Jace ~ 16 Months

Jace has been a blast this past month and I find myself stopping to appreciate this sweet toddler stage 💓

He continues to repeat more words that he hears often.  Just today he repeated Luke, which sounded more like "guke", but Luke still liked it!  The past month has included many dance parties.  Jace loves music and knows that Alexa provides most of the music he hears.  He'll look at the speaker and point if there is no music playing and comes near it to dance when he likes a song.  His dancing is now engaging all parts of his body.  We all love watching and joining him! 

Jace celebrated his second Christmas but wasn't very interested in opening gifts.  He did, however, love being surrounded by so many people and treats 😃  During the week of Christmas, we joked that every time he woke up from nap or in the morning that new people were at our house.  He loved every minute!  I'd say his favorite gifts were any that involved balls and a couple that included a hammer.  You can tell we don't play much baseball in our house because he got a toddler baseball tee and has no idea what to do with it 😆

Jace doesn't do much walking any more, rather he toddler runs any chance he gets.  It's adorable watching his pudgy little body race around 💓  He continues to be obsessed with balls of any kind, specifically basketballs.  Basketball season started for Luke in November so Jace is getting lots of time in gyms.  Depending on the day, we can have a wrestling match on our hands trying to keep him off the court during the game.  At one tournament, he inadvertently became the half time show.  He went out on the court with Aunt Cally, ran the length of the court, the ref rolled him a ball, and he pointed to the 10 foot hoop like he wanted to shoot.  Cally lifted him up and he attempted with a full-size men's ball and received cheers from the visitor and home team fans.  It was very sweet. Our little man loves applause and even claps for himself when he makes a basket on his small basketball hoops at home.  He's also enjoying puzzle more and has learned to clap for himself when finding the right piece in the right place. 

As you can tell, we're really enjoying our busy little man.

Happy New Year from the Pickers!

A warm December day!

Sister pulls his chariot 

Loving a pile of stuffed owls

In the ball bin at a basketball game

Snuggles with Aunt Bridgy

Getting in on making gingerbread cookies

He loves waffles and nutella like momma!

 

Opening gifts with Daddy

Hammer toy

A new chair that is just his size

Jace and Gma Ruth

Trying to catch all three

Jace and Great Papa Green,
we think they look alike

Snuggles in brother's new chair

Snuggles with Daddy when Jace wasn't feeling well

Jace ~ 15 Months

This past month has brought out a lot of personality in our littlest man!

Chatting - Jace is repeating more words that he hears frequently: milk, truck, up, snack (refers to any food), na-na, sock, sit, shoe (this one is hard to decipher), and pee-yew...and occasionally we'll hear a mama or dada in there, but not often ;)  I'm half expecting his next word to be Luke since he seems to like words that end with the "k" sound.  We also still get a lot of pointing and grunting at the things he wants.

Eating/Teething - We're beginning to see more preferences from our boy who used to eat anything we gave him.  If he doesn't like what's on his high chair tray, he will try to hand it back to us, try to drop it on the floor, put his pacifier back in his mouth, and/or point to the counter where he knows we keep the bananas.  He's also had his third and fourth one-year molars break through, so he may be pickier due to that.  In the past when he's been teething, he has preferred soft foods.  A few of his favorite foods: fruit pouches which he can now eat himself, yogurt, bananas, bread, oatmeal and blueberries, crackers, fruit bars, ice cream.  Jace has also become very aware of when food is available.  If he sees us eating, he'll come up to us with his mouth wide open expecting a bite.  He also knows where the snacks are in the pantry and will grab something to walk around with even though he can't open it to actually eat unless we oblige.

On the Move -  Jace has been very fascinated with the stairs this month.  Since he's been mobile, we've had a gate at the top of the stairs and we used an ottoman to block the bottom of the stairs.  We started realizing how quickly he'd run to the stairs in the basement if we didn't have the ottoman blocking him.  He'd sit at the bottom of the stairs just waiting for us to get distracted so he could start climbing.  We let him practice climbing occasionally when we could be there to spot him.  The week of Thanksgiving, we were all home for five days so we decided to let him practice his stair scaling skills.  We took off the gate and helped him know to sit and turn on his stomach to go down.  He loves the new found freedom.  We just need to be sure that whichever level of the house he's on that an older sibling or parent is with him (think toys in the toilet, barbie shoes in the mouth, etc, etc).

Personality - Jace has been a lot more giggly this month.  I think he's starting to show his sense of humor since he'll laugh at himself when he's being silly.  We never know what he'll find funny when he's watching Luke and Nora.  One day he laughed hysterically when Nora was trying to toss her coat at a hook and missing over and over.  Jace is also showing his defiance more clearly.  One night, Brent said it was time for bed, so Jace fell to the floor and started rolling away.  Luke got a video of the entire thing that happened multiple times.  He was making his point in the best way he knew how...making it difficult for Brent to pick him up.  The funny part to me is that he loves going to bed with his stuffed lamb and cozy blankets. He must have just been having fun playing with dad and brother.  After this incident, we've seen more occurrences of him falling to the ground to show his dissatisfaction with the situation.  He's also mastered the head shake to tell us "no".

Stats from 12/13 Appt:

Weight: 25 lbs 9.5 oz (84%)

Height: 31.22 inches (44%)

Head Circumference: 49 cm (94%)

Still short and stout with a big bean :)

Sleepy boy
cuddling at a restaurant 

Morning snuggles with big brother

Sitting in a big desk at Papa and Gma's
for some dried blueberries

He loves playing in the shower

Hanging with extended family

Sweet moments on the bleachers

Hoop Dreams

Future photographer

Playing with Parker

Snuggles with Momma

Reading in his little chair

Not a happy daddy on Michigan vs Ohio state football day...

Cuddles with big bro. 
Jace is probably happier here because
of the remote in his hand than
being with his brother.

Jace ~ 14 Months

This past month was a complete blur.  Between losing my grandma and a trip to Baltimore, we've been busy with lots of out-of-the-ordinary stuff.




Jace had his first airplane rides and did very well!  Each flight left around 9am.  I put him in the Ergo baby carrier getting on the plane and he slept on me for the first hour of each flight.  He was still groggy for the last hour of the flight, so he was pretty low key.  He was squirmy, but quiet.  We couldn't ask for much more from a 14 month old!  He also did great at our friend's house for the week!




Another milestone this month has been moving Jace from the pack-n-play as his bed to using his actual crib.  Quick history: we moved him to the pack-n-play in February because he started hitting his head on the wooden slats of the crib when he rolled over.  The few times we had attempted to put him in his crib, he acted like we were torturing him.  But, last week, I tried the crib again and he did great.  No hitting his head and no frustration with the change.  It's nice having more floor space in his room again now that we don't have the pack-n-play set up all of the time.




Jace has mastered the word "up" and says it when he wants to be picked up.  He's also saying "na-na" for banana, one of his favorite foods.  He understands when we talk about eating or meals and will respond with "mmmm".  We think he's starting to understand that I'm "mama" because he'll fuss a bit and reach for me while saying it.  He also makes the "muah" sound when we ask for a kiss.




He's still working on pushing through the last two first year molars.  He's had bumps under his gums for a month now and they haven't broken through. 




Jace loves to dance and tries to talk to Alexa to get her to play music if there isn't any on.  He will stand at the end table the Alexa speaker sits on and will jabber and point at it.  He's added a new dance move that includes putting one arm in the air and swinging it in circles.  This was added to his typical head swing and bending his knees up and down.  Baby Shark and anything by Raffi are his favs.  He really loves anything that sings, dances, or lights up.  At the Blue Papa and Gma's house he has LOTS of options.  Currently he likes to carry around a little electronic skeleton that sings and dances and he points to anything else he can't reach but knows it lights up or sings for him.  At home, he loves an Elmo toy that his cousin Alaina gave him.  Elmo talks, sings, and dances and Jace knows how to turn him on to interact. 


Jace is also speeding up recently! I'd say he's toddler running...it's not fast, but it's more than just walking now :) 

Playing in his favorite cupboard in the kitchen

Silly boy getting himself half undressed

He loves plinking in the keys and he's tall enough
 to push up the cover himself now too

Enjoying the fire station open house
and all of the tires!  His fav!

Whoa!

Baby yoga:)

Handsome boy dressed up for
Great Gma's funeral

On the airplane with sister

Hanging with friends in Baltimore

Super fun library in Baltimore

More library fun

Snuggles with Big Luke

Flying home!

Toddlers and pumpkins <3 td="">

I can touch these???

Our pumpkin for Halloween:)

Remembering Grandma Green

I am grateful for the time I had with grandma the last few months, especially for the last weekend our family shared together.  I am grateful for hospice who walked us through the process of death and learning that even when grandma was not awake she could hear us.  God even gave me the chance to tell grandma goodbye and to share most of what I'll share today.

I had the privilege of sharing nearly 38 years of my life with grandma in it.  My parents made it a priority that my sister and I had time and relationships with our grandparents and we spent countless weekends together and a few vacations as well.  Mostly though, I remember the little things...

I remember lots of regular days together just doing our nails, coloring, painting sun catchers, playing cards, playing in the yard, and enjoying grandma's chex mix.  We spent a lot of time shopping together and I always admired grandma's style.  She loved color and stripes and we always shared a similar taste in shoes, even wearing the same size.  I remember her being along when I picked out my first homecoming dress and my wedding dress.

I also remember annual outings with grandma. She often spent the week of Rochesterfest at our house and I spent the week of the Albert Lea fair with her.  We shared a love of country music and saw many concerts together at the fair and watched many hours of CMT together. I even remember grandma once got her hands on a VHS tape to teach us to line dance in the living room.

At grandma and grandpa's house, there was always room.  I think back on family gatherings and holidays, Christmas specifically, and I wonder how we all fit together at the table for a meal or game of cards or how we made space around the Christmas tree with the mountain of gifts that grandma bought for the family.  Many years, we added a new spouse or grandbaby and still found room.  Somehow, we all found a place to sleep at night too.  I always hated leaving our gatherings and weekends together and I remember negotiating with my parents to stay just one more night.

Above all else, I am grateful that grandma and I shared Jesus and I know that is why I'm at peace after losing her.  Our time on earth is fleeting, but we have a glorious eternity to share together.   I remember a few theological discussions with grandma through the years, but mostly I remember her heart for others and her love of Jesus.  She was an example of the two greatest commandments: to love God and love others.

Grandma loved and lived well.  You're here because you were touched by her love and life as well.  She lives on in her family as I see her traits in each of us.

• Bridget's nose
• My mom's body build
• Jeff and Larry's outgoing personalities
• Jamie's sense of adventure
• My laugh

But most of all, she lives on in the love she shared and the memories we have together. 

Jace ~ 13 Months

13 months!  It's crazy to think about where we were last year at this time...trying to adjust to a new baby and the kids back to school.  We've all learned and grown A LOT this past year! 


Since Jace turned one, he has mastered walking and waving.  Guess he's ready for a parade!:)  Jace knows which cabinets/drawers he's allowed into in each of the rooms upstairs and he loves to walk between the kitchen, master bathroom, mud room, and his bedroom to shuffle stuff around the house and leave a trail behind him :)  We joke that he thinks it's his job.  He especially likes to be in the laundry room when I'm doing laundry.  He peeks in the open doors and tries to close the doors on me often :)  He's also learned to stand up by himself without holding on to anything.  Brent was a little surprised that this skill came after walking. 


He loves all things basketball.  He has one small hoop he can shoot at while sitting, another that he can dunk on while standing, and another that hangs from the top of a door that he points at with his ball and attempts to shoot.  Jace also loves following us around the kitchen to close the cabinet/fridge doors we're using.  He's often trying to close us into the fridge and will get crabby with us for stopping his attempts :)


When he doesn't have his pacifier in his mouth, he's very chatty...baby chatty that is...we don't understand anything he's jabbering about :)  This month he did master the word "truck" and even uses it when he points to a garbage truck, etc.  He had lots of fun at the homecoming parade that had lots of trucks.  He will mimic us saying "uh-oh", but I don't think he understands when to use it.  We're also working on him saying "up" when he wants us to pick him up.  He really doesn't have any words for his family members yet.  He makes ma-ma and da-da sounds but not in reference to us. 


In September, he also pushed through 2 molars, one on top and one on the bottom.  He has large lumps in his gums on the other side, so I'm guessing the other one year molars are coming soon.  He's handled teething well with just some variation in eating and napping occasionally, but he's generally happiest with a pacifier to suck or chew on. 


I think Jace officially has a favorite stuffed animal for sleeping.  Brent's mom bought him a little stuffed lamb/blanket that he often brings out of his pack-n-play when he wakes up and reaches for when he goes to bed. 


We celebrated Jace's birthday with two gatherings on Labor Day weekend.  Pickers joined us for dinner and the first Michigan football game and the Beckmanns/Moyers joined us in Albert Lea to celebrate with my grandparents.  It was a nice, low key time to spend with family.  Jace and I also got to spend a day visiting my cousin, Steph, and her new bundle of joy, Otto.  It's pretty awesome to share the motherhood journey with a wonderful friend and cousin.<3 nbsp="" p="">

My babes

Two year old babysitting the one year old

Visiting the kittens at Petco

Sleeping babies are the sweetest! 
Note his lamb stuffy under his right arm

Looking grown up

Walking with Daddy

Bedhead after a nap

He LOVES baths and showers!

Visiting with the ducks

Playing in the shower

Homecoming parade with all the trucks