"Once upon a time..."

As parents, we have to fight the desire to try to control what our children will become. We dream about them becoming baseball players, public speakers, singers, etc. Jeff and I know it is our role to help them find their individual passions, whatever those may be, reminding ourselves that these are their dreams, not ours.

However, today, I must be honest. I would be absolutely thrilled if Jack grew up to be a writer. Not Hemingway, just a man who loves to read, and who finds joy in bringing creativity to whatever field he pursues.

Anyway, for this reason, this latest milestone is extra special to me.

Yes, Jack wrote his name on his own for the first time.

He doesn't know it yet, but this is the beginning of a whole new world for him - A brand new avenue for self-expression. It won't be long before this 3 1/2-yr-old is writing stories and essays and letters to Grandma, poems, and songs... bringing his ideas to life on paper.

That is, if he wants to.

Breaking News!!

Well, I guess it's time to put the big news on the blog.

We're having a BABY!

God is good, and another prayer has been answered in His timing. I am 13 1/2 weeks along, and Jack's little brother or sister is due on or around his birthday, August 2nd. (He is hoping for a monster truck but is in for a surprise.)

I am feeling well - thankful for every symptom and grateful for every pain. There have been a few nervous moments and anxious sonograms, but overall the pregnancy is right on track and we are looking forward to what God has in store for our family.

We plan to find out if we are having a boy or a girl, and can tell for sure in about 4 more weeks. We know it can be done, but we still have a hard time imagining leaving the house with two children in tow!

Jeff and I have gone through the usual emotions, "Can we possibly love another child as much as we love Jack Everett? Can we afford two children? Will this baby be allergic to everything too? Will I ever fit into my skinny jeans again?" Okay, so maybe that last one is just me.

The overall emotion is amazement at what a woman's body can do, awe at the trust God has in us to place another little life in our care, and excitement for what the next months will bring.

Feel free to share the news; We have reached the point where we feel comfortable taking a deep breath and enjoying the ride!

We thank you all in advance for your prayers, support, and hand-me-downs.

Random Cute Pics

Okay, I felt like I needed to post something; I have really been slacking on the blog lately. So, here are some random pics from this week:

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The newest addition to our kitchen decor.

It's true what they say: "Having kids really does change everything."

Jack Everett loves his Lightning McQueen hooded towel.

Fun "hiding" under the couch.

He thinks we can't see him when he covers his eyes.

Happy Holidays 2007

Santa Clause, with a little help from his elf Marilyn, sent Jack Everett a letter from the North Pole. He absolutely loved opening it and reading it.

For more pics, click here: Jack gets a letter from Santa Clause!
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On Saturday the 23rd we celebrated Christmas with the Lynch family in Houston. We started some new traditions and enjoyed some old ones. We really missed Pappy this year, but enjoyed being together.

For more pics, click here: The Lynch Christmas in Houston
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On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with the Griffin family here in town. Jack was overwhelmed with all the presents. He is at such a fun age and had a great time.

For more pics, click here: The Griffin Christmas in San Antone
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We ended our whirlwind holiday tour in Marble Falls at Grandmama's house. We had a delicious home-cooked meal, as always, and Jack loved playing with his cousin, Brandon. He loves having a cousin his same age!

For more pics, click here: The Melton Christmas in Marble Falls
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Last but not least, Jack stayed with Mom and Jeffry while Jeff and I got away to celebrate New Year's Eve in style. It was worth the splurge as we brought in the New Year downtown at the Palacio Del Rio on the Riverwalk.

For more pics, click here: Happy New Year!

So, there you have it - every picture from our holidays. Sorry they took so long to organize and post. It took us a while to recoop. Enjoy!

2008 will be a great year!

Movie Night, Part Two

WARNING: Scary Water Horse on the Loose

Okay, so that was a bit of a mistake. The Water Horse was pretty darn scawy for the little guy.

When the movie started, I walked my overprotective self over to the manager and kindly asked him to turn down the volume in Theater 15. There were tender little eardrums in there being damaged within the first few minutes of the movie.

When I came back, Jack was snuggled right up next to Nana, head on her shoulder, looking at the screen with obvious concern. Jeff explained that finding the baby water horse coming out of its egg was really scary. Great.

So, I won't bore with details, but "PG" is "PG" - Parental Guidance. Jack is only 3 years old. He needs "G." End of story. Lesson learned.

Another reminder, "When in doubt.... overprotect." It has been my mothering M.O. thus far, so why change now? No, seriously, I had a feeling this movie might be a bit scary, and should have listened to that maternal voice or at least waited until another Mom in my circle had seen it.

It may sound dramatic but I felt a tiny bit of his innocence slipping away as I witnessed him viewing more intense drama/action than he has ever seen before. Don't get me wrong. He was glued. Timid, but downright fascinated. I felt him being de-sensitized a bit and I didn't like it. Jeff and I looked at each other a few times and I could see that he felt I might be overreacting. I didn't ever feel like leaving the theater... I mean, it wasn't THAT bad, I just felt intermittent pangs of regret that we weren't next door at "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

Before going to bed, Miss Julie asked him over the phone, "Jack, do you think YOU should get a water horse for a pet?" He quickly said, "No! I don't want one!"

Nana, I guess you are off the hook.

Movie Night, Part One

We are taking Jack Everett (and Nana) to the movies tonight to see The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. It's rated PG, but we are a little nervous that it might be scary.

The Water Horse starts off like this (all cute) when a little Scottish boy brings home a mysterious egg. The creature turns out to be the legendary creature of Lochness. It's not long before his cute new pet looks like this:

As always, I researched the movie on my favorite parents' movie rating site: http://www.kidsinmind.com/ and here is what they said: REVIEW

So, I will post my own personal movie review later on this weekend.

We plan to tell J. Everett that if he stops pee-peeing in his bed, we will let him get a Water Horse. He can keep it at Nana's house. It only makes sense - her bathtub is bigger.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

A couple weeks before Christmas, Mom and Jeffry took Jack to pick out his very own tree to decorate and keep up at their house. He picked a solid red tree, red lights, and solid red ornaments. He was absolutely crazy about his "wittle wed twee" and talked about it nonstop... so much so... we decided he needed a little tree in HIS room at home. Meemaw was happy to give him her small Christmas tree and we put it in Jack's window near his bed. He absolutely loved it!

Neither Jeff nor I had a tree in our rooms growing up, so we look forward to getting him a special new ornament each year and seeing him decorate his very own tree as he wishes. Yes, this means a tree for every kiddo in the family, but that's okay!

Speaking of decorating, Jack helped us decorate our big tree this year and did a great job. Here is a single branch that received some extra heavy decoration. Four ornaments on the same branch - no problem! We left it like this because it was so cute.

More Christmas pics to come... eventually.