Changing Seasons

Houston really only has two seasons, unbearable summer, and comfortable winter. Fall and spring are simply one to two week transition periods from summer to winter. Even though we don't have all the seasons I still want to celebrate them, so this weekend I got Jacob out to the pumpkin patch for some cute fall pictures.

In college we had this pumpkin patch near campus called Pumpkinville that I went to every year I was at Bonas. They made apple cider, the roads on the drive out there were covered in red and golden brown leaves, there was a chill in the air, and best of all were the pumpkin doughnuts. Because of Pumpkinville I have yet to enjoy any other local pumpkin patch in our area. After researching every place with pumpkins in our area I finally settled on Dewberry Farms about an hour away because it seemed like they made it an event and the pumpkins were in the fields they were grown in.

After about 40 minutes on the road I decided that this was a good idea because there couldn't be too many other crazy moms like me wanting to drive out to the middle of the country for a pumpkin patch when you're sure to pass about 5 on the way. It was a good thought until we pulled up and there were men stationed on horses across a dozen lanes of long parking directing the traffic.

The line to get in:


Once we got in we realized it was so much more than a pumpkin patch. There were a dozen attractions for kids, a snow cone hut where you got to choose between 20 flavors of syrup and put it on yourself, cannons to shoot ears of corn from, farm animals, and even pig races. Next year Jacob will love Dewberry farms!

This year we paid the entrance fee but only got to use the pumpkin patch, flowers and farm animal areas. They made for adorable pictures!

My aboslute favorite:

First Big Scare

**This post was done a week ago, but it took me a while to download the picture to finish it**

Yesterday was Jacob's 6 month check-up. There may be something strange about me, but I love these visits. Our pediatrician is amazing and she is always impressed with Jacob so it is kind of my chance to show off every little thing he does with someone that really needs to know.

For the past few days though Jacob has been a bit snotty, and starting on Thursday it began to sound like the congestion was in his chest. Thursday night he woke up several times because of the congestion and his stuffy nose. The more it sounded like it was in his chest the more worried we got. By the morning Michael decided to take a half day so that he could come to the appointment with me.

Doctor believe it is Croup plus seasonal allergies, but warned us to come in next Tuesday if it isn't gone by then just in case it is something more that she wasn't detecting. She told us we're doing the right thing by making the bathroom into a steam room and advised us to get a cool mist humidifier. After that he got his vaccines, plus flu shot and off we went.

The rest of the evening went great. The humidifier worked great, Jacob got a bath, all was good.

Around 10:30PM Michael got me from bed saying Jacob felt warm. We did an ear temp check and he was at 101.3. We figured the winter sleeper he was in and his warm swing weren't helping the situation so we took him outside for a bit then brought him back in to take off the sleeper.

His temp immediately began to drop to a safe zone and we gave him some medicine to bring down the now low grade fever.

As Michael and I paced trying to figure out what to do I couldn't help but take a second of how cute Jacob was as he wondered why on Earth we woke him up, but was ready to play.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good
Too cute for words. Jacob crawled under our coffee table today and through to the other side.
The Bad
Apparently I can't leave magazines out anymore.

The Ugly
Thank goodness there are no pictures. I was on the phone sitting next to Jacob in his bouncy chair when I looked over to see poop every where. I'm sure Michael was ecstatic to walk in just in time to help.

Biggest Fan

Before Jacob was born Michael bought an Astros hat from Babies R' Us. This was sweet since much of our early relationship was spent at Minute Maid Park watching the Astros attempt to get to the World Series. He wasn't thinking about any of that at the time though; he's just a sports guy.
Since buying that hat he has been on a mission to find some Texans gear that fits Jacob. He even agrees to go to baby stores to see if they have any Texans stuff out yet.

Right before the season started I found a cute Texans outfit in Jacob's size and surprised him by putting Jacob in it for the first game. He loved it and took pictures on his phone to show people at the game, then came home in a great mood because they won.

Next week was an away game and once again Jacob had to wear the outfit. Although it was a close game, Texans won again.

For the third game Michael went to the game and I had to go to a baby shower so Jacob had family watch him. Michael trusted me to put the outfit on him again and reminded me several times before heading out. I got the onesie on, but with the crazyness of the morning I didn't get the pants on and instead placed them in the diaper bag with directions to put them on before the game started. That afternoon the Cowboys kicked the Texans butts and Michael blamed me because Jacob never got his pants on.

Guess the luck ran out on that outfit because Michael decided to dress him in this outfit for the last game.The new outfit does include the same pants...guess they're lucky pants since they won again.

Happy (half) Birthday to you

Half birthdays are almost important as birthdays, especially if you haven't had a birthday yet. This explains why I was that annoying mom today and told everyone at his day care while I was subbing that today is Jacob's 1/2 birthday.

Every night after Jacob has gone to sleep Michael and I look at each other and talk about how amazed we are with how much he has grown and how we still can't believe this little man came from us. This discussion every night reminds us how blessed we are.

Some of the things Jacob does now:
-Last night he scooted from the middle of the floor in his room, to the hall, all the way through the hall, and into the living room chasing a magazine.
- Holding the bottle is no longer even a challenge. He goes crazy when he sees the bottle and then grabs and steers the bottle to his mouth.
- On the same note it is impossible to get the bottle from him until he's completely done. Most of the time once he's done he'll chew for a bit and then finally throw the bottle down.
- There are two teeth in the center-bottom of his mouth and more on the way. These first two came easy, but the next few look like they'll be a little more troublesome.
- He said "goo" the other day. Just once, but that's enough for me to count it.
- He slaps, hits, and bangs on everything. Seriously, everything.
- He's sitting for longer and longer stretches. If he has something to lean back on he's steady for a good while with no problem, and if there's nothing around him he can go a few minutes.
- Any time I walk into the room that Jacob's in he looks over towards my voice and gives the biggest most adorable smile.

Picture of my big boy as promised.

Hidden so Obviously

On Saturday night one of Michael's friends came over to watch football and play Madden...typical guy stuff. Since I can handle one football game, but not multiple games back to back plus a football video game thrown in there I decided to bake again and spent the entire night in the kitchen (I wish I had my camera to take pictures of them because the cupcakes came out so delicious and I decorated them all like little pumpkins and pies).

At some point having both ovens running made it extremely too hot in the kitchen so I joined the guys. As Justin was talking to me I had a direct view into the dining room when I noticed the camera battery charger that I had been missing for over a month. I did my best to keep in the conversation for the next couple minutes but all I wanted to do was jump up and grab the charger (and of course call out to Michael that I hadn't lost it after all)!
We've torn the house apart looking for this silly thing and all along it was sitting in plain sight on top of the bar cart where we normally store the camera bag. How had we not seen it before?

Because I have a charged battery now I was able to download the pictures that have been sitting there forever, so as Jacob gets ready to turn 6 months tomorrow, I'm happy to show off some 4 month old pictures of him and his love for the TV remote.

Oh look! There is that beautiful remote.

I must HAVE you.

I got it! I got it!

There is nothing better than the remote.

And the first mess goes to...

Today Michael and I both had day long events going on that took more energy than a normal relaxing Sunday.

Michael had to wake up early (actually it seemed a lot earlier last year before Jacob was in our life and sleeping in was a normal weekend thing) to meet his buddies so they could be one of the first ones at the stadium to tailgate. This is a normal home game thing, but this game was important because it was Texans vs. Cowboys. Yelling at the top of your lungs, playing washers in the sun and drinking can be very exhausting.

While Michael was cheering on the team I was part of a 5 person team hosting a shower for a good friend. My main responsibility for the shower was the invitation, but I got there early to help set up. I have to admit that when I first saw how many people were hosting the shower I was nervous because I thought it would get confusing and there are some strong people on the hosting list that I thought would take over...not even close to reality. I was there first, then came the host with the decorations (that were so amazing and I'm in awe of her craftiness and design abilities) so we got the house set up, then came the food which we all prepped together and everything else fell in place. However, after being there for almost 6 hours I realized I had only sat down for about 45 minutes.

Once I got home Michael didn't want a salad or the chicken I had started to defrost so as we discussed where to get dinner from I prepared pumpkin for Jacob. Michael agreed to feed Jacob while I looked at menus online when from the corner of my eye I saw pumpkin fly through the air as Michael let out a yell. I couldn't help but laugh thinking he dropped the spoon or Jacob had hit it out of his hand.

It was more than just the spoon, the entire bowl of pureed pumpkin had been splashed across the breakfast nook.

Poor Jacob just stared with a contemplative look, either wondering why he was in his chair and not being fed yet, or why his daddy got to throw food all over yet he isn't even allowed to smear his face with food without getting a quick wipe down.

Trick or Treat

The other day I was driving through the back of our neighborhood and saw a house completely decked out in Halloween decor. Now we've never even come close to being in the running for yard of the month but more than a month early is just ridiculous.

I understand it is common practice to decorate for Christmas a month early, if not even a bit earlier, but it just doesn't seem the same for Halloween.

On that note though, more than a month early I am trying to figure out what Jacob's costume will be and we think we're set on an idea.

BAMM BAMM!

I'm trying to find this in an infant costume, or start finding pieces to create it. The best part is I got Michael to agree to as Barney.

Next step after costumes...figuring out what exactly we're getting dressed up for besides just passing out candy.

Graduating

We've been trying sippy cups every now and then without much luck. We tried Playtex First Steps and Dr. Browns training cups, but with two teeth in and more coming all he wanted to do was chew on the spout.
This afternoon while looking for a shower gift for a friend we wandered the aisles of Babies R' Us for things that Jacob "needs." This included foam covers for the fire place area plus coffee table and other safety items that we'll quickly need, a larger bath tub, some books. I also found some soft spouted sippy cups by Pampers that we got to add to our collections of cups to try.
Jacob sat in the cart instead of his carrier for the hour we were there. Although the toys and bright colors in every aisle drew his attention he was absolutely fascinated with the registry list (and later the coupons in my hand when we went to the grocery store - he has something for paper) and he sat so well for the first 45 minutes. A guy can only shop for so long I guess because after intently searching for items that were not in the spot they should have been I turned around and he was leaned over one of the side pillows and fast asleep.
Anyway...the main part of this post: This afternoon I put Jacob's meal in the new sippy cup and after a little chewing and playing he had it down.
My little boy is growing up and moving on from the bottle. Maybe we can get that great sleep schedule back again now too :)

Does Not Share Well

On Thursday I came into the daycare with lesson sheets ready for my class of 2-4 year olds. I had a plan and knew it was going to be a good day.
As I got the room ready for the day I noticed Jacob's teacher wasn't there and began to wonder where she was and who was going to watch the babies. No sooner did I start to think about it when one of the other teachers came over and told me that Valerie was out for the day and I would be covering the nursery. Considering that morning I had just told Michael how badly I wanted to spend the day with Jacob, this was perfect!
It ended up being easier than I thought it would be with the 7 month old that crawls everywhere and over everything (including the babies) and the 4 month old that cries non-stop. I was able to keep them happy and entertained.
Surprisingly, the problem child was my little boy.
Although he never cries and naps for long stretches with Valerie, he wouldn't sleep for more than 5 minutes in his crib that day. In order to get him to sleep he had to be in my arms and the second I put him down to take care of one of the other babies he would scream at the top of his lungs.
On the upside though - he found a new favorite toy to play with while sitting - a mini piano. He gets the biggest smile pounding on the keys.

Role Model

There is a new 7 month old at Jacob's day care and the boy climbs, crawls and walks along the wall. He is just go, go, go and I couldn't be more excited.
Although he is a bit energetic and really strong I have high hopes that he will be a good example for Jacob as he learns to move around.
I've been subbing in the class next to Jacob for the past several days and every now and then I get to go watch the nursery for an hour. Watching the two boys stare at each other and the way Jacob follows every move Caleb makes me believe it will be no time before he's crawling around.

He has been able to roll to get where he wants for a while now, but normally stays near his blanket (never on it though), but last night when I got home Michael even noted that you have to watch him because he's traveling so much now. Jacob was on the blanket when Michael went to grab Kleenex. He turned around to see Jacob across the room by the fireplace.

On the same line of role models, I've met a few not so good ones while working at the center. Mainly they're in my class - 2-4 year olds. There are nine in my class; 7 girls and 2 boys, and about 6 of them are alpha kids. I'm surprised I still have a voice after constantly explaining why we do not hit each other under any circumstance and then repeatedly saying, "go to time out."

I truly can't stand the bullying going on, but the worst part is the lack of potty training. I've had to change two poopy diapers for a 3 year old. These kids barely fit on the changing table.

I'm ready to get in the classroom with older children, but this experience had definitely shown me a few ways I want to make sure I raise Jacob.

Back to Work

I've taken about a month off from blogging, but am finally getting back to it. In fact I've taken a month off a lot of things, and have spent 99% of my time with Jacob. I admit for the past several weeks I have become an over involved mom...and I've loved every minute of it to be honest.

I'm ready to enter the real world again.

Jacob is now 5 months and moving all over the place. He isn't crawling, but he scoots and rolls across the room to reach whatever toy he's focused on or to just explore. He doesn't see the point of staying on the soft, clean blanket that I lay out for him.

He also has his two bottom teeth. They aren't completely there yet, but have fully poked through the gums.

His personality is showing more and more every day and I can't wait to start sharing again, but first I need to find the charger for my camera battery. Really hope I can find it before Michael realizes I can't find it.

Crazy Busy

I've been really lack with my posts lately. I just never realized how busy I would be staying at home. With him scooting around now and always wanting to play the only free-time I get is when he's napping.

The only problem is the only way that Jacob takes a good nap is if I'm holding or near him. We're working on the crib napping, but that means there are only 10 minute breaks between calming him down.

I have loved every second of it though, and hopefully we'll get into more of a routine and I can get back to updating regularly.

Tomorrow Jacob goes to daycare in the morning so that I can go take my last test for teaching and I'm thinking of keeping him in for the day so I can start packing for an upcoming trip and finish the laundry that has been building up.

I love how Jacob has playmates at day care and the interaction he gets there, but does it make me a bad mom to take a day off from being mom to get stuff done?

Ready...Set...GO!

Ok, we haven't really gotten to the go part but, it's easy to see on the horizon.

As of Friday morning I hadn't seen Jacob roll over yet. By the end of the day he had shown off his new skill twice.
Now I can't put him down for a second without him quickly turning over to his stomach. Yesterday he even started rolling over and over and over. He's not quite sure how he gets from his stomach to his back, but he's working on it now too.

All day long we play on the blanket now. He rolls over and spends up to 15 minutes throwing his bottom in the air and scooting forward slowly but surely. Even though there is no crawling yet I can't keep him on his blanket. It seriously takes him less than a minute to find his way off the blanket and onto the carpet. Even with several blankets this activity continues.

I didn't realize I'd already have to start watching where he goes.

Feet!

Jacob is all about his feet now.
It started with the right foot constantly raising high with his hand wrapped around the toes and slowly transformed into both feet.
We can't put him down or sit him in his chair with out the feet coming up. He's obsessed and it is adorable.
The only down side...diaper changes are next to impossible now. Having those legs up help for part of it, but then I find myself trying to pull them down so I can get the diaper positioned. As soon as I get one leg down the other pops up.




If you're new to this blog...welcome! I hope you enjoy.

Introduction to Government

I feel awkward in the house when the housekeeper comes to clean. I feel like I should be jumping up to pitch in. Then again, I'm also one of those people that cleans before she gets here.
So yesterday morning after Jacob and I woke up, instead of playing and reading before his morning nap I ran around the house picking up odd ball object strewn across the house. Many were put away, but the majority were thrown into the guest room (which needs a week long reservation so we can clear a path for the guest to get to the bed, and forget about closet room). Then as Jacob started to close his eyes I packed him up so we could get out of the house and do something I've been trying to do for a while.
I have made three attempts to change my last name to Michael's but was rejected each time because I just couldn't get the right documents together. If you are planning on changing your name after marriage, DO NOT throw away your license with your maiden name once you get your new one, and/or KEEP your passport with your maiden. I have no official documents with my maiden name and it seemed impossible to get my SS card changed.
We pulled up to the office 30 minutes before they opened and got in line behind the 18 other people needing help who must have gotten there an hour early to stand out in the already high 90's temps. As they opened the doors and we filtered in I heard a lady behind me say that she had come after lunch the other day and there were 100 people in front of her...a little heat to be number 19 seemed to have been the smarter option.
Just before my number was called Jacob began to stir for his bottle and I realized how happy I am he can hold his own bottle now. We walked up to our window and explained to the lady how hard I've tried and handed over my folder of documents to state who I am from birth certificate to college ID, and even expired club membership card from when I was a teen. She explained that it would be difficult, but she thought she could do it.
10 minutes of silence later she explained that officially she needed another document of identification, but since it had only been 2 years she let it slide. Woo Hoo!
This morning as I woke up I started to wonder about the two years part since when I had read through the paper work it said anything over two years (which I am by about 3 months) would require more explanation; when suddenly it hit me that maybe having Jacob with me helped out.
Can you really guilt trip the government by wanting the same last name as your adorable child?
I'm not sure if that's what helped me get through without the proper pieces, but I'm so not against it.

Yummy Sweet Potatoes

We aren't starting with sweet potatoes for a while, but they freeze well and seemed easy to make. This is the start to my baby food stash.

I used the Wiltons's individual brownie silicone pan to freeze cubes and it worked out perfectly.
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Below are a few pictures to show off my first attempt at my new found domesticness.

Bag of sweet potato cubes

Frozen sweet potato cubes ready for Jacob

My Little Mover

Jacob rolled over again today, and of course I didn't see it.

I thought he was getting ready to fall asleep, so as he settled in I got on the computer to look for shower invites for a friend. All of a sudden when I looked down he wasn't in eye view. I move forward to see if he had just scooted to a different area (which he does often now) and was surprised to see him laying on his belly head up in the air just looking around.

So...roll number 3 and I have yet to see one.

Helpful People

People love to say that the younger generations have no manners and only care about themselves. I've never really seen this, I mean there are people out there who could use a lesson or two from Mrs. Post, but for the greater whole people are nice.

I hear "please" and "thank you" every day, watch people hold the door open for others, and pick up and return dropped items.

Maybe it is just a different type of good manners and helping when needed instead of just interjecting that people aren't noticing.

One of my biggest pet peeves, and Michael agrees, is when we're out in public and Jacob lets out a little cry; people come out of the woodwork to say he's hungry. If I fed Jacob every time he let out a little sigh he would be the biggest baby you've ever seen. I think it gets on my nerves as bad as nails on a chalkboard because they are so freaking persistent and if you don't reply, "oh my gosh, you are so right. I'll go feed him now," they just stare at you like you don't know what you're doing.

Any way, I had two helpful incidents today, one I liked and one that was just uncomfortable.

1) I was standing in line at Barnes & Noble hoping the line would actually start moving because I was running late for my lunch date. The whole time in the store Jacob had been smiling and laughing as I showed him pictures in books. Not a single frown or cry the entire time in the store. As we're standing in line he let out a small cough. Nothing drastic at all, just a quick one cough. I bent over to ask him if he was alright. The older gentleman in front of me told me he knew why he did that, so I smiled to listen if maybe I had him positioned in a way that was constricting or something I had never heard of.
"He cries because the light is bright and he can't process it like our eyes, you should put the shade up over him so it doesn't bother him. Most mothers don't know that."
I told him he was happy and didn't cry, it was just a cough and he repeated himself.
I said thank you and smiled then picked up a book to comb through while waiting.
Two minutes later, "you aren't going to put the shade up?" as he glared at me.
Seriously?!?

2) After lunch we ran to the grocery store. I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to parking at the store. I normally don't care how far I am unless it is about to storm and care mostly about parking next to a cart return because I always return my cart. It feels weird to me to leave it in an empty spot or just floating around. For the past week it has been over 100 hot with sticky humidity so I was checking the lot to find a spot near a return and closer to the store. Finally I pulled in as the cart guy emptied the return near me.
I grabbed Jacob in his carrier, diaper bag, and my coupon/shopping list binder and started walking to the store without a second thought about it.
There is one cart guy that I see every time I go and when we pass I smile and say hi. Well I see him start coming down the lane where I parked and turn back around as I'm walking to store, but I just thought he was checking to see if his partner had cleared the lane. As I get up to the front he is rolling a cart out and meets me in the drive lane with a cart and then helps me load Jacob's carrier in it.
That simple action went so far and beyond anything he ever had to do and although I didn't mind carrying everything, it was really nice to have that help.

I think everyone tries to help others just some action are more bold than others...which doesn't make them better.

Yum Yum Time

During Jacob's 4 month appointment it was decided that cereal should be started.

Admittedly I've been ready; there was a box of cereal and package of spoons sitting on our dining room table not so patiently waiting to be used. Although I was ready, I also know that the time to start solids is debatable and I wanted to talk to our doctor before moving ahead in case waiting til we were closer to 6 months was better.

We discussed his spit up issue and how it is a constant thing (she doesn't believe it is an issue since he's gaining weight so well, but wants to watch if it gets worse or doesn't start easing up soon) and also about how we cut back the amount we were feeding him because it was way too much. We try to keep Jacob at 36 oz a day, but still sometimes go over because he demands more.

That's when the dr. said to start cereal now to help with both those issues.

The next afternoon Jacob had his first feeding in his high chair, and he loved every minute of it.

First he was determined to tip over the bowl.


Then he started stealing the spoon from me and returning it once it was empty.



And at the end he was upset there wasn't any more.


I love that he likes this new feeding time so much, but just a couple days into and I'm already trying to find a way to push diaper changes off on Michael now.

4 Months

Today Jacob is 4 months old!

I honestly can't believe that 4 months have gone by and what an amazing kid Jacob has become. When he smiles his whole face brightens and no matter what mood you're in, you can't help but smile back.

- He started laughing at the beginning of this month, but it scared him. Now he smiles big and laughs with no fear of the noise. Sometimes just talking to him can bring out a laugh, but kisses and dips are always good for a guaranteed laugh.
- Jacob began showing interest in his toes a few weeks ago, but only when he was sitting scrunched over and they were easy to get to. Then he started reaching for them whenever he was sitting and just last night he began to bring them up to play with while laying down. He looks like a little monkey in his play gym holding toys with his hands and feet.
- So, so, so close to rolling over. He's done it once completely from each side, but is trying from back to tummy all the time. Once he gets his arm out of the way he'll be rolling all over the place.
- Sitting doesn't seem too far off. He can balance him self in my lap and is starting to put his arms on his legs to balance by himself. He is still learning to push with his arms though because most the time he puts his arms down and then just folds completely in half.
- Toys all the time! He loves all his toys now.
- Teething toys make him so happy. They can be bumpy plastic, water filled, chilled or even vibrating. He loves them all and drools all over them.
- The walker is the best thing on Earth. He loves to stand in the walker, and although he is learning how to make the lights and sounds go off, he is happy as a clam just standing there and chewing on the seat. This has made making dinner so much easier. Jacob plays in his walker in the kitchen and scoots around (always backwards and sideways) the whole time we cook.
- He loves to talk. I have never seen a baby talk so much. I think he even gets louder every day.

Home All Day

I'm no longer employed. Actually, I'm still on payroll for today, but it is my first day not going in the office.

We woke up with Michael, got ready for the day and have played, played, played. It is so different than when I was on maternity leave. During those first 12 weeks I fed Jacob, held and talked to him for 20 minutes until he fell asleep then repeated through the day.

Now we play with toys and explore new things. His personality dominates everything we do.

We actually have a busy day planned of waiting in line at government offices, grocery shopping and tons of laundry, and I'm sure we'll get to it, but we've had so much fun this morning and now as Jacob naps it is nice to take a little break.

Grown Up Time

For the past couple days I've noticed Michael and I get snippy with each other and taking offense to things that were said in jest. This is completely not like us, especially over stupid stuff.

For example:
1:20 AM Thursday morning. I've just sat down in bed with Jacob in my arms.
Michael: Did he wake up?
Me: No, I just decided it was a good time to wake up and hold him.
Michael: I was just asking. (with a humph and then he was back to sleep in 5 seconds)

I was a little snarky saying it, but in all honesty I was just joking at what a silly question it was.

There have been a hundred of those examples just as pointless and I blame exhaustion and the fact that we don't take time out for each other as much as we should. The time we have with Jacob is so limited we spend every spare minute playing with him or doing chores.

Finally last night, after another feelings hurt joke and then checking to make sure everything was ok, I said we need a date night.

I don't know if it was just saying it or planning to go to the movies, but when Jacob fell asleep we were back to our old selves. Joking without feelings getting hurt. Laughing and smiling non-stop. It was the best.

From now on we will definitely make room for grown up time. It doesn't have to be much, but a little goes a long way.

Almost the Weekend!

*If you're new to Little T's Journey, then welcome. I started this to share Jacob's progress with friends and family across the country and it's morphing in to sharing progress and so much more.*

I started a goal at the beginning of the week to post a picture of Lil' Man every day and that quickly failed. I have been taking pictures, but they just aren't making it on the blog. Maybe I should start with once a week and then add to that.

So HAPPY it is almost the weekend! This was my last full week of work, and I can't wait to spend more time with Jacob. He's falling asleep earlier in the evening which is great for time with Michael but only gives me a couple hours a day with Jacob during the week. The best part though (and I don't want to jinx myself again) is that he is sleeping better now. I'll post more about that later and hope it is not a fluke.

No big plans for the weekend, but I saw a blog (and can't remember where, but will give credit when I do) where she painted her pantry door with chalkboard paint. I took the idea to Michael and he fell in love with the concept of the paint and would like to do the whole house in it now. So that and cleaning out the fridge are my two big projects for the weekend. Can't wait to see how it comes out and will definitely share.

Like a lil' Piggy

For some reason I secretly thought that after giving birth to Jacob not only would I go back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and (here's the kicker) I might even lose a couple pounds from that. I mean I didn't really gain much during pregnancy and everyone told me, "It's all baby." Made complete sense in my mind.

Almost 4 months after and I've come to realize that I liked tight fitting shirts because everything in my closet I put on makes me look pregnant still. Only 7 pounds to go, but my body looks like it has 20 something pounds to go.

There is one secret I've learned though that will help me reach my goals - flavored water. I was doing great losing weight and not snacking and then all of a sudden I started snacking daily on chips and cookies. I couldn't figure out what had changed and why I felt I constantly needed to eat again.

All of a sudden it hit me. I was no longer bringing the flavor packets for my water to work with me anymore. The flavor packets have a sweet enough taste that it curbs my needs for sweets.

This morning I stocked up on Crystal Light packets and even a box of Arizona Iced Tea Arnold Palmer packs (because that is my favorite drink on Earth), and I've already lost my need to snack and craving to break into my lunch at 11.


Hopefully I'm back on track again.

Limbo

I am now down to about one week left at my current job and the start of a career change. It is starting to really freak me out.

I've been in marketing since my Junior year of college when I took on working with the small town community theatre, then I interned with Fisher-Price (absolutely amazing in every way), followed by Corporate Communications with Corning Inc., then an internship that morphed into a job for a medical ID company and lastly my current position of marketing and special events manager for a local outlet mall. Marketing has been all that I've done, and I have a proven track record of being good at it.

Now I've quit my job and I'm not quite sure what to do next.

When we decided to try to get pregnant I enrolled in the community college for teacher certification classes. I was burnt out on retail marketing and the long commute, love kids and wanted to have the holidays and summer off to spend with our new baby. The plan was perfect in my head. The only hitch is nobody told me how hard it is to get hired.

In one week I'll be without a job. I'm excited to spend time with Jacob, but not working is completely new to me. I've put in to be a teacher's aide and also substitute for several districts, and Jacob's daycare has offered me a job. It's just trying to figure out what to do next and if the daycare job is stepping back from my goal of teaching.

Big Step

Probably not that big of a step for Jacob, but huge for me...

Jacob is asleep in his crib right now.


About 2 hours ago Jacob had his last bottle for the night and fell asleep soon after. Michael and I chatted this morning about how we need to start transitioning Jacob to his crib because he is almost 4 months and getting too big for the upper part of his pack n' play.

Now I'm actually enjoying some adult time with Michael while turning the video part of the monitor on every few minutes to take a peak.

He's just in the other room, but it seems so far away.


** I do have pictures for yesterday and today, but I'm too lazy to plug the camera in and download them right now.

Lip Balm

* Completely not Jacob related.

When Michael and I first started dating he was completely against the idea of lip balm. He would let his lips dry out and pick at the skin - which is all unacceptable in every way to me.

As our relationship progressed I began carrying a tube of ChapStick around for him and if I saw him pick at his lips I'd kick him under the table. Out of concern for bruises on his legs (I promise I won't parent like this) or the want for a happy girlfriend he started taking the ChapStick when I offered.

I now can proudly say that every morning before leaving the house he puts Burt's Bees lip balm on and reapplies a couple times through the day.

Anyway...this isn't a post to show my accomplishment.

The other day while browsing through the store I went to check out what new lip balms they had. In the middle of the aisle was an 8-pack of Lip Smackers in soda flavors. I'm not a Lip Smacker buyer, and I think that grown woman covering their lips with Strawberry Watermelon glittered Lip Smakers is trashy (sorry if I've offended anyone), but I couldn't pass up a Sprite and Rootbeer flavored lip balm. I figured as cheap as they are I wouldn't mind losing a few.

They're actually a lot better than I thought they would be; both in taste and how they feel on my lips.

Later that night Michael and I were on our way to dinner when I was putting on a coat of Rootbeer and he asked to borrow some. I explained that it wasn't the normal kind we use and to my surprise he was so excited. He loves them and thinks they're 100x better than Burt's Bees (I like them, but this couldn't be more false of a statement).

After listing the flavor to him and watching his excitement grow with each flavor, I'm pretty sure my Cherry Coke will go missing soon.

Weekend Photos

3 Months 2 Weeks 5 Days

We were getting ready to go swimming when we realized Jacob's sun hat no longer fit. Michael helped by putting sun block on his head. He just didn't realize how much is too much so in this picture his hair is hard and covered in sun block. It took a thorough washing to get that soft baby hair back.


3 Months 2 Weeks 6 Days

Jacob got a frog that sings the same counting song over and over again (in English and Spanish) and he loves it (about as much as his daddy hates it). He was so happy to e in his walker, chewing and have the song going.

Something Every Day

Jacob does something every day to amaze me and instead of taking pictures and just filing them away I realized I should post them to show a story of what's going on.

So...we'll start today.
3 Months 2 Weeks 4 Days


This morning while we were getting ready Jacob decided it wasn't fun to sit back in his swing anymore. It is so much more fun to sit up on your own even if you can't hold yourself up.



...and when you're folded over like that you discover new body parts; like feet!



Yesterday Jacob had fun pulling up another baby's shirt and today he decided it is fun to pull up your own shirt. He spent all evening doing this.

As Seen on TV

Who hasn't seen the commercials for this thing? They used to play non-stop showing women shaking away their flab into sculpted arms anyone would be jealous of. For some reason though they just made me laugh.

I can just imagine sitting at home on the couch shaking my weight while Michael stares at me and cracks jokes.

Well one of the ladies at work today just bought this thing and brought it in. She urged me to try it in the mall lobby - luckily there wasn't much traffic coming through - and I was right, I do look ridiculous shaking it, but I love it. I think it is something I could mindlessly do and you quickly start feeling it.

I guess infomercials do have some use besides keeping you entertained during late night feedings.

Social Parade

I love this idea to find other blogs. Hopefully I'll find some other intersting blogs to read and some people will stop by and follow our life with Jacob.

"The Talk"

It seems like we may have to have "the talk" with Jacob sooner than we ever thought.

Last night we went to a friend's house for dinner and so we could get our babies together. I've mentioned before that Claire is only three weeks older than Jacob, so it is fun to get toghether and see how they're progressing and what they've learned.

And oh boy does my little man have a new trick...

As Claire and Jacob were laying next to each Jacob would roll on to his side to stare at Claire. Then he started talking to her.
Then he grabbed the bottom of her shirt.
Then he pulled up.

Being the great mother I am, I took pictures before pulling Claire's shirt down and handing him a toy. Soon the toy was thrown to the side though and the shirt was up again. This went on and on until we moved to the dinner table to eat.

I must say, his daddy is proud.

Already Driving

Just because he is cute as can be - here is a video of Jacob in his ATV. The lights and music are cool and all to him, but as you'll see towards the end of the clip, his absolute favorite thing to do is chew on the chair.

There must be something about that fake leather looking seat that feels so good on his gums.

One Step Easier

I love making things easier. There is no point to add extra steps to something when there is a more efficient way to do it.

My dad actually turned me on to my new favorite site. When I was pregnant he would order diapers from diapers.com and receive them in two days. The prices are good and you don't have to lug around boxes.

Yesterday morning Michael and I were packing everything to stock daycare up on supplies and realized we would be sending our last can of formula to them. I normally try to reorder when we are down to one can, but somehow completely missed this one.

No problem. We still have a few days worth in the can on the counter so I went to diapers.com and reordered to fill our supply. I also went through their sale section and got a vibrating teether (since Jacob is loving his teether toys now) for $3 and small tupperware containers (since I've decided to make foods for Jacob) for $3. No charge for 2 day shipping.

Now I just need to go home on Friday and there will be a box with our necessities and one less thing I need to pick up from the grocery store.

Guilt

Nobody told me how much guilt came with parenting.

No matter what you do or how you parent it seems you feel guilty about something. I thought I was alone on this but saw a post the other day from a working mom that felt guilty because she still enjoyed going to work and a response from a stay at home mom who felt guilty because she no longer contributes financially to her family. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Reading the thread made me think about all the things I've felt guilty about with Jacob.

1) Jacob and I were not a good breast feeding match. We struggled continously with it, and I was determined to make sure he was breastfed. After a couple weeks the doctor had us start supplementing with formula because Jacob just would not gain weight. After using the bottle for that he no longer wanted to be breastfed. I spent so much time feeding him, washing bottles, pumping, over and over again until my supply quickly dropped. I drank organic teas, ate herbs and even oats, and power pumped to try and increase, but it just wouldn't work and Jacob was getting more and more formula. I was so hard on myself and working so hard to get every drop I could that I was no longer enjoying time with my son.
Finally I realized how all my stressing was doing us no good and I let it go. I was able to give him almost 2 months of milk and he was gaining weight and developing on formula. It was time to stop the guilt and enjoy him.

2) I'm lucky enough to have found the most amazing husband in the world and others would be jealous if they knew just how great he is. Before we had Jacob he and I would cook together and he does dishes. Now that Jacob is here he is still that great and helps in every aspect. The only problem is when he helps I feel guilty that I'm not a good mom again because I'm tired, need a break, and pushing off diaper changes, feedings and household chores on to him.
I know he is doing all these things because he wants time with Jacob too and he just likes helping out and at some point I'll just let him do it without overanalyzing in my head.

3) Working and not working. Yep...I can feel guilty about two exact opposites at once. I feel guilty working because I get an hour in the morning with Jacob (if I get myself out of bed early) and then a few hours in the evening before he goes to sleep. I feel guilty about not working/subbing for a while because I'm not contributing to our income and know that I have spending habit.
To come to terms with this I count the days until my last day of my current job and have tried to become more frugal. I've also realized that it is what it is and try not to think about it too much.

The list could go on and on to include small daily moments like when I forgot to pack a blanket to wrap Jacob in at the doctor's office or how I had to drive from day care to the house (short drive) holding Jacob's head up because for some reason my seat propped him forward and his head kept going forward.

I've learned though that there is no time for all those worries and guilty feelings. I feel good about the way I'm raising Jacob and every time he smiles - and now giggles - I know I'm doing fine.

Drool

How can something so small expel so much saliva.

Pictures to follow once my battery recharges.

Milestones

I started this post a couple hours ago and got completely sidetracked. During that time I decided I didn't really like what I was writing and just decided to delete it all. Not that I had something else in mind to post, just in a wishy washy kind of mood.

Jacob just started giggling a couple days ago. It is so freaking cute, but I'm afraid he'll have my laugh. Making faces can get him going every now and then, but the sure fire way to make him laugh is if I sit in front of him and just start talking.

This is how I got the first couple laughs from him, and I'm still trying to figure out what is so funny. Last night I wasn't feeling well so instead of instantly playing with Jacob when I got home we just sat on the couch together and I told him about my day. He thought it was the best thing on Earth and wouldn't stop laughing at everything I said.

Michael wanted some giggles too since he has only really giggled for me. He tried faces and sounds and movments and songs, but no luck. I'm the only one that can make my baby laugh :)

In other great milestone news:

This weekend Jacob rolled over for the first time by himself. I've been working on this with him for a few weeks now by showing him the movements to roll and other activities that I blindly follow from developmental books. Then the one day I got to sleep in and Michael got up with Jacob he rolled over.

I woke up an hour after the two of them got up and as we started playing Michael told me that he rolled over by himself. I was shocked and asked for every detail. Then I asked why he didn't wake me up.

He simply replied, "It's not like I can pause time or rewind it, you just missed it. No point in waking you up."

I tried for the rest of the day to get him to roll. No luck.

Then last night on the way home I was talking to Michael after he had picked up Jacob. He said that Jacob's teacher had asked him if we knew he could roll because during his nap he had rolled from his back to his stomach.

So apparently everyone is going to see him roll before I do.


But at least I can make him laugh!

The Big Reveal

Yesterday we went over to a friend's house for homemade ravioli (yum!) and to find out if they are going to have a boy or girl.

This is kind of a foreign concept to Michael and I since we didn't even wait for the first doctor's appointment to tell family and close friends we were pregnant - our friends waited to tell us until after the first trimester. When we went to the 20 week ultrasound and found out Jacob was a boy Michael didn't even wait until we were out of the doctor's office before texting the news to everyone we know - our friends waited three days and had a small party to tell everyone.

We got to their house and mingled with all of his family and her family. They both come from Italian families so it was a hustle and bustle throughout the kitchen area as they made enough ravioli for an army and topped it all off with angel hair pasta, meatballs, bread, salad and veggies. Finally once most everything was cooked everyone started asking if they would just tell us already. No budge.

Everyone scarfed down their pasta quickly to get to dessert since we knew the reveal would come then. It may just be because I'm not a secret type person, but there is no way I could have stood there and not told someone.

We were all gathered into the kitchen and given a cupcake, but told we couldn't open it until the count of three. 1....2....3... silence!

"Mine has white cream."
"So does mine."

Each of the cupcakes were filled with cream, but during the baking the color had faded and now the cream that was supposed to reveal the sex showed nothing at all. Everyone just stared for a second until the soon-to-be dad's sister-in-law finally blurted out, "so you're having a white baby?"

We all laughed (still not knowing what they were having) and my husband, sweet as can be, was still searching his cupcake to see what everyone was seeing. Finally he understood it was the cream in the center part, but somehow his cupcake got mixed up with the other batch and his had chocolate cream.

Finally we were told they are having a girl.

The secret thing is complete opposite of my style, but the event brought laughter from everyone, and will be a memory to share with Little Tessa once she is born and gets a little older.

Outdoor Saturday

As I mentioned yesterday, I was so excited to take Jacob to the pool today. In fact, not only did we have a pool party planned for today, but we also had a play date with one of my old co-workers and her 4 year old god-son.

We wanted to go to a farmer's market she found thinking it would be an educational experience for the 4 year old and a chance to walk around outside. I talked Michael into it telling him about the great markets I had been to in Boston and even Corning, NY. When we pulled up it was seriously one shed with about 5 different veggies. We got our corn and a bag of beans, but didn't stay for very long.

To extend the play date we headed to the park.

We took a quick break at home to cool off and get a bite to eat and then headed to the pool with Jacob and Scoot.





























After pool and family time our friends with a baby girl just a few weeks older than Jacob came to visit and they finally started interacting with each other. Claire was a little more interested in Jacob, but I'm sure he'll catch on to the concept soon.














Tomorrow we have a birthday party to go to and finally a moment to just lay around and relax!

Random Friday

I couldn't really think of a subject substantive enough for an entire post, so I decided to be lazy (the way Friday's should be) and just let today's post (and probably all Fridays going forward unless some whirlwind of energy comes over me) be a mumble of random thoughts and things from the week.

Here we go:

- Tonight I'm going to Happy Hour with a couple great girlfriends from my old job. I love them dearly and can't wait to finally have a Happy Hour I can drink at since for the past year I've watched them drink, but at the same time it is my first time to not go home to Jacob since I've been back at work.

- I am so freaking excited for this weekend. Tomorrow we have a park and lunch play date with friends and the 3 year old their watching for the weekend followed by some pool time for Michael, Jacob, me...and Scoot too!

- On Sunday we also get to find out if one of our closest friends are having a boy or girl. Michael has dreams that they have a boy and their son and Jacob grow up just as close as he and Justin did. It is a sweet dream, but we all kind of think Justin is destined to have a beautiful girl.

- I'm finally losing some weight. I now have 6 pounds to go to get to my pre-pregnancy weight and 10 more after that to be really happy. I have to break it into two goals because 16 pounds just seems so much.

- We found out Jacob has been eating way, way, way too much. I'm kind of peeved by this actually because at his 2 month appointment I made a point to tell her that he was eating 6 oz bottles every 3 to 4 hours and his doctor just smiled and said that he's a good eater. Now it seemed like I was scolded for letting him eat so much. Any way, we're trying to cut him back to 36oz a day this week and if unsucessful we have to schedule another appointment. So far it is going good though.

- This could actually be a full post, and probably will in the not so distant future - I don't know how people can handle more than one kid. It scares me to think of Jacob and everything he needs and we want to give him times two.

- Lastly, they finally named my replacement for my job and I can't wait for her to get here in two weeks so I can train her on the important stuff and be done with the long commute and start my next adventure.

And a random picture just because I think it turned out amazing.

Playful Thoughts

Jacob and I were at Barnes and Noble a month or so back when we saw the above toy. I instantly liked it, but was only there to look at the books and thought he wouldn't be ready for it anyway.

A week after Jacob started grabbing his toys and wanting to hold them. I thought about the toy and even added it to my cart on http://www.diapers.com/ (one of my favorite sites to get his necessities from). Once again I took it out though thinking he already had enough toys and no reason to waste the money.

Finally Michael and I started talking about how much he loves holding his toys now and I decided that during the weekend we would stop by Barnes and Noble and get the toy that I had spent a couple weeks thinking about.

Instant love!

The small tubing on this is so easy for Jacob to grab and he has plenty of option for where to grab at. It is light enough for him to hold and shake all around, plus large enough that he can hold with both hands and easily pass from hand to hand. The only thing that he didn't like in the beginning is the bend of the tubing was too wide for him to get in his mouth (he had just started mouthing things), so as he played he would get frustrated and fussy, but yell if you took the toy away. It was a vicious cycle that thankfully only lasted a week at most.

I highly, highly, highly reccomend the Winkel by Manhattan Toys for any baby that is just starting to learn to grab and hold toys.

Are You Alive?

If I had to describe my husband I'd probably start out saying he is a sport fanatic, and throw in that he has the biggest heart of anyone I know and all those other mushy things, but somewhere in there I would have to bring up that he is glued to his phone.

He doesn't talk on it much but his thumbs are constantly texting, and the message alert goes off every five minutes. Even when I went into labor with Jacob I had to tell him he could send updates to our families and everything, but the stupid thing had to go on silent.

Last night he called me from the grocery store (we're still working on only going once a week) asking if we needed anything besides the small items he went for. I checked the list with him and then said I was close to home and could pick Jacob up from day care. As soon as we hung up I realized that somehow the map in my mind (of the exact same commute I've been making for 3 years) had skipped an entire section of road. I texted him saying I wasn't as close as I thought I was. No reply.

Ten minutes later I called him to say I was finally close to the highway and wanted to see if he got my message and whether or not he had gone to pick up Jacob. No answer - I left a voicemail. No reply.

Five minutes later I texted him to make sure he was still alive, "Are you ok?" No reply.

I finally got to the daycare and was in the process of packing Jacob up when Michael called to tell me he had not picked up Jacob.

The one time in his life that he put his phone on silent is when I actually was trying to get hold of him for somehting...

Too Much Food?

Jacob had weight gaining issues for the first couple months of his life. He lost almost 10% of his weight while in the hospital and took a month to put it back on. Everyone asked if he was a preemie because of how small he was.If you look at him now though, you would never guess that. I weighed him last night and he is 14lbs - right at or just above the 50th percentile line.

He takes a 7oz bottle about every 3 to 4 hours and (once upon a time) slept soundly from 9:30PM til 6:30AM. Averaging about 6 bottles a day he was taking around 42oz's.

Then on Friday I went to pick Mr. Man up from day care and the director asked me if he had been eating more at home because their daily log showed he was eating about 7oz every 2 hours. We got him home and for the weekend he continued to eat every 3-4 hours. I figured maybe it was just a tough day for him or something and he needed more food.

Monday was even worse though. His sheet said he was eating every 1 to 2 hours. He had eaten 5, 7oz bottles during the day. This puts him at just over 50oz for the day!

We're talking to the day care today to make sure that they aren't just shoving a bottle in his mouth every time he fusses, but actually checking to see if he's bored or tired.

I guess my main question is: I've read several places that there is such thing as too much formula, is this true, and how much is too much? I've emailed our doctor, but would love to hear from others that may have experienced this.

Counting Down

I have 3 weeks and 3 days of work left in my current position. It still seems like a long count down to me, but seeing that number go down bit by bit each day (honestly I count by half days at times) makes me so happy.

When Michael and I started talking about adding a baby to our family I thought I would have no problem going back to work after maternity leave. I grew up with a working mom - and turned out pretty darn well - so I figured I could do it too. Fast forward to one week before it was time for me to return to work. My boss emailed me to make sure I was returning since they hadn't heard from me in about a month and I sadly said that I would be there bright and early Monday morning.

The first day was as hard as everyone says it is. It took all I had not to cry every time someone asked me where Jacob was or how I was doing. I hold myself together much better now, but it is still hard and the day after the weekend (especially a long weekend) is about as hard as the first day was. It kills me that I get an hour in the morning with Jacob and about 3 waking hours at night.

In all honesty there is no point to this post. It just makes me happy to say 3 weeks and 3 days left til I'm home with my Little Man for a while!

Being Thrifty

Michael and I pretty much live at the grocery store.

Every morning I would go to the store on my way to work and pick up breakfast and lunch for the day. In the evening Michael would stop at the store on the way home to pick up dinner and other household needs. Plus our weekend trips where we would get meals for a few nights during the week, but always forget key pieces...which is what kept Michael going to the store in the evenings.

The thing is, every time I go to the store I find something that I must have, so daily visits add up. Every time Michael goes to the store he spends between $50 and $70. Most the time when he comes home and tells me how much he spent after I only asked him to pick up a salad dressing or something I wonder how in the World he does it.

While on maternity leave I started getting better about making sure I got everything for the week in one visit. Feeling pretty proud of myself, and on my quest to save more money so I can spend more time at home than at the office, I decided to start trying coupons.

Michael laughed at me and said he didn't want to be that person at the store with a million coupons and even brought up how frustrated I was when the grocery line was held up because the lady in front of me saved $40 with coupons (seriously...how much do you have to buy and cut for that kind of coupons savings) and then paid with a check which the cashier didn't know what to do with. After laughing at me he agreed to go with me, mostly so we could make sure we got everything we needed and so he could get the special things he likes.

I spent the morning planning out meals for the week and figuring out what we were running low on, and then connected that list to what we had coupons for. I even organized the shopping list and coupons in order for each aisle since I know that store by heart with all the time I spent in there.

By the time we finished shopping, Michael had not been embarassed, we did not hold anyone up in line, we got groceries for the week (except for the BBQ for our sandwiches because we like the brand at the other store better) and saved $15 in coupons.

And once again; something so simple makes me proud!

I'm the baby