6 Month Photos

Amy and I are definitely developing an appreciation/understanding of what it takes for pictures of children to turn out. I know I have mentioned this before, but to plan an appointment just for the photographer to be running behind is something we are glad we don't have to do. Couple this with trying to keep a child in a good mood, etc. and you can easily spell disaster. I bring this all up because we have not had much success in the way of taking our own 6 month photos. Fortunately, we decided to take some photos of Amy's niece and nephew with Jacob. During this mini shoot was when we were able to get this shot in Jacob's Easter outfit. There are others, but we are reserving the copyrights/proofs ;)! for a first review by those in the photos to protect the innocent... Okay, so maybe I am not the best at wording things at times :-O! Just keeps this blog in the raw.

We will continue this week to try and get the photos that we have planned and then post the best one or ones on the blog and post the remainder in our photos. More than likely, it won't be until the weekend though.

Baby Jumping Bean?!?!

The debate has came to a close... We have been debating as to whether or not the purchase of a jumping contraption would be worth getting. After all, the living room is already just one huge romper room for Jacob as anyone that has had a little would understand. We didn't think it was worth purchasing a new one for only a few months. Although this is not the season for garage sales, http://www.craigslist.com/ does work. A few contraptions were already sold, but we did find one that was available used, so we headed to Oxford to get one. We killed two birds with one stone as we jetted over to Babies R Us as well to pick up stuff with our coupons...

Upon our arrival at home, the Rainforest Jump-a-roo was assembled. However, what the heck is this? Why is it about 10 feet tall? Jacob will never be able to touch the ground in this until he graduates from high school and even then it could be questionable. Okay, so that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but it was extreme nontheless... ;)! After taking an engineering look at this new piece of living room architecture, it was found that there really was an adjustment hidden underneath the bouncy platform. The necessary adjustment was made and was now the right height for our little guy.

Jacob wasn't very sure about his new toy. All of the new monkey and elephant sounds were something quite different from his Exersaucer. The puzzled look on his face quickly turned into smiles from the new sounds. I think the monkey sound is his favorite. Jacob was frozen at first as he felt the tipsy nature of his lack of balance. If he didn't move, he felt safe. It wasn't long before he gave up on being safe and was bouncing around a bit while spinning and checking out the new play things lined around him. Let's hope that he uses it more than a month that the previous owner noted when picking it up!

Asleep On Dad!

I kinda forgot about this picture, but Jacob's mother just had to take this picture. I hope you feel that it is/was worth not just putting it in our photos... This could be a good one to bring back on graduation day... ;)!

Oh What A Relief It Is!

Amy was relieved to hear in her math class today that she passed her LEE exam and is now able to register for her next/math class. Not only did she surpass the 75% required, she also got an A. It didn't take long after she could register that she took advantage of it and did. So, she is now on track once again to graduate this summer. Credits include statistics, biology and her internship.

6 Month Well Baby Visit

Jacob went to see Dr. Dodge today for his 6-month check-up. The nurse checked out his measurements first and he is now 17 pounds, 2 ounces and 27 inches long. This puts him just over the 50th percentile for both and is following the normal curve of growth.

Dr. Dodge checked Jacob out and found nothing to be an issue with the exception of his left eye. We were given a prescription of what Jacob had initially that he became immune to, but enough time has passed to try using it again. There was also some discussion about the drops that Jacob was using most recently and Amy noted how Jacob really hates them and acts like they bother him. The doctor said that the drops don't bother kids. Well, when he checked the chart, he admitted that what Jacob was using does indeed burn. There were some other issues similar to this and he just didn't seem to explain anything or even listen to us. He talked about adding food to his diet when we have already been doing it for two months and he then noted about cutting back on eating cereal in the morning and baby food in the afternoon. When questioned, no real answer or discussion was given. This may be the last visit with him. Amy and Jacob's favorite only takes appointments on Tuesday and future scheduled appointments will be able to be on Tuesdays because more than likely, Amy will not have any classes on Tuesday. If for some reason we end up with Dr. Dodge again and I am there, I think we will need to bring closure to our needs and not just get the run around...

Jacob was a real trooper this time. He did get two shots this time and started crying with the first and actually ended not too long after the second. His mother was concerned about his pain threshold because when she tore the band aid off later, he did not even flinch from the pain. Perfect for being able to play professional sports maybe?!?!... Only time will tell... ;)!

Awaiting An A

We are anxiously awaiting to find out if Amy passed her LEE exam that she took today. Not only did this exam count towards her current math class, but it also will be entered on her transcript and also requires a 75% or better to be able to register and take the next and final math class for her to graduate. Registration is already open for the next term and the class that she wants is really filling up. Let's hope that she will once again find out that she has received another A!! and will be registering for her last of 3 classes for the summer and her graduation!!!

On a side note, I have added photos to the 4 to 5 months photos even though they are really 5 to 6 month photos. I will probably update them, but wanted to get them out there. Actually, I didn't even realize that another month has past. Jacob is such a fun loving kid that he really makes the time go by too fast...

HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter!! We hope that everyone was able to enjoy the day spending time doing whatever you wanted to do. As for us, we spent it at home while Amy made a great dinner and had one of Jacob's Grandmas over. Unfortunately, Jacob didn't have a great day today. He woke up with something bothering him as you can see he just wasn't feeling himself today in the picture. He has had moments of great giggles and other moments not so good. His teeth have definitely been bothering him for at least a part of the day along with a bad belly...

Not To Be Outdone

It was time to, can you believe it? Head back to Great Lakes Crossing... After being there the last two weekends, it was time to pick up the Easter Bunny pictures since there wasn't enough time during the week and I couldn't do it at lunch like I had wanted to. We talked about heading up Thursday night so that we could get the pictures and Amy was craving Chinese... When doesn't she... Anyway, we decided against it and picked Friday to go.

Suffice it to say that we now have the Easter Bunny pictures and did a little more shopping, but this time, it wasn't for us, but more of just getting out and getting some exercise... And, of course, more Chinese for Amy...

Jacob Meets The Easter Bunny!

This post should have really been added last Saturday, but this week has been hectic with work, school, etc. A couple of weeks ago when Jacob and I had a father/son day, we were at Costco and I noticed a sign that said the Easter Bunny would be here on Saturday (one week later) and that you could get your picture taken with him (her in this case). It was to raise funds for the Children's Miracle Network, so it enticed me even more. Unfortunately, it was at a Costco that was way past the closest one. I did ask if all of the Costcos were doing it and they said no.

When I got home and told Amy about the deal with the Easter Bunny, it was set. We were going to Costco the following weekend (last weekend). In the meantime, Amy went shopping for an Easter outfit for the grand meeting and to be sure that Jacob was well dressed for this first meeting. We thought getting there early would beat the crowd. Much to our surprise, at least at first, there was no crowd at all. After all, this was the Easter Bunny for charity, but not well advertised. We weren't expecting much, but the Easter Bunny and surroundings were totally awesome and well worth the trip. Here's Jacob's first meeting that of course I had to take in addition to the photographer there...

After meeting the Easter Bunny, it was time for Great Lakes Crossing. We tooled around there for about 4-5 hours or so while shopping basically for Jacob or that is how it happened. With the weather being a little warmer, we decided it was time to try the stroller out with Jacob sitting up in it and without the need for the car seat. Jacob loved this because he was able to sit up like a big boy and see where he was going instead of staring at the boring ceiling the whole time. The week before, Jacob's dad had found some good deals on clothes for basically next year and later this summer. Having the fear of getting some duplicates (which did happen), not much was purchased. Little did I know that the trip back to visit the Easter Bunny would entail Amy shopping for many hours... This was after I was given the raspberries about what I got. What do you expect when you can get articles of clothing for $0.99 and $1.99. I had a bagful for $10!! In that store alone, she spent double of what I had the week before... Of course, I had to chuckle because I just don't think she knew what was really all there.After shopping again at Great Lakes Crossing for the second time in two weeks, Jacob was done with the day. Mom... dad... I have enough of this, let's go home Jacob told us with his body language. So, we agreed and went home...

Jacob Is Happier

Well, it has been about a week or more since we have gone back to the more expensive, easier to digest formula. Jacob has definitely reacted positively to going back to what he knows. He is less gassy, fussy and is generally much happier. He is definitely MUCH more "regular" too. Hopefully, with all of this going on, he will begin sleeping through the night again too. If he is happier and stays up later at night, we are hoping that he will once again be sleeping through the night. With him not feeling the best, or at least as good as he could be, he has been going to bed earlier which we're sure was/is part of the issue.

Tonight Jacob has really been squealing/shreaking a bit and singing along with Dancing with the Stars that we taped and have finally been able to watch. Jacob's favorite shows are ones that have singing/music in them as well as racing. Jacob's exersaucer has seen some changes too as we have exchanged a couple of the toys with new ones and are now changing up the locations of them to try to keep playing in it fun. We are thinking about the possibility of getting a jumper type toy, but haven't decided whether or not we will bite the bullet on that one...

There's the scoop of the moment. Gotta run and pick Jacob up because it is getting to be that time of night...

Rub-a-dub-dub!

Rub-a-dub-dub, Jacob is in the tub. I have been hearing about all of the fun in the tub and got out the cameras, etc. and Jacob made a liar out of his mother. No playing in the water, grabbing the spout, etc. I am still sharing some of the pictures and we will continue trying to get more of the fun captured for you to see. Wish us luck... :D!

A Few Giggles

Jacob is a little shy from the video camera so his giggles were definitely stifled a bit, but we were still able to get a few. We will keep trying to get the big ones and his big smile. He is definitely teething at the moment, so you know that he is not always himself, but he sure tries to be. Yes, this was from last Sunday during the NASCAR race as you will be able to here it. Jacob really likes NASCAR so far and keeps trying to check it out.

Trial & Error

Sometimes things may not work or sometimes too much change may not be a good thing... Whatever the case may be, we have gone back to using the more expensive formula. After getting the doctor's opinion about changing to a less expensive formula and taking the first step with Similac/Enfamil and making an attempt, we have decided to stay with the Good Start. We were giving Jacob the formula for a week or so and found that he is no longer sleeping through the night and is crankier during the day. Another change was adding bananas to Jacob's diet which can sometimes cause constipation o which seems to be becoming an issue. Combine the change in formula, addition of bananas and teething and what do you get, a fussy Jacob. Any one of these things could be causing the change in Jacob. So, prior formula and limiting the amount of bananas is the game plan moving forward. Jacob is now in the start of the second day, so it is still too early to tell if the reverting back will help or not. It is worth a shot on our part, regardless.

Looks like this trial has ended up in error, but we are still waiting to see.

On The Go..

Be careful of what you wish for because it might happen, right? Jacob has reached the point of no return, well almost. He has reached the point of not to expect him to be where you left him on the floor when you walk out of the room and come back. After shopping for several hours with his dad earlier in the day, he was all about rolling all over the floor when he got home and had the area to roam. He's not sitting up or crawling yet, but he is definitely building his muscles and his mind to do so. When the balls he wants are out of his reach, he is now trying to roll to them. He doesn't always guess the right direction or know exactly what to do to get there, but he is already setting goals and working toward them.

Jacob has definitely been a happy-go-lucky kid. We were at a number of stores including Great Lakes Crossing and he was just taking it ALL in. He was definitely inquisitive when I would try to feed him. He would watch every person go by on either side of us and wasn't much into actually drinking his bottle. He would want the bottle in, but then lose focus and forget what to do with it. This continued even when there wasn't the distractions. All in all though, he was still smiling all day and really enjoying the father/son outing.

The father/son outing was a great time to bond. It was also used to help Amy study for her three exams, do a 3-page paper and also work on some math homework. Not all of it got done as she is not a superhero, but she does have Sunday and Monday to work on the rest and be ready to get 3 more A's!!! In recognition of her hard work along with the pursuit and acceptance of her internship with her first choice in Royal Oak, Jacob and I thought it would be nice to get her some flowers for doing a great job. We also thought it would be something to add color and give her something to look at and relax her while she is studying. After all, it is getting to be that time of year where everyone is getting cabin fever. The mall showed it and we are starting to feel it some as well.

Betcha Can't Tell...

Betcha can't tell who fed Jacob this morning. I'll give you 3 guesses and will even give you a clue that it wasn't Frankie... LOL!!

How 'bout one more clue?!?! It wasn't Amy either... Hee! hee! hee!!

Banana Time

Bananas, B - A - N - A - N - A - S is what Amy has been singing all night tonight. Jacob ate the selection of his people ;)! bananas tonight. It was delayed a night because Jacob didn't have a good day yesterday. We feel that Jacob is definitely teething and just had a rough day. Anyway, back to today. I received a call on the way home asking where I was at because Jacob was starting to get really hungry and was becoming vocal about it. I was pushing the button for the garage door, so I zoomed into the house and picked Jacob up to say hi. Amy was pulling the bananas out of the cupboard and away the bananas went.

Jacob seems to like bananas. I think it might have taken a little bit to get used to the flavor, but before they were done, Jacob was opening his mouth, sticking out his tongue and ready for the next spoonful. Be sure to check out the 5-6 month photos as there is more footage there of some of his faces... All adorable, of course!!

Fun Center From Colgate-Palmolive

The latest on the Fun Center competition is that all nine of the hospitals that were in the competition will be getting a Fun Center. They noted due to the passion of the amount votes (I think this is blowing sunshine) that all nine hospitals will receive a Fun Center. In addition, the hospital with the highest number of votes would receive a second Fun Center. So, Detroit Children's Hospital will be receiving two Fun Centers!!!

On a side note, I know Royal Oak Beaumont received a Fun Center as a part of last year's competition. Amy and I did see a TOTALLY AWESOME activity center at Royal Oak Beaumont while we were taking our tour and while Jacob was being born, etc. I don't know if this was the result of the competition or not, but it is better than anything I have seen in hospital for kids. There were high def. tvs, 3 wheelers, tons of books, play houses and many other mentionables. If there are future competitions for hospitals in our area, please let me know and I will be sure to add a link... This is something definitely worthwhile for our little ones, but let's just hope none of us have a need to use them.

Fruit Poll

The voting in the fruit poll has concluded and the winner is bananas. Bananas are on hand and ready to be eaten by Jacob. Thank you to those who voted! Bananas may be introduced to Jacob either tomorrow or Thursday depending on the timing of his wants and if his daddy is home or not. Frankie has a doctor appointment tomorrow, so all parties may not be available at the right time. We will take those precious photos and video of Jacob's first fruit to share with you all... Let's hope Jacob likes his fruit!

Playing On The Floor

Just a little video of Jacob playing with his feet on the floor...

The Tadpoles

I'm not sure how many of you remember or read about one of my fraternity brother's twins or not. They were born about 4 months premature after one of their sacs broke. I am very glad to say that they are both home now. They went home a week or so ago and are doing well. Although they were both born at around 1-1/2 pounds and 4 months early, they are now over 6 pounds and don't seem to be having any majore issues. The twins and their parents have definitely been through a lot and now their life together is really beginning. I have been waiting on giving an update so they could make it home and also so that Amy felt okay with their pictures. She was pretty emotional seeing them born so early and considering they were born a month after Jacob while they weren't due until February. They went home at a little over 4 months old and only just reached their due date. A wild story with a GREAT ending!!

If you haven't check their website out along the way, here it is once again to check out how they are doing now... http://www.thetadpoles.com/.

Fun Center Voting Has Closed

Voting for a fun center has been closed as of 2/29/08. The website said to check back on March 4th to see who gets the fun center. It showed that Detroit was in the lead as 1:00 yesterday by less than a per cent over Houston, so let's hope we had a rally at the end of the day!!! I'll check later and let you know how it went.