Redecorating the nursery

Construction is under way on Clara's nursery. I love decorating so I'm in my happy place. I also love preparing for a new baby's arrival by creating a space especially for them. I think it is the way I nest. The first change we made was to add bead board to the bottom portion of the walls. I thought it would add a sweet touch to the room. While J and I were visiting family in Texas, Cole worked tirelessly to hang it as a surprise. It looks great! What a sweet husband I have! Since then, we've painted the room (a light shade of aqua) and purchased a picture to hang above the changing table. The chair and bedding have also been ordered. Its still a work in process but here is a sneak peek:

A few Saturdays ago, Cole and Jackson converted the toddler bed back to a crib. J loves helping Daddy with his tools. I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pictures of my boys hard at work.

Now that the crib is complete, I am reminded of why we moved J to the toddler bed at 19 months. Our little monkey is constantly climbing in and out of it. Here's hoping he tires of this activity before baby sister arrives!

Jackson's Big Boy room

The nursery in our house is empty. At least for now. A couple of weeks ago, we moved Jackson into his "big boy" room. I'm a planner and wanted Jackson happy and settled in his new room before we brought a new baby home. I gave myself a target date of July 15th. That way Jackson would have 3 months to adjust to his new setting and hopefully it wouldn't feel like his move had anything to do with the baby. Additionally, it gives me 3 months to prepare the nursery for Clara.

Well no need for a target date. This move went quickly. I had picked out the bedding and was waiting for it to arrive to pick a paint color. It arrived on a Friday and the next day I asked Cole to help me move some of the artwork into the new room to assist with the choice of paint color. We napped Jackson in our room and got started thinking we'd only be at it an hour or so. Needless to say, we were wrong.

First, the furniture laid out completely different than I had planned. Jackson wanted his chair to accompany him to his new room. He loves his chair. We read in it every night. He reads/plays in it every day. He has been rocked and comforted countless times in that chair. I too agreed the chair was necessary. Even if he had been ok without it, I wasn't ready to give up those sweet special moments when he and I snuggle to read and rock together. The problem is the chair is kind of big. It is a glider, recliner and was going in a small room with a double bed, chest of drawers and one wall taken by a very large window. Finally, we found a workable arrangement for everything. Being pregnant, you can imagine I wasn't much help during this process. Cole was a trooper and arranged the furniture in several positions until I was happy. We started placing the artwork on the walls about the time J woke up. He walked in, took a look around and then with a concerned look on his face said, "mommy, the airplane doesn't go there." I responded with, "it doesn't, where does it go?" He took me by the hand, led me through the jack and jill bath into the nursery and pointed to the spot it previously occupied. "There, mommy. It goes there." Uh-oh. This wasn't going the way I had hoped. On and on it went with the rest of his stuff. It was very confusing to him for some of his stuff (even if it was just decorations) to be in one room and the rest in another. Cole and I decided then that a slow and methodical move wasn't going to work. He needed to wake up with everything moved and perfectly in its place to understand. So that is what we did. We worked for the rest of the day and pretty late that night until we finished it. The next morning Jackson woke up to his brand new big boy room! Happily our efforts proved worthwhile, J loves it! Here are a few pics of the finished product. I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

I still need to replace the picture in the above frame. I have one picked out just need to upload it and order it. J keeps asking me who those people are!

Baby Girl

As I've already mentioned in previous posts, our family is expecting a baby girl in October. We could not be more excited! Well, we have officially grown tired of calling her baby girl and decided on her name- Clara Elizabeth Dennard. Clara is named after my maternal great grandmother AND Cole's maternal great, great grandmother. Jackson (Jack) is a family name on both sides and we were pleased to find a girls' name, also on both sides, that we liked and could agree on.

The other name in consideration was Aubrey Kate (after my paternal great grandmother). Cole and I were torn and couldn't decide. Then one morning Cole called her Aubrey and Jackson looked at him and said, "Thats not my sister's name. My sister's name is Clara." Cole looked at me as if to say, "does he know something I don't?" I just shrugged my shoulders as I had no idea where J's decisiveness was coming from. Cole pushed it further and said, "No, her name is Aubrey." Jackson countered with Clara and on and on it went for days. Eventually, since we hadn't been able to decide between the two names and because Jackson was so adamant we chose Clara. After all, J knew she was a girl from the beginning why shouldn't he also know her name? Now that the decision has been made we wouldn't have it any other way. The name Clara is perfect. We can not wait to meet you Clara Elizabeth!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Everyone says the age of two can be terrible. However, I must say I am loving it so far! Jackson is in such a sweet stage. I don't want to forget a minute of this time, so here are a few of my favorite things J is doing right now.

1. Love, love, love

Jackson is in love with EVERYTHING. He spontaneously tells us how much he loves us several times a day. I confess it melts my heart every single time. He tells us he loves his toys or what he's having for dinner....even when its carrots. I think part of this "love fest" is just an extension of his overall very happy demeanor. He is extremely happy 99% of the time. He wakes up with a huge smile on his face and can get excited about even the most mundane tasks. I love telling him the night before what we will be doing the next day because his face lights up regardless of the agenda. Going to the grocery store is one of my least favorite activities, but J looks forward to it every week so he can drive the "car" cart at the store. He smiles and waves at all the other shoppers while he pretends he's zipping his little car along the speedway. Jackson told me the other day out of the blue, "Mommy, I love baby sister. I be kind to her and not hit her" (J has two rules: be kind and be a good listener. Everything seems to fall into those two categories. They are easy for him to remember and he is doing a pretty good job of taking ownership of both). Once again my heart was a puddle as I want so much for them to be close and to have a strong sibling bond. Cole and I are so thankful for J's happy, laid-back personality. Both of us are pretty spontaneous so it is a huge help that Jackson is so willing to go with the flow. Obviously, there are lots of changes in store for our little family in the coming months. We're hoping Jackson's "love of life" continues and helps him make a smooth transition.

2. Non-stop chatter

Jackson is a talker. I honestly have no idea where he gets it. :) He started talking early and hasn't stopped. The language explosion that has taken place in our house in the last 6-8 months is phenomenal. I think every parent will speak in amazement of that time when their cute little blob of a baby starts saying their first words. You quickly realize how much they've been paying attention the WHOLE time. Jackson has recently moved beyond words of identification and small phrases to being able to communicate his thoughts and feelings in sentences. It is so much fun! I love watching him communicate with his little friends. The things they find to talk about crack me up. For example, the other day Jackson and his friend Gracie were sitting on the back porch eating their lunch when I hear Gracie tell Jackson. "Your sister is in your mommy's tummy." Jackson responds with, "yeah. She kicks. It not kind." Another conversation later the same day went something like this. Gracie: "my hair is in my eyes". Jackson: "I love your hair, it beautitul (beautiful)". Gracie: "Thank you, your hair beautiful too". Jackson (removing his hat): "It is, It is beautitul!"

For the most part, J is pretty articulate. However, there are a few words that still need to be translated. Most of them he can say correctly, but he has said them incorrectly so long they've stuck. Either way its fun and I kind of like his sweet toddler speak even more than if he said everything correctly. A couple of ones I want to remember:

merk= milk

birk= book

porn= corn (this one usually illicits a smile from daddy)

I need a piss/pisses and hugs= I need a kiss/kisses and hugs

melmo= elmo

money= monkey (his favorite toy) He recently started saying this one correctly

chockit= chocolate (where he got his love of chocolate is a mystery)

wetuz= because

3. Mr. Manners

I'll admit it I'm a stickler for manners. I think the world would be nicer if everyone used please and thank you on a more regular basis. And while it sometimes ages me, I think its very appropriate when children address adults with ma'am and sir. Blame it on the Southerner in me. Cole and I have been very pleased to notice recently that J has really taken to using good manners without too much coaching from us. He almost always says thank you and you're welcome. In fact, he will say thank you until you acknowledge it with, you're welcome. He also says "bless you" if someone sneezes. He's pretty good at please too. Although, sometimes his desire for instant gratification overtakes his ability to remember please. Usually, we just have to look at him or ask him what he says when he wants something and he remembers. If he doesn't want something he responds with, "no thank you". We're still working on yes ma'am etc. When he does say it it comes out "yes man". Hopefully, the next few months will do nothing but improve this trend.

4. Fun lion

Jackson's imagination has really started revealing itself. I think this goes hand in hand with how much he's talking. Lately, he will tell us these outlandish stories that he clearly has completely made up. Most are pretty hilarious. For example, he tells us there is a lion that lives in his room. However, no need to worry this is not a "scary lion, its a fun lion!" Fun lion talks to him and keeps him company in his room after we put him to bed or at nap time. When you ask him what fun lion says, he responds with "RRRROAR! Fun lion also watches Curious George with Jackson before he falls asleep. Jackson does NOT have a TV in his room. However, he thinks he can watch it on the back of his door every night. If you go in there, he says "shhh, pay tention (attention). George is starting." A few other recent examples:

The other day after swim lessons, Jackson said, "mom, stop car" Thinking we'd forgotten something or he had to go to the bathroom I said why and he responded, "there is a shark back here!"

He's also informed me that Pop bought him a blue golf cart to take to the golf course and that he is the only one who can drive it. It goes zoom, zoom really fast!

Lately, we've had a guest at dinner every night. It is a blue butterfly that flies around the kitchen. It lands in Jackson's hand and he's able to touch it and tell us how soft and beautiful it is.

Holding a long plastic puzzle piece to his ear, J tells me he is calling his Aunt Ninny and that he needs his suitcase so he can visit her in Tollege Stason (College Station). I want to go to Tekis (Texas) and see everyone.

The stories are endless and it is so much fun to watch his imagination at work!

4. Growing Pains

While I'm sure the above accounts make it look like we have a perfect child, I'll be the first to assure you we don't. This stage is sweet but it has its challenges just like any other. J is no exception. Right now we are struggling with aggressiveness. Unfortunately, he responds to situations by hitting and pushing before thinking and acting more appropriately. We're working hard on being kind to everyone but it is often a struggle. I don't believe he hits with the intention of being mean or malicious. Rather I think his emotional maturity is lacking when it comes to interacting with friends and not getting what he wants. This is a common theme among my friends with boys. In fact, he usually realizes his mistake immediately and runs to tell me what he did. He is typically genuinely remorseful. We discipline these actions appropriately and talk frequently about the importance of being kind to one another.

Overall, Cole and I's parenting philosophy is to focus on the positive and not dwell too much on the negative. Like any other stage of childhood and development, we know "this too will pass." If the last two years are any indication they will pass all too quickly. We want to remember each stage as fondly as possible. One day I'm sure we will look back at the "struggles" with a smile for these things are what make Jackson Jackson and we couldn't love him more.

More Birthday fun at Monkey Bizness

Jackson's actual birthday was on a Thursday, but we held his birthday party the following Saturday. Since Jackson loves monkeys and all things physical (running, jumping, climbing etc.), we decided to have his party at Little Monkey Bizness. Monkey Bizness is an indoor jungle gym/play area for kids. Their website bills it as 3-4,000 square feet of bounce houses, climbing structures, obstacle courses, play houses etc. The best way I can describe it is a kids play paradise that is made of soft surfaces and entirely safe. The kids could run, play and explore to their hearts content and the parents could sit back and relax knowing their children were safe (although I did see a few parents participating too!). The kids had a great time! After play time, everyone went into the arts and craft room to decorate monkey masks. When the masks were complete, it was time for pizza and cupcakes! It was a great party and J and his friends had a blast!

This is one of my favorite shots. Every time I looked up J was running from one play area to the next with his tongue hanging out...he just couldn't believe how much there was to do and couldn't get to each place fast enough!

I had a great time making the "monkey cakes," as Jackson called them, for the party. Thanks Whitney for the idea and my neighbor Stephanie and her daughter Hogan for helping me ice and decorate the 50 cupcakes!

Thank you to all the families who joined us for the party. We have been extremely blessed to make so many great friends since our move to Denver. You all made J's party really special. Thanks for sharing his big day with us!

Jackson's 2nd Birthday!

Jackson turned two on May 13th. While I know it was a while ago, I wanted to document on the blog how we spent Jackson's special day. First, just let me say time has flown by! Cole and I can't believe our little baby turned 2! What happened to the tiny, helpless little bundle we brought home from the hospital? Somewhere along the way we blinked and he turned into this sweet, precocious little boy that is on the move from morning to night!

Getting back to the subject of his birthday, Cole took the day off so we could spend it together as a family doing all of Jackson's favorite things. Jackson only asked for balloons for his birthday so when he came downstairs that morning there were lots of balloons and his present from mommy and daddy, a new tricycle! He was so excited! Next we had his favorite breakfast, waffles, where he blew out his first set of candles for the day. After breakfast we played with his new "cycle" and opened a few more presents from friends and family.











I had an OB appointment that morning. So after breakfast and play time, we loaded up and went to the doctor. Now why in the world did I schedule a doctor's appointment on J's special day? Well it wasn't just any appointment. We had a sonogram scheduled and were going to learn the sex of the new baby! From the beginning of the pregnancy, Jackson predicted there was a sister in mommy's tummy. When we would say "brother or sister," he would casually say, "its a sister." He was always consistent. Sure enough, he was right! The sonogram confirmed we were expecting a little girl! Jackson was going to have a sister!

We let J pick where we dined for lunch. He of course picked McDonalds. "Donalds" is one of Jackson's favorites and a treat he doesn't get very often. After a tasty lunch of chicken nuggets and chocolate milk, we went home for a much needed nap- after all even birthday boys need their sleep! Another surprise was waiting for him when he woke up, Grammy and Pop had arrived to help him celebrate! We had a wonderful afternoon playing at the park, learning to ride his new tricycle and opening more presents! After dinner we enjoyed a Curious George cake (made by mommy) and ice cream.







Overall, Jackson had a wonderful birthday and we had a great, fun-filled family day with our favorite two year old!

Jackson- Mommy and Daddy love you so much! We can't wait to see what the next two years have in store for you! Your sweet, joyous spirit has blessed us immensely and everyday we thank God that he chose us to be your parents. What a wonderful gift!

REALLY long time, no blog

Ok, so as you can see from the date of my previous post its been a REALLY long time since I looked at the blog, much less wrote anything. Where do I even begin? So much has happened in the last year and a half. We completed our move to Denver. Jackson turned two (I can not believe it) and we are expecting another baby in October! I think the new baby is ultimately what inspired me to give the blog another try. I have grand hopes of this blog being an online diary of my kids lives so one day I can print it, put it in their baby books and say this is everything you did growing up. Also, since moving to Denver, we don't live as close to family. I'm hoping this can be a resource for out of town family and friends to share in our everyday lives.

Here's hoping round two of the blog will be much more fruitful and consistent!! Feel free to send me an email if I start slacking!