Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!! Please don't mind me, I am watching balloons and stuff at a parade.

Hallways Are New Found Fun

Oh how Jacob is getting bigger and bigger. With every little bit of growth, he becomes increasingly more mobile. This also makes it more and more fun and challenging at the same time.

Jacob has made a couple of visits in recent days to the hospital where his grandma has now been for over a week. Upon our arrival, he was fine with playing in the room on the floor and was pretty content. He would watch people walk by in the hall and back and forth by him (for the lady next to his grandma) and was okay. Then, there were many visitors stopping by to see Jacob and say hi because they thought he was so cute. I think this intrigued Jacob, so had to venture to the door and check out where these people were coming and going from. He hung right by the door as he likes to see his mommy or daddy to know they are right there…

It didn’t take Jacob take long to figure out that these nice people looked like they were having fun walking in the hallway, so he had try it too! After all, he doesn’t have any hallways like this at home and there was plenty of room to roam. It was time for Jacob to start getting exercise up and down the hallway by playing chase. Of course, Jacob was the one getting chased. He would look over his shoulder to make sure you were there and giggle so hard at times that it would cause him to fall. This kept him occupied for quite a while and he was being very good. Then it was time for daddy to get a drink from the fountain and this changed things… Of course, Jacob wanted to get a drink too, or so I thought ;)! Little hands began playing in the water which was fun for him. So much fun that he didn’t want to leave the fountain. This is when the walks in the hallway stopped at every fountain that he found. This was coupled with it being nap time, so we decided it was time to go.

Not to be outdone, Grandma G. had to get into the action too! She walked to her doorway and watched Jacob fly (as fast as a new walker can…) down the hallway toward the elevator. A quick look over his shoulder and wave to Grandma G. and onto the elevator we went…

FYI – We are hoping that Grandma G. heads home tomorrow. As long as the oral medication works, she will be out of the hospital for Thanksgiving.

A "Little" Mystery

Recently, I received a text noting how the washer was not draining and that Jacob’s coat was in it because it was in desperate need of being cleaned. There were a number of texts that flew back and forth, did you do this, did you check this, what sound is it making, etc. Nothing seemed to be working…

Upon inspection, there indeed was water in the washer. After an attempt or two of running the washer, yup, the water is not pumping out. Uh oh! What’s this, water on the floor… Better check the basement, yep, water there too! Are the hoses hooked up? Check! Are the hoses dry? Check! Hmmm… Looks like the water flows over the sides when it is spinning. This is strange, I thought, but not the issue at the moment. After tearing off the front of the washer, I noticed a belt was about to fall off and wouldn’t you know it, it was a belt that included the pump. Must be time to replace it. So, a quick check online resulted in finding the cost of a new belt and also a location in the area to pick one up. This would be a good errand for Amy and Jacob to do.

Now we have the new belt. Let’s try putting it on. No problem! Let’s start the washer. Yeah!!! The pump is working as I can hear the water pumping. Let’s walk away so that it can finish the cycle… Okay, that’s long enough, let’s see if the water is all gone… NOPE!! Pretty still all there! Hmmm… What seems to the problem (also thinking, this can’t be good…)?!?! The belts move clockwise easily and the belts move OOOUUCCHH!!! That’s hotter than #@%&!!! and sticky. Better wait for the belt to cool down…

Hours later… Okay, so the belt moves easily clockwise and now counterclockwise (without getting burned this time). The motor turns, the pump did pump water, no screeching noises that Amy talked about. This sucks!! Well, I guess it is time to really start thinking about getting a new one, but it might be worth a shot talking to a repairman.

After the parade and since Jacob crashed upon getting in his car seat, we decided now would be a good time to run in to Maytag for some conversation. We talked about a number of different things and one of them being a small adjustment that is uncommon/doesn’t happen, but might work. There was also discussion of bearings, etc. and a potential $300 bill, which would mean just getting a new one for a little more. So, back home we went and check all the belts, etc. again. I started moving the pump belt in both directions again and it seemed to be working great in one direction and not so great in the other (as noted by the repairman or so I thought). Then I noticed the white component that I could see through the plastic top would stop in the same spot in either direction. I noticed this white before, but just thought it was a paddle that moved the water out and was there for a reason. Upon closer inspection and trying to figure out whether this needed to be there or not, the proverbial light bulb went off… AHA!! Amy, who was in the kitchen said did you figure something out? I replied with yep, I think one of Jacob’s socks is in the pump. With a little maneuvering of a screwdriver, VOILA! There was Jacob’s sock, with which Amy noted, I have been looking for that sock… Mystery solved!!

Jacob Goes To A Parade

On the coldest day of the year, or at least one of the coldest of this winter season, Amy and I bundled Jacob up and ventured to downtown Royal Oak for their Holiday Parade. Jacob wasn't too keen on the bundling part, but he eventually settled down and allowed all of the layers to be put on him.We loaded up and headed downtown. Upon arrival at a prime parking space, we unloaded the stroller and then started unloading Jacob only to realize that we forgot Jacob's coat. We decided all of the layers would keep him warm until we got there. So back in the stroller went and Jacob was locked back in so that we could make sure our child would stay warm...

A quick stop at home and back downtown again with still plenty of time before the parade started. However, we did lose our parking space. Oh well, we ended up finding a spot just as good.

Jacob had plenty of fun playing in the street before the parade started. This was only after a few trials and tribulations in his new "A Christmas Storyesque" attire. He definitely needed an adjustment period to wearing all of the layers and boots, etc. He never did get cold...

The parade kept sleepy Jacob's attention as he watched the parade pass him by while he was tucked away in his stroller. He was probably the most intrigued by the bands and definitely the Shriners in their little cars. The parade finished off with real reindeer and of course the guest of honor for the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus.After the parade ended, it was a slow stroll past the Fox 2 News team on the back to the car. It didn't take long for Jacob to crash in his car seat. I don't think we even pulled out of the parking space. Getting up at 5:30 am obviously caught up to him as he crashed hard at 11:00. I think Jacob is already looking forward to having another parade in his future.

Anyssa Plays Ball!

This news is a little old, but still great news to share. Anyssa triied out for the Freshman girls basketball team last week and found out that she officially made the team last Friday. It looks like she be starting at guard and will be a back-up forward. We are very excited and very proud of her for trying out and making the team. She is very excited to be a part of the team and has been working her butt off to get in shape for their first game in a week and a half or so. She will be wearing the number 21 for the Ravens. This is not her 1st, 2nd or even 3rd choice of number, but the jerseys are colorful and classy and she will do the jersey justice!

Jacob will now have one more sport to be able to watch and work to understand. I'm sure his basketball hoop in the basement will start getting a little more action as Anyssa steps through her moves and shows Jacob how to do it.

Look out Raven opponents, cuz here comes Nyssa!!!

Meal Time

Jacob is getting to be a better and more independent eater. He still has a ways to go, but he really wants to feed himself now. Not with his hands he says, as he wants to use a fork or spoon just like his parents and big sister. If he doesn’t get to use a utensil, a tantrum you will see. He still does use his hands, but for rice and chicken and many other things, he wants to be a big boy. Of course, one of his new things is to sit on your lap and eat off of your plate too, or if you are having a dessert (cookies, muffins…) he REALLY enjoys grabbing bits and pieces of those. We don’t understand why, but it seems that Frankie is hanging around Jacob a lot more, especially when he is eating… ;)! Okay, so maybe we do know and we also know that she has always known where her bread is buttered… sometimes literally… ;)! Frankie is also surprisingly very tolerant of getting her tail pulled, patted and not petted although Jacob is very good at petting too, along with getting her leg(s) pulled out from under her. Frankie does get cornered on occasion and does get fed up, but for going on 15 years old, she is very tolerant of this new littler person in her life.

It's Been A While

It's been quite a while since anything has been posted. Guess Amy should try and get back into it to cover for me... ;)! With the slowing economy, rumors of "census reductions" echoed in the halls at work. Unfortunately, the rumors were true and the census reductions were reality. I am very happy to say that I was not part of the reductions this time and feel very fortunate.

So, now it is back to enjoying life again. Jacob is back home after spending the weekend with his grandma and grandpa. He is really becoming quite the young lad and getting better and better on his feet. Now you see him, now you don't... While he was away, we added a pint-sized rocking chair to the living room just for him. We weren't home long as we sat down to watch the final NASCAR race of the season that Jacob quickly climbed in the chair to watch with us. Of course, his stay in his chair was short lived as he was down on the prowl again.

Sorry this post will be short too as he is now getting a bath and is DEFINITELY tired from the weekend and ready to go to bed...

Beep Beep Beep!

Jacob's new thing is to back it on up! He thinks it is hilarious that he can crawl and slide backwards on the tile or the carpet. Amy took Jacob out of his high chair and backed it up all the back to the stove with a grin from ear to ear on his face.

Great Day To Be Outside

After getting a call in the early afternoon from Amy that she had a migraine and was fighting it for hours, I was on my home to help. The weather was great and since Jacob hasn’t been outside much lately, I decided he should go to the park and play. So, I changed him out of his pajamas and we were off to enjoy the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, Amy had to stay back and take care of herself. For those of you that have lived a migraine, you know what she went/is going through… For those of you that haven’t like me, I/we can only imagine, but do know that it takes a lot out of a person.

After Jacob and I along with Anyssa (she got home from school right before we left) went to the park, we decided to hang out in the back yard a while. We were hoping to let Jacob play in the leaves, but all he wanted to do was play in the rocks or the dirt. We did get him out on his 4-wheeler too! It’s funny because he had a lot more room to roam and he didn’t really keep the button pushed. When he is inside, it is hammer down for Jacob when he keeps trying to drive through the furniture, walls, etc. We must have really worn him out because he wanted me to keep reading books to him (part of the bedtime ritual) so that he could go to bed. I really tried stretching not going to bed as long as I could, but he was either going to fall asleep in the living room or I was going to feed him and put him to bed early… We were able to stretch it out until about a ½ hour before his regular bedtime. After all, we didn’t want him to be up in the middle of the night rested and ready to go for the day…

Amy is feeling a little better, but still has to rest and get some more recovery time in...

Engine 5 To The Rescue

Engine 5 was able to take the night off and not have to go into the station. Although he was on call and ready to go at a moments notice, he was able to stay with his family and go trick or treating.

The big night of Halloween started off with the trek to Halloween Grandma's. After all, Grandma P. is a "Halloween Baby". Grandpa made dinner while Jacob showed off his increased walking skills, even in his shoes! After dinner it was time to get Jacob and his cousins dressed and ready for the stroll through Candyland at Aunt Ab and Uncle Jer's. As the face make up was going on Sydney, Jacob was very unsure that he knew who this transforming pirate was and was ready to get away. It didn't lake long for Jacob to warm back up to her though .

The stroll started off slowly for Jacob as he was ready to just chill and didn't seem to be overly excited. He was very intensely watching each and every passerby taken all of this new holiday in. This was much different and more interesting both for Jacob and his parents as he pretty much just slept through last year's stroll. With pumpkin and stroller in hand, Jacob's mom was the driving force in getting Jacob to meet many new people as he saw many different wrappers being put into his pumpkin.
As the day turned deeper into the night, Jacob was chowed down a cereal bar. After the devouring of the bar, we were all unsure whether it was an energy bar or Jacob decided that this Halloween thing is much better than he thought. He began laughing and clapping and genuinely getting very excited about seeing and meeting people. Maybe he just caught onto what was going on... ;)! It did help that Aunt Abby and his dad were playing with him.

Back at the fire house (at least that is what we will call if for this editorial), Jacob was put in charge by grandpa to hand out the candy. He did well until a mob came and he was lost in the shuffle. He was still fired up and walked all over in the darkness.

When the ghouls and goblins ceased to come, we shut off the light and went inside to celebrate the prized goblin's birthday along with the other birthdays that fall just before and after the Hallowed day. Jacob was still fired up and took part in eating some cake and ice cream. Jacob wishes to apologize to his mother publicly for not letting her get too much, if any of her cake. He hopes that next year he will get his own piece of cake so that his mother will be able to have some too.

As Jacob became wiped out from the day, we loaded up and headed home after a wonderful evening in "Candyland"...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Jacob Can Hear

If Jacob is ignoring us, he is either playing or just plain being stubborn. One thing we do know and have confirmed is that he can hear. Today we visited the hospital to get a few tests done. The first was actually hearing noises out of different speakers and then see if Jacob reacted or not. He reacted to all of them positively. The next was putting things in his ears, one at a time, which blew air to see if the ear drum was rigid or not. There was something behind his ears which was probably a little bit of fluid, but nothing to worry about. The last test was similar to the second, but took longer and made noises to see how the ear parts reacted. There was nothing found that would affect Jacob's hearing and all is well!!! We will be getting a report in the mail in the near future confirming the findings. Jacob did well and tolerated the task at hand.

Happy 13 Month Birthday Jacob!

Dr. Appointment - Follow-up

Today was Jacob's follow-up appointment from his one year. The follow-up visit was for part II of the flu shot and check-up on the status of Jacob's skin as well. There were also a few other things that we wanted to fill the doctor in on since we were there as well.

Jacob gained 5 ounces in the last month and now weighs in at 21 pounds, 11 ounces. Upon review of Jacob's skin, we are still having issues and the doctor has ensured us that we are doing what we should be doing and are better than most. Once again, she reaffirmed that fact that we need to continue running the vaporizer/humidifier at night, keep using regular lotion once and sometimes twice a day, plus using the greasy stuff before Jacob goes to bed. Also, if it looks like it has cleared up, keep using it, otherwise the next day his skin will be bad again. We did ask about seeing a dermatologist. The doctor said that she would recommend a dermatologist, but the only difference between what she/they have been doing and a specialist is that the other dr. would prescribed stronger steroids. We do see improvement when we stay on top of it, so we decided that we would forgo the dermatologist, at least for now.

During some discussion, Jacob did walk for the dr. while he was just in his diaper on the floor, so we filled her in on that as well as his improved pointing skills. She glad to see that he has advanced in this area and did notice it. So, up on the table he went to check out his ears. Good news, no fluid in his ears and they looked great. At this point, we discussed that Jacob isn't saying any words yet. He is saying dada and mama, but not as if he knows how to use them. We discussed how he is picking up on our conversations and commands, etc. The dr. recommended that Jacob get a hearing test to rule any issues there out. She knows that he is very vocal, but just doesn't want to overlook anything. So, we have a number to call to have this checked into.

So, Jacob basically got a good report with a couple of "homework" things to do. We need to keep exaggerating/emphasizing the pronunciation of words to help Jacob learn. One thing that Amy and I wish to know is what kind of a hearing test it is that Jacob would get. We know that he hears us and understands commands and things, but we don't know if they can tell how Jacob here's voices. Meaning, are they clear or just mumbo jumbo which is why he is not formulating words. Guess we either need to wait for the appointment or get on the good 'ol internet to find out...

A New Walker

Baby steps have been happening onesie twosie for a few weeks, but last week Jacob began putting many more together. He would only walk when he wasn't thinking about it or when there was only one person around. This meant that his mother would be the only one to catch him... That little stinker... Brings back memories of Amy saying the baby is moving and grab my hand and put it to her belly only for Jacob to stop.

Jacob is walking more often now and has been putting many more steps together. He is fairly solid when he does move, so it appears he is just being cautious and making on the best steps... heehee! Time for mommy and daddy to strap up those laces and be ready to go running after Jacob here, there and everywhere!!! LOL!