To our son on his 1st birthday

Jacob,

Today is your first birthday and your father and I cannot believe this year has gone by so quickly. I can't help but think back (with tears in my eyes) to this day last year when I sent an email to your Aunt Rachel, got up and went to the bathroom, and on the way there my water broke. I can't help but think how scared but how excited I was to meet you. Now, here you are, 1 year old and the most beautiful baby boy I know. I can't express how completely in love I am with you and the joy you have brought to me and your father.

You make us laugh every day. You have your fathers laid back personality and go with the flow attitude. It takes you a while to fall asleep and you always fight your tired eyes but when you finally get to sleep you snore and are out like a light, just like your dad. You have my attitude. You will sit in your high chair, look right at me with a hand full of food, drop it on the floor, and laugh in my face because you know you aren't supposed to do it. I try so hard not to laugh because I know it only encourages you, but I love that you have your opinions and stick to your guns when you don't want to do something. You will yell back at us when we tell you "no" and to not do something (like open the entertainment center doors). You are a ham at the snack table at daycare. You scream, carry on, throw your cup, and make noises and everyone always thinks its a hoot.

You can say dad-da, ball, all done, dog, and uh-oh. You can throw a ball, wave bye bye, play patty cake, give high fives, put a ball in the basketball hoop, and love peek a boo. You love your dad, any toy that makes music or noise when you shake it, your bath, fruit (especially strawberries and grapes), balls and to play basketball, and to be outside. You can't walk but I think you would love to be able to run. You always want to be with your dad but sometimes it is hard for you to keep up or understand why you can't always go with him. You have the pudgiest thighs and chubbiest cheeks that I could kiss for hours if you would let me.

Jacob, you are the best thing in our lives. We love you to the moon and back. This past year has been tiring, stressful, aggravating (b/c you seem to be sick all the time), but so rewarding, filled with love, laughter, joy, and some of the best memories we could have ever hoped to have.

We are so glad that God gave us you and that you are a beautiful, healthy, and loving boy.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Stats:
- Left ear; ear infection
- 28 lbs
- 32 in long

VERY BUSY

I have been very busy over the last few months and I don't see an end in site. I started taking a class on Saturday mornings in February and the reading for the class has bogged me down every night.

Jacob has also been a very busy boy and really cruising around the townhouse. He loves to pull himself up on the trash can and push is across the kitchen floor. Andrew and I have really been enjoying the past few months with him as he has started to say more, point to what he wants, and cruise around on furniture.

Last Thursday, we went to a consultation with and ear, nose, and throat doctor for tubes and we decided to get tubes put in his ears. The doctor had an opening on Friday so we scheduled the appointment. Friday morning at 6:30 we headed over to get the tubes and Jacob did very well. He was pretty mad when he woke up but he calmed down after 45 minutes or so. The rest of the day he was up to his old tricks and played with his cousins at grandmas. Hopefully we can say goodbye to the ear infections or at least antibiotics.

We had a very nice Easter weekend and enjoyed spending time with family. I think Jacob's favorite part of the weekend was crawling around after his cousin Garrett and being a big ham at the kitchen table at my parents. My little sister took some really cute shots of Jacob on Friday in his Easter outfit that my mom made. What a cutie!!

10 months

Jacob turned 10 months old on March 5th and I cannot believe we are only 2 months away from 1. Jacob had another rough spell with being sick last week but I think (knock on wood) we have gotten over the hump. Hopefully the weather will stay nice and the germs will go away. We really enjoyed the nice weather over the weekend and this week. Jacob and I took a few walks the past few days in his new jogging stroller. On Saturday it was so sunny that I made him wear his sun hat (see below :)

At 10 months Jacob is:
- pulling up on everything and starting to cruise around the couch and furniture
- added some vocabulary and screams and yells in delight
- kicks in the bathtub when you say "kick, kick, kick"
- Claps his hands
- Wave bye and hi
- Eats solids like grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, peaches, pears, oranges.
- Loves to knock down towers, play peek a boo, and play with this car on the floor.

I just love this little guy so much.

Sick Week

Jacob sitting on the bathroom floor with a steam shower running.

Over the last week Jacob has been home and very sick. The poor guy came home on Valentine's Day with a fever and was having a hard time breathing. Andrew took him to the doctor on Tuesday morning and he was given an inhaler and orders to stay home for the week. Since Andrew and I both work, we were not happy that Jacob had to stay home for the week, but we also felt bad he was so sick. Andrew and I took shifts during the week and it worked out well for the both of us. Andrew would take the morning shift at home and then I would come home at lunch and take the afternoon shift. On Friday, I took the whole day off because Andrew had a "meeting" to attend. He did come home at lunch and said, "Jacob, next week you have to go to daycare because my house can't take anymore." LOL Andrew came home to toys strewn all over the kitchen and a basement that looked like a toy bomb went off. What are you going to do when the kid is into everything?

Friday afternoon Andrew's parents came down to watch Jacob for us and allow us to have a night out on the town. We went down to Federal Hill and celebrated Gui's 29th birthday. Andrew and I had a wonderful time going out with friends and got home around midnight. At 1:30am Jacob decided he didn't like that we had a night of fun without him so he got up and stayed up until 3:30! UHHGGG (Jacob, if you are reading this we learned our lesson and won't have fun without you again :))

Saturday we went shopping and had lunch with Andrew's parents. Grandma and Grandpa bought Jacob his first sneakers and they are adorable. He looks so cute in them! Now that I know his shoe size our bank account may have a baby boy shoe shopping problem.

On Monday, Jacob headed back to daycare and he seems to be on the mend for the most part. He still has a cough and coughs sporadically throughout the night, but I'm hoping he will soon be healed for good.

Andrew and I both really enjoyed our time home with Jacob, but working and having a kid is really hard to manage. Most of the time I feel like I'm losing my mind and have a list a mile long of things that need to be done. Even though working, having a husband, and child is hard, I do enjoy having a life outside of being a mom.


Don't you love the track suit and new shoes :)









Jacob with his cousin Garrett.

9 months and cousins

On Friday Jacob had his 9 month appointment. He weighed in at 24 lbs. 12 oz and is 30 in. tall. He is the 95% in all categories. When the doctor checked his ears he had a double ear infection so he was put on some antibiotics. He seems to be in better spirits today. At 9 months Jacob is crawling, pulling up on tables and chairs, "talking" to us a lot, eating table food, and starting to drink out of a sippy cup. Tomorrow he gets moved into the next room up at daycare. He will be the youngest in the new class so I'm sure he will be learning all new tricks pretty soon.

Yesterday we traveled up to PA to visit with the Davis Party of 4. Jacob had a wonderful time watching his big cousin Charlotte jump around, scream, sing songs, dance, and entertain him the entire afternoon. He laughed as she screamed down the hallway, crawled to balls she would roll around for him to get, and happily ate the dinner she nicely fed to him. Charlotte even gave up her special seat (her highchair) so Jacob could sit in it at dinner. I loved watching the two of them get along so well and can only imagine what will happen when Jacob and Max can walk and run around after Charlotte. Jacob had a good visit with Max too. He only tried to poke him in the eye one time. I love that Jacob has cousins so close in age with him I just wish they didn't live so far away.

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.