Pool and Astros Game

Friday, the day before Andrea and Kyle returned home, we went to the pool with Jace and then the Astros Game. At the pool we ran into a few friends. Jace looks like he is staring at his little girl friend as if he is eyeing her through his sun glasses.

Here Casianna is feeding Jace an apple while we waited out a crazy quick rain storm.

Jace loves the rain. Every time it starts to pour he wants to go outside and stand in it. Since we were already at the pool, he was loving splashing in the puddles. Here is is trying to blow bubbles in a puddle. Casianna just watched him wondering what he was doing.

Driving Jace to our wonderful friends house that watched him for the night. Jace didn't like Andrea in back with him. He would squeal if she got to close.

Here are me and Annie right when we got to the Astros Game.
Kyle and Annie.

Auntie took me to the Zoo

Even though Aunt Annie causes Jace serious anxiety, he still had fun with her at the zoo. Here is Jace enjoying his favorite "Dishies" or in our language we would say fish.
He also loved the Giraffe exibit this time at the zoo. He kept looking at the little giraffe's licking each other.

Look how cute Andrea and Kyle look.

Mommy and Jace.

Annie with the huge sleeping lion. He was soooooo cute.

Kyle with the huge big grizzley bear lounging in the water. It was a scorching day.

Jace actually liked the Carousel this time. He made it the entire ride without crying and kept wanting to switch animals which I am sure was against Houston Zoo rules.

How huge do I look in this nest. Jace didn't want to sit in it without me and I want to take a picture of him in it every time we go for comparison reasons so I climbed in too.

Kyle and Jace on the way home. Jace loved his back seat buddy.

As of late, Jace has done this squeal thing which can drive me mad some days. He usually does it when something is bugging him or he doesn't like something. It all started when Annie would try to take his treats from his hands. It has gotten worse since Andrea got here. Any time he sees her he does it, it makes me sad but its kind of funny too. In this video he started doing it in the car for some reason and Kyle started doing it back to him. His face is so cute when he does it, and we always laugh.

ANNIE'S HERE!

It has been a long time in waiting, but Andrea and Kyle have finally arrived in Houston. I am so happy my best friend will be here for a week to work out with, swim with, and just hang out with. She has already been a huge help today in watching Jace during Sacrament Meeting. J and I had to talk so it worked out very well. I had an early 7am meeting at the church so I didn't see Jace at all before church started. When he saw me stand up at the pulpit he said "Ma Ma" and started almost crying. Andrea listened out in the hall the rest of the meeting. Jace is so confused when he looks at us, he wants to call her mama but realizes there is just something different about her.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

I could never have dreamt up a better Daddy for my children. I adore watching J as a father. From the minute Jace was born he was right at his side trying to calm him and love him. Jace looked like him from birth.

This is one of my all time favorite pictures. J was so good at calming Jace down. He has such a patient and calm spirit and I know Jace sensed that.
Daddy and Jace on his blessing day.
I love how hands on J is at a dad. He is always wanting Jace to play with him even when Jace could only sit there.
Twins.
Daddy's little pumpkin on Halloween. He he so proud of Jace. I love it when I find him staring at Jace and just smiling because of how cute he is.

When Jace got really sick for the first time, J was so good to be patient with him and finally get him to sleep. He screamed and screamed at the Insta Care in SLC and J just kept walking with him. You could tell his heart just ached for him.

J loves to snuggle with Jace. Whenever Jace is watching tv J takes the opportunity to go hold him since it is the only time Jace wants it. This was when it started in Mexico. Now every night is snuggle time and show time with Dad.

Case and Point! Annie likes to be a part of it too. J is such a good daddy to her as well.

Favorite new activity to do together. Jace will help in the yard for hours following J around.

Lately Jace copies everything J does. If he is raking, Jace gets his own and rakes with him. If he is getting the mail, Jace has to go too. If J sits outside, Jace is right by his side.

I love J so much and don't know how I would make it most days without him. He is always willing to do whatever I need to help with Jace. He gives great baths, makes yummy lunches for him, and spoils him with cars and balls. Happy Father's Day! We both adore you.

Friends = Family

It is hard to believe that J and I moved to Houston almost 4 years ago. My biggest fear when moving away from Utah was not meeting friends and missing my family. Within a few weeks of moving into the Memorial Park Ward, we had met a ton of people our age and quickly became fast friends. As time went on, one by one we moved away, one got married, and many have had babies. I feel very blessed to have stayed in contact with this great group of girls even though all of us are not so close. We do our best to get together at least once a month so we can socialize as mommies/adults and let our kids "play". It is these fabulous girls who made motherhood appealing to me. They are all incredible mothers and made me realize that being a mother was fun. I am so grateful for their examples.

Yesterday, we all got together. The sad part about yesterday was Sheree will be moving in just a few weeks so we won't get to see her as often. I promise Sheree that I will come visit you, Dallas is really not that far. Here are some pictures of the past and then recent pictures of all of us from yesterday.

This picture was taken in March of 2006. Sheree is pregnant here with Eva, her second. This is her baby shower. Stephanie is 3rd from the left on top, me first on bottom, Sheree is 3rd in on the bottom, and Mckell on the bottom right. Marci is missing in this picture.

Sheree holding a newborn Jace. Look how sweet and little Eva is. Sheree was/is the person I called about nursing bras, naps, and all things baby.

Stephanie and I as new mommies. We were so tired and talked about it this entire walk.
Marci's little Addie, Jace, and Stephanie's Ashley. They are all within 3 weeks of each other. I remember being worried that Jace wasn't pushing himself up like the other two were. How they all have grown!

Mckell, Marci, me, and Stephanie. We all had dinner at Marci's. The babies were about 5 months old. I love this picture except for Sheree is missing. Our girls group won't be complete without you Sheree.

Here we all are yesterday. Do we look the same? From the top, Mckell, Sheree, Stephanie, me, and Marci. We had such a great time at the pool. Marci made a great lunch for us all and we had a fun time seeing each other and our kids.
Ella and Eva (Marci's and Sheree's girls) playing in the pool. Look how Eva has grown from the picture above.
Ella and Andrew (Sheree's oldest). They were both babies when we met them. They are so cute with each other.
Jace, Addie, and Ashley. As usual Jace was too busy to be taking pictures and was bothered that we were even trying. Addie was just curious about her surroundings, and Ashley is all smiles as usual.
Jace and Addie both wishing they were somewhere else.
Jace's favorite part of the day, the froggy slide.
The splash area was also a favorite.
After a long day in the sun, we headed home. Here is Jace enjoying his first Capri Sun ever. He is still working on the concept that you don't have to tilt back a drink if there is a straw in it. We have many a spills because of this.
He quickly downed his drink and then asked for a "cac-ka " (cracker). Within one bite he was out.
We had such a great time. These girls are the best and feel like family to me away from home.

Tries

Jace thinks it is so funny to stick his entire hand in my mouth and try to tickle the back of my throat. It doesn't feel so funny when he is doing it but I let him because he finds so much joy in it.
A few weeks ago we had a Service Auction for Enrichment Meeting, and I auctioned off a cake. The person who "bought" my service wanted the cake today. I know it is not the best cake I have made but here it is. I had fun making the flowers especially.

I love watching Jace try to use a spoon. He tries so hard and everything gets everywhere. As you'll see at the end of the video, he usually decides he gets better results with his hands.

MR. INDEPENDANT

The word "Stubborn" has taken on a new meaning and level the last few weeks. Jace has to do everything on his own or he lets us know about it. I don't know what I did, but he is very adamant about what he wants. I am choosing to think of this as a positive thing instead of focusing on the power struggles between us. He has always been this way since very early on. He is very smart and I know he will be determined to be what he wants to be and do what he wants to do in life.



This morning in particular he fussed and fussed at breakfast and so I took it as he was finished eating and let him down. He quickly ran over to the table where J and I were eating and proceeded to whine wanting to get up on the chair. That is where he wanted to finish breakfast.

A few hours later we went to the splash park. For the most part he did his own thing on his own time. Every little bit he would come over to me pulling on his diaper. He doesn't like swim diapers, they bug him. When we were getting ready to go, he almost had the whole thing off.
When he woke up from his nap he was eyeing the bagel I was eating. I love Asiago Cheese bagels and decided to give him a little try. That was the end of that. He insisted on holding it himself (which I usually wouldn't have done but it was a bagel), and ate almost the whole thing until he handed me that last soggy, gnawed on portion when he was done. He thinks he is too big for bite sized pieces now.
I unloaded the new box of diapers and Annie was there so I put her in the box. He quickly started pushing the box out of his room and around the house. Annie could not get out and was stuck at the mercy of a one year old.
He continued pushing it where he wanted to until he got tired of that game. When he came in my room a minute later I went looking for the box and found that he had pushed Annie into a dead end corner and left her there. (Pay no attention to the sewing mess in the back, I've been busy.)This is one of my latest projects. I made a new Diaper and Wipes holder because my other one is getting pretty worn. I love how it turned out and it is cuter in person that in this picture. It looks kind of blah and boring but it isn't.
I love that he is so determined. I need to follow his example and stop procrastinating some of my other projects.