Jac and Nic's blog.
Written by Mom and Dad
9/03/2010
A quiet midnight feeding
The boys had a lot of fun at 'Namma and Grandfather's house, so by the time we got home around 8:30pm, they were asleep in the car, and then went right to bed at home.
I had the baby monitor on, all was quiet, and I was getting some work done... Then, about fifteen minutes ago, the bedroom door opened, and Nic came out to the living room. He did not make a single sound! He looked calm, and didn't cry or complain... Just a semi-sleepy walk over to where I was sitting.
I grabbed the plate of left over french fries that I had saved (just in case one of them woke up hungry) and offered it to him: "Are you hungry?"
He nodded, and then proceeded to eat the fries -- quietly. The only minor fuss was when I dipped one of the fries and handed it to him. (He's going through a "must do everything myself" phase.)
...and now, as I'm about to click Publish, the quiet has been broken. "Daddy go play, daddy go play..."
Savoring his bottle
9/02/2010
Jac's new Snoopy shirt!
8/28/2010
Weaning?
I know my milk supply is going to change a lot if Nic doesn't nurse, and I feel sad about it. But I think it is about time. It is comfort at this point, but for both of us in a way. With all that is going on, I need to know that he can be okay without me for a night.
Augh! Hard!
Ama's food
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Really?
I lost my wallet once this week, and yet it is in my bag right now.
Alexis lost her iPad once last week, and yet it is next to her bed right now.
Really?
Can't sleep without all of my boys
I really miss them. I need a boy on each side, tucked in to me.
I miss you guys!
ABC song
He doesn't hear the what LMNOP part of the song correctly though, and sings "tem in no pee" instead - which I think is adorable.
One to Ten
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8/25/2010
Glad I didn't have to take the kids out today
8/24/2010
Happy and sad
Sent from my iPhone
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8/23/2010
After a long day
We spent the day at Long Beach and it was a long one. It was warm, although much cooler than Pasadena's near record heat. We cooled off with a couple of drinks in the shade.
8/19/2010
37 months? Really!
OMG! Jac turned 37 months and it completely passed me by.
I am exhausted. Nic and I have been sick for a week now, Daddy for a few days and Jac just today.
Nic took a nap from 8 pm - 10 pm last night and then stayed up until 2:30 am. Even when he does sleep it is pretty light because the cold has him so stuffy he sniffles along all night.
But... Amongst all of that my Jacie is 37 months old! Wow! Not just 3, but 3 and 1 month.
Today he said the sweetest thing to me, with no prompting. We went to the mall, to get out of the 90 degree plus heat. When we got there the boys spotted a toy store with cars. They of course begged to go in and then wanted to buy a car. They have lots of cars!
I told them that if they both ate a good amount of growing food at lunch that I would buy them a car. Bribery! Plain and simple. We went and had Panda Express for lunch and they both ate well, better than they have for me in a couple weeks!
As we were walking away from lunch Jac said to me, "That was a very good lunch. Thank you Mommy." Oh man! Talk about touching Mommy's heart.
After a bathroom break they got their cars, and a little candy and they were pretty happy!
Jac's imagination has blossomed. He creates all kinds of stories of things that are happening, and places that he is, and what is going on that are not! Tonight he wanted to buy a toy for his cat - he doesn't have a cat, but he wants one, and so he wanted to buy a toy for it. Earlier in the day he was going in and out of his little house (under a blanket), going to sleep in there, and then coming out into his "yard." Cute! Tonight he created a train station with trains coming, outside of Souplantation!
He is into mice at the moment. He wants to watch them on YouTube and he wants one to hold in his hand, and play with, and he comes up with other things the mouse is going to do. This fascination started in NYC when he saw the mice in the Zoo (they weren't supposed to be there ;)
He wants a little dog to carry!
"What does that say on it?" He wants to know what things say now (meaning what is written on them). He asks me all the time to tell him what something says.
"Where are we going?" He wants to know where we are going all the time. He also wants to know where things are. He will ask me, "Where's Nama's house?" and I will point the direction of Nama's house, and he will say, "I want to go there."
He is starting learn the names of places. He knows we live in Pasadena and Nama lives in La Canada. He also knows the name of the street we live on, and he knows that we have phone numbers, but doesn't know what they are yet.
"Where's the moon?" Every night when we drive home from Nama's house, or anyplace else, the boys ask where the moon is. If the moon is not out I tell them that it is sleeping. They will then say (especially Nicie), "Hi moon sleeping." So cute! When the moon is out they get very excited and locate it over and over again.
Fears and caution - Jac has gotten more cautious about the car and getting to and from it. He used to be willing hold hands and walk across the parking lot in our apartment building but now he will only go if he is carried. He says it is dangerous! He also needs me to stand with him and help him into his seat when he climbs up, rather than being willing to climb in all by himself like he had been for a month or so.
Mommy, mommy! Jac is very Mommy focused right now, generally preferring me to do things for him rather than Dadda.
Changing every day! Every day I am amazed by the things that come out Jac's mouth! It is like have a U.N. observer by my side at all times!
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8/18/2010
Weekend with Mommy
On Saturday the boys and I went Knotts Berry Farm. It was pretty hot and there were a lot of people! We had to park in the far western lot which is all the way on the other side of the park from Camp Snoopy where all of the kids rides are. Fortunately the boys were very amenable to using the stroller and I was able to roll them from one side of the park to the other without too much fuss - it would have near on impossible to get them across otherwise - I can still carry them both - but only for about a city block - after that I have to set someone down - and things get really slow.
There were so many people that getting on a ride was a major accomplishment. After some refreshments we got on our first ride, "Huff and Puff." This is one of the boys' favorites and they both had a great time. Next, they wanted to go on the trucks but the lines was REALLY long and in the sun so we (meaning me!) decided to go on the carousel. Both boys were happy to get on but in the end Nicie didn't want to stay on his horse and rode in my arms. Jac happily stayed on his goat and went around and around (but not up and down - his row didn't do that!).
After that we rode the little train and then headed out to the car (we have been driving Nama's car all weekend because Daddy is using our car to ferry stuff to the storage place). Nic fell asleep on the walk across the park and I put them both in the car. On the ride home Jac said he wanted to go to Nama's. I explained that Nicie and I couldn't be at Nama's because we are sick but that he could go by himself if he wanted. He said he wanted to be "dropped off" at Nama's. What? Okay Jacie!
We drove to Nama's house and I literally took him inside, set him down, said hi to Nama, and left! I told him that I was going to do that and he was just fine with it. He spent the rest of the evening with Nama, Grandfather, Auntie Kathleen Cousin Cooper and Lou (Cooper's nanny). He had a great time and only got upset at the very end when he wanted "Nilla." It was awesome!
I took Nicie home and ended up taking him to the park by our house and playing for an and a half, just us. We have never done that alone before and it was so much fun! It really brought home how different the two boys are and how much Nicie has grown up! He HAS to do everything for himself - if you try to help him or take something apart when he wants it together he gets very! upset!
Daddy and Nicie and I had dinner together, and it felt weird to ask for a table for three rather than four. It was nice to have dinner with just Nicie, we could really focus on him, and Jac had a great time eating dinner with Nama and Auntie Kathleen and Lou.
While Nic and I were at the park I called Katie, our former mother's helper. She is living in San Diego now and we haven't seen her since her last day, about two months ago. She and I had been trading voice mails back and forth and we finally managed to have an actual conversation!
We decided that I would drive the boys down to San Diego the next morning and we would all go to the San Diego Zoo together. Daddy helped me get the boys in the car (fortunately they both went back to sleep!) and we drove down to San Diego, picked Katie up, had some KFC, and went to the Zoo. The Zoo was pretty fun - we started by taking a the bus tour that covers 70% of the park. That was great - we had a very knowledgeable driver and we got to see a lot of animals from the comfort of the shade in the bus. After the bus ride, a potty break, and a snack, and some shopping we saw some reptiles, which the boys really enjoyed, especially Jac, and then we headed out. It was a lot of fun, and it was really great to see Katie. She feels like my other kid sister (a lot younger!) who has headed off to find her way.
All in all, the weekend went well, with a very tired Momma at the end!
8/17/2010
Picnic at the park
8/12/2010
8/11/2010
"Too many people"
We were at the Mall and we went to the play area. There were a lot of kids (there usually are) and a lot of little boys running around chasing each other. Jac has expressed before discomfort when there are a lot of people but this time he said, "Too many people," and climbed into my arms! He ended up playing and being fine but it does make we wonder to what extent that comes directly from my resction and what is genetic. All the people and kids didn't bother Nic in the least.
Jac and Daddy building together
8/10/2010
Happy Birthday Mommy and Grandfather
Yesterday we had a joint birthday party for Grandfather and me. It was very nice, with a lot of my Dad's friends there. There are a bunch of pictures up on Flickr.
8/09/2010
Sleep without Mommy at Ikea!
I took the boys to Ikea today and while we were there Jac found the kids beds. He told me, many times, that he wants his own little bed, from Ikea, and the he wants to sleep by himself, without Mommy. Now, this is a suspect statement since he frequently tells me he wants to sleep by himself, with Mommy! Hmmmm - he doesn't quite understand what by himself means! Maybe it just means without Nicie!
We have been co-sleeping since forever, and since we moved back to California we have all been sleeping together. When we first moved back we shoved a crib mattress and our queen mattress together and a few months ago we put a twin mattress next to the queen mattress - all on the floor - and it worlds well. A lot of nights the boys and I are in the queen bed and Daddy is in the twin, or Daddy and Jac are in the twin and Nicie and I are in the queen. It works well - but Jac says he is ready for his own bed!
I love sleeping all together and am not in any hurry for the boys to leave, but when they are each ready they should go, and come back, and go, etc. until one day they stop coming back!
We currently only have one bedroom, the other bedroom is being used as Daddy's office. Daddy is going to clean out his office and we are going to turn it into a second bedroom for the boys and some more play area. Daddy will eventually he relocate his office, but for the time being he doesn't have enough time to work in his office anyway!
8/03/2010
Garfield Park
Garfield Park has become one of our favorite parks to go to. It is very shaded, and is cooler than the surrounding area, even on a hot day like today (90+). During the summer there have been a lot of older kids there from various camps, which has been a bit disruptive, but today the older kids were playing at the other end of the park, so we ventured into the sandbox and slide area.
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Missing "S"es
8/01/2010
22 months!
Nicie is 22 months! Wow! Almost two! My boys are growing up so much!
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7/24/2010
Sea World and a stroller
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7/21/2010
OMG! Jac is three!

OMG - Jac is three and has been for 11 days and I am just now getting the mental space to write about it. It is 2:21 am and I am writing!
7/20/2010
Jac Sketch
Technique: Color Pencil
Paper: Canvas
Color Layers: 32
Color Overlap: 3
Density: Higher
Color Tip: Medium
Color Opacity: High
Color Style: Precise
7/03/2010
Times Square!
The boys are enjoying all of the late night sights and sounds of Times Square!
Our little talker - 21 months old!
Nicie turned 21 months old 3 days ago and he is going strong!
His language is just out of control - there is no other way to describe it.
He routinely uses three word sentences and sometimes as many as five!
A recent one - "Thank you Mommy carry oda" - I was carrying a soda and he thanked me for doing it!
"Dangerous" - He understands (sort of) the idea of things be dangerous and will announce when something is dangerous.
"Yeah Mommy made it" - The boys yell this - very loudly - when we make it home in the car. I thank them profusely for their congratulations!
"Do it again" - Nicie says this all the time when he wants to do something again - which is very! frequently!
"Mommy get it" and "Mommy do it" - When there is something he wants done and he wants me to do it rather than him!
"Crash" - He likes to crash things into one another and he says "crash" all the time when this happens.
Pretend play
Jac and Nic's pretend play has skyrocketed lately. He is currently pretending that he is cutting a hot dog with a ruler that he found in Madeline and Caitlin's stuff. He is saying, "Cut it hot dog". And now he put the ruler away and said, "Put it away."
This is all for now - too tired! 5:22 am! Go to sleep Nicie!
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Welcome to NYC
We are in NYC, staying in my brother's place.
And Nic is awake!
It is 5 am NYC time!
Augh!
7/02/2010
Captain Jac. Airbus A320 LAX to JFK
Jac's modern photography


