Do they really grill Macaroni?

I went to dinner with Britney at Macaroni Grill last night. It is nice to leave the house without baby in tow once in awhile, all by myself. What I really find so nice is something so simple. I love how easy it is to get out of the car and walk in somewhere. With a baby, as many of you know, it just isn't easy with carseats, strollers, highchairs, and baby bags.

Britney is so good at keeping in touch, I really appreciate that. I might be the worst at picking up the phone and keeping in touch with people I don't see often. I used to work with Britney and I miss doing that. It was so fun because we worked along side each other so well. It was fun to laugh with her at all the random stuff that happens when you work a mall job, including people walking into the glass because it is just so clean.. ha that was so funny. Anyway, we talked about all the stuff girls talk about, boys, babies, work, the couple sitting next us, and the guy with the weird hat. It was a very nice evening and will look forward to doing it again. Next time I hope maybe we can get all the Vicky's girls together, Emily Leslie, Melissa, Anna, Mary, Britney... and of course megs if she is in town. That would be fun, we should make it happen! Britney, I know your reading, we should work on that!

Not so baby proof

Jaxson has learned to get around, and every day he is getting faster and faster. Every five seconds I am going to get him from playing with the computer cords, or getting him from grabbing the dogs tails, and from pulling on the curtains. Today I thought I would try to keep him a little more contained so he would be within eyesight at all times and not travel down the hallway or into the kitchen. I compiled some of the most baby friendly items and lined them up. They fit perfectly actually. This is what I came up with:

This was Jaxson's "you've got to be kidding me" look

It didn't take long for Jaxson to outsmart his mother. I am sure this will happen many times as I try to contain him and figures out a loop hole. Today his loop hole was to climb. I look over and there he is, right on top of one of my barriers. Once he was positioned directly on top he had high centered himself and couldn't get traction. Then he started to cry because he needed some help. He figured that he would try again, and again, and again tonight. I can say that he is not short on persistence.

I need a what?!?!

I guess there is this thing in your car called an alternator and it turns out you need one. That is very bad news for me since I now can't drive my car until I have a new one. About a week ago my car made a funny noise but it was so faint that I didn't think much of it. I mentioned it to Dave but he couldn't even hear it so I thought maybe I was crazy. It turns out I wasn't crazy and on my way home from Carol's yesterday the noise got much louder. So as any daughter would do I call my Dad. I met him for lunch and he said maybe its this or that, but I sure hope its not your alternator. We met his friend who is a fleet mechanic for wonderbread and he confirmed, it is the alternator. He gave me specific instructions to drive straight home and don't drive it until we get a new one put in Sunday morning.

Good news is that I am borrowing a car for the weekend that is MUCH nicer than mine. I am going to take Carol to the airport tomorrow and use her car until Sunday. So everyone gets something good out of it, I get a nice car to drive for a day, she gets warmer weather, and Dave doesn't have to tote me around this weekend, although I am sure he would LOVE to do that.

My car is older, 12 years actually but only has 93000 miles which is very low for a car that age. It has been very reliable and I can't complain much. Alternators can't last forever I guess and maybe my sweet car just wanted something new to spruce her up. She was probably just feeling a little old and worn down and thought, how about a new alternator. I generally go for a new pair of shoes but to each their own!

Last minute reservation

On my way home from work on Monday I was so excited to do nothing. Jaxson hadn't been sleeping to well and I was exhausted. I sat down to feed him when Dave's phone goes off with a text from Larry (dave's dad). He wanted us to join him for dinner at a hibachi grill in West Des Moines. The catch, we had to be there in 40 minutes. I don't want to pass up a chance for see Larry because Jaxson doesn't get to see him that often. So we hurried Jaxson's dinner time, did a quick wardrobe change, and off we went. Larry, Michelle (Larry gf), Ali(Michelle daughter), Gabe (Michelle nephew), Troy (Larry friend and business partner) and his girlfriend all joined. I do have to say it was a great place to take Jaxson. He was absolutely mesmerized by the flame, the sounds, the food flying around and into the guys hat.

They feed you consistently at the hibachi restaurants, first soup and salad, then rice, then veggies, then shrimp... and it continues until you leave. All the food was very good and it was alot of fun. Before we left though Jaxson got to bang on the big drum they had and then he took the drum stick and went after Grandpa Larry. He thought it was hilarious, and so did we.

Moving on up..

Moving on up to the high rise for Jaxson. As we enjoyed brunch with Anne, Dan, and Elaine on Sunday and Jaxson wanted to join in the fun but it was hard for him to see what was going on in his car-seat. So we sent the waitress on a mission to get the little guy a high chair. Out he came from the car-seat, and he sat right up at the table and it became a party of six. He was able to see everyone, chitchat, and bang a few toys on the table and he LOVED it. It is so fun for him to be more interactive, although I may wish for the days he just slept at restaurants, because he always brings a smile to everyone's face.

Some things never get old.........

When Dave was young he loved ECW, or WWF, or WWE, whatever it is called these days. At first his mom would go, then he began to go with his friends and he never missed a show once. Elaine would also make sure he had great tickets and he was able to watch some of the "wrestling" heroes growing up. Unfortnuately for me on Monday nights it never got old. He records all of the shows and always is up on what the current rumors are between the wrestlers. He has recently joined Holcomb and his son Tyler to Wells Fargo to watch it live and based on the video and pictures I saw, Dave was crazier than Tyler. He was cheering and talking trash as the wrestlers did their very rehearsed show in the ring. On his trip to the show he was sure to get the very important World Heavyweight Championship title belt for Jaxson. Tyler had the Tag Team Champion title belt.

(Tyler was eating doritos, its not lipstick!!)

Once a year the wrestling fan gets the opportunity to watch the exciting pay per view called the Royal Rumble. Dave wouldn't miss it and invited some friends over to join him in the fun. The best part for me certainly wasn't the three hour show but the ham and green bean casserole. Dave worked on all day and it was definitely well worth it. The ham came out of the oven and looked as good as it tasted and the green bean casserole was perfect. Leah brought over her cheesy potatoes which was the perfect addition. But can you believe that I forgot to get something for desert?!?!?!?! I know, I know, I won't let it happen again.

Happy Birthday!

Anne (soon to be Barry) birthday was on Sunday. She has embarked on her last year of her 20's and started her day with us at brunch. We went to Granite City, my favorite because of those amazing cheesy potatoes and the cinnamon roll. It is great, they sit the roll down in front of you without even ordering it. You don't feel bad about ordering something so bad and you might as well eat it because it is right there. Perfect! Unfortunately Anne was feeling a little under the weather but had the whole day to do whatever she would like and have Dan wait on her hand and foot. :) That is what birthdays are for right??

Lost!

Last week was the season premier of Lost. After waiting a year for the new season to begin we were both excited and lost in what was happening with the show. If you have never seen Lost it is an amazing show, the writers are great at what they do and have so many twists and turns you never know what is going to happen. (Even if you get on to every website after the show and try to figure it out like Dave) It has love triangles, time travel, suspense, and scary at times. We got hooked on the show a few years ago when my friend Mary loaned us the first two seasons on disk. We watched for days straight. We would start another episode despite it being 3am because we just couldn't sleep with that cliffhanger, only to get another one at the end of the next episode. So the cycle continued until there were no more episodes to watch and we had to wait for the third season to start on T.V.

The best part of the show is that Elaine comes over to watch it with use every Wednesday night. Even better, Dave usually cooks for us too! For the season opener we cheated and ordered Big Tomato Pizza, but last night Dave made salmon with an amazing cream sauce, steamed veggies, and rolls. I know I am lucky :) If any of you haven't watched the show I would highly recommend it. I kind of wish I wouldn't have watched it up until now and then could watch all the seasons on dvd. It is so hard to wait a week in between the shows. The season premier is Jaxson's first Lost experience as well, last season he was still cooking in my belly. I think he liked the show but I think he is still a little young and wanted to play and stand on his head instead.

Jewelry anyone??

Unfortunately not me but I enjoyed going to admire as well as see family and others. Kyra hosted a Spilada today, a very casual event but with cookies so I was a happy camper. I toted Jaxson along on this very girly event. Whether he liked it or not he is only 7 mo old and didn't have much say. When we arrived Ben offered him a trip to menards but because carseats complicate life Jaxson couldn't go. So before Ben left he went he gave Jaxson some very manly toys to play with including a motorcycle, a football, and a stuffed lasso thing. He put a baseball cap on his head and wished him luck. Everyone tried on, layered and paired all the different designs, and made their purchases. We also got to enjoy rather hilarious stories from Kyra's sister about her latest attendance to a Pure Romance party. She should seriously go to those parties more often because her reaction of sheer terror is absolutely hilarious!

Thank you!

First I want to say thank you to Jennie. She encouraged me to start this blog. She told me how great it was to share stories with friends and family. She was so right, I really do love sharing our life, particularly the joys of Jaxson, with everyone.

I also want to say thank you for everyone who reads the blog. Lately so many people have told me that they enjoy reading it and complimented me on my stories. I am so happy that people read the blog because otherwise I wouldn't put my time and effort into it at all. I find that by doing the blog my life seems less boring. All the day to day stories that make up your life have previously just faded into Thursday, or Friday and now they come to life. They have personality, they have pictures to give them character, and now I will never forget them. I so wish I would have started this the day before I told Dave "I'm pregnant" because there are so many stories, funny and not, that now have just faded into that nine month journey.

I hope you all continue to read so I continue to write so I will never forget all the little stories that light up my Thursday, my Friday, and ultimately light up my life.

Friday Night Manicotti

The only thing that I can actually cook without a recipe that isn't cookies or brownies is manicotti. It was one of my favorite dishes growing up so my mom showed me how to make it and I have never forgot, mostly because it is so easy. Carol came home on Wednesday so I wanted to make sure we were able to spend some time before she jets back the 85 and sunny. I offered to bring over dinner and spend the evening. To make it more dinner partyish we invited Joanne and Bob. I was excited to see them, but also a little intimidated. The cook of our family, Joanne, was going to eat MY food. I don't think anyone can really mess up cheese stuffed in a noodle but still, Joanne is such an amazing cook, it was little intimidating. Jaxson got passed around and we enjoyed the company. Thanks for having us over Carol!

Working in Tandem

A comraderee has been born between an age old pair, boy and dog. Jaxson has come to love being around Bandana, always try to "crawl" to him if he is laying nearby, Bandana always nearby if Jaxson is eating, and today they worked in tandem to give Jaxson access to the kitchen. We have yet to put up semi-permanent baby gates and are still relying on the pressure mounted gates. They don't work very well against Bandana who can easily shake them off in two wags of his yellow tail. Today Jaxson made his first adventure into the kitchen and so up went the gate. In no time Bandana got up, knocked down the gate and went back to bed. Right behind him was Jaxson who began to crawl over the gate that was then knocked down. Looks like we have a dangerous duo on our hands, dog and boy. The greatest kind of best friend because you know it will be forever.

Brunch with Steve

We all enjoyed brunch this morning with Joanne's egg casserole, two kind of rolls, and the Williams bunch. Steve is visiting from Washington state and is leaving tomorrow. He is here with unfortunate circumstances, visiting a friend with cancer whose health has recently deteriorated. Despite the occasion we enjoyed being able to visit since we rarely get to see Steve. Hopefully next time the whole family will get to join, or we can take a major family vacation and all visit in Washington. Emily is adding the family shortly with her second daughter due in February, we would all love to meet the two new cousins that are part of the family. Steve brought some pictures of Naelle, not sure on the spelling, Emily's first daughter. She is adorable. Definately will steal hearts and light up lives. My dad graced us with his rare presence and everyone enjoyed that. Jaxson was able to sit with the boys on Grandpa's lap for awhile. He had his baby remote in hand while the guys controlled the big boy remote to navigate through the football games. I can't wait for Jaxson to get a little older to play with Fischer. Fischer has so many big plans for the two of them, including teaching him how to ride a dirt bike, playing with his cars. He said that he will make sure he goes really slow at first while patting Jaxson on the head. So cute! I hope Fischer will teach Jaxson how to be as sweet and well behaved as he is too!! It was nice to see the family on a "just because" occasion rather than a holiday. It seems more relaxed and it is always nice to see family since I have such a good one. thanks for hosting Bob and Joanne!

Above is Steve, below is my dad Mike. I know it can get a little confusing!

BREAKING NEWS!!

We have another first for Jaxson. When we got home today from Joanne and Bob's I noticed something in Jaxson's mouth. I thought he had got something and went to grab it. As I ran my finger over it I realized that it was a tooth poking through. A real, pearly white, big boy tooth!! I immediately called for Dave yelling its a tooth, Jaxson has a tooth. Dave, in disbelief (he doesn't want Jax to grow up) came over to investigate. He confirmed, it is definately a tooth. So there we are, both in Jaxson's face excitedly yelling its a tooth, its a tooth. What does Jaxson do in all the excitement? Puts out his bottom lip as far as possible, crinkles his eyes, and wails at the top of his lungs. I think we scared him in all of our excitement. I picked him up, danced in circles while Dave said he would go make him some nachos now that he has teeth. As Jaxson and I danced around in our excitement Dave reminded Jaxson to not feel too grown up because it is just going to fall out in a few years anyway.


p.s. we didn't really give him nachos :)

It's Official

I finally did it. I traded my good old Williams in for Barry last week. I stood in line at the DOT in Ankeny, signed on the dotted line at the Social Security Office, and had my name tag at my cubicle changed to Barry. I can't tell you how many times I have already signed and said Williams. As I was waiting at the DOT to take my picture I didn't even go up when they called Jamie Barry. After the second time I got it, jumped up, and apologized for not hearing her the first time. I guess it takes awhile to get used to a different last name. I have had 23 years for Williams to sink in, and I think it may be stuck. It usually takes me until my birthday in June to get used to a new year, so I am guessing I will start getting my name right in 2014 or so. It is a good feeling to finally share the same last name with Dave and Jaxson though, the two guys in my life.

Sincerely,
Jamie Lynne Williams.... oops I mean Barry :)

No snow day for Dave

Dave started school this semester at DMACC. He is taking 3 online classes, Music Appreciation, Calculus, and Accounting. Ouch! He got started on his class work this morning. In the first twenty minutes he was already annoyed at Jaxson's musical toys, me eating an apple "so loud", and his computer that wasn't cooperating. He finally moved downstairs where it was somewhat more quiet. Jaxson and I held down the fort in the living room, trying to keep everything as quiet as we could. I think Dave is a little overwhelmed, he was under the impression that he could do all the work in a few days. Unfortunately for him the professors track exactly how much time you spend reading the material, how often you log-on, and whether you are taking the tests before actually doing the work. May be a little more work than he expected but I am sure that he will adjust and get into a schedule that works for him. But it was priceless when he said, with his eyes opened as wide as they could get, "I have to read all of this!" Yes, you do have to read all of it, that is what school is all about. It sounds like a piece of cake, until you sign up.

I am somewhat jealous of Dave. I love going to school. I don't miss the pressure to study or the tests that seem to pile up all in the same week. What I do miss is the feeling that you are getting smarter. I miss learning about generally interesting things, getting to hear other peoples opinions, and being excited to find out what the class will be all about. I love when you get a test back that you studied for so hard and you did really well. I miss the feeling of motivation you get when you studied really hard and didn't get the score you wanted. And it is always priceless when the person sitting next to you asks you how you did and your score is higher. I miss the feeling when you read the syllabus and think to yourself I am going to be organized and doing really well in this class. I never held true to getting myself organized completely, although I did get better after the 15th year of being a student right before I graduated. I can see myself doing a class once in awhile just to make sure I am not stuck at my current IQ. I will never forget what my senior business professor at Drake said on our last day. "This is the smartest you will ever be, from here on everyone that graduates after you will be a tad bit smarter." Ouch, reality hurts!

Lunch with the Uncles

I was able to join in a very rare lunch Friday afternoon. I picked my dad, then went to pick up Uncle Steve (from washington state for those of you that aren't family), and Uncle Bob joined as well for lunch. It was an experience to be sitting with my dad for one, and uncle steve because we rarely get to see either of them, let alone on the same day and at the same time! I wish everyone was able to join. Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I don't have any pics to prove the momentus occasion. But I do have good news, my dad is coming to brunch on Sunday. Yes, you did read that correctly, my father Mike Williams, will be attending brunch!! YaY! We pulled Jaxson's go bucket (aka carseat) up to the table and he played with Bobs watch while we all enjoyed our sandwhiches and soup from Panera. Can't wait until tomorrow

Mr. Head meet Mr. Table

We had our first run in with the ER tonight. Our little wiggle worm bonked his forehead right onto the edge of the coffee table while I was holding him. Luckily I was sitting on the floor next to the coffee table so he didn't fall, but he was turning and reaching for something so when he went down, he went down with a thud. That is all we heard was a thud, one loud thud. He hit it so hard he pretty much just bounced right back up, and he was screaming so loud nothing was coming out. His face was bright red, and right in between his eyes was a bump that was turning blue. Being our first run in with a head injury we weren't sure what to do, so we called Elaine and Dr. Fred but were already on the way to the ER. Something about head injuries scares me a bit. Of course on the way there he was out like a light in the car, which I have heard time and time again that you are not to fall asleep with a possible concousion.

Turns out that is somewhat of an old wives tale, its ok if you fall asleep but if you can't wake easily then you have a problem. The nurses probably wondered why the heck he was there because he was smiling and giggling away at all the pretty nurses. He played with his toys and was a happy camper. He even smiled at the doctor when she was pushing on his bump! She told us he was fine, that he will look much worse than he is as it gets black and blue before it gets better. She said a little tylenol should do the trick and nothing else will be needed.

I am glad that we got our first ER trip out of the way and it was nothing. Unfortunately for the lady that came in after us it wasn't the same story. She was telling the receptionist that her son (apprx 4yrs old) had a bloody nose a few times today so she finally took a good look up his nose. She found some type of toy lodged up there, she thought it was a bead of some sort. I guess that is what we have to look forward to, toys lodged in the nose and this minor bump on the head was just to break us in for what is to come. Yay!

Lights, Camera, Pictures!

Our good friend Nick Larson's cousin is a photographer and we happen to run into her at lunch on Saturday. It came up that I would like to get Jaxson's pictures done for his 6 months. In the next five minutes we had an appointment to go to her house for pictures tonight at 6. It was a stress free environment. No other crazy kids running around, it wasn't set in the middle of a mall, and I already knew her so it was easy to be stupid and funny to get Jaxson to smile. He wasn't in a bad mood at all, but he wasn't being super smiley either. Overall though I think we got some super cute pics and can't wait to drag Dave and get some family photos soon. I am going to have some of the pictures printed and get them to everyone. There are tons to choose from so I will make my selections and send them out to you!

Shawna is just starting up as a photographer. She finished school awhile ago and is slowly but surely building up her business. If you want some pictures done she does anything really, kids, families, weddings, etc. She was very reasonably priced and gave us our pictures on a CD the same night. It was definitely worth the time and money. If you are in need of some pictures she would love to hear from you. :)

digitalimagesbyshawna.com
515-371-8585