"NO, I do it"

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!

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

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

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

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!!

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!!!

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

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

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

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!!!

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

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!

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

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

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!!