Jennie

Today was another work day for me, so for Jack that meant it was a Jennie day!!! Here is a picture of Jack with Jennie. They get along fabulously! Their days consist of playtime, naptime, feeding time, and today...fussy time! Jack gave Jennie a run for her money with the teething today. In some way it helps me to know that I'm not the only one he's fussy with. Jennie has lived on Hilton Head for 2 years. She's had a lot of experience as a nanny, runs an online business, monograms candles (www.jcdesignsonline.com), and is the mother to her wonderful dog, Buddie. We're so blessed to have her take care of Jack, and to see her at our church on Sundays.

We discovered a house hold item that Jack enjoys. The exercise ball! He laughs when you bounce his fanny (what a mom word!) up and down on it. After a family room full of Babies-R-Us purchases and dodging the gauntlet of musical toys that is our home, he plays with the exercise ball. I guess the upside is that Scout is petrified of it and will, for once, leave Jack alone.

John is doing well. The highlight of his day was renewing his SC Driver's License that expired on his birthday. July 23, 2005.

Ordinary Day

Julia Grace Leonard is quite the beauty, isn't she? Jack sure has some potential heart ache in his future with all of the lovely little ladies that he's surrounded by.

Today was pretty uneventful. Jack wet the bed this morning...again. This is the 3rd time this week that it's happened. I think it's time to upgrade to size 3 diapers. With all of the rolling that he does, I think his diaper shifts and leaves some exposure that results in wet sheets and lots of laundry. We're keeping our fingers crossed tonight.

In addition to the laundry, I cleaned the rest of the house. If you know me well, you know that means either: 1. We have company coming or 2. We have company coming. My mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law are coming this weekend to visit! We can't wait to see them!

We had dinner tonight with Grandpa Johnny (aka "John Juan"...Check out the facial hair. Nice, huh?) He got back in town this afternoon from Puerto Rico. John's mom, brother, and sister, Jackie, are there for a while. John's brother, Jeffrey, is playing baseball for Georgia Tech starting in the fall, and for now, he's honing his skills in PR. Incredible experience, huh? (Although we're lonely here in Bluffton!) I'll post some pictures when I can.

John and I took some video of Jack tonight. Of course we were getting him to do some of his newest tricks, but as luck would have it, he wouldn't perform. All we have is a 2-3 minute segment of John and me (mostly me) looking like idiots trying to train a puppy. When the camera turned off, Jack kicked it into high gear and performed his roll, laugh and tongue trick in a way that would rival Olympic medal-winning talent. So maybe there's no Oscars in Jack's future. We're okay with that.

Heat Wave

Nothing new and particularly exciting today other than it being January 24th and 70+ degrees outside! Incredible! Jack and I were able to get out for a stroll around the golf course. We stopped and took the picture above. What a cutie.

John had a root canal today. That's his one to my five! Ridiculous, huh? Poor little Jack doesn't have a chance. But, John had a great dentist, and he managed to escape without any discomfort. The only problem is that when he smiles, his face looks a little off balance. Kind of like a Mr. Potato Head, only more handsome.

We're off tonight to see another one of Jack's lady baby friends, Julia Grace Leonard. I work with her mom, Heidi, at the pediatric office. Julia is almost 2 weeks old now and quite the beauty. We're taking them dinner because we appreciated all that was done for us when Jack was little. It's our mission to make those first few weeks with a newborn as stress free as possible for our friends. However, I'm not sure that my cooking will accomplish that. Maybe we should have considered take out?

6:30 Wake Up

This is how I get the blog page and Jack's 15 other internet related sites updated. He likes to prop himself up on a pillow and look at the screen, occasionally banging out a few letters himself. We have had such a nice day at home today. Sometimes the days are long and frustrating...usually when he's fussy with teething and uninterested in his toy selection. But most of the time we have fun playing together, and the day passes by really quickly. Jack apparently was ready for the day to begin a little early this morning, so he woke up at 6:30. He had rolled over to his stomach and couldn't find his way back. All he could see was a green gingham crib sheet, and he freaked. I mean, wouldn't you?!?

We watched a little Baby Einstein Da Vinci this morning, napped and had lunch with Jenny and Kimberly, two of the girls in our small group. The girl talk obviously bored Jack because he slept the entire time. Since lunch, we've watched a little ESPN together, which he honestly does seem to enjoy. John thinks it's his guy instinct. Who knows? I did get a little concerned, however, when Jack started smiling at the Duke basketball highlights. Then, I remembered that DUKE LOST and was relieved to see that Jack was smiling at their downfall. Of course none of the Jack smiling part is true, but I had to bring up somehow that they lost. Next time (and there will be a next time), I'll be more forthright in my Duke-loathing antics. Common', did you actually expect me to ignore it? Surely not. And by the way, GO HEELS!!!!

Jack has either fallen asleep against his exersaucer toy or either he really enjoys it saying over and over, "The apple is red!" Mom to the rescue.

BEAUforTIFUL Day

The trip to Beaufort was a successful one. While it rained here in Bluffton, it was sunny and hot in Beaufort. We walked around to the downtown shops, sipped Oranginas and enjoyed the peaceful afternoon. I hope we have more days like that ahead of us. Before we drove home, we stopped to take some pictures by the waterfront. This one's great of John and Jack.

Jack spent his 2nd Sunday in the church nursery today. So far so good. They have a pager system at our church where if your child is misbehaving or upset, they'll page you to come rescue them. Two Sundays down, no pages. WHEW!!! Jack must have enjoyed it or been bored by the nursery, because he was asleep when we picked him up. The only strange thing is that his diaper bag had an ID tag on it that said, "Jack Lewis." Apparently, "Jack Lewis" is shorthand for "John Ussery."

Gotta run. More football. We're pulling for the Panthers and the Broncos in case you're interested.

..And Jack was his Nemo...

Another joy of parenthood that John and I have found is purchasing crazy pajamas. These Nemo PJs are psychadelic. (They're also 12 months size, which is really scary that they fit). To add to the frustration of getting Jack to look at the camera AND smile, he couldn't stop looking at his stomach thinking, 'What have they done to me now?!?"

Saturday mornings are another parenthood blessing. There's just something about a Saturday morning. You usually have the time to actually eat breakfast. It's the beginning of the weekend, so that "Oh crud, it's almost Monday" feeling hasn't settled in yet, and about 90% of all TV stations devote their airing time to kid's TV! None of that trying to convince Jack that Fox and Friends or The Early Show is really cool and made especially for him. (Although Fox and Friends is pretty close.) Today, Jack woke up pretty fussy. He's drooling all over everything and sticking his feet, hands, and any other object in his mouth. From what the parents say at work, teething is a nightmare! It starts around 4 months and continues off and on until all of their teeth come in, usually around 2 years of age. So, be praying for him. It has to hurt somethin' fierce. But...he got over his fussiness and played in his exersaucer for about 40 minutes, which is a LONG time for him to stay with one activity. Meanwhile, I put together his Ocean Wonders High Chair! No, Fisher Price isn't paying me for promoting their Ocean Wonders line, but they should. It's the best. We can't wait to use it.

Also on this lovely Saturday, Jack and I have the pleasure of spending time with John! He doesn't have to go into work today, so we're heading to Beaufort (a small coastal town NE of Hilton Head) to walk around and hang out. We're pretty pumped about it.

Our Lil' Jumperoo

Today was another work day for me, and it was very busy, but a good kind of busy. Jack had a time today with teething. Jennie, the nanny, took great care of him though, and he was all smiles when I got home. We'll ignore the fact that he had just woken up and that he's always happy after a nap. I'm telling myself that he's just excited that Mommy's home!

The picture is of Jack in his new Jumperoo toy. He hasn't quite gotten the jumping part down, but he enjoys the toys on the front of it. Just some more music for John and me to go humming around the house to. There's nothing like driving down 278 (the death-trap of a highway that we live off of), rocking out to the radio in your head that's playing, "One, little, two, little, three little Indians....". (Is that even a politically correct song anymore?) Either way, we sing it. The best is catching John in a little Fisher Price diddy. He'll deny it to his grave, but he's been known to hum a little "Pop Goes the Weasle." I don't even know what that means. Where are mulberry bushes anyway? Maybe Uncle Trevor and Aunt Jordan have seen some in Africa??? Although it doesn't sound very African.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Jack's Girl

Jack got to meet his newest girlfriend, Kenzie Brice Jacoby, today. Our friends, Bryan and Ann Jacoby, gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL baby girl, yesterday, January 18th. She weighed 5 lbs 2 oz. Jack told me this morning that when I got home from work, he wanted to go check her out in the hospital. You know...state his intentions and all before any other dude got to her. It went something like this:

E: "Hey my little Jackie boy! Do you want to go see your newest girlfriend, Kenzie, tonight after I get home from work?"
J: "Arghggrrrrrrrrr. Ahhhheeeeeeeaarhhhgghhhrrrj!

I took that as a yes. So neat that Bryan and John grew up together. Ann and I were labor nurses at HH Hospital for a year and currently work together at the pediatrician's office. Now...we're raising our babies together! Amazing how the Lord has worked it all out for us that way, huh?

Being back in the hospital brought back some memories of when Jack was born. Some good, some painful (literally). Doesn't he look HUGE with Kenzie next to him? John comments almost on a daily basis that Jack is growing too, too fast. We feel like so much has happened in the 4 1/2 months that he's been here. Summary: He's the coolest.

On to other, more dangerous topics. Scout almost died today for the 3rd time in his life (the 2nd time in the last 2 weeks). You're probably thinking, 'Oh no! He ran out into the street and into a car again!' You're wrong. When I said 'almost died', I meant 'almost was killed'. And I would have been the one who killed him. Today's reason for potential doggie murder was that Scout chewed up Jack's Baby Bjorn. For those of you without children, the Baby Bjorn is the carrier that that moms and dads wear on their chest with the baby in them. They're awesome. You can't grocery shop, visit friends in the hospital (which we do a lot these days with everybody having babies), or vacuum your house without them. I found the evidence tucked away in our living room during my mad rush out the door to visit Ann and Kenzie. He had tried to hide what he had done. So, I proceeded into the "Erin's Post Almost-Slaughter Scout Protocol", which goes like this:

1. Look at Scout really mean, cause that'll definitely show 'em.
2. Say in a raised voice, "Get away from me, you crazy dog!"
3. Leave the house.
4. Call John and confess that I almost killed HIS dog.

So now I have to ask myself, "Was it really his fault, being a dog and all, that he chewed up something that I left in the wide open? No. "Is he going to try and get into bed with John and me tonight?" Probably. "Am I going to let him get into bed with us?" Absolutely.
Tonight I sign out totally in love with my husband, my son, and my almost murdered golden retriever who's lying at my feet as I type.

Exersaucing

Jack woke up this morning all smiles. I guess he was due some happiness after the fussy day he had yesterday. Last night we witnessed Jack having a nightmare. It was a strange mix of pitiful, funny and sad, all at the same time. John was holding him after his last bottle, and he was sleeping peacefully. Then he let out this cry that didn't sound like a normal cry for him. His eyes were shut and he stayed asleep. After several times of doing this, he really started belting it out and awoke looking at us like we were aliens. But this morning..."He's Got a New Attitude!" Smiling (obviously), laughing and playing are the order for today. It's actually "chilly" (which means it's below 70) here today. Jack and I are going to make the most of it! We're both proud of John this morning. He got up EARLY to go to the gym. Yesterday he said he plans on working his way up to Precoring while carrying a backpack of weights. When that occurs, I'll get some pictures. John and I made an agreement that if he's not training according to the recommendations of the Mont Blanc guides, then he's not going. If he doesn't go (which will not be the case), we'll be having a Patagonia yard sale.

Sweet Pea(s)

Jack tried sweet peas for the first time yesterday. They were a hit. I finally figured out that feeding him undressed is the easiest as far as clean up goes. Today Jack and I went to visit our friend and neighbor, Jenny Montgomery, in the hospital. She gave birth to Colin Albert yesterday, and Jack's excited to have a new buddy around. We ran into a lot of the nurses that took care of us in the hospital, and we ran into Dr. Blusewicz, the OB doctor that delivered Jack. No one could believe how big (and adorable) he is.

We're Bloggin'

After seeing that everyone has a blog going these days, we finally decided to join the masses. The pictures of Jack, while cute, just aren't enough. Now you can see him and read about what he's doing and what we're doing. Jack's now 4 and 1/2 months old. He is weighing about 16 pounds and is close to rolling over. He's done it once, but apparently didn't know how cool it was and has decided to delay the second go-round. His current tricks include "scooting" around his crib and kicking his mobile, eating green beans, and laughing. Pretty advanced, huh?

I went back to work last week at the pediatrician's office. I'll be working Thursdays and Fridays. Jack is staying at home with our awesome nanny, Jennie Krogulski, while I'm away. We were blessed enough to meet her through our church, and we think she's the best!

John's busy with work and working out. He's training to climb Mont Blanc (the tallest mountain in Europe) with several of his closest friends this summer. He is VERY excited about the challenge and pretty much talks about it all the time, downloads pictures on his desktops of various faces of the mountain (always the scariest angles), makes purchases of every kind of mountain gear you can imagine with the explanation, "it's for the trip", and promises that it's safe. David Turner, John's childhood friend and experienced climber described the trip as "safe......ish."

Tune in soon for more from the Usserys.