The Circus!

"Round and round!"

Tyson and I took Jake to his first Circus this weekend, and it was a huge hit! He LOVED it! From the second we got there, his eyes were glued the entire time! I was afraid he would be scared of the clowns and some of the acts, but he loved every minute of it. After we left, we asked him what his favorite thing about the circus was, and he promptly answered, "Eatin' popcorn." A man after his mom's own heart right there! :) His second favorite thing was the Elephants; he was so excited when they came out that he screamed "elephants!! elephants!! elephants!!" (in Tyson's ear) the whole time! It was too cute! The other thing that was a big hit for Jake was the motorcycle cage; he kept yelling "Round and round more please, Mama! Round and round" Too funny!

We had such a great time at the circus. It's very rare these days that the 3 of us can actually go to something together with both mine and Tyson's crazy work schedules, so I'm glad this worked out that we could go. We don't have much longer for it to be just the 3 of us; we've got to make the most of this time together. Such a fun time at the circus for the Summers family!

27 Weeks

This was taken right before Ryan's b-day party when I was right at 27 weeks.
There is his chubby little face!

That is his foot in the middle and his hands on both sides.

And in case you were wondering, he is definitely still a boy!

Baby Walker and I had another check-up today, and everything went well! Because of some issues, I'm now going to be seeing the doctor every 2 weeks, so be on the look out for some more frequent baby Walker posts!

One of the issues I'm talking about is that baby Walker is HUGE! I'm 27 weeks and 6 days today, but that little (I mean big) rascal is already measuring 33 weeks!!!! I knew there had to be a reason for me to be feeling so miserable (ie back pain, not sleeping, not being able to breathe, etc) lately! Dr. McKee went ahead and got an ultrasound just to make sure everything was looking ok, and it was! Walker actually doesn't have too big of a head (it only measured 2 weeks ahead), but he is just big all over. Knowing that Jake was such a big baby and that I'm definitely having another c-section, they don't seem to be too concerned about him measuring so big; it sounds like we just have to keep a watch and make sure my fluid levels are ok.

I was so glad I got to see Walker on ultrasound; it seems like so long ago since I had my last ultrasound and got to see my lil' man! He was super cute on the ultrasound...he was yawning and playing with his toes the whole time! His head is up, which I could have told her...he sits right underneath my right rib cage and makes no qualms about head-butting my ribs!

So praise the Lord for another great check-up and a healthy big boy! Oh, and just to answer some questions I've already gotten: 1) How big is he? They didn't give me an estimated weight, but Jake didn't start measuring this far ahead until the end, and he was 9 lbs 8 oz. at birth 2) Does this change my due date? Even though he is measuring ahead, we will still stay with my original due date for lung maturity purposes. 3) You look great...how do you do it? Hahaha just kidding...just had to throw that one in there! 4) What in the world do you do to get such big babies? Well, I attributed a lot of Jake's weight to my high-consumption of Big Mac's, but that isn't the case this time, unfortunately for me and McDonalds! Seriously, Tyson was a big baby (9 lb 2 oz, right Mary Ann?) and has big babies on his side of the family...like 10 and 11 lb babies! I guess with genetics and my higher than normal weight gain (29 lbs total this time so far), that's what happens! Like I said, the doctor isn't too worried; his exact quote was, "it's looks like you're gonna have another big baby!" I'll guess we'll see in about another 11 weeks or so! Just please pray Walker isn't an 11 lb baby...I don't know if my body (and back) could handle that!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Granddaddy!

Watch...Jake is gonna make this ball disappear!

Ready....

He blew it away!!!

Where did it go?

"Gone gone!"
Is it behind Jake's ear?

"Ta da!"

"Did you see that Mom? I made it disappear like 'Di Daddy' does!!"

Jake has become quite the magician these days thanks to my Granddaddy! You see, my Granddaddy has a trick where he can make things "disappear" by "blowing them away," and Jake just loves for Granddaddy to do it. Granddaddy says Jake is the only one out of all 5 of his grandchildren and all 7 of his great-grandchildren to actually know where Granddaddy makes things disappear to...there's no fooling my little magician! Anyways, Jake has become obsessed with Granddaddy's little trick and does it all the time! In fact, we were playing on the playground a couple of days ago and Jake met a new little girlfriend; well, in an effort to show-off and win her over, Jake the Magician showed her his little magic trick. It was so cute (even though the Mama had no clue what my child was doing), but it was just funny that that is what he chose to do to win her over.

Thanks, Granddaddy, for all the little things you do for us (like your magic tricks) that leave such a lasting impression on us...that is what makes you so special!

Here are some other things about my Granddaddy that I will never forget:

• "S-T-zero-P"
• The time we went to see the "Big hole in the ground"
• The rides on the back of his scooter
• The tire swing he made for me
• Dancing together at my wedding
• "I bet you don't know my secret"
• How he still calls me "Beth Marie"
• Taking Jake on his first lawn-mower ride

Of course, I could probably think of a hundred other things, but these things will always make me think of my Granddaddy. Happy 83rd Birthday, Granddaddy (*today and tomorrow)! I'm sorry we can't be there like we were last year, but we're thinking about you on this special day! We love you more than you'll ever know!

*Granddaddy actually has two birthdays- the doctor and his birth certificate say he was born 1/27/1927 but his Mama said he was born 1/28/1927. He usually celebrates on the 28th, but I think he enjoys having both recognized. After all, how many people do you know have 2 birthdays?

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Birthday boy!

Jake ate his way through the party!

So sweet...Jake trying to catch a glimpse of Ryan and the cake!

Woah Mama!

Daddy and Jake

Jake trying to be like Daddy and putting a toothpick in his mouth!

A "Happy Birthday" hug!

Jake's best friend, Ryan, turned 2 on Friday, and Jake has celebrated Ryan's birthday all weekend long! On Friday, Ashley brought Jake and Ryan's class brownies to celebrate, and then yesterday, Ryan had a party at his house.

Ryan was so cute at the party; when it came time to sing "Happy Birthday," Ryan bashfully covered his eyes and laid down his head. I have never seen him get so shy, but it was so cute! I wish I could have gotten some pictures of it, but there was a big crowd around him and let's face it...I'm not at a point I can squeeze through a crowd anymore! :)

Jake had a blast at Ryan's party! I wish I could have gotten some more pictures from the party, but I just couldn't keep up with the kiddos. Thank goodness Tyson was there to help me keep a handle on Jake!

Happy birthday, Ryan! We love you!

Driving Miss Daisy and Doctor's Appointment

Bo and Luke Duke?...
...or Thelma and Louise?

Jake's turn to drive!

Bogged down!

Jake had his 2 year check-up yesterday and everything went well! And he didn't even have to get any shots, yay! He even said, "thank you Dr. Dudgeon" at then end! Too cute!

Jake weighed in at 34.5 lbs (95%) and was 35 inches long (75%). Dr. Dudgeon said he was "solid" and "all muscle." Ha! Jake has a little peanut head, though; his head circumference was 19.25 inches (50%). All in all, he said Jake was a healthy little boy, praise God!

And praise God for some warm weather...finally! Jake has finally been able to get out and play with his "new jeep" that Santa brought him for Christmas. The jeep is definitely a little too big for him, but he is enjoying learning how to use it! You should see our yard, though, it looks like someone has been doing doughnuts in it! :)

Jake has been really sweet and let his friends Ryan and Brantley ride in his jeep and drive it a few times; Ryan likes Jake's jeep so much that his poor parents are having to buy him one for his birthday! Ha! Sorry Mike and Ashley!

Life at 2 Years

Here is what our sweet little Jake is up to at 2 years old:

• He is a great sleeper! He goes down every night around 7:15 pm after I read him a book and sing him his favorite song "Jesus loves me." I actually sing "Jesus loves Jake" and he thinks it is funny every time I replace the "me" for "Jake." Too cute. He sleeps until about 7:30 am.
• He is a not-so-great napper compared to some of his friends. He usually only naps for about 1.5-2 hours a day.
• He is still sleeping in a crib, but we are gonna do some rearranging soon to make room for little brother and attempt a big-boy bed!
• He is still a thumb-sucker when he is starting to get sleepy.
• He is a really good eater! He usually eats anything I put in front of him; however, vegetables are definitely getting to be a battle these days. French fries are by far his favorite food!
• He loves milk! He would drink it all day if I let him; other than milk, he usually drinks one juice box a day and lots of water.
• I don't think I've ever mentioned it before, but Jake is the non-messiest eater. He is so good with a spoon and fork, and I rarely have much to clean up behind him. I still put him in a bib, though, because I'm nuts like that.
• He loves to brush his teeth! Anytime I change his diaper, he automatically gets his toothbrush and toothpaste before laying down.
• He is saying so much these days! Once Tyson got to spend more time with him over Christmas break, Tyson looked at me and asked, "does he ever shut up?" Ha! It's not meant in a mean way, but the kid is constantly chattering! I wouldn't say he is speaking in complete sentences, but he is getting there!
• My favorite thing is says lately is "Ready...set...go!" except "ready" comes out sounding like "weady." I crack up every time! I love the way he mis-pronounces his R's!
• He is obsessed with trains and cars right now! He has one in his hands at all times.
• He loves to tackle pretty much anything in his path (including his friend Ryan).
• He is wearing 2T pants and 3T or 4T shirts.
• He has 16 teeth (I think). He hasn't gotten his 2 year molars yet.
• He is by no means potty trained, but he is suprisingly more interested in it and better at it than I thought. There have been several days he requests to wear big-boy pants and actually does a decent job of keeping them dry and using the potty. He's even asked to go potty a few times at school!
• He loves his Daddy but Jake is definitely a mama's boy.
• He is such a sweet boy and very well-mannered. He is very good with his please's and thank you's and is working hard on his sir's and maam's. He is very quick to recognize when he needs to apologize and will give the sweetest "sorry" without any prompting.He loves Barney! Mama and Daddy...not so much. Oh well, he has learned a lot from Barney (especially his sweet "big hug" that he loves to give out), so I guess it does serve some purpose...I guess.
• Speaking of his big hugs, Jake has been so affectionate lately. Just out of the blue, he will give you a "big hug." I love it! I hope he never grows out of it! Yeah right, huh?
• Right now, his temper tantrums are under control. We had a bad spell there for a while, but it only lasted a few weeks, thank goodness. I think it is a combination of football season being over and having Daddy home a little more, having my one-on-one attention again, and us just understanding how to handle things better. By the way, I just read a great book "Making the terrible two's terrific" by Rosemond that I would highly recommend for those with toddlers. It has definitely helped us deal with the "terrible two's!"
• He is really good with his colors. He can pick out pink, blue, green, and yellow almost every time; we're still working on the other colors. His favorite color changes pretty frequently, but pink was a strong contender for a while there despite Daddy's attempt to redirect him.
• He has no interest in counting at all whatsoever. He loves the number 2 and can tell you when there is 2 of something, but he refuses to count to any other number. I guess he's not gonna be my math kid! :(
• He is pretty good with recognizing letters of the alphabet; his favorite letter is "S" and gets so excited everytime we ride by a big sign with an "S" in it...especially CVS. :)
• He loves to "tickle, tickle" and to get a "tickle, tickle."
• He is developing a cute little sense of humor; for instance, on the way home from school we always pass this school bus parked at the school, and I always ask, "what color is the school bus?" Jake will answer "yellow!" and then jokingly change his answer to "green" just to cut up with me. We go back and forth the whole car ride "yellow...green...yellow...green!" It's the simple things like that that are so darn cute.
• He has the best hair! Tyson and I constantly ask "where does he get this fine, blond hair from?" Aunt Amy, of course! I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but I just have the hardest time cutting it; it is so cute! "
• It's kind of hard to put a label to his personality, so here is my best shot: he can be very serious but yet cut-up at times, too; he can be the center of attention but he also doesn't mind just watching what everyone else is doing too; he can be so wild yet so mellow at times; he follows directions well yet will act like a little boy at other times; he can be so sweet but can get so rough. Get what I mean? For the most part, he is pretty easy-going and just adapts to whatever setting we're in.

I don't know what Tyson and I have done to deserve such an amazing little boy; we are just so lucky. Tyson says it all the time, "Jake is the most loved little boy (and spoiled, too)" and it's just so true.

iJump

Jake at the "jump jump place"

Kendall and Carson
So cute...the triplets just watching Jake jump!

Kaden

All three of the triplets in one shot!! And Mollie, too!

Jake climbing up the steps of the slide...

Gettin' ready to go down all by himself!

...whoop there he went!

From another angle...he LOVED the big slide!

At the end of the day...they were all exhausted!

Jake and I joined the Thompson triplets at iJump this week for some inflatable play time. It was both mine and Mollie's first time going, so we really didn't know what to expect. We had a feeling it was gonna be a little challenging, though, between me being big and pregnant and the two of us managing the four kids by ourselves on the inflatables; unfortunately our help fell through so we had to manage alone. Umm yeah, we only lasted about an hour and a half before calling it quits. I was one big sweaty mess by the end, and I was convinced all my bouncing and climbing was about to put me into labor! :) Luckily, Walker decided to stay put, though, for a little bit longer!

Most of the inflatable stuff was too big for the kids, but Jake did have one bouncy house that he jumped on and a huge slide that he enjoyed going down. The slide was actually probably a little too advanced for him, but we made it work. I ended up having to climb the thing with him just to be safe and slide down, too. Jake loved sliding down all by himself, but he thought it was absolutely hysterical seeing his big ole' mama sliding down right behind him. In fact, a few people found my sliding to be hysterical...like the 100 lb teenage girl working the slide. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I was quite the site to see, but DANG! I ended up asking her if I exceeded the weight limit or something, and she just laughed and said, "No. I've just never seen a pregnant woman go down that slide...and so fast, too!" The things we do for our kids!

One last story from the iJump day...there was this one inflatable maze that Jake kept begging me to go on, but I knew it was way too advanced for him and I couldn't get on it with him. Like a really good mama, I eventually caved in and decided to let him try it anyways. He entered through this tiny toddler-sized hole, climbed up this wall, and slid down a slide; at this point, I had lost visualization of Jake. I waited and waited and heard nothing, so I started to panic...what if he fell and broke his neck and was unconscious in this thing? And then I start hearing Jake frantically yelling "MAMA!!!" at the top of his lungs. I start yelling back "JAKE! JAKE!" and trying to figure out some way to squeeze my big, pregnant self in to the tiny toddler-sized hole to rescue my child; luckily, this grandma hears my cries of panic and runs over to help me. She must have seen the whole thing go down because she immediately asked "is your little boy stuck? Don't worry, it happens all the time." (Really...thanks for warning me!) She then tells her oldest grandson that there is a little boy who is stuck and needs him to help him find his way out. And in goes the kid through the tiny hole to rescue my child; it wasn't long before I saw my precious child again, and I was so relieved! Thank god for that kid and the fact that I didn't have to squeeze through that tiny hole is all I have to say!

Despite almost sending myself into labor and almost losing my child, we did have a good time at iJump. Mollie and I definitely agreed,though, that we probably won't be going back any time soon...at least not without reinforcement!

Jake's 2nd Birthday Party

The "Jump jump"
Jake's first time seeing it...my typical expressionless child.

Trying it out before our guests arrived!

Finally! A smirk!

"Hey!"

Daddy was cracking us up!

MaMa and Granddaddy drove through Atlanta just to get here!

The slide can be a little difficult at times! :)

Little Miss Ellie

"Don't even think about eating one of my chips, Brantley!"

Pretty blue-eyes Brantley

The cake was delicious!! Jake was begging for more!

The party was too much for Drennan to handle! :)
Sydney had a blast though!

Despite the fact that he is again expressionless, he LOVED the tricycle my parents gave him!

He HAD to try it out immediately!

Love you Pa Pa!

Thanks for all your help, Mom!

One tired little fire-fighter!

Sorry for the picture overload, but again, there were too many to choose from. Anyways, here are the highlights from Jake's birthday party. We are still enjoying having the "jump jump" in our garage, and it has been a huge relief for us during these long, cold days we've been experiencing lately! The "jump jump" was by far the best investment we've made so far; I would highly recommend it for those of you with young children!

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate Jake's birthday with us! He had so much fun!