Jolly Jersey Kids

I've failed again to keep up with my daily happenings with this Jersey household. Hopefully 2012 will tell a different story.

Tyler: growing up too quickly for my liking. I guess they all are, but he seems to be doing this in spades. He is smart, kind, creative and some days, wishes for a different mama. Too bad he is stuck with the one he has gotten. His newest love, is some wild animal shooting video, that he is limited to playing just a few times a week. Santa brought this gift for his father, and they have been found inviting guests over to go on their scavenger hunt. I hear giggles while they are all in a room, so it cant be all that bad, right?

Cassie: I have to give the girl credit. She holds her own very well being sandwiched in by two brothers. They both give her a test, and has been given the title, as "Little K." Not sure if this is a good thing or not. She starts cheer leading in a few weeks...not sure I'm ready for pom-poms and cheers or chants non-stop through the house.

Jacob. Where did my baby go? Has anyone seen him? At 18 months, he is finally on the charts for weight and height. 27 pounds and pure love or pure boy or combo of both. He is busy from sun-up to sun-down, thankfully with a good nap in-between. He talks more and more. Calls most of his food, "a cookie." Squeals when I drop him off at the sitters, "Mary Mare." You ask him where something is and he doesn't know, his rely in the cutest voice ever, "Don't know!" He loves to pat like a dog, ba like a sheep, moo like a cow and KKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEE for a cat. Its hilarious. I think because my poor 15 year old cat, has had enough of these kids.

We had a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to making 2012 are best year yet!

Summer days are now long gone

Jersey Baby, 16 months

Yes, it makes me cry that our Jersey Porkchop, baby Jake, isn’t a baby anymore! It seems like this all happened overnight. While we knew he is our last child, we really worked hard to soak up all the fun stages, but even with doing just that, they seem to flow to the next too quickly for my liking. Jacob Patrick is no longer a baby and I’m really enjoying the toddler stage that includes a fast paced, go, go, go approach from sun-up to sun-down, thankfully with one really long nap in-between.
Baby Jake has been for the majority, really easy kid! He rarely cries, if he does, he has a good reason to be doing just that. He loves to explore and looking at him is de-ja-voo and reminds me of six years ago when his older brother was that age. They look identical!
Jake loves to play blocks, stacking them as high as they can go. He absolutely loves tractors (yes, he is a farm kid through and through) and makes the errrrrrr sound as he plays with him. He also enjoys looking at books, especially if they have anything about tractors, trucks, farm animals or food in them. He loves to eat, and occasionally if he cries, it’s because he just thinks he is starving! He is saying more and more words—moo, cow, cat, more, Ty, sis, mama, dada, bye, night, truck and more attempts at other words that I cannot think of right now. He is like a lil’ hen clucking away all day long and its pure music to my ears.
Jacob is weighing in right at 26 pounds and is ranking on the charts, finally! He baby chub that we’ve grown accustomed to is slowly coming off and baby Jake, well isn’t a baby anymore. Everyone adores and loves baby Jake, especially his father and I.

Summer re-cap

I cannot believe its been nearly a month since I last blogged. I know, I know. I swore I would do a better job at blogging. Excuses, well, life got in the way! It all seems like a blur and I'm not real great about recapping the last 4 weeks, but here goes.

Trip to Wisconsin for National Jersey Convention
Kids loved it! Ty & Cass went in tow with thier grandparents and loved learning about cows, seeing those brown-eyed beauties and meeting other young Jersey kids! What a neat experience for them. A few days later, me and Jake drove up to spend some time with past Jersey colleagues and friends and what fun we had! Thankfully, a few days later, Scott came up, and we decided to enjoy some of the great indoor waterpark and festiviteis and made a lil' family vacation out of it! So fun. So needed!

County Fair Time
After Wisconsin, it seemed like the following 3 weeks were devoted to County Fair prep. We walked kids show calves daily, despite a few meltdowns by all! The kids had fun and did well, despite the thermomter reading 115. Are we passionate about showing? Crazy? Or a bit of both?

Summer wind-down/School prep time
Not exactly sure what all went on the last few weeks after county fair. Seems like it included sprinklers, bike riding, ice-cream eating, friends over, garage selling, farm helping and baby...not so much a baby...went from walking to running overnight! School shopping, bargains had, will be estatic if brand new sneakers last til snow falls. Cute side note: Cassie is found sporting her brand new Nikes and backpack playing school with doors shut up in her bedroom. I overhear her telling he "friends" that they better having their listening ears on! Ha!

Jacob is ONE

Um, yea, my lil' Jersey porkchop turned the BIG ONE a month ago, and now I'm making myself to do a better job and write about the big day!

The day was fabulous for our Jersey family! A down-on-the-farm party, for Jacob and his big sister, Cassie, who turned 5 a few weeks later. LOVED that we were able to gather some friends and family to join us on the festivities!

Jacob took it all in! The cake he devoured, and the presents he loved! He was all giggles despite the big bruise he fashionably wore. Yes, he is mobile, and while on his first birthday, he wasn't walking, he was definitely attempting to!

He is a good baby, goes with the flow. I tell people he doesn't have a choice, being the youngest of three kids. He absolutely loves his big brother and sister, and his eyes light up whenever Dad enters the room. He's all about tractors, cows and eating, and so yes, he fits in well with the rest of our Jersey family.

He says a handful of words...Dada, Mama, kitty cat, more, bye and I think that's it. His vocab might be limited, but he chatters and talks about a lot more!!! It just warms my heart!

The big boy tipped the scales at his first birthday weighing....25.5 pounds! Finally, he is on the charts, and now that he is mobile, he is slimming down (at 13 months, kudos to walking full speed, he weighs 25 pounds).

Awe, Jake Patrick. We love you so much and couldn't imagine our lives without you in it! Happy (belated) birthday!

Warm Temps

Funny how 50's and sunshine can feel like a million bucks in the dead of winter, esp. during a winter that seemed to have no end in sight. Jersey cows and Jersey kids loved it. So did their mama!

Jacob, 5 months old

How is it even possible that my baby, Jacob, is five months old already?! Jake is a hunk and a love and we are so blessed to say the least. His favorite things include his brother & sister. His eyes are glued onto theirs and he just loves having them play with him! Its so nice to have such great help with baby Jake. I can cook dinner and know he is fully entertained with his Jersey siblings.
We started cereal and baby food this month. The doctor was quite surprised that he was content just being breast fed with how big he is. He is lapping it up like he has been eating it forever! I think he was trying to tell me "FINALLY mama!" Ha.
He is rolling over and if he wasn't so heavy, I'm sure he would be crawling. He wants to, but too much weight to move around. I'm just fine with him not crawling. So not ready to baby proof the house. I think soon, we will.

Summer Recap

How did I let the summer slip by without posting @ all?
I guess with the birth of my third child, county fair, west coast visitors and a 10-day vacation to Oregon, kept us busy to say the least.
Our third child arrived on June 12th at 2:20 a.m. Jacob surprised us all by tipping the scales at 11 pound, 9 ounces and stretched out to 20 inches long. He is a FAT and HAPPY baby and we are completely in love. He was very much welcomed home by us all, including his big brother Tyler and big sister Cassie. They adore him!!
My sister, Cathy, flew out surprising me to help for the week. The stars must aligned because she flew out on the day Jacob was born. She helped cook, clean and tend to the older kids, while also helping me adjust to a family of five and my postpartum state. Poor Tyler, he kept wondering "When is my mom coming home!" Cathy assured him that we would get to come home, and when we did, he was nothing but smiles!
A month later, Cathy flew back, along with her middle child, Colby, 6 and niece Rebecca and family friend Richard. There visit stretched out over 10 days and the Jersey kids loved it, as did I! The temps were hot and humid, but fun was had by all! The kids showed their calves at the fair, rode the rides, went to movies and to water parks. Richard kept everyone hydrated and fed well and Cathy snuggled with baby Jake every chance she got.
In early August, the kids and I flew 2,000 miles out to Oregon to visit my family. We were able to spend a few days at my sister's lake house cabin that has a fabulous view and the environment was amazing. Kids swam, tubed, snorkeled, knee board and laughed. It was so fun to watch them on the water and it was so much for to enjoy time with my sisters. My parents loved meeting grandchild #16 and I was so glad to spend time with them.
Now we are back in the grind of another school year. The kids are doing really wonderful at it, esp. Tyler. He absolutely loves 1st grade and is "rockin' it!" I hope the momentum continues and is contagious to those around him. Cassie is in pre-school and is doing swimming and tumbling. She is doing great, too.
A few snaps from the summer. I hope to be better at blogging on a regular basis. This will be my goal!

Moments before our life will change

I think I'm ready or perhaps as ready as I'll ever get to prepare for my life to change, yet again! Baby #3 is due today and although I'm sure today will pass with no birth, he will be here soon! I'm a mix of emotions, mostly excited.

Its just when its been a few years since you've had a baby, you begin questioning all sorts of things. Gosh, can I take the pain during labor? I smile because even though during the moment that the baby is being born is the most intense pain I've ever felt, it was quickly faded with the biggest joy and reward I've ever felt. So, I know I can!

More importantly, I wonder what is the recipe for success with my other two children? Mothering instinct is there and this baby will fall into some type of routine eventually or not. I think I've prepared myself, well, as much as I can, that this baby will be the crabbing one and will cry a lot. I was lucky with both Tyler and Cassie being good babies, its time that I get a crabby one. God will only give me what I can handle and I just need to embrace that.

Of course, the tossing and turning at nights the last month or so, have been praying that my lil' porkchop baby is healthy! I know he is thriving, estimated weight over 10 pounds, but I think its not until they come out and you can count 10 fingers, 10 toes and get the reassurance that the baby is healthy, that as a mother you can take a deep breath and relax.

I feel extremely blessed for the miracle inside me and so anxious to meet him. The Jersey kids are excited, too! AND...I know my hubby is excited, but he keeps telling me today isn't a good day to have a baby because of whatever farming he has going on. Soon, Scott will understand all too well, this isn't about us and we aren't in control. :)

Baby Belly

...eek, my belly has grown so much this pregnancy, much more than with Tyler or Cassie...I swear! I still have another month and cant imagine the belly expanding anymore. The kids love to rub the belly, sing to the belly and hug the belly. Cassie is known to sing her fave song requests to the baby, which warms my heart. Hopefully they'll be as found to the baby as they are to my belly!
xoxo!

Its a BOY!

We are happy to report that we are havin' a BOY!
I kinda thought thats what we were havin'. Not that I really cared if it was a girl or boy, but we are elated that he is healthy and weighing ~ 1.2 pounds.
23 weeks now...not that I'm countin' down the days. I'm trying to enjoy the pregnancy; knowing that the closer that we get to the due date, the crazier my life is going to be.

Thankfully Scott was able to accompany me to the ultrasound (winter time is slower. We decided we would wait to share the news with the kids as a family, when we were all together. So, when Tyler got off the bus, he was dying to know, but I told he we had to wait.

So, once we were all together, we showed them the ultrasound pictures and Tyler was so excited and said, "Well, it must be a boy, the baby has no hair in the picture."
We giggled and said, "Your right Tyler! We are having a boy!"

He was so pumped, going around the house saying "Yes, Yes!" He called his grandparents to share the news with them.

Cassie wasn't as thrilled. She wanted a girl, but when I told her she could still help out with diaper duty and be a big sister, she changed her tune.

Its different knowing ahead, we didn't with the other two. Now we can start planning...rooms deco, sort baby clothes and oh yea, names!

xoxo!

Nice Reminder

Reminder.
As many of you know, I'm pregnant with Jersey baby #3 and have been one sick mama. I'm excited about expecting, but its really hard to be totally enthusiastic when you are hovering over the toilet bowl more hours in the day than you care to tell.
Last night, I went to an Agricultural Literacy meeting, where I got to meet a fellow member's newest debut, 11-week old Addie. Then, I got to hold her and I swear, that it made any of my doubts, worries, etc. go away. I love how babies do that. It just felt right holding a baby in my arms again and now, let the count down begin because I'm nearing the end of the first trimester (woot woot) and hopefully the end to all day morning sickness and yes, soon the end of wearing normal jeans. I feel ready, I feel confident and cant wait to meet the next Jersey baby. Thanks for the reminder; I needed it.xoxo!