pop" spread!

My cute lil helpers, in the form of my second cousins, Ada and Eva, visiting from Hawaii

Blake's goodies...he is going to be so stylin' :-)

It was a lovely morning filled with great friends and fellowship. We can't wait for everyone to meet our little boy!