Busted lip

Jace busted my lip open tonight. Complete with blood and swelling. He was just being rambunctious, and he jumped into my lap while head butting me at the same time. 

Cody yelled at him but I just sat there with my hand over my mouth and then had to get a wet washcloth. 

When I came back I was talking to my niece when I looked up feeling a small hand petting my head.  There was Little Man, looking contrite and searching my face. I scooped him up and hugged him. He smiled with relief and gave me the heartiest hug back. 

That boy may be loud, and he may be crazy, rambunctious and impulsive; but he has a heart of gold. Some may say he's naughty, that he knows exactly what he's doing, and that he's always up to no good; but I know not to buy into any of it. I heard it all before, and I ignored it then too and I'm glad I did, because he reminds me exactly of another man in my life who turned out to be pretty darn amazing: his daddy. 

Glendo 2014

We took our annual Fourth of July trip to Glendo Reservoir this year.  This is Jace's second time, and this one was epic.  

Jace's Birthday is July 3rd, so he will always have some sort of epic birthday party.  This year we celebrated with my family at the house, and then in Glendo in his other grandparents' trailer.

We all joke that Jace has one speed: GO and one volume: LOUD

He woke everyone up bright and early at 6 AM.  

With this face though, it's hard to be mad. He received a big wheel that fit his feet and he couldn't wait to get on it and go for a test drive.  In a few short weeks, or maybe days, Jace is going to have wheels once he gets the hang of it.  

Jace does everything full throttle, and quite frankly, as a mother that's thrilling but scary.  He got a life jacket for his birthday so he could get up and ride the jetski.  He was so excited.  "I ride the jetski!!  I ride the jet ski!!"  And ride he did.  He got on it and stretched out his little arms just as far as they could go to hold the handle bars, and rode it like a boss!  

Look at that smile!  No fear this kid.  He was convinced he was driving it too!

When it was time for fireworks, Jace immediately declared, "Wow!" and "Whoah" and "Cool!" and "Wook!!"  The noise, the lights, the bustle didn't scare him one bit; which is probably fitting.  Our own firecracker celebrating Independence Day!

Jace's second Birthday!

Two years ago I had my little man!  I knew it would be right around fourth of July, and I always thought how cool it would be that he would have fireworks for every birthday.  He doesn't need it though, because that boy is a firecracker!

He's loud and explosive, but he takes my breath away and has a beautiful soul and energy.  I'm in awe of him everyday.  He's determined and driven.  When he wants something, like to make a train work, how to work the iPad, or how to turn on the TV, there is no doubt he will make it happen.  Sometimes it's to his detriment because he gets in trouble for having his hands into EVERYTHING!  However, I know that his natural curiosity, determination and will, WILL take him far.

He does get frustrated though if he doesn't get something right away.  He's picked up a back habit I didn't even know I had,  of saying, "Come on!!" when something isn't loading fast enough.  It cracks me up, but I try to remind him to be patient.

He still asks for naps, unlike any kid I've ever seen.  He will go full throttle, and then when he's done, he's done.  He wants his paci, his milk, his puppy and blanket and he wants to lay in bed.

He's already ridden the jetski with his dad like a pro.  He had his short little legs strattling the jetski, and his arms reached out as far as they could to hold the handles.  He's proudly exclaim "I ride the jestki!"

I had a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party for him.  When he woke up, balloons were in the hallway and he came running to play with them!   When he saw his birthday decorations he excitedly yelled "Mickey Mouse!!" and "Pretty!"  He sure knows how to make a mom feel good :)

He says so many things it would be impossible to capture all of his utterances, but here are some favorites he uses:

I play with iPad
I take a nap
I want a bagel
I make a train track
I go to the park
Help you (says it to mean help me)
I watch Mickey Mouse
I go swimming!!
Where's daddy?
I go with you
I love you too!
I take a bath

Mothers day

It was a snowy Mother's Day here this year

You asked someone their name

You're athletic

You run into my arms

You are loving

You sang wheels on the bus all fru the town

Jingle bell.......way

I was proud when someone asked me how old you are

I come home, and you come running

I might be biased, but my little man might just be the best little boy on the planet.  Smart, talkative, energetic happy, loving, and funny, he makes my heart smile every time I see him. 

When I come to pick him up from work, I'm always greeted with a full hearted "MOMMY" and he comes running into my arms.  Even when he's doing something fun like the trampoline.  And the trampoline?  Wow can that boy jump! He is a little jumping bean, and now he has the song down "one two, buckle shoe, three four shut the door!"  He used to say one two buckle shoe, one two shut the door, but it only took a few weeks and he has it down pat now.

Though him and his sister fight, they always kiss each other goodnight.  I'm so blessed.

Spring Break 21 months old

We took the kids to Utah and to Las Vegas for Spring Break. Little Jace was worn out a lot, and like a kid after my own heart, he let us know.  He kept telling us, "I need a nap!" and "Go ni night."  Cody kept laughing saying he definitely takes after his mama.  The weather wasn't that great either.  Only 69 for the high, but Cody convinced me to go out swimming anyway.  I was freezing, but if Ashlynn was too, she sure wasn't going to admit it.  Luckily little Jace saved me exclaiming, "I code!!"  MOMMY I code!!"  I hurriedly (thankfully) rushed him inside.

He also started singing his own version of Jingle bells out of the blue!  It's been three months since Christmas, but he broke out in song singing, "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells....way."  lol.  He makes us laugh so much.

Sample utterances from Jace:
I love you too!!
Thank you mommy!
Thank you daddy!
Mommy, I hungy.
Mommy, I poop!!
I want a drink, cracker, cookie, tanee (candy), pesle (pretzel)
I run!  I down!
I read it!
I need a nap!
Ashlynn, here ya go
I color.
Answers basic yes/no questions

He's generous with his kisses, loves to laugh, pushes every button in sight, always has to have the remote, phone, iPad - can't stay away from the laptops.

Loves to sing, give hugs, snuggle, sleep, likes his alone time but also loves to play, curious, playful, wonderful.

He can sing his Abc's, Twinkle Twinkle, and the baby Jace song!

My little man

My little Jace is already 20 months old!! He is just a little bitty guy in the 3rd percentile for weight, but boy his lungs are anything but little!  Jace has been on a mission since he was born to be older.  He wants to be a big boy and do everything his sister does.  I write so much about his sister, I thought it's only fitting for me to write about him too.  He does new things daily and I want to remember everything when my babies have grown older and I am left with only memories of these times.

Right now, Jace can sing the alphabet.  Yup, the whole alphabet.  He also just counted to 12 by himself, without any help from my husband or I.  He replies with "I love you too" when we leave him, and isn't stingy with his kisses.

The other night, I came in late from work just as my husband had put him down to bed.  Laying there so sweet in his blanket, I just had to pick him up for a quick snuggle.  As we settled into the rocking chair he said, "dkakdjals...song." He has a habit of adding jargon to the first part of his sentences and then the last word is something we can all understand.

I wasn't totally sure he said song, and then he started humming twinkle twinkle little star.  I've sang this song to him since he was a colicky newborn, crying late into the night.  It's the only song that calmed him.  I happily sang it again.

Then today, I was looking for his washrag.  He quickly told me, "downstairs!  wash it."  I'll be darned if he was right.  I had just done a load of towels that I forgot about earlier in the morning.  Dang he is smart!