Michaelsen Baby Love: October 2013

I read a blog post by a mother whose daughter was afraid her teeth were falling out (due to sucking her thumb) - the little girl went on to ask her mother to help her remember all of their cuddles, and all of their good times spent together. Out of self-preservation I'm dumbing down my description of this post because I don't want to break into gut-wrenching sobs again... once is enough for today. The post just inspired me to write down some of the things about Jax that I want to remember always. I have a book that I'm supposed to write in. I don't know how long it's been, but I bet it's been more than 6 months since I opened that book. So today I'm putting it out on the world wide web. People just keep telling me that once it's out there it can't be taken back. Maybe this will help me remember forever.

Jax is in such a fun stage. He can't quite verbalize everything he has to say, but he says it in the best way he knows how. I do my best to take part in his conversations just to keep him talking. I don't know if he'll have all of his words sooner, or later, but I love conversing with him right now. I know he has many more words than he uses. He surprises me all of the time with the things he says or whispers under his breath as though he's not confident enough to say it yet. The slightly-less-fun side to this stage is the increasing presence of the terrible-two's! Sometimes he can't quite express himself and an all out fit occurs. I'm doing my best to let him figure it out on his own, but some of them last quite a while!

Jax just started letting me read a book to him in the traditional sense, but there are certain books that he wants me to "read" to him in his way. In other words, he wants me to sit in a very specific place/way and he wants to turn the pages and usually show me how they move/open/change as I read only a fraction of what is actually on that page before he turns it or closes it all together. We have incorporated books into bedtime, though, now that he'll let me read them. He plays with an activity book or rearranges his room or "counts" his money in his piggy bank, and I read. When he's done he wants in bed. Lately he's actually been asking to get into the crib. Mama is more than happy to oblige!

He's started to want to play with people. He wants to be chased and "tackled" and scooped upside down. Sometimes - if I'm being too much housewife and not enough playful Mama he'll take a snack, tease Blue Belle with it and get her to chase him around the house. He's also been caught trying to give Katie hugs and kisses and trying to get her to sit on his lap. Little Casanova!

Jax is so in love with Blue Belle! He looks for her first thing in the morning "Where Boo Beh?" and constantly throughout the day. He snuggles with her, sits on her, rides her (bouncing on her back as she rolls her eyes in annoyance), kisses her (face, her nose, her head, her back, her rump), pulls her tail, pulls her ears (we are working on some serious discipline here). He is really pretty good at giving her a kiss, though, when I reprimand him and make him say he's sorry. Blue is such a great dog. We are so blessed with her patience and sweetness with him.

As for being disciplined, it's going. That's about all I can say about it. Most of the time he just looks at me closely with a bit of a smirk on his face - occasionally a bit of a question in his brow (what will she do if I continue?!?). Last month he still thought it was funny when I would discipline, and it was the end of the world when Daddy did. Now he takes me more seriously - sometimes breaking into inconsolable tears, other times sulking for a while, and still others, thinking about it and either choosing to move on or try again - which usually the second time results in angry fits. I have gotten his attention before when he was pulling my hair- and he seems to remember whenever he gets a little too rough and I ask him to be more gentle - he does! It seems Brian just has to say no and/or take him into the dining room and sit in the time-out chair with him and Jax's whole world falls apart. I guess we know who he is more afraid to disappoint!

A month ago Jax was ever-so kissy! Some days I couldn't be within 5 feet of him and he wanted a kiss. A month later and I have to beg for a kiss (he's much more willing to give them to Brian now-a-days). But they are oh-so sweet! Bed time and nap time were the sweetest - he'd get in at least 4-5 before I get up to his room (a short 4 weeks later and he does not take nearly so sweetly to naps). He has also learned about Eskimo kisses and he loves to rub noses. When he's finally done being chased he loves to climb up onto the couch and get zerberts. He just squeals and giggles the whole time. He also loves playing this game with Daddy (go to http://michaelsenbabylove.blogspot.com/ to view the video).

He's thoroughly entertained by the belly button right now. His, mine, Blue Belle's... any belly button. Half the time he just wants me to ask where it is so he can lift his shirt and giggle madly! One day he lifted my shirt and gave me a zerbert! As I was not expecting that at all I was the one giggling madly and - BAM - a new game began.

Jax has a booster at the big kid table now and does pretty well with it! He prefers to sit in the chairs without the booster, but he doesn't like messes much, so he'll go to the booster if its getting messy.

Jax and I went to Frisco with our friends Aubrey & Katie in September and I just realized I hadn't posted since before that trip. There are a lot of pics to catch up on, so lets go!

Even before he got his booster he loved sitting at the big table!

He caught me in a distracted moment at Aunt Tara's house and continued his bath - after we'd jammied up for the night!

Snack break while swimming at Nana's & Papa's

selfie family pics

Papa showed Jax and Scott how to make drums out of anything they could find - and then jammed with them!

The first time he wore his sunglasses (after a year and a half of me trying) - he had to do it himself. :)

We spend Labor Day in Iowa with the Michaelsen's. One of the best family pics we've ever taken! Good lookin' bunch!

Swinging and playing in the sprinklers with Grandpa!

Jax rearranged some (dog) furniture so he and Mia and Mocha could be closer to all of the action

Hammin' for the camera

We went to a Rotary picnic in the park and Papa took Scott & Jax up to sit in the Union Pacific train engine that their Great Grandpa Pestinger drove! They LOVED it!

The weather in Frisco in September was so beautiful. We walked downtown every day, a couple of times a day! Jax and Katie loved the freedom of walking with us!

Papa has a drumset in the basement that the kids loved playing! Little punk is rockin' the shirtless look.

Okay - not his best work, but he loves his colors! He just doesn't quite push hard enough to see them.

He loves hats. ...and things that aren't hats that he can put on his head.

He likes to pull me in, has me sit on the couch, and then he sits and "reads" me a book. So sweet.

We went to a couple of pumpkin patches this year. Jax had a blast at both! I think these pictures are actually in reverse order, but you get the point:

We went to Sunny Side Pumpkin Patch outside Salina with Nana, Papa, Tara, Scott & Austin

Jax and Scott love cats. They are both so careful and gentle and for the most part give the cat space. The loved looking, though!

I took about a million of this one trying to get a good one of all 3 boys. Our 3 pumpkins were too distracted to smile. The best I got was this one with the guy in the back doing the flying crane or something! That alone made me smile! (click the picture for a bigger view)

My gorgeous sister and her handsome boys!

I really just loved this pic of Austin and the Belgium horses pulling the hay rack ride. Perfect timing! (He's not nearly as close to the horses as he looks, and Papa is standing just outside the frame)