Doug & Amy's Rattle Tattle

Disney On Ice

2010-02-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

Jacob has been really excited about going to see Mickey Mouse. We kept it a secret for a little while, but then broke the news to him slowly. We don't think he totally got it, but he sure did as we talked about it more and the time for him to actually see Mickey grew very close.

Jacob was very excited about going to see Mickey, especially the day of. Amy and Jacob went grocery shopping to help tire him out to make sure he would get a good nap in. While grocery shopping, he was sure to tell the cashier that he was going to see Mickey Mouse after he took his nap.

The show was pretty good and Jacob was definitely in tune to the show. He was anxiously awaiting Mickey Mouse. Finally, the anticipated wait was worth it. He was able to see Mickey Mouse. It wasn't long before Mickey had to let others take the ice and Jacob was quick to ask where he went. Jacob loved the show, but I have to say the ice dancing princesses were not his thing. He was definitely more into all of the characters and some of the music. He was tapping his feet, clapping his hand on his knee and even sometimes clapping to the beat. A great time was had by all.

If you'd like to see the not so good pictures along with some okay pictures, don't forget to check out the picture link to the right...

Off To A Great Start... Or Maybe Not...

2010-02-28T07:45:00.000-05:00

Jacob's first night in his new fandangle bed went off without a hitch. We didn't hear a peep the whole night. He woke up like normal, stayed in his bed and started yelling for mommy. No problems at all...

Night number two, Jacob went to bed just fine as usual. It was a little while later when Amy heard a thud and then some wailing (I didn't hear him because I had already fallen asleep on the couch). Amy rushed upstairs and almost through the door... Good thing she didn't barge through the door to save Jacob because he was reaching for the door on his way out. Amy was able to quickly settle him down and put him back to bed. This happened a couple more times in the middle of the night. (...and now I am really wondering why Amy was so quick to give "the eye" when I mentioned getting a side rail when we were at the store looking at them earlier, not such a bad idea now, eh?)

I hear Jacob's door open and whispered to Amy that I think I heard Jacob's door. I kept waiting for Jacob to walk through our open door, but I didn't see him AND I wasn't hearing him. So, I got up to see what was going on. I found Jacob turned around and on his way downstairs (oops! Amy forgot the gate) to find his mommy. We both went downstairs as he was looking for his mommy. I told Jacob that she was upstairs in bed sleeping. He was fine with that and it wasn't long before he asked daddy to make him a pancake for breakfast.

Big Boy Bed

2010-02-26T21:34:00.003-05:00

Jacob has now transitioned into the next bed phase. He has graduated to a bed without enclosure! He was very excited all week about this prospect. Jacob was asking about his lamp and new sheets, etc. He obviously wasn't letting this one go.

Here is a peak at the transition:

Bed Transition Time?

2010-02-21T21:10:00.003-05:00

The time may have come for Jacob to have his crib transitioned into a big boy bed. There was discussion last weekend with Jacob about what would happen if he were to have his bed changed. The new bed set, valence and lamp were quite a surprise for him. It was a rather impromptu conversation with him, but he was very excited about the prospect. We weren't quite sure if he was ready or not, so we decided to wait and have further discussion about the change with him at a later date.

Today was the later date for discussion about changing Jacob's crib into a big boy bed. After being able to capture (took a couple of tries due to user malfunction with the camera) Jacob climbing into and out of his crib, we continued the discussion about how/what things would happen. He seems to be grasping the concept of converting his crib. Jacob definitely remembered the conversation last weekend as he was the first to bring up his new lamp. He was pretty excited about seeing his new bed stuff again as well.

Looks like we will be having a big boy dinner on Friday and then heading up to Jacob's bedroom where he will happy Daddy convert his bed. Jacob is really excited to get his hands his new lamp and to be able to turn it on. Guess it is time to Jacob proof his room 'cause who knows what trouble he will be able to get into after we put him to bed... Look Mommy!! No railing!!!!

A Simple Life Concept

2010-02-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

Jacob decided to sit in the corner of the bedroom this morning to play. He was pretending that he was driving his car made out of pillows. It was pretty comfy as he was laying way back in the seat driving his hoopty (sp?). As Amy and I were moving around the house (okay, so Amy was in the shower), Jacob kept reminding me and then mommy (after she was out) that he was driving. He was pretty content for a while until he obviously ran out of gas or felt that he needed to stop and get some. He got out/up and said, "Daddy, I'm going to get some gas." Before long, he came back with a dixie cup of gas from his room and poured the gas into his tank. He was sure to tell me that he was filling his car up so that he could drive to work and make some money so that he could buy gas... My jaw hit the floor as I was just in awe. How could this little boy, well, maybe little man after showing his understanding of a much larger concept, get this?

First Family Day At The Movies

2010-02-06T21:21:00.000-05:00

Jacob told his mommy that he wanted to watch Alvin & the Chipmunks almost first thing in the morning. So, we fired up the tv and started the movie for him. Before long, Jacob said that he wanted to see the Chipmunks at the theater... Did he get any help? Well, maybe... Before Amy came down in the morning, Jacob was spoonfed with the thought of watching the Chipmunks. After all, he loves to watch them as we have seen the first move, well, let's just say more than a few times. Since there was plenty of time earlier in the morning, I checked out where the movie was playing and found that it hadn't hit the cheap movie theater yet, but did find a "super saver" time. So, yes, Jacob had a little help, but he is the one that asked...

The family got dressed and ready to go. We figured we would get there a little early since Jacob had never been to the theater and to let him run around a bit so that he wouldn't have so much energy during the movie. Jacob checked out the arcade and didn't do much running around. He was all about getting into the theater so that he could see the movie.

Impatient? No, not really. I think everyone in the theater was anxious to get the movie going. We planned most of the event pretty well, but forgot to factor in the 20 minute delay from when the movie is supposed to start. I think whoever put the previews together forgot the audience that would be watching the Squeakqual... They didn't really phase Jacob because he was all big and proud sitting in his booster seat between his mommy and daddy with his sippy cup in his very own cupholder.

Jacob wasn't quite too sure what was going on when the lights went out, but mommy quickly told him that meant the chipmunks were about to be on the screen. He was fine with as he turned and noticed a big light behind him. He was very intrigued by what was going on overhead as he checked out the projection room a number of times.

The movie was good and kept Jacob's attention. There was even a cameo appearance by Digger. It helps to know a little about NASCAR to know who Digger is... As the movie was nearing the end, so was Jacob's lunch and nap time. He was getting a little antsy and wanted to get going. Then, there was the big performance by the Chipmunks and Chippettes which basically ended the movie. This grabbed Jacob's attention and sucked him back in. Of course, now the movie ended and Jacob did NOT want to leave. There was a little fuss, but once he was in the car and on his way, he was out for the count.

"NO, I do it"

2010-02-05T21:07:00.001-05:00

Jacob has definitely been showing his independence over the past few months. It isn’t unlikely that if you try help out that he will undo and redo what you already did for him. An example is when he asks for a juice box. You open the refrigerator and he is looking and points at which one he wants, but doesn’t grab it. So, you think to yourself, he must want help… So, of course, you reach way in the back to get a box and start sliding it out and all you hear is… “No, I do it”. With this you immediately release your grip on the treasure and back away. This is when “Mr. Independent” climbs into the refrigerator and grasps the juice box, but first, since it was moved from its original resting place, Jacob first moves the box back to where it was and then proceeds to pull his choice out of the refrigerator. It can be absolutely hilarious!! This type of behavior falls right into stabbing chicken nuggets with a fork, taking caps off of water bottles and putting them back on, getting utensils out of the drawer, etc. Jacob is definitely showing his want for independence in many ways and is not afraid of letting you know it or just doing it himself.

Killing Time Can Be Fun!

2010-01-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

Today we ventured up to Lakeshore Resort to hang out at the pool and check out the sites. We planned it out so that Jacob could take his nap on the way up there. Although it would be shorter than his normal nap during the week, it would be better than having him take a nap at 4:30 in the afternoon...

The napping scenario worked as it wasn't too long after we left that Jacob had his large chain saw and was cutting logs. We got to our destination with Jacob not quite sleeping an hour so we cruised around a little bit. Of course, now that the car had considerably slowed down, Jacob starting waking up.

Mommy decided to hang out in the gym for a while and Jacob and I took advantage of this and played with the toys in the clubhouse and drew some pictures with the crayons. Jacob was pretty good, but kept mentioning wanting to go see the pool. After mommy was done working out, Jacob and the rest of us headed to the pool.

Jacob loved being in the pool. He ventured right in and made it down the first step... The second step was a little deeper, so then it was time to pick him up and venture deeper. His favorite part was pushing the beach ball under the water and then letting it go and it flying up and splasing all over the place. He thought this was the craziest thing ever and had such a hearty laugh that it probably bubbled up from his toes. Mommy wasn't quick enough to get her camera to capture his face, but it was definitely one to get a picture of... Jacob also thought the water being jetted into the pool. This got the same hearty laughs as before.

After the pool and hanging out in the arcade, we headed out to dinner where he was very good. He really enjoyed his chicken and french fries. He had a riot being able to dip in bbq sauce, ranch, honey mustard and ketchup. It was a feast fit for Jacob.

With the need to kill some time so that Jacob wouldn't fall asleep and wake up at 5 am, we headed to the Salvation Army. It actually ended up being a great time for Jacob, not to mention we did find some gems. Jacob asked for a stroller and just had to find a baby for it to push around. We found a duck in a rain suit. This quickly got old, meaning the duck, so Jacob made a switch from the duck to his tiger. Jacob took the stroller all over the place including going through the clothes to the other side and then coming around and saying "I found you momma" This kept him very entertained. It worked, the side venture kept Jacob up and also pooped him out some. Jacob did stay awake most of the way home, but eventually did crash shortly before we got home.

Baking Cookies - Young Two Year Old Style

2009-12-21T21:46:00.004-05:00

Jacob thought he would try his baking techniques out this year and asked mommy if he could bake some Christmas cookies. Mommy was more than happy to say yes because she knew how fun it would be and there wouldn't even be any mess... LOL!!!

Mommy and Jacob didn't waste any time rolling out the dough and cutting the different shapes out. Jacob was very much into knowing the shapes and calling them out as he was making them. He even did a quality check on a couple along with his juice box. He wasn't much into wanting milk with them. Hope you enjoy this video. There were a lot of good moments, but there just wasn't enough time to leave them all in...

Holiday Parade

2009-11-21T19:59:00.000-05:00

This year's favorite for Jacob was the music. There were some definite head bobs going along with the music. He was still a little unsure about things with all of the nearby kids lunging out and snagging candy. He just hasn't gotten into that yet in unfamiliar surroundings. He still really enjoyed being there and seeing the horses. Maybe next year he will be out in the middle of the road once again strutting his stuff.

After the parade while we were heading back to the vehicle, Jacob said that he was ready to go see Santa... Amy and I are not holding our breath because we have the pictures to show that he should be careful of what he wishes for because he might just get it...

The time of year has come to get a visit from the bearded wonder from the North Pole. Jacob was among many others that filled the streets of Royal Oak to welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus to town.

Pee Pee on the Potty

2009-11-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Jacob is definitely becoming his own person and personality almost on a daily basis. Along with this comes the building excitement of Jacob becoming potty trained. He is by far near another monumental accomplishment, but baby steps are definitely being taking towards this goal. Jacob has been going to the bathroom at school, but hadn’t been at home. He would sit there, but nothing would happen. We definitely weren’t pushing it on him at all. While Jacob’s momma was at the dr. last Wednesday evening, I thought what the heck, let’s try asking Jacob if he wanted to sit on the potty. He obliged, so I took him into the bathroom and took his diaper off and he sat down. Before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Jacob went pee pee on the potty. He was very excited. And… of course, he had to use the toilet paper and wash his hands like a big boy. This happened for a few days with Jacob going to the bathroom when we prompted him. On Saturday, Jacob went to his mother and asked to sit on the potty. His momma asked if he wanted his diaper off and he said yes. So, without further coercion, Jacob sat down and did his business… Jacob is definitely proud of his new found “activity”. We are still have a long road ahead of us, but at least we are on it and seem to be heading in the right direction.

Halloween - Long Overdue!!

2009-10-31T20:37:00.006-04:00

These photos are long overdue. Yes, they are from Halloween if you can't tell... ;)! Jacob was a giraffe with his baby giraffe. I think his mother wore off on him as giraffes are one of Jacob's favorite animals at the zoo. So, picking this costume was pretty easy to choose. Jacob picked the giraffe over the monkey. Editing photos and moving them around has become quite a task and literally impossible so, it has become more difficult to get the pics in chronological. Basically, however they are, they are...

Jacob alone was early in the morning getting ready for school and his Halloween party there.

Halloween was a cool day, but it didn't stop us from heading out for a wagon ride through the haunted woods and orchard. We were basically the only ones there, but more people showed up just to shop when the ride was done. If you wore a costume, you got a free pumpkin, so Jacob dove right in and got one. It was a very nice ride. I'm not sure how haunted it was with Sponge Bob, Shrek, Scooby and others in the trail. Let's say it was friendly haunted ride.

Jacob Peed!!!

2009-10-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

I received a call from Amy today while at work. This is a little out of the norm, so I had to answer it quickly. I was told that school called... Uh oh, is Jacob okay? Do we need to pick him up again? It is also VERY unusual for the school to if there isn't an issue. After a suspenseful conversation, I was told that Jacob sat on the potty like he has been, but this time, there was some "sprinkling" goin' on. Jacob's teacher was very excited for Jacob and made it a big deal. This startled Jacob a little bit, but he knew that he had done something grand as he was grinning ear-to-ear and was very proud of himself. Jacob's teacher was so excited that she had to tell the office ladies, who hurried up and called Amy who in turn had to call me!!!!

For the great turning point, Jacob was given some stickers at school and hugs at school to congratulate him on a new task completed. I'm sure we will have to wait for the next time Jacob pees on the potty, but he has done it once so it is now time to be patient and continue to work with over time. Momma and dadda praised Jacob once we saw him and have discussed getting some "special" stickers and a board for his to put them on as a reward. Jacob is very much into stickers, so this could be a win-win...

Little Boy Blue

2009-10-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

Our little boy is feeling pretty blue, although you wouldn't have known it right before bedtime tonight.

For the past a day or so, Jacob has been starting to come down with a cold, but nothing too bad. Jacob seemed to be fine this morning when he was dropped off at school. As time went on in the morning, Jacob's health started to deteriorate and the school felt it was enough to make a call to us. It was getting closer to lunch time, so it was decided that they would wait until Jacob ate and took a nap and then see how he was feeling before any decisions were made since he didn't have a fever. Well, he ate about half of his lunch (not all that uncommon) and took his nap. They ended up waking him up because it was way past time he would normally get up. He now had a fever of over 101.0. So, we got the call to come and get him.

In the meantime, Amy called the doctor to let them know what was going on and they wanted to see him. We made a 5:00 appt. because we wouldn't be able to get Jacob there in 15 minutes for the 3:00.

To make a long story short, Jacob has an ear infection and a throat infection and is now on an antibiotic. He was still pretty lothargic for a while after the doctor appt., but did have a little energy before going to bed. We assume that he will get some regained strength tonight and hopefully be back to himself shortly.

Annual Harvest Party

2009-10-10T23:11:00.000-04:00

Fortunately, the weather held out although a little chilly for the harvest party this year. Jill and Ken once again put on an A rated fun-filled extravaganza.

Jacob had fun playing with his cousins, primarily Will (almost 3) and the birthday girl Elizabeth (turned 12). They had fun playing on the trails in the field (okay, so I was literally running with Jacob in my arm's to keep up with the rest of the kids). Surprisingly Will was able to keep up pretty well with the older kids. They did have to stop on occasion and let Will and the rest of us catch up.

This year found Jacob actually going on the scavenger hunt and understanding a little of what was going on. Of course, this was after his momma helped him paint a pumpkin mask. After eating a pallette tantilizing meal thrown together with Ken's culinary expertise, it was time to help Uncle Charlie grind the apples and then press them so that we could all have some fresh apple cider. Jacob jumped right in and wanted to grind the apples too. The older kids (all of them were older than Jacob) were amazed that he do turn the grinder himself. They asked me if I was helping and said no and moved my hands away so that would really believe me. It was pretty exciting for them and Jacob. I think it helped that they weren't putting pressure on the apples going through, but who was I to say anything... ;)!

Jacob enjoyed hanging out with the adults around the campfire and vegging. Let's just hope that he doesn't pick up on anything that was said ;)! His mommy might have some splainging to do! Not really, but a cousin might :D! Veggin' at the fire calmed Jacob down as the night wore on. So, it was time to pick out a pumpkin and gather all of the loot from the scavenger hunt, etc. and head home. A great time was had by all as we were able to enjoy spending time with some of our extended family.

24 Month Dr. Appointment

2009-09-30T21:32:00.004-04:00

This post is long overdue...

Jacob's 24-month dr. appointment went fine. Jacob is now 25-1/2 pounds (about 20th percentile) and 35 inches tall (about 60th percentile). This keeps him right on the same growth curve tht he has been on.

No real issues to report other than the fact that we will be going to a dermatologist to look at the hairy patch on his leg. He has had it since birth and nothing to worry about, but we are going to get it looked at as a precaution. We will also be addressing the eczema issue as well as we are still definitely battling this. After Jacob gets examined, this may also be a good time to bring up the possibility of allergies.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB!!!

2009-09-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

Two years ago today the single greatest thing happened for Doug and I....we became parents!! Our special and sweet baby turns 2 years old today! Neither of us can believe how quickly the time as flown. Nor can we believe how our lives have changed and how very blessed and happy we are to have Jacob. I had always dreamed of being a mommy and yet I had absolutely no idea how much love my heart could hold. Jacob has brought so much to our lives and we truly feel blessed to have our little family! We are thankful for every day!

Happy Birthday Jacob! Mommy and Daddy love you more then you could know!

Team Grandpa Gaynier

2009-09-27T22:23:00.000-04:00

As most of you know our family participated in a very worthy cause extremely close to our hearts. Doug's dad, Ray Gaynier was taken from his loved ones way too soon due to Pancreatic Cancer. Last Saturday we walked in the First Annual Purple Stride fundraising event in his honor! Never being able to have met my father-in-law, I felt very privileged to take part in this wonderful event. It was truely an honor....and a great day!!!!

The morning started off early. Way early!!! Check in started at 7am and we knew it would be packed. The Detroit Zoo was hosting two large events that day, our walk as well as an Adopt a Pet day so we knew we wanted to get there early. Doug and Jacob stepped to the side of the crowd while I stood in line to get us all checked in. I kept my boys in my sight though and had many giggles watching people walk by them and smile, or stop to chat. See, Jacob was sitting in his wagon which we hand decorated with signs that read "Grandpa Gaynier," balloons, and purple and white crepe paper. Jacob looked adorable as he sat proudly in his PurpleStride float!!

I got us all checked in, Doug and Jacob ended up having to push through the crowd to claim there own tickets but overall it went pretty smoothly. We were a little annoyed with how the incentive prizes were handled but this was their first walk so glitches were expected. I was pleasantly surprised at the actual set up of the event and all the fun stuff they had organized. There was a station for face painting...you know I had to get a purple ribbon put on my cheek!! They had a food tent, stocked with coffee, water, donuts, granola bars and snacks! They had a very cool Memory Board, where Doug was able to proudly put his dads name with a little note from his family that we love and miss him!! They also had a station where they gave out small signs to pin on ourselves to indicate who we were walking in honor of. They also gave away purple braclets and ribbons for everyone to wear. I was very impressed!! We even got a few extras to give to Grandma!!

We wondered around and collected our t-shirts and tried to avoid some of the crowd. Unfortunately this caused us to be too far away to really hear the opening ceremonies but it was clear when it was time to start walking!! We slowly made our way to the start line and proudly began our journey to the sound of cheerleaders rooting us on! (As a retired cheerleader this got me very excited!)

It was a really beautiful day, the weather was fantastic and we totally enjoyed following our destinated path through the zoo!! Jacob was a super good boy and alot of the animals were out so it really was alot of fun. We proudly made our way to the finish line where we were greeted again with the cheerleaders!!! We did it!!! We did it for Grandpa Gaynier!!!

As luck would have it, we had a front row spot for the closing ceremonies where we were able to nosh on some pizza and listen to the channel 7 sportscaster. He was very inspiring. It was fantastic to hear the amount of people who had just participated and most importantly the amount of money raised. I am so proud to say that we contributed to the phenomenal fundraising total of over $200,000. Way to go!! Closing ceremonies also included a raffle. They were giving away GREAT prizes. One of which was tickets to a Lions game.....Jacob's ticket was about 30 off....could you imagine if we had won!!!!

After the official event was finished we were feeling so delighted that we decided to spend a little more time at the zoo. Many of you will remember Anyssa, the young lady that lived with us for a while. She was a volunteer at this event and it was really fantastic to see her again. She joined us as we ventured back into the zoo and spent alot of time just visiting, laughing and playing with Jacob. It was truely wonderful to spend time with Anyssa again!

Doug and I would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragment for our family. We really do appreciate all the donations we received from our family and friends. Our little 3 person team was thrilled to have raised well over $600. This was a great event and a delightful day. The Pancreatic Cancer Network did a fantastic job organizing this event and we can't wait for next year!! I know that Grandpa Gaynier was watching us from heaven with his heart full of love and pride! We love you Grandpa Gaynier and miss you. We will continue to hold your grace close to our hearts every day!

Jacob's Big Birthday Bash!

2009-09-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Jacob's birthday with a big family bash! The Tonka Truck themed party was a huge success and Jacob loved being surrounded by family and friends! I think Jacob was a little taken a back when he realized that everyone was there for him, but he warmed up pretty quickly. We set up a mini carnival in the backyard for all the kids, complete with Bounce Round Castle, climber with rock wall, sandbox, pony ride toy and 4-wheeler! All the kids loved it and had so much fun!

The morning had us a little fearful of the weather but luckily we only had to deal with a little mist and it blew right over us...thank goodness! Even though the weather cooporated several of our guests hung out in the living room...in front of the big screen tv.....watching the Michigan Wolverines beat Indiana!! Woohoo!!! What a game and we were so happy that the Wolverines were able to give Jacob a great gift with a great win!

After a super yummy lunch of Mostaccolli, ceasar salad and garlic bread we gathered around the deck to sing to the birthday boy! We were so proud of Jacob, when it came time to blow out the candles he did it like a champ!! One strong blow and spit-free! Everyone clapped and cheered and Jacob gave a devilish grin that oozed with delight!

The children continued to play in the backyard wonderland and enjoyed themselves very much. It was really cute to watch all the kids running around having such a good time. Jacob was especially enjoying his party. I think he couldn't believe all these people were here for him! Soon it was time for presents! Jacob climbed right up on Daddy's lap to get busy. He started off a little slow but soon was tearing into the gifts with Daddy's help and Mommy's encouragement. The gifts seemed to be endless, Mommy just kept handing them over while Jacob opened one gift after another. He was really excited and he got ALOT of great stuff! After opening presents we gave Jacob's younger guests their goody bags and then there was more visiting, celebrating and enjoying everyone's company while honoring the Birthday Boy! Everyone expressed their joy and was thrilled to be a part of this special celebration.

Slowly the party started to wind down and the birthday boy gave alot of kisses and hugs to all of his family and friends and thanked them for coming to his party. It really was cute watching him say goodbye to everyone and give out so much love! After everyone left Jacob wasted no time playing with all of his new toys. He loves them all and didn't even noticedwhen Mommy cleaned out his old toy box and got rid of some old toys...he was so pleased with his new ones!!

The party was definitely a success and Jacob had a great time celebrating with all his family and friends. Thank you to everyone who made this milestone such a fantastic one. We loved having you all in our home to share in this very special day of celebrating Jacob's 2nd Birthday!

Purplestride Detroit 2009

2009-09-15T20:26:00.003-04:00

You may or may not have seen the script below in an e-mail that was sent out prior to this. If you haven't received the message from us, we apologize and wish for you to consider this request. If you have, please let us remind you of what our family has decided to do. With the very recent passing, Pancreatic Cancer is in the forefront of many people's minds.

The walk is less than two weeks away!!

Dear Family and Friends,

On September 27th, 2009, our family, Amy, Doug and Jacob will be walking in the first annual PurpleStride Detroit Walk put on by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. This event is a fundraiser to help advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer.

Our family has decided to participate in this event because pancreatic cancer has affected our lives. Jacob will never be able to meet one of his grandfathers as his Grandpa Gaynier passed on June 25th, 1997 due to complications of the disease. Jacob’s grandfather fought the disease as much as he could and even volunteered for studies involving various experimental treatments. Unfortunately, his offer did not come to fruition as the disease had spread to his liver making him no longer a viable candidate. To keep his offer of generosity alive, we are walking to carry on his gesture to find the cure for pancreatic cancer.

We are all feeling the effects of the economic downturn in one way or another. Our family knows this all too well as Doug has recently returned to work after a nine week layoff, but we feel the need to help out this worthwhile network as much as we can. It is at this time that we would like o ask you to donate anything you can to help us reach our financial goal and ultimately the goal of life with a treatment for pancreatic cancer. Please join us in our effort whether it is financially or if you decide to walk with us.

To make a donation, you can do it online at the following address - http://pancan.kintera.org/faf/search/searchParticipants.asp?ievent=311010&lis=1&kntae311010=D05A9997CDC84DA8A3FB1F912C06BC20.
There is also a way to donate via snail mail with the form on the website. If you choose to join our team, you can also get to those pages from here as well.

We sincerely appreciate any effort that you can give.

Thank you!!

Team Grandpa
Gaynier

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T21:17:00.005-04:00

The 2009 camping season may well have come to a close with the Labor Day camping trip. It all started when Jacob and I headed north early Friday to set up camp while his mother was at work, hoping to get out early to join us. We were up there and had our "pop-up paradise" popped by 1:00, so for Jacob's reward, we headed out to McDonalds. When pulling in, he said "McDonalds" in his cute way. Although I didn't think we went there very often, maybe we have been there more often than I thought. Must have been those nights of going to the zoo. Oh, and while at McDonalds, I saw a co-worker on his way through with his family and friends. What a small world... Amy was able to get out of work a little early and was able to join us for a little later dinner.

Saturday and Sunday were just a couple of days of relaxation and hitting the pool and the beach along with a trip to Tawas. Jacob had a ball playing with his toys around the campsite and walking through the trails. We even hit karaoke the first night, although none of us were brave enough for the kid or adult times... Saturday night we listened to an okay band (bands earlier in the year were much better) and then Sunday night was a video DJ that rocked the campground and was very good. He even showed the actual video for the songs up on a big screen.
One day while getting Jacob to nap, we took a drive to get a few things in town and on the way back stopped to a nearby garage sale. It was in the middle of nowhere, but the what the heck, so were we. We pulled into a long driveway and found that nothing was marked. The lady said to make an offer on whatever. Amy shopped while I stayed in the car with Jacob. Amy ended up finding a gem for Jacob. At the time, we had no idea. Jacob's mother had found a musical Escalade that moved to the beat of "Who Let the Dogs Out?" along with flashing lights and moving forward and in reverse. It was a must for Jacob to take his new truck with him on every wagon or car ride after that, not to mention playing with it at the campsite.

I haven't included a ton of pictures because it would be hard to write a little jargin about each of them. However, feel free to check out the link for the Labor Day Camping trip to see them all (or at least what has been posted).

Hope everyone was able to enjoy the unofficial end of summer!!

Jacob Becomes A Good Cook

2009-08-28T22:32:00.004-04:00

Jacob is turning into quite the helper around the house. He picks up trash and puts it in the garbage can and can now even help cook.

Although he may not be one of the cleanest/tidiest cooks, he can put most two year olds to shame... ;)! He can whip up a mean croissant roll plain or with ham and cheese and can also toss in the best cut potatoes for stew!!!

Dadda Poopy, Momma Poopy

2009-08-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

At not quite 23 months old, Jacob is now telling us when he goes poopy. In the past several days it has become more apparent that he really knows and understands what he is saying. I think there was only one time that Amy checked when Jacob said poopy and there wasn't one. Today, there was one time that he didn't tell me and there was, but I think he had just done it.

It certainly looks like the time has probably come to at least pull out the potty chair to get Jacob used to seeing it. He certainly has been taking more of an interest in the bathroom and what happens there including when his parents go. What seemed to have been somewhat flukish has now become a reality... Let's hope the trend will continue...

And Tonight Makes Three

2009-08-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

We are developing a trend for Wednesdays... Rush home from work, get changed and packed and head out the door. Why not?!?! The zoo is basically around the corner, Jacob loves live music and the zoo has concerts in the picnic area. What could be better than this? If Jacob gets bored, there are frogs and otters across the sidewalk, not to mention the rest of the zoo.

Tonight was a rock band that played kids music. The lead singer teaches 3rd and 4th grade. We weren't as impressed as the first couple of weeks, but they were still good. Just for reason didn't grab us and pull us in like the others.

Jacob had some fun playing around and showing us some different faces. We were fortunately able to get a picture of a couple of them...

Jacob did decide to wander a little bit as they were starting their second set. He want to head over and see the frogs. There were also water frogs with no one around, so he got to play on them for a little bit. Then Jacob wanted to be sure that his dadda could see how he got on the frogs. So, he made the trek back to the concert and grabbed his dadda to show him the frogs he had found. Unfortunately, by the time we got back, many other kids found the frogs too so Jacob had to wait for his turn.

After the frogs, it was definitely time for night, night. So, we headed for home along with all of the other kids.

The Team Mascot

2009-08-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

Syd’s soccer team had their mascot back in action this season with renewed a renewed energy. Jacob was adorned in his team garb provided by his Aunt Abby and was ready to cheer on the swarm to victory.

Jacob must have realized that something was missing for a while as he was really intrigued by the game and was willing to sit and watch the whole thing. This was a far cry from wanting to run around on the dirt piles and just wanting to be away from the game. It probably helped that Mommy, Daddy and Jacob sat between Grandpa and Grandma for the game.

After the game, Jacob rushed out onto the field with Grandpa’s help as he was swarmed by the swarm. Evidently, the team was missing him because they were all giving him hugs and high fives around. Jacob was in his glory!! And yes, his rooting helped them onto a victory. His efforts unfortunately didn’t persist the next morning as they lost late in the game. Maybe it was Jacob’s mommy and daddy that were the help. We were off to the races, literally and weren’t able to attend… ;)!

Sorry, maybe next time we will get pictures of Jacob in his mascot shirt.

Music At The Zoo

2009-08-12T20:53:00.004-04:00

Now that the summer is over half over, we have been finally taking advantage of Wild Summer Nights at the zoo. It is a summer concert series held on Wednesdays. Our first one last week was with children’s music (Candy Band) and was PACKED! With our lesson learned, we grabbed a drive thru dinner and got there earlier this week. It was nice having a picnic before the music started. This week was the Gia Warner Band. They played their own versions of covers and some and a couple of their own. They were really good and we wouldn’t mind seeing them play again. Jacob loved listening to the music as he was bobbing his head, tapping his feet and bee bopping a bit. Maybe next week he will be singing along as it will be a children’s band. Wish we would have started this earlier as there are only two lefts of the series…

These pictures are actually from the week before, but would you have known if I didn't tell you... ;)!

Finally, A Slower Weekend

2009-08-02T20:59:00.000-04:00

The weekend started out with Amy getting a mission to clean the house and kicked Jacob and I out. Whatever would we do... ?!?! I know, let's go to the zoo. So, Jacob and I headed to the zoo and were right there when they opened at 9. We felt like we had the zoo to ourselves for the first hour. I don't think we saw anyone other than security and workers for literally close to an hour. Jacob's favorite for the day was going to the barn and seeing the pigs, cows, donkeys, etc. He has come to master the eeh aaaww and is excited to let you know. His mother was quite impressed once we got home.

The day continued with Jacob's grandma, Uncle Rob and Aunt Lynnie coming over for a bbq. Jacob loved showing off his 4-wheeler riding ability. He also had a blast playing baseball with his Aunt and Uncle. It was great to see them again as we haven't been able to see them much lately.

Aaahhh!! A Sunday with nothing to do. As we sat on the couch Amy and I just looked at each other and pondered... It wasn't long before we were out of the house and started to run some errands. We ran a few and then grabbed a bite to eat.

Time for a mission... Amy wanted to go to a store that she had been to before, but couldn't quite remember where the store was. She explained how she got there and I wasn't sure she did what she said she did, but we started driving. I pointed out where I thought it was and said something about wouldn't it be something if I actually was right...

So, we started out with "Matilda" so that we could find where Amy thought she might be. She swore up and down she was north of I-696. After driving around for about a half hour, she decided to head home and start from there. When we were almost home, she remembered having a receipt for the place. Now we had the address!!!! We entered the address into "Matilda" and were there in no time... Oh! and guess what?!?! I was within a block or so of where Amy wanted to go, but an hour earlier... Too funny!!!!

After running some errands we were finally back at home and able to put a summer toy together on the deck. Jacob couldn't wait to dive into having fun with his new toy. It wasn't long before he had everything figured out. Of course, the sand had to be mixed with the water to make some mud... It was all in good fun!!

2 Months And Counting

2009-07-28T20:54:00.002-04:00

There is only two months left until Jacob turns two. He is definitely still a growing boy as it seems like in the last week he hit another growth spurt. It is so strange to go in and get him out of bed one day and then the next day it seems like he grew a foot and gained 50 pounds. This obviously isn't the case, but sometimes I think it just hits you that he is getting bigger.

On his 22-month birthday, he almost headed to the doctor for a quick visit. Jacob has been having issues with his eczema lately and has really flared up at times. On Sunday, we actually considered calling the doctor on Monday for them to look at him. Fortunately, the issue resolved itself with some cooling off and relaxing. Today, Amy received a phone call from school because Jacob's arms and back really broke out in a rash, so Amy headed off to pick him up and take him to the doctor. By the time she got there to pick him up, the rash had gone away. The rash never bothered Jacob which was good and it was gone by the time Amy got there, so we aren't going to worry about it and just keep an eye on him. Amy did give him an oatmeal bath to help with the "itchies". Amy already talked to a pharmacist yesterday to see if there was anything they would suggest and we are pretty much doing everything we can (I also talked to a pharmacist on Sunday, but not as in depth as Amy did as the issues weren't as bad at that point).

As Jacob grows closer to his 2nd birthday, we are starting to see tantrums. Okay, so it was only one last night, but it did last a little while and we found that he definitely has a good pair of lungs. After he settled down, we did get our way as we stayed in the dining area to eat and he did eat his dinner.

Jacob is steadily getting a bigger appetite which means eating more. The bowls of cereal that we have been feeding him in the morning are now in need of either overflowing or getting bigger. The last few mornings have resulted in Jacob asking me to feed him more. Guess we will need to go with a bigger bowl...

Family & Friends Picnic For A Cure

2009-07-25T22:00:00.008-04:00

A family picnic with a twist... Amy's mom and step dad decided to have a family picnic this year at their house once again. This time there was an added twist. In honor of family members that have had/have breast cancer, she thought it would be nice to help raise money for research of this disease. The event was well attended and had some out-of-staters as well. Amy had a fair amount of family in from Texas to partake in this event.

The day started out a little rough with some rain, but fortunately stopped by 10:00. It was just enough time for the grass to dry and allow us to get the remainder of the tents up and get everything in its place elsewhere.

For the event, Aunt Patsy made a breast cancer quilt and other items such as bible covers and wall art to be raffled off. Although it wasn't meant to be initially, I was asked to put a family video together of old family photos of Amy's mom's siblings. At the last minute, it was decided that it should be sold for a small donation.

The grand daddy event of the day was the silent auction. Amy put this together and did a fine job of finding at least one entry for that everyone would want to bid on. As most silent auctions go, the bidding started off slow. However, when it came time to close the auction, the tent was filled with onlookers waiting to see if they were going to be outbid... Some were disappointed that they weren't able to get the treasure they were hoping, but others were very happy!

With the raffle, silent auction and some large and small donations, Amy's family was able to raise $1,000 for breast cancer research at the University of Michigan. It was way more than any of us could have imagined for such an event.

As the picnic with a twist ended, so did Jacob's day... He needed a bath and loves taking a bath in grandma's sink. Fortunately, it is still big enough for Jacob to fit...

Jacob Has Settled

2009-07-23T20:49:00.002-04:00

With Jacob's routine being shifted back to a day of school, it has taken him time to adjust. It took a couple of weeks, but he is back into his routine and is now thriving once again at school. There are still some not so good days, but it is usually when he is tired and not wanting to get up. However, by the time he gets to school and gets playing with his friends, he is all happy.

We are once again getting artwork sent home with Jacob. There is also the "car washes" and "camping" days. The car washes, we understand, is basically a bunch of sprinklers that the kids get to play in. The camping day, which we missed, was more for the bigger kids. It was a day when you were supposed to bring in your sleeping bag, tents, etc. and then they were making s'mores in the afternoon. This was right after our own camping trip, so Jacob didn't really miss anything. After all, his mother is best s'more maker!!!!

This round of school seems to be much easier than the first. We're not sure if it is because of the weather or the fact that Jacob is older. When Jacob first starting to go to school, we needed to be sure to have extra snacks and jar food for him to eat in case he didn't eat what they were having at school along with his boots, gloves, etc. for going outside. Now, we just make sure he has his sippy cup and then maybe a yogurt or pop tart or something small in case he doesn't eat enough during lunch and snacks. He sometimes has those days where he just eats and eats. It is great that for the most part that he eats whatever they put in front of him. He still isn't quite sure on the taco salad though. Some days he eats it and some days he doesn't. He has been known to be a picky eater at times...

A Celebration of Life

2009-07-18T22:00:00.002-04:00

A day of celebration was put together for Amy's dad. He has reached the 5-year milestone after having a lung transplant. It was nice to see family and friend's gathering to acknowledge this excellent milestone.

Jacob loved spending time outside with his cousins and other kids that were there. Amy and I were able to relax a little more than normal because Jacob has reached an age where other kids are entertaining to him and doesn't need his mommy and daddy right there for him. Although, we still needed to check on him to be sure he wasn't into something that we wouldn't want him into... Kids just being kids...

No Excuses!

2009-07-14T22:50:00.003-04:00

As you are probably already aware, there has not been any new posts in quite some time. I think this is probably a record since the blog's inception. With the return to work after being off for nine weeks, producing and editing a video and having a hard drive crash beyone repair, there hasn't been much extra time in the evening to be able to blog. However, I do intend to do better. There intent to post about the 4th of July and also a camping weekend. The posts will be shown before this as I will date them when they happened and not when they are written... So, yes we are still alive, but have been busy preparing for camping a couple of big parties that we are a part of the organizing, etc. More on those later...

2009-07-12T20:52:00.003-04:00

A weekend of camping started off pretty well. I was able to get loaded and ready to go earlier in the day. Frankie and I headed out a little before noon for the trek northward. We were there lickety split and had everything set up and ready for company by 4!!

Where’s the company? Where’s the rest of the family? Where? Where? Where? After a number of texts and phone calls Amy and Jacob arrived around 8:15 which wasn’t too bad considering they had to deal with I-75 being closed due to a rollover accident. This was only about 45 minutes later than anticipated. Unfortunately, Amy’s mom and step dad had a few more troubles because they left a little later and had another traffic jam to deal with, but everyone got there safe and sound eventually.
The weekend was pretty laid back and relaxing as we hung out around the campsite and ventured to the beach. Although, Jacob was ready to head home as he went to bed really late and then was up early without much of a nap. Great fun was had by all.

2009-07-04T21:35:00.005-04:00

The family loaded up and headed out for an annual picnic with some childhood neighbors. One of which, came in from North Carolina with her family. It was great to see everyone once again. We don't get to see them very often, but do keep in touch via technology. Here are a few pictures that Amy, yes Amy took as she was commanding the camera on this day.

Thanks to Jeff, Jacob was able to ride the ATV in the driver's seat while all of the older kids had to take turns. Wouldn't ya' know it! Jacob didn't want to get off of the ATV and when it was time to take a break, he followed Jeff around just waiting for the next time he got on and hit the gas pedal. Jacob loved being outdoors and running around and playing with all of the kids.

Jacob Snubs Bully At The Park

2009-06-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

Jacob and I went to the park earlier than usual in a different city close by. The park is cool because it has two different sections, one for ages 2-5 and another 5-12 or something like that. Of course, Jacob doesn't just hang out on the smaller of the two as he thinks the smaller/lower slides are more on the boring side...

Shortly after we arrived, we could hear and see kids on the corner. There ended up being 16 of them. They must have been from the daycare up the street. It did seem a little strange that there were only two adults with this big of a crowd. Not sure what the state regulations are, but on an outing like this, it seemed like there would be more supervision...

Aside from us just hanging out, we did begin to be annoyed by a girl named Haley. At first, it was cute, but it quickly became annoying, obnoxious and suffocating. You will also see in the video why I think I need to show Jacob how to take down a girl, even if she is more than twice your size and age... I don't believe in hitting girls, but... You could definitely tell that Jacob was getting annoyed as well and was tired of being followed. This is unusual for him, so you know that it had to be bad...

The video hasn't really been shortened so it might get a little long. We still had fun at the park, but it might have been a little better if we could have breathed a littler easier... ;)!

Jacob Turns 21 Months and Gets Jiggy With It

2009-06-28T22:06:00.000-04:00

Jacob turned 21 months old and is growing like a weed. We don't know what his height and weight are officially, but he definitely does go through some growth spurts.

Jacob is really learning to get jiggy with it. He loves any kind of music and is starting to search out music on his own. Music sources, of course, come from tv and radio, but he also seeks it in his pick-up truck (playing the same tune over and over since it only has one) and the latest is his fridge mate. He is jamming to the car/boat tune in the video. He definitely takes after his momma with his love of music and dance. He can also be found climbing up on the piano bench and requesting the cover to be lifted so that he can play all by himself. If dadda is playing, there is still a good chance that Jacob will be requesting to climb up on his lap, just to pull dadda's hands off the keys so that he can hear himself only play... ;)!

Jacob is developing into quite the young little boy. His features are definitely making him not look like a baby anymore. He has 12 teeth with two more right there. They have been teasing us for quite a while now. They actually did poke through, but have retreated. We are assuming that they are regrouping and will just burst through the gum and be full grown overnight. Jacob has also been known to put three words together and making sensible phrases. Phrases such as "not in here", "outta the way", "I wub u", etc. Much like when he started saying words and still is doing, they can be whispered much of the time. Also, you hear the phrase once and not again, so then you wonder if he really said what you think he said. However, we are pretty confident that we are not just hearing things.

The curiosity of Jacob is ever growing. If some one is doing or working on something, it isn't long before you see a head poking around your arm, leg, corner or whatever obstacle might be in the way so that he can get a closer look. He seems to be a quick learner and has a good memory. Sometimes it can be pretty amazing because he will be doing/saying something that we forget he/we did. Looks like we really need to watch what we do and say now...

Jacob Swims At Home

2009-06-25T21:25:00.004-04:00

With the warm weather, I finally gave in to putting the pool up. I put it up last week, but took it down when it wasn't looking so good and thought maybe the ground wasn't level enough. Well, with the 90 degree forecast, it was time to try again. The pool went back up on Monday to give the water some time to warm up a bit. Jacob was able to take advantage of the pool yesterday. There was an impromptu dip in the pool before lunch (in his diaper) and after his nap in the afternoon in his swimsuit.

The summer sun is too much for Jacob, so we had to each have our umbrella put up on our tables. The difference between Jacob's and mine is that Jacob likes to twirl his.... Jacob is definitely comfortable with the water (once it warms up a bit). He was splashing dadda, momma and himself. He was getting water in his mouth and face and it didn't seem to bother him... Jacob is still waking up from his nap with graham crackers and juice.

Unfortunately, with all of the leaves that have been falling all week and the wind blowing today, the pool needed to come down so that it could be cleaned and protected in case branches fell out of the trees. If the weather stays warm and without rain, the pool may be going up once again in the very near future...

Father's Day Camping Weekend

2009-06-21T23:44:00.002-04:00

The camper was hitched up and ready to go by 2:30. This was to ensure that as soon as Amy got home that we could hit the road and hopefully beat the traffic, it worked! We were on the road by 3:30 for the weekend.

Camp was set up and ready for the weekend. No time for a campfire this evening as Jacob was already getting tired and we all decided to head inside the camper to watch a kid's movie. Although Dukes of Hazzard was left in the tv from a prior trip, Monsters, Inc. was swapped with it so that Jacob would settle down and be ready to sleep for the night. This wasn't so easy as there was so much going on and the new sleeping situation made Jacob more into camping. Jacob finally gave up and fell asleep after 10:30 and probably closer to 11. At some point during the night, the skies decided to open up and let the rain fall. It was difficult to tell if it was raining all night, or if some of what we were hearing was the rain falling from the trees when the wind blew. Jacob had a rough night of sleep and was pretty inconsolable for a bit, but Amy was able to eventually get him settled down and there was only one more short uproar for the night.
Saturday was a day for hanging around the campsite and heading to the beach for fun in the sun and sand. It was a great day for being outside and Jacob knew it. We tried for a while to get him to take a nap, but he just wouldn't let himself. Realizing that he probably would continue this way and the day was moving on, we decided to go for a drive. He was quickly asleep and so was his momma as we checked out some of the north.
The water was a little cool, but before long, Jacob was walking in himself and also chasing dadda into the water. He is really getting used to the water as he did fall a few times where his head went under water and he got himself up, drank a little water and was ready to go again.

This year found Jacob able to stay awake for the campfire. Of course, it did start earlier because we made dinner on the fire. Unfortunately, Jacob still hasn't had a s'more yet or roasted marshmallow. Amy decided after Jacob went to sleep/bed that she would pull out the fixin's for s'mores. So, Jacob hasn't had the chance to be an ooey gooey mess from a marshmallow yet. It isn't to say that he wasn't a dirty mess while camping, just that it wasn't due to a marshmallow.

Now it is time to get ready to leave. It was pretty nice out and we didn't quite want to get on the road. It was decided that we would get a lot of stuff ready to go and then head to the indoor pool and hit the jacuzzi, etc. Jacob loves the hot tub! Jacob had a blast as he splashed momma and dadda as well as himself. He is started to get the idea of kicking his legs and sometimes moving his arms for swimming. There is still more work that needs to be done, but maybe by the end of the summer, we can get him swimming a little bit. This means that we will need to go camping more...

Traffic was heavy on the way home, but definitely not like it usually is. There wasn't near the RV's on the road heading south, so the economy is definitely taking it's toll on people heading north for the weekends...

Jacob's Twin Friends Turn Two!!

2009-06-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

Jacob was able to hang out with some of his friends this weekend as they turned two years old. Of course, this meant new toys for Jacob (at least new to him) and new toys for the twins. Jacob went on the attack as he went for a training bike and had to check it out. His feet didn't quite hit the pedals, at least not well enough to pedal, but he did make some "steering attempts". His steerablility needs some work, but he sure enjoyed being pushed around by momma and dadda.

Jacob's next plan of attack was new toys that the Zach and Hannah were getting. Their daddy had the challenge of putting together a couple of cars to cruise the neighborhood, or deck in. He waited his turn and ambushed the car when it was empty. He was ridin' in style...

Before cake and ice cream, the dogs needed their exercise. So out came Doug's truck (no, not mine, but the other Doug's). By the time I decided to get the camera out, Alex and Lucy were already getting tired. They kept up with this little wheeled vehicle for a while, but it just wasn't a match as the truck can get up 55 mph. Good thing they have a big yard... ;)!

Jacob and the twins recharged their batteries with some cake and ice cream and then it was time to have a bouncing good time. It didn't take long for the Bounce 'Round to get set up and soon Hannah and Jacob were having a bouncing good time. Zach wasn't much interested as he had a bunch of new toys to keep him busy. Evidently, this is par for the course, playing with toys over the bouncing contraption...

It was getting late and it had been a long day, so we ventured a short jaunt to Grandma's where he eventually crashed. We must have really pooped him out because he slept in 'til a little after 9 the next morning...

Jacob Attends Outdoor Wedding

2009-06-06T22:21:00.000-04:00

Jacob's second cousin was married during an outdoor ceremony. It was great for Jacob because he was able to watch the train go by blowing his whistle and pointing out the planes overhead. With all of these distractions, he pretty much missed the ceremony.

The reception was a riot for Jacob as he was able to play with many of the other kids. However, his favorite activity was checking out the cake and playing with the water fountain. If Jacob wasn't under your heels, you could be sure to find him at one of these two locations.

The kids are getting ready to play hide and seek here. Jacob didn't really understand the concept because he just hung out on the wall next to the seeker while she was counting. She took a glance at him and quickly realized that he was a sitting duck and was too easy to capture, so she quickly set her sights on the others.Jacob was full a lot of affection with his family. Samantha is about 2-1/2 months younger than Jacob. They both showed each other some lovin'. They played quite a while together sharing one of the wedding balloons. Video might follow...

As the evening wore on, Jacob wanted to go outside more often. We thought that it was more to play, which it was at first, but then turned into wanting to leave. His goose was cooked and he was ready to get out of the pot and into his bed. This was pretty evident when he started saying "Go home". Since most of the party animals had already left, we too followed suit and loaded up the familymobile and headed home. Jacob is eagerly waiting to be able to go to another wedding as he certainly had fun at this one...

Jacob Zones Out

2009-06-04T12:46:00.003-04:00

About a month or so ago, maybe longer, Jacob's cousin Colton was in play for his elementary school. The play was Jungle Book in which he played a rock. Amy and Jacob went to watch and grabbed the video camera so that I would be able to see it. Jacob loves to watch video and pictures of his family and friends and definitely of himself (hope he's not too vain...). We were playing computer games online (Sesame Street) and he started getting hungry. It was a little early for lunch, so he got a donut to eat. Of course, now his little fingers were full of powder, etc. so having Jacob play on the computer was no longer a very good idea. So, I decided to start the Jungle Book video of his cousin. He immediately saw his Aunt Abby and of course had to let me know as he shouted out "Abby" as he was pointing to the screen. By this time, Jacob had a more substantial lunch in front of him and quickly devoured enough to fill his belly. It was now time for naptime, still a little early, but he did look a little tired. So, I made a deal with him. He could sit and watch Colton be a rock while daddy made himself some lunch. It took a little doing to get settled, but Jacob quickly took to the movie...

I held up my end of the bargain, so he was pretty content and happy. Although, there was an alterior motive for me. I was hoping that he would fall asleep on the couch and I could avoid the Bee Movie for the day. It wasn't long after the movie was done and TV was on that he started asking for the Bee Movie. It sounds like a whispered "whee, whee!" So, on the Bee Movie went. He was definitely tired at this point and made himself comfortable. Before long he was fast asleep for his daily nap.

I Got My Hair Did!!

2009-05-29T23:07:00.000-04:00

I have wanted to get my hair done for quite some time. I really wanted to do something drastic, give myself an update. It has been a really long time since I’ve updated my look and I felt it was time!!! The last few times I’ve gone to the salon I left feeling disappointed. I would spend a few minutes telling the stylist what I wanted and then let them do there thing. It never turned out the way I wanted it too. It was very frustrating so when I made the decision to give myself a mini makeover I didn’t know where to go. I was nervous about finding someone who would really listen to me and then find a way to customize a style I wanted to go with my face shape and hair type. So after some researching on local “high end trendy” salons, I decided to take a leap of faith and go to the Douglas J Institute of Cosmetology. I was told that my hair would be done by a senior student under the supervision of a licensed instructor. Yes, it would be risky but I thought to myself “what have I got to lose”. Besides my hair of course, and that would grow back right?!?!?! In the few days before my appointment I armed myself with helpful tools…magazines showing hair styles I liked, printed out pictures of celebrities I thought had nice looks that maybe I could duplicate. Needless to say when it came time for my appointment I was nervous. I of course had a vision in my mind of what I wanted, but an expensive licensed hairstylist could never get it right so why should a student just starting out?

When I met the young girl who would be doing my hair I felt better right away! I sat in her chair and we started chatting about what I was looking to do. She got a gleam in her eye when I basically told her I wanted to cut off all my hair and do some fun drastic color. I whipped out all my pictures and she giggled right out loud and remarked who much she loved that I came prepared. We spent an hour….yes an hour talking about what we could do with my hair. She really listened to me, she understood me… and she had great suggestions!!! Finally someone I could trust!!! We giggled and we laughed and she thought I was a riot and I thought she was sweet!!! Needless to say we hit it right off!!! It was like love at first snip!! I felt totally confident in this student, she was going to give me the makeover I had been wanting for so long!!! And it was going to be cheap!!! So we got started!! I was really enjoying myself, we were on the same page about everything and really having fun talking and sharing stories. Before I knew she had cut off more then 6 inches of hair and was mixing up color.

Uh oh…who was this lady hanging around? We had already checked in with an instructor, and we were doing just fine on our own. Apparently because it was starting to get late an intern instructor was told to come and help my stylist put in my color so it wouldn’t take so long. Okay, I guess that’s alright. Wait a minute she is practically pushing Chelsey (my sweet stylist) out of the way!!! This was awkward...but I’ll go with the flow. First step of color is done and Chelsey and I are talking about what we’ll do next when this instructor tells us we shouldn’t do what we are talking about. She basically tried to explain to both of us that we couldn’t do what I wanted. Here we go again I thought, I’m not gonna get what I want. And Chelsey and I totally had a plan! After the color was done to the instructors standards she continued to take over and started cutting my hair!!! I had been very specific on what I did not want in my haircut when discussing it with Chelsey…this lady knew nothing!!! She was just chopping away, I couldn’t believe it. She started “teaching” Chelsey what to do when I had to stop her!! I told her that I did not want her cutting anymore of my hair….I had spent an hour with Chelsey not her!!! I also told her that I was totally confident in my stylist. This really pissed her off, she told me she had 7 years experience and I told her I didn’t care. I wanted Chelsey!!! Needless to say there was drama and I was totally speaking up. Chelsey was able to finish but we didn’t have time to complete the look we wanted. Chelsey felt awful and asked if I could come back so we could finish what we started. She told me she would make sure there was no charge and we both really wanted the opportunity to reach our makeover goal. So!!!! After being there Friday night for 5 hours (really…Doug thought I got lost) I made another appt.

I went back after the long holiday weekend and Chelsey was just as sweet, she actually hugged me and thanked me for coming back. She felt so bad that things didn’t go as we had planned at my first appt. I told her it wasn’t her fault and then told her I was ready to be even gutsier. See over the weekend I saw another hair style that I really liked, with the edging of my sister I told pictures with my camera phone so I could show them. This poor lady had no idea I was taking pictures of her head!! Funny huh?!?!? And Chelsey of course found the humor and told me not to worry she would give me the doo I wanted!! So another 3 hours spent…more color…more hair gone!!! It took a lot of time, and a lot of patience from my new stylist and a lot of perseverance from me but I am thrilled to be showing off a new hair do and I love it!!! I promised Chelsey I would follow her anywhere!! She graduates in 5 months and I am proud to already be an official client. So, after a total of 8 hours and two trips to the salon, I am happy with my mini makeover….what do ya’ll think???

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Happy Birthday AMY!!!

2009-05-29T08:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Amy!! This must be your ummmmmm.... 29th birthday, right? Hope you have a great day and try not to work too hard!

Playaway Comes To A Close

2009-05-28T22:53:00.005-04:00

With Jacob's Playaway programs coming to a close, I thought I would drag the camera along and get some pictures. Jacob really enjoyed playing with other kids his age (within a few months) even if sometimes he was fighting over the fire truck with Jack.

I normally don't do this, but I couldn't narrow down the pictures I took for the blog. So, I have decided to overwhelm you with them on the front page... ;)!

Jacob had his favorite toys that he played with every time they were out. The toys and equipment were changed up for each day, but the fire truck, tractor and a knitted doggie were his favorites for sure. Jacob could be sitting doing a craft or a puzzle and once he heard the siren of the fire truck, he was off to see who had it.

Jacob enjoyed giving the doggie a ride in the wagon. I think it was more of a safeway for his favorites because those were the only ones that seemed to make it to the wagon...

Here's Jacob practicing his culinary cutting skills. Needless to say, the only knife was being used by some one else. We decided to improvise and were still able to make those precision cuts without getting our fingers.

On occasion, the fish would be something to ride on. He enjoyed just sitting on it, but didn't generally get it to rock. However, there was another girl that just about got it to roll down the street... Heehee!

Oops! Didn't take this one fast enough as he was getting off the train that dadda put together. Guess he figured I wasn't going to keep pulling the train forever... He was right ;)!

Although Jacob loves the bigger slides at the park (freaks mommy out because he doesn't have much danger radar yet), he still loves the smaller slide. There are stairs and a steering wheel that he enjoys playing on.

Although getting stamps were at the end of Playaway class or drop-in, Jacob found some number sticks that looked like the stamps and tried doing his own. This program was great as Jacob learned to share, was exposed to other kids close to his age and was able to play and sing. Unfortunately, there won't be a summer program, but we are hoping that we can take part in the fall. There is a chance that they will have more classes to choose from for kids under 3 and might have evening options as well. We are looking forward to hopefully being able to get Jacob into an evening music class. One more class day on Monday and then we will be heading to the zoo more often...

Memorial Weekend - Part III

2009-05-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

The local Memorial Day Parade either isn't what remember because it was Jacob's first parade or it got a little boring this year. It seemed that it was just the local school bands and scout troops. Not that this is bad of course, but it seemed like it was more entertaining last year. It was an early 9:00 am start, which didn't bother us since we were up early and ready to go anyway. It could just be that we have been spoiled by the Holiday Parades with floats and more candy, etc. being thrown. This trip was met with political flyers and local menus. We still enjoyed ourselves being outside and getting the blood flowing. The remainder of the day, however, slowed the blood flow as some of us took a nap while some one else went out and got some grocery. A much needed day of relaxation for the most part...

Memorial Weekend - Part II

2009-05-24T22:53:00.003-04:00

Jacob had a riot with his cousins being over before all of the soccer. Colton and Jacob hung out together the most while Sydney was saving her energy for her game.

With all of the running around in the backyard, playing in the sand box, running the Coltman over with the 4-wheeler, Jacob was destined for a bath. Given the late time getting home and still wanting to do some things before going to bed, it was bath time in the sink. He desperately needing something because of the sand in his hair from the sandbox, the sun protection in his hair on his skin, not to mention all of the dirt, etc. from the soccer fields and the nearby sand hills, etc. He is definitely all boy!

Memorial Weekend - Part I

2009-05-24T22:35:00.001-04:00

Memorial weekend has been proven to be filled with children's soccer. Jacob's cousin played in a tournament nearby so we decided to take advantage of being able to watch her and be out in what turned out to be an awesome weather filled weekend. Not to mention, Jacob was able to play with his cousin's before and after the games.

Jacob must have definitely turned on his charm this weekend. Syd's soccer team seemed to hover around him between games. He was giving the girls 5, dancing and playing ball with them while they were relaxing between games. We here that he has been informally dubbed the Swarm's team mascot. I'm sure he doens't really understand what this all means or entails, but I'm sure he will have a smile on his face while he is doing his duties.
Here is Jacob's heirum...

Amy and I definitley know now that Jacob relates soccer fields to Sydney. We pulled into the soccer fields for the second day and he started calling out "nid nee" as he knew that he would be seeing her soon... and he was right of course...

On the way to the fields the second day, we were passed/tailgated by a friend of ours. He was frantically trying to get to the fields before the game was over. Not sure if he made it to see any of the game, but I think he must have seen a few minutes of it. We kept a look out for him all day and finally found him as his son was playing their last game (championship) of the day. So, we watched a total of almost 5 games of soccer in a day and a half...

How did Syd's team do? They were 3-0 going into the championship game. They had beat their opponent during their first game 4-1 and went into the game feeling confident. It was a hard fought game the whole way, but they ended up losing 1-0.

The family definitely got a lot of sun during the games and Jacob is now sporting a nice tan. As for Amy and I, we got a little more and I am peeling as Amy is turning tan...

Quick Trip To The Zoo

2009-05-22T21:00:00.006-04:00

After going to Playaway in the morning and running an errand, Jacob and I decided not to be stuck at home while momma was at work. So, we grabbed a sippy cup and some snacks and we were off to the zoo.

The zoo definitely looked like it was busy earlier in the day as there were cars parked along the service drive and all over the place in the parking structure. Never fear, we were looking for a spot higher up anyway so that we could take the cross walk/ramp over anyway. We didn't need to worry about momma getting car sick from going around and around either... ;)!

Jacob was chilled and ready for the animals. The first stop was to see the turtles and the fake alligator/crocodile... Yes, this is also where the snakes are too, but I didn't think we would approach those today. Jacob wanted right out of the wagon to go see the turtles and was right up against the glass. He studied the turtles for a while and then they started moving more and right at/in front of him, so he was ready to get out of there. Around the corner there were more turtles that were further away and down (sort of like from a bridge) and he was then talking up a storm and feeling pretty good. The second set of turtles was all it took for Jacob to want to get his picture taken on one. He wasn't happy that he needed to get right back off because there were other passerbys that also want to get their picture taken with the turtle.

Dinsosauria is at the zoo right now. It just recently opened so we stopped by to start checking it out. The dinosaur you see here had some moving parts. Jacob didn't really seem to notice as he really noticed the dinosaur sounds coming from a speaker behind me. Needless to say, we left shortly thereafter.Along our venture around the zoo we saw a number of peacocks, but this one was probably the closest to us. Jacob was intrigued by the beauty of this bird. He was also annoyed with the kids that were getting in his way and really stared them down.Jacob was a very good boy at the zoo, so I decided to let him out where there were a bunch of birds and ducks in the water. I also figured he would start getting a little antsy, so we walked together with the wagon in tow.It wasn't far up the trail where there were some bubbles coming out of a building. So, we had to stop and get some. Of course, by the time I decided to get the camera out, the novelty wore off. Oh well, we'll just have to make sure we stop by there the next time.

Since Jacob was such a good boy and was fine with leaving the animals behind, I decided that he earned the chance to play at the playground for a while. This was a quick trip to the zoo that took a lot out of both of us...

Cool Morning!

2009-05-22T07:56:00.003-04:00

The weather was a little cool this morning. Some of the windows were open all night so that the house could cool down and we could sleep. Needless to say, it was also cool in the house. It was definitely a good time to break out the slippers for the day to keep our feet warm. Jacob really likes his slippers!!

After pics of the slippers, it was time for momma to head off to work. However, before it was time for work, Jacob wanted to get some kisses and snuggles in!!

Mr. Jacowrench

2009-05-19T21:50:00.005-04:00

Mr. Jacob's store managing skills have been used once again. This time, it was more of a hands on approach. His mother's car needed to be fixed as the power outlet became disfunctional as the outside came out because the guts behind it fell out. Fortunately, Mr. Jacob has an eye for talent and hired his dadda for this task. Little did he know that his dad worked on the instrument panel in his mother's car and knew a little bit about the parts. He knew that all of the screws were the same length and that the outlet was part of the instrument panel and not the console, etc.

I guess Mr. Jacob will be a micromanager as he was there to watch every move of his employee. I was hoping that he would stay outside and play in his sandbox, etc. since it was such a nice day, but no dice. Mr. Jacob was very accommodating as whenever he was in the way, he would move out of the way with a smile. If I needed to be on the driver's side, he would be in the passenger side and when I needed to switch to the passenger side, he was perfectly fine sitting in the driver's seat playing with the turn signal, changing the station on the radio, etc. He was smiling from ear to ear pretty during the whole project because he was able to be in the front seat for a change (he was kinda fussy when we left and he was put in his car seat in the back...) and was able to play with all of the controls.

Mr. Jacob supervised well as there was no extra parts left when the project was done and the outlet did work the car inflator. A job well done! He had to call, shown here, his mother to let her know that her car was done.

Here's a picture of Jacob noting that the project is done and it is time for a drink...

Store Manager Notes Garage Sale A Success

2009-05-17T21:39:00.001-04:00

Mr. Jacob was hired as the store manager for the garage this weekend. He took hold of his job like a real genius. He played in the front yard waving at cars going by trying to entice them to come in. He went so far as to play with some of the merchandise in the front yard and driveway to show how much fun kids can have with it.

The garage sale opened on Friday afternoon and was open for about four hours. These four hours proved to be better than the whole day Saturday and Sunday combined. The store manager decided to call it quits around 11 am or so on Sunday as he was getting pretty bored. This was also interrupted by multiple police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance a little over a block away. There was a car vs bicycle crash. Mr Jacob decided that this was much more fascinating to watch than any silly ol' garage sale.

After the sale was over, it was time to load stuff up for donation. Once again, Jacob was entertained by police cars, two flat bed tow trucks (went by faster than the police) and again the fire truck and ambulance. We don't know what happened, but about 0.5 mile down the other direction, there must have been a bad accident.

So, we were pleased with the success that we had for the garage sale and look forward to making a sizeable donation to a charity or two...

Is It Time For An Attempt To Potty Train?

2009-05-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

Amy and I know it is normally waaaayyyy too early to be even thinking about potty training (at a little over 19 months), but we are wondering... Jacob has been holding himself in the front when he is either going to go to the bathroom or is going. It's not all of the time, but something we have noticed and didn't really consider as something real. Over the weekend while we were out, he went into his mother's purse/diaper bag and pulled out a diaper. With this he said, "shit". Shortly thereafter (less than a few minutes), he stepped away and did his number. This too could have been a coincidence. After doing his deed, he was using his hand to cover his behind and a look on his face as if he knew what he did, etc. Today, he tore off a square of toilet paper and proceeded to wipe his hiney (fully clothed) and dispose of the paper...

This may all be wishful thinking, but something that we are definitely taking note of. The potty chair will probably be coming out soon so that he can get used to seeing it. Who knows, maybe he will take an interest and start wanting to use it. He seems to be starting to understand what his body is doing and we don't want to stop his maturing into a diaper free world (at least for his bottom). Stay tuned...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T21:15:00.004-04:00

Amy decided that we needed to celebrate Cinco de Mayo even if it didn't include tequila and maracas... We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with burritos, refried beans, guacaomole, chips and salsa. A feast fit for a Mayan King. Jacob had the quite the snack right before dinner, so it wasn't expected that he would eat much.

Jacob ate a couple chicken dino nuggets and was then ready to head for our plates. He dove right into the chips as he put them on his plate and then his dads. Next stop, mommy's plate. This is where he decided to dip his chips into the guacamole and proceeded to lick it off the chip. No, this isn't a fluke. He really does enjoy guacamole as this is the second night that he has kept going back and dipping his chips into this green stuff. Not only was he enjoying the guacamole, but he was mounding chips with salse verde (medium no less) and slurping it off of the chips. No hesitation in going back for more of either of the green foods. Looks like the next time we head out to a Mexican restaurant, we will definitely be in need of a third plate...

A Nice Day to be Outside

2009-05-03T19:51:00.003-04:00

Today was a little on the cool side, but it didn't stop Jacob and the family from being outside. Mommy wanted to get stuff done around the house, so daddy and Jacob ventured out to get much needed diapers and hang out away from home.

After getting the diapers, we stopped off at some nature trails and walked around. After walking for 20 minutes or so, Jacob decided that he would like to catch some zzz's. So, it was turn around and pack up so that we could keep him awake. Surprisingly, he didn't fall asleep in the car on the way to the park. He definitely wasn't wide awake, but he still had fun on the swing and one of the bigger covered slides that he likes. Mommy "freaks" out when he goes on this one, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her... Heehee!! He was going down head first and then I would pick him up and put him back on the platform. By the time I turned around and got back to the tube, Jacob was on his way down all full of smiles.

Back to home for lunch! I just couldn't wait to be outside and Jacob is becoming more and more of an outdoorsy kid. He just loves being out there. So, his mommy made him a plate and I took him outside to get some use of his picnic table. I think this is the first time that he has eaten at it. He was very happy. Although since he was outside, he didn't initially eat much and just wanted to play around on the deck. With some dedication and perserverance, Jacob did eat well with daddy chasing him around with food.

After Jacob's nap and some lawnwork, it was finally time to set-up Jacob's sand box that has been in the shed for a while now. It didn't take long for sand to start flowing out of it as Jacob started playing. It was unfortunate that the sand wasn't more dry as it was damp and cold. Jacob didn't like the cold wet sand on his feet and quickly got out of his new toy. He was content with playing in the sand from outside of the sand box.

More photos in our photos...

Jacob Say "Yummy" to Homemade Fries

2009-05-02T21:41:00.001-04:00

Jacob has been one of the not so normal kids when it comes to eating french fries. Although, we have seen him beginning to like them more and more. It had been quite some time since I have made some homemade fries and they were sounding really good to me. So, we decided to have a somewhat laid back dinner of sloppy joes and homeade fries.

As you know french fries are very hot out of the fryer and Jacob was getting pretty hungry. So, I quickly started cutting up the fries as they came out. I was hoping that the fries would cool off much quicker than normal so that I wouldn't get lightheading blowing on them to cool them off... I put a dollop of sloppy joe along with his fries, when I hear "that's a lot of sloppy joe!"

Jacob and I sat down as he quickly dove into the french fries and sloppy joe. It wasn't long before Jacob was diving into my plate for the full length fries. He likes being able to bite off a piece and chew things just like momma and dada do. As he was chewing, we hear a "Yummy" and a big smile ensued. Either he was really hungry, just decided to eat well or really likes fries and sloppy joe because he gobbled and gobbled. His mother then also noted that dada's initial dollop of sloppy joe may not have been that far off... ;)!

Staying Cool!

2009-04-27T20:56:00.004-04:00

Jacob and I had another fun time at our Monday play-away group. After hanging with our neighborhood peeps we headed out to have lunch with Doug and run a couple of errands. Jacob was of course an angel...even without a good nap! When we got home mommy had to make an important phone call. What does this mean for Jacob? He could get away with a little more then usual because mommy had to concentrate through an annoying automative system. While I was busy on the phone (28 minutes!) Jacob decided he would take advantage of this distraction and play in the fridge. Now I saw this and figured it wasn't a big deal, after all he was having fun, not hurting anything and keeping himself quiet and busy. Before I knew it, he had climbed all the way into the fridge!! Now as all Michiganders now we have been enjoying some warm weather and Jacob was thrilled to be able to wear some shorts today. I guess he was still warm and felt the need to get cool, because not only did he totally climb in the fridge but he tried to close himself in!!! Even while I was on the phone I knew I could not pass up the opportunity to capture his cuteness...so I managed to grab the camara and take a few shots with the speaker phone on! Look at my adorable hot tot trying to be a cool cucumber!!!

Yeah for Play-Away!

2009-04-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

Jacob and I ventured to our first toddler play date on Monday! Jacob had a blast! Now that I'm back at home with Jacob I knew I needed to find a way to keep him socializing with kids his age. He had done so well at daycare and we got nothing but great reports on how well he interacted with the other children. I was a little concerned with Jacob losing some of his "people skills" while spending all of his day with just mommy. So I hit the web and started searching!! Low and behold I found something that is held at the community center only two blocks down our street! It's called Play-Away and is geared for 1 to 3 year olds. The class has a "teacher" that leads a loosely structured play time. The first 20 minutes is free play time and when we first got there Jacob didn't want to let go of his mommy. He was definitely uneasy with this new environment. I lead him to a corner full of toys that included a kitchen with play food. When I sat on the floor with him it wasn't long before he was cooking something up!! After free play time, the teacher leads the kids in circle time. Each week will have a different theme but with this being our first gathering she had us singing some familiar songs. All of the children were sitting in their moms laps with we sang a hello song, which included all the kids names and the popular song The Wheels on the Bus Go Round & Round. Next she started the well known ditty The Itsy Bitsy Spider. This definitely excited Jacob, he sprang from my lap and proudly stood to do all of the movements while everyone sang! It was the cutest thing! So much for his being shy! At the end of his performance everyone clapped and Jacob loved being in the spotlight and laughed and clapped along! He was a hit! (and mommy was so proud). After circle time the group sits and does a craft. Jacob sat at the table like such a big boy and happily worked on a name plate full of stickers. It was a masterpiece! Then it's more free time to just play, Jacob's favorite, besides the kitchen area was the slide. The teacher wraps up with a parachute goodbye activity. Jacob didn't take to that so much but it was the first time he had experienced such a thing so we'll see if he warms up to it. Overall Jacob really enjoyed himself and I was pleased to see how well he got along with and enjoyed being with the other kids in this class. On a side note, it was also really nice for mommy to meet some other local mommys and make some of her own friends!! This class meets every monday so it will be a really nice routine for me and Jacob to go and meet with our friends and socialize. They also have "Drop-In" play time available at the center and Jacob and I joined that as well. I plan to take advantage of that 2 times a week. The Play-Away and Drop In are each one and 1/2 hours long. I am very pleased because I know that this will be an excellent way for Jacob to continue developing his socialization skills, burn energy and have a blast! If his first time is any indication he is REALLY gonna love it! And if Jacob is happy...mommy is happy!!!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

A Visit To Bunnyville

2009-04-11T22:52:00.005-04:00

Jacob joined right in along with many other kids at Bunnyville. This event was held at the Detroit Zoo. Fortunately, we already had our membership so we avoided the membership line and the even longer line to get tickets for the day. The more we use the membership, the more we think it was well worth it.

After getting through the gate, the first thing we did was get ears for everyone in the family. Amy had her much nicer ones, but Jacob and I wore our ears proudly. Of course, Jacob didn't know he had his on because otherwise, they would have been taken off much sooner.
We didn't attend all of the activities, but we did manage to do a craft with the reptiles. We decided to skip the exhibit portion and avoid the heat in the building and skipped to the craft. Although, Jacob did enjoy standing there watching the turtles.

We didn't participate in everything Bunnyville had to offer, but we did try a few more. We thought it would be fun to get bunny noses and whiskers, especially for Jacob. The line wasn't too long, but the wagon stood still for a little too long and it was getting later in the day and time for Jacob to eat and take a nap. Amy showed Jacob how easy it was and that it didn't hurt, but this year we just needed to pass on the face painting. Next stop, the jelly bean hunt.

The jelly bean hunt was over pretty quickly. There were tons of plastic jelly beans all over and the object was to get three in a basket and then turn them in for a prize. Jacob loved the idea of picking up these items and just couldn't stop at three. However, he was a real trooper and was ready to get his prize.
Back around the zoo some more for an attempt at meeting the Easter Bunny this year. We weren't sure what would happen, but had a pretty good idea. After all, there wasn't a very good story with Santa... As we got to the door, Jacob looked around the corner to see the Easter Bunny. Jacob was waving and the Easter Bunny waved back. Then it was our turn... It wasn't long before Jacob spun around in his mother's arms and was trying to run away while crying tears of fear. Unfortunately, we needed to wait for the camera people to figure out whatever they were needing to figure out. The Easter Bunny tried to get Jacob to warm up, which he did a little bit, but still of no avail for any hopes of Jacob sitting with the Easter Bunny by himself. Once again, maybe next year... ;)!
Now it was time for Jacob time. We ventured over to the smaller playground while we waited for the picture to be ready. Good thing this was for charity because the picture was a little disappointing. Fortunately, we had our camera and were allowed to take a picture. It turned out much better...
Bunnyville turned out to be a nice adventure which totally wiped out Jacob...

A Fun Afternoon...

2009-04-09T21:55:00.000-04:00

Due to the Holiday weekend, we were able to get out of work a little early. This meant fun with Jacob time!! It wasn't long after getting home that the wagon was Jacob filled and rolling down the sidewalk at a steady pace. Jacob was having a blast as we walked down to the Boys and Girls Club several blocks away. After signing Jacob for a few classes, we ventured over to the park where there were some other kids that we similar to Jacob's age. It was such a nice day out that we ventured all over the neighborhood.

An Afternoon at the Zoo

2009-04-05T06:58:00.006-04:00

The family used the annual zoo pass just like we purchased it for. A sunny afternoon with no plans, so we loaded the wagon and Jacob and ventured the two miles to the zoo. This would be Jacob's first trip of the season to the zoo. We don't think he was too sure about what this adventure was when we were in the parking deck, but he quickly warmed up to the idea. After all, he was getting pulled in his wagon... ;)!

Jacob really enjoyed seeing the animals. There were quite a few that we were able to see. Some were more active than others. The kangaroos were just sunning themselves, but the rhinos and zebras were taking strolls and galloping a bit. Jacob was probably the most interested in the zebras and the lions. The lions were roaring back and forth.

Amy and I found Jacob to be pretty wide-eyed the whole day while he was taking everything in. We ended up spending more time there than we had anticipated and still didn't see all of the zoo. I'm sure we will definitely get some good use out of the zoo this summer. We plan to go back next weekend for bunnyville and the week after for Earth Day which have kid activities including crafts and bands.

Day 5 - No Pacifier

2009-04-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

Well, it looks like we have made it now five days without Jacob having a pacifier. Day three was pretty rough as you could definitely tell what Jacob was looking for and wanting. It probably didn't help that he only got about an hour nap when he generally takes a two hour plus nap. So, he was definitely found digging in his basket, looking in his bag and pointing to areas where there would generally be a pacifier hanging out. It was a little rough, but Jacob made it through the day without too much bother.

Day four became easier, but there was a much better nap and a little more time for adjustment. There was a significant reduction in the outreach for a pacifier. Jacob was now forgetting about the pacifier's that comforted him for several months.

Day five... Jacob doesn't really appear to be looking for a pacifier to console him at all. He was very much giggly, smiley and looking for fun to be had. He didn't appear to be looking for a pacifier any longer, but Amy did notice that he was starting to cling to a blanket with a stuffed animal on it.

In the past week or so, there has been a huge change in Jacob wanting to learn more words. Maybe now that he doesn't have a pacifier in his mouth he has found a new talent... ;)! The latest word that came from out of the blue was hot dog. Amy was feeding him and saying hot dog and all of a sudden, he said it plain as day. This is not a word that we have been working on with him, but there was no doubt at all what he said. We think we are close to the time where we really watch what we say because he is picking up on them and really starting to mimic our words and our actions.

Day 2 - No Pacifier

2009-03-31T21:03:00.004-04:00

Today was day two of Jacob not having his pacifier. Amy and I had been talking about it for a while as to when the day would be. I left it up to her as we decided it would be soon, but an actual date wasn't set.

Amy and I noticed a change in Jacob's pacifier using habits after he no longer was drinking from a bottle. He greatly increased his "want", not need of a pacifier. We can only imagine that this is very normal. After already talking about removing this "fix", we spoke about it with the doctor. The doctor said that babies really only need a pacifier, if they use one, for the first months of their life. After that, they have the ability to do/use other things to soothe them.

So, back to yesterday. I came home and Amy said that today is the day. Jacob was done eating and took out his pacifier. Amy decided at that moment that she would try not giving his pacifier the rest of the day. I think to both of our surprise, he didn't really look for it. We did keep him busy which helped to keep his mind off of it. You could tell at times that he was looking for it, but wasn't desparate. Then night night came. REALLY surprising to both of us that there were no issues at all and went right to sleep.

Day 2 found Jacob looking for his pacifier a little more. He was a little cranky, but we think it was a combination of things. Jacob was definitely searching for a pacifier. He was somewhat looking in his toy box and was DEFINITELY looking in his basket where they used to be stored. Then it was time for night night once again. There was little resistance and he went right to sleep again.

Hopefully, day 3 will go just as well or even better and this will be the last day of issues. We can practically say that there hasn't been any thus far, but we are waiting another day or two before we claim success. Thank goodness we won't be one of those parents that has a four-year old still using a pacifier...

Jacob's Present - 18 Months Old...

2009-03-28T17:39:00.003-04:00

Okay, so we didn't really get Jacob a present specially for his 18 month birthday. However, we did get him an outdoor climber at the same time he turned 18 months. So why not just say it is for his birthday. For those of us with fall/winter birthdays, you know that you don't get any spring/summer stuff and the Easter bunny isn't as rich as Santa Claus... ;)!

With my new found free time (my plans failed and Amy and Jacob's got better...), I have found some time to edit the video of this week's project. The project entails putting Jacob's present together. ***Side bar*** I actually had to leave Jacob's dr. appt. early to go pick it up before the place closed since Amy had it set aside. Whew! Just made it before the doors close. Why was it tight? The dr. had to put stitches in a 3-year old. I left at 5:15 and Amy and Jacob didn't get out of a 3:30 appt until 5:45. I actually had to leave before the dr. was done at Amy's pushing... Pretty unusual for this practice to be that late, but if and when we ever needed the immediate attention for stitches, etc. it is nice to know that we would be a priority and would be taken care of. Let's just hope that we never need to find out for sure...

Anyway, so here's the video. (trying out some new editing skills and will keep tyring new things... "somebody stop me!" With my free time, maybe I will try and do another video from a month or so ago of another familiy project. Don't hold your breath though because there wasn't much footage of that fun.

2009-03-28T17:35:00.003-04:00

I wasn't able to get a good 18-month face shot today, but hopefully these will hold you over... He certainly looks like he is up to something. We spent some time outside this morning in the backyard playing on the climber and Jacob checked out his new playground while I did a little yardwork.

Happy 18 Month Birthday Jacob

2009-03-28T08:27:00.002-04:00

Being 18 months old isn't a real birthday, but it is one of the understood milestones in a toddler's life. No plans to celebrate the milestone other than being with Jacob and enjoying the day.

18 month's sure goes by fast!!

2009-03-27T15:59:00.002-04:00

My baby boy is growing up so fast! He has gone from boobie, to bottle, to big boy cup! He had his 18 month doctor's appt and made a great impression. We met with Jacob's favorite doctor so he was busy the first part of the appt flirting and showing off all his talents. The doctor couldn't stop smiling and remarking about how happy and cute Jacob was. Tell me something I don't know!!! We were assured that Jacob is developing right on schedule and is doing great! His stats are 32 inches long and he weighs in at a whooping 23 pounds and 7 ounces. The doctor did her exam and Jacob seemed to take it all in stride. Everything checked out great. We were told that Jacob has some fluid in both ears but there was no sign of infection so it's just something we will check on again in a month. We discussed the best way to break Jacob of his pacifiers for that will be our next challenge. He seems to have gotten pretty attached and we feel it's a good time to address that so it's not an issue a few months from now. Then came the dreaded vaccinations. Luckily Jacob only needed one shot! At his last appt daddy was smart and took advantage of being able to get a vaccination and we were told that it was a little too soon for another, so Jacob will get that in a month when we go back to check his ears. So the doctor's appt went very well and Jacob was a shining star!!

In just the last couple of weeks Jacob has become quiet a chatter box! I have no idea where he gets that from. HA! His vocabulary now includes Ma Ma, Da Da, Ellen (we watch The Ellen Show everynight and he loves it), yucky, wee, no, dog, duck, ball, bubble, cheese, fish, and apple. Along with his verbal communication Jacob also knows the signs for thank you, please, cookie, bird, eat and more. I'm currently working on "I love you". It's so adorable....he's almost got it!! He is just so darn smart and cute. I just can't believe it's already been 18 months! People always warn you that time goes by too fast and that babies grow up so fast.....they're right!
Every day is a precious gift!!!

Bye Bye Bottles

2009-03-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess you can say that it is official now. Jacob is no longer using bottles and has completed transitioned to sippy cups. The first morning that he didn't get a sippy cup was almost a couple of weeks ago. He decided to sleep in which then didn't give much time to get ready for school. So, he was fed his morning cereal first thing. The second day, not much thought was given to going right for the cereal as he wasn't given the option. On the third day, I got up with him and walked passed the cupboard where his cereal is and he started pointing and whining toward that cupboard. So, I fed him cereal then as well and now there is no looking back.

Next stop, bigger sippy cups. Some of which will be insulated for the summer months... These are also bigger so we are just waiting to introduce them to Jacob. He is handling the small ones without issue. However, it sometimes seems that he is "shotgunning" them... So, he may be getting bigger sippy cups introduced to him more sooner than later...

Thriving At School

2009-03-11T21:40:00.002-04:00

Late last week Amy was told a little story about Jacob. She was told about how Jacob has not only adjusted to being at school, but is also thriving. The adjustment has gone so well that he now known as a ring leader. The story goes that at least one time, Jacob and all of the other kids in his class were sitting at the table, he started laughing out of the blue for no reason... Once all of the other kids were laughing, he stopped. Then he started again so that the kids would start laughing again. So, evidently, Jacob has Amy's personality and enjoys the attention... ;)!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!!

2009-03-08T21:08:00.006-04:00

Move over Chef Ramsey, Jacob is sharpening his culinary talents in his new kitchen. He has been watching his mommy, daddy and Chef Grandpa Randy for months and is now practicing everything he knows. Let's take a look at how it all began.

Here we find Jacob checking out all of the spaghetti of parts all over the floor. Notice Frankie in the back snooping around for Jacob's delicacies...

Jacob is seen here rethinking the new project/endeavor for the weekend.

Jacob is checking the instructions for backup. He didn't think this project should be taking so long... He was anxious to try out a new recipe he came up with and was a little skeptical at his dad's methods...

After determining dad, along with some of mommy's help, Jacob determined he was okay with how the progress was proceeding. He also determined that he might be able to save daddy some time if he sat on his lap and helped things along. Wouldn't ya' know it? It really did help get the project done even faster.Jacob's kitchen is now open for business. Who will be his first victim, uh um, guinea pig, uh um... customer... ;)

Hey! Leave me alone. Taste testing here!!! Get it!! You donut stealing animal cracker grabbing meat eater!! How was that for rivaling Gordon?!?! All kidding aside!! Tastes great!!

Disclaimer: No ovens, mixers, stoves, etc. were used by any children in the making of this blog. The chocolate donut depicted in the picture above was purchased by mommy and was only used as a prop to certifiy the authenticity of this entry.

2009-02-27T23:05:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago, Jacob and I performed the second project in two weekends. The first of which I still haven't edited, but will eventually. These weekend's project was the assembly of Jacob's new wagon. He is turning into quite the helper and doesn't mind jumping right in. Sometimes, literally as he jumped right into his wagon even before it was completely assembled. He definitely put 2 and 2 together when he figured out that this smaller knock off of his wagon at school would be used for rides around the neighborhood. He was pretty excited about getting his wagon together as soon as possible.

Video Time: 5:48.

Jacob Enjoys School

2009-02-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

Jacob's mommy found out today how much he really IS enjoying school. She watched him play through the window for a few minutes before walking in. Jacob saw his mommy and started towards her with a big smile. It wasn't long before he turned around and went back to playing where he had left off. Jacob was enjoying himself so much that he just didn't want to leave and was acting so... One of Jacob's teachers kept saying, it's okay Jacob, the toys will be here tomorrow... ;)!

Hungry Sleepy Baby

2009-02-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

Amy and I knew that Jacob was sleepy, but it was feeding time and he was definitely hungry. It was still before his nap time and he slept well the night before, but it appeared he was just in need of some more catching up...

Jacob really must have been tired because he took close to a 3-hour nap. This is an hour longer than he usually does... Unfortunatley, his tiredness may be because he is getting another cold. His nose has been more runny once again... Let's hope it won't last as long as the other ones he has had.

Jacob Shows Off Artwork

2009-02-20T22:09:00.003-05:00

Jacob has been bringing home art that he has done over the past few weeks. On Valentine's Day, he was quick to show his mommy which one he did that was hanging on the wall. I have yet to see that one, but that's okay, there has been plenty of other artwork. Here is a sampling of what he has done:

Jacob might not be a Picasso yet, but he is beginning to work on his creative and artistic side... ;)!

Jacob is pretty much back to being healthy. We haven't heard him cough in a couple of days and his congestion is just about gone. We are looking forward to having a great weekend.

A Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T20:37:00.006-05:00

While daddy was away at work on Saturday, Jacob was at home checking out and raiding the fridge. Mommy caught him red handed digging in and taking a bite of a big red juicy apple.

After Jacob was done eating a morning snack, he went off into Frankie's corner to get in some reading. Note that Jacob loves sitting in Frankie's bed since it is so comfy... Wonder where Frankie went to?

After daddy was done playing around at work, we all loaded up all of Jacob's necessities and headed off to Davison for a dip in the pool. We don't think Jacob was quite feeling himself. He did a nap on the way up, but we don't think it was long enough to really enjoy the trip... At least at first. Jacob loved standing in the jacuzzi and wasn't happy about needing to get out.

After getting dried off and changed from the pool, we hung out in the clubhouse eating a snack and watching the workers set up for the Valentine party and dinner planned for the evening. There ended up being a card craft for the kids, so Jacob made a family Valentine's Day card for all of us. Unfortunately, we didn't realize we left the card there until after we were on the road home. We also didn't get a picture of it, but we did get some video of him making it with help from his mom. Let me just say that it was the most beautiful card EVER! ;)! You could definitely tell that it had some "mommy influence" due to the rhinestones that were put on it.

Eventually, Jacob was all played out with the toys that he found in the bin, we headed out. We decided not to stay for the DJ, party, etc. as we were not dressed to partake. Maybe next year we will take advantage of the offering. The place looked pretty darn nice and was more than expected. We may just need to rent a cabin for the weekend...

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T08:22:00.002-05:00

Doing Better

2009-02-13T22:37:00.000-05:00

Jacob is getting close to a full recovery. He is still coughing a little bit, but nothing near what he was before. He is definitely showing his true self which is different than before he was sick because he is much more animated and grown up now. It seems like he pretty much been sick for the last month and a half, so it only makes sense that he would portray much more personality.

Jacob did bring home a "boo boo" report this week from school. He was trying to get on one of the bigger toys and slipped and hit his head, just under his left eye. He tended to with much TLC by Ms. Kenisha and was a real trooper.

Still Sickly, But Doing Better

2009-02-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

Jacob is still a pretty sick little guy, but is now starting to get some relief. Last night was very rough until we put him to bed around 10:30. He was VERY restless and tossing and turning and sweating on his mother while trying to stay comfortable. He was really congested and kept coughing because of it and then not coughing up/out his congestion. We were able to make a lemon, honey, water mixture that he sometime reluctantly took, but it did seem to help. He was able to sleep from 10:30 or so until 5 am and then was up and not really happy about it. Amy did take him to school though.

Around lunch time, Jacob's school called and said that he just wasn't himself and would fall asleep for a few minutes and then would be up. They just wanted to call to let us know that it could be a rough night. Rather than have a rough night, Amy went and picked him up figuring that he needed his sleep more than being at school. He was laid back this evening, but is breathing much easier and went to bed around his normal bedtime. He hasn't coughed yet as he has the past few nights, so we are definitely hoping that he is on the road to recovery...

Dr. Visit #3 For 2009

2009-02-09T23:05:00.001-05:00

Looks like 2009 is potentially going to have more un-well baby visits to the doctor than in the past. We are barely into the second month and we are now at three visits for the year. Jacob wasn’t himself a fair portion of the weekend and had a really rough night last night. We figured it had been because of a cold that seems to have dragged on as well as his molars coming in. Once again he had a higher temp and was fairly lethargic from being tired. He coughed a lot of the night. So, Amy called the doctor and was able to get him in for an 8 am appointment.

The doctor’s findings is that Jacob is feeling pain from his molars coming in and his cough/cold is more than likely at its worst and will continue to get better over the next one to two weeks. His throat is also very irritated which we already knew from his almost constant cough and struggles. It was also determined that Jacob has an ear infection in both ears. He was given a prescription for this, so hopefully we will see much relief for him in the next day or so.

We have always heard that ear infection symptoms can be played off as cold, teething, etc. and we found out the hard way. Jacob is just in rough shape with the coughing, congestion, drooling, teething pain and ear pain to boot! Even with all of what he has going on, he still managed to play a ton on Saturday and even a fair amount yesterday. It sure will be nice for Jacob when he gets over all of this stuff…

Dr. Visit #3 For 2009

2009-02-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

Let The Games Begin

2009-02-07T14:25:00.001-05:00

Jacob has been playing games, but we just haven't taken/been able to capture any of it on tape. We weren't able to get much today either, but were able to get some...

Too bad Jacob wasn't like this the whole day. That nasty fever caught up to him again and was 101.6 this time. Along with some teething pain, he just wasn't himself for a while. You definitely tell that he had a fever and wasn't feeling well. Fortuantely, he wasn't too upset and was content with relaxing. He went to bed at his regular time and actually slept in until 6:40 am when his cough returned. If that nasty cough would just go away, we all would be a lot better off...

Checking In...

2009-02-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

I guess it is about time to post something since it has been a while. We haven’t really been up to too much as Jacob has been having a challenging time. He had been running a fever in the low 101’s on and off for a few days, but that has since passed. Two of his molars are in the process of coming in on the top. He has not been a happy camper at times because of this. He has been chewing on his fingers and a few other things to try and console himself. He has also remembered about his passy and has been using it more often lately. We can’t blame him and left it up to him as to when he wants or doesn’t want it. Although he is using it, he is definitely not obsessive over it.

Jacob is still in his picky eating stage. The menu at school rotates every other week, so what he may have eaten all of last time, doesn’t mean he will eat it this time. For instance, pizza would fall into this category. He scarfed it down the first time, but didn’t want it at all a couple days ago. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be eating as much jar food as he used to. We are trying to fill him up with good food first, but then usually settle for animal crackers and luck charms to fill his belly.

The latest change for Jacob is that we are starting to wean him off of his night time bottle. Since it has been a challenge to get him to eat a good dinner, we have decided (okay, so Amy just started doing it and it worked…) to do what we can with dinner and then feed Jacob yogurt for a bedtime snack. So far, he seems to really like it and is okay with the change in his diet. We also try giving him milk in a sippy cup to drink at his discretion at night and he seems to be sucking that down as well before going to bed.

Color Day!

2009-01-28T17:02:00.000-05:00

Check me out in my colors... Today was color day at school. The colors for the event were blue and white, so of course, Jacob’s mother felt the need to be sure that he dressed the part. This was definitely a photo op, so we are sharing the experience with you (woohoo, big experience, eh? ;)!)
Evidently, there have been more theme days that we weren’t aware of. Amy did notice one day that all of the kids were in pajamas which she thought was somewhat strange. She didn’t think too much of it. Yesterday, there was a note on the back of the daily note sent home that they noticed Jacob’s mail box was getting full and wanted to remind us that we need to check it/remind us that there is one for Jacob. Yep, Amy forgot about it and when she checked, low and behold, there was a bunch of stuff in it. Menus, books, magazines and their newspaper. There was also a notice about bringing in a blanket and pillow which I guess was suggested on a questionnaire/survey that was given to the families. Probably before Jacob was enrolled… When we enrolled, we were told that they provided it and then they asked us to bring one in a couple weeks after he started. So now some things are starting to make sense!

Jacob is excited about going to school on color day!!!

Poor Jacob! Yes, you're momma dresses you funny, but at least you match... :D!

Adjusting Well

2009-01-27T22:17:00.002-05:00

Jacob is really adjusting well to school. Amy can pull into the school's driveway, get him out of the car and into the school, put his stuff away and get ready to leave before he starts crying. He even puts his arms out to his teachers (as long as one of them are there). We are getting fantastic reports on how he is doing. Another big change for both school and even at home is his eating habits. He has been eating the school's food the past two days. We are hoping that his repetoire of food continues to grow.

Amy and I are now working on how to get Jacob to satisfy his hunger when gets home. He is fussy as soon as we walk in the door because he is so hungry, but hasn't quite figured out that eating will help and is just mad at us. Eventually, he starts eating and once his belly starts getting full, he totally turns around. We then get to have some play and giggle time with him.

Jacob hadn't really try saying any words and took a step back while he was sick for a couple of weeks. Now that he has been feeling a lot better, we are seeing a return of the want to say things. Tonight was the first time that we have heard him say cheese as he was eating his mac n cheese. Of course, it was a baby talk version of the word, but we couldn't definitely tell what it was. He is also working on please as well. There is signs of using sign language for more and he is more open to us showing him how to say please in sign language.

Jacob is definitely progressing now that he is well again and it is very fun to see. We are definitely enjoying this time with him and giving him lots of praise and applause!

2009-01-26T20:02:00.000-05:00

Jacob finally got to play with kids his age outside of school this past weekend. We headed west so that Jacob could play with the twins, Zach and Hannah. They had a ball with each other. We hope that we can get them together a little sooner than the last time, but everyone is busy, so we will have to wait and see what we can do.

A special note of the night (even though we forgot to bring Jacob's chair) was that of Jacob sitting and eating like a big boy. This is the first time that he really enjoyed chowing his dinner and it wasn't baby food!! He had mac n cheese along with cheesy hot dogs. Saturday night was somewhat of a turning point for as he is now at least a little more willing to try to eat non-baby food. It has been hit and miss, but we haven't needed to keep pulling jars out of the cupboard. He has also been eating more of the school lunch too!!

***Mommy Note: Jacob's sweatshirt that he was wearing got dirty during dinner. The onesie that he is wearing was only for warmth and not looks... LOL!

Editor's Note: You may want to be sure that you don't have anything going on because this video is close to six minutes long (it might 5-1/2, but I don't remember...)

Sledding Time!

2009-01-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

Although the weather outside was still pretty cold, I couldn't wait any longer to get Jacob outside using his sled. The timing might not have been the best since it was shortly before Jacob's nap time, but it was time to get outside... So, we packed on the clothes since it was pretty cold outside. He looked a little like the kid from the movie "A Christmas Story". He wasn't quite that bad, but he doesn't quite fill out his 18 month coat yet. We didn't think the 12 month would be warm enough for getting snowy.

The sledding didn't last a real long time because of the cold and quite frankly, me being out of shap for dragging a sled around in 15" of snow. Jacob seemed to have fun although I don't think he was too sure about daddy's navigation skills through the footsteps. I tried shortening this up as much as possible, but got to a point to just end the video editing and post it...

School Routine

2009-01-23T22:55:00.002-05:00

Well, it has taken three weeks to get two full weeks of Jacob's new school. With Jacob being sick, it was pretty difficult to get into a routine as it has still taken him time to recover and adjust. We have been continually better reports on Jacobs days at school and he is adjusting fine.

On Wednesday or Thursday during one of Amy's "checking in" calls, they said that he was having a fantastic day. He smiled the whole time they were outside and was even caught smiling inside a little bit. We noticed a big difference in him after he got home as well. It was probably the first time in quite a while that we were able to tickle Jacob and/or play with him a little bit. He was very happy and was even eating better.

Friday's day at school found Jacob engaging in the circle of kids and playing with them. He was really enjoying himself and is now taking better naps too! When Amy was getting Jacob ready to leave, one of Jacob's teachers made a comment about how he has some funny smiles when he is feeling better.

We probably still have a week and a half to two weeks for Jacob and us to get into a better routine. The school said that it usually takes a good three weeks of being there all of the time for the kids to get into the groove. We have two weeks in, but it was broken up with the flu, so hopefully it won't be much longer. It sure is great to be able to see that silly smile and tickle Jacob to get those giggles going...

Yackity Yack Yack

2009-01-21T20:57:00.002-05:00

Is it yackity yack yack or yuckity yuck yuck? Forutnately, Jacob and the rest of us have the flu behind us. We can still hear the hoarseness in Jacob's voice from a cold that he has. His coughing has been reduced and he doesn't seem to be as congested. You can definitely tell that he is feeling better as his personality quotient is definitely on the rise.

Amy and I are hoping that the snow we have will last until the weekend and that it will warm up a bit. We bought a sled for Jacob before Christmas to get him outside, but we haven't been able to take advantage of it yet. Between being busy during the Holidays, being sick and now being cold, the opportunity just hasn't presented itself, but we are chomping at the bit to get him outside and enjoy the snow to the fullest.

Yeah!!!! We Found Jacob!!

2009-01-17T10:36:00.006-05:00

After a week's worth of cleaning messes, docotor visit, missing work and all of the fun that goes along with a sick child, Jacob is over most of his ailments!

Jacob attended school for the first time this week on Friday. It was a pretty rough day, but Amy checked in (called) on him fairly often. He was pretty fussy, but was consolable so we didn't go pick him up. School was like starting over again.

Jacob is somewhat back to being himself today. He definitely happier than he has been in quite a while. We have seen sustained giggles, smiles and dancing. He is, however, a little hoarse as he has been coughing a fair amount. This has caused some coughing up of things, but nothing like we dealt with earlier in the week.

Jacob was very playful in his chair after eating a pancake. He was very much into sticking his tongue out all over... I think his mommy migh have had something to do with that...

Here's Jacob playing with the camera... You had to be there, but it was pretty funny. He totally looked right at the camera and pushed his chin right towards with some real attitude. He was really playing with us.

It's A Toss Up!

2009-01-15T21:22:00.004-05:00

It's a toss up... No pun intended. Jacob hasn't been to school all week and still may not be tomorrow...

Everyone was ready for work and school this morning and Jacob was even in the car when... Jacob lost all of his milk from 5 am and the banana strawberry food. Amy came back through the door as I was walking by and I wondered what she was doing until I saw Jacob. We both handled him with care so that neither one of us would get anything on our work clothes. This was at least until we figured out who would be staying home with him one more day. We decided it would be me.

Jacob did fine today and was gaining speed with being better. He was alternately drinking and eating. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to my liking, but he was eating and drinking and keeping everything down. Then, it came dinner time and he ate applesauce and a little bit of chicken noodle. It wasn't too awful long after that and he no longer had any of it in his stomach. We tried pedialyte close to an hour later and that came up too. So, we let him sleep on us while he was restless to calm down. Amy put his to bed, so now we are wait and see what happens tonight before we determine whether or not he goes to school and/or the doctor once again tomorrow...

Jacob Vs. The Flu - Round II

2009-01-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

The attack of the flu hits us again. The first round found it to be only Jacob of which he fully recovered from a little over a week ago. Jacob became really fussy and did not want to eat when some of my cousins were over. He was having a ton of fun with Kylie and Will until it was time for dinner. He absolutely would not sit in his high chair, so we didn't force him to eat. We were able to get him to bed without too much trouble.

About 10:30 or so Saturday night, Jacob woke up crying. I went in to console him and went to move his blanket when I felt something wet. I hollered down to Amy to come up because I needed some help to clean Jacob up as well as his crib. Jacob was inconsolable and was thrashing about in our arms and on the floor. He had bumped his head earlier in the day and was wondering if the two were tied together, so Amy decided to take him to the hospital. While were on our way, he calmed right down and went to sleep. Keep in mind that we got a bunch of snow, but we still decided to go for a drive while we were out. At least it had stopped snowing by then.

Eventually, we got back home after driving around for an hour. Amy and Jacob spent most of the night awake and Jacob relieving himself. I took the day shift over while Amy got some shut eye. He just wasn't keeping anything down. We did have some pedialyte and he wasn't keeping that down either.

Jacob wasn't himself Monday morning and had thrown up some time during the night on Sunday. So, we ended up taking him to the doctor. Jacob had lost 6-7% of his body weight in a week or so and the doctor was concerned. She said to basically get him hydrated and if he wasn't able to keep anything down during the day to give them a call and that we would probably just have to take him to the emergency room. Fortunately, he was able to start holding the pedialyte down. He just hung out on me all day and then on his mother after she got home from work. Things seemed to be looking up at least a little bit as he was starting to move around a bit and we actually got a couple of smiles out of him.

THEN, I wasn't feeling so hot. Amy was hungry and had to fry up some salami for her dinner. This was all I needed. As soon as she got done with it, I headed for the bathroom. Yep, I know had the flu too. It wasn't real long after that that now we had our third victim... You guessed it, Amy was now sick too. Jacob slept through most of the nighgt and then woke up early, so Amy and I took turns holding him and trying to get him to drink.

Amy attempted going to work as I had already planned on taking a second day off or Jacob and was sent home shortly after she got there. I thought I was starting to feel better and was thinking about going to work. So, I went out and blew the driveway out, etc. Then, I took a turn for the worse again. Jacob now became a little unconsolable again and neither Amy or I could sway, bounce or whatever we would normally do to console Jacob. So, Amy made a call to her mom. She came right over and ended up taking Jacob back to her house so that he hopefully would not get reinfected again and give us a break and rest ourselves.

I am now doing pretty well, but Amy is still sipping vernors and hoping things don't continue to move. We hear that Jacob is doing a little better as well and hope he continues to get better. We are hoping that everyone will be at work and Jacob will be in school by Thursday... Keep your fingers crossed!

First Week Complete

2009-01-09T21:03:00.002-05:00

Amy, Jacob and I have survived the first full week of work and "school". The week started out great and ended great, but the middle was a little stressful on mostly Amy. I think she handled things well, but I'm sure if you ask her she wouldn't think so. However, she is beginning to feel much better, especially after one of her phone calls to school on Friday. She was told that Jacob was in the gross motor room running all around and dancing, yes dancing to the music that was on. At that point, we knew that he must be enjoying himself and we both wished we could have been flies on the wall to see him dance. He definitely has his mom's rhythm and ability... ;)!

Amy was a little saddened when she went to pick Jacob up. There is a big room with winodws all around it that kids can be depending on the number of kids and teachers that are there. Amy saw Jacob in this room sitting at a table coloring with two other girls when she got there. She tried getting Jacob's attention, but then figured she could take this opportunity to gather his snow clothes, sipppy cup, etc. before picking him up. This is when she realized that he was having fun and didn't need to see him mommy... Well, this all changed when she called his name as he quickly turned to her and saw her and started pointing. Jacob couldn't get out of the chair fast enough and started running towards her with the biggest smile you could ever see! The other mothers that were there even made a comment on how cute Jacob was as he was running towards his mom.

Jacob was much happier tonight and actually played a little bit. He was a lot less tired as he took a longer nap during the day. So, he seems to be liking school a lot more now, but is still transitioning. The school thinks he is doing well and also told us that the transition is usually about three weeks. We are already seeing some changes in him which one of the biggest is that he is much more comfortable sleeping or at least attempting to sleep just about anywhere. He seems to be more at ease with just putting his head down on the floor and curling his legs under him with his butt way in the air (like he does in his crib) and just going to sleep or at least relaxing for a moment.

All in all, although it was rough at times, we are feeling pretty good about the progress Jacob has made with going to "school".

A Couple Of Rough Days, But Getting Better!

2009-01-07T20:32:00.005-05:00

The past couple of days have been rough at least in part if not the whole day...

Jacob started off yesterday a little tired and clingy at home. He took his bottle well along with some cereal before he was loaded up for school.

Jacob was apprehensive about his mommy leaving him as his favorite teacher was not there. It was a rough day for Jacob and Amy made a number of calls hoping that things were getting better. He was pretty upset most of the day, but was very happy to see his mommy when she went to pick him up. He was VERY happy once he got home even if he was a little tired.

Today's drop off wan't much better, but Jacob's favorite teacher was there which made Amy feel much better. Amy could hear him screaming down the hall as she was leaving. The school called Amy later to let her know that he did calm down relatively quickly and that he was having a much better day. He went for a walk outside in the morning and then a buggy ride in the afternoon. Jacob's teachers asked/commented about him liking to be outside and we concurred. After all, he still gets excited when Frankie needs to go outside, even if he isn't really outside, he at least gets some fresh air.

Jacob ate better today, but didn't sleep much. He only slept for about 45 minutes, so he was ready for bed when he got home. We fed him and Amy gave him a bath and he was ready for bed early. We tried keeping him up a little longer, but decided just to put him to bed early and he is now and has been sleeping soundly. Fortunately, going to school has tuckered him out and hasn't been fighting sleeping.

First Day Of School

2009-01-05T20:49:00.002-05:00

Jacob, Amy and I survived the first day of school. Jacob was definitely out of sorts when he was stripped from his bed and whooshed downstairs and getting milk and cereal shoved in his face. Then it was back upstairs to get changed into a cute outfit (yes, Amy input...) and a few last minute things and out the door...

Jacob was dropped off in the infant room to Miss Kenisha whom Jacob met while we were touring and signing up. He was a little apprehensive at first so she backed off and then took him after a bit. Amy got Jacob's belongings settled and said goodbye to Jacob. He wimpered a bit, but then was okay. Amy did a couple more things and then looked in the window before she headed off to work. She saw Jacob sitting on Miss Kenisha's lap reading a book and was content. It didn't help keep the tears from falling, so Amy quickly headed to the car and settled herself before heading off to work.

Jacob did really well today and Amy only called the school four times. I'm sure this isn't even close to the record of calls for a first day though... The first call found Jacob to be very clingy to Miss Kenisha, but he was doing fine. By lunch time, he was getting pretty tired and wimpered a bit because he didn't have his passy and apparently they couldn't find it and found a new one in their stash and immediately went to sleep.

Amy went to pick Jacob up tonight and found him in the infant room (this is the gathering place when the workers are coming and going). He was playing with some toys and looked up and gave him mommy a big smile and continued playing and pointing to something, so he was obviously enjoying his first day at school.

Jacob was very happy when he arrived home, but also was very tired. So, we were able to get him back into his routine from before and putting him to bed at 8 pm. It was a little rough for him to go to sleep, but his sleep training has been getting easier and easier.

So, the first day of school went well for everyone and I am sure Jacob will be looking forward to another day away...

A Poop Story

2009-01-04T21:34:00.003-05:00

Earlier, I was posting a blog about the status of Jacob and his bowels... As I finished and posted the blog, I hear a voice from above... "Can you please come up here and hurry!". Jacob was upstairs getting a bath, so what could this be. As I enter the bathroom, I see Jacob kneeling in his tub and Amy is frantically draining the water and rinsing it out! It would appear that there was an accident...Jacob's diarrhea was in full force and turning the bath water brown!

Amy tells me to pick Jacob up from the tub so she can clean out the poopy water and refill it with fresh water. Tomorrow is a big day for Jacob and she hasn't even gotten to washing his hair yet! So, I picked him up and stood him on his towel and proceeded to clean his bottom. While Amy was still cleaning the tub, Jacob decided he wasn't done yet. So, there was more cleaning for me. Jacob was just as happy as could be just standing there naked, wet and pooping like a free bird. He decided to take a few steps away and was far enough so that he was off of the towel and now on the tile. I had cleaned up the towel, so that was done. Jacob now decided (like he has a choice at this point), to drop another pile. I quickly covered it with some tp. It wasn't much longer and the pile got bigger. Amy and I gave the little guy a couple more minutes to be sure he was finished. The knee pad was still next to the tub and Jacob would look at each of us wondering if he should/could climb in the tub. Just as Amy and I were laughing at this whole situation and definitely enjoying the humor in it Jacob decided he also needed to pee so we just giggled some more as we just watched our son freely pee all over the knee pad. I still had tp in my hand as a backup plan and did some covering. Jacob was then placed back in the tub and the bathy calmly continued!

Although it was a little gross the humor in the situation can't be denied and it will go into the books as our first "poop in the tub" story!!!

Originated by Doug; Re-written by Amy... ;)!

Go Away Poopies?

2009-01-04T18:39:00.003-05:00

Jacob's bottom is looking much much better than it did, but still has a little bit to go to be back to normal. Unfortunately, he still has the poopies too. However, they are not near as often or as bad. The doctor told us that it isn't contagious and that he is fine to go to his first day of school tomorrow. We are hoping that "things" will bind up a bit so that Jacob is not sent home. This would stink for the first day... no pun intended. I really wish I would have gotten something in writing to cover us in case something happens. We might just call the doctor tomorrow anyway if things are different in the morning. Jacob is back to his playful self and hasn't been wanting to nap much at all. So, we let him sleep, finally, lat this afternoon for an hour. Enough to keep him from having a complete meltdown, but no too much so that he doesn't get back into a routine.

Tomorrow is Jacob's big debut at school. Big changes for everyone as it will be the first day of school for Jacob, first day of work for mommy away from Jacob and my first day back after being off for close to two weeks. Not to mention that I will now have to share the shower in the morning. This is something that I haven't had to do in well over a year. We are looking forward to working the kinks out and adjusting our morning schedules and agendas. I'm sure it will take a week or two for all of us to get into the swing of things and knowing what to expect, etc.

Warming Up!

2009-01-02T21:34:00.002-05:00

After Jacob's appointment today and finding out that he is not contagious, Jacob and I ventured to his school that he is starting on Monday. We decided that since it has been some time since he was there for the tour, etc. we would let him play with hopefully one or both of his new teachers and possibly some of the kids.

Jacob was pretty tired by this time, so he clung to his daddy for a little bit and didn't want down. Before too long, I got on the floor so that he could see everything at his level. We weren't in the room that he was going to be in, but many many of the kids and teachers were not in today because of the holiday season. Jacob was able to play with one of the kids in his class and a teacher that he will have for a week or so. He was really warming up by the time we left and as I was putting my shoes on, he wanted to go back in to play.

Looks like Jacob will be ready for school on Monday. We have to get some things ready and labeled for his big debut, but we think this will be a good thing for everyone, even if Jacob's mommy will struggle with it at first... ;)!

A Poopy Time!

2009-01-02T21:15:00.002-05:00

The bugs are a flyin' this year! Jacob decided that he needed to do a #2 in the afternoon of New Year's Eve and let's just say it was the start of things to come. His bottom was a little red, but didn't seem to be anything to worry about. So, we were off to our New Year's celebration...

Part way through the party, Jacob needed to have a diaper change. So, I headed upstairs out of the way of any passersby and a little less noise for Jacob. He was pretty upset and was crying a fair amount. We thought it was because he was just a lot tired... While changed another messy diaper and not quite having the new one buttoned, Jacob started hacking because we think he just had himself so worked up... Well, if it was this or not, we will never know, but I quickly picked him up because of the hacking when Jacob let loose all over my shirt and pants. His freshly eaten brownie was the most noted. After relieving himself, he settled right down and allowed us to get cleaned up and rejoin the party.

We were able to keep Jacob consoled until the drop of the ball and the pinata. The 15 plus kids were anxious for both and Jacob just cowered with me in a dark corner... It wasn't too long after a little more visiting that Jacob starting to get upset again, so we decided it was time to leave because he was tired and not really feeling himself.

On the way home, we tried going as fast as we could (can't push it that much on New Year's Eve). We got close to our exit when we knew Jacob was getting worked up again and pushed ourselves a little more. Whoops! Too late! Jacob yacked again all over his coat and car seat. I considered running red lights, but again, not on New Year's Eve...

By this diaper change, Jacob's bottom was on FIRE!! as we coated/caked it with Desitin. It was a rough night getting and keeping him to sleep as we have already been having issues at night that we were planning to start working on again.

New Year's Day was spent changing many dirty diapers and trying to console Jacob with Motrin and gas drops as the poopies just kept happening. We also kept pushing water on Jacob of which he was happy to oblige. His bottom started showing some relief later in the day, but there was still some concern that this might be a reaction to one of the shots. Depending on the source, symptoms could show in the first 7 days or they could show after the 7th up to the 12th day. The side affects could include fever, diarhea, swollen glands and a rash.

We decided to call the doctor and get him in today to get checked. Jacob's bottom was definitely better, but the poopies weren't. After a visit with the doctor, Jacob was found to have a stomach virus. We were told to give him pedialyte, apple juice, bananas, etc. to help him out. He was also given an antifungal ointment for his bottom.

We know that Jacob was definitely in pain during his diaper changes because he would just shake and/or chew on his shirt sleeve during it. He has been a real trooper this whole ordeal as he has not really batted our hands away, etc. and has allowed us to clean him and get some cream on to help his bottom. It has really wiped him out, so we are hoping that we can all get a great nights sleep tonight...

15 Month Well Baby Visit

2008-12-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

The 15-month well baby visit is the first dr. appointment that Amy has not been to. It was very trying for her not to be there, but took in stride as she sent me to the dr. with her own laundry list of questions.

Everything went well with the doctor this time. Jacob weighed in at 22 pounds, 1 ounce (22nd - 23rd percentile) and 32 inches (75th percentile). We noticed that Jacob seemed to be having some growth spurts, but when you see him every day, you just don't really know if you are just thinking you are seeing the growth before your eyes or not. He went from the 50th to the 75th percentile in the past three months. He is similar (very slightly lower) in the weight category.

The doctor noticed Jacob's skin and how good it is now looking. We haven't been struggling near as much with it. Hopefully, it will continue to stay as good as it has been and get even better. With the winter dryness upon us, we will just have to wait and see. Jacob still isn't saying words consistently, but the doctor was not concerned with this. She isn't concerned because Jacob is definitely jibber jabbering and talking to us without saying anything and is saying words on occasion clearly and he knows what he is saying. He has pointed to Frankie as she was walking by and said doggy, says mommy and daddy on occasion, etc. We are working through trying to get Jacob off of baby food and onto non-baby food on a regular basis. There still is no concern, but something that we just need to keep working at.

Jacob was only scheduled to get one shot at this appointment, but the next one would have three. So, the doctor offered to move one of the shots ahead that she thought would be okay. I jumped at the chance to spread them out and also help out Jacob's mommy if she would be at the next appointment. It would save her from seeing at least one shot. I'm not sure Jacob was so pleased though, but he once again took them in stride for the most part...

Jacob is a healthy, active baby boy!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T07:48:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you. May you have a safe and happy Christmas with lots of love and family.