Grandpa Acree is 75

Over the weekend, we headed down to Mt. Carmel to help Grandpa Acree celebrate his 75th Birthday. Jayden did great in the car and we sang A LOT!



 The last time we had this picture, Jayden was 3 weeks old. He was a lot more cooperative then!

 But, we were stopping him from dancing so that explains why he didn't want to be tied down!

 He was too busy trying to get these spots off the ground.

 And he didn't quite know what to think about them moving around.

 They even got on his hand! How dare those dancing spots.

He couldn't even get off the dance floor to let the guest of honor enjoy a dance. He was great entertainment for all and didn't meet a stranger! Happy 75th Birthday, Grandpa Acree! We love you!!

Oliver Giger Makes 5

On Thursday, Sarah and Tyson welcomed Oliver Giger into the world. He makes baby #5 for our group of friends--all boys. We officially have our own basketball team. Will there ever be a little girl in this group of sweet momma boys? Right now, I would say no. If there ever is--she is going to be tough cookie.

Congrats to Sarah and Tyson on their sweet baby boy. I can't wait to meet him. I hear he is perfect.

Two Happy Boys

Today I came home to TWO very happy little boys. Our babysitter had to leave early for a doctor appointment for her little girl, so Marcy picked up Jayden and Layne. When I came home there were two little boys who were so happy to see me. Toys were everywhere and smiles were wide.

We played blocks, went down the slide, played with cars, and had a little snack. Jayden must learn how to share his toys, which is VERY difficult for him. I am glad Layne is just as big as he is because Jayden can't bully him around. It was fun having the two boys play together. Glad we could help out today. It was fun!!

Jayden is 19 months old and growing

Jayden is 19 months old and he is growing. Not so much out, but up. He has been quite the vocalizer this month by learning a lot of new words and screaming when he wants something. We will be changing the screaming as he learns new words. Last night he had his fourth hair cut and didn't really want to be there.

1. Jayden weighs 23 lbs and is 31.5 inches long. He is growing!!
2. He is wearing a size 4 diapers and I think he will be wearing them for a long time since he is so skinny! Sometimes he needs size 5 due to some antibiotics, but hopefully that will come to an end. This month he has set on the potty a few times before getting into the shower. We count to 10 and clap our hands when he does, but I let him make the choice if he wants to sit or not. He wears 18-24 month clothing but sometimes the 18-24 month clothes are a bit to long in the legs but the smaller size is simply too short.
3. He still LOVES to climb and would seriously climb all day. The stairs are not as exciting to him as they used to be and that makes me happy. He still loves to slide!
4. The toy of the month has been his baseball and bat along with the tee that talks to him. He loves to swing the bat and only swings it at the ball. I was a bit worried he might start swinging it at me after the few biting incidents he has had in the past few weeks. :) Of course, he loves his books.
5.Food is still an issue. Apples are his favorite snack and mac n' cheese is his favorite dinner choice. He loves to gobble up sausage off pizza too. I have recently tried to reintroduce green beans, peas, yogurt and popsicles to J, but he still refuses to eat those items. Maybe this summer we will join a site called www.e-mealz.com and that will give us some ideas for different foods to try when all 3 of us are home for dinner.
6. We are transitioning Jayden to 2% milk, 100% of the time now. Winter is almost over, or at least I hope, and I am ready to stop buying formula. He doesn't seem to know, but he still wants the milk warm. I am hoping this dies down this summer.
7. These teeth are a PAIN!!! With every tooth comes an ear infection and it is getting old fast. This last ear infection was simply the worst. He had a fever for 3 days and it felt like forever. I am praying that he doesn't get another ear infection when we fly to Denver. Cross your fingers.
8. Last month he got a lot better at sitting in the cart at the grocery store, but right now he HATES his stroller. I hope the weather continues to warm up so we can enjoy some walks. He is going to have to get use to his stroller because when we are wheeling through the airport he is going to have to sit unless he wants to be harnessed like a dog.
9.Sleeping----oh this has not been good the past few weeks. He had a spell of sleeping really good and then came an ear infection. The last 15 days, which is over half the month, we have been dealing with ear infections which means sleeping has been wrecked. Last week Jayden stayed up until 10:30 watching an Illini game. This will never happen again because he still woke up soo early!!
10. Jayden continues to bloom with his intelligence. He has been chatting so much this month. Some days he just babbles all day long. You never know what he is saying unless it is "quack, daddy, mommy, daisy, Madeline, Mollie, Regan, ya I was, ya I did, I'm one, yeah, no, papa, apples, o's, ugh, sorry, Disney, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, sixteen, ball" or anything in those categories. The other day when I asked him how old he was, he replied "six". I guess that is his favorite number this month. Last night, he was back to saying, "I'm one". Now we have started to work on him being able to answer how old he is going to be in July.  

Happy 19th Month Birthday, Jayden!! We love you and so do a lot of people. You are one lucky little boy!!

Amazon Mom

Recently my friend Sarah introduced some of girls to Amazon Mom. Amazon Mom is a free membership program aimed at helping parents and caregivers, from the prenatal days through the toddler years. Today I made my first diaper purchase through Amazon. I ended up getting a 176 count pack of Pampers diapers which was prices at $40.88 for $18.62 with free shipping. Parents magazine had a $10 off coupon in this months issue, so that is how I was able to get them under $20. They will be delivered to our house every two months and I can cancel, change monthly shipping, or sizes at any time. Thanks, Sarah, for finding such an easy way to buy diapers!!

A Visit from R, A, & L

Jayden had some visitors last night just as he was starting to feel better and not have a fever. The kids came over for a few hours to play. I thought I would try to take a picture of all of them. Below are my successful pictures. 

This was the best I could get. Reagan was reading a book to Jayden and then he saw the camera. He was getting ready to run and close the flash button. Glad I have a fast camera because there are some fast kids in my life!

Ear Infection #097543905734905

Jayden went to the doctor on Thursday afternoon due to a day of not feeling well. He ended up having yet another ear infection, this time in the other ear. He had a very high temperature that has lasted through today. 

 This morning when we woke up, he seemed to be feeling a bit better. He was tired of me taking his temperature, so I think he was telling me no! By noon, his temperature was back to 101. I sure hope we can get some sleep tonight because last night we didn't. Thank goodness for a mid-winter break!

Hopefully after teething these ear infections can stop or a certain little boys is going to have to get tubes. We will keep our fingers crossed that this will be the last one for a while or at least he doesn't get one when we are in Denver.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!! Jayden was spoiled again this year with all of his Valentine's gifts. He received a dancing frog, Valentine pajamas, Valentine's outfit, diapers, and some chocolate cookies from his Nana and Papa. 

 Poppy spoiled him with a new Puma outfit, a weed eater, and some tools. I am guessing Poppy picked out the toys and Marcy and Madeline decided on the clothes. Either way, he looked cute in his new outfit.

 Great Grandma Acree sent him a new book, pajamas, candy, and a little loot for his piggy bank.

He also received a new book about animals and a pillow with the pillow case Grandma N. made for him to match his bedding. Jayden is one lucky boy with a lot of people who love him!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday Funday: Mommy and Jayden's Day Out

Today Jayden and I headed out for a day of fun. We needed to go somewhere and the Children's Museum in Decatur was the perfect choice. Jayden slept on the way there so he was ready to go when they opened their doors.

 Our first stop was in the toddler area. This is a place for little kids under the age of 4. There was a garden, a giant dog house, stairs, a slide, and a steering wheel.

 Then we had to go shopping at the little grocery store. He filled his cart up with laundry soap. I guess he thinks we need to do some laundry at home.

 We made our hand prints in the needles before heading to the second floor.

 When we were upstairs, Jayden played with the train set for a good amount of time. He also played in the little kitchen, with the race car, and we went into the sensory room.

 Then we found the area with the blocks. He stacked his little heart out with the giant wooden blocks. It was great!

 We also visited the kiddie hospital. Jayden drove the ambulance and hung out in the back of it too.

 Before we left, we hit up the toddler area again. He wasn't too shy this time. He was climbing, running, and having a great time.

 Then it was time to go and he decided he wasn't done. So, one more round of play we enjoyed. For a 30 minute drive and $5 for admission, it was well worth our time and money. This will be a great place to visit this spring and summer for a quick day time get away.

Hope your Sunday Funday was as fun as ours!

Time for Bed

When it is time for bed we follow a routine for the most part.

 Jayden brushes his teeth and then plays with his Daddy for just a little bit if he hasn't already fallen asleep.

 Sometimes when he is ALMOST alseep, his Daddy comes home from work and BAM he is WIDE awake again. However, that's ok because when your a little guy, playing with your Daddy is A LOT of fun.

Then we head upstairs with his blankies and sing a song that Aunt Lori use to sing to Jesse and Jacob.

There's a little boy.

I love him so.

His name is Jayden Charles Acree.

He is the best baby boy.

The best baby boy.

The best baby boy a Mommy ever had.

He is so good.

He is so good.

He loves his Momma.

He loves his Daddy.

He loves his dog Mia too.

Then off to sleep land he goes. Well, at least until 2 am before he cries for someone to come rescue him and usually the rescuer is me! Don't tell him, but the rescuing will be over this weekend because someone is OVER the ear infection and his teeth are ALMOST in. Maybe I need to add a new line to the nighttime song about sleeping in his own bed all night? Ok, maybe not. I will just stick with the original tune. Thank you Aunt Lori for singing this to your boys. It has stuck with me all these years.

Sunday Morning Quiz

Sometimes when you ask Jayden a question he will ignore you because he is 18 months old and that is what you do when you are 18 months old. Today was a different story!

Oh, SNOW!!!!

It is snowing again! I honestly have never seen this much snow in my entire life. I feel like it has snowed almost every week since the start of 2011 and I don't see it stopping anytime soon. Come on, spring. Get here!!!

 So when it snows, we always explore outside, even if it is just for a minute or two.

 He won't wear his snow boots or wear gloves.

 But he will run up and down the sidewalk until it is time to track back in the house.

 Sometimes he gets going too fast and starts to fall but luckily catches himself before crashing into the white powder below.

 Then it is back into jammies after eating a warm lunch and snuggling with his blankets until it is time to play again.

 Somebody woke up pretty happy this afternoon. He must of had thought of playing in the snow again. Then it was time to get dressed again but someone decided it would be funny to escape from his Momma.

But, I am faster than him and now he is all ready to play. Good thing because his Daddy is on the way home from work and they have a lot of catching up to do!

Photo Contest

Jayden is in a local photographers baby contest and he would love for you to like his picture on Facebook. Search for Jessica Reid Photography and then "Like" her page and find Jayden's picture (it is the one below) and "Like" it as well.

You can visit her website: http://www.jessicareidphotography.com/ and find out more information about her business. We sure do like her taking Jayden's pictures!

Blizzard 2011~A Wordless Wednesday Post