Apparently I'm a genius.

A few stories to share:
1) Yesterday I made Jackson mad while he was eating lunch and I came in from the kitchen to talk to him about it and he pounded his fist on the table and yelled at me "You're a GENIUS!!!! Go back in the kitchen!" totally fiercely. I laughed and told him that genius means a really smart person and he ignored me for the rest of his lunch.
Yes, I realize that this is not great parenting but sometimes...I just have to laugh. =)
2) We were getting ready for the wedding and Jackson was protesting wearing the dress shirt that I had set out for him. "WHY do I have to wear this shirt, Mom?" "Because it's a wedding, Jackson. We wear our nice clothes to weddings." "No, Mom. I want to wear my mean clothes to the wedding."
We HAVE been working on opposites lately.
3) On the way to a wedding today I explained to Jackson that there would be a party with cake after the wedding. He got VERY excited and when we were almost there he clapped his hands together and said "We're going to Jackson's party! I get bicycle and cupcakes!" His birthday is coming up and those are the things he wants for his birthday. I had to quickly explain that this party was for Ann and Elliot and he took the news well once he realized he was still getting cake.
4) On the way home from the wedding Jackson was VERY tired and way past due for his nap. Alan and I were talking and he said "Pardon me" as he's been asked to say if he needs to interrupt. "Yes, Jackson?' I replied. Jackson said, "Mom, stop talking and go make me a sandwich." Hmm...we're still working on the manners.
I promise he's usually a very sweet, polite, and delightful boy- otherwise these moments wouldn't be so funny. =)
Oh, I should share something about Chase too, huh? Or as I like to call him, Neglected Number Two. ;-) He is at the stage where he coos and smiles a lot so it's a little bit more challenging to tell stories about the funny things he says. He IS in love with ceiling fans. Whatever room we're in, he looks every where for the ceiling fan in the room and immediately gives the fan a big smile and stares at it lovingly while cooing at it for an extended period of time. He is ADORABLE!!
Pictures coming soon from our Beach vacation with the Janney family, updated Chase pics, and pics from the wedding today...

Camping...

Alan wanted to take Jackson camping but since I wasn't ready to spend a night at home alone with just Chase, we went to my in-laws' house and Jackson and Alan slept in a tent in the back yard. I've rarely seen Jackson so excited. He thought having a flashlight and sleeping outside was the greatest thing ever.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Picture from the deck overlooking the backyard.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

My sweet little boy peeking through the tent wall.

Little Lukey...

While we were up visiting my parents I got to see my ADORABLE nephew, Luke. He's absolutely precious and smiles all the time and has the cutest laugh. I'm smitten. =)

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Jackson and his cousin, Luke!

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Holding hands and chillin'.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

This was when Chase threatened to punch Luke in the face. He was clearly terrified.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

They made up and held hands. =)

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Gigi and her grandsons.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Gigi and Gpa and their grandboys.
I also got to see Luke's mother. She's also known as my sister, Anne. =) I LOVED getting to hang out with her. She was a bridesmaid in a wedding for her friend from high school that weekend. I don't have a pic of us together so here's one of her and my favorite brother-in-law, Danny from the wedding:

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

How cute are they!? Very. I just wish they'd move next door to me.

Visit to the lake...

Jackson, Chase, and I decided to visit my parents while Alan was gone at a Young Life teaching conference. It was wonderful (as always) to see my family!

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Chase's first visit to Lake Montclair. He's obviously super excited. ;-)

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Jackson enjoying the lake.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Gigi and Jackson's feet after playing with chalk.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Gigi and Jackson's faces after playing with chalk. =)

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Chase getting a nap on his Gpa.

Maybe not so slowly after all...

Okay, so time isn't going so slow anymore. Now that we're getting out and about and traveling a lot, time is going by much more quickly! Time to play a little catch up.
My Auntie Lisa and my two cousins, Kyle and Jake, came to visit my parents in Northern Virginia. We were all able to meet up at Rockbridge and spend the day together catching up. It was a lot of fun!

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Dad feeding Chase at the pool at Rockbridge.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Kyle and Jackson in the pool.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Kyle holding his 2nd cousin, Chase.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Kyle and Jake and Chase. Chase was a LITTLE tired of being held at this point.

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Grumpy Chase and his Great Aunt!

From Mom and Dad's and Beach 2009

Jake and Chase.
They live in California so we don't get to see them nearly enough. It was a fun treat! =)

Time goes by so slowly...

I've discovered that being a stay at home mom to two has made time stand still. It really should be Saturday today rather than Wednesday. Alan went back to work on Monday and it was much harder than I expected having the two boys to myself. Jackson is needier than usual and wants to be held all the time and Chase nurses around the clock, it seems like, and I'd totally forgotten how many diapers newborns go through!! That being said, there have been some really special moments watching the boys bond. Chase's eyes often follow Jackson around the room and Jackson daily tells Chase that he loves him and gives him kisses with out any prompting from us. I love snuggling with Chase and he enjoys being snuggled. He's starting to surprise us with smiles now and then, which are the greatest. I also really cherish the alone time I get with Jackson. Sometimes it's snuggling up at bed time to read books together or catching up during his bath time. He tells me he loves me a lot more than usual lately. He told me, "Mommy, you so cute!" today. Oh, and he also told me, "Mommy- you MEAN!" today for the first time. Hm. I may have been a little irritable this morning. I've also been amazed by the kindness of friends and family this first week on my own. My mother in law has been wonderful about taking Jackson places and making him feel special. I have two friends that are both pregnant themselves with young children who have made me meals. One of those same moms had Jackson over to play this morning which was so nice for both Jackson and I. I feel both humbled and loved by their kindness. =)
And now the fun part! More pictures:

From chase

Jackson a little bit nervous about holding Chase.

From chase

Wait, he's got it! Sort of...

From chase

Chase pondering life at 8 days old.

From chase

My sleepy snuggle bug at 10 days old.

From chase

Just checking things out. He loves his Boppy.

More of Chase...

So life goes on...and it's really good. Tonight we were sitting at the table eating dinner (an AWESOME casserole courtesy of Anne- THANKS =)) while Chase was in the swing next to the table and it just felt so normal and right. Jackson was excellent with Chase today. He talked to him and gave him kisses and would frequently check on him and ask "What's baby Chase doing?" "Where's baby Chase?", etc. Here are a few more pics of Chase. He may be dominating my blog for awhile. ;-)

From Spring 2009

Cuddle bug.

From Spring 2009

Trying out his paci. I still can't believe he has so much hair! Unheard of in our family.

From Spring 2009

So serious.

From Spring 2009

Looking a lot like Jackson did at this age.

A Family of Four...

From Spring 2009

This picture is the result of everyone calling out things like "Smile!" "No, not like that." "Smile with your teeth!" Alan was about as bad as Jackson. My Dad said we're carrying on the family tradition of taking ridiculously difficult family pictures.
We're a family of four now! That seems so much bigger than a family of three. When people win family trips to Disney World, it's usually for "a family of four". It definitely means that we're going to be busier! Chase was AWESOME last night and today! I ended up getting about 6 hours of sleep all together which was more than I was hoping for. He is sleeping great and eating great and is just a sweet child so far (all two days I've known him). Jackson is still having SO much fun with his Gigi, Gpa, Aunties and his cousin Luke. Thanks for taking such GREAT care of him, guys! My mom said the first thing he said this morning was "Where is baby Chase!?" so at least he realizes he's here. He came to visit today with the rest of the family and immediately proceeded to push all the buttons on my bed. I was a good 4 feet off the ground and had my feet up in the air by the time he was done. It was great to see everyone, though! =) We're VERY ready to go home tomorrow! I asked Alan if he'd serve me all 3 of my meals on a tray at home like I get here and he said 'no'. Darn. =)

I'm off...

6:50- I'm off to the hospital to meet Baby Chase!! I've been up for an hour because I couldn't sleep because I'm SO excited!
9:53- Just chillin at the hospital! =) I'm having some nice contractions (they are just a little bit painful) and playing on my computer. It's so fun I have internet access here! I was 3 cm and 70% effaced when I got here.
12:05- My Doctor broke my water (finally) and I'm just contracting along. I'm 4 cm and 80%...come on, Baby Chase- let's DO this! =)
2:15- I got my epidural and it worked perfect. Not totally numb but SO comfortable. Contractions? What contractions? =)
3:47- My nurse, my sister Anne and I were just hanging out and talking and laughing while my little nephew Luke napped away! My Dr came in to check on me and was like "OH! You're 100% and 10 cm. Let's do a practice push. Oooookay. No more practicing. Let's have this baby." I pushed and he came out in less than 6 minutes! Whew! Baby Chase weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and 21 inches long. He has a little bit of hair and is SO cute! He's quiet so far and snuggles very well!
9:12- What a great day!! Labor was about as perfect as labor can be. All of my family was able to come and hold Chase. Jackson gave Chase a kiss and a hug and really enjoyed his "I'm a big brother" present we got him. He spent the day with Gigi and Gpa and went to the zoo with Auntie Liz and Becky. Alan and I just split a personal pizza and Chase is sleeping quietly next to me. We are relaxing and watching Jon & Kate- oh the drama!!

From Spring 2009

A NEWBORN baby Chase very mad!

From Spring 2009

Mommy, Daddy, and Chase.

From Spring 2009

Auntie Megan and Scott and Chase!

From Spring 2009

Auntie Becky, Auntie Annie, Chase, and Auntie Liz.

From Spring 2009

Daddy and Chase.

From Spring 2009

Jackson meeting Chase (with fruit roll ups from his big brother gift bag).

From Spring 2009

Chase and Nana.

From Spring 2009

Nana and Papa with their grandsons!

From Spring 2009

Gigi and Gpa and Chase and Luke and Jackson. All their grandboys.

Last Day of Preschool...

Hmm. I've discovered it's not too hard to keep up on my blog when I'm this pregnant because I don't want to go anywhere or do anything (except for clean- gotta love nesting!).
Yesterday was Jackson's end of the year preschool performance and it was precious! Alan and Debbie (Nana) were both able to come which he thought was pretty awesome! This is the preschool I've taught at for the majority of the school year until my recent maternity leave. Oh yeah. My sister Anne keeps informing me that it's not maternity leave when you're not planning on returning to work. So I guess I taught there until my recent retirement? =) Anyway, I have a few video of clips I took with my regular camera since my video camera didn't charge in time. It's currently hooked up and charging for MONDAY! ;-) Preschool has been such a blessing to both Jackson and I. He has learned a lot both academically and socially. And I had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing women I've ever met! We will both miss it this summer and I'm sure Jackson will be very glad to start again in the fall.
Here are a few short video clips:
If you're happy and you know it...

Pledge Allegiance...my favorite part is the end where he is so obviously VERY proud of himself.

His class counting to 20:

It's my birthday and...CUTE!

It's my birthday! YAY! =) I love birthdays. My parents did an amazing job of making birthdays special when I was growing up. I believe my husband would say they did TOO good of a job! My Mom would go the whole 9 yards with decorating, a big pile of presents (which were also from my Dad, of course), an awesome home made cake, and a party. When I got married (at 21), I had come to expect such birthdays. Let's just say that my first married birthday was NOT a success. I am a teeeeny bit high maintenance on my birthdays. I couldn't understand why my husband (who comes from a family where birthdays are a little bit more low key) didn't decorate the house in streamers and balloons, fill a table with presents, make a cake for me, etc. It became a running joke that I haven't made it through a single married birthday with out crying. That may or may not still be the case (HEY- I'm SO pregnant, I'm ALLOWED to cry whenever I feel like it though!). I think Alan prefers me to be pregnant on my birthdays because I don't have the energy to be AS high maintenance as I can sometimes be. It was a WONDERFUL day and he did a great job of making me feel special. We have both come a long way. =) Jackson sang me happy birthday three times although two of the three times he said "Happy Birthday dear Jackson" instead of "dear Mommy" which he thought was hilarious. We had a nice dinner out just the two of us while our good friends Cory and Melynda baby-sat which was so relaxing! It was a great chance to enjoy it being just the two of us before the craziness ensues on Monday! A family of FOUR- that sounds so big!
I got a lot of great birthday cards and gifts and phone calls, but one of my FAVORITE things I got today was a gift for Jackson and baby Chase! My friend, Brenda whom I know through my 2006 online mommy board sent me some of her amazing creations! She's an incredible seamstress and made these absolutely adorable outfits for the boys!!

From Spring 2009

Jackson cheesin it up as usual. He immediately goes into weird smile mode when a camera appars! But check out that ADORABLE shirt. He especially loved it because he has recently seen "Wall-E" which is all about robots so he insisted on wearing the shirt as soon as I opened the package and walked around going "Wall-E! Eva! Wall-E" and he thought it was SO funny that Baby Chase ended up with a matching outfit. He is still very excited that they get to match so we'll have to get a picture of them together in their outfits very soon!!

From Spring 2009

It's crazy how huge Jackson's shirt looks next to that outfit! And it fits him perfectly! I guess my baby isn't a baby anymore!

From Spring 2009

Close up of Chase's outfit.

From Spring 2009

Close up of Jackson's shirt!
THANK YOU, Brenda!!

Induction Date Set...

I just got a phone call from the hospital saying they had a cancellation for Monday and that I can now be induced Monday (my due date!) instead of Wednesday. I said something like "YES PLEASE. I LOVE YOU!" :) So, unless little Chase Andrew makes an appearance on his own (I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow) then I will be at at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. on Monday (Memorial Day) May the 25th to meet him! YAY! :) I'm SO excited! It's nice knowing I only have six days left at the MOST!
Jackson was also induced on his due date. I know that all labor experiences are different, but his was an easy and smooth 6 hour long experience that resulted in me saying "that was kind of fun!" at the conclusion of it. So you can see why I'm not opposed to inductions! =) Hopefully my next post will have pictures of Baby Chase!

Barefoot and Pregnant...

Okay, okay. People keep asking for a belly pic so I'm going to go ahead and post some pics Alan took. I'm 38 1/2 weeks preggo in these pics, pretty miserable, and these are some VERY fake smiles. =) Don't get me wrong, I am SO excited that I'm having another baby! I do NOT love pregnancy, though. I don't get it when people are like "I felt my most beautiful while pregnant!" or "It's such a magical time!" I just feel like I have a GIANT bowling ball in my stomach and lots of achey symptoms. The most magical thing about pregnancy to me is HAVING the baby and not being pregnant anymore! Although, there are times when it's pretty cool to feel Chase moving around and I love ultrasounds and hearing his heartbeat. Other than that, bring on Chase's Birthday! =)

From Spring 2009

From Spring 2009

From Spring 2009

From Spring 2009

Slumber Party...

Annie and Luke came to visit us and Jackson and Luke had their first slumber party.

From Spring 2009

Jackson is like "Luke, you're sleeping with ME!" and Luke is like "Seriously, guys?!"

From Spring 2009

Jackson getting sleepy and Luke checking out his paci.

The Duck Pond

I'm trying to have as many special days as possible with Jackson between now and when Chase arrives. We've done a lot of fun things and I definitely cherish the one on one time since I know things will be changing soon and it will be much harder to come by. These are a few shots from when we went to the duck pond with a loaf of bread after preschool a week or two ago. There were some adorable baby ducklings (that I didn't get any pictures of!) and lots of ducks, birds, and geese to feed. We had a great time!

From Spring 2009

From Spring 2009

From Spring 2009