16 months

From jan30

Bear will be 16 months old tomorrow. I remember when I thought he was such a big boy at 6 months! He's really turning into a little person and he is most definitely not a "baby" anymore...he hasn't been for a while now.

He's weighing in just under 27 lbs and is 33 inches tall. He has a pretty good vocabulary and has recenlty started saying yes or no to questions. Normally I can offer him something and he just takes it but last week, out of the blue, he started shaking his head no. We were at Target and I asked him if he wanted 'this truck' and tried to hand it to him...he pushed it back to me and shook his head no. I think I just stared at him for a few seconds because he caught me off guard! We went through that exchange at least 5 times before I found the one he was wanting...I love it.

From jan30

He's also my big time helper. He is exerting his "I want to do it" sense of self and whenever I fold towels he wants to take them to the linen closet or if I have something to throw away he asks me for it and then he throws it away. The other night he was about to get in the tub (one of his all time favorite things to do) and I took off his diaper and was about to put it on the counter to throw away later when he grabbed it, took off running (naked) to the kitchen trash can and threw it away...then clapped his hands. Yesterday I took the trash out of the can and set it into the garage and he got SO upset that I wouldnt let him carry it out there. I'm not really sure how long this "helper" will last, but I'm loving it while it does.Dancing has reached a new level. There's this song on the wiggles that gives commands and he follows all of them. He points his fingers, twists, goes up, goes down, spins around, all of it. I've got to get it on video and upload it so ya'll can see it. It is so, so cute. We are always watching the Wiggles it seems. We dance the day away and I love how much he loves music and loves to dance. He is definitely my kid.

From jan30

That boy loves him some trucks. Loves.Loves.Loves them. He plays with them constantly, takes them to the tub with him and we even have one that goes with us in the car. I clean his room every night after he goes to bed and line his trucks up (there's atleast 15 of them) and every morning he runs into his room, straight for the trucks and with one swoop knocks them out of line. It's hilarious. Friday night of last week I didnt clean his room before I went to work and Ben said when he got up Saturday morning he ran into his room and just stopped short, let out this pitiful sigh and then ran into the living room. How funny is that?

His climbing is getting out of control. He can be on the floor then on the kitchen table in two seconds flat. I think when I went to see the Bourne Ultimatum and then Ocean's 13 while pregnant he was listening very carefully on how to operate some stealth moves. It amazes me how strong and agile he is. He is most definitely 110% boy.

From Untitled Album

We go 90 mph all day, every day. We dance to the wiggles, laugh at the cats, build towers with blocks, read tons of books and play with his trucks. No complaints here :)

speaking of January 29th

It was two years ago today that we found out we were having Jackson. How fun is that? Ben and I were in the middle of moving and had decided not to get eachother individual anniversary gifts and just get something "big" together after the move. We hadn't really decided on what yet so I went to Target on my lunch break from the counseling center (I was still in Grad School at the time) to get him a card. Something in me told me to take a test, out of left field, so I got one while I was there. If you know me, I'm as impatient as it gets so I went into the Target bathroom and took it. Sure did. As I'm standing in the stall of a public restroom I see the test flash PREGNANT. I can't explain the feeling that came over me. It was that crazy hot flash, nausea, oh my gosh is this real, please say it's real feeling. I was on cloud nine. I couldn't wait to tell Ben only he was over 30 min away in training all day and wouldn't be home until 6:00. It just so happened that it was the day that I volunteered to co-teach an undergrad class that wouldn't be out until 6:30! I couldn't tell him over the phone so I just waited. I tried calling everyone and NOBODY answered their phones - it was insane! I didn't try my mom because she was just 20 minutes down the road and I wanted to tell her, my dad and brother all at the same time in person. I got back to school and took the other test in the twin pack, still pregnant and then went downstairs to the Health Center and had the nurses give me one of their tests. I remember the nurse coming back in the room and hugging me, telling me I was pregnant and to drink lots of fluids. :) Funny what you remember.

It seemed like an eternity to 6:30 and when I finally got home the first thing Ben said was "Let's go eat" I seriously had to talk him into opening cards first. He handed me mine and after I opened it I handed him a box with the test in it. I'll never forget the look on his face when he opened it. It was priceless. We were so, so excited. We went to dinner afterward and the waiter asked me if I wanted a glass of wine with my meal and I said "No, I'm pregnant" I'm pretty sure a simple no thank you would have been just fine. lol. We went to target afterward and got a pregnancy journal and "what to expect" - looking back we had the best time during our pregnancy...God is so good to us.

My little man will be 16 months old on Sunday. My how time flies and it's amazing how great that time has been.

In case you wanted to know...

The traditional gifts for year four are flowers (for me - tulips, my favorite):and fruit (for ben):

and this is the wonder

Ben made this for us a while back and I love it. Felt it was so great for today. I sure do love my husband...what a blessing it is to have such an amazing marriage. Click on it if you can't read it. Happy Anniversary Ben!

love,
bethany

Four Years and Counting

Four years ago today, Bethany and I said our vows and permanently joined our lives together. It was a whirlwind - the wedding was simple but classy, the reception was amazingly beautiful- but I can't remember much about that day other than Bethany. I remember seeing her for the first time in her dress and wondering why in the world she wanted to marry me. I remember staring deeply into her eyes during our vows and trying as hard as I could to mean every word that I said. I remember laughing with her as we walked back down the aisle, married at last. It was such a relief for me to get through all of the ceremonial stuff and just be with Bethany, my wife. I still smile just thinking about it.

People told me, "Being married is fun at first but then the new wears off and you'll be wishing you could be single again". Nope. Not this guy. Being with Bethany has made me a better person, no question. I'm more secure, more happy, I have a better sense of fashion (thanks to all those episodes of What Not To Wear that we used to watch together), and life is just better with her in it. I was made to love her; it has been in me all my life. I didn't know it until I fell in love with her, but my heart has always been heading toward her. It's just another amazing piece of God's plan falling into place in our lives.

Now, I look at our life together and all my wrong turns and misdirections in the past don't seem as important as they used to. They were just places I had to go and things I had to do so that God's plan could be proven to perfection and I could bear witness that His love for me knows no bounds. God has blessed me with Bethany. She is a woman without compare and I'm so thankful that I get to spend my life with her.

~ Ben

surprises around every corner

We've a great past two days that have been equally productive. Yesterday we had bear's 15 month check up. It went really well. He's in the 80th %tile for height and 75th %tile for weight. Everyone tells us he looks like a 2 year old and I guess this would be why. We got a very healthy report - such a blessing. Jackson's personality continues to shine... in the middle of the dr answering my questions he just starts breaking it down dancing and singing wearing nothing but his diaper and socks. Our dr said "look at that rhythm!" I just shook my head, that boy... I thought jackson had 12 teeth but the dr pointed out a new one breaking through the skin and another that was really swollen so we are approaching 14. That's pretty crazy considering he didn't have any teeth until he was almost 7 months old. The shots weren't that bad, only two, and the nurse we had was hilarious. She came in after the dr and after she gave him the shots (and he screamed) she said "I know, did that mosquito bite the baby? That bold ol' mosquito bit that baby!" Jackson stopped crying and just looked at her all bewildered. It was priceless.

We also got a Wii Fit yesterday and Ben and I stayed up until 11 playing it. I thought I was going to have to wait until March to find one but we really lucked out. It is so much fun. Ben is actually down hill skiing as we speak, lol. We rocked out yoga, aerobics, running, tight rope walking and skiing. I really want the jillian dvd bc let's be honest, she's hardcore and I need her to be kicking my butt everyday!

Today we were very pleasently surprised with a snow day. Ben got to stay home and everything. I don't know why a random day off is any different from a weekend but for some reason I'm always much more productive on these days. I got the whole house cleaned while Ben and Jackson were napping...it was so relaxing for me when I finished. We played in the snow a little bit but MAN was it cold! We're told we may get more ice tomorrow but that seems too good to be true...we'll see.

as you wish

For those of you requesting videos of jackson here's one from today...our little music man :)

park

We had a great week last week. We are all adjusting to me working overnight shifts on the weekends and I think that overall it is best for us. I get to be here all week long, I never miss out on bedtimes or dinner and that is such a blessing to our whole family.
Last week we went to the park on one of the few warmer days. Ben and I had just as much fun as Jackson did...maybe more...

Ben stuck coming down the slide with jackson...

to my fellow mental healthers

The love story of Ralph and Edna.

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool. Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom and stayed there.Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out. When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable. When she went to tell Edna the news she said, 'Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love. I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead.' Edna replied, 'He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?'

Happy Mental Health Day!

snow day

We FINALLY got some of that winter weather everyone else has been getting! We woke up this morning to some very unexpected snow and took advantage of the photo op. This is jacksons first snow since he's been a "big boy". It snowed last year but he was only a few months old so he was pretty much unaware. Anyway - here are a few pictures from our fun morning outside:

Wanting to go back outside

oh penelope

Free Suave

Tommorow Jan 14th go HERE and sign up to a get a coupon for a FREE bottle of Suave Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Spray, Styling Product, Body Wash or Lotion.
They are giving out coupons for one day only to anyone in the US. One entry per household. From the tiny print on their site there is no limit on number so go and sign up and you should get one!! (thanks Jenny)

Dinner Deal

For those of you with a Fazoili's nearby, there are some greats weeks ahead of you for dinner. On their website (http://www.freespaghetti.com/coupon) they will be posting a new coupon each week. This weeks coupon is "Buy a drink get a free small spaghetti" I dont know the last time you ate at Fazoli's, but their small spaghetti is anything but small and their small drink is the size of most places medium. Also, if you dine-in you get unlimited breadsticks and drink refills. Tonight Ben and I were armed with our coupons and ordered a small drink and spaghetti (we went to the counter seperately due to the one per order stipulation) and the originial total was $6.08...after coupon total due was $1.73. We got ours to go because I had everything at home to make a big salad to go with it.

We ate dinner for 3.46 and we had some leftover.Even if you have already had spaghetti this week go get it and freeze it. I'm pretty sure you can't even make spaghetti at home for that cheap...especially when you count in the drink.

Here's the coupon schedule:

WEEK ONE: Free Small Spaghetti with Drink purchase
WEEK TWO: Buy One Small Spaghetti Get One Free (Spaghetti Marinara or Meat Only)
WEEK THREE: Kids Eat Free in January with Adult Entrée Purchase
WEEK FOUR: Buy One Small Pasta Entrée Get One Free (Spaghetti, Penne or Fettuccine)WEEK FIVE: Free Small Spaghetti with Drink purchase
WEEK SIX: Buy One Small Pasta Entrée Get One Free (Spaghetti, Penne or Fettuccine)

randomosity

I'm blogging at 2am. Insomniac? No. Crazy? Quite possibly. Truthfully I'm working an overnight shift. My first one and so far so good. I have a feeling I'm going to fade around 4. Maybe I should have saved this until then. We'll see.

I'm not sure how to handle being able to blog without my little man running circles around me, climbing into my lap and punching some computer code on the keyboard that only he and the guys at MIT know about. Serioulsy. There have been a few times when Ben and I have wondered if we're going to have to call in the "geek squad" to undo some voodoo button Jackson has pushed on the laptop. How are kids so good with new technology? Jackson knows where the power button on the laptop is, the play button on the dvd player, the power button on the remote and the play and stop buttons on his cd player. All learned on his own. That boy can watch you do something one time and do it perfectly. Today he got an empty water bottle and took the lid off and put it back on. Like, twisted it back on. Maybe all kids can do this at 15 months but he never ceases to amaze me.

I haven't blogged about Jackson and what he's up to in a while so here goes. He's starting to talk. Like, really talk. He's got a few 2 word sentences. He loves to get a sound of a letter and say it back to you. Recently it's been the "k" and "t" sounds. He has those fridge magnets and you can say Jackson which letter says 'kuh' and he'll go and get the C and put it in. Crazy. We're also dealing with him exercising his independence...better known as defiance. If he has something that he isn't supposed to and you ask for it, he'll run in the opposite direction and throw it as far away as he can, and then look back at you like "what lip gloss?" And you can FORGET getting his consent to dress him or change his diaper. He'll come up to me when he's got a dirty diaper and say "uh oh peepees" and then bolt like he's on the opposing team of a flag football game and he's the only one left with a flag. I bet I tell him a billion times a day that he's a rotten potato. Because he is. And for those of you discipline nazis, go take your blood pressure medicine, he does get in trouble for acting like this... he's just a button pusher. Just like his mom. Need I go into the 'I stabbed my cousin with pliers because she wouldn't share her toy with me' story again? Didn't think so. We'll get there. I know that consistency is key and it just takes time, which Lord willing, we have plenty of.

Eating has become a little bit more difficult. Old Jackson would eat anything and everything put in front of him and new Jackson is getting more picky. He got sick for the very first time this week. The "sick" I talked about in a previous post was the horrific stomach virus that we caught while visiting family over the christmas break. We all got it. My visiting mom and brother included. Up until this past Monday, for the first 15 months of his life, Jackson has never, ever been sick. I'm talking not even a fever. His nose would run clear every now and again if he was teething but that was it. Monday night...well I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. The amazing part though was how resilient and upbeat he was through it. Once he "got it all out" each time he would just look up at me and smile, hug me tight and be good to go until he got sick again. Oh to have the energy and bounce back ability of a child.

Basically, he's just my favorite. Unless you couldn't tell. He is as cute as he can possibly be and rotten to match. What 15 month old baby isn't?

On another note it is officially the month of love. Yes, I do know that Valentine's Day is in February but I got married in January. Ben and I will be married 4 whole years on the 29th and boy does time fly by when you're having fun. Ben and I have the most amazing marriage and it just keeps getting better. Everyone said 'Just wait until you've been married a few years" and then "just wait until after you've had a baby". blah blah blah. that's what I say to that. It gets better and better with every situation and every day that passes by. I am one lucky girl and boy do I know it. I know how precious these times in life are, when things are going so good and don't think I take it for granted.

Can you tell that I don't know how to handle myself with all this time to just blab away on here? Fabulous. If I keep this shift we'll make my middle of the night ramblings a weekly event. I know. The excitement of that is overwhelming. ;)

sick

sorry we haven't blogged much lately but we've been crazy busy with company and out of town trips...just when things started slowing down we were all hit by the stomach virus. ugh. We've finally started feeling a little better but we're still not in the clear completely. I'll try and catch up once we're all back to normal. blech.