Seeing Green

Since we have been married, I have considered ourselves somewhat of a "green" family, with full recycle bins each week! Of course, we don't do all of the "good for the earth" things we would like to do, but we try.

Ever since we moved last year, Brett has gone a couple steps further. His dad is a civil engineer and has really gotten into rain water conservation since he retired. So, lo and behold, we now have rain barrels (you get a credit on your environmental waste/recycling bill if you do so)!

Here is Jameston helping me water on Sunday with our rain water

We have also been composting since we moved. It definitely took some getting used to for myself (everything from coffee grounds to egg shells to fruit/veggie shavings go in there). So in our garage, right outside our kitchen door, we have our recycling and composting bins.

Our hopes are that all of our effort composting will provide great soil for our new garden. Our first crops: lettuce and onions!

Here's to me getting a better green thumb over the next several years so I can contribute to the gardening!

Could not resist...

Saw this on a friend's blog and had to share it as well. It pretty much sums up having a little boy to a T!

Playground fun!

Okay, I know I have posted many a'times about our playground excursions (and we probably have close to 1000 pictures from that place alone---no joke), but I could not resist adding these pictures.

Several weekend ago, here he is showing me how to push the boats---such concentration!

"Seriously, Mom...another picture?"

Pure joy of Mommy bouncing the cart quickly for her cute little passenger :-)

Our little monkey and all boy...no fear!

Last weekend after his afternoon nap, we had to get out in the spring-like weather!

He likes the new duck on the playground

Action shot! Whoah!

Obsessed with swinging lately! When a jet flies over (and leaves their trail), he will look up and exclaim, "Look mom, it's like a BIG snake (or little snake, depending on how big the jet is)!" Anything in a straight line is a "like a snake" to him :-)

Love this one!

From this past Friday...him asking me to slide down with him (sorry, son...your preggo Mommy might get stuck!)

He takes his "motorcycle riding" very seriously!

And often wants me to sit with him in the side car...ha!

"Mommy, I can do it all by myself!"

Boy, this boy needs a haircut...stat!

I am soaking up this time I have with Jameston as much as I can before we become a family of four! Although he's had his terrible-two moments lately, he's normally such a joy to be around. And it makes me look forward even more to seeing him grow up and as a big brother in a few months!

Jameston's Jargon

Here with some note-worthy sayings and funny pictures I wanted to share. Please excuse my frequency of blogging as of late (slow at work + nesting/organizing our house away + a hubby who is in the middle of some CrAzY work hours + the premonition that I will have less "free" time in about two months = one often-blogging Mommy :-)

Silly boy posing in his Valentine's glasses on our way to see his buddy, Jackson, one Friday

Did you know we were potty-training?! :-) Well, we've had a great start to the week thus far! As of today, a little over two weeks in, he is in his skivvies all day, and a pull-up for nap-time/bed-time only. I consider this SUCCESS! Anywho, I guess he got tired of me asking him if he needed to go potty every 30 minutes or so, so now his response is, "I tell you when I need to go." Love it! And most of the time he does...

One night while he was playing in the bathtub, he grabbed one of the rubber toy crocodiles and said, "Look, Mommy! He is walking on water. Like Jesus!"

So thankful for his love of Jesus and church (and David and Goliath, and Adam and Eve, etc. The boy knows him some Bible stories!)

Lately, he has had a few issues with sharing...any advice would be greatly appreciated! I've read that they do not really understand the concept until age 3 or so. Well, let's just say his has used the word, "Mines" (as in, "This is mine") a little more frequently than we would like to hear. But it pretty cute, and although I've tried to correct him, I foresee this grammatical mistake for awhile longer...

Enjoying our "treat" after a successful potty-training outing to my OB's office two Fridays ago (his first public restroom to use)

What he doesn't know is how much his Mommy loves Chick-Fil-A as well :-)

Two that have recently melted my heart:

"You're my best friend, Mommy!"and

"Mommy, you're like an angel."

My heart could burst with love for this boy!

Light at the end of the tunnel...

I mean, toilet!

So, we are almost two weeks into this potty-training ordeal, and it has been anything but that. Jameston is taking to it quicker and better than I thought he would. I guess that is how I need to approach all of these big milestones? Build it up in my head that it is going to be really hard, when in fact it has been more trying for me and Brett than it has for him...and then be pleasantly surprised by how much easier it was than I expected. This is how we approached the "Bye-Bye Paci" and "Big boy bed" transitions...and they turned out fine. I guess some of these things are more parenting milestones than ones for the kids! :-)

Here are our two weeks in pictures:

Elmo's Potty Time (on the morning of our Potty-Training kick-off party :-)

Lunch and snacks that day on the tile...we usually have a little picnic at his "Big Boy table" in the playroom on Fridays!

Don't get me wrong, there were days (especially days 2 and 3) that were really testing, but we survived! And the transition to not being with him for 9 hours out of the day on days 4-6 was enough to put me over the edge (thankfully his daycare is wonderful at supporting any techniques we implement at home). And we are nowhere near being trained overnight (we will be keep stock in pull-ups for at least another year I feel). But now, I can proudly say, Jameston has gone potty in public restrooms (luckily, they have been very clean restrooms...don't know how we are going to do in three weeks when we travel and have to use convenience store restrooms), has worn just his underpants (no diaper or pull-up) out and about (with and without accidents, but that is the only way he'll learn I guess), and he has gone #2 (after many "false alarms" but now consistently, only at home) in the potty!!!

His reward on Saturday (day #2) was getting a sucker after a successful morning and getting to watch "Woody and Buzz" for the first time...on a towel, of course!

Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I would be so excited about that and freely talk about it :-) But, to my defense, this is what has preoccupied my thoughts and our daily schedule over the last 2 weeks!

So proud of our potty-training BIG BOY!

30 weeks!

On Monday we hit the 3/4 mark! Can't believe we are less than 10 weeks away from meeting baby brother!!

30 weeks, 3 days to be exact :-)

I have failed miserably in documenting this pregnancy as much as we did the first time around...wonder why? We are getting so excited (and I am nesting and decorating away---nursery should be complete in the next one or two weekends)! Baby Blake has been an active fella---and I thought Jameston was a busy baby :-) I am still feeling great (thanks to prenatal yoga, I think) but definitely look further along at this point compared to last time. I have gained about 25 pounds (in belly, hips and booty), and I have had the same annoying, but not-too-bad, allergy issues. The only major difference between my pregnancy with Blake versus Jameston's was that this baby boy hiccups a lot more!

All in all I feel a lot more pregnant this time around, chasing after a very busy and quite heavy (35 lb.) toddler. And the third-trimester fatigue has reared its ugly head, unfortunately. Jameston is quite the clingy and whiny little boy these days, with his Daddy working so much and his Mommy becoming less active. Oh, and potty-training has had something to do with this behavior change as well, I think.

We got him a couple of "Big Brother" books this past weekend, so he is getting more and more excited about his upcoming promotion in the house :-)

Potty Training 101

I bit the bullet and started potty-training Jameston on Friday of last week...he's 2 1/3 years-old-now and has been waking up dry pretty consistently from nap/night-time slumber, so I figured he is ready (and since we have another little one coming along who will be in diapers, we've been talking about how he can pass down his unused diapers to his baby brother. Just one of the many little motivating statements we have tried lately :-) I know there's a book out there called, "Potty Train in Three Days," so I thought, since I am off on Fridays and since we didn't have any doctors' appointments or obligations this weekend, now was as good as a time as ever. So, after doing some research and reading various websites and books I already had, I felt armed and ready (i.e., towels everywhere and shoes on)!

We have been talking about it with him for awhile now (he went #2 in the potty right before he turned 2 (and wasn't quite ready), and it scared him! So, we backed up a little, but have been having "potty talk" since then. All last week, I kept saying saying how he would get to wear his "big boy underwear" when we were at home from work/school. And how we could do the "potty dance," our version of a vegetables song on Sesame Street, afterwards. And, more importantly, how he could watch "Woody and Buzz" and get a treat each time he went. He seemed excited!

BUT...after five accidents on Friday morning (he was solely in his pajama shirt and skivvies) we both felt like this:

I thought about jumping ship right around lunch time, thinking he just wasn't ready yet...and telling myself that it would be just fine if we waited another couple months (especially if Brett was home with me for several weeks once Blake arrives :-) However, I stuck to my guns and prayed that JW would have a revelation over nap-time!

Fortunately, something clicked, and he went the rest of the afternoon/evening without any accidents! He has gotten more comfortable wearing only his big-boy underwear, and he will tell us (or do his "gotta-pee" dance) when he has to go. He woke up dry this morning and went potty right away...up until then, it has taken lots of convincing in the morning for some reason, but gets easier throughout the day. Next up, tackling "Poo-Poo in the potty!" Oh, the joys of parenthood :-)

Excuse me as I took a picture of both Jameston's and Boomer's rear-ends!

Things that seemed to work best for us:

• Setting the timer for every 15 minutes (at first) and now every 30 minutes (since he's been successful at emptying his bladder!) When he hears it go off, we head to the bathroom, and he at least attempts to go
• "Elmo's Potty World" We've been watching this since summer, so a lot of the topics came up during our "potty talks"
• Cheerios in the toilet! Yes, you heard me right :-) I had a friend on Facebook mention that her son liked aiming at Fruit Loops. He does not stand to go quite yet, but it made it more fun for him to "go" and flush!
• A Potty/Sticker chart and a subsequent "treat," such as a piece of candy, getting to play a game on my phone, or watching his "new" movie Toy Story (we've had the movie for over a month now, hoping it would get him motivated to try)
• Lots of praise/excitement and resulting "potty dances!" The boy likes to groove :-)

One of our guy friends (who does not have kids yet :-) recommended we provide good "reading material" for him to not mind hanging out in the bathroom...does the iPad count?!

Let me tell you the revelations I had just over these past few days: You must resort to things you never dreamed of, like racing cars on the toilet lid and hanging out in the most undesirable part of your house for HOURS on end...and it is EXHAUSTING!! Both JW and I (Brett was out of town to Lubbock on Sunday) took a long nap after church!

We were going a little stir-crazy with being couped up indoors for almost three straight days (the cold weather made it a little easier on Jameston not wanting to go outside much, thank goodness!) so we did some arts and crafts and "cleaning" projects together:

Valentine's cards: Red handprints

(Somewhat) in the shape of hearts

Jameston made these for his Daddy, grandparents, Aunt Maggie, and several of his teachers at school

We were getting pretty delirious by Sunday evening but wanted to take a picture to send it to Brett, who was enjoying the snow in West Texas. The grainy, self-portrait:

And he thought it would be neat to cover Mommy's quickly growing baby belly with his Elmo stickers. Let's just say, we were ready to get out of the house on Monday!

And I am happy to report that he did very well yesterday, even at daycare! I was worried about that transition to outside of the house, but he has done well so far. I know it is still soon, but five days in and we are seeing some great progress! So proud of our (soon-to-be-potty-trained) BIG boy!

It only took me a year!

Okay, okay...it took me a year to get my booty in gear and actually sit down to do this (that's how long we've been in our house), but really only 2 1/2 hours to paint (two weekends ago during Jameston's nap). I have had the canvas and paint for who-knows-how-long but never really sat down to get it DONE.

Finally, the duck picture for the boys' bathroom!

I also painted the nursery wall last weekend (bad pic thanks to the ceiling fan/light)

Also done while Jameston napped...still have some touch-ups, but the bulk of it is DONE!

And, here is a sneak-peek of the bedding/theme for Blake's room :-)

I have some little crafts to finish in order to complete the nursery, and I have since marked off two big "organizational tasks" on my to-do list...I believe nesting has arrived in full force!

Jameston's Jargon (and hobbies)

Okay, since I'm on a blogging roll, I might as well add the latest funny/cute/silly statements and hobbies/happenings from our pride and joy:

Lately, we have been up to a lot of karaoke'ing (the child loves his new-to-him Bible Songs book and microphone that he received for Christmas :-)

Lego-building,

and Playground visiting!

His language skills continue to amaze me, but I may be a little biased :-) The boy is obsessed with his puzzles lately (have I blogged about that yet?), and to say that he could put together 50 a day might be an understatement. He received several for Christmas where the pieces fit flush together, instead of the cut-out ones. He is in love! And this Mommy loves seeing him light up when he finishes one. Once he's done, he'll exclaim, "Look, Mommy! I did it!"

I think the little guy is becoming more and more aware that he's about to have to share the spotlight with his baby brother. His teacher at daycare told me Monday that, when they were talking about what he did this past weekend over lunch, Jameston said, "I played with Mommy, and Daddy, and baby Blake." She said, "Oh, really. Who is Baby Blake?" He then said matter-of-factly, "He my baby brother. He's in Mommy's tummy. I give him hugs!" Too sweet!

Another reference that comes to mind is when he he said, "Baby Blake is hungry, too?" after I told him I was getting really hungry right about dinner time. Well, yes, Jameston. That is why your Mommy seems to eat ALL the time :-)

JW's love of sports seems to grow by the day (well, maybe hour), as he cannot get enough of basketball, golf, soccer, and football these days. I have resigned to the fact, especially since I am outnumbered by boys, that the rule of "No throwing the ball in the house" does not apply to Nerf sporting goods. Hey, they are soft :-) During weeknights, after we all get home from our long days, you can hear the following statements throughout the house and backyard:

"I'm gonna kick it all the way!"

"Hut-hut...hand-off...touchdown!"

"I made it. I made a basket!"

Jameston's other love, besides sports, these days is music. As already stated, he loves to sing (if you rode around in the car with us, you would quickly learn this as we have a Children's CD with 30+ Bible songs that he belts out the best he can!). He also likes to dance! I mean, he is adorable as he grooves to the beat!

Several weekends ago, we met up with some of Brett's co-workers at a Bavarian restaurant, and there was a "band" that consisted of two older men, one playing the accordion and the other the drums. He was not one-bit interested in the food...the boy wanted to boogy! As we left, he was sure to tell them, "Thank you. That music is good."

Some very-frequent statements as of late are:

"Mommy/Daddy, I wanna show you some-fin."

"Why-yyy."

(He has started saying this pretty much after any statement, but mostly any directions we give him.

After so many "Why's" I have to get creative!)

"Okay!"

He says this a lot, like after every conversation. Maybe so he can have the last word!

"Mommy, what you talking about?"

Many friends/family can attest that Jameston likes to be a part of our conversations :-)

Cute, frequent sentences we hear these days:

"Save it for later."

He says this after we wrap up an activity that he may not be quite ready to quit (i.e., before dinner, nap, etc.)

"Catch the light."

He'll say this as he is blowing us a kiss from his bed when we are saying goodnight to him while standing at the door to his room (where the hallway light is on). So sweet!

I'll leave you with some funny ones. One night we were enjoying an ice-cream treat, which we do if he has had a really good day (and which I have been known to indulge in a little more these days all thanks to pregnancy:-) He was eating his ice cream out of his bowl and dropped a little on his shirt. He quickly said, "Lick my shirt, Boomer," after which both of us laughed hysterically! Don't know where he got that one from! Maybe be he knows that Boomer is quick to "vacuum up" any dropped food on the kitchen floor :-)

One night this past week, I was getting him ready for bed. I asked him if I could use his toothbrush (I think he was distracted and him thinking I may borrow something of his usually gets him back on track), and he said, "You're too big for that, Mommy." This is something he's been hearing a lot lately in regards to him wearing diapers!

This boy lights up our lives!!