Do You Remember?

Do you remember today was the day that Jacob was initially scheduled to come into this world? Amy was scheduled to be induced today and then we were sent home after three hours. This is obviously something that we will never forget. There were many emotions for Amy and I a year ago today. We went from being nervous, excited and anxious to one of anger, frustration and disbelief. Something we were so looking forward to was taken from us. Maybe temporarily, but gone nonetheless. All of the emotions built up to get Amy through the day would need to be regenerate once again tomorrow... It was a lazy day that ended with us dining out one more last time without a child in our lives...

Will Jacob Be Under The Weather?

Jacob has been waking up the past couple of days not as himself. He eventually gets out of his funk, but we think that he might be coming down with a cold. We are hoping it is only a morning funk because being sick for your first birthday party wouldn't be a good thing. We are looking forward to having a great celebration with him tomorrow (yes, a day before his birthday... PLEASE, no one ever tell him... LOL).

Jacob Gets First Haircut!

After Amy trying to decide whether or not she wanted to cut Jacob's hair personally, if at all, an impromptu decision was made to get it cut. So, a trip to Carnival Cuts it was. Jacob chose to get his hair cut in the fire truck complete with steering wheel. He was a very good boy as he flirted with the "stylists" and kept driving to put out the fire. The only issue was that he liked to follow people to see what was going on. The girls were very good with him and he had fun as well. The girls wanted to give him all kinds of lollipops because he was so cute and good, but Amy had to say no since Jacob is not ready for those... yet! I say yet because he turns a whopping one year old on Sunday! Don't let the picture fool you, he was happy and having fun and so were the workers. Jacob was their only customer at the time so he was getting a lot of attention...

Tonight was "Curriculum Night" at the high school where we strolled around the high school as Anyssa. We attended 10 minutes in each of the six classes (Health, Biology, Algebra I, English, History and Spanish). We were tardy once because we had the quite the hike from way outside to the other side of campus. It didn't help that we had some slow pokes in front of us (about 10 women carrying up a stroller with a kid sleeping in it...). We were given a warning and were able to dodge detention and going to the principal's office. We were able to get Anyssa some extra credit for showing up and double extra credit in Biology for both Amy and I showing up. We didn't introduce ourselves, so we don't if Michigan Tech will get Anyssa brownie points or not, but the teacher and her husband both went to Michigan Tech so we shared conversation about that before she got into her blurb about her class.

When we got home, we were surprised that we couldn't find Jacob. We figured we would put him to bed when we got home. Jacob was so tired that Anyssa put him to bed and was sound asleep upon our arrival. Anyssa had a lot of fun with him while we were gone as she shared stories of the night. Jacob was on her right eating animal crackers, Anyssa was in the middle eating pretzels and Frankie was on her left eating one of her treats. It was a slumber party without the slumber... Anyssa is very much looking forward to the next time we leave the nest so that she can have Jacob all to herself ;)!

Colton Turns 7!

Our adventure today was new and exciting for Jacob as we traveled for Colton's 7th birthday party held at Chuck E. Cheese's today. Of course, this day was waaayyyy more exciting for Colton as it should be. Colton was having a ball with friends as they were making sure they touched every square inch of the play area. Up, down and around they went putting tokens in as the tickets flowed out and up and around the plastic maze in the ceiling.

The day would not be complete for Colton with out the presence of Star Wars. Grandpa Randy with his creativitiy and talent transformed the sugary and moist treat into a life sized light saber. Colton wasn't disappointed he couldn't play with this one though because he enjoyed eating it just the same. The cake was secure as many of the Star Wars characters surrounded the cake with their vigilant watch. These characters were even able to ward off the watchful and curiousity filled eyes of Jacob. Jacob was not able to break through the force field of the mighty jedi. (okay, so maybe I am not a Star Wars geek, so please give me a little room for at least trying... It has been probably almost 30 years since I have seen Star Wars). Oh, I forgot to mention that Chuck E. came out in person to lead the singing of Chuck E. Cheese's version of Happy Birthday...

After the cutting and eating of the cake, it was time for Colton to open his presents. It has yet to be confirmed why, but he went for ours first. He definitely knew we brought it for him, but we aren't sure whether or not he knew what it was. He did ask Amy if it was what he asked for or not and Amy just simply answered, "Maybe." Let's hope he enjoys/is enjoying our gift. We will have to ask him next week if he liked/still likes it.
On the way to the party, we (Amy, Anyssa and I) were wondering what Jacob would think of the big mouse. We waited until after the singing was done and things settle down a bit so that we could attempt for Jacob to meet him/her. As expected, Jacob was a little mouse shy, but didn't turn and run away or cry (as if he could because his mother had quite the grasp on the little guy).

Living On The Edge

OOOOoooo....!!! We are living dangerously on the edge. We have decided that Jacob has outgrown his smaller car seat and it was time for the big one to be put in at least one of the vehicles... I guess the bigger car seat is not living on the edge or dangerous, HOWEVER, we/I put it in forward facing a whole whopping 7 days early... SSsshhhh!!! Don't tell a soul... Other kids around his age have been known to not sleep because they are more vertical and forward facing, etc. Amy had a little concern, but on the way out today, Jacob was sleeping like a little boy like he didn't even notice a difference. This is great news because we usually plan naps, etc. for when he is in the car.

Gettin' The Hang Of It

Jacob is catching on and figuring our more things all the time as most little ones will and do. You will now find on occasion and becoming more frequent, Jacob waving Hi! He doesn't get the waving goodbye, but he doesn't like us leaving him anyway and probably is just refusing to... ;)! While mowing the lawn and doing yardwork, Jacob was going around the house to various windows and doors to find me. He would almost always wave when I would wave to him and sometimes even wave without me.

Aside from the waving, Jacob is now clapping on his and has been for a little bit. He sometimes gets really wound up, so much that you would think he was getting the biggest thrill of his life. Of course, the three of us clap and laugh along with him which keeps him excited.

On a downer note, Jacob woke up during the night for a first time in a while. Usually, he would go right back to sleep, but this it wasn't the case last night. He settled down at first and then couldn't really be consoled. Then his crying/screaming turned into what sounded like he was hurting, so we gave him some motrin. This helped, but didn't do the trick, so Amy was up with him the rest of the night. With only about 3 hours of sleep for the night, Jacob was a little cranky today (did get a morning nap and was then up the rest of the day), but really enjoyed driving the opposition's car while at Lowes. I guess Jimmy can be all bad for those NASCAR fans, after all, he did help us to move up in the standings this week... I heard from Amy that Jacob was quite a hit in the store as he was driving the car like a mack truck and driving both wheels as he was gleaming from to ear to ear and having the time of his life! So what started off as a downer in the early morning hours turned into a fun day... Well, Amy is totally wiped out, but Jacob hada good time... :D!

I'm so jealous... I think I might have to come up with a new project just so I can push Jacob around in the car/cart. Might have to go to the competitor and try out that orange 20 though... Just to check out the competition... ;)

Jacob To The Rescue!!

While working on the railing in the stairway, Jacob climbed up to the top so that he could direct me how to put the screws in. He was quite the climber and didn't have any issue navigating the stairs. I'm not sure if he is practicing during the day or not, but if he isn't, might he be a natural born athlete?

After dinner, it was time to clean the stairs with the Dirt Devil. Jacob not wanting the Dirt Devil to eat his daddy came flying up the stairs, crying/screaming the whole way to stop whatever was getting his daddy. I quickly snagged him up in my arms and turned off the red beast and Jacob quickly settled down. I comforted him and told him that I was okay at that the Dirt Devil wasn't hurting me. I'm not so sure he believed me though... I started the "red monster" again under Jacob's close supervision in my arms, I was able to continue and finish with the stairs. Jacob has gone from liking the vacuum cleaner and thinking it was funny to being deathly afraid of it. We are hoping that being held and being close to the little one that the fear of the big and little one subsides. Of course, it will eventually...

Jacob was quite the little helper for his daddy as he kept close eye on the hammer, making sure he knew exactly where it was at so he could hand it to me when I was ready. Hopefully, his helpful attitude will continue in the years to come...

First Family Pancake Day

Today was the first of probably many family pancake day. The new tradition will probably evolve over time, but today, dad took the helm and manned the griddle. No real big excitement with this first one, but dad, mom and Anyssa chowed and Jacob nibbled a bit. Jacob will have to do more of his share in the future... We'll give him the day off since his mother was feeding him cereal and fruit before he got to his own personal pancake. This is by far not the first time he has had pancakes, but it is the first time we have sat down as a family to eat them... Not a bad day to start the tradition since it has been doing nothing but rain today. In East Lansing, they received 1.75" between midnight and noon...

Jacob In The Box

For those that remember "Jack in the Box", our home has now been christened with a "Jacob in the Box". There may not be a handle to crank for him to pop him out, but he does make noise to get him out when he is stuck... Jacob climbed in and was standing in his toy box for a while and then decided he wasn't able to get out so he just sat down in it and started playing drums with his garden tools.
Jacob must have really been tuckered out tonight as he was up early from his nap today. Generally, he gets three bedtime stories and then his bottle and bed. Amy wasn't even through the first book when Jacob knocked away the book and spit out his pacifier while he zoned in and stared at his bottle. He gobbled down his bottle and was out. Obviously, Jacob is now in a good routine and knows it by heart. He also knows what the end result is and doesn't mind speeding up the process when he needs to... :D!

No Updates In A While...

Big stuff going on in the house and no time to even turn the computer on as things were moved, cleaned, painted and still in the process of being completed. I finally gave in to one of Amy's long time requests in changing things in the house. Many other of her lower priority changes were done, but her number one has now almost been completed. Jacob was away during most of the obnoxious messiness. Upon Jacob's return, he decided that he would check out the lamp on the floor and get into a new box of stuff. Right along with getting some styrofoam stuck on his head. He was a little taken back with the new room as there was no furniture and no toys for him to check out. He did, however, realize that he is now tall enough to pull himself up and look out the window.

While Jacob was away at his grandpa and grandma's, he was also able to go for a boat ride while grandpa let him take the wheel. Our sources say that Jacob just wanted to go in circles... ;)!

Jacob Walks One-Handed

Jacob walks one-handed may sound like a funny headline, but it does kinda make sense in our world... We went to the beach yesterday which may be the last time of the season and Jacob had a ball. So much that we think he forgot that he needed to hold something with both hands to walk.

Other than Jacob walking one-handed, he also became more comfortable with his float. We do have some video, but it was from when he was starting to get tired. We didn't get any video sooner because the rest of us were tossing the football around, etc. I was really whipping him around in it and he seemed to like it. After we were done, or so we thought, we started heading in to shore. Once Jacob felt his feet firmly on the bottom, he started walking around using the float as a little bit of support. He looked like he was 100 years old all hunched over, but he was doing it all himself.

Jacob is definitely becoming more and more comfortable with the water all of the time. With each visit, we see a greater comfort level. He is now chasing after footballs in the water (of course at a slow pace), but is willing to crawl around in the water to get what his sights have been set on.

After not taking a nap all afternoon and literally crashing very HARD when we were packing up to leave and getting an hour nap on the way home, Jacob was ready for the evening. "Hercules" as Anyssa nicknamed him for the moment decided to push the cooler around the house and then when it was found on the deck, he felt the need to play with the handle (like at the beach), up and down and then push it all around. Jacob is really enjoying the outdoors more and more all of the time.

Jacob Takes The Wheel

It didn't take long for Jacob to grab onto that wheel and start going. He has an instinct for driving and knowing what vehicles are. Jacob hopped up and onto Uncle Rob's new tractor (lawnmower). Since Jacob didn't seem to have a fear of this machine that he had never seen before, it was time to fire it up and go for a spin. He was all business and didn't show his excitement. We figured he must have really liked it because he was aaaahhhhing to the engine and bumps and one point and was overpleased about needing to get off, but that quickly subsided.

Jacob tried showing Chloe who was boss between them. Jacob kept reeling in her leash and sometimes giving it a good tug. They became much closer friends as Chloe was chasing (following) Jacob all around the dining and living rooms. Jacob kept checking over his shoulder to see if she was still on his heels. Chloe will probably really be looking for Jacob for a while after this trip. We hear that she kept watching the door and looking around for him after the last visit and he was much more fun this time... ;)!

Back to the Jacob knowing vehicles. Chloe has/had some stuffed NASCAR dog toys. Jacob went right for them and immediately start pushing them around the floor. Of course since a couple of them were Gordon and Johnson he started crashing those right away. Let's hope this is a prelude to what is going to happen in California this weekend. Looks like he knows who his mommy and daddy aren't rooting for :D!

Jacob Turns 11, Anyssa Turns 14!

Happy birthday to Anyssa and Jacob!

Anyssa is starting her second year of being a teenager, while Jacob makes one more step toward being a year old. We headed out to Bagger Dave's and got some burgers and fries. Jacob enjoyed watching the train go around the restaurant and was sometimes fussy because it wasn't in sight when it was in other parts of the restaurant. Evidently, it looks like he will be into trains at least for now.

Jacob is now saying momma more and more frequently, but we dont' think he has quite figured out that is a meaningful word yet. Amy is answering to it and I am not... heehee! However, I do acknowledge where his mommy is etc. when he says it. It's just a matter of time when he makes the correlation. I guess Jacob's first word will be momma. We thought it might be yuck after last night. Amy kept saying "yucky pucky" and "yuck" after dinner and Jacob decided he was going to try and start mimmicking the sound... I think Amy stopped just in case it really happened because then "momma" wouldn't be Jacob's first word...

Bath Time - A Little Older

Amy thought it had been quite some time since we took some pictures of Jacob in the bathtub. We have changed from the hard-sided tub with a sling, to just the tub, to a new inflatable tub. The toys are still the same, just a few more and a couple less. The reason for the couple less is that Jacob enjoys taking a bite out of them on occasion and then swallowing the plastic. So, those do get exchanged/replaced on occasion. Jacob enjoys his baths and sometimes more than others. We are able to splash him a little bit without too much turmoil... Well, not really any, but we don't dowse him either. Anyway, here are some pictures of Jacob in the tub, just a little older...What?!?! Are you taking a picture of ME??? I'm not so sure about this... I am going to have to give you a Jacob chop! Hiee yah!!!Boy!! This bath stuff sure wears me out!! Good thing mommy and on occasion daddy gives it to me right before I got to bed.

If It Isn't Nailed Down...

If it isn't nailed down and it is the right height or at least good enough, Jacob is pushing it around the house. It can be a toy that you are supposed to walk behind (which frustrates him when it stops because he hasn't figured out to turn it yet), a toy that rolls and it just works out that way or a chair from the dining area getting pushed from there into the kitchen and toys that are the right height that just works and goes across the floor. He certainly is beginning to like walking/cruising more and more all of the time. I think sometimes he forgets that he doesn't know how to walk and cops a squat and then starts crawling to his destination. OOooohhh how the world inside our house is going to change once he figures out how to walk unaided... This is going to be some great times!!! :D!!!