The Roses

Playing Catch-Up

2012-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

I'm only behind a few months right? Well, here are a few snapshots and a quick update. My plan is to update again this weekend and pretty soon I may also post a huge update/informative story about our house being burglarized... twice! (But that's for another day).

Jrew is 3 years and 5 months. He is so smart. He knows all of his letters and is learning how to write them. He LOVES his drum set. Each holiday/birthday he keeps asking for new additions, so at this point he has: a 3 piece starter drum set (kick, snare, small cymbal) + a new tom & cymbal + a hi-hat & throne (seat). He picks up rhythms so fast and practices nearly every day.

Jazzy is 2 years and 1 month. She loves to sing, dance, play, and boss Jrew around. She is learning to sing her ABC's (thanks to Jrew) and is so gorgeous. Her hair is probably 5 inches or more long, but since it is so curly, it looks about 2 inches long. Heehee

Okay. Here goes the it: a couple pics to tide you over until I write another blog.

Above was Jazzy's birthday cake. The pic is terrible since I took it at about 1 am when I finally finished making it. So what. the table is messy but the cake is cute. :)

Thomas edited this pic on his phone and it was quite funny how we had to compromise on the shading... either I was too white or he was too dark. So, here is the best we could do even though my nose almost disappeared. Hahaha... By the way, this was a fun date night we had before Christmas. Woot!!!

We snapped these two shots (above and below) with T's iphone. We took the kids downtown Nashville to see the big tree and just like most family photos... there is no one second where everyone is smiling at the right time. But it was fun anyway!

The funny things they do

2011-11-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

NOTE: If you are short on time, scroll down and watch Jrew and Jazzy singing and Jrew preaching in the 3 clips I have posted.

It is long overdue that I update family and friends on our sweet children that are growing up so very fast. Jrew said tonight that he didn't want a "baby spoon" because "I'm not a baby anymore." So, we traded out his spoon for a metal one.

Jrew is 3 now and of course, I think he's one of the smartest kids I know. He loves to play the drums and has a full set (kid sized). He loves it and can name every single drum. He is always tweaking his set up, moving a drum up or down to fit his "style". He will play for a long time and loves to play with me on the piano. He truly has some talent because he has picked up so many different rhythms and styles. It's such a blessing to hear him playing and we are considering starting him with official drum lessons soon.

Thomas has a flashcard app on his phone that he was letting Jrew play with. The app shows 4 pictures and a voice asks for you to press the picture for a specific object. Surprisingly, even with words Jrew had never heard before, he was able to deductively reason which picture to select. For example, Jrew saw several pictures of planes and the app asked him to select the hang-glider. Jrew looked at the pics for a few seconds and without hesitation, selected the picture of a man on a hang-glider. WHAT???

He also wrote a song. :) It says "Go away, go away. Don't climb on a tree 'cause it's dangerous"

So, it took me a day or two to figure out why he chose those word until I remember. Basically, a few weeks ago I was working on a new song that sort of talks about getting out of a situation that is dangerous or sinful, or whatever and how it is urgent to get out of those kind of situations quickly. In the song, I referred to getting out, walls are on fire, etc.. THEN IT HIT ME - he was writing a song that said basically the same thing. Don't do something that is dangerous. Go away, go away when I said Get out, get out. How does a 3 year old even know how to parallel a song like that. AMAZING!

Jazzy is just as cute as ever. She is getting so big. She talks all the time. She says many complete sentences and can usually tell me if she's hurt or something. She is absolutely NOT AFRAID of anything. She climbs on everything. Her preschool teacher said that she would climb up on this netting type thing on the playground, but would get "stuck" at the top. Afraid to climb over onto the other piece of equipment, she would freeze. She didn't cry or call out though. Usually, a bigger kid would see her and tell the teacher that Jazzy was stuck. The teacher would say "Jazzy, are you stuck" Jazzy would quietly say "tuck, tuck". Then the teacher would say, "Do you need help" Jazzy would say "Hep, hep". So, this happened (apparently) alot. The teacher did say it was a good thing I didn't see her doing this because it would make me too nervous. After a few weeks of this, Jazzy finally started to climb over to the other piece and the kids and teachers all noticed. They all started cheering "Go Jazzy! Go Jazzy!" and she did it. She made it to the other side (whatever that is). Whew! Good thing I didn't see her. I would have yanked her down from there so fast.... just kidding.

Jazzy's hair is so different from Jrews. Her is also very curly but somewhat more relaxed and very soft. She used to hate for me to fix her hair, but now she's getting used to it and loves it when I put it up in pig-tails. She also asked me for a dress the other day. She basically said "I want dress.." over and over until I got her ready for church in a dress. (Sshh.. don't tell her but we are buying her dress-up clothes and purses for her birthday). At this rate, Jrew may read this blog to her and spoil the whole thing. LOL

Jazzy is also counting to 10. If I start counting with her, she usually bulldozes ahead of me with the numbers!! Jrew is also counting to 20. More recently, I have worked with Jrew on concepts like which plate of cookie has the most & which item is the biggest. He picks up skills so fast! We are also working on identifying digits 0-10. He has many of them down already. He knows just about every single letter of the alphabet. He still has some trouble with K, I think. He can spell his name on the fridge using magnets!! and we are working on rhyming. Can you tell I'm a teacher? :)

Funny quotes:

#1 (This one may be a little personal.. hope Jrew doesn't kill me one day) While going potty, Jrew said "Mommy, a big, big coconut tree came out in the potty and", making his eyes wide, "I was so scared."

#2 Jrew asked me if he could touch me. I was like "Um, yeah." He started stroking my shoulder and said "Mommy, you're actually pretty."

#3 While listening to the radio in the car, Jrew said "Nice music, mommy!"

#4 Tonight, the Kroger cashier gave him a sticker. He said "Wow. That was so nice of her." She laughed and said she was so happy to hear someone saying something so polite to her.

#5 Jazzy is starting to sing with her songs in the car and is actually matching the pitch! She loves to talk on the phone. And she's not biased as to what kind of phone she talks on.. she talks on banana phones, brush phones, hand phones, book phones, and anything else she can put up to her ear. She also loves to talk to people. Tonight, she leaned over the booth in a restaurant to talk to the family behind us. She spared not personal space as she leaned in close to the 10 years old boy behind us. He loved the attention and she did too. So funny.

Strangers: Several months ago, Jrew saw a lady nearby that he did not recognized. I think she came near us for some reason or walked by.. he said "She scares me." I was nervous that she heard him and I wasn't quite sure what to say. So, I said "She's not scary. She's just a stranger. A stranger is someone you don't know." Of course, this conversation has been repeated many, many times in the past few months. He most often thinks that men with bears are strangers and sometimes gets so scared he cries. One time, he just froze in place and started crying hysterically. I swear to you, he was frozen with fear. I finally got him into my lap to calm him down and figure out what was wrong. Well, a father who was playing with his kids at the next table, saw Jrew watching and smiled. Jrew did not think that was friendly. I don't necessarily want him to be okay with strangers smiling at him, etc... but I also don't want him to have such a scary experience just because someone smiles at him or walks by him. We have reiterated over and over that he is with mommy and daddy and we will keep him safe.

Here are a few clips of Jrew and Jazzy "playing" guitar and putting on a show for me and my friend Aimee. I had to upload them in a few separate clips to make it work.

Happy Birthday Thomas!

2011-08-30T11:40:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrate the birth of the amazing, most selfless, honest, and Godly man I know.... Thomas Rose III. It was nearly 15 years ago when we first met, not knowing that day would change the rest of our lives for the better. We have celebrated 8 1/2 years of amazing marriage & 2 beautiful children. I am attaching a link here for you to go to. Please check it out. I wrote this song for Thomas back in February but I wanted to offer it up again of any who missed it. Once you get to the link, click on the second set of words entitled "Gave You My Hand MP3".

Thinking back, I thought I'd share one or two stories about Thomas and I. If you know me, I could go on and on about our adventures together. However, I will try to reserve just a few. Sometime after I met Thomas, I began to play piano for his church. Of course, it quickly became my church as well. I would ride with Thomas every Sunday from the campus of Charleston Southern University, because I did not have a car. He would always pick me up from Little John Parlor at a specific time.. and that never changed. However, after months and months of hanging out at church, I would start to call him on, say, Thursday or Friday. I was "just checking" to be sure he was going to pick me up at such&such and at the same time. etc...

Many months later, I asked Thomas if he would fill out a reference form for me so I could apply to the North American Mission Board for summer missions. He obliged and called me up one day to tell me he had the form ready. He said he would meet me in (again) Little John Parlor and added that he didn't know I was such an awesome girl.... and that he would have to marry me some day. (wink) Perhaps that is a real-life example of foreshadowing... Thanks God.

Also, Thomas and I dated for a long time before we decided to tie the knot. Everyone was always asking us if we would ever get married. One New Years Eve, Thomas and I went to a New Year's Eve Party with college friends. I don't think any of us were in college anymore, but we still had occasional get-togethers. So, we were all gathering in the living room to watch the ball drop in NYC when Thomas motioned for me to follow him to another room. He pulled a chair into the middle of the room and asked me to take a seat. Of course, you know by now that my heart was pounding out of my chest. I thought I was going to pass out and that this was the moment I'd been waiting for my entire life.

Then, Thomas said it.

"Let's pray". He had planned on praying in the New Year and had apparently forgotten to mention this small detail. I don't how I made it through the rest of the night without just bawling or falling to pieces. But, this story speaks to the overwhelming heart of gold that Thomas had. He has always and continues to desire God, His will. He is always quick to thank God for His mercies, grace, and overflowing love. I couldn't ask for more in a husband.

Thomas did propose to me in December of 2002. Nearly 5 years after we began dating, we were married in a most amazing ceremony and we have never looked back. Some people say your first year is the toughest. We NEVER felt that way.. we have always been happy together. We have had our fair share of arguments, blow-ups, and disappointments... but we have kept our vows and we love each other more than we have ever loved.

Someone else recently asked me if we were happier before we had children. She had read in an article that a certain percentage of people report they are not as happy with children as they were with children. Or that their overall happiness level was down. I asked Thomas later to see if he agreed with what I had to say to my friend. It was like he had read a script of our conversation. He said exactly the same things.. we were always happy together: but now we are a family. In every sense of the word, family! We both come from "broken homes" or "non-traditional homes" so this is for us OUR VERY OWN family. Whole. Healthy. and Loved.

Thomas Rose: I hope you know today that you are loved so much. I would never trade what I have for anything else in the world. I am honored to be your wife and to have this amazing family with you. Thank you Lord for blessing me with this unbelievable life with Thomas. Thank you for giving him life xx years ago. :) And thank you for giving him to me for the rest of our lives!!!

Happy Birthday BABY!

Jazzy and her quirkiness...

2011-08-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Jazzy is 20 months now... but these pictures are from her 18 month old check-up. I thought they were too cute not to share even though I'm way late.

But first, let me give you some updates on Jazzy and her quirkiness. She is starting to talk so much. Actually, this week she is becoming a parrot and she repeats everything I say even if I'm not talking to her. She knows where her eyes, nose, hair, face, mouth, feet, and tummy are. She also points at her shirt and says "shirt." She says some sentences that usually include: I want eat, I dropped it, I want daddy, I want night-night, and much more.

A few nights ago, I was trying to work on the computer and Jrew was having a hard time going to sleep. So, I let him lay down next to me while I worked. A few minutes after we settled in, I thought I heard the doorknob jiggle.. and I looked up but didn't see anything. So, a few minutes later, I heard something else in the hallway. I thought maybe Thomas was home so I said "THOMAS?" and I heard "mama".

Jazzy had gotten out of her crib and was coming to get me. I was freaking out.. how in the world did she get out of her crib. But, sure enough... she can get out on her on. I took her down to the room (which I'm trying to refer to as the kids room for Jrew's sake and not baby room.). Anyway, she was able to get up to the top of the crib railing in probably less than 30 seconds. Of course, I stopped her before she could get out completely. But last night I again found her getting out of her crib just before she dropped down to the floor. I may have to put a bunch of pillows there until we are able to get the conversion kit that turns her bed into a toddler bed. Wow... what fun!

Enjoy the pictures... I took them while we were waiting for the doctor. She's just toooo cute!!!

Jrew's birthday

2011-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Jrew turned 3! He is (obviously) so very cute. He loves to sing. His current selection is the veggie tales theme song. He can't always remember the words, so he is singing "broccoli, broccoli" over and over again.

He talks a lot! (like his mama). He loves people and loves to give hugs. He is so compassionate and is always concerned for others. Last night, we were wondering where he was when we were walking out of a restaurant to our car and realized he was holding the door for people. :)

He is a fabulous little guy. He loves being a "brudder" and adores Jazzy most of the time. Other times, he is heartbroken because he "steals" his food, his drink, and sometimes his whole plate.

Jrew has a funny sense of humor. Here are two examples:

Last week, while we were driving to church, out of the blue Jrew said "I'll blow your house up." I queried "What?" and at the convenience of a stoplight, I turned to look at him. He just blew a puff of air at me and smiled. I laughed so hard and then I asked him where he had heard the story of the Three Little Pigs (because he didn't hear it from me). He said "Goldilocks."

Over the summer, sometimes Jrew would lay in bed beside me to fall asleep while I read. One night, he reached over and grabbed at my page while making a crunching sound. He smiled and said "I ate your letter. Do you want it back?"

I will update about Jazzy in a little bit. I am so far behind, I thought I'd at least start with Jrew's birthday. Enjoy!

New photos!

2011-05-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

New photos of Jazzy and Jrew! Click here!

A few notes about the kids...

Jazzy is 17 (going on 18) months old. She is so precious. She is learning new words fast and babbles all the time. She has said "my milk" and "I want some". She also said (believe it or not) "I can't reach it" when she was trying to get Jrew's toothbrush down from the sink. It was more like "I tant teach it"

Jrew is a spitfire, just like Jazzy. Jrew is very close to being ready for big boy underwear and ditching the pull-ups. I think by summer's end it will be official. Jrew loves to read, knows all of his letters, and picks up song lyrics like they were made of sugar. After reading a story to him, he said "Please read this to me." and when I said "not now, mommy's tired" and he teared up and said "I can't read!". Of course, that woke me right up. Who else should teach him? ME! ME!

So, camp starts for us in about 1 week. I can't tell you how many loads of laundry I have waiting on me to organize. By the time I get them folded, it will be time to wash them again and pack for camp. :) Love that cycle.

I may be going to 1st or 2nd grade next year and I am so excited!!! It will hopefully be official next week. Rooting for 1st!!

Hope you all enjoy the pics. Look for another update soon during camp!

Love, The Roses

Jazzy and Jrew showing off.

2011-04-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an attempt to upload a few videos for you all to see. They usually take forever to load. Here goes...

Growing Up

2011-04-18T20:38:00.003-07:00

Here are a few pics of the kids. They are growing up, yes. But we are enjoying every minute of it!

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Sadly, Granddaddy Rose parted this life on Thursday, April 7, 2011. His memoriam can be read here. Before he passed, he mentioned that his favorite hymn was How Great Thou Art.

And truly, we thank thee Father for peace. How Great You Are!

Jacob's Ladder

2011-04-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

From left to right: Baby Thomas Jerome Rose IV (Jrew), Thomas Jerome Rose III (Jay),

Thomas Jerome Rose II (Ron), and Thomas Orie Rose I.

Words cannot truly express how grateful Thomas and I were to have some special time with Granddaddy yesterday evening. After returning from dinner, we found ourselves in his room with no distractions. Some cousins had taken the kids to the complimentary playroom that the Hospice Center offers. It was just me, “Jay”, and Granddaddy Thomas. You should know that Thomas is referred to as Jay in the Rose family. Since Granddaddy is the first Thomas Rose in the family, he gets to use the name rightfully so.

Often during these two days, Granddaddy wakes and talks to those of us in the room. Some of what he says is incoherent, confusing, and doesn’t quite make sense. Other times, he says things you would normally expect from someone who is tired of being in a hospital. “Get me out of here” “Take me home”. He usually lifts his head a few inches off the pillow only to lay it right back down. He is so weak and in much pain so he keeps his legs curled up toward his chest and keeps his eyes closed sometimes when he talks.

As he began to talk, we slowly began to understand some of what he was explaining to us. He was talking about making choices and that some choose to the right thing and others choose to the wrong thing. He referred to the Bible once or twice and began leading into an interesting conversation about Aladdin. (This part was confusing). He then said “That’s why I’m here. I’m sick because I chose to do the wrong thing.” I couldn’t believe he had truly said that. I of course told him that wasn’t true. He was sick but it was not a punishment from God by any means. Thomas began to talk to him about forgiveness and told Granddaddy that it was his faith that Thomas had looked up to as a child. The fact that Granddaddy is a believer and ready for a better place is no secret. He is a faithful man who has lived a life as so. He agreed with Thomas and started to talk some again.

Soon he began to talk about Jacob’s ladder in the Bible. He talked about where it was in the Bible and so Thomas took Granddaddy’s Bible off the shelf nearby and found the reference. Genesis 28. Thomas asked me to read the chapter aloud and I gladly accepted the honor. I began to read aloud the story of Jacob and Esau. Pretty quickly, the scripture begin to describe a dream that Jacob had.

He dreamed of a ladder. At the top of the ladder was the Heavenly Father and angels were going up and down the ladder. He spoke to Jacob and said he would bless Jacob and his descendants and would grant them the ground on which he was sleeping. God even says “I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.”

When Jacob awoke, he proclaimed that God was “in this very place” and was awestruck. He declared “This is God’s House” and “This is the Gate of Heaven.” Jacob vowed to God that he will be faithful and he will return a tenth of all that he is given back to God.”

Through tears I read the story and tried hard not to weep too loudly. I certainly don’t want Granddaddy to be saddened. However, it was a very sweet and holy moment. It felt as if Granddaddy knew he is near the end of life. Of course, Granddaddy is 82 and knows that his time on earth is nearing the finish line. However, just how soon the Father will choose to take him home no one knows.

From this conversation, we can rest in the truth that Granddaddy knows his maker. He is endeared to God and his family is (like Jacob) blessed. He has many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to be spoken for. I am not born into the Rose family, but I also like to think of Granddaddy as my own flesh and blood.

Thomas Rose I is a man of faith, love, truth, honor, courage, bravery, and uprightness. He has lived an example of these in every sense and loves the Lord with all of his heart. He desires to do right by the Savior and prays for his descendants to also believe with a full heart. When the Father chooses to reunite Granddaddy with his beloved wife Sarah, we will truly be saddened and broken for the loss of such an amazing man. However, we may rejoice in knowing that he is with his loved ones that have “gone on before him.” He will no longer be in pain. He will regain the youthful and strong body that he once owned. Walking and playing the organ (some of his favorite things to do) will be but a glance into the glorious life he looks forward to.

He will be with Jesus. The One who gave His life for all. A ransom for us to redeem us from our sinful state so that we may be rejoined with the Holy Father as He created us to be.

May we all take the advice of this man and choose to live a forthright and faithful life. May we choose to make the right choices and to follow God’s commands. May you know the love of God and may you truly grasp how wide, how high, how long, and how deep the love of Christ is. (Ephesians 3:14-21). And may we trust in the Father’s love and strength to help us through the days ahead.

We pray now for peace with the future. We also trust that God can perform miracles and healing. He is not ruled by time, tradition, law, or popularity. He is our Father and He is faithful to answer us when we pursue Him.

Pictures!

2011-02-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had a gorgeous Saturday. So, I was delighted to pick up some lunch and take the kids to the park. Thomas met us there later and we had a great day. I did discover that taking pictures of your two toddlers at the park while also keeping them from running into the street or running into strangers is a difficult task. So, the pictures are somewhat deceiving.. making it seem as if my kids just pose for every picture with ease - when they are mere split seconds of stillness amidst the chaos and pure bliss of playing in a park on a warm day.

If you come to Nashville, this park is a must-see and they hosts MANY festivals and events all year long. This was an ordinary day, however, this plane is always on display. Jrew loved it!

Jazzy is learning how to pose for pictures. :)

In this group of photos, Jrew is standing on an old train. This train is from the 1930's and I'm sure it has some other fancy history story, but I don't remember at this moment. Ha.

I love this picture of them with their hands held - even if I did cut off their heads.

She looks like she's getting ready to play football.

The above look is a classic one that Jrew has inherited from his father.
His father makes it classic I guess, and Jrew is taking on the role here.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

I am truly thankful to God for my amazing husband and our sweet babies. We had a great day today and are simply loved by the King. We pray for each of you at night and pray that you are blessed and well. This Valentines day, I wrote a song for Thomas. Go to www.sarinphoto.com/dita/ to hear the song. My friend Sarin and his wife Rebeckah helped me record it secretly when Thomas wasn't around. :)

Updates:
Jrew: talking like crazy. loves Dora, Elmo, Blues Clues, and Sid the Science Kid. Just said to Thomas "Don't pick your nose." He loves his friends at school. He knows almost all of the letters of the alphabet and can count almost to twenty. (He occasionally skips 13, 14, 15, and 16). He is trying to remember to tell us when he needs to potty but he hasn't totally bought into the program. He is really good at puzzles and knows a lot of shapes including octagon!

Jazz: learning to say words. Likes to say "Thank you, love you, and bye". She eats twice as much as Jrew and is just as busy and hyper as he is. they love to wrestle and play chase with each other. She is precious beyond imagination and loves to be held and LOVES to snuggle. I love that too, except when I'm cooking. She literally wraps her little monkey self around my leg and refuses to let go until I pick her up. She is lovely and wakes up happy every morning. She goes to bed swiftly at 7:30 and if we miss her bedtime, she starts yawning and rubbing her eyes quite a bit. She will get fussy and sad but if she's still up say 8:30 or so, she'll totally wind back up into play mode with Jrew. She is so easy to put to bed. I just lay her down, cover her up, say night night and leave the room. In fact, she can't go to sleep if others are in the room. It drives her crazy.

That is all for now. Love you all.
The Roses

December 2 of 2

2011-01-10T18:40:00.001-08:00

If you are reading this post, be sure to scroll down to see my last post with more pictures from December, including Jazzy's birthday party!

Below is us with Thomas's grandmother.

She is as sweet as sugar...

Beautiful Charleston

Below: A series of pics from Jrew and his cousin Charlie playing:

They're hair twins.

So, this picture is cousins and they are Baby Zachary, Brianna, Shawn, Kirsten, and Lexie. Click here to read the amazing story of Kirsten and

why we celebrated a family reunited this Christmas!

Below is Zachary with Uncle Alton and Jrew

Here is Jazzy with Grandmommy

December Pics 1 of 2

2011-01-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from December. These are almost all from Jazzy's birthday. My parents came to Nashville to celebrate Jazzy turning 1 and so there are some pics from their visit as well. This is truly 1 of 2 posts as the second post will be posted tonight as well. Enjoy. Note: Captions are at the top of each photo.

One shot of the snow... more to see in my next post.

Too hilarious not to post... This is another baby's b-day party where Jazzy tries to kiss and snuggle the little baby. He doesn't look little but he's 8 months.

Jazzy and mommy at Jazzy's party.

Jazzy and Katie :)

Our sweet friend Ava, Mommy, and Jazzy

Jrew and Katie

I loved making Jazzy's birthday cake starring Snow White. So much fun.

Funny pic of Jazzy but so cute of daddy and Jazzy

This is Papa Mike and Mia. We took a stroll through the

Opryland Hotel for the Christmas scenery.

Jrew just wanted to hug this huge teddy bear.

Unfortunately, we didn't have room to bring him home with us.

Jrew and his photogenic hair while looking at Christmas trees.

However, Home Depot ended up being our Christmas tree supplier this year.

VIDEOS!!!

2010-11-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some cute videos. Enjoy! I'll add a few more tomorrow.

Part 2: Chattanooga CHildren's Museum

2010-11-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we decided to take a trip to Chattanooga. It was my Fall Break and it's only a 2 hour drive. We ended up going to the Children's Museum and loved every minute/hour of it. We stayed there for over 3 hours!! It's really not a museum and thus it's not actually named a museum but a Children's discovery center. Imagine a place where you can touch anything and everything you see. You can play in water, make a mess, paint on your own face, run like a wild chicken, and bang on an instrument without getting yelled at.

So, here goes. The pictures are out of order because blogspot automatically reverses the order... grrr. I'll try to narrate your virtual trip. :)

This is an arch made of big soft blocks. It was collapsed when we found it

and Thomas (with his long arms) put it back together.

This was on the roof. This is a swing based on a pulley system.

Thomas was holding Jrew up. :)

Playing in bubbles on the roof.

Getting crafty with daddy.

They had a room setup like a stage with a sound board and everything.

Jrew is running sound...

For Jazzy's dramatic performance in red.

Makin music with Jazzy and Jrew

A harp sized just for Jrew!

This awesome set up had 8-10 instrument Look-alikes with buttons on each of them. If you could hold down the buttons, they would each play a different part of the song. For example, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star was a favorite. Soooo much fun! Jrew is standing outside of the stroller, but it looks like I made him stay in it. BUT I didn't.

Playing the pipes.. with the soles of flip flops.

Playing Catch Up: Part 1

2010-10-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

So here is Part 1 of my catch up game I will be playing for a few weeks now. I wanted to try to get up some pictures for you to see before heading to bed tonight. Here are a just a few of the babies. Some of them are from the Chattanooga Children's Museum, which was awesome. We spent 3 hours there and Jrew was so sad to leave!

UPDATES:

Jrew- talking so much. Says full sentences that start with "This is..." "How you doing?" "What's wrong" and "Don't cry". He loves his books and is learning his colors. He knows almost all of them already and is learning how to count objects now. He will usually count say the dogs in a picture and then repeat "3 dogs" when he's finished counting. So cute. He asked the other night for "Daddy put Jrew to bed." He loves Jazzy and is very tolerant of her shenanigans. :)

Jazzy- almost walking. loves to babble, smack her lips, makes a clicking with her tongue, into everything, and loves to eat. She doesn't have even ONE tooth yet but loves crackers, mushy food, bananas, and biscuits. Her and Jrew can put away some pancakes! Jazzy can say mama, dada (sometimes), and bye-bye. She can also blow kisses and wave hi/bye. She has a high-pitched laugh and I am afraid she is destined to have a high-pitched voice like myself. BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! :)

Have fun with the pics. Look for more in a few days!

Quick note about the following pic: Jrew pulled ALL of the clothes of this drawer and climbed inside. He knows he is so funny!

Updates

2010-09-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry there are no picture attached to this update. However, for my own journaling purposes, here are some updates about Jrew and Jazz.

Jrew is picking up many full sentences now including: What is it? Who's that? Where is it? I found it. I dropped my... I found my... He is quick to apologize and does so way too often. He will usually say Sorry Mama 5-10 times before moving on. I hate it. It makes me feel so guilty and so I sought out the advice of a friend. The advice was this: continue to give tons of positive attention throughout the day, acknowledge the first sorry, but ignore the rest. I guess I don't need to tell you how hard this is. I just want to hug him every time and remind him that "It's alright". Sometimes, he says sorry for no reason at all.

He's a sweet boy. He is very empathetic and his preschool teacher said he is always ready to help others kids feel better if they are crying when their parents leave. He shares and listens well at school - apparently we are doing something wrong at home. Just kidding. He loves the word NO! but usually responds to correction with "yes ma'am".

Jazz is standing up more often now. She is on the verge of taking steps between objects like the ottoman and the couch, etc... She looks as if she's going to attempt the step, but changes her mind quickly to a crawl. She did step forward with one foot yesterday in an attempt to let go of me and move to the couch. She is a wild one. She loves to growl at you and LOVES to play rough. She rolls on the floor with Jrew all the time. She also loves to pull his hair to which he replies with "Oh Jazzy". :) He couldn't get any sweeter.

Jazz is saying Mama, Bye-bye, and Hi. She also says Dada sometimes. She loves to babble. She is eating some table food. Her dinner a few nights ago included soft green beans, bread, and a vienna sausage. She also loves bananas, crackers, and graham crackers. She is not too good at the sippy cup but loves it very much. She is also doing well transitioning to formula during the day when I'm at work! So sad to know she doesn't really NEED me anymore.

I must go. I guess I have to teach something today. :)

Jazz: 8 months going on teenager...

2010-08-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

Jazz is now 8 months old and it's about high time I write a blog all about her and her "awesomeness"! She is truly a sweet darling and I officially named her my sugar bug. I absolutely love holding her, kissing her sweet face, and seeing her light up. Here are some funny and amazing things about her personality and tricks! :)

Jazz has done everything early. She was rolling over both ways by 4 months, sitting up at 5 months, crawling at 6 months, pulling up at 7 months, and now she's starting to cruise around the ottoman in the living room! Unbelievable is what she is! She definitely aims to keep up with Big Brother Jrew - crawling from one room to the other in order to be with him. She also follows me from room to room just because she likes company. :)

She has recently started making this growling sound while smiling, and it is quite funny. When Thomas makes the same sound to her, she jumps every single time: it startles her.

Jazz is a very good napper and very good sleeper. She goes to sleep for the most part on her own. I just give her a paci & blanket and she is good to go. However, if she hears noises like Jrew playing or me talking, she's more inclined to stand up in her crib and play. She is so good at going to sleep on her own it's shocking. Jrew was not like that. He wanted to be held nonstop. She is a busy body and cannot sit still. She'd rather roll around in her crib until she's asleep than for me to restrict her. So when I do get to hold her when she is sleeping, I cherish it and kiss her every second. Those are some of the sweetest moments of my life!

So here are some pics of Jazz and her beautiful face. I would also like to point out that her hair has been curly since 4 months although Jrew's hair didn't start curling up until 8 months or so. Her hair has even grown so much in the past few months that I am starting to fret over how thick it's going to be. :) If I put her hair up in a pony tail, it makes one tiny thick curl - which Thomas said made her look like a sumo-wrestler. Funny, it was half-true. But my baby is not a sumo-wrestler - she's a princess. AND Jrew has started calling her that. He will say "Hey Princess" in a sweet high-pitched voice: just like mommy!

Wait no more! Here are some sweet photos of Jazz over the past 3 months!

Jrew - "You too would look mean to if you were stuck in a stroller in 100 degree heat." Jazz - Isn't she gorgeous?

Straight chillin' like her daddy. She's already learning to be gangsta'

There's that sly grin I see so often. Such a ham.

My sister Amanda graduated high school. We had a good time watching the ceremony from outside the fenced football field b/c we got there on time but I stayed a few extra minutes to feed Jazz in the car. They ultimately locked the gates and refused to let anyone in! Again, it was an outdoor ceremony!!! That is why Jazz look unhappy I assure you.

These two are so close. They are constantly rolling around on the floor wrestling each other. I mean, hugging each other. :)

Summer 2010

2010-06-22T20:50:00.001-07:00

2010-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Explanation of the above picture: Jrew so kindly put his bath animals in front of the glass door so they could enjoy the sunshine and look out on the world. :)

Oh yeah.... another explanation of the above picture: Jrew's experiment... fun huh?

Updates:

Jazz - is scooting on tummy, rocking back and forth on knees, sitting up, laughing, smiling, reaching for mama & toys, and patient with big Brother Jrew.

Jrew - starting to mimic/copy everything we say. Usually says "I see it" when he sees something familiar. He also prays every night by copying what I say. So sweet. Loves music as always: picking up rhythm on the drums, "reading" books, singing, and generally being a comedian 99% of the time.

Snooze

2010-05-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

As you all know by now, Nashville experienced a terrible and monumental flood just under a month ago. It was a very sudden and extreme event that took everyone by surprise.

Just after 3:00 in the afternoon, I was saying good bye to my friend Trae (who had just finished cutting my hair). She closed down the shop and we parted ways with a slight comment about how heavy the rain was coming down. Within several minutes of driving away, I hit a patch of traffic. I had planned to stop at Wal-Mart to get a few things (like Shampoo because I was completely out) and some baby items. Having grown accustomed to the traffic in Nashville, I didn't think much about the waiting. I did notice a house next to the road which was slightly lower in level. The entire yard was flooded and the people were wading through the water to get into the house. Not sure why everyone was in the yard, but assuming everything was fine, I kept driving... not looking too far ahead and not realizing what was really going on. SNOOZE

Moments later, I found myself facing a flooded road. Several people ahead of me had made it through the water, so I thought I could too. I did... but halfway through I realized I was in deep, so to speak, and was just hoping I wouldn't get stuck.

Took a left turn to head to Wally World, my ultimate desired destination but ran into another flooded road. Again, thinking.. I can make it. And yes, I made it again, but now I was very afraid. Trae called to be sure I was safe and she too had ran into road blocks. She turned around to go a new route on 24 East and I took 24 West to head to my house. I actually drove quite cautiously and arrived home in a surprising 30 minutes. NOTE: I drove 24 West and passed several exits including Briley Parkway. Nearly a half hour later, the news was reporting that exit as being flooded and video proved it was completely underwater and impassable. Oh, the hand of God was upon my car and my path... I am certain of that.

It wasn't long before I heard from Trae again... she was trapped on 24 East just before Bell Road. If you haven't watched the news or heard, this was one of the worst trouble spots and someone actually lost their life after getting stuck in the flash flood at this exit. Trae sat for many many hours scared to death. We also lost contact for about 30 minutes and were fearing for the worst. Trae had just told me earlier that day "I can't swim.". SNOOZE

No one wants to face difficulty and this was a difficult situation. I can't tell you how scary it was to watch the flash flooding live on tv while my friend sat helplessly waiting for something. In that part of the interstate, there is no median- only a wall. And no one was turning around. But, an angel in disguise, a government vehicle, advised her to follow him. They turned around on the emergency lane and drove back to the prior exit. It was there she waited until Thomas was able to get to her and lead her home. Of course, this took hours due to the re-routing constantly to avoid flooded roads.

The Point: The floods were worse than any one person or any one place could have perceived until it was all over - days later. It wasn't until Monday that it began to sink in: tragedy, disaster, emergency, desperation, nothingness. All of this was sinking in. We drove out one evening to eat dinner and were amazed to see firsthand what we had seen on our screen. It was more than devastating, it was beyond words. SNOOZE

I asked Thomas if he thought our basement was okay. Many friends had more than a foot of water in their basement and they were having to use sump pumps and good ol' buckets to remove the water. It was a grueling process I am sure. Assured we were okay, I "double-checked" just to "be sure". SNOOZE: PLEASE LET ME SNOOZE NOW

And immediately I saw the water line on the wall leading into the basement. You could even see the "river" path in the yard leading to the basement door. New Note: our basement floor is all dirt and most walls are dirt... a muddy mess was waiting on us.

Thus ensued Thomas tracking through the mud and removing many, many boxes of photos, memorabilia, books, cds, tapes (yes I said tapes), and other "stuff". It was oddly exhausting to separate every single photo to dry in the sun. It was also oddly nostalgic to see pictures from college and even high school. Pre- "Thomas&Dita". But then, the saddest loss I would experience would be considered ridiculously silly and insignificant in light of what others had lost through the rushing waters.

Thomas retrieved a chest I had been saving since I was probably 13 years old. It contained so many memories. Letters from my mother as she struggled to put her life back together, letters from my grandmother who cared so deeply that I would focus on school/college, letters from my best friend from Junior High School after I moved 1,000 miles away for high school. Snooze...

porcelain dolls, my first Barbie (I bought her with my own birthday money when I was 8 and she cost about $9.) my report cards from 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade. certificates from Bible School. my high school diploma. letters to/from Thomas when we first fell in love. graduation cap and gown from HS & College. The list goes on and on.

The sun was so bright and warm that day. It was almost blinding. I sat on the ground for much of that time sorting through which letters to salvage, which to throw away. I tried hard not to cry but kept finding myself mourning the loss of my things or at least the "condition" of my things.

One other thing I found was a snooze button. yes, a snooze button. When I was in college, I bought a little white alarm clock for my dorm room. It came with a "remote" snooze button that was attached to a 4-5 feet long cord which connected to the alarm clock console. It was a nice thing to have at first, but quickly became a hinderance. a wall. a disruption from a much needed structure/routine. It was eventually retired and stored in my chest. Not sure why it was there until now:

I stood in my yard holding the snooze button realizing I had been pushing snooze all weekend. Most of us had in some ways. No one wanted to really face the reality of what had happened. avoiding the basement. cooking dinner like normal while the news ran story after story of flash flooding that Saturday evening.

So, my story concludes. We are safe, healthy, and blessed. And many in Nashville are also safe but in desperate need of rebuilding, clothes, simple necessities like school uniforms and socks, and countless other items. Let us not keep hitting the snooze in life. Let us wake up: taste it all: bitter or sweet: good or bad: and let us not give up the faith.

Psalm 69:14-16 (New International Version)

¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

On the move... and more to come.

2010-05-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

So, here are a few quick videos of Jazz starting to crawl.. well I'm not sure how to classify it. but she is definitely on the move scooting on her tummy and pumping those legs! Jrew is a ham... he loves the camera. So, he makes a few appearances.

I will upload a new post very soon with a little coverage about the flood.

This video link is Jazz starting to scoot/crawl on her tummy.

This video link is Jrew laughing hysterically, in case you missed it on the last post.

Still Alive and Kickin'

2010-03-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

and poopin' and cryin' and walkin' and runnin' and talkin' and learning how to sit up'in and workin' and eatin' and livin' and prayin' and thankin' God for Spring Break and warm weather headed our way!

It has been some busy days since I started back to work. It's unbelievable how quickly the kids are growing. Both of them are doing new things every day. I just want to do nothing but hold them, kiss them, and squeeze them when I get home from work. I love it. Jrew always greets me with the sweetest of smiles and usually with two or three new words. Jazzy is ready to eat when I walk through the door and simply must have her way. The Lord has blessed us indeed.

Jrew can now say so many words it would be crazy to mention them all. But, he is also starting to say phrases sometimes. A few days ago he wanted something I had and I put it away - he begged me to have it and said "I ona hold it". It wasn't quite so defined but that is exactly what he said, TWICE. Of course I didn't let him hold it because I believe it was a pair of nail scissors. He laughs all the time and truly thinks he was born to ENTERTAIN. Of course he was. That is what he does 24/7 - Scratch that - 23.5/7. He does spend some of his time throwing temper tantrums when I a) don't let him stay in the laundry room without me b) make him leave the bathroom and close the door c) close the refrigerator door without letting him play in there and a host of other reasons.

The newest words to make their appearance in Jrew's vocabulary have come from overhearing me and Thomas. UT-OH. As Thomas said, "I can't believe we're in the spelling stages now." We have definitely go to watch what we say. Now you know us very well probably, and we do not use fowl language. But words that seem harmless to us certainly do not belong in Jrew's world of language. He recently picked up "Oh shoot" and "Oh my goodness". I must admit it is very funny to hear him. He also says "love you" and "night-night".

Jrew is also sleeping in his big boy bed now. We have officially been doing this for about 2 1/2 weeks now!!!!

Jazz is a sweetheart. She is doing so well holding up her head, she started sitting up in the bumbo this week. If you don't know, a bumbo is a small chair for infants that basically wraps around their little body and legs to help teach them how to sit up. She does so well in it, I just can't believe it. She's doing this probably a whole month sooner than I would've expected. She is growing out of the crying incessantly stage and is becoming very alert and aware of her surroundings. She is starting to notice Jrew and he is loving it. He leans down and says "Jazz". He talks to her all the time. Tonight, he and I were trying to teach her how to laugh... That was so much fun.

Jazz is nursing well. She had a very difficult time taking the bottle when I first went back to work but is doing fine now. One day I thought I would have a fit because she had only drank 2 ounces of milk the entire day! She's up to normal now. Drinking between 4-5 ounces each feeding! I can't believe she's outgrowing clothes like a weed. She is starting to wear some of her new and hand me down clothes in the closet. What a cutie. She smiles all the time now and I can't wait for her to pick up giggling.

I must go to bed now. I will try to update more often and with more pictures. We are making plans to go to a local park this week "Dinosaur Park". I've been told to bring my camera and Jrew will love it. So, look for that post soon! It has been a bit tough lately but we are so blessed beyond words. We are so thankful God is faithful each day and his provisions are neverending.

The above picture is Jrew playing with these very large sunglasses - Baliwood Style!

Let's just compare: This is Jrew at 12 weeks above and Jazz at 12 weeks below. They are definitely brother and sister. But she is definitely a princess! :)

New pics and videos...

2010-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

It has snowed quite a bit in Nashville. It's very pretty and it's been kind of nice to be locked in the house together as a family; watching movies, eating snacks, sleeping in, etc...

Anyway, here are some pics from our venture out yesterday.

Here is our 6 week check-up. 9 lbs. 9 oz. !!

Baby Contest Pictures

2010-01-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

So, my friend Megan has alerted me to a Beautiful Baby contest that Regis and Kelly are sponsoring. The deadline is Jan. 29 and I think you can only submit one photo. It doesn't really say you're limited to one photo, but it says that to submit a photo. One of the rules is that the picture must have been taken within the last month and cannot be professional. So, all the pics we had done at Christmas are out because Jonathan took them and he is a professional photographer.. on the side and not his full time job.. but still...

So, I gathered some photos I took at home and I also took a ton of pictures today. I actually took both kids to the park by myself... with the help of my double stroller. It was soooo nice to get out in the fresh air and since I went to a park that is not very busy but very wide open, I thought I'd take a bunch of pictures of Jrew to see what we could come up with.

So, look at these and see if you think we have a shot. Pick the one you think I should submit and (hopefully) vote for it. If you think I should keep taking pics and see what I come up with... I will. :) The picture number and caption are just above each photo.

Photo 1 -

Not really for voting - just so you can admire (along with me)

his incredible thick long eyelashes. Love this shot!

Photo 2 - No explanation needed - except I wish his eyes were open.

Photo 3

Cute, even though his smile isn't nearly as big as it is in these other photos.

I like how his hands are resting on his lap.

(obviously unplanned since I didn't have anyone there to

help me pose/prompt any of these pictures).

Photo 4

He's wildly excited about being free from the stroller in these shots!

Photo 5 - He looks amazing in this color blue! :)

Photo 6 - Warning: The resolution on this photo isn't really all that great.

May not make a good impression on the judges. :)

Photo 7 - Sweet shot - I asked Jrew to say cheese and he did... imagine that!

A Rich Man's Paradise

2010-01-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Some people have told us that we have a "rich man's house" now because we have a boy and a girl. Well, we are very far from rich, but we are truly blessed to have these sweet little bundles. I am merely updating this post to keep a record for my future self of all the incredible things Jrew is learning so quickly and how Jazz is doing at nearly 4 weeks old!

Baby girl is doing well. She slept last night from 12:30 am to 5:00 without waking! Sweet for me. I am hoping she will do the same again tonight.. then we can claim a pattern. She smiles sometimes in her sleep and I am definitely not rushing her to grow up any quicker. I can take my time to see her smile - and laugh and roll over and crawl and walk and talk and grow up. She is such a sweetie. She does not like to be wet (nobody does - come on) and she loves to snuggle. If she's awake, she pretty much wants you to hold her. She is nursing really well. Sorry if this is TMI - but she often tends to be a picky eater, unlatching and re-latching multiple times. This indeed makes a huge mess all over the two of us. I guess I could count that as a good problem.

Jrew has picked up many new words and understands way more than we ever thought he would at this age. I'm sure it's normal - but to us it's genius of course. So here are some anecdotes about Jrew from this week.

*Earlier this week, Jrew came into the living room and started poking around by the lamp (as always). He picked up a rolled up wet diaper and started walking out of the room. I decided to follow him to see what he was planning to do with it... he walked straight into his room, to the diaper pail, and patted on the lid for me to open it. The amazing part of this (to me) is that the diaper pail is behind his head when he's getting changed... so I'm not quite sure when he saw me put diapers in it... but he's very observant.

*He came into the bathroom with me one day last week (more TMI, but he's a toddler, right?) Anyway, he tried to hand me tissue and I said no thank you. He pulled off a piece and put it in his mouth - realizing how nasty it tasted he started spitting it out. I said "Jrew, don't eat that. Why don't you blow your nose?" - So, he put his bare hand up to his nose and blew. I laughed and said "No - use the tissue" and so he did. He put the tissue up to his nose and blew.

*Jrew knows and can demonstrate that he knows his face, hair, nose, mouth, eyes, and feet. He can now say many new words including apple, shoe, open, out, thank you, baby, and Jazz.

Now, here are random and stupid thoughts from me (I probably need more sleep). Again, more information that you may want to know but perhaps humorous enough to make it worthwhile. These are actual thoughts I would never - ever tweet... but I guess this is just as bad. Anyway - random thought #1 - If men did nurse babies and it was normal for them to do so - would people freak out if they saw a man nurse in public? Random thought #2 - it has been said to me before that women who do not have curly hair want it, and women who have curly hair do not want it. I do not count this true for me because I actually like my hair. But, I do think the same can be said for women who are top heavy. LOL

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

Let's just put it all in a list:

What I have done/ or what has been done in this household:

* Jazz pooped on dad's side of the bed (okay with me) but peed on my side (sheets must be

washed immediately).

*Jazz peed on the couch (slipcover must be washed or at least removed immediately)

*Jrew played in the bathroom trash. His hands were washed immediately.

*Within 60 seconds, Jrew put his hands in the toilet - I mean Jrew dipped toilet paper in the toilet using his bare hands. (his hands were washed immediately.)

*Thomas took a short trip to Kinkos - meanwhile both Jrew and Jazzlyn took turns crying/screaming until I put one down and tended to the other. (i.e. diapers changes, feeding Jazz)

*Had a very nice and pleasant dinner with our dear friends Rachel and Jason - Thank you Rachel for the invite and the delicious Christmas dinner.

*Thomas had to leave to tend to Christmas Ninjas - I must explain that in a different post. But a very good and self-less reason to be gone a few hour on Christmas Eve.

*Meanwhile - Jrew refuses to go to sleep unless I am holding him - while Jazz screams consistently because she wants to eat. So, I spent an hour (at least) going from one baby to the other - living room/kids room/living room/kids room. You get the picture. Jrew screamed for a solid 15 minutes while I nursed Jazz on one side. Then I went to rock Jrew and Jazz screamed until I gave in an came back. I nursed her on the other side while Jrew screamed his head off again...

*I finally ended up sitting/kneeing beside Jrew's crib to pat him on the back with Jazz in my arms for around 3 minutes when Jrew finally gave in and fell asleep.

WHAT I HAVEN"T DONE YET:

*I haven't wrapped one single present.

*I haven't cleaned one single dish.

*I haven't cooked one single thing for tomorrow's nutritional needs (except Rocky Road candy - can you live on that?)

*I haven't washed any sheets for my bed and this must be done or I cannot go to bed.

*I haven't washed anything else for that matter.

YET - with all of this undone I had to stop and write this post before it lost it's charm. And now I bid you farewell - good night.

Ho - Ho - Ho: Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Hopefully.

PS - Here is a very cute picture from today. Notice the blue "breakable" vases on the shelf: Jrew somehow managed to move one of them (base and lid) to the bottom shelf today when we found him about to search the insides of the vase) FUN!

Christmas with the Roses

2009-12-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a very joyous two weeks for us. We brought Jazzlyn Reed home from the hospital on Wednesday, December 9th and the rest of the month is flying by. She is such a joy and blessing. We are amazed every time we hold her at how gracious and amazing our God is.

She is a funky little goose. She has been more than a little mixed up with her schedule. Occasionally she has been wide awake at 3 am and basically sleeps all day long. It has definitely been a different dynamic with a toddler to keep up with too. It hasn't been horrific or anything near as traumatic as some people made it seem before she was born. Anyway, it's just different because Jrew is up in the early morning ready to go and I feel like I'm just about to fall asleep.

Thomas has really been amazing. He is very humble about it all but has basically done everything that needed to be done plus more. I will say I know that I am a very lucky lady to have married such an amazing man.

I have been feeling great, by the way. I have been dying to get out of the house so we had a friend come over and watch the "kids" for us Friday night. We went to a graduation party of a friend of ours and took a "short" visit to Wal-Mart for some Christmas gifts. It was an absolute delight to be out among the living. :)

Anyway, I will post again soon (maybe) with funny and amusing anecdotes from our labor and delivery story. But, for now, please enjoy these wonderful pictures our friend Jonathan took of the babies. He is amazing to say the least and takes just about all of our family pics - save for the ones our other amazing friend Sarin takes. What a blessing to know so many wonderful photographers!

From our house to yours - Merry Christmas!!!!

Pictures of the sweeties.

2009-12-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a slideshow of the babies. Enjoy!

Joy To the Roses, Jazzlyn has come.

2009-12-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

This morning we left for the hospital at 4:30, thanks to Johni Morgan rolling over to the crib, and all I can say is 7:34 am our sweet little baby girl, Jazzlyn Reed Rose, lit our world with her beautiful cries of life. She is 6 pounds and 10 ounces. thanks for your prayers and love. Dita will fill in the blanks later.
Thanks,
The Roses

Twinkle Twinkle

2009-11-29T17:23:00.001-08:00

Here is a video link to Jrew playing piano and singing to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So cute. :) He also sings Jesus Loves Me and Itsy Bitsy Spider. He just may have a winter concert in store for Christmas visitors. LOL

Growing Up!

2009-11-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Jrew is growing up faster than my eyes can take in. I am so happy to see him learning so much. He has learned so many words, although he uses them selectively. He has recently started to use some words more often than before such as Bye-Bye, Ball, Hello, Down, an attempt at Balloon, etc... He sometimes tries to imitate what we have said even if it doesn't come out as clear.

I've been trying to tell him to touch my belly and I say Baby. He will pat my tummy but I thought there was no way he was able to understand what I was saying... UNTIL he brought me a book to read to him at bedtime the other night. I was, like usual, reading part of it while he turned the pages way too fast. He stopped at a picture of a baby in a crib and pointed at the baby. He said something like bobo and pointed at the baby in the picture. THEN he turned around and pointed to my belly. I can't believe he did that... He's going to definitely be a great little brother. I am not worried one bit.

He also likes to climb. Climb everything. He climbs inside things, on things, and over things. He's definitely a stinker. Here are some rough pics from my phone where he climbed into a couple of things.

Here he is in the laundry. I was folding and

didn't even realize he had crawled inside the basket

until my clothes were being flung everywhere.

Here he is sitting in a small storage box that

holds his wooden train set that our dear friends

Aimee and Keith gave him. He doesn't quite know how to use it,

but he LOVES playing with the pieces. He especially loves the trains

because he can roll them on the floor.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to post more pics soon. Baby girl will soon be here! :)

Thankful

2009-11-16T06:16:00.001-08:00

This is a toilet in a public park my students went to for a field trip. NOW - aren't you thankful your toilet doesn't look like this?

WANTED for Larceny...

2009-11-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

So, I have to tell this story before it gets too old to tell. Two weekends ago we played at a church in Greenwood, SC. It's about an hour and a half from my dad and stepmom, so we went to see them on Friday night and Saturday. Note: They live in a fairly small town (Union, SC) where everyone knows everyone. Almost.

Fast forward to Thursday night. My stepmom calls me and seems a little awkward on the phone. Not normal. She asked us if we had gotten gas when we were there in Union. "Yes" Did we go to the Exxon on corner such and such.. "Yes" Did we get $46.02 worth of gas. "Thomas - did we..."I don't know."

Then she said, I was reading in the newspaper today and... (read story below)

Gas drive-off

Another larceny under investigation occurred just before 2 p.m. at the Exxon station at 101 North Duncan Bypass. The investigating officer was told by the victim a tall black male in a silver SUV had drove off without paying for $46.02 worth of gas. The vehicle, which turned out to be a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, had Tennessee plates. Officers searched for the vehicle but were unable to locate it.

So, Thomas and I started to breathe a little less easy as we tried to recall the events of Saturday. Yes, we got gas just before leaving town and we may have filled up all the way. Thomas even went inside and picked up some drinks for the trip. Did Thomas use his card? Yes. He slid it once... no gas... slid it a second time - gas tank turns on. Did we get a receipt? Not sure where it would be if we did. Therefore, we checked our bank account and found a $46 charge for an Exxon. No location listed. After a quick call to the bank, we were disappointed to learn the Exxon charge was for a Nashville Exxon and there were no charges from any Exxon's in Union. So, we assumed it must be us.

I was so afraid they would surely throw the book and whatever else they could find at us since it was a small town. However, Thomas called the following day and spoke to a gas station clerk. She said they completely understood and that the mistake occurred because the cashier turned the gas tank on when she noticed his card was not read. However, she failed to intercom and let him know - therefore, he was under the assumption that he had used his card and it had been accepted. Anyway, the good ending is that they let us pay over the phone and had no further requirements or inquiries. They also confirmed they had a license plate number and it was indeed ours!

The adventures with Thomas and Dita just keep rolling. Next adventure is planned - a quick yet easy birth in about 5 weeks. :) Woohooo...

All Things Jrew

2009-10-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this post is all about Jrew and his "toddler" like behavior he's been showing off lately. I just can't believe it sometimes... I stare at him as if he will magically appear as a small baby again in my arms. I dream of the moment when I saw his little face for the first time and how he smelled so heavenly. I wanted to kiss every piece of his little face and sleep with his cheeks as close to mine as they could get.

I love him so much. Unbelievable. 2 or 3 years ago, I might have said I understood the love between a parent and their child... or even a mother and her child. Yet, I had no clue to how much love one can hold in their heart. I pray for God to protect him 24 hours a day, 1440 minutes each day, 86,400 seconds a day! I pray that he will grow up in the knowledge of God and will love people like Jesus did when he walked this earth. I am so richly blessed.

As baby girl makes her way into this world in 8 weeks, I know that God is preparing Jrew to be a sweet brother filled with love for her. He loves the babies at daycare, can't get enough hugs, and can't give out enough kisses... complete with the "MMMM-AHHH" sound. Such sweet kisses.

So, here below I have jotted a few things Jrew has been up to. I hope you enjoy reading about this inquisitive and amazing little boy.

* Earlier this week, I went to pick up Jrew from the CDC (Child Development Center). The teachers all but said he was a genius. Well, in their words they did say "He's a thinker" and that he was always impressing them with what he was doing. On this particular day, Jrew had three little ducks in his hands, along with the lid to a shape box. The lid had four holes in it and Jrew had placed each duck in his own little hole. He would pick them all up again and put them back again. As a teacher I think: "One to one correspondence!" That's a Kindergarten skill. Heehee.

* Jrew found my computer cable the other day on the couch rolled up. He decided to carry it around the living room with him and took it over to the electrical outlet. Even though he tried very stubbornly to get (correct end of the cord I must say) the cable plugged into the wall, he realized it was plugged up already with safety plugs. He proceeded to begin picking at it with his finger on the side and was desperately and smartly trying to get it unplugged from the wall. I stopped him but who knows how long it may have taken him before he would have had that safety plug out. Seriously.

* Jrew can now point to his nose and eyes. I ask him to show me where his nose is and he points to his nose, then goes directly to the eyes. So cute... he squeezes his eyes closed as he point to them with his finger.

* Jrew has a little fake cough he likes to try out every so often. He kind of clears his throat with a purposeful "eh-eh-eh". I smile and say "stop that faking" and he just laughs.

* He is a track runner people. He can run so fast. However, he is like a kid on roller skates because he doesn't always know how to stop with grace. He also thinks it's funny to bump his head on things... gently but then laughs for the smiles.

* He does not take a pacifier or even suck his thumb. He did this all on his own about 2 1/2 months ago. He just quit taking a pacifier and that was the end of that. I couldn't find one now if my life depended on it.

* Jrew will often pick out a book for us to read to him and bring it to us. Then, when you are reading it to him, he will point to each picture, animal, etc... in the scene and wait for you to tell him what it is. He quickly points to something new and waits again for the name.

* He hardly says any real words, although he will sometimes say words for a few days at a time and then chunk them out the window. I guess he's not interested. So, instead he babbles nonstop. He will even respond to questions with babble, and pretend to talk on the phone with babble. He can say hello but only if he playing "phone". Otherwise, you can forget it. He waves to people he really connects with, but never to strangers. Weird... he just will not wave. He will HOWEVER, blow a kiss to just about anyone.

* He is an imitator. He has a toy with a handle on top and when you push the handle, it plays music. Thomas was trying to get Jrew to come to the toy and play with it. Instead of leaning down, Thomas just pushed on it with his foot a few times. Jrew came quickly and immediately tried pushing the toy handle with his foot too. My, my, my.

* Jrew sleeps really well at night (for the most part) and goes to sleep pretty well. He had a rough week about 3 weeks ago, but now he goes to sleep without almost any rocking and no music.

* I'm out of energy. I'll think of more stories to share soon. I promise.

PS - Quick update on baby girl... I am 32 weeks measuring 29 as of a week ago. I go every two weeks to the doctor now. She is moving around so much, I think she must be a little stinker. I have had some different discomforts with her that I didn't have with Jrew. But, that's alright. She's worth it all.

Welcome to Fall!

2009-09-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, it has been insanely busy around here. It really feels like the second half of my pregnancy is flying by. So, now I am actually about 10 weeks away from my due date. Whoa... exciting but frightening as I am not technically ready (or my house rather) for a new baby. Emotionally though, we are sooo excited about meeting Baby Girl.

I wanted to update with some pics of Jrew! Also, one of the million things on our to-do list lately has been to get our CD released!! We had a CD release party last weekend and it went great. We are so happy to be finished with this year and a half project.

Anyway, here are some pics of the sweetie! Enjoy!

Walking, Talking, and Using Keys

2009-08-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

So, Jrew is officially a walker. I should've posted this like a week ago, but it took me awhile. Sorry, I'm a little slow. So, I've put three fun memories into one video.

Clip 1: Jrew walking into my messy kitchen and back into the living room. (The lighting turned down so it may look a little weird in spots).

Clip 2: Daddy and Me introducing Jrew to a slide. He wasn't too sure about that and ended up just hating it altogether. Even though daddy never took his hands off of him and mommy was standing right there too. Oh well, better luck another day.

Clip 3: Jrew has somehow figured out what a key is meant for. He plays with our keys all the time, but this time he decided to try them out on the door. Hilarious.. I have no idea how he knew to do that. But, he did first when I was at work and then again when I was home last night. Love my baby!!!!!

The video is too large, so again.. it is a link to You Tube. Enjoy.

Baby Jrew's Movie Debut

2009-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I started back to work last week and we have been in inservice meetings just about every single hour of the day. So, in preparation for Monday's meetings, the administration assigned each of us a topic to give a small presentation on Monday morning. My assignment: how our counselor teaches character education to our students along. How he teaches: he helps the kids make videos of skits they have made up that teach the current topic such as Being Responsible, etc.. So, with Thomas and Jrew's help, we created the following video. :) Enjoy! Following the short movie you will see a short video of Jrew walking!!!! Hopefully.

Here is a link to the video since it was too large to upload here.

Everything?

2009-08-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Psalm 56 -"God, you did everything you promised, and I'm thanking you with all my heart."

Yes. God did everything he promised in Matthew 6:30. He has provided food, shelter, safety, love, clothes, etc... for my family. He really has blessed us with everything we need. My problem today is this: do I need to be thankful for everything really? What happens if today I am not thankful for something. Something that helps provide for my family yet pulls me from my time with Jrew at the same time. In a day when many people are in search of a good job that will provide for their families, I should be thankful. I teach in a wonderful school, with amazing people! I should be happy right?

Honestly, as I pour out my little heart right now, I am having a hard time saying thanks for all of that. It was a tough day in my heart. The reason? It was just a busy day... filled with many good things for me too. A good day at work with my colleagues, a sweet visit with my friend Deanna as she helped me set up bulletin boards, and a night of worship with some awesome kids we have been privileged to work with at camp. However, the one good thing I missed out on today was meaningful time with my firstborn. I saw him, hugged him, loved on him, and ate dinner with him. Yet, I still had a very hard time letting go of him tonight as I lay him down to sleep. I think he felt the same way. So, we just rocked... for a long time. My sweet darling.

So, right now, I am praying for God to help me be thankful for today; for my job; for the amazing and talented teachers I work with; for the fact that my job is something I love to do; and for the fact that my son was safe with his father today. (who also had a long exhausting day). I must not feel sorry for myself, but instead see and know how much God has truly blessed me. I am thankful. I just needed to remind myself. I also do not want you to pity or feel sorry for me. I think I am doing exactly what God has for me to do right now. I am thankful for that.

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23

Baby Girl Rose and a 1 year check up

2009-08-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Baby Girl Rose. We do not have a name picked out yet, so you'll have to wait. In fact, you may have to wait until she's here before we burst that bubble. But I promise, we don't have a name yet. :)

Here are some pics of the baby girl. I drew in labels in case you have a hard time making out her little face and all. It is such a blessing that our doctor actually gives us 3-D pictures without charging extra!!

1 YEAR CHECK-UP!

Jrew had his 1 year check up yesterday. It went very well, except for the 5 minutes he cried (screamed) because he had to get two shots! Otherwise: Here are his measurements this far.

Weight: 22 pounds! (technically, 21 3/4)

Length: 29 inches

Here a few pics of him eating oatmeal for breakfast this morning... we're learning how to use a spoon! :)

Birthday Bash - I mean parties!

2009-08-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jrew is turning 1 in less than 14 hours now. This is unreal. Anyway, we had a celebration in Nashville last week with friends and a few short celebrations with our families this weekend. Here are some pictures to enjoy! :) BY THE WAY: Jrew is a walker now. Walking at least 10 steps tonight before falling down. :) Fun!

A quick note about the birthday cake! My sweet and darling friends Chrissy and Christy are both known for their birthday magic. From inventive games and decorations to amazing birthday cakes. So, I felt a little bit of a challenge rising up within me to create a homemade cake for Jrew. So, after pondering the plan for quite a few weeks, combined with many many hours of standing and rolling fondant... I was able to manage a square... to resemble a Building Block. Wow. I don't know about this next time. He may be getting the Publix special. :)

This small one looks bigger than it really was....

it was actually sitting on a square saucer.

Nevertheless, Jrew enjoyed at least some of it once

he figured out it was edible.

Another new thing: Learning

how to open presents.

He had lots of help!

We stripped him down and let him finger paint on the front porch.

I need to get a picture of the finished artwork

and I promise I'll try to remember to post that.

This is us with Thomas' father and mother.

Jrew is defnitely going to be spoiled

if we don't come home soon!!!!

And alas, another birthday cake with the family.

Sitting to my left is Baby Cousin Charlie,

Aunt Frenchie, and Aunt Mary Beth (Don't kill me MB).

Camp Life

2009-07-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I've been able to chat much here on this blog. However, we have been very busy at camp for quite a few weeks now. We are leading worship for an awesome camp called Barefoot Republic. We do absolutely love it. Although I can't say it's been too easy with a baby to keep up with.

The campus of Barefoot is brand new and we just officially launched our first summer on the new campus. It is a gorgeous place (way out in the middle of nowhere); close to Scottsville, Kentucky - the founding home of Dollar General. :) We hardly ever get a cell phone signal and there is one building where we can get internet. Most of the time when I am in this building, I have Jrew on my hip or at my feet. However, this sweet young man named Howard has really been a big brother to Jrew this week and is playing with him at the moment. Uh-oh- here comes Jrew right now.... must post quickly... whew... he's off to play again.

I have so many stories to tell and many posts to come next week. For now, here is an amazing pic my friend Kimmy took of Jrew and Daddy playing!! :)

Love you all.

Dita

I will upload and post pics sometime this weekend or early next week, I promise. I have a lot of posts sitting in the inbox in my head. :) So, I'll leave you with one picture of my sweet darling and daddy

First Steps

2009-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

This post is short... I am sorry. I just wanted to let everyone including our families know that Jrew took his first steps yesterday!!!!! He did it with me and then again later for Thomas. I am soooo proud of him. Now, here's a picture to celebrate. PS - More pics from our St. Louis trip coming soon! :) There's lions, and tigers, and bears... oh no!

My Sweet Darling is nearly 11 months!

2009-07-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is my brother, Jon. Jrew was able to meet him for the first time back in April!

This is Jrew and Papa Mike. My daddio! :)

Sorry, the pic is sideways.. kind of like my life story. LOL

My beautiful darling!

I call him "Sneaky-Poo". Not sure why....but he's my sweet sneaky.

2009-06-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Jrew's first ride on the carousel. My friend Megan took pics and she posted them on Facebook as well. However, some of you may not have seen them on Facebook. (like you mama)

So here they are: I love the sparkle and wonder in his eye. I don't think I'm even making up that part either. :)

Father's Day Smile

2009-06-21T21:23:00.001-07:00

More pics are coming... here is one from today! We printed it on a homemade card for daddy and traced Baby Jrew's hand. Rephrase: We traced Baby Jrew's wiggly hand. Enjoy! My baby is growing up soooo fast.

Did you know...

2009-06-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

* Jrew is very adept at pulling up and is beginning to try out cruising.
* Jrew is now saying "Dada", "Mama", "Hey" (sometimes), and "Ba Ba" (no meaning yet)
*Jrew is feeding himself a lot of finger foods including ham, cheese, and fruit.
* Jrew is going to be 10 months old in 3 days!
* Jrew is going to be a BIG BROTHER this December!!!!
Yes. You read that right. Surprise! We are so excited. We are due December 12, 2009. I am officially 13 weeks along tomorrow and OUT of my first trimester. CRAZY. I have had a wonderful experience so far. I'm obviously tired all of the time, but school is out for the summer now, so that should get better.
And just in case you're wondering... Yes, we did tell Jrew the good news too so he can be prepared.

Love to you all! :) A pic of our unborn sweetie to come soon! (When mama gets around to scanning it.)

Jrew is Successful with Stairs...

2009-05-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Yes. You read correctly. He has attempted them several times. This time, however, he was successful. Aiii-yii-yiiii!. See for yourself. My editing skills were slacking tonight, so be patient... climax is at the end!!!

Adventures with Jrew at 9 months

2009-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jrew is getting quite adept at his crawling skills. AND he isn't dragging himself, oh no! He's all up on hands and knees and discovering lots of mischievous things to do. He is pulling up on everything. He thinks he's hilarious and cracks himself up. So, here is a picture of him getting into a mess at Daycare. He likes the shelf and they say he gets in the shelf all the time. Here he climbed in, half in-half out, and fell asleep on a toy. What a stinker! :) Welcome to 9 months mommy.

Tribute to Mommyhood

2009-05-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day!!! Yeah! Okay, the first question people have asked me at work today is what did you do? Did you have a spa day? Blah, blah, blah. No. I had better. I got to take a 2 hour Sunday nap without worrying about the baby pulling up on toys and finding himself in dangerous positions or bopping his head on something. I also got to take a relaxing bath for like 30 minutes - AND my husband cleaned the tub for me to do so!!!! He also treated me to some pampering courtesy of Bath and Body Works. AND I laughed my bottom off for like an hour watching The Office in bed.

Now, for a tribute I've been saving for this very occasion. All the nicknames I have now dubbed myself since becoming a mommy on August 8, 2008!!!

Chicken Mama - You've heard me talk about this one. I can take a lot, but I can't stand to see my baby get blood drawn AND I didn't dare stay in the room when they clipped his tongue (He had a tongue tie)

Spit Mama - Yes. You probably are one too. So, let's move on. Please see my earlier post if you're confused.

NEW Dirty Mama - Okay, so it didn't take me two babies to figure out that I can't keep everything germ free. So, there have been a few times when I have given him back something that fell on the floor. Now, I do have my limits. I absolutely refuse to follow this pattern when in movie theaters and bathrooms. Gross.

NEW Slow Mama - Hey Mr. Man who wants to drive your truck 40 miles an hour past me in the parking lot - and hey Mrs Prim and Proper who's behind me in the line at Kroger - and Hey everybody - I am going to be slow! So, please find a way to get over it without rolling your eyes and huffing like a spoiled child. I have a lot to handle when I have a baby and a bazillion (an Mary Beth word) things to carry - so just slow down. I will vow this day to never feel stressed or anxious or upset when I am moving slower than the people who are bearing down on my neck. Instead, I will respond with a kind smile... (On the outside).

Happy Late Mother's Day to you all! :)

First Tooth

2009-05-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, Jrew has been fussy and finicky for a few days now. He hasn't really wanted to eat and he did have a fever one day. So, this morning, the mystery was revealed. He has his first tooth!!!! I can't get a picture of it, because he fights me like insane to keep me out of his mouth. The tooth isn't completely in, but it's pretty much there and has already broken through the skin. It is so strange to see a tooth in his mouth! :) On another note, he is also getting more adept at the crawling, pulling up, getting into a bunch of trouble phase. Fun... yet very exhausting. With that said, I may go to bed very shortly.

Baby Steps in Crawling!

2009-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

8 months old and almost crawling...

2009-04-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

Jrew turned 8 months old last week! Unbelievable... he is growing up so quickly. I can't say enough about him, I love him sooo much. I think having a child teaches you more about love than you ever thought you knew. He is amazing. Here is a run-down on my baby so far.

1. He is on the verge of crawling any day now. He rocks back and forth on his knees all the time. He's like addicted to it... he is constantly trying to get out of your arms so he can try it again.

2. He is saying "da-da" indiscriminately. Which means he doesn't really say "dada" to Thomas but is babbling those sounds!

3. He is eating ground chicken! Woo-hoo. Getting closer to "normal" people food.

4. Can eat graham crackers, Ritz crackers, saltine crackers, bananas in chunks, pancakes torn into pieces, and loves juice!!!

5. He is now known as the baby who kissed another baby in daycare and made the other baby cry. :) My sweetheart.

6. He is pulling up occasionally to play with his baby grand piano. I'm so proud.

7. Has made us the happiest parents in the world!

8. Didn't pose for any of these pictures, but my friend Chrissy is just really good behind the camera!!!

2009-03-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some amazing pics of my sweet baby. Thanks Chrissy!

Destined for Fame

2009-03-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

One of Jrew's teacher's took this video with her phone and sent it to me yesterday! What a sweet surprise while I was stuck in the middle of Progress Reports. Notice, that he is holding a tambourine and that he picks up a shaker. Listen carefully to his rhythm... definitely a genius.

A modern day parable: Has anyone seen my contact?

2009-03-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay. Quick... a freaky story that delayed our trip to Arkansas by at least an hour and a half!!! I have been wearing contacts for close to 15 years now and I have NEVER had this happen. I am sure at this point in the story you are thinking "Why is she blogging about a lost contact. We don't care about a lost contact."

Because, friends, I lost my contact in my eye! Behind my eyelid.... and it hurt! Thomas pulled over to a gas station where I tried in vain to remove the contact by flushing it with saline solution (bad idea) and rubbing on my eye with my fingers (also a bad idea). So, as I am standing next to the car frantic and crying b/c my eye was burning and Thomas is standing in front of me trying to coach and look up "what to do" on his iPhone, an Ambulance pulls up behind Thomas to get gas. I was able to retrieve like half of the contact - yes, it tore in half. A few minutes later I said "An EMS just pulled up" and Thomas said "Stop it." only to find out it was true.

It's a good thing we didn't have to pay that EMS driver for his advice (Although it did prove helpful). The solution: No one could help me... I would have to either keep flushing it with saline solution or wait until it found its way back down. UGH... The EMS guy gave me a glove and gauze and told me to stop touching my eye with my own fingers and not to rub b/c I could scratch my cornea. With that, he went back to pumping gas.

Thomas, finally, suggested that I go to the restroom and just flush my eye with water non-stop (info he found on his iPhone), so I did. MUCH BETTER TAHN THE SALINE SOLUTION - what was I thinking? Water didn't burn as much and felt refreshing. So, after only a few more minutes for water flushing - I was able to pull the other half out of my eye!!!!!

Moral of the story is: What once was lost, now is found. I was almost blind.. but now I see.

New Discoveries and Such

2009-03-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I know every mom thinks their kid is advanced... but mine really is. :) Here is what he is doing now, all (except sitting up - which is old news) of it in just the last two weeks!!! :)

1. Jrew will roll over onto his stomach in the crib and even moves when he's sleeping. (Ok - moving while you're sleeping is old news too and does not indicate an extraordinarily high IQ) BUT, he rolls all night long. He just rolls over from back to front like he's a professional and acts like he could care less about it during the day.

2. Jrew is waving hello!!!! He started with a wave of the arm and just within the last few days he has started twisting his hand to wave. :) Soooo cute.

3. He loves the piano!! I used to hold him when he was tiny and play with my right hand. Then I started sitting him up between my arms while I played. Two weeks ago, he started hopping on my lap when I played and would "leap" toward the keys! He put his hands on the keys but didn't know how to press them down. ONE WEEK AGO - he got it! He started slapping his hands down and realized he could make noise! HE loves it and so now I am (of course) in search for a baby/kid piano. Schoenhut makes them and one of them is approved for babies 6 months and up!!! :) Ok... if I can just find a really nice one that is used. :)

4. Jrew likes Graham Crackers!! Fun... and easy to keep some in the diaper bag at all times! :)

5. Jrew had to move up to Stage 2 on his Jumperoo!!! It was way too short for him and now he is just as happy as a little monkey.

That is all... Good night.

A Fleeting Spring WInd

2009-02-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

It was so warm a few weekends ago, that we decided to take Jrew to the park. It was little windy but it was so nice. Here are a few pictures. I really couldn't stop taking pictures of my darling cutie. We are so blessed.

This pic was taken when he was swinging, and I didn't know

he even looked at me until the pic was taken. Sneaky little thing.

Yes. He smiles alot!.

When he does this, I say he's "smokin' his paci".

However, he better not ever let me catch him smoking anything.

Just turn your head and don't complain. :)

This is Classic Jrew. Smiling through the paci.

These are the sweetest moments ever!

I truly believe, Jrew has a heart like his daddy.

Getting so much better at sitting up.

Almost an entire 5 minutes yesterday!

6 Months - Happy Half Birthday!

2009-02-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Jrew is 6 months old. He had his 6-month check-up yesterday. Here are the stats: 14 lbs and 1 oz. A little over 25 inches long. Jrew can officially start eating Stage 2 foods. Since I have started making his food at home, I am not completely sure what new foods this will involve. However, he doctor also recommended that we give him a Biter Biscuit, Graham Cracker, or Saltine to help him learn to self-feed. Isn't that crazy? So, he had a Biter Biscuit tonight and loved it!!! He had nastiest mess when he was nearly finished with the cookie and so I just threw the last little shred out and took him straight to the bathtub.

Last weekend we had a chance to go to the park. It wasn't Jrew's first time at the park, but it was our first official family outdoor activity. :) We had a picnic, watched lots of kids playing, and Jrew took a swing in one of those pocket swings. He loved it. The funniest part is that he made more noises and laughed out loud if we said "Weeeee" when he was swinging. I am going to upload a video and some pics of him tomorrow from the park! So, be patient my little friend in the Carolina's! BTW, I hope you are doing well and feeling better.

Love to you all.

Favorite Hobby: Reading

2009-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

Oh no, I'm not talking about my hobby. If I could have a hobby right now it'd be something revolving around sleep and having more time to clean my house.

No, no, no, this post is about Jrew's new hobby. You know it can get kinda' boring when you still haven't learned how to crawl or walk. And turning flips can get very old. So, Jrew has picked up reading.

Doo, dodop, dodoo.... just playing with my toes

while I'm reading one of my new favorite books.

Peek-A-Boo!

That was sooo last year!

2009-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Jrew thinks he is sooooo big. :)

Where'd my sweet potatoes go?

Now I look like mama, with my face stuffed with food.

Jrew got to meet my mom for the first time!

And she got to hold one of her grandchildren for the first time ever!

Jrew with his grandmother and great grandmother!

"All this kissin' and huggin' is wearing me out!"

Okay. This is my first opportunity to share a few Christmas photos and updates on Jrew. We had a wonderful Christmas. We visited family in Charleston, Greenville, Edisto Beach, and Spartanburg - South Carolina. It was a whirlwind of a trip and Jrew's little cheeks were dragging from all the kisses by the time we got back home.

He has made some incredible new developments and is as cute as ever. I can't believe he is actually 5 months old today!!! Jrew can now:

*Eat green beans, sweet peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and rice cereal.

*Scream frantically and buck his head backwards when he is out of SWEET POTATOES, his ultimate favorite.

*Turn over from back to front and front to back.

*Booty scoot backwards (on his back) when his feet can touch an object nearby.

*Go to sleep completely awake, turn over and cover his face, and sleep ALL night.

*Make a counter-clockwise and clockwise rotation while sleeping in his crib - only for me to find him "upside-down" in the morning.

*Laugh daily and flirt with every girl he comes near.

*Sit and play in a jumperoo or exersaucer.

*Sit in a Bumbo.

*Stand for a few seconds by only holding your hands.

Parking Lots and Such

2008-12-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

You never know how picky you can be about parking lots and other odd things (like right now my husband is making bubble sounds and singing Sleep Tight Little One in a fishy voice - not a sleepy time voice).

Anyway, if you know the person who designs parking lots, please ask them why they don't create your "Park here if you have a tiny baby in your car" spaces. And why aren't there parking lot police who can arrest those idiots who surge through the pedestrian walk way in front of the store - even though they saw you pushing a buggy with a baby + car seat all loaded up and it's raining outside. AND - why isn't there a nice man standing at the entrance of every Target and Walmart offering to valet park your car for free? And finally, why does it matter if I walk into the store on the OUT side of the IN side. Why can't I just enter the store on the blessed door that is closest to my parked car. One more thing, why doesn't every Wal-Mart and Target offer a nursing mothers room. All you have to do is offer a clean room with a door and a chair of some sort. In fact, shouldn't this be a norm at every mall too?

And now for some cute pictures: Jrew "made" a cute little reindeer with his little hands and feet in daycare yesterday. Here are a few pics of it.

Here is a picture of another baby's reindeer (Top left)

compared to Jrew's tiny one. :) He's one of the youngest babies in the class.

Here is Jrew's up close!

Here is the swet trea outside their classroom! :)

New Pictures

2008-12-11T13:54:00.001-08:00

We recently had our friend Jonathan do some amazing pictures of Jrew. Here is a preview. However, these are copies and would not print well if you were going to try and do that. :) So, if you would like a "digital" copy of the pics, let me know and I can email you some.

You can also view the pictures are www.jwhowardphotography.com/jrose

Enjoy!

So many things...

2008-12-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Gosh. There are so many things on my mind right now that it's hard to think of what to post. Jrew is almost 4 months old officially. He is 16 weeks old and is growing so fast. He is such a cute little goose. (My grandmother tells me to stop calling her baby a "goose".) Jrew is also sleeping really well at night. He does, however, when he doesn't have a stuffy nose and congestion which he has had twice now in two weeks!!! His cold went away and then magically reappeared just for fun. :) He can't sleep on those nights and wakes up often. However, on a good night he goes to sleep around 8:00 or 8:30 and sleeps for a little while, wakes and eats around 9:30 and then sleeps the rest of the night. Since I have to be at work so early, he has to eat around 6:00 am. But, it's not a problem since I have to get him dressed and off to work by 7:00. Oh what fun it is to ride... I mean Oh what fun it is to try and get ready, eat breakfast, feed a baby, dress a baby, pack a baby in a carseat, search for baby's pacifier - blanket - burp cloth - socks, warm a car, scrape off ice, load baby in car, and drive 20 minutes to work every single morning. :) But, who can complain with such a darling baby boy to snuggle with!

One more thought as I close out. I have been very saddened to learn that a few dear friends of mine have lost their jobs and/or are in danger of losing their jobs soon. I know that God is faithful and has a very specific and purposeful plan for their lives, but that doesn't always make it a happy transition. One friend has already seen a turn-around in her situation and her company rehired her and even gave her a promoted position. I sure wish I could say the same for the other two dear friends. Please... pray for God's provision and for restored hope in the future!

Fare thee well and Good Night!

Jrew Laughing and Playing

2008-11-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

This was just so hilarious we couldn't help but post it tonight. We had some dear friends over for games, snacks, and to pack Christmas Shoe-boxes. Our friend Daniel was playing with Jrew and making him laugh hysterically. It's a little blurry because they're both jumping around but I thought you might enjoy it. :)

Laughing and Smiling: The Best New Movie Re-edited

2008-11-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

I just have to brag on this baby. He is soooooo darling. Here is a video with him smiling and Laughing!!! Yes, i said laughing. I was counting how many times he has laughed out loud, and now I've lost count. We're way over 20 in two weeks!!! Enjoy. PS - The first part of the video is a bit boring... stick with it... the laughter comes at the climax of the film!!! :)

3 Months Old!

2008-11-08T21:00:00.001-08:00

These are just some of my favorite pics from the last few weeks. I just love this baby boy!!!

I just couldn't stand the thought of writing his name in permanent marker on his blanket for daycare. However, after seeing how much time it takes to do the above by hand, I am exploring alternative ideas for labeling his things. Although, I have plans to do a few more embroidery like this. I also put his name on a hat.. it is soo cute!

In this picture, I look 12 years old. LOL

Why so serious?

Here above and below are pics of my friend Jenn and her baby boy Travis.

She and I have been friends since 8th grade! :)

We're happy to have our boys and

it was soooo good to see here again last month!

Already throwing up gangsta signs?

Gosh! They grow up fast.

On of my favorites. He looks like an angel.

I tell Jrew all the time that the angels

are certainly missing him and

that they probably argued over who was

going to be his guardian angel. :)

First Day Back

2008-11-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

To start off today... Jrew played in his bouncy seat while I ate breakfast. He kicked his shoe off for the first time ever and I think that is hilarious. Okay, so I obsess over every single little thing. That's what mommy's do! :)

Jrew had a great morning! I checked on him by phone at 9:00 and then I walked over to see him at 12:00. I also went over at 1:30 to feed him. Oh. For those of you who do not know, the Child Development Center is located just one building away from mine on my school's campus. It is so nice that he is so close.

Also: Jrew did cry this afternoon, but they said they fed him an "extra" bottle and he was very happy. He had a great remainder of the day!!!

So, the question is: How did MOM do today? I did fine. I didn't cry all day until I picked him up and realized he had cried earlier. BUMMER.

However, today at lunch my long-term sub mentioned to the students that I had just had a baby. (Reminder: I teach 5th Grade) One student, M- (you never know who's reading blogs... lol), peaked under the table to look at my tummy. He said..."Yeah. There's still a little fat down there."

Completely mortified, I didn't really respond. Clearly he didn't need a response because he continued... "That's what it does you know. It always leaves a little bit of fat after the baby squeezes out." I just lost it... I busted out laughing. The other teacher laughed and then she reminded him that we were teachers so we understand the slip up. However, that he should not say these sort of things to people because it is considered rude.

A little later, (oh yeah... he wasn't finished), he said..."You know Mrs. Rose, when we go outside [for recess], you should just swing a little, you know, relax. You know, I got a little fat down there too. It kinda' bothers me a little. I'm a little sensitive about that."

AND THEN at recess, the same student tried to pull me aside to tell me very discreetly: "You know... I know a brand of diapers you should use." [Long pause while M- tells another student to stop listening in on our private conversation]

"Pampers Cruisers. Because they help the baby learn how to walk."

Boy oh boy... I can't wait until Day #2!

Updates...

2008-11-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Who you wanna' fight?

Oh! You wanna' fight me?

He's a cutie for sure. But don't pick a fight with him. :) I have so many pictures to update that it will take me a few more days to catch up with everything. Among the highlights this week: Jrew laughed for the first time! I jumped up and down like a little kid!!! He is also grabbing things more often now. Jrew is officially 12 weeks old and took his first plane ride. Mommy goes back to work next week so we'll update with pics of Jrew going to school with mommy next week!

Jrew has discovered his hair. He now grabs it when he's sleepy!

A sweet moment: I caught daddy and baby taking a nap!

I just think he's gorgeous! I guess its ok to be so amazed by my own son!

Some pics from our trip so far...

2008-10-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

It should just be said that Jrew is an amazing traveler. He didn't cry once on the plane or even in the airport. Here he is sleeping on the plane.

Okay. This is a true funny story! My grandmother's Ex-husband offered to bring her to pick me up from the airport. He had a cricket in his car and here is a pic of the cricket on his leg while he was driving. I'm tellin' you... things are different out here in the country!

I never knew it would be so much easier to give him a bath in the kitchen sink. And he seems to really enjoy it! :)

Over the River and Through the Air

2008-10-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well, Jrew and I have taken to the friendly skies to come to grand ol' Arkansas to visit my grandmother. In her own words, she hasn't been feeling too hot. In other words, she has a been sick. So, here we are. We are having a good time and soon I will have many new pics to post! Jrew had shots the day before we left and was grumpy all day. BUT, he did not cry once on the trip here. He banked it all up until we got here - urgh. He was not a happy camper. Today has been good however and we are going to visit with a friend tomorrow! That's all for now. I hope you all have a blessed Sunday!!!

Photos with Baby: $.50

2008-10-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Jrew has really turned into the King of Smile lately. I love it. I am mesmerized with him when he gets in the mood for smiling and I just can't hardly take my eyes off of him to get anything done. Anyway, before he was born I bought him a onsie that says "Photos with Baby: $.50". I recently told some Mosaic friends that the price had gone up since he is so cute! Now that he is smiling, the price has inflated again. Currently, pictures are being sold to the highest bidder. LOL
AND as you can tell, I've become pretty obsessed with taking pictures of him.

First Road Trip: Meeting the Family

2008-10-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

We took our first road trip with Jrew this past weekend in order to attend the wedding of our friend Andrew. (Wedding pics to come later). The weekend was very busy and Jew met a lot of people including family and old college friends. Here are a few pics of family and beneath each picture a caption to explain who is in the pic. The pics are in no particular order. Enjoy!

If you ask these girls, they would say they are also Jrew's family.

From left to right: Diamond, Lisa (their mom), Arielle, and Taylor.

This is Jrew's Great Aunt Evelyn. She is just one of the great aunts

and I must say they all love him very much.

This is one of Jrew's Great Grandmothers.

She is always so darling and sweet.

This is Jrew's cousing Charley. Isn't she gorgeous?

It is their second time meeting since he was born.

This is Thomas and his cousin Donald (They're practically brothers)

and their first born son and daughter. (Jrew and Charley)

This is four generations of Thomas Rose.

From Left to Right: Jrew, Thomas (AKA Jay/Daddy),

Ron (Granddaddy), and THE ORIGINAL Thomas (Great Granddaddy).

This is Jrew with my dad AKA "Papa Mike"

Here is Jrew with Thomas's mom AKA Grandmommy

and his two cousins Lanosha and Sky.

This is Jrew with his Great Aunt Frenchie.

She is also Charley's grandmother.

Here is Jrew with Granddaddy.

Declaration of Independence

2008-10-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Declaration of Independence is on a road trip and made a stop here in Nashville. So, looking to entertain myself, I took baby Jrew and went. It was on display at the Nashville Public Library downtown, which by the way is absolutely gorgeous. You must visit the library when you visit Nashville. It isn't your ordinary library and includes displays of art, historical displays, an entire wing devoted to Nashville history, and a small coffee shop.

The DOI, as they abbreviated today, was not too exciting except that it is 200 years old! So, we were shuffled in through a long line which eventually led to a small theatre with a huge flat screen. We were to watch a video in order to earn the right to see the DOI. I decided to sit in the back row near the door for 2 reasons: 1) I could make a quick escape if Jrew started crying and 2) There was a handicap accessible row where I could park his stroller right beside my chair.

After a very informative video about the DOI, I quickly stood up to move towards the door. I turned Jrew's stroller around and pushed it into the back aisle. A lady who was approaching my direction with her little toddler in an umbrella stroller, saw me and decided to try and "squeeze" past me, so as to be first or at least closer to the front of the line. At first I was a bit frustrated with her pushiness, but as soon as she had made the move, she got stuck on something and couldn't get her stroller to move. She kept forcing the stroller and kept staying stuck. Everyone was piling up behind her and I just looked at them and smiled. She finally said, "You go." to which I said "Thank you" and moved along to take my place in line. LOL

Nevertheless, we (I) had a great time, and I gathered some posters to take back to my 5th grade students. (Yes, I am teaching and will return November 3 - more about that later). Here is a pic of the DOI and a few other pics from my mobile phone over the last few weeks. :)

This is one of my favorite pictures.

He has really started smiling a lot more when he's awake!!!

Pictureless and Sorry

2008-10-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

I am pictureless and sorry. Please forgive me Christy. But you all know what Jrew looks like - right? LOL I'll post a few more pics in a day or two. Nevertheless, I wanted to update you all.

This post is incorrectly titled and should be titled "Chicken Mama" b/c that's what I am. A chicken-mama (and a spit-mama). Thomas and I took Jrew on Thursday to the ENT. They decided to do a "frenotomy" where they clip the frenulum under the tongue. The doc said they would numb it with some "stuff" and Jrew wouldn't feel it at all. However, he might cry while they're holding him. I was squeamish at the thought. The nurse, who actually said Jrew might scream, suggested I wait in the lobby and offered the same invitation to Thomas. Thomas, trying to show how strong he is to Jrew, decided to stay. I, however, retreated and was comforted by a cold can of coke offered/suggested by the secretary. It was an agonizing twenty minute wait. I guess they had to gather the supplies and all.

While waiting, a male patient who was leaving said to me "Your kid is popular back there. The nurses are fighting over who's going to hold him next." So, now all eyes are on me. How old is your child? What's he getting done? Awwww. Blah, blah, blah.

A nurse reappears with my baby boy in tote, but only to let me know they're still waiting on the doctor and she's just "comforting" Jrew.

Finally... the nurse announces that I can return to my family. I entered the room expecting Thomas to be holding Jrew, but found the nurse holding him tightly while Thomas looked a bit sad. She immediately defended "I didn't let your husband have him yet, I just wanted to hold him. He cried the whole time I held his head and stopped crying immediately after I let go of him."

She did give in and let me have him back - while Thomas exclaimed I must hand him over so that Jrew "won't associate my voice with bad memories." So, daddy and baby cuddled for awhile as we waited on the doctor to dismiss us to take him home.

END RESULT: Jrew is eating extremely well and we hope he is gaining weight even faster than before. He used to never spit up and now he spits up after almost every meal. According to the secretary at the ENT, "he'll be eatin' like a little pig now".

We're happy and blessed. Jrew is doing great and I'm still a chicken mama. I guess I gotta' get tough sooner or later... uhm.... I'll pick later.

6 Weeks and Counting

2008-09-22T18:12:00.001-07:00

We had Jrew's 6 week check up today and have some wonderful news to share! He actually turned 6 weeks old on Friday and we went to church (me and him) for the first time since he was born! People were literally meeting us at the door in anticipation. Jrew was like a superstar and I was like his... chauffeur. :) So, here are the highlights from today's appointment.

1. Here is the scoop on Jrew's weight - 9 pounds even!!!!!! Wooohooo! Just three weeks ago Jrew was still only 7 pounds 9 ounces. So, I was certain he would only be somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds.

2. Jrew is in the 50th percentile for weight and height. Wonderful news since I was worried he would be much too small for his age.

3. Jrew has to go see an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialist because he has something called a tongue-tie. We have known this since he was 3 days old when a lactation specialists found this as a possible culprit to the breastfeeding problems. Nevertheless, after many tough weeks, the doctor has referred us to someone who is very well known in the ENT world and will probably "snip" it. The GOOD news is that it won't hurt Jrew at all and will heal in about a week.

4. Jrew had his first vaccinations today. Well, sorta. He had his first TB vaccine while in the hospital and I wasn't in the room for that one. So, he had two more today. I was nervous he would cry a lot so I stuck Thomas with the responsibility and I hid in the hallway. LOL But Jrew was a tough little guy and only whimpered a little. However, it has made for a yucky day for him. He just doesn't feel well and has lingered between fussy and sleepy all day. Bless his little heart. Needless to say, he's getting lots of snuggle time with mommy!

5. Here are a few pics from tonight. Just so you have something to look at. :

)

Adventures with Mommy

2008-09-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

First of all, I promise the following story is not exaggerated by any means and is in fact a true retelling of the events that occurred. In addition, I am being very chatty and this is a very long post, so decide if you have time to read it before you start. LOL

I decided to make my first trip out with Jrew all by myself today. I actually had a plan and was excited about our endeavors. Yesterday, I was able to sneak out alone and purchase a few things from Marshalls. However, upon examination of my receipt last night, I realized I had been charged too much for one of my items. I made a plan to return to the store today to get my money back and thought we might stop by the park since the weather was nice.

THE PLAN: Baby eats at 3 and it's 1:30 with my friend just having left from visiting with me and Jrew. So, here is the order of events:

1) Leave now and drive to Marshalls which is a few miles down the road.

2) Get money back and drive right back home in time for Jrew to eat at 3:00.

3) Once Jrew is happy and full, go to local park which is near our neighborhood for a short stroll.

4) Return home with happy baby and happy mamma.

ACTUAL EVENTS:

1) Pack Jrew into carseat to leave. Immediately upon the snap of the carseat belts, Jrew decides to make a "poopy" diaper.

2) Return to baby room to change diaper and pack Jrew up all over again.

3) Leave for store, driving very carefully and watching for every stop sign, train crossing, etc...

4) Get almost to store when important lady returns important phone call about Jrew's tongue-tie situation (another story for another day). Ask the lady to please allow me to return the call when I'm parked. The lady says she will call me back in 5 minutes since her phone number will not ring back.

5) Arrive to store shortly and wait in car for the lady to return phone call since I don't want to be one of those people who talk on the cell phone while trying to buy/return something at a store.

6) After 10 minutes, realize it is now 2:35 and eating time is getting too close for comfort.

7) Decide to bite the bullet and take baby inside the store. But wait - the shopping cart for Marshalls is way too small for baby's carseat and the back door on driver side is broken and will not open. WHAT!!!

8) Decide to take baby inside in stroller. Use other side to get Jrew - Pack baby Jrew up in stroller and "stroll" right into the store.

9) Get in line and wait for forever because there is only one cashier working the counter until another employee finally opens up another register.

10) Still waiting for slow cashiers, notice the cashier lady on #3 is picking her nose while she is checking someone out. Notice that she turns her head to really get that sucker out since apparently it was really bugging her.

11) Laugh with man standing in line behind her and jokingly say "I hope you get her." Advise him to tear off his price tags and give them to the cashier for checking out.

12) Realize that it is now your turn and Cashier #3 is waiting on you. :)

13) Gross... okay, show price tags, receipt, explain... get money back... okay let's get out of here.

14) It is now almost 3:00 - make sure Jrew has a pacifier and get him loaded back up.

15) Driving home, realize the car is immediate need of gas (0 miles to empty) while Jrew decides to start screaming with hunger.

16) Get gas - comfort screaming baby with pacifier - get home - and feed baby!

17) Story not over folks - sorry - so then I packed Jrew up in carseat to take our short trip to the park remember.

18) Immediately upon snapping the straps in the carseat around Jrew's shoulders, Jrew decides to poop again. BUT this time, he REALLY made a diaper. UGH.

19) Change Jrew's diaper AND yes, his clothes too.

20) Pack him back up and take him to the beautiful park in the beautiful weather God has blessed us with today.

21) Return home by 5:30 so Jrew is happy and mommy is in time for next feeding.

Here are pictures of our trip to the park. Enjoy!

As you can see below, Jrew really enjoyed the park.

I think it was his favorite part of the day!

Confessions from a New Mom

2008-09-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

So, I put Jrew on the changing table a few days ago (about to change a diaper) and did my usual kisses on the neck and tummy. As I leaned over him, I noticed a spot on his face. And so that's when it happened...

I became a "Spit-Mama".

Okay. I've said it. I couldn't help it. I didn't even think about what I was doing. I just had to see if that spot was removable or if he had scratched himself. Seriously, I froze in realization and therefore proclaimed that I would fight the urge to do that ever again. How could I become a "spit-mama"? And even more, what if I did that when he is older? He would surely loathe me dropping him off at school I'm sure. And as I pondered this post, I realized that Sarah Palin's little daughter doesn't have a chance - she's only six and she's destined to be a spit-mama - as seen here in this video.

So there it is, the first confession of a new mom and BTW - In case you still don't know what I mean, well - ask your mama.

1 Month Old

2008-09-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

Jrew turned 1 month old on Monday!!!! We celebrated with cheers, a birthday song, and lots of kisses! It has been amazing how much can happen in one month. Jrew is absolutely the delight of our lives.

In addition to turning one month old, Jrew has been a busy little social bug, meeting many new people. The following pic is of Jrew meeting a dear sweet friend of ours, Pastor Darrel Coulter. It was so wonderful to see him and we are looking forward to Jrew meeting his wife and daughters very soon!

Jrew is starting to focus more on objects, people, and things around him. Here he is looking at some of his little toys/mobile today. He didn't focus on the toys for long - sleep is an all too powerful calling. LOL

Happy 1-Month Old Birthday Jrew!!!!!!

Making Music with Daddy

2008-09-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

imoWe have some awesome friends who have given Jrew a few of his first musical instruments. Thanks Gianina and Jacob for the Maraca's and thanks Sarin and Rebecca for the "mini" Djembe! Here are a few pics of Jrew with his music making tools. There are two videos I would like to share and one of them is too large to upload here, so as much as I hate hearing my own voice on video, there is a link to a video of him making music with daddy and below there is a video of him taking his first lesson on the Djembe! Sweet memories!!!

Jrew Smiling

2008-09-03T15:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a video of Jrew smiling for mommy!!!! Okay, so I talk in a baby voice to my baby... he's only 3 1/2 weeks old okay! Anyway, I have a really awesome post coming soon but it is taking a long time to download so be sure to check back in a few days.

Meeting Charley and Taking First Bath

2008-09-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry to chunk it all together, but here are some pics from the past weekend. Enjoy!

Love,

Jrew

This is cousin Charley. She's only 14 weeks older than me.

I need to catch up though, she can already roll over!

This is me chillin' in my new swing mommy and daddy gave me.

This is me in my first bath. I love warm water. I could stay there forever.

I love mommy but she took me out of the water and I didn't like that very much.

I went straight to sleep after getting a full tummy though!

I love sleep!

2008-08-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, I know, I know, I know, newborns sleep alot! However, this little booger loves his sleep and he sleeps hard. Ice water hardly makes him stir - seriously. Anyway, here is a short clip of him smiling randomly during a nap. I am amazed at how many posts I have made since Jrew was born. I must be an insanely obsessed mother or I have insanely obsessed friends who beg me for new pics all the time! :) LOL

NOTICE the little squeak at the beginning.. he does this all the time... randomly when he's sleeping. It's hilarious. If angels are talking to him, I wish they'd tell him to wake up to eat on time! :)

Ice Cream Date

2008-08-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

So, most of you know what an incredible husband I have. But I just wanted to brag for a few moments. Currently he is at work at Rocketown and has returned to some of his work duties this week. In addition, he has continued to help me with nightly feedings and has been an amazing support to me and Jrew.

When we were in the hospital with Jrew, my dad and stepmother came by the night before they had to leave. Thomas asked me if I felt well enough to take a short stroll downstairs for some ice cream and I much abliged. I was a bit worried about how I looked, seeing that I had just had a baby. But Thomas, who is always so incredibly amazing, reminded me of how much he loved me and made me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth! It was one of the sweetest moments of our marriage thus far. We went down for some ice cream while my dad and stepmom "watched" baby Jrew. We even went by a movie rental machine that was courtesy of the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and picked out one to take back to the room.

In conclusion, I just wanted the whole world to know how incredible this man has been since Jrew has been born. He truly has the biggest heart of any one I know. He absolutely has the heart of Jesus and has proven so this week, working tirelessly to make our home comfortable for both me and Jrew. I am forever grateful for Thomas and I am so thankful to be his wife and the mother of his precious baby boy! The following picture has already been posted once, but it is my all time favorite!!!! Enjoy... again!

PS - Look below for quick updates on Baby Jrew!

Quick Updates

2008-08-20T20:37:00.001-07:00

*We tried a little tummy time on Saturday and Jrew couldn't have hated it more. Of course, here is mean mommy taking a picture of the unhappy toot. And although it sounds crazy, when first placed on his tummy, he objected by placing his arms between him and the floor... and due to this placement of arms Jrew was able to roll back over onto his back all the while screaming in defiance.

*Jrew went to see his pediatrician, Dr. Beveridge, on Monday! We are all so proud of Jrew because he is back up to birth weight already!!!! Go Jrew! Go Jrew! (Just to clarify, the doctor in the previous post is my OB who saw me throughout the entire pregnancy!)

The above video was intended to be a pic, but I accidentally used the wrong mode on our camera. NEVERTHELESS - this is Jrew smiling while sleeping. He does this a lot. We think we actually got a small smile out of him while he was awake yesterday when I was kissing him on the neck. He was very much awake and he very much smiled twice! :)

A Week of Firsts

2008-08-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

It's a bit sad to see the first week of Jrew's life come to a close. However tough the week may have been, God is truly an amazing God. We are incredibly thankful for God's precious gift of life and are unbelievably excited about the future. We have had a wonderful week learning of God's grace, goodness, healing, and amazing strength. Here are a few pics from the week. All firsts for Jrew. (& mommy and daddy too). Happy 1-Week Birthday Jrew! (Okay, so mommy is a day late on this post... oh well.)

First Modeling Job

First Family Photo

First Time in Carseat

First Car Ride

First Time Home

First Real Meeting With the Dr. Bellardo

First Visit To the Pediatrician

First Visit With Papa Mike and Grandma Ailleen (nickname pending)

First Sponge Bath with Mom and Dad

(also first night home with mom and dad alone)

Another pic of first sponge bath....

First Time Wearing Cute Duck Pajamas (Thanks Amy's parents)

& First Time Hanging Out in Boppy!

Not a first, but too cute to leave out.

I think they're having a conversation.

Another random shot...

but dad and Jrew watching the Olympics and chillin'