Just A Word From Your Sponsors

We just want to take this opportunity to say two things:

1) We are very proud of Jack's cousin Tori for working hard to make the varsity volleyball team as a freshman.

2) We can't believe Tori is in high school already. It feels as though we're living in an alternate universe! I (Dave) was 15 when Tori was born. Tori will be 15 in November. You do the math on how old that makes me. The answer: old ENUF! (30 in April).

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When Tori was a little girl, she was kinda like a sister to all of us. She spent the first year of her life in the same house with us: her mom, her grandparents, her uncles and her aunt (the original Vrbi). She completely changed the dynamics of our family and if I may be so bold to speak for all three of us, we are so very proud to call her our niece.

She and I are like peas in a pod and even though we live three hours away from each other (which sucks), she is always in my thoughts. She's turned out to be a terrific, beautiful high school girl--though it seems like it was only yesterday we were sneaking into her room hoping to find her awake in her crib. Most of the time it didn't matter; we'd help her wake up. No wonder she can sleep until noon now; she's making up for lost time!

So now our Barney-watching, Elmo-loving, coyote-hunting, loveable goofball niece is growing up. That's cool. It was bound to happen. It's been fun to watch, and there's plenty more to come.

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We love you, Tori, and are very proud of you! Good luck on Friday. Even though we can't be there to cheer you on, we are there in spirit. Go out there and do your very best. Go Broncos!

Jack says: "Uggh...baa...goo...daa...plbbtt." You can figure out what that means! I think it means, "Tori, kick butt this week and we'll see you next week at Elm Creek! Oh, and Go Huskers! Peace out. Love you."

Jack Would Like Say Hello To His Fans

Howdy y'all! I rolled over on my side last night!

My dad is going to take more pictures of me tonight, so stay tuned.

Jack's Week at Daycare

Since Granny Janny is going to be staying with us Thursday through Monday, Jack won't be at daycare on Friday. Here's the weekly recap though:

Monday: Jack had a good day today. He was happy and playful. He really let me know when he was hungry today. He was a good boy.
Tuesday: He seemed sleepy today. He drank his bottles very slowly. So a very quiet day for Jack. He wasn't really in the mood to play either.
Wednesday: He got the hiccups today and he would squeak this little sweet sound. Very cute. He loved listening to Austin and Jadeyn practice piano. He smiled and would turn his head to listen. He is very smart.
Thursday: A good day. Jack was happy. He smiles with his eyes. I love it! :-) Ate good today. Every drop...

Cutie Patootie

Saturday Mornin' Bath Time

Time For Dawg

Professor Dexter Beansprout loves to tickle Jack's feet.

Dexy kisses.

Getting some camera time.

This Week At Daycare

Here are Laurie's comments on Jack-Jack's daily reports this week.

Monday: He was hungry today. I got lots of smiles. He was talking a lot also. He was happy and fun. Have a great night.

Tuesday: We had a nice quiet day. Jack was great. He would smile and coo whenever I would walk by and say "Hi Jack". After his bottle at 11, I had him in my arms and he told me all about his little life. I love our little talks.

Wednesday: He had a pretty quiet day. Not lots of noise. Still lots of smiles. He sure looks cute today. He had a great time during tummy time.

Thursday: Jack was a good boy today. Happy and playful. Lots of smiles. Great job on tummy time. He like the bumble bee blanket today. I think he is going through a growth spurt. Have a great night.

Friday: What can I say about Jack Jack? He is so sweet. He took his bottles great. He took good naps. He is growing and becoming stronger. I hope you have a great weekend and I will see you on Monday.

It's All Good In Tha Hood(ie)

We could not wait to get Jack into this getup. Tina Kitt got this for JP at Mud Buckets in Imperial NE. Isn't it the stinkin' cutest thing?

Beauty Rest

Pacified and ready for bed.

Dressed For Success

We went ALL out for daycare today. Jack was smiling like crazy when I put the shoes on. He didn't seem to mind them, but they wouldn't stay on. What a little stud nugget.

Telling Daddy How It Is

"To get to the other side! Get it? Ha! I kill me!"

"And this week, Daddy, I'm gonna gain 2 pounds!"

"Whattaya mean 15 more years before I can drive?"

"And I'm...spent..."

Then And Now

Jack on June 8

And Jack on August 22.

I think it's safe to say that our little boy is becoming more and more handsome with age. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but his eyes are so blue they literally light up the room--especially when he's wearing blue. It seems like he is growing and growing so much that when you lie him down for bedtime, you wonder how much he'll grow before he wakes up. We are enjoying all of his little milestones, and are looking so forward to his first audible giggle.
It just amazes us how much love can come in such a tiny little package. He has such a charming character. When we get up for our morning routine, he is full of smiles and enjoys his time with Mommy and Daddy before going to daycare. Our reports from Laurie is that he talks to her all day and laughs and smiles. He has truly charmed her.
When Jack rides in the car, he likes the radio off so he can hear Daddy sing all the way across town. Daddy was running out of songs like "Row Row Row Your Boat" and needed some adult songs to sing finally. It's a ten-minute ride, so we covered everything from "Stand By Me" to "Walkin' In Memphis" this morning. He always babbles along in the backseat (I think he's showing me the way to sing the song with a little more soul.) He'll either grow up to be a singer or hate music because of those car rides. We'll see...
We hope you're enjoying the blog. We love showing off our beautiful baby boy. He is truly the apple of our eyes. We are looking forward to everyone seeing him in person soon!

Take Care,

Daddy & Mommy V

My Favorite Stops On The WWW

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I thought since my sister was nice enough to divert traffic to my site so people could see the apple of my eye, I'd direct traffice right back. Missy updates her site regularly and Amy and I are very proud of our nephews, Luke and Matthew. Pretty soon she'll have pictures of her newest addition! Here's her site:
The Blackman Zoo
www.blackmanzoo.blogspot.com
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Our very good friends, Craig and Rebecca, also have a blog that they update regularly. Their son, Dax Wesley, was born on August 6th of this year and he is beautiful. Jack was born on 6-8-06; Dax was born on 8-6-06. Coincidence? I think not! We hope they will be able to stick around GI so Dax and Jack can have many fun times together, along with their other pals. Here is their blog:

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Greenbean!

www.babygreenbean.blogspot.com

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I also really enjoy George Ayoub's blog. He works at The Independent, and I only wish I could write as well as he does. It seems like every time I read his column in The Independent, I end up nodding in agreement (or screaming, "Thank Gawd someone had the guts and wherewithall to actually say what I was thinking!). Maybe because we're both super genius brainiacs. Okay, that's enough of that!

A Shoe On The Freeway

www.theindependent.com/george

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My friend, Jessica, works approximately four feet from me everyday, Manic Monday through Freakoid Friday. She writes about her family and general stuff. It is very entertaining and she's a good writer. Me digs it. She took a hiatus, but she recently posted and promised to do so more often.

Mother Of The Pride

www.pridemama.com

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And, I love this site. It's for new dads and has many fun stories and anecdotes.

Noodad

www.noodad.com

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And this site is just hilarious. I'm absolutely hooked on VH1's Best Week Ever. The blog is just as funny, if not funnier.

Best Week Ever

www.bestweekever.tv

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Monkey Boy

Uncle Dan and Amber brought Jack this monkey outfit when they came to visit in July. Daddy put it on Jack this morning and it fit perfectly! We think he'll be wearing outfits from now on--instead of just onesies. He really hit a growth spurt over the weekend. The first thing they said at daycare Monday was how much they thought he grew!

Thanks, Uncle Dan and Amber. I love my monkey outfit--even if the shoes fell right off. I'll grow into them, I promise.

My Fave Quotes

On Raising Kids:

Families with babies and families without babies are sorry for each other.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.

Always kiss your children goodnight - even if they're already asleep.

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while.

Your children need your presence more than your presents.

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

Kids spell love T-I-M-E.

When you teach your son, you teach your son's son.

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.

There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus.

It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.

On Family:

Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts.

An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.

On Grandparents:

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.

A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.

Grandparents are similar to a piece of string - handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren.

No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet.

A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween.

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Gramma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

On God:

Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed.

Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway.

God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them.

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.

You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God.

Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman.

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

On Gardening:

Gardens are a form of autobiography.

On Marriage:

Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him.

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day.

And, Of Course, On Politics:

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.

Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it.

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.

The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and again that they have the management skills of celery. They're the kind of people who'd stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire. I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy. The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your tire, but they wouldn't bother to stop because they'd want to be on time for Ugly Pants Night at the country club. -- Dave Barry

The Christian Right is neither.

Funny Boy

Fresh and clean and ready to face the day.

You are getting very sleepy...

Future Houdini?

Does he look a little bit like his cousin Matthew here?

Smiley Sunday Morning

The Rest of Jack's Week At Daycare

Thursday: Good old Jack. He had lots of smiles and almost laughed. He was very happy today. He loved the bouncy and the toys hanging from it. If he could talk, he would tell them how much he loves to look at them. Jack is very special!

Friday: Jack seemed hungry today. He was a good boy. I think he knows to wake up when all the others are sleeping so he has me all to himself for almost an hour and a half. Lucky boy. Smart boy. I love my time with Jack. Have a great weekend!

Intrigued

"I'm hangin' on every word, Grandma."

To' On Da Flo'

Tina Kitt of the Wauneta Breeze took this pic of the volleyball girls during their practices this week. Since we have connections with the media in Wauneta, they sent the picture on to us for the blog!

At top left is Jack's cousin Tori, who is a freshman this year. They were practicing rolls and it must not have been painful enuf! Either that or Tina was mooning them! Somethin' was funny anyway.

It's hard to believe Daddy Dave coached the team four years ago. Isn't it crazy how time flies? Now, Coach Wilson is working on whipping them into shape again after another crazy summer.

We're looking forward to attending some games this fall! Yay, Broncos!

(Oops...almost forgot...we love the shoes! They're nifty as heck!)

Special Visitors

We had some visitors Tuesday. Grandma Elaine, Aunt Nancy and cousin Andy were here. Grandma spent the night at our house and we all had dinner together. It was a blast! Jack really talked to Grandma a lot. They got to know each other much better.

Hi Everybody!

Sorry for the delay in getting posts on here. We have been busy and when you have to choose between snuggling and posting to the Internet site, you HAVE to choose snuggles!

Jack-Jack is growing up before our very eyes. Last Friday, he had a doctor's appointment and he weighed 10'6". Doctor Steinke said he had great skin tone and was in good shape. Then...Jack got his first round of shots. It was BRUTAL! Jack screamed and Mommy cried. As Daddy left the clinic, he was getting on the elevator and two elderly people were in there with him. "Was that your little one crying a minute ago?" they asked. It was him.

On Monday, JP went to daycare for the first time ever. He is adjusting very well to it and his daycare provider, Laurie, is just awesome. He is one of five babies there, so he'll have a lot of friends his age. Their names are Colson, Denali (Denny), Keiara, McKenna and, of course, Jack Jack. Laurie and her husband also have three kids of their own: Austin, Jayden and Brody. They are such polite, well-mannered and friendly children. They'll be good influences on Jack Jack. Brody will be there all day with the others. And the other great thing is that Laurie's parents live there also, so they're always helping out!

Here are the things Laurie has written on his daily reports:

Day One: "He made a whole bunch of new friends today. He is a good baby--lots of smiles. We sang songs and he would smile and coo. It took him a little while to get used to the different noises. He did great. I think he will love it here. Thank you for sharing him!"

Day Two: "He is so awesome. How blessed you should feel. He loves looking at all his new friends. He took some good naps today. I enjoy him very much. He reminds me of my Austin: very loveable and sweet."

Day Three: "Sleepy boy today. A good boy when awake. He smiled and cooed. I love having Jack here!"

Amy is back at work this week. She is the speech pathologist for Gates Elementary and Knickrehm. She's met her fellow teachers in both schools now and is really excited to work with them. One of the teachers at Gates is Tammy Verba. How weird is that? Amy said she is hilarious!

We are excited for Cousin Andrew to move here this weekend. He will be attending the Law Enforcement Training Academy and Central Community College and has a nice apartment downtown. It'll be nice to have him here. We hope he's not shy about hanging out here at the house. We LOVE company, Drew! Hint, hint!

The garden is still growing, as are the weeds. Our lawn looks terrible, but so does everyone else's it seems. We sent two bags of Romas home with Grandma P to give to Jared to make salsa. We hope he shares! Ha ha.

We're going to host another playdate soon for Big O, Cam, Dax and Jack to get together. We're hoping to implement "80s Movie Sundays" at least once a month so the boys can get together and plot world domination! Last time, at O's house, we watched "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Goonies." We'll probably host the next one here. We're thinking "Princess Bride", "Spaceballs", "Sixteen Candles" or "Parenthood". They're all such great movies--as are most of the cheesy 80s flicks!

Leave us some comments. We love to hear from you! If you don't, we won't know you were here! So, don't be a booger. Leave a note!