Shots

This picture was chosen because this is how we want to remember Jack today. The smiles, laughter, and playtime pictured here will not be on Jack's list of 'things to do' today. We just returned from his six month check-up where he received two immunizations (aka SHOTS!!!!!)! He's not happy with us to say the least. In fact, he's sleeping so he won't have to look at us.

Everything went well at his visit. When Dr. Salyer walked in the room, her first comment was, "He's a big baby!" And his measurements put tangible truth to her observation. Indeed, Jack is a big baby. He's 26.5 in long, 19lb 3 oz and his head is 17.5 in. around. That puts him in the 50-75% for his height, 75% for his weight, and 25% for his head. So, Jack is bigger than average for his size, but his brain must be small. Maybe he'll be a jock:) Or maybe his brain just uses his cranial cavity very efficiently. Yes, that's got to be it!

The Ussery family had a good weekend, despite the fact that we were all under the weather on Sunday. Between the three of us, we had sinus congestion, sinus headaches, runny noses, sore throats, and rashes. Don't worry, Jack had the latter. But, we're all feeling better today! We went to the Reed's on Saturday night for pizza and games. The games were fun, but watching Jack cry at Shelby and Neely was the most fun. I would have posted pictures of it, but unfortunately, I broke our camera that night! I'm just sick over it! What a clutz! I can't hold onto anything these days. It's a miracle that Jack hasn't been dropped yet. Hopefully we'll get it fixed soon and I'll get to post some more pictures. Until next time!

Beach in February

John had a great idea tonight. We both got off of work at decent times, packed up the kids and headed to the beach! Jack stayed in the Baby Bjorn with me and watched Scout run up and down the beach, chasing his tennis ball. Scout really is improving on his fetching skills. However, he has yet to learn proper beach bathroom behavior. Everytime we go, he sniffs around the sand for a minute or two and then...he poops. Always. John and I forget to take a pick-up bag. Always. So we get the inevitable dirty looks from passerby who are obviously tourists and probably cat lovers. It's obviously our fault, but shouldn't Scout's beauty and Jack's cuteness count for something? Here's a great picture of John and Scout. It looks like Scout's getting a fetch lesson.

We've been glued to the Olympics this week again. It's just so tempting to look at the results before we get to see them. With a baby, it's hard to stay awake to watch the good stuff, but somehow we manage to catch the exciting events. Like tonight's exhibition men's figure skating. What in the world? Let's congratulate the olympic athletes, who have slaved for 4 years by making them do their routine just one more time. What happened to a party? A sheet cake from the local grocery store saying "Congratulations!!! You did it" in shaky, icing cursive? Not at the Olympics. They are too hard core for the Usserys. Instead of watching the exhibitions, we opted for America's Funniest Videos. A proposal segment just aired where various men were popping the question to their ladies. Our favorite was the guy who asked his wife to rub his back. When he took his shirt off, his girlfriend read "Marry Me", which had been shaved into his back hair. The best part...she cried tears of JOY. It's a mix of emotions when you go from a pride-swelling moment of watching an American win the silver in 10000m speedskating to the language of love spelled out through back hair.

Hope your night has been as fun and interesting as ours.

4th Offense

Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day! The weather is incredible here in Bluffton. Jack, Scout and I took advantage of it this afternoon and spent some time outside. We found out that the exersaucer can go off road, that we need to de-poop the yard from Scout's business, and that Jack doesn't like it when he rubs sunscreen in his eyes. Everyone loves the smell of Coppertone, right? Imangine that mixed with baby smell. It's the greatest.

Scout had his fourth offense today. I had him connected to the in-ground dog spike thing. It's basically redneck dog security. There's a long metal spike that you put in the ground. To that you attach a plastic covered metal wire, and to that, you connect your dog. Well, Scout loves it. (Except when he gets wrapped around a tree) However, today he had too much fun. I brought Jack inside to watch Baby Einstein, and I was on the phone with Kim. When I went back outside, Scout had dug the whole that you see here and was lying in it! He's never done that before. He's dug at the beach in the sand, but never in our yard!!! But, you'd be proud. I didn't kick it into the Scout's about to die protocol like usual. I did call John and tell him what his dog had done. Other than that, Scout got a mini bath outside and his picture taken by his trophy hole. He looks proud, doesn't he?

To end on a better note than Scout's misbehavior, here's a cute picture of Jack's feet. Since he was born in August, we went into the cooler months pretty soon thereafter. His feet rarely get any free time away from socks. Aren't his feet really cute? He's grown into them since birth a bit. Last night when we were watching Sasha Cohen kick butt in figure skating (is that possible?), I randomly thought how cute infant figure skates would be. Wouldn't that be adorable? Of course the blades would cause a problem, but just to look at them would be fun.

Boogers and Tennis Balls

This used to be Jack's playground. His numero uno favorite toy. Alas, it has been replaced by the exersaucer. The other day we blew the dust off, pulled it out of storage (out from under our bed) and let him play with it again. He stared at the toy confused as if he had never seen the thing before. Slowly, Jack started half-way playing with it. He reminded me of an 11-year old riding the "It's a Small World" ride at Disney. Upset cause he's a little too old for it, but secretly LOVING IT!!! We did learn, however, to place the toy on the ground from now on, because this is how we found Jack after leaving him for a few minutes on the bed! We barely avoided his first tumble! AHHH!
Jack officially has his first cold. He didn't sleep well last night. I could hear some random outbursts, tossing and turning over the monitor. Nothing lasted longer than a few minutes, and he went back to sleep. But, I knew something wasn't right. This morning we discovered that Jack had some fun boogers glued to his face, and we spent a greater part of today wiping his nose. John and I had a discussion tonight about illness and the conversations/thoughts that follow after the discovery of one. Why do people (mainly parents) immediately start wondering where or from whom the illness has come? Why should it matter? "Oh, I bet Jack got sick from our trip to Target, cause I'm pretty sure I didn't sanitize my hands after pushing the buggy." or "So-and-so's baby had a cough and we were with them a few days ago, so that's what happened." Should we then take our speculations to the source and culture the bacteria(s) from Target carts and other kid's noses to chart out an action plan? I guess we're all trying to put the blame anywhere but on ourselves, huh:)

"The Island Packed" featured an article today about sleep disturbances. It listed several common causes such as bathroom breaks and snoring spouses. Under each cause were possible solutions. So I'm thinking sleep apnea machines and breathe-right strips would be under the snoring column. Nope. Instead, they suggested that you sew tennis balls in the back of your pajamas to keep you from sleeping on your back, which is the common snoring position. Can you just picture it? Thousands of Sun City residents rushing to the nearest Walmart to buy tennis balls and thread. Poor old men walking around the house tonight in their satin pajama sets, ruined (outfit and soul), with tennis balls stuck to their backs. Pathetic, really.


Another pitiful scene is that of Jack having to wear the feminine product look-alike that is pictured here. He's playing with the newest addition of baby products to the Ussery home: the Diaper Doubler. If you've been reading the blog regularly, you've read that Jack has a little bedwetting problem. Well, Jennie introduced us to the 'Dub' last week, and we're believers now. He's stayed dry 2 of the 3 nights that we've used it. The one night it failed was more of an adjustment issue on our part. Thanks, Jennie!

Go US women's figure skaters!!!! We're off to tune in.

Mr. Potter...No, not Harry.

This is how Jack travels around the house. He weighs so much (I'm guessing around 18 pounds) that we can't manage carrying him. If we're doing anything for an extended amount of time, such as cleaning the bathrooms or cooking, he gets to tag along in his high chair. Whenever I push him around I feel like his maid. Like he's an old, rich man in an ornate wooden wheelchair who is about to ask me to light his stinky cigar before he signs some important contract. Very similar to Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life." You know, the mean banker who tries to shut the Bailey Brothers' bank down. (I'm getting mad all over again just thinking about the injustice.) John and I play the role of the no name guy who wheels Mr. Potter around. I'm just waiting for a chubby little arm to start pointing me in the direction he wants to go.

The weather was blah in Bluffton today. Cloudy and chilly. Jack and I went to lunch with some of my girlfriends. He's getting better with his restaurant etiquette. The wooden high chairs are now an option for us, and he interacts with the people at surrounding tables. That's a good thing, too. Where we used to get the "Oh no, here comes a baby" glare, we now get excited faces because Jack will flash anyone his debonair smile. He smiles all the time.
I finally bathed Jack today.
It's been a week I'm ashamed to admit. But, really, what does he do to get dirty? We keep the nether regions cleaned from multiple diaper changes a day, and we clean his hands and face several times as well. That's good enough, right? He obviously enjoys his time in the water. Just after this picture was taken, Jack peed in his own face. He looked up at me confused as if he was thinking, "Where did THAT come from?" Boys will be boys.

Rainy Days and Mondays

First of all, it's not raining. In fact, it's a beautiful day out. Chilly for Bluffton, but clear, blue skies. Secondly, it's Sunday, not Monday. So why is the title of today's blog "Rainy Days and Mondays"? Answer: I've got that song by the Carpenter's in my head, and I can't get it out! Somebody help me!!!! Don't get me wrong. I love the Carpenter's. Their greatest hits CD is in my car right now. But I'm not a fan of having the same thing playing over and over and over in my mind. Usually singing a song out loud helps, but John will shoot me if he hears the Carpenter's one more time. And I'm not getting on his bad side today, because blog readers, John vacuumed and mopped the floors today. INCREDIBLE!!!! I went to the grocery store and came back to find the indescribably beautiful scene of Lysol suds running down our driveway. Usually that means Scout has done something unbelievably horrible and it required antiseptic treatments. Not today. John was in the mood to be awesome, I suppose.

Jackie has been with us for for the past two nights, and we're excited to report that she's staying another evening. We love it when she's here. She's funny, entertaining, great with Jack and Scout, and the girl doesn't complain about anything. A tree could have fallen through the guest bedroom during the middle of an electrical storm last night leaving her to sleep cold, wet and in danger. Her reply would have been, "Oh, it wasn't bad." One of her many great qualities. Last night gave John and me a small glimpse of what it will be like to raise a teen. Jackie had plans to eat dinner and catch a movie with Mary Ellen. Safe enough, right? But it was cold and rainy outside, and Jackie had only brought warmer weather clothes. So what did we make her do? Change into a pair of my pants (keep in mind she's 5'8'' and I'm 5'5''). And change her socks to warmer socks. And change into waterproof shoes. And make sure she had her jacket on. Not until she headed out the door did we realize what had transpired. We are parents, and we're making those annoying parent remarks. "Wear your coat, wear your toboggan, who cares if you're wearing high-waters?" Luckily the theaters are dark. Sorry, Jackie. But you were warm and dry, right?
Church today was really good. We went to the 9:30 service and learned more about how God has shaped us all uniquely to fulfill the different needs of others and our church body. Jack is now 0/5 in bad nursery behavior. In fact, he has been the model almost 6 month old today. Little fussing, lots of smiles and bubble blowing. He was showing off for his Great-Grandma Catherine. John, Jackie, Jack and I took her to Skilletz for lunch. She seemed to have a really good time watching Jack, especially when he was eating. He always puts on a show. This was a fun picture of the 4 of them. Jack's doing his bashful head tuck that he does after he smiles. What a good Sunday!

We're hosting our church small group at our house tonight. Since we're the only parents (yet) in the group, it's easier to have all of Jack's toys and his crib around. Should be fun. Gotta go. I hear the familiar crinkle of a Cadbury Mini Eggs bag coming from the pantry. John has not been abiding by the "2006: Year of Good Ussery Teeth" rules. But should I get onto him and risk the chance that he won't mop the floor again? Oh, I guess a little root canal never hurt anybody.

Happy Birthday, Shelby!!!

Today is Shelby Reed's first birthday! Happy Birthday, Shelby!!! Jack and I went to her fabulous birthday party this afternoon and had such a great time! It was Jack's first birthday party. I'm sure the first of many. He had so much fun watching all of the other children. We managed to escape with only a little cake in our hair. Yes, OUR hair. Not sure how that happened. Here's the cutest picture of Shelby. They stripped her down and gave her a cake of her own to dive into. Everyone was looking at her, and I think the attention got to her a little. The song, "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To" should have been playing. This is one of the few times I have heard/seen Shelby cry. She's such a cutie. Here's another picture of the two of them. Jack seems more interested in the spoon than in Shelby. I'm sure one day that will change. Kim said he was reaching for the Clemson orange. I don't think so.


Jackie is spending the weekend with us, and it's been so much fun to have her here. Scout is very excited. He gets to sleep with someone who won't kick him out of the bed for a change. Jack tried his best this morning to keep Jackie and Scout from sleeping in, but apparently Jackie sleeps like the dead. Jack's nearly 6 month scream is on the same decible level as a jet engine starting in your living room (or bathroom, whichever gets the best echo going). Here's the trio after they woke up.


The next picture would lead you to believe that it's 40 below in SC. But...we tricked you!!!! It's 72 and cloudy. However, that doesn't mean that you can't put on your mountaineering gear. John received his latest Mont Blanc (or Mont Bluffton, as shown) gear in the mail today. The super-duper gloves that you see are THE gloves that John will be wearing as he climbs the mountain. He looks good in the red jacket, huh?

Sleepover!!!

Our sleepover at the Ussery's was not characterized by the typical pillow fights, popcorn and movies. Instead, there was physics homework, dog fighting/playing/gnawing, and a really cute appearance by a little baby named Jack. Aunt Jackie had a physics test today, which she said went really well. She got the bonus question right. That's always a good sign because we all know the bonus questions are the hardest. John got a work out on the treadmill, and I watched the man. I need to update everyone on John's progress with the Mont Blanc climbing trip. He's doing very well. He's made out a schedule for his work outs and so far, he's stuck to it. Of course work gets in the way here and there, but John somehow makes up for the missed work out. If you speak to him, be sure to encourage him. It's a long way til July, but he'll do it.

While we were at the Ussery's, I also managed to avoid drinking from a dook cup that managed to weasle it's way into their cabinets. Apparently it was given to them at one of those popular "You can only give crappy gifts, and if you regift or discard of the present you're given, you will explode" Christmas parties. I hear they're all the rave. Plus, that's the only explanation I can think of as to why my kin would own such a thing.

Scout had a fun time with Scraps last night. From the moment that we got there until about 3 hours later, they bit at each other's faces, drooled on one another, and played until they almost passed out. It was either that or pee and poop in the house. Wait. No. They did that too. All cleaned up, though. No worries. Seeing Scout play so well with Scraps made me think back to Baker the unbelievably handsome golden we met on Sunday. I've got puppy fever somethin' fierce. Then again, that's nothing new for John or me. Put a golden retriever in front of us and we melt. Look at that mug!

Valentine's

Love is in the air today at the Ussery home. As you can see, Jack's getting cozy with his stuffed animal here. Thank you so much, Tim, Lisa and Adam for sending the bear, candy and Pupperoni to us. All four Usserys enjoyed the gifts.

We're celebrating Valentine's Day with Jackie! John, Jack and I are spending tonight with her at the Ussery's home. Johnny flew back to Puerto Rico this morning, so we're keeping Jackie company for the night. Jack's excited to spend some time her. I'll be sure to take some pictures. When Genie asked if we could stay with her some night this week, I volunteered Tuesday night because it was a free night for both of us. When we realized that it was Valentine's Day, John and I laughed as if Valentine's Day even matters when you have a baby. No matter what the day, we're at home by 8pm to put the man to bed. Despite any nice dinners or romantic date nights, this will be the best Valentine's Day we've probably ever had. Jack has shed a whole new meaning on Love! Maybe if Jackie gets her homework done, we can watch a romantic comedy.

On Sunday, John and I took Jack on a stroll through Harbour Town. For Hilton Head, it was a very cold day. I think it was in the 40s, and with the wind whipping off of the water, I thought I was going to die. Jack slept in his stroller and ignored the whole scene. John checked out the yachts and decided "in a perfect world" he'd like a little "flats" boat. One where he can fish off of and take into shallow waters. I love John for that. In the midst of all the huge boats with towers and cabins and names like "We're Loaded", my husband picked out a speck of a boat that he would want. I picked out a dog named Baker. Baker is a white golden retriever, or an Irish cream golden retriever. His owner was walking him around the harbour and I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. Scout is a beautiful dog, but Baker made him look homeless (see photo). Maybe in a few years, we'll get a companion for Scout. Here's a photo of Harbour Town taken on Sunday.

Yesterday was also a fun day. Ann Jacoby and I went to our first play group. I never knew what those were and was honestly afraid to ask, but basically moms bring their babies, hang out, eat and talk. Jack behaved wonderfully, which was a blessing. I think he's pretty active for a 5 month old, but he entertained himself by rolling on the floor and watching the other babies. Last night, I went to my first Bunco group also. I know, a day of firsts, huh? Maybe there should be an addendum to the baby book my mom kept for me containing such events. John was available to watch Jack last night, which was fabulous. Jack, however, did not behave fabulously. John says Jack "screamed at him" the entire time. I told him not to take it personally.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

It's like really cold.

Another Saturday morning. It's raining cats and dogs here, and it's cold! I LOVE IT!!!! Finally winter is here. Jack and I are celebrating by declaring today a "jammies only" day. Maybe we'll watch a movie, take a nap, just hang out. John is celebrating by working. I'm so proud of him and how hard he works, but we do miss him when he's away. Especially on a day like this. Of course that would change the movie we would watch. No "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". More like Bond Marathon. It'd be worth it, though. Here's Jack just as he woke up this morning. He was just too cute in his alligator PJs.

Did anyone watch the opening ceremonies to the Olympics last night? What a show! Those Italians really know their pyrotechnics, huh? The best part for the Usserys, however, was the background commentary by the one and only, Bob Costas. John has always admired Bob for his amazing rhetoric and ability to capture a moment with the perfect tone and word selection. I, for one, was taking notes. It was brought to my attention yesterday (by my BOSS) that I use the word 'like' ALL THE TIME! He told me I was about to have huge biceps because he was going to enforce a tactic that he and his wife use on their son (who happens to be SIX)! Ten pushups for "like" offenses. Boss said I used the word "like" 5 times in 30 minutes (in conversation with coworkers, not with patients). I happen to think that's really not THAT bad, but I'm sure he miscounted. It had to have been more, because I do say it incessantly. Even if curling or some other ridiculous Olympic sport is being aired, I'm gonna watch and listen for some speaking lessons from Bob. I like want to apologize for anyone that I've like ever spoken with. I'm like sorry if I sounded like a moron.

Back to the Olympics. Aren't they awesome? Can you imagine training so intensely for something? John gets into the skiing and other snow related events. Figure-skating is of course my favorite. Would I be a woman if it wasn't? Hopefully Jack will get tricked into thinking the snowy white background with fast moving colors is really a new Baby Einstein video, and he'll watch with us. Go USA!

This picture was also taken this morning. Jack's in his exersaucer (as always), but he's playing with the dolphin that his Dad brought back from Orlando. Apparently he likes it. Enjoy your Saturday!!!

Dad's Home!

John arrived safely home late last night. Just in time for Scout to show off his trick before we all hit the hay! Here's a picture taken from this evening of John playing with the man. It looks like Jack may have been crying, but he was laughing. Jack's so used to Scout licking his face that whenever you get close to him, he closes his eyes and kind of flutters his eyelashes at you. Cute. I wonder when that will stop being cute and we'll start saying, "Jack, quite that eyelash thing. That's for girls."

John had a good but busy day at work today. I just asked him what his favorite thing about today was and he said it was seeing his family. Jack's favorite thing was hangin' with Jennie, and my favorite thing was of course having John at home. A close second was trying to explain a certain surgery to a patient's mom, telling her that her son would probably have to be 'put to sleep.' She replied with (insert Hardeeville accent), "Aw, nah, he sleeps reeeel good. He don't need no hep."

The most special thing about today for all of us, though, is that it's UNCLE JEFFREY'S BIRTHDAY!!!! He turns 19, which is hard to believe. Genie said she was taking him to Outback with some of the baseball friends/instructors that he's met in PR. Jeffrey, we wish you a very happy birthday. We all wish we could be in PR celebrating with you! Thanks for being an incredible brother, brother-in-law, and uncle to us. You're a stud!

Mourning

Today is a day of mourning at the Ussery household. The drapes are drawn, Jack and I are wearing black, and we're not being friendly to telemarketers. As most of you who read this know, the Tarheels were defeated by duke last night. Despite the fact that the Heels overcame a 17 point deficit to take the lead by 4 points, we still had exactly 157 turnovers. A new record, obviously. AHHH!!!! But...I will swallow my pride, anger, and hostility to all dookies out there and congratulate you on your victory. In fact, this morning I was thinking about my extreme dislike towards the devils and was wondering how I could channel those feelings into something more positive when an episode of The Tyra Show came to mind. There were some words exchanged between two men (both dressed as women) that struck a chord with me. One "man" said to the other, "Quit drinking Hate-o-rade! Quit hatin', and start appreciatin.' So that's what I'm going to do. Stop the duke hating and start appreciating things about the school. After recognizing the need, I decided to also do something about it. I made a list of my appreciatin'.

1. I appreciate that duke actually had their fair share of fouls called against them last night. Some, I dare say, were surprising calls outside of the fact that it was duke they were called against.
2. I appreciate the fact that the picture of coach k posted on yesterday's site is not real but a creation of Photoshop.
3. I appreciate that my parents raised me to be a Tarheel.
4. I appreciate that beating duke at cameron will be so much better than had we beat them at our home.

I feel so much better already. Thanks, Tyra!

Jack and I shed our mourning clothes at about noon and we went out for a while. We shopped at Hallmark, where I set off an entire display of music-playing cards, much to the employees' chagrin. I also made the mistake of picking up a card with glitter on it, and now Jack and I have glitter on our faces that we can't manage to get off. We went to a few other places, and Jack was confused for a girl again. I seriously don't get mad at baby gender confusion in and of itself. We've all been stuck saying, "You have the cutest BABY." You know, not wanting to commit either way, boy or girl. But, he was wearing all blue with baseballs and other sporting equipment all over his outfit. Oh well!

We're off to dinner with the Reeds and Alberts tonight. John gets in tonight as well! Jack, Scout and I can't wait. It's so lonely here without him. However, I can't wait to show him Scout's new trick: "Down." He'll go belly down on the floor and wait for a treat. Believe it or not, I also took out the trash, changed some light bulbs on the exterior of our home, emptied the Diaper Genie and managed to keep Scout alive. These are all things that John normally does. He's gonna be proud of Mama! Oooh, wait, maybe I should undo all of those things (except for keeping Scout alive) in order to avoid setting any precedents. I wouldn't want him to think I'm responsible or anything.

Last thing...the picture is the only one I've gotten of the bubble blowing. This was taken yesterday, and he was blowing bubbles at you know who. (Can't say who because I'm not hatin' anymore!)

D-Day

This morning, I woke up remembering something I had recently told my father-in-law, Johnny. We were discussing UNC basketball, and I made the comment that, since Jack, I have not been "in the spirit" of basketball season like I normally am. Jack has put things in perspective. The usual arm flailing, referee name-calling, and pacing around the house doesn't come as naturally as they used to. I hated admitting that to anyone, because my love for UNC is something I have always prided myself in. Never a fair-weather fan. Never one to "boo" one of our players. But a true diehard. Those descriptions still hold firm, but motherhood has definitely softened me. EXCEPT FOR TODAY. Babies, I'm BACK, and my Tarheels are hosting the Dookies tonight. My heart is racing, my blood's boiling, my legs are doing the "I have to go to the bathroom" dance whenever I sit down. I'm on edge, and it's because the biggest NCAA BBall rivalry game is going down right in my very own living room tonight at 9pm. If you're a fan, you better be watching. If you attended UNC or Duke (as if any I invited any dookies to view our blogpage) and you opt to watch American Idol instead, then you have absolutely lost your mind. 9PM. JP/Raycom/ESPN. It's that important. In lieu of tonight's event, I've visited all of my anti-Duke websites, which comprises most of my "favorites" list, and found this enjoyable little picture of coach kwerouweaweriaqwyqoweurski. There was another picture I liked more of his face evolving into a rat face, but the image wouldn't work on the blog. The bikini will have to suffice.

John is fortunate enough to be out of town tonight. This will be my first solo viewing of a UNC/Duke game. It's probably best that way. Jack's got his UNC gear on as you can see. He's been kind of crazy this morning, too, and I LOVE IT!!! He lived for 9 months inside of me and celebrated the 2005 championship by being jostled all around my tummy. He had to have learned something during all of that, right?

I hope that anyone reading this is sharing in our excitement . "Our" meaning anyone who is a Tarheel fan. I'm typing the fastest I ever have in my life, probably won't be able to eat today, and plan to rip a couple of phonebooks in half in anticipation of the game. John and I are having a cell-phone pep rally in a few moments. Make sure you're doing something insane today as well. Just make sure it's not pulling for Duke.

Just the Two of Us

Today was the Erin and Jack Show. We've eaten together, cleaned together, played together, watched Baby Einstein together. We've kept ourselves busy, trying to forget that John's not coming home tonight. Here's a picture of the Jack and me. My arms can't quite do the trick like John's can. We miss you, Pops!

Jack and I had lunch with Kim and Shelby Reed today. Before we knew it, we had been in the restaurant for almost 2 hours! We decided that our sanity as mothers comes from getting out of the house. Everything is based around where we're going that day. Even if it's just to buy toilet paper, you look forward to it. Of course, buying toilet paper quickly turns into buying toilet paper AND something for Jack. I can't help it. My entire though process has changed. It's all about "the man", which is an endearing nick name that John and I have given him. Funny what children do to you. Like yesterday...I was heading to the Super Bowl party, and I noticed I had spit up on my shirt. But it didn't bother me. Instead, I thought, "Cool. In case there's someone there whom I don't know, they'll probably notice the spit up and know that I'm a mom." That's insane! Where does that kind of thinking come from?

Gotta run. Einstein is almost over, and we have to take dinner to the Montgomery's. They just had a baby as well. Colin Albert. Another cutie.

Super Bowl?

Why is it called the Super Bowl? Why not the Super Plate or Super Saucer? I'm sure there's an obvious explanation for it. Maybe because the stadiums are shaped like bowls? If that's the reason, then I can see why they didn't opt for Super Bucket or Super Dish. Those are clearly terrible alternatives. Not really sure on that one. Let me know if you have an answer. Anyhoo, Go Steelers!!!

Jack enjoyed his first Super Bowl party tonight. Ron and Melanie Bullman, a couple in our small group from church, invited us to their home to watch the game. Jack celebrated by spitting up, whining and falling asleep on John's shoulder. We left at half-time so John could pack for his trip to Orlando. He's leaving for a few days for a real estate conference, so Jack and I will be holding down the fort. This will be our first nights by ourselves, so pray for us. Pray for John's safety as he travels.

Today at church, Pastor Jeff talked about our spiritual "shape", meaning how God has uniquely designed us to fulfill a purpose for Him. It got me excited to think about what Jack is designed to do. Right now, he's pretty good at the bubble thing. Who knows what tomorrow may bring....

I'll leave you with 2 Ussery home discoveries from today:
1. Pediacare will put Jack to sleep. I gave it to him because he started coughing. Actually, he's been coughing, but John and I think he's faking it. He's learned how to make the coughing noise, so now he does it all the time. But then, I started worrying, thinking, "What if he really is coughing, and we're being psycho parents thinking that he's a faker?" So, I gave him the Pediacare. And he slept. And coughed.
2. The battery powered toothbrushes with the spinning bristles are awesome. John and I invested in one that we're going to share. Just kidding. That's disgusting. We bought one for each of us. (Mine is purple. His is silver. I knew you were wondering...:) I get excited about that just-left-the hygienist's-chair feeling I can get right in my very home! The reason we purchased the brushes was because I have officially declared 2006 as the "Year of Good Teeth" for this branch of the Ussery family. So far, we're looking pretty good. One-third of us is still at the gums-only stage. Here's a pretty cute picture of him, too.

Saturday Morning Carrots

There's nothing like some pureed carrots to get your engines going on a Saturday morning is there? I'm pretty sure that Jack liked them. We're just waiting for his nose to turn orange from the beta carotene overload. This morning has been so nice. Jack has been acting pretty cool. He tagged along with me for our weekly Target run. Actually, that's a lie. We go to Target more than once a week. He was in the cart blowing bubbles and squealing for everyone on Aisle C29.

We have some exciting news today. Actually, it's been almost a week now, but...Carter Thomas Galbreath was born on January 29th. His parents are Phillip and Shannon Galbreath. John grew up with Phillip on HHI, and we are so excited that we get to raise our babies together. Carter is absolutely precious. He and Shannon are healthy and doing well. Of course a little sleep deprived, but...that's the way it goes, right? Here's a picture of Shannon and Jack taken over New Year's. Little did we know that Carter would be born that very month! Welcome, Carter! We can't wait to meet you! Isn't he an adorable baby?

Hope everyone is having a super weekend.

Bubbles

I've tried for two days to get a picture of Jack's new trick, but..to no avail! While we were in Greensboro, Jack began blowing bubbles, raspberries, whatever you may call it. It's the thing where a child sticks their tongue out and blows. Jack is a champion at it. He gets this serious look on his face and then the spit starts flying. Hopefully he'll get really good at it soon, and a camera will no longer pose an interference. If so, I'll be sure to post the proof.

Jack had a great day with Jennie. It's always a good sign when I come home and he's in the same clothes as when I left him that morning. That means he hasn't wet himself or puked! At least not TOO much. Work was busy, but good, and John worked hard all day. This evening he picked out a cool ring-tone for his Blackberry. I cleaned out the fridge! (finally)

Last night we had dinner with Mr. Ussery, Jackie and Jeffrey. Unfortunately, Jeffrey sprained his ankle while in Puerto Rico and had to come back for some rehab and English-speaking orthopedic help. Hopefully he's healing well and will be back in action when he heads back to PR tomorrow. We all watched UNC beat the Terps. Incredible. Also, Duke ALMOST LOST against Boston College the other night. Did anyone else see how BC was cheated out of the blatant, nasty foul at the end? And here I was thinking they only paid the refs at Cameron. No...cameron. It doesn't deserve capitalization.

Pratt, Kim, and Shelby invited us to dinner with them tonight. Pratt got VIP tickets somehow and we dined for free while the wait-staff trained. We ate at Jim and Nicks, a new BBQ joint in town. They open sometime this week. You're probably thinking, 'Why is Erin writing so much about a restaurant?' It's because the opening of ANYTHING new in Bluffton is big time! But, the food was good, Jack behaved for the most part and we managed to escape with only a few mishaps. Jack accidentally reached for his teether but instead grabbed a handful of BBQ and pulled it in my lap. Fun. When we got home, I realized that our clothes smelled like they spent a few hours on the spit themselves. Thus...a bath for Jack and a house full of yummy smells for Scout. A happy night for all 4 Usserys!

Friends and Farewells

"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."
- Proverbs 27:19

If the above is true, (and it is, cause it's God's Word), then I must be pretty awesome. My friends came and surprised me last weekend for my birthday. Isn't that incredible? Here we are posing before our fierce guy vs. girl bocce match/game. From left to right, there's Melissa Beahm, Erin Hall, Megan Clarke and me. Apparently, Erin and John had been planning the surprise for over a month and everything "went down" on Friday the 27th. There was a knock at the door, and my thoughts were: 1. Jehovah's Witnesses?!? At THIS hour?" 2. Whoever rang the doorbell had a nice watch. (Because I could see it through the window. Ends up, it was Megan's watch.) 3. Well...that's all I was thinking really because I was taken off guard. Mom opened the door, and there were three of the most beautiful faces in the entire world. My friends! After about 30 seconds of poor posture and my mouth hanging open, I began crying and thanking them over and over again for coming all this way for me! As I'm typing now, I'm hoping the doorbell will ring, and we can replay the entire weekend over again. Erin, Megan and Melissa, if you are reading this, thank you again for making my 25th birthday the best one yet. I can't figure out why God blessed me with friends like you and the other roomies. I guess three years of carrying all of your books in college, buying your lunches and giving you piggy back rides to class finally paid off and you let me room with you:) Chris and Josh, thank you for coming along with your wives to make my birthday weekend so incredible. You all are the best. Thank you also to everyone else who sent gifts, sang to me on the phone and called to wish me a happy birthday. I'm still smiling just thinking about it. As if my friends aren't enough, I have the most amazing husband on the planet. Thank you, John, for everything this weekend. It's so sweet to know that you want me to be so happy.

My family (Mom, Dad, brother, Matthew and his wife, Melissa) came down over the weekend as well. As always, it was great to see them. Mom and Dad took over with Jack which was very helpful to me in spending time with everyone. Thanks Mama and Daddy!!! Matthew and Melissa joined the roomies and me in a round of "Loaded Questions." I won't take the time to explain how the game works, but I can tell you it's the best game on the planet. Ever. End of story.

On Saturday, in the midst of all the celebration, we received the sad news that my great-aunt, Edna, had passed away. At 81, she went home to be with her Savior and ended many years of cancer, treatments and physical suffering. Of course our family is grieving the loss of Edna, but we're also rejoicing that we KNOW she is is 100% pain-free and is in the presence of the Lord Almighty. Burying her was very difficult for all of us, but we couldn't help but to laugh at the memories. Edna will always be remembered as having a great personality, always smiling, never complaining despite her pain, giving Jack his nickname, "Pete", and her ability to recite Longfellow's poem, "A Psalm of Life". For many years, Edna and her sisters would take Josh, John, Jimmy (my 2nd cousins), Matthew and me to dinner every Thursday night to give our parents a date night. I was fortunate enough to attend her funeral in Greensboro on Tuesday. What a celebration of life and a beautiful remembrance of an incredible woman! She will be missed dearly!

Jack and I got back to Bluffghanistan from Greensboro today. He slept almost the entire way and was a great car-rider. He has a new trick, but you're gonna have to wait to read about it. I'm running out of material and need to save the new trick for a rainy day...maybe tomorrow!