Jack & his friend Talon

The Boys Go Out to Eat

Jack's smiling but Talon's eyes are closed.
Talon's nice smile!

Jack & Talon are friends and as they get older, they are going to enjoy more "boy" time together. Fishing & hanging out with Dad are going to be a favorite activities. I'm smiling right now thinking this will me some free time for me.

More of Walking Jack

Yes, he walks all over the place and you will usually find either a Mommy or Daddy following close behind. Poor, poor Tucker has to move quicker to stay out of Jack's way. Sometimes, late at night, when Tucker is between us in the big bed, and Jack is sleeping soundly in his crib...I believe that Tucker forgets he is mildly irritated to have a little brother.

Nannie Came; Jack Walked

Jack walking in front of the Christmas tree! Note his proud smile...

Looking at the snow with Nannie

Love at it's best!

Last time when Nannie came (Tarheel88's Mom), she taught Jack to roll over--both ways! This time, she taught Jack to WALK! Yes, on 12/27, Jack started to walk all around the house after Nannie set up stations for him to practice. Now, there's no stopping him. As Emeril says, "Kick it up a notch"...that's how my eyes feel, b/c I'm always scanning the environment to see what he is doing.

Winter Wonderland

Chris & Jack
All Smiles!

Wow, the snow was a winter wonderland but the roads were like scarey icecapades & Jack loved to look out of the window at it....but he wasn't too keen on being very cold, but his new John Deer sweatshirt helped keep him warm.

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidaze 2008
“What a year it has been.” thought the big red dog, while he licked his chops. He thought of how much his life had changed since he had to share his little girl and little boy with a new baby, named Jack Christopher, born last year on December 3, 2007. Sometimes he didn’t like sharing them because he had been their one and only big red dog, but his heart understood when he saw the love in their eyes for their two-legged son. Baby Jack had grown from a 7 lb little baby to a 27 lb big boy, who crawls around fast and would soon be walking. The little girl and the little boy did their best to help baby Jack learn to play nice with the big red dog, but sometimes he had to run away from Jack to get some peace & quiet. The big red dog didn’t really mind, because he believed them when they told him what a good boy he was and how he was a very smart big red dog, smarter than even some one-year-old two-legged boys!
Life for the little girl and the little boy was very different now. They were busy helping their baby Jack grow and learn and taking good care of him. It was hard work but love helped them grow more patient and persistent. Their happiness had never been as great as it was when they looked into their handsome boy’s face. Of course, the little boy still helped protect the good people from the bad people and the little girl still helped sick babies get better but now it was much better. Because when they came home, not only was the big red dog waiting for them, but their baby Jack was there too…either angelically sleeping or waiting at the window with a big welcome home smile!
As Christmas time approached, the big red dog thought about his wish list as he stretched out to sleep in a rare sunny patch. He wondered if 2009 could possibly be even happier than last year and he hoped he could learn how to play with a one year old. Of course, he wished for more salami and hoped Jack kept dropping his food onto the floor from his high chair for him to eat. He thought about how grateful the little girl and the little boy were for Jack, their dream come true. When he saw the twinkle in their eyes, he knew they wanted to keep making happy memories with Jack, their boy that they loved so much. He knew there was enough room in their hearts to love both a four-legged and a two-legged son!
So each night on their little Northwest farm, you’ll find the little girl or the little boy rocking baby Jack in his nursery while the big red dog waits patiently behind the chair. After Jack is sleeping soundly in his crib, the big red dog gets a special pet if he hasn’t shaken his head and disturbed Jack with the sound of his flapping ears. Either way, they all go get into the big bed together and the big red dog still believes he has the best life that a big red dog could have…still sleeping between his little girl and his little boy!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & your family!

Timing Christmas Pictures

So this is the one that I sent out...You can't see Tucker's face...but it was so cute to see Jack petting Tucker...brothers forever!

If you don't belly laugh when we see this one, you're not in the Christmas spirit...where's Chris' head?

Chris had a big smile in this one, but I didn't use it because I wanted Jack to be the best looking one in the photo.


So, we tried to take our own Christmas picture, using the timer on the camera. So Chris would set the timer and try to rush back & get Tucker into position. Tucker isn't interested in looking at the black Nikon. Jack is most interested in Tucker...both of them wondered what all the fuss was about. Chris & I both got our workout for the day. You'll notice that Chris & Jack have on their matching Carhart overalls....or overhalls (that's how Mama says it!) So if you were wondering why our Christmas picture wasn't like the perfect professional ones that you receive from other people...these were the ones we had to chose from...

Jack's First Acting Role

Jack Checking Out the Gifts Brought By The Wise Men

Jack played baby Jesus in our church's Christmas program. He didn't cry b/c I held a piece of paper up in front of my face...so he couldn't see me. He was a handful for Mary (aka Kayden) because he wanted to play with the gifts, brought by the Wise Men. He did a great job and enjoyed all the wonderful singing!

It was the first of many times (I'm hoping )when I will have a big grin on my face, beaming from ear to ear....& thinking...yes, yes, he's doing a great job...& he's mine!

Christmas is Coming

Jack's Leaning Tree

Christmas is coming faster than I thought...Jack has enjoyed his "little" tree and taking the ornaments off the big tree. The tree fell over and he could reach even more ornaments!

Stats for 1 year Ped Visit

So, no one was correct for guessing Jack's 1 year weight....even me & I lift him multiple times a day. He weighed 27 pounds and was 31 1/4 inches tall! Wow! Still staying on his growth curve of 90-95%.

First Haircut

The Before Picture
Sitting in the chair, enjoying a speed racer

Jack & his barber, Lynn

Chris helped keep Jack distracted and still :)

I've been wanting to get Jack's hair cut for awhile now, but Chris was hesitating. He wanted Jack to have a ponytail Steven Siegal look. He's so "pretty" that some people were mistaking him for a girl (despite the usual boy clothes). So, finally, we went to Dick's Barber Shop and barber Lynn did the honor. Jack turned his head (quickly) and had a little poke in the ear, but otherwise, he sat still on Chris' lap and enjoyed the new toys. We saved some of the hair and even got a 1st haircut certificate.

I'm both happy & sad that we did it...Jack looks so old now...so grown up! I'm certain that I'll have many more of these moments until one day when I look at Jack and he will be a grown man. But for today, he's still my 1 year old baby, who has a nice big boy haircut!

Birthday Success

Jack actually enjoyed his birthday party...he didn't cry at all....even when Chris blew out his candle before he made his wish. Jack tried to touch the flame and voila, the flame was gone. The picture is a little small...but guess what type of cake Kjersti made for Jack...a Carolina blue basketball cake! Isn't that appropriate when you're Mom is Tarheel88? Of course, on April 6th, we will all be happy when UNC is crowned National Champions! Of course, basketball season week #4 and we're still #1!! Those dirty Blue Devils have inched up to #4 and I have to wait until 2/11 to see us beat them in their house!

Tomorrow!

Jack always has a smile for Mommy & Daddy!
Jack isn't happy that Mommy is taking off the plastic bag without his help!

Jack loves the toy but is wondering where the plastic bag is going....

Thank you for all my presents!

Tomorrow, tomorrow is the BIG day...our boy will be ONE! We received a birthday box from Grandma/Grandpa California and we opened it a day early. Jack was most interested in the ribbon...and the plastic bag that held the present. Jack loves plastic bags but you know the warnings that are on all plastic bags...CAUTION...do not give to babies & small children due to the risk of suffocation.....so Tarheel88 decided that it's not a good idea to let Jack play with these...(I have been educated beyond my intelligence!)....can you tell these are tired ramblings...

Jack was so excited to play with his Leap Frog Baby Learning See & Learn Driver! He is going to love his birthday! Thank you!

Safe & Sane

We have a new way to keep Jack safe (& us sane, sometimes) and it's called a play yard. It's the ultimate in baby proofing. Don't tell anyone that it appears that we have put our beloved boy in a C-A-G-E....

Sometimes he's happy (usually when we are inside with him) or he's actually playing with his toys and sometimes he's sad (like the photos above). But at least, he's safe.

Top Ten Most Loved Things About Jack

4. Seeing how he looks at Chris and how cool it is to see a Daddy & his boy playing!

A Grateful Heart

During this season of thanksgiving, I have so many blessings in my life. First and foremost, I had the opportunity to go to the best university in America (UNC), actually graduate (in 4 years), and watch many, many basketball games where they beat the socks off their opponent.

Are you laughing yet? I am...I'm not THAT shallow. Of course, I like UNC basketball (even though I have recently totally missed watching one game due to a time difference calculation error....usually, I'm translating east coast time to pacific coast time but I had to translate from Hawaii time & missed it by 2 hours!)...

I am so grateful for our boy Jack, my husband Chris, our big red dog Tucker...many family & friends that make my life so happy!

THINGS MOST LOVED ABOUT JACK

5. The smell of his hair after his bath...so, so sweet!

? Future in Football

You know & I know that Jack looks like he will be a football player. I'm wondering would he like to play on the offensive or defensive line? He is already practicing his tackling...he came up with his own "pretend" tackle dummy...his high chair. He pushes it around and was really proud of himself for pushing it down 2 steps while I was trying to take a picture.

Whenever the football topic comes up in conversation, I whisper "kicker" in his ear! I don't want my boy to get hurt and kickers rarely get tackled!

College Prep for Year 2026

Jack's First Class Picture (He has his finger in his mouth and we're in the bottom row, 4th from the left.)

Well, I missed a couple of days...that's OK...so it's only 6 days before his big #1 and here are more

Top Ten Best Loved Things About Jack

8. The look on his face & the twinkle in his eye when he sees the #1 woman in his life...his Mommy!

7. The sound of his laughter and Mommy knowing just where he is most ticklish!

6. Knowing that because of Jack, I am a mother....not a wanna-be mother. I thought becoming a mother would be the most difficult thing in the world. Now, I know, that being a mother is the most difficult thing in the world....but the most rewarding! Mothers can change the world because there has never been the drive to help another person like a mother guiding her child.

This week was Jack's first class picture...we having been going to "college prep" classes aka mother-baby classes since September. Jack is the youngest (& 2nd biggest) baby in the class. I'm biased, but he's also the cutest and is in the group with the most hair (all the girl mothers are eating their hearts out)! It's great for Jack & great for me to connect with other mothers of babies the same age.

Tarheel Pants to Celebrate Another Week At #1

Yes, this is Jack's derriere, sporting his Tarheel pants...even he was excited about the Tarheels still being #1! And the 9th best loved thing about Jack:

9. His smile is the biggest smile when he sees his Mommy walk into the room and his smile (& 6 teeth) always warms my heart!

Countdown to One

It's only 10 days until Jack is ONE! I can't believe how time flies (especially my sleep time when Jack wakes me up at 6am every morning!) Just one year ago, Chris & I were still waiting for our baby to be born and praying everything would be healthy. This has truly been the best year of my life!

It's also been a year of growth in so many ways...Jack started out at 7 lbs 10 oz and now, he is a big, big boy who loves to eat. We are weaning the bottles and we're down to 3 a day now. He loves burnt toast like Grandpa California and he did a first this week...peed on the carpet! In the last 2 days, I've started to believe that he's calling me "Na Na"...no M's yet. He's called Chris Da Da specifically already.

Like David Letterman...Tarheel88 has her top 10 Best Loved Things about Jack to share with you over the next 10 days...today number 10

10. I love the excitement on Jack's face when he is "dancing" to music...his favorite CD is Baby Beluga!

Tuesday Ramblings

Yes, Jack has a "cow" chair and here he is showing off his expertise in cruising from the table to the chair....Thanks Mari & Steve! Jack's still working on getting into & sitting in the chair by himself. So far, he enjoys standing on it!

I know now why some men love to operate heavy machinery...it starts out when they were wee little boys and their wonderful mother gave them a dump truck to play with...yes, Jack is enjoying his mega blocks dump truck....notice the gray "fence" behind the truck....this is Jack's play yard and a real sanity saver. It keeps him from breaking the stereo & speakers and keeps him safely contained with his toys. Someone could say it was a "C-A-G-E" but we are usually inside of it with him.

Yes, Yes, Yes, I know that I haven't mentioned the Tarheels being #1 in the polls yet....I was trying to keep your attention with some cute Jack stories...In less than 2 hours, I'll be in front of my TV, screaming for the Heels to beat Kentucky....Go Heels!

Laughing Jack

Jack loves his sitter, Kjersti! They have lots of fun together, as long as Jack can't see his Mommy! She is very patient and is always coming up with fun play ideas. Thanks for everything!

It's a rainy, windy day and we're stuck inside...so what better way to have fun than to make Jack laugh! He loves to be tickled and I know all the best spots! He is imitating Chris' dancing to the musical spinning top and then we all start laughing together.

All Gave Some, But Some Gave All

My Courageous Brother-In-Law: MSG John Sherbert, currently deployed in Afghanistan until 2/09

The following is the text of President George W. Bush's 2008 Veterans Day Proclamation:
On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.
From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.
Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

Thank you!

Jack's First Boo

Everyone asked me what did Jack dress up as on Halloween? Well, Tarheel88 was at work and Chris was sick so Jack just wore his Halloween shirt that said, "My First Boo". We didn't even take him to a real pumpkin patch, so I took pictures of him with our plastic pumpkin. He loves peppermint pattie wrappers...I offered some of the real peppermint pattie candy, but he still prefers to play with the wrapper. That's Chris' favorite candy, so that's what our only trick-or-treaters--the Hickle's got when they came over. We always have next year, when Jack may have a clue about what Halloween means!

Where I Came From

Jack, Tarheel88, & Great Nannie

Do any of you realize that almost every day of my Northwest life, someone asks me where I'm from and how long have I lived here? It's such an expected thing now, that 99.99% of the time, it really doesn't bother me. Being Southern in a foreign land has it's disadvantages. Everyone else talks funny. You have to make your own sweet tea at home (you CANNOT sweeten cold tea) and you are the minority when it comes to having the life-long disease of Tarheel basketball mania. Can you believe that I have to seek out other Tarheel fans?

You know, that deep, deep in my soul is the love of my Tarheel basketball team. I'm getting so excited b/c there's fall in the air and my boys will be playing very, very soon. And guess what? UNC is the UNANIMOUS #1 in both the Coaches' & the AP poll. This is the first time since the AP poll started in 1981...check it out

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110108aac.html

Get ready, cause here they come!

Welcome Emmalee!

It looks like Emmalee could get a passport photo made...she has her eyes open for a photo much, much sooner than Jack ever did...She looks like a future Gamecock to me!


There's a new little lady in Jack's life...he doesn't realize it yet, but she's going to help him learn how to treat women! He's going to have 2 great role model cousins...Grace is 15 months older and Emmalee is 11 months younger.

Little (or big) Miss Emmalee Elizabeth blasted into this world on Thursday, October 30 and weighed 7 lbs 14 oz! She is so, so beautiful and Aunt Tarheel88 can't wait to give those nice cheeks a big kiss. Actually, I'm great at "eating" Jack's big cheeks and he laughs, so we've made it a game. I'll bet Emmalee will like her cheeks to be eaten too!

Proud parents are RaRa & Kerry and they will be the greatest parents ever! Jack says...Welcome to the family!

Curious Jack

Rooster tail hair Jack

His smile says, I can almost reach the 2nd shelf now Mom!

Some of you who know me, know how I like to make up little sayings that start with..."I've been as busy as...."....well, there's a new one now...I've been as busy as a moving Jack. Jack goes everywhere now and gets into everything. He's one curious boy! Nothing is off limits (yes, we are Jack proofing things, sometimes with couch cushions) and Jack is very fast, crawling wherever he wants to go (most of the time with a tired parent behind him). Now, he has his own bottom shelf in the pantry (see above). He can crawl up & down the stairs easily and now has 6 total teeth. Boy, 11 months of fun (& hard work, I might add)...

Zackery John

Zackery's great attempts at photography...Chip, the wonderful Lab and the bottom part of Aunt Tarheel88!

Zackery wants his own Nikon & is on his way to becoming a great photographer!

Two brothers: taking turns together :)

Zackery kissing Jack when Jack was sick.


One of the cutest boys in the world!

Zackery John is an emerging personality. His Mom says she's already praying for his future wife (in no less than 20 years, I hope). I know he's going to make a great husband b/c he's sensitive, strong, & dramatic! Being in the middle might be hard but he takes everything in stride. He's so sweet & I know Jack will look up to his older cousin and hopefully they won't get each other in too much trouble!