upcoming posts

The entire Spear Family has been SUPER BUSY since Thanksgiving! SUPER BUSY...like so busy Jack even spent 4 days in Columbus with Meme and Papa because Chris and I were SO BUSY with work! But just so you know what we've been up to, here are some upcoming posts:

• Jack's First Haircut
• Thanksgiving Celebrations
• Mr. Personality
• Christmas Tree
• Sick...Again
• 18 Month Kan Be Healthy

This is all I can think of right now and as soon as everything slows down I will get this thing updated...promise! And by then I'm sure I'll have more to add! To be continued...

our first picture disaster

This is bits and pieces of an email I sent my two best "mom" friends, who also happen to be two of my IRL besties all the way back from middle school and high school - Chelsea and Chelse.

We had our Family/Jack's 18 month pictures scheduled for this past Saturday and needless to say it was a 100% DISASTER! Jack was pissed from the moment we walked in the door and Jayme said, "Hi Jack!".

In the last 3 months or so he has really become aware of "strangers" or perople he doesn't see reguarly, but I never thought he would put on the performance he did Saturday. We started with the family shot for our Christmas card b/c I was worried he wasn't going to cooperate. And...he didn't. Every time Jayme said anything to get him to look her way he would either go "uhh" or "nooo" and stomp his foot. Then it got worse - he would throw himself on the floor and pound his hands and kick his feet in TRUE tantrum form! I couldn't believe it! I don't think we accomplished ONE picture. She said she thought she might have gotten 1 decent one of the first family pose. We even tried to just take some by himself b/c i thought he would act better if he could see me - WRONG! He stood on this chair screaming "NNOOOOOO" the entire time.

I AM SO SAD! I think I've lost control! He seems so angry and frustrated ALL THE TIME! He acts this way at daycare too...the fit throwing and stomping foot and punching and kicking things when he is mad. I don't know if it's just a phase or if it's his personality? And if it is his personality is it something we did!?

He is also not sleeping well at all anymore! And last week he wouldn't even nap at daycare more than like 45 minutes a day. He stays up until almost 9pm in his crib (even though he is put to bed no later than 730) just playing and talking to himself - then he is exhausted in the mornings and a total crab! UGH! I'm at a loss as to what to do with him?!?!

Sorry, had to vent!

I really don't know what to do anymore. We do time out! We are consistent with what the is and is not allowed to do. We love him. What in the world is going on?

xoxo Frazzled Mom

likes to bite!

Jack has a new found passion for biting! It started awhile back, but in the past couple weeks it has increased in frequency. At first every once in awhile he would kind on nibble your mouth if he was giving a kiss, but I never thought much of it and actually thought it was kind of cute! Then he started biting down on our fingers while we brushed his teeth (with the little finger brush - needless to say we use a regular tooth brush now).

But now he is getting more aggressive AND his favorite thing to bite you ask? TOES! Yes, toes - it's so gross, but he seems like he just can't resist! Bare foot, socked foot, shoed foot - Jack doesn't discriminate! He loves them all equally!

Almost every night now he will sneak up on our feet and dive right in (usually going for the big toe) without warning. Sometimes he will grab ahold of your foot first, which gives you time to pull back - other times we are just out of luck! OUCH!

Jack thinks it is down right hilarious! And I'm not sure he is doing it to inflict pain - I think he likes the reaction of us jumping, jerking, and screaming - its funny to him! He also now likes to fake us out and act like he is giving a kiss on the cheek, all the while fully intending to bite your face off!

I started to wonder if he was biting at daycare? I hadn't been told he was, but I couldn't see how he wouldn't be there if he was doing it at home so reguarly? I talked to Tonya today and she said he hasn't bitten anyone other than her and that was only one time. She said they were snuggling and he was burying his face into her and bite her right between the boobs! Oops! Ha, but at least he isn't biting the other children - yet anyway!

Here's to hoping its a phase that he QUICKLY grows out of!

chatter box...dancing king...bully...

Jack is talking more and more everyday! It's really quite cute! He tries to repeat everything you say! He was trying to say peek-a-boo this weekend which came out "pee-boo". He was looking for Charlie and kept saying "cha-ie". He says "let's go" and when we were at Jenny's shower last weekend a bunch of the guests were leaving and Jack picked up my camera bag and hooked it on his arm and proceeded towards the door saying "ets-o", I think he might be spending too much time with Momma! He also sings along with music in the car now, it's more of a hum but he is definitely trying! Chris said he kept saying "wus thaaa" and pointing out the window while they were in the truck the other day on their drive to Columbus, but I have yet to hear that one.

He says more, mine, doo (door), dog, birrr (bird), baaaalll, no, huh uh, tan que (thank you), uh oh, mama, dada, tuh dow (touch down and throws his arms up), fut ball (foot ball), bye, hi, hey, oowww (especially in public so people think I'm abusing my kid - I think he does it on purpose), no, nuts (chris taught him that), eye, nose. Thats all I can remember right now. We are working on ears, up, down, please and a few more animals - he doesn't know much of them b/c everything is a DOG!

He knows where his eyes, nose, mouth and tummy are. When you say "cover your mouth" when he coughs he will SLAP his hand over his mouth, and if you give him a tissue he will wipe under his nose (I just about die from the cuteness every time he does that!).

He is continuing his love of music, whether on the radio or a TV commercial! In the car if I say dance he starts moving and groving! I've also noticed he is becoming more aware of the TV in general...he is so his mother's son!

He is also still a bully. I haven't had any hitting reports from daycare lately, but his new thing is to tackle the 3 year old little boy, Logan, and sit on him (the boy won't push him off though), so when Jack gets bored supposedly he will take a step or two away and when Logan starts to get up he will run back and sit on him again...Oy vey! This mean-spirited attitude has also provided Jack the chance to quickly learn what time out is! He has a chair that is his time out chair and now it's to the point that if I talk in my "mom" voice and ask him if he needs a time out? he immediately gets sad, watery eyes, and a quivering bottom lip. Chris and I both have to try really hard not to smile b/c it's so cute - but this stuff is serious! :-)

That's all for now! xoxo

trick or treat

Chris' parents had a Halloween Party Saturday night over in Columbus. It was a good time, they bbq'd, had 4-wheeler hayrack rides, a haunted spook trail, games, and tons of candy! Jack had a great time running through the hay in the garage, searching for candy in his hay pile, chasing balls around, and of course eating candy!

Pointing at the scary decorations!

Daddy trying to get Jack's costume on...

Still trying...

And trying...

xoxo

happy halloween!

a baby shower

Saturday Jack and I traveled back home to Chanute for one of my very good friend's baby showers! Congratulations Jenny! We can't wait to meet Sophia Claire!

Gorgeous little Hayden!

It looks like they are holding hands, but really Jack was just going to his lego that Hayden is holding! He isn't good at sharing his legos!

xoxo

Wood Farms Pumpkin Patch

This was our second year going to the Woods Farm Pumpkin Patch and I have to say our experience this year was TOTALLY different than last year! Jack was only 5 months old so we could prop him up and he would smile for hours and let us take all the pictures we wanted. This year he was more interested in "people watching" to let me take any posed pictures! He also wanted to do everything he isn't quite big enough for, which lead to multiple break downs on his part! Overall though it was a good trip and it actually made me super excited for next year when I know he will be able to do all the activities his little heart desires!

Seeing that we are in the middle of deer season Chris was hunting, so we met up with my friend Chelse and her little girl Tylee. Thanks Chelse for all the pictures!

Jack was in love with the miniature pigs! He went straight to them and stuck his hand threw the fence to pet them! He didn't want to leave them and we even went back for a second visit!

Honestly, Jack loved all the animals which is making me think we need to visit the zoo or Deanna Rose Farmstead in KC as soon as possible! I know he would love it!

There was a bumble bee blow up obstacle course that Jack really thought he wanted to go in, but I knew he would never make it out because there were 4 foot tall walls that he would have had to climb and then slide down the other side once he got to the top! He was NOT happy about this, so we decided to let him try the bounce house!

I love this picture! When Jack got in the bounce house it was all younger, smaller children. But as luck would have it, about 2 minutes after Jack and Tylee got in - a 200 pound 10 year old jumped in and started reaking jumping havoc on all the little kids! After seeing Jack take a couple good hits I decided it was time to get out - of course Jack had a different idea. As soon as I said, "Come on Jack, let's get out!" he immediately headed towards the back of the house as far away from the door as possible. With the 200 pound 10 year old still going crazy I started to lose my cool (as the 200 pound 10 year old's parents stood by watching their huge son demolish 8 small children), and promptly kicked off my shoes, told the 200 pound 10 year old to STOP JUMPING! and climbed in the house to grab Jack. Jack was less than appreciative of me trying to save him from the 200 pound 10 year and decided to scream bloody murder the entire way out! Oh, the joys of a 16 month old that loves to throw tantrums! Ha! I smiled, looked at all the wide-eyed parents standing around and said, "Oh, he's just having a bad day!" Ha!

Jack also got to play in a huge corn box (think sand box, but full of corn), ride a barrel tractor ride, and then take a hayrack ride (minus the hay) through the "haunted" pasture!

Next year we might hit up Chelse and Tylee's pumpkin patch in McCune - just for a change of scenery (and hopefully not so many people)!

growing up

Jack is getting to be such a big boy these days and with that comes his independence, which is good and in some cases not good! When he doesn't get his way he now throws full out tantrums! He throws himself down on the floor and screams! Jack loves playing outside and making him come inside will guarantee a meltdown! I've started letting him come in on his own terms and then having him shut the door - this usually helps until he realizes that I'm not going to reopen the door for him to go back out!

Jack has also started insisting on holding a fork during meals. He uses it sometimes and he gets so excited when he successfully pokes his food and actually gets it in his mouth! It's cute!

Jack is now running around the house and loves it when people knock on the door! He gets so excited to see who it is! He is back in his own crib, but still plays for quite awhile before actually falling asleep!

We went to the doctor last week for Jack's flu shot and he weighed just over 23 pounds and was 30.5 inches long (yes he is getting taller)!

The cutest thing happened this morning when I dropped him off at Tonya's! Usually I sneak out when he isn't looking or I say a quick bye and Tonya takes him the other way. He never really cries too much and I can always hear him stop before I even get off the porch, but this morning was different. As soon as we walked in Jack wanted to play, I sat and talked to Tonya for a minute and then it was time to leave. I told Jack I was leaving and he made a bee-line for me, I thought oh he is going to cry! He walked over arms out (I thought b/c he wanted picked up), but I just squated down and said "Ok, give me hug and kiss," he hugged me and I kissed him on the cheek and he promptly turned around and went back to playing! What a big boy! That was the first time HE ever gave ME a goodbye hug and kiss!

xoxo

mini vaca pictures

at our condo/cabin!

one of the towers at ziplining!

getting ready to head up our first tower!