Where Did He Learn That Word?

Last night Jake, Javen, Heather, Kendra and I ventured out to the Opryland Hotel to check out the Christmas lights. (One of Jake's favorite things to do this time of year.) We were hoping to get a nice family photo for Christmas cards, but I'll save that story for another blog entry. We got home around nine and let Javen play a little while before bed. He's in awe of our Christmas tree. Below is a video of him playing and discovering the tree. It's kind of a long video, but the really funny (or should I say shocking) part starts towards the end. If you just want to see that part skip to about 1:50 and watch from there on out. Otherwise, just enjoy the entire couple minutes of his cuteness.

Videos? Anyone?

Do any of you fellow bloggers know what happened to the video upload button? I have a cute little video of Javen "feeding" his dog some of his lunch and I can't for the life of me figure out how to post it. (I know, you must be jumping up and down in anticipation of such a video, but I figure that at least all his grandparents will appreciate some "live" Javen footage.)

Since the video is on hold until further notice, here are a few photos. (Yes, I realize how cute it is that he is feeding his toy dog, and NO this does not mean he needs a real dog for Christmas. He's getting a baby brother, I think that will be enough.)

Crap (Part II)

Remember this post about the Jumperpoo? Well, we can just file this story under the same category. Let's just say those of you who teased me about blogging about string cheese (ahem....Dad!) are in for a more exciting treat than cheese.

Javen has been battling a cold for a few days so I've been trying really hard to stick to regular naps so he can get the most rest possible. Yesterday didn't go so well, and last night wasn't the best sleep either so I knew we were due for a solid sleep today.

You can imagine how pleased I was when he fell asleep right away for a good two hour mid-day nap. He woke up happy and was contently playing in his crib for a few minutes before he called out for me to come get him. I opened the door to his room to find him standing up in his crib with a big smile and a lot to say. Not that I understood any of it; although if I could have interpreted I imagine he would have been saying something along these lines:

"Hi Mama! I had a good nap and when I woke up my diaper felt full so I thought I'd take it upon myself to just take it off. Well, wouldn't you know that there was poop in there? Did you know poop also works well as finger paint?! Who would have thought? See the cool artwork I made on my sheets? I even gave my stuffed animals some cool poop tattoos and snazzed up my shirt a little bit. Just wish it didn't stink so bad in here. You should probably empty my trash can more often or something. I can't for the life of me figure out where that stench is coming from. All this art work has made me hungry. Can we go get a snack?"

Yeah, that's probably what he was saying.

A Few of My favorite Things...Lately

Let me just tell you how excited I am about these LED candles I found at Target yesterday. First of all, they are battery powered (hello cordless!) and the LED light (which makes my *light salesman husband so proud of me) lasts around oh...2,500 hours. The best part of this find? I have a two story foyer with a window waaaay up high that is nowhere near an outlet. I've wanted to put candles in my windows since we moved here two years ago, but I'm of the "all or none" philosophy. All the windows get one or none of them do. Now I can have "candles" in ALL the windows because these pretty little things automatically light up at dusk and turn off at dawn! How cool is that? Very. I think we're ready to deck these halls.

*No, Jake does not sell 60 watt light bulbs. He works for a production company that sells/rents all those fancy lights they use at concerts, events, churches etc. (Think colors, lasers etc.)

Next favorite thing: Sargento String Cheese. I actually prefer the low-fat version over the regular. And it HAS to be Sargento. I've tried the other brands and they just don't measure up. Trust me on this, I'm pregnant and I love cheese. I wouldn't joke about this. Javen and I share a stick or two every day. Yes, I just referred to cheese as a stick. That's the beauty of cheese.

My morning would not be complete without a nice hot cup of Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger Herbal Tea. First of all, it's caffeine free (pregnant girl's best friend) and secondly, it's got a nice berry flavor and needs no extra sweetener (in my opinion at least, Jake would beg to differ.) I keep trying those sampler packs with all the different tea flavors and just keep coming back to this one. Can't beat it.

I'm not sure this Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme really needs an explanation. Just trust me again on this one: it works and it smells incredible! A must have for dry winter feet. (Plus it's great on dry hands as well, it's like a bonus just for applying it to your feet!)


What are some of your favorite things this winter?

Beach Baby?

This is possibly the most photo heavy post I've ever published. Consider yourself warned.
(2 posts in one day! Can you believe it!?)

Last Thursday Jake, Heather, Javen and I boarded a plane to Florida to spend time with our Grandparents in beautiful Vero Beach. Javen was a great traveler and was such a good boy during our stay. He loved watching the waves and birds at the beach, but still hates the sand on his fingers and toes. He didn't move from the beach mat the entire time unless someone was holding him. Jake tried to get him to play in the surf, but it didn't go over so well.

Singing and taking in the scenery:

It doesn't get any cuter than this:

The boys on the beach

Uncle "Fuuhh" (Jeff)

Playing in the pool (aka "Wa-wa"). He LOVES the pool. He swam at least 3 times a day.

Took Mama's sunglasses. Mr. Hollywood!

Walking along the edge of the hot tub

Mister chubby!

Swimming with Mama

Jeff and Daddy caught a lizard! Cool!

Swimming with Uncle Jeff.Splashing (great) Grandad

Grandad, where did the water go?

Come on Daddy, let's jump in!

Stay Tuned

Javen is doing this right now:
...so I'm working on a picture filled post for all of you right now. Now that my house is again fully stocked with toilet paper in the linen closet and meat in the freezer (thank you Costco!) I can get back to bloggity business. (Priorities here, people.) The brand spankin' new lap top my wonderful Aunts and Grandmother gave me last weekend should expidite the blogging process as well. I'm excited to start my new computer-trouble-free blogging life! (Can you believe what an amazing thoughtful family I have?! I'm still in shock about this gift and beyond thankful!) Stay tuned, hopefully we'll all be up to speed by tomorrow!

Coming Soon...

We've been busy and not so busy around here latley. I've got loads of laundry, grocery shopping and other "fun" chores to take care of before I can sit down and  fill you in on all the fun stories and photos. Until then, here's a little teaser for you of blogs to come soon!

The Life of Javen

Here's a little of what Javen's been up to these days...

Playing with Dada, Mama and Aunt Heather.
Making the funniest faces!

Having dinner with his best buds.

Going to the pumpkin patch/farm with best buds.

Saying hello to the goats with Paul and Brody.

Picking out a pumpkin!

Checking out the bunnies at the farm with Daddy.

Getting some Mexican food for lunch after church. (He LOVES guacamole!)

Working my magic with the playdoh.

In other news...we have picked out a name for Javen's baby brother, but we're keeping it quiet till he is born. Maybe we'll have a little guessing game challenge as the due date approaches....

8 weeks left!

All Aboard!

The train engineer and the cowboy/train robber out trick-or-treating. At first, Javen couldn't understand why people kept putting stuff in his bucket. He wasn't impressed.

By the end of the night he got the hang of it and was excited about getting more candy.
Checking out Daddy's toy cap guns.

Daddy teasing him with a piece of candy.

Nevermind, Dad. I'll just get my own.

Javen and Mama sharing a Reese Cup.

Yum!