Jadyn's Journey

2010-04-11T00:28:00.000-05:00

Easter pictures!
Sorry it's been nearly nine months since we've posted anything on Jadyn's blog, but here are the photos Amanda and I took of her in her Easter dress on April 3. The glasses were a new addition back in the fall.

2009-07-25T16:25:00.003-05:00

Hang out with Daddy Clip 3

This one's a bit longer. As previously mentioned, Jadyn loves aircraft. Over the last several months, we've driven out to our local airport at random times just to see if anything is happening. A number of times, we haven't seen much of anything happening. Sometimes, we strike paydirt. Today's stop was one of these times.
I do some narration along the way.

2009-07-25T16:15:00.002-05:00

Hang out with Daddy Clip 2

During Christmas in July, face-painting was also available, so Jadyn picked out what she wanted - including the colors.

2009-07-25T16:06:00.003-05:00

Hang out with Daddy Clip 1

Jadyn and I did some running around today. We first stopped at the Christmas in July event in downtown Starkville, Miss., where they had an inflatable fun jump.

2009-05-23T09:26:00.007-05:00

Helicopters!

Since early on in her childhood, Jadyn has been fascinated with aircraft. She can spot them at night and even catch them before Amanda and I see them. We're not sure when this started, but we don't live that far from an airport and can see planes taking off and landing and we took her to an air show when she was about seven months old. So maybe the combination's what did it.
Anyway, on May 15, I went to see off some folks taking off from the nearby airport who were leaving on three helicopters bound for Camp Shelby, Miss. as part of a program to take employers to see Guardsmen in pre-deployment training at the facility.
I took Jadyn along. We still talk about it some and she still seems to think it was a cool thing to see.
But the fascination is such that we wonder if she'll be a pilot or even an aeronautical engineer. We hope to help create an environment for her where she'll feel free to pursue such interests.

This image is of one of the three UH-60 Black Hawks. The next two images are of Jadyn positioned in front of one of them and the other is of them taking off!

2009-04-12T20:06:00.006-05:00

Easter Prettiness

Just had to show off how stunning our little girl was in her Easter dress. (And yes, that's the same hat and purse from last year. Oh well.)

2009-04-12T19:49:00.009-05:00

Play Time

I took Jadyn to the park a few days ago and got pics of her playing. Looking at these makes me realize how fast she's growing up. It's freaking me out a little!

She gets very serious about playing.

Showing how brave she is.

Showing a little attitude because Mommy wants a picture.
(I can see glimpses of the future 13 year old.)

My favorite shot of the day.

2009-04-12T19:41:00.004-05:00

My Little China Girl

Jadyn was given a beautiful set of pajamas from China and we thought it fitting to snap some shots of her modeling them.

Doesn't she look happy? (Actually this is her "humoring Mommy" smile.)

See....so comfy she drifted off to sleep... (Not really, but isn't she a great actress?)

2009-03-06T22:33:00.006-06:00

Just some fun shots...

because we went so long without any.

2009-03-01T07:31:00.010-06:00

Snow Day!

Yeah, it actually finally snowed in Mississippi. We have photographic proof.

Her first glimpse.

Catching snowflakes on her tongue.

Getting a feel for it.

Making her first snowman.

Dusting off her hands.

When I asked Jadyn the name of her snowman, she said, "Cassia." I guess it's a snowgirl.

One cold but happy little girl.

Even Hershey had fun.

2008-12-26T20:33:00.003-06:00

Gift from Grandparents

Oma & Opa decided to get Jadyn roller skates, after having heard me regale them with tales of her first experience on wheels. Here's proof that it was a good idea.

No, she's not impersonating Frankenstein. She just got up on her feet after we got her gear on.

She was upright a good amount of the time.

Then sometimes she looked like this.

2008-12-25T11:37:00.015-06:00

So This is Christmas...

Some action shots from this morning's festivities.

Before it all started...

Her first reaction...

Classic pose with her new "axe"

Jamming out!

Our rocking baby!

Hmm, what could this be?

My Dora Roller Skates!!!

Thank you, Oma & Opa!

Look at all this stuff! (AKA The Aftermath)

2008-12-13T15:39:00.016-06:00

Christmas photo shoot 2008

Amanda took these photos today for our Christmas photo shoot. These were the best dozen of the bunch. They are posted in order from 1 to 12. We love several of them but the one we're using is No. 6. Enjoy!

2008-11-26T19:05:00.006-06:00

Jadyn was invited to an older friend's birthday party. This friend, a 6 year old, opted for a roller skating party. With slight trepidation I packed her up and off we went to the rink. Putting on those training skates was an experience, but nothing compared to the experience of watching her take those first few tentative glides on the floor.

She did really well - she remained upright most of the time...

Sometimes she looked like this...

And at one point she got tired and did this...in the middle of the rink.

Eventually she got tired of having wheels on her feet.
She turned in the skates and went to the play area.
Ah, the ball pit.

2008-11-15T15:38:00.006-06:00

Backyard fun!
Jadyn and Daddy went outside for a little bit to play with the Jeep and just spend a little time outdoors today. It was one of the coldest days of the fall so far around these parts so we bundled up well.

In these two photos above, Jadyn is still getting used to the Jeep.

After a while, she decided she wanted to kick around a ball, so I obliged.

Sometimes, she'll pose for me, and it works out well.

2008-10-31T19:45:00.006-05:00

Halloweening

Pics from this year's festivities....

The outfit of choice for school today.

Our little Minnie Mouse.

I love the look on her face in this one.

Ready to get some candy!

Surveying the loot.

2008-10-24T12:52:00.005-05:00

JohnMcCain - the dish towel

On Thursday morning, I heard Jadyn say the name of the Republican presidential nominee, John McCain. She said it together, like his name is one word - "JohnMcCain." I realized she was referring to a dish towel she'd been playing with by this name.
We think she picked up on it at her daycare center, though we're not sure if this was part of a short instruction on the subject or she's overheard conversations about the upcoming presidential election.
We have repeated the names of the candidates to her before so that she would be aware of them when she heard them, but we've not formally said anything to her about the election that I can recall much beyond that.
We asked her who "Obama" - Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee - is, and she replied "president." She may not completely understand that our only current president is George W. Bush and that neither John McCain nor Obama has been elected yet.
Now, we could speculate on all the reasons why she picked a dish towel of all things to name JohnMcCain, and it's hard to say if the real John McCain would approve this message. However, she does use the cloth named JohnMcCain alternately as a cape and a blanket for her doll of Grover, the Sesame Street character who of course is blue. Ironically, the dish towel is a blue and white checkered pattern, not red.
The only thing for sure this represents is that it's the extent of our 3-year-old's political punditry.

2008-09-18T20:59:00.010-05:00

3rd Birthday Bash

Learning how to aim and shoot.

That tongue cracks me up every time. She always does this when she's focused.

This is one of my favorite "all-natural" shots of her.

This was a joint birthday gift from the family. The first time she put her foot on the pedal, she broke down into a fit of giggles. SO funny! Riding with her is Lillian, a friend who was born just 5 days before Jadyn. They always go to each other's parties.

I LOVE this picture of the two of them.

Her friend Alex decided to take her for a spin. He's concentrating, she's laughing hysterically.

She wants to know where her chauffeur went.

Smiling as we sing "Happy Birthday" - she loves being the center of attention.

2008-09-10T19:53:00.012-05:00

Three years ago she came into our lives and changed everything. Time, for the most part, has flown. Every now and then it has crawled. Each moment has been worth each struggle.

What a cutie. I can't stand it.

Three candles on her tiny little cake.

And of course she blew them out!

And now, a comparitive study from the past three years.

Shortly after birth.

Her first birthday.

One year ago.

Tonight. (Yes, she's wearing the same shirt as last year.)

Crazy, isn't it?

2008-08-18T20:45:00.004-05:00

Jadyn loves worship music. She has a few CDs of current praise songs recorded by kids, and she asks for them all the time when we're on the road. She sings along with a voice that is so adorable you think you just might faint from all that cuteness. But more than that, it melts my heart that she is learning at such an early age to praise God.

"Holy is the Lord" - the real lyrics:

Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The Earth is Filled with His Glory.

Her lyrics:

Holy is the Lord, God is the Mighty.
His earth is filled with His Story.

(I kinda like her lyrics better, actually.)

2008-08-14T18:39:00.002-05:00

Ah, JOY!

So, about 18 months ago, Jadyn used the potty for the first time. She did great for about a week. I thought, rather mistakenly, "Wow, this is going to be easy." Yeah, not so much.

Here we are. Jadyn is going to be 3 years old next month. 4 weeks ago I was convinced she'd still be in diapers for 6 months. We'd try to put her on the potty, KNOWING she had to go. She'd sit there and cry and squirm and BEG to get off the potty. It was as though we were torturing her. Then when she could hold it no longer, she'd finally go. We'd dance and cheer and we even started rewarding with candy. But still she would not go on her own. *SIGH*

Then suddenly, about 2 weeks ago, it seemed that something just clicked. She'd go when we took her. She even started ASKING to go. The same thing was happening at preschool. Last week her teacher said, "Two more weeks of pull-ups, then she wear panties all day."

At church she asked her teachers TWICE to potty. At the restaurant, she went "twosies" on her own. Last night at our favorite Chinese restaurant, she stopped mid-bite and announced, "Mommy, I need to go POO-POO!" Off we went, and sure enough, there she went.

I think we've arrived - Diaper-free Paradise.

Then last night, we knew we hare

2008-07-09T21:20:00.004-05:00

Vacation photos
This is just to alert Jadyn's fan club that I'll be posting vacation photos, which will include Jadyn, on my blog - http://crawlspace5.blogspot.com/. The first installment is online. Several more posts from the vacation are ahead.

2008-06-04T22:27:00.005-05:00

Memorial Day weekend

As a family, we went to Alabama for the Memorial Day weekend to relax and have fun. Here are a few pictures of Jadyn on and around the water during this time.

2008-05-03T11:07:00.002-05:00

Swinging!
Jadyn and Daddy took a quick trip into Alabama earlier this week and we stopped at a community park to blow off a little steam.
For a period of time, Jadyn wasn't too wild about swinging. She didn't stay in it too long but she had fun for the time she did.

2008-03-23T16:14:00.013-05:00

The Bunny!

So the Easter Bunny was respectful of our early arrival at church and dropped off Jadyn's basket after lunch. What a considerate bunny.

Ok, so it's more like a bucket...

Hey, a fishing game!

"Hey, I got one!"

"Look what else I got!"

"It's yummy!" she says with her mouth dripping with chocolate.

I think she had a happy Easter!

2008-03-23T15:50:00.007-05:00

Easter Bonnet

It's Easter. We have a daughter. How could we possibly pass up this opportunity to dress her up in scads of pink frills and take pictures?!

The hair clip was custom made (by my friend Val) to match the dress. (And no, I didn't pierce her ears, those are magnetic earrings I got for $1 and Wal-Mart.)

Yes, I got her a hat.

And a purse.

2008-03-23T15:09:00.007-05:00

SSsshh! I on da phone!

Just up from nap, I was talking to Mommy on the phone.

I better sit down, this could be a long talk...

I have 5 bars!

Operators are standing by!

2008-03-21T15:52:00.003-05:00

Biker Chick?

There was another egg hunt in a nearby town, along with a carnival type atmosphere. We stayed, played, had fun and got lunch at Subway. The "prize" in her kids meal....well....see what you think...

2008-03-18T18:04:00.005-05:00

A-hunting we will go...

There was an egg hunt at the local sportsplex yesterday so naturally I loaded up Jadyn, dressed in prerequisite green of St. Patty's Day, and got some eggs. And what kind of mother would I be if I didn't have my camera with me???

Patiently waiting for the hunt to start.

With her pal the Easter Bunny. (The squinting is from the sun, and I think she was confused why I wanted her to turn and face me rather than talk to him.)

Really getting "into it".

All done!

2008-03-08T09:33:00.014-06:00

Snow!

During the afternoon Friday, forecasters put our region under a snow advisory, saying we could get 1 to 2 inches of accumulated snow - A rarity in this part of Mississippi.
We got Jadyn out last night to touch some of the few flakes that were falling.
As Jadyn grows, we're trying to teach her about various aspects of faith, including prayer. Before she went to bed last night, we prayed for snow, which meant to me that we would find enough snow on the ground to play with and run around in, even for just a little while.
As the night wore on, we weren't getting much in the way of snow sticking to the ground and by about 12:30 a.m., it looked to me like our chances were over.
I'm getting to where I like it when I'm proven wrong in some cases.
This was one of them.
I woke up to look outside and to find about one half inch of snow covering most of the surfaces around our house and neighborhood. "Yes!," I quietly shouted. This is the first appreciable snow accumulation I can remember in just under four years in living in Mississippi, and therefore, Jadyn's first real experience with it.
I know that we don't always get want we pray for but it sure is nice to be able to show Jadyn that sometimes the Lord grants even the smallest of prayers.
I got up and took some pictures of our dog, which Jadyn knows as "Bubba," out in the snow, knowing that I had to get Jadyn up before it melted. (Only traces of it remained by 9:45 a.m.)

I know he's not in focus in this one, but it was the coolest shot I got of him running in it.
We know him as part of the family and forget just how majestic he can appear.

I had Jadyn up and out the door just after 7:30 this morning. This was taken after she first got her first experience in walking in it.

This is among the first snow she handled.

She even took to running around in it in short sprints.

Taking a closer look.

She took a minute to dust some of the snow off her feet.

Checking out some more snow.

One of her final acts of playing in the snow this morning was in the form of a hand print on Daddy's car.

2008-03-08T09:18:00.009-06:00

Bath time!

It's been a while since we posted any pictures of Jadyn during bath time. I took a few during Tuesday night's routine festivities.

Sticking extremities under the running water is a favorite pastime.

She posed a couple of times for me.

There are times she wants to use the cup and pour water on herself, as evidenced below.

2008-03-02T17:17:00.006-06:00

After the fog lifted ...

Saturday morning started out with a thick cover of fog that didn't completely lift in our area until just after noon. But after it did, it went as predicted by weather forecasters: Sunny and warmer.
I was watching Jadyn that morning and wanted to go outside - so did Jadyn.
So after attempting a few errands, we headed by the same park where Jadyn had her 2nd birthday party almost six months ago. When we pulled up, she said "Happy Cake!" She remembered!

I'm pretty sure she posed for this picture, for which I'm glad.We started out walking around on the sidewalk.
Then, we headed over to the children's play set. It took her no time to become familiar with the equipment again.

We weren't there long, but it was a great break from being in the house and she seemed to enjoy herself, which made even more enjoyable for me.
I've been thinking lately about why we do this blog. First of all, so many people prayed for us and and a number of people stood alongside us while we waited for our first child to come into the world and we want them to see her as she grows. Plus, our family is scattered all over the place and this helps them see Jadyn progress. Also, I enjoy learning how to take better pictures by taking photos of Jadyn. And, most importantly, we want everyone to know how much we love her and the Lord to know how grateful we are to have her.

2008-03-02T17:02:00.008-06:00

Another First

I want to apologize for the quality of these pics. They are blurry, I know, but I had do document the occasion.

Jadyn's first haircut.

Before.

During.

After.

Maybe you can't see a difference, but I promise, I can.

2008-02-28T21:03:00.010-06:00

Outdoor Action

I took Jadyn outside for a bit of fresh air the other day, and in a stroke of genius (ha) I brought the camera along.

Aren't these things supposed to be attached to trees?

Peek-a-boo!

I love the look of determination on her face as she helps with yard work.

"This is how you use this thing, right?!"

"Oh, wait, I get it now!"

"See, Oma? THIS is what I put in back of my tricycle!"

She looks so grown up here.

2008-02-17T17:36:00.004-06:00

Finally!

With much clamoring from at least one little corner of the world, we finally bring you fresh pictures of Jadyn, taken this afternoon.
We've all been under the weather in various respects recently but are recovering, by the grace of God. Enjoy!
Jadyn's holding her toy phone from her kitchen set. She calls at least three people on it. Her smile is just something else, isn't it?

We haven't seen this classic pose in some time, but Jadyn broke out "fingermouth" earlier in the day and repeated it for the camera this afternoon.

2008-01-12T15:44:00.000-06:00

'I help you!'

This afternoon, Jadyn and Daddy went outside to play with her bubble-blowing lawn mower give Daddy and opportunity to start working on the back yard's leaves. She offered to help, so he gave her the plastic-headed rake while he used a metal one.
Here she is positioning her rake.
The raking subsided after a few minutes and the outdoor activity turned to leaf tossing, as illustrated by this and the next two pictures. At least once, she said something to effect of "pretty colors."

Below, Jadyn decides it's time to zip up her jacket and concentrates now on this work.

2008-01-07T20:45:00.001-06:00

Miss Manners

Jadyn has really good manners for a two year old. Sometimes too good. For example:

Me: Jadyn, let's go, it's time to change your diaper and go nite-nite.

Jadyn: No, thank you.

Oh well, at least she was nice about it.

2007-12-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

The Most Wonderful Time

Christmas with a child really is amazing. Here's proof.

We took a few Christmas Eve shots to get into the spirit of things.

We took a few shots of what we accomplished after she went to bed. Sort of the "calm before the storm."

"Santa" was busy.

No chimney, so the stockings were hung on a table.

And now, the fun begins.

See the excitement in that face? Oooh, this is gonna be fun!
(We're only going to show a fraction of the morning's action.)

A table and chair set, decorated by yours truly.

A toy vacuum to help with "cleaning up".

Giving it a test run.

Doesn't every little girl need a pink airplane?

Potato Head Play Set

Exploring her stocking for goodies, like toy boats and washable markers.

This little light of mine...

A pink bubble-blowing lawnmower. Seriously.

2007-12-21T14:23:00.000-06:00

Holly-Jolly Christmas

These pics were taken by my friend Martha at Jadyn's school Christmas program. Jadyn's class didn't perform but they did help prepare the snacks.

2007-12-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

Elf Family

Yeah, it's all the rage. Check it out here.

2007-11-30T23:28:00.000-06:00

Fun with Jadyn!
In this the final installment of National Blog Posting Month on Jadyn's Web site, we find Jadyn doing some pretty cool stuff today.
First, she said the word "Mississippi" after recognizing a Mississippi State emblem on a shirt Daddy was wearing.
Next, we see she helped Daddy with some laundry by moving the basket around some on her own (These shots were only moderately staged; she'd been moving the basket around in various ways by herself.).

Finally, we see Jadyn pretend to talk on Daddy's cell phone. Later, when she was playing with a toy phone, she pretended to call Mommy and said "Hi Mommy. (How are you or What are you) Doing?" She also was pretending to talk to a friend of the family.

We've had so much fun posting stuff (almost) every day this past month! We hope you've enjoyed it. We plan to keep updating the blog regularly, though probably not daily. Thanks for joining us during NaBloPoMo!

2007-11-29T22:10:00.000-06:00

So Grown Up

Doesn't she look like a big girl? It's almost as if I can tell what she'll look like at 10 years old.

2007-11-28T21:02:00.000-06:00

Cuz Ya Gotta Have Friends....

I remember when taking my daughter to a play date basically meant she had someone to crawl around on the floor next to. But now she's 2 and in preschool and suddenly mentioning names of people I really don't know. Connor and Sabrina and Austin and the like. Who are these people and why is my tiny daughter talking about them?

I gotta get a grip before the teens hit.

2007-11-27T21:13:00.000-06:00

Icecapades

Jadyn's new love is Ice Cream. She requests it with extreme regularity.

Here are some pics of tonight's indulgence.

2007-11-26T00:04:00.000-06:00

Cute Clip

This clip was made by my friend Val. She makes lots of other adorable ones. If you place an order with her, please mention me.

2007-11-25T23:09:00.000-06:00

Cutie Face

Great shot her Daddy took.

2007-11-24T21:36:00.000-06:00

Miss Manners

We have been working really hard on making sure our toddler practices good manners. She fully understand please, thank you and excuse me, and often says them at appropriately without needing to be reminded. But now I feel like it will be important to show her the reason behind the good manners. Not just because polite society demands it. Not only because she's half yankee and living among southern belles. Not even so that folks will "ooh" and "ah" at her advanced articulation. (Though I admittedly get a big kick of out that one.) But most importantly because using manners shows that we value other people, and we (as Christians) are called to do so because Jesus values others, and we should emulate all His qualities.

Now if I could only get the please to not sound like whining on the verge of a tantrum by the 4th or 5th time she says it while asking for ice cream.

2007-11-23T19:49:00.000-06:00

Random Samples

A few pictures from the past few days.

Bedhead.

Riding Oma.

Funny goggles.

2007-11-22T23:08:00.000-06:00

OK, OK this is post-dated because we forgot to do anything on Thanksgiving Day. We were all generally groggy and tired, and Jadyn's been battling a cold over the last couple of days, with a great deal of wheezing and a raspy voice - kind of strange to hear with a 2-year-old. But she's otherwise been enjoying herself and having a blast hanging out with her grandparents.
She wasn't too big on the turkey, but raring to go when we had ice cream later in the evening.

2007-11-21T21:17:00.000-06:00

Elmo Monk

I love it when she wears this towel. So cute!

2007-11-20T20:49:00.000-06:00

I Want to Ride my Tricycle

Acquainting herself with a gift from Oma and Opa.

2007-11-19T21:59:00.000-06:00

Friendly Neighborhood Cookie Monster

2007-11-18T22:31:00.000-06:00

Playing hard to get at age 2?

Those who spend time around Jadyn see that she's normally an extrovert. She often calls out the names of people she approaches even before she reaches them and waves to strangers. But her interactions with non-related men can only be described as intermittent. Sometimes, she'll pull away when a man approaches or won't call out the person's name. Sure, we want her to remain safe in her interactions with the opposite sex but we still want her to be friendly with those who mean her no harm. So, I guess we'll just have to teach her that it's rude not to nice to people are just trying to be nice to you.

2007-11-17T20:03:00.001-06:00

On the mend

Jadyn is feeling must better today and we're very grateful. She ate only some of this piece of pizza tonight, but that's OK. It's a small step back to her normal eating habits, and she's definitely back to her typical smiling, funny and inquisitive self.

2007-11-16T22:34:00.000-06:00

Under the weather

Tonight, we saw a rare moment where Jadyn wasn't feeling herself - she was having some tummy trouble. Normally, it doesn't take much to make her laugh, but she cried much of the last 90 minutes of the night before we put her to bed. We think she's doing better and will monitor her condition through the night. Here Mommy is comforting her.

2007-11-15T20:24:00.000-06:00

One Little Two Little Year Old Indian

Apparently they dressed up as Indians and made drums for the Thanksgiving feast at preschool

2007-11-14T21:18:00.000-06:00

Father/Daughter Moment

2007-11-13T20:47:00.000-06:00

Bathing Beauty

I think this is my favorite photo of the month...so far.

2007-11-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

Peek-A-Boo

Now you see me....

Now you don't!

2007-11-11T22:16:00.000-06:00

Three Favorite Sayings

1. Mine! (We never say that word so I blame it on Mother's Day Out.)

2. No! (Ok, so yeah, she's heard that one from me. A lot.)

3. Wassat, Mama? (Natural curiosity is a good thing, right?)

2007-11-10T21:47:00.000-06:00

Dollar Tree Fashion Show

Pardon the poor quality, these were taken on my camera phone.

2007-11-09T15:54:00.000-06:00

Cheesy Grin, Etc.

Such a flirt.

2007-11-08T21:22:00.000-06:00

Cheap Thrills

Amazing the fun you can have with 6 quarters and a two year old on a long afternoon.

2007-11-07T20:27:00.000-06:00

Sssshhhh!

While Daddy is on the phone....

2007-11-06T20:12:00.000-06:00

Car and Driver

Another dose of joy at the local WalMart ride-on. Cute, huh?

2007-11-05T19:52:00.000-06:00

Dressing Up

She looks like a messenger boy in NYC.

2007-11-04T18:12:00.000-06:00

NaBloPoMo

Perhaps you've wondered how come I've been such a good picture-poster this week. Well, I'm trying to participate in "NaBloPoMo", or National Blog Posting Month. I did it last year on my personal blog, but this year I thought I'd try it with Jadyn's instead. Aren't you excited? A whole month of daily cuteness!

And now, for today's photo.

I think she looks stoned.

2007-11-03T19:06:00.000-05:00

Party Girl

Jadyn has gotten the idea of birthday parties. When I tell her we're going to one, she says, "Yay, pawty!" Here are some pics from one such party she attended this morning at the Children's Museum in Tuscaloosa. These photos are courtesy of my friend Martha, aka Marfa.

She was particularly enamored with the car.

One of those giant keyboards that play when you step on them.

Just a really good close-up.

2007-11-02T19:24:00.000-05:00

$.50 Worth of Joy

Who could possibly argue that this kind of joy was not worth the full fifty cents?!

2007-11-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treat

This was her second year going out gathering candy, but this was the first year she really "got" it. After she got candy at the first house, she was practically RUNNING down the street to the next house. SO cute.

Our cute little Lady Bug.

Excited about getting some candy.

After the festivities, celebrating her stash.

2007-10-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

Petting Zoo Fun

We joined some MOPS friends for a trip to a local petting zoo. It was the first time Jadyn had been up close and personal with some of these kinds of animals.

She liked the pony.

The pony seemed to like her, too.

Just a cute pose.

Enjoying a lollipop.

AND NOW..... for some simply adorable close-ups.

At Kroger's, in one of those carts with cars attached. See the static in her hair?

Just the cutest picture.

2007-10-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

Proof of our DNA

2007-10-14T08:02:00.001-05:00

Back yard fun
Jadyn and Daddy went in the back yard for a little exploring and general goofing around yesterday. She's learning how to throw a ball and she's doing pretty well at it.
She wanted me to know she heard an airplane overhead and pointed it out to me.

We discovered that plastic ottomans like this one double just fine as slides.

I got this shot while she was just generally playing around on some outdoor furniture.

2007-10-13T05:43:00.000-05:00

A new direction with hats?

From the child who wouldn't let us keep anything on her head earlier in her life, we bring you this.
She decided last night that her Elmo Easter basket would make a great hat, and she's right. But I think it will be quite some time before the conditions are cold enough here to warrant regular use of it as such.

In this photo, she also appears to be holding a comb which came as part of a care kit for a new baby doll.And here's another for good measure.

2007-09-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

Elmo: The Birthday Party

Yes, today Jadyn turns 2. We had a big party yesterday, so today we're playing with all the new loot. I wax philosophical on my own blog, so here I'll just post the pictures that everyone is really here to see. As you will plainly see, Elmo was the theme.

ELMO: The Birthday Cake

ELMO: The Cupcakes

ELMO: The Pinata

Drinking from Elmo: The Sippy Cup

The shirt says, "This is my birthday shirt."

It's a long way up...

...but she made it!

This is our favorite picture from the whole day.

2007-09-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

Her Future's So Bright...

...you know the rest!

2007-09-07T17:45:00.000-05:00

2 Year Appointment

Creative use of the protective paper on the table at the doctor's office. (Taken by the camera phone.)

2007-08-29T19:53:00.000-05:00

For Oma...

...because that's GOTTA be where she gets such a strong affinity for sour cream.

2007-08-06T13:31:00.000-05:00

YUMMY!

Pardon the poor quality - it's from my camera phone.

2007-08-05T19:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, FINALLY!

I am finally getting around to posting pictures taken a full month ago. Sheesh. You'd think I have a busy life or something.

We went to Alabama for the Fourth of July. Got some cute shots.

Her first Popsicle was a smashing success. (It's just a good thing we stripped her down to her diaper.)

There's a bell on the enclosed porch. Jadyn discovered it during the trip. Yay.

She loves the little tricycle from Opa. Here she is, doing her best Evil Knievel impression. Oh, the things we have to look forward to....

There wasn't much water but we got her out in her little inflatable boat, a gift from Opa. (And yes, that's a teeny tiny bikini she's wearing.)

2007-07-30T16:05:00.000-05:00

If Jadyn Were a Cartoon

Ok, I know it's not a real picture. And as soon as I catch my breath from being gone this weekend, I'll get around to those. But in the meantime, if Jadyn were on The Simpsons, she might look something like this:

2007-07-18T07:39:00.000-05:00

Counting On It

Jadyn is smart, so everyone says. Even her doctor. (Is that a clinical diagnosis of intelligence?) But this week takes the cake.

All of a sudden, she's counting to 10. On her own. She seems a bit fickle about the number 8 - sometimes it's there, sometimes not. But trust me, she's counting. She's 22 MONTHS OLD!!! ACK! I was so not ready for this.

She's also started singing recognizable songs. Her latest goes like this:

"Tinga tinga weeoh saw
Howa wawawawa aw
Uppa la la *mumble mumble* hi
Yika dia *mumble mumble* sy
Tinga tinga weeoh saw
Howa wawawawa aw"

Then she claps and says, "YAY!"

She's also attempted singing the alphabet. Hilarious. I'll have to try to get it on video.

And yes, I'm working on a picture post. I mean it!

2007-06-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

"Elmo!" - It's taken a few days but we finally got the chance recently to pull together some pictures from a visit we made with friends earlier this month to Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta, where a "Sesame Street" exhibit is on display.

Above: I don't know that I actually surprised her, but it sure looks like it!

I thought this series of shots was quite telling about how much fun mother and daughter were having!
My Mom used to call us her electronic children, because we met on the Internet. Well, Mom, here's your electronic grandchild!
Jadyn is working on something in the clay area of the museum. And posing, of course.
We think she has an interest in music and this usually reinforces the notion.
The guy we came to see - Elmo.
See? Plucking an instrument. Only time will tell.
Below: Jadyn had to join the bigger kids and take her turn at the fishing pond.

2007-06-21T20:28:00.000-05:00

A New Friend

Ok, I PROMISE I will post more pics soon, but here's a little something to tide you over. It's taken today by my new phone.

2007-05-19T16:28:00.000-05:00

We were on TV!

Check us out at an MSU ballgame, at time index 1:05.

2007-05-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

We went with friends to an MSU baseball game. (Jadyn calls it bay-baww.) Being obsessed with cuteness as I am, I got her (GASP) a cheerleader outfit. *SIGH* I must be a mommy.

Instead of putting captions, I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Oh, and MSU was playing Alabama at the time, but yes, it's an MSU outfit. I really have no idea who I've become.

2007-05-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Without further adieu, we present

Jadyn's first school picture.
See what I mean about the puzzled look on her face? "Ok, stand here and hold the tree....but why?"

2007-05-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

"OH NO!"

We had Jadyn's "school pictures" taken at her Mother's Day Out program. Today the pictures came in (I promise I'll post one as soon as I get it scanned in) and while she looks adorable as always, she's not smiling. She sort of has a confused look on her face, like she can't understand why the photographer is telling her to stand there with her hand on the tree.

So tonight I put one in a frame and showed it to Jadyn. At first she was a few feet away and was excited to come see it. But she took the picture, got a good look at it and said, "Oh no!" It was like she was disappointed with how it turned out. We just couldn't help it, we both busted out laughing!

Appparently she's already concerned about how she looks in pictures.

2007-04-21T18:49:00.000-05:00

In response to numerous requests...

...I present to you the next batch of Jadyn's photos.

First, Easter. We went to several egg hunts over the Easter season, but we only got pictures at one of them.

Here she is on one of the hunts. She was just starting to get the hang of it.

See? She knew what she was doing.

We took her to a local playground and I had some fun - first, a few action shots, then a few "artsy" ones.

See this? This is joy!

She must have gone up and down these stairs 15 times.

Kinda artsy.

"Peek-a-boo, Mommy!"

Today we went to a local arts festival and Jadyn had a blast dancing to music by local musicians.

The toddler version of "Splendor in the Grass".

She was having fun dancing in the streets!

I just love this shot.

"Hmm, what other bands do I want to hear today?"

By the end of the day, she was beat.

2007-03-30T09:45:00.000-05:00

Hotlanta

We went on a mini-vacation to Atlanta, and it was a blast. Since we've been hearing some clamoring for new pictures, we took this opportunity to take 400 of them. Literally. I'm not kidding. Fortunately for you, we are not going to post all of them - just about 5% of them.

DAY 1

We spent the day with friends who have 2 little boys of their own. It was great to have them play together.

She decided to climb into an especially "little" red wagon.

We went to Build-a-Bear and made Jadyn her first personalized stuffed animal. It's a dog named Didi and dresses quite similarly to Jadyn.

We went to an indoor play area in a mall, and Jadyn has a blast crawling on, under, over and through the oversized rubber toys.

I can't tell if she's bored, tired, or wishing someone would come play with her.

Just us girls.

DAY 2

We went to the Children's Museum in downtown Atlanta. It was so great to let Jadyn roam somewhat freely.

Walking through a slide shaped like a giant banana. She loves bananas.

Her favorite character.

Conquering her fear of sliding unaided by Mommy or Daddy.

While in the museum, Jadyn got to experiment with several possible future career opportunities.

Pianist.

Forklift Operator.

Fisherman.

She also tried her hand as an artist. Here's how it went:

Trying on the apron.

A great shot of Jadyn playing with her paintbrush by the painting wall. Isn't the reflection cool?

Her own little masterpiece.

DAY 3

We spent sometime downtown in the Olympic Park.

They had this great fountain that was shaped like the 5 rings, and we enjoyed cooling off while playing in it.

Watching the water.

Little JJ and her Daddy.

One moment she was happy and lively...

The next she looked all worn out.

It was a fun trip and a busy one. We're glad we went, and glad to be home.

2007-03-11T15:10:00.000-05:00

18 Months

Yesterday (Saturday) was Jadyn hit the 18 month mark, so naturally we celebrated by holding her up against a growth chart to see how big she was (29 inches), and by taking some pictures. Here's the best of the bunch:

She knows she's cute.

Something caught her interest. Attention span of a toddler: 2.3 seconds.

I'm tellin' ya, she's the happiest kid EVER!

2007-02-11T23:21:00.000-06:00

Blast from the Past

Every year our church hosts a party to watch the Big Football Game (can't call it by it's name due to stupid copyright laws - CRAZY!). Anyway, the small groups set up their own themes with decorations, food, etc. Our group did a 50's malt shop. So of course Jadyn dressed the part.

Yes, that's a poodle skirt. Yes, I'm THAT kind of Mommy.

(But no, I didn't make it myself.)

The cuteness! It's overwhelming!!!

2007-02-03T12:38:00.000-06:00

Do you think she's trying to tell us something?

Yes, the floor needed sweeping, so Jadyn showed an industrious spirit Saturday morning and decided to take care of it herself - in her way. It must have been bad because she used two brooms.

Above, she looks like she's trying to figure out how to steady the broom.

Of course, we had to get the obligatory posed shot - with a little free publicity for the AA minor league baseball team in Daddy's hometown.
For the record, we'd already planned on sweeping and "Wet Swiffering" the floor this morning, and that's what we did!

2007-01-29T22:58:00.000-06:00

Dog and Baby Show updated

We posted early on that we had concerns about Jadyn's interaction with our dog Hershey.
Overall, things are going well in that department.
Hershey's being very cooperative and patient with this little, animated doll who happens to drop him snacks every now and then. Case in point:

She appears fascinated with his "room," our laundry room, which is where we keep his food, water and box. This is the first time I caught her actually crawling around in his box and I just had to take pictures.
She also tends to like to dip her hand in his water bowls. Not sure the interest there, but it's frequent and it looks like in this picture that she got caught "wet"-handed.

2007-01-27T21:11:00.001-06:00

Taking a Bite

2007-01-15T17:43:00.000-06:00

New Video

The latest installment:

2007-01-14T23:54:00.000-06:00

The "letter H" mystery solved
I put our dog up one night this past week and noticed this odd-looking piece of plastic in the corner of his box. I leaned down and took a closer look. It didn't take long to realize what I'd discovered - this missing letter H!
Two theories arise - Jadyn very well could have been holding it when she went by his box to splash her hand in the water cup, something she loves to do, and it dropped out of her hand.
Or, he tried to use the piece as a form of drawing attention to himself - diverting it off of Jadyn - and he just forgot he had it and dropped in the corner of his box.
Nevertheless, the whole original set is in place.
And we now have a backup just in case.

2007-01-06T21:32:00.000-06:00

Had a Holly Jolly Christmas

Yes, it was wonderful. Paul picked Jadyn and Amanda up from the airport on Christmas Eve in Montgomery, AL and we headed out to celebrate in the area.

Here's a pictoral essay, complete with witty captions, compiled by Amanda.

We put Jadyn in her new Christmas pajamas, complete with hat. I think she looks like an elf.

Did I mention she's not fond of headgear?

Like, at all? We gave up on the cute elfish hat.

This silly toy came from the gift shop of a "stuff yourself sick" smorgasbord in Amish Country, PA. I just thought it was silly, and when she showed it to her at the shop, she said please. How could I resist such manners? (And yes, those are my cheesy Christmas socks.)

On Christmas morning we had breakfast with family friends in Montgomery. Jadyn was her usual charming self.

This classic toy, the "Chatter Telephone", is probably the only rotary dial phone she will ever see. But she loves dragging it around by its receiver like a dog on a leash.

Yes, she was a bow-head. For all of about 18 seconds.

We did our own present-opening later in the afternoon. Since this was her first "interactive" Christmas, we fully expected some hilarious moments, and we were not disappointed.

This, in typical Jadyn fashion, is how she began taking items out of her stocking.

There are two things I'd like to point out about this picture. First is the big red Elmo chair. It giggles and jiggles when sat upon, which at first was very disconcerting to Jadyn. Now she gets a kick out of bouncing in it to make it laugh. Second, she already understood the "rip the paper to see what's inside" idea. I was thinking this wouldn't happen until next year.

I just love this picture. Aside from the great look on her face it looks like Elmo is sneaking up behind her to bite her ear off.

We put the bows on her head so many times that eventually she thought that was a natural part of the process and started doing it herself. Scary what you can teach a kid this way.

See what I mean about the ripping?

She got a Leapfrog musical activity table. That smile says it all.

She says, "Thank you."

Sometime in the last 3 weeks, Jadyn started making a face that we have since called "Funny Face". She often perfoms it upon request.

There's a house in Montgomery that is ultra-decorated for Christmas. I mean MEGA. Hardly a square foot of lawn goes without some sort of singing, dancing, lighted or inflatable doodad. This was Jadyn's reaction to it all.

2007-01-06T17:59:00.000-06:00

Big Girl on Campus (BGOC)

Jadyn and Daddy took a stroll on the Mississippi State University campus today - a clear, breezy but warm day in early January.

Standing "tall" in the shadow of Davis Wade Stadium.
Something catches her eye out away from the stadium.

Caught her looking!
Playing ball near the Chapel of Memories.
"Man, will you just take the picture? I'm tired! Let's go to the house!" (This was the last frame I took before we headed for home.)

2007-01-06T10:52:00.000-06:00

Brought to you by the letter 'H'
Amanda and I want Jadyn to learn how to speak properly, despite the culture in which she resides and my tendency to mumble in my native Southern accent.
We don't want it said of Jadyn that she is among those in this region who think "head" has two syllables - "heyad," for example. At the same time, I hope she grows up with an appreciation of and reflecting both her Southern and Northern roots.
She has one of those Leapfrog toys which uses magnetized letters and attaches to a device, applied usually to a refrigerator or other metal appliance. When the letter is attached, a young child's voice comes on and says what the letter's sound(s) is (are). "'B' says 'buh,'" etc.
She got it for Christmas and we did a great job of keeping up with all the letters - for about a week.
On Thursday night, I did an inventory and found "H" missing.
We hunted in every logical place for H and couldn't find it.
We decided to buy a replacement set and it should be on the way soon.
"H says ... 'huh,'" I think. I don't remember.
But after we get it back, I hope to play it enough where I won't forget it.