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BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – Mama`s Boys

I don’t know what it is lately, but I am so totally in love with this age of both my boys.  Every day is something new with both of them — which often leads to me getting teary-eyed, from pride or from laughter or from both!

Maguire

Maguire has HUGE smiles.  Seriously, this kid couldn’t open his mouth any wider without unhinging his jaw.  And he smiles easily and often.  He giggles, too, but we’re still working on getting the full-out, uncontrollable, long-lasting laugh.  It’s coming…he’s on the verge…and I’m pulling out all the crazy, ridiculous mommy-noises a lot.  A whole lot.  Hey, a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do…

Just recently he’s turned into a bottomless pit.  He eats so much!  He’s nearly doubled what he was eating a couple weeks ago.  I don’t know if it’s a growth spurt, or just a bit of foreshadowing of what I have to look forward to when he’s a teenager.

Most shocking, however, is that Mr. Maguire is already rolling over.  At 3 months old.  I put him on his tummy, and within seconds, he flips himself over.  I thought perhaps the first time it was just a fluke.  Nope.  Every single time — flip!  And he’s pretty proud of himself, too, which makes it that much more entertaining…for him and for me.

As I’m writing this, Maguire is sleeping in his own room.  That might not sound like a big deal, but for me, it is!  He’s had naps on occasion in his crib, but tonite marks the first night that he had a tub, his bed lunch, and then went to sleep before me and in his own room…by himself.  Without me.  *sniff*  It was time for me to face facts that he really doesn’t fit in his bassinet anymore.  (That said, I’m sure the second he moves, I’ll be bringing him back into our room!)

And one final note about our smallest family member…this kid does not cry.  Like, ever.  Sure he gets mad, but today I was trying to think of a time when he’s full out cried.  And I couldn’t come up with one.  Amazing.  Just a completely content little fella.  Who makes me smile nearly as big as he does…

Jakzen

Yes, the 2’s can be terrible, but overall Jakzen is just so much fun right now.  From the minute he wakes up, to the second he goes to bed, he’s on the move.  Someone commented the other day about how he never sits still.  Totally true.  Unless he’s colouring or reading or eating, he’s moving.

What catches my attention the most these days is his growing vocabulary.  Since way back when he discovered he had a voice, Jakzen has never stopped talking.  He mostly spoke his ‘Jakinese’, but the addition of real words lately is totally awesome.  He loves attention and communicating, and it makes him so happy when he can now tell us what he wants and we understand!  Some of my favourite words are Apple and Shoes and Sit and, of course, Bubba.

And oh, how he loves his Bubba.  If I can’t get him to come downstairs, all I have to say is ‘Let’s go see Maguire’, and he’s off.  And he’s a great helper when it comes to his brother, too.  When I change Maguire’s diaper, Jak is right there to take it to the garbage for me.  He’ll come racing over and as soon as I hand him the dirty diaper, he’ll make a face, say ‘yuck’ and then happily scoot on over to the garbage to get rid of it.  Jak also likes to help with Maguire’s soother.  One day Maguire had knocked it off the couch.  Jak picked it up and wanted to give it back to him, but I told him that it needed to go in the sink to get washed.  Unfortunately this now means that every time Jak notices the soother, he needs to take it to the sink…even if occasionally when he notices it, it’s still in Maguire’s mouth.

We had a big day around here yesterday.  Jakzen used the potty for the first time.  And man, did we party!  Perhaps it was an isolated event, but regardless, I’m hoping this means we are headed in the right direction…

Lastly, this kid still loves figuring things out.  Anything with pieces just blows his mind.  Stuff that can move or be put together, amazing to him.  He has a new straw cup.  There’s a part that slides over the straw to close it up.  He could (and did!) sit there forever and push it back and forth, and turn it and try to figure it out.  Same goes for puzzles.  Nick will pull out all his big board puzzles and Jak whips thru them in record time.  Oh, and things with buttons…if it has a button and it beeps, well, you know where Jak will be for the next hour.  Truly, I hope this guy never loses his fascination and curiosity.

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T - Super cute post and pics and I'm pretty sure that smile is the widest I've ever seen. The hats are an awesome idea. They totally suit their personalities. Wish I'd thought of that ;-)March 9, 2010 - 3:38 pm

kara - Seriously?! Could the boys be any cuter....or happier....or smarter....not sure how!! I LOVE the dapper little hats and Olivia wanted me to tell you how much she loves her husband in a "tie!"March 9, 2010 - 2:05 pm

Mom and Dad - Brought tears to my eyes! Love you guys!March 9, 2010 - 11:02 am

Kristi - Those pictures made me smile from ear to ear! I need to book a photo shoot.....how about in a couple of weeks??March 9, 2010 - 10:42 am

Shawna - Those are wonderful boys you have there. I love these posts, with everything about Jak and Maguire. You have created a beautiful family, my friend. Now, could Jak come over and talk to Aidan about the potty situation, please?March 9, 2010 - 10:15 am

Amanda - PS - I think I convinced Warren that getting some 'professional' pics of Rhys is a good idea. So, we'll be booking with you guys very soon! Love the black background...March 9, 2010 - 10:06 am

Amanda - KERI! This is such an awesome post. First off - that pic of Maguire!!! OMG! My fave so far, ever. And Jak's shirt, with the fake tie! Cool. COOL. And all the things your boys are doing these days. Jak went on the potty! WOW! And Maguire never cries!!?? Gosh. You are sooo lucky, and clearly doing something very right as a mom!!!March 9, 2010 - 10:05 am

B - Those are the cutest kids ever. And their outfits are super cute too.March 9, 2010 - 9:45 am

Nicole - Oh my - both of them are just way too handsome for words! They sound like they are doing very well and it can only have to do with their amazing parents and community of family and friends. Keep up the great work you guys!March 9, 2010 - 7:35 am

BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – 3 Months Old

Mr. Maguire is 3 months old already.  For you math-inclined folk, that’s a quarter of year.  We’re definitely well into the ‘what did we ever do before you?’ stage of our love affair with this little guy.  And I love this age.  He still has the cuddly-ness of a new baby, but he’s also a lot stronger and much sturdier and just more interested in the wide world around him.  And is he ever happy.  He’s content to hang out on his own when his mommy is busy with his attention-stealing older brother.  But when I do have time to hang out with him one-on-one, oh how I am rewarded with smiles and talking and giggles.  I love our daily chats and seeing that sparkle in his eyes when we play ‘patty cake’ and sing our other silly songs.  And that sparkle isn’t just reserved for Nick and me — it makes my heart melt to see both my boys smiling at each other…brotherly love is alive and well in this household, without a doubt.

Love you, little man…

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Shawna - "If you have a cookie, your brother will want some." It's from a book. Did I give you that one? I will have to pick up another copy for your boys, who would clearly share cookies anytime.March 6, 2010 - 8:46 pm

Mom and Dad - Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Bright-eyed little monkey!! Love ya Baby Mac!March 4, 2010 - 4:52 pm

Kristi - Cute little bugger! Enjoy the next few months......it was my favorite time as well. :-)March 4, 2010 - 11:56 am

Amanda - Oh, love the spitty mouth pic! He is so handsome, especially in that lovely sweater. Time just wizzes by. He's so much bigger since I saw him last. What a lucky mama you are, Keri!March 4, 2010 - 8:45 am

T - I wonder which brother will "encourage" the other to get into mischief? Of course, I'm sure they will both be angels ;-)March 4, 2010 - 7:54 am

BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – Ten on Tuesday, Party Edition

1. Jakzen turned TWO yesterday, and we’ve had a busy couple days with party after party…after party.  Yup, three parties in three days — 2 were for Jak, and one was for Jak’s future wife, Olivia.  :)

2. Party One was on Saturday with Jak’s Calgary grandparents.  We wanted to do something low-key, but something we knew he would enjoy.  The answer — a trip to the park!  (Thanks to auntie erin for suggesting Helicopter Park…it was a hit!)Jak’s favourite part of the park wasn’t the swing.  It wasn’t the slide.  It wasn’t the merry-go-round.  It was a ramp.  Yes, you read that right.  He spent the majority of our time at the park just going back and forth, up and down the ramp.  Crazy kid. 

3. Here are some “behind the scenes” shots of our time at the park…

4. Maguire was at the park, too.(I promise he’s under that blanket…)

5. One last round of photos from the park — boys being boys!

6. We had dinner at our place after our park adventures, and I made sure to have a giant chocolate cupcake for Jakzen for dessert.  In preparation for what I assumed would be a messy experience, I stripped him down and plunked him back in his chair, all ready to dive in and get dirty.  First, he was unsure what to think of our singing…and even more unsure of the sparkly candle.Once the sparkler had burned out, he picked up the cupcake and we were all ready with our cameras to capture him attacking it with gusto.  No such luck.  He took one lick, and put it down.  Apparently there really is such a thing as too much chocolate…

7. On Sunday, it was Olivia’s birthday.  Crazy that this weekend marked her FIRST birthday.  Already!  She’s such a happy little girl — and a total ham for the camera.

8. Yesterday we had a party with some of Jak’s best buddies…and of course, more cupcakes.

9. Maguire, the party animal.

10. Jakzen got the obligatory cupcake with a candle in it again…and once again, he wasn’t sure what to think.

Thankfully Jak has good friends like Ronan who *tried* to teach him how to blow out the candle. 

Jak made a couple feeble attempts at blowing, but in the end, Ronan saved the day and blew out the flame — and Jak was grateful!Of course, Jak didn’t want anything to do with eating the cupcake, and opted instead for a chocolate cookie.  Which he LOVED…and his mommy finally got those messy birthday shots she was looking for.  :)  

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T - Such great pics of his "birth week". I think it's safe to say he enjoyed himself!March 3, 2010 - 8:02 am

erin - LOVE those photos! My kids love that ramp, too, and that's what's so great about the playground. Low to the ground! Phew. I don't need to worry as much about putting my babies in my mommy-bubble. LOVE the shots of Ronan. Oh my goodness those are funny.March 3, 2010 - 6:57 am

Mom and Dad - Looks like the Elmo party was a success!! Love the facial expressions! Happy Birthday to Olivia, too! Hope you had a great 2nd Birthday Jakzen! Oh, and what is that white stuff on the ground???March 2, 2010 - 4:52 pm

Kristi - All I have to say.......is that there better be cupcakes for Auntie the next time I am visiting!! Looks like everyone had fun. Can't wait to see you all.March 2, 2010 - 4:03 pm

B - Awwh. Super cute. I totally love how he's looking at the sparkler... and then the cupcake... and then his dirty hands at the end! His facial expressions are priceless.March 2, 2010 - 1:48 pm

Amanda - Sooo sad I missed Jak's second party. I love his argyle sweater vest! Oh - and thank you for posting a pic of him 'stripped down' to eat his cake. My mom didn't believe me when I told her people do that.March 2, 2010 - 8:41 am

Shawna - That's a lot of cupcakes in 3 days! At least Jak's future wife seems to like them. ;-) (PS: Where is that playground?)March 2, 2010 - 7:50 am

BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – On your second birthday…

Jakzen…

Today you are two years old.

Today you are sweeter and cuter and smarter.  Today you are also louder and faster and more stubborn.

These days you make us smile when your first stop in the morning is to say ‘hi’ to your brother and your last stop at night is to give him a smooch and tell him ‘good night’.  These days you also drive us crazy when we can’t stop you from waking your brother from his naps and when you shriek in his face.

Lately you have amazed us with your puzzle skills, your curiosity, and by how much you want to help.  Lately you have also made bigger messes, said ‘no way’ too many times to count, and made it very clear when something displeases you.

We love your spunk.  Your energy.  And your smile.

We love your sense of adventure.  Your fierceness.  And your giggle.

We love your crazy hair.  Your stinky feet.  And your ticklish tummy button.

We love that you prefer broccoli over cake.  Noodles versus potatoes.  And cheese above all else.

We love that you flop like a fish when you sleep.  We love chasing you around the kitchen.  We love when you “couch potato” with us daily.  We love that you call your brother ‘bubba’.  We love how you love playing with any/all kids.  We love that your eyes light up when you see your grandparents.  And we love that you are the world’s best snuggler.

Jakzen, we just love you.  Every single bit of you.  Happy birthday, baby boy.

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Mom and Dad - What is not to love????? Happy Birthday Jak! Miss you and love you more every day!!!! Have a great time with your friends and eat all the veggies you want buddy!!March 1, 2010 - 12:47 pm

Kristi - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKZEN!! We hope you have a great day with all your friends.....can't wait to see you. (Have a piece of cake for Auntie!! ;-) )March 1, 2010 - 11:00 am

Grandma O&Grandpa M - Happy Birthday, Jak!! Hard to believe it has been 2 whole years since your "Surprise!" entry into the world. Thank you for bringing such great joy into our lives!! Love you soooo much!!March 1, 2010 - 10:34 am

Amanda - What an awesome post! You are so good at these. Happy Birthday Jakzen! Can't wait to see what your mom has to write about you over the next year, and the many years to come after that.March 1, 2010 - 9:50 am

B - Awwh. I cannot believe he's two! Holy crap, where does the time go? Happy Birthday buddy! Okay, I also have major guilt for not seeing him more often and I MUST get up there to see you guys soon.March 1, 2010 - 9:08 am

Kal - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKZEN!!! Amazing that it's been 2 whole years. Amen to that.March 1, 2010 - 7:51 am

Shawna - Happy Birthday from the Little One and the rest of us! And Happy Birth Day to your parents, too!March 1, 2010 - 7:43 am

T - Happy Birthday Jakzen! It's been so much fun to watch you grow over these past few years. You are a sweet, sweet boy.March 1, 2010 - 7:29 am

BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY – Ten on Thursday

1.  *sigh* So much for blogging every day.  And I started out so strong, too!  Somehow I got busy and suddenly I was just running out of time each day to get a post done.  I think if I’m ever going to try this again, I need to commit to blogging every day at the same time.  I also started this post on Monday so that I would have it up on the right (and regular!) day.  No such luck…but that’s because of #2…read on.

2. Three people in our world celebrated birthdays on Tuesday.  My cousin’s daughter turned 2.  I’ve never met Luca, but get to see photos of her, thanks to Facebook.  And her mama is expecting Baby#2 any day now!  (Thought #2 might even share a b-day with his/her big sister, but as far as I know, that didn’t happen…too bad!)  It was also Lindsay’s birthday (my step-sister-in-law and mama to baby Bela).  We’ll hopefully see them sometime on the weekend to celebrate.  But I’m totally blaming the missing Ten on Tuesday post on Kara’s birthday.  I went over for cake and coffee on Tuesday evening…which turned into a couple of glasses of wine and some ’spirited’ conversation…and before I knew it, it was 11:30p before I was headed home.  Yup, Kara, you are to blame…(but  thank you for a fun evening!)

3. Sidenote: What is the relation between my cousin’s kid and me?  And my cousin’s kids and my kids?  Second cousins?  I can never figure that stuff out…

4. Speaking of Kara…a group of us gals attended her very first Blink Beauty Basics “class” on Friday night.  So much fun!  All of us wear make-up — and have for years — but wow, there sure were a lot of things we didn’t know or were doing wrong.  She set us straight, and we really did look better once she showed us all her tips and tricks.  I totally recommend hiring her to have a party for you and your friends (and I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend!).  If you don’t have Kara’s contact info, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with her!

5. Another friend celebrated a milestone birthday this past week.  Happy birthday, Shawna!  I was sad that I didn’t get to attend her birthday festivities because it sure does sound like she knows how to host a party.  (I plan to make up for it by sharing a bottle of wine with her, hopefully real soon!)

6. Although we missed Shawna’s party, we did manage to make it to another party this weekend.  Anderson invited a bunch of his buddies to Joso’s on Sunday morning, and man, did the kids have a good time!  Totally fun to see all the kids running and playing and interacting and ignoring each other.  :)   Jakzen loved it.  He definitely has fun anytime he sees any of his buddies.

7. Thanks to Grandma O and Grandpa Monte, Nick and I had a date night out, just the 2 of us, and went to see a movie.  We intended to see Avatar, but it was sold out.  Not a huge surprise, however we thought since it’s been in theatres for months now, we were likely to get tickets.  Nuh uh.  Nick ran into an old co-worker (who now works at the Crowfoot theatre), and he said 2 things that shocked us.  One – Avatar has been sold out in every Calgary theatre, every showing, since it came out.  Two – 25% of Calgary’s population have seen Avatar at Chinook.  25%!!!  Wowzers.  No wonder it’s made a gabillion dollars.  Because we couldn’t get in to see Avatar, we saw Sherlock Holmes instead.  Such a good movie!!  I thought it would be good, but it really was a great movie and I totally recommend it.

8. Finally got my hair cut (and coloured) this week!  About time.  I knew it was time once Nick started referring to me as Hagrid.  But man, going to the salon is such a time commitment.  I was there for almost 3 hours!  Good thing I had my iPhone to keep me occupied.

9. When Nick walks in the door, Jakzen couldn’t be happier to see him…and his phone.  Nick gets a hug, and then Jak immediately goes for Nick’s blackberry that’s in a case and hooked to his belt.  He’s figured out how to get it out, too — in record time.  Yesterday when Nick came home, he had to head out again right away, so he employed some diversionary tactics to get Jak’s mind off his ‘prize’, knowing that if Jak got his hands on it, it would be WWIII to get it back….so he said to me…”If he plays with this instead, he won’t be looking for my F-H-O-N-E.”  Oh, Nicholas.  :)

10. Here is the Banana Bread recipe:

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Butter
  • 1-½ cup Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 3 whole Eggs
  • 5-6 Mashed Ripe Bananas
  • 4 cups Flour
  • 2 Tablespoons Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Add vanilla.  Add mashed bananas and beat.
Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the mixing bowl. Beat well until all combined.

Pour into pans and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Invert on a cooling rack and allow cake to cool slightly before slicing and serving with softened butter.

ENJOY!!

**Will post some photos soon…as soon as my computer problems are fixed!! **

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T - I think it's second cousins....but I'm not 100%. Interesting to hear about Avatar.....I still haven't seen it but I just expected that one day I would be able to see it. (side note, I heard that when Alice in Wonderland comes out, also in 3-D, Chinook will stop playing Avatar at Imax....we'll see)February 25, 2010 - 5:55 pm

Shawna - Loved Sherlock Holmes. Loved make-up night and banana bread. Missed you at the birthday party. But, I am available to share a bottle of wine any time!February 25, 2010 - 1:27 pm

Amanda - Man, you just reminded me of ANOTHER reason to be sad that I had to leave on Friday. I missed out on Banana bread! The part I was there for was so great, though. Kara really is a makeup genius. Don't beat yourself up about the blogging thing. So you missed a couple days. So what! Don't let that discourage you, because your readers LOVE reading more from you!!!February 25, 2010 - 1:20 pm

B - No wonder it's so good - SOURCREAM? I've never heard of that before! Sounds like you've been busy... isn't life with kids crazy?February 25, 2010 - 12:17 pm