Big boy bed

So...

This weekend, while away at class, Jack decided it was time to crawl out of his crib. {funny how these wild adventures always seem to happen while I'm away} Well, he ended up getting both his little legs stuck between a couple rungs. After three adult men and a can of Pam came to the rescue, Jack was set free.

We decided it was time to convert Jack's crib to the toddler bed ASAP.

In hopes of not having a nerdy Disney toddler bed, we thought we might as well try the little bed converter that came with his crib. We set it up, with Jack's help of course...he loved being able to climb in an out!

Night one:

We tucked Jack into his bed. We almost shut the door and ran out. We hugged each other and chatted about how big our little boy has gotten. Seconds later...in walks Jack with the biggest smile on his face! Not only did he crawl out, he also opened the almost shut door. Stinker! We tried again...same thing. After lots of snuggling, patting, and convincing...Jack feel asleep after a few minutes.

Mom and dad = sleepless night of worrying about him falling out

Jack = good night's sleep mostly in his big boy bed

In the morning, I decided I had to go check at 630. Jack was snuggled on the blankie we had on the floor with his Mr. Snuggles and blankie sleeping soundly. Phew! A full night's sleep. A happy little man.

A 15 month old already in a big boy bed?!

Tonight is day two. Three minutes of crying and I snuck in to find this:

I think I'll get more sleep tonight. He can't fall far, and clearly he's enjoying his new big boy "bed". It's a nice stepping stone to the twin bed he'll call home in the coming months. Time sure flies!

A day at the park

So, we happen to have this little park across the street. Good thing? We thought so, that's why we picked this lot. Well...now that Jack's old enough to know better...the park is the only place he wants to be.

This was our first adventure to the park. Clearly, it was unforgettable for Jack; everyday when we get home from daycare, I plop him out of the car to walk inside and he turns and runs towards the park! Snow, sleet, rain, or hail...he'd rather be at the park. After I corral him inside, we have a few minute break-down-and-cry-it-out session, followed by a stare out the office window at the long-lost park.

On our way!

Before we even got there Jack was entertained by the grass...

And dirt.

Wee!

I just love his expression here. He's figuring out the world is much bigger than he once thought!

This picture made me realize how big Jack has gotten. He can walk and play while I step away and snap pictures. Kids grow up too fast!

His thinking face..

If you look closely, you can see Daddy in the glare! Jack is copying him...SO BIG!

Like father, like son. So cute!

It's a blessing having a little toddler park across the street. It's a nightmare having a little park across the street. It's going to be a long summer -- but I sure can't wait for it to be here!

Life is good...

good and busy.

It's been almost a year since we moved into our house -- and I can finally say I know which light switches power the ceiling fan and which switch powers the stairway lights.

Jack is a mover and a grover. He's a social butterfly like his daddy. He's SO content when his cousin, Bailey, comes to play with him. Otherwise he wanders around the house with my make-up and an empty pop bottle in his hands singing his version of "twinkle, twinkle". He shuts doors and drops his cup to an on-the-spot "uh - oh" every time. He completely understands the words "NO!" and "yuck-y" and will shy away from anything if we say either of them...including my all-glass front door. Baby smear prints are no more.

I am busy with classes, the newness of standards-based assessment at school, and having impromtu dance parties with my family at nights. Our weekends are filled with visits to the playland at the mall, home improvement projects, family and friends.

Jack doesn't cry in the car anymore. A bigger carseat and a dvd player tuned into "Your Baby Can Read" volume one has done the trick. Thank goodness. He can point to his nose, mouth, and sometimes ears if you ask. Jack mimics everything. Right now, when he has to poop he usually tells us.


Eric and I ventured into a little DIY this weekend. We tiled our backsplash and added hardware to our kitchen cupboards! I picked up the materials on Saturday while Boogs napped...and we were done by Sunday evening -- cleaned up and ready to go! It was fun to work as a team...and to accomplish something we didn't really know how. If you want to do any home improvement project - you MUST go to Lowe's. They know their stuff. And, they have the best selection.

People always said after you have kids your house will not be as clean. Not true :) Maybe I'm a little particular. Maybe there's a random plastic french fry under my couch cushion. However...my house is still really clean. Where we find the time I'm not sure? But, I'm glad I could prove that idea of a messy house wrong.

In a few weeks we're off to Puerto Vallarta! Eric's first time on a plane. Our first real vacation. We can't wait! I'm trying not to shop too much... :) I'm going to miss Jack a whole bunch though. He'll be in good hands at my sis and bro's house though. We're thankful we have people who love him as much as we do!

As usual, I'm counting down the days until May 23rd. Swimming pools, the park across the street, and messy faces filled with melted ice cream are screaming our names. I. Love. Summer.

Life is busy.

Life as a momma is unexplainably wonderful in so many ways.

Life is good.

Rolling with the punches...

Before Jack:

Eric and I were neatly organized, perfectly planned, and over-prepared for life. I would usually plan out my wardrobe a week in advance, write out to-do lists galore, and my desk at school was perfectly clear and organized. Not to mention, our house was impeccably spotless. I think I went almost an entire school year without using a single sick day. Each night I fit in a work out, a home-cooked meal for the two of us, and we spent quality time chatting about our days while I cozied up into a steamy bubble bath that Eric drew for me. I was to the point where I was bored with being bored. There's only so much shopping and cleaning a girl can do!

Planned.

Organized.

Structured.

After Jack:

Last week, Jack came down with terrible ear infection. We spent two nights home with him {gasp, sub plans suck!} and had lots of cuddles and snotty noses. Eric's parents were in town and we decided to treat them to Jethro's -- the amazing new BBQ spot in Waukee. After 17 pieces of food landed on the floor and two, count them, two helpings of strawberry fruit snacks to tide Jack over, we decided it was time to go. A messy diaper bag in hand...

Now-a-days, we're a little less structured.

A little less organized.

Tonight, we attempted to find Daddy a new set of shades...it's been 7 years since he's updated his lenses. After Jack ran around the store, took about 100 pairs of glasses of the shelf, and managed to annoy every person in the room...we realized, again, it was time to go. A 7 o'clock bedtime usually comes in handy, but on "running errands" kind of nights with a ear infection...7 o'clock comes awfully early.

It stinks to see Jack sick, sad, and tired...all at the same time.

It sucks to write sub plans and to disappoint my kiddos.

It is hard to live this less structured, much less glamoursly planned life.

Most days of mommyhood are amazing. Some are difficult. Almost every day gets a little messy!

As we enter into this not-so-sure-what-kind-of-a-mood-our-toddler-is-in stage, I'm learning to

roll with the punches...

I wouldn't trade any snotty night, any tired and sick snuggle, and any scream {no matter how loud it gets} in the middle of the store. I just love my little guy...and all of these adventures he takes us through. I'm sure there'll be more ear infections, more syringes filled with antibiotics, more sub plans...and that's okay. I'm learning to be cool with the less-planned, more happy mommy lifestyle!

Jack with his burn, runny nose, four molars coming in and an ear infection...still smiling :)

Jack having fun with Gramma!

Jack and Grandpa! He loves his chips and dip :)

Three generations!

You should have seen my black granite counter tops after we let Jack dig into the dip! AH! :)

Toddler Must-Haves!

As I walked through the recently beloved Target Baby aisles, I realized how much of the "must haves" I used to search for aren't needed in our house anymore. However, a new collection of go-to items have surfaced into our oversized diaper bag.

Sippy Cups: Jack loves his milk and his ice-cold water. Wherever we go, a sippy cup or two is always in hand. In fact, we bought him a new carseat tonight {in hopes of a happier camper in the car?!!??!!} and it has two...count them, two cup holders! We did figure out tonight, however, that Jack's mastered the skill of sucking through a straw. Now, he can share my water {that is, if I don't mind drinking his goldfish crumbs he leaves behind in the straw...gross!}

Cardboard books: Jack can toss them, chew on them, stack them, and stand on them...and they stay in great shape! No matter when or where, he'll crawl into our lap for a good book. It's definitely a staple in every room in the Krieger house.

Applesauce cups: AAAAAAAAAAAApppplle is usually the first thing Jack says after waking up. Honestly, I believe Jack would eat applesauce for every. single. meal. Swear! Applesauce cups are our friend. We have strawberry/banana, peach, regular, cinnamon, and more stocked in our fridge and in our lazy susan. I usually have a cup or two tucked into our diaper bag, too! Jack. Loves. Applesauce.

Puma velcro shoes: These things are to-die-for! They are velcro, really, really easy to get on, and Jack literally holds them by his feet when he doesn't have them on in attempts to get them on himself. Jack has fat little feet and these little shoes fit perfectly.

Pampers Baby Wipes and Target Diapers have never failed us. I just love the fresh baby scent and sturdiness (is that a word? I'm making it one...) of pampers wipes. Buy them by the case and they last a lifetime...or a month or two. Target diapers are the best invention of all times! They are pretty much leakproof, cheap, and adorably adorned with blue and green polka dots. Highly recommended for ANY baby/toddler out there.

Baby Gap Jeans {or everything}: these things are irreplaceable! Enough said :)

Pillow Pets: it's a pillow, it's a pet, it's a pillow pet! Jack snuggles his little pillow pet and sleeps with it all night long. These could win the most annoying commercial contest, but they could also win the get-my-baby-to-sleep-fast award, too.

Johnson's Baby Wash: tried and true. Not often mentioned or thanked, but this bottle of joy makes our bathtime special. It is gentle on our little guy's eyes, makes him smell like a clean little man, and disintegrates all the spaghetti, applesauce, and boogers that may be left on him when he hops in the tub. Just a squirt or two and he's all clean! Thanks for an amazingly simple but wonderful body wash.

As our little dude gets older, he needs a whole heck of a lot less. Now, a sippy cup, a single diaper, and stack of wipes and we're out the door! It's fun to watch him grow and change. We're working on the word no, animal names and sounds, and of course patty-cake. Oh the adventures of mommyhood :)

Vrooooom!

...is the sound Jack makes the instant he spots a matchbox car anywhere. It's the cutest. little. noise.

I know I've always said this, but this HAS to be my favorite Mommy stage so far. Jack is predictable. Here's a little glimpse into our family routine...

We splish and splash in the bath tub around 6:45. He falls asleep at the flip of a dime at 7 o'clock no matter when or why. He wakes back up right around 7 a.m. to a tiny bowl of cereal and a sippy cup of milk. He plops into my lap and makes towers with my hairspray bottles. We kiss goodbye and I'm off for work. I head to the gym for a quick 30 min workout - drive as fast as I can to pick him up for daycare, and cook and play until Daddy gets home. Then, we trample around the messes that Jack makes EVERYWHERE. He bites into toilet paper rolls, smears his hands all over my stainless steel appliances, and drops every other bite of his food onto the floor for our little doggie. What a good sharer! We have crazy little dance parties to I'm Sexy and I Know It, I know...family friendly song, right?!

I wouldn't trade a day in the life for ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING!

Jack's milestones change everyday. Here's a little update:

Jack can say: Mama, Dada, Vroooom, Apple (about 100 times a day), Yuckkkk, nana (who has any idea what that means), pa ca (patty cake), and much, much more. He is such a chatter! He's usually wandering around the house speaking jibberish and we just shake our heads and say "Oh yeah. Sounds great little dude!"

Jack LOVES to put things in and out of bowls, baskets, tubs, garbages, anything really. His favorite toy of the time is his little piggy bank. He puts bright coins in one-by-one and does it all over again. This is the one toy that may entertain him for awhile. :)

Jack absolutely is NOT into T.V., movies, or anything of that nature...this is sure to change, right?!

Jack HATES, no let's say he DESPISES riding in the car. UGH! He is such a mover and groover that sticking him in a carseat and making him stay there is utter baby torture - you'd think by his cries anyway. We've taken away pacifiers since he was 12 months old -- and I know they'd save us the trouble in the car. But, I'm trying to keep to our no paci rules. We've tried cars, food, portable dvd players, sunglasses, baby music, everything. So far, a Parent's magazine nursery rhymes cd will do the trick for a little while. Otherwise, it's ear plugs for us, and a good clearing out of Jack's lungs for our toddler.

Jack has become quite the momma's boy {no complaining, here!} Eric has always been very hands-on, so it makes us both sad to see Jack absolutely love me more...for now anyway. He always wants me to hold him, pick him up, and he snuggles into my lap all. the. time. It's a melt-my-heart situation that I hope never changes. Oh, and he's also a huge snuggler still. At daycare, other kiddos moms pick Jack up after they drop their kiddos off and snuggle -- just because they love that he's such a huggy dude. He clutches on and would literally stay in your arms all day long.

We love our cool little dude.

Followers?

Hey, you!

Yes...you.

I need your help.

I've been writing my little life story on this blog for months now...and I'm up to a whopping 12 followers. :)

IF:

You read my blog.
Have a google account (or any email).
Can see the little "join this site" button at the top of this page.

YOU:
Should become a follower! Click on "join this site" and in a few quick steps you'll be a follower.

I'd also LOVE to follow your blog if you write one, too!

Follow....follow! Give me some inspiration to keep snapping pictures, pouring my heart onto this little website, and more. I'm hoping for I don't know...maybe 30 followers? You definitely don't have to have a blog yourself. All you need is an email, really.

Sincerely yours,

Jenni :) AKA - The Krieger family blogger

UPDATE! 13 followers :) Keep it coming, readers!!!

I feel like a big kid now...

We have a REAL office. Not an office with a teeny desk and piles of unorganized and brightly colored kids toys, but an office with a corner desk and a bookshelf.

We've lived in this house almost a full year {gasp, time goes fast}! Our last priority? The den/I'm not sure how I plan to use this space/office. However, it does happen to be the first thing anyone sees as they enter our house. We hand selected bedroom furniture, hung artwork and set family pictures in the many empty spaces. Finally, our efforts turned to our empty, cluttered, and lifeless room.

We ventured to Homemakers last Saturday in hopes of getting some inspiration for Jack's 'big kid' room. I know...that sounds crazy...but he's growing out of his crib faster than we can lower it. (Moms out there you know how that is)! I've got an idea of what I want for his room -- and I think a little trip to IKEA will do the trick.

So...we wandered around to the office furniture section. We found this cute corner desk. For the first time in nearly 11 years, we both agreed it was the one. Maybe it was the squirmy one-year-old dying to move and groove, or maybe it was our uncanny ability to move quickly now that we're parents-on-the-go, or maybe it was the steal of a deal Homemakers was offering? Either way, we stuffed a new antique black hutch, corner desk, and library shelf into the Venza and were off.

After seven {yes, I said seven} hours of putting each and every piece in the right spot...our office was complete. Did you know Homemakers also has amazing accessories, too? Take a look!

My favorite part...

What office isn't complete without a stocked wine fridge? =)

It was fun to browse through old textbooks like Literature and the Child and Strategic Management -- clearly Eric and my interests are so very different.

I've always dreamed of having shelves for our college textbooks to be displayed on. I've always wanted the perfect spot for our wedding album. And, I've never had so many places to cram baby toys in without being able to see them. :)

Big kids have real offices, right? If so, I'm a big kid now!

First BIG owie!

So...

We have an amazing gas fireplace in our living room that turns on by the click of a switch. Phenomenal, right? Well, it was...until Jack bumped into it when it was running!

We splished and splashed during bathtime, dried off, and were getting ready for Jamma-time! I decided to put Jack's pjs on near the fireplace to keep him warm. He wriggled and jiggled away from me and bonked his little head! He didn't make a peep...but I had a feeling we'd find something.

Sure enough, the next morning we found this:
OUCH! I felt terrible. My poor little guy.

It's already scabbed over (which I've read is a good thing) and is already starting to heal.

When we're out and about we get lots of looks and questions. Yes, people, he has an owie. He ran into our fireplace and sizzled the tip of his nose and his forehead. No biggie.

He doesn't seem to mind :)





He CHEESES for the camera now-a-days...so it's hard to choose which pictures I like. I love them all!

Here's to many more bumps and bruises. Everyone said "get ready, he's a boy". Boy, were they right!

Jack's First Girlfriend

Is Pam. Yep. Pam.

I know, I know, he's only one, right?

{By the way, now that Jack's one...I refuse to count his age in months. So, he's one for a long, long time. Then, after a long, long time, he'll be two =) }

Jack LOVES to open cupboards. He's discovered our lazy susan, and it's his newest favorite place -- for this week I'm sure.

Everyday, and I mean everyday, we find Jack with our spray can of Pam. He snuggles it, chomps on it, and drops it, picks it up, and starts all over again.

We've decided it's his first girlfriend.