POP QUIZ!

Who is in charge at our house?

a)

b)

c)


d) A combination of a and b but NEVER c.


If you chose d you are the big winner—and obviously are very aware of how our household runs.

A little background on this multiple choice pop quiz:

Ozzy (a.k.a. choice b) LOVES ice cream. He actually loves any ‘people food’ but this story pertains to ice cream. Mommy is such a nice lady that she buys Ozzy little vanilla ice cream cups for him to snack on. Well occasionally, Mommy would like a little vanilla ice cream cup for herself. Ozzy can hear the freezer open and an ice cream cup coming out literally from upstairs with the door shut and therefore it is nearly impossible to get one out without him knowing it. One night about a month ago late at night Mommy and Ozzy are curled up on the couch watching t.v. when Mommy decides an ice cream cup sounds good. She slowly and very quietly gets off the couch, tip toes into the kitchen trying not to wake Ozzy. She then opens the refrigerator door and moves stuff around to make noise so Ozzy does not hear the freezer door open. Mommy stops, listens, waits……….not a peep from Ozzy! She continues to make noise in the fridge as she lifts out the ice cream cup and peels back the lid. Success! Just as she is about to get her first spoonful out……….she hears an 80 lb. dog jump off the couch and come into the kitchen! Of course Mommy is unable to just say no and shares her ice cream with Ozzy. This is reason #1 why answer c is not correct.

Reason #2 A few weeks after the ice cream incident it was again late at night. Mommy is headed to bed and decides to check on Jace (a.k.a choice a) first. She tip toes into his room, sighs as she leans over Jace’s crib to see her sleeping baby---only to see her sweet baby is laying there AWAKE! No matter how hard she tries to make herself invisible, it is too late! The damage is done and she has been seen! Jace proceeds to cry until she picks him up! Never again will this happen to super Mommy! So a week or so later, Mommy is again headed up to bed late at night. She argues with herself on whether or not to check on her sweet, (possibly) sleeping baby. Finally her motherly instinct overcomes her and she enters his room. Ahh he is asleep! But just then Jace moves a fraction of an inch and Mommy……hits the deck! Yes she literally throws herself on the floor at the slightest movement of Jace’s limbs. She then proceeds to army crawl out of his bedroom in fear that she will be spotted. This is the second reason why answer c is not correct.

Please understand that these are only 2 of many, many, MANY similar incidents confirming that Mommy is indeed NOT in charge. Some of you may be wondering why a certain Daddy was not included in this quiz…….simply because he is so far off from being in charge it would have been a giveaway to even have him as an option on our quiz!

Our Little Superman

Surgery............what surgery? Anethesia.............what anesthesia? Not gonna slow Jacer down! Jace had his tubes put in this morning around 7:15 and by 8:00 you wouldn't know he had been knocked out at all. He was a little hungry but as soon as he ate he was as good as new. He went with the nurses without a peep, went to sleep as soon as he got the gas mask and woke up 15 minutes later with no problems. The doctor saw that he was getting another ear infection (which Mommy had suspected) so it looked like he was tubed just in time!

When we got there this morning the doctor gave Jace this little bear dressed like a surgeon--too cute!


Since Jace was such a big boy today, him and Mommy went to McDonalds for lunch to get him his very first Happy Meal. It was a hit!

The flowers you can kind of see on the left were Mommy's roses she got from her boys (Daddy, Jace, and Ozzy) last week just cuz they appreciate her. What nice boys she has!

This afternoon, Jace's babysitter Lori and her son Sam (who Jace LOVES) came over to see him. They brought him a balloon and bear which he really liked. He was so excited to see them--although maybe a little confused because they are supposed to be at THEIR house.


Thanks to everybody for their concern and phone calls. Jace is lucky to have so many people that love him!

Going Tubin'

Tomorrow is the big day---Jace's tube day. We have to be there at 6:30 a.m. and his surgery should probably be around 7:30. Of course he isn't allowed to eat after midnight so Mommy had big plans to stuff him full of food tonight. But in true Jace fashion, he refused pretty much anything. First, Mommy made Jace's absolute favorite food- pizza- in the hopes that he would eat to his heart's content. He took one bite and threw the rest overboard to a drooling Ozzy. Ordinarily Mommy would not allow Jace to do this and then get something else but this is kind of a special circumstance.....right? So she gives him his second all-time favorite food- nutrigrain bars. The kid has not refused a nutrigrain bar EVER.....until tonight. Sooooo setting herself up for even more problems in the nights to come (because this will never happen again), Mommy decides that Jace has to eat SOMETHING so she lets him have Oreos. That seemed to satisfy the little devil and he got one down, which in turn, got him to drink a little more milk. It may be a very long 15 minute drive in the morning!

Don't be fooled by all the food everywhere. That pretty much sums it up.......it was everywhere BUT in his mouth!


Mommy is hoping this bath lasts him for a few days before we have to start putting putty in his ears.

Sidenote: That is not blood on his head---it's the other half of his nutrigrain bar--the half Ozzy didn't get.

Some final 'pre-tube' Jace pics..........

Loving his Tonka Truck. He pushes it everywhere! He loves loading his Legos and hauling them around. He is getting great at putting his Legos together too!

Another one of his favorite things to do is stack anything and everything. When we are grocery shopping Mommy usually gives Jace a couple of things to hold to keep him occupied. This weekend he had all of boxes stacked up next to him in the cart.

Thinking he's pretty hot stuff!


That's all for now. We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

We Proudly Present...................

The New......................



The Improved..........................



To Never Be Mistaken For A Lady Again.......................




JACE!


We finally did it! Jace got his very first haircut today! He was a great boy sitting on Mommy's lap for the whole thing. He only protested a couple of times but a sucker from the hairdresser promptly put a stop to it. Jace is really such a little man now--with much lighter hair Mommy thinks. Watch out ladies!

From the beginning........

Look at those long locks......

The first snip................

Before the spikage!! Yes--the spikage is back!!!

All done......sucking on the thumb---and no worries--we left enough length to twirl.

Showing off my 'new do'



What can we say---he's a looker!

'Jacelessness'

Jacelessness can be defined as: living without, missing, or pining for a boy named Jace; extreme anxiety over of lack of new pictures on a blog; persistent questioning as to when new pictures will be available; a feeling of helplessness when one is not in close proximity to a boy named Jace.
Mommy included this definition in today's blog because she feels Aunt Erin may have a touch of 'Jacelessness'. So, in honor of Aunt Erin's undying love and committment to Jace and pictures of him, Mommy took several today just for her! There was no haircut due to extreme temperatures, so unfortunately we have no 'new do' to show off. Mommy is not working tomorrow so maybe then.......

Jace lovin' cheesesticks from Pizza Hut

'I Want You'.............to come visit me Aunt Erin!

Showing off his new walking skills (orange nose courtesy of sweet potatoes).

Extreme Closeup........


Hope that helps cure your case of 'Jacelessness' Aunt Erin. We'll let you know if the haircut works out tomorrow!

SNOW DAY!

Mommy and Jace enjoyed a snow day today! It was great fun staying inside in the warmth and working on some skillzz! Jace is working very hard on perfecting his walking. Mommy made the mistake of trying to help him by letting him hold one of her fingers. Now he wants to hold on all the time---or he thinks it is a game and takes one step and dives into her arms! He is doing well though--he seems to walk further when he is in others company (not mommy's that is).

Mommy was trying to capture Jace in mid-step.....until Jace decided he wanted to take his hat off! Still a cute little booger.


Jace is becoming somewhat picky about what he eats. A significant contrast to the little boy of '07 who would eat absolutley anything you put in front of him. It could be the ears that are making for a smaller appetite. Mommy still would like it if Jace put on a few pounds however. She finally decided it may work best if he started trying to use his own spoon. He LOVES it and does very well. There are the occasional misfires that end up in the nose or eyes but that is to be expected from the unsteady hand of a 12 month old. It proved successful today as Jace ate the whole bowl of green goop in front of him. Shhh-don't tell Jace but Mommy would have tried to refuse it too!

Mommy would also like to point out which hand Jace is using to hold his spoon! Looks like he lucked out and Mommy will get to teach him how to shoot a basketball and hit a baseball. Not that Daddy's right-handed way is bad.....it just can't hurt to learn from the very best!

To end Jace and Mommy's snow day, they (and Daddy) visited the ENT, only to be informed that Jace will indeed need tubes in his ears. They weren't infected today but there was enough fluid in there to confirm he is a good candidate. The surgery will probably be done a week from Monday. Hopefully then the little guy can get over this ear thing once and for all!!

The Boy With Nine Lives (or at least four)...........

Yes, we have had several brushes with death this weekend. It appears Jace is somewhat cat-like and is able to bounce right back until there is another 'incident'. The first incident occurred while eating pizza--this is one of Jace's favorite foods so apparently more was going in (the mouth) than was actually being chewed and swallowed. Consequently Jace choked, Mommy panicked, Jace coughed, and the pizza came out without too much fuss.
Pre-choke

Next, Mommy and Jace went to Walmart. Jace was not having the grandest of times to begin with--he signed 'all done' almost the whole time we were there because he thought that would get him out of the cart. By the time we got to the checkout, Jace really meant it when he said 'all done'--as Mommy is paying he proceeds to STAND in the cart. How he accomplished this, Mommy does not know. He was in the front part with his legs through the holes and suddenly there he was standing like superman. Again, he was sat back down with not much fuss. So later, Mommy and Jace are in a dressing room trying on clothes when Jace decides to try his superman stunt again only this time.....he dives. Yep, headfirst out of the stroller. Luckily, he has an allstar softball player of a Mommy who was able to do a sliding (literally) catch! Jace was caught upside down, was flipped over, and just stood there for literally almost 30 seconds while he and Mommy just stared at eachother in disbelief. Then....Jace slowly starts smiling. Little #$%^!
Who Me?

Anyway, Jace's final brush with the next life, occurred at supper. Yes, another choker--this time on a chicken strip. Mommy reached in, brushed his tonsils with her nails, and swept out the chicken. Ahhh, a day in the life of Jace!

In other Jace news, he now has 7 teeth. His second, top, front tooth finally came in so hopefully the ridiculing with stop (grandma and nana). He also got one of his molars. It was also decided that Jace is just too big for his duck tub (at least with all of his toys in it) so he made the switch to the big tub tonight. He has a brand new anti-slip Elmo mat to keep him from his 5th brush with death!
Out with the Duck, in with Elmo!

Jace's favorite new word is 'yes'. He still shakes his head 'no' all the time before he does something naughty but he likes to actually say 'yes'. It is pretty cute but not very accurate.

That's all the news from Jaceland. Until next time...........

"The Ear Infection That Could"

Jace's ear has been inhabited by a very determined ear infection. We have been to the Dr. 4 times in the last month and he is on his 3rd round of antibiotics. It looks at this point like medicine is not going to work so we have an appointment with the ENT next Thurs. If Jace's ears still look red, it looks like the little man will be getting tubes. Jace has nobody but Mommy to thank for this one. Small, oddly shaped ears (on the inside that is) were indeed passed on to Mr. Jace, which in turn means, recurrent ear infections--or in his case a month long one! Tubes weren't on the top of our 'to do list' for this month but if it means helping Jace feel better and in turn, us getting a whole nights sleep, we are all for them! Today (at Jace's weekly Dr. visit) he had his 1-year-checkup. He actually lost a little weight which was attributed to being sickly for a month. He weighs a little under 20 lbs at this point. He is 29 3/4 inches long--sadly he has dropped to the 50th percentile. Mommy is trying not to get too down about this--the 50th is still good--it is still a place she has never and will never see. Otherwise, Jace is doing great! He says 5 words--when he feels like it, does 3 spontaneous signs--when it suits or benefits him, and tells us 'no' without hesitation. Jace also jabbers ALL DAY LONG! Many people have commented on this, including random people just passing us by. Also on Jace's new list of 'tricks' is talking back to Mommy. Mommy is glad she doesn't know what he is saying because it can't be pretty. If he doesn't want to do something or gets mad, Jace yells some unintelligible thing, furrows his brow, and clenches his fist. If Mommy attempts to talk some sense into Jace he replys with the same unintelligible, but very forceful, mumbo jumbo. Ahhhh, the terrible 1's. And on one final note (one Daddy will be none to happy to be sharing), a haircut may be in the forseeable future for Jacer. He has been called 'her' 3 times in as many days. Actually two of those times were during the same out to eat excursion but by separate people. Yes, a trim may be warranted.
Please don't be alarmed--we would not leave without any pictures. Here is a sampling of what Jace has been up to as a big, bad 1-year-old.

Out to eat before sending Aunt Erin off to learn more about the chiropractic gods.


Playing in the snow. Please note that this fun in the snow occured at the end of Jace's 2nd round of meds when Mommy thought (key word being thought) his ears were healed. As you can see there wasn't too much actual playing done anyway. For some reason Jace couldn't grasp the fact that he could still move his limbs under all that clothing--hence the mummy pose.


Shooting some hoops. It looks like we have a star in the making. According to Daddy, Jace scored 8 straight points on Wednesday. And don't think he is a selfish player who can only score--Jace and Mommy have a play in which Jace passes off to Mommy, who shoots and scores. Jace then gives Mommy a high 5! Assist for Jace!

Last Hurrah!

Jace's 3 week stint of non-stop partying and present opening ended today. He had his final birthday party and although Mommy was sad to see the occasion come to an end, it was a blessing because there is no longer ANY open floor space in the house! Jace had a great time celebrating with family and friends. Many of his friends spent quite a bit of time in the car to see him and he really appreciates it! Jace's cake experience was much improved from last week. Apparently he really WAS scared of Mommy's homeade cake! Daddy brought one from work and Jace didn't bat an eye! He is definitely Mommy's boy--frosting all the way!
Checking it out........

Takin' it slow.............

Getting better................

I'm done!! Bathtime!

Opening some of my AWESOME new things!!

How you doin'????

OOPs--I think her Daddy saw me talking to her..........

Jace was trying to put the moves on his friend Taylor when her Daddy stepped in and gave Jace a talk. Don't think that will stop Jace though--he knows a cute girl when he sees one! Mikey D. is looking on in the background. Unfortunately Mommy wasn't up to par with her camera today so she missed getting Gaige, Davon, Haley, and Davion on camera.

Thanks again to everybody that helped make Jace's day special (in person or in spirit):)

PAAARTYYY!!

Today is the Day!! Baby Jace is now Toddler Jace! He officially turned 1 at 8:27 but who's counting? Jace had a wonderful day! He was so happy to get so many phone calls and well wishes! Jace's day started out on just the right foot--with breakfast. Mommy decided to make one of his favorites--pancakes. Jace was lovin' his Mama this morning!

Then Daddy surprised Jace (and Mommy) by bringing home this giant dump truck from the store. Daddy says it is just like the one he had when he was a little squirt. Jace thinks it is awesome because he can haul his blocks around now!


Of course the fun didn't stop there. Jace got to open MORE presents--including some cool cars from his Uncle Chuck and Aunt Denise!

But just when Jace thought his day couldn't get any better............you guessed it--it DID! Jace, Mommy, Daddy, and Aunt Erin went to Chuck E. Cheese! Jace got a few rides in before his food came.

He even got in a few games of ski ball with Daddy......

Jace had no complaints when it was time to stop playing to eat---he ate 1 1/2 pieces of pizza and 2 cinnamon sticks! The kid likes his food!

The last picture is a tribute to Mommy being the CHAMPION of air hockey. Please note that Aunt Erin should also be in the picture because Mommy beat her AND Daddy today. Of course Daddy is being a sore loser by holding #1 up behind Mommy's back. He was instructed to hold up the #2 (the first loser). This feat was even more amazing because Mommy was playing injured. A flyaway puck hit her in the elbow causing a tingling sensation early on in the first game. Mommy pushed onward however, and played through her agony. She is the Ultimate Champion!


Jace has one more day of partying before it's back to the real world. Happy Birthday Baby J!! We love you!

Ringing in the New Year.........

Ringing in 2007...........

And 2008...............

Hmmmm.....looks pretty similar--minus one giant belly!

Our New Year's Eve was pretty tame as was expected. We were planning on heading to an early dinner--like 5 pm--until Jace had other ideas. His poor little ears just weren't getting any better so we headed back to the doctor on Monday. Turns out his infection was still there only in BOTH ears now instead of just one! We decided New Years Eve in was probably more kind to Jace and any person who may be seated next to us at a restaurant! It was a great plan because Jace was MUCH better today. Even well enough to do a little shopping with Mommy and eat out with Davon, Haley, and Davion. Of course it couldn't be called 'another day' without presents. Jace received a new outfit and a xylophone from his buddies! Thanks guys!


Enough for now.....we have more lounging to do (see ringing in 2008 photo for more info).