Happy Birthday Brother

This week we wished Jack a very happy 4th birthday. We celebrated him at the beach with a dinosaur theme. Jack had the best day running, playing, digging and splashing. It was a perfect day for a little boy and ended up being a nice end of summer farewell for all the families. His real birthday was on a Tuesday and he chose donuts, panda express, and playing at We Play Loud. I truly can't believe he is four. He is still my sweet little baby boy always. Yesterday we had lots of Doctors appointments. Jack had his 4 year old check. He got 3 shots and took them like a champ. He is 25% for both height and weight. His vision was poor and indicated possible glasses, however the doctor thought we should recheck in a few months because Jack is literally mute with strangers so to ask him to perform an eye test was comical to say the least. He whispered in my ear what he saw and then I told the nurse. I've never noticed anything wrong with his eyes, but we will see. Collin had his follow up regarding his umbilical hernia with the surgeon. It's down 3mm since the last visit which is awesome. Doctor had no concern and said cosmetically he should look just fine with no surgery. Interestingly enough when he started explaining what his belly button will end up looking like it sounded just like Hannah and Jacks. Both kids were there so I had the doctor check them. Yep, sure enough they both have hernias as well. Just minor ones that would never cause a problem, but they are there. Every year on my kid's birthdays I write them a letter and I tuck them away in their special folder. Someday I hope they read them and see just how loved and special they are. Jack, welcome to FOUR.

My Darling Jack, I’ve often heard it joked about that the middle child is the ‘forgotten child,” invisible if you will, always playing second fiddle to the first born who gets attention and the baby who is coddled. I want you to know you are everything to me and 4 years ago you brought a light into my life, and a light that shines as bright as you could never be forgotten. You truly have a special gift Jack Bryant. Dimples that melt my heart and a laugh so contagious it brightens a room. You are always there as the first one in my life saying “I love you mommy,” “I miss you mommy.” You are so sweet and cuddly. You don’t go a day without t-rex hugs and ‘kissys on the lips.’ You come into my room every night and physically can’t sleep close enough. You are sweet, sensitive, smart, intuitive, funny and playful. You love your sister like something fierce. She is your best friend and the two of you love playing together. Usually house, school, pet store, adventure guides, family or restaurant. You follow her every move and she is good to you. I hope you continue to have the most amazing bond throughout life. This past year, you became a big brother. You absolutely adore Collin. Always bringing him toys and trying to get him to smile. You love to pick out his food and clothes every day. I’m sure you’ll be his hero. With the new addition to the family, I have really enjoyed all our mommy and Jack days. We’ve been out to breakfast, the beach, the zoo, gotten milkshakes and out to dinner. I hope we keep this fun tradition alive. This past year you also learned to ride your trike. It’s one of your favorite activities and yes we even allow you to ride it in the house. You’re welcome. You started taking swim lessons and love being in the pool or doing anything outside. You write your name beautifully and draw the most adorable people. You actually write all letters, can identify all letters and their sounds, count to 30 and believe it or not you actually read about 10 high frequency words. I think it came from you sitting with Hannah as she practiced, but you never cease to amaze me. You love learning any and every fact about animals and state that you want to be an animal doctor. I hope the passion and zest you have for life, love, learning and fun stay with you forever. Just looking at you and your sweet smile makes my day happy. Your favorite colors are red and yellow and you never met a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you didn’t like. You love playing games and cards, looking at books, running around outside, doing school workbooks, and just being with your family. Sweet Jack, I’m excited for the year to come. You are ready to take on more of this world. Very soon you are starting preschool and soccer. You’ve shared with me that you are nervous to leave mommy. If I could keep you safe at home forever I would my sweet boy, but then the world would miss out on all the amazing love you have to give. Four has come way too quick, I think the years pass more quickly with the boys because far too soon they become men. I hope you’ll never be too old to snuggle with your mommy, give t-rex hugs and kissys on the lips. I hope you always keep smiling and believing in yourself. Don’t take life too seriously… love/laugh/learn and play hard just like you always have. Most of all, remember just how much Mommy loves you, forever my beautiful boy. Happy Birthday!
I love you,
Mommy

5 Months

Sweet Baby James today you are FIVE months old. You love being held by mommy, eating baba, playing with toys that have been named Mr. Crinkles and Lamb chop, chewing on burp clothes and baths. You don't like being left alone, sleeping at night, or when daddy tries to feed you. You take 3 naps a day roughly 9, 1 and 5. You get your paci in your bed which you like and are a good napper. You go to bed easily at 8, but still wake numerous times a night. You slept through the night one time on July 28th 8pm-7am and I honestly woke up nervous that something was wrong. It was glorious and now I know you can do it so we keep trying. You always sleep on your tummy. You eat 5 oz every 4 hours and get a fruit for breakfast and a veggie for dinner. I think your favorites are sweet potatoes and pears, but you eat any of it. Jack thinks it's hilarious to pick out green beans for you, but to be honest you don't seem to mind them. This month you laugh, smile a lot, found your toes, sit for short periods, hold your own toys and chew on your hands. Hannah and Jack's favorite new trick is that you make the farting noise. You're actually pretty good at it and do it over and over and your brother and sister laugh. This month we also took a 4 day family trip to San Diego. Although you can't play yet, I'm so glad you got to enjoy the trip with us. Collin you are my sweet little buddy and I love you so much.

Paradise

This past week we spent four days in San Diego at Paradise Point. This is one of our families favorite vacation spots because not only is it beautiful and fun, but it is so easy with kids. The last time we went was three years ago. Jack was just a baby. We loved it then and we loved it now. I've enjoyed looking at both sets of pictures and seeing how the kids have grown. On day one we drove up early and spent the day at the zoo. I was so excited mostly to take Jack because he has a deep love for all things animals. The zoo animals really are amazing. Tim and I both pushed strollers though and it's very hilly so we were exhausted by the end of the day. I was a little nervous for Collin but he did amazing and enjoyed the ride. Some of our favorite animals were the polar bear (who loved eating carrots and swimming on his back), the penguins (who follow movement so the kids moved hats up and down on the glass for a good 30 minutes), the koalas, rhino, giraffes, orangutans, meerkats, and gorillas. The panda is always one of my favs, but this time was asleep and hard to see. Jack enjoyed the most random animals including the sloths and vultures. We checked into the hotel about 4pm and the kids couldn't get their swimsuits on fast enough. The bay is super shallow and I could watch the kids from the room as I was unpacking. The rest of the week we enjoyed playing in the sand and water, bonfires and smores making every night, paddle boarding, feeding the ducks,family bike ride, swimming, games in the hotel room and just being together. One of the most fun was riding the family bike. When Tim would pedal super fast and we all laughed hysterically. Collin you enjoyed watching your brother and sister play. You did awesome sleeping in the room while we all played outside. It was a much needed family vacation and we all can't wait to go back.