Soccer queen

Ally just finished up her first season of soccer! We weren't sure how things would go when she first said she wanted to play. Would she stick with it? Would she stand in the field picking flowers? Turns out she really enjoyed playing and it was great for her self-esteem. We got to watch her last two games yesterday (and I'm super mad because I forgot to bring my camera so we don't have any pictures). She played really hard! Since most of the kids on the team were younger and were the grass picking type, it was hard to keep them invovled in the game. This meant that they relied on Ally and one or two other kids to pretty much carry the team. She lived up to the challenge. She played both hour long games (with breaks between quarters and an hour between games) and only sat out half a quarter in each game. She got a trophy for playing and they called her the hardest worker on the team. We are very proud of her!

New Arrivals

I'm so excited for our friends Tim and Abby. Their son Ethan Robert has arrived. He's such a cutie. Looking at their pictures, it reminds me of the day JJ was born. I was really pretty lucky in that I didn't have a ton of pain and my labor was pretty short. Don't get me wrong, once things got going, it hurt like hell, but I was relatively lucky. In the end, it's all worth it when you get to hold that new little life in your arms. There's nothing like holding a tiny baby. Now, he's getting so big. I'm so proud of how he's grown and the things he's learning. It's a feeling a person really just doesn't understand until they become a parent. You know, I always disliked hearing people say that. There are so many things you can have an understanding of without experiencing it personally. Loving a child is one of those things that is so profound that you really don't understand the depth of it until it happens to you. Seeing a new baby is a reminder of all that.

JJ is getting better about standing on his own and is much braver in walking while we hold his hands. He is getting more mischievious everyday. He has taken to crawling quickly away when I tell him he has something he shouldn't have. He smiles and defies me as I tell him not to do things. It's funny in a lot of ways. Such an independent little cuss. When Mommy is really serious, he listens. He just knows when she means it. Amazing how smart babies are!

JJ is practicing his walking. He chooses not to cruise much and really prefers to crawl. But this last weekend, he decided it was ok for us to hold a hand while he walks along. He's gone all the way across the room before he decides he's done. He crawls so fast that I think he just likes it better. He's so efficient at it!

So, a friend started a blog to keep friends and family up to date regarding her pregnancy and I thought, "What a great idea!" Just after having Jameson, I thought about starting a blog for all the fun stories about him that I wasn't sure people would want filling up their email boxes. That, and I think I was missing all the writing I did at work....

I have enjoyed sharing pictures of Jameson and for the most part, people seem to enjoy getting them. The only problem I am finding is that it is getting harder and harder to send pictures because I got a new camera. The picture files are too big to email to most people and I can only do one at a time, most times. My thought is, I'll do a blog and people can read and check out pics at their convenience. If you want me to continue to send you the pics in an email, I can. And if you ever see one posted that you would like to have me email to you, just let me know! So, here goes...