Life's Lessons and Treasures

To My Sweet Jack,
Today I watched you eat your first ice-cream cone, all by yourself. I watched your eyes get wide and your voice chirp as you patiently waited while I filled the cone. Then we all sat together on the porch, where you "watched and learned" the tecnique to efficent ice-cream cone eating. You watched me lick my cone, then you licked your own cone. Then you watched Dad take little bites, then you took little bites. When it started to drip out the bottom, you tried to catch it with your little tongue but decided it was easier just to wrap a napkin around it like I did.

I know this seems like a silly thing to add to your baby book, but to me - it was very monumental in my life. I never in a million years thought I'd teach someone how to eat an ice-cream cone and there I was with my little two year old angel, enjoying one of life's ultimate pleasures and a few smiles and giggles. You looked so grown up sitting there with chocolate dripping to your elbows, and carrying on a normal conversation with me (about the trees or the flowers, the rain that was starting to fall, the birds, etc.). All the while, nibbling away at your ice-cream cone like a big boy.

You're growing up so fast, Jack. I will tuck these memories away in a safe place and cherrish them for the rest of my life.

Thanks for having an ice-cream cone with me today!
I love you,
Mom

World Famous!!! (in Harrisburg)

I made the front page (and back page) of the newspaper this week!


We attended the "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony for one of Dad's projects here with the Town of Harrisburg, and I was having so much fun in the playground that the photojournalist decided to take my picture (with Pop Pop too, of course).
Check me out - I'm a star!!!

Two Years Old!

What a great 2nd year I've had - I'm now over 32 pounds and I'm over 3 feet tall. My favorite hobbies are coloring, playing with trucks and trains, doing ANYTHING outside... and playing hide-n-seek of course. I eat all the time, I'm always hungry... my favorite foods are fruits and cookies and PB&J sandwiches... I like broccoli and carrots too, but will take the sweet stuff any day. I'm now talking in 5-6 word sentances and can communicate all of my needs. I understand everything that is communcated to me as well, which Mom and Dad love because they can ask me to do stuff and I'll actually do it! I'll be mowing the lawn before you know it! I'm still wearing my pull-up diapers but will go potty on command... though I got some big-boy Thomas underwear for my birthday and i LOVE wearing those too. Lately, I like to do EVERYTHING myself (Jack do it, Jack do it!)... anything from putting my shoes on, to getting in my highchair - and I get very frustrated when Mom or Dad tries to help me. All and all, I'm turning into a sweet little boy, I'm shy but friendly, quiet yet not conservative, I'm affectionate, sweet and tender, yet I'm also rough and tough. Mom and Dad are amazed by me every single day.

I've had a busy month... I had my 2nd birthday party - all of my friends and family came, even Bob the Builder and his side-kick Willie the Stone Mason (?) came!!! We had a blast - check out my birthday pictures here.
Then Mommy went away for a couple of weeks for work, and Grammy stayed with me the whole time! I had fun with Grammy but really missed Mommy. Then Grampy came to spend Easter with us... The Easter Bunny made a special stop at my house and left me all kinds of goodies and presents, plus he hid a bunch of eggs in the yard! Here's a few pictures from Easter.

The biggest news however, is that I'm going to be a big brother! Mom has a little baby in her belly right now (I try peeking in her belly button to see it but I can't see anything yet). The baby should be here by October 15th! I probably won't like the crying at first, but I'm going to love having a little brother or sister to take care of.

Back From Florida!

Wow - what a treat! I went to Florida to visit family, and while I was there - my newest cousin was born! Aunt Amy, Uncle Joe and Baby Adler are all doing well... I didn't get to meet my cousin becuase he's still in the hospital, but he'll be home in a couple of weeks.


I also got to spend a lot of time with my Great Aunt Mary Beth ("Aunt May" as I called her), her new husband Tim ("fun timmy" as i called him) and my Great Grammy Marie (aka "Mommy's Grammy"). We had such a wonderful time together!


Everyone was in town for little Baby Adler's shower, so I got to see the rest of Dad's family as well...Great Grandma/Pa Brun, and most of my great Aunts as well. Take a look at the rest of my pictures here, including my time on the airplane with Aunt Jill.

Maybe Next Year...

I just don't understand why Dad won't take me snowboarding with him at Jackson Hole this week...I bet I can shred it with the best of them! Maybe next year...

Happy New Year!

Christmas was a blast - I loved opening presents, and singing Christmas songs! I loved spending time with family and friends and I loved all of the wonderful Christmas movies that are only on in December. But now Christmas is over and it's time to look forward to the new year!

My New Year's Resolutions:
1) To be fully potty trained (I've done several pee-pees and poops on the potty already but I have a very long way to go)
2) To be comfortable with a big-boy bed (so far so good and it's only been 2 days!)
3) To one day forget about my binky (we lost it for a few weeks but somehow I got it back and with my new bed, I think I need it for another week or two longer)
4) And lastly, to say "I love you". I can repeat EVERY word I hear (yes - EVERY SINGLE WORD...even the bad ones) but for some reason I don't even attempt to say the ones that Mom and Dad want to hear most. Sometimes I just laugh at them when they ask me to say it, but this year I'm going to do it!

Take a look at my holiday pictures here. Happy New Year everyone!

Happy Holidays!

The month of November has flown by! I'm now 20.5 months old and growing bigger and taller every day. The doctor said that growth should slow down after 15 months but I'm not seeing that happen. I now weigh almost 31 pounds and am over 3 feet tall but it's hard to measure at home. I make mini sentances and can communicate just about everything I want/need to mom and dad. Life's pretty easy for me these days!

In November, we celebrated Dad's birthday, as well as Thanksgiving. Both were a blast because I got to enjoy the company of my family. For Thanksgiving, my Uncle Chris, Aunt Emily and cousins Sarah, Sam, and Ben all came to visit. Grammy and Grampy also came - We had a full house and tons of fun together! My favorite part was getting chased by Sarah, and wrestling with Ben. I loved watching Sam play with his little video game too, but I'm not sure Sam enjoyed my leaning over his shoulder and blocking the screen. :) We had tons of food, tons of laughs and just a real good visit with the side of my family that I don't get to see too often. Here's a group picture on Thanksgiving Day...

More pictures from November...
And now on to the next holiday - Christmas! We put up the Christmas tree and set out the lights, now we just sit back and wait for Santa!

I visited him recently to give him my list....I couldn't wait to see the big guy, but once I was there next to him, I didn't know what to do - cry or laugh? Instead I sat VERY still like a statue (next to him on the bench, definitely NOT on his lap though), I didn't move, speak, or make a peep. When mom finally said it was ok to get down, I ran to her screeming and burried my head on her lap. I love Santa and all...but lets face it - he's kind of scary for a little guy like me. Wishing you all a happy holiday season!!!

Fall 2007

A lot has been going on around here... lots of friends and family visiting (race weekend), fall festivities (Pumpkin patch), lots of holiday fun (Halloween). We've all been keeping busy!

First of all, my family came to visit for the race in early October - my great aunt/uncle, my auntie-cousins (2nd cousins I think, but they might as well be aunts), and all of my grandparents. Then after the hectic weekend, Grammy stayed on with me for another week, while mom and dad went on a trip to Mexico for their anniversary... I wasn't there physically, but mom and dad thought about me and talked about me all week. They even took a picture of me to prop up in the hotel room. :)

Click here for more Mexico pictures

I missed them just as much, though I had a wonderful time with Grammy. I perfected my hugging and kissing skills, played with a bunch of new toys, went out for french fries more than once.

After mom and dad came home, they took me to the Pumpkin Patch ("pump pump pass") - what a blast! Way more fun than last year... I must've walked a mile just so I could see and touch all the pumpkins in the fields. Then I took a huge nap when I got home.


And all of this led up to my new favorite time of year - HALLOWEEN! My cousin Grayson came over, and we both had our first real "trick or treating" event. We caught on right away... bravely walking up to stranger's doors and pleading for candy. Neither one of us could actually get the words out... the closest I got was "Trick mm mm" instead of "trick or treat". "boo" worked well...and of course "chomp chomp" which I've been saying for 6 months now. Either way- I enjoyed being a Gator for a night, and I'm sure my buddy the Lobster had fun too.

Here's my October pictures - enjoy!
October 2007

Sweet Dance Moves

I'm offering one-on-one lessons for those interested in learning these sweet moves.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

Skool is Kool

I love school! After my first day, I wasn't sure that I really enjoyed it, but now that i'm used to my teacher and the other kids in my room, I can't get enough of it!

Something that I learned at school...I love to color! And instead of just eating the crayons, I actually use them to color pictures at school, and I've actually gotten picky about using more than one color. :) This is my latest masterpiece (it's a duck with a real feather attached) I have a new drawing every week but this one is the best so far:

Today, when mommy picked me up, I stopped what I was doing and ran over to her and gave her a HUGE hug around her legs, then quickly ran back to the toys I was playing with. After a minute, I thought I better play with her too (didn't want mom to feel bad), so I went over, grabbed her hand and pulled her over to my toys to show her all the fun things I play with all day...then I pulled her to my chair ("shaya") and showed her where I sit for lunch ("unch"), which apparently is my favorite part of school...my teacher says that I sit there for 45 minutes...I'm the first one there and the last one to leave - I love lunch. Then it was time to go home and I cried and mom had to drag me out of there. But I'll be back next week and I can't wait!

18 Months

Time Flies! 18 months have passed and I grow more and more into a little kid each day. I'm now over 28 pounds, 35", and in size 7 shoes! My vocabulary is ever changing - several words actually sound like real words now, and I'm also putting 2 words together to make sentences (more cheerios, uh-oh fall, hot ouch, oh no, my dad, dump truck, trash truck, help me, etc.). I start jabbering the minute I wake up (standing in my crib yelling "mommy") until the minute I go to bed at night ("nu-night mama"). I have 16 teeth and eat just about everything though have started turning my nose up to veggies. The doc says this is fine since I love fruit and will eat fruit all day long if my diapers could hold it! :)

My favorite past times - playing with trucks, cars, trains, balls, blocks, sticks and rocks. I love stacking them and lining them up. I organize them based on type/size and create little piles with them (so Brun). I even like to play make-believe with my other toys...lining them up and moving them like a train, making train noises, or waving a block in the air and making airplane noises. I'm really starting to think outside of the box. :)

Dad has become my new favorite person- I still run to Mom when I'm scared or have a boo-boo, but lately - seeing Daddy is the highlight of my day. I love searching room by room for daddy yelling his name. I'm so intrigued by everything that he does (my new favorite word - "tools" since I've been watching dad do some work around the house).


A few other changes around my house...I started going to daycare for just one day a week, and Mom continues to be busy with new clients so this is helpful. I also have a new babysitter for Thursdays and Fridays during the day if Mom needs her to come- she's a sweet lady in the neighborhood that reminds me of grammy and nagy (except she's a bit more expensive). I'm also learning about poop (pup) and pee (pete pete), not sure if I'm ready for potty training yet (though my Doctor thinks so), but I now know where my poopy is and can point at it (in my pants, of course), and I know where the potty is but for now I just like climbing on it.

With Hannah gone (see previous post), I've now taken a new liking to Otis... Yesterday, Mom walked in the room to see Otis with my matchbox truck on his back (and the day before, there was a little purple octopus on his back) - he's been pretty good about letting me play with him like that (he used to jump and run to the other room when I went near him). Mom still tries to keep tabs on us though, because Otis is a big boy and he might be too rough with me. But I'm growing pretty fast and will soon be caught up with Otis. :)

Gotta run now.... I hear the trash truck coming!!!

Bye Bye Hannah

I have to say bye-bye to one of my favorite pals this week, Hannah. Of my two doggy friends, she's my favorite, but unfortunately she's kind of old and has become unpredictable with kids and babies, even though she slept by my crib to protect me for the first year of my life. Hannah will be happier in her new home in Colorado though - plus she gets to go on a plane to get there! We're all pretty sad about it but it's better for everyone in the long run. Mom and Dad try to keep us sperated to be safe, so I don't have many pictures with Hannah...but here's one from the other day.

To Miss Hannah - you will be sorely missed in our household. We'll all remember how you wag your little butt every time you're happy to see us, how you plop your head down on our laps to be pet, and how you lick our fingertips when we walk past you. You've been a wonderful part of our family and you'll never be forgotten in our hearts. Bye-Bye Hannah...

To Jack, On Your First Day Of School

To my sweet Jack,

Today is your first day of school, and I can't explain how much I love you and am proud of you. You were so brave (too brave)... you let me hold your little boy hand while we walked to the door and as soon as it opened, you slipped away from me and ran to play with your new friends, "kiz" (kids) as you call them, and the mountains of unexplored toys. And as I left you with your new environment (abruptly as we parents were instructed to do), I caught a glimpse of you through the window and watched for just a moment, mesmerized at how quickly you became a little boy, and how there's very little baby, if any at all, left in my sweet Jack. And now I sit here writing you this note to express how very much I've enjoyed watching you grow into the little boy you are today, and how I will cherish watching you grow into the man you will become. But in my heart you will always be my sweet, sweet baby Jack.

You only go to school on Wednesdays, and it's only a half mile away from home, but I know it's going to be a whole new world for you. This, Jack, is the beginning of your childhood, but please take your time for Dad and I, because there's so much more to come.

I love you,
Mommy

My trip to St Louis

My 17th month has proven to be the best month ever! I had a visit from Nanna and Pop-Pop (see previous post) and then a trip to see Grammy and Grampy in St. Louis. I had so much fun! We went to the pool a few times, I learned how to use the slip-n-slide, and we went to the zoo (rated the best in the nation), and all around the town! I loved the zoo - so many animals and cool stuff...my favorite were the turtles (terter) and the fish (ish) and of course the gators (chomp chomp). It was too hot to see the monkeys and sea lions though. I did however, get to cool off with the penguins - they even splashed and got me wet!

All of this, yet a month ago, I showed little interest in the animals at the Charlotte rescue zoo...I'm tellin' ya - I've had a lot of changes this month. I repeat just about EVERYTHING I hear (yes, everything...watch your mouth mommy and daddy), and I mimic everything I see...I know my shapes, I know my racecar drivers, I know my animals and the noises they say, I know my different trucks and the sounds they make, I can sing now, my dancing has definitely improved, and finally I can say "help me" instead of "eh heh eh heh eh heh" in a whiney voice. And lets not forget that I found my nostrils this month and I like to let my finger hang out all day in there. All of this stuff is new this month. I don't know if I'm on target, advanced, or behind but either way - mom and dad are amazed at how smart I am and what I learn each day. Next month is the big "18" - can't wait to see what comes with that!!!

Here are some pictures from Grammy&Grampy's house and the zoo. Please leave a comment if you visit - I'm starting to wonder if anyone is listening... Thanks Renee, for your monthly contribution. :)

Bye Bye Nana and Pop Pop!

I had a great weekend with my Nagy and GB-Pops ("Nana" and "Pop Pop" as I call them)! We mostly just hung around and relaxed. One night we went to the Whitewater Center in Charlotte for a few brewskis (just water for me) and dinner. We had a blast watching all the rafts and boats (or "bow" as I call it). We also did some house hunting and driving around. Mostly though, I spent a lot of time reading my books (boos) with Nagy.

Here's a few pictures of us at the Whitewater Center and a few more from the last couple of weeks.

Happy August everyone!

Happy Birthday Uncle Chris!

My Uncle Chris(K) turned 30 last week and we all headed up to Troutman to celebrate! I had a ton of fun with my Aunts and Uncles and my cousin Grayson... Even Aunt Anna and Aunt JuJu were there. Here's a few other pictures from the birthday party...click here

Here's a couple of video's of the big show that Aunt Anna put on for us:

Monday, July 16, 2007
The Anna Show

Photos from June

This is a picture of me wearing Grampy's shoes - a habit which I thoroughly enjoy (wearing other people's shoes).

Here's a few more photos from this past month - in chronological order. From when Mom and Dad went to a winery in the mountains, to my visit with Nagy, then Grammy/Grampy and Father's day weekend, then when Uncle Tim and Grayson came over for dinner and a few others since then.

Mom's slacking about uploading these days. Anyhow, check the photos

out here!

15 Months Old

I'm now 15 months old - what a wild ride it has been! I had my 15-month check-up and a clean bill of health with that. I'm now 25 pounds and 33 inches long. And according to my doctor, I'm doing everything I should be doing, if not more, for my age. :) Mom and dad are so proud of me and all the things I learn each day! Each month, mom says "this was the best month so far" and then the next month comes along and it's even better than the last.

I say a bunch of words now and communicate in so many different ways. It seems like the last two weeks have been spent practicing these skills.... I have a handful of words that I use regularly and I add new ones to the list every couple of days. I can say mom, dad, Jack, truck, doggie, duck, cow, big bird, elmo, cookie, bagel, ball, bye-bye, book, fish, chair, cup, star, car, bear, that, ants, apple, bumble bee...and those are just the words that I use regularly - who knows what else I'm saying that Mom and Dad haven't been able to interpret yet! And though I say all of these wonderful words - you do need Mom and Dad to interpret them for now, I tend to drop a few letters here and there. I also know how to get their attention to help me with something, or to fix something, or find something, etc. I point at what I want and try to pronounce it, which is much nicer than pointing and crying. I also mimic other people and catch on quickly - show me once and I'll repeat it right away (like playing hide-n-seek with Dad or putting mom's shoes on her feet).

When I'm not learning new words, I'm eating. I eat all day long and there really isn't much I dislike (maybe raw tomatoes and raw peppers...that's about it though). Hey - if I'm going to be running around all day, then I need to keep my calories up!!! My favorite foods still seem to be fruits and berries (all fruits and all berries).

I recently had a visit from ALL of my grandparents too - first Nagy/GBP and then Grammy/Grampy, two weeks apart. We had a blast! I was a little sad when they all left, but I rmembered all the games they played with me and I just follow mommy around with my books/toys and make her play with me like they did. :) Also, Father's Day was a ton of fun too - I made a plaque of my footprints for Dad to put in his new office, and we also went out to breakfast and spent the day hanging around.

I've got a new sitter who comes to the house in the mornings before my nap so that Mom can get some work done. She's tons of fun and loves to play with me. Sometimes we go outside and play with the neighbors too. Then Rebecca goes home and I take a nap for 4 hours so Mom can continue working. After that, Mom's done working and I'm done sleeping and we play and eat until the night comes. That pretty much sums up my life!

I wish Mom could write for me more often, but she can't turn her back for one second - that's all it takes for me to get up on the kitchen chair (and ultimately the table like I did today) or the couch or whatever else I'm not supposed to do. So, sorry for my absence, but please check back every now and again for new updates!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!

It seems like there's always something going on around me these days and I never have time to tell my blog viewers about it! And with the new season comes more work for Mom - when she gets a chance to blog for me, it's only after her work is done. Sorry everyone, priorities...I DO want to go to college some day and I hear tuition will be expensive in 17 years. :) More on this later...

Anyhow, since my last post - I've been busy perfecting my running, sneaking, taking, hiding, and whining skills. Yep, I sneak something that I'm not supposed to have (tv remote, paper from dad's desk, mom's cellphone, even a pair of scissors!), then I start running, I hide in another room, then I whine when someone takes it away from me. That's my daily ritual - it keeps us all busy here. :)

I've also been busy outside helping mom in the garden, and playing with the dogs.


I still have issues with grass though... I can walk on it but when I fall and actually have to touch it to get back up - well that's another story.

Also, my cousin Grayson had his first birthday and we all had a blast celebrating at his house. Check out the pictures here...

Now back to that college stuff - We would love it if you would join our friends and family by signing up with our U-Promise account. Every time you purchase a product with the "U Promise" logo (seen here)


a portion of the cost will be contributed to my college savings plan (no charge to you of course). There are thousands of household products already on the program (regular stuff like laundry detergent, cereals, soups, etc.). Every penny counts... If you'd like to join the program - Check it out here! We certainly appreciate the support - Thanks to all of you who have already signed up!

That's all for now - I've gotta go for a walk in the neighborhood.

Summer is here! (almost)

Just when I got comfortable walking indoors, now mom and dad make me walk on the grass (not nearly as easy as it looks). I just can't resist the outdoors though - so I'll keep practicing. Mostly, I can't stand the grass...it's itchy and uneven..sometimes cold and wet too, but Dad has warned me that I better start liking it or I'll miss out on all sorts of fun things with him. For instance - I went to my friend's birthday party last week, and it was mostly outdoors...there were all kinds of fun toys to play with and climb on but I had to get brave and maneuver the lawn to enjoy myself. In the end, the grass won and I learned that touching the grass was ok (after mom forced me to walk barefoot). Since then, I've been getting more and more comfortable with the grass - but I'd still prefer the concrete (maybe I'm destined to be a city-kid???).

I do love being outside though - I stand at the door and SCREAM when someone comes in or goes out and shuts the door before I can squeeze through (any door leading outside... my house has 5). So now mom and dad sneak in and out and try to hide it from me. One reason I love going outside is because it means I get to put my shoes on...I just love the way my shoes sound when I walk in them. I slap them on the floor with each step and it gets louder and louder. They sound the best when I get to walk in the empty house that Dad built. Maybe it's the hardwoods, maybe it's the echo - either way it's cool.

Here's a few pictures from the last few weeks...click here

Can't wait for Gray's birthday party this weekend!!!