When It Rains....It POURS

So I mentioned to Lisa the other day about not wanting to have a playgroup at our house because I'm embarrassed of the stains on the carpet. We were scheduled to get "hard wood floors" this year but like a lot...me staying home has put that on hold. Patrick and Lisa being kind let us borrow a steam cleaner that they had to do the den. I kept joking that I needed to have the playgroup before the stains resurfaced...well, too late now.

Jack has been getting supplemented a lot lately to keep up with his big boy needs. The Breastflow bottles are great because he has to work for the milk which makes it easier to go back and forth...well, I am getting impatient with how long it takes him to take a bottle, so tonight we decided to try one we had in the cabinet to see if it was quicker. It was indeed and while Nick was cleaning Jack's chin I decided to turn the bottom to decrease the flow...but turns out the bottom doesn't do anything with the flow, but is actually another lid. When I unscrewed...the formula POURED out all over me, Nick, Jack, the couch, the floor, and the TIVO remote. In a panic to get a towel I turned and hit my Diet Dr. Pepper on the coffee table knocking it onto the floor spilling everywhere. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Nick spent forever cleaning it up as best that he could, now the playgroups are off til we get to steam the carpets again, and Jack all this time wanted to know what happened to his full bottle of milk.

Formula covered TIVO remote
Formula on the couch (next time we'll do leather)

Formula on the carpet

Diet Dr. Pepper on the carpet

What a mess-and we both laughed so hard Nick almost had to clean up pee.
At least the
TIGERS WON!!!

GEAUX TIGERS!!

Jack got to hang out with Aunt Ashley and Nathan today while I got my cavity filled. He did a great job! Thanks Ashley!! It was sad to say good-bye to Dr. Phan...we finally found a dentist that we LOVE and she is not on our new insurance. She gave me a huge hug and wished me luck because with Nick being afraid of the dentist and me being a germ freak she knows that our quest to find a replacement is going to be a challenge.

Nick and Jack geared up this morning in their LSU wear and are currently sitting on the floor together cheering on the tigers. Every play Nick is explaining to Jack what happened, why it happened, and is telling him about his first adventure in October to Tiger Stadium. Too bad Jack is more interested right now in getting the remote in his mouth and holding on to Larry the Lion. I am getting a quick glimpse of my future...them in from of the TV watching Sports and me....OUT SHOPPING.

I took this picture last night....we are to our wits end with this sleep situation. There comes a point where after 30 minutes of "crying it out" you just have to get it because there is no end in sight...but Nick's solution is not one that we are going to want to kick when he is 14 years old and in our bed...nor is the swing going to hold him when he is that big. But...they are cute all snuggly together.



On a positive note...Jack LOVES his Oatmeal Cereal...must have been MawMaw and PawPaw that did the trick. He eats the whole bowl and whines for more.



PS- I know some of you are talking about his ratty hair...his appointment is made- so soon he will be able to see the world without strains of hair impairing it.

Better Day Today

You can tell by our faces that today is much better than yesterday! Nick wasn't able to get the toilet 100% fixed but we just shut the water off and decided to wait til this weekend to deal with it. Last night was better...Jack slept until 2 then ended up in his swing...so we are making progress. Now that he is able to roll we took the bumpers out of his crib so it is fun, despite the lack of sleep, to see what new position he is in every time we go in his nursery. He might be hugging his crib toy, flipped around completely with his leg hanging out the crib, or flopping around like a fish out of water.

This morning Lisa, Ethan, Jack and I went to the library read aloud where we sang songs and she read 2 books to us. It was fun and hopefully we'll be able to go to more. Other than that we ran two errands and have hung out at home playing around. It is about to storm which is nice since it has been awhile since we have seen any rain.

Check out Jack's onsie...I had to hold his hand because he kept grabbing for the camera. This was my first attempt to make a onsie for him and I have to say...it turned out nice. Now I need to start working on his 6 month and a few other designs that I have planned.

Mommy Had a Breakdown

"What a Day!"

My perch all night next to his crib

Could the day get any better?


For the past 4-5 nights Jack has gone down great but then the witching hour hits and it is downhill from there. He will wake up crying about every 30 minutes to an hour and takes a small army to calm him down, put him down, and by the time we drift off again...he's back up screaming. Since I am staying home I am alright with taking the brunt of it...but I can't do it all night because then during the day I am not stable enough to tend to Jack. Last night we set up a time table where if Jack gets up doing your slot you are the sole person in charge of tending to him. Last night Nick tried everything from walking, rocking, swinging, singing, gas medicine, Tylenol (in case he was teething), and nothing worked. We decided to let him cry it out since it seemed like it could be separation issues but after about 15 minutes we were worried the neighbors would call CPS so we rescued him and calmed him down in our bed for a minute. Out of desperation I thought back to Super Nanny's that I had seen where she would have the parents sit at the crib with their hand on the baby til he/she fell asleep...after a night or two of that you move to the end of the crib. Then to the door, the hall, etc. Hence the picture of my stool that I sat on for 1 hour and a 1/2 last night. I'm not sure if it is a stage, teething, or something we have done....but we cant go on like this...any suggestions would be appreciated.



Burning on fumes Jack and I headed to the Nissan in McKinney to get the Pathfinder serviced because it was Tuesday, Ladies Day, and you got a discount. When I pulled up there were a ton of cars but I had an appointment and was told when it was made that the service was only a 45 minute procedure. When we checked in the man said it would be an hour if I skipped the car wash. I love a car wash but with Jack in a dirty Service Area at the dealership I said, "No wash today!". The place was packed and an hour and a half later I went to check since the Pathfinder hadn't been taken back yet and the bug man was coming at noon. The first lady was rude, the man that checked us in told me he tried to find me earlier to tell me it was going to take longer so I could reschedule (hello, I was walking around trying to keep a bored baby happy-have you ever heard of looking harder, paging me, or calling my cell phone), so with tears in my eyes I told them to give me my keys because we were leaving. They insisted they would take the car then and fix it- 30 more minutes later the car was ready leaving us 15 minutes to make it home for noon.



On the way home the tears were held by my panic to make it home in time. As we walked in the bug man was ringing the doorbell. When I opened the door a bill from Manuel the yard crew was on the doormat. He has been cutting our grass since Jack was born so Nick could spend time with Jack and since it is so hot. For $20 a week front and back it is worth it...especially since up to this point he is so unorganized that he hadn't billed us. We were hoping he wouldn't realize...but he did so there in front of me was a $450 bill for lawn service. My stomach was turning looking at the bill all in one sum rather than monthly tolerable increments. The bug man looked at the samples we saved and I know we live in another country...but we can't possibly be close enough to Argentina for their ants to invade our walls. The price tag to spray for them...$100. Really?!?!? They are ants. I kept rambling to the man that I had just quit my job and was there any other way to kill them and was he sure that is what they were....when the water just kept running in the bathroom...it never does that and it was loud. By the time the $100 stopped ringing in my ear...I couldn't ignore the water and looked around the corner to see about an 1 of water covering the floor. In a panic I broke down in tears (big tear with crazy breathing-you know a full fledge breakdown) begging the bug man to help me shut off the water. He assured me it was an easy fix, talked to Nick about the bugs and toilet, he sprayed the house, and left Jack and I alone to breath.

Forget anything else responsible that I should have done this afternoon...Jack and I went and crawled up in my bed and slept til Nick got home.

After a little nap....we are going to fix the toilet, have dinner, and pray for a better night and day tomorrow. Sorry this was so long...it has been one hell of a day!

Rolling with MawMaw and PawPaw

I Love MawMaw and PawPaw!
Rice Cereal EVERYWHERE!

Sitting with PawPaw at lunch

Snuggling with MawMaw



This weekend MawMaw and PawPaw came in to visit us (aka JACK) from New Orleans. By the time Jack and I got home from Mom and Me Group on Friday where we listened to a lecture given by Dr. Baby Proofer (boy, according to him we should have started baby proofing the house years ago for Jack), they arrived. The weekend was filled with a ton of play and some good eating. Friday night we headed to Pei Wei for Asian after Nick got home from work.



Saturday we walked Stonebriar Mall which was packed with last minute back to school shopping, had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, and tried to hit IKEA but the parking lot looked like Disney in the Summer time so we decided to get ice cream from Carvel instead. Nick and I took a long afternoon nap then headed to dinner at Ashley and Wayne's without Baby Jack. It was sad not having Jack there with Nathan and Willow but it made Nick and I realize how different they are age wise because we were able to enjoy our meal (which was FANTASTIC) for the first time in a long time with him not there squirming around. Afterwards we were going to head to Trey and Tom's but were worried with it being so late that they might have already headed out to the bars so we came on back home. I was sad about that but we'll catch them next time around earlier.



While we were out turns out MawMaw and PawPaw managed not only to get Jack to eat all of his rice cereal without apple juice flavoring...but they were able to see him roll over from him back to his tummy FOR THE FIRST TIME :( No worries though because he has done it tons for us today :) Another one to check off the list.



Sunday lunch before they headed out was in McKinney at The Pantry with a little walking through the square...not much though because of the heat. Wonder if all that eating out exceeded my Weight Watcher points...Most definitely. Now we are going to spend the rest of the day working on getting the house ready for Nick to start school tomorrow. In two weeks we have GG and Great Grandpa visiting from Arkansas and the following weekend Papa C and Bebe are coming out this way...if you're interested in a visit you better book now...the Allen Bed and Breakfast books up fast!

HOLY 'SIT'

Tonight after Jack's bath he was hanging out with Nick and I in our room. He started out between my legs and I mentioned how he was doing so good that I bet he could do it without me....and Holy 'sit" when I backed away he sat up all by himself. We took a billion pictures but by the end his little body was worn out and down he fell. Another milestone checked off the list. Before we know it our little baby is going to be crawling, talking, and walking. Yikes!!

Here are a few more of the shots.

Hello World!

After about 10 minutes his body couldn't hold him up anymore- good thing Mom was there to catch him!

The Evolution of Tummy Time

April 25, 2007

August 24, 2007

Wow, have we come a long way! Tummy Time used to consist of Jack screaming with his face to the floor and now he is pushing up so tall and proud. Don't be too fooled by the pictures though...he only tolerates a few minutes of Tummy Time before he gets tired and uses his catlike moves to roll to his back.

-A Little Lagniappe For Ya-

Because those big, blue eyes are so angelic!!

The much talked about video...

Of Jack saying, "Hello"

He is actually just talking baby talk and it sounds like he is saying hello. If he was talking for real we'd be on our way to Leno and hopefully signing him up with a traveling circus. :)

Isn't he precious?!?!?




(sorry for the way i look...early AM feeding, balancing jack on nursing pillow, while holding the camera-EEK!!)

Our Little Ray of Sunshine

Today was a busy day. We woke up, ate breakfast then headed out and didn't get home until after 8:00. First we picked up Ashley to head to Presby Plano to drop off tasty treats to Ashley in thanks for the formula stash. Then while Ashley shopped around A Mother's Gift I weighed Jack on the scale...he weighs 13 lbs. 2 oz. What a big boy!!! From there we made it back to Ashley's in time for Jack's lunch (and mine thanks to Ashley's Mom). Ashley and Nate were off to take a nap so Jack and I went to MST to get his new Frog Wub Nub from Morgan (and a globe I left). It was sad to see everyone and not be a part of the back to school excitement...but when Jack spit up in my hair I remembered how lucky I am to be at home with him. By the time we left it was crunch time to get home, change clothes, re-pack the diaper bag, get in a feeding, then head to the Northlake Back to School Party. Visiting with all of them was really nice....Jack never left the arms of all those ladies. Another baby boy that was 6 months was there and him and Jack were polar opposite. Jack was so laid back and he was full of energy. It was crazy!!! We'll have to get those two together soon to see what happens with a little blanket time. Once we got back home we decided to give Oatmeal a try since the Rice has not been recieved well...and neither was the Oatmeal. He makes horrible faces and starts to cry...how are we ever going to beef up those chicken legs?!?! We'll try again tomorrow. Now it is off to bed for another day of running the roads.

Plumbing Problems...

So much for thinking that rice cereal would help Jack sleep through the night. After bathing him he got real fussy so we tried to put him down early. Well putting him down early turned into one of the latest nights we have had. We aren't sure if it had to to with the barium tummy issues, the cereal, possibly teething, or seperation anxiety when we left the room....no matter what it was...Jack wouldn't go to bed and cried his eyes out for about 4 hours. Finally we were able to get him to sleep in our bed lying next to me and we transfered him to his crib. From there he slept through the night. Nick made a comment that this was the worst night thus far in Jack's life but I had to remind him of those wonderful nights in the beginning when we slept on the living room floor with our hand on his chest while he cried in the bouncy seat....my how far we have come.

Today again Jack had terrible tummy issues. We called the on call nurse and so after Nick ran to the store for infant apple juice and infant suppositories we are hoping for a better night.

Tomorrow is Nick's first day to report back to school. I wish I could say we had a productive Summer and the house is all organized and we are ready to go for the year but I often wonder...will we ever be all organized and ready to go? I feel like we still haven't come above water for more than a few breaths since Jack was born. It's not my way of life, but Jack is my way of life so I'll live.

GRAB BAG JACK
Only $10 for an envelope of pictures of Jack from the Sam's development. Some you have seen, but some are never before seen photos....he will even autograph one for you. E-mail me if you are interested in placing an order and we'll get them out to you as soon as possible. Just think what a treat that would be in your mailbox one day.

Cereal Adventures

Tonight Jack tasted Gerber Rice Cereal for the first time. He did a great job opening up his mouth for the spoon but the majority of it came right back out his. He hung in there for awhile but let us know toward the end by turning his head that he had had enough. I can't blame him because I tasted it and it was nasty! We'll give it ago again tomorrow....we are secretly hoping it will help him to sleep at night better...We'll see. Below is a snip from the video we shot. Enjoy!

The Relle's Hit 3 Doctors By Noon

We all headed out this morning to our different doctor appointments. I had to see Dr. Phan, the dentist (yes -I had a very tiny cavity that she said was probably caused by Jack taking all my calcium-we'll be sure to fill that before insurance changes September 1st because we love her and she isn't covered on our new plan). After my appointment I raced to the Presby Pediatric Imaging Office to meet Nick and Jack for his Upper GI. By the time I got there....they were already finished!!

After the doctor listened to Jack's symptoms she decided that they only needed to do the Upper GI portion of the test and not the lower Bowel portion. We haven't heard back from Dr. Guetersloh but the radiologist said that Jack's anatomy looks fine and that it is probably just some reflex issues...we'll know more once we hear from the doctor.

Here is a video of Jack during the procedure. He got strapped in, drank 1 oz. of barium, then for 20 minutes they recorded the path that the barium took through his system. Wub Nub duck stood in for Wub Nub frog....we are still waiting for a replacement after the dropping on the labor room floor incident. Nick said he did great and even fell asleep for some of it...it was like a giant swaddle that rocked.(If you want to hear the sound from the video pause the music on the Player at the right)



Since we were right there we went into Dr. Campbell's office (My OB) to get some vitamin prescriptions since I am going to be able to breastfed longer now that I am staying at home. The receptionist, Ashley, has always hooked us up with Enfamil formula samples for our supplementing was there. She asked if she could hold Jack so I replied with in trade for free samples....before we knew it we were pulling the Pathfinder up the backdoor and she loaded it up with cans, to go packages, pre-maid bottles, diapers, wipes, lotion, and diaper bags. It was sooo much! With my supply disappearing more and more daily....we'll be needing tons of formula to make it til he turns one, so it is a HUGE help. We'll be sure to send her a nice thank you letter. Check out the stash below.






Now we are back at home enjoying Dad's last weekday of the Summer with us. We are sad that he has to go back but are grateful that he will be getting home earlier in the day than he has been. Wow, this is a long post. Jack will be expecting a ton of comments from his fans to let him know ya'll are checking up on him. :)

Jack Sucking His Toes

Here is a video of Jack sucking on his toes tonight. Everything has to be in his mouth lately. He'd be great at Yoga huh?!?

5 Months!

Today is Jack's 5 month birthday! We enjoyed the day by taking a walk this morning (even at 7:30 before the sun is fully up it is out of control hot), buying diapers from Sam's, and getting bridesmaid jewelry for Aunt Deborah's wedding from Sam Moon. The rest of the afternoon we played and napped til Dad came home. Then it was time for more playing, a bath, and to bed early because he was just ready (he told us through tears).

Backtrack to Yesterday...

Yesterday we went back up to the hospital to see the Parnell's. Nathan is so sweet and small! Holding him made me realize that I can't even remember when Jack was that tiny...it seems like yesterday, yet so long ago at the same time.

When we got home Nick was bathing Jack and thought that the bubbles that came with Jack's farts in the tub were cute...til he got more than bubbles. We knew the day was coming...

Plans for the rest of the week:

Tomorrow is Nick's last day working for Jenkens and Gilchrist. He might still work some after school or on the weekends to help them get things wrapped up...but Back to School starts Monday for teachers so he is going to enjoy the long weekend with the family.

Friday I have a dentist appointment in the morning (rescheduled from Tuesday when I found out how much family would come in handy because 2 babysitters cancelled and I had no other options) and Jack is going to Presby Plano (the hospital where he was born) to get an Upper GI test run to find out what is causing him to choke when eating. We are holding off on solids until we know for sure what is going on in there.

So Much To Celebrate...

Friday night Uncle Trey and Aunt Meredith came out to the country to see Baby Jack, have dinner, and visit over adult beverages. It has been too long and catching up with them was really nice. Jack wasn't fussy but wanted to be in the middle of our conversations til midnight when they left. We already can't wait for their next visit.

Saturday during the day we rested up so that we could head to Ashley's 30th Birthday Celebration. The house was full of friends and babies....Ethan called it a night first in his Pack and Play in the guest room, Jack wasn't too far behind him in Nathan's swing in the nursery, and towards the end of the night Willow covered her ears because she was sick of us sounding like idiots playing Mad Gab. It was fun to celebrate another year over Bar B Que, Cake and ice cream, and bottles (beer and milk of course). If you want to see more pics Ashley should put them up soon at her blog- www.wayneandashley.blogspot.com

Here is the true celebration. Ashley's birthday wish must have come true because little Nathan came today on his own 4 days earlier than the planned c-section. Jack and I represented all day since both their families had to travel from Arkansas and she was progressing very fast for a first time Mom. Jack did very well and so did Ashley because healthy Baby Nathan arrived at 3:33 PM weighing in at 8 oz. and measuring 20 1/2 inches in length. It was a long day for Jack and I since we had been at the hospital since 10 this morning so we made sure the family was there to cheer him on in the nursery window and we headed home...to rest up of course for our visit to see them soon so we can hold the little man himself.

Nathan Allen Parnell

Halloween Costume Poll...

Please help us pick out which costume to get for Jack on Halloween?

They are both so good we just can't decide.

Just kidding....but aren't these freakin hilarious?!?!?

Gymboree

Tummy Time on the Beach Ball (had to crop Mom out for chin issues)

Jack & Wub Nub on the parachute

Jenn & Jack with bubbles in our hair!

This morning at Jack and I's playgroup Gymboree came to do a model lesson. Jack was a tad bit fussy because he missed his nap, but overall we had a good time. Yes, it is a slightly cult like with the chanting, clapping, and singing but all the babies seemed to really enjoy it. On the way home Jack and I had a talk about how today and the one free lesson coupon was the only time he would be attending Gymboree (unless a friend has a party there). We'll have Dad get us beach balls, fuzzy balls, bubbles, and steal a parachute from school- have the gang over- and do our own Gymboree FOR FREE.

Tonight Trey and Meredith are coming over to visit, Bar B Que, and play Wii. Can't wait...it's been since Jack was 2 weeks so I am sure they will be impressed with how much he has grown :)

Good-bye MST, Hello Stay At Home Mom

The gang came over last night for dinner (made by me but truly compliments of Sam's- literally the entire meal was from a package bought at Sam's- Mom would be so disappointed). After dinner Angela met us at MST so Nick, Wayne, and Derrick could help me get the rest of my stuff. Although I must say I had already lugged 24 of the heaviest boxes...what an idiot...next time I'm leaving it all for the boys. Until we get it organized the Pathfinder has to sleep outside with the Jetta. I thought I did a good job downsizing...obviously just not enough. Now that everything is signed, turned in, and in my garage it is real.....I am a stay at home Mom!!!

Jack did a real good job of sharing his bathtub with Baby Willow. She had fun!

Of course the evening had to start and finish off with some Wii. I think we will be seeing more and more of Wayne and Derrick now that the Wii is here. A group slumber party is already in the works once Baby Nathan joins us and is ready for overnight fun.

Jack and I are going to go walking today at the Willow Bend mall for some exercise (in the air conditioning) and to window shop.

The Star Himself....

Jack's crazy hairstyle

Sliding down the couch cushions with Dad

Last day at United Methodist Church Daycare

Chillin with my own toys at home

HOT BOXES!!!

After two full days of packing boxes in an un air conditioned classroom, last weekend being relaxing was just what we needed. Friday we layed low, Saturday Ashley came over for a slumber party, and Sunday was another day of resting at home (Nick even snuck out for a much deserved movie). Monday morning it was back to packing and Jack's last day at Daycare. I felt a little guilty saying good-bye because I know how lucky we were to get him into such a great Daycare...but I know in my heart that I will be able to provide for him much better than they would have this year. Wishing that Daycare days were behind us til next year isn't so because it is time for us to start looking for somewhere for Jack to stay next year when I return to work. He's already on the waiting list at the Church where he was but we are hoping that I get a job up North by the house so we'll want to find something for Jack closer to home too.

My classroom is finally all packed and I moved as many boxes from MST to the garage as I could....the rest is going to be for the boys on Wednesday. Now that I am done with Richardson I will be able to devote all my time to finding organizations/activities for Jack and I this year plus getting my name out for after school tutoring. This coming weekend is looking busy too with Trey and Meredith coming over on Friday to see Jack (and play Wii) then Ashley's Birthday Bash on Saturday night.

Now on to what you really care about...Jack is doing well. I don't have many pictures of him since he has been in Daycare the past few days but I'll post a few I took today for you. I am not 100% sure but I think that he is starting to teeth. He wants to put everything in his mouth, the drool is flowing, and he has been a tad fussy lately. We'll see. Not much longer til he is able to start cereal so hopefully that will help him sleep through the night longer than he has been. His hand eye coordination is getting much better (so is his grip on hair!!) and he is finally tolerating tummy time and when he is "done" rolls from him tummy to his back (while screaming of course). I can't believe he is almost 5 months old!!!