Halloween

Technically this was Jack's 2nd Halloween as His first halloween was last year when he was just a few weeks old. Its so weird thinking how much has changed since last Halloween. Last year he slept most of the time in his carseat in the stroller...this year he was riding in the wagon and going up to the doors to get candy. Jack and I started the day off by spending the afternoon at Gramie and Papa's house while Daddy was at home getting some school work done. Then Daddy joined us for dinner at Gramie and Papa's and some Trick or Treating. Jack went around with Mommy, Gramie and Papa to Gramie and Papa's neighbors who had so much fun seeing Jack dressed up as a Jack O' Lantern...and of course he reached in the basket for some candy and then reached for more and they acutally thought it was so cute!! Then we joined Sean and his sister mom and boyfriend to Trick or Treat around Sean's friend's neighborhood. Sean went off with his friends and their parents and Jay, Jack, and I walked around with Sean's Sister, Mom and her boyfriend. Jack had a blast going door to door and getting candy. After Trick or treating Jack, Mommy, Daddy and Sean went to Nana and Umpa's house so they could see the boys dressed up. Sean was dressed as a rockstar. I'll add some pictures of him in his costume to the post after I get them from his mom.


Jack in his little Monster Shirt with his Pumpkin Rattle Booties from last year! (they fit him perfect this year and he had a blast running around and hearing them make noise.

Our Little Jack O' Lantern all dressed up with his Lil Pumpkin.

Jack with Mommy and Aunt Courtney and His cousins Sydney (dressed as a pumpkin) and Byron (dressed as a pirate).

Jack and Virginia (sean's sister) riding around in the Wagon on Halloween while Trick or Treating.

Jack at Nana and Umpa's house after Trick or Treating in His Skeleton Onesie that he was wearing under his costume.

Halloween Get Together

A bunch of Moms, Dads and Babies/Toddlers from Jack's and My "Mommies Group" got together at Pullen Park in Raleigh to have a Halloween Party and all the kids wore their Halloween Costumes. We all had a blast while the kids played and we all snacked on yummy snacks we all brought to share. Pullen Park also has a couple of rides...a Carousel and a train around the park. The kids enjoyed them both! It was fun to incorporate the dads into the get together as it is usually just moms and kids!! It was fun getting another use out of Jack's Jack O'Lantern costume and seeing all his friends dressed up.



Nicolas(pumpkin), Owen (dinosaur) and Maddie (ladybug)


Jack and Nicolas as Pumpkins!



Katie (ladybug), Jack, Maddie (witch) and Holly (bunny) playing.

Sean in his Cat in the Hat Costume from last year and Jack our little Jack O'Lantern.



Lil Jack O'Lantern riding on the Train around Pullen Park.

Mommy and Jack on the Carousel!!

Vollmer Farm

Today, Jay, Sean, Jack and Mommy went with Nana and Umpa (Jay's parents) and Aunt Megan to Vollmer Farm in Bunn, North Carolina. First we headed to Wilson, NC to go to lunch at a Little Barbecue Place while the rain clouds passed. Then we headed up to Bunn and went to Vollmer Farm. there is a whole lot of really fun stuff to do there. Where you park and board the hayride is a really cute store and also where you pick out your pumpkins. Then you board the hayride and head back to the Back Forty where there are all kids of things to do. There is a corn maze, giant bouncing thing (like a big outdoor bounce house), Pumpkin Slingshot, Corn Sandbox, playgrounds, Giant Slide in a Hill, Cow Ride that is attached to the back of a tractor. Everyone had a blast especially teh 2 boys!! Jack was all smiles for Jumping on the Bouncy thing and the corn box. He also LOVED the slide and cow ride. This trip will get to be more and more fun each year as Jack gets older and understands everything better!! Here are some fun pictures!!


Mommy I want this one!!

Our Little Jack O'Lantern!!

Sean and Jack on the Hayride!

Jack riding down the slide all by himself like a big boy!!

Jack playing in the corn box...he had fun playing in it and being buried in it.

Sean, Jack and Mommy jumping on the giant Bouncy Thing.

Jack going for a Ride on Daddy's Shoulders!

Sean on the tire swing Horse!! Jack tried it out too and thought it was fun!


Daddy and Jack seeing how tall Jack is!

Sunny Day at the Park

To round out Jack's fun week of outings with Friends we met up with Jenny and Maddie, Jill and Holly, and Marie and Maddie at a park in Cary. The kids played for awhile and then we had lunch at the park. The kids had a blast crawling/walking around in the sand and trying to climb the slides. Also, after lunch they played on this giant dragon thats built into the ground and they were climbing and crawling and trying to run away. It was quiet a fun day and the weather was really nice...nice enough that Jack and I were wearing shorts!

Holly was having a lot of fun playing with sticks because she wasn't so sure about the sand.

Jack and Maddie made a break for it and it almost looks like they are making a plan to get further away from us! They are so funny to watch playing together/beside each other.

Lil Maddie was playing on her blanket and was very excited to discover a piece of bambo to play with.

NC State Fair

Jack and I joined some friends (mommies and babies) at the fair for the day on Wednesday...the Weather was perfect (actually it got a little too warm for my liking) but it was much better then the cold weather over the weekend. We walked around and checked out a bunch of the exhibits and looked at the farm animals and Such. Then we needed to let the kiddos out to run around so we went over to the fountain by the Dorton Arena and Jack so badly wanted to climb into the fountain!! Then we took the kiddos on some of the kiddie rides and they had a blast...I think Jack's favorite was the big Ferris Wheel we went on at the end with his Friend Maddie and her mom Jenny. At one point both Jack and Henry were passed out in their strollers while Miss Maddie entertained us with tasting cotton candy and crawling all over the place!! Needless to say Jack had a blast and both mommy and Jack were exhausted after a busy day walking around
the fair!! Mommy will be very excited if Jack continues to love riding Rides!!

Henry, Maddie and Jack hanging out after checking out the Animals.

Having a blast using the steering wheel on the Contruction Ride.

Jack and Maddie on their Supervised "Date" on the Ferris Wheel.

Jack peering over the side of the Ferris Wheel looking down at everything below and giggling.

Marbles with Maddie!!

Jack and I were stuck in the house most of last week because the weather was pretty dreary...Mommy and Munchkin hate being stuck in the house!! But this week we made up for it and were very busy Bees. We went to Marbles on Tuesday with Jack's BFF Maddie and her Mom Jenny. Jack got a family membership to Marbles from Jay's parents for his birthday so we plan to make this a weekly trip when we can and hope to go with Maddie and Jenny lots especially with the winter coming!! The kids had a blast playing together (well mostly beside each other but together at times.) We met them outside and had a nice lil lunch outside which was so nice with the beautiful weather in North Carolina!!




Jack is taking Maddie for a ride in his Hot Red Car!!

Astrounauts Maddie and Jack...they loved the nosies the buttons made! Look at the adorable capes they had too!
Jack and Maddie in the cute tutus!! Jack kept trying to play with it so I figured I'd let him run around in it!!




Jack Showing that its okay for boys to wear tutus!! He had so much fun running around wearing it!!

Gramie and Papa's 30th Anniversary Celebration

Jack's Gramie and Papa (ashley's parents) have been married for 30 years now, so we threw a party for them at Courtney's aparment complex clubhouse. We got some of their closest friends (most of which have been around for awhile) together and surprised them with snacks and cake and hanging out with good friends. They were both very surprised by it as we had just told them it was us kids and spouses and that we were celebrating dad's birthday. Ellen and Greg Mott drove down from VA and really surprised them and Mom was very excited to find out that Courtney had gotten her shift scheduled at work so they were going to get to spend the evening with the Motts. We all had a blast and Jack had fun seeing everyone and playing with them. I dont have any pictures from that day as I forgot my camera so this post will have no pictures!! luckily Ellen and Courtney took pictures but I just haven't gotten them from them!

Jack's 1yr. Professional Pictures

Of course no 1st Birthday is complete with out 1 yr. professional pictures! My mom joined Jack and I at Portrait Innovations for us to get pictures done of Jack in a couple cute outfits, His Jack O'Lantern Costume, and also some cake smashing pictures! They took over 80 pictures of him and I was so in love with so many of them...So i will attempt to pick out just a few of them to put on here!! He enjoys smiling for the camera but is hard to keep in one place for them to get the pictures before he decides to run off!

Jack's 1st Birthday Party

We started the day off with going to Sean's Soccer game and Lucy (jay's cousin) joined us as she had spent the night Friday night! After the game we went home to decorate and get ready for the Party. Around 4pm friends and family started to arrive to help us celebrate Jack's 1st Birthday! There had been threat of rain but there was never a drop during the party which made it really nice for everyone to hang out outside in the backyard and for the kids to play in the sandbox, pool with plastic play balls and run around in the yard. Jack had a great time playing with his friends big and small! When it was time for Jack to have his Birthday Cake...he was very interested in what it was. He started off slowly in tasting the icing but once he tasted the icing and cake he dug in and LOVED it. After a little while we had to take it away because otherwise he would have tried to eat the whole thing and ended up sick! He was sort of interested in the gifts depending on what else he could find to distract himself (typical one year old). All in all it was a great day with friends and family celebrating the first year of our beautiful little Boy's life!! We couldn't have done it with all the love and support from friends and family and are glad they were part of his special day.


The Kitchen Decorated for the FireFighter Party!


Jack and the 2 Drew's playing in the Sandbox!!


Maddie J., Katie and Drew F. playing in the pool with the balls!


Yummy Cake...Jack enjoying it!! He had a blast with it!

Jack opening presents with Mommy and getting a good laugh out of Elmo!!

Happy First Birthday Jack!

A year ago today Our Sweet little Jack was born at 4:58 pm on 10/9/08. That was one of the most amazing days of both of our lives! After spending many hours in labor at work, home and the hospital I ended up with a c-section to bring our sweet little boy into our lives!! Jack and I spent the daytime of his 1st birthday with his Gramie (my mom) baking his cake and cupcakes and icing them and spending lots of time playing. Then the afternoon was spent playing with Big Brother Sean and I. At 4:58 we sang Happy Birthday to Jack. That nite we went to Nana and Umpa's (jay's parents) for a Surprise Dinner to celebrate Umpa's 5oth birthday with his brother, sister & daughters and his parents. It was a great dinner and great night to celebrate.

The morning of Jack's 1st Birthday enjoying a Sippy of Cow's Milk!!

The afternoon of Jack's Birthday having a snack before heading to Nana and Umpa's.

Welcome to the Blog

I've been saying for the past 6 months now that I wanted to start a Blog about our life...more particularly Jack's and all the fun stuff he's up to. I was trying to write up posts for each of the first months of his life and wanted to back date it but I got through a few months and knew if i kept trying to back date it that I'd never actually start one...so I'm starting one Just have his 1st birthday. Instead of Back dating I'm going to make comparisons this year at certain times to what he's like now and what he can do versus what he was up to about a year ago. Its been a fun first year with Jack and we still can't believe that he's already one!! Those of you with little ones know how fast time flies. We hope you continue to follow up and keep up to date on the doings of our lil Jack O' Lantern :)