Learning to fly...

Santa

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:08:00 +0000

Santa came to school today and Everett got to meet him. He was relatively unimpressed and only tried to pull his beard (which was very real) twice. He sat with Santa and didn't even cry when mom and dad stepped away to take the picture! I guess we'll have to wait until next year to see if he really likes Santa or not!

Christmas Time is Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:09:00 +0000

2009 is quickly coming to a close.. hard to believe! We've had an eventful month in the Thorington house. Everett is now 9 months old and doing all that comes with it! He's got 3 teeth, the third of which just popped in tonight. He's refused to have anything to do with crawling but loves to walk around holding on to anything he can.. He's beginning to try "big people food" gradually and so far is a fan of green beans but hates sweet potatoes.. Every day we look at him and wonder what has happened to our little baby and when did he become a little boy?! Here's the month in pictures...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Everett & Daddy playing with blocks!

Halloween and other Fall Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

It was a quiet Halloween for us! Everett had both sets of grandparents come to him for trick or treating.. he was the cutest little caterpillar and he LOVED his costume. He is now 8 months old, my how time is flying! He's able to pull up on things and has his first tooth! No crawling yet but we are SO close it's scary! Here's our little man..

After Dinner Conversations and Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:56:00 +0000

It's been a while since an update so I'll try to get everything in here! Everett will be 6 months old next week... we've hit MANY milestones in the last 2 months!
First, we're eating cereal/baby food now! Here are some pictures of our dinner time fun..

We've also had our first road trip to celebrate our Aunt Kimberly's graduation from Auburn. He did pretty well in the car, only 2 melt downs- both on the way home and both because he was fighting sleep. We are blessed that he loves his car seat and the car!

We also got around to getting him a high chair. He likes it ok most of the time.. he look like such a big boy!

My favorite milestone thus far has been learning to talk... not just baby 'coos' but really trying to say something! Here is a video I took tonight after he finished his squash...

It's amazing how fast the time has gone.. We're more and more blessed by our little boy everyday!

We've Come A Long Way...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Tomorrow, July 9th, is our 4th Anniversary. We don't have any spectacular plans, just a normal day of life as usual but every year we try to spend some time remembering our story. It's been quite a ride through the years of our marriage.. Here are just some of the highlights:

* We've lived in 2 states, Minnesota for 2 years and TN for 2 years. We moved to MN just 2 weeks after our wedding.
* We've vacationed to opposite ends of the US- Key West, FL and Grand Maris, MN (25 miles from the Canadian border).
* We've joined 2 churches as a married couple- one Methodist & one Baptist. Both places have given us friends that we are so blessed to have and the ones we don't get to see we still miss very much!
* We've moved 4 times in 4 years..our first apartment was on the 21st floor of a high rise in downtown Minneapolis- it was 500 square feet and we survived only because we were newlyweds. :)
* We survived Law School- I say "we" because Jacob did the hard studying and I did the working 3 jobs thing so we could eat..
* We lived apart for a month after law school so Jacob could take a course for the bar in TN and I could finish up the school year teaching in MN.
* We've driven a moving truck over 1000 miles cross country- twice.
* We've managed kill & bury at sea 6 beta fish.. Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Leopold, Fiesty, & Henry Fitzgerald.
* We kept one fish alive- Jazmine is still swimming after 2 years..
* We got a dog- Klondike was our trial for kids.. minus being allergic to everything possible we've done ok with him.
* We've experienced having our first child, Everett Thomas. This is by far our most amazing experience yet.

We've had our ups & downs but I can honestly say I married my soulmate, the man chosen by God to accompany me through this life on earth. After 4 years our lives have gotten busier but I look forward to all the busy, crazy, fun and priceless memories left to be made in our lives. Here's to at least 70 more years...

Fun in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Yesterday we went to Everett's GrandDeb and PapaJim's to swim for the first time. He enjoyed it! He wasn't overly impressed with the water but didn't cry or seem frightened. He floated around (with me or dad holding tightly!) in an inflatable duck for a while and just relaxed... Here are some of his chillin' by the pool pictures..

A week of Milestones

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:30:00 +0000

I always heard people say that babies grow right before your eyes but I never though it was literal! Everett is definitely growing and learning daily. This week he moved upstairs to his room and slept all night happy as he could be. I, on the other hand, didn't sleep at all worrying that he would wake up and be scared or would need me and I wouldn't hear him. Despite my fears, he did just fine. He also found his feet this week! He looks at them and thinks it is great fun to splash them in the bath tub. We also have the beginnings of a tooth showing through. It's not hurting him yet, but it's all white and shiny on his gums. It's been quite a week of firsts, all of which seem to push him further and further away from that tiny little baby we met 3 months ago. It's amazing how quickly the time is going by... Here's some recent pictures of our little man!

What A Week...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:02:00 +0000

Everett and I have had quite a last 10 days. Last Monday was my first day back to work after 10 weeks of being a full time mommy. This meant that it was also Everett's first day of school.. (our pediatrician laughed when I said that Everett would be going to school) Fortunately for me, my work and his school are in the same place! I have so much peace knowing he's in the next room and I can walk in to see him whenever I want to! Here we are on our first day of school together.

He's started to adjust. The first few days were kinda rough, but he's learning how to sleep through the noise and play well with others.
At the end of this week of adjustment, we were blessed by visits from all our family for his dedication at church. We are so blessed to be a part of a church family who will help us raise our little boy to be a strong man of God. It was such a special day to share with our church family and our families.
These are all of Everett's great-grandparents..

Here are his grandparents....

His aunts and uncle....

And finally, some of his great aunts and uncles..

Our cute little man ..

Rough Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Today is one of the days I've been dreading since Everett was born... 2 month shots. As a person who despises needles, I pray Everett gets his Aunt Tara's strength when it comes to medical issues! He was such a trooper! I felt bad because he was in a fabulous mood this morning... laughing and smiling at the doctor, kicking his legs, flailing his arms.. it was adorable! Then in came the nurse... he was smiling when she put the first one in then that huge pouty lip popped out followed by the silent cry (you know, mouth open, face red, no sound) and then the screams began. I cringe even thinking about it! He definitely has his mom's temper (yikes, unbelievable I know) because he continues to not only cry but scream for 5 minutes until I sat down and fed him. It was a little traumatizing for all of us but we survived! Maybe the next rounds will be better...
When we got home Everett was a little fussy so he took a nap on the couch.. Klondike could sense something was not quite right with him because when I rounded the corner from the kitchen this is what I found...

Here are other moments we've captured of our little 11 pound 4 ounce boy!

Outdoor fun

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:21:00 +0000

Today we spent the afternoon at the park with friends. It was lots of fun, Everett loves being outside and really loved his cool hat! We also had a first today- He was able to sit in his Bumbo chair by himself! He loved the freedom to sit up and see everything. He's growing up way too fast....

Today is Everett's Uncle Garret's birthday! Happy Birthday, Garret!!

2 months old

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:15:00 +0000

I can't believe our little boy is 2 months old already! He battled his first little cold this week. Thankfully it was only a few days of congestion and went away after plenty of saline squirts and way too many uses of the "snot sucker". He weighs around 10 lbs. now and is 22 inches long. He literally grew over night!

Best of Friends- Klondike loves his brother!

Do you think we look like daddy?!?

Bright Eyes!

The Suspense is Killing Me..

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Whoever decided to put seasons of TV shows on DVD was genius. We've found a few shows that we missed on the first round and have really enjoyed catching up with them on DVD. A few years ago we found ALIAS to be a mild obsession(we watched the entire 5 seasons in approximately 3 months...)thanks to some of our friends. We passed around the DVD's and compared notes on Sid and Vaughn weekly, it was a great time! Also while we were in MN I developed a love for the show 'REBA'. I think it had something to do with a bit of homesickness... hearing Reba talk made me feel like I was home in the south! I now enjoy anything from seasons 1-4 when I need to smile! Our current mild obsession is the first season of 24. My mom got the first season for us and was sure we'd like it.. boy was she right. We have watched almost the entire first season in 5 days. It's actually been nice to have something to watch when Everett won't sleep at night! Every episode ends in a way that keeps me wanting more.. I have to know what comes next! So, for the next few hours I will be joining Jack Bower as he investigates who is trying to kill Senator Palmer.. AND trying to find season 2 on Amazon. :)

In the meantime, here are some pictures of Everett.. he's growing SO fast!

Growing Boy..

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Our little man is almost 7 weeks old. I cannot believe how fast he's growing and how quickly the days go by. Everyday he looks more and more like his daddy!

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:11:00 +0000

All Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Everyday I'm reminded how blessed we are to have such a sweet little boy in our lives. Yesterday I was especially blessed because I looked at my son and started talking to him and for the first time he looked right into my eyes and smiled. No, this isn't the first time I've seen him smile.. he's smiled quite a few times before.. but this is the first time I knew he was smiling because he knew me. He knew that my voice was the voice of someone who loves him and takes care of him. This one little gesture made me feel more like a mother than anything yet. As I thought more and more about that little precious smile and how it made me feel, I also began to think about the season that we are in right now leading up to Easter. This is the time when we remember the sacrifice our Heavenly Father made for us, what He gave for us... and how much He loves us. As I got teary over a simple smile from my son, I gained a new perspective on just how much the Lord loves me. How excited He gets when I (or any of us) just look to and smile at Him.. and how I understand so much deeper how much He loves me. If I love my son so much more than I can express, the Lord loves me even more than that. WOW. I'm so excited for Him to continue revealing to me His glory through my journey through parenthood. He is so good!

Ode to Klondike

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:40:00 +0000

On Saturday we celebrated a special day in our family.. amid all the fuss over Everett the last few weeks, Klondike has been mostly overlooked. BUT- on Saturday, K-dog (as we affectionately call him) turned 2! Yes, we are "crazy dog people" and proud of it. He's a completely spoiled dog,very sweet and would only try to lick to death anyone who he can get to. Besides being really stubborn(a trait that runs in our family) he minds well and was easy to train. He's definitely a special member of our family... how many people do you know can be ignored, fussed at, stepped on, not fed for a day and still crawl in your lap at the end of the day looking at you with eyes full of love and forgiveness?? Dogs are special little creatures and even though we've been a bit crazy lately, Klondike is still as special and loved as he was the day we got him! Here's what he looked like that day...
He only weighed 3 pounds!

One Month

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Today is Everett's one month birthday... I cannot believe it! He's growing SO fast and changing everyday. He's slept through the night except for feedings for a week now! We're feeling very blessed, he's such a good baby!

Bath Time! and other fun

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Everett has started to focus on things around him, it's so much fun to see him exploring his world! Today he enjoyed time in the activity gym for the first time..

Everett has had a few baths in his 3 weeks but tonight was the first one he actually didn't scream through.. So of course we got out the camera and captured every cute moment we could!

Jacob's Post

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Here is the post from Jacob's blog, apparently his site is set to private so not many people can read it...enjoy!

Klondike has no idea what just happened. For all he knew, the three of us (Klondike, Jen, and me, in that order) were living our happy lives, albeit that Jen looked a little different. Then one fateful day in March everything changed. . .

Klondike says he remembers that as soon as March began - he is a dog, and knows things like exactly when the month begins - his puppy-mama started making some unusual sounds. It seemed that every hour or so, she would squirm, and the puppy-daddy would get all concerned for a few minutes.She did that from midnight until about the time the sun came up. Klondike says that after that, things got a little fuzzy. He remembers going out for his morning business, and coming back in to see the puppy-mama making those strange noises much more frequently. The puppy-daddy was much more excited, so Klondike says he got all excited, too. He saw bags being packed, but he got worried when the red puppy-bag didn't appear. He tried to hide by the door so he could go get in the car with the puppy-mama, but she was making those strange sounds every five minutes.

Klondike recalls that he made it into the car twice before the puppy-daddy took him back to the house, rather forcefully he says. And then the puppy-parents were gone. Klondike ran to the window to watch them drive away, and then he just went to the couch and went to sleep. Late that night, the puppy grandparents showed up, and boy did they smell different! Using his puppy sense, Klondike says that the new smell appeared at 5:08 p.m., weighed 7 lbs 7.5 oz, and was 19 inches long!

He said he searched diligently, but he could not find where the new smell, and before he knew it, the puppy grandparents had taken him away to their house. They brought him back the next morning, and Klondike said he spent another long day on the couch. The grandparents came back that night, and they were absolutely covered in the new smell! But still Klondike couldn't find the source of the smell. And then they took him back to their house again! Klondike said he enjoyed all the time with the Grandparents, but he was concerned because he hadn't seen his puppy-parents in two whole days!

Then on Tuesday, Grandma Melanie brought Klondike back to his house! Klondike says that the new smell was in the house now, and he didn't know what to think of that. He watched Grandma Melanie clean the house a little - she got out the infernal vacuum. And then, Klondike heard the sound of Neon pulling into the driveway. He was overjoyed and promptly ran to the door to go see them, but Grandma Melanie had him on a leash - can you believe it? How was he supposed to jump on the puppy-mama and puppy-daddy if he was on the leash?!? (He said he found a way). After a few happy minutes of greeting everyone, Klondike says the buzz in the back of his head (from the excitement, presumably) began to fade and he says he smelled that new smell again - this time all over his puppy-parents!

Klondike says he began to sniff everywhere to find that new smell-maker. Before he had a chance to fully investigate the Neon, however, puppy-daddy brought in a new contraption, which Klondike says he had seen but, dismissively, said he never paid it any attention. And there was the new smell! Klondike later said that if he had know that the new smell would come in that contraption, he would have marked it just to let the new smell know that he was around first. (I told him that was not necessary, but he just wandered off to chew on a stuffed penguin).

The next two weeks were filled with so many visitors that Klondike didn't know what to do with himself: Grandma Mel stayed for a week, and Grandma Deb stayed for a week, and he saw great grandmothers from all over, and aunts and uncles and neighbors, and church friends. And Klondike told me to thank everyone for all the food he got to eat. He ate so much people food, between the two grandmothers and the visitors, that his hair started falling out (Klondike has food allergies, you know). Things have finally started to settle down, and Klondike says its about time. The new smell, which his puppy parents have taken to calling "Everett", apparently isn't going to leave, but Klondike says he's ok with that. Everett tastes different but familiar, he says. Klondike also adds that he knows where to go when Everett makes that stinky smell - and he enjoys watching the little guy squirm when the puppy-parents throw away all the hard earned territory marking material Everett made.

Klondike also wanted to share some other pictures of the little guy. He says he'll post some more after he finally recovers from all the excitement and his hair grows back.

Jacob's Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Seems as how my husband has decided to enter the world of blogging now that we have something interesting to blog about! You should check it out... his most recent post is
very amusing!
http://rssredemption.vox.com/library/post/everett-thomas.html

A visit with family & friends

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:22:00 +0000

A visit from Megan, one of my college roomates, and her son Blake. Blake and Everett will have fun together one day!

Four generations of Tyler's

Jacob's grandmama and mom

2 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Everett went for his 2 week check up today. He's gained weight back up to 7 lbs. 6 oz., only one ounce short of his birth weight. That puts him in the 10th percentile for weight- he's quite a little guy! He's grown an inch though, so he's now 20 inches and in the 25th percentile for length. He checked out to be very healthy and the doctor even gave us hope that we might sleep again someday... Everett seems to have his days and nights mixed up the last few days. He's never upset or crying, just awake...all night. We're making it and still amazed by him everyday! 3 weeks has flown by for us...

Woohoo!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Everett is almost 2 weeks old! We are amazed at how fast the time is going and how much he is growing. Today we're celebrating because he slept through the night last night for the first time!! We both got 7 hours sleep for the first time in 2 weeks and it was glorious! Here's the latest of his cuteness and one of Klondike so he doesn't feel left out. :)

First Week

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:05:00 +0000

Everett Thomas is a week old! It's been a week of blessings, firsts, and little sleep but the most wonderful week of our lives. We're learning more about our little boy everyday and finding out just how much of a miracle & blessing he is to us!