Quite The Ladies Man...

After saying good bye to Danmar, a big hello was said to the twins (Amy's longtime friends Doug & Anita's children). Jacob was fed just before getting there. We showed up just in time for the twins to be fed... Guess we could have waited a few moments longer on feeding Jacob and it could have been one big feast for everyone!!! Well, no, not really, Jacob likes to eat on his own terms and we quickly choose to oblige.

After the twins were done eating, Jacob calculated his angle and quickly pursued. He knew it was only a matter of time that Hanna's brother Zach would be finished and be ready for bed. And so it happened... Upon Zach's departure for the crib, Jacob slid in and snuggled up to the "older woman" (okay, so 3-1/2 months, but almost twice his age at this point...). There wasn't much action as Hanna didn't seem to be interested in Jacob. She was taking the time to check out how her fingers and feet were doing... Better luck next time Jacob!

A Good Luck To New Beginnings!!

The end of an era has officially come to a close. Amy has now officially became a full time mom and soon to be full time student while she finishes her degree in Human Services. The plaques, pictures, notes and other personal belongings have been cleared out of what was once her desk at Danmar.

Amy's heart was heavy and strong through the days events as she knew this wasn't good bye, but only a "see you later". Amy is still planning to visit while she can as she does want to keep in touch. As a way sending her off to her new beginnings (or continuation depending on your perspective) Danmar closed and went to a local establishment for appetizers and drinks to wish Amy good luck in her new pursuits. It was well attended and Amy is very grateful for the offering. She did not quite get through the day without any tears, but those were quickly wiped away with smiles knowing that she still has some time to return.

Jacob Goes To Work!

Well, okay, so Jacob may have went to work, but didn't actually do any work... Mom and Jacob came to dad's work for the first time so that we could all go out to lunch together and off course meet some of dad's co-workers. Jacob doesn't mess around at all and went right to the top! Our CEO was in the building when we were walking around (he actually uses the door I sit next to), he hollered over "Brought your boss into work?". It was a nice brief visit. Fortunately, Jacob was quiet for the most part. He did have a fussy moment when he realized he was going to be leaving dad again.

Two Month Pediatrician Check-up

Wouldn’t you know it? Jacob is finally making a long run of sleeping in his crib and we have to wake him up to take him to the pediatrician. He has been known to sleep 4 or 5 hours in his bouncer on occasion, but not more that 2-1/2 hours in his crib. Yep, we are working on it now and are getting him to sleep more in his crib during the day, but he certainly likes to be right in the center of all the action.

So, we got Jacob changed and started feeding him before we left. Then continued in the waiting room and everywhere else we could try and get the rest of the feeding in. He was a very happy baby making a lot smiles at daddy (so much so that mommy was getting a little jealous). There was even a glint in Jacob’s eye of look at what I can do daddy as he was flailing his arms and legs all over the place very rapidly.

The nurse came in and took some measurements. Jacob is now a whole 23-1/2 inches long and weighed in at 12 pounds, 1 ounce. Not that this is something to keep track of, but his head is 16 inches in circumference and his chest measures 15 inches. This means that Jacob is a little above normal in his height and weight for his age. The height stayed in line over the past 1-1/2 months and his weight has caught up to normal as he was only in the 25th percentile at the previous check-up (now basically a little over 50%).

From what the doctor says, it sounds like we are just going to have a child with sensitive skin and are continuing to work on keeping him scaleless. Mom does a great job of lubing Jacob up with his different ointments suggested by the various doctors and we just need to continue. Babies normally grow out of this by six months. The doctor did say since the cradle crap is basically all over his body that he may be more sensitive for longer and something that we will just need to be aware of/control. It looks like he may be like his dad a bit. We were told not to use anything scented on him to help with his skin. Dad doesn’t get any rashes, but he is affected by scents.

So far, so good!! Jacob was still happy with the nurse’s and the doctor’s exam… Da, da, da, dummmmmm…. Now it was time for the nurse to come back in… DOOMSDAY!! Yep, time for those much awaited pokers of pain… The shots!! Jacob received 2 shots in each thigh. The first two weren’t too bad, but the final two REALLY got Jacob mad. The first couple forced mom into tears and the nurse even asked if she was alright. Mom said she was. She did better than I thought she would though. Good job mom!! I was going to get Jacob all dressed back up and hold him, etc., but I could tell mom would feel a lot better if she was able to hold him first. He did settle down a bit, but it really wasn’t until I got him into his carrier and started swinging it that he really calmed down.

Jacob’s check-up went well as everything is normal with just some sensitive skin. We will be headed back to the doctor for a 3-month checkup the week of Christmas.

Thanksgiving II

The family ventured up to my brother's house for another Thanksgiving celebration. Jacob was a good rider and sleeper... We were able to get there, visit and then eat and he was still out like a light! So, of course, he needed to be woke up so that we could play with him and keep him up at least a little bit in the day.

This is the first trip that we brought any toys with us because there really hasn't been a need. Jacob still doesn't play with them, but at least he hears the rattle and sometimes follows it/them. He is really following voices and people passing by now, especially when it is mom or dad. Uncle Rob joined Jacob on the floor and played with him and his toys.

After some time went by and Jacob was asleep on my chest, Uncle Rob asked if he could hold him. Of course, I said he could right away. I think he might have been a little timid with such a little one because I know I was before Jacob came along, but he was a real trooper. Jacob continued to sleep on Uncle Rob's chest as he was on mine. This is the first time Uncle Rob has held him, so a job well done! Aunt Lynn and Grandma also took turns of course!

I was getting pretty tired and we figured we could make a mad dash home between feedings and Jacob would be home and we could wake him up so that he would sleep tonight. So we loaded up and headed out... to be continued...

Jacob Meets Santa

...continued...

A few days ago there was some discussion about heading to Frankenmuth for a few items and more specifically, Bronners. We decided that we didn't have time this past weekend and weren't sure if we would be able to get there, so the thought was set aside

After backing out of my brothers' driveway and starting to head home, the topic of Frankenmuth came up again. There wasn't much time because they close at 5:30, but we knew what we wanted to get so it shouldn't take long. This definitely wasn't something planned as we just wanted to be home, but we were closer to Bronner's than we were home, so we bit the bullet and went. Once we got there, we found out that they were actually open until 7:00, so we had much more time to check things out...

We did most, if not all of our shopping, but needed to wait for a few things to be completed and Jacob decided it was time for him to eat. So, of course there was no delay in getting him fed so that he could be happy again. While we were feeding Jacob, I noticed through a window that Santa was there seeing little boys and girls. I strolled over to see what was up with Santa and found that they didn't have any picture packages, etc. You just needed to have your own camera. So, Amy signed him up after he was done feeding. Fortunately, I had brought the camera for Thanksgiving II. Unfortunately, I didn't bring some stuff I would have liked to have had, but oh well... I can't take everyting all of the time, but maybe I should... ;)!

Jacob was a little fussy waiting, but not too bad. He was able to be consoled. Jacob was a real trooper with the man dressed in red. I'm not sure he knew what to make of the bearded man, but he sat there like a pro with a look of concern. Jacob was the last to see Santa for the day, so an elf offered to take a family picture with Santa. Of course, we said yes!!!

In hind sight, Amy wishes Jacob would have had a different outfit on, but we weren't planning on going to Frankenmuth or seeing Santa. We might need to go see Santa again, but I don't think Jacob will mind if we just stick with what we have already...

Black Friday

No plans to shop turned into almost a whole day of shopping with Jacob. It went from dad going out for a couple of things to getting a lot of our Christmas shopping done. I won't go into all of the details because we wouldn't want to give any clues, hints or let anything out of the bag(s), now would we? We left after feeding Jacob around 10:30 am and didn't get home until almost 4:30 pm. It was difficult to believe that Jacob slept almost the whole time. He decided that he wanted to eat around 3:00pm which was still a long time for him to go. He almost ate the bottle once he realized how hungry he was.

I will let you in on one stop though. It was only for lunch so there is nothing to giveaway here, except for a low budget dinner or lunch. We went to Ci-ci's which is an all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant. They have salad, pizza, pasta and dessert for the low price of $4.99 per adult (over 10) and then about $1.65 or so for a drink other than water. Amy and I weren't expecting much, but the salad bar was great and there was a wide variety of pizzas. Anthing from pepperoni, to ham and pineapple, to even mac n' cheese. This was probably the most "different", but was surprisingly not that bad. If you haven't of heard of this place before, we went to the one by Oakland Mall that just opened on Monday. Not a priority on the pizza list, but it was hot, fast and pleasantly surprising.

The big reason that there was much success in shopping we feel was due to the lack of people shopping. We didn't have to wait in line much if at all anywhere and we were able to find/know whether or not what we were looking for was still available. Many lots were not full or as full as we would have expected for them to be either. Eleven stores, plus lunch and one attempt at a store that is now close, not bad for 6 hours, eh? I think we cruised along pretty well for not having a plan when we left the house... It was a lot of getting in and out of the truck, but we had it down. I would get the stroller out and Amy would get Jacob. On the way out, I would put Jacob in while Amy put the goods in and sometimes folded the stroller and I would put the stroller in the truck while she was getting in. We can't tell you how much we got done, but let's just say it was a lot...

Jacob And Thanksgiving...

The plan was to get Jacob all cleaned up for the Grandma's and wait until the last minute to put him in his "Thanksgiving Outfit". Pictures could be taken in his outfit and maybe the outfit would last until we made the trip. The plan worked like a charm, except for the fact that Jacob was fussy... :(! So, only a couple of pictures were taken that were basically of him just screaming. So the plan changed to just taking some at Grandma's. No success there either as he just wanted to be played with and entertained.

Do you think Jacob is psychic? Maybe he had a preomonition that the Lions would just stink up the field... He was very soothed after it was pretty evident that the Lions didn't have the game under control. He is still a fair weather fan, but of course, he is only eight weeks old and doesn't have the long attention span to keep rooting for the Lions.

After some time and Abby playing with him for the afternoon (grandma and grandma snuck in a little time too...), Coltman decided he would like to hold Jacob. It was with this that Jacob was okay with getting his picture taken. Of course, we could have tried earlier with others, but we wanted to show off his "dapper dude" outfit... ;)! He hasn't been this dressed up since he was born, almost 8 weeks ago... Success at last!

Jacob loved all of the attention of everyone at Grandma P's house. When it came time to go home, he was ready and we felt there was a window of opportunity to get him home and then feed him. Not so!! says Jacob. We were only a few miles down the road and not even to the expressway yet, when he decided it was time for him to eat. Jacob doesn't really like a pacifier, especially when he is hungry. He will bat it out of his mouth quicker that you attempt to put it in, so this wasn't an option. Not thinking that we would need anything for the trip home and knowing his schedule and cries, etc., a party store was found to get some water as we were under an ambush. Of course, we didn't have anything to warm the water quickly either, so we needed to buy it warm... Yes, the only quantity that you could purchase it was by the case. So, it had to be done. We will be sure to carry a bottle/extra bottle of water with us for those "just in case" events.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! From our family to yours, we wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. May your travels be safe, fun and exciting!

7 Weeks Old

Jacob is now seven weeks old and very much a growing boy. It was only two weeks ago when we went to a MSU vs. M party and Jacob's Michigan outfit was pretty big on him and there was a little concern that it was too big. Not so today though!! The onesie part of it is getting short, but the jacket and pants are things we can use for a little longer. Good thing today was the last game of the season for more than one reason...

The cradle crap on Jacob's face and the rest of him has subsided for the most part. The cortisone ointment really helped/helps. Hopefully, we won't really need to use it anymore. At least we still have the stuff to treat it if need be.

Well, I missed blogging about my first trip out with Jacob by myself, so I might just have a to type a little about the first and second... ;)! The first trip out was last Sunday because we needed some groceries. So, I decided that the timing was good and I didn't think Jacob would be too fussy. Well, the trip was a good one as Jacob was awake most of the time. He doesn't like being in his car seat if it isn't moving, so waiting in line was a little noisy, but nothing horrific at all. The second trip (today) was back to the same Kroger. This time, mom wasn't feeling well at all so I asked if she wanted me to take him and she said if I didn't mind. So, I took him again, but this time he fell right asleep after we got out the door and slept most of the time we were gone. I think I must have pooped him out playing with him earlier because we have been home an hour and he is still sleeping away...

Let's hope my "buddy" gets better because we are supposed to be going to the Lion's game tomorrow together for my birthday... I thought about renting a movie and hanging out, but I figured she would just sleep through it like I normally do, so why bother... We BOTH could be sleeping through it... So today, I have been pretty much a solo parent as I started the day at 4:00 am and have been playing keep away from mommy so Jacob hopefully doesn't get sick...

Big Changes For Amy...

After many discussions and calculations it was decided that Amy will not be going back to work at Danmar Products after her leave ends (already ended). The decision for Amy to leave did not come easy as she had been working for them for about 11-1/2 years. We feel it is much more beneficial for Jacob and our family that Amy spends more time with him in the early months of his life. The long drive (over an hour on a good day one way) would take too much time from us and is no longer in our family’s best interest. This is not the end of Amy’s career life, but it will be on hold for a few months.

Many of you may know that Amy has been working toward her associate’s degree in human services on and off for a few years. She is currently taking an online class at Washtenaw Community College as a part of our plan. Taking a class this semester was a tough decision, but has worked out for the most part. It has been challenging at times for her, but overall I think she is handling it all pretty well. I can’t speak from experience on how a woman feels during pregnancy or just after having a baby, but Amy was able to get through it without missing much. I think at times she was a little too optimistic about how much she could get done at the last second, but she has learned to budget her time a little more wisely.

Taking a class here and there hasn’t been an issue in the past for Amy and me. Through our discussions we have also decided that now would be a great time for Amy to go to school full time. It was determined that by going full time for one semester and then taking her internship along with one or two classes, she could be done with her schooling in two semesters. So as long as scheduling classes works out, Amy will be graduating in the summer and will then be looking for a job close to home.

Amy and I will be making one last official trek back to Danmar so that she can clean out her desk, etc. and also attend a gathering after hours so that those who wish can wish her good luck on her future. This will be a bittersweet day of saying “see you later”, and not goodbye…

Mission Impossible... Accomplished!!

Oh what a tangled web of getting something completed on the down low. As you may or may not have seen, I purchased a mother/child pendant and a strong chain (don't remember the style, but I got it because it was stronger) along with the service plan. This was due to knowing that a baby was on the way. This was given to mom for Mother's Day.

The plan was to take the mother/child pendant once the baby, who we now know as Jacob, was born and we/I knew the official month of birth to get his birthstone added to the pendant. I wasn't sure how this would work, but was told that the mother has to take all of her jewelry off during the delivery and I could take in to the store then and could have it back in a couple of days...

I'm not sure how this was still really a secret at this point, but fortunately mom was still in the dark or just forgot because of her baby brain ;)! We needed to get our jewelry cleaned and checked. The store manager recognized me and the pendant and came over along with many others that night and said that Amy needed to get a stone in it... I wanted to get out of there faster than a fraidy cat with a ghost following it on Halloween!!! I thought for sure my cover would be totally blown and now it would be Amy's idea. The saving grace was that Jacob's due date was right between months. So, we were able to get out of there unharmed.

Now for the birth... Amy did not have to take off any of her jewelry including the necklace and some earrings. What to do? What to do...???? I know, I will ask Amy's sister to help!! Well, either right before or right after the birth, Amy made a comment that she was very glad to have the mother/child pendant that she could wear since she couldn't/wasn't allowed to wear her wedding ring and that there was NO way that she was taking it off. The day after the birth came a prime opportunity for Abby to ask Amy to take it off and without any hesitation, a firm "NO!!" came from Amy. So, I backed off and figured I would work something out after everyone went home from the hospital.

A few days passed and I gave in and told Amy what I wanted to do. After a few more days went by, we went in and got the estimate, etc. I was a little frustrated because the couple of days turned into a couple of weeks, etc. However, we now have the updated piece of jewelry in hand.

Amy had no idea all of the stuff/stories that I had about the whole ordeal. She was very touched with all of the effort that I put into her pendant/necklace after I told her and just couldn't believe all of what went on... Here is the final (although a little dirty) product...

Pediatrician Follow-Up Appointment

Jacob’s follow-up appointment from last week went well. His weight was checked and he is now 10 pounds, 12 ounces which the doctor was delighted with his weight gain. Our boy is definitely filling out and isn’t too chubby yet. You would think as much and as often as he eats, he would REALLY be porking out…

The new formula seems to be okay with the little dude, but the relief of #2 seems to be a little difficult, but the doctor wasn’t concerned. Soy milk does causes “things” to be a little more solid. Amy and I had already talked about this after doing some more research (Amy did…) and started feeling that the gun may have been jumped last week when the formula was changed. So, we are going to finish up the soy stuff we have and go back to the Nestle Good Start. If there is another situation, then we will just get back to the soy on our own. Amy would rather not have him pop out an eye ball because he is pushin’ so hard for #2.

Not sure if anyone has noticed because the pictures can be a little bit difficult to decipher, but Jacob has had some redness and funky skin on his cheeks which has spread to behind his ears, etc. We also noticed that he had/has cradle cap or “crap” as Amy would say. What we didn’t know was that cradle crap doesn’t just show up on a baby’s head. It can be on his face, etc. So, Jacob has cradle crap on his cheeks, ears, chin, head, etc. Never fear, mom was on the on the trail already and purchased exactly what the doctor was going to suggest. It is a Eucerin product for babies.

Jacob also has some baby acne slightly above his private area, so we are to put Desitin on that. Basically what I am trying to say is that Jacob is just one big slime ball when he gets all lathered up in all of his goo!!!

So, everything seems to be going right along with the flow without any big issues. Let’s hope that we can stay out of the doctor’s office until his 2 month appointment in a couple of weeks.

3 Weeks Revisited

Yep, I/we have been holding out on some pictures... We/I weren't/wasn't sure what pictures or styles we would be using to come up with our announcements. Many of you may have them, but there are still a few that haven't gotten theirs because they aren't in the mail yet. However, they will be shortly after we get a few more addresses. We apologize for the delay in getting them out. It took a little time to find the right place to print them. It is pretty amazing how different the pictures can be when you send the same exact layout to different vendors. There were pluses and minuses with all. Here is the link to the 3 week pictures revisited.

Jacob got his second bath tonight where he wasn't screaming bloody murder through the whole ordeal. He seems to be getting used to being back in liquid again. Actually, he hasn't relieved himself in the water the last two times either. No, I definitely not saying he is getting potty trained by any means or even knows not to pee in the water. I am just saying that it was nice not to have to pull him out of the water almost immediately or rinse him off EXTREMELY well!!! :)!

Tomorrow is the follow-up doctor visit for Jacob with the new formula. Things seem to be going better and we are now pretty much always giving him four ounces and one occasion even five. He is definitely filling out, but doesn't seem to look like a "porker"... or at least not yet!! Mom has some questions for the doctor that we might as well ask while we are there. So stop back late tomorrow to see how the visit went...

Smile At Daddy?

You tell me! Is this a smile at daddy or just wishful thinking and it is only gas? Mom has had Jacob smile at her at least three times, one of which when I was leaving so maybe he was just happy to get rid of me...

Well, it is only a little smile kinda sorta, but it is a start to something bigger...

6 Weeks Already...

Our little boy has sure changed in the past six weeks as I am sure all of you with kids or have been close to babies know. To go from a little baby that is so fragile and not knowing a thing to being a little less fragile ;)! with eyes open and starting to follow things is quite an accomplishment. Jacob definitely knows mommy and daddy's voices and tends to follow the voice and/or looks for the voice when he hears them. He is also watching us as we move around. Of course, he still can't really see us when we are walking around, but he can at least tell it is us by our voice and that our figures are moving. He is already intrigued with the flashing/flickering lights of the tv. Let's hope we don't have a couch potato on our hands, although I am sure a couch potato once in a while will be good...

Jacob is beginning to get a little interested in toys, but isn't quite there in understanding the concept yet. He is definitely beginning to show his personality and looks like he will be following in his mom's footsteps at a young age. He really enjoys being entertained and active, which is why we are looking forward to him playing with toys and hopefully being able to entertain himself on occasion. This will all come with time.

The formula situation at this point seems to have worked itself out, but we still have a few days to really know for sure. He is definitely becoming a bigger eater as we are on the doorstep of giving him 4 ounces when he eats. 3 ounces every hour and 45 minutes just isn't cutting it anymore... So, we have been alternating between 3 and 4 ounces depending on how long we would like him to sleep. Yes, he is a pretty good sleeper and is difficult to wake up. It won't be long and mom and I, well mostly mom, will be able to sleep most of the night, if not all (well, okay 5-6 hours...).

We are definitely enjoying our little/getting no so little dude. You always hear "enjoy them as much as you can because they grow up so quickly..." It is really true as I/we can now relate. It is already somewhat difficult to remember how small he really was only six weeks ago. Good thing we took a lot of pictures, eh? LOL!!!

New Formula Status

The new formula has now been used for about two days and Jacob seems to be a little better. He is still being fussy as it took a week to get to the point of pain and will probably take a little time to alleviate it. The latest report is that his "tooter" is working much better which will hopefully give him some quicker relief. You can also tell that he is feeling a little better because his cheeks aren't near as rosy as they were. So let's hope this new formula is allowing Jacob to be on the way to being a good baby once again!!!

Not sure if it has come up or not, but Jacob does has some baby acne or bumps like acne due to receiving blankets, etc. rubbing up against his cheeks. The pediatrician wasn't concerned with this as we were either... As long as you are there, you might as well ask.

You Don't Want To Be That Parent...

No, you don't want to be the parent that calls the doctor every two seconds, but at the same time you want to be sure that something isn't really wrong...

Jacob had a rough night last night and some of the late afternoon yesterday. This morning was no different and he became extremely worse about 8:15 am. Jacob was unconsoleably screaming and went on and on until about 10:15 am when mom decided that something must be wrong because his crying was different and a mess hadn't been found in the rear of his diaper for at least 12 hours which has not been the norm. Mom called the pediatrician to see if there was something that she could do or what it might be. Some checking was done and there wasn't an opening. The person who answered the phone went away and came back and by that time, Jacob had started his episode again. The office person said "Oh my, he shouldn't be screaming like that!". With that she said to bring him in and they would be sure to have a doctor see him.

Mom loaded them up and were off to the doctor in 15 minutes. Upon arrival, mom was asked who was there to seem them and she said Jacob. She responded with "Oh, he quieted right down to come to the doctor's office..." That's all Jacob needed to hear as he quickly became loud once again.

It didn't take long for the doctor to see Jacob. He asked some questions about the introduction of the formula from the last visit and whether or not he was/has still been getting breast milk (which he has been). The doctor checked Jacob's stomach and found it to be distended. So, basically, the formula Jacob was put on the last time he was at the doctor wasn't the right kind, so we have now been introduced to Enfamil Prosobee which is more of a soy formula. The prior formula just wasn't being digested well.

Jacob is doing much better this evening, but is still having a little bit of a trying night. He is definitely alleviating some gas troubles with tooting and belching. He is making his mommy proud.... ;)!! Mom is to completetly cut out any dairy products until she is finished with breastmilk production. The doctor didn't say that Jacob is necessarily lactose intolerant, but we are just going a different route because his digestive system just might not be as tolerant of some formulas yet. Jacob is scheduled for a follow-up visit next Tuesday. It takes about a week for a baby's body to let you know whether or not it agrees...

Oh, by the way, Jacob is 9 lbs, 15 ounces.

M vs MSU Football Party!!

Here is Jacob getting into his pregame warm so that he is focused for the game...

Jacob can be fussy when Michigan is not doing well... The day started off with a trip to grandma's house followed by a quick stop at home and off to the party. All the while we were on the road Jacob basically slept the day away and was very content. Even after getting to the party, he was sound asleep while the women were anxiously awaiting him to wake up so that they could see his eyes and hold him.

The game is now nearing the end of the 3rd quarter and going into the 4th when Jacob became "unsettled". Jill and Michele took turns along with mom and dad trying to console the newest Wolverine fan in the group. Fortunately, the Wolverines started rallying and we were able to console Jacob. Thanks Michele for taking a loooonger turn in using your motherly ways to calm him down. I'll bet you didn't think a little guy like that could/would spit up so much/so many times... Thanks Jill for letting Michele snag a shirt to use!!!!

After the game was over, a round of Happy Birthday was sung to the old man who was requested to sit in the family birthday chair. I was honored to sit in such a chair. There were many smiling kids who just couldn't wait to dive into the cake. There were many claiming dibs on the football!!

A great time was had by all by all and the best thing was that Michigan claimed victory once again. Maybe next year some poor lonely State fans will be brave enough to show their face(s)... Right Dorf?!?!?!

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's Forty!

Yep, that's right!! Doug has reached the ripe age of 40. Turning 40 was just like any other day with a 5-week old. I took the day off and the two days before to enjoy some family time.

Birthday morning started off with getting up with Jacob first thing (5:30 am) for his feeding and changing. Mom had been up a good amount of the night and needed a break. After a little while Jacob settled down, so we were off to the basement with Jacob in his bouncer to play a game of PS2. It was a morning with Jacob. After mom got some shut eye, she was off to do some errands. She could only stand being away from Jacob for an hour and was back, besides, her errands had been completed. This was only the second time that she had been away from Jacob since he was born.

Not wanting for anyone to make an "adult" lunch, dad decided he wanted to go out to eat. A burger was sounding good, so we loaded everyone up and were off to Fuddruckers. We waited until the lunch rush was over and were able to have most of the restaurant to our oruselves.

Back to home we went, where Amy gave me my presents. To my surprise, I received Lion's tickets for the game with the Giants on November 18th. She said that I could take a buddy and go. Without hesitation, I asked her to go with me. After all, she is my buddy so why would I think of anyone else???... So, if it works out, we will be going to the game together.

Not to settle for being 40 and everyone thinking it is old because I don't... Grandma came over to watch Jacob and Amy and I headed off to Great Lakes Crossing to hang out at Gameworks. We had fun just bee bopping around the different games and Amy was able to play one of her old time favorites, Frogger. We ate dinner at Benningans after changing our minds a few times because we didn't really want to wait anywhere. When dinner was over, we were asked if we wanted dessert and we both said no. Of course, Amy then persisted and said, "Are you sure that you don't want any dessert for your birthday?" Our waitress quickly asked, "It's your birthday? You have to get dessert!" So, after some discussion we decided to stay and share a dessert (it had ice cream and wouldn't have made the short distance home...) Oh boy!! I heard one clap and knew I was in for it. Amy asked, "What is that?"... Oh, I knew... Time to embarrass Doug!! Yep, before you knew it there were about 15 people around our table clapping and announcing it was my 40th. The harrassment wasn't too bad and it was cheap entertainment for the large table next to us with a lot of kids. Glad I could bring them some entertainment at my expense... ;)! It was pretty fun watching them clap along. A boy about 6 years old hollered over "Happy Birthday!!" after the singing was complete.

It was a great evening and mom did well knowing that mom and dad were both away from Jacob. She said the first half hour or so and then the last hour were the worst, but she was a real trooper and only called once... We had a great evening out for the first time by ourselves in 5 weeks.