The Pruitt Postings

Christmas letter: A year in review...

2010-12-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

...And what a year it has been! A few words to summarize would include Crazy, Busy, Exciting, Sad, Stressful, Happy, Joyous! A friend told me recently that there is a list of the top stressors one can have in their lives and we managed to full fill three of them within a 4 month period. Oops! Fortunately we seem to have come through it alive, still married and happy with only a few bumps and bruises along the way.

Our first "stressor" of the year has been our sweet little Adelaide Raine. She was born May 10th at Saint Mary's in Reno, NV. She is such a joy! Addie is generally a happy baby, unless she has a reason to be upset, and her smile will light up any room. She is now seven months old and keeping us busy. She is sitting up great, rolling around to get to where she wants to go, checking out anything that she can get into her line of vision and putting everything she can get her hands on in her mouth. In the beginning I was really worried about protecting her from her big brother but now know that she loves him to pieces. That is until he takes something she was playing with and she screams at the top of her lungs until he gives it back (he always says "sorry, sorry, sorry Addie" and quickly gives it back). This girl can stand up for herself already! We love to watch her grow and meet new milestones but our favorite thing to do is watching brother and sister interact with each other.  Right now they have a mutual love for each other that is amazing to witness.

Since we brought up that new big brother, Jackson, we will talk about him next. He is going to be 3 years old on January 10th which is so hard to believe. It is so cliche to say but time sure flies! Jack has, for the most part, taken all of this years' transitions in stride. He was affected though, and likes to talk about our "Reno house," his "school" and loves to look at "old" pictures. It has made us so sad to see him miss these things and try to understand what is happening from his 2 year old perspective. Overall, though, he seems to be getting it and transitioning to his new life nicely. He of course loves his new sister. He can't wait until they can really play together (right now he pretends to play and share with her). It has been impressive to me to see the compassion he has for her. When she cries or is fussy he wants to know why and what we can do to help. When she got her latest 6 month shots he was visibly upset for her and started singing to her to try to calm her. Such a heart breaker! Jackson's latest activities have been going to the zoo, aquarium, children's museum, library and the park. He of course still loves those trains and his newest love is everything fireman (trucks, extinguishers, alarms, sirens, hats, hydrants).   We are just so proud of him. We think that he is the smartest, most handsome boy there ever was and it's nice that we have family here that reinforces these beliefs!

This year was the year that Larry completed and received his PHD in clinical psychology. It amazes me how much work he put in and how much he continues to do. In April, he was offered a position at the University of Washington as a research associate working on a National Institute of Mental Health funded doubly randomized preference trial investigating the efficacy of treatments for PTSD. We of course were very excited to be closer to family, and for such a great career opportunity, so we decided to take the offer and in September we packed up our little Reno house and moved to Seattle.

The move of course is the number two stressor on the list and what a crazy time it was. It was a lot of work...more than I could have ever imagined. But we got it all packed up onto a big trailer and then we drove for the last time to Washington.  It was more difficult to leave Reno, than either of us had ever expected.  It meant leaving jobs that we loved, friends that we had made and had grown very close to, and our first house where we brought our babies home and became a family. At the same time, we were excited to see what the future had in store for us in Seattle and being able to raise our children with all of our family around had been something we had wanted for a long time.

Onto stressor number three, which has been the new jobs. Larry and I of course had the same start date and have had a lot of help with family watching the kids. Grandma Trudy is here at least once a week watching the munchkins while I try to recover after my shifts. I am working nights, per diem, at Swedish Medical Center in downtown Seattle in a level 2 nursery. It is mostly babies that were in the NICU, but are getting ready to go home and are learning how to eat, or drug affected babies that are weaning off the drugs...not my dream job by any means, but it seems to be working for our family for now and I'm able to spend more time at home while the kids are still little. Larry is really enjoying his new job. He is currently working to get this treatment outcome study up and ready to recruit participants. He enjoys working back at the UW, and has a wonderful team of colleagues that he works with, and feels like the research he is working on is meaningful and important.

Even though we have had some major stress in our lives, the good has still out weighed the bad and we feel truly grateful for what we do have and for the wonderful family that we have made for ourselves.
We're looking forward to another great year in 2011, and can't wait to see what lies ahead.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!
With love from the Pruitts,
Natalie, Larry, Jackson and Adelaide (and Maddie and Izzy too!)

Halloween 2010: Spiderman...Spiderman...Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man!

2010-11-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

This year, Jack picked a "Spider Man" costume one day right after we moved up to Seattle while we were picking up some supplies at the store. The costume had a cool mask too that wouldn't completely cover his face, and the suit had all sorts of built in muscles, which oddly enough, he thought were pretty neat. The costume got worn a few times prior to Halloween just for fun, but we also put it to good use over the course of Halloween weekend including pictures, Uncle Aaron's Halloween party, and Trick or Treating.

Halloween at the Pruitt house really starts Oct 1 though, with decorations, getting pumpkins, and carving pumpkins.

But, the big event is Halloween itself. Jack did really well Trick or Treating, he got to go door to door with his friend Kate, and after a couple of houses, really got into the swing of knocking, saying "Trick or Treat," and "Thank you." I think the positive reinforcement via candy helped establish motivation for the quick learning curve.

Then it was home to hand out candy of our own. Jack thought this was pretty cool and liked answering the door. At one point a teenager in a full Dog costume (like something you'd see at Disney Land) knocked. I asked Jack if he saw "the doggy" to which he replied loudly, "Oh so CUTE!!!" The teenagers friends all thought that was pretty hilarious. All in all, we had a great Halloween!

Here's a video link, and pictures are below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ly9Y_P7gCo

The first thing he says is "Can we eat it Daddy"

He wasn't so thrilled about cleaning the guts

A serious artist

Jacked liked the part that involved fire

Momma showing Jack the routine

He doesn't look it here, but he was thrilled about getting candy

Trying to knock, but his spidey gloves muffled the sound

Getting ready to scare some unsuspecting suckers

A few times we had to tell them not to open the doors and go in by themselves

Jack and Kate....I mean Spiderman and the Wasp!

Spooky graveyard...Real Scary!

"Building a worm box Daddy?"

2010-11-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

So, being that Jack is now a Seattle-ite, we figured it was time for him to start going green. Our first project was to build a worm-box. We had researched how to build one, and it seems the easiest way is to use one of those big Rubbermaid tubs as your bin. So we started our morning with a trip to the store to get a container and some soil. Then it was off to the nursery to find some worms, but we didn't have any luck because apparently one place has a monopoly on the red wiggler worm business. I guess that's okay though because the monopolizer is a non-profit organization that promotes organic gardening by keeping gardens all around the city that they use to teach classes. Luckily the Seattle Tilth location that has the master worm bin was pretty close to our house. A quick trip down to Wallingford, and we had our Worms! Back home we got everything set up, Jack had been talking ever since the night before about "drill the worm bin, Daddy Zzz Zzzzzzz?," so that is where we started. Jack drilled the drainage and ventilation holes. We then got it set up over the drainage pan. Next we had to create the "bed" so we both collected fallen leaves to build the first layer, then we added the soil on top of that. Then came Jack's favorite part, putting in the worms. He got to dump them in then used one of his little garden tool rakes to spread them around. A little water, a little bit of food scraps, and a layer of cardboard later and we had our wormbox! Jack helps put scraps in every night after dinner, and talks about how the worms eat the food.

Putting leaves into the bin

Setting up the drainage

Setting up the bin

Taking a break to be silly

I love worms!

"See Momma!"

Putting the worms in their new home.

Hi guys!

Spreading them around

"Me Drill it, Zzzz Zzzzzzzz"

Jackson on the MOVE

2010-10-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month since leaving Reno. Luckily, however, we were able to sneak in some fun as well. One such event was Jack going to the Puyallup Fair for the first time. He really seemed to enjoy himself. He liked the crowds, the animals, but more than anything, he liked the rides. Here's a video of him on what was his favorite (he rode it 4 times strait at one point, each time in a different car).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re15ZaqDTlM

Potty Trained!

2010-08-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Jackson has been wearing big boy underwear for about two weeks now! We have been introducing him to the potty since I bought him a potty chair about a year ago. We didn't really start pushing the potty training until right before his 2nd birthday but we found that he just wasn't quite ready. From then on we would just ask him if he had to use the potty and if he didn't want to, we didn't make him. Then he started waking up dry from naps and bedtime but would keep going in his pull-up, so we decided to try underwear and see how he did. Amazingly, he did great! He now only occasionally has accidents, mostly #2, when he gets too busy and forgets. He still rarely tells us that he has to go so we have to remember to ask him. It is so nice not having two in diapers anymore both for the cost and cleanup. We are so proud of our little man! Obviously from the pictures he is still learning where the undies go and how they work!! (I did not pose him, he put the all the undies on his head while I was folding laundry. I just took the pics and laughed.)

Lazy 5 water play park

2010-07-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today our car thermometer was reading 106 degrees so we headed off to the water play park to cool off. A fun time was had by all...or at least those that were awake for it!

Jackson and Addie trying to stay in the shade.

Jackson pretending to be a baby too.

My favorite Jack quote of the day, "Water gets me wet!"

Imagine lots of giggling!

Turning on the water tower water.

A lot of the kids were sitting on the water but Jack went for the foot block.

...and Addie slept.

Father's Day

2010-06-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

We spent Father's Day at The Nevada Railroad Museaum in Carson city. We had a great time and Jackson was in heaven.

That is one big Choo-Choo. Notice the Thomas train tables in the background...that's where we spent some of our day as well.

"Look Daddy"

He can't take his eyes off the trains.

Jackson and Mommy trying out train conducting.

I got a little nervous with his interest in the model trains. I was picturing his future nerdom.

This picture looks so Abby Road.

Bye Jack

Catching a free ride. "Hold on Jack."

My two favorite guys. So cute!

The girls on the train.

Riding the 100 year old steam train.

Best Friends Forever!?!?

2010-06-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

We decided to take some pictures of the two munchkins since they happened to be wearing similar, matchy pajamas. Our own personal Monsters vs. Aliens. We are sometimes a little hesitant to have Jackson hold her since he can be "rough" with her but he promised to be gentle...a word I have used more in the past 5 weeks then I have in my entire life! Anyway, this is what happened:

"Cheese!"

"Adieeeee!"

Our little cutie patooties

Oh geez, he's going in for a bite......

...oh, thank goodness!

After the mini photo shoot, Jackson asked to play the game that Larry and him play with Addie sometimes. Here is some shots of the silly babes but you have to imagine them running through the house!

"Hang on Addie."

Wingfield Park

2010-06-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Sunday afternoon at the river today at Wingfield Park. It was in the 80's but the water was really cold. We were suprised that Jackson even went in the water let alone stand in it for a while. He loved throwing rocks in and splashing with his feet. Miss Addie slept the whole time in her stroller. It was a little too hot for the moby wrap. We would have both been miserable, sweaty pigs.

Jackson and Daddy testing the water.

"Come on Mama!"

Throwing pebbles into the river. He was such a good boy and asked first before every throw. (He never does that at home.)

"Hi Mama!"

Trucks and Dirt

2010-06-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Jackson's World:

"Me play dirt!"

Working hard to move that dirt.

Imagine tractor noises.

So cute but with a little bit of mischief in his eyes!

Random Jackson Antics

2010-06-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I experienced what it is like to be pulled two ways at the park. I have Addie in the stroller and a little boy running down the hill to get to the "basketball, dunk it." All I could do was stand between them and yell...and apparently take pictures!

My little good girl.

Zoomed out view of a little speck.

Zoomed in view of him running amuck.

That is one proud pirate. The hat is from a book and he gets a sticker on his hat for every successful potty time.

Freckles

2010-06-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Jackson has recently started getting freckles on his nose and cheeks just like his Mommy and Daddy.

For some reason they are mostly on his left cheek.

Kite Festival 2010

2010-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Jack's first time flying a kite was at this year's Reno Kite Festival. The day was perfect, lots of sun and wind. Jack had an awesome new spiderman kite, and took to flying it like a pro. Now, whenever there's a slight breeze, we're out trying to get a kite up in the air.

Showing Jack 'the ropes.'

Letting out some string

'Me do it."

"Hey this is pretty fun"

Checking out the competition (mainly a giant tinkerbell kite with wings).

The Man

And no day would be complete without stopping to see the...Fire-TRUCK, Fire-TRUCK, ALLLL RIGHT, Fire-TRUCK!!! (You have to imagine Jack emphatically singing that little song over and over everyday).

Movie Night

2010-04-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos of Jack being a goofball this past week. Enjoy!

These are the links to you tube since blogger seems to cut off some of the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEloa7QP2qE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-j5k_l92C0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdAL2CW6N1I

A New Chapter

2010-04-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

If this life were a book, one chapter in ours would be getting ready to close while another is just beginning, and with it many changes are happening. We're anxiously awaiting our new little one, I (Larry) am graduating with my Ph.D. over the summer, and when September arrives, we'll be moving back up to Washington. We were recently up in WA for an interview I had at the University of Washington (and if I can brag a little, the UW program is the top ranked Psychology Dept. in the nation for the last two years). Everything went well with the interview, it was a wonderful position, and it was exactly where we wanted to move so that we could be closer to family and friends...although we will unfortunately be leaving some very dear friends here, which makes this all a little bittersweet.

So as this chapter closes, I wanted to share some pictures of my wonderful and beautiful family.

Wheel-of-fortuneaphobia

2010-03-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

We all have our little quirks, some are very subtle and others are quite intrusive. For me (Larry), I can't stand spiders. Natalie always jumps into bed for fear that something is going to bite her toes. And for Jack, it's the Wheel of Fortune. Seriously. The kid can't stand it. Maybe it's Pat Sajak's always perfectly coiffed hair, or the fact that Vana White looks the same as she did in 1985 (although they seem to be using a wider camera angle these days), or maybe its that big giant wheel...who knows. What we do know is that Jack doesn't mind Alex Trebek, or the "Thinking Man's Game show," but as soon as Wheel of Fortune starts, or if "Wheel" is in progress when we turn the TV on it triggers Jack into full panic mode. Tears, his whole body goes rigid, and his little face turns bright red amidst pleas for us to put "Choo Choo" on instead. In true avoidance behavior style, as soon as the trigger is removed, the panic ceases, the skies part, and all is well again.

I mention this because tonight Nat and I were cleaning up after dinner, Jack went and turned on the TV, and guess what was on..."Wheel." OH NO!!! All the sudden we turned to see what the had happened, dumbfounded at the problem, until we heard the distinctive clacking of the wheel and the pleas for Choo choo. This has happened several times in the last few months. Cracks us up each time. Of course my mind says.."Okay Jack, time for some wheel of fortune exposure therapy." BRING ON THE WHEEL!

Final Von Willebrand Post (we hope)

2010-03-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had our final appointment at the hematologist (besides a yearly check-up the doctor wants us to do). The doctor informed us that Larry and my labs were normal and that means that Jackson had a genetic mutation that caused his vWB. The doctor said that this accounts for about 1/3 to 1/2 of all newly diagnosed vWB patients. We were very happy to hear this not just for us but also for Addie. The doctor said that we would not even test her unless she showed symptoms. We also found out at this appointment that Jackson responded beautifully to the DDAVP test. His vWB factor, which was less than 10% of normal at the start, went up 10 fold which was amazing since they only wanted it to increase 4 fold. So now we know that this medication works for him in case of an accident or surgical procedure. The doctor said that this medication will keep his levels stay up for 24-48 hours but if we needed to keep his levels up longer for any reason there are other options such as blood products and even an oral medication that will keep his factor 8 up. These will help him keep the clots that he has made from breaking down until he heals fully. In the end the doctor said that we are to treat him normally and just contact them in the case of an accident, surgery or tooth extraction. Otherwise we will check in with them in a year! We are so happy that this is the "end" of this adventure for us and that Jackson is a happy, healthy little boy. On to the next adventure...

Big Boy Bed

2010-03-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

So I get home from work the other day and Natalie tells me to get the camera and look at the video she took. I was all ready to be amazed, but I figured it would be Jack's genius or humor that would amaze me. Nope. I was amazed to see my little buddy throw his leg over his crib rail and proceed to make his way over the top that has to be at least 4 feet high. "Huh," I thought, "where did that come from?"

Here's the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWd3ORFH_YA

We also had planned to take Jack to "try out" a gymnastics class that evening (good timing I guess). We got there a little early and Jack was ready for action, he wanted to do all the things the big kids were doing. So after about 15 minutes of manual baby restraint, it was time for him to warm up. This didn't go so well, he was more interested in swinging from the bars than stretching. After that things got going a little better as the kids would rotate around and do different things like hang and swing on the bars, walk on a small balance beam, crab walk, etc. A few minutes later the kids got to go into a larger play area and do similar things, but this had more options. He especially liked to swing on the rings and crawl through the "lion's den." He did good with this part too, and I think he learned alot about waiting his turn. Then it was time for the giant trampoline. Jack LOVED IT. All the kids would sit at one end and one by one jump down to the coach, then crawl through a little hole in the wall where they could slide and then climb back up and out to the starting area. Jack was the first to go, and boy can he jump. As soon as he got back to the start he wanted to go again (and actually did), so we used this as a chance to learn about following rules, and he really seemed to get it. the next time he reached the start he looked at me, I asked him to wait, so he sat down in his spot and waited until his name was called. He continued to do this until they changed the activity again. Finally it was time for the marshmellow pit--a large enclosed area filled with big foam blocks. The kids jumped in one at a time, and despte being the only 2 year old (most were 3+) he dove right in, made his way across (with a little help from a mom that was in with them) and then climbed up a ladder to an even higher jumping in area. He was ready go jump, a solid 6 foot drop, but luckily the coach was there, and lowered him on her feet and scooted him off, probably only 4 feet at that point. Class was over after that, and we were headed home. After all that activity Jack was ready for bed.

But, before bed could happen we decided to take the side rail off of his bed and put on the toddler bed kit to turn it into a "big boy bed." This was quite the process to add one piece of wood, but after his little climb over, it needed to happen. When it was time for bed, Jack seemed a little confused about the change, but went right to sleep. We covered the floor beneath him with pillows and waited to see if he would stay in bed or not. He did, until about midnight when we awoke to him on the floor crying. I went in and got him back into bed and he went back to sleep right away. Again at three he was out, this time Nat heard him and put him back in bed where he slept until the morning. Tonight is night 2, and Nat put some blankets under the open side of the bed to elevate it and keep him from rolling out. Hopefully it continues to go well.

Update #7 (Jeeze, 7 already!)

2010-02-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

As the doctor put it at our last visit, "be ready to spend the whole day at the hospital"...turns out we did. Our appointment was at 11:00, and after getting checked in we got settled into our exam room. At about 11:45 one of the nurses, Tia, came in and put numbing (aka Magic) cream on the tops of his hands and also on the inside of his elbows (aka the antecubital, or so my brainiac wife tells me). Shortly after, the doctor stopped in to see how Jack was doing, and to check if we had gotten our tests done. Nat had, but the labs had lost my slip, so we didn't have the results yet. The doctor said he would take a look at Nat's bloodwork, but stated that his "money is still on Dad being the one to pass down the vWB"...Thanks Doc.

A half a hour later or so they came in to draw some blood to run his baseline lab values before the actual medication challenge. But before they got started, a "child health specialist" came in to "coach" us all about how to minimize the trauma of what Jack was going to go through today. We decided to give her suggestions a try, mainly to distract him by turning on movies and making sure he doesn't pay attention to what the nurses were doing. She was adamant that I hold him against me and keep him from looking at the procedure. At one point he turned to look and she literally put her hands over his eyes.....needless to say that was the worst of the draws he went through today. Not only was there this crazy lady thinking that if she turned up the "big bird movie" loud enough, Jack wouldn't notice the needles stabbing him, but apparently the nurses couldn't get the needle positioned well in his hand and he ended up bleeding all over the nurses, on the floor, on me. After about 10 minutes of keeping Jack smooshed into me to stay still while "gushing" they finally called it quits. They had gotten all but one of the vials of blood that they needed, but said that they would come back later for the last one when they were putting in the iv for the DDAVP challenge. We got Jack calmed down and he quickly went to sleep in Nat's arms. We took turns holding him, both feeling bad for what he had just gone through, but of course upon waking up he was back to himself and was jamming to some ipod music when it was time to start the medication.

This time we kept the distractions to a minimum and he did much better, and he seemed to calm down after being able to see what was going on. After placing the iv line, they started him on a 30 minute DDAVP drip. This is the medication that activates the von Willibrand proteins that are stored in the lining of the blood vessels, ideally bringing his levels to normal for a short period of time. They were looking for his levels to triple after giving the med, and if this occurred then they mentioned that we would be able to keep a supply of DDAVP at home, as a nasal spay, in case of injury.

Nat took a break at this point to run down and get us all some lunch, just as she was getting back, Jack's iv pump started ringing. They checked all the lines, and nothing was wrong with the iv itself, but was more likely due to the pump machine. They replaced it and Jack was able to finish the med dose. After disconnecting the iv lines the nurse decided to leave the catheter and a short tube in Jack's hand in case they needed to draw blood from it later on.

Then it was time to play. We had to wait an hour for the med to take effect so the nurse showed us to a play room, and got Jack a tricycle to ride up and down the hallway that Nat or I could stand behind and push. I'm pretty sure that as soon as he saw "ME BIKE!" as Jack puts it, he completely forgot about all that had happened earlier in the day. He rode that bike all over that place, then we "raced," some people up and down the hall, then we rode up and down the elevators some more, with a pit stop to get a shiny "Choo Choo" and some "EEMMMeeeesss" (M&M's). Nat and I took turns going with him and before we knew it the hour was up.

The team came back in and this time I just sat him on my lap and he watched the whole thing as they drew his final, post med labs. Jack shuttered a little when they placed the needle but other than that barely made a sound, and just watched the nurses do their work...what a good boy.

Then it was back to waiting, we thought for the results, apparently the labs need a few weeks, but they did want to check his potassium levels before they could discharge him, so we had about another hour to kill.

We went down to the playroom again and played some more, and soon Jack heard a real life "Choo choo" out the window and we got to watch is roll by outside, and I'm pretty sure that made his day. Nat had gone back to our room just before the nurse Tia came in. She checked on us and then decided to take the IV needle out of his hand. It came out with ease and she quickly bandaged it up, and then went to wash off his fingers. We both looked down just in time to see more "gushing" of blood out of the iv site that she had just put a band aid on. Tia quickly got it cleaned up and then with an anxious laugh said "What, does this kid have a clotting problem or something?" The next bandage came with a big lump of gauze underneath to keep more pressure on the wound, and it did fine. Another trip on the elevators and then we were given the "Okay" to leave. It was nearly 5:00 at this point and we were all relieved to be done for the day.

Unfortunately, they didn't get Jack's labs back that same day, and still needed the results of tests on Nat and I, so we'll be going back to see the doctor again in three weeks. Hopefully that will put this chapter of our lives to rest.

Before we could go home though, we had one more stop. I (Larry) had to stop at Labcorp to get my vWB test done. Luckily this was pretty quick, and 18 vials of blood later we were on the road home.

Here is the before picture, we were waiting forever and Jack was playing nicely under the exam table with his trains.

Here Jackson is trying to show us his Emla or "Magic" Cream as they called it.

Zonked out after the first lab draw experience.

Waiting for the IV med to go in and watching Thomas.

Riding the halls!

This was him being silly while we waited to be released. He was cracking us up as usual.

Update #6

2010-02-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

We were hoping that this would be our last update on the subject of von Willebrand but it seems that we have a few more labs and tests to do. Our appointment today was with Dr. Torkelson, the hematologist, who confirmed the Type 1 vWB diagnosis. He said that he has had two other cases where the Type 1 diagnosis was made because the child had ITP (a low platelet count of unknown origin) too, which led to vWB factor to be measured. He still is not sure that Jack had/has ITP so he will do a CBC next week to check Jackson's platelet level again. If his platelet count is back to normal, then we'll know he had ITP but if it is still low we will have to keep looking to figure out why.

The doctor then talked about the treatments for von Willebrand, and said that Jackson will not be restricted in any way physically. It is recommended that we not give him Motrin, which is a bummer since it works so well for him, but hopefully since he has the ear tubes we will not have such trouble with high fevers. The only treatments that Jackson will have to worry about are if he has to have surgery or gets into a major accident. There are two options for him at this point, he either can get something called Factor 8 which is a blood product that will help him with clotting. This has it's own risks, however, since it is harvested from donor blood. So, instead, the doctors like to use a synthetic hormone called DDAVP. This medication will actually help pull von Willebrand factor out of the cell lining of his blood vessels and increase his blood volume of von Willebrand, normalizing his ability to clot for 24-48 hours.

On Tuesday the 16th, Dr. Torkelson has ordered for Jack to have an IV dose of the DDAVP, with labs drawn before and after to make sure that he responds to the medication. (They will also be getting his CBC at this time). If he responds, then we know that he can have this med before surgery and after a major trauma if he were to ever need it (hopefully not).

The other labs that will be drawn are on Larry and I, which I have to have my O.B. order since Dr. Torkelson said that insurance companies don't like to pay out when pediatric doctors order labs on adults. Hopefully I can get my other lab work that has been ordered for me at the same time for the baby. I'm sure these labs will take another 2 1/2 weeks or so to get these results so I hope to get them done soon. To give some indication of how mild this vWB thing is, it is likely that Larry or I also have this issue, but neither of us have had any problems with it. The other possibility is that a genetic mutation occurred when Jack was developing in utero that caused this issue to develop...if this is the case, please refrain from calling him 'the mutant,' or 'mutant baby' or 'the little mutant boy,' etc. ;-)

Update #5

2010-02-03T14:50:00.001-08:00

I went to the lab today and got the results for the final blood test. It took about a week longer to get than the lab had first estimated it would take but the news is finally in that Jackson has Type 1 von Willebrand disease. We don't see the hematologist until Monday because of the lab delay but we hope to find out more at that appointment and then probably be sent off to the lab ourselves to get tested. We are so happy that he has the mildest form and that we now have an answer. I'm also grateful that we didn't find out after a major surgery or trauma. We now know that he may need to get lab work and/or medicine to boost his levels before he has surgery. We also know that we need to tell people that we don't abuse our little man and that he is an easy bruiser...please don't be calling CPS on us. The boy has never been spanked, beaten, pinched, etc...that we know of. But let me know if you hear of anyone doing that to him and I will take that person down!!

Update #4

2010-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

We had our appointment with Dr. Torkildson, the hematologist, today. He was very nice and very knowledgeable just like his staff had said he would be. Unfortunately all of the lab results were not in yet so we have to meet with him again next Monday.

At this point we know that Jack has Von Willebrand but we don't know what type yet. This is the part of the lab that is still pending. He probably has Type 1 based on the labs we have so far but his abnormal platelets and low platelet count would not be a part of that. The doctor explained that he may also have what is called ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura) in addition to the Von Willebrand. This is an auto immune process that usually goes away in a few weeks or months. This ITP may be why his bruising has gotten worse more recently and why we found out that he has the Von Willebrand in the first place. Usually this is not diagnosed in children until they have a major surgery like a tonsillectomy which causes a large amount of bleeding. Type 1 patients usually do not have clearly impaired clotting and most patients usually end up leading a nearly normal life. Trouble may arise in the form of bleeding following surgery, noticeable easy bruising, or heavy periods (we are hoping this one is not a problem for Jack!).

If it is Type 2 then it would explain the abnormal and low platelets since this is normal for Type 2. There are two different subtypes of Type 2: Type 2A is where the building blocks that make up the factor (called multimers) are smaller than usual or break down too easily. Type 2B is where the factor sticks to the platelets too well. This leads to clumping of the platelets, which can cause a low platelet count. The outcome for these patients is the same as for Type 1 except that there is a bleeding tendency that varies between patients. The doctor said that this can be a problem if Jack was having surgery or in a major accident.

Were not sure yet what he will do if it is either type because there are different courses for each one. We do know that the doctor will be testing both Larry and I for it to see if we have it. If one of us does, they will test Addie when she is one or two years old as she will have a 50-50 chance of having it. Although we don't want there to be something wrong with our little man, both Larry and I are relieved that we have an answer for why his labs were abnormal and why he has had the bruising. It will be nice to know what types and where we are going to go from here. Thank you all for your positive thoughts, prayers, and listening ears. It has been very emotional for us and we are so lucky to have loving family and friends to support us along the way.

Update #3

2010-01-23T09:39:00.001-08:00

We now have a little minuscule sliver of a look into the nightmare that it is having to deal with insurance companies, referrals, laboratories and doctors offices. It sucks and I know that we haven't even had to deal with much compared to other people.

First off we have had to deal with the fact that there is only one specialty clinic in town and that clinic is in "the other hospital's" building and is associated with them so we are now trying to get out of paying a so called "facility use fee." It's either pay it, get our insurance to pay it or drive all the way to California. I'm hoping the insurance company just pays it otherwise I'm sure we will just pay it and suck it up. The only problem is when and if we have to go for follow up appointments. I don't mean to sound greedy or that we can't afford it but it just isn't right to do that to people.

The other issue recently has been that they told Larry three times that we would be seeing the doctor that Dr. Althoff recommended and referred us to. Then I get a phone call yesterday saying that their books were wrong and we will actually be seeing Dr. Torkelson. The office staff talked him up and promised that his patients love him...we'll see I guess. I'm sure he is a very good doctor and that what is going on with Jack is small beans compared to what they see everyday. But I'm a Mama Bear and the claws have come out! I just want the best of the best for my little man.

Jackson Update #2

2010-01-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Last night I got a phone call from the lab that drew Jack's blood and they said that their Hematologist wanted Jack to come back in for a redraw for his platelet function. She said it was because the hematologist was not sure of the results and wanted to check again. I was obviously not happy since that means Jack would be poked again and also it made me a little sceptical of all of the lab results. Larry called the doctors office just to let them know that the lab would be getting new results and the nurse said that we should just wait and let Dr. Hastings, the pediatric hematologist, decide whether he needs a redraw and also if she has any other labs she wants drawn so that he doesn't get an unnecessary poke or just gets one poke. I felt good with this decision but it still leaves me wondering if Jack's labs were handled correctly or if something went on in the lab that they aren't telling us about(like they mixed up the sample with someone else's). It just makes me wonder.

Today Larry called and made an appointment with Dr. Hastings for Monday at 3:30pm. I was surprised we could get in to see her so quickly. We could have seen her associate tomorrow but we both work and I would really like Jack to see her since she was the one that our pediatrician recommended. So we will not have anymore news hopefully until Monday. I'm feeling much better about the whole thing and am positive that he is just an easy bruiser who happened to have a viral infection when his labs were drawn. This is how I'm keeping my sanity for now.

I also wanted to share some news on how much of a genius that Jackson is since I have your attention. This morning Jack woke me up to by singing me the whole alphabet, even with the song at the end, and I could almost distinguish every letter. Then we were at the store today and I handed him some of those "magic" markers that only write on "magic" paper (they're a fabulous invention as long as you can find the caps before they dry out). Anyway, I handed him the markers and he counted them up to ten. I have never heard him do that before so I was a bit shocked. He was very proud of himself and I of him so instead of hiding the ball that he had been holding the entire ride while he wasn't looking, I bought it. So now we have about seven of the Target balls from the bin. Word of advice: know where these bins are in the store and avoid them like the plague. Although, $2 worth of ball makes for a happy boy!

Jackson Update

2010-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

So this morning Jackson had his second H1N1 shot at a clinic that is close to the hospital. I couldn't help myself because we have been worried since we heard Jackson may have a problem, so I ran over to the hospital and got Jack's lab results from yesterday. I was shocked when I saw that Jack's platelet function is abnormal, his platelets are low and his clotting time is prolonged. I then went up to the NICU so that I could talk with the girls and maybe run his results by a neonatologist. Luckily one of the doctors was there who I knew would tell me what they thought, which was that they didn't think it looked like he had any sort of cancer (which is where our brains took us when we had time to stew on what could be wrong), which was nice to hear. The doctor thought that Jack may have had a virus that was asymptomatic, but that messed up his counts. So I left the hospital feeling a little better but still nervous--I really just wanted to hear what Jackson's Pediatrician thought. Finally, the Pediatrician called today at 12:30 and told me the results (I didn't tell him that I already knew). He said that he believes the results are either due to a virus, or it's possible that Jack has an issue with the Von Willebrand factor in his blood, but the results for that test were not back yet. He reiterated about three times that he did not think that Jackson had cancer...I appreciated that..., and he is now referring us on to a pediatric hematologist/oncologist that comes to Reno from the Oakland Children's Hospital a few days a week. I'm not yet sure how long it will take to get in to see her but hopefully not too long. We could barely sleep last night worrying about him, and can't imagine having to wait weeks.

Jackson's Two Year Well Child Check

2010-01-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Jackson had a doctor's appointment today, it was a "well visit," just to make sure that he's meeting all his milestones, developmentally. His last visit was at 18 months. He spent his time in the waiting room playing on the climbing toys that they have in the office, this was his first time really being able to climb all over them. After we got called back, the nurse weighed and measured Jack. He weighed in at 26 lbs. On the standardized growth charts he has moved up from the 10th to the 25th percentile in weight, and is also in the 25th percentile for his height. He is in the 50th percentile for head circumference. After that we met with the doctor. Jack passed all the tests with flying colors, not that he had to do much, just sit there and breath while the doc listened to his heart, lungs, bowels, etc. The doctor asked us if we had any questions and we chatted with him about potty training, or as he likes to call it "potty showing," emphasizing that it's the modeling of the behavior that's key, and validating that every child has their own timeline. He told us that the mean age of potty training for boys is 3 years old.

The doctor then asked if we had any other questions, and we mentioned the bruises that Jack gets on his legs because he has been getting them on his abdomen, sides, head, face, and back as well. He stated that he was curious about those too, and he decided to order a lab draw to check Jack's blood cell count, platelet analysis, clotting factors, and also checking him for what's called Von Willebrand's factor (which is basically what the doctor calls "easy bruiser"). This was a little unnerving to hear, but we were glad that this was getting looked into to.

After the doctor left, the nurse came back into the room and gave Jack his Hepatitis A vaccination, which involved a shot to his thigh. Luckily she came prepared with a sucker, which facilitated Jack's immediate recovery after the stick.

Then it was time for a nap, as the little guy was super tired. Later we went to the hospital where Nat works to get Jack's labs drawn. They pulled us back into the lab and had him lay on a bed with his shirt off. This seemed to scare him a little, especially with the unfamiliar people in the room, but Nat and I held him still and they put a tourniquet on his arm and then placed the needle with ease. They drew five small vials of blood, which they'll send for analysis. Unfortunately there were no suckers this time, but he was still quickly back to his busy little self. The Doctor said we could call him tomorrow to see what results have come back in, and then he will stay in contact with us as the rest of the results come in. We both can't help but worry a little, but figure that everything will be fine--the waiting to find out part is the hardest. We'll post here as soon as we know anything further.

Chatting with Jackson

2010-01-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Everyday, Jack is becoming less and less of a baby and more and more of a big boy. One of his newest things (besides surprising us with all the new words he picks up) is repeating the alphabet back to us as we sing it. He'll also hum the tune of the ABC song as well. Here's a video of his alphabet recitial, as well as him saying "Addie" and "Adelaide" as well. For some reason he likes to whisper the names, but toward the end of the video he really starts belting it out.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Christmas this year. Larry and I had to work so we stayed in Reno and celebrated with just the three of us. Even though we were in Reno without family, we were able to skype with some of the grandparents and that made it seem almost like we were with those we did it with. Jackson is starting to understand the whole unwrapping of gifts and a little about Santa, or as he calls him "Hanta." When he woke up on Christmas morning and saw the living room full of presents he said with a bit of a giggle "woooh." He still doesn't understand that he needs to keep opening gifts instead of opening and playing with all the toys right away. He also got a car that he did not want to get out of so he unwrapped a lot of his presents from the seat of his car. I can't wait to see how the whole process changes each year.

I will try to post pics when I can. I got a new camera and took all the pictures in RAW form like the guy taught me on the CD that came with it but now it doesn't want to download the pics. We have converted them to JPEG but they are still not downloading. ERRR.

Santa

2009-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

We went to visit Santa on Sunday. There were only three families there since the roads are still a little icy. But we braved the storm and made it in to see the big man. Jackson has been saying Santa lately but we aren't really sure where he learned about him since we don't really talk about him. Probably at daycare...because that's where we think he learns everything we didn't teach him. Anyway, Jack was very shy and didn't want to look at Santa or really anyone else. The picture that we got that was the best was one we took. Oh well. At least there were no tears and Jackson got his candy cane. I told Santa for him that he wants anything Choo-Choo. I'm sure Jackson appreciated that.

Mall Photo:

Larry's Photo: (good job Lar)

First Winter Storm 2009

2009-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

So it has been snowing here since afternoon yesterday and it is still going strong. We have gone out in it a few times and Jackson is not sure what to think of it. He wants to go out, he wants to touch it but then after a few minutes he is done. We took him out on a sled last night and he was giggling and saying "weee." It was very cute. Then today we walked to the store to get some lunch and he lasted only a few steps and then I carried him the rest of the way. It sounds like the snow is here to stay for a while so we'll keep trying and see if he starts enjoying it a little more once it stops snowing so hard.

Larry digging out the car this morning.

Jackson watching all the action in the warm house with his breakfast.

All geared up for our walk.

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

We were suppose to go up to Squaw and get a tree with some friends, but on our one day we have off together, the highway was shut down because of snow conditions. I guess it is a total white out up there. It is snowing here and that helps us get into the Christmas spirit as we put up our little fake tree. Here are some pics of the event with our little helper.

Untangling the mess.

Jackson trying to blow out the lights on the tree.

Santa's little helper.

A family picture once we were done.

New Baby Jelly Beans Website

2009-12-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

We are now updating everyone about the new baby on our new baby jelly beans website. Here is the link:
http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=578484
We will still update here on other family adventures.

New York

2009-12-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

We recently went to New York for a psychology conference. Well Larry had a conference and the rest of us went along for the New York experience. We invited Grandma Trudy along with us to help is with Jackson and enjoy the city with us. We had a great time discovering the sites and sounds...well sort of. It is so noisy and busy there and we tried to add to that as much as we could!

Updates

2009-11-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

So we have been absent from the blogging world for a while since I have been feeling so tired and nauseous since were having a new baby in May...if you didn't already know. Jackson and this baby will be two and a half years apart and were just hoping that this is a good spacing. We have been trying to prepare Jack by bringing him to the OB appointments so he hears the heart beat and sees the ultrasounds. We also got him a baby doll that he likes to feed and hold by it's head or arm to take him places. I have been trying to show him babies at every opportunity, friends babies, babies at the store, babies on t.v. He now says baby and will point to my belly but he does that to Larry and to himself too. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes in May.

In other news, Jackson is getting his ear tubes placed tomorrow. His pediatrician finally said that he should get to an ENT and she recommended the tubes be placed. Mostly because this was his fourth infection in a year and it was not just in the winter. So we head to the surgery center at 6 am in the morning and his procedure is scheduled for 8 am. He will only be put under with a mask and not intubated which I'm happy about and it should all take about 5 minutes. I'm sure it will all go well and he will be home playing like normal the rest of the day. I will post again after the procedure. Wish us luck!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Jackson was Thomas the choo choo train this year. Since I worked all day we decided that we would go to a couple of indoor events. The first was trick or treating at Rayley's grocery store where all his friends at the store gave him apples, juice, a balloon and some candy too. I was surprised when he knew to put all his treasures in his Thomas pail and keep on walking to the next person. He seemed to enjoy himself. Then we went to the Automobile Museum for more trick or treating and games. He did really well walking around to all the different candy stops and even tried his hand at fishing for pumpkins. It will probably be a bit more fun when he is a little older and able to participate in more of the games. Then we went to a few more stops at the next door neighbors. He first stopped at our neighbor John's house where he kept giving Jackson more and more candy while Jack tried to get into his house. We need to work on this it seems. Then we were off to Mary's. Jackson managed to get into her house and she was very happy about it. She gave Jackson a special treat bag with homemade cookies and a coloring book. Jack knew how to say thank you with somersaults and hugs. He is such a good boy. By the time we got home we were all tired and didn't even eat much candy. All in all a good Halloween.

Trick or Treating at the grocery store.

Taking a break from all the candy collecting in the Automobile Museum.

A little girl who saw Jackson walking by, got out of her little car stroller and shared a dum dum sucker with him. So cute.

Posing with Daddy.

Checking out the shag mobile from the Austin Powers movie.

He kept posing like that and I tried to get him to put his foot down but it actually turned out pretty cute.

All of Jackson's treasures.

Preparing for Halloween

2009-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

We visited another pumpkin patch in Reno with a hay ride and farm animals...and yes more pumpkins. We were surprised at the cost of a pumpkin doubled in Reno as compared to Washington but you gotta do it. So we picked our pumpkins, the boys carved them and I baked some seeds up which we all enjoyed. Jackson gave us some lively entertainment once he was hopped up on gooeyness and seeds. Enjoy!

Checking out the sheep, goats, and pigs. They were all munching on pumpkins.

An exhilarating hay ride!

He love "driving" the tractor.

"Just have to push this lever."

"I'll take this one."

Cleaning the pumpkin. He kept saying "ewww."

Helping Daddy carve.

He didn't like the scary face on this one so I had Larry do a nicer face on the other one.

My famous pumpkin seeds that Larry didn't think we would like but we ate them all, including Jackson.

Ten Year High School Reunion Trip

2009-11-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we took a trip up to Washington for our 10 year reunion and packed it full of activities. We went to Payton's soccer game, got my hair cut, went to the reunion, went to the pumpkin patch, and visited with friends and family. Busy, busy, busy. Here are some pics of our adventures.

And here is a video of Bronte and Jackson riding ponies at Spooners Pumpkin Patch. Jackson thought it was really funny that the pony was sneezing or blowing his nose and Bronte kept singing "do, do, do."

Pugtober 2009

2009-10-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the annual pugtober event. Maddie and Izzy took home the best costume award, this was Maddie's 5th pugtober and Izzy's 4th. It's also their 4th year straight taking home a Pugtober prize for their awesome costumes!!!

September in Reno

2009-09-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

September is a great time of year in Reno, the weather starts to cool down, the days start getting shorter, and every weekend there is a great event or festival to attend. Here are some pics of one of our favorites, the Hot Air Balloon Races, and also a new event we haven't been to before, the Reno Air Races. Enjoy, we did.

Our Song

2009-09-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we were listening to Larry's Ipod when the song "Come What May" from Moulin Rough came on. FYI: This is the song that Larry and I had our first dance to at our wedding. Jackson and I immediately got up and started slow dancing and singing to the song and it just struck me how appropriate it was for all three of us now. Just thought I would share the lyrics with you all and so you could get a sense of how in love we are with this little boy...oh yeah, and each other!

Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you

And there's no mountain too high no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day
Oh come what may, come what may
I will love you

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place...

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Outlet Mall and Discovery Kingdom

2009-09-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

After Larry finished his externship and dissertation we needed a little vacation...so off to Vacaville for some shopping and then on to Vallejo for Discovery Kingdom. Not sure what this had to do with Larry since the shopping was more for me and the Amusement park was for Jackson but I guess you could say it makes him happy to see us happy! Giggle, giggle. Oh well, next trip is for him. Grandma Trudy happen to be in town so we took her along for the ride. Here are pictures of our adventures:

While the girls shopped Jackson drove the bus.

Yeah for shopping!

Riding the shuttle without a carseat and apparently teething.

Mommy and Jack do the electric slide at the park opening party.

Meeting Bugs.

That is one big cat.

It wasn't very busy at the park so Jack got some alone time with the dolphins which he loved.

"Eye!"

Jack's newest favorite is the choo, choo or as he was calling it the "coo, coo."

Jack and I on Hector the Helicoptor. We did this one more than once because it was so much fun.

I promise you that he is on there too.

Riding on Thomas the Train. It runs through the park and even has it's own train crossing guard rails that go down when the train comes through. Very cute.

So tired. He took at least an hour nap in his stroller while we went through the shops. What a good boy.

At one of the shows we went to. We saw four: dolphins, sharks, seals and walrus.

Jackson and Daddy on the hot air ballons. He didn't really like this one and Larry still has the bruises to prove it.

More seals. You could pay $3 to feed them but we just watched others touch the dead fish.

At Bugs Bunny's house.

He was saying letters that he knows and pointing to the letters. He likes to do this with license plates too.

More Choo, Choo's!

He loved the carousel. He would go by and you would hear "Weeeeee!"

I love this picture because we were cracking up the whole time. When the submarine was up high all you could see was his little face poking out even though it was packed with people.

Congratulations Larry!

2009-09-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Larry presented his dissertation, a 139 page document (and a hour and a half long verbal defense) describing theory, research methods, data and implications of a research project he's been working on over the last year, on August 28th and passed in front of a board of 5 professors without having to make any changes. They all called him Dr. Pruitt afterwards, but the official ceremony where he will get his Ph.D. is in May, toward the end of his internship. Jackson and I are so proud of him! There was a fun get together with some of his friends and colleagues that night to celebrate at Silver Peak.

End of Summer Pictures

2009-08-19T13:57:00.001-07:00

Building a potato head man

Professor Stinkypant's new glasses.

Grandma said I needed to see where I was going...

Saying "bye bye" to Daddy as he goes to work.

Boxes are fun!

"I love watching little people"

hahahaha

What a nice smile.

Hanging out with my bug friend.

Lovin' the park

Who knew you could ride a dolphin in the desert!

Yes...that's a rock in his mouth.

Playin' Play-doh

Why it is dangerous to leave two silly boys home alone for 12 hours!

2009-08-17T17:14:00.001-07:00

Self portrait. Several of the following pics on the camera are of the bookshelf and floor. Thanks Jack.

Baby vs. blue painters tape.

What? Is there something on my face?

Crazy Weather

2009-08-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

These pics are from August 2nd. It was a nice hot day all day...and then we decided to have a BBQ. Half way through cooking the burgers and corn, it started to rain so we moved the BBQ under the eves. Then it started to pour so we began moving everything inside but by the time it was done we had hail covering the ground and there were flash flood warnings on the TV.

The Terrible Twos?

2009-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

So we thought that Jackson had already hit the terrible twos and that we had it under control. We learned recently that this was not the case. Jackson has a strong opinion about things and is now testing the limits daily. It is an interesting time at our house right now. Jack has started 'throwing tantrums' with full on fits of kicking, screaming, and throwing himself onto the floor, which is especially fun when we're out in public trying run errands. We now have time out on the naughty mat. I bought a little rug so he has a specific spot that his for him, so that he knows why he is sitting there. He has to sit for one minute (one minute for each year of age). He already knows the routine. He knows that he can't get up until he hears the buzzer, that he will have to "apologize" when he gets the word down and he always gives a hug after. He actually runs in for the hug...it's hard to be "upset" with him when he is so stinkin' cute. This week he has been in time out for pouring out the dogs water, hitting, pinching faces out of frustration, and my "favorite..." running into the street. We always give a warning first and I know he is still learning what this all means but I think he will soon start listening to the warning and listen to us!! Maybe...someday... I know you are all laughing at me right now but I have to have faith in the system.

What a Croc!

2009-07-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

The best summer shoes ever. No Velcro that doesn't stick, easy to clean poop off of(don't ask unless you really want to know), quick to put on when taken off to be used as "phone", doesn't hurt when thrown at you, black goes with everything, fun to stick your fingers in the holes, the crocodiles on the hinge say "ROAR", all the women think they're super cute......

Need I say more?

Poo Poo in the potty this time

2009-07-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm sure it's the last thing you want to read about on here, but we think it's a pretty big deal...that's right folks, Jack went 'poo poo on the potty!' Jack and I were out playing in the living room, when he started pulling at his diaper through his PJ's. I had just changed a full diaper so I didn't think much of it at first, but he persisted. Then it hit me that whether he had to go or not, this was an opportunity to get him on the potty. We quick ran into the bathroom, pulled off his PJ's, and before I could get his diaper off he sat right down on the baby sized throne. I took his diaper off there, and he started pushing like he was going to pee. After several pushes he seemed to give up, but was having fun just sitting there. Then all of the sudden without warning a lout 'toot' sounded (well it wasn't that innocuous really), followed by the dull thump of...well...you can probably guess from the title of this post. We made a bit deal of it, danced, clapped, and cheered, then we got him cleaned up using the 'big boy toilet paper,' he thought that was pretty cool. In case you're wondering, we did take pictures of it, since it was a 'first,' but I'll hold off on posting a pic (I'm sure Nat will do that later). LET THE POTTY TRAINING BEGIN!!!

Backyard BBQ

2009-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

We have been fixing up the backyard so that Jackson has a nice, enclosed place to play and so we can enjoy the summer weather. Our table blew over with a huge wind storm, because the umbrella was up on a nice sunny day, which shattered the glass top and demolished the umbrella. We now have a new umbrella and Larry cut out some wood to fit in where the glass was and with the table cloth it is pretty much good as new. We have had the BBQ for a while now and just did not have any propane so we had not used it until the other day. We are such procrastinators. Jack has a nice play area in the bark with two slides and a sandbox that was handed down from our good friends the Dimick's. Thanks for sharing Brian. And also a water play table that is so fun to drink out of apparently. Also Jack loves to swing on the swing with the pug sisters...as long as they don't crawl all over him, which they like to do.

18 month check-up

2009-07-13T22:24:00.001-07:00

Today was a very good doctor's appointment. Jackson is now weighing in at a whopping 22 pounds and 13 ounces which is in the 10th percentile. This is almost 3 pounds more than 3 months ago and up from the 5th percentile! Yeah Jacky! The doctor did a full assessment and said that he was a "perfect little boy." That is just so nice to hear as parents. The doctor said that we should continue adding butter and olive oil to his foods and also the pediasure. We actually have been adding Carnation Instant Breakfast to whole milk for him instead of the pediasure since it is so much cheaper and he said that was fine.

I think that Jackson really showed Dr. Althoff why he needs the extra calories this appointment because he did not stop moving almost the whole appointment. He was dancing and jumping on the patient table because the protective paper made a great crinkle noise. He was playing with the wire bead toy and actually knocked it off the table while trying to jump off the table into my arms. We like to call him busy boy or Jackson the Destroyer but Dr. Althoff gave him a new name, Spiderman. The nurse called him "all boy." What are they trying to say? Jack is not usually this crazy unless he is tired which he was. I tried to put him down for an earlier nap than usual so that he would be rested for his appointment but this backfired because he just played in his crib for about an hour and then screamed his head off when I tried to make him sleep. So no nap for his 2:30 appointment when he usually goes down about 1:00. Yikes. (When we got home he slept until 5pm.)

Jack also had his first Varicella immunization (for chicken pox). The nurse had him sit up this time and before the shot she gave him a lolly pop. We were waiting for him to try the sucker when the nurse went in for the poke. I thought Jack was going to push the needle out of his leg but he didn't let go of that sucker for anything. He was about to cry when I quickly shoved the sucker into his mouth and he took one suck and said "ummmm." No tears! Now we don't go back to the doctor until he is 2 years old. As long as we don't have anymore illnesses...knock on wood. By the way his ears looked great!

18 months old today!

2009-07-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today is July 10th, Jack is officially a year and a half old now. I don't think I've ever felt like so much time has passed so quickly before. Our little baby is really becoming a big boy, and it seems, especially these last few weeks, that he is just picking up on so much. Potty training is just around the corner, his vocabulary is building steadily (Momma, Dadda, doggy, kitty, cat, dog, hot, hi, hat, uh ohh, cheese, eat, and a few others I can't remember off hand), and he's now getting into the fine art of animal noises: He roars like a lion, curls his arm like a monkey (and climbs on everything like a monkey too), and raises his arm (trunk) while making an elephant noise. We're currently working on mooing like a cow. And while he is working on these things a little each day, his level of comprehension is astounding. He's at the point where he is taking direction, making corrections to his behavior based on verbal commands, and responding appropriately to sentences, rather than just words. Jack is also a master at mimicking our behavior. He stirs stuff when he sees us stir, he combs his hair when we do, brushes his teeth, pretends to put on deodorant, tries to put keys in door locks, puts hats on that we wear, pretends to race cars on the Wii, puts on make-up with mommy, etc. etc. etc. He only has to see us do it once, and the next thing you know, out of the corner of your eye, you see him doing something you did five minutes ago...so so funny. On Monday we take him in for his 18 month well-baby visit. Ah his 15 month visit the doctor wanted him to gain some weight at set our goal at having Jack weigh 23 lbs. by 18 months. Jack weighed himself on the scale the other day (true story, there's that mimicking again) and tipped the balance at 23.8 lbs! This will be his last scheduled visit with the doctor, and last vaccination until he turns two.

Pee, pee in the potty!!!

2009-07-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

I bought a potty chair for Jackson yesterday because I had a coupon and figured he's going to need it at some point, so I might as well get a deal. I know he's young and will not be ready for a while but since we have it we decided to introduce it but not push it at all. Yesterday, every time I went to the bathroom I told Jackson to sit on his potty, with cloths on, and he seemed to like the little chair that was just his size. Then today after his bath we decided to put him on it and tell him to go potty. While I was just trying to get a picture without his manhood showing, he peed! I'm sure it's just a coincidence but we think he's also a genius.

Potty Time!

It's hard to tell but there is pee in there(and grass, not sure where that's from).

In the meantime...

2009-06-25T13:51:00.001-07:00

Since Jack is under the weather, we thought we'd upload some videos to keep everyone entertained until he is feeling better. These were all captured over the last couple of days when he was feeling better. Hope you enjoy.

This first one is of Jack playing with his doll 'buddy' as well as Izzy during one of those 'It's almost bedtime' states of delirium.

This second one was Jack and I at the park, when he got to go down the slide all by himself.

Finally, and my personal favorite, is Jack in the tub, chatting away with mommy. Again, he was really getting tired, and in the lulls in the conversation he was having, he appeared to be 'nodding off.'

Here we go again...again

2009-06-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

We're noticing a trend. Whenever Jack produces a couple of new teeth, they are soon accompanied by a raging ear infection. Poor guy. His two canine teeth started coming in over last weekend, erupting on Monday. This was accompanied by a low grade fever, which we attributed to the teething process. The fever persisted over the last couple of days and ranged between 100 and 102 degrees F, not atypical for the temps Jack usually gets. As the week drew on, this was acompanied by a running nose, cough, and most notably a bad case of the grouchies. Today (Thursday), we decided that this was too persistant to be due to the teeth (still in the process of erupting), and too reminicsent of his past ear infections, so we decided to take jack in to see the Pediatrician (As the nurse put it, "Congratulations Jack, three days of fever, you won a trip to the doctor"). Our regular Doc was out of the office, so we saw one of his associates. After listening to Jacks heart and lungs (both of which were clear), and palpating his stomach (which was also fine) he looked in his ears and, low and behold, he had a raging infection in his right ear, and his left was developing an infection as well. Once again, Jack's high pain tolerace had belied his condition. The doctor couldn't believe that Jack had slept through the night and was being such a good boy in the office, stating that most kids in this position would have been screaming their heads off. Yet, there was Jack sitting calmly in my lap, poking at my nose. The doctor gave us a prescription for Omnicef, the antibiotic that worked for Jack last time, and so we begin a 10 day course to get the little guy better. He's pretty lethargic today, is already on his second nap, and still has his temp going, but the Doc said that he should be back to himself by Saturday or Sunday.

Reno Rodeo and Carnival

2009-06-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

We braved the crowds and made our way to the Reno Rodeo for the first time since moving to Reno. In actuality there weren't too many people there at 5pm and we were able to park on the street for free. Saved ourselves $6 whole dollars! It was apparent when we got there that most were there for the Rodeo activities and not as much for the carnival piece. We on the other hand were there for the rides and whatever else sparked our fancy. We soon found that it was like a miniature Puyallup fair with some cute rides that Jackson is just too short or young for...we know that because he was not as tall as the critical piece of tape on the fence. Bummer. Anyway we still had a good time as is obvious from the following pictures.

Animal Train! One of the two rides that Jack could ride on.

Round and around we go.

Here we are again since we had tickets to burn. It is obvious that this is seperate time because now we are on the zebra mobile. Unfortunatly they had a weight limit so it was I (along with all the other mommies), who had the pleasure of escorting him again.

Pitstop

Beeper the clown. I think this confused Jack a bit since we used to call his male member his beeper...since he used to "beep it".

Merry-go-round. Larry snuck him past the height tape by carrying him and acting like he was legal. Jack liked this ride.

Checking out the horses. Not sure what he thought about them.

Paci Free!

2009-06-20T14:36:00.001-07:00

We have been talking about doing away with the pacifiers for a while now. I think since his 12 month doctor's appointment when the doctor told us to go cold turkey with it or cut the tip off of it. But then he would be teething, sick, or we'd be on vacation...the list goes on. We decided about a month ago that we were only going to have them in his bed, for when he was sleepy, and that was it. But, somehow he would manage to get them out and would scream bloody murder when we took it away. Then we would give in again because maybe he didn't feel good or was teething. But then he started using the paci started being a problem while we were out because, when he would get upset, he would throw it on the ground and watch us scramble for it. So we decided after the 100th time of that happening at a restaurant Wednesday (possibly the one that gave me food poisoning) that we were doing it cold turkey. We knew that he was fine without it since we had stopped sending him with one to daycare but we thought bedtime was going to be a different story.

When we got home from the restaurant, I gathered up all the pacifiers I could find, in all their little hiding spots. I put them in a ziplock baggie and Larry had Jackson say goodbye to the pacifiers. Jackson hugged the bag and gave it a kiss and then went about his business. When we sat down to read our story he was not happy that he didn't have a paci to hold on to, and he kept asking for one and reaching out for his bed just knowing one (or four) was waiting for him. He was very fussy so we just put him to bed, with some teething toys, and he was fine. He hung out quietly in his crib for 15 minutes and then it all must have hit him. He really started crying and getting mad, so we went in to comfort him. Then he cried and we waited 10 minutes and then went in to comfort him. Then he cried and we waited 15 minutes and then comforted him. Then he cried and finally fell to sleep at 10:20. He only fussed once during the night but then quickly fell back to sleep. He woke up at 5am which is a couple hours earlier than usual and he would not let go of his knitted blanket that Grandma Trudy knit him so we're thinking he has a new love there. How quickly they move on.

The next night, Thursday, he only fussed for about 2 minutes before falling asleep and he stayed asleep all night. Side note: Which was good because I was up all night vomiting and other things all night long. Larry was such a good nurse and was up with me with a cold compress, emptying my puke bowl and holding my hair. Thanks Lar. Friday night he fussed a little and slept until 7 am. He is fussy during the day at times and asks for it, but he is also noticibly more talkitive. It is so cute. Hopefully things will continue getting better, which they have. I thought it was going to be a lot worse on all of us but who knows, he may still talk about this years later in his therapy sessions.

Having the paci talk.

You're not serious are you?

This is what I think about your plans.

I want my paci.

Blue bird, blue bird...

2009-06-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is Frank's real arch-nemesis(meaning not Jack)...the blue bird. He/she is such a pretty bird but it has recently been swooping down on Frank and squawking at him. When I was out taping him/her she started doing the same to Jackson and I. I'm sure there is a nest nearby and Frank is known to be a bird killer (and Jackson was chasing him/her) so I don't blame him/her but poor Frankie can't even relax in his own yard.

Jackson's communication and dancing skills

2009-06-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

The first video has Jackson saying his new favorite phrase as of Friday, "Uh-Oh", which he says every chance he gets these days. We also finally got him signing on video. He usually stops as soon as the camera comes out so I was happy to catch him on tape. Sorry about the gagging and spitting but he does that for attention lately (we also don't typically encourage 'naughty' behavior like throwing food on the floor). We are now trying to ignore it so we'll see if that stops soon.

This video shows Jackson's latest dancing technique. Very cute now but not sure what the ladies are going to think at the school dances. I really hope he treats them better than he treats that poor Frankie.

Summer Fun

2009-06-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well, summer has arrived in Reno and that means lots of outdoors time. Jack and I have made it a point to go check out different parks around town over the last couple of weeks, and also to play in the lawn and sprinklers. Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks.

After I worked on fixing up the house with my toolbench...

...and sending a few e-mails...

...I got in my Jackie-mobile and headed to the park...

...where I saw a bunny-rabbit.

...Then I picked some flowers...

...and climbed a tree...

...After that I decided to play on the big-toy...

...where I got to walk...

...and climb...

...can you find me?...

...and even go down a big slide...Weeee!...

...I even crawled through a tunnel...

...and went on the swings...

...I'm not so sure about those swings...

...Later I talked Daddy into running through the sprinklers...

...What a great way to cool off!

Update with pics and videos

2009-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

We haven't updated the blog for a while so here is a few pictures and videos of the recent activities for our family.

Larry decided to shave his face for a change and it totally freaked Jack out. It always freaks me out a little but this time Jack was so disturbed, I had to be strong for him! He would run away from Larry and want me to hold him all night. It took him a few days to be totally comfortable with Larry's new look. Larry got a little taste of what it felt like for me when Jackson wanted only Larry.

He did not want to be held and he was struggling to get away.

Jack would only look at him when Larry wasn't looking at him.

Here Jack is with his best bud, Frankie.

He loves to give him hugs. Frank usually just takes it but then runs away once Jack lets go.

Recent art project from "school." The teacher said it was made with water colors (those teachers are so brave).

Jackson is imitating a lot right now. Here he is trying to change the batteries in a toy that Larry had just changed batteries in. He loves Larry's tools so we went and got him a tool bench that he maybe likes. I think he would rather we gave him Larry's tools.

Here Jackson is being so busy and silly right before bed. He gets delirious when he is tired and it just makes us laugh. My camera ran out of space right at the end but it was sort of an appropriate ending.

Poor Frankie. Here Jackson was using the toy that Nana and Papa got him to terrorize Frankie.

Trip to Washington

2009-06-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip back to Washington for Grandma Barb's Funeral. The first picture is the last picture that we have with Jackson and her together. I like this one because Grandma Barb was happy, laughing and Jack is such a cute little squishy face.

The remaining pics are in no particular order of the rest of our trip:

Payton and Jackson. He looks so angelic.

Jackson meets Maria for the first time. She had been in Thailand his whole life.

Don't worry he shared...a little. Boy do I wish I would of had a bib for him!

"Hey guys, check out this green Washington grass!"

Family picture: Zephyn, Dawn, Bronte, Karl, Trudy, Natalie and Jackson.

Larry spinning Jack in a gigantic bowl which was used later by Nana and Papa to make tons of chocolate chip cookies.

So cute!

Visiting Dawn's pottery booth at the Puyallup Farmers Market.

Jackson would barely eat while teething so we never thought he would go near this chicken bone Nana gave him but he loved it. Here he looks like he is smoking a stogie.

The busy boy finally sleeps.

Happy Birthday Larry!

2009-06-02T21:16:00.001-07:00

Today is Larry's birthday but of course he had to work so we celebrated after work with dinner, cake and Wii. The cake is from The Backstube, for those of you who know about it, the desserts are delicious. There is a picture of Jackson enjoying some cake where he is slapping the table when he wanted more. We're not sure where he learned that since he knows and uses the sign for more, but whatever gets the point across. The rest of the birthday pics are of us playing the Nintendo Wii where Larry proceeded to beat me in all the games. My story is that I let him win since it was his birthday.

Peace of mind...Not priceless...That'll be $15 please

2009-05-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

So we went back to the doctor again today. I think they may start working us up for Munchhausen by proxy if Jacky doesn't start getting better soon. Jackson started feeling warm on Sunday night so we gave him some Tylenol and put him to bed. Then I got a wake up call at 2:30 am. I tried putting him back to bed and even let him cry a little. But he just kept waking up. Finally at 5 am I got him up and realized that he was biting on his fingers and arms. When I looked in his mouth he had red gums and I could see two molars starting to poke out. No mother of the year award here. I felt like such a jerk for not figuring it out sooner and letting him suffer by himself. So all day Monday he was lethargic, fussy and wouldn't eat anything. He had to be held or be sleeping all day. His temps were 101.8-102 when he felt hot enough to take it and then he threw up all his milk all over Larry(my smart boy waited 'til daddy got home). This was the first time he has ever thrown up, he never even spit us as an infant, so it was a bit freaky for all of us. So of course he slept with me all night...I hope that makes up a little for the night before. He seemed a little better in the morning but then he started pulling at his ears, which he never does when he has an ear infection, and then the last straw was throwing up the applesauce I finally got him to eat. I talked to the nurse at the doctor's office and she decided that we should take him in. In the end he does not have and ear infection!!! But he does have 3 molars coming in at once mixed with a probable viral cold that should be passing soon. The doctor gave us a higher Motrin dose we could give him since he's gained weight that has really done wonders for Jack. I hope all this illness means he will have a really strong immunity later on in life, like people keep telling me (to keep me sane I think). I'm going to share a few videos that show him yesterday and then one of him on his higher Motrin dose. It's like two different boys.

Mother's Day Fun

2009-05-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

What a nice day it has been. I woke up to a fabulous breakfast made by my two main men, then took a nap with Jackson, went to the park for a picnic and fun, got to watch the boys wash my car, and ended the day with a nice dinner out. I could get used to being pampered like this everyday! I can't believe it is already my second mother's day with Jackson. Last year he was only four months old and I never could have imagined what one year would bring. He is definitely the center of my world and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not really sure what I did with myself before him and I can't wait to see what another year will bring for us.

Here is a video and a few pictures of our adventure to the park:

He really didn't want to ride it alone but he loved it when I got on. The things we do for our kids!

Hello up there.

Weeeeee!

Does this mirror make me look too thin?

This is Jack's new bike with a steering wheel and seat belt. We take it for walks and even through the grocery store.

All Better!

2009-05-04T16:05:00.003-07:00

Today Jackson had his ear and weight check and everything went well. His ears look great and his weight was now 22 pounds with his clothes on. We asked the doctor what weight we were shooting for and he said 23 pounds but pointed out that Jack had his clothes on today and they could have accounted for about 1/2 a pound. I really think that he has gained almost that 2 pounds and that his clothes were not that heavy but whatever. He almost got out of his 15 month shots because the nurse didn't have the Varacilla but the doctor decided he wanted him to have the MMR so in the end he got his MMR and Hep A immunizations. He was not so happy about that but we premedicated with Tylenol so hopefully his reaction will not be too bad. These are his first live immunizations so he will probably not feel good for a few days. Oh joy. It seems like we just got our baby back and now he may get sick again. Poor baby. Our next appointment is at 18 months and hopefully we won't have to see the doctor again until then. Here are a few pictures of him recently and also another piece of daycare artwork.

Jack and Frank Round 3

2009-04-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well, amidst all the ear and sinus infections around here (somehow I've (Larry) managed to dodge them) there is still some pretty hilarious antics from Jack. On Sunday we were trying to get some yard work done, and Jack was being really good about helping out. Well before too long he found a branch that we had pruned and decided it would make a fun toy to harass Frank with. Now, you may have already seen the 'Jack and Frank' and 'Jack and Frank round 2' videos, so without further ado I give you the third installment in the epic feud...'Jack and Frank round 3--Walk Softly and Carry A Big Stick.'

Sicko's Paraphernalia

2009-04-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am now on antibiotics as well. I finally went to the doctor with the encouragement of Larry and my mom. I have been sick since Easter and apparently my cold turned into a sinus infection. Oh lovely. So now I too will be on 10 days of antibiotics and a nasal spray. The doctor put me on Augmentin and it's sort of funny because when I got it filled both Larry and I said, "Oh, it's a pill." We have been dealing with syringes and droppers for so long now, it seems that we forgot that not all meds come in liquid form. Anyway, we are hoping for healthier days ahead now that we are all examined and drugged!

Here we go again...part two

2009-04-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Jackson had been seeming to be getting better during the week. Then on Friday night he was feeling warm so we gave him some Tylenol before bed. He woke up okay but then throughout the day Saturday was a bit fussy and warm so Larry was keeping him medicated. Before he went to bed that night his temp was 99.6 so we went ahead and gave him something for that and put him to bed. At 12:30am he woke up screaming and his temp was 103.2. We gave him some Motrin and called the on-call nurse from our pediatricians office. She put us through to the doctor on call (Dr. Soble) but by the time she got back to us we had taken his temp again and his temp was down to 102.5. She advised us to keep him home and take him to the pediatric urgent care in the morning as long as he was drinking and "acting like himself." Well after his Motrin really kicked in he was giggling, clapping and literally running around the house. Larry finally got him back down to bed about 3:00am. He then woke up at 6:45am crying while laying on his belly and turing his head back and forth. Usually he is standing up and more yelling for us so I was already concerned. I went in there and he started screaming, really hot and his whole body was shaking. I initially thought he was having a seizure and started freaking out a bit. I layed him down and said "look at mommy" and he looked me right in the eye so I knew that he was just shivering. We took his temp and it was 98.1 (all temps were rectal...sorry Jack). We decided it was time to go to the ER so I was running around getting dressed while Larry called the on call nurse again. She again put us through to the doctor who told us that this is normal for a breaking of fever so as long as everything else was the same she was going to make an appointment for us at the clinic so we could get the first spot which I thought was really nice of her. We all went to sleep again and then when 9am rolled around we also tried to call the clinic to make sure we got an appointment. Now this is just like trying to register for classes by phone (anyone from UW will remember waking at 5am-ish to start calling and the hitting redial until you had to go to class!) or like getting good seats for a show, everyone is calling at the same time. After about 10 minutes of calling we finally got through but the doctor had already made the appointment so we were set to go at 10:10am.

Finally at the clinic, the nurse took his temp and it was 101.2. Then the doctor (Dr. Colombo) looked in his ears and both ears now are red and full of pus. He thinks that the Amoxicillian worked for a few days and then the bug that Jack has may have mutated and became resistant. Now Jack is on a new antibiotic called Omnicef "a bigger gun." He said we should now make our appointment for another week out so it has time to work. I asked him if we should continue giving him his Tylenol and Motrin alternating and he told us that doing that is hard on the kidneys so to only give the Motrin since it is better for pain control. You learn something new everyday...just one more thing to feel guilty about.

While we were at the office the nurse weighed Jackson and his weight was 20 lbs, 8 oz. (20 lbs last Monday) Now I know that it was a different scale and that this would be a big jump for him but it made me feel like our efforts are working. Not that we are really freaking out about his weight because we aren't, too much. I have talked with many people since our appointment that made me feel better about Jackson's weight. Dietitians, lactation consultants, friends and family. The dietitians from my work, and from Larry's clinic basically said not to stop breastfeeding if he wanted to (one of them telling me that since breastmilk is human made it digests and is absorbed easier and that cows milk is not anymore nutritious.), keep feeding him with extra fats and proteins but not "garbage food" and that we should chart him out on the W.H.O. breastfed baby scale. On the W.H.O. scale Jackson is almost in the 15th percentile. They also said that it is normal for breastfed babies to be big at first and then for their weight gain to slow down especially compared to formula fed babies and that they generally have more lean mass and not as much fat. So for now we are going to keep doing the pediasure and diet changes but also keep breastfeeding and let him wean himself when he is ready...or when I'm ready, whichever comes first.

Here are some recent pictures:

This is him today at about 6pm acting so cute and like nothing ever happened.

Sick & sad baby. "I want up."

Laundry bin fun. He came out of his room with his bin and kept getting into it and walking around with it on his head.

Frank rolled around in the chalk rainbow and then had a rainbow on his fur.

Chalk is fun!

Here we go again...

2009-04-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Poor Jackson has an ear infection again. He has not been too fussy or showing any obvious signs but has had a mild cold and he started getting a fever on Saturday. We had his 15 month pediatrician appt. today anyway so we just gave him Tylenol until then. When the doctor checked his ears as a normal part of his check-up he noticed that his right ear was infected. The doctor thinks that Jackson has a high pain tolerance and so that's why he doesn't show any outward signs until it ruptures like last time. Thank goodness we got him in before that happened this time. We now have a plan with the doctor that if he has a temp. for three days we need to get him to the doctor for an ear check. So now we have to do 10 days of antibiotics and another appt. in 2 weeks where he will also get his immuniations that we held off on today.

Other news with this appt. was that Jackson is in the 50th percentile for height (31 inches) and head circumference but in the 5th percentile for weight. He has been heading down in the weight chart for a while now but the doctor finally made a plan for turning it around. I don't think anyone was really concerned about it until now, including us. So the plan now is to plaster his food with butter, olive oil and also to add pediasure into his diet. The pediasure is higher in calories than the cows milk and has lots more nutrients. Jackson has been weaning from breastfeeding but the doctor says that we should stop cold turkey after the ear infection is gone since the breastmilk is not enough calories for him. He also suggests stopping the pacifier cold turkey as well soon. I'm not sure how all this is going to go but I'm sure we'll keep you posted.

Easter Videos

2009-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

We made a video today of Jackson eating his chocolate bunny that we thought was pretty cute.

We also made one of him and Larry doing some chalk artwork where he displays his toddler attention span.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day today with just the three of us. Chocolate bunnies, dying eggs, Easter egg hunt, and fun with chalk shaped like eggs! Jack and I (Natalie) have colds so we also had long, nice naps and kept it pretty low key.

I Love Chocolate! It seems he was more interested in the rocks than the eggs. Silly faces after my bath.

Here comes the sun...

2009-04-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

It was such a beautiful day today that Jack and I decided it was time for some yard work. We started off our day with a trip to Home Depot where we picked up a few plants, grass seed and weed killer. I did most of my work while Jack took his morning nap since he is prone to running down the driveway and giggling while you catch him just in time. So once he woke, we got out the pool that was purchased long ago for a few unappreciative pugs. We got out our Hawaii sand toys, a few bath toys and a good time was had by all. Jack did his part to water the lawn with the help of his shovel and pail while I watered all the plants with miracle grow. All our neighbors had a good time watching Jack get in and out of the pool and trying to drink the water straight from the hose. Funny boy.

2009-04-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had taken pictures of Jackson in his one year onsie every month since he was born and we finally took his picture in it at one year. I guess we got out of the habit of taking his picture all the time after his birthday. Here is the first one and the last. It is amazing how fast our little guy has grown and these pictures really show that. Just looking at the squares on the blanket he is laying on is a gauge of his growth.

Hawaii Trip!

2009-03-31T21:58:00.001-07:00

So we recently went to The Big Island of Hawaii with our family for two whole weeks! We were there with my (Natalie's) mom, step dad, brother and his wife and daughter. It was fabulous and so much fun to see through Jackson's eyes. We got to do many things while we were there and Jackson had some firsts. I was so nervous taking him on such long plane rides but he did really well. There were other babies his age on several of the planes that were screaming, but he was fairly quiet, we just had to make sure he wasn't kicking the seat in front of us as he is a very busy boy. There was only one flight that he cried on but it was a short flight and it was only on the decent. We were trying everything to get him to calm down but he only stopped when we landed and I stood up. I tried not making eye contact with anyone but everyone had their theory as to why he was fussy from ear pressure to teething. I very nicely agreed with them but inside I was thinking...mind your own business and Get Me Off This Plane!

The first week we we stayed at the Kona Coast Resort which was really nice and we got the second bedroom this week. Yeah! This week we did some snorkeling at a few beaches. While we were at the City of Refuge there happened to be dolphins in the area. That was amazing and a bit scary. All of the sudden there were about 30 dolphins swimming in a group right past my path. I'm bummed that I didn't have my water camera yet. Jack played on the beach and really liked the sand. I think we are going to have to invest in a sandbox this summer. He could play for hours in it digging, picking it up and watching it fall and of course the occasional taste test. We also found out that he loves the water. He loved the pool the best but I think any sort of water would do. I let him play in a sprinkler puddle one day and he just splashed and giggled for a good while.

The second week we were in Wiakaloa staying at the Paniolo Greens Resort. This is the week that we got the pull out couch. Ouch! This was a very busy week. We started it out with a "skunked" deep sea fishing trip meaning that we did not have even a nibble...except we did catch a garbage bag! Saving the earth one bag at a time. We went to Hilo and saw the volcano which was amazing to watch, went to a zoo, a luau and a snorkel tour. Jackson loved most of it as long as we weren't in the car. The drive to Hilo was no fun for him but once we got to the zoo he had a blast. The snorkel tour was Jackson's first boat ride and he loved that. He tried walking around the boat as it rocked and he fell all over the place, he loved the wind as the boat was going, he would put his hands out to feel it blow through his hands, and if you listened really closely he would whisper "I'm king of the world!!!" He also went into the water with a little baby floaty which he hated and wanted out of, then he went in with a boogie board with a view box on it so that he could see the fish and coral but he didn't really understand and wanted off, then his favorite was sitting on Larry's innertube and looking through a view box. We have some great pictures on a water camera that I have to develop still, which will hopefully turn out.

Here are some pictures of our adventure:

Park, Project and Pretty Girls!

2009-03-08T21:15:00.001-07:00

We visited Whitiker Park near our house for the first time the other day and it was a lot of fun. We didn't want to leave but it was way too windy and Jack's nose and hands were frozen. We let him walk when we were leaving and he kept turning around to head back to the play area. Can't wait for the warmer weather so we can go and stay longer.

Here is Jackson's latest project from "school." It is a heart that he finger painted and a picture of him bouncing out of the center. So cute!

The other day an old friend of ours, Amy, from work came to Reno for a visit and Jackson got to meet her little girl, Isabella, for the first time. Isabella kept saying baby to Jackson even though she is only 7 months older and about the same size. She was hugging and kissing him. Sorry to the other ladies out there!

Bubbles

2009-03-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Jackson walking around like a pro and enjoying the bubbles. I think in actuality, the dogs are enjoying the bubbles more than him and he is doing more dodging the pugs and playing, but as long as he is having fun. Also, in case you were wondering after watching the video: the "tatoo" is from Scheels, I finally found a bathing suit there that did not make me want to run and hide...as much as others have. Anyway while we were there they had a kids event where a guy was swimming in the fish tank teaching kids about the fish and the also had tatoos. Kinda random but Jack thought it was pretty cool.

In other news, Jackson is a genius in case you were wondering! Yesterday I asked him where mama's nose was and he pointed right at my nose. You could tell he was proud of himself when I praised him and he continued to do it a few more times just as long as no one else is looking. You see, Jackson is not a performer, that we know for sure. We know that he is capable of doing a lot of signs and saying Hi, Mama and Dada but it is very fleeting. He probably won't do this trick again for a few weeks or months but that's okay. We are willing to wait and try 100 times to get it on tape...we have the many shots of "nothing" to prove it.

We have the all clear

2009-03-02T11:48:00.001-08:00

Today Jackson and I went to the pediatrician for a check up on his ears post ear infection and rupture. I am happy to report that his right ear looks great and his left ear, that had ruptured, has totally healed over on it's own. He can now dunk his head, get water in his ears and will not have to put anything in his ears afterwards. No drops and no ear plugs. I am grateful for that since I was already contemplating how I was going to keep those in while we are in Hawaii and swimming all the time!! I was sure that was going to next to impossible so I'm happy that we don't have to worry about it.

We're Stayin' in Reno

2009-02-23T09:30:00.001-08:00

We found out this morning that Larry was matched at the Reno VA. I have to admit I was relieved that we would not have to sell our house in this horrible market and most likely take a loss. I will not have to find a new job and of course be back on night shift and we also won't have to struggle to get Jackson into a good daycare. Now we can move on with our lives because we know where we are going to be living and that we don't have to start all over somewhere new. So all you friends and family in Washington, don't fret, we are happy and will still visit you as much as we can. All you friends and "family" in Reno, you're stuck with us for at least another year.

Jackson's First Haircut

2009-02-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

Jackson's hair has been growing into a little mullet recently so we decided it was time to get him his first haircut. We found a place in town that specializes in children's haircuts and so we took him in today. The place was full of theme park type decor and lots of colors and music. They had a chair that had a seat belt and little man drape. The stylist turned on a little cartoon and handed us some bubbles for a bit of distraction. Jackson cried immediately when we put him in the chair but calmed down once we gave him the car keys and started blowing the bubbles, that is as long as the stylist stayed out of his range of vision. They gave us a lock of his hair and a first haircut certificate and then once Jack was done they had him put his "token" into a treasure machine that popped out a little plastic dino toy. It was a great experience for his parents and only a few tears for Jack. Here are some pics of the event.

Notice the bubbles!

The stylist was able to follow his head and did not seem to mind that he was a wiggle worm.

The stylist made him a little faux hawk!

Check me out! Jack stared at himself in the mirror.

Okay, I'm over it now.

One happy, cute baby with his little good boy prize.

Jackson Walks

2009-02-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Jackson has been standing up on his own and sometimes taking a few steps but last night he stood up and was walking across the room. All of a sudden he is a walker! Today we have caught him walking several times and he is becoming quite the pro.

A few pictures we wanted to share:

Jackson being silly. He does this every once in a while and this is the first time we've caught it on camera.

Jackson's first art project from daycare. We aren't sure how much he contributed but we thought it was pretty cute and it made us laugh, so we wanted to share it.

Larry Matched!!!

2009-02-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

We found out yesterday that Larry matched with an internship program, we just don't know where yet. He will find out on Monday where. The way they contact you is by e-mail in the morning by 7am but you can check earlier and it may be up. So Larry got up at 4:15am and checked his e-mail but had not recieved one yet so he went back to bed. Sometime in the morning before my alarm went off Larry came over to me and told me he matched and I sleepily congratulated him and hugged him with one arm, then promptly fell back asleep. Then my alarm goes off and I get up and jump in the shower. Half way through my shower Larry scares me by all of a sudden showing up and letting me know that he matched! I again congratualated him and did a little half hearted happy dance. Larry gave me a funny look and said that I wasn't as excited as he thought I would be. I then told him that I already knew because he had told me earlier. Larry then informed me that he got up with me and had just opened a new e-mail that had never been opened and had just found out. He then told me that he too thought that he had already found out because he had a very vivid dream that he had matched. Weird. I think we must have been having similar dreams and that he was talking in his sleep which was leading me to believe he had already found out. I got major goosebumps in the shower when we were figuring this all out. Anyway, we'll let you all know on Monday where we will be living for at least another year. Keep your fingers crossed for somewhere good!

New Pictures of Jackson

2009-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Busy Boy

Classic sick boy picture: Snotty nose, crusty ear and Motrin in hand

What do I do with this thing?

Okay, how does it look?

Update

2009-02-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

We have been busy in our house recently with everyone going through various illnesses. Larry had a horrible range of symptoms I'm sure he would like kept private! Jackson's had a cold for a week that turned into a horrible ear infection. The left ear ruptured less than an hour before I got him to the doctor so we had to do 7 days of ear drops and are finishing up 10 days of Amoxicillin. The Amoxicillin then led to Jack's first ever diaper rash. Wow that is a horrible thing but it too is clearing up nicely thanks to some diaper free time and Butt Paste. Funny story about the diaper free time. We had him without a diaper and his onsie open. We were watching him play when all of a sudden he was looking down and trying to figure out what was getting his legs wet. He was totally confused and even though we had to clean it up we thought it was pretty cute. I then put a diaper on him with the bottom cut out for a vent hole. This was very cute until he had diarrhea. Oops. That was then end of our diaper free trial. I didn't really get too sick, just a tickle in my throat and a stuffy nose for a few days. Must be good girl genes.

Jackson is sure becoming quite the character. While changing him today, I was carefully wiping him, trying not to hurt his little red spots, when all of a sudden he tooted. I of course jumped and then giggled and for the first time I saw him giggle about tooting too. Then he did it again and laughed without me laughing. I would think that we shouldn't encourage this behavior but I think he's too far gone at this point. He's one of us! Another new thing that he is doing that we are encouraging is practicing walking. He'll stand up on his own and every once in a while take a few steps. He's really good at walking while holding someones hands. He's sleeping through the night most nights now. From 8:30ish to 7:30ish. That has been really nice. At his 12 month check-up the doctor told us to stop feeding him at night and to just lay him back down and tell him it's night time. I thought he was crazy but it totally worked. I did not realize how tired I was before but now I'm loving my sleep. I think that's all that's new these days. I'll try and post some cute pics we took recently.

Welcome

2009-02-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been following Jack's first year, we decided to move our website to this page. For those of you that are new, this website is a way to keep those of you who don't live near us updated on our lives and Jackson's new adventures. We hope you enjoy our stories and leave us a message to say hello!