Harrington House

My Jack's Haircut

Against my better judgement, I hauled Jack Jack into an actual hair salon (as opposed to my kitchen counter) and asked a stranger to just trim his hair up a bit.  I begged for her mercy and forgiveness as she was about to discover his hair was the product of my two years' worth of playing kitchen beautician.  When she got started, I explained that I "like it a longer as he is still a baby."  I watched on as she chopped off all my baby's pretty hair.  Wringing my hands.  Gritting my teeth.  Minutes later, she was done.  And that's when it happened.  Right then, I witnessed a little boy hop out of the chair where I had just set my baby.  

Jack Fell Down & Broke His Crown

(This is Jack's new smile.  It is, as you can see, an extremely aggressive attempt to show every tooth he has managed to grow in his little head.  Bless his heart, I love it.  And, yes, he is inside my dryer.)

 

Oh, Jack Jack.  You, my son, are some kind of something.

The other day Jack had an incident.  An accident, rather.  It was aptly dubbed by my friend Karen as the day Jack fell down and broke his crown.  Praise the Lord...and I mean, praise the Lord, that he is well and with not so much as a scratch or knot.  He fell down the entire flight of stairs.  Hardwood stairs.  I was actually at a Wednesday night group with some friends from church, and Mike was home with the babies.  They were at the top of the stairs together, fixing to go down, when Jack went bump.  According to Mike, he was running one step behind Jack until they both made it to the bottom, where he scooped him up to check him over a hundred times.  Amelia Kate's rendition of the event varies only slightly with the addition of a colorful four-letter lovely that Daddy spouted as he scrambled down the stairs after Jack.  (To settle any curiosity, it was the "sh-" one.)  Please, please imagine my face when I hear that trash come falling out of my 3-year-old daughter's mouth.  Of the many things I have learned during my three-year stint as a mother, swift retrieval of composure was the talent I called on at that moment.  I calmly told her she cannot say that word, to which she faithfully assured me that she had not said it ... but that daddy had been the one.  Oh my... Let us hope her memory does not serve her for this.

 

Rockingham Bound

Adjusting the mirrors...

Checking the radio...

Knowing exactly where the keys go... 

Lord, help...

 

All Jacked Up

 

It is just flat-out impossible for me to accept that Jack will be a year-and-a-half next month.  He is growing up before my eyes.  I feel like I am moving in slow motion, and someone has pushed the fast-forward button on him.  I never knew how much I wanted a son ... till I had one.

Since I was allowed entrance into the world of boy last year, I have found myself happily in the midst of things that were always foreign to me.  I am no longer a hapless, mystified bystander looking through a foggy window.  I am in the thick of it!  I cannot even imagine what is in store for me.  He is definitely all snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.

 

He just tickles me to no end.  He adores Amelia Kate, and he watches her every move.  I am sure he is learning all her tricks ... and cooking up ways to perfect them.  Haha!  

  

On top of that, the child has an iron will.  I'm talking a rock-solid, stubborn will.  

Despite the challenges that creates, I praise God for it.  I know with all my heart He has a purpose and a dedicated place in His circle for every child, including my Jack.  And I know that He will call on the qualities He gave Jack.  I pray for blessings on him that are his and only his, ones that are specific to him.  I love you, Jack Edward.  :o)   

(FYI:  This is the picture where I declared Jack Jack entirely too young to be wearing polo shirts.  Good gravy, I felt like I should be out buying a mini-fridge for his dorm room.)

This'll Be Done In No Time

After seeing this post this morning, I found myself motivated, digging through the garage for a paint brush, and muttering to myself how super-quick this transformation was going to be. 

(the point of no return)

Um, at what point did I become delusional and forget this was going to happen???

 
 
 

 Mercy sakes...

Every Momma Crow Thinks Her Babies Are The Blackest

All about Amelia Kate these days...

She is two years and nine months old now.  She weighs 27 pounds, her head is taller than my kitchen countertops, and she wears a 4T and size 9 shoes.  

She has 20 teeth.  She loves to brush them with her toothbrushes and "push-paste."  She unfortunately also loves to bite with them.  (We are working on that nasty habit, for which Jack Jack is most grateful.)

She will eat anything.  I mean...the child will eat anything and everything.  However, she does have favorites:  raw carrots, straw-babies (strawberries), blueberries, any and all meat, noo-laws (noodles), water-welon (watermelon), cheery snows (Cheerios), sweet tea, and muk (milk).  Oh, and don't let me forget shrimp.  Loooves shrimp.  In fact, she told everyone at Christmastime that Santa was bringing her shrimp for Christmas.  :o)  

She had her first "sick" doctor appointment just before Christmas.  For a mild case of swimmer's ear.  Bless her heart, she just loves bathtime.  

She loves for us to read books to her.  That one took a while, now she begs for it.  :o)

She can write the letters A, X, M, W, and O.  And she can count items up to 30.  

She is the perfect mix of girl and tomboy.  She adores her Barbies and always wants to wear my jewelry and wants her nails polished (even though she is not allowed yet).  Yet, she is always more than willing to play with the boy toys and dig her hands in the mud.  And she can (and unfortunately does) take down boys twice her size.

She is all potty trained up!  (Except nighttime...which she is about 75% there.)

She has an iron will.  I'm talking, hardcore IRON will.  But she also has a momma that's ready!  ;o)

Even though she is sometimes strong-willed and oftentimes wild enough to shoot at, she is always my sweet girl.  She is a great big sister (little mother) to Jack.  Despite the occasional "love" bites, she is very protective of him. 

Just Jack...

He is 9 months old now and weighs 22 pounds.  He is wearing a size 2T in his clothes and a size 4 on his feet and a size 5 diaper on his hind end.  He has actually lost 2 pounds since he has been so mobile lately. 

He stood up in his crib before 6 months, which had me fearful that he would walk early.  Thankfully, for me, he is still just holding onto things  and walking around.  He will stand up without holding onto anything.  But now free steps yet.  Phewww.

He has liked everything he has tried in the food department so far.  I hope he is as good an eater as Amelia!

He is still breastfeeding strong!  :o)

He is MINE!  Our little family totally plays out the dynamic of "Daddy's girl and Momma's boy."  Amelia is all about her daddy.  But, honey, Jack Jack is momma's.  :o)  I do promise I won't raise a wussy momma's boy.  I fully intend to raise this son to be an loving and thoughtful and faithful gentleman for his future wife!  

Both of my babies will probably never know how much I love them.  They will probably never know how much I pray for them.   I want them to know Him, love Him, obey Him, and serve Him every single day of there lives.  And to have that deep-down burning desire to do all that.  :o)  I decided a long time ago, before Amelia was even born, that I was raising my children not for this world, but for another.  By that, I mean that I want to do my VERY BEST to teach them God's laws and how to follow them in this world.  I very much know my children will one day need to know about the sinful ways that exist out there that way when they enter it, they know how to guard themselves from it.  I don't have any intentions of "sheltering" them or "putting them in a bubble,"  but to teach them and expose them to things at appropriate times.  I want them to serve God in many ways, especially by being compassionate and loving and "radiating peace" and just jumping at the chance to help the broken people that God will put in their paths!

There's Something About Jack

This is what Jack Jack's hair looked like just before bed last night.  No, this is not our failed attempt at The Brody.  Amelia Kate put a big glob of lotion on the top of his head.

She kept telling me to look at Jack.  And then I realized what she had done.  Bless her heart, she tells on herself so well.

 

 

Truvy's West

Well, I played beautician again today...only this time for Jack.  He got his first haircut today!! 

 

Now, sentimental ol' Me really wanted to have enough of a clipping to save, and so I almost postponed his first haircut.  (In the end, I did have enough...yea!)  With Amelia, I was just proud as punch for her to have ANY hair, even if it looked shaggy for a while, because I wanted her to have hair so badly!  (Truth be told, she was more than "shaggy"...she had a mullet.  Proof here.)  But now with Jack...well, even a little bit shaggy just starts to get embarrassing.  And I didn't want Jack to be running about town embarrassed by what folks might be whispering about his momma letting him look shaggy.  Do you see the hair hanging over his ears?

 

After his shampoo and blow-dry (no set)...

 

...I took out my trusty scissors that Mike had just sharpened, and I got to work.

Ta-Da!!

 

 

And, yes, he does have strawberry blond hair...for all of y'all who have been asking if it is just the lighting.  :o)

 

What a great way to start off a fresh, new year!!

Ain't Nothing Sweeter'n a Baby

Boy, oh, boy!  What a couple of weeks we've had around here!  It's been everything I thought it would be...exhuasting but exciting, stressful but sweet, busy but BLESSED! 

Baby Jack is such a sweetheart.  Isn't it amazing how quickly and instantly you fall in love with your children?  I just love him to pieces!  We all do...  Amelia Kate tries to kiss and hug him no less than a hundred times a day!  I cannot blame her.  ;o)

He wants to be held 100% of the time.  And I want to hold him 100% of the time.  So that works out just lovely! 

  

Today, we had a doctor's appointment with our pediatrician, Dr. K, and we were so excited to see what he weighed!  Now, Jack Jack loves to eat.  He gets it honest.  Our family knows how to eat...good.  Before we went in, I guessed he would weigh just over 9 pounds, and Mike guessed 9 1/2 pounds.  Y'all...he's ELEVEN pounds!  He has already gained two pounds and 6 ounces since birth!  And he's grown almost two inches!  I was in total shock!  I shouldn't be, I don't guess, because the child eats all the live long day (and night).  Oh mercy, my baby's growing up....   ;o)

Oh, my little Jack Jack...