Boo in the Zoo!

All of the friends at school were asked to wear orange, the color they are studying, today. What better orange to wear than a Clemson cheerleader outfit?!?!

After school today, we got a bite to eat and then headed to the zoo to meet Hannah. The zoo sponsors Boo in the Zoo each year and is a "safe, non-frightening event for kids 12 and under". Various vendors have tables set up through the zoo where they give out treats and toys to the kids. Most of the animals are put away, so there's nothing to see there, but there are Halloween decorations all around. Jordan was supposed to change into the Raggedy Anne costume that we borrowed from Hannah, but when it came time for that, she wouldn't hear of it!

The picture above shows how Jordan feels about being out at the same time that we are normally getting ready for bed surrounded by people and things that she can't quite figure out!

The 2 pictures below show how cute Jordan and Hannah are when they get together and have fun! Hannah is Curious George, by the way...

Hannah knew right away what was being put into her orange bag. Thankfully for us, Jordan was so in awe of everything going on, that she didn't know until the end that there might be something to eat in there!!

joys of the monitor

Yes, Jordan is 2 and we still use our monitor! The video doesn't work anymore since one of the dogs knocked it off its perch one too many times, but the audio is still there. This morning, as Kenneth and I were finishing getting ready, I heard Jordan stirring on the monitor. We've decided that she likes to have a few minutes to wake up, situate all of her friends in the bed, and then get ready to start her day. (We figured this out after going in right after she's woken up a few too many times! Not the prettiest start to the day...)

So, we finished doing whatever we were doing and then hear this sweet little voice say, "Wake me up, Mommy". Then the next time was a little louder, "Wake me up, Mommy". Then the next time sounded a little more serious, "Wake me up, Mommy!"

Thinking about this during the day made me laugh out loud more than once! :)

let's go see Hannah!

Jordan's best friend Hannah had to be sedated this morning for an MRI. She has an internal hemangioma on her waits and the docs needed to take a closer look at it to see if it needs to be removed. Stephanie, Hannah's mom, called me to say that in order to get Hannah to cooperate with the staff, she bribed her with a visit from Jordan this afternoon! It was fine by me because the girls haven't seen each other in a while and we're borrowing their Raggedy Anne costume for Halloween, so it was a good excuse to go and pick it up.

It was all fun and games until Jordan took a spill on the front walkway and scraped up her face. After that incident, she clung to me like white on rice. Hannah's nap schedule was a little off since she spent much of the morning sleeping off her sedation. So, with 2 "out of sorts" girls, it was a nice visit, but a short one! We'll be seeing Hannah next weekend when we go to Boo in the Zoo!!

visit at the McNay's

Right after breakfast this morning, we jumped in the car to head to Charlotte. My college roommate, Katy, and her husband, Matt, recently adopted their second son, Will, from Guatemala. We haven't had a chance to meet the little guy, so we were excited at a chance to catch up. Of course, just because we were there does not mean that I got a single picture of Will. I only have pictures of Jordan and Will's older brother, JD. Oh well! It was a nice visit all the same!

Chuck E. Cheese

We haven't seen Uncle Trey and Aunt Heather in a while. We also haven't taken Jordan to Chuck E. Cheese's...ever! So, Heather suggested we give it a whirl. I was really curious to see how it would go. The last few times we've tried ride-type things that involve motion, it hasn't gone all that well.

We ate first and the pizza was surprisingly not that bad. I won't say it was great, but it wasn't that bad! Jordan just stared and took everything in while eating her pizza. By the way, we've all been eating it wrong with the toppings facing up. Each and every bite she took was with the crust up! :)

Eventually, she wanted to explore. Heather and I chased her around the toddler section for a while. Then she rode in this seat that moves around in a big circle sort of like a Ferris wheel for 1. After Trey and Kenneth finished eating we gave them all the tokens and let them run around with her so we could finish eating. We didn't get enough tickets from the various games (mainly Skee Ball) to really amount to much, so we are going to save them and the numerous tokens we still have for another trip!

paci fairy - revisited

So, here we are the third night without a paci. Jordan is really doing pretty well. The pink shoes Monday morning definitely helped ease the pain. I encouraged Jordan to tell her teachers about the paci fairy Monday morning, which she did. I worried that she might be a little extra irritable about it, but the only time that she seem to be bothered by it is at night. Tonight's paci whining was almost non-existent. All I have to do is ask her where the pacis are and she mentions the paci fairy and babies. She's caught on and the rest of it is just breaking the habit of having it in her bed!

video clips

I don't know how well this will work, but we'll give it a shot...

Below are 3 different video clips. They are each pretty short, but together sort of typify how challenging it can be to catch your child doing cute things! Jordan loves the song about 2 little monkeys sitting in a tree, teasing mr. alligator, can't catch me...along came mr. alligator quiet as can be...and SNAPped that monkey right out of that tree! It's a cute song and she's cuter doing it because she typically leaves out the part about 'along came mr. alligator quiet as can be'. She just gets so excited about the monkey getting snapped out of the tree!

This particular night, she had just been singing it all throug dinner. The camera happened to be right there, so I just slid it over and turned it on. Please keep in mind that I had not had a chance to wipe her off yet, so she doesn't always look this grungy!

Take 1...song? what song?

Take 2...and no, your speakers haven't quit working...she just gets really quiet while thinking about the various parts of the song.

I skipped a couple more attempts and we end up here...I'm so glad to be able to post video so that y'all can see her in action! It's really quite amusing!

paci fairy

Today was quite an interesting day...

Jordan has been using her pacifier at home for naps and at night. She doesn't use it at school for naps, so I know she is capable of sleeping without it. Kenneth and I have been talking about when would be a good time for the transition. Jordan has been keeping this sort of "funk" around her lips off and on for a while now. We're convinced it's the paci, so today became the day to give it up!

Before her nap, we told her that when she woke up there was going to be a special box that we would put her paci in. We told her about the paci fairy that would take the pacis and give them to new babies in the world that needed them. This whole thing happened pretty quick, so my story telling skills are pretty lacking with no prep time!

So, when she got up, we reminded her of the box and put paci in it. Then we went downstairs to play, eat supper, etc. That's when this cute picture came about:
Jordan has on her sunglasses and you can barely see the purse on her right arm. She has her keys and is getting ready to "start" her tricycle. She kept telling us that she was going to go and "bye bye". We asked her where she was going to which she replied, "Nana's house!". Too cute!

Bedtime came and Jordan asked for paci. We showed her that paci was in the special box and reminded her that the paci fairy was going to get the paci, etc. Granted, another scenario would have been to have her put the paci in the box just prior to bed, but I feel like she needed some advance notice. I could just see her REALLY freaking out if we took it during the nighttime routine. So, while we were watching our before bed Little People DVD, she just kept saying "purple paci", "geen paci". (Purple and green - pronounced "geen" - are the only 2 colors we had.) I just periodically reminded her about the paci fairy and finished our routine.

Kenneth got rid of the pacis while J and I were watching the LP. In the morning, I plan to take her a pair of pink shoes that I picked up that other day an just haven't given to her. We'll talk some more about the paci fairy, look at the empty box, (hopefully) be excited about our new pink shoes and be able to move right along.

We'll see what happens!!
:)

shew! this playground business is hard work...

Jordan inisted that we go to the playground today "with Mommy and Daddy" since I was gone yesterday. After a quick round through the zoo, we did just that...the slide and the swings are J's favorite playground items. She likes to swing high, just like that jumping stuff she does!!
Of course, it's also hard work keeing that hair out of her face on a breezy day...

let's eat!

I was gone this afternoon to a visitation in GA. Jordan had a good time helping Daddy figure out where to sit to eat his cookies and milk, though...I think she might have a future in restaurants?!? Check out that table setting! :)

downtown...

Mita and Papa came down from Rock Hill today to visit. We have been talking about takng them downtown to see the new look. When Jordan woke up from her nap, she was delighted to see them here and then we all jumped in the car.
After a nice walk and a birthday meal for Papa at Doc Chey's ("I eat noodles, Mommy?"), we came home and had enough time for Papa and Jordan to work on a puzzle!

jump high...special necklace

Jumping high is still one of Jordan's favorite activities. Kenneth is by far the best at getting her the highest. I pretty much stink at it!

Today was Promotion Sunday at church and that means that Jordan goes across the driveway to the 2 year old room for Sunday School and Extended Session. Since it was such a special day, Jordan wore a necklace that was given to her by Titi Mireya and a dress from Mimi! When we got home from church, I insisted on pictures. When we went upstairs for a nap, we put the necklace back in it's special place--the angel that is sitting on her dresser. She really liked wearing her necklace today!

in my bed!

Jordan has developed this obsession with animals in her bed. For the longest time, the only thing she cared about sleeping with was her square. A Snoopy doll sat in her bed for the longest time and then one day she wanted to sleep with "simi". Then another day she spotted a duck up on her wall and that's when "quack quack" came into the picture. For her birthday, Grandma got her a "puppy" so he was quickly added to the mix. Somehow we've also added a pink dog, "whiffer" and a baby doll that Mimi gave her last weekend. Then to top it off, she must be covered with "geen bankie" (aka green blanket)! She's also started wanting to sleep at the very top of the bed with her head hitting the bumper pad. She was just too cute going down for her nap this afternoon that we had to get a picture to remember all these friends...
From left to right: Simie, quack quack, baby doll (or the back of her head!), square, Jordan, whiffer and puppy!!

2 year old room!

Today marks the end of Jordan's first week in her new 2 year old room at Augusta Road Baptist Church. Leaving each morning has been MUCH less tragic as it was when we started at ARBC. I figured (hoped!) it would be, but it's very comforting to leave her semi-peaceful. When Kenneth, Jordan and Mimi went to the drop in Sunday to meet the teachers, the report was that she loved the puzzles. Each afternoon when we go to pick her up, that's what she's doing--puzzles. She doesn't want to leave because she wants to stay and "do again"!

Monkey Joe's!

Today, Mita, Papa and Nathan came down for a visit. We decided to take the kids to Monkey Joe's. Jordan's been one time before, but Nathan has never been. They both had a blast! Nathan ran around jumping from one thing to the next. He was very sad to leave. Jordan has recently mastered jumping and getting both feet off the ground. That makes Monkey Joe's the perfect place to practice jumping! In between jumpy things, Jordan would run around the place screaming "Nate Nate"! She loves Nathan and jumping about the same! :)

I hurt my 'ip!

Kenneth, Jordan and I have been carpooling to work and school. We are all within about 5 minutes of each other, so it seemed silly to not at least give it a shot. Kenneth and I haven't been ready to strangle each other yet, so it's working!

This morning was fun! Jordan was drinking her milk while walking from the car while also trying to be social and turn around to wave to someone and tripped. I can't devide if it was a good thing that she was holding her cup or not because all she manage to scrape up was her lip. It bled a little bit, but really is just a scrape...

pink and orange birthday outfit!

Mita and Papa got Jordan this really cute outfit for her birthday. It took us a while to get in the same vicinity to retrieve it, but it was well worth it considering how precious it is! There is a headband that matches, but the only answer to wearing that was NO!

Go Tigers!

VIDEOS!

Everybody watchout--I figured out how to upload video!! I have no idea how the quality will be, but here we go!!

trying to get caught up

I've come to the realization that I am probably not going to get this gap between June and August caught up. We don't have any pictures during the month of July--just a couple of videos and I have not figured out how to get them on the blog yet!

The highlight in July was that I went to camp during the week of the 4th. Kenneth and Jordan stayed home and they survived. Kenneth got her to and from school with a lunch packed each day, so what more can you really say?!?! :)

dinner with Hannah

Tonight we met Hannah and her parents at Doc Chey's after work. The girls don't get to see each other as much anymore, so we are taking advantage of each opportunity!. We sat in a 3-sided booth, so each pair of us had our own little bench. The girls ended up switching sides so that Shane fixed Jordan's food and I fixed Hannah's. They shared drinks and their food, so I'm really glad that we all like each other so much!!

it's rainin'

After the girls napped, we met Hannah downtown near Falls Park. Of course, it started to thunder as we got parked, but we decided to brave it. We brought some bubbles for the girls, but they were really just more excited to run around after each other, sometimes holding hands, sometimes not. It was cute ALL the time, so it didn't really matter much to me! :)

We realized that it was getting to be dinner time, so we started to make our way to Mellow Mushroom (yum--white pie!). That thunder we heard earlier? You guessed it, downpour! We managed to make it to the bridge which provided some cover. Let's just say that running in flip flops while holding a 32 lb. toddler who doesn't understand why you're running isn't really that easy! It never really looked like it was going to quit raining, so when it looked like it had at least slowed some, we finished the last part of our mad dash. By the time we got to the 'Shroom, we were all soaked, I was out of breath, and we were sorely disappointed that the wait was 45 minutes. It was quickly decided that we could not wait that long, so we decided to just cut our losses and take all of our wet selves to the appropriate houses. Shane went to get there car, which was closer. He had hardly gotten out the door when he called to tell us that it had stopped raining! So much for fun and SUN in the park! Maybe next time...

No tears!

You won't believe it! Jordan did not cry when I left her at school today! I could NOT have been happier! Yippee skippee...wonder what tomorrow will bring?!?

2 year well check

This morning we went to see Dr. Stoeber for Jordan's 2 year well visit. She was very entertaining...showing that she remembers what the light stick is that looks in ears and noses, talking about the circles the light makes when it shines on the wall and telling Doc that she is now 2! He was impressed, so, of course, that made me very happy! We all agree that she's right on track developmentally and he thinks maybe a touch ahead.

In terms of the stats, she is 36 1/4 inches tall and weighs 32 lbs. That puts her in the 95th and 90th percentiles, respectively! Dr. Stoeber said at her 18 month check that he would guess she'd be 5'10", but he's adjusted that to 5'11" or 6'! I guess it's not too big of a surprise, but it's hard to imagine my cute little 2 year old as tall as I am...

Our visit to the ped. made us late to school. I have been a little nervous about how this would play out. It turned out to be just great! I think since all the friends were there and they were in full swing, that it was easier for her to focus on something other than the fact that I was leaving. It was fine by me!

Monday

She cried again this morning when we got to school. "No cool, Mommy". Great way to start the week! :)

Yay!

Jordan really surprised me this morning. I was a little anxious to go to church since the whole ARBC thing isn't going very well. I was worried that Jordan would be really set back by going back to the place that she's called home for so long. As we were driving closer to the church, she started talking about the bells which is a typical occurrence. Then as we pull in the parking lot, she starts clapping and saying "Yayyy"! It was so cute. We got there a little early, so she and I had some time to play in my room. She had so much fun running into the play house, peeking out the window and then running back into my arms! I can't explain how wonderful it was to see her in SUCH a good mood!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jordan!

Happy, happy birthday!! Today was such a big day for our big girl! We went out right after breakfast to get our hair "did". Jordan got 2 braids for 2 years of age!

Her best friend, Hannah, came over as well as JD from Charlotte. There were lots of circles and polka dots since those are some of Jordan's favorite things...for the moment! :)

Thank you to everyone for sharing a special day with us!

TGIF!

Instead of bore you with all the details of how Jordan has not yet adjusted to life at ARBC, I'll just sum it up. She cried every morning this week. I know most of it is really just for me. When I pick her up each afternoon, I'm assured that she has fun and doesn't cry all day. I know she doesn't, but it still breaks my heart to witness it each morning.

We took doughnut holes to school this morning to help celebrate J's birthday tomorrow. I had really hoped that I would be able to go back at snack time and enjoy the party. But, since she's still not dealing well with separations, we just decided that it wasn't worth it.

Yay for birthday party tomorrow!! :)

2nd day of school

Apparently, they teach geography at an early age over at ARBC! This morning Jordan started crying as we came to the Arthur State Bank just before the turn onto the road the church is on. She managed to walk herself into the building, but then stood like she was stuck in cement. So, yet again, she cried as I left. Her teachers said that picking her up didn't help yesterday, so we left her sitting on the floor screaming! What a pleasant morning.

When I called at lunch to check on her, the Director told me she had a better morning, but wasn't dealing well with transitions or washing her hands! She would be upset when it was time to change activities, then settle down, but then be upset again when it was time for the next thing. And she could NOT figure out why they wanted her to wash her hands! At least she didn't cry when I went to pick her up! :) She did, however, tell everyone "BYE!" as soon as I finished hugging her and told me "GO"!

very tearful morning

This morning Jordan and I went to her new school for her first day. There is no other way to say it but that it was HORRIBLE! We went to play on Friday and her memory is incredible. We turned onto the road that the church is on and she started saying No and crying. I had to carry her in crying the whole way while lugging all the stuff that you need to start school--diapers, wipes, blankets, etc. I tried getting her engaged in something and that didn't work. I finally decided that I wasn't going to be able to ease her into being there and that I needed to cut my losses. It was miserable leaving her and I managed to get my hand on the door to leave her room before I started crying. I knew I would cry, so that was OK, but her crying was just not what I expected. It wasn't just a whiny, whimpery kind of thing. It was full on, red face, tears streaming, not breathing kind of crying--like she was hurt. And I guess she was since I was leaving her in a new place with new people and new stuff. Thankfully I have my new job to help keep my mind occupied, but I wasn't "all there". The Director called me about 15 minutes after I left to tell me that she had settled down. I called about lunchtime and they said she was OK. Not good, not great, just OK.

When I got there to pick her up, they were on the playground playing. I watched for a few seconds through the door to see that she was actually engaged with another friend. When I opened the door to go out there, one of her teachers saw me and told Jordan I was there. There was a slide blocking her view of me, so she couldn't see me and I think that freaked her out because she started crying when she finally saw me! Tears going and tears coming--what's that all about? Check back tomorrow for the latest update...

playing with "Drea" and "Nate Nate"

This morning, we jumped in the car right after breakfast. We wanted to get to Rock Hill so that we could visit with our cousins, Stephen, Gianna and their daughter, Andrea. This is the first day in many that the sun hasn't been warmly beaming. And, of course, our big plan was to go swimming! Jordan has been fanatical about the water, lately, so we still got in the pool. Andrea (Drea if you're Jordan) didn't want to be the only one swimming in just a swim diaper; Jordan was happy to oblige!

We aren't able to get all the grandkids together very often, so we always take a couple of group shots to document our time together. Note to self--take group pictures before doing something Jordan loves...like swimming! First of all, all Jordan wanted to do was fill a container with water and dump it back into the pool. Then she started pouring it on her head. Remember how I mentioned the weather? It was by no means cold. But with no sun and a soaking wet little girl, she ended up with blue lips and chattering teeth! Getting her out of the pool was very tearful as she didn't understand why we thought it was time to get out since she was shivering. Couple that with being asked to sit still for a picture and this is what you get! :)

visit with Great Grandma

My grandmother is up from Florida. She just got in yesterday and I'm so glad we were able to come over for a little while this morning before she heads to the lake. Of course, Grandma took all the pictures, so there are none of her. Instead, you get one of the tickle fest and Jordan showing off her strength as she lifts the "Heabee" jug of tea. If you could just hear her say it--the right inflection and everything...too cute!

play date with Hannah!

Oh, how I wish I had pictures from today! Jordan hasn't seen her BFF, Hannah in over a week. Hannah's mom offered to have Jordan over this morning so I could work a little bit. These 2 girls acted like they hadn't seen each other in years! We didn't tell Jordan until last night that she was going to play with Hannah. I didn't think she was going to go to sleep!

When we pulled up to the house, Hannah and her mom, Stephanie, came outside to meet us. I thought I was going to drop Jordan getting her out of the car because she was wriggling around and screaming so! Steph broke out the pools, so we brought our bikini! They wagoned up to McAlister's for lunch after some fun in the sun. With Jordie and HanHan not being together at school, we're going to have to work overtime to get them together. If what I saw of today is any indication, it will be worth every bit of effort!

play date with Miss Judy!

I started at my new job upstairs at church today. Since school doesn't start until next week, one of my co-teachers, Judy, offered to hang out with Jordan. I dropped J off at Judy's and they were off! They went to the Feed and Seed, to Judy's hair cut, to the zoo and then to McDonald's! I met them after lunch and Judy wanted to know when she could have her again! :)
Thanks Miss Judy!!

Mommy's new job

After much deliberation (trust me, it's TOO long of a story!), we have finally figured out what I'm going to be doing this summer. As we all know, Jordan will be starting full time child care. We did that so that I have the ability to work more hours. The current income is just not cutting it and there's not much more to cut out of our budget, so the only other option is to work more! :) Summer ITP will be only 2 days this summer--Tue and Thu. Mon, Wed, Fri and after ITP, I will be working upstairs in our church offices. The Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor and the Business Administrator is out on medical leave. They need someone to fill in until she gets back, which they are hoping will be the end of the summer--couldn't have worked out much better if I had planned it!

Last day of FBC ITP

Today was the last day that Jordan will go to First Baptist Church Infant-Toddler Program. We have truly enjoyed her experiences there. J learned how to crawl, how to walk, how to slide, how to self feed, how to use the potty, that she loves art and SO many more wonderful things!

As I dry my tears, let me explain what the future holds. On Monday, June 4, Jordan will start in the full time program at Augusta Road Baptist Church. Because of her birthday, she is only old enough to go to FBC Kindergarten 2 days/week. We need more care than that since I need to work! Summer ITP is just 2 days this year, but I will be working up in the church offices when I'm not at ITP. It's going to be a huge adjustment for our family, but a necessary one.

Spaghetti!

We were happy to see Papa back home! He came home from the hospital Monday and has been doing really well. A family friend, Joe, was coming in today, too, to get put to work helping re-assemble the master bath that the Manning's had been in the middle of when Papa was put in the hospital. It made for an interesting time having all those bodies in a bathroom, but it was still fun.

Spaghetti is a mess even for adults to eat when they are coordinated with their utensils. Jordan did a good job getting it into her mouth, but there was LOTS that didn't get in there!

Happy Mother's Day!

We took a break from our daily treks to Rock Hill to stay home for Mother's Day. My brother, Trey, and his wife, Heather, came over to cook dinner for Mom and Carroll. Heather gets all the credit for the meal--I simply provided an oven in which to cook it! :)

When she was ready for dessert, we told Jordan to see if everybody else was ready, too. She proceeded to run into the living room and yell, "eveebody"! It was too cute and she knew it was, too, because she cheesed it up while being spoon fed her bites of strawberry cream pie!

Although Jordan was wearing a frilly, new dress (thank you, Mimi!), she was really more interested in wearing her new Crocs and later putting Trey's hat on everyone's head.

Uh oh, Papa, boo boo!

Kenneth's dad has made our week kind of crazy! Monday he had a stress test which showed some blockage and that he needed an angioplasty. Wednesday they couldn't do the angio because he needed double bypass. 2 arteries were blocked--one 98% and one 75%. The bypass was Thursday morning. We drove up to Rock Hill Wednesday night and came back after he got out of surgery Thursday evening. Then Friday morning we drove back up for the day and then again on Saturday. It was very hectic, but very necessary. Jordan did really well with all the comings and goings all things considered.

Jordan got to see Papa for the first time today. She was concerned about his boo boos, but was able to give him a hug and kisses. J was quite curious about Papa's socks; probably because she had on a brand new pair of Crocs! They had a good time showing off their feet and by the end of it, the old man even cracked a smile for the camera--look really close and you can see it! :)

It's been a while!

Sorry for the break in posting. Life just seems to be so busy, but with just every day things, so I don't even have any cute pictures to document the last few weeks! :)

Anyway, today was the ITP Spring Fling. The weather wasn't the best for hay rides and a picnic, but we made the best of it. There were 2 ponies, I mean "hoasies" that Jordan was quite intrigued with. She didn't want to pet them and surely didn't want to ride them, but she wanted me to hold her and stand right beside them so she could stare at them. It was fun to watch the other kids ride, though. And the ones who didn't ride and screamed like J when we attempted to get her on it!

Christina is one of our teacher's daughters who loves Jordan. They used to play together before and after school last year when Christina was still at FBC Kindergarten. Now that she's at Christ Church, they don't get to see each other very often. We were approaching naptime, so you can see how excited Jordan is to be having her picture made with her friend!

typical look

Mom took this sweet picture of Jordan today. This is so typical of how she looks after school--yogurt on her shirt (even though she wears a bib!) and hair with some sort of 80's poof after a nap and hard day of play. When the camera comes out, Jordan usually puts on what I've dubbed the cheesy face where she squints up her eyes, mouth and nose. But this is a great shot of our little girl!

visit with Trey and Heather

Jordan and my brother, Trey, have had an interesting relationship thus far. The last time we went out to eat with them, Jordan wouldn't so much as look in his direction. I'm not sure what's changed, but this morning at church all Jordan could talk about was Trey, Trey! So, we had Trey and Heather over for pizza and playing. Jordan ate every little bit of it up. I think Trey might have had a good time, too! :)

Potty adventures!

Jordan loves the potty! It helps so much that her best friend at school is potty training. If Hannah is on the potty, Jordan is on the potty. She pee peed twice in the potty at school today. This afternoon we were playing downstairs and she told me "poop" and then "potty". So, I put her on the potty seat down here and after more than a few rounds of Skinamarinkadinkadink, she pooped in the potty!! I'm not sure who was more excited--me or her! :)

Pop's in town!

My Dad is in town this weekend. We went to dinner last night at Barley's. The food was delicious. Let's just say that Jordan was not at her best. We think she was still tired because she was just really not herself.

But, today is a new day and we met Pop and Grammy at the zoo. You can't see Grammy's face in this picture, but I promise she's happy with that! :)

The weather was great and except for a couple of falls and skinned knee,we all had a great time. Jordan has really taken to Pop and happily goes right to him when he's around!


A trip with Pop just wouldn't be complete without a phone call, though! (We love you, Daddy!)

Easter Egg Hunt!

This year's Easter Egg Hunt was very different than last year. Jordan is walking instead of crawling! She can happily go and find all the eggs she wants. None of her class had naps today, so Jordan was in a haze of tiredness most of the time. She was very quiet and subdued. Her hair was rockin', though! It looks very 80's, but that wasn't the plan. Once the hair is done for the day, there's not much chance to do it again, so I left the poof!

potty time?

A couple of Jordan's friends at school are potty training. Her good friend, Hannah, really wanted J to sit on the potty next to her today. So, she did. And she peed in the potty! When her teacher told me, I just couldn't believe it. But, I'm not taking this as a sure sign that she's really ready. She still has a hard time pulling up and down her pants and she has yet to tell me that she needs to potty. So, we'll be pulling out the potty seat this weekend so it's there, but I'm under no expectation that there's an end in sight to diapers! :)

at "Mita" and Papa's house!

We went to Rock Hill today to visit with Kenneth's family. As always, Jordan had a great time and made everyone pretty happy. Kenneth's mom has been "Grandma" because that's what Nathan has called her. Other family members call her "Mita", short for Irmita which is a long time nickname. Jordan is getting adventurous in her attempts to say people's names. Grandma has always been a tough one for her. We also have 2 other grandmas in the family, so when she mimicked Papa saying "Mita", it stuck!

Even after we put on PJ's for the ride home, she still finds a way to play and be extra cute!!

our first trip to Gattitown!

Tonight we met Ivan and Reece for dinner at Gattitown. Ivan and I talked about camp stuff while Reece, Jordan and Kenneth watched "Ice Age" during dinner. After we ate, we went to go check out the games. I asked Jordan to hold Reece's hand mainly so that Kenneth and I could get all our stuff together and cleaned up. But, it turned out to be just about the cutest thing I've seen, so I was so happy I'd taken the camera!!

Please excuse Jordan's pink mouth! Kenneth was on clean up duty... :)

And hugs all around when we left!

vocabulary explosion

I think Jordan has finally hit that point where she is learning lots of new words every day. I guess vocalizing is more appropriate. She understands SO much of what we say that it's pretty scary. But she's finally saying things and naming them instead of just pointing and grunting. A prime example:
I have worked with Ann and Judy since I started at FBC. Subsequently, Jordan has known them since she was 8 weeks old! You would think she would be able to say their names a long time ago. Nope, not my girl! She can say her current teacher's names and Ann's sister's name, but not other names. Keep in mind she's really only interacted with those ladies since August. Finally, this morning on our way to school, she said Ann. Only, it's pronounced AIN ("aim" with an n!). Judy is pretty clearly Judy, but she's still working on the J.

Itch and Jew

Our friends, Rich and Joy recently brought home their newest addition--Blake was born on March 7th. Brooklynn is the big sister and she is exactly 4 months older than Jordan. We took supper to them tonight so that we could get to meet the new guy. It took the girls supper and a few more minutes to warm up to each other, but when they did things were great! They read books to each other and, for the most part, played really well together while they tried to figure out what it means to take turns and share.

Blake is a cutey pie. He weighed a little more and was a little longer than Jordan. But to hold him was incredible because I absolutely can not remember Jordan being THAT small! I kept trying to recall it and it just wasn't happening!

Jordan and I monitored Blake's blog for his first pictures. When they appeared we went through everyone's names. Rich and Joy are now Itch and Jew! She's so proud to be able to say their names. Rich is a little easier to say, so when it was time to go, Jordan just kept saying, Bye Bye, Itch...Bye, Bye Itch!

on our way home

Today's trip home was pretty interesting, as I figured it would be. On the way to the airport, Jordan said, plain as day, "I see a truck!". Everyone turned around to look at her in amazement at how clear each word was. This also marks her longest sentence to date. :)

She fell asleep for the last 25 minutes of the car ride--so typical! But, I hoped for the best and gave her some Benadryl before we boarded the plane. After a little drama with kicking the seat in front of her, she fell asleep for about the last, oh, 25 minutes! Oh well, Kenneth was happy to see us, even though Jordan was in such a daze that she just sat there in his arms.

We were all happy to be home, but even happier that we had such a great visit with our family. I think I need a vacation from our vacation because I'm not the least bit motivated to unpack, get ready for school tomorrow or anything! It was worth it!!

second day in FL

This morning we got a bath and headed over to my cousin Tracey's house via my Aunt Deana. Tracey has 2 boys, Addison (almost 3) and Cooper (about 6 months younger than J). Jordan jumped right into playing, eating Addison's strawberries and climbing around.

We headed back home for lunch and decided to go on over to Grandma C's. It was a risk because Jordan was already showing signs of being tired, but we're having the Blackwell's over tonight for dinner and Mom was taking the car to see Aunt Kim's remodel, so it was a now or never type of thing. The visit was great, but the nap wasn't. But, once everyone came over, she was energized again and raring to go.

first full day in FL

This morning, Jordan cheesed it up for the ever-present cameras at Grandma's house! She doesn't seem to mind if she's the center of attention, huh?
We put J down for an early nap. There are a few different schedules that we're trying to mesh together. Jordan typically naps from 1ish until 4ish. My Great Grandmother (who doesn't know we're here) is best visited in that same time frame. Plus, we're having folks over for dinner starting at 5 tonight, so the best solution would be to just add more hours to the day! :)

Our visit with Grandma Conahan (Jordan's great great grandmother) was such a treat! J performed right on cue with all of her animal sounds, hugs and kisses, etc. She even conducted the band with one of Grandma C's knitting (crocheting?) needles.

Then, with the Smith's and the VanEtten's over for dinner, it was more of the same. She loves going outside, so Lindsay and Tyler happily took her in and out...and in and out...and in and out! Towards the end of the night, she helped me go "nite nite" by patting my back while I laid on the floor. We were all ready for bed, so it was only fitting!

we're in FL!

It's been a busy day for us! We went to get Jordan a hair cut this morning, took an early nap and got on a plane. Once we got to Grandma's (Jordan's great grandmother), we had dinner and played around for a little bit before getting ready for bed. It's going to be a fun couple of days visiting with everyone...

yet another ear infection!

Remember I had that inkling that an ear infection was brewing?!? Well, it's here. Jordan was a little unsteady this morning playing with another teacher's son before school. A friend of mine is a ped. and I had asked her if she would pretty please bring her otoscope and peek in those ears. I didn't want to run the risk of getting on a plane tomorrow with fluid in an ear. I'm glad that we looked because she does have an ear infection in her left ear. So, we started antibiotics tonight and I'm actually really thankful. The a/b will clear up any other infection she might have (sinus, etc. ) and I really think will help knock out this drainage we're still having.

By the way, the samples that I had given J earlier in the week have pseudophedrin (sp?) in them and were totally whacking her out! She wasn't sleeping right and was very irritable and cranky. Needless to say, that was only administered for 2 days. I'll take drainage over the almost-over-the-edge-all-the-time any day!

Jordan also fell today on the playground and managed to scrape the finger that was already nail-less. No other fingers were scraped--just that one! What luck we have! But, the a/b will clear up any issue that could be, too!

Wish us luck as we fly to FL tomorrow. We come back on Tuesday and I know there will be lots to share!

always feeling puny on Sundays!

After a great day at the zoo Saturday, I noticed that Jordan had a "new" cough and runny nose. I say new because both had pretty much cleared up but seemed to re-surface over the weekend. She had a really low grade fever Sunday morning but I didn't think too much about it, but just noted that the cough was back. After her nap, she really didn't want to do much unless it involved sitting in my lap or being held. That's always the indication that she doesn't feel good!

So, we went to the doctor this morning. Yes, she has a new cold. No ear infection yet, but I have this sneaking suspicion that it's not far away. She's just got so much drainage that I think it's inevitable. We're flying to FL on Saturday to visit family and that's the #1 reason why I jumped on getting to the doctor. If it's something that needs treating, let's go ahead and get that going. He sent me home with samples of a prescription strength something for drainage and to start the breathing treatments back every 4 hours (while she's awake) until the cough goes away. Fun, fun! uuuggghhh...

back to the zoo!

Saturday mornings are really one of my favorite times of the week. It's my only opportunity to sleep in. I should say that sleeping in is now defined as not having to be up and ready to walk out the door when Jordan rouses from her dreamy slumber! But, we get to play in the big bed for a few minutes. (Only a few because then Jordan is ready to EAT!) We all have breakfast together and usually watch a little bit of the "cheetoh"--aka video...preferably The Wiggles Big Red Boat!

It's also our time to get out and do something as a family. When the weather's nice we love to get outside. It wasn't raining, so we decided to put our zoo membership to good use and head out. It still amazes me how different some of the animals are each time we go. I guess I just kind of thought that once you go and see the ___ (insert animal's name here) that it was pretty much a done deal. No, a lot has been different every trip. And Jordan loves it, so as long as we don't wear it out, then we've got a fun filled option!

Need I say...Kenneth had the camera out practicing his telephoto skills!

Mommy!!

I'm not really sure when it happened, but somehow I have been promoted from "Mama" to "Mommy"! Jordan's best friend at school, Hannah, always calls me Mommy when she sees me because she knows that I'm J's mommy. I don't know if that's where J picked it up from or not. It's really cute, though, so if you haven't heard it, you need to!!

Oh yeah, we're also working on some teeth this week. I need to count because I've lost track of what number we are up to but these are the upper and lower teeth right befor the molars. I called them canines and Kenneth was appalled because that's not the "real" name. He knew the PC name, but I sure can't remember what he called them now!

visit with the Manning's

We drove up to Rock Hill today to visit with the Manning's. It was a great visit, as usual, with lots of cute pictures to share, too.

When we arrived, it was sort of lunch time and Jordan was intent on installing her booster seat so that she could eat. She recruited Papa to help her get it put in so she could dig in! :)

thanks for coming to see me!

Grandma, Papa and Nathan came to see us this afternoon. Jordan was happy to wake up to such company! Nathan hasn't been down since Christmas, so he had a great time playing with Jordan's stuff as much as he did playing with Jordan herself. As usual, Kenneth's father came armed with his camera and got some really cute pictures!!

Snow Day!

The threat of snow finally came to reality! I woke up at 5:15 and peeked out the window to see a light blanket of white on the ground with snowflakes falling all around. I happily turned off my alarm clock and went back to sleep. While Jordan ate breakfast, we talked about the snow (her chair faces our kitchen window) and what was going on outside. You could tell that she noticed something was different. We bundled up and went outside to enjoy it. The snow had stopped by the time we got out there, but it was still fun. Poor thing was so bundled up that she had a hard time leaning over to hold any of it, but when she did, she thoroughly enjoyed it! It was also the perfect time for J and I to sport our matching hats that my mom knitted for us!

















A finger update...J stayed with my Mom Saturday night. She reports that the nail came off without incident that afternoon. It really looks pretty good all things considered and we don't even need a band-aid anymore! Yay!