This is Jared's serious, "how can I help you, Mom" face.
This is Jared's latest attempt at smiling for photos... "CHEESE!!!!"
"This is Jared being thoroughly entertained with himself, giggling up a storm!
This isn't really the best view, but this is Jared's new "big boy" bed which he absolutely ADORES! Its a loft bed with a dresser on one side and a desk on the other. The ladder is currently on top of the top bunk to remove temptation from my little climber~!
Every night before bed, we say nighttime prayers and then Jared snuggles up with Teddy and Pooh (not in picture). :)
It's not even bedtime and Jared is already cozy and ready to go!
"Recently we went to visit my cousins again. I always like to sit over in the breakfast nook, although I have gotten into my share of trouble exploring the foliage Aunt Laurel keeps on the table!"
"Cousin Micah let me ride the rocking horse! Very cool!"
"Hey Micah! I didn't see you back there!"
"Although, you can't tell in this photo, I really AM 2 years younger than Micah!"
"Sarah came in from playing with her friends in the neighborhood to say hi!"
"When it was time to go, Sarah, Micah, Sarah's friend and Auntie Toya snuck me away for a walk!"
"But then Mommy called me back... as you can see, I am not so thrilled about it!"
"I ran over to Mommy to see if I could sway her to join us for the walk, but she said we had to go home."
"So we said our goodbyes and headed back home!"
Jared has only recently enjoyed snuggling with his teddy bears... Here you can see him snuggling with Teddy and Pooh.
And here he is giving Teddy a big goodnight kiss. "MUAH!"
"Wow, look, Halmonee and Papa.... Hannah is so tiny! I think she is smiling at me..."
Here are Grandma, Mom, Sarah and Baby Hannah...
Here is Micah, snuggling up with Mom and Hannah...
Little Hannah after her first bath...
And finally, a close up of Hannah Jolie...
"I am excited to share the news that this fall we will have a new addition to the family! I can't wait to have a new baby in the family! I love kissing Mommy's belly every night." (Jared's version of "kissing" the baby involves prolonged raspberries on Mommy's belly!)
"It's hard to tell with these ultrasound pictures, Mommy, but I am voting for a girl! I will be happy with either a brother or sister though!"
For those who are "ultrasound-challenged" like most people, New Baby J is on his or her back with his or her head on the left side of the photo. In the 3 pictures, you can see the baby begin to turn his or her face toward the camera.
New Baby is due in the fall (around Sept 21). We couldn't be more thrilled! :)
Jared is extremely particular about the sand that he likes to walk on. He doesn't like the soft, mushy, dry sand by the shore OR the squishy, wet sand closer to the water and would ask to be picked up if he felt like his feet were sinking. The sand HAD to be firmly packed for him to stroll down the beach on his own. However, he would sometimes be distracted in his pursuit of the seagulls to forget the sand between his toes!
Even on his stroll with Dad you can see Jared looking down checking for the "squish factor."
For most of our visit the beach was deserted and gorgeous. We visited the beach twice a day every day during our trip... with only time for a nap in between trips to the beach. As you can see in this photo, Jared was exhausted but still did NOT want to leave his beloved beach. He could only be lured away by promises to splash in the heated pool and equally tempting promises to ride in the elevator (still pronounced "ele-gator).
As it was the end of bike week in Daytona, the city was overrun by motorcyclists which Jared found generally entertaining. We were headed for one of our walks on the beach when a friendly biker neighbor offered Jared the opportunity to sit on his first Harley. He instinctively tried to start the bike and almost succeeded! He enjoyed this way too much for Mom's liking!
On our last afternoon, Jared naturally took a few moments to gaze out at the ocean and reflect on our trip....
"Thanks, Mom and Dad! It's been a fabulous vacation! I am ready to head home now!~"
As always, Dad is WAY more excited! Jared had alot of fun though.
Here Jared is playing with the 2 of the MANY thunder sticks that his Ni-Ni sent up for him. (He is still playing them now-- he has 2 in the car, 2 in his room, 2 in his playroom, LOL).
As you can see, Jared is VERY cuddly. He would periodically press his face against Dad's face. Needless to say, Dad found this very endearing.
And finally, here is Jared playing in the dance teams locker room. Given his current love of climbing into spaces, he had a great time!
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
"Is there ANYTHING better than being cozy in bed munching on a candy cane?"
"What, mom? Haven't you ever seen anyone enjoy a candy cane before?"
"Okay, maybe a snuggle with my Ni-Ni is just as good as my candy cane!"
"Hmm, or maybe a snuggle with Bailey in HIS bed!"
Because my drive to work is so long and I take Jared with me twice a week (to drop off at my mom's) I have a DVD player for him in the car to watch his favorite episodes of Diego, Elmo or Barney... here you see him relaxing on the way to Halmonee and Papa's house. All he needs is a remote control and a recliner...
Here you see Jared taking a break from splashing with the other kids to ponder the meaning of life. :)
Jared now love-love-loves playing with legos... my parents bought him a huge bin of them for Christmas and he loves building things with them. My mom built this little "fort" for him and he sits in it like its a big easy chair... and yes, in this photo he is wearing my mom's fuzzy socks! :) He will find them and insist, "socks, socks, socks" until she lets him wear them!
Jared and Dalvin wanted to say a belated "Go Gators!" for winning the national championship!
