2010 in Review: Na-Na's Birthday!

Did Jack or Na-Na come up with my mother-in-law's grandma name? Early on he called her Na-Na one time and she took it!

We are grateful that Na-Na always makes time for us in her busy life as Dr. La Monica. When I was a brand new stay-at-home mom she got me involved in bible study. It was the same bible study she attended with her 3 children under the age of 4. With the same "nursing mother small group" bible study leader and who in this small world I knew because I babysat her grandkids who lived down the street from my mom's house.

When Jack and I graduated from the "nursing moms small group" it was time for him to go to the one year old daycare room while I joined my new "young mom small group" without him attached to my side.

During this time Teri had rejoined bible study because of me and was in the "moms with young adult children small group". However, I clearly remember sitting next to her in the big group lecture when the children's program leader asked for new volunteers for the children's program. Teri took it hook, line and sinker, next thing we knew she was signed up to be Jack's "Green Little Lambs" teacher. She spends every Tuesday morning with Jack and his little friends. They read books, sing songs, learn little bible stories, eat snacks in miniature chairs at a miniature table like big little kids...

Could Jack be any luckier to have his grandma as his teacher? We sure are blessed!

We starting celebrating her birthday on a Friday at Rocco's...

Saturday we went to see...

Then Sunday we had a family get together at Granny and Bopa's...

Did I mention that she is a Dr./Professor/bible study teacher/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner?

Her granddaughter Carolynne had a cough so she is checking it out...

Thanks for taking care of all us!

16, 15, 4, the beginning

The month of November has gone fast, here is the big boy Jack, 16 months

One month ago, 15 month check up at the doctor...

Weighing in at 27 lbs. 8 oz.

One year ago, Aunt Laura was home for Thanksgiving break, rocking the little 4 month old to sleep...

Two years ago,

it was the Sunday night before returning back to work after Thanksgiving break, I am blessed that god answered all my questions with this little boy.

Check Engine Light

My beloved car has been acting a little funny recently...

The check engine light officially came on tonight. We are bringing it to the shop ASAP. Its almost time for an oil change but we still have about 500 miles to go. Oh well lets get the oil changed and that will fix it? Or will a much bigger problem be apparent?

My car isn't stylish, it is a 2000 Chrysler Cirrus, it recently hit 100,000. It was my Gammie's car. It's been with me through so much.

In 2004 when my grandma was no longer able to drive this car came down from Syracuse. My sister and I traded it back in forth for the first year. By the end of 2005 it was mine. It got me through college, it toted me back and forth on 81 to school and back. It can comfortably five people going to the beach. It is a full size sedan. It has a powerful V6 engine and a huge trunk. It was there during thick and thin during my relationship with Gabe. I drove it to work everyday during my pregnancy, it transported my first born child home from the hospital. It used to reek of smoke from my Gammie driving it in Syracuse with the windows up in the winter. Now it can reek of stinky diapers. My Gammie has been my guardian angel blessing the 70,000 miles I have put on the car during the past 5-6 years. Do I day dream of a nicer car? Yes. But will my next car having the blessing of my Gammie? Not in the same way. Please pray my car just needs a premature oil change. I know one day I'll drive a nicer car (well, I hope!) but sometimes I just wish this car could last forever.

(no, my car has never been to the Grand Canyon, nor have I, but you get the picture)

Winter battle part I

Now that I have been blessed with Jack for over a year I like to go back and look a pictures of him a year ago. Sometimes I don't feel like I remember who that little baby is.

Here he is 3 1/2 months old, lying still on the changing table, big blue eyes, and wearing a hat!

Fast forward to 15 1/2 months and he hates to wear hats!

I bought him this a few weeks ago as a preempted strike against the winter hat war of 2010-11.

This hat does stay on about 2 minutes longer then a hat with out a chin strap but he wins the hat battle quickly, he is smart boy-chin straps can't fool him!

Don't get me started on the mittens. He just gives me this sad look, with his big blue pleading eyes...

"Mama, you know I love my hands, I can do so much with them now. How can I do anything with these handcuffs on!"

Yes, with one look, I can basically read his mind, I am his mama.

And not to mention the fact that the mittens are hard to get on. Do they make gloves for 15 month olds? Those sound like they would be harder to get on!

Hoodies jackets sound like a brilliant idea--he hates hoods too.

We love going outside, will we be paralyzed by coldness and lose the winter war of 2010-11?

Will others criticize me all winter long about him wearing a hat and gloves?

Please no!

It's not even that cold outside yet, stay tuned as the hat battle endures. I have my next hat trick up my sleeve...

Happy Birthday Godmother Aunt Anna!

We have spent the last 24 hours celebrating Jack's Godmother Aunt Anna 24th Birthday!

She is a nurse and lives in Charlottesville so we don't get to see her as often as we like.

This is Anna with her other little angel, our niece Carolynne:

This was on Jack's baptism day, where she was crowned godmother:

Anna with Jack in his UVA outfit, he probably has much more UVA paraphernalia coming his way throughout his lifetime.

She also bought him this cute mouse outfit in memory of her big brother playing "mouse" aka house together as kids.

She volunteered to wear the bjorn at Laura's graduation, she quickly learned he was heavy in the bjorn too!

Last night we went to Maggiano's to celebrate with superman...

SUPERBABY!

Jack was very interested in the cake and he has learned how to say "Happy!" hopefully by next year he will be able to say a complete "Happy Birthday!"

"Happy Birthday" happens to be one of his favorite songs as well, I sing it almost everyday.

He was wiggly all dinner but by the time dessert came around his planted himself in his godmother-aunt's lap and zoned in on the prize.

Tonight, on her actual date of birth we had another family dinner over at Granny and Bopa's...

More cake and candles!

Who we will get to sing happy birthday to next?

Halloween

Last year we had ourselves a little lobster...

Back in September I took a stroll down the halloween costume aisle at Target to check out the selection, I pulled down this dog costume and Jack yelled out "DOG!" then grabbed it and gave it a big kiss! I knew I had to buy it. When we got home I promptly put him in it...

He hated it, we proceeded to try again the next day...

and he liked it!

This halloween was full of traditions old & new, like carving pumpkins...

Jack the Bulldog, Georgetown's Mascot, have I mentioned how Jack loves dogs?

This year we did his favorite, Go Dog Go!

and another favorite, Redskins...

and Charles aka Mr. Potato Head carved us another dog pumpkin too.

Jack got some new cute skeleton pjs...

We went to the neighborhood halloween parade...

minus Gabe because he had to work but plus some grandparents!

and Jack's two favorite Dogs, Tessa & Bella...

and Megan! Jack's first cousin once removed aka Gabe's cousin...

We continued the family costumes...

and added a cat family!

We did our first year of trick or treating!...

Of course we stopped by the D's




and Jack learned the trick of trick or treating...

here is where I want to insert a video of Jack but blogger won't upload it...any suggestions anyone?

Next year we will work on the key phrases, "Happy Halloween!", "Trick or Treat", "Please" and "Thank you" but if you click on the video I upload on facebook you can watch Jack trick or treat. Hopefully i'll be able to add the video soon!