Big Boy Bed!

Jared has been changing so much in such a short amount of time!

-He is now obsessed with tunnels.  This started when we were driving through a tunnel on I-95.  But his favorite tunnel usually involves Steve's legs hanging over the edge of the couch.  He sees tunnels everywhere: overpasses that we're driving under, trees overhanging the road, roofs at gas stations, etc.
-Jared now understands the word fast.  He will run around the house saying "fast, fast."
-Jared ate fish for the first time the other day, and seemed to have no ill effects.  It will be nice to get that back into our diet.  Jared loves chicken, and it seems like that's all we eat lately.
-Jared finally figured out that it's fun to play in the river.  He likes to run in and splash around! :)
-Jared is really cute when he says helicopter and cock-a-doodle-doo!
-Jared also really likes saying things are heavy as he is carrying them.  Sometimes, they really are heavy, but mostly it's just a big bulky item.


We had a great 4th of July weekend up in Central PA.  We visited my parents and "Uncle Jim" at our cabin.  Jared loved the fresh blueberries and raspberries that Grammy picked for him.  I really enjoyed roasting marshmallows over a campfire every night.
We went into State College to visit with friends and walk around campus.  Jared was somewhat intimidated, but liked the "big lion" at Penn State.  We got ice cream from the creamery, and bought some new t-shirts, since ours are at least 10 years old now!  It seemed weird walking around campus with a two year old - it made me feel old, and gave me a quick realization that those college days are long gone.  Although, Jared enjoyed the tunnels through the dorms in West Halls. :)

Jared's big news is that he is now sleeping in his big boy bed.  He started asking to sleep with a pillow and blanket in the crib, so we thought it might be time to try for the big bed.  He was so excited when we assembled it, that he wanted to go to sleep at 4:30 pm!  Steve says that he has never seen him so excited before.  He went right to sleep the first night with no problems.  He didn't get out of bed, and he didn't roll out of bed.  He was so excited when he woke up the next morning that he couldn't get back to sleep, which unfortunately, was just before 5 am. :P  He's been doing well since then too.  I'm under no illusions that we won't encounter any problems with sleeping in the big bed, but the initial transition went so smoothly, that Steve and I are shocked.

Since the big bed went so well, I decided to push my luck, and get Jared a training potty.  We haven't tried it yet, but he has been a lot better lately about telling us when he's pooped.  Unfortunately, we have to explain to him that he needs to tell us before the event occurs.  We're not pushing him into potty training, but I think it's a good idea to introduce him to the concept, and we'll see how it goes.

I started pre-natal yoga.  I love being back at yoga, and the community with the other pregnant ladies.  All of the stretching feels good on my achy body, but I have to try to take it easy.  I'm extra flexible now, and I think I am stretching out my hip too much, since it usually hurts the next day.  Other than that, I am really appreciating the central A/C in the house!

Steve spent most of a day putting up a swing for Jared in the backyard.  I got the swing at a yard sale, but we have no good branches from our trees to hang it from.  Steve lashed a board between two trees, and hung the swing from the board.  Jared loved it the first day, liked it the second day, but now won't go in the swing.  Of course, he loves the swings at the playground.  Hopefully, he'll start liking it again soon. 

Our friend Jim is a big plant guy, and told us that our super-weed outside our house is indeed a super weed.  It's not a Lamb's Ear, but the biennial plant Common Mullein.  It looks like a Lamb's Ear the first year, with broad soft leaves.  Then it goes crazy and does this the second year.  It's currently measuring in at 9 feet tall!  Then it dies, and Jim says that the top works well as a torch.  I thought it would be cool to light the plant up for Halloween this fall, but it's probably too close to the house. :(

Welcome Baby Lana to the Thomas Family!  You are blessed to have such a wonderful family, and I can't wait to meet you!

Enjoy the new pictures posted of our adventures! :)