Snow Day

Well Baltimore got hit by a major snow storm yesterday so today we all had a snow day. Last night around 4:30 the snow started coming down so hard and it didn't stop until 10pm. We got about 11 inches of very heavy and wet snow. The lights flickered and we were nervous the power would go out and we would have to pretend we were ma and pa Ingalls but thankfully we were save from a power outage. Around 9:00pm Andrew decided to go out and start shoveling. I went upstairs and got in bed but then I felt really bad that Andrew had to do everything himself so I went out to help him. The only problem was the snow was so heavy I could barely throw it so I mostly kept Andrew company.

This morning we woke up and Andrew made us pancakes. Then we all got dressed and headed out for a walk. I dressed Jacob up in his snow overalls, jacket, and boots and we ventured out for our walk and to see what the roads were like. I took the most adoreable pictures but in my stupidity and exhaustion I deleted them off the camera. UHHHH. I only have the one posted above left. The rest of the day we spent hanging out and enjoying watching the people shovel from the bay window. Jacob took many naps on me and Andrew and is now upstairs enjoying his bath time with daddy.

Last year Andrew and I had many snow days but I think this one is the best one we have had so far. :)

Spaghetti Face

I know it has been a while since I have posted but work has been crazy and now that I don't have Fridays off anymore I am playing catch up the entire weekend. I am glad that tonight I have a minute to sit down and post some pictures.

We have moved bubba from baby food to adult food lately because he has been so interested in what we have to eat each night. He likes to say grace and participate in our meal. On Sunday I went to Babies R Us and got him some stage 3 meals but he hates them. He makes a terrible face when I try to give them to him. He doesn't even beg for more..so you know they are bad. Tonight we had eggplant parm and spaghetti so I gave him some to try. He loved every bite and screamed when the eggplant was gone. He made a terrible mess but enjoyed every bite.

He will be moving up to the next class Feb 7th and they will be giving him the school meal each day. I just hope when they put him in the table with all the other kids he doesn't steal their food. I may need to warn the teachers about what might happen.

Jacob has also learned another fun trick. He can have his very own fort in the bottom of the excisaucer. He takes a few toys in the bottom and plays for a few minutes. At daycare they said he doesn't care if a kid is in the excisaucer or not, he just pushes their legs out of his way and stays in the bottom. :)

I would not trade my boy for anything in this whole world and OHHHH I just love kissing those chubby cheeks.

Tiger at the Zoo

Over the past few days I feel like I have been feeding a tiger at the zoo. The last few nights when I have made something for dinner that is pretty bland I have saved a little bit for Jacob's dinner. When I go to feed him some dinner I just about get my fingers bit off by my little starving tiger and his three bottom teeth. I have to practically throw the little pieces of food into his month so he doesn't chomp down on my finger tips.

Jacob has also become a little ankle biter. As I was typing this blog he was at my foot and bit my leg like it was a chicken wing. I know the poor guy is teething but it is getting a little ridiculous. My mom got him a teething ring but he bit a hole in it so we can't use that anymore :) Pretty much anything he can get his mouth around he is chomping on. He will even gnaw on the rungs of our kitchen chairs to make his gums feel better. Poor guy....

As you can tell from the picture our little tiger loves his nightly feeding at the zoo and is growing bunches. He celebrated his 8 month birthday on January 5th. We are not sure his weight or height but he is in 12 month clothing and they are none to big. He is also starting to crawl. I would say today was the official day of him getting on his hands and knees and crawling across the floor to get to a toy. He is our pride and joy and even with all the biting we love him to pieces. He will always be on the top of our VIP list!

Break with Jacob

My holiday break with Jacob started on December 24th and I have to say I was a little nervous. Daycare closed from December 24th until January 3rd and I didn't know if he would get bored with me or I might get a little frustrated with him from time to time. Jacob and I haven't spent more than 3 entire days together since he started daycare in August. I just didn't know what to expect. He doesn't nap during the day, he was starting to crawl, and he didn't have all the toys and friends that he has at daycare. His teacher, Miss Beth, did let him take home his favorite toy over the break and I can't thank her enough. What is Jacob's favorite toy you ask.....a 50 cent beach ball from oriental trading company. LOL! He has played on the floor with that ball everyday and screams in delight when you get it out for him. Even with all the toys he got for Christmas this ball was a wonderful addition to our collection this past week.

Jacob, Andrew and I had a wonderful break together and I am sad to see all of us go back to our "normal" lives on Monday. I don't want to leave him and go back to work. He has made such great strides this past week. He has really started to move and I don't think it will be long until he is really crawling. We even had to put up the baby gate on the main floor because he can move so quickly. He is also starting to babble and "talk" to us so much. Every time he sees something he likes or when he wants our attention he says, "ooooooooo" until he gets to the object or we turn around. One habit he did start this week is being very clingy. I love that he wants me and wants me to hold and play with him all the time, but he is a chunk of a baby and it hurts my back after a while. He has also earned a few nicknames this week like:

1. King Henry: because he sits in his highchair demanding food and to be fed by his servants, I mean parents.

2. Bubba: this isn't a new nickname for him but he is so huge I like to call him bubba. I hope he doesn't start thinking his name is bubba.

3. Turtle: he looks like a little turtle sometimes crawling around on the floor because he sticks his neck out.

I will be interested to see how this week goes at daycare. I hope that he goes back and gets into the groove of things easily. I hope he will not be as sad as I will be on Monday because his chubby and adorable cheeks will not be around for me to kiss.

Happy New Year

2010 has been a wonderful year. Of course the best part of 2010 was the birth of Jacob and all the joy he has brought us. I am also thrilled that we added a nephew Max and niece Olivia to our extended family.

I am very sad to say good bye to 2010 but am excited to see what 2011 will bring. I know that we will have a lot of milestones coming and memories to make. Jacob will turn 1 and Andrew will turn 30 on 11.11.11. I have been charged with planning a big BLOW OUT b-day bash for him so save the date and make your travel arrangements. :)

Tonight Andrew and I decided to stay home with Jacob to ring in the new year. I have to say it is the best new years eve I have ever had. Andrew made us lobster tail and crab legs. The meal was AMAZING! I think tonight we started a new New Years Eve tradition.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year and Happy 2011!

Christmas Traditions

As Christmas arrives tomorrow I started thinking about the traditions that we will start with Jacob. Over the past few years holiday traditions were not that important to me but since I've had Jacob they have become a little more important.

Andrew and I have decided that we would really like Jacob to be in his home for Christmas and open his presents here. Andrew was always at his home on Christmas morning and so was I. I have very fond memories of waiting patiently on the stairs or outside a closed door until my parents said it was time to see what Santa brought me. I want Jacob to have the same memories of running down the stairs of our house to see his loot. Of course this year he won't be running down the stairs but I do think he will be crawling at lightning speed to get the shiny bows off the presents.

Growing up my family had taco salad Christmas eve, went to church, and then we came home and got to open one present which were always Christmas pajamas. Then we would set out cookies for Santa and read the Twas the Night Before Christmas. Tonight we will go to church and then head over to a friends house to have dinner with her family and a few other friends. Then we will bring Jacob home, set out some cookies for Santa, and read Twas the Night Before Christmas. I know Andrew is a little sad about missing out on the taco salad but there is always next year.

Tomorrow morning we plan to wake up with our alarm clock (Jacob) and have a relaxing morning. We will probably open our gifts and then wait for Andrew's parents to arrive around 10. I can't help but think back to last Christmas morning when Andrew and I opened the envelope that told us we were having a boy. I remember crying and crying because I didn't know how I would raise a boy. All I knew was how to play with dolls and buy dresses. Now I cannot imagine having a little girl. My little boy is so perfect, sweet, and the 2nd love of my life.

When Andrews parents arrive we plan to have brunch with them and open some more gifts. Around 1pm my parents, Aunt Rachel, and Uncle Adam will arrive and we will spend the afternoon visiting and paying with Jacob's new toys. Then around 4pm we will all have Christmas dinner together. I'm sure Jacob will be pooped by the end of the day but it is so nice that everyone is coming to visit him on his first Christmas.

I'm very excited for us to start some new traditions in our house. I hope they are ones that can continue for years to come and provide great memories for Jacob.

Christmas Tree

Yesterday we decided to go and cut a Christmas tree for our living room. Last year we went up to Dillsburg, PA with my parents and cut trees down. The experience was great and a lot of fun. I expected the same thing this year but it was a bit different with an infant and new Christmas tree place.

We showed up somewhere in Carroll County, Maryland at a tree farm with about a million other people. When we got out of the car I thought it would be a good idea to put Jacob in the baby bjorn so it would free up my arms to help Andrew carry the tree. Well....we hadn't put Jacob in the bjorn lately and even though it said it was good up to 29 lbs. we forgot Jacob's belly jiggles like a bowl full of jelly and so the bjorn wouldn't close on the side. So off we went carrying Jacob what felt like a mile to find the perfect Christmas tree. After we found it and Andrew got down in the mud to cut the tree down he realized the saw he borrowed from the tree farm was too dull to cut through the wood. I had to walk (what felt like a mile) back to the car and get his saw. Once back with the saw, Andrew cut the tree down, and then we had to walk the mile back to the check out with Jacob in one arm in the tree in the other. We must have been a site to see. I will say that Jacob was the perfect baby through the entire experience. He didn't cry, played on the ground, tried to eat hay, and didn't mind the freezing cold weather one bit.

Today, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Adam came over to help (watch) us put decorations on the tree and play with Jacob. We had a very nice afternoon with a fire going in the fire place, stockings hung by the chimney with care, and a beautiful lit tree with all our decorations. This year I got Jacob a little tree for his room. When I was little my mom had a little tree for my room and I loved that I had my own little tree so I decided to start the tradition for Jacob. His grandma Birmingham gave him a little train last weekend that I put around the bottom.

Andrew and I are looking forward to a very different Christmas this year. We feel very blessed to have such a beautiful little boy.