Weekly Update 7/12/09--a day late

So yeah, this one is a day late. We were traveling yesterday and I didn't get a chance to do it last night. Oh well.

We went to Imagination Station on Monday. Jackson had a lot of fun. It was kind of cloudy outside, so it was a good day to go. He drove the ambulance
and then got distracted from driving and was looking for the cell phone on the seat next to him.

Then he rode the horsey. I think this is one of my all-time favorite pictures of him.


When Grandpa asked him if he was swimming he said, "Yeah" so I guess this is his idea of the breaststroke.


His idea of boat-entrance


Doing laundry


Jet skiing!!


In the fire truck


Grandpa rocking him on the zebra


On Thursday we left NC for OH. What a long trip! Not as long as our Japan-Dayton trip was, but still tough. It was 8 1/2 hours of drive time, plus an hour and ten minutes of stops. Jackson only slept for an hour of that, so there was a lot of singing from me and Grandma. But we made it. Thursday night we went to dinner at Mike's aunt Barb and her husband Eddie's house. Their son was there with his two boys (ages 2 and 4) so Jackson had someone to play with. We also got to see Mike's second cousin Stefanie and her new baby, Colt. He's 3 months old, but was 2 months premature, so is about the size of a 1 month old. He's pretty cute!!

On Friday we hung out at Bonnie and Steve (another cousin)'s house until a lot of people left to go to the dog track. Jackson and I went back to the hotel and Andy and Char went back to Barb & Eddie's. Saturday was the reunion and Jackson had a blast! It's at a lake and Grandpa took him to wade in the lake. He got a little overzealous and ended up soaking the bottom of his outfit. He also got filthy dirty playing in the sand and dirt. He played on swings, slides, and all kinds of stuff. Mike's cousin Aaron who has 2 kids--Kyle, 4 and Abby, 2--helped Jackson with the pinata. Jackson was the youngest kid there (except Colt), and he didn't quite understand the pinata concept, but it was a good effort.



Sunday we met MiMi and OSheila at Cracker Barrel in Columbus. Jackson was very excited to see them after being away for a month. After lunch, we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and went with MiMi and OSheila back to Tipp City. Jackson did much better for that short trip. The combination of having MiMi in the back instead of Mommy and it being a much shorter drive made it easier for him, I think.

We went to the zoo today, but I'll save that story for next week since I should've technically written this yesterday before the zoo trip. =)

Tomorrow's Trip

I'm in bed right now and writing this blog in my sleep. Tomorrow we are driving from NC to OH for Daddy's family reunion. Google maps quotes it at 8 1/2 hours. With stops it'll be at least 9 1/2 hours since speedy Daddy isn't driving (he could make it in 8 1/2 with stops!). And I don't like to be in the car. And I have a hard time sleeping in my car seat. And Mommy will be in the back seat, and with her back there I don't understand why I can't be held and sit in her lap. It's going to be a very long day. Mommy suggested ear plugs for Gauy, Grandma, and herself. Daddy suggested a muzzle for me. I don't think either one will work. Hopefully everyone takes their patience pill in the morning! And gargles with salt water, because there will be LOTS of "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels on the Bus", and "Hush Baby Jackson". MAYBE I'll fall asleep at some point. But I'll definitely be glad to have THAT trip over with.

Weekly Update 7/5/09

Lots of updates this week!

First, we discovered Jackson has an obsession with hats. And it's not enough for him to wear a hat, YOU have to wear one, too.

Second, we went to Myrtle Beach. We left last Sunday and came home on Wednesday. The car ride there wasn't exactly great. Jackson doesn't nap easily in his car seat, and it's even less likely if there's someone in the back seat with him. I think maybe because he can see you, and expects you to get him out of his seat. He screamed the last hour on the way there. Not looking forward to the 8 1/2 hour (PLUS stops) drive to Ohio this week.... But that didn't stop me from trying to get him to nap anyways. I came prepared with Puppy Blankie, his blanket and of course Daddy Doll.

The place we stayed had a perfect room setup for us. It was a 2-bedroom condo, and the second bedroom had its own mini fridge, microwave, bathroom, and door to the hallway. Plus there was a door that could be shut from both sides (like connecting rooms in a hotel) so it could've been its own separate hotel room. There was a full kitchen with dishes, living room, and two balconies. NICE. The pool area had a small indoor pool, a lazy river, a kiddie pool, and an outdoor sprinkler play area that Jackson LOVED.

On Monday, we got up and had breakfast then went down to the pool and the beach. Mike's parents didn’t join us for a while and while we were by ourselves, Jackson and I floated on a raft in the lazy river. That was GREAT FUN. We probably did that for 20-30 minutes, which is a long time for him to participate in any activity, especially one where the main focus is sitting. But he was sleepy so I think he enjoyed it. We splashed each other and made fish faces back and forth then giggled hysterically. Too cute that monkey boy! But of course the first glimpse of Grandpa ruined that serene moment. Grandpa took him to the beach some

while I laid in a lounge chair in the sun and read and napped.

He got sand everywhere, including his face.

And Grandma went zoom zoom with him in the pool.

Then a quick rinse and lunch (peanut butter & jelly) and nap time. Took over an hour and a half to get him to sleep, but he had been sleepy for almost 2 hours, so whose fault was that? Mine. But he was having too much fun, I didn’t want to drag him away from the pool for a nap even though he signed tired/sleepy more than once. Oh well. Once he was finally asleep Mike's dad and I left for the outlets. Jackson got 4 one-piece zip-up footed pajamas, one pair of pants that turns into shorts, and one winter outfit--a one-piece with a bear on the butt. All in 24 month sizes. I splurged on a skirt at Motherhood. It was $50, and not on sale. But it is super cute and insanely comfortable. So I bought it. I shouldn’t have since it was so expensive, but I just couldn’t resist. I've worn it a bunch so far and plan on wearing it a ton over the next 6 months.

We got home less than 5 minutes after Jackson woke up from his nap. The scene when I walked in the door was hilarious. Andy dropped me off close to the hotel before he parked the car. So I came up to the room alone. Jackson was in the corner on Grandma’s lap or at least looking at her. I was halfway in the room before he finally saw me. He looked up, got slightly excited, and started running. I squatted down, and held my hands out to pick him up and he ran right past me to the door to see where Grandpa was. Little shit. =) He sure does love his Grandpa!! Then more beach and more pool and more lazy river and more zoom zooming in the big pool with Grandma.

Then bath time and off to dinner. We went to Captain George’s tonight (the one with the big ship in the middle and crab legs). Jackson ate like a pig. I think he’s working up quite an appetite with all the playing and none of the snacking. Jackson was soooo exhausted that he went down pretty easily. I had to go in once to fix his blanket but after that he only cried for a few minutes.

After he was down I went out on the balcony with Mike's parents for a while. It was really nice out there at night when it cooled off and there was a nice breeze. During the day it was pretty hot so unless you were in the water you were miserable. Although I don’t think it’s been quite up to 114 here, like it has been in Kuwait as early as 0930.

Baby Alex loves seafood, including crab legs. Lots of kicking after dinner especially.

Tuesday was pretty much more of the same. Pool, etc. in the morning just me and Jackson, then attempted nap, lunch, and then nap for real. We had PB&J for lunch again, but this time on the balcony. He was being goofy, but really enjoyed lunch outside I think.

Then more beach, pool, sprinkler in the afternoon.

Bath, dinner, and bed. Dinners were definitely interesting. Sunday was Angelo's (Italian), Monday was Captain George's, and Tuesday was Bennett's. All buffets, and Jackson went to town! Angelo's he ate so much we were all done and waiting on him to finish his pizza before we could leave. Bennett's had corn on the cob which we have learned he is a major fan of.

On the way home from the beach on Wednesday, we were about 30 minutes from Mike's parents' house when Jackson started saying something that we hadn't heard before. No one could figure out what he wanted. He was saying, "Gaauy." Sounds almost like guy but with extra vowels at the beginning. Char finally figured out he was saying, "Grandpa." Of course. So now he says it alllll the time.

After we got home we bought Mike some gloves to replace some that fell out of his pocket at work. Jackson had to try them on before we mailed them to Daddy.


On Friday, I went to a Benjy Davis Project concert in Southern Pines. They have a little mini festival during the summer called First Friday that is, duh, on the first Friday of every month from May-October. It is pretty neat. But of course I wasn't there for the festival, just the music. I couldn't believe my luck getting to see them for free and like 5 miles from Andy & Char's house. I would've driven MUCH FURTHER than that!

The show was awesome as expected. Even more so because I told a couple of the guys before the show I had come from Japan and that had to be some kind of record for furthest traveled to a BDP show. They agreed. I got a shout out, AND they played my favorite BDP song that they usually don't do at concerts. Well, that they've never done at any of the other 5 I've been to, despite repeated begging. =) I spent some time after talking to them and am looking forward to getting to see them again in Cleveland. One of my friends in Little Rock teased me and said I probably just came to the states to see them in concert and it had nothing to do with visiting family.

Our Fourth was uneventful. I tried to get Jackson's naps timed just right, with one around 11 (check) and another around 4 (didn't happen), so he could stay up late and watch fireworks. By eight he was done. We wouldn't have been home until 10 or later, so I just put him to bed. He really enjoyed them last year, but he's more demanding with his sleep now. Maybe next year.

This morning Grandma discovered if she sings, "Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom ba-boom" Jackson dances like an idiot. Very cute. He also imitates whatever you do with your hands (clapping, hitting your legs, swinging them in the air like a monkey). So we've taken turns doing that all day.

He also LOVES itsy bitsy spider and if you sing he can do almost all the motions (when he's in the mood).

This afternoon, we went to Cannon Park again because it was cloudy (and therefore cool) and still decent weather. We tried to leave the first time and when I was putting Jackson in his car seat he signed "sleepy" and tapped my shoulder the way he does when he wants to lay his head down on it. I asked if he wanted to take a nap and he said "ah" which is "yeah" in Jackson-speak. So in we came to take a nap. He laid quietly for about 20 min, started crying, and refused to nap. So up we went and back out to go to the park. He had a great time swinging and sliding as usual. Eventually it started to sprinkle and we had to come home. Now he's watching Lady and the Tramp with Grandma and Grandpa. Fun times.

Weekly Update 6/28/09

I'm doing the weekly update early this week. We're leaving for the beach tomorrow morning around 11. And while I'd probably have time to write it before we go, I don't really want to take any chances on forgetting. The condo we're staying in has wireless internet, but no telling if it'll be free or not.

Not much has happened this week. I got a new game for the Nintendo DS Mike bought me before we parted ways in Japan. It's called Brain Age and I LOVE IT! It's the main reason I wanted the DS in the first place. In two days I've already dropped my brain age from 45 to 34. The ultimate goal is 20 but I'd settle for just 26. =)

Jackson has been having fun with Grandma and Grandpa. Especially Grandpa. They go on walks a lot and now Jackson can say walk ("wa"). Today they found a water drainage ditch (dry) and he was fascinated. He also likes for Grandpa to take him to the yellow ribbon on their tree so he can touch it.

Daddy Doll was broken again (accidentally moved the voice recorder switch from play to record) but it's fixed. Hopefully for good. I taped it down this time. Fingers crossed. Jackson's glad to have it working again. He loves hearing Daddy's voice!

Jackson has been a tad difficult where sleep is concerned this week. He's been refusing naps which makes bedtime harder. Not sure if he misses Daddy, or what. But he's been needing some extra cuddle time, too.

We're looking forward to the beach this week. And I'll try my hardest not to dunk him under a wave this time around! Look for pictures in next week's update.

That's it for now! Short and sweet.

Weekly Update 6/21/09

First of all, the two most important things to say today are: "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!" and "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!"

I can't believe Mike and I have been married six years. I can't believe Mike and I have ONLY been married six years. It seems like just yesterday we were walking down the aisle, yet it seems like we've been married forever. I can barely remember how things were before I met him. We've both accomplished so much in the past six years! I'm very proud of him!!

On to the weekly update. On Monday we flew from Dayton to Raleigh where Mike's dad picked us up and drove us home to Pinehurst. We settled in quickly (including a nap for a very cranky Jackson). The flights were both fine and uneventful. We changed planes somewhere. I've been through so many airports in the last 3 weeks I can't keep track anymore.

Wednesday afternoon we went to Cannon Park in Pinehurst. It has lots of fun things for kiddos to do and Jackson had fun playing there when we visited in February. He had a good time this time around, too, but it was much hotter so we couldn't stay as long. And now he can go up steps (not a ladder) and slide down a slide all on his own. So he really likes to do that, and he also really likes the swings.


On Wednesday evening, Andy and Char took Jackson to a Jungle Safari traveling animal display. I had a headache and stayed home but Jackson liked it so much we went back on Thursday when Jada was here. Jackson's favorite part was the camel.

He liked feeding the goats the first day, but when we went the second day he was getting a little sleepy and was more interested in being held.

We had a nice time visiting with Jada while she was here on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.




Saturday before Jada left we went to Chili's for lunch. Jackson had his first corn on the cob and LOVED it. It took a little coaching to get him to figure out how to get the corn off the cob, but once he got the hang of it he really went to town. Looking forward to a repeat performance at the Deiderich family reunion.


And of course today is Father's Day. We're going to lunch soon to celebrate. And little Alex is just moving up a storm lately. Can't wait to find out what we're having on July 24th!

Weekly Update 6/14/09

Don't worry Mike, this week's update will be much shorter.

Tuesday was the trip to the Tipp City Family Aquatic Center. (aka the pool.) It was lots of fun for everyone! They had a play thing in the middle of the big pool that was a lot like the one in Guam. He hates to have water on his head, but MiMi put him on the slide just past the water sprayer, I caught him and OSheila helped him walk back around to MiMi. He also floated around the pool in his new car float we bought him. There was another water slide that had a set up similar to what would be at a water park. The water just flowed down from the sides, so nothing to be on Jackson's head. It wasn't in a pool, just on the ground, and had a pad at the end for the kids to land on. The pad wasn't big enough though, and a lifeguard had to stand at the end with one of those foam lifesaver things to act as a bumper pad. With a little help up the steps, Jackson could go down by himself and get caught at the bottom. We could barely get him away from the slide. It was also difficult to explain that he needed to walk instead of run. In the same area there was a frog that squirted water out its mouth. But it would stop for a few seconds and then start again. When it stopped, Jackson looked in its mouth to see where the water went. Then got squirted in the face. Funny for everyone watching, but not so much for Jackson.

Thursday I had an appointment at Wright Patterson with an OB for baby Alex. Heartbeat was 158 which was good. They also took blood to do a quad marker screen to test for the potential to have some genetic problems. I expect it to come back normal and I'll find out at my next appointment what the results are. We also scheduled my next appointment (July 20th) and the ultrasound (July 24th) that will hopefully tell us the sex of the baby.

That was pretty much all the excitement for the week. There were meals, baths, naps, and bedtimes mixed in, but nothing exciting. Now we're packing since we leave for NC in the morning. Hopefully it'll be an uneventful trip!

Weekly Update 6/7/09

I'm going to try to do an update each week on Sunday. Mike kind of requested that I keep up with the blog a little better... =) so I'm going to make an effort at least. I'm already behind since it's Monday night.

Our visit to the states so far has gone pretty well. It took about a week for Jackson to get days and nights straightened out. It was a rough week, but well worth it obviously in the end. We've spent some nights at Mom and Matt's house, some at Aunt Sheila and Uncle Don's house, and one at Dad's house in KY. We've gotten to visit with LOTS of people, too.

Camden's graduation and party were last weekend. We had only been in the states for 4 days, so Jackson and I were both pretty tired for the party on Saturday. Jackson did REALLY well for having to sit through a 2 hour ceremony. He was climbing from lap to lap, but didn't really fuss very much. The four days up to the graduation were pretty hectic. In between trying to get Jackson onto a normal schedule, Sheila and I were making posters, scrapbooks, and photo albums for Camden's party. We ended up with two tri-fold posters, one sports article scrapbook, one sports photo album, and one everything else photo album. It was a TON of work, but well worth it. Everything we did got lots of attention at the party and Camden even thanked me.

The rest of the week was pretty much spent just hanging out. Mom gave me a pedicure one day. I spent another day driving around to the WIC office in Troy, Wright-Patt to drop off records and confirm my appointment, and the mall.

Then this past weekend Jackson and I headed to KY to visit with Dad and Grammy and PaPa. We got there for lunch on Saturday (Skyline is tradition and it was great!). We spent the afternoon at Grammy and PaPa's, had mexican for dinner, then went to Dad's for the night. He has two mastiff-bull mastiff mixes (Luna and Athena). They're ginormous. When I opened the back door to the car, one stuck her head in to see Jackson. He freaked out. He loves dogs and is used to being around them, but none that big. Once I got him out of the car and held him, he was a little better and they were licking his feet and legs. Then we went inside and Dad made them get in their bed in the living room. Then Jackson was a little better with them since he could approach them on his time and with my by his side. He got to where by the time we left, he would go to their bed by himself and try to get them to give him kisses. On Sunday we went back to Grammy and PaPa's after lunch for some more visiting, then back to Tipp City for dinner. It was great to get to hang out with everyone, despite having a brief power outtage.

Dinner Sunday was Bob Evans to celebrate Mom's birthday which was Saturday. There were 14 of us so it was a pretty big group. Everyone had a good time, and of course it was good food. Ben (my cousin) had french toast but couldn't eat it all. So Grampers was giving some of it to Jackson. He's had french toast, and syrup before. But we usually just drizzle a little syrup on the top for flavor, and this was pretty much soaked in it. He was getting a little antsy and tired, so after we were done eating, I let him out of his high chair. He ran around like a little maniac. Still behaved, and stayed right by our table, but RAN. I think that was a combination of sugar and trying to keep himself awake. When we went home, Mom and Sheila were getting him ready for bed and he got sick. I think that was a combination of french toast, syrup, and running. He was fine within seconds and wasn't running a fever at all. Lesson learned.

Today was a trip to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton. Jackson, Mom, Taylor (Camden's girlfriend) and I headed there around 9:30. On the way there we were discussing GPSs since we were using one. Mom and I were telling Taylor about the time Mom, Matt, and Camden followed Mike, Jackson, and I from Apple Valley to Cedar Point using a GPS. It was new, and we convinced Matt that whatever way it told us would be faster than anything we could come up with on our own. He reluctantly agreed to trust it. We ended up going down gravel roads in the middle of nowhere and some farming access roads. Within seconds of telling this story, the GPS sends us down what appears to be a driveway/alley in the ghetto of Dayton. Taylor was amused.

I was a little worried the museum wouldn't have anything age-appropriate and fun for Jackson, but figured it would be worth a shot to try. Turns out I had no reason to worry. There were ALL KINDS of things for him to play with and do. Of course there were plenty of things that he couldn't do, too. Right after we walked through the door we found, "That Kids Playce." It had a fossil digging pit, tunnels to climb through, a play house, big blocks to build with, balls to kick, a tube slide, and best of all, a water table. He had a lot of fun crawling in the tunnels with MiMi. The digging pit said not for kids under 3 since they might put the shredded rubber in their mouths, but that's not an issue with Jackson so we just let him go and he dug right in.
The water table of course was a hit.
Then he found the slide. We couldn't get him away from it. He would get to the bottom, say, "more" and run back to the stairs. Mom was helping him at first, then even though he was capable of doing it on his own he wouldn't go up unless Mom or Taylor was at the top to "help" him by sitting there and looking at him.

We eventually were able to drag him away from the slide and we headed upstairs. There we found a (pretend) general store, a vet office, a legoland, some stuffed animal displays, some REAL turtles (Taylor and I thought they were fake then one moved its head and we both about had a heart attack), a car "garage", and a zoo type area with a few live animals. In the general store, he pushed around a little cart and put some "groceries" in it. He was starting to get a little tired so he would get mad very easily when he got his cart stuck against the wall and had to have help to move it again. The car drew his attention and many times he went back to it saying, "Caa, caa" (his version of car). There was also a tube slide that started on the second floor and came out on the ground floor. We tried to keep him away from it because I thought he was too little, but he wasn't giving up. I went downstairs to catch him and Mom came down the slide with him anyways, so he was fine. Then he lost a shoe and had a fit when I was putting it back on (tired) and threw his head against the floor (ouch!). We went back upstairs to look at the live animals before heading out. He really liked the geese (which we called ducks) and kept saying "kaack, kaack" (quack quack). You could get really close to the turtles, and he seemed to like that, too.
We walked past a dragon exhibit and stopped in breifly to see what they had. Mom found a little dragon hand puppet that Jackson liked and kept giving kisses to.

We made a pit stop before leaving and Jackson and I were waiting in a little eating/vending machine area. He was pretty tired at this point and when I told him no about something, he laid down on the floor with his head down. (pic is him getting up--I wasn't quite fast enough with the camera.) Yeah, tired.
Some more museum pics:



We went to Olive Garden for lunch, and had a nice time. He behaved despite being tired. And he (and I) napped as soon as we got home, though not for as long as I would have anticipated.

All in all, it was a great trip. Jackson had a lot of fun. It was exhausting for everyone, but definitely well worth it. We may be heading back another day for a repeat. Although next time we'll go AFTER a nap so he's nice and fresh.