Almost Two Months Later...

Happy 4th Birthday my little banana!

Juliana had a very eventful birthday - in the morning we made chocolate chip pancakes with loads of whipped cream! Then once Jer got off of work, we took her to Red Robin for lunch and then we headed to Mapleside Farms in Brunswick for a fun fall day. We bought apples, let her play in the clubhouse, walked outside by the beautiful trees changing colors....i love it!! Then we came home to have her birthday party with family. She got tons of awesome clothes and toys and she was just beyond herself. I cant believe that she is 4 already....makes me kind of sad...

Jack, Jack, Jack....my little man is getting bigger everyday! He will be 14th months on the 6th and each day he is just doing new things that he didn't do the day before. He is walking - at a rapid pace- all over the place...definitely keeping me busy!

Jer and I are doing well...our 2nd anniversary is in 2 weeks! Cant believe that either! Time is just flying by!! With school and a new baby girl coming in 10 weeks(!!!) there is not time to breathe, let along blog...just wanted to let everyone know we are alive and well!!

Happy Birthday Little Man....

My little guy turns one today!!!! Happy Birthday little Jack!!

Then:

Now:

Jack's New Hat

Jack got a new hat today :) Doesn't he look handsome!

Today was my second doctor's appointment with Dr. Samanich. Everything is going well, we heard the baby's heartbeat - it's between 155 and 160, which means girl....its a myth, but I am hoping that I am right! :) We also got the form to schedule our ultrasound....cant wait for that! Here is a belly picture! Getting huge!! Today I am at 13 weeks, which is the 1st milestone! :)

Who-hoo!!

Belly!

Okay folks, we're starting with the belly pics :) I am 9 weeks and 1 day prego...tired as all get out and getting HUGE!!

Today is my first appointment with Dr. Samanich - cant wait! You know what that means...OLIVE GARDEN BABY!!!

So Groggy...

I hate being sick. I have been 'under the weather' for about 3 days now and I am not seeing any improvement. Just one of life's things right?

My mom bought Jack this adorable outfit when she was home. I absolutely love it!! (Now Jack and Dominic can be twinkies!!)

ah sleep...

Accomplished!

My goal was to see how long I could go without posting a new blog on here...I see I was quite successful! (Just kidding, it appears that I am just quite lazy..or busy, one of the two.)

Well, ALOT has happened in over the past month.

Jer has 9 days worth of paid vacation the last week of April. We LOVED having him home for the week. We took the kids to the zoo (twice), to the Cleveland Children's Museum and made multiple trips to Target - we love that place! It was great bonding time with daddy and he got to see what we did during the day while he was at work.

The day Jer went back to work, we found out that we are PREGNANT! Baby J #3 is due around January 2nd and I use the term "due" very loosely. Being that Juliana was 5 days early and Jack was 12 days early, we might end up with a Christmas baby! We are excited about this surprise and I am pretty sure that it will be our final surprise..

My mom was in town for Mother's Day (and my birthday :)) which was a nice thing. We miss my mom and anytime we get to see her, we really soak it up! We took the kids to the zoo (Juliana, Jack, Dominic & Ella), we did a little shopping, we cooked out on the grill and we even got an oil change for my car! It was a fun time and I always hate to see her go...stupid Texas.

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter?!?!?!

What a weekend! I am completely shocked at how much snow we got in the past 4 days!! Easter was a very white one...in which it should be but instead of cold yucky snow maybe we could have gotten fluffy, sticky marshmallow.... Less than a week ago, Juliana was wearing this:

So Jack is now sitting all by himself!! I cant believe how big he is getting - he is already 7 months old! I gave him a little bit of table food yesterday, he had real applesauce, a little bit of cheesecake and some sweet potatoes. He is only taking 3 bottles a day now (one when he gets up, one before nap time and one before bed), the rest of the time, he is eating food. Maybe that explains why he is so big!! These were Juliana's pj's when she was about 15months....these fit Jack now.

gotta love it...

How Deep, How Wide, How Great.

I just cant even begin to fathom God's love for me. I know its there, and its full. Its so amazing. Last week's church service really touched my heart as I am sure it touched others. Pastor Doug had a life size cross set out at the front of the church, leaning on the platform. (It was the cross we used for the Easter Pageants for many years.) He did a short message, touching the important key points about God's love for us. Then he invited the congregation to (literally) nail their sins, needs and thanks on the cross. It was a very bittersweet time of prayer. Because you know what? I might as well of been there, over 2000 years ago, with that hammer in my hand.

God's love is....

strong.

powerful.

amazing.

righteous.

forgiving.

faithful.

perfect.

'How deep, how wide, how great, is your love for me.'

Hide N' Seek

Yesterday, Juliana and I had a great day together - Jer's mom came over and watched Jack while Juliana and I went out. We started off at Target to pick up a few things where Juliana randomly said. " I am at Target AGAIN!". The manager said, "Oh yeah? Are you going to work here when you grow up?". Juliana: "Yeah, when I get bigger....".

Then we had lunch at any child in America's favorite joint...Good Ol' Micky D's. They have THE cutest toys in the happy meals this time around. Right now, they are giving the Wizard of Oz characters in kid form. This week is the Wicked Witch - MY FAVORITE!! (Thank you Wicked! - If you haven't seen it or read the book, I recommend that you book a flight to NYC and attend the show. Its at the Gershwin Theater...GO SEE IT!)

Where was I? Oh yeah, so after lunch we went to the library to get a few books and then Juliana and I came home...while she was playing with her new collection, I glanced over and witnessed this:

I guess mail boxes aren't just for mail anymore...

ZOO!!

On Monday, I took the kids to the zoo...it was beautiful outside, about 75 degrees and the best thing, on Mondays, admission is FREE if you live in Cuyahoga County! (yea!)

It was Jack's first time to the zoo - he was very content, just looking around at all the people. Juliana was beyond excited! I think she was just really excited to be outside of the house.

I am most likely getting a year membership, since we don't have access to a pool anymore, I don't want the kids to go stir crazy. I figure if I take them a couple times a week, an hour or two at a time, it should be a great investment.

SUBJECT CHANGE!! Last night, my dad was sitting on the couch and Jack was laying on the floor drinking his bedtime bottle. All of a sudden my dad saw the bottle roll across the floor and this is what he saw: (my kids are so stinkin' cute...)

Little Angels and One Cool Dude...

This is how peaceful my kids looked last night when we pulled into the driveway. We had a big day yesterday - we had to be at church at 8:30am - we live about half an hour from there, then we took them to the park for a little playtime, it was so nice outside!! Then Juliana went to spend sometime with "GP" (Grampy Pat), which I am pretty sure that he took her to the park, so she was good and tired when we picked her up.
Oh Jack, he must be getting his first tooth. He was very warm, whiny and watery - his nose and eyes. Not to mention all that chewing on his binky...poor little guy.

Seriously, how cool is this little guy? Yesterday morning, when Jer and I were running around the house like chickens with our heads cut off - trying to get everyone out of the house on time, we found this. Juliana was downstairs with her "big brother" - she gets so confused and he had her sunglasses on....HE LOVED IT!! I just knew he would be the rock star of the kids...which means little Juliana will be practicing medicine...takin' care of mom and dad :)
Sorry the pics are so blurry, I blame the camera phone, very convenient but very crappy. More later!!

Cleveland Marathon Baby!!

So, last November when Jer and I were in NYC, we each bought a pair of shoes - tradition, its what we do. He bought a gray pair of New Balance shoes and I bought these...

My intentions were to start running again to A) lose my baby fat and B) work my way up to running a marathon...more specifically, the New York Marathon. Long story short, when Jer and I arrived in NYC, we were a little early to check in to our hotel, so we decided that we would grab some lunch at a corner pizza shop near the hotel we stayed in for our honeymoon. It was a great thought....we hopped on the "N" train (its yellow) and we got off at the Queensboro Plaza, only to find the street below packed to the gills with runners, walkers and people in wheelchairs. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen in my life. I just turned to Jeremiah and said, "I want to do this!!!".

Well this morning, I was on Brooke Taylor's (Radio personality for 95.5) blog and she is training for the Cleveland Marathon...so I went on to their website (http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/ ) and I checked out the details...It is in 8 weeks so I am going to have to train 5 or 6 days out of the week...which is fine. I have a goal set and I am going to do it....


I want to cross that finish line in NYC and have that medal put around my neck...its the big picture...

The Next Lance Armstrong...

....well not exactly like Lance Armstrong, maybe better. :)

I am just loving this warm weather, I woke up this morning and it was 63 degrees out! I think I might take the kids out for morning outside time. (If it doesn't rain...)

So yesterday, we (Jeremiah, Pat and I) had to go to court because Aberdeen Commons is suing us for $15,000 dollars!!! So they aren't going to get that much, they tried to get us on things that we didn't do, and I don't think the judge bought it. Worst case scenario, we have to pay a couple hundred dollars for rent for March of 2006, mind you, out lease was up February 23, 2006. I know what your thinking, we weren't living there in March...well they require a tenant to give them 60 days written notice if they plan to vacate the premises, which I only have them 32 days notice, because for some reason, I thought it was 30 days...like any other normal apartment complex. Just goes to show you, ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!

We need our own house...

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Part Deux...

Jer and I just reserved a hotel room in NYC (well Queens...love it!) for Thanksgiving! We are headed to the best city in the world for the best parade in the world!

We figured that Jack will be a little over a year (which is how old Juliana was when we took her in 2004), so we should all have a great time. We are going to be gone from Wednesday, November 21st -Saturday, November 24th, which should give us a decent amount of time to do the "Family in NYC" thing...

so, yea!! :)

Sorry...

I can totally tell that this is going to be a bad habit of mine...I've already broken my resolution, who keeps up with those things anyways?? :)

Juliana is the best big sister in the WORLD! She loves to do things for Jack and she loves being the little mother. I walked into their playroom and this is what I found...

Enjoy! :)

Big Guy.

This is Jack :)

He is almost 6 months old (!) and he has started to hold his own bottle!

I cant believe how HUGE he is getting. I mean, he was huge to begin with, so I'm not exactly surprised, but he is just growing up....as children tend to do.

Speaking of growing up, Jer and I are checking into Pre-Schools for Juliana. We think it would be a good idea if she went to school a couple days a week to get her ready for the big "K" (Kindergarten). I cant believe that she is going to be 4 this year!!

I guess they're right when they say "Time flies when you're having fun.".

That's Salary....

So, I'm doing this dishes this morning and I reached under the sink for the dish soap - and lo' and behold there is a HUGE puddle of water hanging out under the pipes. So my little "plumber" decides that she can fix the problem....with her crack sticking out....just like a true plumber. She makes me so proud....

God is so good.

It just amazes me how much God takes care of his people. I just wanted to share what happened this week:

Jer and I started tithing to our church last Sunday. It was something we weren't doing that we just felt that we needed to get back into the habit of doing. Well, yesterday I got a check in the mail from Fairview Hospital for pretty much the exact amount that we tithed on Sunday. God is so amazing. He knows exactly what we need and he surely delivers.

Just thought I would share that little story - hope all is well!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This morning, Juliana and I made Valentine's Day cookies and cards for daddy. Seeing that it is near blizzard conditions outside, I was NOT going anywhere with the kids, so we stayed inside and used our creative thinking :)

My little girl is a great thinker...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Cute Kid

My kid is cuter than yours.

Thats it :)

My Little Pampered Chef!

Seriously...how cute is this??? She is my little Pampered Chef clone! These little apron/hat sets will be discontinued on February 28th, so if you have kids and they like to cook...get one now!! :) She's cute, that's all.

Free Energy Releaser

Yesterday I took the kids (more so Juliana thank Jack) to Great Northern Mall and let her run around in their kids area for about 45 minutes. She had a blast!! We went at the perfect time - there were only about 3 other kids there, so she pretty much had reign over anything she wanted. It was nice to get them out of the house - and it was FREE! I figure getting the kids out 3 times a week for kid stuff is plenty for a baby and a 3 year old.

This week was Week #2 of their library sessions...Juliana loves it! There are about 21 kids in her group and shes already managed to buddy up with another little girl - her name happens to be Juliana...what are the odds?

I know Juliana probably will be a little embarrassed to read this in the future, but....Juliana went poopy in the potty!! Too bad the circumstances were uncomfortable. She had a little diarrhea and that surely wasn't so comfortable in her pants, so she sat on the potty for about 10 minutes and did her business... She was so excited that mommy was so excited!!

"It Smells like Water...."

After getting her bath, Juliana ran downstairs into the kitchen where Jer was and said, "Smell my hair dad..". Jer replied, "mmmm whats it smell like??", she said, "It smells like water.".

She is too much. I love the picture above, I stole it from my sister's myspace page. (hehe)

Meet Jack, he is now my little puppy. I got this hat right after New Year's. when my mom was here. We found it at Target for 50% off...seriously, I love Target. It came with little mittens with paw prints on it - Jack hates them because he cant get his fingers in his mouth...hehe. We had to retire the brown bear hat that we got from this rockin' kids retail store in NYC (a couple doors down from Serendipity). Jack's head is just getting way to big..glad it wasn't this big when he was born....

Kids say the darndest things....

So, we were on our way to church yesterday morning (sans daddy) and literally not 3 minutes from my house, my battery dies. Juliana was in the backseat watching Clifford the Big Red Dog on her "Video Now" Player and she looks out the window and says, "Mom, why aren't we going?". So I looked in my rear view mirror at her and I said, "Baby, mommy's battery died, my car wont go.". So she looks out the window for a few minutes and then she says, " Here mommy, you can borrow my batteries from my movie....".

She is so kind hearted and she likes to fix EVERYTHING. That's why my little girl is going to save the world.

Jack and Mommy Time

Jack and I started a new weekly ritual, well for the next 6 weeks. I registered the kids for a "Story Time Session" at Fairview Park Library. (Thanks Mel, sorry we didn't register in Bedford, but its just so darn far to drive 5 times a week...church, dad's, library etc...) There were about 8 other babies (Jack was the youngest one there, by babies I mean walking babies) and their mommies and a children's librarian guided us through songs, rhymes and story books. Jack really enjoyed it, he smiled ALOT. Juliana's session is on Thursdays and she is really excited about it!!! My babies are going to be the smartest kids on the block.

:)

Weekend.

That's my little Jack, in daddy's huge sleeping bag...

Jer went camping this weekend with the boy scout troop...so me and the kiddies had an eventful weekend at home.

Saturday, we went to granny's house and my cousin, Kelli and her kids (Dominic and Ella) were there eating BBQ sauce and nuggets - literally BBQ sauce more than nuggets. Then the fun started. Juliana always loves to play with her cousins and tonight proved it...Granny's living room was "tore up yo", the curtains were over the couch, EVERY drawer in that room was open, they found my sister's candy stash and red hots were all over the floor. (Rach, that's why your candy stash was on your bed.) I wish I would have brought the camera....fun times.

Juliana ran out of pull-ups on Saturday night so I had to put her panties on for night time, which I was very leery about, seeing as she has never slept in her underwear. I put a night light in the hallway and left the shower light on in the bathroom. I took down the baby gate that we keep in front of her door and moved it to Jack's door so she wouldn't bug him in the morning. Well, Lo and Behold, she was dry. Its still something we have to work on because yesterday at nap time, she went through 2 pairs of panties and she was wet this morning. (One step at a time....)

Jackson is starting to move. I went into his room a couple days ago after nap time and he wasn't where I put him down at...he was diagonal at the top of his mattress. He's starting to scoot. And he is also starting to hold his toys all by himself and of course he wants to chew, chew, chew. But no teeth yet.... (One step at a time....)

Jer came home yesterday morning, and I'm kind of glad. We really missed him.

(Sorry for the long update - its been a few days since I have been able to update.)

Have a great week!!!

My little Sleeping Bea...er Snow White.

Last night, Jer and I took Juliana for her "Gurbrise" (surprise). We took her to see Disney on Ice, Princess Wishes at the "Q" - which we got great tickets from e-bay....8 rows from the ice! All day yesterday, we were prepping Juliana up for her special surprise, when we would ask her what she thought her surprise was, she would say.."a scooper???". So the kids took their naps and we ate dinner, then we got Juliana ready. We dropped little Jack off - cause lets face it, Cinderella is "girl stuff".... and then we headed for the train station. Juliana is so easy to please because I heard from the backseat, "thanks for my surprise mom!". I let her know that this was PART of her surprise. SO we get downtown and my dad met us at the entrance, then we headed to the show. She was completely AMAZED!!! Our money was well spent and by the time we got home, she was completely zonked...which explains the goofy picture to the left. It was a great time that I am sure she will talk about for days to come :)

What???

So...this stinks.

I have been sick since late Saturday night and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. I cant hear out of my left ear because it is so blocked, I cant breathe (not literally, of course), and my throat feels like its on fire.

I was supposed to take the babies to see granny yesterday but I accidentally fell asleep (sorry Granny, I will be over this weekend, most likely...)

On a lighter note, Jack likes green beans :)

Little Mother....

This evening in the car, on our way home from the mall, Jackson was crying (#1 he was in his car seat and #2 he was hungry...). Now this crying had been going on for about 10 minutes and we had tried numerous attempts to get Jack to stop crying. Jer looks at me and says, "Let her go, I want to see what she does...". So all of a sudden, we hear Juliana yelling at her brother (in her big mommy voice), "JACKSON, YOU LISTEN TO ME, STOP CRYING RIGHT NOW!!!" and what do you know, silence. I wonder where she gets that from....

I should probably head upstairs to help Jer with Jack, he has been screaming for almost an hour now, although, I cant tell if he is crying or if its all in my head.....

Ouch....

Poor babies.....

We had an appointment today with Dr. Faraci - Jack, for his 4 month check up, which meant 4 shots! and Juliana, for a general check up. She got 2 shots today, but now she is caught up on her shots...seeing as she hasn't been to the doctor since her 12 month check up...i know, i know (bad mommy.)

To make it up to the kids, well more so Juliana than Jack, we took her to Cici's Pizza - for those of you who don't know what Cici's is, its a pizza buffet. She picked at various slices of pizza and then decided she was done with lunch. So we went home and doped the kids up with Children's/Infant Tylenol and put them to sleep - Thank God for nap time!!!

Hopefully tomorrow, they will be more pleasant.

Jx4

Thank you Gerber....

Baby LOVES sweet potatoes!! We had our first go at it yesterday morning and last night for dinner, and that big haus ate one whole container!! (Good thing Target is having a sale on baby food until Saturday....)

More updates later :)

Happy 2007!!

This...is my resolution. Well one of them. I know what you're thinking, how often do you actually go through with those sort of things....almost NEVER, right?

okay-okay, but I am going to try really hard. :)

This blog will be used to catch everyone up on our chaotic but WONDERFUL life and all of the growing that the babies and the mommy and daddy will endure.

So from here on out, I do solemnly swear that I will try to keep you updated all, well most of the time, whenever I dont have a 3 year old tugging on my arm, or a baby drooling all over me, or a husband that....well you know :)

Enjoy :)

the lamsons!