Since I last wrote, three months have gone by. Jasper is saying more words like “Bye” and “Touchdown!” Not to mention, ball, clock, outside and GEAUX! (We always respond, TIGERS!) He is always asking, “What’s that?” He finally started waving too, not at family, but instead, at complete strangers at Starbucks and other restaurants. At least they wave back. He has perfected the high five. He blows kisses; his first one was at Granny and Aunt Carol (10/21). He even made the sound, “MUUAAAHHH!!!” He’s just so cute. One night, after we had come home from Aunt Carol’s birthday dinner (9/24), I was talking to him and I asked him to give me a kiss. He walked over, opened his mouth and gave me a big wet kiss on the lips. Ladies, he’s gonna be a heart-breaker!
Our little monster is now opening doors, calling random numbers on the telephone, playing ball with Callie, and even helping me load the clothes dryer (I taught him to wait, then when all the clothes are in, he slams it closed then gives me high-five). He still loves splashing in Callie’s water bowl and eating her dog food. He opens cabinets and pulls out as much as he can. He climbs all over the elliptical machine. He has a weird obsession with my hair brush and cries for it until I hand it over. When he does something he's proud of, he claps for himself. When we fuss or yell at him, he usually starts laughing at us. He LOVES keys and tries unlocking everything, from doors to computers. I’m not quite sure how my truck key unlocks my computer, but whatever. He really enjoys his red wagon and our strolls thru the neighborhood. He likes to workout with us. He jumps up and down, just like Shaun T. on Insanity. When it’s bath time, he loves splashing in the tub and he cries every time we take him out. And I definitely see him escaping the crib in the near future...
In mid-October, we visited a nearby pumpkin patch. Jeremy and I made the mistake of walking in and plopping Jasper down for a picture right away. Next thing ya know, we have a baby freak-out. I think it was the scarecrow that set him off. After all, he was a pretty scary scarecrow. Eventually he calmed down, picked out a pumpkin and didn't let it go til the stem finally fell off a day later. He instantly lost interest and moved on to the next toy, as toddlers do.
We had a very busy Halloween this year. Between Jessica and Trey’s Couples Shower, Sher Garner’s Halloween festivities, and our own Halloween fun, I had three costumes, and the boys each had two. The theme for the couples shower was Disney Zombies. Jeremy and I went as Tinkerbell and Captain Hook. I asked Jeremy if he wanted to be Peter Pan, but he really wasn't into wearing green tights. We bought the costumes and had our makeup professionally done. WE LOOKED GOOD! Well, actually, we looked dead, but that was the idea!
At Sher Garner, our group theme was Toy Story, and I took on the task of creating Mr. AND Mrs. Potato Head. It was a lot of work, but the costumes came out great! Jasper made a surprise appearance as an alien and of course, he stole the show. Special thanks to Grandpa for making the Potato Heads' shoes, ears and noses!
That night, as if we weren't already exhausted, we invited the family over for the neighborhood block party. This year, we were iphone apps. Even Grammie and PawPaw were in costume with us! Jasper’s “Angry Birds” costume won him first place in the costume contest. Well, it was a tie between him and our neighbor Kit who was Little Red Riding Hood. It was a nice night (even if Jasper did throw up twice on his costume, causing me to have a psycho-mommy meltdown). Fun was had by all!
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We finally had the opportunity to visit with Jasper’s cousin Nova (11/11). We spent a beautiful Sunday at Audubon Zoo with Grammie, PawPaw and Nova. Jasper and Nova rode in the wagon together most of the day. And when they weren't in the wagon, they were walking with Jeremy, Grammie or PawPaw, or on Jeremy's shoulders. Jasper rode the carousel for the first time. It was a little crowded by the tiger, so his first ride was on the alligator. We saw elephants, bears, tigers, monkeys, lions and plenty more! It was a nice day, and to top it off, the Saints beat the Falcons!
Last weekend was A LOT! Dad celebrated his 50th high school reunion from Warren Easton. If you have talked to Dad at all in the past year, chances are he has mentioned his class reunion. He spent countless hours searching in phone books and on the internet for classmates. He even joined Facebook to see if he could find people there! He created a special slideshow for those that had passed away. (Although one accidentally made it in there who shouldn't have. Luckily, she had a sense of humor.) He created a memory book that captured their thoughts on life and fond memories from the good old days. It even had a survey page with information on who lives where, and even how many children and grandchildren were a result of the graduates. There were two socials and even a trip to the school in school buses. What a wonderful weekend. And I can tell you, even if others don't, Walter Brunken did a majority of the work!! I roped Audrey into helping me out with registration and taking pictures. I can honesty say, we were both very happy to be part of such a well-planned and well-attended weekend. Dad's hard work really paid off. Evidently, he looks very good for his age too. Someone asked Audrey if he had had a face lift!
After the reunion festivities ended, we had the opportunity to catch up with our St. Louis friends, Brandon and Stephanie. Their visit was much too short but it was great to see them. We went with them on a swamp tour in Slidell Sunday morning and what a treat. As locals, we don't often stop to look at what's right in front of us. The swamp was absolutely beautiful. Of course my camera died as soon as the boat ride started. But at least I got a few pictures of Jasper horsing around outside the store. As for our friends, we can't wait to see them again, and meet Baby Clara!
Happy holidays to you all. We're looking forward to catching up with as many of you as we can in the next few months. We love you!
