Giving Thanks!

We had a great Thanksgiving celebration this year! We got to enjoy a day of food preparation and relaxation at home on Wednesday and then took off for Greg's brothers house Thursday.  We spent the day at Ben and Amanda's house where we enjoyed visiting with family and eating delicious food!  Jace loved exploring all the new toys at their house and especially hanging around his older cousins!  It was fun seeing him interact with them.  He's becoming such a big boy!

Here are my boys enjoying the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  

Ben Tonagel carving the turkey.  Good work Big Ben!
Jace loved lounging out in the baby seat. 
Amanda's pretty dining room.  Hey Amanda, did you Charlie make that banner in pre-school? :)  Very cute!
Jace and his cousin Sawyer at the BIG BOY table.  I just got promoted to the adult table like 2 years ago and now my son is sitting at the kids table... crazy!

Like I said, Jace man loves his cousins.  Here he is snuggling with his oldest cousin Charlie.  How sweet!

We headed back to Nana and Papa Tonagel's and spent Friday with the immediate family. We had a little farewell party for Joel and Mal since they will be moving this weekend to Columbia, SC.  We will miss them so much!

Amanda nursing baby Brooks...

Mal, Amanda, and I before saying our farewells!  
Darn it, Joel and Mal, why do you have to go on and move just as Jace was warming up to you? We are very sad and will miss you A TON but also so excited for this adventure you are about to begin. Love you and can't wait to see you next! 
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I'm off to get my house decorated for Christmas!  

Joyful!

Jace and I had a good laugh the other day.  He's a totally cool 1 year old.   When I was pregnant, Greg and I used to pray for a joyful child... I think our prayer was answered.  

Hike!

Greg and Jace LOVE to fool around. When they play is usually looks something like this--

Down!
Ready Set!
Hike!
It’s the cutest thing! 
It’s no wonder that my sweet baby has starting hitting me—he get’s rough-housed by his Dad ALL THE TIME. These two are quite the duo and totally in love with each other! They better make room in their wrestling routine for one more because this baby is coming fast! It seems like just yesterday I was announcing my pregnancy and now I only have 16 weeks left! That means only 15 weekends left, all jam-packed with basketball games to prepare for this little munchkin’s arrival. HELP! I need my mommy. 

Later folks!

Blogaholic

My name is Amy Tonagel.  And I'm a blogaholic.  That's right, I have a problem and it's gotten out of hand.  Our internet went out at home and you wouldn't believe all the work I got done!  I realized that I wasted a lot of my free time blogging, checking blogs of family and friends, and blog stalking (checking blogs of COMPLETE strangers).  So today, I, Amy Tonagel, admit that I am a blogaholic. 

Team Tonagel spent the weekend in Spring Arbor, Michigan for a basketball tourney.  The Wildcats won 1 out of 2 games.  Wasn't ideal, but I was glad to get a win before the 3 hour trip home!  Jace did great traveling and was quite the handful during the games.  I have a hunch that games will entail a lot less watching and a lot more chasing around a certain munchkin.  I did have a lot of good help in Tiffany and her mama--thanks girls for helping with Jace!  We did have a great time and enjoyed the family time!

Here's Jace with one of the coolest grandma's I know!

Jace wanted to show his little brother some love.  How sweet is he?!
This morning I walked into the kitchen to find Jace covered in orange juice and wearing Daddy's shoes.  He's a hoot!
And to all the animal lovers in my family, cover your eyes now.  I warned you!  Greg finally shot a buck this afternoon and wanted to show off his trophy with his son.  Good job honey!  

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only 1 1/2 weeks away?! At the moment I am extremely thankful for a healthy 1 year old boy, a loving, hard-working husband, a smooth and healthy pregnancy and baby boy on the way, and for the best family ever! I could go on and on but I will leave that for a later post!

Bye friends!

Chef Jace

Jace helped me prepare some yummy chocolate cream cheese cupcakes in the kitchen Wednesday.  Well, does banging on a big plastic bowl with a spatula and playing peek-a-boo with Mom under the big blue bowl count as helping?  I think it does.  

Here is the finished product.  They are good.  Real good.  

I will leave you with this image of Jace after just waking up from his nap.  And if you are wondering why it seems like he is always missing atleast one piece of clothing, well that's just the way we roll at the Tonagel household. 

Peace out friends!

Smile!

Thought this might brighten your day.  It did mine!  

Hope your Sunday is filled with family and football!  Now my meatloaf pan is calling. I better get dinner started!

Blessings friends!

Happy Harvest Days!

We have enjoyed some nice fall weather lately.  We are trying to take advantage of going outside before those cold Indiana days hit.  Jace absolutely loves the outdoors!  Here are some pictures taken earlier this week of our little guy playing in our yard.

One of our basketball players rides a long board (like a skateboard but longer I guess) and he was giving Jace rides on it.  He was giggling like crazy--he loved it!

Our friends Amie and Ryan hosted a Halloween party Friday night and we enjoyed a night of out with our good friends!  There were about 10 couples there and all in costume!  Here are some pictures of my favorites... (unpictured were Peter Pan and tinker bell, pirates, and pilot and co-pilot).  

Greg and I were last-minute planners and dressed up as 80's aerobic instructors.  Pretty scary huh?
A baseball player and ump joined the party...
A couple of cowboys joined in the fun.  Yeehaw!
Bill and Monica in the house!
Shrek and Fiona (and our hosts)
And my favorite costume of the night... our Amish friends, the Henry's.  Don't they look natural?
We are (sort of) in transition from 2 naps to 1.  Yesterday he feel asleep sitting up in the shopping cart at the grocery store but unfortunately my camera was buried under my sleeping baby so I couldn't document this first!  But today, our tired boy fell asleep for the first time in his highchair! I took him out, changed his diaper, laid him down in his crib and the kid never budged!  I must say, it was pretty darn cute.  I did, however, get pictures of the highchair incident.  

 That's all for now friends!  

Happy Halloween!

21 weeks and growing!

By popular request, (ok just two of you--and they happened to be my sisters but I'm sure they aren't the only ones wondering how HUGE I'm getting) here is a picture of my 21 week belly. I feel like I really blossomed and baby #2 went through a major growth spurt over the last couple of weeks. But as far as my pregnancy goes--so far so good. Nothing to complain about here (other than the recent rapid weight gain). Greg and I have enjoyed teaching Jace that Baby Brother is in Mommy's belly. He is going to make a great big bro (holy cow--in 19 short weeks. Yikes!)

Make sure you saw my cloth diapering post below.  I need recommendations!  

Toodles friends!

Cloth Diapering

So I have decided to give cloth diapering a try.  I have been very fortunate because a good friend of mine (Rachel Henry shout-out!) has lent me her supply of cloth diapers for the time being since she is in transition with homes and will not be needing them for couple of months.  This has been  SO nice because I can give them a whirl without making the HUGE investment in the beginning until I know this is something I can handle.  The first day was rough and included three #2's and a pretty bad diaper rash, but since then, not too bad!  I am beginning to enjoy the whole process (well not EVERY part that goes along with cloth diapering) but I must say I could give myself a nice pat on the back for lending the environment a hand.  This morning was trash-day and there were FAR LESS bags of diapers than usual.  Look how green I am!  

If things continue to go well I will take the plunge and buy my own cloth diapers.  Any recommendations out there?  Snaps or velcro?  Brand?  A cheap place to buy them?  Thanks!!

Oh, and the fact that he looks this cute in cloth diapers is just a perk!

P.S. I put Jace down last night at 6:50 pm and it is now 8:40 and he is STILL sleeping. (Hallelujah chorus playing in the background)

Bye friends!

She thinks my tractors sexy!

We had a fun weekend relaxing and visiting with family.  We try and take a trip to Greg's hometown each year before basketball season really gets underway and ALL of our weekends are booked with ball games.  We always enjoy our weekend getaways and the Tonagels' house is such a homey place to spend time on a nice fall weekend.  Jace played with his Nana and Papa (Papa is recovering from back surgery and could only lift up to 8 lbs. per doctor's orders so no cuddling for Papa Hughie), got roughed up by cousins Charlie and Sawyer, and ran at the sight of his Uncle Ben (still hasn't warmed up to him quite yet--Sorry Ben, don't take it personal.  They do call you "Big Ben for a reason, right?).  Anyway, here are some pictures from last week and the weekend.  

Jace's new favorite pastime--reading!  Up until a couple of weeks ago, Jace wanted nothing to do with books and now it's all he wants to do!  Dad, you will be happy to hear that the book most commonly brought to us to read is the one and only "Mother Goose".  
Eww.  Yuck.  Gross.  Blah.  
But there's a cute face underneath all that grossness.  

It was one of those nights where he went directly from the high chair to the tub (moms, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about).  I love when he's all clean and in his jammies!

Wrestling with Dad before bed.  Get him Jace!
Smile for Mommy.  No, not like that.  

Like that :)
Here is Nana Tonagel enjoying a little piece of heaven on earth... surrounded by 3 of her grandsons.  
Greg gave all the Tonagel munchkins tractor rides.  How come I didn't get one?  My prego physique probably would have broken the dang thing.  And Greg, you are looking mighty cute on that tractor.  I love my country boy!
   On the way home we headed to Syracuse, IN to visit the newest addition to the Tonagel clan--baby boy Brooks.  He was born on October 14th to Greg's bro Ben and wife Amanda.  You can read the accounts of her labor and delivery experience by visiting her blog.  He is SO teeny tiny and adorable.  It got me excited to have a newborn again!

We are heading to Chicago for the weekend for a scrimmage verses Northwestern University of the Big Ten Conference.  Should be fun!  I am spending my first full night away from my baby. A little sad.  A little nervous.  But a lot excited!  That's all the news I have for now friends.  Summer came back for the day and we are enjoying the outdoorsy weather!

Ultrasound--It's a Boy!

Here are a few of my favorites from our ultrasound on Monday.  It is really a weird feeling knowing the sex of our baby--but I'm really glad we know!  We didn't find out with Jace and LOVED the surprise in the delivery room but we (ok, I) thought we would try it this way.  There are perks to both, but for now, I am enjoying picturing my family as a Mom and Dad with their 2 boys!  It is also fun to talk about Baby Brother to Jace and get him used to the idea of sharing Mom!  

And for those of you who are wondering, I am not disappointed that it's another boy.  In fact, if I could have picked it myself,  I think I would have picked it this way.  Now, that's not to say that when I strolled by the little girl's department at the store the other day I didn't get a little sad.  But don't you folks worry, I will get a girl someday.  I told Greg and he agreed that we aren't stopping until we get one :)

Until then I will just praise God for these 2 little ones He has blessed us with!  

Bye all!

P.S. Nana and Papa Tonagel are 8/8 in the boy category with children and grandchildren.  It's getting so ridiculous that it's funny to me!

Pumpkin Patch

Sunday afternoon, we headed to Campbell's Pumpkin Patch for our 2nd annual family outing. We had a great time spending quality time together! We picked out a pumpkin for Daddy, Mommy, Jace, and Jace's little brother!!!  Yes, you read that correctly, we are having another baby boy!  We couldn't be happier with this news and are thrilled that Jace will get a younger brother and this baby will have a great big brother in Jace!  Here are some pictures of our outing...

They have a really beautiful set-up on their pumpkin farm!  I just love making a trip there each year.  

Here we are bundled up (it was one of the coldest days this fall) on a tractor ride!  
And here they are on tractor ride #2...
Now isn't this fun Jace?!  As you can see, he had loads of fun (no really, he did)!  

He especially loved riding around in this cart.  We piled in all our pumpkins, haystacks, Indian corn, and pulled him around! 

Jace really does love being outdoors.  It's when he's at his happiest!
Here we are modeling our new pumpkins with their new home.  I think they will be very happy here :)  
And finally here is the big brother all cleaned up after a fun day with the fam!  He's  getting so big right before our very eyes.  We just love this little booger so much!
Bye for now friends!

P.S. He looks like Uncle Troy to me in this picture!

LAUNDRY!

Just wanted to update you on what pregnancy does to my mind.  I was doing my usual Friday morning chores, laundry, laundry, and more laundry.  I don't mind the washing-of-the-clothes part, but putting them away is a real pain for me.  So anyway, I was delivering laundry from room to room,  starting in the kitchen and working my way into the back bedrooms. As the day progressed, I went to fix Jace lunch, reached down for a freshly washed kitchen towel, and pulled out Greg's underwear!  YIKES!  I'm not drying my dishes with those suckers!  I proceeded to our bedroom and sure enough found those dish towels in his underwear drawer.  Glad I caught that before Greg wondered where all his clean underwear went!  

Please tell me I'm not the only one!  Anyone else have a major case of the brain farts when they are pregnant?  

A Girl's Night Out

A couple of Fridays ago, Greg was out of town and I had a baby shower to attend so I hired my first babysitter!  Jace has had sitter's before, but they have always been familiar faces like Tiffany and Jeff or Sebastion (his favorite basketball player) AND they have been for brief periods of time.  

Now I was a little nervous because I was in the beginning phases of weaning him off his nightly nursing routine (he still nurses each morning) and he is suffering from the worst case of separation anxiety EVER!  

I was so excited to have the evening alone with some of my best girl friends!  I felt like a teenager again anticipating a big night out.  You are probably thinking geesh, it is only a baby shower, what's the big deal?!  The big deal is I didn't have a certain 1 year old hanging on my leg all evening!  I could have adult conversation with NO interruptions!  I was in desperate need of a night such as this.  I just took my time and didn't have to worry about getting home quickly to relieve a friend for doing us a favor because heck, I was paying the girl!  She was so sweet and did a great job with Jace.  I'm not really sure if he even knew I was gone :(  He was sound asleep when I got home. I went in there and patted his little bum for a few minutes and sang him a quick lullaby. 

I have to admit, I really did miss him.  

Here is the Mama-to-be 38 weeks pregnant with her son, Kaiden. 

And here's a picture of my good friends (all 4 girls on the right are prego AND the one all the way to the right is pregnant with twins)!

Wow, 2 posts in 2 days.  I'm on a roll!

Playing catch up!

So here are those vacation pics I promised you!  We had such a great time out in VA and DC!  I want to go back!  Here's a little recap of our trip..

We woke Jace up at 3 am Thursday morning for a day in the car.  He was pretty happy considering it was SO early!  He got especially happy when he saw his Nana and Papa Tonagel who were going to spend the weekend with us!

He slept pretty well in the car.  After finally getting him back to sleep he eventually woke up at about 8 am and then took his 2 normal naps throughout the day.  We brought books, music, toys, and a DVD's to keep him occupied (and did I mention we stopped 7 times on our way out there?!)
You can't see him but Papa Hughie is playing hide-and-seek with Jace behind the tree.  Thanks Hugh for getting dirty on your hands and knees for a good laugh!
Happy boy in Nana's arms!
We finally arrived to our destination--Lorton, VA where Troy and Megan now reside.  They have an adorable apartment and live near some fun shops and restaurants.  Thanks Meg and Troy for being so hospitable to us!  You are great hosts!  Here is Troy fixing us pancakes and sausage the morning after we arrived.  A little Hughie in the making if you ask me (pancakes are Hugh's specialty).  

We headed to Old Town Alexandria one afternoon for lunch and shopping.  It was a beautiful day and I was surrounded by great company (and great help with Jace)!

He LOVES riding high.  Uncle Troy strolled the streets of Alexandria with this little rascal on his shoulders.  Thanks Uncle Troy!
3 of the many Tonagel boys.
I mentioned this in a previous post but it's worth mentioning again.  YOU MUST TRY GELATO.  It is sooo good!  Jace got to try a little bit of everyone's!  I'm a straight chocolate girl.  
All gone :(
My sweet sister-in-law, good friend, and Jace's Aunt Megan!  Just following our gelato we headed to the nail salon for some girl time and manicures/pedicures.  Fun Fun!

Here are the newlyweds at Mike's American Grill.  When Megan and I first met we shared our favorite things about the DC/VA area.   She shared her favorite restaurant with me and I shared my favorite restaurant with her.  We soon found out that our favorite restaurants are owned by the same person!  HAH!  Go figure!  So we enjoyed a dinner out at her favorite restaurant (maybe next time we will go to mine) :)
Jace was perfectly content sitting in between Auntie Lolo and I during dinner so we catered to his wishes and left him there.  

I included this picture partly because I wanted to show off what a big boy Jace was sitting by himself in the booth but also because I wanted to show off my crab cakes I ordered... possibly the best crab cakes I have ever had.  And I have had a lot of crab cakes.  They are my favorite!

I stopped in and had a short visit with my best high school friend Gaby.  Our visit was very brief but so nice!  I am lucky if I see her once a year!  This was the second time she met Jace.   
Auntie Jill and Aunt Lolo heading out the door with Jace for a day of shopping!  We headed home later that evening for some chinese food and girl time.  It was fun!
We took Jace to the park directly across the street from Lauren's house.  He enjoyed all the space, climbing and sliding (not to mention all the attention he received from his auntie's and uncle).  
Uncle Ben playing with Jace on the teeter totter.  
Auntie Jill getting a little snuggle in.  Some say they look alike!


It's so convenient having my sister and sister-in-law so close!  I hope we can arrange another trip soon!
I was so glad that this weekend worked out.   We rarely get to hang out just the 4 of us.  With spouses, fiances, and babies on the way, it's growing more and more difficult to arrange our schedules with each other.  Somehow we managed to pull it off!  It was a very special weekend and I'm not sure we will ever coordinate a get together with just the 4 of us again, but I am so glad it happened!
And upon request, here is a picture of my 18 week belly.  This pregnancy is flying by!

Pink Toothbrush Holder

I think I told a fib.  I mentioned that I would post pictures of our adventurous trip out to VA and DC but no can do.   I left my camera at a friends house in Fort Wayne with all my vacation pics on it so until then this video of Jace in the tub and these few pics of Jace (compliments of my sis) will have to do. 

Click HERE to see Jace splish'n and a splash'n in the tub!

Chillin' at the park...

Nothing cheers this boy up like a nice warm bath.  Thanks Auntie Jill for sacrificing your dental hygiene by letting Jace bathe with your toothbrush holder.  Should I mention that he went #2 while bathing with that toothbrush holder?  Sorry... 
You can't stay mad at this face.  

I would kill for those lashes!  We switched our boy to a forward facing carseat and I partly attribute his good behavior on our long trip to this.  He loves facing all the action!

Since when does the season change overnight?  Yesterday it was still summer and today it is fall.  It is SO cold.  Was I actually wishing this weather to come?  What was I thinking?!  The wind was almost unbearable this morning.  Jace and I could hardly stand the wind so we spent most of the morning in the garage.  

So just to give you some updates....

Jace is doing GREAT!  He is still growing and changing all the time.  He is practically running at this point and I am constantly chasing him all over the place!  His molars are making their way in and he is getting through that like a real trooper.  He is starting to make new sounds.  His latest sounds are "B", "N", and "L" sounds.  He says Mama and Dada now which is music to our ears :) At his 1 year check up he weighed 23 1/2 pounds and was 29 inches long.  He is eating just about anything that we eat as long as it doesn't have any nutritional value whatsoever (he spits out high nutrition foods.  Ugh!) We are trying to take advantage of spending as much one-on-one time with him as possible before our family turns to 4!

Greg is keeping extremely busy with basketball team workouts, individuals, and recruiting visits/trips.  It seems like basketball season came sooner than ever this year!  He just got a commitment from one of his top recruits for the 2010-2011 school year and we are so thankful for that!  It is nice to see his hard work pay off!

I am now about 17 weeks pregnant and still feeling good.  I am quickly growing out of my regular clothes and starting to look pregnant (thank the Lord, I hate those "is she pregnant or just fat" looks).  I have an ultrasound scheduled for October 12th and am very anxious for that to arrive!  I have started to feel baby movement which is one of my favorite things about being pregnant!  I have a long to-do list accumulating of things to get done before March gets here so I will begin to tackle that soon. 

That's all for now friends! 

Remedy

Any of you out there suffering from congestion or a sinus infection?  I have just the remedy!  Now you must tell your husband that in order for it to work, you must follow the instructions exactly.  It requires 1 generous helping of chocolate gelato (Italian ice cream that will be the smoothest thing your tongue has ever felt), a spa pedicure, lovely manicure, and the company of a couple good friends!  It worked for me and I am confident it will for you too!  

We just returned home yesterday from a fun trip out east to visit family!  Once I'm all unpacked, I will post pictures and details of the trip.  I will tell you this, Jace did AWESOME on our 14 hour drive, Nana and Papa Tonagel were SO gracious to take us along and were very tolerant of his need to stop (we stopped 7 times on the way out there), we had an awesome visit with Jace's Uncle Troy and Aunt Megan, Auntie Jill, Aunt LoLo, Uncle Ben and Aunt Kelley, and the weather could not have been more perfect.  We all were pooped when we finally returned home last night.  Jace slept 13 hours straight!  We had such a good time!  We have the best family! 

And ladies, try the remedy above.  You won't regret it.  

Country Boys and Girls Gettin' Down on the Farm!

Ahem.  Excuse me while I finish off my glass of milk and wipe the icing off my mouth from leftover cake and ice cream.  

Ok, I'm ready now.  

Happy 1st Birthday Jace!  Our boy turned 1 on September 10th and we celebrated with family and close friends on Saturday.  It was an awesome celebration for an awesome little guy!  My non-theme was a farm theme.  In the beginning I wasn't planning a big themed bash but Greg thought I could get in trouble with Child Protective Services if I deprived my son of a non-themed first birthday party. So, I caved.  I ended up really enjoying the theme and actually had sooo much fun in preparation for the party!

Here is the birthday boy sporting his overalls...

And our barn cake...
And animal cupcakes...
I couldn't be more proud of this little guy.  I am so thankful to be his Mom!
He got a little scuffed up prior to our guests arriving.  He took a tumble down our front steps (under my supervision--darn it).  I felt so bad that he got hurt and especially on the day of his party but heck, he's a boy.  This stuff happens, right?  (That's what I keep telling myself to avoid feeling guilty.)  He did get over it pretty quickly and was his smily, normal self again! :)

It usually takes him a little while to warm up to people.  Here he is staying nice and close to Dad.  

Nana and Papa Tonagel bought Jace this awesome "Cozy Coupe" car.  He loves this thing.  He has only had it a day and has spent HOURS and HOURS in it!  He likes to be pushed around the driveway and up and down the street.  
His cousins liked it too!  Here they are pushing Jace around (or maybe trying to figure a way to get Jace out of it so one of them could hop in) :)
Here Jace is snuggled up with Jeff and Uncle Joel.  
Now let's get this party started with some singing and cake!  Charlie serenaded Jace with the birthday song on his guitar.  He started us out and asked everyone to join in and sing along! Thanks Charlie!  This was one of my favorite moments of the day!
"Is this whole cupcake for me?!"
"Hmm.. does it go here?"
"No, I think it goes here.  YUMMY!"
"Happy Birthday to me!"
Now time for presents!  Unfortunately, Jace was more amused by this stick than his actual gifts so Mommy and cousin Charlie enjoyed opening all his presents.  Thank you family and friends for being so generous!  He received clothes, pajamas, toys, books, puzzles, a personalized book of Jace's ABC's (A-Z of family, friends, and things important to Jace) and much more.  Everything was so practical and will get lots and lots of use!
We snapped a quick family shot during a time-out of the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game (thanks Greg for allowing us a whole 30 seconds of your time!)
It was such a wonderful day and a great celebration of Jace's first year of life!  We do feel incredibly blessed to have such a happy, healthy boy.  Greg and I snuck in his room on the eve of his birthday, admired our sleeping baby (can I still call him a baby?  I think I will), and reflected on the past year.  He has brought us more joy than we ever expected and we just love seeing him grow! We are so thankful for each of our family and friends who help make celebrations like this so special.  

Happy Birthday buddy.  

He get it from his Mama!

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?  How many rolls does it take to get to the bottom of Jace's leg? 1,2,3... Poor boy.  I think we have an identical picture of my bum when I was just about his age. That's just life son, sorry!  

Students and players are officially back and we are underway with another school year.  This starts the beginning of late nights and long hours for Coach T :(  I have to be intentional about keeping a positive mentality when it comes to Greg's job and hours or else it could get ugly.  Real ugly.  We plan on having all the players over in groups of 3 over the next couple of weeks so that will keep me and my dishwasher busy!  I usually plan for about 1 pound of meat per player when serving them a meal... these boys can eat!!!

We were cleaning out the nursery on Saturday, putting away clothes than no longer fit Jace and bringing out clothes that he will grow into this fall and winter.  Jace absolutely loved playing with this basket and we found him sitting in it a few times.  He was so proud and so content in this basket that we just let him be.  I would leave the room for a couple minutes and come back to find him STILL sitting in that basket.  He's a hoot!

No exciting news to report.  I have a doctor's appt tomorrow and will hopefully get to hear the heartbeat again.  I am getting more anxious to know more about this baby and am so tempted to find out the sex (that ultrasound would be in 4 weeks).  We did love the surprise the first time around but think it might be fun to try this for the second one.  Hmm... what should I do? I know all you blog readers out there have opinions.  Let's hear 'em.  

Hope everybody enjoyed their 3 day weekend.  I have a week full of chores and a birthday party to get ready for.  Our boy is turning 1 on Thursday.  We can't believe it!!!

This boy loves...

This boy loves making big messes at meal time!

This boy loves getting nice and clean before bed...
And loves being dried off!

This boy loves to climb...

and the outdoors.
And oh how this boy loves to makes messes!
This boy loves his sippy cup.  He doesn't like it filled with juice or milk.  Water only.  
This boy loves getting into his defensive stance.  And Daddy loves it too!

 He loves bouncy balls...

And he loves tractors!
And we just love this boy!

Random Thoughts

Here is Jace with his Uncle Ben. He was nothing but smiles on his uncle's shoulders! My big bro just loves this little boy and this little boy loves my big bro. Aren't they cute?

A couple random thoughts....

1. I love the crockpot. Why don't I use it more often? Every single time I use the thing, I get happy. So if there are any good crockpot recipes out there, I want them. Please send 'em my way! Also, while I am begging for recipes, I am starting Soup Wednesdays at the Tonagel house so if you have any good soup recipes that are manly and meaty or girly and light I want them as well.

2. I can't wait for college football to officially be underway. I am looking forward to spending time with my family, cooking up some yummy chili (hmm... maybe even in my crockpot) and kickin back and cheering my team on (the only problem is I don't really have a team. I need to choose one I guess. Is that how is works?) We are hoping to make it to a few Purdue games this year! Go Boilermakers! Is it pathetic that I had to google their mascot? Shh... don't tell.

3. I love my family. I love all of them. I love Greg, Jace, New Baby, all you Jamiesons and all you Tonagels out there. I feel so incredibly blessed. I feel like I would never have to have another friend in the world because I have so many best friends in my very own family!

4. Does it get much cuter than the wide open, wet, juicy baby kiss? I didn't think so.

5. I love line-hung bed sheets. We don't have a clothes line but my little old neighbor Henrietta lets me use her's whenever I want. Once in a while I will hang our sheets from her line, snuggle up in my cozy bed, take a deep breath, sniff, smell, and inhale the greatness of line-hung sheets until my little hearts content.

6. My skin is breaking out. Today, I think I am having a girl.

Well there ya go, some random thoughts from yours truly. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and taking advantage of this beautiful weather. I am so looking forward to fall arriving and everything that comes with it (minus the late nights for Greg). We have been getting little fall teasers here in Marion with semi-cool days and I'm loving it! I promise to take some updated pictures of Jace this week and post them ASAP. That's all I have for now. I am heading off to bed. I have some sniffing to do...

Flo's Clam Shack

Last vacation post--I promise!  When we were in RI we wanted to take advantage of the great seafood that Newport has to offer so we ate just about any fish we could get our hands on. Greg LOVES New England clam chowder and ate a big bowl of it just about everyday.  We enjoyed clam strips, fish and chips, crab cakes (on numerous occasions), calamari, stuffed shrimp, coconut shrimp, shrimp scampi (who says pregnant women should eat shrimp in moderation?  I don't believe it!) lobster bisque, and quahogs (hard shell clams).  We ate at some top-notch restaurants and some local joints and all of it was sooo good!  On Sunday, before we all had to part our separate ways we headed to a local place called Flo's Clam Shack and enjoyed a nice, relaxing lunch with a great view of the Atlantic!

So, first off, there was the longest line I have ever seen to order food.  I didn't mind because the long line told me that something had to be good.  Plus there was fun stuff to do in line like this...

Greg wouldn't dare subject Jace to posing in a polka-dot bikini, so he took the hit.  That's sacrificial love baby.  Nice bod Jace!  And Auntie Jill kept Jace occupied in the long line while playing a fun game of peek-a-boo.  

Jace was loving it!  He wouldn't have cared if the line never moved.  This is his game!
They give each customer these cool rocks with your order number on it.  Some small, some large, kinda cool.  
When Jace can get his hands on a lemon, he does!  He loves them even though he makes this face after squeezing one into his mouth...
Jace enjoyed the lunch as much as anyone!  This kid loves fish and chips!
We enjoyed our last vacation as a family of 3.  We hope to keep our tradition of going to Newport each August!  It is a beautiful time to visit and it seems to work for everyone in my family.  Our trip is already set for next year because my big brother is getting married!!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  

1 year old (well, almost)

Just a few more vacation pics coming your way!  Greg, Jace, and I arrived in Rhode Island on Wednesday afternoon.  By Friday morning ALL of my siblings and their spouses/fiances were there!  We had such a nice time gathering and visiting at my parents' house Friday night.  My brother made delicious chicken and steak fajitas for the whole gang and we chatted, laughed, and celebrated family birthdays.  Pictured below are the men who stole the Jamieson girls' hearts and our awesome brother!

As you can see, the women were hard at work in the kitchen while the men burped and took it easy while watching the Red Sox vs. Yankees game.  
We had a little birthday party to celebrate Kelley, Jolly, and Jace!  I don't think Aunt Kelley and Uncle Jolly minded when they were pushed aside for the main attraction... 
He received a toy farm with all the animals and a toy hammer...
several touch and feel books and a cool stackable puzzle...
and these cool camoflauge rain boots!  
For some reason he loved walking around with this particular gift (wrapped).  Once it was unwrapped he didn't care so much for it.

If you are wondering, we did not give Jace a big piece of cake to dive into. We just didn't feel right doing it quite yet since he is not yet 1 year old. However, he did get some ice cream sandwich to enjoy which he LOVED!

Thanks to everyone who made this birthday celebration so fun and special! We won't forget it!!!

Big Brown Eyes

This is what we got to look at all week!  Isn't it beautiful?!  This was taken on the Cliff Walk just about 1/2 mile from my parents house.  You can walk or run along this cliff that has all ocean on one side.  It was a pretty hot week but being right next to the ocean created the most wonderful breeze!  

We did  a lot of walking while we were there.  We happened to be there in one of the busiest weeks of the entire summer so walking places from my parents house was less hassle than driving downtown and trying to find parking.  Jace did really well, especially when we would take him out of his stroller and he could ride high on Dad's shoulders.  

Here is the bride with most of her bridesmaids.  Thanks girls for making the trip to Newport for Jill's shower!!!
Jace is eating 3 big meals a day and a snack somewhere in between.  I am still nursing Jace in the mornings, at night, and before both naptimes.  I do feel very exhausted from feeding Jace, Baby, and myself.  I think it's starting to wear on me but I will do it as long as I can!
I love those big brown eyes!

I got to hear baby #2's heart beat yesterday!  It was so special to hear that little heart beating. Overall I am feeling pretty good and enjoying the life that's growing inside!  

That's all for now.  Bye friends!

Good Wife!

We are back from our vacation out east to visit my family and celebrate my sister, the bride-to-be!  We had SO much fun and didn't want the week to end!  I can't remember a time when six days passed by so fast!  We got a lot of quality family time in and Jace was so spoiled by his grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  

We threw a bridal shower for my sister Jill on Saturday and enjoyed our day laughing with friends, celebrating the upcoming marriage of Jill and Darren, enjoying mimosas (everyone but the pregnant girl of course), eating great food, and showering the bride with gifts!  Below are pictures from the day.  

This is the FAB group of girls who made it to the shower.  We had friends represented from Wisconsin, Indiana, Boston, D.C., Florida, New York, and Rhode Island.

Here is Jill modeling her "good housewife" kit.  We made teams and challenged everyone to write a story about Jill and Darren. The twist was corresponding all the words of products in her bucket (arm and hammer, snuggle, dynamo, comet, kaboom to name a few) into the story.  We had Darren write one himself and of course it totally blew ours away (he writes for a living).  We had so much fun attempting our creative sides and did our best to share their love story.  It was a blast!  
Lauren and I shared some sisterly words of wisdom regarding "Do's and Dont's of How to be a Good Wife".  We read an exert from a 1954 Home Economics high school textbook.  We framed it for her so she can constantly be reminded of her duties.  
Believe it or not, this cake tasted better than it looks!  Great job Mom!
Here is Jill opening her gifts.  Everyone was so generous and she got some really great things! Pictured below is the never ending gift wrap.  I believe packaged underneath this large ball of bubble-wrap was 1 pilsner glass.  
The maid's of honor (I know people, matron just sounds so old) hard at work.  
We made a book for Jill of us 3 girls over the years.  It turned out to be super cute and really special!  We love our big sis!
I have the best sisters in the world!
There's plenty more vacation pics to share but that's all I have time for tonight!  I have about 6 loads of laundry waiting for me.  I will post more of our vacation adventures this week.  

In baby news, I have an ultrasound tomorrow and I'm hoping to hear the little boogers heart beat.  The button on my pants popped open the other day so I'm assuming that means that the baby is starting to grow.  They say you start showing earlier the second time around but geesh, maternity clothes at 10 weeks?!  Yikes!  I will keep you posted on my appointment!

Brusha Brusha Brusha

Here are some random pictures from the past week.  

We really emphasize the importance of good dental hygiene in our family and as you can see here, Jace listens!  For some reason, this kid LOVES the tooth brush.  It has kept him distracted for hours!  

He loves meal time and is so anxious for what Momma has cooked up!  Before we eat we will say a blessing and he remains real quiet and then we will sing a short children's blessing for him and he dances along... we love it!
Here Jace is in his church clothes before his dedication service.  We enjoyed watching him play with his cousins and interact with them.  His cousin Charlie spent the night and Jace just followed him around the whole time!  I think he already wants to be like him!

We enjoyed a nice morning at our house eating delicious homemade quiche, blueberry muffins,and  Nana's famous english muffin bread topped with Papa Hughie's strawberry freezer jam.  I could eat that stuff ALL day long.  I think we should start a family business which only sells bread and jam. Hmm... Kathy and Hugh, let's talk business! Here are a couple of family pics that we managed to take!

Following the church service, we all headed to Splash House, the local waterpark, and kicked back in the Lazy River.  Jace's cousin Sawyer really relaxed, he is pictured below conked out in Dad's arms!
Greg and Jace were paired up in the Lazy River.  Every time I looked over at Jace he was smiling or giggling about something!  


We take off today for Indianapolis where we will spend the night and get up bright and early and head out to Newport, RI where my ENTIRE family will be this weekend :)  We have been looking forward to this trip for a while now.  I am just so glad it is finally here!  We plan to play some tennis. take Jace to the beach, eat A LOT of good food, shower my sister Jill with bridal gifts, celebrate some family birthdays (Jace included!), jog along the ocean cliff, visit with family and friends, and did I mention eat good food?!  Can't wait to see all you Jamiesons soon!

Corn on the cob!

Here is Jace begging for some sweet corn...    

And Jace chowing down on the sweet corn...
And happy boy to have enjoyed some good ol' Indiana sweet corn on the cob!   

Baby on board!

When I look into my rear-view mirror this is what I see... 

a sweet baby boy staring back at me!

I better pay closer attention to the road and less attention to this darling face.  But when he starts bouncing back and forth to his favorite tune it's pretty hard not to watch.  

That's all I needed to share.  We are looking forward to a weekend full of friends, family, and good times! Hope you are too!

Magic 8 ball says...

Well it's official, I have lost my camera dagnabbit.  So no new pics today but our camera should be replaced soon!

Jace has finally taken the plunge and is walking now.  Last week he took his first steps of freedom and hasn't looked back since.  He has taken as many as 15 steps on his own now and is doing so well!  We are very proud of him and his new accomplishment.  

Hmm... what else is new?  Let's see, Jace had a bad skin infection down south so that was pretty painful for him and painful for me to look at.  It is almost all cleared up now... yea!!!! Probably my FAVORITE new thing that Jace is doing is giving kisses.  It just melts my heart when he leans in with that mouth wide open and plants a big wet one on me! He is eating just about anything and everything now.  Fruits are the one thing that he doesn't particularly like but we are working on it.  Speaking of fruits, we visited a local farmer's market today and picked up the most delicious Indiana-grown seedless watermelon... Jace man, you are really missing out!

The end of recruiting season is just around the corner.  I believe that tomorrow is the last day for it... yipppeeee!  

As far as baby #2 goes, all is well there.  I keep telling Greg that I just know it's a girl this time just for kicks.  For those of you who know Greg well, you know that he would need fair warning to the idea of having a daughter.  In the labor room before Jace was born he said (and I have witnesses), "As long as this one is a boy, I don't care what we have next" and now he is saying "As long as the next one is a boy, I don't care what we have after that".  Not fair!  Too bad for Greg the decision has already been made and is not up to him... hah!  And well if it's another boy, I would be thrilled too.  We haven't decided whether or not to find out the sex this time around but Magic 8 Ball says, "Signs point to yes".  

That's all for now.  I will try and get you some pictures before the weekend.  

Ta Ta 

This just in....

Come March we will no longer be a family of 3!  That's right, we are having another baby and Jace is going to be a big brother!  We are so thrilled with this (slightly unexpected) news!  Of course there was the initial freak-out about lack of closet space and the part about getting HUGE again but we do praise God for this blessing and do not take it for granted!  Ready or not... here a baby comes!  
We love that Jace will be the oldest sibling to our children.  It is hard to imagine since he is still such a little boy himself, but we know he will make a great older brother!  Greg and I both know from our own families the special role and influence of the oldest sibling.  We so look forward to seeing Jace love on his younger brother/sister (hopefully the latter) :)

C'mon... who wouldn't want to just squeeze, tickle, and kiss all over that belly?! I might just go do that right now...