All That Jas

The Elephant

2012-02-10T14:39:00.002-06:00

I truly have no idea what's going on in my child's head!

I suppose an imaginary friend is imminent...

Prior to bed she let her puppy inside, stepped outside and informed me:

"Oh Dear! There's an elephant in the backyard!"

Then calmly came back inside, shut the door, and crawled in bed.

Your guess is as good as mine!

Bleep My Kid Says....

2012-02-09T10:05:00.000-06:00

Jassy has recently adopted a new way of talking, which I would equate to that of a 60 year Southern spinster who sits on the porch gossiping with the neighbors.

Simply put...she talks like an old lady.

The phrases she uses are nothing like how Jon and I talk, far from it. I cannot seem to pinpoint where she comes up with this stuff and I am beginning to suspect that she sneaks out of her room at night to catch re-runs of Golden Girls.

This morning I discovered her and her daddy asleep in the lazy boy chair. Not really sure how that came to be, but that's another story. As it was time to get ready for school and I turned on the light and woke them up. She then proceeded to grab her Daddy's hand, pat his bottom, assuring him, "It's okay, Daddy" and escorted him to bed, where she tucked him in and wished him good night.

This past Tuesday night, she was having some grapes, cheese and crackers. Now as my child is inordinately clumsy, she naturally dropped some of her crackers. Turning around at the all to familiar sound, I discovered Jas with hands on her hips surveying the situation.

"Oh my Goodness, Oh my Goodness! Whatever happened here!"

I'm positive NONE of you have EVER heard Jon or myself turn a phrase that way.

Jon got in trouble the other night when he did something that Jassy didn't approve of and she told him,

"Well! I Never!" in the most exasperated voice that a 2-year old is capable of.

It's as if she's Jessica Tandy incarnate!

Conversations with Uncle J, 1st Edition

2012-02-07T15:17:00.000-06:00

As Jassy and her cousin both attend the same school, it is not uncommon for her Uncle J to stop by and see her when he's there.

This Tuesday, he had quite a story to share with him after their visit.

Uncle J: "Hi, Jassy! Quick hugs!"

Jas: "Uncle J!!!!!!"

required pause for hugs

Jas: "Uncle J, you know what? When I go home I'm gonna unzip AAAAALLLLLL the Chwismas presents!"

Uncle J: "You have.....zipped up presents at home?"

Jas: "YES!!!!"

Uncle J: "Where did you get those from?"

Jas: "Um, my daddy."

Uncle J: "Your daddy got you christmas presents in February?"

Jas: "YES!" (as she hold her fist our for their customary fist bumps)

I am beginning to think my child is a bit of a character....

Holi- DAZE!!!!

2012-01-10T23:23:00.000-06:00

They say time flies when you're having fun...I think time just flies regardless!

Without fail, whether you are happy, glad, silly or spunky...or sick, tired, and run down...THAT clock is STILL ticking!

And that's the short version of our holidays....

Happy Halloween!

Jassy went as Minnie Mouse for the Halloween this year! She had a wonderful time at Fall Festival strutting her stuff, riding ponies, and fishing for candy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My parents were able to visit for Thanksgiving, a much needed visit, if I do say so myself! Jassy LOVED having her Grannie and Grampie her to spoil and dote on her. Both were submitted to a constant review of shapes, colors, and animals via Jas's stacks of flash cards. Good news though - Pretty sure Grampie now can distinguish between teal and blue...

We took a trip to the Gaylord Texan to take in the Christmas sights. As usual, the Gaylord spared no expense and transformed the hotel into a lovely Winter Wonderland. Jas was transfixed by the trains and took turns making Mommy, Daddy, Grannie, and Grampie take her back to watch "her trains."

As I swore off Black Friday shopping, we decided to veg out for the day and then head over to the Lights on Main Street event. Now, any one who REALLY knows me...knows how much I absolutely, positively LOATHE Christmas music...BUT...Lights on Main Street was actually quite fun. Seeing the music come to life via the synchronized lights, was truly a sight to behold. Strolling around the Square with my parents, watching them goof off with Jas, and eating entirely too much fudge was a great finish to the Thanksgiving Weekend.

And that brings us to Christmas! Merry Belated ~~Chaos~~ Christmas Everybody!

This year we had 3 Christmases! THREE! It was more whirlwind than I can say! Here...then There...then here again...ACK!

Even more fun...Jassy decided she'd like to get sick for Christmas...sigh! Poor Jassy's asthma has been on a roller coaster from hell for the last month thanks to the lovely weather here in Texas. From 4 day fever spells to ear infections and snotty noses, our house has been one big giant sickbed. Fingers-crossed and prayers lifted in the right direction, these are finally settling down and everyone is starting to "clear" up from all their maladies.

Then before we knew it....it was New Years!

(insert Flash Gordan theme song here for effect....come on...sing with me now.... "FLASH! AAA- AHHHHHHH)

Already this year is breezing by!

I hope each and everyone of you are having a great start to your new year! Hopefully this year, I'll be more diligent in posting these blogs....but let's not call it a resolution...that way if I fail miserably at posting more often, I don't rag on myself for breaking a resolution.

Looking forward to greatness this year! And patience....Jas is getting closer to 3 each day....I'll need it if I'm to survive the Terrible Threes!

Mug

2011-12-14T13:45:00.001-06:00

  Collage Mug

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Photo Card

2011-11-17T11:23:00.001-06:00

Dazzling Snowflakes Christmas

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Compassion

2011-10-14T13:27:00.004-05:00

Webster's dictionary defines compassion as "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."

I define compassion as a little girl who sees her teacher grieving and shares her most precious possession, a monkey named Marcell.

Yesterday at school, Jasmine woke up during nap-time to find her teacher silently crying. Miss Courtney's grandfather is in the hospital and not doing well.

It is often Jassy's habit to check and make sure Miss Courtney is there. However, this time Jassy found Miss Courtney very sad.

My sweet baby, seeing this, walks over to Miss Courtney and gives her Marcell and explains to Miss Courtney that "it's okay, Miss Courtney. Marcell will make you feel better."

Now, I will never in a million years claim to be a great mother. However, I will always be able to proclaim that I taught my child the importance of compassion. That lesson is so incredibly vital and to hear of her putting this in action and how it touched those around her is a great reward for me!

Hugs!

2011-10-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

Many of you have asked me about Sweet Noah, so I thought you would enjoy these photos.

Hey! That's My Jassy

2011-10-07T19:03:00.001-05:00

Wednesday when I went to go pick up Jassy from school, Noah and his younger brother Preston were in the classroom with her.

As is customary, Noah and Jassy always exchange hugs and bye-byes. I suppose Preston has become familiar with these exchanges and decided he wanted in on the action as well.

Thus when it came time for us to leave, Preston walked up to Jasmine, gave her a big hug and the proceeded to kiss her right on the lips.

Noah, having watched this transpire from across the room, then marched over, pushed his brother away, draped his arm across Jassy's shoulders and as firmly as a 3 yr old can, exclaimed, "Hey! That's my Jassy!"

As if that was not enough, he then proceed to kiss Jassy on the lips, as if an attempt to erase the previous kiss.

OH BROTHER!

Literally...

The Look

2011-09-11T07:45:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure THAT picture says it all!

Jas is developing her "annoyed with mama" look. I know this face will occur more and more as she gets older, and I know the older she gets the more this look will irritate me....but right now.... it's TOOOOO funny!

I haven't taken any pics of Jas lately, so I busted out the camera as she was coloring.

Apparently, I did not have her approval and was clearly invading her space! She tolerated it for a while, shot me several of the looks above, before she then told me...

"EXCUUUUSSSE ME, MAMA!"

Oh, yes, she absolutely did!

I started reading James Dobson's Bringing Up Girls....I've come to the conclusion that he's never experience a daughter quite to the caliber of Jas. Considering video taping Jasmine for a couple of weeks to send him some footage. Pretty sure he could make some edits to his book or simply write a new one, "The Incredibly, Uber, Ridiculously Strong-Willed Child."

Sigh!

Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Damn you Fire Drill!

2011-09-01T07:03:00.001-05:00

Horrible, No Good, Very Bad night!!!!

Yesterday at school, they ran a fire drill - which is great that they are already prepping the kiddos for these kind of situations...but not so much for Jassy who definitely has Ligyrophobia .

She apparently was shaking violently, practically crawled up into the arms of her teacher, and was squeezing her eyes shut as hard as she could, all the while chanting, "I'm OK, I'm OK, I'm OK!"

Throughout the remainder of the day, she continued her chant and keep telling her teacher how scared she was of the "firetruck."

This, then of course, channeled into a night of horrible nightmares, wherein I gave up and just put her in bed with us. Even at that she woke up every hour or so and grabbed onto me to make sure I was there.

It would have been heartbreaking if I weren't so ragged already!

Hoping that today erases yesterday!

Noah, Pt. 2

2011-08-31T20:26:00.002-05:00

I am happy to report that there were no incidents with Monkey at school today!

However, I did learn something else...

Noah's mom met Jas today. She asked our teacher who the "adorable curly-headed girl" was and remarked on how pretty she was. The teacher informed her that was Jasmine...

Apparently, per Jas's teacher, Noah's mom beamed and said, "Oh! That's Jasmine! I know all about Jasmine! Noah prays for her each night and tells me about how much Jasmine loves monkeys and hot dogs! "

Thus I've come to the conclusion that any little boy who takes the time to remember that my precious girl loves hot dogs and monkeys, and prays for her each night, is welcome to hug her as many times as he wants.

What a sweet boy! I can only hope that one day Jassy will fall in love with someone who takes time to remember the little things!

But hopefully said falling won't occur til she's at least 20! Fingers crossed!

"I need pray"

2011-08-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

Upon picking Monkey up from school today, I was greeted by the school director who told me that she had some paperwork I needed to sign....

An incident report regarding Jassy biting another child in class...

GRRRRRR!!

She's never done anything like this before so obviously I wanted to figure out what happened. So as soon as I got to the classroom, I asked Jassy what happened today.

"Mama, I bite Lexie!"

She goes on to explain that "Lexie has sticker" and she wanted it. Thus "I bite sticker off Lexie."

Well...at least she's honest....and straight to the point!

I explain to her that that is not nice and she tells me "Mama, I need pray."

"Yes, that's exactly what we need to do, Jasmine."

In any case, we had several talks on the way home and throughout the evening about how biting is not nice.

Hoping this is a one time occurrence!

And most definitely adding a "Love Thy Neighbor" theme to our bedtime prayers.

Noah

2011-08-30T19:22:00.002-05:00

I was embraced upon picking Jassy up from school today by a cute little boy named, Noah.

Per Noah, "I really love Jasmine!"

That's right, this little guy is crushing on my girl. So I did what any reasonable mother would do, I gave the teacher the 3rd degree to figure out what the scoop is:

Me: So what's the story with this boy whose hugging all over Jassy?
Teacher: Oh, that's Noah. He's in the class next door.
Me: Is he like this with all the girls?
Teacher: No, just Jasmine
Me: How does Jassy seem to respond? (I ask, praying that she's nothing like her mother...)
Teacher: Well, she will let him hug her a few times and then she always tells him, "Shoo, Shoo, Go Away!"
Me: REALLY? (I say, partly relieved, and mostly shocked...)

Then it dawned on me....Oh!!! He's only 2 and 1/2! That's why she doesn't like him! He's too young for her...She likes her boys at least 18 yrs old!

Mama! I got earrings!

2011-08-29T21:07:00.004-05:00

This weekend Gigi and I took Jassy to get her ears pierced.

I've been meaning to do this for quite some time but just never got around to

it....there was of course the obstacle of convincing Daddy that Jassy really needed to have pierced ears as well ! ;) Daddies are sometimes difficult about these sorts of decisions.

I let Jassy pick out the earrings she wanted, and thankfully she selected these adorable blue crystal flowers.

She handled it like such a pro!

She cried for a few seconds and then moved on and was ready to show off her new earrings! Because she was so awesome, we treated her to some ice cream afterwards. (side note: Haagen Dazs has these new Cupcake ice cream sundaes....Yummo!)

As I was waiting in line to grab one...ok three of these tasty morsels, Gigi and Jassy went to go snag a booth. Jassy was absolutely ecstatic about her new "pretties" and shouted across the mall to me, "Mama, I got earrings!"

So cute!

Just Keep Swimming

2011-08-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's been forever since I last blogged, (sorry!) so there's a lot to update you on!

Jassy starting taking swim lessons in April and has since become quite the water baby. She absolutely LOVES being in the water...death defyingly so...She has no fear what so ever about the water. I pretty sure if anyone took blood pressures of our family members when Jassy is in the pool, you would find that we are all nearly on the brink of heart attacks! Nothing like watching a two year old jump off the side of the pool, or my personal favorite - just simply

walk straight off the ledge into the pool! Yikes!

Fortunately, she's pretty proficient underwater. Our lil fish! She's up to 12 seconds underwater now and is developing some solid kicks. She will literally BEG and GROVEL to go swimming.

"Mama, I need go swimming, OK?" ( this of course being said as she nods at you to hopefully convince you to fall to her whim)

This past weekend, Jassy moved up to the Super Waterbabies class; which means I no longer am in the water with her. She has a lil red turtle she sits on and waits (impatiently so) her turn to run through the various swimming exercises. It's a lot of fun to watch how she's progressed. It's also hilarious to watch her hair, as she tends to develop what I like to call "the water mullet:"

She's Two! How did that happen?

2011-06-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

I know that 2 comes after 1, but there's a LOT in between!

She's changed so much in the last year. She has hair now, it doesn't look like there's much because it's so stinking curly! But when you get her in the tub, it is past her shoulders...you'd never know.

She's talking in sentences now and doing all kinds of hilarious stuff. She now has a pouty face and an angry face...both of which she will display on command and both always end in a smirk.

Her personality is becoming more apparent everyday! It's very clear that she's incredibly musical, impatient and stubborn. A very solid blend of Jon and myself.

She's not a baby anymore. Everyday I see more and more glimpses of how she is turning into a little lady. Even her little cherub face, is so much more of a little girl's and not a baby.

We are so in love with our little lady. She is such a treasure and we are thoroughly enjoying each and every day that God grants us with her!

Jasmine - 2 weeks old

Jasmine - One year old

Jasmine - Two Years

The Art of Mimicking...er...Mockery

2011-02-28T23:38:00.009-06:00

Is it shocking to any one else that Jasmine is nearly TWO! I bemoan this tidbit regularly! It just doesn't seem possible that she could be such an old lady already!

I suppose I will have to come to terms that she is getting older and older every day, and you my captured audience will have to come to terms with me lamenting this fact regularly.

She is growing like a weed! Jassy has actually lost a lot of weight - she's so tall and lean now. No more wrist rolls or buddha belly. Unfortunately the growth is also occurring in the hair department, sadly, due to hereditary issues, it looks like she's growing weeds in the form of hair. I know you can't tell with the girls, but her hair is past her shoulders now! Check out this poof...And yes, I realize that this is a very sad picture of Jassy, but you'd make that face too if your hair looked like this all the time!

She's talking up a storm now. I'm amazed by all the words that she's trying out. Most people call this mimicking, however, with Jassy, it's more like mockery. For instance, I am trying out different forms of discipline, because, well, she's like me....so she needs it... a lot! So I started the countdown method to see if this would word with her. Nope! We used it two times and then on the third time, when she knew she was gonna get in trouble, I said "Jassssssminnnnne" and she turned at me and held her finger up and said "Onnnnnnnee, Twwwwwwoooo."

It's ok to laugh, I did too after a moment of shock when I wished my kid were dumber!

She's also developed MiMi's sense of persuasion. GiGi and Aunt Bug call this method "aggressive suggestive." In other words, Jassy is learning how to get you to ask the questions so she can get what she wants. So she will sing, "Milka Milka Milka Milka", so you wonder if she's just singing about her milk or if she's thirsty. So you say, "Jassy, would you like some milk?" and she replies, "Okay" with a smirk because she knows she's found a way to convince you to get what she wants/needs.

Sigh!

Boxes of Fun

2011-01-18T16:48:00.005-06:00

This weekend we focused our energy on unpacking the new house. Because they are awesome, Bryan and Jena came over to assist. There was a slight bribe of Red Velvet cupcakes involved to butter my brother up enough to install a new kitchen faucet and kitchen light....

While the adults were busy unpacking and installing, our girls were discovering the beauty of boxes.

Who knew that boxes could be so much fun! Jena and I learned that not only are they fun, but it can occupy two very energetic little girls for a VERY LONG TIME!!

So we gave them more boxes and opened both ends on one for a tunnel!

It was such fun to watch these girls giggle and squeal as they ran round and round to go through the tunnel.

Snow Day with Daddy

2011-01-13T17:10:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday we were blessed with 6 inches of snow!

I love being the snow, it has been one of my very favorite things since I was a little girl and it is such a blessing to see Jassy develop a love for the fluffy stuff too!

While I toted my camera around, Jon, Jas and Zack romped outside in merriment.

Jon built his first snowman! And of course he had two assistants, though both assistants seemed to be more interested in eating the snow!

What a fun afternoon it was! I only wish there were more snow for us to continue our playtime in!

Only at Our House...

2011-01-08T12:06:00.000-06:00

Jassy is too clever. It's exhausting. She studies how things work so she can do it herself...except there are things I don't want her to know how to do already, like lock doors.

It's time to wake up, at least in Jas's mind...not so much mine. So I let her cry it out for a lil bit so I can sleep just for that precious 20 minutes more. It's only 7 am so I feel like I'm still entitled for a bit more rest.

I finally get up after my pseudo-nap (marred by Jassy's cries to be released from her room) to go let her out of her room, only to find that her door is locked from the inside.

So I do what any mother would do, I panicked! How did my kid manage to lock herself in the room? How do I unlock it? It's a new house, do we even know where the key is?

I run into the master bedroom and tell Daddy that HIS daughter has locked herself in her room and I cannot get her out! Jon starts checking the door ledges for keys, locates one, then proceeds to begin picking the lock.

Finally, we get in....only to find that Jas is passed out in rocking chair with her blanket...

Here I am all panicked...and there she is snug as a bug!

And the award for best picture goes to.....

2010-11-30T23:34:00.003-06:00

2010

2010-11-30T22:53:00.001-06:00

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Dedication

2010-11-21T20:22:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we were incredibly blessed to be surrounded by friends and family as we dedicated Jassy (FINALLY!). We were doubly blessed to have my parents in from Virginia to be here to share this special time with us!

We had been procrastinating the dedication...it seemed like there was always something going on that kept us from going forth...then, we learned we had one last chance! So, in order to save Jas the horror of being a heathen, we finally buckled down to get her dedicated!

It was a comical event all the way around. Jassy was likely the eldest of the children being dedicated, I'm pretty sure all the other babies were watching her in awe of her running skills as I was chasing her around the waiting room!

As we were lined up for the dedication, we're listening to the choir sings Hymns. Not to be outdone...Jas began singing too! She was singing praise in the way only children do...with complete abandon and disregard for those around. I mean she was truly singing her heart out, all the while swaying and clapping her hands madly. I will later remind her that we are Baptist, and she should refrain from dancing in church :)

When Jassy's name was called and we made our way to the front of the church, I began experiencing deep fear. Fear that Pastor would begin his short blessing over Jassy and she would shut him down with her new favorite word, "No!" Luckily for me, she just decided to be the entertainer that she is (I have no idea where she gets it from!) and shout "Yay!" and clap for herself. This of course, solicited the cheers and laughter of the congregation which only encouraged Jassy to be even more of a ham.

It was such an awesome day! Jassy was completely enthralled with her presents and the presence of those she loves most dear.

What a blessing it is to have such an amazing little girl; an incredible blessing from an Awesome God!

My cup runs over....as Jassy says, "AAAAHHH MENNNN"

Supersize Me!

2010-11-06T14:35:00.004-05:00

We live in a world where bigger is always considered better, where more is considered barely enough, where instant gratification is the only acceptable option. Every corner you turn, someone is trying to "upgrade" you to the BBD.

Me, I prefer to take things at a leisurely pace. Sometimes that turns into moseying and often that turns into dashing full speed ahead. But, the point, is that I have control over it. I set the pace...until now.

It seems that someone has hit the "Supersize" me button on Monkey.

For the most part, Jassy has always been ahead of "the curve," however, when it came to teeth, it seemed they'd never make an appearance and she would forever need to gum things to oblivion. It's not that they weren't "there" because we could see them right under the gum line, it's just that they were not in a hurry to officially push through. At 10 months when the 2 bottom teeth finally graced us with their presence, we were feeling relieved...being your childs chew toy gets old really quick! By 12 months they were still the only teeth she had. Now fast forward one month (13 months old), and more chewing on mommy, on the couch, and even an attempt to eat Zack's ear, and we started to see 1 more tooth coming in up top.

Then the proverbial damn broke...now at 16 months Monkey has 10 teeth! That's 7 teeth in the last 3 months! Holy cow!

In addition to her newly acquired teeth, Jassy has also bumped up to size 24 month and 2T clothing! I've packed away more cloths in the last month than I thought possible! She has some 18 month stuff that she never even got to wear!! Now this shouldn't be such a big deal, but at 24 months and 2T, you have to cross the mental hurdle that you no longer have a "baby"...now I all of a sudden have a Little Girl, a TODDLER! Wow!

Now if only someone would be a dear and hit the Supersize button on her hair....that would be delightful!

Who let the Monkey loose?

2010-10-17T16:56:00.003-05:00

It has been a whirlwind month, just when I think I'm about to have a moment to catch my breath, Whoosh! Something else comes up! I suppose some would call this motherhood, but to me, it's just insanity. I am not ready to accept that this insanity is permanent...not yet, at least!

Jassy is certainly living up to her moniker, "Monkey Jo."

Monkey has become very adept at climbing things, couches, chairs, tables, stools, speakers, beds...and how could I forget, her crib!

About 3 weeks ago Jassy was in her room "napping" in her crib. I was enjoying the sweet silence by curling up with a book on the couch, when suddenly Jas walked into the living room and greeted me, "Hi Baby." As you can imagine, I was a little freaked out since I left her asleep in her crib and then there she is standing right in front of me! So I pick her up check for bruises, scratches, breaks, and go check out her room.

I had absolutely no idea how she managed this safely and was absolutely certain that I needed to find out exactly how she was going about this "escape" so Jon and I could decide what our plan of attack was. So I put her in her crib and filmed her process...

As you can gather, my child of VERY LITTLE fear, was standing on the railing of the crib and then basically "jumping" down. Obviously, this could create a multitude of injuries. As we have already been to the ER for gluing in the last month, we were not in a hurry to repeat that experience! So we purchased a toddler bed the next day!

Now if only we could get her to stop climbing on everything else, we'd be golden!

Hell Week

2010-09-03T21:47:00.002-05:00

My brother is a marine, one of our closest friends is in the army, I know soooo many stories about "hell week."

That being said, I'm pretty positive that my week was worse!

It began with a blueberry...and ended...well, the week hasn't ended so check back on Tuesday for any ER updates.

So it all started with a blueberry, multiple blueberries really...I'm guessing blueberries, cause it was blue...really blue.

Then the cheeks were red, bright, bright, puffy...RED. So I went to the store and got the purple tube, Desitin Maximum Strength.

And then we had a dinner party, it was progressive, appetizers began in the ER with a side of Dermabond.

Then there was the vomit...ugh...the horror! And then there was more, and still more.

Did I mention the teething? If not, yep, teething too.

And fever...

Well, that's pretty much my last 72 hours...

Makeover!

2010-09-03T21:32:00.002-05:00

Well, since Jassy's face got a makeover thanks to the lovely scar she'll now have well into her tweens, I decided her blog needed a makeover too!

Thanks to Hollie, at Drama Mama Designs, for updating our look!

Whoa Mama!

2010-08-11T22:33:00.006-05:00

It's been a rather crazy couple of weeks for our household; no one seems to be busier than Jas. Nearly 14 months old and already acting like she's at least two! I suppose I should begin preparing myself for this pattern of acting like she's older!

This week we're working on colors!

We now know Red, Blue, and Yellow...or in jas-speak Ed, Ew, and Ello! But we're now able to recognize colors and name them...Perhaps I should clarify; I am quite knowledgeable about colors and Jon, well you wouldn't know it based on his affinity for always wearing black in varying shades, but he knows his colors too! I've even heard him refer to something as being sage before!

We're also starting to work on acknowledgement. This is has been particularly hilarious!

The first part of this means, that I have to do my part; I'm not really used to being called Mama. If I don't answer quick enough, it starts sounding like a cuss word! And if you're curious how a word as simple as "mama" can sound like an unsavory word, any mom will confirm that it's not only possible but occurs with sad regularity!.

The other part of this means, teaching Jas to respond when we ask her about something. So, what I've done is teach her to nod. In true Jas fashion, she has to add her own spin to it; which in this case, means pulling a face when she does it...the same face...every time! She has the nod part down pact, however, everytime I say the word "OK" she thinks she needs to nod. She's missed the point, but it's ridiculously cute!

Here are some pictures of Jas from this week!

Kisses!

Who knew Daddy's shorts doubled as a toga?

Twinkle, Twinkle starring Aunt GiGi

30 Hours and 30 Faces with Jas

2010-08-05T14:39:00.000-05:00

Kamikaze Kid

2010-08-03T09:06:00.004-05:00

Bumps, Bangs, and Bruises Oh My!

Well it's safe to say that my kid has no fear!

She's a terror, she's a climber, she's a destroyer, and she's a booger!

One of my quotes for the week was, "I wish my child were stupider, because then she wouldn't be so smart!" And yes, that is completely reminiscent of a Jonism! But in our case it is sooooo true. Jassy watches how things are done, intent on figuring out how things work so she can do it herself...and God forbid if you try to help her. I was expecting the terrible two's to actually occur at age two, but apparently the "I-can-do-it-on-my-own, leave-me-alone-or-I-will-blow-a-gasket" attitude occurs NOW!

It amazes me! She is only 13 months old and already is attempting the dreaded climb out of the crib, learning to open doors, and extreme curiosity of the toilet.

I can honestly say that I'm having a rough go making the adjustments. I wasn't prepared for these advancements yet.

But among all this craziness....My kid is fantastic. She's such a love, a joy, and a light. She is seriously the most happy kid I've ever met! I swear, this kid is hilarious!

Here's so new pics of this crazy kid...who is looking more and more like a little lady and not like my little girl!

Sa-wing Batter!

2010-07-03T20:37:00.005-05:00

I cannot begin to tell you how it warms my heart that my lil lady is already starting to show an interest in baseball!

Homerun for team Iris!!

Jassy has a new favorite toy at her grandmommy's house...it's a red baseball bat! She carries it everywhere.

And now she's discovered her mommy's bat in the garage, now when we go into the garage she goes straight to it!

She has this great bend in the knees when she holds it too....bodes well for future softball lessons. And I've seen her squat down and hold that position for twenty minutes straight, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she's gonna be catcher like her Daddy. But not only will she be a stellar catcher, with her instinctive bat holding skills and great posture, this girl's gonna hit `em outta the park!

And that's the game, Ladies and Gents!

Kiss `em

2010-06-30T21:26:00.003-05:00

Please stay tuned for your local public service announcement:

I HAVE THE MOST ADORABLE, QUIRKY, SASSY LIL GIRL!

Jassy has a new trick, but she'll only do it when she's darn well ready. You simply cannot expect her to perform for you unless she's in the mood. And you certainly cannot expect her to do it without a lil Jassy flava (for you older folks, that's "flavor" with pizzazz). I like to call this, "Love `em and Leave `em!"

Fun with Bella

2010-06-29T09:21:00.007-05:00

This weekend we had the pleasure of having Bella and Hunter so Bryan and Jena could celebrate their 5 year anniversary in style...in parent-speak, that mean's without kids. It's a rare but highly enjoyable style.

Bella is crazy about Jas! As soon as she walked in the door, "Hi Jas!" "Hi Jas!" "Hi Jas!" Adorably followed by hugs and kisses to go around.

We had borrowed a small toddler bed from Grandmommy and Grandpa's house, and Bella was so excited to have her own special place to sleep. "Bella's Bed!" quickly became a fun place to goof off and squeal.

We had a lovely time catching up on all the best Disney movies, the girls were dancing all over the place, and Bella went ga-ga over Aunt Iris knowing all the songs and singing them to her.

We wrapped up the weekend with a trip to the Lewis Carroll display at the Gaylord, which was so much fun. The girls were so worn out by the time we got home, and you know, so was Aunt Iris! It was a little traumatic for Bella leaving Mommy and Daddy behind at the Gaylord, but once Uncle Jon explained that they would be there in the morning when she woke up, it was right as rain again.

Birthday Pics

2010-06-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

Cake Face!

2010-06-21T21:40:00.000-05:00

We had a lovely first birthday party for Jas!

All our friends and family were there to help celebrate the momentous occasion of Jassy surviving childhood year one with crazy parents.

We had everything decked out Monkey style! Seriously, I call her Monkey Jo, were you really thinking it wouldn't be somehow monkey related!

We had so much fun watching Jassy devour her first birthday cake...Ok, there was no real "devouring". She was pretty tame, and I was slightly disappointed by that. I was really hoping for her to declare all out war on the cake. Nope, she took dainty little finger swipes of her cake. I'm hoping next year she'll give her cake a real battering!

And yes, I did just make a very sad cake pun!

Here are some of the chocolately pics!

Before Cake

Just Getting Started

And the Big Finish!

Jassy's First Birthday

2010-06-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

My Dearest Monkey Jo,

Today you turned one!

I can hardly believe it! How can my lil Monkey Jo be ONE!!! But all the paperwork from the hospitals says it's no lie, you are, indeed, one.

It has been my honor, my delight, and my most incredible blessing to be your mom! I think back on all the horror stories I heard of my childhood, and I cannot but be amazed that you are even mine! How could I get such a sweet and easy baby?! You don't cry just to cry, you don't stay up all night keeping me awake, and you are not a picky eater! How blessed your Daddy and I! And we are ever so grateful!

I have treasured each and every moment...ok, that's not true, there are some moments that I haven't enjoyed at all (i.e. your birth, your first tooth coming through, those 47 nights in a row when you're allergies were so bad you slept in 2 hour intervals, etc), but the most part, I have treasured each day with you. Never once in your one year did you greet me without a smile when you woke up. There were times, when I couldn't wait for you to wake up on your own and went in there to wake you up just because I knew as soon as you saw me, you would give me that smile. I would do anything, anytime, just to see you smile.

Monkey, you are my greatest joy and the most precious gift I've ever received!

I love you always.

Mama

P.S. When you're 13 and you think I'm the stupidest person on the planet and that I'm ruining your life because I won't let you stay out past 10, read this letter and know that you are still my greatest joy.

Full Speed Ahead

2010-06-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Jas has officially been walking for 2 weeks now, which in toddler terms means, walking is nearly mastered and it is now necessary to RUN everywhere!

And running rampant she is!

Boy, this kid is fast. She's here, then she's there. She's in this, then she's in that. Ugh, do toddlers every slow down!

Gone are the days when I could put her in her play room and start a load of laundry confident that she will still be in her playroom. Here are the days where she runs to the opposite side of the house trying to turn the tub water on so she can have a bath, which is by the way one of her very favorite things. In fact, you can pretty much count on her escaping to the nearest bathroom all the time. She seems to think that if she can make it there and look back at us all cute and cuddly that we'll just give her bath. Good hygiene is great and all, but she's one and the dirtiest she gets is being covered in cookie!

Point and case below:

Well, it's quiet now, so I better enjoy it while it lasts! 8 AM will come faster than you can imagine, and then I will be waking up to sounds of Jassy singing in bed waiting to be brought to bed so she can pounce on her Daddy.

Bella, Blocks, and Kabobs

2010-06-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday we were invited to dinner at Uncle Bryan and Aunt Jena's.

What could be better than a lil cookout with the family on a hot summer day, especially when Aunt Jena has margaritas ready and waiting?!

Ahem, for those of you who are unsure, the correct answer is Nothing!

We had a lovely dinner, spent mostly in amazement at two incredible little eaters! Jassy ate most of her plate, some of Daddy's, dumped the rest of her's for an eager puppy, and then finished Bellas's. Hey, what are cousins for is not for picking up at each other!

We had an awesome time celebrating for Jas's one year birthday while we were there.

While Jassy was pretty much clueless about what to do with her presents,

Bella was eager to teach her exactly how to master her blocks!

The girls had a great time playing together and hanging out with Uncle Bryan. It was precious watching them all cuddled up with him on the couch.

It's been so great having Bryan and Jena close, having our girls together is so much fun. And more precious than I can say.

Almost there!

2010-06-04T14:26:00.003-05:00

I've been overly lax in keeping you all updated with Jas! My apologies!

So here's what's new:

Jassy started walking last week! She's beginning to master this fine art and walking more and more each day. Though I have to confess I'm a lil confused about why her hands have to be above her head when she walks...it's like a ballerina walking. Well, as much as this kid dances now, I supposed that shouldn't surprise me.

I know I should have a really cute video to show you of her walking, but I don't! Every time I try to capture her, she sees me and stops. It's a conspiracy!

Jassy turns one exactly 2 weeks from today! I can hardly believe that she's such an old lady already! Wow, that went by so fast! We did her 1 year photos late last month; they are awesome! Here are a few of my favs:

Daddy & Jassy, what could be sweeter?

Momma's lil Monkey jo!

Totally unposed! Momma is deeply concerned that she already has this pose and look down!

What a smile!

New Word!

2010-05-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

Aunt Gigi's goal for summer was for Jassy to learn to say "GiGi."

Summer's not even here yet, and mission accomplished!

Words with Jas

2010-04-29T21:09:00.002-05:00

It amazes me to think that my little girl is nearly a year old. We are now weeks away from that momentous occasion...hopefully mommy will have the energy for all that.

Monkey Jo is talking up a storm now. Of course, things require a bit of concentration and translation, and more things than not are Dog!

Here is your official 10 month old talking Jas translation guide:

Pronunication Meaning

Doog Dog

Doogie Doggie

Doog Cat

Doog Light

All Ball

douck Duck

Gee-E Aunt GiGi

E-Ah-Ew Peek a Boo

Uh-oh Uh-Oh

DaDa Daddy

MaMa Momma

She's adding new words all the time and Mommy and Daddy are now very busy coming up with "safe words."

I'm now beginning to wonder if all this encouragement to talk was a bad idea!

First Easter

2010-04-04T22:07:00.003-05:00

We had a lovely Easter! What a precious time to get to share with our little Easter Bunny!

Jas got a new dress from Grampie and Grammie, despite the fact that she refused to keep her bunny ears on, she looked adorable in her outfit...especially since Mama had the foresight to coordinate mom and dad's outfits to match her!

She's adorable! Hope you all enjoy these pictures of our little bunny, but, SHHH! She's sleeping!

Bunnies need lots of rest after hopping around all day!

Obligatory Bathtime Photos

2010-03-31T20:25:00.002-05:00

Well, here there are!

Photos that every mom uses to one day embarrass her child!

New Adventures with Monkey Jo

2010-03-31T20:13:00.003-05:00

Well, a lot's changed in the last couple of weeks.

Jas went from crawling, to crawling at supersonic speed, to pulling up, to pulling up on everything including things that will in turn fall on her, to pulling up and toddling around couch edges and tables.

Now, throw into the miss that Mommy has a new job and Daddy is now teaching at an academy, and you've got one crazy household!

Monkey Jo is everywhere. I cannot believe how fast she can get around! One minute she's here and the next she's way over there! It's amazing!

Then there's all the pulling up and toddling around! Its pandemonium!

But I have to say this is my favorite Jassy stage...thus far...I'm sure I'll say that every couple of months :).

She is such a cuddle-bug right now, and she's become so attached to me! Take that Daddy! As soon as I get home she's crawling down from her Daddy's lap and crawling to me as fast as she can all the while saying, "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama!" Then she's pulling on my leg waiting for me to pick her up where she has several very awkward kisses for me. It's awesome!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I am in love with this little girl! She just steals my heart more and more every day!

Attack of the Green Goblin!

2010-03-14T22:01:00.005-05:00

Jas has been teething pretty hard for the last couple of days and we've been at the end of our ropes trying to figure out ways to alleviate the pain and frustration. She's not big on teething rings, or Orajel so we've had to develop alternatives.

Enter Lime Popsicles.

Lime anything is pretty much my favorite, so I'm thrilled that Jas is digging the flav too. I'm equally glad that we've finally found something seems to distract her from the two teeth coming in.

8 Months and growing...non stop!

2010-02-20T21:45:00.002-06:00

Thursday our little, yet not so lil lady turned 8 months old! I'm in complete shock, I cannot believe that she could possibly be 8 months already.

But, alas, she is!

We've grown a lot in these last eight months, Jas is crawling everywhere I don't want her to be and pulling up on anything she can reach. We're are quickly discovering that nothing is out of bounds.

We've also become quite accustomed to ear infections. We took Jas to see an ENT on Tuesday and the Dr. found that she had a double ear-infection, making this 7 infections in 8 months. So Friday we took Jas for her first set of tubes. Hopefully, that will bring some sweet relief to our lil monkey.

She's an amazing little girl. There are very few moments when she doesn't have a smile on her face and for that I am eternally grateful. It still amazes me that such a precious angel was given to her daddy and I.

2010-02-14T21:48:00.001-06:00

So there has to b a curse or smthg, cuz jons car wont start. Amd we're on a date. Deja vu anyone? Didnt this just happen for our anniversary dinner?

Another Snow Day

2010-02-12T09:41:00.004-06:00

What a wonderful sight to wakeup to, when it's 6 am and there's already 3 inches of gorgeous, fluffy snow on the ground!

This is what makes it feel like Valentine's to me. It seems that in North Texas this is always the weekend for it! But never before have we had this much snow! And never before have we been graced with count `em, 1,2,3, and now 4 snows! Truly incredible!

The best part of this snow was that I actually got to take Jassy out in it. She didn't pass out on me and she didn't have a cold either, so I actually got to take her to play in it for a little while.

She loved it! She was all smiles as the snowflakes were coming down around her. But what took the cake was Jassy's first snowball! This was by far the coolest! Though she doesn't understand the art of the snowball yet, she definitely understood the concept of the snow cone! Boy, did she dig in to eating the snow!

Poo-tastrophe # 2

2010-02-05T10:22:00.002-06:00

Wednesday night we had the going away party for my dear friend Christy, who is cashing her chips in for love and adventure in the Big Apple. Did I mention, she is also sporting a very gorgeous engagement ring? Major kudos to Jaime!

So we're all sitting at the dinner table enjoying some conversation and superior food from the Genghis Grill, a favorite of mine and Christy's, when disaster strikes.

Unfortunately, I did not realize that such a natural disaster had occurred...

I don't smell anything abnormal, which is likely due to the fact that I haven't been able to breathe through my nose in weeks now, so I don't notice anything.

Until, that is, that I reach down my front to adjustment my shirt and feel something on my shirt. I assume, wrongly, that I dropped some food and when I grab a napkin and finally look down, I realize that my front is covered in poop!! Not only that, but the precious bundle in my lap also has poop coming through the fibers of her shirt.

Double Ugh!

So I politely excuse myself and wave my husband down to my best ability all the while trying to not make it obvious to anyone that my daughter and I are covered in feces.

Well, simply put, my best abilities weren't that great. It shortly became very obvious that Jassy had had a major accident.

Well, Christy, I promised I'd celebrate with you in a big way...too bad, that turned out to be a big diaper!

Crawling

2010-02-02T22:13:00.000-06:00

Much to my surprise, my daughter has started crawling! I cannot believe it, she's only 7 and 1/2 months now!

She's been scooting around for a couple of weeks now, and we've all been on the edge of our

seats watching in anticipation for the moment.

And I missed it!

But fortunately, I've been seeing a lot of it! Here are some cute little picture of her doing the crawl!

The Skype's the Limit

2010-01-17T21:15:00.002-06:00

My parents are long-distance grandparents. Fortunately, with today's technology, we're able to spend time together over the internet: Enter Skype.

We've started Skyping with my parents, courtesy of the super cool webcam we got for Christmas, Thanks Mom & Dad!

Jassy really likes to Skype. She stares at the screen pretty intently. She can't seem to figure out how those people, who know her name! and talk to her!, got in the computer. It's so much fun to watch her as we Skype.

And now my parents will be able to watch her grow too! Though, I will be honest and say I've considered breaking the webcam and telling them it doesn't work and they will not get to see her. That way they'll miss her even more and move here!

And the beat goes on...

2010-01-10T08:36:00.000-06:00

So we had Jas' Cardiologist appointment on Friday. We were referred to a Pediatric Cardiologist after our regular Dr. found a loud heart murmur at Jas' 6 month check up.

I gotta say it's nerve-racking when you're taking the elevator up to an office where they're either going to tell you that your daughter has a standard heart murmur that's not going to effect her growth or that your daughter has an actual heart defect that will delay/hamper/lessen her growth.

So we did an EKG and a Sonogram. Both confirmed a VSD murmur.

Luckily, for us, this means Jas will grow to be as much as a fully functioning adult as her dad & I can raise!

New Year, New Moves!

2010-01-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted about the craziness that is currently our life, so I thought I'd fill you in.

Jas is doing great! She's learning all kinds of new and intriguing things.

We're rolling over...and over...and over! We're scooting around. And most oddly, we're spinning around in circles. Jas is so close to crawling that every time we have her on the floor, we just stand around and watch her...waiting! We are literally on the edge of our seats!

Aunt GiGi has been working for weeks now trying to teach her to clap her hands, mission accomplished! If you tell Jassy, "Good Job!" and clap your hands, she claps with such intensity and gives you the biggest grin you've ever seen!

Jas is still trying to cut the four teeth that have been stuck in the gums for the last month, which means her hands are in the mouth constantly and she's chewing on anything she kind find.

She is currently battling her 4th ear infection. Yep that's right 4 infections in her life span of 6 months! As you can imagine, we're already talking tubes! Hooray! But, you know, she really handles them like a champ!

We have an amazing little lady!

December 2009 Pictures

2009-12-22T09:39:00.002-06:00

It's Jas' Half Birthday!

2009-12-19T21:11:00.005-06:00

Well, I can hardly believe it, but Jas is officially 6 months old!

We celebrated her half birthday with shots! And not the fun kinda of shots! Jas got 4 shots, 2 in each ridiculously plump thunder thigh. She took it like a champ - she never ceases to amaze me, she really does have the best attitude.

Fortunately for me, they wanted to weigh Jas and not me...the scale and I are still not the best of friends.

Jas is a hefty 19 lbs 3 oz! And in a carrier of 8 lbs and Momma is doing some pretty decent bicep curls! As one would imagine, Jas is still in the 95% for weight.

Our little lady is now 27 1/2 inches long, a very mild growth in the height department, which drops us from the 95 % to the 75 %.

We can officially begin giving her baby food...which is great, because I've been giving her baby food for the last month! We are expanding our palette all the time, but so far we are enjoying Apples, Pears, Peaches, Bananas, Peas, and most enthusiastically Sweet Potatoes. Sweet Potatoes are in fact Jas' favorite. The following is a before and after of Sweet Potatoes - and another I like to call, "Where'd they go?

BEFORE

AFTER

WHERE'S THE REST OF THEM? I'M NOT FINISHED!

Bundled Up with Zack

2009-12-04T22:21:00.005-06:00

It's been super cold the last couple of days! I've been waiting for more snow all week, but no luck! Oh well, February will be here before you know it!

Cold weather means lots of hot chocolate and your favorite pair of sweats! And of course, lots of cuddle time with your favorite munchkin!

But I'm not the only one jonesing for some cuddle time with Jas, nope, Zack's been really into his little lady these days. He's always had a soft spot for her, but this week, he's been extra attentive. Even when I was taking pictures of her yesterday, he had to be next to her.

I guess I could borrow some very famous words from Paul Anka,

"And they called it Puppy Love!"

Jassy's First Snow

2009-12-02T23:26:00.004-06:00

This morning we woke up to a very pleasant surprise, it was snowing!

Oh, it was so beautiful - coming down in soft, fluffy flakes; gently kissing the fall leaves!

Oh, it was magical...if only for an hour!

Well, it was Jassy's first snow, and I'm absolutely positive that I was way more enthused than she was, but I got her dressed as quickly as I could, wrapping her up in her bear jacket and dumping her momentarily in her Daddy's lap so I could get dressed too!

I got dressed in 30 secs flat (Hey, I said I got dressed...I didn't say I looked great, or even good...or even anything above "Blah"), but by the time I got back to Jon to grab the camera and Jas, this is what I found:

Completely passed out!

I hope she realizes it'll be February before she see's that again!

Little Gobbler

2009-11-26T08:37:00.003-06:00

There are so many things to be thankful for this year, really every day. Each day I wake up, I'm blessed. Each time our little girl smiles, I'm blessed. Every minute I get to spend on this earth with my friends and family, I'm blessed.

Above all, this year I am thankful to have this precious little girl. I cannot begin to express to you how she has changed our hearts and lives. She's amazing, such a joy and our little piece of heaven on earth.

As we all celebrate this holiday, I would like to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

May your turkeys be fat with stuffing, your bellies full of pie, and your hearts flowing with love!

________________________

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Jon's family on Sunday. It was such a joy to get to share our Turkey with the family. Here are some pictures of our Little Gobbler:

This was Jassy's first Thanksgiving, and she seemed to enjoy it just fine. She was a super sweet girl all day, so sweet, in fact, that she recorded this very special Thanksgiving Blessing just for YOU!!!

Christmas Pictures

2009-11-21T10:27:00.007-06:00

I wanted to share with you our adorable Christmas pictures. I've had them for a while now, and due to both laziness and craziness I haven't posted them yet...So without further ado...

Party Girl

2009-11-20T10:54:00.007-06:00

This past weekend was Birthday Weekend at the Meneley house. Our very own Aunt Gigi turned an undisclosed age, Daddy turned 26, and Grampy is officially knocking on 50's door!

As you well know, birthdays mean PARTIES!!!

Saturday night we had Gigi's party, and we got our girl all dolled up for the occasion. Here's an adorable picture of Miss J with her beloved Gigi...seriously they don't get any cuter than this (either one of them)!

Sunday, we had a birthday party for Jon and Jassy learned a new trick, it's something I like to call "Old Man - No Dentures." This face/trick has been affixed on our little lady for days now. And I'll be honest, I spend a lot of time looking at my little girl and bursting into laughter, which I hope will not permanently ruin her self-esteem. Seriously, you look at this next picture and tell me if you can keep a straight face...Five Bucks says YOU CAN'T!

Lil Pumkpin

2009-11-08T22:22:00.004-06:00

This was Jas' first Halloween, and while she is not old for some good ol' fashioned treat or treating yet, we did take her to Fall Festival.

My parents got Jassy this pumpkin outfit and it was so cute on her. As our lil lady is round like a pumpkin, it worked out great!

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes...Ohh, FEET!

2009-11-05T23:27:00.007-06:00

As you might have guessed by the title, Jas is loving her feet!

She has now discovered, that not only are they accessible but they also serve as great entertainment too. It's been a lot of fun to watch her discover these cool little gadgets, but I must confess it has become quite a challenge to change her diapers now!

We are still loving to blow our Jazzberries! It's fun for the whole family!

And we are getting the hang of eating cereal much better now!

It's been a busy week and we're learning something new everyday. Today for instance, Jassy learned that if you pull daddy's beard he squeals like a girl, which apparently is very funny to my little girl! Haha! Torturing boys already!

Learning new things all the time, and I really must say, it seems to be very tiring for our lil lady!

Coming Soon - Christmas Pics

2009-11-04T21:40:00.002-06:00

Sunday we had Jas' Christmas pictures. Our friend Melissa, who did Jas' baby pics came and did them for us and I'm amazed at how stunning the pictures turned out to be. Can't wait to share them all with you but here is one of my favorites!

Raspberry Blowing 101

2009-10-27T23:37:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are confused about the process, you might want to take some notes...

Top of the Class

2009-10-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, Jas had her 4 month check-up. Our very healthy little lady is now weighing 16 lbs 3 oz and is now 26.5 inches long. Thus, Jassy is now in the 95% for both height and weight.

Four months meant a second round of shots, through which Jas did her best to act like a big girl. There were some tears and cuddles afterwards, but that was it. No fever, no irritability. Yay!

Four months also means that we got to start Rice Cereal with Jas. This is an experience to behold! The first couple of bites did not go well, whether from tongue malfunction or a bad taste, I do not know.

But we've had 2 weeks to practice and we are now getting the hang of it. Though, Jas particularly loves to blow her raspberries right after you give her a spoonful of cereal. Jon and I are beginning to wander if matching ponchos might be in our future.

Picture Day at School

2009-10-08T22:42:00.006-05:00

Today was picture day!

So I did what all mommies do, I got my girl all dolled up!

While these aren't the pictures from today, we actually have to wait for those...absolutely ridiculous!, where's my instant gratification?; Here are some from this morning:

Moving Along

2009-10-04T18:22:00.004-05:00

Growing, Growing, Gone!

Our little Buddha Belly is growing so quick! This week it was time to box up the old clothes. Jas is just shy of 4 months now and none of the 0-3 month clothes are fitting any more. We've officially moved up to the 3-6 month clothes. Jas is getting so big!

At our last Dr. appt, she was weighing in at 14.1 lbs! That's the size of a perfect Thanksgiving day turkey! Gobble, Gobble!

Oh, it just hit me...I should start calling Jas "Butterball!" HAHA!

So Butterball is doing better this week, we still have to do breathing treatments on the Nebulizer with her, but there is an amazing difference in her since the week before.

Here are some new pictures of Jas for you to enjoy! Jas sleeping on Aunt Gigi at the ER

Happy as a Lark after some Tub Time

Snotty Girl

2009-09-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

Tuesday morning, Jas woke up with a cold and a low grade fever. By midday, she was suffering through a good bit of congestion and her fever had yet to disipate. By the time, I got off work to pick her up, I had one very uncomfortable baby on my hands. So we had cuddle time with a chaser of Tylenol until Jas was ready to take a bit of a nap.

When she woke up, she was on fire. So Gigi and I packed her up and took her to the hospital where we got to partake in a torture session that began with a Basal temperature reading and ended with a "deep suction."

It was a night of wailing and screaming, snot and saline, and lots of restraint. I've heard people say that "Motherhood ain't for sissies," and now I know why. It takes all the strength and restraint in the world to willingly hold your baby down so someone can shove tubes down your baby's nose and throat to remove snot.

Jas has RSV but they are not calling it "RSV" because it's not RSV season. So they have decided that Jas has a "RSV like cold." She also has asthmatic like symptoms and lots of deep congestion.

As part of her treatment, Jas has to do these breathing exercises wherein we hook her up to a nebulizer. Jas is not a fan of anything that requires restraint and stillness, so she screams emphatically through all 15 minutes of her exercises.

Your thoughts and prayers are welcomed. It's pretty snotty these days at the Meneley House.

Bad Gigi!

2009-09-20T19:32:00.002-05:00

This past week, Jon & I had to spend some time away from our baby girl in Houston for the memorial service of our godson Tristan. Whilst we were away, Mimi, PawPaw, and Gigi took care of Jas.

Gigi was very busy teaching Jas some new tricks...

Jas has learned how to play peek-a-boo.

While this sounds simply adorable, it's also a bit troublesome, as Jas now plays peek-a-boo with her dress.

So now I have a daughter who has an affinity for flashing people!

2009-09-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

ive neer experienced something so devastating in my life. To lose a child so young, i cant even imagine. To sit here and watch your best friends' heart just break before your eyes, it's more than i can take. How do you recover from something like this? How do you give comfort? How do you explain to unbelievers that their child is safe in the arms of god?

2009-09-12T22:41:00.001-05:00

A few hours ago we received a call from jons best friend. Our godson Tristan drowned in the neighbors pool. Only 2 Years old, too young to meet such an end. Tristan we love you and will miss you always! My heart aches for you.

Lil Froggy

2009-09-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

Jas had a look of fun in the tub with mommy tonight! Splashing around and watch her rubby blue hippo float in the water, she continued to display a love for bath time.

Hope you enjoy these pics of Jas, fresh outta the tub, and snug in her froggie towel.

2009-09-08T09:17:00.001-05:00

Just dropped jas off @ clc. Thx 4 the help BP! Never had such a workout as crutching all thru the church!

Crutches & Baby

2009-09-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday, while in my office, I stood up and my foot popped. It sounded more painful than it felt, so I just continued about my day. By the time I woke up the next morning, I couldn't put any weight on it. So I've been limping about for several days now.

Yesterday, I finally decided to go to my equivalent of seeing a Dr., CareNow, and had some x-rays done.

The x-rays indicated that I have a pretty severe case of Plantar Fasciitis and that I have a cyst on my foot that, in her opinion, will require surgery to remove. They are sending the x-rays to another Radiologist for review and see what they are recommending.

Until then, I get to spend the next 2-3 weeks in an arch brace and on crutches, all while trying to take care of my 11 week old baby.

Cue the cameras, it's about to get very interesting at the Meneley household!

Is anyone else puzzled by who I'm going to walk on crutches and hold my baby? When I'm taking her places, do I crutch forward, push her stroller ahead, and then crutch up to it???

Clearly puzzled!

Go to Sleep!

2009-09-04T10:02:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to discover that Jas's sleep schedule is a bit abnormal. Most babies eat, play for a bit, and then sleep. Jas likes to eat, play, and stare at you until you fall asleep.

All the studies and charts indicate that Jas should be getting approximately 15 hrs of sleep throughout the day, Jas is probably getting about 10-12 hrs. But, Jas sleeps through the night, so while she's getting 10-12 hrs, which is still within "normal" range, the majority of those hours are at night; about 8-9 of those hours occur at night. During the day, we are lucky to get her to take a 45 minute nap.

Even now, as she has ingested a good 6oz nearly 2 hours ago, she is sitting in her swing cooing and talking to Zack. We've done the walk, we've burped mulitple times, we've put her in bed only for her babble for 30 minutes, and we've rocked. She's no interest in sleeping.

Our Dr. is not yet concerned about this, as she is getting the right amount of sleep for her age.

But mommy, grandmommy, and teachers would surely appreciate a little quiet time during the say so we can rest too!

A Week of Firsts

2009-08-28T22:10:00.006-05:00

One of the coolest things about having a baby in the house is getting to see them experience so many firsts; it's amazing to see how they respond to each new experience and this week, we've got to share several of those firsts with our friends and family.

1) More of a first for Mommy than Jas, but this was the first week that Jas hasn't had some kind of bowel movement on me! This is by far, my favorite first of the week.

2) Jas had her first girls night! Gigi, Bug, Grandmommy, and Aunt Amy were all there. It was a lot of fun and I know Jas is looking forward to having more time with all her favorite ladies.

3) Jas went swimming for the first time! She was so precious in her little bathing suit and took the water like a duck. She even starting working her legs pretty good in the water! I am so looking forward to swimming with her more, as that has always been one of my favorite summer time activities.

4) Thursday was Jas's first day of school! And while Mommy felt like a total loser for being the only Mommy at school who wasn't posing her baby in the classroom and taking pictures, she did have enough sense to take pictures at home before we left for school. I'm so excited that Jas is going to CLC and can't wait to see how Jas adapts to being at school. The best part of Jas being at school, is that her school is where I work, so I can sneak by her class and see my lil lady!

2009-08-23T21:38:00.001-05:00

We got jumped! Yay! Not in a gang way, even better!

2009-08-23T21:32:00.001-05:00

And we're still stranded...yipee. This is one hot date...seriously its 85 and 100% humidity

2009-08-23T20:45:00.001-05:00

Just finished our anniversary dinner. Happy 6 yr anni to us! Food was awesome. What's not awesome trying to leave and my car not starting! Stranded!

Blessed

2009-08-22T09:30:00.004-05:00

Some mornings you just wake up and sense His presence.

You look at your children and see what an amazingly precious gift that God has blessed you with. And you think, "Father, what did I ever do to deserve these angels? I've screwed so many times and still You love me, forgive me, and give me this gift."

Some mornings God's love and mercy are just too much for words.

Some mornings all you can do is just be.

And some mornings all you can do is stare at these precious faces and be in awe of this amazing God we serve, this amazing Creator who gives us life, this amazing Father who loves unconditionally.

Life is Full of Uncertainties

2009-08-20T20:45:00.004-05:00

Sometime I feel like my child is actually the child of Dr. Jekyll.

One minute she is calm, peaceful, and full of cooing, and the next minute she's screaming her head off at you.

But somewhere in the middle of the transformation, is the confused little girl seen below:

So High Tech!

2009-08-20T20:38:00.002-05:00

Sweet! Jas' blog is officially mobile!

Two Months and Growing...

2009-08-19T22:21:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe it, but Jas is now 9 weeks old!

Our little girl is growing so quickly! People always tell you to enjoy this time because it goes so fast, and they weren't joking. Their warnings can't begin to prepare you for how quickly babies actually do change and grow. It seems like every morning I wake up and Jas has changed in some little way.

Jas is growing in leaps and bounds...or should I say ounces and pounds?!

We had her 2 month check-up on Friday, and she is right on target with everything. She is now weighing 11 lbs 12 ozs and has already grown 4 inches. She's able to hold her head up very well now and is spending a lot of time cooing.

I went alone to the appointment with Jas, which I was frustrated about at first. But after watching the Dr. give her shots, I'm so thankful that Jon was at home sleeping; there's no way he would have been able to stand watching his little lady wail as the Dr. poked her 3 times. All in all, she did ok with the shots; I truly feel like it is more traumatic for the parents than it is for babies. She was a little cranky and feverish over the next 2 days, but my little girl is quite a trooper.

And speaking of cranky....she's waking up, so I better go rescue her before she really gets cranky!

I Always Wanted a Lil Piggy...

2009-08-09T22:46:00.003-05:00

...what I didn't know, is that I would get one in the form of a snoring baby girl.

It's hard to believe she can be sooooo cute and such an undignified little snorer!

Poo - A Mom's Favorite Accessory

2009-08-07T15:45:00.005-05:00

Jas is now 7 weeks old and changing everyday! Unfortunately, there are some things that I hoped would change, that apparently, are sticking around for a while yet...

Of these is my daughter's affinity for pooping and peeing on me!

Jas is suffering with a stuffy nose, but as I learned today, that wasn't the only thing backed up! Nope, her nether-regions were backed up too...But it's okay, she's no longer suffering from that condition. The verdict is in and the evidence is all over my pants - Jas is no longer clogged.

Several soiled items later, my daughter is now feeling pretty good!

Mix in a nice warm shower with Mom to get all cleaned up and you get a very sleepy (dare I say "pooped out") and content little girl!

Mommy’s Mental Handicap

2009-08-07T14:20:00.001-05:00

Sunday was my first day back to work, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally be back at work, my home away from home. No, that’s not sarcasm, I’m truly thrilled to be back at work. I love my job, I love my co-workers, and I missed being at work more than I can possibly tell you. I was the chick on maternity leave checking her email constantly, checking for updates on the store and trying to make sure everything is still functioning properly. I realize that makes me a sick individual.

Today I will finish up my first week back at work, and all I can say is that I’m glad to have this week under my belt! It has been a challenge to dive back into work Full-Time and be mommy…especially to a sick baby.

Tuesday afternoon, Jas started to have a lot of problems coughing and sneezing. She has been struggling every since with a great deal of congestion, which is fantastic because there is absolutely nothing I can give her. We just have to ride is out until she works all the mucus through.

Combining the facts that I’ve been too keyed up to get any good quality sleep with Jas not feeling well, and it’s easy to see that I’ve got a lot going on. Thus, my mental capacity seems to be what is suffering. And it is suffering greatly this morning.

I forgot Jas’s diaper bag. Left it right by the door and didn’t even notice it until I dropped Jas off for the day with her Grandmommy.

No time to turn around, due at work in 4 minutes.

En route to work, nearly side-swiped a Mercedes. Eyes are tired and was distracted by my previously stated stupidity.

Still en route to work, due at work in 2 minutes.

Realize I have breast pump but no bottles, which have to be attached to pump. No time to stop.

Get to work, go downstairs for coffee. Have wallet, but no debit card, which is in pants from yesterday.

No money = no coffee, no energy, and a very inconvenient trip home for lunch.

Lack of quality sleep + sick baby = a very stupid momma

Shower Time

2009-08-03T00:37:00.002-05:00

Tonight Jas had her first shower...which turned into a family affair, sorry for the visual on that! But it is what it is...

Now normally I wouldn't find such a mundane occurrence as blog worthy, however, it turned out to be a very hilarious situation.

Jas slept through the entire event! Who sleeps through a shower?! Apparently, my daughter!

I have no idea whether the water was just so soothing that it kept her in a super relaxed state or whether she decided that such a ridiculous thing as a shower was just not worth the effort of being awake...I'm guessing it is likely the second of those options.

As Jon was holding the baby, I'm washing her limbs and she is completely knocked out. She didn't stir...except for when Jon decided to jiggle her a little to make her cheeks wobble. I get her all soaped up and think for sure that hosing her off will wake her up, but again, she stirs not even a bit.

Jon gets out, gets her all toweled off, goes to put a diaper and jammies on Jas, and suddenly I hear a word, an undisclosed word that I'm glad my daughter is too young to understand, and then I have a cooing baby being passed back to me in the shower because she decided to pee on Jon as he was diapering her.

Not only did Jas get her first shower, but her second one as well!

All Smiles

2009-07-31T03:55:00.004-05:00

Jas is 6 weeks old now and we're getting to that point where she is starting to become more expressive and vocal. This is a really neat time for Jon and I, and we've had a lot of fun watching Jas learn to smile and listening to her discover her voice.

It's such an amazing experience to get to hear your child's voice. It's a moment in every parent's life that they will treasure forever; that first, precious coo. And what a joy it is to finally hear a sound that is not a shriek, wail, or scream!

We've started talking to Jas, trying to coax these precious smiles and coos out of her; thus far, we have been fairly successful! But as you can see in this video, when we're unable to entice a smile from her she just looks at us like we're stupid...I suppose we should get used to that!

Hope she continues to practice with her voice and share her smiles with us!

All by Myself

2009-07-25T22:22:00.002-05:00

Today is a big day at our house.

Jon's band, Born & Raised, is performing at one of the premiere local music venues downtown, The Curtain Club. (Yep, that's right...it's another shameless plug for my hubster's band) It's a huge deal for them to get to play there and will mean a lot of great exposure for the band.

Unfortunately for me, it means that a) I get to be alone with Jas all day and all night, flying solo, and trying not to go insane amongst all the wailing and extreme gaseous noises coming from my lil lady and b) I get to be home instead of watching my hubby rock out and be there to support him.

Thus far it hasn't been that bad, Jas has been slightly temperamental, I'm up to coffee # 6, I've read an entire book, about to begin movie #2 and I'm still in my PJs.

But...I can't help but think that she's been so good for a reason, that the night is young, and that at any moment all hell will break loose and she will turn into a screaming banshee

My Daughter, My Wookie

2009-07-24T22:15:00.004-05:00

Jas has developed this wonderful gift called Colic. For those of you who don't know, colic is the gift that keeps on giving...it keeps giving you headaches and visions of putting a muzzle on your child. It makes even the most sane mothers want to commit a various number of crimes. Please note that I do not include myself in the "sane" category, I would...but I figure too many of my friends and family reading this blog would email me countless lists of things that make me very "abnormal."

Back to Jas...

So Poor Jas has this Colic crap and you can just see the frustration on her face. It's as if she's crying because she doesn't know why she's crying...which is something I can relate to having just been very pregnant and very hormonal with her.

You try all these techniques to try and console her: teas, lotions, potions, etc. But they are all temporary fixes for a problem that is likely not so temporary.

The only sure thing that seems to work is a good pair of ear plugs and a lot of patience!

The one thing that has helped me deal is to turn it into something comical, so it doesn't stress you out as much. Finding the humor in stuff is always therapeutic. So I video taped her because when my daughter gets all cranked up she starts sounding like a miniature Wookie. I'm waiting for Chewbacca to knock on my door at any moment to retrieve his child and I'm hoping he brings C3PO along, he seems like a cool guy!

The Art of Motion

2009-07-14T12:35:00.003-05:00

Jas is nearly a month old and we are beginning to get into "something" of a routine. We've discovered quite quickly that babies have a way of making you do what they want instead of them doing what you want.

Well, Jas likes to move it, move it!

While the video is not of Jas, it gives you a bit of insight as to what's going on at our house...

Our little lady is in constant motion, and when she's not gliding, swinging, bouncing, vibrating, kicking and flailing, she's crying! Which means, Jon & I are in constant motion...swinging, swaying, rocking, and creating a threadbare path up and down the hallway.

Only when we move...there's no soundtrack and crazy King Julian!

Sleepy Time with Daddy

2009-07-11T00:02:00.006-05:00

It became clear while Jas was still in the womb, that Jas is very much like her Daddy!

Her sleeping schedule, even then, was always the same as her Daddy...sleep all day, awake all night. For Jas and Daddy, the peak of their day starts at 2:30 am. Both of them do their best sleeping in the middle of the day when the rest of us, non-musician/ non-tormented artist types, are wide awake.
Even the way they sleep, is the same. Every time I put Jas in bed with her Daddy she assumes the exact same position that he does...it actually quite adorable!

Straight up and down!

Arm over for optimal cuddles!

And over the head!

Poo-tastrophe

2009-07-05T19:44:00.002-05:00

Poo-tastrophe (noun), \pu-tas-tre-fe\: a momentous tragic diaper event involving extreme misfortune to diaper changer, diaper, and changing pad

Friday night as I was cuddling my sweet, precious, innocent little girl, I heard the rumble of fierce thunder. No it was not storming outside, but there was something brewing...in Jas's pants!

When the "noise" subsided, I did what any reasonable parent does...I remarked to her daddy that "she doesn't get that from me," and then I went to change her now heavy diaper.

Since my parents are in town and using the nursery as their residence, I had to change her in the office, on the floor, on a travel changing pad. So I laid her down on the pad and got to work. Just when I thought that I had her all cleaned up and ready to re-diaper, the child let loose the most explosive "event!"

It went absolutely everywhere!

Up her back, all over mom, all over changing pad, all over her nightgown...every where.

It was so incredibly explosive that my hubby had to run for a roll of paper towels and resulted in a bath for mom and baby!

So the moral of the story is, big things come small packages...and sometimes you shouldn't unwrap them!

Jas's First Photo Shoot

2009-07-02T12:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Jas had her baby announcement photo shoot. Our high school friend, Melissa, who does photography came over to take some at home candids of our sweet little lady.

It was such a joy to see Melissa and to get to share our lil lady with her. And even more joyful, are the beautiful shots that Melissa captured.

There are some truly great shots and now I have the dilemma of trying to pic which one will be the offical baby announcement! Decisions, Decisions!

Here is the link to check out the photos: http://www.pictage.com/681215; event key is "meneley"

Also, if you like these photos, and have an upcoming event, or you need some new candids of your family, I would happily recommend Melissa to you! www.mbradburyphotography.com

Thank you so much, Melissa!

Sweet Beginnings with Jas

2009-06-30T14:08:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that Jas is nearly two weeks old! How quickly time has passed! Which is quite astonishing in hindsight because neither Jon nor I have gotten much sleep and at times, the nights just seem to drag! But it has been 2 weeks!

We established somewhat of a routine, rather Jas has conformed us to her routine. That routine is unfortunately no routine. She likes to do what she wants - Miss Independent already!

Jas is a cluster feeder, making my nights and days full of feedings. She likes her food very much, but she likes it in 2 hr feedings which involve 20 minutes of feeding, followed by 20 minutes of napping, and another 20 minute feeding. Rinse and repeat! Once she is finally finished eating, she has her routine hiccups, lastly about 10 minutes and typically involves at least 1 major hiccup inducing spit up. After that, she's ready to sleep for a couple of hours...hopefully!

Breastfeeding has been interesting. Not nearly as painful, at least to my jugs, as I had mentally prepared myself for. It is harsh on my ear drums though! Jas wants her food and she wants it now! She does not like to wait for her meal! And if she has to wait more than 10 secs then she is more than happy to share her displeasure to you at the highest volume possible.

It's been a time of change around our house, but I wouldn't change it for the world! All it takes is one lil squeak and smile from Jas and instantly your heart just melts!

Welcome Little Girl!!

2009-06-20T22:58:00.003-05:00

Well it's official...Our lives will never be the same again!

Jasmine Faith arrived at exactly 9:30 pm on Thursday June 18th.

We are so blessed!

I will post pictures tomorrow after I've had some much needed rest - special thanks to MiMi and Grandmommy for coming over tonight so Mom & Dad can get some rest!!!

The Last Meal

2009-06-16T16:13:00.002-05:00

It sounds a little doom and gloom, but tonight I get my last meal!

After 8 am tomorrow morning, all I can have is jello and popsicles, and then after 4 pm I can't even have water!

I get one last meal to really enjoy before Jas is here. Plus it's officially the last meal that I eat whatever I want and use the "eating for two" excuse and the last time I can order dessert without feeling guilty!

I've finally decided what my last meal will be (Special Thanks to B-Wi for his suggestion): Chicken Spinach Manicotti from Maggianos followed by a slice of their famous Tiramisu!

So the plan is to get dolled up for one last date with the hubby and the belly and enjoy a nice quiet dinner, all the while trying to distract myself enough so that I'm not nervous about the coming events.

It's the Final Countdown!

2009-06-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

Well, I've officially made it through it through a week of bed rest! Thanks to the assistance of my hubby, my friends, and family, I've been very well occupied to keep me from going completely insane during my dreaded bed rest!

So after a week of movie marathons, lunch dates, sewing, crocheting, baking, middle of the day naps and just plain hanging out, I've only got three days left! Praise God!

Wednesday is just around the corner and we can begin our journey of getting Jas here! Until then, Jon and I are hanging out and enjoying these last days of it being just us.

I know it's going to be very bittersweet - it's been just Jon and I for so long and I know I'm going to miss that! But at the same time, I can't wait to begin this new chapter in our lives and snuggle with our little girl!

I'm Sorry...You Want ME to What?!

2009-06-06T19:58:00.002-05:00

We had our regularly scheduled appointment this Thursday. Again this appointment did not go as I had hoped.

I am over 80 % effaced, 0 % dilated, and 100% uncomfortable.

Jas is over 7 lbs now and is projected to be between 20 and 23 inches long.

There is certainly a direct correlation between how fat you get and how pissy you get! Not to mention that the fatter I've gotten the less brain power I've had...that's another story...

The Dr. agreed, with a bit of brow-beating at our last appointment, that we would set a date to induce me once we had this week's sono and verified her size. So initially, I was really looking forward to this appointment...little did I know that I would soon want to drag my Dr from the back of my car.

After our sono, we met with the Dr to discover that the soonest they can get me in to induce is the 17th, which is nearly 2 weeks away! Our Dr. only induces on Wednesdays and Fridays, and is booked up to the 17th. As we looked at the scheduling books, I could see the names of several women with appointments ahead of me...I'll be honest and say that I tried to memorize their names so I could look them up on WhitePages.com or something and "help" them go into labor early!

So the earliest they can fit me in is the 17th, which means that Jas will be close to 8 lbs when we deliver...

Until then my Dr. has decided that I need to be on bedrest...I'm not sure I've ever wanted to hurt someone so bad! BEDREST!

Are you serious? Do you know who I am?

I can't even stay still for 5 minutes much less 12 days...