Our Fence

Our neighbor's tree crashed through our fence and demolished a few sections of it. Lola was very confused about why she couldn't go out in the yard, especially since she was so excited about the hundreds of sticks now lying in her yard. Fortunately, the fence was fixed pretty quicly and Lola was able to go back outside.

Lola and Jack

Lola is Jack's biggest fan, and she loves to lick his hands, feet, and face when she thinks we aren't looking. She's also started bringing him her toys, including her disgusting bones. He has yet to really notice her (the ceiling fan and singing star on his mobile are much more exciting), but I don't think Lola will allow herself to go unnoticed much longer - she seems very excited about her potential playmate.

Cardinals Fan

After 6 weeks of watching baseball on TV with Corey, Jack made it to his first Cardinals game. We lasted a full 9 innings! Unfortunately, the game went into extra innings and lasted until midnight - so we still left early.

New Orleans

We took Jack on a 10-hour car trip to the French Quarter in New Orleans for the wedding of JD and Aisling. The wedding was beautiful - it was held at the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Jack hung out in the hotel room all weekend with his grandparents Reach and played on his activity mat, went for walks, and slept. Corey and I had a great time with our friends at all the wedding festivities.

Beer makes you look less sleep deprived.

Jack in the car on the way home from New Orleans.

Playdates

Jack had his first few playdates this week - the first one was with Madeline, who is 2 weeks younger than him. He wore his "ladies man" outfit to impress her.

and yes, the phrase "playdate" should be used loosely. See below picture for insight into the action.

The next day, Jack had another playdate with David, Trent, and Ella. Jack pretty much slept through the whole thing.

My favorite guys

I know I'm biased, but these two are the most handsome guys I've ever known.

Bathtime!

Given the amount of spitup produced by Jack (most of which ends up either all over his face and neck or on my clothes) and the fact that the dog likes to lick Jack's feet and hands, baths are becoming very important. Corey is in charge of this task - I just take the pictures.

Where's the snooze button on this kid?

I have always set my alarm clock anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before the time I actually want to get out of bed. I do this for a very practical reason - I tend to hit the snooze button at least 5 or 6 times before getting up. I know that the little bit of sleep I catch in between hitting the snooze really doesn't do much, and I would be better of just getting an entire hour of uninterrupted sleep, then getting right out of bed. But, I have always liked burrowing back under the covers for a few more minutes before getting up. Since Jack's arrival, I have had little need for my old alarm clock. However, I still have a need for the snooze button. And I have discovered that the pacifier works as a pretty decent substitute. He starts crying, I stick the pacifier in, and I get at least 6 or 7 more minutes of sleep before it falls out and the alarm goes off again. I can do this for about 30 minutes before I absoultely have to get up. It's almost just like the pre-kid days.

Here's our alarm clock with his snooze button.

Here's a recent picture of Jack. He's being a good sport about all the gender neutral clothing he has to wear (i.e., lots of yellow). We now have a few blue items in newborn sizes, but didn't get much given that he may not be able to fit into it for long. Once he hits 3-6 months size, however, he's got quite a collection of great boy clothes! Although I'm sure he could care less.

Jack Franklin

So Jack finally arrived - a few days late. Defintely my child. So far he's doing well - although I'm hesistant to say that because as soon as I do, he'll stop sleeping four-hour stretches and will start taking 30 minute naps instead and demand to be fed every hour and cry all the rest of the time. So hopefully I didn't jinx myself by saying he's been a pretty good baby thus far.

For some reason I thought I actually looked pregnant in this picture, taken at 17 weeks. Little did I know.

Here I am now:

Here's Tig, Eli, and Lola (Lola is the puppy - she's a lot bigger now!). So far, they are showing some interest in the baby - Tig and Eli have discovered that hanging out under the crib is a great hiding place (I'm thankful they have yet to figure out that inside the crib would also be a great hiding place). Lola is scared to death of the baby stroller. We're curious what she's going to think when there is a real baby in the stroller.

The baby went to Mardi Gras, St. Louis 2006 with Corey, Scott, Amy, and I. Mardi Gras sober is a little like hanging out with kindergartners all day. Kindergartners who are showing their boobs and are fascinated with shiny beads and midgets signing KISS cover songs.

I wonder what I would look like if I attempted to wear this shirt right now?

We'll call when the baby arrives

And it hasn't arrived yet. Yes, we realize it's late. It's my child; what did you expect? Apparently, my uterus did not come equipped with a calendar and watch. So, to keep you occupied until the baby does show up, a few pictures of us pre-pregnancy and a few pictures of our pets, who have no idea what's about to hit them.