Albama Trip in Pictures

I have been meaning to write a post about my trip home for a week now but have not taken the time to do it. So I have decided to do a recap in pictures. We had a great time!!

JT on the way to Alabama

Gavin met us at the airport. So sweet watching them hold hands!

Long day of playing outside the hospital waiting on baby Seth to make his arrival.

John Thomas wanted to do everything his big cousin, Gavin, did.

Paw Paw helping John Thomas exercise

Playing on a hot Alabama day. These boys love being outside!!!

John Thomas and Grace

I took Gavin to a bike ride in Dothan with the mayor which he declared was a race.

 Poor little Gavin was going as fast as he could around a curve and had a wreck. Nothing a day followed with Chuk E Cheese and swimming couldn't cure :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Love this little man more than I ever thought was possible.

My favorite treat. Self serve frozen yogurt!

Sweet cousins

Trying to copy Gavin playing golf

Troy, Alabama

I always LOVE going home! I love being with my family and friends.

PJ's

Yesterday I was going through all of JTs newborn clothes to mail to my sister.

 (Leigh Anne is 37 weeks pregnant and we do not know if she is having a boy or a girl. I can not wait for the baby to be here! As soon as she goes in to labor I am going to buy the first ticket I can to Alabama! I am so excited to hold a little newborn and to be able to help with the baby and Gavin.)

John Thomas newborn

 A big baby yawn. So cute! Look how loose the PJs are on him.

John Thomas 15months old

My big baby! I can not believe how big he is!!!

 FYI - the reason they are laying on his back because I could not get him to stay still long enough any other way to get a picture :)

I am off for my last long run (only 8 miles) before the marathon today. Yay! Unfortunalty it has to be on the treadmill since it is raining and cold and Tommy is out of town. Then we are meeting some friends at the circus! JTs first circus!

Walking

I finally have a toddler!

 My little man was in no rush to start walking, can you blame him? He had a mom to carry him everywhere, no need to do it himself :) A little over a week ago my dad and step mother were in Indianapolis which is only a couple hours from me so John Thomas and I got to spend the day with them. We met them an the Indianapolis Fair Grounds where there was a horse show. The fair grounds is huge!! We spent the majority of the day exploring and JT walked (holding someones hand) the majority of the time. My mom had spent a week with us the week before and spent a lot of time getting him to walk only holding onto one finger so he was getting more comfortable with walking. We spent the day with them on Thursday.......

and on Friday JT took about 10 steps by himself! he was so proud of himself! Smiling and laughing the whole time. Here's a little video from Sunday - every time before he would start walking he would clap for himself. Too funny

Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen and I hear John Thomas saying "Mom Mom" and I turn around and he is walking across the kitchen. So cute! and sweet that he wanted me to see him. Love that little boy!!!

A few pictures from our week

Makes my heart smile. I don't ever want to forget how he curls himself in a little ball to sleep.

Sweetest dog on the planet! JT loves Kennedy!!

 He spends most of his day chasing her, laying on her, and pulling her hair. 



I was cleaning in the kitchen and thought JT was playing in the living room, go to check on him....

he has opened the screen door and is playing outside!

Happy baby :)



Survival

Last weekend my husband left on Thursday for a long weekend in Minneapolis to visit his son and family. The day before I had taken John Thomas to the dr. and they said he had croup. Tommy leaves Thursday morning and by 11am JT fever was 101.  This is when it is REALLY hard not having family anywhere close to you! My child was so sick, husband out of town and no family. Two morning in a row of making your first cup of coffee at 4:15am makes for a very long weekend. We were at the dr's Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Friday. After running several test on JT (rsv, flu, blood work and chest xrays) he seemed to just have a really bad virus, keeping his temperature around 103 all weekend, and an ear infection. Poor JT lost almost 2lbs over from Wednesday to Monday. It was so sad seeing him so pitiful!

 How I spent the weekend. My sick baby sleeping on me.

Breathing treatments :(

Thankfully he is back to himself and I survived too!

He LOVED these little rides..... as long as they were off! haha 

We put money in them and they started moving, he cried and wanted off. I am sure one day they will be more fun moving, I will just save my quarters until then :)

Standing, Traveling and Hiding

Big news in our life, on leap day, John Thomas decided to stand on his own! He is SO proud of himself. He will stand with the biggest smile on his face looking around to make sure everyone is paying attention to what he is doing. It is so cute. I teach a group fitness class twice a week where probably 80% of the participants are teachers. We usually all get there 30minutes early to set up. They all crowd around JT and make him believe his is king of the world and I sit back and try to do as little as possible :)  He came in the first day ready to show off. He stood up by himself and looked around with the biggest smile on his face while probably15 women gathered around clapping for him. He could not have been happier! We joked that we are spoiling him and he is going to expect women to clap at his every move for the rest of his life :) But it is really cute and these women are great!!! I love teaching my classes and the people I get to meet because of what I do!

We broke curfew and went to a couple of daddy's basketball games.

JT appreciates having his own seat. Such a big boy!

The handsome men in my life!

Tommy had some away games this past week and JT decided he wanted to go with daddy

In daddy's suitcase.

John Thomas also enjoys throwing things and likes nothing in his crib. As soon as he wakes you better go get him or this is what you find

 Both blankets have been thrown out of the crib, socks taken off thrown out

 and pants taken off thrown out.

JT is becoming very fast and likes getting into everything!! Which I know will only increase when he starts walking. I was in the kitchen and I heard JT screaming. I go in the living room, where I left him, did not see him anywhere. Then the slight panic starts to come over you, which I'm sure all moms can relate to. Check the stairs but babygate is up (Thank you God) go to the dining room can't find him, still here him screaming so I go back to the living room.....

Can you find JT

In the entertainment center!

This little guy keeps me on my toes. He is such a blessing!!! 

I have been meeting with a friend every week and we are reading Power of a Praying Parent. I highly recommend to all of you that have kids. I believe it is the most important thing we can do as parents, to pray for our children life. And what a better feeling to know that your not in charge and God is! Takes a lot of pressure off of being a parent :)

Gaining weight

Someone seems to have put on some weight in the past few months

Our first run together - June 2011

Our run this week together - February 2012

It is completely crazy to me how much this child has grown in the past few months!

John Thomas

John Thomas and I are finding a new Saturday routine.

 I go out for a long run with the Up and Running Group. 

 17 miles - 9minute pace. YAY!

Then after I relax, John Thomas naps we go to Barnes and Nobles.

 What a great find for me!!

First there is a Starbucks in Barnes and Nobles so I get coffee (Skinny Salted Carmel Mocha Latte- Amazing!) grab a couple books and head to the kids area. John Thomas loves playing with the trains and I enjoy my coffee and flip through books. It's like a little babysitter!

This amazes me - John Thomas automatically picks up train, car, etc and starts saying vroom, vroom. How does he know to do this?? I guess boys are born knowing how to do this. It is so cute.

Another good mom find for me-

At the grocery store.

 Kroger has little cars attached to the carts. John Thomas plays while I shop - when he gets bored I get some of the samples they are always passing out. My child can eat his body weight in hummus. 

John Thomas has not started walking yet and does not really seemed concerned to start. I will try to walk with him and he will for a little bit, decides that is enough sits and crawls away as fast as possible :)

What he does enjoy is climbing 

At play care at the gym. He also likes climbing to the top of the table as well.

If I leave him in the living room and walk into another room this is usually what I come back to find

Climbing on the fireplace.

And of course if we are in the kitchen this is where you usually will find him

All the tuberware has been thrown across my kitchen 

so he can fit his body in here to get the rest out for me.

Have a good week!

Best Friends

Best Friends

Pictures taken by my talented friend, Nicole

 

John Thomas loves sweet Kennedy!

To be fair I think everyone does. She is the most mild mannered, sweet, loving dog you will meet. Her world was flipped upside down when this little man came in the picture a little over a year ago.

 She now must go on a scavenger hunt to find her food.......

She can't just get a drink of water anytime.....

My son trying to fit his whole body in her little water bowl. 

But at the end of the day I think Kennedy loves JT too.

Mostly because of this.....

 Feeding Kennedy

 Sharing snacks

and my favorite

How can you not laugh?! 

I love spending my days with these two!

Week in Pictures

Random pictures of JT last week

He loves bath time!!

I am unloading the dishwasher and turn around to see this. I have a climber!! But he was not happy when he could not figure out how to get down. haha

Sharing his snacks with Kennedy.

Brrrr. It's cold!

He loves brushing his teeth! Using daddy's toothbrush.

My sister gave my this book for Christmas and I love it! 

Highly recommend it!!