Jumping like Jonah

The "Cars" movie and "Jonah" a Veggie Tales movie are by far Claxton's favorites. There's hardly a day that passes that either one or both don't get mentioned at some point. It seems as though whatever we are doing, he can find a way to bring it into relation to one of those two movies. It's really amazing.

Ever since grandparent's arrived this week, Claxton has been telling them that when he goes to swim lessons he jumps in like Jonah. They probably heard this a thousand times this week. Well, this morning, he finally got to show them that he can really jump like Jonah!

Thanks Ron for sharing these photos.

Adult time

At night after the kids are in bed, we've been playing Wii. We even convinced Grandma D to play and created her very own Mii. I hate to admit this, but we did not capture any photos of Grandma D actually playing. For those who know her, well, it should come as no surprise that she got the hang of it right away. I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone or anything, so I'll just report that she did very well bowling...

On another night, these three were at it. You can just tell there's no competition going on here...

Julia's 1st Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Julia's birthday and had a small, but fun party for her. I could go on and on and on about what a sweet blessing she is to our family, but those of you reading this already know that to be the case. We, including Claxton, just adore her tremendously and are thankful for the joy she has brought to us. Yes, including that squealing stage!

As appropriate for our family, her first birthday cake was a monkey, a very cute monkey. Hats off to Brian for outdoing himself yet again.

Grammy and Julia ready for the party.

Time to sing Happy Birthday!

Yummy, this is good!

Cake and presents...birthdays are fun!!

I'll stop opening presents for a moment and pose for the paparrazis.

Thanks Miss Amy for keeping my brother occupied while I open my presents

Grandma D, I made you a cake in my new kitchen

Ellie, would you like to ride?

Here I am on my new airplane and someone else wants a turn too...

We had tornadoes that touched down in the city not too far from us here today. So right in the middle of the party, we had the local news on to follow what was happening. At one point our neighborhood was even mentioned on the news and of course this was at the same time we were ready to cut the cake. Here's half the crew getting ready to make a mad dash for the basement if needed. Thankfully, it never came to that.

Growth charts

We took Julia for her one-year checkup and she is doing just great. After we got home, I decided to take a look at Claxton's records and compare their growth during their first year. In a nutshell, they both entered the world rather small. Claxton took forever to eat, but Julia had no problems getting the hang of it. She really packed on the pounds the first four months, then begin to taper off quite significantly. But by her first birthday, she weighs 4 pounds less than Claxton did at his first birthday. Interestingly enough, since she has been eating table food she once again eats more than Claxton. When she's hungry we cannot get food in front of her fast enough. At her current rate of food intake, she might just surpass Claxton again. We won't be surprised if our doctor tells us to put her on a diet at her 15-month check-up. Currently she's only in the 15th percentile. A dainty little one.

Claxton:
Birth weight - 6 lb, 13 oz., height - 19 1/2 in.
Five days old - 6 lb, 8 oz., height 19 3/4 in.
One month old - 7 lb, 13 oz., height 20 1/2 in.
Two months old - 9 lb, 10 oz., height 22 1/4 in.
Four months old - 13 lb 6 1/4 oz., height 24 1/2 in.
Six months old - 16 lb, 15 1/4 oz., height 26 in.
Nine months old - 17 lb, 5 oz., height 27 1/2 in.
Twelve months old - 21 lb, 10 oz., height 29 in.

Julia:
Birth weight - 5 lb, 14 oz., height 18 in.
Four days old - 5 lb, 10 3/4 oz., height 18 1/2 in.
One month old - 8 lb, 4 1/2 oz, height 21 in.
Two months old - 11 lb, 2 oz., height 22 in.
Four months old - 14 lb, 3 oz., height 24 1/2 in.
Six months old - 15 lb, 2 1/2 oz., height 25 1/2 in.
Nine months old - 16 lb, 8 1/2 oz., height 26 1/2 in.
Twelve months old - 17 lb, 1 oz., height 28 in.

Family in town this week

We have the pleasure of having Grandpa, Grammy, and Grandma D visiting with us for the week. Our schedule is fairly full while they are here. To start our week off, we had our family photographer come out and get pictures of the kids along with all the grandparents. I'm excited that we will have a four-generation photo. Next we had to get some shopping in for the birthday girl and get ready for her party that's on Saturday. And Claxton is looking forward to showing everyone how he can jump like Jonah in the pool at swim lessons on Saturday. Pictures of all coming soon...

Look who's 1

Happy Birthday to our Sweet Girl

First sleepover

Claxton's very good friend Bentley came to our house for a sleepover. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so they spent a whole lot of time outside…doing the things that boys do…

Being silly while having a snack...

Playing swords...

Playing ball...

Riding the roller coaster...and taking turns very nicely I might add...

I failed to capture a picture of them trying to push the roller coaster cart up the slide. I thought that I should probably stop them from killing themselves rather than find the camera.

And when the day was done and it was time for bed, they were both sufficiently tired enough to go right to sleep without us having to tell to settle down – not even once.

Bentley, you are welcome to come spend the night at our house any time!

Think Claxton will mind if I use his computer...?

Mastered the sippy cup

It has taken Julia a little while to get the hang of drinking out of a sippy cup, but she's got it mastered now. So much so she's become quite the little guzzler.

Keep out of the reach of children

There's a reason manufacturers put that on their products. Let me just say that it is really good advice. Here's how I know. This past weekend we were visiting with my mom. On Saturday during rest time, we actually thought that Claxton was resting. He was quiet for the most part and every now and then I heard him talking, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was a long period of time that I thought he was probably asleep, then I heard talking again. So I figured a sufficient amount of time had passed and I would get him up so he could play. I opened the door and just stood and stared with my mouth agape. He stared back at me. You could have heard a pin drop. I just kept staring in disbelief and in my mind I was trying to figure out exactly what had happened. His face was covered in it, his clothes were covered in it, his hair was covered in it. I moved in for a closer look. His hands and his beloved Firedog and Dog were covered in it. The sheet and the sides of the pack and play were also covered. I still did not know what it was at this point. Another step closer and the odor hit me - Butt Paste. I surmised that he had been able to reach the bag that contained all of his toiletries and he had dumped the entire contents into his bed and then began his masterpiece. And when I thought it could not get any worse, I saw other items that had been pulled into the bed - two of my hairbrushes, my hair dryer, several throw pillows that were in a chair next to him. I cannot even begin to express just how stunned I was. Obviously I didn't notice anything that I really thought he would bother when he was supposed to be resting. HUGE mistake. Because we have to buy so much of this stuff, we always purchase the 16 oz container...and of course it was a brand new jar. When I found it underneath all the stuff it was COMPLETELY EMPTY. He smeared it everywhere he could possibly reach. EVERYWHERE. Our luggage and two of Brian's shirts even got a few spots. We knew from previous experience that this product stains and the label states same. However, we are always very careful with it. The label also states that it helps seal out wetness. And rest assured that when 16 oz has been smeared everywhere, you better believe it seals out wetness. We could not find a cleaning agent to break the Butt Paste. Almost everything had to be thrown away. Our trip ended up being far more costly than anticipated. Bet I won't make this mistake again. And when Claxton gets old enough to get an allowance we may just have to remind him that he's already spent it. "Remember the time you smeared butt paste everywhere..."

Firedog undergoes surgery

Firedog is extremely dear to Claxton. He sleeps with Claxton and goes on all overnight trips. This is his second surgery in about three weeks or so. We are really not sure how much longer Firedog can hang on, but we are hoping it is for a while. We've sort of looked for a replacement for when that time comes, but can't find anything close. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, we just have not come across it. So in the meantime, Daddy has come to the rescue yet again. And believe me when I say that Claxton has great faith and believes Daddy can fix absolutely anything...ANYTHING. And thankfully that has been the case so far. Marrying a pretender certainly has benefits!

Claxton talking to and comforting Firedog during the procedure

Fracture update

No fracture. Hopefully. We took Claxton back to the doctor yesterday. The orthopedic did a very thorough exam of his food and leg. He didn't twitch the whole time he was being examined which was a great indicator of no fracture. We also learned that sometimes fractures don't actually show up on an x-ray until 10-14 days after the injury occurs. So we are going to monitor him a few more days, but we've ceased giving him meds as per doctor's orders. As of this morning he was still limping.

Conversation at dinner tonight

Brian: "We really need to finish setting up your computer."
Me: "Ok, how much more time will it take to complete it?"
Brian: "Not too much longer."
Claxton: "Didn't you break Mommy's computer, Dad? Didn't you?"

Getting a little too brave

It was bound to happen at some point. And it did on Monday. Claxton and one of our neighbors were playing outside running, climbing, swinging, laughing and having a big time. Then Claxton got a little braver than he should have and tried to climb the ladder to the play set while carrying something in one hand. And the inevitable happened. He fell. So the running and climbing and laughing and having a big time came to screeching halt. We checked him over thoroughly at that time and later before bed time. Everything seemed to be just fine. I fully expected a bruise on his knee because I thought he hit the rung when he fell. But it never bruised. He did limp a little when he walked, but that was after we asked him if his knee was okay. So at this point we didn’t know if he was really hurting or just looking for a little sympathy. We decided to go on about our day because there was no swelling or bruising. Today when I went in to get him up he told me his foot hurt. We asked him to walk and again he did with a limp. Then we asked him to run, and he couldn’t. We called the doctor. So he and Brian went off to get it check out and then they were sent to have an x-ray. Apparently the pediatric radiologist saw a line from one angle that he believes is not a fracture but bruised tissue. Our pediatrician got a copy this afternoon and is not yet convinced that it is not a small fracture. So on Friday we will be making our first trip to a pediatric orthopedic. It’s not major, but we are certainly praying that it’s not fractured. He was actually starting to run and jump a little this afternoon so it probably is just an internal bruising. We're still going to have it examined. Better to be safe than sorry.

Family Fun Day at the Circus

Highly recommend the Big Apple Circus for those who have small children who really want to attend a circus. The show was fantastic and we didn't pay big bucks to get in. Kids 3 and under are free at this one. The venue is small and it's true that there are no seats more than 50 feet away from the ring. Claxton and Julia were captivated the whole time - and the show was two hours long. When we asked Claxton what his favorite part was he said, "the doggies doing tricks and the people in the air doing flips."

Here they are - both captivated.

Happy Belated Valentines...

We made cupcakes for Valentine's Day. Claxton always wants to help out in the kitchen, so I try to make something every now and then that he can help with. He's actually becoming quite the little helper. I allowed him to add most of all the ingredients to the bowl as it was mixing and he did so without spilling anything. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased. Red velvet cupcakes, ummm, ummmm good. It goes without saying that you have to taste the batter when baking so I told him he could have one spoon full...yummy!!

The batter must have been totally irresistible because when I finished putting the cupcakes in the oven to bake, I turned around and saw something I just was not expecting...

This is why it's important to unplug the mixer between jobs.

A visit to the dentist

We have been looking for a family dentist and I think we found one today. I could have not been more pleased at how well they worked with Claxton. We prepped him as much as we could beforehand and when we left the house this morning he said he didn't want to go. So we tried to work through that on the drive over. Once we arrived he was just fine. Everyone was friendly and told him exactly what was going to happen each step of the way and he listened very well on when to open and close his mouth. When it was all done he received an excellent report. I asked him what his favorite part was and he said the sippy straw and watching the dinosaur movie from his chair. The first trip was such a success he's already asking when can we go back again.

I intended to take the camera but of course in the rush to get out the door this morning I forgot it. We took a couple of pictures with the phone camera. Not good quality, but works in a crunch.

Getting his teeth examined...



Showing off those pearly whites...

Sweet Girl is Eleven Months Old

Where the heck does the time go? Julia is eleven months old already. She is an adorably happy little girl, minus the squealing that occurs from time to time of course. I'm sure she's just making sure that she's heard and that we have not forgotten about her. Her vocabulary includes "mmmommma" and "da da". She understands kiss and gives them freely. When she wants cheerios, she just squeals...and gets them. It's easy to get a smile out of her and it is beautiful. She still only has two teeth although it seems like the teething process is never ending, but no other teeth have appeared yet. She hasn't met a fruit that she won't eat, yet on the other hand it is rare that she will eat cereal and absolutely will not eat green vegetables. We have not given up on those yet, we camouflage them often to make sure she's getting them. She loves her big brother and her little face just lights up when he comes into the room. She's cruising and we are expecting her to walk at any time, although she has absolutely no problem getting to wherever she wants to go. And everything goes to her mouth so we have to watch her closely with anything on the floor or around some of Claxton's toys. To top it off, she is speedy gonzalez, so we are forever chasing after her and getting things out of her mouth. And can't imagine life without her. We are just so blessed and thankful to have her in our family.

We were watching Claxton and Julia playing on the floor together a couple of days ago. For the most part he plays pretty well with her, except when he's having one of his moments. But we both noticed that it's not going to be long before she is able to fend for herself. I already hate it for Claxton when that day comes. I think it's only going to take one or two times for her to whip him in shape, and then he will be bowing to her every whim. She is sweet, but she is also determined and a little headstrong. When we take her for her 1-year checkup, I'm fully expecting our pediatrician to tell us that she is going to be a more strong-willed child than he's predicting Claxton to be. Boy are we in for a great ride for the next 18 years or so.

Just look at those beautiful curls...

No Pee, No Wii

We are trying to find something that will motivate Claxton to be interested in potty training. We've talked about it and he understands it. This has been going on for months now, but he is just not interested. Now the truth is I am not worried that he will be going to kindergarten and still be in diapers. I'm sure we will have conquered it by then. However, I'm ready now. I've had two children in diapers for almost a year now and I am indeed ready for one of them to be past this stage. We bought underwear sometime ago and had it where he could see it everyday. For goodness sake it has Lightning McQueen on it, what 2-year old little boy would not want to wear that underwear. He wanted to try it on, so we did. And that was the end of that. We have seriously been considering purchasing something (you can call that bribery) that he would want and put in on top of the refrigerator for him to see everyday but not get until he is trained. The problem is he doesn't ask for stuff - at least not yet, so we really don't know what his hot button is that would do the trick.

Every now and then Brian will let Claxton play Wii with him. And there have been days when he gets up from his nap and says "let's Wii, I want to Wii." So this past weekend out of the blue, Brian told him that he had to start using the toilet in order to play the Wii again. He immediately ran to the toilet, pulled his pants down, took his diaper off, stood on the stool and tried. Nothing happened, but he tried. It was hysterical watching this whole thing play out. He did all of this with no help from either of us. He was completely on his own. So now we tell him, "no pee, no wii". We probably will regret this one day soon, but if it works I'll be glad. We didn't have much success today, but we are sticking to our plan. We'll see what happens.

My Vote Is In...

I have cast my vote with confidence here on Super Tuesday...and I vote my husband deserves the Best Husband Ever award. What a fabulous weekend getaway we had. He arranged and planned every little detail and managed to keep it a surprise the whole time.

Here's where he took me. It was truly a magical winter wonderland. We had our own private little cabin nestled behind the main lodge. We each enjoyed a massage both days and a full day of snowmobiling - something we both enjoy immensely.

It was a great time for the two of us to reconnect and for us to have some uninterruped time together again. Although we both missed the kids and couldn't wait to see them again on Sunday night.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Grammy and Grandpa for coming to stay with Claxton and Julia so we could get away. They both miss you already and can't wait for you to come back.

Winter Wonderland

Our private cabin