Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

Dear Jordan,

We have had quite a week!  It's that time of year where I just can't stop thinking of fun things for us to do together.  We have gone to Pumpkinville, the Tiger Safari, and TG Farms.  And Saturday night we carved pumpkins.  You didn't carve yours, but we let you paint yours.  You were very serious about it for about five minutes and then you were ready to move on to the knives!  I tried to carve you an Elmo pumpkin, but it turned out to look like a very angry Elmo.  Oh well!  I tried!

This morning, we went to TG Farms with a bunch of mommy's friends and their kids.  You had a blast!  You are such a daredevil.  They have a big haystack with a slide at the top.  The first time down you went head first.  Collin was sitting on your legs the whole way down and the extra weight made you hit the dirt at the bottom face first.  But you just got up, laughed, and kept climbing!  You also really enjoyed the cows.  You recently learned how to say "moo" so you repeated that over and over while you fed them straw.  It is so fun to watch you learn and play.  It's fun to go to the same places we did last year and know how much you have changed in a very, short year!

One of my favorite things is how much you love church.  You walk in like you own the place.  Every time we go down the hall, you insist on stopping at the water fountain.  If we pass a speaker in the ceiling, you stop and dance.  And you always have to stop by and give hugs to Grandma Nietzie!  If we don't leave you in your class for a long time, you completely ignore us when we come to get you.  If you're not doing anything, you run and grab a toy, as if that's going to get us to leave you there longer!  I love how social you are.  It's easier for me, but it just makes a mama's heart happy to know that you are having fun with your friends.  I am able to go worship and listen to God's Word without worrying if you are happy. 

I picked you up yesterday from your class and Miss Elise was holding you.  I said "Hey Baby-cakes!" and you put your finger to your mouth and shushed me.  I have no idea where you learned that from but it certainly made me laugh! I guess you were embarrassed by me calling you that.

Another hilarious thing that you do is you feel like you need to bring something every time we leave the house.  Today, when we left for the pumpkin patch, you wanted to bring your dirty pajama top.  The other day, you took the car keys and tried to start your top car with them.  It's pretty funny to see what you choose to bring and the car is always full of toys!

I think I'd better go.  You kind of stink and you just climbed up in my laugh.  You really enjoy getting right up in my face.  Plus, it's about nap time!

I love you, little pumpkin!

Mom

Bath...Bath...Bath...

Dear Jordan,

You are really getting good and communicating.  You don't say many words, but the ones you do say, you know very well.  Your vocabulary is "yes", "no", "dog", "duck", "bye bye", "Dad", "mom", "book", "choo-choo", "look", and of course, "bath".  It's funny how you know that it's the right time of day for you to take a bath.  The other night we ate dinner at Fuzzy's on Campus Corner and then walked around campus for a while.  You cried most of the way home, but as soon as we pulled in the driveway, you started chanting "Bath, bath, bath"...while pumping your fist in the air!  It was so funny!  I don't know where you learned that, but we got a good laugh out of it!

I hope you don't get embarrassed about this later, but your favorite part of bath time is when we let you lose and you run naked and soaking wet through the house.  I wonder at what age that stops being such a thrill, but surely before you move to college, right??

We got to go meet Ruby's birthmom this week.  She wanted to talk to us without you, first, so you ate lunch with the ladies from Deaconess.  They said you were so good and polite.  I expected to hear some screaming, but you were so sweet to them!  Ruby's birthmom was so sweet.  She really liked you when she got to meet you.  You were shy at first, but showed off some of your songs.

One of the best investments I ever made was buying the DVD players for the car.  You love to watch Sesame Street when we go on longer trips.  Recently, though, we have been letting you watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" because it's that time of year!  I have loved watching you laugh and smile at Snoopy.  It's so fun reliving my childhood through you!

I have so many things that I am looking forward to in the years to come.  But really, I enjoy every day with you.  Sometimes I get impatient with you, but I try to make the most of every moment.  I blinked and you're a little boy now.  The other morning you woke up early and fell asleep in my lap.  I didn't want to lay you down, because I was enjoying the snuggle time.  You were dreaming and laughing at sometime and it took me back to when you were a baby.  You were making the same faces.  I just love it!

Well, enough mushy gushy from Mom for now.  We're going to Boofari this weekend with your Mimi and Aunt Megan and Uncle Kevin.  I'm sure we'll have some fun!  And hopefully we'll get to see Aunt Abby this weekend too.

I love you Buddy,

Mom

 

Sick Week!

Dear Jordan,

This week has not been the best one for the Lindley's but it's also been a good one at the same time!  Your dad got sick on Sunday and we've just all been passing stuff around since then...it's been like 6 days.  We're starting to get really good at handling your high fevers.  I waited for it to come and the other night it did.  I got you out of bed because you were crying and you were burning up.  We gave you a bath, which always helps and then you snuggled with me in the chair for about an hour.  Every time you get sick...even if you get a cold...you get a high fever.  Usually the high fever is your body's last battle against the germs.  You always win though!  I love the day after you have that fever, because I can't stop kissing your cool cheeks and rejoicing that you feel better.

The big news this week was on Thursday.  We found that you will be getting a baby sister in January!  I am so excited to have her here, but we'll see how you feel about it.  You don't like to share attention with anyone or anything.  You are happiest when someone is playing with you, but you're getting better at playing by yourself.

You are such a little engineer.  You're always coming up with new ways to do things and I call you the Deconstructor.  You take apart things and just want to know how everything works!

This week, you have started answering questions.  It's so nice because I never know quite what you want.  You have started saying "yes" and "no" when I ask you if you want something.  Some day you will be able to actually ask for things.  Until then, we will just keep playing Twenty Questions!

Another big victory in your life is you are getting better at being patient.  Yesterday at Rhythm Babies you waited very nicely for the instruments and the scarves.  I was impressed!

We have a lot of fun in store for this week.  It's supposed to get cold and rainy so we might still be cooped up, but we'll try to do some fun things anyways.

I love you buddy,

Mom

First One...

Hi Sweet Boy!

You are about to turn twenty months old tomorrow and I can't believe I just thought about making this blog for you!  I was snuggling with you the other day and you were doing something really silly as we were singing.  We were singing "Oh, How I Love Jesus" with your Praise Baby cd and every time I would sing the word "oh" you would make your mouth into the shape of an "oh".  Somehow you managed to hold it while smiling the whole time. :)

Anyways, I thought, I really need to start writing stuff down that you do.  I really don't want to forget, but the reality of life is that it is zooming by.  I know you're probably excited about all of the new things you can do now, but sometimes I miss Baby Jordan.  Don't get me wrong...I like the longer naps and the sleeping at night.  But you are just getting so big and so this is my desperate attempt to hold onto today.

Right now you are in that phase where most of the time you look and act like a little boy.  Every once in a while, you do something that reminds me that you are still just a baby.  It's fun to enjoy both sides of you.  Every morning you have to sit in my lap while you drink milk.  If I put you down before you're done, you lose it!  I finally figured out that a) it's not worth the battle just to get started on stuff around the house and b) you will be a big kid soon and I will really miss our morning snuggles!

I wish I had time to write all of the silly little things you do.  You love to climb (everything!) and you love to help.  Sometimes I find myself being really impatient with you.  You are so curious and you are always two steps behind me trying to figure out what things are and why in the world I would be doing whatever chore I'm doing.  Every once in a while I catch you with a sock on your hand, dusting something random because that's what I do when I dust!

Speaking of copying everything...yesterday your dad hocked up a loogie (spelling?)...disgusting!  We were on a walk and he cleared his throat and spit.  Well, you had to do the same thing.  Only yours was cute, not gross. :)

I hope you know how much of a blessing you are to us and to so
many other people.  You freely give hugs, and high fives, and waves...and if they are lucky...kisses!  The other day we were walking through the library parking lot and you suddenly stopped.  I looked down and you were waving at an older gentleman who was in his car.  You did not stop until he looked at you and smiled and then you moved on content.  I pray that Jesus will capture your heart because you can be such a blessing to others when you share His love with others!

I seriously could go on and on about your obsession with dogs and airplanes and trains.  You're all boy and all sweetness combined.

I'm sorry for the times that I lose my patience.  I am always trying to let go of my agenda and surrender it to Jesus.  It is hard for a type A person like me!  I'm thankful that he blessed me with a little free spirit like you to keep my life interesting.

I love you, buddy.

Mom