Jump It Up

Jack is trying something new in his Johnny Jump Up today. It is called Staying Awake. He also doesn't seem to understand yet that the Jump Up is not a swing. We have lowered it so that his feet touch ground and he just sits there all forlornly until we raise it back up and start swinging him again. Oh...and it's not just a gentle push. He likes to go fast. Things could get interesting once he is mobile :)

PS: We have made it to 200 posts, everyone!Thanks for reading everyday - Jack appreciates a good audience.

Success!

I am pleased to announce that Jack not only ate peas today - he also enjoyed them! So now all we have to do is figure out that crib thing. Somehow I think that will be a bit more difficult than expanding his palate.

PS: Jack also blew his first raspberries today while eating the peas. (As shown in the stunning, yet slightly off centered video.) It was just a milestone sort of day!

Peas N' Raspberries

Not This Again!

Jack hates tummy time. With a passion. He much prefers to be on his back, kicking his legs and grabbing for his toys on his playmat. He also likes standing up in his jumperoo or Johnny Jump Up. Or even sitting up, lunging for toys within his reach. But laying on his tummy? No way. He's not into it. Just another thing on Jack's bucket list, I guess...along with sleeping in the crib and (willingly) eating something other than avocados.

Just Say No

Daddy tried his hand at feeding Jack some oatmeal today. He was proud to get in a few bites before Jack started making what we refer to as his "cabbage patch" face. Once Jack decides he is done eating something, he will shut his mouth with his bottom lip under his top lip. He looks exactly like my old Cabbage Patch friend from the 80's. (Minus the red yarn hair and tattooed rear, of course!)

Why Jump When You Can Nap?

Jack is quickly settling back into old routines - including his preference for sleeping anywhere but his crib. Daddy was pushing him in the Johnny Jump Up and he fell fast asleep in this adorable (albeit rather uncomfortable looking) position. Clearly we will have to work on this crib thing soon!

Woe

Today Jack enjoyed gnawing on a Baby Mum Mum (not a coke can, Grammie!!) while reminiscing about all the fun he had. Apparently he is suffering from a touch of PTD (post trip depression). He seems happy enough to be home, but methinks he is a bit sad to be out of the carseat. It was his second home for 14 days, after all!

Home-aha to Omaha

Wow, what an exciting two weeks we have had! After driving most of yesterday, we decided to just keep going and drive the remaining 6 hours straight through. Jack was not a big fan of this plan, and was initially fussy. Luckily for us (and especially Cassady, since she was sitting right next to him), after a late night gas station feeding he fell fast asleep. He didn't wake up again until Daddy got pulled over for speeding just outside Lincoln (less than an hour from home, naturally). Our luck continued to hold out and Daddy was only given a warning. Phew! We made it home just before 5 am - time to go to sleep, now!

Colorado Cuties

Today our travels took us through Colorado. We had the pleasure of stopping to visit Great Grandma & Grandpa Wessel (and Chan, too!). Jack was a little fussy for the visit, but still seemed to enjoy meeting his great grandparents. After saying our goodbyes, we hit the road again. We drove through the Rockies and stopped at a "scenic point" to snap some pictures. As you can see, some of us were more excited about this photo op than others!

Snoozefest/Utah

We had to get back on the road this morning, much to our disappointment. We would have much preferred to stay! On our way out of Las Vegas, Daddy decided to stop and spend one whole dollar in a slot machine. Surprisingly, he did not win anything. There's always next time, I suppose. Today's drive took us primarily through Utah. I think Jack can sum up our collective feelings about this state pretty well with the following picture.

Viva Las Vegas

After spending 5 fun filled days in California, it is time to move on. We are not ready to go...there is so much more to do and see! We went to lunch one last time with Grammie, where Jack & Cassady were smothered in kisses. After some yummy frozen yogurt, we hit the road for Vegas. We arrived at our hotel around 6, which gave us lots of time to relax in our fabulous room. Cassady immediately claimed the bed by the window (the view from the 19th floor was pretty awesome), but was happy to share her space with her favorite little brother. We elected to stay in rather than go out sightseeing - navigating a stroller through debauchery just isn't our style!

Happy Father's Day!

We took a trip to TriCity park to celebrate Father's Day. Cassady fed the (mean) ducks and was chased down when we started running out of bread. Jack played it safe and stayed in his stroller. We enjoyed a walk around the lake, then headed to Target to stock up on supplies. It's time to hit the road again tomorrow morning. After getting the necessities (ie: cookies), we traveled to Grammie's for Father's Day steak on Uncle Greg's new grill. Jack tried to grab some off my plate, but I decided that might be a little much for him. We'll stick with those avocados for now!

In & (Passed) Out

We took a mini road trip today and visited all the beaches between Malibu and Dana Point. We took Pacific Coast Highway so we could see all the gorgeous views along the way. Since Jack has super fair skin and parking at the beach is expensive, we ended up just doing a drive by. We wrapped up our day of sightseeing by visiting another California staple - In & Out Burger. Jack stayed true to form by sleeping his way through the entire experience. Not that we're complaining :)

Ikea Adventure

We kept it low key today and slept in. (Well, sort of. Jack still hasn't quite adjusted to the time difference so sleeping in meant getting up at 7am.) We hit Ikea with Aunt Janet since we don't have one near us. If our little SUV wasn't so overcrowded...we could have easily loaded it up with lots of new goodies! After window shopping, we headed to Huntington Beach for dinner at Perry's Pizza. It was a bit chilly, so Jack was bundled up in a blankie and promptly fell asleep. We also rode the ferry to Balboa Island. Sadly, Jack slept through that too, so he'll have to wait til next time to enjoy a delicious Balboa Bar!

Disney Daze

We almost didn't have any pictures of this momentous occasion. First, I left my camera behind. Then, Daddy's camera didn't have a memory card. We used Grammie's camera for a few hours, but the battery died. What a fiasco! Even with all the camera trouble, Jack managed to pull through and have a great day. He went on several rides (he grabbed a quick snack during the Haunted Mansion and the train, but his favorite was It's A Small World. It's hard to say how he felt about Pirates of the Caribbean, since he slept the entire time, cradled in Grammie's arms. He was quite a trooper, and managed to hold out til 9pm when the park closed. Of course, it took another hour to get to the car, but he slept through all that!

Beach Bum

Another busy day! Today we headed off to see Uncle Timothy and his girlfriend Steph. They showed us around Hollywood so we could play tourist. After visiting the Hollywood sign and seeing Grauman's Chinese Theater, we sat in traffic for a few hours. Hooray for L.A. freeways! Jack enjoyed an avocado at Ruby's on the pier in Huntington Beach while watching the sunset. He seems to be really into the California lifestyle...hope he won't be too upset to return to Omaha in another week!

Jack and Coke

After a 6 hour drive, we arrived in California today! We went out for pizza with Grammie, Aunt Janet, Uncle Greg, and Kylie. Jack wasn't a big fan of being confined in a high chair after being in the carseat most of the day. He did enjoy visiting the beach later in the evening. Unfortunately, we didn't make it there until after dark, so it was quite chilly. He didn't seem to mind that so much - he really liked the ocean breeze. He also really liked playing with Grammie's empty diet coke can. She is so glad that he is old enough to start enjoying the finer things in life!

Arizona!

Today we did more driving, which Jack seemed to enjoy. He started the day off right by playing in his jumperoo in Gallup, New Mexico. We drove to Sedona, Arizona for some photo ops and sightseeing. We made our way back to Flagstaff to check into our hotel and take the kids swimming. Jack has yet to take a dip, but he did enjoy lounging poolside while gnawing on Sophie.

On the Road Again

Day two - today we drove through the rest of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. We are in the lovely city of Gallup for the evening. We had our longest day of driving - 10 full hours on the car. Jack did very well - he napped twice, then played with his toys. He got a little fussy once or twice, so we let him take over the driving. He had some trouble reaching the pedals (and seeing over the steering wheel!), so Daddy relieved him of his duties. This is probably the first toy he hasn't been able to figure out...or chew on!

Road Trip: Day One

Today was the first day of our exciting road trip. We traveled through Iowa and Kansas to Oklahoma to stay with Aunt Sharon. Unfortunately, we had her old address, so we initially showed up at the wrong house..oops! We got that straightened out and were able to visit with her. Jack really enjoyed being out of his carseat for more than a few minutes, too. (So did we!)

Family Photo

Yes, we already had a post today. However, I left Jack to play with Cassady for a few minutes and she came up with this hilarious idea. Enjoy :)

Safe and Snuggie

Jack prefers to nap in his swing, but the only place for it in our crowded bedroom is by the window. He seems to be sensitive to light when trying to nap, so Daddy set up this ingenious system to block out some of the afternoon light. Sorry the snuggie had to be pink, Jack....

Living on the Edge

Today we went to Wal Mart to stock up on some snacks and other vacation essentials.While there, we discovered that Jack has a new habit of sliding the carseat buckle down from a safe position on his chest. He apparently prefers to live dangerously. Before embarking on our trip, we have to tighten the strap...it's just one of many things on my to do list :)

Attention Defecit

Sadly, there's nothing exciting to report today, seeing as how we have been busy preparing for our two week road trip extravaganza. Jack has decided that he needs lots of extra attention, since Mommy has a lot to accomplish by Friday. Luckily, Daddy has been around a little more over the last few days, so Jack has not been ignored. Not that he would have been, but he apparently feels otherwise...
Note: Today's title is a play on words only. No one here has ADD - except maybe Daddy sometimes :)

Bananas: Part Deux

Crisis - we ran out of avocados. Not to name names, but a certain Daddy keeps eating them all. Little Jack was forced to eat bananas for dinner. We were also out of fresh bananas, so he had to eat (gasp) jarred baby food bananas. Earth's Best tries hard, they really do. Their ingredient list keeps it simple: bananas and water. (You would never know that from the foul stench of said bananas a la jar, however.) Jack just isn't into the whole banana scene, jarred or fresh.

Guess it's back to baby guacamole tomorrow.

An Outing in the Ha

Jack needed to get a little air today as he was feeling stifled by our apartment. We took him to the pedestrian bridge downtown for a walk. He hung out on the state line, saw a teepee and soaked up some vitamin D. The best part of the day? Not only did we get to see Brandan and Lia, but Jack got to meet Christine & Michael too! It was a good day :)


Note: Today's blog title refers to the hip and trendy nickname for our lovely city. It was unanimously decided that "The Big O" just doesn't sound right...

Mr. Cool

Jack had another new culinary experience today. Prior to the bite of carrots, he was playing it cool and sporting his new shades. He tolerates the sunglasses and doesn't even try to take them off. (Oddly, there is a puppy design on one of the lenses. Apparently babies do not need full use of their eyes.) Once he tried the orange stuff, however, he became rather agitated. He managed to choke down about 1/2 the jar before figuring out that throwing up stops Mommy from feeding him more. Overall, carrots were not a success.