Riding MY bicycle feeling so free.....

He was a late peddler, it was never something that came easy to him.  He would struggle and struggle, and just had a hard time of it.  It probably didn't help that our driveway way very hilly and there are quite a few cracks in it posing as obstacles to learning.  But over the summer Jackson finally got really confident and fast with riding on his big wheel. He would fly up hills, down hills and would swirl out when turning corners.  Made me miss my big wheel days, actually! Remember those?   But as the summer turned into fall our little man was having one growth spurt after another.  After a while he would have to position his legs just right so his boney little knees wouldn't hit the handle bars.  It was time to trade up!

Grammy and Pop made this happen for Jackson's birthday when they got him his very first big boy real bike and helmet.  What a special way to ring in the big 5!  Jackson has rode on it every single day since he got it, minus a few rainy ones.  Every night we go out on a family bike ride (Jackson rides while we walk quickly behind trying to keep up!) He has gotten SO FAST!

It is an amazing way for our wild man to burn off some of that energy of his.  But it is also an incredibly cool (and incredibly cute for us) way for him to play pretend.  While he is riding his bike waaaaaayyyyy ahead of us (a few driveways) he plays pretend doing his super heros, different voices and all.  He feels he is alone, and no one can hear him.  Oh how we love being able to eavesdrop every now and then.  It is so stinking cute!

Now that he has had the bike about a month, he is definitely braver and loves to try peddling as fast as he can.  Now we just need to work on braking.  He refuses to try using the real brakes and just runs into the grass to stop himself. One of these days he will wipe out- yes I know, I know.  Wipe outs- and lot of them are going to be plentiful in our future.  I just hate for it to happen.  I am such a mom.

Jackson the Preschooler!

I am so proud of my little man.  He has taken to school in the most wonderfully amazing way.  He loves it. Loves it (almost) as much as he loves Super Hero's.  Ok, maybe not that much- but goodness, it is pretty close!  He is learning so much and is so, so proud of his new accomplishments.  The alphabet letters that we have been struggling with for the past two years are now so easy, like this whole time he has been playing a trick on me and actually knew them all.  

This past monday I got to attend my very first Parent-Teacher Conference.  I have to admit it, I was so excited.  I knew he was doing well; after the first week of school he now tells me everything he does over the course of a school day (with hardly any prodding!) But I was looking forward to getting a little inside scoop on how he actually carries himself in school.  Is he polite?  Does he ever talk to the other kids? Does he help his other classmates and is he good at sharing?  I know what to expect when I am around, but it means something entirely different when he is in a room full of people.  Our little gabber jaws at home is very quiet and reserved in large groups.  Ands his teacher confirmed that Yep, he is like that at school too.  But although he is quite and an observer, he's got the smarts.  He is already in the head of his class when it comes to gross motor development.  Jackson has a perfect hop, skip and jump (Hey Mom, remember Bonnie with this one?!  hahahahaha) and his teacher said that in all of her years teaching she has never taught a 4 year old child that can color and stay in the lines like Jackson can.  They are amazed at his ability to sit still and the patience to get his pictures "just right". We are beginning to notice he may have a love for art just like his mommy.  So cool.

Jackson is growing in leaps and bounds and we are just loving seeing these exciting new developments.  This is a whole new stage in life for all of us- but it is 100% a great one! 

Well it is official

Our Big Guy is going to be a preschooler!  Yesterday Jackson, Owen and I headed out to visit the Open House and register Jackson for preschool that will be starting in the fall.  When we were in the car he told me how he was scared about going to the school and made me promise a hundred times at least that I would stay by his side the whole time.  I promised and told him that of course it was scary because he has never been to Preschool before, but before you know it you will love it and have a great time.  He said OK, but he still didn't think he wanted to go.  We walk inside with his little hand glued to mine, hiding behind Owen's stroller, just two little eyes peering out at this new place.  He was dying to see what it was all about, but still didn't want anyone to pay attention to him- just in case he was forced to talk to them or even worse... STAY.  The women that we talked to were all so nice.  They talked to Jackson even though he refused to talk back.  That is until one asked if he liked dinosaurs.  His eyes lit up and all of a sudden this lady was kinda alright.  He answered with a very small "yes" and actually made eye contact with her.

 The director of the Early Education Department took us around and showed us what a classroom is like.  At first Jackson didn't want to go anywhere near the door.  What if they made him go inside?  But after a few minutes, with the teacher explaining all the fun things he was going to be able to do in a few months he was more intrigued.  It was now OK to stand outside the door and peek in.   It was so colorful, with posters, artwork and crafts on all the walls.  There were toys to play with and games to do. The kids were right in the middle of doing "Jesus Time" and he knew the story they were talking about.  Maybe this place wasn't so strange after all.....

Well the teachers asked if we would like to come back and visit a class during school time.  i immediately jumped at the idea.  With Jackson, the more aware of things he is the more accepting he will be in the long run.  She told us that him and I could come for the day (or as long as Jackson was brave enough to do) and we were welcome to participate in any or all of the activities the other kids were doing.  Jackson could do the crafts, sing the songs, have the snack... I felt a tug on my pant legs and in a loud whispering hiss Jackson says to me "I'm not doing any of that."  I told him OK, we could do whatever he wanted to do.   The teacher went on telling us more about the school.. field trips, gym class, chapel, the playground.... all with Jackson quietly listening by my side.  Then it was time to leave, with an invite to come back on Monday for our preschool class day visit.

In the car Jackson was pretty quiet, just taking it all in.  After a few minutes he says to me" Mommy, I think I might want to do the craft and have the snack at preschool on Monday."  I told him that I was so excited because I was hoping to do the craft and have a snack too.  I peer at him through the rearview mirror and he is sitting there with a huge grin on his face.  His eyes meet mine and he says "Mommy.  I think preschool is going to be pretty cool."  Happy sigh.  I am so proud.  My sweet Jackson is growing up.  As sad as I am about him growing up so fast, I am also so very proud and excited for the new stage in life he is going into.  Normally Jackson is very shy about telling people things about his life.  It can sometimes be like pulling teeth to get him to talk to others about stuff that happens in the day.  Well not preschool!  Every chance he gets, he tells people about it.  He is so excited!  I know it is a while until he will be officially starting, but this is an awesome first step in the process.  Yay for Little Man!

Jackson's 1st Indian's Game- and a Foul Ball!!

On August 10th, Scott got tickets from work for all of us to attend an Indians game. These seats were incredible- right behind home plate and only 27 rows away from the field!  We have been dying to take Jackson's to a game for a while now, but  we wanted to make sure he was the right age.  We didn't want him to get too bored and we wanted to be able to all have a fun time.  Well this ended up being the perfect time!

Scott really enjoyed being able to teach Little Man all about baseball, while I really enjoyed listening to their sweet father-son conversations.  Bonding over sports is a very guy-thing.  It was very cute.

As soon as we got to the stadium, Jackson spied the cotton candy.  The BIG. ENORMOUS. Bags of cotton candy.  Of course he had to have a some.  Seriously, I think this bag was as big as him.  It was awesome.

We all watched the game together for quite a while. When the excitement of the game wore off a bit,  Jackson brought a few of his construction trucks out and he had a blast scooping up all the peanut shells and dumping them into a huge pile.  Then the crayons came out.... These things kept him very occupied for long enough for Mommy and Daddy to be able to enjoy some of the game ourselves.

We had heard that there was a kids play area somewhere in the ballpark, so once the 7th inning came we were off to stretch our legs and hunt it down.  Oh man, this place was a HUGE hit!  It had playhouses, tons of cars to drive in, and even a roller-coaster!  ...all Step Two, of course.  They also had a cool place to practice your pitching and you could get your picture taken with Slider.

Jackson had a blast and I really had fun watching him have such a great time.

After getting super sweaty and much in need of something to drink, we headed back to Daddy to watch the rest of the game.  We had only been sitting down for probably 10 minutes and guess what?!  Jackson caught a foul ball!!  ...well maybe with a little help from Daddy...  

It was so exciting!  Not only did we have awesome memories from this being Jackson's first game, but to have a foul ball to take home with us too- wow!  Jackson thought one of the best parts of the whole thing was that Scott stepped in my nacho's and got cheese all over his shoes.  He thought it was simply hilarious.  

While we were leaving everyone around us was congratulating Jackson on his awesome catch.  You could see the pride in all the other men's eyes that this little guy got a foul ball at his first game.  It was very sweet and just added to the positive experience of the whole evening.  What a perfect night.  We couldn't wait to do it all over again!

Future Soccer Player?

Source

This is day number 160 and you're 22 weeks pregnant!

You have 120 days or 17 weeks left, and are 57.1% of the way there.

Baby's age since conception is 146 days or 20 weeks. You are due on 11/13/2010

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.


At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash or a papaya) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

So the kicks have become hard and consistent.  Just like the book says, I can easily tell when our Littlest Man is sleeping- or very wide awake!  I have consistently been feeling him kick on the outside of my tummy and Scott even got to feel him for the first time last Friday night.  It was so exciting!  There is nothing more then I want right now then for Scott and Jackson to be able to bond with the baby in a more physical way.  It just makes things more special and real for everyone.

This whole week I have been team teaching with Bonnie for Vacation Bible School for 1-2 grades (which puts Anna into our class) and my mom has been in charge of the little ones (Pre-K) so she has had Jackson and Sophie in her classroom.

We were fully anticipating the husbands to need to come after the first two days to pick up Jackson and Sophie after the opening because it was just too much for them.  But guess what?!  They have been so great!  Both of the little ones have been excellent listeners, doing their crafts, playing the games (except Jackson.  He is our little observer.  He prefers to sit in the sidelines when so many kids are involved) and  taking EVERYTHING in!  The entire week, Jackson has talked about nothing BUT Vacation Bible School.  He absolutely loves it!  He is retaining each Bible story, telling me and Scott and about them when school is over.  I am so proud!  Jackson really is becoming such a big boy.

On Wednesday night, in one of the games the older kids were playing, they had to pop balloons.  Well the first balloon was sooooooo loud and startled me so much I jumped a mile!  But not only did it startle me- but baby, who had been quiet and sleeping soundly, also jumped a mile!  After the huge POP! he was moving all over the place, kicking me and pushing on my tummy.  I could just imagine him thinking "Holy Moly, Mommy!  What in the world was that?!"  It was neat seeing him respond to outside noises already.  Baby is starting to become a bigger boy too.

Oh and guess what?!  We have finally decided on a name!  We are using my dad's first name, Robert as his middle name.  So Littlest Boy's full name is Owen Robert Kanengeiser.  It is so nice to finally call him by name, and not just baby boy!  We love it and can't wait to meet Baby Owen in person- only 4 more months to go!!!!

To Infinity and Beyond!!!!

We had such a fun and exciting morning on Saturday!  Scott's work had a sneak preview event for Nestle employees to go see Toy Story 3 at the theater.  Oh how we love the other Toy Story movies!  We watch them all the time, and probably each one of us could almost recite the movies word for word.  Including Jackson!  They are just so smartly written, and just plain FUN!  So when we heard about a new one coming out we decided right away that this would be Jackson's 1st movie in the movie theater.

I am not sure who was more excited- us or him :)  OK, probably him.... he woke us up at 6:00 am, climbed in bed with us whispering.. "Mommy, Woody is going to be bigger then Daddy!"  "That's right Jackson, Woody is going to be huge!  Now let's go back to sleep for a little while."  "Ok, Mommy."...... "Mommy.... are we going to see Zerg today?" ....."We'll see sweetie.".... "Mommy"....

Jackson did a great job!  He loved having popcorn and also picked out a box of gummie bears for his movie snack.  He rotated between sitting on my lap or sitting on Scott's, and didn't start getting antsy until 3/4 of the way through.  And guess what- little man even remembered to tell us when he had to go potty!  We were all able to enjoy the entire movie, and he has been talking about it every single day since.  It was definitely a hit!

I may or may not have cried at the end.... what can I say- it was incredibly touching!  Go and see this movie!  It is wonderful, and worth every penny.  What a fun time!

2 Days Until Jackson's 1st Christmas

We have been so busy in our household getting everything ready for Jackson's 1st Christmas. Christmas is my favorite holiday in the whole world. It is just so wonderful getting together with who is most important in your life and sharing in the meaning of the day. Watching the excitment of the children will make it 100 times better. I absolutly can not wait to see what Jackson and Sophie think of their 1st Christmas. I am already guessing that they will be more excited about all the paper then the actual gifts! Today I was wrapping my gifts and Jackson got ahold of a shiny red bow. That thing provided him entertainment for forever! And whenever he would find interest in something else, that bow would catch his eye- and back to it he would be! It was so cute watching him fling it and chance it around the house.

Jackson is moving right along with his vocabulary. So far he can say "Mom", "DaDa", "itty" (for kitty), and his newest words are "Anna" and "PaPa". I also think he is saying "meow" when you ask him what a kitty says. He is definately mimicking the noise if nothing else. It is so fun to see all of the changes that he makes daily!

Well, I have to get back to wrapping- I am almost done! If we don't see you in the next few days we hope you all have a beautiful Christmas and a safe New Year!

I am going to leave you with my favorite scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Lots of love!

Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about.

[shouting in desperation]
Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.
[moves toward the center of the stage]
Linus Van Pelt: Lights, please.
[a spotlight shines on Linus]

Linus Van Pelt: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

[Linus picks up his blanket and walks back towards Charlie Brown]
Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Jackson Got His First Haircut!!

On Monday, October 1st we all ventured next door to our neighbor's house and Lora gave Jackson his very first haircut. He was such a good boy! Aside from being a wiggle worm, he hardly fussed at all. He just mainly didn't like the back of his hair being cut because he couldn't see what Lora was doing back there.

I was probably more of a nervous mommy then he was anxious! I felt a little sad that all of the hair that he was born with is now all gone. But at the same time I felt good that now he wouldn't have hair in his eyes anymore. And now looking at him, he looks so handsome!! Although no more rock star- just a sweet little angel. Not that he wasn't an angel before, just now he looks like one! Unfortunately the batteries to our camera decided to die the moment she started cutting. So Lora let us use her 35mm camera to take pictures. Once we have these developed we will scan then in for you to all see the Event. But please take a look in his Baby Pictures to see him with his new Do. You gotta see how blonde he is now!

Jackson cut his 1st Tooth!

Yayayayayay! Yesterday afternoon after taking a really good nap I noticed that there was a little white thing in his mouth- sure enough it was his first toothy! It was his bottom middle one on the left side. We had to call Daddy right away and tell him the good news. We are all so excited for him!

And then today the right one on the bottom came through too. He is getting to be a big boy! Hopefully now he will get some relief for a while from the teething aches and pains.

Congratulations little man!

Jackson's on the Move!

For the past couple of weeks Jackson has been on the verge of crawling- on hands and knees, wiggling back and forth trying to figure out what next. Well yesterday he did it!!! We were at Bonnie's house hanging out while the babies were playing. There was Jackson on his hands and knees again, only this time he finally figured out that if he moves his hands he can go somewhere! He would move a couple of steps then flop down on his tummy. Then he would get up, move a couple of steps and so on. He was persistant (plus Bonnie and I kept moving toys just out of his reach) and would keep trying. I was so proud of him!! This morning he was at it again, so he didn't foget that he knew how. Pretty soon I won't be able to keep up with him! Jackson and Sophie are going to be one pair of troublemakers, I can already tell!

Yum or Yuck? ....Still not too sure!

Today while having dinner over at my mom and dad's we decided to give Jackson his first taste of solid foods. Dr. Wagner told us to go ahead and try out some Rice Cereal. Oh what a hoot this was!!! We couldn't stop cracking up! Jackson was so darn cute. He wasn't too sure what in the heck was going on, but he wasn't 100% opposed to it either. It definately sparked his interest and after a while was wanting more. For his first time, he did a pretty good job! I think he is really going to like his foods and be a good eater for us. Be sure to take a look at the pictures in his Baby Album. They are adorable- I am pretty sure he had more cereal on his face then in his tummy this time around, but he'll get the hang of it soon enough!

The Teething Has Begun.

Our little guy has started teething- poor thing. He is so uncomfortable. He is bothered mostly at night right before bedtime, but the past two days he has even started complaining during the day. Probably today has been his worst day. He has been a little drool machine and wanting to bite and chew on just about everything. He really likes the teething rings you put in the fridge, but he doesn't like to hold onto it so we have to hold it in his mouth for him; well he IS our little prince. I will definately have to pick up some infant oragel today on my way home from work.

Just think about how hard it is on adults when their wisdom teeth come in- and babies have an entire mouth of teeth to come in. I was talking to my mom today and she said that my pediatritian as a child, Dr. Kepler, said that when babies teeth they have a constant headach. How awful for them! Sophie is teething now too; she started a little while ago. I feel so bad for our little sweeties. And to think, it takes a full year for all of their teeth to come in. This is just the begining.

Jackson Had His First Laugh!

For a while now, the moment you make eye contact with Jackson his entire face lights up; he breaks into this huge grin and even more recently started cooing and doing a bit of an awkward giggle.

This morning the two of us were playing. I was using Jackson as "arm weights" raising him above my head and lowering him, each time plopping a kiss on his lips. You should have seen him- he got the biggest kick out of this! Everytime I would raise Jackson back up in the air he broke out in this big belly laugh! It was so cute! It is so much fun watching him grow and change. This milestone defiantely ranks up there with first smile as far as heart melting goes!

10 Little Piggies

Jackson found his feet today! We have been working with him for a little while introducing his feet to him; wiggling them around, putting them up to his mouth, etc. Whenever you would put them to his mouth he would get such a kick out of it, smiling and laughing. And today he finally grabbed them himself and put them right up to suck on his toes! Now that he has found them, he thinks they are so cool. He definately favors his right foot so far- maybe he will be a righty? Either that or it just tastes better :)

Today was my first day home with Jackson after leaving Emerald Performance. It was such a lovely day. We leasurly woke up and had our milky breakfast (I had coffee and cereal with mine). Then we played a while in his gym, batting toys and gazing at ourselves in the mirror. It was such a beautiful morning, I decided to strap Jackson on in his Bjorn and do a little gardening. The weeds around our house are absolutly insane, and I am so excited to finally have the time to get them all under control. I thought I would first tackle the patch of land that is by our patio so it would finally look nice while you are sitting out there. There is a little wall there which made it a perfect place to work with Jackson in tow. I sat myself down and Jackson got completely worn out watching me pull weeds and throw them in a pile, pull weeds and throw them in a pile- head going back and forth the whole time. After lots of yawning, I layed him down for his nap and headed back outside to finish what I started. There is still a lot to do, but boy what a difference it already makes! After pulling out tons of grasses and weeds I even uncovered a little strawberry patch, rosey red strawberries already forming. They are so cute!

Tomorrow my parents are coming over to help me create my herb garden. I am so excited! For the past few years I have just had a little portable herb garden since we have just been renting. This will be my first REAL garden- a true token of homeownership. It is so cool. I will post pictures to show it off once it is all finished.

Well all this fresh air has worn me out so I think I am going to hit the sack a little early. This way I will be well rested for my big gardening day tomorrow.

Have a nice night!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling!

Today we were playing on Jackson's Giddy and Go Gym, like we do every day. He is now really enjoying his toys- batting at the hanging one's and staring and laughing at his own reflexion in the mirror. He is so darn cute to watch.

Well I flipped him over for some tummy time and he began lifting himself up on one elbow. His whole body was doing a bit of a curve, so I encouraged it with moving his beloved mirror more and more out of his site range. This way he had to move to see it. Well after a minute or two he turned himself over onto his back!!! It was so exciting! He was completely surprised at his accomplishment- you should have seen the look on his face! But I congratulated him and gave him big kisses and he gave me his huge toothless smile in return.

I let him play on his back for a bit and then I put him back on his tummy. This time he turned himself over right away!

Good Job Little Man!!

Sitting Tall Like a Big Boy!

Jackson has been getting so strong each and every day. He loves to stand up with his legs straight and stiff and when you hold him on your shoulder he holds his head up all the time. So today I thought I would give his Bumbo seat a try. For those that aren't familiar with this thing, here is the info from the website "The Bumbo Baby Seat is a snug and cozy environment for your baby. This revolutionary infant chair is uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture. The Bumbo enables babies to sit upright all by themselves!"

Well check him out! He loved it!

1st Smile!!

For the past week I have been wondering if just maybe those little smiles I was getting every now and then were ACTUAL smiles; not just those Falling-Asleep-Smiles or Passing-Gas-Smiles. But I wasn't sure if it was too early or not.

Well, while playing Peek-A-Boo with Jackson this afternoon I got Honest-to-Goodness REAL smiles!!! It was the most beautiful, wonderful thing I have ever witnessed! Seeing his eyes light up and that big toothless grin, that was just for me, brought happy tears to my eyes. What a special day!