To Lighten things UP!

Thanks for all your sweet words. It's weird putting your feelings out there for people to read...but I did it, and everything y'all replied made me cry again! Sweet tears of course...anyway, let's lighten things up and get back to Jaxon. Our "across the street neighbors" went out of town and let us borrow their pool (as long as we water their flowers). I think it's a fair trade...here are some cute pics of Baby J and her daddy!Things you learn after going swimming with your baby for the first time:

1. Don't squeeze the diaper that is full of water when you take it off the baby. Sure, you may wonder what is going to happen...but it is not like squeezing water out of a sponge, unless your sponge spits out gel-like substances. 2. After playing in a bathtub and having "supervised" splashing sessions, it will all change after being in a pool. I put her in the tub after playing in the pool and it was like we never left, I even had to mop up the bathroom after she got out because of "Splash-town."

3. Babies fall asleep hard and fast after being in a pool. She tried to fight it, but I put her in her bed and after 13 seconds of crying...she was out.

Oh, and isn't it amazing how time flies when your not waiting for a specific date to get here?! August 2nd cannot get here soon enough!!!

Oh, David.

A little over a year ago I was blessed to get my brother back. Well, kind of. David, my 22 year old brother is a part of Uncle Sam's Army. And we were so lucky to have him back in our arms after he served a year and a half in Baghdad...I thought it was hard driving to the airport to pick him up when he came back...but now, two nights before he has to leave...I'm not feeling so good.

You see, when David was gone I tried to play dumb, deaf, and blind to everything that was going on over in Iraq. I would change the TV channel, or radio station anytime I could sense any word about a road side bombing...or anything. I try to pretend it's just rainbows and candy over there so I don't stress out too much when he is gone. I used to love war movies...but I can't watch them anymore without feeling sick to my stomach.

All of this sounds like the normal "worryings" (I just made up that word) of an older sister...but really it's more than that. David and I have never had a great relationship...I'm sure we threw back the few "I hate you's" while growing up...and sure alot of brothers and sisters do that...but alot of brothers and sisters grow up and grow close to eachother too...we haven't really had that chance. But to make a long story not so long I won't include all the details. I mean we hug, we "say" I love you, but I really don't feel like it has sunk in to him that I really do cherish him as a little brother. I know he won't read this blog...but as tears stream down my face I wish I could go back 21 years ago and cherish every moment that we had together.

I don't know, maybe had I been a better big sis to him, he wouldn't have got his high school girlfriend pregnant, maybe he wouldn't have joined the army and instead taken up a basketball scholarship, maybe he wouldn't enjoy alcohol and cigarettes so much....I don't know, there are alot of maybe's that I may not have had any control over, but I would love even right now, to hold my 6 foot 4 inch brother in my arms the same way I hold Jaxon and really let him know that I am scared to death that something is going to happen to him.

So where is he going in 2 days? Ramadi...it's been a constant focal point for terrorist activity against US and Iraqi forces. During the summer the temperature stays at 120 degrees...which I'm sure isn't comfortable for those guys over there. I remember the last time David got back, and he was constantly freezing, even on a day where it was 85 degrees outside and I was in shorts and a T-shirt. He once told me the death toll in Ramadi...but I shook my head and stopped listening...and I tried to look it up just now, but that sick feeling started again...so I stopped looking.

I know I'm merely complaining about the possibility of the loss of my brother and there are thousands of families out there who are mourning the loss of their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers etc. But right now I am asking that you all help me pray for my brother, who is the middle child in my family and the oldest of two sons, he is a brother who keeps us smiling even at his most peculiar times, and he is a husband, and a father to a precious 3 year old girl. Please pray that I get to write a blog a year and a half from now rejoicing his safe return to the states and that he will be mentally and emotionally and physically sound. Please pray that tomorrow morning when he comes by to give me a hug goodbye that it is not the last time. Please pray that, for me.

Too much to handle

Ok, first words then pictures...

First...David Cook won American Idol!!!! I'm not sure how many people care about that...but I do and I just about screamed (I didn't because I was in public), but I wanted to!

Now, I have been thinking about writing a blog about "What ever happened to 'happily ever after'" only because I have been catching up on my movies and TV shows. And within the last week, I have watched 8 movies that have all depressed me (they were good...but they depressed me). Just about all of the stories had everything to do about the "couple" not ending up together, and their love was only a memory. BLEH! Really, I like stories much better when they walk off in the sunset holding each other's hands...and just when I was trying to get over the hump of depressing movies where no one ends up together, it becomes Season Finale week for all of my TV shows...someone, (I don't know who) has blown up on Criminal Minds...someone is flying off to Vegas with Lucas (I don't know who but I'm sure it's not going to be who I want it to be) on One Tree Hill...Andy stole Jim's thunder on the Office and proposed to Angela...I haven't seen Lost's finale yet but I'm sure I will still have NO clue what is going on...anyway, after being depressed throughout all the entertainment that I have provided myself for the past couple weeks, Grey's Anatomy comes along and restores all hope. Grey's Rocks...I love Grey's! I won't spoil anything for those of you who watch it and haven't seen it yet...but I left it with a big ole' smile on my face!

Now pictures...

Here is Jaxon in her pretty rainbow dress...playing with a real toy...

Now, here is Jaxon in her pretty rainbow dress playing with a tissue...not a toy.

Here is a cute, simple video of Jaxon showin some love...She's giving 'baby' kisses and then Tex comes along...towards the end of the video he reminds of "the guy" who stands in the background of other people's recordings... just to be in the video...he's a goober.

And now on those nights when Mitchell and I are just too tired to take care of Jaxon we let the monkeys raise her...Just kidding...Mitch thought it would be cute to get a picture of her cuddling with the big ole ape...and he was right...she's cute.And if there aren't enough Coach Doty's around...here is one in the making. First she dances...then she lays the law down!

Many Faces of Jaxon

Last week we took Jaxon to the zoo for the first time...I was able to 2 pictures before my camera died (I know, way to go mom)...but I got this classic look of terror on Jaxon's face after daddy told her not to feed the monkeys...(I told her they would take her away and sing a really cool song while throwing her up in the air...but she wasn't too interested in my Jungle Book themed story).

This was the 2nd picture I took before the camera lost interest.
The rest of the pictures are of Jaxon on a messy day. She typically is a very clean eater...it's kind of funny that there is hardly any food ever found on her face unless the color of it is outrageous. Like prunes, spaghetti...or today's favorite, lasagna.
I think at first she is embarrassed at the mess on her face...but I tell her it's OK to be messy sometime.And the party now begins.
I get up to answer my phone today...turn back around and she has stolen the spoon and begins to "feed" herself.
She dropped the whole spoon act and went straight for the finger to mouth technique. And now the realization of being caught.

Turning the Page

Well it has been about 20 something days since my last post (so sorry), and alot of things have happened in the life of JD (and Mitchell and Jaxon). First off, I have just closed a chapter in my life. This past Friday, my last season of being a softball coach for ACU ended. It was a sad night for me, and kind of stressful, because it is going to be so hard for me to leave most of the girls on the team...but it is a decision I needed to make for myself and my family. Jaxon is already having mommy home.

Now I may not be done forever, but I am definitely done right now. I had too many stresses in my life while I was coaching, and it I'm sure it was hard for Mitchell to be around me sometimes in the few hours that we got to spend together every night when we came home. Of course money is going to be a major stress factor in our lives now...but who cares about money anyway?!

A couple weeks back we had to take Jaxon to the hospital because she got really sick and couldn't keep anything in her belly...so they had to put an IV in her little hand...and it was possibly the worst night ever! But she is all better now...and trying to put the weight back on...She tries to walk...but has decided that crawling is really just so much faster!

I know there are so many more things to tell you that have happened but right now I can't think of any...mainly because over the last week I have let something else control my well being, and it started with the book "Twilight."

See I go through times in my life where love stories just get the best of me. There was a time where all I wanted was for Noah and Allie to be together (and I would watch the Notebook everyday). Then there was this time with Joey and Pacey (Dawson's Creek), and Lorelai and Luke, or Rory and Dean (or Jess), Hermoine and Ron, and really I could go on forever, but here is my new FAVORITE story...and it is a series of books by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn (Coming in August)). Anyway, I read these books faster than you can say "Harry Potter." And they are just as great! Really, I never thought I could get into a love story about a perfect vampire and clumsy girl...but I did...and if they don't end happily together in the last book, I may cry (like I did in the second book...embarrassing!) Anyway, if any of you are looking for something to do over the summer...you should pick up the books...I'm about to re-read them!

And I'm sure I have some cute pictures to add of Jaxon, but my battery is dead on my camera and I can't load them up...so I have shared a few oldies (but goodies)...and some I stole from Kellianne!

My daughter bears all when eating out!

Rockin' in her daddy's old shirt! Nice drool stain...really.

Pillow Fights and Easter Eggs

Well after a long weekend of visiting with all of Jaxon's "aunts" and "uncles" Jaxon is one tired girl. Here are a few pictures of her passed out in her swing...and playing with some easter eggs that her Neena gave her (she loves trying to figure out how to put them back together). At some point I will put some pictures of our weekend with Danni, Bry-boy, Kellianne, and Brandon (Mitchell's long lost twin)...but I will have to pay the papparazi (Kellianne), to give me copies...or she will just blog about them!

Enjoy this video of Jaxon and her daddy having a pillow fight...

Dirty Laundry

Since it has been almost 17 years since my last blog, I thought I would update you on the goings on in our lives. Jaxon can walk...or high step it, if you hold her fingers...she really looks like she is doing calf raises, ACU Softball has found its way to a virtual tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference, I wore pink ALL DAY last Saturday (I don't really do that), but we were raising money for breast cancer...and I got a new phone!!! He's so pretty, and not broken...and slobber free. Not much is going on around here but here are some pictures of how big Baby J is getting! She is now taller than her laundry basket...I don't really know how big the basket is, but she used to not be this big.
She is big enough now to open the laundry basket, and show me how many clothes are in there and not in the washing machine.
She is also big enough to make this face at me which says "mom, get off your butt and clean my clothes."
And even bigger to set her tone straight, and completely take the lid off the laundry basket...to really show me all the laundry I need to do.
And here she is running away from me...or crawling! She gives kisses now too...well more like "open mouth" drool sessions...and she says "ooooo" while she does it...way too cute for me! One week and one day till Aunt Danni and uncle Bryan come to visit...and maybe aunt Kellianne and uncle Brandon too...Party in A-town!