Happy Birthday Jackson!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J !!!!

Happy Birthday Jackson. Today you are 2! We are so proud of you and the wonderful person you are. You continue to amaze us every day. In 2 years you have accomplished so many things and overcome so many challenges.

In no short order you have:
Learned to hold your head up.
Learned to sit up.
Learned to crawl.
Learned to walk.
Learned to run.
Learned how to use a spoon, fork and knife.
Learned to talk. Loudly. Like Uncle Drew loud.
Learned how to climb stairs.
Learned to flush a toilet.
Learned to give a high five, fist bump, and do the bash.
Learned to say "please" and "thank you" and "Oh my gosshhhhhhh!"
Learned how to throw a ball (righty).
Learned to swing a bat and a golf club (lefty).
Learned to jump on the bed.
Learned to ride a tricycle.
Learned how to use an iPhone (no joke, he's a master with the pics and videos).
Learned to, dare I say it, SLEEP.
Learned to count to 10 and say your ABC's.
Learned about going to preschool.
Learned about music and the Michigan Marching Band.
Learned how to wash your hands, albeit against your will usually.
Learned how to put a quarter into a cd player and make it short out and then smoke....no kidding.
You have learned to laugh and cry.
Most importantly, I hope you have learned what love is. Your Momma and I try to show you every day what that is. We love you more than anything in this world.

Happy Birthday Jackson. We love you.

Still Terrible. Loving Life

I just can't seem to find a free minute to make a post these days. Sorry everyone. I am guessing that 3 months without a post has pretty much destroyed any hope of people reading this. Oh well. I guess that's what I get.

Anyways, we are still very busy. Moving furniture around the house regularly. Keeping Jackson busy with school, music classes, play groups and the Michigan Marching Band practices. He knows the fight song and the march now.
He also knows the Arizona Statefight song too (we are a Rose Bowl household, Big Ten and Pac 10!).

We just finished a remodel of the downstairs bath/laundry room. We had a birthday party for Jackson even though his actual b-day is Nov. 9. We went to the farm complete with aniamls, a hay ride, a hot cider/donuts.

Heather is doing well with her pregnancy. I fear she as just entered the last stage of this adventure. The back pain is becoming more of a daily thing. Climbing the stairs at home is getting tiresome. She's baking cookies again. Last time, cookies we're made at least 3 times a week. We've reached 2 times this week. I think we had a Costco cake last week to pinch hit for the baking. So I feel like it's official.

The new baby's room is coming together. We have a changing table, a rug, a dresser, a not-yet assembled crib and some clothes. I am really digging the little girl clothes and I have a feeling that I will be spoiling my daughter in record fashion. Is it over-the-top to want to put a chandelier in your daughter's room? Is it too much to think that she needs to have a $70 pink pettiskirt? Of course we should get her the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt endorsed Kingsley onesie. It was in People magazine. (Okay, that last sentence is further proof that females, no matter the age, will always dictate the male agenda). I have come to terms with this despite kicking and screaming the entire way.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our daughter as well as new additons across the country as a lot of our friends are expecting. We have babies coming to the Jackson family (10 days), the Russell family (December), the Schroeder family (May, finally!).

All that being said. There is so much to be thankful for. So much to be excited about. So much to love about life. Jackson's face can surely attest to that.

Horrible Bloggers - Renewed Spirit

No posts since March!?!?! What the hell...

I know......this was going to be a truly awesome Blog with constant updates. Like CNN for our family. Unfortunately, we have been offline for a while. Such is life. However, it is with a new sense of urgency that I make this post. I am a believer in the Blog and want to get is back to it's proper status. Normally the usual "We've been busy" excuse would fit here, however, I have decided that OUR busy is normally much more than the busy of every other couple in the world. Reasonable excuses to the lack of posts include:

1. Purchasing our first home. That's right. Heather and I bought a house. We are homeowners. And we bought an old house to boot. Built in 1916. That's old. Constant visits to ThisOldHouse.com have taken up a substantial amount of my time at home and at work. And we had a long, long process of actually buying the place. We closed on the house in April. We love it.



2. We moved. After the purchase mentioned above, we moved into the house keeping our streak of moving at least once per year alive. Combined total of moves for Heather and Derek since college (1995 - present) 18. Maybe more. All I know is that since Heather and I started dating we have lived in the following places (Alamo, Antioch, San Francisco, Hayward, Alamo, San Francisco, Alamo, and Ann Arbor). Keep in mind we lived separately until the second Alamo residence. Either way, packing boxes and moving them precluded either of us from logging on and posting pics and updates to the Blog. Moving with a toddler, not recommended.

3. We're Pregnant. J is going to be a big brother. He loves babies and being around kids. This is in addition to long walks on the beach, his mow-mow, airplanes, cats and baseball. So we figured why not give the kid what he wants. It's not like you can say no to this face.

I dare anyone to look at him and say no. Really, it cannot be done. Especially when he says "please". It's just not happening. So, Baby #2 is on the way. Heather is convinced it's another boy, I am still thinking girl. We should know in about a month.

4. Maintenance of New House. With the new home comes a lot of work. We bought some items that help. I have a lawn mower. First one ever. First time I ever had to use one. Growing up, I was very lucky. I never had to mow a lawn. Now that I get to, it's kind of cool. It's a very zen chore. And if I'm lucky, Heather brings me a cold beverage at some point to help cool me off in the summer heat. Mowing the lawn is just the start though. We have a huge yard with a massive garden. We are very close to cutting the whole thing and putting in a basketball court and a pool. It's nice to look at, but the work is a killer. Some parts are downright Amazon back there. Is this a weed? Is this a flower? I don't know, but it's 4 feet tall and there's more growing over there, and there, and there....

5. Play Time. Jack said it best, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Jackson is a firm believer in play time. So we do a lot of playing. At the park, in the yard, in the house, at the neighbors', at our friends house, etc... Personally, I would rather play with Jackson than blog. But I am going to try to keep the blog on my list of weekly items. See how much fun it is to play!



Until next time. Love to all and we hope to see you soon!

D, H, J, and Baby on the way.

Amazing Trip

Just a quick pic from the recent family trip to LA/Orange County/Las Vegas/San Francisco. The first leg to LA was amazing and Jax actually slept the entire flight out. Lucky for Momma and Dada. Unlce Kyle picked us up at LAX and we went back to the beach to await the kids getting up. Of course, they picked up right where they left off and we're playing and laughing together. We hoped they would watch Little Einsteins together but they got bored with it. Of course this did not stop the Dad's from tuning in, right Styles? This is a picture I took with my cell phone while we were taking our AM walk down to the water in Redondo Beach. Grace looks right at home while her cousin "Acksi" looks like he is seriously confused.

Jackson - "?!What?! Wait, it was snowing just a few hours ago...it was cold...I know it was. What is this? Is this real? Am I dreaming? Where's my wa-wa...oh! Ocean! Seaweed! DOLPHINS!"

Grace - Relax dude, you're at the beach.

Thanks again to Uncle Kyle and Auntie Jen for making room for us in their wonderful beach home. It is always so great to be there with you 3. More to come soon...I promise.

Derek

Mardi Gras Time

Fat Tuesday!!!! Ash Wednesday!!!!

Time for Mardi Gras!!!!

As you can see....Jackson is geared up for the annual festivities. He's got his beads on and he's is looking for some good times. He loves playing with the beads. Heather and I have a shopping bag full of beads from our trips to NOLA and contributions from Dave, Keri, Lexi & newcomer Lily! He got really excited taking them out of a giant bowl and then putting them back into it. Hopefully we will be able to take a trip down next year to see some parades, catch some beads and EAT EAT EAT!

Below you can see a picture of the GUMBO Heather made last week along with the famous Edna's rum cake. Of course I added my touch to the feast by bringing in some Abita Turbodog beer, brewed in New Orleans. I can't cook too well but I helped stir the roux. Thank you Aunt Bec and Mae Mae for helping us with our first go round. In case you were wondering HEATHER NAILED IT. Not that I ever doubted her, but it's a HUGE deal that she can make gumbo.

Love to you all. In case you want a taste of New Orleans, go get some Rebirth Brass Band songs on iTunes. Nothing better to get you in the spirit then Rebirth.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very very Merry Christmas. Hope the day is full of laughter, love, gratitude, and a whole ton of cookies. Hugs, D, H and J

Pictures with Santa

I have to admit...I got myself looking picture presentable JUST in case J was afraid of Jolly ol St. Nick and I had to jump up on his lap too. But, surprisingly...or maybe not so surprisingly considering his very social personality, the monkey did great! Waiting in line was a little not so fun, but once it was our turn J walked right up to Santa and let me put him on his lap. He wouldn't smile, but I did snap a few cute pictures of him "babbling" to Santa. The apparently clueless guy behind the camera decided to snap these....the one where he's fussing is my favorite because it's that classic "get me off this guy's lap!" face. He wasn't crying though because he was afraid...he just wanted to touch the raindeer that he was woofing at! Also, do you love the arm placement in the second one? He looks like he's elbowing Santa! This age is SO MUCH FUN. I can not WAIT for Christmas morning!

Naughty or Nice?

I just love the expression on J's face in this picture....he's contemplating, slightly suspicious, and very mischievous! I'd love to know what goes on inside his noggin. J is growing up so fast and we barely have time to catch our breath! It's amazing to witness him learn new things every day. He is RUNNING around the house these days and has a fascination with all electronics - especially the cell phones and the computer. If I had to guess, his Christmas list would surely include ham, balloons, pears, blueberries, frozen peas, a kitty cat or dog, balls, Bert, guacamole, forks (the big people kind), running naked before baths, and anything that has lights and plays music (preferably at the same time). He would also like it if he were allowed to bang on the computer keyboard for as long as he'd like and if we'd let him stick his finger in the electrical sockets. We are so incredibly blessed...hope your holidays are full of blessings as well.

Happy Happy FIRST Birthday!!!

We love you so much!!!

First Halloween!!!

No big surprises here...J-man was a monkey for Halloween. He LOVED his costume! D and I actually bought it last year, before he was born with hopes he'd be able to fit into it this year. We lucked out, it fit like a glove. As soon as we put him in it, he walked around with a big smile patting the stuffed belly - it was sooooo cute. Halloween festivities started on Oct 28th - Grammy's birthday - when we carved pumpkins with Grammy and Auntie Lindsay. Then on Halloween, Grandpa and Grandma Nikki came over and we went trick-or-treating in downtown Ann Arbor in the afternoon, then around the Old West Side in the evening. J got his birthday present from Mama and Daddy early - a radio flyer wagon - and loved riding around and collecting candy. He'd run up to the house, climb stairs if need be, then pick out a candy (or four) and then would turn and run back to the wagon ("Waa Waa"). He'd hold onto the candy tight in his little fist until we'd pry it out at the next house. He had a grip on a snickers bar for so long that it melted. It was a fabulous first Halloween - can't wait till next year!

First Tailgate!

Our good friends, Kirsty and Bill, came into town this past weekend. It was also Michigan/Michigan State game weekend so tailgating was a must. Tailgating out here is a "different animal." Growing up on the west coast does not yield the same type of experience you get at the pre-game festivities out here. Especially for this game. It was a cold autumn day but not too cold. We were expecting rain but did not get any which was great. I was impressed by the effort and expertise of the overall group. There was a row of giant Madden style cruisers set up at the high school across from the stadium. Each one flying a flag for their team. They show up on Friday afternoon after school is out. That's commitment. Most people had grills and some type of backyard game going. The real pros had giant generators running any type of appliance that could be needed. We were at the golf course across from Michigan Stadium and there were more people that I expected. The stadium holds 105,000 or so and not everyone goes into the game. So this is a LARGE event. And everyone is friendly. Really friendly. I guess when you break open the coolers that early, most people are especially friendly by 2pm. Either way, it was an awesome atmosphere. Young or old, big or small, maize and blue or green and white, everyone was having a great time just being out for gameday in Ann Arbor. We got to see four F-18's gear up for the flyover of the stadium.

Jackson was a hit with everyone around us. The ladies love him and the guys think he's pretty studly. He desperately wanted to play football with the older kids nearby but he had to watch from a distance. Some day kiddo, some day. At least he was out on the grass running around, not afraid of anyone or anything. He is getting faster each day and was showing his moves. He has learned to kick really well so anything on the ground was getting the boot. Cans, footballs, wadded up napkins. The kid loves being outside and playing. This was definitely his scene.

As you can see, J had a fabulous time. He was definitely up for a nap that afternoon!

Sleep

I don't think I've ever appreciated sleep more than I do now. It's been almost a year and Jackson has slept through the night (meaning 10 hrs) a maximum of 50 times... and that's being generous. He doesn't wake up multiple times every night, but with teething and learning how to put himself back to sleep, I can easily say that it's been our greatest challenge so far as parents. We aren't complaining though because he does take naps and is such a great kid. So you'd think we would take naps when he does or go to sleep as soon as he does so we can get our sleep in right? Nope. As soon as he's down, we are eating dinner, catching up on tv, talking on the phone, emailing, exercising...the list goes on and on. So in honor of sleep - here's the sweetest picture...taken just the other morning when I walked into Jackson's room - they were still tired I guess :)

High Five Daddy!

As the picture illustrates, we have successfully taught J to "high five" - it's so fun. This past week we've heard a few words too - "blue", "bug", and "moo." But the most exciting news we have to share is that Daddy got a job!!!! High Five!!!! It's amazing that he was offered a job so quickly - we haven't even been on the ground for a month. We were a bit worried considering the state of the economy...especially here in Michigan. But, I knew as he got an interview he'd knock their socks off. Congratulations D!!!

We're walking, we're walking, we're walking...STOP.

Here's a quick video of the monkey showing off his new found skills. At just prior to ten months (lucky us) the little man decided to scrap the crawling...it's for babies. As you can see he is still mastering his form but he's up and moving. These were literally his first few steps. Every day gets a little smoother and faster. It's so much fun watching him wobble around though. It's kind of like watching somebody get up on water skis for the first time - you're always just one second away from the off-balance crash.

Whew...

I think this picture sums up how all three of us are feeling right now - exhausted! But the great news is that we made it. We're here in Ann Arbor getting settled in after much traveling. The monkey and I got here last Monday after a pretty long day. I'm sure most would think I got the easy option - flying vs. driving. But I would challenge that a bit. Maybe if J wasn't mobile, or screaming, and was a little bundle that slept like he used to be...yes...it would have been pretty easy. BUT that was not the case at all. At one point the flight attendent actually offered to re-seat the person sitting next to me because J was screaming so loud. He was banging on the plane, throwing up all over me, trying to grab the man's hair in front of us, throwing his toys at the lady behind us and just being loud. He didn't want to sit, play, eat or sleep. Just scream. We had a layover in Chicago and they didn't bring the stroller up for 25 minutes - that was fun. I had a roller carry-on, the breast pump, a backpack, the car seat, and oh yeah...an 18lb squirmy baby. Good thing he's so cute!!! In all honestly, it could have been waaaaaaay worse, but it was a pretty long day. D and my Dad had a pretty good drive...no drama to report - just a long drive through Nevada, the beautiful Salt Flats in Utah, a LoooooooooG drive through Wyoming and Nebraska, then the final leg through the Midwest to Michigan. A HUGE thank you goes out to Drew, Mike and my Dad for helping us move out of the apartment in CA and another HUGE thank you to Steve and my Dad, Mom, Linz and Jason for helping us move into the condo in MI. We really couldn't have done it without you guys.
So we are getting back into a schedule of sorts here. The first week the monkey had a little jet lag but it wasn't bad. He just stayed up an hour or so later than the usual 8pm bedtime - and took a few really long naps. Other than that he's been doing great. We've been walking/exploring every morning and trying not to get bogged down by the huge task of unpacking. We've had a great time this first week here and are anxious to get out and explore some more.
The big news is...the monkey is walking!!!!!!!!!! He took a few little steps yesterday but we thought it was just luck. Today though there was no mistaking. He took 8 or 9 steps in a row in the middle of the room chasing after a balloon from Trader Joes. I took some video and hope to get it online in the next couple of days - still need to unpack the cables.
Sending love and hugs to all...D, H and J

On the move...

Hi! We are busy packing and enjoying our last few days in good ol California. We are in that bittersweet stage...our hearts are aching as we say goodbye to so many wonderful parts of our life here, but we are also excited to get the move behind us and explore Ann Arbor. We leave on Monday - I am flying with the monkey, and D is driving the semi with my Dad. Our internet access is going away today though so this will be the last post until next week. Send us all your good moving prayers and keep in touch via phone. Hugs from all of us!

Laughs

The monkey's favorite bedtime story is 1,2,3 Count with Elmo and Me. Ernie and Elmo are throughout the book introducing various animals - the favorite in our house being the Six Golden Lions. J loves those lions. When we pulled the Ernie and Elmo stuffed toys out of storage he recognized them immediately and absolutely loves them. Here's a great video - lots of J's signature addictive laugh. He's so much fun!!

Names

Really? Nimrod?

Me and my two front teeth

Greetings - Here's the adorable J, showing off his cute teeth! Man those puppies were worth the pain and suffering! Now he can eat all types of fun stuff....graham crackers being the overall favorite.

I sincerely hope you all are enjoying some free time and relaxation while we are not. It is absolute chaos here. Every time we move I swear it's going to be the last for awhile. Five moves in five years is no fun! Last year pregnant was really tough, but it's even harder to pack with a the monkey around. It seems like as soon as you get in the packing groove (meaning he's entertaining himself and you are done washing dishes, eating, etc.) he needs to eat, or take a nap, or just play with whatever you are trying to pack. So we've been trying to get work done in the evening after bedtime but the darn Olympics are on!!! It's way more fun to cheer Michael Phelps and the rest of the USA athletes on...and even more fun complaining about how young the Chinese 16 yr old (yeah right) gymnasts look! Our move is planned for the 25th of this month so postings will likely be scarce. I'll try to get a video on here though so you can see the little guy in action. Sending love - please send us some sanity back! xoxo

Surprise!

We are still alive!! It's been a hectic couple of weeks...but hey, what else is new? The monkey is doing great after a little rough patch last week. He had a few tough nights learning how to put himself back to sleep on his own, then Mommy had to play nurse and fix up some fat lips and a bloody tongue, then there was the 24hr bottle strike. But things are getting better and we are busy packing for our move to Michigan. Here are a couple of pictures from D's cell phone - one with Uncle Drew's red sunglasses and then the classic bike sleeper shot. Sending love and hugs to all....