When Eating Gets Ugly

I would say Jack enjoyed his food a little TOO much tonight. He spit some out, got it on his hands, and when I came back from getting a cloth (20 seconds later) - this is what he looked like. He was proud of his efforts.

Memorial Day

We spent Sunday and most of today at Lake George. Yesterday we took a walk around the lake to meet the Light family and the Dixon family. I was excited to see a working TV with the Indy 500 on - so we watched the end of the race and Jack took a nap in the Dixon's sunroom. When we got back to the cottage, Jack got to see most of his great-aunts and uncles...and Tyson's extended family. We visited Uncle Bill and Aunt Linda at their new place on Lake James. It was a great time and a beautiful day!

Today was a different story! The rain kept us inside and made our drive home HORRIBLE! Tyson and I both drove, so we were in different cars. The rain was coming down SO hard we pulled over twice and then again for a screaming Jack. Not a fun trip. Coop & Tuck didn't seem to notice the storm or the screaming baby - they were sounds asleep in the backseat.

Some Shots...of Jack

Watching the President speak about the oil spill. We want him to be an informed citizen.

Looking tiny in Gramps' BIG, comfy chair.

Enjoying some time in his jump-a-roo.

Clevenger Family Fun

(Karley - OPEN YOUR EYES!)

We attended the first-ever Clevenger Family "Christmas" (in May) event today. It was a beautiful, hot day! The food was great, the games were fun, the kids were cute, and the heimlich was performed. (Grandma choked on hamburger and Jen saved her life. Jen = Superwoman)
We made Grandpa hold Jack to determine who had less hair. Jack was the winner. We'll check back in a few months (or if he is anything like his momma, a few years)
Four generations of "Clevenger" genes. The blue eyes are strong, I'm tellin' ya. Notice how excited Jack is to learn he is 50% Clevenger.
Matching IU hats. Gramps is his buddy. They enjoy singing Beta songs together. Sadly, the other day I was going to sing him Alpha Phi songs, but couldn't think of any - so I sang Beta songs from my childhood (I know WAY more than Tyson)

Hanging out with Aunt Gina and Uncle Joe.

Thank you for a wonderful day, Grandma & Grandpa! XOXOXO

Shots of Jack

Jack and I enjoyed a visit to the lake with Brooke and Molly today. It was a gorgeous day! Jack and Molly spent some time in the kiddie pool - Molly enjoyed it, Jack did not. At the end of the day, Jack was exhausted and sporting a decent tan.

Babes bakin' in the sun.

Shots of Jack

Jack, give us your BEST Michael Jordan.

Drive Ford?

Oh, how embarrassing...Jack was caught in a Ford outfit today (almost as bad as UK!)! He received this outfit from my Aunt & Uncle. They are VERY loyal Ford customers and thought Jack needed some reprieve from the GM brainwashing he gets at home. I will admit, he looked cute in it.

Jack also thinks it could help him win some brownie points with Molly's daddy, who works at Ford.

For the record, we love GM vehicles. But we also fully support American-made cars! Gooo Detroit!

"Heeeey, ladies!"

Shots of Jack

He loves chewing on a cold teether or our fingers...

Sneaking a peek at the TV.

Lost Pictures

Here are a few pictures I found on my camera from Mother's Day weekend.

Jack's first boat ride. As you can see - it was very cold.

Jack's face says it all..."NOT funny, Uncle Devin."

My little man.

The spread of food. My family and Tyson's family were able to enjoy the day together.

Belly Laughs

Last night Jack let out his very first belly laugh. It was music to my ears and actually brought tears to my eyes. Tyson was sitting next to me and I was telling Jack what a stinky boy he was... He thought I was pretty funny because he giggled for almost a minute.

And now, all I want to do is make him laugh so I can hear it again and again...

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Shots of Jack

Look at ME - sitting up in a chair on my own!

More interested in his new bib than his rice cereal.

(Thanks, Grandma Shirlee!)

Helped mom water the grass and plants. Sporting my IU hat to remind MSU fans that we have Tom Crean. (Thanks, Uncle Joe and Aunt Gina!)

More on Coupons...

I just have to say that coupons help A TON when shopping at Wal-Mart. I am not a big fan of Wal-Mart...spending 4 years in Greencastle, where Wal-Mart was our ONLY option, made me a little bitter toward the chain. However, today I bought a ton of stuff there for $77 and my bill (with my coupons) was $64.

And then, I went to Pet Supplies Plus and saved $22 on dog food and treats. (Coop & Tuck wag their tails)

So - I am a believer. I used to think that coupons never covered items I bought regularly, but I was wrong. The trick is - shopping around and being aware of prices. Luckily, in my current state as an unemployed Mommy - I have the time and patience to do this.

Weekend Wrap-Up

It was a fairly lazy, laid-back weekend for us. Jack was active though! He amazes us each day with how much he is learning and changing.

Last night he started crying at 3:00am. When I went to check on him, he was completely on his side and about one second from rolling himself over. Afraid that he would...and I wouldn't know - I brought him into our room. When I got up this morning I put him in his crib while I ate breakfast. After about 15 minutes of no noise I went to check on him and he was on his belly - a foot from where I had left him. He was holding his head up high and making little grunts so he could see out of his crib.

And finally, today during his nap - he apparently took part in the Hokey Pokey because he was completely turned around when I found him.

My baby is becoming more mobile. It's crazy and scary and wonderful - all at the same time.

Sorry...

My sewing machine arrived today - thus why I haven't blogged. I'm obsessed. And ridiculously horrible at sewing straight lines.

Stay tuned.

PS: No, Mom, I have not sewn through my fingers.

Shots of Jack

Jack recently received some coins from his Great-Great Aunt Mary. She requested a picture of Jack, in his rocking chair, with his coins. (Enjoy, Aunt Mary!) I started looking some of the coins up online and have reached a few conclusions:

1. I need to have these appraised...one coin in particular (from 1876) appears to be pretty valuable.

2. We need to purchase a lock-box ASAP.

3. Jack will not have access to these coins again until he's 25 (and can appreciate them).

Thank you, Aunt Mary! XOXOXO

Minor Set-back

Jack decided that he didn't want to sleep last night around 1am. He cried on and off until 2:15am - when I couldn't take it any longer. I just brought him into bed with me and of course, he slept like a rock. At 5am Tyson woke up a little and saw Jack there. He asked what happened and I shamefully explained.

"You know what you've created, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, a monster," I said.

"No, a Mama's Boy." I think he's right.

Shots of Jack

These are a couple pictures I took of Jack getting ready for bed. Bless his heart - he was SO tired it took him 30 minutes to fall asleep. He cries and flails his arms and legs. Finally, he wears himself out to the point of pure exhaustion and drifts off to sleep. He is also a "travel sleeper." Last night I checked on him before I went to bed and he was a foot from where he originally fell asleep and his leg was hanging out of the crib.

Today we went to visit my friend Sara. She is expecting TWINS in August (God Bless her). Jack is looking forward to having two new buddies to hang out with.

Happy One Year Anniversary!

You may recognize the shirt Jack is wearing - from the picture below...

One year ago today - we found out we would be expecting a baby in January. I had purchased the onesie a couple weeks earlier, on a whim, thinking it would be a fun gift for Tyson once we had a baby on the way.

So why the grainy picture at the top? Ohhh, because this onesie was a casualty in a blow-out of epic proportions. A blowout that required 8 wipes, a bath, and a haz-mat suit (which I didn't have on hand).

Being a planner - I saved this onesie for today. I hoped to be able to get a picture of all of us together again - except this time Jack would be wearing the onesie (and be out of my belly). No such luck. Fortunately, I snapped a quick picture with my camera phone to send to Tyson as I was getting Jack dressed this morning. Little did I know, a mere 3hrs later - it would be coming off (carefully).

It is currently in the washing machine and we have yet to determine if it will survive.

But - in all seriousness - it is amazing how things change in ONE year. We feel very blessed to have Jack in our lives. He makes each day better than the last.

Click HERE to see the first post ever!

Shots of Jack

Working hard during Tummy Time - I keep tell him it will pay off when he's ready to crawl!
He ate his rice cereal from a spoon and the proof is ALL over his face. He was LOVING it too! Tyson has softball tonight, so I filmed it for him...may post it later for you to enjoy. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it, but he sure has fun trying!

(Thanks to LaDawn for your tips!! They helped!)

After Midnight

In high school my dad would always say, "Nothing good ever happens after midnight." I think the quote is actually supposed to be, "Nothing good ever happens after 2am" - but he wouldn't budge on the midnight curfew and the quote helped his case. (to his credit, in Warsaw, it's true that nothing good happens after midnight)

Anyway - while my high school days of curfews are long gone...and my college days of partying are long gone...and my graduate school days of studying are long gone (notice studying happened in grad school) - I now spend my late nights enjoying ME time. I have been going to bed around 1am every night and surprisingly, my body has adjusted.

I'm excited to share that I just bought myself a sewing machine. It is arriving next week and I'm PUMPED! I've wanted one for a while - but the B- I once earn in Home Economics - made me think long and hard before I bought one. I'm hoping this becomes a new late-night hobby. (Sewing friends, free lessons are appreciated)

See Dad, sometimes good things can happen after midnight.

Shots of Jack (& Molly)

I can't help but think how cute these two will be in 18 - wait...I mean, 30 years - when they can start dating. (Or perhaps they will just be best buddies.) Either way, they are already showing signs of being an "old married couple."

Molly: "Jack, you should lay off the bottle. You're getting a belly."

Jack: "Hey -back off, lady."
Molly: "Look at my mom. Isn't she funny?"

Jack: "No. Tell her to stop making those faces. And tell my mom to stop too."
Molly: "Jack, want to go to the mall with me? I need to find a dress."

Jack: "No, I'd rather watch paint dry. Go ahead and go. My credit card is on the table"

Molly: "Sweeeet!"

Shots of Jack

Enjoying a lazy Sunday, as a family.

The Becker "men"

Following Doctor's Orders

I have been making a better effort to have Jack nap in his crib for every nap. And lately, he has been falling asleep in his crib at night and then coming into our room when he wakes (usually between 2-3am).

Well, I am happy to report that last night he fell asleep in his crib at 8:30pm - and didn't wake up until 6:20am! Breakthrough.

I will also report that I cried myself to sleep last night because he was in the other room. I know, I know...most of you think I'm losing it. Here's the thing - I just love him being little. I know when he moves to his own room, it's forever...and he won't be my tiny baby sleeping next to me anymore. (he'll be my baby sleeping 20ft away) You can remind me of this when he's 3 and crawling into bed with us every night.

In June I am going to Indy for a night - as in ONE night, less than 24 hours. I'm already feeling anxious about it. I have a month to get myself ready. Waterproof mascara is on my To-Do list.

Shots of Jack

Hands are delicious.

Yard Work

Visitors BEWARE: If you come to see us, we might make you mow our yard. Karley did an excellent job! If law doesn't work out, she may have a future in landscaping.

Oh, look! We got a new tree. (aka: bathroom for Cooper) The perfect way to say, "welcome to our backyard."

Shot of Jack

Royal Oak hipster.

Shot of Jack

Karley came up for a few days. She brought Tucker's best friend, Blade, to surprise him for his birthday. It was a great surprise. Tuck loves having a pal to play with - Coop is getting older and therefore, less fun.

Jack slept through most of lunch and a trip to Target. It was Guy's Night at the house tonight - Karley and I met up with Brooke for some tapas and sangria. Tyson said Jack was fussy. I think he just missed his momma.