Catching Up From the Past
It seems like forever since I've had a chance to get on the computer to catch up on all our family happenings.
So Jacob has been growing like a weed. He learns something new each day. He is climbing and getting into all sorts of stuff throughout the house. This includes his newest feat of learning to push the water button on the refrigerator. Needless to say, we have to use the lock function on our fridge now. He is such a smart cookie. He likes to repeat everything Josh or I say now. He knows where is nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and teeth are. Josh has taught him to stick out his tongue when when you ask him where his tongue is. Thanks Dada! The other day Nana was trying to teach him how to wink. It's pretty funny! He scrunches up his whole face and closes both of his eyes. When he opens his eyes he looks so surprised.
We recently went to the desert and Jacob got to ride around on his momo (motorcycle) with the rest of the big guys. Every time Josh got ready to go on a ride, Jacob ran out to his momo and hopped on. He rode his momo all day. He wants to do everything that Josh does. In fact, many times I have been put on the back-burner these days. Jacob won't eat unless Josh is sitting at the table and won't go to sleep unless he gives Josh a hug and a high-five before he gets his pajamas on. He and Josh watch toons (cartoons) on the weekend in our bed and wrestle around all the time. It is so wonderful to see the bond they have with each other. They are truly 2 peas in a pod.
Last weekend was Halloween. We started the day by going to the pumpkin patch. We drove to Oma's Pumpkin Patch, our second year there, and Jacob was old enough to have a fun time there. He saw a real mooo (cow) and touched it. He pet a goat and a sheep as well. We went in a hay bale maze and down the cotton seed hill. Jacob and I hiked up to the top of this huge hill made from cotton, we hopped on a snow saucer and rode down. The first time we were successful. The second time we had a wipe-out at the end. Josh video taped it all and I'll post it on our site. It's pretty funny! Jacob got to pick his own pumpkin (see the video) and was very excited to take it home.
Jacob had a wonderful time trick-or-treating
Cat's out of the Bag
Well all have been told about the new addition to our family by now. We are very excited! Actually, I should say I'm very excited, Josh is a bit overwhelmed, and Jacob has no idea what's in store.
We found out on September 22nd and my head has been swirling since. I think of all the things I need to get done in the next 9 months to prepare for this new arrival. I'm not sure exactly where to start, but am sure I'll make a few lists and try to accomplish things as I feel up to it.
On that note, I've been feeling so-so lately. I kept a really detailed pregnancy diary and reviewed it the other day to find out that 6 weeks was exactly when I started feeling qweezy with Jake. I didn't have morning sickness with Jacob, but more of an all day feeling of yuck. The past 2 days have been identical to my previous pregnancy. All day, and night, I've had that gross dry throat feeling like you might throw-up, but you try not to. I know, I know... TMI, My thought that is I share these feelings here, maybe they'll go away. It's wishful thinking :)
So we will go in on October 12th for our first ultrasound and I'll be sure to post a picture of our little bean.
Quick side story...
In class the other day the kids were starting to talk about what they were going to be for Halloween. One little boy, which I had in my class in Kindergarten, asked what I was going to be. I said that I hadn't really thought about it. I asked for his opinion on my costume this year. He said, "You should be that pregnant lady you dressed like in kindergarten. There are some new kids in our class that haven't seen it before." My reply... "Hey Drew, I'll have to think about that." What a classic comment!
There's No Place Like Home
Jacob and I got home yesterday afternoon from a trip back home. We went to visit all of our family. It was an exhausting trip, but very worth it. We left last Thursday after I got off from school. Auntie Shannon picked us up and she was so excited to see both of us. We drove back to her new house. We got there and Jacob played with Uncle Eric and cousins Jaimen and Travis, but it was way past his bedtime, so off he went.
On Friday, the Burton’s came to visit. Even Uncle Buck was there. I haven’t seen or heard from him in a long time.
On Saturday, we went to Cousin Natalie’s new place in San Francisco. It is a very cute place. We got to see Aunt Nancy, Uncle Randi and Cousin Kevin.
On Sunday, we went to brunch with Poppa, the cousins, Janice, Carlie, Uncle Buck, and Diane.
On Monday, we headed home to Dada and had a chance to relax before I started back at work again.
There is truly no place like home! Make sure you check out our pictures :)
First Sleepover
Jacob had his first sleepover with his friend Tatum this weekend. Tatum came to eat dinner and spend the night. They had so much fun! They played in the water table with ice and rode the momo's (motorcycles), screamed and chased each other, took a bath and finally wound down with a small dose of Bob (aka Sponge Bob). They finally crashed around 8:30 and slept soundly until 7 this morning. Too bad, I was up every 2-3 hours checking on them. There was a new sense of responsibility having another little one in the house.
I was absolutely exhausted today and ended up taking a 2 hour nap when Jacob went down. Hopefully I can sleep tonight :)
Cookin' with Jacob
Today Jacob has been awfully cranky. I've narrowed it down and he is starting to come down with a cold or is getting some more teeth. He has no fever but a yucky runny nose. I've been dosing him up with Motrin, but he still is a cranky pants. So today I've been pulling out all the stops to help him make it through the day, which started at 5:15 by the way.
Our last activity today was to make some delicious chocolate chip banana bread, a la my Aunt Julie's recipe. Jake was very interested in helping, so I pulled out Josh's old stool and Jacob got to stand at the counter and help. Well help might be the wrong word, but he did sample plenty of chocolate chips. He loved it! I loved it too and thought how big he is now and that he can actually help with the cooking. Not only does he like to sweep and mop, but now he likes to cook. I've trained him well!
I'l post some pictures and clips tomorrow.
Jacob is 16 months old
Yesterday, Jacob turned 16 months. He is growing like a weed in all areas. I think he's eating his weight in food these days. He is always asking for more of something. He likes to find stuff that is sitting on the counter and point, sign and yell more. Regardless if he can have it or not, he wants it! Luckily, he usually sees the fruit on the counter, but he has seen where the "pips" (chips) are kept and thanks to Dad and Byron, now asks for Cheetos.
Jakey is very into hiding and "ah-boo" (peek-a-boo). He has a few blankets that he puts over his head and runs blindly around the room until he falls and uncovers his face to say "ah-boo". He also likes to hide his chair and he REALLY likes when you ask where something is after he has hidden it. He likes to hide me and uncover me to say "ah-boo" and laugh and laugh. He is very funny these days,
Jacob is also noticing a lot around him. I picked him up from Ashleigh's house the other day and got him in the car. He told me " Mama Drive" and he put his hands on an imaginary wheel and was driving. He knows that I drive a car and Dada drives a truck. Josh went riding his motorcycle last weekend and ever since then, Jacob is OBSESSED with Josh's "momo". He says "mmmm mmmm Dada" and wants to go in the garage to see Josh's motorcycle. He is truly Josh's son!
It is so nice to see our nightly prayers are being answered. Jacob is a healthy, happy, curious, little boy!
Hi Ho, Hi Ho.. It's off to work I go...
My long summer has finally come to an end :( I am so sad to go back to work. This summer has been one of the best in my life! I am so fortunate to have a job where I can spend a chunk of time with my child. Even better, I'm getting paid to do it :)
This past week I've been in my classroom busily buzzing and trying to get everything in order. I had tried a couple of times to get some work done over the summer, but Jacob always had other ideas. So last week, all to my lonesome, I actually got some stuff finished. I still have tomorrow to work because we start school on Tuesday.
Jacob is being lovingly taken care of by wonderful friends. Justinna, our roommate's girlfriend, is watching him at our house on Monday and Friday. I'm bringing him to by my friend Ashleigh's house to play with her two kids, Grant and Tatum, the other three days. Last week was a trial run and everything went smoothly. Nana will return the first weekend on October and take over. We can't wait to see her. We've been on Skype with her every other week, but can't wait to see her in the flesh!
By the way, Skype is the best thing ever for those of you with webcams. It's totally FREE and great to use to keep in touch. Let me know if any of you have a webcam and you can chat with Jacob!
I've included some pictures for our trips to the lake to feed the ducks. Enjoy!
15 month check-up
Yesterday Jakey had his 15 month check-up. It was at 2:30 which is right during his afternoon nap. Unfortunately, he didn't take a morning nap either, so needless to say he was pretty mad that he was awake. I tried to help him out by going to my school to do some work for a bit and had him play there for a while. We ended up leaving my school at 2:00, thinking he'd sleep in the car. He slept for only 15 minutes and was wide awake when we got to the Dr.'s office.
Dr. Scannel said he got cuter from the last time she saw him. I love her! She also said he is doing fantastic. He is 21 pounds 8 ounces and 32 3/4 inches tall and his head is 48.5 cm. He is still on the taller and leaner side of the growth chart, but she said he's healthy and growing just fine. He was super brave when he got to shots and only cried for a minute. It's always so nice to hear your child is doing everything right!
She was excited to hear that he has so many words in his vocabulary. He's added puh (which depending on what he's doing means push or pull), buh (bus), how (house), home (he loves to say this when Josh gets home), and truh (truck). He's still obsessed with tats (cats) and pows (cows). He loves to put on his hat and today we made binoculars out of string and an old toilet paper roll. He loves to wear them around his neck. He had his hat and binoculars on and he looked like he was preparing to go on a jungle safari! He is quite busy these days.
15 Months Old and the Silver Strand
Yippee! Another month has come and gone. Jacob is recovering from a minor cold, but overall is in good health. He is such a funny little guy. He loves to laugh and loves to make others laugh. Since it's been hot here, we've been trying to cool off by going in the hot tub. Oxymoron, I know. Cooling off in a hot tub, but since we leave the heat off in the summer, it's actually cooler that the temp outside most of the time. Ok back on track. So Jacob and I will go in the hot tub and I'll bring some of his bath toys to play with while we're in there. He's really in to the squirt toys that you fill with water. He will fill them up and call Ellie over by yelling BOG BOG BOG. When she gets close he'll squirt her and laugh and laugh and laugh. It's actually pretty funny. Ellie is a very good sport.
Jacob is running everywhere and always on the go. He loves to read books and can point out most of the animals. He is still obsessed with cats and has fallen in love with cows as well. He calls them POWS and has to point to the POWS on the milk container every time I pour him a milk cup. He is starting to enjoy the little quad that Josh got him. He can push the button himself to make it go now. When he gets going he sticks his legs out to the side. He looks like he's doing some tricky stunt. He is totally Josh's son!
This past weekend we brought our trailer down to the Silver Strand. It was a blast. The weather was yucky on Friday, cleared up Saturday afternoon and was gorgeous when we left on Sunday. On Saturday Jon, Jenn, Taylor and Makenzie stopped by as well as Dustin, his girlfriend Erin, and Grandpa. It was a super day to visit. We took lots of pics, so take a look!
Just Chillaxin'
That is chilling and relaxing all in one :) My students taught me that one.
Jakey and I have just been hanging out and going with the flow. We try to keep our date at the library for story time on Wednesdays, but other than that, each day is a new surprise. Over the weekend we went swimming with Eric, Jessie and Madison. It was a great way to beat the heat out at our house. Jake is a FISH! He loves the water. I made him take a break for a bit, but he just wanted to jump back in. We have to teach him that he needs to make sure Mommy or daddy are there to catch him because he has no fear. SCARY!!!!!
This Thursday we are heading down to The Silver Strand for a little vacation. Our friends Scott and Jill will be down there too, and I have a feeling we'll have some more visitors since the weather is supposed to be wonderful.
I'll post pictures when we return
Visit to Children's Museum
Last week our friend Ashleigh and her kids Grant and Tatum invited Jacob and I to the new San Diego Children's Museum. It was FANTASTIC! There were so many things for the kids to do, even little Jacob. There was a whole room filled with matresses and pillows to jump around in. Then we went to the bubbles, which Jacob is OBSESSED with. They played in a bunch of the hands-on play spaces and got REALLY tired. We went across the street to the little park to eat lunch and headed back for one more exhibit. Jacob had had enough and I had to leave. We were only in the car 5 minutes and he was passed out. We'll have to go back and visit again after Jacob has had a nap.
Escapee Update
Josh returned home on Saturday afternoon and the first thing we did was fix Jacob's crib. There has been no additional escapes from the crib. Ahhh... I can relax for a bit, but only until he learns a new method to get out of his bed.
Escapee
So we had our first escapee from the crib last night. Jacob was put to bed at his regular bed time and he did not want to go to sleep. So he cried and screamed and screamed and cried. I finally went in after 20 minutes or so and picked him up. I calmed him down and the second I put him back in his crib he cried and screamed and screamed and cried. I just thought... you know what, he just needs to cry. So I sat in the front room trying to watch TV over the howling. Finally, the crying got louder... and closer. I jumped up, yelled some bad words and bolted for Jacob's room. He met me in the kitchen crying and screaming my name. I was so thankful he had made it out of his crib unharmed, but a bit upset he was out of his crib. I ended up rocking him to sleep for the next hour to ensure he would be totally asleep when he returned to his crib and hopefully wouldn't take the plunge again. He slept well and woke up at 6:30 this morning safe and sound.
Side note- I tried to fix the crib, but could not find Josh's tools to get the job done. I did take the bumper out from the side of his bed, hoping that he would loose a few inches of boost until Josh can fix it tomorrow.
Tonight I put him down as usual and once again the crying. I was sure my removal of the bumper helped the situation and he wouldn't escape, but I was wrong. He cried and screamed and screamed and cried for about 5 minutes until the crying turned to hysterical screaming. I ran in to his room and he was hanging on the crib supported by his little tummy, yelling my name. I scooped him up and held him for 45 minutes until he was nice and sleepy. He's been sound asleep for the past hour. I hope he lasts in his crib until Josh gets home!
A week alone
Josh left on Monday to go do some side work in Texas with our friend Mark, so Jacob and i have been flying solo. I try to keep busy when Josh is gone because, well, it just makes the time go by faster. So Monday we spent lounging and cleaning the house. Tuesday we visited Balboa Park, along with the other million people in San Diego. I was hoping to visit one of the museums since it was FREE Tuesday, but we got there a bit late and I knew Jacob wouldn't wait in any sort of line no matter what the payoff. So Jakey ran around the Organ Pavilion and then we had a picnic lunch on the grass by the car. The airport is right by the park, so we got to see the planes up close. Jacob didn't really know what he was looking at when the planes were flying over. He's used to seeing little specks in the sky or hearing the faint hum of a helicopter, but to see them up close was so cool. He didn't have to cock his neck back and strain his little eyes. There they were, so BIG! He was very excited.
Today we went to story time at the library. Jacob loved it. They read books, danced and sang songs. I liked it even better because it was FREE! We'll try to go every Wednesday. After the library, we went to the park, came home to eat lunch, and then we played in the water. After a long nap we went to say our final good-byes to Nana and Aunt Terri. They head off tomorrow to New York for a couple months. We will miss them A LOT!
Tomorrow we have a playdate with Monique and Emily and on Friday we are going swimming with Jessie and Madison. I think we'll be exhausted by the time Josh gets home on Saturday!
14 months old and the 4th
Yesterday Jacob turned 14 months old. Yipee! His favorite things to do lately include climbing on everything, swinging on the hammock, playing hide-and-seek, pulling and pushing his toys, and reading books. He loves to point at everything and make you tell him what it is. The words he says regularly are mama, dada, cat, bog (dog), wawawa (quack, quack, quack), duh (duck), moomoomoo (moon), cup, up and a couple more I can't think of right now. He understands so much. I can give him a direction and he's usually pretty good about following through. He's working to communicate his needs, but gets pretty frustrated and is beginning to throw little tantrums. Yikes! I thought they saved those until they were 2, but I guess not.
Today, the 4th of July, we are hanging out at home. We got some stuff to BBQ and Josh plans to clean the hot tub today so we can soak in it this afternoon. I got some small flags at the store the other day and Jakey is having a blast waving them in the air. I'll be sure to snap some pics of him being patriotic :)
Cats and Moons
I know. Interesting title for the journal entry, right? Well it totally describes Jakes new favorite things. He is obsessed with cats. He has learned how to say the word, and quite well I may add. But he points to every animal and says cat, unless it's a dog. He's already got that one down. He opens his books and find the cats, which he clearly identifies, but everything else on the page is a cat too. Unless there is a moon on the page. Then he will tell you there is a cat and a moomoo. Not a cow, but a moomoo (moon). He found both of these new things in his favorite book Goodnight Moon. He looks at the book all day. This weekend was the first time he saw the moon up in the sky during the day and pointed to it. He was a little unsure, but I kept telling him moon...moon. He kept saying moomoo and pointing to the sky. It was so cool.
He's really trying to imitate what ever Josh and i say. He points to everything and wants you to tell him what it is. He likes if you add sound effects too! He's into discovering everything around him and has to know how everything works. He is such a little scientist!
A visitor from the North
It's been a couple days since I last updated on the Butler Clan. Jakey has been so sick for the past 2 weeks. He recovered from a week long stomach bug for one day. I decided to get him out of the house and go to the park for a bit on Friday. There he fell and busted his chin open. On Saturday, he came down with runny nose, coughing and sneezing. He's still got a little cough, but his energy is back up and he's ready to go. This has been his first major bought with sickness, so I guess I can feel a bit lucky he waited for 1 year to get sick. But gosh, no more! Two weeks of sickness is enough for the next year or so.
While he was down and out, we had a visitor. My cousin Reena was in San Diego to visit a friend and stopped by on her way out of town. It was great to see her and relive old memories and catch up on new news. She got to meet Jakey for the first time too. He was eager to share all his toys and book with her. This marked my first Burton Family visit. I should have made her a certificate or something silly :)
Anyone else coming in to town this summer? Feel free to stop by!
Aquarium Visit and a BIG sickness
Last Friday, Grandpa Butler took our family to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. He had been wanting to take Jacob for a while, but Josh was not brave enough to go it alone, so he waited for me to be off from work. It was a lot of fun. Jake got to see the fishies. He loved the shark tank because there was a huge ray that kept swimming along the glass right where Jake was standing. He also like the kelp forest. They have a huge tank with glass from floor to ceiling with tons of sea life. They do feedings in there 2 times a week, but we weren't there on a feeding day. Jakey still loved running up the stairs and back down to press his face against the glass. He got to touch the water in the outside tide pool area. We tried to point out all the cool animals, but Jake just wanted to splash in the water :) It was a great trip! I'll add pictures when I get my computer back next week.
On Sunday, Jake got his first really high temperature, 103.5 to be exact. Not only did he have a temp, but I changed his diaper AT LEAST 10 times in less than 10 hours. I was so worried he would get dehydrated. The Tylenol was not working and he was just out of it. I had him loaded up to take to the emergency room, when Josh calmed me down and called our friend Ashleigh. She has 2 kids and she said to try Motrin. That worked for about 4 hours, but his temp would spike again. He was miserable! We made an appointment for Monday morning with Dr. Scannell. She said it could be a viral thing or a bacteria thing, but in either case they usually don't prescribe anything and just let it run its course. She told me to double to dose of Motrin and keep him cool. We did a stool sample and we're waiting for the results. SORRY! TMI... I KNOW!
Slowly he's been improving. Today he had enough energy to get up and play. We went out in the backyard for a bit to get out of the house and played with the water table. He hasn't had a temp all day and I've backed off on the Mortin dose, so we'll see how he does tomorrow.
Josh did admit that he wouldn't have been able to take care of Jakey if I was at work. In his own little way, I think he was saying he couldn't live without me!
Prayers and thoughts for Jake to help in his recovery!
School's Out For Summer!
Here the tune... Get it stuck in your head... I'm out for summer! Yippee! Can't wait to start full-time Mommyhood! We've already signed up for Gymboree, story time at the local library, and looking for a playgroup to romp around with. Yippee! So excited to enjoy this time with Jacob. It's gone by too fast. Did I say Yippee yet?
Yippee!
13 months and growing
Jacob turned 13 months yesterday! I'm unsure if I'm really going to call him 13 months old or if I'll just say he's one, but either way... HE IS GETTING SO BIG! He can do and say so many things these days. Here's a quick rundown of his accomplishments over the past month.
Jake is getting very good at communicating his needs. He points to everything he wants, like the crackers that are always on the counter. If you ask him if he's hungry he'll usually yell and when you tell him to go sit in his seat, he runs to his highchair. He's eating everything and for the most part has transitioned entirely onto whole milk. He can spin in circles and climb on the couch. He LOVES to play outside on his ride-on train and motorcycle. He's mastered pushing himself backwards and is learning to go forward. He wants to shoot hoops with Dada all the time and can usually be found romping through the backyard jungle with a stick or rocks in his hand. He loves talking to everyone on his pretend phone and is very good at pretend food games too! He has 6 teeth and is getting his first (painful) molar.
Jacob has a few words down pat and practices his sounds all day. He knows Mama, Dada Bog (dog), bye (with a wave), wawawa (quack, quack, quack) and bay (plane- points up in the air). He babbles about everything and is happy most of the time. He gets very frustrated when we don't understand what he wants. I can see the thought bubbles popping from his head saying, "Darnit, that's not what I'm talking about!" I can't wait until he can form a sentence or two and really give it to us!
In other news...We just spent a few days down at The Strand in Coronado camping with a bunch of friends. We all bring our trailers down and we can camp just steps from the beach. The company was great, but the weather was BAD. It drizzled off and on the entire time. Jacob only felt the sand on his feet for about 15 minutes on Saturday. Other than that it was sweats and a beenie. He loved playing with all his friends. Makes me think more and more about how much he would love a sibling!!!!! The hot topic of the vacation... Jacob got his first shiner. Within an hour of arriving, he took a tumble and hit the fire pit. Luckily there was no fire, but his eye suffered a bit. He was tough and pulled through. I joked with Josh and told him we needed to make a shirt for Jake that said " If you think I look bad, imagine what the other guy looks like!" We have another trip planned for the end of July. I'm pretty sure the weather will be WONDERFUL in San Diego by then!
First "REAL" Haircut
Jakey got his first "real" haircut on Saturday. I say "real" haircut because the first trim of the combover came a couple months back, but this time we went to a children's haircut place and actually paid money for the experience.
Josh went out of town on Friday night, so Jakey and I were flying solo. Trying to fill the time with fun, I thought it would be fun t go get some new shoes and a hair cut for Jakey. His last hand-me-down shoes bit the dust a few days back when the front became a scoop for all the bark at the park. They were his first big boy shoes and I thought I could fix them up, maybe ducktape?, but alas, I was wrong. So Saturday was the day...
We had an appointment at 11:45 for a haircut in La Jolla at Little Locks, but had to stop at the mall to grab some shoes before. I checked online and found some cute, and cheap, flip-flops and tennis shoes at Nordstrom. I NEVER get to shop there, but thought I'd splurge on my little boy. No lick with the flip-flops we we managed to get some really cute, velcro, black Converse Chuck Taylor's. Jake has a wide Flinstone foot, so that style fit him best.We were in and out in record time and on to the haircut.
Little Locks is a cute toy/haircut place for kids down by the beach. Not that I'd splurge again on a trim, but I thought what the heck! You only get a first haircut once. We got there and I loaded him in to the Blue Angels fighter jet, complete with hand controls. I strapped him in and he continued to cooperate when she put the drape around him. It was when she used the spray bottle to wet his hair that he LOST IT! I felt so bad for him and the hair stylist, but I grabbed my camera anyways to snap some shots. The painful event was over in a blink and he was off to play with the train set.
The pictures are pretty funny! As I was explaining to Josh how distraught Jacob was as he was viewing the pictures last night. He said, "they don't look to bad." And then I showed the screaming one... "Yep, he looks upset!"
Hope all is well with everyone!
Hard Lesson Learned
Well I'll start the blog off with the news that last night Jacob cried it out for the first time. He is usually a SUPER sleeper, but the past couple of nights he's been up a few times during the night. I'll go in, pick him up, rock him a bit and put him back down. He'll sleep through the rest of night no problem. Since he sleeps so well all the time, I just assume something is wrong if he is crying. Well last night, I learned the hard way, that he could cry it out and be OK. He did cry for a solid 35 minutes (from 11:15-11:50ish) and I kept thinking I would just go in there and help him feel better, but I thought better. We took advantage of our roommate being out of town and just let him cry. He managed to sooth himself back to sleep, but I was the one who couldn't settle for the rest of the night. Hope it doesn't happen again, or at least I can sleep through it :) It was a 2 cup of coffee day for work today!
On a more positive note, I've included some new pictures of Jacob. There are a few from the air show, Mother's Day, a recent pool experience, and the front facing car seat pics from his first birthday. I'll try very hard to keep current on the pictures.
I've also included a few new videos. Jacob has learned to spin in circles (SO FUNNY!) and the new buckethead thing Jakey does. It is way toooooo cutttteee!
First Year Check-up and Airshow
I forgot to mention that Jacob had his 1 year check up on Monday. He was 21.1 pounds (50%) and 31.5 inches (90%). Dr. Scannell said he is doing GREAT! He was very active and talking to her. He showed her how to use his little phone ad clapped when he she sang a song. He is super bright and a bit on the advanced side. This is not just my opinion, but echoed by the Dr. as well. We go back at 15 months for check-up and some more shots. Boooo! I can't wait to see when super- duper cool things he will do by then!
We also took our first bike ride down to Coronado to watch the Red Bull Air Show. It is an air race over the bay through an obstacle course. It's amazing. They fly so close to you and they are so fast. Jakey got to ride in the bike trailer Nana and GG got for him for his birthday. I pulled him using the beach cruiser and it was not bad at all. I told Josh we needed to get another bike so we didn't have to borrow one next time we wanted to go for a ride. I'll post pictures when I upload them.
Happy Mother's Day to Me
Yippee! My second Mother's Day. What a wonderful day to celebrate....ME! Josh let me sleep in. I only lasted until 7am. He went and got me Starbucks and donuts. Jake and I hung out while Josh started dinner in the crock pot. Jakey and I played outside, had lunch and then we both took a nap. Josh managed to clean the carpets AND mop the floor today. This afternoon, we went down to GG's house to see Nana and GG and give them their Mother's Day gifts. Jacob decorated a coffee mug for each of them with his original artwork. They were beautiful! After we hung out for a bit, we headed home and had dinner. I got Jakey ready for bed and the rest is history.
This year's Mother's Day was a bit more memorable, well because, I remember it. Last year, Jacob was only 10 days old and I was completely tired and rundown. From what I remember, it was wonderful, but this year was exceptional :)
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies out there!
First Birthday Fun!
Today my baby turned one!!!!!We had a very exciting day! We had a "small" get together at the park close to our house. The party started with just family invited. Then we invited friends with and without kids. Then we told our neighbors and some neighbors down the street. So our "small" party turned out not to be so small, but it was perfect! The weather cooperated nicely. In fact it was HOT. I had poor jake in jeans and a collared shirt and he was dripping with sweat. We had the party from 11-1, giving us plenty of time to get back for a nap.
We had tons of food and plenty of decorations. Jakey loved to see all his friends and family. He had his first real taste of sugar when he ate his carrot cake cupcake. He surprisingly knew what to do. After messing with the frosting for a minute, he dove right in to the thing. He was covered in a mess, but was very happy. We opened gifts just in time, as Jake began to melt down. Possibly from the heat, possible from the overload of people, but MOST possibly from the sugar. Jakey got so many fun and educational (always my favorite) toys. He is very lucky to have to many people that love him to pieces!
1pm turned into 2pm very quickly and we drove home to get Jakey to bed. Oh I forgot to tell you about his new carseat. He got a new one that lets him face forward. He sat in it for the first time today and he LOVES it. He smiled the whole 3 blocks we drove to the park and on the way home!
So I posted over 100 pictures from today. Josh says I'm crazy. Hope you enjoy them!
Back to Normal
Well Jakey has fully recovered from his minor surgery on Monday. In fact, I was hoping, secretly, that he would be zonked a few more days. It's a bit easier to keep track of him when he just wants to sit and cuddle in your lap!
I'll attach a few pictures of him in his surgery gown. I know no one ever wants their butt hanging out the back, but his was so cute. He was a trooper and I think I cried more than he did.
Thank you to all the family that sent prayers for our doctors to be the best they could be and wishes for Jacob's speedy recovery!
I got him good!!!!
Yesterday was Josh's 30th birthday. We surprised him with a party at his family's local hangout Mountain Mike's Pizza. He had no idea that so many friends were going to show up. It was a wonderful surprise!
I had been planning this event for over a month. It was sooooo hard to keep everything from Josh as I was planning. I gathered pictures from friends and family and compiled a 15 minute video that we showed yesterday at the dinner. If I can figure out how to post it on YouTube I will. All-in-all it was such a wonderful day for the guy who hates to celebrate his birthday
Josh and I also went on our first ever, adults-only trip. We stayed 3 days and 2 nights at the MGM in Las Vegas. It was so hard to leave, but a well needed vacation. It was nice to know Jakey was safe at home with Nana. We walked away with empty pockets, but chalked it up to "investing" in the local hotels. We will be waiting for our end of the year dividend check in the mail.
I am now counting down the days until the school year is over. 42 more days to go...
Hoppy Easter!!!
What a beautiful Easter! It's sunny and about 70 degrees here in San Diego. Jacob is really enjoying his first Easter. It was hard to find age-appropriate Easter items, but I came up with something fantastic. I got a couple large, colorful, plastic eggs and put different items inside like rice, pennies and little odds and ends and hot glued them shut. Jakey went on an egg hunt when he woke up from his nap and was so excited to find some brightly colored eggs in the yard. He can shake them and hear different sounds. He loves them. Please check-out the pictures and video. They are adorable!
Josh and I came back last night from our FIRST adults-only, overnight trip. We went to Las Vegas with 2 other couples and had a blast. To be honest, it was hard to transform from Mom to Wife and enjoy the time with other adults. It made it much easer to know Jakey was with his Nana having a blast at home.
We left on Thursday afternoon and spent our stay at the MGM. While there was no BIG winnings, it was super fun and well-needed. Josh and I are already looking forward to our next overnight sometime soon!
Many Firsts
Jakey has had a weekend full of many firsts. He went out to breakfast for the first time on Sunday. He did very well and sat in his chair for the majority of the time. He tried a tortilla chip for the first time and liked it. Then that night we went to Jon and Jenn's for his first Easter egg decorating. He didn't decorate. I just couldn't do the stained fingers, clothes and plain old mess. So Jake got to watch. I did give him an egg to hold and within seconds he had it smashed. I managed to get 3 pics of him so check those out in the picture section.
Yesterday I blew up his inflatable duck again (thanks Deanna) and he went swimming. I used a swimmy diaper for the first time on him and he like it. It's the pull-up kind... could this mean early potty training?
I've posted those pics in the Jacob Pics section.
I made eggless banana bread yesterday with our overly ripe stash of fruit. It's the first sweet treat Jakey has eaten and he was in heaven. He's had some for breakfast today, too. Jakey also had guacamole for the first time last night. He LOVED it and kept yelling for more. I am fortunate that he is a super great eater.
Lastly, his front teeth are finally almost in. He's had the 2 bottom ones and the 2 that flank the front teeth, but the 2 very front ones were late to come in. I'll miss his jack-o-lantern grin, but am excited to see his "real" smile!
Same Kid... New Tricks
Well Jacob has not stopped acquiring new and fabulous talents and tricks in the past few weeks. He has mastered the "stand up from a sitting position", opening and closing the screen door, opening the kitchen cabinets and climbing on EVERYTHING! He loves to be outside and in fact, we've spent the last 4 afternoons running around the backyard. Mkes me clean up the dog poop more often! I attempted to rake leaves (wait, don't I live in San Diego?) as Jake was cruising the backyard. I got a good 20 minutes in of raking and pulling weeds until Jake found the side of the house. It's know affectionately as Area 51. It's the side that no one sees except the dog and the weeds grow as tall as me. Jacob was attracted to this place like a magnet. I tried to re-direct and physically move him 3 times and he kept getting sucked back to that area. I knew it was time to go back in, but I felt like I got a lot accomplished.
He also likes to find the dog toys, and other items, that Ellie likes to burry. He yells "BOG BOG BOG" when he wants her to come and she usually does. Probably because of the high pitch he uses. Don't dogs have super hearing? He is trying to learn to put things away. I've got him on a roll with his bath toys. When it's time to get out, I say "time to put the toys away". I give him a toy to put in the toy strainer as I try to get all the others back in the holder before he takes more out. He likes to put things in, but he also like to take things out. How helpful!
We got a collapsable, fabric tunnel for Jake to crawl in. He LOVES it. It's decorated like a dinosaur and 1 end has a movable flap the covers the entrance with a dinosaur face on it. He likes to hide in the tunnel and when I ask "Where is Jakey?" he pokes his head out a laughs. Then he goes back in until I call him again. He's pretty darn cute!
I'll try to keep you posted on all Jacob's cool adventures, but he does something new and exciting everyday! So stay tuned...
Days Gone By
Today is my little brothers birthday... any family reading this should have called him:) He is 27 this year. Although every one of his birthdays is a celebration, it is also a reminder of the passing of my mom. She passed at 11:58pm the night before my brother's birthday 13 years ago. What a wonderful woman she was. We always talk about how her passing was so precise. We all believe that somehow she thought she wouldn't make it through another day and did not want to damper my brother's birthday more than she had, so she passed minutes before it was "his" day.
I've been thinking a lot about starting a garden for Jakey. One of my worst memories growing up was having my mom's garden in our front yard. OUR FRONT YARD!!! Who does that?!?!? I hated that friends would always ask "why do you have corn and beans growing in your front yard"? And yes, they really asked. It wasn't some paranoid teenage thing. I fussed and yelled and thought my mom was the weirdest mom ever. How I wish I could take all those words back!
Well I haven't taken over the front yard, but I have cleared a small spot on the side of the back yard. I'm getting ready to start the soil next week. Jake and I are going to plant kid-friendly plants. If you have any recommendations, send them this way. I bought him a little plastic rake and shovel which he loves using on the patio. I am not a green thumb in any way, but I think it will give Jake and I a special thing to care for throughout the Spring and Summer. I'm going to get some letters to hang that say "Grandma Sue's Garden". I know she'll be watching over this special place!
Preparing for Spring
I thought it fitting that I felt the need to CLEAN this weekend. After all, Friday was the first day of Spring. It started on Saturday morning. I loaded the dishwasher around 7am and went to play with Jacob in the front room. I suddenly got a good wiff of an orange smell. I realized that Josh had poured some cleaner in the dishwasher earlier in the week and made a mad dash for the kitchen. There were suds all over the floor. I turned the naughty appliance off and got Josh up to help. As I scooped the suds from the dishwasher I went to run the garbage disposal and it wouldn't work. I tried the magic button underneath, unplugging it and Josh even stuck a HUGE crow-bar-thing in there and it wouldn't budge. I left the suds in the dishwasher, closed it up and turned my attention to the disposal. Josh unscrewed it down below and undid the connection to the sink. Then Josh left to go riding...
He returned later in the afternoon and hammered away on it. He got the disposal working and I left the dishwasher until today. I was sure that all appliances broke in 3's. With the demise of the fridge, I for sure thought Sears was going to get a visit from us again.
I managed to get laundry done today, but that's it. So maybe next weekend I'll get my Spring Cleaning in.
Out with the old... In with the new
Crawling is soo over-rated according to Jacob. This past Sunday, March 15th, Jacob took off walking and has not looked back since. He's pretty funny when he's walking. It's a combination of a drunken sailor and new born horse. Weird analogy, but it's true. He has the stepping pattern of someone exiting from a good night at a bar and frequently will just have his knees buckle and he'll tumble to the ground like a new colt trying to run. He's been walking with his arms up as if he's still holding on to my fingers and is getting better at holding items when he walking. The video I'll post tomorrow, I don't have my work computer with me, shows him walking around with his shoes and socks stuffed into one fist. A shoe or sock would fall out and he'd pick it up and smash it into the fist with all the other items again. He was so proud of himself.
With this new found freedom, I've notice how head-strong Jacob is. If he has an idea of where he wants to go and for some reason he doesn't make it there, he sure gets upset. He still likes to grab my fingers and direct me where to take him. He usually chooses to walk up and down the one step off our entry landing or walk over to the slider to yell at the dog. I'm sure this persistant attitude will take him far in life!
I've also started planning a 1st birthday party. Insert my favorite saying... WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE? Out with the old business of having a "baby". I'll soon have a toddler.
Last new item at the Butler house.. a wonderful, big, working fridge! The one that came with the house took a poop about 6 months ago. Josh bought a "new" one off of Craigslist, Our electric recently jumped to TWO-HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS, which is way off the hundred bucks we usually pay each month. Come to find out, our fridge was part to blame. The freezer kept freezing over and on one attempt to defrost the freezer with the hairdryer, Josh broke the adjustment button. Our fridge slowly started running more and more throughout the day, until last week it was running for 24 hours a day. I jumped on the chance to get a new one. Thanks Sears!
Enought about us. Hope all is well with everyone!
A Gushing Mama
Last night as I was putting Jacob to bed, I started thinking about how wonderful my little guy was. I usually use this calm time to reflect on the day and send our thoughts and prayers to the right people, but last night was different. Last night, I actually got emotional as I rocked and patted Jake before I laid him down. I was not necessarily sad, but just amazed at how much he has changed my life. I was noting how mack Jakey has grown in the past 10 months. Not only in size, but in his abilities as well.
Earlier in the evening, we took a family trip to Henry's to pick up some produce. Everyone that passed us made a comment on how cute he is, how blue his eyes are, or how aware he was of the things around him. When we left, Jacob pointed to all the planes and helicopters that were in the sky. He points up to the sky every time he hears them now. He clapped and babbled all the way home singing to the music. At home he grabbed my fingers and led me around the house for a bit before I took him outside. There, he picked up leaves and put them in a container. He tried to put the lid on, and though unsuccessful, managed to grunt and grown as he worked along, just like a big boy would.
After dinner I gave him his bath. He is really enjoying standing in the bathtub. It actually freaks me out, so I put the Death Grip on his little arm and hold on tight. He has a plastic fork he loves to play with and was using it to dip into his cup and scoop out the water. He is so inquisitive.
So as I kissed him good night, all these great memories flickered through my mind. I am one lucky Mama!
Much Needed Update!
It's been FOREVER since I've updated everyone on the Butler happenings. So here's a short rundown.
- My 30th birthday was great! Went to dinner with friends and ate too much!
- Went on a family desert trip from Thursday, February 19-Sunday the 22nd. It was wonderful. We ended up with more people out there than expected. It was the first time we have seen out there since Jacob has become mobile. He loved the abundance of rocks to much on, space to push his train and large amount of toys... dirt bikes, buggies, Joyners, and yes even a pink quad. We even got a day long show from the Blue Angels. They fly out of El Centro and practiced ALL DAY right over our camp. It was awesome. Jake had a BLAST! He knows to point in the sky now when he hears a plane :) Please see all our pictures and new videos of our trip to Superstition.
- I returned back to school this week after a short week off for Ski Week. What a bummer! It was so nice to be a Mommy for a week :)
- Jacob had his 9 month check-up this week. He weights 19.8 pounds (50th percentile), 29.5 inches (75th percentile) and got 2 shots. Ouch! Our doctor said Jake was ADVANCED for his age, but I already knew that!
He's growing well, clapping, pointing, walking and eating wonderfully! We feel so fortune to have a happy, healthy growing boy! He'll be 10 months on the 3rd of March. Guess I need to start planning a 1st birthday party soon!
- I CUT JACOB"S HAIR!!!!I finally gave in and cut his old-man-combover. We too a few pics and posted them in the Jacob's Pics Section. He looks so grown up now.
Hoe that was enough of a catch-up. I'll do my best to post more frequently :)
Happy Birthday.... to ME!
Today I woke up 30 years old. Yep... 30 years old. 3 centuries. 10,950 days. 262,800 hours. Sounds pretty old when I say it out loud, and as Josh will say, he's married to an older woman (only by 2 months!). They say that your 30's are the new 20's. Well I enjoyed my 20's, so I guess I'm off to a good start.
I share a birthday with Michael Jordan and Paris Hilton. WooHoo, lucky me! China invaded Vietnam on this day in 1979. The Greatful Dead played at the Oakland Coliseum on this day. Not too many notable events on this day, except for my birth!
I can only remember 1 story that my mom shared with me every year on my birthday. I'll give you a bit of a background. I am the first grandchild born to the youngest of 4 children. My mom and father were not married and my mom was living with my Grandma, which I later named Johnny, in San Carlos. I was supposed to be born at the end of January on my Uncle Gordie's birthday. When I didn't arrive on that day, it turned into a waiting game. 2 WEEKS LATER.. my mom went into labor at her house. Johnny's job was to time contractions for my mom. As my mom grabbed her stuff and headed to the car, Johnny grabbed the only clock she could find... the one plugged into the wall! Needless to say, it was not very helpful.
After arriving to Stanford Hospital, I still was not ready to make my entrance into this crazy world and was finally delivered by C-section on Saturday, February 17, 1979!
Tonight Josh has planned a dinner party for me at PF Chang's with some friends. I'll save my BIG celebration for Vegas in April along with Josh's 30th! I'll post pics tomorrow :)
Angels among us
So today I was the worst mom ever. I'm only sharing this because I'm sure something like this has happened to someone you know or you yourself. And I know I'm not the worst mom ever, but I just feel like it.
Jacob and I ran to the store really quick to get some stuff for the week. I have this Boppy cover I put over the grocery cart seat so Jacob doesn't gnaw on the nasty push bar. I put him in there like I usually do, but this time I neglected to buckle him in. We walked around the store shopping and everything seemed to be fine. When I turned to look at the noodles, I guess I was turned for a bit too long. I heard a scream and turned to find Jacob on the ground. He was sitting on his bottom screaming. I threw the noodles and ran to pick him up. I grabbed him and held him, almost crying myself. As I pulled him in to me he began to settle down and stop his wailing. There was a man in the isle trying not to look at us, while putting his items in his cart. He was so kind he said, "Look he's already fine". He continued by saying, "It probably scared you more than him. He's fine. Just look at him".
And really the man was right. I gave Jacob the once over, pinching and prodding at his head, arms, back, hips, leg and feet. Nothing. I'm still unsure how Jacob managed to fall from the cart, without taking any of the jars of pickles with him, and gently land on his rump. Really he was only inches from the shelves in the isle. I have to think that there were angels around him. In fact, I know that there were angels there to help him down safely.
After I scooped him up and checked him out, I felt like leaving the cart right there in the isle and making a run for the door. But I didn't. Jacob settled down and I went straight to the check-out line. As I left the isle, the man said, "Don't worry. He will be OK". Thank goodness that there was a kind person in the isle and not someone screaming at me for letting my child fall out of the cart.
So I know I'm not the worst mom in the world, but it's very easy to let things slip. I've promised myself, and Jacob, that I will always buckle him in :) Even when he's screaming his head off. I'l tell him it's for his own good!
Be sure to thank your angles tonight!
A walk in the clouds
I've posted our newest and greatest video of Jacob walking. He's taken about 4 or 5 good steps between Josh and I. He told me he's not "really" going to walk until my birthday next week. It's my special 30th birthday present :) Also check out pictures from Jacob's first hail storm. Yes... we get hail in San Diego!
A Day in the Dumps
Today started out like any other Tuesday. I got up early to attend a staff meeting and had a great day. When I called to check in with Josh this afternoon, my day turned upside-down. Josh was laid off today from the company he's worked for for almost 5 years. To tell you the truth, I felt like I was going to throw up.
It's a a bit weird. We've been bombarded with RECESSION , LAYOFFS, and DOWNSIZING plastered all over the news, but that is for "those" people, not my family. I'm still a bit dazed and am unsure where to go from here. I've put it up to those that can make changes and will wait for the outcomes as patiently as I can. Who knows... this could be a blessing in disguise.
9 months and counting
Jacob has reached yet another milestone. He turned 9 months old yesterday! I know this is one of my favorite things to say, but "MAN...WHERE DOES THE TIME GO"? He is doing so many cool things now. Please see his newest video. He is ALMOST walking. No really. Not just holding my fingers and walking. Not the "Oh, he fell and managed to take some steps on the way down", but the full on "I'm gettin' the heck outta here" walk. It's only time before he does it on his own. His favorite walking activities are grabbing my hand or fingers and dragging me around, as well as pushing his choo-choo that Nana got him for Christmas. In fact, when he runs into the wall or runs into his toys he gets upset and yells that he has to stop walking. He hasn't figured out how to turn the darn thing around yet, but that too is only time...
He and Nana have been going to a music class called Babies Boogie on Tuesdays. He loves music and is often found shakin' his bootie when he hears a song. I thought it would be fun for him to be with other kids and enjoy some tunes. He now knows how to clap and does it all the time. He does it when we cheer, when there is music on and when he likes something. Josh has also managed to turn the clap into a high 5. That is their new male bonding activity :)
For the past couple of days, little Jakey has been S-I-C-K. He's been coughing, had a runny nose and NOT SLEEPING :(!!!!!!!! This weekend is a blur, as it was filled with sleepless days and nights for us all. Friday night was bad, but Saturday was worse. Josh finally took Jake on a car ride at 2 in the morning and returned thinking he was asleep. On his way home Jacob woke up and screamed the entire way. I nearly lost it that night and just decided that it was OK to have Jacob watch TV at 3 in the morning until he was tired enough to return to bed, which ended up being around 5:30am. Sunday was a bit better and Josh was able to take him to the Dr. on Monday. She gave us some meds and he's been sleeping for longer chunks at night. I told Josh that I really wouldn't mind the night wakings if it was something that Jacob always did. But since I'm accustomed to my 7:30pm to 6 :30isham sleep, this threw me off big time. Even after all the lost sleep, grumpies and exhaustion, I'd have another kid in a heartbeat!
That's all for now. Check out the pictures of the fort Josh and Jake made with the blankets. It's pretty cute if I do say myself!
Long Time, No Post
The whirlwind continues to buzz in the Butler house. It seems to be a never-ending rush to the finish line, but the ribbon keeps moving to a farther location the closer we get!
I've been busy with school. Planning, implementing, and always trying to be a step ahead of the kids. I've just started an after school class on Thursdays. I'm hosting a Teddy Bear Tea Party with 13 girls from Pre-Kindergarten- First grade. Thursday was our first class and we stuffed our own teddy bears, gave them a name, and filled out the bears birth certificate. Next week we're making clothes for our bears. We are going to make other crafts, taste different teas, and learn Tea Time behavior. Our 10 week class will end with a wonderful Tea Party. The class seems like it will be fun and will put some extra cash in our pockets. I'm also a test proctor at SDSU about once a month or so. I've also been helping a friend plan her wedding, which someday I hope to make into a real full-time job. I had so much fun planning my own and searching for the best deals, that it is been a blast to help a friend prepare for her special day! Needless to say, my calendar is my best friend right now.
Josh continues to plug along at work. Work is sooooooo s-l-o-w right now. At least he's not one of the 9.1% who are unemployed in California right now. Although sometimes I'm SURE he'd make more money being unemployed! We are keeping our ears open for anything better!
And little Jacob...
He's sprouted his second tooth! He's been a bit unhappy, but overall he's been a trooper! He has also decided, for the most part, that he is through with "baby" food. He has become much more independent and doesn't want to be fed. He would rather not eat, than be fed from a spoon! This has made things a bit more tricky for me when finding a variety of foods to give him. Fortunately he's a GREAT eater and will try anything you put on the tray. He's really enjoyed broccoli trees now that he has teeth. I've posted a picture of him eating his favorite green food. This new eating independence makes for great diaper changes!
So just a short "catch-up" on our family. I'll try to schedule more time to keep you all posted!
Long time passing
Seems like forever since I posted last. I've been back to work and juggling everything while I transition back to the grind. Boy I do miss the lazy days of hanging with Jacob, wearing pajamas all day, watching Jack's Big Music Show 20 times and taking naps! Having 2 weeks off to spend doing whatever you want sure spoils you. But only 33 more days until I have another week off.
Jacob continues to amaze me each day. His new feats include mastering the dog door, waving (or at least that's what we're calling it) and expanding his food repertoire. Some of you have seen the cell phone video of his escape out the dog door and if I can figure out post it to YouTube, I'll add it to our page. It's pretty funny. Jacob has been exploring the door for a few days prior. He was sticking his hand out, poking his head out and playing with the flap. I thought it was only time until he went completely out. While I was cooking dinner one night I noticed he found interest in it again. e was watching Ellie come and go and finally took a chance. Call me a bad parent, but my first instinct was to grab a camera to record the action... I needed to document his accomplishment! I got the tail end of the escape and managed to grab him before he tipped over the dog's water bowl. He has yet to go completely out again, but we know to keep a close eye on him when he's in the kitchen.
Jacob also likes to wave a lot. At least that's what we are calling it. According to Josh, AND PLEASE EXCUSE THE UN-P.C. COMMENT, it looks like a retarded wave. I think it's cute. I say Hi or Bye-Bye when he does it so he knows. I told Josh that's the only way to make it un-retarded like.
Jacob has also decided that he is pretty much over the baby food thing. He would much rather feed himself. He eats Cherrio's, sweet potato puffy, frozen waffles, bitter biscuits and some cut up fruits by himself. He is not so into cut up veggies or any meat yet, so I continue to give him the stage 3 food of those. He's growing up so fast!
Last night Nana watched Jacob so Josh and I could go to a friends house for a poker game. It was fun to be out with adults and no kids. To make it better Josh won the game, so we ended up with $110! That makes up for the late bedtime and early wake-up.
Hope the new year is treating everyone well so far!
Last Chance to View
I forgot to post that, in the spirit of the New Year, I will be removing some of the picture and video sections on our blog to make room for the new stuff. I'll leave them up until the 12th of January if you were needing one last peek.
Here We Come 2009
Holy Crap... Where did the time go????? It seems like just yesterday that we were ringing in 2008. Actually I was pregnant and asleep by 10pm last New Year's, but I heard it was a good one :)
This year we celebrated Santee Style. We walked across the street to our neighbors house, watched some dirt bike jump on ESPN, stood by the fire pit in the driveway, and then lit off fireworks at midnight. Yee-Haww! Gotta love the East County.
We hope this year brings more health, wealth and fun!
CHEERS!
P.S.- GO CHARGERS!!!!
Late Christmas Present
Well Jacob had a surprise present arrive yesterday...HIS FIRST TOOTH! On Christmas he was pretty fussy, but I thought he was just overwhelmed and over-tired. Then I thought he was coming down with his 2nd cold or ear infection because he was pulling at his ear. Finally he started chewing on EVERYTHING and drooling EVERYWHERE. Saturday something sharp poked through and yesterday there was a full on sprout!
He is a total trooper. Yesterday he just wanted to be held and have his pacifier, which we only give at bed time, but I felt so bad for him so I let him have it. Today he seemed fine and went along with his day just as usual. He keeps sticking his tongue out and then sucking it back in. I think he notices that there is something new in there. He was so funny today when he was eating his Cherrios. He kept trying to chew in the front and food just kept falling out. He'd pick it up and put it back in a couple of times before it got small enough to swallow. What a big boy! If I can get a pic, I'll post it, but Jacob has been pretty shy about sharing his new present :)
Happy Holidays
What a wonderful time of year. Christmas was super here in the Butler house. On Christmas Eve we visited with our friends at the Baptista house. Jacob loved getting to see all of his friends and Josh and I loved eating Jon's smoked turkey and Jenn's tasty desserts! I bought a new pair of pajamas for Jacob to wear on Christmas Eve, a tradition for both Josh and I growing up, and changed him before we left so he could wake up on Christmas morning looking dashing. He managed to throw up on them that night and his diaper leaked in the morning, so better luck next time. It was the thought that counts, right.
On Christmas morning we saw that Santa had visited us and eaten some of our cookies and drank some milk. We open some presents and then Jacob took his morning nap. After he woke up we went for Round 2 with the presents. Jacob was so excited to play with the paper, ribbons and bows!
The Butler family came over in the afternoon for dinner and Round 3 of presents. Josh smoked a tri-tip and I cooked a ham. We had my Aunt Nancy's yummy potato dish, rice, salad, and Josh's delicious green beans. The tri-tip turned out really good and might become a tradition in itself on Christmas. For dessert I had puffed pastry filled with chocolate mouse. I was so full I could barely move!
Jacob received so many presents we don't know what to do with them all. I think next year we'll ask for 1 special gift and the others can be donated to those that need them. We've got to start teaching him about what the holiday's truly mean.
We hope you all were blessed with family and friends at your side yesterday. Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!!!
Please see the video of me reading a book I made for Jacob for Christmas. It's called The Gingerbread Reindeer :)
Diaper Diary and Other Tales
I have never felt the need to share anything about my son's bathroom behavior... until now. This was too funny to not share! So here it goes...
I've been wrapping small boxes to entertain Jacob as well as help him practice his strategies for ripping wrapping paper. Well there was a piece of wrapping paper on the ground that he has been toting around the front room for a few days. I haven't thrown it out because he seems to like putting it on his head and carrying it around in his mouth, which leads me to my discovery. I changed Jacob's diaper yesterday trying not to look at the mess, but something red caught my eye. My first thought... Oh My Gosh, he's bleeding from his butt! But upon further investigation, noticed that there was also green in his diaper. Needless to say, he must have consumed some of the colorful paper and passed it like a champ. After the diaper change, I picked up all the wrapping paper and gave Jacob a gift bag to chew on. My hope is that I'd notice a chunk of the bag missing much more quickly. Here's to dirty diapers!
I am enjoying my first "real" day off from work. It is my first day of my 2 week break. I noticed I slept better last night knowing I didn't HAVE to get up early to get myself ready, put away dishes from the night before, pack my lunch, make a bottle, feed Jacob, change a diaper and jam to work. I've stayed in my PJ's the majority of the day listening to the rain. I did get dressed for an hour as I ran to Target for some last minute goodies. But as soon as we got back, I slipped into my jammies again.
I've posted Jacob's Christmas pictures that we shot a couple weeks ago. Be sure to take a look!
Lot's a happenin'
Today Jacob tried a new food. I was thinking that 7 1/2 months was a good time to start some finger foods, so Jacob got to nibble on some whole-grain frozen waffle today. He loved it! I think he's sick of the stage 2 baby food and ready for some "real" food. He is a great eater and loves anything that I give him, so hurray for Jacob!
We also decorated our tree today. It's beautiful! Jacob helped put the star on the top with help from Dada. We also had our first fire in the fireplace this year. It's cold here in San Diego. It's been down in the 50's at night and 60's during the day. Brrrrrrr! My friend Megan, who lives on the East Coast, emailed me and told me how unfair it was for Josh to wear SHORTS in the video I shot when we unveiled our x-mas tree. So I apologize to all those living in truly cold parts of the states, as I complain about our "cold" weather here in lovely Southern California
Only 1 more week for me at school. I can't wait to have 2 weeks off with my little Jacob and wonderful husband!
Hope everyone is staying warm!
Date Night and Christmas Tree Shopping
Last night Josh and I had our first date night in over 5 MONTHS! We dropped Jacob off at 6:30 at Mrs. Anita's and planned to go out to dinner. We didn't know exactly where we were headed, but we had 3 gift certificates for different restaurants. Somehow we ended up at Chevy's, a Nor-Cal favorite. This was not place that we had a gift certificate to, but we thought "hey, what the heck." We gorged ourselves on chips and salsa and barely managed to eat our dinner. We finished just before 8 and agreed we couldn't go back to get Jacob. It had only been an hour and a half. So we drove..around...for a half hour. We were both so tired from a long work week, we went to get our little man and headed home. We reached the front door a bit before 9. Josh and I were thinking the same thing... When did we get so old? It was a great time though. Having adult talk over a dinner that I wasn't shoveling into my face is WONDERFUL! Josh and I agreed to get out of the house at least once a month for some alone time :)
Today we went to go get our Christmas tree. It's so exciting knowing that this is Jacob's first Christmas. Following tradition, we headed to Home Depot to get out tree. Josh has a theory that you find a tree quickly, do not unwrap it when you take it home and open it, it's always the best tree you've ever seen. I've gone along with this theory for the last 9 years and it seems to work and save time. We got in, bypassed the lady making her husband undo 10 trees to see what they look like, payed and loaded back up in 15 minutes, really! While this is a long standing Butler family tradition, I think next year we'll go cut one down. We have to try the Burton/Talistu tradition of Christmas tree shopping. We go to a tree farm, look at EVERY tree, decide to cut one down in the back corner of the lot, realize we don't have a saw, hike to get a saw, cut it down, realize we don't have a wagon and make the kids drag it back. Fortunately for Jacob, he's an only child (so far) and we'll have to help him next year. Check out our few pics of Jacob and a video of the Christmas tree unveiling.
Hope everyone is safe and warm. I feel the holiday season in the air!
Thanksgiving
There are so many things to be thankful for this year. Yes, there are a lot of things that are down-in-the-dumps, but this is a time to find thanks for the small things that bring light to your life.
I was so thankful to have our family over for dinner on Thursday. Nana, Grandpa, Aunt Jenny, Jacob, Josh and I enjoyed turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls and homemade apple crisp. We nearly finished off a 21 pound turkey by ourselves! Josh's dad brought over 4 carousels of slides and a projector. It was so fun to see "Little Josh" and "Little Jenny" growing up. There were many family stories shared and it was a good time to reflect about the loved ones that are no longer with us. I told Mike he had to bring more slides on Christmas. I can't wait to share pictures with Jacob and his family 30 years down the road.
I spent the day before preparing everything and had the turkey cooking when everyone arrived. I LOVE to cook, although this year with a little one wanted ALL of my attention, made juggling it all a challenge. Josh was very helpful and we did a lot after Jacob went to bed.
We hope you all enjoyed time with family and friends.
Family Traditions
What a fine time to share family traditions. This weekend, Josh brought home his old rocking horse. The tail was broken and it needed a bit of cleaning up, but Josh worked on it on Saturday and surprised Jacob with it when it was finished. It was so cute. Josh held Jacob as he rocked. Jacob really liked it and Josh looked like a proud Daddy as he shared this family treasure with his son. We hope to start many more new traditions this year as Jacob celebrates his first Thanksgiving and Christmas.
On a TOTALLY different note...
Tonight I MADE Josh change Jacob's dirty diaper. We usually row-sham-bow, but I was tired of loosing, so I told Josh he had to do it. (Just for fun we did row-sham-bow and I won) You have to watch the video (#23 on the right). It's tear-jerkingly funny! Have a great one!
He's CRAWLING!!!!
So yesterday Jacob decided was the day that he would showcase his new talent of CRAWLING. Not just a "crawl-crawl-fall" type of movement... but a "crawl-across-the-room-on-the-first-try" type. I have been in such awe for the past day. I know I have said before that he is an amazing little boy, but WOW, he's an AMAZING little boy! I am such a proud Mommy. Please watch his video (moved to the right of this blog) it is so cool!
BIG BOY BATH
Jacob took his first bath in the BIG bathtub last night. He was starting to out-grow the little tub that we have, but it was so easy to set him up in the kitchen sink and have him cleaned in less than 10 minutes. Josh and I row-sham-bowed on diaper duty last night and I lost, so he had to set up the tub. He said "Babe, you think he's big enough to go in the other tub?" My heart sank... my baby is to big for the baby tub!
Jacob really enjoyed the BIG tub. He splashed and squealed with delight! Please watch his video. It's adorable!
So I guess I have to pack up the
little tub for now. Josh says it will be packed forever, I have a different idea!
Hope all is well with the rest of you!
Plugging Along
Not much new here.
The boy is grow-ing! He seems to be taller, faster and smarter each day. He still is not quite crawling, but is getting very fast at "the worm"... think 1990's music videos. I'll post a video to show you his talents. He really enjoys going for the DVD player, cable box and all other electronics for that fact. I told Josh the other day that I think Jacob is hardwired, a pun just for my mom, to gravitate towards all pieces of technology. He has never been given the TV remote to play with, yet every time he sees it, he tries to grab it. He will move slowly toward the TV, look back to see if we're watching, then haul butt to try to get a piece before we pick him up and move him. I've tried to re-direct, teacher talk for distract, him with a different toy, but that kid remembers things and will go right back to getting into mischief. Nana started putting up barriers around the front room because Jacob was getting way to good at getting into the DVDs. I think this trend will only continue as he REALLY begins to crawl.
As I pulled into the driveway this afternoon, Josh ran out and told me to hurry and come look at Jacob. I asked where he was and Josh told me he was in his room. I peaked in and I saw the cutest thing ever. Jacob was sitting there, propped up on the crib bumper, just hangin' out. I will post his pictures. They are so cute.
Josh has applied to a couple graphic design jobs. Everyone cross your fingers... PLEASE! Our family needs a happy Daddy who likes his job and gets paid well. One job is at a motorcycle company and is right up his alley. I have a friend of a friend who works there in the graphic design department, so hopefully my connection can get Josh in the door. Think good thoughts for him!
I've been plugging along at work. Second grade is so wonderful. The majority of the time the kids are self-sufficient so we are able to do FUN things while we learn. We are currently learning about the USA and tying that in to the election. Although they are in second grade, the kids had A LOT to say about who should be elected. I think there was only one unhappy child after the election due to the results. I have 7 more days of work until I'm off for Thanksgiving break and I'm so excited. I can't wait to stay at home with my little guy and enjoy the holiday!
So as you can see, the Butler Family is just plugging along. We'll keep you posted on the job front!
Happy 6 Month Birthday!
Today Jacob turned 6 months! I know I've said this before, but "Where does the time go?" It seems to fly by in a blink of an eye. At the Dr.'s last week he was 17.2 pounds (50 percentile) and 27 1/2 inches tall (70 percentile and 3 inches in 2 months!) He had a pretty crummy day all day, so I was worried to take him to the Dr. for his check-up and shots. But when we got there, he was laughing and laughing. Not just a small giggle, but the kind where he almost can't catch his breath. The nurse took him around the office laughing and then felt so bad when she had to give him a shot. He recovered well and was laughing again in no time!
So Jacob has done many "firsts". He went trick -or-treating on Halloween for the first time. We lacked money to buy a costume so we searched through his closet and found a cute motocross outfit. So he was Kevin Windham and rode around in his stroller to 3 of the neighbors houses. He didn't really seem to know what was going on, but it didn't bother him. He had his orange pumpkin trick-or-treat bag and got some mini M&M's, which Josh ate :)
Then we loaded up the trailer and headed out to the desert for the weekend. We left after feeding and bath time, so Jacob slept the whole ride and went right into his playpen and slept all night. The weekend was fun and Jacob seemed to enjoy it. A bit hot, but it tired him out and made the time change seamless :) See our newest photos in the 'Jacob Pics" section.
We we got home on Sunday night, Jacob enjoyed his first bit of "real" food. We had oatmeal cereal and seemed not to know what to do. It's an enjoyable video :) Check it out in the video section at the bottom of our page.
Last, but not least, Jacob is SO CLOSE to crawling. He's figured out the push up position, the rocking on his hands and knees, and he's working to move the arms and legs in unison instead of the lunge forward. Another video to watch. We'll keep you posted on his progress :)
Pumpkin Patch
Today was a great day! Josh and I took Jacob to his very first pumpkin patch. We drove to a local dairy farm, which transforms into a pumpkin patch every fall. I visited last year with my kindergarten kids 2 days before I left on pregnancy leave :) The Van Ommering family has owned the dairy for generations and make everyone feel at home on the farm. They had a pumpkin patch, hay ride, hay slide, soccer arena, playground, petting zoo and pretend milking station. We got LOTS of pictures of Jacob with all the pumpkins, on a tractor, by the sheep ("I can't see sheep!"- for those of you who watch Jon and Kate +8), and of course with Mom and Dad. Josh almost got out of the family picture, but a nice woman offered to take one right as we were leaving. We got a lot of entertainment, a bottle of water and a pumpkin for only 6 bucks. What a deal! I recommend that everyone visit Oma's Pumpkin Patch if you are in the area :) Check out Jacob's pumpkin patch pictures!
Back from the dead
I have to share this wonderful story...
Josh joined me while I was giving Jacob a bath tonight, which is a rarity, but always welcome. He was rambling about how he felt sorry for me. I asked why and he went on about how we're in debt and such and he was sorry. I reassured him that I don't feel bad for myself in any way. Then he followed Jacob and I to go get jammies on and read a book. He sat in the rocking chair and told Jacob goodnight, told him he loved him and asked for a kiss. I WAS SO SURPRISED! This is very unlike Josh, who swears up and down that Dad's don't do that kind of stuff. So I jumped at the chance for Josh to kiss Jacob goodnight. Josh stayed in the chair and proceeded to tell me this story...
The other day he was listening to the radio and the DJ was talking about how some guys don't really connect with their kids until THAT MOMENT with his child. When it happens, the guy realizes, "Wow, that's my kid!". He explained it a bit better, but you get the jist. So I asked him what was his "moment". He told me that the other day before I got home from work he was playing with Jacob on the ground and Jacob just looked at him and gave one of his million dollar smiles. He thought, "I didn't have to make a silly face, funny sound or tickle Jacob and he just smiled at me." I thought that was so sweet that I needed to share. I'm sure Jacob will get many more hugs and kisses from his Daddy!
I digress...
I'm finally starting to overcome the sickness that I have had for the last week or so. It's moved from my throat, ear, back to my throat, sinus's, ear and back to my throat. I've been to the Dr. 2 times. The first time, I saw a new doctor because my primary was full for the day. He said I had a canker sore near the back of my throat. He gave me some paste to put on it and practically guaranteed I'd feel better by tomorrow, which was Saturday. I should have known better when he didn't take my temperature or swab my throat, but prescribed me something that I was supposed to rub way at the back of my wet throat without gagging or almost throwing up. (It brought me back to my early pregnancy days.) By that time though, I was willing to do just about anything to feel better... but I didn't. I survived the weekend living on water and Tylenol every 4 hours.
I made it back to my primary on Monday. She didn't discount the other Dr.'s diagnosis, but actually took my temp and swabbed for strep. Nothing came back positive, so she thought it could just be the change in the weather or a new allergy to something. So today is the first day I feel like I am back from the dead. I hope I can get all the chores finished that have been waiting for me!
Same old same old
Not to much to report for the Butler household this week. We seem to be doing the same old thing, just plugging along each day. Not that this is bad in any way, just doing what we know best and keeping things simple. Josh continues to look for a new job. It's nearly impossible these days to find a job where he will make a comparable paycheck to what he is making now. And let me remind you he's working 4 days a week about 3 or 4 hours a day. Not saying so much about our economy is it.
I've taken on a part-time, very flexible job. I am going to be a test proctor for SDSU. I've done it in the past at the old school I worked at for the SAT tests. but I think this will be a bit different. I went to my orientation yesterday and hopefully will start soon. They'll notify me when they will be needing my services and then I can accept or not depending on my schedule. As of now, I think I'll take as many opportunities I can get. It pays somewhere around $15 an hour, which will help out a bit.
Jacob continues to amaze me daily. He has discovered that is hand can move in a circular motion instead of just up and down, side to side. He likes to hold things in his hand and twirl them. His favorite is his spoon. It looks like he's mixing up some food and he'll do it for a while before he gets bored and moves on. He is anxious to crawl and often gets upset when he just can't get where he wants to go. He has mastered sitting without assistance and can lift his arms and play with his toys. This week he has learned to knock down the tower of toys I make. I clap and say "YAY!" and he'll do it again, sometimes before I can get all the cups stacked. He also likes to be upside down now. Josh had been reclining him back and bringing him back up. Now every time I hold him, he arches back and throws his head back scaring me half to death. I guess I should get used to it. Jacob is totally a boys boy.
I've added some pictures of Jacob sitting into the "Jacob Pics" section. Be sure to check them out!
Small Things
Well yesterday Jacob turned 5 months. Not a celebratory birthday, but one in which I became emotional when reflecting on the last months in the Butler household. I was catching up on my friend Megan's blog and she had written about the circle of life. She had recently heard a friend who was overly pregnant would be delivering within the next day. Hours later she had heard that friends that were expecting received horrible news that their baby was not developing correctly and would not be viable. Although I don't know this couple who is experiencing this hard time in their lives, it makes me think of the little lives that are lost daily.
After my mom died, our good family friend Janice went to go get a reading from a person who can feel energy of those who have passed. A little skeptic myself, I was unsure about what could come of such a thing, but at that point I was willing to be open to most new ideas. A couple of days later Janice shared parts of her reading with me. She told me that my mom is doing wonderful things in her afterlife. I don't know if it's really the heaven that is spoken about in the bible, but it's a wonderful place and she was doing well. Janice shared that my mom was in charge of meeting all the little babies that entered the afterlife. I thought "What a perfect job for my mom!" There was always something so calming and warm about my mom when she was with babies. She was like the Baby Whisperer. Ask my Aunt Tina about the first couple of trips we took to Felton to help out with the twins, Will and Joe., so many years ago. So as I read the sad story about Megan's friends, I thought that there was no better place that that little baby could go. To be welcomed by my mom is a blessing in itself and that baby will be well taken care of :)
These small stories break my heart and make me feel so lucky for the small things that I have. Yes, I can complain that money is TIGHT, the job market sucks and who knows how long the lights will stay on, but we have each other. In fact, Josh mentioned something a week or two back. He said "Man our life sucks!" I turned and said "WHAT?" He explained about all of our troubles and when he was done I told him I didn't agree with him one bit. I said I LOVE my husband, I LOVE my child, and I LOVE my family and truthfully that's all that matters. He smiled and said, "That's why I love you!"
As our country continues to be in turmoil, please be reminded that it's not the stock market, foreclosures or gas prices that REALLY matter, it's the small things! Keep us in your thoughts or prayers and we'll do the same for you.
PS. Jacob has slept the WHOLE NIGHT THROUGH for the past week! 7:30pm to 6:30am!!!
The whole night through...
Yes, it has happened. Jacob slept from 7:30 pm until 6:20 am! I'm calling it a fluke until it happens again, but boy am I excited at the possibility. He has been a pretty good sleeper for the last month or so. He only wakes up 1 or 2 times and I pop in the pacifier and 1 time to feed, usually around 3 or 3:30 am. At the last Dr. appointment, Dr. Scannell suggested that I start to wean him from his night feeding as it can become a habit for them to wake up and need help to settle back down by nursing. I was a little weary about dropping this feeding. Since I'm still nursing, I never know how much he is actually eating so when he wakes up at night I assume he just didn't get enough at 6:30 pm. Well he had been pushing his feeding back to 4:30 am and then to 5 or 5:30, so I thought he might be ready to make it the whole night through. For the past couple of days I've been feeding him only a bit when he wakes and sticking the pacifier back in. Well last night I "plugged" him in around 3:30 am and didn't hear from him until around 6:10 am. If this is for real, it only took a couple of days . So surprising! My next goal is to help him sooth himself back to sleep without the pacifier. We'll have to see how easy that one will be...
Today Josh and I did an at home photo shoot for Halloween. Jacob is a natural I must say :) Please take a minute to check out our home photo shoot. He is SOOO DARN CUTE! I think I'll do some for each holiday. I'm taking suggestions for Thanksgiving...
Nana's Home
Jacob's Nana came home this week from her 2 month visit to New York with Josh's Aunt Terry. Nana and Auntie T came over yesterday to see Jacob, Josh and I. Nana was so surprised to see how Jacob has grown in the last 2 months. He can do so many new things and has his own little personality now. Jacob was so pleasant and just took everything in. He is so funny when there are visitors or when we are out with friends. His blue eyes get so big and he barely blinks. He is a people watcher. He studies everything they do and say. He takes it all in and you can see his little brain processing everything. I have a feeling he's going to be a thinker.
Back to the visit. It was nice to see Auntie T, as she has asked to be called, with Jacob. Auntie T and Uncle Gary live in Washington in Port Townsend where they are also a Gammy and Grandpa. Nana and Auntie T took turns passing Jacob back and forth, taking pictures and "oooing" and "awwwing" over every little thing Jacob did. It is so wonderful to have family over!
This week I also found out my Cousin Jenna and her family are expecting baby #2. They will keep the gender a surprise. I have a feeling it's another little girl, but we'll see. Our friends Karen and Joey also found out they are expecting their first. I think they will have a girl as well. It will be fun to track these two as they begin their fantastic journey to motherhood! It seems like only yesterday I was pregnant. Oh how time flies!
New Talents
These past two weeks have seemed to fly by. Going to work is a bummer, but Jacob is having a BLAST with his babysitter, Mrs. Anita, and all his friends. One little girl Laya who is almost 3 told me the cutest thing the other day. When I walked in she said "Jacob's mommy... Jacob is my best friend that's a boy. I'm gunna teach him to play in water and with bubbles." My heart melted and I started to tear up. Oh to be young again!
He seems to come home with a new talent everyday. He is really staring to roll everywhere. He rolls in one direction over and over again and can actually get going. I have found out that I can't lay him down after he's eaten because he'll roll and roll and then throw up. He has recently discovered his feet and is often found sucking on his toes. While this really is gross, I'm not a foot person, it is so cute. (see pic above) He is putting EVERYTHING in his mouth. In fact when I got him up this morning one sock was at the far end of his crib and when I picked it up, I realized it was soaking wet. I guess he did some crazy partying last night.
Jacob is pushing up really high with his arms. He is also pulling his knees in. If only he could coordinate both movements at the same time, he could actually crawl. Maybe he'll start scooting soon. Jacob is really enjoying music, singing and dancing. While I run and get the car packed and ready to go in the morning he watches Jack's Big Music Show. It's a couple of singing, dancing puppets on the NOGGIN channel that he will sit and watch for a good 5-10 minutes without blinking. He loves to stand and dance. We've posted his first, of many to come, music videos. He is so cute. Jacob has also developed quite a comedic laugh. It's contagious actually. (See video below) He will laugh and laugh and laugh which then makes Josh and I laugh. Then Jacob laughs because we're laughing and we go round and round.
He's learned so much in just a short time, I wonder what's in store...
Many Updates
This whole work thing SUCKS! I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I wake up really early in the morning, rush to get ready, race to drop Jacob off at the sitter, work my butt off at work, sit in traffic for 45 minutes to get home and all to earn enough money so someone else can raise my child. Oh, how I envy those mommy that get to stay home with their precious little ones. This week going back to work SUCKED! This word really does describe all the feelings I have wrapped up into one word. Although I love Mrs. Anita, the wonderful polish lady that watches Jacob, I cried like a baby when I dropped him off on Tuesday morning. I cried all the way to work. I thought I had settled down until a coworker asked where Jacob was and I broke down again. Our new Head of School came and gave me a BIG hug and assured me that it would be OK. I only called Anita once that day and got a good report, so I felt reassured that Jacob was doing fine. The rest of the week went well. No tears for Jacob or myself. Jacob will continue to go to Mrs. Anita until his Nana comes back from vacation in October to watch him.
We went to the Dr. on Tuesday for Jacob's 4 month check-up. Yes, on September 3rd he'll be 4 months old. He weighed 14 lbs. 12 oz. and was 24 inches. He moved down from the 75th percentile to the 50th percentile, but Dr. Lynne said not to worry. He looks healthy and is excelling in many gross motor activities. We had a visit to Children's Hospital at the beginning of the month for a sonogram of Jacob's hips to make sure he didn't have hip dysplasia, but the report was not given to Dr. Lynne. She was going to check into that, but said if there was something wrong, they would have contacted us both right away. He got another shot and will have 2 other shots in the next 2 weeks. She said we could start him on cereal now, but I have decided to wait until he is 6 months old. He still has slight reflux and bad gas, so I thought this would just increase is stomach troubles. With so many other changes going on right now, I think it is safe to hold off. I'm trying to hold off on the formula for nutrition and cost and trying to pump at work. I'll try as hard as I can to keep this up, but we'll see how long that lasts. Dr. Lynn did say that he will cut some teeth in the upcoming month or so. He has been a fountain at the mouth and nawing on EVERYTHING, including his own bottom lip. Poor little guy.
Well I think that's all for now. I'll try my best to keep you updated as I go back to work. Hope all is well with everyone. Enjoy the holiday!
Back to work :(
If you would have told me 4 months ago that I would have all summer to hang with my baby and then have to go back to work, I might have said "WOW, THAT'S A LONG TIME!" But today as I headed back to the daily grind, I thought to myself "WHERE THE HECK DID TIME GO?" Today was a trial for leaving Jacob while I go back to work. I was able to bring him with me this morning and Josh picked him up at 11am. So I only had to leave him for 4 1/2 hours. Tomorrow it will be the whole day 
I am starting to tear up as I type this. To make matters worse, I had a babysitting fiasco and scrambled to get someone to watch him this week. (Our neighbor's daughter had a death in the family last week and couldn't watch him this week.) I really like the lady I am taking him to this week though. If she had a full-time slot available I would have gone with her in the first place, but she didn't. I called her panicking on Saturday after finding out about the other sitter and she was kind enough to take Jacob in this week. I am hoping, no I am praying, that our original sitter can resume watching him next week, otherwise I will be up a creek!
Jacob is really starting to come into his own. He has his likes and dislikes, tells you when he's hungry or tired and has begun to smile and laugh at everything. See our new video of the Tickle Monster!!! I am SOOOOOO sad to leave him. Especially since he his doing new things each day. He is SOOO active! See our 2 new pics of him in his swing and Boppy chair. Both times he managed to twist and turn trying to escape. I'm sure he will give us a run for our money in the near future! I could go one and one about my handsome little boy, but for now I must get to bed. It's an early morning again tomorrow!
Home Sweet Home
I survived! Yes! I made it on two plane trips, by myself with a 3 month old. I'll have to give myself a pat on the back. Our adventure began at 5:30 on Thursday morning. We got loaded into the truck and Josh dropped us off. The flight to the Bay Area was great and empty. Jacob made friends with the grandpa we were sitting next to and managed to sleep a bit as well. When we arrived in Oakland, there was a plane at our gate which kept us on the tarmat for 20 minutes. By then Jacob, and the other passengers, had had enough. Jacob got his first set of wings and a certificate for his first flight signed by all the crew and the pilot. Who says customer service has gone down in the flight industry?????
Our visit was wonderfully busy. The Burton family made it over on Friday. It was great to see them. That night we had dinner with family friends Janice and Carlie and cousin Matt. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time! On Saturday the Talistu clan and more friends came over for a BBQ. Lots of fun and lots of food! On Sunday my family and I walked down to our old coffee hangout Rrags and ate breakfast. It was so comforting to be in a familiar place away from home. Our visit ended on Sunday afternoon. Eric and Shannon drove us down to the airport and dropped us off. Shannon cried and I had to tell her to leave before I broke down. I wish we lived closer to each other. I think Jacob would love to visit with his family more often and lord knows I would love it too. Josh picked us up and we headed home. I'll have to admit that Jacob is going through family withdraw. All the aunties, uncles, cousins and friends were very entertaining! Our visit was so exciting, but it is nice to be back at home sweet home! Check out our pictures. We even got one with the pilot in the cockpit!
Impromptu Vacation
I had come to the conclusion that my family wasn't going to make it down here to see Jacob this summer and was pretty bummed. With money so tight right now, it seemed impossible for travel by car, train or plane. Josh to the rescue... Josh decided to do a side job and told me to use the bit of extra money to travel to see my family. So Jacob and I are flying up to the Bay Area early Thursday morning to meet all my family and returning on Sunday. I know, a short visit, but it will be packed with activities. I'm a bit nervous about traveling by myself with a 3 month old, but have put my mind to completing the task successfully. We will be sure to take lots of pictures on the plane ride as well as with family. I'll post them when we get back. Wish us luck!!!
Need Inspirition
Yesterday and today have been rough ones for Jacob and myself. Gone are the days of eating on a schedule and sleeping frequently. He has decided that he needs to eat every hour or so and must struggle when trying to be put to sleep, regardless of his half-closed eyes and single toned cry. I know it could be many things. Maybe he's growing, has a little bug or is teething at a very young age. He has a fountain attached to his mouth and can usually manage to be changed 3-5 times a day because he's soaking wet. Yes, even with a bib! So today after his early morning nap he would not settle down. He didn't want to be held, he didn't want to sit in his chairs ( yes plural- boppy chair, bumbo chair and swing) and he wasn't going back to sleep. Lucky for me Jack's Big Music Show on Noggin was over and I flipped the TV to TLC, my favorite. There she was... Kate from Jon and Kate Plus 8. My inspiration. I don't know how she does it with 8 kids. In fact, at this point I don't know how anyone does it with 2 kids. After the show was over I felt better about my poor little Jacob. I asked that I be given the insight to help him become comfortable and patience to help him do it. We'll see what happens...
Caught on Tape
Finally! I caught Jacob rolling on videotape. He is rolling from front to back most of the time, but today I got him rolling from his back to his tummy (see Jacob 7 video at the bottom of page). I happen to think we have a genius on our hands :) I have been trying to tape him rolling around, but every time I take out the camera, Jacob seems to get camera shy. Maybe I'm putting to much pressure on him to perform! Josh had doubt in my story about Jacob rolling from his tummy to his back until he saw him do it. Now I've told him that Jacob rolls the other way. He thinks I'm a crazy mom who makes up stories about her talented son. So today I saw Jacob starting to roll over and grabbed the camera, which is always out and on just in case. Our slow camera got Jacob mid roll. When I showed it to Josh, he said I had staged the performance. I guess he'll be a believer once he sees it with his own eyes! I'll be sure to get a better video so you all can be believers too.
Peaceful Night's Sleep
It was Jacob's fist night in his own room last night and surprisingly it went quite well. I had purchased a black-out shade over the weekend and Josh installed it on Monday. I have been putting Jacob down for a nap or 2 in his crib over the past week to help in his transition. So last night when we had finished our bedtime routine of feeding, bath, book and off to bed, I was a little anxious about how long e would stay in his room. It helped so much that my little brother Eric and his wife DJ had purchased a great video monitor for us. I attached the video portion to his play pen, which is still in our room just in case, at eye level so I didn't have to get up and check on him. I could actually see and hear Jacob throughout the night. I could tell if he was just making noises in his sleep or if he was really awake. It was a peaceful night's sleep for both of us. Jacob went down at 8:00pm and woke at 3:30am to eat. I ended up falling asleep around 9:30pm and for those of you counting, that's 6 solid hours of sleep. A pure miracle!
Earthquake!
While there are many firsts that I am trying to document for my first born, an earthquake is not one that I'm excited about. Today a 5.4 earthquake hit in the Chino Hills, which is about 2 1/2 hours from here. Some people say they felt it all the way down here in San Diego. Jacob and I were in the car so we didn't notice a thing. My sister Shannon texted me and asked if I felt the earthquake and if we were OK. I was confused because we didn't have the TV on and the radio hadn't said anything about it. Josh called while I was on the phone with Shannon and said he felt it in Temecula, about 45 minutes from home. He said it sounded like a freight train and started to shake the house he was working in. Fortunately for us, there was no damage to our property and no one we know was injured. It makes me think how lucky were are to have just updated our home insurance by adding earthquake coverage! Here's to rockin' and rolling' California.
He's on a Roll
He did it... Yes he did! Jacob rolled over for the first time today! It was most likely on accident, but hey, I'll give it to him. This morning during tummy time I was making faces and we were laughing. Jacob got so excited he pushed up really high and then toppled right over onto his back. He sat there for a second just looking up and I sat there looking in amazement. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me... it was 6 in the morning :) But there was Jacob on his back. I quickly flipped him back over and tried to replicate the incident, this time with camera in hand, but with no luck. Jacob just looked at me like I was crazy making all these faces and a bunch of noise. The funny thing is that the past couple of days I've had our camera out filming our little guy because he's getting so good at holding his head up and scooting around. I was actually going to film him this morning, when he is in the best mood, and I thought "No. I've got enough of him scooting around." Then look what happens. I guess us new moms should have our cameras on at all times of the day. You know, just in case something really cool happens. I'll try to catch it on film the next time it happens. Keep checking or video section for updates! Today Jacob is 12 weeks. Is that 3 months in baby terms or do I have to wait until August 3rd to call him 3 months old? This is one to ponder...
Life's a Beach
Today our family went to the beach for the first time this summer. While the beach isn't far from our house, it seems harder and harder to get to each summer. There are plenty of excuses to just stay home and go in the spa, but we thought it would be a fun day to meet up with friends. It was Jacob's first time to visit the sand. The day stated off overcast and yucky, but ended up clearing and becoming a beautiful day :) Josh and I took Jacob to dip his feet in the water really quick ( see pictures) before we went back to our shelter under the easy-up. Jacob seemed to like it and was amazed when the water went out and the sand began to escape under his feet. Aahhh, the wonders of the world when you are little. Every thing is new and exciting. Oh to be young again! And even with all my precautions, (long pants, socks, hat and an easy-up) Jacob still managed to get a little sunburn on his face. I feel like the worst mom ever, but Josh assured me I'm not. He said, "Imagine if you weren't trying to be so careful. How would you feel then? " Always encouraging words from my husband ;) All-in-all a wonderful day at the beach.
Butler Stats
Jacob went to the Dr. yesterday for his 2 month check-up. He will be 11 weeks tomorrow! He currently weights 13 pounds 2 ounces. He is 24 1/2 inches long and has a head circumference of 41 cm. He's gained 3 pounds 9 ounces and grown 3 inches! He is in the 75th percentile for his height and the 70th percentile for his head size and weight. Jacob is really starting to show his personality. He is smiling and laughing anytime we talk to him. He is most talkative in the morning when he wakes up. I prop him up on my legs so he's looking at me and he tells me about everything he plans to do that day. He loves standing and is pulling to a sitting position from his back. He is pushing up pretty well when he's on his tummy, although this is his least favorite position. He has really good head control and loves to study everything around him. I think this is why he doesn't like to be on his tummy so much. His ability to look around is hindered when he's face down :) He is beginning to find a sleep pattern at night thank goodness! We start his bedtime routine around 7 or 7:30pm. Josh gives him a bottle, I bathe him, read him a book and put him to bed. He usually sleeps from 8 or 8:30pm until 2 or 3am. Not so bad! Can't wait for the 8-10 hour sleep stretch to happen. The Dr. said I can look forward to that in the upcoming months. Yippee!
First Ouchie
Jacob has his first ouchie :( He seems to have a nasty eye infection. He had this gunk in his eye the last time we visited the Dr., but it seemed to clear up the day after. She said it could be a blocked tear duct or a small infection so she gave me a prescription to fill if it continued. Yesterday Jacob woke up with his eye crusted shut with green gunk. To tell you the truth, it was really gross! I watched it yesterday and made sure it was clean and had a warm compress a couple times. This morning, same thing. I broke down and went to get the prescription filled. You would think the Dr. would give some drops or something, but she prescribed an ointment. It's torture to apply it. Josh has to hold his head while I pull down his eyelid and "apply a ribbon of ointment" into his eye. Sounds easy, huh? Yah right! Hopefully it will clear up shortly and my baby will have his beautiful blue eyes back. Last night Josh and I enjoyed our 2nd night out. We went with a group of friends to the Toby Keith concert. It was a blast. A lot tired today, but well worth it. Here's to date night!
OMG = Oh My Gosh
I have begun to think that sleep is just a distant memory. Now I know a new mom is to expect a lack of sleep within the first months, but little Jacob is to the extreme. We have mastered the 30 minute cat naps during the day. On a "good" day he may get in 4 of these cat naps and usually while I hold him. Any attempt to put him down and this big, blue eyes pop open and any hope of sleep is dashed. One would think that the lack of sleep during the day would lead to a peaceful night's sleep, but that too is incorrect... until last night :) OMG- Our little Jacob slept from 8:30pm until 3:30am. He woke to eat and then slept until 7am. I even had to wake him up! Now this mass sleep session may be due to the shot he received yesterday, so I won't set my sights on a repeat, but boy did it feel good to sleep! I feel revived and ready for the new day! HERE HERE TO SLEEP!
Happy 4th of July!
I'm so excited for Jacob to celebrate his first 4th of July holiday! A parent in my class bought him a cute little outfit for the occasion, but it's a bit to big. I might put it on him for pictures anyway. By the time he can fit in it, the 4th will be long gone. Today we are going to our friends house to have a BBQ. I bought a little pair of swim shorts for Jacob. Maybe he'll try the pool today. I will definitely have to take pictures of that. I'm trying to document every new experience for Jacob and boy is it hard. You know, the first time he smiles, lifts his head, has a major poo explosion... all the good stuff. Today's pictures will be a great addition to Jacob's scrapbook!
Ouch!
Jacob had his first shot today. He did exceptionally well with only a small cry. It helped that I loaded him up on Tylenol before we left, but it was also because he is SOOOO BRAVE! He has been a bit more fussy today, but overall he has been a happy baby :)
When first discussing shots with the Dr. at our last appointment I was curious to see what she had to say. Being a teacher I have read many recent articles about the links between immunizations and learning disorders, especially autism. I was a little scared about all the info that has come out and not knowing if it is more prevelant or just more reported. Fortunately, our Dr. is right on target with my beliefs. She gave me a good example that has stuck with me. Why would a 2 month old baby need a polio vaccine when the last polio case reported in the United States was back in 1979? Now I'm not saying Jacob will never get a polio vaccine, but why load his little body with these things now? She has given us a good timetable for when she gives certain vaccines and it put my mind at ease. I never knew there was so much to worry about being a parent...
First Night Out
Last night Josh and I enjoyed our first night out alone- without the baby. We were both in a wedding and thought it would be best to have Grandma watch him. I debated for a week asking almost everyone I know for their opinion on this situation. Being only 8 weeks, I wasn't sure Jacob, or myself to be honest, were ready to be separated. Josh assured me over and over again that everything would be OK and if there was a problem, we were only a 1/2 hour from home. I felt awfull when I handed him over to Grandma, but knew for my sanity this was the right thing to do. Josh and I had a blast. I was able to cut loose a bit and enjoy a beer... my first since before I was pregnant! The night went by fast and soon it was 11pm. It was time. I wanted to go home and see my baby. All was fine when we arrived. I had to stop myself from waking him up to snuggle and give him a kiss! It's very different now being on a "date". I felt like a piece of our family was missing. Although I really enjoyed my adult time, I was glad to be home, in my own bed, with my little boy snoring next to me.
A fluke, maybe
I was so scared when I woke up at 4:15am this morning. I jumped out of bed and looked in the crib next to my bed. My first thought... is my baby alive? I asked this question because it was FOUR FIFTEEN in the morning and I hadn't woken up since I layed Jacob in his crib at 9:00pm the previous evening. Jacob was just fine. In fact, when I put my hand on him to see if he was breathing, I woke him up. I scooped him up and held him in my arms. He then realized he was hungry so I fed him and cuddled with him until he fell back asleep until 6am. Wow, a night with sleep! A fluke, maybe. But boy did I enjoy that 7 hours and 15 minutes of sleep I got last night. Here is to many more nights of sleep!!!
It's Gettin' Hot Down Here
In the past I tended to think that global warming was something that was taking place over a slow period of time. I have changed my mind. For the past week it has been in the 90's and today it hit 100 degrees at our house in Santee. We have these sayings in San Diego... "May Grey", "June Gloom" and so on, but there have been less overcast days this year and more hot, hot, hot days! To prove my point, you can ask anyone in my immediate family. Everytime they come from the Bay Area (graduation, wedding, etc.), I promise great weather and when they arrive it's overcast, gloomy and almost raining. Why don't they come visit now? On our first really hot day this week, I was ill prepared and didn't turn on the AC. Jacob almost died of heat stroke even though I simply had him in a diaper. Since then, we have left all windows open and the whole house fan on throughout the night. When I get up in the morning with Jacob we go from room to room closing windows and the blinds and turn on the AC. If we set it at 80 degrees, it doesn't kick in until later in the day. The news says this heat wave will break early next week. The sooner the better. I don't know how long we can afford to keep the AC blasting!
Happy Father's Day!
What a wonderful day! The sun is out, the flowers are in bloom and we're celebrating Josh's 1st Father's Day! The day started out early for Jacob and I. We left the bedroom and went to the living room so Dad could sleep, a luxery these days. After Jacob fell back to sleep, I started breakfast. I made one of Josh's favorites, breakfast burritos. Josh must have smelled the bacon cookin' because he was awake when I went to peak in on him. I brought our sleepy son in to share the special occasion and then went to get Josh some breakfast. Before he ate I made him open his cards and we gave him his gift. I printed off 3 black and white pictures with him and Jacob and put them in a nice frame. Josh liked the pictures, even though he mentioned that he had a double chin in each pic. I told him it's not really there, but it was just the angle and the shadows in the picture:) Tonight we are going to pizza at Fillipi's, a Butler family favorite, with Josh's Dad and Grandpa... Jacob's Grandpa and Great-Grandpa. It will be wonderful to see 4 generations of Butler men all celebrating Father's Day. I will for sure take a picture! It makes me think of this picture hanging in the stairway at my Dad's house. It is a picture of me when I was about 1 years old sitting on my mom's lap with my Grandma Johnny standing behind us. (Johnny was a made up name for my grandma I gave her when I just started to talk. A long story I'll save for later.) I would pass the picture everytime I climbed the stairs without a thought. It was not until I had Jacob that I realized how important family pictures are. Pictures capture a moment in time that can never be recreated. These moments often are overlooked until the people in the pictures are no longer with us. I think about my mom and grandma everyday and am greatful for those pictures showcasing each special moment in time. I hope that I can create many moments like this for Jacob. Even if he doesn't remember each event, I hope to capture it in picture and share the memories as he grows.
Gunna Jinx Myslef
I know I'm going to jinx myself, but Jacob has been doing very well the past few days. For the past 3 nights he has slept for a solid 4 hour block at the beginning of the night- from 8-12pm. He's up every 3 hours after that to feed, burp and settle back down. In essence it means 3 or so hours of sleep to start for me and 2 hour blocks after that. So my sleep has increased slightly. He is up at 6:30 or 7am every morning regardless of my need for a bit more sleep. I can only hope that it improves as each day passes. As you can tell from my post, I'm not writing with one hand, so that's an accomplishment as well. He is in his swing peacefully drifting off to sleep. We've made a few changes in our "routine" that have helped. Adding the pacifier (some kids just need to suck), more naps and a warm bath at 7pm followed by a book and snuggle to sleep. He's also sleeping more during the day, which oddly enough is helping his sleep at night. If nothing else, this "routine" is helping me survive! I met my friend Pam for coffee on Tuesday. Afterward she came to take pictures of Jacob. She is a wonderful photographer, she helped at our wedding, and volunteered to take some professional pictures. *Funny story* Pam wanted a butt shot of Jacob. Those little butts are so cute! I took his diaper off, took some pictures and sat him up on the edge of the couch while Pam and I were talking. Rule #1 for a new mommy- NEVER leave the goods uncovered for too long. Yes, Jacob let go and generously soaked my shirt and pants. Pam got a few pics of that as well. I'll post those when I get them. PS- If anyone needs pictures for anything, call Pam! We went to the Dr. today for a well baby check-up. Jacob is doing well :) He weighed 11 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. A chunky monkey! Still some lingering baby acne which pains me more than him, but it is clearing. I was prepared for him to get his first set of shots today, but fortunately for Jacob (and myself), we'll do those next time. I love our pediatrician!!!! Dr. Lynne Scannell is the best. She called last week to check in on both of us (me for the emotional wreck I was and Jacob for his gas) and talked to me for 20 minutes. Have you ever had a Dr. that just called to check in on you? This was a first for me. She is very patient with me and my million questions and always tries to calm my new mommy nerves with short pep talks. I'm not so sure how we ended up with such a wonderful doctor. Being a cautious new mommy, I had scheduled to meet her BEFORE Jacob was born to see if she was up to par. Jacob happened to arrive early and I never got to do a pre-meeting. I guess intuition and good vibes led me her way and boy am I thankfull. Josh and I are doing great as well. I am trying to get out to meet friends for lunch or coffee and get some adult conversation during the day once or twice a week. Josh is keeping busy being a daddy and is having fun with his weekly racquetball games. I love hear the stories when he returns at night. It's amazing that a 2 hour game can produce so many funny stories. I hope that we can get out for our first "date" soon. Josh's mom has volunteered to watch Jacob for us and as soon as I introduce a bottle, we're taking her up on the offer, which I think will be very soon!
small victory
i am typing with one hand as i hold a sleeping baby jacob. it's rare these days for him to sleep at all during the day, so i don't want to move. yesterday he had a 1/2 hour nap between 6:30 and 10am, took a short cat nap on the way to our breastfeeding support group at 10, fell asleep- with a full tummy- on the way home at 12:15pm. he actaully slept for 3 hours in his carseat when we got home. he took another short cat nap that evening and then fought like heck from 7-9:30pm before i put him in his swing and crawled into bed. josh said jacob was awake until 10pm and finally fell asleep. the small victory you ask... he slept until 3am before he woke to feed! that's 5 hours of sleep- for him. i kept getting up to make sure he was still breathing, not too cold and not slumped over. i guess i should have taken full advantage of his sleeping, but it is such a rare occasion, i couldn't stop worrying. i know his sleep patterns are not good for his little body, nor mine, so if anyone has a tip or two for getting their overtired kid to sleep, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
We made it!
Today Jacob is 1 month old. We made it! I can't say that it has been easy, in fact I can honestly say it has been harder than I thought it would be, but it sure has been a wonderful journey. I have yet to get used to the lack of sleep, even though I thought I was preparing myself during my every 2 hour bathroom breaks throughout pregnancy. Nothing compares. I guess this is something I need to get used to because I heard it doesn't change for a while! Jacob is changing everyday. He is working to get on some sort of schedule. After a visit to the Dr. on Friday in which I discovered that he was being overfed, not in a bad way, but it was causing extreem, and painful gas. Our fantastic pediatrician spent 30 minutes with me answering all my questions and trying to figue out why he was so uncomfortable. The lightbulb went on when I tod her Jacob was eating every hour to hour and a half thus creating A LOT of digestion problems which led to the gas. She said he probably wasn't eating because he was hungry, now that he is 11 pounds, but more just for comfort. She suggested getting a pacifier which I am really against, but she said some babies just need to suck! So I gave in, and guess what... he is a different baby. He is eating every 2 1/2 or 3 hours and SLEEPING!!!!! He slept for two 4 hour blocks last night which was awesome! He is still learning to keep the darn thing in his mouth and letting it go without crying, but he'll get it. Josh and I have decided we'll give the pacifier a month or 2 and then try to ween him from it. We hate seeing 2 year olds with this things in their mouths! Jacob is also getting lots of tummy time and loves to hold his head up. He loves to stand and push off of us to move his body. Josh and I think he's going to crawl by the time he is 3 months old and walk by 6 months, so we got the number for Guiness Book of World Records by our phone for when it happens. He loves to listen to music and rarely screams when I sing to him. He is discovering his hands and loves to grab at my shirt or hair if it happens to be in his way. He loves to be held and is learning to be patient when we have to put him down. After all, carrying around 11 pounds for 24 hours can really wreck your back. He continues to learn new things everyday. I can't believe how much he has changed in only 1 month. I can't wait to see what he has in store during the next couple of months.
Where has time gone?
I was rocking Jacob after his early morning feeding at 2:30am and looked down at him in amazement at what I had helped create. At the same time, I looked at Josh who was peacefully sleeping on the other side of the bed. While I really felt like yelling at him something rude for his innate ability to sleep through my multiple wakings, I whispered "I love you" and counted my blessings for all that I have been given. These past few weeks have flown by, almost too fast. I was trying to think the other day about all that we have done in the past 3 weeks, but unfortunately I was drawing a blank on most of the smaller things. I have to agree with my cousin Jenna who says the mind of a new mother must forget "those" moments so we continue to want more children. We might not do it all over again if we remembered waking up every hour to feed, change and cuddle our little ones only to put them down just as they are ready to start all over again. So here we are, beginning our new family, just managing to make it through each day and knowing that SOON things will get easier... at least that's what they tell us! Hope you enjoy our story! Check back for more updates or let me know if you would like to be removed from the email list. No hurt feelings!