The big EIGHT

So hard to believe December is here! Poor little Jakob celebrated his eight month birthday with lots of STOMACH FLU. Poor kid. I know there is a first time for everything... too bad flu had to be one of those things. He has not exactly been chipper through this first flu, but he sure is cute as a bug when he is in the mood to snuggle. The dreaded sickness hit as we were unloading our family on the way to the annual Christmas parade in our community. Jakob then unloaded on me. In his carrier. Down the front of my shirt. Three times. I was heartbroken for him, but it reminded me to be thankful for health when we have it.

Jakob has had an uneventful month, really. He has had a cold or two, but he hasn't changed much in his mobility (still an inchworm). He is sitting up very well now, and he's feeling more freedom to plop himself over when he needs to move on. I love watching him sit in front of a favorite toy. His expressions are funny... always snoopy, sometimes delighted, rarely ticked off. The girls love to replace and replenish his toys, and someday he will revolt. For now, he puts up with it well. He seems to be thinning out some, but I still love the pudginess he still has :)

His sleep has been fine during the day... still not very predictable at night. He will do stretches of two or three nights in a row that make me forget he has some "night" issues. Then he will remind me. Strongly. I am a very sympathetic mommy knowing that he was getting 5 teeth at once, and 2 have yet to cut. He now has three on the bottom and two on the top. He is still a little eater, and his favorites are sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, pears, and rice. I still tease him with peaches, but he still despises them!

Since most of his outfits are used, he can fit comfortably in some 12month clothing, but he's mostly on track for his age. He is getting loud - exercising his voice in all different ranges and volumes. His new favorite is sitting in the shopping cart (!!!) while we grocery shop. He holds on for dear life and charms all the old ladies who love the curl on the top of his head. He LOVES to hear the "Jakob Henry" song the girls sing to him, and I love the way he will peek out of his crib to find them in the morning. He is still SUPER ticklish, and he loves to have his earlobes massaged :) Yea, only a mom cares.

Here are my fun's and not-so-fun's for now:

fun's:

* I love when he is healthy and happy. This sicky thing is pathetic!
* I am really enjoying the way we are interacting. He loves to hit my face, so we have our first "training" project on our hands. Even the girls are teaching him the world "gentle!"
* He still scrunches up his little face and squints his eyes when he's begging for something.
* Drinking dark chocolate almond milk. Wait- that's me... because of him. Duh! Sorry...
* He is so curious! His favorite toy is a little musical table that I have stashed under Em's bunk. He scootches over there and tries to get it (not without injuries!). He also loves trying to play with their dress-up necklaces, and he gets a little annoyed when I confiscate them.
* He is trying to clap so hard! He can smack toys together well, and he ends up just clapping his fists together now.
* He BEGS for his food. As soon as he sees his highchair, he goes crazy. Hmm-ing and smacking his mouth. It's so funny!

not-so-fun's:

* I have heard his scream more than I care to with all of this teething stuff! :(
* Jakob is definitely all boy. He smacks and hits everything, and I just have a feeling his first injury is going to be putting his little fist through our tv cabinet window. Hmm...
* I have been cleaning out clothes, and I just about started crying at the giant box of boys clothes that he has through already! It's crazy how fast time goes.
* I think I'm read for CONSISTENT sleep at night. Is that possible? Should I try again in 10 years?
* This dude is almost done with his infant seat. There are rarely times that I carry him in his seat anymore.

We love you, Jakob! We can't remember life without you. You make our little family happy :)

What's up.

Here's a little update on life around here lately.  Most of my updates are just funnies right now, but I don't want to forget them!

* Halloween- So funny.  The girls had no idea what they were in for.  We visited some neighbors and ended up at a nice trunk-or-treat event at the church down the road.  They. were. in. awe.  They had so much fun seeing other costumes and riding in the wagon coach Daddy pulled around.  It was pretty fun.  Jakob finally fell asleep on the way home, but he seemed to enjoy the fun evening out!  It's amazing how long 1 hour can feel...  :)

* Jabber-boxes.  That's what my girls are these days.  From the time they wake 'til the time they sleep.  Talk talk talk.  I love their dialogue.  I often video it from an obscure corner.  They are hilarious.  Well, in this mom's humble opinion...  Here are some cuties from my cuties:

I was fighting a cold last month, so when Em tried to kiss me, I turned my head a bit more and told her I didn't want her to get my "bug."  Elyse then kissed Em and asked her not to get her a bug bite.

Emily was drinking a smoothie, and as it slowly came close to her mouth when her cup tipped, she giggled and said, "It kissed me!"

For some reason, Emily always asks me, "Mommy?  God made Jesus walk?"  Not sure why it's always worded just like that.  Honestly, I have no idea what she's talking about.

Em heard the coffee percolating before breakfast and said, "Hey!  Coffee's crying!"

Emily often complains about her tags on her pants tickling her "bum bum." I also love how she calls bandaids "Ban bains."

Elyse must have noticed I had a rotten night's sleep... She looked over at me as we were eating breakfast and said, "Mommy, you look like you need to go back to bed."  Thanks.

Elyse was VERY upset when we were out driving early one morning, and the sun was shining right in her eyes.  I advised her to close her eyes or look away...  Her response was, "Well, can't God's Father just MOVE the sun!?!"  Hmm...

Emily was really upset after cutting her hand.  We washed her hands in the sink before lunch a few hours later, and she came back into the bathroom crying after we were done.  She was very upset that I couldn't wash off her boo-boo :(

Elyse and Em love to play hide and seek.  Their version is odd.  They each take turns hiding in the exact same spot and they just look the other way while they're waiting to be found.  Jordan asked Elyse the other day why she couldn't see Emily "hiding" 5 feet away from her.  Elyse said, "Daddy, I can't see her cheeks or her lips!"

Elyse tried to tell me a secret today, and I noticed she was just mashing her face against my cheek.  I told her that secrets were supposed to be whispered into ears.  She laughed and said, NO, they should be told to cheeks.

I still love how Em answers questions... "Emily, did you go potty?"  "Yes I AM!!!"

Elyse tucked her knees up into her shirt the other day and started laughing so hard... she said, "Hey, Look!  I'm a mommy!"  Oh, dear...

Emily is pretty much potty trained.  I am so thankful.  Now that #2 is down, things are much easier around here.  We still have a little work to do in some areas, but she has just enjoyed being a big girl!

   The girls were roasting marshmallows over their fire :)

I love these three!

7 Months!

I'm late.  Jakob's seven month marker came and went amidst a busy weekend (not good busy, by the way...), and I am actually glad I am sitting down right now to record what is going on with my little guy.  Why?  Just because.  I want to.  It's quiet in this house, and for some reason the sound of typing is comforting to me tonight.  I have spent a lot of time reflecting lately... mostly sparked after losing a friend last week.  Death has that uncanny ability to make you reflect, cherish, hug a little tighter, and love a little deeper.  I have looked at my kids in a new light, and I pray I will remember the way they look in that light.

My little guy is definitely looking all BOY these days.  He is incredibly fun and is incredibly cute in overalls (I just learned).  He has recovered from his first ear infection last month, and he has displayed to me that he sleeps best when there are NO teeth coming in.  Nice.  Yes, he's cutting his two top teeth.  He is feeling better with my adjusted diet, and I'm thankful that he still seems to be growing pudgy.  He weighs about what Em weighed at 1 year old... I'm guessing almost 19 pounds?  His favorite foods right now are butternut squash, peas, and carrots.  He is quite a voracious eater, and I have learned not to goof off when spoon-feeding this kid.  He might bite.  He now slaps at his tray (fun new habits, right?) and whimpers like he hasn't eaten in days while I rush from counter to chair.  There's just no delaying with this kid.  He is very focused during mealtime and doesn't like to goof off much, thankfully.

(Mom, help?!?)

Jordan and I were wrong: he's not crawling yet!  We thought for sure he would crawl in October, but he is just content to perfect his inchworm across the room.  The girls are pretty patient with him for now.  Even when he gets into their things, they will often let him make a mess or patiently tell him to play with something else.  I'm not naive enough to think it will last :)  Jakob is sitting really well these days, and he obviously likes the change of scenery!  He loves to chew on his toes in the tub and splash most of the water on me.  I absolutely love giving this kid baths!  He enjoys every minute.  He loves to squeal and jabber, especially when the girls are egging him on.

I'm not sure if all boys are like this, but my little guy has quite a flirty little smile.  He loves to play games with me- peeking at me around objects and looking away coyly.  It's adorable.  I feel like he is constantly adjusting his schedule around, and he currently makes it almost 4 hours between feedings.  He actually eats 4 solid meals a day now (SO interesting, I know...), but he seems content with that, so I go with it for now.  I am REALLY looking forward to finger foods!

Here are my fun's and not-so-fun's for this age.

fun's:

* I love his morning routine of waking up laughing!
* His little "ha - HA" entertains all of us throughout the day...
* Watching Jake interact with the girls is so awesome.  I hope they always love him this much!
* Jakob loves to take in all the sights and sounds around him... He ends up bopping his head around trying not to miss a thing.
* He is my little buddy- flexible when I need him to be, and he's always content to sit on my hip.
* He's enjoying his toys so much right now.  I can almost see his little mind working away as he pushes buttons and watches things move.
* His sweet smile when I get him up from naps.  MELTS. MY. HEART.
* Cutest feet ever.
* I love watching him sleep!  He sucks on his index finger and sometimes holds his hand in his mouth with his other hand.  Adorable.

not-so-fun's:

* He is not really sleeping in his car seat much anymore.  Sad.
* He screams.  When he is upset, watch out.  You will hear the scream/squeal/holler.
* He poops all the time.  Seriously.  Boys...
* He loves to slap.  I am sometimes a recipient of those.
* He definitely knows how to arch his back.
* Seeing how fast these next 5 months are going to go- not so fun at all!

We love you, Jakob Henry!  Happy Seven Months!

A common expression

...these smirks. I see them often. I think they get them from my husband's mischievous side, but he disagrees. At least they are cute.

A little of this...

Well, it's just fun and games around here, folks! GORGEOUS October weather, a happy little boy again (that yucky cow's milk stuff is gone from his system, finally), a huge backyard with just enough entertainment to entertain these three, and the list could go on. If all of fall was like this, I'd be a happy camper!
Jakob had his follow-up appointment last week that confirmed that my modified diet is doing the trick. He did have an ear infection that required his first antibiotic (YUK), but I'll hold out hope that it will be his last for a while. Either way, sleep is coming back to visit our house, and it can stay. Forever. Jake is so close to crawling, and I never tire of watching him scoot and look smug about it :)
Emily and Elyse are two peas in a pod! They spend their fall days trying on shoes, playing dollhouse, packing their special bags with special things, wearing jewelry, coloring, more coloring, saving their coloring papers and ooh-ing and aah-ing over them... it's quite fun. I love that they seem to enjoy the same things at the same times! Emily now says, "I'm a little ballerina" and "Elyse is a princess!" Yep. Fun times. They dance. Lots. They twirl and remind me to watch their every move. They play with Jakob, play with their food, play with Daddy... basically lead a challenging life, you know? I love them. I love the little girls they are becoming, and I'm pretty sure they will always fight, so I might as well resign myself to dealing with that for a while... :)
I'm feeling thankful. And blessed.

6 Months?

True.  He's been around for 6 months as of yesterday (don't tell... I'm late again!).  We've had an adventurous month, for sure.  He celebrated last night by sleeping through the night for the first time in 3 (?) weeks.  I can't tell you how much that gift meant to me!  Seriously, it's been a long few weeks.  It felt longer than the weeks as a newborn, mostly because he had teased me for a while, and I had grown used to the idea of getting a full night's sleep.  I'm amazed how refreshed I feel today, and I'm quite thankful he gave me a half-birthday gift.  It seems to be that he's finally feeling better, at least in my opinion.  For a while, he was experiencing quite a bit of discomfort and pain that I believe I can attribute to his milk protein allergy, and I could totally understand why sleep was so difficult.  The weeks I've gone without dairy seem to be improving his sleep and his disposition, so we'll see if the pediatrician will confirm my suspicions next week.  I hope so!!!  Alternative = colonoscopy.  Not cool.

Jakob is enjoying his food these days.  He has tried oatmeal, rice, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, and bananas.  Of these, he despises applesauce most!  His face is classic, though, when he tastes it.  I've never seen a kid so adamant about NOT taking another bite.  He's smart, and that makes him quite hard to trick.  His favorites are green beans and peas, although the carrots he's had make him very happy, too.   I can't believe that he's just now seeming to get into a good routine, but it really took a while!  I blame that on numerous reasons: 1) me.  2) he's my third; he has to just fit in.  3) he seems to be somewhat of a free spirit.  Like his dad.  :)  Say no more, right?  I am getting used to his unpredictability, though, as it works to our favor most days if we are out and about.  When we're trying to plan, however, ... hmm...  Once his tummy is feeling better, that's a very firm goal of mine.  He needs a little more structure!

Jake's new trick is getting up and rocking out on all fours.  I LOVE this little trick of his, but I know from this point forward, there's no going back.  He's going mobile, and he will no longer be content to roll around and coo at me.  Ah, it's time, though.  He's ready.  Jordan and I predicted that he would be crawling in October, so we'll see if he can put two and two together!  He loves to roll around and crow at the top of his lungs.  His feet are still his favorite toys, and he can put on the sweetest smile when you finally meet his gaze.  I love him.  The girls love him, too, and I love watching the interaction between the three of them!  Emily and Elyse both despise his drooling habits, so they spend most of the play time griping about his "pit sup" (as Em says).  They take turns wiping his chin and the carpet.  They also love to blame every yucky smell on his diaper.  Must be a Jakob poop!

Jakob currently takes a morning nap, a cat nap before lunch (we're really close to eliminating this one, I think!), a longer afternoon nap, and SOMETIMES a brief nap before dinner.  It depends how early he wakes up from his afternoon nap.  It seems to work well for him, but I can tell he's ready to stretch out his feedings a bit more, and I will welcome that.  He has two bottom teeth, but I have a feeling a few more will follow shortly.  He seems to be chomping on everything in sight.  As for his disposition, he is as charming as ever.  If he's getting his way :)  The only times I see that little temper flare is if he's not ready for bed and I (heaven forbid) jump the gun a little, or if he wakes up with a messy diaper.  He will scream his head off until I go in and hug him, calm him down, and retry.  Then he's silent.  Crazy boy...  I guess I might as well ask forgiveness, right?

We love taking him out, as he's the best little companion.  He doesn't mind his car seat anymore, and he seems to love taking in new sights.  He is quick to smile and flirt :)  I'm so thankful for this little guy.  Obviously, I love him more than cheese, right???  It's hard to believe a year ago, I was anticipating that day in November (or was it December?) when we would discover he was a boy :)

Here are some of my current favorites and "dislikes" for this age:

fun's:

* I just love the way he gets excited when he's up on his knees, rocking around.
* I love being greeted by him after a nap :)
* He is SUCH a loud singer!
* He's pretty cute to feed in his little high chair.  I love his fat lips :)
* Watching him interact with Daddy and the girls makes me one happy mommy!
* I still love our first hang-out session of the day (around 6:30am).  It's so QUIET.
* Roly-poly legs and arms.
* I love that he's incredibly ticklish!

not-so-fun's:

* His "unhappy" scream.  (see how gracious I am?)
* Jakob's nails grow faster than the speed of light, and he is constantly scratching himself.
* He likes to think he should be my midnight buddy... early morning buddy... etc.  Good thing he's cute!
* He is so ready to move- I can't imagine what a little crazy boy he's going to turn into!  Didn't he get the memo to keep my life simple?
* Um... he discovered he can bite.
* Naptime interruptions = poo.  Not cool.

Jakob, you're sweet.  You're cute and cuddly, and we are so happy you are our boy!  6 more months until we introduce you to the wonderful world of cake.  You don't need to rush it though... It won't be any good without real milk anyway...  :)  We love you!

This little guy...

... Seems to be interested in crawling. Cute, huh? This little guy also seems to have a milk protein allergy. I do hope we can resolve that little issue ASAP. I have been doing a big switcharoo on my diet, and I hope Jake can feel better soon! Did I mention I am tired? Yep... Miserable boy at night means miserable amount of sleep for mama. I am so thankful, however, for a healthy little guy that is almost 18lbs chunky. A healthy and CUTE little guy. And, forgive the quality of these photos... I grabbed the closest camera!

Simplicity

If only life was always this simple. Love them!

These three...

Emily, Elyse, and Jakob at five months.  Love their unique looks!