So much to catch up on!

Getting tummy stamps!

Bubbles!

Really loving it!

Loving this exercise!

Helping Ms. Angel

Peek a boo!

Gymboree! Practicing balancing

Opening his stocking

Crazy hair again

Static hair

Daddy and his snuggie

The balls

Jack and his Popsicle

Barney dance

View from upstairs

Crying!

He looks like such a big boy!

It has been awhile since I have written. Things have been busy around the Graham household. We had a wonderful Christmas and Jack was so much fun. He was spoiled rotten by his entire family and given a number of gifts. He is a very blessed little boy and Greg and I are as well. We went to the Christmas Eve service at church and Jack enjoyed the first 30 minutes of the service before he got bored and decided he needed to walk around. When we got home we read him his Christmas books and prepared him for Santa's arrival. The next day he woke up at 5:30 and walked downstairs. As he was coming down the stairs and caught a glimpse of what was in his view he started yelling, " Barney, Elmo, Balls, a Popsicle! (AKA Bicycle)" It was so cute and so fun! He had so much fun riding his bike in the house and playing in his ball pit. Greg and I spent the entire day picking up balls. He is a little animal in the ball pit. He likes to "rough house" and throw his body against it as hard as possible to knock it over so all the balls will tumble over him. (This was not how we intended for him to play with it but whatever.) He just has to have major supervision with it! He has used it to play the "pick up" game and he now knows his colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink. He will (at times when he wants to cooperate) go pick up the colors we ask for. He says "Geen instead of Green and Oange instead or Orange". :) He loves the Barney "I love you" song and the Barney played that song so he pressed it and danced over and over. He also loved his Elmo items and all his new clothes! Thank you so much to all of our family and friends for everything you have given to Jack and our family. He had the time of his life! It has been pretty cold here so he has been a little stir crazy. He did get to go outside for a little while and enjoyed playing with some outside toys and simply being outside. He is really into the number 8 right now. Not sure why but one day he just became obsessed with saying "Number 8". We have to draw number eight for him and every time he sees one he points them out and goes crazy. He loves loves loves the number 8! He also loves Shoulders and Neigh. He loves for Daddy to bend down and let him ride on his back like a horse which he calls the neigh. He will yell "shoulders" which means he then wants to ride Daddy's shoulders. He has become quite bossy and will point and say "Mommy Sit" or "Daddy Dance". This means do it right now or he might have a meltdown. When he wants to dance we all have to join in. He is back on a applesauce kick and could eat it for every meal. He also likes grapes, cereal (raisin bran), peas, blueberries, and corn dogs. He eats Popsicles like a big boy and refuses to let you help him. He actually doesn't spill them or let them drip much either. He is very independent and wants to use all spoons and forks himself. We have to sneak ways to help him as he is still perfecting this tactic. He likes to have snacks and LOVES to color! His favorite books right now are "Where is baby's pumpkin?" and "Goodnight Moon". He became obsessed with Thomas over night. I really don't like him watching it because I feel like for his age it is not educational but somehow it has become part of our bedtime routine to watch 10 minutes of Thomas. He gets so excited when he hears the music. He hates getting his diapers changed and will only obey with negotiation tactics. Ex: If you let me change your diaper you can color. Then he will obey (80% of the time) but you better hold true to your word because he is not forgetting! He likes to take baths in "Mommy's bathtub" and he uses his bath crayons Santa gave him which I of course enjoy cleaning up. :) He has not had his 18 month shots yet because he happened to have his first earache when we went in for them so we go back this Friday. He has become quite the early riser. He wakes up every day at 5:30 and it doesn't matter what time he goes to bed the night before or how long his nap was - his body is like an alarm clock. We let him lay in bed and play or cry until 6:00 normally but you are kidding yourself if you think he is going back to bed. I can't wait for this phase to be over! Baby #2 will probably be a late sleeper but until Jack decides to sleep late Mommy and Daddy won't be. He likes to give hugs and kisses and is still the cutest piece of existence in this world to me. I am due in 4 weeks and I can't wait to see how Jack is to his little sister. He told me the other day my stomach was big and I couldn't get offended! :) He doesn't like not being able to sit on my lap like he used to though. He still does it but he doesn't act as comfy. I am feeling good and looking forward to meeting baby Claire. We had Jack's room transitioned into a big boy room but after the Dr.'s advice we bought another crib and moved the big boy mattress out for now. We were told there was no sense in rushing him out of the crib and dealing with 2 sleep issues with a new baby and a toddler. Advice was well taken. I have no problem keeping my babies BABIES as long as I can. Don't judge! The pics are from the past couple of weeks. Several are from when we went to a Gymboree class which Jack LOVED! Greg and I both went and I took pictures while Greg participated since it is harder for me to jump around. Jack was the number one participater in the class and he loved being the center of attention. The teacher was cracking up at how into it he was. He even helped her pick up balls. Ok- I am off to bed! XOXOXOX