Family

Family comes in all forms for us. I have not been able to post recently for a few reasons....

1) First trimester FATIGUE

2) We have been having an incredible few months with family!

3) Lots of traveling

Here is a little of what we have been doing....

We got to celebrate Hannah and the upcoming (now past) birth of her third child and first little boy, Sam. We just love this family (look at these amazing women who were all there to support her!) and are so glad that we get to do life with them. Plus, it's just great to see a little Byrd boy with those classic Byrd cheeks! 

We have enjoyed many days at the park. One day J found this cute little dog attached to a stroller and he went to stand by it. When the dog started to whimper for his owner, J said, "It's ok, buddy. I love you". Melt. My. Heart. I love how he looks like he is standing guard, watching over the park.  I love days when we can go to the zoo as a family and it's so incredible to see how J has changed from the days in his stroller to running around like a crazy man, up ramps, climbing walls and identifying all of the animals. I love how he just loves to explore the zoo. Most days we usually spend more time looking at rocks rather than animals but it's just so nice to be outside and let him be little. 

 We love time with BB and Grandad! We enjoyed a fun dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where J proceeded to demolish bananas, chicken fingers, bread and anything else he could get his hands on. I think his belly was twice the normal size (which says a lot!) when we left. I love to see how much fun he has with them, giggling and sharing smiles. 

life is more fun when you do lots of jumping 

 We spent a weekend early this year with Grandmom and Pop pop when JB was working nights. Look at these guys...just being buddies and sharing a Berenstein Bear book together. One afternoon we headed down to National Harbour which is so much fun and would be awesome in the summer. They moved an incredible statue, "the awakening", here when the park was created and J loved climbing in the mouth and tickling the huge foot! 

First Peep, from the Peeps store

 as the summer months approach again, so do "Compound" dinners. We love living right near the Mazzios and McNabbs and it's so much fun to see our kids interact and become best buds. Each night when we sing "He's got the whole world in His hands", Jackson specifically mentions Luke and Katie, and Charlotte and Caroline.  I love how he looks up to these kids and love that we trust these other families to help us parent our kids and support each other in life.

library play time

big boy swing! 

 And finally, the BEST part about family is our recent addition, born in late February. his name is William and he made me an aunt!!!! Jackson loves to talk about New Baby William and we face time whenever we can (although he is sleeping most of the time). I can't wait to see him later this month.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It's been over a month since my last post. Whew. Life has been crazy and will be explained when I have a little more time to sit down an write another post. But for now, here are some pictures of what we have been up to lately!

Jackson continues to boycott sleep but is in a good mood most of the time. His new phrase is "oopsey-daisy" whenever he drops things! It's precious and I have no clue where he got it from. He counts "one, two, eleven!" and still loves to play hide-and-seek. He likes to snuggle and "be cozy" on our bed or under the big blanket on the couch. We have both been fighting colds and thanks to the McNabbs, we have been watching Cars and Cars 2 on repeat all week. Guess what Jackson is getting for Christmas?? I still adore how he plays laying down like this...cars, chalk, reading books....all on his belly.

Our weather has been crazy, as it has been in the rest of the country. Whereas we are definitely ready for winter to be OVER, we have really taken advantage of some beautiful spring/summer-like days recently!

 J is a big helper around the house and loves the phrases, "all by myself" and "I do it".  He is actually quite proficient at many things like dumping his leftover dinner into the trashcan and putting his plate in the dishwasher. It take some reminding but it usually gets done. He loves to brush his teeth but we are still struggling on getting dressed/undressed. He is great at picking up his toys and vacuuming. We baked last week and he cracked the eggs for the first time...a little messy, but how else are you going to learn?! 

the self-flip 

 I had a chance to do a 9 mile race with Kaitlin at the Dismal swamp. Great runners dress alike :) I am eagerly anticipating the days when I can leave the house in shorts and a tank top...all these layers make it tough (and oh-so-un-motivating) to get out the door with a kid.

 We are really enjoying time with our almost-two-and-a-half-year old, whether inside or outside. J and I love to make silly faces as we snuggle after bath time.  We spend hours at the aquarium and the zoo...sometimes three times a week at the zoo. Thank goodness for an amazing zoo right down the road!! The pirate park with Lizzy Kay, Ellie and William is always a blast. Jackson longs to be a big boy and will run after the older kids playing soccer. I'm so touched by how many of them will let him play (and will play appropriately with him at his skill level). 

Lizzy Kay

Firetruck Garage 

J and JB on the Rhino at the zoo

Snow day and trip to Springfield

It has been pretty darn cold here, as it has been for the rest of the country. We don't do very well in the cold but we are making it and eagerly anticipating Spring. I have had a few races (6 miles in 29 degrees; 9 miles in 40 degrees) at the Dismal Swamp but other than that, my running shoes are packed away for the sub 30 degree temps! It has been good to have some quiet time inside....doing devotionals, studying for Women's Bible Study, drinking tea, enjoying our winter-smelling candles...but really we are longing for days at the park, trips to the zoo and front yard shenanigans with our friends! 

oh to be this little 

In early January, we enjoyed a trip to Springfield to see Grandmom and Pop Pop. J got a kick out of playing with their trains and a princess castle (we can't hate on anything pink when it provides hours of entertainment). We ate ice cream with lots of sprinkles, visited the roosters and Penny the Pig and had lots of tickle time! From an early age, J has been into stacking and building and he continues to have that spacial brain. His new favorite toys are puzzles, real big kid puzzles! As a puzzle enthusiast myself, I am so excited to share the joy of puzzling for hours at the kitchen table on a rainy afternoon or while on vacation.  Poor Jonathan will just have to humor us and contribute a piece or two.  I have such fond memories of building forts when we were growing up that we started building them during all of our snow days this month. He's really more into, "Mom build it!" and then he destroys it....set on repeat all afternoon.

Who would have thought that we would get several snow days, two weeks in a row! The first week was several inches followed by 8-10 inches of snow, in Norfolk! Thankfully, we had a snow shovel and lots of winter gear to keep us warm! It took a ton of coaxing to get J out on the first day but once he was out there he had a great time. The next door neighbors made him into a snow angel, he ate snow and we romped around for about an hour before going in to enjoy some hot chocolate.  

The second snowfall was so pretty and we were lucky to enjoy a few quiet days as a family as JB did not have to work. We had a great family snowball fight that ended in what is now a laughable moment. JB threw a snowball at Jackson's belly but it took an unfortunate curve into his face. He was so stunned by the cold water in his eyes that he wouldn't open them for several minutes. I was trying not to panic, especially when I have the voice of reason/ER doctor standing right there telling me that it is all going to be ok, but it was scary! We snuggled on the couch watching Fireman Sam and he opened his eyes and said, "Daddy hit me with a snowball!!! That's silly!!" Yes...it quickly turned into a laughable moment, thank goodness! :)

In other news, our mighty sleeper has started to boycott sleep. He is getting up at 5:15 (or earlier), yelling during all his naps and resisting bedtime. When we put him to bed, he is the king of stalling....read book in the chair, read book in daddy's bed, brush teeth, need drink, go potty, rock me like a baby, blow my nose, cover me with blanket, need my turtle, give me kiss, give me hug, give me BIG hug, give me small hug, turn my light on, turn my light off, pillow in my crib, no pillow.....and the recent one, said to JB, "Put mommy in my room!". It all came to a head this week when he woke at 4:30am, did not nap and yelled for an hour before falling asleep past his bedtime. It's time to go back to cry it out, tough love. So, we read a story, rock him and sing songs, pray, give hugs and kisses and then leave and don't go in until 6am. It's been rough and his poor little throat is raw from all the screaming but this little kid needs his sleep, and so do we! Last night he yelled from 10:45pm until 4am. It was rough...but I think we are back on track today with a good nap and better bed time.  Pray for good sleep habits returning to the Byrne household soon!

Say Goodbye to the Paci

Hey everyone! Jackson here again. It's been a super fun January so I haven't had time to blog...here's an update of what we have been doing! 

In the biggest news of the year so far, I was a really brave boy and gave away my paci. Mom and dad told me that pacifiers are for babies, and we packed them up in a pink box and walked them down the street to baby Molly. I was really unhappy about this decision at the time, screaming, yelling and climbing up the table to grab them away from mom.  But when we got to Molly's house and I saw how happy she was to receive a present, I knew it was a nice thing to do. Since then, I have not mentioned them at all but I have found a new lovie...the blue truck blanket that Ms Bonnie sewed for me. It's super soft and cozy and I take it everywhere.  

Mom and dad had a really great time (or so they told me) at their annual New Year's eve party at the McNabbs house.  They ate sushi and played this really long and confusing game called Settlers.  I would probably be good at keeping score for people during the game. I used to count like this, "1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2".  Then, I started counting like this, "1, 2, 3, 4, 6!!" and now I just bypass all those silly numbers and count "1, 2, 11". It makes hide-and-seek go much faster when I don't have to say so many numbers.  

I love playing outside, especially when it is not too cold. Mom took me for a walk the other day just so I could splash in puddles...and our neighborhood has some really great puddles. I was SOAKING wet and had so much fun! I love to be outside and point things out, "I see plane in the sky", "there goes trash truck", "I see Monster truck (I call all trucks monster trucks".  I just think that life is much more entertaining when I narrate every moment. Plus, how would mom and dad know what was going on in the world around them if I wasn't there to tell them about all the cool things I am seeing! 

Mom and I love to have lots of adventures, like going to the zoo and the gym to play. My favorite thing right now is firetrucks and we see them all the time! I know the difference between an ambulance and a fire truck and can spot the truck with the ladder. The other day I was wearing my fireman hat and boots while we were grocery shopping and we found the firemen buying food for breakfast. They thought my boots were SO cool! I got to sit in their truck and they turned the lights on for me. When they drove off, another truck pulled up and I sat in that one too! Then, a third one came and it honked the horn for me. Mom and I were both scared but we also though it was pretty cool.  

We got to celebrate Ellie's 2nd birthday a few weeks ago. All of my favorite friends were there (well, minus Sofi, Eli and Jordan...I miss you cool kids). We all ran around, played with chalk and took funny pictures. I like to say cheese for pictures and give my craziest smile, but today I was overwhelmed by all the tall adults staring at us and taking millions of pictures. You people are strange.  I think Ellie is so much fun and I am glad she is my friend. My other friend is Lizzy Kay. Our moms are good friends and they like to hang out a lot so we see each other all the time. I love to give her hugs, play tickle time and eat meals together.  

 Here are a few things I love recently: 

Reading books about dinosaurs and construction trucks

Singing Jesus Loves Me

Trains: at church, the library, grandparent's houses

Building towers

Snuggling

Giving kisses

Talking to new people

Talking loudly!!!

School busses

Taking off my own jacket

Face time with Uncle Matt and my grandparents

Uncle Matt's dogs

Saying hi to Aunt Chase and my soon-to-be baby cousin

Praying before meals

Brushing my own teeth

Breakfast smoothies (I call it Smoothie Time!)

Snuggling with mom and dad

Here are a few things that I am not too keen on:

Getting my diapers changed ("NO CHANGE MY POOPY DIAPY!!!!")

Personal hygeine: when mom and dad brush my teeth, brush my hair, clean my ear, cut my nails

Eating dinner

Not getting my own way all the time 

Clothes

Going running in the stroller

I am learning how to obey mom and dad and to follow what God says. It's really hard but I am trying really hard to do what is right and to obey, even when it's not fun and when I would rather have my way. I have an "Obedience Chart" and I get a sticker every time I obey mom and dad the first time they ask me to do something. I really like seeing all the stickers on my chart and knowing that they are proud of me. They are also proud of me because I have gone potty in the potty one time every day for a month!!! Mom bought me big boy underwear and I have worn them a few times but I'm not ready to commit. Diapers just give me so much more freedom to play! 

Dad has been working the evening and night shifts recently and it's really weird. He leaves for work when I am in bed and then comes home in the morning. It usually means that I get to eat second breakfast with him :) Dad likes to ask me, "What do I do for work". Silly dad....of course I know that his job is "Play Songs", "Eat dinner out", and "go to gym".  I think that he and mom have also been doing a Bachelor Bracket on Monday nights and dad is winning! I think dad is cool. He is THE BEST tickler ever and makes me giggle!! I am learning how to tickle him really well too so I can be just like him.  He also has this cool helicopter from Grandmom and he flies it all over the house while Lincoln and I laugh! 

Well, that's all for now. Off to have more adventures! 

Joy to the World

We are so grateful to be able to celebrate Christ's birth this year! We are thankful for good health, good jobs, amazing families and how we are so lovingly taken care of by our Creator. We spent the 23rd at Beth and Matt's house enjoying Byrne family festivities.  J was a little overwhelmed by presents and didn't quite know how to unwrap them. But once they were unwrapped he was off and running! Our favorite gift was a hand-painted step-stool with a photo from the cover of one of J's favorite books, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site. Matt spent a ton of time free handing this and J loves to drag it around the house. It's almost too nice to let him use it for anything besides looking at it :)





Of course trucks were the theme of this year for our little construction site guy.  Beth and Matt took JB and I out to a delicious dinner at Eurasia, and it was good to have a nice night out with them!

BB also got him a backpack and a lunch box for him to use when he goes to school next year! J will be going to pre-school two days a week at Larchmont United Methodist Preschool (LUMP) and will be sporting this seersucker monogrammed backpack from our friend's business, Short and Sweet.

Grandmom and  Pop Pop joined us in Norfolk on Tuesday afternoon for Christmas Eve service, dinner and snuggling on the couch. We enjoyed the Lessons and Carols service at church, full of traditional Christmas hymns and passages telling us about the prophesy and fulfillment of the birth of Christ.  We left singing Joy to the World, which is much different than the traditional candle-lit Silent Night recession. However, I do love leaving on a more upbeat, joyful note! Once we were back home, they read the Christmas story to Jackson and then tucked him in for a good night's rest.  

J's favorite new thing, saying "CHEESE"

Although J was up at 5:20 or so, we waited until 6am to get him per his new "Ok to Wake" light which dictates that he not get out of his crib or call to mom until 6pm. Grandmom and Pop Pop were itching to get him but restrained themselves. I went on a run at 6:30 while waiting for JB to get up. It was incredibly quiet, almost in an eery sort of way but peaceful too. I did not see a single car, person or evidence of anyone awake in the whole neighborhood.  

We lounged around in PJs, drank coffee and took our time opening gifts. J's stocking had an excavator from the dollar store in it and he was fascinated with it and refused to do much else that morning. But he did really enjoy playing with the baskets of fake food from Grandmom and Pop Pop. I have eaten many hamburgers and fruit salads in the past week and love our little chef! 

 After a much-needed nap, we went to dinner at the Speasmaker's house, with 15 people, 2 dogs and 2 cats. After a delicious meal, we played a 'whistle the tune" game in our Christmas crowns. J loved playing with Max! 

 The rain delayed one of J's gifts until the 27th, and he loved riding it in the house that cold Friday morning. We're excited to take it to the streets this week (with a helmet, of course)

look out world, it's a big boy bike

Brunch with the whole family 

We are so grateful for our loving parents who are also such great grandparents to little Jackson. 

J with his grandparents

Merry Christmas to all