Daddy's Boy

This has been the summer of dad, granddad and pop pop. J just loves his guys and we love watching all of them together! Here is a little Jackson update.

Our J-man is going to be 3-years old this October. He has surpassed the 3 foot mark and weighs somewhere from 32 to 36 pounds. He has started to thin out a lot now that he never.stops.moving. He certainly has gone from our Silent J to our loud and crazy man! He never talked to strangers or even people who he knew from church or the neighborhood. Now he narrates whole stories for them, whether they have time to listen or not :)  We are figuring out the fine line between letting him be a full-of-life child and realizing that our neighbors need some quiet at 7am.  His vocabulary is increasing daily and it's so fun to see the words and concepts he picks up from books. The other night, he declared that I should lay down on his bed so he could cover me up and turn me into a sarcophagus!  Oh that imagination! His grammar still needs a little work, however.  If you say to him, "Jackson, you are not a boy," he will respond back, "Yes am are!".  I have tried to start teaching him to say, "Yes I am" but instead it comes out as "Yes am am." It's super cute and part of me hopes that he keeps some of his errors for just a little longer.  

 He has inherited my puzzle genes and we love to watch his little mind work. He just looks at the piles of pieces and finds two that go together. There is no typical logic to his puzzling (like doing the edges first), but he has amazing knack for completing a puzzle. I am super excited (and JB is rolling his eyes) for family beach vacations when J and I can do puzzles on the kitchen table all week! 

We have made a breakthrough in learning colors and Jackson finally knows the last of the major colors...YELLOW!!!! For the past 3 months or so, he knew the rest but could never get yellow. He could tell you that something was the same color as a school bus or the sun and he could point to all things yellow but could never name it. Finally, he knows yellow and likes to proclaim it at the top of his lungs with lots of enthusiasm and pride! 

 We had a family trip to the dentist last week and it was a huge success! Jackson was curious but not scared and got a thorough cleaning and flossing. We got some instructions to start flossing his teeth at home.  Let me tell you what the hardest thing is...flossing someone else's mouth, esp when that someone is a 3 year old! We also learned that he is partially tongue tied which means that his frenulum (the piece of skin under your tongue) is not as far back as it should be. This could present problems with certain sounds as he reaches kindergarten but our dentist said it's benign in 99% of cases. Just something to be aware of if we try to put him back into speech therapy later. 

 In addition to his exuberant talking, J also runs everywhere and loves to be moving, climbing, jumping, running, hopping, falling, spinning. You name it. If it's physical, he is doing it. He started dancing this week with the typical little kid bounce that most kids do when they are one but he was never a big dancer. We're excited to get to see him get a little rhythm in his body! He's a pretty great climber at they playground in in neighborhood trees. His favorite game of the month is tag or simply, "I am going to chase you and then you chase me!!!!!" He will play with anyone he can convince to run with him and then he turns into a sweaty ball of exhausted little boy, and still wants to keep running! It will be a great way to get in shape after Rachel is born. 

 JB bought a longboard last month and has discovered a new form of entertainment that keeps all of my boys happy...JB boards, Link gets exercise and Jackson goes along for the ride when Link is sufficiently tired and unable to pull fast anymore.  I love seeing how much J looks up to his daddy. 

I got in a nice ocean swim last week 

 Finally, I am 35 weeks pregnant this Friday with a due date of September 26th. No word yet if she is anticipated early or late but we are ready whenever she is. Jackson might be the most overtly excited one in family. He proclaims daily that he is going to have a little sister and her name is Rachel! He is going to "rock her, hold her, feed her but not french fries." Yesterday he told JB that Rachel is going to be a giant! Oh goodness, I hope not, at least not until after she is born :) 

I've been feeling pretty good with a few episodes of SIJ (tailbone) pain that have resolved with some self-treatments and from the help of co-workers. It's one of the perks of being a PT; quick relief of pregnancy pain.  My cravings have subsided and I am back to eating a normal diet with a few more sweets than I would normally have just because I deserve them! I've had many more belly touches this time and people seem to be completely fascinated with my outie belly button. My 3-week period of extreme grumpiness has passed and I am back to my normal self (JB might note that grumpiness is part of my baseline however!). The hormones really have been different this time around and are reflected in stranger moods than I had with Jackson.  

 I am so ready to meet this little girl. I am ready for a period of rest from the other activities of life. I am ready to be at home with our family of 4, figuring out what she is like, letting Jackson get to know her and enjoying our new normal.  We are all so grateful for a healthy pregnancy and a girl who is continuing to grow (if my stomach is any indication!) 

July

I can't really remember what we did in July, but here are some pics to give you a glimpse of what we were up to! :) 

J had a great visit with Aunt Dwyn and Uncle Kenny. I think I posted this picture already, but you can never have too much Dwyn in your life! They adore each other

We often spend early mornings playing outside on the porch, attempting to be quiet for the neighbors who are still sleeping. However, "Silent J" is no longer silent and in fact, he has become a very loud child! He loves to narrate every event in life. He announces to everyone that he is "GOING TO SEE BB AND GRANDAD!", or that he is "GOING TO HAVE A BABY SISTER AND HER NAME IS RACHEL!" We're trying to find the balance between allowing our neighbors to have some peace in the mornings and allowing him to be the full-of-life-and-energy kid that he is.   

 Jackson and I regularly visit the local fire station but this time Andy took us to have a tour with a guy he knows there. The kids loved climbing up in all the trucks and being with each other in general. Jackson was sitting in the driver's seat of the Rescue truck and I was in the passenger seat. Somehow one of us managed to set off the loudest siren on all of the trucks.  The fireman assures me that it was me but I beg to differ as I touch NOTHING when I get up in those trucks with Jackson. If he really knew me, he would know that I am a rule follower and hate to do anything wrong, so obviously, I could not have touched anything to activate the siren :)   I'll blame it on my 3 year old son!  In any case, we all had some ringing in our ears that evening! 

 It is so encouraging and warms my heart to see Jackson form new friendships with kids in the neighborhood and those from church. We have really enjoyed becoming better friends with the Doyles and Jackson just adores Eli, who is 5. They shared a Blueberry Trader Joes bar at the pool one afternoon and a few days later we found this on our doorstep. Kindness from friends always makes me thankful for those who God has placed in our life. 

 It wouldn't be summer without many trips to the zoo! The petting zoo is FINALLY open and has about 20 goats. We happened to stumble there the first day it was open and enjoyed petting the goats while they tried to nibble on our clothing and bags.  We also hit up the sprinklers every time we go. Surprisingly, Jackson loves the ocean and the pool but he is not a huge fan of any type of shooting water, whether at the zoo or the botanical gardens. He loves to run around and 'talk a big game' but when it comes to getting in the fountains, he will just skirt around the edges most of the time. You can't get this kid out of the ocean, however, especially when he is there with Grandad or Pop Pop.  

 Beth and Matt (BB and Grandad) have been so amazing with taking Jackson multiple weekends in July and August to allow me some time get things ready for Rachel and have some child-free moments to just rest and take care of myself (which is something I often forget to do).  On one of those weekends, JB and I enjoyed the last ever Music on Monarch Way. I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep in my lawn chair! It was the perfect evening of music, great weather and time with my sweet husband. 

 We never had a moment of, "We should take Jackson to see this movie" until we saw a preview for Planes: Fire and Rescue.  This preview produced a heart-response in both of us and we knew that Jackson would love this movie.  in fact, our response was, "We HAVE to take J to see this."  It's planes, fire trucks, helicopters and cars all in one.  We went to an early morning showing at Cinema Cafe and J really seemed to enjoy it. He sat perfectly still like this, holding his ticket for the first 1/2 of the movie and then I think his attention span started to fade.  However, he continues to ask to go see the Plane movie again. I see a Christmas gift in our future. 

 When JB is working nights, or just working in general, J and I get to enjoy lots of quality time at the zoo, Botanical Gardens, library and the park. This adventure was to jump in the fountains at the Botanical Gardens with Leah and Kai and then to watch the planes take off from Norfolk Airport.  We enjoyed a sweet snack of summer cherries which were a very messy experience for one of us!

 As much as we feel that Jackson is growing up too fast, he still has these moments when we realize that he is still very much a little kid.  We walked to Tropical Smoothie for a treat and he slept through the whole thing. Sweet boy 

Mommy Fail

Today my frustration with Jackson's disobedience, talking back, asking 'Why" (out of disobedience and not just curiosity), and general poor behavior reached an all-time high for me. While he was misbehaving on the changing table with a messy diaper underneath him, I blurted out, "If you continue to do that I will smear poop all over your face."  Yes, I stooped to the level of my toddler this afternoon. #mommyfail

Praise God for forgiveness even when I act like a 3 year old! 

Baby Shower and other weekend fun

On July 12th, Kaitlin and Bonnie hosted a sweet shower for our little baby Rachel! It was the perfect afternoon surrounded by women I love. The decorations were simple and summery, food was delicious and the gifts were cute and practical, just what I like! We are so grateful that little Rachel is already so loved and prayed for by those around us. 

R's new growth chart...love hot pink!

Baby shower guests

Grandmom and BB

Bonnie and Kaitlin, lovely hostesses

Mom was able to spend the night on Saturday whereas normally she and dad have to hit the road after a day-trip to get back and care for their dog. Jackson thought this was the most incredible thing to happen to him in a long time. She brought some vanilla wafers and whipped cream (which taste even yummier while wearing sunglasses from BB), we went on a long walk to tour the fire station and read lots of books. 

BB brought a gift for J so he would not feel left out with all of R's gifts

one day he will smile while livin' the dream

 To cap off a fun-filled weekend, we got free tickets to the Tides games and went with the Fines and the Whites.  We love hanging out with our VA Beach friends (esp when they come to Norfolk!). We chose an empty section of the stand where the kids could run and swing on the railings. JB and Mike caught two balls for the kiddos (YIPPEE!) and we all binged on hotdogs, nachos and soft-serve ice cream in little plastic hats.  

4th of July week

We had a ton of fun in VA beach for the 4th of July week. It certainly was a whirlwind of adventure with the Camp Jr from June 23-27, the wedding on June 28th in Delaware, going straight back to BB and Grandad's house on the 30th to see the Dubinski's and then immediately back to work the next Tuesday! And all with a terrible head cold that really knocked me off my feet for about 15 days. But, we are all recovered in the Byrne household (thankfully JB managed to stay healthy) and we really enjoyed our time with family! 

3 generations of Byrne boys on the beach

 Aunt Dwyn adores Jackson and it was so great to see him really get to interact with her this visit. He completely adores her in return....how could you not!? He thought that Joe and Allie were so much fun and loved playing around with silly Uncle Kenny. 

 J is finally content in the stroller again which has made for nice morning walks with Link and J.  Plus at 7.5 mo pregnant it's nice to get moving! 

He is a puzzle guy

Thursday night, we got hit with the edges of a Category 2 hurricane that, thankfully, was much better than predicted. My trusty iPhone woke us up at 1am with reports of tornados touching down in VA beach, so naturally JB rolled back over and went to sleep and I turned on the news downstairs. There was minimal damage to our area and no actual tornadoes (not until the following week, though!). However, all 4th of July plans were postponed until the 5th of July. We still had a great cookout with neighbors while JB took care of various ATV and firework accidents in the ED that evening. 

relaxing on the couch after the 4th of july picnic

 BB and Grandad took Jackson for a sleepover on July 5-6 and I got some much-needed rest to recover from the head cold. In addition, what else do you do with a kid-free weekend but clean baseboards, wash all the linens in the house and generally do a "spring cleaning" day? :) 

 On a gorgeous Friday morning before the World Cup final on the 13th, we went on a walk with Lane and William and ended up at the park where we dug in the mud and played some soccer.  It was one of those days where you need a bath and a nap by 9am! 

July 11th Free Slurpees and the new 7-11 is walkable! 

Finally, just to record some lovely J moments of late:

*Every morning or when he is tired, he runs his hand through my hair

*Each night, he wants JB to "rest" with him in bed before J falls asleep. He puts his left arm under JB's neck and they snuggle together. 

*After his non-productive naps, he is known for exclaiming, "MY NAP WAS GOOD!"

*He loves his big boy bed and we have had a full month with no falls!

*At the zoo last week he looked up at me and asked, "Do you want to talk and be friends?"

*The king of grammar: "Let's play for a couple whiles"; "we will cheer for the soccer mens"; "them is going to the park?"

June Moments and a cousin's wedding!

June has been great with time spent planning and leading Camp Jr at Trinity Pres. Each summer our church puts on an amazing CAMP experience for kids 6-12 years old in a neighborhood called Young Terrace.  In this area of project housing, 70% of households fall below the poverty line, 56% are single mother households and 50% of the population has less than a high school education.  

We have a relationship with this community and the CAMP is just one way we can foster this relationship. While 100 volunteers are serving over 260 kids at CAMP, 50 volunteers are back at church ministering to over 115 campers aged 0-5 at Camp Jr.  This was an incredible (and hard) week filled with laughter, dancing, arts and sports, snacks, hugs and sharing that "Jesus Loves You even when you are different, afraid, and feeling left out".  

(for privacy of kids and families, I only posted a large group shot)

The Stage, done by Linda and team

Large Group time!

J loved Ms Becky, Timmy the Turtle and Bible time

All Creatures of our God and King!

When I have not been planning Camp Jr, we have had lots of family days at the outdoor YMCA pool! This gem came to Norfolk last year and we decided to bite the bullet, re-join the very expensive (but amazing) Y and we have certainly enjoyed our choice! Jackson loves the 2 foot kids area and we have recently convinced him that swimming is more fun (and safe) with his life jacket on. We also have a TON of friends from church who go to the pool and enjoy seeing his buddies there.  

The petting area at the zoo is FINALLY open!!!

Enjoying a great visit with Grandmom and Pop Pop 

lovely flowers to adorn the kitchen counter 

It's World Cup season...every home needs a cardboard goal

"I'm going to Camp. Where is my motorcycle and phone? I want to hang with Lincoln."

Post-Camp Jr car ride to Deleware

 On Friday after the end of camp, we packed the car and headed to Dover DE for Sandra and Jim's wedding! We love Jim and are so glad that he is the newest addition to our ever-growing family. Jackson got all dressed up for the occasion courtesy of a friend who owns lots of bow ties.  He has this new expression of surprise and delight that is the cutest and very hard to capture on video or camera but the picture below gives a small idea

Handsome man

J had a great time running around the sanctuary during photo time with my cousins who we are calling his cousins to avoid lots of confusion. Look at those cute and sassy girls. J adores them and it kept them all busy for an hour! 

The flower girl and J's best buddy, Riley. 

27 weeks

early morning run behind the hotel

playing with Riley