Hello Blogging World...I'm back

Yes, I know I am the worst blogger in the world! I create a blog to keep everyone updated with Jasper's progress and what do I do...never post. What can I say except I am terribly sorry, but I do have a truly excellent reason(s) for my extremely long absence of an update. I can sum it all up into one statement...grad school. Though it has left me both more well rounded in terms of knowledge, no one and nothing can ever prepare how much life it sucks out of you. For me grad school was my second child, one that took much more pain and time to deliver than actually giving birth to a child, hehe. The greatest thing I can say about grad school now, is it is over...YEAH...still have to walk across the stage (December 2011) but damn its gonna happen!

In addition to grad school, two other colleagues of mine and myself decided to be ambitious and start a not for profit dedicated to educating the public about archaeology in the state. An easy feat? HELL NO...it has been an uphill battle all along, but met with such enthusiasm along the way it has encouraged us to no end. So, there you go my third child...a non-profit that makes little money. Though the money has been slow to come in and the road to incorporation long, it has been worth it in my opinion. Working to build a business has given me something to be proud of during my child rearing years...a time I had always looked upon with anticipation of regret regarding my career. This venture is allowing me to not feel like I have to choose between family and career, a choice that felt constricting in my early years of being married.

Now that I have brought you up to speed with my life, let me get onto Jasper...who is truly a little man now. Jasper is now 3 1/2 and quite frankly still amazes me every day with how smart, bright, and loving he is. Jasper is truly a preschooler now. He counts, knows his alphabet, wears big boy underwear, climbs, jumps, runs, and gets excited about everything! He is quite possibly the perfect mix of all the good things about Keith and I too. Jasper is compassionate, caring, outgoing, smart as a whip, and loves to play. I never in a million years imagined he would be so incredibly perfect! Keith and I couldn't be more proud of him. Jasper is into what little boys love; dinosaurs, trains, cars, and quite recently has become quite obsessed with Mario Kart, hehe. Jasper is starting preschool at the end of August, something we are all very excited about. We just went this week and let him pick out a new Mario backpack for school...that was weird, hehe. All our parents were right when they said we grew too fast, one minute they are born, the next they are telling you a joke...where does the time go? Every year older Jasper gets becomes my favorite, only because I am in complete and utter awe of him. Keith and I sometimes talk about what life was like before he came and we honestly can't remember. I think we can't because we don't want to...


So, I guess I shouldn't close this post without mentioning the other big change happening in the Ferguson house. Yes, we are multiplying and expecting yet another Ferguson to join the ranks in about 6 weeks. Jasper is getting a brother due September 8. We are all very excited to meet the new little man in all our lives. I guess I should really change the name of this blog to Our Little Men once Jasper's brother arrives. Keith and I are much more laid back this time when it came to this pregnancy...and thank god Jasper helped the time fly...this pregnancy has gone by much quicker than Jasper's. We will be sure to post pictures as soon as the little guy makes his debut. I am also hoping that I will get more motivated now that school is over to be a better blogger. Let's see how well it goes once I have 2 little men to chase, hehe. Maybe if I get good at it, my posts will be shorter :).

Reasoning with Jasper

The last few months, Keith and I have been trying to adjust to disciplining Jasper. Jasper is a very curious toddler, which most are. However, Jasper has a knack for going for the one thing in the room that you DON'T want him to play with. Struggling with the frustrated screams Jasper lets out from being told NO consistently every where we go has forced Keith and I to try new approaches to parenting. Instead of saying no all the time, I have been working on reasoning with Jasper and redirecting him. For instance when Jasper is caught coloring on the walls with his crayons (don't worry washable crayons were the best invention EVER-they wipe right off the wall) we try to redirect him to coloring on paper versus saying no to crayons all together. It truly is amazing to see Jasper accepting his redirection and is a virtual avoidance of a temper tantrum (sometimes). Now mind you this redirection has occurred several times already, but the more we do it the better he gets at understanding that we don't color on walls. I do find it a bit odd to be reasoning with a toddler, but hey it is so much better than dealing with an all out scream fest (something Jasper has become quite good at). I am sure that Keith and I are going to be getting a good education with reasoning with Jasper more and more as he gets older. I love it though, it truly shows the development of Jasper becoming a full fledged person. Despite his scream fests I love him all the same and wouldn't trade one temper tantrum in for anything :)!

Is he talking yet? Well, that depends on what you mean by talking???

Yes, in my opinion Jasper is talking and he seems to know exactly what he is saying. He spends a lot of time walking and talking with his hands, gesturing and pointing. The only catch is, he doesn't speak English, hehe. It really is some sort of lost baby language I think! I have sat watching and listening to him to try and understand more of this strange language. I guess that is the anthropologist in me coming out in trying to understand Jasper. What is absolutely fascinating is that he will repeat the same sounds (or words to him) with the same gestures and inflections. His tonations are consistent throughout his speech, which leads me to believe that he really does understand what he is trying to communicate. It really is amazing.

Jasper is also counting, again just not in English. One of his favorite things to do is count objects and line them up on tables. He will take matchbox cars or other toys that have similar qualities (size, color, etc.) and line them up on a table then point to each and say a sound. Again, he says the same sounds in the same order every time...AMAZING! You really have to pay attention to him in order to pick up on the genius behind the jibber-jabber, but it is there. Now I don;t want to make it sound as if Jasper is saying no words, he does say things like "Daddy", "Mommy", "Cookie", and "Dog", but they are all single words. His jibber-jabber comes in long strings of consciousness, not even 2 and he is already trying to talk to the world in complete paragraphs...only my kid right???

I am a baaaad blogger!!!

Jasper at the Houston zoo in August

Jasper and Bananas (his favorite playmate)

No seriously...my child runs now!! Listen I have been a very BAD blogger not posting in over 8 months. I wanted to post because I actually got up this morning and had a spare few minutes to post. I am going to make it my bloggin duty to post weekly from now on...that is my pledge. Sorry to all those that have been looking here for updates from the Fergusons we have been VERY busy. So here it goes, I am going to briefly catch you up on what we have been up to.

Jasper is RUNNING now!!!! He is a full fledged toddler and it takes both Keith and I to watch him and truth be told an extra hand would be handy!!! Jasper started day care in February of this year and absolutely loves it!! He goes to a small in-home daycare in our neighborhood. The lady who keeps him is wonderful and has quickly become a family friend. Jasper spends his days running around her backyard playing with the other kids and playing inside in her playroom. We recently started working on the potty too!! We figured her was the only one at day care not potty trained and that has made him very determined. Guys this kid is determined, when he puts his mind to something...he WILL do it. So we have had some successful potties and some not, but hey they say the potty training is a pretty long process so we are taking it slow!

As far as Keith and I go we have been bus too. Keith just move with his company to a brand new facility right around the corner from the house, so he is really enjoying that. I am working at the museum on campus this year and writing my thesis. I am currently working on a project with two of my cohorts to start a statewide archaeology education program...big endeavor but might mean a job. I also anticipate to be FINALLY graduating in May, so we are keeping our options open as far as where we will be after that.

One last thing, for those of you in the Sullivan clan, we are actively trying to get the reunion up for next summer in Galveston, TX. This one is for Grandpa and Ruth guys, we need to get all these cutie pies down there and let them see the mayhem, hehe.

Love to you all and I will post again soon...I PROMISE!!!!

Walking and Talking

Well, Jasper is an accomplished walker now. He walks on his tippy toes, just like his Nana did...so I am told. We are currently trying to get him adjusted to shoes, but the poor kid has Hobbit feet! We can't find a soft soled shoe to fit him because he is already wearing toddler size shoes! I have decided not to stress too much about it, kids learned to walk well before Stride Rite! He is also talking, in language only he knows mind you, but talking nonetheless! Now mind you along with the talking has come screaming, which Keith and I have learned to try and tune out so as not to give too much attention to it...but that is hard when you are trying to talk to one another and your child is screaming to make his presence known. So it's official...Jasper is no longer a baby, per say...he will always be my baby, he is a toddling toddler with so much personality...wonder where he gets that from???

Jasper vs. the cake

Hope you all enjoy this..we sure did. Jasper dove right into his cakes and presents. Surprisingly enough he did better with his birthday presents as far as getting the idea of ripping the paper off the present. He is still quite interested in the paper itself and the BOWS!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASPER!!!

So I know I have been completely slack in posting over the last month or so. Things got entirely too crazy for me here at the end of the semester, then Christmas took over, then New Years...UGHHHHH!!! Stick getting food poisoning in there an you have our holiday. However, I am not going to talk about any of that in great length because TODAY, is our baby's first birthday. Happy isn't even the word to describe the feelings Keith and I share when we look at Jasper, who is taking his first birthday nap as I type. (Only real way get anything done lately!).

Exactly one year ago today, I was ginormous and ready to meet the little man. Here it seems like yesterday and and he is turning 1!!! Since I have been quite slack the past month or so I will catch you guys up to speed. Jasper is walking AND talking!!! This just happened over the last week or so and he totally amazes me.

Jasper started pulling himself up about a month and a half ago and got really good at it, next thing you know he is walking around the coffee table. Shortly after mastering the cruising, he begins to walk from furniture to furniture without assistance. Then one day I sat on the floor with him and he turned to me from where he was standing at the table and suddenly threw himself at me with no fear. Those first few steps were a bit wobbly, but trust me this kid practices every time he get a chance now. The playpen and walker have become his enemy, they only hold him back.

Today, on Jasper's first birthday I declare him bipedal!! He can stand on his own without assistance, and walks where he wants to go...sometimes to the middle of the room just to stand!! My little prince is so brave about his new adventures, he sometimes flings himself at you before he has good balance and falls. But Jasper isn't impeded or afraid of disappointment, this kid literally brushes himself off with a loud scream of delight at his folly, then picks himself up with a smile. I tell you if only we all could revert back to our childlike mindset when it comes to obstacles in our life...things would be a lot easier.

Oh and Jasper is talking...whether we understand him or not is another question...but in my book he is talking. He has said "dog", "mama", and "dada" of course, but he also says things to me that I swear he thinks he knows what he is saying. Anyway, I am sure that he will continue to get batter...at least enough to where his parents can understand him!!!

We are going to be spending the big birthday weekend with the families! First we will be going to Jasper's uncles house (Keith's brother Webb) for a party just for Jasper. Then i is on to Johanna's house (my sister) for a party with Jasper's cousin Marissa whose birthday is in a few days. It is funny what you remember about things like the day you had your baby, but I remember thinking that is was never going to happen...I was simply going to be pregnant forever...but it did come...and now he is 1!! Well i must wrap this long note up and get back to the birthday boy who is waking from his nap, he has a lot to do!!! Love you all...Happy belated Holidays and New Years from the Fergusons!!!

Happy Birthday Jasper, mommy and daddy love you so much and are so very proud of you!!!!