Jac using chopsticks for the first time

Ama and Akon took Jac, Nic and me to lunch today at a very Taiwanese restaurant in Arcadia today. It was really good, and I had my favorite eggs and shrimp! Jac wanted to play with all of the utensils and cups and plates of course! The amazing thing was when he grabbed the chopsticks in the right way and started using them!

Jac and Nic in their new Maclaren stroller.

March Blizzard

We got 16.5 inches of snow today! And we are leaving for LA tomorrow! Joseph was sent home from work today when his office was closed because of the snow! Hwy 36 (which goes from Boulder to Denver) was closed for most of the day because of crashes! We have a snow drift outside our back door! This has been a really dry winter so this is the first time we have seen snow like this all season. Knutson would have loved it.

http://cbs4denver.com/weatherupdates/weather.denver.colorado.2.742188.html

Nic kicking and laughing

Nic loves to be either just in his diaper or with his sleep suit open so his legs are free and to kick! He gets so excited and laughs and smiles. He loves to do this on the changing table (his favorite place) or on the bathroom mat (his second favorite place). He laughs a lot when he does this but he gets so focused on the camera when I take a video that he stops laughing!

Playing together

Jac and Nic were on our bed today playing together. I would have to say that Jac is doing more playing and Nic more observing! It is very sweet to watch them together though. It is going to be interesting to see how things start to play out as Nic learns to hold onto and play with things more. An opportunity to teach them how to take turns! Right now Jac just take whatever he wants and Nic doesn't complain at all!

Nic playing with Mommy's iPhone

And so it begins. Nic has been staring at electronics like the phone for a while but now he has gotten his little mitts on my iPhone! Just wait 'til he can turn it on! I am never going to get to use it after that!

BTW, the boys are sick again and Nic is back on antibiotics. The boys have been sick for a month and a half now! A little off but mostly on!

Jac loves drawers!

Jac loves anything that can be opened and closed. Drawers, doors, cans, etc! We went to the mall this weekend and Jac went in Victoria's Secret and started looking for drawers to open and close! Too funny!

Butterfly Pavilion

This past Sunday we went to the Butterfly Pavilion in Broomfield. They have a large indoor area with lots! of butterflies. We got to see lots of butterflies and Jac got to wander around in the indoor areas. We all had a nice, if a bit warm, time!

Jac walking at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Jac is getting so good at walking now. He can make turns and go where he wants - just a week ago when he turned it was fairly random which direction he would end up going! It is truly amazing to watch him learn to walk and become more and more confident in his ability to go where he wants! He really walks 100% of the time when we take him out now!

Here he is exploring the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with Daddy following behind!

Mama

Jac has started saying, "Mama." Yeah! It gets right to my heart when he says it. So sweet. He also will sometimes give me a kiss when I ask for it! He also gives his brother kisses and says "mmmm" while he does it! Uh! I love it!

Jac is walking 90% of the time

Jac is walking so much! And everywhere. Yesterday I took him to Target and he walked in the aisles while I was shopping! We have been to Kangaroo Kingdom every day and Jac just has so much fun walking around and playing there. There is so much open space and interesting things for him to play with that his mobility is progressing by leaps and bounds. It is so much fun to watch.

Mr. Nicie playing with balls at Kangaroo Kingdom

We go to Kangaroo Kingdom every morning and we all have a nice time there. Now that Nic is able to sit up he can play a little more while we are there. This morning I put him in the ball pit so that he could try playing with the balls. He was having a nice time drooling and playing with the balls. Maybe more drooling than playing.

Jac: Big change in appetite

Jac's appetite in the last two days has increased, seemingly tenfold. He has been on antibiotics for 3 days for his ear infection and so perhaps this is why. It is amazing though. He has learned to ask for food using the sign for food, and saying "more". It was a little confusing at first as to what he meant but we figured it out!

He is asking for food! Yeah! This evening I was able to feed him 1/4 of a red bean bun while he was playing in the kitchen with all of the pots and pans out of the cabinet. It was like 10 full bites! He also sucked on a lemon slice from Daddy's lemonade while we were out at dinner.



He also has not thrown up much in the last couple of days. I don't know how long he actually had the ear infection. It seems that it came from a cold that he and Nic picked up after the previous cold that the whole family had. I thought it was just a continuation of the previous cold but Dr. B thinks it was from a new one. He has three more days of antibiotics.

He is still more fussy than usual but it may also just be all of the excitement of walking! He wants everything now! And he wants you to open it for him if it something like a jar of cream etc.! Oh man! He is truly into everything now and is truly becoming a toddler and entering the terrible twos! They really should call it the terrible 18-months but that doesn't sound as good.

Tonight, to display his capability, he brought the lid of one of the pans he was playing with, from the kitchen into the bathroom to show Daddy and make noise on the bathroom floor.

Nic is so cute

Nic is getting more and more interactive by the day and a little more able to entertain himself. We put him down in the crib with the Nap bear next to him and he started grabbing the Nap bears legs and curling himself around him and putting his leg in his mouth while watching his mobile. Very cute!

Jac is walking 90% of the time

In just a couple of days Jac has gone from walking 50% of the time to walking 90% of the time. Amazing. We have been to Kangaroo Kingdom every day this week and that seems to have really encouraged him to walk. There is a lot more open space there to walk in things are always moving around as the kids play.

Today we took him to the local mall and he walked all over the place. First we played in the play area and he walked all over there, doing a little bit of crawling, but mostly walking, and a lot of falling. Then we ventured out into the mall and he insisted upon getting down and walking there. While I nursed Nic, Jac and Daddy walked all over the place! He even ventured into Nordstroms!



He has also started being able to carry things while he is walking. At home today he was carrying an empty Siig bottle around the house and at Kangaroo Kingdom he was carrying a large purple ball around. I was really impressed when he was able to reach way out in front of him to pick it up without falling over.

It is amazing how quickly walking has become normal and I am no longer surprised (at all) when he gets up and walks!

Nic is sitting a lot!

Nic is now able to sit, for several minutes at a time, with no support. He is able to play and reach for things while he is sitting. He has such a solid base that he is fairly stable. He does fall over onto his side after a while, and he tends to fold in half towards his legs but I am amazed at how stable he is already!

He much prefers sitting to laying down, and especially to being on his tummy. He he not done any more rolling on his own although we have been practicing together. He gets frustrated on his tummy pretty quickly though.

Jac loading laundry

Jac is starting to imitate very cleaning actions around the house. If he finds one of our socks on the ground he picks it up and uses it to clean things. He likes to clean the windows and the mirrors with them!

He also likes to load the laundry. He has done this many times for a little bit, but today was his longest every laundry loading session. I had pulled out the boys' laundry basket and was loading it into the washing machine. Jac decided to help. He would pull one piece of laundry out of the basket, ask for help to open the door of the machine, slightly open the door of the machine, put the piece of laundry in, close the door of the machine until he heard the click and then repeat. Not exactly efficient, but quite effective! He tired of the game before he finished loading the laundry ;) A mothers' work is never done!

Mommy is officially tough

I took the kids to see their pediatrician today, by myself. It was quite eventful. The kids were not happy and I took Jac home, after he threw up, in a sweatshirt and plants that were falling down (without the inner layer he normally wears), and Nic home crying because he was tired.

When Joseph got home I was still smiling and we were all in one piece. Amazing.

Jac playing with Knutson's treat jar

I pulled out all of Knutson's things so that I could give them to Haley, for Paula. Before Haley came to pick them up Jac pulled down Knutson's treat jar and started loading it with bus schedules that he had pulled out of one of Joseph's books. It is amazing what Jac turns into a toy!

We miss Knutson a lot. I keep on expecting to see him, or hear him, or let him in a door, or out a door. It is just so quiet. Jac has said "Nu" a few more times and sometimes seems to be looking for him, but that has already faded for the most part.

Nic eating a biter biscuit

Nic is putting everything in his mouth and today he was sitting in Jac's high chair while I was emptying the dish washer. There was a biter biscuit on the tray and I decided to let Nic try it. Oh man! He went for it and drooled biter biscuit everywhere. This was Nic's first non-mommy's-milk food and he seemed pretty happy about it. Yeah! I am about to have two eaters! More food and more mess! Happy little boys eating! Yeah!

Nic looking cute with a teddy bear

Nic has been putting just about everything in his mouth - mostly his hands - but really whatever he gets in front of him. I think he is teething but I am not sure.

In this video he is laying in the crib, putting the leg of a teddy bear in his mouth, and watching the mobile. So cute!

Jac and Nic playing with Mommy's iPhone

Nic is starting to grab things - and Jac and Nic are starting to have to share things! Whoa! And it begins.

Today, we were watching kids videos from YouTube on the iPhone and then Jac was playing with my iPhone while I was holding Nic. Then I put Nic down to sit on the couch and he started grabbing at the iPhone.

Nic has now learned how to sit - and it seems like he has gone from not being able to sit to sitting on his own for at least 30 seconds at a time in a week! Amazing!

Jac and Nic are just so cute together!

Jac explores the Apple Store

As Taj mentioned, her computer has been having problems for some time -- we went to the Apple Store to have it fixed.

While waiting for the Apple techs to do their thing, Jac explored the rest of the store. Before I had taken this video, he did a much more impressive round of walking throughout the store. He was a proverbial kid in a candy store, flitting to-and-fro amongst the attractive offerings on display, and playing with the demo computers running kids games.

Sorry for no pics or movies

My Mac has been in the shop (along with us being sick and other life events) and so I haven't posted any pics or vidoes for a bit. My Mac should be back today and so I will get a bunch up but here is a cute one of Nicie!

Goodbye Knutson

(Knutson - Switzer - 2005)

Today we said goodbye to our dog, Knutson. Knutson and I had been together since he was 7 and a half weeks old when I brought him home to raise for CCI (Canine Companions for Independence). He ultimately failed out of the program and came home to live with me. I could not have asked for a better dog and Knutson and I had many wonderful years together. Knutson was 14 years old when he left us, an amazing age for a dog of his size.

When Joseph reentered my life, Knutson (and Joseph's dog Paula) were a key part of us forming a strong relationship as we walked them through the hills of La Canada late at night, talking.

The house is very different without him. Jac knows he is not here. Jac had learned to call him "Nu". After we came home without Knutson today Jac was looking for him, and called out "Nu" quite a few times. We used to let Knutson in and out the patio door many times a day, and this evening Jac went to the back door looking for him, knocking on the glass, and calling "Nu". This was enough to break Joseph's and my heart to watch. I am sure Jac will not remember Knutson when he is older but I am very glad that Knutson was around to know both Jac and Nic.

We have so many fond memories of our sweet, loving, social, water dog. Those memories will be with us always, along with his fur.

Here is a video of Knutson playing in the snow with Paula and Abbey from 2007! Man did he love the snow!

Sorry for the long hiatus

Sorry for the long hiatus. We have had a lot going on (good and bad) and I have not been able to get any time on the computer to do an update.

Where to start!

We were sick! For two weeks. A cold that turned into an ear infection for Nic and sinus infections for Jac, Joseph and me! We were in such bad shape. We all ended up on antibiotics and just miserable - for two solid weeks. We are better now - but Jac is still a bit snotty.

Nic
16 pounds and 7 ounces at his last weigh in on February 23rd. It feels like he is over 17 pounds now - he is getting so heavy!
Current nickname - Mr. Nicie (pronounced Mr. Nicky)

He is now 5 months old! Man how time flies! He is nursing a little less frequently and sleeping a bit more. He actually fell asleep in the car seat on the way home from Kangaroo Kingdom today after only crying for about 2 minutes! And then slept in the car seat for another 1.5 hours! Amazing!

He rolled over from his back to his tummy - with no assistance - and I didn't see it! I put Nic down in the Baby Einstein (right behind me)to bat at the toys while I changed Jac's diaper. It took a little bit to get Jac's diaper changed and when I turned around Nic was on his tummy. I was in a bit of shock - I had to remind myself that I had put him down on his back (he doesn't like to be on his tummy for very long). Oh man! The therapists told me I would be surprised how quickly he would learn to roll (and without lots of training and practice!) That was yesterday and he hasn't done it again yet!

Sitting. He is starting to be able to sit on his own without falling backwards or folding in half forwards. Today he was sitting on the bed and playing with a toy in front of him, for about 20 seconds, without me holding on to him.

Jac
Getting taller, and skinnier. He lost about 8 ounces while he was sick from throwing up and not eating much. He has gained some of it back but he is still struggling with throwing up as he is still snotty. He is somewhere right under 15 pounds right now.

He is walking! More and more! I have been taking the boys to Kangaroo Kingdom nearly every day and he has been showing more and more willingness to walk from Point A to Point B then to crawl there. He can now do a few things while he is up. He can turn, sometimes he can pick something up and remain standing, and he has closed the door to a playhouse while standing, and then continued walking! He is still pretty unstable on his feet and he has to sit down a lot, but he is getting more confident in his walking and he is trying it out a lot. I am no longer surprised when I see him walking, but still very excited.

He is such a fast crawler, whenever people see him crawling they comment on it.

He is "talking" all of the time. More and more different sounds in the talking. He is also learning more and more words. At last count we were at 13.

Dada (Joseph won!)
Ball
Bottle
Block (maybe)
Book (maybe)
No (sort of)
More (with an accompanying sign)
Help (with an accompanying sign - his own made up one)
Knutson (pronounced New)
Ne Ne (Milk)
Moo (What sounds does a cow make?)
Baa (What sound does a sheep make?)
Woof Woof (What sound does a dog make?)

We went to Costco the other night while Joseph was in Texas (we went with one of the boys' babysitters). There was a little boy (small like Jac) who was 2 years old. He had started walking at 20 months and so he was not yet the steadiest walker. He was walking all around though and not falling down. So cute! Jac really wanted to join him! Oh man! Costco's floors are filthy! But he wanted down! So I let him! And off he went. It was late in the evening so it wasn't terribly busy so people could see Jac crawling around, and it was cracking people up. He had such a good time crawling and walking around. Oh man! When he can really walk he is just going to go!