Our little one-and-a-half-year-old

Jasper celebrated his year-and-a-half birthday on Mardi Gras Day. With that said, I thought I'd take some time to elaborate on what it's like trying to keep up with a one-and-a-half year-old.

In the past few months, he has picked up so many new words, some of his favorites being car, boat, PawPaw, moon, dome, basketball, Elmo, and one that I'm sure I probably taught him, "No!" Jeremy and I recently started playing the "Who do you like more" game, where we ask Jasper who he likes more, Mommy or Daddy. He ALWAYS responds, "MAMA!" And when we ask who he likes more, PawPaw or Elmo, he answers that one 50/50. He knows some sign language, including "more" and "milk." We didn't teach him that; he just picked it up at daycare... because he's a genius.

He can point to his nose, ears and eyes. He can point out different animals in his books like cow, horse, kitten, frog, etc. He makes the "Moo" sound when we point to a picture of a cow. It's impressive to see how quickly he catches on to what's what. Then again, would you expect anything less? He gives Daddy and the guys high fives and "daps" all the time. He has perfected his unique wave and does it on command, along with blowing kisses to all the ladies. If you have the opportunity to kiss him on the lips, he lets out a big, loud "MMMUUAAHHH!" And on top of all that, during his bath tonight, he repeated, "I love you" to me. Yes, my heart melted.

We're finally to the point where he watches television. Do you realize how wonderful this truly is for us? I know, I know, we should be reading to him more and not parking him in front of the TV but you know what, it's just not realistic to keep up with all that. Dinner has to be made, laundry needs to be folded and these last 15 lbs. aren't going to lose themselves. Anyway, "Santa" brought Jasper some Sesame Street DVDs for Christmas and he is positively mesmerized by them. When I tell you that this kid NEVER sits still, I am not exaggerating. But put him in front of the TV with one of Sesame Street's Elmo videos and suddenly, I'm the maid I always wanted!

I know it's probably too early to tell, but I'm pretty sure that Jasper lucked out with a combination of our best music genes. He loves all kinds of music. He dances to any-and-everything. If I sing a simple ABC song, he rocks his head back and forth. Every time he hears music, he bends his knees and hops to the beat. I hope he always likes dancing as much as he does now. It will definitely pay off later with the ladies. And it's not just the dancing; he now has his own trumpet and french horn! As he walks around the house blowing the horn (and tormenting Callie) like he's in the marching band, Callie chases after him barking and biting at the end of the horn. It's quite entertaining to watch.

He's fearless. Jeremy had the attic door open and with PawPaw supervising, Jasper climbed up to the top of the attic ladder. Jeremy is teaching him karate. Well, not exactly. But they both walk around the house yelling, "HIIYAAA!" I'm not sure what that's about. Must be a guy thing. Speaking of guy things, they play football, basketball, baseball and some wrestling all in our very own living room. A few days ago, while I was working, Jeremy worked a half day (it was a holiday), picked up Jasper and took him to "Happy Hour." FYI, our version of Happy Hour involves selecting your own yogurt and many, many toppings at TCBY. Sounds like a pretty awesome happy hour to me!

We experienced another milestone last week (2/13/13) as Jasper climbed out of his crib for the first time. Lately, he's been wanting to get to bed later and later. His regular bedtime is already 9:15. So when I tried putting him to bed a few minutes before 9 p.m., I knew we were in for a good 20 minutes of screaming. Sure enough, he didn't disappoint. But when his bedroom door opened and I was in bed and Jeremy in the kitchen, we knew instantly, there was a problem! We had an escapee, and a very cute one at that! So there's  a little more to the story from that night that I feel I need to share... Jeremy wanted to see how Jasper climbed out, so he put him back in the crib and grabbed his phone to record Jasper on video. Well, Jasper was too slick. He put his hands on the rail, hopped up and over, and plopped on the ground in seconds. So to throw him off, Jeremy got creative. He turned most lights off, threw the blanket over Jasper's head pressed "record," and hid in the closet. One small problem. Jasper never hopped out of the crib. Instead he sat in his crib, stood up, sat, stood back up, sat, and eventually fell asleep about 30 minutes later. This is where "Dad of the Year" comes in. Because Jeremy didn't want Jasper to be afraid of monsters in the closet for the next 30 years of his life, Jeremy stuck it out, standing in the closet, in the dark, silent for 30 minutes until Jasper was fast asleep. Best Dad. Ever.

With Jasper getting older, going out to restaurants is getting harder and harder. He gets fussy and he can't sit still for long. He tries letting go of my hand when we're walking in crowds. He can be super whiny when he's tired and he often shows much too much separation anxiety when Daddy gets too far from his sight. But it's incredible watching him slowly begin to follow instruction, see and experience things for the first time, do things independently, and to show affection for particular family and friends. He may throw the remote on the floor, but when we ask him to pick it up and put it back on the table, he does. He's also very nice about sharing, especially when this involves his food and Callie. He gives me things, like shoes, toys and even a half eaten pretzel, and he usually doesn't take them back. I've even begun reasoning with him that he doesn't need to cry to get what he wants, but to simply ask. He likes trying to feed himself (with an emphasis on "trying"). He likes sitting next to Callie and petting her. And tonight, he crawled up in Daddy's lap to read a book together. He's precious and we're very lucky. I'll have to remind myself of all this the next time we're out in public and he won't stop running and screaming, haha!

Now, you know I couldn't post a blog without adding pictures. Here are a few more, taken between December and February. As always, we love you! XOXO.

I'm just trying to keep up...

It's February?!? When did that happen? With so much going on, I'll do my best to run through the highlights from the last few months as best I can. Big breath, and here we go!

Hmm, I can't even remember Thanksgiving, so let's just skip right into December. One of my very favorite friends tied the knot on Friday, December 7th. Jessica was a gorgeous bride and I'm pretty sure that I saw Trey cry as she walked down the aisle. If there was ever a wedding dress made for one person, Jess certainly found hers. She was stunning. And what a wonderful group of bridesmaids. Her sister was amazing through all of the planning, and I loved catching up with my "twin," Lauren. I know this blog is usually more about Jasper and our family, but I gotta show you pictures for the details from this wedding. Jessica made both cakes herself, and created all of the table decor too! The reception was beautiful; the food, the music, everything was just fabulous.

Instead of spending more money on more toys, Christina, Audrey and I took our boys to the Children's Museum as a fun "Christmas get-together." Jasper, Mason and Garret got some much needed quality time in as they crawled, walked, ran, jumped and climbed their way through the museum. The baby room was great; basically a padded cell with soft toys for them to play with. After two hours of fun and excitement, we were exhausted! But what a great day to spend with friends.

Speaking of friends, we met up with Jamie and Nora at Chapelle's "Breakfast with Santa" breakfast. Unfortunately, Jasper wasn't too wild about sitting on Santa's lap. It didn't help that every kid that came before Jasper was screaming bloody murder as their parents sat them down. So, Jasper did one one-year-old's do best for his picture with Santa. He cried and screamed his head off til Daddy rescued him from the big, mean, scary Santa. Meanwhile, Nora was a perfect angel.

New Year's Eve was certainly memorable! We surprised Kira for her 31st birthday by hosting a big party at our house. She had no clue! We had pictures of Kira ALL OVER the house. From the dining room to the bathrooms, Kira's pictures were everywhere. I especially liked the high school pictures of her and Dusty. For not having digital cameras back then, I think I did pretty well!

And talk about clean sweep! I still can't find things that I put away the day before the party! But it was all worth it. Friends came in from out of town and we celebrated Kira and the new year. And did I mention, another fabulous cake made by Jessica!

Mardi Gras came early this year and it was incredible. To start things off, we attended the annual Iris Ball and Supper Dance. Jasper stayed with Granny while Mom, Dad, Grammie and PawPaw partied it up all night long with the Gegenheimer's. The best part was seeing Claire get presented as a Junior Maid. She looked amazing!

Callie, an official member of the Krewe of Barkus paraded for a third consecutive year, this time as Beignet Mix. That's right! Us humans were the beignets! Cookie and Beasley joined us as cafe au lait and coffee & chicory. Aimee completed our group as a Cafe du Monde server. Plenty of pictures were taken of our group as we strolled thru the French Quarter. In fact, even the Cafe du Monde owners found out about us and invited us to go on ESPN2 to represent Cafe du Monde. So, the following Monday, Jeremy, Aimee, Jasper and I threw our costumes back on and headed out to Jax Brewery to get on national TV. Big thanks to Granny and Grandpa for babysitting Jasperino, who was a total monster as he fought taking his nap for two hours!

Callie really strutted herself at the parade, gaining over 2,800 "likes" on Cafe du Monde's Facebook page. Another thing about the costumes: I feel the need to explain how we made the powdered sugar. When it comes to creating something, especially last minute, "we" almost always includes me and Dad. That's right. Dad helped me with getting the "powdered sugar look" by rigging a way to hang the costumes above our heads while we spray painted each one with that popcorn ceiling stuff. We made a huge mess in the backyard and there is still white paint all over the patio, even some on the house and the air conditioner too. Looking back, Dad and I had a lot of fun, and the costumes were a hit. If anyone talks about this to Jeremy, just tell him that I thought this would be a great time to see how well our pressure washer works. Thanks again Dad. Oh and one more thing... Jasper slept thru most of the parade. But he was really cute in his mini beignet outfit, so we didn't give him too much of a hard time.

As for the rest of the Mardi Gras festivities, where do I begin? It was a fabulous Mardi Gras filled with friendly crowds, beautiful parades, not-so-bad weather and great time with friends and family. Jasper is a natural when it comes to embracing the Mardi Gras spirit. I danced in my first parade with the Nawlins Nymphs and I couldn't have gotten thru it without help from my awesome dancin' buddy, Courtney! And the Endymion Extravaganza was absolutely worth the $175 ticket, even if you do have to bring your own food and booze... and your dress gets ruined... Jessica was so right; getting there an hour and a half BEFORE the doors even open SERIOUSLY paid off!! I never want to see Endymion any other way unless I'm in the dome, standing on a cooler, in the front row next to my girl.

I posted something a couple of days ago on my Facebook page to describe Mardi Gras and what it means to me. I hope those of you that already read this don't mind seeing it again.

I love Mardi Gras. Here's why...

Because of king cakes.
Because hosting the Super Bowl is nothing compared to hosting Mardi Gras.
Because the stranger next to me caught a rubber chicken and gave it to my nephew.
Because before I left for work, I grabbed a moon pie from the bag of beads on my kitchen counter to eat for breakfast.
Because this year's Mardi Gras guide had our picture in it.
Because we can finally restock our to-go cups.
Because we caught a banana off a Bacchus float and fed it to Jasper as a snack.
Because everywhere else, it's just Tuesday.
Because my aunts and mom rent a U-haul every year and put their own make-shift toilet in it.
Because after the parades, when we go out to eat, we leave all our beads on us as trophies.
Because a few years ago, I got asked to be a godmother at Caesar.
Because Mardi Gras gives me an excuse to eat an entire bag of Zapp's Cajun Crawtators and not feel bad about it.
Because I met Amanda Shaw in a hotel bathroom before a parade.
Because blinkie beads are AMAZING.
Because we caught a coveted toilet brush at the Tucks parade.
Because I'm on the "neutral ground side."
Because the gumbo at Sophie B. Wright School on St. Charles and Napoleon is better than ya mama's gumbo.
Because there are beads with balls the size of my head hanging from the light fixture in my kitchen, and I may just leave them there til Easter.
Because my mom has her own 10-foot ladder.
Because it is highly probable that I will find beads in my car well into Summer.
Because my former band director is the trombone player for Pete Fountain's band.
Because we dress up more for Mardi Gras than for Halloween.
Because friends I don't see all year long call me and ask me, "Where yat?" And I always reply "Napoleon and Prytania."
Because my husband took our child to Krewe de Vieux.
Because friends, family and even co-workers came out to see me dance in the parade this year.
Because rain won't stop us.
Because outsiders have no idea that most of Mardi Gras is extremely family oriented.
Because while dancing in the parade, a black guy told Courtney, "you a fine-ass white girl" and she smiled and said, "Thank you!"
Because Mardi Gras never gets old.
Because Jasper dances as each band marches by, and then he claps for them.
Because there's nothing like seeing the Krewe of Endymion parade in the Superdome, while standing in the front row, alongside Jessica Martino, on a cooler, wearing a ball gown.
Because our dog is an official member of the Krewe of Barkus.
Because while walking with the stroller, a lady stopped me and said, "Ma'am, your son dropped his cigar."
Because we got on the front row this year!
Because Mardi Gras is what helped us persevere after Katrina.
Because my father-in-law wants me to send my son to either St. Aug or Warren Easton just so he can play in the band and march in the parades.
Because beads are on the changing table and plastic cups are in the bath tub.
Because strangers smile at you and wish you a "Happy Mardi Gras."
Because my cousin, Drea got married on a float.
Because I got my picture taken with Arthur Hardy on Napoleon and Prytania.
Because Mike Hoss where's the same moose costume every single year.
Because the music never stops.
Because I can perfect my mad parallel parking skills.
Because on Mardi Gras Day you can wear all the craziest things you own together, even though they don't match, and you still get compliments.
Because our son already loves Mardi Gras just as much as we do.

You know, a friend of mine at work said to me in January, "Wow, Brigette. You've really got your stuff together... being a mom, making costumes, having a full-time job." She has no idea that we live in complete chaos. No really! Laundry never ends. Toys are everywhere. We spend way too much on going out to eat. My car is still full of Mardi Gras junk. It's become a common occurrence for Callie to eat Jasper's dinner and for Jasper to eat Callie's dinner. And I'd die of embarrassment if you were to walk in our bathroom right now. But with all of that said, our little family is having an absolute blast. What's that saying by John Lennon? "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." He's right. There are days when I feel like I'll never catch up. Or, I'll never get to finish the projects or ideas I've started. And Pinterest just makes it worse. But all of the chaos doesn't matter, as long as the three of us are having fun in the process. Oops, the four of us. Sorry about that Callie!

Happy Lent to you all. Jeremy and I will be catching up on some much needed sleep this weekend. We love you.