Thanksgiving Prep

It has been wonderful to be at home during the Thanksgiving prep time:) Love searching the Internet for recipes, one day I want to do the whole big bird and it all, but right now I am spoiled as my Aunt Deb hosts it and I only need to bring the dessert. I settled on Pumpkin Chocalte Bread Pudding with a bourbon Carmel sauce! Preppy loves bread pudding, and I love him so it was an easy choice:) Mike was back in Louisville this week so it was just me and Jack with the parents, I'm 28 but I still love the feeling at being at home. I can only hope that at 28 Jack loves coming home to Preppy and I. Exited for the family time tomorrow up at the Pine Lake Pranke compound!

1st Road Trip of the Thanksgiving/Christmas Season

Our bags our packed and Jack is already napping in back! Always so much anticipation the night before we leave, not sure why because we've traveled a hundred times as a family of 3 and it's not like we are going to Antarctica, but I still run over all of te lists in my head. That being said I never get very stressed because I am always so excited to reach our destination, or the people we get to visit with at the end of each destination. We are crazy I feel like, but I'm okay with that, always creating lots of memories:) Thank goodness Preppy is an awesome driver and our new ride is like a dream to ride in!

P.S. First pic is of Jack dreaming about Chicago, second picture Jack's breakfast he is now eating 3.5 eggs a morning, and lastly my turkey project:)

Little Pumkie

Jack calls pumpkins "lil pumkies". My little pumkie is growing up so quickly! 

23 Months

11 Months

35 Weeks

Talking Jacky Bear

Love this age! He is such a talker these days. Not the best video, but too cute not to share:)

Fort Jack

What else is better than building a fort on a no-nap cold November afternoon! That's right at Fort Jack Christmas decorating has already started. Partly because the background Christmas music inspired us, and also because Jack likes to draw the trees. I knew Mom and Dad would love these pics as Ben and I loved making forts! One of the many great things about being a parent is having an excuse to once again do all of your favorite kid activities!

And Jack's Santa impersonation:)

9pm Bed Time

That's my bed time these days because this child is wearing me out! I know he's learning and exploring and it's exhausting! Jack loves to "help", but really this is code for making more work for mommy. Folded and sorted laundry gets thrown in with the dirty and give away piles. Fridge rearranged daily. I know every Mom deals with this. Just need to document this for older Jack. It does make me laugh. Sometimes.

23 Months Old

Today Jack is 23 Months Old!

Time for a "Jack Stat" update, as time is flying by and I don't want to miss a thing!

Height:37.5 inches
And side note I grew too, I made the doctor triple measure me! Officially 6ft now, when will I start shrinking?

Weight: 37 pounds
Rough estimate as he thinks the scale is something to dance on.

Favorite Movie: Tangled
You are obsessed Jack. The only thing that I can get you to cuddle and watch. She is your "pretty gurl", I am guessing you will have a thing for blonds:)

Favorite TV Show: Choo Choo
But really you just want the TV on something rather than what your Mom and Dad want to watch. You never watch Choo Choo you just demand it on. It's lovely. You want our undivided attention always.

Favorite Food: Anything

Jack is an awesome eater. Listener, no. Eater, yes! Smoked salmon, sauerkraut, artichokes, mushrooms, ect. Basically he tries everything and anything. I love this because I am on a major cooking kick and love that Jack is maturing his palate along with us:)

Favorite Activities: Climbing, Building with Blocks, Playing Chase
You are a climber Jack. Crazy child! You give me a heart attack daily.

Potty Training Progress: None
Jack knows what a "Yuck" is and grabs a diaper and lays down to be changed. But I don't think we are ready for potty training yet. There is the occasional wrestling match to get a new diaper on, but for the most part Jack is compliant. He also says bye bye "Yuck" when all is said and done:)

What Jack Is Wearing:
2T Bottoms, 3T Tops, 9 to 9.5 shoe size. At 23 months Jack also takes all of his clothes off. Randomly at any given time. I have to remind him we don't live in Alabama anymore and it is not 100 degrees out!

Things I want to remember about Jack at this stage...

*Everything gets a "Bye Bye" or "See Ya". Daddy, Dutch, dirty diapers, the car, the Christmas Tree...etc.

*Every morning I have to give the run down to where everyone is. Daddy=work, Mimi=Chicago, Papa=Chicago, Lala=Chicago, Bobo=the Potty (just throwing that in there to see if Bobo ever reads this). After each one of my answers Jack then puts his hands over his mouth and laughs.

*You call things "Pretty", including your Mommy:) After a time out in the crib he yells, "Mommy Pretty", really loudly. The kid is working the system already.

*Your Dad is your hero. He loves Preppy and copies everything he does. I think Jack has started waking up earlier so he can see Mike before he leaves for work. Jack even hands him his towel when he comes out of the shower.

*"Football" is shouted on the weekends. You watch snippets and get excited to yell "Touchdown"!

*Brushing and flossing is awesome.

*Opening the fridge and taking out the contents and neatly lining them up is really entertaining.

*Dutch and Jack are now becoming snuggle buddies:)

*At 23 monts Jack is a great sleeper, a night owl, but so snuggly that your Dad and I don't mind you stay up later.

*Can count to 3 and point to the right ABC's. I am totally not trying to brag as kids Jack's age could or should maybe be counting to 10 and reciting the full ABC's...this is just for my Mom record book!

*You love money. When Preppy or Papa walk in you put out your little hands and say "Mo Money puhlease". After they fill up your little paws you carefully put it in your UofM piggy bank.

Jack Michael Postma, at 23 months you are full of energy, bossy, throw temper tantrums about nothing at all, refuse to wear a bibb so I have to change you like 3 times a day, hoard all of your toys, when you get something you like one is not enough you must always have "mo", totally hog all of the electronics in the house, and have amazingly selective hearing.

Jacky Bear, at 23 months you love to hold my hand, snuggle with your head right under my chin, put my hair behind my ear when it is in my face and tell me I am pretty even if I haven't showered and have mascara all under my eyes, you have the best laugh in the world and love to be tickled, prayer time at dinner is one of your favorite daily rituals, you love to help your Mommy out with things, your eyes light up when your Dad comes home from work and your big toddler feet race over to him and wrap your arms around his neck which makes my heart fill up with more love than I knew possible.

Every day has good and bad, but I have loved getting to spend each of the 700 days with you Jack!

Happy Halloween

This was Jack's 2nd Halloween and it was so much fun! He was amazed that his new neighbors were giving out free candy and all he had to do was put on a silly little Lion costume:) Mimi was here so she could hand out candy to the hundreds of kids that came trick or treating while we walked around with Jack.  The total amount of candy brought home was minimal because there was a "snack time" between each house. I can only imagine what next year will be like!

Our Favorite Kentucky Weekend Spot

The farm. In October we went 3 out of the 4 weekends. Birmingham had the zoo and Louisville has this little family owned farm that is just perfect for Jack. And let's get serious here, perfect for me. Ha. I love being on a farm. I think it's in my blood and I am convinced I passed on the love to Jack. Oma and Opa were family farmers, and I just learned my Dad lived on a farm for a little bit during his childhood (plus worked on farms during the summer). My dream would be to live on farm! Sure I would go into the city on the occasional weekend, but Jack and I are total country lovers:) Still trying to talk Preppy into the whole farm idea. When Mimi and Papa were visiting we even took them. Goats, horses, haystack, "Num Num", they have got it all.

It's closed now for the winter, so we are now forced to explore new areas of Louisville:)