The JonesZees

falling is like this

2010-11-14T18:02:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a rainy day...luckily we had several events proceeding than the actual event so the boys could try out their costumes. The Dude is a natural, and embraced the Iron Man persona. The Meer Kat was a hit in the Yoda get up.

I think an E.T. get up would be more appropriate for Fletch though. He is walking, as you can see. He stumbles around the house in a way that is reminiscent of the scene where E.T. stumbles around the house drunk. It can be a little risk as our house is also a disaster zone. The master bath is almost completed. The kitchen chaos has yet to commence. Hopefully we will survive the holidays.

My baby turns 1

2010-10-17T10:34:00.001-07:00

I know it is cliche, but time has flown by. My little meerkat is One. He is a little boy now, on the verge or walking. He is a scrapper, and can bring his brother to his knees with one handful of hair. He can also eat most people under the table and screeches until he gets another bite. I love you buddy!

Fall in North Carolina

2010-10-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

We carted our bikes and children out to North Carolina, and lived to tell. Rob was in charge of renting the car. He thought an SUV would be big enough to carry the bike box, but he forgot to take into consideration that the kids had to sit in the car as well. We ended up ramming the luggage and children into the car, with me sitting on the center console and the stroller in the passengers seat in order to get on the road. After a quasi-highschool reunion with Rob's friends, we acquired a bungy cord and were on our way to the mountains. It was well worth the effort to get everything out there. We were able to bike the Blue Ridge Parkway and see beautiful leaves while the grandparents were able to clock some time with the boys.

Kodachrome Basin

2010-09-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our first official summer camping trip came at the tail end.

And July comes to a screeching hault

2010-08-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

July was a great month, right up until the end. After a fabulous 4th of July weekend (see above), we headed out to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This trip was about 2 years in the making. We organized a trip with our bestest friends - the Other Joneses, and the Ledfords, long time friends of Rob from his college days. We headed out to Corolla, NC to a big beach house. The weather was awesome, hot and humid, which afforded long lazy days spent at the beach and in the pool. We did a lot of relaxing, which is hard to do on vacation for Rob. But all of us cached in on much needed daily naps in between trips to the beach and awesome fresh seafood dinners. Floyd had a hard time with the beach,the waves namely, on the first day, but as the trip went on we could not get him out of the pool. Fletch on the other hand is a fish, he loves the water. He successfully sealed the deal on an nickname during the trip too, meerkat. He would pull himself up and screech all the time like a meerkat. We plan on going back again soon, maybe next year. And then the rest of the month.... Rob headed out on a man-venture on July 24th for some man time adventure in the high uintahs. I was hanging with my monkeys, trying to entertain them and maintain sanity in the house. Well next thing I know, there was a crash, and a screaming meerkat. I found a lamp on the ground next to him, but could not find a mark on him. He cried for a few minutes but seemed all right. Later on I noticed he wasn't stuffing food into his face with his left hand, a usual two handed event for the meerkat. I took him into the ER and sure enough, he is a poster child for greenstick fractures of the radius and ulna. He is happy enough, you would never know he was even hurt. It was my first failure as a mother, guilt.

World's Best Wife Award

2010-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

This July marked the beginning of my last year of training as neuroradiology fellow. I am tired. This spring really wore me out, and the lack of vacation for about 5 months didn't help either. July is my favorite time of year because of all the great memories I have of the 4th of July in Rexburg. This year was no exception. However the planning becomes a little more intensive because it is also Rob's birthday on the 5th.
The whole family, and the lizard man went up to Rexburg for a weekend of festivities. I had my dad orchestrate the best birthday gift ever for Rob, one he could not return; an experience of a lifetime.
One of my dad's friends has a few WWII fighter planes, and he let Rob fly this beauty a few times around the Grand Teton.
All of the brother-in-laws went along for the ride, so it was a good thing there were no problems on the flight which included a few barrell rolls.
The other event, which proves I am the most awesome wife was a trip to see Glenn Beck speak in Driggs. Just kidding, we avoided that, and instead Rob and I went to see Wide Spread Panic. A band that I cannot stand, but Rob loves, so I went to complete his weekend.

The boys had an amazing time with the cousins too!

Are you ready to Rock?

2010-06-27T06:13:00.001-07:00

The boys have discovered the tempurdic mattress, on mom's side of the bed. I have a similar photo from everyday last week.
Fletch is a wild man. He can hold his own against Floydee. Floyd may perform the "bodyslam" with increasing frequency, but Fletcher easily defends himself with the hair-pull.
We went to the Art's Festival on Saturday night. The only good part of it was Floyd taking on the persona of Gene Simmons. Other than that it was hot, and stressful dealing with Rob's agoraphobia or agora-anger more like it, and chasing Floyd through the crowd.

Yes, we are still here

2010-05-11T15:27:00.001-07:00

Yes, I still contribute to the blog, albeit fleetingly. I am barely hanging on here people. I know that I have family and friends who are seasoned multitasking mothers, but I am just hitting my prime. I feel that my existence, the peaceful and organized one I envision, is teetering on a precipice at any given moment. It just takes one little thing out of its zen-ful place to push me over the edge....then the world comes to an end. For instance, Fletcher went ahead and contracted RSV long after the average infant would this year, and added in a double ear infection to boot. Well luckily we avoided the hospital, but he required Q6 (thats every six hours for you non-medicine types) nebulizer treatments, antibiotics, and was out of school for 4 days. Well this rocked my world, my whole concept of good and evil was forever altered. You try managing a sick kid when you are a fellow (doctor speak for indentured servant) with no sick days or vacation days because they were zapped when the baby made his first appearance. Throw in a busy, loveable, but generally clueless husband, and you have a recipe for sleep deprivation and major melt downs. But I'm here, the kids are healthy. Mother's day was peaceful, I rode my bike, watched my TV shows undisturbed and had mexican food for dinner....booo ya

easter 2010

2010-04-12T19:28:00.001-07:00

We went to Zion over Easter weekend. We of coarse took the pop-up trailer and parked it up on Gooseberry Mesa. We did a little biking in the park and played with the other Jones crew. Fletch and Floyd loved camping, and the Easter bunny even found us.

Bahama, come on pretty mama

2010-03-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Rob is really a highly skilled travel agent. He found this quaint little Caribbean island and worked out an elaborate itinerary to get us there safely and back. We rented a NICE house on the Atlantic side of the island of Eluethra, Bahamas. THERE IS NOTHING ON THE ISLAND in case you ever go there expecting a booming tourist industry. We were lucky to find groceries. I had made promises to send postcards to my niece, but there were no postcards to be found, yet alone a postal service. The island is about 100 miles long and 2-4 miles wide. Our rental car had 50,000 miles on it and was in pristine condition, not. Rob carted a cooler full of meat and cheese, causing me tremendous anxiety, across the country and through airport security 3 times. But I am glad he did, as we had Rib-eye steaks and Bratwurst a few nights we were there. He did procure some fish, fresh off the boat for us that was also tasty. All-in-all it was a relaxing vacation as we did not truly have a busy agenda, and were able to spend the days searching for shells and splashing in the ocean together.

School Pictures

2010-02-25T20:40:00.001-08:00

The boys had a little photo shoot the other day at school. I am very pleased with how they turned out. Floydee is just learning to relish posing for pictures, and Fletcher is just mister smiley all the time.
Fletch is 4 months old, and is developing some dexterity, as well as a general preference to have a blanket placed lightly over his face to help him sleep. He survived his vaccinations relatively unscathed, if you call a low grade fever and world record grumpiness a normal reaction.
We have been holding our breath that the boys remain healthy...we have a little vacation planned for next week.

Warming Up!

2010-02-14T18:42:00.001-08:00

Floyd is warming to the little brother. He is ready to play with him, but Fletch is just warming up. I mean the dude just hit 4 months old, and is gaining control of his head. We had a jumperoo test drive the other day. The little man likes to chew on the jumperoo, not so much jumping.

Floyd will show love to Fletch quite spontaneously, and in the same instant clock him in the head with his light saber.
Or today he would take a big swig of cranberry juice and then spit it out on his bro. The other day I caught him trying to floss Fletcher's teeth.

Hair

2010-01-28T17:56:00.001-08:00

They look alike don't they? Same hair? Well groomed and respectable huh?
The boys and I are having a great time. Fletch is a smiley dude, and Floyd's vocabulary is developing exponentially on a daily basis.

On the second day after Christmas...

2009-12-27T18:37:00.001-08:00

December

Back to work.

Fletcher to school with Floydee

Floydee moving up to the big kids class

Both boys sleeping through the night

Floyd's first day of skiing

My Birthday

Fletcher smiling

Making cookies

Christmas parties

Getting back in shape

Hanging out with the cousins

Watching Christmas specials

Christmas Eve Jammies

Too excited to sleep

Presents from Santa Claus

Sitting in front of the fireplace

Too many toys

Utter chaos

More parties

Taking everything back to the store

Homemade icecream

Paella Party

Even more chaos

Sleeping in

Back to work

New Years!

November

2009-11-29T16:40:00.001-08:00

November was an eventful month. Fletcher and I spent a few last weeks together getting to know each other. We were lucky to have Aunt Magan come out and visit. Floydee loves his Aunt Magan, and would even let her brush his hair.

The next big event was Floyd's 2nd birthday. We had a quiet party with G&G Beyer, Margot, Charlie, Uncle Matt and Aunt Chalene. Floyd ended up covered in chocolate cake.

Next up: Thanksgivng. Rob planned an entire meal from Sunset Magazine. We had his mom in town, and G&G Beyer over for dinner. Fletcher wore his favorite monkey outfit and gave us a smile.

We of course set up the Christmas decorations too. Floyd helped...a little.

Fletcher just watched, and drooled.

FLoyd had an action packed week. He was exhausted, as you can see by his George Castanza pose on his changing table after a fun week with his grandparents and brother.

Kisses

2009-11-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Floydee blowing a kiss to mom.

Halloween

2009-11-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Because Floydee's mom is a nerd; we continued on the STARWARS theme for Halloween. He was R2D2. Awesomeness, no charge!
Fletcher dressed up as Floyd. Can you guess which one is which?

Supply and Demand

2009-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

The boys and I have not established the laws of supply and demand. Fletcher has a problem with sleeping to the detriment of his mother....pain! Floyd demands his mom when everyone else wants to sleep.

Fall

2009-10-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

The boys are adjusting to life together quite nicely. Floydee loves his brother and gives him hugs and kisses without prompting. He also asks the baby to "come" with him all over the house. Fletcher is a good sleeper, 4-5 hour stretches. It is just hard on mom on the lactation front, ouch! He is very quite too.
Floydee is a wild man. He loves the fall leaves. His language skills are developing rapidly...he likes to talk to his Mama especially at 3 am.

TFJ

2009-10-18T14:31:00.001-07:00

The new dude was born on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:37 pm . He was 7lbs 3 oz on arrival. Floydee loves him. Mama is regaining her skills, slowly.

Hope for days to come

2009-10-07T11:26:00.001-07:00

Rob has big plans for the dude. Dad bought him a helmet and goggles. He plans to get the dude on the slopes at Alta.

Holding out

2009-10-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have been holding out on making another post in hopes that the stork would arrive with little Lloyd. But alas he is holding out. No need to rub in the fact that I technically have 2 weeks left until the actual due date...but a girl can hope.

I thought for sure it was going to happen on Friday the 1st. It seemed as though the stars were aligned... my doctor out of town, and rob vomiting at home. I sat at work very reserved, no singing and dictating that day, just trying to will it away. I cried wolf to my family and friends as the contractions stopped around 9pm that night. Rob felt better the next day so he gave me the green light to make it happen. He says that this friday would be best for him, and that I should take up jogging.

We ran a bunch of errands on saturday. You know bed-bath-and-beyond, Costco, and HomeDepot. Floyd figured out a new funny trick, pulling his pants down and dancing to the overhead music in all the stores.

LOTOJA

2009-09-11T12:04:00.001-07:00

Rob, after great debate, decided to ride in the Logan-to-Jackson 204 mile bike ride. I was cut from the job of being the SAG wagon for him as I am 34 going on 35 weeks pregnant. We did some carb-loading last night. FLoyd is very independent, and was intent on feeding himself his mac and cheese.

Da Boys

2009-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Here they are, almost 2 years later. Floyd has now taken over on hair. Joe had him for a while as far as size goes, but now it would be a fair fight if it ever came to blows. I have been holding out on getting the the dude a haircut. Right now he has a mullet if were combed his hair out straight.

stick a fork in me

2009-08-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've cooked all summer. Sometimes you just have to go swimming, even if you have nothing to wear.
Me with a Beer belly.

Cabin Fever

2009-08-20T14:37:00.001-07:00

We did a little swaperoo with some friends of ours last weekend- the tent trailer for a cabin. You see I have this protuberant belly that makes camping a little painful, so I thought it was a great trade. The cabin is outside Oakley, Utah. Rob is in love with it up there. It is all he can think about.
Floyd is quite keen on the outdoors too. Here he is warming up for a hike with a few yoga poses.

He is a fan of throwing rocks, and could do it for hours.

The catch up

2009-08-03T19:48:00.001-07:00

Yep, I am behind. I will catch you up.

-Survive Family camping trip ....Check

-Boards ....Check

-Residency ...Check

-Basement Remodel ...Check

-Begin Fellowship ...Check

-Surviving the hot summer, pregnant ....um kind of

My sis and I took my mom to Las Vegas the end of June to celebrate her upcoming 60th birthday. I will be to pregnant in September to undertake any major travel plans, see. We had a great time, despite the 110 degree heat, oh and the cigarette smoke. We did a lot of shopping and hit the swimming pool whenever possible.
Rob had to head home to North Carolina for the 4th of July, so Floyd and I headed up to Rexburg for the annual Whoopee Days Celebration. Our washer and dryer were on the fritz for several weeks as part of our basement remodel. So I packed up the laundry and headed to Rexburg. Hence, the dude did not have a swimming suit for the water park. He played in the fountains until his diaper exploded.
After a month of living in squalor, we finally finished the basement. I was most excited about our new washer and dryer. Grammy B made Floyders a house out of the boxes. It has been good for entertainment indoors, and out of the heat.
It has been a busy summer. We have not had a weekend home since June, but we have managed to have a few adventures. Most recently we went to a cabin in Oakley, Utah with some friends of ours. Rob was excited to take Floydee fishing. He bought a Zebco 3000 for the occasion. The dude landed his first rainbow trout, and he was naked to boot.

Adventures in the Tent Trailer Part III: The Big One

2009-06-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well I survived the Boards with a great result. My family, immediate and extended, survived my psychoses surrounding said event. Many thanks to all. Needless to say the JonesZees where in great need of a vacation; enter Rob-Vacation planner extraordinaire. Given that we have a tent-trailer, no trip is a trip without it. Hence we headed out on a Northern California Road Trip early in the morning on the 14th after my graduation party. We left at 4am with the truck packed to the roof with gear and Floyd paraphernalia. We were intent on eating healthy along the way. Which lasted until St.George for Grand Slam breakfasts at Denny's, then In-And-Out burger in Barstow.
We arrived in Sequoia National Park around 7pm Utah time after 16 hours of travel. Floyd was a superstar in the car, so we just pushed through. We woke up in a giant sequoia grove. See the white dot in the picture above, that is my head. Note the size discrepancy between a 5 month pregnant woman and the General Grant Tree, the third biggest tree in the world. Floyd was in heaven with an abundance of sticks, rocks, and small rodents.
We went on a few short hikes in the park. Floyd has become very intense and independent. He hiked 1 mile and 1400 feet of elevation all by himself.
After three days in the park, we headed for the coast. We made it to highway 1 just south of a cute town called Cambria. We headed north to a great campsite just outside the Big Sur. We had great ocean views and a fabulous fresh fish dinner. Floyd wanted to be just like dad and pulled his shirt off to bask in the sun.
So ends part 1 of the big one. The next day we headed into Carmel for my half of the vacation which does not involve camping. Stay tuned.

The Buzz

2009-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

The stress of it all! I finally completed my board exam. After several months of study, and worry. I made it to Louisville Kentucky and took the test. I kept it cool for the build up, and through the test, then unleashed the pregnancy-amplified deluge of emotions on poor Rob on the way home from the airport. I would hope to blame most bonehead moves for the past five months and the four more to follow on pregnancy related brain. Like when I booked my airline ticket for my test one month in advance, then realized the day before I was to leave that I reserved flights for "St. Louis, Missoura"instead of Louisville, Kentucky. Pregnant brain saw the "Louis" and thought, wow I am getting a sweet deal on a direct flight to Louisville. The rest of my classmates are suckas!
In other bigger, more important news, I am 20 weeks pregnant and officially having another boy-LLOYD Jones. Floydee doesn't yet grasp the magnitude of my incredibly growing belly and behind. But alas a rude awakening will arrive in October. He continues to blossom into a unique little dude. He says Mommy and Daddy, and dog.
On the Rob -oh so many hobbies and methods of time suckage-front. We finally did something about the bees buzzing around our deck. Turns out a hive of spanish honeybees had taken up residence in the stucco around our balcony. After interviewing a bunch of beekeepers, and investing in the eminent publication, "Beekeeping for Dummies," Rob decided he should rescue said bees and take-up beekeeping. A contractor/beekeeper came over and cut a whole in our wall revealing thousands of busy bees. He transferred them to a hive which will now reside behind our garage.
The dude's latest nickname is Bluto, of Animal House fame as he will pour any liquid on his chest prior to imbibing.
To keep my sanity with months away from my bike, Rob got me a cruiser. And I got a little seat for the dude where he rides in the front. He loves it, and I get to cruise around the neighborhood.

That's the buzz. Wish me luck on the results of the boards eh.

Adventures in the Tent Trailer part II

2009-05-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been eventful. Floyd has learned a few new talents; 1) removing his diaper;2) that he likes to eat dog food; 3) he has learned to say no and wag his finger; and 4) how to transfer dirt from one flower bed to the next. I reunited with old friends due to a death, and have been buried in board studying. We decided that this was a good weekend to get away. Rob and I had never been to Canyonlands, so we headed out Friday.

We did some primitive camping outside of Moab. Floyd was so psyched for his very own giant sand box.
We hit the Needles area Saturday morning. FLoyd was able to walk the majority of the way.
Later that afternoon , after a trip to Moab for some ice cream, we went to the Island in the Sky area of canyon lands. This is Mesa arch. I strategically placed Floyd over my belly.
This was the Grand Overlook in Canyonlands. It was a great Mother's Day weekend.

Adventures in the Tent Trailer part 1

2009-04-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

Rob was intent on going...good weather or not. The last several weekends, the weather had deterred his efforts to embark on a camping adventure. We decided to go to "the Swell" even though the forecast that morning called for rain mixed with snow across the entire state. It was raining by the time we made it to Spanish Fork, at Soldier Summit it was snowing. Floyd was having a great old time in the back seat, reading books and dancing to mom and dad's music. He held it together for 4 hours while mom and dad "calmly" looked for a campsite in Buckhorn Wash despite the fact that every Billybob Joe, their family and all there ATV's had staked out every conceivable spot.

We let Floyd out for a breather while we checked out the our options. We set out towards BLM land. We finally found a spot overlooking the wash, far away from the ATV traffic. As we pulled into the spot it started to snow. Rob set up camp, Porter escaped the truck, and FLoyd and I waited in the truck.
Despite all the mud, and the dog being soaking wet. The tent was toasty warm. We played a few games of Yahtzee then, when the rain stopped we went out side to throw some rocks and play in the dirt.
This was our view.
Obligatory self-timer family photo.

Floyd loving the tent. Hogging the bed, and sleeping better that both Rob and I. The furnace kept us warm all night long. We had a super breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns.

Then we packed up and headed out to explore the "Little Grand Canyon."

All in all it was a successful trip. Floyd had a great time, and Rob was a proud father. The only drama happened when Rob got the trailer stuck in the mud...in our backyard.

Bringing up Baby

2009-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I dropped Floydee off at the big kids class yesterday, and had to run out of the building before I started crying. It was nearly as bad as his first day of school, but it was pretty tough. He is growing up so fast. Mind you, he was excited for the new toys and ambulatory-babbling kiddies to play with. And uh, in other news....

if you hadn't heard. Number 2 is in the works. I am 12 weeks prego, and surviving. I only vomit when I am really hungry, which is every morning. Rob and I are excited, but the reality of it hasn't quite hit us. Early reports look like another little boy!!

The leader of the Band....

2009-04-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

Floydee loves music! He will stand by the stereo and bob up and down, and shake his booty. He even knows how to pump up the volume! Grammy bought him a drum set, and his excitement was palpable. He had the biggest smile as he pounded the drums and marched down the hallway. His mouth was open so wide I could see all the back teeth he is getting, which may explain his poor sleeping habits.

Adjusting

2009-03-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

We are all getting ready for spring. Floyd loves the warm weather and playing outside with rocks. Rob is also getting ready for spring and summer camping. He bought his dream tent-trailer complete with a stereo and solar panels for back-up power. I tried to tell him that my main memory of tent-trailers involved poker games in the Rasmussen's garage, and truth and dare in the Thomson's trailer. No good can come of this. But his memories involve Griswald-type vacation memories with his family traveling cross country to Disneyland, camping all the way.

We are adjusting the the dude becoming more opinionated and increasing dexterity. He has learned the the toilet can be loads of fun, on the level of the dog bowl. Mornings have been a little crazy over the last few weeks too now that Rob has started a home workout regimen too...P90X! He asks me everyday if I can tell the difference. He poses in the mirror several times a day and asks me if he looks skinny or fat. He is worse than any girl I have met.
And with spring comes board examinations. For the next several weeks, up until May 31st, a majority of my days and a smattering of evenings will be allotted to preparing for my oral board examinations. We are lucky that my mom is around to play with Floyd on the late nights where Rob and I are not able to pick him up from school. He loves to play with grammy b's kitties. Floyd is also moving up in school, from the Waddlers to the Toddlers. No more sleeping in a crib at school, he gets his own cot. He loves to brush his teeth and hair too. Soon he will be off to college!

Swimming, hiking, and posing!

2009-02-28T16:00:00.001-08:00

It is amazing to watch Floyd grow up. He is running around the house, and going hiking with his pops. A few weeks ago he had his first of many school pictures.
We even started swimming lessons. He is a professional back-floater!

as promised

2009-02-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Its been almost a year since the Dude started school, and he is still riding in the back with the cool kids. He is developing a personality and a little attitude. He is warming up his tantrum skills, and starts slapping whom ever is in his way. He got in trouble for trying to hit one if his teachers.
He had his first school pictures the other day. He was way into it. He wanted to wear mom's red shoes, but I thought he would be able to run around a little better with his red shoes.

Dave and Steph

2009-01-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

Dave and Steph came to visit the other day. It had been close to 9 years since I last had seen them. The Gardners would let me tag along with them on all of their adventures. The three of us would bust it up to the Canyons to ski all morning and then hustle back to work in the anatomy lab. We had many great times on the mountain and in southern Utah. I stumbled upon their blog in the middle of the night on my last overnight call month. I was so excited to see that they had not lost their happy outlook on life, and their tremendous sense of humor. I was even happier to see that they were adding little Gardners to the world to keep their legacy around for eons. I am happy to say that they are some of the coolest people around, and they are my friends :)

In other news I convinced Rob that I needed a new computer because my macbook was broken...the screen would not work you see. Uh, but little did he know that Floyd had turn the brightness way way down, and that is why it wasn't working. Ha Ha, now I have three computers. I can take over the world.

The Hair

2009-01-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

Rob will periodically grow a beard. Why, I don't know. Must be a man thing. But he decided to shave it up nice for "9-fingered-Rhonda's" birthday. Hence the mustachio.
Floydee is getting more hair, but inherited dad's hairline. I think he will have curly hair too just like his mom and Uncle Matt.

We are definitely related

2009-01-05T07:19:00.001-08:00

If Floyd is anything like his mother, he should wear this all the time. Shortly after donning the gear he hit his head on the dining room table. He has become quite independent and opinionated. The other day he started reaching for my hand and leading me around the house...it melts my heart.

What's wrong with this picture?

2009-01-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the Sesame Street classic skit "One of these kids is doing their own thing", can you spot which one of us had a swell christmas eve?

Here is a hint...Yep. In true "LZ" form, I went and opened the car door into my face on Christmas Eve and ended up in the ER for some stitches. Besides that little adventure. The Christmas holiday went very well. Rob's mom and stepdad came out for the festivities. It was a great set up. They got to spend time with the Dude, and we got to hit the slopes.I sported the bandaid mustache to protect my lip while I was skiing.

The best Christmas present ever

2008-12-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time. My husband not so much. It seems that bad memories have overtaken his good one. We all have bad ones I am sure. Sometimes life just isn't fair. But for the last several years in my recollection; I have been very happy, content. Mostly because of the life I have made with my husband, and of coarse the boy, the dude, THE FLOYDINATOR!

This Christmas we got the greatest gift we could have hoped for...Floyd not requiring surgery on his kidney (See post from January 2008 for full details). He did have to go through a few tests to assure that he was cured, but he handled the vesicourethrogram like a champ.
Last Christmas was memorable for Floyd too. A new little spirit in our world. It was also memorable for our furnace konking out on Christmas Eve.

2006 Was memorable for Food Poisoning that was cured by my mom's stash of opium.

2005 Was my 30th year. We had a raging Karaoke birthday party.

2004 Intern Year Blues. The year of the Tsunami.

2003 my First Christmas as Dr. Mrs Dr. Bob Jones. I was so grateful for a quiet Christmas Eve with Rob watching the first

2002 Christmas in North Carolina.

Christmas 1982

Some of the best memories involve writing up Christmas lists on a daily basis with my best friend Jeffrey Rasmussen. We would rifle through the JC Penney catalog and decide what we both needed. We would call each other Christmas morning every year to tell of our score of gifts. One year we both got orange Nash skateboards. I still have the only gift I ever peaked on, a digital clock radio that Rob hates.

Christmas 1989

My mom worked hard to develop lasting memories and Christmas eve traditions, mostly centered around Christmas eve. She asked that Magan, Matt, and I write a Christmas story every year. Magan always had short simple morality tales, mine we always overly contemplative and allegorical, while Matt's were always about insects and warfare. "Christmas in Nam" was one of my personal Matt favorites.

Now with our traditional nontraditional family we have Christmas eve dinner, play some scrabble, get some pajamas, scream about Chistmas Monkeys, and sing-a-long with Amy Grant and Anne Murray Christmas albums. Literally albums, we crack out the record player baby.

All though its been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas.

the reason why bangs will never grace this head again.

2008-12-11T06:17:00.001-08:00

I am sure we all have had bad hair moments. I am just secure enough to place mine in cyberspace. Dare you!

Aloha!

2008-12-07T06:35:00.001-08:00

Well we had an amazing trip thanks to my dad and stepmom. We made it to Kauai on Saturday the 29th. Floyd survived the flight without much trouble. Well he has learned to vocalize quiet loudly actually, even scream just for fun, while on the plane and at dinner, which made for some added adventure. After a quick trip to Costco after getting off the plane, loading up on steak, shrimp, and bread, we had a little cook out that night. The next day we spent on the beach. FLoyd got reacquainted with the water very quickly...he loves it. We put him down in the sand about 20 yards from the beach break. He was digging in the sand, eating it, pointing at the ocean, smiling; then the rogue wave hit. It knocked him over. I am sure he felt that he was going to get washed out to see, but I was right next to him. He came up with a face and ears full of sand, but did not cry a bit. After that he stuck to the pool.

Rob and I were able to do some scuba diving thanks to our babysitters! We saw a bunch of sea turtles, eel, and colorful fish.

We toured the island with Mary's guide book, hitting all the best spots: Waimea, Jo Jo's shaved Ice, Kilaea Light House, and the North Shore. There was a huge swell while we were there, wave up to 2o feet. We watched some surfers being towed-in by jetski into the big waves.

Floyd loved cruising the island in the convertible. Mary thankfully had a bandana to help him look tough even though he was sporting a binkey.

Our last big adventure was a helicopter ride around the island. We finally were able to see the Napali coast after several failed attempts on this trip and the previous trip to Kauai. It was beautiful!

Mahalo!

2008-12-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

We made it to Kauai without incident. Luckily we scored a empty row on the way over which allowed to dude to stretch it out! We have hit the beach, and done some scuba diving.

1 year and Counting

2008-11-28T19:51:00.001-08:00

My little boy is all grown up! It seems like only yesterday he was learning to hold his head up, and now he is walking and need to learn to protect his head again.
We had a great birthday party with all of the Dude's peeps. Mom's cupcakes were a hit, I hear.
In honor of Mugs -my sister- I made Floyd a hat. I even bought sparkle paint. It said "The Dude Hits the Big #1." He was overwhelmed with all the people and gifts. But the best present was dads....200 ping pong balls in a box!

the Dude hits the Big #1

2008-11-20T19:58:00.001-08:00

Yep, I busted it all domestic and ...... I was "guilted" into making cupcakes from my family. I thought about buying gourmet minicupcakes, but then reconsidered after I realized it would cost the same amount as a wedding cake. So instead I made Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcakes with cream cheese and chocolate icing. Not bad eh? Who knew I had it in me. All of this in preparations for a birthday bash on Friday night. All are welcome. Let me know and I will give you the deets. You will be able to see the walkin'man ..."burning out his fuse out there alone."

Early Morning Phone Calls......

2008-11-11T19:34:00.001-08:00

I have found that it is never a good thing when the phone rings early in the morning. This last Saturday was no exception. My sister called to tell me that my grandpa had died during the night. My Grandpa was 84 years old, and a wonderful man. These last few days the whole family gathered to share memories and the many one-liners my grandpa had for every occasion. My favorite was "If I was feeling any better, I would have to take something for it."

I spent almost everyday in the summertime at my Grandpa's house. We would swim and run in and out of the house for frozen snickers bars and coke. He would take us out to his shop and build us boats to float in the pool.

Grandpa always had a smile on his face. I never saw him angry. Every time I saw him he would share the same stories again and again about how much our grandma loved us, and about how Grandma never hated anyone except for Mr MacGregor because he was so mean to Peter Rabbit.

I remember christmas at grandpa, he would nail the tree to the floor so it would not fall over. I loved watching him make a fire. He loved to sit in his yellow leather chair and watch all of us in the swimming pool.

My dad gave a life sketch for my grandpa during the funeral, and his closing will stay with me forever..."dad, it seems like I never said I love you near enough."

Floydster and Margot up to no good.

Yuck Mouth

2008-11-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

I couldn't sleep last weekend. It could have been that Floyd was kicking me in the face, or the fact that Rob was out of town, or maybe it was the sharp pain radiating from my upper teeth. I started convincing myself that I had an abscess cooking in my face, and would require emergency dental work, you know, worse case scenario type stuff. I made it into the dentist on Monday afternoon, and a grim future of expensive painful dental work was painted for me...can't wait.

Boise

2008-10-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

We made it up to Boise to see Mugs and the G's over the weekend to celebrate October birthdays and Halloween. The Dude tested out is Yoda outfit at the neighborhood Halloween Carnival. He was a hit, but Grant took the cake with his deadpan impersonation of John McCain.

North Carolina

2008-10-21T05:27:00.001-07:00

From the top left:
1. Mom and Floyd outside grammy's house.
2. Floyd and Grammy in the flowers.
3. The dude in the flowers
4. Shout out to Erin, my best friend, who is moving to Boston today.
5. Grampie Eddie
6. Rob's breakfast. We ate with members of the Christian motorcycle asssociation.
7. The boy at breakfast, he ate pancakes and peaches.
8. The leaves in Damascas Virginia.
9. Rob and the boy.
10. Floyd crached on Gammy's floor.
11. The boys with Grampy Jones' horse.
12. Floyd and Grammy Leslie.

Fast trip! But worth it in oh so many ways! Next weekend Boise!

Oktoberfest

2008-10-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Its time to celebrate! The backyard is nearly finished. We kicked off the fall with a little Oktoberfest party to test out the new digs. It rained.
Sunday we loaded up the family unit and went for a ride. We road the tandem with Floyd in tow.

Good Vibrations

2008-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Happy trails

2008-09-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

Flea Bag!

2008-09-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well we made it to San Diego and had a good time. We were able to see some old friends, have some nice meals, a few massages, and hit the beach. Floyd loved the beach and wanted to follow dad into the ocean.
Our last day we were able to hit the Zoo. Floyd loved it, but I believe he preferred people watching to the animals. We made it home Sunday night without incident at the airport. Monday night I noticed a few small red spots on the dude's belly. I thought they were scratches or something because the boy could use a manicure. Tuesday morning the same thing. I got him ready for school and that was that. A few hours into my work day I got a call from Floyd's school, reporting that they noticed some red spots on his belly. I told them I had seen them but rationalized that perhaps they could be bites of some kind as we had been to the beach a few days before. As if acknowledging that your child may have fleas is a normal thing. I had to work late that night, so when I came home the dude was already asleep in his frog jammies. The next morning when I was getting ready it was obvious that the rash was worse. Again my first thought was sand fleas, there was an infestation in floyd's crib or something. I snapped a few photos and sent them to my dad. FLoyd had been on antibiotics for an ear infection for about 1 week. Turns out after a trip to the doctor, he is allergic to penicillin. I guess that is better than fleas right?

I need a vacation

2008-09-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

After a long summer studying, the boards are over. Floyd and I were both worn out. Hopefully they went well. I felt good about them, but when you are a few hours out, nice and relaxed, you suddenly remember the correct answer that had you banging your head and contorting in you seat over. I hate that.

Wednesday we set out on a vacation of sorts... presenting my research in San Diego. The trip got of to an ominous start. We rushed to the airport, running a lot late. We park the car, run in to check in and the little "kiosk's" cannot find record of our reservations. Turns out my information packet with our reservations actually had the wrong information. Our flight had been rescheduled to an hour earlier. Awesome! So they put us on stand bye for the next one. Okay so what else can go wrong?

We get to security, have to disrobe; belts, shoes, any liquids, blah blah. People were rushing rob through which caused him to leave his belt on the first time through. Then earphones in his pockets the second time through. Meanwhile I am on the other side, holding the dude in one hand and trying to re-assemble his stroller/carseat one handed while trying to keep up my pants too. Oh and I was barefoot. We walk out to our terminal which was literally terminal - E71. But then the terminal had been moved to E61. Meanwhile we here "Robert Jones please return to security in terminal 2." How many Rob Jones are they. It couldn't be rob rob right? Uh yeah, the dude left his computer at security. So he runs back. I wait with the dude and our carry-ons. Then I hear my name over the loud speaker, and somehow I had dropped my driver's license. Sheesh! what else?

Well, nothing, we made it on to the plane, made it to dinner with our friends in Del Mar, and arrived at the posh little hotel recently remodeled and redecorated by Barclay Butera! -(cousin for the uninformed)

all filled up here

2008-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am about done! I may have peaked too early, but my brain is so full-up with info about photons, xrays, gamma rays, and random radiology facts it is hard to sleep. Floyd is getting real smart by sucking off of his mom. Boards are on 8th and 9th!

Cutting teeth

2008-08-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

We knew they were coming...he has been drooling for months. They were not here this morning. But by 5 pm they had peeked there way through the gums. How did I discover the change you ask. Well lets just say his teeth are sharp...this may me a deal breaker for the breastfeeding Dude.

The haps

2008-08-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have had my nose to the books for the last few weeks, with Rob breathing down my neck to study. He of course left town for a weekend with his buddies which makes studying a little difficult. Seeing as I had to entertain the dude. Rob left the morning Floyd decided to puke his Sweet potato and apple breakfast all over with me. Rob was just waiting for me to drop the hammer and put the brakes on his boys-weekend, but I let him go. I did my best to study with Floyd in one arm, holding him at arms length from my desk so he did not pound on the computer keyboard. We went on a 30 mile bike ride together- he did great in the trailer. And we took a walk to see "Little-big-Joe-Cooley." This is their 8 month photo. They are both 9 months old now.

FAILED

2008-08-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

FAILED

I got a letter in the mail about one year ago that said that. FAILED - in big black bold letters. I had failed my physics board exams. It was shocking. It sounds cliche, but I had never really failed anything before. Sure there have been let downs in the passed, but never something so absolute as failure. Rob insisted it was a mistake. I was devastated, I cried the whole night. I awoke the next morning and decided that no one had to know. It would be my own silent plight. Upon arriving to work, I learned quickly that I was not alone in this shortcoming. Though sad for the others, I was glad I wasn't alone.

It is this failure and the knowledge that I had to retake the test again this September that has been haunting me all year. It was this failure that made it necessary for me to leave my son for the first time since he was born. On the 5th, I left for Davis, California for an intensive physics review coarse at the U of California:Davis. It was a difficult trip for many reasons, not the least of which was leaving home without my boy. Not to mention the anxiety that comes with being bombarded with detailed and extensive information that I have to understand thoroughly by september 8th.

Rob and FLoyd survived with much help from my mom and Paul. Floyd even had to have a sleepover at grammies house because was Rob was on call over night. I left 4 pages of instructions with checklists to make sure nothing was left to chance.

I don't want to do any of it again, failing, leaving, physics......

Sun Valley '08'

2008-08-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

We made it back to Sun Valley after a one year hiatus-thanks to Floyd. We arrived thursday night to our sweet digs. What is it about time-shares and really bad southwestern design? Floyd had a hard day in the car seat so had to visit the spa in the kitchen sink the night we got there. The next morning the good times began.
We caught Floyd and Olivia Jones "playing" together. Notice the surprised and coy looks, the hand holding, and Floyd's pants under her head. This is what happens when the mom's are away. Rachel and I went for a 35 mile ride Friday morning while the boys waited for the Baldwins to arrive so that Eric, Rob, and Josh could go on an "epic" bike ride.
The girls and the kidlets headed to the pool where we ran into the famous traveler el Margot Zollinger. Floyd loaned her some swim wear for her first dip.
The kids played well together, especially Gracie and Conner who got into role playing games of Mommie and Daddy. Grant was of course the voice of reason.
The trip was based solely on biking. We all brought mountain bikes, road bikes, kiddie bikes, bike trailers, etc, etc. And we road them too. The girls put in 60+ miles, the boys about 20, but the emphasize that the climbed a dew thousand feet too. But we know who is stronger. Try pulling the dude and el Margot up hill in the trailer with the wind howling, then you will see strength. Sun Valley was awesome. Hope we can make it happen again next year.

Here comes trouble

2008-07-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

The dude is mobile, auto-mobile. He has developed a hybrid means of transportation, which is the "in" thing to do-the foot crawl. One knee down, and one foot to push. It makes for a crooked crawl, but it gets the job done. He can readily wiggle across the floor, pick up Porter's bone, and put it in his mouth. He progressed quite quickly from the wounded soldier-army crawl to the hybrid foot crawl. It required a quick trip to the store for a baby gate. I thought this would be a simple, straight forward task. But going to the store with Rob, where there are usually crowds of people, is a difficult task. Add to it that it was 104 degrees outside, this compounds the stress of shopping. Rob stood reading the specs for the baby gates for a good 4o minutes in Target. I thought we had made a choice when he stopped to look up the gates on consumer reports prior to purchase. Next thing I know we are leaving Target and on our way to Babys'r'us. I never thought I would hear Rob say "lets go to babys'r'us." I was as shocked as when he started reading "Harry Potter". He successfully installed the gate. We also lowered his crib mattress. In the nick of time I might add. Now you can find the dude trying to push his face through the bars to get out.

FLoyd and Grant

2008-07-23T09:27:00.001-07:00

Floyd got to hang with "G" the other day while Mom, Dad, and Aunt Mugs went to see Batman. I used to fly out to Michigan to see Grant when he was the same size as the Floydster. I can't believe how grown up Grant is.

NKOTB

2008-07-20T20:02:00.001-07:00

So a new kid is about to move into the neighborhood. Hanni is prego, and due very soon, 3 weeks or so. Jules, Udy, and I had a little party for her at my house. Hanni made me swear that I would not put a picture of her on the blog, and I mostly kept my promise...her foot is visible in the lower right corner of the photo of me and Rachee Roo Jones.

It is always fun to get the clan together. I forget how great we all are...E.H.S!

It is amazing that we are all 30+ years old. Seems like yesterday we all donned pantyhose over our faces, crammed into my mom's jeep, and attacked Mrs.Parker's house.

HELP!

2008-07-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Help! I need somebody, not just anybody. I need someone.......

So when I ask for help, I usually need it. Rob finds it frustrating that when I ask for help, it usually means right at the moment I am asking. Like when I say "hey babe can you help me find my shoes?" You see if I ask for help when I am holding my backpack, Floyd's bag'o'food for daycare, my pump, and the boy, and I ask you to help me, it is cause I need it right then. Or like when I stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn to feed the boy, and with mild symptomatic hypotension and blurry vision I run into the doorway and almost split my lip open, fall to the floor, and cry for help, I usually need it right then. Rob apparently needs forward notice for such things. Am I wrong to expect help when I ask for it? Am I wrong to expect that he would stop what he was doing and help me?

Suggestions?

Bob

2008-07-08T20:24:00.001-07:00

Last week we ventured to Rexburg for the annual Whoopee Days!! celebration. The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday. Rob says that is why I married him as his birthday is on the 5th.

All of us had a great time in Idaho. Rob got to go fishing. I got to swim at Gramp's pool, and Floyd got to play with his cousins and go to the parade.

Floyd helped me pack by playing in the suitcase.

The Honeymoon is over

2008-06-29T20:57:00.001-07:00

A few big events have happened over the last few weeks. 1. Erica moved to Florida! It has been eight fast years since we started medical school, and now she and many of my other friends have finished their residencies and are moving on with their careers, while I still have 3 more. I always say education is a great way to avoid responsibility.

2. After successfully raising over $750 between the two of us, Rob and I did our first 100 mile bike ride of the season at a smoking pace of 5 hours and 30 minutes. However it also marked a milestone for Rob, he is beginning to question his mortality. He is finally feeling the pangs of aging, and realizes he cannot bounce back as quickly as he used too. I think he is just stressed because his birthday is this week. He will be 36! I don't know that I have really come to terms with my age yet. I am just now realizing i am getting wrinkles and "crows' feet" around my eyes. I have somehow been happily living with the delusion that I am still 27.

The last big event was Floyders getting sick. It was bound to happen sometime. Nothing major, mind you, just an upper respiratory infection, or as those of us in the biz call it, a U.R.I. He has been running a little fever, coughing, and has had liquid gold pouring from his nose. He was still up for pool time though.

talking loud and clear saying just how you feel

2008-06-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Life Aquatic

2008-06-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Floyd turned 7 months old. Time, well , I have said it before. His personality is blossoming. He loves to smile and laugh, and the water, he absolutely loves. We spent some of the weekend in the kiddie pool at the other Joneses house. The dude loved it. We could not have a kiddie pool in our backyard as it is a disaster area!
The garage is underway, or maybe just the destruction of the backyard is underway, in preparation for the garage. All of our bikes are now stored in our front room. Good thing we do not have any furniture.

Stay tuned for Floyd's 6 month movie!

Good Good Good....good vibrations

2008-06-14T20:33:00.001-07:00

Today we headed out for the official first of many pool days of the summer. Up until now the weather has been...well, freaky. Hot one day, snowing the next kind of freaky. But it finally looks as though summer is here. Floyd was into it. Note how cool and calm he looks. He la-oved the pool. I would have stayed in longer were it not for the sun, being so hot and all. Some of my greatest memories are of time spent at Grandpa Z's pool with my best friend Jeffrey Rasmussen -aka Monkey -see linked blogs. We would ride our dirt bikes down the hill to swim, make forts out of the deck chairs, and eat frozen snickers bars my Gramps always had stock piled. Then when we were finished we would slowly ride our bikes up the big hill, hoping that one of our neighbors would give us a lift.

Floyd seems to love the water thus far. He was able to float on his back with me supporting his head, and put his face in the water without too much drama. Learning to swim is a major milestone of childhood. It only takes one bad experience to spoil it for years. Any suggestions from those who have gone before me in the "teaching kids to swim" game?

The Haps

2008-06-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well Bright Horizons has been a great place for Floyd. He loves all of his buddies, and his girlfriends (Kristin, Karly, Kagari, Jennifer, and Alisha), but just as everyday the FLoydster changes and develops into a person, so does the world around him. He has a few friends move on from Bright Horizons. Kristin-pictured above- is getting married against Floyd's wishes and moving to "somewhere in middle America." We will miss her, but wish her all the best.

Floyd is developing quite a personality. He loves to smile and beanie hats like his mom.

This last weekend was the "Little Red RidingHood" bike ride in Cache Valley. This is the third time Magan and I have done it together. This time mom came along too. Mugs and I completed 62 miles, and mom about 56. Mom was checking out the women of various ages and sizes at the start line and she decided she could beat most of them, so she abandoned her plan for a conservative and respectable 46 miles about 20 miles into the ride! Good job mom, ya nut.

Magan got to spend some time with the Floydster. And she tried to get me to let him come home with her. Floyd loves his aunt Magan. Magan gave Floyd a little manicure while we made mix CD's of Barbara Streisand and Billy Ocean for Mugs' ride back to Boise.

I am lucky to have a sister like Magan. She is so level headed and practical. She has a very calming presence and can see the bright side in any situation. She always helps me to see the big picture, and choose my battles. She kept me from killing my husband several times over the weekend.

Floyd started off his week with a trip to the pediatrician's office for his 6 month vaccinations. He is a whopping 16 lbs!!!, or about the 50th percentile for weight. He has been dwarfed by his buddies; little big joe cooley, and olivia jones who are younger than him, but his head is about 75th percentile. So you know what that means...he is a SMARTY pants. If you notice in the first picture he is currently an "independent sitter." Yep- milestone-. Speaking of which he also tried pureed ham and gravy tonight. He seemed to like it, though I could scarcely stand the smell myself.

My Boys

2008-06-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

Well this is it. The last night of my Graveyard shifts. It has been a trying month for the JonesZees family unit. We could not have done it with out all the support from our friends and family. Rob's Mom and Lanny were invaluable to us when then they out a few weeks back. Grammy Beyer has stepped up and babysit the dude on a whim and helped clean up the house. Grams and Gramps Z helped out with encouragement and a few nights out on the town for dinner at, where else, Market Street. And of course all of my friends and family on the blog circuit offering support, praise, and entertainment.

My boys had another weekend together. They are a pair. FLoyd lights up when his dad walks in the room. Rob insists that he has been saying "dadda", but I remind him that last week the boy was saying "mamma.' I swear! He is advanced for his age.

Floyd and Margot

2008-05-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

My Brotha turned 30 today, and we finally got the kids back together. Floyd was digging little Margot, and liked to play with Uncle Matt's hair.

2 nights of night float left......

I tried to sleep all day, but I woke from my deep sleep ala ear plugs and mask with Rob and Floyd in my face. Daddy saying "are you awake yet?"

Mom, "well I am now."

Daddy, "I need to go on a bike ride, can you take him? You got him? Bye."

Rob had the boy up and dressed and was walking boy walking around the block by 7:30 am. They had a boys day, checking out rocks and hot tubs for the backyard. He is a good dad.

My Picasso

2008-05-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

4 more nights.........

Here is my little Picasso. He is currently in his Blue period, focusing on more abstract ans surrealist themes. His greatest influence is of coarse Pablo Picasso. His first art show is on June 5th. His work is quite striking, if he does not eat all the paint before it hits the canvas.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Mom was on call all weekend, so it required that dad do some babysitting. Floyd was psyched to hang out with daddy. He also decided to work on a few teeth. He was a bit of a grumperoo...with good reason. Teeth hurt, the dentist is always loads of fun for everyone.
Floyd had a few quality naps with Dad, and then went on a few shopping errands.
Here is the Dude trying out a backpack at REI to get ready for summer hikes.
We also went shopping for furniture. Floyd was a good little shopper and tested out the chairs for the final approval. So I have 5 days of nights left. Help me out by posting everyday so I have something to look forward to in the middle of the night.

the poser

2008-05-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

the dude has a pose, the straightened arm, extended behind him. he does it all the time. here he is in his high chair before dinner or sweet potatoes, mush, and BANANAS! This arm has stood in the way of the boy making and completing a roll-over. The arm makes it impossible to dress him, and to get him in his car seat. He does it when you hold him, or when he is in his jumperoo. What a nut.

see arm out stretched... always. see earlier pic.
I threw the last one in because he is such a cutey. It was yellow day at school today so the boy wore he WakeForest Demon Deacons shirt.
I have been haunted by what happened to my friend's baby. There was a horrible accident, that really could not have been prevented. My heart is with her and her husband as they cope with the loss of their daughter as they new and loved her. I have holding FLoyd a little longer, kissing him more, and thanking God for everyday I have with him. Rob is the love of my life, and Floyd is the most beautiful manifestation of that. Hug, love, kiss your family and pray for little Lucy.

The count down

2008-05-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

Time seems to really fly by now that FLoyd is with us. Every moment is so new and exciting, and he is growing exponentially. It seems like forever ago he wa just a little dude, and Rob and I were total baby rookies. Now the boy has his parents trained, and we know him and his moods, what makes him laugh uncontrollably, when hi is Jonesing for some food, and when he needs to sleep. He is very advanced for is age of course too. He is on the cusp of being able to sit unassisted. Here he is wresting with dad. He pinned Rob with his Nacho libre like skills.
He has graduated from the Bumbo to sitting in the high chair when he eats his veggies. His favorites are carrots and sweet potatoes. Green beans were a no-go. He was shiver and wince with each bite-funny.
Well time goes by fast in all things other than when mom is on the night shift. I have about 9 days left of graveyard duty, but who is counting.
Floyd and I tried to take a snoozer this afternoon, but only Floyd was truly sucessful.

Quirks

2008-05-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

My quirks: tell me yours............

1. I like to read the phone book. (so does my dad)
2. If I eat something spicy I MUST HAVE CHOCOLATE to follow!
3. I believe I was Mexican in my previous life.
4. I stu-u-dd-er or stammer over my words when I am tired (so does my dad)
5.I don't brush my hair........very often. Maybe once a week. I wash it to avoid dreadlock formation though.
6.I sing out loud in the graocery store, unabashedly. Especially when "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins comes on.
7. I am allergic to earrings.
8. I like to pick zits and black heads...it is a very powerful compulsion to avoid.

Mommies' Day

2008-05-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

My first mother's day. Kind of remarkable really. Who knew that something as wonderful as little Floyd could exist. I love him. He love me too I think. He loves to smile and laugh, and suck on his toes in the bathtub. His smile is contagious! I love him. I love Rob even more than ever too even though he frustrates me to the point of spontaneous combustion. Our first semi-official family portrait taken by Joshy Jones on our front porch.
We had a great dinner with the Jones Family and the Beyers.

He's got legs

2008-05-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Say hello to my little friend....

2008-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

So the boy picked up a few more nicknames this week..."the F-bomb" from his Aunt Hanni (a.k.a Donner), and a few that he gave himself. I will explain.

Look at that adorable face, and the smirking smile....
He is quickly becoming the most popular boy at school. Here he is with Kagari. I dropped him off the other day and went to work as always...late. When I picked him up later that day, I did not get the sweet, pristine, smirking smiling face boy back....instead I got "SCARFACE" (new nickname). The dude scratched his sweet little face below his left eye with his "Wolverine" (nickname number 2) like nails.
An incident report was filed by the daycare, which read much like a police report. "Floyd Jones was playing on the floor with his toys. It was 0815 A.M. Kristin King and Helga Olsen were in the room. Floyd Jones scratched himself under his left eye. Blood was noted on his hands and face. A cold compress was applied...."
This is what the Wolverine did to his precious little face. Dad tried to give him a manicure and accidently snipped the skin on Floyd's thumb, which was another bleeder.
Floyd survived it all, and with all the bloodloss he wanted to remind his readers about the importance of universal precautions, and to show his support for AIDS awareness.

the Floydster

2008-04-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

I held tight to what I planned to name the boy up until the last minute. A few people knew Rob and I were considering the name Floyd, but I was hesitant to say much to anyone about it. I wanted to avoid those awkward moments when you finely spill the beans and then have some one say, "you are not naming him Floyd," or "where did that name come from", or "no really, tell me what you are going to name him," or, "what kind of parent names there son Floyd," etc, etc.

Well now that he is here, do any of you doubters belive that there could have been a better name for the boy, he is the coolest Floyd that everyone will ever know. -FACT

My mom was in denial for a while there...she called shortly after Flyd was born and talked to my sister Magan. The dialogue was as follows:

Mom: What are you doing?

Magan: I am just holding bay Floyd.

Mom: Is that what they named him?

I think my mom struggled most with the inability to easily convert the name Floyd into a catchy nickname. She kept telling everyone she ran into, behind my back, that she planned to call him "Chaz", a play on his first name. (Charles Floyd Jones). I put the kiabosh on that pretty quick and forbid her to do so. Then there was Grandma Leslie, who took to calling him Charles-Floyd, like it was one compound name, Rob nipped that in the bud too.

Nicknames naturally develop, we all have them. The evolution of nicknames is even more interseting. I ran accross an article on the adventures of nicknaming while surfing through the blog scene in the middle of the night.

Floyd's nicknames:
the boy
the dude
Floydster
Floydinator
Floydee
Floydinski
Grumpystiltskin
Pupe Fiasco -see previous post with the same name
Booger
Gramma's boy

Rob's Nicknames:
Dr. Bob Jones
Bob Jones
Bub
Bubbies
Jones
Stinky
Grumpy

Lauren's Nicknames
Loo
Lulu
Luluta
Looser
Lolly Pickle
Lucille
LZ
Z
Z money
Dr. Z
Floyd's Mom
Animal
Dr. Mrs. Dr. Bob Jones
Lalz
Lzoogie
Sweet Cheater
LaLa
Loren

Porter (the Dog)
PoPo
Master P
Black Dog
Fat girl
Francine

lets try this - TAG - tell me your nicknames.

letting go part deux

2008-04-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Floyd has quickly become the most popular boy at school. All the girls love him. Today they went for a cruise. Notice he is sitting in the back (red arrow) where the cool kids always sit. I have disquised his classmates as I did not receive writtin permission to post pictures of their children online. Not that I needed to, but I thought it was funny.
Floyd thought the ride was awesome.
This is what he looked like after his second day of school. He is loving it.
Speaking of letting go. I have a stockpile of breast milk as you can see, and I am freaked to use it. I am becoming a little obsessive about the breast feeding thing. I am always worrying about it; when I should pump?; do I have time to pump?; if I wait to long will my supply drop?;is floyd getting enough to eat?; if I pump now will I have enoughto feed him later?; blah blah, blah. I am going a little nuts. Should I stop or keep going, seeing is I am still producing about 24 ounces a day-no joke.

In other news, my blog has been discovered by my bestest childhood friend-Jefferey Rasmussen a.k.a Monkey. We would play for hours on the trampoline, or football in the front yard, golfing, riding dirt bikes, swimming, and riding ATV's.

Letting Go

2008-04-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Growing up is hard to do. Floyd had is 4 month vaccinations the other day. He did pretty well considering he got 4 shots. He stopped crying as soon as I picked him up. We had a little dinner party with the Cooley's and the Joneses. Rob had hopes that his boy would be able to take little Joe Cooley in a wrestling match...but he learned quickly that would not be the case. Little-big Joe (LBJ) Cooley, as he will now be called, has 4lbs on Floyd...he is one hunk of love. The two chilled together while their parents ate dinner. Little Olivia Jones was there two; Floyd and LBJ were warned to stay away from her by her daddy Josh.

I spent the weekend on call, which meant that daddy was on duty most of the weekend. We managed to have a few uninterrupted hours together as a family. We dusted off the tandem, and attached the Chariot, and went for a cruise. Floyd loved it. We rode to Cactus and Tropicals-a garden store-where Floyd checked out some pots. Dad has big landscaping plans for the backyard.

Monday morning was an emotional day for mom. Floyd and Dad seemed fine. It was Floyd's official first day of school. This is his first teacher Alisha. Rob and I took him in together this morning. Mom was fighting back the tears, and Floyd was checking out all of the news toys he was going to get to chew on.

It was so nice to have Mical at home with Floyd during the day these last few months, but alas work schedules made it a difficult arrangement to maintain. Although daycare was always our ultimate plan, these last few months were great for all of us.

This week is going to be tough for many reasons, Floyd to daycare, mom to graveyards, daddy on call. If we make it through this week it will be free sailing.

survivorman

2008-04-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Floyd is fun to play with. hopefully he will survive us.

We gave the whole "cry it out" method a try the other day...we are suckers though. The boy outs on a good show, sounds like he is suffering, and choking on his own tears, but when you go in the room to rescue him from certain peril...he puts on a cheeky little grin and giggles at you. "wanna play mommy?"

Funny as it may seem, his dad copes the exact same way.

Pupe Fiasco

2008-04-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

Thats Pupe' - like Lupe with a "P"-.

How do you know when the diapers are too small. The Kirkland 1-2 diapers from cosco have been is "calvin klein" undergarments of choice up to now. They do not seem to small when you attach them to his spastic body in the midst of his naked dance. But I cannot seem to dress him in any outfit without a major structural breech of the diapers, namely the poop shoots up his crack instead of down into the diaper resevoir. I ask all you wise subscribers to my blog...is it time for the "2's?"

Quatro

2008-04-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lets play footsie

2008-03-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so the boy is asleep in the above picture believe it or not. Has has discovered that his feet are attached to his legs, and being in the oral stage of Freudian development...puts them in his mouth. He also will sleep instantly as soon as a blanket is placed over his face.
We dressed him as a cast member for "Horton hears a Who!", but we could not go to the movie with Aunt Magan and little Gracie.
Magan and Gracie came for the weekend to visit the boy and Grammy Beyer.
Magan really liked the boy, a lot. She volunteered to babysit without me asking.

Match made in Heaven

2008-03-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Charles Floyd Jones

Olivia Belle Jones

3/20/2008

8 lbs 6 oz

Last day of winter

2008-03-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

The afternoons are warming up which allows the boy and I to get out for some fresh air. Today after work we caught up with Jules and little Joe-Cools-Cooley! He and Floyd stared at each other and smiled. They have already decided that they will ski together, and play soccer together, and play tennis, etc.

Gotta Keep on Moving to the Music

2008-03-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Viva la Puerto Rico, the home of Menudo, the first great boy band-The band that spawned Ricky Martin. Now how many of my readers remember when "Menudo" was on "Silver Spoons", and Ricky Martin taught Ricky Schroeder how to dance. Who would of thought I would visit Puerto Rico and stay in a hotel next door to a venue used for cock fights.

We left SLC early in the morning. I was very worried about Floyd getting sick, and being one of those babies that cries through the whole flight. But he was a great traveler from take off.

The first night we stayed just outside of Old San Juan, and then got up the next morning to fly to a small island off the east coast of Puerto Rico called Culebra. We took a small 8-seater plane over. Floyd slept the whole way while I plugged his ears. The flight was short, and harrowing at the landing. Little did we know that the runway was angled between two mountains, the locals say it is like landing aon an aircraft carrier. It was a a scary few seconds as the plane skipped sideways on the landing. I guess that is standard landing on Culebra but no one warned us about it.

We stayed in a resort at the end of the 7 mile island. Rob and I went scuba diving four times. We were glad Mical was with us to watch Floyd. The scuba diving was very memorable because two dolphins swam with us underwater out in the open ocean. It was amazing. We also saw a nurse shark, 4 sting rays, and a sea turtle.

Also on CUlebra is the #2 out of the top ten beaches in the world, Playa Flamenco. It was beautiful. Floyd liked it too because he got to wear his sun glasses. The rest of the trip was spent in San Juan. We did rent a car which is always risky for Rob and I. Some how I always end up navigating, and Rob does not like how I navigate. Nevermind he has no sense of direction but he always second guesses my directions. There were some tense moments, screaming, and crying in a Sears parking lont in Ponce, Puerto Rico. But we survived it.

Rob and I were able to go out for some dates and taste the local fair and to hit the casinos. Gambling does not do a thing for me but Rob insisted on hitting the blackjack table. Again rather then waiting for a spot at the $5 table, he blew his budgeted amount to gamble at the $25 table in two hands.

We did well to avaoind mosquitos and the sun, but somehow rob ended up with a sweet sunburn on his chest.

All in all, it was a great trip!

Jumperoo

2008-03-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Catching up

2008-03-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

My Brotha and the Baby-Margot-. Well it has been a bit of a rocky start for Margot and her mom, but I think everything will work itself out. It has been a baptism by fire for Matty too. He his handling the stress as only Matt could handle it. Floyd and I , and the Rennaker girls were able to go up for a visit last weekend. Floyd tried out Margot's crib while she was in the hospital which allowed Matty and I to organize her room and her large large wardrobe. I hope she has time to wear all of it.
Floyd went for a night on the town with Grammy B, and he got to hang with his closest cousin-by age- Vaughn Zollinger. The Grandmas had fun posing the kids together. Rob and I had a date night while Floyd was out with grams.
Things have otherwise been routine for the JonesZees! My research is coming along nicely. Rob is working hard. Floyd is sleeping through the night.

This saturday we leave for Puerto Rico. Keep your fingers crossed that the flights go smoothly!

My brotha is a daddy

2008-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

She came a little earlier than expected and kept everyone on their toes for a day or so, but now she is cooking with gas. Floyd loves her already.

Charlize Margot Zollinger

Instructions for my Bro

2008-02-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Matty and Chalene are days away from welcoming their baby daughter into the world. A very exciting time. It is going to be so great to see my little brother become a father. He will be a natural, and I am sure his daughter could wreak as much havoc as he did when he was young. I found this useful link with pictographs on how to properly take care of a baby. I found them very helpful.

uh hello!

2008-02-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Mistie, Avery's mother has launched a blog whose sole purpose is to boast that Avery is cuter than Floyd, note the URL: mybabiescuterthanlaurensbaby.blogspot.com . I say make love not war Mistie. This is a battle that you cannot win!

Floyd continues to entertain and amaze with his talents. When he awakes from sleeping the entire night or just about, being the wonderbaby that he is, he always performs his morning stretches...hands to the sky! Then he begins to conversate, and practice his high-pitched language that is especially good for talking to dolphins and other porpoises. He is just about tall enough to fully maximize the use of his jumperoo pictured above. As you can also clearly see he is larger than the teddy bear which was pictured in a earlier post- he is growing at an alarming rate- again he is a wonderbaby.

Kill me now

2008-02-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

The pout! The calm before the storm.

It was a stormy weekend of sorts. It started out well with a quiet movie night on Friday. Floyd only had a brief party-time in his crib that night. We were all up in the morning getting ready for the day. I started some laundry, and casually moved the washing machine a little to organize the laundry room. (It was out of place because we had had some plumbing issues.) Then the family unit wentout for some errands -dad stocking up on patagonia goods during their presidents day sale. By the time we made it home, I could not get out of the car. My lower back was in a major spasm, I couldn't even make it in the house. Rob plopped me on the floor in the front room, and there I stayed. I ate lunch on the floor and made a few distress calls for muscle-relaxers. Rob ran to the pharmacy and Berta (housekeeper, our nanny's mom) watched Floyd. At this point I could not even stand, I tried to crawl, but quickly crumbled to the floor. Rob dragged me to the bathroom to try a warm bath. BAD IDEA! Once I was in the tub, with much screaming and crying, when it came time to get out, well, yeah, uh, I couldn't. Rob again carried me wet, shivering, and unclothed and dropped me in bed. This was some serious pain folks, labor, that was nothing. The worst thing about it is the drugs I require make breastfeeding a no-no. Luckily I have a 3 GALLON supply of stockpiled breast milk. But daddy is getting a baptisn by fire to the demands of baby. It is rather comical to see him struggle with defrosting the milk, preparing the bottle, and soothing the savage beast. I tried to hold back my laughter as he poured breast milk all over me when I was trying to show him how to put in the bottle liners; 1) so he would not lose his cool, and 2) because it really hurt to laugh. By this morning I was able to stand and walk a little, but I am not going to push my luck.

Check out big-little joe cooley.

Throwing down the gauntlet.

2008-02-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

ITS ON!

After Floyd commandeered the desktop of the radiology department computer, covering up the smiling face and bright blue eyes of Avery Simpson, the gauntlet was thrown...The cute baby war is on!

Take this chickies!

As calm as a Hindu Cow.

2008-02-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

My friends at work say this picture almost make it look like I am a good mother. (Angel and Mistie - they kill me) I used to go hang with Jenny Meese too, but she is onto better things. See her blog and you will understand.

Mistie has a little girl, Avery, who is 6 months old, another of Floyd's potential girlfriends.

Friday was his 2 month well-child checkup. And he was well, calm, and chilling prior to the shots- 4 of them. He did fairly well considering the sniper attack.

He is quite a poser for photos. Below he captured the laughing budha, then followed it up with his male-model look.

"laugh it up fuzz ball"

-name the movie

my boy

2008-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

The Ice Planet

2008-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Floyd and I ventured up to Rexburg. A place STARWARS fans have called "Hoth" -the ice planet. Floyd was a good travel companion. He let mom sing the whole way there, and only cried when I stopped for gas. The timing of the trip was centered around the tour of the newly constructed Rexburg temple, about 200000 people toured it over the last few weeks. It about 500 yards from my dad's house.

Mary blocked out the afternoon at DermaChic for the girls to get treatments. Mugs and I got microdermabrasion and IPL (intense pulse laser) treatments, hence the snazzy protective goggles Mugs is wearing.

All the cousins played with Floyd. Grant and Ella enjoyed holding him, and took great pride their abilities to sooth the savage Floyd.

Floyd also got to meet his Great Grandpa, and namesake Charles Zollinger.