Christmas 2008

Jasper had a busy Christmas season. We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Balsbaugh side, and later that evening opened gifts with Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Brooke. Jasper got a electronic book system and several other things. We drove home late on Christmas Eve, and Jasper got up several times that night, so none of us had a lot of sleep. On Christmas morning, the three of us opened gifts at home in the morning. Jasper got a dr. kit (which he called a dr. tool box,) a tool box, several stocking stuffers and a train set. Josh got an XBox 360 and I got an Ipod!

The next stop was the truck stop in Rochester for our annual truck-stop breakfast buffet. After that, we went to Jack and Judy's house. We opened gifts with them and Derek. Jasper got a pop up Thomas the Train tent and a handmade toy box. Then we went to lunch at Judy's parents house, and there we got MORE gifts. Everyone is so generous and we are very appreciative.

Then Josh, Jasper, Derek and I headed to Cathy and Walt's for Christmas dinner. We all wore santa/elf hats for dinner (and Jasper had reindeer ears) Jasper got his birthday and Christmas gifts that night and was so excited! He got a beautiful rocking chair with his name and birthdate on it, a miniature 4-wheeler ride on toy, a ball to bounce on, etc., etc. This boy has so much new stuff to play with!!!

On Friday evening, we went to Grandma and Grandpa B's for the Combs' side Christmas. Jasper loved playing with his cousins and enjoyed seeing the babies. We videoed all the grandkids asking Grandma and Grandpa questions about their lives. We learned some things we'd never known about them before. Like when Grandpa first was interested in Grandma. Jasper got yet more gifts! We stayed later and played Clue with Colin, Heidi, and Heidi's sister, Alyssa and her husband Claudio (they're from Mozambique, Africa.)

Jasper and I ended up staying the night since Jasper was already sleeping. We spent the day in Peru with family and mom brought Jasper and I home this evening. Jasper enjoyed the extra time with his grandparents and and Uncle Colin!

Dressed for Dinner

  Jasper dressed in tails for Christmas Eve dinner at Grandma and Grandpa B's house. He inherited the cutest little tuxedo from his cousin, Jayden Brunnemer. It just fit and he looked adorable! There were 30 people at the annual Balsbaugh family Christmas Eve celebration. Jasper really enjoyed playing with his cousins and opening gifts. We had dinner and then all of the grandkids asked Grandma Lena questions about her life and we videoed it. It was really neat to hear what she had to say. The best was when she told a story about one time when she was very pregnant for Aunt Joyce and she and Grandpa Ralph were in the attic. Somehow he accidentally knocked her over and then laughed at her. She was really mad, and the next morning when Grandpa was all dressed for work, he asked Grandma if she was still mad. She was, so she threw a bowl of gravy at him!

Ho, Ho, Ho

Jasper learned to say Ho, Ho, Ho Merry Christmas! Check out this cute video.

Jasper is 2!

Jasper turned 2 on December 24, 2008. He was very excited about the helium Elmo balloon waiting for him on his chair in the kitchen. He got to unwrap his presents from Mommy and Daddy that morning. He got a remote controlled car (which he successfully learned to maneuver) and a dinosaur sticker book.

We think our little boy is an amazing 2 year old. He is bright, sweet, adorable and a wonderful blessing. Just to note what he's doing at 2:

~Can talk in sentences
~A large vocabulary (I can't keep up with all the words he knows)
~Understands most anything he's told and can follow instructions
~Colors/draws with his left hand. Holds a crayon and pencil correctly
~Knows 20 letters by sight
~Can say his alphabet A-L, mumbles M and N, says O-V, mumble, mumble, sings "now I know my ABC's" mumble mumble - sings "wit ME"
~Says please and thank you regularly
~Begninning to undress himself, sometimes tries to dress himself
~Plays pretend with stuffed animals, food, and tools
~Jumps, runs in circles, walks backwards, climbs
~Can count 1-9, doesn't know numbers by sight yet
~Sleeps in a big boy bed. Has a great bedtime routine of books, songs, prayers and then he stays in bed. Sleeps mostly through the night, sometimes wakes up and wants Mommy or Daddy to lay down on his floor until he falls back to sleep. Wakes up very early between 5:30 and 7 usually.
~Naps once per day for about 1-2 hours, though it is difficult to get him down at home - we no longer fight him to take a nap, he usually falls asleep on his own around 2:30 p.m.
~Recognizes friends and family in person and in pictures, knows their names.
~Knows his name (says "Bapper")
~Has a small interest in the potty and has used it a few times.
~Loves candy - his favorite is "brown candy" which is chocolate
~Will NOT eat a vegetable. We hide veggies in various food items (pureed veggies in kethcup, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, breading on tofu nuggets, etc.)
~Favorite foods - cheese, bread, noodles, chicken nuggets, fruit, yogurt, sour cream, lunch meat, crackers, tofu, juice, milk (especially with chocolate)
~Brushes his teeth on his own (a lot of chewing on the brush)
~Likes to use stickers and glue - likes crafts
~Makes noises for his toys - cars/trucks, trains, animals
~Knows shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond (calls it a kite), octogon, heart, arrow
~Knows colors: red, blue, pink, yellow, white, black, brown, gray, green, orange, red
~Likes various TV shows and characters: Seasame street (Elmo), Handy Manny, Barney, Blue's Clues, Tigger and Pooh, Garfield
~Gives hugs, kisses, waves, blows kisses
~Has a good memory - recalls things that happened with various people and places (example - always remembers that Grandma Debbie has Baby Bear and Bambi and Elmo juice at her house.)
~Has all teeth except 2 year old molars
~About 30 pounds and a little over 36 inches tall (have to update that after his dr. appt.)
~The luckiest little boy in the world to have so many people who love him!!

Jasper's Party

Jasper's 2nd birthday party was Sunday at Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Brooke's house. The weather was a little rough, but everyone except Uncle Colin was able to make it. Jasper loved his Bob the Builder cake and quickly became a pro at opening gifts. He got all sorts of toys, books, games, clothes, etc. This kid has 6 different sets of grandparents, so he is making out pretty well. He got a tool bench with tools, a lego train set, a tractor that moves on its own, dinosaurs, a computer game, pjs, books, a new Bible, a memory game, and the list goes on...He was putting on quite a show for everyone. He will be 2 in a few hours. I'm heading to pick him up an Elmo helium balloon to surprise him with when he wakes up in the morning. We will give him his remote control car and a dinosaur sticker book for his birthday tomorrow morning. And then the Christmas celebrations begin! We will be partying solid for about 3 days!

The Cutest Little Elf

Jasper is really getting into the Christmas spirit. He likes to turn on (and off) the Christmas tree lights. He also has discovered the santa and elf hats that we have around the house. The other night he put on the elf hat and was running around with it pulled over his eyes. Then, when it was bathtime, he put it back on just before getting in the tub. He was stark naked wearing an elf hat. If that weren't funny enough, he began running through the house squealing. Yes, we did get it on video. Daddy told Jasper not to make us mad when he's a teenager!

Jasper Plays Pretend

 
Jasper has begun pretending quite a bit lately. At church on Sunday, the nursery worker told us he told them he was making "brown cookies." Later that evening, he was using his toy food to make Josh and I various treats. His favorite to make seemed to be apple juice. We took a Tigger toy down to our new hobby room and sat him at Jasper's little table and Jasper wanted to put a bib on him and feed him. Later Jasper took his sippy cup into the living room, opened up the nutcracker's mouth and gave him a drink.

It's amazing to see Jasper beginning to use his imagination. A few days ago we made a car out of a cardboard box and he was pretending to use a steering wheel and honk the horn!

He likes to draw and sometimes will tell you what he's drawn (such as Mommy, Daddy, Nano, etc.) He also will ask for me or whomever is around to draw things for him. He holds writing utensils correctly in his left hand. We are fairly certain that he's going to be a lefty though he can eat and throw a ball with his right hand. Daddy's pretty excited about the prospect of an ambidextrous athlete!

Playdate with Matt-You

Jasper had Matthew Finney (a friend from church) over to play last Wednesday. (His mommy, Kate, came, too.) Matthew is about 6 months older than Jasper, but they seem to get along very well. We went to the Finney's house a few months ago, so it was our turn to host the play date. The boys played with all sorts of toys. The played upstairs in the toy room and downstairs, too. Matthew liked Jasper's miniature wagon and LOVED Herman. He kept asking where the kitty cat went. At one point, both boys were on the kitchen floor looking through the cat door yelling, " Where kitty cat go?" We also had a good time making a craft and having lunch before Matt-you (as Jasper began calling him after he left) and his Mommy had to go home.

Building a Dog House

Josh (with Jasper's expert assistance) built Heidi's dog, Fink, a doggie mansion. It turned out to be rather large! Jasper enjoyed helping with the hammer, and he loved that he could fit inside it! Josh put siding and shingles on the house. It looks very cute. We delivered the house to Fink on Sunday, and he seemed to like it!

Decorating for Christmas

  Jasper and I decorated the house for Christmas last week. He was pretty excited about the decorations - especially his singing dog stocking and the nutcracker that's almost as tall as he is! I put the tree up after he went to bed, and the next morning, he ooh-ed and ahh-ed over it. He said, "Pretty lights." He helped put ornaments on the tree. It's become his task each morning to push the button to light up the tree. He learned to say Santa on Saturday, but until then, he'd been calling him "Clown." We're looking forward to a fun Christmas this year!

What Jasper's Up to These Days

Jasper is talking, talking, talking! I can't keep up with all the words he knows. He continues to amaze us with the things he says, does, and remembers! Just a few recent highlights:
~Josh took Jasper to Kmart (he calls it Big K) about a month ago in Peru to get dog food. Yesterday, the went to Kmart in Plymouth, and when they walked in the door, Jasper said, "Nano food."
~Friday night, Jasper was sitting at the kitchen table working on a Christmas craft with me. It involved numbers, and he started counting. He said, "1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,2!" As he was counting in order (until he skipped 7) Josh and I were just looking at each other in amazement.
~He loves tools. He will occasionally get his play tools out and go use his hammer or screwdriver on some toy. The other day, Josh was working on a dog house and Jasper got a real hammer, held it in both hands, and pounded on a real nail - right on the head! (I said he was almost better than Daddy!)

Kenny Rogers

Josh and I went to see Kenny Rogers at Honeywell Center last Sunday. It was Josh's birthday present. We joked that we'd probably be the youngest people there. We really enjoyed the concert. The first half was 'hits' and the second half was all Christmas music. We sat near the sound booth, and Kenny's (much younger) wife was in the booth just a few seats from us. The man in front of us was apparently a HUGE fan, because after each song he'd yell, "GO KENNY ROGERS or GOOD SONG, KENNY." That and the Kenny look-a-like complete with the white hair and beard down the row from us, kept Josh and I laughing most of the night. Jasper stayed with Grandma and Grandpa B, so it was a nice date night for us.

Thanksgiving 2008

This year we went to the Fenton's house for Thanksgiving. Jasper took a while to warm up, but once he did, he had a great time playing with all of his cousins.
Then a few days later, we had Thanksgiving with the Combs side at Grandma June and Grandpa Pete's house. Jasper was excited to see the babies (Ada and Nathan.) It was a nice holiday!

Jasper Goes to the Dentist

Today, Jasper went to the dentist for the first time. He did a great job sitting in the chair, but when the dentist wanted to actually look in his mouth...he cried! He ended up sitting on Mommy's lap, and the dentist counted his teeth. He said Jasper had GREAT teeth, and gave him a new toothbrush, a bunch of stickers and a toy from the treasure chest. We will go back in 6 months and then, they'll try to do a cleaning. This is a picture the dentist's office took of Jasper and gave him to take home.

Playing in the Snow

Sunday afternoon, Daddy, Uncle Derek, Mommy and Jasper all played in the snow. Jasper was so bundled up in his snowpants, boots, coat, hat and mittens that he could hardly walk! Jasper loved playing with Nano in the snow, using his new shovel,and throwing snowballs with Uncle Derek and Daddy.

We all built a snowman together. We used rocks for his eyes, nose and buttons, sticks for his mouth, arms and hair. Derek even made him snow ears. After we played some more in the snow, we looked at the snowman and noticed he was really leaning to one side. I decided that someone should tackle him to the ground, and since no one else would do it, I did.

Thanksgiving at our House

This past Saturday, we hosted Thanksgiving for Josh's mom's side of the family at our house. We spent most of the day cleaning and getting food ready for our evening meal. Jasper enjoyed the day because he watched more TV than usual! I was excited to use my china (given to me by Grandma June) and my silverware (given to me by Grandma Lena.) Derek helped get the table set and the food ready before everyone else arrived.


Cathy, Walt, Aunt Jeanie, Uncle Tom, Derek, Josh and I all sat around the table and Jasper kind of sat in the corner in his highchair. The food was good and it was nice to see everyone. Jasper was in show off mode, which made the evening fun. He loved playing with Uncle Derek and was talking up a storm! This was the first time Tom and Jeanie had been to our house or seen Jasper in person.

Before Grandma Cathy left, she gave Jasper a kid-sized shovel, which be began calling his "bovel" and was trying to scoop up legos with it. It was a nice evening and I've decided entertaining with real dishes and silverware is fun about twice a year (lots more dishes than I'm used to!)

Jasper Goes to Valparaiso

Yesterday evening, Jasper and I drove to Valparaiso to visit Uncle Colin who is staying there for training at work. We went out to eat (Jasper's tummy must be ok because he ate pizza!) Then we went to the hotel. While we were getting ready to go swimming, the police came to our room. Let me explain. Either Jasper hit 911 when he was pretending to call Daddy on the phone, or I accidentally did it when I was trying to call my parents (the Hotel phone says you have to dial 91 and then the number - I tried that and it didn't work, so then I dialed 9 and the number and it did.) We explained that Jasper was playing with the phone and we were fine and sorry they'd come to check. They were very nice about it, but still embarrassing!

We then headed to the pool. The water was cold, but Jasper loved it! He especially liked when Uncle Colin pushed him around in his floaty toy. After swimming, Jasper took a bath and got ready for bed. He played with Uncle Colin and had a snack before he fell asleep with me. He didn't mind being moved to his pack and play---until about 2 a.m. when he woke up crying and wouldn't stop. We walked the halls for a while and then he slept with me. I said HE slept, not me! He wiggled around constantly, and about every 20 minutes he'd cry out, if I was in his way, he'd say, "NO, Mommy, NO!" Sometime toward morning, he said, "I want elebator (elevator.)" After Uncle Colin went to work this morning, we had breakfast at Bob Evans, did some shopping at Walmart and headed home. There was no snow in Valparaiso, but 6-8 inches at home. Luckily the roads were pretty clear. Now we're working on cleaning the house to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner here tomorrow evening.

Tummy Trouble

Jasper had to come home early from daycare on Tuesday because he had the stomach flu! He vomited over 10 times and was so sick he didn't even want to watch TV, he just wanted to lay on the bathroom floor. But by 8 p.m. that night, he was running around and wanted to play soccer in the living room and asked Daddy to spin him in circles. Needless to say we ok'd the soccer, but not the spinning around! He slept in his bed all night that night. Wednesday, he got his appetite back as the day went along and seems back to normal now. Apparently the stomach flu was going around at daycare and only 4 kids were healthy enough to be there on Wednesday. So far Mommy and Daddy have avoided it - let's hope we're in the clear!

A Visit with Uncle Derek

Yesterday, Jasper went to Uncle Derek's house for the first time. We drove down to Muncie, and met Derek at his apartment. His apartment is really nice - he doesn't even have to share a bathroom! We went out to lunch and Jasper enjoyed dancing to the music at the restaurant. Then, we went shopping at Kohl's. Jasper pointed out the "Big K" in the sign. Josh, Derek and Jasper walked around together and I got to go look around by myself! Then we went back to Derek's apartment to watch some football. His roommate has a beagle, who was very friendly. Jasper liked playing with the dog and the dog's toys. I was a little nervous with Jasper running around all of Derek's roommate's expensive electronics! But luckily, he didn't break anything. We're excited that we get to see Uncle Derek again next weekend for an early Thanksgiving at our house!

Weekend with Grandparents

Saturday, Jasper and I went down to spend some time with my parents and visit with Grandma June and Grandpa Pete. Jasper loved all the attention, and put on a show wherever he went. We stopped by Aunt Heidi's and Jasper had fallen asleep in the car, but as soon as we opened the car door to get out to go to her house, his eyes popped open and he said, "Heidi?"

We took him shopping, and when he got out of his stroller, he hid under the racks of clothes, peeked out and said, "I hide." At Grandma and Grandpa's house, he pulled Grandma June's hand, said "Ground. Roll" Then he laid on the floor and rolled. Grandma June did, too - it was pretty funny. Jasper shared his snacks with Grandpa Pete.

Jasper slept on the floor at Mom and Dad's house and the next morning, he wanted Gamma and Pa pa to play night night with him. He asked for the blanket on the ground, the lights off, the door shut and for them to lay down and cover him up! It was so cute.

Rockets and Turkeys

Last week, Jasper made some Thanksgiving Day crafts. We had some turkey coaster kits. He did a very good job punching out some of the pieces and helping spread> the glue on and press the pieces together. He mailed some turkey's to various relatives and also hand delivered a few.

Jasper has become a fan of rockets. He points them out wherever he happens to see one. He has some rocket pajamas that he wore for the first time last week. After he was all ready for bed, he played with legos for awhile. He built a tall tower and then picked it up and made some noises. I asked him what he'd built and he said, "A wocket."

A Visit to Uncle Colin's

 
On Sunday, we visited Uncle Colin at his apartment. Jasper took just a few minutes to warm up and then was loving playing with his uncle. Jasper showed off for Colin, shared his snacks, tried on Uncle Colin's glasses, "read" his books. We watched football on the big screen TV most of the afternoon. Jasper did take a Handy Manny break, and watched a DVD on Colin's computer until that was cut short by Jasper pulling a drawer out and hurting himself. He was crying pretty hard, so I laid him down and asked what hurt. He said, "Arm" so I touched his left arm and asked him if it was that arm. He said no, so I checked the other arm, and then he looked at me and said, "I'm ok."

Dizzy Fall Days

This week has been beautiful! The weather was so nice and the leaves so pretty. Jasper and I played in the leaves on my days off this week. Today I had him pose for some fall shots. He was fairly cooperative, but didn't like it a bit when his pants got wet from the damp leaves. After the photo shoot, we went on a walk (well, I walked and pushed Jasper in the stroller and had Nano on the leash.) We were heading one direction and Jasper yelled, "NO - dat way!" and pointed in the opposite direction. I turned around, and as soon as we were moving, he changed his mind, "No-dat way!" pointing back the way we'd just come from. I thought he was going to fall asleep, but I think he knew he was tired and was fighting it because he sat as far forward as he could the whole time. He finally did fall asleep in the car on the way to the library, so we just did a drive through drop off. It's so funny how much he fights taking a nap. At lunch (before we went on our walk) he fell asleep in his booster seat holding a piece of bagel to his mouth. I was cleaning up his plate and was planning to clean him up and put him in his crib when I heard the bagel fall on the floor and him jerk awake. Then he acted as if he wasn't even tired!

Tonight Jasper was wound up after dinner. He was spinning around and around making himself dizzy. He was pointing out letters on the piano (KAWAI - he called the I a T, but knew the rest - even W, which is new today.) He was also saying his letters emphatically with a fist in the air, "D! B!" It was so funny. We all three played soccer in the living room. Jasper was doing a good job kicking the ball, though sometimes he'd just pick it up and run around the couch and into his room. He's fast asleep now - we're hoping for another quiet night like last night. The big boy bed is going pretty well, but we just wish he'd sleep past 6 a.m.!!

More Candy Please

Since Halloween, Jasper has decided he loves candy! Yesterday, he asked for candy, so I told him he had to sit in his little chair while he ate a Hershey's kiss. After he was done eating, we went outside and played in the leaves for about 45 minutes. Then Jasper found a pine cone and wanted to show Nano. Nano was tied up, so Jasper went over to him and showed him the pine cone and petted him. I kept raking while I watched them. Then all of the sudden, they both took off toward the house. I called after Jasper, but he just kept going. I followed him and he went up on the deck, opened the back door, and went inside. He headed straight for his chair in the living room, plopped down, looked up at me and said, "Mo candy, pease!" I guess he just decided while we were outside that he wanted candy and since he knew he had to sit in his chair, he took it upon himself to go there before even asking for candy!

A Big Boy Bed

This morning we decided to take Jasper's crib rail off and turn his bed into a "Big Boy bed." Jasper helped take the crib apart and put it back together using a screwdriver (which he says in a very funny way!) He seemed to really like it once we got it done. He wanted to lay in it while I read him books early this evening. We put him to bed at about 8 (which his body still thinks is 9) and he didn't cry or try to get up or anything. He's been in bed about an hour and a half and we haven't heard a peep!

Halloween

Halloween was a lot of fun for Jasper this year!  Because 63% of you chose it, Jasper dressed up as Winnie the Pooh for actual trick or treating, but before that he had a very unique costume! He dressed as a miniature version of Josh!! They wore the same outfit - khakis, a blue polo shirt, brown shoes, a blue jacket, a goatee and a pencil behind the ear. Jasper and I visted Josh at work and Jasper even wore Josh's name tag. It was hilarious!!

Jasper and I drove to Peru and got to see ALL of Jasper's grandparents and great grandparents. He got lots of candy and other treats. He was in a great mood (it may have had something to do with all of the sugar...) and he was very cute as Winnie the Pooh! Click here to view all of our Halloween pictures.

A Big Boy Haircut

  Jasper got his hair cut today (this is his 5th or 6th one, I think.) Today was special, though, because he sat in the chair all by himself. He smiled and chatted the whole time. We had a great day today! During breakfast we did a Bible story of Jonah and the whale. I put his bath toy boat in a big mixing bowl filled with water with his "Little People" Farmer Jed in it and then used a big fish bath toy whose mouth opens up to swallow Jonah. He loved it. After we were done, he said, "More Bible." Later he built a Lego tower taller than himself! We went to Plymouth to do some errands, and ate at the new Jimmy Johns for lunch. It was so new they didn't have high chairs or booster seats yet, so Jasper just sat in the booth and ate his turkey sandwich. Then we got his hair cut and came home. He slept for about 2 hours after we got home! Woke up, had a snack, worked on some Halloween crafts that involve glue, so he was loving that! We played with Nano for awhile before Daddy got home. This evening, he's been FULL of energy and lots of fun. Here's a video of him riding his "neigh-neigh."

A Whiny Day

Jasper cried and cried last night before bed. I think it had to do with having stayed away from home the night before. (Though he had a wonderful time with Brama and Pa pa Jack - and all the animals! He even got to play with some of Daddy's old toys.) Then he woke up at 5:30 a.m. and wouldn't got back to sleep. His tummy hurt and he was very clingy and whiny. We tried to get ready for church, but couldn't get him to calm down. Finally, I held him on my lap real tight and he fell asleep. We put him down on the couch and he slept for nearly 2 hours. He was fairly good throughout the day, but we think he wasn't feeling his best. He went through several Mommy moments and a few tantrums this afternoon.

We went outside and pulled up the petunias and cut down some hostas. Jasper loved playing outside, and actually asked to take a walk. He didn't want pushed in his stroller, he wanted to walk on his own! When we finally came in, he protested!! Finally we got him to calm down and he fell asleep on my lap at 7:30 p.m. and has been asleep in his crib ever since we put his pjs on.

After dinner, we were drawing with crayons. Jasper would hand Josh or I a crayon and ask us to draw something and then he'd identify it (tree, house, shoe, cat, etc.) Then I started drawing shapes and letters. He identified circle and star (which he's known for awhile) but then he said square and triangle! We always point them out in books, but I didn't even know that he knew them! He also identified A, B, O and H and sometimes C! He continues to amaze us.

Early Trick or Treats

Last night, we took Jasper to Newton Park in Lakeville for the Trick or Treat walk. They have a walking trail, and about 50 businesses were set up handing out candy. Most of the people giving out candy were dressed up (some were a little scary for Jasper.) Before we left, we let Jasper decide which costume he wanted to wear, and he chose Tigger. He was so good! He sat in his stroller and held onto his pumpkin. He had a few pieces of candy along the way and loved it!