Fighting to the finish line!

It happened just like that. He passed the 7 month threshold and all of a sudden he has not stopped to take a breath!

Thursday, May 23rd- I really saw him starting to get better at sitting up and crawling.
Saturday, May 25th- He was unstoppable.
Sunday, May 26th- First time to ride in a grocery cart sitting up. WalMart trip for Mommy and Jack  for the necessities (formula, diapers, and wine).
Monday, May 27th- He realized he could crawl further than our rug and made his way to Cooper's dog bowl. First handful of dog food...don't worry he didn't eat it. He also tried puffs for the first time this day.
Tuesday, May 28th- He pulls himself up by clinging to a book shelf at school. Get's all the way to standing position and stands smiling so proud. When he falls back on his bottom he doesn't cry.
He also sits in a high chair at Pappasitos for the first time.

It sort of feels like our entire Preisler family is burning the candle at both ends. Michael is still away in Colorado for work and can't wait to get back. I am trying to adjust to this moveable object and still waking up with him at night (yep... 11 p.m., 3 a.m., and sometimes 5:40 a.m.). And the obvious mover and shaker is Captain Jack. I can tell he has some of our favorite qualities that members of our little family enjoy most:

Positive attitude
Hard work
Loves family

You can't stop us from getting what we want. Not even if you buckle us into a bouncer!

Normally I update the blog with the thought that our mom's love seeing it, my PawPaw used to love reading it, Mi Mi looks at it, and my sister who is far away can keep up with everything he is doing. I also am graced with some close friends who frequent the link (Carly and Lindsay). Recently I have been posting so Michael can see what is going on at home. Such a different feeling!

On Memorial Day it reminded me of how thankful I am for the service men and women who fight for us every day. They are away from their families for much longer periods of time and their loved ones fear their life throughout the entire process. What amazing people we have to thank for our freedom, so many of them not even knowing the people they fight for. Freedom doesn't come free and I sometimes think we all just believe it is a given. I am lucky to know that when I count down the days on my calendar to see my husband he is expected to come home safe. I am not sure I could be brave enough to be in their position.

Peace and Love

I like to move it move it!

I am going to let the pictures speak a thousand words.

I am glad to see that Jack is taking after us and loves to spend time with his family. He is such a social baby that he is even doing face time with his aunt Krissy.

Jack crawled right up to MiMi and of course she knew just what to do. 

Jack loves turning my mom (his NaNa) into a jungle gym. 

He is becoming very interested in Cooper. As you can tell by pictures, Coop is also close by with a watchful eye. 

Check out all my moves!

I crawl, sit up, plank, and even use wet wipes as props.

And if you were wondering about my hair...yes I have recently had it professionally cut again.

We Miss Daddy

It is true. Life isn't the same without Michael around.
There is plenty of room in the bed for Cooper and I both to stretch out, but we still don't like it.
Jack seems to not sleep as well. I am not sure if it is just because I am the only one answering his crib party in the middle of the night or he really is extra fussy because something is missing. Either way, multiple weeks in a row of him being gone makes you extra aware how much we love him being in our life. I give mad props to single moms. I have felt like one the past couple of weeks and you really do have to be on your toes every minute.
School bag ready- check
Start heating bottle- check
Did you change his diaper- check
Put out money for lawn guy because Daddy isn't here to do it- check
Wash clothes- check
Get more formula- check
Did you prepare the client contract- check
And the list goes on and on and on.

I want to give a thank you to my parents for being so helpful last weekend and for taking Jack on his first "Walden Vacation". Here are some pictures I took of our arrival in Galveston. Can you believe how much stuff you need for one weekend with someone so small? Jack enjoyed dinner overlooking the bay with Pop and NaNa and site seeing on Saturday. Pretty cool that his first trip was to Galveston with his grandparents, and I have had so many of my best memories with my own grandparents in the same place.

We were lucky to hang out with some amazing friends. No matter the distance that comes between us, our love stays the same.

For some reason these two totally different bodies of text have been heavy on my heart already this week. Maybe they will be helpful to you as well.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The Woman With You- Kenny Chesney

She hit the door 6:55 sack full of groceries split down the side.
Can goods scattered all the way to the curb.
Look on her face sayin' don't say a word.
So, it's me and her and a can of beans sitting there on the front porch swing.
Western sky all turning red.
Head on my shoulder she sighed and said:

Been gopherin', chaufferin', company chairmen.
Coffee maker, copy repairman.
Anymore there ain't nothing I swear man that I don't do.
Been juggling, struggling, closing big deals.
Dancing backwards in high heels.
Just when it feels like I can't make it through.
She said it sure is nice to just be the woman with you.

She said the girl I was with the business degree probably wouldn't recognize me.
I was gonna run the bank.
I was gonna run the map.
Now all I want to run is a bubble bath.
Back then you know I had this plan.
Before all this reality set in.
Here comes life boy ready or not.
Hey I wanted it all and that's what I got.

Movers and Shakers

It has been a very busy time in the Preisler household. Michael has been traveling, Jack has been starting to crawl, my work is heating up, and friends have been getting married. We are fortunate to have spent some recent weekends with great friends and also to have parents that support us by watching Captain Jack. We can't believe he is already 7 months old!!!

He always finds a way to get from point A to point B. It may be army crawling, it may be getting on his knees and lunging forward, but either way he gets there. Some comments from school are:

Jack is very social.

Jack loves going outside on his private buggy rides.

Jack is really starting to explore all stations around his classroom. (sometimes in interesting locations....see picture below)

Everyone knows that Jack loves to be outside.

Crying...take him outside.

Scratching his skin...take him outside.

Disturbing others during nap time...take him outside. 

One of his favorite things to do outside is sit in a swing. Michael has installed a swing on our front porch and tonight he ate carrots sitting in it while Michael watered the yard. These are the moments that are so simple but I love the most. 

To all my Baby Mommas

Although I shouldn't consider this my first Mother's Day (Cooper totally gave me a bad look when I typed that), it is my first "human" Mother's Day. Being a mom has literally changed my world. Anyone who knows me can easily say that is true. Jack dominates life. I'm not saying that because he is a baby and it is overwhelming to be a first time parent, although that is true. I literally mean he REALLY lives life to the fullest and is super energetic.

At school Jack tends to wake up from his naps before the rest of the kids. Because he is so loud and energetic they are forced to take him on a private stroller ride outside so he does not wake the other kids. This has created a monster. HELLO, this little kid loves being outside. Taking him out there does not encourage him to want to sleep more because he LOVES his private buggy ride. Smart kid if you ask me. Dominating teachers! I am not encouraging bad behavior nor do I want me child to be "that kid" in class. The problem is, they love him to pieces and literally can't get enough of him. I am not just saying this, he literally has already learned MAD sales skills from his mother and utilizes them to get his way with teachers. They are eating out of the palm of his hands.

Sure his skin issues and everything have caused people to  go a little easier on him and pay extra attention. Once again, he is playing off of his weaknesses and using them to his advantage. Genius!

I vow to not spoil him rotten.....much :)

I want to take this time to thank my Mom for being such a major help to our little family. I really appreciate all of the effort you have put into making my life successful and that you continue to support me to this day. Jack is very lucky to have you as a NaNa. I can't thank you enough for always being my biggest cheerleader. I can imagine it is hard to step back and watch your kid be an adult and not appear to need you anymore. The problem is, we always need our moms even if we don't like to admit it.

DeeDee, we want to thank you for loving us so much. You are always ready to give a helping hand and step in to do whatever it takes. Your selflessness is amazing and truly inspiring. I have not doubt how much you genuinely love each one of us. Thank you for constantly sharing your love and support.

Okay, your courtesy photos. I know you don't read this blog for my writing!

Nostalgia

Today I went to our old house on 28th Street to meet with our realtor. I pulled into a driveway that I had driven up to hundreds of times, stepped out to a flower bed that I remembered seeing next to my high heals all the time, and walked up to steps that felt all too familiar. Goodness the memories in that house. What is funny is the things I think about most that make me sad about leaving that house are actually our day to day routine. Nothing overly out of the ordinary that stood out. It is the morning and evening walks we would take Cooper on. It is walking in to that familiar, cozy smell of our house. It is remembering the constant leaves we needed to rake up. The house was so small you knew where everyone was and what everyone was doing at any given moment. Thinking about the three of us there reminds me of our original family unit. It is like looking back at High School days and thinking how "simple" it all was, even though at the time it didn't feel simple at all.

The pang of nostalgia. I remembered coming home and talking to Michael on my walks about something crazy that had happened at work that day. I would have been totally consumed and overwhelmed and he would calm me down and give the most basic advice. It often times was very common sense, but it took it coming from him to remind me of what the right thing was to do. These are the same talks that made us the best of friends before we started dating. His honesty and genuine idea of what is right always is refreshing to hear.

So much has changed in a year. Obviously in the best ways because we have someone else to love and incorporate into a whole new routine. Still the start and ends to my day are always the best part. It kind of reminds me of a sandwich. You can always pick what you want to put in the inside, but you shouldn't take it for granted that a sandwich isn't a good sandwich without the bread on either side.

Rock Me Momma

I thought I would share photos of the room that is:
a) most complete in our house
b) we spend the most time in

In true form and fashion, the room most complete is Jack's room. During this photo shoot he was chilling in his crib. I suddenly looked over and he was peaking at me. Such a silly boy!

Some of my favorite touches all come from two of my favorite people. Of course they are my favorite touches because hard work and love went behind them. Often times when I am rocking Jack in the middle of the night or day, since we like to rock, I think about these two people when I am gazing at their handy work. Michael did all of the walls just the way I wanted them, which seemed like a major risk but they turned out just perfect. We have old baseball tokens from Michael's collection, which I always think will make him follow in Michael's footsteps. The amazing quilt you see is a product of Krissy's quilting skills. I could go on and on about ALL of the things she has created for Jack that are amazing, but that is an entire other post. The dog image on the quilt is actually an image of Cooper from a photo. Talk about perfect!

The bumper shown is not Jack's real bumper, but one of the new safety bumpers you put on when they really start rolling and moving. It is mesh so he can still breath if he puts his face against it. Modern moms have to think of everything...

Books, baskets full of toys, a closet full of clothes, and a cute dog to boot. Not to mention a basket full of so many kinds of lotion for his skin that you would think his nightly moisturizing routine could put any aging woman's to shame. He must feel like a king in his room.

I hope you enjoy this special little space for our handsome boy.

Bluebell Blues

So when I was pregnant I used to tell people that I could always make Jack move if I ate Bluebell. Interesting to think that now he is allergic to dairy....maybe he was kicking me telling me to stop! Chalk that up as mistake number 1.

Michael and I have been blessed with the ability to eat tons of different foods. We walk and work out to stay in shape, but we have not been required to have a strict diet for food allergy or other reasons. I've always been raised to eat at the dinner table with my family after school and want to provide that same environment for my children. In fact the vision of missing out on this important time for the family to commune together has been a driving factor in many recent decisions in our life. 

I always have loved fruits, vegetables, and well pretty much anything you put in front of me. Michael....well we all know he is a meat and potatoes guy as they say (shhh don't tell Jack his Daddy doesn't devour fruit and vegetables). At first I thought Michael and I were not good cooks, but I actually don't believe that is true. We have whipped up some pretty excellent meals when given the proper ingredients. The grocery shopping is our major sticking point. Did we make an effort to grocery shop every week in the past...the answer is "no" because one if not both of us were working late or conveniently located by great restaurants. Now that we have Jack, and he will be eating our meals soon, we are about to experience an overhaul. 

Some research I found on Harvard's website. Interesting where dairy stands in importance on this:

Jack was tested for the following allergies:

Environmentals-

D. Farinea (mite)

D. Petronysssinus (mite)

Cockroach Mix

Cat Epith

Dog

Dog AP

Food-

Egg White

Milk

Peanut

Soy

Wheat

While I continue to research and learn more about a better lifestyle of eating, please share with me your plans to. I know our MiMi has always LOVED vegetables and look at how great she is doing. 

Okay. I don't believe the majority of you read this blog to hear what I have to say. It is more for the family photos. Here are some token ones to make this post worth it!