12 month check up and pics!

Today we had J's appt to make sure he's on track for his age. Here are the stats: Weight: 19lbs 9.5oz - 10th percentile (Darn it - we were hoping for 20lbs so we could turn him around)
Height: 31 1/2"!!! - 90th percentile. So he's still tall and lean LOL!
He got three shots and I nearly cried - I am usually tough but today it got to me. He screamed big time and I had to hold him down - maybe that's why.

So...back to J's first birthday. We didn't do much - Shawn had his final class that weekend so he wasn't able to meet us for lunch or take the day off. So..in the morning J and I headed over to ABC cakes on Indian School Rd for some supplies. I'm no baker like Candie (did I spell that right, I'm sorry if I didn't!) but I am thinking (and hoping) that I can make a cupcake-cake for J's birthday. We'll see. Then it was lunchtime and I gave him a cup cake from his practice cake. This video is kind of long (3 mins) but he liked it ok, I think:
Then we went to the dollar store and I had to force him to stay awake til 112pm - when he was born. I took some pics and video: I am not a singer, so I apologize. He was not impressed at all, as you can tell. He really only wanted to go take a nap!

After his 2nd nap we headed to Fresh & Easy, a store he absolutely loves. His favorite worker is an Indian guy named Sudesh, I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong. But J just loves him - he points at him and expects him to come over and make conversation with him. At F&E we picked up some pizza for dinner and J played peekaboo with Shawn when he was done eating. It was so funny! So just an update on what J is able to do - obviously he walks, but also climbs or tries to climb on everything. He knows several signs: "more" "all done" "milk" "water" "dog" "elephant" "hat." He doesn't speak any words yet - Shawn says he said "Uh oh" in front of him but I haven't heard it. He has 7 (almost 8) teeth and we're just waiting for his molars to come in next. He is very funny and likes it when he does something to make Shawn, or I, or both of us laugh. He'll do it over and over again and laugh when we laugh. It's so fun!

Well...it's here. Happy 1st birthday, Jeremiah!!

I've been pretending like it wasn't coming all week but it's here and it's really not that bad. This morning it took me forever to get a slideshow together - I finally had to limit myself to two photos per month. But how do you capture your baby's first year in 24 photos? It was difficult.

God has used Jeremiah to teach Shawn and I so many things. First, that it is possible to love another human so much that there aren't words to describe it. Second, that no matter how much I love Jeremiah, that God loves him more - it is so overwhelming to even try to imagine that love. When I think about God sending Jesus to die for our sins, and then I think about sending Jeremiah on a similar mission...I selfishly couldn't do it. God loved US enough to send His Son...WOW.

(Stealing from Kristi here)
Dearest Jeremiah, I doubt you remember this but I'm the one who carried you in my body for 9 or so months. 12 months ago today, you decided to make your entrance into the world. At 112pm on 6/27/07, our world was completely rocked by you - coming into the world screaming and hollering and perfect. You had a conehead, you had a bent foot from it being shoved into my ribs, you were all purple but don't you know you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life?

The first three months were rough - you cried. A lot. I still remember - they say you forget but I sure haven't! We survived the acid reflux, the hospital stay for a seizure, RSV...all of that. Do you remember when I'd walk you to sleep for naps and for bedtime? I'm sure you don't. But I do. I'd play the same song on repeat over and over - funny that I don't remember what it is now, though. I would sing to you or pray silently for you...I'd think about things like what it would be like at your wedding and we danced the 'mother/son' dance. What you'd be like and if I'd remember holding you while we danced. I'd think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and if she held you like I held you, what she felt like feeling her little baby's chest rise against hers and if she thought about how one day she'd have to let Him go.

One day I decided I couldn't walk you to sleep anymore and let you cry. It was hard, but so worth it! Now you put yourself to sleep and 'tell' us that you want to go to bed by going to the foot of the stairs. You have amazed me in more ways than you know and you're only a year old! Part of me is excited for the journey ahead of us - you growing up and becoming even more independent and moving away from me - and part of me yearns for that little baby that slept on my chest. Happy birthday, my little love!

FIRE!

Those of you in Phoenix have probably heard about the fire (or fires?) out here in Laveen. I see two distinct sets of smoke when I look and I just took these pics from our backyard.

That...dim thing? Is the sun. The smoke got thicker after I took this and the sun was completely gone. It smells.





As for not posting anything else this week...well, I'm still in denial. About what, you ask? Well...J's birthday is tomorrow. And I'm pretending like it's not happening. I really don't want my baby to turn one...at least not yet.

Edited to add more pics - we just ran to Walmart for a few things and guess what? It's RAINING ash. nice.

Ash on my car.


Pics from Baseline Rd - by the park (obviously)


This is by 43rd Avenue and Baseline - looks ugly!

Fun with Dza-Dza

(pronounced: Ja-Ja) AKA "Dad" came to visit Thursday through Sunday and we had some fun. Thursday we didn't do much, went to lunch with Shawn and hung out at home. (Actually Dza took a 3 hour nap while J only took a 45 minute on that afternoon...I think something got switched there!)

Friday was fun, we went to the Tempe Beach Splash pad.


Dza and J loved looking at the airplanes flying overhead.

Friday night we had pizza for dinner...so did J. He's got pizza, guacamole, yogurt and I'm not sure what else all over his face!


Saturday morning we headed to South Mountain to get the view of the city.




Like the hat? 99 cents @ the Mills Childrens Place. It's 6-12 months and it's too big on him...I'm sure by 2yrs it will fit though!


And there has been one big change around here.
Before:

After:

Who-hoo!!

Today is a very special day - it's Shawn and I's third wedding anniversary!! Yay. I am so blessed to have a wonderful and amazing husband. Honestly...I think the only way to express my feelings are in song. Someone else's song, of course, I don't sing...

I wanna take a minute or two, and give much respect due
To the man that's made a difference in my world....
I know that aint nobody perfect I give give props to those who deserve it
And believe me y'all, he's worth it
So here's to the future cuz we got through the past
I finally found someone that can make me laugh
You so crazy
I think I wanna have your baby
- "Whatta Man" Salt N Pepa

Yes, if you know the song I skipped a few lines as they don't apply to my wonderful husband. Here's a picture of that perfect day, three years ago, when it was 115 degrees and we nearly got married outside. I think everyone would have melted.


Happy Anniversary, baby! Here's to 3x20 more!!

Neato!!

I went outside this afternoon during J's nap to take a picture of this:

(If don't understand, that is the temperature of our back patio - it's on the left hand side. You read it right...154. Outside air temp is 109. It's HOT HOT HOT!)

While I was out there, I decided that our plants look very sad and burnt..mostly burnt, so why not turn on the hose and water them? While I'm watering our Nicholas tree, this little guy shows up and sits on the ground almost in the spray of the hose.


I was so shocked and worried about scaring him off that I slooooowwly pulled out my camera and set down the hose...at which point he flew off. But not far - onto a branch of the tree! So I took a few more shots - thank you digital zoom! I was probably at most 2 feet away from him - isn't he pretty? Love all the colors!

(You can see the water beads on his head from where he jumped in the spray! Wow!!)

(for my midwestern friends, it's a hummingbird, LOL!)

Busy Bees

We've been really busy the last few days, hence the lack of any new posts. But I have plenty of pics to share, don't worry!!

Tuesday we hung out with our good friends Kim and Lily. Jeremiah had his first popsicle! (not a 'real' one, a homemade one that was half juice/half water.) His face was priceless the first time he put it in his mouth, but I don't have a picture of it. Here it is shortly after the first taste:

It was very messy but adorable.

On Friday Shawn and I went to Quiessence to celebrate our upcoming anniversary. (it's actually on June 18th and it will be our third!) Pictures? Oh, we don't have any, ha ha. In fact, now that I think about it, we don't have pictures of our first or second anniversary either...so I guess it's tradition with us. I wanted to ask the waitress for a photo but Shawn wanted to wait til we got outside to ask the hostess. When we got outside...no hostess. Ah well. I'll be writing a review soon enough for your enjoyment, LOL.

Saturday we headed to a park near our house where church was having a get together. Check this dude out! He is getting so big and it's killing me!


He enjoyed standing on top of the spray, LOL.


And here's his little car. He looks like he's had a little too much apple juice in these pics. His faces crack me up!


And, today is Father's Day. This morning we finished watching Finding Nemo, we started watching it last night before J went to bed. What a perfect father's day movie, huh? J had been sitting with me when he got down, walked over to Shawn, and sat right next to him on the floor. It was precious.

Water & Walmart

On Sunday we met up with Grandma and Grandpa G at Desert Breeze Park...they were there fishing and we haven't hung out with them for awhile. (They live in Casa Grande and gas is kind of a killer right now) They weren't having any luck fishing so we headed over to the splash pad with J.

J & Grandma G

Mama and J

Jeremiah running wild.

Jeremiah had so much fun! I can't believe how much he enjoyed himself. Then this little...child...came up while he was playing in the spray on the elephant and grabbed his hand and yanked it down - hard. Shawn was standing right there and intervened, I was a couple feet away and yelled: "HEY YOU DON'T TOUCH HIM!!" and nearly...well...I wanted to as Ronnie (Grandpa) said: "Give him a paddling." What business does a 5 yr old (or so) grabbing at a little toddler? I wish his parents would have been around, oooooh man.

J has these goofy new expressions - they all kind of look like this one:

And he is really into books right now. He'll sit there (with them upside down of course) and look at them. It's sweet.

Yesterday we took a trip to Walmart so I could get my oil changed. *cue more ranting about how I wandered the store for an hour while waiting for them to call me, only to be told when I showed up at the automotive dept to find out the status on my car that they didn't change my oil because they didn't have my filter and no one bothered calling me to let me know. I was so mad I nearly cried right there!!*

I did see some funny stuff, Jen this made me think of Sean, does he have one?

And then this lady...was walking across the street with a comforter set on her head, she wasn't holding it. I felt like I was in Africa for a split second, then hurried to grab my camera. (Kristi, this was on Vineyard and 35th Ave)

Moms Gone Wild

Not really, but I liked the title. Last night Kim, Mariann, Shanna and Kelly and I stayed at the Buttes to celebrate Kim's twenty-fifteenth birthday. It was, in one word, OFF THE HOOK. (oops that's three words..ah well)

In case you were wondering:


The ladies testing out the timer on the camera


The room was sweet!! And it was a suite. Ha!! A sweet suite.





We went to the pool for a little while before dinner, Kim wanted to walk through the resort and I was concerned. We could get lost for goodness sakes and we only had 4 bottles of water! The ladies didn't understand my worry.

Dinner from Oregano's. It was fab.


Kim's cake...made by Mariann's stepdad who just happens to be a pastry chef. It was so yummy.


Kim lit her own candles...she is so funny


And we sang...loudly...and off key...to her.


Then she opened her presents


Gee that's a lot of red cups!


And the night isn't complete with some avacado in your hair, right?


Besides learning that Kim is allergic to avacadoes, we also learned that in other countries, when people love you, they make fun of you. I'm so thankful to have such fun and silly and loving friends!