...like scary smart!

OK, so we have always known that Jackson is pretty amazing. Sorry to all of you that we often brag to, but we just love the little guy so much that we can't shut up about him .

He is now a few months past 2 years old, and we continue to be amazed by the things that he can do. Here is a list off the top of my head

• Count to about 15


• Count to 10 ... in spanish


• Identify any color


• Melt mommy's heart with a smile


• Hit practice balls with his plastic golf clubs


• Pick out over half of the US states by flag (and many by shape)


• Fly through wooden puzzles


• Read ~20 page books from memory (ie Just Keep Swimming, Bubble Hunt, etc)


• Read a few small words randomly written like red, dog, blue, etc.


• Pedal his tricycle by himself


• Make deals with daddy (sealed with a handshake, of course)


• Match up all of his DVDs with their cases (although he likes the cases more )


• Recognize every one of the letters in the alphabet & their sound

What's Happening To ME?!?!?!??!!?!?!

So Jackson really loves to have pictures taken of him. The only thing he loves more is taking pictures with his family. So when he and Emily were laying down together in their portable gym, he asked Daddy to take a picture. While Daddy was grabbing the camera from the office, he heard a cry from the living room where the children were playing together. "What's happening to me... WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!?" I ran in to the living room to see what was the matter and Jackson was laying on his back with a petrified stare on his face repeating the phrase over and over.


I was pretty scared myself because I had no idea what the answer was to his frantic inquiry. Almost immediately I noticed that nothing was wrong with Emiliy, however she had a fistful of Jackson's hair in a playful attempt to get her big brother's attention. Apparently Jackson didn't think this was a very fun game, but with a bit of coaxing I was able to convince Emily that this was not a good way to get Big Brother's attention. To this day, any time we repeat the "What's happening to me" story Jackson usually spoils the punchline by commenting that "Emily pulled my hair!" before we get to the end of the tale.

She's a Cutie

I just wanted to post some of the recent pictures of emily. Happy Labor Day!

Emily 3 months SnapFish Album

A-goo

Ah yes, we have now arrived at that time when the traits that develop into a personality begin to show in a baby. Emily is growing up more every day, and she is beginning to connect with us in ways that are more and more specail. Her stares are turning into gazes, her confusion into excitement, and her cries into smiles and the familiar sounds of an infant discovering their vocal cords. A-goo!

Our little baby girl visited Dr. Lentsch last Saturday for her 2-month checkup. She was a trooper with the shots, and only a few tears snuck their way out. With some tender comforting from Jackson she was as good as new in no time at all. On the sleeping scene, Emily is still a dream of a child. Last night she went to bed at 10pm and didn't wake up until almost 7am! Since she is in the 90+ percentile of height and weight for her age, we know she is getting the nutrients she needs, so the doctor says to count our blessing (and our sheep) and let her sleep as much as she can overnight.

In other family news, I just had my 30th birthday and our good friend Mike Sieger and I will be meeting up with some friends for an embarassing night of karaoke tomorrow night. I am still torn between "This is it" by Kenny Loggins and "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. Maybe I'll just sing both?

Mommy to lay down. Daddy to take the baby!

So I know that Jackson loves his dad, it is just that it is pretty apparent that right now he loves Mommy more :) Each night after giving Jackson a bath, we brush our teeth and the come out to meet back up with Mom and Emily. If not the first words out of Jackson's mouth, surely soon we know that we'll hear the nightly signature phrase: "Mommy to lay down. Daddy to take the baby!" This is a reference to the fact that when he says this, Mommy is usually holding or feeding Emily, and Jackson has probably had enough Daddy time to hold him over until tomorrow. We are very happy that Jackson is able to express himself like this at such a young age, and we are happy to accomodate his need for some Mommy time.

This of course gives me, Daddy, some one-on-one time with baby Emily. Recently she started smiling, and those first smiles are unforgettable. It is amazing to watch her begin to experience happiness, and we can only hope that her life will be filled with many, many more smiles.

Here are some recent pics of the kids:

Emily thru week 7 SnapFish Album

4th of July

Although Emily is still very young, we have been pretty brave about taking her places. As of the 4th of July this year, Emily will be just over a month old. Fortunately, she has been excited about exploring the new world around her. Whether it is the sounds of a restaurant for dinner, hanging out at a swimming pool, or watching one of daddy's hockey games, Emily has already experienced quite a bit outside of our home.

Because she has been such a great baby when we go out, there was no hesitation to make a short trip to the house of some friends to celebrate our country's birthday. Here is a picture of dad and Emily from the 4th.

We were hoping to see how she handled fireworks this 4th of July, and started our evening off visiting with friends at the Scarborough's place. We had a great time catching up with the crew from Jackson's playgroup. He was having a blast getting up to speed on all of the latest kiddie gossip.

After dinner, we were waiting to see the Katy Mills firework display but the constant drizzle looked like it was going to rain on our 4th of July parade. We were able to catch a few backyard shows on the drive home, but this year the only exciting fireworks were on TV. This didn't stop the kids from having a good time as they popped fireworks, then proceeded to play with the confetti inside.

Here is a picture of Emily chowing down her 4th of July feast -- mmmmmmm formula :)

The First Weeks

So we are just about to the 3 week point, and things have been going pretty smoothly. I think we're getting the hang of this dual parenting thing. Jackson was a little bit of a stinker the first couple of days, but he has since adjusted to Emily's arrival and is now a great helper. Whether it is reciting Humpty Dumpty for his baby sister or fetching diapers, he is making the transition much easier.

The nights have been pretty smooth. Emily is a very good sleeper at this point. Last night she slept for 5 hours, so it is a much simpler experience than Jackson. Let's just say he was eager for life.... at all hours of the day :)

My Dad is in town for the week spending time with his grandchildren. It has been great getting to see him, and he is teaching Jackson lots about swimming, playing with trains, and making music.

See all of the pictures here: SnapFish Album