Happy Halloween!

Albeit a rainy Saturday, it has proved to be a busy one for the Jones family. Our Halloween festivities began around lunch time when we attended Biltmore Forest Country Club's Halloween gathering and luncheon with Annie and Poppy. Upon our return home, we cuddled up on the couch to enjoy the first half of a movie before heading out to engagement #2. Our afternoon found us at HoopLa, our church's Halloween alternative festival, where Thompson enjoyed the jump houses, games and seeing the train. Then, it was home to finish our movie while we rested and regrouped in preparation for an evening of trick-or-treating with neighborhood friends.

Much to our surprise, Thompson wanted to be a turtle this year. (Yes, it should look familiar as he was not only a turtle last year, but also the year before. It goes without saying we were shocked to discover his choice and then find that it still fit. We never thought we'd get 3-years wear of the same costume from the same child!)

This year was the first year we observed Thompson "get" the trick-or-treating concept. He was eager to go to houses with their lights on so he could say "Happy Halloween" and get some candy...so much so, that we'd often find him moving along with an extra spring in his step.

Baby J Update - Week 36

This morning marked the beginning of our weekly visits to the OB until Baby Jones's birth. My blood pressure remains healthy (112/80) so no mandatory bed rest needed, which is quite unlike my pregnancy with Thompson. I also got the swine flu/H1N1 vaccination this morning, so I'm glad to have that done so there is less to worry about this flu season with an infant.

With Thompson born at 37 weeks, I'm a bit apprehensive as to what to expect in the coming weeks. I learned I'm dilated 3 cm, which was quite a surprise. Our doctor seems to think Baby Jones will make his/her entry early, but as we know, only time will tell. Stay tuned...the end of this chapter and the beginning of a new one is in sight!

Like Father, Like Son

Here are a few fun pictures of Thompson and Bobby from this morning when T decided to join daddy in his daily shaving routine.

T-H-O-M-P-S-O-N

That's right, Thompson has reached the milestone of being able to spell his name without any assistance. SO COOL! And as for writing his name, he's got every letter except for the "S", which he tells us is a "tricky letter"...although we know he'll have it mastered in no time.

No Bed Rails

In early September, Thompson's "big boy" twin beds arrived (courtesy of Annie and Poppy and a shout out of thanks to Mamere and Papere for the mattresses). He loves his new beds and makes a point to show all visitors his room (even if they've seen it before!). A couple weeks ago, we took the plunge and removed the bedrails...and so far, our T-man has done fantastic!

Baby J Update - Week 34/35

Great news...Avery's pregnancy continues to progress well. We were a bit apprehensive this morning, heading into today's check-up because on the same day of her pregnancy with Thompson, her blood pressure was 122/86 with a couple weeks of bed rest. As for today, her blood pressure was 110/60. YEAH! Thursday marks the 35-week milestone, so 5 weeks or less until Baby Jones's birth, and as you can imagine, we are anxious to see whether we will be welcoming another son or a daughter.

This past weekend, we enjoyed a mommy-daddy weekend getaway in Wears Valley, TN as we attended the wedding of Jenny Bates and Ty Heaton. (Jenny is a friend of Avery's and was a bridesmaid in our wedding 8+ years ago!) We figured this would most likely be the last time we could enjoy such a weekend for a while. As for Thompson, he spent the weekend with Annie and Poppy, and according to all accounts, had a fantastic time!

Thompson and the Playhouse

Our neighbors spent the past couple weeks building a playhouse for a local auction, whose proceeds benefit the United Way. As could be expected, Thompson wanted in on all the action. Here is a picture of him looking out the window shortly before the playhouse's completion.