Bye Bye Grandma.....Welcome home Jack and Chris!

Mom and Savvy working on getting dressed for church last Sunday

Success!  Sooooo pretty!

Jack and Chris arrived back in Omaha right on schedule on Thursday morning.  Chris said the flights were uneventful and Jack was very well behaved.  Anne met them at the airport to help get loaded up for the three plus hour car ride back to Marshalltown.  Anne had a Superman balloon for Jack and he loves it.  Thanks Anne!

Chris and Jack came into work to see me first thing when they pulled into town.  When I saw those two precious faces I couldn't help but cry.  Jack kept hugging me, pulling back to look at my face, and laughing and hugging some more, and then he just continued to look at me and say "Mom, mom."  I wonder if in his two year old little mind if he thought I left him.  It was so wonderful to feel his hair, kiss his cheek, and smell his little boy Jack smell.  He looked older, like I have missed a year, instead of just ten days, of his life.  And Chris, well, he looked tired, but oh so wonderful too.  A group hug in my office, some tears, and then it was back to dentistry for SERIOUSLY, the longest hour of my life.  I just wanted to go home.  Getting home that night was so neat, just to watch Jack rediscover his house, his room, all his favorite toys and things to do in his house.  He was so excited to show me all these things that he thought I forgot about.  He and Savannah picked right up where they left off, hugs, kisses, and the occasional push from Jack when she got out of line.  

Mom had already left when I got home, so it was just the four of us.  It was wonderful having her here with me and Savannah, but I know she missed Lyle and was ready to get back to her house and life.  She really missed the Sioux City Journal and doing the cross word puzzle.  Thank you so much Mom for all your help and for spoiling Savannah silly. 

As I was putting Jack to bed that first night home we purposely neglected to put the gate in front of his doorway because we had hoped he would forget about it and just not get out of bed and open the door to wander the house like he used to when we first moved him to a big boy bed.  This child has not had his bed time routine in five weeks. But sure enough as he gave Chris a kiss and Chris starts to leave his room so that me and Jack could read books in his chair, he calls out, "Dad, gate!"  Chris and I just look at each other incredulously.  We couldn't believe that he remembered and we thought it was so funny that he wanted it.  So the gate went up  and Jack went to bed without any talking or singing, poor boy was wiped out from his long day on the airplane and in the car.  

The other big thing that Chris accomplished after I left Baltimore was breaking Jack of his binky.  That is right, you heard me correctly, Jack no longer has a binky when he goes to bed!  It used to be that he required one in his hand, one in his mouth to go to sleep.  At the airport on the way out to Baltimore I made him throw one in the garbage so that he was down to one.  Then after I left Chris had a man to man talk with him and I guess he took it really well and went to sleep the first night without it.  The second night he asked for it and Chris was firm, and the rest is history.  I am so happy because I had a lot of guilt over that damn thing.  I knew he was too old for it, but it gave him comfort and he has been through so much.  It was too hard for me to say no when he wanted it.  Savannah has one for bedtime, but otherwise we don't let her have one if she is out of the crib, so that has helped Jack too.  

We have had a great Memorial Day weekend.  Beautiful weather, walks to the park, get togethers with friends and lounging in the backyard kiddie pool.  Doesn't get much better than that!  Here are some pics!   

  

Savannah is a champion crawler now, and she is beginning to pull up.  Tonight she was standing up in the tub holding onto the side!

Savannah loved playing with the other babies at our friends, the Petries, going away party.

The weather was perfect for outdoor games and eating.

This was the best family photo we got.  Jack was too excited to sit still, one adjacent backyard had a dog, and the other had someone running a lawn mower.  He had better things to do!

My friends Leah and Jamie.  Jamie and her family are moving to Ohio and the party was basically a going away party.  It was great to see their family one last time for probably four years or so. We will miss them so much!

Jack plucked this pinwheel out of their garden and he absolutely loved it!

At the end of the night we told him he had to put it back.  Lots of two year olds would throw a fit and be upset.  My little guy, walked right over to the garden, pushed it back into the dirt, and yelled."BYE BYE!!"

After nap time today, Jack was thrilled to play with the hose.  Notice both hands! The blue tape is kineseotape, to help his wrist to be in the proper position.

What a beach babe!  She is rocking the nautical stripes that are so in style this season!

See that ugly garden in the background?  I made Chris rent a tiller and we tilled it before we left for Baltimore with the intention of planting vegetables and flowers when I returned home.  When I got home that is what it looked like.  We decided we are going to tear it up.  Too much work, not enough time for such a large garden.  I want to be playing with my kids on the weekends, not pulling weeds.  Maybe when the kids are older I will get to try out my green thumb.  Besides, a playset or swingset would fit perfectly in that space!

Savannah loved the water!

I am afraid if Savvy keeps up her appetite she will soon outweigh her brother!

After a long day, a relaxing episode of the Backyardigans is just what these two needed.

The night Chris and Jack returned home I thanked God for bringing us all back together again safely and for protecting us in our travels. I checked on both the kids and marveled at how beautiful they were as they slept.  I feel so blessed and so lucky to be Jack and Savannah's mom, and Chris' wife.

Chris and I started a few new routines with Jack based on the recommendations from his therapists in Baltimore.  They sent a home based therapy program with Jack and we are incorporating new things into his daily routine.  He is doing really well with it.  We hope that if we continue some of the things that he learned, that his progress will continue, slow and steady. 

We have Anne's wedding and rehearsal dinner this weekend and I am so excited for it.  Chris is a groomsman, I am maid of honor, Jack is a ring bearer and Savvy has the best job of all.  To wear her gorgeous dress and just look pretty!  Pictures to come next week!